Curse of the Azure Bonds
Kalesra
Member Posts: 234
So, I've dug up some old AD&D adventure modules and am recruiting some brave adventurers to undertake one such quest--The Curse of the Azure Bonds.
Setting
The game takes place in the Forgotten Realms and will begin in a small town on the Sword Coast, a day's journey from Athkatla. I will follow the 2nd Edition AD&D adventure pretty closely, but will try to keep everything relatively consistent with BG2 (though you may see some monsters/spells that are unique to P&P).
Players & Signup
There is room for 4-8 players. You create your character using BG2 character creation. For the sake of simplicity for those who want to make their character in BG, your level will be BG2 starting level. Signups will go on until Monday (unless we have fewer than 4 players by then). To sign up, post your character's name, race, class, and a short background/description. You do not need to post your whole character sheet here (or even have one yet) in order to sign up. Once you have created your character though, please post it for my reference (or PM it to me in text form if you prefer--but the easiest thing is probably just to post the BG2 screenshots).
Gameplay
I don't want us to spend forever on ultra-detailed combat; however, I do want an objective way to resolve encounters. So, rather than playing out everything blow-by-blow, you'll give me an attack plan and describe your opening moves, I'll roll to determine the outcome and post the result in spoiler tags, then we can RP the fight in as much or as little detail as we feel like, with the players describing their characters' actions while I describe the actions of NPCs and monsters. I will use maps from the module to help you visualize the layout of locations.
Introduction
You awaken to the sound of two dogs barking and the evening hubbub of wagons and carriages passing by your window. You are resting on a simple straw tick covered with graying sheets. You look around to find your companions similarly laid out, and just now awakening. You remember an attack, dark elves and figures leaping out the shadows and appearing magically among your midsts...
Then nothing, a deep void of blackness, until your awakening. Your gear has been packed neatly beside your bed. You reach for it, then stop—as you notice that your entire right arm has been covered by an ornate, gleaming tattoo, marked with strange and arcane symbols!
The Brave Adventurers
1. Lulu Dian, Human Totemic Druid ( @booinyoureyes).
2. Nona Silfonra, Half-Elf Cleric/Mage ( @Nonnahswriter)
3. Crevs Daak, Elven Mage/Thief ( @CrevsDaak)
Name: Crevs Daak
Race: Elf
Gender: Male
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class: Mage/Thief
Abilities:
STR: 9
DEX: 19
CON: 10
INT: 18
WIS: 18
CHA: 11
Weapon Proficiencies:
Short Bow +
Long Sword +
Base THAC0: 20
Mage Spells:
Level one: Magic Missile - Sleep
Memorized:
Level one: Sleep
Saving Throws:
Save vs Death: 13
Save vs Wand: 11
Save vs Polymorph: 12
Save vs Breath Weapon: 15
Save vs Spell: 12
4. Sima Jin, Human Kensai/Mage ( @Heindrich)
5. Falagrim "Tough Axe" Daredsson, Dwarven...Dwarven Defender ( @mlnevese)
6. Nailo Kundar, Half-Orc Fighter ( @Delvarian)
7. Smoke, Human Kensai/Thief ( @The_Potty_1)
Current location: Outside of the Gunderstone mansion in the city of Tilverton, Cormyr
Current quest: Get an audience with King Azoun.
Party gold: Lulu 583, Smoke 396, Falagrim 326, Crevs 250, Jin 224, Nailo 170, Nona 145
Setting
The game takes place in the Forgotten Realms and will begin in a small town on the Sword Coast, a day's journey from Athkatla. I will follow the 2nd Edition AD&D adventure pretty closely, but will try to keep everything relatively consistent with BG2 (though you may see some monsters/spells that are unique to P&P).
Players & Signup
There is room for 4-8 players. You create your character using BG2 character creation. For the sake of simplicity for those who want to make their character in BG, your level will be BG2 starting level. Signups will go on until Monday (unless we have fewer than 4 players by then). To sign up, post your character's name, race, class, and a short background/description. You do not need to post your whole character sheet here (or even have one yet) in order to sign up. Once you have created your character though, please post it for my reference (or PM it to me in text form if you prefer--but the easiest thing is probably just to post the BG2 screenshots).
