Dragonlance: Prelude to War [PFRPG] (interest check)

[Thorne]

I can only speak for Lorraine - she's pulled roots and is looking for greener pastures someplace a little less unfriendly to the nobility.

Some might be returning home to somewhere on Abanasinia, some might be doing the same thing she is?

[Andi]

EFA: Exiles / Evacuees. People trying to escape the war they are sure is going to descend on Solamnia in the very near future. Could be just about anything - peasants, merchants, probably a handful of knights (such as can be spared) to provide at least /some/ muscle in case something goes wrong.

[EroticFantasyAuthor]

Ahh okay, thank you. The initial post made it seem like(to me) that the boat goers would really only be those from wealthy and/or knight families.

What is the target alignment for the campaign? Good?

[Andi]

Sure, the knights are sending their families out as well. After all, who's going to rebreed the line if /everyone's/ dead? :)

And yes, good.

[EroticFantasyAuthor]

Might decide on a paladin then, or a honorbound fighter. But a rogue seems interesting as well.

What have we got so far?

[Thorne]

Maybe I better post this before I hit the sack. ^^;

Picture later, when I can get my head around BBcode.

Lorraine 'Raine' Flamewarden
Female Human Fighter 1
LG Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses Perception +2

Description:
This tall, broad-shouldered figure wears what appears to be plate, under a hooded cloak. The hilt of a sword is visible, barely, and a shield is slung casually over one shoulder. The figure sits the back of a shaggy bay horse with an ease that suggests it's as comfortable on horseback as on the ground.
Removing the cloak, helm and scarf reveals a tall, broad-shouldered young woman with stern features. Black eyes, black hair and a warm complexion - just shy of tanned. Mannish, some would say; although her features are even, even attractive, her direct gaze, thin lips and strong jaw aren't terribly feminine. She wears her hair braided, and the end brushes the backs of her thighs when let down.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Defense
--------------------
Defense 14, flat-footed 10. . (+1 Dex, +3 shield)
Armor DR: 7/magic or Large. . (+7 armor)
Critical Defense: +11. . (+7 DR, +1 Dex, +3 shield)
Vig 10 (1d10) Wnd 34 (Threshold 17)
Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +1
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Offense
--------------------
Speed 20 ft.
Melee Heavy Shield Bash +3 (1d4+2/x2) and
. . Bec de corbin +3 (1d10+3/x3) and
. . Kukri +3 (1d4+2/18-20/x2) and
. . Masterwork Longsword +4 (1d8+2/19-20/x2)
Ranged Longbow +2 (1d8/x3)
--------------------
Statistics
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Str 15, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 11
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 14
Feats Improved Shield Bash, Power Attack -1/+2, Shield Focus
Traits Armor Expert, Rich Parents
Skills Acrobatics -2 (-6 jump), Climb -1, Diplomacy +1, Escape Artist -2, Fly -2, Handle Animal +4, Knowledge (nobility) +3, Perception +2, Ride +2, Stealth -2, Survival +5 (+7 to avoid becoming lost when using this), Swim -1
Languages Common, Dwarven, Goblin
Combat Gear Oil (5); Other Gear Masterwork Breastplate, Masterwork Lamellar (steel), leg piece, Heavy steel shield, Bec de corbin, Kukri, Longbow, Masterwork Longsword, Backpack, masterwork (29 @ 43 lbs), Bedroll, Belt pouch (6 @ 3.6 lbs), Compass, Flint and steel, Gear maintenance kit, Hip flask, Lamp, Mess kit, Mirror, Pot, Silk rope, Soap, Thread (50 ft.), Torch (10), Trail rations (5), Waterskin, Whetstone, 45 GP, 3 SP, 7 CP
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TRACKED RESOURCES
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Torch - 0/10
Trail rations - 0/5
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Special Abilities
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Armor Expert -1 Armor check penalty.
Compass +2 circumstance for Survival or Knowledge (Dungeoneering) to avoid becoming lost.
Improved Shield Bash You still get your shield bonus while using Shield Bash.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Shield Focus +1 Shield AC
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History:
Flamewarden Keep was a modest edifice of  grey stone that stood above the small village of Warden's Gate. Held for generations by the sons of the Great Warden, the keep had been one of the last to fall into disrepair and despair. The villagers of Warden's Gate rarely had any ill to say of their lords, who asked little enough of them until Kale Flamewarden was knighted and his father Edrik retired. That was a year after the death of his lady, a death that Edrik took hard. Too hard, some said, as he fell into drink and lost sight of anything but where the next bottle would come from.
Care of the household fell to Lorraine, the oldest. A year older than Kale, by rights she should have been married off at sixteen. A lack of suitors, thanks in part to her plain appearance and lack of patience with false nobility and frippery saw her remaining at her father's side, and later, largely running the affairs of village and household in Kale's absence. Between the two, Lorraine saw funds dwindle, resources dry up and taxes raised to the point where she was in complete agreement with the village magistrate - it had to stop.
"My lady.." The magistrate was not a fat man. He dominated a room by sheer presence, but he was not fat. Lorraine, seated behind her father's desk, sighed heavily.
"In truth, Magistrate Fieren, I wish I /could/ do something." Lorraine heard her own frustration in her tone, and saw Fieren raise his eyebrow on one side. "Kale's latest... request comes at a bad time. I have chosen not to pass it on."
Fieren straightened in surprise. "Chosen not to..? But.."
Lorraine snorted. "I have a better grasp of numbers than that, Magistrate. Your people simply do not have it to give, do they? Warden's Gate has been drained near to dregs - and your people - MY people - chafe under the burden. Let us speak freely. I have 'forgotten' to pass on the last three increases in tax. Our coffers lie near as bare as yours, and we eat little better - most of my catches have gone, in fact, to your tables."
The magistrate nodded, slowly. "Chafe is ... perhaps not the right word, my lady. They bleed. They watch their children suffer, and I begin to see blood in the eyes of even the calmest."
Lorraine closed hers, leaning back. "Cold? Or limited food?"
"Both, I fear."
"Cold, I can do something about." Lorraine sighed. "Bring the children, the sick, the infirm - here. The keep is too large for the few who remain - let those who need the shelter have it. Food is not so easy - the hunting has been-"
"My lady!" Kevren burst in. "My lady, I beg your pardon, but Kale has returned!"
Lorraine straightened, got to her feet, along with the magistrate. They both turned towards the doorway, expecting to see Kale's tall figure behind the chamberlain. Kevren was alone, though, and looked very pale.
"You must come to the courtyard immediately." Kevren bowed, and the magistrate was already moving out of Lorraine's way. She swept past him in a rustle of worn wool without a word, and he moved to follow, with Kevren taking up the rear.

