GM Aria & the Mystery Machine Investigate The Haunting of Harrowstone (Inactive)

Game Master Hu5tru

Okay, people. Single file, please. Take a seat wherever you would like and make yourselves comfortable.

On your chairs you will find the iternary for this afternoon's (evenings/mornings) discussion -

First call to order:

Since we have not gone all that far in the AP, would you like me to restart it and get a jump on this thing fresh, or consider what we have already done cannon?

Second call to order:

I generally frown at the GMPC, but I would really like to run Anca as I built her for this campaign, and to stretch myself as a player. I will leave it in your hands if you are uncomfortable with me running her, I will open up recruitment to replace her, should you think it necessary.

Okie, all that said, feel free to ask any questions you may have. I'll be making a separate field on my GM profile to keep track of things that will be important to this game as we get closer to starting it.

For those of you who reply, feel welcome! I am committed to this AP and will post at least once a day, for sure, even if it's just here to say that reality has somehow crumbled and I am unable to post in the IC thread.

I'm here. No questions so far, but if we're the same group I'd say just pick up where we left off.

I am thinking of giving those who appear to have abandoned ship on the other thread till Friday to post and then open up recruitment. I really want to get this thing going as quickly as possible, as we've all waited long enough, I think.

Okay, reading through the AP, I am beginning to think that it is a very good thing that I have a little experience running Kingmaker and not holding hands as a GM as what I thought would be a pretty straight forward AP has turned out to be something quite sand-boxy. Fortunately, it's only one town, and not spread over some 80 hexes and billions of miles and travel on horses, &c, &c.

Initial impressions - it will be quite difficult. Not in terms of the encounters itself, but in terms of uncovering the plot. Some of the DCs are ridiculous!

As Acid noted in her OOC, there will be a time limit.

Also, you're going to have to consider your neighbors, and that the GM isn't the only one keeping tabs on your actions. You might have picked this up from the Player's Guide, but Ustalav is exceedingly insular and backwards, and the city you'll be staying in for this first chapter is an exaggerated example of this phenomenon. "Dey don' take kindly ta strangers 'round 'ere."

Once everyone reports, I'll be looking through your sheets again and as one of my GMs has done, throw up a comprehensive list of your skill bonuses so that you are all aware of who has the highest in what is needed, because aiding another is based on who makes the first check, not necessarily who has the highest value... For example, if you meet something and you want to intimidate to negate an encounter, and Ragnar the CE barbarian with his warhammer dripping with human gray matter rolls a 1 for a total of +4 to his intimidate, and ya'll step in later and say "yeah!" and shake your fists menacingly, you'll only get him up to a 10 which isn't really all that intimidating, right? Okie.

Then again, if Ragnar's warhammer is dripping human gray matter when he tries to intimidate, I would likely give a situational bonus because he's clearly there to harm. *laughs*

What else?

Oh, there is a possibility of romance in this AP, with NPCs... as there almost always is in any AP ever, it seems. In the event that you are interested in an NPC, I hope that we can handle it like adults, and not let it distract from the story. Don't get me wrong, I run romances in plenty of games, but I don't like for it to become the central focus. There's a game I've been looking into occasionally where PC/PC and PC/NPC romances have basically held up the game for several dozens of posts at a time while the characters try to chat each other into bed. I don't want to have to sit there and read through all of it, and I'm assuming that you all will not want to, either. In other words, succinctly, please do not shat up the IC board with your romantic pursuits.

If you say to me, Aria, I would like to pursue a romantic relationship with "X" (either NPC or PC) I will say to you "okay, please limit it to the OOC boards," and know that at least I will be monitoring if you put it in spoilers just because these are things that I should know.

Sorry if I am posting a lot in here, but I want you all to know that I am taking this seriously, and am not planning on flaking out on you.

That's fine. I'm definitely still interested in participating in this game. Sorry for not responding earlier, I've just been a bit wiped out the last week.

*bounces on tail*

No worries. If I can get all of you back, it means less work sorting through potential applicants swarming for one spot.

Let me know when you're comfortable starting, if you need more time.

Hey Aria, not sure what the deal is with this, but if you have 2 slots open I and a friend would love to play this one. I'm running it in two games but as you know I'm pretty good about OOC knowledge. I'd prolly play a big brutish fighter type anyhow. Just noticed it when my friend was saying it so thought I'd drop the offer though it seems you already have a full house. Cheers!

EDIT: Just to be clear, not wanting to kick anyone, just that my friend wants to PbP Pathfinder and has had trouble getting a game and I promised him I'd throw in a hat for him.

I'm here. Irina is good to go. I think I aired all my opinions in the other thread...As far as the APs rather steep DCs and so on I guess we just need to be conscious of utilizing assist actions and using the more esoteric bonuses like library bonuses for knowledge checks and finding skilled persons amongst the local to threaten, er, I mean, convince to help us for bonuses and such.

