Glass River Rescue by TheBobJones (Inactive)

Game Master TheBobJones

Cyrus'd you!

As I mentioned on the Zedroom (our regular group's social forum... want to join, Sun?) if we play out of subtier (where the loot is fine!) and do slow advancement for level 3 and go through the tier 1-5s, Augustus should be able to catch up with the rest of us. With the We Be Goblins Too! chronicle that Augustus could apply when that game is done, I estimate that it will work out in 3 scenarios... with all of us needing 3 more scenarios to get to level 4.

So, since it looks like we'll be sticking together for a while, how does that suit everyone?

You probably don't have to twist my arm too hard to convince me not to apply the emerald spire chronicle to Pooka so we can catch everyone here up to be together. Slow advancement would probably be ok, if I can get over the nagging desire to level as fast as possible to see how awesome this mounted character can be... :)

My barbalchemist died an epic death to a barghest last night in my live table game, which made me sad. I may resurrect his mechanics in a new form as a PFS character, which would give me a toon to apply that ES chronicle to, as well as a character to toss some GM credits on. I am going to try my hand at GMing PFS scenarios for our live table at home, then see if perhaps I can swing actually GMing via PbP...

My barbalchemist died an epic death to a barghest last night in my live table game, which made me sad.

Yeah, totally my fault. Mwuahahaha!

Scar sounds delightful to me! My druid here is currently level 2, with this being his 1 exp in this level. I am a bit confused on which advancement track you'd like me to take, could you explain it again?

Pooka gave me the link to the social forum, I'll make a post in it shortly so it tracks updates.

First up, Sun: If this is Sun's 1st XP in this level, then don't worry about taking the slow advancement track. I thought you were levelling up to 3 like Pooka and I (making it Augustus on level 1, and 3 of us on level 3). If you're just into level 2, then there's no need to go slow to help Augustus catch up to you, since he's only 1-2 XP behind.

Joh, do you know if Chris B is playing a level 2 or 3?

Assuming 3, just FYI, we'd be playing Scars of the Third Crusade at APL: (1+2+3x2+3) / 5 = 2.4 which rounds to level 2, so lower tier (1-2) with no adjustments. It goes up to 2.6 as soon as anyone levels up (so tier 4-5 with the 4 player adjustment... hairy!).

I love cavaliers. I really wanted to play a halfling cavalier in the Kingmaker game we were running, but I relented (it really does break my mind seeing a halfling on a dog... with a lance) and went for a human cavalier. More noble and fitting for that (awesome) campaign. The mount gets left outside, but he still does great work in melee - especially with his 38 AC and DR 3/- at level 12. It's truly my favorite of the APG classes.

Bummer to hear about your barablchemist! By the way, you can apply any pregen credit to a 1st level character, if you like. For a module, I'm pretty sure the following would be X3 (and you could only do it for a completely fresh 1st level character)... but look at the gold!

GOP, p30 (right up the top):

If you play a non-1st-level pregenerated character, you may apply credit from the pregenerated character to one of your 1st-level characters, with the gp gained reduced to 1,398 gp (or 699 gp for slow advancement track characters).

Anyway, I have complete sympathy for your dead barbalchemist. You can probably tell from Xûll's posts that roleplaying them properly means that barbarians do court with death on a very regular basis. I may actually save my PP for a resurrection. May.

If you GM via PbP, I'm in... but I'd rather try to limit my PbP (bowing out of Chris B's game pretty soon). If John doesn't mind you taking over this "crew" so he can get some playing in... could be really fun. ;-) I'm personally through with having GMs take over my games (I just love GMing so much, the December-January break was unbearable... even though Chris, Jack and Jyri did awesome jobs), so I totally get it if you don't want to hand over the reigns, John. In that case, I'd probably play yet another PbP. Insanity.

Oh, and by the way, I have also updated Augustus's position on the map (to match his description).

Me GM'ing a PbP is a long ways off, if it ever happens. My wife can get annoyed when I post in the evenings... If I had to put the time in to do GM posts proper, I might end up spending some time on the couch. So that is definitely an up in the air thing... and at best a long ways off.

