With the recent and untimely demise of Manchiever (Mu: 1) in my Ever Expanding Dungeon campaign (solo Labyrinth Lord), the party has an opening.
In fact, I'd like to have at least two new PCs join the party the next time they return to town - it's getting dangerous in there, and the original party had 5 characters and two henchmen.
By now, the nearby villages all know of the party's exploits - having defended the region not once, but twice, from White Eyes, the Evil Wizard, and ended a ghoul feeding frenzy. Not to mention, a local boy, Perceval, rose from lowly porter to the party's leader and was the longest surviving member, before being cut down cruelly by a trap on a mere pittance of silver.
Unfortunately, the nearby villages also know of the horrendous loss suffered inside the dungeon.
Further south, tales of the exploration has reached The City but so far few have been anxious to answer the siren's call of adventure and death defying. Probably because no one has really been terribly successful at the latter.
I could roll one up , and I have and will, but both Bluebear Jeff and Fitz-Badger have a character in my game already and I feel a little more protective of these characters than the ones I roll up, since they are created by people I enjoy conversing with. The possibility of telling them about the death of their character isn't something I enjoy.
Indeed, I've had to do this twice for Jeff already!
And so, I'd like to extend the invitation to anyone so interested.
You create the character: roll them up (I'm using Labyrinth Lord, but any similar system works fine, race-as-class), give them a name, a brief background (don't spend too much time on it, they'll probably die) preferably with some kind of motivation for a life of adventure and exploration, equip them per the rules of your choice, etc. and then turn the character over to me in the comments below.
Going forward I control the character in the game, but it gives you someone to root for.
So, if you're interested, just roll up a PC, and post them below (or on my G+).
Don't worry if someone else posts ahead of you - the rate of attrition in this campaign is astounding. Fortunately, i'm using the party average for starting level, and currently, it's solidly at 2nd level, so maybe they'll survive a few sessions!
Love the WWII poster. I probably over did it, but it's been awhile since I got t set up a new character and this was my first one for Labyrinth Lord. I'd downloaded the book a year ago, but haven't played. I pulled the physical description from my NPC Description Generator.
ReplyDeleteLykidas Magic User
Level 2 Neutral
HP 5 AC 9
modifier
ST 6 -1
DX 9 0
CN 9 0
IQ 12 0
WS 7 -1
CH 12 0
Breath Attacks 16
Poison or Death 13
Petrify or Paralyze 13
Wands 13
Spells 14
Spells Known: Hold Portal, Read Magic, Sleep
Gear: Darts * 6 1d4 -1, Silver Dagger 1d4-1; Backpack, Spellbook, Ink, Quill, 2 sheets Parchment, Bedroll, Garlic, Lantern, 1 pint Oil, Mirror, Silk Rope, Wolfsbane. Encumbrance 23.5 lbs.
25 GP 5 SP
Description
Sensibly dressed, in typical fabrics and patterns. He has thinning black hair, olive skin and green eyes. A rag covers the eye missing from his pox ravaged face. He rubs his chin as he talks.
He was dismissed by his master after 15 years of apprenticeship due to his inability to progress.
I like him, Rod. Certainly his stats are a tad below average -- but such characters are often fun to play.
ReplyDeleteAs John mentioned, I've already had two of the characters I've rolled up "die" in his EED, but having a character to follow makes reading the accounts more fun . . . and yes, I know that Sylana will probably soon perish as well . . . but in the meantime she gives me someone to root for.
I think that you'll have fun reading about Lykidas' exploits as he ventures into danger.
-- Jeff
Just to update things . . . so far a total of 28 people (and one mule) have entered the EED. Three are still with the party; two deserted the party and 23 have died (but the mule still lives).
ReplyDeleteOf the Adventurers, Sister Linkat has survived 22 trips underground -- the record as Perceval didn't survive his 22nd trip but died from a poison dart.
My characters haven't done nearly so well:
Gelfat (Elf) died on his third trip
Dleggit (Dwarf) died in glorious (but foolish) fashion on his 12th trip
Sylana (Cleric) is still alive . . . but only after two sessions
How will new characters fare? Time will tell . . . but the pay is good, so sign on the dotted line, Adventurers. Step up now and sign on for Fame, Glory and Gold!
