The Sergeant struggles to no avail against Diene's vicelike grip.
Meanwhile the unconcious man slowly comes round under Isama's care. He coughs a few times, raises himself up on one arm, looks to the circle and visibly panics. He shrieks, and seems to be preparing to cast when he is hit by the solid metal mass of Ophelia and pinned.
Ophelia:
You can let him go if you want. Casting seemed to meet your definition. Please roll for grapple.
Human Urban Druid/6 | HP 34/39 | AC 23 T 13 FF 21 | F 6 R 5 W 12 (14) | Per +12 (14) | Init +6 | Special: Owl's wisdom 2 minutes, Barkskin 60 minutes, Long Strider 60 minutes, Spider climb 15 minutes
Hey Buddy, you've got a burning building, an incredibly angry Archon that's almost escaped and seems to want to destroy whatever hasn't burnt up, and us Guards who are kinda confused about alla this. Now who are you and why is that thing here?
Junior Guard Sorcerer / Male Human Diviner 5 HP:37/37 AC(total/touch/ff):12/12/10 Ref:+4 Fort:+4 Will:+6 Init:+8 Perc:+12 Guard Station
ongoing effects:
Current AC: 16/12/14 (mage armor)
"Let us take it slowly, no rush decisions or comments, please. The being is what it says. It is Legion Archon - almost invulnerable, probably good. Before we make any decision, we need more information. Isama, please continue questioning the Sleepy Boy. Ophelia, please make sure he does not do anything we do not want him to do. Diene, please let the Sergeant go. He is your commanding officer and although he knows the being, I am pretty sure, he is not manipulated at the moment. Daria, please watch what and how you say, we really do not want to antagonize anyone here just yet. Understood, everybody?" Castor makes sure his voice is well heard across the entire room.
"Now Liutenant, would you be so kind and give us a summary of what is going on here? We ARE the city Guard, after all." he asks the being.
If that...THING....had no malevolent intentions, it would stop trying to breach through and instead talk with us...
Upon hearing Castor speak, panic grips Mia. She stops trying to contain the wax and runs for the breached opening of the room, deadly afraid of the being inside the circle.
Female I have nothing witty to write. :/ Half Elf The other half's AWESOME! Barbarian (Urban Barbarian) 2/Monk (Kata Master) 4
Status:
HP 34/45 | AC 14 | T 14 | F 13 | CMD 24 | F +9 | R +5 | W +7 | Init +0 | Per +13 | Panache 2/2 | Rage 3/7 | Ki 4/4
"Ok." Diene unleashes the sergeant, trusting Castor's judgement....
Or judging by the fanged smile with cracking of knuckles... perhaps some other reason. She then stands aside for Mia, with a bit of a raised eyebrow and frown slipping into her wide maw.
Expending two points of inspiration for +1d6 on that roll. Hopefully the CMD of the guy isn't that high, and with prone she should have a solid grasp of him. Hopefully :)
In response to the attempted spellcasting, Ophelia reaches down to grab the man. He wiggles and squirms, but with a bit of focus it looks like she manages to grab him tight.
Sleepy:"I am the Head of the Academie! I was summoning that creature to perform a small service for me..." Archon:"I will not cure your 'service', no matter how small! There is a reason Urgathoa is mistress of Indulgence and Disease." Sleepy:"How dare you! You misbegotten mote of Celestial..." he coughs again, a racking cough this time. The Archon takes advantage of the pause
Archon:"I was preparing for battle against the Legions of the Worldwound when I was summoned here by this petty sorceror to cure his rightful punishment for his depraved acts. I refused, and demanded to be let go. He is attempting to wait me out, knowing how much I am needed to save this world. While I was trapped here he napped, and I sensed great evil outside this circle. A few minutes ago smoke started to come through the dumbwaiter, and I gradually increased my flame." Sleepy:"Trying to murder me! Have your construct let me go, and I will Banish it!" Archon:"Letting your own sins kill you is not murder! Neither is rightful punishment for what thou hast wrought! You have sought to imprison a member of the Host! I will lead an army down on you when I am free. I will petition Iomedae herself to strike you down!" Argument continues as long as you let it...
Meanwhile the Sergeant nods to Castor in acknowledgement, walking closer to him and talking - making it harder to follow the argument.
"I'm caught between my Oaths. I knew there was bad in the city. I thought I was helping make it better. But I can't defend a man who is imprisoning Celestial Name. We've been through a lot, Castor. But this is my Faith." he sighs "I'm going to have to resign. You ready for this?"
Castor:
Obviously if he resigns, he will not be caught between two oaths. You can try to talk him out of it, but if he resigns his only oath is going to be the one to Iomedae.
You think if he really wanted to be free, he might be able to get free. He seems perfectly happy to be restrained at this point - possibly because he'd rather fight socially than physically, possibly because he genuinely seems to respect the authority of the guards.
Human Urban Druid/6 | HP 34/39 | AC 23 T 13 FF 21 | F 6 R 5 W 12 (14) | Per +12 (14) | Init +6 | Special: Owl's wisdom 2 minutes, Barkskin 60 minutes, Long Strider 60 minutes, Spider climb 15 minutes
Alright, Alright. How's this for a compromise. Obviously somethin' really wrong is going on. IF we let you go and not let the summoner banish you then can you promise us that you'll tell us all you know about this grave threat and let US handle it and not go on a rampage? If we can't handle it then of course you're free and can do what you wish. You gots to swear though.
Isama says desperately trying to keep all sides happy.
Female I have nothing witty to write. :/ Half Elf The other half's AWESOME! Barbarian (Urban Barbarian) 2/Monk (Kata Master) 4
Status:
HP 34/45 | AC 14 | T 14 | F 13 | CMD 24 | F +9 | R +5 | W +7 | Init +0 | Per +13 | Panache 2/2 | Rage 3/7 | Ki 4/4
"Yeah. If you can get back to your angel buddies fastest, while we punish evil AND illegal stuff here, and then, I dunno find a powerful enough magic to cure head there in the city with the most magic ANYWHERE. Sounds fine to everybody."
