The Player Character Worktable

*jots everything down*

Alas, I have to go to work now. But for now you can invest Sylvea's 1,061 Gold in a few knick-knacks to help her get through the day (don't forget to scroll all the way down to the bottom; Sylvea has her own extra selection of special items that she can choose from and buy before play starts). And she still has 24 Skill Points to invest in various useful Skills as well; don't forget that cross-class skills (skills not listed under the Cleric's list of Class Skills) cost more.

And, if you want, you might as well pick her bonus language while you're in that thread. Don't forget that Sylvea already knows Common and Elven by default, and she gets to pick one more. Being a cleric, Celestial, Infernal and Abyssal would be permissable choices (especially if she has reason to routinely interact with angels, demons or other Outsiders). But she still can't pick Draconic or Druidic.

If you have any questions, I'll be back tomorrow morning (or evening, or whatever it is in Australia). Cheers.

Kewl thanks! I'll have a look see and go on a shopping spree!!!

Okay, I think this is what I want so far. I may have gone overboard, but I love shopping!!

Staff of Northern Cross
Silvered Dagger
Studded leather armor (standard)
Cleric's Vestments
Explorers outfit
Backpack
Chalk x 3
Flint + steel
Ink quill x 3
Ink x 2
Lantern (hooded)
Oil x 2
Paper x 10
Belt pouch x 2
50' rope
Scroll case x 2
Soap
Vial x 5
Waterskin
Healer's Kit
Spell component Pouch
Wizard's Spell Book
Horse (light)
Saddle (pack)
Red Garnet (marble)
Small rose onyx
Crystal Bead
Fan
Platinum Rings (I don't know if I need these as one of my domain's is Protection?)
Diamond dust (S)
Diamond dust (M)
Pouch of Sulphur
Turtle shell (again the question with Protection as with the diamond dusts)


I don't know if I should add the Skull Goblet (as her Unholy Item)...

I believe (if I did the sums correctly) that leaves me with 347G.

As for my Language: I'll go with Abyssal. I figure since she's a disciple of Evening Glory with a Goul - that might be best. Or Infernal. But I'll go with Abyssal.

As for skills: If I've done it right, it should look like this:

Concentration: +2
Craft: +2
Diplomacy: +2
Heal: +2
Knowledge (Arcana): +2
Knowledge (Religion): +1
Profession: +1
Scry: +2
Spellcraft: +2

Disable Device: +1 (+2)
Hide: +1 (+2)
Intuit Direction: +1 (+2)
Sense Motive: +1 (+2)

Okay, I was sure that I'd replied to this, but apparently I didn't. At any rate, I'll be double-checking Wraith's math once more tonight (though I didn't really see anything wrong the first glance through; I presume that the numbers in parentheses for Sylvea's cross-class skills represent the total cost in Skill Points), then I'll throw up the pogs I've made for her; pick one and we'll be ready to start straight away.

Clerics need far fewer spell components than wizards and sorcerers do. The majority of cleric spells demand little more than the cleric's holy symbol to serve as the Divine Focus when casting a spell (speaking of which, Sylvea seems to be missing a holy symbol...). Of course, this creates a liability: if the cleric's holy symbol is lost, stolen or destroyed, it can be even more crippling than a lost spellbook can be for a wizard. For this reason, some clerics carry multiple holy symbols, just in case one is lost. Evening Glory's holy symbols typically include the spread hand with the heart-shaped hole through the palm, a symbol of the love through loss which the goddess represents. And, of course, silver holy symbols cost more than those made from wood or comparable materials, but silver does have an extra benefit or two as one would expect with such a cost.

Also, don't forget to choose the specifics for Sylvea's Craft and Profession skills...Craft (Carpentry), Profession (Stablehand), Craft (Gemcutting), Profession (Mortician), Craft (Pottery), Profession (Apothecary)...what-have-you. The difference is mostly that Craft converts raw materials into useful or valuable goods, while the value of Professions lies more in their immaterial services. Corwin over there has Profession (Sailor); he doesn't actually make or produce anything as a seaman, but when it's time to keep the ship from smashing into the rocky shores as a violent sea storm rages through the heavens, it's a very welcome skill to have.

These Skills may reflect Sylvea's own trade or lifestyle before she was compelled to join Evening Glory's church, most likely through her sister's tragic death, of course; Sylvea may be evil, but even evil people can know great love...or love may be what drives the rare tragic figure towards evil in the first place. Whatever she was or is should be reflected in her Skills, including Craft and Profession.

Make 'em rock.


Also, Drakon and SEAMUS, post a little something here. We're waiting for your call!

