[PFS/DMK/YotS] 7-07 Trouble in Tamran (Inactive)

Game Master Kludde

.

Sczarni dot.

Grasshopper dot.

Dwarf Cleric Dot

Graveknight armor dot.

Diminutive magic dot

Stuttering mage dot

“Pathfinders, I’m sure you know our associate, Guaril Karela, if not personally then by reputation,” says Ambrus Valsin while gesturing to the Varisian man seated across from him. “We’ve had reports from a confidential informant in the Aspis Consortium that trouble is brewing in Tamran. Probably not coincidentally, several of Karela’s shipments bound for Tamran have gone missing.”

Guaril adds, “You see, the Molthuni navy maintains a rather tyrannical blockade around the city—a blockade past which my associates and I have helped Ambrus move items numerous items. It’s not so difficult; the Molthuni are not the brightest stars in the sky. Or at least it wasn’t difficult until recently. An unknown party has intercepted my last dozen shipments, and I doubt Molthune is responsible. When I lose shipments—”

“—Our lodge in Tamran loses much needed supplies,” finishes Ambrus. “Not to mention the fact that Guaril provides many important goods to the people of Tamran, such as food and medicine. Your mission is to accompany Guaril to Tamran and investigate the disappearances and thefts. Hopefully Oraiah Tolal, our venture-captain in Tamran, will have more leads.

“You depart with Karela in two hours. If you have any questions, or any supplies to purchase, I advise you do so now.”

Ask your questions or roll K(hist)

Scarlet is clearly awestruck by Guaril, "One day we Sczari will ascend once more, Godfather" she offers as she bows with deepest respect.

"Who do we think is behind the thefts? A likely enemy, or is it just opportunists?"

Poppy watches on, equally surprised to see THE Guaril Karela in the flesh.

Guaril shows the most minimal of reactions to the praise Scarlet offers. Valsin offers an answer to the question: If it’s not the snakes, then it could be the Church of Razmir. We’ve had unpleasant dealings with them in Tamran in the past, and I wouldn’t put it past the Razmiri to hold a grudge. We also can’t rule out any of Guaril’s enemies or rivals, of which I’m certain he has many.” Guaril does not comment, merely offering an innocently apologetic smile and shrug.

Bones speaks up, "So we are to investigate missing smuggling shipments? Is it only the Molthuni navy that we need to avoid or are there other groups that would take it wrong if we were too public in our investigation?"

Adrianna is a young human female, wearing light brown and white monk robes - loose fitting to allow maximum movement and yet covering almost all of her young body. She carries several javelins in a large sheath on her back, and two pair of wooden rods connected by a thin cord but no other weapons. Barely into adulthood, there is a sense of purpose, or perhaps destiny, about her. SHe thinks on he previous lessons about the history of Tamran.

Kn(Hist): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

The list of stolen goods is extensive, and we've also been having trouble receiving reports and artefacts from the Tamran lodge.

The people of Tamran are good folk, but when times get tough, they can be a bit insular and suspicious of outsiders. Tamran belongs to Nirmathas, which has been at war with Molthune for the better part of a century.

After thinking for a moment, Adrianna offers the following tidbits of information about the area. "The Molthuni outnumber the Nirmathi, and so they rely on guerilla tactics to win their war of independence. To this day, the capital Tamran and its surrounds are not protected by a single army but by a loose collection of militias.

Molthune has captured and occupied Tamran five times throughout its history, but the Nirmathi have retaken it each time. Fortifications proved ineffective against the Molthuni armies, so the Nirmathi simply tore down the walls; this makes it harder for the Molthuni to hold the city, and the forces invariably withdraw after sustaining too much harassment."

As the Pathfinders gather in the briefing room, a shy voice comes from inside one of the ceremonial armor suits adorning the room, echoing as though the armor was hollow.

"Is anyone here yet? I'm not sure if I can see properly. Is that a bird? Please don't let it marr this armor, I wouldn't know how to clean it. This is annoying. Oh, I'm Jalthas by the way. I would shake your hand of course, if only I could. You see, I'm a bit trapped by this armor. Best leave the story of how I came to don it alone for now, but suffice to say that it appears to have a will of its own, and it somehow chose me. Since that day, I haven't been able to take it off." says the half-desperate voice from inside.

