GM Ladile's TL;DR: A Pathfinder Society Campaign

Game Master Lady Ladile

Maria takes another run at bursting the door open.

Strength Check: 1d20 ⇒ 4

"What have the impetuous elves gotten themselves into?" Zithembe wonders. He waits for the guard to move before following toward the building.

While Sylvak stealthily grabs the paper and scampers back out the open window, Maria can hear the sound of pounding footsteps as Rumble and - to her surprise - Zheng come thundering up the stairs and into the hallway. Zithembe isn't too far behind though Hepsubia and Sylvak are nowhere to be seen.

Upon seeing Maria attempting to shoulder-check one of the office doors open, Zheng quickly beckons her to step aside and attempts a shoulder-check of his own that finally manages to do the trick. The formerly-locked door flies open and impacts the wall behind it with a loud *BANG* as the light of a candle spills out into the hallway. Within the office everyone present can see the form of Jianghong lying in a pool of blood on the floor next to a cluttered table. The window is open behind him, orange curtain flapping slightly in the breeze.

"No...no no no!" Zheng moans, rushing to the young man's side. He looks up at Rumble, Maria, and Zithembe, desperation in his eyes. "Help! Please!"

Zithembe kneels down beside the wounded student to—assuming that he has not perished—keep him from perishing.

Heal (First Aid, Take 10): 10 + 5 = 15

”It appears we may have an assassin on the grounds,” the shabti says as he works. ”Do you know what your ward was doing here tonight? Or who might wish him ill?”

Maria explains quickly as her allies and the bodyguard rush forwards, "I don't know what happened I saw the candle light under this door but it was locked so I settled down hidden to follow them when they left and then I heard a scream and a thump and I couldn't get the door open and I didn't know what to do!"

While rambling, the door opens and she rushes inside yelling to Rumble, "USE MY WAND!"

Wringing her hands she moves out of the way and looks out the window, afraid to see if the magic won't work. Trying to still be useful, she peers outside and hopes to get a glimpse of the assassin.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

While the bodyguard rushes up the stairs, Sylvak lets go of the window sill and falls the last few feet to the ground, then rushes around the corner and through the door. As he moves, he sheathes his used sword and draws his other.

Catching sight of Rumble’s feet on the staircase, he chases the dwarf to the second floor. ”Is Maria alright,” he calls ahead, ”I heard the shout...”

Thats two rounds of double moves and, if I’ve understood correctly, should put me somewhere in the second floor hallway while Maria is looking out the window?

What's happening?

Rumble quickly pulls out the wand. Drawing forth the glowing magic within it, he releases it over the poor boy. "We cannae touch anythin' more. We 'ave tah find ouh wha' happene' 'ere!"
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CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
If that doesn't bring him back up (and Zithembe learns he is still alive) then I'll give him another charge.

Sylvak looks into the room over Rumble’s head. ”Uh... are we sure we want answers to those questions?” he asks looking from the healed student to his bodyguard. ”We’re outsiders here... maybe we should leave it up to our new friends here how to proceed?”

While everyone else crowds around the injured Jianghong and sets about mending his wounds, Sylvak quickly hustles back around to the front of the building and makes his way up the stairs to rejoin his companions. He arrives just in time to see the student's eyes flutter open; Jianghong blinks confusedly up at the ceiling and the multitude of faces looming over him.

"Wha...where...?" he stammers.

Zheng slowly exhales in relief...but then anger quickly clouds his expression.

"What were you doing in here!?" Zheng hisses through clenched teeth. "Off-limits! Another prank!?"

Jianghong shrinks away from his bodyguard, clearly surprised at the intensity of Zheng's anger. "I...I just...they keep so many relics here, they can't even keep track of them all! And I thought...well...they wouldn't, um...miss one or two..." he stammers, his voice practically dropping to a mumble by the last few words, his eyes downcast with shame and embarrassment. But then the young student quickly looks around, fearful.

"But...what happened? I was, um, putting things in my pockets and then there was pain and then I woke up on the floor!"

"I suspect that you either encountered another thief or else an assassin," Zithembe says. "Does your family have enemies? Or you?"

”Maybe we should use a little discretion with the ‘T’ word...” Sylvak mutters to his companions. ”And, maybe we could move to another location to discuss our new friend’s prank? I really doubt either of them wants to explain to the school what we’re all doing up here...”

Rumble frowns hard as he mulls the situation over. "Ih is nah mah place tah lay judgemen' upon ya lad, buh aye will sahy thah we shoul' come clean 'bouh this. Aye'll leave it up tah tha group, buh tha's mah opinion," he explains solemnly. These are the hardest times, when you know you've done something wrong but are scared to own up to it. It is not my place to force the boy into his decision and if he makes the wrong one, I'm sure Zheng will teach him how to be better the next time.

"Aye agree wi'h Sylvak though, nuthin' good cah come oh stayin' here. Leh's go tah tha gues'house, eh?" he concludes as he stows his equipment, helps the boy up, and stands in a position to escort him out of the room.

No need to risk a spanking, we've done Nothing but it would be hard to prove when Something has been done.

Maria looks out the window and then back at the group, "we should investigate the murder attempt, but I suppose if the one who was almost killed doesn't want us to look into it, then we can try to slip out of this situation without involving any authorities. What say you, Jianghong?"

"Yes," Zheng nods quickly. "Talk more, away from prying ears."

