As I wrote, my posting is fast now but will relatively crawl during the week. What I've seen works best is two groups. Bad guys and PCs.
To prevent Cole's ability from being nerfed just give him combat advantage on round 1 on whoever he beats in initiative, even if he posts after the bad guy, because the PC group averaged initiative after the bad guy.
Again however the GM wants is fine. Just slow pace kills games. Momentum applies to PBP too.
Cheers
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I think I can come up with a reasonable compromise and at least do partial groupings: Something like:
Cole, Fin, Rankev (group 1)
Monsters (group 2)
Aldelenna, Vanessa (group 3)Current turn: group 1
And determine the groupings out of the actual initiative rolls rather than a group roll. I think that would preserve Cole's advantage, while still making things a bit more streamlined.
Does that make sense?
Yes. This is what I meant.
I thought we were all going to post regularly. Fin, can you not post daily?
I thought we were all going to post regularly. Fin, can you not post daily?
Yes. And I've posted a half dozen times today.
Easy pal, I was not talking about today. I was just making sure you were able to post daily moving forward. If you can, then however initiative is accomplished should not be an issue.
Sorry, weekends are not great for me. If I have time to post on weekends it will usually be a very small window. As now. I'm fine with whatever GM Koldoon decides is best for initiative. I've seen it done many different ways, and every group seems to find their way into the ebb and flow. We'll get it worked out so no one is left out, and everyone's character gets to use their skills to their full potential, I'm sure. :) Until tomorrow... Fare thee all well!
it's okay. Thanks for finding the time to post.
Just generally, minor illusion is a great spell, and sometimes strategies like yours absolutely will work. But during combat, it's going to be hard for those strategies to work in the way you were aiming for. That doesn't mean there aren't good combat applications, it just wasn't going to work in this case.
This time you had a lot of factors working against you: the wolves were starving. The battle was loud already. The wolves were already engaged with enemies. You lacked training in Nature to make it reasonable that you'd know the sound of a wounded doe... realistically enough to fool a human audience being entertained? Sure. But a wolf?
Also, because the wolves were fighting as a pack, and because fighting as a pack gives them advantage, they'd be unlikely to abandon each other.
I love out of the box thinking in combat, and I don't want you to be hesitant to try something like this in the future.
A couple of things that might have worked in this case: minor illusion with Fin's Survival check to hide the trap. minor illusion to create artificial cover for one PC. minor illusion to replicate the sound of the trap shutting on a wolf (you'd just heard it, so the sound would have been easy to replicate - I'd have ruled in this case that if it failed to disbelieve, that it would be shaken by the sound and have disadvantage on its next attack).
Again, I want you to think creatively and try cool tricks like that. Don't be discouraged that the first attempt didn't work!
@GM Koldoon, No worries!!! Thank you for the explanation, no need for it really. I knew the cantrip would be a LONG shot for doing anything useful, but was really trying to stay within my character there. Aldelenna's never seen combat more than the occasional bar scuffle, and I kind of want to "ease" her into being a true combatant. Perhaps a moment of desperation where she needs to step up, or when someone is wounded and she is a last line of defense. Otherwise I feel like she would mostly be using her magic, much like in a performance, to trick her enemies into bad circumstances. :) Don't worry, I won't shy away from "out of the box" combat tactics. That's exactly what I built Aldelenna to do. Hopefully her illusions will be more useful in the future. :) Thanks again, really, really enjoying this campaign, such great narrative content.
On the current gameplay situation, I'm going to wait and see if Venssa and Cole took care of things before posting any action. As it may be there is no combat to participate in any more. :)
You're all about to go into some sections that will require mapping, both for conceptualizing and for some of the combats. The map is imported into Roll20, and I'll be moving the character tokens onto it sometime tomorrow.
Again, I don't want to get too hung up on that part, since the narrative here on the forums is where I want most of the game to be. Mostly I want the map as something available to help provide the picture when its needed, and when it gets all dungeony, there isn't a real substitute for a map.
Anyway, that'll be available sometime tomorrow. I got set back by the paizo forum downtime today, and I have my little brother visiting for a game tomorrow, so I don't know how much I'll be able to post, but we'll see.
So we're in our first combat where there's a map involved.
Exciting!
Maps are important for visualization, but we aren't actually playing on the maps... so remember, when it's your turn, move your token so we can see what you did, but your action still takes place in the forum.
So Cole might see that the nearest skeleton is on the stairwell (the one marked by the purple dot) His action might go like this:
--------
Cole logs on to Roll20. Sees the skeleton and realizes Rankev goes last. If someone doesn't get between him and the skeleton, the noble brat is in trouble! He moves the token up to the skeleton and then posts on the gaming forum thread:
***
Cole sees Rankev in trouble. As much as the sorcerer is a pain, he is providing the light and if it goes out, we're all going to be in worse shape. Cole steps forward and hacks at the skeleton with his battle axe.
{dice=attacking purple skeleton}1d20{/dice}
{dice=attacking purple skeleton(adv)}1d20{/dice}
***
Note that die rolling and pretty much everything but movement still remains in the forums. Maps are pretty and they help us envision things and keep some important functions (fighters' shielding behaviors, attacks of opportunity and the like) functional, but they are supplemental.
