Why Can't Fighters Have Nice Hobgoblins? Ironfang Invasion

Game Master Stalwart

The supply train was 2,000 exp. and I mistakenly only gave you 24 provions, when it is suppose to be 40 from the supply wagon. The supply wagon also has two masterwork chain shirts, 300 feet of silk rope, a healer’s kit, and a crate containing 10 bottles of alchemist’s fire. One of the wagon seats have a lock box. The ettercap fight was 1,600 exp. I also must say you do not have to rush to the caves if you do not wish to, as there is still much to explore. Getting to the caves doesnt lock anything, but some of the other events will not seem as dangerous if you do go. However, that does depend on you finding the caves, and not triggering the other events.

Grum is far from being a leader. He will happily follow the group, helping as needed.

Great! That's a nice haul. Jie can Take 20 on opening the lockbox and if that still isn't enough we can try prying it open or smashing it. We do have Kining's tools.

So that is 900 XP each? 3600 XP split 4 ways? That puts Benedict at 3,291 XP.

Let's go with Jie's idea of the party scouting deeper into the woods.

Maybe go northwest? We won't get all the way to Gristledown but could start scouting the route. We could find cabins, refugees, Ironfang patrols, or other things.

In-character, Benedict would want to find the caves as soon as possible. But since we don't know where they are, we'll have to explore - which as a player I am fine with.

I've been asked to take over GMing duties for this game since I had earlier expressed interest in doing so.

Many thanks to fatmanspencer for stepping up to run the game, and hope he's doing well.

Since I had created a PC to fill out the ranks, I'd like the other players' input on whether I should keep Amélie around. Should I DMPC her, or just let her fade into the background as one of the group of NPCs that are dependent on the PCs?

Another thing I need to let everyone know, and that is about maps. My computer is in the shop, and will likely continue to remain so for the next few weeks. I'm doing these posts on tablets and/or smart phones. I'll do my best to make upcoming fights clear through descriptions and simple text graphics, but until my main computer comes back I'll be limited in what I can provide for you.

Since I'm still rather new to the campaign, I welcome any suggestions or insights about your characters' goals and aspirations. I find that an AP is usually more fun and memorable when they go a bit off the rails and into directions that are meaningful to the unique characters that are in them -- this is especially true because Shisumo set up the concept of an all-fighter party. If there's hidden goals or storylines that may not be clear in the gameplay that you want to further explore, send me a pm and I'll see how I can work it in. I can't promise that it'll be what Shisumo had planned, but maybe it'll be cool anyway.

I'll try to get this campaign going at a good pace again once I hear from all the players either here in the discussion thread or via pm.

Thanks! I look forward to running you through the rest of the Ironfang Invasion! It should be a fun time!

Thank you for stepping up. As someone who also posts only on an iPhone (just moved and don’t have internet hooked up...or even a place to put computer) I feel your pain.

As for DMPC, that’s your call. I have no issue with it.

Thanks for stepping up!

I would say Amélie could be DMPC'd on an as-needed basis. It would be reassuring to be able to leave a capable fighter to guard the camp while we go off and do our explorations. And we could bring her along if there was a known dangerous mission (like a raid on an enemy encampment). But again, your call.

I understand about the maps. In the long run I'd prefer maps because I think we'll need to use smart positioning and tactics to succeed, but it's not immediately urgent.

Benedict wants to help the band of refugees, and in the longer term find ways to strike back at the hobgoblins. He'd like to begin training the refugees to become more of a militia (as well as better at wilderness survival). No other agendas at the moment.

As a player, I'm really enjoying playing a skillful fighter with a few unexpected tricks up his sleeve. We can't take the Ironfang Legion in a straight-up fight, so Benedict is all about using deception, stacking the deck, and fighting dirty. Exactly what a guerrilla force would have to do. Obviously not every plan is going to work out (some of my ideas may be dumb), and I'll try not to over-use the same strategies, but in general this approach is more fun for me than "Make an uber build and steamroll the enemy."

And on the other end I’m greatly enjoying “Hit them really hard while screaming”

I will try to make sure that all of my clever plans involve Grum hitting something hard while screaming.

Kind of like Nale and Thog... Or Cap's plan for Hulk in "Avengers"...

No let’s stick with Nale and Thog. Which will forever more be my Mental picture

I've been asked to take over GMing duties for this game since I had earlier expressed interest in doing so.

Many thanks to fatmanspencer for stepping up to run the game, and hope he's doing well.

Since I had created a PC to fill out the ranks, I'd like the other players' input on whether I should keep Amélie around. Should I DMPC her, or just let her fade into the background as one of the group of NPCs that are dependent on the PCs?

