Rappan Athuk [Pf]

Game Master Chris Manos

I'd pretty much go with Tony's and Belle's plans. The ghouls are faster than your slow people, and carrying all the stuff you want to be carrying, even with the mule you're going to be slow.

You know that the mausoleums had locks on them, and that they could, in theory, be picked shut from the inside. So hunkering down in one of those, and hoping for the ghouls to go away would be my idea of the best solution, knowing what you know.

As for the eyes, you'd have to try starting and see how far you get.

I would have thought the southern Mausoleum to be unsafe, as in we don't know what lies further in there and are in no fit state to face it. The other Mausoleums, if I understand correctly, are safe and can be closed up. I would suggest we hole up in one of those.

Now which would be quicker, to drag the gargoyles with us or to try and gouge their eyes out now. Would the ghouls take their eyes if we left them behind?

If I am conscious, I have Floating Disk and Ant Haul I can cast to help carry things.

BTW we are over a quarter of the way to the next level (Assuming we all start at minimum xp for 4th level and are using the medium progression)

Hey I'm not a slow person for like 3 more minutes or so.
We're over a quarter of the way? Yay! At this rate a whole two of us will actually level up to level 5! Kinda doubt it's gonna be me though.

I think we'll be using fast progression. Although I might decide that dying comes with a loss of xp for the new xharacter, once you've leveled up a bit. If I do decide that, there'll be a sizable bonus xp gain for the lower level characters so they can catch up, eventually.

I would have thought the southern Mausoleum to be unsafe, as in we don't know what lies further in there and are in no fit state to face it. The other Mausoleums, if I understand correctly, are safe and can be closed up. I would suggest we hole up in one of those.

I agree.

I think we'll be using fast progression.

OK, that puts us over 1/3 of the way to level 5

*Edit* So only 2 more will die, lol.

All we gotta do is kill the ghouls and we'll probably be 2/3 there! So what are we waiting for?

Olaf, any idea when I could be joining the rest of the crew?

As things stand you'd join them in the morning. It might turn out to be sooner, but I don't foresee these guys moving from their spots until they've at least prepared new spells.

All we gotta do is kill the ghouls and we'll probably be 2/3 there! So what are we waiting for?

Sounds good to me. Let's head back to town, load up on anti-ghoul stuff, pick up our new member of the team and come back to kill some ghouls.

BTW, I had a thought about the gargoyle carcasses. It's easier to drag stuff than carry it, so tie a rope around the corpses, cast ant haul (I have a scroll) on pill and he should be able to drag them to the mausoleum. If we can't get there in time, we can cut the rope and just go with what we hauled in. once in the mausoleum, we can gouge their eyes out at our leisure. We might not get them all, but we should get some at least. That way, I will be able to buy back the scrolls and potions I've used up and we can still afford some anti-ghoul stuff.

On the anti-ghoul stuff, anyone got any ideas what to get that's not too expensive? Holy water and potions of remove paralysis spring to mind, anyone got any other ideas of what would not be too expensive?

oh and some pack animals, along with some scrolls of carry companion so that they are only available when we need them and don't use up fodder or act as vulnerable targets.

Since I can't find it written down anywhere, let's say Pill is trained as a working donkey: it knows the Come(comes over to you when you whistle or whatever), Heel(follow you somewhere it otherwise wouldn't) and Work(carrying or pulling medium and heavy loads) tricks.

For reference Handling an animal is a move action, requiring a dc 10 (12 in this particular situation) Handle Animal check.

Okay. So Handle Animal appears to be Trained Only.

Honestly, I'll say that if Belle stops to think it through for a few seconds, she's probably aware that she can't possibly get to Pill and wrangle him back in time for the others to close the doors before the ghouls reach them.

One way to solve this would be for another party member to grab her hand to stop her as she runs off.

On the plus side maybe the ghouls will eat their fill and have a nice, long, siesta. At the very least we won't have to worry about them eating the gear off the donkey.

Okay. So Handle Animal appears to be Trained Only.

Honestly, I'll say that if Belle stops to think it through for a few seconds, she's probably aware that she can't possibly get to Pill and wrangle him back in time for the others to close the doors before the ghouls reach them.

One way to solve this would be for another party member to grab her hand to stop her as she runs off.

I was wondering about this. The whole time thing was pretty abstract so I wasn't sure she had time. Note that as a player the loss of Pill does not matter all that much as it is only carrying camping and survival gear, which the Ghouls are very unlikely to mess with. I had some humorous scenes lined up for the rescue, however, that I will miss writing.

As things stand you'd join them in the morning. It might turn out to be sooner, but I don't foresee these guys moving from their spots until they've at least prepared new spells.

