Trying this out makes good sense to me. I've been looking at the PF2e rules, and the Exploration Mode rules is one of the better sections of the playtest material.
I noted that the playtest rules have Defending giving one an opportunity to raise a shield, which is similar to having an increased AC. However, an initiative bonus makes more sense. Someone selecting Defending would seem to on a form of overwatch, ready to move quickly if combat breaks out.
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Couple more things relating to this...
1. Defense option will not provide additional bonuses to search but will provide the group with a +1 Initiative Bonus (yes, the entire group).
2. Alex (and anyone else) may maintain detect magic (assuming you have the option) to add a +2 to the search for hidden things, specifically for magic targets.
3. Chui, as the normal scout you will set the pace (speed). Please make sure to mention the speed you wish to use when I mention we are moving on. If you do not provide one, I will use the default of 150 ft.
4. The rest of the group, excluding whoever is acting as scout, should post what option they are taking or list a default in your character sheet for me to reference.
If we find this works, that is good. If not, we will see where we go.
As for 2E, I'm still digging in so I can't say what is good or what is bad. The exploration mode thing is interesting so far, and since it seems to help one of the issues I've run into as a GM, I figured I'd see how it worked in this format.
Hmm i put defend as a default and it should be under my name like rage and hero points
How does this look:
Current Exploration Speed - 150 ft./minute
Chui - Scouting (not attempting to mix Stealth and Search, +12 Perception (additional +4 for conversation/concealed objects and +2 for hidden magical targets))
Bam - Defending (+1 Initiative bonus to group)
Alex - Detect Magic (+2 to search for hidden magical targets)
Harmini - Investigating (150 ft/minute is half her normal movement, using Knowledge (x) as needed)
Does Harmini need to specify which Knowledge she is using, or can it be assumed that she'll automatically chose the relevant Knowledge for the current situation?
Detect Magic doesn't seem to add much, just +2 for hidden magical targets, while if Alex were an additional searcher, she'd provide a +2 to all Chui's search rolls.
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Does Harmini need to specify which Knowledge she is using, or can it be assumed that she'll automatically chose the relevant Knowledge for the current situation?
Detect Magic doesn't seem to add much, just +2 for hidden magical targets, while if Alex were an additional searcher, she'd provide a +2 to all Chui's search rolls.
No, this works out with the way I was looking at knowledge anyways, so she does not have to say which one she is using.
As for Detect Magic, I thought it would go without saying but it will also allow the group to notice MAGIC things, which Chui cannot see no matter how high his perception is.
One more question, if Chuis is NOT mixing stealth and search, what's his stealth status, none at all?
As for Detect Magic, I thought it would go without saying but it will also allow the group to notice MAGIC things, which Chui cannot see no matter how high his perception is.
OK, this makes sense, though Chui can disable (and thus presumably find) magical traps due to the Trap Finder trait. Magical "things" which aren't traps would be something else again.
Lights are all good now. Thanks much.
About how much game time did the last two "dungeons" (the Tomb of Akhentepi and the House of Pentheru) take?
I skimmed the Gameplay posts, and it seemed we moved fairly briskly, an hour or so at most and certainly under two. Does this sound right?
I'm asking because Chui is thinking of drinking his Potion of Darkvision which has a three hour duration.
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Drinking it now would make sense to me. We will need you to scout stuff out and not being a moving light source will definitely help not being seen. This will also help us get a drop on the Scorched Hand since they are three humans and a half elf and they will need light. Whatever room they are in will be easier to spot if you can walk around in the dark.
OK, I'm going to hold off on the potion for a little bit. It looks like we're initially heading into the above ground portion of the Sanctum. Is it totally dark inside where we're about to enter or dim light?
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OK, I'm going to hold off on the potion for a little bit. It looks like we're initially heading into the above ground portion of the Sanctum. Is it totally dark inside where we're about to enter or dim light?
The building is windowless but the entrance is open (there are no doors) so that section has light but beyond that who knows.
Are we potentially going to have some map edge of the world problems if this fight spills outside? There is only one row of square below the stairs. Will it be impossible to move south (?) of that (assuming the bottom of map is south)?
Also, could Chui use his climb speed AND acrobatics to move to the square to the NE of him, attempting to avoid AOOs as he does so?
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If I can get a good formation from those jackals Harmini could tell me to close in and cast an acidic Burning Hands. Its 3d4+3 acid damage which I think is worth it, but I would be getting within melee range of one of them at least.
