I'm awake! Is it spring, yet?
Nope. Spring vanished back into the aether about 3 weeks ago. You need to get that alarm clock replaced!
GMDQ - is Rosie talking about the potion of invisibility she had? We had Lee use that right before the fight with the Queen and the Whale.
Oops, you're right, I forgot about that. Never mind!
KeefX - I think Plugg has Total Cover right now. Doesn't that prevent Magic Missile from targeting him?
You're right about focusing on Plugg. GMDQ finally drove it into my skull ;)
Unfortunately I wasted my chance to get in there while Cog was still standing. Then I was too afraid of AoOs from Syl and Jape. I should have followed Cog's lead when he charged in...
Thermopylae - You are exactly correct.
GMDQ - May we redirect the damage I'd intended for Plugg to Scourge instead?
Correct, the boat wall is currently blocking line of effect. Switching targets to Scourge is just fine. :)
One thing I hope this battle reinforces is in a swashbuckling campaign full of derring do, hesitation is seldom the hero's friend.
Also remember as PCs, you have ways of staying alive (battle scars, etc.) that the NPCs do not. And even in the worst case scenario, rolling a new character will be an option for you. (Whereas most NPCs who die if replaced at all will be replaced by Generic Warriors/Experts.) You're on the road to becoming leaders of your crew. Efforts you take to protect the otherwise very expendable (from the GM's point of view) lives can affect your crew's morale, in addition to affecting your actual crew numbers.
It also of course can affect alignment. Good aligned characters take (reasonable) risks to protect other people. Neutral characters focus on saving their own skin. Evil characters consider allies expendable shields.
What I'm getting at is, while of course your PCs should not be reckless, player concern for the hassle of dealing with being wounded or dying should not factor into a character's estimation of what is acceptable risk and what is worth fighting for.
GMDQ - that's a helpful clarification, thank you.
And yet strangely enough, this particular fight feels more like a shoot-out at the O-K Corral more than a swashbuckling campaign, like we landed in the Wild West somehow! Which is fine too, of course.
Also, remember Hero Points.
Lee has 3 Hero Points that he's going to invest in finishing this fight with panache and all buckles thoroughly swashed.
If we just barely squeek by this fight, we'll have unruly crew elements from now on. If we crush it Erol Flynn style we'll have fewer problems in the future.
Good point. I've been trying to ask myself each round if the situation is right to use one. I'll happily take suggestions as well.
I've been thinking about using one for an extra attack once I'm actually engaged with Scourge or Plugg. That'll be an easy call if I'm flanking and there's a chance for bonus damage. Let me know if y'all see any other good opportunities.
Is there a link to the uses for Hero Points?
Guys sorry for the delay in posting, things have been a little busy and finding the time to code out these long attack blocks is hard. Fortunately this type of fight is unusual (if the campaign continues after we finish this book, I'm going to be looking at ways to batch-run any big ship/boarding battles).
As for the "shootout" feel, sorry--the AP actually provides extremely few guidelines on how to manage the fight with Plugg (the gist is if the PCs haven't chosen to lead a mutiny yet, he tries to kill them before they leave the island, because he considers them a threat to his authority what with being actually competent and all). I tried to assemble something that made sense and felt right bearing in mind I thought you'd be even more hesitant if the fight started on the ship (though it would push everyone closer together).
I will update the combat asap, hopefully later today (but I probably won't be able to do it this morning).
Hero Points are detailed in the Advanced Players Guide and can be referenced here.
Here is the relevant section:
Using Hero Points
Hero points can be spent at any time and do not require an action to use (although the actions they modify consume part of your character's turn as normal). You cannot spend more than 1 hero point during a single round of combat. Whenever a hero point is spent, it can have any one of the following effects.
Act Out of Turn: You can spend a hero point to take your turn immediately. Treat this as a readied action, moving your initiative to just before the currently acting creature. You may only take a move or a standard action on this turn.
