To Rule the Razor! (Inactive)

Game Master Eric Swanson

I can edit, and am fine where I am.

"Screee?"

Have we got the whole team back again? That bush shouldn't be eating my tasty piglet! That's my job!

People, just a heads up - I will be away with the family during the weekend, and back on next Tuesday. Bot me if needed ;)

Kraken and everyone else --

I need to talk with you about options. Nef doesn't have a Lesser Restoration memorized. What she has is an open slot that she cannot fill without her wisdom.

In other words, I'm sunk. Between the house rule that made dazing channel mind affecting, and the inability to acquire or memorize any new spells, my character's utility to the party has dropped down to 2 things:

1) Bardic performance
2) Wedjat

I'm not entirely discounting the value of either of those... But I don't know if we can fight off a demon at this point. If I still have my memorized spells, we still have access to the Magic Circle and Burst of Radiance... But I won't be able to repair ability damage to other PCs or to the dancers that we're supposed to rescue.

Part of the problem here was my fault. I thought that Nef got an action last round that was coming... I thought I still got to act in Round 1, which would have given me an escape action. When I heard otherwise, I still thought that i could survive one round of Hiwani damage. If I had died, I could have applied the 2 hero points.

I've been desperately reading the Hero Point rules, trying to figure out what I can do. I might be able to use a hero point to cast Lesser Restoration on myself. With GM approval.

I think that I'm still reeling from the no-save ability drain that I was completely unprepared for. Is this permanent damage? Can I recover it naturally if we retreat to the ship for a couple days?

I feel utterly, completely nerfed. What do we want to do? Soldier on? Retreat with the kids immediately after this battle? I feel like I've let everyone down.
Nef

Here are the Kraken's views on the subject:

1) This is the downside of open spell slots, sadly. However, I would allow you to Recall a spell here to your open spell slot by using a Hero point.

2) Another option here is to use a Hero Point to act out of turn. You can then either retreat or use Bardic Performance and order Wedjat to do a full attack on the hiwani just before its actions. I suspect that would be more than enough to kill it.

I also don't subscribe to the theory Nef has been nerfed here. Again to clarify she did NOT lose any spells already prepared. She just cannot prepare any additional spells until the WIS damage goes away (at the rate of 1/day)

It's not permanent?

I thought I was stuck this way until we reached Port Shaw... As for option 2. I think it likely that Wedjat could have killed the hiwani. There'd be no charge, but my guess is that the other three attacks hit...

Can hero points be retroactive? I thought that the acting out of turn was only for future actions, and I'd blown my chance by not spending it earlier.

Yes you can use the Hero point retroactively here, as it is still the same round.

How do I do this? I will spend a hero point in order to give Nef the action she needed in round 1.

Do I repost in game play, rerolling Wedjat's attack? I'm not sure what the protocol is. I just know that a Nef without spells won't be much use to the party.

Edited to Add:

Actually the time continuum problems are causing me to pause on this...

Kraken if this is not a drain but just damage is it possible that I can still fill the empty slot? From my reading if it is damage I still have a 14 wisdom just a penalty to using that wisdom. If it's a drain then lesser restoration can't help.

Nefertiti: If you decide to use the Hero point to act out of turn then just post that in Gameplay. I will use the same rolls for Wedjat to resolve what happens. Technically the Hero point would only affect Nef here but as Wedjat is not capable of collecting Hero points I will allow Nef to alter Wedjat's place in addition in the initiative order.

The wisdom is ability DAMAGE not Drain, so she can prepare the open spell slot as normal, provided she gets 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to meditate.

Hey Gang -- and Kraken --

I want to apologize to everyone for my freakout. It really was a BIG freakout, but part of it was because I was thinking of this damage as a permanent drain, not as a temporary issue. If I can still cast spells and select spells, I'm still useful to the party, and was clearly overreacting.

Please forgive me for slowing down gameplay for everyone else.

REGARDING HERO POINTS & TIME TRAVEL

So, here goes. As convenient as it would be to time travel, I won't do it. If I did that, none of us would know that hiwanis have that nasty ability and we'd be back to square one the next time we met a group of them.

