General Mumbo-Jumbo

[Shadow]

First off, fixed the PSP thing =P

Added clothing and equipment, not completely done though. Need to update with some things from Steve's lists later (at work right now), like parchment and ink.

Still need to do spells. Don't have any actual books on me sadly, so I'll just get the spell lists and see what components I need once I'm done. Though depending on a few costs for components, I may end up redoing my spell choices a few times before finally locking it in =P

So, on Cantrip again, can I use it for say, cleaning clothes or something else practical, or is it only allowed to be fun but useless effects?

EDIT: I think my equipment's done, though I don't have rations or anything. So, you said housing in Sigil is pricey, but what about Inn prices for moderate to long periods? Same question but for the Outlands as well.

Spells should be done soon, I'll post the list of what I'm after here so we can finalize it before I actually post the thread.

EDIT AGAIN: So, Shocking Grasp says it lasts for 1rd/lvl, does that mean that each round I can touch someone to shock them, or do I get the charge for up to that long or until I discharge it?

Aside from that, I'm thinking so far of Color Spray, Copy, Portal Beacon, and Know Faction. How much do 1st level spells usually go for jink-wise? There's a few I'd like as well, but none that really concern me to start with.

[Stix]

Oh, Cantrip can still be useful, just not anything that offers a significant game effect. Cleaning things is a perfectly acceptable use.

Colored sand (for Color Spray) costs 1 GP for what I'd consider an inexhaustible supply. Ink is 8 GP per vial (enough to write 100 pages).

Extended stays vary based on the service and amenities you're looking for -- Airion's Boarding House, in the Market Ward, offers one of the best values, at 3 GP/week for oven-baked sheets, two meals a day, all the pumpkin tea you can drink, and a narrow bed in a room roughly the size of a walk-in closet. It's quiet and in a secure (and Indep-run) part of the Ward.

I've always played Shocking Grasp as 1 rd/level, until discharged... but Chill Touch lasts longer and can be used repeatedly, with a chance to drain Strength... so I'm gonna say the full duration.

New common spells are generally worth 50 GP per spell level.

[Shadow]

Airion's sounds good, don't need much space for reading and it gives me a base of operations if you will, a place for people to find/meet me if they need some service I can provide, and a place to eat and sleep, the last of which is rather important.

Okay so, aside from my spell lists... is there anything else I'm missing? I'd be nice if I'm finally done =P

[Stix]

I believe you'll be pretty much all set.

So, thoughts on whether you'd like to be involved in the Ysgard plot, the Deva plot, or both?

[Shadow]

Whatever you want/need me for will be fine. Also, as far as plot goes I read something about a bebilith, but otherwise I really have no clue what's going on in anything, so whatever info you think I should/would know feel free to share and I can work out the rest along the way. Same goes for where I start, if you want to send them to me at Airion's sure, if you want me to be sent to them as a hireling for someone that works, maybe if you'd rather we just cross paths along the way we can do that too. I'm up for anything. Well, almost anything... don't do anything overly-cruel to me right off the bat now, that would just be mean =P

EDIT: OH, was meaning to ask something about books and casting spells and memorizing and stuff. Steve has rules on his system that allows each spell to be memorized once for that day, since memorizing the same spell over and over was both odd concept-wise and could be used in a rather cheap way. He does however allow people to cast spells out of their book similar to a scroll, causing the page(s) to vanish afterward.

Basically... how do memorizing, casting from scrolls, and possibly casting from my spellbook work? For example, at the end of each day if I haven't used my daily spell, could I write up an extra page for Cantrip and cast it to clean up my clothes or perhaps entertain a bored group of tavern patrons? That way I don't actually have to memorize Cantrip =P

RIGHT, also, Detect and Read Magic, one or both of them has a component, how much for those? Or like the spells are they considered part of any Mage's possessions?

[Shadow]

So, doing a last-minute change to my Psionics. I've realized that, while I like some of the abilities in Psychometabolism, I don't like enough to make it my primary discipline. Gonna pick up those few Devotions as I go, and start with some Psychokinetic things instead. Change coming later today, when I have access to my Psionics listings again.

[Stix]

Looks good to me. Do you want to get started somewhere in Sigil? If so, what sort of places does he frequent? What does he do on his downtime?

