Heavy Story-Focused Fantasy Adventure: Closed

[Rachubka]

Neat. Okay.

I'll get to rocking your socks off with an amazing character sheet.

PS, actually did read the whole thread but I hate sounding eager. :)

[King Serperior]

That's perfectly fine.  I have now closed interest until you and the other interested parties complete their character sheets.

Current Interested Players:

• VonDoom:  Completed Sheet, all but approved and likely will be
• RedPhoenix:  Completed Sheet, all but approved and likely will be
• Silver Phoenix:  WIP Character Sheet
• Sally Aces:  No Character Sheet thusfar
• EndofDivine:  No Character Sheet thusfar
• AribethAmkiir:  No Character Sheet thusfar
• Chreestafer:  No Character Sheet thusfar
• Lithium:  Completed Character Sheet, not current approved
• Chulanowa:  No Character Sheet thusfar

There are currently five open spots, but VonDoom's and RedPhoenix's characters are looking like a yes, so for everyone else, assume there are only THREE slots open.

[Rachubka]

Name: Mari Hyluan
Race: Drow
Age: 33 (Looks early twenties)
Sex: Female
Affiliation: Previous student of an Underdark magic college. Previous Handmaiden of the Spider Queen. No current affiliation.
Class: Arcane Archer

Important Notes: Chaotic Neutral in alignment. A 'failed' magic college attendee - skilled archer but is lacking in any other combat discipline. Distinguishing features: Bright red eyes with extraordinarily long snow-white hair; ears adorned with several small silver rings; lithe, almost fragile figure. Relatively short at 5'4". Recently lost touch with Goddess Lolth following a refusal to sacrifice another - seldom spoken of.

Specific Items / Weapons:

Bound Bow - Hush

A result of one of the few spells Mari had managed to learn from her time in a magic college. Conjured, Hush appears from thin air before the Dark Elf when summoned. Arrows are formed when the bow string is drawn to Mari's cheek.

;

Enchanted Bracer

Despite attending magic school, Mari's affinity to the craft is limited. One of the few acquaintances she was able to make despite her shortcomings was an enchanter that provided the girl with a bracer and that made summoning Hush easier and stronger. Without the bracer, Hush had a penchant for disappearing at inopportune times. It is made of dark leather that covers 3/4 of her forearm. It is laced on the outside while the inside has an embedded blue gem that courses magic through the intricate embroidery.

; often wears simple red linens with a leather breastplate and headband to keep her locks of hair from her eyes.

Notable Spells:

• Bound Bow - Hush: As above. Potential to learn how to also conjure stronger arrows or perhaps multiple arrows at once. Her desire to master the art is at a minimum, currently.
• Stoneflesh: Another result of having to survive in a magic school with an abundant number of students drawn to and talented in the more sexy schools of magic. For a time, Mari's skin and clothing are encased in a what appears to be a sheer layer of stone that can resist oncoming physical attacks, save for the truly determined. Only cast after ample preparation.
• Spectral Chain: An augmented spell learned from necessity and practicality than traditional teachings. In combination with Hush, an arrow is fired with a spectral chain linked to the bow. So far, Mari has used this to reach otherwise unreachable heights, though it could be used in battle, if she ever thought to.
• Faerie Fire: An evocation lost to Mari having abandoned Lolth. Prior to being excommunicated, the Dark Elf could cast a target in a dull, purple hue that allowed her to more effectively track and eliminate him.

Ons/Offs:  Currently incredibly outdated. Basically no toilet business, mutilation, general grossness. If you think I'll think it's weird, just ask! :)



Well, I think that should do it. I will GLADLY elaborate on anything and make any necessary changes. Just let me know! :)

[King Serperior]

Alright, I'm going to be going over what we have thusfar:

I was thinking probably High Elf father (their focus on magic and all), unless that's a problem, in which case I can easily go with Wood Elf.

A High Elf would work better as Wood Elves prefer to not rely on magic as an 'it's easier this way' excuse.

Okay, that cool.  Um... maybe he's handed over leadership to someone else and is now doing his own thing, but they're still on good terms and keep in close contact?

That can be an option.  Perhaps he wasn't leader for long or maybe even wanted someone else to lead who was better suited?  I am fine with them being on good terms.  Keeping in close contact could be a problem depending on how far the group goes from the area of influence this band is located in.

I was thinking sentient that has some incentive to keep him alive, but during his ventures in game, he'd gradually awaken it to greater abilities, but for now starts off little more than a good sword with the ability to use elemental magic through it without having to chant and gesture to cast spells.

