The Last Bastion stands against the unending hordes of the walking dead. By the strength of Gunpowder, Alchemy and Clockwork does this Bastion hold the line, but heroes are needed to push back the darkness. Will you be that hero?
The Last Bastion of Serhedros (pathfinder 1st edition)
- Thread starter Useless Writer
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- pathfinder
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The beginning.
Useless Writer
He who should not access the interwebs...
- Location
- Somewhere between Wolf 359 and Courscant
It is said in ancient days the world was a kinder place, good triumphed over evil, truth overcame lies and the dead stayed quietly in their tombs. A shame that the evil scourge of necromancy changed all of that. Old records, thick with dust and the misery of years, report that a terrible being came to Serhedros, a mighty wizard so powerful that death itself could not claim him. With his fell arts he waged a war of extinction upon the goodly peoples of Serhedros. A war that was nearly lost. Now, all that remains of the living lands is a bare thousand leagues of rocky soil and storm-wracked coastline. Each inch of land paid for in blood and gunpowder, for the days where the might of the sword could lay still evil have long past into the west. The forces of good are thinly spread, armies of men bearing powder and shot replacing the knightly paladin orders and goodly wizards who once warred against the forces of evil. This is a world where the living are maintained by alchemical mysteries and servitors formed of brass and clockwork. Where the mysteries of magic and divinity have fallen to legend for none now live who remember them.
This is the world of the Bastion. A mighty edifice built into a lonely mountain that has withstood centuries of war against the foul hordes of the Lich. Where mighty towers of stone and metal hold the last survivors of the knightly realms of Arghost, The quaint farming lands of the Council lands, and the Mercantile masters of the Great cities. The towers are filled with haze and smoke from the grand workshops filled with the sweating masses who manufacture weapons and ammunition to stock the walls and arm the soldiers. The endless supplies of coal, metal, and rarer materials a final miracle from the Priesthood of Galahanth, lord of the Earth. It is a brutal life, one filled with toil and fear, for the undead hordes forever roil just beyond the walls of the Bastion, which has perhaps faced it's final expansion. It is a time of survival and suffering. Though perhaps it need not be?
You were born into this world, a measure of hope, much like every other child born after the dead rose. Will you rise to the challenge and change the world for the better?
Well, before we get into any of that, we should learn a little more about you, shouldn't we?
What is your name?
[ ] Write in
Choose one
[ ] Male: A strong son of the Bastion, who knows where your life will lead?
[ ] Female: A cunning daughter of the Bastion, who knows where your life will lead?
Choose one
[ ] Human: A thousand kingdoms have risen by the might and cunning of the human race, but just have many have fallen for it's greed and arrogance.
[ ] Halfling: The Death of the Council Lands was a slow one, and many of your people escaped before the great hordes of the dead swarmed the last holdouts. Quick hands and silver tongues have served your kindred well, but beware the promises you make, for the strength of a halfling arm is lacking to say the least.
[ ] Dwarf: The Mountain holds of the Dwarves still hold strong against the hordes of the dead. This is a truth passed down from parent to child for ten generations. Through Dwarven toughness have your people held the walls and gates of the Bastion, and Dwarven shrewdness has prevented the Bastion from starving. It's a shame others don't seem to recognize your people's efforts.
[ ] Half-Elf: The woodland folk are long since gone. For they would have made for the greatest enemy of the Lich, and thus were his first priority in his war of eradication. All that remains are those born from the union of human and elf, the result of a thousand generations of marital alliances and bonds forged in friendship and love. Though your people are few in number, the power and cunning of the elves lives on in you.
Only a fool would judge a person purely by the unchangeable circumstances of their birth, who was your family? What sort of life have you lived? And what tools have you gained to drive back the darkness?
Choose one
[ ] One of the Masses: You were born to a common family in the Bastion, working as laborers that kept the Bastion functioning. You have an easier time moving in the social circles of the lower class, but stand out elsewhere.
[ ] Craftsmen: You were born to a family of crafters, skilled in the finer arts of making then what the factories can churn out. The secrets of one of the higher arts are known to you, though the nobility still manage to look down on you somehow.
- [ ] Alchemy: Fine phials of glass, bizarre ingredients and strange concoctions filled your childhood home.
- [ ] Clockwork: Your home was filled with whirring gears and outlandish contraptions.
[ ] Tradesman: Your family keeps to the old ways of the guilds, while the clockworkers and alchemists have stepped above you in social class, your family maintains a special skill beyond the grasp of the toiling masses.
- [ ] Write in Skill (Keep to the pathfinder skill list, Spellcraft, appraise, the knowledge skills, Craft: Alchemy, Craft: Clockwork and Profesion: Merchant are not available for selection through this option)
[ ] Scholar: Your families stock and trade is knowledge, a rare and incredibly value thing, something the family guards jealously.
- [ ] Write in 2 Knowledge skills
[ ] Merchant: The Bastion has grown beyond a desperate holdout against the roiling hordes of the dead, commerce never truly died, but the gains made in the last few centuries have allowed the markets to flourish. A pale immitation of the great Bazaars of legend perhaps, but the rustle of Marks and the rare clink of coin is a tempting sound for many.
[ ] Nobility: The twenty four families of the Bastion are all that remains of the nobility of the past, for they were the few who had the good sense to flee and prepare the Bastion against the oncoming tide. The families of the past have held the Bastion together with silver tongues and steel hands. Who can say for how long it will last?
Choose one
[ ] Alchemist: The scent of steaming beakers and the mystery of the final transmutation sing out their siren call to you.
[ ] Brawler: The roar of the crowd and the scent of blood. The strength of your arm is all you need.
[ ] Cavalier: The noble paladin orders may be gone, but the dream of knighthood lives on with clockwork horses.
[ ] Clockwork Adept: The mysteries of cogs and gears drive your mind to fits of Brilliance, or perhaps insanity.
[ ] Gunslinger: The thunderous burst of gunpowder has largely replaced the skill of swordsmanship, you learned well the mysteries of ignition and the power of lead shot.
[ ] Investigator: The canny mind is a potent thing, especially when backed by skill and alchemical concoctions.
