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Lots of rain in the future forecasts, plus I have things to catch up on at home. I'll be back to normal posting on Monday afternoon.
Have a good weekend!
I've got an appointment with an eye doctor tomorrow, complete with dilation of my pupils. I'm hoping my eyesight will be back near normal in time for me to at least make one post late tomorrow.
So... Losing my anchor and chain is literally 1/3 of my starting wealth... any chance I can get a replacement weapon from the quartermaster? Any two handed martial weapon would be a great/easy way for her to calm me down...
Oh, actually... There must be back up oars around here right? I don't (necessarily) want to get in trouble for taking one out of a lifeboat but if she doesn't offer me a real weapon my evening activity will be acquiring an oar for myself.
Yeah, improvised quarterstaff sounds about right for an oar--feel free to grab one. As for a replacement weapon for the anchor, Grok's store has some stuff for sale, but she wouldn't just give it away--after all, Captain Harrigan and his pirates consider pressganged newbies' gear as part of their plunder. I took a quick look in the adventure module and didn't see any two-handed stuff.
I'll take another look at things tonight and report back tomorrow.
if we fail a climb check do we have to begin all over again? i'm uh, asking for a friend
if we fail a climb check do we have to begin all over again? i'm uh, asking for a friend
That depends. Failing a Climb check by 4 or less means you make no progress for that action but don't fall; failing by 5 or more means you DO fall. I think I'll be nice and allow an initial failed check from the jollyboat NOT to indicate that you fall overboard.
Also, since this exercise is supposed to simulate action in the heat of combat and since having stuff thrown at you is a distraction, you can't take 10 on the Climb checks. Sorry, should have mentioned that previously.
if i fall into the water do i need to start over again?
I started my turn on my boat and ended it on theirs... I think that mean they don't get to attack me, right?
Damn, I need to stay on my toes and think ahead with you guys! Forgot I've got 2 PCs that can move fast and totally disregarded the mathematical implications of that for this encounter.
I'd say that since you'd be climbing on round 2, the bombardiers would likely be readying their attacks for when you guys actually start your climbs toward the Wormwood. So No, even with your speed you're not guaranteed an attack-free climb, but it does point out the need for an Initiative order to do this thing correctly!
Gameplay post incoming fairly soon.
I will update the gameplay in a bit. Without power because of Matthew. Nothing serious, just no lights or internet.:)
Ok, now that I've (mostly) finished trying to deal with the math and figure out the implications of Vincent's mega-post...I can finally Favorite it and have a good chuckle. As I was reading through all the 'splooshes' I actually pictured Quint from Jaws fame watching, shaking his head, and muttering, "Jesus H. Christ..." under his breath. :)
* * * LITTLE LULL * * *
With the holiday on Monday, I'll be unable to update the game until Tuesday morning (though I'm still around for another 1.5 hrs. today).
Happy Columbus Day!
@Jarvis: Stay safe!
Vincent, as most sorcerers, is designed to be a blaster, he can provide a little buff's for his allies and then he goes back to incinerating the enemy with various lightning spells. Heck at 15th level, he turns into a living lightning bolt, moves 300ft in a round, does not provoce AoO, and deal 15d6 points of damage to whatever creatures he moves through, half which is also sonic damage.
Needless to say he's meant to provide entertainment when it comes to everything else, because he is the stereotypical caster who loves libraries, and has now been thrown onto a pirate ship.
This is going to sound like a complaint, so I want to make sure and say right away that it I'm only bringing it up for discussion's sake, because I think sometimes the rules get applied without taking a moment to consider if they are applicable correctly as written.
I think the DC 15 climb check is wrong for the jolly boat exercise, and here's why. The Climb skill lists a DC 15 for climbing:
Any surface with adequate handholds and footholds (natural or artificial), such as a very rough natural rock surface or a tree, or an unknotted rope, or pulling yourself up when dangling by your hands.
What I think is implied but specifically missing here is the insinuation that you are climbing that rope straight up. In the situation our pirates find themselves in they are climbing, probably, at around a 60 or 70 degree angle, which means they can clamp both their legs and their arms around the rope simultaneously, and would have a much greater chance of holding on, and making progress.
I also want to be sure and say that our GM is . This is by no means an attack on your skills as a GM Piratey Steve. This continues to be one of the best gaming experiences I've had, ever, and one of the best groups I've ever been a part of. I'm guessing the module/AP probably even says DC 15 for the climb checks, since they are climbing an unknotted rope. It's just been my experience that sometimes the explicit rules don't actually apply in the manner it first appears.
Lastly, I'm not bringing this up because I want some kind of a retcon on our little jolly boat exercise. I think the constant falls, swimming, and hot garbage tossing was a hilarious interlude. I AM bringing it up because at some point in the future our pirate PCs may actually be climbing across a rope to an enemy ship, and I would like to start a discussion as a group about the possible rules being applied in that situation. Perhaps everyone thinks I'm wrong and has no problem with a DC 15. If so I'll move forward happy as a clam. (clam being operative because Aghon will be in the drink a lot) ;) If however the group agrees and believes a different DC should be applied, then perhaps we can houserule such situations for ourselves.
