GM Knight's: Plunder and Peril! [Chapter 1 Completed!] (Inactive)

Game Master mishima

For future note, there are 4 alchemical fire bolts in addition to the 30 normal ones for the ballista. Also, 4 more could be installed on the main deck, and 2 more on the poop deck if interested.

Going to try and get a detailed map and description of all the other cool stuff on the ship to slides by the end of today, now that you have a chance to explore it.

I will be travelling this weekend, away from computer until tomorrow afternoon likely.

Im fine treating the double coup de grace in another way, like insta negative hp or having only one count for death. I'm not really interested in perma-killing players.

Well, you did declare coup-de-graces. If character death really is off the table, doesn't do much for this adventure's status as a proper game with proper penalties for failure.

Let's just have the first one count, he would wake up after the first strike anyways, and made the save. Case closed?

Don't worry, for what is worth I think you're doing a very good job, especially considering that you volunteered to pick this game up in the first place :) Pathfinder rules are sometimes a bit of a tangled mess, and GM'ing a PbP (as opposed to F2F) doesn't make your job any easier, only lonelier.

The closest thing to dual-spellcasting that comes to my mind right now is a magus' spell combat ability, which allows one melee attack followed by a spell. Combined with spellstrike, it should be possible to attack (with the usual TWF -2 malus), cast a spell with a 'touch' range, and then make a second attack to deliver it (plus the weapon's damage). Or cast a spell, make two attacks, and the one which hits then delivers the spell (there's an arcana that allows rays to be used even if they're not touch spells).

You're our GM so that makes you one of the best ....

Ok I'm a bit confused... Was Lhinneth still hit by 2 beams? If not, I might want to retcon my action. How did Elo's croc get onboard? How can it have a +12 dmg. modifier?

No, one beam, sorry again. I sort of hand-waved the croc boarding...I was thinking it clawed its way up the side. In the future we might be stricter about that, requiring handle animal etc. The 12 comes from 6 + 3 from 1.5 natural mod and another +3 from power attack.

Yeah but a croc has two natural attacks (bite and tail)

If a creature has only one natural attack, it is always made using the creature's full base attack bonus and adds 1-1/2 the creature's Strength bonus on damage rolls. This increase does not apply if the creature has multiple attacks but only takes one.

so it would add up to +8 – which, combined with death roll, makes the difference between very powerful and outright insane ;)

Elo's croc has 22 strength, for a +6 mod. By the rule you just quoted it gets 1.5 * that strength mod, or 1.5*6=9. Next, Elo's player used its power attack option. At a BAB of 3, thats +2 for normal weapons or +3 for 1.5 weapons. Its a 1.5 weapon, so it gets that +3 from power attack. 9+3=12

That's my understanding anyways.

Ill have to check about the multiple attacks thing, that sounds like it refers to multiple attacks like per round, not multiple types of attack. Will browse rules forum

The Combat section sheds some light on this (admittedly confusing) matter :)

If you possess only one natural attack (such as a bite—two claw attacks do not qualify), you add 1–1/2 times your Strength bonus on damage rolls made with that attack.

Having both a primary bite attack and a secondary tail attack is what disqualifies a croc from adding 1-1/2 times its STR to dmg.

I concur - natural attacks are terribly convoluted and weird :) Sometimes the best solution to see how a rule works in practice is to look at a bestiary entry and reverse-engineer it. A constrictor snake with 17 STR has only one natural attack listed (bite) with a +4 dmg. modifier (3*1.5=4 rounded down), a 19-STR croc, on the other hand, has both a bite (+4) and a tail (+4/2=2) attack.

Thanks, that's pretty clear now. Hyrix in that case took 10 from you, +7 from Salty, +12 and +13 from croc = 42 dmg. He had 36. So he is bleeding out I suppose instead of totally dead. :)

It was my understanding that 'possess only one natural attack' kicks in each round, depending on what attacks you make. If you only make one attack, since I moved-and-attacked, I get the 1-1/2.

But Elo wouldnt that fall under the case quoted in Lhi's post above?

If a creature has only one natural attack, it is always made using the creature's full base attack bonus and adds 1-1/2 the creature's Strength bonus on damage rolls. This increase does not apply if the creature has multiple attacks but only takes one.

Mmm; maybe I was looking at the Eidolon natural attack rules.

Downgrade the damage to +8, then.

IME natural attacks rules are a bit like grapple rules – you ask three people about them, you're likely to get three different interpretations of how they work.

Note that there are (explicitly marked) exceptions to that rule: Dragons add 1-1/2 times their STR to their bite attack regardless of how many other attacks they possess, something which Eidolons can also get via an evolution (probably what you're referencing Elo?).

Mmm, probably.

Take your time leveling guys, but I would like a short summary here of the most significant things you gain.

Nice! Did we find someone willing to buy our stuff, and if so, was Lhinneth able to buy her Ring of Protection? Uhmm... perhaps I might also be able to squeeze in a masterwork darkwood composite shortbow...