-- Jeff
Your readers set the bar pretty high. Here I present my own, humble offering:
ReplyDeleteZilliniy Fairweather
Elf, Level 2
Str 14 Int 11 Wis 15 Dex 13 Con 16 Cha 7
Alignment: N HP 12
Ac: 3 (Chainmail & shield)
equipment: longsword, silver dagger, shortbow, quiver of 20 arrows, backpack, 50' rope & grappling hook, 62 GP
Spellbook: Read Magic, Sleep, Floating Disc, Protection from Evil
An elf comes to town looking for the party. She says that Manchiver was a friend of her family, her father having studied magic with Manchiver's great-great-...uh (counts on her fingers)... -great grandfather. She was saddened to hear that he died, and wishes to recover his body and give him a decent burial. She has 50GP set aside for a headstone, but would be honoured if his friends wanted to chip in some too. She offers her sword and spells to aid them in their quest whilst they look for Manchiver.
Zilliniy stands nearly 5'4" and is rather sturdily-built for an elf. She is a mercenary by trade; armour and shield have been repaired many times over the years and tell of many battles. Her sword is brand new, and she examines it often, somewhat disapprovingly. She wears her white hair in long braids. She has striking violet eyes, which never seem to look at anyone she speaks to.
But is she telling the truth? Should the party recover Manchiver's body, roll 1d6 on the following table, classic Traveller-style:
1. All is as it seems. Zilliniy is telling the truth, and will remain with the party afterwards if they did not hinder her.
2. Manchiver was the last surviving member, apart from Zilliniy, of an adventurers' tontine. She has 5 of the brass keys which unlock the treasure, but the 6th is still on Manchiver's body. If she gets the key, she will abandon the party at the first opportunity. If the party manage to pursue her to a secret cave and vanquish her, the tontine's treasure is Hoard Class XIV.
3. As 2 above, but the ruined castle holding the treasure is overrun by monsters. Zilliniy will try to persuade the rest of the party to accompany her, and will split the treasre with them. She will not betray the party and will stay with them afterwards, if they will still have her.
4. Manchiver really is a friend of the family, but Zilliniy is really only after his spellbook. She will still pay to bury his body properly, but will spend less than the 50GP she has saved up.
5. As 4 above, but she will try to get as much money out of the party for the gravestone as she can, pay a pittance and abscond with the rest (and the book) before the funeral.
6. Zilliniy is a bit mad, and prone to making up stories. She's never actually met Manchiver. In fact, if his body isn't found before her 3rd trip into the dungeon, she will forget ever having claimed to know him.
Zilliniy Fairweather sounds like a fun addition to me.
ReplyDelete-- Jeff
If some time in the future you need some naive farm boy to hold a torch for the party (or fall in a pit) then feel free to use this expendable fellow. (I used http://truculent.org/llchar for the rolls)
ReplyDeleteName Eomund.
Class Fighter, Level 2
Height 5'11, Weight 180
Hit point - 10, Armour Class 7
Str 18 Int 15 Wis 9 Dex 11 Con 8 Cha 12
breath - 15, Poison 12, Petrify 14, Wands 13, Spells 16
Alignment: Lawful
Hit Points - 10
Languages: Common, Lawful, Satyr
Other Abilities: Hunter/fisher (hook and line)
Weapon: Dagger
Armor: Padded, Shield
Equipment - 50 ' Hemp Rope, Oil, Trail rations, Wooden Stakes.
Money - None, He spent it on travelling to the village to find Perceval.
Eomund is a 19 year old farmers son for the village of Rochurk, near the city. After honing his skills killing local farm rodents (rats, mice) and badgers he has left the farm looking for adventure and glory. Armed with his fathers sword "Ratsplitter" he has ventured to the north after hearing tales of Perceval in throwing off the yokes of an average life, and becoming the a man of Glory.
(Due to his pest killing ablities in the village - his nickname is "The Rat King".)
> news hasn't filter to Rochurk of Perceval's death<
What this party needs is a thief who can find all those dadgummed traps!
