D.E.A.D. Squad - Shattered Star - PbP component

Game Master Voadkha

Brighten, after our near deaths it seemed like a good idea to build a backup character. I'll probably stick with a cleric or oracle to preserve the heals, but Any limitations on race? Are we sticking with the 20 point buy system for abilities? What level did you want them to start at, notionally (e.g., a level or half level behind, same as the dead characters)?

Feeling morbid?

I do happen to have an idea for a Tengu Hunter if calamity strikes, though...

Copy Flynras, you drew both weapons. I forgot it was a 'hidden' perk of two weapon fighting. Thus your ac was 20+2 cover.

Nax, Yes. I'd limit you to PFS races. Although I would probably allow Aasimar/Tiefling with a creative back-story. Yes, 20 point buy. For level...I'd like try same level (for now... maybe later I'll say one level behind).

However, I'm going to 'default' to a pretty draconian initial position (I might be open to negotiation) on starting wealth. It "only" costs 7,000 gold to bring a character back from death... and I want that option to at least be considered.

The replacement is literally pennyless... they have nothing but the clothes on their back. Some-all of the dead partymember's gear can be 'cashed in' at half value and spent to equip the replacement with different equipment at no time-cost (i.e. it doesn't take time to sell the gear or purchase the new gear... unless you want it to. It could be a fun roleplaying opportunity).

I think I'd prefer resurrection, I like Nax after all!, but I've only got 1200 in gold... even selling the rest of my gear won't give me enough (I don't have many magic items anyway).

I would think the group would split the dead PC's gear, though. The new character would likely be a stranger - find it hard that Flynras would give stuff to a total stranger. He doesn't willingly give back stuff the stranger owns to begin with...

Regarding starting wealth, would a 6th level character be expected to have a certain amount of gold/magic items?

I thought it was pretty clear. I am (potentially) willing to negotiate but as stated my initial position is that the replacement would be penniless. (Why would a stranger join a group of strangers 'halfway through an adventure' especially after finding out that he's a replacement for someone that got killed... unless he had no better options?)

The party could certainly choose to split dead PC's gear, or they could choose to sell it off (at half price) and equip the replacement PC. Or they could choose to loan/gift the new PC with some/all of the dead PC's gear.

I agree that the new character would likely be a stranger... Sounds like a roleplaying opportunity.

I do have reasons. I think I explained many of the problems with exploding party wealth in my RoRTL campaign. This is definitely a conversation that I'd much rather have in person. The permutations of the penalties of death and starting wealth are, literally, infinite.

Thanks for the health concern/comments, but please don't post out of game stuff in the gameplay thread.

That's what this thread is for, among other things.

Has anyone figured out a way to get push notifications that a new discussion or gameplay post has been made?

Has anyone figured out a way to get push notifications that a new discussion or gameplay post has been made?

Nope. I also haven't found a reliable atom reader.

I have simply bookmarked the main page and am checking for new posts a couple of times a day.

Bellasa "Belle" Haera wrote:

Has anyone figured out a way to get push notifications that a new discussion or gameplay post has been made?

Nope. I also haven't found a reliable atom reader.

I have simply bookmarked the main page and am checking for new posts a couple of times a day.

Same

Ditto.

My apologies, friends, but I now have a vtc on Thursday at 1800. I'm now going to be about 2 hours late...

Is it possible to assist someone who is rowing?

Not sure how that would work, physically speaking... Sit side by side with one person on each oar??

Ditto.

My apologies, friends, but I now have a vtc on Thursday at 1800. I'm now going to be about 2 hours late...

whats is a vtc?

Video teleconference...

For the purposes of this, the DC is so easy that no, you can't aid another. I would allow two small characters to both row, side by side, but it would make it harder, rather than easier (because both would have to beat a dc of 10).

The newest room is only a 10 by 10 room... there is no "middle' for Naxolel to stand in. However, I'm going to allow Naxolel to jump into the pool that is in the center of the room.

oops.. wrong place.

When we first started the game, I had a thought about getting some Craft (Alchemy), but with an Alchemist in the party, it was pointless.

Regardless it doesn't really help identify potions unless I take a level in Alchemist or Investigator. I don't really want to do that.

33 is a pretty high number.

If we can't identify that one potion, perhaps we can identify the other ones, then try to figure out if we can use any of the rest of the stuff in the room.