Bonus: If used before a roll is made, a hero point grants you a +8 luck bonus to any one d20 roll. If used after a roll is made, this bonus is reduced to +4. You can use a hero point to grant this bonus to another character, as long as you are in the same location and your character can reasonably affect the outcome of the roll (such as distracting a monster, shouting words of encouragement, or otherwise aiding another with the check). Hero points spent to aid another character grant only half the listed bonus (+4 before the roll, +2 after the roll).
Extra Action: You can spend a hero point on your turn to gain an additional standard or move action this turn.
Inspiration: If you feel stuck at one point in the adventure, you can spend a hero point and petition the GM for a hint about what to do next. If the GM feels that there is no information to be gained, the hero point is not spent.
Recall: You can spend a hero point to recall a spell you have already cast or to gain another use of a special ability that is otherwise limited. This should only be used on spells and abilities possessed by your character that recharge on a daily basis.
Reroll: You may spend a hero point to reroll any one d20 roll you just made. You must take the results of the second roll, even if it is worse.
Special: You can petition the GM to allow a hero point to be used to attempt nearly anything that would normally be almost impossible. Such uses are not guaranteed and should be considered carefully by the GM. Possibilities include casting a single spell that is one level higher than you could normally cast (or a 1st-level spell if you are not a spellcaster), making an attack that blinds a foe or bypasses its damage reduction entirely, or attempting to use Diplomacy to convince a raging dragon to give up its attack. Regardless of the desired action, the attempt should be accompanied by a difficult check or penalty on the attack roll. No additional hero points may be spent on such an attempt, either by the character or her allies.
Cheat Death: A character can spend 2 hero points to cheat death. How this plays out is up to the GM, but generally the character is left alive, with negative hit points but stable. For example, a character is about to be slain by a critical hit from an arrow. If the character spends 2 hero points, the GM decides that the arrow pierced the character's holy symbol, reducing the damage enough to prevent him from being killed, and that he made his stabilization roll at the end of his turn. Cheating death is the only way for a character to spend more than 1 hero point in a turn. The character can spend hero points in this way to prevent the death of a familiar, animal companion, eidolon, or special mount, but not another character or NPC.
I do not use the "additional hero point rules" (i.e., feats and spells that alter how hero points work -- those are a little too meta for me, and I don't want to potentially change the way hero points accrue or are used for any given character.
Oh, it wasn't meant as a complaint that we got to a kind of 'shoot-out' so much as 'wasn't expecting this'. We await the retaliation of our many foes with great trepidation I'm sure :)
Oh, well then, excellent. Forget I said anything. :)
I can't believe I got that kind of serendipity from the RNG after spending a Hero Point.
GMDQ, is there a 'climactic battle' setting on the message board that you've activated? ;)
I'm gonna be away this weekend so from Saturday thru Tuesday my posting will be spotty while I'm on vacation. Feel free to bot me at need.
Have a good break!
Have a nice time.
Thanks guys. I'll be visiting our old comrade in arms John, it'll be good to get away for a bit.
Give my regards to everyone.
(In John's family, at least. Not everyone in, say, the NE Unites States.)
Lathiira, hope you had a good trip this past weekend! Hope J&D looked well.
I have been trying not to melt.
Y'all have been getting broiled, right? It's been a little above average here, but nothing like the reports from the MD and VA area.
It has been freakin' miserable. A little better today but heat indices have been quite high. I'm looking forward to later in the week when it might be a cool 91 degrees. ;p
======================
Okay! As you see in the thread, the battle is over. Please formulate your responses.
We have reached the end of the first book when this scene closes out. I will follow up with more roleplay and a proper wrapping up sequence as opportunity arises and after y'all have ample time to react, discuss next steps etc.
But I'd like to ask NOW, before we hit wrap up:
Do you want to continue? This is a full five book adventure path. I am prepared to see it through to the end, and I would like to. (I'll be checking in like this at the end of each book.)