Hope that doesn't sound preachy. It's just this is a PbP game not a Roll20 game and I don't want to descend into "but the combats need to be resolved live on Roll20"—that's not the point of a PbP game.
Hi Koldoon
It would be great if you would put the link to the Roll20 campaign in your DM profile and/or campaign header, so it's always close for us.
[url=https://app.roll20.net/campaigns/details/977681/crypt-of-everflame]Roll20 map[/url
cheers
I have my weekly home game at my goddaughter's house this evening, so I won't be making a post for several hours at least.
Hopefully Aldelenna will post and I can do a wrap up of the skeletons' attacks with Rankev able to act.
If Rankev is able to post before I do (I know its the weekend and that's not assured): It's reasonable to assume that at least one of the skeletons to the south is going to survive and move up to attack him, he should consider actions based on an assumption that he will have an enemy skeleton in melee range.
In 5e making a ranged attack (including spell attacks) with an enemy adjacent does NOT provoke an attack of opportunity, but it does cause the attack roll of the spell to be made with disadvantage, if it requires one.
Is that a house rule? I was not aware that ranged attacks with an adjacent enemy are made at disadvantage.
Is that a house rule? I was not aware that ranged attacks with an adjacent enemy are made at disadvantage.
RAW: PHB pg 195, 205
PHB pg 195
Ranged Attacks: Ranged Attacks in Close Combat
Aiming a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next to you. When you make a ranged attack with a weapon, a spell, or some other means, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within five feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn't incapacitated.
PHB pg 205
Attack Rolls
Most spells that require attack rolls involve ranged spells. Remember that you have disadvantage on a ranged attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature that can see you and that isn't incapacitated (see Chapter 9).
Thanks...it was the incapacitated state I must have been remembering.
FWIW I need to send Koldoon's quotes to my RL group, because we play like Cole thought too.
Cheers
Is that a house rule? I was not aware that ranged attacks with an adjacent enemy are made at disadvantage.RAW: PHB pg 195, 205
PHB pg 195
Ranged Attacks: Ranged Attacks in Close Combat
Aiming a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next to you. When you make a ranged attack with a weapon, a spell, or some other means, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within five feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn't incapacitated.PHB pg 205
Attack Rolls
Most spells that require attack rolls involve ranged spells. Remember that you have disadvantage on a ranged attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature that can see you and that isn't incapacitated (see Chapter 9).
Thanks for this clarification, I'm still reading the 5e rules, slowly, so I was not aware of that. That will actually make a difference for something like Thunderwave because it doesn't have an attack roll, it is an instantaneous AoE spell... :) Sorry again for my weekend absence. My weekend posting ability is sporadic at best. Thanks to everyone for your patience. Especially since Aldelenna's actions didn't really "do" much, as far as combat is concerned. As I posted in-game, I'm looking to you all for a consensus on who could best benefit from the d6 inspiration die.
Well, at least they don't trigger an attack of opportunity.
Aldelenna, don't worry. You'd posted already that your actions might be limited on weekends, and you aren't the only one who had that restriction.
Also, yes, Thunderwave is a good choice: it uses a save instead of an attack roll, and so is safe to use while adjacent to an enemy (well, except that they're NEXT to you, and so can attack you on their turn).
The usual hedge is a cantrip attack choice that carries a save rather than an attack roll. There are a few (the bard's only real attack cantrip, viscious mockery, falls into this category).
Sorry guys, I'm on a bit of a deadline at work this week, so while I will be posting every day, I won't be as consistent as I have been time wise, and I won't always be able to check several times a day. Things should calm back down in about a week.
I almost posted yesterday, but I was waiting for a separate post with initiative, didn't realize there was a way to avoid combat there. Now I wish I had posted something... Oh well, I'll just look forward to combat with said spider. :D
It's okay. Avoiding combat was a longshot, but I thought Venssa might want to try, and since she was in front, I didn't want to rush everyone into a combat encounter. The reality is, the spider has a nice tasty human treat that its poisons are already working on digesting for it, and you're endangering that meal, so avoiding combat was a longshot anyway.
I was also ready to attack...I just assumed initiative was forthcoming. Sorry...
It's not a problem. I'm sorry the initiative wasn't posted earlier today, I had a hell day at work. I just got home and will post it shortly.
Were there 2 healing potion? Did Fin get one?
Thanks
Yep, Fin took one and Cold took one.
Yep, Fin took one and Cole took one.
Sorry for the lack of posts today. I suspect most of you had the same problems I did: The paizo store was simply unreachable for most of the day.
Sorry for the lack of posts today. I suspect most of you had the same problems I did: The paizo store was simply unreachable for most of the day.
Yep, I was never able to reach Paizo yesterday. Today it seems to be back up and running, and that quite well, in fact faster than it normally does for me. I sincerely hope that the tech gurus have finally figured out how to squash all the gremlins. :D
I have been having no end of trouble getting on...it will look like it is working and I might even get to read a post or two, then suddenly it is down! I really hope they get this fixed soon!
