GM Whiteroses Curse of the Crimson Throne: On A Knife's Edge (Inactive)

Game Master Vanulf Wulfson

Yes. Easter weekend is ridiculously busy for me, starting Thursday.

Just so you all know, my posting may slow a little going into May: I'm struggling to keep up with my posting between work and getting ready for my best friend's wedding (I'm a groomsman!).

GM Fez, I'm going to need a ruling on using Glitterdust underwater. Does it work as normal because, you know, magic or would it create a cloud of floating particles that wouldn't adhere to anyone?

It'll adhere because magic.

Hey all,

It looks like I made an error with Nicolai regarding the "Arcane Spellcaster Level" needed to qualify for the Improved Familiar feat I was planning to take next level. Apparently Prestige Class levels do not count unless said PrC specifically states that it advances your familiar, which Harrower does not.

Given that I've already used an ability from the Harrower class, the Blessing of the Harrow, I'm not going to ask for a mulligan but instead will retrain out of Harrower and back into Wizard. This is going to take about 5 days of training when, and if, I can find someone to do it.

I've thought about this quite a bit recently and will stay with Wizard until level 8 and then transition into Harrower at 9th level (the class is just too flavorful not to take).

If you prefer we can do this now or it can wait until after we find the missing brother. I'm flexible either way, but would like to do this sooner rather than later.

Thanks,
Mike

I'm okay with a 5 day retrain now, whatever helps you along your way!

P.S. Anyone want my Cloak of Resistance +1?

I'm fine with the retrain now as well, it seems like a good time to do it before we jump into another investigation.

Aloysia, if nobody claims it we can just sell it and split the profits, I'm not sure if there's anyone in our group who doesn't already have a +1 cloak already.

I'm heading out of town this morning, and likely won't be able to post until Monday when I get back. Just FYI! Bot me as needed

I don't know if I've talked about this here before, but something's kind of been bugging me lately, and I'm not sure how to get past it: I've kind of been feeling like an outsider in the party recently, like we're co-workers rather than friends, if that makes sense. Like, Aloysia and Jolon's different worldviews may eventually clash at some point, and I'm not sure how to bridge that gap when it comes. Ostensibly, Jolon and Gamon have mutual connections through their work, but we've barely spoken in-game about anything unrelated to the plot, and the same with Nicolai.

I'm wondering if it's just that we've been moving at a "go-go-go!" pace in terms of the plot (mad props to GM Fez for instilling that sense of urgency with us!), and haven't really had much in the way of "contemplative moments" in game, but it's been something that's been on my mind recently.

Also, I feel like I haven't been roleplaying Jolon very well and was wondering if you folks could provide your perspectives?

I think that in general you've been roleplaying Jolon pretty well, at least in my opinion, but I've always found it difficult to create that sense of camaraderie through a PbP game where your methods of communicating both in and out of game are relatively limited. Because we're not talking in real time, conversations can last days and that tends to make players focus exclusively on things that drive the game forward rather than roleplaying the way they might in person.

I would definitely be open to making an effort to have more character to character interactions outside of the pre-existing story and trying to build that feeling you're talking about, but I think it would require a conscious change from all of us to do that given the format of the game.

I'll admit that I'm probably part of the "move fast" thing indirectly. I generally only get about 10 minutes in the morning to read over everyone's posts and put something down myself (I work WAY too much). I try to get in little RP snippets in that time, but to really flesh out an interaction with typing takes a lot more volume of words (read as: time to type) than speaking. It's one of the reasons that I'm playing a relatively stereotypical rogue, she's about as one dimensional as it gets.

It doesn't mean I'm not willing to do the RP, I'd be happy to, but I will say it's pretty unlikely I'll be able to get in a bigger post more than once a week. Also, for what it's worth, I'm sure Aloysia and Jolon could clash, but I hold very strongly to a rule for myself that I refuse to ruin everyone else's good time. I'm pretty cognizant that playing an evil character can go down that road, so I'll always try to steer clear of actual provocation of another PC.

I have to agree with Gamon. The format of PbP is not really conducive to roleplaying. I mean it felt like Nicolai had to scratch out that day to craft his enlarge person wand. Lacking the real time back and forth of playing at a table with conversations between players taking days to a week it can really slow down a game. Given that right now the plot of the game really requires us to move fast to stop the spread of the plague it wouldn't really do to slow it down with additional side posts.

I've been conducting side posts with the GM via private messages to help further Nicolai's character advancement. This is something we might consider although, given Paizo's limitations with private messages, we would be better served by using an outside message service (Discord, etc...), that way we can continue at our own pace without impacting the flow of the game.

If anyone wants to use Discord to open up more RP stuff outside of what we're typically capable of doing here let me know and I'll set up a server.

Plot wise you'll have time to catch your breath after this final mission, but not much. The final part of the investigation is right around the corner.

Thank you, though I've had rough experiences using Discord for RPGs...hopefully our characters will be able to have some conversation time soon.