But if folks are tired, or want to take a break, this is the time to say so.
By default, the next book enters a short story sequence, then opens into a sandbox for awhile. This is where you potentially have a lot of say about what you do, where you go, etc. The goal of the AP is that you become recognized Free Captains of the Shackles, with various related plottage unfolding along the way. I am happy to try to sandbox it as much as you like -- my sense from you guys, you work better with a firmer storyline, however, and I can do that too. (Correct me if I am wrong!)
In fact, in addition to "Raiders of the Fever Sea" (Book 2) I also have a module called "Plunder and Peril." This also takes place in the Shackles and is designed to (with some work) potentially plug into one part or all parts of "Raiders" as an alternate storyline. Depending on the wishes of the party (both IC and OOC) I can work this into the story as an alternate. Notably, "Plunder and Peril" adds further options for good aligned parties... but it is a bit more on rails. It's also one with a lot of NPCs to track, but again I can also pull on portions of it and not use the whole thing.
So that's stuff to think about.
I also would like feedback about how things are going in general -- are you having fun? This we can also discuss as this arc fully closes.
Oh yeah, and please level your characters. :)
I am enjoying myself and would like to continue. I'd also have no objection to working in Plunder and Peril-it's what we're here for, right? Plunder and all the peril that comes with getting it?
Things are going well in my opinion, though the Crankipator does seem to like to interfere with our heroics from time to time. No fault of yours of course, it does that to you too. I do note that this first adventure gave us a lot of aquatic combat, which made life difficult as we faced a lot of critters that were native to the water and thus lacked our problems. Hopefully we can get back to more ship to ship combat for a bit before dealing with more sea monsters. Unless the better loot is with the sea monsters, of course!
On the other hand, the Crankipator also singlehandedly saved Kroop's life, and delivered some pretty spectacular crits in the final battle. It does sometimes seem to sense when the climaxes are. ;) But it can notoriously be disappointing at times. I think I've noted to you all I had a character here who never rolled anything above a 4 in three months.
I was hoping to give Plugg a bit of a better sendoff, but then it's kind of appropriate his part in the fight was largely all wind and no sail.
Yes, indeed, regardless of exact direction you choose, there will be more ship-to-ship combat, and some combat on land. There will also be ship-to-monster combat likely -- where you will be standing on your ship but fighting a monster in the sea (but you don't have to deal with swimming).
Nonetheless this is a seafaring campaign and it's fair to assume at some point you might end up in the water again and facing a creature native to it. I myself don't want a lot of these because it's a lot of work for me to deal with, but it would be silly to have an adventure take place on the ocean and there never be any aquatic combat. Still, you know that may be coming, your characters know to expect it, so by the time it happens, hopefully you will have made efforts to be prepared for such an eventuality.
Also, forgot something important: treasure!
Here's what you pull off the broken and bleeding bodies of your enemies. If the stats are not provided below, you can find them in Ultimate Equipment in the PRD (click the link in the menu to the left that says "Rules Archive/PRD") (yes, I do expect you to look them up yourself :) ).
tidewater cutlass (see below)
mwk cat-o-nine tails (martial light melee weapon, 1d4 damage, x2; disarm and nonlethal qualities
light crossbow
heavy crossbow (x8)
mwk handaxe
punching dagger poisoned with black adder venom (1 dose, so wears off once used)
shortbow
whip
cutlass (x8) (martial one-handed melee weapon, 1d6 damage, 18-20 crit)
dagger (x8)
sap (x8)
throwing axe (x8)
leather armor
arrows (x11)
crossbow bolts (x10)
screaming bolts (x2)
Amulet of Natural Armor +2
Bracers of armor +1
shackles of compliance (3/day)
potion of cure light wounds
dark reaver powder (1 dose)
Oil of taggit (8 doses)
Pewter tankard (market price for a tankard)
leather snuffbox with a diamond stud (worth 65 gp)
silver wedding ring (worth 25 gp)
gold teeth (x6) (if you pry them out of Scourge's mouth) (each worth a gp)
bosun's call (market price for a whistle)
13 PP
293 gp
100 sp
====
TIDEWATER CUTLASS
Aura faint evocation; CL 3rd; Slot none; Price 3,395 gp; Weight 4 lbs.
