
thermopyle |

One more reason to get out of Cheliax, as if you needed further incentive ;)
Also, nice hit on the golem, even through the DR!
GMDQ, re: flaming tarps, I should have described Lark as jumping over the tarp. He can make that distance even on rolling a 1. Do you want me to roll the Acrobatics anyway? Or shall I take the hit since it's my mistake for not accounting for the fire?

GMDQ |

Nah, just next time remind me of your Acrobatics score when you move. Yes it's fine to say you jumped. I had not been clear on the duration of the fire (though I did leave it on the map, you may have presumed that was an accident). The tarp is big and waxed so it's burning longer.

GMDQ |

My placement intended to indicate it covered the area, so my apologies for not making it clearer.

Lathiira |

Correct. I put my attack in there because Lee and I proceed before the golem.
And honestly, Lark's issue is that it's apparently his turn to get all the low rolls. Unfortunately, he's also the only one who can bypass the golem's DR. Not a good combination. I'd probably pass those rolls off to me or Lee if I were you, the golem being the best choice :-)

GMDQ |

No worries Lark, I play TWF characters when I do for the same reason... More chances of rolling high than 1 roll with a higher modifier. Just noting the math.
Yes, we are waiting on Lee. If he doesn't post soon I will not him.

Lathiira |

Whatever you do, I feel as though Lark needs a reminder about something important:
To do most anything in Pathfinder, you must roll high, not low, so it might be good if you didn't roll your damage dice to determine if you hit. It might help a bit! LOL
Sorry, I had a bit of a flashback to my 2E days with John. We made him a chart to help him remember when to roll high, when to roll low. Of course, being in high school, mysteriously his chart told him to roll low for damage, attack rolls, and saves, but high for treasure rolls! Not sure how that happened, I wrote it up myself ;-)

thermopyle |

Hey! It only looks like I've been rolling d6 the last two rounds; I swear I typed '20!' ;)
I know there's a limit to how much strategizing we can do in the heat of battle, but I do hope you don't mind if I wait for KeefX's two cents. The situation is rough enough I'll take all the kibitzing I can get away with.

GMDQ |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Go invisible and run magically away while abandoning your friends?
NOW you're thinking like a pirate. Finally!! ;)

Lathiira |

Sorry, we keep thinking like swashbuckling pirates, not the typical cowardly lot. Silly us! Guess I joined the wrong PbP by mistake. I best make sure I'm awake before joining another or else I might do something really silly like join an evil Wrath of the Righteous game by accident :)

GMDQ |

How about an all aasimar-paladin party for Hell's Vengeance?
Or I am collecting War for the Crown. I'm sure you all are getting your barbarian and bloodrager concepts ready.
In other news, I think now that my life is starting, maybe, to be less ridiculously busy, I will post the recruitment post.

KeefX |

I'm in Richmond visiting the fam, so the timing for posting may become difficult.
My intention is to delay Lee's action until Thren is dragged away and Lark and Sandara are clear. Lee will vocalize his desire for everyone to pull back.
Once that's done, he'll try to skate past the golem and cover his retreat with a Web spell. I don't think the spell will have any holding effect, but maybe the secondary effects of cover and darkness will cause the golem to become inactive.

