Raziel is right on. I haven't gotten the chance to play Rise of the Runelords for more than a few sessions, but based on that time and some light research going in to this game, my own understanding of things is very close to what he outlines above.
I wanted to let you guys know, I will be traveling for the next few weeks. I should still have regular internet access and should be able to post every day, but my pace might slow a little. I'm aware that it already has, as I've just finished a term as a graduate student and things have a been rather nuts, but regardless of posting frequency, know that I'm committed as ever to this game. I really enjoy playing with you all.
Everybody have a safe and happy holiday, whatever it is you celebrate.
Have fun DM!
I think I finally pegged what Lisabett doesn't like about Almar. He's just as condescending as she is, but communicates it better. Or rather, he's more direct/blunt. They're a leadership match waiting to be bound by the prince of hell!
*laughs*
Safe traveling. Don't get caught in any airports or air traffic hubs because of crap weather. It sucks.
Well, He's a bit self righteous despite all of what he's been through deep inside he still has some of his arrogance left (but he thinks not, of course)
I don't know if it's already Christmas in your time zone, in mine it is so I want to wish you all:
Merry CHristmas all and Happy Holidays!!!!
hey, i've a question for sorin - does someone who disembowels priestesses of desna and leaves their guts all over a cave count as evil enough to smite on sight, or can he be saved?
Merry Christmas from Madeline Khan.
Hey now, be nice!
:)
Might prove an interesting philosophical moment for all witnesses, young and (relatively) unseasoned paladins included. I have other thoughts, but as they pertain to story bits that may or may not have come up, I'll not launch into them.
Suffice it to say, I am very fond of Sir Jolt's paladin and the way he plays him. Lisabett's disagreements with him make total sense; those two just don't see the world in the same way.
You guys are awesome, and I very much enjoy you being a part of this game. Happy Holidays!
Yeah, I have faiths of purity so I've read his code, and according to my much more experienced husband, a paladin's code is his first, second and third priority, but... geez.
Heh, maybe Lisabett and Almar were sent by desna to toughen Sorin up to be a arse kicking champion of good. :P
But Sorin's paladin code feeds into my Sarenrae faith so well.
We too offer a chance at redemption.
Its just that if you refuse a chance at redemption, we have to take you down.
yeah yeah yeah, at the beginning of the fight, you say "surrender or die." If the freaking thing shows a propensity to oh, want to kill your goodly allies, it has shown that it is evil. As if attacking travelers wasn't enough.
aaah, aquavit. norsk jet fuel for digesting its fatty christmas foods.
From Sorin's point of view, anything capable of reasoned thought can be redeemed; no matter how far into evil they've sunk. Even Zon-Kuthon could be redeemed if he'd drop his false name and let go of the darkness he's embraced. So yes, this villain could be saved.
From an adventuring standpoint it isn't likely to happen though. Redemption generally doesn't happen on the spot and few adventures offer the time or opportunity to redeem somebody. No villain is going to be redeemed while in the act of committing atrocities; protecting the innocnet is part of the Code too.
In earlier editions, the real disadvantage of playing a Paladin came from having to tithe a percentage of your gold and heavy limits on what kind and how many magical items you could own. As time went on, the Paladin Code was mentioned more and more but never really detailed (other than: "Don't adventure with evil people."). I admit I picked Shelyn, in part, because I thought it would be a more challenging Code, for an adventurer, to adhere to and would force me to take different thing into considerarion than I normally might. I imagine that Iomedae's Code is closest to what most people would consider the "default" of paladin behavior.
I was disappointed that Faiths of Balance didn't contain codes for the two deities who could potentially call Paladins to their service: Abadar and Irori. Perhaps, in Golarion, LN deities don't take paladins though that isn't mentioned anywhere that I could find.
Well said, Sorin. I remember chatting with you a bit about this during recruitment and in early discussion. I'm glad you picked Shelyn. It is an interesting variation from the more common Iomedae style paladin.
Yes, opportunities for villain redemption are rare, and the need to defend allies and innocents often eclipses said opportunities.
Husband played a samurai flavored paladin of Irori once. He used the code of Bushido, and swore to protect all knowledge. Was a SS *cringes* campaign, so he was our LG smitey man who kept the party able to collect those little tidbits of crapolla we all came to hate in the third part of the book.
Didn't work out so well since our terribull GM would come up with stuff on the fly, like an apparently non-evil succubus until "oh my god she's evil!" halfway into the fight, after he could have been doing smite damage all the way through.
