I think Lilywhite was quite fun, and the seafaring definitely was fun too. Lilywhite gave us a chance to shine where we're definitely strong: skills. Seafaring threw all sorts of challenges at us of different sorts, and we can bring lots of different strategies to the table when that happens. We're definitely not good for dungeon crawls and stand-up fights. Wouldn't expect us to be, given our builds. It's part of why we talk instead of fight.
I think you will enjoy a good deal of Book 3. :)
In that case, mayhap instead of teasing, shall we get the last of this cove cleared so we can start a bit of sandboxing before then? :) I think we have a lot of stuff to do and need a lot of plunder for it!
Indeed!
Clearing the cavern:
-Shall we bring Quinn along for extra healing?
-Barring any particular suggestions Lark will lead way to door number one, the "stairs leading up to darkness, which Muffin said Smelled Very Bad."
-I think I've got Lark's stat block updated with -4 Dex from Orsilir, +2 Dex from the Monkey Belt, and the other goodies we've looted so far. If it looks like I missed something please let me know.
If she's willing to come, yes. We've used over half the wand of cure light wounds and things have gone rather messily down here.
Taking the staves discussion to the ooc thread:
Here are the staff rules for reference
You use the staff's caster level or your own, whichever is higher. You use your own casting ability score and any feats to set DCs, where relevant.
By the way, I have added the treasure to your loot list and noted who took what, if anything. I know you may not keep all of this but I really don't want you to lose track since you'll also want to reference your material goods when considering stronghold upgrades.
You should look at this list, look at your character sheets, and make sure that anything you definitely should have is on your character sheet.
Look to older treasure as well, and again make sure things match -- I'm pretty sure someone took the pink ioun stone, but it's not noted on the loot tracker and I don't know if it's been reflected in anyone's stats either.
Sorry I was slow on updating the loot table. Lark took the ioun stone. It's on his character sheet and reflected in his current HP total.
Sanctuary has a duration of 1 round/level. So, if Lark uses the cassock of the clergy to cast it the protection will last for one round. Right?
Yes, because that's the item's caster level.
As an ooc comment regarding Lark's IC question -- web doesn't discriminate according to size, but it does block vision, providing cover or concealment depending on proximity.
I'm at work and can't do a lot of research, but once I'm home (kind of late), I think having Lee cast a Hydraulic Push would work for us. It may move Thren off of the altar and a Bull Rush vs Diminutive opponents should be pretty effective.
GMDQ, given that my suppositions about the actions above are correct (mostly the "effectiveness" part), you may feel free to bot Lee through this round in order to move things along.
That's a pretty cool idea!
GMDQ, failing to walk Lee into traps that you've already described is what makes you a good botter.
Does Lark need to avoid any AoOs while moving across the platform?
Nope.
Nice find Lark! Look at you, two magic weapons in as many game days! And special materials to boot!
Lathiira - thanks! I am feeling very kitted-out these days. This dungeon alone has included the cassock, ioun stone, magic boots, magic belt, cold iron sword and now this dagger. You and Keefx definitely have dibs on anything else we find.
GMDQ - thanks for the suggestion. It sounds like we might disrupt their timing if Lee delays his fire hose until after Thren's turn.
What I was getting at was indeed what thermopyle said... suggesting Lee should delay his initiative so he goes after Threnody, so she can't pick herself and put herself back onto the altar before the tools' "turn". Then the tactic would work as intended--she keeps getting knocked off before they do anything to her. The hydraulic push was a great idea... it just needed to go off at the right time.
Of course now she can't get pushed off because the web is in the way... and Lark is going to have to spend a round freeing himself before he can attack the tools with the adamantine blade (takes a standard to escape, and then a move through difficult terrain, so he wouldn't be able to attack until the following round).
Not to mention, why aren't you just tossing magic missile at them, Lee? The force magic would ignore the hardness just as Sandara's positive energy is.
I know I shouldn't be telling you what to do, but I feel like you're making this situation waaay more complicated than it needs to be, and this shouldn't be taking this long to resolve. They're just objects that need to be attacked. The only obstacle to doing it is stepping into the area that would compel you to climb onto the altar to become a sacrifice.
Can Lark hit the tools from where he is now (near the foot of the table)? Next round does he need to move before attacking?
