I'll get up a decent post tonight, ran out of time on my way to work
Are there some questions we can frame to see if the pesh trade blends in with any of the other lines of investigation we have open?
The underworld aspect of the pesh investigation might dovetail with a few other things we've been looking into. First, we could ask if Rosuc has any knowledge of "Anthony's Gang" (one side in the gang war) and perhaps where to find them. That said, I'm hoping that Serelina's scar and the tracker wand are better leads on that. We have not been charged with dealing with the slave trade, but the slave trade does matter for our Radgar investigation. Both Shannath Diguri, the drow "mistress" who is an underworld leader and Firyin, who also is somehow mixed up in the underworld gang war were in Radgar's wife's journal as leads to follow up on in her investigation of the slave trade. So, we could ask Rosuc about where to find them though I suspect Shannath Diguri might be pretty hard to reach. Firyin might be the better bet.
We have a lot of lines of inquiry, but I'm not sure if these two could be helpful in that. Maybe ask about Bannali? I'd like to know more about Dether too, but I don't see the connection here. Maybe doesn't hurt to ask but I wouldn't expect much. Along the lines of long shots, could also ask about who killed Master Torenest, who/where Lt Banmor is, or anything about Hezek's group. All these are really just Hail Mary Passes in my mind but it probably can't hurt to ask.
Ultimately, the best outcome of this is probably the ever-changing identitied'd guy. If we can nab him on the next meeting Rosuc and he have we probably get as much use out of Rosuc as possible.
Are there any crimes against the Tower that result in branding as a punishment? Serelina could set up a scar on Rousec then we could make it look like he has already been punished for the crime that resulted in his arrest as well as use it to keep him honest.
Sorry all, been swamped with work lately. I'll try to get a post up soon.
@Tavrus: I'd agree that the last question doesn't fit given what the corpse does (doesn't) know. Maybe go with: "did anything unusual occur the last several days before your death?"
The way to ask is: Tell me all the unusual things that occurred in the three days before your death.
You don't want to burn an answer on a yes or no.
Are there any crimes against the Tower that result in branding as a punishment? Serelina could set up a scar on Rousec then we could make it look like he has already been punished for the crime that resulted in his arrest as well as use it to keep him honest.
Yes. I'm just trying to think of something specific to apply this to that makes sense. Open to ideas on this.
I'm heading to the beach until June 9th with the family. I will have limited internet access, so please feel free to DMPC me if I haven't posted for a while.
I will be out of town through sunday and my posting will be very limited till then
Im on mobile, cant see map, and im about to travel to KC so if someone could bot me thatd be great.
I'd have edric go melee something, and id probably shoot my crossbow unless I had a good spell tactically (ghoul touch to paralyze, etc.) And channel if a lot of bad guys are around. I took some channeling feats and I channel negative.
I'd recommend that Tavrus moves to K41 and fires his crossbow at the half-orc on the roof (he could just double move too). Edric is slower and should just double move to J39 since he can't get to anyone in melee.
Tavrus is unable to get into a firing position in a single move, so double move, putting him just slightly ahead of Ian (K40)(he could get closer, but as not a strong melee combatant, I'm not sure he'd want to). Edric moving to K41.
My internet was down last night, so the other side doesn't currently have a map, next update may not be till tomorrow night.
Overall though I'd like a 24 hour turn around time as players turns come up. If you are unable to post please have someone else run your character (or put a section in your character sheet labelled "Tactics" to give me an idea what you want your character to do when you are unable to post - this can be as basic or detailed as you want.
e.g.
If 3+ enemies are in range of AoO spell cast it.
else cast single target cantrip X on anyone in range
else cast self buff/party buff Y
else move forward
Or something like that.
I think Serelina is waiting for the Round to change, right?
Yes.
Full init order is
Friendly Guards
Bad Guys
Ian
Bad Guys
Serelina
Bad Guys
Tomlin, Tavrus, Edric
Bad Guys (who are going now)
It will probably be one round of combat about every 3 days unless some init orders change to merge more players on each side, so expect a slow combat for this one.