I'm not too sure on sentience in the sense of it speaks to the wielder.  However, the blade may only respond to his bloodline and thus works that way?  As for elemental magic. I would suggest focusing on one element.  It may catch fire, crackle with lightning, or a strong swing produces a gust of wind for example.  A sword that can cast multiple forms of magic without chants and gestures would be very powerful indeed.  It might make more sense for a strong blade in a more narrow sense instead of a broad spectrum of powers.

I'm going more with swordsman with some magic capability.

Alright, that can work.

Hi! I couldn't resist making an Orc lady. :3

Alright, well, I am liking what I see, but I have a few notes and questions:

Specific Items / Weapons:
-

Heart of the Earth-Mother

: A massive warhammer crowned by an ancient stone, said to have been spit out from the center of the Earth by a volcanic eruption millennia ago. The stone's density shifts naturally according to its wielder's actions, deciding on its own when it needs to become heavier or lighter.

A very interesting item.  Might I assume that it is generally very light most of the time and only becomes heavy during a downward swing?  Perhaps its weight changes depends on the emotions of the wielder?  It becomes heavy when they are angry and light when happy?  Might make battles interesting.

Notable Spells: Ritualistically applied war paints, each color has a different effect. Trying to wear more than one at a time could have dangerous and unpredictable consequences. They can also become addictive, especially if overused.
-Blue: Increases toughness and stamina as well as moderately dampening pain.
-Red: Causes adrenaline to spike much higher, greatly increases aggression and makes the wearer far more prone to fits of frenzied rage.
-Yellow: Increases the wearers senses, reflexes, balance and agility. May cause fidgeting.
-White: Speeds up the body's regeneration, causes healing spells cast upon the wearer to be more effective and grants a sense of relaxed tranquility.
-Pink: Makes the wearer significantly more alluring to others while also increasing both libido and pleasure.

Now, I have the most to say about this:

First, I don't see any real reason to have the pink one as it seems like something Orcs wouldn't really use as a War Paint.  It feels to me like it is there in the case of a smutty scene and really only that.  I'm honestly unable to think of a practical combat situation a 'war paint' like that would be used in.

Second, would I be correct in the fact that these paints cannot be applied more than once or twice a day?  I mean, how addictive would they be?  These paints seem to be more like a battle drug than actual magical power.  I would also assume that these paints fade quickly after a few minutes as a battle drug/paint needs only to last until the end of a battle.  Also, one has to imagine how they would be applied would take time and forethought as I think a fast work would be possibly sloppy and ineffective, no?  Or perhaps have serious side effects?



@Rachubka:  I'll come back to your character sheet later.  Today's been hectic.

[Lithium]

Alright, well, I am liking what I see, but I have a few notes and questions:A very interesting item.  Might I assume that it is generally very light most of the time and only becomes heavy during a downward swing?  Perhaps its weight changes depends on the emotions of the wielder?  It becomes heavy when they are angry and light when happy?  Might make battles interesting.

Yep, your first assumption is what I had in mind. Basically it was just a fancy way of saying that it's a somewhat better than ordinary warhammer that lets her hit a little harder and fatigue a little slower. I like the sound of your suggestion too, I'm just not too sure how I'd apply it in practice. I feel like if the weight range is too great, the hammer is kind of just worse than an ordinary weapon in both of its forms, and if it's too small then it's essentially pointless. But I'm totally flexible and open to the idea if I'm just missing something, or I can rework the entire weapon concept if you prefer, I don't mind!

First, I don't see any real reason to have the pink one as it seems like something Orcs wouldn't really use as a War Paint.  It feels to me like it is there in the case of a smutty scene and really only that.  I'm honestly unable to think of a practical combat situation a 'war paint' like that would be used in.

I had several reason for it, actually, though it's up to you how valid they are! At first I was just going to make 5 straight combat paints, but by the time I got to the last one I felt that it was a little too much and redundant. So I opted to go with something that could have a more social application, partially to get away from the 'Orcs just want to kill everything in sight and never have fun' stereotype. I figured that it could be intended as a sort of imperfect boost to socializing, which I'd imagine Orcs might find useful if they're trading or interacting with other races and whatnot, and it happens to come with side-effects which could be enjoyable or irritating depending on the situation. Otherwise, it could also be used as a recreational drug.

It definitely wasn't meant for any combat situation, I just didn't think of changing the title of war paints to something like body paints instead, my bad! That being said, I'm not married to the idea at all. I doubted that it would come into play often IC, or ever, like I said I was mostly trying to be creative and avoid going full typical ORC SMASH.

