[OOC] Inn of the Last Home

[Mindsiege]

Incidentally, I had an opportunity to fly over the character sheets. Looks like we have a decided lack of both STR and athleticism in the party with only Tegan standing out and Xihue having at least proficiency. Xihue seems like the one to notice things first with his Alert feat and the single highest PP at 15. Our other characters are generally less perceptive, but there are a lot of characters with insight. We have two strong brains in Pnoah and Isandril for various INT tasks and Aric and Blyne can support them with their interest in Arcana. Kaylen is the only one proficient in Religion while Xi fills another niche with his ability in Animal Handling. For Survival we'll likely rely on Aric, who can support Talia as our supreme sneak, closely followed by Devari. Both Devari and Blyne are well invested in face abilities, with Kaylen close behind them. Talia can do various DEX abilities especially well, whereas Devari can help out again once it comes to criminal stuff. Ultimately though, if we need someone who knows Medicine or Nature we'll have to find an NPC.

In summary, it seems like our party is pretty well-rounded with lots of skilled people (I guess like any DnD game). As a party, I see the distinct possibility that our group will be surprisingly harmonious because there are so many insightful characters and most personalities seem unobtrusive at first glance. Either way, I can already imagine many interesting party dynamics. I'm looking forward to exploring how it will actually play out in the narrative.

I recall that someone mentioned (maybe Lazer?) that a few of our characters might have already met each other. As for Blyne, she's been traveling to Khur from the northwest, and it's probable that she would have attached herself with a caravan for most of the way. I'm thinking that her intent would have been to eventually lose that caravan and then fit in with the elven fugitives that would have been gathering in Khur (if I understood correctly). If she would stumble upon someone that remembers her from the caravan, that would probably make for an embarrassing conversation and Which otherwise might be actually difficult to achieve if she manages to avoid Isandril's suspicion. compromise her fake identity. Otherwise, I'm not sure where and how she would have met any of the other PCs before.

If anybody sees something that would fit for their character, I'm up for establishing a connection from the most recent backstory. After all, one of this game's themes are fated encounters after all.

[Lazer]

Yeah, Devari (pronounced dev-AH-ree) is coming from the North-west (Teyr) too, and would likely have attached herself to whoever she thought could offer her some kind of protection. If she met with anyone while travelling they would know her as Devari, but if not and we end up meeting in a tavern she might be in her Veraline (pronounced verrah-line) guise, which could get awkward when travelling as she has no entourage. She does have a story to support that (ran away from home looking for adventure) but she knows the more details she has to make up the more likely it is that she'll get found out. Especially with an actual native Abisinian (Aric) in the party, if a sweetly naive one (I'm assuming).

As for her magic, so far she is under the perfectly reasonably assumption that what she does is entirely down to her own considerable charm and wit, and may even be offended if somebody were to suggest that she's using magic. I would like, as the game progresses, for her to see one of the other PCs as a mentor figure in this area so that as more powerful and obviously magical spells become available there is a narrative reason for her to use them.

Devari would also not choose combat if she could avoid it, in fact even her spells are themed as avoiding combat by debilitating enemies or encouraging allies to get stuck in on her behalf.

[Mindsiege]

@Lazer:
Actually, I think it makes for a sweet coincidence if the two most secretive characters of our group had already met each other and travelled for a while, only to reconvene under new circumstances and realizing that both of them aren't entirely upfront about everything, and thus each knowing one secret about the other.

I think creating a little connection between Blyne and Devari could be a lot of fun. They're the two main talkers of the group and giving them a bit of spice and shared secrets would make for an interesting dynamic, either to create some interparty conflict or to bring them closer together. Incidentally, Blyne has started to explore the powers of the heart (mysticism) since she felt coming into her inherited Primal Sorcery took too long, so she is probably the most likely mentor when it comes to Devari's own sorcerous abilities. Since Blyne wants to feel significant, I could easily see her adopt some mentoring and researching of Devari's "bardic" power of the heart.

If you want, maybe Elanir could give us a private thread and we figure out a few details about what Blyne and Devari know about each other from before the start of the story?

[Elanir]

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

If you want, maybe Elanir could give us a private thread and we figure out a few details about what Blyne and Devari know about each other from before the start of the story?

I could and very gladly would, if it’s something you would both like!

Really enjoyed the discussion by the way - carry on please…

[Hayar]

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

Who else will stand in the front and take blows? Probably Pnoah, and maybe Kaylen, Aric or Xi, right? And maybe Isandril joins the front too once he is able to use his bladesinger dance.

Kaylen (KAY-LEN) will definitely be on the front or wherever the wounded end up being. The party being made up of people who would prefer to avoid combat works out wonderfully for this cleric of Mishakal.

Her normal course of business will be to make everyone safe by being full support. Despite having proficiency in ALL the weapons, I'm toying with the idea of having her go weaponless because she is not really effective in that arena anyway and her God is against killing anyone, even enemies. That will make the decision on her feat of Warcaster or Resilient (Con). I still kind of haven't settled on that yet. Opinions? Advantage seems better, but con saves in general have a lot of uses.

As far as skills go, I can certainly pick up medicine instead of insight since the party has that covered. It fits with a cleric of Mishakal, but I've never been clear on what Medicine can do that cleric spells can't except maybe diagnose issues. Her raw Wisdom can do well on either skill so you all let me know.

[Elanir]

I think that Medicine would probably serve her better than Insight, but I’ll leave it up to you, Hayar.

[Hayar]

I'm looking for a vorpal blade behind your back, but I don't see one so trust the DM! Medicine it is. :-)

I guess I did make Kaylen out to be a little too trusting anyway.

[Black Jim]

Xi knows where to get a vorpal blade. The Great Sea of Fire is full of them.

