Topic: The War Tower at Belleron (D&D Social Game)

[PhantomPistoleer]

The War Tower at Belleron

"And the peculiar thing is this, my friends
the song we sang on that fateful night-- it didn't actually sound
anything like this song."
Tribute, Tenacious D

"Bretno the Dwarf and I were very hard up for glitter.  It got to the point that booze wasn't doing it any more.  We were seeing pink elephants, as they say, and dear reader, if I ever see a rose pachyderm, it will be too soon!  Bretno the Dwarf said that the only hope of acquiring any glitter would be to descend into the War Tower.  As my legal council, I obliged because Bretno has brisked me away very many times from the maws of sobriety.  The least I could do was heed his council and just go with it.  So, we signed a contract with the War Tower's Lodge for a license to enter the fabled dungeon, got in cahoots with a few leggy lasses and away we went into the pits of despair and the fields of ruin.  It is difficult for the imagination of man to comprehend the magic involved in this place.  Since I was mostly high, I accepted it.  The place is like a cheap prostitute.  It's grimy, it's filthy and it's dangerous.  There is no geometry to the place -- its hallways lead you to rooms that shouldn't exist, and are inhabited by beings that should not be alive.  The War Tower is an infinite dungeon, with infinite surprises and infinite treasures just waiting.  We didn't find any glitter, though, but we found enough loot to feed our habit for a year.  And that's a lot of loot*.  Bretno the Dwarf and I can go through a shitload of glimmer."

Editor's Note:  The Korrenberg Press expresses that all travelers beware the War Tower, as it is an unsafe environment for even the most experienced dungeon delvers.


Excerp from "In The War Tower" by Campbell Garrett, Korrenberg Press (Vol XXXVI)


Summary:  The War Tower at Belleron is a D&D Social Game.  It is set in the world of Eberron, in a tiny little town called Belleron, just south of the Nation of Aundair.  Belleron is close to the War Tower, an infinite dungeon.  The game is geared toward the social interactions between travelers at Belleron's Green Dragon Inn.  These travelers are usually world-renowned adventurers who have already found fame and fortune.  Though it is completely within the realm of possibility for adventurers to enter the War Tower, that is not the focus of the game.

Conception:  This game is essentially a mash-up of ideas.  I was looking through my previous post history, and re-fell in love with some of the characters that I created a long time ago but had no present home.  I wanted to make a game for them to live in.  I thought that it would be great to encourage others to visit their character repositories and pull out characters that had been so tenderly described, but ultimately scrapped.  I also wanted to re-visit my RP roots.  When I was younger, I used to play in a chat room called 'The Green Dragon Inn' on IRC.  It was essentially a social fantasy game with no clear purpose except to goof around with silly old English accents, but it really helped me develop my playing style.  It also helped me develop a lot of skills that I didn't have -- like typing, reading, reading comprehension, etc.  Other inspirations include, Fawlty Towers, Sex at the Greek Olympic Village and Downton Abbey (hahaha).

Expectations:  Players will polish off their old characters and join us at the Green Dragon Inn for a merry good time.  There shall be drink!  There shall be song!  There shall be laughter!  Think about all of those times that you meet up with your friends and you talk about the good old days while sharing a pint.  Characters should be affluent, cultured, experienced and well-mannered.  It is assumed that characters have also been letters at the Green Dragon Inn for quite some time.

[PhantomPistoleer]

The Green Dragon Inn

"I do not quite mean to be so dismissive about the history of the place.  It's been around forever.  I personally inherited it from a Samurai, who inherited it from a Witch, who inherited from an anthropomorphic rabbit who inherited it from a man of great mystery.  I haven't an idea of who had before him.  All of that was long ago."  - Korram, the Proprietor


The Green Dragon Inn is an independent fiefdom that is allied to many nations.  It acts as a lodge for all licensed adventurers of the War Tower, and is a critical distribution and supply point for artifacts.  Many individuals come to the Green Dragon, including adventurers, tourists and antiquarians looking for new wares.  The Green Dragon Inn has a magical connection to the War Tower, and attempts to seize control of both has proven fruitless in the past.

