The Campaign Builder's Guild

I haven't been as productive of late, mostly from a combination of long school papers and reading, too much Starcraft, and winter apathy.  I still plan on running an Age of Madness game at some point, but I'm also thinking about reviving the IRC Cadaverous Earth Campaign, Blood and Bewitchment, that went on hiatus last year.  I wouldn't be able to start running the game again until probably late February, but that gives me and potential players some prep time.

Of course, all of the party are welcome to come back and play if they have the time/energy/interest to do so (I'm thinking the time commitment will be fairly small at first, only a couple hours a week).  I'd prefer to run the game on either Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, but I could also manage Monday afternoons and in a real pinch Friday mornings (I'm on Pacific Time, of course, so that may mean Friday afternoons or evenings for other players).

A couple of players were forced to drop out of the campaign towards the end - specifically, Llum and Nomadic.  Both of them are absolutely welcome to return, but I realize the commitments that prompted them to leave in the first place may prevent them from joining.  If that's the case, it means that if any new players would like to join the game, there may be some spots open.  If you'd be interested in playing but aren't familiar with the Cadaverous Earth, there's a link in my signature.  There's also a link to the campaign logs (not yet up to date, though I'm slowly getting there).  The system will be a modified form of Iron Heroes with a lot of stuff borrowed from D&D 3.5.

So, to both new and existing players, if you're interested in participating, post here along with times you're available and any questions/comments you might have!

Obviously I am always willing to reprise my role as Kaius Alexander. Wednesday or maybe Tuesday are best for me, but I could probably fit it in other places as well.

Would be nice to get back to this. Assuming games starting at similar times as before, both tuesdays and thursdays seem good for me. Although I think I could probably make it on wednesdays also.

Well, Wispy still needs to complete the sidequest. I might be able to do that on the 31st (Monday or that week's Tue or Wed) if you like. Late February is fine for a resumption of the full game.

I have class a lot this semester and usually late. Unless the game is at around 6ish EST I doubt I could make it. I'll be able to say more if there's a more concrete time. Friday Afternoons might be the best for me, since it's my earliest day, I finish class at 2:30 EST. So I could be home for 3ish.

This is very, very tempting. I'm in the same boat as Llum this semester, except my problem regards club activities rather than late classes.

I need to see how my workload is, but if it's doable I'll certainly be interested in joining.

I am so in.

I can do anytime at all at the moment, due to lovely lovely unemployment, but when I find a job (hopefully soon!) that may change. We'll see, but anyway, I would love to play!

Oh, also, what happened to the Age of Madness game, will any episodes of that occur?

Can't say anything until the time is more concrete. Would like to play though.

I'm glad to see there's plenty of interest!
[blockquote=Light Dragon]Well, Wispy still needs to complete the sidequest. I might be able to do that on the 31st (Monday or that week's Tue or Wed) if you like. Late February is fine for a resumption of the full game.[/blockquote] 31st sometime after 3:30PM EST or Tuesday/Wednesday would work for me perfectly.

QuoteOh, also, what happened to the Age of Madness game, will any episodes of that occur?

Yeah, I'm planing on getting around to it, it just kind of lost momentum as I got busy with large papers and Christmas.  I'm going to run it, though, at some point.

Thanks, on the 31st at 5:30PM EST would work for me. If something changes, I'll let you know a few days in advance.

From an outside standpoint it really is amazing how well we do on these IRC games.  

For those who are on the fence, there's also always the option of dropping in on the occasional session as a "guest star."  Sometimes it may be difficult to manage but thus far I've been able to improvise relatively well when players come and go (like Gorethirst and Carver running into one another in the Catacombs, or Wispy getting blown into the party by the tempest).

Quote from: SteerpikeFor those who are on the fence, there's also always the option of dropping in on the occasional session as a "guest star."  Sometimes it may be difficult to manage but thus far I've been able to improvise relatively well when players come and go (like Gorethirst and Carver running into one another in the Catacombs, or Wispy getting blown into the party by the tempest).

So, wait, how are you running this? Is this a group game with a couple of satellite solo games that all occasionally cross over one another?

It's a group game, but sometimes I've done solo sessions, especially when a player hasn't been able to make it for awhile.  Sometimes someone else in the group will happen to be on IRC so they'll tag along on a solo session.  I probably won't do as many solos at first simply due to lack of time, but they could still happen occasionally.  The Meanest Guest has a specific one in mind, for example.

What I meant by having "guest star" players is that if someone can't commit to a regular campaign but might want to participate now and then, if they have a character rolled they can usually drop in with relative ease.

Quote from: SteerpikeIt's a group game, but sometimes I've done solo sessions, especially when a player hasn't been able to make it for awhile.  Sometimes someone else in the group will happen to be on IRC so they'll tag along on a solo session.  I probably won't do as many solos at first simply due to lack of time, but they could still happen occasionally.  The Meanest Guest has a specific one in mind, for example.

What I meant by having "guest star" players is that if someone can't commit to a regular campaign but might want to participate now and then, if they have a character rolled they can usually drop in with relative ease.

Awesome! Consider me a possible "guest star." I'll of course try my hardest to get there every time on time, so I might actually end up a regular player who just misses an occasional session (that would be ideal!). I'm just in the middle of trying to pick up a job for the semester, so between that and homework I want to make sure I don't commit to something I can't make. I should definitely be able to make it as at least a "guest star." Looking forward to it!

EDIT: And TMG is pressuring me into joining. :)

Being a guest star may work for me once I start work or just due to the time difference (If you want to play in the evenings, for example, that's the small hours of the morning for me) although I'd rather just be a constant player if at all possible. In other news, I'm thinking of playing a Zerda weapon master.

Mr Carver will gladly return and shrink some more horses. My semester starts in about a week so I'll have a better idea of when I have spare time available once a week or two have passed.  

BTW, here's the character creation thread (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?80551.0) (most of the relevant info is in the first post).

I would actually like to sit in on one of the games, first, honestly. Not necessarily as a guest player or anything, just an observer. My impression of the setting was a little too dark for my preferences, but I know that can be ameliorated depending on the people playing.

LD mentioned it to me, so I did look it over. Certainly, I could manage a guest spot if you'd prefer that over just spectating.

You're very welcome to spectate!

The setting is dark, but in places so ridiculously dark that it's over-the-top, even slightly absurd: so far the party have fought cannibalistic drug dealers in an abandoned insane asylum, stopped a necromancer from turning snatched bodies into zombie prostitutes, burnt down a town whose former inhabitants were somehow (magically) merged with the architecture (it was an accident, sort of), and murdered a couple of people pretty much in cold blood...

Here's a question, will our new players be able to choose to play a Sheevra or Writheling, or only the races from the original character creation thread?

Ooh good point - they can be a Sheevra if they want (check the last page of the main CE thread for stats)... not sure how to handle writhling stats.  They'd probably have an LA of some kind (maybe +2?).  If someone wants to play one I could probably come up with stats, though.

Hey! Prospective players! Are any of you going to post up your characters like we did in the original thread? I'm curious to see what you're thinking about playing.

I was kind of waiting for more confirmation or something... Actually, I really don't know what I was waiting for! :P

I'll post a character tomorrow. Definitely gonna be a Zerda, but not 100% on the class yet.

EDIT: What level are we making the new characters at? I know before it was 4th level, is that gonna be the same for us newbs?

EDIT 2: If I play a Weapon Master, can I use my natural bite or claw attack as my favoured weapon?

No worries Kindling!

New characters will begin at 5th level.

If you play a Weapon Master, I see no reason why you can't pick your claws or your bite as your favoured weapon!

If you decide not to play a Weapon Master, bear in mind that Coyote Camouflage may be joining as a zerda Harrier.  Having two zerda is fine (we had two ghilan before after all) but two zerda Harriers without multiclassing might be excessive... on the other hand, I'm sure the two could still be distinguished suitably.  If we do have two zerda in the party I may introduce them as a pair.

EDIT: Also, if returning players could also post updated versions of their character sheets I would be very grateful!  This would save me having to ask for defense scores etc and would speed up combat...

To update everyone I can't play at the moment but I may be back for the summer with Eareg.

I think I'm definitely going weapon master, if I can use claws.

One final question: The skill Use Magic Device. Talk to me about it.

EDIT: I lied, I have another question. If I'm using my claws, and I have the Weapon Master ability Favoured Defence, do I count as wielding one handed or dual wield? Technically both my hands are empty... I guess it counts as dual wield, though, as while they are empty, they're also both being used as to make attacks.

Two claws do count as dual-wielding, yeah.  If you choose to fight with only one hand and use the other to block incoming attacks, you can gain the full benefits of Favoured Defense, however.

The Use Magic Device skill functions in similar ways to the same skill in regular 3.5 D&D in that it can allow for race/class emulation or for casting a spell from a scroll or wand (though wands aren't common in CE).  It would also be very useful if the party comes across unknown magical... thingies... and has trouble figuring them out.  Find some eldritch weapon buried in the desert that hasn't been used for ten millennia?  You might be able to just pick it up and start zapping fetch... or it might explode in your face, and/or vent arcane radiation everywhere and make you start growing tentacles from random places.

Two Zerda... Now that the ghuls and leeches are dropping away; we're becoming Animal Force (!)

Okay, so, someone clarify for me... who is actually playing, and as what characters? I'm a bit hazy on who of the old hands (Kaius, Eareg, et al) are returning...

I might be interested in playing. I can free myself pretty much whenever, but I would prefer either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

I'm going to read your setting a bit today and see what comes to mind in terms of character archetype. Then I guess I'll just make it happen.

What are the other players playing? In terms of characters archetype. It would help me make a wiser choice.

