GM "talking rune stone thingie"
Yes, I really am having an identity crisis.
I believe faction missions were done away with several seasons ago, though some GMs include it for extra role play element without any gain. However, there are no faction-specific missions in this scenario, as PCs playing through the First Steps series technically have not yet chosen factions, so any PC who meets the scenario’s success conditions earns a second Prestige Point for completing the scenario.
You can however try for goals in your faction journal.
Same here actually, I just happened to be around at the right times today.
I think facing an invisible enemy at first level has frustrated a few players into quitting.
I'm fearing the same, or is it Halloween hang over? Sent out PMs, give it a moment then I'll look for back-ups.
No prob but I'm a little confused by what you mean. Akter's last action was drawing a bow before the initiative rolls. We're now in the middle of combat rounds, wherein I posted at every round past when PC are up, ie:
Initiative:
Ned'farious: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
Selfi: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22 UP
Akter: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 UP
Tere: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18 UP
Dale: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 UP
Huratas: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 UP
Reminder that this Gameday table needs to wrap in a timely manner. I estimated a 2 week game with good PC participation. Currently, we are 4 days in with 5 encounters to go. Treasure and prestige aside, this encounter is not looking like heading towards success.
I try to be a stickler for rules, at least in the spirit of the mechanics. Some of you say have played this scenario before, and I wonder if this was the tactic used in those game. (Or if you are holding back now) For what is happening though, the correct set of rules that govern the situation isn't being followed. It seems everyone is doing Perceive-Attack-MissChance-Damage combo but it doesn't work that way. Unless you have the Sonar special ability, using your hearing to locate the invisible creature isn't going to make it any easier.
The proper way is, a character guesses and designates a square then rolls attack and damage ONLY; then the GM secretly rolls a missed-chance IF the target is in the square, then tells the player whether he hits or miss. Instead, what is happening now is that the players are waiting for the GM to tell them what square is the most likely square the creature is in, then slashing or grappling the area with pre-rolls.
PRD: A creature can generally notice the PRESENCE of an active invisible creature within 30 feet with a DC 20 Perception check. The observer gains a hunch that "something's there" but can't see it or target it accurately with an attack. It's practically impossible (+20 DC) to pinpoint an invisible creature's location with a Perception check. (Nat 20 is not automatic success in this case) EVEN IF A CHARACTER HAS PINPOINTED THE SQUARE (with DC40) that contains an invisible creature, the creature still benefits from total concealment rules.
In essence, using Perception in the manner of every PC so far is an auto-fail.
When I played it in classic the GM had it break invisibility to attack us. The fight was quickly over.
If your party doesn't have a method of revealing the target such as faerie fire/glitterdust or a way to narrow down the search such as scent there isn't much you can do.
Apparently it has what we need and all we know is it is in one of the 64 squares available.
All it has to do is sit still with it's 40+ stealth and even if we find what square it is in it can just move the next round.
We can't even box it in because it can fly and we can't take opportunity attacks against invisible enemies.
If anyone has an idea this is the time to share.
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The DC sort of depends on distance, and activity as well.
According to the rules as written for perception a creature banging on the floor probably falls between 'a creature walking' and 'the sounds of battle' then it gets a +20 for being invisible. Now if it is actually trying to hide (moving at 1/2 speed (if it wants to be really sneaky) and using stealth) it gets that too. If it is banging on the floor with a small wooden object it would not be 'trying' to hide, and probably not get that bonus (or at least not the whole bonus, probably it's size bonus). All we have to do is notice the presence of the loud noise rather than the invisible imp, in the same way I can tell (or in game parlance 'pin-point the square') where a gunshot is coming from even if the gun was invisible. Basically, if that invisible 'presence' were a blacksmith at his invisible anvil you would not need a 40 to find him.
Now if it is not being noisy, we can simply stand really, really still and quiet and take nothing but move actions (up to 2 per round) to try and ferret it out.
Action: Most Perception checks are reactive, made in response to observable stimulus. Intentionally searching for stimulus is a move action.
Stimulus could be things like: breathing, the beating of wings, odors, environmental effects (breezes, changes in tone, disturbance of visible items), that feeling you get when you think you are being watched and so on.
