DM Dan E's Legacy of Fire: Chapter 3 The Jackal's Price

Game Master Dan E

PULL LEVER NOW!

Edit: Er... why are we joining Grall for the lever pulling? I was thinking whoever pulls it should be isolated so it doesn't hit more than one person (assuming a trap).

I understand your points Joana but... its a lever... if we don't pull it... We'll always wonder what we missed!

Grall's never been able to pull a lever before...don't you think he would be curious?

Yes the flamebrother did say that, but what if it opens to riches beyond imagination? Or if we are luckhy it will release some spawn of Rovagug.... :)

Yes, the flamebrother said that he would show us the way but since we killed the salamanders "by accident" (we did go there with the intention of talking, i hope:) Linah thinks that we might have another battle on our hands if we go back to the flamebrothers. Right now i'm(/Linah) is just guessing that the lever will open a way through.

I mostly want to be on the other side as fast as possible when i can take 10 to get there. I rather not have to make the jump in a combat situation. And if it's a trap, what's to say that it will only target Grall. Maybe Grall triggers it but the effect is on the other side. Or some kind of wall separates us.

Don't split the party, all into the danger zone!

I don't think theres a party ever that wouldn't collectively pull a strange lever when encountered. You could put warning runes saying "Danger, do not pull! A horrible death awaits" and I think 9/10 parties would still yank it. :)

I'm betting if you can't resist the lever your equally unable to resist the lure of the unknown magical shiny. Lets see...

Actually I only just got internet back as it died yesterday evening; I have been utterly swamped with a battery of medical tests at different hospitals though so feel free to bot me to move the game along.

Hope your holiday season turns around, AK. Doesn't seem like the new climate agrees with you. :P

Thanks. Its a health condition that was with me in England but has gotten worse over here. Still not fully diagnosed but we currently have it down between a liver disease and intestinal bacteria or infection.

Assuming its not two seperate conditions. Oh, and an ultrasound today revealed my pancreas and liver are larger than normal lol.

Neither option sounds fun. :P

And I can think of other organs that a man would like to have medically documented as larger than normal.... :D

Off to try to set up the new router now. If you never see me again, you'll know I couldn't figure it out.

Thats terrible Alex, never a good time to have issues with the liver but Christmas has got to be the worst. Your games will keep while you concentrate on getting better.

Its ok its not particularly affecting how often I can post its just general winter slowdown.

Funny you should say that Joana- some of my symptoms have been pain in certain man areas but doctor suspects its tied to the same condition rather than being a separate issue.

Good luck with the router, it really is simple these days :).

I got some clarity today- most of the pointers point to it being bacterial or infection in intestinal area, but its also possible (but unlikely) I have Hepatitis C. Other liver diseases have been ruled out by blood test but it doesn't rule out Hep C. Ultrasound today took forever and my Russian isn't good enough to follow what was happening, very frustrating.

In addition to whatever it is, the doctor also believes I am developing (but don't have it yet) pancreatitis. Its also possible I have a liver problem separate to the other issues. Always nice to have your health problems your aware of potentially triple when you go (ok go is the wrong word, dragged kicking and screaming is closer to the truth) to the doctor...

Anyway- I don't need time away. Just bot me if i'm being slow.

Don't hesitate to get a second opinion...the doctor's over here are pretty good but I still only trust them as far as I can throw them.
I am 10lbs overweight but I can still run a half marathon...they wanted to put me on cholesterol drugs among other things...don't trust the man or woman :)

Hope you get to feeling better!

BTW its pretty hard to post after 5 beers and a glass of wine....

Of course they want you on maintenance drugs; then they can blackmail you into coming back in every 12 months or they won't renew your prescription. I'm hypothyroid and have been on the same medication for twenty years, but my doctor insists I have new blood tests every year 'to make sure she doesn't need to adjust the dosage.' :P

I omitted Nuveril from initiative but she'd see and/or hear that something is wrong. Up to her what she wants to do although she is a ways away.

