Phoenix Prime distributes the pizzas and goes out to eat on the veranda to enjoy the sunset.
No natural light for the gamers around the table though!
Nem the GM looks at his pristine white t-shirt and wonders if he should've ordered double a BBQ base on his pizza. Still, at least the white does show off what he thinks is a tan. (No-one else has noticed, frankly.)
With everyone else serving themselves and passing around the drinks, he pushes the paraphernalia to one side and decides now's a good time for some low drama role-play. Always difficult to create a sense of threat when you're trying to juggle floppy pizza slices.
Track the coast east and you see a pennisula called Sword Point. The town is on the north coast of this pennisula.
The road that caused the Shoreblade Revolt was intended to be built as an extension of the Austral Way (the marked road between Axis and Horizon). The Emperor levied the nobles of Sword Point for the funding, but couldn't deliver, due to a war breaking out in the east.
With the Imperial fleet engaged in the east, the nobles of the Sword Point decided it was a good time to revolt, refusing to pay tribute to Axis and hiring sell-swords.
This is also a good opportunity to lay down a physical description of your character. If you look at the posts I did for Heilbutt and Jex, for example.
So if you want to edit your previous posts and throw in a paragraph or two more, go ahead. Description should be in words and conjure an image, rather than literally being an image.
Great job so far, guys, I hope you're enjoying the game as much as I am.
So here's another opportunity to develop your character and interrelationships. Conversing around the dining table, with the wine flowing after a hot day.
Back and forth dialogue is always tricky in a message game, so we'll aiming to capture the highlights.
Although we can read the character sheets, the PCs still don't know much about each other. We have to mimic that process of getting to know someone then.
The adventure itself is relatively straightforward at this stage. You have a very clear goal, 'Return the haunted helm to its rightful resting place on the Titan's Peak.'
There's no indication of skulduggery amongst the NPCs. Even if the Baronessa is an intriguing character, it's just flavour, me justifying her use as a plot hook to get the PCs here. She has a backstory that can tie in to some of the PCs, but The Haunted Helm is a 1st level adventure so I'm keeping it simple for now. We'll focus more of the quest itself.
(I was aiming for a Selma Hayek vibe with the Baronessa, which I think makes her pretty good motivation.)
Before the PCs set out in the morning, you'll have the chance to rejig your character sheets if you want. This is the 13th Age way, similar to D&D 5E, so your character sheets are never set in stone. If you can explain a change in-continuity, you can do it. Realised your character should've been a ranger not a fighter? Easy. Decided you want to be a dwarf not a human? Not so easy to pull off, but can be retconned.
It also looks like we might've lost Khamsin and Owain to that true Lernaean hydra, Real Life. Let us know how you're getting on, guys.
I for one am enjoying. I am trying to not keep D as intractable as he seems. I want to be more friendly and forth coming, he just is a quiet type. Happy to keep trying to break out of his shell though.
I offer that Owain may return when he gets back from vacation without internet service, but we shall see.
FWIW - I saw that Owain surfaced the other day and may be back later this week or the next. Khamsin mentioned that some real world problems were going to interfere for a while. I have not heard an update there yet, but HIM is still around even if pretty inactive without our leader <g>
Don't worry about the slow down here, peeps. I'm redirecting time into INS so I can wrap it by the end of next week, before I leave for the Broads for two weeks.
So we might have a short gap until we resume. Since the PCs are asleep, it shouldn't interfere with the game's pace too much.
If you recall, we started HHE with an Evil Dead-inspired demon zombie attack. Did anyone see the trailer for the new Sam Raimi sequel released at Comic-Con, Ash vs Evil Dead?
Has it really been 30 years ... or was that 'poetic license'? Hmmm, only 25 years, so maybe Bruce has 'aged more' than 25 and so went for 30 ... it certainly is supported by the trailer (the corset, the teeth in a glass and so on <chuckle> )
I had seen it. I am interested in it. But this will be one of those shows I watch without my wife. She tolerated Army of Darkness, but she dislikes gore. She loves disaster movies but not horror. Go figure.
Hey Pande, people like what they like <g> I have to be in the 'right mood' for movies like Evil Dead myself, so I can understand her 'reluctance' ... well ... sorta <wink>
(I'm always in the mood for Evil Dead! 2 and 3 are amongst my favourite films.)