DESCRIPTION
The blade of this +1 cutlass is spotted with rust, and its basket hilt is cast in the likeness of a grinning skull.
Once per day, a tidewater cutlass can be used to cast hydraulic push.
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Feats Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Spells hydraulic push; Cost 1,855 gp
(GM Advice: I don't think any of you are by default proficient in the cutlass. As you level, one of you might consider finding a way to be as it's kind of a neat weapon. Of course it's up to you.)
Of course much of this gear belongs to what is now YOUR ship's armory, so even if you don't keep it on your persons, you will probably want to load the boats with it and return it to your stores.
Speaking of which, you also are now the proud owners of a sailing ship and two ship's boats.
Yes! I'm having fun and am ready to continue. You may be right that we do a little better with the 'on rails' stories, but that's something we can continue to hash out as we move along.
This is also a good time for me to mention my upcoming vacation. We'll be traveling for about a week starting next Thursday, August 4th. We'll be back Wednesday, August 10. There might be internet where we're staying (in Montreal!), but it's probably best to assume I won't be able to post during that time.
It's good you brought that up, as I will be away from about August 3-7. I think we have time to wrap this arc up thoroughly, and then we can begin the next book when we're all back. Sound good?
Sounds like a plan.
Sounds good to me.
I'll be at Gencon, so my posting will be slow during that time.
Have fun at the con! Let us know what's happening if it's good!
One thing -- when you level your characters up (I noticed Lathiira did already), please be sure to summarize here what choices you've made in leveling. It helps me out keep track of what you folks are capable of.
Do also please discuss what treasure you may be taking (or not). I realize in game you may have not technically divvied up yet, but this usually warrants some player OOC conversation so it's okay to do it out of order. (Stop being so polite, y'all. ;) ).
Something else to think of over time (you don't need to respond to this immediately but in the near future the crew will ask or expect you to do this):
You have chosen your current crew. You will need to assign new positions for them and make sure key roles are covered. You don't have to assign every position listed, but it's important to be sure major roles are filled (e.g., you need a Sailing Master to navigate and run the helm, etc.).
Here is your current crew, and the roles assigned them by Plugg (and Harrigan). I've included their micro stats (race, class, etc.) because at this point you should be generally aware of what they're capable of and we can assume at some point you interview them to get a sense of their experiences, etc. (Any of this you want to RP out is also fine and encouraged.)
I've also noted their attitude toward the PCs. (You'll note everyone's attitude has improved toward you from what it was before.) I will not be tracking influence as strictly as I did in the beginning of the game. Generally speaking, please your crew and over time their attitude will improve. If you do something that would deflate your crew's morale, their attitude will gradually worsen. What attitude may affect is their obedience and swiftness to act, and also sets the DC to encourage them or urge them to do a difficult or unusual job (helpful auto-succeeds, friendly is DC 10, indifferent is DC 15, etc.). You CAN continue to work to influence with checks (3 successes, once per day, with a social skill will raise their attitude, notable failure may lower it), but you don't have to and we're not generally going to do the day-by-day work shift gameplay at this point. You can also just RP and work to get to know and/or do favors for the NPCs as it may come up in the story.