[ ] Rogue: If there is one truth to the world, as long as there are living people with more then the rest, there will be thieves.
[ ] Swashbuckler: There are a rare few who still practice swordplay, and they hone it to a performative edge.
All fine I imagine, the question remains though. What inspired you to leave home?
[ ] Curiosity: There is so much that has been forgotten, so many things lost, I wanted to bring some of it back.
[ ] Glory: There are a thousand calls to adventure, a thousand ways to make sure no one forgets my name.
[ ] Security: I seek to protect the Bastion and all I hold dear.
[ ] Survival: I had no choice.
This is the world of the Bastion. A mighty edifice built into a lonely mountain that has withstood centuries of war against the foul hordes of the Lich. Where mighty towers of stone and metal hold the last survivors of the knightly realms of Arghost, The quaint farming lands of the Council lands, and the Mercantile masters of the Great cities. The towers are filled with haze and smoke from the grand workshops filled with the sweating masses who manufacture weapons and ammunition to stock the walls and arm the soldiers. The endless supplies of coal, metal, and rarer materials a final miracle from the Priesthood of Galahanth, lord of the Earth. It is a brutal life, one filled with toil and fear, for the undead hordes forever roil just beyond the walls of the Bastion, which has perhaps faced it's final expansion. It is a time of survival and suffering. Though perhaps it need not be?
You were born into this world, a measure of hope, much like every other child born after the dead rose. Will you rise to the challenge and change the world for the better?
Well, before we get into any of that, we should learn a little more about you, shouldn't we?
What is your name?
[ ] Write in
Choose one
[ ] Male: A strong son of the Bastion, who knows where your life will lead?
[ ] Female: A cunning daughter of the Bastion, who knows where your life will lead?
Choose one
[ ] Human: A thousand kingdoms have risen by the might and cunning of the human race, but just have many have fallen for it's greed and arrogance.
[ ] Halfling: The Death of the Council Lands was a slow one, and many of your people escaped before the great hordes of the dead swarmed the last holdouts. Quick hands and silver tongues have served your kindred well, but beware the promises you make, for the strength of a halfling arm is lacking to say the least.
[ ] Dwarf: The Mountain holds of the Dwarves still hold strong against the hordes of the dead. This is a truth passed down from parent to child for ten generations. Through Dwarven toughness have your people held the walls and gates of the Bastion, and Dwarven shrewdness has prevented the Bastion from starving. It's a shame others don't seem to recognize your people's efforts.
[ ] Half-Elf: The woodland folk are long since gone. For they would have made for the greatest enemy of the Lich, and thus were his first priority in his war of eradication. All that remains are those born from the union of human and elf, the result of a thousand generations of marital alliances and bonds forged in friendship and love. Though your people are few in number, the power and cunning of the elves lives on in you.
Only a fool would judge a person purely by the unchangeable circumstances of their birth, who was your family? What sort of life have you lived? And what tools have you gained to drive back the darkness?
Choose one
[ ] One of the Masses: You were born to a common family in the Bastion, working as laborers that kept the Bastion functioning. You have an easier time moving in the social circles of the lower class, but stand out elsewhere.
[ ] Craftsmen: You were born to a family of crafters, skilled in the finer arts of making then what the factories can churn out. The secrets of one of the higher arts are known to you, though the nobility still manage to look down on you somehow.
- [ ] Alchemy: Fine phials of glass, bizarre ingredients and strange concoctions filled your childhood home.
- [ ] Clockwork: Your home was filled with whirring gears and outlandish contraptions.
[ ] Tradesman: Your family keeps to the old ways of the guilds, while the clockworkers and alchemists have stepped above you in social class, your family maintains a special skill beyond the grasp of the toiling masses.
- [ ] Write in Skill (Keep to the pathfinder skill list, Spellcraft, appraise, the knowledge skills, Craft: Alchemy, Craft: Clockwork and Profesion: Merchant are not available for selection through this option)
[ ] Scholar: Your families stock and trade is knowledge, a rare and incredibly value thing, something the family guards jealously.
- [ ] Write in 2 Knowledge skills
[ ] Merchant: The Bastion has grown beyond a desperate holdout against the roiling hordes of the dead, commerce never truly died, but the gains made in the last few centuries have allowed the markets to flourish. A pale immitation of the great Bazaars of legend perhaps, but the rustle of Marks and the rare clink of coin is a tempting sound for many.
[ ] Nobility: The twenty four families of the Bastion are all that remains of the nobility of the past, for they were the few who had the good sense to flee and prepare the Bastion against the oncoming tide. The families of the past have held the Bastion together with silver tongues and steel hands. Who can say for how long it will last?
Choose one
[ ] Alchemist: The scent of steaming beakers and the mystery of the final transmutation sing out their siren call to you.
[ ] Brawler: The roar of the crowd and the scent of blood. The strength of your arm is all you need.
[ ] Cavalier: The noble paladin orders may be gone, but the dream of knighthood lives on with clockwork horses.
[ ] Clockwork Adept: The mysteries of cogs and gears drive your mind to fits of Brilliance, or perhaps insanity.
[ ] Gunslinger: The thunderous burst of gunpowder has largely replaced the skill of swordsmanship, you learned well the mysteries of ignition and the power of lead shot.
[ ] Investigator: The canny mind is a potent thing, especially when backed by skill and alchemical concoctions.
[ ] Rogue: If there is one truth to the world, as long as there are living people with more then the rest, there will be thieves.
[ ] Swashbuckler: There are a rare few who still practice swordplay, and they hone it to a performative edge.
All fine I imagine, the question remains though. What inspired you to leave home?
[ ] Curiosity: There is so much that has been forgotten, so many things lost, I wanted to bring some of it back.
[ ] Glory: There are a thousand calls to adventure, a thousand ways to make sure no one forgets my name.
[ ] Security: I seek to protect the Bastion and all I hold dear.
[ ] Survival: I had no choice.
Character sheet
Useless Writer
He who should not access the interwebs...
- Location
- Somewhere between Wolf 359 and Courscant
Philoctetes Cartomoren
A skilled cartographer who seeks to rediscover the world, now that he is alone in it.
