Sic Semper Tyrannis! (Thrune's Hell's Rebels Revived)

Game Master GM Aarvid

Thanks GM! I have adapted the char sheet based on Lubella’s comment and your approval for option 1. :-D

I think I’ll go for Partisan then as an officer role but we can define this during the game and character interaction.

Close out on the last 2 weeks of Rebellion

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Rebellion Stuff - Weeks 13 and 14

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== Team-A === (Merchants^2)
Flaetcher Kaneson (male half elf)
Morgar Manthai (male human) - charmed by imp
Zenger the Quick (male human)
Bolidino (male human) - killed in collapse
Umma LeGuin (female half elf)
Lankora Idall (female gnome)

== Team B === (Thieves^2)
Tuck
(Halflings)

== Team C === (Freedom Fighters^1)
(Mercenaries)
F.Crow+5

== Team D === (Infiltrators^2)
Octavio, Order of Torrent
(4 Hellknights)
Benjen Preveau
Hortense Lierre
Ilsani Aberveen
Kasston Auruda

== Team E === (Spies^3)
Aava— the spokesperson for the elves
Maenu and Saracea two females
Iquellan and Velmaian - two men
(5 Acisazi Sea Elves)

Natural Born Leader

In addition, you gain a +1 trait bonus to your
Leadership score if you take the Leadership feat.

Note that the Leadership Feat works a little differently in this AP:

Benefits of Leadership

If you select the Leadership feat, your cohort can serve as a
Recruiter. Rather than gain a set number of followers when
you achieve a Leadership score of 10, your rebellion instead
gains a Tier 1 bonus team. Each time you would normally
gain a higher-level follower, you instead grant the Silver
Ravens an additional Tier 1 bonus team, to a maximum of
six bonus teams once you achieve a Leadership score of 21.
In addition, if you have the Leadership feat and manage
a team, you grant +2 bonus to all Organization checks
attempted by that team during an Activity phase.

So the rebellion likely gets a Tier 1 bonus team.

Hmm. Does that mess with your concept? I could go either team(AP) or cohort (usual)

The way I read it, you still get the cohort (which can also serve as a recruiter. What you don't get is the other followers in the "Number of Followers by Level" table: link. That would mess with the size of the rebellion (not to mention creating a bookkeeping nightmare).

Ah ok. That makes more sense. :)

4d6 ⇒ (2, 4, 1, 5) = 12

We have quite a bit of magic items to divide up. Make sure you speak up and get your share!

Lubella would like the Small +2 Shadow Leather Armor, as well as the Circlet of Persuasion.

Either Talvek or Arcos should take the +1 Mithril Chain Shirt.

I believe we have two +2 rings of protection. I suggest that Talvek gets one of these.

Note: I don't think all of the items have been added to the loot sheet yet.

Rebellion Boons:

Make sure that you have added the bonus skill rank from Rebellion rank 7.

At rank 8, the gift is a piece of armor or wand worth 1,200 gp or less.

Note that a mithril chain shirt is 1,100gp: within the allowable limit.

With the title of Sentinel at rank 9, each PC gains one of the following as a bonus feat: Great Fortitude, Iron Will, or Lightning Reflexes.

Lubella will take Great Fortitude

Assuming that Lubella gets the Small +2 Shadow Leather Armor, she will be donating her wand of Mage Armor (43 harges remaining) to the party, so that's up for grabs as well.

Please note that I will not include the monetary/equipment boons from the rebellion as I’ve already received level adequate gold.

I think Kenji and Talvek may be acquaintances through the Devil's Nursery connection (Talvek grew up there). Another possible connection is meeting in the libraries of the Kintargo Academy, as Talvek is also passionate about knowledge.

Hi Talvek,

Anything special of importance in your background to not know or specifically know? ;-)

Yep, totally fine. Talvek is quite outspoken about his dislike of, and mistrust in, rich people, and has been researching the Silver Ravens for a while. His family in Devil's Nursery is a well-known entity - a found family of tiefling women (not unlike a polycule with many adopted children) who came together to protect and take care of each other. So Talvek keeps mentioning his aunties and sisters, but he only has one blood relative in the family - his mother, Pella.

Regarding loot, Talvek would happily exchange his current +1 ring of protection for a +2, and take the mithril chainshirt as well unless Arcos wants it.

I can do a pass on the loot sheet and add the missing items, but that won't happen for a couple of weeks as I'm still waiting for my PC to be delivered by the moving company.

I missed the bonus skill point at 2, I think. I noted the one at 7.

Also - did we establish how many charges were left in the wand of lightning?

I will have to check on
Lightning wand. I am not sure you can skill check to get exact count but it was less than half full.

Lubella let me know what you decide on leadership cohort. Either a brand new one or potentially reskin/associates of a prior departed PC cleric etc ( fine either way). Will assume new.

Reading the Leadership Rules, it looks like the cohort would be 5th level:

Regardless of your Leadership score, you can only recruit a cohort who is two or more levels lower than yourself.

Creating NPCs

I think that the cohort would considered a heroic NPC (having class levels).

