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[pbp][13th Age] Dragon's Hoard: Act 1: Onward to Drakkenhall!!!!
Grunt's Ghosts
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
The Dragon's Hoard
A 13th Age High Seas Adventure
A 13th Age High Seas Adventure
It's been weeks since the grand warship “The Dragon's Hoard” disappeared without a trace within the Iron Line. Before it disappeared, only the rare foolish ever tempted to travel across the Iron Line to the Phoenix Kingdom. Trade was unheard of because of the Wizard King's damned spell that caused the Iron Sea to spawn creatures and storms that would drowned the most sea-harden sailors. Those that had would return telling us about the Iron Line, a chain of islands that stretched forever from the north to the south between the Dragon Empire and the Phoenix Kingdom. The islands themselves were filled with strange people who would attack without cause, eat you alive, and wear your skins.
The Dragon's Hoard was more than a ship taking a large shipment of gold across the Iron Sea. It was a marvel of craftsmanship and arcane power. Built by the dwarves after the Emperor paid the Dwarf King something very valuable, the ship was the first fully metal hull ship, outfitted with the best cannons and weapons, and powered by the first Arcane Engine, a mix of magic and machine that the Archmage and his people invented. The trip was more than a wedding gift, it was a test to see if we could conquer the Iron Sea. One that, sadly it seems, we have failed.
With it gone, the old ports are opening up again. People are taking to the seas, for the Emperor or for the gold, and traveling to find the Dragon's Hoard. How many foolish people will die for this ship, I can not say. But it does make for an exciting news, now doesn't it?
-A letter from Lord Parish to an unknown person, published by the Axis Times Newspaper.
The Dragon Empire had held good relations with the closest neighbor, the Phoenix Kingdom, since the fall of the Blood-God King in the 6th Age. Before the Wizard King of the 12th Age cast a spell across the Iron Sea, trade between the two nations were common place. Afterwords, the two nations could only keep in contact through magic mirrors.
Now the Emperor's oldest son is to be wed to the Phoenix King's only daughter, in the hopes of binding the two nations together. But as Phoenix Traditions goes, to wed a daughter, the son's family must send a wedding gift equal to the daughter's worth to the daughter's family. And thus The Dragon's Hoard was created. A massive Warship, one of the first of the age to be fitted with a metal hull, it was designed by dwarves to take the beatings that the now savage Iron Sea is known for. To power the massive ship, the Archmage and the Wizarding University created the first ever Arcane Engine, part machine, part magic, to help get the Dragon's Hoard through the dangers as fast as possible. But now the news is that the Dragon's Hoard is missing, and all attempts at scrying the location of the ship have failed, has set both nations into a frenzy. Everyone from simple fishermen, sellswords, pirates, and even the Emperor's Right Hand have chartered ships and are heading to the Iron Sea in search of the ship.
We can play this two ways.
The Emperor's Envoy- As agents of the Emperor, you have been tasked with tracking down and finding the Dragon's Hoard. If the ship is still operational and/or the gold is salvageable, you are to bring it and the gold to the Phoenix Kingdom.
You will start with 1 positive or conflicted Icon Relationship with the Emperor.
Pirates of the High Seas- You are part of a small Thieves' Guild that is trying to make a name for itself. Getting the Dragon's Hoard would be a big start. Your boss wants you to get the Dragon's Hoard and if it works, bring it back to him. If it doesn't, gather as much gold as you can and return with it.
You will start with 1 positive or conflicted Icon Relationship with the Prince of Shadows.
When expressing interest, say if you want to be play The Emperor's Envoy or Pirates of the High Seas. The most votes will be the style we will play. After that, make a 1st level character using any of the 13th Age books (Core, 13th True Ways, Midgard and 13th Age Bestiary, ICON Magazine). Any other sources, you can ask. I most likely won't say no.
Changes to the Game Play
One of the things I've done with my group and I think it will work well here is ICON Tokens. Instead of doing the books Icon Relationship, you'll get an Icon Token for each Icon and the points you have with those Icons. So if you have 2 positive Points with the Emperor and 1 Negative with the Lich King, you'll have 2 Emperor Tokens and 1 Lich King Token. Much in the way of Destiny Tokens in Fantasy Flight Game's Star Wars, Plot Points in Marvel Heroics, and Fate Points in FATE, these allow you to change elements of the story based on your relationship. You can spend your tokens to do the following:
Reroll a roll
Create an connection between an object and an Icon
Gain a narrative benefit based on your Icon Relationship
Create a small item that is connected to an Icon (a note, coin, ect)
Remember something connected to your Icon Relationship
When you spend your token, roll a d6.
On rolls of 1-3, you get what you want, nothing more or less.