We can review where these characters are at after Scars, and see what we want to do then. No rush to figure it all out now :)

We can review where these characters are at after Scars, and see what we want to do then. No rush to figure it all out now :)

Totally agree.... provided we figure it out prior to getting the chronicle sheet. Once we tick that "normal advancement" box, we're in it for the whole level. ;-)

Sorry for the abrupt ending, she had 1 hp left after Pooka's charge Xull easily put her down. The 2 crossbow men have 11 AC, feel free to attack them if you want. Some unexpected things came up today, I will be late getting chronicles and such. Hopefully will be back to regular posting soon.

No apologies necessary! Thanks for running it, it was really well done, I especially enjoyed the creepy factor you put into it. Life always comes first, we have enough stuff going on that you don't need to rush. Thanks again! I'll make some wrap up posts with a little more leisure and we can call this puppy good :)

-Posted with Wayfinder

Loved the adventure - can't believe it's over so quickly. I guess that's what happens when the "damage brothers" are dealing 36 hp / round! ;-)

Thanks for running, John, and can't wait for the next one... though I will happily wait until you are good and ready. To help with the level up, how much gold does this chronicle give, if you don't mind?

Thanks for running the game! You did great in the interactions between the NPC's and the party, definitely felt like a fleshed out world and we were actually interacting in it instead of just cardboard cutouts. I like swords! Welcome to Cornelia! I like...

Agreed. Awesome job GMing, that scenario was a lot of fun, and I especially liked the creepy vibe at the inn and having no idea what to expect (both in and out of character). We done on setting the mood and atmosphere!

Can't wait to move on to another scenario :)

Again sorry about the abrupt ending - lot of moving pieces in RL yesterday. I reported the event, and working on Chronicles - 516 gold. Skimmed Scars - it is a lot like Bloodcove so it will take me a while to wrap my head around it - probably Sunday at the earliest - mid week more realistic.

So back to the adventure:

First, this was my very first GM experience ever - so sorry for the bumps that an experienced GM would have smoothed over. Constructive feedback is always appreciated. Good and bad - never ask a question you don't want an answer to. I read the official GM discussion thread and a few PbP games to see how it went with others. One really good game started like this:

That was the first 2 pages of our game. I really wanted to work on story building.

Combat was a joke with you 4. The lemure DR would have been problematic, but that was optional anyways. Kudos for great builds.

The Xer vs Faith barge was inevitable, DC34 at tier 1, I had Xer prepped so I was sad to see you pick the faith barge, but had fun making the map.

The drake was bad ass, that was fun.

The inn mood I got the idea from another GM for the mood, and tweaked here and there, glad you like it.

The sisters have outrageous stats for you encounter, any intelligent group will do what you did and I was way off the reservation with most of that encounter.

Can someone explain why the trap door are in the bath and stables? And you are wearing the scarf of your dwarven captive and he is of a different religion? That is really stupid.

Over all it was fun to run. That was the GenCon intro to Season 5 that year. Might explain the 'straight forwardness' of the adventure.

Thanks guys, the next scenario is a great segue from this one.

And lets say you used the potion so split up 5 CLW charges

I suppose Augustus doesn't have a wand yet since his toon is shiny and fresh and new. I think the other 3 do... I'll take 2 charges.

I leveled Pooka last night, just have a few finishing touches to add. I am going to buy a donkey to be my pack mule for me... I have a lot of gear to carry, and heavy armor alone nearly puts me into an encumbered state. I will get everything updated sometime this weekend, in between curling. (curling tournament all weekend, wooo!)

I also haven't paid as much attention to my chronicle sheets as I have with Cyrus, being content to just let hero lab keep track of everything for me. I may force myself to do the paperwork/bookkeeping this weekend too, and create the chronicle spoilers like Cyrus has... We shall see. At the very least, Pooka will be level 3 and ready to go.

Speaking of that... Do I need to decide what advancement track I use before the adventure starts?

Pooka is now 3.0
Xull - 3.0?
Sun - 2.1
Augustus - 1.1
Chris B - ?

