My plan was to wait till Monday afternoon, however, work stepped in and made sure my plan was foiled as well! :)
Corentin and Szacha close with one of the giants, while Gizsmith barks out a harsh arcane chant, infusing the group's bodies with magical quickness. Sasha rushes Galor forward, stabbbing her newly acquired greatsword deep into the giant's leg and drawing for a furious howl. Jaghal chants a quick prayer to himself before flinging his hand forward, commanding one of the giants to halt! The giant raises his club high into the air and then ceases all movement.
The giant to the north steps aside to avoid the cavalier, and brings his massive spiked club around for a series of sweeping blows directed at the skald. The first attack slams home with tremendous force, while the second attack flies high as Szacha wisely ducks in time to avoid the blow. The southern giant struggles against the magical forces binding him, but is unable to muster up the internal willpower needed to defeat the powerful divine magics.
Godling 6 | AC 21 T 12 FF 20 | HP 56/63 | F +6 R +4 W +6 | Init +1, Perc +8, 1st 2/7, 2nd 1/6, 3rd 1/4, Cha 0/5, LL Gz/Sa/Co/Ga/Sz
Szacha heals 5. Jaghal takes 5.
Jaghal's heartbeat stop for a second when the giant raises his club, but then he froze in place, just like one should when ordered by a godling. So far his spell was giantproof! "Good boy!"
Sasha was already on the way of finishing it, so he moved to their left and stroke the other giant with his mighty spear, deliberately trying to kill-steal it.
@Sasha - Since Coup is a full round action you wouldn't be able to flank and both attempt it. I'm also kind of hesitant to allow an animal companion that ability, since it isn't actually a trick that can be taught. They can attack, perform maneuvers, and flank. But a Coup de Grace is a stretch.
Inspired Rage (Su) Affected allies gain a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +2 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a –1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of inspired rage, allies other than the skald cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration. Plus Lesser Spirit Totem: These spirits make one slam attack each round against a living foe that is adjacent to the raging. +7 to hit, 1d4+3 negative energy damage. Spirit Totem: the spirits that surround the barbarian make it difficult for her enemies to see her. The spirits grant the barbarian a 20% miss chance against ranged attacks and melee attacks made by creatures that are not adjacent to the barbarian (typically due to reach).
Taking full advantage of the giant's helpless position, Sasha ducks in and drives her greatsword upward, opening a wide gash in the giant's ribcage and causing a gout of blood to spray out of the wound, slicking the ground with gore. The attack misses the critical area the halfling was aiming for however, and the trapped giant continues to struggle. Dealing with their own raging enemy, Corentin and Szacha dance around the slower foe, stabbing and slashing with their attacks. This giant is no stranger to combat with smaller foes however, and manages to execute perfect parries at the exact time each attack darts in. Jaghal, seeing an opening, drives his spear deep into the hard pressed giant, scoring a solid hit just as a ray of freezing cold slams into the creature's face.
Seeing the impact of his previous attack, the mobile giant presses the attach against Szacha, determined to quickly dispatch its foe and concentrate on the small armored creature with the stinging spear and dangerous spells. Sweeping in low the giant slams the greatclub into the skald's side, driving the wind out of his lungs with a crushing blow that echoes throughout the room, the sound of bones breaking clearly heard above the noises of combat.
Giant #1 crushes Szacha for 27 damage. Giant #2 made his save against the Coup de Grace but is still held and unable to act.
Godling 6 | AC 21 T 12 FF 20 | HP 56/63 | F +6 R +4 W +6 | Init +1, Perc +8, 1st 2/7, 2nd 1/6, 3rd 1/4, Cha 0/5, LL Gz/Sa/Co/Ga/Sz
Szacha heals 5. Jaghal takes 5.
On the other hand, Jaghal is determined to keep Szacha alive and kicking. He takes a step behind the reliable broken-boned skald to prevent his spell from being ruptured, and moves his hands to unleash one of his most powerful ones so far. "Cure!" CSW:3d8 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4, 4, 7) + 6 + 1 = 22 3rd level spells: 3/4 left.
"Bring it down!!!" shouts Szacha while hacking at his legs, fuelled by Jaghal's healing magic. Meanwhile, the spirits keep on screaming, lashing at the giant.
The furious battle rages on as Corentin and Szacha work to take down the towering humanoid before then, relentlessly slashing at the massive creature. Both warriors manage to land heavy blows that cut through the giant's defenses, while the spirits surrounding them slam repeatedly into it, assaulting it from every angle. Jaghal moves behind the skald and places a hand upon the man's back, sending positive energy flowing into Szacha's body and healing some of his wounds. From further behind, Gizsmith continues to assault the giant with magical rays of energy, blasting it in the face once more with a beam of freezing cold. Alone against the held giant, Sasha plunges her sword into it once more, stabbing and slashing with precision. The giant weathers the strikes, still held but continuing to fight on against the wicked magics that bind it.