Right, I'm off to the Norfolk Broads tomorrow, but the weather forecast is appalling, so I'm taking the laptop with me and strongly suspect I'll be posting!
While I'm waiting for pretty much all of my clothes and shoes to dry, I'm closing out those vignettes you guys ran yourselves when I was in Ibiza--- Oh man, wish I was there right now!!
And on the upside, I finished INS in the week, so can focus all game time on HHE.
Well, Norfolk was a bit of a wash-out and so I came back a little earlier than planned. I enjoyed myself despite the monsoons. (Norfolk monsoons, what's the world coming to!?)
So, if you can give me a heads-up here, let me know you're around and posting, or when you're due to be away, etc., and we'll likely resume immediately.
I had meant to slide over here after I read them and applaud the amazing posts, but I was lost in thought considering the implecations and forgot <sigh> No! Really!!! <g>
That's a funny way of looking at it, Gypsy, when you really think about it. Since technically, like most player characters, they all come together by chance; as random as character creation.
13th Age does a good job of that though, using Icon rolls to create patterns in the chaos, but it tends to happen in all gaming groups. Eventually a story emerges of its own accord. (I'm sure all of you have experienced the same thing.)
But yes, I doubt we'll resolve all the expanded story in this adventure, but because One Unique Things and Icon relationships are a key feature of 13th Age I want to continue tying them into HHE. It should feel like a more tailor-made experience than most D&D modules.
Hi everyone! I'm joining the game, picking up Jex but I have a ton of catching up to do so Nem's gonna keep ghosting while I read the war-and-peace type threads. Looks like fun!
Players at the table were great. DM was great. All Access stuff ranged from bleh to crap. Very disappointed in that. I agree with a lot of the on-line comments that people felt ripped off.
Other than the All Access cost vs value issue, I had a great time. Spent time with a good buddy hanging with people with similar enjoyments. Good discussions, good people.
I have always thought that All Access was a crap shoot at best. If you get a great DM it is a great weekend. If you get a crap DM it is a crap weekend <sigh> I have always thought that All Access should allow the 'table' of players should be able to 'pick' their DM. Sadly I don't see a realistic way to make that work in practice <sigh>
And as a 'mitigating factor' ... a lot of stuff was 'effed up' because they 'messed' with out lay out at the last minute. We were given less space for more tables <sigh> It seems that WotC has decided to abandon play at cons. You might have noticed that they didn't even have =any= booth space in the dealer's area <sigh>
If ya wanna have a better time ... and can afford it, Winter Fantasy or Origins might be a better choice in the future ... at least until 'they' get a clue <g>
Yeah, I had heard some good comments about Winter Fantasy during Gencon.
Part of the issue, Mike, was the mods were way too easy. Our table finished every one early. In the grand finale we killed the big bad guy before he even got to act in the first round. The DM called over a Marshal who had the bad guy reappear, and we killed him again. Not a single pc took damage from him.
In addition there was no feeling of "team" play in the finale like there was in earlier years, with DMs coming to the tables and tossing random encounters at you or changing your mod based on what others had done. The Factions were not really used for anything compared to last year.
And the setting was not up to par compared to prior years. You couldn't hear the announcements (no microphone? really?), it was very noisy and you had trouble hearing the DM. No statues, no castle walls, no roped off area for play.
On top of that, WoTC/BMG established an expectation based on the All Access Pass from 2013 and 2014 that for the $150 cost you would get a considerable amount of "swag" to take home. The games (purchased separately) would had cost $40. Last year the All Access players got $100 worth of books. The year before they got a decent amount of stuff too. SO you could explain the cost.
This year...., nothing. Except for some cardboard "Certifications" for your magic items you could use in Adventure League play. Since the majority of gamers play at home those certifications were worthless to most players.
So of the three areas of All Access Play (games, setting, and swag), the games were average at best, the setting was below par, and the swag was non-existent.
And yes, it was clear WoTC has abandoned supporting their game. Comments on the blogs are that they've completely turned D&D over to Baldman Games and Adventure League. The problem is they are so focused on Adventure League (which represents a small fraction of the D&D universe of players), that they are disenchanting their core audience.
Many players (Nep and I included) are seriously considering playing Pathfinder next year. The difference between the support Pazio gave their game compared to WoTC was like night and day,
That has always been a problem. IMHO it is the thing that led to the downfall of 3.5. If the mods are designed to accommodate the 'power gamers', then they are too deadly for 'the masses'. I they go the other direction, then the serious gamers are left with mods that are too easy <sigh> It is a no win situation.