To clarify who's playing:

The Meanest Guest will be playing Kaius Alexander, a human Armiger (now becoming a Revenant)
Ghostman will be playing Tarim, a ghul Witch
Conundrum Crow will be playing Mr. Carver, a human Executioner (though with grafted bug-eyes, demon-tendril, and other additions, he hardly looks human anymore)
Light Dragon will be playing Wispy, a jatayi Fabler/Witch

Then there are also 3 new players:

Coyote Camouflage will be playing Kol, a zerda Harrier
Kindling will be playing Vetter, a zerda Weapon Master
The Weave will be playing, not sure what yet

The two players who won't be returning due to other commitments are Nomadic (this may be temporary) as Eareg Maar (ghul gunslinger) and Llum as Gorethirst (leechkin Berzerker, who died) or Zaszicar (lilix Man-at-Arms).

As this roster means that if everyone showed up there'd be 7 players total (!), I'm afraid I'm going to have to make that the cut-off.  I'm really sorry Pym - I wish there was more room, but trying to run an 8 person game (9 if/when Nomadic returns!) over IRC would potentially be a bit of a nightmare.  However, if a vacancy becomes available, I'll PM you.  I hope that sounds fair!

Quote from: SteerpikeTo clarify who's playing:

The Meanest Guest will be playing Kaius Alexander, a human Armiger (now becoming a Revenant)
Ghostman will be playing Tarim, a ghul Witch
Conundrum Crow will be playing Mr. Carver, a human Executioner (though with grafted bug-eyes, demon-tendril, and other additions, he hardly looks human anymore)
Light Dragon will be playing Wispy, a jatayi Fabler/Witch

Then there are also 3 new players:

Coyote Camouflage will be playing Kol, a zerda Harrier
Kindling will be playing Vetter, a zerda Weapon Master
The Weave will be playing, not sure what yet

The two players who won't be returning due to other commitments are Nomadic as Eareg Maar (ghul gunslinger) and Llum as Gorethirst (leechkin Berzerker, who died) or Zaszicar (lilix Man-at-Arms).

As this roster means that if everyone showed up there'd be 7 players total (!), I'm afraid I'm going to have to make that the cut-off.  I'm really sorry Pym - I wish there was more room, but trying to run an 8 person game over IRC would be a bit of a nightmare.  However, if a vacancy becomes available, I'll PM you.  I hope that sounds fair!

Sounds fair enough :)

I'll be playing a Mantid... something... I was thinking Weapon Master but I don't want to be stepping on Kindling's toes, so to speak.

I'll be mulling over my options after my classes end today at 5:00pm (EST).

I'm sure having two Weapon Masters wouldn't be a big deal - kind of like a party having two fighters.  Also, because Weapon Masters all have such distinctive fighting styles, dedicating themselves to a single weapon, the characters would be quite distinct in feel, I imagine.

Quote from: SteerpikeI'm sure having two Weapon Masters wouldn't be a big deal - kind of like a party having two fighters.  Also, because Weapon Masters all have such distinctive fighting styles, dedicating themselves to a single weapon, the characters would be quite distinct in feel, I imagine.

That's what I've been thinking as well, so I think I'll just pick Weapon Master regardless. I just didn't want to chance stealing limelight from someone else. I'll do my best to keep myself distinct and varied.  :)

I'll work on my stats tonight and try and post them later. Looking forward to the game!*

*Speaking of which, on what day(s) of the week do you plan on gaming?

So far, Wednesdays are looking to be the most likely.  Crow is going to get his schedule soon I think, and then we can finalize a time.

To clarify I would like to return, I just can't at the moment. Perhaps this summer.

Cadaverous Earth needs to be a published setting. I keep reading all these official settings for all sorts of games and they pretty much all suck. Cadaverous Earth is where it's at.

You've seen the PDF, correct? :) CE lends itself well to the conversion since Steerpike set everything up quite logically.

I'll agree that CE is better than many official settings, and it certainly is more flavourful than almost all. I think it can sell in digital formal if a big PDF publisher picked it up (what it needs is publicity and the stamp of quality approval by a third party... in order to attract views). Heck, Steerpike could even do all the art for it since he has great skill, which would save costs. The drawback however, is that it would probably never sell more than a couple thousand copies. (My basis for that assertion are comments on numerous 3Party Publishers for Paizo Publishing who sell through their online store...and some threads on DriveThruRPG about sales numbers. There simply isn't much of a market for this. Although, as the Kindle and other e-Readers develop, that statement will change. Assuming that Steerpike could price the setting at 20 USD- he might be able to make a bit... depends on how bad piracy would be.

And if the third party publisher is there as a middleman, Steerpike would see very little return. Alternatively, he could set things up to sell it himself, but selling internationally and through paypal could be a nightmare unless the sales are all done electronically. Once you start printing items, mailing them is a nightmare. The best decision is to figure out a way to efficiently calculate taxes and only sell domestically, and to only sell PDFs online. This cuts Steerpike's potential profits to just Canada, however. I am not an expert on the nuances of NAFTA trade law or international taxation principles, but he might be able to deal with US taxes and sell to the US as well... but that is still a concern that must be checked- and the opinion of a specialized trade law solicitor may need to be solicited (which costs $$).

Totally agreed.

I'm not sure the effort and time consumed by such endeavor would be worth it in Canada only though, but if he can deal in the states than he can probably quintuple his sales at the very least. I think.

I would definitely acquire a copy if it was released though. Regardless of if I know everything about it or not. Just the fact of having such adult material makes me drool. (ugh? insane in the membrane... insane in the brain!)

Also of note, CE is why I finally registered at the CBG after nearly 2 years of on/off lurking. It's a great resource that we have here at the CBG and even if SP doesn't decide to eventually monetize it, I think there is a future for it if it gets popularized a bit around the net in some fashion. It's the type of setting that can catch on to some degree like the Fallout PnP game or Genius: The Transgression.

OK, here's Kol's full sheet. (Correction, this is before I levelled him up to 5. That sheet is at home, so I don't remember what skills I changed, so I'll edit this once I have access to the other sheet)

Name: Koldobika Nthanda "Kol"
Race: Zerda
Class: Harrier 4

Gender: Male
Age: 18
Appearance: The first thing to notice about Kol are his dark eyes, most likely because he is already looking right back at you. Then, the overly large ears are the next to be noticed-- they are often heavily bedecked with earrings and chains of various worth and taste, sometimes being changed to new positions daily (out of practicality instead of vanity, which few seem to be concerned over). Then his fluffy coat begins to stand out against the back-drop. Like most Zerda, his coat is a light cream color, whorled gently with tans and off-whites, and it is delightfully fluffy, like a child's favorite doll, or something that simply makes you want to hug it, and pet it, and love it, and potentially even refer to it by the archaic name of 'George'.

Like most of his kind, Kol's overall apearance is that of a fox raised into a humanoid and given enough intellect to get into even more trouble than it could have without sentience. This similarity would no doubt be more striking if most people actually knew what a fennec fox was at all. Like his kin, Kol is rather small, standing only a few feet tall at his full height, but he is quite quick for that fact, easily able to outpace creatures many times his size when he wishes to. In all, he is much like any other Zerda-- with the exception of the scar around his neck. Oh, he does sets himself apart from the majority of his kin by actually wearing short pants in public-- though a shirt is clearly right out unless it is his armor.

Distinguishing Features: Kol's throat is a mess of unpleasant-looking scar-tissue-- though his fur has since regrown to cover the grievous injury, the fur is discolored and unseemly in appearance.  Even non-Zerda have little difficulty discerning the presence of the large scar across his throat. Although he has a number of small weapons on him, he clearly favors the well-crafted bone shortsword above the rest. The weapon itself is simplified and spartan-- lacking even a cross-guard, but like many Zerda, Kol displays a fair amount of skill with the small, otherwise unassuming, weapon.
         
Strength      12   +1
Dexterity      20   +5
Constitution      15   +2
Intelligence      12   +1
Wisdom      12   +1
Charisma      10     0

AC:    20 = 10 + 4 (Class) +5 (Dexterity) +1 (Size)
HP:    10 +3d4+18
Speed:   40ft

Initiative: +5

BAB: +4
Attacks:
Masterwork Shortsword +12 = +4 (BAB) +1 (Size) +1 (MW) +1 (Weapon Focus) +5 (Finesse)
   1d6+1, 19-20/x2, Sword, finesse, piercing
Shortbow +10 = +4 (BAB) +1 (Size) +5 (Dex)
   1d6, x3, 60ft, Projectile, piercing

Circumstantial
+4 Fort vs. Hot weather
+1 AC (Dodge) Dodge Pool: 14 max. 1 token per miss. Each token grants +1 AC.
+2 Saves versus Fire
+4 Survival in desert-like conditions
+4 AC versus Attacks of Oppurtunity

Saves
Fortitude   +6
Reflex      +9
Will      +5

Feats
Run
Dodge (Mastery 1)
Weapon Finesse (Shortsword) (Mastery 1)
Weapon Focus (Shortsword) (Mastery 1)

Languages
Zerda
Shambles
Flicker (Sign)
Serpentine
Chattelchatter
Hextongue
Jatayi

Traits
Desertborn (+2 v. Fire. Survival always Class. +4 Survival in desert-like. Only half food/water)
   Dunestalker (+2 Balance, +2 Tumble)

Skills
Agility:    7
   Balance (Dex)      +16 = 7 (Ranks) +5 (Dex) +2 (Synergy) +2 (Trait)
   Escape Artist (Dex)   +12 = 7 (Ranks) +5 (Dex)
   Tumble (Dex)      +21 = 7 (Ranks) +10 (Dex) +2 (Synergy) +2 (Trait)
Athletics:    7
   Climb (Str)      +10 = 7 (Ranks) +1 (Str) +2 (Item)
   Jump (Str)      +14 = 7 (Ranks) +1 (Str) +2 (Synergy) +4 (Speed)
   Swim (Str)       + 8 = 7 (Ranks) +1 (Str)
Other:
   Deceipher Script (Int)   +6 = +5 (Ranks) +1 (Int)
   Forgery (Int)      +8 = +7 (Ranks) +1 (Int)
   Heal (Wis)      +5 = +2 (Ranks) +1 (Wis) +2 (Item)
   Hide (Dex)      +16 = +7 (Ranks) +5 (Dex) +4 (Size)
   Listen (Wis)      +10 = +5 (Ranks) +1 (Wis) +4 (Racial)
   Move Silently (Dex)   +14 = +7 (Ranks) +5 (Dex) +2 (Racial)
   Sense Motive (Wis)   +6 = +5 (Ranks) +1 (Wis)
   Speak Language (Int)    __=  4 (Ranks)
   Spot (Wis)      +5 = +2 (Ranks) +1 (Wis) +2 (Racial)
   Survival (Wis)      +8 = +5 (Ranks) +1 (Wis) +2 (Racial)

Racial Abilities:
Small Size
Low Light Vision (4* normal distance)
Natural Weapons: Bite (1d4) and 2 claws (1d3)
Heat Endurance

Class Abilities
Combat Mobility (+4 AC, AoO. 2* Dex to Tumble. Tumble full speed at no penalty.)
Combat Speed (+10 speed bonus)
Mobile Assault (Move action, then attack; + to hit equal to number of squares moved. Max = level.)

