Rappan Athuk [Pf]

Game Master Chris Manos

1d20 ⇒ 9

See? You just have to leave the old post and edit the rolls out. If someone doesn't see it while it happens, the end result will look exactly like what Magnus did.

Throw in a smoke screen of missing the call for a saving throw, forgetting to post them, expressing doubts that cheating is even possible, or asking for clarification in the post after the roll, and it's impossible to detect, unless someone spots the rolls before you edit.

Whoa! I didn't even know that was possible!

but am I right in thinking you have to edit the previous post before posting the next, kind of leaving you with whatever you roll the second time? Good or bad? The only downside being you have to post something?

test on 5d4=14

test continued: 5d4 ⇒ (2, 1, 2, 4, 1) = 10

Man, that is so wrong!

I suppose in theory I could edit this one and just keep reposting until I got what I wanted. I would just have to come up with reasons to keep posting.

Why am I teaching myself how to cheat?

Magnus, any idea what you are planning for your next character?

Olaf, what next? Who is up? We win? :D

Nah. You are not teaching yourself to cheat, you are teaching yourself not to appear to be cheating. I played in about a dozen games without ever accidentally hitting that 'trick'. I don't know why they don't preserve the seed value on a per player/thread basis rather than a per post basis. I always assumed that they did.

I almost didn't say anything, thinking it might be taken wrong. I was rather nervous you all might think I was accusing or was out of line for a player, but like I said not knowing got me pretty humiliated so I felt compelled to bring it up and save anyone else from the same fate.

Like Olaf said it is pretty easy for someone to cheat if they want to. I, myself, prefer to assume innocence. To me it kind of ruins the fun if you take away the risk by cheating anyway and it's their loss.

First off - Garrosh, you were right. I should of stayed put and managed the field with you. I misread the fight and thought the ghouls were far sturdier than I gave them credit for.

Second - Mags, I think my moving caused your death. Really sorry about that.

Some things to take care of:

He already spent his action blasting the other things. It is around the corner now, so you'd have to pursue at least a little.

I figure that with a long range MM he could pursue and get one shot off at least.

I think I might be out of 1st level spells, too.

I think I might be out of 1st level spells, too.

Drat. That would shoot that idea down. I was thinking Belle could summon some eagles to do the trick but she is busy having a breakdown.

If she continues to survive I promise she will become more mentally tough. I plan on having her get some more militaristic spells soon, and was even considering having her retrain her exploit ability, though the one she has will inevitably come in useful at some point.

Some things to take care of:

I hate to be ghoulish, but... Figure out who takes what from Magnus' gear.

I would like to have Olaf rule on this before we proceed in taking gear from any fallen comrades - I think it would be important to hear from him since for example, there is still valuable gear in Tessai's corpse.

But not only that, gathering dead character's gear could quickly lead to an unbalanced WBL (or not :D), so I think Olaf should have last word here.

Yeah, I'd hate to be the one to point out that we'd quickly cheese the hell out of the dungeon by simply not having a TPK then meeting new people with level-appropriate gear all over again.

Belle PBP wrote:

Some things to take care of:

I hate to be ghoulish, but... Figure out who takes what from Magnus' gear.

I would like to have Olaf rule on this before we proceed in taking gear from any fallen comrades - I think it would be important to hear from him since for example, there is still valuable gear in Tessai's corpse.

But not only that, gathering dead character's gear could quickly lead to an unbalanced WBL (or not :D), so I think Olaf should have last word here.

I'll record how much stuff you took off of your friends and substract that much stuff from your loot later.

Alternatively, people who die will return with less wealth.

Hmmmm, I'd rather we go with a 'suspension of disbelief' kinda thing, and simply have our companions' gear become... Not part of the game or something similar, when one dies. What do you think?

Decreasing from future loot kinda takes away some of the fun in my book :D

And decreasing the wealth characters start with also does the same imo...

That sounds like a really good idea to me. The loot from the bodies may be used as an inheritance for the decedents family or church or whatever.

Yeah, that's kinda the traditional view, that any wealth is assumed to be either lost or passed on according to their will (or buried with them as a grave offering), so as not to unbalance the game.

Though I did think of bequeathing my spellbook to Belle...Olaf, if you would rule on whether that's allowed? it would be appreciated.

Garrosh, I do have my Bloodrager, Grimaldin set up and ready to go. If people think another tank is not needed, I'm happy to remake him. I don't know how Olaf plans to introduce him, though if you all decide to return to the city that would make a good place. If you decide to go back to Rappan Athuk after burying the dead, it becomes necessary for himto have journeyed to Rappan Athuk and join you there.

