Humblest apologies for not being clear.
I am continuing to shoot the woman with two axes that I lined up as my hated enemy. I think she's the leader...
Don't worry Euan, it's not a problem at all ;)
Now I understand why so many Kingamker games on these boards do not even get past behind the first two encounters...They are so tough and require a lot of work on the GM's part. I'm having a blast though :D
I am too!
Admittedly, I might soon be regretting trying to roll with a sorcerer that picks unusual spells for his list, but by god, we'll have fun while we do it!
Yeah, tough encounters at first level are no fun. We have so few options, and every hit can drop you.
I can't wait for second level at least. Presuming we survive this fight of course...
Did I just go through my first 'boss fight' without using my signature ability?!?
Ugh, WTF was I thinking? :)
Must remember to pronounce judgment.
Must remember to pronounce judgment.
Must remember to pronounce judgment.
And yes, 2nd level sounds wonderful. :)
I am too!
Admittedly, I might soon be regretting trying to roll with a sorcerer that picks unusual spells for his list, but by god, we'll have fun while we do it!
Me three. :)
And I will never regret playing with an active and enthusiastic player. No matter how unusual are his spell choices. Just not too crazy, OK? :)
And I will never regret playing with an active and enthusiastic player. No matter how unusual are his spell choices. Just not too crazy, OK? :)
"What? Teleport? No, no, no, I'll be taking Fabricate and Geas, thank you."
(Super secret plan, guys. If this game stays this fun, we all talk Giuseppe into continuing to GM it after the AP runs out.)
You'd need to roll a DC 50 Diplomacy check for that Kryolani :D
What about the weapons, armors, etc. of the bandits themselves?
Any horses?
How long until I can hear normally again? I'm not stuck being deaf, am I? :)
I don't believe we've searched the bandits yet, GM was waiting to see what we did. Your deafness is 1 hour.
I don't believe we've searched the bandits yet, GM was waiting to see what we did. Your deafness is 1 hour.
Well, we hadn't searched the camp yet either and that loot was 'up for display'.
That's good about my deafness. I can stop yelling at all of you. :)
Disclaimer: I have never played nor prepared to run Kingmaker so I'm a little clueless here.
How does the 'exploration' work?
Do we have to actually tick off hexes on a map as explored?
If so, do we have a map?
Ok guys, please ignore the "weather" part of my post. It would kill you. I'll try to come up with more balanced weather rules as soon as possible. Until then, please just ignore that part and suppose that yes, it's cold out there, but not so much as to endanger your lives.
Thank you GM Giuseppe! I look forward to seeing your solution.
Rest assured, we are bundled up in cold weather gear, and we have several crates of furs too if we need it. Also, I have a decent survival and can mitigate the worst of it with a little luck.
Because yeah... the cold rules are extremely brutal. :)
Well, on the bright side, I don't have to post the very dice-rolly convoluted post I had just finished preparing!
Appreciate you looking out for our well being GM.
lol, whew! I was...concerned. My poor, frostbitten fingers!
Alright guys, in your next post I need to know:
① What do you do with the dying kobolds.
② If you take the kobolds' gear (consisting of 4 Small slings and 4 Small spears).
So... I'm a maps kind of guy.
Where are we with respect to the map in 'handout 2'?
Do you have a hex map of the area we are supposed to explore? How big is a hex?
Give me a map! :)
I know the GM won't hold any punches so we need to be smart here...
The near crippled Serolt looks at their fountain of healing and shrugs. I'll just have to wait. he thinks.
The 'healing' is going to be a problem.
Unless we can buy a healing wand out in the 'wild lands' (GM?), it may make sense for me to take a level in cleric for my 2nd level. I don't want to because cleric will 'overlap' rather than 'synergize' with inquisitor but I may just have to if we want to survive here.
Thoughts?
Serolt will be able to help with healing at second level... and hopefully by then we can buy/obtain a wand of CLW.
Don't change your character concept for a handful of cures. Stick to the plan! :)
Serolt will be able to help with healing at second level... and hopefully by then we can buy/obtain a wand of CLW.