ReplyDeleteLeegand Dhun, from the Wave-worn Island
Thief, Level 2; Neutral
STR 9 (Mod +0)
DEX 13 (AC Mod -1, Missile +1, Init +1)
CON 10 (hp Mod +0)
INT 9 (Languages +0, can read and write)
WIS 12 (Saving Throw Mod +0)
CHR 8 (Reaction Adj +1, Retainers 3, Retainer Morale 6)
HD=1d4; hp = 8 (rolled legit!); AC = 7
Attack scores: Melee +0; Ranged +1; "THAC0" = 19
Saving Throws:
Breath Attack = 16; Poison or Death = 14; Petrify or Paralyze = 13; Wands = 15; Spells/Spell-like Devices = 14
Thief skills:
Pick Locks = 23; Find & Remove Traps = 17; Pick Pockets = 27; Move Silently = 27; Climb Walls = 88, Hide in Shadows = 17; Hear Noise = 1-2
Backstab: Attack bonus +4, all damage x2
Initial Gold = 110 gp; current gold = 27 gp
Equipment:
Leather Armor (6 gp) = AC 8, 15 lbs.
Short Sword (15 gp); Damage 1d6, 2 lbs.
Sling + 10 bullets (2 gp); Damage 1d4, 5 lbs; Range Short +1=up to 40', Med +0=up to 80', Long -1=up to 160'
Dagger (Silver) (30 gp); Damage 1d4, 1 lbs; Range thrown Short +1=up to 10', Med +0=up to 20', Long -1=up to 30'
Thieves Tools (30 gp), 1 lbs.
Description/background:
Leegand is a big dark-skinned man from the Wave-worn Island, somewhere in a distant sea. Despite his large size, he moves smoothly and with surety. His craggy face and steel-blue eyes cause him to stand out in a crowd despite his efforts otherwise. Messily-cropped brown hair counters a neatly-trimmed moustache. It is unusual for a large man to practice thieving, but a vicious predisposition to sea-sickness limited his options for work in his water-locked homeland. He now spends much of his time looking over his shoulder, as if expecting to see someone following him. And with good reason: while attempting to arrange a meeting with the local Thieves Guild leader to petition them to allow him to join, he accidentally glimpsed written evidence connecting that leader to the recent murder of a high-placed island lord. As a lowly entrant-level thief, Leegand knew his life was forfeit should the Guild leader ever suspect his knowledge; no self-respecting Thieves Guild leader could ever allow the possibility of blackmail of themselves. So, snatching the polished silver dagger that was used to commit the murder as security against being hunted down, Leegand fled the island, searching for bands of adventurers who might be able to use his skills.
(Everything was rolled with actual dice in my hotel room. Leegand's physical description rolled from "d30 Sandbox Companion" for NPCs. Overall motivation ("unwanted involvement") generated from "d30 DM Companion." Backstory generated from the Tome of Adventure Design's "Person Based Backstory" table. Leegand's name and country are from the "So Many Names" name generator. These are all resources I've found via your blog! Thanks!)
Wow, John. Four new recruits after the party spent so much time and money on advertising campaigns it finally seems to have paid off.
ReplyDeleteNow let us see if they can all repeat after me . . . "Hi, I'm your new cannon fodder. My name is (recite character name) and I'm ready to give my all for a chance at fame, fortune and the undying gratitude of the opposite sex."
(PS, make sure your character's affairs are all in order for the EED is a perilous place.)
-- Jeff
Eomund has 46 first cousins if needed.
DeleteThese are some great characters here! Thanks all! (if you haven't submitted one, or you want to do another one, by all means!)
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteWith all of these new characters available you just have to tackle EED #27 soon. I mean SOON, sir.
-- Jeff
Hi Jeff,
DeleteAnother session is on my list - I've been on a painting kick lately, which is something I've learned to take advantage of when it happens. I'm also working on inking in the map so i can scan it. I think it will make the narratives much easier to follow.
-John
About a year ago, inspired by John Yorio's "Ever-Expanding Dungeon", I started a blog called "The Laughing Owl" to chronicle my solo delves.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately ill-health interrupted my intentions and I never got started. This has now changed. I have revamped the blog (deleting most posts -- and rewriting the remaining) and yesterday I ran my first session (and lost my first character as well).
If interested, please take a look:
http://laughingowlers.blogspot.ca/
And, as usual with blogs, the older posts are farther down and the newer ones on top.
-- Jeff
Glad to see you're returning to the solo delving! I look forward to my lunch break today and reading about your exploits!
Delete- John