NOVEL SIMPLE End of book 1 AMA
I’m open to more questions, even months after I post this. So if you want to ask anything of me or any character (and I do mean ANY character) feel free.
From Dan O’von
To @Jerynboe, how far are you planning to take the story? Level 20? 30? Have you included any in jokes or references from a game or campaign you've played?
Skulls and Shackles is a published module, which by default goes to around level 15, so that's the general plan assuming I enjoy it for that long.
Sosima is lifted DIRECTLY from when I ran S&S as a campaign. She was a random encounter with a ghoul that got really out of hand and she ended up as the party's favorite companion npc. Theres a ton of world building work I did there that I'm drawing upon for background information. All four of the PCs from that campaign will likely appear as cameos, at least, but no other big in-jokes spring to mind.
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From Dan O’von
To Emrys/Curtis: What piece of meta-knowledge would you most like to take advantage of?
Curtis: Printing money, baby! I've got a firm idea about the market value of a magic item and a consistent price point for how to make one using Autopilot's abilities. I'll need to do some market research to figure out how to avoid flooding the market and secure consistent buyers, but even a profit of 500gp per day is a fantastic ROI. Seriously, I'm only adventuring because it impresses the ladies and gets me strong enough to deal with complications.
Emrys: Alas, I have no way of communicating this to the idiot inhabiting my body. My family will grow in power to match us until such a time as they are confronted. He thinks that he will be able to outstrip them; this is a fruitless hope. No. He should make a powerful ally and turn it against Nendra and Dovnu now, when they are only modestly powerful. In doing so, we could neatly dispatch both of them without ever engaging them in a face to face confrontation.
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From Lancelot
Any changes to the auto pilot? I can't say that when the auto pilot does something terminally stupid, either because of a roll, or a strong women it isn't incredibly frustrating.
Autopilot Emrys: I am but numbers and probabilities given form, cast in the shape of a departed soul. My thoughts and actions reflect the being I was made to emulate while I help my host to immerse himself in this new world. I am capable of growth, but only to reflect that which my host does. I am capable of great success and crushing failure, though my host has an irritating pattern of snatching away my autonomy when the portents indicate woe. I relish the opportunity to strike back at him for this indignity.
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From DLRhanna
Do you actually roll every skill check/ attack for the characters, like you would normally do for a table top session, or do you fudge some of the tests just for the story? I am curious because while I like LitRPGs I have never written one.
Jerynboe: I always roll, but I reserve the right to reroll if I don’t like the results. I actively try to honor extreme rolls like natural 20s and 1s. The escape from the crows nest was NOT Intended to be such a shitshow.
I roll for most characters in the party but mostly only when they are pushing their character sheet to the limit or engaged in a serious fight. Owlbear beating the sh*t out of a dretch with his bare hands kinda surprised me, ngl.
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From Quentin: Emrys/Curtis: Male drow in Dungeons & Dragons, mundane human in World of Darkness. Who do you reckon drew the shorter straw in this little switcheroo (and why is it you rather than the other guy)?
Curtis: I literally woke up mid-kidnapping and enslavement. But don't worry! If I escape, I get to deal with another set of people who basically own me and will hunt me to the ends of the earth. There are like… two countries I'm aware of where I'll be allowed to live in peace and one of them is a collection of islands ruled by pirates. I've had to kill multiple people in the last month to avoid imminent death. I'm making the best of it, but seriously. This blows.
Emrys: I have been stripped of my magic and reduced to the status of a beige monkey with a sub-century lifespan. Do not insult me with obvious questions.
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From FlushChair
To Conchobar: when are you going to step up and support your friends better? Why are you coasting through life?
Conchobar: I’m a musician, not a fighter, not a sailor, not even a merchant. I can cast a few minor healing spells, and I guess I can inspire bravery for around a minute per day. I’m usually not the best person for the kind of work the team has needed, so I let them get to work and stood nearby. I’d have helped if I could without getting killed. I think.
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To Sandara: is there anything besides Besmara you take seriously?
Sandara: I take everything seriously! I give it all exactly the amount of gravity it deserves. I’m not gonna pull a long face and growl at people over every little thing, but it’s not like I’ve been in the hold nicking rum for the last few days. Shit! Can you imagine how much these mice would have been shaking if I’d let myself look scared?
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To Sosima: What is your favorite memory?
Sosima: It’s somewhat bittersweet now, but when I was introduced to society at my first ball it was positively intoxicating. For obvious reasons I was kept out of the public eye before that, and my earrings were still new. I was able to meet my pen pals for the first time in person, and I was near to collapse from all the dancing by the end of the night. My mother initially brought in a tap dancing tutor for me after that night; Lady Bainilus noticed my hooves clicking and I blurted out that I had accidentally worn tap shoes. It was very lucky that I had worn skirts long enough to conceal my feet.
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To Rowe: how is it, being a pirate after growing up a tinker?
Rowe: I’m a pirate? I was a tinker? Not much pirating; only took one ship, even if we took it twice. I learned about guns and ships when still in cage. Cage so boring, and uncle managed to make syndicate boring too! Rowe, get money from sailors! Rowe, make tea! Rowe, shoot kneecap! All so predictable.
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To Emrys/Curtis: what's your favorite thing about life on the fever sea?
Curtis: I wish I knew! I haven’t been able to relax long enough to decide. I guess I’m glad I’ve made some friends; I don’t actually know if any of my guys would have risked their lives for me. If I was alone through all this I think I might go crazy.
Emrys: So very much freedom. Hardly anyone gives a thought to my movements, and even if I go entirely against explicit orders I can be commended so long as the results are impressive.
To JerynBoe: who is your favorite character to write and why?
JerynBoe: The current POV, in almost all cases. I like exploring the headspace of a new character, and figuring out how they tick as I write from their pov. I’m very fond of all three of Emrys’s current lovers, partly because they are all very different. I am doing my best to keep them as distinct characters instead of flattening out into a standard issue harem.
To Syl: were you a pirate before being kidnapped? How long have you been in the Shackles? Favorite island?
Syl: That’s the stupid thing. I was looking for a job as a ship surgeon. If anyone had asked me, I’d have been happy to take the job. I don’t think any of the officers ever paid enough attention to find out I was qualified.
As for the rest? I’ve only been to a few places since coming here. Tempest Cay was so rainy I never left the Sargavan ship I came in on. I was in Port Peril for around a month watching my coin purse empty, trying to find a job worth having. Then someone offered to buy me a meal and a drink and I lucked out. He just wanted to kidnap me and force me into a job I might have been desperate enough to take it they’d just offered it to me.
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Do you guys think I should keep this posted as one continuous story despite me thinking of the next part as a separate book, or should I mark book one as finished (possibly with a change of title) and post that as a separate book?