Doug M's Way of the Wicked (Inactive)

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

The other reason he asked about that, Cimu, is for his own benefit when killing the halfling. The prophecy said he would be helpful if released but incredibly dangerous.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's been bluffing quite a bit. If he can cast invisibility and has mind-effecting spells/abilities (bard stuffs) then him getting away will be easy. I'd rather have him use his own invisibility on the same day we plan to kill him :D

If he is a bard then he can cast that spell a lot of times per day...doubt if we will be able to drain him out of spells.

aaand home for the Fourth of July.

Ah, I forgot that bards aren't prepared casters. Still, getting him to use up one of his own 3 or 4 2nd level spells isn't a bad idea. Do any of us have glitterdust? Jax is a level too low to cast it still.

Interesting. So, Zimu, are you also planning to murder poor Nimpy? Or are you actually fond of him? Or are you the sort of evil character who wouldn't consider that an either/or question?

nimpy has been dead since he got captured.

as long as odenkirk dies he will be happy

My motto is use --> dispose. Sometimes (drink blood) is in between the other two steps.

so we need to get him off the boat at another stop right? Not here?

The Captain will deliver you, first to the north shore of the lake -- where you'll meet the Fourth Knot, presumably -- and then to the south shore, which is back in Talingarde.

Normally, Jax wouldn't think of killing the poor fellow..but the prophecy!

Tohram considers the lives of most others to be greatly overrated.

Interesting. So, Zimu, are you also planning to murder poor Nimpy? Or are you actually fond of him? Or are you the sort of evil character who wouldn't consider that an either/or question?

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I'm pretty sure I've never given an indication of that being my intent.

Have I?

Not once. If anything I would argue for keeping him alive if for just his wealth of knowledge of the world we live in which is fascinating. I think your confusing me with another lively dark soul.

Also for ze Amercaners, Happy July 4th!

Regular posting by late tomorrow.

The prophecy said:
"The Cruel Master holds a captive. The captive is cunning, but his cunning serves him not. The captive speaks sweet words, but no words will free him. Do not let the captive see you clearly. Free, he can help you. Free, he is more dangerous than the Master. "

The idea of having someone "more dangerous" than an immortal ship-sailing, iceberg-terrorizing captain doesn't bode well for the future. We should murder them both.

I will be a disappoint if you don't eat Nimpy and Edmin's visitor.

Everyone most go, if just for practical reasons.

edmin has a visitor?

Nimby is more dangerous, because if he sees us and we do not kill him. He will get free and speak of who we are and what we are doing. I do not think that he is personally as dangerous. To me, this is a words are more dangerous than swords idea.

Also for ze Amercaners, Happy July 4th!

Regular posting by late tomorrow.

DM in case you did not realize this was me, I'll be posting by tomorrow evening.

I agree partly, Judge. However, I think the prophecy pointing out how clever the halfling is should keep us wary of that aspect. Perhaps not terrifying in a fight, but able to escape us or figure out who we are..

Either way, we both agree he should be killed :D

Back from lake and ready to resume.

so any guesses on Della? I am taking suggestions.

I have light posting for another 48 hours, and then am back to normal.

Meanwhile, we have two threads in gameplay: the cutscene and the main narrative, which currently has night falling while you're anchored in the river. On the main narrative, I'll hold off rolling for encounters until Monday night. That leaves the cutscene, which currently includes Sir Edmin and Zimu. You two, feel free to play this out now -- I should be able to respond to whatever you do.

Also, as always, you can do other stuff -- interact with crew members, the Captain, Nimpy, ask general questions, etc.

Edmin is waiting for Zimu and the Soothsayer to interact.

When he gets a chance, the Judge will inquire of Nimby what he knows about this river. What creatures are to be found in the river and in the woods nearby.

Sir Edmin, what Nimpy says is in every way consistent with your own experience of the North (viz., two expeditions past the Wall about a dozen years apart).

I'm fully online from tomorrow night onwards, so let's all dig in.

yippy

so any guesses on Della? I am taking suggestions.

