[Outpost VI] GM Chadius: 2-00 The King in Thorns (Inactive)

Game Master chadius

(I'm awake between 8 am to 10 pm EDT (UTC-4 hours) so roughly 1300 to 0300 hours, GMT.)

Howdy. If you're a member of one of my games, then here are a few rules I'd like you to follow:

PFS 2E rules

1. Please post at least once a day. If you are absent for 24 hours I'll send you a PM. If you're missing for 36 hours I'll mark you inactive and your Player Character will simply delay - that's not fun!

2. Under your name, please add a stat block, so I can quickly find your stats and keep the game moving. You can edit your character's Race, Class/Levels and Gender fields to include information such as:

- Hit Points
- AC
- Saving Throws
- Perception Bonus

3. What about Secret Rolls? Pathfinder 2nd ed has a lot of secret rolls the GM is supposed to make for the players, so the PCs can't react to a bad roll. Any skill with the Secret tag should be rolled privately. If I show the DC, feel free to make the roll openly. Otherwise, there are 2 ways to do this in my games:

- You can say which skill and which bonus you want to apply. (Example: "I use Occultism +5 to investigate the skull's mystic origin.")
- Or you spoiler your dice roll and everyone sticks to the honor system of not opening it.

If you haven't added Pathfinder specific equipment, I suggest you look at the >PFS 2 Society Rules<, in particular the Pathfinder Training section.

Once you have your character selected, please go to RPG Chronicles and post your character's details there >Sign Up Page<

Hey Chadius! Pleasure to finally get to play at one of your tables. I think the only time we've played together was when Akazim and Cirri did the Haunting of Hinojai with Lady Ladile.

Re: #1 above, I want to let you know I've got a 2-day simulator training and evaluation event on March 14 & 15. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to post those two days depending on how things go in the sim. I'll remind you again just before, but wanted to set it out there up front.

I'm bringing Cal to this one, level 6 Scoundrel Rogue, and I'll post an intro shortly.

He has Trap Finder, so he gets an automatic check to find them even if not Searching and gets a +1 to said Perception check.

FWIW, I've neither played nor GMed this.

Good to see you, Cal! Hello Harsk!

Your icons are on the slides in a suggested marching order. Feel free to rearrange them as needed.

We're not starting for a bit, so get comfy.

We just need Zizark's info, once he completes his game. Thank you for adding your icon to the slides (especially you Bakbat!)

FWIW, Cal's a very charming and friendly guy. Outside of combat. In combat, he's an Intimidation build, and benefits from opponents being Frightened regardless of who imposes the condition on them.

Intimidation +15 (including Demon Mask)

Dread Striker: You capitalize on your enemies’ fear to slip past their defenses. Any creature that has the Frightened condition is also Flat-Footed against your attacks.

Intimidating Glare We all know this one

Bon Mot: Reduces Will DC for a minute on a success, which makes it easier to Intimidate, and to keep them that way (see below).

Terrifying Resistance: The spells of those you have Demoralized are less effective on you. If you succeed in Demoralizing a creature, for the next 24 hours you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws against that creature's spells.

And the pièce de résistance,  Dread Armor! "Eerie symbols cover your armor, inspiring terror in your foes. Frightened enemies within 30 feet that can see you must attempt a DC 20 Will save at the end of their turn; on a failure, the value of their frightened condition doesn't decrease below 1 that turn." (Yes, I bought the Frequent Shopper boon to get him access to that.)

He keeps his armor hidden using the gnome feat Project Persona so that his creepy armor doesn't creep out the ladies, and he keeps the Demon Mask up on the brim of his hat for the same reason. But going into combat or on a dungeon crawl, he'll drop the illusion and put on the mask. And he's hoping that BakBat and Itka might join him in putting some Fear into their foes.

Itka's got good ol' Evil Eye, so feel free to call out which foes you want her to hex.

She also has a [url=https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx?ID=216]Grim Trophy, which she'll let Cal use if he likes.

Anyone like an enlarge?

Intimidation is the Charisma skill Kaz isn't trained in, though he does also have fear. Oh hey, I'm missing a spell known. Guess I didn't quite finish leveling up to 4.

Not for Itka, though that is a fun one for a melee character.