In the new D&D that is more in the hands of the GMs, but many of us are not quite there yet. Most are used to the old situation where the game is the king, so to speak. Hopefully as the GMs ge more comfortable with the new paradime, things will get better.
The 'team spirit' you missed was present at the table I was playing with. So that may be a failing of the players at your table. I spent most of my time running "D&D for beginners" and there was a lot of 'party support' there. I don't know how they put tables together for AA, but perhaps you & Nep might want to get a group together <shrug>
I concede that there were 'facility problems' <sigh> The 'new' location was cramped and the folks that run all this didn't have a 'heads up' on the changes until after the fact. We were given a lot more tables in a lot less space and it was a surprise <sigh> If you had visited the dealers room, you might have noticed that WotC was not there ... at all <sigh> So many of the 'venue' problems were a 'surprise' to all of us <sigh>
As to the 'issues' with Adventurers League' play ... Some of that is ... reversion to LG and LFR. It is a way for 'them' to control the tendency of players to ... miraculously to have items <sigh> It was what led to the 'cert mania' that was a real problem with LG and to a lesser extent LFR. It is an effort by "TPTB" the deal with 'cheating'. I am not sure that it is worth the effort, but I understand the why they are trying.
I certainly won't make any excuses for the mods. These were some of the worst 'edited' mods I have ever seen. But that is from an editorial point of view. For the mods that I had to run, the 'story' was pretty good. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see most of the other mods, so I don' know about them.
I understand. I am not sure that I agree, though. Part of the problem is that there was not a lot of 'advanced knowledge' on anyone's part that WotC was going to take this tact. Give it a bit of time and lets see how it all sorts out. I know Dave (the 'bald man' that had all this dropped in his lap) and he wants to make play fun for the majority. Things are changing so I am willing to give things a bit of time to see how they 'shake out'.
If you liked the 3rd edition game, Pathfinder is a great way to go. I know that they have been doing well at cons and continue to grow. But I have to say that I like the 'idea' of what 5th ed is going for. I hope that they can get their sh*t together and make it work <g>
Glad to be aboard, and yes, it seems your DM will invite anyone to this party
As for GenCon, the All-Access bordered on thievery. We paid a price of $150 for the 4 sessions which, if we signed up for them separately, would cost $40. There was nothing that merited the extra $110 we paid. Many players are furious and the boards (GenCon, Baldman, WOTC) are blowing up.
The fact that WOTC abandoned GenCon was a miserable decision. They killed much of the goodwill they earned last year for that. I've contacted WOTC and Hasbro with my complaint.
Don't get me wrong. I had a good time playing. It was fun and our DM and the other players at our table were excellent, but the modules were weak. I thought the story-line was good and had a lot of potential but they really dropped the ball on execution. The interactive was non-interactive. The encounter scaling was completely off.
As Zeim said, none of the evil bad guys in the climactic encounter did any damage to PC's, but interestingly, Lingo, my PC, took 6 points of damage from "friendly fire". He was dominated and his pals slapped him around so that he would get saves. So the party did more damage than the bad guys!
Miked - When I say there was no "team spirit", I don't mean at the table. Our table was great. The players were great. The DM was great. However in prior years there was effort given to provide a team atmosphere "across" tables. The Factions were highlighted. In the Epics players who completed their games early were allowed to go to another table to help those teams. DMs dropped by and tossed random encounters at groups based on what was happening at other tables across the way. This was because the concept of the Epic was all the tables were simultaneously involved in the same module. While you were focused on the 6 players at your table, in reality there were over a hundred players "on the field" so to speak doing the same thing. So what they did impacted you and you could help them if you got a minute to take a break by ending your teams' encounter early.
There was none of that this year. The concept was there. They mentioned it was the same setup. But none of the interactivity occurred.
Neil - I did not see 13th Age. It could have been there, and probably was, but I didn't run across it.
I think part of that 'vibe' was because the folks running things, GMs, Marshals and HQ folks, were all frustrated, distracted and the like from scrambling to deal with the debacle that got dumped on them/us with little warning.
Also, I can't help but wonder if 'they' felt the need to streamline (or omit it completely) the interactive part because of the time crunch that had been forced on them ... and so on.