Seeing the armored gnome behind the chanting human using healing magics, and knowing him to be a threat with his binding magics, the giant steps to the side, opening a clear shot on the diminutive caster. Much to the giant's dismay, the centuries of struggle against larger foes has strengthened gnomish combat tactics, and the smaller foe easily dodges away from the sweeping blows, proving a much tougher target than the giant originally planned for. The bloodied giant, still held fast by Jaghal's spell, continues to struggle in vain, unable to break free from the enchantment.
No damage to the party this round, as Jaghal proves too hard to hit.
The party is up! The moving giant is looking a bit rough, and a few solid hits may be enough to take him down!
I'll save everyone the time right there, and do a quick update.
Corentin, using the giant's interest in Jaghal as an opening, steps forward and repeatedly slams his silver morningstar into the creature's back, each hit tearing away flesh and breaking bone as the enchanted weapon almost hums with energy. Realizing its error much too late, the giant falls to one knee as it succumbs to the assault, just as a killing blow descends upon its head, crushing its massive skull and causing it to drop limply to the ground.
Sasha stabs at the held giant once more, but the creature simply refuses to die. Its wounds however are adding up, and death by loss of blood alone is becoming a very real possibility!
Godling 6 | AC 21 T 12 FF 20 | HP 56/63 | F +6 R +4 W +6 | Init +1, Perc +8, 1st 2/7, 2nd 1/6, 3rd 1/4, Cha 0/5, LL Gz/Sa/Co/Ga/Sz
Szacha heals 5. Jaghal takes 5. I surely hope you're keeping record of this extra HP Szacha, cause they are being removed from mine!
Jaghal is impressed by the lack of willpower displaced by the static giant. After dodging one weak blow from the other enemy he started thinking about it, and realized it were not the giant who were lesser, it was him who was too powerful and mighty! He dodged another crushing blow, just to notice they didn't stand a chance against them at all when Corentin cut it to pieces!
Plus, he had been ninja'd by the gm, so he turned into the mighty-attacker mode to get rid of the other one. Already empowered by Gizmith's magic he let his body feel for the first time the skald's enfuriating rhythm and attacked with all his own fury, taking some steps towards the other monster and striking it!!!
"Nice stabbing Sacha! Let's send this one back to his god!" threatens Szacha as he moves into position, protected by Gizsmith's binding spell, and slams his hammer into the giant's private.
Getting this post in before things go sideways again on me today! I ran out of time before vacation, but if I would have been able to get another post in on Friday it would have been a good thing.
As one of the giants falls, the group quickly shifts, assisting Sasha with her attempts to dispatch the paralyzed giant that remains. Jaghal steps in and thrusts his spear into the held creature while Szacha surges forward, Aggrimosh in hand, and delivers a crippling blow to the monstrosity. It stands there, hanging onto life by the thinnest of threads, still unable to move, when a thin ray of icy cold slams into its eye, freezing the orb solid and sending splinters of ice into its brain. Losing its ability to remain upright, the dead giant falls to the floor with a crash, kicking up debris and dust around the heroes and leaving the room very quiet for the moment.
End combat!
Searching the Giants:
On one of the giants the group discovers a map of the surrounding areas. Several key points indicate the routes of patrols and sentry posts. A large, crudely scrawled X is written in charcoal at another location, but there is no indication of its meaning. The other giant carried a fine looking satchel made from what appears to be the scales of a green dragon.
Szacha wipes his hammer on the giant's crude clothes, before looking through his belongings: "Strange thing here: A map of the area with... What looks like patrols on it! Lady Calistria's strange ways favour us this day! I suggest we take Her gift before she purls her lips on our lot! Now... What do you think that big X mark mean..?" he offers, ignoring the strange leather bag for the moment.
"Nice bag... I wonder where it came from?" asks Szacha, now a little more interested in the bag.
"Do you think they have other unsuspected treasure on them?" ha asks, and proceeds to hum a single tone, studying how it vibrates to detect the presence of magic.
Its an overland map of the environs outside of the keep. It isn't of much use in determining movements inside the keep itself, but does reveal areas where the orcs have stationed sentries and patrols. Game effect is you can move freely around the keep exterior without risk of being discovered.
The satchel, nor any other areas within the room, radiate any magic.
The opening to the northwest does indeed appear to lead out to the keep's inner courtyard, and plenty of noise can he heard from that direction.