Feat Mastery:
Defense   2
Finesse   2
Projectile   1
Other      0

Backstory: Koldobika Nthanda never talks about himself, or his past. This is because Koldobika Nthanda does not talk at all. The mass of scar tissue around his throat is clear enough indication for the reason to his silence. He is a mute, and it was neither a choice nor a fact of his birth. It was, truly, quite the traumatic experience when it happened. But Koldobika Nthanda would not talk about it, even if he could. But his hands are quick, working the rapid signs and motions of Flicker fast enough that he personally refers to the sign language as Flickerflash. Those articulate enough to read his silent stories learn.

   Kol was once a Zerda of little improtance. He lived in the great caravans of slow-moving tortoises, mostly assisting in doing what was necessary-- a mixture of trade secrets and indeceipherable nonsense to read Kol's explanation-- but he was not content with this. Oh no, of course not. It was not 'fun'. It was not 'exciting'. It was not 'dangerous'. Eventually-- Kol's use for description of time is as apathetic as a bored merchant selling sand in the desert-- Kol leaves. A circuit. A caravan from the caravan. He went with traders to trade rarities in the larger cities of those not Zerda.

   It was never fun. It was always dangerous. Poorly veiled threats. Money passed hands for no goods. Goods passed hands for no money. Many not Zerda came. Some bought. Some did not. Others traded more than money. Kol thought one sold a spirit in a vessel-- but the Zerda here had no need for it, so he paid for his gem with shiny gems. Those the Zerda have need for.

   Kol's work was simple. He knew how to use a blade, and a blade was always needed. So he needed to stand around and try to look scary. He rarely succeeded. The not Zerda everywhere were much more scary. But the ones that were not scary were the ones that concerned Kol. He remembered their unpronouncable names and their veiled faces. They smelled different. Not like something else. But like still water from still water hiding a clutch of Ingurgitatrixi. Dangeorus. Not scary. It had a smell all its own.

   Work went. Days passed. Goods and moneys passed many hands. The Zerda traders spoke many languages to many not Zerda. When he could, Kol listened. He would begn to learn here. He spoke much, then. Tasting other words. Words of the not Zerda. Some tasted good. Others foul. But each had a new taste, a new texture to savor. Then the days had passed, and the goods to be sold had been sold, and the goods left would no longer sell. The Zerda traders passed their money for new goods to bring home, and the small caravan of a caravan left the hive-city, passing through many portals and many days before the sounds of the hive disappeared completely. But the smell of the dangerous did not.

   An attack. An ambush. Cowardly, and seemingly with single pupose. Many non-Zerda. Many that Kol recognized. Handfuls of Zerda perished, some goods were stolen or burned, but the Zerda are not weak. They should not be underestimated. They killed the attackers, the Traders, being more than Traders, springing arcane traps-- releasing once-trapped living flames to burn flesh and not-flesh to ash. But too many died. They were left to be consumed by the living flames, angry at everything outside of their cage. But they missed Kol. Kol, who lay still in the sand, bleeding, his vision never fading, never faltering despite countless breaths of impossible pain. The flames left him as they consumed the lost. Kol was not lost. The flames departed, burning themselves out. Zerda came back. Searched for what could be saved. Kol could be saved. Much surprise, to all. Especially Kol. Kol could not give thanks for what happened. His words were stolen by a dead thing's claws.

No matter what Kol did, he could not taste words anymore. He could taste food and drink, but no longer words. No more words. He learned not-words from Zerda traders. Happy he was there, they obliged him, showing him the Flicker signs, then teaching him the words of the not Zerda from that. He devoured them all. Seeking to taste more words again. He tried and tried, but with each new word, there was no more taste.

After much time of sampling words, and perfecting his sword, Kol needed to leave. He needed to go back to the hive-city. To the places of the not Zerda. His words were taken from him in such a place. Maybe he could buy them back from one. Everything is for sale in these places. If not, it does not exist.

That is what Kol fears. If he cannot find his words here, then they no longer exist.

Such a cool character!

So, I'm thinking of starting this in a couple of weeks.  The campaign will resume a short time after the group returns to Macellaria - we'll skip over the return journey from Shan-Szut.

I ran a short solo session with The Meanest Guest the other week - he had a side-trek involving accommodations that he wanted to run.  If anyone has similar business/house-keeping matters or unfinished business they want their characters to attend to on their own before group play resumes, let me know and we can schedule a solo session.

Perhaps we could do something, me and you, to wrap up Eareg for the moment and get him set on a long side journey so that when I return we can have him run into the group again.

Sounds good.  I thought a decent side-quest that would take sufficient time might be retrieving the relic of the Poxbringers from the City of Creeping Flesh in order to get his Guild Mark back.  I don't think the group formally decided to help you get the relic, and even if they did, Eareg seems like the kind of guy who might slip away quietly without telling anyone.

In the interim, we could either have a short adventure in Macellaria as a way of launching Eareg on his way, or we could have a solo wilderness trek representing the first part of his long journey - whichever you prefer.

An update about my availability- circumstances have changed and I'll be unlikely to be available for a late-feb. CE game; however, starting the second week of March, I should be available, depending on the day of the week and the starting time. I am updating my availability times in the topped thread for that purpose.

I should also update my availability as I now have a job. I don't have set hours, though, so the most I can say is, I can't do saturdays at all, and there will be the occasional other day of the week or two that I won't be able to do, but they will change. Sunday or monday evenings/nights (GMT.. so that's afternoon/evening in EST? You're five hours behind me, right?) might be the best time for me.
Like I said though what weekdays I work will change round a bit from one week to the next, so if it needs to be a different day to suit everyone else, then that's cool, I'll just have to miss the occasional session.

Kindling, here's a thread for clean posting of availability times and time zone reconciliations: http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?120995

Quote from: Light DragonKindling, here's a thread for clean posting of availability times and time zone reconciliations: http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?120995

Which has finally seen some use! Yay!

Time zones are of course going to make this very tricky but I think the best bet (as far as I can make out) would be to attempt to run this on Mondays starting at around 5:30-6 PM EST and running for a couple of hours at a time.  This would be quite late for the GMTers and a tad early for the ESters, but I can't see a better compromise.  Does this sound doable to everyone interested?

EDIT: If anyone can discern a superior time-slot, please post your suggestion.  This part of organization is always a head-ache, but in the end it usually works out.

That would be midnight for me and school next day at 8... Can't say its a good time for me.
(discovered that wolframalpha.com has no problem calculating between time zones e.g. writing "6 PM EST to GMT+1").

Damn, you're GMT+1, not GMT, right.  Would Wednesday at the same time be more doable?

The only other time I can think of is maybe Fridays at 6:30 PM EST.  I could *just* swing that, but I might be late some sessions, and they couldn't be too long.

Well, I just updated my availability- I could from time to time be available on Saturdays if that works better for everyone.

Monday would be best, but I see the difficulties with that from others' points of view.

My availability is largely subject to the whimsy of fate, but should still closely adhere to my original availability (only Tuesdays and Thursdays are right out). Anything else-- with some foreknowledge-- I could probably swing without much difficulty.

Friday at 6:30 EST works for me.

6:30EST at any day is too late for me.

OK, we're kind of stuck here.  The EST/GMT time zone divide, coupled with schedules, is proving problematic.  I'm not free on weekends and in any case I expect a lot of people wouldn't be available on given weekends anyway, so attendance would probably by very spotty if we tried to do it on a Saturday or something.  That leaves weekdays, and unfortunately that leaves us with a lot of incompatible schedules.  Friday is pretty much out as Ghostman and I have conflicting schedules that day; I could make early Friday but then Coyote Camouflage couldn't make it.

I can't see any good solution, but one potential compromise might be to start the game at 4:30-5 EST (9:30-10 GMT) Monday or Wednesday and have latecomers in the EST join in when they can.  Light Dragon, Coyote Camouflage, and Conundrum Crow are all available late on Wednesdays, so a slightly longer session might be tenable.

Would this be too late in the day for you, Ghostman?

Coyote Camouflage, were you still planning on spectating at first, or did you want to jump right in?

If all players could post their available times here (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?120995) that might be helpful.

Tearing out my hair a little here...

EDIT: Maybe I should run two games that occasionally intertwine.  Sounds crazy but I could probably do it.  Ambitious?  Certainly.  Insane?  Perhaps... but then again a mad GM may be an asset in a CE campaign.

Only half joking... anyway Vreeg runs like 3 campaigns while working a full time job and raising a kid, doesn't he?  HOW DOES THE MAN DO IT?!?

Quote from: SteerpikeOnly half joking... anyway Vreeg runs like 3 campaigns while working a full time job and raising a kid, doesn't he?  HOW DOES THE MAN DO IT?!?

Wine. Lots and lots of wine.

