I suppose the only problem is the size of the piece. Rilka has no idea how heavy it is, but it seems to be about the size of a large-sized creature.
Dalton has multiple bags of holding. She slips the "top" of it in the bag and then pulls it to the floor, then cinches the bag?
Dalton has multiple bags of holding.
Indeed. He has room for junk in the trunk!
Alright so I've tried prodding a few times but this game seems to barely have life. What's going on everybody? General fatigue for the campaign? Just sick of this arc? Tired of me? Talk to me.
I cannot speak for everyone, but I don't like the time loop. I think and have thought that given its nature, it would be better handled by long form narration. However, I've come up with a plan of action for Rilka to carry out, since she unlike the rest of us has skills for the present task. A sheltered priestess and a paladin do not make the best theives or spies. :-p
Despite my terminal lack of enthusiasm for what's currently going on presently, I do genuinely enjoy these characters and I enjoy playing with all of you guys. (Obviously, since most of us are in multiple games with each other. :-))
My one bit of caution is that the last arc was brutal to us as players. I've rarely been more frustrated in a game. I don't want to rehash those frustrations, since they have been well documented on this thread. However, I do think the posting will pick back up once we get away from Grastle Hollow and hopefully into a less punishing arc.
Maybe another regicide? We seem to be good at those. ;-) (Teasing.)
I've got that message loud and clear now. Grastle Hollow was an experiment into another type of mission that I thought you all might like, but I clearly missed the mark. However I'm uncompromising on making sure games remain internally consistent and I would plead you all bear with me to push through this last sliver of mission. The sooner we're done the sooner we move on.
There were structural elements that made this arc rough, but I struggled to push forward and enjoy what I could. I think the straw that broke my back on the arc was when you said our actions didn't matter. It is hard enough to take multiple shots in the dark, but then for it not to matter? I will admit that it made me discouraged. Between that and Bjorkus getting chastised for posting too much (since his and my posting rates in the game are roughly the same I assumed that my posting rate was also beyond what you prefer), I took up a step back from trying to drive the action forwards. I thought that the game would find a pace you preferred with Rilka (and/or Dalton) pushing the action forward. But from your recent posts, I take it you are not happy with the current momentum of the last six months and would prefer more active rather than reactive participation.
What I said was poorly phrased. The point was that you would only gain a foothold after you went back in time to manipulate events in order to give you opportunities. The intent was to make it clear how difficult it was to infiltrate the underground rules by Villichi.
Eh, I just want to make sure Rilka and Dalton don't feel like they're getting steamrolled. I feel terrible when entire roleplaying situations get completed before they even get a chance to post. I'm not trying to chastise, I'm basically saying "Hey, give the others a chance."
What I said was poorly phrased. The point was that you would only gain a foothold after you went back in time to manipulate events in order to give you opportunities. The intent was to make it clear how difficult it was to infiltrate the underground rules by Villichi.
Eh, I just want to make sure Rilka and Dalton don't feel like they're getting steamrolled. I feel terrible when entire roleplaying situations get completed before they even get a chance to post. I'm not trying to chastise, I'm basically saying "Hey, give the others a chance."
I don't feel I'm having my agency being steamrolled by the players. The time loop took care of that pretty quick though. You succeeded in making the difficulty felt by our characters, but a good portion of that transferred over to the players as well.
As this next segment comes together though, I am eager to see how the Aestherics react as a result. It's been a while since I got to do some Heff-hating :P
What relative proximity do we have to each other presently?
Rilka is moving into the building, and once she brought the silence spell past you, you could all hear the alarm. I assume the rest of the party is bunched up at the mouth of the tunnel.
Our game is special. The longevity and characters (PC and NPC) are admirable. There is much more I could say about the game, but I’m trying to keep this brief. I enjoy playing Rilka. I definitely feel like we’re in the “last call” part of Grastle Hollow’s storyline. I’m all for tying this up with a bow quickly...which doesn’t really fit the “last call” imagery, but oh well.
So, our plan of slipping the Revelation into the bag won’t work. The dimensions of the object need to fit within the circumference of the bag of holding just like in real life.
I was thinking we could maybe retcon our planning scene a little. Maybe after discussing the bag of holding idea we try it on some furniture and it doesn’t work. Then we come up with other ideas which we are now putting into action on the night in question. How about using a Dimension door scroll cast by Bjorkus with the influence of bull’s strength and ant haul. This would require a DC check of 8 (scroll’s caster level+1) since Bjorkus isn’t at the necessary level to cast the spell normally. Granted we’d need to get a scroll of Dimension door, and the Aestherics accountants might audit Rilka for expensive plans.
Dalton could cast it (and has the spells already prepared), but I don’t think he’d have the strength (even with the buffs) to transport the Revelation. Dalton has a STR of 8. Increased to 12 and with triple the carrying capacity, he could transport an item weighing 390 pounds. Getting his STR to 14 (belt of giant’s strength +2) would give him 525 pounds carrying capacity. The Revelation is a Large object, so I assume it weighs more than that.
Any other suggestions?
I'm fine with a little retcon for planning.
That's not one of the limitations mentioned in the bag of holding description. While it's perfectly fine for our GM to make what ever rulings on verisimilitude he pleases, it's interesting that he is doing to now in a way that prolongs this encounter.
Have you considered Shrink Item? Alziver describes it as a piece of technology not as a magic item.
Again, you may add restrictions to items if it pleases you.
So is Alziver correct that this is a piece of technology and should therefore be shrinkable?
What is the period of the shifts where the item changes size naturally? If they come regularly, she could just wait next to it invisibly and choose her moment.