If you're adjacent to or on the table you can attack the tools.
At work. Sorry this is terse.
Magic Missile is only effective against creatures, not inanimate objects. Otherwise it would make magic users sundering machines.
Hmmm, fair point. Since they do function with hardness (not, say DR), then it wouldn't be effective. But I wouldn't have noticed if you had just done it, you know... ;)
That's a problem with how this situation is set up. You are supposed to be able to attack the objects, but it's not very clear about what does and doesn't work magically speaking. I almost refitted it to be a fight with the actual creature called an animated object, but they have other abilities to account for that I thought would make the fight too hard in other ways, and it would take away from the fact that this is really a haunt (which is why I figured Sandara's channel would "harm" the objects, because haunts are necromantic in nature).
It's been a while since I looked up the rules for haunts, but IIRC channel energy is about the only way to put one down. Since the weapons are part of its manifestation, makes sense to me.
There's various divine magic that can help, and then each haunt also has a specific way to destroy it as well.
For example, when you were on the sunken ship and you faced the dead quartermaster--all the crazy waves were trying to push you around and such. Agreeing to give the locket to Iulia (or otherwise convince him to let go of his love for her) was the requirement to end that haunt (which you successfully did).
Haunts tend to reset if not properly destroyed...
GMDQ - do you want some attack rolls from Lark? Do the tools re-animate when they're attacked?
Roll to hit AC 5 and roll damage.
Folks, after much hemming and hawing, I've decided to run an open recruitment for a fourth party member. I think it may be easier for all in the long run--and after the last couple encounters, I don't want the game to feel like it relies upon the NPCs for the party to succeed. NPCs are very important to this type of campaign but you all are still the heroes, and I'd rather you get help from another PC for major table-turnings than an NPC where possible (unless your winning over the NPC is the challenge).
Here is a draft recruitment post. I've got a crazy week/weekend upcoming so I'll probably post this Sunday afternoon (or the following Sunday, after my concert is over) after some of the madness is over, if you are all okay with it. True to my style the post is overly verbose and probably has too much information in it. Let me know what you think--including if you object entirely to this direction:
The current party consists of a tiefling arcane duelist bard (ship's first mate), human unchained rogue (ship's captain), and halfling arcane sorcerer (ship's quartermaster), and they have been in the campaign since the beginning. For a time during book 2, the party also had a casting-focused undine druid.
While I feel like the party has done mostly well as frequently a three person party, they are very fragile, and I worry as we get into higher levels it will be harder for me to adjust combats for an APL-1 group (something I am already struggling with), so I have decided to recruit a fourth player. I've noticed in particular they've hit some challenges that really require divine support or tankier support, and while I try to adjust things where I can to better suit the party, sometimes I either don't have the prep time or am worried I'll unbalance the adventure if I change things too much.
Disclaimer: I began this campaign as a private recruitment from my IRL gaming group, and the current players are all people I have known personally for many years. Having played in PBPs where there are a mix of people who know each other personally and others who are relatively strangers and seen that it can sometimes get awkward with in-jokes or ways in which people communicate. Plus even when you try hard not to, knowing someone personally can lead to favoritism even if you're not totally conscious of it. So, I've been hesitant to just put out an open recruitment. However, most folks I know personally or well via PBP are fairly busy, and rather than try to keep issuing individual invitations, I figured it was time to try an open recruitment. I will of course do everything I can to be fair and make everyone feel welcome.
About the Campaign: The players are good-aligned, and my take on this AP has been to focus more on heroic swashbuckly adventure than on grim-n-gritty criminal behavior. Skull and Shackles can really be played either way so I want to be clear that if your idea of a fun S&S campaign is to be raping and pillaging and slaughtering everything in your way, my version is not for you. We're more about diving gracefully from the rigging to skewer the evil slaver-captain and then singing shanties about our victory afterward. While grim things may happen, this is not a bogged-down-in-gore-and-misery-sort-of-game.
The three main PCs have the background of being shipmates together on a different ship before being press-ganged by Harrigan.
The party has recently obtained a stronghold in the form of Ghoral-Rey (an ancient Gholgani temple-stronghold-turned-pirate-cove) and is in the process of building it up and hiring crew and hirelings to help do so. They are trying to get themselves established before going to Port Peril to petition the Hurricane King to become Free Captains.
