Sorry, but that was a really long post, and lately all my energy for writing has been spent on schoolwork. As a heads up: I'll be visiting my sister in England from next Thursday until the following Monday, and likely wont be able to post while I'm there. I'll do my best to get in another post before then.
@Valerie: I'm thinking about building her to the Stalwart Defender PrC--the stance is not bad, reinforcing what she does and giving her more accuracy to boot, but there is no fixing her stats (or Octavia) unless you're willing to download the relevant mod for rebuilding a character from scratch.
I did think about going with Stalwart Defender, but I wanted to keep up with her archetype. Putting three ranks into Mobility and using her extra feats to grab Crane Style has made for a workable replacement for Combat Expertise, as well. Better, if I stack up with her favourite food, since that further reduces the attack penalty.
I don't usually look at mods when I'm playing a game for the first time, unless it's so old that it requires patching to be playable.
As for her character--I do like that she's vigilant and faithful. Her voice-acting is also up to part.
Can't say I get that 'supernatural flawless beauty' part, however.
I find it fascinating how they're deconstructing the Beauty Equals Goodness trope, expecially since it plays so well against Shelyn's portfolio. Also, there's just a lot of contemporarily relevant commentary on the role of women in society that I find personally appealing.
@XP Gain: Isn't it because they start from 0 XP once introduced (or 0 XP progressed since beginning of level), while other members already have XP well into the class? There's a quality of life mod (more like a cheat mod) that can push their XP up to the party's, so they level up in the same time.
Might be? I thought they set them to be a bit behind on purpose, so as to encourage using the pre-existing characters. Whatever the case, there's usually just a combat or two between them, so it hasn't really bothered me so far.
@Spellcasting: Alright, re-activated spells!
Raveen will also need fleece (for silent image) and colored sand (for color spray); he can possibly grind up any colored rock for the sand, but fleece may be taken from the Creepers or existing clothes, right? If not, we'll have to be on the lookout.
Fleece is available, yes. They've got just about every possible fabric on them somewhere, save for really expensive ones. No coloured rocks or sand to be seen, however.
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@Travel: Thanks. I appreciate you telling me this beforehand. Graduating in December here--the stress piles up, so I understand what you're going through.
@Kingmaker: There are some good quality of life mods, like rotating camera. Custom portraits are fun, as well as the Exit to Map mod. Although it appears the exit to map mod actually breaks certain quests that trigger on map exit! How irritating...
It does help that it aids you in escaping those random encounters with 2 elder water elementals when your team is level 3.
Just like in real Pathfinder! With a GM we pissed off!
@Custom: Yep, tested it. Customs start exactly with the amount of XP to reach that level. With the cheat menu mod, you can fix them up to follow the same rate, but like you said, it's a minor concern.
I have heard more people trying to solo the game, using the fact that XP pools with one character as an incentive, but I think that's best left to a second or third playthrough.
Question: when does Raveen have enough knowledge or know-how to manipulate the manacles without risk?
Question: when does Raveen have enough knowledge or know-how to manipulate the manacles without risk?
Possibly never. The manacles were constructed to function a certain way, and trying to force them to do otherwise will always be risky. Improving your chances of succeeding at the UMD check is certainly recommendable—that, or gaining access to the "proper" device for attaching the manacles in the first place, which is likely the bell. For what it's worth, Raveen is fairly certain that the results of failing to tamper with ther manacles wouldn't be automatically lethal.
Well then, I'm off to England! I might be able to answer questions here, if there's internet, but don't expect a gameplay post from me until next Monday.
Hello! I'm back. T'was a nice trip, but it's oh-so-good to be home.
You can keep the Linguistics result to understand the creeper's response, should you come up with a way to guide its attention to the shadow.
Well done! The nose on that creeper is a good touch. Very recognisable.
Going slow enough to make a difference would require you work together with the others, as per my previous offer. There has to be a cost, right?
A climber's kit is a bit out of your reach, what with the pitons and all that. Proper, thick gloves might give you a +1 circumstance bonus to Climb checks when traversing a rope—and a comparable penalty to any task requiring fine manipulation—while wearing them, if you can craft or find a pair. I think the most efficient thing Raveen could do right now is knotting the rope, which will take him a while. Perhaps he can work on it during the boat ride?
I do now realise that Pike has enough ranks in Climb to take 10 her way through these checks, so ignore the part about her falling. :P
Raveen could fashion the sling into bandages easily enough, but making the bandages back into a sling would take much longer. The creepers' robes are pretty smelly, but usable as materials—at least if you don't mind sharing a boat with a couple of unconscious, half-naked troglodytes. This makeshift "climbing tape" would likely have a limited number of uses until it breaks apart, but I'll let you roll to make a pair while you are travelling.
