[AP] Curse of the Crimson Throne by GMs Rutseg, Zek and Snowheart (Inactive)

Game Master Balacertar

@Zamanda Yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense. Its kinda crazy how different things can go. I'm also not liking the sound of things getting even worse in the city :<

Being a Paladin is so not my first instinct (the last martial class I played before this game was a barbarian, and I played her very enthusiastically bloodthirsty). Its been a fun challenge to do something different.

BTW Ilsa, sorry for wasting your class feature :< I'll see if I can use it next round.

Like Zamanda, I have some idea of what's coming, barring significant GM alterations. That said, my lips are sealed. : )

That is quite the swing in classes, Bashiel. Haha.

Random side question: Does Zamanda have a last name?

BTW Ilsa, sorry for wasting your class feature :< I'll see if I can use it next round.

Not at all...I'm sure you'll put it to use at the best possible moment. :)

I've actually read the original books to the AP, so I know what's going on here. I also know why is this happening, *cough* Ilsa *cough*, sorry, and I know what the results of this are going to be. Yay out of character knowledge!

Hopefully this isn't an issue (I can change it back if so), but I decided to go with the Quick Study arcanist exploit instead of Sonic Blast. I'll probably take Sonic Blast eventually, but Quick Study should give Pellius a lot more flexibility as to how to deal with situations as they arise.

I'm also not liking the sound of things getting even worse in the city :<

Well, you are already seeing the beginnings of that, so I didn't think that was a bad vague thing to say... sorry if it was. I really don't know any long-term stuff. Never got to play the end either.

Random side question: Does Zamanda have a last name?

I'm sure she does. I just am not sure what it is as a player. Her father is a minor arbiter in the city, so I left it open for GM use, as needed for flavor. I'm not even sure offhand where my father is on the good<-->evil spectrum. He kind of has to be lawful, and I hope he is at least neutral, but Zamanda just knows him as a father, so if the arbiters (or some of them) end up being bad guys or bad guy puppets in the story, her background is flexible enough for that. I imagine they are relatively well-off and fairly well known, but Zamanda wouldn't be announcing/revealing their name to anyone... she has her life and they have theirs, and that's okay with both. That way she can't mess up their reputation, and they can't burden her with their expectations. She still has a key to their place and goes to see them at least once a week--usually more. They love each other and tolerate their vast differences. They are pretty traditional, so Zamanda likes to bring strange people with her when she goes over for dinner sometimes, just to see how they will react. Her mother is mostly past shock by now, but there is always more to try.

On the state of the city, I've honestly been keeping a lot of it in the background. There's been a lot of pressure to move things along for Ilsa's niece so I've compressed the plot points that should take a few weeks into just a few days at the expense of the background narrative and "random encounters" that help develop that chaos. Once her niece is found, I'll likely go out of order and develop those things a bit more before switching back to the main plot.

Between Bashiel and Varor, I'd have been surprised if they didn't kill Devargo. I was surprised (pleasantly!) to see it was Ilsa who pulled the trigger. (Seriously, Ilsa, it's already been said, but that was cool. Glad to see everyone finding a moment in the spotlight and, so far, it's not turning out so badly for y'all.)

I am trying to make sure the moral grey areas of Korvosa and the AP come through -- I think Bashiel has been struggling with it a bit, as has Varor (correct me if I'm wrong guys, I don't mean to speak for you) -- but so far the PCs have definitely been taking a "brighter" path. (Gaidren's demise not withstanding. <cough>)

I've got a brunch with a friend from out of town but after that I should have a chance to more closely go over Zamanda's and Pellius's sheets and develop some prologue posts.

Cheers!

I have no idea what is going on or where this is going, so I hope we can keep all discussion of upcoming events to a minimum. :)

Aye aye! (So far, honestly nothing I haven't already said at some point but you're right it could go into spoiler territory.)

Definitely don't want to spoil anything as not knowing what's to come ahead of time can be part of the fun. That said, it sounds like GM Snowheart is making his own adjustments according to the party's needs, so it should be a unique experience regardless of anyone's prior knowledge of how the story goes in the AP as written.

Also, Zamanda, that was a lot longer write up than I was expecting. Haha. Appreciated nonetheless.

