khazan's page

Really enjoying this thread, thanks for starting it. There's a lot of lore here that I am regretfully unfamiliar with, so this discussion makes me want to go digging for all the things I need to know.

As an aside, I always found Zyphus, god of accidental death and graveyards and tragedy, to be the sort of deity that most adventurers would offer a prayer to before delving into some dangerous, unknown ruin. In our homebrew world, a cult devoted to him sprang up in the small town nearby a sprawling ancient megadungeon, since so many explorers and adventurers have met their end there in various grisly (and sometimes darkly humorous) ways.

Although I do admire your steely good looks, sir, my Gary Puckett needn't be WAXED, I assure you.

And thus I have won.

White Plume Mountain had several very cool encounters, the inverted Ziggurat, the frictionless floor, the cavern with the hanging stairs. I hated the lava bubble with the giant crab. Didn't seem fair that we killed the crab but that it got to crack open the bubble and let the lava in. Not that fair was what we expected, just that one seemed particularly egregious.

My memory may be sketchy, but I remember the map of White Plume Mountain and surrounding landscape was really well done - drawn by Erol Otus maybe?

*sneaks in and looks around carefully*

Looks like I win!

200. A group of young children, wearing homemade "wings" (sticks and fabric scraps tied together and bundled on their backs) encircle the party and squawk and chatter like birds. At first it's cute and funny, then their relentless screeching turns ugly and unnerving. BONUS if the group physically attempts to remove the children from their path, as the children then "burst" into a cloud of crows and fly off noisily.

201. Whilst investigating some underground ruins, the party finds a round, stone-lined room in which stands a single white candle on the floor. The flame flickers slightly upon their arrival. It remains lit no matter the attempt to extinguish it, so long as it stays in the room. BONUS if someone kneels close to the candle and whispers their own name at the flame, for this results in the ability to cast Spark as a SLA.

As I recall, on December 21, 2012, a bunch of celebrity Scientologists led by Beck were going to do something and the Antichrist was going to end the world, but it didn't matter because my Lord and Master was going to transport me to the TIME AFTER TIME and I was going to spend eternity hanging out with Emma Caulfield, getting stoned and playing D&D.

All hail Leafar!

Personally, I'd like to hear more about the part with Emma Caulfield.

Maximillian Cumberbund III

I think you're correct; the NPC who alerted us to "the beasts and the nature of the Horde" did say something about "the Brute" calling his brothers to service, so I assume that means The Shaggy summoned some or most of the others. Nice bit of mechanics expressed in RP, I didn't even catch that when the GM said it...Thanks!

Definitely have to split them up and I hope our cleric has Prot. From Evil, Communal ready to go.

Well, you can't live forever, right? And yeh, like Xan Ning says, 100K xp if we make it through. :0)

Thanks Deadman; I hadn't thought about it in terms of a "# encounters/day" sort of way.

My concern is that perhaps the storyline of the campaign (an 'end days', End of an Age sort of thing) might be shoveling coal in the locomotive, so to speak...lol

I would put it at a CR or about 18.

Tarry = 17 1 Tarry = CR 10 , 12 of them is +7 CR
Slime = 16 1 slime =13 ,3 = +3 CR
Shaggy = 15

So you have basically a CR 17 encounter and add 2 more CR 17 creatures to it for a total of about 18 maybe 19.

What is the point buy and gear situation of the party? It couold be a little rough.

Well, we are geared up, so to speak. This group made the switch from a home brew 3.5 to Pathfinder earlier this year, and the DM is definitely a generous sort. My Dwarf fighter (15th) has a +4 weapon and decent armor. The bard has an heirloom necklace which amplifies her bardic abilities (x/day). The wizard has a character sheet about 6 pages long with more minor magic items than I have ever seen. Overall, our stats were generated a long time ago using 4d6 drop lowest and reroll ones, so they are good I think.

I guess I am just thinking that the DM has maybe realized that we tend to be a geared up, boosted group and now has cranked up the CR without really thinking about the CR, if that makes sense.