What are you waiting on me for? I thought I was done and waiting for your starting post.

GoldenDrakon wrote:

What are you waiting on me for? I thought I was done and waiting for your starting post.

Just the issues that I'd brought up on the first page...the five Skill Points that needed to be shaved off, plus whether or not you had a preference for Karnoz's starting country as well as confirmation on whether or not Karnoz would be Independent (since I had rolled out those three juicy assassin guilds and all...).

Do I only choose one Craft and Profession? ( I had a feeling I needed to - but I let you pick up on it anyway)

Also, do you want me to come up with a backstory for her, or are you going to do that?

If only one: I choose: Craft (I can't remember what its called: but something like forest tracking, or something... guh!! its pissing me off. Erm... you know like a forest guide's set of skills.)
Profession (Hunter)

OH and I was sure I added her Unholy Symbol. (one of her special ones - The blackened Skull goblet....)

actually wraith, craft would be more like fletcher, armorer, blacksmith, chef ect not tracker (especially since tracking isn't a skill but a feat)

I think the skill you may be thinking of is the cross class skill "survival"

SURVIVAL (WIS)
Check: You can keep yourself and others safe and fed in the wild. The table below gives the DCs for various tasks that require Survival checks.
Survival does not allow you to follow difficult tracks unless you are a ranger or have the Track feat (see the Restriction section below).

Survival DC Task
10 Get along in the wild. Move up to one-half your overland speed while hunting and foraging (no food or water supplies needed). You can provide food and water for one other person for every 2 points by which your check result exceeds 10.
15 Gain a +2 bonus on all Fortitude saves against severe weather while moving up to one-half your overland speed, or gain a +4 bonus if you remain stationary. You may grant the same bonus to one other character for every 1 point by which your Survival check result exceeds 15.
15 Keep from getting lost or avoid natural hazards, such as quicksand.
15 Predict the weather up to 24 hours in advance. For every 5 points by which your Survival check result exceeds 15, you can predict the weather for one additional day in advance.
Varies Follow tracks (see the Track feat).

Action: Varies. A single Survival check may represent activity over the course of hours or a full day. A Survival check made to find tracks is at least a full-round action, and it may take even longer.
Try Again: Varies. For getting along in the wild or for gaining the Fortitude save bonus noted in the table above, you make a Survival check once every 24 hours. The result of that check applies until the next check is made. To avoid getting lost or avoid natural hazards, you make a Survival check whenever the situation calls for one. Retries to avoid getting lost in a specific situation or to avoid a specific natural hazard are not allowed. For finding tracks, you can retry a failed check after 1 hour (outdoors) or 10 minutes(indoors) of searching.
Restriction: While anyone can use Survival to find tracks (regardless of the DC), or to follow tracks when the DC for the task is 10 or lower, only a ranger (or a character with the Track feat) can use Survival to follow tracks when the task has a higher DC.
Special: If you have 5 or more ranks in Survival, you can automatically determine where true north lies in relation to yourself.
A ranger gains a bonus on Survival checks when using this skill to find or follow the tracks of a favored enemy.
If you have the Self-Sufficient feat, you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks.
Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Survival, you get a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks.
If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made while underground.
If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (nature), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks in aboveground natural environments (aquatic, desert, forest, hill, marsh, mountains, and plains).
If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (geography), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made to keep from getting lost or to avoid natural hazards.
If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (the planes), you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks made while on other planes.
If you have 5 or more ranks in Search, you get a +2 bonus on Survival checks to find or follow tracks.