Looking forward to introducing Pellius in-game, if not to the party yet, then at least to the good Field Marshall (or some other NPC).

Aye aye! (So far, honestly nothing I haven't already said at some point but you're right it could go into spoiler territory.)

I just happen to love spoiler-free fun, so I wanted to make sure everyone knew that while some have played and/or read some of this, I haven't at all. :)

Yup, I too have 0 clue of where this is going

I'm on the opposite end of that, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see how everyone's going to react to the events that will happen throughout the campaign. And as for pulling the trigger and killing Devargo or not, I was honestly thinking of coming back at some point later and setting the dock on fire, just go full vigilante.

Your god would be okay with that?

Well she probably wouldn't be too happy with it, but since the guy is clearly evil, and clearly self-serving to the extreme, she probably wouldn't be too upset with me as long as I kept such actions to evil characters. I do it too much and I'd probably have to switch to chaotic good though

Setting the dock on fire seems like it would cause an awful lot of bystander deaths.

Updated my equipment, which included a few more minor magic items (including sleeves of many garments inspired by Pellius, sorry to be a copycat). Wanted to post the new equipment list in case there is any GM objection, or the items wouldn't be available:

I bolded the new magic items for easier review.

Haha, no worries, Zamanda. I don't fault you for it. It's a fun item. Those elixirs of love, though...

Edit: Also, lol at the new section in your background.

Oh, the part about bringing people home? Hah. Flavor. :)

... Elixirs of love might come in handy sometime. You never know. :)

Oh, and I found out in my prologue that my last name is Cador and my parents' names are Garrick and Marissa, since you were wondering before.

Haha, yeah. Thanks. : P I know my parents' names, but they may or may not be completely evil. They're likely either LE or LN based on their deity. Fingers crossed for the latter, but it's a slim chance and completely up to the GM at this point.

Yeah, but yours are... um... how to say this delicately... deaders, right? I kind of thought you were playing "In denial"/emotionally compromised enough to be throwing your life away chasing something that doesn't exist ... or do you really think they might still be alive? Maybe they had a reason to leave the city and took this opportunity? But not telling you.... that's pretty low. :)

Also, sorry you're homeless. I'd invite you over, but you know... you're some random guy off the street.

Well, Pellius is either in denial, overly optimistic, or both, I suppose. Out-of-character, it would be nice for at least one of his parents or his brother to be alive. His house burned down, but no bodies were ever recovered, to Pellius's knowledge. Though considering the totality with which it burned, there could have been nothing left to recover.

Thanks for the pseudo-offer. : ) Though judging by your father's disdain for the Chelaxian Queen, that might not go too well.

Pellius still has a few coins to his name, but if or when Cressida or someone else offers payment for helping, he probably won't turn it down.

It would be nice if they were alive. Maybe we'll find them on a raid sometime.

Oh, I don't live with him. Just visiting. :)

Yep. Unless we find their bodies, I doubt Pellius will accept they're really dead, That is, until he gets high enough level to cast spells that can ascertain that for him.

Ah, gotcha. That makes more sense. I imagine Pel will be tavern hopping for a bit, or maybe just stay at the Caydenite tavern if they have room.

One day (long from now), Pel will just cast this beauty and won't worry about housing ever again.

Ha ha. That's WAY better than a tent. :)

Wow... Ilsa really wants him dead. Not sure he's going to make it now.

Well, he was just out, and Varor healed him for 8. I just brought him back to where he was before (and apparently kept him from drinking a healing potion and getting back in the fight for real!). :)

Maybe Varor will heal him again? =D

<eats popcorn>

I'm hoping he doesn't tbh.. was a bit confused when he did the first time, lol. Mostly because he doesn't have selective channeling... if he did, it would make more sense... without it, he's making this fight much tougher than it needed to be.

Spider King is way down in the negative hit points, with someone standing over him. I think he was just trying to survive, not take you out. Especially with his own people trying to join in on the fun. But who knows.

... Yeah, maybe Varor will do it again... which will bring back the spiders again, while the King's former goons come in to kill everyone... pass the popcorn. ;)

Yes, healing will definitely complicate things... again. But he did it because they were complicated already. Which is complicating things more... hurting or healing? Who's to say?

