Kulan: Knightfall's Crisis in Bluffside Game [OOC]

[Knightfall]

Here is the OOC thread for my reboot of my old Western Kanpur | Bluffside Campaign that was running over on The Piazza. The game stalled over there, but with the refresh of EN World, I'm eager to get it restarted here.

Right now, I have two confirmed players: @Scott DeWar and @Tellerian Hawke. Scott is playing a new PC while Tellerain is playing the same PC he was over on The Piazza. (Another one of the players from on The Piazza has the option of coming to EN World and continuing to play his PC, but I'm not going to count on him choosing to do so.) I'd like to get one more player for the game, but it won't be a requirement for the game to go ahead.

New PCs should start at 6th level. Stats are generated as follows: 4d6 and drop the lowest die. Do this 9 times, pick the best six, and arrange to taste. Each new PC gains a bonus heirloom item valued up to 2,500 gp. See here for a summary of some of what has already happened (to the previous PCs) as well as the starting point for the games new Campaign Guide. The game will reboot in city's district known as Old City.

Crisis in Bluffside Game IC Thread
Crisis in Bluffside PBP Campaign Guide

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Player Characters
Neurotic: Loremaster Ákos (CG Male Feytouched* Human, Cloistered Cleric 3 / Warlock 2 / Eldritch Disciple 5)

* Feytouched is represented by the LA 0 template Seelie Court Fey from DRAGON Compendium​

Aust Thale: Falen (N Male Half-Hobgoblin, Rogue 3 / Wizard 2 / Unseen Seer 3 / Mindbender 1)
Tellerain Hawke: Sir Tymbeck "Big Tim" Valencia (LN Male Half-Ogre, Fighter 9) [LA is now +0 (bought off)]
MetaVoid: Rockhorn Mosswood (CG Male Wild Dwarf [Titan Bloodline 2], Fighter 3 / Beast Heart Adept 4) [ECL 7]
Scott DeWar: Vincenzo d'Lucio (N Male Human, Martial Rogue 2 / Wizard [Transmuter] 6) / Swiftblade 2
TaranTheWanderer: Vitus Paccione (NG Male Ticin Human, Cleric of Tyche 8)
- - -
Supporting NPC
Custodio Vecchi (NG Male Human, Cleric of the Purifier [Vanquisher] 5/Fighter 3)
Sobla
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EX-PCs
Breva Sciarra (LG Male Human, Paladin of the Purifier 8) (played by Scotley)
Tuck (N Male Kobold, Urban Ranger 7 / Rogue 2) [temp. NPC until fade out] (played by JustinCase])

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Map of the Campaign Region

Campaign Map: Bluffside Region

It’s finally finished! After several versions of this map that I’ve eventually rejected, I’ve finally finalized the map of the lands surrounding Bluffside: City on the Edge, as it…

kulanworldjournal.wordpress.com

 

[Neurotic]

What are the limits? Books allowed? Level of optimization expected? I have three different characters made earlier for games that stalled. One was never played, one went through the intro and one was played for one encounter. Different levels, but that is easily adjusted. Bard, dragon shaman and cleric / warlock. I have spellthief somewhere, but that class needs DM help to start it off the ground

Your other two players already know me if that helps

None of the above is super optimized as you can see from the classes, but I like to tinker - taking a story, a concept and optimizing what I can within that frame.

 

[Neurotic]

I've read a recap. The wizards need to belong or at least register. Sorcerers are second class citizens. What about bards, warlocks,hexblade etc arcane casters?

I'm essentially always on and can post multiple times a week. We don't have a healer so...warlock / cleric? Going for Eldritch something

 

[Knightfall]

What are the limits? Books allowed? Level of optimization expected? I have three different characters made earlier for games that stalled. One was never played, one went through the intro and one was played for one encounter. Different levels, but that is easily adjusted. Bard, dragon shaman and cleric / warlock. I have spellthief somewhere, but that class needs DM help to start it off the ground

When it comes to v.3.5, I have almost every official book. I also own a ton of d20 System books but you don't need to worry about that unless there is something you have (and that I have) that you want to use. It might be best not to go too crazy.

The main two d20 rulebooks I use for all of Kulan are Crime and Punishment and The Complete Book of Eldritch Might.

The main two books I don't have are The Book of Nine Swords and Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead. I've never owned the first one and I didn't like the second one. Note that Magic of Incarnum is very limited on my world and to a specific region that isn't near Bluffside.

I'm okay with any of those PC concepts. @Scott DeWar is considering a PC that would use a PrC called Swiftblade, so he's got the roguish arcane user covered if he does that character concept. And we have our tank.