Total Hit Points: 8
Speed: 30 feet
Armor Class: 15 = 10 + 1 [padded] + 3 [dexterity] + 1 [dodge]
Dagger [1d4, crit 19-20/x2, range inc 10 ft., 1 lb., light, piercing]
Padded armor [light; + 1 AC; max dex + 8; check penalty 0 10 lb.]
Feats:
* = check penalty for armor/shield
** = some groups double armor/shield penalties for swimmers
This character also has 1 ranks in Linguistics.
Favored class points: Hit points +0; Skill points +1
Adjust weapon attack rolls and armor penalties as required for masterwork / magic equipment.
Human
A skilled cartographer who seeks to rediscover the world, now that he is alone in it.
|
|
Total Hit Points: 8
Speed: 30 feet
Armor Class: 15 = 10 + 1 [padded] + 3 [dexterity] + 1 [dodge]
- Touch AC: 14
Flat-footed: 11
| Initiative modifier: | + 3 | = + 3 [dexterity] |
| Fortitude save: | + 0 | = 0 [base] |
| Reflex save: | + 5 | = 2 [base] + 3 [dexterity] |
| Will save: | + 1 | = 0 [base] + 1 [wisdom] |
| Attack (handheld): | + 1 | = 0 [base] + 1 [strength] |
| Attack (missile): | + 3 | = 0 [base] + 3 [dexterity] |
| Combat Maneuver Bonus: | + 1 | = 0 [base] + 1 [strength] |
| Combat Maneuver Defense: | + 14 | = 10 + 0 [base] + 1 [strength] + 3 [dexterity] |
| Light load: Medium load: Heavy load: Lift over head: Lift off ground: Push or drag: | 43 lb. or less 44-86 lb. 87-130 lb. 130 lb. 260 lb. 650 lb. |
| Languages: | Common Dwarven Draconic Elven Gnome Halfling (? 1 more) |
Dagger [1d4, crit 19-20/x2, range inc 10 ft., 1 lb., light, piercing]
Padded armor [light; + 1 AC; max dex + 8; check penalty 0 10 lb.]
Feats:
Dodge +1 dodge bonus on AC Skill Focus (Know Geography)
| Skill Name | Key Ability | Skill Modifier | Ability Modifier | Ranks | Misc. Modifier |
| Acrobatics | Dex* | 3 = | +3 | ||
| Appraise | Int | 9 = | +5 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Bluff | Cha | 4 = | +0 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Climb | Str* | 5 = | +1 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Craft_1 | Int | 5 = | +5 | ||
| Craft_2 | Int | 5 = | +5 | ||
| Craft_3 | Int | 5 = | +5 | ||
| Diplomacy | Cha | 4 = | +0 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Disable Device | Dex | 7 = | +3 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Disguise | Cha | 0 = | +0 | ||
| Escape Artist | Dex* | 3 = | +3 | ||
| Fly | Dex* | 3 = | +3 | ||
| Heal | Wis | 1 = | +1 | ||
| Intimidate | Cha | 0 = | +0 | ||
| Knowledge (geography) | Int | 12 = | +5 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] + 3 [skill focus] |
| Knowledge (history) | Int | 6 = | +5 | + 1 | |
| Knowledge (local) | Int | 9 = | +5 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Knowledge (nature) | Int | 9 = | +5 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Linguistics | Int | 9 = | +5 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Perception | Wis | 5 = | +1 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Perform_1 | Cha | 0 = | +0 | ||
| Perform_2 | Cha | 0 = | +0 | ||
| Perform_3 | Cha | 0 = | +0 | ||
| Perform_4 | Cha | 0 = | +0 | ||
| Perform_5 | Cha | 0 = | +0 | ||
| Profession (Scholar) | Wis | 5 = | +1 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Ride | Dex* | 3 = | +3 | ||
| Sense Motive | Wis | 5 = | +1 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Sleight of Hand | Dex* | 7 = | +3 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Stealth | Dex* | 7 = | +3 | + 1 | + 3 [class skill] |
| Survival | Wis | 1 = | +1 | ||
| Swim | Str** | 1 = | +1 |
* = check penalty for armor/shield
** = some groups double armor/shield penalties for swimmers
This character also has 1 ranks in Linguistics.
Favored class points: Hit points +0; Skill points +1
Adjust weapon attack rolls and armor penalties as required for masterwork / magic equipment.
Human
- This human chose +2 to intelligence (already included)
- Extra feat at first level (already included)
- Four extra skill points at first level (already included)
- One extra skill point at each additional level (already included)
- Sneak Attack +1d6
- Trapfinding -- add half of rogue level to find traps, minimum +1
11 lb
2 lb
5 lb
3 lb
1 lb
3 lb
10 lb
10 lb
1 lb
20 lb
4 lb
1 lb
1 lb
_____
72 lbWeapons / Armor / Shield (from above)
Backpack
Bedroll
Blanket, winter x1
Candle
Case (for map or scroll)
Quill
Ink vial
Lantern (bullseye)
Parchment sheets x4
Rations (1 day) x10
Rope (50', hempen) x1
Spyglass
Tent
Waterskins x1
Whetstone
Thieves' tools
Total
Also...- Cartography tools, compass, sextant and the like.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- Reader
[X] Plan Knowledge for Knowledges Sake
-[X] Philoctetes Cartomoren
-[X] Male
-[X] Human
-[X] Scholar
--[X] Geography
--[X] Nature
-[X] Rogue
-[X] Curiosity
So I'm aiming for a scholar Rogue with nature and geography lore who just wants to explore the world as it is today.
-[X] Philoctetes Cartomoren
-[X] Male
-[X] Human
-[X] Scholar
--[X] Geography
--[X] Nature
-[X] Rogue
-[X] Curiosity
So I'm aiming for a scholar Rogue with nature and geography lore who just wants to explore the world as it is today.
- Location
- USA
[X] Plan Knowledge for Knowledges Sake
Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
[X] Plan Old and New Mixed Together
-[X] Alandimir Enamur
-[X] Male
-[X] Half-Elf
-[X] Craftsmen
-- [X] Clockwork
-[X] Clockwork Adept
-[X] Security
Mine is aimed at trying to rediscover Spellcraft and yet also advance forward in machinery.
