[OOC] The Mystery of Castle Larendale

The Mystery of Castle Larenadale

A tale of classical 3.5e D&D adventuring with light mechanics

O * O * C

Your Cast:

@Sanguine Rose as ---
@Compass as Andry Laughwell
@Sisyphus as Gideon Fetch
@TBD2 as ---
@TBD3 as ---

[compass]

Reserved (admittedly accidentally)

[Sisyphus]

Idle question: Would you consider a character from one of the Pathfinder classes, if it functioned as basically a multiclass of two 3.5 classes? Because I just had a killer idea for a bloodrager character, which is basically a barbarian/sorceror.

I'm not expecting you to say yes, of course, and I can absolutely just make a character from one of the classes you listed if you prefer, and that wouldn't be a problem at all. Just thought it was worth asking.

[Sanguine Rose]

@Sisyphus. So, I'll be honest in saying I haven't really touched anything beyond 3.5e as far as DnD/Pathfinder is concerned, but I do have a copy of Pathfinder's core rulebook and will look into it and get back to you. I won't be able to look into it for a few (7+ hours) and I will discuss it with @compass after looking into it, so you may not hear back about it today, but you will get an answer regarding this soon.

Is there anything in particular about the class that is overly different from a barbarian/sorcerer mashup (aside from the messy multiclass rubbish) that appeals to you, or is it fundamentally the same just none of the multiclass rubbish? (Any comparative opinion you have on the matter would help hasten the research/comparing and discussion on my part.)

[Sisyphus]

It's actually the backstory and the flavor potential of the class that drew me to it - I don't really have any strong opinions about the mechanics of the class, positive or negative, I just had an idea for a backstory using the class that I thought would be pretty cool. That's why I thought it might be worth asking, really, because it seemed like this was an RP that was going lighter-ish on the mechanics.

Essentially, the bloodrager is a character that has magic powers because they are descended from magic beings, and taps into those powers by raging like a barbarian. The concept I had was for a half-orc descended from a demon, who tapped into a certain demonic strength when berserking (flaming aura, claws, increased size, stuff like that). Again, if that wouldn't work it's no trouble at all, just thought I'd ask because the backstory came to me in the shower and I thought it was pretty cool.

[Sanguine Rose]

@Sisyphus While we are going light on the mechanics (i.e. no dice rolls or worrying about multiclass rubbish) class features (like what you listed) may be used so I wanted to know how close to straight up barbarian x sorcerer multiclass it was while I don't have the books to compare.

It's likely okay, but I want to read it over and discuss it with compass before green lighting it.

[Sisyphus]

@Sanguine Rose Right, I dig. Just let me know, either way.

[compass]

@Sanguine Rose Right, I dig. Just let me know, either way.

@Sisyphus

Hey! We talked about it and we're down. Go for it!

[compass]

Now accepting applications! See the IC for the character sheet.

[FiroIV]

Still here and interested.

[Sisyphus]

Alright, awesome. Will start working on the CS tomorrow, hopefully I'll get it done then as I'm going to be out of town most of the weekend.

[Cu Chulainn]

Two questions: Is there a certain pantheon we are following for this roleplay regarding deities, or do we just sort of make our own?

And while we aren't using mechanics, is it possible to be one of the supplement classes/races?

[Sisyphus]

WIP, will do background later tonight hopefully.