On rolls of 4-5, you get what you want, but it comes at a price.
On rolls of 6, you get more than want you want, with no negative consequences.
After a long rest, you gain all your tokens back.
Eir Nobeard Dwarf Necromancer, cursed with an amulet that drains life from her.
Targath Darksong Tiefling Bard who escaped alive from the Black Scale Pirates.
M. Barrett Flint, Gnome Rogue, Tinker and the first non-dwarf to make it through Jedna's Folly successfully in his own craft. Dwarves aren't happy (which is an odd emotional state for a dwarf).
Ratatoskr, a talking Squirrel Druid shifter who once was a companion of the High Druid herself, but now strikes out on its own!
Baris Abmon, A.K.A The Grax!, Human Barbarian with split personalities and a few potions with crazy effects.
Travis McCleod Wood Elf Ranger searching for clues to the destruction of his home.
Amelia Roberts
Level 2 Fighter
One Unique Thing: Vengeful wife of a dead Pirate Captain.
Icon Relationships:
Conflicted 2 Prince of Shadows
Conflicted 1 Dragon Emperor
Backgrounds:
Sailor's Wife - 3
Island Castaway - 3
Manhunter - 2
HP+Defenses
HP: 40
AC: 16
PD: 14
MD: 11
INIT: +3
Recoveries: 9 (1d10+2)
Ability Scores:
STR 18 +4
CON 14 +2
DEX 12 +1
INT 11+0
WIS 8 - 1
CHA 8 - 1
Race: Human
Quick to Fight: At the start of each battle, roll initiative twice and choose the result you want.
+1 Bonus Feat
Class Features:
Extra Tough
You start with nine recoveries instead of the usual eight
Threatening
Whenever an enemy attempts to disengage from you, it takes a penalty to its check equal to your Dexterity or Constitution modifier, whichever is higher.
The penalty doesn't apply if you are stunned, grabbed, or otherwise incapable of making an opportunity attack.
Talents:
Comeback Strike (+ Adventurer Feat, no -2 penalty)
Once per battle as a free action, make another attack with a –2 penalty after your first fighter attack during your turn misses.
Counter-Attack
Once per round when the escalation die is even and an enemy misses you with a natural odd melee attack roll; you can make a basic melee attack dealing half damage against that enemy as a free action. (The attack can't use any limited abilities or flexible attack maneuvers.)
Tough as Iron
Once per battle, you can rally using a quick action instead of a standard action.
Equipment:
Longsword
Flintlock Pistol
Leather armor
Chaos Pistol +1
This pistol reloads itself.
Monstrous Noise (Recharge 16+): Lower Mental Defense by 2 for the rest of the battle to deal double damage this turn with this weapon.
Quirk: Hears whispering from unknown sources.
Are they random gibbering of the mad pistol or voices that should be heard?
Feats:
Comeback Strike Adventurer Feat
Deadly Assault Adventurer Feat
Linguist Adventurer Feat
Maneuvers:
Carve an Opening
Deadly Assault
Grim Intent
Second Shot
One Unique Thing: Vengeful wife of a dead Pirate Captain.
Icon Relationships:
Conflicted 2 Prince of Shadows
Conflicted 1 Dragon Emperor
Backgrounds:
Sailor's Wife - 3
Island Castaway - 3
Manhunter - 2
HP+Defenses
HP: 40
AC: 16
PD: 14
MD: 11
INIT: +3
Recoveries: 9 (1d10+2)
Ability Scores:
STR 18 +4
CON 14 +2
DEX 12 +1
INT 11+0
WIS 8 - 1
CHA 8 - 1
Race: Human
Quick to Fight: At the start of each battle, roll initiative twice and choose the result you want.
+1 Bonus Feat
Class Features:
Extra Tough
You start with nine recoveries instead of the usual eight
Threatening
Whenever an enemy attempts to disengage from you, it takes a penalty to its check equal to your Dexterity or Constitution modifier, whichever is higher.
The penalty doesn't apply if you are stunned, grabbed, or otherwise incapable of making an opportunity attack.
Talents:
Comeback Strike (+ Adventurer Feat, no -2 penalty)
Once per battle as a free action, make another attack with a –2 penalty after your first fighter attack during your turn misses.
Counter-Attack
Once per round when the escalation die is even and an enemy misses you with a natural odd melee attack roll; you can make a basic melee attack dealing half damage against that enemy as a free action. (The attack can't use any limited abilities or flexible attack maneuvers.)
Tough as Iron
Once per battle, you can rally using a quick action instead of a standard action.
Equipment:
Longsword
Flintlock Pistol
Leather armor
Chaos Pistol +1
This pistol reloads itself.
