Baldwin the Merciful's: Treasure of Chimera Cove (ACG) (Inactive)

Game Master baldwin the merciful

I've been playing around with a few Arcanist builds and I think an Occultist with a bunch of summoning feats is probably going to be one of the most effective builds. The new feat that let's you add a 1 point evolution to a summon seems very nice (e.g. add pounce to something with multi-attack or make their attacks count as magic).

I had a look into blaster builds too, I don't think arcanists get enough spells per day to make that worthwhile unless your playing kingmaker or something with a short adventuring day.

I'm interested to see how the illusions stack up when we fight lots of enemies. I think they may be quite powerful there.

Bedtime.

Game night tonight so I won't be on line much, if at all.

Anyone got a cunning plan? :) I think Quiz will be retching in the corner for a while. Rena too more than likely.

Well AIR BUBBLE doesn't say about Stinking Cloud but given the spell description should work. DM call.

Funny. I prepped the spell cause I was worried about drowning. ..

Does this count as a "poison" save? If so, as an Investigator gets +4 for 19 to Save. It has poison in the descriptor.

School conjuration (creation) [poison]; Level magus 3, sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 3; Domain smoke 3

Found this:

Poison: Poison effects use poison, venom, drugs, or similar toxic substances to disrupt and damage living creatures through chemical reactions. Technically, acids and poisons are both chemical reactions, but for the purpose of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, they are categorized as different effects, with acids dealing hit point damage and poisons causing ability damage, ability drain, bleeding, confusion, convulsions, nausea, paralysis, reduced healing, suffocation, unconsciousness, or death. Creatures with resistance to poison (such as dwarves) apply that resistance to their saving throws and the effects of poison spells. Creatures with immunity are immune to poisonous aspects of poison spells, but not necessarily all effects of the spell (for example, a spell that creates a pit full of liquid poison could still trap or drown a poison-immune creature). Source: Ultimate Magic.

Poison Resistance (Ex)

At 2nd level, an investigator gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws against poison. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level, and to +6 at 8th level. At 11th level, the investigator becomes completely immune to poison.

The key spell component is a rotten egg or cabbage. This is not poison just a foul smell that doesn't sit well you. If you had something to settle your stomach I'd give you another save.

I know you're not keen on developer clarification/interpretation, but there is a thread where this is discussed.

James Jacobs indicates "this is a poison effect" should have been included in the spell text.

Stinking Cloud vs Poison Immunity

Just making a case. I did not have this info yesterday. Thought the descriptor would be enough. Come to find out, the descriptor was added in UM book.

As always, you're the boss.

good clarification Rena. Hiding the spell clarification in another book is not the optimal method for an errata as JJ mentioned. stinking cloud is poison and you save.

I just noticed that the pfsrd had it updated with the poison descriptor.

Does this count as a "poison" save? If so, as an Investigator gets +4 for 19 to Save. It has poison in the descriptor.

School conjuration (creation) [poison]; Level magus 3, sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 3; Domain smoke 3

I see they updated the pfsrd. I missed this post earlier.

Thanks rgds the cloud/poison, sir.

I posted an action, but am confused. Can we move through the villagers?

Does the cloud obscure visibility? Or could Rena have just stepped behind the villagers?

I know we avoid retcon.

the cloud obscures viability beyond 5 ft including darkvision just like fog cloud. As far as the villagers they appeared to be bound together from what you saw (before the stinking cloud) and they are being used as wall/shield - so moving through them will be difficult and potentially trap filled.

Thanks for the Clarification on fervor, Quiznab

Yes Baldwin, the Warpriest's whole Schick is the Fervor Ability.

He is kind of like a Divine Magus.
A magus can Cast any spell+Attack with the same action (spell combat)

A Warpriest has a limited pool (Fervor) which can be used for either and weaker version of Lay on Hands (1 to 1)

Or As a swift action, a warpriest can expend one use of this ability to cast any one warpriest spell he has prepared. When cast in this way, the spell can target only the warpriest, even if it could normally affect other or multiple targets. Spells cast in this way ignore somatic components and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. The warpriest does not need to have a free hand to cast a spell in this way. (1 to 1)

Or he can usually burn 2 uses to use CHANNEL. Xavier has an Archetype that trades channel for SMITE. To smite at a 2 to 1 rate. 2 fervor for 1 smite.

Daniel has used 2 fervor already today so only has 4 uses left.

Funny how everyone in the playtest is b!+ching cause the playtest version had FULL BAB with his deities favored weapon. Paizo removed that cause it was overpowering. At the moment I am putting him even with an inquisitor.