Quote from: SteerpikeI can't see any good solution, but one potential compromise might be to start the game at 4:30-5 EST (9:30-10 GMT) Monday or Wednesday and have latecomers in the EST join in when they can.  Light Dragon, Coyote Camouflage, and Conundrum Crow are all available late on Wednesdays, so a slightly longer session might be tenable.

Would this be too late in the day for you, Ghostman?

Monday is ok at those times. Wednesday I hink would work too, but I'd prefer Monday.

What Ghostman said. Monday at any time is great, wednesday probably also, but I can guarantee not to be working on mondays, whereas I may occasionally have to do a shift on a wednesday.

4:30EST on Mondays I can probably make-whether I am on time or not is more an issue of traffic than anything else. So that, and Wed. sound good to me.

Monday sounds great to me!

Yeah, I think Monday is the best time to attempt it - a lot of people have noted they'd prefer Mondays.  If it proves disastrous or people regularly can't attend I'll see about finding a new time, but unless anyone can propose a superior time, I think we'll start the game on Monday, March 7 at 4:30 EST, with latecomers welcome and, as before, solo sessions/catch-up sessions a possibility, depending on the vagaries of my own schedule.

So, game is on for tomorrow, right?

That's right!

Steerpike, I have sent you a message via email (not PM)!

And even better, it should only be for you and not anyone else! :)

I figure though, weave, that we likely know the content. :o :(

I should be present.

Okay so seeing as we're playing tonight ( :D ) can someone confirm for me how to get to where we'll be playing? I'm rubbish with IRC, lol. Do I just click the IRC link at the top of the CBG website, or do I need to do more than that? Do I need to join a different channel or something? Are they even called channels?

I've only used the mIRC program before, but I just went to check out the IRC link at the top and seems to work in exactly the same way.

You log on and choose a nickname as prompted by the screen (you can change it later). You then need to write /join (as is also stated at the top) followed by #celtricia, the channel where we play. I repeat, write "/join #celtricia". Then whatever you write should be viewable by the other players who are logged on.
A few other useful commands: "/nick <name>" changes your screen name to <name>. "/me <does something>" return "<name> <does something>" in another color to distinguish it as an action. Also, isobot handles die rolls. write !roll <n>d<t>+<k> to roll <n> <t>-sided dice and then add <k>.
Isomage recommends you get mIRC. I believe Nomadic has left a guide for it somewhere on the boards. But for now the integrated IRC should work well enough.

And damn, almost missed that we'd set a date. Good thing I check in on the CBG frequently ^^ I'll be around for tonight. I think it's about 10:30 PM in GMT+1 if my calculations are correct?
 

Thanks, Crow! And yeah, I think you're right about the time - I'm on GMT and I'm aiming for 9.30 so that makes sense.

Quote from: Light DragonI figure though, weave, that we likely know the content. :o :(

I should be present.

Do not fret! It was only confirming my character and his backstory - I shall be there! It's only thursdays that are tricky for me. :)

Alright, since we've already returned from the Shan-Szut journey, I figure that I should get Tarim's character sheet up to date before tonight's game.

First thing on the list is to acquire some new hexes. Luckily my character's got two grimoires captured from the ghost town caravan raid way back, and since he has evidently had plenty of time to study them, I assume that he's managed to copy these spells by now:

From the ghul's grimoire:

* Darkbolt (2nd lvl)
* Preserve Organ (Cantrip)

From the human's grimoire:

* Necrotic Bloat (3rd lvl)

The rest of the new spells have to be bought from the market:

* Unravel Hex (Identify)              - 50 obeloi
* Spider Climb                    - 100 obeloi
* The Blade Hungers               - 100 obeloi
* Grave Command (Command Undead)  - 100 obeloi
* See Invisibility                - 100 obeloi
* Desecrate                       - 100 obeloi
* Null Hex (Dispel Magic)         - 150 obeloi

Total cost: 700 obeloi

Finally, there's some magic items to be carefully examined, now that there's been plenty of time to do it:

* The ornate bracers taken from Yerroch
* The bone flute (for Mr. Carver)
* The black gem (for Mr. Carver)
* The cestoid globule (for Mr. Carver)

Basically Tarim will have tried to find out what these do, what they're worth.

I will probably be semi-absent from the game today, as I will be finishing an essay thats due today and at some point will also have to gallivant off to the university to shove it in the dropbox.

Just so you know!

Double post!

Steerpike and Ghostman: I have to go grocery shopping at 4, so it might be best to start around 5 instead if that is possible. I hope it's not a problem.

No problem for me.

I haven't tried to attach a file before, but here is my relatively updated character sheet. Mind you, the equipment might be a bit off. and it will take some time to load, since it is form-fillable. Can you take a look and tell me if there's anything on that shouldn't be there?
now that we are in the city for a spell, Carver might try to get some of all that junk off his hands. Especially the ruby pommel dagger, the krises and the royal outfit. How much would that be worth?
File: 1300259826_406_FT145352_carver_sheet2.pdf (//../../e107_files/public/1300259826_406_FT145352_carver_sheet2.pdf)

Without extensive haggling you could probably ditch the royal outfit for 100 bones, the dagger for 50 bones, and the (masterwork) krises for 300 obeloi total (about 150 bones individually).

Also, is the Black Goo from the spikes in that looted tomb you guys sheltered in one night, or some other mysterious ooze I've forgotten about?

It's from the tomb. I vaguely remember you mentioning some kind of duration for it, but I'm not sure.

Is it possible for those who didn't switch over to Daylight's Saving Time last week to come an hour early to tomorrow's game?

Sure thing!

For sure.

Bit of an announcement.  This coming Monday (the 28th) one of my seminars is having a special final session which I'm obliged to attend.  The earliest I could get home would be 3:30 in the afternoon PST, i.e. 6:30 EST and 11:30 GMT.  In light of this any session we could have on Monday would be necessarily cut rather short.  I'll show up anyway just in case, but I imagine Crow, Kindling, and Ghostman woouldn't have time for a proper session at such a late hour.

I'm certainly willing to run smaller sessions or a separate session during the week.  This week might be a particularly good time for characters to sell items, buy supplies, or take care of other matters that don't involve the party as a whole.

Worst comes to worst, we just have to skip a week.

EDIT: We could try running a make-up on Wednesday, March 30th - most people's availabilities are similar on Mondays/Wednesdays.  What do people think?

Wednesday should be fine with me, but I could also do a later session on Monday. Despite the time difference, I almost never have to be up at any specific time on Tuesdays, so I'm more than happy to stay up until stupid-o-clock gaming.

Probably can't show up monday, and Wednesday might be a little troublesome too, but I will try to show up if my schedule allows it.

I can do monday or wednesday regardless.

Wednesday isn't ideal but it's doable for me.

Monday is fine for me-- Wednesday, I likely won't get in until around 5:30PM EST.

Here's what I'm going to do.  I'll show up on Monday the earliest I can.  I'll be online on Wednesday as well at around the usual game-time.  You're welcome to come to either or both sessions but I'm sure the party won't do anything drastic like leave to retrieve the gauntlet or anything, so if anyone's unable to attend, it won't be a big deal, and if they want I can run a make-up session at a time more amenable to them.

Smaller sessions are actually really fun anyway, as PCs get more individual screen-time than they do when the party's together.

If we're doing two sessions then, I might only come for the Wednesday one. I'll see how things pan out tomorrow though, I might make it to both.

How much would it cost to buy one of those giant zerda tortoises? Or any other kind of mount that lets you travel with greater comfort and luxury than a regular horse? Considering there'd be no need for any combat usefulness but the beast should be practical for long treks across the wilderness.

What time on monday and wednesday are normal games. I'm available between 2:30pm and 5:00pm on monday and wednesday (tues-thurs I'm free much earlier)

[blockquote=Ghostman]How much would it cost to buy one of those giant zerda tortoises? Or any other kind of mount that lets you travel with greater comfort and luxury than a regular horse? Considering there'd be no need for any combat usefulness but the beast should be practical for long treks across the wilderness. [/blockquote]About 300 obeloi for a juvenile.  Finding a zerda willing to sell one might be a bit harder, but certainly not impossible.

Nomadic, normal play-time is Monday at 1:30 PST.  Wednesdays we don't normally play - we're just playing this Wednesday since I have a one-time-only special seminar today that interferes with normal play-time.

Dang... oh well. Wish it was on Tuesdays or Thursdays, then I could play again :(

is it worth me swinging by the session tonight seeing as I was at the last one?

Well, we were going to do the tomb robbing until we realized your internet had died. I'm not sure what Steerpike has planned for today, but it might be worth showing up anyways.

More people showed up last time than I thought might, so a lot of the party are now involved in the tomb robbing.  If we don't have the party-members for that, I'll probably just run a session for those who were absent on Monday (Ghostman, Crow).  If you show up, Kindling, we'll probably run the tomb, but if you'd rather wait for the regular session on Monday, that's also totally fine by me - we got a pretty decent session in this Monday despite my lateness.

I'll probably give tonight a miss then. Sorry about monday, as well, the internet gave out on me yet again so I fell asleep out of frustration rather than reconnecting :P

Might be a miss for me as well; depends on what I get done within the next hour (which, incidentally, would cut into some game time, so it might be best to do a Ghostman and Crow session).

[blockquote=Nomadic]Dang... oh well. Wish it was on Tuesdays or Thursdays, then I could play again.[/blockquote]Would you like to run another solo session on a Tuesday or Thursday some time soonish?

The game is back on schedule today, right?

Right!

Just thought I should let you guys know, if the game stays at the same time I won't be able to play on Monday at the usual time as of May 2nd due to a class I am taking.

Edit: I have no idea why I wrote May 6th.

That's sad. When will your class time-conflict end? Is it just for the summer? Or is it an ongoing thing?

Should have mentioned that! I'll be able to play again with the group in early July. I of course will also be at the next three games.

