A Gossamer World (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

I'm always glad to clarify if you have a question about something. ^^ Let's see...

1) There's three Bloodless left. They're not doing anything threatening at the moment.
2) 17 captives. They can stagger forward (half speed, or fifteen feet a round - cannot run or double-move).
3) The fires are about 20 feet on each side (4 squares), and are actively spreading. You could put out small parts with the tapestries, but unless you tried to smother it from multiple sides, it would probably keep spreading.

- I am good at crowd control, and could, for instance, punch all the bloodless within 55' (twice each) by activating Tenebrous Reach + Spinning Flurry Rush. note, this is using Tenebrous Reach, a now acknowledged to be too powerful 13th level Harbinger ability. The devs are currently considering replacements for it...but nothing settled yet. Rednal, if you want me to just cut it from my sheet I will with no qualms. If you don't ask me too...I'm using it! ;0)

Does not work that way, just saying. Spinning flurry rush specifically calls out adjacent enemies as target.

There IS a limit to the broken OPness of Path of War ;)

off to check gameplay now...and....I KNEW IT!(dragon)

@GM: Will the captives react to commands? I promised Sashin a Telekinetic Charge, but could I try "herding" the prisones with verbal commands meanwhile?

They'll respond fairly slowly to verbal commands (they ARE drugged and pretty out of it), but they will respond.

I'm thinking of making them panicked, assuming they have 4 or less HD, by activating my frightful presence as I break through the ceiling.
That should work in order to get them out, right?

@Yin, I think if you aren't coming with me, that those Telekinetic Charge isn't going to be as useful. It's only 55 feet, so not as useful as I imagined.
Maybe I cast a buff spell now (probably actual Haste), and then break through the roof, activating my fear aura, and hopefully attracting his attention, but then wait for you to charge me up?

@Oneidros, no problem! There's no reason we can't do the teamwork thing.

@Barrett, holy crap, just how many resources did you just use? And I think you did the critical wrong. The crit threat on a pistol is x4, and unless I'm, missing something, you rolled the first 1d8 plus bonuses, and then added another four 1d8's plus bonuses, which isn't supposed to happen. Just trying to help!

It's a non-magical fire, it shouldn't be that hard to pull out. You could also just blow a hole in one of the walls and bring people through. I'm distracting the dragon and the bloodless aren't doing anything.

A clever application of control undead could probably be useful. We could make the bloodless take care of the evacuation.

I really don't think Frightful presence is a good idea, maybe as a last resort.

@Sasihn: I'm sure I've mentioned before that I have a whole bag of tricks. Revolvers deal quadruple damage on a crit so rednal just has to ignore one of the d8s and +15 damage. Unless you mean something else?

Yin, I think it's an overpowered combo which is why I brought it up here, but I think it's legal as written. See below:

The initiator makes two attacks at full base attack bonus per opponent within his reach, and each attack inflicts an additional 4d6 points of damage.

For a number of rounds equal to her Intelligence

modifier she may treat close range (25 feet + 5 feet
per two levels) as her melee reach for the purpose of
initiating strikes (this does not increase the area the
harbinger threatens).[/ooc]

That said, I think Tenebrous Reach is going to be changed into something else before the final printing, and that--as you say--broken blade is already pretty powerful. If Rednal wants to just say "Tenebrous Reach doesn't exist" OR "it exists but only at your natural reach" I'm totally fine with playing either way. As I've said before, my prime motivator is what makes for the most interesting game.

I probably should review the rest of your profiles sometime. Quite honestly, though, since it's just one module, I'm honestly not too worried about it. Basically, I want you all to feel like you're playing strong characters... but not be so absurd you'll one-shot the final boss of the module or anything. Not that you're likely to be able to do that anyway, considering my plans. XD Anyway, if you THINK you're too powerful in any area, you probably are, so just drop it down to whatever you personally feel is appropriate - you're on the honor system for that, and I'll probably post an advancement tomorrow. Let's keep this thing moving.

(As people who've played with me before are aware, my usual response to drastically increased PC power is just to make the enemies tougher as well. I DO plan to challenge you somewhat, and nobody can out min-max the GM. =D)

This is still a thing.

