[DnD 4e PbP] Death's Veil: King of the Trollhaunt Warrens (OOC)

srboyceboat

Fiaryn wrote: »

Tunos wrote: »

Fiaryn wrote: »

You seem to have double posted. An excess post can be deleted by way of the Edit function.

As for Orokos, it works by way of sending a .dnd4e file from the Character Builder to the site which is then translated to an online character sheet. If you don't have the Character Builder, your Orokos options are limited.

Is the Character Builder a DDI thing? If so, that's why I don't have it.

Also, is it incredibly useful? If it makes creation substantially easier I might get a subscription - because I spent about 2 hours trekking through Adventurer's Vault 1 & 2 trying to track down magic items that I thought might be useful

The current Character Builder is quite amazingly terrible. The old Legacy Character Builder, which was a program installed on your computer, was fantastic.

Even with this widely accepted truth, the online CB with the DDI subscription still holds water for a lot of folks - I haven't bought anything but the PHB and the DMG from way back in the day, but these tools make it super easy to stay current and keep my content coming in. I'm also vaguely interested in the VTT, and the Monster Builder isn't the worst thing ever. It's much more of a "viewer" these days than a builder, but I imagine it'll improve over time. When I say "imagine" I mean "hope."

MaxFrost

Oh hey, I can see themes now! Oh joy!

These are yummy.

Tunos

I'm making some last minute changes to the background section. Nothing is changed functionally - I'm just altering the presentation because I tell stories better than I describe stories...if that makes sense.

Should be finished within the half-hour.

EDIT: Alrighty, all finished. Nothing's changed as I said, but I'm much happier with this presentation than the one I offered before.

Kay

Tay Cizarka, Human Fey Hexblade
URL=http://4e.orokos.com/sheets/2850]Orokos[/url

B]History[/B

Tay was born to artisans - potters, to be exact - in Arras, a city far, far to the south of the Nentir Vale, in the harsh deserts in the region. They brought him up with every intention of training him to carry on the family craft, and while he had the clever hands needed to throw pots, he most certainly did not have the patience. He took to escaping the house at any opportunity, spending his days on the streets, with one group of urchins or another. This was where he learned his skills in misdirection, stealth, sleight of hand, and lying convincingly. He'd run with one group for a while, and when his lies about where he stayed the night, and how he never seemed to be as hungry as them ran out, he'd find another gang and work with them to pick pockets, steal food and trinkets, and generally making the city a much more troublesome place to live.

It was with one of this gangs of urchins, that he first heard the stories of the World Within the Winds, The Invisible Kingdoms, and The Grey. Places where water fell from the sky more than once or twice a year, places where green things grew, and travelling from one village to the next was not a perilous journey that claimed the lives of many who attempted it. One particular gang of homeless thief-children had a minder, an older boy who was almost an adult, who learned the old tales from his grandfather, before the old man died, leaving him alone. For an entire two weeks, Tay stayed with this group, listening to the stories and sleeping rough every night with the other children. The concept of another world, separate from Arras, but always just on the other side of the wind, like two sides of the same coin, caught hold of Tay's imagination. When he finally returned to his family (the older boy was caught stealing, and sentenced to have his hand removed on the spot by the Tzar's men - He died from the wound minutes later), he pursued the stories avidly. His parents took this interest in what they considered to be ancient history and mythology seriously - after all, if he was studying, he wasn't on the streets, and an education was a noble ideal to strive towards.

Unfortunately for them, Tay had no interest in history beyond tales of the worlds within worlds, no desire to learn his numbers or the tenets of the Desert Kings, and no drive to read anything else they suggested (except perhaps the barest minimum of the land's laws, so he knew what he could get away with), and once he had exhausted the sources of information available to his family, he wanted more. He went back to the streets, scouring the city for any information he could find, and decided that the best way to get some of the books he heard about was to fall back in with his criminal friends, and utilise their knowledge and training to get it.

Tay became a commited, common thief, a season after his sixteenth Lifeday. While he was no cat-burglar, and not quite as skilled with locks and mechanisms as some within the criminals he ran with, his ability to charm and trick information out of his 'marks', misdirect them with clever banter and to have them love him for it was considerable. So much so, that he became one of the more respected larcenists in his circle, especially where there was legwork involving actual people to be dealt with.

Just when he was becoming useful, he left. He was almost eighteen at this point, and had realised that if he wanted to pursue his ambition, he needed to explore the lands for the subjects of his stories. He needed to get out of Arras, and into the world.

