OOC Thread

[JadedDM]

Nah, meeting up is the easy part...at least, when fate plays its hand.

For instance, in a year, Areilon is going to head to Hashadeth to look up Andar. By amazing coincidence, that's where Jocelyn will be stationed for her next assignment, assuming her evaluation goes well.

As for Val and Ouragana, it should be easy enough to come up with a reason why they might choose to visit that island at the same time.

[Jenara]

That is exactly where she is going! hehe

[Jenara]

I kind of expect Arei and Val to stick together, they are both unconnected to anyone, so no reason why they can't wander.

[JadedDM]

If that's what you both want, sure.

[JadedDM]

The end of the chapter, the end of the first arc! We have some level-ups here.

Horizon, to level up your character, please roll and post 1d8-1. The -1 is from her poor CON score. If you roll a 0 (1-1), you still get a minimum of 1 HP. You get one more 1st and 2nd level spell slots and a new WP slot.

Breila, you roll a simple 1d4 for your HP. You now can cast one 2nd level spell a day and get a new NWP slot. Also, now that she has gained a level, she can attempt to learn Magic Missile again, if she desires. Perhaps having fought off those dragons and orcs got her in the right mindset!

I’ve updated the Places and People thread, as well as the Calendar thread.

Here are my notes for the last chapter:

The title of this chapter was pretty straightforward. I couldn't think up any clever wordplay this time.

Splitting up the four PCs and giving them their own scenario turned out pretty interesting, I thought. Jocelyn had a talk with her mentor about her progress, Ouragana learned a new spell, Areilon made a new friend of sorts, and Val got to show her stuff to a racist dwarf...sort of.

I had fun with the dinner scene. I enjoy roleplaying the Bullring sisters, particularly in coming up with old stories of past adventures for them. I really wanted them to feel like experienced adventurers (they're levels 7 and 9, if you were wondering). I hope they appear again in the game some day.

The final battle with the dragons and orcs was to serve two purposes. One, to help get me re-familiar with the ship to ship combat rules (they're quite complicated). Second, I wanted a big finale to end the first arc on, and what's bigger than dragons? The battle between Val and the last dragon had me on the edge of my seat. I'm surprised she didn't use her strength potion--might have made all the difference.

As I said before, I was originally going to use young adult dragons, but chickened out at the last minute and made them younglings instead. In retrospect, I should have gone with the young adults, but oh, well. Still made for a good fight, I thought.

I felt bad about Val losing the coral trident; if only she hadn't fumbled right beforehand, I would have ruled she kept a death grip on it even as she was unconscious. Oh, well. With that gold bar, she can buy a new fine trident--even a masterwork one!

The whole artifact thing was something I cooked up for Ouragana to do. I think it might make for a good sidequest later on in the future. Just where did that map lead to? Breila mentioned Star Wars, but in truth I was actually referencing Disney's Treasure Planet.

Horizon
One wonders how far Jocelyn can go in this faith if she is baffled by two of the three basic virtues taught by the church. From here on out, her sincerity and beliefs will be severely tested. Hopefully she's up to the challenge.

Breila
I think we learned more about Ouragana in this chapter than all the previous chapters put together. Hopefully during the arc transition, we can get her powered up so she's able to contribute more to the party.

Jenara
Well, after all this time, Areilon finally got to participate in a naval battle. However, someone as chaotic as her has a hard time following the chain of command. (You might want to consider altering her alignment to Chaotic Good for the next arc, come to think of it.)

Nuke
We really need to break Val out of her anti-social shell. I feel bad when everyone else is talking and interacting, and she's just sitting there quietly.

As always, any feedback, let me know. Stay tuned for the epilogue of the arc, where we fast forward a year and resume our adventures!

[JadedDM]

Okay, so here's how the time skip will work.

First, we're going to take some time off while I work on the new arc and while we decide what happened during the timeskip. This will last a week--two at most.

We won't be roleplaying out the whole year, of course. Doing so would probably take 6 years in real time. But it won't be completely glossed over, either. What we'll be doing is sort of a quasi-roleplay. It works much like what we normally do, but on a broader scale, instead of dealing with the minutia. For instance, Breila might state that Ouragana is going to return to the academy and learn some new spells. I'll tell her what is involved and whether she learns them. But we won't roleplay her returning to the academy, studying the spells, and so forth.

