I Gift Myself to You

#4 Write a story about someone trying to find the perfect birthday gift.

Title: I Gift Myself to You

What do you give to someone who saved your life for their birthday? What present could you give to someone that you are in love with, and long to spend the rest of your life with, but are too afraid that they do not feel that same way to tell them? A person you have spent years battling side-by-side with. A wizard you watched grow in power from possessing a half dozen puny spells to being able to slay enemies with a single bolt of lightning.

We, the wizard and I, survived a battle with a curse devil that had been sent after one of our adventuring party members, she did not survive. After the four-foot-tall devil killed the witch it had been sent after, it killed our cleric, then it went after me, the muscle. My wizard was able to somehow kill the small devil and using its blood healed me back from unconsciousness.

I had my portion of our treasure, all coins and gems. The wizard received all the small magic items, potions, scrolls, and such, as well as a few gems himself. The coins consisted of ninety platinum pieces and half that in gold pieces. The gems each have a certificate of value. We got them appraised before dividing them up. I also have two pieces of ivory worth one hundred five gold together, a black pearl worth five hundred fifty gold, two saltwater pearls worth two hundred ten gold together, a piece of coral appraised at one hundred gold, an opal and a topaz each worth six hundred gold, a garnet worth seventy gold pieces, a small diamond worth nine hundred gold, an amethyst worth eighty gold, a bloodstone worth only forty gold, and a perfect thirteen hundred gold valued sapphire that matched his eyes perfectly.

The dwarf that appraised the gemstones also crafted jewelry; so, the morning after the appraisal I went back to see him to possibly get a ring made with the sapphire for my savior. When I walked in there was a pair of men speaking to the dwarf. The younger holding out a large emerald ring for the elder to look at. The older man was grinning, and stated, “I think that will make a perfect engagement ring, son.” It wasn’t a diamond but the old man was still calling it an engagement ring. If I gave the wizard a ring made from the sapphire would he think it was an engagement ring too? I want to know if he feels towards me similarly how I feel about him; but, a ring that might be mistaken for an engagement ring is too much right now.

I began to walk back out of the shop when the owner hailed me. I turned back and he had a knowing smile under his beard. He asked, “Looking for something for that wizard of yours?”

“I am,” I admitted. Perhaps he could help. The father watched as his son pulled out coins and stacked them on the counter.

The dwarf offered, “I have rings of protection.”

I shook my head. A magic ring was still a ring and a ring I had decided would send the wrong message. Instead, I asked, “Perhaps a necklace of protection?”

The dwarf and old man both chuckled. The dwarf said, “Give me a minute to count this.” He quickly counted the stacks of coins and handed the ring to the young man. He shook hands with both the father and the young man. The young man was staring at the ring as he left the shop. He would have walked into the closed shop door if his father had not opened it with a magical spell from behind him. Shaking his head, the father shut the door behind them and we all had a chuckle at that.   

             The dwarf then turned to me and began speaking, “Allow me to explain to you how magical items of protection work. There is an amulet of natural armor which increases your natural armor, the toughness of your skin; and, unlike most magical items of protection will work with other things that increase your natural armor. Then, there is the ring of protection which gives a deflection bonus. There are bracers of armor which work just like regular armor and thus a person like yourself would not want them but your wizard might as normal armor interferes with his casting movements. Then there is the dusty rose prism ioun stone that provides an insight bonus to your defenses, if you don’t mind something constantly flying around your head.” The dwarf stopped and shuddered.

             Then he continued, “I should clarify something. Wearing two amulets of natural armor will not increase the natural armor bonus. I have an amulet of natural armor that grants a plus one bonus, like the one your wizard had yesterday. I also have an amulet of natural armor that grants a bonus of plus two. Now magical items of protection have levels and grant bonuses of usually plus one to plus five each; the bracers go a bit higher. Each higher bonus costs more, obviously, but the amount increases exponentially. Usually travelers do not have enough to buy more than a plus two in our small city so that is the most expensive I stock. It will cost you the equivalent of eight thousand gold.” He must have seen my scowl because he added quickly, “I will buy the plus one bonus amulet he has for one thousand gold.”

The dwarf only knew about my gemstones. “The gemstones are all I have for trade,” I said.