Thanks both of you btw for the raw number info; I'm not very good with that stuff.

Our group is currently embroiled in an "end days" sort of campaign, and through a series of NPC encounters in a previous session, we learned that there was an attack force of demodands hot on our trail. One NPC was able to share the exact number and composition of the 'final' demonic attack force which has now arrived and it is:

12 Tarry Demodands
3 Slimy Demodands
1 Shaggy Demodand

We have encountered a fair amount of Tarry already and they were ....unpleasant, to say the least.

Our group consists of 7 characters (if everyone shows up to play) of an average level of 14. It's a well-mixed group, with a 'tank' fighter, bard, sorcerer/fighter, cleric, archer-based rogue, wizard/cleric, and wizard (mainly transmutation spells). We have the usual sort of healing and other magic gear.

Yes, the question I'm asking is: does the impending monster encounter seem a bit heavy or, strictly by the numbers, does it seem 'challenging yet fair'? We have a short time to prepare for the battle; the demon force has arrived and sacked the town we are hiding in.....erm.....protecting, so we will march out to meet them in our next session.

Just curious to hear opinions, not looking for tactics or strategy, since I want to play out the scenario, but worry that the DM might be a little over-zealous in his desire to wipe us out.

Thanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVwPgrQ_R_s&feature=player_embedded

Words fail me.

Wow. It looks like an episode of "Xena". Who's the guy with the charred Phantom of the Opera mask?

As an aside, CapeCodRPGer, we like to vacation up in Chatham every summer. Love it up there!

I bought a book (Dungeons of Golarion) and it arrived quickly and in great shape.
Thanks again, Mathpro!

Charlie Callas
was in
High Anxiety
with
Madeline Kahn

Fine, I'll admit it....Sandy Cheeks makes me randy.

The next poster enjoys cooking in the nude.

Sparkles!

Charles Scholz is banned for being geographically vague.

Signore is banned for calling the blatant innuendo 'pretty'. It's marginally attractive at best, maybe...

What's truly weird is that those words got transposed from a post i made in this thread:

8 Word X-Files Story

The forum gremlins are hard at work!

Also, I win!

beneath the hillside. If I remember correctly, the

...because they keep me stayin' alive, of course.

the next poster collects dust bunnies.

Goliath

DJ-Bogie is banned for commenting on khazan's meat packing.

Hey now! Lol

gran is banned for making me do a spit take with my coffee

you did take it, Charles (may I call you Chuck?), and then promptly delivered it to me.

Thank you.

Also, the FiOS tech fixed my internet today, and at one point he claimed his Blackberry was "too small" for his "large head".

I nodded politely.

Have yourself a merry little Strabismus, i always say...

gran rey de los manos is banned for STILL not having an avatar.

...i do, and believe me, that damned sand gets EVERYWHERE.

the next poster talks to snowflakes.

Turn-That-Frown-Upside-Down

rare

I think there is some balance to be had. I'm in a group of 30-somethings playing as well.

I think that GM is being a little excessive by not letting people die and being kind with the rules. I do like to reward people for doing something creative, even if its a bad roll (not just trying to spot some dudes but something truly creative).

As far as CdG goes, I do think there is a certain amount of playstyle there, but I already talked about that in the thread. Saying that because a rule is there it must be used is like saying that because a npc has bluff he MUST feint. I would say the he CAN feint, but he may choose not too, really depends on the character.

I know some people really pride themselves on being lethal GM, and really punishing their players. I take pride in the fact that every person I have played with has had fun. All the people I play with...

Yes it is all about balance, you're right. It seems like a fairly basic concept, but I guess the happy medium is difficult to find (which can be said for pretty much everything in life sometimes...!).

I'll give a counter example: in one game i attend, NOBODY EVER DIES. It's a long running campaign that has a core group of friends that started playing in college, and we are all in our late 30's now. I joined the group about 3 years ago.

