DM Alexander Kilcoynes Serpents Skull PbP- Chapter 2, Racing to Ruin (Inactive)

Game Master Alexander Kilcoyne

"I might toss her back into the sea for good measure"

Nkechi "The Tempest", speaking about Willow Whisperwood.


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Your Humble Narrator

I'm trying to cast Summon Gwenyth III, but it has a long casting time.


Male Human Fighter 5 50/50 hp 4hp nonlethal

Well superstar has started, its possible Jer is locked in a room with a sheet of paper and a pen and won't be coming out without a thousand wondrous item ideas.


Your Humble Narrator

Possibly. How long would you guys like to give it before assuming Jer is a goner and we look at recruitment and/or other options? If anyone has lost heart for the game or doesn't have time to play it now would be the best time to bow out.

Added some changes to my house rules (see Campaign Info).


Male Human Fighter 5 50/50 hp 4hp nonlethal

A week maybe? Would hate to lose Jer. Would hate to lose the game actually. I've had to drop a lot of games and things lately to get work/life back into balance but wanted to continue with this one as my first PBP.

Note the rules. Hope that doesn't mean grab attacks can crit doubling constrict damage... :)


Your Humble Narrator

Muhahahahahahahaha........


Female Elf Witch 3 (favoured) / Rogue 2 HPs 19/27

Having real life issues, but of all the games this is the one I will continue and the one I'm DM'ing.


Male Mwangi (Caldaru) Human Ranger 3 (Shapeshifter) / Barbarian 2

I agree with Dan, let's give Jer another week before doing anything in terms of recruitment.

As far as the game goes, I'm still on board whenever we get moving again.


Your Humble Narrator

Jeremiziah made some posts this morning on his default alias.


DM Alexander Kilcoyne wrote:
Jeremiziah made some posts this morning on his default alias.

Last night stateside, but yeah. I was kind of surprised when he didn't make a post down here in the campaign threads while he was online, but I thought maybe he'd chatted with you off-board. Apparently not.

Ironically, he was arguing for private-messaging-to-e-mail so he would know when someone on the boards was trying to get in touch with him. :)


Female Elf Witch 3 (favoured) / Rogue 2 HPs 19/27

Happy Xmas everyone, hope we get going again in the New Year after the christmas excesses have worn off.

Liberty's Edge

Male Rat Editor 3/Grammarian 3

Guys, I am SO sorry. I totally suck. There is no excuse for my prolonged hiatus. Work has been insane, but everybody works. It's been very rude of me, and I wholeheartedly apologize. I'm glad to come back and be back to posting regularly if you'll have me...but I'll stay out of the game thread until you decide, for purposes of narritive. Let me know.

Sorry again, it's been inexcusable, I know. Apologies especially to AK.

Chi's player got me at the email listed in my profile, and that is the one to use should you ever need to get ahold of me, btw.


Your Humble Narrator

I'd like this e-mail address please :).

I'll admit I was a bit miffed Jer- busyness is absolutely fine and expected (especially around the Christmas period!) but when I can see you making posts elsewhere I find it a little offensive that you don't drop in to at least let us know your swamped and give us an ETA. I know Dan E and Talomyr are often at least as busy as myself and we will completely understand if anyone needs to call a halt or warn us they won't be able to post much for a while- the lack of communication itself was the issue, not the hiatus.

So, apology accepted and i'm sure I speak for everyone when I say your welcome back on board, Gwenyth's a big part of the game and I didn't want to proceed until I had some clarity from you. I'm glad your not dropping the game, we'll pick it up in earnest after Christmas :).

Liberty's Edge

Male Rat Editor 3/Grammarian 3

OK, that's great news. Thanks for your understanding, AK. You had every reason to be miffed, like I said I have no good excuse and I simply apologize.

If you click my main profile, in the "About Jeremiziah" section, I have jeremymillzz a!t gmail dawt cawm listed. I know that's a bit of hieroglyphics, but you should be able to work it out. It's my real, honest-to-god "you get me right away" email address, so it's very important to me to keep spam out of it, thus I bastardize it heavily when I have to write it anywhere online.

Thanks again, and Merry Christmas/Happy New Year.


Your Humble Narrator

Cross posted on all my games-

Hi all, with christmas and boxing day over I thought we could start slowly winding the game up again.

I saw a post from Kyrademon, a fellow DM on these fine forums. She explained very well her system of allowing RP heavy conversations from the past to continue even while the action is ongoing or the groups in a dungeon crawl; this is something I have unsuccessfully tried to foster as a culture in my games so i'd like it officially declared that I am very happy to use this system of 'FlexTime' as she calls it- when I find the time i'll put it into campaign info as an official house rule.

Heres the section of the post in question-

"2) Flexible Time (FlexTime) - This was introduced a few weeks into the game, and is most likely the main reason for the posting rate. Basically, it is the concept that scenes which primarily focus on role-playing, both public and private, can continue happening "in the past" simultaneously with the main plot progressing. So, for example, if you started a conversation with a PC or another NPC about the quality of Varisian Beer, that conversation could continue to progress, either openly or privately spoilered, with a Varisian Beer Conversation header to distinguish it, even as the plot moved on and in "the present" you began exploring a dungeon. There's some more details, but that's the gist.