The campaign has a one-free-ressurrect rule--the first time your character would die, you survive with a scar (a la the scars described in the Skull and Shackles players guide). After that if you die, you die. This has happened to one character so far.
About me as a GM: I like to see good interplay both between PCs and NPCs (which this AP has an abundance of). I reward fun heroic risktaking and extraordinarily well described roleplaying and stunts with hero points, loot, or subtler story rewards (like improved NPC loyalty).
I don't like TPKs and impossible-to-succeed challenges; my players may disagree, but I think I'm a fairly lenient, forgiving, and non-deadly GM, to the point that sometimes I probably handhold a little too much if I fear the party's about to swandive into the point of no return. I can come off as grumpy at times, though I normally yell because I care. :)
I expect feedback from players, and if you see I'm running a mechanic incorrectly, I hope that players feel free to point it out. (My players are deeply honorable folk and have sometimes corrected me to their own detriment.) My number one goal is that everyone is having fun, and if players aren't, I want to hear about it so we can change things for the better.
Posting Expectations:
Frequency: At least once every 1-2 days. In combat if you haven't posted in 24 hours, I will bot PCs to keep things moving. If you have nothing to say/are ready to move on, I ask that players say so in the discussion thread so we aren't all waiting for you to post.
Commitment: I expect players to be grown-up and responsible enough to be able to inform me ahead of time when they are unable to post for more than a couple days. I will bot disappeared PCs. Players who disappear without warning and remain gone for two weeks will be automatically removed from the game, and will not be invited to return in this or any other game I run. Frequent, lengthy disappearances will also warrant possible removal. While of course I am willing to make reasonable exceptions due to emergencies or other dire circumstances, generally I expect players are able to use their phone/borrow a friend's phone/hit the library within a few days to take 30 seconds to at least post something like, "hey, s#+# hit the fan, I will check in when it's all over."
Courtesy: I expect players to be respectful and civil. I appreciate honest feedback, but "honest" should not be conflated with "cruel." I expect players to play only their own characters (and class-feature-based-allies as appropriate), and not presume other PCs' actions or reactions to them. Consent should never be assumed in or out of character; if in doubt, ask out of character in the discussion thread or via PM. Acts of affection, intimacy, theft, or violence against another PC/player should be described as attempts or offers (e.g., "Sally offers Bob a hug," NOT "Sally hugs Bob" (because if Bob doesn't want the hug, he gets right of refusal first)). If you do not comprehend the general mores of respect and common sense that underlie this guideline, this game is not for you.
Communication: I expect players to make a good-faith effort in writing with reasonable clarity and usage of good spelling/grammar, and likewise a good-faith effort in reading others' posts carefully.
Playing: You don't need to have the Core Rulebook memorized, but I expect reasonable system mastery of the game's rules and most particularly a good grasp of your own character's abilities. If you think a roll might be called for, go ahead and roll it. If you want to try something that isn't an obvious solution, go ahead and try or ask about how it might work. While I don't let mechanics do what they shouldn't, I encourage players to be creative within the game's mechanical restrictions..
Note: I WILL read applicants' community posts in and out of PBP to get a sense of your communication skills, courtesy, ability to commit to a game long-term, and roleplaying ability, and bear that in mind when selecting possible recruits.
What I am Looking for in Builds: Based on the party's needs, behaviors, and issues that have arisen in the game so far, I believe the best choice to round out the party is a tanky divine caster. I think full caster would be best, so likely a battle-focused cleric, druid, or oracle would be most desirable, but I would also consider inquisitors and rangers and possibly other options as well depending on build. Paladin is not a good idea for the reasons stated in the Skull and Shackles Player's guide--while the party is good-aligned, you're still being pirates and still pretty much expected to cheat, lie, plunder, and trick. You can try to apply with something other than tanky divine caster, but it would have to be a pretty impressive application to sway me away from what I think would help this party the most. The party does have an NPC cleric to assist them that I believe our bard will be taking as a cohort, but especially given the various negative-conditions lots of monsters inflict, the party could use a PC level healer--and I don't want them reliant on an NPC for certain tasks either. Melee or switch-hitters would be useful, weapon-wise.