Junior Guard Sorcerer / Male Human Diviner 5 HP:37/37 AC(total/touch/ff):12/12/10 Ref:+4 Fort:+4 Will:+6 Init:+8 Perc:+12 Guard Station
ongoing effects:
Current AC: 16/12/14 (mage armor)
Castor looks at the Sergeant "No, not really. But I am not sure I have much of a choice here. What exactly do you intent to do after resigning? I wish to resolve this matter without unneccessary antagonism or violence. Not that the others are really helping." he gives a lopsided grin at the end.
"What do you think is the Liutenant's prefered course of action at the moment. Does it just want to return to its fight in the Worldwound or start smiting evil in this city...?" he asks more seriously.
"I didn't see it" explains the Archon. "I could smell it, through the floor. Their efforts to stop my detections failed there! I fought the hordes of Abbadon before Aroden's death, and I remember the stink of Soulstealers well!"
sense motive dc 20:
Sleepy is hiding looking guilty really well, but not well enough.
Human Urban Druid/6 | HP 34/39 | AC 23 T 13 FF 21 | F 6 R 5 W 12 (14) | Per +12 (14) | Init +6 | Special: Owl's wisdom 2 minutes, Barkskin 60 minutes, Long Strider 60 minutes, Spider climb 15 minutes
Sense Motive:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Buddy here on the floor knows the angel's telling the truth. Isama says indicating the man she's tending We need to make a decision. Sarge I ain't comfortable with letting an angel run loose without it agreeing to follow all of Quantium's laws. If it agrees to do that then we could work together but in case anyone's forgotten... we need to do something fast cuz the building we're in is burning
Junior Guard Sorcerer / Male Human Diviner 5 HP:37/37 AC(total/touch/ff):12/12/10 Ref:+4 Fort:+4 Will:+6 Init:+8 Perc:+12 Guard Station
ongoing effects:
Current AC: 16/12/14 (mage armor)
When there is no unswer from the sergeant, Castor turns to the Archon.
"What Soulstealer did you smell here, Lieutenant? This city is our responsibility so we should be the ones to deal with it. I will be glad if you share any information that will help us get the fiend but I am afraid we cannot let you run around killing things. But we will gladly help you get back to your own conflict. As you sad before, you are needed there. And my colleague is right, we do not have much time for talking now, as this building is still burning."
Daria had run out through the breach, but stopped when she reached the stairs...
Those people may not feel the same danger emanating from this being as I did...the heat from him...I felt his hatred pierce me when his gaze wandered over me...but all the more, they may need me. I took a vow to protect them...I can't run....
Daria heads back, and eavesdrops from just outside the breach, while trying to calm her mind by following breathing exercises she read about a while ago.
Stealth:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30 to hide next to the breach.
Perception:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27 to follow the conversation inside.
Ready action: If I hear hostilities break out, step into the gap and cast a spell
While the Sergeant continues to wrestle with his conscience, the head of the Academie speaks.
"It must have been Hossiter."
knowledge: history or nobility dc 20:
Hossiter is a philospher credited with starting the Red Revolution in Galt
"Someone managed to get a fragment of her soul before she was fed to Razor Jenni. I managed to buy it forty years ago, then I paid a lot of money to get it turned into a Soulbound Mannequin. It's registered." he adds helpfully, then turns to the Archon
"You have to understand... She killed my family. All of them. She had them killed, and their souls imprisoned. Not just my family, either. She's a monster! She should be tortured in Hell, or the Abyss, or something. Instead she just gets nothing! How is that justice?" "So I, and a few other loyal Galtians, worked together to give her an appropriate afterlife." "She's confined to the fourth floor" he adds "So he must have smelled her evil through the floor somehow."
previous sense motive:
Yep, he thinks he's telling the truth... although he obviously recognises that the debauchery and conjuration that goes on here wouldn't qualify as 'good'
From somewhere below you hear the boom of a firearm - though it could be a cracking beam? A few seconds later you hear the noise again - it's a firearm.
@GM...regarding what the head says, how does that fit with the knowledge we have from earlier?
specifically Knowledge:Nobility DC 25:
Sorcière Académie: The founder's claims to Galtian nobility is a flat out lie.
Is he not aware himself? Of flat-out-bluffing?
That story sounds like personal experience...but if I have KNOWLEDGE to the contrary, does that mean I automatically succeed on a Sense Motive Check against it?
GM:
I know De Morgan was holding position near the entrance, keeping watch on the Evidence Diene and Ophelia secured earlier. She is far too rulesbound to use firearms without proper reason.
I cast message, designating all the others of the Team except Castor and the Sergeant who I can see from the gap while staying hidden, then investigate(not telling them about the message spell). I will move towards the gunshots. If I have a feeling they are near the entrance(or whereever I suspect DeMorgan's position), I move quickly, otherwise I will remain stealthy while moving as quick as possible that way.
OOC:He's aware - it's a half truth, but one he lives now. The revolution took down a lot of those close to the nobility, as well as the nobility themselves. A lot of records are also gone, and especially in the early days there was a tendency to assume the refugees from the purges were all 'noble' refugees - something many refugees were happy to go along with given how much better their treatment was likely to be. Remember the revolution was 48 years ago, and he would have been quite young. Given how high the DC was, I'm happy for Mia to know the truth via her previous employment as a blackmailer. Proving it would be another thing entirely, but would probably destroy his reputation, and possibly the Academie. Such a threat might be met with murder.
Summary: Everything he said was truth. Not the whole truth. Issue 2: Spells are visible. Even without any components there's an aura or something that can be perceived (the rules are vague, except for this fact). That does require LOS to you. You'll have to chant, which is bad for stealth. Given the situation I'm happy for you to cast on any two people in the room without alerting the others, if you still wan to. If so but put in a spoiler that says states their name, and the perception dc (let's say 30), and something like "Mia chants some words, points at you, then slips away down the stairs". Otherwise people are going to be rightly annoyed that their characters didn't get a roll. We'll deal with it more in debrief, I guess.
