The Wicked GM |
Thanks Garvid. Things are stable , anyway. My parents are staying with family until they find a rental property. Once their insurance policy pays out, they'll rebuild a house on their land. We are keeping their dogs, including an obese dachshund that we have put on a diet :).
Marial "Mouse" Redfist |
Glad to hear everything's going as well as can be expected - it's good they've got options. I've done the "stay in a hotel until the house is fixed" thing. It's not nearly as fun as the TV makes it out to be, and that was only replacing the kitchen, let alone the whole house. :)
The Wicked GM |
New artwork for Ileosa from the upcoming Hardcover.
I do find this image impressive, though there's something beautifully dark and sinister about the original Crimson Throne (from the Player's Guide) I feel is lost in this one.
Marial "Mouse" Redfist |
Mh. Doesn't look like a queen, certainly doesn't dress like one. I was hoping we were past gratuitous boobage in artwork. I guess not.
In all fairness, the gratuitous boobage is a holdover from the original artwork, and maintaining at least some visual continuity in her dress helps to cue anyone familiar with the original works into recognizing the new versions. I think it also helps to highlight the fact that she's really not a queen, or at least wasn't born or raised to rule - she's a noblewoman blessed with above-average looks who's parlaying those looks into a power grab (or so the rumors say). So it makes sense that if beauty's her tool and what she's known for, she's going to highlight that beauty however she can - including Jennifer-Lopez-inspired wardrobe.
I'm not a fan of cleavage for the sake of cleavage, but if it's appropriate to the character being portrayed I'm not terribly bothered by it, either, and in this case it makes sense to me. (Of course, this brings up the point of how demeaning a trope "vixen-seducing-her-way-to-the-throne" is - demeaning to men and women both, really, because Eodred's the "poor idiot rendered powerless by her wiles" - but that's another matter entirely.)
Plus, you know, there's the simple fact that a significant portion of the player base likes looking at breasts (and not just men, either). Sex sells, whether we like it or not.
Garvid Krein |
I do agree with the 'not looking queen-y' thing. Dress is too simple, regardless of boobage percentage.
Thoough, I hope we all agree that we don't like her, even if Garvid may be stepping too hard in the other direction. He's about 8 Charisma short of starting communism.
Marial "Mouse" Redfist |
Oh yeah, I-Rennai never liked her, even in the first game with Mason. Mouse is still a little bowled over, though, by the opulence and the intimidation and the power structures she can't begin to comprehend. Doesn't quite know what to think, except that she's not so keen on getting sent here with no choice in the matter and five of "her kids" at "home". ;)
And I can see where you're coming from on the simplicity of it, although I've always preferred pared-down silhouettes even on royalty - and again, simple is body-accenting.
Calcedon |
I'm back and I have opinions.
The vile temptress is indeed demeaning to both sexes, but that's kinda what makes her a good villain. One to whom it is understandable that you would fall prey to, simply because so many people fall into that trap. In any case, her being the bad guy and having traits about her that ruffle a lot of feathers is actually good for a villain. The more she acts like a jerk and expects us to love her, the more we'll despise her and the more excited we'll be to see her fall. There's a reason why this particular AP is so popular.
In our first game, she flirted with Cal a bit, and it really threw him for a loop, and in his first game, he was definitely not opposed to defending her. But in this game, it's obvious that she's not planning on winning this group through her wiles, but through pretty much naked aggression and power. Though it's the same story with the same characters, it's way different in the way it's played, and that's kinda awesome.
You're doing a good job, Wicked. Just sayin'.
As for the picture, yeah, it's okay. It is par for the course though. My home group has a running gag going, that anytime a woman is "beautiful" in paizo flavor text, it's because she's showing off some large perky fantasy ta-tas. And paizo, for it's faults, is more classy than any other fantasy setting we've played. I kind of take such things for granted. In this case, the appearance of the queen is fairly important for the story setup, and I don't really care one way or another about it.
Anyway, time to quit wasting time and get to posting proper...
The Wicked GM |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
What's interesting to me is that the directors of Paizo love to emphasize how they are shattering the "sexual vixen" trope, yet continue to use it. I think they're just playing everyone.
And even though I completely agree that Ileosa's sensuality is a major component of her character, this isn't the first time the anniversary edition has emphasized a female figure.
Here is the original Lyrie Akenja from Rise of the Runelords, compared to Anniversary Edition Lyrie released much more recently. Do you think they unnecessarily sexualized her?
___________________
On an unrelated (but equally exciting) note, it's time to cash in loot! At this point in time, you'll find certain shops beginning to reopen, most likely in East Shore, where you can manage to sell your gear. I think everyone's had a chance to claim loot, so I'll work on calculating it out today.
If items were claimed, I will simply delete them from the list, then add up the selling price for everything and divide it equally (by 5). This means that if a PC claims a valuable item, that PC actually has a larger chunk. This is intentional. My method here is to keep an eye on everyone's total worth (determined by starting cash plus loot/gear you claim/receive). As the game goes on, I'll include loot to try to balance everyone out. I'm not interested in micro-managing loot, only seeing that things are roughly proportional. Plus, I like to see the party working together to decide who gets which items.
