DM Doctor Evil Rise of the Runelords AP

Game Master DM DoctorEvil

LOL, yeah good luck on the transition!

My family moved from Houston to TN when I was young. I really enjoyed growing up in TN, though we were in the eastern part of the state. Hopefully you'll find it nice too. If nothing else, it isn't so dang hot! But you'll have to learn what snow is!

All the best with the move!

Got here. Now just have to wait on my stuff to arrive on the moving truck. Back to normal posting, perhaps even a little more while I sit and wait...

See below for my brush with 'greatness' today. Pretty cool thing about Paizo, that the Editor-in-Chief reads and responds to random postings on comment boards.

DM DoctorEvil wrote:

Tsuto is poorly placed. Every time I run this AP, I get the same problem. The guy who is supposed to use mobility as his best defense and tumble all over the battlefield is found in a very tight space with a tight hallway outside and a whole line of heroes waiting to give AoO that he has to avoid.

He becomes landlocked easily and due to lowish AC is torn apart in a meatgrinder quickly. There just isn't enough room to maneuver in a 10x10 room and a narrow hallway.

Anyone have suggestions or solutions?

He's located in a sub-optimal location for a reason. In fact, many of the early encounters in Burnt Offerings present foes in non-optimized battles. The goblins spend as much time attacking, for example, as they do fooling around or laughing at each other or doing weird antics. Likewise, Tsuto being in an area where he can't use lots of mobility makes him an easier fight.

This is by design. By making the first 3rd of the adventure or so easier, you give new characters more chances to survive and more chances to become involved. It's no fun to have a character die on the first battle of an Adventure Path, and 1st level characters are kinda fragile. My philosophy: 1st level is the point where a LOT of your character's personality and affectations appear, and if the first 3rd of an adventure gives less risk but more opportunities to build that personality and affectations, the better.

So take care in adjusting things to make the villains tougher. There are plenty of tough fights later in the adventure (with one coming up pretty soon with redacted). Don't be afraid to let the PCs encounter situations where the deck is stacked in their favor.

I've always felt the same way about Tsuto. I fudged a perception DC for him to hear the combat upstairs, but all the same its usually over in a round. My players felt kind of cheated as well when I had him waiting in the hallway, throw a cup of rice-wine in their faces and bolt. I'm hoping I dont end up killing them when Tsuto reappears, now...

I definately agree with James, though. But after so many pushover fights with the goblins my table are aching for a challenge.

Nice that the Paizo staff are willing to respond to posts, and so quickly, especially when it's about a product which is ten years old for them. Now if they would only STOP adding new classes and unnecessary additional complexity with every new supplement; IMAO there's already plenty of options and variety in the game and it's hard to keep up with what's already out there as it is. :)

By-the-by, how are you settling into your new house and town, Doc?

Eh, jury is still out on the move. I am here, my family just got here today, but my stuff still is NOT here (until Friday) so living in hotels with 3 other people and a dog until then...

It'll all be okay, I'm just ready to be back in routine again.

I agree with Aziza; it's great that the staff are interactive with the community in this manner. Great post by the way Doc.

Hey folks, just letting you know I'll be away and unable to post until Sunday evening. Feel free to bot my move to keep things moving.

Thanks for the heads-up and enjoy your weekend. I am quite jealous as I am only unpacking boxes forevermore.

A Note on Leveling

Your compatriots in Group B beat you to leveling by a few days (they are just now in the basement of the Glassworks, but killed all the goblins upstairs). I think I know how I want this to work.

Go ahead and discuss your changes here. I have relaxed my stance on non-core etc, to now just require it be in PRD (not 3rd party or source book stuff please) so I can track in Hero Lab. This means you can use ARG, APG, or any Ultimate books if you like.

You can choose to take mid-point HP (rounded down, ie 1d6 =3)or roll new HP, but re-roll any 1's, subtracting 1 from the new result, but you must choose in advance of rolling...make sense?

Once you think you've got your build, prompt me and I'll review and update my file on you.

Congrats again!

Glassworks Basement Post Combat Summary
Tunder 12/14 HP
Thorn 8/11 HP
Seldon all spells used, all channels used, starknife thrown
Mirela 7/10 HP
Barek 9/12 HP
Aziza no spells left, 2/7 elemental rays; dancing lights used.

