Primordial Ooze -- PCs in the Making

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:

Meet Jan Haaker, wizard.

Replacing the 4 in Int with the 6 giving stats of STR 9, INT 16, WIZ 5, DEX 12, CON 9, CHA 10.

Very good Greenlama.

We could attribute his low wisdom to extreme youth (perhaps Jan is merely 15 years old?) or senility (but perhaps that is overly similar to Highbough), and/or lack of worldly experience? Up to you.

Let us say, with his average charisma, he has is the son of a petty mercer (fabric merchant) who sent him to the Traders' Concourse in Ket to study figures and accounts. But he learned a great deal more than mathematics in the ancient, dusty tomes in the Concourse archives...

Jan will start with (2d4=2, 3) 5 hit points.

Re the free clothing. Does this include such things as waxed cloaks/boots extra shirts, vests, fine or noble clothing etc?

The free gear limited to ordinary, non-descript clothing appropriate to your lot in life. Waxed or fine articles would have to be purchased from your starting purse.

Spellbook and boon to come...

[waysoftheearth]

Green Lama wrote:
Very young sounds good. A 15 year old wunderkind. The Wesley Crusher of OD&D. :7)

[waysoftheearth]

ehiker133 wrote:
Welcome to the game, Green Lama!

So... Do you pronounce Jan with a hard J or a soft one? Is it Jan or Yan?

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Jan's boon shall be an 8" long, 3" diameter glass tube containing a dozen adult phosphor-flies. The whole is in a leather case on a shoulder strap which can be twisted in order to expose or shut-off the blue-green light that is equal to several burning candles.


Jan possesses The Abstruse Litterateur, a weighty leather bound volume that contains the following six spells (we can assume Jan knows and can memorise any of these):


The Dissimulation:
The subject (person or object) continually changes colour to match its surroundings, becoming difficult (but not impossible) to see until the magic is "washed away" with water, or until the magic-user next rests. An Object or hiding person is hidden much as a secret door, and a person is able to sneak much as would a thief (but note he is not silenced by this spell).

The Effable Apperception:
Enables the caster or touched recipient to comprehend glyphs and inscriptions written in languages otherwise unknown. It enables a spell caster to comprehend (and thereafter memorise and/or cast) an unknown spell. It does not, however, solve written puzzles or imbue any ability to communicate verbally. The magic lasts long enough to comprehend one spell, or otherwise for as long as the recipient concentrates upon the symbols to be deciphered.

The Exigent Secernment:
Enables the magic-user to perceive the presence of magic with a precision similar to the mundane ability to detect a scent or perfume. It does not reveal the nature of the magic, nor its exact source, merely that magic is present. The spell lasts as long as the magic-user concentrates upon the location, object or creature to be scrutinised, after which he must have water or suffer 1d6.

The Rhyme of Exiguous Glamour:
Creates an illusion of any form the magic-user desires up to a Man-like volume or bulk per caster level. The glamour must augment something real, or else be limited in some significant way (e.g., sound only, silent image, two-dimensional image) if it is entirely fictitious. The glamour is animated only so long as the magic-user is nearby and concentrates upon it, otherwise it is absolutely still. Anyone examining the glamour closely, or in full daylight, may test his wisdom to see through it, and if successful he may dispel the illusion simply by touching it. Otherwise the magic lasts until dismissed or the magic-user next rests.

The Scandent Evocation:
So long as the caster goes bare-footed and -handed, he can scale vertical walls easily at 12", and even cling to ceilings with only three of his appendages, or move across such at 6" with all four. However, his normal, upright movement rate is reduced to 9". The enchantment lasts until shoes or gloves are put on, or sun up.

The Stillicidious Cheval:
Causes a thin (1") sheet of ice to crystalise out of the air in mere seconds. The ice will freeze over a doorway or similarly sized area as the caster desires. The cheval is semi-opaque, reflective and slippery, as is ice. It can be hacked away with pick or axe, as normal ice, or else will eventually melt away in 1-6 turns (depending on the ambient temperature).


With his intelligence 16, Jan can memorise any two 1st level spells each day.

[waysoftheearth]

Green Lama wrote:
Yan I think though he will answer to Jan or Ian or "Hey you! Bring those bugs over here!"

Speaking of the boon bugs do i need to concern myself over care, feeding, temp control, and finding replacement bugs?

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:

Speaking of the boon bugs do i need to concern myself over care, feeding, temp control, and finding replacement bugs?

It's up to you how much entomology you want to enter into... Maybe Jan is obsessed with bugs? Maybe he isn't. If you haven't fed them once in six months (real) time, perhaps you'll find them all dead one day. We'll see [img]images/smiley/wink.png[/img]

[waysoftheearth]

Green Lama wrote:
All Done I think. Background needs work but I am leaving that at Over-clever merchant's son set off to the boonies on a fools errand. This could blow into a full merchant house/intrigue subplot if you want to expand it but I am good with leaving it largely open for now.

[waysoftheearth]

Green Lama wrote:
.~-= Jan Haaker =-~.

Biology : Man,
Alignment : Neutral

Class & Levels : Magic User 1
Experience Points : [img]images/smiley/huh.png[/img]
XP Bonus : 0
Hit Dice : 1/2+2
Hit Points : 5

Armour Class : 9
Saving Throw : 14 (+2 vs spells/staves)

Story
A bookish young man on a fool's errand far far from anything that resembles home or safety.

