RotRL: The Alkenstar Expedition (Inactive)

Game Master drbuzzard

Happy New Year all, and hope everyone is raring to go.

DM,
I will be in the field starting tomorrow until next weekend. I won't be able to post for the rest of this week and all of next week. Sorry about the sudden notification, but I just found out about it myself yesterday.

Not a problem, we'll just bot you to keep things moving.

Anybody home? I know this part is a bit tedious with all the haunts, but you just need to get to the action section and it will pick up.

I've moved my character on the map already. Should I type in an action post to go along with it as well?

Looking at the map, you folks seem to be split up. You're in the dining room and Ugra is in the entryway. I need to know if you are going to split up or stay together.

Sorry DM, for some reason IPads don't like moving characters. Gunner will follow Doc...

Yeah, the iOS devices don't work so well with the edit from what I understand.

I think we are heading to the blacked out areas on South side. I moved into position, just waiting on the rest.

You see there is an issue in that the situation is path dependent. It depends on which room you use to traverse to the southern end of the building.

I was actually going to check out the little 'broom closet' to the northwest of me first. How should we coordinate?

If you peek into there you find stairs leading up.

I was going to go in B8 via B2, but since the rest of the group is heading through B4, I placed Urga with them.

The butler murdered the victim in the library with the stone statue![/Clue]

...I knew it!

Sorry for my absence. I've been sick, but I'm better now.

Good to hear you're better.

I'm waiting to see if everyone is OK with Billy's plan, then we will proceed.

OK I'm back and... where the hell did all these rooms come from? Got some reading to do.

DM, I don't think Detect Evil is Line of Sight:

However, I could totally be reading the description wrong!

While the description part you included is correct and all, you didn't go deeper to where an emanation is defined:

A burst spell affects whatever it catches in its area, including creatures that you can't see. It can't affect creatures with total cover from its point of origin (in other words, its effects don't extend around corners). The default shape for a burst effect is a sphere, but some burst spells are specifically described as cone-shaped. a burst's area defines how far from the point of origin the spell's effect extends.

An emanation spell functions like a burst spell, except that the effect continues to radiate from the point of origin for the duration of the spell. Most emanations are cones or spheres.

The important part of the above is that the burst does not affect things which have total cover from its point of origin. Hence you are limited by line of effect.

Though in any case I should mention that pretty much the house in its entirety radiates evil constantly.

For the sake of GM prodding:

This thing in front of the mirror is a path to short circuit the module if handled correctly. It can make your lives easier if you do it the right way.

While the description part you included is correct and all, you didn't go deeper to where an emanation is defined:

A burst spell affects whatever it catches in its area, including creatures that you can't see. It can't affect creatures with total cover from its point of origin (in other words, its effects don't extend around corners). The default shape for a burst effect is a sphere, but some burst spells are specifically described as cone-shaped. a burst's area defines how far from the point of origin the spell's effect extends.

An emanation spell functions like a burst spell, except that the effect continues to radiate from the point of origin for the duration of the spell. Most emanations are cones or spheres.

The important part of the above is that the burst does not affect things which have total cover from its point of origin. Hence you are limited by line of effect.

Though in any case I should mention that pretty much the house in its entirety radiates evil constantly.

Ah. I've learned something new.

Please forgive my absence. First I was sick and now my wife and baby are sick and I'm taking care of them. Posting may be slow for a short while.

I'll just bot you if we hit combat. No problem. Do what you gotta do.

I'm thinking of rolling perceptions and initiative for people instead of waiting. I don't want to bot people in combat without permission or anything, but rolls of that sort generally just keep things moving. This would be a general policy.

Is everyone OK with that? I'd like to keep thinks progressing (and I know all the haunts got tiresome).

I'm thinking of rolling perceptions and initiative for people instead of waiting. I don't want to bot people in combat without permission or anything, but rolls of that sort generally just keep things moving. This would be a general policy.

Is everyone OK with that? I'd like to keep thinks progressing (and I know all the haunts got tiresome).

100% in favor of that and feel free to do it to Gunner if I don't respond in a timely manner.

I'm alright with you automating perception and initiative rolls. It would certainly cut down on the overhead when beginning a scenario.

Sounds good to me.

fine with me, that is usually the common way anyhow.

I'm having trouble seeing the squares on the map, especially in the tiny corridor where we're all bunched up in.

Assume you are all in adjacent 5' squares in that section and that they are diagonal.

