Thursday, September 20, 2012

Rival Adventurer Detail, Take Two

After reading through the comments to my previous post, I went back to modified the description of the rival adventuring parties slightly:
Party #1 (0 Experience Points): The Five Delvers
The Delvers are a new adventuring party based out of Muntburg. Driven by equal parts curiosity and greed, they are not adverse to aiding other adventuers.

Asceline (Level 1 Neutral Female Thief) AC: 5 HP: 4
STR 10 INT 15 WIS 12 CON 13 DEX 17 CHA 13
Pick Locks: 17% Find/Remove Traps: 14 Pick Pockets: 23% Move Silently: 23% Climb Walls: 87% Hide in Shadows: 13% Hear Noise 1-2
Equipment: Sword, Dagger, Leather Armor, Backpack, Waterskin, Lantern, 4 Flasks oil, 1 Week Iron Rations, 10' Pole, 50' Rope, Thieves Tools
Personality: Asceline is bold to the point of foolhardiness. Her charisma makes her a natural leader.

Fortin (Level 1 Neutral Male Fighter) AC: 4 HP: 8
STR 13 INT 12 WIS 12 CON 11 DEX 9 CHA 9
Equipment: Chain Armor, Shield, Sword, Dagger, 6 Torches, Backpack, Waterskin, 1 Week Iron Rations, 10' Pole
Personality: Fortin is the “strong and silent” type; he keeps his opinions to himself and does what he is told.

Rique of Tyche (Level 1 Lawful Male Cleric) AC: 5 HP: 6
STR 7 INT 12 WIS 13 CON 13 DEX 13 CHA 13
Spells: None
Equipment: Mace, Leather Armor, 6 Torches, Backpack, Waterskin, 1 Week Iron Rations, 10' Pole, Wooden Holy Symbol
Personality: Like many clerics of Tyche, Rique is addicted to danger. He sees exploring Dwimmermount as a reward in itself.

Lorenz (Level 1 Neutral Male Fighter) AC: 2 HP: 5
STR 14 INT 12 WIS 12 CON 5 DEX 14 CHA 12
Equipment: Plate Mail, Flail, Dagger, Short bow, Quiver of 20 Arrows, 6 Torches, Backpack, Waterskin, 1 Week Iron Rations, 50' Rope, Small Sack
Personality: Lorenz considers himself Asceline's “protector” and will do anything to keep her safe.

Thonyn (Level 1 Neutral Male Magic-User) AC: 9 HP: 3
STR 10 INT 16 WIS 13 CON 14 DEX 7 CHA 9
Spells: 1-Charm Person
Equipment: Dagger, 6 Torches, Backpack, Waterskin, 1 Week Iron Rations, 50' Rope, Vial of Holy Water
Personality: Thonyn is the least trustworthy member of the Delvers; he would betray his fellows if he felt he could gain magical power as a result.
Is this enough detail for the referee to hang his hat on? Or should there be more information about the party and the individuals who makes it up?

17 comments:

  1. I think less detail is preferable. I usually throw out personality traits that are written into a character and play them however I please, if they're there in the first place.

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  2. I think it looks perfect. Nicely done James :)

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  3. I think that this is too much detail; something like this would have greater appeal to me.

    Asceline (hf T1, brash), Fortin (hm F1, stolid), Rique of Tyche (hm C1, thrill-seeker), Lorenz (hm F1, dotes on Asceline), Thonyn (hm M-U1, treacherous).


    Right now there is nothing in the stats that makes these folks stand out as being particularly memorable; if they had something weird or unusual - a magic item, or a strange intrinsic power - then that should get noted. But generic low-level adventuring party? Keep it terse unless there is something cool that we would care about.


    (That said, it is a heck of a lot easier to criticize than to create; while I think the style should be far simpler, I see nothing particularly *wrong* with this.)

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  4. What about why the NPCs are in the dungeon (or wherever the PCs encounter them?

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  5. I like the little blurb about the group, probably don't need the individuals blurbs, unless there is something very specific about a character that should be known.
    So something like:
    "The Delvers are a new
    adventuring party based out of Muntburg. Driven by equal parts
    curiosity and greed, they are not adverse to aiding other adventuers. Thonyn would betray his fellow in exchange for magical power"

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  6. What you have here looks good to me.

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  7. I like the improved versions better. I think Rob's comment about weapon damage is a good idea too. All in all, looking good.

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  8. I think this is very nice, a line for the party and for each adventurer is perfect for me. Great job!

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  9. I like that. As Rob notes, damage for weapons would be nice, but *meh*, I can look it up. But coming up with personalities, even brief ones, for 5 people, ideally with a few interpersonal hooks to allow them to feel like a group of people, that's great stuff. Some GMs can do it on the fly, but for those of us who aren't so good, it's appreciated.

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  10. Either way will work for me :) The potential NPC minions in Village of Hommlett always struck me as being a good level of detail for people the PCs are going to continue interacting with- potential combat encounters such as these which may evolve into actual social encounters, this level is fine.

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  11. I'd say that this looks just right. I like that the personality blurbs aren't just pure window dressing, but provide an idea about how the NPC would behave in a typical adventuring/combat situation.

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  12. It's like campaign design. The more you do in advance the less flexibility you have to improvise. Let the character of NPCs grow by contact with the players.

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  13. I like the level of detail. Just enough to tickle your imagination and lots of room to make the party 'your own'

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  14. Well, I like the personality bits. I always have a habit of getting into ruts when it comes to coming up with NPCs, so having suggestions is nice. Indeed, that's sort of the whole point of modules, they are often different than what you come up on your own...

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  15. pretty cool except the MU ought to be Chaotic as you describe him

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