Wuliev the Indignant |
A couple things regarding the casting of shield;
Did I see that take place?
Did others see that take place?
What are others' understanding and acceptance of overt magic rituals at this point?
I don't think we've reached any precedent on the matter as a party yet. Not that we need to be unified 'as a party' as per any DnD convention. The darkness could mask it, but I would assume that currently just whipping out a spell 'in public' at this juncture could infer some social risk.
Magdalen North |
I'm thinking Scott won't mind if I fudge the "ritual" part... he's not one for components in general. Scott, feel free to correct me! <3
Esdras Martalen |
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Hum... Magdalen is an occultist, so she doesn't have a somatic or verbal component, just emotion and thought. There is actually no sign that she ever cast her spell.
Magdalen North |
Even better :D Roleplay-wise, she's been doing this kind of thing forever but doesn't realize it. I'm waiting for a level and some more obvious spells before she starts to notice that she's having an effect on things with her brain.
Wuliev the Indignant |
Awesome! If it's organic then all is as it should be. That's a nifty feature for the Occultist class!
I think the tediums of dark crafts and their implications can be a real stage setter for interesting role-play scenarios and I wouldn't want them to be hand-waved needlessly when some cool exchanges could take place. Again that's just me. I plan on doing the same when my involvement with those traditions becomes more overtly manifested.
Carry on!
Scott Sharplin |
We might as well clear it up now, so everybody's on the same page.
As you may have surmised, arcane magic in general is considered "necromancy" or "black magic" by the superstitious peasantry. Among the more educated, various theories compete to explain past reports of magic, but it generally has the same weight as alchemy does for our current scientific beliefs.
In that context, a wizard (like Wictor) needs to be cautious about spellcasting in public, and even among friends he will probably have some explaining to do once the more visible spells start flying. But I'm mostly unconcerned about somatic/verbal/material components, which means if there is a flavourful way to cast spells on the sly, I'm happy to run with it.
That goes double for Magdalen, who casts psychic magic, which eschews verbal and somatic components, and almost always lacks material components too. Since Shield is, indeed, invisible, it's 100% possible for Magdalen to cast that spell without anyone (including her) noticing.
In narrative terms, I love the slow reveal of magical potential, coupled with the ongoing suspicion that such magicks are corrupt and diabolical. Pay close attention to the flavour text and you should have no trouble following along.
That said, I'm flexible. If we reach a point when it's much more prudent just to cast fireball, shrug and grin, so be it. As with so many aspects of role-playing, it's only fun until it's not.
Magdalen North |
In narrative terms, I love the slow reveal of magical potential, coupled with the ongoing suspicion that such magicks are corrupt and diabolical. Pay close attention to the flavour text and you should have no trouble following along.
Corrupt & diabolical. Love it. I'm going to think about that for a bit and see what that does to the characterization of this little girl :)
Alec du Chevrou |
I do have a few questions about how this changes up the world. Is divine magic relatively well known and accepted? Is technology still at about the same early-renaissance level or have firearms stepped into the breach left by magic? Are the deities & monsters still known quantities (as in, could a knowledgable explorer reasonably warn you "don't go into that canyon, harpies live there" without being laughed at) or are they more faith or fearful rumor?
Is there an updated timeline for the Whispering Tyrants' rampages? I don't recall the exact numbers but I figure it's worth checking.
Scott Sharplin |
Briefly:
- The validity of divine magic in our world is a question of faith. Assume that more people have witnessed "miracles" than in our world, but you don't see roving clerics channeling energy on every street corner. Obviously, healing magic is going to become a major concern before too long (although don't forget that your Fate Points can help you heal as well), so I'll be pulling back the veil on divine magic fairly soon.
- Early-renaissance technology, at least in this part of the world. Firearms are rare but not unheard of by any means.
- Assume that your belief in, and understanding of, magical/mythical creatures stems from your upbringing or immediate experience. For example, Wictor grew up in the wilderness, where superstitions were rampant. He has also read enough to know what such monsters do exist, or at least used to. On the other hand, Magdalen had a sheltered upbringing, and was educated in an academic setting that dismissed magic as mere fable, so she's in for more of a shock when the first harpy drops in.
