DMDM's Strange Aeons

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

So, here's a fun one that I've seen bandied about on the boards, and I am curious about what you folks have to say about it.

Does casting spells with an (Evil) modifier alter your alignment? I cast Infernal Healing to save someone's life (oh, let's say an innocent young child). Do I slide down the scale towards depravity because I happened to have/purchase/looted from a devil I slew/stolen an obscure component - vial of evil blood - on me? Does using that blood to invoke an 'evil' spell make me less 'good'?

It's not so simple to me. I say no, the act does not affect character alignment -- only if the spell is cast with evil intent. However, I could cede a 'yes' answer as the Pathfinder reality -- being one in which metaphysical concepts absolutely infuse and directly alter/influence the physical world -- is not our known reality. Just harboring a vial of devil blood in one's pack could, I suppose, have unintended effects on personality/sanity and action.

Thoughts? Too trite a topic?

The game has no mechanics for alignment alteration and since alignment impacts relatively few spells I'd say no.

From a metaphysical standpoint its interesting in concept but it ends up in reality preventing some concepts. The devil-spawn tiefling using Hell and the Abyss to strike back at evil while struggling with their blood's own hellish desires. The neutral death cleric who believes its a natural part of order. The logical summoner who sees corpses as empty vessels that are conveniently available for battling evil.

Didnt they add a celestial version of infernal healing recently? I have been so much off the boards the past year, and not much in the game itself the past year either

It is a much weaker spell.

Anyone care to guess what girl with 2 strings is all about?

By the way enjoying the game very much, thank you DMDM and fellow players.

Enjoying the game, definitely.

Not sure about Two-Strings-Girl -- either it's some kind of spell (Mrakala, roll Spellcraft!) or it's something else which I don't know. Yordan is planning to roll Knowledge (dungeoneering) when his turn comes along.

Putting aside the whole alignment question, I'm on record as strongly disliking Infernal Healing. It appeared once, in an early splatbook back in the days when Paizo was still figuring stuff out, and in retrospect it's pretty obviously a mistake.

-- It's unbalanced (better healing than cure light wounds, plus free stabilization, plus cancels bleed damage, plus dhampirs can use it). This gets even worse if you allow Advanced Infernal Healing, which cures 40 hp at a time. Compare that to Cure Critical Wounds, also a 4th level spell, which only cures 4d8 + 1/level. Infernal Healing is just clearly better than the standard clerical cures.
-- It doesn't fit the normal game pattern (gives healing to wizards and sorcerors, which they don't normally ever have).
-- It's very abusable (everyone wants to invest in wands of it).
-- It's the subject of conflicting and confusing rulings (one for PFS play, saying that casting it is not an evil act, and one from Sean K. Reynolds saying oh yes it is).

As you all know, I prefer to play by RAW whenever possible, so that we're all reading from the same page. But we have nearly a decade of PF stuff to draw from now -- thousands of pages of splatbooks -- so there will inevitably be occasional clunky bits. I won't ban Infernal Healing IMC outright, but it's not going to be an easy spell to find.

Dhamphirs can use It ? Didn't know that.

Then would it heal undead?

Also with Wizard's free Scribe Scroll Feat, it was a cheap healing spell to produce.

In the game, this girl is clearly worrisome.

Like I have no idea what she could be.

I think one little considered part of Infernal Healing that can limit its abuse is that procuring Devil blood is probably not easy. Imagine living in the pre-civil war south and going to the master of the plantation and asking for some of his blood so that you can cure a boo-boo. How would that go over. Getting devil blood, unless you live in Cheliax and are way up in the social spectrum is probably about the same.

In the game, this girl is clearly worrisome.

Like I have no idea what she could be.

I find her rather intriguing...seems like a girl after own Ghelik's heart.

Dhamphirs can use It ? Didn't know that.

It's not actually a cure spell. Rather, it gives Fast Healing 1 for 10 rounds. Dhampirs can have Fast Healing, so they can benefit.

Then would it heal undead?

Under RAW, no. "Fast healing continues to function (even at negative hit points) until a creature dies, at which point the effects of fast healing end immediately." Undead creatures have already died, so they can't benefit.

Sooo creepy!!!

I'm wondering right now if this is all "Rocksauce" trying to make herself trusted by sacrificing a magically controlled pawn or something...

Seems a bit overkill to fool a few low powered schmucks.

Perhaps, but ... how did she do it?

I'm wondering right now if this is all "Rocksauce" trying to make herself trusted by sacrificing a magically controlled pawn or something...

I was leaning towards something like this!

I'm glad it's not just me that's paranoid.

After too many D&D gotchas, it's hard to be trusting of spooky teenage girls in dark places killing things.

Seems a bit overkill to fool a few low powered schmucks.

Unless we are not the prize. Or just part of the prize. She wants something else/more.