@Oneidros...need to quote the whole text...

Spinning Flurry Rush

Discipline: Broken Blade (Strike); Level: 7
Prerequisite(s): Two Broken Blade maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: All adjacent enemies
Duration: Instant

DESCRIPTION

The disciple of the Broken Blade takes a deep breath when he finds himself surrounded by opponents and hopes that they've made peace with the gods, for they will be seeing them soon. The initiator makes two attacks at full base attack bonus per opponent within his reach, and each attack inflicts an additional 4d6 points of damage.

Just for the record, I missed that too the first time around. Someone from Path of War was so kind to clarify it for me...

Cool. I'll take that to mean no Tenebrous Reach+Flurry combo!

Speaking of rules questions, Barrett, my understanding is that activating any ability is a Standard unless it says otherwise. That's how I've always played a Witch's flight hex. I'd think that would apply to Spirit of the Warrior too...though since it's measured in rounds it might make sense for it to have a faster activation (swift or free).

EDIT
Yin, interesting. So someone with a 10' reach would still only get to hit adjacent foes? It seems like the Target and the rules text contradict each other a bit, but I'll buy that reading. Thanks for passing it on!

I agree, gyrfalcon...it's a GM call, but I'm also used to pretty much everything being a standard action UNLESS it says otherwise.

as for stuff measured in rounds, plenty of spells are measured in rounds, but you can't get them off quicker just because of that...basically unless it says it's a free action or a swift action, I always assume it's standard...better err and be on the safe side.

also, @Sashin...hm, I also operated under the premise it was longer-ranged. But it's still a bit more...because I can put you anywhere within my range. So if I move inbetween you and the target, the distance can at least be stretched to 110 feet.
The basic thing still is that you get a free attack, then a full attack on your action.

Havent checked gameplay yet. i am about to. wondering what i am gonna see, after these 44 comments here.

that said, i can get civvies out if AMF is down. I can put em in my wagon and mail it off to the astral plane for a bit.

That said, I need them to get in. If the mist follows them in, the situation gets iffy.

the plane in side is minor positive energy dominant, so it heals 2 points per round. it is listed as fast healing 2, so that may or may not help the mist. RAW, it is fast healing, but RAI, it is positive energy and should actually DO 2hp of damage per turn to it.

@Mineire, can you expel things from your wagon? As in, open just one "trap" plane, then kick everybody out by dismissing it?

If so, we could load some civilians with the mist, jump over to a MAJOR positive energy plane, kick everybody out, and planeshift back without the mist...

I think the "within reach" bit is assuming a 5-foot reach on the character, and I agree that it should probably be clarified for accuracy. In this case, I'd go with the targeting line and say that yeah, you'd need to be next to 'em.

On activating abilities: If it doesn't say otherwise, assume it's a Standard Action. ^^

The demiplanes are created with magical items created using custom item rules, and to lower their cost they have a use of once per ten days. The demiplanes within aren't permanent, but i have an item to create each one to keep a cycle. If the mist was lured to a demiplane within and that demiplane dismissed, i think it would shunt the mist to one of the others within. if we were lucky, the mist would be left on the astral somewhere, alone and unguarded.

If it were in the plane attached to the wagon, and that was dismissed, that would likely unlink the other planes from the wagon, which i don't want. Also, no planar horseplay can be involved since modifying a plane would be a 6-hour casting. if i cast that spell while inside one of my planes (most likely the case) it would still be a 15 material-plane-minute casting time.

the caravan is an intelligent creature as well (Wondrous Intelligent Wagon (EGO 23 TN; 18 INT 18 WIS 10 CHA; Empathy Speech Telepathy Blindsense Darkvision all 120ft; Read Languages, Read Magic; Fly 30ft as spell; Astral Caravan 1/day, Astral Traveler 12/day, Hidden Body 3/day, Mage Hand at will; Knowledge Planes +14, ML 10.))