"This is most unfortunate, especially since I'm going to be sent on real missions now. Please O Lady of Graves, make it so that there won't be any water. Or molds. That would really be disastrous." complains the voice.

Knowledge (history): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

"Err... Sir? Mr. Karela? I was wondering. Is there any personal enemy that would be apt to disrupting your plans? I know the Serpents probably did it, it's just... in your line of business, we could expect a more personal tie."

Bones tries to recall what he knows, at first not much comes to mind, but after a good thunk to the noggin he shakes the knowledge lose.

K(history): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14
reroll Memory recall domain K(history): 1d20 + 7 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 3 = 30

The green-haired gnome pales at the mention of a navy, recalling the seasickness he went through on his last ocean voyage - his coffee-brown skin turning almost yellow, somehow clashing even more with the bright red scarf at his neck.

He nods along quietly as the others share their knowledge, not paying much attention to the geopolitics of the area, being distracted by the curiosity of a suit of armour with a mind of its own. Out of sheer curiosity, he quietly mutters a spell to discern its nature. Detect magic, just for flavour

"Please O Lady of Graves, make it so that there won't be any water. Or molds. That would really be disastrous." complains the voice.

Or heavy drinking

Guaril Karela opens his mouth for the first time: Personal enemies, you mean other than the ones that tried to get me killed a year and a half ago? I my trade, profit leads to envy, and envy leads to enemies. My business is highly profitable, but mister Valsin has already guessed at the most likely enemies.

As soon as the party is ready, Guaril Karela provides a ship to take him and the adventurers to Tamran, using the cover of night and his own cunning to slip through the Molthuni blockade.

In the early hours, the group reaches Tamran, where they are greeted by a man who calls himself Reginar Lacklan. Let me guide you to the Ashfall lodge.

This is where we part Guaril explains. I have my own business to pursue. Meet me at the lodge in three days.

Like much of the city, Ashfall Lodge rises above the marshy ground; however, whereas most other buildings stand atop piers and pilings, the Pathfinder lodge straddles three broad cypress trees. Rope bridges and wooden slat ladders wind across its outer branches, leading to a handful of tiny cabins for storage and visiting agents. Two bell pulls hang from the southern tree—one weighted by a medallion depicting the Glyph of the Open Road and the other weighted by a bronze symbol of two faces in profile.

Reginar takes hold of the Open Road rope and gives it a sharp pull, sounding a high-pitched bell in the lodge above. From above, a gray-haired halfling
woman examines the visitors, smiles, and drops a rope ladder. She nimbly clambers down and gestures grandly to the elevated structure. “Welcome, Pathfinders. May Ashfall Lodge be your home away from home and your welcome to a new land. If you’ll accompany me, I can answer any questions you might have.”

My name is Oraiah Tolal. she says as she leads the group to a small meeting room.

I have tried to investigate these thefts, but there has been a pernicious rumor spreading through Tamran, slandering the Society in general, but more specifically Reginar and myself. People claim we are Molthuni sympathizers, and it doesn't help our effort. I suspect this rumor campaign is linked to the disappearance of Guaril Karela’s shipments, but I have no proof.

You, as newcomers to the area, should be able to learn more. There's several sites in the city that may be worth investigating:

The Docks: “Karela’s shipments across the lake haven’t been getting through, which means the bandits must have a ship. If they have a ship, they’ve probably visited Tamran’s docks.”

The Gar’s Last Meal: “Many consider it the only inn in town worth staying at—a harsh verdict but a great place to dig up rumors.”

The Forest Bounty: “That’s the town’s most popular feast hall. These days it’s seen a lot of traffic from members of the city’s various militias. You probably won’t get a very friendly reception, what with the rumors around town, but talking to the militia patrols is your best bet at learning what’s going on outside the city.”

The Market District: “We haven’t been getting our supplies, but several of the more... illicit... items Karela used to bring into the city are still appearing in the market. That suggests someone in town is fencing goods for the thieves.”

You can stay at the lodge, and I will support you with healing or cure spells, should you need them

"And a lovely place you have here too Oriah" - Scarlet and Poppy do their best not to be too obvious as they tally the worth of the place.

Scarlet takes the information on board with a nod "Shall we dig for rumours at the Gar, then see what the Militia might add over at the Bounty, then we can check the Market for who is who, then the Docks for anything? Reckon that might give us a good order of information..."