- The Whispering Tyrant reigned for 1000 years, and died 200 years ago -- about the time of Napoleon I in Earth's history -- so nobody alive remembers his reign. It is now official Ustalavan policy that the Tyrant was not "undead," but rather a title passed from one monarch to the next. The history of the Whispering Tyrant will become important in Volume 2 of our tale; don't worry about him for now.
Esdras Martalen |
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GM, I'd like to know what is your take on Hit Points and how we should describe its loss. I've played with a couple GMs that consider our hp more like 'luck points', so as we lose hp, we are more likely to be actual wounded... when we reach the negative hp, we are then really wounded.
In other cases, the GM describe the loss of hp as minor scratches, and as we reach the bottom of it, we escalate the description. IMO it is more fun this way, but if we do not take care about it, we could possibly describe a pretty grizzly wound and then have to continue without any healing, which could lead to some inconsistency. As an example, imagine if Esdras takes a blow of 11 damage... it would represent almost the entirety of his hp, thus would be a serious wound, which could be described as a sword piercing his belly. If he gets healed soon after, there is no problem here, but if he needs to continue to walk around, it would sound weird, even if completely possible within the rules.
---
As another matter, since you like to describe combats, I'd like to share with you how I describe if an opponent hit or miss in my games, since my players find it quite good. As an example, imagine if besides his equipment, Esdras also carried a shield, a ring of protection, and an amulet of natural armor, thus bringing his AC to 21 (+5 armor, +1 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 natural, +2 shield).
When some creature tries to hit him, these are the possibilities:
Attack between 1 and 11 (10 base, +2 Dex, -1): Esdras would dodge this attack, avoiding the blow thanks to his quick reactions.
Attack between 12 and 13 (former, +2 shield): Esdras wasn't quick enough to evade the attack, but he was able to block it with his shield.
Attack of 14 (former, +1 deflection): Unable to block, Esdras was protected by the force of his magic ring, keeping the attack away from him.
Attack between 15 and 19 (former, +5 armor): Esdras wasn't able to dodge or block the attack. Luckily, his armor stopped the blow.
Attack of 20 (former, +1 natural): The enemy was able to hit somewhere unprotected by his armor, but thanks to his thick skin, no damage was caused.
Attack of 21 or greater: The enemy hit Esdras despite all of his protection.
I've started with this method after one GM described the enemy blocking with his shield four attacks from the PCs coming from different angles in quick succession. It might look a bit complicated, but it gets really easier with time. And, of course, this is just a casual information, which could be ignored!
Scott Sharplin |
I'm down with most of that, but mostly I'm flexible. I think that losing half your hit points can be described in just about any terms you like -- gut wound, broken ribs, concussion, or just feeling like your luck is running out. Since it often falls to the GM to describe the wounds that PCs sustain, I suppose I should ask for your preferences in advance. But I'm also not adverse to a bit of quick retconning.
So, for instance, if I were to describe a centipede bite as "cutting your ankle almost to the bone," you could respond in your next post with an ooc comment like "I'd rather not have to describe myself limping for the rest of the adventure; can we change that to a deep bruise instead?" I'd be fine with that.
I probably won't keep careful track of the various AC bonuses when describing near-misses. So, again, feel free to tweak my flavour text to suit your own idea of how your character defends themselves. I'll pick up on your patterns and adapt to make the narrative more satisfying for you.
Cheers! Keep the ideas coming! As I mentioned in the game thread, I'm traveling with family (Amsterdam and Bruges) until Dec. 30. Feel free to post in the meantime, and I'll catch up when I get back. Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone. And thanks for your continued commitment to our game -- it's great to have more RP to look forward to in the new year.
Alec du Chevrou |
My IRL group has borrowed the concept of "bloodied", where damage that totals to less than half of your total HP is more superficial--deep bruises, maybe a sprain, or even just "your blow dents his pauldron badly, limiting his movement with that arm (no other mechanical effect)". After the halfway point the character/monster is considered "bloodied" and the wounds are considerably worse.
So a fighter with 100hp who thrashes a gang of orcs while only losing 30hp can be described as battered and covering with bruises and light cuts, but nothing serious. Same guy missing 70hp can be described as having suffered more drastic wounds--it's a pretty loose system but with a little creativity it covers all the points.