Hopefully jlord will get over here and we can rock and roll.

Hey Aria, not sure what the deal is with this, but if you have 2 slots open I and a friend would love to play this one. I'm running it in two games but as you know I'm pretty good about OOC knowledge. I'd prolly play a big brutish fighter type anyhow. Just noticed it when my friend was saying it so thought I'd drop the offer though it seems you already have a full house. Cheers!

EDIT: Just to be clear, not wanting to kick anyone, just that my friend wants to PbP Pathfinder and has had trouble getting a game and I promised him I'd throw in a hat for him.

Well, I got my bard that I'd be running as a GMPC which would be... difficult, I think. If jlord (our cleric) doesn't show up, I'll have two slots because I'll be bowing out.

Not that I don't think I'll can rise about the temptation to meta, but I don't want to make others uncomfy with the idea.

Not a problem Aria, if it comes down to just one I'll recommend him over here. I'll be checking in to see how it goes.

But I'm not dead yet!

Doesn't bother me if you DMPC Aria. If you don't you could always make her a regular npc in the game anyway.

I'm cool with romance. Would putting the romance stuff in the IC thread under an appropriate spoiler work?

Ah, yeah, assuming it doesn't go for dozens of posts at once, or during combat, and becomes disruptive to the game as a whole.

I will think on whether or not I want to continue as a GMPC in the morning proper. Technically I should not even be up now, but, such is my sleeping pattern, I suppose.

Okie guys, would you mind it if we picked up a sixth member, provided I adjust the encounters? With the investigative nature of this AP, having more people to aide, and having the option to split the party without having to worry too much about TPK might also be beneficial. We're still pretty early in the game so it is not as if introducing a new member will be too hard.

Don't worry about it affecting XP in terms of leveling. I'll be keeping track of that myself.

It breaks my heart to see people having trouble getting in on games, as I've been rejected more than a few times myself.

Im fine with it. Do you think youll still run Anca or will we pick up Ryuko and his friend?

I'd like to try running Anca. If it gets to be too much of a challenge, I'll write her out somehow and invite Ryuko's fighter in.

He's currently running in my Kingmaker campaign, so he shouldn't be hurting too much for my GMing, I hope. :P

Nah, I'm fine. I'll direct my friend over here for you, and probably lurk just because I personally love CC. Good Gaming everybody!

Okie guys. Ryuko is going to start another CC game that Anca can be in that isn't GMPC and him and his friend are going to be throwing together characters for us.

I believe it was 20 pt buy.

Could use a "face" character, I believe, although we have a cleric and an inquisitor, but we can work with whatever you bring to the table, I suppose. Or, I will do the sane GM thing and see what we're lacking that the AP needs and post again in a bit.

Edit Okie, have had a cursory look, and yes, we can use another character trained in diplomacy as it is crucial to the first parts of this game.

Also, another knowledge skill heavy person would also be good. So... to combine those, I would recommend a bard, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a bard.

Ryuko's fighter is also welcome to help bring the pain when the occasion calls for it. I hope. :) Will of the die and all that.

If you haven't looked over sheets yet, Arkadi already has the skills cover social interactions. Bluff +9, Diplomacy +7, Intimidate +8. Now, which of these he uses in a situation does depend on his personality a bit. But we're certainly not without a socially adept character in the party.

Yes, I have noted Arkadai's skills just now as I was paging through, but it does not hurt to have aide. As I said, a lot of the DCs in this are ridiculous, and the first chapter is only meant to get you to level 3, so unless you're specializing in face time, it'll still be difficult. I don't want to make you feel as though I'm trying to step on your toes, it's just... yeah. It's hard.

And there's a time limit.

And stuff you haven't figured out yet that I'm kinda uncertain how I'm going to introduce properly as a story point and not just say "hey, you guys need to be doing this" in a great big neon sign that may color your choices otherwise...

Key Skills and Highest Modifiers

Bluff +9
Diplomacy +7
Knowledge Arcana + 5
Knowledge History - None
Knowledge Local + 5
Knowledge Religion +5
Perception +9
Survival +7

Edit: Also, it would be peachy keen if one of the new characters could speak Varisian, as it is Ustalav and the majority of the people are of Varisian descent.

I'll swap Dwarven for Varisian, wasn't sure what the local lingo was.

Dwarven might also prove useful, however. Whichever you believe is more appropriate for your character.

My theory on Dwarven was they'd be most likely to accept guncraft, but that's a function of Steampunk Dwarves Bias. I'll probably pick up Varisian at some point if applicable.

