Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
Oh! Hado also needs to acquire a mask. That would definitely be on his to-do list. He would look for something with an animal shape, but not necessarily something intended to be intimidating. Maybe he could find a bat mask that suggests more "flying fox" than "flappy night terror," or an owl mask.
[OOC: Due to weird Play by Post time, Gear is still making her equipment while the pair are buying stuff. Won’t be long and a thing will happen, and you can come running.
This has been a foreboding DM post.]
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Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
“Thank you, Baber! Yes, let’s go look at those masks!”
Hado will note the singing for when he has a chance to check out this speaker of giant speak.
This highly modified crossbow launches a hinged grappling claw from a spool of 100 feet of thin rope. It's stock is heftier than it was, and it's finely balanced for ease of use and aiming. The main casing and trigger includes a built in spool to store it's cable. The head of the grappling bolt is reminiscent of a monkey's paw, and the arms of the crossbow can fold back for easy storage. There's some nice padding on the stock, along with some textured grips to ensure an easy-self yeeting. it looks like if necessary, the entire spool could be removed and replaced without requiring the entire crossbow to be rebuilt.
(The latter is more meant to be Gear thinking ahead that she might want to upgrade the cable... or have reason to replace it if gets cut through. Also, thing i just realized - it'd be a hard dc, and require an attack roll i imagine, but i could in theory use the hook to grab something of someone and yeet it to me. Which is probably a TERRIBLE idea if i try and grab a sword. Or awesome if i manage a trick shot past person a to grab person b's weapon, and then reel it back... stabbing it into person A)
The Kaburin stands up on four legs, and folds his forelimbs. He begins to carve a block of wood.
Hado, make a Deception check against the mask maker (DC 9), or else he will have a near perfect guess as to what you have been up to the past two days. If you don’t wish to however, he will simply know much about you. Caini-no-Busfu has a knack for reading people.
After that, ask for a mask, and he will name his price.
Geth roll 1d20+5 for Insight
Insight:
1d20+59 [1d20=4]
Endless_Serpents on
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Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
edited July 2020
Geth roll 1d20 for nunya bidness
"Caini-no-Busfu! I would like to buy a mask from you! Do you have any... owls? I have a desperate need to hide my face from recognition. Or I want to have a good time a the party tonight. Or both! Haha!"
“I... do not see a mask suitable for you. You are a rare soul. Tell me what you wish to be for the Festival of Masks.”, he says, scratching his chitinous chin.
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Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
edited July 2020
"I... hm."
Hado spends some time thinking...
"Caini-no-Busfu, what do you think a Giant would look like?"
Hado will tell the maskmaker about the vision he had underwater, and try to work with him to evoke that in a mask.
“Look like? Like madness.”, he looks you dead in the eyes, “Wait.”
He heaved himself up onto just one limb, and grips knives in the other five. He holds the block of wood with his mandibles and before your eyes he spins, flips and angles the woods as he cuts into it with a lifetime of earned mastery.
Before the last flake of wood can settle, it is done.
Your new mask in hand. You hear the singing renewed, with a second voice adding to the refrain.
The potter’s baby is lifted from his knee by his wife, and he begins work on a vase from wet clay. Together they sing a new song, but you struggle to catch every word. She too is fluent in a language long forgotten by most.
As an Ishtari, your family would throw in a word in Giant on occasion, usually to express a concept foreign to New Zellatia. A mountain, the tall pointed plateaus covered in snow, the soft white ice. It wasn’t used, and indeed wasn’t fully known enough to carry idle conversation.
You’ve had no dealings with them, but you know that The Blood on the Mountain—a group your family called a cult—practice it to aid in their rituals.
Gear follows Melon, of course! Her medical knowledge is mostly field aid (thanks Iroh!) Which seems like it could be damn useful here.
Also this is her family.
And she's still got spells loaded and ready to go (quick clarification request: have we dinged officially? Because that changes things - of I'm officially level 3, I have two slots and some new spells to play with. If I'm still level 2, then I only have one spell slot)
[OOC: I’d say you’re all 2nd level until the end of the day, which is directly after this. It’s not a spoiler to say this is the final encounter. After this I just assume you’ll stay at the Rig or an inn.]
In the middle of the site a grizzled worker sits clutches his arm. He protests, but gives in begrudgingly to Melon’s assistance.
“Looks like a broken bone. Did you fall?”, asks Melon, who passes him his wineskin.
The builder strains to speak, “No, some damnable thing blindsided me! It ran off, but I couldn’t tell you where.”
“Gear, take a look at this. What creature could do this?”, Melon asks.
Melon begins to chant in the names of several healing gods, but he could do with some proper medical assistance too.
