Player Seeking DM For Moderate/High Level 3.5 Game

[PhantomPistoleer]

Wait, so you're planning on running this on yahoo?

If so, I'm not interested.

[Laughing Hyena]

wont deter me but how do I use yahoo groups??

[Ixy]

Wait, so you're planning on running this on yahoo?

If so, I'm not interested.

Same here-- sorry to hear that, but I hope it works out for everybody-- have fun!

[bkrose]

OK Phantom.  Sorry you won't be along for the ride.  Can I ask why?

For others, once I get your character approved, I'll send you a link to the group address with an invitation.  You respond with OK, and that's it.  From then on, you send email to the group email address, and everything gets stacked up like in a BBS for archive viewing.  There's a section for files, one for just pictures, a voting platform, links, etc... It's pretty cool, and all free.

Just to clarify, I'm not talking about Yahoo Instant Messaging.  This is Yahoo Groups.

[bkrose]

I may allow creatures, but we're talking L6 here.  I think you might be hard pressed to play anything like a dragon and still be under the level limit.

Let me just say that I'll entertain anything, but if it's too outlandish, it will probably be rejected.

[Laughing Hyena]

Hmm.... Unique as the concept is Im nto too sure how effective a dragon disciple could be as a tank.

[bkrose]

Honestly, a 'Tank' character would be hard to play in a light combat, heavy role play game unless you're really an amazing writer... which I hope you are, by the way. :)

But there is room for lots of options out there.  Again, no promises since I will still have to see the background, character sheet, etc... but it can be done.

[GravinHeart]

Man, I really need to check my threads more often! Obviously, I'm interested, considering I'm the one that started this thread. ;) I'd like to play a Wizard, obviously, so just tell me what you want all you want me to send you,and I'll get working on it.

[Laughing Hyena]

Oh I am fairly decent. Just that a look at a few threads that I post in and you'll see what I mean. ^_~ Anyway I'll get a backstory up soon.

[bkrose]

Hi GravinHeart.  Yeah, was kinda wondering when you might poke your head back in here.  :)

So... as I mentioned before, I'm looking for Level 6 characters, 36 Point Buy, 9,000 GP starting equipment.  Races and Classes are flexible within level limits, and within reason.  I'm willing to work on just about anything as long as we can keep it in balance.

So... for the other stuff, I'd like to see a background, a physical description as well as a sort of personality profile.  As much as you're willing to write is fine.

I'll be putting together a Yahoo Group with some additional info for the game, and I'll put a bit of a teaser out here so you can all get a sense of what the game will be like.

If anyone has more questions, let me have 'em.

[Laughing Hyena]

Ausk Nerzull

Character Sheet

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Backstory: Originally Ausk Ner'zull when he was born was a runt of a boy only weighing at five pounds. Puny he was not expected to last long within the winters to come within the harsh mountains. But as the boy grew his mind sharpened and his body strengthened with challenge after challenge of survival. The boy whilst small was a very fast learner and initially spoke strange tongues that made no sense to others. They called him possessed at times and performed rituals to purge his body of what evil spirits came to hold him.

Eventually however he learned not to speak in that tongue, instinctive as it was to him. During the time of his ascension into manhood he managed to call upon a rare gift during a battle with a wolf pack. Summoning a shield of magic to protect him he drove the wolves off and took the leaders pelt as his prize and proof of his manhood. His tribe would see him as a threat to the natural way of things he soon realized. He would have to leave and take up a new life. He could carve his own path and create for himself a place where the strong rule with an open mind and wisdom. Embracing his gifts and his bloodlines he is well upon his way to becoming not just a human but a ruler of men.

Personality: Ausk Ner'zull is self serving in his ambitions often posting the question of "what's in this for me?" He knows that his ambitions will eventually lead to much notoriety and he is willing to act upon them to the fullest. However despite his desires for power he rarely ever takes a path that causes great suffering. He outright refuses to take part in treachery of those he considers an ally unless he can somehow undo it or if it benefits them also in the long run. He also refuses to oppress the weak using the logic that the strong do not need to use their strength against them. He saves that power for his enemies and not for such petty motives.

Physical Description: Long black hair which ends at the shoulder crowns his head and faint black horns have protruded from his forehead. His shoulders are broad and his broad chest shows no signs of hair however the skin has a slight patch of silver scales along the spine. Though it rarely shows due to the fact that he is often garbed in practical clothes meant for endurance and underneath that is a fine shirt of chain mesh to protect himself. At his hips are fine looking hand axes each made of the highest quality steel. As he smiles one can see a faint exaggeration of sharpened teeth as if they were filed down but it seems so natural. His nails also end in fine black points like talons. Peering at those he meets with icy blue eyes the man radiates confidence that is unwavering and unsettling. Like he knows he is absolutely right in his mind and nothing shakes his resolve.