You know the thing that will kill me is possibly having to wait even longer to afford my full plate... I wonder if I shouldn't find a really nice set of armor I could get with PP and just wait a really long time and get a whole BA set of mithril or adamantine full plate in one go.... which probably wouldn't be until a few adventures into 5th or 6th level... Hrmm..... Maybe its not worth the wait... Oh why do I stress over these decisions so much? :)

I leave all slow/normal tier/subtier/adjustments to Xull.

"If Pooka be needing donkey, me be happy carry more stuff - if Pooka not mind me dumping stuff when combat start," Xûll offers helpfully, paying it forwards from a previous life.

Xûll is indeed 3rd level now (3.0, 6 XP total). I thought Augustus was 1.2, though... didn't he get the We Be Goblins! chronicle?

Adamantine Full Plate is a good 16,500 GP, unenchanted! That's way more than 5th or 6th level (unless you completely starve yourself for equipment upgrades). You're far better off to wait for a later level to take that particular hit. However, you should be able to get Full Plate after the next adventure. Out of tier GP is usually 1,200 ish. Easily enough for MW Full Plate if you save some of the gold from this Chronicle.

For this level, the most you can get on prestige is a +1 armor bonus with masterwork half-plate. However, it takes your max dex to +0, meaning your overall AC won't change at all. On the plus side, you can then sell it next level for 375 gp (meaning you essentially get +375gp for 2 PP, not bad, really) which will help contribute to your next set of armor. Otherwise, just wait one more level. You're not exactly under AC for a tier 1-2. ;-)

Advancement track needs to be sorted when John does the next chronicle sheet. We'll have until the end of the adventure to sort it out. Definitely worth discussing further once Chris B joins in.

---

Back to John's original question...

Loved the game, wouldn't change your storytelling style at all. I have two suggestions for improvement, neither of which I consider particularly important or worrying, and two comments. You asked, so here goes:

• I felt at times that you moved things along too quickly. It is totally up to you as to what pace you'd like to set, but I remember I received exactly the same feedback after Trial By Machine (my first PbP GMing experience). I should also say that most of it is Xûll posting with you back and forth (ie. I post so often I never feel left out). The only worry is that we may progress quite far without input (or consent) from other players. I'd just wait a little while longer between posts, or wait for one extra player to agree with the action (or just post anything) before moving along. I've really struggled with this as an obsessive-excessive GM poster myself, but I think it doesn't slow things down very much and it can be nice to let everyone have their say before moving along. Don't wait too long, just be aware... and I've already said way too much, mostly trying to make it apparent that this isn't a big issue.
  
• As a player, I really prefer editable maps. I like to be able to move my dude where I want. As a GM, it really helps me out to have players do that, too. Up to you, since it's your game and your style, but I prefer to be able to move my avatar as I post.
  
• The other thing about maps is the grid coordinates. I used to put them in on all my maps (using Photoshop)... but you may have noticed in Bloodcove that I stopped. This was deliberate - it just wasn't needed. Players inevitably move relative to the NPCs or the other PCs, and it's usually in their description. Smartphone users are usually willing to describe where to move them without needing a grid (as I am when I post on my phone). Just some extra work for you that I think you could avoid (as I now am avoiding).
  
• If you want some great, comprehensive advice and haven't done so already, have a read of Painlord's Guide to GMing PbP. It's so awesome it's been made a Sticky post on the General Discussion for Online Campaigns. You do a lot of what it says to do anyway, but it doesn't mean that it won't be a good read! ;-)

Methodically, and with a grim set to his face, Xûll savagely executes the three women and the half-wit, leaving the guards as witnesses.

Holy Moly, did that just happen?!

Ha! Yep. Xûll doesn't have much time for these kind of people. You weren't worried when he lured the captain of the Faith Barge onto the ship before cutting him in two with nary a word exchanged? ;-)

This guy is a well-spoken ("well-spoken" being open to interpretation) savage.

I can absolutely tone it down if any of you are not comfortable with this sort of thing in a roleplaying game. I will say that, without the preceding set of questions and roleplaying, this wouldn't have happened. I like the other players to know my character's thought process and reasoning when doing something like this (even if your PCs aren't always privy to this information).

