Even fully armed and armored, I think this battle may have been too much without tactical consideration.
It is obvious that CaveToad plays the NPC's as smart. This was evident from the goats attacking at the shore line.
We simply can't afford to assume we can rush in and quickly dispatch any enemy with a sudden frontal assault. Our ranged combat and healing are both extremely limited, at least for a little while yet.
I would suggest a tactical withdrawal, but we have split our group.
Assuming everyone is alive, pick a corner, and move into it so we can cover each other's flanks.
Anyone else notice the irony from our previous battle with these skellies? In the other room we blocked them so we could gang up on them one at a time...
I don't want people rolling new characters. Sure if you total party wipe, but that is far from happening. The group is perhaps somewhat at a disadvantage against undead, as Aury's arrows won't do much, and many of Sly's spells or powers won't work, and Grub has been smushed in the dungeon due to size, but definitely tactics will help and buffing spells and the like. These skeletons are intelligent and not mindless and as Shaeyl mentioned will play it smart and they learn quickly.
The addition of Goivan ups your combat prowess against undead, and I think once you are all able to make a combined effort you will probably overwhelm them, but it has been a little disjointed so far.
I think the tide could turn, as your group is ultimately more flexible than the skeletons, and you do have healing. It may be a matter of attrition to some extent, but there are things that would help even the odds.
I think the group has very flexible and focused characters, I wouldn't write them off yet.
Well the problem is that I just don't like the character I'm playing, it's not just this battle or this dungeon. Even if we survive this and get to things I'm not 100% useless against, I don't feel like I'm going to contribute in any meaningful way for many levels. Mostly right now I'm just a container for healing spells, and I could even be doing that better as a different character.
Archery might be viable in other campaigns, but I feel I will only lag behind even further in the future, damage-wise. In a world where everyone can get TWF and good strength or massive class damage boosts from sneak attack or otherwise, archery just isn't that good. Even worse as a small character with 10 strength. That's not a role I will ever really be good at, and especially not for a long time.
Bard is just not fulfilling. Every post is just 'I continue my song' or 'I heal people'. There's only so many ways you can say that. And doing the comparison of 'how much is my +1/+1 helping people' over 'what if I could actually help contribute to combat though' isn't great feeling.
Wizard - sure, someday it will be useful. Someday. But not really today. And 1 out of 3 classes feeling useful isn't great.
It's hard to stay motivated when you're not looking forward to the future of the character, because I made silly decisions creating it. I'm not a drain on the party, but I sure as heck could be doing more interesting things as a different character, contributing more and actually enjoying making choices in combat.
Are we paused or lost players?
For some reason I can't find the send private message on Aury's page...
Goivan said he was returning on Wednesday, so that's accounted for. You said sly posted he was sick on an alt, but that was February 11th. He might be missing, or very very sick (if so, I hope he gets better). We probably shouldn't wait on him for turns.
Grub posted on Friday, so he's probably floating around somewhere? Might have just missed that it was his turn.
I returned last Wednesday. As far as I can tell we're waiting on Grub's action.
Ah whoops! Guess I got that mixed up, last week was rough.
I did have a question though Goivan. You have two numbers next to HP in your little stat bar, which one means what? I was curious
Any number in brackets [like this] are statistics while raging.
Okay that's what I thought, I just got confused since only one was updated (but that's probably for the best, in cases of having one at like -2 and the other at like 6 would be confusing anyway)
Yeah, as long as I keep track of how much is missing I just move it over when I'm done. Basically just laziness on my part :P
I should probably move my stuff over from the google sheet I made to paizo, since nobody ever uses it haha.
Edit: There we go
Ok we haven't heard from Grub or Sly. I will try to move the battle along, while you have taken a beating, you are making progress. I will bot Grub for this round.
After the battle and possibly the dungeon we can make some decisions about the table and characters.
I do have some short term plans.
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Hi All. My brother is playing Sly and hasn't abandoned the game. Unfortunately he is in the ICU with pneumonia. Been sick for 18 days and probably has 3 weeks of respiratory rehab before he gets back home. Maybe able to play before that but no promises. So sorry we couldn't let you know earlier - he was on a ventilator and heavily sedated. Hope the game is going well and be back in touch soon.