I have arbitrarily decided Thrius and Constance are providing security downstairs. Explains why they're not here. They slipped off without telling you guys.
Regarding the message, sure thing. I had figured everybody inside was focused on either the Archon or the Head of the Acedemy, both of which should be in the other diretion from me. I guess the Sergeant is near me though so that may be a reason they look into my direction. I will not mention the down-stairs part. I figure nobody in the cirle-room is in a position to see what happens outside of it. On a further note, while heading downstairs I keep an estimate of the distance I am away from them. I figure 150 feet inside a building means I can get quite far but if I have a feeling I'll move outside the range of the spell as per my estimate, I may give them a short report depending on what I know/learned up until that point. Right now things seem too vague to distract the sensitive talks going on in there.
Ophelia || Diene || Perception 30:
In the gap that Diene breached into the room, Mia's frame briefly appears. She seems to have been chanting a few syllables and then quickly pointed at Ophelia and Diene, before disappearing from the hole in the wall in a hurry.
Mia was casting Message on Ophelia and Diene before running off
(Ophelia || Diene || Perception 30) && Sense Motive 20:
Mia is quite happy to get away from the Archon. But that does not seem to be the reason she seems to be in a hurry to leave. For a moment she seemed distracted, as if some sound caught her attention.
Hmm... That name, I've read it somewhere. Hmm ... Oh! That makes sense.
"The mannequin, if confided to the fourth floor, could not have destroyed the servants down below . Neither could it have started a fire down below either. Unless, it was not truly confined at all..."
"... Indeed, I suspect the construct we found was indeed 'Hossiter'. Whom, at the moment, is currently moved outside since it was in danger of being destroyed by the fire."
"So, Archon, can you smell the corruption still?"
"And, Arcanist, in what manner was 'Hossiter' confined to the fourth floor?"
Human Urban Druid/6 | HP 34/39 | AC 23 T 13 FF 21 | F 6 R 5 W 12 (14) | Per +12 (14) | Init +6 | Special: Owl's wisdom 2 minutes, Barkskin 60 minutes, Long Strider 60 minutes, Spider climb 15 minutes
The Archon inhales deeply, then looks accusingly at the Sergeant "I can barely smell anything over the stink of your companions."
The human shrugs "Perhaps... Hossiter is effectively a large 'Soulbound Doll'. She's constrained by commands, and mostly exists simply to be punished. She is able to take on the form of her mortal body. I believe she's worked out how to turn that into some sort of invisibility in order to hide. She's explicitly forbidden to injure or damage anything, including herself. I suppose she must have slipped one of her geas somehow if she's started burning the building - but we check their state regularly."
The Archon looks grumpily at Castor
"You don't have much time, perhaps. I do. Soon these magics will fail, and I will be Free!"
The man coughs nervously
"If you could just, perhaps, let me go for a moment I'd be happy to send it back."
@Castor - When you left the fires were - to the best of your knowledge - out. That said you've not much looked at floors 2, 3, 4 and not at all at the zoo.
Human Urban Druid/6 | HP 34/39 | AC 23 T 13 FF 21 | F 6 R 5 W 12 (14) | Per +12 (14) | Init +6 | Special: Owl's wisdom 2 minutes, Barkskin 60 minutes, Long Strider 60 minutes, Spider climb 15 minutes
I don't think we're going to get more information out of the angel considering that it's not responding to the attempts to get it to follow Quantium laws. Either we trust it and let it free or we let the mage banish it. We've been kinda stuck here for days.
Human Urban Druid/6 | HP 34/39 | AC 23 T 13 FF 21 | F 6 R 5 W 12 (14) | Per +12 (14) | Init +6 | Special: Owl's wisdom 2 minutes, Barkskin 60 minutes, Long Strider 60 minutes, Spider climb 15 minutes
Isama releases the man with some relief. Can't have a rogue agent runnin' around the city.
Human Urban Druid/6 | HP 34/39 | AC 23 T 13 FF 21 | F 6 R 5 W 12 (14) | Per +12 (14) | Init +6 | Special: Owl's wisdom 2 minutes, Barkskin 60 minutes, Long Strider 60 minutes, Spider climb 15 minutes
Oh yeah, Opheilia would have to release. Isama just stopped tending him/moved back
Female Construct (Clockwork) | Investigator 6 | Hp 26/33 | AC 18, Touch 13, FF 16 | CMD 20 | Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +6 | Per +15 | Init +6 | Active: See Invisible, Mutagen; 60m. Ablative Barrier 6h/30damage. Magic Circle against Evil 50min
Ophelia lifts the man to his feet, then releases him. The process isn't too gentle, but ... No sorrow spent on that.
"Geas. Hmm. She was spotted engaging in self-destructive behaviour, but that may merely have been exploiting a loophole of the wording. I still find it unlikely that the 'Hossiter' would be capable of being the culprit. Is there any other entity confined within the building that may have motive to burn it down? ...Other then this Archon here..."
yeah, it's been at least 5 rounds, I agree
As soon as he is released the head flings a finger out at the Archon shrikes a word in some strange, alien tongue, and the whole circle flashes violet.
The Archon is gone.
"I'm sure there are any number of members with the means, but I doubt they have the motive. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to summon some elementals to get rid of this smoke, and ensure that the fires are out."
He pauses "I suppose if the Hounds were freed, they could do it. But if they were free I'm sure we'd have much worse problems. However there are strong wards to keep the creatures confined, and we have five of our combat servants are on guard duty at all times." He looks troubled "Though during an emergency most of those would retask to evacuation."
