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Welcome to my PbP game for the my game of Silent Tide (#0-01). Hope you would have a blast!
Before we start, I would to share some of my ground rules. (In spoiler tags to not take up space.)
PbP Matters
1. This discussion thread is open for all OOC matters, so no ooc tag needed. For OOC matters in the gameplay thread, please use the [ ooc ] tag.
2. Please post at least once a weekday, and at least once over the weekend. If you would be away, please let me know in advance where possible, and we can work something out. Otherwise, if you go missing, where necessary, I will bot your characters for the sake of the rest of everyone else. Thus, a good idea is to leave botting instructions for combat (with dice rolls) and non-combat in your profile page beforehand.
3. If you have any inputs or disagreements over some of my GM calls or interpretation of the rules, please take it to the discussion thread or, even better, pm me.
4. If you have played and/or GMed this scenario before, please do not metagame or spoil the plot. And please let me know.
5. I would have thought this would go without mentioning until I encountered this, so… It is the responsibility of the player to keep track of the game, including referencing the map on google slides. I understand that there are times where it is inconvenient to do so. In that case, please be as specific as you can as to where you wish your character to move, what actions to take, etc. If you regularly have issues with accessing the google slides, you might want to reconsider playing via PbP, especially for PFS as there is always combat, and thus map dependent.
Combat
6. Once surprise (if any) and initiative is determined, for the group of characters who can take actions, I would resolve actions in posting order, NOT initiative order. I used to do the latter but it doesn’t work that well in PbP, so am going with the former instead. (Mechanically, it means you are delaying for each other.) So please post as soon as you are able to. If you have actions that could depend on the actions of the rest of the team, just explain under what conditions your character would take what actions and I’ll resolve accordingly.
Rolls and Skill Checks
7. I would do your initiative rolls, as well as perception rolls for the purpose of determining surprise (if any). I generally group all the enemies’ initiative together to speed up posting.
8. On knowledge checks for general information, I would usually put them in spoilers with the necessary DCs. Just go ahead to roll, and I'll trust that you would resist reading them if the roll fails (or least not to metagame). (Don’t forget that you can make knowledge checks untrained for DC10.) There might be exceptions for plot-critical information though, where I would explicitly ask for knowledge checks. As for knowledge checks for monster lore, I would put the most basic information in spoiler as well, i.e. identity and one important info. If your roll would reveal more, I’ll provide in the next post. If you wish, you can ask for what information you want, e.g. DR, resistances, special attacks, etc.
9. On skill checks where there could be team effort involved, e.g. finding a hidden trail with survival, influencing attitude of NPCs with diplomacy, please be explicit when making the rolls whether you are attempting the check on your own, or whether you are assisting. (And take note of the pros and cons of either.) There might be situations where only one character is allowed to attempt the check (and the rest to assist) – I’ll state so explicitly if that’s the case.
10. On skill checks in general, if I feel you have roleplayed well, e.g. gave a good description of what your character does to search for a trail, came up with creative ways to befriend a hostile NPC, gave a very rousing speech, I would give bonuses, or even waive the DC altogether. :)
Roleplaying Matters
11. The maps and handouts link (at the top of the page) would display all the maps, handouts, pictures, etc as the scenario progresses. The most current page would be right on top, while previous ones would be left there for your reference. (Incidentally, Android and IOS has the Google Slides app in case you work off mobile devices.)
12. Please have your full character information up on your character's profile page for my vetting. Also, please have your stat block updated with the key information. Minimally please have your current hp vs max hp, AC (normal, touch and flat-footed), all three saves and movement. Feel free to include others.
13. Finally, playing by pbp provides many advantages compared to face-to-face games, the chief one being having the time and space to flesh out your thoughts and actions. So please make use of this and have posts that are more than simply dice rolls. :)
Getting Started
Ok with that out of the way, a few tasks before we kick off.
A. Go to the Gameplay page and dot.
B. Go to the maps and handouts page and fill out the table there. (Don’t worry about the 3 boxes below the table, i.e. token, initiative and perception. I’ll take care of that.)