Gregor Fetch

--BASICS--
Name(s): Gregor Fetch, Uron Redclaw
Race: Half-orc
Age: 20
Class: Bloodrager
Religion or Worshiped Deity: Trying very hard to reconcile his belief in Orcish ancestor worship with his belief in Pelor, God of the Sun.
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 240 lbs
--SKILLS & EQUIPMENT--
Equipment: Boiled leather armor, a cloak, a purse full of stolen money and an orc-forged greatsword.
Skills: Trained with simple weapons, skilled at tracking and hunting, and well-versed in the shamanic traditions of his father's people. Also has a surprisingly large knowledge base in human culture, thanks to his mother's teachings, though human history is something he's weak on.
Class or Racial Features: Bloodraging - can enter a berserk fury and tap into the powers of his ancestors, growing in speed and strength as well as manifesting long claws on his hands. He also gains a significantly more 'demonic' visage while he does this, with darkened skin and red-glowing eyes. He can't sustain the bloodrage more than about ten minutes at the moment, but he's working on it.
Languages: Common, Orcish
--BIOGRAPHY--
Ideals: Gregor doesn't really know what he believes; on one hand, his father's people taught him to fight, to survive, to take what he wanted and to honor the clan and the ancestors. His mother, however, taught him about kindness, compassion, and personal freedom, that nobody should be able to tell any other person what to do. On top of that, he's also got a demon inside him whispering kill, kill in his ear at all hours of the day. So to sum up, he's a bit conflicted.

Bonds: To his Uncle Thrak, who taught him the ways of warfare and the clan, and of course to his mother Annette Fetch, who is dearer to him than any in the world. He's not sure if either of them are still alive.

Personality traits: Gregor is quiet and reserved. His massive size and silent demeanor might lead a person to consider him simple-minded, but this is far from the case; though he is ignorant about much of the world, he's actually a deeply introspective and thoughtful person. He's slow to warm up to new people, but what friends he has he absolutely cherishes. Of course, on the battlefield he looks like a completely different person, all snarling and howling and gutting people with his hands, but that's not really him. He hopes.

Flaws: Gregor is often violent, loud, and foul-tempered, if only because that's the culture he was raised in. His social skills are nonexistent, and he's also quite ignorant of many facts of society and how to exist in it; table manners are an example of these deficiencies, but far from the only one. Finally, he's also deeply unsure of himself, and will often stop and consider multiple perspectives on an action at a time when he really, really shouldn't.

Background: Far to the east, there is a land of eternal grass - a great plain of rolling hills that stretches on seemingly forever. The humans of this land live in great walled city-states, bastions of science, culture and political liberalism. They are not the power in their land, however; that would be the great orc hordes that roam in great clans, preying on the weak and eternally warring amidst their neighbors.

The greatest of these clans was named Urtan Kag - the Beasts of Smoke and Flame. The Urtan Kag have been lead since time immemorial by the Redclaw, a male chieftain of immense skill and power. Tradition holds that long ago, the clan chieftain had performed a forbidden ritual taught to him by a favorite human prisoner, summoning forth a mighty princess of the abyss. The chieftain laid with the Hell-Princess for five days and five nights, and when it was done he returned to the clan with a baby orc, a warrior that would be heir to strange and terrible powers. That child was the first Redclaw, a title that has passed along with the powers in an unbroken line from father to son ever since.

The last Redclaw was a mighty and capable warrior, leading the clan in countless victories and expanding their territory greater than ever before. His vision was vast, his power great, and his followers loyal - however, he was not without weakness. One day, as he surveyed the spoils from the sacking of one of the human cities, a single slave caught his eye - a human woman, pale-skinned and dark haired, with eyes bluer than the deepest sea. Annette Fetch.

So taken was the Redclaw with her beauty, he immediately took her for his wife; a practice not uncommon amongst the tribe, but unheard of in its chieftain. He kept her in a massive wrought-iron cage in his warpalace, both so that she could not escape and so that his other wives could not harm her. It was furnished comfortably, but it was a prison still, and the Redclaw visited her frequently.

Before long, she bore him a son - the fourth of the Redclaw's children, and the only half-thing to be born to a chief in the clan's history. Grudgingly, the Redclaw acknowledged the child as his own, naming him Uron - 'animal'. His mother called him Gregor. His father rarely saw him, preffering to raise his 'pure' children, and so for the first few years of his life, Gregor stayed in the cage with his mother. She doted on him, and did her best to educate him in the ways of her ancestors, the humans.