Clearly in no mood to argue, Jianghong nods weakly and climbs to his feet with the help of his bodyguard. He looks around stupidly for a moment and finally manages, "Um...the blood...should we clean it?"
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A short time later (whether you decide to clean up the mess in the office or not), everyone finds themselves huddled inside the guesthouse. Those of the group with keen eyes are fairly certain that no one noticed their passage back across the school grounds and if so, several of the students and other guards would've seen Rumble and Zheng chatting earlier - perhaps he and his charge simply decided to take everyone out for an evening stroll.

"Um...I...I'd rather not any of this come to light," Jianghong admits sheepishly. "Schedule pranks are one thing but...I know thieving is something different and my family would be so ashamed of me if they knew what I was trying to do. I can't offer you any money...but how about a favor in the future? Or even a dozen favors! It might not seem like it but my family have more influence around these lands than some people would think." The young man looks up, wringing his hands anxiously. "What do you think? Will you help us keep this quiet?"

For his part, Zheng looks troubled. "I...do not like lying to the staff or the authorities here. But my duty is to my charge and I would like to keep him out of trouble. He is a good boy...even if he lacks the sense that the gods gave geese," he scowls at Jianghong.

Zithembe frowns. "The boy is likely not to learn his lesson if there is no punishment," the shabti says. "Then again, maybe the ache in his back will remind him to behave."

"We may nah be tha bes' tah delivah ya sentence," Rumble starts, addressing the group, "Buh aye agree some sorta punishment is righ'. 'Tis tha way o' tha Father of Creation tha' all things 'ave consuhquences. Buh this is noh our lands. Zheng, aye trus' tha ye can 'andle tha situation?"

Turning now to Jianghong, he continues. "Ye 'ave a duty to yer family, an' acts such as these ah dishonorable. Donah make tha same mistake again an' expect clemency," he warns. It was a dark day indeed when I stole my first and last cookie from Grandma's cookie jar. Father about peeled the hide of my ass! But the worst was the look on Grandma's face when I confessed. Sears a resolve into your soul like no other.
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Essentially, Rumble is taking the "not our jurisdiction" approach and leaving the punishment to Zheng.

Let's keep this as quiet as possible. Maybe the so called murder attempts was an accident, someone, a monk or another, tried to defend his school's belongings, and seeing blood, ran away afraid. People try
to defend their property, and don't always measure the consequences, cause they are too scared, or inexperienced, using more force than needed. There's no need to be too harsh either. Do you sworn, young boy, on whatever's left of your family honor after what you have done, to never try to steal again? You escaped with your life, this time, but maybe next time, or the time after, or the next one, you will be killed. Can you start to act with responsabilty, and learn what Zheng tries to teach you? Better put some sense into your brain than some steel in your lungs, don't you think? You will do yourself a big favor.

"Ache? I'll be surprised if I don't have a scar," Jianghong winces but then shrinks into himself slightly as Zheng shoots him another glare.

"Punished, yes," Zheng nods in agreement. "I will send word to his father. More bodyguards. After word spreads of attempted thieving here...extra protection for students who enjoy wandering about at night and making changes to class schedules."

He gives Jianghong an unpleasant smile.

"You will not sneeze without me or another guardian knowing it. For your own good."

"Almost makes me want to take my chances with whoever else had the same bright idea I did..." Jianghong shudders in horror.

He then sighs and nods to Hepsubia. "I'm beaten. You have my word that I won't even set so much as a toe out of line going forward. Not that I could even if I wanted to, with Zheng and however many other babysitters my family decide to send watching my every move!"

Rumble nods in approval. Ta bed then, eh?" he offers as he heads to his bunk, the adrenaline of a potential battle long gone and the yearning for rest beginning to set in earnest.
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Done here if y'all are!

Yes, I'm ready for the next quest step.

Satisfied with the promise, Maria gives up her investigation.

Also ready to move on.

Though it rankles with some of you to let things lie - especially when there's apparently a second would-be thief out there somewhere - the group finally comes to an agreement to keep their silence in exchange for some future favor or acknowledgement from Jianghong and his family.

The rest of the night passes uneventfully and the next morning brings with it a general uproar among the school's faculty and staff when the break-in over at the main hall is discovered. From what you gather from bits and pieces of overheard discussion, it sounds as if only one thing was taken - the original map that you'd come seeking to find. Understandably, the authorities do detain the group for questioning since you seem the most likely suspects - but both Zheng and Jianghong come forward and provide the party with an alibi. Despite having a reputation for pranks and general mischief, Jianghong is still considered a bright pupil and his family name carries weight. So when he and Zheng explain that they had spent all evening with the group exchanging stories, the matter is dropped and you're allowed to leave.

Although a couple of you did take the time to make a copy of the copy of the map before departing, it comes as a big surprise when on your way to Quain Sylvak produces the real map - albeit somewhat hesitantly and sheepishly. He explains that he found it caught on one of the hedges near the main hall and suggests that the second thief must have dropped it in his or her haste to flee the scene of the crime. There's understandably quite a bit of consternation among the group at now being in the possession of a stolen artifact but with things being what they are, there's not much that can be done except to hang on to it and hope that perhaps it can be returned to the school anonymously once Mai Chun is finished with it.