After we clear this section, I propose we try to find a way out and head back to Magnimar to resupply and perhaps find a Silence spell or something to block out the ward into the next room.

On the way home, someone can memorize Identify to get a boost on figuring out the tough potion.

Rocks Fall, Everyone dies.

I pretty sure I have identify but need to prepare it first... buying a wand of identify would be a good investment... regarding returning to magnimar, I thought we were racing the grey maidens to the shard. Or were they co-opted by the runelord or whoever is actually occupying this place?

Whistle's innocently. Ok.. your characters may think there is a sense of urgency. I forgot that.

Well here's the thing, is this stuff old and dangerous or no? We've meta gamed this to death. the spellcraft checks aren't indicating anything either way, so we've gotten no in game hints. Naxolel is nervous about the aging potions, but he would be drawn to the potential to learn what the room might mean for learning about Thassilonian magic. Barring a better idea from you all, he might suggest checking the other two rooms for items that might help identify the potions or just grabbing the potions. Either way, we need to s#++ or get off the pot...

Here's the thing. Yes the stuff is old and some of it is dangerous. The spellcraft checks didn't reveal anything because neither of you rolled high enough. Would you like me to just tell you which ones are dangerous so it won't irritate you any longer?

No, that'd be cheating. Let's give Belle a shot at I'd-ing this jar and the other bottles. If that doesn't work, then let's check out the non magical urn in the middle before handling the other glassware...

You can always ignore the west room and try the north or east rooms.

My guess is that we want to stay away from the stuff that looks like acid or alkali.

The alchemist's fire??? Maybe we could pick that up, maybe not.

I definitely say pocket the potions (being magic they probably are safe), then check out the urn.

I could always try out one of the alchemist's fires in the preceding corridor.

Of note:

Nax has only rolled Spellcraft for one vial while holding it. You can't identify a potion from across a room.

Bell has rolled Spellcraft for no vials while holding them.

Correction: Nax attempted to identify the metal jar, that I have said contained green paste. And failed to identify it. Belle hasn't yet attempted to identify the green jar.

If it helps people 'decide' things I stated that "You guess that there might be 10 or more vials of alchemical fire, an additional 10 or more vials of acid and/or alkelai. There may be potions and elixirs in here too. It's hard to tell without a closer (and physical) examination of the vials & beakers and test tubes." It would take further examination of things to determine if Flynras's suppositions were correct.

Subsequently both Belle and Nax detected 7 items with magic auras. One of which, the green one, is now physically in Belle's possession in the sw corner of the 'well' room.

Whew.. that was a nail biter. I wish that had been at the gaming store so I could have attempted to 'force' the tension to manifest for everyone. :)

Jerry, it is completely within your prerogative for Belle to "go on strike" but I would prefer that you at least post something in character demonstrating that it is, in fact, Belle doing nothing as opposed to Jerry doing nothing.

Likewise, I realize that Drav and Flynras (wisely) were doing nothing when it came to what was clearly a magical challenge... and I do appreciate that each of them still participated, first with an in character suggestion to be careful, and second with a synopsis in the discussion thread, which i also appreciated.

I realize i should have "clarified" rather than corrected Flyras's slight misspeak. I realize that textual clues don't always convey the "spirit" with which a note is penned. I was appreciative of his summation but I wanted to clarify a possible mis-communication/misunderstanding because I initially called out 7 vials and retconed the green one to have been a metal jar.

One last note... Thank you Joe for building what was effectively a huge if-then-else statement.

No worries all. This has been fun, though we definitely lose tone in text messages. And to be fair I think Jerry was TDY the first part of the week and people might have been traveling, etc on the holiday. The map was critical, though.

I gotcha. I didn't remember that Jerry was maybe traveling... but without instructions to act on his behalf....

I guess we'll have to figure out how long everyone is willing to wait before people end up 'delaying' and whether or not people want me to attempt to play their character.

Damage reduction isn't effective against the acid blast, is it?

Negative, DR doesn't prevent energy damage (or untyped magical damage), only physical damage.

Figured, but wasn't sure nature acid was considered energy damage.

Was going to act, but want to ask another question.
Since we originally played considering the Klar as more of a buckler, I would use my bow with it, but taking the -1 to hit roll.
Can I still play it like that, or do I need to remove the klar to use my bow?