Adrianna nods at Scarlet's proposal. "It might also aid our cause if we are not known as Pathfinders yet. Let us ask about lodging at the Gar while we are there."

The voice that emerges from the armor appears to be a grateful one, if anything.

"Err... mighty thanks, m'lady. Just a question though. What was the other rope for? The one with the bronze symbol?

"... well, back to the point I imagine. We'd better investigate the rumors first, since they might point us to the place we can possibly find the culprits. It could save a lot of going back and forth, perhaps."

On the way Bones comments "There are several ruined fortresses left behind by the Shining Crusades when they fought the Whispering Tyrant in the area now occupied by Nirmathas."

After meeting Oraiah Tolal, the dwarf nods in agreement "The Gar sounds like a good place to start."

I maintain a shrine to Alseta here. Those who request my spellcasting service pull the other rope. Oriah explains.

Yes, requesting Lodging at the Gar may take suspicion off you. If you can stand the smell of fish, you'll find it relatively comfortable. You're welcome to stay here anytime, though.

You can also roll a general Diplomacy/K(local) check just to canvas the town without going anywhere

Oriah wasn't lying: the smell of fish does permeate the Gar's Last Meal. The taproom at the Gar’s Last Meal is a fairly popular local hangout, with many guests of all walks of life, all potential sources of information.

Scarlet - Diplomacy 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

Scarlet looks thrilled at the sound of fish and unconsciously licks her lips. Unfortunately she is too distracted to make good conversation.

Knowledge (Local, canvas the town): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

At the Gar's Last Meal, Castien appreciates the musical talents of the sisters' dueling lutes. After speaking with them for a moment, he reports to the rest of the party. "Th-there were t-t-two P-p-pathfinders here a f-few w-weeks ago. Th-they were asking q-q-questions about wh-what soldiers looked like d-d-during the Sh-shining C-c-crusade. Th-they c-c-claimed th-that th-the th-thefts were f-fake, and s-suggested it w-was a lie to let s-smugglers d-d-drive up p-p-prices. Th-they were elves, w-with a s-strong herbal s-scent about th-them, and m-made th-the s-sisters th-there d-d-distinctly uncomfortable."

Knowledge (Local, canvas the town): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Bones also tries to found out what he can of the local town.

Entering Gar's Last Meal, the man inhabiting the large clunky dark armor moves clumsily to the bar. "Excuse me good sir, may I get a decent meal? Preferably soup. With a straw. Err... why? I can't take this armor off, that's why. Yes, a strange story - I might tell it later. By the way, have you heard of smugglers around here? What? None of my business? Fair enough."
Diplomacy: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (10) - 2 = 8

"Err... and about that soup?"

"The elves may have been Aspis agents spreading falsehoods to discredit the Society. Or they were telling an unpopular truth. We will have to continue our investigation to determine which..." she says to no one in particular...

Castien and Bones learn quite a few rumours from canvassing the town. While Jathas is waiting for his soup, and Scarlet is distracted by the smell of fish, Castien also manages to locate the Duelists Lutist sisters.

---
Moving on to the Forest Bounty:

The Forest Bounty is a popular feast hall located on the north side of Tamran. The interior of this enormous wooden long house is brightly lit and filled with the sounds of laughter, music, and merriment. Food scents mingle with the smoke of cooking res and tobacco pipes. Servants carry food and drinks from the open kitchen area to the various wooden benches and tables that ll the hall. Many of the patrons are armed and armored, proudly bearing the insignia of local militia groups on their cloaks and tabards,along with the sword and tree symbol of Nirmathas.

When the group enters, the hall falls silent for a moment, as the music stops and the patron turn their heads to watch the new arrivals.

Do any of you wear a wayfinder?

At the lodge, Cacumattus is delighted at its construction, and runs excitedly along the rope bridges. "Reminds me of home!" he comments with a wide grin.

Before leaving the lodge, Cacumattus is careful to hide his wayfinder inside one of the may pockets in his clothing.
Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 2 = 12 Applying +2 per the skill description for advantageous clothing (lots of pockets and a cloak); adjust if necessary

On the way to and at the inn, he tries to engage some of the locals at the lodge in conversation
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
but doesn't find out much of use.

