Phased combat may work well in real time play, but I don't see it working in this format without dragging the game. I'm also getting the feeling that there are too many house rules (that document has 96 pages!) and it's really affecting my enjoyment of play because I'm never certain how I'm supposed to play my character anymore, there are just too many additional layers - the setting itself, the conversion to Pathfinder, mythic, gestalt, optional systems, house rules.
I think it will speed things up because I can post the monster's actions and keep going, right now I feel like I'm waiting for players to post their actions in a trickle before I can react. I already know what I want the enemies to do but they're being held up by it taking days for people to post their actions. I'm open to other suggestions to deal with this issue.
Also, I'm not really sure what the plan is here.
You've created a whole where the captive can be rescued, or some of the weaker morlocks picked off as hostages, but everyone is continuing to just lob bombs.
You've done very well in the surprise round, but that isn't going to work as a general tactic. You haven't seen their full capabilities yet, nor are some of these strategies going to function in more confined dungeon areas. I just want to encourage people to start thinking strategically.
Lobbing bombs here until there are 1 or 2 to question seems to be the most prudent approach for this particular combat. Not sure who has the capability to fly or levitate to save the captive but I figure if we lay waste to all but 1 the captive will likely be saved by virtue of there being no foes left to attempt to slay him.
As far as combat goes any way you want to run it is fine by me DM, once a format is agreed upon I'll read and follow the agreed upon procedure.
I have a question for players using arcane magic - are you attempting to disguise that in any way?
I know there are checks that can be made to disguise it but at the present moment Pak is not doing so no.
I think you don't need to wait for Canaan's since she will be waiting for them to come to her.
Phased combat may work well in real time play, but I don't see it working in this format without dragging the game. I'm also getting the feeling that there are too many house rules (that document has 96 pages!) and it's really affecting my enjoyment of play because I'm never certain how I'm supposed to play my character anymore, there are just too many additional layers - the setting itself, the conversion to Pathfinder, mythic, gestalt, optional systems, house rules.
We're really just discussing phased combat -- the other stuff was already assumed based on the rules outline for the campaign in recruitment. Most of that 96 pages is material for stamina and combat tricks -- that's a sub system that everyone doesn't have to use, it's basically like grit or insight for fighters, and I'll mostly be using it for NPC fighters.
Here's an example of what I'm imagining for combat:
Narrative description of actions...
I think you're primarily able to take advantage of it, but anyone who can make a ranged attack, from my understanding of the rules, can do so.
reactions count towards you actions -- an attack of opportunity is a free action, so in that case you would have 3 AP and a free action AOO. In other cases, the reaction would count however many AP the reaction counted.
Yeah, that's what I was hoping for; movement ap as normal
EDIT: and any reactions too.
That’s a lot to type on the phone (what I’m usually on). I can try...but that’s a lot of tapping, especially when the action is “Not moving. If we are shot at, Readied Action Mythic Point for Featherfall.”
I think you're counting the surprise round as the first round. There was a surprise round, where only the characters got to act. Now we're in 'Round One', where both the characters and NPCs act.
That’s a lot to type on the phone (what I’m usually on). I can try...but that’s a lot of tapping, especially when the action is “Not moving. If we are shot at, Readied Action Mythic Point for Featherfall.”
Could you at least put the actions in ooc text and what phase there in? You don't really need to type the whole list, I just want a clear designation of which phase each action happened in, and have that in a schematic way so I can figure out all the interactions of different effects at the end of the round.
Hey guys, this last week of work was crazy, comes with construction holiday. Now I'm on vacation and it's suppose to rain all week so staycation for me and proper posting.
I did another pass at a map of Raam HERE
Just to update everyone, we're down to 8 players, all only from the Athasian party -- only the NPCs are left from the Arcana Evolved Party, so that's probably going to recede in significance since I don't even have any PCs playing from that group anymore.
Back from my trip, still catching up.
Should be done tomorrow.
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I've been on a visit with family but will update soon. Came up with some really interesting ideas for the next couple of scenes in the last few days too.
Hello all. FYI that I'm going to be away on a trip starting Tuesday, July 31 through Thursday, August 2. I'll likely be posting for part of Tuesday and Thursday and only really be fully out Wednesday.
Feel free to bot as necessary.
Thanks!
Sorry guys, I'm totally wiped out from working the weekend shift; I'll try to get something up tomorrow.