Human Urban Druid/6 | HP 34/39 | AC 23 T 13 FF 21 | F 6 R 5 W 12 (14) | Per +12 (14) | Init +6 | Special: Owl's wisdom 2 minutes, Barkskin 60 minutes, Long Strider 60 minutes, Spider climb 15 minutes
Isama pales a bit. Is that the 'zoo'? We should get there quick. And then, sir, we're going to have a chat about this soul doll business. Sarge? You coming?
Since I got quite a bit of a headstart towards downstairs, feel free to give Ophelia and Diene a report in my name as to what's the situation. I do assume I'm heading towards DeMorgan having trouble with something from the zoo?
Junior Guard Sorcerer / Male Human Diviner 5 HP:37/37 AC(total/touch/ff):12/12/10 Ref:+4 Fort:+4 Will:+6 Init:+8 Perc:+12 Guard Station
ongoing effects:
Current AC: 16/12/14 (mage armor)
Castor looks at the arcanist "You should probably know, that we were forced to destroy the guard construct in front of your door. It would not let us in to help you.".
Then he steps to the Sergeant "Are you alright, sir? We need to make sure the Zoo is secured and then investigate the fire. Also, we should have a look at the Hossiter construct."I am not so sure it is as restrained as the chief arcanist would like us to think....
Castor: Really? 32? Go read the damn entry. "I... I don't know." The sergeant sounds dispirited "Can't let them free... Sure. Castor, you've got command for now. I'm not in a fit state to lead. Sorcerors can have temporary command during emergencies, right?"
Junior Guard Sorcerer / Male Human Diviner 5 HP:37/37 AC(total/touch/ff):12/12/10 Ref:+4 Fort:+4 Will:+6 Init:+8 Perc:+12 Guard Station
ongoing effects:
Current AC: 16/12/14 (mage armor)
"I understand, Sarge. You are probably right about the regulations. Ophelia knows then much better than me. Rest assured we will do everything to make sure this matter is resolved as smoothly as possible." Castor replies.
He looks around the room."You heard the man. Let's move like we have a purpose. We should not leave Mia and Diane alone for long now." he moves out of the room and towards the stairs.
Human Urban Druid/6 | HP 34/39 | AC 23 T 13 FF 21 | F 6 R 5 W 12 (14) | Per +12 (14) | Init +6 | Special: Owl's wisdom 2 minutes, Barkskin 60 minutes, Long Strider 60 minutes, Spider climb 15 minutes
Isama nods and follows Diene down towards the zoo.
according to 478
already opened:1d4 ⇒ 3 = Mouther
already opened:1d3 ⇒ 1 = Magma Ooze
opening:1d2 ⇒ 2 = Hounds
Mia:
You come down the stairs to the entrance to the zoo. The gates are thrown open, and beyond lies a site from Abaddon. A large, clear, gently curving corridor lies beyond. Huge 'glass' cages bedeck the walls.
Twenty five feet inside Thirus battles a swarm of beautiful, crystalline creatures shimmering with heat. As you glimpse him you see him shatter one, which literally explodes into shards that pierce his armour and bring him down for a second before he stumbles up to one knee, beard on fire.
Twenty five feet further on Constance de Morgan struggles as a protoplasmic puddle on the floor tries to engulf her. Desperately she brings her gun to bear - then points it further into the hall and fires at something there.
Whatever she's shooting you can't see, but could from just inside the gates.
everyone else:
You hear a bang as you are coming down the stairs. A gun perhaps?
Round 1: Mia - you can have an action and a report.
Round 2: Mia and Diene
Round 3+: everyone is in.
Everyone starts at the stairs, fifteen feet from the gates.
Considering what I see, I would rush towards Thirus and cast Cure Moderate Wounds on him. I promised to try and make sure to get everybody out alive, he said he'd watch out for me and I feel compelled to do likewise...even if the player is gone, Mia is bound by her promise...so I hope you did not plan to off him while giving me time to waste my spells on him :) CMW:2d8 + 5 ⇒ (7, 7) + 5 = 19
Ophelia and Diene:
You suddenly hear Mia's voice whispering to you out of thin air: "Thirus under attack by Magma Ooze, Constance by some other beings. Zoo inhabitants started coordinated assault on entrance!"
I said everyone starts at the stairs fifteen feet from the gates. It is then another 25 (total 40) to Thirus, and another 25 (total 65) to Constance.
That means you'd need to cast and move 35 ft to get to him. I believe you can only move 30. This could be done over two rounds (cast & move then touch & move) but you might prefer to cast something else this round, and the cure on the next one.
The distance, incidentally, was not accidental. I had thought that he would probably go down. There are multiple (3 now) large crystalline oozes fighting him. I like a good story though - if Mia is so desperate to get there she's going to risk being victim #2, I'll keep him up (just) till you get there. Remember there's a good chance you're then going to have to face three of these things for at least a round.
Still want to do it?
I have a commitment to try. I made him take a VOW on his honor as paladin to try and get everybody out alive, and he was specifically looking out for me before. So even if I have to risk things, Mia has to try! While Thirus is her primary concern, she will also shout out to Constance to "fall back so we can regroup"-
You are right, though, if I cannot reach him, I would cast an ear-piercing scream at one of the crystalline beings.
Fortitude 14 Half damage and no daze, otherwise 2d6 ⇒ (5, 6) = 11 damage and dazed for a round.
Done. One of the crystalline creatures shivers and cracks, veins of red light appearing in the darker form.
Thirus fights defensively, slowly regaining health as he does.
Constance struggles further into the protoplasm.
It seems she was shooting at a mechanical looking figure with a scythe. This figure is hammering at one of the remaining cage doors.
Round 2. Diene and Mia.
Diene:
You race down the stairs to the entrance to the zoo. The gates are thrown open, and beyond lies a site from Abaddon. A large, clear, gently curving corridor lies beyond. Huge 'glass' cages bedeck the walls.
Mia races inside, fifteen feet inside.
Twenty five feet inside Thirus battles a swarm of three beautiful, crystalline creatures shimmering with heat. His hair and beard are ignited, and it seems impossible he stands at all.