Tay became a wanderer, but never alone. His clever tongue and street-savvy nature allowed him to present himself as whatever he thought people most wanted him to be, and once he had their trust, he'd lie a little more, coax here, push there, and end up as part of a caravan travelling to the next settlement, or in a gang of treasure-hunters lured to the site of ruins, or supposed gates to other worlds that Tay had read about, under the pretense of a huge hoard of steel and jewels to be plundered. Most of those dupes didn't see Tay again, for one reason or another. Soon, he had visited almost every settlement and trading post within a month's travel of Arras, at least those which were near what Tay referred to as 'sites of relevant archaeological significance'.

It was in the Crescent Forest, a huge oasis in the northern reaches of the deserts, that Tay first met Ayauhteotl. There, the gap between worlds is thinner. It was in Wychgrove at the heart of the oasis where his life changed forever, after a brief few minutes in The Grey. He passed through the borders, carried there by a fey spirit of madness, trickery and shadow. His desire to move between worlds was so strong, that Ayauhteotl understood it as a willingness to accept her aid, and so 'she' bound herself to the young man, exchanging some of her magic for a sliver of Tay's soul.

B]Adventures[/B

Once Tay had a taste for the Feywild, and for travel and adventure, he started to put his talents and his newfound Patron-granted power to use. After realising that he could be doing far more with his charming ways, he gathered a group of cut-throats and scoundrels, leading them on raids on trade caravans, forgotten tombs and buried cities uncovered by his arcane sensitivity, and even smaller settlements from time to time.

For a time, he was the terror of the southern deserts, until he realised that he wanted... something different.

It was a simple task for Tay to trick his band of followers (heavy on brawn, not so gifted of brain) into a raid that had no chance of winning, and as a further bit of trickery, he had convinced no less than three of his merry outlaws to dress in his own style of clothing, complete with an ornately carved rod (quickly becoming his symbol of office) and blonde hair. It was easy for him to duck out of the skirmish, cross between worlds, and escape.

Tay travelled north, heavy with supplies from his raiding, determined to escape the deserts and reach the lush, green lands beyond, lands that he'd only ever read of in books. Not like the other side of the coin, the Feywild, but places in the world where things grew, rain fell, and it was the norm, rather than the exception. It almost killed him, but he eventually escaped the sands, and found greener, more alive lands.

He found that little was different here. People were people, cities were cities, and gold was just the same. And just as easy to part from its owners. He also found that there was a demand for certain skilled individuals, and his knowledge of locks, traps and trickery was especially valuable to these groups, called in to do the work no-one else could deal with, or to investigate long-lost tombs and dungeons. These tasks proved to be hugely profitable, and without the negatives involved in looting, pillaging, stealing and murder.

Tay continued to travel wherever Aya suggests he may find relics, writings or even gateways to the Invisible Kingdoms, with some measure of success. He explores ruins and places where the gaps are larger, usually with an entourage he's tricked into following him for promises of uncountable riches. Some things do not change. Eventually, Tay found himself in the Nentir Vale, following the work and his patron's directions, in a town named Moonlight. She was interested in the portal there, and consquently, so was Tay. The Feywild was, Aya had told him, the source of her powers, and therefore his. The things he imagined he could find there were well worth the time and effort.

B]Mannerisms and Appearance[/B

Tay is not overly tall, and has a rather slender frame. He rarely stands straight though, and is usually hunched over, crouching, or sitting, so as to appear smaller and less threatening. He has sun-bleached blond hair that falls about level with his jawline, pale blue eyes that are usually hidden beneath it, and wears a flowing, long-sleeved overcoat of a thin, cream linen, popular in the deserts of the southern reaches. Beneath that, he wears finely made leather armour pieces, soft at the joints with harder protective plates in some places. Tay's face is somewhat androgenous (which helps his frequent disguises) but is usually covered with a cloth mask, another desert custom, though it helps keep his identity hidden if he is engaging in something... less than wholly lawful.

He has trained himself to maintain a casual smile as a neutral expression, but sometimes his true intentions can shine through, and he may look irritated, annoyed or even on the verge of outright rage if the situation causes it, and he thinks he isn't being watched. He keeps his hands in the sleeves of his coat almost all of the time, to help his sleight of hand, and to conceal his prized arcane rod and link to Aya, which he is reluctant to let go of.

b]Motivations and Mechanics[/b

Tay is selfish, greedy and to some people, quite amoral. But he is most definitely not a fool. He realises the worth in staying on good terms with those that pay him money to do their work, dirty or otherwise, and when he finds a group of people with obvious skill, he tends to stick with them, working together for as long as it seems prudent. He can, when he wishes to, be a great team player, especially after spending some time with an adventuring troupe. If he thinks his companions are a liability however, he has no problem with moving on. He found quickly that being the sole survivor of a group can draw suspicion, especially if it keeps happening every now and then.

