DM Harpwizard’s Heroes of Elsir Vale (Inactive)

Game Master GM Harpwizard

What are the chances that I shoot myself with a poison crossbow bolt?

I just want to tell you that I am having a wicked awesome time DMing you guys! You are all playing great! Your characters are all coming to life and the story is unfolding like a fantasy book that you can't put down. Congratulations all of you! I hope you are all having as much fun as I am! If I can do anything to improve the experience for you, please let me know!

Just keep truckin'! (I am also having a great time!)

I think you do a great job, just keep going!

Folks, Please be aware that some skills cannot be used if you are untrained in them. For example, Thordak has no training in Use Magic Device and would not be able to even attempt it. Similarly, if you have no training in Knowledge, nobility, or disable device you cannot even try. I will make exceptions if I think it fits in with your background in a particular situation. For a full list of skills that are untrained, please check your core rulebook. Under the column untrained it will say no. If you invest at least one rank in a skill it will no longer be untrained.

Forgive my habit of posting and doing lots of editing. I keep revising my wording until I get it the way I want it. Sometimes, however, this has gotten me in trouble with those who post frequently! :-)

I think my reasoning is to get certain sections done so people can read their portions while I keep working on the other characters.

That totally makes sense :-)

But beware of things like this:

DM: "You enter cave and realize you can't see anything without a light source."

Meanwhile the DM continues to work on the post.

Player: "I light one of my torches."

DM: "A loud BOOM and you're dead."

Player: "Huh?"

DM I edited my former post and added: "The whole cave smells like gas"

:-)

OOPS! Haha...

I wasn't sure about taking two spells that are very bard-like yet normally worse than mage armor or magic missile, I'm surprised that I found use for both during the first day :-)

I would never have chosen those spells myself, but after I saw you put them to use I thought,"Wow why didn't I think of that?!" It has made me question my own choice of spells for Kyren. I presumed you simply had great insight and experience! :-)

On using skills untrained: there are skills you can use untrained. Use Magic Device IS one of them, but the DCs are so high on most things that you're really putting your life on the line to try. Disable Device, Sleight of Hand, and Knowledge checks are all "can't be used untrained." However, DMHW, if you want to house-rule any skills that can't be used untrained that the rules say you can, let us know.

on the fun: heh. Heh heh. I think this is awesome. I wish we could all post more. Sometimes it's so much fun that it's frustrating--the frequency with which I can check the thread is a lot more than I expected, so I'm looking for updates multiple times a day.

On Florence's spells: So far I'm *very* impressed with your use of little-known and little-used spells. Nicely done!!

On posting next week: I'm on vacation out-of-town. I'll bring a laptop. This either means posting will be quite spotty, or will be just as frequent as is typical for me. I really don't know--but I can guarantee that I'll check at least once a day, and that will most likely be at night, after 9 PM (eastern time).

UMD is a trained only skill in Pathfinder, just like D&D.

But yeah, I remember someone failing a UMD roll badly and something blowing up in their face and changing the color of their hair.

We had soda coming out of our noses from laughing. :)

I feel like Bofus, somketimes I'm eager to post the whole time-especially since I'm sitting at the desk, preparing lessons, during the whole Easter holidays...

I have been on holiday this whole week, having a great leisurely time writing posts and scheming my next moves. But I am dreading the thought of trying to keep this pace up next week when school will be back in full swing with lesson planning, parent teacher conferences and a day long field trip on Wednesday. Well, I figure I will simply do the best that I can!

Oh I so much hate field trips...it's like keeping a bag of fleas together^^

Actually this one will be good. I am taking a group of 5 students (including Thordak) on a retreat to a nearby college campus to spend the day doing Calculus problems in preparation for the upcoming AP Caclulus Exam. I will enjoy the day away from my other classes. The only draw back is that, I'm not sure I will get an internet connection. :-(

Since you are a herder of college students and I of pupils I can see why our valuations differ :-)

Actually I am herding High School Students. We are just retreating to a college where it is quieter than our little school.

5 pupils? My classes normally consist of 30^^ *big time envy*

We have about 70 students in our high school. Some parts are great! The draw back is that I am the entire math department and I teach every math class. Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Precalculus and Calculus.

I am sincerely glad to have all of you rule experts around. Feel free to double check any of my work, because when I am pressed for time I will not be looking things up as much as making quick judgements to keep the story going. It sounds like the saving throw bonuses for Mantooth's upcoming dramatic save do stack.

no, they don't :-(both are morale and same types don't stack. Dang!

I also enjoy the rules knowledge of the people I play with, helps alot to learn the rules, far better than reading on your own.

@Bofus and Florence. Thank you for clarifying! I am glad to know the actual rule. However, I think Mantooth is going to need all of the help he can get. As the DMs perogative power, for this moment, I am going to give him the +2 bonus on his check. But thank you both! :-)

BTW: The notation ^^ certainly seems very positive. What does it actually mean?

^^ stands for positively arched eyebrows *_+ (that's for winking)

Happy Easter everyone! I have just updated the experience points and added a few new faces to the gallery.

