Hell's Rebels AP - Down with Thrune! (Inactive)

Game Master GM Red

Some thoughts...

Victor has the Pipes of the sewers which would prove useful methinks.

Padraig does have a scroll of Dispel Magic which will be handy.

We have that Dust which can allow us to activate the Cube, as a last resort.

I always forget about those pipes...

But as far as the cube, that is still dangling in a maze of chains. Not available.

FYI, I'm GMing subtier 5-6 of #9-00 Assault on Absalom during Phase 2 of PbP Gameday VII.
Sign-ups are open for GMs only at this point. GM Red, you're welcome at my table if you're interested.
Larry
aka GM Lorenzo

5-6, huh? Thanks for the invite. I really wish I could, but Tiffany's going to be level 7 or higher (GM chronicles) after her next game, and I haven't got any other PCs in that range yet.

PH, what spell or magical effect are you trying to dispel in particular?

I was going with this targeted option:

Targeted Dispel: One object, creature, or spell is the target of the dispel magic spell. You make one dispel check (1d20 + your caster level) and compare that to the spell with highest caster level (DC = 11 + the spell's caster level). If successful, that spell ends. If not, compare the same result to the spell with the next highest caster level. Repeat this process until you have dispelled one spell affecting the target, or you have failed to dispel every spell.

For example, a 7th-level caster casts dispel magic, targeting a creature affected by stoneskin (caster level 12th) and fly (caster level 6th). The caster level check results in a 19. This check is not high enough to end the stoneskin (which would have required a 23 or higher), but it is high enough to end the fly (which only required a 17). Had the dispel check resulted in a 23 or higher, the stoneskin would have been dispelled, leaving the fly intact. Had the dispel check been a 16 or less, no spells would have been affected.

Pádraig Henry's assuming Nox might be under the effect(s) of one or more magical buffs. Not sure how it works with the scroll re the dispel check. It's a level 3 spell, so minimum would be d20+5, right? Compare that result to the spell, if any, with the highest CL (DC=11+the spell's caster level)...

Can you guys drop the usual information for chronicle sheets in here so I can get them prepped ahead of time?

Player Name:
Character Name:
PFS #:
Faction:

Oh boy!

Player Name: Lady Ladile
Character Name: Donna Incognita
PFS #: 192133-17
Faction: Silver Crusade

They need to be at least level 2, right?

Player: Chadius
Character: Cel Corona
PFS# : 133608-18
Faction: Sovereign Court

Nah, I think it can be applied to a 1st level too; you just don't get the usual gold?

Player Name: Eric Swanson
Character Name: Gery Thylley
PFS #: 13977-3
Faction: Silver Crusade

EDIT: This is a Level 1 character.

Player Name: Larry Smith
Character Name: Uriel
PFS #: 67083-26
Faction: Silver Crusade

I'm applying this Chronicle to a level 1 PC.

You can apply credit from a higher-tier adventure to a 1st-level Roleplaying Guild character. When doing so, reduce the gp reward to 500 gp if the adventure grants 1 XP or 1,398 gp if it grants 3 XP. You do not benefit from any boons until your Roleplaying Guild character reaches the minimum level listed on the Chronicle sheet, unless otherwise noted.

Yeah, DI is a 1st level character as well :)

I still need to get Victor's details, but since I know Larry has been waiting patiently to get his PC ready for Eric's game, here they are:

Hell's Rebels: In Hell's Bright Shadow Chronicle Sheets

The bonus chronicle sheets are also in there. Have a look, they may need a few reads to really understand them (at least for me, they did).

May I get some feedback on this adventure? Is there anything that I can improve on or that you'd like for me to do differently, or that would make this particular campaign more fun for you?

Victor, I'll have yours up as soon as you leave your PC info here!

Player Name: Massee
Character Name: Lady Mae
PFS #: 202046-4
Faction: Grand Lodge

Day Job: Perform: Wind: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Ah yes, Day Job:
Perform (sing): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27 = 50gp.

Sorry for forgetting about the Day Job roll.

I don't believe you roll day jobs in Campaign Mode. You would be playing the adventure as if you're playing a pre-gen. I don't have an FAQ reference, but it seems to make sense from that perspective.

Alternatively, if you are participating in the Hell’s Rebels Adventure Path with an ongoing group undertaking the entire, six-chapter campaign, you may receive credit for playing the sanctioned portions of the adventure as if you had played a pregenerated character. In this case, GMs running the Adventure Path are not bound to the rules of the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild campaign (such as 20-point buy, unavailability of hero points, etc.) when running the campaign or the sanctioned portion of the adventure.

Re Feedback:

I guess I don't have very much other than I'm having a blast! I can't really think off the top of my head any negative/change this feedback. I think we have the pacing/time worked out to keep things moving along (at least in my view).

OH! More loots, Victor wants more loots. :)

The portions of the adventure have been really well done, yet this does suffer from some plot holes IMO. I do understand as a PC I have little idea what is going on behind the scenes and I am sure later books will make things much clearer.

Other than that I am having a blast!

I like the loot tracker. It means less hoarding. Those pipes of the sewers made a world of difference during the battle against Nox.

It seems like Book 1 restricted us from seeing much of the city- I wonder if that was by design, or nothing interesting was happening in the city. I suspect later books will have bigger events so we can explore more.

During the week we have time to complete 3 activities. It felt like purchasing items was one of them. Did I get that right?

Anyway, I'm interested in what will happen next. We have a budding resistance force but we haven't done much with them. We're mostly limited by funds, and we can't upgrade teams yet.

Your suspicions are correct. Each book sort of has a preset list of "areas of interest," and those are generally the areas you will see throughout that adventure. It doesn't mean you can't go to other places, but that most of the events in that book will be constrained to that list.

