D&D 3.5 Expedition to undermountain (No new applications, please.)

[Cataclysmic Archangel]

Ys is working on a character? Maybe I should try and scrape something together...

[Tamhansen]

I'll probably cut off applications tomorrow, so say 23.59 GMT/UTC on rthe twelfth of November.

If people have a concept, but not a full character feel free to post it, if selected you will have time to finish your character later.

The game will likely start just before next weekend, giving those chosen and me a few days to go over details.

For those not chosen, there is a pretty big chance I might start a second table, but it will be likely at least a month ahead, so I know the storylines will be far enough apart for me not to get confused as happened with my PF games.

Character defeat.
Characters die if they reach a minus of 10 + con bonus + Wis bonus + (2*level) This gives characters with strong bodies and/or minds a small advantage. Also remember, this is waterdeep, death is seldom truly permanent.

NPC's and monsters die at the standard -10

Sexual content is something to be discussed with the players once chosen, but will not be the main focus of the campaign. Usually, I place my games in N/C so that people have a bit of leeway, but as said, it will depend on the players.

[Cataclysmic Archangel]

Ok, basic concept at least.

Human.  Rich, minor noble of Waterdeep (wealthy merchant's son, that sort of thing).  Specialist wizard dabbling in 'the dark arts', namely shadow magic.  So as specialized illusionist as possible.  Specifics will be based on what rules are accepted/allowed, but think of this as the Tom Riddle to some future Voldemort... He's not necessarily evil, he's simply 'better than everyone else' and so that means he assumes morality doesn't apply to him as much.  But don't worry, he's so much better than you he can absolutely handle these powers.  *sagenod*

[Fey]

Both char pic choices are cute there Ysariel :).

Thank you!

Ys is working on a character? Maybe I should try and scrape something together...

Awww. I'm very flattered.



So here's my character, presenting:

Fey
Human Barbarian 1 (character sheet)

When the veteran adventurers settled down in Waterdeep to marry, they hoped for a nice, quiet daughter they could pamper with the wealth of a lifetime's dungeoneering. Instead they got Fey the Fearless (nom de gurre coined after she decided 'Amanda' sounded embarassingly square and unexciting), daredevil, rascal and adrenaline junkie. Swift and sharp of blade and tongue, Fey has gotten herself into no end of trouble with her parents over dares she couldn't turn down and skimpy clothes that probably aren't legal for her to wear -- and just as often gotten out of it with some zany scheme or another. She can typically be found at the Yawning Portal inn, flirting with adventurers and exchanging tales of derring-do.

Fey's fox ears and tail are the result of cheekily describing herself to a drunken archmage as a 'sassy vixen' after getting caught burglaring his house on a dare. They are cosmetic and have no game mechanical effect, unless you count getting disowned by her family. She is fully human for all purposes.

* * *

I am very tentatively decided on a rogue/fighter/City Brawler barbarian multiclass (not certain which class I will take at 1st level yet), hoping for GM approval to rename my barbarian rage as 'adrenaline rush' or something like that.

Normally, for this character and background I'd go with a two-weapon high dexterity rogue.

However I really like the idea of a light armor polearm fighter, darting in and out to strike with spring attack and a reach weapon, taunting the enemy into range of (combat reflexes) attacks of opportunity, sweeping their feet out from under them with improved trip, and dodging fireballs with evasion.

In Western culture, the polearm is typically the boring weapon of pikemen and common peasants, or the lance of the jousting knight. I like the idea of someone who subverts that expectation as an acrobatic and flashy combatant who loves being the center of attention, kicking butt with a fluid, nimble fighting style she developed from cracking skulls with a broomstick while wenching.

[Zaer Darkwail]

Ysariel: Another way how get flashy acrobatic polearm action is to go for monk (but wait, listen me for sec! You do not need be lawful monk!). There is ACF which allows you be chaotic aligned monk (in dragon magazine) which traded some monk class features. But then again you can start as ex-monk (you keep all the stuff as monk but no longer progress as a monk and you multiclass as rogue or barbarian or figther in 2th). But monk has largerly similar class skills as rogue does and is acrobatic and such. With just single level you can later on enter most monk PrC's to progress your monk features.

Urban figther would be a thug ACF from unearthed arcana but they are the 'bad guys' usually (and can trade bonus feats for sneak attacks). However overall what I get from Ysariel is that she is rogue (or roguish) sort already. If want wield a real polearm weapon (like glaive) you can take martial weapon profiency feat (or Exotic Weapon Profiency and pick exotic polearm). But these are just my musings :).

