Dice Legends of Aestlyn (D&D 5e) - OOC

[Yang Xiao Long]

Well, it's ultimately Wlf's call. Again though, in-character, our characters would have no reason to want to associate with your character without either running away or resorting to murder, so I'm not sure what you expect the outcome to be other than, uh... PvP? I guess?

Like, I don't want to be unreasonable about this, but these are the only outcomes I can see happening.

I gave my bit up there of how it could play out. Not to mention the whole bit of turning on the enemy in the middle of a fight, pretty good incentive to at least try to figure it out what the hell it is without resorting to murder.

 

[OceanBunny]

I've played in rps where undead were a common occurrence and people didn't kill them on sight. I've even had people play a summoner who kept an undead as a pet and a character who stitched body pieces together and animated them frankenstyle in rps. So i get how an undead could be in a party depending on the setting and lore of the world.

 

[Yang Xiao Long]

I've played in rps where undead were a common occurrence and people didn't kill them on sight. I've even had people play a summoner who kept an undead as a pet and a character who stitched body pieces together and animated them frankenstyle in rps. So i get how an undead could be in a party depending on the setting and lore of the world.

I do alot of darker settings where undead are common, also in general a good character doesn't attack something that isn't hostile without call.

 

[OceanBunny]

I do alot of darker settings where undead are common, also in general a good character doesn't attack something that isn't hostile without call.

Yea, I mean one might freak out upon seeing an undead and be wary but unless it attacks or undead in that world are known for eating\killing people, I don't think you'd necessarily immediately jump to 'this unnatural being must die' unless of course it goes against the entirety of your faith and beliefs xD

 

[JayTee]

Keep in mind, It's ultimately Wlf's call about how Undead are treated in this world. Depending on how things are ruled, you may or may not want to get your hopes up.

 

[Lexielai]

jaydude Your google doc currently doesn't give permission to view There's also some easy BBCode for sharing PDF documents if you'd like to do that!

 

[Lexielai]

OceanBunny Is it High Moon?

 

[jaydude]

jaydude Your google doc currently doesn't give permission to view There's also some easy BBCode for sharing PDF documents if you'd like to do that!

Fixed. Hopefully everyone else can see it now. Thanks for informing me of this.

 

[OceanBunny]

Yes.

 

[Lexielai]

Fixed. Hopefully everyone else can see it now. Thanks for informing me of this.

Looks viewable to me. The -1 initiative was just...LOL

 

[WlfSamurai]

So, the undead thing breaks down into two things: expectations and play.

When I wrote the teaser, I left a lot out. On purpose. I did not want to set many expectations. I wanted the characters to set the expectations for us in who they are and where they're from. I of course have a general sketch of the world and such, but nothing in concrete that can't be changed. That said, I agree with JayTee that there is general wisdom in D&D that undead = bad. And I don't mean story-wise. I mean mechanically. The necromancy spells specifically say that animated dead is an evil act. I personally extend this to the undead themselves. Not that they are evil in the personality, though most are, but their EXISTENCE is evil. The game supports that, in my opinion. Reactions from common folk to nobles would follow that wisdom.

Now, all that is just what the fluff-less core rules call out. What about the setting? Again, I left the setting out of my teaser. I didn't describe anyone (though I prefer this style anyway). Hell, I didn't even describe the throne room. But! It's important what the teaser does do. Tychis is not undead. And the teaser clearly calls out a coup. It has a more political feel rather than a conquerer coming in and killing the King with undead at his back.

Those expectations HAVE been set. And the other players made their characters with them in mind. We can definitely change those expectations, but doing so would require that eveyrone in the group agrees to that type of game. Playing a game where the party has relationships that tie them together is something I won't budge on. As OceanBunny pointed out, a game where the undead existing isn't evil and are accepted can happen, but we all have to agree to it. I, for one, don't really want the setting to play that way, but I won't say no if everyone agrees that's what they want to play.

So, do you guys want to play a game where the existence of the undead aren't evil and are accepted? And what are the implications of "good" and "evil" in our world then? There's a lot to discuss there.