Lark Greenwood, NG Human Rogue 4, PC, now Captain
Threnody Nocturne, CG Tiefling Bard 4, PC, rigger
Lee O'Neld, NG Halfling Sorcerer 4, PC, assistant cook
Muffin O'Neld, cat, familiar, rat catcher
Sandara Quinn, CN human cleric 3, helpful, swab
Rosie Cusswell, CN halfling fighter 2, helpful, swab
Crimson Cogward, N human ranger 1/rogue 1, helpful, swab
Fishguts Kroop, N human middle-aged rogue 3, helpful, cook
Owlbear Heartshorn, N human fighter 2, helpful, watchstander
Conchobhar Shortstone, N gnome bard 2, friendly, rigger
Barefoot Samms, CG human warrior 2, friendly, rigger
Giffer Tibbs, NG gnome warrior 2, friendly, rigger
Jack Scrimshaw, N human warrior 2, (he will be friendly once you recruit him formally), Rigger
Tilly Brackett, N human warrior 2, friendly, Swab
Badger Medlar, N half-elf warrior 2, indifferent, swab
Shivikah, N human warrior 2, indifferent, swab and acting quartermaster
Maheem, LN human warrior 2, indifferent, rigger
(congratulations, you managed to kill or refuse to keep any of the evil aligned crew)
Nadira is acting Sailing Master. You'll want to play things out with her, but she is likely to be at best unfriendly. She is an LN Ranger 3.
Here are the roles that need to be filled (multiple roles can be assigned one person, within reason, and again, not necessarily every role needs to be filled):
Boatswain (bosun): The bosun is effectively a management position: responsible for the upper deck and managing the laborers working upon it. They usually have the authority to reprimand and punish upper deck crew. The bosun is accountable especially for managing the rigging and raising and lowering of the sails, and reporting on the deck's condition to the captain; while the carpenter may be responsible for major repairs overall, the bosun often oversees repair and maintenance on the upper deck particular.
Cabin Boy/Girl: A low-ranking but technically officer position, the cabin boy/girl serves as a runner for the officers and assists any of them in their duties.
Carpenter: They keep the boat working. A very important job. They focus on the hull and belowdecks, but of course can oversee repairs anywhere on the ship.
Cook: While the quartermaster is in control of rationing, the cook of course manages immediate food supplies and feeds the crew.
Entertainer/Sea Chanter: Musicians, orators, and bards can be hired to help bolster crew morale. This can be a useful job, but of course is not necessarily essential. A Sea Chanter uses magic, e.g., bardic abilities, to help the crew do better at their work. While this may seem easy, they are often expected to stand on deck all day to keep everyone alert and engaged, which can be tiring. They are of course expected to fill in with other duties, especially during emergencies, as the situation warrants.
Master-at-Arms: The security officer and carryer out of justice as deemed appropriate by the captain. (The Wormwood assigned Scourge both this job and bosun, as both can punish the crew.)
Master Gunner: Oversees and maintains shipboard artillery and siege weapons. The Man's Promise has ballista, not cannons, so the master gunner would take care of these. Some master gunners also generally maintain the ship's armory, separate from the Quartermaster (but otherwise the quartermaster does this).
Mate: Low ranking officers who usually serve as apprentices or second-in-command to other position. The First Mate is the second to the Captain, but you could also have cook's mate, gunner's mate, bosun's mate, etc. The First Mate often is responsible for hoisting anchor, checks tackle, moors the ship, etc.
Quartermaster: A more high ranking officer than you might think, because the quartermaster must prove utmost trustworthiness to the captain, the quartermaster tracks and oversees all of the ship's supplies as well as cargo to be traded or hoarded. The quartermaster tracks inventory carefully and reports potential thefts to the captain.
Rigger: A dangerous job, working high in the masts and operating the sails. They are also responsible for grappling ships to pull them close enough to board.
Sailing Master: Responsible for setting course and steering the ship, which is a difficult job.
Seacaster: "Sea Witches" and other kinds of mystically empowered crew may be hired and made responsible for magical offense and defense of the ship--after all, in a magical world, a well placed fireball may do as much damage if not more than a cannon, and can be more reliable. Very powerful ones are hired by powerful ships to do things like summon winds or control weather to help maximize their sailing capacity. Seacasters may craft and maintain magical equipment for the crew.
