Okay had a couldn't sleep moment last night and I remembered Aster got an ability from her praying earlier.
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You gain the ability to touch a creature and provide healing while alleviating them of an effect, similar to a paladin's mercy ability. For the next 24 hours, you can touch someone to heal them 1d6 hit points, and immediately provide the effects of either a liberating command spell, or a dispel magic spell. The dispel magic spell only functions to dispel enchantments. You may use this a number of times equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier. You can use this ability on yourself.
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The "The dispel magic spell only functions to dispel enchantments." bit is the only part that might not work, right?
That's a great idea and I'm glad you remembered it. However, unfortunately, Blindness/Deafness is a necromantic effect.
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Just to mention this, since I haven't before (or I don't remember it, which means it never happened), GM Fox, I don't know if it's the AP or you, but the ambience and the environment here are magnificently varied and complex, and your descriptions are great. Go you!
Hostile terrain is something that's really hard to GM (from my experience playing sci-fi games), and so far it's been pretty hostile!
Thank you! That's very high praise. I actually needed to take a moment to let that sink in. Thank you
I've rewritten this entire adventure except for the fact that it's underwater, there's a village that needs to be rescued, and Menotheguro is a wizard Aboleth. The gaping chasm and the wrecked ship are mostly the same as well, although the differences end regarding what's inside both of them. I kept that set of descriptions pretty much the same. This is by far the most alteration I've done to any of my pre-written adventures.
I really like hostile terrain, and ideally I try to incorporate it into my encounters. 5e has done some of this with their 'Lair Actions', I felt like the rushing current was a great way of showcasing it, and the webbing was something I came up with over time. I watched a lot of videos about the diving bell spider. Super creepy.
I must say I find it a bit overwhelming for a group of level 6 characters, and that is also probably why we received so many gifts, and NPCs to accompany us?
Being underwater is a tremendous strain on resources, then we have simultaneously Perception (I assume we did not notice the web in time to react at all?), then Dex (Acrobatics DC20) which is not easy at all for most members of the group, then Str (swim), then entangled vs an opponent which is in its environment.
Again the gifts, but not really our own resources, will help here. But it still seems there are good chances several of us (if not all) risk failing at least one of these.
Ederion likes challenges though, so let’s get cracking. Will have a post up as soon as I can.
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I love it! unless we die and then I'll only like it.
This part of the adventure path was written for a group of four level 7s. I definitely went above that, so I wanted to provide the extra help. You're also low on gear, so that made me more concerned. I do want you to feel like you're a bit strapped for cash, such that you have to pick and choose what you fund (your strength, or your rebellion), but not quite to this level.
The perception check was to notice the bag, and the swim check was to grab it before being swept down. It was a nice little cash/utility grab.
Oh yeah, especially in this encounter I fully expect the possibility of the entire group getting entangled. While that would suck, I still fully believe that you can defeat this foe. Now that I think of it, it would have been so nasty to give it 10ft reach. I'm not that mean.
New slide for the map. We're using Slide 4 now
Aster's Bless is going to subside after this fight. After each fight, I'm going to roll % to see if Aster's Endure Elements spell wears off for Aster. I'm thinking 10%+1 for each fight
Rexandi, if you choose to wear that intelligent ring, let me know how guarded you are towards it. What I mean by that is, are you willing to let it establish a bond with you? And if so, what kind?
For instance, do you want it to be able to read your emotions? To read your surface thoughts? To read your memories like a book? To see and feel through your senses? What would be too uncomfortable/risky? Would you want to be able to do the same with it?
Oh, Rexandi is going to spend a little time just researching the ring and thinking about what to do with it first. Might even try to hunt down someone with an identify spell later for more insight.
Underwater Eyeball Bowling!
Get your indie band names 'ere!
Pardon me, this d&d game is currently buffering XD I've been putting off making the enemies for too long. I'm working on them right now
All good? Anyone have questions or are confused about what's happening?
Wait another round? To be sure.
I think we're not clear (or I'm not clear) whether they've discovered us, or are we simply in initiative to move tactically around them.
Yeah. Not sure if I'm supposed to do something or wait.
Oh okay, I see where I messed up. Thanks for letting me know.
I think I'll change it up a bit to make things a little more understandable.
The voice, is it coming from the south or east?
South
Ooof. Spell (or spell-like) crits are bad. Tasha can definitely take one more hit (Thanks to a trick up my sleeve), but a second one is probably out of the question.