I'm good with you rolling perception and initiative.

waiting for some people to post their combat actions, if I don't see anything today, they will be getting botted till they get back

Just fair warning, this will likely be the nastiest fight in the module (since I made it). Don't hold back, and be smart with your tactics.

GM, I know you said that this is the hardest battle for the module, but are you sure you made it winnable for us? From just the attack bonuses alone, it looks like we're facing a team of well-equipped level 10 PC's. As it stands they can hit any us with even poor rolls and already have more or less cut down our beefiest character with ease in one turn. Even with the number's advantage, I am not liking our odds of surviving.

Team Strategy
Our immediate worry is saving Urga, as its not looking good for him. We need to have him Withdraw to the southwest tunnel and have Lua and I heal him. I think he's only surviving on temp HP atm. Its risky though, the rogue will still get an AoO on him anyway as he has to go through her threatened squares twice to get to safety, but hopefully he can still tank that one hit. If its too risky, he can still 5ft-Step southwest toward Lua so she and I can still heal him.

I think it might be best if we all do a fighting retreat back to Room B34 (or the tunnels to the left of it)and use the bottlenecks there to whittle them down with focused ranged attacks. (I hope everyone remembered to take the Precise Shot feat.) As it is, they can all dogpile on us one by one in the open room like they did with Urga. I have no idea who should plug the hole though, none of us are hardened enough to really take hits from any of them for long. Perhaps Thomas or I can can do it. The wizard and cleric(?) are primary targets, then the fighter, and lastly the rogue.

If that proves impossible, we might just have to slug it out in the chamber and hope we can focus kill them faster than they drop us.

It depends. It's basically just the Iconic party turned into ghasts. I probably should hvae done just ghouls in retrospect, but it is hard to gauge the effective level of your party for these things (6 of you, high point buy). But the inconics are all really badly built characters, so I figured that would even it out some. The cleric even lost out on cleric levels becoming undead, so that one effectively has gimpy warrior levels on a ghast.

Urga is down 34 from a pre rage total of 49. With rage that's 57. Granted he's down over half, and that is rough.

I will say the bonuses they are showing are well lower than expected from a 10th level party. Not to mention a 10th level party would be tossing around 5th level spells. That would be well over the top.

I'll back them off to ghouls. That won't change anything which already happened because Urga has a lousy AC to start and they rolled well.

He gets 6 HP back form the advanced template stat bonuses being dropped.

You're right, I was over-exaggerating there in a mild panic with the 10th level claim (And I'll be honest, I've never gotten past level 5 in Pathfinder before the game ends in one way or another). I realized that in hindsight after posting but wasn't able to edit it in time again. I'm sorry for accusing you of making a poor encounter.

At a gaming con this weekends. Updates will be rather sporadic. Just fair warning.

Back, Shenderik is up.

You ever get that feeling that we're fighting our own dice more often than the actual enemy?

I just ran 6 tables at the con. I know exactly what you mean.

Hey, I haven't seen Lua post in almost a month. Anyone know what happened?

There was a comment last time they left, but this time nothing. I have no idea. Not sure if I should find someone new or not.

So you know, after this combat you will be 5th level.

I will be on a ski trip starting this evening. At best my posting will be sporadic. Make sure to level up your characters.

I'll be back for regular posting come Sunday.

I will be on a ski trip starting this evening. At best my posting will be sporadic. Make sure to level up your characters.

I'll be back for regular posting come Sunday.

Have a great trip.

Urga level up HP: 1d12 ⇒ 4

His profile has been updated for his 5th level stats.

While I did state earlier that I would take care of initiative, I'm kind of making sure everyone is still here.

Hi all - Still haven't leveled up...I have a question. I'm thinking about taking one level as a Fighter for Billy. If I understand the rules correctly that would mean getting two feats (normal Lvl 1 feat and bonus fighter feat)...is that correct?

That is correct. Also remember that under my fighter rules you get 4 skill points per level and 2 good saves (fort+ you pick).

That is correct. Also remember that under my fighter rules you get 4 skill points per level and 2 good saves (fort+ you pick).

Excellent

Billy’s 5th level = Level 1 fighter

New feats - Precise shot, weapon focus (rifle)

New class skills (x3) - Knowledge (Nature), Stealth, Sense Motive

Skill Point Distribution (5 total) - Knowledge (Nature) 1 pt, Stealth 1 pt, Sense Motive 2 pt, Perception 1 pt

Saves - Fortitude +2, Will +2

BAB +1

HP - 6 (½ 10 +1)