Fatespinner's Darkness Rising

Game Master Fatespinner

Okay, we need to slow the pacing of the individual posts here. In a single post, Ventar has abdicated with the body, taken it to a temple, and systematically begun to remove the valuables from said body without any chance for others to make attempts to save the man, investigate him further, or... y'know, try to talk to him at all. At the time Ventar was kneeling beside him, he was still not dead.

Also, Haruk hasn't really had a chance to get a word in edgewise since Ventar and Kamau exited the building. So, let's keep things in small steps. If you want to declare your INTENT to remove the body, that's fine, but don't assume that such a significant action is going to go off without a hitch. Now that we're past the editorial point, I'm going to have to modify my plan a bit to go along with the actions that have already been posted since we can't delete or rework them at this point.

Yea, I'll admit, I'm kinda at a loss as to how to join in right now.

I was going to wait and see what happened, perhaps involve myself in trying to move the body, maybe to my place, etc.

But now its been whisked away, and I have no reason to go to the temple. Its not like I actually care about this guy and all he did was bump into me.

About the best I can come up with is to send my familiar after them, and learn whats going on and maybe jump in that way, but even that's shaky.

Yea, I'll admit, I'm kinda at a loss as to how to join in right now.

I was going to wait and see what happened, perhaps involve myself in trying to move the body, maybe to my place, etc.

But now its been whisked away, and I have no reason to go to the temple. Its not like I actually care about this guy and all he did was bump into me.

About the best I can come up with is to send my familiar after them, and learn whats going on and maybe jump in that way, but even that's shaky.

Well, the man was Chelish... let's go with this method: You recognized the man. Not at first, but when you saw him being carried away, something clicked:

That should give you enough incentive to follow.

Apologies for being over eager in my posting. It was in fact my intention to express an intent to bring the body away from the markedplace with the DMs approval. Please bear with me, this is my first pbp, I ned to get a feel for the tempo. If we never made it out of the markedplace to begin with I would be fine with that....

Apologies for being over eager in my posting. It was in fact my intention to express an intent to bring the body away from the markedplace with the DMs approval. Please bear with me, this is my first pbp, I ned to get a feel for the tempo. If we never made it out of the markedplace to begin with I would be fine with that....

Yeah, let's do a little retconning here. Assume that, AT CURRENT, you have not yet reached the temple of Pharasma but rather are en route with the still-not-quite-completely-dead Chelish man.

Ok, good. Fate, beyond Albrekt and myself, how familiar are we with the other characters?

Ok, good. Fate, beyond Albrekt and myself, how familiar are we with the other characters?

As familiar as you want to be. I'll leave that entirely up to you guys to decide. It's clear that you all at least know of each other. Haruk is a fairly high-profile individual, owing to his relative opulence and high Charisma, so you've probably seen or heard some of his proselytizing at some point. Kamau is an established mercenary for hire who has been in the city for several months now. You may or may not have witnessed him in action at some point, that's up to him to decide what he's been doing within the city proper (I don't suspect Ventar gets out of town often). Solace is an accomplished lorekeeper and alchemist, but Joy will need to decide if she makes this knowledge and skill available to others or not. Perhaps she operates a curio shop and/or small library somewhere in town? Or maybe she's simply one of the city archivists with a talent for brewing curatives?

Solace will run an odd little curio/doll shop that also sells the occasional curative potion and scroll. She also has a reputation for knowing bits of esoteric knowledge.

This should help with the Play by Posts thing.

Fatespinner what's the repute of Venter and Albrekt around the city? Presume that we've frequented Solace's shoppe or consulted her for knowledge...

I see Albrekt being Venter's brutal shadow...

Fatespinner what's the repute of Venter and Albrekt around the city? Presume that we've frequented Solace's shoppe or consulted her for knowledge...

I see Albrekt being Venter's brutal shadow...

The two of you are still relatively unknown at this point, being fairly recent additions to the city. Haruk, Solace, and Kamau have a bit more establishment.

