Aardvark's "What a Royal Pain" CotCT Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Troy Malovich

Just real quick,

Having a look at alignments of the party, I did not realize everyone except Rutter is NG. I'm not saying either way of thinking is right or wrong, it's more of a question of what does the Good aspect of the alignment mean to each of you that has it? I don't need your answer or definition either.

This is not to sway, or say it is or isn't against your alignment. This is really just a question for yourselves as to how you personally define NG. I already know how Rutter's CN feels ;-)

Yeah, we don't need to get into a huge theological argument here. I just want to know what happens in PbP when one PC says "I carry the bound prisoner to the front room for further questioning" and another says "I smash the prisoner's head in."
As a player, it doesn't really matter too much to me, but I'd like to show that my character cares. However, both Neva and I want to know where this freak came from, and why she chose this house. (Did I simply forget that?)

For me NG means "do good, no matter the rules". It's a recognition that, while laws can protect the common good, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. I don't think Neva will be ready to execute helpless people until she's learned Raise Dead or Resurrection, i.e. is able to correct any mistakes in judgement she might make. I see that as a core part of her self-doubt, which in turn is one of the things that makes her wise.

So, unless it'll muck up stuff too badly, I'll have Neva try to stop Rutter, save the woman's life for a bit, and turn her over to Kroft, who will likely have Rutter smash her head in.

With the wererats, those were different circumstances, Rutter. While Raliscar's certainly not shy of putting down threats and is averse to leaving foes in a position to cause trouble again in the future, there's an awful frightful mess here.

In Raliscar's mind, there's a big difference between the sewers and a house on a street corner.

Plus, Raliscar doesn't want to be left holding the bag with no culprit left to be blamed or punished for this kind of sick crime.

In PbP, I think you have to allow some time for other players to interrupt your action. I posted Rutter's actions for the sake of expediency, but I understand that someone might interrupt them. I'm disappointed, because it seems out of character for this party and it seems to ignore the pervasive death and corruption that should define the experiences of the characters in this setting.

I understand your disappointment, but for Raliscar, there's a difference between killing foes who refuse to surrender in places where there are no guards (like the wererats in the sewers) and executing a tied-up, helpless foe 30 yards from the street. That's a line he's not ready to cross and, in his mind, he's doing Rutter a favor by not letting him cross it either.

And if there are consequences like Rutter suggests, then maybe that will be the push to get Raliscar to change his mind about how to respond to this kind of situation. He's not that ruthlessly pragmatic yet though.

And if there are consequences like Rutter suggests, then maybe that will be the push to get Raliscar to change his mind about how to respond to this kind of situation. He's not that ruthlessly pragmatic yet though.

Yes, but we know there won't be any consequences, because if the dice rolls were different, she could have died during the fight. We know the author(s) of the adventure(s) couldn't have planned to use her again because they couldn't count on her surviving this encounter. It's practically metagaming.

And as to concerns of getting caught, remember the setting. As I understand it, we should be imagining something similar to a town during the Black Death.

The streets were filled with the dead, and neighbors sometimes learned of a death next door by the smell. The living didn't have time to mourn; Boccaccio says that due to the large number of dead and the fear of their presence, "a dead man was then of no more account than a dead goat would be today." ... There wasn't enough space in the graveyards, so the bloated bodies were left in the street. Dogs ate corpses while babies cried hungrily beside their dead mothers.

In this campaign, piles of undelivered corpses have hidden the entrance to a den of vampire spawn in a toymaker's shop - no one thought it unusual that it was closed, or noticed the toymaker missing. There's a hospice that no one seems to leave, and no one seems to question, out of fear of either the Grey Maidens or the diseased. And this mansion, full of influential people who never returned from the party, and no one sought help for them but the sister of one of the musicians.

Decimated by the plague, the streets of Korvosa are policed only marginally more than the sewers. Which is how our characters ended up deputized guardsmen. If they say "this is what happened", the guard doesn't have the manpower to investigate crimes that other guardsmen have already solved. That level of lawlessness - of unenforceable law - is an understanding that should be palpable for the characters, which is why I think they'd continue to mete out justice like lawmen in a wild west show (and not Jimmy Stewart in a white hat; more like Timothy Olyphant helping a man with his fall [lots of cussing, of course - it's Deadwood]).

Raliscar, thanks. Rutter, I can dig all that. I'll try to get time to respond IC and address some of this stuff. (Please have the end of the year show up soon.)

I have been and will be a little sporadic up to a little after Christmas. Holidays, family, and all that hoopla. I will make a post today for certain.

Also, just updated the Loot list. I realized it's been a while since you guys have found any.