[GravinHeart]

Hrmn. There are two Prestige Classes I really like that I've never tried. The Geometer, and the Fiendbinder. If possible, I'd aim for the latter. Though I'll have to wait a level or two for that. If not, I'd go for Geometer. Are either of those acceptable? I'm asking before I start working on a background and such, so I know what to work with.

[bkrose]

GravinHeart - Send me the details on those Prestige Classes, and I'll take them into consideration.  I general, I don't have a problem with Prestige Classes, so long as they are accepted as genuine and not one-offs.  The on-offs I have to evaluate before approval.

I like Ausk.  Keep it coming!

Please use my email for others who want to send me characters.

pbem_rpg@optonline.net

[Laughing Hyena]

My apologies. Is there anything you would like me to change about him by chance??

[bkrose]

Not from what I've seen.  As I said... keep it coming!  :)

[bkrose]

OK, this is just a teaser.  I'll have more soon.  I haven't given the game a name yet, but here's the general idea...

Basically, it's an Eberron Campaign with a sort of Steampunk element mixed in... (Magepunk if you will) Very gritty, lots of corruption, political intrigue, crime and generous amounts of gratuitous sex and violence.

Since the end of The Last War, more than 10 years hence, the Thirteen Houses have turned their attention from making war, to making profits.  Where once the ship yards of Zilargo produced warships and powerful weapons to do battle over the five kingdoms, they now produced massive galleons and cargo vessels that could swallow those other ships whole.  Kundarak Banks, Sivis Message Stations, and Ghallanda Hostels exist in nearly every city.

The moving city of Argonth conducts its age old circuits, but not for military readiness.  Now it serves as a mobile market, conducting trade on a vast scale along the kingdom's borders.  House Orien, the masters of overland travel, have controlled the city for the last decade, and the prosperity of those living on the moving city are nearly legend.

House Lyrandar plies the skies in ever larger airships, some requiring three or four elementals to get off the ground.  These monstrous ships can carry nearly anything, and often do, traveling between the continents to bring the wares of Khorvaire to the far reaches of the known world, and return with trade goods from the same.

Magic and Artifice has permeated every aspect of modern life.  Even in the most modest of homes one can find elemental bound ovens, water-makers, air-movers, and other devices that provide convenience and comfort.  And no place has more magic and artifice at work than Sharn, the City of Towers.  Skycoaches, airsleds, airships, and countless other flying machines fill the skies in and around the great city, bolstered by the Syrania Manifest Zone.  Constructs of every shape and size roam the streets performing jobs that would cost the city more to hire workers to perform.  In the hazardous conditions of the city sewers, foundries, and deep in the poisonous air of the Cogs, more constructs labor tirelessly to keep the raw materials of the artifice guilds flowing.  And this allows the manufacture of magical goods on a vast scale.  The simplest ones can be purchased for very reasonable prices.

This overdependence on magic has given the Dragonmarked Houses, and their powerful guilds vast influence on government, laws, economics and social structure.  The people are divided in their views, with some seeing magic and artifice as beneficial, an example of their advanced culture and development.  Others see it as destabilizing society, making the people weaker as magic does more and more for them.  Some view artifice as a dangerous presence, with the memory of war too fresh in their minds to ignore.  Some see magic as a mitigating factor, offering balance and equality for everyone, while others view the gap between the haves and have-nots as expanding, separating them into ever greater levels of classes.

Whatever the view of the individual, there is no denying the overpowering presence of magic in everyday life.

And as minor magics have insinuated themselves into every part of the average citizen's life, the Houses have restricted more powerful spells and items to themselves or those with enough money to buy dispensations. The most advanced magic and artifice is far too expensive for the average citizen, and so only the very rich are able to afford these. And then there are the most powerful items that are so rare and so valuable that only the elite, the dragonmarked houses  themselves, or nobility can posses them.

The Watch keeps a close eye on magic use, cracking down hard on any public displays of harmful magic or public uses of enchantment effects. For the public good, they say, but the rich can buy licenses which allow them to cast as they will in spite of the laws, though good taste and decorum tend to discourage such blatant uses of magic.

Mundane weapons are still legal for the public as a whole, as are minor enchantments, but powerful magical weapons and items require proper licensing or at least a fair bribe to the watchman who stops you on the street.

