Six Heads of Mayhem--The Hydra Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Almonihah

Hungry's good and roll away!

I should note here that combat isn't going to start *immediately*--you can hear them, and they'll probably hear you shortly, but you have a few moments if you wanted to cast a spell before meeting these creatures.

Come to think of it. I don't think Greater Magic fang actually works on Tomor, cause it doesn't stack with the +1 from ABP. I think.

That's correct--it overlaps, rather than stacks. So if this lasts long enough to hit level 8 it might matter (though ABP may go to +2 around then, too). Blockhead might appreciate it, though, since he has two choices of natural attacks while raging.

Oh I didn't see he has the Fiend Totem, that could work. On the other hand, I could use the spell myself if I go with tiger wild-shape. The decisions needed playing a druid the first time.

By the way... I was debating what reach you'd have when you wild shaped. I've decided that wild shaping will limit you to placing your 'head' directly adjacent to your body, because you've just turned your big long neck into the forequarters of a tiger or whatever. I'm not sure if that's what you understood before or not.

Not really, no. I was under the impression that Large size from wild shape would give reach anyway, but quadrupeds still have 5ft reach when large.

Edit: Apparently, Greater magic fang will be useful for exactly one level. That makes three spells I need to ditch.

Edit x2: Realized I never picked a Hature Bond, gonna go with Cave Domain because they're as empty and dark as the inside of Dru-heads head.

Moved my head, I'm good to roll away whenever.

I have the full archon style feat tree, so we may wish to try to arrange ourselves so I can be adjacent to as many people in melee as possible.

I'm assuming no one will object if I roll initiative for everyone when combat starts?

I'll only hold it against you if you roll low!

I've got ABP set to my horn attack, however I can only use that while raging.
So there is... a bit of time when Magic Fang would be useful, but not really :p

Edit x2: Realized I never picked a Hature Bond, gonna go with Cave Domain because they're as empty and dark as the inside of Dru-heads head.

XD

Okay, first combat time! Please post your moves over the course of the next day. Anyone who doesn't post by midnight tomorrow (Okay, 6:30 AM, because I won't be awake at midnight) will spend the round tangled up in the other heads' necks.

I don't know why elemental overflow damage doesn't work for Kinetic whip and Kinetic blade but alas, that's the way the rules are.

Are we tethered 15 ft away from the body or initial positions etc?

15 feet from the body in general. Which is a little weird, but easier than remembering which square the base of your neck is in on the body.

Oh, also--since you're not quite in reach of the troll, I'm assuming that all of the melee heads are delaying until the body moves to make these attacks? This will split up your initiative into two blocks instead of one. (Yes, using block initiative for simplicity/speed)

Ah. You are right, it seems we are about 25 ft away from the troll. I just assumed he was close enough because he hit me, but Troll Reach Far.
delaying my attack until our body walks close enough sounds good, Ill do that :)

Have reach to hit, but will delay. Life's more fun with more heads!

Right right, we're far away, of course.

On a side note, I'm pretty sure I can only do most of the archon style things when I'm adjacent. :(. On another side note, when I say archon style things I also mean things from archon diversion and archon justice.

Dibs for cozy spot beside Tomorbataar!

...I was just realizing I forgot to roll separate initiative for the eidolon. Well, it has a different initiative now.

I'm waiting for Hungry to point out the advantage of regenerating prey... :D

*checks first round post* Huh, I guess I didn't share my nat 20 knowledge... Whoops. Guess I'll just say it next round. :D

Wow, Flaming Sphere sucks. I should have looked at it a little better before I picked it. But, hey! That's one of the best upsides to divine casting.

It's mostly good for battles where you want to do something every round but don't want to waste more than one spell on the battle, or for using a move action while casting other spells. It lasts a round per level, so you can just keep rolling it around while using your standard action for other spells.

But yeah, not that strong.

It's also really good for casting pyrotechnics on.

Flaming sphere is not bad...considering it lets you do damage every round with a move action. If you tag dazing on it(though aqueous orb is better for that kind of shinenigans), you get to daze one target a round as a move action. I consider it like the non cleric version of spiritual weapon. If you have certain sorcerer bloodlines, you can get 3d6+6 on it, which is pretty mean.

Archon style is interesting. Seems like it promotes group hugs! And possibly the feat paired opportunist.

Paired Opportunist...yes, sounds good...quite good...esspecially since Morheads also has some feint partner shenanigans going on with his eidolon.