Sorry for the delays. I've been dealing with the effects of the blizzard we just had here. I will have a post up well within the next couple hours.

Just a warning -- I'll be out of town for 9 days -- leaving Sunday the 14th, and back the 23rd (a Tuesday, I believe). I won't have internet access during that time (though, hopefully, I'll have a lot of sun and a nice beach).

Free free to bot Vyshael, as needed.

Okay, here's what's going to happen. You guys go ahead and level to 6.

Remember, it's roll or take half for HP (do all leveling here in the discussion thread). You guys can discuss plans while leveling, to include any new capabilities you will gain from the new level.

After we finish this book, I will switch to awarding XP. Being an older AP, it's not laid out to when the PC's are expected to level. As such, I will be using XP so that I don't have to try and dig through the forums or books to try and see where it's supposed to happen.

Just a heads up, I invited a player from one of my other games (and a GM from a game I'm in) to join us.

Neva's 6th level:
Mainly a BAB, Saves and more spells level. So, only HP and skills.

I'll roll my HP:

HP with no CON mod: 1d8 ⇒ 3

Meh.

Favored class bonus: +1 HP

Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Spellcraft.

Ok, I've basically have the same spell build-out as our last attack, but added silence and dispel magic

I only need one night of rest, and had several channels left over so can heal other folks, too.

Any ideas on how to approach the Hospice? I have still have clairvoyance memorized.

It'll be Wizard 5, obviously. ;)

I'll get it done by the weekend (now that I'm back).

+1 lvl fighter
HP: 1d10 ⇒ 8+1 Con +1 Toughness = +10 HP
+1 BAB
+1 Fort
lvl 6 feat: Dodge
ftr bonus feat: Mobility
ftr ability: Bravery +1
+4 skill points (+2 ftr, +1 int, +1 fav class)
+2 Acrobatics
+1 Bluff
+1 Stealth

I guess.

Trying to figure out what spell to learn -- and might be less stressed about it if we're expecting to do a mite of shopping.

It's hard to resist the siren call of fireball, and, of course, it's hard to beat haste but given the vampire thing, it's tempting to take daylight or magic circle against evil.

Beyond that, the whole wading into melee makes things like Elemental Aura pretty spiffy.

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I think some scroll-shopping might be in order. ;)

I think we'll have time.
Day 1: Leave Kroft's office, shop
Night 1: Rest, heal, level, etc
Day 2: Plan and learn spells or scribe scrolls
Night 2: "Investigate with extreme prejudice" at the Hospice.

We could even wait until Day or Night 3 if we wanted to scribe and re-set spells.

It seems like haste will be useful in any encounter, whether you use it on Vyshael or another character. Everything else has more limited use.

For any vampires, I'd say we need something to protect against domination and magic and silver weapons (or scrolls/potions to enhance).

Raliscar and Neva need to decide who's using the (presumably) magic crossbow from the crazy lady.

We also need to identify and decide on the other stuff:

potions (2)
wand
Finely crafted entertainer's outfit
MW light crossbow and 30 bolts
MW dagger
alchemist’s fire (2)
flint and steel
manacles (her own, not Rutter's)
sealing wax
sewing needles (20)
Assorted jewelry

Rutter also found 100gp worth of jewelry that he pocketed to add to the next party purchase(s).

Taking 10 on Spellcraft gets me 25 -- should be enough for any potion or wand (unless someone's making them at CL 11, in which case they're very valuable!)

Neva will forgo treasure shares as she still needs to pay the party for the boots of striding and springing. So, calculate her share, and then she'll pay it back into the pot for everyone else. I still owe 1,750gp.

Level 6! Huzzah!

HP: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
+1 BAB
+1 Fort
+1 Ref
+1 Will
Combat Style Feat (Crossbow Mastery)

7 Skill points
+1 Knowledge (dungeoneering)
+1 Knowledge (geography)
+1 Knowledge (nature)
+1 Perception
+3 Swim

Okay, sorry, missed the taking 10 on spellcraft. Kind of why I hate the take 10 rules, but that's not a house rule I implemented here. I will update the loot list with what can be learned with a 25.

So that crossbow that shot a sonic attack with each bolt was only a +1, or does someone want to see if higher than 25 identifies it better?

Might have been a spell effect?

I just presumed she was snapping off screaming bolts, but Raliscar's pretty ignorant and not helpful in the least when it comes to identifying arcane things =)

As I had mentioned a bit ago, a new player is going to be joining us.

They are planning on bringing in an Arcane Duelist.

Hi everyone!

Thanks for Aardvark DM for giving me a chance to join in!

I'll focus on buffs and melee. Any good bard spells you'd like me to consider?