Oh geez! I hope he gets better soon :(
Thanks for the heads up. Hope he makes a recovery.
So sorry! Wasn't expecting to be healed until after the fight, so I didn't check back.
Just a heads up, I may do a semi-merge of group 7 with this group also, perhaps for short term. With Sly's temporary absence you are still down one member. Group 7 is only at 3, so combined that puts it a smidge high, but I think workable. I don't want to overlap too much, but I think the two groups could work well, and push on towards bigger targets. There is the overall goal yet to take down one of the advancing giant raider groups.
let me know your opinions. After the fight and dungeon we can consider some options.
I'm just worried about posting rate. I'd already like for the rate to be higher, I'm worried about having 7-8 people slowing it down even more.
Another option suggested was to just recruit new people or allow players from other tables to roll up a second character for a different table. I am not sure if I want to allow that or not.
I second the notion that more players would probably slow down the posting rate.
Perhaps you could pull some people from your other tables to fill that one out?
It's been many months since the first recruitment, I'm willing to bet there would be at least 2 people around willing to create characters and fill that party.
Sorry, I also had pneumonia last week, but managed to stay out of the hospital myself.
One or two more with known ability to post regularly would be nice, whether from a waiting list or a secondary from another table. (I kinda like that idea and would be willing to make a secondary for table 7 too)
Rough time for our players :(
Where do you live? It hasn't been too cold where I am, so I'm just surprised that pneumonia is happening to everybody
I just want to be able to post the multiple times a day, extra players may make that more possible out of combat, but I am also very wary of experiencing more several month long dungeons. If merging the groups/adding people is decided, could we figure out some way to speed up in round-by-round posting?
I think one thing that may speed up play for small things that sometimes seem to delay play for hours or days is to have a designated 'leader' or spokesperson for certain mundane tasks. Or at least have a specialist who can speak for the group for certain things. For example, the group can decide that its ok for one person to decide the direction they will travel in the dungeon, rather than waiting for everyone to chime in. Or if they reach a door, to assume that once the party 'trap guy' has checked it they will proceed. Perhaps having a few canned actions for common scenarios ahead of time is good. Part of it is that I could perhaps assume logical steps are taken by your characters who, in general, are reasonably intelligent and wise. I just want to make sure players can get their actions in, rather than dragging you through the story assuming everything you do.
I much prefer the GM that logically assumes the very smart trap guy will be checking doors and other obvious trap locales rather than the one that assumes a player's forgetfulness equates to character stupidity.
I'm also perfectly happy with the GM making the occasional perception check instead of waiting for everyone to type a round of dice rolls.
I can take charge if you wish. I'm both a face and a trap checker, as well as a tough frontliner. I'd have no problem with somebody else taking it or the GM making some rolls though.
No reason we cant rotate it either, keep anyone player from becoming marginalized.
Hey that's a good idea! Same for me on everything others said.
FYI, the group game forms disappeared from view again.
The master thread?
seems like it is fixed. I think a post in gameplay/recruitment is needed, not just discussion. Not sure.
Haven't seen Grub in a bit, maybe I will bot his attack to get the battle finished here. Maybe the skeleton can take someone with him though....
Everyone will get 1500 Xp (tweaked slightly based on challenge and me botting some PCs for portions) for the battle will which will level you to 3rd level. Goivan, you come with a different tally from your table, I will reflect that in the header info.
In order to level, you will need to rest and reflect in a reasonably safe spot for several hours, probably over a camp cycle to regain abilities. The dungeon is probably reasonably safe at this point despite, one remaining area unexplored.
Take the weekend to level up and work on your characters and let me know when ready to roll forward.
Before you head off for the weekend, any word on me switching up characters once the level up rest occurs? I can definitely have it finished before then.
To others: Thinking a barbarian/oracle/warder. Tanky, out of combat healy, both things I think we could do well with.
Considering how brutal that fight was and how low on resources we are now, I suggest we go to rest as soon as possible.
