A-ha. The word 'war' raises certain expectations, heh, but I'm sure war will happen sooner or later. Haven't had the time to dig into it (yet) thanks to some RL crap :)
Thank you!
Huh, sorry, yeah I completely missed that post. As GM Zek mentioned it is a very heavy political intrigue. It reminds me a lot of Hell's Rebels but on the opposite spectrum. As opposed to starting a clandestine rebellion you are working within the existing political system (to some degree) to change things.
Also as GM Zek noted, it is heavy on the RP side compared to most APs, one of the reasons I think that PbP would be an excellent format.
That sounds very interesting. I immediately envisioned a Martin Luther-esque priest, but I'll have to check out the player's guide first to see if such a, eh, *ahem* reformer would fit the story.
And nice. I've mostly played the older APs and their playstyle seems to be all over the place. It feels like Paizo nowadays has a better grip on the game modes they introduce in APs.
The one I'm in has been a lot of fun so far. From what I've seen, I'm confident you'd have a good time in the one Celia (Dak) is going to be GM'ing.
Sorry for my sporadic posting. Been dealing with a car that quit on me last Wednesday and still trying to make it to work regularly. Have to wait until tomorrow before I can potentially get a new (read: used) car.
Thank you for the update, Gregor. I've missed seeing your posts. I hope your car trouble gets worked out soon. That's never fun. Keep us in the loop. : )
Brrr, that sounds hellish. Good luck.
I'm monitoring the gameplay thread, but it appears everyone's still discussing what the plan should be. Let me know once you've reached a consensus.
In the interest of not splitting the party in case there's something interesting that happens here.
We could have a few of us all don disguises.
Matiscio could pose as a gardner.
Gilda could pose as a maid.
Gregor could be a guard investigating a disturbance.
Celia and Evander could be attending a social event.
Folks just happen to be passing by the Aulorian about the same time - in earshot of one another.
Celia and Evander could decide to take a detour for a little "romance" and both of them could use invisibility and fly to bypass the low grounds and head to the window and knock on it. We could potentially get a potion of gaseous form, or Celia could scribe and prepare it... it couldn't hurt to have it as an option.
Gilda, Matiscio and Gregor could be in the general area where Gregor feigns to stop us and ask us some questions. If we hear any trouble, Gilda can use her fly spell to at least bring one more of us to bear on the trouble. We could potentially pick up some more scrolls to have handy as Gregor could read invisibility scrolls and Gilda can read fly scrolls - and having that flexibility never hurts either.
Ha, I'm down with that. Subtlety over stealth. Matiscio is a terrible liar, so the more believable his disguise and assumed role, the better. I do think we should have someone take a look at the area first just so we know of some sewer entrances for a hasty escape or an empty mansion to spend a night in to let things cool down.
Note I'll be traveling all over for Thanksgiving so may be difficult to post between today and Friday.
Thank you for the heads up, Gilda.
While we're on the subject, this is Thanksgiving week here in the US, so I expect posting to be a bit slower in general. Hopefully we can get some good posts in today and tomorrow still, but I don't expect everyone to be able to post Thursday and the weekend. That said, if most folks are able to post, I'll do my best to push us forward. If not, let's plan to resume our normal posting expectations by next Monday.
I'm traveling for Thanksgiving as well, starting tomorrow. I'll have my phone with me, but no guarantees of availability.
Added my codename in my little stat block that shows under my name, like Gregor had done. May be worth everyone adding theirs for quick reference.
No favors come to mind directly, unless we just want to cash in for some coin. She is down to 116 so scribing more scrolls will start to become more difficult. Also, if we want to get funds for me to start working on making some wondrous items for people that is an option.
Yeah, I feel like we may potentially be better served by cashing in favors if/when we get stuck with a task that may be harder to perform without said favors. Though, I also agree with getting a little coin too. A lot of our recent missions have been fairly light on the funding we need for a rebellion.
What about fixing Marquel's hand? Are we looking at a Regeneration spell?
Yep, Regenerate.
One thing we haven't really talked about (because it hasn't been particularly necessary) is what you want your door opening protocol to be. That is, when you come to a door of a location you're infiltrating, that's new to you, or that you're just suspicious of in general, what precautions do you want to take before trying to open it? Things such as a Perception check, Detect Magic, etc.
