I used to believe that everyone needed to be in the spotlight and take the lead in their moment. But in truth, there are plenty of people who prefer a more supportive playstyle, who don't want to be front and center. It's not just about posting rate, but about player personality and playstyle. We're not all leaders or thespians, and I believe that's totally fine.
Your point is so well-taken that I argued this in some GM advice that I wrote last year for a game book, that game pacing should be less about spotlighting everyone in rotation and more about figuring out what kind of participation each player wants and then giving them the opportunities to engage in the way that they enjoy. (I like playing support roles.)
I assume I heard the put 'er on ice comment.
Is there anything to suggest the tiefling is not with the rat catchers.
As the latecomer to this game, Vandomir was built as a support character, and not intended to take the spotlight, so don't worry about him, or me, taking offense to being anything other than your +1 at the dance.
Thanks Rexandi. I'm a mix myself. I'll play any role
My ideal set up is one leader type, one semi-leader type, and the rest are supportive/audience-y. The semi-leader is important to challenge the leader.
I'm not sure if you did, Bazzle. You're pretty out of the way to hear it. If a fireball goes off, you'd hear it for sure, but I don't know about much less.
Though it's not uncommon to find a Tiefling in the sewers (hey, that's racist), you do know that there are two Tieflings in the Rat Catchers. Voren, the enchanter, and Zoren, the thief. They're not related, just unfortunately named similarly.
I believe that peace talks have broken down, so Vandomir elevated the conversation.
Aster tried!
I think given the circumstance Bazzle would Blast first and feel bad later.
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I think given the circumstance Bazzle would Blast first and feel bad later.
Vandomir’s thought as well
Hey guys, I want to apologize for my absence and lack of pace. I've been having a rough patch for the last 3-4 days. I'll try to get a map up and keep moving soon, but the map is definitely going to be pretty bare-bones.
No problem!
Do what you gotta do!
That's alright Fox! Take your time. Happy to be playing with you guys, still very glad to have been invited :)
Thanks guys! I'm almost done the map! It's uhhh, well it'll get the job done
I keep forgetting to buy a decent ranged weapon!
A light/heavy crossbow would probably work for you.
@Vandomir, you can now destroy the section of the Ice Wall
The first 31 points didn’t break through?
I was mistaken, Vandomir. I thought you had posted out of turn, but I had actually forgotten about you. I'm sorry that happened.
Ok, cool.
The first he dodged with evasion, since you targeted the floor. The second was a direct hit, but he still takes 5 off due to resistance.
Yep I hate him.
He's literally you, but a Tiefling, and a level higher, and evil. He doesn't throw bombs, though.
Do you guys need more roleplay time, or would you like to half-orc to wake up from Rexandi's hex?
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I haven't forgotten your question, Aster. I think it's time we talk about the Rat Catchers.
The Rat Catchers were certainly a diverse group with various motives, but only two were non-evil. Very difficult to justify their actions, but to their point of view, it's probably little worse than doing a dungeon crawl.
I reread the conversation you had with Sumak, and I interpreted it as an intimidation. I didn't roll anything, just considered the circumstances from their point of view. They've been through tons of hardships in their pasts, and the way they overcame them was with ruthlessness. I didn't think they'd back away from a fight so easily, and they don't really care if the others fall, as long as they can slip away themselves. While you were justified in believing your party could handle them, I felt like this tactic was a boast, and when they tried to call your bluff (which wasn't actually a bluff), they perished.
I thought about if there were ways to peacefully deal with the situation.
- I didn't think an appeal to morality would work. These guys don't consider Skritt to be people. I don't think a speech would change that.
- I do think that bribery would be on the table. They are in it for the money (well most of them). I don't think it'd be cheap, but it could work.
- I think a clever swindling could work. Perhaps you could've played them against their employers (Thrune/Dottari). Perhaps you could've played them against each other.
- I think intimidation is possible, but something striking like ambushing them in the night. Finding and intimidating their friends or family.
- Or possibly, making their trek through the sewers so unbelievably hazardous and expensive that they simply give up. That one's a bit on the farfetched end of things, but historically it worked wonders.
Those are my thoughts around the Rat Catcher's decision to attack.
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Very sound logic. Sometimes things are not possible. Aster did try, in the best way she was comfortable with and that I thought would work. Since we as a groupd were in disagreement on whether to try it or not, I didn't want the others thinking I sabotaged it by not rolling. Hence the question.
On a side note though, I am not an expert on intimation and never would be. Thankfully I think. If there is a more crucial time where my RP tactic would take away our chance of success, could Aster roll a secret sense motive?
I think a sense motive check would be appropriate, though only in cases where the tactic would not succeed regardless of a die roll. I think it's fair to have a check like that in such circumstances. The DC would probably be determined by how much information is readily available.
So if we were to redo that talk between you and Sumak, you would make your post, and then I would offer a sense motive check to reveal that this group would not be intimidated in this manner. Since you already knew a decent amount about the group, the DC would be lower. Getting a hunch is DC 20, but in this instance, I might lower it to 15-12. Upon success, Aster could retract that post as if she hadn't said anything, and could potentially try a different angle.
This new way of going about it is important, because we will have situations kind of like this in the future. Namely banquets with rich people. Does this feel like a good way of going about it, to you?
Yes sir, that would work perfectly. Thanks for considering and allowing.
I thought we were going to the Rock Trolls thing next (from the Task List) - maybe I'm missing something? :)
Right.
Yep, unless anyone wants to go after one of the others. We were coming back up to rest and see if anyone else knew anything about rock trolls. That was before Rexi rolled well .
We can definitely do trolls. Rexandi learned that you have to cut out a rock troll's heart and submerge it in water. Cold damage is the key element, and sunder attacks and bleed damage are useful. Are you prepared for that?
no :) Create water is covered so we can submerge hearts. Cold damage it pobably our weak point. New spell purchasing for Rexi.
You'll want a barrel or something to hold the water while you submerge the heart. It takes a little while.
A barrel full of troll hearts sound awesome
I try to have some interesting ideas =)
no :) Create water is covered so we can submerge hearts. Cold damage it pobably our weak point. New spell purchasing for Rexi.
I can't learn spells like that unless I get the water dragon skin grafted to my body.
What about snowball? That's just a level one, isn't it? I think witches get it.
No, I mean, I literally cannot learn spells in that way. As a ley line guardian witch, I use spells like a sorcerer. Typically I can only learn a new spell by gaining a level. I can bypass that by using the water dragon skin (which was made for this purpose, but comes with a ton of built-in squick factor) or a magic item like a page of spell knowledge.
OH! That makes sense. Same problem as Aster. Spontaneous casting is great unless you need to tool up to fight rock trolls.
We can get some wands of ray of frost just to deal with them once we put them down - assuming you guys have it on your spell lists or can UMD it?
Ray of frost isn't on my spell list, and I don't have UMD. I'd have to use something like a scroll of icicle dagger or snowball.
No ray of frost on the oracle spell list and Aster is untrained in UMD.
There is liquid ice
https://www.aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Liquid%20ice
Is it in Vandomir’s spell list maybe? :/
There is liquid ice
https://www.aonprd.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Liquid%20ice
This link didn't work for me but I think I found it here.
Its a DC 25 Alchemy to make.
With our resident alchemists help I think we can make it. ??
No ranks in alchemy here. This seems like a foe for which the party is uniquely unsuited. :(
Nisha to the rescue!
Bazzle hit a 23 so if he had Nisha's help that would get us to the DC. Assuming the DM is cool with that alchemical item.
We'll probably need more than one.