Pahleg |
I think it's just because my character is so strongly about keeping everyone alive, and if they get murdered right in front of me with no chance to save them he feels powerless. However that's not necessarily a bad thing, this is a dark world and it may have a negative impact on Pahleg's positive outlook in the long run.
Pahleg |
Sorry for the delays and absences in my posting. I have now completely moved into my new apartment and just went through orientation for my internship. It seems I will have a pretty normal 40 hour work week, a 9-5 job (eastern time) for Monday-Friday. So my posting will mostly be in the evenings and weekends, although I usually play with my local group on Sunday. Thanks for bearing with me through this time of change.
Ulrich of Ravensmount |
I'm not sure if anyone here is interested, but I figure that it's worth asking- I've been running a Trail of Cthulhu campaign here on the boards called Eternal Lies and I love the campaign, I'm a big proponent of the rules system (which I think is great for pbp play) but we've had a high player turn-over rate either because of lack of familiarity with the Gumshoe system or because of the slow build of the campaign or any number of factors.
So I'm hoping to find at least one or two more people to jump into the investigation in Los Angeles, 1937 just as it's heating up. If you're interested, there is a recruitment thread here along with pre-generated characters to look through or take inspiration from.
Ulrich of Ravensmount |
Sure thing. The nice aspect of Trail is that, in any given scene, if you have the investigative ability to pick up a clue you'll automatically get it- no rolls required. So you don't necessarily have to be an amateur sleuth in real life to help push the game along.
GM MG |
Sorry, James, but I've already got my hands full with PbPs right now.
BTW, I have a gameplay mechanic suggestion. This one mainly concerns Pahleg.
What if you got access to 3rd-level (and higher) spells from tomes, a la Dark Souls 3? You find a tome, bring it to an NPC, and the NPC teaches the spell to you for some cost?
You'd have a small list of "always available" spells that you don't need a tome for. These always available spells would be some basic stuff, like cure serious wounds, dispel magic, prayer, and summon monster III. The more exotic spells, like aura sight or stone shape, would have to come from tomes.
Of course, magus spells would follow the same principle. And because clerics usually know all their spells and magi do not, the always available spell list for clerics would be larger than for magi.
The idea is not to fix C/MD with limiting caster tools (I'm thinking the always available spells would include a bulk of the useful spells), but to introduce a chance for special loot for a spellcaster. For example, those scrolls you got from the mindflayer probably weren't really cool and will gather dust in your inventory. But what if it had dropped something like this:
Psychic Tome of Illif-Bar
An occult tome from a strange place, detailing psychic rituals.A psychic tome (for mediums, mesmerists, mindblade magi, psychics, psychic bloodline sorcerers, spiritualists)
Mindblade magus: 3rd- gaseous form, major image, psychic leech 4th- black tentaclesIt is a fortunately rare occasion, for a surface dweller, to come face to face with mindflayers. They have studied occult things in their underground cities: their reasons to surface relate to these pursuits.
Comments?
Pahleg |
Indeed, it sounds interesting but I try not to overload. I remember the days where I had ~35 active games. Not a good time for me.
I actually haven't gotten a chance to play Dark Souls 3 yet, because I'm too cheap to buy a console that can run it (and my laptop is too weak).
Definitely sounds like an interesting mechanic, even though it's a strait debuff. But since when is the game supposed to be easy?
I'm certainly down to at least try it out, seems like it could be cool! My only concern is that, while it is thematically appropriate and an interesting mechanic, that us casters don't fall behind in power because of it: this is in fact a game ruled by Pathfinder mechanics, and it's a very delicate balance system. Clerics have access to a significantly larger spell list because (in general) divine magic is weaker than arcane magic and has more useful applications.
Perhaps clerics would gain access to the "always available" spells, and in addition just like a wizard they gain a certain number of spells for leveling up? So I would get a few of the more exotic spells for free from leveling up, but any more would require looking for them.
Ulrich of Ravensmount |
No problem at all. We went from crickets chirping in the recruitment thread to five possible players, so I'm happy with how things turned out.
I'm not a spellcaster, so maybe my opinion on the tomes should be taken with a grain of salt, but I would suggest that maybe Core and/or Advanced Player's Guide spells could be default and available to everyone and stuff from Occult adventures and other supplements might need a tome? Or the tomes offer spells that aren't typically on their spell lists.