So that's to say, in addition to tracking your current wealth, I'd like you to keep track of total wealth received. So, for instance, you will consider your starting wealth (max for your class) then add to it the gross value (not the resale value) of all gear, plus wealth you receive. It's this number I'll use to keep up with loot as we go, using the rulebook's suggested "Wealth by Character Level" as a guideline.
E.g. at level 2 you should have received 2,000gp. At level 3 that jumps to 3,000gp. Tracking the total amount of wealth you've received, without regard to how you spend it, tells me where we are in relation to what the core rules assume is appropriate for our level (and I can easily adjust the loot level as we go).
Does this make sense?
Marial "Mouse" Redfist |
They have at least made big strides to make it so that women (and men) appear in all kinds of roles - that vixen is one of those roles doesn't bother me so much if it's not an endless sea of them. Also remember, Curse was written early in Paizo's history, before they had a chance to go through all the lovely development they've gone through. And they're not going to change the story of one of their most beloved APs this late in the game.
----------
Sounds like a good idea! I'll do my best to remember to track it (although I am astoundingly bad when it comes to loot tracking, usually not in my favor). :)
The Wicked GM |
And they're not going to change the story of one of their most beloved APs this late in the game.
Nor should they! It’s an amazing story that, if you’re not already familiar with it, I look forward to telling you.
I am astoundingly bad when it comes to loot tracking, usually not in my favor.
I will make it easy for you. Here is the breakdown:
Claimed Items
Calcedon
---
Wand of CLW (10 charges) (n/a)
Silver locket with the crest of Fordyce (250gp)
Garvid
---
Nothing claimed
Li
---
Crossbow bolts (18) (1gp 8sp)
Mwk light crossbow (335gp)
Mwk short sword (310gp)
Adamantine arrow (60gp)
Crimshaw carving of kraken (to find owner) (250gp)
Silver ring with an inscription “to Emmah” (180gp)
Abalone shell holy symbol of Shelyn (375gp)
Mouse
---
Mwk studded leather (175gp)
Yazi
---
Potion of CLW (n/a)
In addition to these claimed items, the liquidation value of everything else (including the queen’s reward) was 4,387. Dividing by 5, this means everyone should now add 877 to their total wealth. Please track current and total wealth somewhere in your profile for easy reference.
*Note: Do not value cure wands or cure potions, as these consumables will benefit the party as a whole and I don’t think we should hold it against the players who carry these items. There is still an unclaimed potion of CLW from Jamros. Someone please claim this item and include it on your character profile.
The Wicked GM |
It's quite alright. Food poisoning can be debilitating. Hope you feel better!
The Wicked GM |
And now we have reached that magical point in the AP (I think) where several prior CotCT games have puttered out. Will our heroes succeed in their investigation and acquisition of Vancaskerkin? Will our GM continue to post updates?
I should say that in about 5 weeks I am taking a rather big examination, so my posting rate will slow to 3-4 turns per week to accommodate my study schedule.
The Wicked GM |
Mouse is correct--I stated that furtive shopkeeps whose buildings were not damaged would now begin to re-open their doors. Given the size of the city, it's certain that not every shop was looted.
Marial "Mouse" Redfist |
Yesterday it was a fire knocking out the Internet, today it's a thunderstorm threatening to knock out the power. XD Ah, this place in summertime. Post'll be up soon assuming the power holds out; if not now, it'll be a few hours from now when I was going to be skipping town anyway. ;)
The Wicked GM |
The DC to know about pseudodragon behavior can safely be ignored, since they're so common place in the city and you've been living here for some time.
Yes, summertime has lots of ways of luring us away from our keyboards. Thunderstorms, despite the inconvenience, are on my list of favorite things. The dogs are terrified of them, though. Luckily the forecast is all sun here. I'm looking forward to grilling some shrimp later :).
Marial "Mouse" Redfist |
Ah, I've written what I've written at this point. ;)
Thunderstorms are one of my favorite things, too - I miss being in the American Midwest where we got spectacular ones at least once a week, but we get them enough where I'm at to sate my enjoyment. :)
Calcedon |
You can use Bluff to pass hidden messages to another character without others understanding your true meaning. The DC of this check is 15 for simple messages and 20 for complex messages. If you are successful, the target automatically understands you, assuming you are speaking in a language that it understands. If your check fails by 5 or more, you deliver the wrong message. Other creatures that hear the message can decipher the message by succeeding at an opposed Sense Motive check against your Bluff result.
The Wicked GM |
I hope everyone (in the northern hemisphere, at least) is having a lovely summer. I know this time of year draws us all away from our keyboards and out into the sunshine.
As I mentioned, I'm prepping for a big exam next month, but I just want to reiterate my commitment to the game. You can expect my posting rate to slow down for the next several weeks (I'm shooting for 3 turns/week). But while the game will slow, it will certainly continue. I'm having a lovely time, and I hope your are as well.
