Already replied with my thoughts in chat last night with Justin.
I will say here that I've particularly enjoyed the interesting RP dynamics between all of our characters. I'll also add that the idea of hunting down pirates would certainly be something Fin would feel strongly about acting on.
BTW, at Eric's request, I've added a Loot Tracking page to the wiki for this campaign. I may also add one for Rumble.
http://wiki.worldsunknown.com/wiki/Loot,_Isles
I'll add a link to it on the party matrix page, but it might not be a bad idea to add it to the top of our character profiles with the other tracking links we each have. I'll paste mine below here in case you guys just want to cast copypasta...
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I appreciate it. Regarding some of the specifics mentioned...
I've only read a little bit about Skill Challenges so it never even occured to me to do the forest chase in anything other than a narrative fashion. I'm happy to try out skill challenges in the next appropriate situation.
So, what I'm taking from the feedback is you guys are liking the 'combo pack' of adventure types and want that to continue as well as having me expand into the adventure types that we haven't done yet. Not a problem. It also sounds like there aren't any adventure types you specifically want to avoid. Which is nice in that it gives me greater latitude.
It seems like the general consensus is push on and out of Forestal. That's good because the story arc I have planned requires you to roam around the islands. :) As far as 'exploration' goes, my intention is to have it restricted to the exploration necessary to get from Point A to Point B... like so: you find a document about some forgotten temple located in the jungle that allegedly contains the Orb of Memory and you set out into the wild to find it. If anyone wants to explore purely for exploration's sake, let me know.
Regarding the Mainland and Crux... It is possible to get back to the Mainland, but it would be an extremely long and dangerous journey in a small boat. We are talking about 4000+ miles of open ocean with a relatively consistent cross-current and all the dangers associated with open ocean travel. The better way to do it, would be to head up to the top of the GSI, to the one port through which trade between the Mainland and the GSI happens. You could book passage there. I was thinking you might want a small boat so you can island hop within the GSI at will instead of having to book passage for travel. Of course, the choice is yours.
While you can visit the Mainland, it isn't necessary to the story. You can uncover the final mysteries about who you are and why you are here without travelling that far. For convenience sake, I structured the whole arc to take place in the GSI. If you want to visit the Mainland, you certainly can - but there's a good deal of risk to it. The cultures are very different and some will be openly hostile to one or another of your group. Even you all travelling together will draw stares, if not worse, depending on the Demense you are travelling through. Fin, as an Elf, will consistently have problems. I'm not trying to discourage you for heading that way. I'm just advising you on the issues involved and that it won't be a quick sidetrek - so don't head that way on a whim.
Any thoughts/preferences on this, probably overlooked, line?
While you're there, it might be a good time to have RP conversations about what your characters have experienced, speculate on what is happening, etc. If you want to work through the possibilities yourselves that is fine. If you'd prefer that I render a little 'extra help' through Straehan's 18 INT, I'm happy to do that too.
I was thinking that would not be a bad idea, maybe for the four of us to have a powwow, and go over everything that has happened since we found ourselves together. Straehan can take notes, and see if maybe there are some details we have missed.
Plus, Ushari wants to talk with either Etta or Milaflora, about her new flame. We can RP that IC as well.
I wonder if Vargr is a good cook...
LOL. I think Vargr's idea of 'cooking' might leave something to be desired.
BTW, at Eric's request, I've added a Loot Tracking page to the wiki for this campaign. I may also add one for Rumble.
Thanks for going to the trouble of building the page, Mike, but I'd prefer we not track loot on the wiki. Also, I believe Eric took on the job of loot tracker and since he can't update the wiki, that just isn't going to work. I'll be taking over the loot tracking and maintaining it on the Google site:
https://sites.google.com/site/greatsouthernislands/
I've already added a mention of your current magic items under your individual inventory pages. Fin and Jayse should add 159 GP and 5 SP to their private stashes. If you guys want to throw some of that in the bank, please put a 'Bank' spoiler on your character sheets and note the amount. If you guys want to start a 'Party Bank Account', just let me know when and what percentage of funds should go into it.
Eric has editing rights, I created an account for him yesterday when he said he'd rather try editing it there instead.