Male Human Cav 6/Sent 1 | AC 21 T 10 FF 21 | HP 61/61 | F +8 R +4 W +3 (+2 v Charm/Comp) | Init +2, Perc +9, Chal 2/2, Tact 2/2 (6 rnds), Inspired 1/1
Resolute:
AC 21 T 11 FF 19 | HP 60/60 | F +9 R +7 W +5 (+4 vs Ench) | Init +1, Per +5
"We should get moving. Sasha could you have a listen at that door? It seems a logical choice to lead to a main audience chamber." the cavalier says indicating the double doors to the southwest.
Sasha moves up to the door, placing her ear against it and motioning for silence as she listens intently at the portal. While unsure, she believes she can hear the sound of movement from behind the door, but is unable to sort out any specific details.
Male Human Cav 6/Sent 1 | AC 21 T 10 FF 21 | HP 61/61 | F +8 R +4 W +3 (+2 v Charm/Comp) | Init +2, Perc +9, Chal 2/2, Tact 2/2 (6 rnds), Inspired 1/1
Resolute:
AC 21 T 11 FF 19 | HP 60/60 | F +9 R +7 W +5 (+4 vs Ench) | Init +1, Per +5
"Hopefully it's our target. Ready yourselves."
Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it Corentin settles himself before moving to one of the doors and taking a small vial from his belt pouch. Looking back he waits until everyone seems set and then drinks it with a slight grimace. His form instantly shifts and grows to twice his normal size.
Godling 6 | AC 21 T 12 FF 20 | HP 56/63 | F +6 R +4 W +6 | Init +1, Perc +8, 1st 2/7, 2nd 1/6, 3rd 1/4, Cha 0/5, LL Gz/Sa/Co/Ga/Sz
Jaghal lets out a deep breath, easying his battle mood. It was a good experience, but one he should not do very often, since he completely lost track as to who was hurt and who wasn't, and obviously the blood stain on the clothes weren't making it any easier on him, so he used his Link with them to sense that. "Is anyone hurt?"
I would like to heal everybody before we continue. From what I can see from the headers only Szacha has taken damage (39/57), is that correct? If that's so, I'm gonna use a channel, then let Life Link heal him for 5 more points, bringing him to full, and then use a CLW on myself.
His wounds healed, Szacha beams confidently at the Gnome, seemingly without a care that they are deambulating in a stronghold filled with giants and surrounded by warring Orc tribes.
"Ok, we try to make it swift. Last thing we need is raising the alarm. If I can, I'll try to suggest our enemy it's best if he keeps silent..." and he winks knowingly.
The bag is actually of very fine quality, and could be sold for 200gp or more in the right city.
Opening the door reveals a circular chamber highlighted bye a huge iron cage fills most of it. Several crates, chests, statues, paintings, and other art objects crammed between the cage and the walls of the room. Inside the cage, a large piece of furniture sits under a cloth drapery of some sort. Pacing inside the cage are two large creatures which appear like lions, except they have large batlike wings and tails that end in a multitude of harsh spikes. Noticing the door opening, both creatures immediately turn their attention in that direction, and seeing the man standing in the portal call out. "Human! Free us! Free us please!" one shouts, snarling at the other in the process and obviously distressed over its predicament. "Yes! Free us from this cage! Escape we must!" the other calls out, joining its companion in its pleas towards the party.
You recognize these creatures as unmistakable Manticores. Manticores are fierce predators that patrol a wide area in search of fresh meat. A typical manticore is about 10 feet long and weighs about 1,000 pounds. Some have more human-like heads, usually with beards. Males and females look much alike.
Manticores eat any meat, even carrion, though they prefer human flesh and rarely pass up an opportunity for such a delicacy. They are smart and social enough to bargain with or bully evil humanoids into alliances or offering tribute, and more powerful creatures may hire or bribe them to guard or patrol a place or area. They like lairs in high places, such as hilltops and caves in cliffs.
"Why do I get the feeling you two Manticores are going to try and enjoy our flesh for your 'out of jail' celebration?" asks Szacha, after pulling everyone behind the door for safety.
"Don't get me wrong, I'd love to help. But why would I do that..?"
The closest manticore roars in protest at the skald's words, obviously eager to be out of its confinement. "Please, you must free us! We are prisoners of an evil giantess. She starves and mistreats us, we only desire our freedom. We wish to be done with this place!" the other growls, pleading for its freedom from the cage.
Male Human Cav 6/Sent 1 | AC 21 T 10 FF 21 | HP 61/61 | F +8 R +4 W +3 (+2 v Charm/Comp) | Init +2, Perc +9, Chal 2/2, Tact 2/2 (6 rnds), Inspired 1/1
Resolute:
AC 21 T 11 FF 19 | HP 60/60 | F +9 R +7 W +5 (+4 vs Ench) | Init +1, Per +5
"As it happen we're looking for an evil giantess and I don't care to see any creature caged and mistreated. What can you tell us about her and where we'd find her?"