Monstrous Noise (Recharge 16+): Lower Mental Defense by 2 for the rest of the battle to deal double damage this turn with this weapon.
Quirk: Hears whispering from unknown sources.
Are they random gibbering of the mad pistol or voices that should be heard?
Feats:
Comeback Strike Adventurer Feat
Deadly Assault Adventurer Feat
Linguist Adventurer Feat
Maneuvers:
Carve an Opening
Deadly Assault
Grim Intent
Second Shot
Sakura Oano, Human Sorcerer
Str 8 Con 14 Dex 14 Int 11 Wis 12 Cha 16
AC 16 PD 14 MD 14 HP 32
OUT: Girl from the 21st Century
Archmage ++, Diabolist -
21st Century Schoolgirl +5, Sailing Hobbyist +3
Talents:
Quick to Fight
Arcane Heritage, Sorcerer Familiar*, Spell Fist
Feats:
Spell Fist (Adventurer), Arcane Heritage (Adventurer), Lightning Fork (Adventurer)
Spells:
Burning Hands, Chaos Bolt, Lightning Fork, Scorching Ray, Breath of the White, Color Spray
Familiar: Small Pseudo dragon, purple in color. Tough and Poisonous
AC 16 PD 14 MD 14 HP 32
OUT: Girl from the 21st Century
Archmage ++, Diabolist -
21st Century Schoolgirl +5, Sailing Hobbyist +3
Talents:
Quick to Fight
Arcane Heritage, Sorcerer Familiar*, Spell Fist
Feats:
Spell Fist (Adventurer), Arcane Heritage (Adventurer), Lightning Fork (Adventurer)
Spells:
Burning Hands, Chaos Bolt, Lightning Fork, Scorching Ray, Breath of the White, Color Spray
Familiar: Small Pseudo dragon, purple in color. Tough and Poisonous
Grunt's Ghosts on
0
Posts
Undecided on Pirate/Sailor.
Or a fisherman unlucky enough to fish up a sword possessed by the spirit of some long dead general and being a Commander if we are honourable sailors. (probably a re-skinned Tiefling, Martial Training, Never Say Die, Sword of Victory).
Geth roll 6#4d6k3
Level 1 Commander
One Unique Thing: Petra found the ancient Dreihander, a two-handed sword, on one of her dives. Upon touching it, she came to be inhabited by two souls; her own and that of the sword's former owner The General, a long dead icon from 4th Age.
(Much in the same way that all people of European ancestry alive today are descended from Charlemagne in some fashion, all humans, including Petra, are in some way a descendant of The General.)
Backgrounds
Deep Sea Salvager - 3
Possessed! - 3
Long Forgotten Tactics - 2
Icon Relationships
2 Positive - The Dragon Emperor
1 Conflicted - The Prince of Shadows
16 (+3) Str = 14+2 (class bonus)
10 (0) Dex
12 (+1) Con
11 (0) Int
8 (-1) Wis
15 (+2) Cha = 13+2 (racial bonus)
Equipment:
Light Leather Armour
Dreihander (d10 damage)
Defenses & HP
24 HP = (7+1)x3
12 AC =12+0
11 PD =10+1
12 MD =12+0
Race: Possessed Human (functionally tiefling, including any biases if applicable)
Curse of Chaos (Racial Power)
Once per battle as a free action when a nearby enemy rolls a natural 1–5 on an attack or a save, turn their roll into a natural 1 and improvise a further curse that shows how their attempt backfires horribly. A typical curse might lead to the cursed attacker dealing half damage to themselves with their fumbled attack and being dazed until the end of their next turn. But the GM should reward storytelling flair that aims at effects that aren’t just game mechanics and damage with significant outcomes.
Talents:
Martial Training
Unlike other commanders, you don’t take a –2 attack penalty when fighting with heavy or martial weapons.
Sword of Victory
When your melee attack drops a non-mook enemy to 0 hp, or drops three or more mooks, you gain 1 command point.
Never Say Die
Once per battle when an enemy scores a critical hit against you or a nearby ally, you can increase the escalation die by 1.
Level 1 Commands:
You Set Them Up, I Finish
Interrupt action Cost: 4 command points
Target: One nearby ally (on the ally’s turn) that hits an enemy
you can see with an attack this turn
Effect: Add your Charisma (+2) modifier to the damage dealt by your ally (double your Charisma modifier at 5th level; triple it at 8th level). In addition, during your next turn, you gain a +2 attack bonus with melee attacks against the enemy that your ally hit.
Adventurer Feat: The target ally also gains the damage bonus with any other attacks it makes against the same enemy this turn.
Rally Now
Interrupt action - Cost: 1 command point
Target: One nearby ally (on the ally’s turn)
Special: If you spend an additional command point on this command, you can target an unconscious ally with it.
