The Campaign Builder's Guild

Sounds good; what of her residence and foible?

For a residence I'm thinking she probably has spartan but cleaner quarters somewhere in the Indigo Ward: private chambers and not a hovel, but not luxurious either.

For a foible, I'm less certain, but I'll try to think up something creative.  I'm thinking maybe some kind of lingering religious dread connected to spiders, given that slaves would know never to touch or hurt them.  Is that kind of foible easy to model mechanically?

That would be perfect. How's this:

Arachnophobic: Due to her upbringing in Dolmen's slave-pens, Catena is haunted by a lingering dread of spiders. Consequently, she suffers a debility in any task involving arachnoid creatures or devotees of Verlum.

OK, I udpated my character sheet on page 7 so she should be done.  With your permission I'll post her up to the Characters thread (should I include the vignette or just her background?).

Very much enjoying your writing in the game proper so far.

Quote from: SteerpikeOK, I udpated my character sheet on page 7 so she should be done.  With your permission I'll post her up to the Characters thread (should I include the vignette or just her background?).

Go for it.

QuoteVery much enjoying your writing in the game proper so far.

Thanks. I greatly appreciate the feedback (and am doubly pleased for its positive nature)! Beyond aiming to make the writing, characters, and plot interesting/intriguing, I've also been striving to stay true to the setting's flavor, even as I'm inevitably proposing new elements.

So, I have a question: Since our characters are, at the moment, advancing separately, is there any reason why I should wait for progress in the other PCs' storylines before I continue with Mr. Nix?

I am also very interested to see how our stories end up weaving together.

By all means, keep posting at whatever pace works best for you. I figured players would finish their PCs at different times, so I wrote the individual 'adventures' for that purpose -and also to help players settle into their characters. But fear not, the paths shall converge...

Quote from: Rose-of-Vellum
By all means, keep posting at whatever pace works best for you. I figured players would finish their PCs at different times, so I wrote the individual 'adventures' for that purpose -and also to help players settle into their characters. But fear not, the paths shall converge...

Cool.  Will do.

[ooc=Hadric Beyam Phel-Nirian]Frenetic Male Sheevra Warrior (Phytology) 1
XP: 0; Benefits Gained: none
Grit: 1
Pools (Edge): Might 13 (1), Agility 14 (1), Intellect 9 (0); Damage Track: Hale

Defenses: Expertise in Intellect defense rolls against witchcraft-produced effects; AC: 2, Might Cost: 0, Agility Penalty: 1
Recovery Rolls: 1d6+1; Rolls Left: 4

Languages: Shambles, Hellspeak, Hextongue
Lifestyle: Decent. Property and majority of remaining assets currently held under attachment pending court decision vis-a-vis appeal regarding declaration of death in absentia.
Senses: Sight-based perception (expertise). Dim illumination is no hindrance.
Skills: Initiative (expertise), Jumping (expertise [or would it be mastery?]), Running & Athletics (expertise), Persuasion (expertise), Sense & Identify Witchcraft (expertise), Botany (expertise)

Weapons:

• My Leaf-Bladed Kneaf (heavy bladed weapon)
• Grent & Grisham Special Eight Revolver (medium ranged weapon)

Combat Maneuvers, Esoteries, and Tricks:
 

• Pierce (1 Agility point): This is a well-aimed, penetrating ranged attack. Xavier can make an attack and inflict 1 additional point of damage if his weapon has a sharp point. Action.
• Thrust (1 Might point): This is a powerful melee stab. You make an attack and inflict 1 additional point of damage if your weapon has a sharp edge or point. Action.
• Gutter-Witchcraft (1 Intellect point): You can perform small invocations: temporarily change the color or basic appearance of a small object, cause small objects to float through the air, clean a small area, mend a broken object, prepare (but not create) food, and so on. You can't use gutter-witchcraft to harm another creature or object. Action.
• Hexsight (2 Intellect points): This invocation causes a sheevra's eyes to glow more brightly, but allows them to perceive, and potentially identify aetheric auras. Scanning an item or creature requires concentration, and each use of this ability can last up to one minute. Scanning a target reveals whether it can perform witchcraft, and if so, its level. It also reveals whatever facts the GM feels are pertinent about the aether in that area. Many materials and eldritch fields prevent or resist this hex. Action to initiate and sustain.
• Lugent Vessel (2 Intellect points):  Although a sheevra's skin and eyes constantly produce dim illumination in the immediate distance surrounding them, they can temporarily amplify and even transfer some of this radiance to another object, person, or place. To do so, a sheevra must touch the intended target. If successful, the target sheds bright illumination up to a short distance for ten minutes. Action.
• Placate Plant (2+ Intellect points): With a successful roll, you convince a plant that is within immediate distance to refrain from attacking you for one minute. Instead of applying Grit to decrease the difficulty of this esotery, you can apply Grit to protect more targets, with each level of Grit causing the affected plant to ignore up to two additional targets. You must be able to see and speak with said targets to provide this protection. Action to initiate.