And so the group continues on their way to Lanming in the Successor State of Quain, wondering what might await them at the School of the Jade Ogre...
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End Part Two: Inkstains

Part Three: Teahouse

Quain is a nation of heroes and the home of hundreds of martial arts masters. Some of these masters are highly respected and lead renowned schools, while others struggle to perfect and promote their style. According to the note that Mai Chun left for you, Jiang Fei is one such master and she is apparently in possession of information on the Summer Palace that could prove useful in the old woman's quest. And so you find yourselves in the capital of Lanming, seeking Jiang Fei and her School of the Jade Ogre.

When you ask around town about the school's location, you're met with puzzled looks from more than one person until one elderly man finally snaps his fingers and exclaims, "Ohhh, you mean the Dumpling House! Yeah, I know where it is; they sure do make a mean rice dumpling there. Dunno why Jiang Fei worries so much about that Jade Octopus style or whatever she keeps trying to make a 'thing' - the city's full of martial artists but sadly lacking in providers of delicious dumplings." The old man shakes his head. "Ah well, she's a stubborn one. If you wanna find it, just follow..."
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And after finally receiving some directions, you eventually find yourselves in a rather slow, shabby section of the city. The shouts of merchants hawking wares and students practicing their forms are quieter in this part of the city, but the streets still bustle with activity. Rows of old and run-down dwellings line the streets. One small apartment has been converted into a food stall, where a handsome woman with dark hair chats with a few customers. The sign above the shop reads 'Jiang Fei’s Dumpling House and School of the Jade Ogre Style.'

As the smell of fresh dumplings wafts through the air and fills Rumble's nostrils, his stomach announces its desire to all in the vicinity. "Ahm... Aye'll 'ave five dumplin's, please," he asks, holding up five thick fingers. Now this is what I call a job!

Maria moves in, intent on asking about their business and getting back to her map research, but the delicious smell hits her nostrils and a grumble resonates in her belly. Well, we do need to eat. And maybe it'll be easier to chat with her as paying customers, might as well enjoy ourselves!

She puts one finger in the air, "one dumpling please."

Is there a place to sit and eat or is this all carryout?

The shabti raises an eyebrow as his companions order dumplings. "Jei Feng?" Zithembe asks. "Mai Chun sent us to address a favor in exchange for information regarding your ancestors."

The woman turns toward you at the sound of her name. She appears to be on the younger end of middle age, with bright eyes and a demure smile. Her long black hair is held up with a beautiful jade comb and she's dressed in the simple garb of a martial artist.

"Oh! Why yes, yes, welcome," Jiang Fei smiles, bowing to you in greeting. "Mai Chun sent word to be expecting 'lilies and thistle' and I suppose you must be it. Please, give me just a few minutes to close up the shop and then we'll speak further inside."

It doesn't take very long for Jiang Fei to pack up her wares for the day and then she welcomes all of you into her small apartment. Once she's made sure that everyone is comfortable and provided with tea and dumplings (Jiang Fei waves aside any offers of payment) she settles in and gets straight to the point of the matter.

"So, Mai Chun tells me you're seeking information about the location of the Summer Palace - quite the undertaking! And as I'm sure she's told you, there's a bit of lore that's been passed down through my family over the generations that might be helpful to her," Jiang Fei begins. "I'm quite happy to help her out, if only you'll do me a favor in return. You see, I've developed my own particular style of martial arts - the Jade Ogre Style. But with so many martial artists and schools here in the city, it's been difficult to gain any notice."

"This is where I need your help. Not too far from here is the Wang Li Fa Teahouse, which students of the Scorpion School are known to frequent. They're not much more than bullies and braggarts, in my opinion, but they're quite well-known here in the city and they have a reputation for being skilled fighters."

Jiang Fei smiles, and there's a hint of mischievousness behind it. "What I'd like for you to do is best them in a fight, using my Jade Ogre Style. Tomorrow will be just the day, too - many of the Scorpion School students will be taking their tests tomorrow and then they'll naturally want to celebrate with a visit to their favorite teahouse. And then that's when you'll pick a fight with them! Or they might even pick a fight with you first, it wouldn't surprise me a bit."

"And that's my proposal," she finishes, looking at each of you expectantly. "What do you think? Will you represent the might and ferocity of the Jade Ogre Style to the world!?"
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Yes, you're literally being asked to learn kung-fu and then go start a brawl in a tavern teahouse :)

It could be fun to learn a few more tricks. Never know when it can come handy.

"I can do that," Zithembe says. "I trust you do not intend for us to kill these competing students."

Maria's brow furrows, "it takes intense years of training to master a single style, how exactly do you expect us to do so in... mere days?"

This dumpling is way to hot, I need to let it cool.

Rumble unintentionally slams the bowl down with just a little too much force. "Anothah roun'!" he cries, gleefully like a kid in a candy shop. "Ah, so uh, does tha' mean aye cannae use mah hammah? Ah there any laws uhgains' this sorta thing?"
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Specifically a law against starting a brawl in a teahouse.

Jiang Fei's eyes widen and she raises her hands, quickly shaking her head back and forth. "Oh no no no, I definitely don't want you to kill anyone! Most of those Scorpion School students aren't particularly nice people but they certainly don't deserve death as a punishment."

"As far as laws are concerned, well, as long as no one suffers any permanent injury then the authorities don't usually concern themselves with the occasional fight," she adds offhandedly. "And as you'll see tomorrow, some of the local watering holes here don't invest much coin into quality furniture because of that very thing - no sense buying the good stuff if you expect it'll be broken before year's end!"