Twenty five feet further on Constance de Morgan struggles as a protoplasmic puddle on the floor tries to engulf her.
for clarity. you are at 0 ft. The gates are at 15. Mia is at 30. Thirus is at 40. Constance is at 65. There seems to be something in further.
This is a thread to discuss the formation of a game.
It is inspired by many sources; Simon R Green's Nightside and Haven, Noir detective stories, and of course Spooky's Darkest Corners thread.
I would like a city with enough people to start to run into metropolis problems.
I would like a large class of poor, and a small class of very rich, and Tammany Hall politics.
I would like the death of pretty much any individual to be something that gets investigated. For pretty much everyone to have rights. But I would like there to be an oppressed subclass.
I would like it to be primarily human and human-like races.
I would like it to be in the early stages of an "industrial revolution" using alchemy and magic.
I would like the PCs to be elite members of the "Guards", which are a police type force. The guards also do military and crowd control, PCs unit would be responsible for investigating unusual crimes.
Closest match in Golarion that I can see is Nex.
Fortunately there is not much information on Nex, so it might fit.
inner sea magic wrote:
magic in Nex is seen as an amoral force, to be
studied and wielded with scientific detachment
inner sea magic wrote:
This focus on the arcane does make clerics and oracles scarce within the walls of Quantium and her sister cities
inner sea guide wrote:
...and vastly enriched his private nation through his adventures and the judicious application of wish level magics...
inner sea guide wrote:
The city attracts a wide assortment of inhabitants, from ambitious wizards seeking to perfect their craft in one of Quantium’s vaunted arcane universities, to outsiders summoned to Golarion by long dead mystics, to merchants...
inner sea guide wrote:
[Valkus Island]an inescapable prison colony for the worst killers, monsters, political prisoners, villains, and would-be
conquerors to threaten the nation.
Qantium has 60,000 people.
Ecanus has 23,400
Oenopion has 8,900
They are ruled by beauracracy and the council of 3 and 9
Given Nex was established a looooong time ago, and Nex vanished 4000 years ago - basically during middle kingdom egypt in our world - I'm proposing this.
These are not in a book. I don't think they're countered by anything in a book though.
Citizenship, residency and property.
Nex is proud of not discriminating. Pretty much anything can be made a citizen, which has allowed their kingdom to incorporate significantly powerful 'monsters'.
citizens have rights. Use of magic on a citizen against their will is a crime, and is investigated by the Guard (those poor bastards). Citizens have access to some elementary assistance regarding food and shelter. Citizens have legal rights and very few obligations. Each citizen has one vote.
the descendants of the heroes who helped Nex found his city have all been granted eternal citizenship.Many of these families have fallen into Poverty over FOUR THOUSAND years, but still reside in the city because terrible as their life may be they have access to the necessities to survive. These poor live in slum-like quarters, but the murder of any of them is the murder of a Citizen, and is investigated by the Guard.
Those who come to Nex may apply for Citizenship. Usually this requires paying an exorbitant fee or working for the government for some time. This is significantly easier for magically gifted people and creatures.
There is a residency status for visitors who do not seek to become citizens; usually traders and sometimes students. Such residents are treated much as citizens legally but fewer rights (no vote, for example).
There are also 'informal residents' - also known colloquially as strays. These creatures have few rights at all. They are not counted in the 60,000.
There are 'property'. These are slaves, or sometimes bound creatures, or those working off prison sentences etc. It is a very bad thing to be property in Nex. Also not counted in the 60,000.
Magic, especially constructs, do a lot of the work in Nex. There is probably 2-3 constructs for every citizen/resident. Much manufacturing, repair and other simple work is done by constructs. Recent advances (especially the Soulbound concepts) have managed to create constructs with near-sentient or sentient minds. At the moment a construct is considered property, though it could be granted Citizenship. There is a significant prejudice against constructs in the city, especially in the poorer sections where citizens cannot get jobs.
The Guard is responsible for maintaining order, and enforcing the will of the council.
Different units within the guard tend to be given different jobs to specialize in.
Higher levels within the Guard are increasingly - and eventually completely - political.
The PCs are a squad put together to investigate special crimes and rumors of rogue monsters. Looking for a good name here! Such squads tend to have a high turnover due to death, but are an excellent place to distinguish oneself. Often membership in such squads is as a way of earning Citizenship.
PCs would have private wealth and draw a salary. They could also take kickbacks etc. Standard Guard equipment is issued to the squad. PCs are elites, and it is expected they may be up against very dangerous monsters so equipment is not skimped on. IE game is not about collecting loot.
Female Construct (Human Clockwork Automation) Bard (Archivist) 3 | Hp 20/23 | AC 15, Touch 12, FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4| Per +9 | Init +2 | Active: Careful Teamwork (bonuses not typed out)
Yes. Might have to rework or make a new character, to fit better : )
I'm considering the Investigator - which I might simply swap Ophelia to and then adjust her backstory. However, I'm not sure if a sentient construct would be put in the guard, rather then somewhere to be studied.
This looks quite promising, almost a steampunk flavour to it though not quite that modern. At least that's how it seems to me. I kind of agree with you Ophelia that a sentient construct might be more likely to end up in a lab rather than on the Guard but I will miss the excellent roleplay and characterization you bring to her.
How will religions be handled? I'd like to continue on with Tieszla so will there be a church of Pharasma in Nex? I'm certainly willing to create a different character if needed but it's always disappointing to play one for such a short period, especially one that was based off of an old character that I never did get to play back in the day either.
Yes. Might have to rework or make a new character, to fit better : )
I'm considering the Investigator - which I might simply swap Ophelia to and then adjust her backstory. However, I'm not sure if a sentient construct would be put in the guard, rather then somewhere to be studied.
This is why I had the "sponsored for citizenship by working in the guard" bit.
Way I figured it based on the backstory you had was that she was property with permission to do what she wants and a missing owner.
