The board seems to be down most of the time for me, likely due to my timezone. So if needed bot me.
I've added a full background, appearance, and personality to Kenzo; please review and comment.
I still have not described his trip and his finding Ameiko; I have some questions.
Would Kenzo having made the trip spoil the upcoming trip? I made him a 'graduate' of a prestigious school of magic so perhaps he was teleported to Kalsgard?
Once in Kalsgard, will Kenzo find Ameiko by just asking around or should he have some sort of 'other-worldly' assistance? How/when is this meeting? Has it happened yet or we will play this out in the game?
Once we answer the above, I will write something about his trip and finding the Last heiress.
Game on!
Sorry for my somewhat delayed response to Clara's last push. We had poop hit the fan at work, and I'm spending a lot more time dealing with that than I'd like right now. May be a long week for me in terms of posting (probably until Tuesday), but I hope to still post at least once a day.
No worries on my end. Folks here can tell ya, I get busy too!
Hey everyone,
I'm not going to be joining this game after all.
You all have fun.
GM: please place me as inactive when you get a chance.
Fabian, thanks for the heads up, and be well!
Team...I'm a bit nervous about this fight. At least two of us are fatigued, which basically means running away isn't an option. Tallak and I are basically out of spells/extracts.
leinathan,
1) Do we know that Trolls regenerate except vs fire? Or do we need to roll? (I seem to remember it being discussed in game, but can't recall and my quick search didn't find anything).
2) Do I have two or three 10 min stretches along the road (maybe while the trackers track) to use my hybridization funnel? I'm thinking to combine alchemists fire + tanglefoot bags (x2) plus one alchemists fire + acid.
If allowed...
I'm fairly fresh, though definitely being sneaky seems the way to go. I should be able to at least get us down to just having to deal with one at a time (at least in the first pair of guards), and could use vanish to get someone in close to be ready to deal with the second of that pair.
To me the question is can we do it stealthily enough that we don't alert the second group of guardsmen. They're a fair distance away, so that'll make it harder for them to spot us.
If we wanted, I could also try starting off with murderous command, but I think that's more likely to rouse the camp.
Wow, I haven't played with a Mesmerist (or any psychic caster, really) and you've got some awesome abilities for something like this.
I think we're getting close to a plan. Let me summarize what I've heard, and then folks can correct, edit, or just concur:
0. We back far enough away to safely buff (if folks have buffs to cast)
1. Vashta lures one guard off to take a dump in a specific spot (with stare + Sow Thought, something like "I want to go take a dump in private, right over in that grove.")
2. we ambushing him there (with Shalelu firing a sleep arrow as the last arrow into the mix, in case it's not enough to kill'm outright). To make sure this works, lets take time to aid each other getting hidden into sniping spots, and find a spot with cover for everyone. Hopefully staying still + cover + aid is enough to not give our positions away.
3. If successful, repeat with a new watch person, until all are taken out.
If we're detected at any point...
- Clara will stand ready to throw a stink bomb. She'll throw another the next round if possible, to thin out how many Rimerunners we need to fight at once. She can also use Tanglefoot bags to keep one or more heavy hitters from reaching us quickly (making them take a round to bust out, and still have their saves halved afterward).
- Shalelu casts a web over as many as possible
- Someone (maybe Sandru? or Ulf?) runs in, grabs Ameiko, and gets her to safety.
- - If we want this person to be standing close to Ameiko already, they can get there with my last remaining Blend extract.
- The rest of us fire away (concentrating fire on wounded ones) until forced into melee.
Does that sound about right?
Anyone want to be extra mobile in this encounter? If not, I'll drink my Expeditious Retreat fizzy drink myself, to (over)compensate for my stubby legs.
leinathan, did you see my Q in a post above about hybridizing extracts?
Sounds right to me.
OH gosh, for whatever reason I haven't seen any posts in this Discussion thread for over 15 days, and my presence-of-mind was so low that I didn't think to check why you all were being so silent. I was getting those Gameplay posts!
Ugh.
Sorry, guys.
Okay - yes, Clara, you could have taken 10-30 minutes to hybridize some alchemical items. In fact, you could even take the time to do that now, before the attack, as you've found the Rimerunners resting.
I'm sad about Kenzo, though. I want to hold off on finding any more players for awhile, though. Four is enough, you have NPCs, and I want everything to stabilize.