The dwarf nodded, “No need for another amulet then. And the dusty rose prism is out and that costs five thousand gold, not that I have one in stock. Are you sure I cannot talk you into a ring of protection, only two thousand for a plus one bonus.”

I shook my head, “A ring would not be appropriate.”

“There is a halfling three streets east and two streets north. His shop has a variety of bracers. At four thousand gold you can afford a pair that grants a bonus of plus two.”

“Thank you,” I said, and hurried to follow his directions.

The shop had a large display window with a variety of bracers on tiered displays. The sign on the door read simply “Bracers.” I walked in to see a halfling working at a workbench, casting over a finished pair of leather bracers. I waited patiently for her to finish.

A few minutes later she turned to me, smiling, “Thank you for not interrupting.”

“You are very welcome. I was wondering if you have any bracers of armor with a plus two bonus?”

“I do have a pair,” she said. She walked over to her display and with a spell lifted a pair of bracers from a pedestal. She used the same spell to replace them with the set she had just made.

“What were those?”

“Bracers of archery. They allow you to use a longbow if you are not capable; but, I am sure you are,” she declared while grinning.

“I am but my wizard is not,” I answered, intrigued by the new option.

The halfling asked, “Wizard you say. Can they cast Mage armor?”

“Yes,” I said, remembering when he had cast it upon me.

“Then you need bracers of armor with a plus five or better and I do not have those. The armor bonus of these would be covered by the spell, which is easier to cast and much cheaper too. I would not normally tell this to a customer but you were so polite before it seems like the least I could do to repay you.”

“Do you know where the ioun stone dealer is? Fredi the dwarven jeweler who sent me here did not tell me.”

“That makes sense, He and Serafino do not get along.” The halfling nodded and then added, “Four more streets north, look for a geometric sign.”

“Thank you very much. I might be back for the bracers of archery,” I said before hurrying off.

The halfling was right about the geometric sign. It had a prism, an ellipsoid, a spindle, and a rhomboid burned into it. It was possibly the ellipsoid was supposed to be a sphere. The sign was just  shapes, no color, drawn in geometric mathematical representation without formulae.

I walked in and found a gnome polishing a clear spindle. He welcomed me, “Greetings. Can I interest you in an ioun stone? This one here can sustain you without food or water for only four hundred platinum. Perfect for any adventurer.”

I shook my head. It was nearly twice as expensive as a ring of sustenance; and, he had said nothing about needing less sleep. I replied, “I was interested in a dusty rose prism actually. For the insight bonus to armor.”

“Good news is that I do have one in stock. Bad news is that it has a slight flaw. While it still grants the insight bonus to your protection, it slightly saps your strength. Not so much an adventurer such as yourself would truly notice …”

“No.” I cut Serafino off, “It must be perfect.”

“I can make another dusty rose prism. Now there is no guarantee that the new dusty rose prism will not be flawed. I have to test it, of course. I can try multiple times. You will not have to purchase until it is perfect. It will only take me five days, each time.”

“I don’t have five days, not to mention multiple tries. I need it today. Today is his birthday.”

“May I inquire for whom you are shopping?”

“A wizard,” I answered simply, wanting to see what the small man would advise.

“Bonded to what?”

“A brownie.”

The gnome smiled, “It is simple then. Get the wizard a gift not just for the master but primarily for the familiar.”

“Thank you,” I said. I walked out, back toward the hotel we were staying at while in this city. That fey had never done anything for me. There was no way I was going to buy it as a gift for my wizard’s birthday.

I knocked on the door to the room he was staying in. I wiped my sweaty hands on the cloth covering my thighs. When he opened the door I just began babbling, “Today is your birthday. This is the first settlement we have come to in months. You saved my life last week. I have searched this city to find the perfect gift to showcase and possibly begin to repay that. No item can come close. Thus, I have decided that I will be your slave for the next year. Whatever you want. Whatever you need. Whatever I can do for you. I am yours.”

Familiars

Today my mind was on familiars. Reading on page 287 they only have size tiny familiars and 2.0 not size small. Plus any familiar can have scent with the new rules. Once per day you can select two abilities and if the animal has one of those abilities you have to select it, like Fly for a peafowl and then I could use scent for the second one. Except since it has to be size tiny animal it cannot be a peafowl.