Meh, it'd take her like five rounds to hop over there. Battle will be over by then. Plus, it's 30 seconds which is more time off the three minutes or so we had left before you guys took 30 seconds to get over there ... and then 30 seconds back. :)

Don't worry. We'll all come running after you in just a minute. :-)

ah, that's sucks AK. I wish you a speedy recovery (as speedy as possible)

Lol, the worst four rolls in a row the DM's ever pulled off and its wasted on auto-hit Grall. Why can't enemies facing Sajan roll like that :D. DM, I assume from description i'm right behind Grall and can thus 5 foot and attack.

I was resolving the attacks and my thought process went something like. "OK AC18, -2 for rage. Wow what a lot of 15s, how lucky. Ooh he reckless abandoned.."

Still DR saved 10.

OK assuming everyone is in full christmas mode or about to be. Nice if we can continue to move things along but I don't expect it so 24 hour rule suspended.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I'm back. Merry Christmas. May the dice bless you. :-D

My Second Darkness group ran into a belker as a random encounter. When the bard made his Knowledge roll and I described to them what it can do, they were terrified. Then the fighter proceeded to easily make his Fort save and they killed it in one round. (They were higher level than we are too and much higher point buy.) I keep thinking I'm going to make a Greater Belker and throw it up against them at some point because they were so freaked out by the idea of having the thing attacking them from the inside. :)

The original wording from 3.5 was pretty poor. When I first read it I got the impression that it could smoke claw as well as attack normally (with its many many attacks). Fortunately it was re-printed in bestiary 2 and the unclear bits clarified. These guys are modified a little.

Yeah, I think I had to run it off the 3.5 stats, too; it was before Bestiary 2 came out. Still too low level for my guys, especially now. Maybe I could slap the advanced template on a couple of times. It stacks, right? :)

Happy new year everyone.

I'm back to normal more or less so should be resuming normal posting level. Re-instituting 24 hours rule.

Ouch, 13 hit points left. Beginning to feel abit out of my league here :/

:(

Clarification on the sequence of events: Grall went to check out the lever. The rest of us stayed where Linah was unconscious until Khalid got her up. Linah channeled. Then everyone else but Nuveril went over to where Grall was.

Either Grall or Nuveril didn't get any of that 26 points of healing after the battle because they were more than 30 feet away at the time. Even though the sequence of events as posted make it clear that Grall was the one out of range, we'd better retcon and say that Linah waited to channel until after she went across the lava pool, leaving Nuveril out of range, since he's been in battle and burning through those hit points since then.

Tbh with the time the DM deducted from our endure elements, I assumed we would have all moved into range of channels when necessary. Why would you not?

** spoiler omitted **

Tbh with the time the DM deducted from our endure elements, I assumed we would have all moved into range of channels when necessary. Why would you not?

My RL group runs on the Princess Bride corollary: not "if you didn't say it, you didn't do it," because that can get ridiculous -- "The PCs all died of dehydration because you never told me you took a drink over the last week" -- but if you said you were doing one thing, you can't get out of it without a reasonable retcon.

Seeing as how this is PbP, however, and things can sometimes happen out of order -- and I were DMing in real life I would have pointed out that Grall would be out of range of the channels unless he waited until afterward to examine the lever -- if Dan's okay with all of us getting healed, I won't argue the point, especially as it seems we're going to need all the hit points we can lay our hands on.

I actually hadn't noticed the discrepancy until I realized I hadn't updated Nuveril's hp after the battle and went back to read how much Linah had channeled for.

For a PBP I'm generally going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Its too hard to do it otherwise and if I really want something clarified I'll generally ask or work it in somehow ala "Still bleeding slightly from his wounds, Grall moves to explore the lever while the rest of you heal..."

In this case I indeed assumed you healed Linah, gathered to heal, and then Grall went to explore the lever (I think I even said or maybe implied as much although I'd have to go back) and counted the time I thought that would take.

Yes I seriously did just write a spoiler to myself in the OOC thread and run out of edit time. My stupidity is preserved for all time.

