Agents of Cheliax Abroad (Inactive)

Game Master Molech

I'm back in my own home after four nights at a hotel. My house made it through okay; we have power now. I need a new washer & dryer and I lost a decent six-by-twelve carpet that got some water damage (It's weird looking at my tile floor without that big ol' rug on it.). Some of my eaves are damaged and will need fixing.

Work is going to be rough the next few days; I'm there now, trying to clean up and assess as much as I can. Sorry for the delay; it just wouldn't be cool for me to spend time here while at work -- at least not today.

See you soon!

Sorry to hear of the damage and disruption to your routine. But glad to hear you are OK and have not suffered the total disaster some have. Take care.

Also glad you are more or less OK. I for one am totally fine with waiting. These next few weeks for me are a little rough anyway so take all the time you need.

Ya no worries about the wait.

If y'all can decide on whether you want to light a campfire at night -- and who's taking first, second & third watches once evening rolls around....

And obviously if there's anything else you want to do in camp.

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Unless otherwise informed I'm going to say that you cast Create Water when you were in Varni last night, filling up their well. Obviously if you'd rather roleplay that for great aplomb we can do it the next time you're there.

What sort of temperature is it?

Unless it is warm I would say light a fire.

If monsters find us we will kill them and take their treasure. :P

It is mid Spring. Thus night time temperatures are still quite cool. Not dangerously cold, but at the very least uncomfortable.

If either Pale Wing or Red Wing can give better specifics regarding the salt flat, you figure, let me know. I'm guessing that that other than "small" and just enough of an image for you to guess 'salt' is about all without personally going there yourselves.

Sounds reasonable.

I guess we could take a look. It is probably just a salt flat. I have seen plenty and they are not very interesting. :(

It is just a salt flat.

Low Light vision just means you can see twice as far as a human. So in low light conditions a human can still see, just not as far as as someone with Low Light vision.

Let's not forget that Perception is both Spot and Listen. So you can hear someone as well.

Metagame I decided to do it in increments, and we'll see how close my adorable little monster gets before you notice....

Stealth w/ Cover bonus and 100 yards out: 1d20 + 18 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 18 + 10 = 43

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Stealth w/ minor Cover bonus and 50 yards out: 1d20 + 18 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 18 + 4 = 33

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Stealth w/ no Cover bonus and 25 yards out: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (16) + 18 = 34

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Stealth only 30 feet away from sleeping food: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (12) + 18 = 30

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Certainly we may not need all four rolls.
EDIT: And you hear something 150 feet out.

Magnius can decide if he wants to waken everyone now or investigate himself.

Pale Wing sees that Magnius is alert to something north of camp.

And it's getting closer.

Magnius can decide if he wants to waken everyone now or investigate himself.

Magnius did what I would always do, wake people up when there is a threat.

And Yaos had Pale Wing waken Alfred.

Sleeping characters can become dead characters distressingly easily.

Now hopefully we can figure out what the thing is.

Yes, new Perception after you've awoken Yaos. Alfred and Magnius can both roll, since Alfred is now awake as well.

I'm going to go ahead and roll Initiative now, then my weekend begins.
You guys can roll here as well.

Monster Initiative: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

I am away on a camping trip this weekend. I will be able to post again Monday unless part of it is cancelled. Have fun guys!

No problem, Alfred, you mentioned you'd be a way a while and I can't usually post on weekends anyway.

Um, there may be some confusion? You guys can roll Initiative.
(I know some PbP DMs like to roll Initiative for the PCs but I'm not terribly comfortable with that.)

Alfred is awake but prone.

Yaos is standing and has cast Summon Monster.

Magnius has awoken Alfred and is listening again for the creature he heard 12 seconds ago.

You can all attempt Perception checks vs my 34 Stealth.

The creature will take its actions on Initiative 26.

Very well. I am going to roll initiative. I am only rolling one perception as only one Dire Bat can make 34, the one assisted by Pale Wing.

