But Shadows (ooc and questions Vl)

[Yrkoon]

An interesting discussion here about Conan - the ultimate Cimmerian - and his alignment.
https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/view ... hp?t=12121

If it's easy to change alignment with one act, then it ought to be easy to change back again. Anyhow, Cruloc can be either CG with neutral tendencies or CN with good tendencies. Either interpretation is fine with me. I like roleplaying good characters, but cannibals are beyond the pale and deserve no mercy in my book - especially ones who attack unprovoked and then hurl insults. Part of what I like about Conan is how he treats thoroughly evil antagonists. Hyboria is a brutal world, and a life defined by civilised morals and unprotected by city walls is a short one.

Anything but the truth from the elder Pict will receive punishment. He is obviously the least cooperative and unlikely to provide any useful information, so I'm using him to try to extract something from the younger one. What I didn't write in my first post was that, no matter the response from the younger one, I would immediately dispatch both mercifully. The older one's physical suffering wouldn't last long. View my strategy as evil if you like, but I'm trying to buy us the rest we need to successfully continue our campaign. We're obviously sitting ducks out here in the forest.

Hopefully, Torix will translate. I know Cruloc doesn't speak Pict. Cruloc's offer to them to die like dogs or men was not clear enough. It wasn't a simple choice. To die like men required cooperation. It wasn't a straightforward "Do you want to die like men or dogs?" "Oh, we choose to die like men." They needed to give us something for that undeserved honour, and Torix said nothing to Cruloc after his conversation with them which was useful. Cruloc, therefore, thinks they are non-cooperative. That earns then a dishonorable death, or at least the threat of one.

If Torix doesn't translate, Cruloc will dispatch them both and be done with it.

If this is Cruloc's low point, I hope there will be an opportunity for redemption in the future. Character arc, as they say.

[jemmus]

An old issue of TSR's Dragon magazine had Conan's AD&D 1e stats and information, and his alignment was stated as Chaotic Neutral. A rebel and a pragmatist, I guess.

I missed posting that Torix translated the discussion with the Picts. But maybe that accidentally helped with the RP storyline(?)

[Inferno]

Hi Yrkoon,
Thanks for the clarification. I have what I need from you to create my next DM post.

Btw, I don't view your strategy as evil. Just not Chaotic Good. Probably Chaotic Neutral.

Conan was Chaotic Neutral. He started as a thief and in Pool of the Black One, he commits premeditated murder of his ship's captain in order to take his ship, crew and woman, god bless him. I think most of the sword and sorcery protagonists were CN or N. It's what set that genre apart from high fantasy where most heroes are LG, NG or CG.

And in terms of "changing alignment," I see alignment as a shorthand way of identifying one's personal code. It's that code which impacts one's words and deeds. If one is willing to torture and mutilate another to ensure their own survival, their code probably isn't "good." I'm not casting judgment, just trying to accurately categorize.

But let's see what Cruloc's final actions end up being here and then we can see if he does anything to move him off of CG.

Btw, Cruloc's character sheet currently has his alignment as Neutral, fyi.

Thanks and I continue to appreciate your awesome characterization of Cruloc!

[Inferno]

If this is Cruloc's low point, I hope there will be an opportunity for redemption in the future. Character arc, as they say.

Again, I don't see it as his low point. But every day brings another shot at redemption!

[Yrkoon]

You're the best PBP DM I've ever had.

[Inferno]

Wow. Thank you. I can only assume you don't play a lot of PBP.

[Inferno]

In jemmus' latest IC post*, Torix doesn't translate for Cruloc, so...

If Torix doesn't translate, Cruloc will dispatch them both and be done with it.

So, I know how to move this part forward in my next DM post. Thanks.

Yrkoon, please correct Cruloc's character sheet so the alignment says Chaotic Good instead of (true) Neutral. I think Neutral is a typo on the sheet. And he didn't go through with his plan. Thanks!



* Hey jemmus, I like how Torix' speech is different when he's speaking Hyborian vs. Pict. Nice touch!

[jemmus]

Thanks! I've saying it's Aquilonian, noted that it's Hyborian.

Inferno's Land of the Lost game (I've forgotten the actual name) was a classic. Really fun and really memorable.

[Inferno]

Thanks. I think you mean Once and Future Earth.

If only the name was as memorable as the game!

[jemmus]

That's the one. For you guys who weren't in it, it was kind of whimsical, humorous, nostalgic, colorful, full of surprises, and always dangerous.

[Urson]

I second Jemmus' opinion.

[Inferno]

Thanks guys for the kind words!

[Yrkoon]

I played in Once and Future Earth, but I fled as soon as the xenomorphs showed up!

We should think about this coming wolf attack strategically. Any ideas?
Options include: putting our backs to the rock wall (?) to the north of our campsite, climbing trees a la The Hobbit, planting Dahinna and/or Torix off to the side somewhere to come out for a backstab, etc.

I think the smell of the cooking fire, the fish, and the 5 dead bodies ought to at least partially mask one of our group hiding somewhere in the bushes.

Kiri could even climb the rock wall, lower a rope, and pull the rest of us up if we wanted to just slay them with arrows.

I don't think Torix has told us anything yet about the woman who is presumably a witch or druid calling these wolves.

[Yrkoon]

What is that to the north of the campsite? A rock wall? Is it scalable by a thief or a barbarian?

[Inferno]

Hi!
Here's the area map from the battle with the Picts. Please kindly note the red words under it.

Map:

One square = 10 feet. Cliff that protects campsite is 35 feet high. Bottom of map is north and in that direction lies the clearing.

With a successful Climb roll, thieves and barbarians can climb these cliffs at a rate of ~24 feet per round. (DMG p.19)
Kiri can climb too, while his spell lasts, at a rate of ~90 feet per round outdoors. (PHB p.68)

Thanks!

[Yrkoon]

What do you guys think? A tight defensive formation with one or two archers in a tree somewhere who might come down for a backstab?

[Urson]

Sounds likely.

[Yrkoon]

We're not fighting yet, Chubby. You're looking at the battle map from the Pictish ambush.

[ChubbyPixie]

Oh, haha. Sorry, got confused. I’ll revise.

[ChubbyPixie]

Revised! Thanks, Yrkoon.