D&D 3.5 Campaign Seeks Players [NC, Extreme, Plot]

Started by ShadowOfHeaven, November 05, 2012, 12:06:18 AM

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Lithium


Muse

#101
Please permit me to present my as yet unnamed paladin: 

   High on a mountain side near the city of Tantras stands a white stone keep.  In the depths of the night it shines with a soft, pure light, as if a star had been plucked from Shar’s cloak and worked into a castle. 

   The bell in the western tower chimed ten times, indicating that the middle of the night had come.  Selune was a thin silvery curve low on the horizon, trailing shimmering tears wept for the pain of the world. 

   When Selune set, it was said, the Goddess of Hope would not be present to protect those who slumbered and those who worked honestly in the night.  The people of this castle, however, would not let their vigilance flag.  The knights of the golden lion stood the towers and walked the walls, unblinking, untiring, lest the dark things of the mountains descend upon Tantras unawares. 

   Within the chapel, a twenty one year old maiden stood a different vigil.  Clad in only a white cotton shift and soft leather shoes, she waited before the alter on one knee.  Long waves of fiery hair were arranged artfully around her shoulders.  Her hands clasped a heavy steel flamberge.  Dusky pink lips moved in quite prayer, reciting the Catechism of the Vigilant, the Canticle of Loyalty, and the Penance of Duty. 

   All and all, she seemed a beauty better suited to Sune’s priesthood—or perhaps, the muscles enhancing her curves hinted—Lady Firehair’s Knights of the Ruby Rose. 

   The tolling of the midnight bells found her seventeenth repetition of the dogma.  The redhead paused before beginning again, and spoke more loudly.  “Torm—my god, my teacher—if in the quiet of this night I cannot speak my heart, I fear it will be denied me forever. 

   “When I was a girl, the false priests of Tantras were the greatest tyrants I knew.  My uncle--who I know in my heart now feasts in your halls—died on a needless and impossible crusade.  When my father dared question the false priests and was flogged for his devotion to his brother. 

   “I hated you with all my heart.”  Unshed tears shone in her eyes.  “The Time of
Troubles began and the world fell into madness.  I learned that the gods faced mortality and I prayed to the empty heavens that you, too, would meet your end in exile. 

   “You knew my heart, but you did not forsake me. 

   “You knew my sin, as you knew the sin of the false priests, but you did not abandon me when Bane marched on my home.  When I saw your titanic form stand against the Tyrant, with the body of a man most perfect and the head of a lion, I knew my error  My hate was lifted from my heart…” 

   The redhead’s hands trembled on her sword and a tear ran down each cheek. 

   “You and the tyrant were slain on each other’s blades, and I knew the full injustice I had wrought with my selfish prayer. 

   “You died protecting me.  I loved you then, with the devotion of the faithful, but also the pure love of a girl.  I prayed to the empty heavens and exiled gods to trade my life for yours.  My prayers were answered with your restoration, and my life was spared. 

   “I love you still, my Torm, with the passion of a woman grown.  As the heaven’s answered my prayer, I keep my promise. 

   “My life is yours.” 

   Come the dawn, the maiden was knighted a paladin in Torm’s service.  She was entrusted with a flamberge of the finest steel, armored in a fitted breastplate, and given a helm in the form of a lion’s head. 

A link for all of us who ever had a shouting match with our muse: http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

How to set this Muse ablaze (O/Os)

When the little angel won't appear no matter how many plum blossoms you swirl:  https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=135346.msg16474321#msg16474321 (Major update 5/10/2023)


Niki315

Okay, so I was wondering what's still available (if anything) in this game, and if there's a link to the rp thread yet.

And on the discussion of the improved sunder feat,  I sometimes take Improved sunder and I don't even care about the money aspect.  Primarily yes, the magic weapon is going to be the most valuable piece of loot on the enemy, but from an rp perspective breaking that thing and showing you give zero f*cks tends to give one hell of an intimidation bonus.  As a paladin with that I have performed many swordpoint conversions which over time is more valuable than the magic weapon itself (especially if tithing is common in the campaign setting).  As a blackguard, I flat out enslave people after destroying their stuff, and it shows that I care absolutely nothing for their lives, possessions or souls. Yes, I'm losing out on money, but I think the image is worth it.

Also, at lower levels sundering say an ogre's or troll's weapon (typically a great club with 0 value) is a huge benefit by reducing their damage output greatly (and forcing them to provoke attacks of opportunity to attack).  In addition to that, some GMs allow for improved sunder to do extra damage (like sneak attack or other precision damage) or instantly defeat low level animated objects.