Lots of little nicks and cuts but it's been a long exploration.

Ahem... I think I'm about to make myself unpopular here, but if I don't ask, and it turns out the answer would've been 'yes', I'll kick myself later.

Doc, what's your feeling on allowing folks to make minor changes to their builds after first level when they're progressing to second, and they've had a chance to discover things that they would've done differently if they could, in the light of their experience of playing the character?

"What? Oh nothing... no, no... the asbestos suit is just something I'm trying on for size today, nothing to worry about. Eh? Oh, the sandbag bunker I'm sitting in? Er... sound-insulation! Yeah, that's it... it's very noisy here, damned neighbours. And the fire extinguishers... um... I'm having a barbeque later. No, no... really... I'm not expecting to be flamed by the GM for asking for a small ret-con... whyever would you think that? Don't be silly..."

hmmm...not a huge fan, but give me a fer'instance and let's see. If it's a minor thing that's had little to no effect on gameplay I'd consider it, if it's a major part of who you are, I'd be less likely...

Proceed at your own risk.

I think that I should have taken the Wildblooded archetype and gone for Primal (air) instead of Elemental (air) for the +1 damage bonus on electricity damage. If I had done that from the start, I would then have replaced the Dodge feat with Elemental spell (electricity), which would have given me the Elemental (air) bloodline arcana ability anyway. But if you allow the switch to Primal (air) she'll keep Dodge now, and take Elemental spell (electricity) later.

Score! Assuming nobody minds if I take that bow, I should have a little more to do in combat, although with all the tight spaces in this adventure I suppose a sword wouldnt be a bad investment either. One more level til precise shot, and I get some BAB, spell slots, and a rank in diplomacy, knowledge (planes), knowledge (history) and appraise. Those spell slots are a big shock to my system after running with the diminished spellcasting for so long. Having more than one spell to prepare! My mind is boggled by the possibilities! I also get what is probably the dullest class feature known to man from my archetype.

Well-Read (Ex): At 2nd level, a cloistered cleric gains a +2 bonus on skill checks, caster level checks, and saving throws if such rolls pertain to mundane or magical glyphs, runes, scrolls, symbols, and other writings.

Aziza, what is it you're not satisfied with? I can probably offer some suggestions.

By the way Seldon, I thought of a good reason why Aziza might want to take a few levels of Bard (archivist), apart from giving her some extra spells not on the sorcerer spell-list and some new skills; Bards also get healing spells, so if Seldon goes down during a fight, Aziza can get him up and going again, so that the party doesn't suddenly find itself without it's main healer. Sure it means a delay in Aziza getting her higher level sorcerer spells, but I think it's a valid point. Thoughts?

It seems like a minor change as far as I can tell. It gets you to the same place anyway at least so far. Go ahead, and optimize away you little munchkin.

Please understand that the +1 on electricity based spells will NOT impact Magic Missle, which we've been acting like is an electricity based spell but is not per description. It's a force bolt instead.

Seldon - I updated by Hero Lab file along with you. What are you taking your favored class bonus in? I think you have one more skill point if you choose that?

1 Appraise
1 Diplomacy
1 Heal
1 Know Geog
1 Know History
1 Know Local
1 Know Planes
1 Know Religion
1 Perform (tales)

What am I missing?

It seems like a minor change as far as I can tell. It gets you to the same place anyway at least so far. Go ahead, and optimize away you little munchkin.

Please understand that the +1 on electricity based spells will NOT impact Magic Missle, which we've been acting like is an electricity based spell but is not per description. It's a force bolt instead.

Yup, I was aware that the change wouldn't affect magic missile; however it would make her Jolt cantrip more effective.

However I was just checking to see what other effects the change may have at higher levels, and the only difference I can see is that a ninth level she would get elemental summoning rather than elemental blast. I think I'd rather retain access to the latter ability, as I don't see Aziza taking any additional summoning spells... therefore, forget the whole thing!

There! I'm not a munchkin (much), I'm just indecisive (or am I?). Besides, I don't have green hair, orange skin, or sing songs in a high-pitched voice while doings weird things to candy... well, at least not often... oh, wait! I'm thinking of oompa-loompas...

