GM Kiora's Wrath of the Righteous

Game Master Kiora Atua

Nope! The training I just completed was very clear in that it does nothing for blood flow, and that the proposed mechanism of action is just on serotonin and dopamine modulation. It primarily agonizes one kind of serotonin receptor, antagonizes another and agonizes dopamine a lil bit. It also increases norepinephrine levels.

That's basically all I can say on that. The lame thing about drugs that act on neurotransmitters is that we really don't know how NTs work. We can say stuff like "elevated dopamine levels are associated with sexual excitation" but what does that really mean? Iunno!

At least.... We don't understand this stuff the way that we understand how the heart beats or what causes diabetes ;)

Have I mentioned recently that having a discussion thread in which neurotransmitters and the effects of various pharmaceuticals on them are discussed regularly is awesome? 'cause it is! :p

My main problem with it, is that the reason there isn't a medicine for this is because how utterly complex the systems involved are... and given that I'm on the outside looking in, I once again can't help but think of how irresponsible it is.

This is why I could never specialize in psych meds, honestly. I feel more comfortable when I know exactly what a drug does and why it works. Unlike say... Diabetes. I could look at a patient with uncontrolled diabetes and look at their labs, dietary habits and blood glucose levels and pinpoint exactly what the issue is and make a solid recommendation. When a persons antidepressant doesn't work... You basically are making informed guesses.

Not that psych meds are irresponsible or bad. They can and do fix people's lives. I just can't handle the uncertainty.

Though it is incorrect to say a drug is inappropriate because the issue is complex. The human body is very very complex. The action of flexing your finger involves countless chemical reactions and hundreds of individual molecules acting in concert. There is no way around that!

It seems to me that a lot of what we do for psychological treatment pharmaceutically falls into the category of "treating the symptoms". A lot of that is really due to the fact we still don't understand most of what's going on in the brain. Heck they've been working on Alzheimer's for quite a while now and they still don't know if the amyloid plaques that build up inside the brain are the cause of the memory loss, or just something else that happens at the same time. We have drugs that help with Alzheimer's at this point (which my late Grandfather benefited from greatly), but we really still don't have a good grasp of what's happening. And that's more of a proper disease than some psychological disorders that we treat chemically, so it's no surprise it's hard as hell to come up with good solutions to extremely complex problems like Addyi is trying to solve.

Of course that doesn't mean that there's not an important discussion to be had about where the line is drawn for "this is worth it". I would guess that the FDA was susceptible to external pressure in the approval process in this case precisely because there was no other option to fall back on.

Edit: I'd be willing to bet that we'll have functional brain-machine interfaces before we've even figured out precisely how the brain works with them. There's already been some pretty promising research showing that the brain will rewire itself to adapt to new inputs or outputs.

Yeah, I'm not saying 'Drugs are bad, because everything is so complicated' :) I understand that the human body is this really, really strange thing that doesn't really have any right to exist. I'm also definitely not against antidepressants. I have -two- relatives in the area (excluding me) who are not on antidepressants. One is my nephew, and the other is my father who self-medicates his anxiety disorder with alcohol. :| I definitely understand that a solution even a bad one, or an imperfect one can be infinitely better than nothing at all. Because at least then you can believe you're in control of it at least a little.

Non?sequitur: Has there ever been a study on the efficacy of sugar pills v. sugar pills? I'd really like to see a test in which two different placebos were given to the same group to see how varied the differences can be without there actually being a medicine involved.

@Wen'Fen: I'm just happy to have a place where I mostly don't worry about being judged for my crazies. :) It's a bit impossible to overcome that particular fear, though.

Typically the fda "fast tracks" drugs that "fulfill an unmet need" which is what I suspect happened with Addyi. In the past the fda received a lot of public scrutiny for "with holding" life saving medications until they had fully passed through the approval process to determine safety and efficacy.... For example the stuff in the film Dallas Buyers Club concerning antiretrovirals.

It's not easy to make those kinds of decisions. At what point does the potential to harm a patient due to an untested drug outweigh the potential life saving benefits? Addyi is of course a poor example of this as it is not life saving medication...but all drugs both big and small must pass through the same process.

Addyi itself is a s+%!ty drug but as long as it is taken appropriately (hence the need for special training for health professionals) it isn't likely to seriously hurt someone so I'm not too worried about it. It's so prohibitively expensive that it's unlikely to impact too many people to begin with so I'm fine with the fda decision there.

Non?sequitur: Has there ever been a study on the efficacy of sugar pills v. sugar pills? I'd really like to see a test in which two different placebos were given to the same group to see how varied the differences can be without there actually being a medicine

theres been a lot of research on placebo effect but I'm unsure what would be the point of two placebo groups :) they'd essentially be the same group, so there is no variable to analyze.