GMDQ |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Folks, apart from the glass golem and any random encounters that may occur if you decide to explore the island (like to go clear out the vegetation that's blocking the lighthouse's windows), we are wrapping up this module and moving into our "sandbox" period between this and the next book.
1. Level yourselves to 7th level now.
2. Here are some guidelines for using Ghoral-Rey as a stronghold:
You can use the Downtime Rules to develop this fortress into a usable stronghold. Sections on the Rooms and Teams and corresponding Buildings and Organizations are key here (the latter section is simply how to make collections of stuff in the former section).
As you will note in these rules, building (or upgrading) rooms costs four forms of what is mechanically referred to as Capital: Goods, Influence, Labor, and Magic. Your stronghold can be set up to eventually generate these forms of Capital, which means over time they will help maintain and fund additional upgrades (see full rules). Capital can also just be "purchased" (representing hiring appropriate persons or buying appropriate materials) at the following costs:
Goods 20 gp
Influence 30 gp
Labor 20 gp
Magic 100 gp
Finally, you can trade 3 points of any kind of Capital for 1 point of Goods, Labor, or Influence. You can trade 5 points of Goods, Labor, or Influence for 1 point of Magic.
Bearing in mind raw materials available within the fortress (or easily attainable on the island), and the availability of your crew as starting labor, I'm going to say you are starting with the following Capital:
Goods: 50
Influence: 5
Labor: 6 (this includes Thren's bonus from Leadership as I am assuming she is taking that feat)
Magic: 1
I'll note this on the campaign tab, and also probably create a document to track your stronghold creation.
Note that your crew only serve as labor while they are at the Stronghold. If you're sailing around with them, they are not back at the fortress working. You won't lose labor by "spending" it for now, but you can only assign labor to one building project at a time. If something requires 3 labor and something else 4, you're going to have to pick one which you want to get done first (or pay in GP the difference in labor needed). You can travel to other islands and hire labor. They will have to be paid per job. (So if you hire 5 men for a 5 labor job, you pay 100 gp; if you move them to another room that costs the same, you pay another 100 gp.)
You as a group count as 1 labor if you want to put effort into a room yourself--but note that means you are committing yourselves to the time required to construct the room, and can't do anything else significant during that time.
I'm not going to worry about settlement-sized spending limits for what can be spent per day (right now).
Ghoral-Rey does need to be cleaned up first and foremost before anything else is done. There's black coral goop, mummy remains, and just general debris. You don't need any goods, etc. for this but you and your crew will need to work on this for the next three days. I've already gotten them started on this, so two more days of cleanup.
You can just lay low and chat and plan during these three days, or you can explore the island. I will run this lightly as an adventure.
Now, a lot of the rules for building presume you are building up from scratch. In Ghoral-Rey you have a pre-existing structure with pre-existing rooms. It is mostly empty, for all intents and purposes, but the structure itself is there, and because it's built into a solid-stone cave system you really don't need to worry about reinforced walls and stuff like that. (You may still of course want to add defenses).
Adding rooms will be an issue of upgrading them (using the difference in cost of the upgraded version from what it is being upgraded from, per the rules), or adding onto/splitting them up. I will note any cost alterations in the per-room description below.
NOTE when upgrading or improving a room, you must pay attention to the number of squares a default room takes up. First of all, you are limited by the existing space you have--if a room needs to be at least 10 squares and you only have 4 squares of space, you can't put that room there. On the other hand, if the room is LARGER than the required room space, you must buy that room as many times as it takes to fill the room--i.e., if the sample room size is 4 squares and you want it to fill an 8 square room, you have to buy the upgrade twice.
Alternately, you can of course divide one giant room into several smaller ones. For example, if you want to build a room into an alchemy lab, which is 16 squares, and the room you want to put it in is 24 squares, you could upgrade 16 of the squares into a lab, and then turn the other 8 squares into an office or library, etc.
All statues in the stronghold act as statues (oddly enough) but if you don't want ancient cyclops leering at you everywhere you go, you can destroy them and use them for an additional 2 goods each. You could also have them resculpted into something else, for half the cost listed. (Mind in either case you are defacing ancient artifacts and will make all of the archaeologists in the region weep.)
