DM Stormwind |
I've added an Important Persons section to the Campain Info Tab. feel free to check it out.
DM Stormwind |
A quick note; this is not what this campaign is going to be like in general. These mercenaries are described in the AP as crude and colourful, so I'm just giving that a little life.
DM Stormwind |
FYI, it's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, and I have family in town for the long weekend. As a result, I may not be able to post much for the next few days.
DM Stormwind |
Taking 10 isn't an option here as there is a consequence for failure ( damage). Sorry Taren.
Seif-al-Din ibn-Subhi |
Taking 10
When your character is not in immediate danger or distracted, you may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate your result as if you had rolled a 10. For many routine tasks, taking 10 makes them automatically successful. Distractions or threats (such as combat) make it impossible for a character to take 10. In most cases, taking 10 is purely a safety measure—you know (or expect) that an average roll will succeed but fear that a poor roll might fail, so you elect to settle for the average roll (a 10). Taking 10 is especially useful in situations where a particularly high roll wouldn't help.
Taking 20When you have plenty of time, you are faced with no threats or distractions, and the skill being attempted carries no penalties for failure, you can take 20. In other words, if you a d20 roll enough times, eventually you will get a 20. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, just calculate your result as if you had rolled a 20.
Taking 20 means you are trying until you get it right, and it assumes that you fail many times before succeeding. Taking 20 takes 20 times as long as making a single check would take (usually 2 minutes for a skill that takes 1 round or less to perform).
Since taking 20 assumes that your character will fail many times before succeeding, your character would automatically incur any penalties for failure before he or she could complete the task (hence why it is generally not allowed with skills that carry such penalties). Common “take 20” skills include Disable Device (when used to open locks), Escape Artist, and Perception (when attempting to find traps).
'Take 10' is designed for situations where you can take time to careful consider options, before progressing (so it can't be used in combat, for example); it most definitely can be used when there is a penalty for failure - taking ten is accepting the 'average' result, because you believe a low roll would have a penalty.
'Take 20' is the one that cannot be used if there is a penalty for failure.
Please note that I am not trying to be confrontational - I am just trying to help :-)
DM Stormwind |
My mistake. I was reviewing these rules just recently and for some reason the 'consequence for failure' clause stuck in my head as applying for both taking 10 and 20.
In this circumstance you make take 10, but only on one of the two checks I asked for in each set of three. Reasons for this will become evident later. So if you take ten, it should look like this:
Acrobatics taking 10: 10 + 2 = 12
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Acrobatics taking 10: 10 + 2 = 12
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Acrobatics taking 10: 10 + 2 = 12
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Muqaq al-Varisi |
Stormwind, I gotta say I love your DMing. You are an excellent writer and your maps are even better than mine. How did you add the shadows under the cliffs? Do you draw them in manually, or are you using some object set? I have trouble making my different heights look right when I create maps, I've been handling it with labels so far, but I'd love to have maps as beautiful as these.
DM Stormwind |
Thanks for the feedback, and the compliment. For the maps, I use Maptools. I downloaded one of the image packs and just look through for things to use. I haven't actually done much outdoor terrain before, as my other PbP is a Carrion Crown game that takes place pretty much entirely inside so far. The effect in this map was created by using "Overlays" which in this case were 'Hills' and 'Ridges'. Both include the shadowing and apply it automatically to whatever is behind them, so the shadows are automatic and do not take much effort. I just had to orient them the way I wanted, and resize them to give the best contours for what I envisioned. That took only a couple of minutes. Importing the avatars and pasting in the cacti actually took longer.
I'm glad you and the others have taken the time to provide the feedback and it is greatly appreciated. Everyone seems to have gaps in their understanding of the rules, and I continue to learn mine as they come up here and there. I appreciate the non-confrontational approach that has been used so far as well, You may be aware, but the rule is supposed to be this... unless you have changed something intentionally, in which case it is all good. Usually I don't change a rule without saying something about it, so feel free to continue to point out mistakes or differing interpretations when they come up. It all helps me get better mastery of the rules in the long run.
Muqaq al-Varisi |
Yeah, I use MapTool too. I have the same image pack even. I just never thought of resizing those overlays that big to make long straight cliffs. I just import the tokens as images in a Google Drive drawing, that way you don't have to keep uploading screenshots. But then you lose the lightsource functionality that you're using. Anyway, thanks for the tip.
DM Stormwind |
No, that's fine. I'll try to post a map first thing tomorrow morning.
Now that you've figured it out, try going back and rereading from where you first entered the cactus patch, and marvel at the unlikely comedy of errors that has unfolded since. This has bringing a smile to my face for days. Regardless of how frustrating the situation has been, it is a rather amusing story.