Edit: So reading through the options, advancing tech seems like a better idea.
-[X] Alandimir Enamur
-[X] Male
-[X] Half-Elf
-[X] Craftsmen
-- [X] Clockwork
-[X] Clockwork Adept
-[X] Security
Edit: So reading through the options, advancing tech seems like a better idea.
Last edited:
Useless Writer
He who should not access the interwebs...
- Location
- Somewhere between Wolf 359 and Courscant
Spellcraft isn't on that list, my suggestion would be to switch to craftsmen background and choose clockwork.
Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
Understood, edited my plan.
A seeker of wisdom, a seeker of folly
Useless Writer
He who should not access the interwebs...
- Location
- Somewhere between Wolf 359 and Courscant
Winning vote plan: Knowledge for Knowledge's sake.
Philoctetes Cartomoren, Botanist, Zoologist, and master of the nigh forgotten art of Cartography. Your childhood home tucked away within the stacks of the Bastion was filled with the scent of old parchment, the walls covered in maps of the old world. You keep the knowledge your family line has guarded well for the last four hundred years. But ever has it been a burning desire within you to rewrite those old maps, to record all that has changed over the centuries and see what has become of the larger world. Why, you'd set off tomorrow with nothing but a travel pack and a compass if it weren't for one little problem. Namely the unending hordes of skeletons clustered at the foot of the Last Wall. It is of course possible to bypass the mindless hordes. The Bastion has maintained a small fleet of airships ever since the Alchemist Guild discovered the secrets of Lighter then air gasses, but the comissioning of a new vessel is inordinately expensive, without the support of a noble house or the Guild, your dreams lie all but stillborn.
Or at least, they would be stillborn if not for the Last Wall itself.
It has come to your attention, through no small amount of skulking and rumourmongering, that the lands between the Hawk's Wall and the Last Wall have gone largely unexamined since the Last Wall was constructed ninety years ago. 80 leagues of hills and dells that have not been explored in four hundred years, which were only lightly mapped before the Rising. While the Air fleet ensures that no horde of the unliving rampages across these hills, they cannot also ensure that the Hills are fully safe, for there are a thousand places a handful of skeletons or worse things could hide. The risk is palpable, but surveying even a fraction of these hills successfully could grant you a measure of influence and far greater wealth in the Bastion.
You have enough funds to secure supplies and able hands for an expedition out into the Barren lands. What sort of individuals are you trying to recruit?
[ ] As many as I can get for as cheap as possible: There is safety in numbers, but most experienced or capable individuals will pass over the opportunity. (very low odds of recruiting other adventurers)
[ ] Able workmen and Guards, with a budget for specialists: A smaller, more competent group. You might attract some talent with this posting. (Moderate odds of attracting adventurers)
[ ] Only the Best: Well, the best you can afford, other journeymen like yourself, but it's better then having a swarm of incompetents. (You will have a pool of adventurers to select from, and the budget for maybe two of them.)
There are few families that don't leave something behind for the next generation. What did your parents leave for you?
[ ] A relic of ancient times
[ ] Maps to hidden places and fabulous treasures
[ ] A family friend in a high place
[ ] A measure of wealth
[ ] A fascinating curiosity
Philoctetes Cartomoren, Botanist, Zoologist, and master of the nigh forgotten art of Cartography. Your childhood home tucked away within the stacks of the Bastion was filled with the scent of old parchment, the walls covered in maps of the old world. You keep the knowledge your family line has guarded well for the last four hundred years. But ever has it been a burning desire within you to rewrite those old maps, to record all that has changed over the centuries and see what has become of the larger world. Why, you'd set off tomorrow with nothing but a travel pack and a compass if it weren't for one little problem. Namely the unending hordes of skeletons clustered at the foot of the Last Wall. It is of course possible to bypass the mindless hordes. The Bastion has maintained a small fleet of airships ever since the Alchemist Guild discovered the secrets of Lighter then air gasses, but the comissioning of a new vessel is inordinately expensive, without the support of a noble house or the Guild, your dreams lie all but stillborn.
Or at least, they would be stillborn if not for the Last Wall itself.
It has come to your attention, through no small amount of skulking and rumourmongering, that the lands between the Hawk's Wall and the Last Wall have gone largely unexamined since the Last Wall was constructed ninety years ago. 80 leagues of hills and dells that have not been explored in four hundred years, which were only lightly mapped before the Rising. While the Air fleet ensures that no horde of the unliving rampages across these hills, they cannot also ensure that the Hills are fully safe, for there are a thousand places a handful of skeletons or worse things could hide. The risk is palpable, but surveying even a fraction of these hills successfully could grant you a measure of influence and far greater wealth in the Bastion.
You have enough funds to secure supplies and able hands for an expedition out into the Barren lands. What sort of individuals are you trying to recruit?
[ ] As many as I can get for as cheap as possible: There is safety in numbers, but most experienced or capable individuals will pass over the opportunity. (very low odds of recruiting other adventurers)
[ ] Able workmen and Guards, with a budget for specialists: A smaller, more competent group. You might attract some talent with this posting. (Moderate odds of attracting adventurers)
[ ] Only the Best: Well, the best you can afford, other journeymen like yourself, but it's better then having a swarm of incompetents. (You will have a pool of adventurers to select from, and the budget for maybe two of them.)
There are few families that don't leave something behind for the next generation. What did your parents leave for you?
[ ] A relic of ancient times
[ ] Maps to hidden places and fabulous treasures
[ ] A family friend in a high place
[ ] A measure of wealth
[ ] A fascinating curiosity
- Pronouns
- Reader
Excellent update.
These seem like the obvious choices. Maps since Cartography. Wealth to higher more adventurers. Friend in high places to get this venture some official support.
I like this best. Some common soldiers and workers for excavation, and a quality adventurer or two for dealing with more dangerous or complex situations.
Useless Writer
He who should not access the interwebs...
- Location
- Somewhere between Wolf 359 and Courscant
All of them have value, even the curiosity, it's a shame you can only choose one
- Location
- USA
[X] Able workmen and Guards, with a budget for specialists: A smaller, more competent group. You might attract some talent with this posting. (Moderate odds of attracting adventurers)
I'd rather not put all our eggs in one basket. Splurge on a good Adventurer and watch them roll a nat 1 on the first fight. Quality, but with a little safety buffer.
