It's a fresh start, a new year. Why not make a new resolution... to recognize someone who's writing was stellar?
Keep your eyes open in January, and when all your other resolutions are forgotten, remember this one. Nominate someone. It's easy, and it's simple, and it will be one resolution you can keep, all year long.
Reason for Nomination: Lostcheerio is running Rime of the Frostmaiden for a pretty large group and mixing up a true blend of horror and light and bizarre humor that I think keeps us all on our toes. I'm not sure I'd be able to run a sandbox like she is. This particular post is a great example of how she's keeping a few different story threads moving at once, but more impressive, I think, is the horrible vision she concocts for my barbarian sorcerer Falfen at a seance. He's already had dreams of this spirit earlier in the chapter and now she visits full force.
There are a lot of excellent characters with depth at play in this game, and I'd encourage anyone with time on their hands to follow along.
Reason: One of my favorite things about being a NPSG DM is I get to see all these budding pbp-players bloom by the end of the module. Mushroomslice is a fantastic story-teller and knows how to keep to what their character might do even when the outcome is less than desired. His rouge, Albascal, was a greenhorned adventurer with a cheery naive outlook on life and was just trying to help out a town in need as his mentor would've wanted. Yet, a tough decision was placed before him and lives were lost because of it. This post shows how his character handled the consequences of his action and lost some of that innocence he held earlier in the adventure.
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WARNING:
This post contains elements from RPGx's renown NPSG. If you are new to the site and are in queue, please be advised that there are some elements that can be deem spoilers.
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Originally Posted by mushroomslice
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Status: In a creative slump, sorry for any delays.
Nominee: In the MIx Game: Planescape: Tales from the Outlands Nominator: C'est moi Link: Reason: The PCs have gone to the paradigm-driven city of Automata, just at the edge of the Outlands and on the border to the Nirvana of Mechanus. They decided to ignore the suggestion of their companion and subjected themselves to literally hours of interrogation for the most mundane things, and each player rolled a Skill Challenge to see how well they did. Venicka, a former member of the Cult of the Dragon, was utterly humiliated during her interrogation and this post is the aftermath of that and is wonderfully done. I think so anyway, and now you do too. It's magic.
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Originally Posted by In the Mix
Movement: ~ Action: ~ Bonus Action: ~ Reaction: ~
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Venicka Ondler, Half-Ork Level 3RangerHP: 19/21, AC:Studded Leather Armor14 Initiative: +2, Speed: 30 ft. Prof. Bonus: +2 Passive Perception: 13 Saving Throws prof-Str +4, prof-Dex +4, Con +3, Int -1, Wis +1, Cha +0 Abilities: Str 14, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 10
You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.Dark Vision When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.Relentless Endurance 1/1 When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.Savage Attacks You have an excellent memory for maps and geography, and you can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around you. In addition, you can find food and fresh water for yourself and up to five other people each day, provided that the land offers berries, small game, water, and so forth.Wanderer You have significant experience studying, tracking, and hunting, and even talking to Beasts.
You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
When you gain this feature, you also learn one language of your choice that is spoken by your favored enemies, if they speak one at all.
You choose one additional favored enemy, as well as an associated language, at 6th and 14th level. As you gain levels, your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have encountered on your adventures.Favored Enemy: Beasts You are particularly familiar with Forests and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to forests, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in.
While traveling for an hour or more in forests, you gain the following benefits:
* Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
* Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
* Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
* If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
* When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
* While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.Natural Explorer: Forests
Fighting Style: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.Archery Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or number.Primeval Awareness Ranger Archetype: Horizon Walker You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels of mastery. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.Horizon Walker Magic You've gained the ability to magically sense the presence of a planar portal. As an action, you detect the distance and direction to the closest planar portal within 1 mile of you.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.Detect Portal 0/1 You've learned to draw upon the energy of the multiverse to augment your attacks.
As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The next time you hit that creature on this turn with a weapon attack, all damage dealt by the attack becomes force damage, and the creature takes an extra 1d8 force damage from the attack. When you reach 11th level in this class, the extra damage increases to 2d8.Planar Warrior
Spell Save DC: 11, Spell Attack Bonus: +3
~ Level 1 ~ 3/3
Horizon Walker Spell Until the spell ends, one willing creature you touch is protected against certain types of creatures: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead.