below is the specifics of the craft and profession skills

CRAFT (INT)
Like Knowledge, Perform, and Profession, Craft is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Craft skills, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill.
A Craft skill is specifically focused on creating something. If nothing is created by the endeavor, it probably falls under the heading of a Profession skill.
Check: You can practice your trade and make a decent living, earning about half your check result in gold pieces per week of dedicated work. You know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the craft’s daily tasks, how to supervise untrained helpers, and how to handle common problems. (Untrained laborers and assistants earn an average of 1 silver piece per day.)
The basic function of the Craft skill, however, is to allow you to make an item of the appropriate type. The DC depends on the complexity of the item to be created. The DC, your check results, and the price of the item determine how long it takes to make a particular item. The item’s finished price also determines the cost of raw materials.
In some cases, the fabricate spell can be used to achieve the results of a Craft check with no actual check involved. However, you must make an appropriate Craft check when using the spell to make articles requiring a high degree of craftsmanship.
A successful Craft check related to woodworking in conjunction with the casting of the ironwood spell enables you to make wooden items that have the strength of steel.
When casting the spell minor creation, you must succeed on an appropriate Craft check to make a complex item.
All crafts require artisan’s tools to give the best chance of success. If improvised tools are used, the check is made with a –2 circumstance penalty. On the other hand, masterwork artisan’s tools provide a +2 circumstance bonus on the check.
To determine how much time and money it takes to make an item, follow these steps.
1. Find the item’s price. Put the price in silver pieces (1 gp = 10 sp).
2. Find the DC from the table below.
3. Pay one-third of the item’s price for the cost of raw materials.
4. Make an appropriate Craft check representing one week’s work. If the check succeeds, multiply your check result by the DC. If the result × the DC equals the price of the item in sp, then you have completed the item. (If the result × the DC equals double or triple the price of the item in silver pieces, then you’ve completed the task in one-half or one-third of the time. Other multiples of the DC reduce the time in the same manner.) If the result × the DC doesn’t equal the price, then it represents the progress you’ve made this week. Record the result and make a new Craft check for the next week. Each week, you make more progress until your total reaches the price of the item in silver pieces.
If you fail a check by 4 or less, you make no progress this week.
If you fail by 5 or more, you ruin half the raw materials and have to pay half the original raw material cost again.
Progress by the Day: You can make checks by the day instead of by the week. In this case your progress (check result × DC) is in copper pieces instead of silver pieces.
Creating Masterwork Items: You can make a masterwork item—a weapon, suit of armor, shield, or tool that conveys a bonus on its use through its exceptional craftsmanship, not through being magical. To create a masterwork item, you create the masterwork component as if it were a separate item in addition to the standard item. The masterwork component has its own price (300 gp for a weapon or 150 gp for a suit of armor or a shield) and a Craft DC of 20. Once both the standard component and the masterwork component are completed, the masterwork item is finished. Note: The cost you pay for the masterwork component is one-third of the given amount, just as it is for the cost in raw materials.
Repairing Items: Generally, you can repair an item by making checks against the same DC that it took to make the item in the first place. The cost of repairing an item is one-fifth of the item’s price.

When you use the Craft skill to make a particular sort of item, the DC for checks involving the creation of that item are typically as given on the following table.

Item Craft Skill Craft DC
Acid Alchemy1 15
Alchemist’s fire, smokestick, or tindertwig Alchemy1 20
Antitoxin, sunrod, tanglefoot bag, or thunderstone Alchemy1 25
Armor or shield Armorsmithing 10 + AC bonus
Longbow or shortbow Bowmaking 12
Composite longbow or composite shortbow Bowmaking 15
Composite longbow or composite shortbow with high strength rating Bowmaking 15 + (2 × rating)
Crossbow Weaponsmithing 15
Simple melee or thrown weapon Weaponsmithing 12
Martial melee or thrown weapon Weaponsmithing 15
Exotic melee or thrown weapon Weaponsmithing 18
Mechanical trap Trapmaking Varies2
Very simple item (wooden spoon) Varies 5
Typical item (iron pot) Varies 10
High-quality item (bell) Varies 15
Complex or superior item (lock) Varies 20
1 You must be a spellcaster to craft any of these items.
2 Traps have their own rules for construction.

Action: Does not apply. Craft checks are made by the day or week (see above).
Try Again: Yes, but each time you miss by 5 or more, you ruin half the raw materials and have to pay half the original raw material cost again.
Special: A dwarf has a +2 racial bonus on Craft checks that are related to stone or metal, because dwarves are especially capable with stonework and metalwork.
A gnome has a +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks because gnomes have sensitive noses.
You may voluntarily add +10 to the indicated DC to craft an item. This allows you to create the item more quickly (since you’ll be multiplying this higher DC by your Craft check result to determine progress). You must decide whether to increase the DC before you make each weekly or daily check.
To make an item using Craft (alchemy), you must have alchemical equipment and be a spellcaster. If you are working in a city, you can buy what you need as part of the raw materials cost to make the item, but alchemical equipment is difficult or impossible to come by in some places. Purchasing and maintaining an alchemist’s lab grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks because you have the perfect tools for the job, but it does not affect the cost of any items made using the skill.
Synergy: If you have 5 ranks in a Craft skill, you get a +2 bonus on Appraise checks related to items made with that Craft skill.