Flaws:
 

• One: Fast, but not quite graceful. The difficulty of any task involving balance or steady movements is increased by one step.
• Two: The difficulty of any task that requires staying still or quiet for extended time is increased by one step.
• Three: Hiding debility. Sheevra have slightly luminous eyes and skin, making it hard to conceal themselves

Items:

• Eldritch Oddities:  
  
  
  
  • Cybille's Locket: A silver locket given to Hadric by his mother when he was a boy, and one of the few remaining mementos of his childhood. The locket holds two tiny daguerreotype portraits: one of his father, and one of his mother. His mother's portrait is evidently ensorcelled by some means, rendered in living motion - flashing a smile or blowing a kiss, or simply reading a book [almost always Rest for the Wicked, and other stories of Treachery & Romance by Skien's own Vibius Beeze]. Cybille's portrait has spoken to Hadric on some few occasions, whispering words of caution, advice or love when he has needed them most. His father's portrait - a dark and blurred profile against a hazy background - seems to have been captured unknowingly, and has so far proven itself to be nothing more than an ordinary daguerreotype.
  • The Magnificent Lens: A small lens of hardy glass mounted in a bronze frame. Catching a strange glint out of the corner of his eye while wandering the markets of Crepuscle, Hadric purchased this oddity from a trinket-vendor who seemed unaware of its unusual eldritch properties. The world transforms when seen through the Magnificent Lens, superimposing a bizarre and surrealist landscape over the mundane, a landscape peopled by a tiny and mischievous folk possessing large teeth, bright clothes, and strange hats. The folk seem to be aware of Hadric's attention and often wave or wink at him, or huddle in small groups while throwing the occasional glance his way. The lens seems completely ordinary to anyone else that Hadric has had peer through it, who report only a slight magnifying effect. Hadric has come to suspect the Magnificent Lens to be an artifact of Ker-Iz, or to have otherwise been crafted by another Sheevra. A source of occasional amusement or inspiration.


• Theurgic Devices:
  
  
  • Rosenhound Bulb: A desiccated and peeling bulb smelling of cardamom and vinegar. Hadric cultured several specimens of this plant during his time in the laboratories of Shann-Irim, and this one has at last reached maturity. When the inner flesh is exposed to light, a startling transformation is initiated. Petaled stalks twist from within, quickly forming themselves into the semblance of a squat quadruped. A thorny maw glistening with sap juts from one end, its head-petals arranged into the floral mockery of a grinning predatory visage. A Rosenhound will viciously attack and consume any nearby organic matter, heedless of its own safety, until it has filled its belly. It blossoms for a few brief moments, shedding pollen. Its lifecycle completed the Rosenhound will wither and die, leaving an immature bulb behind.
  • Paralytic N2: A fine grey powder kept tightly sealed in a small vial. The second iteration of the fourteenth entry in a long series of pesticidal compounds developed by Hadric. Paralytic N2 enters through the breathing apertures of a given arthropod, thereby infiltrating the hemolymph of the affected creature. Through a method still poorly understood by Hadric himself, the compound hinders or prevents entirely any muscle contraction in arthropodal species. Effect on the locomotion of molluscs is mild by comparison, and requires further study. Rendered inert in mammalian or other body systems.

Mundane Possessions: Clothing, live ardlilly coat (medium armor), My Leaf-Bladed Kneaf, Grent & Grisham Special Eight revolver, 12 rounds broad #8, phytologist's tools, stainless steel canteen, a pouchfull of oat cakes, leather coin purse, 40 crowns.  

Other:

• Drowsy: Like cats, Sheevra require large amounts of sleep. Sheevra require twice as much time to rest in order to make recovery rolls (i.e., 2 rounds, 20 minutes, 2 hours, and 16 hours of rest to make their daily first, second, third, and fourth recovery roll, respectively).
• Fey: Sheevra occupy a liminal space between mortals and oneiroi. Consequently, effects designed to specifically target mortals or oneiroi may affect sheevra, whether for good or ill.
• Omnivorous: Sheevra can digest both meat and plant matter, but also draw nourishment from emotions, dreams, and other esoteric substances.

[/ooc]

Alright. This should be complete and review ready. It needs a few corrections to be in line with the other sheets (flaw names and stuff), as well as a clarification on whether taking my warrior skill in jumping is mastery, due to existing Frenetic expertise in "other swift forms of movement-related actions".

Thanks for reposting the most current version, MG. Checking your PC's stats is the next thing on my itinerary, especially as...

Steerpike, your intro is up.

Ghostman, I'll need a roll before I can reply (see thread).

Speaking of rolling, Superbright sent me a pm about rolling, and I figured it would be most beneficial to answer here.

Thus far, we haven't established how we want to handle rolling. If this were tabletop, we'd have our physical dice; if it was IRC, we'd have the program roll. And while our posting option has a dice roll option, I want to see how people want to handle rolls. I'm okay using the honor system and allowing people to use whatever method they want (e.g., physically rolling at home, using a site like Invisible Castle, etc.). But how do the rest of you feel? Any alternative suggestions?

Also, since we seem to be on the subject, I wanted to share some thoughts about PbP, at least for this game.

