So my current thought is to spend 4k GP on a Headband of Alluring Charisma +2. That will bump up some of Straehan's skills and, more importantly, the DC on his spells as well as giving him an extra 2nd level one to cast... and a DC:20 Fireball just makes me smile.
The other amusing option - though it would be a distant second for many reasons - would be to spend 3k on a Rod with Metamagic - Selective. That way, if we got into really dire straits, Straehan could ground-zero a fireball on our position and prevent it from harming our 4 characters.
@Straehan: I think the headband is a good idea for you, the rod less so, as I believe we all have evasion, he he.
@all: Sorry, been crazy at work so have not really delved into the available magic items, but nothing really grabbed my attention. I could go with the old standbys Cloak of Resistance +2 or +2 Headband of Wisdom if it came down to it. If anyone has a more appropriate item for Ushari, let me know; otherwise I'll get one of those items or simply bank the money.
Hmmm... after looking, I'm kind of debating between getting a kit containing a Ring of Protection +1, a pair of Bracers of Armor +1, and a Cloak of Resistance +1 OR just buying a Headband of Wisdom +2.
At this point, I'm leaning towards the Headband of Wisdom. It does half of what the entire other package does, but also gives me one more Ki per day (HAWT) and boosts the DC for his Stunning Fist by 1.
If it were me, I'd go with the Headband... but I'd rather have one item that gives multiple bennies than 2 or 3 separate items that also take up valuable slots which could be used for other items at a later date.
I'm a fan of the Cloak of Resistance +1 but not the +2. Paying an extra 3k GP for an additional +1 kind of galls me.
Ushari, I'd encourage you to bank all the money IF there is a really compelling item you are saving up for. But if there isn't some big ticket item you are dying to have - and I don't see anything that seems like an Ushari 'must have' at the moment - then I'd say buy yourself something nice in the the 3k to 4k range... such as the headband.
Both of those are very nice. When i have more cash to spend, ill begin thinking on those.
For now, I'm going with the headband.
Yeah, Ushari will also get a Headband as well...maybe we can get a discount, like the 'buy 1, get 1 free' things you see at sales, he he.
I think you'll need to save the town before you'll get that kind of deal. :)
Would you like me to come up with a threat to the entire city that you poor schmucks can try and thwart?
:: Starting poring through the Tome of Horrors looking for a sufficiently high CR monster while giggling madly... ::
:: Starting poring through the Tome of Horrors looking for a sufficiently high CR monster while giggling madly... ::
It had better be THIS one, he he.
It is, but you shouldn't be glad for it. Have you seen some of the monsters in there?
When you have a score of creatures with CRs above 20, particularly when you have a handful with CRs above THIRTY... it is time to run home to your mama.
"So your group is walking down the street and a CR:37 Oinodaemon and his buddy the CR:29 Slaad Lord of Entropy come out of a bar..."
RUUUUUNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!
Seeing the Daemon and Slaad Lord, the gnome calmly pulls out his 1E Amulet of the Planes. He spins the counter (which accesses a random plane of existence) and slaps the 'Go' button. Strae realises that being on another plane, ANY other plane, would be better than remaining here.
The Gnome disappears in a puff of magic.
Just looking through the magic items and saw this, which I think is a rather clever idea and could be a good item for Jofram (or Ushari when she's feeling bloody-handed):
Nice! I'm poking around the PRD, seeing what would be a good addition.
Good deal!
I know everyone is busy with work and whatnot. I'm firing the results of Straehan/Ushari's research a little bit at a time to give you guys a chance to react to the various pieces of it. Also, the full research time will be the better part of a week. Just an FYI.
Just a heads-up: I'm moving this weekend, so I may only be able to hop on a few times during the day. I will keep trying to check in, but don't slow down on my account. Feel free to RP Jofram, if things get tied up.
No worries. We'll keep your chair warm for you if need be. Good luck on the move!
FWIW - I'm keeping the Events List up-to-date. I'm trying to put in significant or significantly amusing posts in there.
I've added permanent links to the Maps graphics, Enemies graphics, synopses of your current missions and debts (along with reference links), and rule amendments in the Isles List.
I'd suggest you bookmark the page:
HERE (http://paizo.com/people/stormraven/wishlists/v5748l939kmjz)
Rather than post links in thread when I make minor updates, I'm going to refer you to the Isles List instead.
Just had a thought about Jayse's headband of wisdom. Since his visual thematic is more of a European look, with an overcoat and more standard clothes, would you be fine if his Headband were actually a white or off-white scarf with subtle stitching patterns that he ties around his neck? It gives him a bit of an exotic yet metropolitan look, and I can't think of a way that a headband looks like anything other than an oriental, native american, or 80's theme.
Love to hear everyone's thoughts.
(Pretty much ripping Matrim Cauthon right off.)
I've got no objection to you guys 'personalizing' your accessories... you little fashionista. :)
*thumbs up!