I don't design experiments though! Not my thang.

Non?sequitur: Has there ever been a study on the efficacy of sugar pills v. sugar pills? I'd really like to see a test in which two different placebos were given to the same group to see how varied the differences can be without there actually being a medicine involved.

I don't know about that, but they *did* just do a placebo vs placebo + hormone trial where they showed you can enhance the placebo effect with Oxytocin as well as another similar hormone that enhanced trust. If you use a chemical that makes you trust more, your placebo works better! :o

@Wen'Fen: I'm just happy to have a place where I mostly don't worry about being judged for my crazies. :) It's a bit impossible to overcome that particular fear, though.

That's ok, I worry about being strange, and Kiora worries about unfairly demanding references ;)

I think it's sort of ironic that Addyi prevents the usage of alcohol. You know, given how sexual people get when they're drunk.

That's pretty much all I have to offer to this conversation.

Yeah, that was my thought the first time this topic came around. The drug that's supposed to help you get in the mood is completely incompatible with the #1 social lubricant :p

Addiyi : this is hilarious in the most absurd sense (I mean... 1 extra satisfying moment in a month... sounds like they tested a lot of people until they got something significant).

Here is Hinagiku in Kanji: 雛菊 surprise for those looking for the meaning »

Private recruitment: its easier to set up a game by creating a recruitment thread… or at least it used to be. Sooo, yeah, that would explain why I did it with the first game I created. Don't hate me! ;)

EDIT: I think it is a good idea for Hinagiku to go with Annabelle too, good suggestion Isilme

Addiyi : this is hilarious in the most absurd sense (I mean... 1 extra satisfying moment in a month... sounds like they tested a lot of people until they got something significant).

Yeah, I had thought that too, but the sample sizes weren't that big. The largest one had 1,185 in the experimental group, 399 in the control.

On the alcohol thing, Markus, that was my initial reaction as well. The day it was approved a colleague let me know about it and the conversation was something like this:

"So they finally approved the pink pill!"

"ORLY? What's the catch?" (I always ask this when someone tells me about a new drug lol..because there is ALWAYS a catch)

"You can't drink alcohol with it."

"Do you mean its not recommended? Or is it an absolute contraindication?"

"Absolute contraindication. REMS drug and everything."

"Well... so much for that!"

I also opened a recruitment thread for my first one, I think. But that was by extension of not knowing how it all worked. It helped that I was looking for more and it was semiprivate. It never got off the ground, really.

But so much the better as I still have a bit to play with, there.

I'm not sure I'll ever get around to being a good GM again. :p

The first game I ever ran was a PbP and it ran for over a year - it was Curse of the Crimson Throne, and we got to level 5 by the time the momentum died.

Oh man, downtime day is almost done.

I am very excited for journals! Is Isilme going to journal too?

Mine began with a week long festival... and never went anywhere. Most of my players didn't like play by post. :(

Val will have her one for the past two days up soon.

Oh man, downtime day is almost done.

I am very excited for journals! Is Isilme going to journal too?

Yup, though she's not decided whether she should ask Val if she can borrow Li'an's to write in, or just start her own. The former would have more meaning, but she doesn't want to steal it after having given it to her either :)

I'll have to see if I can really distinguish her writing style. I want the entries to feel very different than Li'an's did.

I have survived the first of many days of pain and regret. :) Luckily, the next day of pain and regret is only a few hours next monday! :)

But also, tonight is RP night and that means the vanishing at some point. :0

Glad you made it through!

It's vanishing for a good cause, i.e. fun, so we forgive you!

Tonight is also RP night for me - I think we're wrapping up the gnome rescuing module I've authored. And then it's dancing! So I won't be back until like... 11.

What date is it? I think I've lost track and I might have missed a day with the journals.

Have fun you guys :)

Have fun as well Markus!

What date is it? I think I've lost track and I might have missed a day with the journals.

The 25th, and yes you did :)

You know, if not for Val and Isilme and Rocky... Kiora would have a rather slow night. :P

But with you three, I fully expect to come back to 50 posts. :)

Probably not quite that many :)

At least a few though. And you'll have a journal entry to read when you get back.

Considering the two people who still have business to attend to are also the ones playing f2f tonight, we're unlikely to have that many posts :P

I was thinking that Ary would manage to talk to Horgus before she poofed, but oh well :)

Pfft. Then Ehren will make business. He'll hit up Crocris about starting an "all natural" pharmaceutical company.

All you need then is to research mass animal messenger and you can have spam marketing campaigns for your illegal pharmaceuticals!

I <3 marginalia :D

I figured out what I'm gonna do for Isilme's journal. We'll see how well it turns out.

Totally exhausted. Going to call it a night.

