GM Mezegis The Begger's Pearl (Inactive)

Game Master Mezegis

@Targost: Voice in the Void, sorta-sequel to Mists of Mwangi

So, Alice, I am running a season 5 scenario with my other group that has knowledge rolls dealing with the actions of nobles and an ex-nobles (not to mention the top levels of government and the ruling classes) and is there a Knowledge Nobility, or even History? Nope, just Know. Local and Diplomacy (Gather Information). It's poor and lazy design.

Season 5 is the Season of the Diplomat. I played a Scenario that involved 0 combat because the Oracle with a +15 diplomacy just talked everyone down.

That's only fun for so long. =/

Interesting. I do like the chance to get past being a "murder hobo" as the joke seems to be - I've talked my group out of a couple of combats, but only 1 per scenario - although Diplomacy as Gather Information, too, makes it a very strong skill.

Just for curiosity, which scenario did you go through completely with Diplomacy (a bit of a spoiler)?

Heh. That is the one that I am taking some players through. There should be 1 speed bump combat that is tough to avoid, but it is an interesting scenario in that there are some different ways about it. My group will mostly kill everyone, I think.

That's pretty much what happened when I ran that too, Matt. They tried being diplomatic at one point, but the way I was reading things is they would have needed to make a pretty distasteful choice in order to avoid one fight, and they stood on the side of freedom and liberty for all!

*melodius strains of patriotic music*

Well, it does at least give OPTIONS, which I like. There are clearly defiend consequences for multiple outcomes, which is also pretty nifty to me.

I was luckily not playing Mez in that scene, or there would have been many more fights. My cleric, Zander, was the only good character at the table, with cheliax and scarni each having two neutral characters. He wasn't about to make too many waves on his first mission with an experienced group that all said to SFTU and let them handle it.

I never get characters with Cheliax, and few Scarni. Must have been an interesting group.

Not really, it was the quintessential young 20 somethings who play to screw with people and ruin plots because it's fun to them. Effective players, but not my cup of tea.

Ah, I see. That doesn't sound like a very good experience. I really like the Good-aligned, Silver Crusade, Andoran, or perhaps Grand Lodge types. Although the Pathfinder Society gives people of all types a reason to be adventurers, I still like the Olde Tyme, Good vs. Evil motivation.

Had one like that once, Mez. Was running a scenario, the name of which escapes me, but he got belligerent with guards outside the golem factory! They chased him all over the city for the rest of the adventure.

Shoanti Barbarian Chew is another nice little item:

"This bitter red chew comes from the dried leaves of galtroot, a stunted bush found in northern countries. It stains the teeth dark crimson but also increases the duration of barbarian rage entered into during the next hour by 1 round."

Not bad for 1 gp, and the crimson red teeth could be a positive for some.

So, Alice, I am running a season 5 scenario with my other group that has knowledge rolls dealing with the actions of nobles and an ex-nobles (not to mention the top levels of government and the ruling classes) and is there a Knowledge Nobility, or even History? Nope, just Know. Local and Diplomacy (Gather Information). It's poor and lazy design.

This makes me sad. Perfect time to make use of lesser-used skills.

As a GM I would personally allow players with Knowledge: Nobility to learn the same things. I don't think that oversteps the boundaries of PFS (so long as people can also learn it via Local/Diplo)...

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My problem with the "Diplomacy" sessions is not so much that you avoid all combat (that's cool), but that players will often simply steamroll through the scenario based on a ridiculously high score without it really making much sense because of insufficiently high DCs. Case in point, the Blakros Matrimony... I had an optimised Intimidomancer in the game I ran for the PFS PbP Game Day and she could literally intimidate arguably the most powerful woman in Absalom into submission on a 1. That's stupid. And dumb.

Even worse is when people don't even put the effort into trying to make it make sense or writing up some amazing speeches or anything... it's just say a few words and roll the dice.

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So are we all down for Voice in the Void? I'll look to opening up a new campaign soon!

VotV is fine with me. I'll be a smidge late bringing Mez in however, since He's my only PFS character not involved and there is a game on Saturday I have gotten permission to attend.

No worries, it takes a few days to get through the opening gambit usually anyway.

AH-HA! For once Targost will not be the last in..LOL

sounds good to me... NO Monkeys tho!!! ;D

Oh, there's no monekys in this one, just lots of other weirdness!

Tod will come along too, although Saturday might be a day for him to pick up an extra chronicle to get to 3rd level.

I'll be at a con for a whole day! 3 scenarios! I'm probably going to need about 3 gallons of coffee!

Anyway, my posting ability will be reduced over the next few days as I help my wife get our house cleaned and organizaed since I won't be home Saturday to take care of it. And things are picking up at work, so I'll check in on things and be ready to go pretty much as per normal by Monday.

Sounds good about VitV.

I wish I had local games and cons.

Yeah, I gave him anything with "noble" in it with the knowledge nobility roll, and probably should have just gone ahead and made it equivalent, in this case, to knowledge local.