[X] A fascinating curiosity
What's in the box? What's in the box!?!
I'd rather not put all our eggs in one basket. Splurge on a good Adventurer and watch them roll a nat 1 on the first fight. Quality, but with a little safety buffer.
[X] A fascinating curiosity
What's in the box? What's in the box!?!
- Pronouns
- Reader
[X] Able workmen and Guards, with a budget for specialists: A smaller, more competent group. You might attract some talent with this posting. (Moderate odds of attracting adventurers)
[X] A fascinating curiosity
Lol. I suppose we can see whats in the box for carterhall's peace of mind.
[X] A fascinating curiosity
Lol. I suppose we can see whats in the box for carterhall's peace of mind.
Last edited:
The Barren Expedition sets out
Useless Writer
He who should not access the interwebs...
- Location
- Somewhere between Wolf 359 and Courscant
You post the notice of employment on a number of job boards in alehalls and common areas throughout the lower levels. A simple request for strong laborers, skilled warriors, and adventurous souls willing to brave the barrens in an attempt to fully catalogue the hills and dells of conquered land. A week passes and you recieve a surprising number of applicants, many of whom you choose to turn away. While the unskilled or freshly minted might work for cheaper then their more useful compatriots, you're not willing to risk your own hide on the follies of youth.
In the end you decide to hire on twenty four of the one hundred and six who approached you looking for work. Six miners, four porters, one cook, four day laborers, two scouts, and four riflemen. All decently skilled for the task at hand, but nothing exceptional. The remaining three were something more however. The day laborers had all come in a group. Their leader, a simple if imposing dwarf who went by the name of Jurgen, had the steely arms and surprising grace of a fighting ring champion. The Riflemen were also a full unit that had recently retired from the wall, their Sergeant was a quiet Half-elf by the name of Willa, who proved her skill through shooting a flung bottle out of the air at a hundred paces. Finally, and most perplexingly, a halfling journeyman of the Alchemist Guild by the name of Cassius signed onto your expedition, mentioning something about doing some actual Journeying before returning to the Guild.
Gained
You have fifty ducats remaining after hiring and equipping the expedition. You have the necessary food and water supplies to cover four months of travel and exploration. Each individual requiring tools has a second set in the event of loss or breakage, you have purchased five hundred rounds of amunition and five kegs of gunpowder, The riflemen and gunslinger are equipped with muskets, the scouts carry a bandoleer of five pistols and one warhammer each. Supplies are spread out amongst the party, but heavier goods are carried on a small cart being pulled by two of the porters since you did not have sufficient funds to purchase a clockwork beast of burden. The Cart has an additional 200 lbs of carrying weight before it becomes too heavy to make reasonable progress.
Your remaining funds can be spent in the following ways, choose as many as you have ducats for.
[ ] Cassius the Alchemist has offered his potion brewing skills to you at no additional charge beyond the price of ingredients, he can brew first level potions at the cost of one ducat per potion. He can brew five potions in a day. He can brew the following potions ( Ant Haul, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Metal, Detect Undead, Expeditious Retreat, Heightened Awareness, Shield)
- [ ] Write in potion selection
[ ] Writ of Salvage: For the cost of ten ducats, you are allowed to recover any clockwork machinery or materials normally belonging to the Army of the Bastion that you find disabled or destroyed out in the Barrens. This is not a writ allowing you to attack or destroy Bastion military or logisitical assets, and judging by the hanging corpses near the gates, they take a dim view of "poaching". The Bastion Army will purchase recovered salvage at a fair rate, to the point that two clockwork hawks will recoup the cost of the writ. But you are allowed to keep what you find if you don't wish to sell it after it has been examined. The Writ of Salvage expires upon return through the gate, and must be present if you are bringing salvage through.
[ ] Additional Supplies: Extend the range of your expedition, one month's supplies will cost 5 Ducats and weigh 40 pounds.
[ ] Additional Ammunition: Extend the military capability of your expedition, one hundred rounds and a barrel of gunpowder will cost 4 ducats and weigh 10 pounds.
[ ] Additional Cart: You have two more porters, you could expand your carrying capacity by 800 pounds with the purchase of an additional hand cart. This will cost 10 ducats.
[ ] Save your money: Spend no additional ducats, save it for emergency purchases
Purchases done, you step through the gates at the head of your small column, around your neck is the strange curiosity you found in your families vault. A clear stone that radiates a strange white light. You are not quite sure what it might be used for, but your great grandfather's notes are very clear that it is important... somehow. Even he wasn't sure what it's origin or purpose was, for he recieved it from his great grandfather after said individual's death.
In the end you decide to hire on twenty four of the one hundred and six who approached you looking for work. Six miners, four porters, one cook, four day laborers, two scouts, and four riflemen. All decently skilled for the task at hand, but nothing exceptional. The remaining three were something more however. The day laborers had all come in a group. Their leader, a simple if imposing dwarf who went by the name of Jurgen, had the steely arms and surprising grace of a fighting ring champion. The Riflemen were also a full unit that had recently retired from the wall, their Sergeant was a quiet Half-elf by the name of Willa, who proved her skill through shooting a flung bottle out of the air at a hundred paces. Finally, and most perplexingly, a halfling journeyman of the Alchemist Guild by the name of Cassius signed onto your expedition, mentioning something about doing some actual Journeying before returning to the Guild.
Gained
- 7 Experts
- 8 Commoners
- 6 Warriors
- 1 Dwarf Brawler
- 1 Half Elf Gunslinger
- 1 Halfling Alchemist
You have fifty ducats remaining after hiring and equipping the expedition. You have the necessary food and water supplies to cover four months of travel and exploration. Each individual requiring tools has a second set in the event of loss or breakage, you have purchased five hundred rounds of amunition and five kegs of gunpowder, The riflemen and gunslinger are equipped with muskets, the scouts carry a bandoleer of five pistols and one warhammer each. Supplies are spread out amongst the party, but heavier goods are carried on a small cart being pulled by two of the porters since you did not have sufficient funds to purchase a clockwork beast of burden. The Cart has an additional 200 lbs of carrying weight before it becomes too heavy to make reasonable progress.
