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As a heads up, I will be taking the Illinois Bar Exam on Tuesday and Wednesday and travelling to Chicago on Monday. I am aiming to still get posts up, but I cannot promise that it will happen.
That's awesome, dude. Gets an A, or over a 270, or whatever the hell passing is. But in all seriousness and sincerity, good luck!
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Question -
Can I cast a quickened fly spell on myself with this dream sequence thing? I've got one more attempt because my cha bonus is +2.
Fly is level 3, and quickened makes it take a slot 4 levels higher. The rules for this that you posted say that the spell or effect can't be level 7 or higher, but in this case the actual spell being cast is a level 3 spell. It just takes a level 7 slot due to the quickened feat.
The DC would be 17 in this case, giving me a 25% chance of success. Then I could perhaps actually have a chance to do something instead of floundering with standard actions to "buff" myself. (one standard to make the elixir appear, another standard to drink it - FFS half the party is going to be dead by then)
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Starting to get conditions all over the place... not to mention a shiny new sword. To keep things nice and simple, I added it all in on Hero Lab and updated my tagline with the new stats. I also included a simple offensive block on his profile for when he's attacking with all current conditions and his +3 ghost touch greatsword.
Just so you know I've included them all when I attack next. I'll add flanking, power attack, etc in separately, if it applies to whichever attack I'm making.
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As a heads up, I will be taking the Illinois Bar Exam on Tuesday and Wednesday and travelling to Chicago on Monday. I am aiming to still get posts up, but I cannot promise that it will happen.
I have no idea what that is, but I wish you good luck any way!
You guys make it sound like it doesn't involve crawling from pub to pub and consuming unhealthy amount of alcohol.
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I think that part is just law school, if you believe Hollywood.
The bar is the state exam that lets you practice law. It is notoriously difficult....
-Posted with Wayfinder
Post will get posted tonight once I figure out why my laptop is on the fritz. (Need access to the scenario)
-Posted with Wayfinder
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@GM Bold Strider, can I ask how they were able to move, attack, and move again? Unless they have some interesting special ability, the should not be able to target us while inside of the walls.
Is only the brown area walls, and the other areas leave them out in the open? Honestly trying to figure this all out... hasn't make a lot of sense to me so far.
It looks like, assuming that only the brown areas are solid, we should be able to target all four at this time, assuming we can get LOS. I am also guessing that Amaranti (well, more specifically, Karshaiga), could fly up and attack some of them, such as yellow and green.
Thank you.
Last round: They attacked and then moved into the brown cover rocks.
This round: They moved out from the rocks and attacked. They haven't attacked from inside the walls and are currently outside of their cover positions.
I'm not sure what you mean by 'are only the brown areas solid?'. The purplish area is the void around the floating islands you are standing on.
Your third paragraph is correct.
Let's just say they are 15' off the ground. They are outside of the cover rocks, but below their height, so you need LoS to target them. Before, they were completely above them so you could all see them.
Also, they are attacking with ranged attacks. They don't need to be adjacent.
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So the vast majority of character creation, mechanically, is preparing for combat. That's just the way Pathfinder is. Gear and everything is very combat oriented.
So combats should actually be fun. Its a big part of why we spend so much time crafting our characters and their abilities, and gear... I don't know why this one isn't fun, but man I am having the opposite of fun.
I'm really trying to take a step back and take a more objective view, try to enjoy the flavor and the things going on around me for what it is, but I am struggling.
Hopefully this scenario will just be over soon. Thats really the only thought I keep coming back to.
Dammit, this sucks. I just want to have fun again.
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Hi all!
I've been thinking about something for a while now. My thoughts mirror Steve's about this (and other scenarios I've played of late) and recent server issues (among some other things) has led me to a sad conclusion: I am leaving PFS.
I will play live occasionally, and GenCon 2016 will be a big farewell. I know this means I won't be with you for the Seeker Arc, and I'm aware this means the Drongos will be down one crazy half-orc... but I'm really not having fun anymore.
This is nothing to do with GM Bold Strider's GMing. I've been more than happy under his masterful guidance over PbP. Thank you so much, mate, for taking over our collection of Drongos!