Entering the Forest Bounty, he immediately approaches a server and orders "whatever the local delicacy is, something I couldn't get anywhere else. And nothing from that horrible Molthune place," he adds with an expression of distaste.

Do we need a story for who we are, if not pathfinders?

Jalthas doesn't have a wayfinder, sorry.

The serrated, black as night armor moves of its own volition into the feast hall, sending shivers down the spines of many attendees... until Jalthas trips and barely manages to avoid falling prone with a high-pitched cry. "Ahhhh! Oh, sorry good sirs and madams - many apologizes, this armor is so awkward to move with... Can we have a table for me and my fellow travelers, please?"

No Wayfinder for Adrianna, either. She does wear a magical amulet, however...(amulet of natural armor +1).

Adrianna laughs at the innocent clumsiness of the spiky knight, her young face lighting up with the smile. With the laugh still in her voice, she adds on to Jalthas' request, "Yes, a table - in the corner, so the clumsy one here doesn't accidentally impale anyone!"

"Oh Jal, I swear we will have to put wooden balls on your armor until you learn to control it better..." The gentle jest is meant to diffuse any tension in the room - Adrianna tries to sense if the group is apprehensive or hostile...are they scowling? Do some grin at Jalthas clumsiness and her teasing? Do the servants and barkeep look about nervously, or worse, disappear from the room?
Sense motive: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

Bones relates what information he gathered {see spoller for Bones above}, "I agree with Adrianna, the pathfinders' reputation is being targeted by some group."

No Wayfinder, but Bones does have holy symbol of Pharasma on his shield and another around his neck.

Aye, have some food. Slob is warm, but it would have been better if it weren't for those cursed Multhuni dogs blockading our port. a man grumbles. He is clad in a green cloak bearing the symbol of Nirmathas, walks with a limp and is missing his left arm from the elbow down.

Now is not a good time for strangers to be asking questions in Tamran. There are rumors that spies walk among us and that Pathfinders are among those spies. I find it a little hard to believe, given Pathfinders helped me out in a time of need, he remarks, gesturing with his hand to his amputated arm.

SM 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

"Pathfinders do help people in times of need, because they are helpful folk. Seems the problematic strangers in Tamran aren't asking questions, but rather making threats and carrying out slander and scandal - but we aren't problematic strangers, we are the helpful kind. Maybe you can tell us more about that hand, friend, seems you have a tale worth telling?"

Scar;et loosely codes back, but with enough ambiguity to deny anything.

This, he waves the stomp of his arm, ah, that cursed day. It was a skirmish in the woods, five of us, when we got beset by a band from Molthune. I thought they were just thieves, highwaymen, but they turned out to be elite soldier. Killed three of us before they got to me. Marcos was fighting side by side with me, and we nearly bested them before their leader caught me off-guard. Farabellos fended him off, I later heard. Saved my life that day.

Slander and scandal, indeed. I am a righteous man, though, I would be willing to help those who find themselves at the receiving end of such slander. Have you had any trouble?

"If you are a friend of Marcos you are a friend of ours...We haven't found ourselves at the end of any of the trouble personally... but I am led to believe there are agents slandering the good name of the Pathfinders, and we'd be keen to speak to those people and ask them what they mean by such knavery"

I have an offer, then. I know something of these bandits you seek, and I will tell you, but first one of you must drink this,” he says, producing a small blue bottle from his pocket.

"An interesting proposition, is this some kind of display of trust? Want to divulge what that is, then perhaps we can all keep each other advised?"

Scarlet is really just delaying whilst she tries to work out whether she will be able to work out a stage magic trick with it...

Between her sleight of hand, bluff, and Poppy off to the sides using prestidigitation - can she make a bit of a show of it and 'fake' drinking it? (leans back and sleights tipping the bottle down the back of her armour - Poppy dries it off or some other theatrical shenanigans...

It is, it will ensure my trust. the man says, but as he sees Poppy cast a magic spell, he put up a sour face but perhaps my trust is not called for, as he - somewhat theatrically - put away the bottle and prepares to leave...

Castien stops the man. "G-give it t-t-to m-me." Taking the vial, he unstoppers it and downs it in a single gulp.

It is, it will ensure my trust. the man says, but as he sees Poppy cast a magic spell, he put up a sour face but perhaps my trust is not called for, as he - somewhat theatrically - put away the bottle and prepares to leave...