Here are the Stronghold Rooms you have right now, going roughly in order from the entrance you came into, to the cove. I'll note what rooms these act as right now, what you can turn them into, and if there are any reduced costs for upgrades. Unless where noted, the TIME the work takes up is always half listed because you have effectively foundations and basic structure already:
1. Waterfall Entrance: This acts as an elaborate gatehouse. The stone doors are magically reinforced (hardness 20, hp 200, break DC 43, resist acid, cold, electricity, fire 10) and open only when the three notes are played on the Only Reason to Live horn automatically, or on a similar sounding instrument or reasonable facsimile thereof with a DC 20 Perform check. After opening, the doors slide shut automatically after 1 minute. The two statues are each equipped with a fiery eye trap.
FIERY EYE TRAP CR 4
Type magic; Perception DC 20; Disable Device 20
EFFECTS
Trigger proximity (alarm); Reset automatic (1 minute)
Effect spell effect (scorching ray, +10 ranged touch attack,
two targets within 30 feet of each other, 4d6 fire damage)
If you want to disable any of the protections (e.g., the trap) this will require 2 labor, 1 influence, 3 Magic, and 2 days of work. Removing the traps means destroying them entirely and gaining nothing from it. Given they are a pretty good defense system for your front door, and you guys have the only "key" for the front door, you should think about it strongly before wrecking it.
I think someone mentioned wrecking the front door (which would be extremely difficult and I haven't even figured out what this would cost you): Note that this is your only exit to the beach, which is where you are going to be able to harvest food and lumber, which you will need for building and providing for your crew. Depending on how elaborate you get in building up your stronghold, you could also build structures outside, including farms. So you want a way in and out to the island, because having to ship everything around the island is going to be silly.
You can try to figure out how to disable or alter the mechanism that keeps the door shut and hire an engineer to adjust it (5 gp a day for hiring the engineer)--or find/make other Gholgani opening horns--to enable your crew/labor to move in and out. Use of the horns keeps the traps from activating while the door is open.
2. Entry Hall: This is an empty hall. You can upgrade any or all portions (per 4-8 squares) to a Gauntlet at normal goods/labor cost, but it will only take 5 days rather than 10.
3. Large rooms with stone table: Both the room you fought the mummy in and the room where Hinsin was hiding can be considered Storage at no cost. You can upgrade each to a Common Room for only a cost of 4 goods, 2 labor, and 4 days. You can upgrade the stone table areas to an Altar at normal cost save only costs 1 Goods and can be completed in 2 days rather than 4. You can turn these rooms into any other *suitable* room that is not a Common Room or its later upgrades at the listed costs -2. By *suitable* I mean it has to generally work well in that space--it can't be a farm, probably, but could be barracks or a workshop.
4. Grand Hall: This serves as a courtyard. The pool does function as a scrying pool for anyone with the ability. It also serves as a source of fresh water (any water put into it is purified)--note it is a finite container, so don't flood the room. If you wanted to turn the scrying area into a proper Scrying Room, you don't need to spend the 1,000 gp for a "suitable focus" since it is already there; otherwise building a Scrying room is at -2 goods, -1 labor and -1 magic from the normal cost.
5. Lighthouse: There is no "lighthouse" room description--this is special. If you clean the place up and set up a source of good light (like the continual flame on the golem's head) and fix the mirrors, it will function as a lighthouse once again! To make it functional after getting rid of the golem, first you need to replace the mirrors that Lee destroyed, which will cost 250 gp each, and it will take 2 days of labor on the part of Doc Imogene or another engineer to install them. Then you need to either hire 6 labor and take 4 days of work to clean the room OR and clear away the vegetation outside the tower, or go out to the jungle yourselves to clear the vegetation. If you don't want to use the room as a lighthouse, you can also loot the remaining silver mirrors for Plunder (there are 4 left, each are worth 250 gp, so 1 Plunder) and turn the room into something else. If you want to bring other people here eventually, it may be a good idea to use it as a lighthouse (especially because there are indeed rocks on the northern approach to the cove entrance), and it earns you more infamy for advertising your presence. If you want to keep your location secret, of course, a bright shining beacon may not be desirable. (Personally I really like the idea of keeping it as a lighthouse but that's just me.)
