Heroes of Blackthorne Keep
The Heroes of Blackthorne
Welcome to the campaign. Some of the history and most of the adventure log can be found by following the appropriate links above. Everything I post here is general knowledge to every character, so long as they put forth the effort in reading it. If there is anything left unexplained that you want explained there is a reason for it, so in game knowledge rolls and gather information checks can be made, in which I will inform your character, and also post on your profile so the information will always be accessible.
Please add your characters and give them a history and background. You don’t need to post their Stats, however that would be nice. See what I did for Eric Dreiton’s character description for ideas if you don’t wanna post stats
I will also be using this site to handle any Role Playing that you might want to take care of out of the game. A great example is if you want your character to be studying a particular skill or lore, you would let me know here. After every Monday wherever we leave off is where you can have your characters perform certain actions. So this week since we left off in the middle of a forest surrounded by a bunch of dead bodies, your actions might be limited, but a good example might be if you want to study the ranger corpses, or investigate the bodies you guys were trying to deliver. essentially you can perform any action that does not immediately effect other character or drive the overall story forward to much. Stuff, like pick pocketing fellow player character can also be taken care of here. Additionally if there is anything you need resolved with another player character you guys can plot or talk here between and amongst each other either through posts and comments, if you want it to be public, or through personal messages if you want it to be private even from the DM. If used this can be a great tool to build character story, motivations, relationships, and dynamics. I hope this can get people more engaged in the world, their characters and give you an opportunity to help build and develop the story.
We will use the Comments tab for any non-Monday Role playing, just simply leave a comment on what your character is doing. You might also want to check the Comments to see if have posted anything new from when we last left off. I will treat anything left in the comments page as in character unless your text is in double parenthesis ((like so))
Heroes of Blackthorne Keep Comments
Now I will assure you that your death is not imminent. Cyric has bigger fish to fry, a few disbanded 7th and 8th level characters are the least of his concern. he has 70% of the known world to look after. there are plenty of more powerful people who want him dead.
Also as I have said many times there are spells available that do no exist in the spell book. If you guys couldn’t scry on Cyric, why can’t you get the spell that prevents scrying all together. No save no nothing.
He’s got a kingdom to run, he’s not going to be running around hunting down every high leveled person and trying to kill them. He has to worry about his own safety and the kingdom itself. He never wanted to be a mindless murderer he just wanted power, no he’s gotta try to hold onto it.
So yes he is a force to fear, but he’s probably not to concerned with you guys, especially because the only ones he ever saw, he killed.
also for those of you deciding what you are doing over the year, post it up here so everyone else has an idea, (unless if you want it to be unknown to others) and then send me a more detailed version of what you did over that year.
Orthak’s Blade This blade once belonged to the leader of the slave trade. He was defeated in battle about 11 years ago, and how it found its way into Ungloric/Cyric’s possession is unknown. The blade is bent and jagged much like a kris, it also has the pointed prongs at the hilt like a sai, however it is as long and heavy as a long sword. It has a metallic skull for the pommel with two emerald eyes. The handle is a deep brown leather and wrapped in a silver wire. The dark admantine blade itself is finely polished and un-notched.
Properties: +2 Keen Implacable Admantine longsword of Acidic Burst (+7 admantine weapon, 98,000)
So what is the plan with this weapon? if you sold it you would only get a fraction of its full cost based on the sellers appraise, diplomacy, or bluff skill. I will allow you to use which ever is highest in order to sell however the DC’s will be lower for the skills in that order so it will be easier to get a better value with it if you use appraise as opposed to either diplomacy or bluff. Or is someone going to keep the blade? it is currently in Will’s possession. Just a hint if you do not sell it those who lost all their items will have a hard time getting enough gold in order to buy back items and magical arms and armor for their equivalent level.
Also those who died you keep half the gold you had at death, but just raw gold. So if you had 1,000 gold in the “bank” when you died you start off with 500 gold. Once again depending on what you do over the year will earn you more gold…
Jay’s, we’re not gonna play my game for at the very least 4 more weeks
wait are we playing your game tomorrow or Jays?
So Calvin, you won’t have any of your Items or equipment, however you will be compensated with gold to re-buy new items, and I do have your character I’ll bring it by tomorrow.
Erik that all sounds good, however do you have leadership? Having a second in command to run the adventuring guild while your gone will cost you a lot of gold unless he is a cohort through leadership. Also what kind of mercenary work did you do? Basically it all sounds good I just need more specifics, this is a year of your life after all.
This last part is directed at both Nick and Erik, if you guys are helping refugees escape how are you funding it, because refugees don’t have very much money, and generally need food, water and shelter. If your also hiring adventurers to bring back refugees, while you’ll be helping a lot of people that will get very expensive with no source of income and it can draw some unwanted attention. So basically I need a plan on how you guys are going to pay for these operations (which can be done from your own pockets) and just how much refugee saving you are going to do, because the more active you are the more attention you get from Cyric and his men.
Ill be reviving my character too. He opened his adventuring guild in the city Canteus had his temple and was operating out of. So he helped recruit adventurers and helped refugees escape. Also when Eric wasnt busy he had his second hand man take over and would take a small mercenary contract every once in a while.
