The surgeon nods reassuringly. "Of course." Jaym'row looks with awe at Gideon. "You must be a wonderful doctor. I could never play the piano before!"
Gideon grins as he figures out things poking at the computer. "First, those spheres are made of very rare star metals. Let me get a video record of them before we do anything else." He scans what he can and then resumes his explanation. "Someone thought he was clever, putting the actual terminal to control the first pair of doors on the other side of the zap zone. Fortunately, I have an app for that." He concentrates and sends a faint bit of mystic energy at the terminal across the aisle from everyone. It sinks in and in front of Gideon a holographic set of computer controls appears and responds to his hand motions as if here were at the other computer.
I am sorry for not posting recently. As I said I would be, I have been traveling since Saturday morning and while I had some time on the weekend with Internet access, I had trouble signing on to Paizo and could not get a password reset to work. I'm just now able to post again, but now I'm crunched for time as I get caught up on my work and all my games. I'll post as soon as I can, but I'm okay with 'botting my character if it will help keep things from bogging down.
I am sorry for not posting recently. As I said I would be, I was traveling since Saturday morning and while I had some time on the weekend with Internet access, I had trouble signing on to Paizo and could not bet a password reset to work. I'm just now able to post again, but now I'm crunched for time as I get caught up on my work and all my games. I'll look over all the posts soon and get things moving again. I did see the total eclipse!
My work schedule has changed. For the next five weeks, I'll be unable to post generally after 3 PM (same time zone as New York City) on Monday through Thursday. I'll check games in the morning and make what posts I can. Also, I may be traveling on April 6-9. I should have some access to Wifi and a laptop, but if a post is needed in this period, please
My work schedule has changed. For the next five weeks, I'll be unable to post generally after 3 PM (same time zone as New York City) on Monday through Thursday. I'll check games in the morning and make what posts I can. Also, I may be traveling on April 6-9. I should have some access to Wifi and a laptop, but if a post is needed in this period, please
After failing to help with the technical side of things, Gideon sheepishly moves on and mingles with the locals to learn what else he might help them with. When he learns about them being harassed by gangs, he takes it upon himself to teach them how to spot attempts to trick them into falling for scams to get resources out of them without providing real benefits. He role plays with them as he pretends to be someone with some miracle device that will make food out of nothing or multiply electrical energy. Then he points out how they can tell this is a con.
Gideon talks with the refugees while he recovers from the minor minor shock he took in the firefight. He mingles and asks their names, listens to their stories of how they got to this point. To amuse any children in the area, he says, "I know it looks like I'm a big spender rich guy type, but remember this: things are not always what they appear." He rubs his palms together and makes a sweeping gesture reaching down near the ground and passing the palms of his hands up from the floor to over his head. As his hands move pass his clothing changes from those of a well-to-do merchant or businessman to tattered, dirty, and apparently cheaply made togs like the refugees are wearing. He figures it best to look more like the local refugees than a mark for thugs looking for some top of the line gear. He also replaces the four small arms rounds he fired with rounds removed from the gang. If no one else wants it, Gideon will tuck the semi-auto in his belt as a back-up firearm or to use if he needs more stopping power in the next fight.
While the captain paused to watch the ejection of the drunk, Jaym'row notices she can see her reflection in the soup spoon's back side. When she flips the spoon the other way around, her reflection in the bowl of the spoon is upside down. This amuses her and distracts her from the flying fortress of forks. Jade gets her attention with her flashy spell and she realizes something weird is happening. She's shift her weight to her feet and reaching for her starknife as Syper and Kork enter the fray, but by the time she stands fully and moves out from between the tables, the fight is over. She puts her starknife back in its leather holster and attends to the servers. She's disappointed she did not react faster, but who expects to fight silverware? Still she's quick with a joke. "Well, you bring knives, spoons, and forks to a magic fight, that's what happens." After the servers recover and start picking up what's left of the eating utensils, she sits back down and takes a sip of her drink and listens to the conversation. After Syper and Okoteck have their interviews, she speaks next. "I'm Jaym'row, of the Amurri m'rows. I am more than qualified to take up a life of adventure. I've survived in one of the most cuthroat environments there is, as an entertainer in the bars and taverns around the Norrennian Sea, as a female entertainer--a single female catfolk entertainer. I work with no bodyguards, no boyfriends, no one to save me when the drunks start feeling randy. Yet here I am. Truth to tell, I need a change in the scenery. I want to be part of a team, fighting shoulder to shoulder against orca-men, sahuagin, white dragons, silverware. And I'll do my share of treasure-hauling-in, as well." She finishes and strokes her whiskers, with a cat-that-ate-the-cannoli look on her face.