Outside, the courtyard was a sea of humans and horses, swirling about. A dozen voices echoed and became a hundred, and Lorraine paused a moment in front of this cacophony, scanning the crowd before wading in, her voice raised in a fair approximation of the guard-captain's authoritarian bellow as she made order of the chaos.
"This way, Lady Flamewarden." One of the men, wearing a green surcoat, guided her towards the wagon that all the activity seemed to be centered on. From inside it, Lorraine heard her brother's sharp baritone, cautioning someone to be careful. She gave the man in the green coat a hard look. He returned it in kind, and paused. "There was ... an accident."
"Explain." Lorraine pulled her authority about herself like a cloak, stiff and unfamiliar.
"You are familiar with the laws?" He contined, at Lorraine's sharp nod. "Kale has been injured in the course of a fatal duel. I expect he will live, but.."
"He has been stripped of all rank and honours." Lorraine looked over towards the wagon, and her eyes hardened. "Correct?"
"Yes. I am Corvus Tirgarten, head chirurgeon. Kale has lost his right arm from just above the elbow down, and some use of his right leg." He turned to look at where four men were pulling a litter out from the back of the wagon.  "I believe he will live. I will leave one of my staff here to help care for him until he can move around on his own."
Lorraine watched silently. She hardly recognised the thin, angry man on the litter as her brother. Kale's long hair had been cropped short - painfully so - and he had been shaved to allow someone to stitch closed a gash on his head that ran straight down to his jaw. This was the first time she had seen him clean-shaven in years, and the look did not suit him. "Thank you."
"My condolences, Lady Flamewarden." The man bowed, just enough to not be considered rude, then stalked off. Lorraine stood in the center of the melee,

--------------------

Imnoran
Horse
N Large Animal
Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +6
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
Defense 12, flat-footed 10. . (+2 Dex)
Armor DR: 0
Critical Defense: +2. . (+2 Dex)
Vig 15 (2d8) Wnd 34 (Threshold 17)
Fort +6 (+4 vs. hot or cold environments and to resist damage from suffocation), Ref +5, Will +1
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 50 ft.
Melee Hooves x2 (Horse) +3 x2 (1d4+3/x2)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17 (21 vs. Trip)
Feats Endurance, Run
Tricks Attack [Trick], Combat Riding [Trick], Come [Trick], Defend [Trick], Down [Trick], Guard [Trick], Heel [Trick]
Skills Acrobatics +2 (+6 to jump with a running start, +10 jump), Fly +0, Perception +6, Stealth -2, Swim +3 (+7 to resist nonlethal damage from exhaustion)
Languages
SQ combat riding [trick]
Other Gear Bit and bridle, Feed (per day) (2), Riding saddle, Saddlebags (empty), You have no money!
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TRACKED RESOURCES
--------------------
Feed (per day) - 0/2
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Combat Riding [Trick] The animal has been trained to bear a rider into combat.
Endurance +4 to a variety of skill checks. Sleep in L/M armor with no fatigue.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.