Surgeon: Many ships traditionally combine the carpenter with the surgeon, since both need to operate saws and needle and thread. In a magical world, someone with magical healing however, might be separately assigned the surgeon role, which obviously cares for injured crew and oversees the crew's health.
Swab: Any general, low-ranking crew member, doing whatever work is required of them. The term literally refers to mopping the decks. Common sailors might more politely be called Able Seamen, or some ships might differentiate as a swab being the lowest ranking, the able seaman next.
Watchstander: Someone who serves as a lookout or security officer. Watchstanders assist with emergencies and make sure watches change smoothly (making sure no one shirks and gets to their post). Often they're serve on the bridge helping look out for potential problems. Owlbear is technically a cargo watchstander, but was more used particularly to guard the door to the officers' quarters. (Being very simple minded, he probably couldn't handle harder jobs.)
Finally, a note: Your boat accommodates a maximum crew of 40, and needs at least 20 to operate a ship at full capacity. You're at a skeleton crew of 16. For a short time, you can manage this, but if die rolls are required in an emergency, the DCs may be increased by 2 or more, reflecting that many may be doing the jobs of two people or don't have enough assistance or working long shifts.
Oops, forgot the summary of upgrades.
Thren gained:
+9 hp
+1 BAB/CMB
Dexterity increased to 16. This in turn increased Reflex saves to +7, AC to 17, CMD to match, Initiative modifier to +3.
Skills: Acrobatics +10, Stealth +12, Climb +8, Perform (singing)+10, Perform (dancing)+8, Profession (sailor) +7, Swim +8, Perception +7, Sleight of Hand +7, Intimidate +10
Spells per Day: Now may cast 2 2nd level spells per day (includes Charisma bonus).
Spells Known: Add cat's grace and blur to spells known.
As for treasure: Thren would like the arrows. Also, given how she gets into melee normally, she'd like that amulet of natural armor +2.
Is there any provision for leveling up NPCs? It's purely selfish of me, but Rosie's been through just about everything we have.
Question about familiars:
The rules say that the familiar shares skills with the master.
The rules also have a minimum INT for language use.
So if Lee takes the Skill Lingustics, and chooses Common, could Muffin then share that skill and understand Common? His INT is sufficient at 7.
I'm not expecting for Muffin to speak (As he does not have the right biological equipment for speech.). But to understand and then use a ouija board or a scrabble set (Linguistics gives spoken and written forms of the language.)?
And then there's the problem with having a cat around that can communicate it's exact and unfiltered thoughts...
Level Up, Unchained Rouge 4
HP +9 (now 38), BAB +1 (now +3 total), CHA +1 (now 16), Saves now 3/7/2
Skills - Acrobatics +10, Appraise +6, Bluff +10, Climb +6, Craft Carpentry +3, Diplomacy +8, Disable Device +11, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +7, Heal +6, Intimidate +7, Know Local +6, Know Dungeon +6, Perception +8, Perception Trapfinding +10, Profession Sailor +8, Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +9, Stealth +10, Survival +1, Swim +7, Use Magic Device +7
Debilitating Injury - bonus effects to sneak attacks, one round of -2 AC or -2 attack or 1/2 speed
Uncanny Dodge - never flat-footed, still get DEX to AC vs invisible attackers
Expert Leaper - add Rogue level to Jump checks, always considered to have running start, when falling DC 15 to ignore first 20 ft.
GMDQ - In Lark's stat bar I set FF to his regular AC. Let me know if you want me to change that.
Lark, do change your FF AC back to what it is, because what the FF AC truly reflects is badly named: the stat reflects whenever you are denied Dexterity to your Armor Class. While you are immune to the flat-footed condition (which means you start combat with your full AC and you can always make AOOs even if you haven't acted yet), there are circumstances where you can still be denied your Dexterity bonus, such as if someone successfully feints against you. Uncanny Dodge does not protect against these circumstances.