The wagon could carry 12 people itself once per day, but theyd have to be willing and it couldnt do that to the mist since that is probably single target. it can carry any amount of people within one of the constituent planes.

so, difficult. Yeah, as said, basic idea was to lure it into an extension plane, jump over to someplace lethal for it, then "kick" it out. But it seems the setup makes it difficult...fully understandably so but well, was worth considering :)

Yeah, it was a good idea. I had to dig a bit to determine the feasibility, turns out not so feasible. Kicking out the mist is unlikely. A strong enough wind to blow it away from the wagon while the drugged folks could get into it, would be the best.

I can direct them to where they need to go within, and if Oneidros wanted to accompany them inside, that could work for gyrfalcon. They'd be gone one material-plane day, but would seem like 24 days to those inside the plane. There is a plane bountiful with food, but they'd essentially be fending for themselves in a grocery store (dry food storage available) but if they went for meat they would have to hunt, and i dont have bows worth speaking of on my inventory sheet. They'd be hunting for any meat, in what is essentially a game preserve, unless some meat is stored.

I haven't posted my action on "dragon arrival turn" yet, wanted to see if the wagon was the option we were going for on saving the civilians, given what i have posted above.

See, this is the kind of stuff that Paizo does that really peeves me off. Why go out of their way to list revelations and hexes as specifically costing certain actions unless it changes the general rule? If a description says "X takes a standard action to activate" then my assumptions is that is an exception, not the rule. It's bad writing is what it is.

Anyways, that drops Spirit of the Warrior and the Spark Soul attack against the mist. AC reverts to 37 and health to 173. Sounds like we're making headway on the mist anyways, so it's not a major loss.

well mineire, i think there's two holding pens looking at the tactical map.

How about you save the ones in the other pen(as I'm already in a pen, with marita) with your wagon, and I gather the survivors in my pen, and shadow walk with them to outside the city before popping back over to the material plane, then rush back?

I could also planeshift them, but first instinct for Yin would be to hide things she cares about in the shadow plane.

Isn't shadowwalk extremely inaccurate? or do you have a special ability that mitigates that? shadowplane is also dangerous for NPCs

I dont understand your suggestion. Are you saying that you will take some, and i some others?

Why not sunder the bars of these cages? They can't be that tough if they drugged the people as well. Plus I hit with force. I could pick the locks as well with a +30.

I could move to the cage, dismiss the power that contains my wagon, manifest Temporal Acceleration, and in that round of time pick the lock to let the folks out. Then they could hop in on their action. and if that doesnt work i'd have a standard to sunder the cage.

Oneidros: you have call lightning SLA right? It takes a round to cast but it looks like it could be pretty devastating against the mist if you're still looking for methods to fight it.

I suggest you take some, I take some, as there seem to be TWO caged areas on the map. I think it was also referred to as holding pens, which would be plural. I am in ONE of those.
It's not that we can't break stuff open, its that we'd need to get both groups together into one place before doing something that I see as problematic, because we could easily waste several turns just herding both groups towards each other.
If I misunderstood how they are being held, apologies.

Shadowwalk is somewhat inaccurate, but a.: Yin is pretty used to it(4/day SLA), so it may well be GM allows to arrive more or less on spot, and secondly, I only want to arrive in a save open spot outside the city. That should be plenty doable even if we get shunted.(Also, the main reason to shunt is so you can't arrive exactly in a location you need to get into...or, gameplay balance...).

Also, they would be with me in the shadowplane, and going out of the city will take less than a minute due to the speed increase. Unless GM decides there's an ambush waiting for us it's quite likely we won't have a random encounter there.

But aye, that's why I bring it up here. I could also planeshift them to the Dimension of Dreams. AFAIK nothing should WANT to eat them there, unless they bring something with them that would do so.

@Yin- Is what you're suggesting a dragon slingshot? Because I like that idea.
In fact, I'm naming it exactly that.

Enact....Dragon Slingshot!

@Barrett- I was just making sure that you understood. So, as long as you let him know that that 1d8+15 is not applied, that's fine.

ah, woops. i was thinking shadow walk was like 5d10 miles of inaccurate, not 1d10x100ft off. that should be no problem.

how many can you take, and how far apart are the cages? if two of them could stretch to hold hands, maybe you could whisk them all away at once?

I believe that's Teleport you're thinking of, Mineire.

