DMDM's Strange Aeons

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

wow! lots of posts since last night!

So, in previous campaigns I might say "This happens. Make a Will save," and then wait two or three hours, and then if there's no response, roll the Will save for you.

In this campaign, I believe I'm way the hell on the other side of the world from five of the six players. My time zone is Central Asia, so I'm 10 hours ahead of the US East Coast. There's some overlap in the early morning and the evenings, but there's a solid slab of the middle of the day when I'm online but y'all are probably asleep.

I *think* I'll continue with the "post, wait a bit, roll" pattern, just in case someone wakes up in the middle of the night. But I suspect that, because of the time difference, I'll be rolling more checks and saves for PCs than the last time around. Let me know if that's an issue for you.

UTC-8:00 here (Pacific Standard Time) Not an issue, completely understand it's more efficient to keep the game rolling (heh). Just make sure your dice generator is skewed in favor of PCs.

wow! lots of posts since last night!

Catch up and join in!

Also, I think I owe Campaign Traits to a couple of you. Let me know if you didn't get one.

I don't have my second trait yet.

DMDM - do you have a map of our current location/situation that you can put up on the google drive share?

I don't think he was planning to do a map for this part. Since it is pretty small section we can just go by the description and do actions from that.

So do we want to distract our resident surgeon, i.e. woman with a dissection fetish? It seems she is repeating some sort of identifier - a name? 'Before', perhaps referring to herself? To the man in restraints?

Either way, I'm considering calling out to her using that name, to draw her to my cell. Perhaps useful? Ghelik'n'Percy - would this help or hinder your plans?

Others? Input?

No map for this part. At SOME point I will have to bite down and learn how to map. But that day is not today!

hey dmdm. I can give you s simple tutorial when you are ready, it is actually WAY easier than it seems like it should be.

On a metal-topped table beside her, a number of sharp objects are lying on a bandage. You would expect to see surgical instruments here. Instead, there is a seemingly random collection of objects: a toasting fork, a gardening trowel, a straight-razor, and a long shard of broken glass. At the moment, she is holding one blade of a broken pair of pruning shears.

Anyone else old enough to see Marathon Man?

Also, I think I owe Campaign Traits to a couple of you. Let me know if you didn't get one.

Raising hands, Me! Me! Me!

:)

Either way, I'm considering calling out to her using that name, to draw her to my cell. Perhaps useful? Ghelik'n'Percy - would this help or hinder your plans?

Mesmerists have a pretty good Bluff, if we somehow got her to come to one of the cells, facing away from my PC, use Daze while someone else Mage Hand's the keys?

My 2 cents.

Mith'aj the Tactful wrote:

Either way, I'm considering calling out to her using that name, to draw her to my cell. Perhaps useful? Ghelik'n'Percy - would this help or hinder your plans?

Mesmerists have a pretty good Bluff, if we somehow got her to come to one of the cells, facing away from my PC, use Daze while someone else Mage Hand's the keys?

My 2 cents.

We shouldn't be trying to plan something OOC...

DM_DM wrote:

On a metal-topped table beside her, a number of sharp objects are lying on a bandage. You would expect to see surgical instruments here. Instead, there is a seemingly random collection of objects: a toasting fork, a gardening trowel, a straight-razor, and a long shard of broken glass. At the moment, she is holding one blade of a broken pair of pruning shears.

Anyone else old enough to see Marathon Man?

Yyyyyuuup. I just hope we are not around to see if she finishes.

Vitæ Somnium wrote:

Mith'aj the Tactful wrote:

Either way, I'm considering calling out to her using that name, to draw her to my cell. Perhaps useful? Ghelik'n'Percy - would this help or hinder your plans?

Mesmerists have a pretty good Bluff, if we somehow got her to come to one of the cells, facing away from my PC, use Daze while someone else Mage Hand's the keys?

My 2 cents.

We shouldn't be trying to plan something OOC...

That's completely fair, but it's also similar to players making plans as players around the table. Point taken in this case.

Anyone here a fan of Neil Gaiman's masterful Sandman series?

Ghelik the Sly wrote:

We shouldn't be trying to plan something OOC...

That's completely fair, but it's also similar to players making plans as players around the table. Point taken in this case.

We are probably coming to the same conclusion, we just have to roll play it out.

DM, how far are the cells from each other? Would whispers be heard? Do we have to use Bluff to speak quietly even with the screams and the "doctor's" attention to her grisly work?

Anyone else old enough to see Marathon Man?

Is it safe?

I picked up Sandman #1 as a floppy comic back in 1988 -- I was a student -- and then followed it in floppy format to its end eight years later.

Note that in a campaign of this sort, you might think you're Morpheus, or perhaps Wesley Dodd -- and then find you're Hector Hall.

Ha! Bravo DM!

My fanboy admiration for your panache grows!

Not as grand as The Dream King, nowhere as lofty.

Do you remember how Sandman began?

When the cultist sought to trap his sister, Death, and he instead was captured?

In his captivity he lost his 3 Regelias of Office.

His great Helm.

His Ruby pendant.

His Pouch of Sand.