PROFESSION (WIS; TRAINED ONLY)
Like Craft, Knowledge, and Perform, Profession is actually a number of separate skills. You could have several Profession skills, each with its own ranks, each purchased as a separate skill. While a Craft skill represents ability in creating or making an item, a Profession skill represents an aptitude in a vocation requiring a broader range of less specific knowledge.
Check: You can practice your trade and make a decent living, earning about half your Profession check result in gold pieces per week of dedicated work. You know how to use the tools of your trade, how to perform the profession’s daily tasks, how to supervise helpers, and how to handle common problems.
Action: Not applicable. A single check generally represents a week of work.
Try Again: Varies. An attempt to use a Profession skill to earn an income cannot be retried. You are stuck with whatever weekly wage your check result brought you. Another check may be made after a week to determine a new income for the next period of time. An attempt to accomplish some specific task can usually be retried.
Untrained: Untrained laborers and assistants (that is, characters without any ranks in Profession) earn an average of 1 silver piece per day.

The House of Ainsley wrote:

Just the issues that I'd brought up on the first page...the five Skill Points that needed to be shaved off, plus whether or not you had a preference for Karnoz's starting country as well as confirmation on whether or not Karnoz would be Independent (since I had rolled out those three juicy assassin guilds and all...).

Ah, missed all that.

I will shave -1 from Disable Devics, Move Silently, Hide and -2 from Read Lips.

None of the Guilds mentioned appeal to me. If there are no other choices, then I will stay independant.

I have no real preference as to where to start, but I like the sound of Karkovia. Sounds like a place where someone of proper .. motivation... might find himself well employed.

I would also like to add 1 vial of centepede poison, one vial of ol of Taggit a pair of work gloves, and something durable to keep 'samples' in.

Ooooh, I think I get it. Let me rethink what's going on. Since she's a cleric, I don't think I need alchemy - but it also depends on what she was before she joined with Evening Glory. *sigh* I haven't even bothered with a back story yet.

Well, seeing as she has only got a +2 in both Craft and Profession - I would say - Craft (Herbalist) and Profession (Apothecary).

Let's see if I got it right this time

it'd be good to have an herbalist with us, in case corwin gets sick he can have real remedies instead of quack pirate ones

LMAO....

Nah, yeah, I got nuttin.

rum doesn't ALWAYS fix everything...

Wraith wrote:

Okay, I think this is what I want so far. I may have gone overboard, but I love shopping!!

Staff of Northern Cross
Silvered Dagger
Studded leather armor (standard)
Cleric's Vestments
Explorers outfit
Backpack
Chalk x 3
Flint + steel
Ink quill x 3
Ink x 2
Lantern (hooded)
Oil x 2
Paper x 10
Belt pouch x 2
50' rope
Scroll case x 2
Soap
Vial x 5
Waterskin
Healer's Kit
Spell component Pouch
Wizard's Spell Book
Horse (light)
Saddle (pack)
Red Garnet (marble)
Small rose onyx
Crystal Bead
Fan
Platinum Rings (I don't know if I need these as one of my domain's is Protection?)
Diamond dust (S)
Diamond dust (M)
Pouch of Sulphur
Turtle shell (again the question with Protection as with the diamond dusts)


I don't know if I should add the Skull Goblet (as her Unholy Item)...

I believe (if I did the sums correctly) that leaves me with 347G.

Actually, I calculated as I went and came up with a grand total of 97.95 Gold, or 97 Gold, 9 Silver and 5 Copper. That's including the black skull goblet, which might in part the source of the discrepancy, since you weren't sure if you wanted it at the time you did the number-crunching, then decided that you would go ahead and take it.

For a Cleric, the spell components normally aren't really necessary; however, since Magic is one of Sylvea's Domains, they may occasionally come in handy. Also, thanks to both of these factors, Sylvea has opened herself to the possibility of an easy multi-classing later on, whether Cleric-Wizard, Cleric-Sorcerer or Cleric-Bard. What's more, beyond those paths lie choice Prestige Classes. Cleric-Wizards and Cleric-Sorcerers are good candidates for becoming True Necromancers, Cleric-Bards may eventually become Dirgesingers, and a Cleric-Wizard or Cleric-Sorcerer who "switches sides" and comes to place more focus on her Arcane Class may evolve into a Pale Master.

Unfortunately, striving for the True Necromancer class would first require Sylvea to betray or abandon Evening Glory and switch to a deity who's even more involved with Death, such as Wee Jas, Nerull or the fallen demon lord Orcus (hey, she does speak Abyssal, after all...). But we won't cross that bridge until we come to it.

Or she can stick to her Cleric class and have a chance at becoming a Master of Shrouds, complete with improved Rebuking and undead-summoning powers that are top of the line. Non-Good Alignment? Check. Able to cast Protection From Good? Check. Able to Rebuke undead? Check. Will Save +5? One more Level in Cleric and it's hers. 5 ranks in Concentration? No, but she's working on it. 5 ranks in Knowledge (Religion)? Working on it....