Gotcha ;)

So, are we able to use Pill as a beat of burden or not? I was all ready to cast Ant Haul on the creature so she could drag these bodies to the crypt. If Pill can't do it, who is our strongest character? I'll do it on them, If they're agreeable.

So, are we able to use Pill as a beat of burden or not? I was all ready to cast Ant Haul on the creature so she could drag these bodies to the crypt. If Pill can't do it, who is our strongest character? I'll do it on them, If they're agreeable.

Olaf says no. Belle will most likely be forced to turn around and make a run for it before she can collect the doomed creature.

Mainly because no-one has handle animal. Besides, Pill is still in the far end of the graveyard, watching you from past the Well, so you'd have to go over to him to cast spells on him anyway. For reference, there's 300ft. between the dwarf statue(just north of where you fought the gargoyle) and the Well. Belle has made 150ft. feet of progress in round 8. Reynaud has made it inside the Mausoleum with Tessai's dead body in round 8. There's 130ft. to cover between the statue where you fought, and the entrance to the eastern mausoleum.

Without handle animal, I'd say you have to physically lead the mule, and it'll give you a fair bit of trouble doing it. It will not follow you anywhere it thinks takes you closer to something dangerous, and will flee from obvious danger.

Magnus has 4 rounds of actions unaccounted for after Belle revived him, and Agyen has 8 rounds. Tony has 6 rounds left after grabbing sstuff from Tessai.

@Gavmania, by the time you come awake, your strongest character, Reynaud, is occupied with dragging Tessai towards the mausoleum, and has already made it halfway there.

At that point, the only people around are you, Belle (who's busy healing), Agyen, and Tony(who has str 10).

You are likely the best target available. Each of the gargoyles weigh roughly 350lb.

So, If I spend a round casting Ant Haul on myself, I will have a carrying capacity of 390 pounds, which should be enough to pick up a gargoyle. With A Heavy Load, I can move 20'; double-moving gives me 40' per round for 3 rounds, making 120' total; I can use dimension slide to add another 35' to that putting me inside the mausoleum.

The only question I am uncertain about is whether it is worth using up my one and only scroll of Ant Haul when we may need it to carry other loot home.

What do you guys think?

I think ant-haul probably won't last anywhere near long enough to allow you to carry anything all the way home, so using it here is as good a time as any.

I don't enforce racial restrictions on spells. Except for Paragon Surge and things with similarly exacting language.

But stuff like Mudball, or Stone Shield? Go nuts with that.

Thanks

Moving some crunch details from the gameplay thread...

Belle has 300 gp worth of magical scribing materials to split.

This is Belle's spellbook contents: All cantrips,Grease,Snowball,Mage Armor,Color Spray,Stone Shield,Feather Fall,Magic Missile,Crafter's Fortune,Monkey Fish,Vanish,Liberating Command,False Life,Glitterdust

Anyone know how long it takes to scribe a spell into your book off hand. I can look it up but if someone has it at their fingertips...

Hi people, just to say I am here and watching you guys while I think up, and get some advice on another character.

Like Tessai said - WE will survive, and since she was a Paladin she meant you, and so she was right in the end :D

Olaf, I've been assuming a 25 point buy on my character but can we still roll?

Hi people, just to say I am here and watching you guys while I think up, and get some advice on another character.

Like Tessai said - WE will survive, and since she was a Paladin she meant you, and so she was right in the end :D

Olaf, I've been assuming a 25 point buy on my character but can we still roll?

It looks like we will need someone who can use handle animal. If you can, please put a point in that.

Look forward to seeing your new character.

Yes, you can definitely still roll. The same rules as in the recruitment thread applies.

These are my spells:

2nd (3/day) - Burst of Radiance, Resist Energy (DC17, Evocation 18)
1st (6/day) - Burning hands, Charm Person, Crafter's Fortune, Enlarge, Grease, Identify, Mage Armor, Obscuring Mist, Shocking grasp, Snapdragon Fireworks, Vanish, (DC 16, Evocation 17)

So, from your spellbook I can learn Snowball, color spray, Stone Shield, Feather Fall, Magic Missile, Monkey Fish, Liberating Command, False life, Glitterdust

and you can learn Burst of Radiance, Resist Energy, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Enlarge, Identify, Obscuring Mist, Shocking Grasp, Snapdragon Fireworks.

I don't think we have the time or money to copy all of the spells. I was thinking I'd copy Burst of Radiance and use any time left to scribe scrolls but I don't think there will be any time left.

Wouldn't the time be better spent learning how to use each other's spellbooks anyway?

Yes, you can definitely still roll. The same rules as in the recruitment thread applies.

