DM Jelani's Carrion Crown

Game Master Brian Minhinnick

I'm considering swapping Iron Will for Skill Focus (Perception). Iron Will shores up a weakness, Skill Focus enchances a strength and, I think, better plays up the further quickening of Dantrian's bestial side.

Thoughts? Alternative suggestions perhaps?

Both are excellent character driven feats.

Iron Will: Mr Almaeus has been fighting the Beast *so long* that he is inured to much of the harshness of the world...

SF (Perc): the beast begins to take subtle control of the academic...

:) Both will be helpful in the adventure, and both suit the personality you have presented.

I just checked your sheet and I don't think you have power attack listed.

I would 100% take this. When hulking out you benefit more from this than a full base attack fighter because your attacks are natural and don't suffer from the iterative penalty. Because each is primary they all get a bonus of +2 to damage which soon adds up when you throw sneak attack in the mix. I had this combo with my vivisectionist and when buffed with bulls strength, mutagen and enlarge person, plus flanking I was putting out some serious hurt.

If you have power attack already or are more interested in going a different direction, ignore the above lol

I actually have Power Attack ear-marked for 7th level. I generally value Power Attack at a premium for 2-handed melee types and a little less favorably for one-handed types.

While the Strength mutagen helps shore up a lower BAB and lack of Weapon Focus, the Power Attack penalty still makes me a bit leary at our current level. However, I think Master Chymist's full BAB progression will make actually using Power Attack a lot less risky AAAAAND it'll synergize oh-so-well with Brutality. MMMmmmm. Brutality.

So yeah, you're 100% correct with everything you said, but I think waiting 2 more levels is ok =)

Level 5 Changes:
Spell:
-- Blur

HP:
-- +6 (5, +1 CON)

Skills (9)
Perform: Sing
Perform: Act
Use Magic Device
Knowledge (Geography)
Knowledge (Planes)
Intimidate
Escape Artist
Diplomacy
Perception

Feat:
-- Weapon Focus (Whip)

* * *

I was debating Cat's Grace, Mirror Image and Blur. Cat's helps Anton, B'yelka and Drosil quite a bit. Both AC and Accuracy, plus it has a decent duration... Mirror Image is great, but it only ever affects B'yelka. And Blur is steady damage prevention that can be cast on any of our melees. **Would the benefit of 20% Miss outweigh two points of AC for pretty much any party member? Especially *right* now. However, we are all pretty 'light' for armor and such, so DEX will not normally see the Max Dex attribute of heavier armor.

For feats I was debating SF UMD or WF Whip (leading to Dazzling and Whip Master as discussed before)

Comments, suggestions?

Hehe - I was looking at blur for Dantrian's extract too! =P

I think your level-up looks great! The nice thing about blur is in addition to the miss chance it also prevents sneak attack, since the subject gets concealment. I think it's a very solid choice!

Level 5

+8 hp
+3 skill points. 1 in diplomacy, 1 in sense motive, 1 in perception.
Feat has to be deadly aim.
Divine Bond = weapon

Level 5

HP: +6+2 = +8
Skills: Knowledge (nature), Perception, Spellcraft, Survival, Intimidate, Stealth, Handle Animal
Feat: Furious Focus - Ignore Power attack penalty on the first attack when wielding a weapon in two-hands.

Class Abilities:
New Favored Enemy: Humans
Increase Favored enemy bonus vs. Undead to +4
New Spell: Residual Tracking (I don't know if I get this immediately or not)

If B'yelka's going to be getting the Dazzling Display Feat at level 7, then Drosil should try to get to Shattered Defenses by then, because that's an awesome combination.

I could do it, too - get Weapon Focus (Dagger) now (instead of waiting for next level to get it as a rogue talent), get Dazzling Display next level (as my rogue talent), then get Shattered Defenses at level 7.

Thoughts?

I think that's a great idea, Drosil.

You guys won't get your new times per day abilities and spells until you rest next, but you get everything else now.

I agree Drosil, good idea.

Level 5:

+6 HP

Skill Points: 7
+1 Spellcraft
+1 Perception
+5 Fly

Feat: Extra Hex (Flight)

Gain 2 Level 3 Spells, cast 2/day
Dispel Magic
Bestow Curse

I think it might be wise for us to purchase a few scrolls of Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, and Remove Disease. I really don't need to prepare them on a daily basis, but we'll really want them when we need them, know what I mean?