As for pacing, I think it's moving at a comfortable pace. I know that I can post much less in the evenings than you guys - and that might seem to make it slower - but the game has progressed at a good speed for me. If the choice is made to actively speed it up or slow it down, that'll be fine by me, too. If it speeds up, though, I'll just be a bit of a constant speed-bump. :)
Not a problem. I was pushing things as quickly as I was to get you guys past the awkward, tactically stilted, single-class/1st level bit. Things will progress a bit more slowly now in terms of number of postings. So you won't be a speed-bump whether you post in the evenings or not.
Eric has editing rights, I created an account for him yesterday when he said he'd rather try editing it there instead.
Thanks but I'd still prefer it be on the google site and I'll be handling it.
I don't care either way really as long as I don't have to do it. ;)
[tapping his star-topped sprinkly wand] Your wish is granted!
Huzzah! ^_^
It's because I'm blonde isn't it...
*runs away sobbing in a corner*
I can change...I could dye my roots, please!!
Seroiusly, it's cool with me...one less thing to worry about, he he
I dont' really have much Jayse would like to purchase. Though a few healing potions could prove handy in the right circumstances. Maybe a few tangle-foot bags or some such. if we could afford a Wand of CLW, I'd say we go with that, but it's out of our price range, right now, I think.
A CLW Wand is out of your price range right now, if there was one available in town, which there isn't. The only healing potions in town are the ones Isolde traded for. Given that those were mostly purchased in anticipation of the goblin war, Thrane would be willing to let you have two of those while keeping the rest for the various accidents and dangers the folks of Forestal face.
Sweet! I suggest Jayse and Fin carry the potions, as they are our front line fighters.
That works for me, Eric. BTW, since Fin can fit entire sandcastles inside the bag of holding, if you guys have any heavy objects you'd rather off-load it wouldn't inconvenience her any.
Justin: Would that fly with you? If so, how would you want it to be recorded? I'd thinking just noting on their sheets what possessions they store in it (i.e. tents, bedrolls) would be more natural than if I enumerated everything.
I am totally cool with folks noting individually on their own sheets what is 'in the communal bag'. No sense in keeping a separate list. FWIW, I have added Isolde's CLW potions on your individual inventories on the google site with a reminder note on the effects of a full swig, half swig, etc. just as an easy reference.
OK I think the plan (such as it is) is to do these things, in order:
A. Walk along the coastline to check out the two settlements, make sure they are ok.
B. Return to Forestal, and purchase the boat once completed.
C. Walk to Colona, escorting the metal shipment.
D. Walk to Orfallen, and research stuff.
E. Walk back to Forestal
F. Sail to...parts unknown yet.
What say you all?
In order to build a ship, you need 1/3 of its cost in raw materials. The largest vessel that one is able to build with the Craft skill is a Pinnacle which would probably be a good size for us (Craft DC 20).
The pinnace is a small, two-masted sailing vessel. It’s sturdy enough to undertake long open-water voyages and handy enough to use close to shore. A pinnace is fully decked, but its sterncastle is hardly worthy of the name; it’s little more than a cramped cabin.
Pinnace: Gargantuan vehicle; Seaworthiness +2; Shiphandling +2; Speed wind × 30 ft. or oars 5 ft. (good); Overall AC 1; Hull sections 4 (sink 1 section); Section hp 50 (hardness 5); Section AC 3; Rigging Sections 2; Rigging hp 60 (hardness 0), AC 1; Ram 3d6; Mounts 2 light; Space 30 ft. by 10 ft.; Height 10 ft. (draft 5 ft.); Complement 15; Watch 3 plus 8 rowers; Cargo 30 tons (Speed wind × 20 ft. if 15 tons or more); Cost 4,500 gp.
That would mean an investment of 1,500 gp for the raw materials. That shouldn't take too long to amass. The main considerations are that Fin would need 1 more skill point in Boatbuilding in order to be able to take 10 on her craft checks with someone else providing an AA bonus. Also, we'd need one more party member to get skilled in profession (sailor) since it take a minimum of 3 people to sail such a vessel.
Of course, while that would take her 2 years to finish with just one helper, I'd imagine it would go a lot faster if we're able to hire additional, more skilled helpers.
Sooo, for now I'd say it makes the most sense to walk about, check on other settlements, make some money, and earn some XP. :)
No, don't take that as a lack of interest. You posted about it while I was in the process of typing and I didn't have the heart to delete all that. lmao
A dhoni would probably be just great.