She turns to Rumble specifically, gesturing towards his hammer. "To your other question, the Jade Ogre Style is an unarmed fighting style so no, you'll want to leave your weapons here while we practice."

"And don't worry, I don't expect anyone to master my style in just a day," Jiang Fei adds, smiling broadly at Maria. "I will just teach you the basics - the four principal motions that form the foundation of the Jade Ogre Style. It should be enough to give observers a taste and still leave them wanting more!"

Clearly uncomfortable with the idea, Rumble begrudgingly puts his hammer aside and eats through the next bowl of dumplings with his feelings. Despite this, when he is done, he sits at the ready to learn the fighting style's fundamentals.

As if sensing Rumble's unease, Jiang Fei gives the dwarf an encouraging smile. "Oh, don't frown so! If you're worried about any repercussions with the law here in the city then please don't be. I swear to you that I will take responsibility for putting you to this task if it comes down to it. I wish that I had more to offer to you than my word but my word is all that I have."

"Besides, even if fighting unarmed isn't your usual style you never know when you might find yourself caught without a weapon and forced to defend yourself," she continues, more seriously. "I've always thought that everyone should learn at least a few unarmed fighting techniques just for that reason."

With everyone else seeming at least marginally amiable to the idea of a training session, Jiang Fei claps her hands together happily. "No other objections? Wonderful! Once you finish your dumplings we'll head out to the park just behind this building - it has plenty of room for us to practice!"
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Another post to follow, please stand by~

A short while later you find yourselves at the park that sits behind Jiang Fei's apartment building. It's surprising to see such a beautiful, pristine park inside the city itself but as you stand unarmed and unarmored in the warm morning sun you have to agree - this is a perfect place to do some training.

"See? I told you," your instructor grins. "It's usually very quiet here and the park doesn't see as many visitors as some of the bigger ones in the nicer parts of the city. So we can train and practice without being disturbed."

Jiang Fei then takes up position at a slightly elevated spot near the water's edge and claps her hands to get everyone's attention. "As I said earlier, my intent for today's class is to teach you the four principal motions that form the basis of the Jade Ogre Style. These are..."

The Tian woman suddenly steps forward and brings her knee up and around as though striking at an unseen opponent...

"Ogre Scares the Foe!"

Jiang Fei then follows up the kick with a straight, powerful-looking punch...

"Ogre Smashes Rock!"

Then she follows it up with a strange little shuffling dance before suddenly aiming a quick kick at her imaginary foe...

"Ogre Stomps Around!"

And finally, Jiang Fei finishes up the motion with a strong sidekick designed to catch someone right in the chest or even jaw.

"Ogre Swings the Club!"

"These are the four core principles of the Jade Ogre Style! Mastery of these will be all you need to demonstrate to the students of the Scorpion School and this city that the Jade Ogre Style is just as worthy as any other!" Jiang Fei exclaims as she finishes her routine. "To begin, watch and do as I do, move as I do..."
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Okay guys...have some fun and do a little RPing of your character training and practicing here :)

Always willing to try anything new and exciting (or to suddenly remember she had already done that years earlier), Hepsubia mimicks the various poses and strikes of the Jade Ogre style to the best of her ability

Attack?: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

She adds more flourish than power, and show off her acrobatic skills in an amazing display of athletiscism

acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28

Rumble quickly falls in line and does his best to follow along, but his attempts at kicking and punching are awkward. We've got a long way to go. But something just isn't right...

He runs off for a moment before coming back into the park wearing long white socks, a robe with a wrap keeping it in place and a pair of black slip-on shoes. "Let's get down to business!" he begins to sing in a voice not quiet his own, while striking his best battle pose.

Moments pass before he releases the pose and frowns. He clears his throat again before the voice that isn't his comes forth again, but a little louder. "Let's get down to business!" This time he hits his pose with much more flourish and bravado.

Dejected that nothing has happened, he turns to his companions. "How ah' we gonna figh' tha Huns if aye cannae geh tha trainin' montage ta staht? Leh's try ih togethah!"
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Couldn't help but snag the low hanging fruit here :P

Maria sighs, still quite unsure about this whole deal, but gets DOWN TO BUSINESS anyway, admiring the dwarf's tenacity.

Stripping off her chain shirt, she lays her bow down next to her pack.

Falling into the routine easily, years of similar training methods etched into her brain, she follows along well enough. Knowing though, that mastering anything takes excessive repetition, she spends all her free time practicing each move over and over, taking only the minimum time to grab water and food.

I enjoyed the videos, excellent use of youtube for some visual imagery.

Zithembe arches a hairless jade eyebrow at Jiang Fei's rudimentary maneuvers. "Each being must follow their own path to perfection," he murmurs and removes his armor. A wooden palm of Irori hangs from a simple string around his neck.

He smiles slightly at Rumble's renewed bravado and begins repeating the four moves like a machine.

"Hah hah! I like your style, dwarf!" Jiang Fei hoots as Rumble encourages the group to GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. "You," she points at Hepsubia, "beautiful form! Are you sure you haven't been formally trained before? No? Well! You could have fooled me!"