6. Bunk area south of the lighthouse: Acts as very basic bunks. Can be upgraded to lodging normally.
7. Observatory: The existing carvings on the walls can grant a +2 to one Knowledge Planes check with 1 hour of study if you can read ancient Cyclops (magically or otherwise). You can transform this to a proper book respository at half the goods and labor costs (you still need to buy the books, etc.). You could also use some or all of it (bearing size in mind) as an office at half all Capital costs. Repairing the window costs 200 gp.
8. Creepy f#@~ed up sacrificial altar: You can leave this as a creepy f#*&ed up sacrificial altar no cost. With a cost of 2 goods, 1 labor, and having Sandara (or someone else) consecrate the room, you can turn it into an altar of a god you probably would want to worship. While you did banish the haunt here, I think the consecrate spell is advised. You can also turn it into another room if you prefer.
9. Old Armory: The carved stone structures here can hold pikes for giants, which isn't very helpful to you. Right now, it serves as storage. You can turn it into anything else suitable at a cost of -2 goods, -2 influence, and -2 labor.
10. The Graffiti Room: Currently serves as storage. You can upgrade it in the same way you can the front rooms. If you want to straighten out the crumbled/jagged walls this will increase the labor costs to normal and the goods costs by +2.
11. The two cavernous rooms with all the junk: This can serve as storage. If you want to carve these out as proper rooms with straight walls, it will cost normal capital costs since it will take extra work to make them "real" rooms.
12. Cell area: Oddly enough, functions as a cell. The iron bars to the door are alchemically treated (hardness 11, hp 120, break DC 31). As with 11, if you want to carve the front area out to be a proper room, it will cost normal.
13. Cove area: Anything built here will require full costs, including time, since there are no rooms to build on (excepting the time discount I am putting on the drydock construction). Right now, where the Fearsome Tide is moored, is the only suitable place to tie up a ship. If you built suitable docks, you could eventually create space for up to 4 sailing ships to dock (or a number of smaller vessels). The drydock area will be where the Fearsome Tide has been. You could also put in some ordinary docks near the eastern part of the room, where the rocks are (docks used to be here before they rotted away). Orsilir's black coral is melting and washing away, and as the coral blockade disappears, the sea water is washing in and very slowly clearing out all the goop. You may wish to consider building some guard posts eventually if you want to keep an eye on who wants to enter your cove.
14. Anywhere else: if you want to eventually build out along the path to the fortress or on the beach, you could, but of course that will cost normal.
MAPPING UPGRADES: The version of the map we have been using is one I drew in CC3+, and I can modify it as you upgrade the stronghold, so it will reflect your changes and improvements.
Further developments: You can keep this as a personal lair and try to keep people away, or you could eventually develop it into a trading post and even eventually it and the whole island as a settlement. We could eventually use some kingdom building rules to manage that if needed. The AP is going to keep you busy for awhile so this would be a long term goal. Just something to think about.
Nearby Settlements: Brightglass Island is not immediately adjacent to any major civilized sites. This is a good thing for you because it means no one's likely to take your stuff while you're gone, and gives you time to build the place up. Still, you're going to have to sail around for probably at least a few days to a couple weeks to get to major sites to hire labor, buy stuff---and work on building reputation. The nearest island to you is the Smoker; there's one major settlement here called Plumetown which relies on tourist income from those coming to visit three soothsayers that live on the island. This may be an okay place to trade. Directly south is Shark Island, which generally consists mostly of the "wretched hive of scum and villainy" sort of settlements, and they are prone to sahuagin attacks--but a good as place as any to build infamy and trade. This is to say--you can come here to trade; but it is not a place to be relaxed or to be very polite and diplomatic. Vilelock is the closest town.
To the east of Shark Island is Nalt's Island, which doesn't have any notable trading sites. More east of you are the Rampore Isles, which mostly deals in slavery. The nearest large, friendly true city is Fort Holiday to the southwest on Raptor Island or to Rumbutter on Bag Island; this friendly, halfling-heavy site specializes in food and beverage specialties. Either would take a couple weeks to get to, give or take (bearing in mind weather, etc.).