Dude! Any purchases you made were going to be retroactive. I know you've been busy... as long as said item wasn't dropped in, in the middle of combat and just happened to key in on your opponent's specific weakness... you are good. :)
"Why look, I just happen to have a vial of acid and this creature takes 4x damage from that. Wow. What luck!"
So that "Orb of Gnoll Destruction" is out of the question? 8)
It is available. Bear in mind, Straehan has Fireball as a spell. I'm not saying you wouldn't have good cause to keep that necklace as a personal back-up if things ever got sticky. And lobbing two fireballs on the same target in the same round could be f!#$ing hysterical. Up to you. :)
It's not necessary, I suppose. Just sort of musing. It does have a serious down-side, so...
Yeah, I can just hang on to the excess gp.
Just an observation here...we should be cautious here as we still do not know if these gnolls are behind the abductions. I feel this might be a trap laid for us by the Striper so I don't feel like wasting a lot of resources here to slaughter gnolls. Now if we can capture the gnoll LT or the SGT, that is another story, he he.
Tsk. Tsk.
Such a lack of trust for your friendly, non-conniving, non-plot-hatching, DM. Oh, woe is me!
Just an observation here...we should be cautious here as we still do not know if these gnolls are behind the abductions. I feel this might be a trap laid for us by the Striper so I don't feel like wasting a lot of resources here to slaughter gnolls. Now if we can capture the gnoll LT or the SGT, that is another story, he he.
Putting on my player-only hat here... that isn't how I roll. I believe in conserving resources by bringing maximum destruction in the minimal amount of rounds. I find the dead require fewer follow-up spells. :)
Grabbing a lead gnoll while keeping a whole pack of regulars at bay will probably cost more in terms of spells and cures than wiping out most of the band and hoping the leaders have enough extra HP to be around after the smoke clears.
Could this be a Striper plot? Possibly.
Could he have some sort of nefarious back-up attack planned for when we have less spells and resources? Possibly.
But I'm not going to pull punches on this real mob because a hypothetical mob may be waiting around the next corner. So, playing true to Straehan, I'm going to hammer these suckers with the best I can bring to bear based on the tactical circumstances. If that bites us in the butt when a screaming hoard of Striper Demons comes roaring down the hill... oh well. Sometimes it's hard to to be a hero. :)
Well, I am sure you have figured out by now I play things more conservative than you guys. Still it is entirely plausible those kids we are looking for are in that palisade, so yeah let's take these gnolls down, capture the Gnoll Leader and be the HEROs, (now matter how hard it is, he he.)
Diversity is what makes this game fun, man. :) Feel free to play Ushari however you wish. If you feel better hanging onto spells longer than Straehan would... more power to you. That will save our asses after the trap is sprung!
Mwahahahahahahaha
I feel this might be a trap laid for us by the Striper so I don't feel like wasting a lot of resources here to slaughter gnolls.
What?!?! There were strippers in town, and Jofram missed them?!?! Why didn't you tell m... oh, Striper.
HA! Stripper, Striper... practically the same thing.
Happy Turkey Day, heroes. While you stuff your faces with bird, we'll be stuffing our faces with you.
Nom nom... Love me a Hero sandwich!
Hmmm...the more I think about it the more I think...
Ya know trap is such a subjective term...
Well gents it isn't three french hens, two turtle-doves, and a partridge in a pear tree... BUT you managed to off:
30 Vicious Gnolls
8 Laughing Hyenas
3 Gnoll Sergeants
and a Gnoll Leader with his animal companion
This raises your XP total to: 28,333/35,000
On another subject... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Our campaign is turning a year old on Tuesday. Why it seems like just yesterday it was learning to walk. :)
To mark this celebratory moment and to thank you guys for your past and continuing contributions, each of your characters receives 2000 GPs. When you get back to Orfallen, you can spend it (or bank it) - individually or as a group. You can pool your resources to buy something big, if you wish. All I ask is IF you pool the cash for a big ticket item, please run it by me first.
Thanks for the good year, guys. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.
Woot!!!!!11one
Hey, thanks, SR!
It doesn't feel like it's been a year.
And hey, 2k puts me halfway to a STR belt!
Wow, has it been a year already? This year has just flown by! Who knew when we all woke up on that raft out in the middle of the ocean, we would have made it to this point?
I am looking forward to what the next year holds!
Hmmm, just think of all the dresses 'Shari can buy with that loot, he he.
FYI - feel free to drop a Bank spoiler on your character sheets and deposit your 2k GP in it. I find that's easier than saying you are trucking around that load of money (unless you have a kinky habit of rolling nekkid through your coins). The added bennie is that banked cash can never be stolen. :)
Mony, mony... like a pony... mony mony!
]Just to be transparent, and to get the conversation going. My initial thought on the last set of revelations is this.