Alex should probably save her spell slots for something bigger. A cantrip should do the trick here. Have you considered Disrupt Undead or Ray of Frost? Acid Splash is a bit redundant since you can modify spell energy types to acid with your Elemental bloodline arcana imho.
Chui should also be able to pick off the last one or two with 3 attacks.
Bam gets to save his rage.
I'd like to think a little about our Exploration Mode/march order. Here are two options, each of which is slightly different from what we're currently doing. I'd like to try option 1 while we're in areas with some light. If/when we get to a dark area, then Chui can drink his Potion of Darkvision, and we can shift to option 2.
Option 1) This keeps our current speed and brings Bam up beside Chui. It gives up on Stealth but gets us more combat power at the front.
Chui and Bam side by side and Alex and Harmini are 10 ft. behind them.
Exploration Speed - 150 ft./minute
Chui - Scouting (not attempting to mix Stealth and Search, +12 Perception (additional +4 for conversation/concealed objects and +2 for hidden magical targets))
Bam - Defending (+1 Initiative bonus to group)
Alex - Detect Magic (+2 to search for hidden magical targets)
Harmini - Investigating (150 ft/minute is half her normal movement, using Knowledge (x) as needed)
Option 2) This drops our speed and keeps Chui up front, but with a better stealth chance. Our search doesn't change because the slower speed cancels out the penalty to search for mixing stealth and scouting.
Chui is 20 ft. ahead of Bam and Alex and Harmini are directly behind Bam
Exploration Speed – 100 ft./minute
Chui - Scouting (mixing Stealth and Search, +11 Stealth and +12 Perception (additional +4 for conversation/concealed objects and +2 for hidden magical targets))
Bam - Defending (+1 Initiative bonus to group)
Alex - Detect Magic (+2 to search for hidden magical targets)
Harmini - Investigating (100 ft/minute is half her normal movement, using Knowledge (x) as needed)
OK, let's try option 1 - the heavy, non-stealth approach for a bit.
I've two major reasons why Chui would check back with the others before initiating combat, one in-character and one out of character as a player.
In-character: Yes, Chui likes his violence, though perhaps not quite as much as he did before I removed his Cruelty drawback However, he does think of himself as tactically-minded. He wouldn't mindlessly initiate combat out of some sense of blood lust. Chui does want to beat the crap out of the zombies (though he'd prefer something a little tastier), but he wants to do so in a more-or-less intelligent manner, and this involves making the others aware of what's ahead.
Out-of-character as a player: Unless/until I have a clear and explicit statement from the other three players that it's OK for me to initiate combat with Chui without consulting them, I'm going to ask before initiating combat. I think that's been my approach all along (though I don't have time to go back and check over all the combats that we've started).
If you folks give me/Chui clear and explicit permission to initiate combat based on my/his judgement, I'm happy to go that way, and I do agree it might move things along more quickly.
Test. Having trouble posting.
The Paizo website was in the crapper much of yesterday.
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Fair enough. In the spirit of moving things along...
In-character: Chui is welcome to believe whatever he likes about himself :). However, based on Harmini's recent experiences with Chui in combat, she knows that he's got a lot to learn tactically and she needs to be wary of his recklessness.
Out-of-character: While exploring dungeons, unless previously discussed (ex: Velriana), Chui has my explicit permission to instigate combat as he sees fit. There's no need for Harmini to respond in game, I assure you, she is ready. Once combat begins, it'll be easy enough to defer to Harmini's tactical advice as I've mentioned before (-10 Perception DC to hear the sounds of combat).
Now, I'm sure the zombies are quaking with antici...
You can pick a fight whenevers clever chui
Thoughts from Bill?
Also to be clear, giving me/Chui this permission does not mean that Chui is going to start a combat all on his own every time he has the opportunity. For example, if Chui had seen a couple of mummies up ahead instead of 2-3 zombies, he would most definitely not have initiated combat without informing and consulting the others.
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Glad everyone is having fun but it seems that the desire to Meta is getting to great.
From now on all Perception, Disable Device, Sense Motive and other such checks where knowing the dice roll will affect how you act, will be made in secret by the GM. In addition, I will no longer use vague terms for telling you what you know. Either there are traps or there are not traps.
Honestly I didn't want to take it to this level but that was dangerously close to metagaming for me to ignore. It does completely cross the line but it is kind of close.
The same holds for Alex and the holy symbol. I was willing to let it slide until you posted that you did it because of something that has no involvement in this game and does not involve Alex.
Sorry.