@GM: all sounds good. Agree that Tavrus wouldn't want to get too far out front, though his Negative energy channel is good if faced with more numerous, weaker opponents. Sounds like we are set until Ian's turn comes up again.
Correction on the init order. There are no bad guys going between Serelina/Tavrus/Tomlin.
I'm confused as to whether I'm in the cloud or not
who is that red-haired person? can Tavrus see them?
Oh, that person, you cannot see them because of the stinking cloud, but that is the priestess of Nethys, and a sergeant of the guard (3rd level cleric). She came with the 3 guardsmen that are somewhere out front.
I should note also that the stinking cloud shown on the map is how it looks at ground level. Up in the air it is another 5' out in all directions.
Tavrus, just looking at your character sheet it appears you have some spells marked off as used. You should have all of your spells back for the day.
No, the weird markings are just denoting domain spells.
i just remember which ones i have cast, which is easy because i cast so few.
Ah, ok.
I'm traveling for the next week+, posting may be sporadic
Just a rules clarification that was asked: What happens to someone under a flight spell or hex if they are knocked unconscious or otherwise disabled? Do they float, fall, or other?
Answer: I'd rule that they drift to the ground as though under the effects of feather fall (similar to if a fly spell had been dispelled).
I agree. Flying requires as much concentration as walking. I would say you would drift down as if dispelled if you ceased concentrating enough to maintain the spell.
@Tavrus and Ian: wanted to get a sense of your strategy here. Is breaking into the house just to take cover? At some point we are either going to need to flee or take the fight to the enemy. Just wondering as to how breaking to the house accomplishes either.
Well, I cant fly. Going for a bit of a ropeadope here.
either he expends his spells and leaves, or (more likely) comes to ground level to bring the fight to me.
yeah, seeing how ineffective i am in this fight has been a wake-up call.
going to have to get a little more done with Animate Dead.
Well, Tavrus could be bolder with negative channel since that has range but this combat is a bit of a wake-up call. We seem to be vastly less optimized than those we are up against.....
Well the enemy are all on rooftops or flying. Not much chance of climbing with 0 climb and full plate penalty. Ian can't see Tomlin (I assume), Serelina is flying (floating?), so there's just Tavrus to protect. Ian could poke with ranged, but wanted to be close enough to an ally to defend them in melee if need be. Looks like he didn't make it all the way to the house (shoulda been 20x3 for running in armor?), next round he may take some bow shots unless things change.
Yeah i kinda save channels for healing but I thought about using it. Seemed a waste for one target.
Looks like he didn't make it all the way to the house (shoulda been 20x3 for running in armor?), next round he may take some bow shots unless things change.
You only got a double move. Running requires straight line movement.
Ah ha! that explains it
Someone could try to wake up Serelina...
I'm guessing Serelina will get woken up by the fire damage from the other half-orc's spell. If not, yeah that's a priority
Good point. So, she would wake up as soon as she takes damage - at the start of the round... So she should get her full action. So really all that she should lose is a little altitude?
That's what I'm thinking. I suppose it's possible make a reflex save while helpless...Dex=0 so -5 penalty...so don't roll a 20! And if Serelina hadn't gone yet I don't see why she wouldn't get a full action when she wakes up. GM's call though, I suppose.
Correct on the above. A nat 20 will still result in save. But a failed save will result in damage, waking up, and getting a full round action.
Waiting on your save roll and actions for the round Serelina.
Sorry for the delay. Question came up about when the fire in blistering invective deals its burn damage. After looking into it further it should occur on the casters turn and not on each individual players turn. So Serelina is not awake unless Tomlin can wake her.
He can see her crumpled at the edge of the roof from where he is.
Update actions Tomlin or still throw a shuriken at the half-orc witch?
