[5E] [OOC] JM's A Bit of Trouble (Closed)

[jmucchiello]

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So I'm tired of games just dying out. I've had only one game where the characters leveled up in the year I've been on this PbF forum. So maybe if I run a game it will last more that a few months. (Or some catastrophe will befall me as it has the GMs of the games I'm in.)

Thus, I'm looking for 4-5 players who can post at a minimum twice a week. I'm working out a map for the area of the world it will take place in.

Short campaign history:
There once was an Empire that spanned thousands of miles in all directions. It ended two thousand years ago during the cataclysmic Ogre-Centaur wars. No large governing body has existed since then for more than a generation or two. City-states dominate the political landscape. But the dead Empire still haunts the geography of the region. To the east is the Empire River. Bit is located on Empire Bay. Ruins of fortresses and keeps dot the landscape.

Bit is a port town with a non-farming population of almost 8000 humans, elves, halflings, gnomes, and other races. It is best known for being the last "human" town on the northern shore of the bay. More details in post 2 below.

Deities: I'm not going to go into detail here. Assume there is a single church hierarchy with about a dozen distinct deities (whose names I'll come up with at some point) who are worshipped all together. Clerics and Paladins (and Monks) generally do not venerate a specific deities but instead an aspect of the group of deities. Yes, there is a lot of infighting among the clergy but any off-shoots who work against the main clergy are considered cults by the general population. So, mechanics-wise, just about all domains, oaths, ways are available.

Thanks.

Links to: [thread="601348"]IC[/thread] [Thread="598748"]RG[/Thread]

 

[jmucchiello]

Here's a map of the local area. Everything in the descriptions is considered common knowledge (DC 5 Int check kind of stuff).

Spoiler: Places

Bridal Keys: Ten to twelve miles off the coast of Bit in Empire Bay, the Bridal Keys are mostly uninhabited and thought to be cursed. Ship wrecks litter the waterways between the islands and most sailors will not sail to them.
Centaur Plains: These open plains are home to a relatively large nomadic centaur population. The lands are also dotted with hobgoblin settlements that consider Strife their capitol.
Empire Plains: South of Empire Point, the fertility of the Empire Plains are legendary. How else could the great population of Empire Point be fed.
Endless Desert: A dramatic name for a place where nothing really grows. Ruins appear and disappear daily in the shifting sands. Some seem even older than the fabled fallen Empire.
Forever Forest: The Forever Forest is home to mostly fey and sinister species.
Gold Cliffs: A majestic cliff nearly a mile high separating the low lands from the Golden Plateau. The cliff face is actually white but in the morning sunlight they shine like gold.
Golden Plateau: This plateau is nearly impossible to reach without flight. Rumor that descendants of the old Empire still rule on the plateau is common knowledge.
Groaning Forest: Elves and gnomes make the groaning forest their home. The name comes from the sound heard in parts of the forest when strong winds blow through. No one knows why it makes this sounds as similar forests with similar trees do not groan.
Holden Mountains: The northern edge of the local area. The great Empire in its heyday did not spread far beyond the Holden Mountains.
Kaur Mountains: Rich veins of metals litter the Kaur Mountains. Dwarves have lived in the mountains for centuries.
Swamp of Torment: No roads cross the Swamp of Torment. Only the Empire River flows through it.

Spoiler: Settlements

Bit: A backwater town, the westernmost civilized settlement on the bay.
Cade-Crable: The twin cities of Cade-Crable occupy both sides of the Empire River delta as it meets the Eastern Ocean. Population of the twin cities is easily over 50,000 humanoids.
Empire Point: Built on the high cliffs that encircle the southern end of the mouth of Empire Bay, this city of 40,000 humanoids was one the seat of government for the Empire. The Empire Spire at the northern tip of land is so tall and shiny, that people in Crable claim sunlight reflecting off the spire can be seen around 3pm each day all the way across the mouth of the bay.
Kaurshale Mines: The major outwardly facing Dwarven town where goods from the mines are sold to non-dwarves.
Michel's Foley: This town of 12,000 humanoids is named after an otherwise forgotten emperor of the Empire whose foley is no longer remembered.
Nequalla: This town of 5,000 merfolk is about 150 feet below the waters of Empire Bay, on a hill under the waters.
Sarandan: A town of 20,000 humanoids known for its artisans. Waterclocks and similar tinker objects mostly come from Sarandan.
Solace: A town of 28,000 humans, Solace is known for its racist human rulers who only allow humans rights of property ownership.
Strife: A town of 15,000 hobgoblins and other goblinoids. Life in Strife is cheap and everything is available for sale there, for a price.
Ys: A nomadic town of about 2,000 inhabitants. The caravan city of Ys (EEss) moves around, staying in place for at most two weeks before moving to another oasis.