The second part is play. Let's assume the above doesn't stand. The existence of raised dead is evil, as the book states. And then, let's bend the teaser a touch and say that Tychis storms in with undead at his back. Yang Xiao Long , you defect and switch sides. How does that play out? The King will dispose of you, I'm sure. The other players have no tie to you. I'm actually asking: what stops them from destroying you, the undead abomination? How are you valuable to them if you come out of the Tychis situation on their side? How do you play it out so they don't see you as a threat and evil, but instead see you as a valuable asset?

Both these two points have questions that need to be answered. JayTee , Lexielai , jaydude , OceanBunny , what type of game do you want to play? And, Yang Xiao Long , tell me how you play out not being a threat or evil?

 

[Lexielai]

I'd enjoy something with a political setting, but less of the "Game of Thrones edginess" that's really common nowadays. Something a little more positive, like a swashbuckling adventure where we have serious moments but also really goofy ones. I don't mind the whole undead thing if it's done appropriately for the setting, but I do agree that the game seems to be against it and something like a tiefling would be better at doing the same thing storywise.

 

[Crocodile]

I haven't had access to my book to make a character. Still need any? I was eyeing a Bard for healing and lore since I'd seen what else the group had.

 

[Lexielai]

I haven't had access to my book to make a character. Still need any? I was eyeing a Bard for healing and lore since I'd seen what else the group had.

Bards are #1. My favorite class. I think you should go for it

 

[JayTee]

In terms of theme and gamestyle, I'm on the same page as Lexi. I'd like a mix of political intrigue as we try to find a way to either restore the King to his throne or depose a usurper if that's not possible, and some swashbuckling action as we try to keep one step ahead of the assassins sent after us by the Usurper, as well as other more common DnD silliness and shenanigans.

On the topic of race, I'm not a huge fan of "evil" races like Driders and Undead being included in the party, less because of any personal feelings towards them and more because, well, it just doesn't make any sense for the reasons I pointed out earlier, and I like to have some level of consistency within a gameworld. I know it's somewhat setting dependent, but overall, evil races are evil in most settings for a reason.

 

[jaydude]

I'm on the same page as JayTee regarding the whole "restore king, deal with usurper, swashbuckling action" thing. And I wouldn't say no to some stuff dealing with the political ramifications of Tychis's coup, depending on how long the campaign's planned to be. Some sort of civil war element, perhaps?

That said, the idea of one of our characters being undead does sound interesting, though I fear that if said character's portrayed as obviously being undead, it may make things more complicated than they need to be. I did see a Revenant background on the Homebrew section of D&D Wiki. Perhaps Yang Xiao Long could take that if they want to play an undead, and have the character keep their condition secret? Then our characters wouldn't necessarily know their true nature, though they might find out later on in some way.

 

[jaydude]

JayTee Loving your character. Given that your character and mine are both nobles supporting the king, do you think we could have them start off knowing one another?

 

[JayTee]

It would make a lot of sense if they did, as nobility always tended to hang around nobility. One suggestion I have is that while we did grow up together, we became estranged as our duties overtook our free time. This gives us a point of familiarity and camaraderie between out characters, but also doesn't lock the dynamics of our relationship in to anything solid, allowing it to develop naturally as they interact.

Lexielai , you may also want to have this be a similar relationship status between our characters, along with the "contact in the underworld/childhood friends" plotpoint we have going.

 

[Lexielai]

JayTee You mean they haven't been in contact for some time, but recently got in touch? If so that works for me

 

[JayTee]

Pretty much, yeah. Gives us a point of contact without pre-defining the relationship.

 

[jaydude]

JayTee Building on your idea, I was thinking that our characters could become acquaintances or friends a few months - or perhaps years - before the beginning of the campaign, after my character became one of the king's knights and moved to the palace. They could be childhood friends as you suggested, but it works either way.

 

[JayTee]

I'm fine with your suggestion. I'm more about having a common point of contact than the shape it takes.

 

[jaydude]

Umbrie Seeing as you're also making a noble character, would you like to have her know ours? Or would you rather not?

 

[Umbrie]

Umbrie Seeing as you're also making a noble character, would you like to have her know ours? Or would you rather not?

it would be finesies if they knew each other.

 

[Umbrie]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-GmNSYB_MHbmP82lTCpe1uQ-jlI43u-U1ZCQDRUVj0Y/edit?usp=sharing