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Welcome to my PbP game for the PFS Quest: The Phantom Phenomena, tier 1, as part of PbP Gameday 6. 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 day on weekdays, and at least once weekends. 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 disagreements over some of my GM calls or interpretation of the scenario, 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.
Rolls and Skill Checks
7. I would do your initiative rolls, as well as perception rolls for the purpose of determining surprise (if any).
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 the relevant skill checks. As for knowledge checks for monster lore, I would put the most basic information in spoiler as well, i.e. identity and creature type. 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 role-played 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 regularly 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.
Two final points that I would like to highlight:
I. There are a number of relatively new players here. First, DO NOT PANIC! :) Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask questions. And for the more experienced players, just jump in anytime with your suggestions and advice.
II. If this is your first time playing a PFS Quest, this would be different from a typical PFS scenario as it consists of 6 mini-adventures. So if this is your very first PFS game, don’t set your expectations of PFS scenarios in general from this game. For one, being 6 separate adventures, you’ll actually get to rest up fully before each one, something you often don’t have the luxury to do in typical PFS scenarios.
This is scheduled to start on 6 Oct 2017, so mark it on your calendar!
Fantastic!
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No Day Job.
Lucifer is a Wayang, so he has the ability to reverse Positive/Negative energy attacks for a short time. Meaning he can be healed by Negative energy and damaged by Positive energy. I don't see him using it though unless the conditions are just right.
This will be my first time playing through a PFS Quest, so it should be interesting.
Lucifer doesn't have anything to hide, so if you want to look at his build, it is available through his profile.
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GM, I was wondering about crafting a couple of Alchemical weapons. I was told I have to roll in front of (a) GM or take 10. Alkali Flasks are just out of my range to take 10. From what I read, they are created for 1/3 the cost...
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Front-line warrior is what I'm going for, though it's hard to feel tough on a level 1 character, heh. I'm still futzing with my traits and equipment (any advice would be appreciated). This is my first encounter with PFS so I'm sure I'll come back with questions after I finish reading Kuey's guidelines and looking around.
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Front-line warrior is what I'm going for, though it's hard to feel tough on a level 1 character, heh. I'm still futzing with my traits and equipment (any advice would be appreciated). This is my first encounter with PFS so I'm sure I'll come back with questions after I finish reading Kuey's guidelines and looking around.
I would consider a trait of Defender of the Society (+1ac Med/Heavy Armor).
I would also remove the skill focus Feat and replace it with Shield Focus.
It would increase your AC from 17 to 19, and that is a decent jump in AC at low level. Trust me, as a GM and player, as a front line figher you want the highest AC you can possibly get. And, getting these early, they help you out your entire career.
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GM, I was wondering about crafting a couple of Alchemical weapons. I was told I have to roll in front of (a) GM or take 10. Alkali Flasks are just out of my range to take 10. From what I read, they are created for 1/3 the cost...
Hey Sira, yes just go for it. Put your rolls here at the discussion page, so long as you have the gold.
[yurl=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/skills/craft]crafting rules[/url] and relevant pfs faq
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Armor focus does sound nice... I feel skill-starved on a paladin as it is, and I'd pretty much given up hope of succeeding on dex-based skills.
Curious, if you plan on using 2H with your scimitar, why the shield?
Well, the simple answer is that I hadn't decided between 2H and sword-and-board, so I took a weapon that could be used either way and a shield I could equip or carry if I change my mind. I should stop being so indecisive. I hear that you can still change your character around while they're level 1?
I would consider a trait of Defender of the Society (+1ac Med/Heavy Armor).
I would also remove the skill focus Feat and replace it with Shield Focus.
It would increase your AC from 17 to 19, and that is a decent jump in AC at low level. Trust me, as a GM and player, as a front line figher you want the highest AC you can possibly get. And, getting these early, they help you out your entire career.
Isn't the Defender of the Society trait only for Fighters? Also the Skill Focus is just a result of being a half-elf, so I can't swap it for anything besides another skill.
Shield Focus does sound really helpful. That might be a better choice than Power Attack at level 1 if I want a defensive base.