Another thing I need to let everyone know, and that is about maps. My computer is in the shop, and will likely continue to remain so for the next few weeks. I'm doing these posts on tablets and/or smart phones. I'll do my best to make upcoming fights clear through descriptions and simple text graphics, but until my main computer comes back I'll be limited in what I can provide for you.

Since I'm still rather new to the campaign, I welcome any suggestions or insights about your characters' goals and aspirations. I find that an AP is usually more fun and memorable when they go a bit off the rails and into directions that are meaningful to the unique characters that are in them -- this is especially true because Shisumo set up the concept of an all-fighter party. If there's hidden goals or storylines that may not be clear in the gameplay that you want to further explore, send me a pm and I'll see how I can work it in. I can't promise that it'll be what Shisumo had planned, but maybe it'll be cool anyway.

I'll try to get this campaign going at a good pace again once I hear from all the players either here in the discussion thread or via pm.

Thanks! I look forward to running you through the rest of the Ironfang Invasion! It should be a fun time!

Thank you for stepping up. I'm looking forward to a fun game.

Okay, I'll be starting things back up soon. Thanks for the info, Jie. Could you break down the druid aspect of your crunch? I'm struggling a bit to understand where it's coming from.

Also, Amkarang the Unsinkable? Has anyone heard if he's going to continue?

I got a PM from Amkarang that he was looking forward to continuing. He's not a high-frequency poster but he has been here since the beginning.

Variant Multiclassing rules for Pathfinder
Essentially she loses her 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th and 19th level feats. In their place she gains the following class features
At 3rd she gains Animal Empathy
At 7th she gains the Animal Companion Class Feature, although at -4 levels
At 11th the Animal Companion upgrades to full level
At 15th and 19th she gains varying forms of Wild Shape.

I'm looking forward to continuing. I'm having a lot of fun with how incredibly versatile the meteor hammer is. Two weapons is always better than one, especially when you can switch between them as a swift action.

Okay, I'll be starting things back up soon. Thanks for the info, Jie. Could you break down the druid aspect of your crunch? I'm struggling a bit to understand where it's coming from.

It occurs to me that you were actually asking where the spell casting part comes from. It is the Fey Magic Racial Trait for Humans that replaces the Skilled Racial Trait. It gives you Low Light Vision, 2 class skills (In Jie's case Stealth and K/Nature) and if CHA>10 you get 3 Druid orisons and 1 first level Druid spell available per day constrained by a being in a particular terrain.

Thanks for the clarification! And good to hear, Amkarang!

And I've sent the email to Paizo, so hopefully soon I'll have full control. ::drums fingers together:: excellent ...

We're down 14 Provision Points today. Not good. I guess most of the PCs can stay and forage tomorrow while Jie scouts Gristledown.

I am not sure about the math. Foraging rolls of 18, 19, 15, 11, 3, 2 at +4 each would be 22, 23, 19, 15, 7, and 6.
Isn't that 7, 7, 4, 2, 0, and 0 Provision Points, for 20? Rather than 14?

Also in the future I would rather the commoners not use the Scout action -- since none are trained in Stealth, and the Survival experts need to be foraging. We will lay out tasks for tomorrow after we deal with the plant monster.

Thanks for picking this up! I know the Militia system makes for a bit more paperwork than an ordinary AP. Just don't want all our refugees either killed by wandering monsters or starving to death.

Yeah, I added it up wrong, and I see that I also forgot the provision point earned at 10. So it would actually be 7, 7, 5, 3 for 22 points. I'll make the corrections.

And as for the commoners' jobs, I'll let you give those sorts of orders, but without instructions by the party (and even occasionally with them), someone may go off and do something stupid. They're people.

That makes a lot of sense about the commoners. Hopefully they will get better at this with time, like the PCs, but it does add to immersion to have them do stupid things from time to time.

On XP, we haven't gotten any yet for the Ettercap and his spiders, nor for the supply train (and obviously not the bramble). We did get XP for everything before the Ettercap.

Hmmm. XP.

I could dole out XP awards if you like, or simply announce when you level as suggested by the AP. Both have their merits (reduces bookkeeping vs. watching your total advance ever closer to the coveted amount).

Any preferences?

XP awards have the advantage that the random encounters are actually worth something. And if you happen to roll a tougher one there is a reward for it.

Just my $.02; I am okay either way, but lean towards preferring encounter XP.

Excellent point. If I'm going to roll for random encounters, then xp it is.

Ettercaps: 1600 xp
Supply wagon: 1200 xp
Bramblelash: 400 xp

Murdering stuff for fun and profit!