Added pictures of a Dhoni in the library if you are curious.
Already hit up Wikipedia actually, but that's a good pic.
OK, on the advice of our gracious DM, I have finished re-reading the entire thread he he.
After thinking about it, I have come up with a list of things to check out. Here we go, in no particular order...
- Ushari would cast either Mending/Make Whole to restore the book to the pre waterlogged condition. Hopefully, this will give Straehan some additional information. SR, let me know if that will work.
- How did he leave the flower for Ushari, if she had not met him until the day of the big battle?
- What plane did he/she/it originate from? We could research that in Orfallen, I think.
- It occured to me we did not explore that staircase where the Herald was laired. I think we should head back there, before the goblins seal it back up again. It may be a way to gain access to the Shaudran Tower.
Ushari, I'll look into the uses of Make Whole and Mending.
Interesting idea on the notebook. I had completely forgotten that one. Good catch, Ushari.
I'm leaving the Vargr thing to Ushari as there's no evidence that he holds any connection to Jayse's or the group as a whole past or future. Pretty Ushari-centric, which is fine.
The Dweller. This is obviously a big deal. Who is it? What is it?
What do we know about it? It seems to be some kind of great, evil malevolent force whose restriction from affecting our world directly seems to be tied to the Shaudran somehow. Were they what brought his attention here? Were they what barred his entry? I have no idea, but these are some of the questions I've wondered at.
Connected to this is the Gray Lady who unlocked/gave us our powers. Based on our experience, I'm not sure if we were given new powers or if our latent powers were unlocked. I'm thinking the second because of the fact that in both Jayse's and Fin's cases (and possibly the others), those secondary abilities appear to be something they would have been born with. Maybe their evolution was just sped up by the Lady? And if so, why? It seems more than a coincidence that it happened right after we destroyed the Least Herald. So she either works for or against the Dweller. Which means, as much as our role here is attached to the Dweller, it's attached to her (or whomever she serves).
Searching out that cave is probably a good idea if we still have access to it. Rashgari seemed pretty serious about shutting it back up (understandably), but Ushari's right, there may be some additional clues there.
And lastly, the shipwreck. Were we all on the ship? Jayse has no memories (so far) of actually being on the ship. Do we know if all that wreckage is from one ship? I mean, it stretches credulity to think two ships crashed into each other in all that storm mess, but then, there's a lot about this setup that is a stretch. With our plane/planet jumping crew, is it possible that we weren't all on the ship, but he ship got caught in whatever event brought us all together? And if that's the case, what does that say about our purpose here? Were we brought here intentionally (a thought that is supported by the Least Herald's words to us before he got his face rocked)?
Thoughts?
And what have I missed?
1. Thumbs up on the thinking going on above!
2. Regarding Mend/Make Whole... I've read through the spells and checked out some of the debates on the forum about its use. The obvious damage is water-logging which mend can fix - so the pages will be dry, flat, and supple and the spine will be solid. Make Whole would just repair more of the same assuming the book was well and truly thrashed. Regarding the actual words on the page, it all comes down to whether you consider ink running 'damage'. Frankly, I can see the argument going either way. I could imagine a use of Mend 'deleting' all those pesky ink-stains. :) However, given that Eric's idea was clever and I'm a sucker for odd information/plot-hook devices... I'm going to say that Mend will be able to restore some text to pages and the book as a whole. I'll write that up in the main thread when I have a chance.
Casts Bump.
Game ON!
But since Ben is slammed with work, and it seems we are all dealing with a fair amount of RL stuff... no hurry.
*Dusts hands off*
Now THAT'S how you get a boat back in the water!
*Flexes while admiring himself in the mirror*
LOL!
Cha-ching!
You are at XP: 6600/9000 (4th)
Sorry, Ushari, you didn't gain a level. :(
Also, I just wanted to say 'nice work' on the battle with the Keening Spirit. She escaped with 1 HP left... and given that undead don't get to go into negatives, well, that was just a shade too close for comfort for her. Anyhow, I hope you guys liked that battle. You've helped me fill in the map a bit more to create a 'story' for her. And if you want to keep a 'Nemesis' list, feel free to put her on it. :)
Yeah it was a...challenge, he he. I know there is a backstory behind her now, as how did she end up on that beach, so close to Forestal? Who were her victims? Who is she?