Oh, wait. That's lava. Totally different thing but the Alan-atu word for "vorpal" sounds a lot like the word for "lava".

[Elanir]

*DM thinking*

Hmmm, how to lure the party to the Great Sea of Fire…

[FCastor]

Guys, please...

Do not tempt the guy. No vorpal blades. Also, no lava either, come to think of it.

[Mindsiege]

Originally Posted by Hayar

Her normal course of business will be to make everyone safe by being full support. Despite having proficiency in ALL the weapons, I'm toying with the idea of having her go weaponless because she is not really effective in that arena anyway and her God is against killing anyone, even enemies. That will make the decision on her feat of Warcaster or Resilient (Con). I still kind of haven't settled on that yet. Opinions? Advantage seems better, but con saves in general have a lot of uses.

I would view it like this: having an improved number on the CON save is certainly very helpful, but it doesn't add much flavour. Clerics have many spells with concentration and good cantrips that would be worth using as attacks of opportunities, which would be especially relevant if you want to send Kaylen to the front without weapons in hand. To me personally, Warcaster fits very well narratively with the picture of an experienced caster who is also a mercenary veteran. But ultimately you'll need to know what you think suits her character better.

Originally Posted by Hayar

As far as skills go, I can certainly pick up medicine instead of insight since the party has that covered. It fits with a cleric of Mishakal, but I've never been clear on what Medicine can do that cleric spells can't except maybe diagnose issues. Her raw Wisdom can do well on either skill so you all let me know.

Medicine is a bit difficult because it needs explicit GM support to even be mechanically relevant. But purely narratively, knowledge of medicine should be highly relevant in any setting. Healing magic can take care of a lot, but it probably has limits. For one it's highly dependent on how well the GM thinks HP restoration translates to the mending of injuries, but it also serves a highly relevant purpose in the absence of healing magic. And even a practitioner of healing magic will realize that they can't cure the entire world. It's like with fish and fishing. If you're only means of acquiring fish is conjuration then the people you shepherd will starve in your absence. Knowing and showing them how to fish would be very meaningful. And lastly, understanding anatomy and cause and effect can be very important to prevent future disease and injury in various circumstances. Prevention of harm can't be achieved by healing magic and protective magic is usually highly situational and needs the foresight to protect from specific harms that could reach you in any given situation. For example, the knowledge of a poisonous substance could never be substituted by a healing spell. Maybe after drinking the poison there is still something left to heal, or you could have cast a poison removal ritual, but there's really nothing better than recognizing a poison and saying "Don't drink that." This is just an example, maybe better for a poisoner's kit proficiency, but this also applies more generally to medicinal knowledge in various instances.

Mind you, even though you already made your choice I'll say there would be good reasons for Kaylen to be proficient in Insight but not in Medicine. It really hinges on her backstory and whatever you choose will say a lot about her character. Personally, I don't think there is any problem with gaps in our party's skill proficiencies, and finding relevant NPCs to help us makes the story richer just as much as giving a PC the spotlight. I think you should choose what better fits your vision of Kaylen. I've certainly not chosen my proficiencies with the party in mind and even if we have other characters that are strong in Insight and Persuasion, having them on Kaylen's character sheet will speak as much about what she's been good at in the past as it tells you what she values enough to have spend many hours of her life practicing it.

[Tommyk382]

Tegan (Tee-gun) is most definitely a tank. I thought about doing 2-handed, but I feel like we have enough damage. Tegan is about taking punishment. High ac, high hp, damage resistance. The biggest problem I find for tanks in DND is incentive to hit the tank (which is why I considered going 2-handed; less ac and more damage makes the baddies think twice about skipping over you), but I think my fighting style, interception, should help. It allows me to reduce damage dealt to an ally adjacent to me.

He has high wisdom and high cha (I mean high for my stats... yall are nuts) and had decent perception. He is not the most dexterous or the most learned - he's just average there.

Tegan will definitely be a warmer personality, but a bit rigid. He is definitely out of his wheelhouse in a party like this though, so that may reflect especially at the start. If someone wants to link backstories, I am happy with that if it makes sense, otherwise I'm cool just flying solo (not once the game starts.... you know what I mean...)

As a note I am making a couple minor tweaks to Tegan. I will have religion and animal handling. I will drop the athletics and intimidation from soldier, then swap perception for athletics in fighter. Net effect: Animal handling, athletics, insight, & religion.

I will say, that Vorpal Blade could be really nice for these 20 bandits.

Edit: Tegan will definitely be shocked by uncouth actions or gray moral actions and openly opposed to anything sinister (luckily we are all heroes?) He also will not like retreat, attacking someone defenseless or doing something solely for riches, but it's not going to be a "my character doesn't join the party because they asked for more money" it will be more of a:

Tegan gives a withering look at <insert Talia's name here>. "There is more to this life than just steel. Sometimes we do things because that is what we are called to do whether big or small." Mentally Tegan starts calculating how he can use that money to help the knighthood or the afflicted.

[Noquarter19]

I'm just curious what you'll all think of a 15 year old kid wielding a longbow, fire poker, and butcher knife. Sheet is done, just need to make up the stat block.

[Tommyk382]

I think that kid won't be a joke when he sharpshooter lances an arrow in one side of someone and out the other.

[Mindsiege]

@Noquarter19:
Personally, I'm looking forward to Aric after reading his application. As for Blyne, I think she appreciates quiet people that are polite and do what they are told. Honestly, I think I'll have to dive deeper into her character before I can tell you how she reacts to his personality as a whole. She's likely to place value on self-reflective assertiveness, visible strength of will and wits, expressiveness, and a graceful presence. I'll have to explore more deeply how exactly she'll react to any demonstrated lack of those qualities from someone that's evidently benevolent.