Gear comes over, and kneels down to look. "What can you tell me about the creature that did it?". She pauses. "In a moment though"
Geth roll 1d20+3 for medicine
Geth roll 1d20+5 for Investigate (Determining what sort of creature could have caused the injuries)
Geth roll 1d20+5 for Investigate (Determining what sort of creature could have caused the injuries)
medicine:
1d20+316 [1d20=13]
Investigate (Determining what sort of creature could have caused the injuries):
1d20+522 [1d20=17]
Investigate (Determining what sort of creature could have caused the injuries):
“I didn’t see the dang thing! I was carrying bricks one minute, then I was flipped across the yard! I smelt it though, felt it too. Like a dire tapir! All bristle, heavy breathing. Smelt like burning. Dirty dang beast!”, the man says, sweating heavily with the pain.
You can see his break is clean, he was trampled or bucked into the air by horns or a plated skull, not bitten. The wound needs strapping up tight, it’s beyond healing magic to fix smoothly, but it’s thankfully not infected with anything.
Under your advice a couple of workers rip up some cloth for bandages, and a stick to help set it. Melon does the rest.
Looking around you see tracks from a long clawed beast, and another passing a similar direction about 10 feet away. The tracks stop abruptly without a clear reason why.
There are several upturned crates near the victim. You gesture to them. You find out that they were holding the explosives used on the site. Very basic black powder bombs, each one alone of no great power, but if all were used at once...
The site foreman arrives in a rush. His hair is a mess. He was obviously having a nap when this happened.
“By the stars above... where have the explosives gone? Dannu! Are you alright?!”, he cries, dropping to one knee next to the victim, “I see you get an advance on your wage until you’re back on your feet!”
Melon takes his wineskin back and finishes it off.
There is nothing more to be done at the demolition site. The lack of further clues worries you.
Gear, what do you do next? Will you enlist Melon’s help, your Uncle Iroh, or is meeting up with your friend’s the most important thing after seeing this?
Gear heads off to find Baber and hado. Once she's done that, they should all head to her home and talk with Iroh - between this, the demon summoner, the demon (SHE KILLED A DEMON - Gear is still processing this), there's a lot going on and she has concerns.
...oh, also, a mask. she needs a mask. Gear rubs at her head. She's not sure if primdoem can get headaches, but she definitely has one now.
“Yes!”, the wife says cheerfully, “One of our stories.”
You sense that statement to mine you and them, the Ishtari people. It’s weird to think of yourself as I’m any way separate to the other races of the city.
The potter continues, “Its called, erm, pretty much ‘The Making of Us’, about the sacrifice of the last giant.”
“How are you feeling today?”, the wife asks, with a look of genuine concern.
...
Hado, it occurs to you the mask maker set no price. What was the cost for this mask? Was it simply free, as the carpenter’s wood? Time will tell.
Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
edited July 2020
((I think Hado was caught up enough in the making of the mask that he didn't realize he'd set no price until after the carver was gone. For a mask this intricate to have no set price would definitely bother Hado, but I'm not sure he would know what to do about that. It would just linger in the back of his head.))
"I... hm. Is it that obvious that I've had an eventful time these past few days?"
Hado will show them his new mask. "I saw something yesterday that I cannot explain. I told a maskmaker, a Kaubrin, about it just now and he made this for me. He's right over the-" Hado falters as he realizes the Kaubrin has left.
The potter chuckles, “If you weren’t so well spoken I’d think you were a boxer from ‘round here!”
“That’s quite beautiful, very impressive.”, the wife says quietly. She brushes her hair back over an ear, thinking, “I can tell what he was getting at. It’s about the giants losing their minds. Sad, but very honourable of you to pay tribute to them for the festival.”
“Mhm. Not a lot of young lads doing that in my opinion.”, the potter agrees.
The Dwarf carpenter gets nosey, “Wow! That’s so intricate. I’m going as a torbon this year. My daughter made my mask. She painted an old hat like a shell, too.”
With this brief pause in the action, I have questions for you guys, which you can answer any time in the future, here in this thread, by PM or email (ofbyd@live.co.uk).
Do the races feel unique? Are you interested in them?
Is the setting’s foundation (the final boss battle was won, and now life goes on) interesting? Does it make you want to play or run a game in the setting?
Is there anything you’d like to see, or see more of, as we play in this campaign?
The setting considers metal very rare, leaving players to choose other materials for their equipment. Is this a worthwhile piece of world building or unnecessary and difficult to work with?
Has anything presented so far been exploitive of the cultures New Zellatia draws from? (Mainly Hawaii, New Zealand, Japan and other South Pacific nations).
With this brief pause in the action, I have questions for you guys, which you can answer any time in the future, here in this thread, by PM or email (ofbyd@live.co.uk).