Your remaining funds can be spent in the following ways, choose as many as you have ducats for.
[ ] Cassius the Alchemist has offered his potion brewing skills to you at no additional charge beyond the price of ingredients, he can brew first level potions at the cost of one ducat per potion. He can brew five potions in a day. He can brew the following potions ( Ant Haul, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Metal, Detect Undead, Expeditious Retreat, Heightened Awareness, Shield)
- [ ] Write in potion selection
[ ] Writ of Salvage: For the cost of ten ducats, you are allowed to recover any clockwork machinery or materials normally belonging to the Army of the Bastion that you find disabled or destroyed out in the Barrens. This is not a writ allowing you to attack or destroy Bastion military or logisitical assets, and judging by the hanging corpses near the gates, they take a dim view of "poaching". The Bastion Army will purchase recovered salvage at a fair rate, to the point that two clockwork hawks will recoup the cost of the writ. But you are allowed to keep what you find if you don't wish to sell it after it has been examined. The Writ of Salvage expires upon return through the gate, and must be present if you are bringing salvage through.
[ ] Additional Supplies: Extend the range of your expedition, one month's supplies will cost 5 Ducats and weigh 40 pounds.
[ ] Additional Ammunition: Extend the military capability of your expedition, one hundred rounds and a barrel of gunpowder will cost 4 ducats and weigh 10 pounds.
[ ] Additional Cart: You have two more porters, you could expand your carrying capacity by 800 pounds with the purchase of an additional hand cart. This will cost 10 ducats.
[ ] Save your money: Spend no additional ducats, save it for emergency purchases
Purchases done, you step through the gates at the head of your small column, around your neck is the strange curiosity you found in your families vault. A clear stone that radiates a strange white light. You are not quite sure what it might be used for, but your great grandfather's notes are very clear that it is important... somehow. Even he wasn't sure what it's origin or purpose was, for he recieved it from his great grandfather after said individual's death.
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- Location
- Pilipinas
[X] Cassius the Alchemist has offered his potion brewing skills to you at no additional charge beyond the price of ingredients, he can brew first level potions at the cost of one ducat per potion. He can brew five potions in a day. He can brew the following potions ( Ant Haul, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Metal, Detect Undead, Expeditious Retreat, Heightened Awareness, Shield)
- [x] Write in: GM choice (use IC info since we dont know the specifics and likely dangers in the territory but Cure Light Wounds is the priority)
[X] Writ of Salvage: For the cost of ten ducats, you are allowed to recover any clockwork machinery or materials normally belonging to the Army of the Bastion that you find disabled or destroyed out in the Barrens. This is not a writ allowing you to attack or destroy Bastion military or logisitical assets, and judging by the hanging corpses near the gates, they take a dim view of "poaching". The Bastion Army will purchase recovered salvage at a fair rate, to the point that two clockwork hawks will recoup the cost of the writ. But you are allowed to keep what you find if you don't wish to sell it after it has been examined. The Writ of Salvage expires upon return through the gate, and must be present if you are bringing salvage through.
[X] Additional Supplies: Extend the range of your expedition, one month's supplies will cost 5 Ducats and weigh 40 pounds.
[X] Additional Cart: You have two more porters, you could expand your carrying capacity by 800 pounds with the purchase of an additional hand cart. This will cost 10 ducats.
- better to have extra supplies and a way to gain income
- [x] Write in: GM choice (use IC info since we dont know the specifics and likely dangers in the territory but Cure Light Wounds is the priority)
[X] Writ of Salvage: For the cost of ten ducats, you are allowed to recover any clockwork machinery or materials normally belonging to the Army of the Bastion that you find disabled or destroyed out in the Barrens. This is not a writ allowing you to attack or destroy Bastion military or logisitical assets, and judging by the hanging corpses near the gates, they take a dim view of "poaching". The Bastion Army will purchase recovered salvage at a fair rate, to the point that two clockwork hawks will recoup the cost of the writ. But you are allowed to keep what you find if you don't wish to sell it after it has been examined. The Writ of Salvage expires upon return through the gate, and must be present if you are bringing salvage through.
[X] Additional Supplies: Extend the range of your expedition, one month's supplies will cost 5 Ducats and weigh 40 pounds.
[X] Additional Cart: You have two more porters, you could expand your carrying capacity by 800 pounds with the purchase of an additional hand cart. This will cost 10 ducats.
- better to have extra supplies and a way to gain income
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- Pronouns
- Reader
[X] Additional Cart: You have two more porters, you could expand your carrying capacity by 800 pounds with the purchase of an additional hand cart. This will cost 10 ducats.
[X] Cassius the Alchemist has offered his potion brewing skills to you at no additional charge beyond the price of ingredients, he can brew first level potions at the cost of one ducat per potion. He can brew five potions in a day. He can brew the following potions ( Ant Haul, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Metal, Detect Undead, Expeditious Retreat, Heightened Awareness, Shield)
- [x] Write in: GM choice (use IC info since we dont know the specifics and likely dangers in the territory but Cure Light Wounds is the priority)
[X] Writ of Salvage: For the cost of ten ducats, you are allowed to recover any clockwork machinery or materials normally belonging to the Army of the Bastion that you find disabled or destroyed out in the Barrens. This is not a writ allowing you to attack or destroy Bastion military or logisitical assets, and judging by the hanging corpses near the gates, they take a dim view of "poaching". The Bastion Army will purchase recovered salvage at a fair rate, to the point that two clockwork hawks will recoup the cost of the writ. But you are allowed to keep what you find if you don't wish to sell it after it has been examined. The Writ of Salvage expires upon return through the gate, and must be present if you are bringing salvage through.
[X] Additional Supplies: Extend the range of your expedition, one month's supplies will cost 5 Ducats and weigh 40 pounds.
@butchock additional cart for additional loot.
