If you have time, could each of the players please post the value of your equipment plus any share of the party loot in gp that is unspent (count the cost to purchase equipment new)? It will give me an idea of the starting gold to give Raine but also whether or not I need to include some extra loot in the next section to compensate for having six players dividing loot that was populated with the assumption of dividing the loot only 4 ways.
The general AP will eventually take the party to a variety of different planes so I believe there will be a lot of diversity of types of enemies to fight, unlike Wrath of the Righteous, for example, where you can expect a lot of demons or Carrion Crown or Mummy's Mask with a host of undead. In fact, I believe most of the enemies in the first two books are human or fey, basically evil residents of Irrisen. A later book has the party on Earth in Russia during the communist revolution.
Probably best not to embrace lawful good since the general thrust of the AP has you essentially allying with the evil founder of Irrisen, Baba Yaga, in order to fight the greater evil of the current queen, her daughter, who wants to turn all Golarion into her icebox.
I've got ascroll of unseen servant, a scroll of magic weapon, 200gp in potion materials, ~25gp in coin, and a masterwork backpack.
I gave up a good chunk of my share from the haul to get the belt of Con +2.
Me again - I've repurposed an alias from a dead game into a cleric of Milani for this one. I made the assumption of having 6,000 gp of starting gear; easy to change if needed. The character is built primarily to do healing and support buffs, with a little bit of melee as well. Skillwise he can do mundane healing support, religion checks, and a smattering of other adventuring skills (a rank here and there in a variety of areas, so at worst if I need to take 10 on a Climb check or such it won't be a failure). While he isn't immune to cold, he has some cold-weather gear and can use endure elements or communal endure elements.
I've got ascroll of unseen servant, a scroll of magic weapon, 200gp in potion materials, ~25gp in coin, and a masterwork backpack.
I gave up a good chunk of my share from the haul to get the belt of Con +2.
Does that mean he has a belt of +2 Con or that he is saving up for one? If the latter, how much does he have saved?
Me again - I've repurposed an alias from a dead game into a cleric of Milani for this one. I made the assumption of having 6,000 gp of starting gear; easy to change if needed. The character is built primarily to do healing and support buffs, with a little bit of melee as well. Skillwise he can do mundane healing support, religion checks, and a smattering of other adventuring skills (a rank here and there in a variety of areas, so at worst if I need to take 10 on a Climb check or such it won't be a failure). While he isn't immune to cold, he has some cold-weather gear and can use endure elements or communal endure elements.
A second option: he heard that a supporter of Milani had been the mayor or leader of Waldsby but he was found out and persecuted, having his house burned down with his wife and family inside, and then he was hanged from the town clocktower and left to have his flesh picked clean by ravens and crows. Perhaps he has just arrived, curious to see if he can help other followers of Milani who may still face persecution.
A third option: in book 2, Nadya escorts the PCs to Whitethrone and connects with a relative of her husband. "Nadya tells the PCs that her late husband’s uncle Ringeirr is a fisherman in a small shantytown called the Fishcamps on the outskirts of Whitethrone. Ringeirr Malenkov has lived in the shadow of Whitethrone for decades, and Nadya believes he could be a trusted ally who can help the party infiltrate the city. Nadya is convinced that if anyone can help the PCs find their way around Whitethrone, it’s Uncle Ringeirr—if he is still alive." So if Rurik is related to this fellow,
he might have reason to come to Walsdby to see how Nadya and her family are doing since her husband died.
Here's what I've got so far.
48 common arrows, 11 incendiary arrows, 20 flight arrows (1d6 120ft), 8 cold iron arrows,
oil of taggit (2), greenblood oil (2), Small Centipede Poison (1)
Oil of Magic Weapon, chain shirt, Cold Iron longsword
Will calculate value later.
Does that mean he has a belt of +2 Con or that he is saving up for one? If the latter, how much does he have saved?I've got ascroll of unseen servant, a scroll of magic weapon, 200gp in potion materials, ~25gp in coin, and a masterwork backpack.
I gave up a good chunk of my share from the haul to get the belt of Con +2.
He's saying that I took up a lot of the party's wealth to get a +2 Con belt. Which is very true. With the belt and the Cloak of the Yeti, I probably have sucked up all the party's wealth.
Total of 8,389, give or take a few coin.
Khristov can take the cloak if he wants, helps with AC and also the cold, whereas Dom already has northern ancestry.