I'm not sure Trolls even have a dex bonus worth speaking of that I'm denying with this feat, but eh.

But it's still good when you get to make an attack with your eidolon instead of your body, because your eidolon is slightly better than you at melee. If we all take paired opportunists it's also great, and that also synergies well with Archon Justice, so it's a double synergy.

Oh, looks like someone else already figured out the fireball radius. So it looks like it's Ziphora, Blockhead, Dru-Head, and Tomorbataar that need to save, if you haven't already.

And here I thought Hungry would be more interested in keeping a troll alive as a long-term food source. ;)

Nah, when it comes to his stomach Hungry cares only if its filled now, he'll worry about filling it tomorrow. :D

And here I am rolling really well. 6,8/d8 and 4,3/d4.
Now if only Blockhead would make better choices and targets :D

Geez I havent keyed in the infusions into my character yet. Sorry. First time playing a Kineticist here :(

Also, GM, I think its easier if you post who needs to save in the gameplay, not here.

I can certainly do that next time. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to run Pathfinder battles in PbP, having mostly done more rules-light or free-form PbP games before.

A few pointers for smooth PbP combat, and just general mechanical interaction.

Was the 11 dmg to Druhead including the DR 5/evil that Dru head has? DR/evil means the attacking weapon has to be evil, which is usually the case only for evil outsiders.

I.e "A devil's natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as lawful and evil for the purpose of resolving damage reduction."

Also, are you factoring in DR or is it for players to resolve?

Its like how if a Lawful Good monk were to punch a creature with DR5/good, he would still be subject to the DR as his unarmed strike does not count as a good weapon even though his alignment is LG.

And no, using a neutral good cleric on body bludgeon rage power to hit something with DR/good does not bypass DR, even if the cleric has Aura of good and detects as good ;)

Ah, no, I should have made that clear. I generally assume that players will factor any DR or other defenses in themselves--I just give the raw damage number.

Thanks for the advice, Morheds! Running Pathfinder PbP is definitely a lot more complicated than the homebrew system my friends and I made up, so I'm sure I'll need some more help at some point. That's part of why I wanted to start with this game--I figured something silly like this would be more acceptable for learning to GM here than a more serious game.

You'll need to tell us if the creatures attack qualifies as evil, for the purposes of planar wildshape, as we cannot know as players without meta gaming what are the properties about the creatires attacks without appropriate knowledge check. And even if we made the knowledge check we would not ask for that bit of info.

Sorry I haven't run a PBP before so I can't help much, only can point out issues as they occur.

And no, using a neutral good cleric on body bludgeon rage power to hit something with DR/good does not bypass DR, even if the cleric has Aura of good and detects as good ;)

...

I'd allow it.

By the rules, it does not work. And don't encourage those crazy barbarians in abusing innocent good aligned clerics or paladins! They don't need any help to find hapless victims!

Ah, true. No, the trolls did not penetrate DR/Evil.

Blockhead has DR/- so it applies to all. I can help you track DRs if you want. DR does not apply if the opponent is smiting, or for stuff like vicious enchantment, falling damage.

Morhead's advice seems good to me, I've not much experience with PBP myself so whatever I say's as likely to be wrong as not.

So I just had a collapse yesterday. Insomnia for the last few weeks finally resulted in me running completely dry at Tim's yesterday.
Any posts from me will be slow and short.

Insomnia is no fun at all, I hope you manage to get some sleep and feel better. For what it's worth your posting here will be missed; you made me laugh more than once.

Hope you feel better soon!

Oh gosh. Get more sleep!

Awww :( Feel better! Hope you can sleep!

Blockhead can just nap for a bit while the rest of the heads keep going. ;)

Oh, by the way--I'm waiting to know if you're planning to continue on after dark or if you'll rest the night before returning to the humans.

Well I am back at home, and told to get plenty of rest, but I should be good from here :)

Also Ziphora, I don't get DR until next level :)

Mm. Too much time with invulnerable ragers. DR half your level. A suggestion if I may?

Find a way to fill Ziphora's belly, and she'll fall asleep because its a long day and won't get in your way of camping out. Ever tried sleeping on an empty stomach? It doesn't work out ;)

Or roll 1d2 to determine which way the body goes.

Well, Dru-head tried to search, he just hasn't gotten a result yet.

But yeah, I'd agree with the coin flip.