C. In this Discussion thread, do your day job rolls (if any), and share whatever OOC information you would like the rest of the party to know about your character e.g. class, level, special abilities. We’ll leave character descriptions and introductions to the gameplay thread later when we are about to start.
I’m planning to start this on 6 May 2018, so mark it on your calendar!
Fantastic!
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Oh, a couple more things to add.
As an early season scenario, this was designed for 4 players. I'm taking 6, though, so that more can play. :) But two of you are level 3, so hope that balances out. I'll adjust tactics accordingly. :)
Also, if you have not played season 0 scenarios before, you should know that the SOP of a VC briefing started in later seasons, so the game kicks off in full swing when we start. In other words, there might not be opportunities to purchase stuff in game. *hint* *hint*
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Thanks! I am looking forward to this!
"Sir" Ischell isn't a traditional Paladin. He is LG in the 'mystic guru' way, not the 'white knight' way. His personality is very surfer dude- west coast, and laid back.
Primary weapon is Double-Chained Kama- Reach + Monk weapon.
GM: It doesn't come up much, but Ischell does have 3 Fire and Acid resistance (Unscathed trait, Paladin favored class bonus). If you have any questions about the build, let me know!
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Kulga's a fairly typical axe & shield warrior type, though as a Slayer she certainly appreciates flanks when she can get them. Well, she's a glory hound who has difficulty working well with others, but I appreciate them ;)
Kulga's only really wacky ability is that she can (and will) tutor her companions in Stealth, giving them a +5 bonus and halving their armor check penalties for that skill.
Using downtime to Reinforce Kulga's Political Connections (Sovereign Court stuff)
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Thanks for putting this together Kuey! Really appreciate the opportunity to have Brayne, Kulga, and Garduk back on the road again!
Brayne was a very experimental concept! He is a natural weapon barbarian and a dual cursed oracle and a strong face! He tries to be useful however he can.
With regards to his misfortune revelation, my preference of rerolls (in order):
1. When enemy rolls a critical threat
2. When player rolls a 1 (whether it be attack or save)
3. When player wants to confirm a critical hit
4. When player fails a save that is detrimental
GM please reroll anytime an enemy makes that critical threat, and other players feel free to use the reroll if you believe you fall in the categories above.
Also, I will be spending 4250gp and 5PP on a headband of alluring charisma, as well as retraining a feat (retrain rage power: beast totem into spirit totem.
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Thanks for putting this together Kuey! Really appreciate the opportunity to have Brayne, Kulga, and Garduk back on the road again!
Yes, thanks for running this and bringing all of us onboard!
I've filled out the chart and will finish leveling Garduk up to level 4 tonight or tomorrow, including some purchases, and will post those with a more detailed introduction.
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Harry Hot-shot Fulgar is a wizard. With a gun.
I shoot the gun. Sometimes it's bullets, sometimes it's spells. ya get used to it.
Seriously though, I got a boon at Gencon for this class and I couldn't wait to make a character to try it out, so far it's been a blast, if a little mechanically weird.
My son got that boon too, and was pretty excited about it, but I don’t think he has had a chance to play the character yet. How is it working out with the multiclass? Did you start the character as a spellslinger, or add the level onto the arcanist?
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My son got that boon too, and was pretty excited about it, but I don’t think he has had a chance to play the character yet. How is it working out with the multiclass? Did you start the character as a spellslinger, or add the level onto the arcanist?
I kiiiinda got to start at level 2 by slapping some GM credits on it so I didn't have to fight through level 1. I GM enough that I try to avoid having to play level 1 characters if I can. Either way, I would start with the spell slinger if I had to, then split into arcanist.... because the spell slinger gives me a gun! And the ability to shoot spells with my gun!
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Garduk is a surly, scarred, half-orc bookworm and runaway shaman's apprentice from a northern tribe. He generally has his nose in an Ailson Kindler novel at the start of the scenario, and whenever there is a break in the action.