First off - Garrosh, you were right. I should of stayed put and managed the field with you. I misread the fight and thought the ghouls were far sturdier than I gave them credit for.

Second - Mags, I think my moving caused your death. Really sorry about that.

Everyone makes mistakes, and I did urge you to 'run for it'. I too thought they were sturdier, especially the ghast. There are a whole list of things that could have prevented Magnus' death, to inflate one of them while ignoring the others isn't healthy.

Chalk it up to experience. If you learn from it, it's not a complete mistake.

To be honest, I have probably learned more in this one game than I have in all the rest combined; I am beginning to think that there has been a collective attempt to go easy on people so as to avoid party deaths in all my other games, but it leaves me a little bit sad. If losing is nigh on impossible, then winning becomes a hollow victory with no true sense of accomplishment (I am defining 'losing' as dying and 'winning' as defeating each encounter.). So despite my death - in fact, because of it - I am really enjoying this game. Death in the Party makes survival that much sweeter.

I probably would have gone for a Skald or Inquisitor or another 3/4 BAB class, but I respect your choice. A Bloodrager is a lot of fun to play and does enormous damage and is a welcome addition to the team. I don't think there is really a bad choice you could make.

Yeah, I considered Zen Archer - with their ki power and flurry they can get up to 3 attacks/round, each with good damage and they can start while the enemy is closing and keep going on into melee.

But archery is better in outdoor environments, once inside Rappan Athuk proper, it becomes harder to pull off, and I really felt the party needed someone that can control a large area through AoO to help lock down opponents and prevent them flanking our position. Maybe it will prove unnecessary to have 2 such characters in an environment filled with chokepoints, though (3 if you include Reynaud, but he has no reach capabilities). If that is true, then I'll think of something else for my next character.

Which reminds me, if Belle is picking up the slack of Magnus' loss, she will need to prepare an AoE spell for use against swarms and Oozes, such as burning hands or Burst of Radiance. Even a scroll might do in a pinch, unless Agyen can cast one.

Hmmmm, my vote would go for the Zen Archer, or any other ranged character since in fact we are sorely missing one.

Our ranged dpr is not very strong, and it would improve greatly with such an option (also closed environments are really not that much of an issue for Zen Archers)

I do love Bloodragers though, and I think you should definitely play what you want to play ;)

Or a cleric so that we have access to high powered healing spells. Sooo many good choices and good reasons for all of them. Just go with what you will enjoy rather than what fits. We're all going to die anyways :)

lol. It's up to Olaf whether he is willing for me to change or not. Zen Archer might be a good choice as they can provide the much needed ranged attack while still being useful in melee (they threaten and can take AoO's with unarmed while still firing their bow as their main weapon). To be honest, I'd be happy with either my existing character or a Zen Archer, though I'd prefer to try out a new build than use one that I've had before, and Zen Archers are pretty much all the same builds. Olaf, do you allow Variant Multi-classing? Zen Archer with a VMC might make an interesting choice, and they have plenty of feats.

Either way, I do have a question on Experience. Does a new character have the same as everyone else so that they level up at the same time or do they have the minimum required for their starting level so that they potentially lag behind?

OK, in case Olaf agrees to me rewriting my character I will go ahead and roll hp:

hp levels 2, 3, 4: 3d8 ⇒ (6, 8, 5) = 19

That's good.

As far as I'm concerned, you have no character until you've posted with it in the IC, so you can change around as much as you like.

Until further notice, start at the same xp as everyone else. I'll revise that decision when you hit fifth level. It's possible that newcomers might start at level 4 after that, to incentivise seeking out resurrection.

VMC is allowed. The only changing around in character creation that I disapprove of is rolling on the variant feature d100 tables that certain races have, and then deciding not to go with the variant or the race. That's shady.

So! What's happening?

Anyone waiting on input from me? Because I fear I've missed that.

How many characters have to agree to an action before it proceeds? I recommended checking out the building the Ghouls were interested in and/or looking for the gargoyle remains.

I just added a suggestion to look for the key too.

I suppose Belle could just waltz up on her own but that just doesn't sound all that safe to me. Not safe at all.

I thought the building the ghouls were interested in was the one we stayed in overnight.

I thought it was the other one. The one to the east. I believe we stayed in the one to the west unless I got all turned around.

Well, I assumed they were looking at the one we rested in, I don't really remember for certain. And you know what they say assume means.

It was the one you rested in.

That is where Garrosh is heading ;)

Anything interesting/different in there?