This decision is purely PFS and server-issue based. This one has been the worst scenario I think I've ever played, but the quality and direction of late has been severely lackluster. It's not so bad at a live table when you get to socialize and it's all over in 4 hours. Playing the same frustrating game for a month? Intolerable and not fun. Perhaps it was always like this. Maybe I've moved on and grown. I don't know.
So... thank you very much to everyone for playing with me and the Drongos for over a year now! I'm very grateful for all the fun we've had, and am so happy it will continue with RoW (assuming we can find some way to play that doesn't crash all the time).
Obviously, I'll play out the end of this scenario, but that is where it ends. So sorry for ruining everyone's plans, but this doesn't mean you have to stop! I'm just not doing PFS anymore... and the less PbP I play on these s!+#ty f+~#ing servers the better.
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That is the funny thing about plans, especially plans for things that are a year out or more. So many things about life change from day to day...
I have also been exceedingly disappointed with Season 7 so far, particularly lately. This scenario and #7-01 Between the Lines have been... not good.
I don't like not having fun, especially for the time and effort we all put into this. I wouldn't dream of holding it against anyone for leaving if they weren't having fun. A level 12 seeker isn't the point of this game... fun is the point.
I am surprised, quite frankly, at how my attitude about PFS turned so quickly. There was a time when doing anything that wasn't PFS felt almost like a waste. That seems like a harsh way to say it, but the thought process was, "If I am playing, I might as well be getting chronicles and leveling up characters!"
There is a part of me that is unquenchably optimistic, that PFS doesn't actually suck anymore, and things could get better. My passion for playing PFS is quickly turning to Apathy however, and I'm not sure how motivated I am to continue to try to find the good stuff.
I am going to reserve my decision to back out (or not back out) for now. I may follow suit, and I may not. I can probably be easily convinced to stay. I still really want to be invested in the storyline come Gen Con, but to be perfectly honest, it feels more and more like the storyline is not really worth getting invested in. It would be awesome to encounter Rataji - the character I played in the Aspis pregen game, since I have a boon that relates to that. I'm not sure I want to guess at the scenario that might have him in it until I find it. I am also now worried that the scenario might be really boring, or just plain bad.
As a side note - the Cyrus and Ibid backstory/futurestory is not complete, but it will get completed at some point. Whether through PFS, or by jumping off the PFS wagon completely and going homebrew, the story will be told. That might have been the biggest realization I came to thinking about all of this - Its our story, and we can tell it any way we want. We never needed PFS to begin with, and we certainly don't need it to end.
Anyways - Consider Cyrus in a holding pattern for now. I'm not quitting PFS PbP. I not deciding on whether or not to stop just yet. Mostly - I completely understand where you are coming from Lort, and I don't hold any of that against you. It is what it is.
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I am sorry to hear that you are leaving, Lort, because it has been a lot of fun playing with you. Perhaps this scenario notwithstanding (and I think that you are right, it has mechanics that don't play well with PbP) season 7 has been pretty exceptional.
My experiences so far:
7-01: I thought it was interesting, but some of the story got lost in mechanics.
7-02: (Nothing against my GM, but...) this one has a trap/puzzle where the clues you were offered were actually misleading. BAD. Otherwise, had some interesting RP, though the whole walk to the town part could be dropped.
7-03: Exceptional scenario - I had a lot of fun both playing and running this. A LOT of RP potential... a lot of ways that a creative team could solve the problems. When I played, we rolled initiative ONCE, and no attack rolls were made.
7-04: Fun slugfest. Had interesting RP, and really interesting fights.
7-05: A couple of potential mechanics flaws, but a really interesting story
7-06 (haven't played)
7-07: I had a lot of fun with this one, and had a lot of creative problem solving in it! Also good to know that "Uncle Guaril" is still alive!
7-08: haven't played
7-09: We're playing it!
7-10: Better than The Wounded Wisp with its story. I like this one as an evergreen. Was a lot of fun. I've even played it twice already!
7-11: One of the best EVER! If I was running it PbP, there are some things I would tweak, because the format may not work well. When I played we had a blast... when I ran, they did amazing!