The other problem that I see with the time travel is that Nef wouldn't have lethally attacked a pregnant hiwani before knowing that they can sap wisdom. On her turn, she was about to cry out to stop the lethal attacks on them. Her lawful alignment sees little difference between a demon killing hiwani babies and us killing hiwani babies. She would rather not see us become that which we were fighting.

The wisdom attack changed all that, pushing aside Nef's ideals in response to her feelings of overwhelming anger and loss. Besides, she was no longer wise enough to take the long view of all this.

If I time travel, I create a paradox and a need to forget OOC information. So... I'm not going there.

GOING FORWARD

If you were holding on posting, you may now go ahead. I will not be invalidating your actions with my hero points.

Mea culpa,
Nef

So... I'm at a con this weekend, GMing PFS and running herd on a pack of 7-8 teenagers. I may be more spotty in my posting than usual, but I'll try to check in once a day.

Have fun at the convention...sounds like a blast!

Indeed. Enjoy yourself, and keep an eye on tha youngsters :D

The con's been fun. I had to go over safety rules with the teens, 5 of which are gorgeous girls that look older than they really are, but so far it's been lots of fun.

We went swimming this morning, which reminded me of Razor Coast -- only without the biting, will-sapping hiwanis and the demon voices in my head.

Ooh, and I got a GM boon for PFS. My very first one! I got a boon for an undine character. I think I may make a watersinger bard with it because I really like playing bards. (Can you guys tell?)

I hope all of you have been having a great weekend too.

Ooo, an undine boon?! Neat!

I think that would be a great character for you...

I know! It's fun to get one of the exotics. I wasn't sure what to do with it until I saw that Archtype. But I do love bards. Most of my characters have some sort of bardic element to them.

Happy 4th of July for the US folks and Happy Saturday if you're located in other parts of the world! :D

Glad the con is going well, Hmm. I agree that an undine bard would definitely suit you ;)

Oof...if we all survive this, I think the party might be well within their rights to take the captain's hat away from Jacinth for the rest of the adventure. Sorry guys! I still think we can do this though!

It's not your fault. It was a majority decision.

We'll see if Nef survives this. If not.... Reknar, will you care for Wedjat?

DM, I previously subtracted the HP from the surprise attack from my false life spell, leaving me with 50 current HP. That means I should be at minus two before making my stabilization check.

Also once I hit minus two and fall, my Aegis of Recovery will activate and restore me 2d8 + 3 ⇒ (6, 4) + 3 = 13hit points before crumbling away to nothing.

Long story short, I think I should have 11 HP and be prone. And my Aegis is gone. I won't adjust my sheet until you confirm that is correct.

Oren,

I was looking for your post when you cast the False Life spell and it looks like you cast it at THIS time, when you fought the sea hags early this morning. The time check indicates that occurred just before 0800 hours. The current time is 1425 hours so I show the spell has elapsed (duration is only 5 hours).

In that case, Oren should be at 2 hp and prone as the Aegis will indeed activate. If I have missed where Oren recast the spell, please let me know.

That sounds fine, DM. I wasn't checking the time schedule close enough, and didn't realize the five hour duration had passed.

I will update my sheet now.

It's not your fault. It was a majority decision.

We'll see if Nef survives this. If not.... Reknar, will you care for Wedjat?

No need - we're all gonna LIVE! ;)

Reknar and Rata saved the day! Go team!

I knew you guys had it in you!

Er...I mean...

*gurgle*

Has anyone actively tried to shake Lani and me awake? I tried suggesting to Reknar that he try true love's first kiss on Lani, but he declined.

I have not even thought that that might work. I'll give it a try.

My Heal check wasn't amazing, but I guess shaking you would be part of the diagnostic? :D

My Heal check wasn't amazing, but I guess shaking you would be part of the diagnostic? :D

Lol, I missed that in your post, Reknar!

Hopefully Wedjat doesn't rip me to shreds for piling on his momma...

Well, if we gotta go, the least we can do is serve as bird feed :D

I have not even thought that that might work. I'll give it a try.

And here I thought that you'd give Lani true love's first kiss!

Oren Mitabu wrote:

I have not even thought that that might work. I'll give it a try.