Let's say it's a DC 5 Craft check, with the -2 penalty from a lack of proper tools.
The first image is pretty spot on, but the second is a bit too messy. I don't think there's really a picture that exactly captures what I have in my head...
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Here's another clearer picture, but I get your point. It really is unique.
For now, I'll call it the S.S. Dank.
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Speaking of markets--Raveen will try to buy a spell component pouch, or failing that, fleece (silent image), wool (ghost sound), and copper wire (message).
He has 11 gp from the pouch, but here's hoping they can be found for cheap, or the spell component pouch can be in another, more subtle, form.
The manacles and their control rings function similarly to rings of bondage, with a manacle being equivalent to a servant ring. Only the forced version of the lesser geas is available, but three times per day, the wearer of a control ring can use suggestion on anyone wearing one of the manacles. The manacles can theoretically be disabled with a successful DC 40 Disable Device check, or broken open with a successful DC 30 Strength check—either method immediately renders it into an inert piece of iron. The wearer of a manacle takes a -10 penalty on such checks, however, making it effectively impossible to remove them by mundane means.
As you have discovered, a DC 25 Use Magic Device check is also capable of disabling the manacles. This is not really a designed function of the objects themselves, but rather the roll required to forcibly bend them to your will—hacking them, essentially. Failure would likely have unforeseen consequences.
This identification roll applies only to the manacles and their control rings, not the bell. You can make some educated guesses, though. From what you've seen, it seems to function as some sort of a control hub, or perhaps a power source for all the other objects, its far-reaching power suggesting an artifact-level item. Certainly, mass producing manacles and control rings for everyone in the prison seems like it would require a lot of magical energy. Anyone wearing a control ring can activate its lesser geas and suggestion abilities, but the bell obviously has greater control over anyone who wears the manacales—and possibly the rings, as well.
Random thought...if it can be broken open, can it be destroyed by damaging it?
Because there is a lot of Adamantine here. ;D
Just FYI, my posting might be especially slow due to ongoing midwinter celebrations. Or not. We'll see, but I'll be out of town for a few days starting tomorrow.
Speaking of markets--Raveen will try to buy a spell component pouch, or failing that, fleece (silent image), wool (ghost sound), and copper wire (message).
He has 11 gp from the pouch, but here's hoping they can be found for cheap, or the spell component pouch can be in another, more subtle, form.
There are no pre-packaged spell component pouches available, but fleece and wool are abundant, as the dark folk require a lot of fabrics to replace their contantly decaying accoutrements: 1 gp will buy you as much of both as you can smuggle. I don't think there's any copper wire, either—raw copper, maybe.
I'm assuming you give Hjarni and Pike the money and let them do the shopping, while you go into the weird shadow house. There wasn't really any time to shop en route, with your escort breathing down your neck. You'll have more time to peruse the market later, assuming you're not run out of down before then.
Random thought...if it can be broken open, can it be destroyed by damaging it?
Because there is a lot of Adamantine here. ;D
Yes and no: adamantine could be used to destroy an inert manacle, as it has the same hardness as iron or steel. However, the same effect that imposes a -10 penalty to break a manacle with Strength adds 10 to its effective hardness, making adamantine as ineffective as any other metal in destroying it. Technically, someone who is not wearing a manacle could use adamantine tools to damage a manacle on someone who is. Of course, a forty-foot tall spike is not an ideal tool for the job, in any case.
@Graduation: Congratulations!
@5e: Still going. We're currently playing through the adventures in Tales from the Yawning Portal, sort of loosely connecting them through a frame story about people telling stories in the eponymous inn. Some of the same heroes have featured in multiple adventures, though people have also taken the opportunity to try out various character options. It's been kind of a nice, casual experience—sort of ideal for the system, really.
We're just the end of the second adventure, so there's still quite a lot to do. I don't know if we're actually going to get through it all—some of the older adventures seem a bit too silly for my tastes. My roommate also has Curse of Strahd ready to go, once we're comfortable with something more serious.
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@Graduation: Thanks, man. I'm still mentally tired, but getting there.
Best of luck on your endeavors, as well.
By the way, the second possible path Raveen is planning (allowing the shadow to guide them) reminds me of an Arabic saying describing bad leadership (usually political or economic).
