DM Brainiac's War for the Crown: Table 1 (Inactive)

Game Master Brainiac

Can I send away money to Oppara for magic items past the purchase limit of Stachys or perhaps could I do so in Lotheedar? Interested in buying a Burglar's Buckler

Yes to either question.

Then if we take an option in re Portimer that upsets the Count (which imo we SHOULD), Sara will volunteer to head to Lotheedar to both placate him and also go on a shopping trip with Malphene and whoever else would want to

Once you place the order, it will take about eight days to receive the item from Oppara.

If Sara's heading off to Lotheedar with Malphene to suck up ... erm ... placate, yes, placate the Count, then Zhi considers this a good time to visit the Baron.

Yeah, DMs always love when the group splits up. :)

The harvest will begin tomorrow, so at least one person should stay if you want to help with that. But if others want to go off on their own too, let me know. I don't mind running multiple concurrent paths.

I'll stay, I think Melodie is still putting in time on the pumphouse technically :) Besides, important that the Tribune be around for the first harvest...

Think of all the fun you'll miss when the tax collector inevitably turns up!

The harvest will take 3 days, which should be enough time to go off on some misadventures and make it back before the tax collector shows up.

I would love someone to come with us in case we run into trouble/for RP. Also Sara is gonna murder the tax collector maybe, but like at night after they've collected everything.

Why do I get a feeling Melodie should go to bed early that night?

Zhi is all for letting the tax collectors take what they determine is 'fair' and then letting them leave.

And then, of course, laying an ambush on the road, to retrieve said goods.

However, she believes that at least one of the mercenaries should be left alive to carry the the tale of masked bandits to Lotheed. That hopefully gets the villagers off the hook.

I can stay or go as needed. If we ambush the tax collectors, it should not be done in the bounds of Stachys, of course - shadow them and hit them on the road elsewhere. If we go full Robin Hood then we will have the Count breathing down our necks to catch the villain, and the more we fail the more he'll get mad at us. We could ask him to send his enforcer (his cousin? Just like Guy of Gisbourne) but then we'd have that fool sticking his nose into everything.

As to the trial, I keep trying to think of something that will satisfy the people and placate the Count. I do want to keep the guy alive if only to have him run the mill when it's fixed and going.

Historically, medieval English forest law was an extreme imposition; it forbid people from building fences, harvesting timber for construction, collecting underbrush for fire fuel, or foraging for mushrooms, herbs, or berries. Everything belonged to the King and you had to pay for it all. Personally I think this is a huge mistake economically, and Zileska ICly would feel that it's a massive burden on peoples' free exercise of their livelihood.

But that is a loophole: You can pay the King (or Count in this case, I suppose) for resources. We might be able to work out a deal of paying a fee for the price of the hunt. (I suppose Sara's solution is one variation on that.)

Maria could head to Lotheedar as well to talk with the Count if he's pissed off. I just thought of some good potential angles to use for calming him down. Depending on the timing with the tax collectors, I might even be able to lay the groundwork for letting him be a bit lenient on Stachys with those same angles.

Sounds like you've got this one in the bag, Maria! Nice :)

Go Maria, go! If you can pull all that off you become chief party diplomat! :D :P

Going to bed, but Gul will let you speak to the count after making you wait a bit. Maria may post her argument toward the count now and make her check, and I will post his response in the morning.

Melodie, I'll have something for you later tonight.

Maria and Sara, let me know if you want to do anything else tonight or if you're ready to advance to the next day.

DM, I don't think I can succeed the "help the harvest" roll because technically you can't roll for any untrained Knowledge check over DC 10 (and it's DC 21 to help the town), or any untrained Profession check. So, the best I can do is to assist someone else's roll (since that's DC 10, I can legally make a Knowledge check of that DC).

Because the townsfolk of Stachys are now friendly, you gain the following benefit: You may call on the citizens to attempt Craft (bows, carpentry, cloth, clothing, leather, pottery, shoes, stonemasonry, or weapons), Knowledge (engineering, geography, history, local, nature, or religion), and Profession (baker, butcher, cook, driver, farmer, fisherman, gardener, herbalist, midwife, miller, porter, scribe, shepherd, stablemaster, tanner, trapper, or woodcutter) checks with a total +8 bonus, even if you don't have any ranks in the relevant skill

So that allows you to successfully make the check to help with the harvest.