It is said that some Aasimars are born from dalliances with Heaven.

My PC is but a misplaced granule of sand.

DM, how far are the cells from each other? Would whispers be heard? Do we have to use Bluff to speak quietly even with the screams and the "doctor's" attention to her grisly work?

The corridor is 10' wide. So the two opposite cells (NE with Paladin and Mesmerist, and SE with Wizard and Rogue) are 10' apart. Whispers would be heard.

The screams and/or the doctor's distraction would give a fairly large minus on any Perception check she might make. (Assuming she is actually distracted, of course. Who knows?)

Ghelik the Sly wrote:

We shouldn't be trying to plan something OOC...

That's completely fair, but it's also similar to players making plans as players around the table. Point taken in this case.

I saw it as table-talk - I just didn't want to unilaterally make a decision that screwed what anyone else wanted to do. That's happened in past games and it really doesn't work out so well.

Edit: There's a certain amount of the above that goes on, and as we become more comfortable with each other's style, we'll anticipate actions more accurately. Until that point, it might be good to chat it out.

Anyone here a fan of Neil Gaiman's masterful Sandman series?

Absolutely - I've read through the full series several times. It's one of the few titles that stays excellent from beginning to end.

Maybe "before" is what she calls people before they go through her tender mercies.

We need to draw the good doctor to us presently and hastily though, for the sake of the man on the table.

We need to draw the good doctor to us presently and hastily though, for the sake of the man on the table.

Agreed, assuming he's not worse ... Keep up the chatter, make it angry. Hopefully it doesn't backfire.

Ghelik isn't brave but he is desperate. He sees what is happening. Likely we are all dead anyways so he is going for it.

I'm rather unfamiliar with the Mesmerist class.

Rereading the class features makes me feel slightly dirty.

I'm rather unfamiliar with the Mesmerist class.

Rereading the class features makes me feel slightly dirty.

As well you should :].

Of course my character will be the odd, dirty SOB with a good streak in his heart. With this AP expect some deviant behavior...lol

I think DM found his way to the Dreamlands.

Try to distract her while by grabbing her while I unlock the other cage, she can't be that strong...

Excellent final words.

I was thinking of giving Vitæ Somnium Disguise (and Knowledge Skills) but there just isn't that many skill points to go around.

For now, I would like to share what Dedication and Skill Focus disguise looks like.

Check out her Captain Jack Sparrow and Edward Scissor Hands.

Ghelik the Sly wrote:

Try to distract her while by grabbing her while I unlock the other cage, she can't be that strong...

Excellent final words.

Ghelik is no hero at this point. He is thinking the more people out of the cages the better chance he has at escape or maybe overwhelming her.

The bigger servant of Mrs goody twoshoes has a much better chance than me

I was thinking of giving Vitæ Somnium Disguise (and Knowledge Skills) but there just isn't that many skill points to go around.

For now, I would like to share what Dedication and Skill Focus disguise looks like.

Check out her Captain Jack Sparrow and Edward Scissor Hands.

I know the feeling on skill points, 11 per level and still not enough.

She does do a pretty good job.

I know the feeling on skill points, 11 per level and still not enough.

I'll just sit here in ENVY.

Mesmerits get very few spells (I guess because they are such pricks).

I am allowed 2 First Level Spells.

I think I am taking Hideous Laughter.

For a 2nd Spell would you guys prefer Color Spray or Murderous Command?

Guys don't you want to take actions for the 2nd round?

I have to wait until I am released. So until then I just pout in my cell.

You will be out soon. Ghelik needs his meat shield :]

Hopefully she is some low level patsy or we are in deep trouble starting this AP with no equipment.

Horror.

-- It won't be all horror, just as WotW wasn't all evil. But "facing the monster without a weapon" is pretty much Horror 101.

Should always keep a 9mm handy :)

She could have a least left a big kitchen knife on the table.

BTW I am having a hard time keeping my character from running for the hills at this point. The only reason I am thinking he doesn't flee immediately is that maybe there is more safety in numbers and his leg is hurt...he is pretty much ready to soil himself if anything else shows up.

BTW go get her Fritzie!

BTW I am having a hard time keeping my character from running for the hills at this point. The only reason I am thinking he doesn't flee immediately is that maybe there is more safety in numbers and his leg is hurt...he is pretty much ready to soil himself if anything else shows up.

Totally reasonable. Of course, there's only one light source here, the flickering oil lamp on the table. So if you run away, you'll be running into darkness.

I am guessing he would only realize that once he got about 40 feet away...lol

Totally reasonable. Of course, there's only one light source here, the flickering oil lamp on the table. So if you run away, you'll be running into darkness.

Since we are all sharing.

I was slightly alarmed when I was looking at the party's spell lists and realized that the Bard, Wizard, and Mesmerit ALL neglected to pack a Light spell.

Thankfully the girlscout Oracle remebered this was a Horror Campaign.

Light is a must have for every spell casting class...lol

Well I hope the dr has learned a lesson and is nice to us all after being punched

Well I hope the dr has learned a lesson and is nice to us all after being punched

Indeed break out the cookies and ale!

That was excellent campaign.

Huzzah!