Gameplay
I don't want us to spend forever on ultra-detailed combat; however, I do want an objective way to resolve encounters. So, rather than playing out everything blow-by-blow, you'll give me an attack plan and describe your opening moves, I'll roll to determine the outcome and post the result in spoiler tags, then we can RP the fight in as much or as little detail as we feel like, with the players describing their characters' actions while I describe the actions of NPCs and monsters. I will use maps from the module to help you visualize the layout of locations.
Introduction
You awaken to the sound of two dogs barking and the evening hubbub of wagons and carriages passing by your window. You are resting on a simple straw tick covered with graying sheets. You look around to find your companions similarly laid out, and just now awakening. You remember an attack, dark elves and figures leaping out the shadows and appearing magically among your midsts...
Then nothing, a deep void of blackness, until your awakening. Your gear has been packed neatly beside your bed. You reach for it, then stop—as you notice that your entire right arm has been covered by an ornate, gleaming tattoo, marked with strange and arcane symbols!
The Brave Adventurers
1. Lulu Dian, Human Totemic Druid ( @booinyoureyes).
2. Nona Silfonra, Half-Elf Cleric/Mage ( @Nonnahswriter)
3. Crevs Daak, Elven Mage/Thief ( @CrevsDaak)
Name: Crevs Daak
Race: Elf
Gender: Male
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class: Mage/Thief
Abilities:
STR: 9
DEX: 19
CON: 10
INT: 18
WIS: 18
CHA: 11
Weapon Proficiencies:
Short Bow +
Long Sword +
Base THAC0: 20
Mage Spells:
Level one: Magic Missile - Sleep
Memorized:
Level one: Sleep
Saving Throws:
Save vs Death: 13
Save vs Wand: 11
Save vs Polymorph: 12
Save vs Breath Weapon: 15
Save vs Spell: 12
4. Sima Jin, Human Kensai/Mage ( @Heindrich)
5. Falagrim "Tough Axe" Daredsson, Dwarven...Dwarven Defender ( @mlnevese)
6. Nailo Kundar, Half-Orc Fighter ( @Delvarian)
7. Smoke, Human Kensai/Thief ( @The_Potty_1)
Current location: Outside of the Gunderstone mansion in the city of Tilverton, Cormyr
Current quest: Get an audience with King Azoun.
Party gold: Lulu 583, Smoke 396, Falagrim 326, Crevs 250, Jin 224, Nailo 170, Nona 145
Post edited by Kalesra on
1
Comments
Oh, and just to be clear: I intended to do character creation via Baldur's Gate II, not in Curse of the Azure Bonds. I don't even have a copy of the game itself...just the P&P AD&D adventure module in PDF form.
Edit: Or maybe you're saying you don't want to play this play by post adventure, just the old computer game...lol, I need to go to sleep. Too tired to think. :P
Are you saying people should roll up a character in bg2 for use in this game? If so, what will you allow for stat buy? I ask because unless a number is set you will end up with nothing but characters with straight 18s.
If it seems that everyone is absurdly powerful, or that one or two people have implausibly high scores, I may reevaluate this stance. But for now I'm going to go with a policy of trusting you guys not to cheat.
I have had no time to PnP with any of my real-life friends and family... This sounds like fun!
Where would we be playing? Here on the forums, an online chat, or...what? ^_^;; (It's one o'clock in the morning... Brain not working properly.)
In BG I like thieves a lot, so let me grab one of those. Would it be really annoying if I took a kensai, and immediately dual-classed to thief at kensai level 7? Would we even survive with a level 1 thief to start? OK well if that's not doable I'll take a multiclass fighter/thief. Actually, it comes down to multiclass grand-mastery, if that's allowed then multiclass is better than dual-class anyway.
@Nonnahswriter, we'll be playing here, at least for now. I would be open to having a session or two via chat at some point though if people are up for it.
@The_Potty_1, I would advise against starting with a dual-classed character, though I won't stop you from doing so if you want to. I wouldn't personally find it "annoying" but you might find it frustrating. The pace of play-by-post means that it could take you quite a while to get enough XP for your thief to reach a reasonable level. It may be more prudent to go with a multiclass fighter/thief. I'm not going to allow multiclass grandmastery, however. For the sake of consistency, I plan on adopting the BG "houserules" to avoid having to adjudicate any conflicts with P&P.