I was originally planning to use my Improved Overrun to go in to their juicy center, but as I'll be horribly outflanked and low on HP, that's going to have to wait. Hopefully the dwarf bites it, though, and someone can move through.
To be fair, those dwarves have to roll an 18+ in order to hit you. It's the spellcasters that are the scary part.
Sadly I don't think I can see around the corner to target anything!
Oof. Was about to suggest that I can use my Armoured Sacrifice ability to protect Bazzle from that hit, but he swam away.
I was in range for 3 hits. A 5 foot step I hoped was cutting down on people targeting me. Long-range I was looking forward to flanking on my next turn.
I'll bot a bit later today. Time for this battle to wrap up
Thanks for the update, Bazzle. Much appreciated.
Aster, has your Bless ended by now? I've forgotten if you recast it just before the fight.
Yes, before the fight. I'm pretty sure, but I will double check after a meeting.
Oh. Didn't quite notice that they look combatantish. In that regard, Tasha will probably argue that they ought to be convinced to help, given her own background in being Skummed.
It would be really hard to tell the different between an unconscious mermaid expert, and an unconscious mermaid bard.
I put that discussion in there because I figured it was something you guys hadn't considered, and both Rillia and Mother Khali are smart enough to consider it, especially since they would know the mermaids.
I'm going to be updating the map soon. I decided to draw the whole thing out on a piece of graph paper, ink it, and make it look a little bit old school. Definitely different from my usual style. I hope you guys don't mind using that.
Nothing's really changed from the original map design, but it is from a 2D bird's eye view, so we don't get the luxury of using depth. Though I'm trying to shy away from it anyways.
I have seen a lot of people use top down maps and rotate them and squish them down to make pseudo-isometric maps.
If that sort of approach was utilized we could simply use the draw feature to indicated which square we are "above" by the linking arrow.
I'm not really sure I understand what you mean, Bazzle. Are you able to link my an example?
I will try to find one. Its just people using gimp or photoshop 2 dimensionally alter flat maps for limited isometric feel.
This one is for use with Roll20 but it hits the idea. And isn't a half hour.
Thanks for finding that for me, Bazzle. That's really cool, and I've never seen such a technique used before. I'm not sure if I'm going to use it, but I'm very curious.
Slide 5 is where our map is. I'll post the whole map for your curiosity once we've finished the dungeon.
The tunnel is a perfect 5ft circumference on all sides. Because of its circular nature and the ability to swim above or below, I've reasoned that two small creatures can occupy the same 'square', and don't need to treat moving past medium creatures as difficult terrain.
Just to add, if that changes anything, I did target my attack at the yellow mermaid, rather than the ogre, since we'd want to get everyone in here as quickly as possible, and she's blocking the entrance.
Sorry, I misunderstood your target. I thought the big hag you were referring to was the ogre.
Heh, I did shout at the hag, though I wanted to turn around and attack the mermaid. My bad there, should've been clearer!
THANK YOU TREASURE!!!
I gotchu. Thanks for the quick retcon.
My posts take a long time for me to write, so I'm less inclined to retcon things that I've already spent a long time writing about. But since you brought it up before I had even read it, I just went about my day ahead of schedule.
You beat me to it, Rexandi
Hey guys, apologies for the delays on my end - over the last two days got hit pretty hard by high fever and some other messed up symptoms.
In current times... It causes some apprehension on top of the sickness itself. Trying to get back at it, if I can.
Thanks for letting us know, Ederion. I hope you recover swiftly.
Technically we were waiting for you, but in reality the vast majority of my lack of posts isn't because we're waiting on someone, but because I just haven't gotten around to it just yet.
Hey GM, can I, uhhh...
Take another point of damage from the spell, please? Or can I use my Armoured Sacrifice to prevent myself from being brought down TO 0 for this one time?
That was brutal Tasha...
Fox, this guy cast three spells in one round? :O
@Tasha, I'm going to say no this time around. While the ability doesn't differentiate between attacks and spells, I don't see this spell really being mitigated by your ability. I think you'll have other opportunities to use Armoured Sacrifice in this fight.
@Ederion, yes, I'm breaking a lot of rules with this guy. Technically it's a quickened hex, a warpriest-like self buff, and a regular spell, but yes he's insanely powerful and flexible with his capabilities. It's not fair of me to say you guys have done anything wrong, because you're just going about this the best way you can with the knowledge and abilities you have available, but from my bird's eye view here, you guys have taken one of the hardest paths through this dungeon. Death is absolutely on the table. The good news is: With great risk comes great reward.
That's okay, I was just checking - was that the same beam of light spell that was used previously?