GM Mezegis- The Infernal Vault (Inactive)

Game Master Auke Teeninga

*headdesk* I had an Excel chart with transitions (and potential transitions) and I was getting so frustrated because it didn't make sense! Stupid imps!

Also, there's basically no way we could determine that there were invisible imps here, heh.

I think that Mez's description of a delay was helpful, implying that something funny was going on.

Yes, I was trying to hint that something was up with the occasional distortion effect when they did something abnormal and one of you rolled well on your perception, and the constant "after a moment" thing, to represent the imps flying over and moving the lever.

Keep in mind, this is the level 3-4 tier, so level 2 spells like See Invisibility and Glitterdust are possible options. With See Invisibility lasting 10 minutes per level, it wouldn't be unusual for a cleric to have cast it before entering the trapdoor and have it last throughout the "dungeon"

I actually have glitterdust as an SLA, hahaha... but I assumed it was some magical effect in the air as a result of the lever movements. :p There's really not much reason to assume "Oh, random sparkly thing in the air" means invisible creature.

(Also, next to nobody is going to have See Invisibility up at this point... it's too circumstantial to prepare or even use from a scroll without having some expectation of invisible creatures!)

... Note that I'm not complaining! I got totally duped by this, and deservedly so.

I thought it was a mechanical effect, myself. I full expected that the levers would prove impossible to flip more than one at a time.

I had wondered before about when you had to specify where a spell with a longer casting time is targeted, and just found it under "Casting Time" in "Magic":

"You make all pertinent decisions about a spell (range, target, area, effect, version, and so forth) when the spell comes into effect."

So, it would be possible for Alexia to hold off on specifying where she wants the spell to be centered until it does so, making it more likely she could hit the imps.

Alice, just as another comment on the Tod/Calanthe game: did it seem odd that the GM had the gargoyle full-attack you BEFORE I got my action, even though I had a higher init? It's not like he warned me that I need to decide or I would get skipped. Hopefully it will all work out, but this fight could be deadly. Hope fully the rest of you will get to see Tod and Calanthe again one day!

Aww, and you guys aren't playing on these forums, so I can't spy on what shenanigains are going on.

OK, so here is the story: Tod dies, and it ends up that Calanthe, devotee of Pharasma, is then torn about raising him from the dead, against the wishes of the church...

Or that Calanthe only thinks he's dead, and kills herself so she can be with him in Pharasma's embrace. Tod wakes up, and in the depression over her death, kill himself...

Naaa... who'd ever write a story like that...

Since we're doing a bunch of OOC stuff, maybe we should move it here. Either way.

Norine has cold iron, CI/alchem. silver, and CI/adamantine bolts, and a cold iron and alchem. silver dagger. So, she is pretty well prepared, but not very powerful. (She learned a lesson or two from The Beggar's Pearl, although she still doesn't have anything for darkness or invisibility.)

Does anyone else have antitoxin? According to my Excel thingy, I have one to spare after taking my dose.

Her wand of bless has a lot of charges still, although renewing the spell will take the SA.

She also has 5 lbs. of powered silver that might be useful in keeping track of the imp. (There are some differences in wording that really makes in unclear how long 'powder' will make an invisible creature visible, though.) Of course, Liadain has her shot of glitterdust.

My Detect Magic idea will also reveal the location of the imp on round three, although it takes two people doing Detect Magic. One character could probably cast D.M. and then stop concentrating, freeing that person up. The imp would never know that and basically the only place to hide would be above the head of the person still using D.M.

We could also just force the issue, having people pull on the levers and then getting ready to go. Say screw it, and come back for it later. We might be able to keep if from following us through the next door, since that would really constrict its movement. (Well, assuming there is a door on the other side of this somewhere. I'm not sure Mez said.)

Hey, GMing question: If a character uses an AoO and then acts in the round, does their one-per-round AoO renew on their initiative count, or would that be their AoO for the turn and it won't renew until their next opportunity to act?

