[PFS PbP] GM Debug's The Paths We Choose (5-99) (Inactive)

Game Master DebugAMP

Alright, here's the deal for this scenario. You will be meeting with a contact for 3 different factions as part of this scenario. It is preferred that the 3 factions chosen reflect the makeup of the group. Right now the party is as follows (assuming everyone uses their first choice characters).

Diri Lizzenbetollze, Level 6 of the Dark Archive (Ex Sczarni)
That creepy guy in my closet, Level 6 of Liberty's Edge
Zinou, Level 4 of the Silver Crusade
PJP, Level 3 of the Silver Crusade
Pirate Rob, Level 6 of the Exchange
Aerondor, Level 4 of the Scarab Sages

Current APL is 4.83, which would put us midtier with 6 players, meaning high tier with the 4 player adjustment rules.

There is no hard and fast rule that requires me to run specific faction meetings based on your current factions, but it is preferred that everyone has a meeting with a faction that fits their presence.

Well, as stands, we've got 2 Silver Crusaders, so that's one shoe-in Faction, and the rest of us are divided. However, I could consolidate a second Faction, either the Dark Archive (with my Alchemist), or the Scarab Sages (with my Illusionist). They are both (freshly!) level 7, so I hope that isn't too high.

Thank you GM for putting this together. As a reminder I have played this before but am using GM * #3 to replay.

I put together a little Geek Sudoku for us.

We're pretty evenly split between people with high characters and people with low so we're gonna end up in the middle no matter which way we go.

I've previously done Dark Archive, The Exchange and Silver Crusde, so I'm going to greedily suggest the following: (moves lots of people to alternate choice, but gets me 2 new missions. If people feel strongly about their primary choice I'm happy to drop and make life less complicated)

6 MF Kip - The Exchange
6 Closet - Grand Lodge
4 Zinou - Grand Lodge
3 PJP - Scarab Sages* Timing issue?
4 Aerondor - Scarab Sages
6 Pirate Rob - The Exchange

APL 4.83 - Up with the 4 player adjustment.

This gets us two characters each of 3 different factions.

I am also more interested in seeing new missions than I am following my faction, so if Kip happens to have a character he'd be interested in swapping to for Lib Edge or Sovereign Court, I have a couple options I can use to manipulate the APL to keep it from swinging too far.

As a matter of interest, are there faction specific boons for this one?

If not then I have a dark-archiver brawler that I could use, but he is not exactly heavily into his faction.

Bulgo is more faction focused, especially as he just finished Destiny of the Sands.

Hi there! My Grand Lodge char is level 3 and a melee ranger.
I'd be more interested to play my sorcerer level 3 which is a full scarab sages.

If we are ready to start now, my scarab sages sorcerer is not yet free. I think the scenario is near the end, but can't say how long away.

Shambala here is ready to take the job. :)

I'll need a day or so to prep once we iron out the factions involved. My current PbP game is wrapping up in the next couple days so i think we should be able to start in a few days.

I would recommend picking characters of factions that you personally enjoy. When I played in this scenario, I used my Scarab Sages character (Sarsczek for those of you who know him) and played with a party that also had Grand Lodge and Liberty's Edge. I have my own personal opinions about ranking the various faction missions, but unless you are on the edge about deciding on the last faction, I'd rather not influence your decisions unless you really want to know. If I can accomodate everyone's first choice that would be optimal. At the moment I'm considering Diri as Exchange since she expressed more interest in Sczarni than her current faction (Dark Archive). It looks like at the moment a probable lineup would be Exchange, Silver Crusade, Scarab Sages.

Given that, I will plan on Silver Crusade, but if my sorcerer comes free in time, might switch. I did just realize that if she finishes, she will actually be a either a sorcerer 5 or a sorcerer 3/paladin 2 (I have 3 XP in credits waiting to be applied, and I think she is considering becoming a paladin based on her experiences adventuring with a few that have impressed her). But that scenario just took an unexpected turn, so I think I'll be using the first character.

I would recommend picking characters of factions that you personally enjoy.

If that's significant enough to be noteworthy, then my preference would be my Liberty's Edge, Scarab Sages, or Dark Archive character (so with all respect to Pirate Rob's expertly-done Sudoku, anyone BUT that one).

By the way, Pirate Rob, nice to be in a game with you; if I'd had my way and still lived in the Bay Area, I'm sure we'd have seen a great deal more of each other by now.

Note for Diri, even though you wont be representing your current faction for this, your chronicle and any boons that may or not be on it will still be for Dark Archive. I don't know if that makes a difference for you. At the moment I'm planning to prepare for Scarab Sages, Exchange, and Silver Crusade based on getting as many first choice characters in as possible. People who's factions are not being included, you can feel free to still play whatever character you want. You'll receive credit for representing your current faction regardless, but if you want to feel like your character has a more personal stake in the scenario you may want to play one of those 3. If there is any significant change of lineups in the next couple days I'll adjust accordingly.

Okay, I'm good with that set of 3 factions.

Thanks everybody for discussing.

If Diri's playing a Dark Archive character, I can play my Alchemist (also Dark Archive) - would that result in a shift in one of your chosen 3?

At the moment, Diri had requested Exchange since her character's faction at the time of the changeover was Sczarni. Additionally, I think Rob was showing his first choice character as being Exchange. If Diri would prefer to run with her current faction (Dark Archive) that might change things.

Holy crap, I looked at the lottery today and saw my name on the list. Could have sworn I wasn't on it...heh. Sorry about the late realization!