Poppy hasn't cast any spells yet, I was OOC checking to see what may be possible to weigh up the odds... :)

Scarlet looks shocked as Castien drinks the vial...

Watching the exchange between the one armed man and his allies, Bones starts to raise his hand to interrupt when Castien drinks the blue vial.

The Cleric watches to see what effects the liquid has on Castien.

spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Castien quaffs the potion, as Bones realizes the effect it will have: it is an exlisir of truth.

DC 13 Will save to negate the effect (Castien's +2 bonus applies), you can still pretend you've not made the save with a DC 12 Bluff check

The man immediately starts questioning Castien after seeing him down the potion: “How long have you been working for Molthune?” “Who is your Molthuni contact?” and “Do any of your allies have ties to Molthune?

Once he is sufficiently convinced, the man apologizes: You can't be too careful these days.

Two weeks ago, while my men and I were patrolling along the edge of the Fangwood south of the city, we spotted a group of bandits attacking a smuggler in the woods. We gave chase, and tracked them as they fled west, but lost the trail when they hit the river. I don’t think they simply forded or swam; I’d bet good money your bandits have a ship capable of sailing up the Marideth River.”

Will Save (Racial bonus vs. enchantment): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 2 = 28
Bluff: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (16) - 2 = 14

Castien, completely unaffected by the potion, nevertheless is able to convince the man that the group is not allied with Molthune.

"W-would y-you s-say, th-then, th-that th-they m-may have a b-base upriver? Th-they m-may intercept sh-shipments and hide th-them th-there?"

Hard to say, hard to say. I would be prepared for the possibility, though.

Ready to move to the next location?

"Surely they need to come into the docks here to offload or peddle their goods. Don't steal things just to warehouse them, surely"

Happy to move on

Ditto - let's continue

Bones is ready to move on.

It seems the marketplace does not rely solely on Guaril's smuggling to function: it is an active, bustling place even under the blockade, though it is hard to find someone to speak to other than to buy wares.

I need a diplomacy or K(loc) check to get information here

Here's a discussion thread for the Season 6 project. Currently, we're operating on invitation only...

Hi DM Kludde, looking forward to this project!

Ditto :-)

Probably worthwhile to have the mission statement here while we find a couple more players for the project:

The season 6 project aims to play all scenarios in season 6, as soon as they come out.

Since scenarios are typically released at a rate of two per month, that means playing (at least) two simultaneous tables, with the aim of finishing scenarios in roughly a month's time. Since high-level scenarios sometimes run longer, it would sometimes mean having more than those overlapping for some time.

I'm looking for players
- Willing to juggle more than one table
- Able to finish scenarios in roughly a month's time (i.e. frequent posters)
- Preferably with characters in a wide level range, and a wide range of factions (*)

(*)Note that not having characters in all level ranges is not a deal-breaker, since pregens are available for all tiers.

It should be quite a nice experience to run season 6 this way: the players can follow the meta-plot as it unfolds, and it will give the feeling of being part of a larger multi-player experience, as faction goals get updated throughout the season on the paizo boards.

So I'm looking for the rare breed of players who can keep up regular posting for a year on at least two simultaneous tables. Moreover, the player should be available for all season 6 scenarios - which means you can't play them anywhere else, unless they're replayable.

The first three (!) scenarios for season 6 have been announced: they are a 1-5, a 3-7 and a 5-9 scenario, so it looks like we'll be starting out with three parallel tables.

Cyril, Pedwiddle: thanks a lot for joining in. I'll be looking for - preferably - four more players. If you have suggestions on whom to contact, please let me know.

I currently have three level 2 characters available for the 1-5: Darvan, a saurian shaman, Kaddok, a dumb-as-a-brick fighter, and Castien, a ranged fighter/wizard. If anyone has any preferences, let me know - otherwise, I'll go ahead and choose Castien, 'cause I'm most excited for him to level.

I might have a level 3 alchemist available before too long, too. He's in a PbP for Thornkeep level 1 right now, but it's kinda stalled. New GM is incoming, and we've already cleared half of it, so here's hopin'...

Looking forward to playing alongside Castien!