I suspect they were looking for us.

Well, I'm about ready to introduce Brodin Rockhammer, a Dwarf Monk (Zen Archer), but I just wanted to ask before I finalise Equipment, is there anything the party really, really needs? He has a Handy Haversack, but I suspect its ability will be largely wasted as he doesn't really have anything much he might need in an emergency except potions of Cure Light Wounds, so I would be happy to change it for a MW Backpack and free up 2000gp for something we need.

Get a Cracked Vibrant Purple Ioun Stone

As an archer you could keep the haversack and stock a variety of arrows. Stow them in the haversack and pull out any arrow you need at will.

Get a Cracked Vibrant Purple Ioun Stone

That's a good thought. I'm thinking, load it with a shield spell. With Mage Armor (I have a wand) that would make me virtually impossible to hit.

Does anyone have a shield spell that they would be willing to use to replenish it?

OK, I'm looking again at the Ioun stone, and the language says

...contains...spells (either divine or arcane, or even a mix of both spell types) that the wearer can cast.

. Since I can't cast anything, I can't really use it.

If its extra spells you want, Pearl of power is half the price, although it only gives you a spell you already have. Alternatively, for the same price Page of spell knowledge will give you an extra spell, though Olaf would have to rule whether an arcanist can use them.

I did some researching and the ring/stone may be used to cast spells put in there by a wand or different spellcaster.

I know that's how it was in 3.5 and earlier, in fact iirc it was called out as being usable by a non-caster, so long as a caster replenished the charge. But I saw no such clause in Pathfinder, which is either an oversight on Paizo's part or deliberate to exclude non-casters.
Is there Errata or FAQ on this? or do we need Olaf to provide a ruling? It would be cool if I could use it, it could boost my AC to 27 (or 31 if I use a point from my ki pool).

Do you need that much AC?

Perhaps add a Gravity Bow there? ;)

I think that clause had to do with casting the spell into the ring/stone. The forums are pretty firm that the ring allows a non-spellcaster to cast the stored spell.

And gravity bow is definitely on the lists of nice fighter spells. There is also one for increasing melee weapon damage too isn't there?

Lead Blades.

I thought of Gravity bow, the problem being that I don't think anyone else has it. I could start with one in there, but then I'd have to replace it.

High AC would make me a better tank, and thanks to my fast fire rate and high damage, not one that can be ignored.

Lead blades would be nearly useless to me as I will be firing my bow in melee thanks to Point-blank master. The only time I would use a melee attack is when I get an AoO unarmed attack (can't threaten with a bow yet).

I do like the Ioun stone, and it certainly seems like it should be usable by a non-caster. I'll go ahead and get it, and if Olaf rules otherwise we can think again.

So, here is Brodin Rockhammer, Dwarf Monk (Zen Archer), looking to restore the fortunes of his clan.

Divine Favor might work as a replacement for Gravity Bow, especially as he gets a +1 bonus from Fate's Favored Trait.

Beastly Brodin, who art in the squat rack,
Numerous be thy gains.
Thy reps come
Thy sets be done
On the bench as it is in the squat rack.
Give us this day our daily protein.
And correct us of our improper form,
As we correct them that round their backs among us.
And lead us not into laziness,
But deliver us from plateaus.
For thine is the deadlift, the power clean, and the squat,
For several times a week,
Wheymen.

good thread on loading a spell into spell storing

Scrolls are definitely allowed, wands are questionable. But regardless, Belle would be happy to learn and prepare a spell of your choice to be used in the item. Not sure how many times per day though, but at least once, probably twice, and eventually more than that. Definitely a great use of a first level spell in her mind.

OK, I'm looking again at the Ioun stone, and the language says

Quote:

...contains...spells (either divine or arcane, or even a mix of both spell types) that the wearer can cast.

. Since I can't cast anything, I can't really use it.

If its extra spells you want, Pearl of power is half the price, although it only gives you a spell you already have. Alternatively, for the same price Page of spell knowledge will give you an extra spell, though Olaf would have to rule whether an arcanist can use them.

I think we're looking at different ioun stones. While the ring does say that, the ioun stone says

This stone stores three levels of spells, as a ring of spell storing. Stored spells in the stone must be placed by a spellcaster but can be used by anyone (see ring of minor spell storing).

Let's say that using scrolls is casting spells, activating a wand is not.

As for pages of spell knowledge, arcanists can use them. They cannot use pearls of power, however.

OK, that clears it up. I was looking at the ring - it's weird that the stone spells out that a non-caster can use it but the ring doesn't.

So I am good to go, then.