Do the races feel unique? Are you interested in them?
Is the setting’s foundation (the final boss battle was won, and now life goes on) interesting? Does it make you want to play or run a game in the setting?
Is there anything you’d like to see, or see more of, as we play in this campaign?
The setting considers metal very rare, leaving players to choose other materials for their equipment. Is this a worthwhile piece of world building or unnecessary and difficult to work with?
Has anything presented so far been exploitive of the cultures New Zellatia draws from? (Mainly Hawaii, New Zealand, Japan and other South Pacific nations).
I'll answer here, because PUBLIC RECORD! *dramatic music sting*
So, first off: I'm a New Zealander. I'd identify as a Pakeha for my ethnicity, rather than European. A translation of it would be 'People of a different breath" - i use it as the word for my cultural dienty because yeah, that's accurate! I'm not Maori, but i'm certainly not European either - my ancestors were, but i grew here in NZ, Maori was taught in primary school (Shamefully, i've forgotten most of it, alas), etc.
So from that perspective: Nothing's really set off alarm bells. That dosent mean there's any to be rung - i'm just one animated corpses perspective, after all!
I like the races a lot. I already have ideas in my head for a Kaubrin Wizard who keeps their spell book as engravings and decorations on their shell, for instance, and would be all about diving into the past to dig out spells for hte betterment of New Zellatia. The final boss is gone is interesting, and honestly, more interesting than there being a final boss - it solves all sorts of usually annoying questions (Why hasnt Final Boss just squished the adventeurs once they draw it's ire, etc), and raises a lot more interesting ones in it's place.
I do think you should go back and change all the races to use +2, +1 of players choice. I know you're trying to stick to your guns and are worried about questioning everything, but i think it's a small change that would work well.
I think the metal is rare is cool, actually. It reminds me of a fantasty series i'm fond of (Not without it it's own issues), called Daughter/Servant/Mistress of the Empire. It's set in a massive, sprawling heavily Japanese inspired empire on a metal poor planet, such that armor and weapons are made out of laqcured hide, and when metal swords do turn up they're a huge and incredibly dangerous problem (As they just smash straight through the usual armor that's used).
I'd like to see more of the world outside the city, though i like that the City feels like it could take an entire 1-20 campaign itself if that's what was called for.
[OOC: yeah, I like the races a lot. The fact that there aren't any of the standard races except for dwarves, and even they're somewhat different than usual, is really cool and nice and for other people new to the setting it helps give it a "new world" feeling. It's a great hook for people, it's something new they can explore if they want!
The BBEG already having been recently defeated is a pretty rad hook. It gives the world some immediate history and can help explain some things about how the society currently is (everything is new to everyone!). It also doesn't preclude there having been other big evil empires in the distant past, nor does it mean another won't rise later if the DM and/or players wish. Plus even though known history during and before the Vilelord is sparse, there IS some stuff like the Primodem themselves and their creators that offer inquisitive players opportunities to explore.
So far I'm enjoying the small, local feel of our current low level adventures. Seems fitting for the setting, and it's something I haven't had a whole lot of chance to explore in other games of D&D since we usually are rushing off to do other stuff. Same goes for the amount of social stuff we've done so far. It might not be a lot compared to games y'all have played, but it's a lot to me and is thus refreshing. In the future, like Penguin said, maybe exploring more outside of the city and getting to see the cool new places, flora, and fauna would be nice, as would more dungeon crawling because I also love that shit. Doesn't necessarily have to be all combat either, you could have dungeons with traps, puzzles, social encounters, or just plain spoopy ambience with lore to discover or treasure to find (or just neat stuff that isn't exactly treasure but is still cool and memorable). And of course discovering any isolated pockets of civilization out in the wilderness and perhaps establishing a connection to New Zellatia with them. Basically more of everything, no big ask lol
Metal being rare is awesome. It was rare in Dark Sun too, and that's one of my favorite settings. Getting to come up with other materials for common equipment and things is just so fucking cool. Since it's an unfamiliar setting, anything you haven't currently thought of can be explained by way of some new creature or plant or mineral materials that can be used in place of metal. I think it adds a LOT of flavor. Two sickle axes with identical stats, but one made with a bone handle and an obsidian cutting edge whereas the other is made from some sort of wood with sharpened, hard shell for the blade. Totally different feel and flavor, but both can get the job done equally well.
