GM Blood's Age of Worms in Golarion

Game Master David James Olsen

So, our best bluffer is Trevor? Think he's a +4, Quintus is a +2, Rauno and I are +0 and Rowena is -1?

Perhaps a humble approach from Trevor and/or Quintus? Kelkzar is willing to do his best to help assist.

Humility is good, as far as Quintus is concerned, although the team's reputation is going to start out fairly reasonable after taking down the chimera on the way into town.

ETA: Sorry for being kind of quiet lately--am traveling at the moment, and the hotel we were at this weekend had flaky internet access. Also, plenty of other things to do in Upper Michigan. Weather's great, but when we got here last night, there was still a bit of ice on Keweenaw Bay.

Valgrim's Vanguard??! I know them! You guys have no shot, give up now. Lol.

Pretty amazing that there is still ice! I have a co-worker whose significant other is planning to participate in the Trans Superior sailing race (Sault Ste Marie to Duluth) this summer and we were just talking about the late ice on Superior.

BTW, I'm also on vacation this week in Columbus for Origins so GM PC if needed.

I think Kelkzar would be open to betting here. But, I suspect many of the others would not be and I think in this case, he'll go along with group consensus. Consider him a vote for placing a bet, but not one that is strong enough to argue the point if the tide swing the other way.

Lucendar, I threw that one in just for you :)

Thanks GM for the shout-out! I had a big smile on my face! :)

I have no idea about the inside joke, but I think it's funny they have a rank of 1 out of 9. :)

As per the ice on the big inland lakes, this is one time of year I don't complain about my balmy maritime climate (though it did take its sweet time getting here this year.

Lucendar is in another age of worms game and that is his characters name and their teams name during this stage of their campaign.

Having played in Lucendar's arena-style game on these boards, my amusement at his ranking continues.

I'm going to be quite busy these days and might have a hard time posting. Please DMPC me as needed.

So these rounds are like free-for-alls, with four teams in the arena at once?

We should plan our buffs. Rowena will definitely want Mage armour and probably enlarge. The group will no doubt want haste. Rowena would also love that heroism spell.

Do we want to focus fire one team at a time, gang up on a team with another group, split up another team, or go turtle until the other teams wear each other out?

So, will we potentially be facing more than one combat during the day, or is it just one? With Rauno not being able to use Black Tentacles or Invisibility, that opens up a couple of additional slots that Rauno can use for buffs. Haste is a per round duration, so that can be Rauno's first action. And with his abilities, chances are good that he will get the first action in each combat.

This day well be the free for all and the next round the following day.

I'm going to let the start of the first battle slide for a couple days yet so you can get your strategies figured out (Like what Rowena suggested) and a little time to prepare since a couple people are gone.

Quintus can cast bull's strength on Trevor, Kelkzar, and Rowena, as needed. (Not sure which of you have items that won't stack with it.) He'll also prepare communal resist energy; is there anything in the history of Badlands Revenge that might indicate whether the druid likes to throw around fire or lightning?

I think that in the first one, we should use fickle winds to protect against the archers while we focus on the druid. Without the druid to back them the gnolls should be easier pickings, so we can leave them for a time while we concentrate on the mounted fighters.

I'd need Bear's Endurance more than Bull Strength.

I think in a free for all that the archers could be a real problem for us. Any way to shut them down (fog, deeper darkness or Rowena tripping frenzy)?

Badlands seems all about the druid. So I agree on concentrating fir and protecting from fire.

Might be best to shut ourselves out of the fight for a few rounds (like a cloud or darkness), to let them pick each others out (or gang up on us...).

I'm hoping the druid will wreak havoc on the riders, but if not, can we change the terrain to prevent them from charging? Or do we have communal air walk?

Oh, amd how many of us could be enlarged and with reach weapons? I have oils to pass around. We could creat a nice pincushion of death :)

Rowena can handle the archers, but fog and darkness are against the rules.

Dang!

That's what Quintus wanted to use Fickle Winds for.

I have finished checking Rauno’s wand charges and his profile is up to date now.

For the most part, Rauno’s contributions will be buffing the team. He can drop in the periodic area attacks (fireball, glitterdust, etc.). I can link together four of us with telepathic bond; I can’t do all five of us until 12th level. Who would we omit?

Quintus, we can coordinate the communal resist energy with whether we think Rauno will need to use fireball or lightning bolt. It may be helpful for him to drop a fireball on top of our own people to clear out swarms or such.

Glitterdust on the archers and cavaliers would be nice!

Quintus can do bear's endurance, too.

If I cast telepathic bond twice, could I link all of the players together?

Each casting lets me link Rauno and three other characters. If in one casting I link, say, Rauno/Kelkzar/Rowena/Trevor and in the other Rauno/Kelkzar/Rowena/Quintus, would Trevor and Quintus be cut off from direct interaction? Could we assume Rauno acted as a switchboard between the two cutoff? In other words, could Rauno be saying to Quintus "Trevor says he'll move around the barbarian" and then to Trevor "Quintus says to wait until he gets a spell off", would that effectively substitute for direct communication between them?

Wouldn't a message spell basically do the same thing, and get it all in one casting?

Message would give enemies a chance to overhear. Also, if Rauno is knocked out, he can no longer serve as a relay and we'd lose that means of communication.

A small chance. I'm just thinking that there has to be a better use of two fifth level spells.

