Err, Sirocco is a 6th level spell. Do you really need to me explain why I can't cast it yet? Talk to me again in 6 levels.
I think there are some changes/limits for summoning here in Dark Sun. Not sure if we connect to to all the planes so archons and demons may be off limits. I would bet so. Would be nice if there were replacements for them though.
Indeed, my summoning choices are slightly more limited due to the setting. Look under the campaign tab for specifics. I assume at every odd level he will add the next level of creatures for me to play with.
Grit can summon as well, if you want to coordinate summonings. Might be a good idea.
Seems like we might need tank type creatures more than anything. Something that can occupy the enemy and take a hit or two.
Aurochs has the most health, so I'll go with that.
If you summon two aurochs then we can use their stampede ability >:)
Hmm. Officially Grit can use all his spells for Summon Nature's Ally as he can spontaneously cast those spells. But there are other more fun third level druid spells…
Do I use the Summon Monster table in the Campaign Info tab? Or can I summon any Nature's Ally I choose?
We also have the Shadow Skull that could be used as a force multiplier. It only lasts 4 rounds, which likely means 3 rounds of combat, but that will help. We could maybe even use it to get the fight started. Send the shadow into a building to stir things up?
I have no idea what this "Shadow Skull" is.
Its the Shadow Urn item listed in Items on the campaign tab. Grit is carrying it.
You mean one of these? Wow, where did you guys pick that up from?
I guess it is similar. You have to go read the specific item power.
Raun only has lowlight by the way, so full darkness is going to blind her too.
Also: I spy another river :p hehehe. can we get a compass rose on that thing, or is up North as usual? making the building middle right with the dome be the well?
Ah, I vote heavily against covering the area in darkness since Raun won't be able to see, don't want the barbarian to be worried about miss chance.
Grit has darkvision. Darkness might be a good way to divide up and control the battlefield still. And I bet that shadow would like it… >:)
What is the radius of the spell? We could just send Raun to wherever the spell doesn't hit.
Also: I spy another river :p hehehe. can we get a compass rose on that thing, or is up North as usual? making the building middle right with the dome be the well?
It's an irrigation ditch! ;) And yes, up is north, so right is east, etc.
Do I use the Summon Monster table in the Campaign Info tab? Or can I summon any Nature's Ally I choose?
Just use the table on the Campaign Info tab, as they are basically the same. I'm pretty sure there's a wolverine equivalent, but no outsiders.
Given all the talk of summoning, now is probably the time to mention that I've had some concerns about this. With a large party, an animal companion, an item that will summon a (short duration) shadow, a druid and summoning-focused wizard, things have the possibility of getting out of hand really quickly.
I've found that map-making - and map-altering between combat turns - is the most time-consuming part of DMing this PbP. Considering the speed at which you chew through solo opponents and small groups of monsters, I occasionally need to use larger groups of enemies in order to create a challenge. I can tell you now, I'm not looking forward to moving 40 different dots around the map. We can give it a shot, but if things become unmanageable I will probably ask Daina to rebuild as a less summoning-focused caster and have Grit swap his animal companion for the bonus domain. It's not really an issue of power - I don't begrudge you for taking a battlefield control approach or wanting a flank buddy - but it just comes down to what does and does not work for a PbP.
So, we can give it a try this time, but I didn't want anyone to be surprised if later I have to make changes.
Have you considered making the maps so we can edit them? That should allow us to manage our own multiple sets of creatures.
I've been meaning to look into Roll20, to see if that's a more efficient option. But the way I currently do them, using MSPaint and Google Docs, just wouldn't work very well with multiple people.
Have you considered google docs? I DM a couple games and they're my choice of map, their power is limited to your imagination. Here is a map I made by uploading pictures from the paizo site and everything else was created on the site.
Might I recommend [http://www.getpaint.net/index.html]Paint.NET[/url] as a free upgrade to MSPaint. It's a free editing program that allows layers and other such, more 'advanced' editing techniques. Grab some images from Paizo's avatars or elsewhere on the net, keep the background seperate, stick em on a few different layers and voila. At least that's what I did when I took a stab at GMing.
Darkness is 20 ft radius I believe?
I ended up looking it up, she's using dust of twilight which has a 10 foot radius but has the added benefit of making them fatigued pending a failed fort save.
I'd much rather give up/trade the ability to spontaneously cast than to give up the animal companion. Kitty is about to become large...
I'll take a look at the link Raun added, as the ability to have layers would help quite a bit. Even so, there's a limit to the number of combatants that can be handled in a reasonable manner, and I fear that spamming summons is going to push things past that threshold rather quickly. We'll see how this combat goes and evaluate after.
Dust of twilight snuffs their lights but does not cause a darkness, the night is to take care of that. It indeed has the potential of fatiguing them.