As for parts of the setting being possibly problematic or exploitative, I might be a bad candidate to ask because I'm the whitest cishet dude you'll ever meet and I was raised and still live in small town Texas (seriously, this town I've lived in all my life has never had more than 3000 people). Keeping that in mind, I don't immediately see anything obviously wrong with the setting so far or your descriptions of characters, places, or customs. It seems like you're trying to be respectful of those cultures you drew inspiration from and also show how neat a setting that isn't a stereotypical Western European sort of thing can be. But like I said earlier, it might be better to ask people that are actually part of those cultures instead of me.
All in all, you've created a really cool, unique, and flavorful setting that I have loved reading about and would love to explore more of. Plus, you've done an excellent job at running this game for us. You've made the fights fun and dynamic, you've used interesting story hooks and cool characters that I actually have feelings about one way or another (mostly positive so far, Fatta and Bahar especially. That random dwarven carpenter too lol), and you even make just shopping fun. Even though the play-by-post way of doing things can be a bit chaotic at times if people are posting simultaneously, you've managed to make everything feel like it flows together well and overall there hasn't been much confusion as to what's going on at any given moment (to me, anyways). I'd love to continue this game for as long as you're willing to run it and see where Hado, Gear, and Baber go. Maybe finding one or two others to join would be fun too! Thank you so much for all of your work, @Endless_Serpents !]
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Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
((OOC:
I think you've done an amazing job with this setting. You've clearly gone for a lively feel, a place still reveling in its hard-won freedom, and I think that comes through very clearly. I like the hook of "the big bad has been defeated" as the starting point, because the obvious first question is "...now what?" and I think today's world especially shows us how the fight to overthrow evil doesn't end when that evil is cast out (thinking especially of the aftermath of Arab Spring, ISIS, Rojava, and so forth).
The races definitely feel unique and interesting. I think including the 4th/7th level feats helps a lot to differentiate them and to make them feel more "alive" than the regular 5e races. I definitely agree that it's worth going back and changing the stat bonuses to +2/+1 of choice.
Metal being rare feels fine to me, it's an interesting setting detail that helps differentiate New Zellatia from existing canon. It's also a great plot point when metal does show up (for example, the pendant you've alluded to with the summoner we're keeping an eye out for). Since it's exceedingly rare, it's like a lightning bolt when it shows up and demands attention, or it might serve as a dire omen.
I also don't see obviously problematic things with how you've set this up, but I'm another cishet white dude from the upper midwest USA (Darmak, I grew up near the other end of I-35) so I definitely have blind spots where that's concerned.
I think the main contention I have is regarding maps and cartography - from a DM's perspective I get why you've set out that maps are rare and the local area is terra incognita, but it's people's nature to map their environment and to catalogue it. Unless there is some aspect of the surrounding world that actively resists being mapped (which would itself be a great plot point), I think we'd have seen the rebels and the next generation of New Zellatians immediately begin to chart their surroundings and to store that information somehow. It might make sense instead for you as the setting designer to explicitly leave that up to the DM to determine the local geography and to place points of interest where they will. Ultimately, it's not that critical and as a player I don't think it detracts from the setting, it's just a specific quibble I had.
Ultimately, you've created a setting that I would very much enjoy running a game of, and I've been having a blast in this play-test. I'm up for doing this game as long as you'd like to run it!
You turn the corner and there they are. Baber has some stuff to make a mask, and Hado already has a fantastic (if a bit weird) one in hand. They’re talking to a couple. You suspect they’ll ask them about Juyo, who sounds a bit intimidating.
A mask salesman catches your eye.
His accent is unusual to you, he must be from Blindside, a district of... interesting folk.
“I am Mawaki.”, he says, “And I’m doing this to save money for a cooking scholarship.”, he continues with icy finality, “This... is just a temp job.”
“Beware, these masks... are half price!”, he hisses.
For 1gp, tell me what your mask looks like, maybe post a picture if you can.
Gear quickly locates a mask that looks surprisingly like the monkeys they just dealt with, tosses a dollar to the merchant and then rejoins Baber and Hado!
Baber pats Hado on the back and gestures towards him, "Yes, my friend and I are looking for someone named Juyo. Do you happen to know of him and where he might be? We potentially have some business for him!"
“Yeah. Me and the wife know him. We did, anyway.”, the potter declares.
He looks over to his love to word it better.
She speaks carefully, her hands around her baby’s waist, “Juyo has been a lot of things. Once he spoke for our tribe. He’s had a bit of a falling out with the other Ishtari elders these past few years, so no one sees much of him. For a long time he ran his smithy here in this district... but rumour has it he hasn’t opened shop all month. We believe he’s made a new place on Seven Blade Plateau.”
“Went off with climbing gear, and smoke was sighted one evening up there, so that’s just what we guess. I don’t like the idea of an old, one-armed guy going out there, but he’s fearsome! Who could tell him no?”, the potter sighs.