Hmm. I should just go back and lay out the requisites for all the Prestige Classes. I think I will, after tonight's big surprise.

Of course, she could just skip Prestige Classes altogether and eventually become one of the world's best clerics. Nothing wrong with that.


Anyway, back to the matter at hand, you didn't specify whether you wanted Sylvea's rope to be hemp or silk; silk rope costs ten times as much yet weighs half as much as hemp rope. But since Sylvea has a light horse for carrying her stuff around, I assumed that you wanted the hemp rope, since it's cheaper and encumbrance becomes less of an issue when you have a beast of burden handy.

Also, be advised that pack saddle is not designed to seat a rider; it's basically a backpack for your horse. And since you didn't buy a bit and bridle and/or invest in the Ride (Horse) skill, I assume that Sylvea will be walking and leading the horse along. But because you picked a pricier light horse instead of a far cheaper donkey, it seems that you may have considered the option of tossing the pack saddle (or buckling it onto a newly purchased mule) and turning Sylvea's horse into a speedy mount later on....

(Also, you may want to name Sylvea's horse...unless she doesn't believe in getting emotionally attached to mere animals, perhaps. )

As a side note, Sylvea didn't get any feed for her horse! But that's okay; as long as Sylvea keeps to terrain with grass or other suitable vegetation, her horse can graze to sustain itself. Feed's better for a horse, of course, but grass will easily do in a pinch. Unfortunately, Sylvea's story begins in Northeastern Nellowswann, a region dominated by the Crown Diamond Mountains. Mountains, of course, are not good terrain for growing vegetation. There's plenty of scrubland and a forest nearby, but her horse will go hungry and starve if they wander into the mountains and stay there for too long. So will Sylvea, seeing as she forgot to grab up some rations or foodstuffs and there are very few taverns in the mountains, barring the occasional dwarf settlement (or...*shudder*...goblin cave, minotaur camp or large sack of festering meat and crudely butchered animal carcasses that a giant left lying around)....

(It's not too late to pick up a few days of horse feed and/or rations, if you want. Or you can save a few coppers and just stay out of the mountains. Your call. )

Wraith wrote:

As for my Language: I'll go with Abyssal. I figure since she's a disciple of Evening Glory with a Goul - that might be best. Or Infernal. But I'll go with Abyssal.

As a cleric of Evening Glory, she's likely to encounter clerics of other deities involved with death and undeath. One such deity is Orcus, a demon lord who was slain by his traitorous underlings and cohorts. Somehow he returned from death, but he did not return whole. Now an undead demon lord, Orcus is a keeper of great power yet is shunned by other denizens of the Abyss who find themselves uneasy with his undead state.

Demons, demon lords and their followers (who are almost universally fluent in Abyssal) are almost always Chaotic Evil; this can make them very cunning, innovative and destructive as allies, but they also tend to be untrustworthy, unreliable and traitorous whenever it suits their goals. Their Infernal rivals--the Lawful Evil devils and devil lords--are the masters of the Infernal Pact and have nothing against playing by the rules (though are not above bending those rules towards more favorable ends when it is within their power). Devils thus tend to be more honest, honorable and reliable as allies, albeit a bit hidebound, predictable and fussy over particulars at times.

Alas, there are no undead devil lords.

So Abyssal fluency can be very useful when interacting with Orcus clerics and whatever balors, succubi or other demons are following them around. Just don't believe everything they say, and keep one eye on any friends, loved ones or personal belongings which could make a very dandy sacrifice to Orcus....

Wraith wrote:

Do I only choose one Craft and Profession? ( I had a feeling I needed to - but I let you pick up on it anyway)

Craft (Herbalism) and Profession (Hunter), was it? Well, herbalism is actually a Profession, as is Hunter. If you want, we can simply change her Craft skill to a second Profession skill at no cost or bonus; you can have multiple Craft skills, Profession skills, Ride skills and Perform skills, since each variety of a certain skill counts as a separate skill. Perform (Drums) and Perform (Dance) would thus be two separate skills, and a dancer who wants to thump a rhythm out on a teak drum while dancing a merry jig would do well to have both.

Would you like to go ahead with the two Professions, then?

Or would you prefer to go back and pick a bona fide Craft? There's armorsmithing, basketweaving, bowyering, bookbinding, blacksmithing, calligraphy (don't ask me why; I don't know), carpentry, cobbling, gemcutting, leatherworking, locksmithing, painting, pottery, sculpture, shipmaking, stonemasonry, trapmaking, weaponsmithing, weaving or any other skill which involves converting raw materials to useful and salable goods.

