I guess it is convenient that Jemini has the same modifier for all three social behaviors (bluff, diplomacy and intimidate). Unfortunately she can only roll double on diplomacy.
I imagine a big deal comes in finding the "preferred" social engagement for each tribe. Anybody that can reliably roll Sense Motive, should do that - every successfully determined clan essentially grants a +6 (on average) to the clan-attempt. Which equates to an aid DC of 30 but only requires a Sense Motive of DC 20.
Well given that, how about Verik holds down the role of 'watcher' on most rounds unless we really need a round of high Diplomacy aid -- with Silver Tongued Haggler he can run his Sense Motive at +15.
I like it - you let Jemini know how to roll.
As long as somebody does something!
I'm in a tavern, getting drunk!
Are there any girls there?
They're apparently all at GenCon.
If they are those hot Stormtroopers with the exposed mid-drifts I'm totally there!
Ok well seems like it's decided for the next round. Jem is the negotiator, Verik is the watcher... Hmm, can there be more than one Aid Another?... otherwise Alicia can be the aid another and Mike can be the other watcher.
Oh, also can the aid another use a different skill, like intimidate, when the negotiator is using diplomacy? Or would that be cross purpose and counter productive?
(ie no good cop bad cop?)
There can be multiple Aid Anothers. I don't want to figure out how different styles might effect the tribe, so let's stick with the same method used by the main person (which will likely always be Jemini, unless you decide on Intimidate?).
Alicia = Akiros, Mike = Verik?
There's not much I can do to move along either set of storylines at the moment. Steve should be back from GenCon to write up Nikolai's response in the present and future, which should get us moving.
As for Verik and Akiros, you guys can post in any order. I hope you're not waiting on me to add to the centaur negotiations.
Round 1 Recommendations w/ Rashkala Tribe: Jemini has rolled Dipomacy as lead negotiator, Akiros assists the Diplomacy roll, Nikolai tries Sense Motive DC20 on ?? tribe, Verik tries Sense Motive DC20 on Ganghash tribe.
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Okay just some quick posted thoughts here as we run through Round 1 of the Skill Challenge. Looking at the posted skills above from our profiles, it makes total skill challenge sense (as well as storyline sense) that Jemini is the main negotiator. Honeyed Tongue is extra gravy goodness for Diplomacy, but with those Intimidate and Bluff skills also at +16, it makes perfect sense. So Jemini's role is pretty well established in the five-round encounter.
Verik will focus from round-to-round on being a 'watcher' with his high Sense Motive ... unless Jemini has a total bust on a Diplomacy roll (unlikely), in which case he can 'jump in' as main negotiator for that round. Clearly though, Verik can only be a backup for Diplomacy if needed.
That leaves Akiros and Nikolai. Akiros has some options here - if we think we have the round in the bag, he could go for 'watcher' and try to get another Sense Motive check on a tribe. Clearly he can go for the assist with either Diplomacy or Intimidate and add to the roll -- something we shouldn't ignore even with a high Jemini main roll (otherwise the enemy three could just all assist and maybe push it over the top on us). My recommendation is to stay on assists for a high chance at a +2/+4 Diplomacy/Intimidate add unless there's a compelling reason to go to watcher. A Bluff round is going to be where his assist doesn't make much sense, as with all of us not named Jemini hehe.
Nikolai is sort of the wild card here, even more than Akiros. On Diplomacy checks (like we are doing now for Round 1) it makes little sense for him to try to assist with a +2 Diplomacy - better to throw his role that round to 'watcher' and get lucky on a DC20 Sense Motive roll. On Intimidate rounds though, I'd recommend a solid assist with his Intimidate.
I have no problem just chatting with Zander for a bit to mark time until everyone else gets back, and as for the future timeline, yeah; I'm holding tight on that one for now. I'm actually still at GC; I sat in on a few seminars today that Paizo employees were running on how to write and develop stuff for Pathfinder. Was nifty to hear what various developers (including Sean Reynolds) and editors had to say. It was almost enough to make me want to try RPG Superstar or something like that. Almost.
Anywho. Another awesome GenCon has come to a close.
Very cool! I was going to ask you it went up there, and if you and Steven got a chance to do some group session play along with some of your other friends who attended...
The last couple years my buddy Graham and I have run (as co-GMs) a two-night campaign for a bunch of friends, including our own Mr. Helt, among others. This year our party included two RPG Superstar top-4 placers (Steve Helt and Scott Fernandez), two Iron GM champions (Steve Helt and Stephen Rowe), an additional Iron GM contender (Nick Mork), and was rounded off by awesome rad gamers from our regular group back home in Milwaukee, including one of the players from my regular Monday night PFR game. I always see Steve at Iron GM as well, and two years ago I was a table DM for a big event that Steve and Eric and a bunch of the other Iron GM folks put on called "The Devil in Me". Very fun, super-duper epic stuff!
