Hopefully, you've all had time to look over your characters and tweak them to your liking. So, once Blask, Gurk, Mourntel, R'kellor, Kraull and Krejka are signed in, I'll take a last look at them and we'll begin.
Timewise, I'm in the US on EDT, so it's GMT -4 here; about 7:30 AM as I type. Wherever you are in the world, I hope you will check in every day and participate. Reach deep into your character and find your inner caveman (or cavewoman)!
Dotting. I think I'm ready, although if you have any additional suggestions on the character build, I'm all ears. I considered adding the human racial trait for an extra feat first level in lieu of the half-orc trait giving a +2 in perception, but I thought it was too cheesy. Plus, you know, perception is the most important skill in the game.
Dotting. I think I'm ready, although if you have any additional suggestions on the character build, I'm all ears. I considered adding the human racial trait for an extra feat first level in lieu of the half-orc trait giving a +2 in perception, but I thought it was too cheesy. Plus, you know, perception is the most important skill in the game.
A feat would be fine. You don't get very many. An atlatl would give your javelins greater range.
Last winter was colder, longer, and snowier than most winters in the Pariah Mountains. It always snows on the mountain peaks, and they sometimes stay white all summer long, but it even snowed in the valleys enough to stick, which is uncommon.
That stuff's all gone, and spring has finally arrived, and it's unusually warm. The sudden snow melt has all the little springs and creeks flowing quickly, the flora is all flora-ing, and the fauna is mostly bugs, helping the flora to flora, or eating it.
You spotted little white dots on the steep face of a high mountain; giant mountain goats, as big as a horse, braving the precarious slope to lick salt from the rock, and you decided that some freshly-salted roasted goat sounds real good, about now. So, tummies rumbling at the thought of it, you set off to go and get one.
It took all morning to get up close to where they were, and as luck would have it, they're gone. Fortunately, you have some good trackers among you, and the trail is fresh: DC 17 survival check to figure out where they went.
You approached the north side of the mountain. They headed west.
They went away from you on a very narrow trail across and up to a small plateau. They're probably grazing there, but you can't see. You'll have to move at half speed and make a DC 10 acrobatics check. You can reduce that by 5 if you link yourself to another character with a rope.
Spoiler:
"Shamanic ecstasy is the real "Old Time Religion," of which modern churches are but pallid evocations. Shamanic, visionary ecstasy, the mysterium tremendum, the unio mystica, the eternally delightful experience of the universe as energy, is a sine qua non of religion, it is what religion is for!
There is no need for faith, it is the ecstatic experience itself that gives one faith in the intrinsic unity and integrity of the universe, in ourselves as integral parts of the whole; that reveals to us the sublime majesty of our universe, and the fluctuant, scintillant, alchemical miracle that is quotidian consciousness.
Any religion that requires faith and gives none, that defends against religious experiences, that promulgates the bizarre superstition that humankind is in some way separate, divorced from the rest of creation, that heals not the gaping wound between Body and Soul, but would tear them asunder... is no religion at all!" -Jonathan Ott
Gurk easily avoids notice. He's a bit below the plateau, but he sees a little white, and some movement. It's shady here, which is good, because you're not getting cooked by the sun, but Gurk can't see the details from 120 feet, in a straight line. Traveling to that point would be 300 feet, or so.
You can signal R'k, if you like. He can make a check, too.
R'kellor clumsily follows his much smaller much nimbler companion and promptly kicks a large rock down the cliff face it makes a resounding crash each time it bounces against the mountain face. He sheepishly looks at Gurk. Oops
Blask, traverses the mountain path, up to where he believes the mountain goats to be. He stops for a moment, then he catches a glimpse of dung on the ground. After surveying the land, he notices hoof prints heading over the ridge. After following he comes to a ridge, and he sees others from his tribe a already past the ledge.
Blask goes super slow, taking special care not to make a wrong step and go crashing to the valley below.
take 10 acro = 10
He reaches the other side, even after a few scares of falling.
Kraull wakes up with a start, scratching his scarred face as he looks around for the others he had been traveling with. He had only laid down for a few moments under a bush for a brief nap before everyone had disappeared.
Luckily, they had left obvious tracks which he follows, leading him to see Blask up ahead in the distance. He then looks at the small path and judges it risky for him in his armor.
"Hmm, leaving others behind, not a good omen." He says to himself to stifle his annoyance.
How far of a drop will it be if the acrobatics check is failed?
Kraull can make it on a 1, so he's following along just fine.
It takes a while, but moving carefully, you can all get to the relatively flat spot where you think the goats went.
You have to peek over the ledge, but Gurk can, and he sees a giant mountain goat laying on the ground. Standing over it is a pteranodon, which appears to have stolen your kill!
perception:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
Gurk is the only one who it has a chance to see. The rest of you are too low. He gets a +4 to stealth due to the goat in the way.
Gurk can motion to the others, then move next to the dead goat and not blow his cover. The pteranodon just doesn't see him.
Click on the square with your name, hit delete, then type your name in the square where you want to be. As long as Gurk's behind the goat and moves at half speed, he's got surprise.
He can throw a dagger to start the surprise round. The others will have to move closer to see the pteranodon. It takes up 10' and has 10' reach.