We'll see whether we can tweak the schedule, but if not, I can run some solo sessions at a time more amenable to you, TMG.

Well, I don't want the whole group to change just for me. I know it was hard to even find a time and day that worked for everyone.

I was reviewing the negative level rules and I've decided to house-rule them a bit due to CE's almost total lack of magical healing.  Normally characters have to make a Fortitude save after 24 hours for each negative level they possess; on a success, the negative level is removed, on a failure, you permanently lose a level.  Of course, magical restoration removes negative levels automatically.

As CE's lack of clerics/paladins makes this trickier, I've decided to alter the mechanics of saving.  You still have to roll a Fortitude save to remove each negative level after 24 hours, but on a failure you simply keep the negative level for now and can try again in 24 hours.  Only on a critical failure do you lose a full level.

Truly, am I not kind and merciful?

Truly! I have to say I was worrying a bit about those saves.

Makes me all the more happy I was busy out-running the Pack (and Carver :D) instead of hanging around to get hit with negative levels. :P

So, now that we're a few sessions in I'd like to take the group's temperature, as it were.  The sessions so far have been a bit action heavy, something that may diminish a bit fairly shortly (though there'll still be plenty of action throughout).

A few questions for the group - especially the new players, since I have a better sense of the tastes of the older players, though I'd definitely like to hear from the older players as well if they like:

1) What would you like to see more or less of, if anything?

2) Favorite bits so far or things that added to the experience, or things that annoyed you or detracted from the experience?

3) The original players probably had more time to get to know the city; do you have a good feel for Macellaria (and CE more generally) or are you a bit lost?

4) Any other comments/questions/issues?

5) Has your schedule changed at all?

Question. Does the game have to be on a Monday or Wednesday? Cause if it was on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday at it's current time I could play.

If everyone's schedules are the same as the were before (i.e. haven't changed due to school or something), then Tues/Thursday do not work, but Friday just might.  Let's add a 5th question to that list:

5) Has your schedule changed at all?

EDIT: Nomadic, we should probably wrap up Eareg's quest before he rejoins the party.  I will have some time this coming week and lots of time later - when would be ideal for you?

Quote from: SteerpikeNomadic, we should probably wrap up Eareg's quest before he rejoins the party.  I will have some time this coming week and lots of time later - when would be ideal for you?

Next week I'm available Tuesday/Thursday From 11am-5pm. Friday/Saturday I'm available all day.

1) What would you like to see more or less of, if anything?
I really don't know what to say... it's all been great really, so far :)

2) Favorite bits so far or things that added to the experience, or things that annoyed you or detracted from the experience?
I've loved the panicky frantic action in the catacombs, but everything else has also been super-cool, just I found that bit the most fun.

3) The original players probably had more time to get to know the city; do you have a good feel for Macellaria (and CE more generally) or are you a bit lost?
I have a good "feel" for it in terms of the mood and atmosphere, I think, but I'm still a little hazy on the geography or whatever - the more solid details. But that's not a problem so much as just something that will let me enjoy exploring the city fully more!

4) Any other comments/questions/issues?
I don't think so.

5) Has your schedule changed at all?
Not really. Mondays are still best for me, but I could do any other weekday, it just wouldn't be as preferable.

1) Less of splitting the party in the future please (this I guess goes for players as much as SP) - or at least some less confusing way of handling such splits. Might be less of an issue if these incidents could be kept brief and low on the action.

2) The thematic Youtube/music links have been a nice touch.

4) It could be useful to have a short glossary of names and things relevant to the game, for quick reference. Maybe put it up on the wiki so that all players might contribute to keeping it up to date?

5) No schedule changes for me so far.

1) What would you like to see more or less of, if anything?
Dunno. I like diversity, and we've been getting plenty of that, so it's all good to me.

2) Favorite bits so far or things that added to the experience, or things that annoyed you or detracted from the experience?
The catacombs were hilarious for different reasons (one, because given the kinds of checks, I was not very concerned about my ability to survive it), both in the flight from the ooze and in running from the Pack and trying to find someone good at tanking...

3) The original players probably had more time to get to know the city; do you have a good feel for Macellaria (and CE more generally) or are you a bit lost?
The tone and atmosphere of the setting I am picking up pretty quickly. The details of names and locations and such? Not so much. But I am terrible with them at the best of times.

4) Any other comments/questions/issues?
I second Ghost's comment about a reference sheet for names and places.

5) Has your schedule changed at all?
Sort of? I'm trying to clear up Wednesdays in the hopes of finding room for Rogue Trader. Otherwise, It's only gotten more crowded. So far, the only nights I know that absolutely do not work are Tuesday and EITHER Thursday or Friday (I will likely be able to pick which one it is. However, once chosen, it is likely to be set in stone, so further rescheduling will be impossible for that day).

With some warning, I could probably make anything but Tuesdays work. May not be pretty, though.

1) What would you like to see more or less of, if anything?
It's been pretty great so far, so I can't really say what I'd like to see less of... I would like to see more of CE "in general," though, but I assume that is to come. I'm very interested in seeing how places outside of the city are, and what sea travel might be like, or even just knowing what a CE'd forest is like. I want to explore the world more, basically. I have a great feel for what the setting is like where I am right now, and I can definitely identify if something is "CE" or not; I want to see how consistent this is across the setting (I have no doubt it is, I just want to see it all :))

2) Favorite bits so far or things that added to the experience, or things that annoyed you or detracted from the experience?
Definitely the chase with the ooze thing. That's something that can't easily be replicated with a grid, which is something I'm very accustomed to. Going back to more flavorful, descriptive action sequences like that really allows me to enjoy a facet of "combat" (if you will) that I otherwise don't get to. It keeps me from thinking of what might be lacking by there not being a grid and rather thinking what is enhanced without one. Keep it up!

3) The original players probably had more time to get to know the city; do you have a good feel for Macellaria (and CE more generally) or are you a bit lost?
Well, no, I don't have a great feel for everything just yet, but don't take that as a negative thing; I can identify the atmosphere of the place, but geographically I'm a little lost as to where everything is now and then... and that's okay. I expect to pick up on it as a I go. It hasn't ever been an issue for me not to know just how far the Firesong Marches are away from everything else, or something.

4) Any other comments/questions/issues?
Yes, I have a slight comment: I'm not sure what to do with my money. As a player, I've hated going through book after book to find the perfect item or something, which I realize might be a little weird compared to the average player, and often prefer to have things presented to me as options to purchase (I guess that might come off as sounding lazy, but I don't intend to!). I find myself overwhelmed when there's veritable tomes of information I can be fiddling through to find what gives me a bonus to X or improves Y. That said, I'm glad there doesn't seem to be something like that for CE so far, but I also find that I don't know what is available, short of a handful of grafts I've seen. It also doesn't help that I know the IH system doesn't require as much magic item attachment as 3.5 or PF, which is my traditional system. I just want to know what people spend their money on, and what, if anything, I should be looking into.

5) Has your schedule changed at all?
Nope! So I'm still limited to Mondays, Fridays, and Weekends. Tuesdays I have some ASL related activities, Wednesday evening I have my own IRC game, and Thursdays I have classes.

Hope this was helpful :).

Great responses, thanks for the feedback guys!!

I'll have to prepare a more thorough glossary at some point, but for now here are some excellent sources of info for place names and the like:

Places in Macellaria (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?81151.0) - scroll down on the first page past Dramatis Personae and the Quest Log for a list of locations in the City.

Glossary (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?78017.0) of general CE stuff, though a bit out of date.

Slang and Factions (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?80382.post) - the original thread for the campaign, lost in the mists of time.

And here's a rough map of the city for reference  note that the shaded areas are NOT individual buildings but rather individual neighborhoods: the spaces between aren't the only streets, only the major ones.  This map is for orientation, not for street-by-street navigation, if that makes sense.  Generally I'll let you move from district to district without navigating every street and alley.

(http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/5021/mapb.jpg)

Finally, on the subject of money, some stuff to spend it on:

1 - Grafts for sure, both organic and clockwork.

2 - Glyph tattoos - basically 1/day spells available at a wide range of prices, and usable by anyone (not just Witches).

3 - Potions - not so much Healing potions and the like, since CE doesn't have divine casters, but the alchemists in Hexwarren sell all sorts of other stuff.  Often found in syringe form rather than in your typical flasks.

4 - Alchemical gear - Thunderstones, tanglefoot, acid, etc.  Tarim can manufacture some of this stuff.

5 - Upgrades to equipment. These take some creative thinking, but Kaius is slowly upgrading his armour, piece by piece.  I'm flexible and open to ideas.

6 - Eldritch weapons/armour or eldritch augmentations to your weapons/armour.  I'm handling magic weapons in a slightly unorthodox way in this campaign.  Magic weapons/items never give a direct bonus to attack or damage, but they can have abilities.  I'd consider allowing players to add eldritch abilities to their weaponry, but they'll have to negotiate with avaricious artificers to do so.

Also, eldritch ammo for firearms/missile weapons.

7 - Wondrous Items.  A note on magic stuff: you have to go looking for these things, you can't just pick something from the DMG and say "I want this."  However, the Curio Bazaars are full of guys hawking ancient talismans and jewel-encrusted weapons and techno-arcane weirdness some scavenger pulled out of the Slaughter-lands.  Detritus!, a shop in the Bazaars, is a good place to start.

8 - Real Estate.

9 - Mounts.

10 - Drugs and poisons.  Imagine your weapon dealing an extra 1d4 Con or Str damage with a successful hit.  There's an entire market dedicated to poisons in Hexwarren.  Mr. Carver can also produce some basic poisons.

11 - Hirelings.  The group has employed some low-level mercenaries before (such bravos usually hang around the Butcher's Gate).  Kaius also has a working relationship with a bandit-turned-merc called Yerroch, a magus specializing in serpent witchcraft.  Servitors can also be purchased.