If there is a scene or two you really want to roleplay out, due to importance to character development, for instance, we can do that. But they must be brief (we only have a week or two, remember, before moving on) and relevant in some way. (Roleplaying a scene where your character just dicks around at a local inn, for instance, is just a waste of time.)

First, keep an eye on your coin. Your characters will not step into status during the timeskip. They will be buying food and other such necessities, as well as possibly paying rent (depending on where they stay) and so forth. If you want your character to spend the year in the fanciest inn around, that's fine. But you'll probably be completely broke by the time the timeskip ends.

How well you live determines how much money you spend. Those of you with nature skills (fishing, survival, hunting, etc.) might be able to live in the wild. But most of you will likely need some kind of job to survive on during the timeskip.

Other things to consider are training. All of you have at least one proficiency slot to fill, so what do you learn, and who do you learn it from? Ouragana will likewise need to consider what new spells she wants to learn.

New equipment can be purchased, as well. Depending on where you go for it, of course.

Not everything need be for practical purposes, though. You can also visit family and friends, that sort of thing.

If anyone wants any advice on building their characters, or in deciding what their character should do during the year timeskip, feel free to ask. But I won't offer any advice unless asked.

[HorizonsDream]

HP (3)

[JadedDM]

I just realized, Nuke never rolled HP for third level. Val still has only 13 HP.

[Breila]

New hit points: 1d4=1

This is the first time Ouragana was "in her element", not feeling out of place, so she could show more of herself.

One thing she wants to do during the trip to Ketos is look at the artifact more closely, using her knowledge of Eonian Ancient History (so far, she has only "secured" the projected map by re-tracing it on parchment, then she needed to go to the Captain's cabin). Proficiency check: 1d20=6, pass with a margin

Does Ouragana have to pay for room and board at the Academy?
What I might like to roleplay is the scene with her mentor after she has recounted her adventures and asks for guidance, particularly on the new spells to learn.

She does not have any other home, so she won't travel anywhere else. But she might take an assignment as storm sorcerer on a voyage if she has the time.

[JadedDM]

This is the first time Ouragana was "in her element", not feeling out of place, so she could show more of herself.

The party should take jobs on boats more often, if that's the case. Perhaps secure their own someday, even.

One thing she wants to do during the trip to Ketos is look at the artifact more closely, using her knowledge of Eonian Ancient History

Well, she's already studied it quite a bit as it is. She has heard of magical devices from the Eonian Empire that were said to be capable of storing information in them--text, images, audio, even moving pictures. The knowledge to build those things today is lost, and most of the ones that have been recovered from ruins have been damaged, so finding one intact is quite a find.

It's possible there is more information on the device than just the one map--likely, even. But such information was often locked with some kind of password. The password could be a spoken word, a gesture, a melody, a sound, or just about anything, really. Some devices were even keyed to specific voice imprints or even specific bloodlines, so only certain individuals or families could access them.

Unfortunately, after numerous experiments--including one where Thaddeus had Ouragana knock it off the desk again, just to be sure--the password had yet to be discovered by the time the ship reached Ketos. However, Thaddeus promised to send her a letter (via the Academy) should he ever make a significant breakthrough.

On another note, Ouragana should be arriving at Ketos juuuuuust in time for her 19th birthday.

Does Ouragana have to pay for room and board at the Academy?

Yes, indeed. Her scholarship is gone now, so she's on her own. As you know, 500 gold pieces will get her a full year on campus, with room and board provided and full access to labs, libraries, and classes.

I assume, though, she doesn't intend to spend the entire year there. So the question is, how long will she stay? That will determine how much it will cost her. If she stays long enough, the Academy might offer her a job of some kind to help pay for the expenses. Maybe as a teacher's aid or a lecturer.

What I might like to roleplay is the scene with her mentor after she has recounted her adventures and asks for guidance, particularly on the new spells to learn.