[Shadow]

He probably frequents the Bazaar and other areas in the Market Ward, gathering info on possible jobs or event that may prove of interest to him. Mostly though, Vahn, like any other Planar, is searching for the "truth," and in a way only an Indep really can. He visits different factions' popular spots and headquarters, usually one or two factions each day, and questions various members as to why they believe what they believe and why they're with that faction. He figures that so far each faction's got it wrong, since none of them as a whole have really become enlightened or ascended or whatever they believe the ultimate goal to be. Instead, he wants to piece together beliefs, opinions, and outlooks from all views, hoping to find something in the cracks or overlaps between all the factions. Of course, as soon as someone starts trying to push their beliefs on to him, he either leaves or stands them on their head with a series of logical gymnastics. Still, if they aren't devoted to the cause heart and soul, their info is useless. So, he's looking for the zealous but not preachy types... rather hard to find I'd say.

But yeah, hanging out at various headquarters, possibly the Great Gymnasium a bit more than others, since he practices Martial Arts as both a form of self-defense and for philosophical reasons, enlightenment and inner-focus and whatnot.

Occasionally he can also be witnessed spending time with an attractive woman by manipulating her faction beliefs and using a few choice poetic lines... heh =P He's a researcher though, so he makes sure to study his target a bit before moving in... should keep him from trying anything with Xianna considering her rather... aggressive personality.

[Stix]

Congratulations, you get to be an encounter.

I'll be starting a scene at Heshter's Arms in the Clerk's Ward. Vahn's heard about the business with the bebilith and the deva, and knows there's a gate to Elysium somewhere around here (but doesn't know the key).

How much of it are you familiar with, as a player? Have you read any of the threads leading up to it?

[Shadow]

Just the part in the Great Gymnasium. The party got the info they needed from that guy in the bath, the spider ran to Elysium for some reason nobody can fathom, and the gate it used is rather inaccessible atm. And that's it =P

[Stix]

That pretty much covers it.

A little something you know that nobody else does: Principality, the realm on the other end of both portals, was just a few years ago without a deity, nothing more than a collection of sites. A monastery went up, and now it's home to some being in transition to godhood.

If this deity, or whatever it is, has a celestial in its service, it's likely very close to godhood indeed... and it must have invested a significant amount of its power in its servant.

[Shadow]

Interesting... very, very interesting.

This should be amusing, what with Urban Sense and Obscure Knowledge combined with my Irritating Personality, I have this feeling you'll end up whispering me every 3rd post about something the PCs got wrong that I somehow know =P If not that's fine, and of course it doesn't have to be storyline-related at all, but I think one or both of us could have fun with this.

[Shadow]

So, should I go ahead and make the first post in there, or should I wait for one or more people from the actual party to show up and pop up afterward?

[Stix]

First-come, first-serve.

[Shadow]

Hey so, what's your mind on having 2 characters up and running at once? I just keep thinking more and more about the arena thread going on, and the "Looking for" thing at the top of the main page saying "Prize-fighters," and it keeps bringing my mind back to an idea I've been holding for a long while, a Godsman I mentioned a while back.

If you'd rather I just focus on the one for now, I'm quite okay with that. Just scratching an itch by talking about what's in my head.

[Stix]

You can have any number of PCs, provided they're all of different races/classes/factions/alignments, and that they don't show up in the same place at the same time. No one's played more than two so far (Exile has Hadrian and Kale, Ned has Gl'Fnak and Nuuko plus two or three more concepts that he's thinking about putting into play if he finds the time for them, and so on), but I'm open to it.

I'd like to build the Blood Pit up to something that could even include (semi-friendly) PvP, so more contestants there would be very welcome.

[Shadow]

One question about the Blood Pit. It says it caters to a... darker... crowd, but it's the only arena by the looks of things. Any chance an Aasimar, who perhaps was not always an Aasimar (yay for convoluted Godsman backgrounds!), would seek to test his skills in such a place? Or would he be directed elsewhere?

