GM Brunoreturns' Shattered Star (Inactive)

Game Master brunoreturns

wand has 11 charges remaining, happy to fill up those hp bars for as long as it lasts

I am trying to figure out how to adjust my GMing to keep you guys interested in the game.

It seems to me that the group wants me to move the party through the levels without waiting for direction, but that really doesn't work in this kind of dungeon, especially when you have gathered information on dangers and places to avoid.

The apparent desire for me to simply move you from combat to combat tells me that some level of fatigue has set in and I am sorry for that. All I can think to do is to have your characters react to information that they have gathered but the players have apparently forgotten about.

You're probably going to miss out on side loot and quests, but that is happening anyways. I want to keep the game moving and try to make it interesting as well. If any of you have suggestions, please speak up.

The party has an established marching order and exploration SOP, so anyone can take the wheel and drive the party, even if they don't feel their character would be the one driving.

As always, I am open for suggestions.

There's nothing wrong with the way you're GM'ing, I think it's just the time of year. As for me, everyone at work wants everything done before Christmas and we recently had both of our sons with us for the first time in a while...even so, I apologize as I haven't been keeping up as well as I should and that's on me GM, not you...

If there's no other input, I propose we sweep the rest of this dungeon, heading north first and then proceeding to the west and so on till it's done...if you need to bot me to keep things moving, I'll proceed as normal with my usual scouting mode (take 10 for Stealth 24 and Perception 20) with my bow drawn...

And I'll try to keep up better...

I also agree with Paeral that this time of year is difficult, but I will point out that a prolonged dungeon crawl is the hardest type of game to play via PbP gaming. I confess to have lost a bit of perspective with respect to the game.

If I may be so bold to suggest, would a recap of what we know and where we are (and what we are after and yet to have achieved) be in order?

In Squint's mind, he was down here in the sewers to find Celia. He has found Celia and the parties responsible for her abduction. He'd be keen to finish off the derro and re-surface to report.

I may be way off, and if so, I apologise. I also don't feel like I have a handle on the remainder of the overall story. Again, a recap would be helpful. That doesn't have to come from you GM, if someone else feels motivated to attempt one.

Same here, GM - it isn’t you, it’s me. I’ve been hammered with filing deadlines & hearings since the beginning of November. Last week was the worst, but I expect to be busy right up to Christmas. I will try to keep up better than I have been.

I do think dungeon delves are hard over PbP - they’re hard enough to drive forward in person (I think my Runelords group took a full year to get through book 5), because of the choices available.

I do vote to try east next, though - given Reillana's "insistent urge" (and that's where the latest everburning torch was.

Edit: Squint's post popped up just as I was about to post this. Barkot would not be opposed to a rest at the manor after the derro are finished, but we should probably come back here to finish out this part of the map. I can try to prepare a recap tonight or (more likely) tomorrow evening, if that would be helpful.

East is fine by me as well...I misread the map as I had it blown up and I didn't see the map extending east (I'm apparently blind) so I thought west and north were the only unexplored areas...

Reillana's urge is only in the main derro chamber (the southern chamber with the stairwells). The urge is drawing her toward the wall. There is no obvious path past that point. I assume she was waiting to reveal this urge after the derro had been dealt with (sorry if I spoiled a reveal).

---

The level has three corridors going north and south. The western one, the group was warned had a [green] slime hazard. You are free to ignore Lockerbie's warning (he may have been lying after all). It seemed to me that the party had simply forgotten though.

The central north-south corridor the party was warned had a poisonous gas hazard. Again, you are gree to ignore the warning.

The eastern north-south corridor is the one you have been using. East from there leads into the sewers of Magnimar.

---

The party is now in a chamber at the bottom of the western stairs of the main derro chamber. Resolving the matter of the derro is a significant side quest, but also an unavoidable part of the main quest.

The main quest is to retrieve the second shard contained within The Crow. You have not found that shard yet.

Other side quests the party very likely has forgotten about involve the recording of significant artwork (partially completed and no shame in not having identified the remaining items that Candeyaven would reward) and retrieving heads from sinspawn.

Dang, I was looking forward to exploring the pit filled with oozes and fungus monsters.