My theory on Dwarven was they'd be most likely to accept guncraft, but that's a function of Steampunk Dwarves Bias. I'll probably pick up Varisian at some point if applicable.

Well to be fair Dwarves were responsible for gun creation in Golarion at least as far as Alkenstar goes and they are sort of the epicenter of firearm related stuff...so I wouldn't say that you are operating under any bias at all. Not saying you shouldn't change your languages, just saying that you weren't wrong for thinking that way ;-)

Not to get too far afield, but depending on Ryuko and his friend and what they want to play I could go bard-sorcerer-wizard...because I have concepts in that vein that I would be more than happy to play with. I could basically keep Irina just change her class and stats around.

Honestly with an Inquisitor in the party, he will often be better at the hunting/tracking thing and the social thing...and in many cirumstance almost as effective in combat...anyway, having not played yet I have cooled to the Ranger idea a bit, I just like Irina's personality so I am flexible.

Yes, which is why I suggested that dwarven might also be appropriate :)

An order of business well in advance, I just got word that I can go home to be with my husband for the holidays. So on October 29th I'll be traveling from LAX to Oslo which is in and of itself a 30-hour flight, then will likely spend a few days fighting off jet-lag and snuggling as we've been separated for months now. I hope to be able to post at least once a day once I'm on the ground, even if it is just here to let you know that I'm still alive and thinking about gaming. It should not impact too harshly, just wanted to let you know that this has been in the works a while and has just been confirmed.

Edit @ PirateDevon, let's wait and see what the friend is bringing to our virtual table, first. If you are unhappy with your character, however, by all means. I think with two new players and Anca dropping out to be in another game, I might just start over, that way Kendra will make appropriate responses to people arriving, and I can showcase my interpretation of her personality from the get go as well.

Unless you have objections to that.

With new characters I think it would be better to start fresh, set the scene in your own voice and bring everyone together however that plays out. Much like the old OOC, at this point I feel sort of stymied by the old game thread, the old posts seeming kind of strange and unused- not to be melodramatic but almost like skeletons of a dead game. I would advocate just hitting the ground running as a "new" group, in a new thread.

As to Irina...I want to keep her but I might poke my nose around a bit and see what other classes might fit my conception of her personality or what other ideas might occur to me. To be perfectly frank the false start of the game and the listless anticipation of resuming really made me sort of uninvest in the concept and I want to get my passion back. I had made a cleric for my last CC attempt...I should look at him too. I'll think about it a bit and get back to you Aria.

For my part I'm considering a paladin... perhaos of Pharasma or Sarenrae, with the Undead Scourge archetype. Though I'm not certain who else is in and what kind of group we have.

I'm getting married on the 29th of October so I won't be posting at all for a few days around that time period.

Congratulations! I'm pretty psyched, I was worried we'd miss our third anniversary.

Ryuko - we have at current confirmed an inquisitor of Iomedae and a cleric of Desna. A Paladin of Sarenrae with the undead scourge would be pretty nifty to bring to dark, backwards Ustalav, IMHO.

I have a soft spot for paladins of Sarenrae. Played a cleric who reformed, atoned and married one.

Edit Hey, Ryuko, could you get your buddy to consider a wizard or a archivist bard?

With three divine casters, and a gunslinger, this group should be able to bring the pain hard, but we're kinda lacking in knowledge skills and it is an investigative focus to the game.

I'm getting married on the 29th of October so I won't be posting at all for a few days around that time period.

Really? No "I'll be right back to our wedding preparations/honeymoon in a minute but first I need to roll for a critical hit?"

Jeez! Priorities people!

In all seriousness though, congrats.

And congrats on getting back out to Norway for you Aria I'm sure that will be a welcome trip.

Heh. Ryuko should bring in his paladin. I'll switch out Irina for my cleric of Phrasma and then Uriah and our last new member will wonder what they did to get put in the middle of an undead crusade cleaning crew.

Edit: If Ryuko's friend wants to play a wizard then more power to him/her. If not I will change out Irina for one, I have a couple of ideas that I think would be great fun in CC.

hahaha. Four divine casters, a gunslinger and a ? walk into a bar. There is only one slim, attractive female to chat up. What do?

hahaha. Four divine casters, a gunslinger and a ? walk into a bar. There is only one slim, attractive female to chat up. What do?

The gunslinger will turn on the charm and the four divine casters can try to convert the 6th. :P

Not to make anyone nervous, but I am going to get started working on an introductory post soon, in a word document. From time to time, I'll likely link some "mood music" via youtube for people to follow to set the scene appropriately.

Would you like to begin with your own narratives about how you came to Ravengro as we did before, or would you be okay with just starting with the AP and letting that all come out through dialog with the fellow mourners?

