GM Harker's PFS Season 4 Campaign

Game Master Justin L. Warren

As for requests on the alt table... I'll probably be running with my Fighter. He's played a lot of season 2 scenarios. Can it be a season 2 scenario of some sort?

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Looking over the list of Season 2 scenarios in tier, most of them are multi-parters, which I would prefer not to do. I haven't played Murder on the Throaty Mermaid so I'd rather not run that either. There's the Dalsine Affair, but that's a notorious player killer and involves NPC's most characters probably won't know or care about.

Is there any particular scenario you wanted to play, Quiella?

No, not in particular. I have played Murder on the Throaty Mermaid, so it's moot for me.

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T'ck's brother is interested in joining in, if there's room for him. He'll probably be using a level 1.

Yeah that's fine, which scenario did he want to play in?

If you need to cut down the number of players, you can cut my alt. No need to be greedy!

Not sure. Maybe both? Are there slots in both? I'll ask him. T'ck and I are both planning to run an alt in the "extra" scenario.

Halkale: He could just as easily cut my alt. I think the game with your alt is the one that has more capacity anyway.

Well, with your four alts (T'kk, Quiella, Halkale, T'kk's brother), Mel and Ophelia, Beggar's Pearl will be at capacity.

Also, if T'kk's brother plays in The Disappeared, we won't need to recruit anyone for that one either.

Works for me!

I would suggest to those playing The Disappeared that don't already have a character designated for it to play a class with good stealth and/or disguise skills. If they're level 1's, they can retrain afterwards anyway.

(I'd like to bring Tkktck to the disappeared and Muirdarcaien to the begger's pearl. Tkktck has better stealth than my planned build for muirdarcaien.)

So the disappeared is mostly this group, right? That's a couple of pallies and such. I am not sure Halkale counts as stealth or disguise either.

Having high stealth/disguise isn't necessary, it just helps. I figured if some lower level PC's were to join the group, advising them to bring characters with an advantageous skill set would help them have more fun.

I've had a rather rough few weeks. My home situation is growing ever more hostile due to a particular family member moving back in, and I've found out that I won't have my job much longer due to there being no funding for it. So I'm looking for a job and a house, both of which are pretty unattainable right now - I can't get a home loan because I have no reliable income, and I can't get a job because I'm inexperienced in everything that's hiring. I've been stressed to high heaven at work, and when I get home, I've wanted to do nothing but sleep.

I'm still around, but I'm pretty absent right now, and trying to get my life back on track, and to not post when I'm feeling so depressed (which is pretty frequently). Please be patient with me. I'm trying to work my way back into everything.

I'm sorry to hear all that Ophelia. :-(

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Hang in there. God does not give us more than we can bear. You are stronger than you think. You are not talking about quitting. Despite the rest of your post, you are still focusing on moving forward and making things better for yourself. Keep it up and we will pray for you.

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Hang in there Ophelia.

It sounds like you've definitely had a rough patch lately, Ophelia. I hope things start to turn around for you soon.

Hmm, Moadis is at +13 to-hit while I'm at +7. Yeah, I think I should definitely start aiding you next round. I really want to hit with a smite... but my +9 damage is nothing on your +19!

Being sickened sucks. Next level I'll have significantly better to-hit, with a BAB increase and a STR increase as well.

I'll have to calculate my gold and see if there's something else I'd rather save for, but I might go ahead and see if I can get Ophelia to cast MWK Transformation on both my melee weapons. Maybe even at the end of this module.

you can only have 1 Mwk trans active at a time

Ah, yes. Reminds me I'll need to get my plate enhanced before I can do any of those things. Yay for AC!

I'll get the chronicle sheets out this weekend, and start The Disappeared on Wednesday. Also, I'll create a new thread for the Beggar's Pearl on Monday and we'll get started on that once everyone checks in.

Level 4 Quiella, for your reviewing pleasure.

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I have a question for the DM and for the group.

GM Harker would it be possible for me to change characters?

My reasoning is this: Currently in our group we have 5 frontline melee combatants, 6 with Frostfur and possible 7 if Halkake is forced into it by circunstances. We have 4 characters with access to divine magic, one of them with full spell progression (cleric). We also have skills well covered between Mel, Valik and the rest of us. The only area we as a group are lacking is in the arcane department, only Mel have access to it. We have too much melee and not enough arcane. Right now that does not matter that much but as we climb the ladder to high levels it will be incrinsingly more difficult for us to overcome the scenarios's challenges.

Add to that the fact that Moadis and Quiella have the same build (paladin + life oracle). I was planning in entering oracle next level but I can delay until lvl 8 if needed but untimatly the two of us will overlap each other. I have a level 4 sorcerer going for dragon disciple that I think would be a best match for this party.

Anyway I am not planning in switching Moadis at least until he reaches level 5 so if allowed it would not be a decision I would make right now. I just wanted to hear everybody's opinion on the subject.

