Adventure Path Reign of Winter

Game Master Almonihah

As a heads up postings will be a little sporadic, me and the wife are cleaning out the new place and have to move in shortly, and currently there will be no net, so postings will be on phone only

Update tonight after work

So GM, still no reliable internet?

I just assumed the post got eaten, but I forgot to ask if that was the case.

Update tomorrow when I get to the library, apologizes no I dont, I will see if you wish if another gm can take over

Are you asking if we want a different GM to take over?

I don't. :-)

No worries here... I know moves can be rough...moved several times in the military and it can be a while before things get settled...

I don't mind the pace, we will get there eventually.

These things... they take time.

As long as it isn't Half Life three time scales!

Updates to non map I can do from phone, things to map will have to have me go to the library and such

Just sold our house and bought a new one yesterday. Closing date on 8/5! So I'll be packing and moving like crazy for the next few weeks. I should be able to stay online though.

People have no doubt noted my posting rate going down, sorry about that. I have some health stuff going on but only short term. I'll try to keep up as best I can but bot me if needed.

Findurêl wrote:

The GM did not say they were city guards...he said they were “guards” collecting “taxes”...sounds more like a protection racket to me...

That was my reading of the situation too, Fin

That's also true.

Might it be a wise investment if Maka got a wand of mage armour and Sakitu or Quasit use it to buff her before we go charging in.

I'd be happy to use it on you Maki.

I won't say no to a casting, good boost to AC.

It's a great option for lower levels.

Speaking of Mage Armor and lower levels, what are the best options for some of us squishy types to boost our AC at higher levels?

The arcane spell list has a lot more options for avoiding being targeted/hit than flat AC boosts. Blink, Blur, Mirror Image, Invisibility, Displacement, Emergency Force Sphere, False Life, Stoneskin are going to be some of your staple defense spells. Spells that increase your mobility, such as fly or dimension door, will also help you avoid being targeting.

You'll want mirror images up basically all of the time.

Yeah, mirror image is one of the best defensive spells in the game with little to counter it. Obviously true seeing beats it, but its debatable weather blindsight does or not because illusions are weird. My go to counter measure is to just close my eyes and swing for that 50% miss chance instead of swinging at images.

As an arcane caster, there are a couple of armors, like haramaki, that have no spell failure, and you can lower metal armor with mithral. A mithral buckler also has no spell failure or you could buy a ring of force shield. As a sorcerer, there are a number of 1 level dips that will add your CHA to AC. Maka could train you to be a monk (scaled fist, norkith, or water dancer).

Sorry for the long delay, but come this saturday I will have net abd be able to update more frequently

Update after work tonight

Anyone heard from the GM?

there will be an update tonight/tomorrow morning, I apologize for the delay

I'm curious as to where we are with respect to the books. Are we still in book 1? Started book 2? Are we 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 into which book?

we're in book 2, based on our level, probably still near the start

So not really 1/4 into book 2? I'm asking because I'm in 5 PbP APs and I'm curious to see how consistent they are in book progress/months played.

I'm running Rise of the Runelords, the pace has slowed a little in the last few months (especially since I threw in Acadamae of Secrets module after discussing it with the players). Overall it's very active. We started midway through March 2018 and have just started book five. But we all agree that game goes at an abnormally fast pace. I've talked with the players about running Return of the Runelords after we finish Rise... I had considered Shattered Star but I ran some of book one and wasn't finding it too interesting.

I try to post every weekday and sometimes at the weekend, sometimes multiple times in the day if things are quiet for me. Obviously not every GM can do that (and I can't always keep up that posting rate either) but I think the GM has to be willing to bot a characters combat actions if needed to keep the pace going.

My other games aren't going as quickly. I started running Wrath of the Righteous in September 2018 and they're about a third of the way through book two. People getting used to Mythic and mass combat has slowed things a bit.

But even around the table I'm known for keeping a brisk pace in going through adventures so I reckon I'm an outlier as a GM.

Wow. 4 books in 18 months on PbP. Thats 4.5 months per book. My current fastest AP is running 9 months per book and I thought that was fast! You are going double the speed. That's awesome.

I'm running Emerald Spire all the way through, not an AP, but possibly close. We started last November and we are now on floor 11 out of 16!

Great! I love faster pacing.

this group is currently 1/2 way through book 2,

Halfway through book 2 and only level 4... The other APs I'm familiar with usually progress levels per book a little faster than that. Not that I'm complaining, just surprised.

BTW, we've been paying for 25 months so we're progressing at a 10 months per book pace. Based on my other games, that's a pretty good pace.

I've been running a Kingmaker game with the Emerald Spire and Thornkeep transplanted nearer the stolen lands. Not everyone likes the Kingdom building mechanics so we have that in discussion while others go dungeon crawling or exploring the countryside. Even with years passing between books we can have the players conducting expeditions.

ok, at this point in the adventure, you will be leveling up, and Sakitu looking at the AP, they really keep it low level for a while, they made this as a challenge

All leveled up! Let me know when we rest next. Issalissk can now use grab against large creatures thanks to the hefty brute animal companion feat.

Character Sheet updated to lv 5. Weapon finesse will be a big boon to Maka's melee. Picked up Fire Adaptation for my Utility Wild Talent. I don't expect to get hit with a lot of fire but I like my fire bender having fire resistance.

that is 2 leveled up, anyone else done?

that is 2 leveled up, anyone else done?

I’m sorry, GM, meant to and forgot...will have Fin upped tomorrow morning...

Yes. I'm leveled up too. And Quasit is making me "level up" my RP a bit too. :-)

I'm leveled.

Leveled up...

Level 5 updated. Sorry it took so long, I was literally having trouble finding my character sheet.

Hey guys, I think I realized that I'm just way to busy between graduate school and full time teaching to continue most of my PbP games and that I'm not able to give these threads as much attention as I would like, so for now, I'm retiring from PbP except for the games I'm running until they finish up.

Sorry to ditch you guys, but I did quite enjoy playing with the characters that were here, especially with this groups love of roleplay. I hope you're able to find a replacement divine caster to keep you alive.

Sad to see you go, good luck with everything.

Ooh, can we ret con the wand business and say that Hace actually turned himself into a newt?

Hace, sorry that it won't work out but I understand. Even though I'd very much like you to stay...

Good luck with your studies and other games! Maybe when you come back up for air, we'll all still be around.

A newt retcon could be fun. Also, can we keep Issy? Doesn't need to be a combatant but we need our sweater wearing reptile dog.

Sorry to see you go Hace.

...also joy of joys my laptop might be dead. I'll have to get it seen to.

I'll be out of town for a wedding the rest of the week so posts might be a bit infrequent. Feel free to bot if need be.