There was also the fact that, as you pointed out, the mod felt a bit 'weak'. The table where I was never seemed particularly challenged so didn't need any help and I didn't hear any of the near by tables having trouble and needing help either <shrug> Last year it was a different story <g> And all the complaints about how hard things were last year =may= have caused them to 'back off' some ... maybe too much <shrug> But since I am not involved in any of that sort of decision making, I am just guessing about most of this.
It will be interesting to see what happens at Winter Fantasy in Jan.
Pelgrane Press, who owns 13th Age are a British publisher, so I imagine their presence at GenCon would be very small. Having said that, they said 2015 was their biggest ever GenCon effort.
Thanks to Neptune for taking up Khamsin's mantle, and thanks to Khamsin for playing up till now.
HHE's been heavy on characterisation so far, lighter on the action, but the adventure now begins in earnest so we can expect more exciting times ahead!
First up though, 13th Age has a few more features that I'm obliged to show you.
The party are travelling through a Mediterranean-like pine forest on a fine summer's day. We're talking somewhere very rugged, like the Ardeche.
They're heading uphill first, then down again into the river gorge.
Describe a possible unusual danger the party might encounter on this stage of their journey?
Finally, Gyspy, completely out of the blue, but I just remembered this when writing about genets. Tindarien has a ferret familiar. (Thought you might have forgotten since you haven't mentioned it.)
Each 13th Age travel montage involves two players. You have a montage moment whenever the GM thinks it's suitable.
Right now, we're focusing on Day 1 Morning. So just MikeD and Exeter are up.
We piece the travel montage together here. I drew cards to randomly pick an order (normally you'd just go around the table clockwise, frex). Mike will give us his idea for a danger, then I'll ask Exeter for an idea of how the party overcame it.
I take that, mold it, and present the montage.
If Day 1 Afternoon needed a travel montage, for example, Gypsy and Pandemonium would go, etc.
As it is, it's only a short journey to the Titan's Elbow, so we probably won't have another montage. But I wanted you to see the mechanic.
In HHE6, you don't need to worry about the travel montage, just post as you are doing.
Btw, you certainly captured my first impression of the Ardeche with your last post, Mike. I remember waking up on my first morning there and thinking "You lose it here, you're in a world of hurt" (to quote Blain from Predator).
<heh heh heh> Been there done that ... no, really! Used to do a lot of backpacking so I 'get it' <wink> Never was in the 'real' mountains of the west, but did some hiking in the Appalachians <wink>
You see a man scrambling about for his dice bag, paper, pencils.... No, check that. That was years ago! No, now he's fired up his iPad, made sure that a warm bottle of Diet Coke sits on a little end table to his right. The recliner does it's thing at a touch of a button and the man starts to read...and read...and read.
So I've read through HHE3. I didn't get how the combat was done in HHE2 but we'll get there. At least now I know what's going on. The taint of the Beast spread into the streams when it's hoard was pillaged by greedy teams. Some fool named Ed the Red screwed things up for everyone before he went and became dead. Gorulon the Gladiator, grandfather to the sergeant, also known as the Gorehound and a bunch of other names is the cause of this bother. The wraith that came out of his helmet told us so. Then the baroness made her dramatic appearance drawing oohs and ahhs from those assembled at this gathering. She then declared that we obey the smoke and bring back the gold. The old sarge is a grandpa himself but feels like he owes something to this mission. The baroness asked him to get a note from his wife before he goes on the trip.
That's about where I'm at and now I feel the gray matter starting to ooze from my ears and there's a droplet of blood that trickles from my nose. It must be a sign to place a virtual bookmark on the reading. I'll pick up tomorrow. I see that Nem's been ghosting now for Nep and I figured it was polite to let folks know that help is coming soon ... Jex is on his way!!!
Nice summation Nep. Just a couple of 'clarifications'. We are =assuming= Ed is dead (sounds like a song title <g> ) No one has actually found a body or the like.
We are also assuming that the looting and pollution are related. There is a lot to suggest that is the case, but it is all circumstantial, but no real proof for that either.
Hmmm ... wandering monsters? naw, too pedantic. Ummm ... natural disaster, yeah, a cliff collapse? cliche. Ooooo ... narrow canyon, how about dangerous winds, maybe 'dust devils' ... controlled by air elementals! The best of both worlds - monsters =and= natural disaster <weg>
All done now with the core reading. I still have the SRD to pour through so that I might understand these "roleplaying" rules that have been concocted.