Cleave I agree becomes pretty useless after level 5 or so... unless you for some reason fight hordes of lower level enemies often.

And onto the restrictions for paladin, you'd be surprised how far you can go as a Lawful Good character and keep your alignment.  We've had discussions on what violates lawful good and since the release of the Book of Exalted Deeds, we've had a very different outlook on the good vs. exalted.  In general it depends on the GM's outlook because we have a quantity vs. quality discussion all the time.  The quantity is simply that killing is an evil act, and the more times you kill someone the more likely you are to rack up "evilness" while quality determines that killing an evil person doesn't qualify as an evil act because in essence you have lessened evil in the world thus supplementing good.  Since most GMs prefer gray areas, quality tends to be the most common style and we've had paladins order an entire town to be destroyed to corner one (greater) demon.  The deaths of thousands of people is awful, but the chance to destroy the greater demon which could affect millions more in its lifetime ends up affecting things positively in the end, so it's considered a lawful good act.  There's a lot of leniency there if you can destroy an entire town to kill one demon.  A paladin working with an evil character restricts the evil character more than the paladin since the paladin will fight the evil character for performing evil in front of him.  Even if the evil character is a known felon and terrible person, the paladin can let him live if there's a net positive of good.  Hiring a renowned thief to break into well-defended dungeon and retrieve an artifact for the paladin's church nets enough good to be allowable.  Exalted characters on the other hand, have an entirely different approach, and they tend to be the ones that are really difficult to play (but that's known when going into the book).

Anyway, sorry for the diversion.. I really just wanted to see what was available.

yesiroleplay

I believe cleric is the only class not applied for, though a couple of people have expressed interest I don't remember seeing an actual application from either of them.  Theoretically, Paladin is still open since Muse's application hasn't been approved.  The GM indicated he wasn't looking for any more multi-class characters so cleric seems the best option.

Regarding paladins and their code:  I've always considered the code itself elegantly prevents paladins from abusing their detection ability.  If an evil character is stupid enough to actually act evil in front of a paladin, they rightfully deserve to go down, at the least. Baring that, most game societies at least loosely base their moral codes, value systems, and laws on those of the players.  Which for most of us in this English-speaking forum means "Western Civilization"  In our society, eavesdropping and invasion of privacy are at the very least considered immoral (not good) and depending on the circumstances can be illegal (not lawful.) 

The un-goodness/immorality of invasion of privacy should be enough to prevent paladins from detecting evil on every humanoid they encounter.  If the society they come from decides to make magical detections and scrying illegal except in special circumstances, like most Western societies do with wire taps and recording conversations when at least one party to the conversation has an expectation of privacy, then wholesale use of detect evil is not only unlawful, but could well result in trial, convection, and incarceration for the paladin.

Niki315

I once remember a time where a Paladin hopped up on a table in known hideout for evil beings and turned on detect evil.  He pointed and let his barbarian helper take out anything that was evil.  It was really hard to GM... >.<

Kythia

242037

Lithium


Kythia

242037

Zaer Darkwail

So, if paladin burns a town to corner a greater demon being accetable.....then why his actions were judged to be non-paladin alike? Before he went nuts that is.

Niki315

Because it makes a better story?  And players will do anything to keep their power?

Zaer Darkwail

True that Arthas did kept his paladin powers.....he was just grimly determined in his goal and Stratholm worked fuel his vengeance to extreme point.

But I guess it depends on order where paladin is from. If paladin breaks a deity's doghma he will count as failed as paladin. While generic paladin will follow universal aspect of LG which can allow sacrifices done for greater good (like perform smite evil on a baby which is possessed vessel of a demon prince).

Niki315

#112
Yeah, that's definitely true.  When a paladin is aligned to a deity, he has to follow the deity's tenets as closely as his Lawful Good status will allow, since there's like two lawful good deities and about a dozen good or lawful deities....

Zaer Darkwail

Yeah, so some deity may be upset if paladin torches village kill a demon if demon hunting is not main part of the religion of the deity (or be upset if said village venerated the deity).

ShadowOfHeaven

Quote from: Kythia on November 16, 2012, 06:44:10 AM
I got cleric.

I think Wizard is all we're after

Since Kythia has stated that all her remaining levels will go into Cleric, we'll consider that role filled.
Similarly, since Glyph is only putting 3 levels into Paladin, we'll include a full-class paladin as well.

I am currently considering a few people for the Paladin.
Sorry for the delay there.

I'm going to put up the IC and OOC threads for the game for organizational purposes right now.