Herbalism does do this to an extent ("Let's crush these minnel nuts and mix them with an ounce of birch sap to make that rash go away."), but such creation of elixirs and ointments falls mainly under the purview of the apothecary profession. Herbalism is more about harvesting those raw materials--and avoiding the stuff that's bad for you--and using them directly, with little craftsmanship involved ("Fever, eh? Pull up that Orvus root over there, wash it off and eat it. No, not that root! That's black marshroot, and it'll knock you deader than old King Herenwuld, it will....").

Wraith wrote:

Also, do you want me to come up with a backstory for her, or are you going to do that?

Go ahead and pen her origin. We can work it into play as we go.

Wraith wrote:

OH and I was sure I added her Unholy Symbol. (one of her special ones - The blackened Skull goblet....)

You hadn't before, but it's in there now. We'll assume that your temple reconsecrated it to Evening Glory already. Evening Glory has Good priests and Evil priests, and the temple's perfectly cool with Sylvea being one of the "darkbloods"; they're the ones who most eagerly dig up dead babies, defile troublesome rival temples or do whatever other unsavory means best serve Evening Glory's agendas, motives and creeds. Because if Faithful Devotee A wants to recover Dead, Beloved Father B but can't do so because Overly Possessive Earl C is holding the corpse hostage over a debt and shows no signs of relenting, the Good Evening Glory clerics won't want to get their hands dirty--or bloody--with smacking down, cursing, jinxing or killing a nobleman (who's not really threatening anyone with any violence or great evil), fetching the corpse and giving it back to the devotee as Evening Glory demands. Even Neutral clerics might have moral qualms about that kind of skullduggery. So the temple decides that Evening Glory's left hand has spoken, they send in their less scrupulous Evil clerics who get it done, and everyone ends up happy.

Except for the petty old earl, of course.

GoldenDrakon wrote:

Ah, missed all that.

I will shave -1 from Disable Devics, Move Silently, Hide and -2 from Read Lips.

Done.

GoldenDrakon wrote:

None of the Guilds mentioned appeal to me. If there are no other choices, then I will stay independant.

No problem.

GoldenDrakon wrote:

I have no real preference as to where to start, but I like the sound of Karkovia. Sounds like a place where someone of proper .. motivation... might find himself well employed.

Former Karkova's pretty much a lawless land without a king now, leaving the remaining barons, mayors and burgomasters who came through the Imperial Civil War with their heads still attached to hammer out their separate little domains and enforce their own laws to the best of their ability. Little villages bereft of any solid leadership will be even more wayward or anarchic, making them ideal for Karnoz's purposes. And shady little villages seated not far from struggling, organized cities will ensure a steady flow of goods and services from city to village as cityfolk come to engage in illegal barters and unscrupulous contracts without any City Watch peering over their shoulders....

And I know just the place for Karnoz to start off.

GoldenDrakon wrote:

I would also like to add 1 vial of centepede poison, one vial of ol of Taggit a pair of work gloves, and something durable to keep 'samples' in.

Done, done, I'll throw the work gloves in for free and you might consider buying a flask or two to collect any harvested liquids, goop, powder or other less-than-solid materials. Flasks only cost 3 Coppers each and they can be crafted from tin, aluminum, nickel, lead, crude sheet iron or other cheap metals that may be durable enough for Karnoz's needs.

As always, putting acids into metal flasks is not advisable. Fortunately, flasks come in glass and ceramic varieties too.

Wraith wrote:

Ooooh, I think I get it. Let me rethink what's going on. Since she's a cleric, I don't think I need alchemy - but it also depends on what she was before she joined with Evening Glory. *sigh* I haven't even bothered with a back story yet.

Well, seeing as she has only got a +2 in both Craft and Profession - I would say - Craft (Herbalist) and Profession (Apothecary).

Well, the previous thingie about herbalism being a Profession still stands, but you're replacing Profession (Hunter) with Profession (Apothecary)?

We can certainly do that.

Yeah, I'm not sure why apothecary is a Profession and not a Craft when it involves measuring, concocting and combining various raw materials into various medicines. I'm tempted to exercise Dungeon Master fiat and declare that Apothecary is a Craft instead of a Profession. But considering that both Craft and Profession are class skills to most Classes (except for those uncouth and unschooled Barbarians and Fighters...), I guess it's not really too big of a deal. Whether you call it a craft or a profession, Sylvea still makes poultices, remedies, antitoxins and the occasional laxative.

Wraith wrote:

Let's see if I got it right this time

We're almost there. But we should have enough to kick off now; we'll just fix the skills, background and other unforged details when we can (preferably before those details are needed, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it).