I think we all need to make an effort to carve out some "Me time" during the AP. Given that we aren't really on a clock, so to speak, I don't think it would hurt to take a day or two here and there to interact with each other and make each other care about our characters beyond the typical "you watch my back and I'll watch yours" of adventuring parties.

I mean Nicolai replaced Cecil and no one bats an eye or even mentions him in passing. What do we even know about each other? I know about your characters from reading your backgrounds but that's information Nicolai doesn't have access to. As far as he knows Jolon is a devout worshiper of Pharasma, Aloysia is a somewhat mercenary rogue, and Gamon is almost an enigma. What does your character know about Nicolai? These are some of the things I think we need to work on.

I've been doing some side role playing with GM Fez via PM's to try and make Nicolai a more three dimensional character without interrupting the flow of the game.
(By the way GM Fez, I'm waiting to see how his overture in that last post was received. That'll guide any future actions he might take). Which if we slow down a little I wouldn't feel the need to.

Just my thoughts so far, so let me (and the rest of us) know what you think.

I think you hit the nail on the head is what I think! :P

Am I flat-footed in this instance? Did the bolt hit me or ping off my armor?

Flat-footed. The secret rolls was a chance for you to see her in her hiding spot.

Okay everyone, I'm getting ready to head out the door for Gen Con and probably won't be able to post very often until Monday.

If anyone else is going I hope you have fun. If you'd like to get together, even it's just in a hallway between events, let me know. I'm always up for meeting the people I game with.

Have a blast!

Have fun! Tomorrow's the big day of Pathfinder 2.0's real release!

So what are the results of Jolon's detect undead? Did we get all the zombies?

Yes, sorry for not mentioning it. No more zombies left.

I just wanted to give a quick heads up that I'll be out of town this weekend, so I may not be around to post regularly. Feel free to bot me as needed.

Sorry for the radio silence over the past few days. This week's been a little hectic with a ten-day stretch at work, the Minnesota State Fair and my 31st birthday (which was yesterday)!

Happy birthday. I too have been tied up with work (although my 54th birthday was a few weeks ago).

Sorry for not replying sooner! I had a picket line to march in yesterday, and had another rainwater leak in our basement.

As a Shop Steward, a Chief Steward, a former member of the Executive Board of my local and proud Union member for almost 35 years, I applaud you.

I tell you once! I tell you twice! #NOBusinessWithICE!

Sorry I've been quiet guys, my wife gave birth to our first child last Thursday and I'm still trying to figure out the whole parenting thing. I'll be jumping online to move things along as I have time, but I'm not sure when or where that time will appear. I will try to maintain my post per day minimum.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! <3

Thanks. Hopefully I can pop on here every now and then while he's asleep.

Congratulations! We'll be here whenever you have time, but no worries if things slow down a bit as you adjust to being a parent.

Congrats, and no worries, the game can always wait

Congratulations. Do yourself and your wife a favor and get a LayZBoy recliner for the nursery. You'll thank me later.

Is it just me, or do we appear to be at an impasse tactically?

A bit, I think we just need to make a decision on how to enter and if we're comfortable starting an obvious fight or want to try and somehow sneak in.

Are we still a thing?

Sorry for the radio silence for the past few days. I've had an eight-day stretch at the hotel, and my brothers had some big events a few days ago so my time and my mental health have kind of been stretched a little thin...

I actually didn't realize it was Gamon's turn, so thank you for the ping.

Wishing everyone a Joyous holiday season and a Prosperous New Year.

Everyone have a Merry Crystalhue? :3

I severely underestimated what having a child does to my time over the holidays. I'm back now though.

And work for me! I'm back too, hope everyone's holidays were good

HP: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Hit Points: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Skills (8)
Knowledge (arcana) +1
Knowledge (dungeoneering) +1
Knowledge (local) +1
Knowledge (nature) +1
Knowledge (planes) +1
Knowledge (religion) +1
Perception +1
Spellcraft +1

Background skills
Craft (alchemy) +1
Perform (oratory) +1

Feats
Improved Familiar (Azata, lyrakien) (Emissary)

Free spells
Arcane eye
Invisibilty, greater

HP: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Gamon took Cornugon Smash as a feat, and gained the Stalker ability, in addition to now being able to study opponents as a swift action.

HP: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
HP: 4+3+1=8

Skills:

Diplomacy +1
Knowledge (local) +1
Perception +1
Spellcraft +1

Knowledge (engineering) +1
Knowledge (nobility) +1

Feats:
Power Attack

Spells Known:
Divine Favor (1st)
Lesser Restoration (2nd)
Stone Shape (3rd)

Now I finally qualify for Holy Vindicator! :D

Skills:
-Acrobatics +1
-Disable Device +1
-Escape Artist +1
-Perception +1
-Sense Motive +1
-Stealth +1

-Knowledge (Nobles) +1
-Sleight of Hand +1

Feat:
-Cheap Shot

Assassin Class Ability:
+1 Saves vs Poison

Sorry, busy time at work, I'll post more later!

"Deturpant" is an inherently funny word! :D