I actually did that in my last spoiler in the game thread: wrote it to Nuveril. Fortunately caught it right after submitting, though. :)

OK I feel slightly better :)

Following on from my and Sajan's spoilers above (which people should feel free to read if they like), I'm approving the fighting style feats from UC for general use (for PCs and NPCs *rubs hands together*).

One issue is the dragon ferocity feat. I have some issues with its general power level. However I'm permitting it for Sajan if he wants it (you can have a look in the spoilers to see my reasoning in more detail but basically monk of the four winds gets less out of it and has more of a feat tax to get it as well).

If someone builds a replacement monk or unarmed fighter at some point I'll need to look again.

With that roll i almost hope that they start a fight :)

Meh, the to-hit's nice, but Sajan and Grall have damage bonuses alone that are more than 15 points. Khalid's up there too with his cold damage.

Sorry. The situation had changed slightly and I thought I was giving you a fresh opportunity to do what you just posted. I'll give the other three a chance to post and we'll take it up with that.

That's fine. Just wanted to make sure it hadn't been overlooked. She's not about to stand around negotiating after she laid down a deadline for the salamanders and told them what would happen if it was broken. :)

Ever the diplomat. :-)

My damages only +6, though that does become +18 when flurry/ki or +24 with haste and a bit more with elemental fist or enlarge. DR hits me alot harder than Grall as although my DPR is often higher, DR takes a much larger chunk of my damage out of the equation.

Roll on unarmed strike damage upgrades (and a monk belt).

I've changed my progression plan significantly DM. It involves snapping turtle style but may get to dragon style later (MUCH later).

My damages only +6, though that does become +18 when flurry/ki or +24 with haste and a bit more with elemental fist or enlarge. DR hits me alot harder than Grall as although my DPR is often higher, DR takes a much larger chunk of my damage out of the equation.

Roll on unarmed strike damage upgrades (and a monk belt).

Nuveril's +9 when absolutely maxed out with Rage, Power Attack, and Witch Hunter weeps for you. :P

This little side adventure has made me realise that the heat rules are just a bit daft. According to 3.5/pathfinder your average person has a substantial chance of death from your typical 10 minute sauna :)

Still a ways from lvl 6 I'm afraid. I have a level up point based on progression in mind although you might surprise me and do enough to level before that.

Wait, we're meant to come out of this alive? Oh.

But seriously, keep the spear. Giving it to them gives absolutely no guarantee they won't just close it anyway as they will assume we'll be too doomed or dead to call them on it.

Well I don't want to talk down your meagre prospects of survival.

And I'm starting to think you don't trust my chaotic evil NPCs or something...

This little side adventure has made me realise that the heat rules are just a bit daft. According to 3.5/pathfinder your average person has a substantial chance of death from your typical 10 minute sauna :)

Well, one always hears about those who do die from saunas, but in the man-bites-dog vein, one has to assume they're the exception rather than the rule.

The fatigue thing is the killer from the PC perspective. Damage, fine, whatever; -2 to everything, can't run or charge, okay. But hot and cold environments take away an entire class's defining feature? Why are barbarians the only ones penalized? Why can't bards not perform when fatigued, or clerics not channel when fatigued, or monks not flurry when fatigued? Why is the poor barbarian who's always getting penalized? ;P

Another tick in the box for the invulnerable barbarian. If it helps I can't think of anything particularly fatiguey coming up.

If the magic shield seems a little bit too Nuveril-specific to be random thats a little bit true (although I did loot re-working months and months ago now). It got a slight upgrade as part of general loot upgrading and a conversion from medium to small. I couldn't recall ever seeing a magic light spiked shield in an AP before. It just seemed too unfair to leave it unusable. Then of course Nuveril is the only one that doesn't participate in that encounter :)

A pretty for full day for me tomorrow so next substantial update might be a while.

I am assuming that we will unload whatever renewable healing sources we have prior to sleeping. I have one first level spell left, I'm not sure how many spells Linah has left. I believe she has one channel.

How's everyone for HP? We'll get 5 back overnight. So that will only put me 6 from max.