
Rutter |

Yeah, it sounds like an interesting AP, but lately I've been doing more PFS scenarios in the PbP. Not sure if I'd like to commit to another 16-level AP. Thanks for the opportunity, though!

Aardvark DM |

I thought I brought it up before, but don't see it in our house rules. This one is one that I think just makes sense, but again some people have taken great umbrage from some of my house rules before.
Proposed House rule: AoOs/Provokes
In order to stop the ridiculousness of a chain of provoked actions, in my home games I rule that you cannot take an AoO with an action that provokes an AoO. The rationale being that if it provokes, it's not something that is reactionary enough to catch someone while they provoke

Rutter |

Yeah, I can't imagine where it would occur. The example you had used before was an unarmed fistfight, but I thought if someone didn't have improved unarmed strike, they weren't considered armed, and you can't make an AoO if you're unarmed. And a chain of AoOs couldn't be too long unless both characters had combat reflexes and a high dex, right?

Aardvark DM |

Sorry for the delay, work has made it hard to post combat posts these last couple days. I will try to get an update in tomorrow.

Rutter |

This one (Ripperclaws, presumably?) seems tough. Since he's at Raliscar, maybe Raliscar backing up will draw him into the open, so he can be surrounded.
Rutter has a tanglefoot bag, but he doesn't have precise shot. It might be better if Neva throws it.
Any other ideas? Any combat maneuvers available? Disarm? Bullrush him into the otyugh's reach?

Vyshael Invisus |

I could enlarge Felgar, but the pipe doesn't make that super useful. I've also got a Bull's Strength, but am too far to deliver it. And with their reflexes, I'm thinking the web isn't the most helpful, though I can try that -- if nothing else, we could keep bull rushing him back into the web.

Felgar Stoutaxe |

Jeez...I know that, but you could always drop it and pull a melee weapon to increase our chances odf hitting him. It is a moot point now. I do undertand the rules of the game that I have been playing for some 30+ years...lol.

Rutter |

What is the action to pass an object from one PC to another? It's actually an action for two PCs - one to hold out the item and the other to take it. My guess is a move action to hold it out (ie, manipulate an item), but logically it should take less time to take something that someone's handing you than to pick it up off the ground, so maybe a swift action to take the item?

Neva Vallastoi |

Yeah, the rules on transferring objects are a pain, mainly because it's a simultaneous event being simulated in a turn-based system.
As a DM, I give wide latitude on this stuff, but basically make each player give up a move-equivalent action at some point. But then I ensure that whatever item they transfer has no effect, just to discourage the behavior.
"These ice mephits are immune to fire damage from a potion of fire breath that's been recently transferred between two PCs. Tough break."
:-)

Neva Vallastoi |

Man, all these unconscious foes are harshing my buzz. No chance to channel, and the tight quarters make it tough to get a healing spell down.
I've got a hold person and a searing light left for this fight, but I also need to heal pretty much everyone. Not enough actions.

Vyshael Invisus |

I know how that feels - was watching my party get pounded in LoF, but didn't want to have to put down the same half-dozen Gnolls... Or deal with the damage they could inflict.

Aardvark DM |

Neva, you and your other self (Tanj) are the reason I track them. Channeling is the only way most of them would get back up, so they are ever present so no one is surprised when a channel revives half the enemy. I personally love the channel aspect of the PF Cleric, but the fact that it affects ALL living things in the radius makes it very tricky to operate.
I will have a post up within the next couple hours. Found out last Fri at my TT that I will be running RoW this Fri night, so I've been focused on preparing.

Neva Vallastoi |

I like that you track all that stuff. It inspired me to track it all in my online game. The VTT can handle it, if I put in the work. I think it'll still be too much for my FtF group though.
That feeling of "I don't have enough actions!" is pretty much the goal of encounter design in this system, so kudos to everyone responsible. The bastards. :-)

Vyshael Invisus |

Sorry to spring this on people so late, but...
I just got a call from the nice people who's cottage I'll be renting over the next 2 weeks informing me that the internet connection to the place is currently flaked out.
Originally, I'd not mentionned the upcoming absence because I thought I'd be able to get on once per day (but later, after the country air causes the wife to get all sleepy), but now I'm not so sure what my connectivity will be like.... and it may depend on whether or not there's decent cell service out there.
Anyhow, bottom line: I will not be able to post reliably from Sunday (the 8) until Sunday the 22nd. Again, I apologize for springing this on people, but it's a somewhat unexpected turn of events.

Aardvark DM |

No problem, enjoy your vacation. No issues with me DMPC'ing him while you're away?