Equipment:
1 alchemist fire
scroll of magical weapon , scroll of endure elements ,
Cold weather outfit 8gp
A spell book found on the bandit chief
Otherwise everything has been left on the common spread
I will assume that Rurik is in the area (your choice as to the backstory reason) and you heard the commotion at Nadya's house and went to investigate. If the party looks like they need help defeating these soldiers, I'll bring him to the melee to help.
If the party does not need help there is another option. There is another group of soldiers at the White Weasel. It could be that Rurik was following them, hoping to get intel on their mission, but they spotted him and are interrogating him, perhaps finding something to indicate his connection to Milani (holy symbol perhaps). Assuming the group rescues him, he'll be a wanted man who may as well throw in with them for mutual survival.
I'll come up with a reason the departing PC will need to leave the group, perhaps a debilitating injury or poison will force him to remain behind in the care of the local priest.
Does that mean he has a belt of +2 Con or that he is saving up for one? If the latter, how much does he have saved?I've got ascroll of unseen servant, a scroll of magic weapon, 200gp in potion materials, ~25gp in coin, and a masterwork backpack.
I gave up a good chunk of my share from the haul to get the belt of Con +2.
He's saying that I took up a lot of the party's wealth to get a +2 Con belt. Which is very true. With the belt and the Cloak of the Yeti, I probably have sucked up all the party's wealth.
Total of 8,389, give or take a few coin.
Khristov can take the cloak if he wants, helps with AC and also the cold, whereas Dom already has northern ancestry.
Okay, that makes sense. I did a review of what treasure the book awards and in terms of a combo of items held onto and items sold, it comes to a bit under 12,000 gp worth. So that's only about 2000 gp per PC, well below the recommended wealth of 6000 gp worth for a 4th level PC. Now the group will be going into the Pale Tower, which will have treasure more valuable than what's been found so far. But the books were written with four PCs in mind, so it will probably still be under the recommended value.
Items found that can then be claimed and used are more fun (IMHO) than selling gear you can't use and buying what you want.
What I propose is for each PC give me a short wish list of about 4000 gp worth of items you'd like and as I can, I'll introduce similar items into the treasures found in the upcoming conclusion to the first book.
Spellbooks and Gold to transcribe them :)
Boots of the Winterlands
Burglar's Bracers
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Efficient quiver and +1 composite longbow
I won't list anything since I have lots by comparison.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Domitian: It is your turn in the melee.
Wish List:
Cloak of Elvenkind
Bracers of Armor
More witch scrolls
Some kind of magic cauldron that increases speed or volume of potions generated (i know, i know, pipe dream...)
Thanks for the ideas. I looked ahead and totaled all the loot in the Pale Tower and it is substantial, so I may not need to augment it to get people up to the recommended wealth level, but I may substitute items I know no one will want with more useful items. It will be a while before you have any good chance to go shopping for magic items, so you be better off with some goodies you can use.
Answering the question from the gameplay thread, I wouldn't generally use dodging panache. Dom's charisma gives him only a +1 bonus (because he's a bad swashbuckler and is destined for more barbaric things). Not to mention I'm popping panache on parry/riposte when attacked.
If I ever do want to use dodging panache (e.g., to move out of flanking or something), I'll aim to pre-announce it before being attacked, as I do with parry/riposte.
I've dotted onto the gameplay thread so I'm ready to go whenever.
did you add the +1 stat you get at 4th level ?
Yep.
Does Rurik get the same +2 bonus to a stat that the party got from earlier?
I calculated Dom's crit damage wrong. The crit damage is 2d8+10 because there is 3 precision damage that does not multiply on crits. But I think the result is the same. :P
The +2 was due to the events with the Black Rider, so he won't get that, at least not yet. I'll keep an eye out for an opportunity to award something similar when he's irrevocably thrown in with the group.
I calculated Dom's crit damage wrong. The crit damage is 2d8+10 because there is 3 precision damage that does not multiply on crits. But I think the result is the same. :P
Once you get past 21, it's all overkill anyway.
What loot did we get from the soldiers? Any chance we can trade loot with Rolf or another ally for some value before we hurry off?
Each soldier has the following gear:
potion of endure elements, chain shirt, light steel shield, cold iron longsword, dagger, light crossbow with 10 bolts, cold-weather outfit, 15 gp
Sorry, got rear ended at a red light yesterday, been dealing with insurance and doctors all day. At work now with 1 1/2 hours sleep
Hope everyone's ok.