While it hasn't been needed yet, it will be necessary in the future, so if we can come up with a standard protocol, that should make things easier (so I can take care of the rolls and results all at once to speed things along). So let me know what you want that protocol to include so we can go ahead and have the detailed worked out. Thanks!
Here's my rough take on it. Feel free to add, adjust and or remove as you see fit:
-Pause, acclimatize to the surroundings and listen.
-Check for traps using perception, tools and - if possible, detect magic & poison.
-Listen through a/the door and or walls (time to bring along some shot glasses?).
When we come to a door, we should take the time to look over the door and check for traps or anything else. So, when we come to a door the order should be:
1. Perception check for traps, and another to listen to see if we hear anything on the other side of the door.
2. If we hear nothing, then someone casts detect magic to see if there are any magical auras either on the door or on the other side of the door.
3. If the door is locked, we use Disable Device to open the lock. I get an inspiration die on all Disable Device checks, and do not have to spend inspiration to do so.
Once the door is unlocked, Matiscio goes through the door first, followed by me, then Celia, Gilda, and Gregor, who can cover us at range.
Does that sound good to everyone?
Sounds good to me.
Is everyone going to try Perception or just Evander and/or Gregor? It would probably be good to limit the number of rolls just for practicality's sake. And do you want to default to Evander for the Disable Device check for mechanical traps and Gregor for magical traps, if a check is necessary (since Gregor has trapfinding)?
Also, do you want to do anything special or extra if you don't detect or notice a trap, but do detect a magical aura coming from the door?
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On another topic, in case you didn't know, Christmas and New Year's are coming up soon. At the risk of things coming to halt, I'm going to try to generally be more flexible when it comes to posting on a daily basis for the next couple weeks. I'll be heading out of town myself in a couple days. If most folks are able to post on a given day, I definitely plan to reciprocate, but I know that's probably not realistically going to happen every day at this time of year.
With that in mind, I'm going to hold off on updating us for another day to give others a chance to chime in. The conversation is pretty free form, so feel free to do some back and forth on ideas, plans, etc.
As far as Celia is concerned, if she was to detect magic specifically on a door, but no trap was found, she would likely want to summon an unseen servant to open the door while the group took cover.
As for our semi-downtime in game, how long do we have? If we can pool some resources I can work on getting us more scrolls ready. I'm currently down to 116 gold which is only enough for 4 lvl 1 scrolls or 1 lvl 2 scroll. If we have enough time, might be worth cashing in one or more favors for the gold so we can do some crafting. Also, if people need Handy Haversacks or other wondrous items I can work on crafting those instead.
On the posting front, I should be good most days to get a post in, aside for possibly Christmas day itself. Most of the family lives nearby so the holidays generally consist of us staying at home. As such, usually not too many issues with still getting a post in daily.
I sadly have very little to offer in the way of trapfinding or abilities that circumvent direct harm in the case we do find one, but can't disable it. On that note: does any of us have the ability to find and disable magic traps per the rogue ability?
Matiscio will use the downtown to relax (as good as one can during these times), train and get reacquainted with Jaya, and work on his poker face.
On another note, I'm busy putting together the rules and setting for my very own game here on the Paizo forums based in and around Zhentil Keep. Yes, the players will be part of the Black Network in one way or another, and the coin-loving morally ambiguous will surely prosper. Zhentil Keep is the ancient home of the Zhentarim, a big 'n evil organization that terrorizes the Forgotten Realms.
The hope is that I can put up a recruitment thread during or just after Christmas, and I'll be sure to drop a link to said thread in here for those interested :)
Gilda will always being actively employing Perception in all rooms and all doors. With heightened awareness up, which it would be in all practical scenarios, she has +17 Perception which should be good for trap-finding and other things.
The holidays will definitely take a dent out of my posting (they have already) but I'll do my best to sneak in time throughout.
Gregor has both Trapfinding and Detect Magic (as well as a +12 Perception [w/+2 more in Kintargo] and a +9 Spellcraft) He's available for both types of trap checking. Secondly, as you can only assist with something if you are capable of doing it yourself, he can always Aid Another on Evander's Disable checks as well. The first two he can do from a ranged spot in the rear, but will need to be beside Evander to help disable.
There was some item goal I thought I was working toward, but don't remember at the moment, so Gregor doesn't disagree with a cash in for coin to help with operating costs.
As for holidays, I will be a little inactive during, as there is travel involved, but I'll post when I'm able.
