Dalton, if there are any spells that are on both the wizard and alchemist lists, Rilka will split the cost 50-50 for a scroll. She can learn formulas from observing spells being cast. For the spells you listed a few posts above, Rilka would be happy to split the cost for [b]Cat’s grace[/i] and Enlarge person. Not much coin now, true, but in the future...
Bjorkus, when I was making my character sheet I noticed the time requirement for Ianna, so I just had Ianna craft and upgrade the Belt of Giant Strength and Incredible Dexterity (assuming she was willing to do that). Ianna are you willing to do that? I think that would only take sixteen days.
Dalton do you have the time for crafting a ring of protection +2?
True strike, detect thoughts, enlarge person, reduce person, and cat's grace are shared between our lists.
Whether or not he has the time for the ring - and the other things mentioned - are up to Omen. Given the number of bodies in this organization though, I'm thinking some work-sharing could be arranged.
You guys will have 30 day in game available for crafting.
Dalton/Rilka, nearly any spell is available here in the Aestheric base, so you only need to pay the copying cost.
What's the reasoning for truncating the down time? Just so we cannot craft?
True strike, detect thoughts, enlarge person, reduce person, and cat's grace are shared between our lists.
Oh I should have specified that Rilka knows true strike, detect thoughts, and reduce person.
She has the feat Formula Recollection allowing her to learn formulae from seeing spells being cast. Once per day, after passing a Spellcraft check.
I didn't cut down on time, it's simply how long before the next mission is. The amount of time was decided long before your crafting.
What are the limitations on the feat training/buying? Could Ianna have bought Peacemaker as well freeing up her level 9 feat to be something else?
Case by case, but generally speaking I'm pretty lax.
That's fair. How about the situation I mentioned above?
Okay. Makes sense. I asked because before you seem to suggest that we had as much down time as we desired.
New Scenario: Ianna trains (purchases) Eldritch Heritage (Arcane) and takes a cute familiar with the Valet archetype. The familiar speeds up the crafting, letting us craft 60 days worth of crafting in the 30 days we have.
Arcane makes sense given her family's history of magic, and a fluffy bunny or other cute critter.
To help save Ianna some time, Bjorkus will just pay full price for the upgrade on his loincloth.
Bjorkus's spending update:
Upgrading headband via Ianna - 9k
Upgrade loincloth of resistance - 5k
Retraining Extra Rage Power to Cunning - 250 (100 * 5 days/2)
Retraining Tribal Scars to Shaping Focus - 250 (100 * 5 days/2)
Ioun Stone (dusty rose) - 5k
Ring of Eloquence via Dalton - 1750
That leaves him with 2750 gold which he'll send Ianna's way to help cover her feat training. That also gets her down to 67 days of crafting. Dalton, would you be okay with skipping the belt for now or just paying full price? That would get Ianna down to 59 days.
Due time constraints, Dalton will skip the belt and wands of Alarm, Mount, and Floating Disk for now.
I have returned!
As far as the time constraint goes, it was my fault for poor communication. I should have known that the combination of downtime and wealth with a crafter warranted more specifics.
Ianna remember you will only gain the bonuses from retraining to get that familiar after you complete the retraining. Aestherics will provide it for half price.
I'll give you guys some more time to figure out gear before moving on.
Since this is the feat training we discussed before 5,000 GP for a feat, how many in game days does that take?
Should all be in the retraining rules, can't look it up right now.
If training feats works the same as retraining it's 5 days each. That means we effectively have 50 days to work with. Ugh. We need to shed another 9 days.
I hate to keep asking you this Dalton but would you be willing to skip the boots of levitation and bag of holding upgrade (or just pay the non-crafted price)? That would get us down to 50 days. There's not really anything else to trim. Everyone else is already getting one item.
Alternatively you could skip the diadem and keep a couple of the smaller items. I'm not sure what was more important to you.
Dalton will skip both of them and look into other things to purchase. I'll see what I can find.
Okay, that'll put us back on schedule.
Let's get this show on the road.
Omen, when would Geoffrey's dinner party fall vis a vis the current side mission? And did you want to play that out?
@everyone: Bolka's sacred animal is the falcon. Ianna needs a cute familiar should we go bird or something soft and fuzzy?