A major reason for this is to attempt to accommodate both faster and slower posters, and those who like high levels of interaction and those who are a bit more hands-off. Ideally, frequently-posting players can basically make as many conversational posts as they want, without overwhelming the slower posters (who can usually ignore the mostly spoilered private conversations or the clearly labeled public ones they don't wish to be involved with). Similarly, players with a highly interactive style, whatever their rate, can have conversations and roleplaying without making all the people who want to move on and explore the dungeon wait while a conversation about Varisian Beer slowly plays out over days."


AK, not that it really affects this group, I was wondering why you have taken such a dislike to the spell 'Bestow Grace'. The reason I ask, is that I tend to use your house rules in my games too.


Your Humble Narrator

1. Its really, really fiddly for potions wands etc., as I feel its essentially a spell only a paladin should be able to use. How can you bestow your divine grace on someone via a touch if you don't have it in the first place? But RAW, a sorceror downs this potion and touches himself and as long as hes good, hey presto!

2. Its incredibly powerful. Adding an entire stat to every saving throw is already something so powerful its one of the greatest selling features of a Paladin. Saving throws are difficult to optimise and this humble level 2 spell allows any charisma based class to skyrocket their saving throws with it- the worst offender is a Paladin, because as its an sacred bonus, he can get double cha to his saving throws at level 7!

That means, assuming even a modest 18 charisma, he is on +13/+10/+13 without taking into account his constitution, dexterity, wisdom, resistance bonuses or any feats/racial abilities. If we assume 20 charisma (bearing in mind by this level a headband of charisma is likely)- +15/+12/+15, and 22 +17/+14/+17.

3. Theres no evil equivalent, not even for an antipaladin. Boo! Player power creep and I can't even use it against you as a DM?

Those are my main three reasons. I'm reasonably certain I had a 4th in mind but I lost it as I was typing.


Thanks AK I can see why you don't like it to much, I'm obviously not devious enough yet.


Male Human Fighter 5 50/50 hp 4hp nonlethal

Its a tough town. I wonder how the cursed adventurers who don't have information to find their way to a lost city manage :)

So pathfinders or government. Is that the size of it? Pathfinders seem like the obvious choice with their skills over the government (although perhaps they provide soldiers?).

Or do we tell everyone to bugger off and wait til Gwen gets high enough level to remove curse. Guess we'd need to dip into our own treasure fund to buy mounts and supplies even assuming we get away with it.


Sorry I've been delayed. I've been fighting strep throat and a sinus infection. I'm catching up now and will make a post shortly.


Marcus Alanto wrote:
Its a tough town. I wonder how the cursed adventurers who don't have information to find their way to a lost city manage :)

AK's homebrew Sargava keeps trying to convince us it's kinder and gentler than we suspect. I was getting whiplash being in Navior's Serpent's Skull Eleder and DM AK's Sargavan Saga Eleder at the same time.... ;)


Your Humble Narrator

Heh, now its not the homebrew itself so much as the particular people your working with...


Yeah, the Sargavan Saga people have good reason to make us think they're all sweetness and light so we'll go along with what they want us to do. I just have to make sure that Tebati's skepticism doesn't get informed by what Douena's being told in parallel-Eleder.


Male Human Fighter 5 50/50 hp 4hp nonlethal

I'm a bit behind Sargavan Saga. Last time I checked one of the group was being chased by lions which didn't seem very sweet.

I don't think its unreasonable to deny festy adventurers spells whenever they want them though. Imagine if priests in the real world had the power to heal. Paying through the nose would be the least of it.


Your Humble Narrator

For a cure light wounds you could easily get one bought.

For a spell as high level as Remove Curse your looking at probably a couple of dozen people in the entire city of Eleder are even capable of casting it (at least in my games). I don't like high level NPC spam and having created my homebrew campaign world NPC inhabitants using the 3.5 DMG method you really do get to see how few high level PC's there are in comparison to the world. AP's seem to make people think the world is infested with them, as do many games i've seen where adding PC levels seems to be the go-to solution for toughening any encounter, mostly ignoring templates, HD etc.


Male Human Fighter 5 50/50 hp 4hp nonlethal

Maybe it was the two part nature of the DM's post but I just realised something I should have earlier.

Well played DM, well played bastard.


Your Humble Narrator

Jeremiziah! Don't make me e-mail you ;).


DM I was basically holding off on finalising the loot spreadsheet because our final financials seemed uncertain (rewards, cost for Chi's cure etc). Is our current status basically fixed now or should I wait pending some more adjustments?


Your Humble Narrator

Its probably worth holding off a bit longer.

Sovereign Court

I've sent Jer a quick e-mail. I'm interested in Gwen's input in this conversation before I advance things a little.


Your Humble Narrator

Fatigued DM is fatigued.


Female Elf Witch 3 (favoured) / Rogue 2 HPs 19/27

Ummm ... I can hear the grinding of the cogs ... moving ever so slowly ...


DM Alexander Kilcoyne wrote:
Fatigued DM is fatigued.

