Public Service Announcement:
Humble Bundle has teamed with Paizo. Again.
Last time they did this, I missed it and it hurt pretty badly.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/pathfinder-worldscape-book-bundle
Thank you for your attention.
Thanks for the heads up! I think I'll pass as I've already got the most crucial pdfs in the set, but it's a good deal. I've read some of the Pathfinder comics they're including and they're pretty good too.
One of the higher tier sets also comes with the first six issues of Gail Simone's run on Red Sonja, which has nothing immediately to do with Pathfinder (though I believe she's being statted up in Pathfinder for Worldscape), but is an excellent book. I have a signed #1 of that by Gail!
I want to note: I'm not ignoring the Bluff check: the watch believes you simply want to go hunting. Just, unfortunately, his understanding of that is causing him to explain the problem with that.
Just feel the need to point this out because I hate when it feels like a GM is ignoring a check I made.
KeefX - thanks for mentioning the Pathfinder sale at Humble Bundle. I did catch that previous sale so I already have more PDFs than I'll probably ever use ;)
That Red Sonja series is tempting, though. I didn't know Simone had worked on it. DQ - did you get that issue signed in person? Was she at an event in Baltimore?
Marching in DC today! We will continue once I get back.
Yes, I got the Red Sonja book signed, at an event in Annapolis at 3rd Eye Comics. She also came to Baltimore Comic-Con... I want to say 2 years ago?
Good luck with your March, stay safe, stay dry for that matter!
Good luck getting in and out of DC.
The march itself will probably be low-key but keep an eye out for counter-protest hoodle-heads and trouble-making interlopers.
DQ - I hope you had a great march! It was fantastic to see so many all over the country and the world. There was even one here in Binghamton, and the weather smiled on us.
Looked something up on wikipedia and it mentioned all the marches. I looked at the picture and thought I saw your forehead and hair oh mighty GMDQ!
The March was cool. Some informational/communication issues that mainly boiled down to "they expected 200,000 at most and got over half a million." Which is a good problem to have. It was an incredibly cool, chill, happy crowd even when crammed like sardines along the streets. The only mentally unstable person I met was someone I know ;_; (who was on our side, just off her meds, sadly). No jerkfaces, though there might have been some "interlopers" at the fringes, I think the sheer numbers scared most potential trouble makers away. I think I saw one tiny little counter protest on my way back to Union Station, and they were utterly surrounded by march participants who were drowning them out with friendly chanting.
I'm not sure I really made it in any pictures, but it was good to be there. We tried to get to the stage and couldn't get close enough. I can say I sort of heard Katy Perry sing and that's about it. :) Talked to lots of nice friendly people from all over the country though.
Getting there required a long wait for a train, but once we got on we were good to go. We got home pretty quickly.
Okay, back to our regularly scheduled gaming!
I'm glad to hear it went so well. It seems like a lot of places had that good problem of more people than expected. It was all very heartening.
Oops, actually Thren did better on her own roll by 1 than the pre-emptive scene roll I made. Her result of 12 still shows her nothing unusual.
Lark makes all best plans. They always proceed so smoothly.
Now now, the point of plan isn't to have a step by step guide to success. If your plan works without a hitch, great! The real point of a plan is to become familiar enough with a given situation that when your plan blows up in your face, you can improvise until you get what you want. Or so I tell people at work.
I know! You just wanted to have a nice, polite conversation with someone who was trying to discredit you and your crewmates, spying on you, and sending cursed hybrid monster-men to kill you. What could possibly have gone wrong? :)
But in seriousness, I'm glad you MAKE plans and that you ACT on them. That is better than standing around doing nothing. This is an ADVENTURE after all.
For future plans: next time we bring cake. That'll help.
Cake ALWAYS helps. Unless the cake is a lie.
Anyway, slight point of order on something:
Percentile Die Rolling
By default, I use the established standard of "roll low" when it comes to percentile dice (Pathfinder rulebook notes percentile dice are the exception to the roll high rule otherwise used in the system). If there is a 20% chance of something, you have to roll 1-20 for that thing to happen (whether good or bad); over 20 the thing doesn't happen. If a 50% chance, you must roll 1-50.
Some of you opt to roll high, and have posted so in your die rolls (so if it's a 50% chance, 51-00 would make the thing happen. 80-00 would be for 20%. etc).