GMDQ |

On a different note, I'm sure you've seen the recruitment is progressing along, and we have many promising submissions.
I'll pick a short list and email them to you to vote on. If you have any thoughts on any submissions as they come in, please PM or email them to me.

GMDQ |

I was referring to "lots of clerics and other divine casters," not to your (or your character's) Wisdom score. ;)

Lathiira |

Thren's level-up statistics:
Arcane duelist bard 7
HP max: 63
BAB: +5
Skills:Acrobatics +13, Stealth +15, Climb +11, Perform (singing) +13, Profession (sailor) +10, Swim +8, Disable Device +4, Perception +10, Sleight of Hand +8, Intimidate +13, Perform (dancing) +7, Spellcraft +6, Knowledge (geography) +7
New feat: Leadership
Spells known: added 1st level spell (featherfall), added 3rd level spell (haste)
Spells per day (with Charisma bonus added): 5/4/2
Other changes: 19 rounds of bardic performance/day. Inspire competence gives a +3 bonus now.
I think that covers it.

GMDQ |

If you add in +1 for "possesses stronghold" then all pluses and minuses cancel, so well say it's 10! I'm saying +1 because it's not quite yet established. When it is more so, you'll get the +2. As the party goes up in Infamy, that will also give you bonuses, I believe.
I will adjust Sandara accordingly and send her stats to you to review. You also get 5 level 1 followers. The current crew are all level 2 or 3 so you can't recruit them, but I strongly recommend using them as free crew or stronghold occupants that you can recruit as you go. You can decide what you prefer.
Obviously we are moving into a holiday period, and will be finishing the recruitment. Finish out the scene as you desire, but otherwise let's take a break for play for the week. Please post your characters as you level them.

Lathiira |

I think I'll take your advice regarding the level 1's. Just would make sense if I got, for example, a few from Lilywhite who saw the race and are now young men and women ready to sail on the high seas! Though if we hire anyone for the stronghold that's suitable, that's fine by me too. We'll see who shows up!
In the meantime, we can roleplay as time permits and I await your new and improved Sandara (not to be confused with Improved Sandara, a feat I don't qualify for alas).

Lathiira |

Alas, holiday does not compute. Instead, I'm going in and we are ridiculously short-staffed. My team is literally 2 weeks behind schedule because of the decisions made by our equivalent of a district manager and working freight does not help. To me, I'm still dealing with people quite similar to that tyrant. Don't let that stop the rest of you from enjoying the day.

GMDQ |

Dude, we gotta find you a better job (I know you know this). Hope it went okay.
I have emailed all of you about the recruitment submissions. Please try to get me your favorite submissions (via PM or email) by Saturday if you can. I think all of the submissions had promise, so the decision will be tough. Thanks!

Lathiira |

Looking over the floorplan, the first thing I note is we need to dedicate space to something incredibly important and fundamental: kitchens! We've got spots for lodgings, common areas, and offices, but we need kitchens. I'm thinking we use one of the large rooms with stone table (#3 on the detailed list above) for kitchens, one for a common room.
I'd like to make the Scrying Room at some point down the road, but it's not a priority as none of us can use that spell.
Lighthouse: once we get rid of the unwelcome guest, I'm definitely on-board with that idea! Thren will probably enjoy hanging out up there once it's fixed up.
Bunks to lodgings.
Observatory: not sure if we should make this offices or a book repository. Still thinking about it, slightly favoring office.
Creepy altar of purple-frog smashing: once consecrated, this needs converted into something else. I suggest a shrine to Besmara, but other ideas are welcome.
Old Armory: a vault maybe? Gotta have somewhere to store choice bits of plunder, amiright?
Graffiti room: Storage? Other ideas welcome.
Cell: leave as is.
Thoughts on the renovations are welcome. I've wanted to play around with these rules since they came out, so expect me to be very enthusiastic about this. I really should play a good world-building game again....