The protection grants several benefits. Creatures of those types have disadvantage on attack rolls against the target. The target also can’t be charmed, frightened, or possessed by them. If the target is already charmed, frightened, or possessed by such a creature, the target has advantage on any new saving throw against the
relevant effect.Protection from Evil & Good
A creature you touch regains a number of hit points equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.Cure Wounds {V= "?", S} Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
The next time you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack before the spell ends, this spell creates a rain of thorns that sprouts from your ranged weapon or ammunition. In addition to the normal effect of the attack, the target of the attack and each creature within 5 feet of it must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 1d10 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
At Higher Levels: If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 1st (to a maximum of 6d10).Hail of Thorns{V= "?"} Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: 90 feet Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You choose a creature you can see within range and mystically mark it as your quarry. Until the spell ends, you deal an extra 1d6 damage to the target whenever you hit it with a weapon attack, and you have advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check you make to find it. If the target drops to 0 hit points before this spell ends, you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn of yours to mark a new creature.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 8 hours. When you use a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can maintain your concentration on the spell for up to 24 hours.Hunter's Mark {V= "There!"}
Nominee: Ziether Game: Carrion Crown (Whispering Light) GM: Myself Link:Here Reason: The legalistic halfling that Ziether portrays has been a stellar contributor through diplomatic and RP-heavy scenes already. Sometimes RP can get heavy, mired in detail or dialogue that ends up being too one-sided, Ziether brings Finneaous Facklebar to life spectacularly with his writing. This post stood out due to the mouth-watering combination of legalities pertinent to the situation and the Golarion lore immersion that Ziether is able to add into his post. Well worthy of recognition!
Nominee: cottontailwind Game: Uncaged: Found Family GM: Wynamoinen Link:Here Reason: Wynamoinen's game is what I'd call a 'perfect storm' of roleplaying. Great premise, great DM-ing, and a group of like-minded players pushing themselves to write better and better posts. This came to a head recently, with a series of five posts, any of which could have been nominated for PotM. In the end I chose cottontailwind's post, because of its sheer inventiveness. Cottontailwind created interesting detail for several cultures within the setting, and also created several new NPCs (with the DM's consent, of course).
Nominee: Still_Pond Game: Bulldogs - Scavenging the Back Forty GM: kdtompos Link:Here Reason/Context: This is a slightly silly space-opera game, in which the crew has crash landed on an alien moon. There ship is about to be eaten by a leviathan creature that tunnels through the earth, while everyone else runs around trying not to sink into the soil in the process. Anything even slightly curious I throw at this player they have a plausible way of explaining into the fiction, and I'm perpetually impressed by the way they roll with punches and come up with creative ideas.
I nominate this post, above all the other brilliant displays of playing off of others and quirky characterization, because there's so much here at once. Science that I never explained in game is being analyzed and called out. Creative and fun solutions like creating an emetic out of the shuttle that's about to be devoured are proposed, right alongside the robot character pretending to be a ship to be devoured as well or setting self-destruct. And finally, the references to other planets and their environments is made up here entirely whole-cloth.
Glorkuvian didn't exist until this moment. But it will be back.
Reason: Endings are difficult things. Particularly in published models in PBP – you can lose months mopping up those last rooms. In this game – the Steading of the Hill Giant Chief - we decided to montage the end sequence … and Jennifer rose to the occasion. There was one pesky room full of manticores left. I had expected some hand-waved sequence of shooting with arrows and magics until the poor souls were dead – but Jennifer brought her trademarked engagement with the detail of the worlds she lived in and empathy for creatures her characters encountered to have her otherworldly elf-druid to tame the beasts and recruit them to guard her forest while she ventures onwards to the Glacial Rift!
The post earned her Inspiration … I hope you agree it’s a good candidate for POTM.
Chutakki hurried back and hailed Nokomis. It appeared he had discovered a secret hole, and within that hole was quite a large portion of coins and precious items protected by a few lion headed, scorpion tailed, winged beasts. He wasn't quite sure what they were, but given they were animal in nature, and given Nokomis seemed to be a mistress of nature, he figured maybe she knew how to get around them.
