Of Kings and Commoners - Kingmaker AP

Game Master RPGGGM

Will be at Gamex this weekend (Fri-Mon)... will check in as and when I can, but no guarantees - depends on hotel wifi and charging possibilities... Bot me as necessary to keep the pace of the game up, don't want to slow things down.

Will be at Gamex this weekend (Fri-Mon)... will check in as and when I can, but no guarantees - depends on hotel wifi and charging possibilities... Bot me as necessary to keep the pace of the game up, don't want to slow things down.

"Have fun, Rakhel"

Yeah I'm in 3 different games with Celyne

Don't misunderstand the post, I'm all for trying to make contact with them, as a player, but IC, isn't it really kind of counterproductive to reward them with something they may like(stories, jokes...) for pranking us?
Won't that make us a preferred target for future pranks? Or are you hopeful that they are forward/bold enough to actually show themselves, were just trying to contact us in a playful way?

@Posh, aye, will continue convo later today :) thanks for reminding me.

Don't misunderstand the post, I'm all for trying to make contact with them, as a player, but IC, isn't it really kind of counterproductive to reward them with something they may like(stories, jokes...) for pranking us?

Won't that make us a preferred target for future pranks? Or are you hopeful that they are forward/bold enough to actually show themselves, were just trying to contact us in a playful way?

Well for starters, I want my charter back. Zokon might want his arrows.

If we can get them to talk then maybe we can get them to return these things peacefully. Better than having to do so violently.

Right now that is the main thing on Numalar's mind.

@Posh, aye, will continue convo later today :) thanks for reminding me.

I'd completely forgotten myself actually until it just came to mind.

I don't think they TOOK zokon's arrows - just tied a string around them.

Aye, they just took a piece of paper with a seal...I know it's probably worth a lot to Numalar, but I figure if they are not planning on showing themselves, the approach may backfire...even worse so if it/they actually manage to figure out it's important to you.

Also, yeah, just a string around the arrows and similar non-permanent shenanigans, I'd guess you would find your charter in Naleksa's underwear-bag. In which case they may figure you are REALLY rewarding them for the prankery, especially if they met gnomes before...

Yes, the charter is important. It is arguably the most important thing in his possession.

Do you really feel the point of this encounter is to just laugh a bit and then walk away?

If the plan 'backfires,' nothing happens. We can either try to entice them out or chase them. So if this doesn't work we can give chase.

@Important objectively or subjectively? There's always a chance of it being stolen or destroyed, right, and right now it's just a charter for exploration, not anything more. Wouldn't you get a replacement and/or could use Celynes or Zokons for formal business for the time being?

@Feel the point of the encounter: I'm not certain, I try not to speculate. When we run into 1d4 trolls, the point of the encounter was to do some bantering and walk away while we are alive.

@Results: They interrupted our sleep at camp and messed with us. Thats all. If I were to be forced to interpret, I feel that encouraging them or positively reinforcing them will cause that pattern to repeat. Possibly befriending them eventually which may be of questionable value if all they want to do is play tricks. Unless you want to take one on as familiar.
Trying to be hostile towards them may make the pranks they play more...damaging, or, actually succeeding in hostilities(not so certain on the chase-part, they will have awesome stealth and probably not really leave significant tracks if at all) may cause the matter to be brought to the attention of more powerful local fey creatures shifting them towards hostile.
You asked how I feel about it, and it's totally a personal opinion, but I think the best way to handle it would be to ignore them, and check for your charter in other places.(like Naleksa's underwear, Luna's feed, below my Anvil...) If it's magical it should be easy to rule out the charter simply being someplace else. Or, maybe, they wanted to read it, and will return it by themselves - everything else they have done was non-permanent damage and unless they took ALL your charters this would be meaningless - I don't think they mean to keep it UNLESS you make it interesting to do so.
As such, I feel the point of the encounter is a test of personality with possible repercussions for both a "good" and a "evil" approach, with the reasonable solution being "be a good sport"(don't mess with fey in their lands), and let it go. Let them have their laugh but don't make it too amusing for them, hoping they get bored and move on.

The charter can be replaced, but not easily. We would have to return to Restov again, and Numalar would be embarrassed by the fact that he "lost" his charter. Anything else he has can be replaced with gold.

The charter is also important to Numalar personally because it represents the fact that he has been entrusted by someone important with a significant task. So it is a symbol that he is going somewhere and is not the neer-do-well he once was.

I think you are making way too many assumptions about what is going on. You seem to feel that we do not want to know what is happening and should just move on. Numalar wants to know what is going on, and we won't find out by going back to bed.

