Shadows of the Sand [Planetouched] (Inactive)

Game Master caster4life

Some guidelines for game pacing:

1. Once two players agree on a course of action in gameplay, I will assume the party takes that course of action.

2. Please post consistently once per weekday and once over the weekend, with a few, occasional exceptions. Even if it seems like there is nothing for you to do (e.g. not your turn in combat) there is something you can post. Post your character's reaction to another's actions, comment on a recent event in the discussion, etc. Do something to keep yourself and everyone else engaged. In addition, ensure your posts have a hook or push for other players or myself to keep the action moving forward.

A. Example post with no push "John finishes off the last ogre with a mighty blow to the abdomen."

B. Example post with a push: "John finishes off the last ogre with a mighty blow to the abdomen. With blood still dripping from his face, he turns to his comrades. Let's search their corpses and get out of here."

3. Related to both 1 and 2, use the discussion thread a lot. Feel free to plan ahead so that gameplay flows smoothly, e.g. "My character doesn't know X yet but once he does he will want to do Y.

4. FYI, I update mostly around 10 am EST and 7 pm EST on weekdays and at some point during Saturday and Sunday.

Map of central Lopul

Hello, team Planetouched! Third time's a charm for my character concepts. I may want to fill in the rest of my gear here. . . still have some gold to spend.

Any chance we can get a partially charged healing wand from our superiors as part of our spending?

Yes you may purchase a partially charged wand for a proportional price with your starting gold.

Post times: anytime between 7:30 and 19:00 in UTC+1 (that's EST+5 fyi).

I have something like 90g remaining that I can spend on anything party-usual. I only have the most basic stuff yet, but am willing to spend quite a bit on wand charges.

Note: I changed my Eidolons Talent from skill focus to agile combatant. Dropping its perception from obscene 15 to still incredible 12. But opens trip&disarm maneuvers, which are awesome.

@GM: Are there tools for torture / threatening (providing intimidate boni?) And is Intimidate used for torture after all? Being evil and Intimidate focused, I consider this a very ... probably approach to gather intel. Mostly he will just use his Eidolon as a 'Motivator' but showing off some fearsome torture tools, usually helps as well.

Yes interrogation tools are somewhat standard here and would provide circumstance bonuses on the intimidate check.

If you want a specific tool not listed there, we could figure out a price for it.

That's quite an alias you're using for this...

Its really hard to find an alias with red hair.
If someone finds an alias icon that fits this more closely, I'd be happy.
Otherwise, just think away the long tongue or keep that picture in mind.

I guess I like the thumbscrew.
Helps with restraining casters as well! Could come in handy if we decide to bring back our target alive (which I somehow doubt).

Will work on finishing my character tonight put him on the backburner when we lost the sorcerer at the last minute.

Also, GM for clarification on the gnome spell was asking for my undine to be able to use his racial ability more than once a day.

Ah for some reason I looked at the suli racial ability instead of undine. Yes you can use that gnome spell since it is a level 1 spell to recharge a level 1 SLA.

Hey, sorry I'm late. Been busy. I'll get a post in soon.

Ok believe I have everything set up though will type up my backstory tomorrow hopefully been a little crazy at work the last couple weeks. Just wondering how much gold did you set aside for the 10 charge wand Zatinya.

150 gold for the 10 charge wand. My equipment needs are modest because I use lame weapons and light armor. Though I did not buy a shortbow yet to give me some not very impressive ranged damage.

Welp that is more than I can afford currently unless I sold back some of my alchemy supplies even then think I would be short 150 gp. Same here wanted to take a crossbow but that would have put me in the heavy load which is not really an option...still carrying multiple daggers to give a little range but not much.

In case of ranged fighting ...
I'll provide full cover with my tower shield and call them cowards ;-)

@Agaban: You don't have to pay 150g. It's basically 15g per 1 charge.

I can throw in something like 90g, for 6 additional charges.

Maybe Gara can get a Wand of Infernal Healing? That spell isn't on the Bard list, but it is on the Summoner and Cleric lists and offers more healing overall. I still want my CLW wand for the option of in-combat healing.

Similarly, Agaban, if you have in mind some other spell for a wand, that's always an option.

Just curious for a couple questions and hope to be able to make a post up later tonight just don't have enough time to really make it a good post at work.

1. Does using the sense motive skill mean that I would be performing an action that could be perceived that someone is attempting to discern maybe a focus of attention or a wariness being directed at the party.

2. Same question applies for perception if that is the more applicable skill in this case.

3. Assuming there wouldn't be an issue with infernal healing for me with a neutral deity and a neutral alignment though probably not the most preferred option I do think it is a more controllable form of healing than CLW

1. Sense motive is undetectable, IMO, unless you are doing something detectable to gain a bonus on it (e.g. getting a clear look at someone's face even though they're seating away from you).

