Mean Streets

[damned]

New campaign will be mean and gritty, mixing the characters with the poorest and meanest and most determined denizens of a large city.

The Druid, Barbarian and Knight will probably struggle here while the Rogue will be an essential member of the party.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/calendar/index.xcp?id=755

[damned]

I have 3 players and possibly a fourth. Really looking for 2 more players if possible. Timezone doesnt work for a lot of people but it is what it is.

10pm every second Saturday AUS East Coast
6am every second Saturday US East Coast
11am every second Saturday UK

Once daylight savings ends here and begins on teh other side of the world game time changes a little..

930pm every second Saturday AUS East Coast
730am every second Saturday US East Coast
130pm every second Saturday UK

[BBPlainwell]

Sent PM for more info

[damned]

The new campaign will most definitely start in a city environment and may stay in this city for some time.

In our last campaign I only allowed Human Characters – this time you may choose from the following races:
Dwarf
Elf
Gnome
Half-elf
Halfling
Half-orc
Human
Non humans have one or more racial advantages and some have a disadvantage or two as well.
Humans get an additional Prime attribute as compensation.

The following classes are also permitted
Fighter
Ranger
Rogue
Assassin
Barbarian
Monk
Wizard
Illusionist
Cleric
Druid
Knight
Paladin
Bard

Please have a think about the type of character you might like to play but bear in mind you may need to alter a little on the day if we cant get a plausible group together…

If you are feeling adventurous you can write up a little character history too.
You will most likely start as Level 2 so you don’t die if I sneeze at the wrong time…

There will be a number of potential plot lines running thru the opening couple of sessions…

There are a couple of potential new faces in the group....

[damned]

When the sun is hot and the sea winds go calm the stench in this ward is oppresive. Many essential but unsavoury businesses and quite a few that are just unsavoury exist here in the tight packed streets of the Trades Ward.

The Trades Ward is a busy but poor Ward in the city of Kadan. Many homes of the poorest inhabitants of this great city are squuezed in amongst the great warehouses, tanners and knackery's, fish mongers and other businesses.

Many a tavern and brothel can be found here too but if you're not a local you'd better be able to look after yourself. Recently it seems the Trades Ward has become a lot more dangerous.

[damned]

Eric, Ivan and Shaun are returning from the last campaign.
Martin is probably unable to rejoin because his new TZ puts the game at approx. 4am-8am.
Jase is new to the group.
Bonnie and David are both new to FG and I will try to give you a short session 30mins to an absolute max of 60mins one night this week.
Bonnie and David – if you are both available at the same time that is probably easiest but that may not be possible.
If you are interested in trying this Sunday or Monday at 830pm Im happy to give it a run.
What will you need?
Install and test the Fantasy Grounds runs.
Install the Ventrillo client and get yourself a headset and mike.
Make sure you have a reliable internet connection – fast is not really a requirement – BUT the first time you connect to a server it can be very slow…
Bonnie – you still need to register on FG website and join the game: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/calendar/index.xcp?id=755
If you want to do Sunday or Monday reply back here…
All of you bar Eric please Confirm a Yes or a No to the scheduled session for next weekend so I know who to expect 
I think we have plenty of players to start with – it is likely *someone* will drop out after a week or two but I think our numbers are ok.

[damned]

To get you started a little…

Every party needs a Cleric.
We need at least one other spell caster – Wizard, Illusionist, Druid, Cleric…
At least one fighting character – Fighter, Ranger, Barbarian, Knight, Paladin, Monk…
Someone who uses methods other than outright force – Rogue, Assassin, Bard…
Obviously with 5 or 6 players there is some overlap.
If we play this campaign for a year I would expect that you might achieve somewhere between Level 6 and Level 10 max – bear that in mind if you are imagining playing some super-powerful Level 24 Warlock running amok thru my city….

Perhaps it might help other party members if you share your character preferences early so we can work around any major imbalances.
You will all start with 3001 XP which means all classes would be Level 2 except the Rogue who would gain Level 3.

You all get 180GP to equip yourselves.

Players can choose one of the following Armour/Weapons:
+1 Armour (max armour class of base armour is 4)
+1 Shield (small or medium)
+1 Helm
+1 Weapon (maximum 1d8 or 2d4 base damage)
+2 Weapon against ? (maximum 1d10 or 2d6 base damage) specific type of creature (eg Giants/Dragons/Goblins)
Detect Evil Weapon (or Good/Giants/Goblins/Truth ec) (no combat bonus)
+1 Ring of Protection (+1AC) (Wizard, Illusionist, Rogue, Thief, Monk, Druid, Assassin)

Players can also choose one of the following additional items:
Healing Potion (2) - cures 1d8 HP
Potion Of Invisibility (2) - duration 2d6 minutes
Staff of Cure Light Wounds (4) - cures 1d8 HP (Cleric, Druid)
Rod of Darts (4) - inflicts 1d4+1 (Wizard, Illusionist)
Wand of Deception (4) - create 2 minor illusions last 2d6 minutes (Wizard, Illusionist)