However, the reason I called up Dire Bats was in the hope their blindsense would help. If the creature has a high stealth due to invisibility I am sure it will. Maybe it will otherwise.

I copied the blindsense rules when I looked them up for the GMs convenience. [Always a good idea to be nice to the GM.]

"Blindsense

Blindsense lets a creature notice things it cannot see, but without the precision of blindsight. The creature with blindsense usually does not need to make Perception checks to notice and locate creatures within range of its blindsense ability, provided that it has line of effect to that creature. Any opponent that cannot be seen has total concealment (50% miss chance) against a creature with blindsense, and the blindsensing creature still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of a creature with blindsense. A creature with blindsense is still denied its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see."

You guys are all right there and can get your full attacks on the Advanced, unique Fiendish Scorpion.

If you have Combat Reflexes or some other way to get an AoO while technically Flat Footed, take your AoO.

A Knowledge Nature check may give some information on what giant scorpions can usually do (and not do) and a Knowledge: Cosmology check may give some insight into the nature of this Infernal vermin and its fiendish features.

Is knowledge cosmology the skills knowledge planes and religion?

yes

Thanks.

I will make the KS rolls in game when it comes to my turn.

I think my turn will be taking hold of Alfred, make a concentration check to avoid an AoO and casting Dimension Door to get him out of his troubles. I don't think Alfred take take much more of that sort of damage.

I'm not sure whether my Scorpion hit Alfred or not, though he is Grappled. We will wish him well on his Fort Save if my Scorpion did hit him.

I am pretty sure he has been hit because he is flat footed as you previously said.

In any event I am going to attempt to get him out of the things clutches.

I am going to have to invent thaumaturgical orthotics for this game one day.

Yep, my FF AC is not high enough...

Look like I might have to rinse and repeat my rescue. Either that or concentrate or killing the thing.

You guys did a whopping 60 points of damage to it in the 1st round and it's already looking concerned, taking a step toward the sinkhole as escape. It's not as though this thing has a friend who can cast Cure Serious Wounds hiding out in the wilderness. I'm pretty confident it both grabbed and stung Magnius Arvanxi. But you guys may kill it before it goes in the third round. We shall see.

It would need 4 rounds of dealing max damage to kill me, not including poison. But, I can fast heal, cast cure light and get bonuses to saves.

Yaos, do NOT rescue me.

Famous last words, Mwahahahahaha!

Very well.

I over-estimated how dangerous it was.

The thing is very good at stealth and hitting people. I should have looked at how much damage it was doing, which is not so alarming.

I can always try to Dimension Door you away later if things go pear shaped. I think we will kill it first.

Take that you Annoying Arachnid A##hole!

In addition to the healing, now and planning for the future, it may be a good time to discuss what's next.

After a couple days in the wilderness you've got a good camp with no sign of Halflings. You've taken care of the monster hunting Ankhegs. Though there's potentially a chance that whoever added the Fiendish Template to the Scorpion is still around. There's the mystery dog-like tracks that circle an area south (but don't seem to have a beginning or ending). And of course there's political intrigue in which to maneuver (and political capital to be gained) back toward civilization.

Brainstorming some ideas may be a good call.

I shall assume you meant no sign of the BF network. This halfling is definitely in camp haha.

I suggest we go back to Varni with our current success. Maybe use it to get a few more people to talk or offer us larger issues.

Indeed, we have one somewhat unwell halfling party member in camp.

I suggest we have a look at those dog-like tracks first. It could be something important or interesting.

Hey DM Ray- When will it be feasible to cash out that store of loot from the big combats around Phandros's caravan?

Maybe not in Varni -- though you could ask Baroness Stella. Certainly in Castle Spartaco you could.

It's never a bad idea to look through the posts from 'Monster Treasure' to see what loot you have. 'Monster Treasure' posts can be found under its Avatar in "Characters."

Sorry for the delay, busy last week at work!

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Here's hoping that you guys are getting close to breaking this campaign wide open with a plan -- or at least a close to finding out some info on which you can formulate a plan to get yourselves some political capital in the County and beyond.

