I'm not *completely* sure yet. I'm planning on taking Xzar and Monty at the start, then probably picking up Dorn before the Mines so I'll have a party of four for that. Then take Edwin's sidequest when returning to Nashkel for my reward and clean up the Dynaheir mess (will probably Charm her to get the information about her 'looking for bhaal(spawn)' [to misquote Diablo 2], as a way of introducing the bhaalspawn thread earlier, and it would make sense Edwin would want to know why she was actually there). So that's a party of five. Monty might die a tragic death at some point, which drops it to four.
Kagain might tag along until the end of the bandit camp, but would probably return to his business at that point, when he'll be able to capitalise on people's travel insecurity without any major risk to his own profits.
I like having Shar-Teel, because I headcanon an arc where she defeats her father in the final battle alongside Charname. I might RP a change in her location to a tavern somewhere, because WTF is she doing in the woods?
Viconia joins the party, basically, for protection. Seeing as she's being chased by the Fist, and Shar-Teel hates the Fist with a passion more burning and fiery than their symbol, that gives an easy hook for adding her to the party.
I can't really see my Charname going for Eldoth's blackmail scheme. It doesn't really seem her style, but I do find his voice fantastic, so he might join for a bit until Shar butchers him. Also his blackmail scheme gets screwed up by the Iron Throne, since Skie's father gets assassinated, whih might be an interesting hook.
Tiax is way too bonkers for me to add him to the party for any legitimate reason I can think of right now.
We will mysteriously discover a Robe of the Evil Archmagi in Larswood, where it appears that a random drow was unfortunately slain by Gibberlings.
Tiax could be a shortterm recruit... slain by madness more debilitating than Xzars.
As to the enchantment Elminster used, remember his character spent a long time as a woman. Forcing a new perspective can be helpful, especially for insufferably arrogant AND high potential. Both Es could learn humility by understanding the struggles of another. I see it as less punishment, more harsh learning experience.
It might bother some people, but this is a pseudomedieval setting, so i assume women are generally not empowered. The questionable books featuring several female protagonists are all supposed to be rebelious... so, it would be a punishment indeed to have been raised as the privelaged gender and being also privillaged by his class and family standing, then get turned into a barmaid that might not be getting treated so awesome.
Oh yeah, about the kobold thing, they are draconic in some settings, not sure about toril.
Does anybody know anything at all about why Edwin wants to kill Dynaheir? I never understood the motive at all. This can maybe also be relevant for harcore RPing?
Edit: Oh, and sorry about the derailing @Eudaemonium
If you play out the dialogue with Dynaheir. she addresses this. She does say "you don't even know why you want to kill me" and Edwin has no counter. He follows orders from higher ranks who obviously treated this as a need to know case where Edwin didn't need to know. So yeah, Thay vs. Rashemen, - "it's nothing personal".
@DreadKhan - The character creation alone suggests that's not the case. It says - when picking a charname gender - that it is purely an aesthetical choice; men and women are treated the same in the realms. In game, it is a local thing who is "privileged" - some places clearly favor women, others men, and on the Sword Coast, nothing indicates that there is a clear leaning. There are women in positions of power as well as men, and neither is presented as an exception from a rule. If there was a counterpart to real life, Shar-Teel's character would be a whole different thing, too. But there is no "man's world" where she fights for the rights of women. Women already have all rights. The only thing close to gender discrimination I can see is Branwen's backstory. Her people didn't see her fit as a priest because of her being a woman - but she still did become a priest, so it was not forbidden.
@Eudaemonium - Tiax vs. cleric Xzar sounds promising... Having him short term might be entertaining and open some interesting discussions for Xzar.
@Aristillius: As I said on the last page, no worries! I am enjoying our various discussions immensely!
Going on the earlier points regarding Thayan Enclaves, Edwin chasing down Dynaheir could work something like: Group of Red Wizards comes to Sword Coast as a scouting party to prepare the way, they hear that a Rashemi witch is in the neighbourhood and send lowly Edwin to hunt her down, because she probably isn't there for some innocent reason.
Maybe I will add Tiax, somehow. All this Mad Cleric Battle talk is making me interested! XD
Vis-a-vis Shar-Teel, judging by her other major hates in life, I always figured her hatred of men, and her of the Flaming Fist, was a very specific reaction to her childhood, seeing as who her father is and how he is not likely to be the nicest of people from what we see in game. Their very brief meeting when you get captured is nothing if not strained and frosty. Regardless, there is some history there.
#Eudaemonium I really hope that you do journal this game and share it with us. It's fascinating how the same essential story takes shape so differently via a unique character in the mind of any given writer. The main downside is the time it takes to do it.