((I’ll be keeping my old character if you still have the sheets. As for my character, do I keep my equipment since I have time now to look for new stuff. Also, I don’t think Erik’s character died, unless I missed out on something.
I’ll give what my character did for the year after I read all of the adventure log. I remember playing the last part of the slaver’s campaign with your dad and I only played 2 nights on this campaign, so I really don’t know much of what’s going on.))
ok so i’m going to clarify what I am doing in case anyone wants to help me out with this action. Michael Widrow will actually be leading some of the gorilla resistance against cyric in the Wild Coast area. canteus worked in his temple for the year providing aid to refugees. on the surface he mostly helped people being relocated from the wars, but he would provide magical assistance to people fleeing Cyric. It is not unheard of for Michael to come back to the temple for a couple days at a time when the wild coast gets too hot for him to keep operating there.
just a side note canteus has started collecting a huge library at his temple requesting mostly books for payment. the magnitude of the library will be up to joe’s deciding, but basically if its possible I would like the library to be so successful that I open up another building that is specifically a library and its large and self sufficient… so if anyone wants to donate gold or interested in helping out there I would appreciate it.
if anyone needs help with ideas I could use “operatives” that help in relocating people that have specifically caught the attention of Cyric. So stealthy or magical characters would help in that field greatly. or just make up a job with helping in the temple or library if you want.
Hey all, so under the adventure log I posted a brief description of what has changed and how the new world is. However I did not get into much detail, if you want to know more specifics let me know, because I am not going to spend 2 pages on writing for something that half of you wont read.
so two posts ago you referenced jay’s idea for how the world will change. what will be happening? As for Canteus the Glorious he will tend to his temple in the Pomarj and continue to resist evil. He will offer aid to those who need it and fight the unjust. Depending on how oppressive Cyric’s rule is, he might go underground. That will have to be discussed. His temple will maintain as close ties to blackthorn as possible (assuming it is still standing) and Canteus would gladly accept any help from fellow heroes or residents of blackthorn in his resistance. Michael Widrow would have acted as the military organizer or security for the operation and Canteus would be more of the magical cover
also, Jay is going to keep his character via true resurrect and I believe Calvin is too, what about you Erik?
Hey guys, so Jay gave me a few ideas on the new world. Some I will work into the new campaign and mull over a bit more, but he did bring up one thing that I hadn’t thought off which is going to change the world in a very drastic, and what I think, cool way. So once again let me know what you think and want for the new campaign.
Also let me know generally what your character plans to do for the year of downtime, obviously because the world is changing dramatically somethings you may want to do may not be possible but at least this way I can let you know and we can get a better idea of how you character can develop in this new world.
A few questions to think over for your character -How do you feel about your failure to recover the artifact? do you now feel some strange guilt? have you taken it in stride and chosen to learn from your failure? or are you bitter at those who put the weight of the world on your shoulders? -Where did you go? Did yo go into hiding? did you stick with your companions and try to lead a resistance against Cyric? Did you explore hoping to find a new world without the responsibility of a hero? did you return to your family? Did you stick with the group or try to find a new life? -Where do you see your character in that year? are you married with a child on the way? are you a local blacksmith? Do you have new friends? do you lead a group rebels against Cyric’s empire? are you a wanted criminal? are you a mercenary for hire working for the highest bidder? Do you live in a city under Cyric’s rule and re you a law abiding citizen?
yeah, np
Just to note, I didn’t have the opportunity to put my char online and I gave the sheet to you, Justin. Can you bring the sheet next week so that I can make a char on this page?
Alright so even though I don’t plan to start this campaign up until, at the earliest late September. I just thought I’d let you know that everyone who died can actually keep their character, just without the items you had on you. But if your character decides to stay dead then you can create a new character at 6th level.
The reason you will be able to keep your character is because of true resurrect. If you do keep you character instead of making a new one you also receive an additional 4,000 exp. (but not the 8,000 form the adventure) because you went on the same mission as everyone else. In fact I would argue you actually learn more from death, but I can’t justify rewarding people when they die. As far as gold that will be handled later. The campaign is going to take place about a year after we left off so you guys will have more gold. The world will be completely different so prepare for that.
If you do decide to make another character you can be whatever you want just so long as you clear it with me and it makes sense. Unfortunately I will not allow abilities, classes, or races that I view as overpowered when compared to what they have in the 3.5 players handbook, however if you do not agree with my ruling you can defend it online, however any ruling I make at the table must be followed without question, because we give Will and Jay that same courtesy, sometimes GM’s are wrong… deal with it. If you want you may give your character a monster race however in my world there are sometimes very harsh social consequences for doing so, people are racist bigots.
With that said, over the next few weeks I will work out the gold you are going to gain over the year and how the world has changed and the toll it has taken on you and Blackthorn. Also if you actually survived but just want to make another character you can do that as well, but you will start as 6th level, and your old character will become an NPC. If you have ideas for how the world has changed let me know…
Update, I just realized there is actually no “detect traps” spell so the spell works as follows: It has a range of 60 ft. detects if there are any traps on a specified target, such as a door, chest, window, etc… and lets you know the nature of the trap whether it be mechanical or magical and what it does. It does not reveal how to disarm the trap, only what it does. This is a second level spell.