Sorry, got rear ended at a red light yesterday, been dealing with insurance and doctors all day. At work now with 1 1/2 hours sleep
Sorry I missed this, that's really terrible. I hope you and your loved ones are okay.
Working on it. Battery of x-rays, CT scan for my wife. Our son's carseat absorbed everything so he's okay.
Total of 5K in damage, car's gonna take 18 days to fix.
Hope everyone will be okay. Take your time with posting or let me know and I'll bot Ingrit.
If a character is prone, I set their icon sideways. Bleeding means negative hit points and not stable. I believe the actual condition in RAW is "dying". If I label an icon "stable" it means negative hit points but not dead and not bleeding out. If a character is negative and dead, I'll turn the icon upside down. I can put some other indicator that the icon is not active, such as an X or a red border.
Just a reminder that Khristov is up.
I saw you asked two questions in a discussion thread:
1. If Dom parries an attack that would have missed anyway, is that a "successful parry"?
I think yes. RAW, Parry asks you to compare the parry roll with the opponent's attack roll. If the parry roll is greater, the attack "automatically misses." No AC has been considered at this point to determine whether the parry was successful.
RAI, a parry is deflecting the enemy's weapon with your own. That deflection causes your opponent to be exposed. It doesn't matter what happens had you not been able to deflect it and it would have hit your armor instead. To rule otherwise would be to say that if Dom is wearing Mage Armor (no encumbrance), he is suddenly less effective at deflecting enemy blows.
2. If Dom attempts to parry an attack and fails, is he automatically hit?
I think no. RAW, a successful parry means that the enemy "automatically misses." The use of the word "automatically" suggests that if the parry fails, one still goes through the normal mechanics of calculating whether the attack misses.
RAI, failing to parry should not negate the benefits of having stronger/heavier armor, or being nimble and able to dodge the blow anyway.
*Edit* - One more point of clarification. Attempting to parry expends Dom's AOO and 1 panache. If the parry is successful, attempting to riposte expends Dom's immediate action, not an AOO. With Combat Reflexes (and a piddly 12 Dex), Dom has two AOOs, so he can spend one to parry/riposte, and spend a second on another normal AOO.
Thanks. That makes sense. I just wanted to be sure. I posted a further question on the issue of whether a concealment roll is needed on the riposte. I can see it from a logical point of view, since what makes it hard to hit a person would logically also make it hard to parry an attack, but I won't require it in this instance.
There is an FAQ response to the question of what the basis is for identifying a spell as it is being cast in cases where no actual components are required (as in Spell-like Abilities or wands or scrolls). There is the answer:
Although this isn’t directly stated in the Core Rulebook, many elements of the game system work assuming that all spells have their own manifestations, regardless of whether or not they also produce an obvious visual effect, like fireball. You can see some examples to give you ideas of how to describe a spell’s manifestation in various pieces of art from Pathfinder products, but ultimately, the choice is up to your group, or perhaps even to the aesthetics of an individual spellcaster, to decide the exact details. Whatever the case, these manifestations are obviously magic of some kind, even to the uninitiated; this prevents spellcasters that use spell-like abilities, psychic magic, and the like from running completely amok against non-spellcasters in a non-combat situation. Special abilities exist (and more are likely to appear in Ultimate Intrigue) that specifically facilitate a spellcaster using chicanery to misdirect people from those manifestations and allow them to go unnoticed, but they will always provide an onlooker some sort of chance to detect the ruse.
Now this is straightforward to GM, but when I consider how to rationalize it, I sometimes wonder what the basis would be. There a lots of spells which are much less effective if people know a spell is being cast, such as ghost sound, illusions generally, detection spells, etc. That could just mean the caster must be creative to pull off certain spells effectively.
I guess I'm a bit bothered by the idea that 4th level casters, such as 3 of the PCs can have a bonus to spellcraft of +8 to +11 and hence can identify with almost 70 to 80% certainty any 1st or 2nd level spell even though the FAQ stipulates that each caster might have unique manifestations different from other casters for each spell. This seems particularly odd given that a spell can be cast from a wand or by a creature with an SLA without any actions to distinguish one spell from another.
So, for example, one caster casts Detect Evil and his eyes glow green but another has little starburst around his head and a third as a momentary glint in one eye. Yet anyone with enough ranks in spellcraft can know with certainty that each of these different appearing manifestations are the Detect Evil spell.