Eventually owner will be declared dead. Potentially disputes over his property would be a lot of red tape.
Missing owner would have been investigated and provides a way for her to meet the guard.
Working in the guard gets you sponsored for citizenship, so if she survives long enough she can become a citizen, so long as it happens before the owner is declared dead, and the owner does not dispute it.
Nex has other intelligent constructs - homunculi, soulbound, etc. Your backstory had her as having been studied already.
Religion
Nex does not discriminate against religions.
It does prosecute anyone who breaks the law, even for religious reasons.
You can openly worship Hanspur, Hastur or Urgathoa here. Sacrifice even one unwilling citizen and you're in trouble.
That said, Nethys and Pharasma are the two biggest religions. Nethys because he is the god of magic and Pharasma due to the millenia long war with Geb.
Pharasman Inquisitors have no special legal powers in Nex. It would make sense for them to join the guard though, as they can then arrest or destroy any undead they catch breaking the law, or that are strays.
One of the major threats is going to be rogue Geb agents, escaped lab experiments (some of whom are undead abominations) and accidentally reactivated Geb terrorist monsters from the height of the war.
It does mean, however, that you might know there is a lich abomination raising zombies as slaves, and not be able to do anything about it because it's all legal. I guess the drug war might be a good parallel. "Sure we haven't caught him doing anything illegal, but he's totally going to. All we can do is wait and catch him when he does... and let him know we're watching him."
Female Construct (Human Clockwork Automation) Bard (Archivist) 3 | Hp 20/23 | AC 15, Touch 12, FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4| Per +9 | Init +2 | Active: Careful Teamwork (bonuses not typed out)
Hmmh. That would work : )
Another thing I've been thinking of - could I simply have Ophelia emigrate to Nex from Magnimar?
She would have pretty good reason to, considering they let constructs gain citizenship. And since she did help catch the Jack, she could posses a letter of recommendation to the watch.
If so, I'm thinking of either only having the first adventure as 'cannon' or simply pretend that any remade characters wasn't simply present during the second one.
Now, the only thing holding her down in Magnimar was her master/creator. Sure, she had some friends too - but not enough to prevent her from pursuing her own goals and dreams. So perhaps they found Polo during their foray into the cult of the *whatshisname* - either dead or charmed. Both could work. If dead, she would be devestated and have so much more reason to leave, to run away from it all. Or alive, and they go back to their ordinary work after a while. But then she realizes that sitting around in a shop doesn't do it for her, and she leaves anyway - but on better terms.
I think I like the last one more. Then we could have episodes in Magnimar if we want, or simply an exchange of letters. Besides, I prefer to veiw Ophelia as emotionally handicapped, not damaged.
Also, I'm probably going to make a new alias and save this one if Spooky returns one day (since I'm going to change class anyhow!). Besides, I thought about adding Dara's nickname : )
I'd like people to have ties to Nex. Korvosa is a long way from Nex.
I'm happy to transplant pretty much the whole first two stories.
I was going to change only that the initial recruitment was by Lt "Spooky" Jack of the Guard. After stopping a Hanspur cult Spooky Jack manages to swing an appointment as guardsman for each of you, but gets promoted out of the field.
If you really want to keep the Korvosan aspect I suppose we can work it through, but if other people want to keep their PCs we'd need a reason why all of them moved to Nex.
Female Construct (Human Clockwork Automation) Bard (Archivist) 3 | Hp 20/23 | AC 15, Touch 12, FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4| Per +9 | Init +2 | Active: Careful Teamwork (bonuses not typed out)
That works too : )
I was merely looking for a way to to 'save' the previous adventure, but if we are going with the 'it was in Nex all along' that will be taken care of nicely
I'm keen to make Nex a tight city. Outer walls forming a 4800ft circle.
Was designed to hold off magical attack, so walls are a mix of materials, hardened and thick.
Buildings tend to build up rather than out. Most buildings loom over the populace in the street.
Statues of heroes everywhere - many of which are also defences.
Given this is the home of the inventor of the create demiplane spell, I see that a lot of places don't exist solely in this plane.
Stealing from Haven I'd like to have a long, straight Street of the Gods. Temples to the big gods at the near end, with lesser gods - or others - forced to the far end. Street stretches impossibly for miles in a straight line. and Nexian citizens come here for amusement as well as to worship; and they have a tendency to shop around when they need a miracle.
The Street of the gods have their own special guard unit of avowed atheists.
Female Construct (Human Clockwork Automation) Bard (Archivist) 3 | Hp 20/23 | AC 15, Touch 12, FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4| Per +9 | Init +2 | Active: Careful Teamwork (bonuses not typed out)
Isn't there a cathedral with a similar setup here in Golarion? Where the Starstone is = )
Anyhow - this all does seem pretty cool (and I'm a bit hyped to dive into it!). Is there anything we should do now, before we start?
Like switching Ophelias levels - assuming you are okay with the Investigator? I'm probably going to keep one level of Bard for cantrips (important to Ophelia!), but the rest will be Investigator levels.
Have you given any thought on what level we continue from? 3 like we left off ?=)
Shang?
Tieszla? Is this religion setup okay? I can imagine she might have turned up to help in the 'war' with Geb, only to discover it is over in all but name.
I would like to create something for this game. Very much so. I love this type of platform for roleplaying.
The concept I would like to use is this character I made a backstory to. Her story is easy to change details so they match the game for the right flavor. I do love large city based urban games.
Of note, I intended this character to be a Bard Archaeologist. She studies all things draconic due to a bloodline link from the Blood of Dragons trait. I never did put the crunch in her profile after I made both the story and the build.
Female Construct (Human Clockwork Automation) Bard (Archivist) 3 | Hp 20/23 | AC 15, Touch 12, FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4| Per +9 | Init +2 | Active: Careful Teamwork (bonuses not typed out)
Or, well maybe I got ahead of myself. I thought the recruitment was already complete, not merely started. I'll downgrade to a 'Hello, pleased to meet you!' to not scare away other applicants if that is okay : )
Also, I'd like to keep most of the cast. But we need to figure out some things about how the last adventure ended. Was poor Dara really dead ? And what happened to our first ranger ?
