So here's a though on protecting ourselves against that silver dragon that was sighted - a horde of wraiths. We keep kidnapping villagers and converting them to wraith spawn. They can fly and target touch AC. a dozen or so of them could really mess up a dragon's day.
@Johan
I'm sure that the wraiths weren't meant to create an infinite army of wraiths to defend the horn.
Before this notion gets any more fuel, I'll limit it the somewhat closer to the way it works for a player:
Any due wraith can only control up to 3 times his HD.
Ineed a day or two more
Don't worry Eldred, take your time.
@Wraiths
Also, don't forget that intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist the command.
It would be very bad for you to create an army, only to have it turn against you, as it was proved time again you guys are not prepared to deal with incorporeal threats.
How do you figure we were unprepared? The only incorporeal we really faced was that nightmare (Ezra went down like a chump to the inquisitor), and it was only really a threat to the party because of its dying explosion and a series of really badly failed saves.
Anyway, point taken. With Ezra still leading them it might have been more feasible. I'm really more just trying to stimulate some planning and discussion from the rest of the players (nudge, nudge).
I will participate once I have a body and a voice again :)
How do you figure we were unprepared?
Now that you questioned, I must admit I'm not sure as well.
I think I’m starting to mess things for other games, damn.
Did I ever gave notice about the stats of the organizations?
I don't remember.
Anyway,this is what I decided:
I’ll keep the bonus, split between both organizations, and I’ll remove the penalties.
Wait so I am being punished and not getting my ruthless bonuses earned? My organization should have a 6 ruthless. I also don't like getting punished when not being able to be involved in the game. Pretty low blow as a GM to do things like that when a player has no say. My minions where my own that came along with my assignment. I never recruited from the orphanage.
You definitely could have posted that your people wanted to do X or Y or Z. You didn't and so Johan did. It's the nature of PbP man.
I'm dead, The GM said I get no actions as Father Sidious couldn't control them. If given the option I would have he even asked intentions on the event stating I was not reformed yet.
I mean I'm fine taking the negatives for what happened even though my organization had nothing to do with any of these things. What I don't like is the hand waving away the bonus's earned and then taking negative on top of that.
Cedric, do you mean the bonuses earned since the spilt?
Wait so I am being punished and not getting my ruthless bonuses earned? My organization should have a 6 ruthless.
I disagree. The council formed by you and Agrippa should have 6 ruthless, but you decided to create a new separate organization. Remember?
I also don't like getting punished when not being able to be involved in the game. Pretty low blow as a GM to do things like that when a player has no say. My minions where my own that came along with my assignment. I never recruited from the orphanage.
I have to disagree as well.
It is true that your minions could not act, since they, as you put some time before, ‘did not react well to others leadership’. But Sidious is a fully-fledged member of the knot and his advice carry power and weight. Your cohort could have spoken and advised on how to deal with things, he is after all the source of spiritual faith of the knot, the player opted not to.My minions where my own that came along with my assignment. I never recruited from the orphanage.
That might have been true in the very beginning, since that time, your organization has increased and more of joined and members were replaced. Those new members come from the Baron Orphanage or from Drowngniton.
And, humm, just before the argument ‘the GM was unfairly pushing the organization to break up’ let me clear one other thing:
In the campaign tab, there’s a website which contains the proposed rule for organizations as they are presented in the Way of the Wicked book 2.
When we started, I hadn’t fully grasped the difference between single organizations and council of villains. I knew there were some Pros and Cons to each, but I didn’t exactly know what they were.
So, I was increasingly getting the feeling that something was wrong, since Cedric was, basically enjoying a full benefit of combined statuses without anything to add the balance to it. I went to read everything again and finally noticed what the contra for forming a Council is:
Councils of the Wicked
A council is formed when a single organization has more than one master. The advantage is that the organization has only one set of scores. The disadvantage is that the masters may disagree. The council votes on any proposed action. In case of a tie vote, an action is lost to squabbling and indecision.
So, as you can see above, each action proposed should have a vote to see if it would be done or not. Since this is an impractical thing to do in PBP, because it would unnecessarily put more waiting in the game, I suggested splitting the actions between the leaders, which Cedric didn’t accept. I then suggested that the actions could be used as the players saw fit, as long the other leader had the opportunity to interfere, if he wanted, because it is, after all a single organization.