Abilities
STR : 09 (--) melee attacks, load limit.
INT : 16 (+1) 8 langs, 6 m-u spells.
WIS : 05 (-1) langs, clerical spells.
DEX : 12 (--) AC, initiative, missile attacks.
CON : 09 (--) max HD, +2hp adjustment.
CHA : 10 (--) reaction, 2 henchmen.

Languages spoken and read: Illiberal, Dogeral, .....????
Gear

Ryther's Entomological Iridescence. 8" long, 3" diameter glass tube containing a dozen adult phosphor-flies. The whole is in a leather case on a shoulder strap which can be twisted in order to expose or shut-off the blue-green light that is equal to several burning candles.

The Abstruse Litterateur, a weighty leather bound volume.
~The Dissimulation
~The Effable Apperception
~The Exigent Secernment
~The Rhyme of Exiguous Glamour
~The Scandent Evocation
~The Stillicidious Cheval


--Clothing-- Total cost: 9sp
---Normal standard clothing for a cloth merchant€™s son. Free?---
Beanie (2cp)
Belt (2cp)
Gloves, Wrist length cloth (4cp)
Robe (5sp)
Shirts 3 (3sp)
Shoes (1sp)
Small clothes 3 sets (6cp)
Socks/tights 3 pair (6cp)
Trousers 2 Pair (6sp)
Vest Leather (2sp)
Vest Cloth (2sp)
---Nonstandard clothing---
Cloak, waxed (5sp)
Boots, ankle length, waxed (4sp)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--General gear--Total cost 9cp 39sp 1gp
---Free gear---
Backpack
Bedroll
Coin purse
Victuals, 1 week
Water skin
---Not free gear---
Belt pouches, 2 (8cp)
Bottle for ink (2sp)
Hand Mirror, metal (12sp)
Ink, black 2oz (2sp)
Parchment, 2 bundles of 6 sheets (2sp)
Quill, Goose feather, 4 (4cp)
Quill, steel (1gp)
Satchel, waxed (4sp)
Scroll case, leather (1sp)
Shepards double pipe, 12" (6sp)
Tinderbox (4cp)
Winter blanket (9cp)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Weapons--Total cost: 7sp
Dagger (2sp)
Other dagger (2sp)
Staff, copper shod, iron ring suitable for hanging a lantern from on one end. (3sp)
GRAND TOTAL: 1gp 39sp 25 cp OR 49sp 1cp


Wealth
19sp 5cp

Known and Memorized Spells


The Dissimulation:
~~The subject (person or object) continually changes colour to match its surroundings, becoming difficult (but not impossible) to see until the magic is "washed away" with water, or until the magic-user next rests. An Object or hiding person is hidden much as a secret door, and a person is able to sneak much as would a thief (but note he is not silenced by this spell).

The Effable Apperception:
~~Enables the caster or touched recipient to comprehend glyphs and inscriptions written in languages otherwise unknown. It enables a spell caster to comprehend (and thereafter memorise and/or cast) an unknown spell. It does not, however, solve written puzzles or imbue any ability to communicate verbally. The magic lasts long enough to comprehend one spell, or otherwise for as long as the recipient concentrates upon the symbols to be deciphered.

The Exigent Secernment:
~~Enables the magic-user to perceive the presence of magic with a precision similar to the mundane ability to detect a scent or perfume. It does not reveal the nature of the magic, nor its exact source, merely that magic is present. The spell lasts as long as the magic-user concentrates upon the location, object or creature to be scrutinised, after which he must have water or suffer 1d6.

The Rhyme of Exiguous Glamour:
~~Creates an illusion of any form the magic-user desires up to a Man-like volume or bulk per caster level. The glamour must augment something real, or else be limited in some significant way (e.g., sound only, silent image, two-dimensional image) if it is entirely fictitious. The glamour is animated only so long as the magic-user is nearby and concentrates upon it, otherwise it is absolutely still. Anyone examining the glamour closely, or in full daylight, may test his wisdom to see through it, and if successful he may dispel the illusion simply by touching it. Otherwise the magic lasts until dismissed or the magic-user next rests.

The Scandent Evocation:
~~So long as the caster goes bare-footed and -handed, he can scale vertical walls easily at 12", and even cling to ceilings with only three of his appendages, or move across such at 6" with all four. However, his normal, upright movement rate is reduced to 9". The enchantment lasts until shoes or gloves are put on, or sun up.

The Stillicidious Cheval:
~~Causes a thin (1") sheet of ice to crystalise out of the air in mere seconds. The ice will freeze over a doorway or similarly sized area as the caster desires. The cheval is semi-opaque, reflective and slippery, as is ice. It can be hack away with a pick or axe, as could normal ice, or else will eventually melt away in 1-6 turns (depending on the ambient temperature).


Jan can memorise any two 1st level spells each day.

[waysoftheearth]

Green Lama wrote:
Hmmm I may be carrying too much stuff. How does encumbrance work in this game?
Also how does one go about hiring a porter?

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
Nice Greenlama, you can go ahead and post Jan in the cast thread.

Regarding encumbrance; you can carry a number of cloves (half-stones) equal to your strength without issue. So Jan can carry up to 9. His spell book accounts for 2, his bedroll 1, rations 1, staff 1, and most of the rest is free. I'll work it out exactly for you when I enter Jan into my spreadsheet, but at a glance I don't think you'll have a problem yet.

Hiring a porter can be done once you get started in game. I'll find a convenient moment to get you started in the near future, pending what goes on in the current game thread.

Good luck!