I also want to say that this weekend I'm headed up into the mountains for some good-old celebration of American virtues (drinking, exploding things, dancing for way too long) and won't be able to update until Sunday. Unfortunately since we're not in combat, that means no pre-rolls.
However, I want everything that you'd like to do before combat posted as "i am doing this thing" in the Gameplay thread ASAP (like who gets assigned what buffs) and what you're doing now and next in this situation.
Also, Calder: I started watching Vikings and every time Rollo is on screen I just think of Calder.
OH gosh, for whatever reason I haven't seen any posts in this Discussion thread for over 15 days, and my presence-of-mind was so low that I didn't think to check why you all were being so silent. I was getting those Gameplay posts!
t buffs) and what you're doing now and next in this situation.
Also, Calder: I started watching Vikings and every time Rollo is on screen I just think of Calder.
Not bad, 1st King of Normandy and he lived to the age of 84? That's pretty good for a Viking. Looks very close to my vision of Calder as well.
Hey guys, I figured I'd spell out the tricks below, as they're useful so we should definitely make use of them.
* Mesmeric Mirror: An illusory image appears near the subject to throw off attackers. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject is attacked or becomes the target of a spell that requires an attack roll. One duplicate of the subject appears, and the attacker must determine randomly which it hits (as mirror image). For every 5 class levels the mesmerist possesses, one additional image appears, to a maximum of five images at 20th level. Each image lasts for 1 minute per mesmerist level or until destroyed. This is an illusion (figment) effect.
* Shadow Splinter: The mesmerist protects the subject against an attack and redirects the harm to someone else. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject takes damage from an attack. The damage the subject takes is reduced by an amount equal to 3 + the mesmerist's Charisma modifier (to a maximum of the total amount of damage the attack deals). Another creature within range of the original attack, other than the attacker, is affected by a shadow illusion that makes it appear as if the attacker is attacking that creature instead of the attacker's actual target. This second creature takes an amount of damage equal to the amount by which the attack's damage was reduced. This shadow doesn't require a roll to hit and ignores cover and concealment, but the target can attempt a Will save to disbelieve the effect. If it succeeds at this save, it neither takes the damage nor believes the attacker targeted it. This trick can't be triggered if there's no eligible second creature within range to take the redirected damage. This is an illusion (shadow) effect.
* False Flanker: A duplicate of the mesmerist appears momentarily, as though he were fighting in tandem with the subject. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject moves into or begins her turn in a square where she threatens an enemy. An illusory duplicate of the mesmerist appears in any unoccupied space adjacent to that enemy. This duplicate counts as threatening the enemy for the purposes of determining flanking, but can't actually make attacks. The duplicate disappears at the end of the turn during which the trick is triggered. This is an illusion (figment) effect, and a creature that interacts with the false flanker can attempt a saving throw to disbelieve the effect.
Mask Misery: The subject can shrug off a condition for a short time before succumbing to it. The mesmerist can trigger this trick when the subject becomes affected by a minor condition listed under the touch treatment ability. The subject can ignore the effect of that condition for 1d4 rounds, after which the subject takes the full effect. This has no effect on any conditions affecting the subject other than the triggering condition, even if those other effects are also listed under touch treatment. The rounds during which the subject ignores the triggering effect still count against that effect's duration; if the duration of mask misery is longer than the effect lasts, the subject isn't affected by the condition at all. If an effect that imposes more than one condition triggers this trick, the subject ignores all eligible conditions. If the mesmerist is 6th level or higher, he adds the moderate conditions to the conditions he can ignore with this trick, and this trick ends minor conditions entirely instead of suppressing them temporarily. The mesmerist doesn't need to have touch treatment to choose or use this trick. [ooc]Best if we're expecting to face one of the following conditions, otherwise it's kind of just a stab in the dark: Fascinated, shaken, confused, dazed, frightened, sickened.[/ooc
On vacation with family until the 4th. Hope to post as able but not predictable so bot me if needed.
Calder, do you want the Expeditious Retreat extract? If not, maybe Sandru? I figure it should go to a front liner who wants the ability to engage fast and get away if needed. Plus you're usually the one to carry Clara when she needs a ride! ;-)
Like the plan we're working on. Fingers crossed!
Since nobody else seems particularly interested, Sandru will take the extract with the plan of rushing in to protect Ameiko should the battle turn chaotic.