Godling 6 | AC 21 T 12 FF 20 | HP 56/63 | F +6 R +4 W +6 | Init +1, Perc +8, 1st 2/7, 2nd 1/6, 3rd 1/4, Cha 0/5, LL Gz/Sa/Co/Ga/Sz
I'm gonna try to copy Szacha's knowledge roll if I can. K. Arcana:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
"Holy Jaghals! A talking lion! With wings! And a weird tail! Freaking awesome!" The little gnome notices Szacha's brief comment about them being manticores, but as far as he can remembers, he'd never seen one before. Still, lions were proud and loyal creatures, were they not?
Even so, Szacha and Corentin didn't seem to be favoring their freedom anytime soon, probably something related to them being carnivorous, and Sasha's meat being too tender. Anyway, the Jaghal-of-all-trades was sure he could cut a deal that would be pleasant enough for all of them.
"Guys, common, we're all nice people here, I'm sure we can get to an agreement that's satisfying for both sides." It seemed like he wanted more to help them escape than actually pursue the party goals. He talked to the manticores. "Think about it. We're after this giantess you mentioned. Well, you're pretty sure by now the giants will neeeever" - he stretches the word to make its meaning heavier - "free you, but we actually might, as long as you are clever enough. So, your chances are with us. We won't free you now, since we don't wanna cause an alarm, yet." He lifts a finger at the last word, waiting for expectation to grow before continuing to the next part. "But, as soon as we deal with the giantess, we can come back here and give you your freedom, so yes, there will be an alarm then, but that is actually gonna help us, at least a little. Thus, the more you tell us about the giantess, the bigger your chances of escaping are. You give us information, we give you your freedom, and your freedom helps us a little in return. We don't necessarily need the information to proceed, so we won't be gaining much, but you certainly could use your freedom, right?"
But he knew his friends had a different idea in mind. They certainly thought the manticores would kill them in the first chance, so he had to persuade them otherwise. " Of course, you might not be very clever and try to eat us instead, but if you were captured by giants it probably means you don't stand a chance against us. Even if you were to attack us and were actually a match to our strength, we could still just ruin your escape by physically and magically shouting so the whole fort would hear and prevent you from escaping."
"In short, there's only one way this could work out, and it's by both sides winning something." He claps his hands together. "So, what say you?"
You are pretty damn sure they just want out so they can eat you.
Hearing the gnome's idea of leaving the creatures in the cage until the giantess is dealt with, both creatures begin to wail and roar, obviously not fans of the idea. "What if she kills you instead? Then we are doomed to remain trapped! Free us, we can help you defeat her! We can show you the way to her lair! But only if we have our freedom!" they both roar.
"Well, as my friend says: this is the best we can offer! You're locked in a cage. I suggest you accept our terms and provide us with valuable info about the giantess so we can defeat her. We'll free you once that's done." Szacha offers.
Godling 6 | AC 21 T 12 FF 20 | HP 56/63 | F +6 R +4 W +6 | Init +1, Perc +8, 1st 2/7, 2nd 1/6, 3rd 1/4, Cha 0/5, LL Gz/Sa/Co/Ga/Sz
Jaghal is pretty confident that the giantess won't be a problem for them. "She has no chance of killing any of us on my watch." Next he sighs, conscious that they are not going to take the offer. "So if you're not taking our offer we better get going then. Good luck fellows!"
Both of the creatures roar loudly in protest, crouching down and sending their tails whipping over their heads in the blink of an eye. The movement hardly has time to register with the group before the volley of spikes pierces through the party.
Corentin's shield deflects several of the flying missiles, while others are turned away by armor. Still, some of the projectiles manage to pierce the party's defenses, and Jaghal and Szacha are both wounded by the assault.
Jaghal takes 16 damage, Szacha takes 32 damage from three spikes, one a crit.
The manticores howl and thrash inside the massive cage, looking for a way out that doesn't present itself. Still able to be a threat, the beasts shake their tails threateningly, looking for a chance to strike at the party.
You all can make our the double doors on the other side of the cage, but due to its size there doesn't seem a way to access them without first removing the cage from obstructing the room. The cage has no door, but a long chain is attached to the top of the cage, leading up to a pulley system and then descending to a metal bracket against the southern wall. It looks like pulling on the chain would raise the cage, however the weight is likely incredible and the effort would leave the one pulling the chain vulnerable to attacks.
The party is up!
Dice:
Aiming for the speakers, so everyone enjoys a round of cover.
Szacha bends over fro the impact of the three darts slamming into into him, cursing: "We're trying to help..." and adds: "Let's close those doors and let them rot, no?", but not before he's moved out of the way.
Greetings and welcome to everyone. I wanted to take a few minutes to say hello as well as to spell out some guidelines for the game that I feel will be instrumental to the tempo and feel of the adventure path as well as some of my own custom ways of handling specific things within the game.