The War Tower is a regenerating, infinite dungeon.  Entry into the dungeon is permitted only with the Seal of the Proprietor.  Only the Proprietor can issue a Seal, or license.  The dungeons are randomly generated, and no dungeon can be revisited.  Those who perish can only be retrieved by the Proprietor.  The War Tower also has a number of magically interconnected item caches to help adventurers along.  Individuals inside of the tower can also teleport to the Green Dragon Inn through the caches.

Random dungeons are generated using the following random dungeon generator:  http://donjon.bin.sh/d20/dungeon/

The Proprietor:  The Proprietor is the individual chosen by the Goddess of Luck through a ceremony called 'the Gamble.'  The Proprietor can sense individuals within the Tower, but is forbidden to aid them should they be killed.  The Proprietor has a number of additional duties.

Magic in the Green Dragon Inn:  Spellcasters typically have trouble casting any spell higher than 2nd level within the confines of the Green Dragon Inn compound.

The Tap Room:  The Tap Room is the main drinking hall at the Green Dragon Inn compound.  There is a gambling hall upstairs and a brothel/sex dungeon downstairs.  Though the Proprietor frequents the Tap Room, he does not hold an ownership stake in either of the three ventures.  Nobility often sits at the gambling tables, playing for some of the largest sums in the world.  I would like for someone else to run the brothel.

The Inn:  Licensed adventurers are often given a clean bed, an oak desk, candles, a chest and three square meals a day.

The Warehouse:  The Green Dragon Inn takes a 5% cut of all treasure discovered in the War Tower, often in the form of weapons and equipment.  The Inn also acts as a pawn broker, and purchases items for the convenience of all licensed adventurers.  These items are often locked up in the Warehouse.  The Inn is part of a distribution network that includes some of Khorvaire's biggest houses, so supply carriages are a very common sight.

The Chapel:  The Chapel is a non-denominational church used by a variety of ministries.  Services are generally held by a vast number of faiths.  Rival faiths are never scheduled on the same day, and Holy Days between rival faiths alternate from week to week, month to month or year to year.  Members of faiths that require ritual sacrifice are asked to please kidnap their victims from another city.  Members of faiths that celebrate their faiths with sexual orgies are a) asked to please contact/invite the proprietor and b) please to cast a variety of privacy spells.  All members of all faiths are asked to please hire cleaning companies approved by the proprietor after their service has been completed.

Other:  Though the Green Dragon Inn at Belleron imports a lot of supplies, it employs a number of individuals to raise crops and tend livestock.

Services:  The Green Dragon Inn has the following services, provided by the following Dragonmarked Houses:

• House Cannith:  House Cannith's Tinkers Guild and Fabricators Guild both are represented by a single agent at the Green Dragon Inn.  He conducts business and schedules services, which can take two days to two months to complete, depending on the nature of the work.  The Tinkers Guild specializes in the maintenance of vehicles and structures, while the Fabricators Guild is composed of a dozen specialties, including alchemists, armorers, architects, etc.
• House Deneith:  House Deneith's Defenders Guild is the only Deneithian guild permitted in Belleron.  The Defenders Guild deals with personal security, but when not employed, these men and women will often serve as sparring partners.  They are highly skilled and very capable.
• House Ghallanda:  House Ghallanda is not represented at the Green Dragon Inn.
• House Jorasco:  House Jorasco's Healers Guild have a very successful grip at Belleron.  They operate out of an underground sanctuary.
• House Kundarak:  House Kundarak always has a banking, credit and insurance agent at the Tap Room.
• House Lyrandar:  House Lyrandar' doesn't operate out of the Green Dragon Inn, but it's not uncommon for individual adventurers to charter a House Lyrandar flying ship.
• House Medani:  House Medani isn't represented at the Green Dragon Inn.
• House Orien:  House Orien's Courier's Guild and Transportation Guild are a frequent sight at the Green Dragon Inn.  There is always an agent on call, and the House has an establishment just outside of Belleron's city walls that has a number of carriages for hire.  Tickets can also be purchased for the Lightning Rail, though the closest station is three days away.
• House Phiarlan:  House Phiarlan often stages circuses, contests, fairs and games.  Phiarlan is always sending performers, aerialists and bards to entertain the adventurers.
• House Sivis:  House Sivis has a post office/communication station that is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.
• House Tharashk:  House Tharashk Finders Guild doesn't actually operate out of the Green Dragon Inn, but an agent is always present.  Tharashk is always looking for people who can find things, though.
• House Thuranni:  House Thuranni is explicitly banned from conducting its activities of espionage, sabotage and assassination inside of the War Tower.  Inside Belleron, House Thuranni must conduct its business with the express consent of the Proprietor.  Regularly, however, House Thuranni conducts its business just outside of Belleron.
• House Vadalis:  House Vadalis isn't represented at the Green Dragon Inn, but there are a number of stable hands present.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

