DM Barcas - Kingmaker: New Beginnings (Inactive)

Game Master Isaac Duplechain

My internet is still down. I'm working on resolving the problem, but it may last until the end of the next week.

It's not too big a deal since I won't be able to post much in earnest until a week from now when I get back home.

You guys feel free to go off the rails a bit during the Taxfest party. There's a lot of NPCs that you can interact with, and I don't mind having you guys take control of them for your little scenes. I'm not really capable to posting too much for another few days until I get back to America, but I really want a lot of interaction and fun for everybody involved until I can throw some drama into the mix.

Hello from Russia, by the way!

Gah my dot dropped for some reason. I will post a narrative tomorrow.

Any of the Ultimate Combat archetypes sound interesting? I guess we'd have to see their specifics, but the names sometimes give a good idea.

My internet issues should be resolved by the middle of the next week. The trouble was with some underground cables and it was a b@@#! to locate it. Now they assure me that it will take just few days to sort that out, but tomorrow's Friday and they don't work over the weekend, so I'll have to wait a bit more.

Any of the Ultimate Combat archetypes sound interesting? I guess we'd have to see their specifics, but the names sometimes give a good idea.

** spoiler omitted **

Ultimate Combat has me salivating, you hear? SALIVATING!

I got my shipping in a week email. I'm giddy with anticipation for UC.

I guess Jemini's revelations aren't entirely surprising to people - but I've been waiting since page 1 for the right time. :)

Yes, although I was in a bit of a race to grant my own reveal regarding Zander. If he hadn't disappeared, I planned on springing it on him right about now. I still hope he comes back so I can drop it on him, though I would have preferred it had Jemini still been ignorant of Zander's fate.

Actually it was a surprise to me! I thought Jemini's reveal was great. Taisper just wasn't around to hear it, though he did know about Zander being nobility, having overheard him and Berrin talking in the woods a while back.

And oh man, if this is an attack, we are so hosed.

I got my Internet access back. I'll need some time to read up what happened with the game since I was gone, though. Anything I should know right away?

I have a ton of work that was left aside because of the lack of web connection, but I should be able to get back to posting tomorrow.

Basically, it's still the Taxfest party in the evening. Jemini just discovered that Zander, who (as it turns out) rescued her from a fire as a kid, is Zander Orlovsky. She confronted him, but they were interrupted by an appearance from the Stag Lord's men.

In other news, I messaged Kacy on Facebook. He got back to me and said he'd try to stick his head in to have a reaction.

I just got the Ultimate Combat pdf! :D :D :D

I just got the Ultimate Combat pdf! :D :D :D

Hott. I'll be picking mine up at the Paizo booth at GenCon next week.

Lucky! I'm so jealous!

I'm checking my email frequently. Although I won't be able to download ituntil I get home. I'm reading great things about it. As usual, I'll allow character modifications (within reason) to accommodate the new stuff.

Perfect timing to roll 1 on a diplomacy check :)

Got Ultimate Combat shipment notice! Downloading as we speak.

I'll have to wait a few weeks for them to put it in the srd :(

I'm going out of town for the next four days, taking the wife and kids to a family get-together, there will be internet but I'm unsure about how much time I'll have to post.

I'll be back on monday.

I knew I should have had Verik craft me that belt... Every bit would help if that guy is as tough as his description makes him out to be.

Once again, I've lost internet access. It seems that there is a country-wide infrastructural crisis, so it wouldn't do me any good to change my ISP.

Nobody could give me an answer when will things return to normal, but it seems that the crisis will last for up to a month.

In these circumstances, I really can't participate in the game. I am truly sorry, but this is out of my hands. I've considered posting from the phone, but I'm using business-oriented Nokia, so it's not really suited for the internet forums.

I apologize for taking your time.

It happens. I'll have Alexius bow out with the trade caravan's exit.

@Nightflyer; Sorry to see you go, what country did you say you lived in?

@Others; Am I the only one who gets the feeling TSL is trying to pick a fight?

Not trying to pick holes in the narrative which I've really enjoyed. Just not sure that the forces of good would stand there calmly while the entire bandit force is brought up such that if a fight does start we have no chance. Of course maybe I'm reading it wrong and only the Stag Lord joined Akiros and the other dozen. Enough for us not to want to start a fight but not enough for us to be scared silly.

Corwin has a possible plan to present when we have our conference but not sure if the lawfuls will like it.

Most of the bandits are 60 feet out or so, not far from the assembled guards from Lebeda and Garess. The Stag Lord and Akiros are right at the gates, where the party is. The civilan NPCs are bunched up in the center. The guards let them approach because they ar in an uneasy truce as the leaders negotiate, as these terms we're accepted by Akiros and Jemini.