And don't get me started on the non-evil bard b*tches that charmed the stuffing out of my AT because she didn't want to go with them to their little hut after they showed their appreciation for being freed by immediately trying to seduce (lap-dance and make out with) her paladin boyfriend. And don't get him started on the non-evil assassins that killed our cleric for the second time in game without him being able to act even.
I have the distinct feeling though, that as Lisabett starts beginning to disregard Sorin's feelings and just kill things she perceives are threats that A. her alignment will not be affected, and B. there is likely going to be a throw down.
Because there is no reasoning with Zon Kuthon. You either worship him, or you don't. Lots of the gods don't even want to hang out with him. Just like there's no reasoning with an agent of Rovagug. Who the heck would even try? It's just going to get you killed. Because they enjoy doing evil things to each other and others just because they're evil. Until the GM plays something as surrendering because it's having some real issues with the evil that it's been doing up until now, like, a goblin that comes unarmed into Sandpoint and asks Belor to lock it up, I am going to assume that monsters that like to kill and tear things apart and are attacking innocent people or preying on our party members or people we care about are evil and end them. And I will go on the record right now and say that if someone tries to bring another one of these evil bastards back for "justice" without proper restraints (manacles, at the very least), Lisabett will kill them.
Okay, probably a bit mercenary there, but its true. We're adventurers. If you think about it for any reasonable amount of time, we really don't have it to spare to reform anything. Ultimately, that's up to the community of Sandpoint, and its priests.
Don't get me wrong, I played a pacifist cleric of Sarenrae in our TT Kingmaker who went out of her way in the groups downtime to reform former bandits and make sure that they fit into society. This was something that was supported by Jhod Kavaken and other NPCs. She ended up becoming the high priestess of the land, and the common people loved her. But, same vein, the people elevated to our nobility and most of the party couldn't stand her guts, and she weathered out a lot of assassination attempts because her hippy policies were messing with how business was done. I mean, who the heck treats bandits like human beings in the River Kingdoms? That's like giving Alex and his Droogs free reign in merry old Englandtown in A Clockwork Orange.
I know and appreciate that side of the coin, that things can be redeemed. My cleric redeemed Akiros Ismort, atoned him personally and brought him back to Paladin status, of Sarenrae no less. And he had no problem putting down the evil stuff with the party as her cohort and later husband. But he made the effort to be redeemed when he refused to attack our party. She had to fight to keep him alive since my group was nothing if not mercenary, which is the only reason he was willing to trust that her concern was genuine. Show me the goblin that stood in their compound and said "hey, these guys are crazy murderers, please help me!" There wasn't a one, just Gutwad who surrendered when he was backed into a corner, because he didn't want to die.
I hope you mean you'll kill the "prisoner" and not another PC.
:)
aye, team killing would probably result in a CE alignment and sorin doesn't need the extra smite damage to kick lisabett's ass :P
Hey, guys. Things are rather busy for New Years. I'll keep up with the thread for the next two days, but I probably won't be able to move the narrative to the following morning until the 2nd.
Happy New Year, everybody!
Thanks and happy new year to you all too! (Yes, I'm late... :D)
Hey guys, it's cool. I just started reading Slave Girl of Gor and if John Norman is to be believed (and as a professor of philosophy, why shouldn't he?) I and Lisabett will be worshiping the feet of men very, very soon.
Ugh. Back in my late twenties and early thirties I made a big effort to collect Fantasy and Science Fiction stories from earlier decades; especially the out of print stuff. This included some pulp stuff as well, like the original Tarzan novels.
I managed to get the first eighteen Gor novels all at one used book store. The first book wasn't too bad but after that...I slogged my way through the sixth book (Assassins of Gor I believe) before giving up. I read pieces of the other books to try and get a sense of where the story was going (which, as far as I could tell, was nowhere though I never saw the remaining books in the series).
The prose is so dense that it makes Joseph Conrad look like a light read and the entire premise of the books (outside the sexual content) is a blatant ripoff of ERB's John Carter of Mars series.
Slave Girl was a fairly longish book for the series if I remember rightly (I sold my copies at GenCon auction years ago) and it stands outside the main narrative of the series' plot; such as it is. I admire your tenacity if you manage to finish it.
So, now that you know that only utter subjugation to men, which must include sexual acts, can bring you happiness and the lack thereof is the cause of all misery in your life, are you feeling liberated yet?
Ha! I'm reading the greatest bits to my husband. So far he thinks its a rape fantasy by someone who is so disturbed that the Norwegian government would not allow them to function on their own. My husband is a children's services worker, so when I get silly he pretty much just takes it in stride.
I think I'll have to read a few more books before the Gorean philosophy sets.
My thoughts on John Norman's conception of the four letter word meaning forcible assault.