[X] Cassius the Alchemist has offered his potion brewing skills to you at no additional charge beyond the price of ingredients, he can brew first level potions at the cost of one ducat per potion. He can brew five potions in a day. He can brew the following potions ( Ant Haul, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Metal, Detect Undead, Expeditious Retreat, Heightened Awareness, Shield)
- [x] Write in: GM choice (use IC info since we dont know the specifics and likely dangers in the territory but Cure Light Wounds is the priority)
[X] Writ of Salvage: For the cost of ten ducats, you are allowed to recover any clockwork machinery or materials normally belonging to the Army of the Bastion that you find disabled or destroyed out in the Barrens. This is not a writ allowing you to attack or destroy Bastion military or logisitical assets, and judging by the hanging corpses near the gates, they take a dim view of "poaching". The Bastion Army will purchase recovered salvage at a fair rate, to the point that two clockwork hawks will recoup the cost of the writ. But you are allowed to keep what you find if you don't wish to sell it after it has been examined. The Writ of Salvage expires upon return through the gate, and must be present if you are bringing salvage through.
[X] Additional Supplies: Extend the range of your expedition, one month's supplies will cost 5 Ducats and weigh 40 pounds.
@butchock additional cart for additional loot.
Ebanu8
Emperor of the Downtrodden
- Location
- Singapore
[X] Additional Cart: You have two more porters, you could expand your carrying capacity by 800 pounds with the purchase of an additional hand cart. This will cost 10 ducats.
[X] Cassius the Alchemist has offered his potion brewing skills to you at no additional charge beyond the price of ingredients, he can brew first level potions at the cost of one ducat per potion. He can brew five potions in a day. He can brew the following potions ( Ant Haul, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Metal, Detect Undead, Expeditious Retreat, Heightened Awareness, Shield)
- [x] Write in: GM choice (use IC info since we dont know the specifics and likely dangers in the territory but Cure Light Wounds is the priority)
[X] Writ of Salvage: For the cost of ten ducats, you are allowed to recover any clockwork machinery or materials normally belonging to the Army of the Bastion that you find disabled or destroyed out in the Barrens. This is not a writ allowing you to attack or destroy Bastion military or logisitical assets, and judging by the hanging corpses near the gates, they take a dim view of "poaching". The Bastion Army will purchase recovered salvage at a fair rate, to the point that two clockwork hawks will recoup the cost of the writ. But you are allowed to keep what you find if you don't wish to sell it after it has been examined. The Writ of Salvage expires upon return through the gate, and must be present if you are bringing salvage through.
[X] Additional Supplies: Extend the range of your expedition, one month's supplies will cost 5 Ducats and weigh 40 pounds.
[X] Cassius the Alchemist has offered his potion brewing skills to you at no additional charge beyond the price of ingredients, he can brew first level potions at the cost of one ducat per potion. He can brew five potions in a day. He can brew the following potions ( Ant Haul, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Metal, Detect Undead, Expeditious Retreat, Heightened Awareness, Shield)
- [x] Write in: GM choice (use IC info since we dont know the specifics and likely dangers in the territory but Cure Light Wounds is the priority)
[X] Writ of Salvage: For the cost of ten ducats, you are allowed to recover any clockwork machinery or materials normally belonging to the Army of the Bastion that you find disabled or destroyed out in the Barrens. This is not a writ allowing you to attack or destroy Bastion military or logisitical assets, and judging by the hanging corpses near the gates, they take a dim view of "poaching". The Bastion Army will purchase recovered salvage at a fair rate, to the point that two clockwork hawks will recoup the cost of the writ. But you are allowed to keep what you find if you don't wish to sell it after it has been examined. The Writ of Salvage expires upon return through the gate, and must be present if you are bringing salvage through.
[X] Additional Supplies: Extend the range of your expedition, one month's supplies will cost 5 Ducats and weigh 40 pounds.
Useless Writer
He who should not access the interwebs...
- Location
- Somewhere between Wolf 359 and Courscant
i would request you specify how many ducats worth of potions you want brewed, remember that every five potions costs you a day off of your ninety day contract
Edit: With your current selection you can afford 25 potions. The question is do you want to loose five days of exploration for potential bonuses and threat mitigation
Edit: With your current selection you can afford 25 potions. The question is do you want to loose five days of exploration for potential bonuses and threat mitigation
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A Limited map of the Barrens
Useless Writer
He who should not access the interwebs...
- Location
- Somewhere between Wolf 359 and Courscant
View: https://imgur.com/gallery/Ac4IqGP
Depicted in the link above is a limited map of the Barrens as they are known today. Your self imposed task is to map and survey these hills for mineral wealth and lost ruins. To ensure that future colonization efforts face fewer difficulties. Each hex is representative of roughly one league or three freedom units(miles) of distance. The broken hills make for difficult passage however, so your group may cross three hexes of hills in a day's travel. The journey down the road from gate to gate can be covered in roughly a day given the straight road that was blasted out of the hills in recent years.
- Location
- USA
I'm leery of overinvesting in carts. Do we have a general idea of how much four clockwork machines sufficient to pay off the extra cart and Writ of Salvage weigh? The carts are going to be the first things left behind if we have to run. I'd like just the Writ of Salvage and some potions. Aim to collect just enough to make back what we originally spent. Coming back alive, with minimal losses, and not in the red will do wonders for our reputation, giving us a pool of much higher quality to draw from for Expedition 2. Maybe even attract some investors.
The First Expedition into The Barrens, Day 6, Morning
Useless Writer
He who should not access the interwebs...
- Location
- Somewhere between Wolf 359 and Courscant
((Alright, im going to assume you wanted to use up the rest of your remaining Ducats on potions.))
Gained
The expedition sets forth, two carts half loaded with supplies trundling along in the middle of the pseudo column you have established under the advice of Sergeant Willa, One of the riflemen marches at the head of the column alongside you and two of the miners, both sturdy dwarves wielding pickaxes. Jurgen and his laborers follow not far behind while the porters drag the carts along behind them, Cassius having hitched a ride on the emptier cart through either bribery or pity. Two of the riflemen and Sergeant Willa follow behind the carts with the rest of the workers. The Last riflemen is about twenty feet behind the back of the column and busily watching both the skies and the rear. Both of the Scouts have darted off ahead of the column to do their jobs and explore the surrounding territory, having been informed of your first designated surveying spot the previous night.