Alright, so Perception checks for everyone. Detect Magic and Poison from Celia and/or Gilda. (Do y'all normally plan to prepare Detect Poison?)
Then Gregor Disable Device for magical traps, Evander Disable Device for non-magical traps, with Gregor aiding Evander when relevant.
Perception checks for everyone again to listen for anything beyond the door.
If you detect magic, but not traps, Celia will cast Unseen Servant and have that open the door while everyone stands back.
Marching order when opening doors is Matiscio, Evander, Celia, Gilda, and Gregor.
Did I miss anything? I'm going to add the finished process to one of my google docs for the campaign, so I want to make sure it's as complete as possible.
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As far as downtime, Celia, I think we'll go with one week (7 days). So if y'all want to coordinate on what to build, buy, etc. that'll hopefully give you an idea of what's realistic. You can still build/buy, etc. after that time, of course, you just, for instance, probably wouldn't be able to get a full day's work in on crafting a wondrous item in a single in-game day.
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Thank you for the updates on the holiday plans, folks. They're definitely helpful. I'll probably mostly be playing it by ear on posting, but should most likely be able to post when needed.
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I'm intrigued by the campaign, Matiscio. Look forward to reading the recruitment thread!
It has my approval! ;)
And other than family obligations and dinners, I won't be going anywhere over x-mas. Might have a day or two that are so busy I won't get to posting, but no days on end.
And thank you, I'm surprised by the lack of Forgotten Realms / Faerun campaigns on these forums!
And thank you, I'm surprised by the lack of Forgotten Realms / Faerun campaigns on these forums!
Well, it is the Pathfinder forums :D. Joking aside, it does sound intriguing though. I can't speak for everyone, but I felt a little burnt by D&D and their IPs when it felt like they were just money grabbing, switching rule sets so often. I have a feeling a lot of Pathfinder players may feel the same way. If that is the case, that may explain why you don't see a lot of games in those settings on the boards here.
I absolutely despised 4th edition and am not a big fan of 5th edition's take on the setting, but 4th edition is what made me and most of my RL friends walk away from Wizards of the Coast's Faerun products.
Still, there are only so many Paizo APs out there and if I have to be honest, Golarion isn't exactly a stellar setting. It feels like a carefully constructed theme park for Paizo's APs and whoever designed the Gods needs to be smacked.
I've always had a love for Kenzer & Co's Kingdoms of Kalamar, which strives to be a realistic fantasy setting (ha!), but they stopped producing new content for it back in 2008 when 4th edition came around. The setting's attention to detail suckered me in good and, unlike most other settings, they did the Gods just right by making them intangible divine beings who don't have one unified church, but are worshipped under different names by all people. So yes, every god has many different churches *and* cults, just the way I like it.
Of course, that's just my opinion =P
Yup, 4E is where they lost me. I started in 3, then moved onto 3.5, and then 4E came out of nowhere and, as you noted, was not great. In any case, looking forward to your recruitment when it is ready.
I don't think I've heard the term 'theme park' used to describe Golarion, but it's an apt description. While many of Paizo's APs are excellent, the overall world is lacking some in the cohesion department. I can't say much about other settings, as I'm honestly not familiar with much outside of the Inner Sea Region setting.
Here's the prototype for the door-opening protocol based on what we've discussed. Let me know if I should adjust anything. Thank you!
*+14 in Kintargo
Detect Magic & Detect Poison (w/explanations as needed)
(for magical traps)
(for mechanical traps)
If you detect magic, but not traps, Celia will cast Unseen Servant and have that open the door while everyone stands back.
Marching order when opening doors is Matiscio, Evander, Celia, Gilda, and Gregor
I'd say that's perfect. Also ...
It's a bit of a mess and I'll take some time over the weekend to add some structure to it. Got to separate the lore and the crunch plus add a brief description of what the game will actually be about (hint: working your way up the totem pole of the Black Network by doing all kinds of jobs, missions and personal undertakings for wealth and power).
Any and all feedback is welcome :)
Looks good to me.
The document looks really good and professionally made, Matiscio. The main suggestion I would give is to be sure to reread it a couple times for typos and grammar. You want to give a good first impression with prospective players. : )
Will do and thank you! It's just something I threw together on a lazy morning and as such, is missing any and all structure. Structure, grammar, and style usually have to wait a little *grins*
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours, everyone! Hope y'all have a great day.
