Cool. Thanks.
@Blackacre - Did you mean healing surge, like from 4e? We're not using those.
Nah. What's 4e? ;P
Sorry for the confusion. I am using my inquisitor's judgment class feature, specifically the "destruction" (+5 to damage) and "healing" (fast healing 5) judgments. The bonuses normally +3 at level 9, but I am using my Judgment Surge feat to increase my effective level to 12 for purposes of the class feature.
In any case, if the healing judgment is not cool with you, I am happy to use something else, as there are several good options.
Oh, no, great choice. I had seen you use that feat before, I just didn't remember. Thanks.
Umm, I know it's towards the end... But.
You spell caster types have any buffs/debuffs to help a melee guy out?
I have lightning bolt. That's like a debuff, right?
;P
Plan on having Caromarc make a knowledge arcana/engineering/.craft alchemy roll to know about alchemical golems.
Sad thing is how damn close I came to getting a Scarab of Golembane.
Sandru is a living scarab of golembane.
@Caromarc - Regarding Elspeth, I suppose she's not under the effect of the shadow form spell right now? If that's the case, then she took 4 cold damage from the bomb. (I also moved her on the map to indicate where she fell out of the Manservant).
@Caromarc - 'Both' Elspeths are in the splash radius. Elspeth (shadow projection, in statue at F-12) statue takes no damage due to the statue's hardness of 8. If Elspeth's body (which was in MM, and would be at H-14) takes damage (which seems possible similar to magic jar), it takes 4 cold damage.
Aha! Done.
Sorry about this... I never thought they'd both be in play at once.
Network: you okay if Caromarc yells out of turn (and while summoning?)
Sure.
Sorry guys,
feel free to go ahead, I just don't see Caromarc giving up hope that Hareton might go good. He's a bit stupid like that.
Don't know his AC.
Yikes! :)
Will be away from computer for a moment. Will post response to Ianez's post soon.
Cool. I wasn't expecting anything immediate, I just knew I was up next and wanted to keep things moving.
*Laughs*
Much ado about nothing, as one could say. ^^
Still, this was a fun post to write. I have wanted to write a post-Shadow Sibling summoning spell for a long while now.
On another note, this has been a pretty epic battle.
Oh damn, just now realized my mistake with the positioning... sorry, Network.
*Edit* I have now changed La Siréene's post so it better fits with where you placed the Void Creature on the battle mat.
Forget Urgathoa, it's the dice that are cruel. I enjoyed the summoning. Quite okay. :)
Thanks Ianez for posting, and it would be great if everyone can also do a wrap-up post regarding the end of the adventure please (which I assume you'd do anyway, but just for clarity sake then it will be officially completed).
Then, I will post at length my thanks to all of you, and thoughts about the campaign and stuff. :)
Wow - can't believe it's over! Been a wild year!
Great story Network - and fantastic GMing! I loved the images and the music, and I've emulated some of your techniques (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - right?)
La Siréene, Ianez, Sandru, Blackacre and Quinn - it has been a pleasure playing with you all!
Er, at the risk of being pushy, are you planning on running another game or a sequel Network?
I know! I knew it was coming, but today I've been a little down. It's like I just sent a kid off to college or something, lol. :)
Thank you very much. I'm glad to be part of GMing resource-share. :) I am complimented. You guys have taught me many things about GMing too and helped me develop my skills.
I don't take your question as pushy. I'm pleased you'd ask. My creative well is depleted after this adventure, so I have to recharge my batteries before coming up with new material or running another game. I outlined the story, and what we ended up playing was some pre-structured, and a bit on the fly. A big undertaking for me, and I have some other life things that need attention now. But I'll definitely run more games in the future. Maybe first I'll try playing a PC on these boards in a game, just to switch things up and see it from that side of things.
I have more thoughts I'll write after everyone does their final posts. But I will say I feel really, really lucky that the stars aligned and I got such six amazing and perfect players for this game to come together...and stay together all this time...as this adventuring party and breathe life into this story and completely rock it. It's been an incredible, memorable experience. I can't begin to say how grateful I am for your time, commitment, patience, and creativity. I know most everyone had other major events happen in their lives while we played this game, and so please know I appreciate it even more because of that too.
I remembered today that Agnes can't walk, and later I said she stood up. Blooper moment. :P
Sorry it has taken me a while to post - it seemed like I could never get in the right mindset this weekend, and this is no time for a two-liner.
I would echo everything Caromarc just said - this has been an amazing, highly enjoyable game. It seems like it has come in what was an eventful year for all of us (it certainly has been for me).
Everything about this game - the story, our GM, all of the additional elements of flavor like the music and images, and everyone's play has been spectacular. It has been a great pleasure playing with you all, and I hope to play with each (or all) of you again in the future.
ed. - Due to the unstable arcane energy of that evening, plus ectoplasmic/psychic residue on the Olivia's Heart pendant, the replacement into the Manservant's chest resulted in...not Olivia (well, Olivia is there, just not where expected)...but a surprise reappearance!* :)
* cross-reference fight with the gargoyles.
Quinn – You joined our adventure a short ways into it, and we were really fortunate for your addition to the party. Thank you for allowing me to write you into the story with Hergelund - a relationship that provided many good plot points. I admire how you and Blackacre both played lawful good characters that were unique in their own way, e.g. in your case, Quinn’s guilenessness. For me, one of the most memorable moments of the campaign regarding your PC was his battle in the hallway of the Salon with Paige Carlisle. Quinn’s ability to go from chivalrous to official cop ‘taking down a perp’ was well-written. I wish Acrietia had been around a bit longer, but you probably wouldn't have liked her, lol. Damage was impressive, and you rocked the Zen archer. "Kill-shot Quinn, ftw!"
