Begging for a 2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Game Set in the Faerun

[onlie2023]

It's been a while since I have posted here. Is there any DM willing to run a game set in the Forgotten Realms? I would love to be in a game using the Ruins of Adventure or The Accursed Tower. Or maybe an original adventure or campaign just to try something new but still set in the Forgotten Realms.

[TristenC]

We did have a 5e adventure running for a time (set in Waterdeep) but it has taken a hiatus.

We do have a few new members on the site, perhaps one of the new crew is interested in running something.

Unfortunately between here and other sites I am at my limit for the most part with respect to running/playing anything

[DungeonWaffleX]

I've been considering running an Old School Essentials game, but am still sort of figuring out play-by-post. If that's something that interests you, keep an eye out. Still hashing out the finer details, but if you're open to using a B/X clone in lieu of 2e it's got some nice, smooth mechanics and a pretty stellar layout.

The short pitch is that I've been pondering throwing something up using Hexroll, which I find absolutely fascinating, so players'll have a very open sandbox experience. Could easily be run with just the OSE Classic SRD, but would be totally compatible with the Advanced ruleset if folks want some of the fancier races/classes

Again, nothing set in stone at the moment, but it's on my docket and I've been brainstorming!

[TristenC]

Lol, dangit.. no time but I do love OSE...

[onlie2023]

I don't know if you got my email DungeonWaffleX but it isn't showing in my outbox so I am posting this on this thread. I have always liked adnd 2nd edition because it seems to me very comfortable to handle as opposed to 3.0 or 3.5. 4th edition was all right in spite of its combat scenario problems. I don't know why but I always found it easier to play in 2nd edition and 4th edition. Perhaps I find 3.X somewhat convoluted? Am I making sense here?

I also tend to like games that are roleplaying intensive with plot intrigues and problem solving that don't necessarily involve combat. I don't mind combat but prefer character development and storytelling to just mindlessly exploring and attacking a dungeon. That being said may I play this character? I know she is a child but as I said I love roleplaying and character development. Whatever penalties and limitations you impose on her I will of course accept but I would like to play her as is. The background explains everything. Please tell me what you think?

Name: Marianna 'Maria' Fireheart
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Alignment: Good
Age: 9
Hair: Reddish Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 3'9"
Weight: 48 lbs.
Character Class: level 1 Invoker

Description: Maria is small for her age, being lean and lanky and standing a few inches short of four feet. She has long, wavy, reddish brown hair and hazel eyes. The girl is fairskinned with a touch of sallowness. Her attire consists of a light blue shirt, brown pants and a hooded green cloak which partially conceals a backpack.

Personality: Maria is a kindhearted, loving child with a stubborn streak. She is sweet and innocent on the outside but very courageous and formidable on the inside. The girl is very outspoken and can have a biting, sarcastic sense of humor. Tends to be soft spoken.

Background

Umara Fezim was a red wizard unlike any other. Instead of choosing to be power hungry and
ruthlessly competitive like the other red wizards in training, she chose to do some good with her training, feeling that the backstabbing, self serving nature of the red wizards could only lead to their downfall. A very idealistic and kindhearted person she was alienated by her fellow trainees, but it only served to make her stronger both mentally and physically. Despite her do gooderness she proved to be a very formidable and clever red wizard which served her well and helped her survive as she developed as an invoker during her years in red wizard school.

So when she gained her right to become a red wizard, she chose to instead join the ranks of the Guild of Foreign Trade and serve as a merchant. She was also trained as an alchemist and chose to ply this trade, mostly to get out of Thay. She had no wish to get involved with the internal conflicts of the other red wizards so she chose to travel outside of Thay and work with the enclaves to help establish trade with the nations to the east. Given that she was one of the best alchemists in Thay and that her goody two shoes nature made her a little more trusted than most other red wizards, she was successful.

But she also left Thay for an even less patriotic reason, wanderlust. For several years she went adventuring whenever she was not working with the enclaves. But she made sure she contributed some of what she gained from adventuring to the enclaves to ensure that they knew she still worked for them.

Umara worked with a particular adventuring group who were neutral enough to accept Umara and her red wizardly background and 'complications'. Although she was very honest with them and while not necessarily telling all of the red wizards' secrets or conspiracies, generally being trustworthy and caring enough to do what is best for the party and their well being. So quickly she earned their trust, a trust she repeatedly continued to earn. The group was working around the vicinity of Daggerdale, since one of their group, a man named Randal Bloodaxe hailed from there and was working to free his people from Zhentarim rule. Because of this the party often went on missions for Randal Morn.

In 1357, the adventurers where one of the mercenary groups selected by Randal Morn and Mourngrym Amcathra to help defend the overland pass between Shadowdale and Mistledale through Tilver's Gap to Cormyr. The group fought bravely and Umara, who was already getting an earful from her red wizard superiors for threatening to induce the wrath of the Zhentarim by helping Randal Morn's cause, risked her life constantly, even for a clear enemy of her people and earned the respect of Randal and Mourngrym and their allies. Eventually the crisis was averted and the group parted ways with Bloodaxe and continued on.