Baber thanks the couple for their help and finds a quiet spot to settle down and work. They've never done any sort of woodwork before so they're not sure how it'll turn out, but they're excited to see!
While you still aren’t a carpenter as such, this is about the best you could have hoped for. You’ve made a half moon mask.
You’ve made a little progress in studying carpentry!
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Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
Hado will spend some time looking for some paints and canvas in the market before he heads to the inn. If he is able to buy those things, he'll take his dinner up to a room and spend a while making a painting of the elephant elemental.
I’m content you’ve spent enough already to cover the cost, and that Hado is a good enough painter it need not be rolled for. Add it to your inventory, or leave it where you paint it. Anything you spend time painting will earn a little coin, perhaps a lot to the right buyer. It’s about as useful as you can make it, though I assume by default you can’t do much with it.
Please give the piece an elaborate artist name.
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Tynnanseldom correct, never unsureRegistered Userregular
Life Flourishes Here, And I Am Content In This
A serene, hopeful piece in oil pastel. Shades of green predominate, with some smudges of purple and yellow to suggest the goodberry fruit. Hado lets the pigment harden overnight, then carefully rolls the canvas the next morning and secures it with a cloth tie. He might pawn it if he comes across the right buyer, but otherwise he'll be content to drop it off at home when he's got time.
Posts
"Hado! I saw Caini-no-Busfu's stall over there, do you wanna go look at their masks?"
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This has been a foreboding DM post.]
Hado will note the singing for when he has a chance to check out this speaker of giant speak.
This highly modified crossbow launches a hinged grappling claw from a spool of 100 feet of thin rope. It's stock is heftier than it was, and it's finely balanced for ease of use and aiming. The main casing and trigger includes a built in spool to store it's cable. The head of the grappling bolt is reminiscent of a monkey's paw, and the arms of the crossbow can fold back for easy storage. There's some nice padding on the stock, along with some textured grips to ensure an easy-self yeeting. it looks like if necessary, the entire spool could be removed and replaced without requiring the entire crossbow to be rebuilt.
(The latter is more meant to be Gear thinking ahead that she might want to upgrade the cable... or have reason to replace it if gets cut through. Also, thing i just realized - it'd be a hard dc, and require an attack roll i imagine, but i could in theory use the hook to grab something of someone and yeet it to me. Which is probably a TERRIBLE idea if i try and grab a sword. Or awesome if i manage a trick shot past person a to grab person b's weapon, and then reel it back... stabbing it into person A)
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There is one that needs a mask, he thinks.
The Kaburin stands up on four legs, and folds his forelimbs. He begins to carve a block of wood.
Hado, make a Deception check against the mask maker (DC 9), or else he will have a near perfect guess as to what you have been up to the past two days. If you don’t wish to however, he will simply know much about you. Caini-no-Busfu has a knack for reading people.
After that, ask for a mask, and he will name his price.
Geth roll 1d20+5 for Insight
"Caini-no-Busfu! I would like to buy a mask from you! Do you have any... owls? I have a desperate need to hide my face from recognition. Or I want to have a good time a the party tonight. Or both! Haha!"
“I... do not see a mask suitable for you. You are a rare soul. Tell me what you wish to be for the Festival of Masks.”, he says, scratching his chitinous chin.
Hado spends some time thinking...
"Caini-no-Busfu, what do you think a Giant would look like?"
Hado will tell the maskmaker about the vision he had underwater, and try to work with him to evoke that in a mask.
“Look like? Like madness.”, he looks you dead in the eyes, “Wait.”
He heaved himself up onto just one limb, and grips knives in the other five. He holds the block of wood with his mandibles and before your eyes he spins, flips and angles the woods as he cuts into it with a lifetime of earned mastery.
Before the last flake of wood can settle, it is done.
You have a Mask of a Giant’s Woe.
When the first gods burst forth from the brightness of creation, the giants swam below in their shadow.
Hado
Your new mask in hand. You hear the singing renewed, with a second voice adding to the refrain.
The potter’s baby is lifted from his knee by his wife, and he begins work on a vase from wet clay. Together they sing a new song, but you struggle to catch every word. She too is fluent in a language long forgotten by most.
As an Ishtari, your family would throw in a word in Giant on occasion, usually to express a concept foreign to New Zellatia. A mountain, the tall pointed plateaus covered in snow, the soft white ice. It wasn’t used, and indeed wasn’t fully known enough to carry idle conversation.
You’ve had no dealings with them, but you know that The Blood on the Mountain—a group your family called a cult—practice it to aid in their rituals.
The spell keeping the cabin you’re working on quiet is dispelled. The table shudders as a BOOM erupts outside.
A wizard skids in through the door.
“Melon! Looks like they need a healer on site!”, she gasps.