The manticore. It was a rare species, sentient in the most rudimentary aspects. That is, you could converse with a manticore - but said conversation almost always revolved around pleading for a quick death, or giving an offering then pleading for a quick death. As with all such creatures, they were much maligned by those who misunderstood. Like a bear defending her cub, or a lion on the hunt - manticore were quick to kill. Yet was it fair to call them ruthless, evil, murderers? Of course not! Man hunted and killed, but since man also saw man in a non-murderous light, man did not have the same aura. However, introduce said men into a grove filled with bunny rabbits and squirrels and watch as the beasts of the field flee the murderous and evil humans.
Nature was a balance of life and death. It didn't matter if that death came from plants or animals, all beasts needed something to eat to live. Even plants themselves took nutrients from dead beasts as they drew them out of the soil. This, in conjunction with the above, was why Nokomis feared not as she slowly approached the manticores.
As she did so, she noticed two of them were significantly bigger than the third. A female, evidenced by the subdued feathering, tawny skin, and missing mane prowled back and forth in front of the littlest one. Her tail twitching to unleash her spines of deadly poison, and a larger one with gold, red, and orange feathers loudly proclaiming his majesty and warning others to begone before they are noticed hunched and growled at her. The trio were keenly aware of their cage, and that Nokomis was the only one to approach them in a long time - yet they suspected she could easily leave them in their cage, unfed, and exposed.
Nokomis laid down her staff and extended her hands. She made herself small as she approached the manticore family. The female backed up closer to her cub, while the male snarled and twitched like a cat ready to pounce. "Easy precious ones. My you look hungry, when was the last time anyone fed you? Easy... I am not armed, but I am still dangerous, ease yourselves. Easy... I just want to see why you are in there."
Despite their instinctual desire to hunt and kill, they were sentient enough to realize even if they did kill this harmless looking elf, there would be no way to get to the meat, and thus, it was a waste of effort. Still, the parents remained on guard, protecting the cub.
"Is he hurt? Why have you not yet escaped?" She was getting closer now. Certainly she could be stung by up to 30 spines from each of them with no chance to get out of the way, not crouched over and this close, but she was there. It looked like the young cub had a collar on it's neck, with a long chain to the wall. Evidence of fresh wounds and scars were on its neck from where it had tried to pull free.
Nokomis knew the viciousness of giant, orc, goblin, man, you name it. However she was incredibly upset. Her core, usually a passive lake of sereneness even in battle, was rumbling like a volcano and her eyes began to smolder. Someone had chained this poor creature to a wall! She could see it in her mind's eye - inflicting pain and suffering on the child by one person, and feeding the parents meat by another - the two actions twisting and turning the creatures into even more mentally stressed beings than normal.
She found the release for the cage. It was to be tripped when someone moved this satchel of coins unleashing the manticores whom, it was supposed and assumed, would immediately murder and eat whomever the thief was.
"I am going to open the cage. If you let me, I will see to your food and health, but I need to look at that monstrous collar on your child first. I cannot set him, and you, free if it is trapped unless I look at it, will that be okay?" She waited. Manticores were intelligent, they could understand her smell, her body language, her tone of voice, even her words. She could do the same. The female stiffened before nodding to the male, who in turn backed up - he could still pounce upon Nokomis which would most likely prove fatal, but it was a clear sign that he was willing to take a risk on the druidess.
She moved the satchel, and the cage sprung open. The manticores had seen this trap sprung before and were not surprised by it in the least. Nokomis, for her part, flinched instinctually, but the only result of that was a smile on the male's face.
From there it was a matter of moving slowly, letting the father flank her and track her while the mother shifted uneasily in front of her child. Nokomis had known this would happen, it was a normal hunting strategy for manticore, so she let it happen. She slowly approached the child and ran her fingers along the color. Glittering purple wafts glided off her fingers as she healed the wounds on its neck.
She stepped back for the moment, letting mommy inspect what had been done so far. She could see her beginning to relax a little - not a lot, as betrayal was not soon forgotten nor forgiven. Someone had abused these creatures and now, these who already viewed bipeds as food, were even more untrustworthy. "It's okay. See, I healed your cub. Now I am going to unlatch the collar. If you wish to be on your way when this is over, I will not move to stop you. However, I ask, once I demonstrate my nature, that you will listen to an offer I wish to present."
She looked at the male. He was still ready to pounce, but he did nod his head. That was as good as she was going to get.