So unlike the magus the WARPRIEST can only swift cast spells that affect himself.

Basically he self buffs faster than anyone in the game.
That's where his power lies cause tthe inquisitor gets more skills, BANE, and early access to the best divine buffs a level early and a much stealthier spellist and SWIFT Judgements.

The Warpriest doesn't get that but he can get his buffs up way faster.

I have been playing stupidly.
Burned through 1/2 my fervor, and 1/2 my spells in the first fight.
And I may die

1. Not a huge fan of Power Attack, think hitting is more important.
2. Why is Quiz ignoring the dying Bug? Especially after DM gave us breaks and said Quiz sees him.

I think we went into this a bit too cocky, thinking they were warmup chumps. And, I'm sorry I made the human shield comment.

I would have backed out, but been out of the action for 6 rounds, her personality would free the peeps... And I wanted to beat the cloud saves the entire duration!

Hmm I missed the post where he said I saw bug :/

DM says he doesn't like retcons so I suppose I'll have to stick with my actions, tho I'd have given him my potion otherwise.

Bug is at 6 HP with 2d6 bleed. Statistically he is unconscious in 1 round, and dead in 3.

Baldwin seems Merciful at the moment.

1. Not a huge fan of Power Attack, think hitting is more important.

I think we went into this a bit too cocky, thinking they were warmup chumps. And, I'm sorry I made the human shield comment.

I rarely utilize PA as DM, I don't like to deal out massive damage amounts on the players - usually. I also like the idea of hitting more often.

I had already thought of the human shield but you've been in two of my games so you probably already figured that out.

The module was an old 3.5 module and they had hobgolblins with levels of fighter, I switched the inside creatures for Raging Swann's Orogs for more of a challenge.

Ultimately, the battlefield control with the stinking cloud hurt low fort save characters.

Not looking to kill folks off, so I didn't pile gave you opportunities to regroup.

Off to bed now. GN all.

Not looking to kill folks off, so I didn't pile gave you opportunities to regroup.

Not even those who run ahead of the group? ;)

One heck of an AC?!? It's low to mid 20s. That's hardly high. Looking above, 23s have hit, but sub 20s have not. Now granted these are NPCs, but full plate and a shield will get you to 21 without spending a lot of cash. I could make a build which had easily 27 with this WBL at 6th even including a magic adamantine weapon.

All true, but as a group we sorta average 19 (if Quiznab has Mage Armor). And the friggin' werebear isn't hitting.

Our tactics are poor. I am currently playing Xavier like a Paladin and I am now paying for it.
After this encounter I won't have much fervor left so I'll need to play more like a cleric and buff first then anchor off of the fighter.

Currently I am at full HP, have a flank, two buffs and a cloud to retreat to so ok, atm.
I would heal Bug but I don't know how hurt he is. What XXavier DOES know is the villagers need time to escape and he has a WEREBEAR flank buddy.

Air Bubble still active?

Waking up to ash and dust? Painted red to fit right in? Breathing in the chemicals?

Air bubble lasts min/level. 60 rounds.

In hindsight we should have backed off when two of us got incapacitated. I'm hopeful now the illusionary wall will break things up into a series of smaller fight where we outnumber them.

I won't be on till late morning to update.

Nightshift. Around for 12 hours.

The night time's the right time. Be safe you! Same job?

Let's not be too hard on ourselves or the DM. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast...

Hopefully there's not another cloud. Once Rena is able, ranged support is on the way. For what it's worth.

She loses one round (standard action) for each extract she takes. Ugh...

@Baldwin - Gloves of Gravity Bow, command word free action 3x/day?

No singing and prancing... a lot. Bard, boo!

Actually you have do an estimate of the CR and see how we should have fared:

Wizard/ Orog casting 3rd level spells- 5th level at least- CR 5 or 6 (depends on how you factor in Orog). (though I am left wondering why it's only 2 magic missiles if 5th level)

Something seems amiss on the monk ranger. As an orog, I can't see how he's only hitting for 1d6+4 (orog base strength is 18, so +4, but favored enemy gives another +2, so I should have been taking +6). But I'll assume he just forgot favored enemy damage, and this sets the strength at 18. The monk is hitting at +8, so we need to find +4 more. Orog gives +2. If we do monk 2 (to get flurry BAB to +0/+0) and ranger 2 we get there. This makes another CR 5.

The fighters are hitting at +12. Looks like their strength is 20 (based on 2 handed damage of 7). So we need to hunt up +7. That's easy, Orog gives 2, so +5 needed. So fighter 4 with weapon focus greataxe. Again, CR 5.