7-12: Another amazing RP scenario -- lots of fun things you can do with it. I like investigations, personally, though
7-13: Also a really fun scenario -- with lots of fun (intentional) innuendo - interesting RP, interesting fights!
7-14: Start of a new series, with a lot of good roleplaying, interesting situations and allows for a lot of creative problem solving. Can't wait to see what the rest of them will do.
7-15: Was an almost perfect scenario for Lucius! Back in Goka (or under Goka) where you had to think on your toes, negotiate hard, and plan for all contingencies!
7-16 & 7-17: have not read not played.
That all being said, I am sorry to hear you aren't having fun with the season. I have been having a blast on the ones I have played or run! Cyrus, I really hope you continue to play! That goes for the rest of you! And that's 'cause I really love the characters that you've been playing, and the stories that we've been telling!
I also am looking forward to playing through Eyes of the Ten with you all, with Gunari! He's been one of my favorite characters, and he'll be great for the series!! It is an amazing series, and even though parts are dated, it has the potential to be as great as the players want it to be!
And then, who knows?!?!
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Thanks for the support, Steve.
Jack, good to know you're having fun with PFS. Maybe we've been unlucky. Maybe my attitude has been poor lately for whatever reason and that's caused me to be sour on PFS (because I've been really enjoying RoW, so it's not PbP)... but for all 3 PFS groups I've been in, it's been a long time since I've enjoyed the scenario, despite the GMs rocking at running them.
I hope that I get a new enjoyment for PFS over GenCon, I really do.
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Ok - servers are a big issue. I feel like I am playing over Dial Up.
As for PFS - this season hasn't been as exciting for me personally as the previous seasons, for a variety of reasons.
We have only played 2 PFS season 7s so far, and they seem to mirror each other too much. One mind-bending-scape would be cool, two are overkill.
Time - we used to blow through scenarios, not so much since GenCon. Momentum is very important in PbP (nothing to do with current GM - you are awesome <3)
Growth - I would agree with Lort that we are growing as gamers. IoD was awesome as is RoW in a way that PFS cannot be. We are all not as fortunate as Jack to have a great RL presence. When we are limited to PbP, and slow ones that we are not 100% into, it does suck the fun out somewhat. Just check our posting rates.
High Tier - I hate hate hate the you need x or do y thing in all RPGs. Sure I can be creative, but when you need x then fun not much having am I.
As for the Drongos, I don't know. I really like you all and I really want to have fun gaming with you all. Maybe a short break, get the servers back online, rekindle that lost flame. Not sure I want to throw the towel in.
As for my part - GM you have been great and it cannot be said enough how grateful I am that you are running for us. We are fortunate and I honored that you did this for us. Many thanks and a free beer at GenCon.
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I am sad to hear your decision to leave, Lort. And same goes to Cyrus, should you also decide leaving PFS behind.
I can sure relate, but perhaps for different reasons. Past few weeks I've been really exhausted, feeling almost burnout for PBP. But perhaps that's just having too many games going on, and too busy on real life. I have no particular complaints on season 7. It's just irony that were running two scenario with very similar things goings on. And this one maybe not the best fit for PBP.
I'm with John and Jack in hoping you'll get your interest back, and return to Drongos. I'd love to have Amaranti "retiring" with you lot :) (even with the slight disgust for high tier games)
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Amaranti, we're 100% in agreement here. I want the group to continue.
While we cannot replace Lort (or Cyrus), I have at least one replacement player that is interested in joining our motley crew (and has the ability to replay EotT). I still think this group would be fantastic to play through the arc with, and I am totally interested in how it would go in a PbP.
As for pacing, we've had some issues with that, which may be part of the problem with this group. Some of it might be the nature of higher level play (while the players have more options, so do the scenario authors), some of it might be other things. For the most part, it has not diminished my enjoyment of this group.
When we continue (making an assumption here), we'll work with our GM(s) to pick what we think are really fun, interesting, and sometimes challenging scenarios. We can keep it a little loose (don't need to over plan everything), mixing in the old with the new.
Here's to continued fun!