S.E.A.M.U.S wrote:

it'd be good to have an herbalist with us, in case corwin gets sick he can have real remedies instead of quack pirate ones

Considering that Corwin won't quite be 100% alive by the time he and Sylvea meet up, that might not be such a problem.

Wraith wrote:

LMAO....

Nah, yeah, I got nuttin.

You got 2 points in Crafts and/or Professions. That's better than nuttin...but not by much.

S.E.A.M.U.S wrote:

rum doesn't ALWAYS fix everything...

That's only because you're using it wrong.

Okay... well, that was certainly a catch up and a half.

Okay - I was going to ask if HERBALISM is a Craft with HERBALIST as a Profession. If so - then I would ask for Craft (Herbalism) and Profession (Apothecary).

If not, chuck them both into Professions and I'll think up a craft later on. (I'm tired too.... and sick). Hmmm...

Yes, all considerations about the Horse. I will name it Horse. (NOT! LOL) I'll come up with a name later. Also - I am aware of the packsaddle. You surmised correctly. Hemp rope is fine. Also, I thought I came from Bardosylvania near the woods so I didn't think on rations or feed for the horse. Either way, please add appropriate rations and feed to my list (just leave me a few gold please.)

And I think I addressed everything. I will work on the backstory a little - you can fill in details as well. Erm...

Yeah, remind me if I forgot something

(PS: Nice going, I like this game)

Yeah, I get verbose sometimes.

Apparently herbalism is a Profession, so I guess we'll run with that. So with both Herbalism and Apothecary as skills, Sylvea can fix up some nice medicines, salves and maybe the odd botanical poison, whether she has to rip it right out of the ground or grind it up with a mortar and mix it. She's handy with veggies and minerals like that.

Sorry for not putting you inside of Bardosylvania's borders, but the whole land is mostly Wee Jas territory. Lord Heward had a mysterious life-altering experience, then he put in a lot of overtime bolstering and supporting the Scarlet Order and other Wee Jas churches and orders in Bardosylvania (making Wee Jas the matron deity of Bardosylvania and nudging out many other churches and clerics serving other deities in the process), then he mysteriously died, Lord Darrovan took the throne and started tearing down all the Wee Jas temples, kicking the Wee Jas clerics out of Bardosylvania and locking up any priests who resisted (out of spite for his father's "superstitious zeal," mostly).

Naturally, that's all a big part of why the House of Ainsley fell in the first place.

But Nellowswann's a pretty cosmopolitan kind of place with a sort of epic-story feel-good vibe to it, so I thought I'd place an Evening Glory temple in northeast Nellowswann and let the Order of the Twilight Candle set up shop there.

Surely that quarantined city doesn't have anything to do with my decision, either....

Okay, I'm going to work on those Chapter Zero posts now. I have to go to work tonight. Can't wait to see what big, sloppy messes the weekend workers left for me....

Also, Karnoz needs a pog!

Pick one, GD. Any one. Or, if you don't see anything you like, let me know and I'll make more, tailored towards any specifications you may have.

Third row from the top, second in from the right.

Can you give him a red veil?

GoldenDrakon wrote:

Third row from the top, second in from the right.

Can you give him a red veil?

Below the nose or over the nose?

*prods GD again*

While I'm asking about pogs and such, a few character-related questions:


Karnoz

1) What were Karnoz's origin, founding years and upbringing like? Was he an impoverished street urchin who couldn't hack making an honest living, so he tried his hand at a dishonest living instead? Or was he a spoiled brat from a well-to-do family, instilling in him the notions that greed is good and that such concerns as morality, property rights and the sanctity of life simply do not apply to him?

2) Surely there's an origin to his "street name". While it's unlikely that he earned it from killing a king or other similarly powerful and well-defended figure, whom and how many has he killed in his history? Were the killings driven by greed, by sadism, by bloodthirsty madness or by some other vice? And were they performed with all the zeal and passionate fury of a madman, with the cold, emotionless dispassion of an executioner (my guess), or with the fearful trembling and stinging remorse of a compelled sociopath who knows that what he is doing is wrong but cannot turn away from it? Or perhaps in truth he has committed no murders at all, his nickname self-fabricated and insubstantial until he can prove himself with the death of Hennbauer or someone else?

3) Where does he see himself in the future? Is there a single driving ideal spurring him onward, and what will become of Karnoz if that driving goal is ever achieved? Or are his long-term ambitions vague or nonexistent, leaving him driven only by his momentary wants and cravings?