Sadly it's the best I can do when it comes to multi target control at this point.
Note that, for all his roguish nature. Gorkhan can't see in the dark yet. Next investment should be goggles of night.
One tactical question: Do we want to try to use Spoke Growth split up the group of enemy? Grit could lay it down across the camp. But once it is down its there and will impede us as well as the enemy. Well, it is dismissible, but that requires a standard action.
Grits's Buffs are as follows.
1) Frostbite on the Tigone - this could have been done in Tyra
2) Magic Fang on Tigone- 5 hours, so well before we close on the enemy
3) Longstrider on Grit- 5 hourss, so well before we close on the enemy
4) Barkskin on Grit- 50 minutes
5) Shilelagh - 5 minutes
6) Call Lightning - 5 minutes.
And he will either cast the Spike Growth, or Flaming sphere to open, depending on what the consensus is,
Meh Buffs:
1) Bull's strength on Raun - 5 minutes
2) Haste on everybody but me and Nnn? - 5 rounds
3) FIREBALLS
Go with flaming sphere I think Grit
Inertial Armor - 5h
Chameleon - 50 min
Weapon of Awe - 5 minutes
Divine Favor - 1 minute
Many Forms - Up to 5 minutes, less meaning I can use it later
Theoretically I can also manifest Claws of the Beast, lasting 5 hours
For the pouncing Many Forms I'll have to wait till level 11
If only I'd been an Elf, that would have meant pouncing at 8
As for Grit's questions:
* An "offensive" spell is one that directly or indirectly targets the opposition -I wouldn't have allowed spike growth before battle, either. This has come up before, and was handled exactly the same way - neither side (yours or the opponents') get to cast spells against the other until we've made Perception checks and rolled initiative.
* This is a PbP. For the sake of convenience, combat happens on the map, so that we're not in a situation where half the group is on the map and the other half is off. As I said before combat began, the map edge would be considered the edge of encounter distance, ie. the point at which either side could actually establish line of sight. Outside of that you could pre-buff while safely - the opponents didn't get to start making Perception checks until the PCs approached to the edge of the map.
* Could we have started combat 200 feet away from the village? Sure, which would have necessitated a map twice as large and several rounds of both sides making Perception checks until someone successfully spotted the other side. Instead, I allowed you cast pre-battle spells safely outside that range, then immediately move to a distance at which the PCs would auto-pass their Perception checks, and which allowed for a more convenient-sized map. It was only once your entered the map that you could establish line of sight - meaning the enemies could, too, thus the Perception checks, initiative rolls and start of combat.
* When you did enter the map, the opponents had a significant penalty to their Perception checks due to distance (-6, for 60 feet)and dim light (-2 in moonlight, per the rules). Despite that, they beat your Stealth check so you didn't get a surprise action, and they beat your initiative, too.
to make the Hastees feel better, you could do something like say Nnn'tkklik'l enters the map on round 2 or 3 to simulate him moving to catch up to the Hastees.
Just a suggestion, not trying to fuel the fire or anything.
to make the Hastees feel better, you could do something like say Nnn'tkklik'l enters the map on round 2 or 3 to simulate him moving to catch up to the Hastees.
Just a suggestion, not trying to fuel the fire or anything.
Nah, it's much easier to have everyone on the map at the same time. Go ahead and post your Round 1 action.
Ok. Baby intended for Feb 21 decided to show up today. Going to be incommunicado for a bit. Bot as necessary.
Eh, I guess that's an acceptable excuse ;) Congrats! and hope the early arrival goes smoothly.
Much Congrats!
ooh! here's hoping for a healthy baby
Congratulations! Enjoy it, though I doubt anyone has to tell you that
Too many thing going on at the same time at the moment. Will post as soon as I have the time.
No problem. I'm going to wait a bit to let you and Raun chime in.
We're at a fairly critical point of the combat and, while I don't want to create too much of a delay, I also hate to advance with half the party delaying or bot-ed. I've got a pretty packed schedule the next two days and won't have a chance to update until Sunday afternoon, so I will give Raun and Safia until then to post actions (and Gorkhan, if he tears himself away from his new baby), then proceed.
It's all good with me. My week has been rough hah
yeah my bad, been rewatching all four seasons of community and playing hammerwatch too much :p Will go post now.
University is starting again consuming time. I'll post later today.
I thought I'd respond to this over here. I've been trying to use solid colors for PCs and a black outline for the bad guys, filled in with gray for mook-types and something more colorful for leaders. Does that work well enough? I used a darker color for Grit than usual, which seemed to blend into the background, and will try to avoid that.
What about the circles for light and spell effects? Useful or distracting?
I liked the light-effect circles, even though Grit has dark vision.
I understood the symbols well enough, although yes making Grit a more noticeable color would be nice.
I knew where I was. :)