:) Feel free to jump into the Darklands. I am sure it will work out well. :D

I third the point about dungeon crawls in PBP, and in addition I mostly have the chance to look at my games over the course of my workday--but I can't access the maps. So without a strong picture in my head of where we are and where we're going I kind of default to a reactive play style, which I'm sorry about.

No worries about the pull Reillana is feeling, she'd have said something once she was sure people (Celia/party) were safe.

LOL, Barkot!. That is exactly one of my thoughts but I assumed we were still in initiative. Was going to grab your back.

Just a heads up in case you haven't already seen it: Paizo has started another Humble Bundle deal. PDFs of a couple of dozen 1st edition splatbooks from the Campaign Setting and Player Companion lines with the theme of "Monster Lore," including the hardcover compilation of Book of the Damned. There's some good stuff here for a great price, if you don't already have it all.

Pathfinder Monster Lore Humble Bundle

Grabbed them yesterday. Trying to decide where to start.

Sorry, this is actually my first experience with an alchemist.

Reillana does not get a save. Only the splash damage gets a save for half. Also the splash damage was supposed to be 6, not 5. I'll let you guys keep that 1 hp and fix it for any future rounds.

@Deric If you don't want to wait for Barkot, you may feel you way along the wall at half speed

Considered that exact move. Will remain with Barkot. TY.

Is the derro immune to the effects of grease?

The derro is hovering Metagame you should be able to figure out that it is using Levitate. It is immune to the effects of grease on a surface it is not standing on.

If it tries to use the ceiling for some purpose, it will need to make a check.

Barkot stood up in the creature's square. It 5-foot flied into Deric's square. He would have gotten an AoO, but can't see. If I have that wrong, please let me know.

Barkot's slash connects with the creature and destroys it. The full-sized derro cries out in pain again.
2d10

Thanks for the explanation, @GM. If the "he" who can't see is Deric, then I get it - I thought the creature was on Barkot's other side, forgot that it shared his square when it attacked him (and he may have gotten an AoO against it at that point).

I think this combat has revealed yet one more obstacle where play-by-post and this adventure path don't line up:

THIS MAP.

UGGGGGGGH.

I know you've put a lot of effort into this map, GM; it shows. It's just - TOO BIG. It's just TOO MUCH. I zoom in 4x in order to get down to a size where I can move my icon about, and then I lose us because it ALWAYS seems that we're off on the edge of the map somewhere, and you have to remember that the squares are 10ft, not 5ft, and also the ceilings are 20ft somehow in this amazing and never-ending underground complex.....

Ahem.

Ok. Rant over. Back to nipping at the air 10 feet away from a levitating derro.

Yeah, flight just can't be conveyed properly on a computer screen. FtF I would have platforms to show the flying characters and their height and it would be much more obvious.

I have also struggled with how to portray the maps. As you say, the levels in this dungeon are large. They could use breaking up. But, then you lose scope of the entire dungeon level and what you have explored so far.

Come to think of it, you really only need a tactical map when we are in combat. I could keep an overall dungeon level map up, and then break out just a small map for the battle scenes. That would make all of our lives easier for battles.

I'll take some time today to work on that.

Nothing is ever going to relieve the 10ft squares problem. I have no idea why the designers did that.

There, that should help all of us. Easier than I initially thought.

I should have thought of it earlier, as I also get frustrated with zooming in every time I looked at the battle map. Thanks for the prod, Squint.

FYI I realized that I was not properly adding the distance penalty to the derro's bomb throws. It wouldn't have changed any of the results so far, but you'll see that modifier in the future.

If the derro pushes off the surfaces that are covered in grease, GM, wouldn’t the grease come into play?

It would, and the derro is smart enough to know that, which is why she used the wall instead of the ceiling.

Did the derro identify the spell? How do they know that grease was cast?

There is a visible layer of grease all over the ceiling. Spellcraft or not, it can fogure out that it doesn't want to touch the grease.

In the midst of combat? While tossing and making bombs every six seconds?

I mean, you would’ve - by that reasoning - thought that Squint and Ulyi would have realised that they were a full 15 feet away from the derro when they both tried to complete the melee attacks against it in the past 2 subsequent rounds.

Or that the derro was levitating, not spider climbing on the ceiling due to his vertical orientation.

But no, that’d be too much of a stretch.

Yes, I would think that Squint and Ulyi would figure that out, but I can't play your character.