Just a quick list of my PFS characters with their levels at season 6 kickoff and future faction:

• Kynrac (oracle of time 9), Dark Archive**
  
• Rysalius (melee bard 6), Sovereign Court**
  
• Shandor (blaster sorcerer 7 or 9), Sczarni
  
• Ouroboreia (summoner void wizard 5), Scarab Sages**
  
• Ennoia (archer paladin 5 or 6), Silver Crusade**
  
• Aetherys (magus 4), Qadira
  
• Auric (archaeologist bard 3), Dark Archive**
  
• Basalte (fighter 3 or 4), Scarab Sages

** = While some of them will be available from the start, there are still some season 5 scenarios I want to play with them (or at least GM for credit) before I have them enter season 6:

• Kynrac: needs to play 5-25 Vengeance at Sundered Crag.
  
• Rysalius: needs to play 5-19 Horn of Aroden before he moves out of tier, then play 5-24 Assault on the Wound (in that order).
  
• Ouroboreia: will probably still be playing Destiny of the Sands III, will be available after that.
  
• Ennoia: needs to play (or GM credit) 5-22 Scars of the Third Crusade before she moves out of tier.
  
• Auric: will probably still be playing Shades of Ice II or III, will be available after that.

That means that when season 6 kicks off, I will have the sorcerer 7, the magus 4 and the fighter 3/4 available. That's exactly what's needed for the first three scenarios, including level range:

#6-01 Trial by Machine (1-5) with Aetherys
#6-02 The Silver Mount Collection (3-7) with Basalte
#6-03 The Technic Siege (5-9) with Shandor

About finding more players, I'm at a loss since you've already asked in the Orphans group. That being said, we could have a fixed core group of 3-4 players, and have the rest be "guests", recruited for one scenario, more if they prove reliable and friendly. What do you think?

Well, Castien is now level 3 after I applied 'We Be Goblins!' to him, so he could play low in the 3-7, or low/high in the 1-5. I'm close to 3 on a couple of others, so that's something.

As far as additional players goes, there's a higher-level (5+?) PFS recruitment thread on the forums that I haven't been following, but might be helpful.

Yes, it's EF's. Here is the link.

DMK sent me an invite - I'm definitely interested with Rhanloi (lvl 2 wizard) and will have to check with current games to free up Grimaldus, a level 3 fighter. I would have to play a pre-gen for higher level game and so would take whatever class is needed!

When is this likely to start? Grim is all but done in the current game...

Looking forward to gaming with ya!!

Good to see you Rhanloi! You may remember me as GM Lithrac, who GMed The Confirmation for Rhanloi.

...and I'm the player behind Cressyk, for what it's worth.

...humming "It's A Small World After All"

Oh - and after DMK is done with us Rhanloi will go to level 3! I'd like to keep Rhanloi in the 1-5 tier and move Grim up to the 3-7 tier.

This is the smallest of small worlds! I am Malena in DMK's games, but I am also Tanselle (of T&T fame) in the bluedove games.

I currently have:

Malena Antonesscu - human sorcerer (tattoed sorcerer, infernal) 2
Tanselle Bashir - half-elf gunslinger (pistolero) 1/cleric (Abadar) 1
Sefu Sekala - human magus (bladebound/kensai) 1

So, basically, I will be playing a fair amount of pregens for the first half of the year.

Looking forward to participating in this with some familiar faces.

I am interested, but like several others, I would have to use pregens for the upper level games.

Currently I have:
2nd level cleric. 5xp available.
2nd level bard 3xp currently playing
3rd level ranger 6xp currently playing.
And a 1st level with 1xp to be rebuilt.

Isn't there something about not being able to apply a pregen credit to a character that was active in a game that had an over lapping play time range?

Seems like the first wave of scenarios will hit us Aug 14:

#6-01 Trial by Machine (1-5)
#6-02 The Silver Mount Collection (3-7)
#6-03 The Technic Siege (5-9)

Also being released around the same time is

#5-99 The paths we choose (3-7)

That scenario was first scheduled as a 'Convention-only' module - for event of 15+ tables only, but now it's been decided it will be available starting Aug 16. Since it's the kick-off to season 6, and since it offers an explanation of all the faction changes, I think we should consider it part of the run as well.