Okay: is Level 3 the right level to be doing this at?
Given there's been an adventure at 3rd, I'm tempted to say 4th.
In terms of equipment I'm thinking standard as WBL.
That said, underlying this would be:
(A) the cost of magic & items is cheaper in Nex than just about anywhere. Given the game is set within Nex we ignore this and just accept the magic mart presented by the default pathfinder rules.
(B) YOU CANNOT LOOT THE BAD GUYS. You can confiscate stolen items etc, but these go to central stores.
(C) some bribery, extortion and patronage is expected - don't get caught, don't get greedy.
(D) guards maintain their own equipment
(E) particular items can be issued to the group for particular missions. These items can be requested if sufficient reasoning is shown (eg if you are going up against a were, and can prove it is a were, you could request silver weapons or silver weapon blanch.
(F) expendable items used in the course of duty can be replaced, but this requires going through red tape and proving the use was necessary.
(G) particularly impressive performance (*cough* levelling *cough*) is likely to result in being 'permanently lent' items from central stores.
(H) you can absolutely run a business on the side. Bear in mind you might need someone to run it for you if you get sent on a week long mission to s a slow demi-plane.
Female Construct (Human Clockwork Automation) Bard (Archivist) 3 | Hp 20/23 | AC 15, Touch 12, FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4| Per +9 | Init +2 | Active: Careful Teamwork (bonuses not typed out)
Those rules are reasonable.
And 4th level sound very tempting indeed :)
I'm just thinking - Shang, are you okay with Ophelia switching to investigator? There might be some overlap on the Extract mechanic then : ) (She would, however, be more likely to use contraptions and small devices instead of liquid containers since ... well she cant drink :P)
Shang and Ophelia: good point.
Shang's an internal vivisectionist; sneak attack and melee. There does seem to be more overlap than I expected.
Shang - you want to weigh in?
Female Construct (Human Clockwork Automation) Bard (Archivist) 3 | Hp 20/23 | AC 15, Touch 12, FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4| Per +9 | Init +2 | Active: Careful Teamwork (bonuses not typed out)
Honestly, I cant remember - but I will look it up.
It was chosen since I wanted to play a clockwork, and that template contained the most sensible rules. It was CR 0, and contained a mix of both strengths and weaknesses and no pile of bonus feats/stats : )
The Paizo template only deals with the conversion of construct -> clockwork and tacks on a number of other things.
Edit: Looks like it was I : )
Another thing that was considered was the Android race, with some refluffing. And perhaps switching Nanite Surge to something more ... clockworky.
But honestly, I'm quite fond of all those quirky interactions with certain spells and effects from the template. I hope it is not them that bothers you^^
No.
I had thought she was more a soulbound construct.
The template actually is not bad.
It has a lot of pros and cons, quite big ones. EG: Vulnerability to acid and electricity is a bit harsh, but then resistance to cold, fire, slashing and piercing is pretty good.
Big thing is that I'm not a big fan of infernal healing - I think it breaks some of the conventions (wizards & sorcerers do not heal), is badly worded and even if it did work should not work on constructs.
The template says
template wrote:
A clockwork automaton can only be repaired by spells that affect the construct type such as rapid repair
which I read as denying infernal healing.
That makes Make Whole or a Clockwork Servant the easiest ways to get healing. Happy to say Central has a Clockwork Servant. Make Whole is only a second level spell and heals a LOT of damage (CLxd6 capped at 5d6, rather than 2d8+CL)... but has a long casting time - enough it is not likely to be used in combat.
If you like the template my thought is to just be a bit harsher on the healing spells and run it as written; you can have the bonus HP, and at 0HP are 'broken' as per template. So long as your companions can get you back to Central there are rules in the template for repairing you. Yes 4000gp is expensive, but easier than Raise Dead. Think of the bonus HP as Diehard; once into that level you should really be looking to hang back or abort, but at least you can drag yourself to safety.
I really like Ophelia, but the fact she is a construct is part of that. The major disadvantage of Constructs in PF is repair time.
If I may weigh in here, I'm liking the concepts and ideas I see so far. I do have a question, have you solidified the starting level? Either 3rd or 4th is fine with me, though it eems like you are leaning towards 4th more than 3rd.
Apologies for the next part as it wasn't addressed when I asked in the recruitment thread.
As for bringing in a character, how will the decision be made? Will you, Laznist, be making said decision? Or will the current players be running a vote? Just burning questions I have. I very much want to play this bard. I thought up the concept at the end of last week and am very motivated to begin playing the character.
I tend to do that, make characters that I bond with as a player. My imagination runs wild these days.
Female Construct (Human Clockwork Automation) Bard (Archivist) 3 | Hp 20/23 | AC 15, Touch 12, FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4| Per +9 | Init +2 | Active: Careful Teamwork (bonuses not typed out)
Roger : )
Earlier with Spooky, we let the Craft (Clockwork) to be used as threat deadly wounds from first aid (but with Int instead of Wis) to repair.
For reference: Treat Deadly Wounds*
Note: You must expend two uses from a healer's kit to perform this task. You take a –2 penalty on your check for each use from a healer's kit that you lack.
When treating deadly wounds, you can restore hit points to a damaged creature. Treating deadly wounds restores 1 hit point per level of the creature. If you exceed the DC by 5 or more, add your Wisdom modifier (if positive) to this amount. A creature can only benefit from its deadly wounds being treated within 24 hours of being injured and never more than once per day.
@GMV: my decision, but I intend to ask for feedback from the players.