I'm not planning on having the cohort joining the party on missions outside of unusual circumstances. I don't want to take the spotlight away from the other PCs. The main purpose is to allow Lubella to further her roleplaying goals.

Yep, totally fine. Talvek is quite outspoken about his dislike of, and mistrust in, rich people, and has been researching the Silver Ravens for a while. His family in Devil's Nursery is a well-known entity - a found family of tiefling women (not unlike a polycule with many adopted children) who came together to protect and take care of each other. So Talvek keeps mentioning his aunties and sisters, but he only has one blood relative in the family - his mother, Pella.

Regarding loot, Talvek would happily exchange his current +1 ring of protection for a +2, and take the mithril chainshirt as well unless Arcos wants it.

I can do a pass on the loot sheet and add the missing items, but that won't happen for a couple of weeks as I'm still waiting for my PC to be delivered by the moving company.

Sounds perfect! Thanks!! ;-)

I can just take one of the +2 rings of protection, I can boost my AC with shield as needed.

Guess I'll take a +1 buckler as the boon -- seems more useful than a level 1 wand that'll get depleted.

Alright, levelling is done! Picked up piranha strike for a much-needed damage boost and my first level in arcane trickster! Also got some new spells including shocking grasp which, in a truly nutty combo, I can get sneak attack with for a whopping 7d6 damage!

GM Aarvid, you can choose what tier 1 bonus team Lubella attracts attracts. Perhaps Street Performers, since we don't seem to have any in the Advisors category?

Did we ever ID the Magic Glaive wielded by the Bearded Devil in the Lucky Bones?

I also notice a "strange key" in the loot list, found on the Lucky Bones masked woman. As far as I know we don't know what that's for.

I notice that there's several unclaimed potions:
Potion of Bear's Endurance
Potion of Cure Light Wounds
Potion of Cure Moderate wounds (Lubella already has one).

There's also a Scroll of Glyph of Warding.

Finally, there's a Vest of Escape. It's main ability seems to be a +6 competence bonus on Escape Artist checks (it also contains magical lockpicks that give a +4 competence bonus on Disable Device checks.
Lubella isn't trained in Disable Device, but would be interested in the bonus to Escape Artist checks).

Vest of escape looks great for Talvek or Arcos, right?

FYI, Lubella knows Liberating Command (which she can cast as an Immediate Action); this spell grants an Immediate action Escape Artist check to get out of a grapple. So if you have Escape Artist as a class skill, there's some value in putting one skill rank into it. While the existing players know about this, Kenjii might not be aware.

Here's aproposed build for my cohort: a 5th lvl Cleric (Hidden Priest archetype). I selected additional traits to help make the NPC work from a story perceptive: Bluff as a class skill, and the Fed up Citizen Campaign Trait (detects as 4 levels lower for purposes of Detect Good or Detect Law).

(Money not corrected)

Lubella's goal is to offer free medical services in the areas with most need (starting in the Devil's Nursery). We could coordinate with the Cloven Hoof Society, offering some services there, and making some house calls. She'll also try to negotiate a partnership with the Church of Shelyn.

Primarily this will be handled by Lubella's Cohort, but Sidius and Kenjii might possibly be interested in helping out (anyone else is welcome as well). Lubella's cohort will also be able to serve as a Recruiter while doing this (The Payer's Guide explicitly allows a cohort to be an additional Recruiter).

GM Aarvid, you can choose what tier 1 bonus team Lubella attracts attracts. Perhaps Street Performers, since we don't seem to have any in the Advisors category?

Level-1 street performance team sounds fine. Would your new cohort act as their leader (like Octavio does ) or unrelated? Fine either way. Otherwise a low level Bard or something seems appropriate. Bard/2+5 minstrels or the like.

Do you have 5 total teams (your max) but Leadership is bonus above that…so leaving you with 6 total teams. The sea elves will join in a couple weeks…but will be level 3 spies once they return.

As much as Will is a witch's strong save, I don't have any wisdom to back it up - so I'll take Iron Will.

And I'm still torn between the offense-driven Improved Familiar (Chuspiki and its air blasts) or the defensive one (Nehustan with Remove Disease and Neutralize Poison). Two levels ago, I would have said the Nehustan fit Sidius' personality better -- but feeling useless in the face of threats goes the other way

As much as Will is a witch's strong save, I don't have any wisdom to back it up - so I'll take Iron Will.

Will saves can be the wosrt saves to fail for the rest of the party, so that makes sense. Lubella took Great Fortitude because it's a prerequisite for Sarenrae's Mercy (her Divine Fighting Technique). Fortitude is also her weakest save: not good for a front-line character. The Irrepressible trait already boosts her against the worst Will saves to fail (charm and compulsion effects).

If you are interested in a familiar, the faerie dragon, Vendalfek, you met before can be yours as well (per the AP). I forgot to mention that as I was only thinking wizard familiar.

Vendalfek would be a great choice (he's already part of the Silver Ravens)! I think he can cast Greater Invisibility (self only) among other things. Here's an Archives of Nethys link.