The Watch itself has grown even more corrupt as House armsmen gained more power outside their enclaves. The average House scion or soldier is all but exempt from Watch arrest, as the Houses police their own, but the Watch is all the more brutal with the average citizen for having to stand by and watch as the dragonmarked and their kin flout the laws.

The Houses themselves have stepped beyond even the authority of the city itself.  Rather than relying on, and being subject to, the City Watch, they have formed private armies they call 'House Security'.  Within their enclaves, which have spread widely throughout the upper levels of the city, the House Security are the law.  City watch, constables, garrison soldiers, even the kings own men, are trumped by the House authority within their own enclaves.  They are treated like embassies, exempt from kingdom law within the perimeters of their holdings.

Most laws in Sharn are enforced with an eye to the pocketbook. If you have enough money to buy off the Watchman you are almost guaranteed to get away with most any minor crime. Major crimes- those that threaten to bring public scrutiny from the press, that is- tend to be investigated with fervor no matter the social standing of the suspect but money again shows its power when the crimes come to court. But by then the newshounds have moved on to some other sensation and generally miss when the rich man arrested for some heinous crime is quietly released after being found not guilty.

House Cannith – University District, The Cogs
House Denieth – Most of Upper Tavick's Landing, Copper Arch
House Ghallanda – Harreth's Folly, Hope's Peak, Cornerstone
House Jorasco – Harreth's Folly, Hope's Peak, Cornerstone
House Kundarak – Korranath, Korran-Thriven, Highhold
House Lyrandar – Highest Towers
House Medani – Everbright
House Orien – Terminus, Tavick's Market, Cogsgate, Wroann's Gate
House Phiarlan – Shae Lias, University District
House Sivis – Den'iyas
House Tharashk – Clifftop, Warden Towers
House Thuranni – Sharn's Welcome, Dragoneyes
House Vadalis – Skysedge Park
All Houses – Dragon Towers
All Houses – Skyway

Some general guidelines for creating your character.

1)   The aristocracy have become an oppressive and dominating presence in the world, and the most aristocratic of these are not from nobility, or even royalty.  The highest ranked of society come from the 13 Dragonmarked Houses.  That said, if you take a dragonmark, expect to be treated harshly by those not of high society... so pretty much everyone.
2)   The common folk are more or less living in a lulled existence of suppression and subjugation.  The gap between the haves and the have-nots is increasing, and they don't see a practical way out.
3)   There is a small resistance among the oppressed common, and they are increasing in influence, power and popularity.  Many think a conflict between the ruling elite and the resistance is inevitable.  Some look forward to it, others are terrified.

[Matthew]

Alright... I'm slowly working on a backstory, keeping one eye on the Eberron books to make sure it fits well.. but I have the numbers side of things mostly finished, so I figured I'd post it here to make sure things are ok so far ^_^

http://plothook.net/RPG/profiler/view.php?id=9210

edit: Do the standard non-house sharn organizations still exist in this game? And if so, would a character who' a member of/affiliated with the Boromar Clan be allowed?

edit again: Here we go, if the organization I've used dosn't exist in the setting, I'll gladly change it to a more generic/fitting organized crime group

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Lily Gardner


Background

Lily grew up as one of the countless orphan’s living on the streets of Lower Dura. Like many of her ilk, she ran with one of the many minor criminal gangs... and luckily for her, the one she ended up with, while small, was rather successful... and their leader, a halfling himself, was in fact a member of the Boromar Clan, using the gang as much for recruitment as he was for the profit they brought in... and when it came to the sort of work the clan specialized in, he was an excellent teacher. Lily picked her first pocket before she was five, was helping smugglers slip packages past the watch by the time she was seven, and commited her first burglary when she was eleven. By the time she reached adulthood, the thought of any career other then joining the career was practically unthinkable.

Appearance

On the surface, Lily still maintains the appearance of one of Dura’s many downtrodden, her clothing ragged, stained, and ill-fitted, her hair an unkempt mess. To one who doesn't know her, she’s just another homeless beggar, struggling to get by... and that’s just the way she likes it, doing her best to maintain the image when in public.

Personality

On the other hand, when in private, with those she trusts, she’s much more laid back. Normally, she’s friendly enough, though she tends to be rather sarcastic when annoyed, especially when she feels she’s not being taken seriously due to her size. She has a sharp tongue, and a strong accent from her upbringing on the streets... and both are fairly obvious, as she’s not particularly good at keeping her mouth shut, a trait that occasionally gets her into trouble.