Sorry, as I now know that it's a light shield vice a buckler you can't "use" (aka wield) your bow while wearing the Klar, you can merely "hold/carry" stuff in that hand while wearing the Klar.

Yep. Acid, Electricity, Cold, Fire, and Sonic are the five "cardinal" types of energy damage (against which the spell energy resistance can be attuned to). Force, negative, and positive energy are the other types of energy damage I can think about at the moment... that also bypasses DR which is useful 'only' against physical damage.

Drav was built to use Thunder and Fang, and paid a big feat tax to get it.
It's still effective in melee, but Drav's action economy feels nerfed...
My fault, since Drav was my first pathfinder character.

Yep... although it's the price you pay for effectively being always armed with your klar while benefitting from the shield bonus to your ac and wielding what is normally a two-handed weapon with your other hand.

You may remember that I was surprised that you were a two weapon fighter because it is generally regarded as sub-optimal in almost every way to a two-handed fighter... That said you've been a exceptionally effective damage dealer (which, frankly, has surprised me) and have been exceptionally hard to hit (also surprising) thus far and have (i think) rarely 'benefited' from our mistaken impression that the Klar was a buckler. I can only think of a few times where you've used your bow.

That said, the retraining rules exist and i'm more than willing to let you take advantage of them the next time you get "to town" if you'd like. I think each of you has at least considered retraining something here and there so it wouldn't necessarily be Drav alone doing retraining.

Just a heads up - I'm heading out of town around 1630 today and will be camping with my sons' Boy Scout troop. I'll be back Sunday afternoon, though I'm busy Sunday evening...

Stinking Cloud was cast against the Giantess. That was also today.

I am pretty sure we decided to clear this section and then have a nice long rest in the hotel rooms...

LOL "we never sleep"

Belle and Nax ask for a long rest after every combat. Spellcasters...

That is one thing you never have to worry about in PFS, I guess, since there is only 1 or 2 combats and then the adventure is over.

Oh, wait. We rested in the Giantess' room.

That means the only combat we have had today was with the ghoul bats. I don't recall what spells she cast in that fight.

Still, we'll probably have to rest in the hotel rooms simply to let Nax heal at this point.

She cast levitate and st last one acid arrow with the bats...

Sorry for the confusion with my damage rolls.

At first, I rolled a d3 and a d4, resulting in a 1 and a 4. After looking at the post I noticed the d4 and corrected it to a d3 (which rolled a 1).

I was about to sign off, but looked at my sheet first and noticed the bow is actually SUPPOSED to be a d4. So, I corrected the initial damage roll and got a 1 (it moved the original 4 to the top line).

After all that I ended up with the exact same damage that I rolled the first time. I find that hilarious.

My vote goes to exploring the other two rooms before resting, but I will defer to Nax.

Do we need to make some effort to save the devil from whatever is possibly killing her?

Even with the stuff to stick in our ears, I don't feel great about the Will checks. I would much rather a magical silence. Do either of you have the ability to case Silence 10'?

Now, I think we need to wait for Joe to come back. (He said Monday, I think).

Nax and Drav need some healing.

Since we have encountered an enemy in nearly every room of this complex, it is fair to assume that there will be additional enemies in the next two room.

Alternately, the party can retreat to hotel rooms while I scout the next two rooms to find out if there are any enemies.

Adam, what do you think?

Chuckle... The rogue that took no damage in the fight and used no resources except a few arrows wants to continue exploring. You can continue exploring while the rest of the party holes up and recuperates. Teasing! Although, that is an option.

Drav is down 45 hp, and Nax is still down 7.

Twiddle twiddle, i'm bored on a sunday and the next game is an eternity away!

Oooh you posted. Silence is on Naxolel's spell list as a second level spell.

There is no Silence 10' anymore, but in Pathfinder the radius of Silence is now 20ft... the down side is that it is only rounds per level.

I have a potion of invisibility. I am pretty sure that I can scout the two rooms without initiating another battle.

Then again, bad things can always happen...

Feel free to do stuff. I'll adjudicate anything you do.

Joe, Adam, I think you guys should definitely retreat. I'll leave it up to the group whether I scout before resting or after.

Drav's going to want some healing at least before moving on, but the casters should weigh in on their need to rest for spells. (Edit, guess he has been healed)

Drav is concerned for Belle's little devil buddy, would like to get back to him for her, sooner rather than later.

I think acid damage (energy) is halved and then applied to armor/weapon hardness, right?