Effect: The target can rally as a free action this turn. (If it’s their second or a subsequent rally, they still need to succeed on the save.)
Level 1 Tactics:
Close-quaters - Quick action, once per round At-Will
Limited Use: You can only use this tactic when you have 0 command points.
Target: The nearby enemy with the highest Mental Defense
Attack: Charisma + Level vs. MD
Hit: You gain 1 command point.
Level 2 Necromancer
One Unique Thing: Cursed to carry her family treasure forevermore, Eir is in inescapable possession of an ancient amulet which feasts upon her own life. Instead of succumbing to its unceasing pull, Eir learned to emulate it, stealing vitality and youth from those who cross her.
Backgrounds
Majicks most foul! - 5
Disgraced Dwarf - 2
Undying - 1
Icon Relationships
1 Positive - The Lich King
1 Negative - The Dwarf King
1 Positive - The Prince of Shadows
11 (0) Str
12 (+1) Dex
10 (0) Con
16 (+3) Int = 14+2 (class bonus)
10 (0) Wis = 8+2 (racial bonus)
13 (+1) Cha = 13
Equipment:
Colourful pirate clothing
Serpentine Dagger (d4)
Damp Pistol (d4)
Defenses & HP
24 HP = (6 +0)x4
12 AC =10+2
12 PD =10+2
14 MD =11+3
Race: Dwarf
That’s Your Best Shot? (Racial Power)
Once per battle as a free action after you have been hit by an enemy attack, you can heal using a recovery. If the escalation die is less than 2, you only get half the usual healing from the
recovery. Unlike other recoveries that might allow you to take an average result, you have to roll this one!
Note that you can’t use this ability if the attack drops you to 0 hp or below. You’ve got to be on your feet to sneer at their attack and recover.
Talents:
Cackling Soliloquist:
If you spend your move action, your quick action, and your standard action casting a daily spell that ordinarily only requires a standard action—while screaming grandiloquently, cackling maniacally, or megalomaniacally describing the grandeur of your plans and the futility of your enemies’ resistance—the daily spell is recharge 18+ after battle instead of daily, and you can invent a slight improvement to the spell, especially if it’s partly story oriented, that provides an extra benefit determined by the GM or by you (with GM approval).
(For example, if you cast ray of enfeeblement and wax eloquent on how the recurring villain you target will bow before you, you could suggest that your target also loses its next move action as the ray forces it to its knees.)
Deathknell
As a quick action, you can drop a nearby enemy that has 5 hp or fewer down to 0 hp.
When you drop an enemy using Deathknell, you heal 1d6 hit points.
You can use Deathknell to drop a mook, but only if it’s the last mook in its mob and the mob has 5 hp or fewer left, at which point it’s time for the mook’s Deathknelled exit.
Sorta Dead
In some ways, you’re dead already. You don’t need to eat or sleep or breathe. You can’t drown in normal water/liquid, though magical gas will probably still affect you. When a spell or effect targets or applies to undead, you can
decide whether you want to count as undead for that specific effect. (For example, you could count as undead to take advantage of a target’s vulnerability created by the ripping claws attack of a starving ghoul mook you summoned via summon undead.)
The first time you die each level, roll a normal save, adding your Charisma modifier. If you succeed, you heal using a free recovery instead of dying.
If you were dying because of last gasp saves, consider yourself saved from the last gasp problem also.
Adventurer Feat: Resist 16+ poison and Resist 16+ negative energy.
Level 1 Spells:
Death’s Gauntlet
Ranged spell At-Will
Target: One nearby creature
Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD
Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence modifier ongoing negative energy damage.
Special: Instead of taking the ongoing damage at the end of its turn, the target can use its standard action to strike out at the skeletal limbs or spectral arms that are flailing at it. When it does, the ongoing damage ends and you can’t use death’s gauntlet again until the end of your next turn.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Terror
Ranged spell Daily
Target: One nearby creature with 50 hp or fewer
Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD
Hit: The target uses all its actions during its turn to move away from the battle, disengaging from enemies to do so (hard save ends, 16+). If it fails to disengage with all of its actions, it won’t take opportunity attacks by moving. The effect also ends when you or one of your allies attacks the target.
Miss: 1d10 + Intelligence psychic damage.
Channel Life
Ranged spell Once per battle
Attack Target: One random nearby creature other than the healing target
Healing Target: One nearby ally
Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD (make one attack only against the attack target)
Hit vs. an enemy: 2d6 + Intelligence negative energy damage, and the healing target can heal using a recovery.
Hit vs. an ally: 5 negative energy damage, and the healing target can heal using a recovery.
Miss: The spell is not expended.