I felt I was adlibbing a few of the rules for the activity phase. Purchasing items does not require a full activity to complete, but other than working and gathering information, I wasn't sure what else to have you spend the week doing. A few weeks in, the rumor list was exhausted, so I'd create either rumors that would reflect upon word of your successes spreading throughout Kintargo. The idea was to make you aware that each of your efforts, small or large, matter in the overall progression of your rebellion.

The weekly phases continues throughout most of the AP, but the missions become broader in scope. New NPCs are introduced, and old ones firm up their ties. There's a section, though short, outside of Kintargo. Your favorite oppressor becomes even more oppressive. And there's potentially a more strategic hideout than a coffee shop basement.

I've enjoyed it so far, Red.

Ad-libbing some rumors the way you have been is a great idea. Maybe that's a way to bring a little foreshadowing of future events, encounters, places, etc. Sometimes the boards have suggestions for that. I've been avoiding all things Hell's Rebels, so I'm not sure if such threads exist for this AP.

I've enjoyed it as well. I appreciate the extra effort you've made to flesh things out with ad-libbed rumors and the like because I could easily see a group just proceeding through most of this book in a very mechanical fashion, just ticking tasks off but otherwise not really engaging in the world or story that much. Through past experience I've discovered that I have a harder time really getting into and enjoying games that are sandbox in nature or have major sandbox components so the extra touches to help keep us in touch with our 'grand mission' - the rebellion - have really made a difference for me :)

By the way, we started this AP exactly 9 months ago to the day on October 4th, 2017 so that's 9 months to clear the first Book. Not bad, guys! :)

Leveling up? Ding.

Forgot to respond to your knowledge checks, but will do so with my next update.

Oh, and yes, you are now Level 4.

Woohoo!

I should be able to get Geoff leveled up by tomorrow evening.

BTW, were we able to return to the Wasp's Nest undetected?

That'll be in my next update, so I guess you'll find out! :)

I know how to level up Issil, but I don't know when our characters actually level up. A good night's rest?

Hopefully down in the dungeon as I've got Victor 99% leveled.. just need to decide on that spell.

Unless there's a rule about leveling up that I don't know about, you've reached the required XP, so you can level up immediately.

Issil suddenly grows stronger on the spot!

Working today so I'll try and get Morv leveled tonight when I get home :)

So it comes down to Vanish or Shocking grasp. Both scale (basically) and both aren't any good on wand vs say shield.

Shocking grasp I can maybe really KO someone in an ambush or Vanish I can... RUN AWAY!

I couldn't really find another great option for a spell that I get to cast 1x/day per two rogue levels. I can't imagine I'd be casting vanish that frequently, more like once a day maybe. But a good opener could be used a lot.

As far as the level up stuff... gained lots of skill points. Decided to max out appraise so now I can take 10 on our loots. Maybe even take the unchained rogue skill boost to it at lvl 5 for fun and something different.

I haven't bothered too much with diplo and UMD yet. Keeping linguistics capped for the forgery aspect which I hope to embellish on soon.

I should mention an aspect about my Covetous Curse:

At 5th level, you gain a +4 insight bonus on Appraise checks, Spellcraft checks to identify magic items, and Use Magic Device checks.

So when I suddenly get a lot better at Appraisal on level 5, you'll know why.

Should I drop the appraisal thing then for you to handle? Or is that not going to be something you'll keep on top of with your limited skill ranks.

I plan to gain +3 Appraise every 4 levels. This isn't a class skill and I have +1 Int. Except I'm really behind on adding skill points, so I only have a +3.

Next level I'll be at +7, and I will put at least 1 rank. So I'll be between +8 and +10 at level 5.

Ok I'll drop down and just have Victor assist you in appraising things. I've got lots of other skill options that could use the boost instead. Maybe he should just give you the MW appraisal tools then once you out pace his ability.

I'm just tying off some loose ends before we actually start Book 2, so if you haven't leveled up yet, no worries. You've got time!

With permission from the group, Morv would like to take one each of the scrolls of Air Bubble and Identify from the loot list and attempt to scribe them to her spellbook. She'll also try to scribe that scroll of Whispering Wind she's been carrying about for ages that I keep forgetting about >.>

I also think the list needs to be updated a bit as Padraig used a couple of the scrolls in battle that the sheet lists him as holding, such as the Cause Fear and Dispel Magic scrolls.

Copy those scrolls!

I'm going to go ahead and make my spell-copying rolls here before I forget; feel free to fit them in at some point within the next day or two as appropriate GM!

Whispering Wind (Spellcraft DC 17): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Identify (Spellcraft DC 16): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11
Air Bubble (Spellcraft DC 16; Conjuration Bonus): 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 10 + 2 = 21

Whispering Wind and Air Bubble successfully written into Morvena's spellbook. Failure on Identify; must wait 1 week to try again but failure doesn't expend the scroll at least! Total cost: 50 gp.

Just remember you can always take 10 on those checks. I think most casters that have full ranks in spellcraft can/will since you won't fail.

Ah yes, I always forget that Take 10 is a thing. In that case, Morvena would succeed at all of those checks and bumps the total gold cost to 60gp; 40 for a 2nd level spell and 10 each for the two 1st level spells.

After shopping, we should focus on Earning Gold and maybe Supporters.

Agreed with Issil. Since our treasury is depleted we should focus on Earning Gold and (maybe) Upgrading our Supporters.

GM Red: Are we able to donate excess Loot recovered to the Treasury?

Yes. During each Upkeep Phase, any officer can deposit or withdraw from the Ravens' treasury.