Well, after exploring the Library of the Lion at TableCon in Salt Lake City, Tod's now 3rd level!

With 1,700 GP I can't enchant my sword yet, but I could my armor.

I can't decide on my level 3 feat. I'll need Mobility at some point to go Duelist, but Improved Disarm has some nice flavor for my dashing hero image!

I'd pick up Improved Disarm now. Much more useful in general than Mobility!

You could wait for now and save up for just 1 more scenario to nab yourself a magical sword. That's probably what I'd do, unless you feel like your AC is suffering.

Btw, sorry about not getting the new game up yet, Paizo's technical difficulties plus a number of doctor visitations as of late (I'm fine - just having to do some tests for PCOS after a general check-up found some oddities in hormone levels or some such) have led to me being strapped for time.

I got s@!~e on, on Saturday so Mez is still level 2 and ready to go whenever.

Hope things go well, Alice. My wife has had a lot of problems with ovarian cysts (although not PCOS) and endometriosis.

Hope all is well Rose!! Ready whenever the rest of you are. What do you think of Targost moving into a martial class in preparation for arcane archer?? I am of two minds for this...and not too sure if it is a good idea or not....suggestions and comments would be welcome, as I am new to society play..

Well, I just think of you as our only arcanist. (I'm not sure if people put witch in the same Sor/Wiz category or not.) If so, being dedicated might be more powerful later. On the other hand, we don't really have a ranged specialist, either.

A witch is certainly like a Sor/Wiz!! It's a prepared arcane caster that just so happens to also have some restorative spells as well. :) You might not be able to tell yet, but Calanthe is going to go down a heavy debuffing and necromancy route. Not raising undead though. Other fun stuff... like curses and enervation.

I think an Arcane Archer could be pretty cool, but you'll probably lose a lot of your spellcasting if you go down that route - since you need BAB+6 to enter it. Something like Sor 2/Ftr 5/Arcane Archer 5 is basically the quickest you can get into it, although I would consider going Sor4/Ftr4/AA 4 as Arcane Archer 5 gives you no spellcasting increase and the distance enhancement ability is pretty mediocre (when are you EVER that far away in PFS?)...

Sor4/Ftr4/AA4 would give you casting of a 7th level Sorc (3rd level spells), BAB+10 (little bit better than a 12th level mid-BAB class but a little bit worse than a full melee class), decent saves in all categories and some funky arrow abilities (including more feats).

Another possible idea is actually Eldritch Knight... as weird as that sounds it works perfectly fine with an 'arcane archer', and will allow you to take more Sorcerer levels. Something like Sor6/Ftr1/EK5 for example gives you casting of a 10th level Sorc (5th level spells), BAB+9 (mid-BAB), only crappy Ref saves, fewer feats though.

Or you can stick to normal Sorcerer and begin to segue into "magical" archery... spells like Scorching Ray for example. Having Precise Shot is really helpful with ray spells, and Point Blank Shot bonuses apply to them too.

Yeah, um, what Alice said. :-P (I am so not an expert.)

While I am starting my party out at the 300' it talks about in a scenario - the actual map is far off in a sea of gray - most of the time it is very close and limited to small maps. (Of course, Beggar's Pearl was another odd one where suddenly ranged weapons made all of the difference...)

Excellent feedback Rose and Norine....gives me some food for thought...the 4/4/4 Sor/Ftr/AA sounds the most likely for me, but I am also intrigued with the possibility of the Eldritch Knight! For now I will continue on the arcane route, taking some more martial feats in preparation for a switchover...thanks!!

I would like to have a wizard who takes up a level as a witch just to be able to have a bonded object and a familiar at the same time.

If you were going for witch it might not be a completely terrible idea to have a level in diviner, say, just to be able to act in every surprise round. I would really probably stay with the diviner route, though, likely making it just a bad idea.

I have a white-haired witch that I love playing. Lots of fun!

Yeah, I was thinking that there should be a scenario run now and then with two or three witches it it, perhaps even going to seven players, just so that their familiars could trade spells, forming a coven for a scenario every level or two. Your witch could meet up with Calanthe.

Your Witch is silly. Amusing, and useful, but silly.

Your Witch is silly. Amusing, and useful, but silly.

Wait, who's witch? WhtKnt's? I haven't met him/her, myself.

My lummox of a warrior has run quite a few scenarios with her. Being a white haired witch, she has a melee hair attack, the issue is, a strong wind knocks her for a loop. Things get pretty dicey at times, but I respect a player who doesn't let the fragile nature of their character from playing them the way they should be.

Do we have an ETA for our next game?

I have been invited to another game, but my only free PFS character is Mez and don't want to get him involved if we are about to start something. The GM of the other games runs a tight ship, so the scenario shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks, maybe less, but I don't want you guys waiting on me.

I was planning on opening up a game thread later today actually :) That said, it'll be Tier 1-2, so if you want to play Mez with the other group and pick up a new character for the other game that would work too.

Discussion thread, will be posting an introduction soon!