If they used those brownish things on tactical map as cages, thats 70 feet apart. I can take 13 at a time. Since it's 17 captives that would leave 4. Of course we could use 3 as decoy for the mist and leave 1 to fend for himself, but that would not be very nice, now would it?

@Sashin, yep, and spell does not say movement needs to be in a straight line, so that also adds some utility. It's fun, because it also does not say how far I get to move you, just that it needs to be within range.

I could technically whirl you around 4 or 5 times, then rush you at the enemy ^_^

OK, so i will probably most in a bit, ill move to the cage you aren't at and pop open the wagon and mail em off. hopefully they haven't gone all lord-of-the-flies in the interim.

if Marita is a bit of a leader-type, maybe i should mail her off with the others? though we may need to question her sooner, so who knows. i kinda worry about leaving the people without guidance, but i can pop in there to give them some pointers after the battle is done.

@Yin- Hey, the needs of the many over the needs of the few.
Also, I think that if you actually swung me around several times, Sashin would be more inclined to try to eat you. And that wouldn't be fun, right?

Ah, they don't need guidance, they are drugged. Just hand one of them a guitar and they'll have a great "otherworldly" experience in your wagon.

@Sashin, yep, would evacuate the people first...we are here for Marita, no good feeding her to a mist.

As for swinging around, that would rather have been for comedic effect, with tiny Yin pulling you in, rotating around herself a few times, speeding up while seemingly "gripping" your tail and swinging you around, before "throwing" you at the enemy ^_^ But if you prefer the more direct route, thats totally fine, too-

As for eating...how much damage per round of what type do you do to stuff you eat?

It's mostly the respect thing.
As in, she wouldn't like that very much.

And as far as I know, with regards to damage to things I swallow....none.
I don't have Swallow Whole, so it doesn't give me stays for my stomach or its damage.

*Tosses popcorn into mouth*

Anyone going up to join Barrett, or are you focusing on rescuing the people down below for now?

I think I'm about to head up there.
Can I just assume that he's 110 feet from the roof of the building?

Cause Sashin is thinking about casting Haste. And the breaking through the roof, to see what the deal is.
And then waiting on Yin to Telekinetic Charge me up there.

I think I'm about to head up there.

Can I just assume that he's 110 feet from the roof of the building?

Cause Sashin is thinking about casting Haste. And the breaking through the roof, to see what the deal is.
And then waiting on Yin to Telekinetic Charge me up there.

Ah, damn...I thought you agreed we should get the people out first...in my post I already said I'll leave with them for now...

@GM, if the mist is with mineire's group, could I retcon to fulfil my promise and Tele-charge Sashin on this round, while they "form up", then move back to them next round and Shadowwalk?

I misunderstood something here which would cause me to break a promise unintentionally-(namely "needs of the many over needs of the few", which I took as saving them over helping charge...but was meant as "saving the majority is fine, some casualties are acceptable").

@Also, at everyone, don't forget you are still resistant to fire. First 120 points of Fire Damage are on me.

@Sashin: Closer to 200 feet away, and only that close because Barrett tried to so hard. XD; Still, if heading up there right now is what you really want to do, I'm not stopping you.

The roof's already pretty broken, though.

@Yin: Sure.

Ah, that's my fault.

I did mean leaving two or three for the mist to eat is fine with Sashin.

Note, if you tell Sashin that you need two rounds to get them to safety, Yin, then she would jus spend another round, probably adding another Greater False Life or resetting the Globe of Invulnerability.

Edit: do your thing, Yin, I'm not going to mess your plans up, and buff for this freaking mythic dragon.

Oh well...I'm seriously in a dilemma here.

Yin COULD just planeshift them off.
@GM....what would I need to roll to figure out sending them to Limbo or the Plane of Shadows is a bad idea and Elysium or Heaven would be fine to "store" the people until retrieval?

Alternatively, I have a 3/day SLA to planeshift to my own Subplane(technically part of Dimension of Dreams). Could I send them off there?

I am sorry, I think i unintentionally metagamed there and assumed the dragon is just doing a strafing run rather than staying for a fight. But that's what I should expect and thus not "leave" for several rounds.
Edit: Thanks Sashin, but I promised to try and help. In the battle before, I was plenty useless. If he's too far away for Dragon Slingshotting, I could move to you and Dimension Door right above it, and you can just start wasting him like a hawk trying to mutilate Cattle!