Yes sorry, I was going to suggest the one going for Ameiko should have the extract.
And if no one else is going to take my second trick, I'll put shadow splinter on Sandru as well.
Hey guys, just FYI, work is hitting me hard right now. I've also got my folks coming to visit over the weekend -- Long story short, my posting may be spotty through the weekend (though I'm hoping I can sneak in some time tomorrow and/or Friday).
Sorry for the delay, folks. Will update tomorrow afternoon.
Huh. Learn something new every day. Thanks, GM!
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I got your back (except not really because it was worse for you)
Calder, just making sure you know you're up.
So is there a party SOP for treasure? Vashta has little magical gear yet, so could use the cloak and/or boots, though is fine if others want them (the boots particularly might be better with one of our more primarily melee-focused characters, so they can move freely if we get to icy areas).
Additionally, loot: Jorgan has a mwk greataxe, a cloak of resistance +1, a pair of boots of the winterlands, a suit of rhino hide, three handaxes, and a jade statuette of a raven.
The one tengu ninja that you've killed has a mwk wakizashi, a suit of leather armor, a blowgun with 10 darts, a climber's kit, a shinobi shizoku (which is basically a mwk Stealth tool, a whole-body black suit), a potion of disguise self and a dose of deathblade poison.
Each of the 9 Ulfen warriors wears studded leather, carries a heavy wooden shield, 3 throwing axes, a battleaxe, and a gold arm-ring.
Each troll can have its blood extracted, and an hour spent to create two doses of troll styptic.
That troll styptic's nice; I just gave out something from Adventurer's Armory 2 too. :)
There is not. What I am generally most comfortable with is to have all such loot issues simply be - "I want X item", and if there are conflicts, to resolve them between the players. I find that rules for loot tend to promote conflict more than resolve it.
So -
Vashta wants the cloak and the boots, but is willing to relinquish dibs, especially on the boots to a melee-type. Does anyone else want them?
The troll styptic also isn't from the adventurer's armory. I believe it's from Ultimate Equipment, but it just got a nerf. It used to give the troll's regeneration ability at the cost of no save on the sickened condition.
That works for me, Lein (and is also the way I like doing it).
I know some people figure out total value, divide that evenly and then subtract values of claimed treasures (which does have the benefit of keeping people somewhat equal in terms of treasure, which can matter at higher levels), but that always seemed too fiddly to me and ignores that players presumably use magical equipment to help each other.
I'll throw my hat in on the boots too.
I'd happily throw my had in for the cloak and/or the shinobi shizoku.
More generally...I'm not sure we've really kept track of loot we've gotten to date in any way. I can say for sure that I haven't claimed any...but I'm not sure someone else has either? Does anyone have a record of it, so that we can sell what noone wants at some point?
I'm new to handling loot this way. Usually I do the "everyone gets an equal share" thing, and it works well for me (e.g. this example loot tracker, that I maintain for the RotR game Thron runs). I'm very open to learning a new way, but it's still a bit foreign to me so I'll take a back seat on how to track it. That said, I realize that my gear sheet still just has my starting 3,500 GP equipment with nothing new added since Gameplay began. That's not necessarily a bad thing...I think others may benefit from gear more, and Clara's doing just fine...but I suspect most loot so far didn't get claimed by an individual...and if we're not keeping track at all then at some point we're all missing out on the chance to sell a bunch of stuff.
Using this "I want X item" method...what do you usually do with items no one wants to use? Does someone claim it and then just sell it for themselves? Do you sell all the unclaimed stuff and divide the cash in some way? If so, how?
Oh! Bonus question: What're we doing with the gear of our fallen comrade, Kikiri?
I suppose I could be doing a better job of keeping track of items, but I generally assume that items nobody mentions for any reason are items that nobody cares about enough to actually pick up and carry.
How about this: I'll make a Google doc with the loot items that've been dropped and which everyone has now, including the ones that have been picked up but never used by anyone. I'll link it in the campaign info tab and update it when new items are added.
I don't care to enforce that everyone gets a share, because I don't think it's that important that everyone gets the same amount of loot, but we'll start with a list of items that everyone has.
Ok, I've finished the sheet, I believe. I went through the encounters where you got loot and said you picked stuff up and put them on, and will continue to update it as you get more things. Loot has been fairly sparse up to now, so there's only a few things on it. There is a link on the campaign info tab.