Vyshael Invisus |

If only I hadn't taken illusion as a barred school.
Invisibiliflee!
But no, I'm the civilized, genteel sort of barbarian, and therefore, very trustworthy, and will likely stay and help with the fighting.

Rutter |

I'm fine with Felgar getting the magic breastplate. I'll add it to the loot list.
Just to review the loot distribution plans.
One thing I'm not sure about, though, if Felgar trades in his MW breastplate as part of his payment for the magic breastplate, should he be credited for the price we could get selling the MW b-plate (ie, half market), or what he paid for the MW b-plate, likely the market price. Kinda leaning toward the full market price, so it won't discourage someone from upgrading their armor or weapon in fear that they'll lose half their money if the party finds something better.

Aardvark DM |

It's not technically paying, as much as buying the value of an item from the rest of the party members for what they could get for selling it.
I find that if you value all item treasure at half price from the start, then when you resell it doesn't greatly disrupt the values.
Example:
a +1 breastplate is 1350gp, so you value the split that way, but when sold you only get 675gp, and everyone's value drops by 135gp. If instead, you automatically price everything at the resell value, then when it is sold, the overall party value doesn't drop by half the value of the item. Clear as mud?

Felgar Stoutaxe |

Absolutely...not...lol. What do I have to ultimately take off my sheet if I sell my MW and put on the +1 Breastplate? I am not a friend of math and it is no friend of mine. Please, just give me a bottom line number. Thanks

Tanjvats |

Yeah, this is a tough issue to explain succinctly. Perhaps an example:
Imagine a party of 4 PCs finds a treasure hoard with 3,000gp of coins and a single 1,000gp magic item. One of the PCs wants the magic item.
The fairest way to divide the treasure is that the one PC takes the item and the other 3 get 1,000gp in coins, each. It wouldn't be fair if the one PC got the item and some of the gold.
So, the idea is to calculate the value of the items claimed by PCs and reduce their share of the cash treasure by a commensurate amount.
Difficulties arise because there are two "values" for any magic item: what it costs to buy, and how much you get when you sell.
In the above example, the item "worth" 1,000gp (since that's what the PC'd pay to buy it at Ye Olde Majik Shoppe) but if nobody wanted it, it could only be sold for 500gp. So the issue is how to value items when dividing treasure fairly.
We're saying that we're going to use the "selling price" for items...the amount we would have gotten if we'd sold it.
So, the first example works like this: The total treasure hoard is now worth 3,500gp total, not 4k. Divided by four PCs, means each gets 875gp worth of treasure. The first PC takes the item at 500gp and 375gp. The other 3 PCs get 875gp in coins only. Even steven.
Issues also arise when you have a magic item worth more than all the coins. The PC who wants that treasure has to put some coin into the hoard to make up the difference.

Rutter |

Was waiting for the identification for that.
So +1 breastplate: list price 1350 gp / 2 = 675 gp (the price we'd get if we sold it)
Which means if we sold it to a merchant, each party member would get 675/5 = 135 gp.
Instead we sell it to Felgar for that price. He doesn't have to pay his own share to himself, so he only owes 135*4 = 540 gp to the other party members.
Still, I'd like to get input from others on whether or not to value Felgar's MW Breastplate at what it cost him (350 gp) or what we could sell it for (175 gp)? Obviously, something that was found (like the +1 breastplate, if he traded it for something else later) should be valued at what we could sell it for, but what about something that they paid full price for?
It kinda feels wrong that we're asking them to take a hit if we value it at half list. They lose half the gold they spent without recompense. But at the same time, then we all take a hit. If we credit him for the whole price, then everyone else in the party only gets (540-350 = 190/4 = 47.50 + 175/4 [because we can only sell it for 175 gp] =) 91.25 gp to put in the piggy bank to save for our own +1 item. Whereas, if it was credited at what we'll actually get for it, everyone else in the party gets 135 gp (540-175 = 365/4 = 91.25 + 175/4).
But I guess you could argue that getting a useful item for half price is recompense for the gold spent on the trade-in item. Felgar loses 175 gp if we credit the MW b-plate at the selling price, but add that loss to the 540gp that he spends on the +1 b-plate and he still comes out paying only (540+175 =) 715 gp for the +1 b-plate that would have cost him 1350 gp if he'd paid the market price. I guess I don't think that's so unfair as I think about it.
Let me know how y'all think it should be credited. Full-cost, or sales price?

Rutter |

That'd be too simple. :)
I guess I was thinking they'd trade in their old gear to the party stash if they were cash-strapped, but yeah, that makes more sense.