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As a follow-up to what Damien said previously, I will also be dropping out of PFS following this game. There are a few things going on (personally) that is making keeping up with required posting to be very difficult, I.e. work, etc.. And because of this, posting has become a stressful task rather than fun one, which very much hurts my enjoyment.
I wanted to say, I've enjoyed playing Ibid with you, dudes. It was a great journey getting to this point. Also, I wanted to thanks GM Bold Strider for running the games for our group, you've done an awesome job. And, I hope it's clear that my leaving PFS is due to my trouble keeping up with the needed posting rates and also the more general theme of finding that I enjoy playing non-PFS games over PFS (because non-PFS can be more open/free).
Thanks everyone for the great PFS moments, and I'm sorry to drop out. Thank you again, GM Bold Strider for running these games!
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Business first:
After much internal debate between the seducers bane and the ring of blinking, the ring of blinking seems way cooler, and by the time I get around to saving up for the seducer's bane, should I ever decide I want them, I'll probably be able to just get them anyways (having enough fame)
So I'll take the ring of blinking on my chronicle.
Ongoing issues:
I am going to stand by my wishy-washy statement above. I'm not ready to leave PFS. However, Lort, Finarin and Ibid are half of our regular group. This means that for now, I am going to put Cyrus on the proverbial shelf. Not sure when he will come back off the shelf, or if he will even come off the shelf in PFS form. The Cyrus and Ibid story (which now includes everyone) will get finished, one way or another.
Its kinda sad to think about the Drongos breaking up for now, but maybe it will be like the Eagles - and we can eventually get back together. I will hold on to that hope, and use this time to slow down my PbP commitment and hopefully recharge the batteries.
@GM Bold Strider - Thanks again for your commitment to running these games for us. Sorry we picked terrible scenarios (which I feel is a big portion of what killed this drive) and that it petered out so soon. You are an awesome GM, and I hope to see you at Gen Con so I can buy you a beer.
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Hello my friends.
So In light of Damien and Chris ending their time with PFS, Jyri expressing a PbP burn out, Steve has the right of it. I am not quitting the band, but I also don't want to continue with the group without a full compliment of cast. Things have steadily declined for the Drongos since Chris the Other went AWOL.
I have also seen a dramatic reduction in posting and fun, which I believe is a direct correlation.
It seems a good time to take a step back, explore some options, and leave the door wide open to a return.
I propose that we suspend the Drongos until GenCon. Let us see what happen then and we can always reassess.
As for gaming from then until now - I have 2 PFSs games that I am currently in, one that I would be stunned if it lasted the week, and the other I post on once every few days. That should see my PFS end.
For me, RoW will get much more attention, I hope to hit that thread a least 2-4 times a day, and really step up.
Jack and Jyri, I love to game with you and I still want to game with you outside of RoW. How that will work going forward, I am not sure. But I have no desire to throw in the towel on a year and a half of the best gaming of my life.
I know that messes with a lot of your plans, and I am sorry about that. But rest assured, I will be here.
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@All It truly pains me that the group is hanging up their weapons
@GM Bold Strider Thank you for another enjoyable game.
As for items... I am looking through.
Malleable Symbol -- looks really cool, but Gunari hardly ever channels.
Bracers of Sworn Vengeance -- really doesn't sound like Gunari, so, I think he'll just go with the Manual of gainful excerice (though he'll likely never use it).
74294-9 The Exchange (slow track)
@GM Bold Strider I will let you know tonight if he's filled the boxes, and how much that will be.
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@All I'm sad the story of Drongo's ends here, and I really, really hope it's only temporary. Let's have a small break, and see how it goes from there. And in any case, I still want to keep playing PFS. Let's work something out...
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I wonder if it really matters what item I choose... I still have to purchase it from the chronicle, right? And I think Amaranti has enough fame to get pretty much any of the items anyway. So I'll pick manual of gainful exercise, just so Amaranti can get Lort signing it :)
No day job
# 96960-4 Scarab Sages
@GM Thanks for running! I enjoyed the game. I'm sorry you had to witness the disbanding of this group.