إذا كان الغراب دليل قوم
سيهديهم إلى دار الخرابِ
إذا كان الغراب دليل قوم
فلا فلحوا ولا فلح الغرابُ
It translates to:
If the raven was a guide
It will guide (those who follow) to ruined lands
If the raven was a guide
They reap no good, neither will the raven
@Ravens: That's a very evocative saying—more of a poem!—though I imagine it loses something in translation. Here in Finland we have a proverb about ravens, likewise often directed at economic and political leadership (especially in cases of corruption or nepotism):
"Ei korppi korpin silmää noki."
This literally translates to the following:
"A raven won't peck the eye of a[nother] raven."
So you know, birds of a feather flock together, a thief knows a thief, etc.
What I'm saying is, I think you can trust your shadow to not get you killed, at the very least: he needs you more than you need it, and you're very much alike. ;)
@Soundtrack: Well, that was more of an opening theme for the imaginary HBO show based on the campaign, than the original score for said hypothetical project, if you get my meaning. As for the soundtrack for what's currently occuring, I might go for this.
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Is our game doomed to revive old memes?
@Ravens: That's hilariously accurate!
@Soundtrack: Wow. That's a really nice one.
I'm liking the idea of an HBO show based on the campaign, as well. XD
Did I ever tell you about how I annoyed my siblings by calling out everything that happens in Stranger Things? I feel attuned with that series.
I haven't watched Stranger Things as of yet—I know, I know, there's just way too much media to consume—but as I understand it's built on a lot of tropes from 80s popular culture. I imagine the D&D connection alone is probably a big part of why you can keep up so well. :P
Oh, there's always a choice... ;)
Seriously though, I never even expected you to come all the way down here, at least not this quickly. I'm having to make up a lot of this as we go!
Not quite. The game's not called The Correspondece of Quarters, is it now? :P
Just to be clear, Raveen can take the mask without any cost to himself: it's a physical manifestation of Raveen's most recent self-realisation, formed from emotional energy commingling with shadowstuff. He understands this intuitively. What the entity is offering is additional power for the coming conflict, but at a price. However powerful it might be, there's no forcing the "gift" upon Raveen without his approval—my intention as a GM is not to railroad you, as a player, into any one choice.
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Is the cup of ashes a Mythic tier? The ability to use gestalt? A level-up-in-a-bottle? A crazy template like Shadowlord (like my theory of the Other) or Nightmare Creature?
The mask could be anything from an item to an ability that takes its form.
The possibilities are endless.
I'll shut up now, sorry.
I have some ideas about what might happen, depending on whether you accept the Other's deal or not.
There won't be gestalt or mythic tiers, at least at this point. Just to set some expectations... :P
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I was worried I'd had to read up on how Mythic works. :P
I realize that Spellcraft might have not been the best skill. Here is Raveen's Sense Motive instead.
Between the memory-fog, knowledge that the cursed spellbook is getting away, and finding himself in a bigger conflict, Raveen wants all the power he can get, but can't help forgetting this little quote.
My power is my own, and so is my soul
So Raveen wants to know if the gift has a lot of strings attached.
On a side note, it's funny how the methodology/logic behind Conjuration turns out to be critical in this campaign.
I realize that Spellcraft might have not been the best skill. Here is Raveen's Sense Motive instead.
Arcana would be the best choice, honestly—magical traditions and all that. Regardless, there is little to be gleaned from the cup, other than the obvious symbology: the ashes seem to be, in part, a reflection of Raveen's past mistakes and his regret, but also literally shadowstuff, infused with the power of the Other. Obviously, accepting the cup would be a sign of partaking in—literally consuming—this power. Much like signing a contract with your own blood, there is an irreversible bodily aspect to it: becoming as the vessel, hollow save for what it holds. The entity has not been coy about its ideology, and the fact that this would serve to bring you more into line with its... teachings, if you could call them that. This would not entirely strip away Raveen's autonomy, because that is not what it wants.
Another thing that I think might cross Raveen's mind, being a the clever lad that he is, is the following: if this thing is the "Father" of the dark folk, would accepting its deal make you more like its children?
On a side note, it's funny how the methodology/logic behind Conjuration turns out to be critical in this campaign.
Isn't it? Not planned, exactly, but certainly informed by Raveen's goals and his past. I'm glad we had that discussion before the campaign, for sure!
We're back in business, boys!
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Oh, crap. I thought I already rolled Arcana, not Spellcraft.
Here's my roll. I might have to scrap the previous two posts depending on what Raveen's roll gives him.
So close--if it's possible to gain a circumstance bonus due to his history in studying shadow magic (+2 to 28), he will use 1 Grit to push the result to a 30.
I knew I felt something was missing.