Lhinneth's level-up:
+Brawler

Statistics and Class Features:
+7 hp (6 HD + 1 CON)
+1 Bab, CMB/CMD
+1 Fort, Ref
+brawler's flurry

Feats and Skills:
+Feat: Precise Strike
+Bonus Combat Feat: Piranha Strike
+7 skill ranks (4 class, 1 fav, 2 background)
   +1 rank to: Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perception, Perform (Oratory), Profession (sailor)

Absolutely, you've had plenty of time the last few days to make as many trips back to Lilywhite as needed. For magic items, its a weekly percentage roll for stuff not on the town's magic items list. If you want that ring or any other magic item whose cost < 1500gp, rolling a d100 higher than 25 means you can get it. The ring is 2000 which is close enough for me. Also, the party just looted one off of Hyrix.

All leveled up. The changes are fairly minimal; an extra skill point here, an extra spell known there. Most interesting thing is that I realized I was miscalculating my croc's strength and it was 2 lower than it should be, and I grabbed a feat to let me do the 1 1/2 damage on its bite, plus combat reflexes so it can make the most of it. With a little buffing time, I'm looking forward to wrecking pirate-treasure-guardian face with it.

Absolutely, you've had plenty of time the last few days to make as many trips back to Lilywhite as needed. For magic items, its a weekly percentage roll for stuff not on the town's magic items list. If you want that ring or any other magic item whose cost < 1500gp, rolling a d100 higher than 25 means you can get it. The ring is 2000 which is close enough for me. Also, the party just looted one off of Hyrix.

Yeah, but Arven called dibs on it first ;) (which, considering Lhinneth had claimed an Amulet of Natural Armour earlier, is only fair). So here we go

1d100 ⇒ 35

Looks like I'm in luck here.

I was miscalculating my croc's strength and it was 2 lower than it should be

I'm probably missing something, but shouldn't it be 15 (baseline) +1 (STR/DEX bonus kicking in at 3rd level) +4 (4th level advancement to Medium) = 20? Or are you factoring in some kind of permanent Bull's Strength effect?

Pretty much. Human alternate racial gives it +2 to str, feat gives it Hunter Animal Focus for an additional +2 to str.

Arven 5th level barbarian
+ 10HPs: 7 for level + 2 for Con +1 for favored class)
+1 BAB
Improved Uncanny Dodge
+Feat extra rage power
Rage power superstition +3 to saves vs magic ..
Skills increased
acrobatics, perception, prof(sailor), survival, swim

Hey guys,... Sorry for the radio silence. I was on a writing retreat last week and had very limited access to the interwebs. I'll level up Serenna and look at acquiring some stuff ASAP.

Also need to level, sorry for the delay.

Quick change of tack on the feat for Arven, change from extra rage power to Iron Will .... sorry, I misunderstood a bit of the rage power.

Post after work today, will probably begin chapter 2

Hey guys, was feverishly upset last night over US elections, getting back to game now...

Hey guys, was feverishly upset last night over US elections, getting back to game now...

So was the rest of the world.... well I know a lot of people who are worried.

In the UK, the government/Tory press think its undemocratic for trade unions to vote in blocks, given a majority vote in the union. Oh that's the same system you vote in the president, put state for trade union .... Funny old world .....

But seriously, its a worrying time.

We're living in strange and troubling times...

So, after selling the stuff how much GP do we have each?

... except for equipment Serenna;'s all levelled up and ready. Picked up Two-weapon feint as a feat.

Roughly 4000, but the hag's rod remains unided. No problem retconning a trip to town to get stuff at the moment, but that window will close soon. ;P

What was that Chinese curse again? "May you live in interesting times"?

Seriously, though... Sorry for my lack of posts lately, spent this past week bedridden with the flu; though that doesn't justify not having dropped a few lines about it. Kept postponing until... well... now I guess. Again, sorry.

@Serenna: I was thinking about picking Precise Strike as a Teamwork feat for Lhinneth, would that be ok with you too or would you rather we wait a few more levels?

I know how it goes, welcome back to health (hopefully, you've recovered now Lhinneth). I get like that, procrastination is time well spent thinking about what you should do!!!!

;-)

Thanks!

@Serenna: I was thinking about picking Precise Strike as a Teamwork feat for Lhinneth, would that be ok with you too or would you rather we wait a few more levels?

Sounds good to me! :)

Swapped to Precise strike as a feat, grabbing Acrobatics for Rogue's edge, Picking up an Amulet of natural armor and a Belt of tumbling

Sorry for delay, being a perfectionist about maps...

I suppose none have animate dead/control undead so the corpse can unscrew the leg and drop it down to us?

If we could do that, we could drop anchor and get it in the morning?

Or do we have levitate, would that work ....

Good ideas so far Arven and Elo. There are certainly multiple solutions with lots of options, I don't want to sour the creativity with any suggestions of my own if you can forgive me.

I would take you up on the knowledge, but I just don't have any ... :-) ... save nature ...

For the sake of keeping the plot going forward – if no magic user has an ace up his/her sleeve, shall we agree to wait until dark and then get closer to the arch either rowing or swimming and then ponder our options there once we have a clearer view?

Yep .. good idea ...

Will move things forward in an hour or two, about to leave work at the moment.

Getting my wisdom teeth out, may be gone for a few days.

Nice, enjoy the valium.

The is a poem I like a lot:
"Quitarnos el dolor, quitando el diente,
es quitar el dolor de la cabeza,
quitando la cabeza que le siente."
---
My translation if you don't read spanish.
"To remove the pain, removing the tooth,
Is to remove headache,
removing the head that feels it."
Francisco de Quevedo