GreyWord / Legolas

Welcome to Waterdeep @GreyWord! Nice to play with you again! =)

This is your "Session zero" thread.

Excited to be in a Waterdeep story led by you. I wanted to play Elf in the settings.
And it seems like Moon Elf Courtier is just what I wanted. But now as I "touch" I think it may be a bit too much for me (too social character), so i rolled a dice and got 19.

Do you think Moon Elf - Tinkerer is too edgy character? Or perhaps that exactly the good reason for character to start adventuring. My character became Tinkerer despite and for great disappointment of his parents (i.e. merchant and diplomat) . I could probably add Alchemist on top of that . Likewise Lord's Alliance would be faction parts are in, but my PC struggle to agree with their goals and may soon become an enemy of.

I have a problem with goals though. Setting them high enough, but not too high (i.e. create a flying ship). Even if I choose from the list stuff like "18. Retrieve or destroy a forbidden artifact before it falls into the wrong hands." I'm still missing lot of details of that goal and those details will require knowledge of game worlds, wouldn't it?

An Alchemist Tinkerer seems interesting =)
Not necessarily. You're free to create those details, ask questions or we can create it together during play. Or a mix of all that.

I am very much a "Yes, and..." kind of GM, so players can do their world building. There is also plenty of lore to use, so that makes things easier as well =)

I slept over the concept and realized I am making 5e artificer which I don't want to fo in this system. I am going completely different approach
Wood elf, faction agent of The Emerald Enclave . cliché but still attractive to me

Okay, sounds good =)

Interesting. I've only got a Longbow as my starting gear and no arrows, right? If I spend all my money I can buy one set of arrows that has 17% chance to end after I shoot singe arrow. Knowing my luck with dice I think I can just as well go unarmed LOL.
Am I missing anything?

GM given equipment is a thing. =)

Please start with 1 or 2 bundle of arrows (your choice) because of your traits

You just roll at the end of the combat... But yeah, it could be just one arrow... =)

Character done mostly (submitted as is), have two major issues:
- Lack list of relationship as I know no NPC yet. Plan to update as we go if that is fine
- I can't fine The Emerald Enclave in the The referenced link is it right?!

OK that decrease the odds, but still. I'm just paranoid. Last time I played system with arrows depletion on dice roll it ended for me with following story:
1. My PC, being a ranger and hunter decided to leave home and go into prolonged mission far away from home
2. On their way to the location they meed few goblins and after firing few arrows she realize... two arrows is all she decided to take with her to the far-far-away expedition.
And I'm supposed to role-play such an idiot?! LOL

Weird, it's not listed there... Anyway, the Emerald Enclave is available here (link) and is a valid Faction.

Character approved!

Yeah, I would let you not roll in this case and wait until you fired 15-20 arrows before your first roll. =)

You're missing one extra Mastered Weapon (the longbow is free for Wood elves). Would you like a sword, shortbow or something else?

I missed longbow is free . Sword would be nice

Great! Feel free to post at the Tiny Tavern and meet Lunareth if you want. I will post something for you soon.

Well I don't see Legolas talking to random stranger at the pub but will see what I can do. It helps Lunareth is also an elf.

By the way - is it fair to say my PC is a regular at the tavern and is currently in there watching Lunareth entering

How much if at all it makes sense for me to research information available on internet on with regards to factions. I would like to know at least a little lib of what my PC is supposed to know.
I am for example reading "several members stationed in Waterdeep" that sounds like pity compared to impression I've got reading what you wrote before.
While "the Harpers and the Gauntlet ultimately shared the same goals for Faerûn" sounds reasonable I would like to believe you don't plan to make them work in prefect cooperation, do you?

There is even more ambiguous info about Zhentarim as faction. On one hand I read reference to assassins and dark gods or the other - it is just "a mercenary company", including offering the best guards and protection services...

Looks like with an easy twist DM could tailor any of those organizations to fit his vision and thus drift very far away from the vision I'm getting while reading internet.

Even Emerald Enclave's business and goals of operating in a city as huge as Waterdeep is ... questionable?

P.S. If I may suggest - Emerald Enclave are at odds with Lords’ Alliance who is puts city development above balance with wild life. Does the city try to build lot of new ships, new forts or just struggle after recent forest wildfire, but they have started aggressive forest cutting (lumberjack). Main current goal of Enclave is to change that strategy.
Just an idea though.

You're absolutely right: there's a ton of information about the factions online, and not all of it lines up neatly. Some sources talk about them like small clubs, others like massive conspiracies. That's just the nature of the Forgotten Realms — lots of writers, lots of eras, lots of contradictions.

In our game, we don't have to follow any one "official" version. We're building our Waterdeep. I definitely want us to use the factions as rich background and inspiration, but without boxing ourselves into rigid definitions. It's totally fine (and even better for storytelling) to think of them as groups of individuals who sometimes align and sometimes clash — not monolithic organizations acting with one mind.

For example: rather than saying "The Lords' Alliance is putting city development above balance with wild life" maybe it's more interesting to say "Lord X [we'll name him] is pushing aggressive logging after a wildfire" — and someone like Delaan Winterhound from the Emerald Enclave is actively opposing him. It keeps things grounded and personal, and lets your character make nuanced decisions based on the people involved, not just the faction they wear on their badge.

What do you think?

Yes, I love that.
But. (uhh i'm a "yes, but" not a "yes and" man I'm afraid)
I'm not so sure about the hook and PCs taking it - it seems logical for a typical adventurer to do the job for money Lord Aldred Selyan will have a plenty to offer. And that in turn will give my PC an extra incentive to establish an attitude to the named adventurers. And that's the path I'm not comfortable with
Then again, maybe all of the hooks are like that, we just don't know that yet

If that's something between PCs, maybe you can find a middle ground (it does exist)

I will post this hook and we will see. =)

@htech I was thinking about the hooks over and over again. I am certainly not going to play a PC hooked by what in fact is a "thief body guarding job"

I am considering compromise of game peace for getting a better hook and join Arrcher101d and underklumpen in their quest, I do love your hook "if you’re the kind that likes rare herbs, healing draughts, and people in high places owing you favors". would that work for you?

Sure. No problems either way. =)

Please let Briar know and talk to Cormac / Branric / Sif after that. :)

Edit: And you can move to a 5/week adventure after this one finish.