I pointed out explicitly that Ulyi's first attack was not able to reach up to the derro's position. We keep running into miscommunications, and I am not sure how to make my posts any clearer. If "Hovering" is not clear language, please tell me what would be clearer.

I am trying to keep the game moving. The derro had its hands on the ceiling when you cast the grease spell. I flavor had it wipe the grease off. Does it take more that that to figure out a surface is slippery?

Here, will you feel better if I make some rolls?

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19

Deric takes a fully defensive posture. "Barkot, can you get us to the light?"

Not at half speed. Double move at 20’ base speed, cut in half, means we aren’t getting all the way across an effect with a 20’ radius (40’ from end to end) in one round, even with a head start and not crossing at the widest point.

GM, please correct me if I’m misreading the new map - which is a great improvement, thank you! - but it looks to me as though Barkot would get to the edge of the darkness effect and Deric would be 5’ back (unless Deric’s in the mood for an Acrobatics check to go faster than half speed).

Correct. With a double move, Deric can get to the edge of the darkness. Able to see out, but not around him.

That's what I figured. I'll move the tokens, but Deric, if you want to try the Acrobatics check go ahead and I'll retcon Barkot's move.

A good ruling if I follow correctly. Do not have no move at half speed when clinging to Barkot.

I hear what you are saying, Deric, but I am not sure that I agree.

Blindfolded people being led by others do not move at full speed. They can, but then they risk stubbing a toe, tripping over the feet of the person leading them, etc.

In game, I am not sure it is any different than guiding yourself by feeling the wall. You don't have to follow the wall, but other than that, I am not seeing the difference.

Glad to listen to counter arguments.

So... you guys one-shotted the mid-book boss through a critical charge from Squint (into darkness, IIRC).

Does this battle feel more like a boss fight?

The description of the room does not mention the green markings on the western side still in the light. Can that space be occupied safely?

I've been trying to figure out what those markings are as well. I'm considering them to be impassable.

FYI In case it wasn't clear by me moving the template... The previous darkness went awat when the second was cast.

So... you guys one-shotted the mid-book boss through a critical charge from Squint (into darkness, IIRC).

Does this battle feel more like a boss fight?

Spamming darkness at low levels is brutal. I think Deric, Reillana, and Squint may want to pick up some potions of darkvision going forward; you would each need them, but they’re cheaper than oil of daylight (or even a scroll) and last longer. (One irritating thing about darkvision: it’s on 12 different spell lists, but not the lists for bard, cleric/oracle, or summoner).

Thank you, Barkot. Was about to research answers for that.

Deric is not technically within 30 feet, but I'll allow it.

Awesome! If I estimate correctly, I beat the DC by 12, so that adds two rounds to the condition.

You do not estimate correctly :)

:)

This derro's AC is brutal. I think it's in the neighborhood of 24?

Thanks for the bot, Bruno. Today was a quadruple witching day and also everyone and their cat wants to open solo 401ks before year's end.

Doubling up, but just being thorough:

Hey everyone.

I'm going to be going away for the upcoming week to THE PLACE WITHOUT INTERNET. I will be out of signal from tomorrow morning (about 24hrs from the time of this post) until a time 7 days later.

In the interim, I hope you all eat all the yummies, drink all the drinkies, celebrate all the happies, but most importantly, get ready to say GOOD RIDDANCE to this wet fart of a year.

Many cheers.

-Paul (Dink)

Squint is all out of spells apart from summon monster and cantrips.

Squint is all out of spells apart from summon monster and cantrips.

Could he summon a glitter elemental?

The room is 20 feet high. How high is the corridor and also the stairwell? Considering blocking the exit and waiting for the buffs to wear off. We have days of rations. Doubt the coward does. Is there anything in the room we could set afire and smoke him out?

The corridor is 15ft high. Yes, there is a high quality alchemical set laid out on planks and barrels. Plenty of stuff could burn

I'm liking this. Dimensions in the stairwell?

the stairwell is 10ft high

Hey all, I'm sure many of you are in a similar situation, but my posting rate is going to be very low from Thursday through Sunday. Should be back to normal starting on Monday though!

I have returned! I consumed way too many calories' worth of junk food and am now sporting a mohawk so all in all a successful holiday!