So if we assume no synergy between orog levels and wizard, we end up with a party of 4 CR 5s. By EL calculation that gives a level +3 encounter of 9. That's not quite suicidal, but certainly a very hard one. Given the situation (hostages, restricted entry, knowing we're coming, etc) the EL is effectively higher.

(this doesn't take into account the Hobgoblins beforehand, or the werebear ally which does adjust things a fair amount).

I think what occurred here is that the GM came into the game with the preconceived notion that the ACG were overpowered and he threw a viciously hard encounter at us because he thought it was the way to test the 'overpowered' classes.

We were informed up front that he thought the classes were too powerful, and should have expected to be getting the rough end of things. We traipsed in anyway and got our heads handed to us.

Let's just see what happens when we go in with better tactics. I predict we'll slaughter things, even APL +3, assuming its possible to rest in this adventure.

I don't know if you're right. This brawler is a glass cannon. AC 19 doesn't back it very well up front at this level, and mutagen is limited in duration. I could have made a tougher fighter front liner. In a couple of levels I will be able to spike my damage higher, but 6th is before this class comes into its own.

Boys will be boys!

Calling Baldwin.vicious, will only make him... satisfied. :)

He's stern but fair.

Since you all are trying to dissect the situation:

Here is the wizard, I changed changed his spells a little and the wand of MM as opposed to wand of web.

I don't think the encounter was overly difficult but that being stated failed saves, controlling the battlefield, and splitting the party are great equalizers. Of course, I was merciful and not take AOO (some climbing out of water), nor did all the Orogs attack every round. You do have a werebear that CR 6 when you read the editor notes regarding the pathfinder conversion (unfortunately, he hasn't been able to hit.)

As far as the previous hobgoblins that was a previous encounter.

I do want to test out the playability of the ACG. If this were a straight fighter vs. your party battle there would be little challenge in that and that would make a rather boring encounter. String a few of those together and its a mundane module/campaign.

Hey, I'm loving it.

If I hhad time, I'd love to try a blood rager or the skald.
But seeing how ttheWar priest plays over a few levels is valuable

Why are Baldwin and Bug rolling 1d20 for damage? That a thing?

Why are Baldwin and Bug rolling 1d20 for damage? That a thing?

I have a die roll template that I created that has an error. Crud.

It looks like the red Orogs template was off but the good news is it only effected xavier on three hits:

AOO I rolled 16
damage: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Take the lesser roll of 8 HP

RD 3:
I hit twice for 12 and 9 HP
damage: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
damage: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
This was a wash.

The only other hit that I saw was on Targus and it did not beat his DR anyway.

I have built a Bloodrager in case we get the chance to switch chars (i.e. DEATH!!)

No gear yet but the build is thought out.
At first I looked at his theory craft numbers and though 'Holy Crap!
Till I realised, while the build is Pretty Sick, I can get better numbers with a Pure Invulnerable Rager.

Looks like alot of fun though.

What I did notice is not all Bloodlines are created equal.
Destined and Arcane are far stronger than some of the others (or at least easier to build around).

I did note that the primalist archetype is a straight upgrade on a bloodrager in the same way a Quigong Monk is just a better monk.

On the face of it, it is about the same strength as a Sacred Servant Paladin With the Rage Subdomain and Eldritch Bloodline (Orc or Abyssal)
Except the paladin can heal himself and the Bloodrager cannot.

Add a skald to that so you can rage without fatigue and get the important rage powers sooner.

I might work on a skald later.

I was thinking reckless abandon + the superstition & witch hunter chain would be good rage powers to grant. It seems you can pick and choose which ones your song grants, and the party can choose not to be affected. A long spear plus flagbearer and ultimately flag of kings would be nice. Arcane strike would be good and Probably power attack, but you need enough to hit to make that worth using. Lingering performance is probably a must since you will want saving finale, since that will save people's lives.

As usual with bards there are far too many good level 2 spells but I think Heroism, Blistering Invective and Mirror Image. Obviously haste at level 3.

There's spell kenning to consider as well.

Really need to read up on the class alot. I normally avoid bards but I can see me playing a Skald.

Back on daysshift now so will be VERY limited postin for next 5 days.

Rena needs to know if any additional villagers escaped or dropped prone, and are no longer providing soft cover.

Rena needs to know if any additional villagers escaped or dropped prone, and are no longer providing soft cover.

I updated the map to reflect that information.

What I'm going to do here is let everyone rest for the night and level up to 7th. Like I mentioned I want to see the ACG plays out, so this will let us explore these builds a bit further.

roll your HP here. Reroll 1's.

Also, if you get any new or expanded abilities let me know, so we can all be sure to watch out how those abilities work out in game play.