Mechanically, Tay is a strong melee striker with ranged capabilities, with a lot of invisibility, concealment, and other tricks to dissuade enemies from targetting him. He's quite effective up close or from the other side of the map, and his skillset is certainly useful. He has the basic thievery package and is a competent locksmith, as well as being rather stealthy. In a city, however, his skills really shine. His 'Secrets of the City' skill power allows him to use Streetwise in place of a number of skills in a city he's familiar with (in game-terms, a city he's made a Streetwise roll in), and can be an excellent way to gather information. He also has great general social skills thanks to his Charisma, especially in Bluff and Intimidate.

B]Portrait and Token[/B

Feel free to make a fresh token with whichever frame you're using for party cohesion, if I'm picked!

Aegis

So many good applications once again! And oddly enough, no category was under or overrepresented, which is nice to see. Still, the always hard part of chopping down the list of submissions eventually had to be done and here is the final party composition:

Z0re - Verdance Micah, Tiefling Malec-Keth Janissary Swordmage
firemanfred - Merrill, Eladrin Cunning Prevaricator Bard
Grog - Efail Argylvid, Elf Master of the Forge Runepriest
TiamatZ - Thekla Kalamanos, Dragonborn Soldier of Conquest Blackguard
Fiaryn - Atish Zadiki, Tiefling Legendary Turathi Highborn Hexblade

Thanks for everyone's applications and as in my other game, in the event that I ever have to replace anyone then I will definitely go down my list of applications first to find a suitable replacement since they're all good submissions.

This thread will be morphing into the OOC thread shortly. I don't think I need to include any mechanical things in the OP this time around given the party, but we'll see. IC thread will also be up shortly (since I already have it written) but people can take their time finalizing things first.

Edit: Oh hey, convenient TOTP.

Fiaryn

One correction.

I switched Atish to Turathi Highborn from Legendary Hexblade

Otherwise though WOOP WOOP WOOP WOOP

Aegis

Oh yes, you switch things every half a second. At least I don't have to keep calling you a Hexblade Hexblade.

Fiaryn

Aegis wrote: »

Oh yes, you switch things every half a second. At least I don't have to keep calling you a Hexblade Hexblade.

Hey that's behind me now! I'm clean!

God yes more power gotta tweak it yeah baby.

MaxFrost

Boooo

Now I have to wait for someone else to start a game.

Z0re

I'm so glad my Tiefling picture didn't end up going to waste.

Yay! Glad to be in the group, I think you picked some pretty great characters all around.

TheBog

Congrats, folks.

DrDinosaur

Congratulations to everyone who made it. Hope it's good.

MaxFrost

Seriously though, good subs all round. I'm going to follow the main thread till it dies (I wish there was a way to tag the thread without posting in it though.)

Aegis

MaxFrost wrote: »

Seriously though, good subs all round. I'm going to follow the main thread till it dies (I wish there was a way to tag the thread without posting in it though.)

Top Right of the page underneath the Page List there's a drop down for Subscribe to Thread. You need to check your control panel for thread updates, mind.

Aegis

Housecleaning things!

Regarding tokens, I have three made up (in the OP now) but require a picture for Merrill and Efail. You don't have to worry about making your own tokens as I can easily whip them up when I have a picture.

Beyond that:
* Grog: Sustaining Cloak? You...have no powers that require sustaining. It's also +1 when you can still afford a +2 (you've got 3735 gp unspent).
* firemanfred: With no powers on your sheet, I assume you're using the online builder? I can point you to the other option if you'd like unless you'd rather go with Mythweavers. Also, gold value seems wonky. I count 3865 gp spent, but you only show 550 gp left when it should be 1135?
* Z0re: Missing 465 gp remaining gold after buying items.
* Fiaryn: Adventurerer Kits cost 15 gp, pay up! :P
* TiamatZ: Were you interested in some optimization suggestions? There's a few things that you could alter that might increase your oomph without compromising much, depending on whether you're attached to axes.

Fiaryn

I'm not made of money

Z0re

Alright, I have updated my sheet with the missing funds!