Welcome. I'm going to be busy with other game posting today, but I'll get to the narration of moving on so the new PCs can get together.
I'm waiting on one of the players to vote. Then I'll review the choices, break any ties, and announce the results. Sorry for the delay.
It looks good to have so many applications. It will be a hard decision. Last chance to post character ideas will be Thursday night Eastern Standard time.
We've received 2 advances so far.
- GM Kludde is running a game 6-14 The Missing [Tier 1-4], with one player... missing! Sign up here! I signed up for the last spot.
We are getting a lot of interest, which is good, but it means some will probably be left behind. There is another similar campaign looking for players to replace others who dropped out. It is a Wrath of the Righteous (WOTR) campaign I started around the same time I started the Reign of Winter (ROW) campaign. I was burning out on the time required and turned GM duties over to another. At the same time the campaign has lost several long time players. I joined back as a player, but we still only have three players. Since WOTR uses mythic rules, it's more complicated to come up with a new tenth level 3rd Mythic tier character, but the GM is quite creative and it looks like a promising adventure if we can get a few more players. Here is the recruitment thread if anyone wants to inquire about a spot at the PBP table.
I see nothing wrong with some levels of shadowdancer. The source says they do not generally have the Lawful alignment, but that's fine for this campaign, as everyone is cooperating with an Evil NPC but for the greater good of Golarion. Iobaria is largely depopulated due to past plagues that are still a risk to anyone living there, so it would be a good place to go to escape pursuit.
Wow, we've got 13 posts on the recruitment thread for new players. I'll post in the gameplay thread and then start looking through those posts. Everyone should also read them and comment on anything you wish to share. You will have a vote in who gets invites to play.
I will make it so. I hope players will role play the lead up to this for dramatic effect. I'll make a post later today.
After Dyre completes his song, Nona makes eye contact and nods with approval. She sings a song next. To put the paladins at ease, she translates the words from Hallet to common. The melody is in a minor key and her voice is tinged with sadness as she sings. Pulara-zee*, will you speak to me,
Was it in Absalom? Was it in Galt?
"Far to the south and the east I began.
But though you torment her, a Goddess can't die
I'll go to Absalom; I'll go to Galt;
Credits:
Nona then confers with her companions, Luanna and Father Emil, agreeing on a sleep/shift schedule. Nona notices Yath's discomfort at sleeping on the ground. Well she knows the challenges of sleeping in the 'wound, something she got used to long ago. She pauses, something seeming to get her attention. She sits silently for a short time before shaking her head and arranging her sleeping bag. GM: Nona observes the ballet for a bit but loses interest quickly and checks out of the telepathic sharing.
"Never understood that tech stuff. The brothers at the monastery where I learned the art of solaria never used computers or even comm units." Ebon says as he cautiously looks into the halls revealed by the hologram. "Which way? Straight or left? I suggest we check all the spaces we can without opening any more doors, just to get the lay of the place." As the group explores, Ebon speaks softly. "When we find Ongie, it's probably best if I back off and let you smaller ones to the talking. We vesk tend to be intimidating, and one with black scales, in my experience, well, people form dark assumptions."