An aside: I want to cast Pup Shape on my cat because I didn't get to see him as a kitten more than once (he had a different owner in my neighborhood before he came to live with us). Also, just a thought, if Tibideau cast Pup Shape on Bonbon, who is already ridiculously cute and tiny, it would probably break space-time or something because of the intense concentration of cuteness.

Drosil, do you have to wait 'til 8th for Shattered Defenses? BAB requirement is +6 :/

Dan, B'yelka still has three full Haunt Siphons (Pos Energy bombs) if you want them. It was hard work timing the *pops* on those to get them filled for you! lol

And!!! Congrats to everyone on 3k Posts! :D

Wow 3k, nice! Congrats everyone!

Hmm, I was thinking we would need to do more investigation to see who was behind the incident at the village, but I suppose this is at least some evidence that the Beast didn't do the crime. In theory if someone is framing the Beast, then these clues might link to ones we find other places, I suppose.

Ah, yeah - I guess that's right. So, new plan: I'll get a regular feat now, get WF(Dagger) next level, Dazzling Display at 7, and Shattered Defenses at 8.

Now, what to get?

Mobility (for avoiding getting hit when the Acrobatics dice hate me)
Defensive Combat Training (for helping avoid maneuvers)
Disorienting Maneuver (for a +2 attack bonus when I tumble through an enemy square - target DC is CMB+5)

...other suggestions?

... I just found this...

Ostentatious Display

Me wants... and as an untyped bonus can I put gear into multiple slots to ramp up the total? for example, wear a tiara, bracers and ring to get +3 to Perform? heh... wowza!

"Bonuses from wearing items in multiple slots that affect the same skill do not stack."

heh... reading is fundamental ;)

Looking for ways to add bonuses to our Diplos... What about costuming? For example, Janos is the 'huntsman' and should be presented as such. Of course for the most part he is, but does he fit the Ustalavan ideal of "Woodsman"? Can B'yelka put together something for him to 'show' his expertise? Like a doctor wearing a white lab-coat shows that he is a medical expert?

For Tibideau it'd be Ustalavic finery; make him seem like someone that truly belongs in a courtroom...

Dantrian, well, Academic's Robes to match his acerbic wit... ;)

Okay, while I have a second let me explain the trial a little better.

You've got four pieces of evidence.

Dantrian is sporting a solid +0 to diplomacy. Can related areas of expertise be swapped in for diplomacy checks? For instance, a Craft (alchemy) or Knowledge (arcana) check for the evidence pertaining to the extract or a heal check pertaining to the wounds? Though, with the various pieces of evidence providing circumstance bonuses in and of themselves, I can see that not being necessary. In my defense though, I'm all about insulating ourselves from the tempermental dicebot if at all possible =)

As for B'yelka's suggestion regarding costuming - Dantrian will not be dressed up like some life-sized doll! =P

Same here, +0 Diplomacy. Janos' forte isn't people. If we are allowed to use some of our expertise, it would make some sense for Dantrian to present the darkvision extract evidence. Janos perhaps the blood caiman evidence based on his knowledge of swamp animals.

Drosil's got a +2, so I guess he's up for the +5 evidence?

I'm assuming B'yelka and myself can't present multiple pieces of evidence? I know that would marginalise other players from the trial element but logically wouldn't a single defence lawyer be presenting the case for the defence, just as there is a lead prosecutor?

I think we're acting more as expert witnesses. Or perhaps private investigators is more like it. In any case, I think we're presenting the evidence and testifying as to what it means, rather than acting as the defense attorney. This also may not have complete analogues to our justice system today.

Fair enough, I can accept that.

I suppose nobody's going to let me talk, so I'll just sit there and look pretty.

Dantrian, I was really hoping for a makeover montage starring you.

No, the adventure specifically says one person per piece of evidence. If one PC could do it all it would be way too easy and completely pointless.

And what are your thoughts regarding using skills relevant to the individual pieces of evidence in place of diplomacy checks?

No.

Proposed evidence presenters - I'm happy to let Tibi or Janos give it a go if either of them would prefer.