Thanks for all the advice so far! I'm used to playing in long campaigns, so it's weird to make this shift to coming up with a character who will be doing who-knows-what in the future, alongside who-knows-who. I'll try to get my sheet finished off soon.
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Alkali Flask 150sp DC 20
Mods on Craft Alchemy: +3=Class skill +1=1 Rank +4=Int Mod +1=Alchemy class feature= +9
If you fail a check by 4 or less, you make no progress this week.
Some donkey just had to go for the fancy stuff, now didn't he?
Yeah and I missed the part on the artisans tools...so I'm just going to skip the whole thing for now
Hello! I'm checking in, but I'm not sure about who to bring. I have a surly antisocial keneticist dwarf I'm thinking aobut converting to a kineticist knight, but there's a dex and charisma based swashbuckler/mutliclass mess Ifrit that I'd like to take into the Devoted Muse prestige class I want to make. I also have a few other concepts I can bring out if these don't work for whatever reason.
Alkali Flask 150sp DC 20
Mods on Craft Alchemy: +3=Class skill +1=1 Rank +4=Int Mod +1=Alchemy class feature= +9If you fail a check by 4 or less, you make no progress this week.
Some donkey just had to go for the fancy stuff, now didn't he?
Actually the time between scenarios isn't ever set so you can make as many attempts as you want, but be careful of failing so badly you waste some of the materials. Also don't forget you can use crafter's fortune to boost the roll too, if you have the spell.
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Yes, Sira, you can keep trying. As since you can keep rebuilding your character before level 2, as long as the character is not in an adventure, you can replace one of your learnt spells to get crafter's fortune. (I highly recommend that, as it also helps you with your day jobs.)
Only risk is if you miss by 5 or more, and thus waste some money.
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Armor focus does sound nice... I feel skill-starved on a paladin as it is, and I'd pretty much given up hope of succeeding on dex-based skills.
Curious, if you plan on using 2H with your scimitar, why the shield?Well, the simple answer is that I hadn't decided between 2H and sword-and-board, so I took a weapon that could be used either way and a shield I could equip or carry if I change my mind. I should stop being so indecisive. I hear that you can still change your character around while they're level 1?
I would consider a trait of Defender of the Society (+1ac Med/Heavy Armor).
I would also remove the skill focus Feat and replace it with Shield Focus.
It would increase your AC from 17 to 19, and that is a decent jump in AC at low level. Trust me, as a GM and player, as a front line figher you want the highest AC you can possibly get. And, getting these early, they help you out your entire career.
Isn't the Defender of the Society trait only for Fighters? Also the Skill Focus is just a result of being a half-elf, so I can't swap it for anything besides another skill.
Shield Focus does sound really helpful. That might be a better choice than Power Attack at level 1 if I want a defensive base.
Thanks for all the advice so far! I'm used to playing in long campaigns, so it's weird to make this shift to coming up with a character who will be doing who-knows-what in the future, alongside who-knows-who. I'll try to get my sheet finished off soon.
Didn't know that.... Time to change my Cavalier, he has it right now....
Hmm, i have a very vague sorcerer concept from a while ago, but I don't know if I'd enjoy playing him right now. If you want a caster with a good charisma base, I do have two different mesmerist concepts, if you're wanting a full caster, I have a amnesia psychic as well as a couple of very vague witches.
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Hmm, i have a very vague sorcerer concept from a while ago, but I don't know if I'd enjoy playing him right now. If you want a caster with a good charisma base, I do have two different mesmerist concepts, if you're wanting a full caster, I have a amnesia psychic as well as a couple of very vague witches.
I say, just play what you want. Groups don't have to have every type to work out.
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My first character, now 12.3L and retired, is a "Wild-blooded" sorcerer with the "Sage" bloodline. It's out of the Ultimate Magic book. The d20pfsrd site should have the info on it.
He was very useful at all levels, many a game won with the ray attack at lower levels. He was human and I took point-blank and precise shot as my feats which helped a lot.
Just a suggestion to all.
