GM Red |
Hi all, I'm going to be out from Saturday afternoon (about 3-4 eastern) until Sunday afternoon to attend a wedding. I'll continue posting up until before I leave and then continue to update on Sunday when I return.
Mr. Peppers |
Work is taking me out into the woods next week and I won't have access to the interwebs until Friday. I'll post before I head out in the morning tomorrow but then will be awol for about 4 days. I hope things aren't over before I get back! Feel free to bot Peppers as I'm sure you're familiar with his style and tactics so far. Don't be afraid to use his magic missile wand.
Sir D. Arthraven |
I read the pages on urban environment (crowds) and perception again.
A crowd allows someone to make stealth checks, cool, of course.
Perceptions says that the creature making it, if distracted, gets a +5 penalty to the DC vs stealth.
Distance to it is a +1/10 feet, and since kinetic blast's range is 30 feet, D. will try to maximize this.
So, if someone speaks to the man to distract him, if his focus on the stick isn't doing so already, that technically makes for a +8 penalty on the stick-man's perception checks to see me pointing a finger at his airborn stick.
That said, the GM will probably hit one if not all my stealth checks. :D
GM Red |
I've asked the other GMs if the bluff aid rolls count as your PC having used the skill for the encounter. If that's the case, the check will fail and no one will be able to roll Bluff again for the hoarder. Since two successes are needed with the only other options being Diplomacy and Perform (any), that would make it impossible for you guys to succeed with this one without resorting to combat.
Unless any of you can perform in any way, of course. :)
As soon as I find out, I'll update Gameplay.
Uesugi Hideyoshi |
Yummy combat...my blade is craving for some action
GM Red |
It is the case. There's a lot of discussion on it, D.
Here and here, to name a couple.
Generally, it's up to the GM if what you did was a evil act that would shift alignment. In this particular case, there's a much larger issue at hand (ie. incoming end of the world), and so while it is still evil in a strict sense, the mage's death wasn't preventable in the long run.
Sir D. Arthraven |
There was this one time, running Among the Living, where the paladin of Saranrae tried via diplomacy, to get the BBEG to step from his evil plans.
Since he laughed at him, rejecting him, and issued a minion his destruction, he coup'ed the villain afterwards.
I probably should have marked that, but there was something in the paladin code of her, that said not to kill an enemy unless deemed irredeemable. But he was, yet..he was helpless when doing so.
GM Red |
He was true to his character, at least.
I try not to worry about alignment stuff too much. I'd think evil characters would kill out of convenience rather than necessity, so killing the Harbinger, even asleep, was basically your only choice at this point. He was going to wake up and keep fighting either way.
Sir D. Arthraven |
I have to chime in that you CAN run Evil aligned characters and creatures in PFS. It is done all the time! Just GM.
This is something i love.
Taunt the PCs, describe evil villainous things they do, ominous speeches while or sounds when they approach a room, and the like.
Though i have been guilty of dropping a link to a crazy picture, on few occasions, as display of a facial expression.
Edit: This one, as the woman laughed hohoho.
Said paladin replied:
'i don't know what to say about this :/'
GM Red |
Yup. BBEGs and other fiends make for some fun roleplaying!
By the way, I'm enjoying your RPing of the goblins in our Frostfur mission. They act exactly like goblins should act. :)
Gorgeous Gallix Granbonne |
I'd think evil characters would kill out of convenience rather than necessity, so killing the Harbinger, even asleep, was basically your only choice at this point. He was going to wake up and keep fighting either way.
^This
The way I saw the situation when I killed the dude was that I could either kill him right then, when he couldn't cost any more time/resources, or I could just hit him and wake him up, which would probably have resulted in his trying some shenanigans on his next turn, potentially provoking an AoO from Gallix. In the end, the total damage might have killed him anyway.
I dunno. Yes, he was helpless, but he was also a major threat in that he was sustaining the time bubble thing. I guess for me it came down to kill or be crushed to death by the impending apocalypse. I hope I didn't come off as too cavalier about it. I tried to show how much Gallix disliked his own actions, but y'all sucked up those Sense Motive checks! Haha
GM Red |
Thanks NN. Okay guys, looks like we have an Aid Token!
Allied Offensive: A Pathfinder agent strikes a creature at the same time as the PC, increasing the damage dealt by one attack by 1d8 points. In addition, after the attack, anyone attacking the target is considered to be flanking it until the beginning of the attacker’s next turn. In Subtiers 5–6 and 7–8, increase the damage dealt to 2d8 points. In Subtier 10–11, this amount increases to 3d8 points.
Burst of Healing: A Pathfinder agent heals all of the PCs of 1d6 points of damage. In Subtiers 5–6 and 7–8, the amount healed increases to 3d6 points. In Subtier 10–11, the amount healed increases to 5d6 points. Alternatively, in any subtier the agent can instead cast neutralize poison, remove curse, or remove disease with a caster level equal to the table’s APL (minimum 5).
Spellcasting Synergy: A Pathfinder agent casts a spell at the same time as the PC, increasing the save DC and caster level of the PC’s spell by 1. In Subtiers 7–8 and 10–11, the PC’s caster level instead increases by 2.
Timely Inspiration: A Pathfinder agent provides the effects of a bard’s inspire courage bardic performance for 3 rounds. In Subtiers 1–2 and 3–4, the competence bonus is +1. In Subtiers 5–6 and 7–8, the competence bonus increases to +2. In Subtier 10–11, the competence bonus increases to +3.
Uesugi Hideyoshi |
Thanks N N.
I wonder if we will need this thing?
GM Red |
You just might.
It's been a bit of a cakewalk so far until that dino decided to land a few direct hits.
