[PFS/DMK/EMS] The Emerald Spire Superdungeon

Game Master Kludde

You cannot access anything google without a VPN (I live in China). That includes gmail. Facebook is also blocked.

So the paizo boards work, then?

I got myself a VPN, but apparently the government has been blocking those as well, to an extent. I think everything will work, but I have no way to test it. Is that a company VPN you have (assuming you have one - you can access the maps after all) or a private provider?

Is there actually any local play in China (Shanghai, Beijing)? I've been looking, but there seems to be little mention of it online.

I live in a "smaller" city (only the size of Chicago), so the only play here is private groups. I organized a group where we live, but we don't do PFS. Almost everyone I know uses Astrill for their VPN. It's generally quite reliable, though sometimes there are temporary issues. Paizo usually works fine with no VPN.

I'd bet money that there are people playing PFRPG in Shanghai and Beijing, but probably not PFS, and I'm not sure how to suss them out.

I need to start picking up some secondary utility - Asuna has crowd control on lockdown pretty much, though my hold person helps. I think I need more buffs... I have some personal ones, but bless and communal resist energy are about it...

Time for another deep dive into my abilities and potential abilities. I also read some stuff on life link that I misunderstood before, so I need to re-read that to make sure I understand it completely... It synergizes really well with energy body, I just want to make sure I understand exactly how... got some reading to do!

Hope you have a great time in China!

I traveled to China a couple years ago to visit some friends and spent time in Ningbo, Shangai, and Beijing. Loved it!

@Thistle: I think you've done a fantastic time keeping us alive! I do agree we should work together to get a wide range of spells. I've got a few utility spells like dispel magic, plus buffs like haste.

Random thoughts as we delve into these higher levels of character and game play.

If I could re-do my character, I would have stuffed constitution instead of strength. My strength is pretty useless at these higher levels, but the extra HP from a high con score would be invaluable.

I may still ditch the +2 chainmail, and get the heavy armor proficiency so I can get a killer set of full plate. Though that feat may be better spent on something like toughness for an extra hp per level if I am going to use life link to eat all your damage. The nice synergy with life link is using energy body to essentially heal myself twice a turn with 1d6+level hit points (move action to heal myself, 2 move actions per turn) while I take all of your damage.

Ok - back to your regularly scheduled programs. Just wanted to get those thoughts out there :)

Seems like you are doing great so far!

I have never used re-training rules before...does that allow you to only change feats, etc., or can you train more fundamental things like ability scores?

I liked having the channel positive revelation along with quick channel at higher levels. You can undue a lot of damage fast that way.

Was just reading, looks like I can retrain an ability score increase, not my initial allocation. bummer.

I liked having the channel positive revelation along with quick channel at higher levels. You can undue a lot of damage fast that way.

I can essentially do that with life link and energy body. For example -

Jelani and bruce get hit by a fireball for 30 damage. Bruce makes his reflex save, so the total damage done is 45hp, all of which transfers to me through life link.

On my turn, I use energy body to heal myself as a move action for 1d6+7, twice. (average about 21hp healed)

Obviously, being able to channel energy at 4d6 twice in one turn can turn around a lot more damage, spread out over a lot of people...

hrm.... Now I am re-thinking what I was thinking... quick channel might be one of the best ways to get out some serious burst healing, though it would go through my channels in a hurry... Would only be able to do that once basically.

I thought you could only take 5 hp per person per round with life link. Maybe I was doing it wrong.

Wow, you are right. I read that stupid thing so many times to make sure I knew how it worked... So 5 hp max per turn, per person. Still useful, I suppose that just means I won't kill myself if we all get hit with a fireball...

-Posted with Wayfinder

You still won't die...you can turn it off before accepting the damage.

It is still super handy and there are times you can get stuck and not turn it off, but those don't happen often.

You can end it as an immediate action... Why would you get stuck using it where you couldn't turn it off?