Cool. Am slowly building up Albrekt's background... have covered his formative years; his fall from grace, rebirth and betrothal to Urgoatha has still to come...

Feedback welcome :)

Having completed his survey of the symbols Ventar looks up at Kamau and muses:

"Yes, he did, didn't he. Seems to me to be a singularly useful anatomical addition for an assassin. And a rather distinguishing feature if we should ever happen upon the assassin again..."

Ventar wasn't able to see that. The spoiler was for Kamau alone. If you're going to read spoilers that are for other players, at least don't acknowledge that you've done so in the roleplay. :P

Ventar Lister wrote:

Having completed his survey of the symbols Ventar looks up at Kamau and muses:

"Yes, he did, didn't he. Seems to me to be a singularly useful anatomical addition for an assassin. And a rather distinguishing feature if we should ever happen upon the assassin again..."

Ventar wasn't able to see that. The spoiler was for Kamau alone. If you're going to read spoilers that are for other players, at least don't acknowledge that you've done so in the roleplay. :P

Ach, good point :) Feel free to give pointers along the way all of you, this is my first pbp, so I'll obviously need them. Thanks for your patience!

Don't be afraid to ask questions, folks, particularly regarding proper nouns. I said up front that this was going to be heavy on the investigation, exploration, and artifact hunting aspects. Now, granted, anything that would be "common knowledge" to your characters is being provided to you, but your Knowledges (those of you who have them) are going to get a workout.

• Places and the people, customs, and laws of those places are covered by Knowledge: Local. Most organizations also fall under this category, unless they are religious organizations (and even then there is some overlap). Lesser known organizations require higher skill DCs to gain useful info on them, often starting at 20. Oddly, knowing WHERE a place is located in reference to other places is covered by Geography... so while you might know all about the laws and customs of the people of the Mwangi Expanse with Local, if you don't have Geography as well you might have trouble finding it on a map. Broad geographic information is often DC 10, however, so that kind of general knowledge can be obtained by the untrained.
• Knowing about significant artifacts and other icons of great power could be either Knowledge: History or Knowledge: Arcana. Most artifacts, particularly ones that are not extensively documented, require DC 30 or higher to glean any useful information. Remember that libraries, some spells, and other tools may exist to provide bonuses to these checks.
• Identifying creatures varies depending on the type of creature. Magical beasts, constructs, and dragons are Arcana. Undead are covered by Religion. Humanoids and monstrous humanoids are covered by Local. Outsiders are Planes. Plants and animals are Nature. Aberrations and oozes are Dungeoneering. There may be some others I'm forgetting, but it's mostly intuitive. The fewer details you have to base your analysis on, the higher the DC will be. Also, rare and obscure creatures are more difficult to identify. Generally, the DC will be 10 + creature's CR. Rare creatures may be 15 or 20+. Particularly common ones (such as orcs and kobolds) might only be 5+.
• Remember that Knowledge checks with a DC higher than 10 CANNOT BE ATTEMPTED by anyone who does not have at least 1 rank in the skill. Considering that DC 10 checks are practically "common knowledge," most checks with any degree of significance will require training.

With that said, Knowledges aren't the only way to find information. Diplomacy and Intimidate can both yield strong results when employed against the right targets. Stealth and Perception combine to make a powerful eavesdropping tool. Sleight of Hand could take valuable documents away from someone without their knowledge. I encourage creativity, but I also lean heavily on realism. Use what you have available to you and you will be rewarded.

Did Solace actually inform anyone about the items she identified? Or did she just look at them, shrug, and go back to reading the book? It wasn't really clear by your post, Joy.

For ease of reference, since magic items are going to be fairly significant throughout this campaign, here is a complete listing of the slots in which a magical item may fit on a character. Remember that each slot is independent of all others unless an item specifies that it uses multiple slots. Ergo, a character may wear a suit of armor AND a robe AND a vest (armor, chest, body) and get benefits from all of them. Keep in mind, however, that bonuses of the same type do not stack. This means that if you are wearing armor that gives a +5 armor bonus to AC and also a robe that gives a +2 armor bonus, you only gain the benefit of the +5 from the armor (though any other bonuses from the robes apply separately).