RE: Dark Archives v. Exchange: I'm not really concerned so much as to the boons on the sheet. For what it's worth, I do have a Lib. Edge option, now that I run back through the list of characters I have, heh. (Daring Champion Cavalier 3, if it matters.)

I was kind of hoping to see how the ongoing plot revolving around Karela worked itself out, but it's not a huge sticking point. (I'll likely just read through the scenario afterwards.) So whatever's easiest for the group.

Corrolary:

And, as far as total disclosure goes, Saturdays/Sundays tend to be super-busy for me (convention planning + local PFS). I will do my best to get posts in, but they'd likely be from a phone (and significantly less verbose).

Is that a sticking point for the rest of the group?

Dark Archive/Crusade/Sages is also a possible set of 3 factions to represent. If you are the most interesting in the plot with Karela though then obviously the Exchange mission will be what you're interested in.

Also, personally I'm a fan of Diri, having played in an incredibly entertaining scenario with her.

I generally urge people to average 1 post per day, but my weekends tend to get pretty busy as well, and my post quality often is a holding pattern on those days.

Excellent, then. Diri it is. And The Exchange, por favor.

Now to get back into 'Diri' mode.

I am not concerned that I get to play the faction of my character, additionally I have several factions available. My preference is to get to do as many non exchange/silver/dark archive as possible.

Excellent, then. Diri it is. And The Exchange, por favor.

Now to get back into 'Diri' mode.

Right. So where does that leave me on the Sudoku board now?

Probably Scarab Sages Illusionist?

PJP, what is the status on your scarab sage character? I foresee starting Sunday or Monday, and if you think your sage will be free by then let me know.

The other game has been slow, so I am not hopeful it will finish soon.

Posting the intro now, once everyone has posted in the gameplay thread we'll begin. Everyone, also give me your PFS # for the character you are using and make sure your sheet is up to date.

Which factions are we going with?

Exchange, silver crusade, scarab sages

Pirate Rob checking in.

15001-13

Playing my Ratfolk Arcanist 6 (Exchange) as originally intended.

Here is a link to Peran's Spellbook. He is happy to trade spells with other spellbook users such as Sihir.

Heyyy, there's an idea! It might have to wait until the end; I've got almost no money left with which to pen more spells in.

Bulgo, once you join into the gameplay thread we'll begin in earnest.

Checking in.

@Peran: I just want to take a moment to say that you are surprisingly adorable.

For what it's worth, I'm not sure there's much I add to this scene. I'll let the people with a vested interest take the lead here.

Consider this a 'I'm still here' post.

No worries, I'm in a bit of a rough patch personally and I know my pacing isn't up to par. My apologies.

NEWS FLASH & PERSONAL 1ST: My Witch just turned his current adventure's "Big Bad" into a newt! :D

Classic!

Did he "Get Better"?

EDIT: Bahh, beaten to the line in another thread.

1 damage sound bursts, like a boss.

Stunned by a 1 damage sound burst. Like a boss.

Which scenario gives the book with that bonus?

Sihir, aka IHIYC, even if I agree pretty much with what you're writing, I'm ill at ease with speaking of this in a gameplay thread and, above all, on a rpg forum. :)

I understand; just something that came up. I'm done now.

Fine :) interpreting a written tone is always hard, especially when it's not in your mother tongue.

My understanding is that there IS no "Swiss mother tongue" to speak of - so how does that work?

I've been to Switzerland, by the way; it wasn't for very long, though (a small detour in a guided trip through Italy).

Well we have four national tongues: German, French, Italian and Rumantsch (our "own language" that only 3000 people speak in some valleys near Austria). There are three "parts" of Switzerland, the bigger one that officially speaks German but speak in fact another tongue we call "swiss german", the second one speaks french and the third one (pretty small) speaks italian. And... we all speak english because we have to. You know, for business and stuff ;)
I'm actually from the french speaking part but speak all three languages (even if my german is pretty lame, not enough ranks in linguistics I guess).

I'll resist the urge to complain about America again and restrict myself to saying that my father's father's parents came here from Hungary - but like most immigrants, didn't pass it down because they felt the pressure to assimilate. Other languages I got screwed out of familiarity with notwithstanding, do you have any idea what a feather in my cap it would have been to grow up with easy access to learning Hungarian?

Indeed, I feel the pain :) My wife had almost the same problem, her grandfather was an italian immigrant and she never learned italian. However, we seized the opportunity to study in Rome and now we both are fluent italian speakers.

Don't worry about the time zones. My rule of thumb is that I give a full 24h window to respond to act before I move the plot onward or delay actions. My assumption is that a round of combat will likely take a full day. Sometimes I'll push the narrative faster if there is nothing left to do in a given area, but I try to make sure everyone has time to interact. Obviously life happens and work, health, and family always come before the game, so don't worry if you get put on delay. I'm not holding it against anyone.

My wife's grandmother and great uncle are from Cuba but her dad never wanted to learn Spanish. Sure would have been a nice language to know here in Southern California...

Please keep the bulk of the OOC discussion the discussion thread.

Again, sorry about that; that would be my instinct starting out, but in practice, when OOC stuff arises in the gameplay thread, I'm unsure whether to respond there or move it where it didn't start.

Wait; why does it say the Evil Oracle has only taken 1 damage after those scorching rays I blasted it with?

It was a phone update via copy paste of the last action log. Don't worry, I've got all of the damage tracked here correctly.

Bulgo, your status summary bar doesn't match your character sheet in your profile. I think you have a bit more HP than you give yourself credit for.