[Cataclysmic Archangel]

There is ACF which allows you be chaotic aligned monk (in dragon magazine) which traded some monk class features.

Urban figther would be a thug ACF from unearthed arcana but they are the 'bad guys' usually (and can trade bonus feats for sneak attacks).

I think it's antics like this that made Tam suggest very limited alternate options. :p

[Zaer Darkwail]

But he also said you can ask are the alternatives ok or not  (he has so far not commented are my stuff okay or not, he was okay with battle sorcerer + divine sorcerer combo and I went with feat which was published in dragon magazine as I felt it fit for my build and also human racial alternative). I love 3.5 and I know it has moving parts which can be intimidating for potential new 3.5 players and so understand why Tam is limiting the classes and alternatives used.

[Cataclysmic Archangel]

I was going wizard and he stopped everything. I'm busy 'applying' for each switch on my concept. :p

[Zaer Darkwail]

Well, wizards have some most potent ACF's out there . With sorcerer the ACF's give some nice stuff as flavor. Example my char is a gish and he is going to be one than traditional sorcerer (just a kid who can swing spells and swords in melee).

[Tamhansen]

Yeah. As I told Arcanyx, the wizard ACF's lend themselves way too much to munchkinnism. It's easy to make a build that overshadows the party at mid level and up.

But as said, bring stuff before me and I will judge 1 on 1.

Zaer I thought I'd checked everything you asked me. If there's something I missed, let me know.

[Cataclysmic Archangel]

Yeah. As I told Arcanyx, the wizard ACF's lend themselves way too much to munchkinnism. It's easy to make a build that overshadows the party at mid level and up.

But as said, bring stuff before me and I will judge 1 on 1.

That's why I PM'd it to you.

I've never had a high level wizard, so I couldn't really tell you how crazy it might get, unfortunately.  Was building to to theme far more than anything else.  I'm honestly usually not a fan of wizards unless I do something crazy like this.

[Zaer Darkwail]

Zaer I thought I'd checked everything you asked me. If there's something I missed, let me know.

If you had checked my charsheet already then there is no problems :). However if we speak that you approved battle sorcerer and divine sorcerer only, then I now inform you my char is silverbrown human (a minor racial variant from dragon magic supplement) who has a spell from PHB II (fire bolt) and divine sorcery feats which originally come from dragon magazine. Each of the extra stuff I had linked to source so you know wording and details of each thing.

[Re Z L]

Name:  Lapis Atem

Race:  Human (Mulan)

Age:  19

Class:  Cleric 1

Alignment:  Lawful Good

Background:

Born in the Mulhorandi capital of Skuld it was perhaps inevitable that the high-born child would end up in the service of the Priesthood.  Blue eyes the color of the cloudless midday sky and hair that grew to an almost burnished gold appearance from roots of smoky black marked her as different.  While some saw it as potential favor of Horus-Re others were skeptical.  Regardless she was chosen to join the priests of Horus-Re at a young age which would place her squarely in the middle of one of the major centers of power in the Empire.  It also placed her in the middle of the various intrigues of state, which she would remain ignorant of for many years.

To say she was devout would have been an understatement.  All Mulan people are loyal to their gods, and the clerics even more so, but she stood above many others in her devotion to her god.  The once-incarnate beings that personally led their people were always of paramount importance to the people of the Mulhorandi nation.  To some, therefore, devotion was a metric of ambition and ambition could often startle those who were more interested in keeping their own positions of power instead of relenting them to the next, younger generation.  Lapis--named for the color of her eyes--was not truly in touch with the schemes of power, more interested in her duties as a priestess and learning to better herself as a warrior to protect the people against the many threats that surrounded them.

When she finally turned 18 she was sent on a mission devised by those that did not want her to linger within the temples any longer.  It was a 'crusade' to recover vaguely described Mulhorandi relics that had gone missing over the years.  It was a win-win situation for her superiors, either she would never return, or she would return with the relics--in either case they would benefit in her long absence from the temple.  She swore herself to this new duty, to recover the relics and visit swift vengeance upon whoever may have stolen them away.