[PhantomPistoleer]

Character Creation:
As a rule of thumb, you don't need to make a character stat block.  This is just for fun.  And for P v P.

• Gestalt 3.5 D&D Dungeons and Dragons
• All Classes WOTC, plus Carnal Desire book
• Level 10
• 36 Point Buy
• Max Hit Point
• Two Flaws, Two Traits
• 100,000GP
• May Dual Prestige

You don't need to set aside money to stay at the Green Dragon Inn.  The Green Dragon Inn serves as a lodge for an adventuring company, and you pay yearly dues which are automatically deducted from any loot you take from the War Tower.  Additionally, membership at the Green Dragon Inn warrants a 10% deduction on all purchases, and a 10% addition to all loot sold.  So, costs for items purchased are 90% and costs for items sold is 60%.  For other benefits, see 'Green Dragon Inn:  Membership Benefits' section.


Rules:

Character Submission:

Code: [Select]

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[td][b]Update:[/b] December 4, 2013[/td]    
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LINK to Character Sheet if Available
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SMALL BIO

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SAMPLE POST



[MrBubbles]

Well shit, you had me there until 3.5e. I have a Paladin from an Eberron-Pathfinder campaign that I unfortunately had to drop out of due to RL concerns that would fit quite well into this, although I'm questioning which "version" of the guy I would use (Last War survivor, background involved him getting scarred in a big way via Day of Mourning, but later on in the campaign he was going to have the chance to fix them.)

[PhantomPistoleer]

It could be Pathfinder.  Nothing is set in stone.

[Kunoichi]

Alternately, the Pathfinder Paladin is generally pretty backwards-compatible with 3.5 D&D.  I'm interested in joining in on this game, and I know I certainly wouldn't mind letting people use the Pathfinder version of the class. ^^

I've got an old Eberron character I once used in a solo game who I think would be a pretty good fit for this.  An Elven Warlock/Rogue from House Thuranni, who used her various skills and magical abilities to be an entertainer, escort and spy.

[Miroque]

but why are the characters all beefed up to superhero level.. why not lv3 or something.. atleast then everyone would be scared of sharp objects...

[PhantomPistoleer]

but why are the characters all beefed up to superhero level.. why not lv3 or something.. atleast then everyone would be scared of sharp objects...

Hmm.  Maybe level 6?  I've got to admit, I've never received "too high a level" as a complaint.

[PhantomPistoleer]

Alternately, the Pathfinder Paladin is generally pretty backwards-compatible with 3.5 D&D.  I'm interested in joining in on this game, and I know I certainly wouldn't mind letting people use the Pathfinder version of the class. ^^

I've got an old Eberron character I once used in a solo game who I think would be a pretty good fit for this.  An Elven Warlock/Rogue from House Thuranni, who used her various skills and magical abilities to be an entertainer, escort and spy.

