OOC Discussion

[Mister-Kent]

For all out-of-character conversation and what-not.

Feel free to discuss Character Creation here too: Labyrinth Lord Advanced, Level 6 characters to start, 4d6/drop the lowest for stats! Campaign ID# is 245.

We'll begin the campaign in earnest week-after-next, by which time I should have all your introductory info up.

[Inferno]

How many players are we, and who wants to play what?

I've an idea for a tough, grim, social fighter-thief who is a fixer/enforcer for the city's underworld. They ask him to look into whatever it is the party is investigating, and that's how he falls in with the PCs. I'll modify the concept after I see the introductory material that explains our setting.

[Inferno]

Also, Mr. DM: what level do multi class characters start out at, please?
Maybe we each start with a certain amount of XP?

[Mister-Kent]

Presently there are three of you, with a fourth who may tag along after we get started. Inferno, your concept sounds really good! Lots of avenues for adventure hooks.

I'll be posting the setting details in bits and blurbs, but all relevent info should be complete this weekend. I'll be drawing much from the Tales of the Grotesque & Dungeonesque pdf, which can be found free at this site. I'd recommend it for any classic RPG player who is a fan of this Gothic literature genre.

Character creation notes--there will be some background packages to choose from, things like Orphan or Raised by Wolves. Some give you some gear, some are merely flavor. We'll also roll or pick from the Dark Secrets table--which I love, because all of these are taken directly from the classic source literature--things like patricide, addiction, and madness.

[Inferno]

Great! Is there an XP amount to start with, or a starting level for multi-class characters?

[Mister-Kent]

I must confess a little inexperience when it comes to multi-classing (but excited to expand my experience!) so I'll need to rely on your advice. I've got the rulebook on my phone and am checking on it between breaks at work, but what level do you think would be a comfortable start for multi-class characters?

[Inferno]

I'd reco letting everyone start with 40k experience points.
Fighters, Clerics and MUs would be 6th level. Druids and Thieves, 7th. Paladins, 5th. Etc.
Multiclass would divide the xp to get their levels.

[Mister-Kent]

Sounds right--that's the level range we're shooting for

Setting info is piling up--there's not a whole lot more items of up-front relevence. Most important things left are Backgrounds and Dark Secrets, which await me at home!

[Inferno]

Should we use unseen servant dice roller for stats? I humbly recommend that we do.

[Mister-Kent]

Absolutely! Since coming to the site, I've really grown fond of the dice-roller here, as well as the character sheet set-up.

Oh, and now that I have the "Tales of" PDF in front of me, I'm remembering the House Rules. Whereas the original document suggests a human-only campaign, I'm ignoring that and allowing all races in the LL Advanced book. However, I am adopting the rule that all classes can use any armor or weapon--granted, some class abilities may be hindered by certain combos, but I'll leave it to the players to monitor that. But in my games, clerics can totally wield swords if they so choose!

All other House Rules in the PDF won't be adopted--AC and Attack Bonus will stay by the book, as will HP and so forth. I usually don't use too many house rules in my games, I think the changes I did include will add to the fun.

Other Updates: Added more to the info thread about Gods and Lands. The Gods listed are the most prominent. The list of gods for The World Between is massive, so I didn't include more than that. Plus I like the idea of surprising you (i.e. the potential revelation of "Oh, they worship that? Yikes!")

[Inferno]

Maximum hit points for first level, roll the rest on the dice roller?

[Mister-Kent]

Yessum! Good questions--adding all of these to the first post of the Character Creation thread.

[Inferno]

DM: are you deciding our starting magic items?

[Mister-Kent]

Yes indeedy--I'll take requests and suggestions of course, but ultimately I'll do my best to give you something interesting, useful, and flavorful.

[Grognardsw]

Yes indeedy--I'll take requests and suggestions of course, but ultimately I'll do my best to give you something interesting, useful, and flavorful.

A family heirloom... pieces of djinn skin parchment and human blood ink. That which is written upon the skins will leap forth from the disintegrating page and serve the writer for its brief life. Details and limits beyond the concept to be determined.

[Mister-Kent]

We're going to have creepy fun with that...

And welcome to Marullus, who's totally down for cleric-ing it up!

[Mister-Kent]

Added setting info to the first post in the Vornheim & The World Between thread. It's pretty much all you need to know going in. Reposting here for quick reference:

About the City: Vornheim is a massive and ancient city, surrounded by the Thornridge Mountains to the north and east, the Odhill Lowlands to the west, and the evergreen Eisenwald to the south. When the city's early expansion outward began to butt into the mountains, the city's masons began to build upward, creating multiple shadowy levels of towers and bridges. Vornheim has dozens of wards, some of them built over and forgotten, others casually abandoned, and still others purposefully and explicitly quarantined.

Recent Events: It is currently the year 1500. It has been one year since Caligari's great and beloved Emperor Thrawl was assassinated, poisoned at his own birthday feast in his home, the Palace Massive. He was not an especially kind man, but known to be fair-handed and soft-spoken. Though his alleged murderers were caught and tried, there is still some controversy over their guilt. Baroness Titania the Fearful, a skilled and renowned investigator, brought the criminals to justice and maintains their complicity in the crime.

The new ruler, Christiana the Scarlet, Thrawl's niece of Midianese heritage, is beginning to make her presence known throughout the nation. She brings with her the religion of the White Way, a strict and forceful faith, and is making many changes to the capital city. Word on the street is that her next target is the Eminent Cathedral, a temple to Caligari's current chief god, the grim and rusty Vorn. The White Way is seen as xenophobic and oppressive by its opponents, though in its public persona the church espouses charity and good-will.

As the White Way cracks down on "deviants and criminals", the underworld guilds of the city are squirming under the church's scrutiny. Multiple factions of thieves, smugglers, and assassins are competing for territory in the city, and notorious gang leaders like Sable Greathouse and the Von Klaw Twins are shoring up their resources for a looming conflict.

The Delvers Guild has been receiving an increasing number of reports of strange occurrences around Vornheim, especially in some of the older parts of the city. Apparitions, disappearances, and more--there will be plenty of things to discuss at this season's Questing Feast!

[Mister-Kent]

Hope everyone had a good weekend! I made like, 70 portraits for the game this weekend. Here's your beloved Regent, Christiana the Scarlet:

You can tell by her expression that she really likes you.

[Mister-Kent]

Chargen's gone really well, and I hope you all enjoyed putting together your character. I will open the first game thread this weekend, and should have all your loose ends taken care of by then.

[Grognardsw]

All this background is very intriguing