Also it's a little TOO convenient.

We need 3 Doppelgänger bodies and we now happen to have 3 Doppelgänger bodies.

At the same time, DM_DM is clever enough to know that if he only does betrayals, after a while we won't take them seriously and just kill everything in sight. So he has to mix in enough real stuff that betrayal actually feels like betrayal when it happens.

So is this the real thing intended to make betrayals worse, or am I just thinking that so that this betrayal will come as a surprise...

(takes 1 point of temporary Int/Wis/Cha damage as he tries to wrap his mind above the spiral staircase of betrayal, non-betrayal, non-non-betrayal, realizing too late that the spiral goes all the way to non^Nth-betrayal...)

Truly you have a dizzying intellect.

Waiting on Mrakala to respond, but the rest of you should feel free to chip in with advice.

Iocaine powder for the win!

Iocaine powder - A deadly Australian poison, completely odorless and tasteless, highly soluble. Is available in a powder form. Although it takes a few years of careful dosing, the human body is capable of building an immunity to the poison.

Perhaps, but ... how did she do it?

We already damaged it, she just finished it off. She could easily be a 3rd level rogue and doing 10-20 damage with the flank, which we provided.

Like I said, we may be over thinking it. We do need to put a muzzle on the old man though... :]

We won't make many friends if he is the face of the party.

In our Trumpian world, I rather like Mrakala the Blunt acting as our face.

I can see Vitæ and Kyleen, eyes bulging, arms waving in the background, frantically running to cut off his mike feed.

For the record I LOVE how he is playing his PC, even if my character looks like he is having a faceplam/toothache when the Wizard does talk.

For the record Vitæ was asking how Rocksauce knew how to trigger the Doppelgänger not about the kill shot.

For the record Vitæ was asking how Rocksauce knew how to trigger the Doppelgänger not about the kill shot.

That's what I was trying to refer to.

And yes, Mrakala is not a good party face. At least his Charisma isn't negative.

...Oh wait..no...no it is.

Yordan has negative Cha too, but also the wisdom to stay silent ;)

I like the roleplaying, though.

Arrogant wizard is what the original player mentioned!

”Juggle? Singing? Do I look like a traveling minstrel to you?” Mrakala sneers as the knot bounces off of his chest and falls into the water. As an aside, I would like to note that Jax had a random Craft skill in painting or sketching or something like that.

Wasn't Jax an art forger? He did forge the proper papers to get by a naval patrol ship. So passable con man, not an artist. Akin to that Austrian who wanted to unify Greater Germany/Europe/the World.

Mrakala pauses as Ghelik and Fritz attempt to entertain the child. "She's obviously somewhat learned or at the very least incredibly intuitive. There's no need to debase her intellect by entertaining needless foppery."

Fritz and Ghelik deciding to have a children's party followed by Mrakala's shocked face had me laughing for a bit.

somehow I think poor fritz is in over his head

Wasn't Jax an art forger? He did forge the proper papers to get by a naval patrol ship. So passable con man, not an artist. Akin to that Austrian who wanted to unify Greater Germany/Europe/the World.

He was! But he also had a few random skill points thrown into Craft:(Something artsy). I think it came up a grand total of once.

...yeah, that girl is mental.

Anyone who names themself rocksauce Jr likely isn't all there...

I'm not sure anyone in this place isn't mental.

Things to remember from Rocksauce,

- What skills do we each posses that can not be duplicated by a Doppelgänger easily

- ghouls(!)

- Doctor O, ask her who that is

- What did the dead Doppelgänger want in the deputy director's office

- Who is Dori? What does she mean find a way out.

- She did not get along with Winter

- Red Ward. Important/dangerous patients?

- Get out of the Mirror?

- How does she know about the heirs of Nex?

- Carl the Hedge Wizard had a Spellbook and a wand.

- Rocksauce can speak to spirits?

What does Rocksauce eat?

Sautéd Ranger basting in a heavy Fear sauce.

I'm still not cooked.

Those are notes to add to the google docs. I'll do it later unless someone beats me to it.

Why is my dinner eating my appetizer?

I have worked in seafood, there are plenty of things that look like you wouldn't want to eat them...

BRIARSTONE MENTAL ASYLUM

At least it's not "Harrowstone" :)

Or New Jersey

Harrowstone is more hospitable than Jersey.

What was the name of the accountant in Way of the Wicked?

Pilkington.

Pilkington.

It would be funny if this guy in the Mirror is related to him.

I have a bunch of old maids all related, with forearms like longshoremen, who swear like sailors, across all the campaigns I DM, most players don't realize this, I do it for me.

Mrakala, would casting identify on the mirror be useful?

Yordan's really out of his depth here, and once bitten, twice shy.

I forgot I had that...Identifpus! Yeah that doesn't flow off the tongue..

Are you using Latin or Greek?