Nearly a year into her quest she arrived in the port city of Waterdeep, reaching a point in her journey where she needed to stop and gather resources for herself having long been accustomed to the provisions that she received in her homeland.  Finding some similar sentiments from the followers of Tyr she has offered her help to the temple of Tyr, the Halls of Justice, while also seeking out other things that she can do to resupply herself.  The great port city was also an ideal location for her to stop and see if she could follow the trail of any relics that may have passed through the city, or had fallen down into the depths of the Undermountain...

[wander]

Character Complete;

Name: Bellamin (Known as 'Bellamy' or 'Carter') Carter
Level 1 Human Rogue

Description:
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Gender: Male
Age:19
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 156lbs

Looks:


Ability Scores:
Str 11, Dex 14 (+2), Con 11, Int 14 (+2), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 14 (+2), App 14 (+2).

Languages = Common, Dwarven and Elven.
Speed= 30ft.
Hit Points = 6.
BAB = +0 (+2 for Ranged Attacks)
Armour Class = +4
Fort +0, Ref +4, Wil +1
Special Abilities: Sneak Attack +1d6, Trapfinding

Skills:
Bluff 4, Disguise 4, Diplomacy 4, Hide 4, Jump 4, Knowledge (Local) 4,
Listen 4, Move Silently 4, Perform (Dance) 4, Search 4, Sense Motive 4

Feats:
Martial Weapon Proficiency: Composite Longbow
Point Blank Shot

Equipment:

Weapons;
Composite Longbow (100GP, 3 lb)
20 arrow quiver (1GP, 3 lb)
Sickle (6GP, 2 lb) = 107GP on weapons / 18GP remaining.

Clothing:
Explorer's Outfit
(Cloak, scarf, shirt, jacket, gloves, belt, leather breeches, sturdy boots)

Leather Armour (10GP, 15lb) / 8GP remaining.

Gear;
Backpack (2 lb) 2GP
Bedroll (5 lb) 0.1
Flask (1.5 lb) 0.03
Flint and Steel (-- lb) 1GP
Lamp, common (1 lb) 0.1
Oil (1-pint flask) (1 lb) 0.1
Rations (Trail), x2 days (2 lb): 1GP
Signal Whistle (-- lb) 0.8
Whetstone (1 lb) 0.02

Total = 5.15 GPs

Belt Pouch (1GP, 0.5 lb) containing;
Coin:
1 Gold Piece
8 Silver Pieces
5 Copper Pieces.

Bio;
Bellamy, or Carter to those who aren't too fond of the young man (such as the City Watch, for reasons we shall touch upon later...), is well-formed with a body like a coiled spring ready to pop and take flight through the air. A little short and slim, he is nevertheless gifted with a captivating face, which combined with his great manners, make it ever so easy to believe whatever Bellamy may say.
Bellamy was born to a generally decent trader family, not exactly rich by any standard, though he does not come from a peasant background. Whilst he himself tends to enjoy spending his nights in Inns about the city, his relatives are his aunt and uncle of which he does his work for (see below). His education comes more from 'the streets' in needing to think fast to get by, though he does have a brain in his head and is quick-witted enough to think on his feet, which has got him out of some scrapes in the past...
Bellamy grew up in Waterdeep to eventually work as a hunter on it's outskirts for his trader relatives. Whilst there is no real trade in hunting itself, leather to to be made in the fine leather clothes is a massive export and also sold to those who came looking for a decent outfit. These hunts would take him mainly walking along the River to venture the edges of Ardeep Forest, where moon elves have dwelt. Ardeep is not a place to be taken lightly by those who not belong there, though Bellamy has earned the right to take what is needed at least from the outskirts.

Day to day, Bellamy loves to spend his pieces when he gains them, the reason he doesn't just stick to being a hunter is down mainly to how unfulfilling it is for him... He gets by this presently with a love to spend time at celebrations of Waterdeep, he is the proverbial gatecrasher, buying a bottle mead-wine at many a good inn's private function and worming his way into the loins of a pretty lady... Which often has him needing to tend to some rather adventurous rooftop running out the window the next day to avoid getting caught by a lover or husband of said lady... He is somewhat a thorn in the side of the City Guard because of this, though he causes more exasperation than anything else, through exposing a disguise of his gaining a "Oh, not again!" mentality.
Truly though, Bellamy only does such trickery out of boredom, he wants more from his life and as much as anyone needs escapism from the despair over alot of the injustice to others he sees around him. He believes in the liberty of others and this is often what springs him into action to become somewhat more of a hero, standing up for many downtrodden and down on their luck occupants of Waterdeep.