She then turns to Zithembe and Maria and even the (not-so-unusually) quiet Sylvak. "And you three - such stamina! Such precision! The perfect clay to mold! I'll make men-! Er no, I'll make women-! No, that's not right either! Ah! I'll make people out of you," she exclaims, still not quite getting the mark but apparently too worked up to worry about it any further. "Warriors! The first students of the Jade Ogre Style! We will move and fight as one!"

And while it's not quite the training montage that Rumble had hoped for, Jiang Fei does strike up a cheerful humming as she works with all of you on your fighting form that's oddly inspiring...
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Glad you liked the links, Maria! Sometimes I find it helps me (and others) to better visualize what's being described if I can link a video or picture to accompany it. Also, another post to follow, please stand by~

After a marathon training session that lasts well into the afternoon, Jiang Fei seems quite satisfied with the progress that everyone has made. Everyone is ushered back to the small apartment for an evening meal and an early bedtime to allow all of you the chance to get a good night's sleep and to rest up properly.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast of dumplings, Jiang Fei ensures that all of you are ready before leading you out into the morning sun and off to the Wang Li Fa Teahouse. As you step inside, you see that the establishment is well lit and nicely decorated, with elaborate murals painted on the walls displaying the feats of local heroes. The furniture and serving dishes of the place are somewhat at odds with the decor though, and seem to be of cheap, rough make. The numerous patrons of the teahouse don’t seem to mind, and the place bustles with servers moving around and patrons chatting.

Jiang Fei leads you over to an unoccupied table that sits near the front wall of the teahouse and bids everyone to have a seat. "See? Quite the nice place, isn't it?" She gestures over towards a mural that hangs prominently on the wall opposite the front door, that depicts a woman with long flowing hair and wearing some sort of crown - it's the same as the mural that hangs on the building's exterior. "I even heard rumors that they're looking to expand their business to other cities and maybe even other Successor States, in time. I think that mural is supposed to be something like a mascot or a piece of heraldry. What a novel idea, don't you think?"

She looks around the crowded teahouse and then frowns, nodding towards a table across the room where a number of young men and women dressed in black, glossy robes sit. Though you can't quite make out what they're talking about over the general din, it's easy enough to hear their occasional shrieks of laughter and yelling.

"There they are," Jiang Fei whispers. "Those are the students of the Scorpion School. Now, all you have to do is provoke them into a fight - but you can't just walk up and start throwing punches! No, that would be much too crass; people wouldn't approve at all. You'll have to be a little more subtle than that."

Current Map
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The above map currently notes everyone's positions; the smiley tokens are other patrons and the green sunbursts are employees.

"Insultin' tha Scorpion style seems tah be the sures' way tah geh 'em all riled up!" Rumble offers. Not used to picking fights like this, normally it is pretty clear cut that somebody wants me to use my hammer on them!
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GM, is it safe to assume a shield and buffing would be out of place for this too?

Zithembe steps into the tea house and points a jade finger at the other martial students. ”Hey! Cobra Ki! Er... Scorpion Scool! We hear that you prefer drinking tea over hard work, which is why you did not dare join the School of the Jade Orgre. Too much work!”

As a hush suddenly falls over the teahouse, the students of the Scorpion School slowly turn around in their seats to face Zithembe and the rest of the group. One of them, a tall bald-headed young man slowly rises from his seat. He stares at Zithembe for a moment, then cocks his head to one side. A smile creeps across his face, but it doesn't touch his eyes at all.

"You think so? Why don't you come over here and say that, funny man?"

Behind him, the two other Scorpion students begin to point and jeer at Zithembe. "Who're you, the school mascot!? Jiang Fei had to hire a mascot to get her school some notice! What a joke!"

At your table, Jiang Fei suddenly places her hand on Sylvak's arm and whispers, "You, stay with me. It wouldn't look good to for you to fight them five versus their three. Slightly more even odds'll make it look that much better when the rest of you put them in their place!"

Current Map

Though we're technically not in combat yet I want to explain how this will work. The idea here is to use the moves Jiang Fei taught you to fight and defeat the students of the Scorpion School. Since you have an audience consisting of the teahoue employees and patrons, they'll be judging you based on how well you do here.

Thanks to Jiang Fei's training, the four motions of the Jade Ogre Style...

(1) Do not provoke AoOs when you use them.
(2) Each one deals 1d6 bludgeoning + Str modifier or your normal Unarmed Strike damage, whichever is greater.
(3) You may choose whether to deal lethal or nonlethal damage each time you use one of the four motions.
(4) Some of the motions will force a save from an opponent struck by them. This save DC is equal to: 10 + half the attacker's level + attacker's Wisdom modifier.

The Four Principle Motions of the Jade Ogre Style

Ogre Scares the Foe - A hard strike with the knee aimed at the lower body. A target damaged by Ogre Scares the Foe must succeed at a Will save or lose any Strength bonus to attack and damage rolls for 1 round.

Ogre Smashes Rock - A straight-line punch designed to rock a foe backward. A target damaged by Ogre Smashes Rock must succeed at a Fortitude save or be pushed back 5 feet.

Ogre Stomps Around - A fast, jabbing kick that distracts a foe. A target damaged by Ogre Stomps Around must succeed at a Reflex save or lose its Dexterity bonus to AC for 1 round.

Ogre Swings the Club - A strong side kick. Apply 1-1/2 times the character’s Strength modifier to damage rolls when using Ogre Swings the Club.