I do not feel liberated. After 60 pages it ceased being entertaining, and became more like a study of a sociopath. But I did finish the book, which makes me wonder about a few things.
Oops, figures the day I end up out of contact is the day I needed to post.
But I'll take what I've got.
As for Norman, I've read some of his earlier books.
Yes, his fixation on bondage and the rest does distract from the story (I did like the pulp style of his story though). But when it started to go from a bit here and there to most of the chapters, I gave up.
As for how he keeps publishing? I would guess that there is a small section of readers who like that aspect of his fantasy, and keep coming back.
1,500 posts in, we're setting up our caravan! We'll get into the mechanics of it in the next week, but for the time being, let's start thinking about what roles the PCs and various NPCs might fill. Below are the rules for Travelers, cut and paste from the Jade Regent Player's Guide.
Most jobs provide bonuses on a caravan’s Attack, Security, or Resolve checks. These bonuses are considered circumstance bonuses—they stack with each other, but never to a total value higher than +5 per statistic. Any circumstance bonuses provided by travelers in excess of +5 on a particular statistic’s checks are effectively wasted unless the caravan has the Expert Travelers feat.
Jobs can be performed by PCs, allied NPCs, or NPCs hired for the position. Note that not all job positions can be hired for—some, like fortune-teller or spellcaster, must be filled by PCs or allied NPCs they meet during the course of the campaign. All higher-level travelers must be allied with on a case-by-case basis as they are encountered during the course of play; allies need not be paid for their services.
A hired NPC is a 1st-level expert or a 1st-level warrior. All hired NPCs require a specific wage—this wage must be paid in full when the NPC is first hired, and then again on a monthly basis. A hired NPC who is not paid his wage leaves the caravan at the first opportunity, and until he leaves, he functions only as a passenger.
During the course of the Adventure Path you will have many opportunities to venture away from the caravan (such as in towns or when you want to go exploring), and you can choose to leave NPCs back at the caravan site to ensure that they don’t come to any harm.
Cook: As long as a caravan has at least 1 cargo unit of stores (10 units of provisions—see page 22) in storage in the caravan’s cargo, a cook reduces the caravan’s consumption score by 2 (to a minimum consumption equal to your total number of wagons). A single caravan can benefit in this manner up to five times—additional cooks beyond five provide no additional benefit. Each time you take the Expert Travelers feat for your caravan, increase the limit on the number of cooks by +1. Requirement: Any character with at least one rank in Profession (baker, brewer, cook, fisherman, gardener, innkeeper, or tavern keeper) can serve as a cook.
Driver: A driver is required for every wagon in the caravan—a wagon without a driver cannot move. Drivers provide no additional benefit to a caravan. Requirement: Any character with at least one rank in Handle Animal or Profession (driver) can serve as a driver.
Entertainer: An entertainer keeps the rest of the travelers distracted and amused during the journey, and grants a +1 circumstance bonus on the caravan’s Resolve checks. Requirement: Any character with at least one rank in Perform can serve as an entertainer.
Fortune-teller: Fortune-tellers play a unique role in a Varisian caravan like Sandru’s—they serve as advisors, inspirations, and proxy mothers to everyone in the caravan. Fortune-tellers are traditionally elderly women, although this isn’t always the case. A Varisian caravan without a fortune-teller takes a –2 penalty on all Attack, Security, and Resolve checks. Once per week, a fortune-teller can give advice on how best to handle the coming week’s perils. In addition, once per week after the fortune-teller has given this advice, when the caravan has to make an Attack, Security, or Resolve check, you may roll twice and take the better result. Requirement: Any PC or NPC capable of casting divination spells can serve as a fortune-teller.
Guard: A guard helps to defend a caravan against aggressors. Each guard in a caravan grants a +1 circumstance bonus to the caravan’s Offense score, and a +1 circumstance bonus on Security checks made to avoid being surprised (such as in an ambush or in an attack that takes place while the caravan is camped). Requirement: Any character with a base attack bonus of at least +1 can serve as a guard.
Guide: A guide keeps the caravan safe from regional dangers, and grants a +1 circumstance bonus on Security checks. Requirement: Any character with at least one rank in Knowledge (geography) can serve as a guide.
Healer: A healer helps the wounded and the sick to recover more quickly. Each healer in a caravan can provide long-term care (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 98) to up to six travelers—these travelers automatically gain the benefits of long-term care when they spend the night in a wagon. Requirement: Any character with at least one rank in Heal can serve as a healer.