So I guess that's my really wordy and roundabout way of saying "yes". :-p
A few short videos I took during Iron GM:
@Verik & all: Ya, that all works for me. So let's go! ;-)
@Verik & all: Ya, that all works for me. So let's go! ;-)
Yeah I know, I'm being lame - work is messing with my creativity and I just vegged out with TV this weekend. The challenge is very cool. I'll probably shoot for a lower word-count post just to get Verik's Round One Sense Motive roll in and then pick up the flow here this week :)
Stellar post, Tony! You have a truly extraordinary ability to permeate Veril's attitude through the narrative. The part about the turtle had me cracking up.
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Stellar post, Tony! You have a truly extraordinary ability to permeate Veril's attitude through the narrative. The part about the turtle had me cracking up.
Hehe you liked that one eh? Well I had to come up with some new embarrassment for Verik as its been a long time since the first expedition with tatzylwyrms and cursed bear-druids.
I have a little time before the edit is over, so going to add some internal thought-text to explain how his Sense Motive roll may play into things.
Oh and BANZAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDIT: What do you think gang? My thought is to use Verik's Sense Motive extra boon here to discern what best influences the Kolga tribe. Since we potentially have two tribes sorted out this round, I definitely think Akiros should try and ice the round with a solid Diplomacy 'Aid Another' to Jemini. Thoughts?
Awesome post, and roll, Vorduvai! Very entertaining.
And sorry, just to be clear, what round are you saying Akiros AA for, the first?
And I guess Nikolai will be AA on Intimidate for Round 2, ya?
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Well I believe Akiros and Nikolai need to go still for their Round 1 actions (in this case where the term round doesn't mean six seconds of course), and then we can set for round two, potentially going for Ghangash. I know we don't have initiatives in these skill encounters but I'd recommend Jemini leads off on each skill round for clarity.
So Akiros and Nikolai still have round 1 actions to do as it relates to Diplomacy aid to Rashkala , or a Sense Motive check.
Hopefully Steve will be able to post soon. He made it back from GenCon but has been slammed with work. Both his 4710 Nikolai and 4733 Nikolai posts are fairly important, so I don't want to DMPC him for this.
I'd like to say that as tough as 20th Lvl 4733 Nikolai is, he doesn't realize he's up against 19th Lvl 4733 Cog with Mythic 6th Tier. Uh oh!
Never go up against a CR23 Sicilian, when Death is on the line! Hahahaha, hahahahahah
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I am very sorry for my failure to post, gang. The combination of Gen Con and writing deadlines, in addition to regular work and family, overwhelmed me. Even now I am dead tired. But I am unfairly holding everyone up, so I'm bringing it tonight.
Thanks for your patience.
No worries Steven and rest up!
I would like to point out though that DRA had video clips to share of GenCon, so he's still ahead of you on points. In the meantime I'll just have Verik talk trash about Nikolai until you get back in the swing of things there!
We could always explore the Second Darkest Timeline, where Verik becomes a crazed, zealous fascist in the pursuit of order. I imagine his rivalry with Nikolai might potentially lead to that.
Verik wouldn't last long as a crazed fascist. :b
Why not? Vorduvai has made it this far as one.
Nice post Steve!
Any chance we can get one from Niki in the present too, so we can move on with the centaur meet? ; )
My extremist anti-revolutionary programmes are very logical and methodical in my 72-part plan to take over the world, thank you very much. Kind of like Dr. Horrible. Clearly you've been duped by leftist propaganda! OR should I call you Comrade Loginov, hmmmm?
Just make sure the algorithm is perfect so they don't kill themselves following it.
Lather-Rise-Repeat-Lather-Rise-Repeat-Lather-Rise-Repeat-Lather-Rise-Repeat -Lather-Rise-Repeat-Lather-Rise-Repeat-Lather-Rise-Repeat...
My vote is for Verik's awesome Sense Motive to get info on the other tribes. If he can repeat that stellar performance next round, then we have the full set of tribes sorted, and can move everybody into aid! In fact. If everybody who hasn't acted yet keeps working on the tribe-categorization, then we might finish it even sooner and can switch everybody into aid.
However, until then, we should probably try to take the tribes in such an order, as to leave those tribes where Verik (and the others) have their highest social rolls for last. This gives the best chance of (for example) Verik getting to use his +13 Diplomacy. That means ideally we would want to do the Bluff tribe(s?) in round 2 or 3 - early - as they'd have the poorest supporting aid rolls.
Tactically speaking, if the extra tribe identified by Verik shows Bluff, then I think we should go for the Bluff-tribe in round 2; with everybody else focusing on categorizing the remaining tribes.