Base HP: 5d8 ⇒ (2, 5, 5, 2, 1) = 15

Ahahah! Good thing min is 5...

Welcome, DW! If those dice rolls are any indication, you'll fit right in! =P

Lol! No kidding. Welcome to Curse of the Crimson Dicebot.

:-)

Here is my sheet! Helpful input more than welcomed.

Oh yeah, welcome Nik'olo. Is he given to us by Kroft? Or does he have something against the necromancer, Rolth, or some reason to suspect the Hospice or the Queen? This isn't just a question for you, but for everyone to think of hooks to draw Nik'olo into the gang, if you and Aardvark didn't have one already worked out.

Let Neva keep the crossbow. We need more magic weapons in this party.

Neva, I was going to ask if you'd be willing to sell (or at least loan) the boots to Rutter. He's pretty useless, and that +10 speed would at least offset his 20 ft speed.

If you'd like, or someone else, Rutter would be willing to trade/sell the Ring of Protection +1, since he took dodge and mobility on level-up. He paid the party 800 gp for it.

Thanks! No idea how I will join the group, but certainly, the Field Marshall has had a thing for me ever since our eyes locked on one another, so I wouldn't be surprised if she gave my good name to you, as she probably thinks about me most of the time...

lol - what a humble addition to our meek and mild troop! =P

Neva wouldn't deny Rutter the boots, and she'll take the crossbow!

Sorry, Nik'olo, but unless you've been making advances on the Filed Marshal, she probably hasn't really thought about romance. She is a fairly high city official with a lot on her plate since the king's death.

She will introduce you, though, as a shared acquaintance of her friend Vencarlo Osiriani.

To the party as a whole, what are your plans? You've been discussing treasure. Are you taking a couple down days, intending on going to the hospice or Rolth's caves? If the hospice, what is your plan of entry/action?

Vencarlo's last name is Osiriani? As in "from Osirion"? That's odd.

As for the plan, I'm in favor of just taking a single day to regroup before we head off to Rolth's old tunnels or the sewers if nothing turns up there. Rutter's line of thought really caught me with them needing more than one way to get into the hospice and I think that's what we should go hunting for.

Something like that, looking it up, it's Orisini. Close, but not quite.

lol - I was about to tell that NPC to go get in your Mummy's Mask game where he belonged =P

Sorry, Nik'olo, but unless you've been making advances on the Filed Marshal, she probably hasn't really thought about romance. She is a fairly high city official with a lot on her plate since the king's death.

Of course the good Field Marshall has not noticed Corso. But that doesn't seem to matter too much to him :)

I think Raliscar's outline of he plan is pretty much right.

I'm happy with the plan. I need someone else to lead for the next week of posting, though as I'm swamped with work and family stuff for a bit. It clears up soon.
Sorry.

Please note I'll be away for Eastern from Thursday to Monday, with little if no posting possible. Feel free to bot me as needed.

Neva, do you want the Ring/Protection +1 for 800gp toward the boots?

I'm good with day 1 to recover, day 2: morning check Rolth's old tunnels, if nothing there, then in the evening check the sewers and try to find an underground entrance to the Hospice.

Can someone use the Wand of Cat's Grace on Rutter in combat? If so, we'll keep it. If not, we'll sell it with the things below.

Is anyone 287 gp away from something important they needed to buy? If so, we can sell the glamered studded leather +1 now. If not, let someone wear it for now (it is +1), but we'll still consider it party loot. We'll split the gold when we sell it later, when we need the money. Rutter can't wear it - he's small - so is it an upgrade for Neva, Vyshael, or Raliscar? (I'm presuming Nik'olo was equipped with armor appropriate for him and wouldn't need it.)

Keep:
Potions/remove disease
Light crossbow +1 (Neva)
Alchemist's fire
Crossbow bolts
Glamered Studded leather +1 (tentatively)
Wand of Cat's Grace (tentatively)

Sell:
MW dagger 151gp
Manacles 7.50gp
Rutter's asst jewelry 100gp
Other asst jewelry ?? gp

Rutter: keep the Ring of Protection +1, as you're in melee more than me. Also take the Boots to increase your speed.

I'll take the Crossbow +1 as discussed, and I'll wear the armor unless someone else wants it (although it looks like Vysh and Raliscar have better armor than this).

Go ahead and add my normal Leather Armor and Lt. Crossbow to the "Sell" pile.

Yup, I'm good as is. That leather'd be a step down for me, actually.

Me too. +1 Mithral shirt.

Okay, so you guys are taking a full day to recover, or did you mean the rest of this day? Is it recover on 19 Gozran (today) and explore Rolth's/Sewers on the 20th, or recover on the 20th and start exploration on the 21st?