He is an Arcanist 4, occultist archetype - which means he uses his arcane reservoir points primarily to power his standard action Summon Monster spell-like ability early in any significant combat (particularly later in the scenario); his summoned creatures stay for minutes per level, instead of rounds per level. Stats for the creatures Garduk summons most often are on the profile pages for their aliases (Marty the Mud Elemental, Lenny the Lightning Elemental, Celeste the Celestial Eagle, Piotr the Celestial Pony, etc.). His summoned creatures have the worst relationship with the dice generator you can imagine, so while they are very helpful by providing a flank, scouting, and absorbing damage, don't count on them to hit anything with any regularity.
Garduk knows just how fragile life - particularly his own - can be, and likes his fellow party members strong, well-armored, and between him and any potential threat (one of the reasons he likes adventuring with Kulga and Brayne so much, although - in Garduk's opinion - Brayne is insufficiently armored). He may be a little more cautious than most spellcasters about going through his daily spell slots too quickly, in case he needs to covert those spells into more points in his reservoir, but he makes up for it by spending a lot of his gold on scrolls and wands. He has a crossbow, but - a few lucky shots aside - isn't very good at it. He will happily lend it to you if you can do better; in fact, he might insist.
He has the quick study exploit (spend 1 arc res point, swap out a prepared spell for another in a full round), so he tends to rent or borrow spellbooks during his downtime to make sure he has just the right spell available if needed.
Which reminds me - Hotshot, if you want to trade spellbooks before we start (or after we're done) to see if there is anything one of us has that the other doesn't, Garduk's complete spellbook is available in Google Sheets, with source references and a calculator for the DC to scribe each of them. Would you mind posting yours (even just as a list)?
Starting gold: 1,519.77gp
Spells scribed into spellbook:
Create Pit - free spell at level 4
See Invisibility - free spell at level 4
Detect Undead, 15gp
Touch of the Sea, 15gp
Bear’s Endurance, 60gp
Cat’s Grace, 60gp
Euphoric Cloud, 60gp
Fog Cloud, 60gp
Invisibility, 60gp
Mirror Image, 60gp
Scorching Ray, 60gp
Total scribing costs: (15x2)+(60x7)=30+420=450
Items purchased:
Air crystal 50gp
Potion of Remove Sickness 50gp
Potion sponge 2gp
Scroll of Detect Undead x3 75gp
Scroll of Touch of the Sea x3 75gp
Total item purchases: 50+50+2+75+75=252gp
Total gold spent: 450+252=702gp
Ending gold: 817.77gp
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His summoned creatures have the worst relationship with the dice generator you can imagine, so while they are very helpful by providing a flank, scouting, and absorbing damage, don't count on them to hit anything with any regularity.
You might think this is a joke, but the hardship for Garduk's poor summoned creatures are very real...
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His summoned creatures have the worst relationship with the dice generator you can imagine, so while they are very helpful by providing a flank, scouting, and absorbing damage, don't count on them to hit anything with any regularity.You might think this is a joke, but the hardship for Garduk's poor summoned creatures are very real...
Brayne, it just gets worse. Just ask Kulga about Marty’s performance in Test of Tar-Kutha during Outpost.
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A few miscellaneous matters:
1. Harry, I'm still missing your info in the table in the maps and handouts page.
2. Garduk, for the Day Job Roll entry (in the same table), the intention was for you to roll your day job here in this thread, then record the results in the table. :)
3. Would also like to confirm the default marching. Usually, I'll place you guys 2 by 2. Based on my understanding of your characters, I propose the following.
A. Kulga
B. Vasily
C. Ischell
D. Brayne
E. Garduk
F. Harry
where default marching order is:
A - B
C - D
E - F
If space is tight, then it would be single file, A-B-C-D-E-F.
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The marching order is OK for me, especially for the 2x2. In a single file line, Ischell would be fine in either the 2 or 3 spot, depending on Vasily's preference. He is a little squishy compared to most of the others here- but should be able to hold his own.