Ability score roll options and character sheet template transfer form incoming shortly.
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=124957.msg5498498#msg5498498

please quote when responding to messages.
It makes my life much easier.

TheGlyphstone

Incidentally, since we're playing with such a massive group, might we want to consider some sort of 'default behavior/reaction' part of character sheets? If we have to wait for everyone to respond before anything happens, the game will move at glacial speed.

ShadowOfHeaven

Quote from: TheGlyphstone on November 16, 2012, 05:44:44 PM
Incidentally, since we're playing with such a massive group, might we want to consider some sort of 'default behavior/reaction' part of character sheets? If we have to wait for everyone to respond before anything happens, the game will move at glacial speed.

We can make some assumptions about behavior based on the character's general attitude and goals on short term absences.
Really though, anyone who consistently just isn't responding will certainly become wounded or die via divine intervention.
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=124957.msg5498498#msg5498498

please quote when responding to messages.
It makes my life much easier.


yesiroleplay


ShadowOfHeaven

Quote from: Muse on November 15, 2012, 05:57:26 AM
Please permit me to present my as yet unnamed paladin: 

   High on a mountain side near the city of Tantras stands a white stone keep.  In the depths of the night it shines with a soft, pure light, as if a star had been plucked from Shar’s cloak and worked into a castle. 

   The bell in the western tower chimed ten times, indicating that the middle of the night had come.  Selune was a thin silvery curve low on the horizon, trailing shimmering tears wept for the pain of the world. 

   When Selune set, it was said, the Goddess of Hope would not be present to protect those who slumbered and those who worked honestly in the night.  The people of this castle, however, would not let their vigilance flag.  The knights of the golden lion stood the towers and walked the walls, unblinking, untiring, lest the dark things of the mountains descend upon Tantras unawares. 

   Within the chapel, a twenty one year old maiden stood a different vigil.  Clad in only a white cotton shift and soft leather shoes, she waited before the alter on one knee.  Long waves of fiery hair were arranged artfully around her shoulders.  Her hands clasped a heavy steel flamberge.  Dusky pink lips moved in quite prayer, reciting the Catechism of the Vigilant, the Canticle of Loyalty, and the Penance of Duty. 

   All and all, she seemed a beauty better suited to Sune’s priesthood—or perhaps, the muscles enhancing her curves hinted—Lady Firehair’s Knights of the Ruby Rose. 

   The tolling of the midnight bells found her seventeenth repetition of the dogma.  The redhead paused before beginning again, and spoke more loudly.  “Torm—my god, my teacher—if in the quiet of this night I cannot speak my heart, I fear it will be denied me forever. 

   “When I was a girl, the false priests of Tantras were the greatest tyrants I knew.  My uncle--who I know in my heart now feasts in your halls—died on a needless and impossible crusade.  When my father dared question the false priests and was flogged for his devotion to his brother. 

   “I hated you with all my heart.”  Unshed tears shone in her eyes.  “The Time of
Troubles began and the world fell into madness.  I learned that the gods faced mortality and I prayed to the empty heavens that you, too, would meet your end in exile. 

   “You knew my heart, but you did not forsake me. 

   “You knew my sin, as you knew the sin of the false priests, but you did not abandon me when Bane marched on my home.  When I saw your titanic form stand against the Tyrant, with the body of a man most perfect and the head of a lion, I knew my error  My hate was lifted from my heart…” 

   The redhead’s hands trembled on her sword and a tear ran down each cheek. 

   “You and the tyrant were slain on each other’s blades, and I knew the full injustice I had wrought with my selfish prayer. 

   “You died protecting me.  I loved you then, with the devotion of the faithful, but also the pure love of a girl.  I prayed to the empty heavens and exiled gods to trade my life for yours.  My prayers were answered with your restoration, and my life was spared. 

   “I love you still, my Torm, with the passion of a woman grown.  As the heaven’s answered my prayer, I keep my promise. 

   “My life is yours.” 

   Come the dawn, the maiden was knighted a paladin in Torm’s service.  She was entrusted with a flamberge of the finest steel, armored in a fitted breastplate, and given a helm in the form of a lion’s head. 


Beloved are the faithful.
Approved.
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=124957.msg5498498#msg5498498

please quote when responding to messages.
It makes my life much easier.

yesiroleplay


TheGlyphstone


ShadowOfHeaven

https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=124957.msg5498498#msg5498498

please quote when responding to messages.
It makes my life much easier.

Lidian

I assume the applications have been closed out?

victoria4

I had the impression applications remained open to multi-classed characters, the intent was just to make sure all primary classes are filled first (which they are now).  But that's up to Shadow...