The problem is that the +8 bonus applies even if you don't have ranks... but for a DC 21 Knowledge check, you aren't allowed to roll at all if you have no ranks. So it doesn't matter if I have +100: I can't succeed a DC 21 Knowledge check when untrained.

From the PRD:

Modifiers

Training: You cannot make an untrained Knowledge check with a DC higher than 10.

Jury's out on whether the same is true for a Profession check. Most DMs don't allow it because you shouldn't be able to perform specialized tasks for money if you aren't trained in them.

If you'll allow the Profession check, I can make that - even without the bonus, as I would add my Wisdom (+3) instead of my Intelligence (+1) to the die roll - but RAW, I cannot even roll for the Knowledge (nature) check since the DC is above 10.

That's why I made it Aid Another: You can make untrained rolls on Knowledge checks of DC 10 or less, and Aid Another is DC 10.

Right, I just assumed you were using the roll for the Profession check, which you can hit the high DC on. With the locals help, it doesn't matter if you have training or not since they're showing you how it's done.

I'm trying to help you out here, unless you don't want the bonus Loyalty point. ;)

Ok, just trying to make sure I'm playing fair!

But Calistrian's don't play fair. ;)

They play to win.

Normally I would never play someone like Zileska, as her values are so divergent from my own.

Selli Okerra

It's a sad day for all the "Maikerra" shippers out there. :(

Assuming we've cashed out on all the gear with the exception of Crabbe's bust ...

Once back at the estate, Zhi will attempt to make arrangements for the crafting/purchase of an +1 adamantine rapier (5020gp)

I ship everyone with everyone, but I have hope that Zhi and the Baron continue to create drama in one form or another.

I think that Zhi and the Baron are adorable.

Oh, I'm sure there's not going to be a lack of drama.

Her name is Mai 'Drama' Zhi, right? :)

And how about the Burant shippers, they're happy right now!

So Zhi - how much money do we have now? *Go Accountant!*

Also - quests. We keep hearing a bit about stuff so I'm going to try and list them...

- Investigate Baron Telus and New Towne
- Find the Abadarian acolytes
- Investigate the General? (urban legend)
- Track down the Four Hoods? (for bounty or help...)
- Investigate the Swan Maiden in the lake

Anything else been teased our way?

That's all, save for dealing with the tax collector, which we're about to do. Unless there are objections, I will get everybody back together and move things along to after the harvest.

Zhi, you can find an adamantine rapier on sale in Lotheedar.

I think the ship name for Sara and Malphene should be more like Malphara. But yes, I missed this b#%%+.

I'm very excited about every single one of these side quests. Go fishing for a giant catfish in the Baron's lake, sacrifice a virgin to a swan or something, rescue capitalist nuns and receive books

Also (not to delay further) I want Crabbe's bust back gdi, anyway we can figure out who the fences are in the county? I know it's probably a lost cause but being robbed is such a violating feeling

You can attempt to gather information among the undesirable elements of Lotheedar, or send agents to do so during your next persona phase.

With a five way split and not selling Crabbe's bust, each of us will receive 4840 gp.

Sadly the range on locate object is pretty short, we'd need some much higher-level divination to home in on the missing head.

That sounds crazy ominous

And we've gone all Birds of Prey up in here

Baby might be coming soon! We are heading to the hospital now. I will check in when I can.

Any suggestions for what other skills we can use to deal with Gusairne's inspection?

I can't think of any in-game rational for any way to use Zhi's skills. The only one that would possibly be useful would be Diplomacy and she's far from the best of us at that. And we've already used that so she'd get a -2 as well.

This guy's obviously got a high Sense Motive, so I'm not even going to try Bluff.

Perhaps a Knowledge (local) check to try to distract him with local gossip, or a Stealth check to sneak around and get to her agents before he can, or Sleight of Hand to hide any incriminating evidence like the Raven's correspondence with her agents? Or Melodie could put on an impromptu performance with Perform (sing). Or Zileska could use her feminine wiles with Profession (courtesan). Or Maria could share her "insider info" on the Night Swan with Profession (P.I.).

Trying to use Calistrian techniques to seduce an Abadaran seems... risky. Though I'll give it a go if the team wants to see me try. ;)

PLEASE

That would be fun to watch - even if it does prove to be unsuccessful. :)

I think you meant "risqué." ;)

It will probably be far, far less risqué than people think, because Zileska is going to (try to) use some rudimentary psychology.

She's here! Natalie Skye, born at 5:46 PM. Both mother and baby are doing well. :D

Congratulations! Exciting news

Huzzah!