There's no fear of death, and it's annoying. I used to think it was a 'high level' thing, but we recently rolled up 2nd level characters, and it's no better. Monsters and NPCs inexplicably forget to use the items that we find on their bodies after combat ("Oh boy - a potion of Haste and a wand of Magic Missiles! Good thing they didn't use those against us in combat!"). NPCs designed by the DM are routinely horribly leveled, in regard to feats and skills (me: "I'll try to Spot any bandits hiding along the road; ugh, dammit, I rolled really bad, a 9". DM: "You're in luck! You manage to spot the bandits crouched behind some trees!" me: "oh....erm.....awesome?").

It's like having an overly protective and overly generous parent: there's no real thrill or sense of accomplishment sometimes because you almost always know that nothing bad is ever going to really happen. Blah.

Ah jealousy, how I wish I was younger...and had taken an applicable program...and lived in the right country.

Lol

Other than that, everything's just peachy!

certain

Hark Moover

although,

Rico Suavé

And I can't hear myself think over the rumbling and burbling that's occurring in my gut at the moment. The cat just left the room; this can't be good....

The next poster just can't fight this feeling anymore.

Guys, remember that time when I was winning?

That was awesome.

psionichamster wrote:

People are generally ok. Take away personal accountability & give them a wide enough audience, and they turn into the horrid simian pack hunters we evolved from.

I agree.

The comments aren't about sexism/racism/etc on her boards, they are just the primates hurling whatever poo they had to hand that they thought might stick and hurt.

Sexism isn't the problem, its a symptom, the horrible self-centered self-indulgent mentality pervading society is more the issue.

They are also a bit jelly because shes attractive AND intelligent, and the haters are frustrated that she wouldn't look twice at them.

Both dead-on correct. And let's face it: the syntax in the internet subculture of videogamers (of a certain age and gender, generally) tends to be one of snarky, mean, overly sarcastic, misogynistic bravado, especially when supported by the anonymity the web usually provides.

Historically,

Clerk Roz is banned for his constant vigilance.

( lol )

Mister Icky

Ok, real life experience for this...

Heavy boots on, young and reckless kids around a campfire, I stood in the fire for a good 10 seconds before really even feeling any burning sensations.

Ah, the daring exuberance of Youth....

Carl

(yes, *that* Carl, from Aqua Teen Hunger Force)

Not by the rules, but I would allow it considering it's flavorful and cool.

I agree; even though it fails as RAW, it's a creative attempt by the player and a fairly plausible solution to the problem without being 'game breaking'.

I also got back into the game fairly recently, and our gaming group is a wonderful mix of people. It's an activity we all look forward to every month.

With all the people you met when you brought your 'big box of stuff' to work, hopefully you'll be in a group soon! Best of luck and have fun.

(Mike Mistele --- love that avatar.....lol)

I care.....about WINNING!

I do, because I just printed a whole batch of it in my garage this morning; pretty sure the ink's dry too. Don't spend it all in one place!

The next poster likes to swing.

KILL THEM ALL, LAMASHTU WILLS IT!!!!

lol oh sure, take the easy way out....

I'd assume that the fletching would be difficult to repair/replace if you shortened the arrow at the back end.

And if you shortened it at the front, you'd need to reattach the tip and it might throw the balance out of whack when the thing was fired.

It's an interesting idea though; maybe a Craft (Weapons) or Profession (Bowyer/Fletcher) check at a medium to high DC (15?).

You could almost say the same thing about a character's familiar or animal companion though too, couldn't you? Isn't it an assumed risk that something really bad could happen to a character's "non-leveled" cohort of some kind (I didn't know how else to phrase that....) when they drag it along on an adventure?

And the OP did say that this same sort of thing has happened to the group before; namely, horses/mounts being stolen.

I didn't get the same feeling of 'railroading' (my word, not yours) from the OP's statements, but I can see where the whole thing could make for some rather tense gaming, IC and OOC as you state.