2.0 Playtest

I got the playtest book in the mail yesterday. I am so excited. I'm also upset with Postman because he folded the book in half and stuffed in our mailbox instead of bringing it to the door.

When I first get a new RPG book I like to read it all the way through. Of course, this takes more than one sitting. So in the meantime when I get a quick minute that I know is only going to be a quick minute like when I'm in the bathroom I flipped through the book and read something at random. Today began with page 72 and 73. Which with my ADD leans into tangents like the one below.

Today's first random discovery, the cities domain and the fact that Cayden Cailean has it. I like the idea of a domain dedicated to Urban environments. I am just very concerned that they are going to keep the same background because I love Cayden Cailean's background from 1.0!

So, I looked in the index for Cayden Cailean and found Him on pages 72 and 288. I didn't find the cities domain under cities in the Index and domains are only in the index on page 73. He is still listed on page 288, as "The Drunken Hero ascended from mortal life on a drunken dare, becoming the god of ale,freedom, and wine." It seems like it's going to be a similar background at least. Now I am curious about the Test of the Starstone, which is not in the index.

Zaratan picture

The Hamlet on Zaratan

Until I know for sure how many players I have I cannot have them start bidding on which of the building owner/operators they want in their family. Basically they will be choosing, one round at a time, by first response via email, for which they want. There are nine options total, to be detailed once selections are taken:

• The Druidic Site and Shrine to Zaratan
• Smithies
• Paper and Ink
• The Tavern
• Animals R Us
• Bath House
• Imported Goods
• From the Trees
• Haberdashery

Now I say on Zaratan and most people will not know what that means. According to cryptozoology a zaratan is a giant sea turtle the size of a small island. Now I am making this game for Pathfinder and they do not have a traditional zaratan. Instead in Bestiary IV (or 4 if you will) they have the Immense Tortoise. They are buoyant. Also, the description says “Plants and even trees grow atop the shell of this massive tortoise.”

Of course they do not start out massive. They start out as normal tortoises, in my opinion. Thus Zaratan, which is going to be the name of the tortoise and possibly the hamlet too, began as an animal companion for an elven druid. I was thinking perhaps Ghoran but that might be too many plant themes. As the tortoise grew, from medium to large as the druid gained seventh level, the druid began planting fruit bearing trees upon its shell.

Now, generations later, the trees are fully grown and the tortoise is colossal in size. All of the magic Zaratan and the trees have absorbed, beginning with that of the elven druid, has turned the fruit trees into a living forest. The trees form themselves into buildings and homes for the few families that have settled upon Zaratan. The branches bend to provide the hamlets inhabitants with food and other items in the form of berries and fruits, leaves, and flowers. When necessary, the trees also provide wood. Over time other seeds have been brought to Zaratan’s shell, by birds mostly, but many of those plants do not contain magic.

Homework assignments 1-7

Homework, for the next session you must have done, by session number:

