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Back in Ol' Pak's shop, Mishka reaches up and rubs the small tattoo of the Night Monarch below his right eye. "No thank you, I plan to keep the tattoo. And the earring." He thumbs through his notes, organizing them for the report he'll be writing for submission to the Chronicles. He checks out Dale's volcanic tramp stamp. "Dale, em, have you actually seen that tattoo? I'm afraid your moon's below the volcanic eruption." "Sobriety is the secret to a good tattoo."
Holding his forearms and wrists together, Krieger opens his clasped hands, slightly curling his fingers, creating a shadow tyrannosaur that roars and clamps its jaws shut around the mutant shadow ape.
Wishing he could step outside and cleave Eynemb's cursed head from his scrawny pencil-neck, Krieger tries to stay focused, racking his brain for some new puppet to amuse and amaze the crowd and complete the next phase of the ritual. A bunny maybe? Nobali Hohachi's overbearing spirit quashes that whimsical musing with a heavy-booted foot stomp. Placing his fists back to back, Mishka curls the thumb and forefinger of one hand, creating a shadow bull to gore the shadow snakes.
Krieger sees the snake bite Hayden. A giant constrictor snake - and it's fiendish! Ears ringing, he enters the large pavillion and puts on a terrifying puppet performance, folding his hands and making a scissors motion, creating a giant shadow crocodile to threaten the shadow snake.
"Harjandi, how much longer do you intend to ignore Eynemb's flaunting of the sacred rituals' tenets?"
With some time on his hands before the next ritual, Mishka returns to the young wayang lady Xiha's favorite tattooist. "Sir, who knows what Fate has in store for each of us. I'd like to commemorate my sojourn here during the Abbinthurtaa rituals and festivities with one of your tattoos." "The Night Monarch, Mother Moon's herald, please, but in the wayang fashion." Kireger points to his cheek, just below his right eye. "Nothing too large mind you, not much larger than a tear, thank you."
"Eynemb, I am not so high up a mountain that I cannot see through your mockery and insults," Krieger says in a menacing voice from behind Nobali Hohachi’s mask, black as a starless midnight. "Your words betray your own weakness and your need for my help." Channeling the brash spirit of the tengu priest of Hei Feng, Krieger stands up straight, 6'4" and over 14 stone, and looming larger. Taking up as much space as he can whether he's sitting, standing, or walking, he cuts quite the imposing figure. "Know that Nobali Hohachi's destiny is to bring the holy word of the Duke of Thunder down upon the Minatan isles! I will deal with this threat, though not simply because you beg me to," a supremely confident Krieger roars like a bolt of lightning. He pounds a fist against his mithral breastplate. "I will do it, because it is my destiny!"
Sounds good, Tenibri. Anyone mind if Mishka opens up the next round with the 'Presence' tactic? Mishka's modifiers aren't that great, so we can likely anticipate a counter from the wayangs, creating an opportunity for Tenibri's own 'Mockery' counter-counter. *EDIT* Whoops, never mind. Looks like Dana already seized the initiative on her own.
Thanks. Looking at the options to reduce Determination, it looks impossible for any of us to win/reduce the Ante using 'Red Herring.' Tenebri would have the best chance to win/reduce the Ante with 'Flattery' (+10), but the odds/probablility (25%) are worse than for Vlazis using 'Allegory' to hit a DC of 26. If I've overlooked something, please let me know. Before anybody chooses a tactic/skill check, you should consider the additional rules the GM included on the slides. Lots of additional situational modifiers associated with each tactic/skill. May we use a once-per-scenario re-roll (for a Paizo T-shirt, Folio, etc), enabling us to add our GM stars to the result?
Re Heroes Edges: Is the 1 Edge for 'Allegory or Mockery Only' in addition to what a PC might have for a particular tactic/skill? Looking at the Team matrix Sir Hayden put together, Vlazis has the best chance of success using Allegory (+12) - with 1 Edge for using one of the called out tactics. If I've calculated the odds and probability correctly, that's about a 35% chance of success on the roll. The 1 Edge would enable him to re-roll, if he isn't satisfied with the first result.
Anybody willing and able to put together a combined spreadsheet, maybe using the GM's template, indicating the group's selected tactics and skills with the associated modifier and Edge? Might help us get a snapshot of our strengths and weaknesses and ensure the team hasn't overlooked anything. Spreadsheets are not my personal strong suit.