Please don't change anything on my account, I was only trying to be funny. You playing Xull that way doesn't bother me at all. I say keep it up, it'll make things more interesting during the games

+1

-Posted with Wayfinder

Heh. I thought it was a funny comment (read my first two paragraphs)... but then, in an edit, added the 3rd paragraph just to be safe. Glad it's all good with you guys. Those sisters were just asking for it. :-)

I think the best part is that now my character knows, and if I want to make sure that doesn't happen in game, it's a choice my character has to make and act on in the game... Ie: "now before you go chopping heads off xull, let's take a second and think about this..." or somehow making an effort to stop you before I can't stop you kind of thing...

-Posted with Wayfinder

Ok three posts on different topics

#1
So in continuing my rant of things I don't like, there is a ton of discussion on whether or not to kill the sisters. You need 2/3 conditions to earn one of the PPs. One is to convince the sisters of your story (unlikely at best), two recover the blood/hair, not too bad. They would have used it at a later date to scry you. Three kill Holy warrior. Now, it doesn't say anything about the sisters. And before you left the Abacus the religious dwarf tell you not to spill blood. Ok, so you have an NPC telling you not to meet your victory conditions? Weird right. I came very very close to omitting that. A lot of GMs penalized PCs for killing the sisters. Now YMMV, but based upon the RP this group did, I am fine with Xull's response. I would have liked Pooka who was warming up, to be more involved, but PbP and all.

#2

Why did you cross out the "Crisis Averted" boon?

This, again, I did not understand. RAW that is for Grand Lodge Faction only. IMHO, you should all get it. If I am wrong, and I hope I am, please reference it and I will correct Xull, Pooka, and Sun's sheets.

Here is the official discussion thread

#3 In response to Xull

All Maps should have been editable - if they were not that was an oversight on my part, and will not contain grid markings.

All the other advice was spot on, and I will correct that next time around. Many thanks!

Thanks for agreeing with the suggestions, glad to help. As with any of my advice, do feel free to ignore if you like. I won't take offense at all.

As for the maps, I think you said earlier on that you made one viewable but not editable on purpose, so I figured that was the case subsequently. I'll let you know next time I can't edit. ;-)

For your Chronicle credit dilemma... p34 in the Guide to Organized Play contains my favorite section of that guide (my absolute favorite bit highlighted):

Creative Solutions

Sometimes during the course of a scenario, your players might surprise you with a creative solution to an encounter (or the entire scenario) that you didn’t see coming and that isn’t expressly covered in the scenario. If, for example, your players manage to roleplay their way through a combat and successfully accomplish the goal of that encounter without killing the antagonist, give the PCs the same reward they would have gained had they defeated their opponent in combat. If that scene specifically calls for the PCs to receive gold piece rewards based on the gear collected from the defeated combatants, instead allow the PCs to find a chest of gold (or something similar) that gives them the same rewards. Additionally, if the PCs roleplayed past an NPC who carries a specific potion or scroll that the PCs might be granted access to on the scenario’s Chronicle sheet, don’t cross that item off the sheet — instead, allow the PCs to find the item elsewhere as a reward for creatively resolving the encounter without resorting to combat. Pathfinder Society Organized Play never wants to give the impression that the only way to solve a problem is to kill it— rewarding the creative use of skills and roleplaying not only make Society games more fun for the players, but it also gives the GM a level of flexibility in ensuring players receive the rewards they are due.

Now, admittedly, it was focused on finding solutions other than killing... but the reverse has to be true also. If you don't have a thief and instead use an adamantine dagger to open all the locks, that should be fine. If you need to convince someone not to attack a group of dwarves, but (for valid RP reasons) you end up killing them, have you not still saved the group of dwarves? Do you not still deserve their gratitude in the form of that boon?

At GenCon, we had a GM who penalized us by not including a Cloak of Resistance +1 on the loot list (and I think also crossed out a boon) because we returned it to the owner's friend. The reward was because we found it (which required a perception check and navigating a 20-ft drop pit to obtain), and not because we had it at the adventure's conclusion. That GM was a prick for doing that, and subsequent readings, chats with VCs and players confirms that. He was technically obeying the letter of the adventure, but ignoring the GOP (specifically the section above) and good sense.