B'yelka: Six of the graves in Morast’s boneyard have been robbed (+0)
Drosil: The Beast can see in the dark, so it does not require an extract of darkvision (+5)
Tibideau, Janos, or Dantrian: Although the Beast was clearly seen to be bitten by a blood caiman, it has no scars from such an attack (+10)
Anton: Displaying the removed face of the poacher Nan Klebem (+0)

It doesn't seem to make a difference mechanics-wise as to who presents the Blood Caiman evidence since we all have the same scores. RP-wise, I could see Janos doing it from a swamp animal perspective ("Blood Caimans have a vicious bite which shreds flesh, and anyone surviving would have nasty gashes.") or Dantrian from a medical perspective ("Injury from an animal such as that would require extensive healing, probably leaving massive scarring without the knowledge of an expert healer.")

Actually, Dantrian has a high Kn, Nature skill plus he uses that as his Heal skill, making him perfect for this. Again, this is all RP-wise, but I nominate Dantrian! Especially to see how that cold logical mind deals with such a likely, chaotic proceeding.

I have to say, I'm just chomping at the bit to type the scene of Tibideau presenting the evidence. But Dantrian is definitely more qualified.

I'm not actually sure why the face is evidence. Are we saying that the creature wore a mask and the face clearly wouldn't fit on the Beast?

Anton, yes.

Sort of...the evidence is that whatever killed the poacher to wear her face as a mask also dug up several bodies and had surgical tools at the boneyard (and apparently had alchemist levels as per the extract). That thing is what got attacked by the blood caiman, not the Beast. The beast would never be able to pass as a human, with or without a human face skin mask.

It only makes sense as evidence in the context of the other three pieces being presented.

Interesting. When I first heard of the face, I thought it would be evidence for convicting the Beast, since only such a creature as the Beast would need to hide behind a human face. If this was someone else (presumably a human or other such humanoid), they probably wouldn't need such a gruesome disguise. Who needs a human face? Something like a construct.

A nine foot tall breastless woman with body parts made of various dead critters stiched together and face skin mask on would pass for human? (0_o)

As soon a literal face-mask showed up my brain immediately shifted to "Crap, this is a serial killer!"

Given the fact we can investigate the surgical tools, let's run that lead down first if we have the time. It might lead to a 5th piece of evidence one of us could present.

A nine foot tall breastless woman with body parts made of various dead critters stiched together and face skin mask on would pass for human? (0_o)

We've all hooked up with chicks whilst drunk and regretted it the next morning :/

Lol.

ten o'clock twos!!!! Anton, yer a paladin fer Desna's sake! lol

By the way, I loved the 'argument' even the typo leading to Dantrian's correction of B'yelka's speech! :D She still knows you guys are wrong though ;)

Hey guys, I just wanted to drop this link here in case any of you guys are interested. Another pbp I'm in had a player vanish on us after a little more than a year of playing. We're looking for a replacement and if any of you would care to check it out, swing by the recruitment thread over here.

It's one of the slower pbp's I'm in, with posts from each of the players maybe twice a week. We're level 3 and about to head back to Thistletop to take down Nualia in the first chapter of Rise of the Runelords.

I'd love to play in another game with any one of you guys, so if you're interested and care to submit a character, you'll have my happy endorsement =)

---

And yeah, B'yelka, I loved the disagreement too. It felt tense without being overly antagonistic... basically it just seemed to strike the perfect balance in my mind and helps make for a really, really enjoyable group dynamic =)

I would apply, but I don't want to start RoTRL in the middle as it's not something I've had the chance to play yet.

That's understandable, Jelani. The inciting incident is a pretty darn fun one too, so I don't blame you for not wanting to skip over it. =)

Already in a RotRL with a vapid Sorc :p

I'm already in a RotRL game too, playing a bare-knuckle brawler (not, the new class).

And, Jelani, that's a creepy new avatar.

Am I the only one who's not in an RotRL game?

Dantrian, would a spacey gnome Oracle of the Heavens fit into the party well?

Well I am in a RoTR tabletop game that's actually just entered book 5 but I won't let slip any spoilers

Out of interest, how many other games are you guys involved in? I'm considering running another one but don't want to overload myself to the point where my quantity/quality of posts here suffers.