My bad, I see Fatmanspencer had given XP above for the supply train and the ettercap. He had a higher number for the supply train, presumably an award for rescuing refugees. So above the 3,291 from before there's another 80 each from the bramblelash (splitting it five ways).

It's going to be a rough couple of days. If we have to spend tomorrow moving, then the day after building sturdier shelters, that is 2 days of no food gathering (except for what we gain from the livestock). Depletes most of our food supplies between Moving Day and Building Day. It's unfortunate but I don't see anyway around it. Fortunately, the adepts can prep Endure Elements so if we can't quite get enough sturdy shelters built for everyone, they can protect some (7 people, I think, if they all have 12+ casting stat). And we have one potion of Endure Elements.

This does it. Lvl3? Iron Will. It seems necessary.

Yea, Will saves. Why'd it have to be Will saves.

An huge area-effect Will save from a flying and nearly-invisible foe. Harpies are a pain.

I'm hoping you fail your Fort saves against the thunderstone, though that is less likely.

Scout: NPCs trained in Survival or Stealth can scout the area or keep an eye on Phaendar for the PCs. With a successful DC 10 Survival check, an NPC can either discover one point of interest in the area (such as an encounter location) or reduce the chances for a random encounter by 5%. An NPC who succeeds at this skill check by 5 or more can identify one danger in the area of the encounter (if any exist).

Can PCs use the skills the same way?

I don't see why not. I think the AP assumes the PCs are off doing other things.

A rather big part of Grum is his Draconic Heritage, which explains his class.

As we aren’t lvl3 yet, can I VMC Wizard?

Lvl 3: Grum gets a familiar! A hedgehog he will find in the woods, name, and become very protective of. In combat it will roll into a ball and do nothing. :)
Lvl 7: Not sure still looking
Lvl 11: Prestidigitation

It sounds like fun to me. Is it too late to do this?

I have no problem with you doing that. Go right ahead!

Thank you!

Anyone have any good hedgehog names? :)

Spike!

Jie, I just about declared your shot a miss, but I caught it in time that you had deducted the penalty for shooting in melee. In the future, if it's not too much to ask, could you separate the big situational bonuses in your rng shots? It's easier for me to verify you're including everything. It's also helpful to list all the modifiers that apply in the attack line. (I don't need to see magic or feat bonuses or other "always on" modifiers.)

Example:
]dice=Ranged, pbs, into melee, deadly aim]1d20+7+1-4-1[/dice[
]dice=Damage]1d8+1+1+2[/dice[

Thanks

Sure, no problem

Time to bot to move things along?
I think it's reasonable to bot when a PC's turn has been up for 48 hrs (and many games use 24).

I was planning on botting Amkarang this evening and then he gets in under the wire. (Although, it looks like he neglected to roll the d20 for the attack roll.)

Based on what DM Shisumo did, it looks like leveling up is half plus one, plus Con bonus. You also get a third level feat, along with the usual third level bonus for your class or archetype.

Please post all your leveling up goodness here in the discussion thread.

Woo! Man...got national guard drill to go to, leaving early. I’ll try to get a post up asap. Until then though....

Lvl 3: VMC Wizard!

Feat: Hedgehog Familiar! (+2 Will saves...and +7 Perception! Yes, Grum remains +0. But his hedgehog will warn him of danger)

Draconic Defenses (At 3rd level, a dragonheir scion gains a +1 natural armor bonus and fire resistance 5)

+3 skill points

+1 BaB

+1 Ref +1 Will

+8 HP

Were the waterskins and sick NPC 200 XP for each of us, or 200 total (50 each)? If the latter, we would be at 4,886 now by my math, but if you want to give us level 3 a few XP early I am totally cool with that.
3,291 + 80 (Bramblelash) + 240 (Harpy) + 350 (Undead/Lynx) + 150 (Jackals) + 200 (Mites/Wolf) +300 (Trog Ambush) +50 (Waterskins) +225 (Stirges) = 4,886

Level 3 Feat: Additional Traits
Inspired: Once per day as a free action, roll twice and take the better result on a skill check or ability check.
Classically Schooled: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Spellcraft checks, and Spellcraft is always a class skill for you. This is based on Shisumo's ruling that Benedict's SLA lets him take Crafting feats, although does not qualify for Arcane Strike. So he'd pick up Craft (something) at 5th, and use Spellcraft to meet the specific requirements. If you would change this ruling, he'll take Highlander instead.
+7 Skill points (3 Acrobatics, 1 Survival, 1 Diplomacy, 1 Climb, 1 Swim)
+1 BAB
+1 Ref, +1 Will
+7 HP
Armor Training 1 (-1 ACP, +1 Max Dex, full speed in Medium Armor)

I must have miscounted, but it's fine -- call it role-playing experience, to kick you all up to an even 5,000

Okay, cool.
What about Benedict's SLA making him eligible for crafting feats? If so, he'd take a Spellcraft trait now and a crafting feat at 5. If not, he'd take a Stealth trait.