Again, Cedric refused and then I split the organization.
Upon splitting, I removed the penalties, and kept each of the organization with half of the earned bonuses during their joint time. This was, I think, a fair decision.
==//==
@Cedric
I think Johan knows this better than anyone: I don’t mind answering things; I don’t mind being questioned (although I get sentimental about it sometimes), but pure and simple complaint is boring.
If you don’t agree with my decision in something, I urge you to tell me about it and why you don’t agree. Give me arguments and facts to support your claim.
Pure and simple complaints, only serves to put more fuel in the fire and instill fights, when we could simply discuss what to change and how to change.
Here were the suggested possible outcomes of the gangwar:
A low-level gang war erupts between the toughs of the Vandermir Orphanage and a Drowington based crime ring calling themselves “Thatcher’s Crew”. Bergill Mott, headmaster of the Orphanage asks for aid. The Knot can handle this several ways:
- “Wipe Them Out” -- Thatcher’s Crew consists of twenty disorganized toughs (most first level). They are noteven in the PC’s league. A Ruthless action (DC 16) results in Thatcher’s Crew being annihilated. Ruthless +1, Loyalty +1. A failure means a bunch of the Orphans get killed. Ruthless -1, Loyalty -1.
- “We Have More Important Concerns” -- Do nothing and the problem does sort itself out but only with much violence. Ruthless -1, Loyalty -1.
- “Let us Settle this Through Negotiation” -- An action plus a successful Diplomacy check by a PC (DC 25; add Connections) results in the gangs joining forces, but there remains much distrust. Success: +1 Action, +1 Ruthless, -1 Loyalty. Failure: -1 Loyalty, -1 Connections. Bribery to their gang leader (Mickey Thatcher himself), +1 per 50 gp.
Also, remember that, when performing an action, you can send your cohort (or in Johan's case Grumblejack) to help.
As always, there are pros and Cons.
Pro: You add the Cohort relevant bonus to the test result.
Con: If you roll a nat1, the cohort gets killed.
Sending the cohort makes it unavailable for that week.
--
An example of it:
Alongside with the boggards, Johan sends the half daemon ogre. It has been some time since it had the pleasure to feed in the little un’s flesh and Johan didn’t trust the boggards to be fully able to perform as they were required.
still not enough to complete the order, but well, with a 2 in the dice…
Yep, I considered sending Grumble, but the 5% chance of having him flat out die didn't seem worth it.
I didn't realize Sidious could run them. At least I know for next time. Sorry didn't mean to be all complainy. I'm not that guy. Been playing over 25 years and it's just a game. A game I really enjoy but characters come and go so :) Lets just forge forward and put this in the past. I have a personality thing this afternoon at work that will be the rest of the day and happy hour with the wife and friends after so I will post later tonight actions.
@Cedric
Don't forget you are raised with the same effect as Raise dead. Unless you use restoration, there should be some negative level penalties.
Yeah, I'm -2 until we level so Sidious can cast restoration.
You can always get the scroll from Farhold.
If we are going that way. I need two of them and can only benefit from one a week
Humm.
As you might have noticed, the horn is about to be attacked, again...
I’ll not have time at work to set up all things for the attack, because I’ll need to update some characters sheet, if you understand me.
So, bear with me and RP as if you were waiting the time to meet Elise. I’ll post some more later today, when I get home.
Aku you sly dog you - I see what you did there :>
I did too after a moment....
So I need to catch up with the class. Are we getting attacked by other characters we all play? Well played Aku well played or is it something else and I'm just dumb :)
No it's exactly that...he took a look at our profiles and made characters to attack us based on characters we play.
Well done sir.
Okay, not much we can do to stiffen our defences that I can see...
We'll feed two prisoners to the wraiths to max out their controllable spawn ( 3 each for a total of 6 spawn and 2 true wraiths) then set the spawn to patrol the horn in pairs, reporting an all clear to their creators in the stairwell every hour ( so every twenty minutes on pair is checking in). If a spawn encounters an intruder or fails to check in, the alarm is raised.