The way I'm writing mine is a bit clerical (not in the D&D sense), in that I'm trying to show how a party copes with what happens via both the RP twists and turns and the outcomes of dice and cards. That is to illustrate concept, i.e., to show how the gaming method works in action. But just in terms of pure storytelling a journaled game becomes a better read, I think, if ones writes more in the novelization style that @Eadwyn has started.
But anyway, if you do give journaling the game a try, it is almost without a doubt going to be found interesting by a lot of folks here who appreciate roleplaying and the nuances of character and story.
Comments
Who else will be in the party?
Kagain might tag along until the end of the bandit camp, but would probably return to his business at that point, when he'll be able to capitalise on people's travel insecurity without any major risk to his own profits.
I like having Shar-Teel, because I headcanon an arc where she defeats her father in the final battle alongside Charname. I might RP a change in her location to a tavern somewhere, because WTF is she doing in the woods?
Viconia joins the party, basically, for protection. Seeing as she's being chased by the Fist, and Shar-Teel hates the Fist with a passion more burning and fiery than their symbol, that gives an easy hook for adding her to the party.
I can't really see my Charname going for Eldoth's blackmail scheme. It doesn't really seem her style, but I do find his voice fantastic, so he might join for a bit until Shar butchers him. Also his blackmail scheme gets screwed up by the Iron Throne, since Skie's father gets assassinated, whih might be an interesting hook.
Tiax is way too bonkers for me to add him to the party for any legitimate reason I can think of right now.
We will mysteriously discover a Robe of the Evil Archmagi in Larswood, where it appears that a random drow was unfortunately slain by Gibberlings.
As to the enchantment Elminster used, remember his character spent a long time as a woman. Forcing a new perspective can be helpful, especially for insufferably arrogant AND high potential. Both Es could learn humility by understanding the struggles of another. I see it as less punishment, more harsh learning experience.
It might bother some people, but this is a pseudomedieval setting, so i assume women are generally not empowered. The questionable books featuring several female protagonists are all supposed to be rebelious... so, it would be a punishment indeed to have been raised as the privelaged gender and being also privillaged by his class and family standing, then get turned into a barmaid that might not be getting treated so awesome.
Oh yeah, about the kobold thing, they are draconic in some settings, not sure about toril.
Does anybody know anything at all about why Edwin wants to kill Dynaheir? I never understood the motive at all. This can maybe also be relevant for harcore RPing?
Edit: Oh, and sorry about the derailing @Eudaemonium
@DreadKhan - The character creation alone suggests that's not the case. It says - when picking a charname gender - that it is purely an aesthetical choice; men and women are treated the same in the realms. In game, it is a local thing who is "privileged" - some places clearly favor women, others men, and on the Sword Coast, nothing indicates that there is a clear leaning. There are women in positions of power as well as men, and neither is presented as an exception from a rule.
If there was a counterpart to real life, Shar-Teel's character would be a whole different thing, too. But there is no "man's world" where she fights for the rights of women. Women already have all rights. The only thing close to gender discrimination I can see is Branwen's backstory. Her people didn't see her fit as a priest because of her being a woman - but she still did become a priest, so it was not forbidden.
@Eudaemonium - Tiax vs. cleric Xzar sounds promising... Having him short term might be entertaining and open some interesting discussions for Xzar.
Going on the earlier points regarding Thayan Enclaves, Edwin chasing down Dynaheir could work something like: Group of Red Wizards comes to Sword Coast as a scouting party to prepare the way, they hear that a Rashemi witch is in the neighbourhood and send lowly Edwin to hunt her down, because she probably isn't there for some innocent reason.
Maybe I will add Tiax, somehow. All this Mad Cleric Battle talk is making me interested! XD
Vis-a-vis Shar-Teel, judging by her other major hates in life, I always figured her hatred of men, and her of the Flaming Fist, was a very specific reaction to her childhood, seeing as who her father is and how he is not likely to be the nicest of people from what we see in game. Their very brief meeting when you get captured is nothing if not strained and frosty. Regardless, there is some history there.
The way I'm writing mine is a bit clerical (not in the D&D sense), in that I'm trying to show how a party copes with what happens via both the RP twists and turns and the outcomes of dice and cards. That is to illustrate concept, i.e., to show how the gaming method works in action. But just in terms of pure storytelling a journaled game becomes a better read, I think, if ones writes more in the novelization style that @Eadwyn has started.
But anyway, if you do give journaling the game a try, it is almost without a doubt going to be found interesting by a lot of folks here who appreciate roleplaying and the nuances of character and story.