So Sidius would definitely qualify.

How are the leveling activities going? Also, any actions as part of wrapping up loose ends in this chapter before going to next one?

I am trying to keep tabs of all the notable NPC (allies/foes) on the rebellion campaign. There was a nice group picture of all the allies.

Lubella needs to follow up with Captain Cassius Sargeta about the requested extra funds.

[EDIT]When we receive the funds, Lubella needs to make sure that the Aquatics Elves and the Order of the Torrent get equipment.

Do the aquatic elves prefer regular spear or longspears? Lubella is organizing equipment for them: 5 suits of leather armor, a trident for Aava and and spears for the others, as well as a dagger each.

Short/normal spears. They are level 2 rangers so can use any non-exotic, piercing weapon.

The Hellknights have custom full-plate and heavy weapons, so that is going to be an order of magnitude more expensive.

Deducted 85 GP from the Silver Ravens' Treasury to buy for the aquatic elves:

5 sets leather armor
4 spears
1 trident
5 daggers

Dividing the 2000 GP from Captain Cassius Sargaeta:

Each PC receives 400 GP.

Note: Lubella can lend up to 900 gp, if someone needs to buy something.

Is it safe for Sidius to try to find a fellow witch to swap/learn spells, or will he have to buy scrolls?

I like what the faerie dragon gives to the rebellion, but Sidius wasn't there when you met him -- I assume that he's got the "standard" Faerie Dragon spells for his Sorcerer 3?

Honestly, I'm torn - as I said, Sidius was looking for a familiar that would make him feel more useful - hence the thought of the heal-bot or the blasty one -- Vendalfek's biggest advantages are his ability to communicate with anyone via telepathy and what he gives to the rebellion -- his other abilities are of limited use, especially given their DCs relative to what we'll be facing. Unless we suddenly trip over a giant cache of sorcerer wands, I suppose.

Hi Sidius. Totally understand regarding the little dragon. Just throwing it out as offered as part of the AP. No obligation to take him. You have met the dragon but indeed his role was lesser in this book than the prior.

In regards to swapping. Yes there are some, but unfortunately there are more witch’s that serve the Thrunes than don’t, especially at higher levels…so who to trust is the question. If you want to try and find one…we can role/play that out. You would know that Hetamon Haace is covertly operating the Milani church network in the city. He may have contacts. :)

You will find wizards and wizard spells are more common. Scroll can be found in the magic/book shop. Often without any question. (See Lubella’s post below)

Sidius, note that we do know the proprietor of Crissali’s Fine Tomes.

Buying a spell on a scroll is an option, but way more expensive than paying a teacher/trainer -- that said, after some of the negative experiences and being tracked back, Sidius would be more than a little worried about trusting pretty much anyone. That said, it wouldn't hurt to ask Hetamon if he could think of anyone who would want to trade spells safely (it's not like Sidius needs to declare himself a Silver Raven during that process either).

All that to say, trying to figure out if he might be able to grab a few new spells, instead of just 1 level 3 scroll. ;)

LOL - the irony of this is you may well encounter an arch-witch very soon...but she may not be of the mind to swap spells.

But one never knows. :P

See gameplay...

Ok , is everyone ready to start book 3? We will start once we get 4 ready responses here. Let me know if I still need to answer anything.

Sidius, if you meet with Hetamon he can probably find you someone with a spell swap opportunity but not necessarily with specific spells you want.

I'm ready.

Ok, just checked loot sheet. A couple items I am not seeing:

1) Do you have all of the loot from the 3 locked chests in the secret room...several potions etc.
2) There were a set of stacked sea shells found with the scum caster. They were written in Aboleth language. You surmise some sort of documents or archaic writings.
3) See gameplay for Hetamon...minor cache (for the Rebellion's use)
4) See gameplay for Hetamon...intermediate cache (for the Rebellion's use)

Lubella, I may be missing it, but the cohort (looks fine btw), is there a back story and name to go with him? Did he come looking for you from HQ , just found here in the city etc?

I still need to level up and I said I would update the loot sheet once I got my PC, fortunately I now have a date for my stuff being delivered - September 2nd. Otherwise I'm ready to start Book 3.

Lubella, I may be missing it, but the cohort (looks fine btw), is there a back story and name to go with him? Did he come looking for you from HQ , just found here in the city etc?

I haven't written any backstory yet, or come up with a name, since I didn't know if you had anything specific in mind. I was waiting to see if any other PCs wanted to take part in Lubella's plans to provide free medical services in the Devil's Nursery. I was potentially thinking of approaching the church of Shelyn to coordinate providing healing to those in need. I was hoping the church of Shelyn might have information on were to find wirshipers of Sarenrae who went into hiding. I haven't had any takers so far however, so no plans yet.

Talvek would like to help, but can't do healing himself.

I’m back from vacation next Monday.

Sidius, if you meet with Hetamon he can probably find you someone with a spell swap opportunity but not necessarily with specific spells you want.

Will do that, indeed -- was suggesting I would in the game thread.

Other than learning new spells, Sidius is ready.

I’m good to go.