Life Link (Su): As a standard action, you may create a bond between yourself and another creature. Each round at the start of your turn, if the bonded creature is wounded for 5 or more hit points below its maximum hit points, it heals 5 hit points and you take 5 hit points of damage. You may have one bond active per oracle level. This bond continues until the bonded creature dies, you die, the distance between you and the other creature exceeds medium range, or you end it as an immediate action (if you have multiple bonds active, you may end as many as you want as part of the same immediate action).

Paralyzed, since the ability does not list it as a mental action you are frozen in place with an active life link.

Worst case scenario, the life oracle is trapped and paralyzed inside a gelatinous cube.

Ouch.

Ok - lesson learned. Communal Resist energy would have been nice there. That first round we needed to make sure no one died, but I probably could have gotten one in there and saved us some grief after the second and third fireball.

Not used to having so many abilities and spells at my fingertips... Next time we might not have that margin of error!

Good point! I hadn't considered it, either!

Yep. and if we don't have someone with dispel magic that will start being useful too.

Hey DM Kludde - I just noticed something. My initiative should be +2, not +0. It progressively gets better as I master my oracle curse. Once we get to level 10 there will be no penalty. Totally not a big deal, and I doubt its had any effect on anything. Just noticed it when moving tokens on the map just now and wanted to mention it.

Let's see some day job rolls, because we're as good as finished with this level!

Awesome!!!

take 10 craft bows: 10 + 17 = 27

Exccccccelent.

DM Kludde - I would like to fill my Chronicle sheets with land grab purchases.

Level 1 - A
Level 2 - B1 +1 to Fame and Prestige, marked on the next chronicle
Level 3 - C2 +1 to day job checks
Level 4 - C5 +1 to day job checks
Level 6 - B5 +1 to Fame and Prestige, marked on the next chronicle
Level 7 - G Booming Settlement - Gives +2 to day job checks, don't own enough parcels to get the 50% bonus to money yet.
Level 8 - B6 +1 to Fame and Prestige, marked on the next chronicle

If you would like, I can scan them back in with all of my purchases marked and the land grab hexes marked as well.

This also makes me wish I had taken the slow track through level 5, in addition to Thistle making a far better character to take through that level, but alas, what is done is done. Also - should have started this much sooner, if just for the bonus to day job checks.

Day job - Diplomacy, Caravan Vanity, Land Grab Bonuses: 1d20 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 15 + 4 = 33

Anyone with spell abilities, this may be a good time to make sure we're covering all our bases for the next level. I think it's starting to ratchet up the difficulty as we go forward, and we had some encounters that seemed more challenging here.

Any new spells you are picking up?

I've put chronicles in the usual spot (link). I'll update the day job as they come in.

For the statistics buffs among you: we are now in the top 300 of PbP campaigns (by number of gameplay posts). Not bad at all.

Craft Alchemy: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (11) + 23 = 34

I won't really have any time to level up until Thursday evening. If you can think of any good potions I should pick up to use with alchemical allocation let me know.

I've put chronicles in the usual spot (link). I'll update the day job as they come in.

For the statistics buffs among you: we are now in the top 300 of PbP campaigns (by number of gameplay posts). Not bad at all.

Nice! Thanks again for keeping this going so well, DM Kludde! It remains the campaign I'm most excited about! :)

Thistle or anyone with the Land Grab sheet...mind posting a link to that? I think I had seen it once, but wasn't part of level 1.

DM Kludde wrote:

I've put chronicles in the usual spot (link). I'll update the day job as they come in.

For the statistics buffs among you: we are now in the top 300 of PbP campaigns (by number of gameplay posts). Not bad at all.

Nice! Thanks again for keeping this going so well, DM Kludde! It remains the campaign I'm most excited about! :)

Yes, most of the credit should go to you DM Kludde! Excellent as always, And very much looking forward to the next step!

Thistle or anyone with the Land Grab sheet...mind posting a link to that? I think I had seen it once, but wasn't part of level 1.

Its in the same spot as all the chronicles, its called EmDGen - there is one with your name on it, posted 3 months ago. (I mention that part just to help you find it as you scroll down the list)

Many thanks! I knew I had seen it somewhere, but couldn't find it scrolling through. Thanks again! :)

I'm abroad so I can't update Asuna yet to lvl 7. But yay she's getting her Ankylosaurus. Just hope he can fit through the passageways :P.