To be clear, "flat-footed" is a condition that can include being denied your Dex to AC, but there are other situations where you aren't flat-footed, but still denied your Dex, and you still need to reference the statistic innaccurately labeled "FF AC" under those circumstances.
I am aware you have uncanny dodge and thus know not to reference your FF AC when combat starts or in other situations that specifically inflict the Flat-Footed condition, such as the Catch-Off Guard feat (which makes targets of improvised weapon attacks flat-footed if they are unarmed).
Lee, I'll get back to you on the languages. I'm late for meeting.
Question about familiars:
The rules say that the familiar shares skills with the master.
The rules also have a minimum INT for language use.
So if Lee takes the Skill Lingustics, and chooses Common, could Muffin then share that skill and understand Common? His INT is sufficient at 7.
I'm not expecting for Muffin to speak (As he does not have the right biological equipment for speech.). But to understand and then use a ouija board or a scrabble set (Linguistics gives spoken and written forms of the language.)?
And then there's the problem with having a cat around that can communicate it's exact and unfiltered thoughts...
Okay, I've looked around on this, including discussions like this and this.
I've borne in mind that there are some familiars that can even speak Common, albeit as a supernatural ability. Same goes for things like Improved Familiars, who might have abilities like truespeech, which is a supernatural ability, not a practical skill with languages.
And of course, I paid attention to this very important clause in the familiar's description:
Regardless of a familiar's total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the familiar's ability to use.
I've also responded to your further query via email.
My inclination is to say with ranks in Linguistics, Muffin can, to a degree, comprehend languages that you do. (Same for use of a comprehend languages spell). As you note, he cannot speak.
I would also rule that he cannot read or write effectively -- processing written language is a very unique-to-human-brains thing, and I believe thus qualifies for the "some skills may remain beyond the familiar's ability to use" qualifier inserted into the rules. Muffin may recognize certain basic letters/symbols over time (and may even slowly get better at this as you level, reflecting his own evolution), but would struggle to string them together with any useful amount of speed or comprehensiveness.
But he could for example, spy on Kroop, overhear Kroop tell Tilly he's got a secret stash of rum under his bed, understand that, and then give Lee the message empathically. He might even be able to do something like... if Lee was captured and Muffin got away, he could run to Thren and Lark, scratch a rough "L" in the sand and act distraught, and Thren and Lark might be able to discern from the clues that "L"ee is in trouble.
But he can't drag a bananagrams sack around with him and use it to write out the Gettysburg address.
Does that sound fair?
Other players' thoughts are also welcome.
I do love the image of a cat carrying a Bananagrams sack in its mouth.
I don't think it's unfair to rule that Muffin's written language skills would be limited. That said, it also wouldn't be over-powered if he could read a little or recognize a few key words (yes, no, one, few, many, etc). Does it allow us to maybe do more interesting things without breaking the game? I think the answer is yes.
Interesting take on the question in the links, especially this one.
In the thread referenced above, it was first established that familiars are not Animals, but rather Magical Beasts. Then, expanding on that:
"Magical Beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2 (in which case the creature knows at least one language, but can’t necessarily speak)".
And humorously:
"It (the familiar) gets the ability to deliver touch spells at level 3, so wouldn't a wizard have to communicate who to touch? I'm pretty sure you can't convince it to touch someone emotionally o.O"
Also, saying, "Go touch the person wearing red but whatever you do, don't touch the person wearing green," would be useless. :-)
Given the above, it sounds like there may be a case for saying that Muffin already understands Common (but has been smart enough to not let that information be widely known until now) without the skill point in Linguistics. But his ability to speak it doesn't exist and I agree that reading and writing should be an undeveloped and/or very limited use thing (though the thought of Muffing thumbing through a book is amusing). Also amusing? Bananagrams. Maybe Muffin needs a little chalkboard. And if someone needs attention? Cat claws on a chalkboard would do it, probably.