Cheers!
The Wicked GM |
Okay ya'll, rather than spend days doing it over in Gameplay, why don't we formulate a plan of attack OOC over here, then I"ll just move us ahead IC.
The obvious options seem to be (a) continue to spy on ATWM in the daytime, hoping to pick up additional clues, (b) bust in during the day, (c) bust in during the night, (d) ???. Thoughts?
Tag everyone.
Norelia "Li" |
Li votes for bust in during night. Either Garvid or Cal wearing Grau's uniform and trying to join using the code words we learned at tavern. Li should be able to get us in the back by disabling any locks. Also, forgot to ask about the windows on the second floor...are they locked as well or do they even open? That's another potential point of entry.
Calcedon |
Cal will be glad to hear they actually have animals. He'd be happy to take point on an operation. If Garvid is with him they'd be able to get the front door open and Yazi could be around the corner. Having multiple entry points could be useful in setting up flanking and keeping them from having a concerting defense.
That is unless you want me to try to pull his motivations out. Get him monologuing like a proper bad guy?
Marial "Mouse" Redfist |
Mouse's preference would be for a night attack, although she's glad to do more reconnaissance or information-gathering if anyone asks it of her. What if we have Cal and Garvid try to talk their way in at the front, with Yazi standing around the corner to disable whoever greets them if need be, while Li and Mouse climb into the animal pen and go in that way? The door to the pen's least likely of any of them to be locked, it gives the two-fronts entry that Cal suggested, and Li and Mouse are the two sneakiest and the two most able climbers.
The Wicked GM |
The windows upstairs do open from within so would need to be broken or disabled. Doors may be locked but can also be forced or disabled. Don't worry Cal, if something needs to be said I'll make sure to get it in.
This plan sounds fun!
The Wicked GM |
/halo
A night attack would likely leave little room for chatting as a break in would likely provoke an aggressive defense.
"Oh hi, we're uh, here to clean your chimneys.."
Marial "Mouse" Redfist |
They pretend they had to come by night to keep it secret, and we break in real quiet-like. ;) That's why I suggested climbing into the animal pen, actually - that door was least likely to be locked, so if it wasn't we could get in with the least fuss.
Garvid Krein |
I agree on Cal's plan. Time is of the essence, so leading a very thorough investigation isn't the best plan. Information could be extracted just as easily with a side of teeth, is the unofficial Korvosan Guard's motto.
Garvid is quite good at taking people alive, as long as they're not flimsy enough to be killed by non-lethal damage. If they start bleeding, we got Yazi who can patch them up. I'm sure we could possibly get some rope from the mansion to supplement the manacles, as Garvid would rather not kill anyone not asking for it. Dead men tell no tales (unless necromancy is involved.)
Norelia "Li" |
If they're looking for additional mercenaries as the guy in the tavern said, if we're caught, we can always say that we were testing out their abilities before joining them...or the chimney thing.
Even if we go in by day, Li and Mouse can still go in the back. With Garvid, Cal, and Yaziyah distracting them with their words, Li and Mouse should be able to get in the back unnoticed. We may just have to deal with the animals.
And Li only said that they sounded like animals...she never actually saw any animals :)
Norelia "Li" |
They pretend they had to come by night to keep it secret, and we break in real quiet-like. ;) That's why I suggested climbing into the animal pen, actually - that door was least likely to be locked, so if it wasn't we could get in with the least fuss.
The code words are also asking for the night's special cuts. Being fighters (stereotype being not so bright) they can just say they thought that they had to come at night to get the night's special cuts.
The Wicked GM |
A side of teeth..lol
Here's my proposal, based on what I've read. This is just a proposal, and you're free to do something completely different.
Tomorrow day, Li, the stealthiest, scouts out ATWM to see if there's an opportunity to approach without arousing unneeded attention from others like civilians, Guard, Sable Co., or Hellknights.
If things are moving slowly, as they seemed to have been earlier this evening, the group will approach, following Cal's general plan, with Mouse and Li simultaneously trying to gain entrance from the animal pen.
How's this sound?
Norelia "Li" |
I'm good with that plan. It wouldn't necessarily occur to Li to ask someone else along to scout but she won't turn down offered help on Mouse's behalf. She's getting used to the company and finds that she actually likes it :)
Calcedon |
If time is of the essence, we should go in tonight. Otherwise, I'm good with letting the girls scout things out a bit. Normally I'd be all up for Cal going in and doing some diplomacy to figure out what the world on the street is, but since he'll be going incognito recently after and I didn't build him to be big into disguise, I could likely sit this out or have Yazi handle it with her very respectable Diplomacy score.
Note to self: Maybe invest in disguise.
The Wicked GM |
Okay, so general plan seems agreeable, but we need to decide on time--tonight or tomorrow?
The Wicked GM |
I am taking a big exam next Friday. I'll try to post here and there, but please excuse my diminished presence over the next 8 days.