I'm fine with the switch if that is what you want to do. Although, when the group reaches 5th level, I plan on running a 5-9 for story purposes, so it would good if you have your alternate at 5th level as well. On the other hand, if you other character has equivalent or greater experience than Moadis, I'm fine with switching them now instead of waiting.

Question regarding faction cards:

Am I using season 6 or season 7?

If season 7, do I qualify for either of the two below?

1) Explore an ancient site during the course of an adventure. To qualify, the original occupants must have abandoned the site at least 1,000 years ago, and it must cover at least 2,500 square feet (a 50-ft.-by-50-ft. area).

or

2) Participate in an adventure that includes at least three encounters in one of the following regions once controlled by Ancient Osirion: Geb, the Mana Wastes, Nex, Osirion, Rahadoum, or Thuvia.

If so, can I get wither one checked off, thanx :)

@Moadis: As far as overlapping builds... in our case I think it works out okay. It means neither of us has to get as many levels of Life Oracle since we can split the party's Life Links between us--alternatively, we can double up on some party members to keep them extra topped-off.

But I see your point about the party lacking arcane strength. I certainly don't mind if you change. Just know that I don't feel "stepped on" or anything. It has certainly been good to have Moadis around as a much more reliable hitter than Quiella.

I would offer to change if it is bothering you, since you were here first, but this is my highest-level character, and I don't even have any straight arcane characters.

--

Valik, if you had at least one box checked on the Season 6 card before Season 7 started, you can continue to use it. Or you can use the Season 7 one. I think you can take boons from both, and check boxes off on both, but I don't think you can check a box off of each card *at the same time in the same scenario*. So you have to pick a card to check off.

season 6 was empty, I forgot all about it, so I am using strictly season 7 :)

Quiella is quite correct about the Faction cards.

Valik, the first situation is applicable to this case, while the second does not since the scenario took place off the coast of Varisia.

I just wanted to say I'm really sorry for going silent during such a vital time. Thanks for botting me, GM. Hopefully I can get myself back on track - all my games are suffering right now. I owe you all better.

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I'm OK with either Modias or his arcane alter ego. With Modias, I'm confident that any baddies we meet will get smashed pretty flat in short order. But, it does leave me with the burden of being the only arcane, and I actually do worry about that. Look at all the extra weird scrolls Mel buys, just trying to be ready for anything. Unfortunately, he is not a very strong caster. With the ghast, it would have been nice to have a squishy sitting in the corner pounding him with magic missiles or whatnot.

On the other hand, Mel does not seem to excel at anything. Valik sneaks and seeks way better than Mel. Halkale is way better with a bow. Quellia is way better at standing in the front and taking a beating. Everyone is way better at healing than Mel. Throw in a sorcerer who is way better at nuking and we start wondering why Mel is even in the party.

That being said, I don't mind being mediocre. I did not build Mel to max out one attribute or another. He is kind of well-rounded and I enjoy role playing him. He is still a bit of a wide-eyed kid. So as long as no one starts looking at Mel as excess baggage, he will be as happy to welcome a strong arcane as he is sad to see that hammer go.

Fine with me either way

Valik sees things and dispenses "advice", my build is purely support. I cannot hit worth beans, but I will be damned if I get hit in the process lol

Mel, you have UMD as class skill from rogue. You have 1 rank out of 3. If you max it out next level, that give you a total of +8 tot the skill. If you are undecided about feats, pick up Skill Focus UMD to give yourself a +11.

With wands, you only fail on natural 1. Even if you roll a 2, that gives you 13, and you ca try again next round if you wanted. You can pick up some fairly useful level 1 wands

CLW: obvious why

Lead Blades, increase your rapier damage a step

Endure element: handy when you need it but situational

Shield: provides a +4 shield bonus, blocks magic missile

Protection from evil: obvious why

True strike: obvious why

Enlarge person: I think this trick works, but I may be wrong. I think it still takes the full round to cast, but handy if needed to make Moadis large if he stays, or even yourself, coupled with lead blades to do damage as a (huge?) rapier

Build your character the way you want. As long as you know going in you may not be the best in x y or z, you'll be fine. Never know when you are the one character to figure something out or to be the only character immune to something or have good enough rolls to save the day.

Valik is right, those first level wands are great idea. I might look into the wand of gravity bow, myself, which would allow me to use my spell slot for something else.

I don't think Mel is mediocre at all. If you hadn't have had that wand of Burning Hands to use on the Basilisk in Severing Ties things would have turned out quite differently for the party.