12. Presents for other party members :D

13. Enjoyment at Houses of Ill Repute. (Endorsed by Wispy!)

--
The questions posed require some reflection. I can answer one at least, however. Fridays probably will work for me if it does move to that day of the week--in fact, given my issue with start times, a Friday game day may potentially be better than mondays in the future; With respect to start times; I will keep you posted if I cannot make it to the current start time (I already arrive a few minutes late :o). Around June 1st I may not be able to make sessions that begin at the current time, but that is uncertain. Sadly, I do realize that the European posters cannot stay online very late, so I may enter into a Nomadic-like situation of sitting out (:o pun) at that point.

Verdict: My schedule is still very much in the air, but it will stay constant at least through the end of May.

Thank you, SP! That list is very helpful and right up my alley. It's concise, far from overwhelming, while still giving me plenty of options to think about.

I think Kryz would be interested in clockwork contraptions more than anything, so those would probably be along the vein of upgrades to equipment? I wouldn't go all out like Kaius and his armor, but little widgets and gadgets would be very cool.

Kryz will, when he can, make a point to look into such things.

Glad it was helpful!

Some more info on the city's districts (copied from the CE main thread):

[spoiler][/b]
[/b]
Demographics

Cestoid '" 10%
Ghilan '" 32%
Hagmen '" 12%
Human '" 33%
Leechkin '" 6 %
Shades '" 5%
Other '" 2%

Architecture

Like most of the Twilight Cities Macellaria has a pastiche, variegated architecture.  The shanties and the crude houses of Resurrection Row are raw, unornamented structures of wooden planks, hastily mortared brick, wattle, and daub, small and poorly built habitations and businesses with rickety upper floors; often the windows are boarded up and holes or imperfections in the walls are patched with other material, such as scrap metal or plaster.  The rest of the city is considerably more opulent, the buildings that rise in clusters or sprawl in rambling warrens mixing arabesque domes, arches, and narrow towers with skeletal, buttressed halls and spiked spires.  Pinnacles and minarets rise up above bulbous cupolas; columned arcades overlook broad courtyards; stained glass, gargoyles, ribbed vaults, and ornate facades clash and mingle with quadrangles of glazed tile, gaudily coloured semi-domes, and tapering hexagonal monoliths.  Red sandstone is a common material for these older buildings, and many bear the remnants of frescoes or murals, now chipped and mutilated.  A layer of dust and grime adheres to the walls and the winding stone streets.

Fashion

Fashion in Macellaria is incredibly eclectic.  Many of its inhabitants are garbed in apocalyptic rags; boiled leathers and scavenger gear, dust-goggles and dusters are ubiquitous.  Most individuals in Macellaria have hand-me-down clothes inherited from hundreds of different cultures and time periods.   Very often outfits are formed out of scraps stitched together, tattered patchwork shirts and trousers, cloaks and coats, a bewildering array of colours and patterns.  Ancient military uniforms are the most common, totally depleted of their original symbolic meanings.  More morbidly, burial garb looted from old tombs forms a major part of most citizens' wardrobes.  People walk through the streets wearing loose-fitting shrouds, funerary masks, and dour, flowing robes.

More than any other city, the inhabitants of Macellaria modify themselves with fleshcraft.  Extra appendages are a frequent sight, and clothing modified to accommodate unusual anatomies is sold in the Curio Bazaars or in the streets of Hexwarren, outside of the tissue shops.  Often these augmentations are purely cosmetic, forming a part of fashion themselves; the most outlandish and ostentatious modifications are the most lauded.  Almost everyone in the city goes armed with scavenged weapons '" unusual firearms, curved blades, exotic polearms, strange clockwork contraptions, combat gloves, and a diverse array of others.

The Watchdogs

The three colossi known as the Watchdogs (or just the Dogs) of Macellaria are huge, venerable creatures that guard the three gates of the walled inner city '" the Witch's Gate, leading to Moroi, the Eel's Gate, leading to Lophius, and the Butcher's Gate, leading to the Slaughter-lands.  The Watchdogs were created four hundred years ago, commissioned by the Robber Guilds and the Rag-and-Bones cartels from the mad magister Orlando Petrifax, renegade of Skein and specialist in fleshcraft; though many of their constituent parts have been replaced over the centuries, they remain at the three gates of the Maggot City, motley sentinels easily capable of dispatching any wandering horror or band of mutant brigands that might dare approach Macellaria from the Slaughter-lands or elsewhere.  In times of war the Dogs have very rarely been unleashed upon the battlefield to aid in the destruction of some particularly malignant foe.

The Watchdogs are gigantic, only vaguely canine creatures formed from innumerable scraps of glyph-scribed, hairless flesh grafted irreverently atop the puissant bones of malformed dire-beasts or giants dug from the Slouching-devil Mountains.  Petrifax apparently conjoined these bones without respect for their previous owners' anatomy, resulting in strange, unwieldy configurations of limbs, odd protrusions, and unlikely skeletal structures: instead of arranging the bones in their original composition, Petrifax mixed and matched to his own bizarre design, crafting three roughly dog-like guardians.  As a result the Watchdogs are misshapen and monstrous, their deformed skeletons clothed in a grisly patchwork, a palimpsest of stitched skins.  Within their sigil covered bodies strange presences squirm and rustle, pressing against their fleshly prison '" the animating spirits the magister bound within the Dogs' warded skin, to give his creations life.

The Dogs are chained to their gates but can wander a fair distance, though they are well trained and so spend most of their time dozing in the shade of the walls, the terrific stench of their breath and the sickening quantities of formaldehyde used to preserve their bodies assailing those who approach the gates of the Bodysnatcher's City.  They are fed every three days, glutted on huge bowls of raw meat '" a spectacle which draws large crowds of visitors who haven't witnessed the Feeding before.  An elite unit of the city guard comprised of witches and beast-masters tends to the Watchdogs, called the Kennel Masters.

The Walls

The walls of the Maggot City are thick and extremely tall, built of ruddy stone with wooden battlements constantly being replaced along the top.  In addition to the gun emplacements, trebuchets, and soldiers who man the walls, Macellaria maintains a legion of specialized archers and crossbowmen.

The obscene number of bodies in the city attracts hordes of ravens, vultures, and crows to the City of Bodysnatchers, and were such carrion-feeders to descend upon the Skin Markets the city's economy would be devastated.  To ward off unwanted aerial intrusions a band of mercenary archers called the Black Arrows (after their fletching) defends the city walls (alongside a series of leering straw scarecrows, though these do considerably less to deter would-be scavengers).  Though these defenses are effective, many birds still enter the city limits, and there is an obelus reward for any crow corpse brought to the city bounty office in Resurrection Row.

Hexwarren (The Witch's Gate)

The arcane district of Macellaria is Hexwarren, by the western Witch's Gate.  A commercial district, Hexwarren is composed of glyph parlors, tissue-shops, alchemists, and booksellers.  Eldritch texts, scrolls, charms, amulets, pendants, talismans, potions, and all other sorts of arcane bric-a-brac can be purchased here, but most come to Hexwarren looking to augment themselves with biomechanical and bio-eldritch implants or purchase glyph-born servitors, fleshcrafted creatures like organic automata not dissimilar to the zombies of Somnambulon or the clockwork automata of Skein, though somewhat less pervasive.

In Hexwarren one might have an orison or sigil of power tattooed on a limb or torso, turning one's body into a living hex to poison or enflame with a touch, manipulate objects with pure thought, or conjure some transformative effect '" scales, fur, wings, horns, fangs.  Toughs and mercenaries have slabs of muscle grafted to their bodies, while adventurers buy extra limbs from unlikely beasts.  The city's supply of nectar, the sap of the Elder Tree in Moroi, can be found in Hexwarren, and junkies clamor constantly at the few dealers, all agents of the Resin Merchants who sell the highly addictive drug at a greatly marked up price.

Hexwarren itself is a rambling, tangled district of stone and wood with many narrow streets and lanes, interspersed with larger plazas or quadrangles, notably Murrain Square (where various venoms and antitoxins are sold) and Tatterdemalion Court (where graft peddlers congregate).  Major buildings include the city's moldering but incredibly extensive library, the so-called Vellum Citadel; the glowering, gargoyle-encrusted Fane of Dust, an all-ghul temple dedicated to distant star-gods; and the small Academy of Witchcraft, where would-be spellcasters can seek professional training for exorbitant tuition rates.

Slimesquallor (The Eel's Gate)

The hagman ghetto of Slimesquallor smells of stagnant water and the mucus excretions of its occupants, sticky trails that leave the streets slick.  Here the architecture is mottled with fungus and moss, as a result of the dampness peculiar to the district; some hagman additions have also been erected next to the brown stone structures that make up the bulk of Macellaria.  The hagman buildings are coiled, undulating edifices with many pillars, open spaces, and large Courts rather than honeycombs of smaller rooms.  Apart from the enormous residential buildings there are hot mud-baths (distinct from the usual slimy pools hagmen bathe in), numerous shrines to the plethora of hagman god-aspects, and an indoor fish market.

Resurrection Row (The Butcher's Gate)

Resurrection Row is a rather ragged district named for its central street, a winding, crooked lane leading from the Butcher's Gate to the inner city.  A poor, shabby district, Resurrection Row is distinguished from the shanties only by its position within the walls of Macellaria and the old stone edifices which rear up above the tightly packed rows of tenement housing.  Though there are a few shops here, most bodysnatchers and tomb raiders returning with a haul from the Slaughter-lands make for the Curio Bazaars and the Skin Markets rather than lingering in this dilapidated district.  As a result of its impoverishment Resurrection Row has become a haven for thieves, pickpockets, and cutthroats, who gather in rookeries when they're not plying the markets or the back-alleys of Hexwarren, Pulsetown, and Velveteen Circus.  The city's bounty office is located in Resurrection Row, as well as a large number of warehouses and rough taverns, most of them geared towards the quick.