That's...not a restriction. The mouth of the bag does not stretch open to accommodate items of unusual size. Nothing in the item description suggests that.
Yes, that's a fair assumption to make.
As far as Rilka is aware it doesn't change size naturally. It's "natural" state is sitting in the ground in the form of a rectangular prism, and she observed that it changed when approached.
I thought of Shrink Item as a possibility but my player assumptions (the Revelation must be magical to produce its effects) closed down some options Rilka would have considered. If an item is shrunk while fastened to the floor it should come free, right?
If we approach invisibly to cast Shrink Item, the Revelation would activate and alert the guards. Spectral hand could deliver the touch spell from a distance, but the guards would still be alerted due to a ghostly hand floating in the room. I think it’d be cool if we could have made a device that projected ghostly hands at random then sneak in, have Dalton cast a spectral hand and the guards think nothing of it until the Revelation shrunk.
How about Rilka uses a tanglefoot bag on the guards by the door to immobilize them? She’ll run towards the reception desk when she turns visible. Hopefully the other guards will attack/chase her. The other two guards can be attacked by Bjorkus and Toramin coming up the ladder. Dalton shrinks the Revelation and we flee.
It does not appear to be attached to the floor in any way.
As long as you can provide the mechanism for the shrinking, sure.
A shrink item scroll is acceptable for the mechanical means, right? If so let’s use that.
A shrink item scroll is acceptable for the mechanical means, right? If so let’s use that.
You have the right of it.
You guys will have no problem purchasing that scroll in town. We can assume it was done beforehand and somebody in the party has it on hand.
Remind me of the symbols on the room: Windows are rectangles and the semicircles are portals (door + tunnel)?
Given the rate at which the alert seems to be drawing attention, I'm thinking Bjorkus flying us out of here could be beneficial.
Uhh . . . I thought the plan was for you to teleport us out?
Yes ... yes it was. For some reason, I was thinking teleport was a level 4 spell and I'd used it for stone shape.
And away we go!
Did we have an inn room immediately prvious? If so, I'm thinking that is a key location for the teleport to end. If not, there are a few more locations in mind, though they might not be as near.
You guys have a secure inn that's well away from your time remnants.
As for what's next, is there anything more we need to do? Is there a purpose to our theft besides for we already did it? I'm smelling the sweet scent of narrative freedom and I wants it. Let's finish this up.
Well you do remember that the original reason you wanted to steal the Revelation was to deliver it to Alziver, as he commissioned you for the heist originally.
We can either roll play through the delivery or we can handwave it with you guys quickly dropping it off, I'm not sure how interested you guys are to talk to Alziver again.
I do remember being commissioned, I just don't know why we should give it to him. He doesn't seem like a good guy. Why is his having it necessary for the time loop?
According to Alziver the Revelation is secretely a way to access all of the information about the underground.
How it's important to the time loop, you're not sure.
You guys are free to do whatever else you want with it as well.
I agree with Toramin. Giving Revealtion to Alziver doesn’t appeal to Rilka. We could give it back to the city pretending to have recovered it from Villachi’s agents, but Rilka would rather return it to the council quietly. Alziver had a decent hold on the underground before Villachi showed up. He probably doesn’t need this to reclaim leadership again.
Alziver commissioned us to get it for him but do we know if he actually got it as part of the time loop? If not, I see no reason to follow through.
I kind of prefer putting it in the hands of our watch contact (Toscobble?) with an explainer that he can't return it to the museum for a few days.
You are not aware of what happened to The Revelation after it was stolen.
The receipts if you were objecting because fan or third party.
Tosscobble's eventual death might make retrieval from his replacement a bit sticky.
We could always just stick the thing in a cave somewhere. Maybe a fancy cave like Toramin's family owns?
Yes, let's put it in easy reach of Toramin's brilliant and abusive father. :-p
Yes, let's put it in easy reach of Toramin's brilliant and abusive father. :-p
Art always brings out the best in families.
*ahem*
Not to push you all along but some kind of decision needs to be made about what to do with The Revelation. To Alziver? To Fosco? To Panrick? To Ninnec? To a hole in the middle of nowhere?
So, I made a mistake. I took Divine Obedience, planning on taking and or retraining a level to for the Exalted PRC. Unfortunately, as written, Exalted characters must be the same alignment as their deity.
Bolka is NG. Ianna is LG. (Though I can see an argument for her actually being NG, but just pretending to be LG to hang with her brother.)
Would it be possible to either bend the alignment restriction on the PRC or on paladin cohorts?
If it is not, may I pick a new feat, since it hasn't come up yet?
I'll handwave it, your roleplaying with Ianna and her faith has been more than fantastic.
Thank you!
For me, one of the most powerful moments she has had was during her brief confrontation with Calios. The way they opposed each other during this last story arc could not be more different.
On questions related to training, I know that pathfinder factions often give bonuses as on ascends the ranks and we know that the Aestherics do offer special training.
Would it be possible as part of her next pay day to receive special training to get Skill Focus (Knowledge: Religion) for roughly the same price as it would cost her to make the feat granting Ioun Stone? That feels more flavorful to me than a glittering rock.
Oh yes. That spoke volumes about the underlying idealogies present. It's not just "One is good and one is evil". It's much more complex than that.
Yes I'm fine with that houserule. There will also be additional special training going on, so be excited for that!
Awesome!
I was more thinking about how names can change slightly. Stephen::Esteban; Juan::John, etc.
Celestial is different enough from common that words don't translate easily. The planar languages are very odd to those familiar with common. But no worries, nothing preventing you simply creating names!
Okay! Which language are we using for celestial?
Ohh I don't know. I'll be very busy tonight. If you're so inclined to search try to find something elegant and graceful.