Like it never even happened. So Bard or Sorceror?

Like it never even happened. So Bard or Sorceror?

I'm leaning heavily towards taking Bard (archivist) because it fits so well with her background and personality, despite the delay it will cause in getting access to higher level sorcerer spells. Given that sorcerers get access to higher level spells much more slowly compared with wizards anyway, my gut feeling is that in the long term taking a level or two of Bard will help the party more than her being able to cast magic missile or mage armor slightly more often now would.

You're right! I'm so used to playing characters with eight intellegence that I forgot that Seldon isn't a dummy. I'll take a rank in Perform (dance) as well. Seldon's picked up a thing or two from a certain Varisian.

As for Primal, thats exactly what I was going to suggest! The metamagic feat might be a little mean though (it costs a slot higher, and if you multiclass bard you wont be able to so much as use it until 5th level). I'd suggest just preparing electric and electrical flavoured spells (e.g. sonic spells as thunderclaps, hold person as a paralyzing jolt, haste as a jolt of energy up everybodies spines... I played with a lighting wizard for all of 3.5, one "Nikola Tesla", who fluffed every one of his spells this way (and periodically fried party members with his AoE, teamkilling bastard) and taking elemental focus instead. Spell Specialization could be really good (I tend to reccomend spell spec magic missile to new players so they can get a taste of blowing things up early), as could working toward augment summoning. Can you really not see Aziza cackling behind an army of 1d4+1 lightning elementals? Because hell, I can.

As for the bard multiclass, it's probably not what you want to hear, but I still dont think its worth it. Inspire Courage or the archivist ability wont be worth the action for long, you'll be making your sorcerer progression and worst of all (for a blaster) CL a hell of a lot weaker, and the cure light wounds spells an be emulated (and better than the bards piddly 2 spells/day) by 25gp scrolls of cure light wounds, which Aziza can use easily with her UMD score (and wands have even better bang for your buck).

I'm a big bard player, and I dont really think they're a strong choice for a dip. You usually shoot for 8 levels for move-action performances (which make them like, the best buffers in existance) and on it's own, as a flat +1, I dont feel like inspire or any of the archetype abilities are very strong. I think spreading your skill points around like Seldon's done is just as nice as having 6 skill points, and Aziza has pretty good int to begin with. That said, I think there's a few feats for using knowledge in combat. I'm gonna look for some now...

Edit: Hrm, Kirin style is a bit of a dud and the Eldritch Heritage line wouldn't net you anything either. I miss knowledge devotion!

Tunder is going taking the Crossbow combat style for his Ranger 2 with Rapid Reload as his bonus feat.
I'll have to wait until I get home to work on the skills, but I know I'll be upping my perception, and stealth.

Hit Points 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Another level in Fighter for Barek. He'll take the half hitpoints to give him (5+1)+1 favored class, for a total of 7.

Fighter gets him 1 BAB, 2 skill points (both into Acrobatics), and a free feat (Cleave). He also gains Bravery (+1 vs. fear) and Close Control (+1 to CMB and CMD vs. Bull Rush, Drag, and Reposition).

Why the skill points into Acrobatics? To setup for Dragon Style.

GM: Next level (Yeah, I'm already thinking about it), I'm thinking Barek will take a level of Monk (Master of Many Styles) to really kick his fighting into high gear. Would you allow him to use his 3rd level feat on Dragon Style, and then use his free MOMS feat for Dragon Ferocity?

Okay, Aziza will stick with straight-out sorceress for now; despite my wanting more skills, as the party's main (only) arcane spellcaster, I guess she needs to be able to lay down the 'BOOM!' at later levels if and when needed.

For HP she chooses to take the average and add her Con bonus.

I think Barek's done.

Tunder is going taking the Crossbow combat style for his Ranger 2 with Rapid Reload as his bonus feat.

I'll have to wait until I get home to work on the skills, but I know I'll be upping my perception, and stealth.

Hit Points 1d10+3

Continuation:

Okay, I'm back. Here is my level up outline.