I think something cute like a bunny would fit her better. Not everything in her life needs to be dedicated to Bolka.
That thing looks very happy.
Level 6 must have been a rough time.
You get max HP at level 1, so turn that 11th level roll into a 10.
In lieu of a portion of the money spent on the other items, Dalton will learn a few new tricks:
Explosive Runes (3rd) (90 GP each)
Hydrophobia
Sands of Time
Aristocrat's Nightmare
Hostile Levitation
Paragon Surge
Water Breathing
Creeping Ice (4th) (160 GP each)
Hungry Earth (5th) (250 GP) each)
Permanency
Antimagic field (6th) (360 GP each)
Guards and Wards
As I did not know we were permitted to copy the spells as opposed to needing to buy the scrolls before, the net reduction in cost for Dalton to learn the spells below is instead listed in bold:
Secret Chest (5th) (1125 GP) 875 GP
Cat's Grace (2nd) (150 GP) 110 GP
Detect Thoughts (2nd) (150 GP) 110 GP
True Strike (1st) (25 GP) 15 GP
Enlarge Person (1st) (25 GP) 15 GP
Reduce Person (1st) (25 GP) 15 GP
Clairvoyance/audience (3rd) (375 GP) 285 GP
Make Whole (2nd) (150 GP) 110 GP
Of the whole spell-scribing process mentioned above, this represents a net increase of 475 GP.
Because Dalton is not making the Belt of Incredible Dexterity, Boots of Levitation, or Bag of Holding IV, this means he now has the 16,750 GP from savings in these items + the 2495 GP originally remaining + 175 PP 162 GP 3 SP 20 CP on his person - the 475 for scribing above for a total of 20,682.5 GP in coin currency.
He will convert his remaining wealth to the following gems:
1 diamond
5 opals
5 sapphires
5 peridots
5 sapphires
5 topaz
5 amethysts
5 citrines
5 onyx
Each category of the gems is worth 2500 GP split roughly evenly (for 500 GP each; I'm assuming the procurement in the Aestherics has a diversified stock) excepting the diamond, which is worth the remaining 682.5 GP.
Let's hope we don't get mugged!
Should we be expecting another new face during this mission?
So Rilka’s training costs 250 gp [10x5 (level)x5 (days)]. She also finds a weaponsmith to enchant her MW halfling slingstaff to +1 for 1,000 gp.
It’s a little late, but I also vote soft and fuzzy. A hedgehog? Though to be fair, a good number of birds fit that description. Chicks for example.
Ianna could rehab a stray and wounded animal that nobody wanted. Seeing the beauty in a creature others couldn’t see.
As per my post in the gameplay thread, Bjorkus, Dalton is doing a thought sweep of the crew. This is mainly as a partial guard against double agents among the crew introduced since you've been gone, but you may want to give an intelligence spread. The intent isn't to force numerous "stories" for him to listen in on - though ones that may be alarming to the security of the vessel/area/operation (perhaps known by Omen) would be relevant and needed.
Once that is known, Dalton will likely recall Takaral and select appropriate spells.
Omen, did you want me to handle that?
Apparently I'm not getting any updates from *any* of my games.
Thanks Paizo boards.
Bjorkus go ahead and handle that.
A name and description of the surgeon alone will suffice. I'll adjust Dalton's spell selection tomorrow and do a connection post, but it will be pretty similar to what it is now.
Sawbones Zirul - half-elf alchemist (likely level 3 or 4)
Zirul is a very lean, almost skeletal, half-elf. His features heavily favor his human ancestry with the exception of an uncommonly high brow and his slightly pointed ears. Despite being fairly young, a lifetime of drug abuse matched with relatively poor nutrition have left him with an unhealthy pallor and sunken eyes beyond his years. He's usually dressed in a stained leather apron that's held in place by a belt lined with clinking glass vials.
Sorry I couldn't post recently; Sprint apparently decided coverage in the upper half of the state was optional during my trip. I will get something up this evening.
I feel like this is a great example of the style of storytelling that you seem to lean on that frustrated everyone for Grastle Hollow and is frustrating me now.