I would like to note that the rightful charter bearer (or cleverly disguised dishonest one) has some pretty impressive legal powers.

I think you are making way too many assumptions about what is going on. You seem to feel that we do not want to know what is happening and should just move on. Numalar wants to know what is going on, and we won't find out by going back to bed.

Oh, not at all. Do note that I went to bed. The stage is all yours. As said, I am not arguing any more. I stated my opinion, asked for clarification on reasoning in discussion, the matter's settled in my book. It seemed strange we would entertain them after they interrupted our rest and pranked us in the middle of the night, but that was probably me not being a morning person speaking. You think it improves your chances to regain your charter so thats a sound reasoning. All fine.

Regarding assumption, I am, rather, NOT making assumptions based on the fact they seem to be playful fey. If they were playful undead, playful trolls, playful wyvern, or playful elven girl scouts, I would still act the same way. Ignore them and hope the pranking stops.
Because if they think we enjoy it and keep it up every night for a while, some day, something will happen and nobody will take it serious, so I'd rather deal with that kind of thing when we're on our way home, back to Olegs, where they probably won't follow if things don't go as we hoped, rather than deeper into the woods, where they may get friends to join the fun if we amuse them.

@Charter: If this was about stealing and abusing Numalar's charter, they could be way beyond our scan range already. Detect Magic is incredibly short-ranged at 20 meters anyway, they could easily have stayed outside out sonar coverage if they meant to, or not even alert us in the first place.

Sorry i'm posting ths s late, i'm away for 4 days so my posting will be spotty at best. from 10th to 13th +8 hours timezone.

With slightly more research I see that the proposed trail map ("interactive area map" link above) starts out at Oleg's but there doesn't seem to be any mention of returning to the trading post in the gameplay thread (around page 73; I haven't checked discussion). Again let me know if you want to add a day to make a quick trip back to Oleg's before setting off. You do not however get to take back not taking tents and such. ;)

I was confused by the fact that the line starts at Oleg's even though our current journey really started at Renault's. My fault.

I was already down to only 3 jugs of booze out of 6 before meeting the Bee-King and would like to refill them. If I do that before we set out I will still be down two from our drunken night with the Bee-King. If we go now I will be at full capacity. Either is fine with me.

As far as the stuff we got from Tor & co., I would want to let Oleg take his pick of the stuff and give us what cash he can for it, and the rest we can just store there (though if he finds a buyer perhaps we can do so "on consignment"). I know Oleg only has so much cash at any given time. Some of the stuff I have a hard time imagining him moving.

I think it would be worth it to pick up Luna's Barding if we think it will be there now.

Re: Tents...

I was going to say: "Can't we use Survival to make shelter?"

But then I looked back and realized we have 6 tents from a while ago. The Kressle encounter I think.

Looking at the Loot Page I realize I haven't updated the page to include the stuff from Tor & Co. from this post.

There are a few updates since then so here's a final list.

Claimed Items:
125 mwk chain shirt, (Zokon. offering his regular chain shirt to Scarlet.)
155 mwk battleaxe (Scarlet)
250 mwk Composite Longbow 12 STR (Scarlet)
2.5 spell component pouch (Alia)
215 spellbook (Alia) I presume this will be sold after copying?
scroll of magic missile (3rd level) (Numalar)
scroll of shield (Alia)
potion of cure moderate wounds (Scarlet)
12.5 donkey with a bridle and pack saddle. (party)
6 small klar (Numalar will take one.)
30 Three bronze Aspis coins (Alia)
six +1 animal bane arrows (Zokon)
151 Masterwork dagger (Celyne)

Items That Tor keeps:
1 dagger,
Camping Gear & Rations

Items to be sold:
375 five doses of medium spider venom.
275 mwk repeating light crossbow
87.5 mwk studded leather
2 repeating crossbow bolts (20)
27.5 masterwork trap-building tools
2.5 buckler,
25 heavy crossbow,
10 rapier
5 each small leather armor (3)
0.5 each small javelin (12)
6 each small klar (2)
7.5 each small scimitar (3)
25 + 0.5 heavy crossbow (with 10 bolts)
75.5 five medium spider envenomed bolts.
37.5 Longbow (no longer needed by Scarlet)
87.5 Scarlet's mwk studded leather armor
Total 1080 gp.

Coin & Valuables:
465 gp and 505 sp (from various pouches)
250 gp (bounty)
100 Grogan's Sapphire
Total: 865.5 gp

The map path was there as sort of a guide, as to your overall path the fact that you were starting in a spring farmers' market meant that you could buy a lot of your supplies from the hex you were in rather than returning to Oleg's.