That sounds like a very fun character, Kunoichi!  I'm looking forward to seeing her. :)

[Kunoichi]

Personally, I'd prefer level 10 as the starting point.  The basic concept for the game seems to be that our characters are going to be particularly skilled and experienced adventurers who have decided to spend the rest of their days making a living off of an infinite, self-replenishing, constantly-rearranging dungeon.  Being enough of a badass to hit level 10 is probably the minimum requirement for spending any length of time at the Green Dragon.

As far as complaints go, the only one I can really think of is that Eberron might not be the best fit for this sort of game.  It seems like something that might fit better in some other setting, like the Forgotten Realms or Planescape.  Even then, it won't really impact my enjoyment of the game at all. ^^

[PhantomPistoleer]

Personally, I'd prefer level 10 as the starting point.  The basic concept for the game seems to be that our characters are going to be particularly skilled and experienced adventurers who have decided to spend the rest of their days making a living off of an infinite, self-replenishing, constantly-rearranging dungeon.  Being enough of a badass to hit level 10 is probably the minimum requirement for spending any length of time at the Green Dragon.

As far as complaints go, the only one I can really think of is that Eberron might not be the best fit for this sort of game.  It seems like something that might fit better in some other setting, like the Forgotten Realms or Planescape.  Even then, it won't really impact my enjoyment of the game at all. ^^

I would almost say that this game is kind of like a mini-Planescape in Eberron.

[Love And Submission]

Is this open to all players or are you just looking for people heavily experienced  in DnD?




Also   , Do we have to Gestalt our characters or can we just go single?

[PhantomPistoleer]

Is this open to all players or are you just looking for people heavily experienced  in DnD?




Also   , Do we have to Gestalt our characters or can we just go single?

It's open to all players.  You don't need to be heavily experienced in D&D.  The theme of the game is for you to pick a character that you've already made and tailor that character into this game.  Technically, you don't even have to make a character sheet.  You could even provide the character sheet from a previous character, if you wanted.

[Primarch]

This....I like this. I've got a couple of 3.5 characters with stories I never had the chance to fully tell.

[PhantomPistoleer]

This....I like this. I've got a couple of 3.5 characters with stories I never had the chance to fully tell.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only person that really likes this idea. :)

[Primarch]

Now its a matter of finding which character to dust off. Most of my characters have been Shifters, so being set in Eberron suits me just fine.

[Kunoichi]

Quick question: If we take the Leadership feat, how should we handle the cohorts?  My character, Maraen d'Thuranni, had a sexy Changeling cohort named Hel who would probably also be a good addition to the game. ^^;

[PhantomPistoleer]

Quick question: If we take the Leadership feat, how should we handle the cohorts?  My character, Maraen d'Thuranni, had a sexy Changeling cohort named Hel who would probably also be a good addition to the game. ^^;

In that instance, I wouldn't charge you a Leadership Feat for a cohort.

Since the adventurers are so rich, I just assume that all adventurers have squires/cohorts/servants.

[Kunoichi]

Ah, alright.  Still, if I wanted to build her, how would I go about doing so?  Same rules as for regular character creation?

[PhantomPistoleer]

Ah, alright.  Still, if I wanted to build her, how would I go about doing so?  Same rules as for regular character creation?

Follow the rules for the Leadership-based cohort, but instead of spending a feat to purchase Leadership... don't. :)

[Kunoichi]

Those rules say nothing about the actual process of creating the cohort, however.  Nothing about stats, or starting wealth, or feats, or prestige classes...  Just some stuff about alignment and starting level.

[PhantomPistoleer]

Those rules say nothing about the actual process of creating the cohort, however.  Nothing about stats, or starting wealth, or feats, or prestige classes...  Just some stuff about alignment and starting level.

Ah, okay.

Well, you have two options!  One is to create a 6th level cohort with a 36 point buy and starting GP for a 6th level character.  Or you could just create a second character who is a 'cohort' using the character creation rules listed WAY above.