Anyway, my point is that the scenarios often take a narrow view of things and what could happen in a scenario. Thankfully that Creative Solutions section exists in the GOP to help out in the situations where the scenario doesn't deal well with it.

As for an NPC telling you to do something that you need to do for success conditions... it happens. I've ranted enough about it, but most recently in By Way of Bloodcove, you were apparently supposed to 2 of: disable the ships; break in their hulls to sink them; and burn them to the ground. Surely they are all equivalent. Also burning the warehouse down after poisoning the supplies inside technically counted as 2 success conditions. I just did a common sense ruling when you went for "burn the world" and determined that, in addition to the fire, the hulls were breached (by the fire), the boats were disabled (by the fire) and the foodstuffs were definitely ruined (by the fire) and needed to be replaced.

That is very strange that they would put something in telling you to specifically not do something they count as part of the victory condition... That just doesn't even seem fair to me.

On Pooka getting warmed up in the discussion - I think if anything its a good lesson for the party to learn about Xull, and the way everyone kind of goes about their business. Next time, Pooka will be non-chalantly leaning on Xull's sword if he doesn't want the prisoners executed... :)

Oh, and...

Re: #2

Every chronicle sheet I've seen has faction specific boons called out explicitly, which is why I asked. I can see from the discussion you linked to, though, that it is in the scenario text and not on the Chronicle Sheet.

Seems that the editor for that scenario just forgot to put "Grand Lodge" on that boon. ;-)

Seems Chris H. is still tied up for a bit. We'll see how long it takes me to prep and my RL schedule then go from there. If I am correct we have 1+2+3+3 = 9/4 = 2.3 so tier 1-2 w/ 4 party adjustment?

Seems Chris H. is still tied up for a bit. We'll see how long it takes me to prep and my RL schedule then go from there. If I am correct we have 1+2+3+3 = 9/4 = 2.3 so tier 1-2 w/ 4 party adjustment?

If Chris H (I thought it was Chris B) isn't in, then yes that is correct. 1+2+3+3 with 4-player adjustment.

By the way, I think Chris is tied up killing the party in my other "non-superstar core" game. The others are more than a bit underpowered (my summoner does better than all 4 of them in every encounter), and at 3rd level we've just run up against a derro necromancer with an AC in excess of 23. Pretty sure he's the one who (when last I played) had maximized false life or some such - for about 50-60 hp. When our 3rd level cavalier misses on a roll of less than 17 (maybe less than 18) on the dice, and would have only done 1d4+2 damage even when he hits... we're in deep trouble. My eidolon, of course, is optimally built - but he still won't be able to save the day... as he still needs a 15+ to hit, and just took more than half his hit points in damage from a scorching ray.

It has been so long since my last TPK that I'm actually kinda looking forward to it.

*Ahem*

Chris L. and I have had a few recently in our live table game. *Cough* SUN *Cough*

:)

Oh, and don't rush getting ready on our accounts. We have enough stuff going on on these boards that a few more days is no big deal. RL >>>

*Ahem*

Chris L. and I have had a few recently in our live table game. *Cough* SUN *Cough*

:)

Yup, my cleric was cut down in his prime by a combination of charm person, hold person, and then a save or die execution. Oh well :)

To be fair, it was the ally in the party that cast hold person on the cleric...the bad guy only convinced the cleric to protect him by attacking the party :-p

Going through my second read through of Scars. Xull could run this cold as it seems a twin structure wise to Bloodcove. I just need to be spot on on my rolls/modifiers.

It is actually very user friendly to our needs as a group, as this is a bit of a side project. You are encouraged to split the party to investigate, and actually penalized if you all stay together. This will allow you all to post are your leisure. You all 'come together' to discuss the day so that will be nice too.

I have a bit more to go, but expect the new thread sooner rather than later. As always, fit this in when you can - no worries.

Sounds great, mate. Ready whenever you are! ;-)