Hero: A hero is a highly-trained character capable of performing a variety of roles, from offense to defense. Each hero grants a caravan a +1 morale bonus on Attack, Security, and Resolve checks, to a maximum of +4. The morale bonuses granted by heroes do not count toward the maximum +5 circumstance bonus on each derived statistic’s checks granted by other travelers performing jobs. Requirement: Only PCs can serve a caravan as a hero, but doing so does not count as a job role—a PC can effectively serve as a hero and any one other job.
Passenger: Passengers provide no benefit to the caravan’s statistics, although many passengers provide payments to the caravan upon being delivered safely to the caravan’s destination. You’ll have opportunities to take on passengers for payments several times during the Jade Regent Adventure Path—your GM will inform you when such opportunities arise. Requirement: Any character can serve as a passenger.
Scout: A scout spends her days traveling not with the caravan but in the surrounding wilderness, looking out for possible trouble on the route ahead and seeking out stores in the form of water and game. A scout can provide 2 units of provisions in a day’s work if she focuses on hunting for the day, or a +1 circumstance bonus on the caravan’s Security checks if she focuses on scouting for the day. Scouts provide their own food, and do not count against the caravan’s total consumption. A caravan can have up to three scouts working for it at any one time. Requirement: Any character with at least one rank in Survival can serve as a scout.
Spellcaster: Spellcasters are versatile characters who can fill one of several job roles in a caravan, choosing from entertainer, guard, guide, healer, or scout, regardless of whether they meet the job’s requirement. Bonuses granted by spellcasters stack with those granted by any other job, but as with all jobs, any spellcasters in excess of five do not provide additional bonuses. Requirement: Any PC or NPC capable of casting spells can serve as a spellcaster. Spellcasters must be recruited during the course of the adventure; they cannot simply be hired.
Trader: A trader enables a caravan to conduct business transactions whenever the caravan is stationed at asettlement. Upon arriving at a city, a trader allows a caravan to spend 1 cargo unit of trade goods (which must have been purchased in a different settlement than the current one) in order to make a special Resolve check. This Resolve check earns the caravan a number of gold pieces equal to the result of the check. Up to five traders may attempt these Resolve checks (spending 1 cargo unit of trade goods per check) each time a caravan visits a new settlement. Requirement: Any character with at least one rank in Bluff, Diplomacy, or Profession (merchant) can serve as a trader.
Wainwright: A wainwright is required for field repairs to a caravan. So long as the caravans spending the day without moving, a wainwright can make a special Security check by spending 1 cargo unit of repair materials. This check repairs an amount of hit points to the caravan equal to the result of the Security check. Up to five wainwrights may attempt these Security checks (spending 1 cargo unit per check) each time a caravan spends a day not moving. Requirement: Any character with at least one rank in Craft (carpentry) or Profession (engineer or wainwright) can serve as a wainwright.
If you're interested in checking out the full caravan rules (which will come into play more as we move forward), check out the Jade Regent Player's Guide. It is a free download.
Lisabett will be acting as a scout to maximize her pretty poor usefulness and minimize party tension.
Can't get in fights with Ameiko if she ain't exposed to her.
I'm pretty sure we all know what role Setomi will be filling...lol
Looking at the choices, I guess Hero and then either Spellcaster or Trader, depending on where we are (Trader whenever we are in a village or place to trade).
Since we can change from day to day what we are (and not get stuck in one profession), increasing skills would also increase jobs availible to us.
True. Was thinking in character that she needs to be away from the caravan as much as possible until it becomes clear that Ameiko can't really be taken back.
Lisabett is trained in diplomacy, too and can act as a trader where her experiences will bring more to the discussion, like the two books it is that we're supposed to be traveling in the Land of the Linnorm Kings. Getting drunk, starting fights and satisfying animal needs on the longtable is something she's accustomed to, whereas some other folk in the party might be put off.
Also CN and positive wisdom, she's not about to try to save the world, or Thralls for the trees knowing how little impact one person has on an established tradition.
I think Almar will go for hero and guard... it's the work he was ired for after all. Scout is an option too, as Almar would surely want to check for the man in black's trail.
Multiples Traders are useful since it says up to 5 can participate at once.
Sorin's best skills are Diplomacy and Perform. That sets up Trader and Entertainer.
Next best is Handle Animal though I wonder how often the need for a Driver will really come up.
I've had too few skill points to give all the skills I think Sorin should have (and develop) but at next increase he will take a rank in Heal so can fill the Healer role but will never be as good as Raz in that area but one Healer can only cover 6 people so it's still good to have as an option; how big is the caravan?
Guard is also possible.
With 5 of us, we should always be getting the max Hero bonus since that doesn't take up a job slot.
And just a reminder, Sorin will never be able to take Spellcaster or Fortune Teller as his archetype never grants spellcasting.