Part II of Sir Edmin's backstory involves a lost love. It's the story of his time in the West, and why he hates demon woshippers worse than absolutely anything, and why he didn't become an Alerion Knight after all.

I'm kind of waiting to see if Captain Odenkirk gets a crit and takes his head off, though.

I'm going to roll some encounter checks, but since those could involve combat, I'll hold off until tomorrow (Wednesday) to give the cutsceners a bit more time to resolve.

Hey gang read this after you read your PMs

No you said! Goblin kill everyone!

DMDM is a cruel DM.

dmdm if Xen dies can we please have a goblin god bring him back to life?

Dren wakes from his slumber with a smile. He savors the brief fear he feels from it. :)

The Judge awakens and realizes that it was a dream. What purpose the First may have had for providing this dream is uncertain. However, the Judge knows that he shall have to keep a closer eye on all in his Knot. After all, the claim that evil destroys itself did not simply arise from nothing.

Okay, one more day.

Ramadan in Prishtina, Kosovo. Notable effects so far:

1) at lunch, local cafe/restaurant was ~90% full instead of ~100% full.
2) when I left an open package of Fig Newtons at the reception desk at the office, at COB there were still a couple left.
2) at 11:55 pm on a Wednesday, extended dance remix of "Somebody That I Used To Know" is coming in loudly through my apartment window.

ok one more day. I hope not much more, cause the tale of Della is rapidly coming to a close.

The dream just solidifies Jax's desire to murder everyone and run away with Irin.

Nice to see everyone talking and discussing plans. Just so you know: the Captain encounter has (I think) an unusually flat range of outcomes. That is, you could totally nail this and walk away unscratched, or nearly. On the other hand, you could totally die. Partly this is the dice, of course, but mostly it's a question of whether you approach things correctly.

Pray continue.

Well, "pray continue" while keeping in mind that you're still some distance away from that encounter. Other stuff will be going on meanwhile. So, pray walk and chew gum.

so you know: the Captain encounter has (I think) an unusually flat range of outcomes. That is, you could totally nail this and walk away unscratched, or nearly.

I will quote a friend who is following our game here -

'I would suggest you roll to disbelieve, Sense Motive or make a Will save when the DM says that.'

If the DM is busily stroking a 1920's waxed mustache, contemptuous white Persian cat, or a Jedi lightsaber as the rebel fleet is being blown to bits, you get a +2 circumstance bonus to any of the above rolls.

I am guessing that the captain won't think of some elaborate, unnecessarily long method for our death though...a quick axe blow will probably be enough.

If the judge can have 3-4 summons in and we can focus all of our energies on him we should be able to finish him with surprise...that's the key against the BBEG.

Surprise and prepared-ness. If we can lure him into an ambush of 4 or so summons, plus Morsum then we can get a large number of actions before he even gets a turn to go. Its even possible we could drop him before he even gets to draw his weapon. Jax and Edmin can do a big chunk of damage if they can reliably hit on turn 1.

Remember, I can only have one summon active at a time. I can have Morsum, or a Summon Monster II, or 1d3 Summon Monster I monsters.

If Cy can use a summon Monster II, we can have her monsters together with Morsum.

Oh damn I forgot about that..ah I remember the PF game where we had a master summoner.

30+ lantern archons and a dead pack of manticores later and there was no more master summoner in that game.

I thought about a master summoner, but decided that I wanted a full power Eidolon. And, as you said, the Master Summoner can call so many monsters that it becomes untenable. Think of a 17th level Master Summoner with Augment/Superior Summoning calling 1d3+1 elder elementals per round for like 15 rounds. Even Orcus and some other very high CR creatures would start to have trouble with that.

I think the Summoner is a bit OP. To give a single, minor example, as you noted a little while back, you get Haste at 4th level. The Summoner has all kinds of little advantages like that, and the cumulative effect is to make it more exploitable than any of the core classes. And this is why there are a lot of GMs -- and a lot of game designers, including Creighton Broadhurst and James Jacobs -- who won't have anything to do with the Summoner. That said, I think a straight Summoner is still playable. OP, but not game-wreckingly so.

A Master Summoner, OTOH, is cheese with a side order of extra cheese.