I certainly don't mind you keeping something you worked out with Shisumo. This AP doles out the treasure, but it's always nice to have someone in the party to make custom or hard-to-find items.

On treasure, I am just realizing that we never ID'd or divvied up most of the treasure from the ettercap.
"The scrolls seems a bit strange to them, as does the mace, but they can tell that all are magical. They know that's a cloak of resistance, and the arrows are +1 arrows, and they point out the patch on the chain shirt that shows that it is a common make of a +1 as well. They however ask for more time on the rest, and expect to be finished after you have made your plans for the rest of the day."

I know Grum got the chain shirt, which Amkarang has now, but nobody has taken the cloak, the mace, the scroll, or the arrows. How many magic arrows were there from the ettercap lair? Benedict took 1 of Aubrin's +1 arrows, and 1 from the undead's shack.

Good catch!

The cloak is a pretty big one, as fighters have crap saves.

I’m good on treasure atm...the boots are a big ticket item, which I feel honored to have. :)

Yeah! Third Level
Third Level Feat replaced by Wild Empathy operating at Jie's character level.
Favored class bonus to skill points giving 5 skill points
(Ride 1, Handle Animal 1, Swim 1, Climb 1, Intimidate 1)
8 additional hit points for a total of 28
Class ability of Armored Charger (no ACP for Ride checks and Feng can wear medium barding without penalty)

Alright, third level! Third level feat: Double Slice. Putting skill ranks into perception and swim. 9 additional hit points for a total of 31. Class ability: Defensive Flurry. I'd take the cloak of resistance unless anybody needs it more.

As much as I'd love it, Grum has +5 will save. Which is alright, for now.

Benedict has +1 Will
Feng and you have +0 Will

----

Some ideas for everyone to get their will saves up (as we increase in levels, save-or-suck spells can easily cripple our party):

(1) Extra Traits (except Benedict, he already has this)
(1a) Grab a +1 will save trait
(1b) Also if it fits your character, grab Principled (You take a –2 penalty on Bluff checks and gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against charm, compulsion, and emotion effects.)
(1c) This one feat, with the two of them, will give you an effective +3 bonus to will saves

(2) Iron Will (of course)

(3) For Benedict: Steadfast Personality
(3a) Add your Charisma modifier instead of your Wisdom bonus on Will saves against mind-affecting effects. If you have a Wisdom penalty, you must apply both your Wisdom penalty and your Charisma modifier.
(3c) This is an effective +2 bonus for you

So for everyone, this could be 2ish feats spent. But, getting +4 to +5 to your will save could make a huge difference. As an all fighter group, it's one of our biggest weaknesses.

-------------------------------

Another idea, as we are all lvl 3 now and we can still make changes...

Lvl 3 VMC Cleric: Pick a god with the protection domain. "You receive a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws. This bonus increases by 1 for every 5 levels you possess."

This might be good for Benedict, given his good Cha. This will eventually also net him channeling, which could be quite useful. But mostly it is a built in cloak of resistance that scales automatically. I doubt that we'll end up finding enough cloaks for all of us, and I don't know when we will be able to buy next. So this might be something to consider.

Also given that Benedict is an aasimar, he doesn't really need to worshiop a god. This could quite easily just represent his divine blood, or his ancestor watching over him.

Good ideas, Grum. I normally shoot for all save bonuses at least equal to level, even on a fighter, and Benedict is definitely behind by that metric.

Benedict has some resistance to Will-save spells by virtue of being an aasimar; Daze, Charm Person, Hold Person, and Dominate Person don't work on him, and on Hideous Laughter he gets a +4 on his save.

I don't think trait bonuses stack; it would be one or another. He can't fit one in anyway. However, one of his traits was picked to help him craft items (as per Shisumo's ruling), so he will be able to make cloaks in the future. Most likely taking Craft Wondrous Item at 5.

Iron Will and/or Steadfast Personality are good options when he can fit them in.

At 5th level, Benedict gets a shareable teamwork feat. Shake it Off is fantastic, as is Lastwall Phalanx. I was thinking Broken Wing Gambit for an offensive teamwork feat, but the save boosters could be good. If anybody wanted to take one of these teamwork feats so they'd be on all the time, not just when shared, I have found them extremely useful in another campaign.