Also there are literally hundreds of 1st level spells and any low level caster (with the exception of druids and clerics) can only actually cast a handful of them. Yet even a non-spell caster who has high ranks in spellcraft (perhaps benefiting from traits and feats) could identify just about every one as it is being cast.
I can GM this and let the players imagine the rationale as they choose, but I cannot provide one, which bothers me a bit. I'd rather we have some agreement about this.
If it were up to me, I'd suggest that there be penalties for identifying a spell when cast without the normal components that go with spellcasting, as when using a wand, a scroll, or an SLA.
I would further add a penalty if one is observing magic cast by someone from a different class, particularly an arcane caster identifying a divine caster or vice versa.
I don't want to make spellcraft useless, but just make it less likely to succeed when dealing with limited data or with unfamiliar magic. I could also give bonuses to identify spells one can cast.
I think it could make the spellcraft roll less of a sure thing in every case, which would make things less predictable without being a serious disadvantage. It's similar to having to use spellcraft to identify magic items, when a person with high spellcraft can succeed 95% of the time. When rolls almost always succeed, then the rolls cease to really be more than a formality. Part of the fun of magic is its unpredictability and mystery. If every spell can be identified most of the time, magic becomes more like a workaday reality, at least to those with the spellcraft skill.
I don't want to change anything unless everyone is happy, so let me know your opinions.
Clebsh, you make good points there. Here is my opinion :
I could understand penalties for Arcane/Divine spells
Spells cast from a scroll have a spoken component. you could give a malus for the fact there is no gestual component involved
Spells cast from an item like a wand can not be identified from the components used but depending of the effects could be identified on a case by case.
Spellcraft used to identify magic items do not work against cursed items who are specifically created to fool such a strategy . That's why there is still an identify spell.
Otherwise do not forget that spellcraft is depending on perception ( so concealment or distance could give a malus or even make identification impossible
Now I must disagree with you on one thing. Magic as used by characters in D&D is a science. There are no mysteries in it it and it is taught in academies. Even normal people have developed strategies to deal with it (horses dealers know not to buy any horse on sight but insists on a one day delay just in case the horse was created by a mount spell). Magic as a source of wonder still exists but is much rarer. The coincidences of structure between Heldren and Waldsby is a good example of this type of magic. It can not be explained by a combination of spells.
This does take away some of the wonder of the game but so does knowledge skills. With the system as it is , you can meet a monster and know what is capable of even if it looks exactly like another type (undead comes into my mind , a ghast looks exactly like a ghoul, all skeletons and all immaterials ( spectre , ghosts and apparitions) looks mainly the same.
the only way to do it differently is to trace the details of what the characters have been able to read about and what they have already encountered . This can be done but this can be tedious.
Here are my thoughts:
I prefer if the ability to identify spells is not excessively tied to whether the player is a spellcaster, or specifically an arcane vs divine spellcaster. In my view, a player should be able to create a character that knows a lot about magic without being able to use it himself. It is already quite rare to see such a character, and there's no need to make it harder to make one.
I think there are a couple of ways you could make magic-identification a little harder without making it too frustrating.
One is making the Identify Spell DC=15+2*level, instead of 15+level. This will cause spell identification DCs for level-appropriate spells to scale at about the same rate as the spellcraft skill itself. To clarify what I mean, using the adjusted system, a 1st level character with 18 Int has about a +8 in Spellcraft, and can identify a 1st level spell on a roll of 9 (DC 17). A 5th level character with the same Int has about a +12 in Spellcraft, and can identify a 3rd level spell on a roll of 9 (DC21). Yes, it still becomes easier to identify lower level spells, but in my view it should be easier for a powerful mage to identify weak spells. The question is whether it becomes too easy to identify spells from comparable spellcasters.
Another strategy is to reward subtlety in spells. Most spells have verbal, somatic, and material components. Every component that's missing can make it harder to identify the spell. One could apply a cumulative -2 penalty for each missing component. Sorcerers with Eschew Materials become harder to decipher. Creatures with spell-like abilities become especially hard to catch, as there would be a -6 penalty to identify the spell-like abilities lacking all three components. As Damiano suggests, you could extend this reasoning to provide penalties to identifying spells from wands/scrolls (which seem to lack the somatic component but require verbal and material (wand/scroll) components).
*Edit* - Note that the effect of a spell should still remain obvious, assuming the effects are visible/apparent. If a wizard casts Magic Missile and I get pelted, I may not know what spell was cast but I clearly know that balls of energy hit me and I am now hurt.