2. Same answer.

3. Neither I nor a neutral deity are opposed to that, at least in my games. A good deity, sure there'd be a problem.

I fixed the Skills Table (mainly to remove my Oread alter-ego and replace it with this Ifrit) and added it to my profile, so we can see our party's skill coverage. We don't need to cover every skill, but I wanted to display our options.

Rules question: I'm thinking about having Zatinya learn Dazzling Blade instead of Grease. But there are some rules interactions I want to go over before making my choice.

Suppose Zatinya holds a whip in one hand. Her other hand has a cestus and a buckler strapped around it.

1. Can she cast spells with somatic components using the hand armed with a cestus? (I think this is yes.)
2. Can she cast Dazzling Blade on the cestus that is on her casting hand?
3. Can she cast Dazzling Blade NOT on the cestus, but some other metal weapon, even though the metal cestus is in contact with her casting hand?
4. Once Dazzling Blade is cast on her cestus, can she gain the +1 bonus to feint and disarm even if she is feinting and disarming with her whip and not the cestus?

1. Well I've journeyed down the rabbit hole argument of whether or not the hand wearing the cestus counts as free... I rule that yes, it is free.

2. Yes. You're certainly touching the weapon.

3. Yes as long as you touched the other weapon and were not trying to hold the charge. Holding the charge would make the charge automatically discharge on the cestus as it would be the only target and you couldn't help but touch it.

4. It does seem RAI that the +1 bonus applies to the dazzling weapon given the +1 to cmd if only for the dazzling weapon but by RAW it would apply to the whip as well and it's not too op or cheesy so sure, go for it.

Hey Zat just letting you know I had to move some of my attributes around to be able to outfit myself without going into heavy load so my strength is higher and my chr is only a 7.

Probably need to look at some of the skills also think they dont quite match up fully with some of the characters.

Hmm anything else in the header you think...Maybe too much?

I better look more carefully. You guys can edit the sheet too! (Or at least that was my intent.)

Also, I need a good nickname. How about Zaza?

Ah there we go didnt want to work for me earlier it seemed though maybe my internet just glitched out a little.

Also, wrote a little backstory though not sure how well it would be presented or if that is enough detail. First time I really tried to write a back story. Most of the characters I have are really general and assuming that the story will come out over the scenarios as I play them.

Like the backstory Agaban. Interesting to see how it plays out.

A couple of things.

First, I changed one of my traits to Irrepressible. It'll boost my will saves against charm/compulsion a lot, and it fits the background better than that old standby, Reactionary.

Second, what's our cover story? Are we merchants?

As you probably imagined, the cover story is up to you guys.

Don't know that we can pull off merchants unless we are very poor ones or maybe ones in the market to buy light goods that sell well...Course maybe caravan guards/mercenaries...maybe pilgrims though find that harder to pull off also.

Course even though we are shadows we are still part of the military and assuming we would have some rank or are we wiped completely off the books upon entry into shadows or considered discharged with our service term complete.

Also, thanks for that information earlier as a follow up to that question when was the magic escape pulled off...i.e. any potential change to their operating methods from tunnels to magic?

Failed attempt #1: Bandits escaped through secret tunnel and collapsed it behind them.

#2: Tunnel was found. Bandits escaped via teleportation.

#3: No tunnel was found. Bandits did, however, have one and escaped via it, killing a law enforcement officer when they collapsed the tunnel behind them.

No, Eidolons have no listed language.
They can communicate telepathically (over any range) with the summoner.
I could come with you (probably leaving my armor behind for a total +6 stealth) if you want to.
I wasn't sure whether you actually want to leave this night or 'only' get a good look on the place from our windows.

I agree you should go along, Gara. Blue can pull you away from your eavesdropping. Your eidolon is the most perceptive of us all.

Staying behind and let everybody know if they run into trouble seems a good option as well, but I could accompany them as well.

"I could either stay here ... as a kind of relay.

If IT is getting into trouble, I will know.
But IT cannot talk with others but me, so Lucien will be mostly on his own unless he gets into trouble.
IT will note anything suspicious and I can instruct IT to follow Lucien wherever he goes and probably warn him from danger by blocking his way.
On the other hand, I could come with them - but I am not as silent as either of them and may give them away...
What do you think Lucien, Agaban?

What's with the ITs?

He refers to his Eidolon that way, most of the time.
Not wanting to use the word demon too often.
And 'The living Sand' is more of a metaphorical way.
Actually it is used in an old story about the dangers of the desert. Used to scare little kids such that they don't wander into the desert.
He will use the expression to scare people.
E.g. when he is using intimidate.
"... You better talk or the living sand will come and get you!
You don't believe me? Your bad, see there, its coming for you ..."
Something like that.