Kekkle Smoughbon |
Oh, uhh... I was just making a suggestion. For those who may or may not know I'm running a dark souls themed game of my own and I often look to GM MG for advice. However, since we're using Spheres of Power it doesn't really transfer over here. I had a whole resource recreating most of the spells to how I thought they would work in PF/SoP. Besides those, though, there was one power that was only avaiable via trait (beasthood) and another that I passed out as a reward:
With the stew now simmering away peacefully Altair can focus on the holy text he found. Unsurprisingly they are written in the same sort of common that the giant speaks. There are even a few portions where he turns to her to help decipher some strange turn of phrase. After a while you put together a mostly intact passage:
"...So it was that those that bore the mark of inheritance rose from among the masses and took up their mantles. The first was to become a mighty king, but was eternally plagued by his own impotent rage. He strayed from his path and became obsessed with those wrongs that were done to him and, with his fury, he tore down the architecture of the sky. Old Night began and the blood of gods ran freely across the ground."
You have access to a new Hex talent!
Gnaw
One of the dark miracles that came to rise during Old Night, when spilling blood was common practice. This miracle causes a victim to begin bleeding profusely from every orifice.
As a standard action you may target a single creature within 30 ft of you. If the creature's current total hit points are less than its maximum, this spell causes the creature to take 1 point of bleed damage and become exhausted for the duration. If the target succeeds at a fortitude save it is instead fatigued for the duration. You must concentrate to maintain a gnaw, but you can spend a spell point to allow a gnaw to remain for 1 round per caster level without concentration.
That's how I'd do it, at least. A tome could just be a collection of scrolls that can be used to cast the spell or learn from to keep the spell permanently. That, or a vendor to teach the spells. Though, we haven't run into any vendors in a while, I think.
GM MG |
Thank you, Johnnycat, that gave me some ideas for the thing I was talking about. Now for something else:
I'm gonna post about this subject now so that it won't take you by a complete surprise later on. The thing is, I'm getting a bit of a GM burnout on Labyrinth Souls. I want to GM something else. I already have something in mind.
I don't like doing things half-heartedly ("never half-ass two things; whole-ass one thing"), and if I now started GMing that other thing the quality of my work with Labyrinth Souls would decrease, and that would also affect the player enjoyment.
So instead, let's be smart about this. I "cool off" running that other thing (the duration of which I'm going to purposely limit to a shorter period of time - shorter than the 1+ year we've gone with LS anyway), and then we can continue Labyrinth Souls if you guys still want to at that time. I still think there's some great stuff to be played in Labyrinth Souls, but it seems those'll have to wait for some time.
I know that you guys have other games ongoing at the moment (11.8 ongoing games other than LS on average) and I don't hold delusions about LS being anything "special", so this shouldn't be a big deal.
Let's go through with this upcoming boss battle, and then it's an indefinite hiatus.
Kekkle Smoughbon |
Hiatus is great. I'm super excited for one of my favorite games to be coming back in about a week. I honestly think it's healthy to plan out online games to where you have the opportunity to take some breaks for prep and relaxation.
What else are you running? Is this a private invitation affair? I've enjoyed playing with you so I'd love to check it out (unless you want fresh players specifically).
Ulrich of Ravensmount |
No problem with the hiatus, enjoy the break.
If that's the case, maybe we should all throw down with the boss since it's the last we'll play for a while.
GM MG |
I just got back from a hiatus in my own game and it turned out to be a good decision. Good luck GM. I'll be right here when you get back.
Ah, this is encouraging to hear! Thank you.
Hiatus is great. I'm super excited for one of my favorite games to be coming back in about a week. I honestly think it's healthy to plan out online games to where you have the opportunity to take some breaks for prep and relaxation.
What else are you running? Is this a private invitation affair? I've enjoyed playing with you so I'd love to check it out (unless you want fresh players specifically).
Agreed.
It's not Pathfinder and it's not even fantasy, which is probably why I'm excited about the implications it'll have on my LS burnout recovery. Anything else I say about it here might not do any honors to the prep work I've done to it.