Given that the dragon was far overhead, not looking in your direction, and hadn't directly attacked you - indeed, was noted as 'leaving' your immediate area - I think assuming that it's not (currently) staying for a fight is a reasonable assumption.

As for knowing that sending people to a bad plane would be, well, bad, Knowledge (Planes) DC 10. For your own subplane... abilities work as written.

The problem being that Barrett just attracted it's attention.

So, we go help him out, or he takes the dragon on alone.

I actually was planning to follow it back to it's lair, originally, but that's not really an option now.

@GM, the basic premise of my question was rather than Yin may not consider either Limbo or the Plane of Shadows as "bad plane". She often strolls around in the Plane of Shadows, and highly morphic Limbo feels just like a dream.

I don't know if she would think about the fact not everybody would feel comfortable there, especially squishy little humans. But if it's a knowledge(Planes) Check then I'd say she's aware...she's a Planar Savant, after all...

Guess I'll shift them off to my own subplane in groups of 8. Seems safest. My warden will realize I sent them, and my awakened crystal blueberry tree can serve them dinner.

If she truly understands the planes, I think she would know that some planes are harmful to some creatures - if only because she probably, like, spent a week or two warping every kitten she could find to the Shadow Plane, not realizing that the foul energies would infuse their bodies and she'd later be attacked by a pack of small undead shadow-cats that constantly leaped out of her own shadow to get revenge.

Or something.

(That, and I'd expect any Gossamer Lord to have a basic, functional knowledge of how worlds and planes can differ, simply by virtue of their position)

@Sashin: Closer to 200 feet away, and only that close because Barrett tried to so hard. XD;

I wanna fite da dwagon....

I totally get that.

Although, I think you're about to get a full attack to the face.

It'll be fiiiiiiine.

*Excessive sniggering from behind the GM screen*

Well. My attacks hit you on a 12, and I can guarantee his bonuses are far better.

I wish you the best, although I may lose out on the chance to eat you.
Because he will.

Tip: If nobody ELSE is attacking, the dragon would probably just toss Barrett's body back down and move on, and you could use this to get a better sense of how deadly it really is. Although... *Chuckles*

Edit: Also, Barrett may want to look at the Legend of Horranath one more time...

Breath of Life.
Unless half-undead means you have negative energy affinity.
If so, I can't help you.

If Yin could Charge me, I'd have 200 fly speed to get over there.

Now that you mention it....that doesn't sound too bad n

Tip: If nobody ELSE is attacking, the dragon would probably just toss Barrett's body back down and move on, and you could use this to get a better sense of how deadly it really is. Although... *Chuckles*

That's the idea. I thought Sashin and Oneidros would be joining me but apparently that changed at some point.

If it kills me that's ok. It'll give us a look into what it can do. I'll also be out of the rest of the parties hair so they can do whatever it is they want to do unhindered.

If it doesn't kill me than I can keep trying to kite it while the group collects themselves.

Either way I've distracted it and hopefully wounded its pride/pissed it off.

Edit: Also, Barrett may want to look at the Legend of Horranath one more time...

I don't know if anyone has picked up on this yet but I might be an idiot. If there's some information I'm supposed to be taking away I've probably missed it.

Breath of Life.

Unless half-undead means you have negative energy affinity.
If so, I can't help you.

It very much does.

If I manage to go down that's pretty much it for me. Which is alright, I've already burned through most of my useful spells and abilities for the day.

Oh, trust me, negative energy affinity isn't the problem here.

(In case it wasn't sufficiently obvious, I'm not softballing the boss - if you're not careful, it COULD end with a TPK. So, y'know, fair warning and all. XD)

Crap.

Yin, abort Mission: Save Useless Innocents, and enact Mission: Dragon Slingshot.

I'm coming to help, Barrett!
A full-powered, Hasted, ball of dragon fury!

Eventually.

Edit: you will not die, Barrett, at least while Sashin is still alive. She's grown to Ike your pessimistic demeanor enough to want to keep you around for a while.