The Skin Markets

The Skin Markets reek of carrion and continuously bustle with thousands of merchants and customers, especially at night when the city's ghilan wake.  The Skin Markets are roughly divided into four huge, open-air Courts or atria, not including Velveteen Circus which is more properly a district in its own right.  The atria are bounded by huge, ancient buildings, the lower floors of which are occupied with shops and storerooms; passage between the market quadrants is achieved through a series of corridors accessible via tall, arched doorways.  The upper floors of the Market buildings are given over largely to the offices of the multifarious Rag-and-Bones cartels.  The atria themselves have a transient, constantly shifting architecture composed of booths, tents, stalls, and ramshackle wooden buildings, labyrinthine even to the initiated.

The first atrium is the Court-of-Flesh where whole bodies can be purchased, typically from large wagons piled high with the dead.  Flayed skins, leather, vellum, candles, and slaves are also for sale here.  Numerous eateries sell fried or boiled meat from various species, predominantly that of humans, pigs, dogs, and lizards, though a few booths sell bowls of mealworms, broth with noodles, and deep-fried spiders.  The chief buyers one sees in this atrium are quick humans and ghilan, with a smattering of hagmen and cestoids.  There are a few ghul-bars here, though fewer than the Court-of-Blood, and there is also usually an array of embalming fluids and preservatives available as well.

The second atrium is the Court-of-Bones.  Here are crates and wagons full of skeletons, but also carved bone trinkets, bone weapons (much more common than metal ones in the City of Bodysnatchers), bonemeal, and marrow.  The Court-of-Bones also has many fortune-tellers and gutter witches who cast the bones for a few coins, supposedly to glimpse the future.  Though there are fewer eateries in the Court-of-Bones than in the other atria there are several dice halls, notably Death's Gambit, The Reaper's Luck, and The Ribcage.

The Court-of-Blood is the third atrium, dealing exclusively with fluids.  It is common to see merchants here displaying several barrels full of liquid, variously labeled: 'arterial,' 'venous,' 'plasma,' etcetera.  Blood sausage and half-coagulate jellies (a lilix delicacy) can be purchased here.  The Maggot City's population of leechkin and lilix, though fairly small, can be found here in inordinate numbers. The Court-of-Blood contains numerous ghul-bars around its edges, taverns catering to ghilan serving hot and chilled blood (sometimes sweetened or with added alcohol) in skull cups, in addition to various foodstuffs; the best known of these are the establishments Sanguine Bliss and Porphyria.

Finally, the Court-of-Innards sells viscera, offal, and organs of all sorts.  Some graft peddlers do business here, though most of them are concentrated in Hexwarren; the fourth atrium deals mostly in raw materials for consumption and fleshcraft.  Pickled brains, hearts, and spleens are displayed in jars; bowls of freshly plucked eyes stare at passersby; barrels full of intestines glisten with briny preservatives.  Here one might snack on sweetbreads or a shish-kebab of eyes, sip chitterling stew or brain soup with head cheese, chew on boiled tongues, or munch on stuffed gizzards and kidney pies.  A crowd consisting of a large number of cestoids adds to the grotesquerie of the place.  Though most oracles do business in the Court-of-Bones, a few soothsayers look through piles of steaming organs in the Court-of-Innards to predict the future.

Velveteen Circus

The red-light district of Macellaria, Velveteen Circus is close to the Skin Markets, hovering near the edge of the Court-of-Blood.  Low class brothels and higher quality pleasure houses do business here, alongside opium dens, ghul-bars, taverns, and restaurants.  The brothels cater to both quick and grave-spawn, though the seedier places pay little heed to such niceties as living or undead.  The more expensive establishments cater to fetishes and peccadilloes, and many of the girls and boys have been modified in tissue-shops to better suit the often perverse preferences of the clientele '" everything from full body tattoos and extra limbs, heads, and orifices to more surreal augmentations and mutilations, bestial xenografts, radical anatomical alterations, or grotesque enlargements.

The Curio Bazaars

Although named for the collections of relics and scavenged miscellanea found in its many pawn shops and junk-dealers, the Curio Bazaars comprise essentially all merchants not found in the Skin Markets or Hexwarren.  Interspersed with the shops selling lost technology and the detritus of the past are hawkers with carts of fruit, cabinet-makers, knife merchants, blacksmiths, armorers, clothiers, tanneries, and dozens of other businesses.  In the Curio Bazaars one might find a mangy ghul street-seller with a booth full of pocketwatches, or a booth with piles of porcelain and silverware, or an ancient idol of some chthonic deity inscribed with mantras in dead languages.  A shop window might display an impossibly old runesword, or mannequins garbed in silk dresses from Skein, or a selection of fresh produce, or the crown of a long dead sorcerer-king.  The Robber Guilds have their headquarters here, half a dozen prominent structures with a certain faded grandeur where the innumerable tomb raiders and scavengers who plumb the Slaughter-lands congregate.

Pulsetown

The main residential district for the quick in Macellaria, Pulsetown is louder and more energetic than the Worm-Hive, though smaller in size.  Apart from its sprawling housing blocks Pulsetown is distinguished by several prominent landmarks: the Temple of Striga, the fighting pits, and the Hollow Skull playhouse.

Striga is a goddess of blood, life, and vitality and has a congregation almost entirely of the quick.  She demands sacrifices, and the temple chimneys constantly smolder, the burnt offerings filling the sanctum with the aroma of cooking meat.  Cannibal funerary rites apotheosize members of the faith, and diluted blood is usually consumed at sermons.  The religion has strict dietary laws and other requirements and forbids the consumption of inhuman meat ('unclean').  Worshippers of Striga believe that the Red Ravishing was a kind of tribulation from the goddess, and that soon a day of judgment will come and the faithful '" those 'pure of blood' '" will ascend to become divine vampire-seraphs, ruling a newly ordered and revitalized earth.

The fighting pits are a series of small arenas close to the Skin Markets, dedicated to combat sports and other spectacles.  Gladiatorial competitions, beast-baiting, and other bloodsports are held in the pits, which draw large crowds of gamblers and simple spectators.  Macellaria's few cestoids of any wealth are all gladiators, deadly fighters who feast on their dead opponents.  The current Grand Champion of the pits is the five hundred year old shade gladiator called the Rotten King, a supremely skilled swordsman who has worn many different bodies over the course of his career.

The Hollow Skull playhouse is the largest and most popular playhouse in Macellaria, known especially for its revenge tragedies.  A huge domed structure converted into a theater, the Hollow Skull attracts the wealthy and the poor alike.  Many spend the day at the fighting pits before visiting the Hollow Skull in the evening, then heading to Velveteen Circus for a night of pleasure.

The Worm-Hive

The grave-spawn district of Macellaria, the Worm-Hive is a conglomeration of spires and tower-blocks that looms darkly above the seething Skin Markets.  Its many windows are universally shrouded with black curtains during the day, warding off the much-loathed sun while its residents slumber.  The lower levels are dedicated to ghul-bars, a smattering of shops, and cheap honeycombs of housing, each room a narrow cell.  The upper levels are progressively more lavish, and the towers of Worm-Hive are crowned with ornate manses often with attached chapels and courtyards.  A series of covered bridges link the spires together in dense, claustrophobic clusters.

Large portions of the Worm-Hive remain empty, whole spires given over to dust and cobwebs, though most have long been looted of anything of value.  Squatters and animals have moved in, and one of the spires is rumored to be infected with a cluster of gibbergeists, floating horrors who babble an eerie sing-song jinx incessantly; those who hear this twisted song can be lulled into a trance-like state in which they too may begin to babble, eventually degenerating into gibbergeists themselves.

The Catacombs

The catacombs of Macellaria are incredibly extensive and largely unexplored, but they are far from uninhabited.  Most of the city's cestoid population and its few leechkin make their homes underground, along with the poorer ghilan and other heliophobic grave-spawn such as shades, eidolons, haunts, and predatory geists.

The Maggot City's sewer system bleeds into the catacombs in numerous places, and the two are often indistinguishable.  Whole clans of wiry sewer-scavengers or toshers, equipped with lanterns and caged canaries, make a living plundering the sewers of lost valuables and accretions of coin, bones, and metal.  The sewers are hazardous, the air polluted, the tunnels sometimes flooding during the short rainy season; disease and even cave-ins are also major dangers.  In addition, the runoff and other waste pumped into the sewers from Hexwarren is tainted with a number of eldritch substances.  The result is a population of warped, unlikely creatures: quasi-sentient giant rats, monstrous fish-like things, and other, less recognizable beasts.

There are older, stranger things deep in the bowels of the city.  Rumors persist of shrines dedicated to Hirud dating back to the times of the cestoid Imperium; of rogue demons and renegade servitors, gruesome sigil-scribed horrors; of tribal, bloodthirsty men, skinchangers capable of transforming themselves into bats or hyenas or huge spiders.

The Shanties

In contrast with the grim stone structures of the city proper, the shanties of Macellaria are built of mud, wood, adobe, and brick, huddling close to the towering stone walls.  The shanties are low, unplanned, and filthy, consisting mostly of shacks, cheap alehouses and brothels, tanneries, and second rate shops.  Freelance tomb raiders and merchants deal here instead of the city proper, and the few black-market items banned in Macellaria itself can sometimes be found here.[/spoiler]

Might not make it to next week's session. It's one of my very old friends' birthday and, much as I love the game, I love him more.
Seeing as Vetter is in a huff with, well, a good chunk of the party, maybe he can head off and chill on his own/blow some of his loot on booze while he calms down enough to start running with the others again? I dunno.

Sure, Vetter can have a binge and try to drink away his negative levels!

>>Also, eldritch ammo for firearms/missile weapons.