@GM: Fact check me on a few assumption first. 1) Tomlin can't see the armored acid-claws guy because he never attacked Serelina out of Invis. 2) The flying half-orc witch is more than 5 ft away from Serelina at the start of Tomlin's turn. 3) Serelina will take damage from the fire (assuming she fails her very difficult save) at the start of the half-orc witch's turn. 4)The edge of the roof where Serelina lies is ~15 feet (and more than a full-round's successful climb for Tomlin) above the ground.
Assuming the answer is "correct" to all of these, Tomlin will still do his sneak-attack-Shuriken-throw at the half-orc witch.
Serelina is 10' above ground (not 15') but the rest is correct.
You could reach her in a single move action with your ki accelerated movement to F45, then climb 5' up using accelerated climbing rules.
That would put you within 5' of her and within physical reach with your standard action left.
DC to climb is 15. At your current climb skill of 7 you'd need a 13 or higher to reach her in a single move.
Given that Tomlin would not be aware of the armored guy at D44, it would be metagaming to see a direct, immediate, 1-rnd-lethal threat to Serelina. The half-orc witch couldn't coup de grace, and no one else could reach her in an action. Plus, there's a chance the witch fails the fort save and falls unconscious from Tomlin's poisoned shuriken. So, no, he'll keep his original posted action. His movement should end very near Serelina's position, meaning that if for some reason she doesn't wake up by his next turn he has a decent chance to wake her up then. The fire will likely do it before he does anyways.
Can I ask why the damage would be done on the caster's turn instead of Serelina? I've always played the other way based on this rule:
I'm also unaware of any other continuous damage that takes place other than the affected creature's turn... I didn't see anything special in the Blistering Invective spell that changes that.
That had been my initial thinking as well Serelina, but I did some rules looking around (nothing super conclusive, but leaning towards the same as the burn description - e.g, when does poison tick, when does bleed damage take effect, etc). Some effects describe it like burn does, others say nothing, one that I know of is on the casters turn (staying in a stinking cloud and making a new save calls out casters turn).
I asked several rules guru's on the forums in PM's (inconclusive as to when save/damage should be taken), and also started a rules question thread which lead to this post by the write of the spell - which is what led me to ultimately placing the new saves and burns on the casters turn.
unless i am missing something, Tavrus's options for helping out in this combat begin and end with standing in the street taking potshots with a crossbow before he is killed.
Too many people around to channel, plus bad guys are on the roof which tavrus has no feasible way of getting to unless i am forgetting a ladder.
Tavrus has selective channeling. If he went to F46, he could channel and exclude Tomlin, Ian and the Guard-cleric to the south. No one else on our side is within 30' radius of his position. That would get both half-orcs we're fighting as well as the armored guy. That would certainly help.
The situation isn't ideal, and IMO the biggest problem we have is being up against a group of players who are WAY more into PC optimization that we were. But I do think we could do a better job tactically here. Balling up in the house just allows them to surround us such that one of their spellcasters can lob things into the house while their best warrior (probably the armored guy with the claws) just mauls us one by one. Plus, in that situation there is no chance to run.
I think Ian using his bow and Tavrus setting up negative channels every round is probably our best way to fight this. We are probably going to lose, and at some point might consider running, but let's at least give it a shot.
alrighty, that suggestion certainly helped. it is hard for me to work things tactically with the map (maybe its my version of browser or something working weird with the picture site)
I'll follow your suggestion though
IMO the biggest problem we have is being up against a group of players who are WAY more into PC optimization that we were.
Got the same feeling. Will see how this goes haha.
@Tavrus: It's challenging to get a good 30' radius spell off without collateral damage, but even harder if the map isn't coming in correctly for you. When your turn comes up I'll try to eyeball good spots to channel. Given your current spells, channeling is by far your best action aside from healing when you can.
@Ian: yeah, we'll see. It's a shame because I really like this campaign world. None of our characters are remotely optimized, guess I should have realized the role that would play from the beginning. Oh well.
yeah. i feel like i am underoptimized, but i also dont feel bad about it because like you said, i should have realized.
and yeah, regarding my spells, i did pick them with an eye for utility rather than combat.