Rise of the Runelords

Game Master Kevin O'Rourke 440

Does this still count as part of the same combat?

Judgement-using inquisitive minds wish to know. ;)

It does, I'm just not rolling new initiative for the various groups. Some of the goblins reposition when the alarm is raised which these ones are currently doing.

Grand job! Just confirming.

Thank you Miron for moving me. Going forward, I won’t complain on where I end up when moved. I’ll just try to be as clear as possible. In this situation, it ended up perfectly. :)

Great! If I can, I'm happy to move characters.

Wait, wouldn't that arc have missed Drazh? Milgen did say he was going next to Drazh and Ferocia.

Don’t know...but if it missed me I’m happy. :)

It'd miss him! I see what angle Milgen is working it at.

Yep, I picked an angle to miss both!

As you saw I adjusted to get the two survivors.

Yep! Just confirming!

I'd be interested in the cloak of resistance if none of the regularly battered characters want it.

My saves are good enough, and I’ll get a +2 with a Wayfinder when I can find one. No issue from me.

Go ahead, Miron.

Go for it, Miron!

Someone should hold onto the cure light wounds potion. Any takers?

Grand job, Miron has a new cloak. :)

I strongly think that those without healing magic should pick up the bulk of the healing potions.

I've got some already. Milgin? Drazh? Azalia?

Doesn’t matter to me. In combat the best healing I can do is more damage.

Hey, guys. My power's going to be down again tomorrow. Hopefully this is the last time. Bot me if necessary. Thanks.

Darn. Hopefully not for long.

No problem

So where to?

I'm finding it hard to see unopened doors in the passage we're currently in. If there is one, work from closest to the courtyard door. If not, back out to the courtyard and the next closest door.

There's none where we are now. Let's head back to one of the two doors I put yellow arrows to.

Cheers Milgen. In that case, I propose going back and taking the north door, marked by an arrow.

I do believe that Miron is within 50ft of all of the goblins. So they can eat that Bane and he doesn't need to move past a dwarven barricade. >:D

It's a pretty good setup, isn't it?

Two dwarves in front. As wide and heavy as a human, so they can hold the line. Short enough that everyone else can see over their heads.

Imagine a mixed unit in a military: The front rank are dwarves wearing fullplate, with heavy shields and spears. Behind them you have humans wearing breastplates and with pikes. It would be pure death to charge in headfirst.

That's what cannonfire is for.

Thankfully for us, these goblins appear short of cannon. ;)

Or arcane magic, which is the pathfinder version of artillery.

Aye. They'll soon be lacking in breathing. :D

I think that I've come up with a good build...

Lvls 1-3: Ranger
Lvl 4: Cavalier (for cooperative crafting)
Lvls 6-8: Ranger
Lvl 9+ Stalwart Defender

Stalwart Defender requires BaB 7, dodge, endurance and toughness

I get dodge at lvl 5, toughness at lvl 9, and endurance via ranger class.

Stalwart Defender looks good on paper. +1 dodge AC, and defensive stance. Which gives +4 Str, +4 Con, +2 Will and +2 AC! The problem is, once you move the stance ends and fatigued for 2x rounds.

So the work around?

Flawed Scarlet and Green Ioun Stone (This stone grants the wearer the Endurance feat. Anything that would make the wearer fatigued instead makes him sickened. Anything that would make the wearer exhausted instead makes him nauseated. Price: 8,000 gp.)

So now at lvl 9, Drazh can enter his defensive stance, and can leave it, becoming sickened. Which is better than fatigued as he can re-enter the stance while sickened.

Then at lvl 10, he takes the defensive power Internal Fortitude (While in a defensive stance, the stalwart defender is immune to the sickened and nauseated conditions.)

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So all in all? At lvl 9 the PrC will give him +1 dodge to AC, and he can enter and leave his defensive stance as a free action, making him sickened. But reentering the stance removes sickened. So, as long as he has rounds of defensive stance remaining, he can overcome the crippling hindrance of the PrC.

And by my math...if he has a +1 earthbreaker, +1 mithril fullplate, +1 ring of protection, and the ioun stone...

AC: 10 + 10 (armor) + 3 (dex) + 2 (dodge) + 1 (deflection) = 26
Defensive Stance AC: 28
Defensive Stance and Adaptation AC: 30

Quite happy with how it should turn out. Especially as I've heard it said that to reliably be a tank, you should have your AC be 20+level.

I am going to assume someone makes space for Anneka after shooting so there wouldn't be an AOO on her for using the wand.

Fair!

Using wands doesn't provoke! They're spell trigger items.

@Anneka: Duly noted!

@Drazh: That looks impressive! Tanks do have the issue of forcing enemies to fight them and not the squishier party members. In the current setup, it's been working beautifully with a choke point. But in other scenarios, well, one needs to get creative. Maybe using flames etc to funnel enemies?

Magic is good for altering the battlefield at higher levels. Walls of Force/Fire etc Pit spells, Blade Barrier.

Due to something that has happened in another game, I'll be politely withdrawing from this game.

I've had fun playing with everyone, and I hope you all have a great game. It is not anything that you have done, I just no longer feel I should continue in this game anymore. Thank you, and good game.

If any of you ever see me recruiting for a game, feel free to apply, you're all good players.

Not quite sure I understand, but good gaming to you. Wish you the best

@Anneka: Duly noted!

@Drazh: That looks impressive! Tanks do have the issue of forcing enemies to fight them and not the squishier party members. In the current setup, it's been working beautifully with a choke point. But in other scenarios, well, one needs to get creative. Maybe using flames etc to funnel enemies?

Yes...this is always an issue. I like the idea of creating funnels. Otherwise, always open to ideas and suggestions

All the best, Milgen.

Alright, have fun with your other games and may the dice gods be kind to you!

Good luck Milgen.

Natural armour not damage reduction to be clear, quite a high AC on this one.

Rolling a 3 and a 1 doesn’t help either.

Don't worry about spellcraft rolls for the potions and 'common' magic items.

I might have an Evoker Wizard joining ye here or back at Sandpoint depending on when it's ready.

When ye retreat back to town I'll have Milgen head off.

I imagine the PCs will make sure that Thistletop is cleared if at all possible before leaving.

At the same time, it could take a few weeks IRL to clear out Thistletop. I'd rather have a PC posting with us, even if it makes less sense IC. So, some ideas...

Idea 1

The militia has followed us to Thistletop. They have set up a perimiter and are waiting to see what happens. the people have lost loved ones to the goblin raid, and want to see the threat stopped. However...that doesn't mean they want to necessarily go inside to fight when the heroes of Sandpoint are doing it for them.

Milgen leaves us to 'oversee' the militia, and the new PC joins us, taking his place.

Idea 2

Milgen gets injured. Is poisoned, and it is beyond our ability. So we have to take him back.

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I'd personally like to go with the first one, because all it takes is a single GM hand-waive post, and we can get on with this.

The first idea works better imho. Or even just one brave soul who's decided "Sod it, I'm going to help that lot to save the town."