Blackacre – My thanks for playing the inquisitor class and so entertainingly! You created a dark horse character that, I don’t mean to speak for everyone, but I'd say he became sort of a fan favorite. You also introduced Volst, who ended up being a great story tie-in for Act 4. As the campaign proceeded, I kept in the back of my mind how Blackacre and Volst played off each other. Where Hareton was usually serious, it was nice to have Volst who we could write with a dose of comedy. The Volst--hand--forehead scene was quite memorable, and another moment that stands out to me was when you blasted the frost drake. You were a great team player tactically in battle (flanking, close combat with Harbinger, etc.) My thanks for being such a valuable member of the party, and thanks for letting the medusas petrify you. :)
Ianez – You rocked a bard. And you rocked the archaeologist archetype. Some of everything - damage, knowledge checks, utility. Your PC was the gentle force in the background always maintaining his cool, offering encouragement, and nudging the party forward. Thank you for letting me sacrifice Ianez's poor relatives, that was a great springboard for the opening zombie scene. A couple memorable scenes for me were the zombie infection, your excellent uses of the shatter spell, and of course the Osirion pharoah (an unexpected, yet perfect subplot resolution...I choked up). Your characterization of the scholarly-advisor type is one of those things you think about for stories, but don't really 'get' until someone writes it with such imagination and depth and it comes alive. You made some great choices during the story. My kudos and applause.
La Siréene – You took on the challenge of playing an unusual PC…a loveable psychopath aasimar :)…and you had a clear vision of your character and knocked it out of the park. I’m glad you balanced the party out with a (in later incarnation) female PC. You brought a fresh take on the druid class and your archetype too. As far as improving my GMing skills, it’s appreciated that you’d kindly remind me of what shall later come to be remembered as my patented ‘the-monster-took-too-many-actions-maneuver’, lol. Thanks for agreeing to summon the Void Creature and Giant Dragonfly, etc., that was very fun! Memorable moments for me are when La Siréene caught the hellhounds in the aqueous orb, bluffed her way into the Salon as Paige’s friend, and when she intimidated the thief in the library. Very well-written, fun to read, and a great character in the campaign.
Also, because you asked for a merchant early on in the game, Sabina was created!
Sandru – Thank you for taking the role of the fighter in the party. Your character concept (created by Nym) was cool and fit very well into the campaign. I like that Sandru was simultaneously a dark character but also young and heartfelt. I appreciated his protectiveness towards Phoebe. In his own way he was the heart of the party (raw emotion), so it was nice to see his journey of personal growth, and you ended his story on a poignant note. I always enjoyed the mechanic when you raged, and eagerly anticipated what you'd do in battle. It made melee sequences very cinematic. What stands out for me was Sandru learning Undercommon, when you crashed the dirigible to save the orphans (hooray!), and when you laid the smackdown on various baddies (great job against Hareton!)
Caromarc - You were down with the aesthetic of the story from the start, and it was very fun that we were able to play a campaign with the Mechanical Manservant, a cool twist on the traditional wizard (and at least for me a new aspect of the game re craft construct rules, etc.) I think Elspeth was the best familiar ever...I want one as a souvenir. :) Your characterization of Caromarc was superb, a powerful wizard, but so close to and open about his demons and foibles. What sums him up perfectly was the doll to Phoebe (caring, yet eccentric and always looking to make new constructs, lol!) My big thanks that despite the time zone difference, you were always with us and helped along the momentum of the adventure. Many memorable moments, some include any time Caromarc cast magic missile (in the blizzard...awesome), teleports, and MM finishing off the dragon.
Just as an addendum, I thought I'd share that my name is Lee, I'm in my late thirties, and I am actually a librarian (though not for the thieves of Anaphexia). ;) I kept a certain administrative game face during the campaign, but I thought I'd like to just say hi as myself. At the gaming table in my other life, two of my favorite classes to play are the cleric and gunslinger. I am not the strongest RP-er face-to-face (not to talk myself down too much, I'm pretty decent), but it's been really rewarding to have this written format to develop story and play the game. I'm able to write NPCs and story better here for some reason.
I am glad you enjoyed the game. I did too! I'm taking a break for now, but I too hope to play with some (or all) of you again later.
While the inspiration for Endbringer, Nameless and La Siréene Dorée came partly out of the idea of a character who dehumanized everyone else, but at the same time was a better person for it (And a lot of other things, some much to personal to bring up here), the reason I wanted to write them as characters in a pbp is character development - Nameless was very much made for character development, but I did not decide preemptively how he would develop as a character, my goal to let the character development happen as natural as possible within the campaign.
I am glad to say La Siréene Dorée developed in a way I did not predict, and in some ways it was even the opposite of what I predicted.
I want to thank you Network, and everyone else who participated in this campaign, for the wonderful experience it has been.
Network, you are the best GM I have had. Thanks for including La Siréene in the campaign the way you did - With La Siréene's reanimation, with Endbringer, with Maria right there at the end - that made me really happy!
My name is Jakob, 22, and I am a Swedish lecturer about Asperger’s Syndrome. I am a writer first, roleplayer second, and this campaign has indeed been an interesting experience for me. If I ever play with you again, it will most likely be as a female PC, as my protagonists usually are.
Caromarc, Sandru, Ianez, Quinn, Blackacre and Network - my love to you all. It would be great to play with you again.