That is, you encourage us to plan our approach down to the finest details. We spend weeks to months chasing leads that are consistently fruitless. We get frustrated. You get frustrated. Finally, some climax falls into our laps and we wrap things up.
Perhaps instead our plans could go somewhere and be used as a method to engage the characters.
I understand Bjorkus' sense of frustration.
While not all plans need to succeed as they are planned, the pattern described is one I've noticed as well.
I feel like this is a great example of the style of storytelling that you seem to lean on that frustrated everyone for Grastle Hollow and is frustrating me now.
That is, you encourage us to plan our approach down to the finest details. We spend weeks to months chasing leads that are consistently fruitless. We get frustrated. You get frustrated. Finally, some climax falls into our laps and we wrap things up.
Perhaps instead our plans could go somewhere and be used as a method to engage the characters.
In my experience, climaxes usually occur in the lap.
I must agree with the last point and highlight something Toramin mentioned before: Character choices should have some felt effect, failure or success, in the future. Otherwise, it feels like we are describing precisely how we wish to tread water while waiting to be told we didn't drown.
That's very elegantly put, Dalton.
I understand my failure in planning of Grastle Hollow.
This event actually had a very specific set of actions and reactions.
1) Rilka sabotaged ship
2) Damage was noticed
3) Search parties sent out to see what was going on
4) Search party noticed by Bjorkus' crew
5) Crajun's men recognized Bjorkus' ship
6) Crajun knows who Bjorkus and his sire are, and wants to talk to see what the hell is going on
Perhaps I could be more obvious about what's going on, but I'm not sure how your characters would learn that ahead of time, and everything that's happened has been a direct result of your choices.
Also it's a side mission that was completely unplanned and we have a new player waiting to join so I'm pushing things along a bit.
How on earth did Crajun's men evade Kal's pursuit? Are they hasted merfolk? Why couldn't Kal have caught them (since it's nigh impossible for them to escape) and this parley request come out during the interrogation?
If you're trying to move things along, why even make us play this all out? Why not just narrate the minutiae so we can move on to the parts where our decisions matter?
They caught up, they talked, Kal believed them and made the call.
If you're that frustrated I can just narrate past everything but a few posts up you complain about me just dropping solutions in your lap so I'm not sure where exactly the delicate balance is you would like me to strike.
I think Bjorkus' confusion is in how arbitrary it all feels. So we have spent the last week setting up plan for what?
This development could have been more natural in the story. Your recent posts have been kind of short and lacking in the contextual clues that would help tie our actions to what is going on.
Maybe if we had a better sense of Kal's personality? Who knew he was so diplomatic? Maybe if it wasn't presented as if they pursued and were captured by the bad pirates? (Though my expectation is that all scouts everywhere come to bad ends and create more rather than less problems. :-p)
I did try to make it clear that nobody was tied up or disarmed, implying there were no captives on either side.
I was planning for the events to be revealed during the talk with Crajun. It only seems natural to me that if you send out a bunch of NPCs to do something you're out of the loop and have to be told what happened after the fact.
That was not the point. The reason your method of storytelling is frustrating is because solutions falling in our lap is the only way we accomplish anything.
Every major story arc has consisted of months of us spinning of our wheels followed by confusion/frustration and then some solution being handed to us. This side quest was a smaller scale perfect representation of that. The only reason Akropash moved on was because Bjorkus was captured and tortured by Targ. The only reason Grastle Hollow moved on was because Rilka was captured by the bad guys. In fact, the only story line that I can think of that ended via our own agency was the first one (the slaying of the Mad King of Xilres).
How did Crajun learn that Bjorkus was around? He went to great lengths to conceal his presence (hence why Dalton and Takarel were sent ashore to gather information). Why even start things out under the premise that we're out to capture Crajun if it was impossible? Why not just open things up with the parley?
Weeks ago, Toramin asked me what it would take for me to become engaged with the story again after how dissatisfied I was with Akropash. I told him, reluctantly, that after your acknowledgement that Grastle Hollow could have been handled better I was willing to give things another shot. I now regret engaging with this side quest. I'm simply frustrated again and feeling like my efforts planning to gather information and capture Crajun was just wasted time.
How did Crajun learn that Bjorkus was around?