The two arrows are but slivers to her flesh numbed to much worse, but their removal does elicit a sigh. She gives the angel a smile and the Succubus a shrug at thoughts about tentacles, then turns to the older summoner of spirits "Thank you for the information. My name is Yathlara. My I ask your name and if you are with the crusaders or forsaken?" the battle had been a bit more chaotic, and separating allies had been hard enough from enemies. Splitting them into separate groups was just too much. Nona replies, "I am Nona Rastaban, daughter of Salmus Achyon. It is an honor to meet you and to have shared this battle with one so talented. As for my allegiance, I should be enjoying my grandchildren but Pulara and Desna seem to have other plans for me. I've been drawn into the fight, led a band of mercenaries, dealt with demons in Galt, and visited as many Sarkoran ruins as I could, seeking relics to aid in the defeat of the Worldwound. I was recruited by the Mendevian queen to help in this matter. I think I'd like to remain and join forces with those of Mendev to try to locate this Ivory Labyrinth and this rogue succubus Arueshalee. After that, we'll see." To Cydric, Nona checks on how he is recovering. "Our paths cross again and again we join forces to defeat some demons. We've got to stop meeting like this. When you've recovered, I'd like to know your opinion of these forces backing you who also aided us in this fight. What are their goals?"
Right now and for the next month and a half, Tuesday through Thursday is when all my work is concentrated, so posting is limited then. I'm digesting recent posts and will try to post this afternoon between classes if I can.
"Nice song. Is it new? I have not heard it before." "Lasers, Razors, and Skittermanders latest. Heard it on the tube coming in," Ebon replies, his voice deep and smooth. He hums the melody to himself while Yonkers grooms.
"True, as long as you don't lose touch with reality. As B. F. Traskogi said, 'By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.'"
A new recruit to the Starfinders, Ebon Doone stands out among other vesk because he is slightly shorter than most, at around six feet ten inches and because his scales are flat black. He wears Lashunta Ringwear armor, also flat black, and his only evident weapons, other than his clawed hands, is a pulsecaster pistol and a starknife. This makes sense once one notices the small mote of black that flits around his head, and once one learns he is also a bounty hunter. Those who have worked with him are quick to point out that he is a lot of fun, making jokes and quoting lyrics from popular songs or lines from popular movies. He is also known as a low level bounty hunter around Absalom Station prior to joining the Starfinders. He's eager to be assigned to a mission. He takes this situation in stride, humming the lines of a popular song,
Yathlara's seemingly random mention of a parody of a traditional winter solstice song triggered a long neglected memory in Nona. It was a childish perversion of a song that was pretty silly to begin with. It was a Sarkoris tradition that on the Winter Solstice Pulara would take a human form and travel the land distributing oranges and toys for the children, something the parents of small children would sometimes foster by leaving fruit and toys for the kids to find on Solstice morning. The song was of a child witnessing her parents acting out the magic and, thinking they are unobserved, give each other a holy day smooch. After the Worldwound, some cynical kids rewrote the words. It was a bit of those lyrics that came to Nona's mind in the midst of the horrific battle. I saw daddy kiss a succubus
Strange what thoughts can emerge when facing death and damnation.
The extensive dialoguing is hard for me to keep track of, since I constantly have to check who's who and it makes it seem a bit like the battle's going in slow motion, with time for all that chatter. Other than that, I'm enjoying the process of making my posts and watching what happens next. I would make one suggestion: proofread posts before submitting the post. I always do this so that posts feel as much like professional writing as possible. Having to figure out what a sentence means because of typos takes me out of the narrative to deal with the writing, which distracts from the vicarious experience we're trying to achieve.
"I know little about the events at Wintersun Hall that led to this caravan, so I will let others speak as to the desires of the prisoners and the pledges made by Anarya and the others." Nona looks to the others to address the proffer of a prisoner swap. She is skeptical of whether the Hallet natives will be better off under crusader auspices or this unholy alliance. She never tried to learn how to read people's motives. She has most of her life assumed people may not be telling the truth and tries not to assume truth or fiction when dealing with strangers. Instead, she looks to the actions as indications of true motives.
Sorry to be absent recently. My wife was hospitalized a few days last week (she's okay and back home now). Between visits to the hospital and finishing my class for the term, I've been distracted from posting. I'll also let everyone know now that I'm going to be traveling later this week and again toward the beginning of next week. I don't know my access to WIFI although I will have my laptop so I can post if I have time and access. I'll be attending my HS 50th anniversary next weekend.