I will spend most of the time attempting to provide flanking for people and drawing attack of opportunities.
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I forgot to add:
Do any of the other players here have "enlarge person" on their spell list? Ischell has a wand that he can only sometimes use (UMD is hard at low level!) If someone is willing to take it from him and buff (when able/feasible/not at the expense of your own action) that would be wonderful!
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I forgot to add:
Do any of the other players here have "enlarge person" on their spell list? Ischell has a wand that he can only sometimes use (UMD is hard at low level!) If someone is willing to take it from him and buff (when able/feasible/not at the expense of your own action) that would be wonderful!
Garduk can take it, and I assume Harry could as well, possibly Brayne? Garduk would be happy to hang onto it - anything that makes you more of a target and him less of one is an action well-spent, as far as he’s concerned. Might not always be round 1, but then it would be round 2.
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Garduk can take it, and I assume Harry could as well, possibly Brayne? Garduk would be happy to hang onto it - anything that makes you more of a target and him less of one is an action well-spent, as far as he’s concerned. Might not always be round 1, but then it would be round 2.
Great! I'll pass it to you when I get a chance. It is a full round casting, which is also annoying. Please feel no obligation to use it, if there are better things to do. It has 48 charges on it. I also don't feel bad "wasting it" (buffing right before a door only to find nothing inside the door) so pre-combat buffing is also an option.
I do love having a 20 ft reach!
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Garduk can take it, and I assume Harry could as well, possibly Brayne? Garduk would be happy to hang onto it - anything that makes you more of a target and him less of one is an action well-spent, as far as he’s concerned. Might not always be round 1, but then it would be round 2.Great! I'll pass it to you when I get a chance. It is a full round casting, which is also annoying. Please feel no obligation to use it, if there are better things to do. It has 48 charges on it. I also don't feel bad "wasting it" (buffing right before a door only to find nothing inside the door) so pre-combat buffing is also an option.
I do love having a 20 ft reach!
Right, I had forgotten about the full round casting time. Still shouldn’t be a problem most of the time, and as you say, we can try to do it in advance.
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Paladin are just so squeemish!I’d have backed off if you objected of course - Garduk isn’t looking to start an argument. He just doesn’t see what there is to be squeamish about. Magic is magic, it’s what you do with it that matters, right? #teamNethys
Everything is A-OK. Infernal healing is the *much* better spell. I just like the image of a paladin being a little uncomfortable using demon blood for healing. There won't be an argument from Ischell, but perhaps some attempt at blissful ignorance
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I feel we are really underpowered and spent. I am rocking a mst chain shirt and a regular old longbow as a level 3. Total wealth was out starting (about 100) plus 650.
We are in our 7th straight encounter (counting the gates as just one) without a rest, and no healer (just a bard with a wand that now only has 2 charges left on it). It would have been a TPK had our alchemist not had UMD when he was he last man standing. It’s been ugly
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My group has just made it to right before the northern gates of the inner quarter!
You guys are looting all the orcs right? Following the exact gear text, they do drop a significant amount of potions and that helps slightly, and although mundane loot, they have quite a lot of it. But you're right, the assault is somewhat a killer with continuous combat, but my group has two strength builds so it's fairly certain that they could one shot the twisted nail orcs most of the time, and I've taken a few liberties by having them start the assault at level 3, and gifted them a +1 weapon from the armory of Rodrik. But even then, I came close to a player death with a crit from a battle axe.
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We have the potions and other things- but our DM follows encumbrance very closely so everyone is basically "full". We unloaded everything we looted from the plague house and thats where our little bit of cash flow came from.
Full Orc Barbarian, Half-Elven Bard, Catfolk Rogue, Ratfolk Alchemist is the group. Its... interesting :). I have enjoyed it a lot, but the combat is definitely the most difficult thing that I have experienced so far in published pathfinders. (Someday I'll play Salvation of the Sages and compare it). Running around with 17 HP against 10 enemies that can all do 20+ damage on a crit (and have falchions!) definitely brings death into the equation!
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