Sorry if I wasn't clear, but the bit about symbology I posted above was what you would have gotten if you had rolled Arcana originally—I just swapped Raveen's Spellcraft modifier for his Arcana modifier, using the original die result . No need to retcon.
Okay, here we go! The mask has the following properties, which Raveen is completely aware of from the moment he first puts it on: it always functions as a hat of disguise, without any additional effort on his part. However, it can also serve as a mask of anonymous mien under the following conditions: the 1 minute of meditation needed to activate it normally, with the added requirement of confessing to a past failure. Once activated, the mask can be pushed even further, enabling Raveen to use Hide in Plain Sight (as the Shadowdancer ability) for 1 hour. However, this ability comes with a 10% cumulative chance of acquiring the Shadowbound corruption—skimming that fine line between healthy introspection and wallowing in self-pity.
Additionally, since it is only quasi-real and made of shadowstuff, the mask can be stowed in or retrieved from Raveen's shadow as needed. Just in case it ever becomes relevant, this would be a standard action. Naturally, the mask might gain and lose abilities as we go—it is a reflection of Raveen, and changes with him.
And hey, why don't you treat yourself to a level as well? Seems like as good a time as any, yea? ;)
I lift my hat for you for the story, though, my friend.
Thank you for telling it with me! I realise that bringing in Naberius was kind of self-indulgent of me, but I think we both needed some closure on that front. Besides, once you had Raveen reminiscing about Westcrown as he entered the house, I couldn't imagine it going any other way!
I'll level up. Could Raveen choose an archetype now, drawing power from the mask?
What archetype are you considering?
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Indeed!
@Archetypes: I'm looking at the Shadow Scion. While I originally intended Shadow Walker, the Scion is more attractive.
Also sounds more appropriate, considering the lore.
Fine by me. The official lore is tied to Count Ranalc specifically, but it doesn't appear to be exclusively for his worshippers.
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Indeed. If it was tied to his lore exclusively, it would have been bad for me, but I suspect still possible (since Ranalc is in the shadow plane).
Anyway, I've spent a few hours considering the next level to take, debating whether to put the 5th level into Rogue or Wizard.
I want to ask if we can have something of Unchained Pathfinder's fractional base bonuses, but apply it to spellcasting to offset the weaknesses of multiclassing between full casters and full martials.
So that a martial class could count half his levels and add it to the spellcasting class's spellcasting capacity. That way, it becomes comparable to other gish classes like the bard.
Case in point: Raveen level 5 becomes a rogue4/wizard1. If we apply this rule, his spellcasting 'capacity' is 3 (half of the 4 rogue levels plus 1 wizard level), so he accesses 2nd level spells at level 5, one level behind the bard and magus classes (who have that ability at level 4).
If not, I think I might spend the next level on wizard, so I can cast 2nd level spells at level 6 instead.
I can spend my 5th level feat to purchase this ability, if you deem it necessary to have a cost.
I would prefer not to make Raveen any more complicated, especially in ways that make it harder for me to accurately gauge his power level.
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In that case, I put my level in Rogue.
I would prefer not to make Raveen any more complicated, especially in ways that make it harder for me to accurately gauge his power level.
He does have a few moving parts, I admit. Tough concept to get.
Is this final, or are you open to discussing this again later in the campaign?
As you know, I have very little time for—or inclination towards—homebrewing, so probably not. Raveen has already accrued more rules exceptions and third-party materials than I would normally be comfortable with, mostly due to his genesis in a previous campaign. Some of it serves to counterbalance his solitary role in our current game, but that is something I can take into account on my end, as well—assuming I know what Raveen is capable of.
The latter spoiler in your latest post appears to be empty. I assume there's supposed to be something there?
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I fixed it with a new post.
As you know, I have very little time for—or inclination towards—homebrewing, so probably not. Raveen has already accrued more rules exceptions and third-party materials than I would normally be comfortable with, mostly due to his genesis in a previous campaign. Some of it serves to counterbalance his solitary role in our current game, but that is something I can take into account on my end, as well—assuming I know what Raveen is capable of.
Can't argue with a good point. We haven't stress-tested Raveen in combat, so any change might get out of hand.
In that case, I'll put my level in Wizard instead.
To address your concerns, I updated my character sheet (on Drive) with the citations of the origins or sources for any abilities Raveen has.
Edit: It's at the very bottom.
To address your concerns, I updated my character sheet (on Drive) with the citations of the origins or sources for any abilities Raveen has.
Thank you, that'll be a great help!
Mind summarising Rveen's new abilities and spells for this level, just so I have a clear picture of what's up—what with the addition of the archetype, as well.