Armor: suits of armor.

Belts: belts and girdles.

Body: robes and vestments.

Chest: mantles, shirts, and vests.

Eyes: eyes, glasses, and goggles.

Feet: boots, shoes, and slippers.

Hands: gauntlets and gloves.

Head: circlets, crowns, hats, helms, and masks.

Headband: headbands and phylacteries.

Neck: amulets, brooches, medallions, necklaces, periapts, and scarabs.

Ring (up to two): rings.

Shield: shields.

Shoulders: capes and cloaks.

Wrist: bracelets and bracers.

Also not shown on this list are weapons, which are not exactly "slots" per se, but rather must be actively wielded to gain a benefit. Why the PRD includes shields and not weapons on this list is beyond me.

Any thoughts on how to divvy up loot on a general basis?

Albrekt doesn't care for an "equal share" - if there's something he really wants then he'll voice it, otherwise the rest of the group can take their pick :)

I suggest that everyone copy the list of item slots I posted to their character sheets and list any items you are using in their appropriate slot. It makes things a lot easier to track and also lets me see at a glance what your character looks like, equipment-wise. You might also add an additional slot or two for weapons if you want, but I figure those will be listed in your attack lines.

Also, loot distribution is entirely up to you guys. You might notice that, especially for 3rd-level characters, your party is already in possession of a considerable amount of wealth. There's a reason for this: In my games, the "magic market" assumption of core PF rules does not apply. Minor items, scrolls, potions, and most stat boosting items are fairly easy to acquire but more specialized items, particularly weapons, armor, staves, and potent wondrous items are more difficult to find, even in major cities. You will also not be able to just go in and expect to sell items for half value in most places, since many cities will not have enough wealth to buy the items to begin with. I expect buying and selling items to be a not-insignificant part of the roleplay in this campaign.

Now, in exchange for not being able to shop for "custom gear," you can expect that I will be fairly generous with items (which you are already seeing). Some of them will not be terribly useful to any of you (like the +1 flaming burst rapier). However, they are more than just weapons... they might be tools as well. A flaming rapier, while not anyone's first choice in this party, could be an invaluable tool against a troll, for example, or anything vulnerable to fire. I expect each of you to consider uses for the items I provide you with as perhaps more than they might otherwise appear. I promise that you will never feel "under-geared," but you may not have an absolutely ideal kit all the time. After all, what good is hunting down ancient artifacts if you aren't going to use them?

Good call Fatespinner - I see a +1 Flaming Rapier as an excellent torture tool for instance - piercing and cauterising as it goes... heh.

Any thoughts on how to divvy up loot on a general basis?

These are very self-interested people on the one hand, but if they're going to be working together, they'd want each other to have whatever edge they can for their mutual survival. I don't think it's too far-fetched for them to recognize each others' uses for various items after a level or two of working together.

That said, for these particular items, I haven't looked at the spoilers and no one's commented on what they do, so I don't know yet.

That said, for these particular items, I haven't looked at the spoilers and no one's commented on what they do, so I don't know yet.

Solace informed everyone of the items' characteristics. Haruk spoke about the wayfinder, but didn't mention the robes at all.

Sorry, that's what I get for rewriting a post, stuff got left out I meant to leave in.

Solace informs the others what she's figured out about some of the items and expresses a bit of frustration about the ones she can't figure out, especially the rings.

Kamau wrote:

That said, for these particular items, I haven't looked at the spoilers and no one's commented on what they do, so I don't know yet.

Solace informed everyone of the items' characteristics. Haruk spoke about the wayfinder, but didn't mention the robes at all.

Solace wrote:

Sorry, that's what I get for rewriting a post, stuff got left out I meant to leave in.