And it's not a private recruitment, heavens no. I would 100% gladly have you as a player if you're interested to try it out. PM me.
No problem with the hiatus, enjoy the break.
If that's the case, maybe we should all throw down with the boss since it's the last we'll play for a while.
For, hhm, reasons known to me as a GM, I can say that if Araden tries to solo it, it might not take a long time (IRL time, anyway)...
If that fails, you can try again as a team. How's that sound?Araden the Wanderer |
I'm good either way on the boss, and fine with a hiatus. Taking breaks is often a really good thing, and it helps a game stay around a lot more than just pushing onward regardless of your own feelings or anything. Much healthier for everyone involved to take a step back when needed.
I'd also be quite interested in checking out whatever you run in the meantime, if you'd have me. I'm always on the lookout for non-PF-fantasy games on here, since they tend to be a little rarer.
Ulrich of Ravensmount |
It's his call, but I would say go for it since the size bump is a potentially substantial damage bonus and the deflection from shield of faith should help offset the loss of AC.
GM MG |
Oh, yes, thanks for reminding me. The same thing happens as last time:
The floor starts tilting for a second, or so it feels to Araden. When the nauseous feeling passes, the Librarium seems to have expanded, at least doubled in area. (Current location: Librarium)
The man raises his hand to point at Araden. Now one can see that his arms are definitely not those of a human: they are elongated, at least 4 feet long, and the fingers are bony. He begins to magically float some 2 feet mid-air.
I had forgotten to add your tokens to the Librarium map. Fixed.
Araden the Wanderer |
And yes, Tannan, it was my bad, and pretty funny in hindsight!
You might say it was a case of... analysis paralysis.
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
GM MG |
GM MG wrote:And yes, Tannan, it was my bad, and pretty funny in hindsight!You might say it was a case of... analysis paralysis.
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Take 5d6 damage as the GM smites you for bad puns.
Things aren't looking good...
Yeah, this is probably where it ends for some of us.
Kekkle is one to talk, being the Sheepbro he is. The rest of you might have to take that hit point penalty.
GM MG |
So close, guys. And holy hell, this fight has lasted, what, nearly three months? I'm so glad you managed to pull through, because, I mean, can you imagine repeating this?
I considered just auto-piloting this (presumably) final round, a la "you close in, boss gets a ranged attack in, you finish the package". But I'm sure you guys will enjoy the privilege of saying a cool one-liner, after all these months.
GM MG |
Hm, I think there were three problems with this boss battle that caused it to drag.
1) A design fault on my part: A boss whose 1st phase niche is misdirection and illusions in a large boss arena, that causes the fight to drag on. This portrayal of an illusionist was just frustrating for everyone.
Also I think the skeletons had a bit too high attack bonus, but then again I think you were also a bit under-leveled for this boss, anyway.
2) You guys wasted rounds dealing with the skeletons. There was a limit to them (only two at a time can exist) and as we saw destroying one meant that another one appeared. The boss was spending 1 point of arcane reservoir and standard action to summon them, but still. Then again the skeletons were a bit too powerful for you to just ignore.
Moreover, the way you handled the skeletons meant the boss changed its "phase" pretty late into the fight.
I might as well post the boss AI:
During Combat Preacher Nero casts blur and starts summoning skeletons. He uses ventriloquism and major image to misdirect the PCs while he withdraws away from them. At first, he lets the skeletons do the job of defeating the PCs while he weakens them with ray of enfeeblement and ghoul touch, when doing so doesn’t immediately give his true location away. When he has summoned six skeletons (or when he’s been dealt 15 or more damage) starts using his ranged acid attack. His final resort is his melee touch attack that deals negative energy damage and shakens the enemy.
Basically, the 1st phase was annoying (summon mooks and use illusions, fun for the players! not!) while the 2nd phase was more straight-forward. You went to the 2nd phase the hard way.
3) IRL reasons: the posting frequency got really slow.
Ulrich of Ravensmount |
I think we should stop going after the reduced party trophies. Araden hasn't been able to do squat for about three months now and with Pahleg down he hasn't been able to participate either, which isn't fun for anyone. The strategy wasn't great for this one, I'll admit, but man we got some bad rolls as well.