"HAHA! There ih tha' laziness! Cannae even take a few steps tah defen' tha honah o' his own school. PAH! Leh us know when ya want us tah work ya ovah," Rumble jeers, hoping to get more of a rise out of the Cobras.
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Not that I want to kill these guys, but is there any issue with dealing lethal damage here? If it wouldn't be deemed cheating or anything, Rumble would take this chance to use divine favor.

Hepsubia discreetly keeps a lay-down attitude at the end of the group, as if she had nothing to do with them, hoping to take their foes by surprise

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Bluff: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Let's call that the "Cunning Ogre awaits for ambush"

Her eyes look around in the bar, seeking anything that could be thrown with ease, and won't be too dangerous (just in case she misses the intented target)

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

The same issues that you would expect dealing lethal damage in a public fight you started. Zithembe will only do non-lethal damage, even if I forget to note it on the rolls.

The shabti moves closer to the students. "I said that those who join the Scorpion School are too lazy to do the real work of the Jade Ogre and are apparently also hard of hearing," he says. "Should I find you a hearing cone? And maybe you should wonder what a real, live jade ogre is capable of."

I'm a big fan of Lady L style of play, as a GM or player, and I make no mistery about it.

As always, thanks for the votes of confidence! Though really, the fact that you're all still here is the strongest vote in and of itself. At some point I'm going to have to sit down and consolidate all of my own personal methods into one place, probably under my GM alias. All the cool kids are doing it!

In other news, I just realized that this particular scenario has a Tier 5-9 followup (#9-19 Clash in Kaimuko Wood) of sorts. It's a long ways off yet but provided no one has played it already by the time the group reaches eligibility for it, I'll slip it into the planned scenario list and swap something else out.

Finally, Happy 4th of July to those of us in the US and Happy Thursday to the rest of the world :)

Maria approves of a follow up. She likes the ones where she gets to hunt abyssal enemies.

I love connected scenarios! :D

Howdy folks! Updates to follow later as I've got to get ready to go play some Starfinder shortly but if you're GMing for the upcoming Gameday VIII don't forget that GM Courtesty Signups will be opening soon, depending on your time zone! This means that GMs will be allowed to sign up, as a player, for 1 game early before player signups open to the general public. So if there's a table that you're really eyeballing, that'll be your chance to grab a spot :)

I think I might've asked this some months back but given that we're not too far from the official launch of PF2 (and PFS2), what's everyone's current interest level in it? I'm planning to give playing a try and will probably give GMing a whirl too - so it'll make it easier for me to put potential tables together once I have a general idea of who thinks PF2 might be their jam and who thinks it isn't :)

I find myself neither excited or upset by it. I've dialed back the number of PF1 PFS characters I'm willing to field so that I can see more characters to retirement or even seeker levels (since there won't be any further PFS PF1 support)

I thought the playtest stuff I looked at about a year ago was ok, but I wasn't a fan of charisma dictating your ability to have/use magic items (among other minor things). I haven't kept up with it since then. It felt very similar to DnD 5e to me (no qualms there), but at that point I'd rather play 5e and PF1 than PF1 and PF2. I do already have some 5e books though, so there is certainly a bias there.

I guess this is a long winded way of saying I'd love to hear about PF2 more, but as of right now I'm not that interested in it. Thanks though! :)

I am excited about it and my plan is to play one session and then start GM'ing, assuming I feel at least a little bit comfortable with the system at that point. I also believe that they scrapped the Charisma based Magic Item stuff.

I have nice concept character rattling around my brain, waiting to be put on paper and played. Have they released what the playtest points give yet?

Sorry, my posts will be brief and erratic for a couple days. In the hospital for an infection that wasn't responding to the outpatient regimen. If anyone could actually sleep in a hospital, I'd probably be perkier since the infection looks to be improving.

Re: PFS2, I'm going all in except for 2 PFS1 campaigns and occasional SFS. I'll have played the first 3 scenarios at GenCon and will be looking for more after that. I'll be running the whole season eventually.

Not interested in Pathfinder V2. I haven't much time to read about it, honestly.

Don't know much about SFS, as I'm not a huge Sci-Fi fan myself (even if I liked Shadowrun-but never played it, unfortunatly).

My Starfinder experiences have been the few scenarios that my local lodge has run and I've tried to keep it as my chill, player-only RPG. However, the VO for my lodge asked if I would run SFS #1-01 and I ran it last night. Struggled with it, but I felt like I did an OK job. I'm for just playing it and only being a GM for it on a last resort basis.

For Pathfinder 2E, I'm exicted to see where the story goes after the events of PFS Season 10 and the Tyrant's Grasp AP for Golarian. I want to play it, and as far as running it, I feel like I need to know how to run it as far as ensuring that our lodge grows and stays active. It's a bit pragmatic in my outlook because whether it becomes the greatest system since sliced bread like D&D 3rd Edition or it tanks like the subsequent D&D 4th Edition, I have to be able to both play and run it.

When I've gamed at cons and visited other lodges, I've tried to put feelers out about what others plan to do. I know of one area that is doing 2E, but that attendence will decrease. Most of the people I've talked to at other places are planning to offer it in addition to 1E and Starfinder and the members of one lodge I talked to have indicated they will not have 2E games.

