We could likely manage 1-4 if we were to jump a small group moving (unimportant) prisoners. Heck, that could get us #7, too - but I'd worry that would telegraph what we were up to - whereas rescuing prisoners and taking the paperwork doesn't have the same issue.
In terms of disguise, I can cast false face - it'll last 4 hours, and it's polymorph and not illusion.
Sidius isn't bad at bluff, but not really amazing either. I would imagine the paperwork and uniforms would provide a circumstance bonus - but something to boost this (a scroll of glibness?) would be pretty useful.
In the other Campaign we did the Following.
Scoped the place out
Paid off a lady who was living in an abandoned house near by to be quiet so we could camp out and observe.
One of the PC's worked at the Tooth and Nail.
We did a food delivery from a "Noble" think of your classic spy movie with the room service coming special.
I won't say anything about inside but this will be a lot of Intel gathering, I will do that with Fhingle and can help with the plans but I know what is on the inside so I will drift a bit to the shadow for this part
Lubella is talking to a patron at the Tooth and Nail, which is where we went after re-entering the city. So Arcos is with her right now.
That would be fine Arcos. Although we never really dropped you out, so you are with the party at this time.
2d6-1d6+1
Also the rebellion, with 33 supporters, reaches a rank of 5, which allows a couple more actions this next time to use.
The tracking sheet has been updated for week 6 with my changes in Purple. Trying to keep this part from becoming too much red-tape, but it does provide some boons to the party, so keeping it updated.
Now back to our previously scheduled mission, already in progress.
I feel like I did this with Fhingle before I got into the game. Is this a second bonus feat?
Just the one feat Fhingle. Sorry I forgot I had sent that when you joined and wanted to make sure I didn’t forget...but I forgot.
Lubella is planning on heading over the bridge to the Long Roads Coffee House later on. She needs to retrieve her raven figurine.
Having trouble getting my Gameplay post to show up (#2601); You can see it through my alias under Posts. I'll wait a bit and see if it gets sorted out before I contact customer service.
No worries GM Aarvid just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on a bonus feat bonus
With uniforms taking a day each, do we want to follow Hetamon's suggestion and 'borrow' some? I was thinking that if a patrol turned up nekkid, that will definitely raise suspicions, but if we manage to entirely 'disappear' it, at least for a while, and have it happen somewhere far away from both the Holding House and our bases of operations, it might work.
Might be able to do that in a safer way - they must have stores or a laundry we could hit. If it's a military target, we could mask the theft with a fire. (Wouldn't do that to a business owner)
Oooh, yes, that's a great idea!
If we set a fire, we have to be careful that it doesn't get out of control and burn a major part of the city. Fire was a significant threat in pre-modern times.
Perhaps we should ask Hetamon to make one uniform, so we only need to obtain two more.
My suspicion is that waylaying the uniforms on their way to the castle is going to be easier than trying to get into a tower and steal them. However, it's not a bad idea for someone to have a look at one of the towers, in case I'm wrong.
As I alluded to in my gameplay post, planning to ambush the uniform transport south of the river seems like it would allow us to get the most done in the morning (less travel time required). However, we could choose to the uniform transport party north of the river, if we have a compelling reason to do so.
Given the seeming time pressure to rescue the Torrent armigers, I think we need to split up and look for clues do our recon. I'm suggest that we want to:
1) scout out an ambush site.
2) check out one of the towers.
3) watch the Holding House.
So two people could do something else, if we want. The prisoner numbers need to be added to the forms at some point, so that's something that could be done in the morning.
There are two entrances to the Holding House. We don't know for sure which one our dottari impersonators should approach, although my guess is that the administration area might be the through the entrance that doesn't lead to the prisoner area. So the procedure might be to go to the admin area first and present the paperwork. It would be good to confirm that, if possible.