After 23 years, our celebrations are pretty laid back. We didn't even give each other cards this year, just verbal happy anniversary wishes when we work up. We did have a nice dinner at a local art museum on Sunday.
Sorry for the long delay in posting. The end of the work week this term is extra busy and then Saturday was my anniversary and we were getting hit by tropical storm Ophelia. Saturday night, our router died, so I could only connect to the internet with my phone. It took until just recently for me to get the new router, so I finally have a chance to post. Thanks for your patience.
Behind the screen:
DC 19
Crasius: Hadda: Rurik: Seke: This detects the that the item is cursed.
There is an oversized pestle that glows magical. There is a broom that is enchanted. Initial inspection suggests it is a broom of flying, but Rurik notices an anomaly of the aura that makes him believe it is cursed. He believes it will instead act as a broom of animated attack. Hadda observes that the moldering tomes on the shelves deal with a variety of esoteric subjects—most are frightfully out of date. One book is of greater value, however—a cookbook of arcane augmentation. Description:
This book is bound in dyed goatskin, and its coarse, thick pages are stained in a variety of colors and covered in wavering script; rough sketches; and diagrams of various plants, mystic symbols, and animal parts. A crude wooden spoon serves a bookmark. A cookbook of arcane augmentation contains recipes that allow an arcane spellcaster who prepares spells to augment her spells with specific metamagic effects through ritual preparation. A cookbook of arcane augmentation contains recipes for Ectoplasmic Spell (APG), Persistent Spell (APG), Rime Spell (UM), and Sickening Spell (APG), and can be used to augment spells of 6th level or lower.
Once per day, the spellcaster can augment a spell by following a recipe as part of her normal spell preparation. To prepare an augmented spell, the spellcaster must succeed at a Craft (alchemy) check (DC 15 + spell level) while mixing the recipe’s ingredients in a cauldron. (The cost of these ingredients is negligible, and they are assumed to be readily available in a spell component pouch.) If the check succeeds, the spell is augmented with the recipe’s metamagic feat. This doesn’t change the spell slot of the augmented spell. On a failed check, that spell can’t be augmented that day, but the caster can attempt to augment another spell. A spellcaster can prepare only a single augmented spell each time she prepares spells, and apply only one augmentation from the cookbook to any given spell, but can combine an augmentation with metamagic feats she possesses. In this case, only the feats possessed by the caster adjust the spell slot of the spell being cast. The book doesn’t confer the associated metamagic feat on the owner, only the ability to use the given feat when spells are prepared. This also contains details on the ritual used to bind Ratibor the Bold to the Dancing Hut. If sold, this book is worth 21,500 gp. When Hadda gives her answer to the riddle, the three-faced warrior looks disappointed, but steps aside to let you through.
While talking to Hasshshir, Duncan begins to notice he is sweating. He asks if they turned up the heat in the room since before. Eventually he realizes he is sick.
In the morning Duncan's fever has broken and he feels much better, although he predicts another day before he'll be recovered.
Nona doesn't have any magic ready that can affect a large number of demons. She knows they may be easy to intimidate, so she gives it a try. "Ваш ныне отсутствующий лидер спросил, как нам удалось пройти мимо грабителя городов! Мы наполнили его достаточным количеством свинца, чтобы оттащить его обратно в бездонное болото, в котором он прячется! Твоя верховная жрица оказалась достаточно умна, чтобы сбежать от нас. Есть ли у тебя шанс, что ты, паразит, встанешь на нашем пути?" Abyssal:
Your now-absent leader asked how we got past the despoiler of cities! We filled him with enough lead to drag him back to whatever abyssal swamp he hides out in! Your high priestess was smart enough to flee us. What chance have you vermin of standing in our way?
She signals her group to start roaring and waving weapons, hoping the Galt agents will aim their guns as well.
Came across this on Pinterest.
A swiftly savaged Sandpoint. Or the overly alliterative game play thread for Savage Burnt offerings.