But that does not hinder play at this moment so your friendly bard is along for the ride, the pied piper of a motley crew will be playing a marching tune to help make the long trek into danger a cheerful jaunt.
Encyclopaedic knowledge of the rules isn't required, just so you know. Although as a D&D fan, you definitely owe it to yourself to check out 13th Age.
So, Exeter, as the party are making their descent to the river, through the forest, they're crossing a garrigue, pungent with the aroma of wild flowers, when suddenly a hurricane wind seems to rise from nowhere. The party are blinded by the dust, scree and twigs dashing their faces.
Exeter, give us an idea of how the party overcomes this danger?
It can be as elaborate as calling upon the Fey spirits of the air to placate them or something, or as simple as huddle down, wait for it to pass, or stagger away from the clearing, etc.
Poor Jud is daid Poor Jud Fry is daid All gather round his coffin now and cry He had a heart of gold And he wasn't very old Oh why did such a fella have to die
Poor Jud is daid Poor Jud Fry is daid He's looking oh so peaceful and serene
And serene!
He's all laid down to rest With his hands across his chest His fingernails have never looked so clean
And then the preacher'd get up and he'd say: "Folks, we are gathered Here to mourn and growl our brother Jud Fry, who hung himself up By a rope in a smokehouse, and then we have been weepin' and Wailin' within some of the women. " And then he'd say: "Jud was the Most misunderstood man in the territory. People used to think he was A mean, ugly fella and they called him a dirty skunk and a northern Pig stealer.
But the folks that really knowed 'I'm Knowed that neath those dirty shirts he always wore There beated a heart as big as all outdoors
As big as all outdoors
Jud Fry loved his fellow man
He loved his fellow man
He loved the birds of the forest And the bees of the field He loved the mice and the vermin in the barn And he treated the rats like equals, which he knew was right! And he loved the little children He loved everybody and everything in the world Only he never let on, so nobody ever noticed
Poor Jud is Daid Poor Jud Fry is daid His friends all weep and wail from miles around
Miles around!
The daisies in the dell will give out a different smell Because poor Jud is underneath the ground
Poor Jud is daid, the candle lights his head He's layin' in a coffin made of wood
Wood
And folks are feelin' sad cause they used to treat him bad Now they know their friend has gone for good
Good
Poor Jud is daid, a candle lights his head He's lookin oh so pretty and so nice He looks like he's asleep It's a shame that he won't keep But it's summer and we're runinng out of ice
They gather up their ropes and lash themselves together, the two strongest (Heilbutt and Seyja?) at each end... the cleric prays for guidance since they cannot see, and directs their way out of the canyon.
OK, anyone with an Archmage relationship, make me an Icon roll. That's Neptune, who has a 1 pt conflicted relationship with the Archmage, so you roll 1d6 in the Pizza dice roller to your left.
Hah, nicely done, Neptune, I enjoyed that song. I heard it in my head as new verses to 1985's The Highwayman.
So the Titan's Elbow is a karst archway, an unusual but natural formation even found in the real world. The best example, and my inspiration here, is Moon Hill in China.
One of the best CW groups ever!! I was sad to see them 'give up' when Waylon 'moved on' <sigh> FWIW, the =only= CW music I own ... well two since I got 1 & 2 ... although I have always appreciated all 4 of the musicians individually <g>
OK guys, good stuff. So that was a 13th Age travel montage.
Although I've been making skill checks for you behind the screens, when I get a good example of skill checks, hopefully involving everyone, we'll do the rolls out in the open so you can see how 13th Age skills work.
In the meantime, the party are just about to start the unguided stage of the journey. i.e., The dangerous part. As long as none of the PCs were taught wilderness navigation by the Blair Witch, all they have to do, to avoid getting lost, is following the big wet thing.
If I don't get a chance to post for the rest of the week, it's because I'm in Majorca until Saturday lunch-time and may get distracted.
And I'm back, ready for more message gaming in the 13th Age. Skill checks required over the past week included Buffet Foraging, and Swimming (definitely Took 20 on that one). Save vs Sun Rays was also succeeded, but only just.
So we need a party order. The PC with the strongest applicable background makes sense to lead. Who might that be? Well, the following PCs have backgrounds that strike me as obviously applicable:
Skill checks and backgrounds in 13th Age are a soft system, prioritising your character concept over mechanics.