A couple of things:
1) Apologies if I misunderstood what Chui was seeing. I was under the impression that the blood trail begin around the area of the gate since there was no evidence of blood in the room beyond the gate. I was basing Chui's second look for traps entirely on this visual evidence of something bad and bloody having happened in and around the area of the gate. If there was no such visual evidence, then I never would have had Chui attempt a second perception check.
2) Where are we with the holy symbols of Nethys? If we don't know of their protective value, then I'm of course totally on board with us not putting them on.
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Dude, posted that to comment on how it was funny that it worked out the way that it did. Not to rub it in your face. As I said in the beginning of my post, I got everyone a holy symbol when we where going to this temple because I thought it was respectful in the
eyes of my god. I god, let me remind you, I did not pick. Matt built my backstory as a Nethys worshipper and I liked this backstory. Thanks again for making it Matt, it was a good one. If we were going to a temple of a god that I did not worship, I would not have done this.
When I originally passed them out 2-3 months ago I told everyone why I was doing it, it reminded me of my buddy taking me to temple for his Bar Mitzvah. Also when I passed them out I commented on how the Scorched Hand wanted worshipper with them and how that might mean something. Hypaxes mentioned that see wanted me on the team because I worshiped Nethys.
Did the fact that I had recently been killed by this exact thing pushed me to insist that Harmini put it on after we fought the thugs that ambushed us? Definitely. That’s when old Franklin died. But I had already passed them out at that point. When Harmini said she didn’t want to, I dropped the issue.
I personally dont care as the only thing bambara does is defend and smash things. No thought neesed there and bambara is a jenius
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Oh the gate comes down? That's a neat little Indiana Jones-ish trap. A group would put the scout in the front and they would get locked on the other side of the gate. Unlocking the gate might be difficult if there is a rock man beating you up. Suffice to say, that could have been very bad.
I'd rather the gate not lock itself again after we have all pasted it because that blocks our only known escape. If possible I'd like us to work on gate so lets put our heads together.
A question about this gate: how is it closing? Is this more of a fancy elevator gate or does it fall from the ceiling and land on the floor? While we shouldn't split up with a wall monster roaming around, we could unlock the gate and then go back to my mule and get a Block and Tackle to secure the gate. Maybe wedging pitons from a climbing kit could keep it from moving. I'd love to hear other ideas.
The one thing I don't want to do is break or bend parts of the gate or use some of the furniture to keep it open. From what I understand about Wally from Harmini, who can of course correct me if I'm wrong, that thing was a building elemental and wreaking his building seems to be like asking from more trouble. The statue also might no like us attacking his god's temple and join in the fun.
Whats everyone thinking?
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A question for this game and then a question about Pathfinder in general.
When I am assisting Chui when he uses Disable Device, if I fail am I imposing a penalty instead or was me getting in the way an RP element?
Now for a question about pathfinder in general. If you trying to unlock a lock you have already unlocked, does that do anything mechanically? A lock is a puzzle and puzzles get easier once you have already solved them but does that translate to an ancient lock?
In Strange Aeons there will be a situation where the players will be backtracking through a locked hallway and the haunted gate will re-lock itself once the players leave the hall. Would I give them a flat +2 circumstance bonus? Should the bonuses stack with every successful check?
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RAW says there is no penalty if you fail to assist and I go with that. The getting in the way was more an RP thing. He would have failed even without you failing to assist, I just colored it up. I don't apply penalties for failing to assist unless there is a reason for it (as in its in the book).
As for it getting easier, to the best of my knowledge there is no RAW mechanic on this either. I won't be giving a bonus on it personally, but it is your game, your rules. Just apply them fairly and equally to players and NPCs.
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You were the one that was foretold. The prophesied child who would be born of the seventh son of the seventh son on a second moon of the seventh month. Your entrance into this world was serenaded by angels and everyone in a nearby gambling hall simultaneously flopping a 5 card straight. Your childhood was blessed by Nivi Rhombodazzle herself. We all eagerly await your grand destiny when someday, at some blessed moment you will roll above an 11.
We await the coming of the 12.
You were the one that was foretold. The prophesied child who would be born of the seventh son of the seventh son on a second moon of the seventh month. Your entrance into this world was serenaded by angels and everyone in a nearby gambling hall simultaneously flopping a 5 card straight. Your childhood was blessed by Nivi Rhombodazzle herself. We all eagerly await your grand destiny when someday, at some blessed moment you will roll above an 11.
We await the coming of the 12.
You mean I am the GREG!?!?!