Fiaryn

There I updated it. Take your stupid 15 gp :<

Aegis

Think I might wait until everyone checks in before putting up the IC thread, unless the folks that have already noticed wish to start with their own introductions.

Remind me if I'm actually forgetting anything mechanical, but most people are already well-enough set.

TiamatZ

Aegis wrote: »

* TiamatZ: Were you interested in some optimization suggestions? There's a few things that you could alter that might increase your oomph without compromising much, depending on whether you're attached to axes.

I'm open for some suggestions.

Though I would like to retain my Execution Axe, unless you have an idea of a more intimidating weapon roleplay wise for Thekla to wield.

Aegis

Well, my suggestion was going to be a Fullblade but I think an Executioner Axe kind of tops that intimidation-wise so that's not a problem!

Aside from that, Domination might work well for both her character (Bane loves him some domination over others even if he's a bit angry at times) and that a Blackguard's domination benefits actually scale unlike Fury who is stuck at the poor +2/+4. That and you get enough powers (between yourself and the Runepriest & Bard) to have temp hp to burn whenever you need it.

TiamatZ

Will do. I originally chose the Fury background, so that I could continuously generate Combat advantage on the field.

Also decided to switch my Level 10 Utility for the Templar "Berate the Weak" power, since it fits thematically with Thekla's character. Also, since I'm not following the Fury Path, I decided to drop Cunning Stalker, and replacing it with Blindfighting Warrior instead.

Aegis

Cunning Stalker's still useful to you as you only get your Dark Menace damage bonus while you're hitting CA opponents. If you were interested in pretty much guaranteed CA, you could pick up some cold feats that don't even care what power you're using. Though, I'm not sure if I even know what colour dragon Thekla is given that Dragonfear doesn't easily give an identification, so I wasn't sure if you thought the element would fit or not.

But yea, Templar has a lot of nicely named powers for very...intimidating individuals.

Grog

Huzzah! This is a great thing to wake up to (I'm on GMT).
And yeah, didn't want to jinx anything by going too in depth with my items, but I'll definitely replace sustaining cloak.
As for image, I'm gonna try drawing my own, which may take a day or two, so if you need a placeholder just let me know

edit: ok a few things tweaked: swapped arcana training for heal; picked up a deep-pocket cloak (since it fits the character) and cynic's goggles; swapped Durable for Rune of Eloquence, mainly for more THP on rune of mending.
Still not sure which theme to go with. Dune trader makes the most sense, but don't like the look of the powers. Mercenary and Outlaw work thematically at a stretch, but seem a bit off. Any suggestions?

Aegis

Oooh, you draw? Nifty! I can find a placeholder in the meantime, it's okay.

And thematically (oh ho ho) I think you'd get a better fit with Dune Trader reflavoured. I could see Outlaw, but neither that or Mercenary have the trading aspect to them.

Aegis

Regarding Merrill's gold, I have apparently forgotten that rituals exist, so everything works out!

firemanfred

Woohoo! I had a blast reading all the apps here and can't wait to get started here. Congrats to my fellow party members and I hope the other applicants find an awesome game to call home as well. I'm travelling this week but can keep up using my phone. You will just have to wait for all the fancy formatting For when I get back to my PC.

firemanfred

Also I didn't find time to update the offline builder before I left but I'll either do that or type it up on mythweavers as soon as I can.

Aegis

Not a problem, so long as you know your own powers then take whatever time you need.

Given that everyone's checked in, even if we're tweaking stuff here and there, I'll have the IC post up for people to have initial conversation posted with the opening scene after lunch.

Grog

Since I'm not really interested in swapping any of my powers out, I might go for Guttersnipe, mainly for the buy at 90%, sell at 110% feature. That and streetwise bonuses make sense I'd think.
In terms of flavour I think being opportunistic certainly fits, and Efail likes to keep his early life a mystery. Being raised as one of the dregs of society could be a reason for that.

If that's too much of a stretch I'm happy with Dune trader though, just let me know

TiamatZ

Finally decided to stick with Cunning Stalker.

As for what color dragon, Thekla doesn't really have a 'cold theme' going on, as that's kind of a cheesy build, hence why I took Dragonfear.

As for appearance, she does have icy blue scales, indicating she might have been of blue or white dragon heritage. It's stated in the PHB that their scales tend to be metallic in color, though Thekla's clan could have been disowned by Bahamut and the rest of Arkosia during it's early days, and cursed to forever be born with the scales of a chromatic dragon. Who knows? That's the fun of DnD and fantasy in general! Anything's possible!