Sylvea

1) How did Ariene die? Was Sylvea wracked with remorse or guilt at the time, and--if so--was it because Sylvea was either powerless to prevent Ariene's death or, ironically, a direct or indirect cause of her death? Was her heart wicked as Sylvea's heart is, or was her heart good before her untimely demise, and turned to the inherent evil to which undeath usually leads? Evening Glory offers redemption and escape from the wickedness which grips the undead, but opening the door to redemption is useless if Ariene has no will to walk through it.

2) With a name like Sylvea, she is likely a forest-dwelling wood elf, common among adventurers. But wood elves are usually wholesome and good of heart. Why is Sylvea evil? Was she a bad seed in the womb, or did other events conspire to lead her down that dark road and away from her kin?

3) Elves are usually friends to the living world and to the lifeforce in all of Nature's things. So long-lived are elves that they rarely think of death, yet Sylvea, as a death priestess, must consider the concept often. Is she perfectly comfortable in her role, or does she have qualms against death, qualms possibly left over from her life among the flora and fauna? What compelled her to this way of thinking? Was she born with a natural morbid curiosity for a subject which may as well be taboo among the elves? Was Ariene's death so traumatic--and Sylvea's love for her so great--that it immediately pushed Sylvea over the edge? Or was it another event entirely, however sudden or gradual that event was?

4) Like Good, Evil comes in many degrees, whether as a humble and unrepentant pickpocket who feels only joy in his petty thefts, or as a bloody savage who has slain and tortured hundreds out of twisted revenge against a world which, he believes, spurned him. The evils of people such as Corwin and Karnoz are quite evident, but how is Sylvea evil, and how subtle or blatant is this wickedness? Is it mere potential, or does her history have deeds in which many would find shame--and some others would find twisted pride--in mentioning? What are her inclinations as one of the wicked, and--besides the capacity for love--what redeeming virtues does she bear?


Corwin
(We already covered most everything...most. )

1) Corwin's hatred for his mother is obvious, but how does he view or regard his hitherto unknown father, and how will he likely react if he and his father ever meet? Will there be a waiting joy at being reunited with someone who was for so long denied him? Will there be more anger and hatred for someone who, in his eyes, betrayed him with absence or allowed his mother to become outcast and destitute? Or will there be a simple numbness, a complete absence of expectation for a concept--fatherhood--with which he was never truly familiar?

2) Does he harbor any suspicions over whom or what his father may be? Or does he prefer to avoid coming to conclusions, lest he overlook the truth in pursuing his prejudices and expectations?

3) Corwin seemed startled to learn of his bloodborne nobility, but how does he view the House of Ainsley and his membership in it? Bearing in mind that Lord Borogon rules with an iron fist, augments Bardosylvania's army and his own comforts through heavy taxation and does away with political prisoners (and, it is suspected, innocent captives) through savage blood hunts, would Corwin feel proud or ashamed to be accepted among this House? And, being a knave and a pirate, how readily does he believe the House will accept him?


All of the Above
(In extension of Sylvea's Question #4 above)

1) Your character is evil, true. But, just as every good person may possess damning vices, so may an evil person possess redeeming virtues. Everyone alive has the potential for good and evil alike; what determines morality amounts to nothing more than which of the two ideals is stronger in any given person. Pure snow-white heroes and jet-black villains are far more bland and uninteresting than those characters who must grapple with both angels and demons, so which vices and virtues best define your character? And are those subdued virtues yet strong enough to carry the hope--however great or small--of eventual redemption? Or is your character truly damned, with what dwindling goodness in his or her heart doomed to be forever imprisoned beneath the crushing weight of selfish desires and accumulating sins?


That's it for now.

Corwins thoughts on daddy. "what can i get out of this" if he can do nothing for corwin, he is of no use and would probably be told something like "i can't believe you did that with her". if he has something corwin wants or something he can do for corwin, he'd try to get it out of him, trick it out of him, or beat it out of him depending on the situation

I see, I see. Also, I tacked on two more questions while you were answering. Sorry about that.

Would you say that Corwin's selfishness and greed are born out of the idea that the world owes him plenty for subjecting him to so many years of unhappiness or outright misery? Or is it a simple, more pathological worldview spawned of a broken upbringing, perhaps a desire to attain everything that his mother told him he would never be good enough to claim on his own?

its a bit of both, but mostly the second. it's probably stemmed from mommy saying he wasn't good enough, ungrateful bastard that he is

Of course, a lot of Mommy's sentiment towards Corwin stemmed from resentment over Corwin being an unwanted baby (and shame over...something else entirely). See what people mean when they say that like begets like?

So...about Querries 2 and 3 back there...?