And here I thought that you'd give Lani true love's first kiss!

Haha, it's more a brotherly nudge with the foot type of wakeup!

Hey Gang, just a heads up. The mighty Kraken has been a mighty sick sea monster for the past few days. This may affect his posting rate.

Get better, Eric!

So, I totally didn't read the combat map, and I assumed this swarm was like a real-life swarm of locusts, a tide of insects sweeping through the jungle.

Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed to see it's only a large sized monster. I also feel really dumb now.

Don't feel dumb. Whatever this is, it's requiring a fort save.

Lani, kill it for us, will you?

PS It's good to have you back as an active poster!

Actually...it is a large SWARM...which kinda makes a LARGE difference, he he.

Swarms are nasty but with them taking 50% more damage against area effect, Lani may have killed them! I'm very grateful that Lani has the precise bombs discovery so he can exclude allies like the young man in the litter. (I am wondering if the litter itself is gone, though.)

I don't get it; all my healing checks are in the low single digits. Maybe its the wisdom damage...

I thought I'd take a moment to discuss weights and carrying capacity.

Wedjat's light carrying capacity is 173 pounds. With Ant Haul this increases to 519 pounds.

Nef is 4'10 and weighs 95 pounds. She's very petite, coming in at human adult minimum. Other than Oren (who very thoughtfully included a weight on his character sheet of 210 pounds) I have no idea of what people weigh.

BTW, Oren my apologies for misreading your height earlier. You're apparently 5'0, not 5'10! Oops. Not much taller than Nef!

I know from Gameplay that both Rata and Lani described themselves as being close to Zem's height, and Zem topped 6 feet. Jacinth is 5'10, but probably a light 5'10, being an elf. Going with the human example of light yet tall Audrey Hepburn, I'm guessing Jacinth is around 120 pounds. The men will all be heavier, right?

I am going to be dumping Nef's saddle, armor, and bags on the ship, and grabbing a heavy fisherman's net. Ultimate Equipment listed 25 foot fisherman's net to be 5 pounds. And perhaps the Rita's nets are that light, but I'm still budgeting 30 pounds for net unless the Kraken says we can go with that lighter number.

519
-95 pounds of Nef
_________________
424 pounds
-30 pounds of net
_________________
394 pounds of everything else.

My next load could include Oren and one of Jacinth's half starved friends with no gear.

It is also possible that Wedjat could even carry three of Jacinth's friends with no gear in one load, provided that they're all at or under 130 pounds.

Gang, do any of you have an idea of what you and your gear weigh?

Reknar, I am planning on you and one other for the last load. Since you can command Wedjat, I am thinking that on the last load, Nef sends Wedjat without her -- sparing Wedjat the 95 pounds of Nef's weight, and letting you command Wedjat for the final voyage.

GM: It has occurred to me that after the first couple voyages back and forth Wedjat could possibly do all the rest of the trips without a pilot if he has people who could command his voyage on both ends. But that would depend on a ruling from you... Is that possible?

~120 pounds sounds good for Jacinth's actual weight. The additional weight of her weapons, ammo, armor, and misc. items (potions, etc.) bumps her total weight with gear (sans what she's already dropped) to around ~150-155 pounds. Her armor is the heaviest item she's still carrying at 20 pounds.

Yeah, Oren is kind of stumpy, and round. Very dwarf like in his stature, I always pictured.

Maybe we can float Oren like a raft back to the Rita! <G>

I want to say, Gerald, that I really admire the detail and thought you've put into Oren. He's an awesome character, big as life!

Reknar has got to be weighing in at least at 200 pounds minimum ;)

Are you sure he can command Wedjat - and does she know that? :D

It's not a command... More like guidelines...

Right around 220lbs all told.

Reknar, yep. You're our heaviest person. I was estimating you at 220-230 pounds of pure muscle, before gear. Hence Nef wanting to remove herself from the equation on the final jaunt.

EDITED to ADD: Lani, does that include gear?

That includes gear.

Well, so much for that plan.

I feel as guilty as if I had murdered them myself.

I gotta hand it to The Mighty Kraken. Things just went up a notch.

Yep. Thank Horus for Aikane's backup plan. We're gonna need it.