Other things: the party is well covered in face skills and athletic ability. Between the sorcerer and the bard we have enough arcane ability. The bard and rogue do well in melee, just can be a little fragile. The bard buffs, and the sorcerer is blasty with a side of battlecontrol. We are notably lacking in Survival and many other Wisdom based skills (though the rogue has Heal and all do ok for Perception), Crafting, as well as a number of Knowledges and Int-based skills (the party bard is not the usual knowledgey bard since Arcane Duelist loses Bardic Knowledge). Knowledge: Nature could especially be useful because of the seafaring nature of the campaign (though some NPC crew have this). The nature of the campaign makes Profession Sailor a very useful, but not required, skill. Other Professions like fisher and siege engineer (for the onboard ballista) could come in handy.
The existing PC builds are the type that I wouldn't call optimized, but what they do well, they do very well. I don't want to see foolishly ineffective builds, but something that errs on the side of flavor likely fits in better than something that errs on the side of OP.
Character Creation
20 point buy
Races: Core plus planarkin (e.g., tielflings, sylphs, etc.)
Class: Core (excepting paladin), Advanced Player's Guide (except Summoner). Unchained versions of allowed classes are fine. Again, bear in mind strong preference for divine caster.
Traits: Two. You may use a Campaign Trait from the S&S player's guide, but do not have to.
Source Materials: For spells, feats, archetypes, etc.: anything from the base RPG line (if it's in the Official PRD it's fine; but do NOT confuse that with or use d20pfsrd), the Skull and Shackles Player's Guide, or Pirates of the Inner Sea. Do not use classes, races, or abilities related to classes or races not already listed as allowed above. Do not use other campaign setting materials. Do not ask about using other campaign setting materials or third party products.
Options/Exceptions: We are using Hero Points, but not feats/spells that increase hero points. You earn hero points through great deeds, great roleplaying, and great risk taking.
If firearms appear in the AP, I'm not writing them out, but I don't believe I allowed firearms during the initial character creation, so I'd rather avoid them in starting PCs.
Starting Equipment: I will send you a list of starting equipment so you're on par with the rest of the party. Feel free, for statblock creation, to presume you have at least a +1 weapon and +1 armor, and either a +1 cloak of resistance or a +1 shield, and of course any items necessary for your class to function (e.g., a holy symbol)
Background: I would like a brief character description and a background story of a few paragraphs. If you would like to be a thought-lost member of the crew of the Aurora's Kiss, the PCs first ship, that's a great way for the PCs to know and recognize you--but it isn't requisite. As the party is in a "downtime" phase of recruiting crew and other employees, it is very easy to have them meet you at a port or show up as hired help at their stronghold, so feel free to come up with something suitable that gets you into that place.
Timetable and how recruitment will work: Recruitment will close one week from today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. I know that's a short period, but I'm only looking for one player, after all, and I don't want the group to have to wait too long to get the new party member. After closing, I will select a "short list" of players/PCs that seem the best fit for the game, and ask the current players to vote from that list.
Finally: Feel free to ask any questions. And of course scan through the thread and see if the group and my GM style works for you.
Thank you for considering applying.
I like the recruitment document.
Now that adding a 4th is a happening thing, I'd like to float this out to players I know. Can I proceed before it's published?
Recruitment document looks good to me too.
Cool.
Since I have gotten this far at this point, I would prefer to vet any applicants I don't know at the same time. They are welcome to apply to the recruitment.
Sounds fine.
Congratulations. Between the tanglefoot bag and the fireball, the swarm's about done. How do you put the neon sign over it though? Does one bug get it, or all of them?
I like to think there's just a million tiny little signs, making them all glow.
Does that give any illumination, like about a candle' worth? That might be useful for someone to have, a swarm of lights :)
Make a spell!
PS: Lark should have the flask of alchemist's fire that Creed gave him.
Can I research it as a variant of dancing lights? You know, in between pirating, building a base, and probably sometime working on my rapier? Just to fill in those extra couple minutes I have every day? Oh, and shipboard duties, including improving morale and providing humor for everyone? LOL
The item in the module was a longsword. I changed it to a weapon of a type you or Lark could use if you wanted (Lark can't use longswords), or give to an NPC who uses a rapier, such as, for a random example, a priest who fights with Besmara's favored weapon, or of course still be able to sell.