In a section of the quest that was essentially, 'untie an unattended goat from a tree' the team has managed to take about 20 points of collective damage, have two people fall off a cliff, and kill the goat.
Poor Rombard. He will be missed.
DM Stormwind |
Klingon.. Really it should be something with barks and yips, but you take what you can get.
Javell DeLeon |
@Storm: Would you mind if I use Turkish? Or do you prefer Klingon? I just can't get into Klingon is why I ask. But if it's an absolute necessity then I can roll with it. And just so you know, the reason I went with Turkish was just due to how Katapesh "represents" the Middle East so to speak. Kinda the way Tian represents Asia and so on and so forth.
DM Stormwind |
Go right ahead. I used Klingon because I was in a hurry during its first speaking post and it was the first thing that popped into my head. As I said there is no real good human equivalent for a language that includes yips and barks. Some languages use clicks; maybe one of those might make a stand in. Swahili maybe? Just pretend the clicks are barks instead.
I'm reading this and noticing that there is no way to have this discussion without sounding offensive. Sorry to all.
Tarin Larvendi |
Yep, people from the outback or even just way up north are tough for me too. We all make fun of every other state and the way they talk :) And yes, Adelaide folks are all "cahstle", "dahncing", etc...
Also, we see so much US media, fom Sesame St onwards, so I think we are probably not as strongly accented as we used to be. I try really hard to get my kids not to sing with an American accent, but I'm losing the war!
Javell DeLeon |
Go right ahead. I used Klingon because I was in a hurry during its first speaking post and it was the first thing that popped into my head. As I said there is no real good human equivalent for a language that includes yips and barks. Some languages use clicks; maybe one of those might make a stand in. Swahili maybe? Just pretend the clicks are barks instead.
I'm reading this and noticing that there is no way to have this discussion without sounding offensive. Sorry to all.
Swahili is cool with me. I'll roll with that one then. Thanks!
DM Stormwind |
Thanks Tarin, I'm having fun too, and I'm glad people are getting in to it. Yes, it's going to be tough. That was the idea from the start, remember?
I generally think the secret to a good came is being open to feedback, so if anyone has any comments, please bring them forward.
Waiting on Gin and Xanyon to finish out the round, and if Sati posts her next round action we can advance up to the scorpion's next action.
DM Stormwind |
I'm having fun. Still around, just waiting for my turn. :D
I usually prefer players don't wait to post. That way if I'm around, I can update as soon as they all come in. If something happens that would alter your action, such as the baddy you were aiming at gets killed, I'll usually modify your action to go after the next most appropriate target, or you can always jump in and update your action.
Javell DeLeon |
Sati, clearly concerned about Mohgwier, points her crossbow at the giant instect once more:
HA! That's just greatness! Clearly concerned about the unkillable creature. I mean, c'mon now, no love for your friendly, neighborhood Zerekias? I just don't get it. ;)
DM Stormwind |
I feel it is a hole in the game rules that there is no way to get out of the prone position without provoking an AoO. If you stand, you provoke; if you try to crawl away, you still provoke. If you stay down, you are stuck with the -4 to AC, and a minus on attacks. I have heard of the house rule that allows a character to stand from prone without provoking by expending a full round action. Any thoughts from the group on this? It doesn't come up too often, but it really sucks when it is your character who is trapped there.
I don't intend to introduce house rules after starting the game often, but occasionally cases will come up that require addressing, and are very specific. When I do, I will bring them to the group for discussion.
Javell DeLeon |
I say, when it comes to prone I'm like, "Crud. No matter what I do, I'm toast." I don't understand the no win situation that's involved with being prone when you're in the midst of battle. You'd think there'd be at least something you can do to avoid such.
Spending a full round sounds good to me also.
Muqaq al-Varisi |
Also Seif is correct about grappling:
As a standard action, you can attempt to grapple a foe, hindering his combat options. If you do not have Improved Grapple, grab, or a similar ability, attempting to grapple a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver. Humanoid creatures without two free hands attempting to grapple a foe take a –4 penalty on the combat maneuver roll. If successful, both you and the target gain the grappled condition....
A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit.
Tarin Larvendi |
Re: prone, I think being allowed an Acrobatics check to roll 5' away might be a nice compromise (basically a 5ft "rolling withdraw"). Depending on where you set the DC, there'd still be a reasonable chance to fail, and you'd still be prone.
If you make the "rolling withdraw" a full-round action, it means you still can't stand up, and so gives your tripper (or whoever was threatening you) the option of 5' step to follow you and press their advantage. Could lead to some interesting tactical situations.
Failing that, I'd leave it as is to keep prone dangerous.