Or, is it one per round, more literally: Round 1, Round 2, etc. So a character could then possibly make one AoO towards the end of Round 1 and then another AoO just after Round 2 starts?

In some cases, like with immediate actions, it seems that an immediate action counts against their next set of actions.

If that makes any sense.

Let's see...

Round 2:
Naurine (no relation) makes an AoO against someone.

Naurine casts Feather Fall as her immediate action.

stuff happens

Naurine's initiative count comes up and she moves and casts a spell, but her swift action is already used up so she can't retrieve a spring-loaded wand..

stuff happens, and Naurine has to forgo an AoO.

Round 3:
stuff happens

Naurine's initiative count comes up and she renews her immediate action and her AoO.

Continue with your discussion, I'll assign round durations based on the length of discussion and what you do. Things like spells/rage rounds, let me know how long you wait on them.

Its kind of a stand off, just want to know how long this lasts for record keeping

on the AoO question, I've always played it based on your characters turn. You have 1 AoO/immediate action until you go again, not based on numerical rounds of combat. Not sure if that is RAW, but it flows better and is easier for my players to understand.

Anyone? Thoughts? Anyone going to act as the seconds tick by?

Ebon dropped his rage, so seconds ticking by are a good thing. ;P

Oops, sorry, I guess we were all waiting for someone else to act.

I had some questions and ideas up above (here), but didn't get any feedback.

I'll be back in a few hours, if people want to chime in. Norine has 5 lbs. of silver powder, a spare vial of antitoxin, and alch. dagger and bolts which could be useful.

So, we spread out, push up the levers (I think it was), and get ready to hack and shoot it. With Liadain's glitterdust, we would have readied attacks, AoO's, and attacks before it goes invisible again, and then two rounds beyond that, it seems.

Ok, so we ready an action to attack as soon as it is visible and in range?

And if it leaves our square we get an AOO?

I can beat the DR, but need to know where I'm swinging.

How high are the ceilings? If it flies up top, can it get out of reach?

If it goes to the ceiling, it can get out of melee reach. I've assumed that everyone is readying actions, my question is how long until you guys start doing others things, and what those other things are.

I think we should just leave it. If it follows us and attacks us later, we kill it then. Do remember that we're chasing a guy around here...

Well, it will still get a few stabs in, potentially, as we spread out and each go for a lever, and then out, but yeah, that is definitely as option I had considered (and suggested).

I agree with Lia, not that I can affect it anyway, except by magic.

The other possible problem is that if it escapes with us, then it will be an invisibly, pokey pest for the rest of the scenario, potentially also messing up further encounters for us.

But, Norine will certainly push up (was it, or was it pull down?) on the lever and run with the group if that is the decision.

It can't attack without becoming visible. That would give us a round to deal with it. Talwin will keep his dagger out for close-quarters fighting anyway. Longspears are great on streets and parapets, not in dungeons.

Hello, sorry for my unannounced absence. I had an unplanned medical emergency that resulted in a few days spent at my lovely local hospital. I am more stable now, and should be able to get back into the swing of things. Fingers crossed, it shouldn’t happen again.

Hey, feel better!

In much more minor news, I'm slow for a few days as my wife's computer is being replaced and she needs to use mine for school.

Hope you're feeling better, Mez. Yikes. Sounds most unpleasant.

Good wishes, Mez. Hospital visits suck.

question. Does a barbarian's fast movement ability count as part of his base speed? reason I'm asking is for the jumping thing. If your BASE speed is 40' you get a +4 on jump(acrobatics) if it is 30' nothing and if it is 20' you get a -4. With my armor my speed is 30, with a -4 penalty. skill is +6. if it counts I net at +6, which I like a lot better than just +2. XD

Yes, but keep in mind you are slower from the medium armor.

So do i count my base speed as 30 with no bonus then? +10 for barb -10 for armor. just checking, I have never thought about it before. Most of my characters wear light or no armor.