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@All It truly pains me that the group is hanging up their weapons
@All I'm sad the story of Drongo's ends here, and I really, really hope it's only temporary. Let's have a small break, and see how it goes from there. And in any case, I still want to keep playing PFS. Let's work something out...
It is my sincere hope that this is not THE END. I have only been stressing for a year and a half to keep the band together. Yet we have had a great run, we have stayed together a lot longer than most groups, and I honestly believe that a break is best right now. I truly hope that the Drongos will ride together again.
Don't forget that are all still together in RoW, which to me has felt more Drongoish than PFS anyway lately. We still have 4 more books to go, and a dragon to slay!
Excluding my immediate family, after my wife, and High School/college girlfriend, this is now my 3rd longest relationship. :)
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Same here. I think that a break seems like the best thing, but whether its PFS or we just jump off the organized play train and take these drongos our own way, I feel like we can easily finish this story.
One thing that has been said somewhere (John gets credit for this) is that posting momentum is a really big, and underrated factor in PbP. This group has been so good and so fun for so long, that it was only natural that we all get addicted and want more more more. It's like a bowl of cookie dough ice cream. Why have a cup when you can have a bowl? Why have a bowl when you can just eat the whole container?
Except halfway through the container you realize that maybe there is such a thing as to much of a good thing.
I think we were just enjoying everything so much that we stretched ourselves incredibly thin, and the momentum we used to have blasting through scenarios in 2-3 weeks got spread out over 5 games. Posting became more of a chore than a joy, and the fun began to drain out of it like a frog boiling in a pot - You don't realize its gone horribly wrong until its to late.
Trimming games down to a minimum number - a sweet spot if you will - I think will do wonders for reigniting this group's joy of interacting with these characters, but its going to take some time to let the frog pot cool down a bit.
I still can't wait for Gen Con, I think its going to be amazing. Jack has been chirping in my ear about how great some of the season 7 scenarios are, and I believe him. It seems we just hit a run of sub-par ones. Combine that with the other factors that have hurt our fun instead of enhanced it, and you get a perfect storm for a burnout of PFS.
I want to get back to a time when this group was posting like mad, feeding off of each other in a very limited number of games. I am beyond excited to just focus on RoW for the time being. I think trimming back what we are doing is going to do wonders for what is already an intense and awesome game. Perhaps down the road we can focus that lazer beam of awesomeness back on the Drongos and finish our world domination tour.
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I will throw this out there...
I have been working on a more RP-centric style of PbP w/ PFS (works with certain types of scenarios) in a game of 5-22 The Scars of the Third Crusade I am running. So far I've been successful separating all the rolls from the role-playing. In fact, though it has been a lot more work for me, it has been a lot of fun, and I think the players are really getting into it.
What am I saying, then? Well, there are a couple of decent scenarios that this style would work well in from 7th season, and I would love to run one of them for the Drongo core... after you've had a bit of a break, of course. GM Bold Strider, you are welcome to join us as well.
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@GM Bold Strider checking my faction card, I have filled all five boxes in my investor boon. Values are 50, 50, 150, 75, 75... Total of 450. Since I have 7+ goals, this becomes the tycoon boon, and I treat those boxes as 50% higher value, so 675gp. The investor boon doubles their value, so 1350gp, which is what should go in my day job box!
Thank you.
now I have to find s chronicle item that I can buy for 20% off... It is good to be The Exchange
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I will throw this out there...
I have been working on a more RP-centric style of PbP w/ PFS (works with certain types of scenarios) in a game of 5-22 The Scars of the Third Crusade I am running. So far I've been successful separating all the rolls from the role-playing. In fact, though it has been a lot more work for me, it has been a lot of fun, and I think the players are really getting into it.
What am I saying, then? Well, there are a couple of decent scenarios that this style would work well in from 7th season, and I would love to run one of them for the Drongo core... after you've had a bit of a break, of course. GM Bold Strider, you are welcome to join us as well.
I don't want to speak for everyone, but from my point of view, we all have done a great job of adjudicating the dice rolls to focus on the RP. You, me, Jyri, Damien, Steve, and BS. I am not sure that is the problem.