First, because players do all the rolling, it's better to include too many rolls than too few. Meaning, if you aren't sure if some action requires a roll (scoping out a site, searching for a poison-merchant, etc.), it's better to roll and include the results in your OOC portion of your post. If it applies, I can use it right away without having to ask for it; if not, we can just disregard it.

At the same time, mark your rolls. Don't just post 12 rolls. If you think you might need to make a perception, jump, attack, and defense roll, designate which roll goes with which task, please.

Speaking of Defense rolls; always assume you need to make 1 roll per present foe in a battle. It saves time.

Unless you know the DC/level/health/etc. of a foe, don't assume you hit or kill a foe in combat. Instead, describe IC the attempted attack.

If you do know the DC/level/health, and you know whether you hit or missed said DC, go ahead and describe the outcome. In some cases, I may even tell the DC for that very reason. This is more likely to happen with general or known foes (e.g., I might tell you that the DC of a pirahna rat is 1, or clarify that an attack DC just increased by 1 due to tight quarters). First-time or novel foes won't generally have their DC revealed from the get-go.

Outside of combat, many of the same guidelines apply.

In the interests of narrative flow, it's okay to make certain assumptions about NPC actions/reactions. But try not to go overboard. Especially refrain when dealing with new and non-generic NPCs. Assuming a common drug-addict or thug will be afraid of your demon is fine. Assuming a newly introduced drug-lord or mercenary is not. Assuming anyone will manifest such fear by running away in terror is also not okay -unless of course, you have rolled an intimidate check, know you hit the DC, and know the specific result of success.

The above guidelines aren't to correct any extant problems; instead, they are meant to be preventative, to make the proverbial boat sail smoothly.

If anyone has any questions about the above or additional or alternative suggestions on how to make things run more efficiently, I'm all ears.

Just noting that I decided the ardlilly coat was medium armour instead of light. I didn't fully understand the arm our rules and thought the agility penalty was per hour like might, instead of flat. As far as I can tell there aren't any other penalties to wearing medium over light armour for Hadric, correct?

As long as one is proficient in an armor (which as a warrior, Hadric is), the main penalties are the static Agility Reduction and hourly Might damage. Armor might also impose a hindrance to certain tasks (e.g., swimming), with the severity of the hindrance dependent upon the heaviness of the armor (e.g., swimming with a jack less hard than swimming in plate mail), but generally armor doesn't directly affect task DCs. 

Quote from: Rose-of-VellumIn the interests of narrative flow, it's okay to make certain assumptions about NPC actions/reactions. But try not to go overboard. Especially refrain when dealing with new and non-generic NPCs. Assuming a common drug-addict or thug will be afraid of your demon is fine. Assuming a newly introduced drug-lord or mercenary is not. Assuming anyone will manifest such fear by running away in terror is also not okay -unless of course, you have rolled an intimidate check, know you hit the DC, and know the specific result of success.

Have I been taking too many liberties/making too many assumptions about NPC actions?  Just wanted to get an idea of whether the way I've been posting is tenable in the long run.

And as long as the internal dice feature is there, I say we might as well use it.

SH,

You've definitely been bruising that border, but I wouldn't say you've actually crossed it, in part because Shiqq has a long-standing 'work' relationship with you. If it was another, new veteran thug, he or she might violently object to being touched, dragged around, or thrown into demonic summoning circles. But Shiqq's more tolerant -which is a large part of why he's the one sent to deal with Mr. Nix. No one else wants the job of dealing with the mad ghul.

Speaking of madness though, your writing has been fantastic! For such excellent characterization, give yourself 1 XP. I'll not hand out such rewards very often, but I think your last two posts warrant it.

Also, a reply is up.

Steerpike,

I'm still waiting on your reply since you beat the DC. Let me know if you're waiting on me for something.

Superbright,

Same thing. Tis your move.

Ghostman,

I'm drafting your reply.

MG,

I'm reviewing your sheet. Feedback to come.

Everybody,

Until I hear from everyone concerning their dice-rolling preference, just use whatever you wish -but include the result in your ooc box.

Also, just to make reassure/forewarn everyone, the intro posts are quite long. Subsequent posts -and player replies- can be much shorter. So there's no pressure to write a storiette for every post. Often, a line or two will suffice.

Quote from: Rose-of-VellumSH,

You've definitely been bruising that border, but I wouldn't say you've actually crossed it, in part because Shiqq has a long-standing 'work' relationship with you. If it was another, new veteran thug, he or she might violently object to being touched, dragged around, or thrown into demonic summoning circles. But Shiqq's more tolerant -which is a large part of why he's the one sent to deal with Mr. Nix. No one else wants the job of dealing with the mad ghul.

Ok, from now on I will have more respect for NPC sovereignty, and dial it back a touch. 

Quote from: Rose-of-VellumSpeaking of madness though, your writing has been fantastic! For such excellent characterization, give yourself 1 XP. I'll not hand out such rewards very often, but I think your last two posts warrant it.

Also, a reply is up. 

Awesome!  On both counts.  I'll get my next move up when I can.