I'm not going to ask you to change what you prefer, BUT...
If you do not specify, I will interpret the results to be the default: rolling low produces the thing.
Thren specified "roll high" in her last check so it's fine.
But I just want to be clear on this, because I have been rolling low and interpreting the results that way, so I want everyone to be on the same page.
If you wanted to roll high but forgot to say so, I'm sorry for whatever happens, but the result will be the result.
Does that make sense?
Sounds fine.
Yup. Makes sense.
Works for me.
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GMDQ's Pathfinder University
Class 203: Concealment
Concealment is (usually) an environmental circumstance. This mechanic represents conditions that obscure, to some degree, sight, without being a large, solid physical barrier (a large, solid physical barrier that obscures sight is called "Cover", which is a thing we can discuss later). Common sources of concealment include, but are not exclusive to, fog and dim light.
Concealment mostly does two things:
1) Makes a character harder to hit
2) Allows you to use the Stealth skill (you need cover or concealment to do that)
We are going to concern ourselves largely with item 1.
Concealment's ability to make a concealed character harder to hit is what we call a "miss chance." If I say "this thing has 20% concealment" that means there is a 20% chance that any attack (requiring an attack roll) will miss a target.
So when you attack a creature protected by concealment, you do this:
1) Roll to hit as normal
2) If you would hit normally (i.e., you beat the target's AC), STOP, and roll for concealment.
3) Concealment's "miss chance" is checked using percentile dice (d100). If a creature has 20% concealment, roll 1d100. If the result is 1-20, you missed. If the result is higher, you successfully hit the creature.
4) If and only if you did not miss based on the result of your concealment check, then roll damage.
Concealment does NOT protect you from indirect attacks like area effects (because it's hitting everything in the area and doesn't require precision to strike something) or from special attack effects that don't require an attack roll, such as magic missile. (But a spell that requires an attack roll, like scorching ray is affected by concealment.)
If concealment obscures sight, does this affect Perception?
It can, but concealment itself doesn't have any direct Perception-related mechanics. Rather, a situation that provides concealment may also have Perception related mechanics related to it too. A descriptor may say something like, "provides 20% concealment and -4 to Perception checks." Alternately, often areas that provide concealment provide BONUSES to Stealth checks (which makes other people's Perception checks against that creature harder). For example, the heavy undergrowth on the battle board right now grants a +4 bonus to Stealth, as well as 50% concealment.
If a source of concealment (like fog) obscures sight (prevents Perception checks based on sight-only), you might still be able to use Perception to pinpoint the location of a target. It might be harder, but you might hear or smell them and know, Okay, something is over there. This doesn't negate concealment, but it helps you know something's there. For example, an invisible creature benefits from 50% concealment. You might succeed on a Perception check to locate them--this means you know roughly where the invisible person is standing--BUT you still can't see them, so even if you know where they are, you might not be able to hit them. (You're still better off than the person who can't figure out where the invisible person is.) In the case where you are in the fight, your obscuring mist is blocking vision of anyone inside the mist beyond 5 feet. This means you can't see someone on the other side or even 10 feet or more away from you. You can make a Perception check to know that they are there (and Scent might make it easier), but it will not make it easier for you to hit that person.
Light and Heavy Undergrowth are technically physical objects, so why are they sources of concealment, not cover?
Light and heavy undergrowth represents "squishy" objects that you can move through (albeit with difficulty). "Cover" is something like a tree--a wide, hard surface that is largely impenetrable by most normal things. You can push your way through a thicket. You cannot push your way through a tree. However, the thicket's leaves will partially hide you, so they provide concealment.
How do I overcome concealment?
It depends on the source of concealment. Sometimes, you just can't. However, as concealment is largely about obscurement, there are some things where it doesn't matter if you're obscured:
1. Blindsight: A creature with blindsight has echolocation or some other way of precisely "seeing" creatures and objects without normal vision. They ignore most forms of concealment completely.
2. Dim Light, Darkness, and Darkvision: To creatures with normal or low-light vision, dim light (roughly the level of light of a room lit by a candle or so) provides 20% concealment and darkness confers 50% concealment. However, a creature with Darkvision or a similar sense can see in darkness, so they ignore this form of concealment within the range of their darkvision.