Cal would definitely pass on enlarge. Not good for him.

But he might have found a new best friend if Itka loans him the grim trophies. Do you have a description of what your Trophies look like? Tiny shrunken heads of small-sized opponents? Eyeballs that one might mistake for a bunch of grapes?

And how did you get it? It's an Item Level 7.

Shoot. Now that you mention it... Checks paperwork... I totally missed that it's a level 7 item. It was on a Chronicle Sheet, and I must've glazed over that part. Soooo....nevermind. Good thing I forgot to have her use it.

Sorry to get your hopes up, Cal. It's definitely on her wish list for next level, though.

Doesn't that work if it's on one of her Chronicles? It's only one over her level. Aren't Chronicle items available at level +2?

OOO! You're right!

Under Purchasing Guidelines: "Any equipment listed on your character’s Chronicles with an item level less than or equal to your character’s level + 2. Weapons and Armor found on Chronicles can be upgraded following the normal rules for upgrading. You have access to any item listed on a chronicle."

So yeah, Cal gets to borrow Itka's Grim Tropy. It's a severed hand with blackened, frostbitten fingers.

We're starting in less than a week.

Zizarc, please add your information to the RPG chronicles page and your icon to the slides slides

We will get started in about 2.5 days. Feel free to prepare your equipment.

This scenario uses Aid Tokens. There are 4 types, and you start with one of each. They are listed on the slides, on >page 5<. You can use tokens you received from other tables.

This may be a good time to boost and pass aid tokens around.

Itka will gladly boost the "Provide Knowledge" Aid Token. Her Occultism modifier is +14. Should I do that over in Gameplay, or is the Discussion tab fine?

Either tab is fine. Looks like Cal is already on the move.

I plan to do a combat one at some point since Cal's +15. But I couldn't come up with a way to RP him Boosting it at this point.

Oops. The DC is 22, not 20. I was using the Subtier 3-4 information there. I'll let it stay boosted since I wrote the wrong DC, but from now on the magic number is 22.

- A. Calisro Benarry looks through a spyglass. “Fey. Lots of them. They’ve got to be coming through some kind of portal from the First World. I’ll take care of that lot while you look for the source. Watch for more coming through!”

- B. Khoumrock Blackthane sits on a rock, looking thoughtfully into the trees. “I could swear that I just heard a talking lizard. Can you go and check it out?”

- C. Calisro Benarry offers a flask from her coat pocket. “How you holding up, Pathfinders? Anyone need a little nip?” She takes a swig. “There are some real green agents on this mission. I don’t think they even know which end of a spyglass to look through. I just saw a group head that way looking like lost puppies. Can you make sure they’re not getting themselves into trouble?”

- D. Khoumrock Blackthane stands covered from head to toe in leaves and bits of vine. “It appears that the Thorned Monarch has got the plants on their side. I just took out several, but watch out for more. They’re easy to miss until they’re trying to bite your head off. And bite they do! Watch your step!”

- E. Calisro Benarry angrily corrects a map with red ink. “That blasted fey! They’ve added hazards to our planned route. We’ll need to chart a new course, but be careful; Qxal has left us a lot of surprises.”

- F. Khoumrock Blackthane puts a finger to his lips and then speaks quietly. “There’s things here that aren’t what they seem. Some of those fey are real tricky...looking like things they aren’t. Don’t trust your eyes.”

Part 1 involves 6 encounters you can complete in any order. So we don't lose time waiting for a decision, could you select the first 3 encounters you'd like to do? I'll use the majority first, and randomly select from the ties.

C
D
A

F
B
A

Itka will choose the moderate antidote and a cold iron sling bullet to use with her Telekinetic Projectile.

C
A
E

Anti-plague which he will drink now since it's good for 24 hours.

Cold iron crossbow bolt, which he'll give to Harsk. Cal's ranged weapon is a returning throwing knife, so ammo doesn't do him any good.

Antidote and cold iron sling bullet. Kaz has never used his sling before, but maybe this is the moment.

Provide Knowledge Aid Token Boost (Occultism) DC 22: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32

Nice!

We have an aid token from another table.