Looks like Calder has 9,320gp worth of things, Tallak has 14,758gp worth of things (although it is mostly a nacreous gray sphere that's worth 10,000 and allows one to ignore old age penalties), and Clara/Vashta have nothing.
In addition, it looks like the party has 6,500gp worth of spare currency.
As for Kikiri, I think it is probably most fair if it is either: buried with him, and inaccessible to the party, added to the loot list as regular loot and split up between the party, or simply sold, converted into gold, and put into the party fund.
That sounds great. To be clear, I wasn't assuming you'd be the one to track loot--you've got enough to do as DM--but if you want to I won't stop ya.
And if (once you've made it) you want us to share in the record keeping, just holler.
I'm happy to keep it updated, but I've also unlocked editing on that sheet for anyone with the link, so if people care to edit it when they claim things or whatnot I'll not stop them.
Calder will claim the ring of protection if no one else wnats it. He's planning on getting better armor as soon as he can.
Also my posting will be erratic over the next few days, probably the whole week. A serious family health matter is effecting us at the moment. So I'm away from home and using another PC, without the constant access and books.
So Bot me if I'm holding anything up. Calder is a fan of finding whoever is causing us all this grief, and ending them. While keeping everyone as safe as possible.
Calder, do you want the Rhino Hide? It won't increase your AC, but it changes your ACP from -5 to -1...and it gives you +2d6 damage on a charge.
Either way, I'm fine with you taking the ring. I certainly think the ring makes sense to go to a front-liner.
No thanks on the Rhino hide. I'm looking for a good light armor to lose the move penalty, Calder is moving to Ranger full time now.
So far he's been effective at hitting hard in melee, which is what I wanted him to be. I just want him to be a little better protected, and not so immobile. :)
With armor training 1, Calder gets no speed penalty in medium armor.
When did I even pick up that orb? I don't remember. I probably just grabbed it to make sure we took it. Ha!
You picked it up during this scene, when the funeral barge was burning and you had to spend move actions to take loot.
Ah yea, so,exactly that. Lol!
Using this "I want X item" method...what do you usually do with items no one wants to use? Does someone claim it and then just sell it for themselves? Do you sell all the unclaimed stuff and divide the cash in some way? If so, how?
Clara, typically, at least in the games I've been in, the remaining loot would be sold off and the funds split between the party equally (though I often like having a "party" share for things such as scrolls and wands of CLW).
Calder, I hope everything works out. Obviously real life is more important than games.
Good luck with your family, Calder. I'm sorry to hear that there are difficulties, and don't worry about absences.
I see no objections, so I am putting the ring of protection +1 on Calder and the shinobi shizoku on Clara.
Now, I see that Clara and Vashta both want the cloak of resistance +1 and both Vashta and Tallak want the boots of the winterlands.
Given no input from anyone, I'm going to assign the cloak to Clara and the boots to Vashta, as Tallak already has a few loot items. However, I don't want to monolithically decide where items go, so... thoughts?
If I may:
Let's give Tallak the boots (I think they'd be far more useful on him than Vashta); if Calder doesn't want the rhino hide, does Tallak? I think it would drop his AC by 1 but it would give him the charge bonus and really cut his armor check penalty.
Clara can take the cloak (whoops, ninja'd by the GM).
Would it make sense to give the nacreaous orb to Koya? I'm assuming Tallak doesn't have any age penalties, though Koya probably does.
--
Can we send the other things back with Ameiko and Co. and ask them to see about selling it while we head to the castle?
So, Vashta is proposing:
Put the rhino hide and the boots of the winterlands on Tallak
Send the nacreous gray sphere back to Koya to cut her old age penalties down (she is indeed old-aged, being something like 60 years old).
Send the mwk wakizashi, the 9 gold armbands, Tallak's chainmail, the dose of deathblade poison and the two scrolls of summon nature's ally V back to the caravan and have somebody sell them.
All of the above is kosher to me. I just hate being a bit of a loot monger.
Unless Tallak can use the scrolls? (Not sure if that's on his spell list).
As for mongering, it'll all balance out in the end. If Clara and I are avoiding most of the melee, we're hopefully not going to get as hurt as much, so don't need these type of resources as much.
Big surprise, the chapter-ending final boss castle you're headed to has some pretty good loot on the way. Hopefully Clara and Vashta can find something that they'll use.