I want to see what grimdog73 has gotten, otherwise I'm happy to start choosing. Not as much interest as I thought there would be, but I'm happy with those who showed up :)
Female Human Inquisitor 3 | HP 22/26 | AC 20 T 13 FF 17 | Fort +5 Ref +4 Will +5 | Perc +9 | Init +4 (Careful Teamwork, Shield of Faith)
Crap! Sorry Laznist, I promised to post something here but it slipped my mind. I had an appliance apocalypse on the weekend so I've been trying to replace a fridge, stove and dishwasher. So much shopping. So much money :(
Anyhow, Tieszla's story is quite mutable. All I need is a town that got wiped out by undead and a church of Pharasma and it sounds like I've got both. If you need me to make any changes, just let me know otherwise I am all set!
Okay.
Level 4 it is.
6000gp each.
No more than 1500gp on any given item.
Group will be issued;
A wand of CLW (arcane) - 20 charges
A wand of CLW (divine) - 20 charges
A wand of Gentle Repose - 50 charges
A scroll of Quench (druid CL 5)
A scroll of Phantom Chariot (CL 7)
A scroll of Whispering Wind (CL 3)
Parchment Messenger
parchment messenger:
This is a piece of paper that can be written on as normal.
It also contains a rough map of Nex.
By speaking the command word and drawing a route on the map (a full round action) the parchment messenger folds itself into a tiny bird-like glider and follows the route. Once there it emits a piercing whistle until it is unfolded and read.
An erase spell removes the writing on the parchment messenger, but the map must be re-scribed.
Parchement Messenger is a tiny construct with cloth, flammable, slow (ground), alternate movement (fly) and faster (fly)x2. It has a fly speed of 35ft, and can fly half a mile in about 4 minutes.
Reasoning being that while these are also able to be used for the team (with paperwork) they are there so your squad can act as impromptu emergency services.
One signal whistle per member (all guards have these; a call on the signal whistle is a call for help and it is expected that nearby guards will respond. Whistle can be heard about a quarter of a mile off without too much difficulty.
All squad members are expected to have a (highly secured) hair clipping with Central.
Your unit will be rostered into one of the sections of Nex, and given an allowance to hire a Guard Station. much like a fire station in our world. Nex learned in the war the folly of putting all your Guards in a single AoE. The default guard station is expected to have living quarters for at least eight Guards and four prisoners. For simplicity the allowance will let the group 'purchase' 3000gp of rooms. Characters may invest their starting money in this if they wish.
Female Construct (Human Clockwork Automation) Bard (Archivist) 3 | Hp 20/23 | AC 15, Touch 12, FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4| Per +9 | Init +2 | Active: Careful Teamwork (bonuses not typed out)
Sounds nice : )
I'll get an adjusted Ophelia up as soon as Shang weights in on the extracts. Would you mind if I used the previewed version of Studied Strike in that case?
@Castor - That is certainly up to you, but we have plenty of 3/4 bab & 3/4 casting classes. Either you fit right in with multi-class, or you'll get to be the magic-asset with 4 levels of wizard. Either works : )
Female Construct (Human Clockwork Automation) Bard (Archivist) 3 | Hp 20/23 | AC 15, Touch 12, FF 13 | CMD 16 | Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +4| Per +9 | Init +2 | Active: Careful Teamwork (bonuses not typed out)
Darkest Corners GM wrote:
Hmm - did Spooky let us have an item up to 2000gp?
*Blank stare*
Ehm ... No, I don't think so. Why?
edit:
We got +2000gp from the last reboot, is that what you meant : ) ?
edit2:
I realize now you meant the 'most expensive item you can purchase' cap! I don't think so, he was more 'buy multiple small things and get creative', but I don't know if he actually put up a limit.
Apothecary:Your store might not be the go-to apothecary in Korvosa, but you still do well for yourself, and there's no harm in ordering a surplus for your own use. When using Craft (Alchemy), you pay only 1/4 the cost instead of 1/3. In addition, you can buy alchemical items, herbs, and other substances at 75% the listed price. You've also learned almost entirely forgotten secrets of alchemy, and can make Holy Water using Craft (Alchemy) at Craft DC 20.
The Cycle of Life:You aren't sure exactly how many lives you have lived, but sometimes information creeps through that you didn't realize was there. Once per week, you may add a +5 to any Knowledge check other than Knowledge (Local). You must use this ability after rolling, but before knowing the result.
Ophelia:
Robotic Logic: As a machine, your every thought is one of pure logic, making you excellent at understanding both the spirit and letter of the law. When present, you are able to contribute to the efforts of others to discern lies. When dealing with devils, fey creatures, or others who twist words and manipulate people through craft language, party members in your presence gain +1 to Sense Motive rolls. You also have a +1 bonus to Linguistics rolls to discern forgeries, and may use your Linguistics skill as Sense Motive for any written work. (You only get the one because of the ability clusterf+$! that is your race.)
And yes, we had a 25p buy. The original recruitment was pretty juicy :)
I'm fine with stripping down the point-buy to something less, if that is where we want to go!
Haunting Images: You fell asleep once, and horrors ensued. But now you're stronger than you used to be, and won't slip off into slumber so easily again. You gain a +2 bonus against exhaustion and fatigue effects, as well as magical sleep.
Survivor: You may well have sat on the edge of madness, but you've grown stronger for it. There is a lingering paranoia in the back of your head that lets you react faster to threats. You gain +1 to Initiative rolls when taken by surprise, and a +1 to Reflex saves.
25 POINT BUY!
(GM mentally adjusts the party's CR up by about 0.5)
Yeah - limit is 1500.
"Bonus" trait for Ophelia (so everyone gets two):
Free Willed Construct: Free Willed constructs are a rarity. It complicates your life and requires you to carry papers to prove you are not property. On the other hand when you want to blend in, people in Nex tend to ignore constructs. Make a Bluff vs Sense Motive check to appear as a mindless construct, and you may take 10 on this roll at any point. Does not work on those who know you well unless paired with Disguise.
For the others;
Once characters were statted up, Spooky gave us some bonus traits as well