Adventurer Feat: You can now cast this spell twice per battle.
Chant of Endings
Ranged spell At-Will
Target: The nearby enemy with the fewest hit points (you choose if there’s a tie; you also don’t have to be able to see that enemy)
Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD
Hit: 1d10 + Intelligence negative energy damage.
Unholy Blast
Ranged spell Daily
Target: One nearby enemy
Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD
Hit: 4d6 + Intelligence negative energy damage.
First Miss: Half damage, and make the attack again against an enemy you haven’t already targeted with unholy blast this turn.
Second Miss: Half damage, or full damage if the escalation die is 1+ and you choose to decrease it by 1.
Level 1 Sorcerer
One Unique Thing: Cecil is the only person alive to have been tutored in the arts of magic and sorcery by the Elf Queen herself.
Backgrounds:
Elf Queen's Tutoring- 4 (2+2 from Arcane Heritage)
Seaworthy-3
Friendly Demeanor- 3
Icon Relationships:
Positive 2pt: Elf Queen
Postive 1pt: Dragon Emperor
Conflicted 1pt: Archmage
Str: 10
Dex: 10
Con: 16(14+2 from Class Bonus)
Int: 13
Wis:14
Cha: 17(15+2 from Race Bonus)
Defenses and HP
HP: 27
Init: +0
AC: 13
PD: 14
MD: 13
Race: Half Elf
Surprising: Once per battle, subtract one from the natural result of one of your own d20 rolls.
Class Features:
Access to Wizardry
Dancing Lights
Gather Power
Talents:
Arcane Heritage:
You have a greater understanding of magic than most Sorcerers and even some wizards. +2 to magical knowledge related background.
You can also use one of your Sorcerer spells to choose a Wizard Spell.
Fey Heritage: One battle per day, gain the racial of random elven race.
Blood Link: Elf Queen
Spells
Star Strike (Lightning Fork) (Adventurer Feat- Once per battle, reroll one Lightning Fork Roll) (+4 vs PD, 3d6+3 Lightning, Recharge 16+ After Battle)
Lunatic Missile (Chaos Bolt) (+4 vs PD, 1d8+3 Random)
Corona Blast (Burning Hands) (+4 vs PD, 1d6+3 to two nearby enemies in a group)
Kiss of the Elf Queen (Breath of the White) (+4 vs PD, 3d6+3 Cold, Breath Weapon- Roll d20 at start of your turn, on 16+ you may use this power that turn if you wish)
Level 2 Bard
One Unique Thing:Targath is the only person to survive capture and imprisonment by the Black Scale Pirates.
Backgrounds:
Singing While Sailing - 3
Tavern Tale Teller- 3
Dancing with Danger- 2
Icon Relationships:
Positive 2pt: Prince of Shadows
Negative 1pt: Dragon Emperor
Str: 16 (14+2 from Racial Bonus)
Dex: 14
Con: 10
Int: 13
Wis:10
Cha: 17(15+2 from Class Bonus)
Defenses and HP
HP: 28
Init: +4
AC: 14
PD: 13
MD: 13
Race: Tiefling
Curse of Chaos: Once per battle as a free action when a nearby enemy rolls a natural 1–5 on an attack or a save, turn their roll into a natural 1 and improvise a further curse that shows how their attempt backfires horribly. A typical curse might lead to the cursed attacker dealing half damage to themselves with their fumbled attack and being dazed until the end of their next turn. But the GM should reward storytelling flair that aims at effects that aren’t just game mechanics and damage with significant outcomes.
Class Features:
Bardic Songs
Battle Cries (2nd Adventurer Feat)
Spells
Talents:
Jack of Spells: Sorcerer- Dancing Lights, Chaos Bolt
Songmaster: Describe how you maintain a song in a fashion that entertains the GM, get a +1 to +3 to maintain the song.
Spellsinger: Choose an extra Song or Spell
Battle Cries
Pull It Together!
Move it!
Bard Songs
Song of Spilt Blood
Song of Heroes
Spells
Battle Chant (1st Adventurer Feat)
Chaos Bolt
Crossbows re-flavored.
Envoy character will be: Genius Loci (Loki to his friends), The Occultist: incarnate spirit of what was once the world's largest library.
Pirate character will be: Baris Abmon, Barbarian: haunted by a terrible curse that turns him into a brutish monster in combat.
Pirate, or crypto-pirate with an envoy party. But, yeah, pirate.
Geth roll 6#4d6k3
Post-roll: I'll, um, try to put a character sheet together with these... abilities tonight.
Geth roll 6#4d6k3
M. Barrett Flint
Level 2 Rogue
One Unique Thing: The only non-dwarf to ever navigate Jedna's Folly successfully, and in a craft of his own design. Witnesses (mostly dwarves) insist that he cheated.