Unless I wake up in the middle of the night, I'll probably post stuff tomorrow morning. :)

Level 6 Audit Part 1

Something I actually thought at work today - "I have a three day weekend. Awesome - I'll have time to audit my pbp group :D"

imsogeeky D: Or possibly just going insane from proofreading things all day every day.

But anyway... since you're all gonna be level 6/mythic 1 for awhile though I'm gonna try and be thorough. :p

Ahhhh. I knew this was coming and it feels so good.

Level 6 Markus!

Stats and Class Features!
+6 HP
+1 to all saves
+2 Charisma (automatic bonus progression)
+1 BaB, CMB, CMD
+1 healing to rebuke death
+3 uses of rebuke death

Skills!
+6 skill ranks (2 class, 2 Int, 2 background)
+1 rank to: Diplomacy, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (planes), Spellcraft, Lore (undead), Profession (doctor)

Miscellaneous

I think it's reasonable for Markus to change over to a Lawful Good alignment.

I'm so happy he's LG :) At least for now before he ascends beyond alignment, haha.

Words of Power Known (CL 6th, concentration +12) (+4 on CL checks to penetrate demonic SR)
3rd (4/day) - prayer*, undeath (immortui) (2/4)
2nd (7/day) - aid*, lesser restoration*, sense thoughts (videre), frost fingers (glaciem) (7/7)
1st (8/day) - bless*, lesser wound (vulnere), lesser cure (donum), wrack (nocere), fog bank (nubes) (8/8)
0 (at will) - cramp (dolor), sense magic (sentire), lift (levo), soothing touch (lenire), decipher (intelligere), cold snap (gelu), echo (sonitus)

Target and Meta Words of Power
3rd - barrier (obex)
1st - burst (fragor), line (recta)
0 - boost (magnus), personal (ego), selected (tu) -or- (vos), cone (illic)

• You are missing the target word emanation from your word list.
  
• Do me a favor and list your spell DCs on your alias, similar to the pathfinder standard stat blocks. I believe they are Bleeding Wounds (DC 18), Cold Snap (DC 16), Cramp (DC 18), Echo (DC 16), Wrack (DC 19), Frost Fingers (DC 18), Sense Thoughts (DC 18)
  
• You situationally take a -1 to saves vs positive energy as a moroi-born dhampir.
  
• Your charge magic item ability is a 1/day ability (you probably know this, it's not noted on your alias is all)
  

Annabelle Level 4!

Stats and Class Abilities!
+1 Strength
+11 hp (5 HD, 5 Cha, 1 favored)
+1 enhancement to weapon/armor (automatic bonus progression)
+1 Fort save
+1 challenge damage, +1 save bonus w/ challenge, +1 use of challenge
+1 DC to frightful gaze
+1 BaB, CMB, CMD

Skills!
+5 skill points (4 class, 1 human)
+1 rank to: Artistry (painting), Intimidate, Knowledge (religion), Ride, Sense Motive

Mount!
+magic attacks
And pretty much nothing else, due to a lack of HD gain!

• Her slam attack is 1d4 not 1d6.
  
• She only gets +2 morale bonus to saves due to Challenge. She gains +4 damage vs target and -2 AC vs other targets.
  
• You technically cannot use 4 callings per day, you get 1 use of each type (Ability, attack, saving throw, skill check). Can you do me a favor and differentiate those on her alias so that I can track it better?
  
• She can use Adoration 5 times per day.
  
• Blossom has d8 hit die, not d10, because it is an animal. So it should have 22 HP.
  
• Blossom gains a +1 to all saves due to ABP
  
• Blossom's natural attacks should be bite +4 (1d6+3), 2 hooves -1 (1d8+1)
  
• Blossom does not gain devotion until level 6
  
• Blossom gains endurance as a bonus feat
  

Guess who has two thumbs and is home? :)

Audit 2/6

Level 6

Class Features
+1/day Charmed Life (4/day total)
+1 BAB, +1 CMB, +1 CMD
+1 Fort, +1 Reflex, +1 Will
+1 Bardic Knowledge

Skills
+7 skill points
+1 rank to: Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth
+2 background skills
+1 rank to: Preform (Oratory), Sleight of Hand

Advancement
+Mental Prowess (Charisma) +2
+1 Panache
+1 Charmed Life Bonus

• Your CMD is now 21 due to your deflection bonus from ABP.
  
• You do not have your special mythic ability gained from Desna described on your alias.
  
• I believe you cast deathwatch as a CL 1 spell. Not that it much matters.
  