@Grog: We should totally get a drawing of the whole party together.

As for party attachments and relationships, Thekla's thoughts currently:

Verdance Micah: Still a bit unsure here, though Thekla probably enjoys having someone to spar with in their off-times.
Merrill: Doesn't like him too much; Too chaotic, carefree and happy-go-lucky for her tastes. A bit undisciplined and self-indulgent methinks.
Efail Argylvid: Again, unsure about him. On one hand, having another divine follower of the gods to talk with for the journey, as well as someone who is 'savvy' with contracts and businesses. On the other hand, she finds Efail's double dealings repulsive and distrustful, and was perhaps the one who tricked her with her own contracts in the first place, forcing her to join up with the group and working with these adventurers.
Atish Zadiki: Probably the only one she respects in the party, and only grudgingly. Doesn't share his taste to resurrect an old empire (after all, she believes her own kin's empire disowned and cursed them), believing one should improve and perfect oneself than follow the pipe dreams of some ridiculous notion of the past. She nonetheless admires someone who follows a rigorous and strict code of order.

Also, am I the only one that just realized we don't have a Controller for this group?

Aegis

Yea, no direct controller. But between the Hexblade (who has minor control elements) and the Runepriest (whose every power has a choice of riders) and potentially the Bard depending on powers, there's a fair amount of control spread throughout the party.

No problem on build choices TiamatZ! Dragonfear is nice as it stands for generating CA and being more intimidating-focused than a simple Dragonbreath.

Also, IC thread up for folks to saunter in!

Fiaryn

For Atish' Pact, I am still a bit uncertain on the specifics. The Hexblade shpiel on Infernal Pact Hexblades suggests that most heroic or semi-heroic Hexblades are the types who made a Faustian bargain but actually successfully matched the Fiends in legalese.

I was thinking something along the lines of a Pact with Bel (who is both A) Very GLORIOUS BATTLE and Probably the least clever of the lot) which entails wording loose enough to be interpreted in Atish favor. Such as say, indicating that victory in battle and the bodies of the defeated are worthy tribute to the Combat Lord of the 1st Circle. Instead of Atish' soul.

Edit: Also yes, we have no controller, two leaders, the burliest Striker in the game (Blackguard), and a CON based Striker as a close second. We have a very very durable party.

Grog

TiamatZ wrote: »

@Grog: We should totally get a drawing of the whole party together.

definitely! I'll get to work based on people's appearance descriptions.

Also definitely agree on Efail being the one that tricked Thekla into the contract, was already thinking that from your app post.

Efail's own feelings towards the group would generally be amusement at the young adventurers' various ambitions (he's ~150), but also a tinge of fatherly protectiveness. Except for Thekla, who he's just a bit scared of

Aegis

Fiaryn wrote: »

Edit: Also yes, we have no controller, two leaders, the burliest Striker in the game (Blackguard), and a CON based Striker as a close second. We have a very very durable party.

The party's swordmage is also a multiclass bard who picked up Mending Word 1/day. So you know...more healing.

Fiaryn

Aegis wrote: »

Fiaryn wrote: »

Edit: Also yes, we have no controller, two leaders, the burliest Striker in the game (Blackguard), and a CON based Striker as a close second. We have a very very durable party.

The party's swordmage is also a multiclass bard who picked up Mending Word 1/day. So you know...more healing.

I wouldn't know anything about that :whistle:

Aegis

Fiaryn wrote: »

Aegis wrote: »

Fiaryn wrote: »

Edit: Also yes, we have no controller, two leaders, the burliest Striker in the game (Blackguard), and a CON based Striker as a close second. We have a very very durable party.

The party's swordmage is also a multiclass bard who picked up Mending Word 1/day. So you know...more healing.

I wouldn't know anything about that :whistle:

Oh I see how it is, conspiring against me.

Grog

So a pretty rough image, but I'm happy enough with the face. If anyone else wants an image done feel free to ask, might take a few days though, I've got a bit on my plate atm. Definitely gonna work on a group one though.

Kay

I'm looking forward to seeing those trolls get their faces staved in. Preferably with burning swords of infernal origin, and massive axes rimed with deathfrost.

BLOOD AND SOULS FOR MY LORD BEL!

Bane's cold fury for those that remain.

Fiaryn

That is pretty fucking cool Grog. I'd like one if you find the time, but I am in no particular hurry.