Yikes, sorry to hear that Zithembe. Hope you feel better soon!
______________

Nah, the Starfinder question is relevant because I'm not as big of a Sci-Fi fan and I've struggled a bit to get into the Starfinder setting myself. Not to mention the time investment in learning a new setting and new rule system. That said I've got two characters made and I'm trying to work on getting into Starfinder PbP (what few SFS games I've played have all been live tables). Once signups for Gameday VIII open to the general public I hope to be able to sign up for a Starfinder table.

(General plan is one each of PFS1, PFS2, and SFS for Gameday VIII).

It's good to see that most folks here are either excited or at least vaguely interested in PFS2. From what I've seen, most of the Online region seems to be feeling the same so I'm expecting we'll have a good pool of GMs and players for it as time goes on *and* still have a sizable amount of PFS1 activity for those who aren't interested in the new edition.

I plan to participate in both so these scenarios will still continue as planned and I'll continue to play my PFS1 characters as opportunities arise :)

@Maria - Bit of a tangent but thanks for the note that you're not into horror settings. I enjoy me some horror scenarios/modules from time to time but I know it's not for everyone. While it's on my mind, are there any topics or trigger points for anyone that I need to be mindful of for the future? No explanations necessary and no need to post publicly if you're not comfortable doing so - just drop me a PM and I'll be sure to steer clear of said thing.

I like little fluffy kittens, and I don't like seeing them harmed. ^^

I could do some sci-fi reading. Are there any relevant comics available online that could help me form a visual of these things? I'm open to SFS just not being the right fit for me, but people seem to really enjoy it and it doesn't feel right to not give it a fair chance.

I'm a big fan of horror stuff! :D I had a blast in a F2F Call of Cthulhu game and think horror in Pathfinder opens up an interesting RP angle that doesn't often get explored. Like with the right set of players/characters/module or scenario chain? ON PBP?! Magnifique!

I don't think any of my disliked topics would be met by anything sanctioned by PFS (oddly enough, I've found them most often in PC backstories from other players!). I'm perfectly willing to share if you'd still like them though!

SFS stretches from Sci-Fantasy like Star Wars to Babylon 5 to Farscape to Sci-Fi like Star Trek (but if you don't like them mixing, you don't have any control over what other people bring as PCs).

Watch lists for inspiration: Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Babylon 5, Farscape, Stargate (the later seasons after the Norse gods are revealed). If you can get into any of those, you'll start to be able to make ideas for SFS. It helps if you like Golarion lore because there's often (loose) tie back to that. E.g. the Nuar race of intelligent, civilized minotaurs that live primarily on Absalom Station.

I find horror does not come across well in PbP or organized play d20 play.

I expect (as Zith touched on) that Horror would not be an issue for me in PbP due to the medium. I've never really even noticed it in PFS and reviewing what I've played I think some of the settings were supposed to be horror-ish and I didn't even notice. So if a scenario we planned to play leaned that direction I'd have no issue giving it a go. As long as you don't force me to sit down in front of a horror movie, I'm likely to be fine. :P

Take a look at Schlock Mercenary for the aspect of "Do a job, get paid, collateral damage? Uh... I swear that was there when we arrived, Sci-Fi in a free webcomic. I also enjoyed Quantum Vibe for a while (need to get back to it and catch up). It has a great cyberpunk/sci-fi feel.

Probably one of the best movies I could think of would be Aliens, it is a perfect little blend of space mercenaries + civilians + androids vs. xenomorphs, which is decent chunk of the missions. Or just watch Guardians of the Galaxy and boom, you have a SFS group in full.

True, it's more challenging to manage a horror 'atmosphere' via text alone. Not to mention it definitely requires buy-in from the players; if they and their characters aren't inclined to take it seriously then you may as well go for a silly Scooby Doo-style romp with it instead.

All about knowing your audience :)

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! :D

*WOOP WOOP*

General signups for PbP Gameday are now open!

And I'm signed up for the max 3 (right now). So many games available, I really had to triage what I wanted to grab first.

Also, I see some of you have done your dayjob checks for this scenario so I'll toss mine out there.

Craft: Alchemy + Lab: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 10 + 2 = 23

My re-roll has been used, so this is locked in now.

Just to make sure we are all on the same page, I, Gummy Bear, am happy with the way things are going. Rumble is a little annoyed at all the talking and searching since he thinks his hammer should already be in what's left of the priest's head. I've limited posts just a little so he doesn't nag about attacking multiple posts a day, but this is by no means diminishing my enjoyment!

Please carry on :)

I don't have the RPG guide on the iPad that I have here, but I'm reasonably certain there's a clause in there about automatically having sufficient vials/flasks/sacks to collect whatever you find in a scenario.

I couldn't find anything like that with a quick search, but I do recall reading something to that effect somewhere. I'll take a deeper look sometime when I have time.

PG. 37 of the current RPG Guide:

'Characters are assumed to have enough containers to hold items found or, in the case of urban adventures, access to markets to sell goods.'

Parison: Gelatinous cubes and other slimes are excellent floor polishers.

Parison: Gelatinous cubes and other slimes are excellent floor polishers.

Parison doesn't know that....yet. ;)

By the way folks, if you care anything about having replays for PFS1 those are now live and can be found under:

My Organized Play --> GM/Event Coordinator

So if you ever wanted a 'do-over' of a particular scenario for whatever reason, you've got your chance now. Or perhaps more chances if you GM a lot and thus recharge those GM Star-Replays :)

In case anyone is getting antsy we don't have much more to go for this scenario! Next up on the docket will be #9-06 The Shores of Heaven - which I know Zithembe is probably excited about as he specifically requested it :)

*edit* Also, are we still good to proceed with just 5 players? So far you've all largely curbstomped your way through both combat and social challenges but I always like to check.