The dragon shaman would be an interesting option. Note, however, that dragons on Kulan are tied to the Balance of alignments and the natural world. The alignments are different (must be partially neutral) and so are world views of dracology. There are rogue dragons, which don't follow the Tenents of the Balance (LE, LG, CE, CG); such dragons are either reviled or beloved depending on who you're dealing with. I'll post a chart of alignments for you, if you're interested.

I've never had a warlock in a game. That could be very interesting. That character could take the spot of a previous wizard whose likely won't come on over from The Piazza. Make sure you look at the link to the summary of what has happened previously, although it isn't vital for you to know all of that. This is a new group of heroes with a few connections to the old group of heroes (who weren't even the first group of heroes).

I should mention that there aren't drow on Kulan. They do exist in the world's cosmology, but they are not native to the world.

Your other two players already know me if that helps

That always helps.

None of the above is super optimized as you can see from the classes, but I like to tinker - taking a story, a concept and optimizing what I can within that frame.

I'm all about the story. Build an idea/story and go from there. I prefer players play characters that aren't super-optimized, but I don't forbid it.

 

[Neurotic]

That's why I take subioptimal composition. I had kobold fighter once

 

[Knightfall]

I've read a recap. The wizards need to belong or at least register. Sorcerers are second class citizens. What about bards, warlocks,hexblade etc arcane casters?

Bards are accepted in the city, but they don't have pull of wizards. A bard wouldn't have to register but neither would bards be accepted in the Wizard District. A bard's life would revolve more around the Theater on the Bluff in Old City unless the character was also a wizard.

Hexblades and warlocks would be viewed a lot like sorcerers since they don't memorized spells like wizards. Warlocks would likely be reviled more than sorcerers. Hexblades would be more accepted for their martial backgrounds, and I could see hexblades as member of the Bluffside Regulars but not the Sectarian Guard. A hexblade could register with the House of Universal Wizardry, I guess, but the character wouldn't be very welcome there or in the Wizard District.

I'm essentially always on and can post multiple times a week. We don't have a healer so...warlock / cleric? Going for Eldritch something

That would be interesting and if you go that route, your PC could have a strong connection to the Temple District. There is a part of the district called the Street of Sorrows where 'salvation is sold to the masses'. Almost any faith can exist in the Temple District. Your warlock/cleric would be just another soul in the crowd. However, the character would have a tough time of it in the rest of the city once he becomes known as a warlock. I guess it would depend more on the PCs bloodline. Just don't make your character evil.

 

[Knightfall]

Here are the names of the churches/temples of the known faiths listed in the book (some of the names have been tweaked): Temple of the Ooze (on the Street of Sorrows; the faithful* worship an ooze); Castle of Purification (temple of the Purifier; dominated by paladins); Conflagration of Life and Succor (temple of the Great Provider; sun god); The Exploratory (temple of the Traveler); Grove of Peace and Harmony (temple of the Great Mother; nature goddess); Holy Sanctuary of Peace and Protection (temple to the Healer); Temple of the Ethereal One (temple of Sky and Air; god of air and magic); Sem La Vah Revived (temple dedicated to the worship of the ancients); Teacher's Library (temple for scholars and wizards); Fallen of Valhalla (temple dedicated to Norse warriors); Winged Death (temple to the Frozen One; evil god of ice and death).

* Considered wacky cultists.

 

[Neurotic]

Any water or fey gods? Or would that all be under nature?

 

[Knightfall]

Other Known Faiths (added to the district for this campaign)

• Divine Order of Ceres
• Dwerfater's Forge (a dwarf deity from the Bard's Gate sourcebook by Necromancer Games)
• Fortress of Mithras
• House of Portals (temple of Aoskar)
• Shadowstar Temple (temple of Anubis)
• The Solar Synagogue (temple to Arn (another Bard's Gate god); has become famous due to a fallen hero who used to be one of the original PCs)
• Well of the Worlds (temple to the Sustainer (god of water and entropy); this temple isn't located in the Temple District; it is located off the coast in Sordadon -- a floating city affiliated with Bluffside; you can consider another district, but that's a misnomer)
• Wotan's Longhouse (temple to Odin; more often called Wotan)

 

[Knightfall]

The Sustainer's other titles/names include Rainmaker, Clouded Sky, and Nugua *. Core v.3.5 domains are Healing, Water, and Weather. The Bluffside book adds a domain called Entropy.

* Nugua refers to to a dead god from the time of the ancients. That god was a elemental god of chaos and water where chaos is defined as entropy and uncertainty not anti-law.