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Oh, I do not disagree, I am talking something a little different... Maybe the next step. Damien is doing some of the same sorts of things with RoW, where interaction skills and many knowledges are being rolled off screen. It is something you can do in PbP and not so easily face to face.
Yes, this was not a satisfying scenario... we didn't face the real big bad, and we didn't get the macguffin. I also don't thing it was a typical 5-9 at all... I have often liked them better than most other tiers.
I was more talking that there are great scenarios in this season, and I would be honored to run one of my favorites when you all are up for it.
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Also, forgot to ask (not that you couldn't have guessed, GM): Manual of gainful exercise +1 please.
I'lll sign Amaranti's copy, too, with pleasure.
Thanks for the offer to run, too, Jack, but I am out of PFS. It's not just PFS over PbP, it's all PFS. GenCon will be my swan song... and if that changes my mind, then maybe back into it August+. Don't hold your breath, though. Most likely, I'll turn up to PFS events (like hopefully Con of the North 2017) and maintain a stable of characters across the level ranges. Mostly, that will be so that I can catch up in person with you awesome folks at said events.
Sorry to do this to the Drongos, but my regular time is best spent on something I actually enjoy. Like RoW.
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Is there anything else we need to do to get chronicles for this? I know it's all doom and gloom because the band is breaking up (sort of) but I would like to get my paperwork straightened out....
-Posted with Wayfinder
I'm sad to see the group decide to end it after only two scenarios which were not that fun, but I understand the group's thoughts on the matter.
Additionally, I am grateful for the opportunity to have GMed for you and some of my own GMing flaws have been brought to light. If I am to ever GM for you again, I will definitely be working on those.
That being said, I'm sure that I will see most, if not all, of you around at some point in the future.
GM Bold Strider, you are welcome to join us as well.
Being able to play with you lot would definitely be a fun experience, though I think investigation missions should be avoided. >.>
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@Cyrus, looking at the scenario, you have to conclude your research in the two libraries within 6 days. I assume because we didn't make all the checks, we failed that.
So what your saying is....
It wasn't a result of a poor decision, or bad tactical acumen, or anything that we had any control over....
It all came down to the roll of the dice on a grouping of skills that, as a group, is almost impossible to have everyone be good, or even average at?
I lost an extra PP because of a random dice roll?
Why am I surprised? This is honestly the only scenario I've seen where the player literally has no control. Ever.
Seriously. You could ALMOST drop about 10 dice on the table, line them up, and walk yourself though this entire scenario using only those results.
@Gunari: You are slow-tracking, so I halved the gold. Is that not what you wanted?
@Cyrus: Like Gunari said, you needed to spend three days in each location, max. You ended up with three in Blakros and four in Forae Logos.
@Gunari-322's Foe: I made an assumption that everyone got that boon as it doesn't specify what triggers you getting it. (I figured it was an 'all-play'.) Turns out a sidebox on page 20 tells you "If the PCs successfully defeat Aslynn’s minions in area C3 , players with the Spoils of the Siege (322) boon find that the obsidian necklace the elf left behind in the Absentia Archive is infused with occult energies absorbed by the dreamscapes collapse. This item appears in the boon 322’s Foe on the adventure’s Chronicle sheet.
So if any of you guys have th Spoils of the Siege (322) boon, then you get the 322's Foe boon, otherwise I leave it to you to cross it off. None of you are oracles, so I'm not too worried.
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Chronicle downloaded. Thanks for running, once again.
I lost an extra PP because of a random dice roll?
Heh, I think this is how it used to be in the old days of faction missions. You got one chance to roll some obscure skill - and if you fail, there goes 1 PP. (OK, I only joined in season 5, so I don't really know. Sometimes we've done the factions missions just for the lulz)
I don't know... Maybe knowledge monkeys will get more of this, since they get to shine here. But usually there's only one character with knowledges (like Drongo's) so getting everyone to roll for skills they're unlikely to have is a bit meh...
Anyway, it would be nice to hear from someone who's played this on live table. Perhaps this works better in non-PBP. At least the average rating is quite much higher than our experience feels. I've played worse scenarios, so I'm not overly negative about it. Just the ending left me a bit cold.