You should also choose at least one disadvantage from the following list (I will try to incorporate these a bit better in the new campaign).
Bad Sight: -1 surprise, -1 ranged attacks
Bad Temper: will start a fight over minor or even imagined slight
Bloodlust: really want to kill your opponent
Code Of Honour: must obey the law
Curious: tend to go places, do things you really shouldn't
Drunkenness: always over indulges in alcohol when available -2 Dex, -2 Wis when drinking
Gluttony: eat and drink too much
Greed: always tries to get more than his share, may even steal something or go after something he shouldn't
Hard Of Hearing: -1 to surprise, cannot hear whispers
Honesty: always obeys the law and expects that others will also
Impulsiveness: act first, think/discuss later
Intolerance: really cannot stand a particular race or group of people
Jealousy: react poorly to those who seem smarter, stronger, wealthier, prettier than you and resist anything they suggest
Lecherousness: you tend to go overboard with the opposite sex all the time
Obsession: find it very hard to do anything other than pursue your obsession
Overconfidence: always think you are smarter, stronger, prettier, better than you are
Pacifism: cannot and will not kill innocents
Phobia: spiders, snakes, dark, confined spaces, blood, heights
Truthfulness: almost impossible to tell a lie, even keeping quiet when a lie is being told is difficult
Unluckiness: once per day something unlucky will occur to the character

[damned]

Several new faces for the new campaign. Welcome to Bonnie, Jason and David and also to returning players Ivan, Eric and Shaun.

We began the session rolling up new characters and ended up with the following:

Eric - Declin the Grey - Male Half-Elf Assassin
David - Ghirin - Female Human Fighter
Bonnie - Alistria - Female Elf Wizard
Jason - Zen - Male Half-Orc Monk
Shaun - Aradian - Male Human Cleric
Ivan - Lin - Male Human Bard

The party find themselves in the busy city of Kadan all for different reasons. Several characters were returning home from a late night working at a local tavern in the Trades Ward while others were on their way out early in the morning when they heard horrified screams coming from Hope Park. Each for their own reasons, the characters charge into the heavily wooded park and encounter a gruesome scene.

A pack of wild dogs had just killed a man and about to make a meal of him when a young lady taking a shortcut thru the park has come across them. She stands petrified, screaming, as the dogs turn their attention on her.

The characters charge in and distract the dogs, grab the young lady out of the way and then attack and kill the dogs. Several take wounds that require assistance – mostly Alistria who threw caution to the wind and eagerly ran into the fray. Strangely Alistria’s wounds seemed less severe once the fight had finished and everyones wounds were being tended to.

The Guard arrive quickly on the scene as the last dogs are dispatched and with military precision cordon off the area and begin interviewing the party and the young lady. The Guard bundle the body of the dead man into a wagon belonging to Grang’s Crematorium and the dogs bodies soon follow. After interviewing everyone the Guard Captain thanks the party for the heroics which likely saved the life of the young lady and then assure everyone that a full investigation will take place and that everything is under control.

The young ladies name was Marina. She is very grateful for your help and very distressed by what she has witnessed. She declines further offers of assistance and leaves the scene.

Several party members track the dogs trail thru the park and to the edge where their tracks disappeared into the city. They notice several warnings about the dangerous and wild dogs inhabiting the park and try to find out more info from the occupant of the home to which the signs were attached. The occupant does not want to talk to the “half breed curr” Zen but is persuaded to talk by Declin. He informs Declin that these signs and many others have been appearing around town for some months now.

[damned]

Mid way thru last game session – I think after Shaun had dropped out and possibly after Bonnie retired for some beauty sleep, the remaining players got into a robust discussion on Alignment particularly around a Lawful Good Paladin. I suggested at the time that a flexible view on how a Lawful Good player and in particular a Paladin could be required. A strict Lawful Good Paladin would be constrained by his/her alignment in certain game scenarios and find his/her ability to operate and choice of actions quite limited.

In playing a more typical dungeon crawl or other adventure where the primary antagonists are monsters its easy to Lawful Good and to only associate with good characters.

When adventuring in a city where a large amount of antagonists – or at least encounters – are with human and other humanoid races, you are going to find yourself with fewer and fewer choices open to you. The Lawful Good character wont break into the jewellery shop or forcibly detain a suspect. Not only that – a Paladin might refuse to co-operate and adventure with other characters who have a more liberal view of the situation.

So Im going to put it out there… a large amount of the campaign that I am running is based in the city of Kadan and its environs, and the vast majority of encounters are going to be with humans and other residents of the city. It is my belief that characters with too rigid a view on morality and law will struggle at some stages but will cope. Characters that wont campaign with others with more flexible relationships with the law and morality will probably find it impossible to find the required information to progress the campaign.

All that being said – if anyone feels a need to change alignments (probably not required) or classes (may be required) or wants to discuss an alternative view on how they might play a particular alignment and class please send me your thoughts and ideas. Im completely open to anyone re-inventing themselves particularly at this early stage of the campaign. Just as a strict Lawful Good character would make things difficult a truly chaotic or evil character will similarly create significant difficulties.