Happy Holidays everyone! Merry Christmas to those celebrating today.
Happy holidays, and Merry Christmas.
I'm slowly awakening from a food coma :'D happy holidays!
In hindsight, I probably should have just put the campaign on 'pause' till after New Year's. But in lieu of that, I'll just be updating things a lot slower than usual till after then.
On another note...
In my continuing efforts to improve/upgrade how I GM the campaign, I wanted to see how everyone feels about saving throws.
I've seen very successful GMs (namely DM Fang Dragon, among others, I'm sure) roll saving throws for players rather than have them roll for themselves. I didn't initially do this as I wanted players to have as much say regarding their characters' actions and fates as possible. The higher level we get, though, the more I realize that not doing so may be making things harder rather than easier, mostly because I suspect some people don't want to act until they know whether or not another character will succeed or fail at their save. Particularly when it comes to compulsion or domination effects, I could see that being a big issue.
Anyway, I mention the above to see if folks would be open to and/or prefer to have me roll saving throws for them in most cases. There may be some exceptions, but in combat scenarios I would make most saving throw rolls, the idea being that doing so would make it easier for folks to decide how they want to act for the next round. Hopefully people wouldn't have to wait as much to see what others do.
Keep in mind that if we switch, it'll be even more important that your character profile and quick stats are up-to-date. Conditional bonuses and other such things will be especially important to have clearly noted. So... all of that said, do y'all prefer our current method or a method where I roll saves for you?
I think saving throws are a pretty safe bet for the GM to roll. They are a reactive roll rather than an interactive roll, so aside from characters that have special abilities that allow them re-rolls or similar, I don't see any issue with it. As a PbP GM I myself have been hesitant to do that as well. It's the whole "part of the fun is rolling the dice" thing, but I've started to feel that keeping a good pace and forward moment for PbP adds more to the fun than waiting for the players to roll a save here and there. In any case, I'm ok either way so whatever works best for the group.
As for downtime, the two options I see or possibly a mix of both would be;
1) We cash in one or more favors for some coin and do some crafting and/or resupplying.
2) We spend some time doing a "mission" like what one the teams would do to find a safe house/clear out a sewer/etc.
I am fine with DMs rolling saves and I am especially fine with DMs rolling saves when it speeds up the game. Some systems turn your saves into a defense statistic so that the attacker checks get to against it. It makes the game go faster as a result.
And yeah, these days are always a bit weird. Been trying to cobble together my own campaign, but somehow, even with all this free time, there are still way too many distractions and timesinks that keep me from completing it ;x
I don't mind you rolling the saves. I had been told many times by the players in my games to just go ahead and do it.
As for downtime, Gregor (nor I) really have anything he wanted to do. If anything he would most likely find some form of connection with the Hellknights, and probably try interacting with a more regimented group like them more often.
Definitely have the GM roll saves. I typically roll them in a spoiler alphabetically - it speeds up the game quite a bit, since sometimes players actions will depend on made/missed saves.
It sounds like most folks are open to me rolling saves. Unless Evander has some grave concerns, I'll start making saving throws as needed in future combats. And yes, Gilda, I try to do checks in alphabetical order by first name when it's a group check (like Initiative or Perception). If it's just a check that affects less than the entire group, I would roll it in the order that's most appropriate (such as in the order the enemies cast their spells).
Just to reiterate: it's really important that your quick stats be up-to-date, so please review them (particularly your saving throw modifiers) when you have time. I don't think anyone currently has the ability to completely reroll a saving throw, so that should make things a bit easier.
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On the topic of the week of downtime: it sounds like you want to put the Fushi sisters to work, and probably most of the other rebellion teams as well.
As Celia mentioned in her post above, do you want to try doing a 'mission' yourselves or spend the time crafting stuff? Or you can mostly abstain, as Gregor suggested. Crafting would probably be mostly carried out by Celia anyway.
I'll need specifics either way, so please give details as needed. For instance, how many favors do you want to redeem for gold if you decide to do some crafting? What do you plan to try crafting? Or if you want to do a mission, what mission do you want to do?
I’m fine with the GM rolling saving throws.
Sorry for the lack of posts - my travels for the holidays were busier than I though they would be after some car troubles Thursday night.
No worries, Evander. It's just that time of year. Most of my campaigns have had significantly slower posting rates (if not non-existent posting rates) for the past couple weeks. We'll get back into the swing of things next year. : )