Thanks, but I don't think I will - was just thinking about it to build a MADer character, but don't feel like risking it ;)

I don't think we have the time or money to copy all of the spells. I was thinking I'd copy Burst of Radiance and use any time left to scribe scrolls but I don't think there will be any time left.

Reference for writing/copying spells

It is 5:30 so that means Belle can copy one 2nd level spell or two first level spells. The cost is 40gp for a second level spell and 20gp for two 1st level spells, depending on which she chooses.

By the way, if anyone has anything they want their characters to be doing during the two-and-a-half-hour timeskip, please post it. I just figured I'd move the game on a little bit.

I'll say that Magnus can't aid Belle while he's busy copying stuff from her.

Oooooh man, I am loving this dialogue :D

I would just like to take a moment, and congratulate Olaf on some of the coolest ghoul (or whatever they are) RP I have ever read :D

Hat's off to you SIR!

Well, here's the question. Do we give up Tessais body to the ghouls in exchange for information or not?

Honestly, I can't see anything else we have to bargain with. While Magnus is totally selfish and would have no qualms about giving it up, others might and if he values their help (which he does), he may listen to them.

Traitors!!

And here I am trying to come up with a character that will suit the group's needs...

Well, they may want some information from inside the crypt or something retrieved from it or, considering their alignment, just a chance to put a thumb in the eye of their competitors without it getting back to them. There are lots of things that are not material they could want if we could only guess.

Guys, so... I was discussing this with Olaf, and he has nothing against it, but I wanted to hear your feedback - would it feel too 'funky' if I created another Paladin?

Kind of learning from previous mistakes and building it (slightly) different this time around?

Other options on the table are a Warpriest wielding a big two hander (I think this may offer some sweet opportunities to test some Teamwork Feats with Reynaud to good effect, since both WP and Fighters get quite some bonus feats).

Last, but definitely not least, there's the Evangelist Cleric - it brings more divine to the group, I can dip WP and give him Heavy Armor Proficiency so he can frontline as well. Most likely grabbing Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, and then summoning feats from there onward. The Archetype eats up some of the cleric healing power, but then again neither WP or Paladin are crazy healers either.

What do you think? Any opinions?

I have no problem with it. Paladins are a good choice for RA, with Divine Grace and smite. Their mercies are helpful too, and you will be able to use a wand of CLW (or CMW) for healing between combat. They have Lay on hands for in combat healing.

Belle is still going to be our go-to for in combat healing, so as long as you are able to use a wand, that's our only requirement as far as healing goes. Plus Paladins have good Cha, which means that when you get handle animal you will have a reasonable bonus.

All-in-all I think a Paladin is our best bet.

Thanks for the input Gav ;)

Frankly, considering the pure evilness of this dungeon, I would sorely miss having a Paladin in the group. That being said the inquisitor, cleric, and warpriest are all great anti-evil characters. I would say no to the evangelist, tempting as it may be, because we need at least 2 STRONG melee characters in our group or it's going to be downright nasty, and the evangelist (in spite of the feats you list) is just not built for it with all the feats you will want to put into summoning.

Though Belle does have the 'cure' spells covered, she does not get any good post-battle spells like lesser restoration, breath of life, etc. That would be a nice plus to any character you decide on.

Okay, so let's just see if I've gauged people's opinions on the ghoul situation correctly:

-Magnus finds the offer very interesting, liable to agree if he can without distancing the rest of the people.
-Reynaud is vehemently opposed to giving up Tessai's body, prepared to carry it with him for as long as it takes, apparently.
-Belle... I don't know? Vaguely in favor of fighting them in the morning? Looking over the IC, I think her last input went up while I was typing, so I never really responded to that.
-Agyen is in favor of killing the ghouls till they're deader.
-Tony has more or less distanced himself from the conversation, leaving it up to the established members of the party.

Belle is quite confused by their offer. She's not sure what they want other than body parts she is NOT interested in providing. Most of her threats were pure chutzpuh with a healthy dose of self-doubt.

Kinda, I've just had very little time the past week. He is suppose to be more tired than, terrified or anything. Being safe is better, but also he has lower cha than average. Trying to figure how a professional criminal would react.

I'll post something now.

okay, million dollar question time: what do we ask for?

Well the crypts haven't been helpful, I say we ask for a safe-ish way inside for one.

I'm with Reynaud on this one

OK, just remember - don't trust the ghouls. They might tell us of a secret way in and claim it's safe - that doesn't mean that it is.

BTW, it's half term holiday this week, and my kids are all off school and want to use the computer so I might not be able to post as much (though I'll still be able to do at least one post/day). Feel free to take over negotiations to speed things up.