Frex, if your char is a grizzled trapper, you've probably highlighted that in your background, maybe "Wild Man of the Woods +4" or however you want to phrase it.
When it comes to a skill check, it's up to the player to explain why the chosen background is applicable. To recognise that bellowing roar, deep in the forest "Wild Man of the Woods +4" is going to be relevant, whereas "Swaggering Dandy +4" isn't (unless you can convince the gaming group otherwise).
In HHE, whoever's leading the party will be scouting the way. Navigation isn't a problem, since you're following the river, but who knows what other challenges might lay ahead.
Well, if we were tracking someone then Zoltan definitely first, followed by Seyja. But I don't think our quarry came this way as his horse couldn't navigate the route. Zoltan has no special skills in mountains. He has outdoor survival skills, but they are more general in nature.
That said, is the trail so narrow it has to be single file? Zoltan and Seyja up front together works well.
Actually ... as I understand it ... there is no 'trail' per say. We are simply following the river where there is a fairly wide 'shore line'.
I gather that the 'quest' is to find the person best able to help us avoid any 'obstacles' and/or 'traps' that we might encounter along the way. Otherwise the GM will be free to 'unload' on us <wink>
Well, I'd say Seyja first then. The combination of her skill and class seem to work best. Tindarien's and/or Nestaron's classes don't seem to mesh with being first in a marching order.
Yeah, that works. From how the characters have been described, I think you'd peg Seyja as the best scout.
The one thing you don't have to worry about is getting lost. You literally can't get lost. The Scintilla River flows from the Titan's Elbow down to the fishing town of Rosencliff.
As for 13th Age skill checks, so far I've been making skill checks behind the screen, like I did with TVS. I deliver the result, but don't announce the roll.
So if you fail to spot the river troll hunting you, the first you'll know about it is it jumping out at you.
Having said that, when we get an interesting, party-wide skill roll, I will call attention to it, because I want to demonstrate how the 13th Age system works.
Do you want some sort of "Standard Action" for each pc? IOW we all have special Feats, Powers, and Skills, some of which can occur during another player's turn (or even during the DM's turn). From what I noticed of the initial encounter there wasn't an opportunity to go back once you posted the turn and say "Wait, I wanted to do this".
Let's have a look at a very mundane skill check in 13th Age. Pathfinding/scouting/navigation, whatever you want to call it, but leading the party through the wilderness.
Exeter's Seyja has the lead, and we'll use her Mountain Woman +4 background.
She's rolling to see how tiring the hike is. With a success, she finds a quick and easy, low energy route along the river with few obstacles. With a failure, it's the opposite, the hike is much harder going. As a result it's a little later in the day before you can stop to make camp, your char's feet and thighs are a little sorer.
Pff, why roll then? Here's where we bring into play a key 13th Age principle, fail forward.
Certainly if there's no real consquence to failure, the roll is pointless. And sometimes failure would just bring the story to a grinding halt. Frex, "Oh bugger, they didn't find the essential clue to progress the plot!".
So we apply the failure later and keep moving. This is fail forwards.
In this case, if Seyja fails I will give an advantage to an enemy encounter later on, perhaps a first round -1 penalty (you're less spry), perhaps extra foes (the enemy converges on your trail), etc.
Actually, even though there is no 'real' penalty to the failure to find the optimum path, there is certainly a 'story telling' element that can be just as entertaining ... especially here <g>
I don't see Weston as being so ... consistent? ... predictable? ... set in his ways as to have a 'SOP'. If you feel that I need something, Neil, I will try to come up some ideas <g>
No, they're not mandatory and Zeim won't want me to use his script if it's obviously detrimental. It's more of a personalised crib sheet for the GM, entirely at your discretion.
Also, I agree on using skill checks to randomise the story. In this case it can set the mood between the hike being rigorous but enjoyable, to being a long, hard slog. Important in itself; message gaming is still role-playing after all.
Currently mid-day. You have a hot afternoon of hiking ahead of you, reach the locale of the Titan's Elbow by nightfall. Make camp, and have all day to ascend and put right what needs to be put right.
So Jex may fancy a nap, and he might not be the only one, but that would put you behind schedule.
The next step is to climb up the side of the falls, chache the reserve water in the grotto halfway up, then continue up and following the river.