Don't change your character concept for a handful of cures. Stick to the plan! :)
Oh, I forgot you were going to multiclass druid.
Ok, that makes me feel better. :)
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Yeah, long term, we should be alright, and the first level is ALWAYS super-dangerous, regardless of healing. What we REALLY need is to all get rings of regeneration. Those are cheap, right? :D
Super cheap Kryolani!
BTW, Fabian the map was already on our Roll20 campaign page ;)
Unfortunately I won't be able to post for tonight guys, since I just realized something important will happen once you reach Oleg's and it's already late night here. I'll post tomorrow morning. Please feel free to use this additional time to roleplay a bit and get to know each other better. Just assume that you've awakened without any problems occurring during the night and you're already on your way to Oleg's trading post.
Super cheap Kryolani!
BTW, Fabian the map was already on our Roll20 campaign page ;)
Awesome, thanks.
So is Oleg's north of the radish patch and the bandit camp south of the radish patch?
I put Oleg on the map where I think he is (at the crook of the road). From the description, the bandit camp is in the same hex as the radishes I think, but I dunno where exactly.
I've updated the map folks. I'm still struggling to find some good icons to put on it.
We could very easily say that Reknar received a letter requesting his presence in Brevoy (family business, the Swordlords have another mission for him, etc.)
What sort of icons do you need Giuseppe?
Icons for marking the different places you've already explored!
Please note here the items you would like to possibly purchase from Oleg, if any, before I post again tomorrow morning.
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Okay guys, I finally had some time to add a few things to our campaign page. First off, I've added three new player's handout. Please check them out. Secondly, I've created a Google Document listing all the quest you've received and all the rumors you've heard, in order to facilitate you in remembering them and keep everything organized.
Also, I've come to a final decision about how we will handle the cold weather rules. I want weather to play an important role in this adventure, so the rules will stay as they are written.
Is it just that? Of course not. There are several ways in which you can manage to overcome the rigors of cold weather.
Predict the weather: Every explorer deserving his name plan his explorations carefully, basing on several factors. Among them, weather is one of the most prominent. So I will be regularly adding a "weather" section at the end of each of my posts when a new day begins, in order to allow you to predict the weather and plan your exploration accordingly. For example, if you know that the next 3 days are going to be very cold, you could well decide to stay at Oleg's, or to return as fast as possible to the trading post to avoid the rigors of the cold weather. This gives the "nature-based" characters such as Serolt a way to really shine.
Gear up!: You already have cold-weather outfit, granting you a solid +5 bonus on your saves against cold weather. You can also add some furs to your clothes, in order to gain another +2 bonus to your saves against cold weather. The fur description, price and weight can be found in the Adventurer's Armory.
Using magic: There's a spell that gets too often ignored by Pathfinder playing characters, endure elements. That spell is clearly designed to suit your needs in regard to cold weather. I realize that not everyone can cast that spell, and that those who can cast it probably won't be able to cast it four times in order to protect all of their companions. So, what to do? You could hire and adept and have it cast the spell on you paying a small price for it. Alternatively, you could buy scrolls and potions. Also, you can prepare some endure elements spells yourselves.
Is this unfair or unbalanced? In my opinion, no. It just takes a bit more planning on your part and requires you to spend some money or expend some spell slots. I believe that is not that bad, especially if you consider that the Kingmaker Adventure Path features a framework according to which you will frequently have just one encounter/day. Those daily encounters prove too easy sometimes, if the GM does not force you to follow the rules. Expending some spells or money makes the whole thing much more balanced. It's all about using your resources in the right way and ensure that you don't face every single encounter with all of yours daily spells available. So, to summarize: plan ahead, gear up and use your resources. Cold weather shouldn't be much of a problem if you do all of these things.
Given the above post should we potentially adjust our wand commission to one of Endure Elements instead of CLW?
I think, at this level, the cold is far more likely to get us killed than combat, and we can try supplementing with potions until we gather enough money for CLW or hit level 2 and increase our healing potential with Serolt. Endure Elements is 24 hours so it would only last us for 12 days or so if we choose to rush out into the wild during bad weather, but we have two party members with survival trained so predicting the weather should be pretty reliable.
Agreed.
Is there a chance to get a half-filled wand of endure elements and one of healing?
I imagine our strategy would be to predict the weather, use furs, and stay inside when it gets really cold so maybe we have the wand for when we screw up our weather prediction.
The month of Pharast is 'March' so the winter weather should be easing up too.
I imagine our strategy would be to predict the weather, use furs, and stay inside when it gets really cold so maybe we have the wand for when we screw up our weather prediction.
That's what I was suggesting, but I'm not very succinct in the morning.
I imagine our strategy would be to predict the weather, use furs, and stay inside when it gets really cold so maybe we have the wand for when we screw up our weather prediction.
That's the idea.
Yes, you can try and buy a half-filled wand of endure elements for 375 gp.
I imagine our strategy would be to predict the weather, use furs, and stay inside when it gets really cold so maybe we have the wand for when we screw up our weather prediction.That's the idea.
Yes, you can try and buy a half-filled wand of endure elements for 375 gp.
Yes, let's do that. There goes our 140 gp. :(
We can then use heal to determine if one of us is 'succumbing to cold weather' and apply the wand on that person only (as long as the other ones are OK).
But I think the main strategy should be to stay inside when the weather is bad, at least for next few weeks or so.
Also, if you guys could start telling me what your plans for the next days are, we could have the chance to move things along quite nicely. Since Roksana has overcome the Survival check, she already knows that tomorrow (in game) will be a very cold day. So maybe you want to travel back to Oleg after sleeping in the wilds for the current day in order to consider the current hex explored and then wait for good weather.
I would also like to know where would you like to go the next time you explore: with the current one, you've explored 2 hexes already, but you I've got no clue to determine where would you like to go next.
Alright guys, take a look at the map now. I'm finally satisfied with the results. The check mark marks the hexes you've already explored. I've added some icons to help our map to be good-looking. The Glyph of the Open Road marks your current position.
For the record, picking up Endure Elements next was always part of the plan for Kryolani. My general strategy for his spell selection is going to be to take spells that would make everyday life more comfortable. Sure, blowing stuff up is nice, but you don't do that every day!
Alright guys, take a look at the map now. I'm finally satisfied with the results. The check mark marks the hexes you've already explored. I've added some icons to help our map to be good-looking. The Glyph of the Open Road marks your current position.
Very nice!
Maybe change the color of the check mark to bright pink/orange; otherwise it might get lost with all the green in the map.
So did we not explore Oleg's hex and the Thirn Ford Camp hex?
What's the criteria?
For the record, picking up Endure Elements next was always part of the plan for Kryolani. My general strategy for his spell selection is going to be to take spells that would make everyday life more comfortable. Sure, blowing stuff up is nice, but you don't do that every day!
You've got prestidigitation, right?
I have a 'primadonna' bard that uses that all the time. :)
To explore an hex you need to spend one full day exploring it. Oleg's hex doesn't need to be explored, while the Thorn Ford Camp would have required you to spend a full day exploring and mapping the area to count as "explored": when you got there, you just fought the bandits and then rested until the next morning. You'll have to come back later than and explore the whole area, not only the camp.
For further details on how much time exploring an hex takes depending on your speed, please see Handout #3.
I am disappointed about the weather ruling, but I am not in charge so I will make do.
That said, I don't think we realize how deadly the weather rules (link) are. I didn't until I read them carefully.
An unprotected character in cold weather (below 40° F) must make a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage.
This means, in short, that if the day dips below 40 degrees, say for 12 hours, we’re making high DC saves early on, and even higher ones later. By the end of the day, we’re guaranteed failures. Sure we have furs (-2) and cold weather gear (-5) but that’s nothing compared to the +12 penalty we get on the DC by the end of the day.
d6 points of damage, at our level, is bad. Very bad. Our fights have been tough ones, and I’ve nearly dropped in two of three - down to 3hp each time. One bad hour of cold weather and I would have dropped.
A character who takes any nonlethal damage from cold or exposure is beset by frostbite or hypothermia (treat her as fatigued).
A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity.
This means, as soon as we take any damage at all, we’re handicapped. As it’s likely we’re going to be taking damage, it’s likely we’re going to be semi-permenantly handicapped.
A character cannot recover from the damage dealt by a cold environment until she gets out of the cold and warms up again.
This means we have to stop and build a shelter and a fire before we can start to heal - short of magical healing. No healing as we go - even though it’s nonlethal damage. It just keeps accumulating.
- - -
The DM is going to have to track all the opposition too - have they been exposed? What’s their state? Damage? Fatigue? We’re going to have to track our status hourly, that’s going to take a lot of time and attention to detail. Will we roll all these individually? Guiseppe is going to have to monitor us to make sure we do it right.
A survival check means +2 to the saves only, and requires us to move at half movement. It’s also a DC 15, so not guaranteed - to cover all of us it’s a DC 19, add the horses - DC 23.
And what about our horses? I can’t imagine they’re immune? Not only do we need to invest in gear for them (fine with that no matter what) but we now need to roll for them, track them, and maybe spend wand charges on them…
Look, if I’m Serolt, and I’m faced with this level of deadliness, I’m not going out there if it’s cold. We’re moving at half move and we’ll frequently stop early for the day in order to make shelter and get out of the cold due to damage and fatigue. We’re also going to be on foot I suspect, slowing us even further. Considering the real risks involved, I suspect he’d stay close to Oleg’s all winter long…
- - -
OK, Solutions? Well, if we’re going to use these rules, we’re going to use these rules. I’m not going to be a downer and refuse to leave Oleg’s as that’s just a bad player. But let’s go into this situation with eyes wide open. One half charged wand is insufficient. It’s time to devote all our cash and resources to the cold problem.
If we ever make level, I can cast two endure elements a day, and I suspect Jacobus can do the same. That covers us, and means we can go out in the cold, though on foot. So we need a full wand of Endure Elements to adventure now, and no curing. If we become injured, we’re just going to have to stay in camp for a day to refresh our spells and heal, then leave camp a day or two later when we can get our Endure Elements back up.
Sorry for the overlong post. Just needed to make my position clear. Cold is deadly and crippling and we need to view it as such.
Today is just full of surprises...
You wake up the following the day, at dawn, and as always enjoy a good and hearty breakfast prepared by Svetlana. Unfortunately, you haven’t had enough time to trade the items you’ve found in the Thorn Ford Camp, so you’re leaving them at the trading post. Oleg accepts to watch over them while you’ll be away.
OK, I thought Oleg was buying our stuff and trading it out himself? If we're having to do that, then take note - we have not made a divvy yet. Please 'give back' the 140gp I said you all received. Can't spend what we don't have. :)
Giuseppe, what is the procedure for selling gear? What's the process?
NOTE: We also have NOT purchased the wand of Cure Light Wounds (see my above post, but also we haven't sold the gear needed to buy it).
Inquisitors don't get endure elements but sorcerers do.
We need to bring a portable shelter with us and assume that this tent (?) is enough to allow us to be 'out of the cold'. We can only be out in 'cold weather' for a couple of hours at most.
Giuseppe will need to handwave the issue for the horses, if we bring any, or assume that we cover them up enough that they are considered to be 'out of the cold'.
we have not made a divvy yet. Please 'give back' the 140gp I said you all received.
"I'm not giving you nothing!" :)
I'd argue that this is a VERY short term issue for us. Next level I'll be able to cast Endure Elements enough to cover the entire party, which obviates the problem nicely. In the meantime, we stick close to Oleg's and only venture into the wild when our weather prediction shows it to be safe. The cold IS deadly, but it is also fairly easily avoidable. Just don't leave the safety of the trading post for exploring unless we are assured of a gap in the freeze. Which, frankly, is a reasonable response to the rules, and kinda what the designers of the cold rulings intended.