I think we'll have Yaos, Magnius & Alfred Ensbridge altogether with the Baroness.

(Unless someone specifically does not want to be there.)

I think we should go help escort the gold.

Second, Yaos suggested in character to find another place to put the people we brought here with us. Thoughts?

I will be making an in game post later tonight, once I get home.

Out of sheer curiosity, would any of you guys be interested in using the kingdom building rules for this settlement (and possibly others)?

I would not.

I'm hoping that you guys come up with some ideas sooner rather than later that elevate your names enough politically that Thrune will notice you and send you on your Inner Sea-spanning mission.

And we can leave Cheliax behind.

Whether you find weaknesses in the Barony you can exploit or just become 'heroes' to House Spartaco -- or House Charthagnion (the Archduchy of Longmarch) at the expense of House Spataco -- enough to gain royal attention, is up to you.

Stella has offered to buy the info we have from her late fiancee.

What should we request in return?

And if you guys can't think of something, you can ask her what she can offer and I will think of a few things from which you can choose.

To come up with some on your own, though, you may start by brainstorming how you want to achieve political capital in Gheradescci County (or the Archduchy itself).

Since we all seem to be lacking in brilliant ideas at the moment, I certainly am :(, maybe we should just ask the Baroness what she can offer.

I'm not necessarily lacking in brilliant ideas, I figured I would open up the discussion to the group before I went ahead and replied.

I will give Alfred a chance to weigh in.

If you decide you don't want brilliant ideas, I am sure I can come up with some silly ones.

And I'm looking for an opportunity to give you guys a bundle of info with which you can use to come up with a plan.

House Spartaco family & economic & ambition info. I just haven't been able to find an appropriate place to give it to you. (You could always try to spy for it. Or we can segue a few weeks until you guys are more trusted allies.)

I'm hoping that once you have a good chunk of info on which to consider, you'll be able to better come up with some plans.

For Varni, right now you know that Baroness Stella Spartaco has an unconsolidated, tentative grip on this brand new Barony -- and it seems to all depend on whether she can come up with enough gold to pay for her Title and debt and dues/royalties.

But there's more in the rest of Gheradescci County.

I've been thinking about it, but can't come up with anything specific. Magnius' what are your idea?

Sorry for the delay, been battling some ear infection issues, and I straight up forgot to reply yesterday.

Anyway, I am thinking of asking Stella to grant us(possibly through her father) demibaron/baroness status in return for the information, coupled with our escorting the gold, along with our concurrent and continued aid.

Unless I'm mistaken, none of us have officially recognized titles. I know Magnius does not. He's related to nobility, hence the 'lord', but he's lacks an actual title.

Also, Alfred having an official rank will cause all sorts of 'fun'.

Good idea.

They may not go for it, and they may be prepared to grant the title to us but not the halfling, but that is no reason not to ask.

I say go for it. It is past time we made a post.

Hope the health improves man. I can barely recall getting ear infection after infection after infection until I had my tonsils out when I was about six. Sucks.

Holy Awesome, Magnius. Next level idea.

Keep 'em coming everybody -- this is the kinda Sandbox we're in. You guys do your best to think of plans and conspiracies and stratagems -- and I'll try to give you enough NPCs and their relationships for you to be able to pick and choose.

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Sorry I haven't posted either -- there's a brand new LGS that opened here and I'm using some "free" time to try to organize some PFS. It'll help out the LGS and it'll help out PFS. Both of which could use some help. Anyhoo, I've been on the PFS Forums during my free time, lurking, learning and posting.

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Why don't you guys decide whether you want to ask young Baroness Stella for this or her father Count Vocaturo.

And if you want, maybe, Baroness Stella to go with you with the gold to the Count and make your proposition there.

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I'll post Thursday afternoon, either a Gameplay response to a Gameplay question in-character, or a Gameplay post for any encounter on the way back to Castle Spartaco.