Anyways
dayjob bluff caravan: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (18) + 21 = 39

Kludde when you get a chance go check in here. Same goes for any other 4 or 5 star gms.

Can we please go back to the surface? I have 20,977 GP and some change to spend.

Now that I'm at 20 XP, am I level 8?

Day Job: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Going to make a suggestion for everyone - At level 8 I can now cast restoration. The beauty of this spell is it can restore a "permanent negative level".

However - the material component cost for this is 1000gp worth of diamond dust. It may be worth having some diamond dust in your belt pouch, just in case.

Aaaaand another note. Just reviewing some of the spells available to me. I am glad I didn't use it, but it turns out Neutralize poison is a level 4 spell. I don't know how hero Lab let me take it as a level 3, but I will have to look into it. Pretty big difference between level 3 and 4!

If I still have a slot available (depending on that) I am considering taking freedom of movement, or possibly cure critical wounds. The "burst" healing is definitely not keeping up with the potential damage dealt, so I am not sure if the CCW is worth a 4th level spell slot... at least right now anyways, Its more likely I would rather cast a spell to allow Caranthir, Bruce and Jelani to be un-paralyzed and kill things faster... I will know more when I dig into hero lab tonight.

Can we please go back to the surface? I have 20,977 GP and some change to spend.

Now that I'm at 20 XP, am I level 8?

Technically since these are PFS levels we get to go back to town every level, even though we don't role play it out. Love the fact that you are staying in character though.

I'll definitely convert some of my gold to diamond dust, thistle! Thanks! I am sure that will prove a super useful spell.

Freedom of movement is definitely a great spell. You have been doing a great job keeping us all alive with your other abilities...I'd vote for that one.

Good news, I get to keep Neutralize poison as a 3rd level spell - It is granted to me through my life mystery, even though it is a 4th level cleric spell.

In that case, I will be taking Freedom of Movement.

I have another question - more a request for opinions. I am contemplating taking a heavy armor proficiency so I can wear a sweet set of full plate. But it often isn't necessary since I have only been hit by area spells in quite a while, and I can already make my AC 30...

Seemed like a good idea, but now I am waffeling. Let me know what you think?

Oh yea, I get restoration and cure critical wounds as bonus spells, so no real hard decision there.

Not sure if the plate is worth a feat and the money, Thistle, but I have no other suggestions.

In that case, let's go shopping!

Wayfinder - 500 GP
Clear Spindle Ioun Stone - 4000 GP (slotted into Wayfinder)
Belt of Giant Strength +2 - 4000 GP
Cloak of Resistance +1 upgrade to +2 - 3000 GP
+1 Animated Tower Shield - 9,180

Subtotal:20,680
Remaining Gold: 297.1 GP

Went through and double checked everything on my sheet, should be up to date now.

I'm also leveled and ready for action.

I've put up the first gameplay post for the next level, in case you've missed it.

Did you miss my day job Kludde?

Finished leveling up. I bought the following.

Potion of barkskin
Potion of remove disease
Potion of remove curse
Ring of protection +1
Boots of the cat (Feel free to drop Bruce in any NORMAL pits Asuna)
Hand of Glory

Yep. Updated it now.

Awesome, thank you Kludde.

Ok, so Kirito is now an ankylosaurus.
I got him some gear as well, cloak of resistance, Eyes of the Eagle, belt of str and amulet of mighty fists.
Got myself an upgrade to my headband of charisma to +4.
Wand of shield that she can use on her companion to increase his ac even further (30 is base due to wand of mage armor that she uses on herself and pet every hour).

got some new spells Heroism (active on pet, lasts 70 min buff included in stat), False life (also on pet, will roll each time), deep slumber (lvl 7 bonus spell). Still need to find a good lvl 1 spell...

Pet can now lead the way, has high perception for traps, good ac, saves and evasion in case it's needed, it has narrow frame so can pass through 5 ft passageways.

Got two scrolls of carry companion just to be sure :P

Can I ride him?