Melon pauses, then takes a swing from a wineskin. He heads out the door.
What do you do?
Also this is her family.
And she's still got spells loaded and ready to go (quick clarification request: have we dinged officially? Because that changes things - of I'm officially level 3, I have two slots and some new spells to play with. If I'm still level 2, then I only have one spell slot)
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In the middle of the site a grizzled worker sits clutches his arm. He protests, but gives in begrudgingly to Melon’s assistance.
“Looks like a broken bone. Did you fall?”, asks Melon, who passes him his wineskin.
The builder strains to speak, “No, some damnable thing blindsided me! It ran off, but I couldn’t tell you where.”
“Gear, take a look at this. What creature could do this?”, Melon asks.
Melon begins to chant in the names of several healing gods, but he could do with some proper medical assistance too.
Geth roll 1d20+3 for medicine
Geth roll 1d20+5 for Investigate (Determining what sort of creature could have caused the injuries)
Geth roll 1d20+5 for Investigate (Determining what sort of creature could have caused the injuries)
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Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/thezombiepenguin/
Switch: 0293 6817 9891
“I didn’t see the dang thing! I was carrying bricks one minute, then I was flipped across the yard! I smelt it though, felt it too. Like a dire tapir! All bristle, heavy breathing. Smelt like burning. Dirty dang beast!”, the man says, sweating heavily with the pain.
You can see his break is clean, he was trampled or bucked into the air by horns or a plated skull, not bitten. The wound needs strapping up tight, it’s beyond healing magic to fix smoothly, but it’s thankfully not infected with anything.
Under your advice a couple of workers rip up some cloth for bandages, and a stick to help set it. Melon does the rest.
Looking around you see tracks from a long clawed beast, and another passing a similar direction about 10 feet away. The tracks stop abruptly without a clear reason why.
There are several upturned crates near the victim. You gesture to them. You find out that they were holding the explosives used on the site. Very basic black powder bombs, each one alone of no great power, but if all were used at once...
The site foreman arrives in a rush. His hair is a mess. He was obviously having a nap when this happened.
“By the stars above... where have the explosives gone? Dannu! Are you alright?!”, he cries, dropping to one knee next to the victim, “I see you get an advance on your wage until you’re back on your feet!”
Melon takes his wineskin back and finishes it off.
Gear, what do you do next? Will you enlist Melon’s help, your Uncle Iroh, or is meeting up with your friend’s the most important thing after seeing this?
...oh, also, a mask. she needs a mask. Gear rubs at her head. She's not sure if primdoem can get headaches, but she definitely has one now.
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"That is a beautiful song. My family used some of those words when I was little, but not enough for me to know very much. Are you singing a story?"
“Yes!”, the wife says cheerfully, “One of our stories.”
You sense that statement to mine you and them, the Ishtari people. It’s weird to think of yourself as I’m any way separate to the other races of the city.
The potter continues, “Its called, erm, pretty much ‘The Making of Us’, about the sacrifice of the last giant.”
“How are you feeling today?”, the wife asks, with a look of genuine concern.
...
Hado, it occurs to you the mask maker set no price. What was the cost for this mask? Was it simply free, as the carpenter’s wood? Time will tell.
Looking back you see he has left the market.
"I... hm. Is it that obvious that I've had an eventful time these past few days?"
Hado will show them his new mask. "I saw something yesterday that I cannot explain. I told a maskmaker, a Kaubrin, about it just now and he made this for me. He's right over the-" Hado falters as he realizes the Kaubrin has left.
“That’s quite beautiful, very impressive.”, the wife says quietly. She brushes her hair back over an ear, thinking, “I can tell what he was getting at. It’s about the giants losing their minds. Sad, but very honourable of you to pay tribute to them for the festival.”
“Mhm. Not a lot of young lads doing that in my opinion.”, the potter agrees.
The Dwarf carpenter gets nosey, “Wow! That’s so intricate. I’m going as a torbon this year. My daughter made my mask. She painted an old hat like a shell, too.”
He carries on with his work with a big grin.
With this brief pause in the action, I have questions for you guys, which you can answer any time in the future, here in this thread, by PM or email (ofbyd@live.co.uk).
Do the races feel unique? Are you interested in them?
Is the setting’s foundation (the final boss battle was won, and now life goes on) interesting? Does it make you want to play or run a game in the setting?
Is there anything you’d like to see, or see more of, as we play in this campaign?
The setting considers metal very rare, leaving players to choose other materials for their equipment. Is this a worthwhile piece of world building or unnecessary and difficult to work with?
Has anything presented so far been exploitive of the cultures New Zellatia draws from? (Mainly Hawaii, New Zealand, Japan and other South Pacific nations).