Re: Tents...

I was going to say: "Can't we use Survival to make shelter?"

But then I looked back and realized we have 6 tents from a while ago. The Kressle encounter I think.

You can use survival to find shelter from the elements (hunker under snow drifts to stay warm, find shelter from the rain and the like) but that can take some time depending on the situation. Building something as useful as say a tent is more of a craft.

As for your stock of camping supplies--yep, the Greenbelt bandits did have a lot of camping supplies the better to waylay folks traveling the surrounding lands with.

I did specifically hint to the fact that party would want to make sure they were all geared up before setting out. But some of the party members are not really woodsy camping types and even if they were folks still forget things sometimes.

The path the group chose is a long one but you don't have to stick to it. If you want to turn back for supplies or go off and explore the forest some more feel free. It's just a guideline to follow. It will though pay to be efficient. While there is no specific timeline there are things going on in the campaign's background as time passes. Some of these things you definitely know about (often via the Side ReQuests and Wanted Poster bounties). Others have only been hinted at, and others still are completely unknown.

As of now I don't have any specific votes to say you all returned to Oleg's before setting out--is that the group's final answer?

Aye, if only to drop off stuff from before and pick up Luna's barding.

I have my blade, a tent, a anvil, and a kitty. What more do I need to survive in the wilderness?(yeah, she's not the rangery-type)

Yeah return to Olegs.. off load stuff, make sure all have tents.. not rangery just pedantic is Zokon about shelter arangements

Alas, the time for retrieving bandit tents has passed having had the in-game effect of making Naleksa very slightly wealthy.

Any nays? If not, later tonight I will etch it in virtual stone.

The extra tents didn't cost much. It might be useful later on to have extras. So Naleska can keep her money.

Building something as useful as say a tent is more of a craft.

Sure, but I was thinking more of something like a lean-to, out of branches and foliage. It's fairly basic survival training to do that. It would be pretty easy to do that in a forest, though much more difficult out on the plains.

That may be basic survival, but it also takes time to do so properly. As such, you would mostly do that if you have to stay in a area for a while and need shelter, not do it all over again every single evening.

I much prefer simply throwing up a tent and be done with it.

Found it.

The body was undisturbed by any scavengers, but we don't know if that was an effect on the body or the stones...or I missed if we tried to get the horses close.

Also remember that anyone can use craft it is not a 'trained only' skill.

Generic post to all games: I've been ill the last couple of days. Fever and Headache, and no real interest in any activity that includes, as the name implies, being active, as opposed to passively enduring.
I do feel a bit better today, but not good enough to return to work. As such, I expect that over the next 16 or so hours I will get to post/update in most(maybe not all - dunno how I'll feel later) of my games. This is as much an Aviso as a notification, though, as depending on how I will feel in the next few days(and after returning to work), post rate may be...slow. Where applicable, feel free to bot - (just to be clear: "botting me" is not applicable when I'm GM.)

Get better soon, Alia.

Ditto.

Hope you get well soon. It's awful being ill.

Hope you are feeling better soon. :)

yes, do feel better soon... Being sick bites.

So here in some of the former Colonies we will be celebrating the anniversary of our own version of the Brexit vote this long weekend complete with BBQs and fireworks so posting might be slow until Tuesday.

For those of you celebrating it, have a Happy Independence Day!

So here in some of the former Colonies we will be celebrating the anniversary of our own version of the Brexit vote this long weekend complete with BBQs and fireworks so posting might be slow until Tuesday.

For those of you celebrating it, have a Happy Independence Day!

True, but Independence Day is certainly something to be proud of :)

With Brexit...it seems the world is just facepalming.

FYI I may not be able to post again until Sunday night. Busy Weekend. BTW, happy Canada Day!

I have baked Red (Strawberry), White (chocolate) and Blue (berry) cupcakes for 'murica Day. Layering batters of different consistency is really hard!

I'll have to take your word on that.. cupcakes mmm our thing for election day has been online lists of where you can vote that also have a sausage sizzle.

Hmm....cakes sound wonderful, but I'm one of those annoying fussy people and would only eat the white bit.

Hmm....cakes sound wonderful, but I'm one of those annoying fussy people and would only eat the white bit.

.... with out actually touching the top or the bottom. In fact, the red bit would still be floating there. Never play this man in a game of Jenga.

