"How can we forget the suffering of our kin during the Age of Chains? How can we set aside those ancient grudges when the risk of slavery is now greater than ever? Fellow warriors, the orcs are upon us, marching once more to the beat of the giants’ drum. It falls to us to stop them—to hold fast no matter their numbers. If we falter, we give into fear. It’s not just ourselves and our way of life that will suffer; all people of the Elsir Vale will perish as well. War is upon us. Now is the time for men and women of courage to stand up and defend those who cannot defend themselves!"
The voice rings out through the streets of Overlook. A dwarven warrior by the name of Durkik Forgeheart, known to most as a captain of the city's militia, stands on the back of a cart as it is pulled through the city streets. You hear his speech as he rides past you, and you know of what he requests.
The lands west of the Stonehome Mountains have been a festering mire of want and suffering. This parched and barren landscape is suited only for orcs, goblinoids, and other fell creatures. From time to time, a warlord gathers a small army and tumbles out of these badlands to test their strength and arms against the stalwart dwarf defenders, but never have they crossed the mountains because straddling its single pass is an ancient dwarven stronghold named Bordrin’s Watch. No matter how many orcs muster, they die upon its walls, painting the sturdy stone with their black blood. So the rumors of a new host in these forlorn bogs and dead woods seemed a small threat—nothing the guardians could not handle. This army, though, is different. Unlike all the many times the orcs have emerged, they now have a leader who can keep them together long enough to win.
***********
I've decided to jump into another game to DM, this time using the 4E rules. The module is Siege Of Bordrin's Watch, a section of the Scales Of War Adventure Path from Dragon Magazine issue 157 (although I am running it as a standalone and not as a part of the Adventure Path). The game will involve 5 to 7 players starting at 3rd level, and can include any of the races and classes from PH I, II, and the FR Player's Guide.
Even though the dwarves have been successful in containing the orc hordes in the past, this time it’s different and the dwarves of Overlook are concerned that the walls of the Bordrin’s Watch might not be enough to staunch the flood. All their misgivings stem from the reports brought back by their own scouts, who mention endless ranks of orcs, trolls, and worse marching inexorably to the Stonehome Mountains. To shore up the thin number of defenders to man the Watch, the city dispatches a call to arms, beseeching able-bodied men and women to mobilize at Caer Overlook and then join forces with the defenders in the mountains. The player characters will be among those who heed the call.
**********
Character creation for this game will be a little different than usual. Rather than having interested players post their character sheets here and then I select a handful for the adventure... I'm going to actually start the In-Game thread shortly. At that time, anyone who might be interested in playing can begin posting roleplays of the character they have created for themselves directly into the thread. These characters will all be men and women who have just heard Durkik Forgeheart's announcement from the street, and you can use your posts to describe who you are, where you are, what you do, what your place is in Overlook, and your opinions of the potential battle as you head towards Caer Overlook, the government building in the center of the city and where the militiamen are gathering to get their assignments.
Feel free to introduce your character however you'd like, giving as much or as little background material as you think you need to help motivate your character's decision to join the militia. You can also add in various NPCs and locations in your posts to act against, and I will occasionally post in response to you as well. Also, if two or more PCs happen to run into each other, you can also post back and forth against each other as well. In these initial roleplays, what I'm looking for is the most interesting and immersive players with the most interesting and logical characters. This is primarily a dwarven city with a mountain range on one side and a forest on the other, and they are defending against an army onslaught of orcs, trolls, and other humanoids. So make race/class choices that help lend to the immersiveness of the story.
Eventually, all the interested players (and their characters) will make their way to Caer Overlook, and it is there that the Council of Elders will hand out the militia assignments (and I, as DM, will select the 5-7 players that I've chosen to continue on with the adventure). Those of you who aren't chosen will be considered alternates, should anybody drop out. And it is only at this point, when I've made my selection of the party, that I will ask for character sheets to be made. Until then, there is no need to bother. I don't care about your fighter's stats, I care about your fighter's personality and reason for existance (or whichever race/class you ultimately decide on).
Bear in mind, my choice of party selection will come down mainly on how interested I become in your character as you make your initial roleplays and interact with me and your fellow players. The more compelling your character is, the more I'll want to see your character's story continue and the more likely I'll select you for the adventure proper. That being said... I will have to make slight concessions to party make-up, so if you see that most players have selected striker-types and we do not yet have any leaders roleplaying for example, making a decision in that vein isn't necessarily a bad thing.
If you have any questions about any of this, please feel free to post them below, and I'll answer them as soon as I can. I'll probably get the In-Game thread up either tomorrow or Friday, so until then, you can start thinking about your character. For the more immersive among you... the actual module itself is downloadable from the WotC website:
http://wizards.com/files/157_BordrinsWatch.pdf
Within it is a very large and descriptive overview of the city of Overlook (including maps of the city and the surrounding countryside). It gives info on quite a number of the locations throughout the city (inns, taverns, temples, shops) that you can use to help flesh out your character's place in the world. If you don't find what you need within the module, free free to make stuff up... but all of this additional city info is here to be used.