Solace informs the others what she's figured out about some of the items and expresses a bit of frustration about the ones she can't figure out, especially the rings.

Ah, cool. Will check when I get home.

My gut reaction is Albrekt dismisses their usefulness to him, despite the descriptions his stance will remain (my logic is unless it looks like it'll appeal or is "explained/sold" to Albrekt in terms he'd find appealing, then he'll rarely take interest in loot.

That being said odd items like fingers, the pommel of a dagger or a broken bottle might appeal (plan to have him wear shards and debris as adornments/decoration).

That being said I'd prefer Albrekt not to have "custom" items appear in the game for his unusual tastes/abilities... Better he ritually ruins/breaks those he claims :)

My gut reaction is Albrekt dismisses their usefulness to him, despite the descriptions his stance will remain (my logic is unless it looks like it'll appeal or is "explained/sold" to Albrekt in terms he'd find appealing, then he'll rarely take interest in loot.

That being said odd items like fingers, the pommel of a dagger or a broken bottle might appeal (plan to have him wear shards and debris as adornments/decoration).

That being said I'd prefer Albrekt not to have "custom" items appear in the game for his unusual tastes/abilities... Better he ritually ruins/breaks those he claims :)

Hell yes. The idea of the dread-knight covered in wreckage and body parts is definitely excellent. Plus, he'll make an excellent distraction. By level 6-7, he won't even be able to walk down the street without turning heads or causing minor panics.

Any body parts will be subtle (lol) - finger bones, teeth perhaps a money pouch made from a baw-bag (I jest) - DM Fatespinner warned me about Skull adornments etc being a quick route to the next life...

Ideally I'd love Albrekt to wear piecemeal armour of a sort, but not sure that would work in-game?

Can Magic Weapons & Armour have the broken condition or do they "lose" their enchantment while damaged/wrecked???

Ideally I'd love Albrekt to wear piecemeal armour of a sort, but not sure that would work in-game?

Can Magic Weapons & Armour have the broken condition or do they "lose" their enchantment while damaged/wrecked???

I'll have to take another look at the piecemeal armor rules. I know they exist, but I've never used them before. I don't know how that would work with magical armor, particularly if the various pieces had different enchantments...

Also, yes, magical arms & armor can still have the broken condition without losing their enhancement. Just be aware that items which are already broken are much, much more susceptible to being sundered and subsequently destroyed completely.

EDIT: Okay, I just checked out the piecemeal armor rules. They're actually not all that complicated, armor is just treated as three pieces (arms, legs, torso). If any of the pieces have magical enhancements, you only get the benefit of the enhancements on the most protective item (usually the torso piece) but enchanting pieces separately costs as much as enchanting a full suit so it's a pretty inefficient means of item creation. Since you'll be getting most of your gear from salvage anyway, I doubt that will be an issue.

If you want to go this route, I recommend sticking a few points in Craft (Armor) so you can cobble together your suits in the field. Plus, it could be useful for other things throughout the campaign (such as identifying certain types of armor... like the mithril chain you're already in possession of). I would consider Craft to be the appropriate skill necessary to "functionally de-construct" something as well as creating it. That is, if you want to ritually smash a suit of armor but still keep a few pieces intact enough to actually be useful... Craft check. (Don't worry, the DC will be considerably lower than actually making the armor.)

Perfect DM Fatespinner - really makes sense for Albrekt and I love the notion of him cobbling together armour and protection... Can either swap out my current Craft ranks or start taking them next level - am cool with either.

Roger that on the Broken condition - think if Albrekt's weapons or armour were destroyed during combat it would be seen as somewhat poetic?

Perfect DM Fatespinner - really makes sense for Albrekt and I love the notion of him cobbling together armour and protection... Can either swap out my current Craft ranks or start taking them next level - am cool with either.

Roger that on the Broken condition - think if Albrekt's weapons or armour were destroyed during combat it would be seen as somewhat poetic?

