(PFS 09-08) GM Dinketry and the Birthright Betrayed #2 (Inactive)

Game Master dinketry

The gear proves nothing. They could have stolen it from the Earl or from the museum itself.

The gear can prove the earl's guilt because it is likely that the curator knows and has recorded what things the earl has taken from the museum. They could have stolen the items, but if they had stolen it from the museum, the curator would have said that things were stolen. And if they had stolen it from the earl, he would likely have gone to the guard or something.

Likely... I didn't get the sense that he was signing the items out. An earl's word against four pirates and a curator?

I wouldn't take that to court.

I suppose we could wait for the fence, but I'd still like to keep the people alive.

:) Well, then, don't publicly neuter my intimidation attempt before we see if it has any impact. I would have only wounded one of them... at first :D

Chances are they would start singing before the blade fell anyways.

I’m going to be out of town attending a wedding for the next week from today. Please bear with me as posts won’t come as frequently.

Thanks for the heads up. Enjoy yourself.

I’ll be back online 100% tomorrow. Thanks for your patience, y’all.

In this scene, you are publicly facing down a demagogue. There will be a series of accusations levelled at you, and you may respond to each one.

You may have sympathetic ears - NPC allies - somewhere in the crowd, and you may refute each of the accusations (for example, about looting and pillaging the chandlery) as they come, and call upon your allies to vouch for you.

At the end of all of the accusations, one of you will make a Diplomacy, Perform (oratory), or Profession (barrister) check, heavily modified by your role-playing and the evidence that you've presented (along with what your NPCs say of you). Each person who speaks up may roll an Aid Another check (and you cannot 'Take 10' for an Aid Another check), though Diplomacy will likely be the only useful Aid Another action that you all will be able to take.

The DC for this final check is HIGH because the odds are not in your favour - you are trying to convince a patriotic crowd that their beloved leader is a criminal. Proceed as you will.

So it appears that people did not read my initial post. I will restate and abbreviate the salient bits.

At the end of all of the accusations, one of you will make a...check...

Also, Uzziah, you don’t get to make a Diplomacy check if you’re trying to force Kita to speak words that your character is whispering in his ear - that would be Kita who is speaking, and the people who would be responding to what Kita says, so it would be Kita’s check. If you’d like to be a part of the roll at the end of this scene, then I would recommend to have Uzziah speak up.

Let’s continue the scene. I’m ignoring any rolls until I call for them. You can respond via role playing for now.

I would be thankful for a 'cliffs notes' recap of what we know and whatever else we have that we can work with.

Ok. I misread. I thought you meant there would be a roll at the end of Each accusation.

I'm in the same boat than Mercutio.

Is Kita relaying the dictated words?

I really don't think that a Cyrano situation is going to work here.

I'll probably have to make a Bluff check to make it seem like those are actually my words, and I don't think you want Kita attempting to Bluff.

If that is what you desire.

I would be thankful for a 'cliffs notes' recap of what we know and whatever else we have that we can work with.

We arrived in town, visited the museum and discovered the Earl was taking items from its collection, including a specific magic helm. We also learned that the Earl was intending to profess descent from the Inheritor.

We then went to the courthouse to research his lineage and found no such connection, though the currently known connection to Arnisant was confirmed.

Following up on our first lead, we went to the docks where Uzziah (playing Cyrano) helped to fix a boat and gain the gratitude of the repair master. He pointed us toward the bridge as a possible stopping point for pirates.

We took a quick trip to the bridge, but were chased away by a guard and told to get deputized if we wanted to assist the guard.

The next day, we followed a second lead to the chandlery, gained the trust of the former owner, through Segray's charm, and learned that we could possibly find information in the back room, but that we would need to come back after hours.

Several people almost died while combatting two enchanted ships, but we eventually found the hidden safe and recovered documents implicating the Earl in a graft operation.

With this information, we returned to the magistrate to become deputized, went back to the bridge and encountered pirates. Wiser heads prevailed and the pirates were taken into custody.

We verified that the helm used to pay the pirates was indeed the same helm that was signed out from the museum by the earl. We reported that information to the magistrate, which leads us to right now.

Thank you Kita :)

I think the time has come to attack with our own allegations. Perhaps one of the people who have not joined in the conversation yet would like to craft that post?

We have come to the end of allegations. Please choose one of you to make the final Diplomacy, Perform (oratory), or Profession (barrister) check. You must make this choice ahead of time. That person may post a final argument on behalf of the team. That final argument may come from any of you.

Kita, Segray, and Chelk have all spoken up publicly during the allegation back-and-forth. Those three (and those three only) may make Aid Another checks. Unfortunately, you may only make an Aid Another check on a skill that you have, so if the primary person chooses a skill that you don't have (i.e. Profession (Barrister)), then you cannot make an aid another check for that skill. (Hint: Use Diplomacy).

The final skill check DC is high. Let me emphasise it again. This is the upper tier for this scenario. The final skill check DC is HIGH. You will get healthy bonuses from roleplaying, but you are trying to topple a well-loved figure within an isolated town, and you are clearly outsiders. It's going to be difficult.

Please identify here who is going to do the primary check. Thanks.

I can if you all would like.

I think Uzziah should make the final proclamation with as much backing as we can offer him. Sadly, not my field, so I couldn't help even if I had spoke up.