His Uncle Thrak, however, brother to the Redclaw, saw the child not as a weakness or a vulnerability, but as a young warrior, in need of an education. He urged the Redclaw to let him take the child out, and so Gregor left the cage for the first time in his life. His Uncle taught him to fight and to ride, to name the ancestors in the stars and honor them in all things. He spent his days among orcs and his nights learning of humans, a child of two worlds. The Redclaw grew sympathetic as he aged, even joining his brother and son on a few of their hunts, and Gregor heard them whispering that he was to be made a true warrior of the clan, as small and inexperienced as he was.

This was not to be, however. The Redclaw took ill suddenly and died within a week, and the whole clan mourned his passing - Even Annette shed a tear or two, though it could not be said whether that was the result of affection or merely long captivity. When the Redclaw died, his powers passed on - one of his sons always manifested signs of the demonic gift, and that son would always be the new Redclaw. For three days, the Elders conferred with the ancestors, and when they emerged from their tent, the news was shocking.

Everyone had expected the title to pass to Turz, Gregor's oldest brother. He was the strongest, the bravest, the most passionate of the Redclaw's sons, and it was known that he would bear the powers well and lead the clan to glory. Yet the powers had passed to the smallest, the weakest, the youngest of the sons - the halfblood Gregor.

In a rage, Turz struck down the elder that had made the announcement, and his followers swept the camp for all who would oppose him. At the urging of his mother and uncle, Gregor fled with only what he could carry on his back before he could be discovered, leaving behind all that he had known and riding out into the plains, knowing only that distance would save him from his brother's wroth. Since then, he has paid for passage with his strength and skill, traveling to a faraway land and promising himself that he will return when he is ready, and reclaim what is rightfully his.

--MISC--
Other: Include anything else you'd like to mention here

EDIT: Did it!

[compass]

WIP, will do background later tonight hopefully.

Gideon Fetch

--BASICS--
Name(s): Gregor Fetch, Uron Redclaw
Race: Half-orc
Age: 20
Class: Bloodrager
Religion or Worshiped Deity: Trying very hard to reconcile his belief in Orcish ancestor worship with his belief in Pelor, God of the Sun.
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 240 lbs
--SKILLS & EQUIPMENT--
Equipment: Boiled leather armor, a cloak, a purse full of stolen money and an orc-forged greatsword.
Skills: Trained with simple weapons, skilled at tracking and hunting, and well-versed in the shamanic traditions of his father's people. Also has a surprisingly large knowledge base in human culture, thanks to his mother's teachings, though human history is something he's weak on.
Class or Racial Features: Bloodraging - can enter a berserk fury and tap into the powers of his ancestors, growing in speed and strength as well as manifesting long claws on his hands. He also gains a significantly more 'demonic' visage while he does this, with darkened skin and red-glowing eyes. He can't sustain the bloodrage more than about ten minutes at the moment, but he's working on it.
Languages: Common, Orcish
--BIOGRAPHY--
Ideals: Gregor doesn't really know what he believes; on one hand, his father's people taught him to fight, to survive, to take what he wanted and to honor the clan and the ancestors. His mother, however, taught him about kindness, compassion, and personal freedom, that nobody should be able to tell any other person what to do. On top of that, he's also got a demon inside him whispering kill, kill in his ear at all hours of the day. So to sum up, he's a bit conflicted.

Bonds: To his Uncle Thrak, who taught him the ways of warfare and the clan, and of course to his mother Annette Fetch, who is dearer to him than any in the world. He's not sure if either of them are still alive.

Personality traits: Gregor is quiet and reserved. His massive size and silent demeanor might lead a person to consider him simple-minded, but this is far from the case; though he is ignorant about much of the world, he's actually a deeply introspective and thoughtful person. He's slow to warm up to new people, but what friends he has he absolutely cherishes. Of course, on the battlefield he looks like a completely different person, all snarling and howling and gutting people with his hands, but that's not really him. He hopes.

Flaws: Gregor is often violent, loud, and foul-tempered, if only because that's the culture he was raised in. His social skills are nonexistent, and he's also quite ignorant of many facts of society and how to exist in it; table manners are an example of these deficiencies, but far from the only one. Finally, he's also deeply unsure of himself, and will often stop and consider multiple perspectives on an action at a time when he really, really shouldn't.