While it does not allow you to defeat concealment, there is a feat called "Blind Fighting" that allows you to reroll your miss chance when attacking a concealed creature.
Any questions?
I thought the concealment from fog and the like was at range.
It offers concealment for base to base contact, too?
Maybe if Lee would have hit anything this would have come up earlier...
What conceals what is defined by the effect. It is not a ranged only effect--concealment can definitely apply to melee, especially when it comes to things like invisibility (invisible creatures have 50% concealment versus ANYTHING that attacks them that doesn't have a non-sight dependent of "seeing" them (like blindsight).
The obscuring mist spell grants 20% concealment to adjacent creatures and 50% concealment to anyone further away.
If in doubt always check the description of the source of concealment.
Ouch. Lark doesn't have any hero points.
Then yes, ouch.
The likelihood of that all panning out as it did was small... but possible. You did Hyrix the favor of coming to him so he was able to immediately full attack, which magus spellstrike requires. He had to succeed on concentration, and hit you (you have a high AC and his to-hit for his level is only okay), and beat concealment. He did all those things, unfortunately. I had to read three times to be sure spell combat spell damage was dealt on a crit. He would have dropped Lark even at full health.
We can chat about your options. Feel free to email or PM me first. I want to finish this combat first.
If you want something to do, I could hand you Ellara to play if you want for now.
Public answer to Lee's question: There's a catch all "do the impossible" option under the list of stuff you can do with hero points, but those will still require a "difficult die roll." The idea is it lets you fudge mechanics more than the GM might otherwise. The other thing is you can spend a hero point to ask the GM advice what to do. The issue with "run away" is you're now staggered (permanently until remove curse is successfully used on you) and while I might allow a temporary speed boost with a hero point expenditure, it's only going to get you to the middle of the map what with all the difficult terrain. I believe you also failed your save vs Mother Grunds Horrific Appearance so you're at a -3 to Strength--so your ability to grab Lark AND go all the way out of the area can't ride on a single hero point.
As for parlay, both Hyrix and Grund offered surrender/submission to their demands. You could take your chances with that.
You ALL are as always welcome to discuss your plans and tactics with each other in the discussion forum. The fact that you haven't been has been a bit concerning to me. I know you're not at table and it's hard to talk shop in this format, but absolutely NOTHING should prevent you from discussing, plotting, and planning in the forum. Unless you all are emailing each other plans--which is fine!--your teamwork is lacking and it is distinctly showing, and that's not like ANY of you.
I've not been pursuing table-talk during fights because I was concerned it would slow us down. That's on me for not just asking if anyone wanted to discuss our situation. In retrospect better to be alive and slow than quick and dead.
My other regret is not asking Yamtisy more about Hyrix. Lark assumed he was just a low-level spy. He wanted to confront the tengu before he fled. When Hyrix proved to be a strong magic-user with allies I should have leaned back from the table talked to y'all about engaging vs. fleeing.
Leaving aside Lark's remains, maybe everyone else should flee now? Could Thren or Wahhe-eagle carry Lee?
I might be able to carry Lee, though I'm currently damaged in terms of Strength. Main issue is just evading/discouraging pursuit. I've got nothing but cantrips left just now. That said, I might be able to use ghost sound to cause a distraction if I cast off in another direction. Perhaps make it sound like our crew is coming for us? Of course, Thren's deaf just now, so she's just going to crank up the volume. Which way did we come from, so I can make a decent choice of where to throw it?
That's on me for not just asking if anyone wanted to discuss our situation.
There are four of you in the group, so I would certainly not expect any one of you to bear responsibility (if any) over others.
Yamtisy did mention that Hyrix was a spellcaster.
As for running away, you might want to consider recent background descriptions of... say, sounds coming from the cove already, as you ponder that plan.
You came from the west. The footpath ends at the stream. Moving anywhere other than along the footpath means you're moving into the woods (more difficult terrain and slow movement).
If you leave Lark's body behind, I probably can't reasonably come up with a means to do anything with him but let him die. (Which I would prefer not to do. I don't know about the rest of you.)
There's nothing in the story that can allow me to enforce this without major GM fiat, but I will say the one thing that could really bork things for me, the story, and thus the party is if the party gets split at this point.