She walked up to the cub. The collar was quite simple really - manticore teeth and claws were not very dexterous. As such, a simple pin with a clasp was all that was needed to keep their child chained to the wall. She slid the clasp off the pin, then gently lifted the pin out of the collar - then immediately backed off about fifteen feet.
The three manticore roved and circled amongst each other, like snakes almost. To the average person this would be horrifyingly scary - to Nokomis this was a beautiful union of family.
She waited patiently as they ensured each other were safe and healthy. They were hungry, but Nokomis had a plan for that. "I know of a forest to the south and east of here. The men in the neighboring town are often pushing incursions in and cutting down some of my ancient trees - trees whom have seen the births and deaths of generations of care takers. Likewise, goblin and orc ransack the lands. The forest is very temperate, it does not grow overly cold, nor overly warm. You would be most pleased there with plenty to eat - both manmeat, elfmeat, goblinmeat, or orcmeat. Whatever your hearts desired and was available. I care not, so long as you protect the forest from all but me and yourselves.
In exchange, I will lay my blessings upon you as champions of my grove. You will not go hungry, nor will you be want for food or shelter. No other creatures would dare assault ones as powerful as yourselves, and should you again be confronted by those who would use your child to enslave you, I will defend you just as I would a dryad or nymph of my own.
Will this be acceptable to you?" If not, well they could fly off. She was confident the trio would leave her alone now. She had done them immense good and they were sentient creatures. A starving pack of wolves might attack anyway, but manticore - manticore could reason.
The trio conversed in their manner, with grunts and growls. Nokomis was tired. The battle had been long and she had expended much of her power for the day. Otherwise, she would have taken form so as to speak with them in their same language. She did, of course, still have defensive magics - of which she suspected the manticores could smell, but not fully understand.
The female approached her, head lowered - but now bowed. As one female to another. Nokomis took the queue and took to a knee herself so the foreheads of the two could meet. The scent glands of a manticore, like those of a cat, were located on the head. By rubbing against each other, the female manticore had marked Nokomis as kin, family.
They were not friends, they were not enemies. They were in accord. One day, Nokomis reckoned, one day they would be friends. Nokomis was friends with all of the creatures of nature, the benevolent, the malevolent, all served a purpose to maintain order. She smiled as the three manticores left. One day, only the father and mother would remain, or maybe they would have more cubs. That was fine with her. The forest was large, and with a family of manticore protecting it, she was free to explore other injustices on the land.
She left and beckoned the rest of the team in to loot the spoils of the castle, so to speak. She wondered if Parnassica (named after the plant which was her life source) would understand the introduction of these winged lions with tails as deadly as scorpions? Or if Clandestina (also named for her life-source plant; this was the way of dryad naming convention) would continue trying to sneak in her human friends? Dryads could be quite mischievous. Either way, she knew her grove was safe for now - and if it should become unsafe, she knew the noses on the manticores would be able to find her anywhere on the surface world and beckon her home if needed.
The others were digging through the loot, but she noticed Raackma standing back - almost like the father of that manticore cub, watching over his charges. "You call yourselves the irregulars. What does this mean? Where are you going next, and would you have need of my services further? After all, I was summoned to help get rid of this threat by a druid friend, this threat is no more. It seems my own grove is safe for the time being." Speaking with bipeds was not her forte, she was far more comfortable with the panthers, bears, squirrels, and dryads. Though it wasn't that she disliked bipeds, these bipeds seemed okay enough - though a bit of the cavalier 'do good' style.
One day the manticore father and mother will grace her with their names. First they needed to get their cub home safe, feed, and become comfortable with their surroundings. In a few years, Nokomis would return and learn their names and their stories.
Okay, I took some liberties, but I am assuming Jon's okay with that? Also hoping I didn't step on anyone toes when I mentioned y'all.
Background: Reluctant Heroes is an alternative 13th century Europe where more than a dozen RPGx players are developing several storyline threads across the continent with a shared history and lore. In this thread, Horseman is creating the context for characters connected to the Germanic Slav tribes who face pressure from Teutonic Knights, rival tribes and the looming presence of a large empire in the southeast. But amid all these geopolitical forces, life continues, and in this post a 13-year-old boy's entire world revolves around how the tribe and his family will receive him after he stole out with a young friend to hunt the eggs of the gigantic geese who have nested near their village.