Male Half-Elf 4th Level Shaman | HP 26/26 | AC 13(15) | T 12 | FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +5 | Ref +3 | Will +9 | Init +2 | Perc +12/+14
The masked shaman follows along behind the old man and the other half-breed as they cross the narrow ledge, taking great care and using his staff to assist with the crossing. Taking 10 on Acrobatics for a total of 12.
Once in position he quietly slips the leather thong he uses as a strap for his staff over his head. He quietly waits for Gurk to make the first move... As his stomach growls quietly at the thought of losing their first kill of the spring.
Kraull readies a javelin as he waits for the small guy to move closer, but then he loses track of him. Gurk was really good at hiding, it seems. Kraull shrugs, making plans to attack if no one else does in the next few moments.
Blask, watches as Gurk and Kraull go in to attack the creature. He searches his limited memory for what the creature is and if they are going to become its snack. He doesn't recall anything unique about the creature. Hopefully it is starving and is in a weakened state. He gets ready for the beast to come bounding over the ledge, hoping to tap into its biggest fears.
K-nature:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
ready an action to cast CAUSE FEAR on the beast...DC 15 will save or flee for 1d4 ⇒ 1...if success frightened for 1 round
The pteranodon roars in pain, and sets its gaze on the now visible halfling.
Since the rest of you were aware of something, you each get a move or a standard action before I roll initiative. Blask knows what this is. Unfortunately, he can't see it, so no spell this round.
The pteranodon can do nothing until next round, but none of you can see it, either.
OK. R'kellor moved, but didn't get a charge or an attack. Charging is a full round action, and all he gets is a move or a standard. He's positioned to do some nice damage next round, though.
If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn.
You can have it. If you charged from J-14 to N-10, you'd go past the goat, you get a straight line, and we'll call that 22 damage. I completely forgot about that caveat, and you would have already had your earthbreaker in hand. Move up one square, and that was a charge, AFAIC. BOOM!
You guys know the deal with PbP. It can take a long time, sometimes people get busy or lose interest, and few campaigns go as long as a year. GMs get frustrated and quit, etc. I have a lot of aliases due to that.
I think this campaign could be a lasting one. The design of a prehistoric world with less-than-powerful characters, and nothing higher than 5th level spells makes it more like an E-10 sort of game. I like to think of your characters as precursors to what will come when the gods start getting more involved with humanity. For now, the Great Old Ones hold sway, but they're not liked or even known of by most humans, and they don't care about you little insects.
Prehistoric people probably didn't think of themselves as adventurers, though they had plenty of adventures. Taking down a wooly mammoth with rocks and spears would be incredibly dangerous, but they did it. They figured out the hunter-gatherer thing in a wide variety of environments, each with their own perks and dangers, even as other species evolved and disappeared. It's fascinating.
I tweaked the classes to reflect this evolution. Adepts became shamans, and learned to craft magical items with the materials at hand, warriors became tougher and better fighters, and experts were already good at a number of things before they ever became experts, and they learned to fight dirty.
The first full casters were probably druids, oracles, sorcerers and witches. The more “schooled” casters came later. Rogues, ninjas, bards, etc., most likely evolved from experts, and warriors became barbarians and rangers. Fighters came later, when fighting became an actual career, rather than just a way to survive.
Survival, then, becomes paramount for you. Any day you're still breathing is a pretty good day. Your descendants are counting on you.
Magic, as I've said before, is in Golarion itself. There are magic rocks, fountains, creatures, and materials you can use to empower yourselves. Stick with it, and you'll find it.
You readied an action, so you can move and cast it next round, or not bother (you didn't cast the spell, so you didn't burn it). My guess is this thing will attempt to flee, regardless.
The half orc throws true, and the beast dies in midair, tumbling down the mountainside and coming to a halt 80' down. Poor thing never saw it coming! The big goat is largely uneaten.
Knowledge (nature):
15:
The goat can be cooked and made into jerky or pemmican that can last 4 weeks.
20:
The thin skin of the wings of the pteranodon can be made into a strong, waterproof material that's good for tents and raincoats.
25:
The wing skin is good for making a magical cloak, or light armor with a reduced armor check penalty.
Male Half-Elf 4th Level Shaman | HP 26/26 | AC 13(15) | T 12 | FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +5 | Ref +3 | Will +9 | Init +2 | Perc +12/+14
Knowledge: Nature:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Mourntel watches quietly as they more martial members of his little band of misfits scares off the dinosaur. He begins to move forward when the half-breed throws a javelin and the shaman prepares to launch into a scathing remark about wasting resources when the javelin brings the beast down! "Well thrown, Kraull!"
He claps the warrior on the shoulder as he passes nearby to examine the goat. "Good! We will eat well today. We should smoke the rest... This will make for good rations."
R'kellor crosses over to Kraul. He grasps his forearm in a warrior's handshake. Wel thrown brother. He crosses over to the dead goat. Let's get this beast back to camp.
Blask, ready to let a sling bullet fly, stops as he watches a javelin ends the pterandon's clumsy flight and life. He goes over to the dead carcass of the goat and a smile brims from ear to ear.
Indeed, this meal should last for awhile. Too bad I don't know how Madame good use of the bird.
Blask, helps to gather the remaining goat carcass, and trek back to camp. Along his way he keeps a lookout for any trouble or anything else edible as far as plants/berries.