Agreed, Uzziah should make the final argument. Hopefully I don't roll a 1 again to aid.

Chelk will attempt to Aid. He has a normal -1, but +1 from his Noble-In-Exile trait, and +2 from his Harrow Card.

Nice work, folks. I'm sorry I couldn't interact more. Work has taken most of my (even free) time these last days.
Segray will aid (auto-success).

Didn't we have a circlet of persuasion from the Chandlery? Perhaps Segray can loan it to Uzziah?

I would have contributed, but I just got up and saw where things presently stand - and given my ongoing psychological problems, I've been finding it particularly difficult to play this character, swaggering and unflappable bon vivant that he is (extra frustrating because Mercutio should be owning scenes like this).

If I were allowed to aid another's Diplomacy, it would be an automatic success.

For what it's worth, I have an unused folio reroll - if necessary, and if the DM permitted it (it's kind of a 'grey' area), I could lend it to Uzziah when he makes his big final check.

I could also cast moment of greatness, if it helped any (and wasn't deemed too conspicuous an action).

I'm happy for you to use your spell, Mercutio. I'd have you make a concentration check (similar DC to casting a spell to avoid an AoO) to cast it slyly. If you failed the check, then the spell still goes off, but the DC of the final success level goes up due to the crowd's suspicion.

The folio reroll works for me as well. I'll make sure to mark it down on your chronicle as used if you choose to use it.

I'm happy for you to use your spell, Mercutio.

The question, of course, is: Are there any morale bonuses to Diplomacy rolls presently being bestowed that would make it worth casting?

Didn't we have a circlet of persuasion from the Chandlery? Perhaps Segray can loan it to Uzziah?

Oh, you're right, I completely forgot about that. Of course, Segray will happily loan it to Uzziah. But I don't know if the GM agrees to do it now.

He hasn’t posted anything yet. I’ll allow it.

My apologies all. I had a sudden crippling headache yesterday. I'll get it up today.

Uzziah has a +11 to his Diplomacy and rolled a 16 = 27.

The circlet of persuasion passed to Uzziah provides a +3 to any CHA-based skill check = 30.

Chelk, Kita, and Segray all provided successful aid another checks, for another 6 pts = 36.

Additionally, you received a +2 from:

• presenting the documents from the chandlery safe
  
• positively influencing Neffery
  
• talking about the ex-naval pirates
  
• mentioning the piracy targets Count Zespire
  
• positively influencing Rasvelg
  
• positively influencing Joleana
  
• positively influencing Cincia

That's an extra +14. Grand total of 50.

You are all stuck in difficult terrain. Each square counts as two for movement purposes, and you cannot run, charge, or take 5 foot steps (as free actions). As a full round action during the start of this combat, you each may attempt a check to affect the now-panicked throng. A success will prevent any nonlethal damage coming your way that round, and it may allow you to move unhindered through the crowd. An excellent success could help your colleagues as well, and you choose who you want to come through the crowd with you (remember that Joleana is in the thick of it just like you).

Have fun!

Also, Kita, your actions will go on your turn in Initiative Order. You can decide if you want to make them into an action (like an Intimidate or Diplomacy roll).

Since you indicated that only Chelk was up, does that mean you want us to follow strict initiative order for now?

Yes. It’s a fracas of a melee, but it’s in initiative order.

I was fine with you putting on your helm, BTW.

Any hinderance to spell casting? If so what level?

You'll need to make a Reflex save before casting the spell (no specific modifiers); if you pass the Reflex save, then no hinderance to spellcasting. If you fail the Reflex save, you'll take nonlethal damage similar to what Kita has experienced this past round and that damage will require you to roll a concentration check to be able to cast the spell.

Make sense?

Yup

Remmy: oops, I misread expeditious retreat. So you have 100 feet of movement for a full round move, but that drops to 50 feet through the difficult terrain.

I’ve moved you up. You’re still within the difficult terrain area, but at least you’re closer to the murderous phantom armour!

A success will prevent any nonlethal damage coming your way that round, and it may allow you to move unhindered through the crowd.

So...does this mean I get to move at full speed NEXT round?

Wish I had known that was a pond. Oh well.

You said "behemoth". Was that just flavor, or is that one noticably bigger/scarier than the others?

'Tis flavour.

Mercutio, you (or the one person you suggest), may move through the crowd unimpeded due to your success. Segray, you get the same effect.

Don't forget, unconscious characters automatically accept the effects of my Blood Music, so Remmy's got an additional +2 Constitution (among other things) to lean on!

Uzziah, your spell maxes out at 5d6 per the spell’s description.

that is why I applied Intensify.

You must actually have sufficient caster levels to surpass the maximum in order to benefit from this feat.

Intensify Spell is, in essence, about doing things like casting a 10d4 burning hands (double its normal damage cap) - but you'd need to already otherwise have a CL of 10th to do that.

In the case of that particular psychic power, that feat will be entirely useless until your next level - then it will start to pay off!

Uzziah, your spell does 5d6 points of damage. I'll take the first five d6s that you rolled.

Segray, you were in difficult terrain to begin the round. Each square costs 2 to move. Secondly, you moved through a shrub.

Remmy, I am sorry, you are not stabilised this round.