I'll answer here, because PUBLIC RECORD! *dramatic music sting*
So, first off: I'm a New Zealander. I'd identify as a Pakeha for my ethnicity, rather than European. A translation of it would be 'People of a different breath" - i use it as the word for my cultural dienty because yeah, that's accurate! I'm not Maori, but i'm certainly not European either - my ancestors were, but i grew here in NZ, Maori was taught in primary school (Shamefully, i've forgotten most of it, alas), etc.
So from that perspective: Nothing's really set off alarm bells. That dosent mean there's any to be rung - i'm just one animated corpses perspective, after all!
I like the races a lot. I already have ideas in my head for a Kaubrin Wizard who keeps their spell book as engravings and decorations on their shell, for instance, and would be all about diving into the past to dig out spells for hte betterment of New Zellatia. The final boss is gone is interesting, and honestly, more interesting than there being a final boss - it solves all sorts of usually annoying questions (Why hasnt Final Boss just squished the adventeurs once they draw it's ire, etc), and raises a lot more interesting ones in it's place.
I do think you should go back and change all the races to use +2, +1 of players choice. I know you're trying to stick to your guns and are worried about questioning everything, but i think it's a small change that would work well.
I think the metal is rare is cool, actually. It reminds me of a fantasty series i'm fond of (Not without it it's own issues), called Daughter/Servant/Mistress of the Empire. It's set in a massive, sprawling heavily Japanese inspired empire on a metal poor planet, such that armor and weapons are made out of laqcured hide, and when metal swords do turn up they're a huge and incredibly dangerous problem (As they just smash straight through the usual armor that's used).
I'd like to see more of the world outside the city, though i like that the City feels like it could take an entire 1-20 campaign itself if that's what was called for.
Hope this helps!
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The BBEG already having been recently defeated is a pretty rad hook. It gives the world some immediate history and can help explain some things about how the society currently is (everything is new to everyone!). It also doesn't preclude there having been other big evil empires in the distant past, nor does it mean another won't rise later if the DM and/or players wish. Plus even though known history during and before the Vilelord is sparse, there IS some stuff like the Primodem themselves and their creators that offer inquisitive players opportunities to explore.
So far I'm enjoying the small, local feel of our current low level adventures. Seems fitting for the setting, and it's something I haven't had a whole lot of chance to explore in other games of D&D since we usually are rushing off to do other stuff. Same goes for the amount of social stuff we've done so far. It might not be a lot compared to games y'all have played, but it's a lot to me and is thus refreshing. In the future, like Penguin said, maybe exploring more outside of the city and getting to see the cool new places, flora, and fauna would be nice, as would more dungeon crawling because I also love that shit. Doesn't necessarily have to be all combat either, you could have dungeons with traps, puzzles, social encounters, or just plain spoopy ambience with lore to discover or treasure to find (or just neat stuff that isn't exactly treasure but is still cool and memorable). And of course discovering any isolated pockets of civilization out in the wilderness and perhaps establishing a connection to New Zellatia with them. Basically more of everything, no big ask lol
Metal being rare is awesome. It was rare in Dark Sun too, and that's one of my favorite settings. Getting to come up with other materials for common equipment and things is just so fucking cool. Since it's an unfamiliar setting, anything you haven't currently thought of can be explained by way of some new creature or plant or mineral materials that can be used in place of metal. I think it adds a LOT of flavor. Two sickle axes with identical stats, but one made with a bone handle and an obsidian cutting edge whereas the other is made from some sort of wood with sharpened, hard shell for the blade. Totally different feel and flavor, but both can get the job done equally well.
As for parts of the setting being possibly problematic or exploitative, I might be a bad candidate to ask because I'm the whitest cishet dude you'll ever meet and I was raised and still live in small town Texas (seriously, this town I've lived in all my life has never had more than 3000 people). Keeping that in mind, I don't immediately see anything obviously wrong with the setting so far or your descriptions of characters, places, or customs. It seems like you're trying to be respectful of those cultures you drew inspiration from and also show how neat a setting that isn't a stereotypical Western European sort of thing can be. But like I said earlier, it might be better to ask people that are actually part of those cultures instead of me.
All in all, you've created a really cool, unique, and flavorful setting that I have loved reading about and would love to explore more of. Plus, you've done an excellent job at running this game for us. You've made the fights fun and dynamic, you've used interesting story hooks and cool characters that I actually have feelings about one way or another (mostly positive so far, Fatta and Bahar especially. That random dwarven carpenter too lol), and you even make just shopping fun. Even though the play-by-post way of doing things can be a bit chaotic at times if people are posting simultaneously, you've managed to make everything feel like it flows together well and overall there hasn't been much confusion as to what's going on at any given moment (to me, anyways). I'd love to continue this game for as long as you're willing to run it and see where Hado, Gear, and Baber go. Maybe finding one or two others to join would be fun too! Thank you so much for all of your work, @Endless_Serpents !]