I had forgotten the Shillegah spell made the staff magical! Just happened to re-read it before posting because I forgot what bonus I used for attack and damage.
Obviously I have to get a better handle on spells in 5e too. There are some really powerful cantrips! Shillelagh is awesome!!!
I know!! Never realized it until I was building Venssa and then was like...whoah! lol
It is nice that they make sure you have some decent offensive spells at a low level and even better that they scale as you gain levels. I really like the 5e magic system!
I know!! Never realized it until I was building Venssa and then was like...whoah! lol
It is nice that they make sure you have some decent offensive spells at a low level and even better that they scale as you gain levels. I really like the 5e magic system!
I mean, the more I experience and read about 5e, the more and more I like it. I haven't read one thing and said, "No, that's crap..." Whereas with Pathfinder... well... this isn't the place to have edition wars so, I'll just let it go at that. ;)
Yep, I have absolutely bought in...I do not play any other edition, online or tabletop.
I have also been loving 5e, though I do find characters rather vulnerable at low levels and miss some of the 4e healing mechanics.
Anyway, I'm enjoying it so far. I'm also converting Ruins of Azlant for a home game... I think that one is going to be a lot more of a challenge.
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To a select few games:
I propose that we start using these charts instead of the normal fumble and critical rules.
After rolling either a 1 or 20, fumble or crit, you roll percentile dice (d100) on the appropriate chart to see what happened.
They're from MERP, so there are modifiers at the bottom. And spell charts for the appropriate damage, or just "spell criticals" for generic damage.
What do you think?
Yep...I like it.
I probably have the actual books those come from on my shelf.
I do!! lol
Used to love MERP and the "Law" series.
Never bought the books for MERP. However, I bought a collection of RM about 20 years on the cheap that I played for awhile.
Does anyone know if someone plans to convert Middle Earth to 5e?
To a select few games:
I propose that we start using these charts instead of the normal fumble and critical rules.
After rolling either a 1 or 20, fumble or crit, you roll percentile dice (d100) on the appropriate chart to see what happened.
They're from MERP, so there are modifiers at the bottom. And spell charts for the appropriate damage, or just "spell criticals" for generic damage.
What do you think?
I hate to be the cowardly voice here, but those charts are quite a bit more "effective" than the existing 5e rules as I understand them. Which is to say that in 5e there is no such thing as a critical failure. A 1 on an attack roll auto misses, regardless of bonuses, and a 1 on a Save vs. death counts as two failures, but that's about it as far as rolling a one goes. I don't want to squash everybody's fun, but I actually like the rules the way they are...
don't worry, I don't have intentions to add in critical failure options for this game.
There's enough variables with converting systems without adding that in.
Whew! :D
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Meh. I didn't say this was the best idea ever, I just remember that it was fun tripping over invisible imaginary undead turtles and getting lucky crits that turned a "I am in no way being effective in this combat" into "OH YEAH! WHO DA MAN!"
Mind you, there -is- a modifier system built in. The MERP system had the various "types" of crits that gave from -20 to +20 on the tables. We could just as easily say that a modifier is +/- (damage - target's AC). Or something, so that big hits for big damage had big crits (read: PC rolls), but not every kobold that rolled a 20 is gonna get a big bleed even on a high roll.
But whateves. =)
I got waylaid today guys and won't be able to post, but I'll update the game tomorrow.
I'm still waylaid with Thanksgiving (we're hosting this year).
I'd love to promise a post revealing the contents of the room tonight, but all my books got buried in Thanksgiving day prep, so I'll post tomorrow when I've unburied the adventure and my conversion notes.
I'm still waylaid with Thanksgiving (we're hosting this year).
I'd love to promise a post revealing the contents of the room tonight, but all my books got buried in Thanksgiving day prep, so I'll post tomorrow when I've unburied the adventure and my conversion notes.
No worries. :D Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know how dreadful hosting can be, but also how rewarding. Hug tight those who matter the most in your world, and don't worry. We'll still be here when you get time for us. :)
Thanksgiving was okay. We hosted on both Thursday and Saturday.
I am still trying to find all the things that were "put away" to clean up. That includes the adventure and my conversion notes, which as much as they are a priority are not as high on the list as my work pants, which are also missing.
At this point I think I'm going to just post tomorrow... the room you've uncovered is a bit of a reward, but that makes finding my notes more critical. Monsters convert easily... treasure less so.
I hope everyone had a good holiday!
Just checking in. I've had a couple hard weeks, as I've been ill, but I noticed posting has slowed down quite a bit (including from me) so I want to check that everything is okay.
I'm reworking one or two of the upcoming challenges that I feel in a PbP are going to just drag things down as the "treasure" room seems to have, because I can tell that this is dragging a bit. As much as I've loved the role play aspects of the adventure, there are also some dungeon crawl aspects and right now those are making things crawl.
If something is going on that is keeping any of you from posting regularly, this is the prod to let us know what's going on so I can try to account for it.
I also recognize I disappeared for a few days, both during the holiday and over the last week. The game was due a push this past Friday and I waited instead. It was the wrong call, but I made it and that's done. So let's see what we can do to reinvigorate the game.
I am here and willing.