HP Roll: 1d8 ⇒ 1

Rogue Talent: Combat Trick (Mobility)
BAB: +1
Reflex: +1
Favored Class: Skill Point

Skill Allocation (12 points): 8 Base + 2 Int +1 Human + 1 Favored
Acrobatics +1 (Rank 2)
Bluff +1 (Rank 2)
Diplomacy +1 (Rank 2)
Disable Device +1
Escape Artist +1
Intimidate +1
Linguistics (Goblinoid) +1
Perform (Dancing) +1 (Rank 2)
Perception +1 (Rank 2)
Sleight of Hand +1 (Rank 2)
Stealth +1 (Rank 2)
Appraise +1 (taking it back thanks to garbage rolling)

Ouch... guess I get to re-roll that 1.

HP Roll: 1d8 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3

Sweet. Should have just gone with the average. I guess I'll steal back a point from skills. Lame.

Since most other folks have posted where they spent their points, rather than just a new stat block, for Aziza this is what I did:

Thanks for the quick updates and for sharing your build changes so well; I didn't have to hunt for them. Still need to hear from Thorn on his but everyone else is good to go forward.

Barek - I'm okay with monk MOMS but are you sure you get a bonus feat at 3rd level if you don't take it in Fighter? Also, Dragon Ferocity needs 5 acrobatics levels prerequsite, and you won't have that until at least 5 total levels, right? Seems like a fun plan to watch though...

Mirela - has 22 skill points already. Poor Barek has 4 and may never get 22...

Barek - where do you see Close Control as an ability at 2nd level?

No way Barek will get to 22 skill points. :( But that's not his shtick.

Close Control is from the Brawler Archetype. I should have specified he was taking another level in Fighter (Brawler).

3rd level will be the regular feat that everyone gets. Using that feat, he would select Dragon Style. Then he would get a free feat from his level in MOMS, which he doesn't need the qualifications for. He would use that to select Dragon Ferocity.

It's a bit of ability gaming, which is why I'm asking.

Ah, I didn't have his archetype set up properly. Now I see it, ok.

There is also a little optimizing munchkin hiding in that street brawler somewhere, it appears.

I won't have problems with the build that way I don't think...

Ha. I've got to do something to keep up with Tunder's waraxe and Aziza tearing open the universe to poke at what's inside.

Give it a few more levels, we'll see what Barek's really made of.

Then he would get a free feat from his level in MOMS, which he doesn't need the qualifications for. He would use that to select Dragon Ferocity.

Ohhhh! I've always wondered why people went gaga over that archetype. Those style feat requirements are steep.

Will Barek be using weapons at all down the track? Or are we going to see him punch out a Rune Giant?

Not regularly. If he finds something that will do the job much better than his own fists, it's possible. In a few more levels though, that might be hard to find.

Punching out a Rune Giant is exactly what I'm going for.

That would be something to see, a Rune Giant being punched and knocked out by a human, Ha! LOL

Sorry folks been busy. I think this is the first time that a DM has had his players level up without sleeping first.

Shattering Strike (Ex): At 2nd level, a two-handed fighter gains a +1 bonus to CMB and CMD on sunder attempts and on damage rolls made against objects. These bonuses increase by +1 for every four levels beyond 2nd. This ability replaces bravery.

hit points 1d10 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 - 1 = 5 - Well ain't that a kick in the shortz, LOL
+1 to Fort save
Skill points into ranks, (favored class +1 skill point)
+1 Intimidate -1 to +3
+1 K (dungeoneering) +2 to +6
+1 K (engineering) +2 to +6
+1 Ride -1 to +3
+1 Survival +0 to +4

bonus feat: Cleave

Thorn, you don't have to subtract the one from HP, unless you rolled a 1 originally. i didn't see it, so boost yourself 1 more HP. Also, isn't your CMB +5 now?

If I start another campaign (I'm thinking about it, and retiring some of my characters instead) which would you prefer to see of the following choices:

1) Second Darkness
2) Reign of Winter
3) Shattered Star
4) The Dragon's Demand (new long module)
5) Crypt of the Everflame and subsequent
6) Temple of Elemental Evil
7) Other (specify)

I have my preferences, but want to see what the players think. If you can't take in a new game, help choose anyway.