Second, would I be correct in the fact that these paints cannot be applied more than once or twice a day?  I mean, how addictive would they be?  These paints seem to be more like a battle drug than actual magical power.  I would also assume that these paints fade quickly after a few minutes as a battle drug/paint needs only to last until the end of a battle.  Also, one has to imagine how they would be applied would take time and forethought as I think a fast work would be possibly sloppy and ineffective, no?  Or perhaps have serious side effects?

Ah, sorry, I pretty much exclusively play freeform, so I don't naturally think about these things in terms of 'per day', but that's a good question! Once or twice a day sounds fine to me. As for how addictive, I supposed that would depend largely on the individual's propensity for that sort of thing, the dosage and the frequency...but in general terms, we could maybe say light to slightly moderate for an Orc (or anyone who's used them enough to develop some resistance) who uses them responsibly, and more like moderate to high-ish for newbies.

Duration, hmm, my heart's telling me to give them each an individual duration to better match their effects, but for the sake of simplicity let's go with 5-10 minutes for all of them if applied in more or less reasonable amounts. Application does require specific patterns for each color, but they're relatively simplistic, so how about 3ish minutes not counting any additional time required to remove armor or clothing? Would it be alright to add some sort of activator in that case so they could be applied in advance? It could be placing a tiny amount of the paint on the tongue or something like that. The paint's color would dull after the effect ends, but remain on the skin and need to be washed off before applying another one.

And like I mentioned, I'm not used to system style timings and all that, so the numbers I threw out are just my best guesses, feel free to guide me in the right direction!

[Chulanowa]

Had a lot on my plate today, but...! Definitely aiming for a rogue-ish, thiefy-type.

[King Serperior]

Had a busy day, but I'll get the last completed sheets looked at tomorrow.  However, starting on Friday, I'll be distracted for about a week.  I'm hoping to get the game going soon enough.

Thanks for your patience.

[Chulanowa]

I'm here, I'm here!

Option 1

Option 2

Name: Jessail Liddlewood
Race: Halfling
Age: 19
Sex: Female
Affiliation:  Jessail is a burglar working under the auspice of the Farrowport Dockworker's Union - calling them a 'thieves guild' is a good way to end up with bruised kidneys and a lack of merchants willing to do business with you. That said, "Admiral" Long Chellen does seem to know an awful lot about the seedier underbelly of the city, and people who challenge his power in the Docks, Ridetown, or Stalls portions of Farrowport seem to take very extended vacations shortly thereafter. 
Class:  Thief
Important Notes:  Jessail's an orphan, but then so are a lot of people she knows; the Coughing burned through the poor districts when she was a youngster, after all. Though she's an exceptionally good burglar, she doesn't do it for the money - oh she takes enough to be comfortable, and to give the Admiral his cut, but mostly it's the thrill of a job well-done. No low-brow thug or mugger here. Better to escort a drunken noble dripping with riches home and get into his confidence, than to take him for all he's worth and have the Hardboots after you. hard experience has taught her to always have a blade on hand, even if just a piece of glass. She's wary of and yet fascinated by magic. Has a soft spot for other hard-luck cases.
Specific Items / Weapons:  Jessail always keeps a small knife on her. It's not always the same knife, but there's always one at least one. Her "main weapon" is Shrift, a short-sword blessed by some priest or another some time long ago to warn its bearer of those who bear harm against them. Besides that, Jessail is never without a set of lockpicks, usually tucked into a boot or against her bosom, some other unlikely-to-be-searched spots. She's a handy shot with a crossbow, but since they're very illegal in Farrowport, don't tell anyone. Besides all that, she tends to make do with what she has on hand; Halflings, orphans, and thieves can't often count on a full kit, after all!
Notable Spells:  She doesn't have spells... But she does have a handful of baubles.
• The Wild Goose Call: A simple reed whistle, this item can be used once a day and once a night to create any sound the user can imagine, at any point with in the user's sight. It can also be used to play very simple tunes, if you're into that.
• Witch's Soot: Jessail has a small pouch of this powder. When a pinch is used, it deepens any shade the user is in, making them effectively invisible, so long as they remain in that bit of shadow.
• Dwarfish Teacup: Jessail's favorite trinket, this human-sized shot glass provides a never-ending stream of fairly acceptable whiskey to anyone whose lips touch it. it's also completely indestructible by any means whatsoever. So it makes a pretty good sap when slipped into an empty stocking.
Ons/Offs:  Here ya go

[Silver Phoenix]

Okay, so I think I've made the final changes and additions to the character sheet.  Let me know what you think and what needs adjustment, if any.