Where are you going to survey first? ( Each action taken during an expedition will advance time as designated in the parenthesis, remember that you have ninety days before your contract with your hirelings will end)
[ ] The hills closest to the West Gate: Might as well start close to the gate so you have somewhere to flee to should you uncover anything unsavory. (Next turn will advance to Noon)
- [ ] The Southern Hills: The hills closest to the gate are largely clear of brush, but that changes the further south you go.
- [ ] The Northern Hills: The hills here are blessedly clear of any brush or forest, but they knock on the slopes of a small outcropping of mountains with a dense dead forest in the lowlands that reachs the foot of the Wall.
[ ] The Hills closest to the East Gate: Starting at the end and working your way back to the West gate might be a better way to go for completeness sake. (Next turn will advance to Evening)
- [ ] The Southern Hills: The hills closest to the east gate are separated from each other by an expanse of flatland, the hills on the far side of the flatland are deeply cloaked in forest.
- [ ] The Northern Hills: The hills closest to the east gate slowly give way to Marshes and wetlands before reaching a shallow lake. A distant set of hills are coated in a thick, but isolated copse of trees.
Gained
- Two Ant Haul Potions
- Fifteen Cure Light Wounds Potions
- Two Detect Metal Potions
- Two Detect Undead Potions
- Four Heightened Awareness Potions
The expedition sets forth, two carts half loaded with supplies trundling along in the middle of the pseudo column you have established under the advice of Sergeant Willa, One of the riflemen marches at the head of the column alongside you and two of the miners, both sturdy dwarves wielding pickaxes. Jurgen and his laborers follow not far behind while the porters drag the carts along behind them, Cassius having hitched a ride on the emptier cart through either bribery or pity. Two of the riflemen and Sergeant Willa follow behind the carts with the rest of the workers. The Last riflemen is about twenty feet behind the back of the column and busily watching both the skies and the rear. Both of the Scouts have darted off ahead of the column to do their jobs and explore the surrounding territory, having been informed of your first designated surveying spot the previous night.
Where are you going to survey first? ( Each action taken during an expedition will advance time as designated in the parenthesis, remember that you have ninety days before your contract with your hirelings will end)
[ ] The hills closest to the West Gate: Might as well start close to the gate so you have somewhere to flee to should you uncover anything unsavory. (Next turn will advance to Noon)
- [ ] The Southern Hills: The hills closest to the gate are largely clear of brush, but that changes the further south you go.
- [ ] The Northern Hills: The hills here are blessedly clear of any brush or forest, but they knock on the slopes of a small outcropping of mountains with a dense dead forest in the lowlands that reachs the foot of the Wall.
[ ] The Hills closest to the East Gate: Starting at the end and working your way back to the West gate might be a better way to go for completeness sake. (Next turn will advance to Evening)
- [ ] The Southern Hills: The hills closest to the east gate are separated from each other by an expanse of flatland, the hills on the far side of the flatland are deeply cloaked in forest.
- [ ] The Northern Hills: The hills closest to the east gate slowly give way to Marshes and wetlands before reaching a shallow lake. A distant set of hills are coated in a thick, but isolated copse of trees.
The current Status of the Expedition of the Barrens
Useless Writer
He who should not access the interwebs...
- Location
- Somewhere between Wolf 359 and Courscant
The Expedition has left Civilized land in Good health and Neutral morale
Expedition Health: dying - plagued - poor - neutral - Good
Expedition Morale: mutinous - grumbling - disheartened - neutral - good - excited - Ecstatic
Expedition Members 25/25
Expedition Supplies: 147 days of Food and Water
Expedition Ammunition: 442/500
Expedition Carrying Capacity 1180/1600, 420 pounds of carry weight available, 250 pounds of baggage, 200 pounds of Food and water, 100 pounds of powder and shot, 50 pounds of alchemist's gear, 20 pounds of cartographers gear, 80 pounds of Cassius refusing to walk while there's ample space for him to ride. 180 pounds of recovered artifacts and specimens, 300 pounds of silver ore.
Expedition Unique Resources
Expedition Health: dying - plagued - poor - neutral - Good
Expedition Morale: mutinous - grumbling - disheartened - neutral - good - excited - Ecstatic
Expedition Members 25/25
Expedition Supplies: 147 days of Food and Water
Expedition Ammunition: 442/500
Expedition Carrying Capacity 1180/1600, 420 pounds of carry weight available, 250 pounds of baggage, 200 pounds of Food and water, 100 pounds of powder and shot, 50 pounds of alchemist's gear, 20 pounds of cartographers gear, 80 pounds of Cassius refusing to walk while there's ample space for him to ride. 180 pounds of recovered artifacts and specimens, 300 pounds of silver ore.
Expedition Unique Resources
- Cassius The Alchemist
- Writ of Salvage
- Two Ant Haul Potions
- Fourteen Cure Light Wounds Potions
- Two Detect Metal Potions
- Two Detect Undead Potions
- Four Heightened Awareness Potions
- ? Strange Stone ?
- Discovered a copper Deposit (100 ducats for sale of it's location/ 600? if you mine it yourself)
- Discovered signs of a lost ?Dwarven? civilization.
- Archeological Findings: Ancient Bronze Dagger / Trade Goods from an Ancient Marketplace (120 lbs)
- Research Findings: Charcol rubbings of Ancient Script, Pillars #1-3 / Cave Fishing Spider Cadevars (60 lbs)
- Material Gains: Ancient Coinage (32 Ducats in worth)
- 300 pounds of unsmelted silver (worth roughly 200 ducats)
- 1300 pounds of unsmelted copper (worth roughly 100 ducats) (not presently carried by the expedition)
- Major High-Value Gemstone Deposit uncovered (pending valuation)
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- Location
- Pilipinas
[X] The hills closest to the West Gate: Might as well start close to the gate so you have somewhere to flee to should you uncover anything unsavory. (Next turn will advance to Noon)
- [x] The Southern Hills: The hills closest to the gate are largely clear of brush, but that changes the further south you go.
- [x] The Southern Hills: The hills closest to the gate are largely clear of brush, but that changes the further south you go.