No problem with me!

I am excited for it! I couldn't remember where in our sequence it was.

Having run it a few times now, I will vaguely spoil it to address the 5-player question. It works on a system of accumulated one-chance-per-player successes in multiple places with thresholds set for 6-players or 4-players. So, while we probably could handle any combat, we are not insignificantly handicapping ourselves in scenarios that use that kind of mechanic with 5 players (essentially giving ourselves 1 automatic failure per encounter like that).

If this was high tier 9-06, we'd fail for sure without a sixth.

So in that sense, recruiting a guest player for scenarios like that would be helpful.

EDIT: My advice for enjoying 9-06 is to throw yourself into the setting. If you treat it like just another dungeon crawl, it won't seem as special.

I do love how this group is turning out. In the slightly less than two sessions I've played with you all, I've gotten to know a ton about each character. That's not very common in my opinion, I often go entire scenarios without getting any feel for my allies. Anyway, you all are excellent players and I look forward to continuing.

Adding a guest would be fine, as would staying with five. Making it slightly harder just makes it even more rewarding when we succeed.

Reiterating my note earlier, just in case the GM's post was partially motivated by me: I'm having a great time with this adventure, Rumble's priorities are just a little different than mine though :)

Zithembe, without spoilers, would you be able to elaborate a little on what you mean by throwing ourselves into the setting?

I'm really enjoying this group too! I feel like we've quickly grown into our own groove and it is just fun. Kudos to Parison for taking it all in stride and bringing those quality posts! I also like the Torag vs Sarenrae ideals conflict we are most likely going to continue to bumb into ;)

My preference is five players. Tbh I think it gives us that slight edge over a four player group (in terms of flexibility of builds) and gets us into some of the more serious combat situations (5 is also where I think we get the best cost-benefit in terms of waiting for people to post!). At least IME as a PFS GM, 5 is where the scenarios can run without reducing the combat challenges to accommodate our party size, but can also give us slightly more challenging fights (which is my preference). I think some scenarios, especially if you think we will struggle to complete the primary success condition (although that is pretty meta), would be ok with a sixth, but tbh I wouldn't mind just doing our thing with the five of us!

Zithembe, without spoilers, would you be able to elaborate a little on what you mean by throwing ourselves into the setting?

Without spoilers? Probably not. :)

It's really fun to get to play off one another in this session. Speaking from the newest player standpoint, I'm just glad to be a part of it. I'm cool either way whether we have five players or we add a 6th. I'm always a 'the more the merrier' kind of person, but on the flip side, I know the established characters (not counting myself) have a pretty good rapport and dynamic with each other.

Hum...so no one has a really strong preference either way but we have two with a slight preference for staying at 5 and two with a slight preference for having a guest 6th.

I'm admittedly a 'more the merrier' sort of person as well, at least to a point.

(No more 7 player PbP tables for me!)

Given the rather unique nature of the next scenario I'm inclined to seek out a 6th, with the caveat that they'd be a Special Guest Star just for the one scenario. I've got a couple of potential candidates that might fit the bill but this is your guys' group just as much as mine so if you have anyone in particular that you really like playing with, feel free to let me know here or via PM :)

And of course if there's anyone out there that would absolutely be a no-go for one of you, please let me know that as well via PM only.

(I've probably asked both of those questions before; I really need to keep a list of names.)

*edit* By 'unique nature' I'm referring more to the setting of the scenario rather than the mechanics behind it.

I Don't like myself, does that count? ^^

ಠ_ಠ

GM, I think that was the only appropriate response there XD

Heading out for GenCon tomorrow. Will be back 100% on the 5th. I expect I'll be able to get in 1 post per day.

Have a fun and safe trip!

Have a great time at GenCon!

Z, I think your seance comment was directed at me, but I did not include the seance bonus to the attack roll. The +2 to attack comes from Divine Favor.

Reminder to everyone but triggered by Rumble. You had Seance in your attack tag, but I now see you don't tag your damage separately.

I've had a bit of a busy weekend and am currently gearing up to play some 2E with the local lodge. I'll look at moving things forward when I get home later this evening :)

My reaction reading Hepsubia's last Gameplay post.

Meant with all possible good-natured teasing and affection ;)

Before the angst starts IC... Red went to -4 with 26 damage but Blue went to negative Constitution with 26 lethal damage?

Hepsubia also hit but technically you're right, it's still not enough to put Blue at negative con so I'll amend my post.

Normally I don't track dying conditions for enemies barring specific circumstances or tactics. Otherwise, once they're down they're out of the fight but exist in a nebulous state so that groups who want to try and stabilize them can but if not, then they're dead.

I was tired when tracking damage and broke my own rule :)

I normally wouldn't care, but Maria has been making a point to keep these guys alive.

^No, that's fine! I actually normally leave it ambiguous because so many of my regular players do try to avoid killing foes that may or may not be able to help what they're doing. As I said, I got in a hurry and brain-farted and broke my own rule.

My reaction reading Hepsubia's last Gameplay post.

Meant with all possible good-natured teasing and affection

I've just explained it. I thought it was funny, and unexpected