I did not see that coming when you first mentioned chalkboards. When I read that final sentence it literally sent a shiver down my spine ;)
That's probably exactly what those Screaming Crossbow Bolts sound like.
Interesting take on the question in the links, especially this one.
In the thread referenced above, it was first established that familiars are not Animals, but rather Magical Beasts. Then, expanding on that:
"Magical Beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2 (in which case the creature knows at least one language, but can’t necessarily speak)".
The thing is, they only sort of are (and sort of aren't) magical beasts. In D&D 3.x they were described as specifically having their type change to magical beast, and that poster is erroneously assuming this still to be the case.
Pathfinder changed the wording to:
It retains the appearance, Hit Dice, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skills, and feats of the normal animal it once was, but is now a magical beast for the purpose of effects that depend on its type
This means it is an animal for many intents and purposes (meaning the description of "magical beast" in the Bestiary, which is where the line about understanding language comes in, doesn't apply to them) but they are not susceptible to a spell that targets animals specifically, e.g., hold animal. (Although I'd make an exception with the speak with animals spell.)
"It (the familiar) gets the ability to deliver touch spells at level 3, so wouldn't a wizard have to communicate who to touch? I'm pretty sure you can't convince it to touch someone emotionally o.O"
Empathic Link (Su): The master has an empathic link with his familiar to a 1 mile distance. The master can communicate empathically with the familiar, but cannot see through its eyes. Because of the link's limited nature, only general emotions can be shared. The master has the same connection to an item or place that his familiar does.
The last sentence I also interpret to extend to creatures. The master or familiar can deliver a "sense" of a person to one another (which I've tried to manifest in my interpretations of Muffin's perceptions as "smells like fish and rotten fruit" = Kroop).
It is not a linguistic command, it is a sense of "*that person there* *anger* *hunt*.
I do interpret the empathic link as slightly more liberally than "emotions only" only because as that is pointed out is rather useless. I see it as how an animal would "think" -- in a series of sensations, images, and basic desires (including a desire to attack, hide, etc.).
Given the above, it sounds like there may be a case for saying that Muffin already understands Common (but has been smart enough to not let that information be widely known until now) without the skill point in Linguistics. But his ability to speak it doesn't exist and I agree that reading and writing should be an undeveloped and/or very limited use thing (though the thought of Muffing thumbing through a book is amusing). Also amusing? Bananagrams. Maybe Muffin needs a little chalkboard. And if someone needs attention? Cat claws on a chalkboard would do it, probably.
As it is, my ruling is this:
First, Muffin cannot understand anyone's communication with him, except for you (beyond the normal ways which people communicate with animals). But with your empathic link, you can certainly communicate your (simple) commands to him effectively.
But, if you expend a point in Linguistics, he can understand, but not speak or read or write, any language you also speak (which would be Common, Halfling, and whatever language you choose to learn by buying your rank in Linguistics, e.g., Celestial).
Good ruling.
I'm down with it.
I may still get Muffin a little chalkboard...
By all means you can get him a chalkboard. He can use it to demoralize. ;)
If you buy a familiar satchel you could try to attach the board to it. ;)
Here's the changes to Lee as he goes from 3rd to 4th level. Lee gains:
Charisma - 1 pt - 19 total now
BAB - +1
Will Save - +1
5 HP (25 Total)
Skill - Knowledge (Arcana) - +1
Skill - Spellcraft - +1
Skill - Diplomacy - +1
Favored Class Bonus - Skill - Linguistics - +1
0th Level Spell: Message
2nd Level Spell: Scorching Ray
I'll be able to post once or twice on Wednesday (Aug 3) and then that'll be it for me until next Wednesday (Aug 10).
I'm heading off to Yearly Meeting today. I might be able to post from my phone on occasion but it is likely to be sparse. We're close to wrapping up, and if no one is able to post today, we can leave it at "you all sail north" until we can next meet. Otherwise I think we've time to finish your conversation.
Have a good trip!