I should note that Zatinya has no idea that two members of this group happen to be in the same tavern as them, which is something Agaban has figured out. Is there anything we want to do about that fact? I can ditch the lizardman and start flirting with them. But actually Zatinya's still a not great liar at the moment (waiting on Versatile Performance at level 2 where she will be able to bluff better)

Was debating that myself but kinda figuring that if we take them now we would need to be ready to move on since they have a tendency to run at the sign of trouble so we need to be ready to storm the warehouse after we do anything aggressive.

Now hoping that this is a common practice for them and we can then take them tomorrow or the day afterwards after Lucien has scouted the warehouse and maybe the bazaar.

100 xp for Agaban for correctly IDing and eavesdropping on 2 targets. Lucien and Gara have some scouting xp coming their way in bit, of which Lucien will get 2 shares since being there in person is a little more involvement than sending an Eidolon. XP updates: 400 split between Ashivla and Amari for some key scouting.

In general, I will award 5% (100 at level 1) of the xp required to go from current level to next level for achieving a minor but significant goal if that goal does not already have xp listed (e.g. killing an enemy already has a listed xp). I will scale this up or down based on the task and split between participants.

Sorry folks, almost done with the random aside, and then we can go back to our business.

Haha. Was wondering. That moment when there are other interesting things in the world because I'm trying to give it depth and a player gets very interested in those other things. XD A very good problem to have.

In general, there are many side-quests available all over the place in this campaign. It's up to you all to decide what to pursue when. Sometimes, time in game will be more essential than at other times.

Let's hope there's something interesting going on in this here lake, even if it's not actually some lost treasure.

Don't worry. There's always something at least mildly interesting in the side quests.

Couple of questions that will probably affect how I react.

1. Can he tell roughly how far away the other fish are?
2. Can I cast either my racial ability/channel/bleeding touch while underwater...for some reason thinking Aquan allows but wanting to make sure.
3. Can I use my racial ability to either push myself or the closer fish a decent distance...not sure if you want it to act differently in water as opposed to air.
4. How much does the object affect my swim speed since I am assuming I will not be able to use at least one or possibly both hands
5. Just for information as opposed to assumptions what is the DC for identifying these fish just in case they are different than what I am envisioning in my head. (I.E. is it less than or equal to 10 since I am untrained in Nature)

Think that is all my questions though piranhas in the pool are not cool...JK hopefully can extract myself from the group before the blood frenzy gets too out of hand.

1. The other fish are just entering the range of your darkvision so 50-60 ft.
2. Seems like hydraulic push would work pretty well underwater. I won't require a concentration check since its a very appropriate racial SLA. Spells would be harder.
3. Yes.
4. Not affecting your swim speed. It's a bracelet.
5. You can attempt a knowledge nature check.

Don't have time for a real post, should we just charm the fellow in private or else abduct and interrogate him?

I think to get us all active in the gameplay again, we should pounce once I get the halfling alone on the street or something. We try to get as much intel as possible, then attack tonight. I still want to hit em from the tunnels, but we will see if the halfling gives that up.

So I have two ideas how to play this.
Either gara is waiting until someone screams from within ... In a non-pleasure way.
Or simply walk in and threaten the hell out of the man - or feed him to Sandy once he is of no use to us anymore...

Thinking I maybe better to stay in the common room to see if anyone else of interest comes in. Think we should be ok with 3 against 1 odds and not the best melee combatant anyways but let me know if anyone thinks differently.

Also, was debating using the fishies as leverage/disposal since I would assume a swarm with blood in the water would do a number on a corpse.

Though not sure if that is a thought I would expect of Agaban either???

This could get messy. I guess I wanted to take the fight outside of the inn, but here we are. Either you guys can come in and do your thing while he's disarmed, or Zatinya does in fact go to her room and comes back with her whip. . . .

I'm not sure I'm ready to turn this into 50 Shades of Grey, though.

Haha. Yes I'm not looking to go that route either. I tend to fade to black on sex scenes when possible. I wasn't really wanting this halfling to get "planetouched" but I wanted to allow Zaza to pursue this angle since it's legitimately useful.

Just had an idea as far as how to play this off to get him outside of the inn.

Have Gara/Lucien act like Zaza was "moonlighting" and they take exception as her "handler" maybe intimidate the halfling, take his possessions, and dress him up long enough to go out into the desert where further "questioning" can occur if he will not lead us to the tunnel outright.

Though wondering exactly how bloodthirsty we are going to be at the end of this since assuming we cant really take any prisoners...though guess we could leave them tied up in the hideout to be taken into custody after we leave the area.

The other table is having similar questions about how bloodthirsty they want to be. Being tasked with completing missions at any cost is kind of rough. Unless you're Gara.

Course part of my reasoning to be a little more bloodthirsty is because we will be outnumbered by a significant margin unless we are able to battle them piecemeal which I would assume isn't going to always be the case.

Either way leaving it up to Gara and Lucien in moving forward since I am staying in the common room as a look out. Assuming there isn't anything for me to do down there or anyone interesting to observe.