Thanks, GM, for all the work on this. Much appreciated. Everything below is the result of my own clumsy and confused attempt at due diligence. Krieger has no spells available or items equipped that enhance his CHA; however, he has the Persuasive and Tribal Scars (Bearpelt) feats. The former provides a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks, and the latter provides a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks. The Vigilante social talent Social Grace grants Krieger a +4 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks. The Vigilante social talent Ancestral Enlightenment grants Krieger a +4 untyped bonus on any knowledge check in which he has at least 1 rank. It doesn't make it a class skill, but would it provide some Edge for such Knowledge skills? When calculating Edge, do we round up or down? It looks like Krieger has 6/3 Diplomacy for Edge 2 and 8/3 Intimidate for Edge 2.67. Krieger also has a 'Morale Pool' of 1 from his Vigilante talent Companion of the Lonely, which can be spent as an immediate action to roll a CHA-based skill check again after rolling the die but before learning the consequences; he must take the second result, even if it's lower. I'm not sure if it's applicable, but were our opponents to use Intimidate against Krieger, his Vigilante special ability Unshakable grants +5 (Ex) to the DC of foes attempting Intimidate checks against him. For the purposes of the debate's verbal duel, every check is CHA-based. Krieger's CHA mod is only +1. With just one rank in Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense Motive, his bonus for each is the same, +5. (You calculated his Intimidate mod as +7.) Does Edge break a tie between 2 or more skills? Does wearing the mask of Nobali Hohachi confer any benefit/penalty to any of the checks? Regarding the team effort, should we try to make sure at least one of us covers each of the tactics to avoid 'forfeiting' a win to our opponents? Kreiger can switch to other tactics to help cover some the team hasn't chosen, even if they're not necessarily his in-character preferred choices. Some of Krieger's options look worse, when I followed the rules you laid out on the worksheet:
Allegory: Knowledge (religion) +2 (Edge 0)
Krieger offers up his wand of cure light wounds to treat the wounds of the rest of the wayang warriors, expending as many charges as needed to restore them to full health, an effort intended to establish goodwill and for word of the deed to spread among the wayangs. "We do not blame you for your conduct in the mock battle, friends," he says with a smile. "The fault lies entirely with the one who bewitched you. Please, consider joining us this evening for drinks at Unelda's boarding house. I would be honored to buy you all a round or two."
... A minute later, Krieger rejoins the team, hair bound back in tight braids, noble attire all neatly in place. "So how shall we prepare for the debate?" he asks. "And what if someone tries to interfere again?" He cranes his neck, looking for their wayang contact. "Perhaps Harjandi can enlighten us."
Mishka accompanies the young wayang lady Xiha to her favorite tattooist. He leafs through the portfolio of the artist's work. He pauses on one image, pointing to an intricate, stylized moth-like creature. "Fascinating. I believe this The Night Monarch, Desna's herald." Its wings are brightly colored, and while the exact color and pattern changes with every glance, they always exude sparkling stardust. Its head looks more like a brightly colored moth than a butterfly, and its tail ends in what look like three peacock feathers. "I am aware that many wayang revere Lao Shu Po as their patron, but I had no idea Mother Moon, too, had devotees among your people." He smiles at Xiha and approaches the artist. "After the Abbinthurtaa rituals and festivities are complete, I'd like to return and discuss your work. Could you render this as a runeward tattoo, specifically for necromancy?" He thanks the artist for his time and patience and bids farewell to Xiha. "Thank you for your compassion, Xiha," he says, "But now I must return to my friends and prepare for the rituals." --- After an hour or so, Mishka returns, satisfied and relaxed, to the team's lodgings at Unelda's boarding house, where he meets up with Dale. "Dale, it's a long story, but if you've the time, I will tell it... " Krieger's Tale:
"I am the son of a Tian concubine and the Mighty Kuldor, the strongest man in the whole of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords and leader of the Bearpelt following. To escape the palace intrigues of my father's other offspring, their mothers, and his many courtiers, I left home to prove myself an epic hero through acts of great courage and strength, cunning and guile. For a time, I served as a soldier in the army of Po La the Bureaucrat, the Tian leader of Icestair, the largest settlement in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, wedged against the wall of ice that marks the edge of the Crown of the World."