Failing that, with the Intimidate tribe definitely identified; we could probably try to get a massive success on them (via aid from both Nikolai and Akiros), while we have some slack tribe-identification time for Verik to sort out the last tribe(s).
We don't know how the Trollking will react in all this; but if we can show a strong start, we may tip his hand.
RPG Superstar 2013
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Nikolai will either aid or Intimidate the Intimidate-friendly tribe. In fact, Nikolai is the same height as the centaurs. A nonlethal punch or wrestling challenge might gain the humans respect among the more barbaric tribes, and Nikolai needs a chance to show off his flaming sword to the troll.
Outright violence is against the summit rules. (A nonlethal attack or wrestling may be technically permissible by the rules presented, but these aren't the type to be impressed with a clever loophole.) You'd lose more than anything gained.
And neither arms nor armor are allowed in the "ring".
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My extremist anti-revolutionary programmes are very logical and methodical in my 72-part plan to take over the world, thank you very much. Kind of like Dr. Horrible. Clearly you've been duped by leftist propaganda! OR should I call you Comrade Loginov, hmmmm?Just make sure the algorithm is perfect so they don't kill themselves following it.
Lather-Rise-Repeat-Lather-Rise-Repeat-Lather-Rise-Repeat-Lather-Rise-Repeat -Lather-Rise-Repeat-Lather-Rise-Repeat-Lather-Rise-Repeat...
Sigz! SIGZ! It's good to see you pop in here! How are you doing? How's the school thing going?
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RPG Superstar 2013
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Lest I be misunderstood, I don't mean to assault anyone or find a loophole. A "friendly challenge" can be conducted outside the moot, and Nikolai would definitely be willing to fight in the ring with nothing but his natural weapons.
A simple Initmidate check is fine, though. How do I know if it's my turn to talk? And what are the rules for addressing the different tribe? Admittedly, Nikolai will be addresing everyone in a way.
Hi Steven,
Just my interpretation of the events so you can move Nikolai forward as you deem best. Since Round 1 is underway with Jemini choosing Diplomacy as "the" skill to use on Rashkala for this round, your choices for Nikolai are at this point to:
1) Aid Another DC 10 w/ Diplomacy for the Rashkala
2) Sense Motive DC 20 vs. a tribe that hasn't been figured out yet - Magrat or Cangarit
3) Sense Motive DC 15 to see if we've "won" Round 1 w/ swaying Rashkala over Hargulka and his mooks.
As far as Round 2 goes when we get there, if we go for swaying Ganghash with Intimidate as the skill choice, I'm sure Nikolai will get a nice Aid Another action. I mean I suppose Nikolai could do the roll instead as main negotiator, but that would be competing with Jemini straight out on who gets a higher Intimidate roll.
@Elsir: lol - don't thank me prematurely, Darkest Timeline Jemini has her own spanner(s) to throw into the works.
...
"Then again, you broke the heathens at Dragonshead before we even charged the line, so I know you can find a way. You and Akiros keep talking, I'm going to sort out if the Kolga are only held to Ganghash by strength and fear as well, or if something else drives them."
"I received this beauty at the claws of a red dragon that attacked our home, Sanctuary, several months ago. It was not even a very big one, as far as dragons go, yet it almost took my life. It was only one of the many monstrous Reds that attacked and tried, yet failed utterly, to destroy us."
(kidding ;p) - crisis guys! Don't steal the thunder of future revelations!
It's going good so far actually, ask me again in a month and see if I'm still on top of things ;) I started just over two weeks ago so I'm still settling into the rhythm and flow of it all but, so far, so good, I've actually gotten some time to to a bit of light reading, I've gotten to pg. 28 of this epic story, loving the darkest bits. Anybody else wonder if it's Berrins son by Aylene or Emma?
@Elsir: lol - don't thank me prematurely, Darkest Timeline Jemini has her own spanner(s) to throw into the works.
...
"Then again, you broke the heathens at Dragonshead before we even charged the line, so I know you can find a way. You and Akiros keep talking, I'm going to sort out if the Kolga are only held to Ganghash by strength and fear as well, or if something else drives them.""I received this beauty at the claws of a red dragon that attacked our home, Sanctuary, several months ago. It was not even a very big one, as far as dragons go, yet it almost took my life. It was only one of the many monstrous Reds that attacked and tried, yet failed utterly, to destroy us."(kidding ;p) - crisis guys! Don't steal the thunder of future revelations!
Ah, well, unfortunately I don't know Jem quite as well as Akiros must, so my apologies for not predicting her planned revelations ; )
But feel free to outline what you have in store for her during negotiations if you wish!
Two notes: I am letting the Darkest Timeline move as you all deem fit. The only NPC I have to influence anything is Willas - and he's taking a fairly passive role in it.
Second: There are no weapons and no armor allowed into the negotiating area, so Nikolai won't have his flaming sword or chain armor.