That would mean having four parallel tables (!!), but we can have bit of a staggered start (e.g. start 5-99 and 6-01 on Aug 14/16, then start 6-02 and 6-03 somewhere around Sep 1, or even Sep 8, to give the first two scenarios some time to clear out - we've done three-week scenarios before, after all)

The alternative - and what I'm secretly hoping for, as it would be good for the PbP community, is to have 5-99 as a board event: several GMs coming together to start 15-ish parallel tables of 5-99, a bit like PbP Game Day. I've pitched it with Jesse (who is busy with Paizocon right now), though I'm not having too strong hopes...

Oh, by the way: I'm recruiting for 'Horn of Aroden', to be played in high tier (4-5), on the DMK recruitment thread. I still have a spot free - aren't some of you still on that list?

If I can join with a 3rd-level, I'd love to play Castien through...

Hey, Malena/Tanselle...are you playing the next bluedove adventure or jumping over to this one with Tanselle?

I was planning on finishing out the series for Tanselle with bluedove. Then I'll bring her here. You?

I'd like to do that with Grim but wasn't sure of the timing. I guess if the 3-7 tier starts later and we push through the final scenario with bluedove we will be ok...

Thanks!

I got 'Scars of the Third Crusade' (Tier 1-5), and we have about a month left before the start of season 6. Do you guys want to run the scenario (as a kind of pilot)? It looks like a good one

I've only got two characters available right at the moment - Kaddok (level 2.1 fighter) and Grimbli (level 1.1 gnome sorcerer w/animal companion). If we play low, or I use a pregen, I'd be fine with that.

I only have Malena available (2.2 human sorcerer), but I'd love to jump right back into something before Season 6 starts up.

I'd love to, but I have no character available at the moment.

I've put up a thread here

Let's see how many will join, and I'll recruit extras to fill up the table.

I'm having fun playing Marra so I'll join.Scars of the third.

Any opinions on which character I join with? Kaddok is a level 2 Shoanti Thunder and Fang fighter (viking archetype, gives rage and rage powers later on), and Grimbli is a level 1 gnome sorcerer (sylvan bloodline) with Fluffy, a tiger companion.

Actually, Aetherys (my magus) is in the final chase of the Midnight Mauler, so she should be available soon. Would you mind waiting for a bit so that I could join with her, please?

Malena is in for Scars of the Third Crusade.

Tanselle, my 2.0 half-elf gunslinger/cleric (nun with a gun), has just started The Devil We Know Part IV.

Sefu, my 1.1 magus, is a little ways into The Godsmouth Heresy.

Frabb, my 3.2 halfling bard, is now available for use. He used to be my main (and named Julyan Dimbleningel), but I've rebooted him so that I can play with my RL friends that I've finally managed to recruit to PFS.

Kynrac: in principle I'm fine with holding a bit. How much time do you need?

Not sure, we're in the last fight of the Midnight Mauler, so it should be short, I expect. A few days maybe?

-Posted with Wayfinder

The other game has just ended now. I'll head over to the gameplay thread if that's alright.

Aetherys needs to level to 4, which I'll do right away.

Ok, I played the cleric in a online game and leveled him.

Now have:
Halfling bard 2. Just started in Scars.
Dwarf cleric 3
Human Ranger 3 Current in game, but near end.
A first level TBD.

#5-99 The paths we choose (3-7)

That scenario was first scheduled as a 'Convention-only' module - for event of 15+ tables only, but now it's been decided it will be available starting Aug 16. Since it's the kick-off to season 6, and since it offers an explanation of all the faction changes, I think we should consider it part of the run as well.

That would mean having four parallel tables (!!), but we can have bit of a staggered start (e.g. start 5-99 and 6-01 on Aug 14/16, then start 6-02 and 6-03 somewhere around Sep 1, or even Sep 8, to give the first two scenarios some time to clear out - we've done three-week scenarios before, after all)

The alternative - and what I'm secretly hoping for, as it would be good for the PbP community, is to have 5-99 as a board event: several GMs coming together to start 15-ish parallel tables of 5-99, a bit like PbP Game Day. I've pitched it with Jesse (who is busy with Paizocon right now), though I'm not having too strong hopes...

If Jesse greenlights the special to be played on the boards, I'd be very interested in GMing it.

I haven't heard from him yet, I'll chase :)

Amazing news! "The Paths We Choose" is no longer a special and will be available on August 16th!

Ah. I noticed I didn't tell you :). I've seen that for a while, so I've been planning to run it as soon as it comes out.