Spoiler: Water Ways

Coral River: The only means of travelling to Kaurshale Mines is by this river. The dangers of the Forever Forest do not permit towns to remain in place for long.
Eastern Ocean: The eastern ocean is thought to be the eastern edge of the world.
Empire Bay: This salt water bay is home to a few intelligent marine species.
Empire River: The Empire River flows from the Holden Mountains to Cade-Crable. Major arteries feed most of the cities on the coast.
Golden Falls: A mile high water fall. The crashing sound of falling water can be heard for many miles around.
Leed River: This tributary of the Empire River goes to Bit.
Souls River: This tributary of the Empire River goes to Solace. Was also known as Lost Souls River centuries ago.

Spoiler: Beyond the map

North of the Holden Mountains are a few cities on the northern coast of the continent. The barrier created by the mountains means the common tongue spoken in the north is similar, but not the same as the common tongue spoken locally.
West of the Mountains, the Plateau and mountains surrounding it extend for another 50-100 miles before dropping back to normal elevations. The continent continues for about 500 miles before reaching the Western Ocean. People believe these two oceans are one and the same.
South of the Endless Desert is the Southern Ocean.

 

[TallIan]

Tempted, I'll think up a character

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[TallIan]

So I'm thinking of a halfling ranger. The idea sprang from another PbP game that fell through, but he's basically notagoblinwolfrider beastmaster - at least he will be if we make it to level 3. His back story might need some tweaking because the as is, he needs to be level 3 for it to work.

So to the questions then. Is riding my animal companion something that you would allow?

 

[SunGold]

Posting interest.

If you get more than enough players I may bow out, but I'll keep my eye on the thread and start thinking about a character. Leaning half-elf warlock.

 

[jmucchiello]

So to the questions then. Is riding my animal companion something that you would allow?

So you want to ride a wolf animal companion that isn't your companion yet? It's feasible but you will need to make several Animal Handling rolls those first two levels where he's just semi-domesticated. The wolf also might be hard to keep under control inside the town of Bit among so many people before you hit 3rd level.

I don't think this really changes your back story. You will just be playing out the time leading up to bonding of the wolf and the ranger.

If you are just asking if you can ride a companion, I don't see why not. Beastmaster isn't known for being a powerhouse class.

 

[TallIan]

If you are just asking if you can ride a companion, I don't see why not. Beastmaster isn't known for being a powerhouse class.

Mostly this, though I phrased it really badly, I've seem arguments against it saying that the companion isn't proficient in saddles (though that's more of a barding issue.) But as long as I can ride the companion come level 3 all is good.

When you say "WotC published source", is that UA - that's what I actually wanted to ask as the, as the UA beastmaster is considerably better that the PHB one. I'm happy either way, as the requirement for this character is that he can ride his companion.

I'll wait and see what else we have in terms of players (probably won't hear much until Monday now) before getting the full story up (depends how much time my wife lets me have over the weekend) but the basics are: Captured by goblins and used as a slave for some time. Found a companion in one of the wolf pups they were raising for their wolf riders. Escaped with the wolf (pup).

Since you want our characters to have some history or knowledge of each other, I thought I would put that there so people can match their history to it.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Posting Interest, likely human, Not sure whether I want to play a character I've started and the game died or create something new.

 

[eayres33]

I have some interest was thinking a dwarf barbarian, had a question on the setting is it high magic, S&S, low magic? The answer doesn’t change my interest but it may affect my backstory/background.

 

[jmucchiello]

Mostly this, though I phrased it really badly, I've seem arguments against it saying that the companion isn't proficient in saddles (though that's more of a barding issue.) But as long as I can ride the companion come level 3 all is good.

Amusing. Yes, I would think that's a animal handling/training thing, though.

When you say "WotC published source", is that UA - that's what I actually wanted to ask as the, as the UA beastmaster is considerably better that the PHB one. I'm happy either way, as the requirement for this character is that he can ride his companion.

I meant published as in "in a book". But again, with Beastmaster, I might make an exception. Let me reread the UA article over the weekend and think about it.

I'll wait and see what else we have in terms of players (probably won't hear much until Monday now) before getting the full story up (depends how much time my wife lets me have over the weekend) but the basics are: Captured by goblins and used as a slave for some time. Found a companion in one of the wolf pups they were raising for their wolf riders. Escaped with the wolf (pup).

That's more likely to be hobgoblins or orcs but otherwise nothing wrong with that so far.

Since you want our characters to have some history or knowledge of each other, I thought I would put that there so people can match their history to it.

You might only know some people from childhood so it's not like you all have to enjoy drinking in the same bar.