I will be handling tactical movement in Roll20. I feel this will be the simplest way to allow scenes to evolve without me constantly updating images in a Google doc or other such tool. It also allows me to use some line of sight tools and the like as well as show off pretty maps! I ask that everyone maintain a level of honesty when using this tool, and not to move unless otherwise told to. I’d prefer to keep some things secret and peeking around corners can spoil surprises!
Campaign details will be kept on my website that I try to use to organize details of games. For those who played in Kingmaker you might have some memory of this. I will post maps, handouts, NPC details (for easy tracking and referral later), and other such things here. When required in a post I will typically link back to the respective page, but you should feel free to check the site whenever you need a refresher on something you have discovered or someone you have met. If something is missing, let me know or feel free to register on the site and add it yourself. It’s in Wiki format so adding content is very simple.
For ease of play I will always assume that you are taking 10 or 20 when possible. As experienced players I assume everyone is familiar with how this works, but if not you can do a quick Google search to find the answers. If you are in a situation where you can take 10 or 20 and you are performing an action that would allow so, simply give me the result in a format like Skill Check – Take 20 – Perception = XX where XX would be your result. Remember you can almost always take 10 on most skills, with very few exceptions (Use Magic Device being the primary one). Taking 20 is reserved for those instances where you have plenty of time and resources at your disposal. Most commonly taking 20 is used for things like Perception checks. Remember that in combat you cannot take 10 or 20, and if the result of a check could result in a negative effect for your character you cannot take 20. If for some reason I determine that you cannot take 10 or 20 after you make a post I will let you know so that you can roll your result.
On the subject of rolls, I will be rolling for any of the typical stuff that you shouldn't know the result of. Disable device, trap-finding activities, etc. I will also be rolling these in person with real dice. So yes, that means you truly will not know the result, even if you find yourself tempted to peek at a spoiler. :) This will go the same for typical checks hidden from the party like Stealth and the like. Just be forewarned on this. Just because you don't see the roll doesn't mean it didn't happen. This will not only remove excessive spoilers from posts but should lend more of a storytelling feel to the game.
How you all choose to handle loot, gold, etc will be entirely up to you. I leave that for the group to figure out. I will be using some guidelines from the adventure path as well as changes of my own to determine where you are in terms of level. When it is time to level up I will let you know. When leveling up be sure to run any feats or choices by me that do not appear in the Core rule book so I can approve them for play. I’m sure I won’t have a problem with this but I want to make that part clear. When you level you will also have the choice to add (HD/2)+1 in hit points (Just like Pathfinder Society) or tempt fate with me rolling the dice for your HP. In either case the choice will not be reversible.
I will not make you track mundane items like food and water, but anything else must be on your character sheets. I will maintain a copy of these on the Wiki site that will update as the game goes on. You should be tracking encumbrance but you can ignore coin weight unless it is due to loot gained during an adventure. I will assume cash on hand has been exchanged for high denomination coins or trade-able gems.
When you are in a city and there is downtime announced you are free to shop, create items, and so on. I will generally announce how much downtime will be available before the next plot hook takes place and will allow you all some time to handle housekeeping activities. This is also typically when you will be leveling up. Cities will have limits to what can be purchased, so keep that in mind when planning your shopping. You won’t just be able to waltz into a shop and pick up a +2 Giant Bane Greatsword.
In the event that a character dies, and you do not have the means to bring them back to life, that player may choose to create a new character for the game that must adhere to all of the rules I set forth during recruitment. That character will start one level behind the existing party in terms of experience and will at some point catch up and be equal to the party.
With that I will turn it over to the group. Make any adjustments you would like to your backgrounds before we start and come to an agreement on how you met, why you are in Trunau, etc. Before we start I will need to know where each of you spends your nights while in town. There are several available places to stay which can be located in the Player’s Guide. Just because you might be a resident that doesn't mean you own a home.
Good luck and I look forward to the upcoming adventure!
The player formerly known as Castor. Funny that I'd end up with another divine half-elf. I swear I don't usually make a pattern of it.
Thanks for having me. ^^
Finch spends his nights in his room at Ivory Hall. Thus is the advantage of being one of Halgra's children.
He takes far more than his fair share of nightly watches, often offering to cover for anyone injured or ill, putting his strong sense of sight to good use.
Hello, all. Sasha is ready to go when everyone else is. Thank you, Captain, for the invitation to the game.
Loot: I recommend a loot spreadsheet. I'm not too skilled with making such, though I could probably whip something up in a pinch. When it comes to magical items, I'm all for giving them to whoever can make most use of them. In the interest of keeping things on an even keel, they should be "paid for" through loot gained.
Spoilers: I do not read them unless they are addressed to me, or if Sasha can speak the language in question. As I noted in the Recruitment thread, immersion is very important to me.