No matter what happens in this scene, even seeming total failure, I have a way forward for the story. What shape you're in as the story moves forward may depend on your choices, as well as the will of the RNG. Apart from that I will say no more.
Why do I have the funny feeling that, now that the fight is over, we just went through all of Book One, started this, and now we're gonna end up back at the beginning of Book One? LOL
LOL. Funnily enough I wrote the first paragraph of what I just posted BEFORE you said that... but no, not quite. :)
You are continuing on to part 2 of Plunder and Peril. :)
Yes, you all have regained spells, though Wahhe has not had an opportunity (Because she's been unconscious) to prepare a different set from what she prepared prior.
No. All GMDQ is saying is that we were all out cold, but you couldn't change the spells you'd prepared because of that. You still have whatever spells were left at the end of the fight however. Lee and I are spontaneous casters, so we're fully reloaded. That's all. You're awake too.
I'm sorry for the late notice, but we have house guests this weekend, thus the delayed posting. I'll try and check in tomorrow, but it might be Monday instead.
thermopyle, when you get back, can you please answer your private message? (Look by your name at the top of the screen, you should see a little mail icon with a number by it). We need to discuss your battle scars. :)
Just in case any of you are still frustrated by some of your die rolling during the last combat... as a gesture of "misery loves company," here's one of my PCs' latest efforts in a campaign I'm playing here:
Speaking for myself, you have my sympathy. I do note that your to-hit rolls are still higher than my damage rolls though!
GMDQ, those were a rough couple of rolls. You were even flanking! :(
Thanks for the heads-up about the PM. I totally did not notice it. I'll try to keep an eye out for those in future.
And yes, now that we're at it, let's talk battle scars.
So I'm adapting somewhat the idea of the battle scar system from the Skull and Shackles Player's Guide (which all of you should have downloaded).
I think all of you have played with me before and know this--but let's remind all of you just in case:
I give one free resurrect--the first time you die, you won't, somehow. This is as sometimes early ish in games things just go very wrong and I don't necessarily want to lose a character for MY purposes, let alone see players lose theirs. This does not mean there isn't a COST to the resurrect, it just isn't a 5,000 gp diamond or whatever.
In this game, your "free resurrect" comes at the cost of battle scars. You die, you take a major battle scar. You take major massive damage but live, you might get a minor battle scar (missing finger, superficial scar, etc).
Lark took enough damage to die twice over--he really should be ash--so he's taken two battle scars. I chose one: loss of an eye. He chose the other of three options I gave him, which is -1 to Con. His cardiovascular system is weakened by the shock.
I will probably in most cases offer you a choice as well, unless circumstances seem to dictate one obvious option.
Most battle scars can be healed eventually with regeneration (if not more potent spells of course like wish or miracle but it'll be awhile if you ever see spells like that at all).
If you die a second time, we'll probably have to deal with, you know, your actual death--but hopefully by then you have access to adequate spells to raise if desired.
Let me know if any questions or concerns.
Sounds good.
I choose to look at it this way: -1 CON, +1 cool story ;)
And don't forget, the eye being gone means an eye patch. That should be worth some street cred in a pirate campaign!
We can have a new eye carved out of lapis and mother-of-pearl.
Oh, and sorry about going silent there.
Work + a cousin found out she had a brain tumor. Surgery was today. Things seemed to go well. We are looking forward to the possibility of a positive outcome.
Glad she is recovering well so far.
Work and other things are kicking my ass. I will post hopefully tonight or tomorrow morning. Sorry for the delay.
No problem. Sometimes we are overtaken by circumstances.
News on my cousin:
Things are progressing well. She's on soft food and fed herself. She had a good session with a rehab therapist person who worked on some speech stuff and made sure her swallowing coordination was good.
Feeding ice cream to oneself doesn't sound terribly exciting, but doing it less than 24 after brain surgery is pretty stellar.
That sounds like a good place to be after brain surgery. Best wishes for your cousin.
Best wishes, indeed.
Since you might be there for awhile, I've changed the ship/crew reference to one for the Magpie Princess. The link is accessible from by my avatar and on the campaign tab.
This does not necessarily mean Besmara's Whim has gone away. :)
It's fun to use skills!
Please bear with my kvetching. It does make me feel better to say that starting a cruise by making the bosun mad really feels like icing on the cake ;)