|
Ok, I think we can start discussing what our plan will be once we get to the Montrose estate.
1. There is a main room with the evidence we need. Magic door, opened by password "Sweet Geppa".
2. Geppa is the second-in-command who we need to talk to if we want to parlay. None of us have great diplomacy but worth a shot. Password to get to her is 'remember the vernal key'.
3. Pale Maiden in the armory, no traps. Good to know since I don't think we have a trap-finder.
4. Looks like the Red Raven or his true identity is now the rightful owner of the Montrose estate. Disappointing since I was hoping that the real owner might not like the Red Raven's forces hiding in the estate. This means that they are there lawfully, and we will be invaders.
I think it would be best to go into the portal and try to find Geppa, and investigate it. Whatever we find in there, our next stop will be to travel to the Montrose estate. I can view the location by using spell study to cast detect thoughts on Red Raven and instructing him to bring to his surface thoughts a mental picture of the place - by studying his memory of the place, I can teleport us there if something prevents us from going there via the portal. We might want to do this anyway since it will probably be less expected. If I am given time to rest, I should even be able to teleport us directly into the room where the evidence is, use locate object to find the armory and the sword, and then teleport out, leaving the Red Raven tied up in his own hideout for his allies to find, with no blood shed.
What do you guys think?
|
|
I could actually summon a Lillend Azata with a +14 diplomacy for 12 rounds.
According to the CRB Diplomacy usually takes a full minute, and we will also need some time to tell the Azata what the situation. It might look a little bit odd if we are brought to Geppa, and then summon the azata, tell the Azata what to say in front of Geppa, and then have the Azata talk to her.
If we need to negotiate a ceasefire quickly, the azata will be useful, but not for longer negotiations unfortunately, unless you have a way to greatly increase the duration. I really wish summon monster had a duration of minute per level. :(
Alternate idea if we want to use diplomacy: I have a ring of spell storing. If we rest, I can put a raiment of command spell into it and cast heroism on one of us. With raiment of command and heroism, one of you could get +17 to diplomacy for about 2 hours. But if we want to do this, I will require rest.
|
Note that I will be at PAX East this weekend and therefore will have limited access.
That being said, I would really like to progress to the point where things happen, but I can't yet because I need you to do something. Either move forward and investigate or just ignore all of this and keep moving or something. I can't do anything until you make a choice. (It's fine if this choice is NOPE NOPE NOPE NO TURNING ME INTO STONE)
Tough week géatan wil follow with distance.
I think Ralph.
And I will be more and more present... I need to return to my old habit of PBP.
I was asking for the players if it was okay if I don't follow what ralph said. To not create a rift in the gaming group (infact I have.)
|
|
Re: Lavode. I will fully admit that I don't know 100% what to do. We have a couple of options. The best would be to try to recruit someone else, but that seems like it would be hard. We could also just play with a "4th player" using a slightly more liberal interpretation of Tonya's recent-ish ruling about players leaving mid session. (I feel comfortable about using it to justify 3-player games for the rest of the series because losing 1 person doesn't just ruin a game, it ruins the whole series.)
I'm still flip flopping between the two (and if I need to recruit, I'm not even _thinking_ about that until I'm done making the VTT tables for the scenarios that dropped this month. I still have to do my VO duties - I finished up 7-21 tonight, just 7-20 to go!). What opinion do you guys have? Most of y'all have more experience with PbP than I do.
|
|
I'm not unhappy, Geatan. Ralph is, but Ralph is not me and I make it a point to make a distinction. Ralph is not a likeable guy and does not aim to be. He is deliberately styled as more of an anti-hero than a hero. He's like Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock - a 'high-functioning sociopath', and if I met him in real life I probably would not like him at all, though I would greatly respect his power. Don't take what Ralph says or thinks or does in the gameplay thread personally. :)
Re Lavode, I am not familiar with Tonya's ruling about leaving mid-session, but I do have a suggestion in mind.
I mentioned earlier a friend of mine who played Eyes of the Ten before me and whose character has a long history with Ralph. I chatted with him last weekend and he mentioned that his run of Eyes was quite dissatisfactory because the GM was very poorly prepared and seemed to be making up parts of the plot as he went along rather than sticking to the book. For example they were told at the start they were being tested for membership to the Decemvirate and they fought the golem in the library before the Talespinning as part of their 'test'. Eliza was trying to seduce the party members. Crap like that. He is level 13 now, but if we can make it to book 3 I am quite confident he will be willing and eager to play for no credit with the same character if he can. I am not sure what the rules are on this though.
In-character, he is Ralph's oldest friend but also supposed to be his 'watchdog', in the sense that if Ralph goes evil he is first in line to stop Ralph, so he would be an organic fit as an additional seeker sent to keep Ralph in line.
I have not checked with him, but if this works in the no-credit-replay-rules and you all approve, I'll ask him.