Once noticed, it would probably be good to pretend like we didn't and use bluff to secretly pass the info to the other members of the group (i.e. 'Well, I guess it's not in that corner.' whistle, whistle) to increase the chance of someone hitting/grabbing it.
I don't know that there is a right way or a wrong way to post miss chances, but I usually put those out there first just to save myself the possible disappointment of failing to hit on a x4 critical. So I go perception, miss chance, attack roll, and damage. On the boards, it doesn't really matter what order the miss and the attack roll are in as a single d100 roll, and a single d20 roll within a single post will always roll the same results regardless of order, unless there's some sort of double post/site crash weirdness going on.
EDIT: Oh, and I almost forgot detect magic can see the aura of ongoing magical effects and can pin-point the squares they emanate from! ;) You still can't see the imp only the aura so there's still the miss chance and of course you have to concentrate on maintaining the effect.
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Just to be a realist, even if we post well, I will also say that we will never get done in time if it stays invisible. I know you want it to challenge us but level 1 characters don't have much they can do, and this could go round in circles for weeks until we finally catch it. Not good for finishing in time for the Gameday, if that's your goal.
Also, you rolled a perception check for me before when I wasn't looking for the creature. I was looking for what it was bumping into and moving, because that's how you described what the creature was doing. You rolled the perception check for me, so I decided during my next turn I would just follow your lead there.
Thanks for the good input guys, didn’t mean to frustrate, I think I understand now. To Bigguy’s point, a GM ought to assist in fun game play when players get stuck. I had a quick chat with two of my GM buds, they mostly believe that this encounter requires creativity to solve, or the encounter will always end up with the GM attacking players when players were out of ideas. I was unsure if we had reached that point being that most had played this scenario, thus my earlier puzzlement if you were holding back. I ran this evergreen twice table top and once PbP. To your credits, all three games started with bedsheets, which is quite funny. Dale is correct - we’d be here until the end of time, if we kept at the chase. Here are some other ideas that came up:
Detect Magic cantrip can locate and track it in 3 rounds
A barbarian set fire the furniture to create smoke
A mage casted obscure mist and later grease on the box
A sorcerer bluffed performing a banishment spell over the pentagram and conned the imp into surrendering
All characters emptied out waterskins and soaked the floor to see ground movement
One character asked Zerta for flour
Yikes cringe, that sounds serious biz.
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It's pretty straightforward, but it's all done under local so if I'd wanted to I could have watched the procedure. (I didn't. The technical term for what was happening to me while he was carving is a "vaso-vagal response," which boils down to "going into shock and thinking really hard about passing out," and if I'd been watching I would have gone down.)
Gem
https://vimeo.com/19064073
I didn't hold up Round 1, Tere's attack this round is your Round 2 action. Standby.
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Thanks everyone, enjoyed your play! I learned a few things as well. This scenario really doesn't work well (otherwise suggested) unless it's in the order of Docks-Auntie-Sage-Zerta. Creative inputs welcomed.
Chronicles on Monday… gotta figure this GameDay thing out too.
Player name: Chess
Character name/class/level: Akter Phruse / Ranger / 1
Character function: Tracker
Day Job and roll: Profession (Woodcutter): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
PFS Character#: 36459-6
Player name: Andrew
Character name/class/level: Dale/Sorcerer/1
Character function: Blaster
Day Job and roll: Profession (Merchant): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
PFS Character#: 43439-53
Player Great Green God
Character Selfi Appleblossom
PFS # 139009-51
Faction Liberty's Edge
Character function Stranger in a strange land... with a greatsword.
Day Job N/A
Player name: John Woodford
Character name/class/level: Tere di Montefeltro/fighter/1
Character function: Front-line melee combatant
Day job: None
PFS character#: 67750-11
Player name: Edward McGee
Character name/class/level: Huratas Pelicore Monk 1
Character function: Grappler/Trap disabler
Day Job and roll: Profession Merchant: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
PFS Character#: 145373 - 20
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I believe there is a d20 boon roll and that this year if you get a 16 or a 20 you get one of a select number of boons. I sorta know because in two years and about 20 attempts I have yet to get one.
This LINK might be helpful.
Now watch this game isn't Game Day V legal or the magic roll is supposed to be 5.75 or 21. ;)
Nice!