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My first character, now 12.3L and retired, is a "Wild-blooded" sorcerer with the "Sage" bloodline. It's out of the Ultimate Magic book. The d20pfsrd site should have the info on it.
He was very useful at all levels, many a game won with the ray attack at lower levels. He was human and I took point-blank and precise shot as my feats which helped a lot.
Just a suggestion to all.
Am I reading correctly on the sage-they get a bloodline arcana and a first level bloodline power and that's it? no later bloodline powers, bonus spells, feats?
Am I reading correctly on the sage-they get a bloodline arcana and a first level bloodline power and that's it? no later bloodline powers, bonus spells, feats?My first character, now 12.3L and retired, is a "Wild-blooded" sorcerer with the "Sage" bloodline. It's out of the Ultimate Magic book. The d20pfsrd site should have the info on it.
He was very useful at all levels, many a game won with the ray attack at lower levels. He was human and I took point-blank and precise shot as my feats which helped a lot.
Just a suggestion to all.
Nope they replace they basic bloodline's ability with the listed ones. If I'm remembering correctly, sage makes them an int based caster, right? The sorcerer I am thing about would prefer the charisma,but thanks for the suggestion, though I'll keep it in mind for a future character.
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GM Kuey I am consolidating my gear to an Alchemist's Kit. thought it would be better going item by item, but it's not in this case.
Are we allowed to buy spells out of game and scribe them...if so can you tell me what the scribing cost is.
Sira, sorry I missed your question earlier. Yes, you may scribe. Check out the faq on copying spells from allies and scrolls during the game, this one on copying spells from NPCs beteween games, and the scribing cost listed here. So before this quest starts, you can scribe scrolls from NPCs. For a level 1 spell, it would be 15gp (10gp for writing cost, and 5 gp for NPC fee.)
Sedoriku, really don't worry about what character to balance the party as it is quite balanced already. We already have a bard to take care of more charisma-stuff and possibly knowledge, and I've found parties still work fine without specialised arcane casters.
There was also a question about re-building, so yes, you can completely rebuild your character, include reselling items for full instead of half gold, so long as your character has not hit level 2 or above. (However, what equipment is expended, e.g. potions or scrolls, is still expended.) Technically, as this game is made up of 6 separate quests, you could technically even rebuild between the quests, so feel free to readjust along the way.
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My first character, now 12.3L and retired, is a "Wild-blooded" sorcerer with the "Sage" bloodline. It's out of the Ultimate Magic book. The d20pfsrd site should have the info on it.
He was very useful at all levels, many a game won with the ray attack at lower levels. He was human and I took point-blank and precise shot as my feats which helped a lot.
Just a suggestion to all.
Since we are sharing on sorcerer builds, my first character (not retired yet), is a sylvan wildblooded fey sorcerer, i.e. a sorcerer with an animal companion. Have a tanky roc which nicely complements my squishy sorcerer. Needs quite a bit of investment of feats and items though to make it work, and he did lose one roc along the way.
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Lacking weight- and I am sacrificing only 1 or 2 ac at best. I only plan on needing a profound AC for one test stunt. Iam counting on the dwarf and the Pally for upfront stuff. Which reminds me I should get a range weapon when bombs aren't feasible
And I just saw a sling costs and weighs nada, and I guess I can just use rocks for a d3...
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1. Sedoriku, once you've decided what character to bring, please fill in the table at maps and handouts google slides. I need the information for my prep.
2. Would like to know what your standard marching order would be, in case of combat. Assuming a single file from 1-6, which position would you like to be? If space allows, then I'll do double file, i.e. 1-2, 3-4, 5-6.
3. Realised that this series of quests might take longer than typical scenario, so thinking of starting earlier to try end by end of GD6. Will post the intro text in gameplay shortly. Go ahead and do your introduction posts, and once everyone has done so, we can get going.
Okay, I've decided on a character, I'll work on getting his character sheet up today, but I'll probably get a post in the gameplay thread earlier, so we can get moving, assuming that is okay. He'll be a lightly armored oread support Varisia pilgrim cleric of Halcamora, so somewhere in the middle or the back is great. I just could not find a sorcerer setup I was happy with, sorry.