1. One magical weapon with up to +2 enchantment (e.g., Duskblade +2 or Arbane's Sword +2), one +1 weapon, and up to 3 normal weapons. Instead of both the +1 and +2 weapon, you may also choose only a +3 weapon with no additional abilities (so a plain mace +3 is OK, but not Storm Star +3).
2. If you have a ranged weapon, you have as much normal ammunition as you want, 20 missiles (arrows, bolts, whatever) +2, and 40 missiles +1.
3. One set of armor with a minimum AC of 1 and a maximum enchantment of +2 (e.g., unenchanted Full Plate or Ashen Scales +2 is allowed, but Full Plate +1 or Armor of Deep Night +4 is not) which is wearable by your character. If your character is a mage, you may choose either a) Bracers of Defense AC 4 and a ring/necklace/cloak of protection +1 or b) a Robe of the ______ Archmagi. If you are a monk, you may have an extra item from #4 instead of armor.
4. Two of the following: A ring, a necklace, boots, a wand/rod with 5 charges (excluding anything that can be wielded as a weapon), a cloak, a belt, a shield with up to a +3 AC bonus, 18 levels worth of spell scrolls (excluding Wish or Limited Wish--there is a good reason for this but I can't reveal it right now), or a magical instrument (e.g. Harp of Discord).
5. Three Potions of Extra Healing and two other potions of your choice.
6. 1000 gold pieces
The following page may be useful for selecting your inventory. http://mikesrpgcenter.com/bgate2/index.html
Let me know if there are any questions/complaints about the starting inventory allowance.
Cool, in that case, count me in.
So far it seems that our adventuring party consists of @Heindrich, @CrevsDaak, @mlnevese, @The_Potty_1, @Nonnahswriter, and @Delvarian (a total of 6 players). If I have forgotten anyone or if anyone has changed their minds about playing, let me know.
It seems we have one thief, fighter/thief, or kensai/thief ( @The_Potty_1), and a paladin, fighter, or dwarven defender ( @mlnevese). Could everyone else post your race and class (as well as a short background/description if you have one) as soon as you've decided? Then we can do character creation and pick items, and when that's done we can start playing!
If anyone else wants to join, there are 2 more spots.
Lulu Dian
She was a florist who worked for wealthy nobles in Amn (used to do some work for the De'Arnise family but then some trolls trampled all over her peonies). She now returned to her hometown after making good money and has a local flower shop and botanical garden.
Her animal companion ("spirit animal" doesn't really fit) is a lion named Richie who she bought off of a "smrt" gnome at the circus in Waukeen's promenade. He claims to protect her gardens from wild animals with his ferocious temper, but really he just sits around and lets the local children ride on his back and pet his mane.
She knows a lot about nature and local history, since she is well read and bought quite a few books off of a forgetful mage named Firebead that visited her village when she was young. She used that knowledge to learn how to let flowers and other plants grow in Amn that are not native to the region (basically she has some points in Knowledge: Nature). People like her and hire her for weddings and celebrations. She also uses herbs from her garden for healing spells, and is in charge of the upkeep of local public areas where kids like to play and events are held.
Nona was born from a noble elf woman and a swashbuckling human man. Sadly, her father has long since passed away, having lived a dangerous life of adventuring. Since she doesn't feel as welcomed within the elven city of her mother, she has since taken up the study of magic. She found solace in the Weave Goddess Mystra and serves her diligently, and aims to keep an ever-watchful eye on the Weave and all evil-doers who wish to exploit it. She loves books and actively hunts for scrolls and tomes unseen by her or her library (in my BG2 canon, she was practically made to be the Candlekeep ward. Perhaps she's a book-hunter for Gorion? lol). She is a quiet, studious type, but she is kind and dedicates her life to helping others. Despite all her wisdom in the arcane and divine arts, however, she lacks a certain wit and takes life a bit too seriously. Those closest to her have accused her of "working herself to death."