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[Andi]

That looks good. I know someone asked me in PM - so, for the public record, I do plan on reviewing (and, if necessary, upgrading) the prestige classes of the world to Pathfinder.

[Muse]

  Andi, I'm still hoping to hear about tinker gnomes--and alchemist's without healing.  ^_^;;

[Blinkin]

Is there room for one more? A Barbarian Fighter perhaps?

[Andi]

Muse: Tinker gnome is acceptable, as is alchemist. Thanks for poking me. :)

Blinkin: I think the holes I see "right now" (depending on who actually sends me sketched-out concepts) is a rogue and potentially a wizard.

[Thorne]

If anyone wants to do collaboration-type stuff (not linked characters so much as 'hey... don't I /know/ you?!'), with backgrounds and stuff, I wouldn't mind. Collaboration is fun. ^.^

[EroticFantasyAuthor]

I'll probably be creating a rogue then, which will hopefully be submitted sometime tomorrow.

[Anon315]

Muse: Tinker gnome is acceptable, as is alchemist. Thanks for poking me. :)

Blinkin: I think the holes I see "right now" (depending on who actually sends me sketched-out concepts) is a rogue and potentially a wizard.

No problem, I just like their racial archetype. Hyooman rogue it is.

I'll probably be creating a rogue then, which will hopefully be submitted sometime tomorrow.

Or that.

[Blinkin]

I think that was my chance going bye-bye. The PF magic system (as well as the D&D3+) system just confuses me and you just got a note about the rogue... although on Krynn, there is only one rogue, and that's a kender... or a halfling in this case.

I'm not opposed to a wizard, probaby of the Red Robes, but someone would have to sit down with me and explain the magic system before I could really figure it out.

[EroticFantasyAuthor]

If rogue's taken then, back to the drawing board.

[Anon315]

It's not "taken", I had just planned on applying with one. So it is represented.

[EroticFantasyAuthor]

Don't really have a clear idea or character concept at the moment, just general "well maybe"s. My unfamiliarity with Dragonlance is causing some uncertainty/doubt. Plus it seems like really the only complete options for character classes are Fighter, Rogue and Wizard, pretty much every other class loses something or doesn't work all together.

So it looks like there will be some overlap in party roles, is that a problem?

Right now my general idea is pretty much a type of mercenary. Fighter or rogue, haven't really decided yet, leaning towards rogue at the moment. But if it's already represented, then not sure. I believe fighter is already represented as well. So kind of at a loss here.

Then we get into wizards, aren't Dragonlance wizards different from "normal" D&D/Pathfinder wizards somehow? And even if that isn't true, what about Elves? Dwarves? Really seems like the only uncomplicated race option for Dragonlance, from my understanding, is a straight up human.

So basically what I have now is a human mercenary.

I know I'm probably over thinking things too much, but at the same time I want to make a character that fits with the campaign setting and the party.

[Blinkin]

Hmmm... How about a swashbuckler archetype from the rogue class? As the game seems to begin on ship, the swashbuckler might fit. It's basically a light fighter with some rogue abilities....

Or perhaps a ranger?

[AndyZ]

Possibly a silly question, but can you take 10 on Spellcraft checks for things like making magic items?

[Thorne]

Iirc, elves and dwarves are essentially the same (mehcanics wise) as any other reality (likewise half-elves). The issues come in backgrounds/RP.

Elves are split into three groups. The Silvanesti closed their borders ... by human reckoning, about three hundred years previous, give or take. They're arrogant, close-minded, unpleasant company, for the most part. I seem to recall something like a caste set up for their society - house Mystic, House Sentinel ... that sort of thing.
The Qualinesti don't get along with them. They don't get along with anyone else either, but mostly they think humans are garbage - few too many raiders tearing through their borders, raping their women and generally being bad neighbors has coloured the attitude of the Qualinesti towards humans. Most half-elves come from Qualinesti stock.
I don't know much about the Kagonesti, other than that they are Wild Elves, with a somewhat primitive culture and simplistic outlook on life. Not themselves primitive, but they eat meat and they don't see much use for civilised trappings.