Once we get the uniforms, we might be able to try the prisoner transfer ruse the same day. That assumes that the uniforms fit well enough, and don't need alterations. When it's time to present the paperwork, Lubella will cast Heroism on whichever of our "dottari" is going to do the talking.
I think Talvek has the highest Bluff/Diplomacy bonus, so it would make sense for him to watch the Holding House and get familiar with the goings-on there.
Just realized my profession (scribe) is only +4. Maybe not the best modifier. I could still try it but someone might have better skills for it.
The closest thing in the Player's Guide is the section on Examining and Creating Documents, but that seems to be more about using Linguistics to uncover hidden meanings.
Examining and Creating Documents: At times during this Adventure Path, you’ll need to examine old documents, complex contracts, and other written works. Some of these documents are simply archaic and written strangely, but others contain hidden messages or obfuscated truths. Doing so generally requires both knowledge in the language in which the document is written and a successful Linguistics check against a set DC known by your GM. In addition, you can use Linguistics checks to create secret messages, much in the same way you use Bluff to verbally pass a hidden message to another. Someone who doesn’t know the code must make a successful Linguistics check to decipher your message (DC = the Linguistics check result you achieved in creating the message in the first place).
Since you paid for the documents to be professionally forged, the addition of the numbers is relatively easy. Even by taking-10 Arcos can easily add the numbers to the documents (I am assuming Ruba provided the same quill and sample of ink to you as part of the price).
If Arcos was creating the entire documents himself, it would take the much tougher checks.
Alright. I'll take ten on profession (scribe) then.
Sidius suggests, "Could be worth buying a scroll of alter self.. Though we'd need another uniform in that case."
Given that the standard dottari unit size seems to be four individuals, I was thinking about this, but the short duration (1 min/lvl) would seem to be a problem. I suspect presenting the papers, and getting the guards to hand over the prisoners will take rather longer than that (I could see it easily taking 10 or 20 minutes). Disguise Self is 10 min/lvl, but size is the problem for Fhingle and Lubella, and Enlarge Person is also only 1 min/lvl. I'm not aware of anything we would have access to that would have a better duration.
We might be stuck posing as a 3-person dottari detachment, and bluffing that the other person is sick or otherwise occupied.
I wonder...I've got sleeves of many garments. Could that be used in conjunction with some sort of check to duplicate a uniform, provided I could study the uniform?
Heads up that I'm travelling for work in the next couple of days, so posting may be spotty.
ok thanks, Talvek.
Arcos, the sleeves would allow you to "make any other garment". I would say similar to the disguise self spell - so +10 on disguise. Which I am not sure what having the real uniforms does, but disguise kit is only +2 on facial disguises. If you are not trying to look like a specific person, it should be easier. So basically having the 'real' uniforms or the sleeves I figure about the same.
As mentioned, Talvek and the halflings would have to do something more than just the uniforms...height and horns will be dead giveaways. :)
Disguise Self works for Talvek (I think — his type is outsider, so I'm not entirely sure how 'normal' he can look), and his extract lasts 30 minutes (hopefully enough).
Nothing long-lasting enough for height, as far as I know (a scroll of Alter Self would last only 3 minutes).
We should work out our ambush tactics. Hopefully, we'll be able to see the wagon approaching, and be able to cast some buff spells ahead of time.
As I mentioned in Gameplay, Lubella's going to start with a Grease spell to get some of them to fall down. Do Arcos and Sidius have the spells memorized as listed in their profiles? If so, Sidius could cast Glitterdust in the surprise round.
If these dottari hit as hard as the ones at the excruciation, Lubella may cast further Grease spells to try and get non-blinded enemies to drop their weapons. When she closes to melee combat, she'll try to score a non-lethal hit first. I want to avoid a repeat of the Aria Park protest, where she killed two dottari by scoring lethal critical hits on already-wounded ones.
Should I conserve a Heroism spell for later at the Holding House? Or do people need to memorize different spells for that first?
Yes, the spells I have listed are the ones I've memorized. I could use minor image to do something?