That does bring up the question: how many tables do you guys want to have in parallel? In my view, playing at four tables concurrently is a bit extreme (Aug 14/16 sees the release of 5-99, 6-01, 6-02 and 6-03, so if I start 'em as soon as they appear, that's four tables).

My suggestion would be to have two (for instance, 5-99 and 6-01), an then start the other two at your convenience (say, around two weeks later?)

That seems appropriate, yes. I guess we'll have ample time to catch up later. By the way, feel free to sign up on my table if you want to play that scenario

-Posted with Wayfinder

I agree four tables is extreme, let's start with two and see where we are after two weeks. How long until they release the next scenarios?

Back to school math:
If there are 26 scenarios released in a year, and each scenario takes 5 weeks to play, how many concurrent games would you have to play to complete them within one year?

That's pretty much how I estimated it as well. Lower level modules tend to go a bit quicker, and higher level ones tend to run longer (is my experience).

I have a certain number of concurrent tables that I run at any given time (around five or six), so those are my 'GM slots'. I've reserved three slots permanently for this project.

I did a quick run-through of what to expect when all scenarios run five weeks (they typically don't, but it gives a worst-case-let's-take-it-easy kin dog planning).

I've put the results in a spreadsheet for your enjoyment. Linkie

The spreadsheet assumes a lot and is very crude (particularly the part where a year has 48 weeks :-D ). It does show that if the tier distribution is anything like last years, it's possible to have three separate streams of low, mid and high tier. That means you'll get by with only three characters. If you run everything with a single level character (and everything else with pregens), by the last scenario your characters will hit level three, and then flash-forward to level 8.2 (!)

Great plans, DMK! We should have ample time to do everything.

I also wanted to give you a heads-up: I might do an exception for some of the later scenarios (March-May), because we have a local convention in July in which I'd like to have some play time and not only GM time, because GMing 9 slots over 4 days is a bit much for me. I hope it's alright, and I'll try to pick scenarios where you'll easily find a replacement for the skipped ones. It shouldn't be more than 4 scenarios over the whole season, though, so I hope it will be okay for you.

Starting 5-99 and 6-01 in mid-August and 6-02/6-03 early September is great! I appreciate the slight delay, because I'm getting married on August 30th, so September 1st would be a great time to start 6-02/6-03.

Finally, I'll also try to plan ahead to have the right faction for the right scenario as much as possible. I've started a spreadsheet here with the faction information, feel free to have a look.

Did I miss an announcement from the player of Malena? Haven't heard in a while. In any case, I'll try and find a sixth player for table stability.

If you want to skip over scenarios, just let me know in advance a bit, so I can invite guest PCs .

Link for 5-99
Link for 6-01

I'll start up 5-99 on sunday (when I get my hands on it). Shall we finish 'Scars of the third crusade' before we start with 6-01?

Since we're close to the end of Scars and that I'd like to play 6-01 with Aetherys (she'll switch to Silver Crusade), I'd appreciate if we could finish Scars first, please.

If we are close to finishing Scars of the third crusade, and Marra survives the sneak attack from the tall man, then yes I would prefer to keep her in play, but I do have a alternate 1st level I could play.

I assume we have to have our PCs updated for the updated PFS 6.0, but then there are new Ionics to choose from for the higher play levels.

Hi all!

Extra player on the case...

I've just managed to get the pdf for 6-01, and the first post is up here. Season 6 is on!

Here's my status:

My 3rd Fighter (Grimaldus) is still in an adventure that's plodding along slowly. That's ok since I wanted him to run #6-02.

My 3rd Wizard (Rhanloi) just finished with DMK in Scars and was going to do #6-01. However, since we're now doing 5-99 and that's 3+, I may run him there.

I have a 1st Monk (Adrianna) I can run for #6-01, and will need a pre-gen for #6-03.

My two primary PFS characters are Grim and Rhanloi.

Whaddya think?

I've linked the play schedule above, and added 'recruitment lists' for the next couple of scenarios, for your convenience. If, at some point, you don't want to play a scenario, let me know, and I can recruit a guest player.

I'm mildly worried about Malena's player - he seems to have gone silent across the board, which may just be due to absence (it's holiday season after all), but which is also oddly reminiscent of a certain british soccer fan...

Yes, he seems to have disappeared. Is the British soccer fan Broken Prince? If so, yes it's exactly the same pattern.