Yep

*crickets...*

Hope all's okay, Mez?

Yes, I hope all is well, or at least getting better. :-\

It's always worrisome when there has been a hospital visit recently.

Hope everything's ok, Mez.

I wanted to wish you the best too Mez, even if I'm a bit late in doing so. Hope your recovery is still going OK.

Hello everyone,

I must first off, apologize for the delay in getting this posted, it has been a rough few weeks and gaming took a low priority. I could give a number of reasons, but what it boils down to is that I’m stepping away from the Paizo site for a while, at least until my life settles down, perhaps longer.

RPing with many of you has been enjoyable, and for those I just started playing with, I wish it could have been longer. For games I’m a PC, feel free to bot or remove my PC however you see fit. For those I am GMing, I leave it up to you to decide if you want to find a replacement or let the game die.

If anyone is interested in a more detailed explanation of what’s going on, feel free to PM me. I may not divulge every personal detail, but I could provide a bit more to those I have spent so much time with.

Sorry

Hey Ryan/Mez,

I'm really sorry to see you go. It was Mez and Norine (and everyone else, of course!) back in GM Derek's that was my first PbP game.

I hope to see you back again sometime!

More importantly, we all wish you the best in RL.

~~ Matt

~~~~~

So, on Mez's other point, would we like to have someone take this game over? I would (and probably should), but I am not the best at running multiple games, and I may end up running two already for another reason.

One idea, if no one feels up to it right now, would be to take a scheduled break, all agreeing to come back to the group on a particular date, such as when the game day is over and people have fewer other games to worry about. Then, if someone is able, we could pick up where we left off with this scenario or start a new one.

Hmm... we are a good way into this game. I did purchase the scenario myself to run locally (which never happened).

I will gladly pick up the reins if we're OK with this game being priority #3 on my list. My main gameday event will wrap up this week, so I will have *some* time. It might just be an every other day posting rate for a bit.

I'm finer with that, if you want to take over, Derek. Protocol states that if a replacement GM is not found, then the players receive Chronicles based on what they have completed and get no replay unless they use a GM star. The only problem I have with letting it sit too long is that Alexia is one of my fave characters and I'd hate to have her in Limbo for a long period of time.

I'm good with whatever, only place I play these days is here on the boards.

Hi guys, I could take over so you can all finish the adventure.

I've run the infernal vault a couple of times, so no problem there.

If you all agree I can start running from monday (I'll be away for the next 4 days.)

Sure, that sounds good to me, Auke, and I appreciate it.

To the group: OK, now a Venture-Captain is watching us! Everyone stand up straight and look like you know what you are doing! Talwyn, take that silly look off your face! Liadain, put some clothes on! Alexia, try to smile ... um, well, never mind. Ebon, straighten that tie! And get a tie! Somebody wake Targost up! Norine? Where the heck is Norine?! ... Oh, yeah, that's me.

Liadain, Ignore the little one! Clothes are optional... And NO TIE!

Mez,

It's truly sad to see you go. I hope life gets back on the rails for you soon, and best wishes in everything that's going on. We'll be waiting for you when you come back! :)

------

Auke,

That would be really truly kind of you! <3

Lia's not an exhibitionist, jeez. The clothes come off after the scenario. Maybe after we save another pretty Blakros daughter or something.

Very sorry to see you leaving Mez, but understandable. I hope RL get back into your control and we see you out here again!

Damn...Targost is late again!!!! Welcome Auke and thanks for picking us up!!

Hmmm, does anyone have a link to the maps?

Mez had been drawing them himself as he went, rather than using ones extracted from the file, so they're not ready for you, I'm afraid.

Mez had been drawing them himself as he went, rather than using ones extracted from the file, so they're not ready for you, I'm afraid.

I don't need them teady for me, I just need to see where you are and where you have been. :-)

There's a map linked at the top. We basically haven't been using it much...

We fought two imps in a room with levers, and then were in a long corridor with a swinging axe trap.