Get some rest then. Fatigued is bad enough, but the exhausted condition really sucks.


Your Humble Narrator

I'm just a bit disheartened I keep losing people for this AP, especially as I know i'm going to have to put a lot of work in fixing chapters 3 and 4; as written they have so many elements i'm deeply unsatisfied with.


Has Jer pulled out all together now?


Your Humble Narrator

No word from him, including an e-mail sent to him.


For now I (at least) vote we forge on without asssuming Gwen is in the background and goes with the status quo.

If he posts DM decides what he wants to do. If not replacement will take some time and I would want to proceed during that.


Female Elf Witch 3 (favoured) / Rogue 2 HPs 19/27
DM Alexander Kilcoyne wrote:
Fatigued DM is fatigued.

Apologies AK, my post crossed yours, just wanted to say I was still here. Wasn't supposed to be any kind of bad stuff, if you took it that way. So if there's anything I can do to help just say.

I know you are a bit disheartened, but one the plus side you have 3 players who want to rally behind you and carry on. That's not the case with many games on here, when activity drops.

I'm with Dan E on this one...to carry on forward...


I'm here! Ready to forge ahead!


Your Humble Narrator

Ok guys.

I think i've just about recovered from my DM fatigue and i'm ready to push this game on once more.

It appears to me that Jeremeziah is either too busy for this game or embaressed to formally bow out- which is fair enough. Plenty of people fall into both categories.

This leaves us with Chi, Ambroze, Tun'ada and Marcus.

How would you like to move forward? Options include but are not limited to-

Gwenyth DMPC.

Carry on as the four of you (I would obviously tone down the difficulty).

A chance for a particularly weary player to re-roll their character if you don't like the group makeup of the 4 left over.

Recruit a 5th (or even 5th and 6th), potentially with tie ins to the organisation who sponsors you. I know we still have 1 or 2 lurkers here who might fancy in.


Male Human Fighter 5 50/50 hp 4hp nonlethal

Personally I would say go with 5 players recruiting a divine caster (or shuffle around). It seems to balance play and speed.

I don't have a problem with 4 or 6 though. With two fighter types Marcus could re-roll if we go with 4 (I love Marcus but not stressed and haven't played a cleric since 2nd edition).

Wouldn't mind Gwen DMPC for that matter if DM prefers.


Your Humble Narrator

I tend to hate DMPC's on principle so i'd have to have my arm wrenched to do it.


Male Mwangi (Caldaru) Human Ranger 3 (Shapeshifter) / Barbarian 2

Healing is a resource that we are sorely lacking with the group as is.

Adding in Gwenyth as DMPC would be the best for continuity of the story, but more work for an already fatigued DM that runs lots o' games.

I would vote for recruiting another player or two (perhaps from another one of our already established games), unless of course someone has a buring desire to build a different character (in this case I do not).


Of course, my preference would be to have Jer come back and play Gwenyth...

However, if that doesn't seem like it will happen, I wouldn't be opposed to recruiting one or even two more people.

I also have no desire to build a different character - I like playing the knowledgeable diplomomancer.


Female Elf Witch 3 (favoured) / Rogue 2 HPs 19/27

I agree with what's already been said, recruit. Shame Jer was a fun player, but it seems Jer has bowed out. 1st choice healing capability. 2nd pretty free, but some spellcastering ability might be good.


Your Humble Narrator

Its been long enough for us to definitely look at replacing Jer, without assuming he might come back.

I'd like to ask the group how they feel about DM Aron joining, as i've had him as alternate slot on more than one occasion and i'd like to get him into a stable game for once (hes an RL friend).

I am also responding to personal messages later tonight that i've had with regards to a slot in the game.


Female Elf Witch 3 (favoured) / Rogue 2 HPs 19/27

Well ... that DM Aron didn't let me in one of his games ... petulantly stamps his foot ... yeah I'm fine with that, he was fun when I was in one of his games, til it kinda blew up ...

So it would be a pleasure ... if he doesn't mind being a bit of a healer... I would welcome him in ...

Also I'm happy to follow your lead on any players you want to invite in AK, I'm sure you know plenty of good players out there, that are keen to join.


Male Mwangi (Caldaru) Human Ranger 3 (Shapeshifter) / Barbarian 2

Bring him on in. I'm sure he'll mesh fine with this group.


Getting DM Aron to join sounds great. And Alex, I trust your judgment regarding any sixth person you may wish to invite.


Male Human Fighter 5 50/50 hp 4hp nonlethal

OK with me.


Your Humble Narrator

Now i've set up Shortkeys macros to automate perception and initiative rolls, i'd appreciate it if people try and remember to tell me if these bonuses change. I will do an audit at level ups but equipment purchases for example may affect these things without me noticing. Letting me know lets me edit my shiny new shortkeys (I typed the following with six letter commands, its so freaking awesome).

Currently-

Party Perception:

Chi- 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21 (+1 to find traps)
Marcus- 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Tun'ada- 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
Ambroze- 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Party Initiative:

Chi- 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21 (GM reminder- note deformity, -2 not included)
Marcus 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Tun'ada- 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 (GM reminder- favored terrain jungle +2)
Ambroze- 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

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