Just one problem with that. I have no idea who her mentor is. Actually, I know nothing at all about her past. The backstory you sent me when you first submitted Ouragana was literally five sentences long. I don't even know where she grew up or what her foster family was like. Did she enjoy school? Was she popular or did she get picked on? Did she have friends? Who was her mentor, and what was her relationship with him/her?

I suppose I could make up something whole cloth, if you prefer. I feel a little odd about writing a PC's backstory for her, though. I'd rather us work together to come up with something.

[Jenara]

Arei will learn to swim, I'm sure Val will teach her, and to use her crossbow (I'm guessing she will need to pay for that.)

As for alignment, yes CG is suiting her better, I'm thinking the incident on the island, questioning her own belief in what is right changed who she is.... She has changed inside, and will probably never be the same again.

She would love to own a ship, being her own boss, that would be so great, but not yet.

Where would she like to go? What would she like to do?
The gold bar isn't portable, so she'll probably get some clothes, some nice new ones, something high quality... And trade the bar for something more portable.

She'll look for a boat to travel to Hashadeth, a round the houses trip that will get her there eventually, she did promise she would... Perhaps even as a passenger, rather than crew!

Oh she'll keep the pistols, they will fetch a pretty penny, and are nice and portable.

[JadedDM]

Arei will learn to swim, I'm sure Val will teach her, and to use her crossbow (I'm guessing she will need to pay for that.)

Assuming Nuke is agreeable to that, no problem. As for the crossbow, that's a common enough skill that finding a teacher shouldn't be a problem. How much it will cost will depend on who she finds to teach her.

As for alignment, yes CG is suiting her better

Chaotic Good it is. Now the whole party is Chaotic.

The gold bar isn't portable, so she'll probably get some clothes, some nice new ones, something high quality... And trade the bar for something more portable.

I kind of figured everyone would cash in the bars, as they are pretty damned heavy. But I didn't want to assume too much. After all, you might lock them up somewhere safe for a retirement fund someday, or something.

Anyway, what kind of clothes? Ones for everyday use, or for special occasions?

She'll look for a boat to travel to Hashadeth, a round the houses trip that will get her there eventually, she did promise she would... Perhaps even as a passenger, rather than crew!

If that's the case, maybe just stick with the Bullring for now? They did lose quite a few sailors, and she seemed pretty happy sailing with them. That way at least she has a job and a place to live for the year.

[Jenara]

I hope Nuke will, perhaps Arei could teach Val something too..
She will stay on the ship, maybe someone on board could teach her to use the crossbow?

As for the clothing, clothes like she wears but better quality, a new scabbard for Telsa, with the name of the blade in elven runes? And a nice dress, something not too expensive, but nice.

[JadedDM]

I went ahead and traded in Areilon's gold bar for 500 gold pieces.

Tomori would be willing to teach Areilon the crossbow, for a payment of 50 gold pieces.

As for clothing, let's see. Currently, Areilon owns a floppy plumed hat, a red cape, a black string tied tunic, a plain white linen shirt, a red sash, brown leather gloves, a brown leather belt, a black leather skirt, and soft brown high leather boots. She also has a backup outfit, which is the exact same thing, but with brown trousers. And she has a white linen dress.

So clothes come in the following materials: cotton, linen, wool, velvet, satin, silk and fur. That's in order from cheapest to most expensive (except velvet and satin, which are the same price). So do you just want to upgrade everything she has by one level? Does she keep the clothes she already has, or does she dump them in favor of the new ones?

As for the scabbard, since a regular one costs 4 gold pieces, I'll go ahead and say a high quality one like you describe would cost 20 gold pieces.

[Jenara]

Ok clothes: She'll keep both white shirts, silk is too much, she'll buy two satin tunics, two red silk sashes, a black leather skirt (the old one was damaged by acid) a pair of black satin trousers, and two red silk capes. She'll keep her belts, gloves, and boots. The old stuff she will sell if she can, she will keep her hat. And the cost of the scabbard is good.

The dress would be a satin affair, dark and low cut, with some cleavage on Show... hehe. Gotta lure Andar somehow...

The training cost sounds ok.

Lastly, can she trade some of the gold for another gem?