There's another couple ideas I have, maybe a Cipher and even a Signer, that might frequent the Pit if given life. I rarely get a chance to go so in-depth into combat, and what you do on here calls to that part of me that envisions epic, anime-style swordfights and martial arts battles. But first and foremost in my mind is this Aasimar Godsman samurai-style Cipher-trained formerly-fiend warrior. Though there's a great personality sitting around in my head lately from an older character I made that would like to see some light shed on it as well, but I have yet to think of how to make him a Planar =P

[Stix]

The Blood Pit isn't the only ring in town, but it's definitely the best-reputed. The Bottle & Jug has a boxing ring, but the odds are always stacked to favor the house's man, and there are several back-alley operations that somehow always end the night with more corpses than fighters.

No one gets turned away, but most Upper-Planar sorts avoid it, infested with cruelty and conflict like it is (however, one celestial uses it as a venue to demonstrate the punishments that await the wicked). There's actually one promoter, Natal'ko, who works with the handful of aasimar and good-aligned fighters who come through.

[Shadow]

So, me thinks I'll be dealing with Natal'ko then? Neutral Good was my alignment of choice, probably making him an Aasimar - though he may end up human by some odd twist - and since he's a Godsman I figure he can just mutter a wish for those slain to have passed some of their trials, though I might be a bit off on the whole how-the-Believers-work thing still.

I'm in a mood for it... I think I'll go draw him up a sheet right now. I mean, after checking my standard web comics, so "now" more means "tonight," but yeah.

EDIT: So, uh, I'm torn... it's either Human Fighter/Psionicist, or Aasimar Fighter with a few of those Minor/Major Celestial Powers options, but see here's my issue...

I read in some fight that John was in (against Yla I believe) that any magic usage during a fight was answered with a hail of crossbow fire. First, was that in the Blood Pit or somewhere else? I think it was the Blood Pit. Secondly, what exactly falls under said magic usage? You mentioned part of the reasoning for it being danger to anyone in the crowd if say a Lightning Bolt misses, so I'd assume it's the hand-waving and gibberish-chanting that they fire on? Which brings me to my next questions... how do innate powers work as far as usage? Same as casting a spell, just the knowledge of how to cast those specific ones is part of the PC? And, assuming I got the second question right, would some Psionics, namely the more subtle ones, go under the radar? Don't think anything really useful is in the standard book, and I doubt I can convince you to let me use stuff out of Netbooks and other unofficial material (partly for the "wow that one's overpowered" concern), but it's good to know in case I stumble on something.

Sorry for that wall of text, but I'm trying to maximize his effectiveness both in and out of the ring, since he IS going to be a more combat-focused character than Vahn. Wanna make sure I have a good setup for supporting his swordplay.

[Stix]

Jul 13, 2009 23:33:53 GMT -5 Shadow said:

So, me thinks I'll be dealing with Natal'ko then? Neutral Good was my alignment of choice, probably making him an Aasimar - though he may end up human by some odd twist - and since he's a Godsman I figure he can just mutter a wish for those slain to have passed some of their trials, though I might be a bit off on the whole how-the-Believers-work thing still.

A NG prize-fighter has some interesting potential – it’d probably preclude him from fighting to the death for leisure, but first blood and unarmed matches are options.

Jul 13, 2009 23:33:53 GMT -5 Shadow said:

EDIT: So, uh, I'm torn... it's either Human Fighter/Psionicist, or Aasimar Fighter with a few of those Minor/Major Celestial Powers options, but see here's my issue...

Multiple characters do have to be of different classes, so Vahn would be your only active Psionicist.

Jul 13, 2009 23:33:53 GMT -5 Shadow said:

I read in some fight that John was in (against Yla I believe) that any magic usage during a fight was answered with a hail of crossbow fire. First, was that in the Blood Pit or somewhere else? I think it was the Blood Pit. Secondly, what exactly falls under said magic usage? You mentioned part of the reasoning for it being danger to anyone in the crowd if say a Lightning Bolt misses, so I'd assume it's the hand-waving and gibberish-chanting that they fire on? Which brings me to my next questions... how do innate powers work as far as usage? Same as casting a spell, just the knowledge of how to cast those specific ones is part of the PC? And, assuming I got the second question right, would some Psionics, namely the more subtle ones, go under the radar? Don't think anything really useful is in the standard book, and I doubt I can convince you to let me use stuff out of Netbooks and other unofficial material (partly for the "wow that one's overpowered" concern), but it's good to know in case I stumble on something.