I'm already picking out inventory. XD Can I justify snatching a Sylvan Chain +2 (it fits the armor limitations) and say it was a gift from her mother? *big pleading eyes*
Name: Crevs Daak
Race: Elf
Gender: Male
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Class: Mage/Thief
Abilities:
STR: 9
DEX: 19
CON: 10
INT: 18
WIS: 18
CHA: 11
Weapon Proficiencies:
Short Bow +
Long Sword +
Base THAC0: 20
Mage Spells:
Level one: Magic Missile - Sleep
Memorized:
Level one: Sleep
Saving Throws:
Save vs Death: 13
Save vs Wand: 11
Save vs Polymorph: 12
Save vs Breath Weapon: 15
Save vs Spell: 12
@Kalesra: are we going to use PnP or BG's thieving skills? I didn't assign them because I was doubting that.
Crevs is able to speak 7 languages, has 85% chance of learning a spell and he can learn up to 18 spells per level.
He can carry 50Ibs (or 35 according to PnP), has +3 THAC0 with ranged weapons and -4 bonus to AC.
Can I carry the Staff of Earth? I'd like that and a +1 sling
@CrevsDaak, use the BG2 thief skills. That way you can keep the ability to set traps
@booinyoureyes, the Staff of Earth is fine. I would have to say no if the adventure was all about fighting an army of earth elementals, but as it is, no problem
And to everyone, you can also have a basic adventuring kit which includes the following items:
- A backpack, a belt with several pouches and scabbards, quivers, etc.
- 3 candles
- Flint and steel
- 25 feet of silk rope
- A waterskin
- 5 days worth of dry rations (hard bread, jerky, dried fruit and nuts)
- 2 torches
- A wool blanket
I've changed my mind. Now that I won't have to fulfil all of the party's Arcane requirements thanks to Nona ( @Nonnahswriter ), I am going to use my main man, Sima Jin.
Introducing the 4th* 'incarnation' of Jin:
Bio:**
Jin was but a babe when the Tuigan hordes ravaged the northern provinces of Shou Lung, forcing many thousands of Shou refugees to flee westwards, where many, including Jin's father, a minor official of the Shou Civil Service, settled in the Oligarchy of Thesk and the city of Phsant.
The Sima family adapted quickly to their new circumstances, and soon achieved a measure of wealth via trade along the Golden Way. Jin's father used what wealth he could muster to provide the best opportunities money can buy for his precious son and sole heir. Hiring a famous Shou sword master to teach him formidable eastern sword techniques, and mages to share their knowledge of the arcane.
Armed with sword and sorcery, Jin leaves home in search of adventure and learning...
Proficiencies:
Single Weapon Style ++
Long Sword +++++
Quarterstaff +
Equipment:
Heaven Reliant Sword 倚天劍 (proxy Daystar)
Robe of the Good Archmage
Cloak of Displacement
Amulet of Power
Inventory:
- 3 Extra Healing Potions
- Long'er (Celestial Dragon Familiar proxy pseudo dragon)
- Gourd Bottle
- A backpack.
- (Snow leopard) fur blanket/robes.
- 25 feet of silk rope
- 5 days worth of dry rations (dried fruits, nuts, smoked meats and preserved tofu)
- 2 torches
Spells
lv1
- Magic Missile
- Shield
- Find Familiar
- Infravision (like a boss)
- Colour Spray
- Blindness
lv2
- Blur
- Invisibility
- Mirror Image
- Strength
- Melf's Acid Arrow
lv3
- Melf's Minute Meteors
- Haste
- Fireball
- Slow
lv4
- Fireshield Red
- Stoneskin
- Improved Invisibility
*Jin's previous incarnations:
1) F/M Half-Elf of my first full saga playthrough of BG.
2) K=>M of my Black Pits LP.
3) Brother of the Kang who's been messing around in Kalesra's House of Fortune.
** This version of Jin has no brother, and his family is relatively wealthy, which means that he will be subtly different compared to Jin v2.
*** I am surprised how non-min/max'd everybody's characters are! Even @CrevsDaak! I am also suprised everybody went for the low end of xp for beginning of SoA. I did not want to have to deal with dual-classing after the game begins, so I decided to get Jin set up as best as I can with under 161k xp. I used Clua Console to level him up, so his proficiencies and stats should be correct. I also think I kept to the rules with regards to items, but do let me know if anything is too over-powered.