I am slowly moving the plot forward, but feel free to Retcon (retroactively role play) any parts or conversations that would have happened among yourselves, even if it appears that moment has passed.

Oh yeah happy easter everyone!

What did I notice about the grid near the arch? Was it just like the one Cebre had but with sixteen spaces?

Thordak did not see any tablet in front of the white arch. Simply lots of snow. However, you remember Cebrë had a tablet in front of her green arch in the tetrahedron shaped chamber.

I suspect today is going to be a light day of posting for me. I will be leaving shortly on a field trip and won't be back until tonight. You are very close with the puzzle, but you have made a small error. You have met two of the three conditions. There is one factor you have not considered yet.

Are you all in need of a small hint?

That's not my bag at all. Why not a problem based on differential equations, double integrals, or something?

I should have known you broke it down into 3X3 squares, since the 6X6 puzzle had no definite solution. That and being too busy to give it adequate thought...having the dwarf solve the puzzle was sort of insulting LOL.

Anyway, hope all the local folks are above water today!

Folks, there are a number of you that are not posting much right now. I know a few of you are in the middle of exams right now, and I can be very understanding of that, but if you have a minute, just let me know what's up. If you feel like there is nothing to post about, simply keep it very short and post what your character is thinking. If you are ready for me to move the plot along, just let me know. I hope you are still enjoying our little game. :-)

Sorry I couldn't post this morning. I was out late last night Scottish dancing and my wife got me outside on a birdwatch early this morning, and then when I came home I had to run out and play a harp gig for the inauguration of Goddard College's new president. I am glad to be home now! I hope you are all having a great weekend!

Sorry I couldn't post this morning. I was out late last night Scottish dancing and my wife got me outside on a birdwatch early this morning, and then when I came home I had to run out and play a harp gig for the inauguration of Goddard College's new president. I am glad to be home now! I hope you are all having a great weekend!

so far so good.

Please extend a Happy MOther's Day to your lovely wife from my family!!

Sorry for my rather short posts at the moment, but there's not much Florence can do...and she doesn't thinks it's clever to do something on her own as long as Bofus is in the Gauntlet.

Please extend a Happy Mother's Day to your lovely wife from my family!!

Thank you. I sure will, and likewise, send my best to C and the kids. We are actually getting dressed up and taking L out to a lovely tea this afternoon. It sounds so prim and proper that it makes me laugh, but I think she will love it.

Sorry for my rather short posts at the moment, but there's not much Florence can do...and she doesn't thinks it's clever to do something on her own as long as Bofus is in the Gauntlet.

No worries at all, Florence. Sometimes in the story that can't be helped. However, I appreciate every post you make, regardless of its length. Thanks! :-)

Welcome back to NO WATER!

:(

Starting yesterday afternoon we are going twenty four hours with no water in our neighborhood due to some construction work. This morning I had to wash my hair in the sink with water from pots heated up on the stove. I will be glad to have the water back tonight!

I think running water is one of those things that folks really take for granted. We just don't realize how important it is to feel like a "civilized human" without it. I've had the misfortune of having to deal with similar issues years ago, and I still remember it--so I have an appreciation for your hardship. Blarg.

@Bofus

"Impressive. Most impressive. Obi-Wan has taught you well. You have controlled your fear."

@Bofus

.
"Impressive. Most impressive. Obi-Wan has taught you well. You have controlled your fear."

heh. It helps to not actually BE in the situation, adn to have plenty of time to sit and reflect. :-) But thanks, I'm proud of how I handled myself.

You have just completed about 24 hours of game time! Congratulations! That was a pretty exciting day!!

Experience Updated. Level Up for Bofus, Cebrë, Mantooth, Matthias, and Thordak!!!!

Please roll hit points and update your character sheets and let me know what skills you have invested ranks in.

Hooray, Hooray! Certainly a VERY exciting day!

Thordak's Hit Points Lvl. 2: 1d10 ⇒ 10

Skill Ranks: 6 +1 Int +1 Level 2= 8

• Disable Device
  
• Handle Animal
  
• Knowledge, Engineering
  
• Knowledge, Nature
  
• Knowledge, Geography
  
• Perform
  
• Profession, Hunter
  
• Sense Motive
  

For moi bonus ranger feats: do I need to worry about prerequisites? DMHW, please also help me figure out what to do about my shield and bashing I might do with it! Also, are we now level 1 or 2?

Mantooth's Hit Points Lvl. 2 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

- Knowledge Nobility
-Perception
- Handle Animal

I'll take the extra hit point rather than the extra skill. Is there any real benefit to adding a rank to a skill I already have a rank in?

I'll take the extra hit point rather than the extra skill. Is there any real benefit to adding a rank to a skill I already have a rank in?

Every rank you invest in will add +1 bonus on your skill die roll, so in time it certainly will have an impact. However the first rank added to a class skill will also give you +3 class skill bonus, so strategically it is usually wise to fill out all of your class skills first.

Huzzah!

Hit points:1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 + 1 = 7(CON + Fav Class)

As you know, there are several things on my character sheet that aren't complete so I'd like to get those fixed... email?