AID TOKEN: Provide Knowledge
Passing From: mkb152jr
Passing to: Chadius
Aid Character's Name: Via-nill Zarth
Boosted? Nope
Effect (includes boost if avail.): Gain the benefits of an automatic success on a check to Recall Knowledge.

Before we decide on keeping or boosting and passing on this new Aid Token, do we have any gaps in our Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion modifiers?

Itka's got:
Arcana +4 U
Nature +2 U
Occultism +14 E
Religion +10 T

Kaz (and Zak, since eidolons have the sand skills as the summoner) are trained in Nature and Occultism, as well as Fortune-Telling Lore, though they're not especially strong in them.

Cal has none of the Big 4 knowledges.

AID TOKEN: Burst of Healing
Passing From: AshenShade
Passing to: Chadius
Aid Character's Name: Mauricius Valery
Boosted? Boosted
Effect (includes boost if avail.): A fellow Pathfinder heals all the PCs by 3d8

We have an aid token!

Will they use full Dying rules? If we accidental do them with lethal damage can I cast stabilize, or should we avoid offensive spells that don't have a nonlethal option due to instant death?

I'll say that they will follow Dying rules, in this case.

"You have the situational awareness of a week-old banana!"

Excellent.

It's time to give out 2 hero points. Please nominate 2 PCs.

You can post openly, wrap it in a spoiler, or PM me with your picks. I'll pick the lucky winners this weekend.

This is an encounter that can end in 1 round of skill checks. Or you can rescue them from their river ride. OR you can knock them unconscious in battle.

As much as beating them up doesn't feel like the best solution, I'm not sure it's actually worse then letting them fall in so we can rescue them (also, that's what we were trying to do anyway).

Solid silver.

In addition to the Hero Points and your Aid Tokens, the House has gained some additional benefits. You can consume these during the 10 minute downtime, or before any encounter. Due to the nature of PbP you can ask that I apply the buff once I actually post the encounter.

At the beginning of one combat encounter, the PCs can reduce their Challenge Points by 4 for the purposes of scaling the encounter.

With the befuddled Pathfinders protected, they can assist with medical needs. At the end of one encounter, a helpful cleric casts a three-action heal, recovering 3d8 Hit Points in Levels 5–6.

I have added these to the slides next to the Aid Tokens.

At the start of one round of combat, a group of animals rushes into battle to assist. For that round, any PC making a melee Strike can treat their target as flanked.

The PCs can use their experience cutting through plants easily. For 1 round, the PCs can ignore difficult terrain.

Two more conditions completed means two more benefits you can take advantage of. If you want to use any of these or the Mushroom Ring/Pathfinders Rescued benefits, use them now.

It doesn't look like we need the healing right now. I don't care much about reducing our challenge points either way, so I'll go with the group on that one. The knowledge one wasn't boosted when we received it. Can we boost it and pass it on, or is it a "use it or lose it" situation?

Using and passing the Aid Token are separate actions. So you can just use it. Upon using it, you can choose to pass it along or try to boost it first.

Part 1 is about to complete, so I'm going to end that encounter before we start. Take this opportunity to refill your spells, purchase consumables and prepare for part 2.

The PCs don’t have to worry about finding the path and can be on the lookout for danger. At the start of one encounter, the PCs each gain a +2 circumstance bonus to their initiative rolls.

The PCs are good at avoiding being caught by surprise. For one round of combat, the PCs can’t be made flat-footed.

We have 2 more abilities that can be used during Part 2.

Clearly I am being unnecessarily stingy with spell slots.

Is Zizarc really a level 3?

Shouldn't he be getting a Level bump if so? And the benefits of any mentor boons? Cal has Rugged Mentor for saves if so.

Kaz is a Skilful Mentor.

Itka is a Combat Mentor.

He then makes a quip that causes the archer to giggle, but the cat completely ignores it. Maybe it doesn't understand what he's saying.

Dang it, I meant to put that in Sylvan since we established that the cat understood it and Cal speaks it.

Ah, good point. In that case the Bon Mot applies and the cat will suffer a -2 penalty to Perception and Will saves. Please remind me if I forget.

We have two aid tokens that heal us for 3d8. I vote we use one now and save the other for the final boss battle. Thoughts?

That works, too.