Thanks for listening, and Happy Columbus Day to all. Cheers to Columbus, one of the first Piratey Murder Hobos!
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you probably should try to not make waves in this exercise, and it's starting to look like Vincent's a bit of a drip.
At the very least, don't rock the boat :)
Under normal boarding circumstances I should be able to carry one caster across the ropes (with my mutagen running I can carry 173 lbs without taking a penalty to climb, if I start rage for the climb too I can carry 305). If someone has or will invest in ant haul I could fezzik both of you...
Well Aghon can certainly pray for Ant Haul tonight, just so it is always on his list. That's a decent utility spell for a lot of different situations anyway. I'd still like to discuss the groups ideas about the DC of the Climb check in these cases though. :)
As a exercise with garbage being thrown at you, a DC 15 might be much. i don't know. Under normal boarding circumstances with arrows flying and magic being cast and boats bumping into each other, maybe not. I guess it depends on the practice of boarding, and whether or not the ship being boarded has been completely disabled (which i believe is necessary to board).
OK, I'll weigh in on a couple of matters.
@Culder: I double-checked and Grok-Mart does NOT have any two-handed weapons, and only carries 1 one-handed weapon that does more than 1d6 damage (these pirates sure love their cutlasses!). That doesn't necessarily mean there aren't any bigger/higher-damage weapons on the ship--just that you'll have to find them first and obtain any through means other than purchasing (which won't fly either, since your cheap-ass GM is so cheap-ass; I'm considering ways to at least alleviate this a bit until you pirates raid a ship and earn some real booty!).
On to the Climb checks for boarding (but Culder might read on as well). I peeked ahead and see they don't change the Climb DC for real-life actual boarding. Yeah, 15 seems a bit high, maybe, but I'll play devil's advocate a bit: Normally, boarding is between two similarly sized ships, drawn close together. This exercise was climbing from an unstable 4- to 6-man jolly boat, over 40 feet of water, up to the rail of a much larger vessel. Add in that those who miss their first grapple toss have to reel in a now-wet rope that they have to climb later.... That being said, I think this encounter was meant to be a little bit of a slap-down encounter for the new meat in addition to training. I'll probably lower the DC some if/when actual boarding occurs.
@Jordan: You know that there are three harpoons for turtle-hunting on the galley wall, if Culder might be interested in one of those as a weapon.
I'm fine with my oar. Actually, I'm really looking forward to the look on people's faces when they find out how effective I can be with it!
One other thing about Climb checks--if you make a bad roll and start to fall, you get one chance to grab and hold on: another Climb check at a +10 DC (so, DC 25 in this rope-climbing exercise).
I just made offline rolls to simulate the NPCs' attempted boardings. You might be happy to hear that they all failed with different degrees of miserableness.
I'll wait to hear from at least one more PC before dealing with the belowdeck scream.
can we safely say that I was probably the most spectacular of all the failures? I mean if I'm going to be remembered for one this on this campaign/ship it might as well be this
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Lol- it's certainly what I'll remember you for!
edit: that and having to get carried across every boarding rope from now on, tied to my back like the broken C-3P0 to my Chewbacca.
I just made offline rolls to simulate the NPCs' attempted boardings. You might be happy to hear that they all failed with different degrees of miserableness.
So boarding an enemy vessel is going to be an exercise in futility for everybody? That does not give me wonderful reassurance. I'm starting to wonder about the idea of swinging across on ropes. Like they did in all the old-timey pirate movies. There's got to be a way to simulate that in Pathfinder, right?
We just need Vincent to learn reduce person and I'll throw everyone across at the beginning of the fight...
I'm pretty sure I could just go over strapped to Culder's back. The Culdertank cometh, and his arrival heralded by the mighty casting of his pocket bard/sorcerer/cleric. Hells, I'm pretty sure Culder COULD just throw me across as I am right now. Cannonbard.
We just need Vincent to learn reduce person and I'll throw everyone across at the beginning of the fight...
or enlarge person and then you can throw everyone across and we wouldn't have to waste more that one spell slot
lol, enlarge person only increases my strength by +2, reduce person drops your weight to 1/8 normal.
Let's look for wands of both. We can enlarge Culder then shrink the rest of us, and he can wad us up like a spellcasting softball and throw us across all at the same time. :) It will be like a reverse Gulliver's Travels moment for all involved.
Hey guys...30 pages!! Of game play!!
This is a Superfun game.
Dear kindly Mr. GM, sir... I guess I'm going to need you to give me a description of exactly what is in a set of carpenter's tools. Like, would there be, maybe, a hammer? Perhaps a chisel? Plane? Saw? Nails? I think Grok is most definitely going to regret this... Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha. Hurray of rolling 20's on diplomacy checks. :)
What kind of a check would I need to make a guess at Culder's question regarding badger's chance at being a wererat?