One advantage that Melufiuos has as a Magus that a Sorcerer would lack is the variety of spells that you can have at your disposal. You may want to consider looking through the Magus spell list on d20pfsrd, picking out the ones you think would be good to have and adding them to your spellbook. It's a lot cheaper than buying a large number of wands, although the suggestions given to you in regards to that have been sound. It's assumed that the Grand Lodge has spellbooks for you to copy from, so you just have to pay the scribing cost and the copying cost (+50% of the scribing cost). Level 1 spells only cost 15 gp per spell, while Level 2 spells cost 60 gp per spell.

Alternatively, you can just continue to buy scroll of the spells you think you might need later, but spells that you figure you're going to want to use more often should probably be in your spellbook.

No worries Ophelia.

--

I think you're great Mel. Harker had a great point about the Basilisk. I still remember that one well. Check out the Weaponwand spell and some of the Magus Arcana centered around wands. You could be doing Spell Combat with a wand of True Strike and hitting stuff very, very reliably.

The session has been reported and I've sent your chronicle sheets out. As always, let me know of any issues.

To review the schedule, I'll get a new thread started for Beggar's Pearl in the next couple of days and we'll start The Disappeared on this thread on Wednesday.

Can't afford a belt or headband yet, so I'm going to go ahead and give the ol' Plate Mail a +1 enhancement.

Most likely I'll have enough after the next session for a Belt of Strength, so I think I'll save for that instead of masterworking any of my weapons yet.

Or I'll spend 3k to get a +2 enhancement for my plate mail...

Nothing added to my sheet except an animal harness for Frostfur and I was wondering if I needed to get some adamantite arrows maybe? We are getting into undead and other types of mobs now, possibly?

Now if I can keep my money long enough to get into some better armor....

Just make sure you have blunt arrows and cold iron arrows.

Use silver blanch and adamantine blanch to get some arrows of those types as well.

Wow, I have no idea how I missed getting a wand of True Strike! I even bought a scroll of it as a 'just in case'. Definitely going to have to get me one.

As far as scrolls vs spellbook, I chose the scrolls because I figured I would never have enough time to swap out memorized spells. For example, when we were climbing up the side of the boat, I assume that having spider climb in my spellbook would not have been of any use since there would be no time to swap out the spell. But maybe I have that part wrong. How long does it take to swap out a spell you have memorized for a different one from your spellbook?

And thanks for the kind words, all. Yes, that basilisk encounter was awesome.

GM Hawker, can I get one of these ioun stones for UMD?

Pink and Green Cracked: +1 competence bonus on one Charisma-based skill 200 gp

Yes, Mel, you can buy that Ioun Stone. It just circles around your head or sits in your Wayfinder so you don't have to worry about a UMD check for it.

I see where you're coming from with buying all those scrolls, I just wanted to make sure you knew your spellbook wasn't limited by what you learn by level or what you find in scenarios.

As a Magus, you have to wait a full day to switch change your memorized spells.

Ok, I've created a new thread for the Beggar's Pearl.

Gameplay Thread
Discussion Thread

I'm looking for the following people to check in there when they get a chance:

Melufiuos
Ophelia
Quiella's Alternate
Halkale's Alternate
Muirdarcaien
Quiella's other Cousin?

New link to Beggar's Pearl since the last ones don't seem to work anymore.

If I have cast shocking hands in round 1 and do not discharge it yet, it hangs around and I can keep trying to discharge it. BUT, I think I read that if I were to try to use the wand of true strike, the shocking grasp is wasted? Is that true? Would I have to use the wand on round 1 and NOT attack, and then on round 2 cast SH and attack?

Second question. Does Illusion of Calm move with me? Or is the illusion stuck in the spot I am standing when I cast it?

OK
I have looked at the spell lists again.
Mel can still only cast level 1 spells,
so he'd like to scribe these into his spellbook:

• enlarge person
  
• reduce person
  
• expiditious retreat
  
• floating disk
  
• illusion of calm
  
• jump
  
• lock gaze
  
• obscuring mist
  
• silent image
  
• warding weapon
  

I'm not sure about using a wand and keeping a held charge, I'll have to look into it. You can use the wand for True Strike in one round, then cast Shocking Grasp in the next and receive the benefit of True Strike when you try to touch.

Illusion of Calm follows you as you move.

You can add those spells into your spellbook for 15gp each, just log it on your Inventory Tracking Sheet.

FYI, for those of you perusing the Gameday 4 games available, I plan on eventually running #5-14 Day of the Demon as part of this campaign, since it was originally a Season 4 exclusive scenario.

I don't think I'll be able to get into any Gameday games regardless (unless they are evergreens I have played before). I just have too many active games.

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If you end up needing one more for Beggar's let me know GM Harker. I have an available 3lvl druid.

Right now it looks like we have 6 players for Beggar's Pearl, but if someone drops you're definitely in, Moadis.

Np, I have being refraining from applying out of fear of overstretching myself too thin with my pbps but stuff seems to have calmed down at work latetly.

Anyway thanks for the kind words regarding Moadis's future guys.