[Chulanowa]

I'm gonna go ahead and bow out this time around. Cheers everybody 

[wander]

Character finally complete, hope all is well enough with him. 

[Carly]

I modified my background and added a personality section as well as another photo of my character.

One way to break us into two groups could be based on our portraits for our characters.

Photo-realistic group A Comic/manga group B?

Gosh i hope i get chosen.

[wander]

Quick note on my character's choices; I went to look toward upgrading to Shadowdancer for my Rogue in the future and have left Open Lock and Disable Device from their concept, making them more like a pseudo-ranger.

I could trade Knowledge (Local) to put one of these skills back in, as they're probably gonna be important and they're only Class skills for Rogues. The other skill I'd trade out, I'm not so sure on, though veering toward Disguise or Diplomacy if required, more on the former.

However, I'd keep my equipment as is, as I'd prefer to buy the Thieve's Tools in-game if I traded those two skills in.

[Tamhansen]

Ok, I have these applications. If I missed anyone, I do apologise, it happens to me now and then.

Callilurk       Sorceress
Carly           Bard
Muse          Cleric
HopeFox     Ranger
Zaer           Sorcerer.
Arcannyx    Wizard
Wander      Rogue
Miroque      Wizard
Re ZL         Cleric   
Ysariel        Fighter/Barbarian/Rogue

If I missed anyone's question, again I'm sorry. Please repeat.
@Zaer, yes everything is okay. Silverbrows are a bit above normal humans, but not enough to warrant issues. The rest is fine.
@Ysariel, renaming things is fine, only if it changes the effects, just pop me a PM.
@Hopefox, sorry for missing your question entirely. No need yet, but if selected I will require one within a few days.


Now as I've said, I'll select 5 characters for this table. Which is going to be tough as I don't see any concepts I do not like.

I will not start two tables this week, as that's where I went wrong last time. (Having to write out the same situation slightly differently every time, turned to copy paste, and I kind of got bored.)
I will however start another table somewhere half way into december. At that point I will give those not selected for this group first pick. I will contact those people when I'm ready to start, and if they are interested, they'll be in automatically. I will then hold a short recruit sesh for any gaps.

I hope this is clear to everyone, and everyone can live with this.

One thing I will say. If I don't pick you for this group, it is not because I don't like you or your character, it is simply because other characters meshed better.

I will spend tomorrow going to people's applications, and trying to find the best fitting party.

I will likely have the group selected somewhere around 18.00 UTC/12.00 server time.

Please feel free to ask any questions here, or by PM.

[Zaer Darkwail]

Ok, it's fine that you start second table group later in december so you can focus in other group activities first  . I know the pain in picking chars/players when all applications are good.

[Fey]

Ysariel: Another way how get flashy acrobatic polearm action is to go for monk (but wait, listen me for sec! You do not need be lawful monk!). There is ACF which allows you be chaotic aligned monk (in dragon magazine) which traded some monk class features. But then again you can start as ex-monk (you keep all the stuff as monk but no longer progress as a monk and you multiclass as rogue or barbarian or figther in 2th). But monk has largerly similar class skills as rogue does and is acrobatic and such. With just single level you can later on enter most monk PrC's to progress your monk features.

Urban figther would be a thug ACF from unearthed arcana but they are the 'bad guys' usually (and can trade bonus feats for sneak attacks). However overall what I get from Ysariel is that she is rogue (or roguish) sort already. If want wield a real polearm weapon (like glaive) you can take martial weapon profiency feat (or Exotic Weapon Profiency and pick exotic polearm). But these are just my musings :).

Thank you, although Monk wasn't in the list of allowed classes. :)

I finally decided on barbarian with a little rogue later on. Here's my character sheet for Fey. I'd also like to ask for Skilled City-Dweller (Cityscape) skill substitutions if that's OK. 

[HopeFox]

Well, I've got a sheet here. Not really happy with the picture, so I'll hunt around some more if he gets picked. He should be able to handle a mixed melee/ranged role with some scouting and stuff.

[CalliLurk]

*eagerly awaits decision*

[Re Z L]

Well, I've got a sheet here. Not really happy with the picture, so I'll hunt around some more if he gets picked. He should be able to handle a mixed melee/ranged role with some scouting and stuff.

Sheet looks blank to me

[HopeFox]

So it was! Thank you, I have fixed it now.