Hm... How much for a crossbow bolt that for example:

1.Makes the person do an Irresistible Dance
2.Causes someone to Rage (as per the spell) (Lvl 2 bard)
3.Replicates the spell Pyrotechnics (Lvl 2 Bard)
4.Sound burst (1d8 damage to subjects sonic in area) (lvl 2 bard)
5.Heroism (lvl 2 bard) (Just imagine Wispy with Kaius- "Okay, let me shoot you here...you'll like it. The guy I sold it from said if I shoot someone with it, it'll make him more heroic.")


>Drugs and poisons. Imagine your weapon dealing an extra 1d4 Con or Str damage with a successful hit.

Where would I look to find the costing for this?


Also, when Wispy gets a chance (if it's possible), before Ekwaneseu spends his bones, Wispy might invite him to a friendly game of Jatayi playing sticks to see if he can win a bit of obeloi, now that he knows Ekawneseu has a gambling problem and apparently isn't that good at it :D.

I'd say most of those a roughly equivalent to a +2 bonus, so that'd be 160 obeloi per bolt.  However the Rage and Heroism bolts are unusual enough that Wispy would definitely have to commission them specially.

"Glyph tattoos - basically 1/day spells available at a wide range of prices, and usable by anyone (not just Witches)."

For these, would we just use the standard 3.5 wondrous item rules, or do you have a different system?

Specifically, I was considering the benefits of a Haste Glyph Tattoo. A red one. Because everyone knows that red goes da fastest! :D

This was a bit hidden... here's the feat with the details (obviously you don't need the feat to actually *use* a tattoo, just to make one):

Craft Eldritch Tattoo - Lore, Base Mastery 1

Prerequisite: Caster level 1st

Benefit: You can create an arcane tattoo of any spell that you know. Creating the tattoo takes one hour for each 100 obeloi in its base price. The base price of a tattoo is its spell level × its caster level × 50 obeloi. To create the tattoo, use up raw materials costing one-half of this base price. There is no XP cost (XP costs are very silly).

Eldritch tattoos function exactly like scrolls, and can be used only by those "wearing" the tattoo. However, no spellcraft check/read magic spell is necessary. Following a tattoo's use, it fades from the user's flesh. A medium sized indidivudal can have up to 13 tattoos at any one time: 2 on each limb, 2 on their back and chest, and one on their face or neck.

Expanded Mastery 2: Your tattoos can now be crafted as permanent for spell level × its caster level × 500 obeloi. Their powers are usable once per day.

EDIT: Haste would thus be quite expensive.  3rd level spell x 6th level caster x 500 bones = 9000 bones.  However, that's hardly out of line with the cost of d&d wondrous items.

Thank you for the answer; but what about the answer to this one:

QuoteDrugs and poisons. Imagine your weapon dealing an extra 1d4 Con or Str damage with a successful hit.

Where would I look to find the costing for this?

Here (//hyperlinkurl=http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm), under Poison.

Quote from: SteerpikeHere (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm), under Poison.

Ah, thank you. The link was broken, but I figured it out and corrected it here.

Thanks!

At last, answering the survey.

1) What would you like to see more or less of, if anything?

I enjoy exploring and anything non-combat. Combat seems to bog down if more than 3 or 4 PCs are playing.

I have very much enjoyed how when Wispy gets off with Kryz, we can have a side conversation while Steerpike is managing the rest of the group; similarly, I think the parallel stories of Carver and Kol to the group of us looting the crypt worked well.

I think that my side conversations have helped well to develop characterizations and to both understand myself and Kryz better.

Ghostman- sadly I'm having a hard time getting a handle on Tarim...what makes him tick and how to interact with him, or the nuances of his personality. Wispy has been making tentative moves to suck up to him, but is unsure exactly how to approach it.

2) Favorite bits so far or things that added to the experience, or things that annoyed you or detracted from the experience?

I very much enjoyed the side quest I went on with Mr. Carver; robbing the wizard's tower and descending into hell.

3) The original players probably had more time to get to know the city; do you have a good feel for Macellaria (and CE more generally) or are you a bit lost?

I think I have a good feeling for Macellaria...Probably need to keep reading up. Which city in the real would would you say that it is most like. I get the feeling that it is a lot like a Renaissance Italian city.

4) Any other comments/questions/issues?

Note: I think we've had a lot of battles with hordes of very weak creatures (The tree scenario, the crypt monsters, etc.) I think that we are best equipped to deal with these... just mentioning though that we haven't fought too many strong individuals... Although I think we are more likely to succeed against the weak hordes; just mentioning the balance.

Quote from: Light Dragon4) Any other comments/questions/issues?

Note: I think we've had a lot of battles with hordes of very weak creatures (The tree scenario, the crypt monsters, etc.) I think that we are best equipped to deal with these... just mentioning though that we haven't fought too many strong individuals... Although I think we are more likely to succeed against the weak hordes; just mentioning the balance.

Just tossing my two cents in here but Eareg is actually uniquely equipped to deal with large singular threats. Provided someone better prepared for close range combat can keep such a threat off of him he can put a huge amount of pain onto a single target. He doesn't do so well against swarms. I plan on coming back (me and steerpike have just been trying to hammer out a time for another session so I can wrap up stuff and ease back into the game) so hopefully that should tip the scales a bit more back towards dealing with lone nasties.

Quote from: Nomadic

Quote from: Light Dragon4) Any other comments/questions/issues?

Note: I think we've had a lot of battles with hordes of very weak creatures (The tree scenario, the crypt monsters, etc.) I think that we are best equipped to deal with these... just mentioning though that we haven't fought too many strong individuals... Although I think we are more likely to succeed against the weak hordes; just mentioning the balance.

I dunno-- our current group actually seems stronger against single large creatures (with perhaps only Kol and Kryz having a solo advantage against mobs, Kol by sheer virtue of being able to keep from getting overwhelmed, and Kryz with Whirlwind Attack. I don't think Vetter has that-- if he does, then the same applies. I know Kaius has his flamethrower, but as we learned with the ooze, that runs out of ammunition :P). So long as we can control the fight (i.e. making sure Kaius is the first PC getting into melee), we are pretty strong against most opponents. Once Kaius engages something in melee, we can lock it down hard with our two weapon masters (Kryz/Vetter) and Carver (and his sneak attack)-- with Kol running interference on minions or plugging away with ranged attacks. Similarly, most spell-casters tend to be well-served against single targets, so Tarim and Wispy should have some major uses in that regard.

If anything, our weakness is probably to a battle chosen by our enemies. A lot of our strength comes in from proper positioning, and getting the right people set in the right spot-- we seem to be a team of specialists-- negating that ability via battlefield control would give us a much more difficult time of things, I believe. Or, as with Kol and Carver, splitting the party. ^^

I will admit though, a fight with something really big and ugly seems like a fun choice-- if only because I don't really feel threatened by horde enemies. I doubt I'd be useful in that kind of situation; I really only seem to be good at getting from Point A to Point B mid-battle. Most useful when spell-casters are at Point B...

And I think an old-fashioned Glyph Tattoo of Invisibility is worth the cost (300 bones, I believe). Mostly because it's a damn sight cheaper than Dimension Door (300 bones compared to 1400 bones) and with my speed and physical skills, probably not that different when it comes to fleeing. Everyone needs a "FLEE FOR YOUR LIVES" card when things go all ploin-shaped. :D

"Run away! Run Away!"
"Run away from the stench and the trenchies!"
"Run away! Run Away!"
"From these horrible, nasty old Frenchies!"
"These frogs and their terrible prattle, are fighting a battle with cattle!"
"We're all full of fear so let's get out of here!"
"Run away, run away, run away!"

Now that our toymaker is famous in the Gladiatorial pits, perhaps he can start making his own brand of miniature REAPERS or "REAPER" Miniatures... to vend. http://www.reapermini.com/ :)

Just read my log from today's game. What the hell do you guys get up to without Kaius around? He'll come back to Macellaria to find it a burned out ruin.

I blame CoyoteCamouflage.

In Kryz's defense, he tried as best he could to stop him!

@LD: Don't mention that idea to Kryz... you might get his toybuilding career started again... and that had left innumerable scars upon everyone :P

Well, you could blame Steer for afflicting me with an altogether bizarre, random, and highly arbitrary disease in the first place. :P

Not that I deny running with it like I was trying to make an Olympic track team... Yeah, yeah, go ahead and blame me (because if there is blame to assign, I definitely deserve it :D ). I'll shoulder the blame fully, if only due to knowing that it'll take a great deal of effort from the merry band of fools present (which would be Kol, Kryz, and Wispy) to actually stop me and my reign of pyromania. There is going to be a great deal more carnage in the future, I would bet. And probably wanted posters. Lots of wanted posters. Because that's going to be hilarious for Tarim and Carver to learn about.

As for Kaius... are you *really* sure it would have been a good idea to risk having that flamethrower present at this particular time? I may not be able to swipe it from you, but I bet I could start pushing buttons until I make it work. :D

Yeah, you really ran with it, Coyote - I was originally envisioning a slow progression of symptoms from mere fascination into rampant fire-starting, but as soon as I mentioned that Kol was enthralled by open flames it's like you knew exactly what to do.  Made for an awesome session!  We really saw how slippery a zerda harrier can be!

I was surprised by how my innocent request to recharge a staff turned into a murder investigation. Was that really something you had prepared? Because then I can only imagine you have a scary amount of contingency plans lying around.

As to the Bloodletter Cult, I hadn't seen it coming, but I'm absolutely thrilled by it! Especially because you have alluded to it (e.g. your GM name), but we know little about the organization as such.

There's usually an element of improvisation in complex plots and details but in broad strokes I was always planning on springing the Inquisition's return fairy soon.  I have a number of given contingency plans in my mind most of the time for subplots like that.

Glad you like the Bloodletter Cult stuff... it will be very, very interesting to see how Carver plays this!  I don't know how much he's figured out in-game.

I'm going to have to cancel tomorrow's session - plans with family on the long weekend.  We'll resume next week, though!

Actually good news for me... I have that whole initiation business ingame so would be a bit problematic to skip the session, but I have exams monday AND tuesday.