Oh gosh... Géantan killed a lg creature...
|
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
As someone who has GM'ed this... I would still give full credit even jumping in at this point. It would be more detrimental to the person if they did not get full credit (particularly in the XP portion). There is a couple of things that we'll have to catch up on, but that is my take. Of course, it is the GM's prerogative on that.
|
Good morning/afternoon gents/ladies. I got a message from Koraq stating that you were in need of some reinforcements. Lucky for you the life of a Seeker has been a little dull as of late and I could use some excitement. Soon as you'd like, I can make preparations to join you on whatever bit of trouble you've found yourselves in.
|
|
Sadly that was not the last time I deployed the "Pimp hand of Justice" in a roleplaying scenario. I did learn to make sure I have heard and understand everything that is going on before using it though. For example: (what I heard) is not the same as "that guy has a birthmark that sort of looks like the holy symbol of Sarenrae" (what was said) and changes to "beating up a coward in a hole".
|
|
All things considered though, the paladin who is slightly off center is more fun to play with and RP from my perspective. Playing to the so called 'Lawful Stupid' can aggrevate the party while the depth of a paladin who tries his best despite a predilection to use anger can offer more opportunities for growth and RP... when used wisely.
I otherwise enjoyed Scotty at my tables in the other times the hand of justice was used :) And I learned a bit more about alignment and perspective, too, from that incident.
But enough of history, perhaps share how you wish to use Scotty tactically with the party? Particularly for Ralph in future scenarios, he may plan his buffs accordingly depending on what you can do and will use regularly. He gave me a 24+ hour mage armor for example :)
|
|
Scotty is built as a medium tank/healer. He has a silly number of uses of Lay on Hands (15 uses per day at 8-9d6 healing). He can burn 10 uses of Lay on Hands to cast Raise Dead with no material cost save for a 24 hour negative level. He fights at close range (scimitar or chakrams) and isn't much for damage unless buffed or smiting. His spell compliment is mostly utility with a few offensive spells for really going to town on evil creatures. He is fairly mobile on horseback and his horse has all the fun feats for keeping a spellcaster within pimp-slapping distance. Out of combat his best skills are Diplomacy, Perception, and Knowledge(Religion). Am I missing anything?
|
|
Particularly for Ralph in future scenarios, he may plan his buffs accordingly depending on what you can do and will use regularly. He gave me a 24+ hour mage armor for example :)
Let's not forget the extended CL16 greater magic weapon. ;)
But a fair warning - if you intend to pimp-slap Ralph, you better be very flame resistant. And I do mean VERY. ;)
In a nutshell, Ralph values competence and power, and despises empty sanctimoniousness. If you're going to ask him not to do something he plans to do, he expects you to have a better alternative and be able to execute it. If you can, you will have his respect. If not he will call you a useless buffoon and execute his own plan. If you are able to be a reliable part of his plans, he will watch your back and take care of you. In the current group, he probably values Koraq most as an ally. he has little regard for Osprey on account of him being swallowed by a worm and being useless in a major battle.
I found a good analogue to Ralph in Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock, even though Ralph was created before his first season. 'High-functioning sociopath' describes Ralph rather aptly.
If you interact with Ralph accordingly, you and he will get along splendidly. He is not unreasonable, and there is at least one paladin that he gets along well with. :)
|
|
If you are concerned about having some sort of righteous babysitter chastising you for using "rainbow words" then you need not worry yourself. Scotty's code of conduct is (mostly) his own choice and it is not for him to inflict it on others. His order has an intimate knowledge of the evils of the world and mission to seek out and destroy that which can not be redeemed. Their highest tenant is to protect their allies and anything is preferable to putting them at risk.
He may ask to explore alternatives before settling on a plan that he finds distasteful but he will not put the party at risk over his moral code; unless it is something so cartoonishly evil that no sane person could help but object (i.e. we have to burn down the orphanage because otherwise we have to walk 5 feet to the left to get around it).
Short of cartoon evil, he will respect your beliefs to the extent that you respect his. He believes that words and steel can both be equally effective weapons and that a wise soldier is always open to using either and/or both. Distasteful things must sometimes be done, but they must be done with purpose.
|
|
@Ralph: Dang it... I keep on forgetting that! I need to remember my magically enchanted fists :)
Koraq also respects power, but he is often looking for getting it for himself. However, he's not just a dumb brute. As long as he doesn't have to cover for you, Koraq is fine.
Likewise, he also doesn't care much for Osprey, too.
Plus side, having someone who can exceptionally diplomacize things will come in handy; Geatan and Koraq are decent (+10 each), but I'm sure Scotty will blow us out of the water.
|
|
Scotty is working with a +21 to diplomacy right now so he can make the talking good friends.
I'm not sure how much of Scotty's experience with Osprey is cannon at this point in the meta but he is generally not fond of him from previous encounters.
Scotty does prefer to work with some degree of "you watch my back and I'll watch yours" in a party but I suspect he has a similar level of fondness for babysitting.
Looks like Osprey isn't too popular with this group.
As long as Scotty isn't Lawful-Stupid and doesn't have a polearm up his entrance to the darklands, he and Ralph should get along fine. :)
Polearm?....
(10/seconds later)
Haha.