IC vs. OOC: If I am speaking "in-character," then that is Sasha speaking in reference to the game. I will avoid being outright offensive, but she is very opinionated and may not always agree with everyone else. Out-of-character (or in the Discussion thread), you will find that I am a pleasant fellow and I always try to be polite to my fellow gamers. I try to avoid cluttering the Gameplay thread with [ooc] chatter as much as possible.
Absences: I lead a very active life and there are times I will be unavailable. I will check in at least once a day and will give warning if I know that I will be unable to do so. I trust Captain Tripps to run Sasha in my absence, but I will try to leave general instructions for her.
I try to keep myself a little distanced from loot split. I'll defer to whoever wants to take control of that and merely make my claims. I have a tendency to go overboard and make things too complicated when I get too involved, ruining my own fun and that of others.
One thing to add for you John, if you missed the messages, was that Rufus' player had the idea of playing children of Halgra. Obviously this is an option not a requirement, and I'm fine with Sasha just the way she is. Honestly, I think any adventure involving giants really needs at least one dwarf and one halfling, so I'm a fan of the character you put together. For pure genetic reasons a halfling wouldn't qualify to be a part of that blood tie.
Just wanted to toss that out there before we got trucking if you had any ideas as to how you might tie into that group. You don't have to, its just an option. :)
That leads me to wonder: does Halgra have a last name?
Should we get a party mule to help with the carrying? I'm willing to chip in if everyone else is. It always surprises me how restrictive the carrying capacity is.
A heads up: It has dawned on me that I'm about to start playing a Summoner in my tabletop group, and that I really don't want to be playing a summoning focused druid here on top of that.
I've swapped Finch's archetype to Storm Druid from Mountain druid, and his first level feat from Spell Focus(Conjuration) to Improved Initiative.
I'm hoping that Den drops in soon so I know he's still about. Which reminds me, I need to stop referring to everyone as their old characters. :)
Recruitment will lock soon, and I've already been making some passes. I'm pretty sure at this point I have the group picked, barring any last minute dot follow ups that simply amaze me.
It will definitely be a bit of an unorthodox group this time around. Hoping you all stand a fighting chance against all of the death and dismemberment that I am going to be throwing your way. :)
Ok, the group is set. I'm going to be doing a final once-over with any comments I have. We have three children of Halgra in the group, which should be an interesting angle and will add a fun element to some of the character dynamics.
I'll likely throw up the first post in the gameplay area this morning, but I have a tabletop game today so I likely won't be following up on any posts until later this evening.
I'll also be reaching out after my once-over to discuss any boons your character might have.
@Johan - Need a different drawback. I don't feel the Pride drawback is really that negative to the character. With an 8 CHA and untrained Sense Motive its likely not to come up often, if ever.
@Bellanie - You have 4 traits. Meticulous as a drawback ok, but that still means you have one extra trait you need to dump.
Everyone else should have a message at this point in your inbox with some details about your time in Trunau.
Female Human Bard (Duettist) 2 l HP: 17 l AC: 14 [T: 12; FF: 12; CMD: 12] l Fort: +2, Ref: +5, W: +4 l Init: +8 l Per: +5 (+7 with Herne) l Bardic Performance 10/10
It's a known thing in Trunau that Iacobus is incapable of anything quieter than 'pitched to be heard across a crowded room'.
He doesn't go on patrols much...
Female Human Bard (Duettist) 2 l HP: 17 l AC: 14 [T: 12; FF: 12; CMD: 12] l Fort: +2, Ref: +5, W: +4 l Init: +8 l Per: +5 (+7 with Herne) l Bardic Performance 10/10
Wait, uh, question: From what I'd read in the guide, there was nothing against using a hopeknife for other purposes. I was sort of planning on making mine my goto melee weapon.
Roleplay-wise, would I be better off getting another melee weapon?
Also, with a penchant for nicknames and the fact that I've been watching "Animaniacs", as of late, I am very tempted to start refering to Iacobus as "Yakko".
It is against tradition to use a hopeknife as a weapon, however it is not completely unheard of. If your character wants to use their hopeknife as more than a device of ritual suicide I leave that completely up to you. I'm not going to split hairs on that subject at all. Hell, a javelin is mainly for combat, but some have used it for diplomacy.
Ok, that last part was a bit of an inside joke and will make no sense to most of you. :)
Male Human Cav 6/Sent 1 | AC 21 T 10 FF 21 | HP 61/61 | F +8 R +4 W +3 (+2 v Charm/Comp) | Init +2, Perc +9, Chal 2/2, Tact 2/2 (6 rnds), Inspired 1/1
Resolute:
AC 21 T 11 FF 19 | HP 60/60 | F +9 R +7 W +5 (+4 vs Ench) | Init +1, Per +5
Hello everyone, it's great to have the chance to game with you all.