Ushari is DEFINITELY going to pay her a visit, once she gets more kickass, he he.
"The Shadow knows..."
Alex, I'll take '1930's Radio' for $1000.
"The Shadow knows..."
Who is Lamont Cranston aka 'The Shadow' and "what evil lurks in the hearts of men..."?
Is Mike AWOL?
Sorry, the last two days at work have not only been insane but they've also left me exhausted. Hoping to catch-up on PbPs today if its calm... which Fridays seldom are for us. >.>
no problem. just didn't know if you had something that was going on to hold you up or not.
Yah, I have nothing to add on the Perfect Strike/Grapple question. After actually reading the feat, it actually sounds ridiculously exclusive regarding even the weapons allowable with it. Hopefully you'll overlook that in Jayse's case. :)
Sounds to me like Perfect strike is only for attack rolls with weapons, or in Jayse's case, his mindblade. I don't think it would apply to Combat maneuvers at all.
I would think the exception to that would be combat maneuvers using the weapons indicated.
Well, the feat indicates it applies to attack rolls, so if you use the indicated weapon to perform a combat maneuver, like Trip for instance, then yes you can use Perfect Strike.
My read is that any attack roll with 'monk weapons' is legit. So the initiating 'strike' which kicks off any combat maneuver that can be done through a monk weapon is fine... but follow-on stuff is not. So no 'maintain a grapple' even if the application of the grapple is to cause damage or similar bits. In Jayse's case, it does apply to his mindblade as well.
Somebody trip some crazy ravin' techno music so Jayse can go all out here!
Or... ya know.. he could run...
I take it that Ushari's Acrobatics check didn't beat their CMD then?
Regardless, even responses to an AoO can provoke AoOs — it is certainly possible for an entire series of them to chain together. If the guys attempting to grab Ushari don't have the right feats, then their attempts would indeed provoke AoOs from her.
Mind you, even if Ushari damages Sarge, that doesn't cause his grapple to fail. Just keep in mind that she still has plenty of options while grappled including continuing to attack until such time as she is pinned. Meanwhile, unless he releases his grapple, Sarge pretty much has to take her abuse until he pins her because his hands are full [of her]. Eric, I'd advise you to read up on the grappling rules, methinks you're going to need them.
In terms of activating Skitter, I'm not sure what's involved with that, but dropping it would be a free action that does not provoke an AoO.
Her acrobatics score did not beat their CMD.
The only exception to the chain of AoOs is the one per person limit. So the question becomes since the pirates' first action was an AoO against Ushari... does that count as their only AoO on her? As I understand it, Ushari can strike at the guys. If she hits, her damage improves her CMD for the 'grapple' which follows. Since I rolled a 20 on that, I assume that her damage won't prevent the grapple because a 20 always hits.... At least I don't ever recall seeing a rule that says a CMD check is any different. If you guys know of an exception, let me know.
Activating Skitter is a swift action, if I recall correctly BUT she has to pull him out - which is a standard action. Rather than have her waste her time trying to inflict damage which won't break the pirate's grip, I was giving her an option to deploy Skitter instead. It's not in the rules but I think it is reasonable.
The biggest wrinkle I can think of is that Ushari doesn't threaten the pirates since sue is unarmed. Or does she have improved unarmed strike? I saw this was mentioned in the game thread, bit I think you have to be considered armed to threaten, and if you have to have Improved Unarmed Strike to be considered armed if you're not wielding a weapon.
I don't know why, but I'm still not sure one can even use a grapple as your AoO per RAW. But, that could be me misreading the rules somewhat.
Other than those, yah, it sounds like she's grappled. Though, like Mike said, that still allows her a lot of options since she's not necessarily trying to grapple back. How's her escape artist modifier?
I'll have to do some re-reading. As I recall, any standard attack can be used as an AoO including combat maneuvers. And frankly, it is the preferable option here since if I were to make their AoOs standard attacks - Ushari will suck a possible critical from a scimitar and I would assume the gents would get their flanking bonuses which could then bring precision damage into it. The base damage for the scimitar alone will put her under.
She can use an unarmed strike - but it will simply do non-lethal damage and could draw AoOs... which gets into the AoO chain thing Mike and I were discussing above.
I'll do some reading. But I'm inclined to let combat maneuvers be used in AoOs... if only so Ushari stays conscious right now. :)