If Ehren makes charms for bracelets/necklaces or the like... I will love that. A ton. :)

Man, today is weird. A person I went to highschool with (who basically hero-worshiped me) is on the Wizard of the Coast DnD livestream (They've made 60k for extra life). He's super nice and super geeky, and was sooooo awkward to be around. :P

Giantslayer also went well. The first session mostly consisted of the Mesmer just watching as the 6 charisma dwarf and 10 charisma gnome turned every social encounter into a hilarious trainwreck. Also, my gnome voice is -adorable-.

Haha, sounds fun Ary : )

I forgot tonight was a Duke basketball game... so now they've decided to throw a block party in my apt complex at 3am. Joy.

There was a Nick Jonas concert outside of my dorm tonight. I know your pain.

Ugh, well at least I'm not the only one suffering :o

Kiora:

CMD fixed.
Soul Seer fixed (though not really a big deal).
I had the ability listed as Demons Slayer. Description added. What exactly does the increased crit multiplier do though? Since you use the crit deck/table/generator.

You situationally take a -1 to saves vs positive energy as a moroi-born dhampir.

The dayborn alternate racial trait replaces spell-like abilities and the racial drawback of the dhampir race - the light sensitivity that most dhampir have are replaced by racial subtypes and thus the alternate weaknesses are also replaced by it.

You are missing the target word emanation from your word list.

Really? I can't find it. Point me to it, if you please?

She only gets +2 morale bonus to saves due to Challenge. She gains +4 damage vs target and -2 AC vs other targets.

Oh yeah, I know that bit - it says +4 plus saves as in +4 to damage plus save bonuses (which are equal to 1 + 1/4th her level, which I just remember).

She can use Adoration 5 times per day.

Actually, that's not true - she gets Adoration from Believer's Boon and while normally domain abilities are 3+Wis/day, for her it's only once per day.

You can use the 1st-level domain ability that clerics of that domain can use a number of times or rounds per day, but you can use it only once per day or 1 round per day, whichever is appropriate.

Blossom has d8 hit die, not d10, because it is an animal. So it should have 22 HP.

Blossom's natural attacks should be bite +4 (1d6+3), 2 hooves -1 (1d8+1)

I interpreted it differently - the phantom has d10 hit dice, of course, and there's the following thing:

This spectral companion functions like a spiritualist's phantom companion, using the ghost rider's cavalier level as her effective spiritualist level.

I am aware of its type, but i figured that specific rules overrule less specific rules.

___

The rest I'll be sure to change.

Ghost Mount Starting Statistics: Type animal (phantom);

Size one size category larger than the ghost rider; Speed
50 ft.; AC +4 natural armor; Attack bite (1d4), 2 hooves
(1d6; this is a secondary natural attack); Ability Scores
Str 16, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6.

Emphasis, mine. A Spiritualist's Phantom is an Outsider (Phantom) and Outsiders are d10; The (Phantom) subtype doesn't state that it modifies this (The Phantom Subtype doesn't mention much of anything. And really needs to.). The only problem is, it doesn't explicitly call out the Type change altering things like Skills known... so you're not expressly told how to handle it. The Ghostrider Archetype -really- feels half-written to me. Like the fact I can have a wolf to ride with a pair of hooves. :|

It's really up to GM interpretation what parts of Phantom are based on their type, and what parts are based on their subtypes. Which is very, very annoying. At least to me.

Going through the Occult book, there are just so many places that they've made mistakes, or need clarification... where classes keep abilities they can no longer use, stuff like that.

I was just looking over the inquisitor archetype, because it seems cool (other than giving up domain), and... it's kind of broken. They keep Slayer and True Judgment... but lose access to judgments entirely. So at level 17, they get nothing besides two spells per day and a spell known. And they can't even -use- their level 20 power. Having an inferior spell list early on seems like a good enough tradeoff for relics almost on its own. But... you wind up with several spell like abilities instead of your capstone, and that's just... kind of awkward.

I hadn't looked at it in quite so much detail, but I know the ACG had quite a few glaring errors.

It seems like the last couple of books have been put out a bit sooner than they probably should've. Of course I wasn't around for the earlier pathfinder publications, so I don't know if it's just normal for this to happen. I know 3E certainly had plenty of errata *cough*3.5*cough* :P

What exactly does the increased crit multiplier do though? Since you use the crit deck/table/generator.

Whatever multiplier I roll for you, you'd get +1 to that :)

Your journal is great, Isilme :D

Hey, I remembered something - sometime tomorrow, can we go to Nerosyan Manor? It was supposed to be a cultist hideout and I don't think we had the time to check it out before.

Alternately Markus could just stay up late and go himself.

I'd totally forgotten about that, not that Isilme would've known :p

It'd certainly be good to go check it out. Given that all of them have had altars to Baphomet with a surprise attached, I'd recommend against going alone though ;)

Edit: And thanks! I'm enjoying doing something different with it :)