Background: Far to the east, there is a land of eternal grass - a great plain of rolling hills that stretches on seemingly forever. The humans of this land live in great walled city-states, bastions of science, culture and political liberalism. They are not the power in their land, however; that would be the great orc hordes that roam in great clans, preying on the weak and eternally warring amidst their neighbors.

The greatest of these clans was named Urtan Kag - the Beasts of Smoke and Flame. The Urtan Kag have been lead since time immemorial by the Redclaw, a male chieftain of immense skill and power. Tradition holds that long ago, the clan chieftain had performed a forbidden ritual taught to him by a favorite human prisoner, summoning forth a mighty princess of the abyss. The chieftain laid with the Hell-Princess for five days and five nights, and when it was done he returned to the clan with a baby orc, a warrior that would be heir to strange and terrible powers. That child was the first Redclaw, a title that has passed along with the powers in an unbroken line from father to son ever since.

The last Redclaw was a mighty and capable warrior, leading the clan in countless victories and expanding their territory greater than ever before. His vision was vast, his power great, and his followers loyal - however, he was not without weakness. One day, as he surveyed the spoils from the sacking of one of the human cities, a single slave caught his eye - a human woman, pale-skinned and dark haired, with eyes bluer than the deepest sea. Annette Fetch.

So taken was the Redclaw with her beauty, he immediately took her for his wife; a practice not uncommon amongst the tribe, but unheard of in its chieftain. He kept her in a massive wrought-iron cage in his warpalace, both so that she could not escape and so that his other wives could not harm her. It was furnished comfortably, but it was a prison still, and the Redclaw visited her frequently.

Before long, she bore him a son - the fourth of the Redclaw's children, and the only half-thing to be born to a chief in the clan's history. Grudgingly, the Redclaw acknowledged the child as his own, naming him Uron - 'animal'. His mother called him Gregor. His father rarely saw him, preffering to raise his 'pure' children, and so for the first few years of his life, Gregor stayed in the cage with his mother. She doted on him, and did her best to educate him in the ways of her ancestors, the humans.

His Uncle Thrak, however, brother to the Redclaw, saw the child not as a weakness or a vulnerability, but as a young warrior, in need of an education. He urged the Redclaw to let him take the child out, and so Gregor left the cage for the first time in his life. His Uncle taught him to fight and to ride, to name the ancestors in the stars and honor them in all things. He spent his days among orcs and his nights learning of humans, a child of two worlds. The Redclaw grew sympathetic as he aged, even joining his brother and son on a few of their hunts, and Gregor heard them whispering that he was to be made a true warrior of the clan, as small and inexperienced as he was.

This was not to be, however. The Redclaw took ill suddenly and died within a week, and the whole clan mourned his passing - Even Annette shed a tear or two, though it could not be said whether that was the result of affection or merely long captivity. When the Redclaw died, his powers passed on - one of his sons always manifested signs of the demonic gift, and that son would always be the new Redclaw. For three days, the Elders conferred with the ancestors, and when they emerged from their tent, the news was shocking.

Everyone had expected the title to pass to Turz, Gregor's oldest brother. He was the strongest, the bravest, the most passionate of the Redclaw's sons, and it was known that he would bear the powers well and lead the clan to glory. Yet the powers had passed to the smallest, the weakest, the youngest of the sons - the halfblood Gregor.

In a rage, Turz struck down the elder that had made the announcement, and his followers swept the camp for all who would oppose him. At the urging of his mother and uncle, Gregor fled with only what he could carry on his back before he could be discovered, leaving behind all that he had known and riding out into the plains, knowing only that distance would save him from his brother's wroth. Since then, he has paid for passage with his strength and skill, traveling to a faraway land and promising himself that he will return when he is ready, and reclaim what is rightfully his.

--MISC--
Other: Include anything else you'd like to mention here

EDIT: Did it!

@Sisyphus

Looks great! Welcome! Have added you to the cast. Feel free to post your CS in Character whenever :)

Two questions: Is there a certain pantheon we are following for this roleplay regarding deities, or do we just sort of make our own?