[Taaloc]

Hmm, Play-by Email isn't really my thing (which is what I assume PBEM stands for) so I think I'll step my interest down.

Best of luck to the rest of you in having an enjoyable game.

[bkrose]

Mathew - Yes, the Boromar are definitely still around, as are the Daask, the Tyrants, and the Tarkanan... and having someone affiliated (to some degree) with one of those organized crime groups would actually fit rather well.

Taaloc - I'm sorry to hear that.  May I ask what it is about PBEM that has you turned off.  I might be able to assuage some of your concerns or conceptions.

Ixy generously offered to show me how running a game can be accomplished here, so I went looking around at some of the games currently underway.  To be honest, one of the many reasons I favor PBEM with Yahoo Groups is so I (and all the players) can use a regular email system to participate in the game.  I don't have to navigate to a particular web site, find my game and the latest thread, view every picture posted all over again complete with avatars and what all else...  It's just a more streamlined way of playing to stick with email 80% of the time.  Then I can post pictures or other documents, and automatically announce it to the entire group with a check box.  I can set up a blind polling for all players to vote on a topic (where would you like the adventure to go next?  Is the game pace suitable for you?  Would anyone want a new character to play as a guest NPC?)  I can create a library of frequently accessed documents, dozens of pictures, a directory just for maps, for NPC's, for key locations, etc... I can have a list of common links that are always easy to find and manage.

Trust me... I've been role playing via email for the past 9 years, and have gotten very good at it.  And Yahoo Groups makes the life of a DM (and the players to be honest) much easier.  Not the least of these reasons is the simplicity of sending an email to 1 address... the group itself, and everyone in the group gets it.  If I want to send individual emails to a player of players, I can do it from my email, or go to the group and post from there.

I think this site might work well for an OOC forum, or a player interaction (as opposed to character interaction) site.  But in all fairness, if you haven't tried Yahoo Groups for a PBEM game, you may need to experience it before you really understand how effective it can be.

So... this was a long winded way of saying, 'Give It A Try'.  If I can't convince you in the first week of play that the Yahoo Group PBEM method is a winner, then no harm done.  Hopefully I can demonstrate that PBEM doesn't have to be awkward and lack luster if the right tool can be used.

So... how about it?

[Kate]

you know what ok -

if its easier for the storyteller - thats enough for me

walk us through how to use yahoo groups / get set up and i am willing to give it ago :)

Btw can I be a young gold dragon  (level adjustment 6) ? see ...

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dragonTrue.htm

I can take humanoid form 3 times a day .. many reasons why I would love to be one I really think I would be able to role play it such that I don't make it comical ... :)

[bkrose]

Well, as I look at the information, I see that the Level Adjustment may be +6, but the starting package also includes 14 HD, which means a Young Gold Dragon would have the same ECL as a 20th level character.  That's a bit beyond the scope here.

I would be willing to work on a half-breed character descended from a gold dragon however.  We could work in some interesting features, maybe exchange some levels for abilities, and come up with something more balanced.

[Kate]

I have an idea... I dont really care to be the most powerful ... just want to be "me"

if i role play well - the outcome of fights or whatever you god-mode ... im not really one to be upset with not getting my way - to me all is good if it helps role play / and plot  .. so you can god-mode my character in any way for plot reasons..

need me to be hit with something hard and heavy as a warning to the rest of the group ... guess who DOESNT get a saving though .. for plot reasons :) ...

thoughts ?

Ie i am mainly a plot-helper (ie you god-mode my character with my blessing any time you wish to keep the story flowing.. )

[bkrose]

I have a counter idea.

You create a standard character to play as part of the group, AND create this young dragon character you can run as a sort of regular "guest on our show".  She can be an NPC but under your control.  That way you can participate in the game without over balancing the group, and your dragon girl can help with the plot outside of that scope.

It might be cool if your PC was the daughter of this young dragon, maybe a human Sorceress with some dragon like features (slitted eyes, forked tongue, a row of golden scales down the middle of her back, etc...)  Or, if the Dragon girl would be too young for that, maybe an apprentice who isn't aware that her mentor is actually not human.  :)


Thoughts?

[Laughing Hyena]

Guess this means I gotta work on a new character since my character is a dragon disciple then eh? :-) Then again this opens up other opportunities right?

[bkrose]

Not really.  The Dragon Disciple is not a dragon... it's a prestige class, and if you can qualify for it, there's no reason why you shouldn't try taking it.  There's no ECL adjustment there.