As a player & GM I think it's also valuable for letting the players know in a very general way how the fight is going. Since ordinarily hit points have a weird effect of "you function at 100% until you start dying" thing, the "bloodied" benchmark lets you describe the damage that's being done in terms of how much oomph the monster has left.
Magdalen North |
Happy new year, all! Hopefully we can get back into a groove again... I know I'm one of the worst offenders. Working to improve!
Alec du Chevrou |
Quick question about my gift from Lorrimor: the box was described as containing six cartridges and six doses of powder. Since cartridges are their own ammo type and have a crunch effect (faster to reload), should I be treating those cartridges as bullets instead?
Scott Sharplin |
Quick question about my gift from Lorrimor: the box was described as containing six cartridges and six doses of powder. Since cartridges are their own ammo type and have a crunch effect (faster to reload), should I be treating those cartridges as bullets instead?
To be honest, I have trouble sorting out the details of gunslingery, despite having run several games featuring members of the class. I'm mostly going to trust you to stay on top of the details, and in this case, yes, that can mean reading "cartridges" as "bullets."
Cheers!
Wictor Lugaulle |
Is my understanding correct that we are planning on spelunking in the cursed prison, or is that idea several steps away from where the plot/discussion are currently from?
This is my next intended post;
"Esdras speaks wisdom. If the professor put trust in these mysterious things, I'd imagine them to have some merit... And of late, more than enough circumstances have led me to see that there is indeed more than what I once thought..."
Eyes drifting from momentary gazes and looking downwards, the fur man speaks gravely;
"But if we intend to dance with that unknown, for vengeance or for curiosity, we must go prepared for worse than what would be considered 'realistic'." Will probably write other things if this is on track, revise if not.
I just want to make sure that I'm understanding everything right
Esdras Martalen |
I also believe we'll eventually take a look on the prison. Not sure if we are heading there right now, since it appears to still have some clues to uncover around town, but sure, we'll eventually get there I think.
Scott Sharplin |
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Behind the Screen: yes, Harrowstone is very important. Tomorrow, you are all obliged to visit the Town Hall for interviews with the Sheriff -- assuming you want to stay on good terms with the law in Ravengro. But otherwise, any interest in Lorrimor's death, or in the strange goings-on in town, should involve a foray to the abandoned prison.
Esdras Martalen |
Sorry for not mentioning he was going for the stirge! I'll make sure to remember next time... sometimes, the scene is so clear in my head that I leave important details behind.
Alec du Chevrou |
I have a question for Scott about how gunslinger ammunition & Automatic Bonus Progression should work. Given that ABP operates largely as a substitute for wealth/magic items, how would you like to handle the crafting of firearms/cartridges? It's not important yet because Alec won't take his first gunslinger level until next level-up (I'll be spending most character down-time figuring out the in-world mechanics of the pistol and black powder & practicing because it seems silly to be suddenly expert with a weapon he acquired just under 48 hours ago).
With the Gunslinger feat, Alec can craft firearms & ammunition at 10% base value instead of 50% like most item creation, but it's still a significant sink of gp for a 'slinger. Since presumably our piles of gold will be considerably smaller, how would you like to handle this? Alec would eventually like include alchemical devices like Dragon's Breath cartridges & the like in his repertoire.
Scott Sharplin |
I have a question for Scott about how gunslinger ammunition & Automatic Bonus Progression should work. Given that ABP operates largely as a substitute for wealth/magic items, how would you like to handle the crafting of firearms/cartridges? It's not important yet because Alec won't take his first gunslinger level until next level-up (I'll be spending most character down-time figuring out the in-world mechanics of the pistol and black powder & practicing because it seems silly to be suddenly expert with a weapon he acquired just under 48 hours ago).
With the Gunslinger feat, Alec can craft firearms & ammunition at 10% base value instead of 50% like most item creation, but it's still a significant sink of gp for a 'slinger. Since presumably our piles of gold will be considerably smaller, how would you like to handle this? Alec would eventually like include alchemical devices like Dragon's Breath cartridges & the like in his repertoire.
I'll have to think about it, but I suspect the solution will involve some carefully placed stashes of loot or materials, along with an increased discount when you get an Aid Another from somebody with alchemical resources (eg. Jominda or Esdras).