I'll have to take your word on that.. cupcakes mmm our thing for election day has been online lists of where you can vote that also have a sausage sizzle.

.... Do you have a selection of crazily-colored-hair (quote un-quote) yobs vying for the big chair? (Honestly, where was Rob Ford's fright wig when he was running that big city in Michigan's U.P.?) The boy in Britain backed out, and Donald Trump wants to pin Start of Davids and dollar bills to the most corrupt woman currently running for president. So anyone who looks more like Pennywise the clown on a bad-hair day than that down/(up? around to the right?) there?

I have baked Red (Strawberry), White (chocolate) and Blue (berry) cupcakes for 'murica Day. Layering batters of different consistency is really hard!

That sounds suspiciously like 'science' fer some parts of 'Murica. Did you have to go to one of those snobby schools on the coast to learn how to do that?

Scarlet Scarab wrote:

I have baked Red (Strawberry), White (chocolate) and Blue (berry) cupcakes for 'murica Day. Layering batters of different consistency is really hard!

That sounds suspiciously like 'science' fer some parts of 'Murica. Did you have to go to one of those snobby schools on the coast to learn how to do that?

For more science, I don't use eggs. Sadly there wasn't enough air in the batter, so instead of 24 cupcakes I have 15 super dense muffins, haha.

I do live on the East Coast, but mostly my 2 Italian-American friends gave me the idea. Maybe I'll retry on 'murica Day.

Nope no wild hair.. much less interesting. At the moment the electionnis so even that it may take days or a week to get a result and it may turn out to be no majority achievable for any party and I don't know what happens in that case.

** spoiler omitted **...

Maybe he should paint himself white and then wear a red hat to fit in?

FYI I am leaving town tomorrow afternoon and won't be back until Monday night. Don't think I will have internet access where I am going. I will be able to post again tomorrow during the day, then probably not until Monday night.

Gotcha. Thanks for the heads up.

Posting to all my games as this MAY be very relevant in the future: My corporate network is applying selective restrictions to certain sites, regardless of the connection used.
For these past days, my connection to paizo was refused, today it is working again. While I often do my posts from home, what this means is that at times where I'm travelling to HQ or another department, which happens regulary, I'll be dependent on the system allowing me access.
Those last 3 days, I've been locked out of Paizo by my cache administration.
I will look into ways to "fix" this, but for now, whenever I am travelling, I may or may not be able to log in -_-
(and my phone is company-issued using the same restrictions...so no luck there).

Posting to all my games as this MAY be very relevant in the future: My corporate network is applying selective restrictions to certain sites, regardless of the connection used.

For these past days, my connection to paizo was refused, today it is working again. While I often do my posts from home, what this means is that at times where I'm travelling to HQ or another department, which happens regulary, I'll be dependent on the system allowing me access.
Those last 3 days, I've been locked out of Paizo by my cache administration.
I will look into ways to "fix" this, but for now, whenever I am travelling, I may or may not be able to log in -_-
(and my phone is company-issued using the same restrictions...so no luck there).

Sorry to hear, but I'm sure there might be a way around this. No way to get around it with VPN?

Certainly sucks, but I can understand why some companies do that. Personally if I ran one I wouldn't care as long as people are working hard and happy at work, but then again having that kind of attitude would never win me that kind of position in the future...:)

D'oh! That sucks, Alia.

You need some elite hacker to give you access to Paizo!

So, about this regenerating super bear...

We kinda stumbled into this thing, but what's our plan? Chase it down and kill it? It could have fled, but we all failed our Knowledge(Nature) and Heal checks.

Scarlet's wounded and in a bloodrage, so I don't want her to get caught off guard.

The connection uses a VPN tunnel via Cisco to go over a Corporate Proxy regardless of where you are connected.
It's necessary for several programs to work, and to have access to certain servers, so it even makes sense.

No way to change the settings client-side. The fact I can access it today is telling me it's either a heuristic system or they have not settled on specific rules sets yet. Either way, I wanted to let people know that I MAY be gone for some extended periods if I don't have access to my home computer(old school stationary gaming rig, not a laptop).

@bear: I saw it's wounds close...so I figure it will heal up and come back with a vengeance. If it can tele-hop away repeatedly, it may do that until we're out of resources...skirmish, retreat, come back for more. If it's at-will, it can simply laugh at us until Zokon runs out of arrows.

As such, IF we intend to stay, we best run and catch it.
On that account: where exactly did we leave Naleksa and the horses? I think we would have heard if there was trouble there, but maybe we should get them closer to the cave or retreat to them and consider alternative shelter options.