One theory is that someone from one of the two factions in town is trying to destroy the logging settlement for some reason. We have children from the logging group being abducted and all signs point to it being gnoll work. Then we have gnoll children being abducted and it happening by a human - who has proven himself to be both excellent at stealth and very cunning who just happens to let himself get identified by the gnolls. This could be unintentional, but it also could be intentional. If you know gnolls consider all humans to be alike, then showing yourself as a human abductor is the fastest way to turn the gnolls on the humans. Loggers go after gnolls and gnolls go after loggers... no more logging group. Could be work of the fisher-people (a little obvious and possibly self-defeating) or it could be someone on the inside of the logging group working to destroy it - for either personal reasons or because they were hired.
One theory is that the stealer is stealing weak and young from both camps for some presently-unknown purpose. Since I can't think of any reasons that are supported by the information we currently have, I'm going to leave this one on the back-burner for now - a possibility but one without substantiated motive or supporting clues.
I guess another thought is that the two things could be unrelated, but that seems like a stretch at this point. Again, possible but in my mind unlikely.
We have the whole 'human who may be a shapeshifter of some sorts' angle to consider. Obviously it would be easy for a person with this particular skill-set to use them to provoke both the humans and the gnolls. He goes wolf/partial-wolf form to incite the humans against the gnolls and goes in human form to incite the gnolls against the humans.
Love to hear your thoughts on all this. I could have put all this in the IC thread, but it seemed like a lot to go over in-character. If you'd prefer me do that, I'm happy to. Let me know.
Either way, I'd love to hear Eric and Jimmy's thoughts on all this. Especially what I've overlooked or how I've made bad inferences.
Feel free to hash out the issues here. I don't think it all needs to be in the game thread.
Work is hammering me right now...so this will be brief.
I am convinced this is being masterminded by the 'Striper'. Everything the fisherman says rings true to me. Now as for why these children are being abducted...I will not make any judgements as to why he is doing this. We need to investigate further, as these children must be being taken SOMEWHERE..
My thoughts on townsfolk suspects:
Coe
I gotta admit I keep coming back to Coe (if we're looking at people in the town). While he's kind of the obvious choice (which makes me second-guess myself), there are a lot of things pointing to him. And while Jayse didn't sense any deception, I'd expect whoever's doing this to the town to be one cunning, conniving, deceptive S.O.B., so he may simply be a better liar then Jayse is a lie-detector.
For starters, we know there's bad blood between the locals and the loggers. He obviously doesn't like the loggers from the way he reacted to our questions. If he's as arrogant as I think he is, then he either wants them to be out of his territory or he thinks he could/should be leading the logging effort - I can see him thinking that the money from lumber from this area should go into the hands of the people who lived there originally as opposed to some citified folk stealing their resources.
And combine this with the wolf connections I mention two paragraphs later, it kind of simply makes sense that this could be a manifestation of his territorial Alpha-wolf mentality.
The whole Striper diatribe and metaphor. I can totally see this arrogant, alpha-wolf type guy loving his opportunity to compare himself to one of the top river predators (that he totally identifies with) in a way that isn't obvious to his stupid opponent. Basically telling your opponent exactly what you're going to do to his best attempts without him being aware that he's doing it. If he is the guy I suspect he may be, this would totally fit his MO as the BBEG du jour.
Coe's got two connections to the second wolf attack (of 1051). He (or maybe his father - i forgot to follow up on this but given his age, it makes sense that it was him) was injured in the last wolf attack. If the wolves attacking were either all lycans or lead by one, then anyone injured in that fight could carry the curse. So it's very likely that Coe is a lycan - either afflicted or inherited. Secondarily, Coe's son is married to another survivor of an injury of that attack - Natalie Silverie. So two potential werewolves in one family… and if those two are, it's very likely the son/husband is one as well.
All this to say that the wolf connection is much closer to home with Coe and his son and daughter-in-law. My best guess is that either they are directly involved in the abductions for some reason or it's just an interesting coincidence that muddies the water.
Although it occurs to me while I'm writing this that we need to compare the times of the various abductions against known recent phases of the moon. If they are afflicted, then they may unknowingly be abducting children… the only problem with this line of thinking is that we'd have to make some relevant knowledge checks or it's all metagaming. well, that and then we have a bad guy making cunning and well-thought-through decisions while under the influence of a crazy-bloodlust-inducing curse… which doesn't really jive.
The Constable (Hern?)
Really all this guy has going against him is the heel-mark of his boot. Which may make him the shapeshifter, but - as Jimmy pointed out - that may be coincidental. Even if he is the shapeshifter/wolfman, there's actually no evidence directly connecting those tracks to the abductions. Those tracks could just as easily have been made if he was using scent to follow the trail of the child-abductor.
I'm not sure what to make of the man holding his right arm oddly.
Anyone else
These are really the only two I can come up with. I gotta wonder if there's someone close to Coe pulling strings which makes him look like the culprit. But again, i don't have a clue who, and I'm more likely to suspect Coe himself.
Whle the archivist Dinwat is odd, I have no reason to suspect he's anything but a strange old guy at this point.
Yeah, I totally forgot about Coe's ties to the wolf attacks. Puts his actions in a whole new light. The only question I would have is what is he doing with the human and gnoll children/bodies/corpses. They have to be somewhere....