I generally treat minor (no name) NPCs as dead-dead at -1, so the spiders wouldn't come back. Debated whether to bring the ettercap back the first time but thought it might be a bit much.

Devargo is a mystery. Who knows what he would do/have done? <_< o:-)

Oh wow, nothing like being completely unaware of what's going on in-character and being completely unable to help.

Still, it's definitely fun to watch.

*grabs skittles*

Is there any better feeling than rolling a 20 on an intimidate test? Well...maybe rolling it for bluff.

This movie is getting tense. I don't think it is going well for Spiderman.

What the guards aren't properly realizing is that Kalem still has 5 rounds of rage in him, full HP...and is really starting to think that the best thing he can do for his longevity is to kill the crime lord who will be out for revenge.

GM Snow, if we decide to attack do we just roll for initiative again?

It really is like a movie. Unlike most movies, there's no definitive script, so there's no telling how it'll turn out. Now that X-23 has retracted her claws, spiderman might have a chance.

I think Varor is Spiderman's last chance... and even then, several people seem likely to kill him.

X-23...I like it. :)

The claws can come out some more, if needed.

Yup, we'd go back into initiative. Please do give other players a chance to chime in, though. We've had a couple rounds of dialogue. .

Roger. I was about to vote here though...

I say we just rush them and kill them all. Devargo included. We don't want him after us for this indignity. Plus we get to loot the bodies.

I'm for sticking it out and getting what we came for, and more besides. We are actually here on behalf of the crown, be that as it may.

We've taken out the leader and the big spiders, and are pretty much 90% healthy or better. For the lackeys to demand we stick with the previous deal is ridiculous.

I have to admit that loot also crossed my mind. This is likely to be a big cache, which is why I'd suggested we at least get his loot.

Anyway, I think we can handle 10 lackeys easily enough, and we've certainly given them a chance to surrender.

I predict the paladin and the priest are both going to be against murdering people when you don't have to.... but I could be wrong. It's a crazy town.

Haha. I was thinking the same thing. All the people they're dealing with are likely thieves or worse, so it's difficult to say for sure.

*eats more skittles*

I'm not sure I'd call it 'murdering.'

He and his crew attacked us, Return of the Jedi Rancor pit ambush style. We prevailed, and we're trying to get out with what we came for (Han, if we continue with the analogy). They're asking us, when their leader is dying and we've killed their spiders, to pony up an additional 500 gp (in addition to what we've already paid), or we have no deal.

This is more like when Luke chokes Jaba the Hutt with the chain before blowing up his ship (which suddenly doesn't seem like a bad idea).

Of course, I'm not sure which side of Ilsa is talking right now...let's see how the others vote.

Actually it was Leia who choked Jaba with the chain...

Sorry for my sudden absence... I have a family member in ICU... it might just be a cat, but he's family... and normal kidney numbers for a cat max out at 30.. his are in the 130 range... so he's got critical if not fatal kidney disease... they are trying to save him... I had to go pay a visit.

... as for deVargo, we DO want to know what he does about the cultists, but he seems unwilling to share that info, so I see no reason to keep him alive, unless doing so gets us out of here alive as well... but getting out with the papers and no payment for them sounds good to me... otoh, if he does live, payment or no, I suspect we'll be on his 'wanted dead or alive' list.

Haha. I was thinking the same thing. All the people they're dealing with are likely thieves or worse, so it's difficult to say for sure.

"thieves or worse"? You might get along with my father. :)

To wit, as Quinlan pointed out but just to make sure it isn't forgotten, the deal for the letters concerned the ambassador. There is nothing in the letters regarding the cultists. I think that's what Varor was getting at with healing Devargo.

Also, Quin, our dog is family, too (and I say that as the father of a two-legged human child). I totally get it and I'm sorry to hear that news. Fingers crossed for all of you.

Sorry about your cat, Quin.

To give you a little more information that might help make the decision, knowledge about humanoid foes is Knowledge (Local). Feel free to roll if you'd like to see if there's more info you can glean about the enforcers (strengths, weaknesses, etc., just like monsters).