[Kunoichi]

I'll take the latter of those two options, then. ^^

[PhantomPistoleer]

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Name:  Koram Dryeartlithar	| Race:  Half-Elf	| Height: 6'3
Player: PhantomPistoleer	| Gender: Male	| Weight: 187 lbs.
Update: December 4, 2013	| Age: 28	| Eyes:  Blue
Align: Lawful Good	| Size: Medium	| Hair: Platinum
Deity:Silver Flame	| Speed: 30 ft.	| Hand: Right
Sexuality: Bisexual	| Disposition: Flirtacious	| Frequency: Often

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Character Sheet:  http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=725530
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Korram is a well-mannered, cultured and charming half-elf.  He is not originally from Eberron, but somehow managed to find himself there after very many adventures.  Korram was originally an officer for a small militia, but found the life to be tedious.  He is often accompanied by a small pug named Sir Percy.  He likes to cavort with dwarves and gnomes.  Korram enjoys adventures and helping people, as well as drinking, being merry and hanging out with pretty women.

He won the Green Dragon Inn from a world-weary samurai in the Planescape.  He is fair, likable and exceptionally chatty.

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This character's background is depicted in the following letters to his last living relative.

Letters from the Front:

Dearest Aunt Mildred,

I am writing to express to you my sincerest gratitude for your gift in the form of platemail armor and a greatsword.  Both are extensively appreciated, and will serve me well during my commission against the living dead.  Yes, I am content to report that I have graduated from Trygis Military Academy with top honors and attained an officership with a fiefdom here in Feywood.  It does not pay much, but it is a living.  I hope to make my father proud.

That may sound odd to you, since you have always thought me to be indifferent towards my humanity.  Without speaking much on the subject, let me assure you that I have always felt out of place with both elvenkind and humankind, yet retain a fondness for my parents whom you know I never met.  You speak so kindly of them, though I know you never much liked my mother.  I read your old letters.  But I cannot blame you.  Humanity won't ever as a whole understand the elves, and the reverse is true, too.  I understand why you disliked her.

I wish I had met them, though.  Everything I have ever read of my father is fantastic literature.  He was bold, brave and good.  I hope to emulate my career after his...  I simply hope that I do not disappear like he did at the end.  It is funny, that is my greatest fear.  To disappear, without a word, into the darkness.

But I do not like to think about those things.  I would like to remain wholly optimistic about my career.  I have become more than a novice with swords, and am deemed a competent tactician by my instructors.  They say that I have a natural presence, a force of charisma, that instills confidence in those around me.  That is a terribly nice thing to say, and I hope that I have recited it correctly herein.  I should hate to quote someone incorrectly!  At any rate, I have also found something of a passion in mapmaking.  I enjoy charting the edges of a coast, and hope to spend a part of my stipend on ink for the task.

I should like to write to you later, Aunt Mildred.  You are so very dear to me.

With Love,

Koram.


A Sample Post of his Attitude

The knight turned to look at Jo and laughed heartily.  Then he picked up another port, took a sip, then climbed unto his stool and then unto the counter.  He stood upright, saluting the crowd, and then taking another swig.

"I say no!" he said with serious enthusiasm.  "I do not rhyme unless I am drunk, and I am not down for the count just yet."  He counted the syllables after this statement, and then nodded to himself when he discovered that he had not rhymed.

"But do not think me a drunk, dear cleric!" he said to a row of laughter.  "No, a man is a drunk if he drinks to forget, and I only drink to remember."  He coughed, testing his voice, and then began to dance and sing on top of the bar like a boisterous, hardy male ought whenever in the throes of liquor.

"Give me some of that dwarven ale!" he sang.  "Enough to send me slumber a-sail!  Direct me to the closest whale, so that I may be it's nail.  Give me some of that dwarven ale so that I may forget what the doctor said:  that I took up a strange and foreign ail and soon should be dead!  Give me some of that dwarven ale because elves do not brewmasters make!  It is but a preference, for-heaven's-sake!  Give me some of that dwarven ale, enough to send me slumber a-sail!  Direct me to the closest whale so that I may be it's nail!  Give me some of that dwarven ale, so that I may find myself among the frail, and die of consuuuuuuuumption!"