Jzero was going to attack the remaining goblin near the cathedral, but when Rhodel and Velrek seem to have him covered, Jzero dashes to Mirri's side and attacks the goblins attacking her. He considers attacking the elemental for a moment, but sees it attack a goblin and assumes strange creatures appearing to defend citizens may be a feature of the town.
I will be attending a Steampunk convention this weekend. I will likely have Internet and a laptop so I'll try to check to see if any posts are needed, but I won't have a lot of time for involved posting.
Pathfinder has a rule that someone on higher ground gets a +1 to attack someone below. In SW I think the same result could be subtracting from the parry of the lower ground target. In PF, +1 to hit gives a 5% better chance of success. I'm not sure if a +1 in SW is better or worse than that. I suppose it depends on the dice involved.
I recommend posting only after those with turns ahead of our initiative point have posted and issues with their posts resolved. The exceptions would be either if we know we will not be able to post for a while and/or we are confident our actions will not be affected by what happens ahead of our turn. In the latter case, I recommend posting under a spoiler so as not to give away actions that technically have not happened yet. The GM can reply-post the content of the spoiler at the appropriate time for the action. This may slow things down a bit, but it also slows things down when there are ret-cons and posts back and forth clarifying if the thing posted ahead of time is still the thing the poster wants to do now that things have reached the poster PC's turn.
I dropped out as the GM of this campaign for various reasons, the main one being not enough time to keep up with the GM duties. However, I'm continuing as a player in other campaigns, as the time commitment, after character creation, is something I can handle now that I spend less time doing GM stuff. Liliyashanina graciously offered me a chance to join the campaign as a player, which I'm delighted to do, both to allow me to follow the progress of the PCs and players I've come to love and respect, but also to take part in the epic adventure represented by this ambitious AP. I have not read the future sections of the AP, generally only doing the minimum to be ready to GM the game, so I won't have any significant spoilers to play around, although if something is known by the player, I promise not to act on it with my PC. Here are the character creation ability rolls per the 1st post of this recruitment thread. 1
Attributes/Point-Buy Cost
Since I'm making a shaman, the 18 will be Wisdom and the 15 will be charisma, with Dex 13, Int 10, Str 9 and Con 8. This will be consistent with an idea to make this character elderly, so she would have lost some points due to old age from her con and str. The attribute points she gets from mythic tiers will improve these to nominal levels and possibly improved further with magic items. As she is human, the bonus attribute point will bring her initial charisma up to 16. I'll post developments via PM to Liliyshanina as they become available. I'll do the level up hp rolls here while I'm at it. HP rolls: Level 2:
; Result: 4 Level 3: ; Result: 8 Level 4: ; Result: 7 Level 5: ; Result: 2 (may be rerolled each level to try to improve) Level 6: ; Result: 4 Reroll level 5 result: Replace result of 2 at level 5 with this result (4) Level 7: ; Result: 3 (may be rerolled each level to try to improve) Level 8: ; Result: 8 Reroll level 7 result: Replace result of 3 at level 7 with this result (8) Level 9: ; Result: 7 Final results
Thanks for letting us know. Do what RL demands and get back to us when you can.
Ingrit's arrow passes through the green flames of Silyzil's wispy body, doing more damage to the magic that holds her more and more tenuously together. Crasius appears by her side and adds another arrow, taking her close to the end.
Seke runs her hardest and even hasted barely is able to get in sight of the green terror that almost killed Rurik. A cold white light builds quickly in her fist and she makes an quick throw in the direction of Silyzil. The snowball passes through the green flame body of the witchflame, explodes with icy shards that rip away the last vestige of magic holding what remained of the hag. The flames fade, leaving grey ash on the ground below.
Suggestion for group name: Fugu.
A slightly longer and more colorful version is torafugu for tiger fugu. The V-Sori's are not likely to recognize the word, making safer to use in case someone overhears it or discovers it somehow.