GMDQ |

As for world building games, I've always wanted to play Kingmaker. I don't have the books though. (I played in a Kingmaker PBP but it died just as we were establishing the colony.)
I'll note the Graffiti room was the original dining hall and while the hearths have collapsed, it would probably be a good place for the kitchens, but one of the large stone table rooms works too. The hard part for that will be drilling in chimneys, I'm thinking full labor costs and/or +1 magic cost (hiring someone to cast stone shape).
Thermopyle, KeefX, I need your level ups when you have them. I hope your holidays went well.
We will be welcoming Emberar as a new PC! I'm thinking the easiest way to have him join is actually just have him show up looking for Ghoral Rey since it is an old Gholgani ruin after all. Or would you prefer to recruit him in a town?

GMDQ |

Also, LEE -- I cannot find all of your gear listed on your character sheet. Your pirate's kit, your staff, your quick runner's shirt, none of that is there, at least that I can find. You need to have this on your sheet in your profile so I'm aware of what stuff you have, as it helps me make sure I know what you're capable of (and you don't forget). You're also the most in need of new gear (I've realized somehow we have never gotten you any bracers of armor and you're level 7 already).
I'm checking everyone's gear because I want to be sure the new character is equipped similarly. Part of the sandbox ventures will also hopefully get you all kitted out more as I'm fairly sure you should be a little better equipped, though the dungeon's treasure has helped.

Lathiira |

Let's not forget we need to undo the Dexterity drain on Lark.
I'd say let's get Emberar to us at Ghoral Rey to get him involved the most quickly, but I can see it both ways.
Regarding gear: the one thing I have to say about Thren's gear is that the One Reason to Live is worth quite a bit. I like it, definitely keeping it, but makes me lopsided so to speak. Just something to bear in mind, because I think I'm overall good or close to it and I'm happy with what I've got :)
If the Graffiti room becomes kitchens, can we do that at cost?

Lathiira |

Oh, and I'd love to play Kingmaker too. I tend to like playing with new subsystems, that's my favorite kind of book to buy for Pathfinder (unlike say our old friend John who loved Bestiaries). They've led me to some excellent 3PP stuff like Ultimate Charisma (one of a few I went out of my way to buy the print copy for it's so good).

GMDQ |

Actually I just did the math for Lark and Thren's gear and they are actually about right for wealth by level if not a little more (and yes the One Reason pushes thren over, but without it she's still doing ok), so I'm just going to tell Emberar to purchase his gear as WBL.
Lee I'm not sure what he has so I can't be sure he's where he needs to be, but I'm pretty damn sure he should still have bracers of armor.
It's nerdy but one of the things I'm most excited about for Pathfinder 2E is builtin downtime rules in Core.

Lathiira |

I'm hoping 2E does good stuff with downtime rules myself. I'm more interested in that than most of the changes to classes to be honest.
Lee probably should have ye olde bracers, though he's used mage armor a lot. It's eaten into his spells per day a smidge and we've gone to the point of running out. Odd for a sorcerer to be sure. But like you said, gotta know what he has first.
I also gotta remember to look out for Sandara when it comes to gear. She's my cohort, up to me to make sure she gets stuff too.

GMDQ |

I have updated the map of Ghoral Rey to reflect it's being cleaned up, and adding more accurate markers on staircases. I will update it as you upgrade the stronghold. The link is in my profile (or will be in a tick).
I have also uploaded a map of Brightglass Island which is also located on the campaign tab.

Emberar "Sunstruck" Lealtus |

Hey all! Thanks for having me. I can't wait to join in this game--I really like Skull and Shackles, and it looks like you all have a great group.
I'll try to read through at least the recent history of the Gameplay thread, but is there anything crucial I should know? And is there anything you guys wanted to suggest as far as feedback on Emberar's build goes, before he steps into the world in his final form? This alias is filled out except for gear, so feel free to take a look to jog your memory!