Well, one of them has to be a divination spell due to his school. I can't use Dominate Person during the contest per the rules. That leaves Summon Monster V for now. And I am glad to use that all day long. :)

Here are the personal buffs Kelkzar will plan to cast in advance. I'm assuming we're ok down to 1 minute buffs
- Heroism (90 mins)
- Expeditious Retreat (9 mins)
- Deadly Juggernaut (9 mins)
- Hunter's Eye (9 mins)
- Divine Favor (1 min)

You guys good with starting the match, or do you want to do anything in your time before while still in the Coenoby?

I have slots for three additional second level buffs if anyone can use them to good effect. If not, I'll use them to make Rauno less fragile (Cast's Grace, Bull's Endurance and Owl's Wisdom).

Oh, Rauno will also buy a whip.

Here’s the buffs Rauno is looking at using. The ones measured in rounds he’ll extend to 18 rounds with his metamagic rod. Haste will be the last thing he casts, and his first action of the actual contest.

Mage Armor (on Rowena), 9 hours.
Mage Armor (on Rauno), 9 hours.
Message (on Quintus), 90 minutes.
Telepathic Bond (all but Quintus), 90 minutes.
Unseen Servant (from wand), 1 hour.
Mirror Image (on Rauno), 9 minutes.
Bears Endurance (on Rauno),9 minutes.*
Arcane Sight (on Rauno),9 minutes.
Cats Grace (on Rauno), 9 minutes.*
Owls Wisdom (on Rauno), 9 minutes.*
Enlarge Person (on request, from wand), 1 minute.
Displacement (on Rauno), 9 rounds.
Haste (on group), 9 rounds.

*Unless someone else can use a key attribute boost.

If I can get Enlarge Person and Bear's Endurance, that would be groovy :)

Rowena could use a constitution boost.

Mage Armor (on Rowena), 9 hours.
Mage Armor (on Rauno), 9 hours.
Message (on Quintus), 90 minutes.
Telepathic Bond (all but Quintus), 90 minutes.
Unseen Servant (from wand), 1 hour.
Mirror Image (on Rauno), 9 minutes.
Bears Endurance (on Rauno),9 minutes.
Bears Endurance (on Trevor), 9 minutes
Bears Endurance (on Rowena), 9 minutes.
Arcane Sight (on Rauno),9 minutes.
Enlarge Person (Trevor, from wand), 1 minute.
Displacement (on Rauno), 9 rounds.
Haste (on group), 9 rounds.

Updated. :)

I have to look at my own buffs, but at least empowering my fauchard and divine power.

Quintus' buffs:

Bear's Endurance (on Kelkzar), 9 minutes
Bear's Endurance (on Quintus), 9 minutes
Bull's Strength (on Kelkzar), 9 minutes
Bull's Strength (on Quintus), 9 minutes
Protection from Fire, Communal (on party), 10 or 20 minutes
Prayer (on party), 9 rounds

Do you think Communal Air Walk would be helpful?

Not with the 40 foot ceiling and not having to worry about getting around fog/entangle/etc.

Will Rowena get in trouble if she accidentally jumps higher than 40' into the air? She can do that now.

Communal Air Walk might be helpful to avoid things like create pit spells. But not if it limits you in another way.

Jumping over 40' high would get you disqualified.

Will start the battles up soon. Probably tomorrow.

Not sure we're likely to face pit spells in the first go-round, but the only other thing I'd be likely to take for L5 spells is flame strike.

Arena map on the combat link. You get to start in one of the 9 boxes in the corner. I will fill it out as we get closer to starting combat. We may have some talking to gladiator teams yet as well. I just threw your icons into the box, but you guess can determine which ones you start in.

Ok, my own buffs will be:

-Divine Bond (merciful and flaming), à
-Divine Favor +2,
-Bless Weapon (auto-confirm for evil),
-Bull Strength (1 hit, +2 dam),
-Weapon of Awe.

From others, at the very start:
-Bear's Endurance
-Enlarge Person
-Prayer
-Haste

I don't think the additional 1d6 for merciful mutltiplies on a crit. Am I right?

I'll update my top line in the profile to reflect this.

(I don't think I've ever glowed so much from buffing ;))
[ dice=PA, FF, DF, Haste, Merciful, Flaming, BS, WoA, Enlarge Person, Prayer]1d20+17+1+2+1+1; 2d8+19+2+1d6+1d6+2+2+1+1[ /dice]

Arena map on the combat link. You get to start in one of the 9 boxes in the corner. I will fill it out as we get closer to starting combat. We may have some talking to gladiator teams yet as well. I just threw your icons into the box, but you guess can determine which ones you start in.

Trevor is large at the start of battle. I would take the B-C/2-3 corner to start. My reach will be 15-20 at the start, and I can make 3 AoO.

The set up works for me.

What about the team up with that team? Any takers or should I just begin the fight?

Rowena sees the wisdom in allowing this buffoon to draw the fire of the gnolls and archers.

What about the team up with that team? Any takers or should I just begin the fight?

Trevor posted about that. He would try to use Detect Evil before striking a bargain (minimum requirement...).

Sorry about the silence, was off at SIU-Carbondale today on a campus visit with my son. It's a bit of a haul there and back, especially with the construction. Will catch up tomorrow.

Got the map and icons done finally. Will try and get the start of the match going today. My plans is a full out brawl and I will roll for everyone individually instead of your opponents as a group. (Different than normal and each round may take a little longer, but this is kind of a special match.)