You can swap your current Craft ranks if you want, that's fine.

And yes, having his weapons break on him in battle might be amusingly poetic... but for someone who is aspiring to undeath for the sole purpose of being able to survive until "The End of All Things" there's probably some acknowledgement in his head somewhere that broken weapons and armor aren't quite as effective as non-broken ones... and effective items help to ensure survival better.

What might make more sense is that he takes the best gear for himself and then destroys his old equipment (rather than selling it for gold) when he gets an upgrade? I think that manages to capture the idea of destruction without unnecessarily gimping yourself. Thoughts?

Yeah that would work. Makes sense regards his survival etc.

Ritual destruction is a pretty cool stickt too :)

Will swap out the ranks (and MW Tools also) with your blessing.

Will swap out the ranks (and MW Tools also) with your blessing.

Go for it.

Haruk - Just noticed that your class on your post-titles indicates that you are an "Infneral Sorcerer." FYI.

RE: Charming the guards - Remember that, with the exception of a stilled, silent spell, most spellcasting is quite obvious and virtually impossible to disguise without some feat or ability that allows you to. Charm is also relatively short range and requires line of effect, so it is safe to say that it will be almost impossible to charm one without the other noticing the spellcasting.

Now, of course, if you were able to charm one and then quickly charm the other before he realized what had happened, that might be an option. Just making everyone aware. :)

What should I claim we're doing here. As this is rather important, I don't wanna just make up my own lie.

Drawing a blank right now for a good lie.

Ventar and Haruk are probably the only ones with any hope of pulling off a convincing lie (thanks to their relatively high CHA scores and ranks in Bluff), so I suggest you don't overthink this too much and go with something simple. Then again, I think if you take too long to make up your minds, Albrekt is just going to murder the guards and make you deal with the consequences.

Also, no one has updated their sheets to reflect the items they took away from Milo's body. I suggest you do that, because when combat happens or you get into a situation where you want/need one of those items, if it's not on the sheet, it's not happening.

I have absolutely no opinion. I deliberately didn't make Kamau a charmer. ;) I play enough of those. I wanted to play someone who kind of plays the "Things have gone south, call in the remover" role.

That said, I'm not averse to a "kill 'em and move on" scenario. I do think that's a heavy precedent to set, and it's going to make us a lot of enemies in Caliphas very quickly if we decide that face-wrecking is the solution to our problems. Still, I agree with Fatey - Albrekt probably isn't going to stand around and debate with us about the best lies to tell. ;P

Also, no one has updated their sheets to reflect the items they took away from Milo's body. I suggest you do that, because when combat happens or you get into a situation where you want/need one of those items, if it's not on the sheet, it's not happening.

I added the map, but it's not under equipment. I put it under "items" to distinguish it as a "plot object."

Yea, that's why I asked in here, as opposed to in game.

I just can't come up with a reason for us to be allowed in.

Well, you have a Wayfinder. You could always pretend to be Pathfinders and see where that gets you....

(Just a suggestion, in no way should it be interpreted as the 'correct' answer.)

Day 3 now and no one is coming forth with a suggestion. I think someone should do something for the sake of keeping this game alive. We've only just begun.

Who'd thunk it - Albrekt is the party face lol and generous with his coin too... what a nice lad ;)

Hey, ya beat me to it this time, so more power to ya :)

Agree - let's not rely on either his diplomatic abilities or generosity in the future lol

Agree - let's not rely on either his diplomatic abilities or generosity in the future lol

I half expect him to murder the guards on the way out when they leave and reclaim his money... and then some.

Fatespinner are you psychic? ;)

Ventar will suggest we act as inspectors called in by the city officials for an unannounced inspection of the water works if asked an opinion, but will let Haruk be the one actually telling the lie as he does seem to have a convincing aura about him :)

Ah, we've moved past. Well played guys/girls. Just to let you know, I'm in a place with very limited access until Tuesday. :(