Backgrounds:
5 points - Mechanical Genius (or Madman?)
5 points - Obsessive Treasure Hunter
Icon Relationships:
Positive 1pt: Prince of Shadows
Positive 1pt: Dwarf King
Positive 1pt: Dragon Emperor
Str: 8
Dex: 19 (17+2 from Class Bonus)
Con: 14
Int: 18 (16+2 from Racial Bonus)
Wis:8
Cha: 11
Defenses and HP
HP: 32
Init: +6
AC: 16
PD: 16
MD: 13 (12+1 from Cunning Adv Feat)
Recoveries: 8
Recovery Dice: 3d8k2+2 (Strong Recovery Feat)
Attacks
Melee: +6 vs AC, 2d8+4 damage (2 miss damage)
Ranged: +6 vs AC, 2d8+4 damage (2 miss damage)
Race: Gnome
Confounding: Once per battle, when you roll a natural 16+ with an attack, you can also daze the target until the end of your next turn.
Minor Illusion (standard action, at-will): create a strong smell or sound nearby. Creatures that make a normal save will recognize it as not being real.
Class Features:
Momentum
Sneak Attack (+1d6)
Trap Sense (re-roll, once per check, natural even failure on trap skill check. Can make the trap re-roll its attack on naturally odd attack roll.)
Talents:
Cunning - use INT instead of CHA for all things Rogue. Also +2 on trap skill checks.
Shadow Walk - poof! where'd I go?
Swashbuckle - the star, baby. the star.
Powers
Evasive Strike - melee, pop free on hit
Flying Blade - ranged, sneak damage sometimes
Roll With It - momentum interrupt, half damage on melee AC attack
Sure Cut - melee, momentum, sneak damage on miss
Tumbling Strike - melee, disengage craziness
Feats
Cunning (Adv) - +1 to MD
Strong Recovery (Adv) - Re-roll 1 die on recoveries, keep higher result
Treasure
Gold-detecting sensor
2500 in gold and gems (Cursehook's treasure), minus 1020 (so far) for Goblin Market shopping
Cursehook's Hook +1
Weaken Strike
Trigger Roll: A natural even melee hit
Hit: Add 1d4+Cha Dark (negative) to your primary weapon attack and target is weaken (-4 to attack and defenses). Normal save (11+) ends the effect.
Quirk: You like to carve things in wood.
(Hook notes: "Now it works more like a Fighter's Maneuver. So the +1 Magic Weapon boost works towards your primary weapon attack too as long as you got the hook in your off-hand and when you roll a natural even hit with your attack, you do your normal damage plus the Weaken Strike. In the roleplaying theater of mind, you can say that as you hit with your daggers, you also catch the target with the hook.")
10 uses of smokebomb powder
Lightning in a Bottle: the bottle is 8 uses if you use an ounce. You can stretch it out by using half an ounce or quarter of an ounce, but that lowers the effect by half or quarter and lowers how many enemies it affects by 1. An ounce is basically like using Lighting Breath:
Lightning breath Dex vs. PD (1d3 nearby enemies)
Hit: 16 Lighting Damage.
Natural even hit:The target is also dazed (save ends).
I decided to embrace the min-maxiness that Geth was giving me. Barrett's a stereotypical gnome tinker/rogue, but I like starting characters as fairly broad and letting them get more complex through play.
I'm considering his positive points with the Emperor and Dwarf King to be "weak", like they could easily shift to conflicted, if he goes against them in any way.
OUT: Only animal companion of the High Druid to ever gain sentience (and talk about it) and thus be released from service.
Ability Scores:
STR 19 +4
CON 16 +3
DEX 13 +1
INT 10 +0
WIS 12 +1
CHA 8 -1
Defenses: AC 14
PD 14
MD 11
Initiative: +1* (roll twice and choose)
HP: 27 Recoveries: 8 1d10+3
Attacks: Melee (human) 2H staff +5 vs. AC 1d6+4
Melee (Beast) Beast Form Attack*
Ranged (human) Spiky Nuts +2 vs. AC 1d4+2
Backgrounds: Not so Secret Squirrel (3), Companion of the High Druid (3), Budding Linguist (2)
Icon Relationships: +2 High Druid, -1 Emperor
Racial Benefits: +1 feat at level 1, Quick to Fight: Roll initiative twice at beginning of combat
Class Features:
Strength is Strong- use STR for melee attacks, recovery die is 1d10 instead of 1d6
Nature Talking- +2 to talk to animals, twice daily
Talents: Shifter Adept (2 pts.), Warrior Druid Initiate (1 pt.)