He took up his stein and took a deep drink, finishing the contents of his mug. Then he bashed his stein against the stein of others, and laughed merrily.

[Kunoichi]

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Name: Kulzu	| Race: Imp	| Height: Tiny
Player: Kunoichi	| Gender: Female	| Weight: Tiny
Update: December 5, 2013	| Age: 115	| Eyes: Yellow
Align: Lawful Evil	| Size: Tiny	| Hair: Black
Deity: The Dark Six	| Speed: 30 ft, 60 ft Fly (Perfect)	| Hand: Ambidextrous
Sexuality: Bisexual	| Disposition: Switch	| Frequency: Moderate

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Kulzu - Imp Assassin
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Kulzu the Imp is a diminutive spirit of poison and shadow, a scout and assassin among the ranks of the many different kinds of fiends that fight on the battlefields of Shavarath, the plane of eternal war.  She has a lot of old war stories, but as far as she is concerned, the most interesting part of her life began on the day she was knocked out of the sky above a Shavarathi battlefield, and wound up hitting the ground in southern Karrnath.  A squad of Karrnathi shock troops was making a raid on a Cyran Warforged contingent, and the sight of a group of metal men fighting off an attack made by zombies and skeletons piqued the little devil's curiosity enough that she decided to desert her post and hang around on the Material Plane for a while.

Having spent several decades traveling the world since then, Kulzu has made a name for herself in underworld circles as a paid assassin, and has gained some renown in her alternate form as an adventurer.  Though few realize it, she is also the original creator of a new and deadly variety of poison that is popular among certain cults of the Dragon Below, a poison known as Imp's Milk.

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A Sample Post of Kulzu from Another Game:

There was no rest for the wicked, or so the saying went.  Certainly, little Kulzu the Imp was not resting at all when the giant fireball made its explosive entrance into the world in the middle of the night in Arromouth.  Fooling around with beakers and burners of various foul-smelling liquids, she was instead wiling away the midnight hours in the practice of a trade that was very near and dear to her cold, black heart.

Here in Arromouth, the Imp hadn't found herself with very much to do.  Ilona, her Erinyes mistress, was frequently busy going around and performing minor tasks in exchange for suitable rewards, but in terms of actually corrupting the souls of the townspeople, they hadn't made much headway.  About the only decisive victory they'd had in that area was convincing the local whores to unionize, and even the resulting increase in hedonism only went so far.  This left little Kulzu without much to do, and as a result, the bored Imp had spent most of her time engaged in poisoncraft, milking herself for her natural poisons and distilling them down into usable doses.

Even that was beginning to lose its luster without having anybody to sell to, however, and truth be told, she was beginning to yearn for the day when she would be asked to send all these mortal souls around them on their way to the Nine Hells, so that they could finally move on from this dull, boring place.  She knew just how she was going to do it, too.  Just add a little of the right poison into the water supply, and then pick off whoever survived that with her own special skills...

<Kulzu, I'm leaving to investigate the explosion.>

<Ah, of course, Mistress.>  Snapped out of her little reverie by Ilona's telepathic voice, she began packing away her beakers and flasks.  Lacking innate telepathy of her own, the Imp could respond when spoken to, but not send out any telepathic signals of her own.  <I'll come with you, then.  You may have need of me.>

It took only a few moments to turn invisible and follow along after the Erinyes, and only minutes from there for the two of them to get to the crater where the Celestial had landed and where she was currently conversing with some Fey creature of some sort.

Kulzu wasted no time in shifting her shape, taking on the form of a tiny little Celestial herself in case the one down in the crater had the ability to see through invisibility as the Erinyes did.  Moving over to where her Mistress stood, she perched on the Erinyes' shoulder, and whispered a question into her ear.

"So, how are we going to handle this?  Attack now, or something more devious?"  Her Mistress would be able to respond to the question telepathically, of course, which would allow her to outline whatever her plans were to the Imp without alerting the two below of anything.