Being under the effect of a spell is perfectly fine, provided it's no risk to the spectators. Casting a spell with verbal and/or somatic components in the ring means getting riddled with heavy quarrels from overhead.

Spell-like abilities from race, class, or faction involve no words or gestures, just concentration (speed 3 on initiative). Since you can still defend yourself while doing so, they are imperceptible... as long as there aren't any area damage effects, security will leave you be (no jet of flame from your hands, but roasting your opponent in his armor with Heat Metal is a crowd-pleaser). That said, a little Somatic Concealment can make your spellcasting imperceptible, if you feel like cheating.

So, first off, there's no class stuff for Druids or Shamans. That kinda matters, as I'm currently looking into making a more herbology-oriented character, and is one of those, a Cleric of a nature power, or a Ranger.

Druids and Shamans are a little weird to fit into the planes. I think I've finally figured out Druids, and I'll have something available for them in the next week or two. The idea of "nature" is a strange thing on the planes -- most Druids on the Prime would find a place like Mechanus, Acheron, or Limbo completely unnatural and abhorrent. The Outer Planar Druids of the Great Circle instead focus on the Balance, equalizing law, chaos, good and evil. The Shadow Circle, a splinter group within the larger order, believes that this is best accomplished with the destruction of civilization and moving all intelligent creatures to a more bestial state of being. The Men of the Oak are the Druids of Celtic myth and history, priest-judges and religious advisers (more like Clerics, but still Druids by name). The fourth main group is the Inner Circle -- the Elemental Druids -- who hope to preserve and protect the bizarre ecosystems of the Inner Planes.

Shamans deal with spirits, who are usually tied to either their respective Prime world or the Ethereal Plane (and thereby powerless and totally inaccessible on the Outer Planes). I’m still working on a way to make the class worthwhile elsewhere.

In short, if you want a character oriented toward the green and growing things, you might want a Priest or Ranger in service to a nature-god.

Secondly, while it makes sense, I gotta just poke you about the lack of some of the more basic demi-human races. Namely, in this case, Gnomes. See, I have this idea that I've had for a long, long time, and I'm thinking, "hey, we need someone to deal with plants, I could make her an actual character!" A Gnome Herbologist and Alchemist, going around cataloguing plants and experimenting with various potions and mixtures. A Prime-born but Planar-living character, perhaps, if there's no real native gnomes on the Planes. Good reason for going there too... she ran out of plants on her native little homeworld to index, and decided to step out to the Planes to look at some of the odder ones in the multiverse.

As for the PHB’s demihuman races, I’ve left them out for a few reasons. For one, I’ve never actually played any other kind of D&D. I have a bare minimum idea of what those races are like, but I never bothered with “The Complete Book of Elves” because I was too busy playing githzerai. Also, Bladesingers are totally gay, retarded, and other horribly-politically-incorrect pejorative words, and I really don’t want to open that can of gay, retarded worms.*

Too often, Planescape gets turned into “everybody make something from anywhere you want and now we’ll put them all in the same party!” This works out just fine for some, but I like to keep my games focused on the planes and the unique beings that live there. Primes account for maybe 10-20% of the population, and I prefer to keep their numbers to a minimum among the PCs as well.

I keep the planes and the prime a universe apart (after all, that’s exactly how far apart they are). A handful of prime worlds are relatively well-connected with the planes, but most are like New Jersey: get in, and you’re going to have to work really hard to get out; leave, and you’re probably not going back. To most of those few prime worlds who’ve heard of them, the planes are A) something out of myth, or B) a horrific place where demons walk openly among the living.


When I was first putting this game together, I talked with Ned about the idea of throwing in a random Prime, maybe an elven ranger, who was totally befuddled by everything he saw. He’d pop up now and again on people’s storylines, say something along the lines of “WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE?” and run flailing and screaming toward the horizon. We had a good laugh over the idea, and Ned asked if he could play the character as a PC.

Several bong hits later, he was a totally badass Athasian death machine. We got a little sidetracked.

If the idea can be made to work with a planar PC, that’d be great. If you’re really set on the gnomish thing, we can discuss it further.


*I am extremely socially liberal, but also a jackass who finds humor in this. If I offend in any way, I apologize.