Corentin will be my first attempt at mounted combat. It always seemed interesting but I've always felt most runs don't allow for it too well (oh look another narrow descent into a cave/temple/dungeon). This AP specifically called itself out as being a bit more mount friendly so I figured it was time to give it a shot.
Cor spends most of his evenings at the Ramblehouse where he resides. His days are generally spent on patrol, outriding, caring for Resolute, training or tending the few rose bushes he's managed to get to grow near the Ramblehouse wall.
Cor is the sort of person who is friendly to everyone and generally well liked. This is partially due to his easy going manner but more because he's the type of person who genuinely enjoys helping others without thought of personal gain. He has a good relationship with Cham despite his repeated evasion of her attempts to set him up with "the right girl" (carefully limiting his dalliances to women who, like himself, seek a nights pleasant company rather than something more long term), and with the Grath brothers who respect his martial skill and efforts for the town.
Sasha if you've been staying at the Ramblehouse as well I'm sure the two have made each others acquaintance. Her ruggedness, ties to nature and past tragedy in many ways reflect Corentin's own past (though he rarely speaks in detail about the loss of his company).
As far as loot goes I'm of the mindset that it's best to get items to those who can use them. Beyond that we can split it up. I do like to keep a party fund for things that support the group (healing wands, restoratives and eventually raise deads)
Sasha would probably have acquainted herself with a fellow cavalry member, yes (she has been known to ride her wolf into combat). She is open about her past and would probably have mentioned it on occasion.
Male Human [AC: 20/14 tch/16 ff; HP 49/49; Frt +6, Ref +9, Will +3; Init +5; Perc +10 and Darkvison 60' 40 minutes/day] Ranger/Infilitrator 5
Hello all. Please excuse my tardiness. I have been up at Con Nooga helping run PFS this weekend. Had a good time but am pretty beat. Cons are exhausting. I think I failed my fort save. :) I look forward to the game and gaming with all of you.
Loot: I am ok with any reasonable division. But I have been playing long enough to believe I can propose a fair system. It works like this. If we find something that is on your "Must Have Someday" list then ask for it. If its not contested you get it, and we will track it, charging it to your account at its sell price. If it is contested then we will discuss it. In many cases its very clear and agreeable when two or more people want something that the party will benefit more if one of them get it and it resolves itself. If we really cannot choose, we can let the loot totals decide. Then, as we accumulate wealth the person with the lowest wealth total can spend from the party loot fund for any item up to the maximum of either the most expensive item we have or up to 1/3 of the loot total, whichever is greater. (the 1/3 is negotiable). I can run the spreadsheet if you like. Its not that hard. Crafting makes it a little more complex, but overall adds to party wealth so its a good thing. Thoughts?
Dwarves - Johan is not a dwarf, but was raised by one. That is his campaign trait.
He is currently in town with some dwarves to offer their services (for some compensation I am sure) as mountain scouts. He would be staying with his fellows, likely barracked in some bunkhouse. He is a little green for such assignments, but, since he was human, he was sent along thinking his presence might bridge any cultural issues between dwarves and humans. So far it has not worked well as the beds assigned are way too soft and the beer is hardly suited to wash a good dwarves arse with. But Johan is trying.
On the party mix - First I want people to have fun and play what they want, but I am a little concerned about lack of arcane power. Bards can be very good (we 4 manned a 10-11 this weekend at levels 9-10 partly because we had a good bard). So I am sure it will work out ok, but I will worry. :)
Johan was raised by dwarves. His background has his parents being killed by orcs, but I could change that to maybe only his father was killed and his mother was Halgra. Perhaps she was just too busy adventuring and give him up some dwarves couple who could not have children to be raised?
Drawback - Trips - I am fine with you picking one for me (that is not too crippling. :) )and I'll do my best to play it.
Female Human Bard (Duettist) 2 l HP: 17 l AC: 14 [T: 12; FF: 12; CMD: 12] l Fort: +2, Ref: +5, W: +4 l Init: +8 l Per: +5 (+7 with Herne) l Bardic Performance 10/10
Klan? If those dwarves start lynching people, I will be concerned. :-p
Re: Hopeknife: With that knowledge in mind, I'm going to add a scythe to Finch's gear for use as a melee weapon. I'd rather stick to tradition.
My apologies for being a little late to post as well. My IRL group usually gathers on saturday, but this weekend was special and we were on sunday instead.
@Johan - I'm fine with your parentage as is, but if you want to incorporate Halgra that is fine as well. Since you were raised by dwarves, and they are notoriously stubborn, why don't we consider the Headstrong drawback? It works in a similar fashion to Pride, but makes a little more sense to me at least. And I know for a fact you can play a Headstrong character. :)
I think dwarves refer to themselves as clans, but how you want to flavor that is totally up to you. Note, orcs use clans as well, so that is a common grouping in this specific AP!