I've been playing some games in the Savage Worlds system. It makes generous use of Bennies, which is the rough equivalent of Hero Points. Black Tom, the original GM of this campaign was giving out Hero points and I intended to keep that up but I have forgotten about it. I was reminded of this because when Crasius got a nat 1, I thought, this would be a good point for a reroll, which a hero point allows. So I apologize for letting the hero points thing drop and I am reinstating it now. Everyone has 3 hero points. Here is a recap of what you can do with a hero point. Hero Points:
Hero points can be spent at any time and do not require an action to use (although the actions they modify consume part of your character's turn as normal). You cannot spend more than 1 hero point during a single round of combat. Whenever a hero point is spent, it can have any one of the following effects.
Act Out of Turn: You can spend a hero point to take your turn immediately. Treat this as a readied action, moving your initiative to just before the currently acting creature. You may only take a move or a standard action on this turn. Bonus: If used before a roll is made, a hero point grants you a +8 luck bonus to any one d20 roll. If used after a roll is made, this bonus is reduced to +4. You can use a hero point to grant this bonus to another character, as long as you are in the same location and your character can reasonably affect the outcome of the roll (such as distracting a monster, shouting words of encouragement, or otherwise aiding another with the check). Hero points spent to aid another character grant only half the listed bonus (+4 before the roll, +2 after the roll). Extra Action: You can spend a hero point on your turn to gain an additional standard or move action this turn. Inspiration: If you feel stuck at one point in the adventure, you can spend a hero point and petition the GM for a hint about what to do next. If the GM feels that there is no information to be gained, the hero point is not spent. Recall: You can spend a hero point to recall a spell you have already cast or to gain another use of a special ability that is otherwise limited. This should only be used on spells and abilities possessed by your character that recharge on a daily basis. Reroll: You may spend a hero point to reroll any one d20 roll you just made. You must take the results of the second roll, even if it is worse. Special: You can petition the GM to allow a hero point to be used to attempt nearly anything that would normally be almost impossible. Such uses are not guaranteed and should be considered carefully by the GM. Possibilities include casting a single spell that is one level higher than you could normally cast (or a 1st-level spell if you are not a spellcaster), making an attack that blinds a foe or bypasses its damage reduction entirely, or attempting to use Diplomacy to convince a raging dragon to give up its attack. Regardless of the desired action, the attempt should be accompanied by a difficult check or penalty on the attack roll. No additional hero points may be spent on such an attempt, either by the character or her allies. Cheat Death: A character can spend 2 hero points to cheat death. How this plays out is up to the GM, but generally the character is left alive, with negative hit points but stable. For example, a character is about to be slain by a critical hit from an arrow. If the character spends 2 hero points, the GM decides that the arrow pierced the character's holy symbol, reducing the damage enough to prevent him from being killed, and that he made his stabilization roll at the end of his turn. Cheating death is the only way for a character to spend more than 1 hero point in a turn. The character can spend hero points in this way to prevent the death of a familiar, animal companion, eidolon, or special mount, but not another character or NPC. Earning Hero Points: Each character begins play with 1 hero point, regardless of her level. In addition, whenever a character gains a level, she earns an additional hero point. Aside from these basic rules, awarding additional hero points is up to the GM. The following options are just some of the ways that a GM might award additional hero points.
Faith: In a campaign where the gods play an important role in every character’s life, hero points might represent their favor. In such a setting, the GM can award hero points to characters whenever they uphold the tenets of their faith in a grand way, or whenever they take on one of the faith’s major enemies. Such hero points might be temporary, and if not spent on the task at hand, they fade away. Heroic Acts: Whenever a character performs an exceptionally heroic act, she can be awarded a hero point. This might include anything from slaying an evil dragon when the rest of the group has f led to rescuing townsfolk from a burning building despite being terribly wounded. It does not have to be related to combat. Convincing the reticent king to send troops to help with a bandit problem or successfully jumping a wide chasm might earn a character a hero point, depending on the circumstances. Note that a hero point should only be awarded if the PC involved did not spend a hero point to accomplish the task. Return from the Dead: When a character dies, she does not lose any hero points she has accumulated. If she died with no hero points remaining, she gains 1 hero point when she is brought back from the dead through powerful magic, such as raise dead or resurrection. Maximum Hero Points: Characters can have no more than 3 hero points at any one time. Excess hero points are lost.
|