I will be away Thursday August 3 to Tuesday August 7, please BOT me. Thank you!
Okay, I just updated a lot.
Kethe and Taalik both have a lot to read, please make sure you don't miss your spoilers.
My assumption is that everyone's going to get on the chariot and ride it on down to the fort, where you'll have an opportunity to parlay with the devourers (I mean, you can keep fighting if you want, but I assume there's a limit to how long everyone wants to do this -- I'm trying to direct things back towards social conflict and a trap/puzzle section now).
Our new player is the bound figure, he's going to join up with you there.
Ran out of time to respond to the last 7 posts, please BOT me. Thanks.
Friends,
Could Kethe pleeze indicate if she's using the chariot to move down to the fort, and could everyone else post briefly if they're going along with that plan. Thankyee kindly.
I would go along with the plan.
Yup! Let’s close in.
Let's give it another day for others to weigh in on if they want to fight or talk, and we'll start combat up again if that's the drift -- I guess Malkaer can just sit it out if he doesn't want to participate.
I'm hoping Taalik and Canaan will post soon so they can have some input into the party's direction
I'll give Taalik a chance to post, but Rokan will be pushing for not hearing about this new ally and taking passage only.
@Taalik and Jaf'ar, are you two still there?
Diplomacy FTW!
I'm not having the NPCs interrogate the devourer because I'm trying to let the characters take the lead, but I'm a little surprised by the lack of curiosity of certain elements -- like who these 'serpent spiders' are, who the morlocks are and how they relate to the intellect devourers, what/where are these 'Thinking Towers', what is the 'Aerie', and why is this mysterious figures its 'Master', etc. etc. etc., this is supposed to give you an opportunity to get closer to what's going on in Kalidnay -- there is a specific reason Kalid-Ma woke up that you can discover if you're persistent enough, but it's not going to be dumped in your lap if you don't ask the right questions when given an opportunity!
In Malkaer’s mind, they were all killing each other a minute ago. If the foe-turned-maybe-friend doesn’t betray them, then curiosity can be assuaged. Right now everyone has been ready to go back to murdering at the slightest provocation. Not the best time for a chat
very well, as long as it's an intentional choice
Right, it seems a bit abrupt to let down our guard and casually chat after what they just witnessed, especially after dropping a 10-ton brick on half of them :)
That's fine -- I'm not going to force anyone to do anything, I just wanted to make it clear it might be possible to learn more.
One of the big criticisms I read of the Paizo APs is there's a lot of pointless background detail that's really more for the audience of pleasure readers who buy them for the story, not to run them.
I just try to create opportunities for the back story to come out if characters want to engage with that. This isn't the last opportunity.
I'm going to let a few other people post -- I'm also hoping Taalik will post again, and then I'll detail another level of the complex that they take you to.
Just to clarify, what is our current position in relation to the intellect devourers and the morlock party? Kethe would have guided the chariot towards the latter, where are the devourers positioned in relation to that? Or do we not see them? Did the morlocks have any reaction to our sudden descent in their midst?
The intellect devourers are in the same place as the bodies of the morlocks -- at the front of the cliff where the fortress is on the map. They entered the bodies of the dead morlock sorcerer, the knight, and the steed. They then all turned invisible, but you know they're in that general area.
The rest of the morlocks are either in the towers or huddling close by, waiting to see what their leaders will do.
Messieurs and mesdames, we appear to have slowed precipitously -- are people on vacation, do you want the story to take a different direction, etc. I'm trying to also figure out if I need to reopen the recruitment thread, as it is a little unclear who is actually still playing.
On my end, I’ve got a newborn at home. Got to sleep at 6am last night. While that isn’t usual, I’m on 4 hours of sleep a day. I’m still digesting the last post. So I’m certainly here, but I’m not at 100% right now.
Still here. I may have to relax Rokan's hostility and consider engaging the "hostiles". He was having trust issues.
Still here. I may have to relax Rokan's hostility and consider engaging the "hostiles". He was having trust issues.
Busy plus trust issues for Pak, I am on board enjoying immensely :-)
And, just to be clear, I hope no one mistakes the intellect devouerer's rude behavior for my own -- I fully realize there are a lot of details in this campaign and that people are playing multiple campaigns as well, and over a long time, and it's easier for me to keep up with it bc it's my story. I'm just role-playing the reminders/clarifications in the voice of an unpleasant character, but I don't mind at all repeating or clarifying issues as they come up.