While I enjoy people narrating what they'd been doing to the point in the AP, I don't want to stir the ghosts of the dead game by following in its "Vootshteps" as Frau Blucher from Young Frankenstein would say, and actually figuring out how you all are related to each other and going through the motions of forming a group is always something of interest as a player and from the perspective of a GM as well, seeing who, through dialog, asserts themselves as a leader.

For myself, I'm also a highly visual person when I'm imagining my campaigns, so I'm kinda tossing around the idea of tossing out the npc drawings provided in the AP and setting up something quite... alternate. I'm thinking silent film area costumes and feel, where the majority of the world was still pretty much in darkness but the urban areas. Just the impression I get from reading the AP.

Ja da just a little update. :)

This other player needs to tell us what they are gonna play so I can make up my damn mind ;p

Ello all, Ryukos pal here. Havnt played pathfinder in awhile. But would really love to jump back into the swing of things. Right now Im thinking either playing a druid, or monk. Anything the party needs in terms of character type? I typically have played a sorcerer, combat/social heavy, but i think ill be branching out now if at all possible.

Might I suggest an urban druid?

This AP is primarily urban based. You'll be traveling between cities, but journeys aren't more than a few days at a time, if you take the time to prepare properly. But, I won't tell ya how to make yer character if you want to run around with a great big tiger or a bear in a city, more power to ya. :)

Monk types suggested in the player's guide are Hungry Ghost Monk, Ki mystic and Monk of the Healing hand.

Druid or monk, gunslinger, cleric, inquisitor, paladin...yeah I'll go arcane.

Ill look at my options I should have something later on.

Yessss, full of divine goodness for me to corrupt... HMMMMMMMM!

*finger pyramid of eeeevil*

*laughs*

No really. Ask Ryuko, I'm not into issues of moral gray to catch you on and go "HA! FALL SUKKA!" later. That would be disingenuous and a waste of game time.

Okay I have updated Irina to be a Manipulator Enchanter ;-p I still need to do gear. I changed her backstory a little but she is still my sweet little firebrand...although a lot weaker and a lot smarter :D

@Aria - Let me know if anything looks amiss.

@Uriah - I'm still interested in having met up on the road if you are, she is still a Westcrown native despite the job change.

Yeah, enchantments are pretty much the most useless school of magic in this game, and the Player's Guide highlights this fact in several locations.

Unless you mean to enchant the people of the city instead of going through the effort to win them over...

Having met on the road still works for me.

Yeah, enchantments are pretty much the most useless school of magic in this game, and the Player's Guide highlights this fact in several locations.

Unless you mean to enchant the people of the city instead of going through the effort to win them over...

does it? Well I guess ill have to look it over again. Besides that I wouldnt need to enchant the people, her specialty makes her enchanting...face needs did come up no? Ill reread the guide.

All right, we've decided on a pair of Rogue and Fighter twins, basically bandits, though my character is more "Steal from the rich, give to the poor" and his is more "Might as well go along with my brother on this one." I'm planning a big reach, defensive polearm build, I know he's going with the Bandit archetype but little else. I will have a build up in an hour or two but I doubt he will until very late tonight.

** spoiler omitted **

@ Ryuko. Okie doke. If he's got the player's guide, cool. Not call for trapfinding in this thus far, but skulking, climbing, and being a stabbey in the face dude would probably be cool. He could be the group's "operator" in a way the inquisitor might not be.

*clicks heels and salutes*

Reporting for duty

@Uraih- So never mind I guess, since I decided to change characters entirely. :-p

Okie. Now that I've a clearer picture what I'm going to be working with here, I will spend my evening (after cooking dinner for my family) setting the scene appropriately, and hope to jump start this sukka this weekend, or Monday at the very latest.

Open question for my players: Is there anything you as players would like to see on my profile? I have already linked you a "spoiler-free" map of the city.

Ah, bit of housekeeping. If there is something you would like to see more of, or if you want to have a private conversation with another PC or NPC while the party is pressing to move on with the story, you can carry on such conversations here in the OOC, only because when people read through the thread I kind of want to minimize temptation to meta and keep the IC board as free of non-party/story related items as possible.

All that said, if there's anything you would like to know more about, or you have any manner of concerns, feel free to email me at GM_Aria "at" yahoo "dot" com, and I will endeavor to answer them promptly and completely. Haha. had to edit because I lost my train of thought adding to my reply to PirateDevon. Silly me.

Fighty McPoleArms poking my head in. Will be changing the name of course, just wanted to get an alias made, and since me and Laiceps are doing creation together, I feel it'd be a bit lame to decide on a name and/or history without him.

Quick Question: Point buy? Is it 15? 20?

20 pt. Probably should get off mah lazy tail bone and go searching for a conversion thread in the campaign bits, or I will be forced to get even more creative. :P

Oh gods no, not more GM homework! *cries*