It's kind of moot because it misses anyway but the guy standing up should be flat footed if standing up counts as moving.
A creature can walk within or through the area of grease at half normal speed with a DC 10 Acrobatics check. Failure means it can’t move that round (and must then make a Reflex save or fall), while failure by 5 or more means it falls (see the Acrobatics skill for details). Creatures that do not move on their turn do not need to make this check and are not considered flat-footed.
Moving through grease is the Cross Narrow Surfaces/Uneven Ground use of the Acrobatics skill.
First, you can use Acrobatics to move on narrow surfaces and uneven ground without falling. A successful check allows you to move at half speed across such surfaces—only one check is needed per round. Use the following table to determine the base DC, which is then modified by the Acrobatics skill modifiers noted below. While you are using Acrobatics in this way, you are considered flat-footed and lose your Dexterity bonus to your AC (if any).
FurthermoreIf you take damage while using Acrobatics, you must immediately make another Acrobatics check at the same DC to avoid falling or being knocked prone.
So anyone currently in the grease taking any damage, would be required to make an additional check to avoid falling, and they should be flat footed.
In regard to the issue of spellcraft and identifying spells see here for an official ruling on this.
Essentially all magic has some sort of visual or sensory manifestation that can be detected, and a person with Spellcraft is better at sorting out those manifestations to determine exactly what is happening.
The key point is that standing up is a move action but it is not movement. When soldier 4 stood, he did not need to roll acrobatics because he was not moving. He remained in the same square. So although he was hit while standing, there was no point in his turn where he was flat-footed.
Regarding flat-footed, the character who is rolling acrobatics to keep his balance is flat-footed while moving, but not afterwards. So to take advantage of the flat-footed AC, one would have to attack while the character is moving, which usually only happens if the movement provokes an AOO, or perhaps if someone had readied an action that was triggered by the movement.
Replied in the spoiler but to repeat I aggree with you.
If he had remained still after standing he would be fine
But he made a movement afterwards
Penalties for movement only apply when you move into the square, not when you move out. This has been clarified a number of times in the rules questions forum. See posts involving taking a 5-foot step from difficult terrain into normal terrain: example You cannot take a 5-foot step into difficult terrain, but you can be in difficult terrain and take a 5-foot step into normal terrain.
Otherwise you would be penalized twice for difficult terrain that you step into at the end of your turn.
I read the post you gave a link to.
It seems no consensus was made but that arguments were made for each position.
Since there is no clear decision, you are the DM , your decision stands :)
Just a little shameless plug
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Just a little shameless plug
Awesome! Affordable rings are definitely a niche worth exploring, and it's cool to see you get a shout out on the design.
I read the post you gave a link to.
It seems no consensus was made but that arguments were made for each position.Since there is no clear decision, you are the DM , your decision stands :)
Look at it this way. You are running down a 5-foot wide straight passage and one five foot square is covered in rubble and is difficult terrain.
P = P; O = normal terrain; X = difficult terrain
P O O O O X O O O O O O
The PC makes a double move; the first four squares count as 5 feet, but when he moves into the difficult terrain square, it costs him 10. Moving into the next square does not cost another 10; it only costs 5. So he gets to the last O on the line using up 60 feet of his movement, but only moving 55 feet. The count would be 5, 10, 15, 20 30 35 40 45 50 55 60, but he has only moved 11 squares.
If he had made just a move action, he would have ended his turn in the difficult terrain square (counting 5,10,15, 20, 30). If he made another move action the next turn, he does not count moving from the difficult terrain to the normal terrain as difficult terrain. He moves a full 30 feet. Or he could take a five-foot step into normal terrain.
Using the grease spell:
P O O G G O O O O O O
The PC moves (5, 10). On entering the grease each square counts as 10 feet of movement, so he counts the squares as 20 30, and rolls his acrobatics. Let's say he makes the roll and is now in the second grease square. Next turn, he moves out of the grease into normal terrain, so by the same logic as above, he does not have to take 10 feet of movement and does not have to roll acrobatics.
I'm not sure how you could rule it to be otherwise without making people pay twice for the same terrain effect.
Looked at another way, if you were 30 feet from a river so that the next square (35 feet) is in water and if you move 30 up to the edge of the water, you do not get wet. It is only on entering the square with the water that you get wet. The effect of terrain is always counted when you enter the square, not when you leave the square.