It doesn't seem likely to me that he'll take the skills necessary for any of the other jobs. Personally, I wish that 3.0 had never included the Profession skill at all...but they did.
Yes, we're advancing quickly, but part of this experience represents your coming trek. I thought it best to handle it now, and you were close anyway after that encounter. Dire boars are worth a hefty amount...
As before, roll your HD in this thread. Remember, you may reroll the dice if the result is under 1/2 (as many times as is needed...first result of 1/2 or larger is final).
Also, let us know what skills/feats you're picking up.
Letsee, Husband has some errands to complete today so I have a few hours of alone time to catch up with things before I am unavailable through most of the weekend.
Make level 3 Sorc 1/Druid 2 for hp. Excellent!
Woodland Stride might be useful for scouting purposes.
BAB +1, finally!
Fort +1, Will +1
Climb +5, , Kn. Religion +2, Ride +5, ,
Feat...
Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Will update in the profile shortly.
Sweet...Total HP: 39
Added one rank to Diplomacy (3 ranks, +9), Sense Motive (3 ranks, +6), Perform-Wind (2 ranks, +9), Perform-*** (1 rank, +8), Heal (1 rank, +4)
Mercy: Lay on Hands now removes the Shaken condition in additon to healing.
Feat: Weapon Focus-Glaive
No purchases. My next will be chainmail but that's 150 G and I only have 82 G and 9 C.
HP Roll:
HP Roll again: Much better this time!
With +2 from Con, that gives me 9, for 25 total.
I'l take the Extra Channel feat, for 7 channels a day.
For skills, I'll take Diplomacy +10,Linguistics (I'm going to pick up another language, more than likely Skald), Perception +9, Sense Motive +8, and Spellcraft +6.
I get 2nd level spells now, and my Channel goes to 2d6.
If I can keep the 10 from my first roll (in gameplay) Almar will be at 36 hp, he'll also get +1BAB, +1 to will saves, and the point blank shot feat. And new deeds, of course.
Keep that 10, Almar. That was your first roll, so stick with it.
Thanks. I updated my character sheet,
I'm going to start the caravan off with a 2 in every stat. From there, you will decide as a group how it advances (hopefully through roleplaying).
Offense: 2
Defense: 2
Mobility: 2
Morale: 2
Speed: 32 Miles/Day
HP: 70 (20, 30, 20)
Wagons: Covered Wagon, Fortune-Teller's Wagon, Supply Wagon
Feats: Lucky Wagon
We'll arrange the derived statistics once we've settled which NPCs are filling the various roles. I will present a few options shortly, once the night has passed. I'll move things along soon. I'm conscious of getting the caravan going, I just don't want to eclipse roleplaying opportunities.
The caravan will start at level 3 (the PC level). I've selected the first feat, but the party will select the other two.
I would say Shalelu scout, and as Raziel noted, when Lisabett gets more homely town feeling with hanging out with everyone again she'll switch to full time spellcaster.
Koya Fortune Teller.
Ameiko... Entertainer?
Sandru driver.
Anyway, I am back, just need to think of what my Lady would have been up to and why she failed her perception check against ninja Minherzi! Ahhh! Don't you know rangers and rogues are Arcanist-killers?
question before I finalize my skill set for this level - are we going to be riding horses with the caravan, or on the wagons?
if we are riding horses, I'd invest a rank in it for the free dismount option should it be needed. but since I'm planning on going druid 4 to run around in beast shapes for night patrols eventually.
running a full druid elsewhere. beast shape is fun. :D
Yeah, I wondered about Minhzeri sneaking up on your guys with no Perception check allowed. You probably would have heard her, but I figured foregoing the cehck might move the scene forward more quickly since she provided no threat. Rest assured, if somebody with intent to spy on your or do you harm was sneaking up on you, you'd get the check.
Oh, and to answer the question about horses: there will be horses along on the trip, but you have the option of riding in the caravan, so its really up to you and how your character might prefer to travel. Horses give you greater range and flexibility, but it will bump up your consumption slightly.
did i get the timeline wrong? I thought Minherzi met us vas we were leaving Sandpoint.
I think so, since I think minhzeri ambushed us as we were all going to the Cathedral to see her.
And now we've been offered a fortune telling reading. What will our superstitiuos Ulfen do with that? ^_~
what else but bash skulls in with her warhammer?
Blood for the blood god, skulls for the skull throne!
Nah, she'll just decline politely. Prophecy has not gone well for the poor girl thus far.
I was envisioning the scene in the Cathedral happening in the evening. I may have been unclear.
Lisabett's evening on the beach can happen after the interaction with Mihnzeri and her mother, if that works for you.