FWIW, you can change your bonded item if you want, yes it is somewhat costly (although honestly I forgot about the cost until you said something), but as you can't alter the substance your weapon is made of (you can't take something made of steel and retroactively turn it into cold iron or mithral), this is an opportunity to change your weapon to a special material if you want, even if for you it does cost the shift of acquiring a new favored weapon. Nothing says you have to wait for the first item to be lost or destroyed before replacing it.
A wizard can designate an existing magic item as his bonded item. This functions in the same way as replacing a lost or destroyed item except that the new magic item retains its abilities while gaining the benefits and drawbacks of becoming a bonded item.
I know, just making sure you remembered. I currently lack sufficient funds to bond to a new item. Also, someone, perhaps a butterfly, persuaded me to pick up the versatile weapon spell, which would give me the benefit of a cold iron weapon if I so desire. Therefore I think I will go ahead and suggest this be gifted to a Besmaran priest(-ess) at our first opportunity.
If Quinn ends up as Threnody's cohort then the rapier will be an added bonus. Either way I'm happy for her to get it.
You have plunder (I believe at least 6 points, but I haven't been tracking) that
you can convert to cash if you need it. Since you're going to be sandboxing a bit, you'll have time to earn more. All you need is 1200-1400 gp, which is one point of plunder and some change.
By the way I am judging the Open Call for the Designfinder Contest this week. I may be slow. I'll post the recruitment on Sunday the 17th, after judging is over and my concert this weekend is done.
No problem with the posting.
Overall, I'd rather reward loyalty than just upgrade my sword since I can duplicate its effects at need. Yeah, I know, pirates, loyalty, what am I thinking? But if no one objects, Sandara can have it. I'd rather keep the plunder to a) pay our crew, b) increase our reputation, and c) fund our new base of operations, at least for now. Once we've done some time in the sandbox I may regret that choice, or not. Probably not :-)
Lee, since you succeed on the first Knowledge check, I'm repasting the relevant post here to be sure you understand it:
capable of completely shrugging off most direct magic attacks or effects. Indirect magical effects, such as environmental effects like a grease spell, may still have some use against it.
This is the game flavor way of saying--and this is what Lee would know--it's immune to all spells that can be resisted with Spell Resistance. Obviously some spells may do something different, like fire spells, but you'll have to figure out what those are.
So Lee would know that both magic missile and shocking grasp would be useless against it. (Unless you think force or electricity magic would do something unusual to a glass golem.)
I want to try force, bc not many things beyond straight up SR shrug off force.
If I had thought I probably would not have mentioned Shocking Grasp.
What we really need is a Summon Bull spell. Super effective vs glass, ceramics or crockery.
When I get home I'll look at the map. And Thren's spell list. Maybe Grease plus Hydraulic Push will send it out a window to the rocks below (if Thren has Grease, of course)? Maybe Hydraulic Push alone would suffice?
Posting from the office tends to be hit or miss if thinking is necessary. ;-)
I want to try force, bc not many things beyond straight up SR shrug off force.
Are you understanding that Immunity to Magic is SR that ALWAYS WORKS? I don't want to be handholding, but I do want you to understand the mechanics here.
What we really need is a Summon Bull spell. Super effective vs glass, ceramics or crockery.
That's summon monster III (allows you to summon an aurochs, which is an ancient form of cattle). Of course, a magical golem is magically reinforced and made of magic as much as it is of glass, and thus still has DR 5/adamantine, so.
When I get home I'll look at the map. And Thren's spell list. Maybe Grease plus Hydraulic Push will send it out a window to the rocks below (if Thren has Grease, of course)? Maybe Hydraulic Push alone would suffice?
Posting from the office tends to be hit or miss if thinking is necessary. ;-)
Hydraulic push allows spell resistance, so won't work. (Sandara is using a very similar effect called "surge" which is one of her domain abilities; it will work because for her it's a supernatural ability, not a spell or spell-like ability. The problem is she needs to roll a 20 to hit).
Grease works because it is an "SR no" type of spell.
If it failed its saving throw against grease, I would perhaps allow shenanigans with a follow up bull rush effect to let it move more than 5 feet. If it succeeded on its saving throw, then no.
Yes, Thren does know grease. If you'll recall, I've used it on a lifeboat once upon a time.
Yes. My not-at-work brain can recall that...
My not-at-work brain can grasp mechanics.