Agrippa's summoned minions are on the 2nd floor with the uncontrolled undead. I've moved the fire elementals to guard the entrance, and the gaav to the secret room adjoining it. if something breeches the entrance there it can double back out and fly to the third floor to warn us.
The two headed troll was described as sleeping after the encounter with the nightmare. I assume its recovered by now? Its back on guard in the lvl 1 throne room along with the calathgar.
That's about all I can think of to do minion-wise. I say we ride out to keep our date with the seventh, leaving Sid and Grumble to lead the defences.
Taking longer than I wanted.
Sorry for the delay.
I'll move things later today.
RL thinks I'm a stage for a festival parade. So it keeps trampling me and kicking me on the back.
I'll try to update in some hours, after a long shower and a descent meal.
No worries take you time. It gets us all at some point :)
I appreciate the wait actually. I need some time off a few games... BUT you run a GREAT game and don't want to quit. A few more days off will work wonders.
I appreciate the wait actually. I need some time off a few games... BUT you run a GREAT game and don't want to quit. A few more days off will work wonders.
No! Neva! Jamais!
The evil DM will cut you loose! *Mwuahahahaha!*--
Don't worry Eldred, as long you are planning to return, I'm fine with it.
I know that sometimes we need a time off. :P
Yes, I'm fine with it.
Thank you I will take the cost out for two scrolls then. 1400gp for two scrolls.
[dice=Ranged Touch on Gabriel]1d20+2
[dice=Ranged Touch on Second Guy]1d20+2
[dice=Engulf Attempt]1d20+8
Humm
I know there's much to say being a mudman, but at least try to describe what they are doing. xD
They are dying :)
Wanting to give the intruders as little time as possible to recover, the Ninth mounts up and flies down to the caverns as soon as they see them trying to rest and heal.
So, when is this?
Soon after the battle with the boggards?When they are leaving the cave?
As soon as we realize they are sitting down to rest after the fight with the boggards....
...Assuming the other players agree :>
As soon as we realize they are sitting down to rest after the fight with the boggards...
You might not be able to catch then in the 'healing process', and no one is actually fast enough to keep pace with the flying nightmare.
Even then, do you still want to go alone and try to catch then 'off-guard'?
You prepare for battle, and head to the sanctum to observe your enemy.
It seems they took their time to gather themselves together and to heal. There are boggard corpses everywhere, but it’s not the entire tribe, and you don’t see Zukomo’s body. Part of the tribe is out, hunting down creatures as Johan ordered, the other part was almost destroyed, but some of them survived.
Also to make clear my intention is:
While you were preparing, buffing and heading over to the sanctum, they used this time to gather and heal. Not completely, but based on what you observe, they aren't hurrying the process as well.
It’s in the past tense because it was meant to indicate that some of the stuff they already did, you guessed based on the situation, instead of seeing it.
--
I'm not saying you have no chance of getting them unprepared.
Just setting the right expectations to avoid future trouble. :)
Yeah if anything they would have rested and healed right after the battle which may have happened as the wraiths told us what was going on. We probably will catch them while searching the boggard village though if we go down. No?
While searching sounds good to me.
yep, understood. I imagined the villains receiving the warning, heading up the the sanctum, observing the heroes amosnst the boggard corpses, and then having an "oh crap!" moment as we realize we better hit them before they can recover fully ( didn't really convey that well in in gameplay though). How successful we are at that is entirely up to the GM.
Since not everyone can fit on the nightmare, guess we'll be using the staircase and attacking through the secret door. Johan can throw some expeditious retreat spells on whoever needs it to get us there faster.
Agrippa can cast fly, and would do that. He won't be riding sidesaddle with anyone, far too proud for that.
I have a suggestion:
Eldred can hop in the nightmare with Johan, since they are, you know, buddies-buddies from long before.
Grumblejack can carry Cedric Baby-like style.
And Agrippa, if he doesn’t want to be carried by Grumble, can fly on his own.
--
Difference is: Fly spell 60ft
Grumble; 80ft
You guys would need to go a bit slower to allow Agrippa to follow you as well.
Sounds good. Let's do it
Guess I'm getting close and personal with Grumble then. Lets do it.