In order of preference:
1. Reign of Winter
2. Second Darkness (Feels like it'll fit in tandem with RORL)
3. The Dragon's Demand
4. Second Darkness (A sequel to RORL, so I think we should let things play out first)

I'm in a stalled Crypt of the Everflame game and the TOEE doesn't hold much interest for me. Maybe a game of We Be Goblins?

Ah! Trying to tempt me again. Most likely I'll end up writing a character for whatever you cook up, and withhold it if I dont think its compelling enough.

I'd love to revive my Second Darkness character (unfortunately he's perhaps a little too similair to Seldon). I'm currently playing an Arcane Trickster so I'd probably hold off on that. Also I'm up for a module, as well. Short and self contained stuff is ultimately more fufilling in PbP, but Pathfinder Society's been a little too short for my tastes, and AP's just too long to see the end of. I'm definately up for trying something of a different pace.

ToEE would intrest me a lot, especially if you ran it in greyhawk. I've never had the endurance to play through the Troika CRPG, and I've never played a game in the Greyhawk setting. If you ran it there I'd love to play some kind of St. Cuthbert or Olidamarra worshipper, as those gods never had a place at our table and I'm a little sad I never got to play around with them.

Interest:
1.Dragons Demand or Crypt of the Everflame
2.ToEE
3.Second Darkness or Shattered Star

... and thanks again for the offer! Running PbP games takes a lot of dedication (especially more than one!) and I'm really enjoying this game so far. It's awesome to get the opportunity to play with people from outside my home town, and usually ones with a buttload more roleplay experience than I have. I'm really enjoying this game so far.

It's awesome to get the opportunity to play with people from outside my home town, and usually ones with a buttload more roleplay experience than I have. I'm really enjoying this game so far.

If I remember correctly, Twigs, you're in Sydney... therefore your 'hometown' has four million people in it. >:)

Unless you were born elsewhere. I'm in Hobart but was raised in Port Moresby and then in a 'podunk' little town just south of Taree, with a population of less than 800, most of whom I was related to.

As for preferences for another game, well I'm in Doc's CotCT game which just started, a Jade regent one, and a Reign of Winter game which stalled but looks set to get going again. But if he's asking; I'd kind of like to give Second Darkness or Shattered Star a try, as I've heard of them but not played either. Either that or a Skull and Shackles game... arrgh!

Obviously, in my post, #4 should have been Shattered Star, not Second Darkness.

Thanks DM, I will add the hp and increase my CMB.

Reign of Winter or Shattered Star seem interesting, APs that I don't have.

I would have fun with any of these. My ability to make sub-par characters knows no bounds. I think the most fun for me, though would be
Second Darkness
Crypt of the Everflame
Temple of Elemental Evil
Kingmaker (I don't suggest running it. I just would really like to finally get through that first book.)

You're not wrong! But I've been shying away from the game-store scene for years. So when I say hometown I mean this suburb, and the small circle of people I'm not embarrassed to pretend I'm a wizard in front of. But I suppose the city boy shouldn't complain! :P

For Second Darkness, I've seen a lot of people on the boards suggest trimming down the first two books (in Riddleport) and skipping to the elfy sections in the later books. Having meandered through the first book at a frustratingly slow pace, I'd love, love, LOVE to play one of the books with Drow in it.

Some pretty sweet choices there... I'd been down for the Shattered Star or Second Darkness personally.

I hope that I'm not allowing any out-of-game knowledge to affect what Aziza is saying at the moment. We still have to search the rest of the Glassworks in case there are any stray goblins still there. But my gut feeling is that the characters need to get out for now and decide what to do with Tsuto and the information in the journal. Nor does Aziza want to be chasing goblins in the dark now that she's run out of spells.

I don't see any OOC knowledge infiltrating. That speech seems grounded i what you know (or don't know) so far.

Tell me what you do (if anything) with the rest of the stuff you found from Tsuto's body/room:
Claimed
-potion of CLW - used on Ameiko, easy come easy go
- Composite shortbow with 19 arrows - Seldon
- masterwork theives tools - Mirela

Unassigned
- jade inlaid ring, magical but not aura or properties yet
- finely crafted flute
- silver earrings
- 6 pouches of gold dust
- 8 pouches of silver dust
- 10 pp
- any goblin junk?

Who is taking or working on any of the rest?