Thanx much folks, and I look forward to seeing the initial roleplays! Post your questions below.
The voice rings out through the streets of Overlook. A dwarven warrior by the name of Durkik Forgeheart, known to most as a captain of the city's militia, stands on the back of a cart as it is pulled through the city streets. You hear his speech as he rides past you, and you know of what he requests.
The lands west of the Stonehome Mountains have been a festering mire of want and suffering. This parched and barren landscape is suited only for orcs, goblinoids, and other fell creatures. From time to time, a warlord gathers a small army and tumbles out of these badlands to test their strength and arms against the stalwart dwarf defenders, but never have they crossed the mountains because straddling its single pass is an ancient dwarven stronghold named Bordrin’s Watch. No matter how many orcs muster, they die upon its walls, painting the sturdy stone with their black blood. So the rumors of a new host in these forlorn bogs and dead woods seemed a small threat—nothing the guardians could not handle. This army, though, is different. Unlike all the many times the orcs have emerged, they now have a leader who can keep them together long enough to win.
***********
I've decided to jump into another game to DM, this time using the 4E rules. The module is Siege Of Bordrin's Watch, a section of the Scales Of War Adventure Path from Dragon Magazine issue 157 (although I am running it as a standalone and not as a part of the Adventure Path). The game will involve 5 to 7 players starting at 3rd level, and can include any of the races and classes from PH I, II, and the FR Player's Guide.
Even though the dwarves have been successful in containing the orc hordes in the past, this time it’s different and the dwarves of Overlook are concerned that the walls of the Bordrin’s Watch might not be enough to staunch the flood. All their misgivings stem from the reports brought back by their own scouts, who mention endless ranks of orcs, trolls, and worse marching inexorably to the Stonehome Mountains. To shore up the thin number of defenders to man the Watch, the city dispatches a call to arms, beseeching able-bodied men and women to mobilize at Caer Overlook and then join forces with the defenders in the mountains. The player characters will be among those who heed the call.
**********
Character creation for this game will be a little different than usual. Rather than having interested players post their character sheets here and then I select a handful for the adventure... I'm going to actually start the In-Game thread shortly. At that time, anyone who might be interested in playing can begin posting roleplays of the character they have created for themselves directly into the thread. These characters will all be men and women who have just heard Durkik Forgeheart's announcement from the street, and you can use your posts to describe who you are, where you are, what you do, what your place is in Overlook, and your opinions of the potential battle as you head towards Caer Overlook, the government building in the center of the city and where the militiamen are gathering to get their assignments.
Feel free to introduce your character however you'd like, giving as much or as little background material as you think you need to help motivate your character's decision to join the militia. You can also add in various NPCs and locations in your posts to act against, and I will occasionally post in response to you as well. Also, if two or more PCs happen to run into each other, you can also post back and forth against each other as well. In these initial roleplays, what I'm looking for is the most interesting and immersive players with the most interesting and logical characters. This is primarily a dwarven city with a mountain range on one side and a forest on the other, and they are defending against an army onslaught of orcs, trolls, and other humanoids. So make race/class choices that help lend to the immersiveness of the story.
Eventually, all the interested players (and their characters) will make their way to Caer Overlook, and it is there that the Council of Elders will hand out the militia assignments (and I, as DM, will select the 5-7 players that I've chosen to continue on with the adventure). Those of you who aren't chosen will be considered alternates, should anybody drop out. And it is only at this point, when I've made my selection of the party, that I will ask for character sheets to be made. Until then, there is no need to bother. I don't care about your fighter's stats, I care about your fighter's personality and reason for existance (or whichever race/class you ultimately decide on).
Bear in mind, my choice of party selection will come down mainly on how interested I become in your character as you make your initial roleplays and interact with me and your fellow players. The more compelling your character is, the more I'll want to see your character's story continue and the more likely I'll select you for the adventure proper. That being said... I will have to make slight concessions to party make-up, so if you see that most players have selected striker-types and we do not yet have any leaders roleplaying for example, making a decision in that vein isn't necessarily a bad thing.
If you have any questions about any of this, please feel free to post them below, and I'll answer them as soon as I can. I'll probably get the In-Game thread up either tomorrow or Friday, so until then, you can start thinking about your character. For the more immersive among you... the actual module itself is downloadable from the WotC website:
http://wizards.com/files/157_BordrinsWatch.pdf
Within it is a very large and descriptive overview of the city of Overlook (including maps of the city and the surrounding countryside). It gives info on quite a number of the locations throughout the city (inns, taverns, temples, shops) that you can use to help flesh out your character's place in the world. If you don't find what you need within the module, free free to make stuff up... but all of this additional city info is here to be used.
Thanx much folks, and I look forward to seeing the initial roleplays! Post your questions below.
Last edited: