Before we start... does anyone have the technologist feat? :)
Also I'm not sure how to handle knowledge checks on technology.. The technologist feat says:
Normal: You treat all skill checks made against technology as if they were untrained skill checks. This may mean that you cannot attempt certain skill checks, even if you possess ranks in the skill in question.
Which would mean knowledge checks cannot be made without the feat?
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I've got the technology guide, actually. I bought it when running Trial By Machine - not that it did me much good then, too busy trying to figure out how to GM PFS and PbP at the same time.
Under the skills section (p5), it says (damn me for getting a hard copy and having to type it out):
No new skills are introduced to the Pathfinder RPG to model how characters interact with technology - rather, existing skills are expanded to allow for such interaction. Additional rules for how skills interact with technology are listed below. Without the Technologist feat, a character is treated as untrained in the skill in question when using it on technology.
Craft (mechanical) can be used to construct and repair mechanical items. You can only use it on less advanced technology (gears, hinges, pulleys, etc) without the technologist feat.
With the technologist feat, you can use disable device to interact safely with explosive devices and to disable technological devices and traps. Most of these uses require special items (like a detonator or an e-pick) to do properly, and the rules are included with those special items.
Based on other RAW (but nothing specific under this skill's modifications), you cannot interact with explosives or electronic devices with this skill as it normally doesn't allow you to use it untrained. If you have a device that allows you to, obviously that would override this, but the default would be "you need the technologist feat to do it".
The technologist feat allows you to use this skill to attempt to decipher complex messages written in Numerian ruins. Since most of these messages are written in Androffan (so if you take that language with ranks in this skill, you get an auto success for most messages). Androffan cannot be chosen as a bonus language in PFS.
The following skills are modified in the following ways:
: Identify and understand pharmaceuticals.
: Specifically cannot be used to identify robots, even though they are technically constructs.
: Used as monster lore for robots (and to identify technology). Also used in the same way Spellcraft is used, but for identifying technological objects and effects (DC = the Craft DC of the item). Based on other RAW, you'd only be able to roll for a DC 10 check without the technologist feat, since that's the highest DC knowledge check you can make when untrained. I'm assuming bardic lore and other abilities allowing you to make an untrained check will also apply to using knowledge (engineering) for robots and other technologies.
: Used for astronomy.
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Hope that helps, Jyri! Let me know if you have any more techno-questions. Happy to answer in a post or via PM, whatever you like.
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That reminds me! Trial By Machine awards a brown e-pick which allows you to pick electronic locks without penalty. 30gp sounds like a bargain to me. Cyrus, you want one or should Lort get one that you can use? We have a purchase limit of 2 each (10 uses per pick).
I may also consider getting a medlance and putting it in a spring loaded wrist-sheath. Retrieve wand as a free action, administer potion as move action - drop and attack as a standard action... can I get a hell yeah?
Costs 500gp and only has 10 uses, but 50gp to get a potion of cure serious wounds into you as a move action? Definitely worth it under the right circumstances. Using 2 PP to buy it makes it even more worth it...
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Yeah going to have to look at that Chronicle, my first, hanging on my wall encased in glass.
So Karma - Finarin new things that make me happy, I now get a +2 bonus when I spend an Arcane Pool Point. I can also use it to
At 5th level, these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: dancing, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, keen, shock, shocking burst, speed, or vorpal.
Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s base price modifier. These properties are added to any the weapon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the arcane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the magus uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by anyone other than the magus.
I will need a day or 2 to shop and load up gear for this.
I also have, and recommend for all, Ageis of Recovery and Slippers
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Should the wearer ever drop below 0 hit points, the aegis heals the wearer for 2d8+3 points of damage and then crumbles to dust.
A 1,500gp item that can crumble into dust whether the user wants it to or not? No thanks! Especially with the rate I seem to KO Finarin at. ;-)
Slippers are awesome.
I have a cavalier in Kingmaker who currently has one of these:
Even at 40,000gp it is still one of my favorite magic items of all time. I can't tell you how many times the GM has said "Ah, sh*t, you've got that f*cking ring, don't you?"
When the chronicle reward gold starts to ramp up, I'm going to seriously consider it.
Then again, 700gp (or 2pp) per scroll and a 70 minute duration.... maybe I'm better off scrolling it. Hell, for 21,000 gp you can get a wand! Freedom for all!
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Fudge, was reading -
DR Type Weapon Enhancement Bonus Equivalent
cold iron/silver +3
adamantine* +4
alignment-based +5
* Note that this does not give the ability to ignore hardness, like an actual adamantine weapon does
I cannot get to +4, only to +3.
Are we going to buck up for some adamantine or does someone have a creative solution to this problem?
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Weapon Blanch is the traditional way to do this - but it is effing pitiful. Takes a full round to apply, and then goes away on the first successful hit. At 100gp for adamantine, that's a big "no thanks".
Luckily, the Advanced Class Guide came to the rescue with this awesome spell:
A scroll costs 375 (or a scroll with two of this spell costs 2 PP).
Lasts 5 minutes. Probably going to be worth it for this adventure! I'm happy to grab a scroll (with 2 x that for 2 PP).
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Forgot to dot in here...
@Lort - I did trial by machine with Jaender, so I dont' think Cyrus can buy the e-picks. If you pick them up I will find a way to "pay you back" for them.
Eventually I was planning on having an adamantine weapon - maybe now that I have 4k gold to spend I will get it... I've got some decisions to make anyways.
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No need to talk about such silly things as pay back. It costs 70gp less than my last day-job roll!
Lort will pick up a brown e-pick from the secret stores left for those who came back from the first foray into the Red Redoubt. In fact, I'll pick up two (and cross it off my chronicle sheet).
Also, while I was GMing and not playing, Lort technically has a Trial by Machine chronicle sheet if that counts for anything in this adventure.
I will also grab that scroll of heart of metal x 2 for 2PP. Counts for all 5 of us, so we're good to go.
Thanks Damien! So bardic knowledge will work with technology, in case you would happen to encounter such things... BTW, do you recommend Technology Guide? I've considered buying it out of curiosity, but don't believe I'd get much out of it PFS-wise.
And no need to hurry with your purchases, you'll have a few days until the group leaves Absalom.
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BTW, do you recommend Technology Guide? I've considered buying it out of curiosity, but don't believe I'd get much out of it PFS-wise.
I can't recommend it. Most of what I got out of it is summarized in the PFS scenarios and modules anyway. If you were running Iron Gods, different story. The only reason to buy it in PFS is if you want to take the technologist feat. If I were to play an investigator in a lot of season 6 & 7 tech scenarios, I would consider doing just that. Otherwise, waste of a feat (far too niche).
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Cyrus is updated. Only really made one purchase (belt of dexterity) but it changed a LOT of things. Important stuff is updated in the tagline as well, but here is the rundown (hope I don't miss anything - it is correct in my profile anyways)
AC now 22 (17 touch)
CMD now 21
Reflex save now +9
Initiative now +5
All dex based skills up 1 (Acrobatics at +16, stealth, sleight of hand, disable device at +15)
My dexterity is at 21... so once I ding level 8 dex will go up to 22 - maxing out my armor's max dex. The other good news is the next fame we get will up our max purchase above the 8000gp level, allowing us to purchase +2 weapons (or upgrade to +2). Agile enchantment here I come!
Except now I am mostly broke, so I will have to save up for it. sigh...
500gp for 1d4 rounds of paralysis? You love your one-shot items, mate!
Not a fan.
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Seems to me it would be a better item for a squishy character to avoid the attention of a construct, however as soon as said squishy took a direct action against it, it would negate it. The 1d4 rounds of paralysis would be the "oh $&%(*" button... I could see a character like Miro, or a dedicated healer type finding it useful to stand in the middle of the fray and stay out of the line of fire - but probably not necessary for our group.
Just my 2 copper...
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Adamantine weapons are not an issue for some. The Final Arbitration is adamantine.
I do have to figure out what I am going to spend 5000+gp on. I will work on that tomorrow AM. If I cannot figure it out, I'll just save it (I might do that anyway, in order to get The Final Arbitration to +2). Just have to decide what he needs (well, for sure, he'll add Reliquary to his armor... and shield... and mace... they'll all be holy symbols to him!) Of course, saving to 10K for Bane Baldric is pretty tasty (+5 levels for Bane)
@Lort that is an amazing spell!
@Cyrus... thunderstone... good idea. Best Harpy Defense out there!
So if we run into robots, the plan should be to let Faustus take point, and do the heavy hitting. Lort can overcome hardness with brute force as well.
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So, for the record... I am pretty much done RPing the Chelaxian's prejudices. Note, that in his mind, there isn't much wrong with what he said... in fact, it is corruption (especially demonic possession, etc) that is what he is charged to ferret out.
I apologize as well if anyone was insulted (more than in character, that is).
Finally, after the last scenario, Faustus will be buying a wand of Endure Elements with 2 PP, so don't worry about memorizing the spells, unless you really want to.
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For the record, I am not insulted or any more uncomfortable than when we were playing the slave ships game. It only feels more awkward because we can be so much more descriptive in a play by post setting. I enjoy the colorful version of role play and enjoy even more the underlying conflict between Lort and Faustus. We certainly don't need to dwell on it, because we are here for the story of the scenario, but I don't see any issues. It's just a game, don't worry :)
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Lort's purchases
- 2 PP for a scroll of heart of metal x 2
- Spring loaded wrist sheaths x 2 (10gp)
- 2 PP for a medlance (filling with my potion of cure serious wounds) and storing in a spring-loaded wrist sheath (wand of CLW in my other wrist sheath)
- Bladeguard (40gp)
- Holy water (25gp)
- Antitoxin (50gp)
- Earplugs (3cp)
- Vermin repellent (5gp)
- Pearl of Power, 1st level (1,000gp)
I wonder if something was left out of the scenario in editing. I mean a potentially very interesting NPC (Marw) is presented in the intro, and then completely ignored afterwards.
This is literally all that is told of the chokers and the Scrap Heap after the Q&A with the VC:
The PCs and Marw find a group of mutant chokers waiting to greet them as soon as they step off the makeshift lift that brought them to the Scrap Heap. The chokers lead the PCs without incident through the technological junkyard to a pair of gigantic skymetal doors that open to the Forge
Anyway, if you want to chat with the chokers, feel free.
I understand it to mean caster level checks (Spell penetration etc.), not caster level itself.
GM, I am not sure how this would work game wise, but Finarin bought Air Crystals, 1 minute of breathable air. It doesn't say anything about negating 'bad' air.
Just wondering rules wise how it would work if I used it in to negate 'bad air'
I believe it works by providing air, and thus you would not need to breathe outside air. So common sense (?) would say it could negate any effect that requires to inhale "bad air", like stinking cloud. But rules-wise I don't know... It would be kind of a cheap option to avoid cloud spells etc... What says our own VL?
BTW, since I'm not very experienced Pathfinder GM, I don't know how the CR calculations go. But CR 7 should be a nice, challenging encounter for APL 5 party, right? I just don't understand how four 2HD creatures could in any way challenge you... :D
The azer fight felt like unnecessary filler... They were hostile in the beginning, so making them friendly would've required some amazing diplomacy rolls. So best way to make them cooperate is to beat them. And they wonder where the Pathfinders get their murderhobo reputation...
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BTW, since I'm not very experienced Pathfinder GM, I don't know how the CR calculations go. But CR 7 should be a nice, challenging encounter for APL 5 party, right? I just don't understand how four 2HD creatures could in any way challenge you... :D
The azer fight felt like unnecessary filler... They were hostile in the beginning, so making them friendly would've required some amazing diplomacy rolls. So best way to make them cooperate is to beat them. And they wonder where the Pathfinders get their murderhobo reputation...
Yeah, basically you add up the xp for all the critters, and that should tell you the CR. So, basically, doubling the number increases it by +2. However, this isn't always a reliable calculation. Additionally, it Azer have some special abilities that bump their CR from 1 to 2.... still, you are right... not a well designed encounter.
Did they have class levels of any sort?
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Most of the early encounters are push-overs. They're generally designed to help you get a feel for your fellow PCs and just move on.
The CR system is designed for a group of 4 PCs, also... so a CR 7 encounter for 6 level 5 PCs would be a little more similar to a CR 6 encounter for a group of 4 level 5 PCs (ie. about equivalent level). So, if four of us were facing off against a lone PC at level 7, it would be about the same challenge. Really, a lot of encounters depend upon tactics and having abilities that work well against the PCs' abilities. DR 10 / Adamantine is a b*tch and could really wreck a group of players. That's true, at least, until you have a PC who decided to buy a scroll of heart of metal, for example.
We also got the jump on them and not the other way around, and our characters are all also quite well optimized.
So, from my experience GMing for this group... smashing everything to pieces in under 1 round during the first encounter? Seems about right.
The modifications to the portals are complex, and completely disabling each of the five functioning portals requires four separate steps that the PCs can attempt in any order. Each step requires a successful check described below. Each attempt will take some minutes, and up to two characters can aid in one roll.
---- The four tasks for each portal---
Dexterity or Disable Device: The wires and other components wrapped around the portal rings act as conductors, augmenting the interplanar connection. Using an e-pick grants a PC attempting this check a +5 bonus.
Knowledge (engineering) or Survival: Protective power dampeners have been removed from the portals. A successful check lets a character find replacement parts among the scrap here and jury-rig them to dampen the portal’s power.
Knowledge (planes) or Spellcraft: Jethzerai has scrawled runes around the circumference of each small portal, causing the machines to summon more intense flames than normal. Identifying the key runes and marring them safely requires a successful check.
Strength or Use Magic Device: Large power cells have been snugly integrated into each portal’s design and locked in place with magical adhesives of Jethzerai’s design. Wriggling a battery out of its socket requires strength and patience; with a successful Strength check, a PC pulls the battery free after a few minutes of applied force. Alternatively, with a successful Use Magic Device check, a PC can deduce the various command words that disable the magical adhesives. It is also possible to destroy the battery (hardness x, yy hp), but doing so might cause the battery to explode, which might be … unhealthy.
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That’s the mechanics. Rolling high enough cuts the time required in the attempt a bit, and in some cases rolling bad enough might backfire. You will have a couple of attempts, but let’s do just one round first. And I suggest you plan a bit who will be doing what. There’s five portals, and six of you, so someone cannot be rolling (so aiding, etc is recommended).
If you have some other ideas how to disable the portals, feel free to improvise. And please ask if anything was left unclear.
Once you’re ready roll, post it in gameplay, in this format:
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Can we combine abilities? Such as Cyrus using use magic device while lort aids with a strength check? Would be like Cyrus deactivating the glue while lort pulls...
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Cyrus has disable device at +15, and umd at +10. Ibid and miro have the knowledge skills on lockdown
Edit: with the brown picks my dd check would be +20
-Posted with Wayfinder
Normal rules for aiding, you need to use the same skill as used in the primary check. Knowledges can be used normally here, so no technology' penalty. You would just get bonuses if you had technologist feat.