Omen said above Crajun's crew recognized Bjorkus's ship.
I understand if our time ashore had little/no effect on what is going on with Crajun; it is fair to say failed efforts are wasted time to that particular goal. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. However, particularly if that is the case, more robust descriptions for interaction/world building are needed. Otherwise, it is simply us waiting for you to narrate the outcome of the choices we made.
To be fair you went completely off the rails at Akropash. Instead of going at all with the plan you decided to try to start a rebellion against Targ with only an arena full of people. And I can't believe you would say that didn't end based on your decisions. The entire campaign arc was thrown head over heels because of your choices. I've got 20 pages of material I never even touched because of that.
For the upteenth time, I recognize my mistakes of Grastle Hollow. I played a far more long and behind the scenes plot than what was satisfying, and I don't intend to do that again.
I rolled a die randomly to determine if Crajun went into town that night. He had not. He was on his ship drinking and playing cards. Then Rilka's sabotage was discovered and he knew something was up.
Capturing Crajun wasn't and isn't impossible. I also don't know where you're getting the idea that the entire premise was to capture him. The objective of the mission was to stop the interference with the mission and messages, and beyond that it was open ended.
You seem to think I have the endings of missions planned out and I railroad you to them, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I very carefully considered things from Crajun's perspective and kept meta-knowledge to the side. Crajun had no idea you were coming, and that's exactly how I played it.
How did Crajun learn that Bjorkus was around?
Omen said above Crajun's crew recognized Bjorkus's ship.
I understand if our time ashore had little/no effect on what is going on with Crajun; it is fair to say failed efforts are wasted time to that particular goal. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. However, particularly if that is the case, more robust descriptions for interaction/world building are needed. Otherwise, it is simply us waiting for you to narrate the outcome of the choices we made.
It actually wasn't fruitless. You learned Crajun spends time in the town on most nights. Simply waiting a day or two could have lead to a very successful ambush in town, either for a capture or a conversation. It was literally a roll of the dice he wasn't in town that night.
I'm not sure I understand your suggestion here Dalton. Could you elaborate?
How did Crajun learn that Bjorkus was around?
Omen said above Crajun's crew recognized Bjorkus's ship.
I understand if our time ashore had little/no effect on what is going on with Crajun; it is fair to say failed efforts are wasted time to that particular goal. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. However, particularly if that is the case, more robust descriptions for interaction/world building are needed. Otherwise, it is simply us waiting for you to narrate the outcome of the choices we made.
It actually wasn't fruitless. You learned Crajun spends time in the town on most nights. Simply waiting a day or two could have lead to a very successful ambush in town, either for a capture or a conversation. It was literally a roll of the dice he wasn't in town that night.
I'm not sure I understand your suggestion here Dalton. Could you elaborate?
Sure.
Unless I'm missing something, the description of the town we're in is quite short. Take a look at your post describing it. I had little choice but to send Takaral "into town" and assume there was an inn, send Dalton "into town" and assume there were shops. I'm guessing, and off of shaky predicates, it's hard to craft a deep description to contribute to the story.
The woman Takaral interacted with seemed rather flat in her chatter. Again, I would have given his discussion more context, but lack of knowing particulars about the setting or woman leaves very little to go off of.
Those pitfalls aren't problematic in their own right as I know you can't describe everything. However, I feel like I'm trying to make a sandbox out of what should be a theme park event; the attendant has told us to go choose our own adventure, yet the ride moves is it wills.
Ah I understand now. Yes I would say that's fair criticism. To be honest I haven't fully fleshed out that town yet because I hadn't intended on you guys to go to it anywhere in the near future. I'll try to have more details for future situations like that, or at the very least ask some pointed questions about what information you would like to know.
It actually wasn't fruitless. You learned Crajun spends time in the town on most nights. Simply waiting a day or two could have lead to a very successful ambush in town, either for a capture or a conversation. It was literally a roll of the dice he wasn't in town that night.
Which is a shame. That might have been a satisfying conclusion to this story. Perhaps next time, don't put that sort of thing on a unnecessary die roll?
In any case, feel free to narrate the rest of this. This side quest was mostly prompted by Bjorkus and I'm no longer interested in pursuing it.