Aury, shoot me an email with your new proposed character. I know you had suggested Barbarian/Fighter/Oracle. Just make sure that it works out well party synergy wise, and what the group loses by losing Aury and if there will be any particular overlap with the new character. I would still level Aury up, since you aren't out of the dungeon yet, and the new character wouldn't show up for a bit. The new character is still one of Goodwin's children and is just assumed to be with the other NPCs back at the fort, but there may have been a group or two out foraying as well.
I can work out the story portion well enough I guess.
The new character can also start at 3rd I guess. I don't want to set too much precedent for people remaking, but I'm fine with it once in a blue moon.
Have done so.
If anybody wants to go over my character, feel free. I'll take suggestions or advice, or if anyone wants to work together any kind of backstory between characters.
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=746550
Two-handed weapon build, Barbarian/Oracle/Warder, going for a tanky character. Life oracle, so that will help fill that healing void we have, though in-combat healing probably isn't the best use of anyone's actions. Very good out of combat heals though.
Invulnerable rager + warder to survive and take hits so you guys can set up your flanks and sneak attacks, I'll focus on big single hits with vital strike and AoOs. Make sure no one bothers anyone who's hurt or in the back casting.
Later on, Psion when psionics are introduced.
We're losing a bit of buff from bardic performance, and will have very little ranged until we can all get bows as backups, but even then the new character will probably do more with bows than this one will. The tactician share teamwork feats aren't a massive loss in my opinion. Maybe in the future one of us can buy a couple levels in Tactician fighter to get it back, if it ends up being a problem.
With a wizard and witch already, I don't think lack of Aury's wizarding abilities are too much of a loss.
I'll move it over to an alias once I'm sure I've remembered to note everything down and calculate correctly.
Other question:
How much money do we have for our special item purchases by now? Can they be used to change the material of the weapon (cold iron, silver, adamantine etc)
Nevermind, I found the revised MCP and FPP signature item rules.
Sorry for vanishing so much. I'll get Grub leveled up as soon as I can!
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Well, at level 4 I'll be able to bring people back from the dead.
Strike that, I just won't have that many uses of lay on hands by level 4.
A vaguely useful ability I suppose
That'll be a big help. If you want to get it quickly, you could take Extra Lay on Hands twice, at fifth and sixth level, giving you a total of 11 uses, which is enough for it. Then again, you'll probably be able to get an enhancement bonus to charisma by then.
Also, speaking of sixth level, if anyone can get immunity to the sickened condition by then, I'd encourage it.
I'll probably take 1 extra lay on hands. That will give me the ability to use it at level 9. With an enhancement bonus I might get it earlier.
I could take the sickened mercy instead of fatigued, but a raging paladin that can remove fatigue sounds terrifying. Why do you ask?
Fatigued is probably the best for you by a large margin, yeah. At level 5 my replacement character will be immune to fatigue
I don't really know any ways to get sickened immunity, save from maybe being a paladin, if it counts as a 'disease' effect or something.
Are you going to have a sicken aura or something, Grub?
Does sickened count as a diseased effect? I don't think so. If so then I'm immune to it as soon as we level up.
I don't think they universally count as diseased, but I think some of them do.
Anyone interested in using some of our bounty in feats on teamwork feats?
Anything specific in mind? I can probably squeeze one in if others can fit it
Considering how many feats we were given at level 1, I could probably make it work.
Escape route is still a good one, and has no prereqs. Extend the Bulwark would be a good way for Goivan and my replacement character Kalora to boost everyone else's AC once we have armor. Lookout for good initiative? Those are pretty simple for Cavetoad to work with as well. Escape route is all on our end, Bulwark is just a 'adjacent allies gain +X AC at all times', and lookout is only relevant at the beginning.
Oh Shaeyl, this technically isn't a teamwork feat, but you should consider getting Butterfly Sting sometime.
You won't lose too much damage, since a lot of it will be sneak attack, right? Goivan would benefit a lot because of Smite Evil, and my replacement character would benefit a lot simply because of big weapons and lots of damage dice. Unfortunately Butterfly Sting needs combat expertise.
Edit:
Actually Goivan you're probably sticking with light armor because of rogue, aren't you? Bulwark not as useful, but still pretty decent. I'll probably be in medium, then heavy at 10 when I can ignore penalties to movement from armor, or whenever mithral armor is affordable.