Scott Sharplin |
Let me know if anyone has questions about leveling up. Bear in mind that the Automatic Bonus & Progression benefits do not start taking effect until 3rd level.
When you're leveled up, join us back in the Gameplay thread to decide the party's next move.
Esdras Martalen |
Level Up!
+8hp (6 class, +2 Con)
+1 Fort
+1 BAB, +1 CMB, +1 CMD
+5 skill points (2 class, +1 FCB, +2 background)
.+1 Craft (alchemy)
.+1 Perception
.+1 Profession (herbalist)
.+1 Survival
.+1 Swim
Class Feature: Bonus Feat: Weapon Focus (greatsword)
Class Feature: Bravery +1
Esdras Martalen |
Ops, just now I've noticed that we are supposed to roll for our HP, so here it is: 1d10 ⇒ 10
With this roll, Esdras's increase to hp is +12 and not +8, which brings him to 24!
DM Scott: I'd like your ruling in something before I try it... Esdras has his 'condition', which once noticed, could lead to mistrust from the others. Fully aware of it, Esdras has, so far, avoided to shift something visible (like his eyes) in their presence. With his alchemist's kit, I was thinking about creating 'fake potions', which he could drink, thus creating an excuse for his changes.
This would, inevitably, arise the question of why can't Esdras make the same potions for everyone else, and his answer would be that he "only knows how to make these potions for him, since he is fully aware of his metabolism." In fact, he isn't telling a lie, and it will be also true when he gets another level and gets access to his mutagen.
What I want to know is if you'd require for him to make a Bluff check... in theory, he is hiding something, but if properly voiced, he would not be lying. Since Esdras is a terrible liar, I'd not try this if I need to roll. To give the other players a change to know what he is doing, perhaps a Sense Motive DC 20 for a hunch could say Esdras is hiding something, but not what.
Scott Sharplin |
I have no trouble with that strategy for Esdras, and I won't make you roll to bluff the other PCs. To me, it's more dramatically interesting for Esdras to reach a point where he chooses to let the other PCs in on his "condition" so they can help him to diagnose or cure it. But that can be a long-game storyline -- there's more than enough going on in the short term -- so your suggestion works as a good placeholder for now.
Dmitry Pavlovich |
Level 2:
HP: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
BAB: +1
Ref: +1
Will: +1
Skills: +10 (6+2 int +1 human +1 FC) +2 Background Skills
+1 Bluff
+1 Craft (Alchemy)
+1 Disable Device
+1 Heal
+1 Knowledge (Planes)
+1 Knowledge (Nature)
+1 Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
+1 Linguistics
+1 Perception
+1 Sense Motive
+1 Sleight of Hand
+1 Stealth
Special:
Poison Lore
Poison Resistance +2
1st level Formula +1 - Comprehend Languages
Formula/day +1
I took a rank in Knowledge Planes on the assumption that the contents of On Verified Madness would make sense for that. I also got a rank in Linguistics so I get a new language...would there be any language spoken of or referenced in the book, or otherwise anything that would be related to it?
Ivan Fabulanov |
Level 2:
HP: +4 (rolled in Gameplay)
BAB: +1
Will: +1
Skills: +7 (4 + 1 intelligence + 1 human + 1 FC)
+1 Diplomacy
+1 Intimidate
+1 Knowledge (Arcana)
+1 Knowledge (Local)
+1 Knowledge (Religion)
+1 Perform (Oratory)
+1 Spellcraft
Special:
Storyteller's Performance (Inspire Courage)
Scott Sharplin |
Hi folks!
I've been chatting privately with a couple of participants for whom the rigours of real life have made it hard for them to commit as much as they'd hoped to the game. I had intended to check in at each chapter break anyhow, so before we begin Chapter 3/Level 2, let me ask for honest feedback:
Who feels that they are still enjoying the game?
Who would enjoy the game more if I were to make changes?
Who needs to take a break, or bow out?
Narratively, this is as good a time as any to write some characters out, or phase them over to NPC status. However, if enough players admit that they are finding it hard to enjoy the process, then I'm also willing to put the story on hiatus for awhile. Maybe we'll be in better headspace to play closer to summer, for example.
Please be honest and do not worry about offending me. Thanks!