GMTrex's PFS [CORE] God's Market Gamble (Inactive)

Game Master Andrew Trexler

Hail! I have answered Deussu's call for a GM to run a new game for this group of adventurers. Two questions:

What level(s)?
Any specific requests?

Eveline is lvl 2, and all core games I've played so far are:

#0-06 Black Waters
#0-04 Frozen Fingers of Midnight
#5-08 The Confirmation

So I'm up for anything except those. :)

Greetings, GMTrex! Like Eveline, Reed has played through those same scenarios as Core (only Core games I've played). I'm down for whatever, as well.

Anything from season 0 apart from:

#1: Silent Tide
#2: Hydra's Fang Incident
#3: Murder on the Silken Caravan
#4: Frozen Fingers of Midnight
#5: Mists of Mwangi
#6: Black Waters
#13: Prince of Augustana

Luke, are you up for anything outside of Season 0?

And are we expecting any more, Eveline?

Sure, I can do stuff outside season 0 :-)

I was expecting others to follow the discussion thread of the previous game, but apparently only Reed was following. I sent a PM to one more, so he should be coming eventually.

Sounds good. I'll wait to hear on his list then we'll get going. I'm happy to stick with four, especially if we do an early season scenario.

Hell, yeah!

Lionel is a reach cleric, currently having finished 4 total Scenarios. He's my first PFS character (technically the second, but Edinburgh PFS lodge died in its childhood), and I haven't done anything bar the four he's been in and A Service to Lore. I don't mind doing any scenarios.

See you on the other side, folks!

How does 1-39 The Citadel of Flame sound? Follow up questions:

Has anyone played/run the scenario before?
Is everyone good with a once-per-day(-ish) posting expectation?

I'll change the thread name once everyone has posted in the Gameplay thread.

Sounds great! Lionel enjoyed leaving Absalom for the first time on his last mission, so one to distant Qadira would be even more enjoyable.

I can post once a day now (at least), but I'll be taking a week's vacation to Germany on the 31st, and I'll be there for a week, and I can't really promise to post that often.

Other than that, right as rain, I haven't played the scenario before.

I've run 1-39 Citadel of Flame maybe twice, and played once in Classic. Then again it's going to be hard to find anything that I haven't run or played, unless it's rather new.

I tend to post, or would post, more than once per day despite my huge load of games.

I have to voice my concern about the scenario though. I've just never been very fond of it, but I don't hate it. It's ... average?

No worries, we can do something else. I'm particularly fond of the history/archaeology/lore aspect of PFS so this one ranks higher for me because of that.

Any specific suggestions? Otherwise I can throw out some options when I get off work tonight.

Just in case no-one else noticed, the GM has started the game :-)

Well, kinda :)

Some options, please vote (or comment):

Citadel of Flame
God's Market Gamble
Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment

I can do any of those :-)

I've been in the Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment, so I'd rather do something else.

Also, that storm-out by the Venture Captain. I like.

Is God's Market Gamble good with you, Eveline?

Sure, why not! It's actually a very awesome scenario, and is based in Absalom.

Though it's quite deadly. Let's see how our group copes then.

*evil grin*

You're all second level, so it should reduce the probability of one-shotting somebody a bit.

Obligatory GM upkeep post:

Hi everybody! I'm Andrew. I'm looking forward to running your adventure!

This will be a CORE game. Upkeep business:

1. If you haven't done so already, please put a few of your stats into your character subheading. Please include current/total hit points, armor class (all three), CMD, saving throw modifiers, initiative modifier, and perception modifier. Feel free to add other stuff, such as per diem spells or ki points or other expendable resources.

2. On your character's page, please include a stat block or link or some other arrangement so that I can find your character's full stats in some fashion. Stat block is easiest for me but if you have a preferred arrangement (such as a link to your character sheet), that's fine too.

3. Introduce yourselves and your characters in-character in the gameplay thread. Thanks for getting us started on that!

Secondly, a few basic expectations:

1. A quick-moving thread is (generally) more fun for everyone. Please post at least once per day, and the more the merrier. Take your time and roleplay your hearts out, but do post regularly and keep the game moving. I'll make sure to do the same. If you know you'll be unable to post for a while, please let us all know here and consider giving march orders to the party (especially if we're in combat) and know that the game will likely still keep moving.

2. I've gotten pretty familiar with the PFS/Pathfinder rules over the years, but obviously I haven't dealt regularly with every class or situation. So if you are concerned that I've messed up somewhere in a way that really impacts gameplay (which is entirely possible), please feel free to raise the issue here in the Discussion thread or privately and I'll do my best to correct the issue. It's all about learning!

3. Please pay attention to text formatting and the thread tabs. Use Gameplay for gameplay and Discussion for non-gameplay discussion. Use the [b] tag and quotes for in-character speech and the [ooc] tag for out-of-character commentary. Use spoiler tags when necessary and open them only when appropriate.

4. Initiative! I've fiddled with a few different initiative systems and I think I've found one I like--you can act when your name is bolded at the bottom of my most recent initiative post. If you need to post out of turn due to limited internet access later or something similar, please put your whole turn in a spoiler so that everyone else (including me) can ignore it until it's your turn.