Shifter Adept:
Scout Form- small critters with a magical touch, at will except for Combat Reconnaissance: 1xday, DC 15 (+4 init), 20 (reroll for ally), 25 (6 with Icon). Gain temp 1d4+1 background while in Scout form.
Adventurer Feat- Allies get +2 init on successful DC 15
Beast Form- big scary critters made for tearing faces off, at will.
Beast Form Attack
Melee * At Will
+5 vs. AC
Natural Even Hit: 1d10+4 dmg
Natural Odd Hit: 1d6+4 dmg
Miss: Repeat attack w/miss dmg equal to level, no reroll.
Adventurer Feat- repeat attack gains miss dmg equal to level, can
have 2nd aspect active.
Beast Aspects- bonuses stack, only apply in beast form,
Behemoth Aspect
Beast Aspect * Quick * Recharge 16+
Effect: Gain +2 AC & PD, first time staggered this battle roll hard save (16+). Fail pick 1, succeed pick 2 of: Heal using a recovery or begin rolling 2d20 for
attacks until EoB or both die natural <=10
Warrior Druid Inititate: +2 AC in light armor
Flexible Attacks- once per battle, only on first Beast Form Attack roll
Beast Spirits
Flexible 1/battle melee
Trigger: Natural 18+
Effect: Cast one of the four spells listed below as a free action after the attack.
Special: Spell lasts until EoB or target unconscious. Cannot have multiple beast spells on one target.
Behemoth’s Endurance
Close quarters spell * Free action on trigger
Target: You or one nearby ally
Effect: +2 PD and 2 temp HP
Bull’s Strength
Close quarters spell * Free action on trigger
Target: You or one nearby ally
Effect: +1 to mellee attacks
Cat’s Grace
Close quarters spell * Free action on trigger
Target: You or one nearby ally
Effect: +1 AC
Owl’s Wisdom
Close quarters spell * Free action on trigger
Target: You or on nearby ally
Effect: +2 MD, +1 saves
Baris Abmon, conflicted human Barbarian
All right, he doesn't actually need the bloody eyepatch, but for god's sake, it's traditional.
Baris Abmon
Level 1 Barbarian
One Unique Thing: A former alchemist, too much dabbling in Things Beings Were Not Meant To Know causes him to change between the burly, ugly, uncouth Grax and his normal self. These stats are for Grax; Baris has been losing his mental battles with his other self for years, and spends the majority of his time in this form.
Backgrounds:
4 points - Questionable Chemistry
4 points - A Very Bad Man
Icon Relationships:
Conflicted 1pt: Prince of Shadows
Positive 1pt: Orc Lord
Positive 1pt: The Three
Starting Gold: 25
Str: 19 (17+2 from Class Bonus)
Dex: 15
Con: 17 (15+2 from Race Bonus)
Int: 11
Wis: 08
Cha: 11
Defenses and HP
HP: 30
Init: +3
AC: 15 (light: pirate outfit and distressingly thick skin)
PD: 15
MD: 11
Recovery Dice: 1d10+3
Race: Human
Quick to Fight: At the start of each battle, roll initiative twice and choose the result you want.
+1 Bonus Feat
Class Features:
RAGE: Once per day, use a quick action to start raging. A rage lasts until the end of battle, or about 5 minutes.
While raging, you roll 2d20 to hit with your barbarian melee and thrown weapon attacks instead of 1d20. Use the higher roll for the attack. If you roll a natural 11+ with both dice and your highest attack roll is a hit, the attack is a critical hit.
Recharge 16+: After a battle in which you rage, roll a d20 and add your Constitution modifier. On a 16+, you can use Barbarian Rage again later in the day.
Talents:
Building Frenzy (+Adventurer Feat): One battle per day, as a free action after you have missed an attack, gain +1d6 damage to each successful melee attack until the end of the battle. For each missed attack following this, add another +1d6 damage, up to a maximum of +4d6 damage.
Slayer: During your turn, when you attack a staggered enemy you were not engaged with at the start of your turn, deal +1d6 damage per level to that creature if you hit.
Unstoppable (+Adventurer Feat): Once per battle, declare you're using Unstoppable before making a barbarian melee attack. If your attack hits at least one target, you can heal using a free recovery.
Powers
Meaty Fists: melee at-will, make a Strength attack with a –2 penalty against AC. If you hit, you deal 1d6 damage for every two levels you have, plus your Strength modifier. At odd levels, including 1st level, use a d3. If you miss, no damage.
Throw Something Heavy: ranged at-will, Dex+Level vs AC, HIT: 1d6+2
Eir Nobeard Dwarf Necromancer, cursed with an amulet that drains life from her.
Targath Darksong Tiefling Bard who escaped alive from the Black Scale Pirates.