"I have the stature of my Kellid father and his legendary giant ancestors and a typical Kellid’s light brown skin, long, dark brown hair and dark green eyes. But I inherited my physical grace and fine features from my Tian mother from Minkai." "I wears this zoic fetish, a small charm made out of bundles of twine hair and stone, crafted for me by my Tian mother, Hwei Yofang, who may have enchanted it with powerful druidic magic." "Now, let's find the others, compare our notes of what we learned, and get ready for the rituals."
I like the vigilante talent Companion to the Lonely for its iconic James Bond-like thematics, fitting to Krieger's understated international-man-of-mystery persona. In role-play, I keep it tactful, mindful of the broad spectrum of player sensitivities in the community. Though not called for, I roll a Diplomacy check to give the GM some sense of Krieger's chances of success, and - if successful - also to ply his companion for information in a situation like this. As far as its mechanical benefits are concerned, there are better talents available. I chose this for the fluff and for the challenge of making it work without offending anyone. Oh, and he has a boon that might help explain his natural skill.
Giant-Blooded Trait:
Your family has always been dogged by rumors that a bit of giant blood got into the family’s veins at some point. Whether this was through alchemical or magical experimentation, or because your great-great-grandfather married a giant, it has made you big for your race, and may have given you other minor cosmetic features of giants, such as flaming red hair, a bluish tinge to your skin, or oversized hands. When you wield a weapon that is larger than your size, the penalty on attack rolls for using inappropriately sized weapons is reduced by half. In addition, you gain a +2 trait bonus to your CMD against awesome blow combat maneuvers. If you’re a dwarf, your stability racial trait applies to awesome blow combat maneuvers as well. Giant-blooded is a mostly-useless trait, but it complements his backstory nicely. Physically, he deals with it by wearing loose-fitting pants. ;-)
With a stately flourishing wave of his arms, Mishka bows toward the mayor. "Greetings, Excellency! You honor us by meeting us in person. We look forward to a pleasant sojourn in your fair city and are grateful for the invitation to participate in the festival," he says, "What do you call the celebration?"
I'm beginning to think the name of the festival is a closely guarded secret. And the wayangs keep referring to the celebration as a 'ritual.' Hmm... --- Mishka wanders the city, visiting the tattoo parlors with mild curiosity, chatting with the locals to answer the team's intel priorities, and looking for love in all the right places.
Companion to the Lonely Vigilante social talent: Companion to the Lonely (Ex) (Inner Sea Intrigue pg. 33): Whether religiously motivated, as are followers of Arshea, Calistria, or Shelyn, or for purely carnal reasons, physical intimacy helps the vigilante cope with the loneliness of his double life. Once per day, the vigilante can spend at least 1 hour engaged in acts of physical pleasure with a willing partner to gain a pool of morale points equal to his Charisma bonus or his partner’s Charisma bonus, whichever is higher. For the next 24 hours, the vigilante can spend a morale point as an immediate action to roll a Charisma-based skill check or a Will saving throw again after rolling the die but before learning the consequences; he must take the second result even if it is lower.
At dawn, Mishka trains as best he can on the deck, maintaining his conditioning and practicing with his gleaming greatsword, the sweeping blows furious and powerful, even while shielding himself from the attacks of an imaginary opponent or anyone else who cares to spar. Evenings, Mishka clears a space at a cramped table in the quiet galley, and by the light of his wayfinder, writes all he learns in his journal. During the sea voyage, Mishka speaks with the captain and crew of the Spider's Silk about maritime operations and trade in the region. "You seem a little wary of the wayangs, Cap'n. Can you help us understand the situation?" Mindful of Old Pak's mission statement to the team: To foster good relations with the locals in Minata and bring back any information about their culture—and this festival in particular— in order to help the Society properly catalog the information for future use by field agents, Mishka joins the rest of the team, discussing the festival, the rules for the mock gladiatorial combat, the verbal duel, and the feast with dancing and shadow-puppets. "Excuse me, Harjandi, but I didn't catch the name of this festival we're attending. What do the wayangs of Minata call it?" Mishka asks their wayang female contact. "Can you elaborate on what is expected of us, especially the rules of the three main events?"
Mishka checks the bindings of his mithral breastplate and his starmetal greatsword in its sheath across his back. "I am prepared to embark, as soon the team is ready," Mishka assures the semi-retired Pathfinder leader and their new wayang contact, and he jots down a few notes in his journal, capturing the insights Dale shared and the details provided by Harjandi.
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