The route up the cliff face would be considered easy by a rock climber, with frequent, closely-spaced hand and foot holds, wide ledges to rest and abundant, hardy creepers. The cliff face also slopes steadily inwards, making the most ardueous part of the climb probably the first 10 feet.
This is a good opportunity to demonstrate the skill system in 13th Age though, since everyone needs to make the check.
The question is, what background do you use and what ability score?
What I need you to do is explain what background they're using and ability score, in-character, then make the roll in Pizza (to the left).
We'll say that applicable ability scores in this case are Strength or Wisdom, so take your pick.
Zoltan would use his Assassin background. Many times in using this background he has had to climb heights and cling to small perches for long periods of time in uncomfortable positions, This should greatly help in other types of climbing.
So, 1d20+2 (Assassin), +1 (Char Lvl) +5 (Str) = 1d20+8
Aye, so Seyja's Mountain Woman is pretty straightforward. (Her Strength bonus is +4 btw.)
Weston has Rover as a background and is using Strength. That seems like the best fit, but you still need to describe in character how that influences his climb. A 'rover' is someone who spends their time wandering, so maybe this climb is similar to a climb he made back in the north, frex?
Getting creative, MikeD might try Street Hawker, explaining that in evading the law as a wee whippersnapper, Weston and his mates used to scale the sides of the buildings with his. Etc.
Zeim's got the right idea with Zoltan. Most important is that we get to learn something new and interesting about your character's past, so make the posts in-char!
Right, I get it about the description, but wanted to be sure that I was correct about the Rover background ... plus I wasn't sure if we were doing the 'descriptive text' here or in the regular thread along with a roll that might actually influence what I wrote <g>
Going back, I see that I wasn't really as clear about that as I could have been. It certainly seemed clear when I wrote it <g>
Weston climb the cliff example roll MikeD rolled d20+7 and got 22
Clearly a walk in the park <chuckle> Would you like a 'revised' description of the climb post? Here or in the thread? I am OK with either <g>
The descriptive text should be in your game post, aye. After all, that's the entertaining stuff that we all want to read, not get lost in OOC chat.
So MikeD, you don't have to revise anything. Perhaps just describe what the climb reminded Weston of in your next post. Frex, "Weston admired hs improved from higher up, it reminded him of dot dot dot."
Nice one, guys.
So, the skill system in 13th Age is a lot more freeform than in previous versions of D&D, what do you think of it?
So, I'm not really sure where to find skills? I guess there are none. I just added his level. With low marks in Str & Wis, I chose Wis with a 0 modifier (compared to the -1 for Str). Jex will be like a rolling stone as he tumbles from the cliffs.
I think Jex has more compelling backgrounds for climbing than anyone else perhaps, Neptune.
Drakkenhall Court Jester +6. "Ah, climbing! Jex would like to say he never got tired of it, but at least climbing a rock face was easier than climbing a pyramid of oiled acrobats."
Treasure Hunter +2. "Ah, climbing! The last waterfall Jex had climbed, it was in search of a golden idol at the top. He hadn't found it."
Bandit +2. "Ah, climbing! It made a welcome change to be climbing a cliff without the hounds of the law at his heels!"
Etc.
Also, we might rule a natural 1, fumble, results in a stumble and some minor effect. But since we aren't portraying a nail-biting climb up the side of a mountain here, we'll 'fail forwards' on normal fails. So Jex will still reach the top. He might take a rather long, meandering route that has everyone else scratching their heads and thinking he's mad, but no other effect at present. The effect gets carried over to more appropriate scene later by the GM. <See above post>
Nep - No predetermined "Skills", like in D&D. You make them up as you go and justify them by your background and story-telling in whatever way you feel works.
Very free-form and not for the RPG accountant type players who want to know every +/- and have a list of everything they can do and can't do in advance (and I admit I lean toward that camp).
But, I do like how it encourages using your background in the game. In many RPGs, that are not "Tavern" Games, you write up a background and then it has almost no impact on play. In many cases it never even gets mentioned.
This is some great role-playing guys!! This is probably the most interesting, empathic hike I've ever seen in a game. There is something about the trail that gets people talking.
But hey, more inspiration from the Ardeche for this scene. This was one weird place. Sautadet. A bona fide labyrinth of rock. (Was crawling with nudists when I was there. It wasn't pretty.)
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so I'm taking the laptop with me and strongly suspect I'll be posting! 