Ah crap...totally forgot to answer these questions and was waiting around for folks to post their Nighttime Actions.
Aghon: What you wrote sounds about right to me.
Jarvis: Maybe a Sense Motive (hunch). I'm going to rule that you can try to gain monster info on humanoid lycanthropes with a successful Knowledge (local) check. I'll also assume you already know the basics (shapechangers, full moon, damaged by silver) but will base any further knowledge off the result of your skill checks.
Hopefully you guys will get your Night 11 actions posted over the next day and a half; I'll try to move us on to Day 12 on Monday.
Happy Wednesday all! Hopefully the middle of the week mini-boss isn't hitting too hard!
"Mis'er Scourge," he [Culder] calls out, "permission t'muster a couple crew 'n' row th'dingy ashore, t'see iffin there be meat 'r fresh water handy?"
So.... Back in the day when I GMed games around this time of year, I usually tried to spookify things for Halloween. I didn't plan on doing anything this year (mostly because the higher-level officers aboard the Wormwood would be able to easily deal with (in theory, at least) any sort of low-level threat I might throw at you guys. But if you guys were to--on your own--row over to some creepy, isolated little island, well....
So...who's up for a creepy side trek for the Halloween season? Pretty sure I can whip something up if people are interested.
I wouldn't say no!
Sounds like fun! pirate ghosts and ghost pirates!
I'm down for mutilating people
Hell yeah! Hell being the operative word, since I'm guessing we'll be dealing with denizens of the underworld in some form or another. :)
Well, I have been meaning to try out this new oar...
Heh. Looks like it's a go. Although I haven't been posting to the game today, that doesn't mean I haven't been working on it! I've already got some stat blocks ready and some ideas cooking in my noggin.
Although the island would be spookier at night, I just can't see Scourge letting you guys row off into the darkness. So finish up your Nighttime Actions and we'll see if nice Master Scourge authorizes a little boat trip in the morning.
Reminder to Self: No watching football tonight! Make maps!
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LOL!
gm: hey, do me a favor and don't do the thing...
culder: I go swimming then do the thing.
gm: ...
gm: ok, hold up- I'm getting the thing ready...
Does channel energy hurt incorporeal undead? I think it does, but want to make sure my GM agrees before I make that statement in game.
Does channel energy hurt incorporeal undead? I think it does, but want to make sure my GM agrees before I make that statement in game.
Yes it does, though the undead gets its usual saving throw for half damage.
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Sorry I haven't been on top of the game the past few days--mostly due to fatigue, a bit of burnout, and too high heat temperature at the library (I drank three bottles of water in 2 hours this afternoon without realizing I'd even cracked the second bottle!). I considered pushing things a bit today but find that between election night (and morning) fatigue and some other considerations, it's probably best to hold off.
I have jury duty tomorrow. If I get dismissed early, I'll likely check in to get the ball rolling again. Friday, though, is a holiday, so the library's closed.
I'll likely be back again Saturday, either to move things along some more or to report in if I'm actually chosen to serve on a panel.
* * * LULL ALERT * * *
Sorry I haven't been on top of the game the past few days--mostly due to fatigue, a bit of burnout, and too high heat temperature at the library (I drank three bottles of water in 2 hours this afternoon without realizing I'd even cracked the second bottle!). I considered pushing things a bit today but find that between election night (and morning) fatigue and some other considerations, it's probably best to hold off.
I have jury duty tomorrow. If I get dismissed early, I'll likely check in to get the ball rolling again. Friday, though, is a holiday, so the library's closed.
I'll likely be back again Saturday, either to move things along some more or to report in if I'm actually chosen to serve on a panel.
Thanks for letting us know. Take care of yourself.
UPDATE: I didn't get empaneled on a jury (good thing, too--the case was expected to go for a week with jury deliberations the following week). I'm planning on doing more prep work tomorrow and getting the game back on track Saturday. See you all then!
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So...I went to the ER last night and discovered that I have a kidney stone in need to pass and collect. As a result, my library time will shrink in the next week or so (the time frame the doctor's gave me for the stone to pass). Right now the pain's not bad, so I'm planning on making a brief library visit every other day (so I'll check in again Saturday, hopefully). If the pain gets bad, though, I'll likely stay home until I pass the damned thing. So there's a chance I'll go silent for a while--likely without warning--but I should be back eventually.
Might as well ask now what sort of posting availability you players will have next week with Thanksgiving. If you won't be around for a while around the holiday, post it here and maybe we can agree on a schedule that works for you guys AND my kidney stone. ;)
I'm pretty much aroundish all the time. Best of luck with the stone! Are they having you do any lithotripsy or do you just have to suffer? Either way, I feel for you!
I do most of my posting from my phone, so I'll be around throughout the holiday.
I'll be around as well, but don't rush back just 'cause. I mean, dude, take the time you need to deal with your kidney stone! We'll still be here. I said a prayer for as painless a passing as possible. Take care!