M. Barrett Flint, Gnome Rogue, Tinker and the first non-dwarf to make it through Jedna's Folly successfully in his own craft. Dwarves aren't happy (which is an odd emotional state for a dwarf).
Ratatoskr, a talking Squirrel Druid shifter who once was a companion of the High Druid herself, but now strikes out on its own!
Baris Abmon, A.K.A The Grax!, Human Barbarian with split personalities and a few potions with crazy effects.
I'm going to make me some tea and I'll be back with the opening scene. I'll be using maps as visual reference during battles, but grids aren't 5 squares=30 feet. They are there because it's hard to get non-grid tiles for digital use for free.
Your tokens:
A 13th Age High Seas Pirate Adventure
Act 1: We Need a (Bigger) Boat
In the Midland Sea on the Prince's Island lies the hobble of buildings and docks that are collectively known as Shadow Port. This port made by younger Thieves' Guilds that didn't have the influence in Glitterhaegen now acts as the first line of Black Market goods and services through out the Dragon Empire. If you want some dwarven artifact, a demon (both alive, dead, and undead), or something more illegal and dangerous, odds are that someone in the Shadow Port knows how to get it. It's a popular place for Pirates and sailors, with it's many taverns and brothels, almost a numerous as the ships that come to port there. But past the loud music and quartermasters yelling orders to greenhorn sailors is a part of the Shadow Port known as Ghost Town. These ruins of a town built here long before Ages were used to track time are home to those who wish to keep their dealings secret. It's here in this ruins one would find the Copper Dragon Company. The guild is fairly new when compared to the others in the Shadow Port, run by Borrin Tumblefinger, a dwarf master lockpicker who specialized in vaults. Once he was renown for his skill, now he is only half of himself, the upper half bound to a wheelchair M. Barrett Flint designed for him, the other half left behind in the Tomb of The White. Borrin now runs the day by day operations while his associates do the real adventuring. Which is why this day, five of those associates gathered with him in the Copper Dragon Company. The usual clean area was covered in maps, all of them old or copies of old maps, all of them showing something different; currents, winds, known cities and towns, hidden cities and towns, merfolk trade routes; but all of them showed the same area, The Iron Line, a group of islands that stretched as far north and south as anyone could travel. If they ended, no one has ever returned from the journey to say. The dwarf spun around, marking places on the map while everyone waited in silence. Finally, Borrin spoke. "So it's no secret that the Emperor has lost his ship. The Dragon's Hoard is carrying the wedding gift to the Phoenix King for his daughter's hand. Now, a lot of people were stupid enough to just rush out there, but if we are to get a name for ourselves, rushing isn't going to cut it. That's why I haven't send anyone out there. We needed information, gear, contacts, blah, blah, blah." Borrin's wheels squeaked a bit as he turned towards the largest of the maps, this one marked with a red line. "I think that, given what we know of the Iron Sea, which isn't much since the Lich King's curse on it, the most likely place for the Dragon's Hoard to have landed is... here." And with a stick he points to a spot in the middle of the Sea. "So it's sunk. That's if it took a normal course. With it having no sails and a massive human-made magic engine, it might have taken another route, it might have sunk sooner, or still be drifting with a dead motor. Which is more likely." Borrin smiles as he finally looks up at the group. "So I want you guys to go find it. It will give us a hellva boost in reputation with the other guilds, which means more perks for us and better jobs in the future. Plus that gold... Now, I don't have a boat or crew for you, but I have an idea of how to get one, if you are interested in the job."
What do you guys say?
"Tumblefinger, this isn't another one of your "We'll be rich tomorrow!" schemes that will ultimately end up with me dangling off a cliff while being hunted by pigmy zombies? You know I can't resist those."
Eir bristles more at her shame in failing than at the comment in particular.
"What's this job, anyways, Borrin? I'm fine to steal a boat, but our goal is going to be hotly contested and I don't want to tip our" she pauses, gesturing to the mess of maps covering every flat surface, "hand".
"It's repetition dear. One doesn't have their tales told in inns and courts the world over if you don't tell them over and over."
"Tradition and tales can get drunk and drown together. The past is dead."
Not wanting to create more of a scene, she adds "But I feel we've been down this path before, Targ" and smiles a heartfelt, if somewhat terrifying, grin.
"Are the Emperor or the Dwarves laying any claims to the ship, or do normal salvage rules apply? It sounds like quite a craft..." And word back to the dwarves about how the ship fared, that could open a lot of doors, he thought to himself.
Targath grins a face splitting smile and nods to the necromancer.
"True enough, but the past pays my board and I think that tales of your tiny undead will cover a few more months food and bed."
Keeping the big grin, he looks to the others awaiting their input.