Important Note #1: This game is a continuation/reboot of another game I ran in the past, and as such can use PCs originally made for that game, or new PCs entirely. You can find the original game's thread here. It may be a good idea to read the basic plot hook from that thread to fully understand the scope of this game, if you are new to our group.
It has been months since the investigation into the strange happenings at Wolfrun, and much was uncovered as a result of the efforts of the Order of the Cherry Blossom's Special Task Force members. A strange cult from Tulrisse was discovered in the city, invited by the Baron Hasten Aerden, and replacing the town's guards as the local military force for the region. While posing as patrols fending off the nearby Wolf Clan, it was learned that their true goal was the importation of soil - under the guise of filler material hiding other items - from the Great Swamp between northern Tulrisse and southern Imardin. For what reason remains not fully known.
Multiple groups were apprehended aiding in the smuggling of this material into the region, and for many other crimes in conjunction with the smuggling. The shipping Captain Faustus Rivelle and his crew were arrested in the Iron Eye Cove, and the OCB's own Captain Elric Vergos was discovered aiding the notorious Viper out of serpent's point, though the outlaw he protected managed to avoid capture. Attempts to parley with the Baron of Wolfrun and to expel the strange and murderous cult have met with only failure and death, and so the decision was made - it would be war.
The forces of the Order have been mustered, the call to arms has been made. Normal patrols have ceased, and your own Captain - Ser Percival Melchett - has been granted the temporary title of Commander of the Order's forces. Together with what men the Iron Eye Cove can muster, you have marched north to siege the city of Wolfrun from its cultist occupiers.
Setting & Game Information
It is the early fall of the 83rd year of the 6th Era. You are camped in a siege camp surrounding Wolfrun Keep, which has been under siege for weeks now. The civilians of the town have long since fled, and a few skirmishes and damage from some rudimentary siege equipment have left the town itself mostly in ruins. Only the keep remains fully intact, and it is heavily guarded by hundreds of armed cultists, some of whom command powerful magic.
The siege has been slow going, as sieges tend to be. The keep is well stocked with food and supplies, and the cult itself seems to have a strong devotion towards whatever cause it is that brings them to the region. Most do not talk when captured, and the few who do are generally newer members with nothing of value to give. It seems the only way to fully weed them out will be a direct assault on the holding. Luckily, the full force of the OCB's siege workshops is being transported, and should arrive any day now. Then the true battle can really begin.
The game will begin shortly before the arrival of the incoming siege engines. You will play through the events of the siege and assault of Wolfrun Keep, featuring skill challenges and large scale military encounters. The successful capture of the keep will signal the end of this one-shot, and lead into the next game in the Order of the Cherry Blossom's Special Task Force (OCB STF) series of games, centered around the reclamation of Andor.
Character Hook
You are a member of the Order of the Cherry Blossom, a large and influential group of independent knights based out of Fort Sakura, on the Andorian Peninsula. No ordinary knight, you are a member of the Special Task Force - an elite group hand-picked by Captain Percival Melchett to oversee missions of particular risk and interest to the Order.
Every member of the Special Task Force holds the rank of Sergeant, a middling rank that is above all standard knights, thus giving you authority over virtually all colleagues you may meet on your missions. This allows you to recruit help as needed if a situation calls for it, as well as gather information more effectively - knights should always answer to their superiors when questioned.
You've been a member of the Special Task Force for at least the last two missions, including the one that uncovered the smuggling operations and the cult activities that resulted in the current siege. This means you've been part of the Special Task Force for at least six months now, though you can be a member for any amount of time longer than that. The STF only promotes from within the order, though, so you should have at least a few years in the OCB as a whole prior to your current position. Additionally, given the nature of the STF you should still be young enough to be in your physical and mental prime, with the 40s being a rough upper limit for how old your character should be.
The vast majority of knights in the Order are from the Andorian peninsula, which is primarily human in makeup. Most of the dwarves that once ruled the area are now holed up in Baerin in the mountains to the north, and very few leave their own kind. Very few elves have made it this far south, and most that have are fairly poor, though that does not mean there aren't a few amongst the Order's ranks. Orcs exist, but most in the city are of the wealthy sort, entrepreneurs who gambled and won with their decision to move their business to Fort Sakura. All of this means that you are very likely a human from the peninsula itself, but feel free to be something else if you have a good enough concept (which also makes sense, and isn't just shoehorning an idea).
Character Creation Rules
System: 4e
Level 10
Stats: 25pt buy.
Race: Any published, refluffed as human, elf, orc, or dwarf (or any combination of two e.g. half orc/elf, half dwarf/human, etc.). Half-races are generally infertile, so you can't get down into quarters of a race.
Class: Any published.
Feats: Choice of free expertise feat.
Themes: Allowed and encouraged.
Background: +2 to a skill or add a language.
Equipment: One free level 9, 10, and 11 magic items. Free basic shit items within reason (ask if you are unsure). 4200gp to spend on other magic items/boons or to have on your person.
Skills: There are no class skill restrictions; any class can train any skill. You still must take the mandatory/bonus skills granted by your class as usual (e.g. Arcana for a wizard). In addition, every class starts with at least 4 trained (before accounting for race/theme/feats/etc.) regardless of what the builder says, and any that would otherwise have fewer gets more to make 4 as a base number.
Rituals: Component costs for all rituals are reduced to ¼ their normal values to encourage ritual use. Also, Raise Dead will not be allowed in this game – dead is dead, though we hope that doesn’t have to be an issue.
Inherent Bonuses: No
Languages: We will not be using the standard 4e languages, but instead the ones listed below. Every character should know Andorian as the default language for this setting (as opposed to common), and should they gain additional languages (from race, theme, feat, etc.) then simply choose additional ones from the list of custom languages provided below.
Hybrids: In any game I run, you will be allowed to take the feat "Hybrid Talent" as many times as you like as a hybrid character. I feel like this helps make up for the fact that most hybrids are incredibly sub-par, and it allows for some really interesting combinations if you look hard enough. The CB does not allow for this option by default, though, so you will need to house-rule it and keep track of the benefits manually.
- Languages
- [SHOW]
Important Note #2: You will not level during the course of this game, though successful completion of the siege will leave you at level 11, which is what level the next game will begin at. If you intend to carry your character over from this to that, still design it with leveling in mind.