5. If you cast a spell on a baddie, please tell me the save and DC as appropriate so that I don't have to try to dig it out of your statblock. Same goes for other similar effects.

6. Have fun and be the awesome Pathfinders you are!

Eveline, GMTrex, Eveline, GMTrex, Eveline...

I'm seeing a pattern here. Should I slow down?

I was just waiting to see if the others post. Don't want to rush on ahead without them. Though I do understand the want to keep going with the scenario, it seems quite good.

I'm going to refer to Painlord's Advanced Play-by-Post Play guide post about one thing I think should be made a norm among all PbP games.

Painlord's PbP First Rule: Post something everyday (unless it's a known hiatus). Even if it's a null post, put something up. Remind others that someone is waiting on someone. Keep your momentum going and your thoughts on what's happening. I sometimes fail at this, but I try. Everyday.

I often see players delaying their posts or forfeiting them completely if someone else has said the same things or the player feels he has nothing to contribute. The above quote pretty much sums up in short why posting at least once a day is crucial.

This has become a concern to me of late. In one game some players hadn't posted anything in two weeks, and when I prompted them whether they are in the game anymore, they replied they didn't know what their characters would do.

Huh. You're right.

Brownie point to you, and expect posts from me daily.

Even something as simple as "Frag mutely awaits Yargos Gill's reply, thumb running absentmindedly over the hilt of his greatsword" adds flavor to the gameplay and also alerts me that everyone is still in the thread.

Speaking of, has anyone seen Reed? I'll PM him.

I apologize for my absence, and thank you to Eveline for the PM. I'll catch up and post in just a bit.

No worries, glad to have you with us!

Huh, that's the same image for a thug I used in Hydra's Fang Incident.

This here.

Midway writing Eveline's response I realized that spears indeed do have the Brace ability. If the dog had charged, Lionel could have inflicted double damage. That would have outright killed the dog, sure, but it would also have generated a much more dramatic aftersetting.

And all I can imagine Lionel saying, in that situation, is "It's coming right for us!" in Jimbo's voice, from South Park...

Read this.

This too.

Thank you.

Out of intrigue, what are the modified chase rules? I've never heard of them.

In essence, each square is handled as a party. The highest roll is the base, and then anything else over 10 is treated as an aid another. Additionally, the party can fail a square completely and still move on, it just has an impact of sorts on the subsequent encounter.

The modifications mean chase scenes go a lot faster and nobody gets frustrated by a few bad rolls putting them hopelessly out of reach.

You also don't run into the problem of one person catching up to the target... and then having to solo the subsequent encounter :-/

Woah. For someone with Charisma of 7, Lionel sure is pretty lucky (or good) when it comes to Cha skills.

Unfortunately, this means Eveline has to endure a great deal of Lionel's excited piety on the journey across the district.

I chuckled.

:)

Heh. Maaaybe.

Hi all -- sorry my posting has been a little infrequent. Work has been very busy this week.

No problem, sir. I've been a bit tied up, as well. Thanks for checking in, though.

Don't worry about it, GM! I've got a bit less time these days as well, and Lionel would rather take the arrow than Numair, for instance.

If everyone could please post the following:

Character Name
PFS #
Faction
Day Job (if applicable)
Any Faction journal items you are planning to check off

Thank you!

PM sent.

Thank you for running that :-)

Any interest in running another one? ;-)

Character Name: Lionel "The Lion" Wynne
PFS#: 120549-2
Faction: The Exchange
Day Job: Nope.

I'd like some information on faction journal items, to be fair.

Thanks for running it, GM! I did take an extraordinary amount of naps in this game, but as I said before, better me than someone that would've been killed instantaneously. I'm looking forward to the next adventure!

Character Name: Eveline Bleakrock
PFS #: 2205-17
Faction: Scarab Sages
Day Job (if applicable): None.

@ Lionel: Faction Journal Cards!

Chronicles! I'll add Reed's once I get his info.

To answer Numair's query, I would happily run another so long as you all are/were okay with the pace of this one. Any requests?

Hmm, low level scenarios with more of an 'archaeological exploration' feel...

#6-06 Hall of the Flesh Eaters
#5-12, -15, -16 Destiny of the Sands (part 2 most of all, but you really should do an entire trilogy ;-))
#4-18 The Veteran’s Vault
#3-21 The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment
#3-07 Echoes of the Overwatched
#55 The Infernal Vault
#45 Delirium’s Tangle
#39 The Citadel of Flame

Thoughts?

I have played The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment, so I'd rather do another one. A trilogy sounds quite interesting, so I'll put my vote there.

The only caveat is that Part III is a 3-7, so everyone would need to be at least level 3 for that...

Everyone should be at least at 4 xp before starting the Destiny of the Sands series. Eveline happens to be at that 4 xp right now.

I'm up for any of those games in Core, but bear in mind I've played everyone of them in Classic and ran some of them. I doubt that'd be a problem though, although I had trouble trying to NOT metagame the warehouse scene in this scenario... ;)

(The trap launches alchemist's fire which starts a fire which is VERY hard to stop unless you have firemen or a character capable of summoning a water elemental...)