At the end of a session, each player at the table gets to roll a d20. On a 20 or a 16, that player has earned one of our amazing boons! They get to roll on a d6 to determine which boon they get access to.
Yes Selfi, now roll a 1d6!
Everyone post their 1d20 and 1d6 rolls, good luck!
I've emailed VL GM Mars to get more info.
Selfi -that feeling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr6H7W9Z_oE
Very busy day yesterday at work, but was also waiting for that email to come back from the VC. Thinking it ended up in his junk box. I'll get the regular chronicle out and if Tere is correct, the boons will come after 11/25. Standby-
For you GMs who've done many Chronicles, are GMs really expected to track all details sold/bought/cleared/gained/etc...? -especially in higher level games.
I'm thinking hand out the blank chronicles, players fill the sold/bought/cleared/gained/etc and GM finalizes.
PFS PbP Gameday V - Session Reported
Thank you for running!
Your Session ID is: 102
You have reported the following information:
Event ID: 82317
Event Name: PbP Gameday V
Scenario: 3-00 Intro 1: First Steps-Part I: In Service to Lore [1]
Core: True
Conditions: A,B,C,D
Player: Player Name: PC Name: PFS #: PC #: Faction: Prestige: Boon Won? Email: PC Dead?
1 Chess Akter Phruse 36459 6 Dark Archive 2 None No
2 Andrew Dale 43439 53 The Exchange 2 None No
3 Great Green God Selfi Appleblossom 139009 51 Libertys Edge 2 Genie Grudge white.noise.junkie@gmail.com No
4 John Woodford Tere di Montefeltro 67750 11 Dark Archive 2 None No
5 Edward McGee Huratas Pelicore 145373 20 The Exchange 2 None No
Notes:
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For you GMs who've done many Chronicles, are GMs really expected to track all details sold/bought/cleared/gained/etc...? -especially in higher level games.
I'm thinking hand out the blank chronicles, players fill the sold/bought/cleared/gained/etc and GM finalizes.
It's really preference from the GM, as I've seen it all across the board. For online games, I usually fill out the top portion with player info, the XP, PA/Fame, gold, and day job earned, and then the bottom portion with event info and my info. (So, basically, the stuff at the top, the stuff at the bottom, and the side items that I have to initial) Of course, I also cross off boons, items, or subtiers that need to be crossed off too.
Gold before/XP before/PA before/Fame before and all that after, and items bought/sold... I just let the player keep track of that. I don't think that the GM keeping track of that really adds any value to the game. But I've also seen GMs that ask for your purchases for that chronicle directly after the game (usually that happens live, not online). I really don't like that amount of micromanaging. I feel it's a waste of my time and the player's time.
My two cents, but I've seen it at all spectrums. I've even seen a quick audit before of every character before a live game at a convention.
Thanks GM Andrew, agree, how I filled it out is how I've seen it too but I've only run low tier PFS games. Even with my mild OCD, filling and tracking every minutia is out. For the altruist purpose of precise record keeping for Society play, it would gridlock the game to GM count every Magic Missile used.
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Here are some other ideas that came up:
Detect Magic cantrip can locate and track it in 3 rounds
A barbarian set fire the furniture to create smoke
A mage casted obscure mist and later grease on the box
A sorcerer bluffed performing a banishment spell over the pentagram and conned the imp into surrendering
All characters emptied out waterskins and soaked the floor to see ground movement
One character asked Zerta for flour
In a previous run, the imp didn't respond immediately when we entered the room, as long as we kept our distance. The party bard tried to fascinate it with a song, and it blew its save. While it was listening to the music, my character (with his +9 Sleight of Hand check) walked up and just took the box away; the imp blew its Perception check to notice, and there we were.
But how did you see it? Had it attacked someone already? I think the next time I run this scenario, I'll attack/invis on repeat cycle.
Anyone know how do I close this thread?
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The GM there had it just ignoring us--it didn't turn invisible, because we didn't do anything to draw its attention right up until it missed the save vs. fascinate.
If you click on the Campaign Info tab, above, there's a link to "Edit This Campaign" on the right of the header. Click that, and look for the checkbox to set the campaign inactive.
Found! Thanks!
Alright, thanks everyone.