Minor image could make an illusion of a wagon to hide behind, and make the dottari think they have to go around it. Something to keep in mind when we see the map of the ambush spot.
It can be used to create smoke or mist to cover a retreat (which is what GM Aarvid had Arcos do when we were retreating with the rescued armiger).
That's Sidius' "usual" spell selection -- could swap out something if we're hiring them tomorrow
It looks like the dottari are a bit more spread out than I had hoped. I think Sidius can get three with Glitterdust. I'll try to cast Grease on the weapon of the fourth one.
If I cast in the front, I think I'd get the front three (green, yellow and driver) -- but I should also be able to bling the horses - which could be advantageous, even if the driver isn't blinded.
Unless we're planning to make a false wagon or something and hope that causes them to group together more.
I moved Lubella into the building space, to indicate that she's hiding in there somewhere.
Would we know the Alignment of these guys? I have protection from Law because I thought the general baddies would be LN or LE and Prot from Law would be better
Just my opinion, but LN seems more likely for the dottari.
Did Talvek drink his mutagen?
No, saving it for the rescue operation.
Note that there's no hard limit on how many mutagens you can make per day, other than it takes an hour to brew one (and you can only have one prepared at a time).
Interesting. I have a PFS alchemist and did not realize that and thought one per day.
My longest-running PFS character was an alchemist, and for the eight years I've played him I've ruled it as having as many as you need per day, just so long as you only have a single dose at a time.
Lubella is correct. It's just that in a dungeon crawl, you usually don't have an hour to make a new one. ;)
Is there a place we can burn the wagon without risking it catching and burning down the city? That would look more like this was a statement than anything else, plus, the destruction would hide what we take.
You are not far from the burned ruins you searched a few weeks ago- suspected site of Silver Ravens hideout. That may make a statement . It is still raining though.
I imagine we would need alchemist's fire to set the wagon on fire (the wood will be wet); do we have any?
Anyone trained in Handle Animal to move the wagon with the horses? Lubella could attempt it untrained, I suppose.
I don't think you can use Handle Animal Untrained can you?
Also why burn it? We could just stash it or put it in the river
You're right: Handle Animal is trained only.
I'm worried about the amount of time involved with moving the wagon. If it's not something we can do quickly, we should just leave it.
I thought of burning it or dumping it in the river, but I am also concerned with the amount of time that would take, and that it would expose us further. It won't take long for those dottari to go running for help and report the incident.
It's usable untrained on domestic animals.
If you have no ranks in Handle Animal, you can use a Charisma check to handle and push domestic animals, but you can't teach, rear, or train animals. A druid or ranger with no ranks in Handle Animal can use a Charisma check to handle and push her animal companion, but she can't teach, rear, or train other nondomestic animals.
As I mentioned earlier, the only affordable size-altering magic that I'm aware of (Alter Self, Enlarge Person), only lasts 1 min/lvl (so 3 or 4 minutes at the most). My experience in dealing with bureaucracy leads me to believe that that will not be long enough.
Lubella's Disguise check (from earlier in the day): 17
She will aid Arcos' Disguise check, if that's possible (the rules are ambiguous).
She cast Message on Arcos, Fhingle, Sidius and Talvek (duration: 40 min)
She cast Heroism on Talvek (duration: 40 min)
Thanks. I just wasn't able to follow the planned actual buffs or proposed buffs. :)
Disguise check is there, I’ll use my Sleeves of Many Garments to make the uniform fit better on myself, make it look like it actually belongs to me.
Dottari name, how about Morvious Stroud? Sounds nicely Chelish.
I'm not completely sure how that works. I think that maybe you can, but observers can get a bonus on their perception check to see through the disguise, based on familiarity: +4 for "recognizes on sight", +6 for "friends or associates", etc (see Disguise skill description). The spell gives you +10 on your disguise check.
GM Aarvid, how do you want to rule on this?