Excuses excuses! I'm going to whip Shawn when I talk to him tonight. Bellanie has been far too absent already. Getting my "you are voted off the island" speech ready!
Male Human [AC: 20/14 tch/16 ff; HP 49/49; Frt +6, Ref +9, Will +3; Init +5; Perc +10 and Darkvison 60' 40 minutes/day] Ranger/Infilitrator 5
Hey Finch, are you a Mountain druid or a Storm druid? Your alias says both. I thought you had changed fully to mountain, but you look to be a hybrid at the moment. :)
Loot Female Halfling Rogue (Vexing Dodger) 3 AC 18 T 15 FF 14 | HP 27/27 | F +4 R +8 W +2(+3 vs Fear) | Init +4 | Perc +8
Skills:
Acro +11, Apr. +6, Bluff +6, Climb +7, Diplo +5(+1 G), DD +11, Dis. +5, EA +7, Kn Loc +6(+1 G), Ling +7, SM +4, SoH +8, ST +13, UMD +7
Alright, think I am all caught up.
For loot, we can use my sheets that I use for all my other games. Ideas/suggestions welcome, but essentially this splits up the loot amongst the seven of us minus anything we denote as party loot. The only nifty thing it doesn't do is automatically adjust for any negatives that people take too much loot so those have to be handled manually. Otherwise, from what others have suggested this should meet our needs: LINK
@Trips I removed the reactionary trait (it was a hold over from another recruitment) also made the adjustments in your message.
For Bellanie, she has also been staying at the Rumblehouse and with Sasha and her both being halfling I think it makes sense that the two of them are already very friendly. Otherwise, she is pretty common in the tavern and often "sings for her supper" when she wants something a little nicer. Would also very likely know Cor from them both staying at the Rumblehouse.
Male Human [AC: 20/14 tch/16 ff; HP 49/49; Frt +6, Ref +9, Will +3; Init +5; Perc +10 and Darkvison 60' 40 minutes/day] Ranger/Infilitrator 5
No, no, no. We must use my loot sheet exactly as I proposed it. Wait, that is my character with the Headstrong drawback. :) That loot sheet is fine. Thanks for offering it.
Male Human Cav 6/Sent 1 | AC 21 T 10 FF 21 | HP 61/61 | F +8 R +4 W +3 (+2 v Charm/Comp) | Init +2, Perc +9, Chal 2/2, Tact 2/2 (6 rnds), Inspired 1/1
Resolute:
AC 21 T 11 FF 19 | HP 60/60 | F +9 R +7 W +5 (+4 vs Ench) | Init +1, Per +5
I know we're only a few days in but I wanted to take a second say that this is really kicking off to be a great group and AP. I'm loving all the different characters and am looking forward to seeing them develop.
The AP itself has a nice start with some time to build some attachment to the town leading to our current murder mystery. Should make for some good character ties to NPCs and the area.
Plus to top it all of the posts are flowing nicely. Pretty much an all around win :)
FYI, we are getting a lot of party split without any sort of arrangement to meet up and share information. I'd definitely prefer to have some sort of plan there before everyone scatters to the four winds.
Male Human Cav 6/Sent 1 | AC 21 T 10 FF 21 | HP 61/61 | F +8 R +4 W +3 (+2 v Charm/Comp) | Init +2, Perc +9, Chal 2/2, Tact 2/2 (6 rnds), Inspired 1/1
Resolute:
AC 21 T 11 FF 19 | HP 60/60 | F +9 R +7 W +5 (+4 vs Ench) | Init +1, Per +5
I believe we currently have :
Upstairs in the Ramblehouse : Cor, Finch, Sasha, Bella and Jo
Just outside the Ramblehouse and headed to the temple : Hannah
Off to see a girl : Iacobus
I think we're about done in the room so we can all head out and pickup Hannah on the way to share info. I'm not sure where Iacobus actually is physically at this point though. Did he come in the Ramblehouse or did he leave from when we were speaking in the alley?
Loot Female Halfling Rogue (Vexing Dodger) 3 AC 18 T 15 FF 14 | HP 27/27 | F +4 R +8 W +2(+3 vs Fear) | Init +4 | Perc +8
Skills:
Acro +11, Apr. +6, Bluff +6, Climb +7, Diplo +5(+1 G), DD +11, Dis. +5, EA +7, Kn Loc +6(+1 G), Ling +7, SM +4, SoH +8, ST +13, UMD +7
If I'm not mistaken, Cor, Sasha, Bellanie, Johan and Finch are still at the Ramblehouse in the room, Hannah is outside talking to towns folk but going to look for a book and Katrezra, Iacobus is looking for Bryina. I think?