Alright, the loot list is updated. Tallak, let me know when your spells are prepared. Clara, let me know when your extracts are prepared, and do that belated level-up if you would.
All, let me know what your plans are, even if it's just to finish the hike over to Ravenscraeg and what you're going to do during the two days it will take to get there.
A couple wrinkles:
- Shinobi shozoku says, "Wearing armor with a base armor bonus higher than +1 negates this bonus, as does additional heavy clothing or equipment worn under the shinobi shozoku (at the GM’s discretion)." All the PCs wear armor. Would any of the NPCs benefit from this? What do Sandru and Ameiko wear? If they don't want it we should just sell it.
- The ioun stone says "Any penalties you have already incurred remain in place." Given that, unless Koya is about to cross a new age threshold, I think we're best off selling it.
I thought about suggesting we save the scrolls for use when we're in dire straights (or need some specific summon abilities)...but I just read UMD and realize they'd be very hard to activate for a very long time (requires a DC30 check to emulate WIS 15 + a DC29 check to cast a 9th level spell from a scroll). Clara will be up to a +13 when she wakes up in the morning at L6...but that's still something she'd take a few minutes to successfully activate. No good in combat, for sure. :-(
Silly thought: Can the Rhino Hide be converted to Medium sized barding? I'd love to see Ursus dressed up in a rhino suit! :0)
I'll work on extracts + posting level-up today.
EDIT:
I know Calder is gone for a while, and that before he left he said he doesn't want Rhino Hide...but his stated reason was not wanting to lower his move speed, and leinathan pointed out that his armor training means that that's a non issue, so I think it's quite possible that when he reads that message he'll change his mind. If he does, Tallak might still want the +1 chainmail.
Ameiko wears a chain shirt and Sandru wears studded leather, so a no go on either on them too.
Interestingly, the tengu ninja wore leather, which means that it wouldn't work for them either. However, I am willing to say that as long as you don't have an armor check penalty, nor are you above a light load, that it works.
A scroll of summon nature's ally V is a 5th-level spell, but the difficulty in casting it certainly still applies.
I'll move the ioun stone to the sell pile as well, as that's a good point.
The rhino hide could be converted to barding with a successful Craft (armor) check, some downtime, or some money thrown at an armorer.
Leveling up!
Clara is now a Spiritualist 1 (exciter) and now has Kikiri's dragon companion Kolung rattling around in her psyche
Saves: F:+½, R:+⅓, W:+2 ½
Emotional focus: Dedication
Bonus: Iron Will, Skill focus: Diplomacy + Sense Motive
+4 vs mind-affecting,
5 round/day “Rapture” (as bloodrage) +4 DEX/CHA, or +2 STR/DEX/CON/CHA; fatigued 2x rounds of rapture; 1 minute min between Raptures
Fast movement +10’
Spells (3/day): Burst of Insight, Burst of Adrenaline; (unlimited) read magic, guidance, mage hand, open/close
10 skill points (4 class, 4 INT, 2 background) 1 Diplomacy, 1 sense motive,
All Knowledge + sense motive becomes class skills
I'll update profile as soon as possible.
Extracts prepared for today: Does anyone want any particular infusions from my list:
Alchemist Formulae Known :
2nd (1) invisibility, levitation, resist energy
1st (9) Adhesive Spittle, Blend, Comprehend Languages, Crafter’s Fortune, Cure Light Wounds, Expeditious Retreat, Heightened Awareness, Monkeyfish, Reduce Person, Shield,
If not then I'll probably go with:
Alchemist Extracts Prepared (CL 5):
2nd (3/day) invisibility, levitation +1 unprepared
1st (5/day) Shield, Reduce Person, Heightened Awareness, Adhesive Spittle, +1 unprepared
...and profile is now up to date too.
By the way, it was buried in my last post but does anyone want an infusion of one of my extracts known? (Listed in the post above)
Just let me know!
Profile up to date.
I'm good with whatever infusions you think best.
--
I plan to ride to the castle, but other than that, I think mostly making our way there while following the trail sounds good. I'll make idle chit-chat with others en route (which I'm happy to role-play too) but I don't think I have anything in particular to do (no crafting feats yet).
--
Also, I won't be around Sunday to post. I'm getting home sometime Monday, but hope I'll be able to post that evening.