And while we aren't using mechanics, is it possible to be one of the supplement classes/races?

@Cu Chulainn

I will defer to @Sanguine Rose on this one. You should hear back from them soon!

[Sanguine Rose]

Two questions: Is there a certain pantheon we are following for this roleplay regarding deities, or do we just sort of make our own?

And while we aren't using mechanics, is it possible to be one of the supplement classes/races?

@Cu Chulainn

I'd like to stick to the main pantheon of 3.5e.

list for ease of reference

Greater deities

Boccob, god of magic, arcane knowledge, balance and foresight.
Corellon Larethian, god of elves, magic, music, and arts .
Garl Glittergold, god of gnomes, humor, and gemcutting
Gruumsh, god of orcs
Moradin, god of dwarves
Nerull, god of death, darkness, murder and the underworld.
Pelor, god of sun, light, strength and healing.
Yondalla, goddess of halflings

Intermediate deities

Ehlonna, goddess of forests, woodlands, flora & fauna, and fertility.
Erythnul, god of hate, envy, malice, panic, ugliness, and slaughter.
Fharlanghn, god of horizons, distance, travel, and roads.
Heironeous, god of chivalry, justice, honor, war, daring, and valor.
Hextor, god of war, discord, massacres, conflict, fitness, and tyranny.
Kord, god of athletics, sports, brawling, strength, and courage.
Obad-Hai, god of nature, freedom, hunting, and beasts.
Olidammara, god of music, revels, wine, rogues, humor, and tricks.
Saint Cuthbert, god of common sense, wisdom, zeal, honesty, truth, and discipline.
Wee Jas, goddess of magic, death, vanity, and law

Lesser deities

Vecna, god of destructive and evil secrets.

As for supplement classes and races, which one(s) were you thinking of? While I intended for this to be based around the traditional (core) things, alternatives can be approved on a case by case basis.

[Cu Chulainn]

@Sanguine Rose

I was thinking a Favored Soul, or at the very least, a Duskblade

[Sanguine Rose]

I was thinking a Favored Soul, or at the very least, a Duskblade

@Cu Chulainn

So, with regards to Favored Soul, while we aren't focusing too heavily on mechanics - I do request definitely adhering to the mechanics that separate it from playing a cleric. So the character would be limited from wearing any kind of heavy armor, and only have a handful of spells they actually know and can cast from, unlike their cleric counterparts; they would still maintain their freedom to cast whatever spells they know without preparing a selection ahead of time, as well as the increased number of times they can cast spells per day. In addition to that, I think it's prudent to mention they shouldn't be crafted after a high level Favored Soul (i.e. no wings or damage reduction yet) as this particular setting isn't necessarily designed for such a high level character, but any other features from the core class (Complete Divine) are fine to include.

As for Duskblade, I'm going to outright say no. While Favored Soul and Bloodrager both are alternatives to regular classes with either extended limits to compliment their new benefits or a new spin to existing class features (cleric and barbarian respectively), combined-classes - like the duskblade - don't hold the same balance of drawback to benefit that alternative classes do and overpower other classes much faster because of this.

[FiroIV]

I sadly have to rescind my interest in joining not for lack of interest, but rather there's just too much on my plate at the moment.
Best of luck to all.

[compass]

I sadly have to rescind my interest in joining not for lack of interest, but rather there's just too much on my plate at the moment.
Best of luck to all.

@FiroIV

Oh, thanks for letting us know. Good luck to you!

In other news, I've posted my character and added myself to the cast. We'll likely begin the story in earnest soon-- thank you all for demonstrating interest and being so patient :D

[Fuzzybootz]

Im interested. Can we play any any Level Adjusted character race, for instance a Pixie Rogue?

[Sanguine Rose]

Im interested. Can we play any any Level Adjusted character race, for instance a Pixie Rogue?

@Fuzzybootz

I would prefer sticking to only the core races - exceptions for standard sub-races can be made.

As far as my own character, I am trying to narrow down what I'm going to play. I plan to let everyone else make characters and use that to determine what character may compliment the rest the best.