Half-elves are generally looked down on. Their elven relatives look down on them with shame and pity, and a lot of humans don't like them either - suspicion, more than anything else.

I /think/ mountain dwarves are largely typical of dwarves in other places. Maybe a little less friendly. I don't know from Hill dwarves at all, unfortunately - neither the books nor the setting information is much help. >.<
Of course, there are always gully dwarves .... o.O

If I was going to run a healer-type in Krynn, I would aim for the 'herb healer', or so to start. Someone trained in mundane healing, essentially. IIRC, the Seeker 'religion' is gaining a foothold in Krynn at this point, and a cleric could easily be of that ... ahm.. faith. No, they don't get powers, but later... it might be a reason to go looking, perhaps?

[Marie Reynolds]

Hmm I have an Idea for a Mystic Apothecary/Faith Healer to the common folk community. She went with the envoy after hard work to earn the passage of the peasant community that she has become a spiritual guide and healer in there life. Race I would need to think on since my favorite race has a high ECL. I would love to have background ties with people maybe performed some tasks to earn coin or patronage for the peasants and such.

[Andi]

Lots of things, so where to start:

Thorne has it mostly right about the races. The Silvanesti don't go out much - about the only time you see a Silvanesti outside their borders is a Mystic taking his Test of High Sorcery, and then, his mentor probably teleports him to and from Wayreth Tower.
The Qualinesti are a little more open-minded, but they've come to /really/ hate humans. As Thorne said, there've been misunderstandings about border crossings, trade practices and mating rituals. Note that the governing bodies of both Elven nations /personally/ remember a time when the Gods were active in the world, and they both blame humans for the change (and the meteorite that struck Istar).
The Kagonesti are very much like the various indigenous tribes of human - a people adjusted to the wilderness they live in, using stone age tools to make a living in accordance with nature. At this point in Krynn's timeline, their existence is actually unknown.

There are three primary breeds of dwarf. Hill dwarves are your basic PFRPG dwarves; they live in small communities all over the world. Most see themselves as Dwarven diaspora from Thorbardin, and blame their kin there for their fate.
Mountain dwarves have not been out in the world since the Dwarfgate Wars, when they closed Thorbardin to visitors and passage. Then there are the duergar, who share Thorbardin with the mountain dwarves.
Gully Dwarves are... different. They are scavengers; the other dwarves view them as lesser kin, if not cockroaches. They are, as a rule, even more child-like than kender, superstitious, somewhat silly, cowardly, but at the same time, very shrewd if they need to be.



Regarding the magic system, I'm going to be using the Words of Power rules for Wizards and their prestige classes; the rules themselves can be found here. In brief, going from the original system, each Wizard knows whatever Word of Power he has learned, and can arrange them into spells. Casting a spell consumes a spell slot of the appropriate level.



Spellcraft for Magic Item Creation: Yes, if doing so in a proper setting and working all day. No, if using the "crafting while adventuring" rule.

The faith healer idea sounds interesting. Let me know if you need any help or input.

[EroticFantasyAuthor]

For the moment, thinking a Young Lawful Good Fighter who was assigned by his Father(one of the good/non-corrupt high ranking Knights) to protect the ship, see that they're able to escape the war and start new lives away from the Knightly Orders corruption.

Thank you all the the information, can be a bit overwhelming/intimidating(sure there's a better word, but can't think of it at the moment) jumping into a new setting you're totally unfamiliar with(especially an old established one like Dragonlance).

[Andi]

So, ladies, gentlemen, I'm starting to be curious. Seeing a lot of skeleton ideas floating around - anyone want to send in a somewhat more detailed description and history? Doesn't have to be a fully-created character like Thorne's, but some idea who you want to be in this game.

[EroticFantasyAuthor]

I think I've pretty much decided(provided of course that it's allowed/okay) that my character will be as I described above. Honorable Lawful Good Knight(Fighter), raised in the military as a squire, having recently just taken his Knightly Oaths. His first assignment(coming from his father, a rather high-ranking knight, one of the good ones) is to protect those on the ship as they start their new lives away from the coming war and corruption of the knightly order.

Back up character, most likely a rogue mercenary type. Likely Chaotic Neutral(but not Chaotic Stupid.)

Asking just to keep options open, would a Knight Flavored Samurai be okay? Pretty much regular western knight, using the mechanics of a Samurai, still need to actually research/review the class, but it's a possibility. Plan right now though is to stick with Fighter.