1. Details about the event that caused you to first experience your rage. This will be used as triggers for your rage in the game until you have it under control…
2. We are going to be working quite a bit with family in this campaign. Over the next few homework assignments we are going to focus on family. Families have traditions, values, and a shared folklore that sets them apart, even from other groups in the same culture. When developing your character's family, you should consider what makes that family unique. Does the family have any famous ancestors that they're proud or embarrassed of? What stories do the family elders tell about them? What stories do other family members tell? Does the family follow any special naming traditions, or worship a deity unusual for the region? What songs do they sing? Do any members have notorious reputations? Does the family have a motto? What values do they hold and what behaviors do they condemn? These are just a few examples of questions you can use to breathe life into the family and give its members a sense of cohesion.
   1. First, detail the Immediate Family: This group includes anyone who played a direct role in raising the character, or anyone whom the character is raising (such as a child or younger sibling). Generally this includes the character's mother, father, surrogate parents, brothers, sisters, and any other live-in relatives. The character's spouse (if any) also belongs in this category, as do any children. The size of an immediate family varies by culture, but for most campaigns they shouldn't be too numerous. These family members are usually very loyal, and start the campaign with a helpful attitude toward the PC (though in most campaigns they are low-level NPC-class characters and can't provide much support in terms of finances or gear). It should be difficult to permanently worsen their attitudes, barring exceptionally heinous actions. A character's greatest obligations are often to immediate family members, and when times get tough for the family, he may be expected to spend time or money helping them.
   2. Of course, not all families get along. Past trauma, such as abuse or neglect, can shatter bonds, poisoning what should be healthy relationships. Politics and religion also drive wedges between relatives, turning brother against brother and mother against daughter. Sometimes a simple clash of personalities is enough to turn one family member away. Because of reasons like these, some family members begin with a worse attitude toward your PC than the above guidelines suggest. Most such relatives will be unfriendly to the PC at worst, though hostile relatives are possible in extreme cases.
3. Second, Detail the Extended Family: These family members had a less important role in the character's life growing up, but nonetheless played a part. This group often includes aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Married characters also count their in-laws. A character's extended family is almost always larger and more diverse than her immediate family, but also less willing or able to help her in times of difficulty. Usually these relatives have a friendly attitude, though a few might be helpful, indifferent, or even hostile, depending on the family's circumstances. A character generally has fewer obligations to her extended family, though these relatives may still expect the occasional favor from the PC.
4. Then, detail the Distant Relatives: Any person who is only loosely related to your character and has no strong emotional bond to the PC is considered a distant relative. These characters have little connection to you beyond (possibly) a shared surname, or are extended family of someone in your character's extended family. They are the character's most numerous and diverse group of relatives, and so can come in handy in a wide variety of situations, though they can't rely on them for help too directly or too often. These NPCs generally start with an indifferent attitude, though a particularly family-oriented relative might be friendly instead. They also generally don't expect many favors from the PC in return. They can usually be counted on to take the PC's side when dealing with people outside the family.
5. Now that you have a living family complete, where do you all live? Each family has one house on Zaratan. For this session please have your houses, the physical structure, detailed out.
6. Now that we have covered the living relatives, how about some of the dead? Your character's deceased family members can have just as strong an influence over the campaign as you do. Lineages vary widely; one character might be descended from an ancient line of kings, and another could be the child of an infamous thief. Rather than simply granting your character benefits or drawbacks based on her ancestors, your character's legacy should be used to provide hooks for further adventures and quests. Similarly, clues might surface implicating a dead ancestor in a terrible crime, prompting the local governor to place your character on trial in his stead because of a law that allows punishing descendants for an ancestor's offenses.
7. Has anyone figured out their bloodline yet? Anyone who has can make as much of their family tree as they want. Anyone who has not can only make their family tree up to…let’s say six generations back. We can discuss symbols.
8. I have no idea… yet…

Session Zero Summary

I like character creation sessions! I am Not going to apologize for that!

 

Here is a basic Character Creation Summary!

Class: Any pathfinder class, 3^rd party arguable plus see Main reason for Session Zero

Level: 1

Race: Any from the Advanced Race Guide. 3^rd party, other sources, and MYO arguable.

Stats: Rolling during this session

Alignment: Any

Traits: 2

 

Starting Gold: Dependent upon occupation! Roll 1d12 and go to http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/variant-rules-3rd-party/adamant-entertainment/backgrounds-occupations to pick result from the Village or Rural chart. Starting money will then again be rolled based upon class and previous rolls result.

 

Main reason for Session Zero – I want players to roll 8d10 for their secret Bloodrager bloodline plus a d% for the Barbarian Backgrounds table from Ultimate Campaign. The Barbarians Background result will determine what triggers their rage. The 10d8 result will be something they have to discover in game. On top of their chosen class, they will gain the Bloodrager as a secondary class and the 10d8 result should be noted next to it in the class table under level on their character folio first page or on the class line of the character sheet.

 

Homework: handout will be given during this session! (or in the case of this blog will be the next post!)


Players included:
Erik Bice playing a Bard
Michelle Wheet playing a Half-Orc Rogue
Brian Horn playing a Bounty Hunter Half-Elf


Potentially we will have two more players as well will be joining us.


I plan on posting as often as possible. Playtesting sessions will be bi-weekly on Sunday nights. Homework will be posted as soon as I get it emailed to me by the players. Plus I have information on the Hamlet, game, and more to add.