GM Red |
Do tell me if I'm going too fast. There's a bit of panic over at the GM thread currently that we aren't all going to escape in time, which would be... Catastrophic, to say the least. That many PCs dying simultaneously would be awful and quite upsetting. It's a risk especially with PbP because time constraints and post speed control how many successes tables end up getting. If there aren't enough successes by the deadline, it's all over.
That said, once we finish in the Vault, it is possible to obtain an unlimited number of Anchor successes (of which 3 times the number of tables are needed in total across all tables) by running combat almost continuously. I hope it doesn't come to that, but if we finish in the Vault, that's the best thing we can do for our table and for all tables in this special.
Sir D. Arthraven |
Holy sh1t3!
I didn't sign up for that way to die after all this. :D
Quickly comrades, onwards to vanquish evil!
Mr. Peppers |
Mmmhm. That explains why in a 2.5hr stretch there are 8 new posts in gameplay :) Lots of posting is fine by me, especially during this week.
Sir D. Arthraven |
Suppose we finish, hypothetically speaking, a fight with her in the main room.
Does that then complete the mission, overall, and the event, or do we have to wait for other tables' result?
GM Red |
I wish it meant we completed the mission, but here's what the VO said:
These things need to happen in order for everybody to get home.
- The group as a whole needs to complete a number of anchor successes equal to three times the number of tables.
- The group as a whole needs to complete a number of discovery successes equal to one quarter the number of tables.
- The group as a whole needs to complete a number of vault successes equal to 1.25 times the number of tables.
- One of the vault successes needs to be dealing with Lady Arodeth herself, not just the simulacrums. This can be either defeating her with diplomacy or with combat.If those four things don't happen, then no one gets to go home. All the tables live and die together.
Gorgeous Gallix Granbonne |
Yikes! And here I was thinking we were doing pretty great. Guess we better get moving on confronting Arodeth and then get on with stacking on some extra anchor successes or something.
Sir D. Arthraven |
Yes, dying because people are slow with posting speed would be a big downer.
Let's hope the diplomacy rolls will be in our favor.
I'm just speculating here, but if she's charismatic, i'm estimating DC 24 diplomacy.
GM Red |
I think the VO meant diplomacy in a broad sense rather than the skill, because you can use a lot more than diplo on her, thankfully!
Gorgeous Gallix Granbonne |
Oh thank goodness! I'm really hoping my social skills work out for us again here. Really wish I hadn't wasted that nat 20 on intimidating that guard!
GM Red |
I'm thinking for the upcoming spammed anchor successes, I'll most likely use block initiative for most of the combat so that we're not ever waiting for just one poster but rather whoever posts first. It should be a pretty quick way to take out the relatively easy creatures that I'm able to spawn.
Each one of those "Time Storms," or each time I spawn a new creature(s) and they're defeated, counts as one anchor success.
Lady Arodeth is worth one Vault success, and the simulacra outside are worth another for defeating them (and you can endlessly fight those as well)...
But given that you need almost three times as many anchor successes as vault successes, it seems to make more sense to go after anchor.
Gorgeous Gallix Granbonne |
Hey folks, I'm sorry for the poor timing, but I wanted to let you all know I'm gonna be out of town starting this evening and running through next Tuesday, Oct 11. I'll be fully back online next Wednesday, though I know the scenario will be over (one way or the other) before then. I'll have my phone with me at least, so I may still be able to put up short posts, but maybe not. If I'm totally out of it, I'll at least let you know and ask for you to bot me. Seems like things will be pretty straight forward from here, too, so botting me should be easy enough. Feel free to make liberal use of Dirty Trick where appropriate. Otherwise, punch all the things!
Mr. Peppers |
Its that time of year for me too, but I won't miss much of the end of this session. I'll be unable to post from Friday evening until Sunday noontime EST.
Uesugi Hideyoshi |
Alright Gallix. Have a great trip and looking forward to continuing the adventures of The Samurai and the Barbarian
Gorgeous Gallix Granbonne |
Alright Gallix. Have a great trip and looking forward to continuing the adventures of The Samurai and the Barbarian
Alternately known as The Adventures of Slashy and Punchy. Hahaha
Uesugi Hideyoshi |
ohhh I like that one! I'll need to make a bard who is chronicles their hi jinks!
Sir D. Arthraven |
Semi-quoting a Polish accent paladin PC from a let's play:
Talk later, survive first, yes?
:)
GM Red |
Thanks for the heads up, Gallix and Mr. Peppers. We'll bot as needed if you can't post, you are right in thinking it should be pretty straightforward from here on out.
I likely won't have much posting activity on Sunday but otherwise should be around most of the weekend... With my fingers crossed, seeing as this will all end in just a few days!
GM Hmm |
Red how many anchor successes do you have, currently?
I'm counting the Paizo threads to get the data we need.
Hmm
GM Red |
Hmm, we just got our sixth anchor success.
... And we're off to get some more!
GM Red |
I want to apologize if anyone feels rushing through combat has ruined the experience at all. I understand it makes roleplaying difficult, and I hate that we have to resort to this, but at this point, I really just want everyone to survive.
Mr. Peppers |
Ya no worries. Been a rich and very well done game from all sides, exceptional RPing based on my limited PbP experience. I'd much rather speed things up and drop the RP down a notch or two than die a horrible apocalypse style death.
GM Red |
Won't be able to post for about an hour, but the next encounter will be... Ooze-like. ;)
I dropped the image on the map but haven't compiled the post yet. I will shortly.
Uesugi Hideyoshi |
ooze like oh man D. or Sirettis can you please bot Peppers. I'll stick with the barbarian