Reason: I love the concept of "funnel" adventures ... those often deadly scenarios for zero-level characters who have no skills and must hope that their pluck and their luck will see them through. Narratively, this funnel-adventure ending post beautifully captures the exaltation of a young boy who has lived through his first independent challenge. Mechanically, the post highlights the skills and attributes that this character used in the scenario and that will likely shape how his ability scores will be distributed and what class he will be assigned. The post is a coming-of-age ending; it elevates the tale of a boy and a goose to the dramatic level of a knight and a dragon; it captures the drama of everyday life for simple peasants. You can write a back story, or you can adventure it ... Horseman shows us how fun and rewarding adventuring your backstory can be.
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Originally Posted by Horseman
Boromil got his first really good look at a Garganorn egg. While he'd seen them at a distance, and seen a hunter come back with a couple in the village oncem he'd never held one. They were very heavy, and large. About 6 inches long and over 3 inches around. They were tan in color, with black spots. The eggs were carefully packed away, and the pair started to head toward home.
Boromil had finally calmed down from the incidence, and now his body was beginning to ache, and hurt. He noticed his left arm was tingling. As they walked and talked of their success, the tingling became aching. More miles and it became dull numbness and pain. To add to his discomfort his back was hurting. But the conversation with Borisu, and his excitement was intoxicating and made him push the pain to the back of his mind.
By the time they walked into the village it was mid-day and Borisu had the Garganorns 10 feet tall, with fangs and flaming wings. Upon entering villagers started to look at the boys, wondering if they were successful. Boromil sees Militsa, Radana and Slava just returning from the forest with bundles of twigs and small branches for the fire. The young girls spot Boromil, drop their bundles and start to break away, but they are stopped with a soft voice.
Girls, we must not disturb men who are hunting, we shall know soon enough. The girls dejected, return and retrieve their bundles, and follow Militsa to the house. Boromils grandmother smiles a little as she heads for the house.
The first to approach them is Ladislav, the local Volkhv, who presided over religious rites and could foretell the future from watching and communicating with horses. Ladislav greets the boys, he is dressed in a grey tunic, brown pants and weathered boots. His face nearly matches his worn boots, and is covered in a long beard. His voice is rugged You were successful, and you have brought me something.
After Boromil gives one of the eggs to Ladislav, and two to Borisu, the pair finally part ways. Boromil approaches the home. His mother is weaving Garlic into ropes for drying and storage. The girls, and Sobislav are standing by the door quietly. Boromil presents the eggs to his mother. Slavista smiles proudly. We cannot wait to hear your story at dinner, girls take the eggs carefully and wash them. We will eat one tonight. Then she turns back to Boromil. Since you are already dirty, go clean the swine pens. When you are done, you can get cleaned up for dinner.
Boromil could see his father and older brother Dragan scything hay in the fields. Each pass their blades a smooth rythym, small blades of grass flying in the air. They were covered in it. This was the first day of cutting. Boromil knew that he and the rest of his family would in the fields tomorrow bundling the hay, which would be left in the fields to dry. The next 3-4 weeks was going to be all about the haying. If he had been unsuccessful today, he would have had to wait an entire year to get a fresh Garganorn egg.
Boromil's body hurt all the way through his afternoon chores, but the day passed quickly. While he washed the grime of the day away he started to smell wonderful things from his home. Sitting up to the table with the family his mother presented the family with a special treat. On a large round wooden platter was the egg, cooked gently, it's yoke bright amber, surrounded by white, taking up half the platter. Surrounding the platter were small sausages, fried potatoes with onions, tomatoes, freshly sliced bread and roast garlic. A prayer was said to the Leshi, the forest spirits and to their master Svyatobor who provided for hunters and those in need. Then the feast began.
Boromil recounted the tale of his hunt to his family, all listened, rejoiced and giggled. As the meal wound down, and the family sipped their tea and your father his vodka. He looked to Boromil. You did well today son. You assessed the problem, gathered allies and achieved your goal. Upon your return, you payed proper tribute to our people by giving a portion to Ladislav to dedicate.
You have proven you can hunt......................... tomorrow you shall start your training as a Warrior.
OOC
Boromil took 3 hp subdual damage from the Garganorn attack.