Because of her deeds in Daggerdale, Umara was walking on eggshells with her superiors and to appease them offered to go on a few missions, nonevil ones that is, that would help them get some valuable artifacts with the help of her friends who suggested the idea in the first place. It was also at this time that she had a budding relationship with one of her adventuring group, a man Waterdhavian named Allistair Fireheart. Eventually Umara at least earned a bit of forgiveness for her actions in Daggerdale, even though she has no regrets for helping Randal Morn, and Umara was still allowed to continue working for the enclaves. Her position and influence within the enclaves helped them to get needed healing supplies. She did have to screen them first before getting it to her party. Given that these were coming from red wizards that were not as good natured as Umara, precautions had to be made.

Umara still continued to antagonize other red wizards though. One time she was supposed to alchemically alter one of her potions to turn it into a powerfully new addictive drug for sale at the enclaves. Instead she gave the potion, unaltered, to a merchant to help cure his daughterwho had accidentally ingested a lethal poison, saving her. Grateful the merchant compensated for the loss of funds even though Umara insisted on giving the potion without fee.

In Eleasias 1359, the party was in the Sword Coast in and around Waterdeep. They were investigating some banditry north of Waterdeep in the caravan route leading to Neverwinter. It was rumored that the bandits were led by a wizard working for the Arcane Brotherhood. On the night before the party went out to hunt down the bandits Umara and Allistair had a night of unrequited passion after Allistair proposed marriage. Then as soon as morning came the party went out and hunted down the wizard to his lair in the mountain ranges just east of the Mere of Dead Men. Eventually the party battled their way through the underground fortified lair of the wizard and confronted him in his study room and Umara and Allistair got into a magical battle with him while the rest of the party fought off his minions. The two won but Allistair was mortally wounded and died in Umara's arms. Eventually a grief stricken Umara parted ways with her adventuring friends.

Grief stricken and alone, Umara returned to Bezantur,Priador for a while. The while turned out to be a longer stay than she expected as in a few weeks she would realize she was pregnant. Not willing to risk the unborn child by traveling too much and wishing to ensure that her child at least had a stable home, Umara retired and took a position at a red wizard school to teach Evocation magic.

Nine months later Umara gave birth to a healthy baby girl whom she named Marianna or Maria for short. She poured all her love and affection into the child and allowed her little girl to grow and develop on her own terms within reason. To Umara's pleasant surprise Maria was very intelligent and by three was already reading fluently and by 4 could to a limited degree even write fluently as well.

This came to the attention to the red wizards and against Umara's objections had Maria tested for magical aptitude. She tested very high. To keep Maria from being taken away from her, Umara agreed to reluctantly train her daughter in the Art herself citing that her daughter would learn better under her tutelage. So every 6 months between the ages of 5 to 8 Maria was required to attend a meeting with a senior red wizard to show her progress as a red wizard. Maria always toned down her abilities though because she learned magic quickly, actually thriving on the training and the challenges that it provided.

By the time she was 7 Maria had already mastered basic Cantrip spells and was well on her way to learning Read Magic. She would master it just before she reached the age of 8 and was well on her way to becoming an Invoker like her mother. Maria did not want to become a red wizard though, sharing her mother's ideals and beliefs and largely growing to hate the backstabbing, deceitful life the red wizards seemed to live for. Especially when a necromancer named Shamar Grezznar in the service of Szass Tamm has wanted to get to Maria since she was 5 because of her potential. Even on one occasion he tried to send undead to kidnap her while she was on an errand for her mother. Fortunately Maria escaped.

Then one night, after Maria celebrated her 8th birthday and was given her first spellbook as a birthday present, Umara managed to smuggle both her and her daughter onto a ship at the docks of Bezantur. The ship was commanded by a family friend. And eventually the ship left Thay in the dead of night.

During her boat journey Maria polished off her wizarding skills and mastered all the new spells she had in her spellbook. After a few months the boat was forced to head to the city of Yhaunn after it collided with a shallow corral gouging a harmless hole on its side. But before they could reach the city the ship was hit by a severe storm. The already disabled ship did not stand a chance and eventually sank. But before the ship sank Maria's mother put her in the lifeboat just as a broken beam fell on both of them. Umara pushed Maria out of the way and into the lifeboat but was crushed by the beam. Just as she was about to die Umara barely casted a levitation spell that released and safely set the lifeboat away freeing Maria from the sinking ship.

The boat reached ashore, just south of Yhaunn. Despite her grief, Maria bravely continues to live on to this day, surviving on her wits and if necessary her magic. She continues on, heading west and north as far away from Thay as she can. And this is where her adventures begin!