I think you've done an amazing job with this setting. You've clearly gone for a lively feel, a place still reveling in its hard-won freedom, and I think that comes through very clearly. I like the hook of "the big bad has been defeated" as the starting point, because the obvious first question is "...now what?" and I think today's world especially shows us how the fight to overthrow evil doesn't end when that evil is cast out (thinking especially of the aftermath of Arab Spring, ISIS, Rojava, and so forth).
The races definitely feel unique and interesting. I think including the 4th/7th level feats helps a lot to differentiate them and to make them feel more "alive" than the regular 5e races. I definitely agree that it's worth going back and changing the stat bonuses to +2/+1 of choice.
Metal being rare feels fine to me, it's an interesting setting detail that helps differentiate New Zellatia from existing canon. It's also a great plot point when metal does show up (for example, the pendant you've alluded to with the summoner we're keeping an eye out for). Since it's exceedingly rare, it's like a lightning bolt when it shows up and demands attention, or it might serve as a dire omen.
I also don't see obviously problematic things with how you've set this up, but I'm another cishet white dude from the upper midwest USA (Darmak, I grew up near the other end of I-35) so I definitely have blind spots where that's concerned.
I think the main contention I have is regarding maps and cartography - from a DM's perspective I get why you've set out that maps are rare and the local area is terra incognita, but it's people's nature to map their environment and to catalogue it. Unless there is some aspect of the surrounding world that actively resists being mapped (which would itself be a great plot point), I think we'd have seen the rebels and the next generation of New Zellatians immediately begin to chart their surroundings and to store that information somehow. It might make sense instead for you as the setting designer to explicitly leave that up to the DM to determine the local geography and to place points of interest where they will. Ultimately, it's not that critical and as a player I don't think it detracts from the setting, it's just a specific quibble I had.
Ultimately, you've created a setting that I would very much enjoy running a game of, and I've been having a blast in this play-test. I'm up for doing this game as long as you'd like to run it!
At sea but I’ll get back on this when I can.]
You turn the corner and there they are. Baber has some stuff to make a mask, and Hado already has a fantastic (if a bit weird) one in hand. They’re talking to a couple. You suspect they’ll ask them about Juyo, who sounds a bit intimidating.
A mask salesman catches your eye.
His accent is unusual to you, he must be from Blindside, a district of... interesting folk.
“I am Mawaki.”, he says, “And I’m doing this to save money for a cooking scholarship.”, he continues with icy finality, “This... is just a temp job.”
“Beware, these masks... are half price!”, he hisses.
For 1gp, tell me what your mask looks like, maybe post a picture if you can.
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“So,” the potter says as he moves a fresh wet pot into the kiln, “what are you interested in?”
—
Gear
“A good choice! Nothing confuses an evil spirit more than an animal mask.”, says the temp worker.
He stands up and calls back as he heads off, “Now I must go... it is... my lunch break!”.
He looks over to his love to word it better.
She speaks carefully, her hands around her baby’s waist, “Juyo has been a lot of things. Once he spoke for our tribe. He’s had a bit of a falling out with the other Ishtari elders these past few years, so no one sees much of him. For a long time he ran his smithy here in this district... but rumour has it he hasn’t opened shop all month. We believe he’s made a new place on Seven Blade Plateau.”
“Went off with climbing gear, and smoke was sighted one evening up there, so that’s just what we guess. I don’t like the idea of an old, one-armed guy going out there, but he’s fearsome! Who could tell him no?”, the potter sighs.
Juyo will have to wait until after the festival tomorrow...
Tomorrow the festival begins.
This will count as a long rest.
Baber, make a straight Dexterity check to make your mask.
[OOC: Sorry for the slump in story. I’ll flash forward to the evening and we can get straight to the party next!
I’m still struggling for signal so feel free to chat in-character or out until I’m back.
I’m gonna presume you’re staying at the Rig, and if you want to make a scene with Iroh, go for it.]
Geth roll 1d20+1 for MASK MAKING!
You’ve made a little progress in studying carpentry!
Please give the piece an elaborate artist name.
A serene, hopeful piece in oil pastel. Shades of green predominate, with some smudges of purple and yellow to suggest the goodberry fruit. Hado lets the pigment harden overnight, then carefully rolls the canvas the next morning and secures it with a cloth tie. He might pawn it if he comes across the right buyer, but otherwise he'll be content to drop it off at home when he's got time.