OK understand now thanks.

I really enjoy playing Akiros. He's a really rich character, though I rebuilt him as a robin samurai rather than the ex-paladin/barbarian that he's statted up as in the AP. I hope he survives all this, as he is a really cool NPC and not a bad guy. He just happens to work for the Stag Lord. He is trying his best to avoid this confrontation from turning violent.

Oh yeah. It might be a good idea to post up TSL stats for combat becouse Berrin's going to slug him if he keeps up the act.

I have a feeling Corwin's plan is perhaps too dishonourable for the majority but the DM has put the group, particularly the lawful characters, in a neat dilemma.

The Stag Lord can start a fight anytime he wants and the numbers seem such that even if the good guys win (which seems very unlikely unless we have more guards than I'm thinking) the collateral damage will be too high to bear.

That means we are going to end up giving in to every demand short of surrender. So we're going to end up handing the prisoners back and anything else he wants. In Corwin's mind may as well do it voluntarily and get something out of it.

A frontal assault on his base also seems out. 60 guys plus leaders? Even with only half there at any one time the odds seem poor.

For mine that leaves subterfuge or some kind of challenge, although the later presumes that is something the Stag Lord would go for. He seems to have delusions of grandeur enough. Maybe Akiros provides a means.

I disagree - a fight *now* is the best we can possibly hope for. We've got all the extra soldiers (most wouldn't be there if we were to assault the Stag Lord's fort ourselves). We've got defensive structures. We've got more resources at hand. And best of all, we have time to prepare.

That aside, we're heroes - we can take on 60 bandits and their leaders. :D

Onwards! To Glory! Do you want to live forever?!

Fair enough although if thats the plan Corwin will argue even more strongly that we need something to even the odds.

Dilemma, dilemma! It's been a lot of fun watching the debate. Just as a warning, the Stag Lord will easily best any of you in single combat, even a smiting Jemini. You can tell that simply by looking at him. (Honestly, he'd give you a run for your money with the whole party. He is a tough cookie.)

'Hey the bunch of us challenge you to single combat' doesn't have the same ring to it :)

Here's a pro tip for aspiring criminal masterminds: there's not much of a point of running from the police when you hand over your ID first. Even if you get away, now you're just delaying the inevitable and catching new charges for evading arrest. Because the police now know who you are.

Just updated my experience chart. You're all almost exactly halfway between level 3 and 4, which is right where we want to be for this. Just don't get killed by the Stag Lord!

I don't want to die! We'll see how things go though! :p

Greetings from GenCon! Just got my copy of Ultimate Combat, fresh from the Paizo booth. :-D Then, while browsing one of the many many many booths selling minis, who should I come across but the Stag Lord in mini form, made by Reaper as part of their official Pathfinder line. I had no idea they made such a thing.

He doesn't look near as tough as a pewter mini, I can tell you that for sure. :-p

Keep us updated on Paizo announcements!

Well, they have super badass posters up for Bestiary 3, but I don't know if that's news. I've been in and out of games so haven't caught anything else.

+40? Seriously?

Wow, this is definately not going how I thought it would? Swear fealty to an evil fey-struck barbarian or die. Not much of an option if you ask me, not unless we disapear into the night, leaving the inocents to burn. Speaking as a player, of course, Berrin would never do that.

Well, it is a critical because it is a coup de grace. And he's raging. But, yeah, he's a beast. BAM.

Allow me to reiterate: DO YOU WANT TO LIVE FOREVER?! ;)

Realy? You want to start a fight with that guy? He'll take Berrin out in round one, with those damage modifyers he's got at least two attack per round at 2d6 + 20 dmg each... Not to mention if he gets lucky and crits..

And he'll definately easily make the save against blindness. Meep. I think we have to capitulate for now.

He's probably a level 5-6 barbarian with a belt of strength. He's a beast. If it was the entire party versus him alone, we might yet take him, but someone will suffer with that kind of damage output. With all of his back-up though. Hell even Akiros would make it a suicide fight. No-one can fight him alone.

Don't sell yourselves short. You can beat him. This just may not be the best venue for it.

I think he's beatable. Also remember we've got a fair amount of hero points at our disposal. And rather than barbarian, I suspect the high damage against Dovan was in part from Favored Enemy (human) - which is an easier way to get high damage than rage (and he didn't seem fatigued).

Luckily we're all halflings.

Anyway - with both Jodh and Verik on healing, and 6 PCs with focussed attacks, there is a lot of action economy acting against the Stag Lord.

True. I'm all for it if we could get Akiros to back off. Maybe he's drunk enough to take a challenge from the entire party. Or at least the warriors.

So, are we going to be heroic or smart? We need to decide before the game drops into the archives.