All right, anything I'd have to roll to go hunt some wolves and make myself a pack?
Maybe I'll start really playing up the mixed pack idea... wolves, dire wolves, wargs, werewolves, hellhounds...
We can figure something out. The easiest might be just to pick up the leadership feat, you could grab a werewolf cohort and the rest of your followers could be other canines and such.
@Albrect: Yup that feat is fine with me.
Yeah, it's probably the easiest way... it does mean I'll have to wait until at least 9th level, unless I could start gathering a few right now and the rest when I actually get the feat.
Ah the Unholy Grail of 9th level... Myself and Sari feel your pain Hollenvulf.
@GMFang: Perfect. Most likely my plans will have changed by 11th but you never know :)
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9th level... yessssss....
@Umurn: The hell hounds are just cash dependent. I'm fine if you want to RP putting the pack together, but for the sake of balance, I would consider these initial recruits to be non-combatants.
@all: For the sake of some minor progression, moving to the next week.
I suppose we should have said we were ready for another week.
I figure for now that Umurn is starting to define how responsibility for the cultists of Asmodeus is split between himself and Haruk--given the Lawful Evil nature of the religion, spheres of responsibility and hierarchy would be important to establish there. Umurn would be arguing that *he* is the highest-ranking Asmodean around, given he's actually a priest and all. ;)
For this week, how about Umurn does some scouting in the surrounding countryside for wolf packs and easily-cowed tribes of whatever sorts are around (boggards, right?). He's in a 'recruiting' mood.
When you say the hell hounds are cash dependant, are you saying only the poison part or that I'll need to pay for large dogs, too, instead of recruiting wolves?
@Umurn: Sound like a plan. RE: Hell hounds: It's really just the poison. The cost of the animals is incidental.
I'm travelling for the next few days, so I may be a bit spottier responding than usual.
We have two weeks worth of down time for us to send our minions out on missions, right? I believe we assigned missions for the last week, but I never rolled for their success.
In regards to what the Lyre of Building can create, can we supply the materials from the surrounding area for traps and other game mechanic creations? Do we need to supplement this with coin at all?
@Haruk: Yes. I believe that is the case. You may roll for the organizational activities.
From reading the description, I would say the lyre just replicates physical labor, so it really depends on the complexity of the trap. Pit traps, sure. Spring loaded dart traps? That's going to require a skilled craftsman/specialized mechanisms. Either buy the materials or hire a blacksmith. I think that the horn has a smithy that could be refurbished.
Hmmm, anyone in the mood to role-play a scene with Umurn for this week?
I'm up for one.
Okay, so for week two, any other missions for the minions? This is the actions list
Also, dumb question, but the thrones can just be sat on normally right?
I still vote for finding more guard-beasts. Our defences are still pretty light.
Umurn supports the idea of more guard beasts.
Umurn supports the idea of more guard beasts.
So does Albrέkt... As what's cooler that a horde of Guardian Beasts?
Vampiric Guardian Beasts of course! :)
Fang, are we only able to send our cohorts on missions? If so, that means only Grumblejack and Lefty are available, aside from any PCs who want to undertake missions. However, any PC that does so is locked up for a week completing them.
Vampiric Guardian Beasts of course! :)Well duh! What's cooler than a werewolf? A vampire werewolf of course! :D
Everything is better with vampire!
Why would a werewolf wish to give up the thunder of his heart on a long hunt, the rush of adrenaline as he brings down his prey, the taste of hot flesh as he feasts, for the cold of undeath?
How else will I be able to say the line:
"Lizten to zhem, Das Kinder of der night. Vhat music zhey make." :[
Fang, are we only able to send our cohorts on missions? If so, that means only Grumblejack and Lefty are available, aside from any PCs who want to undertake missions. However, any PC that does so is locked up for a week completing them.
Effectively yes. If another PC participates in a mission then they are assumed to be out and about if any action happens. I will tell you that there isn't an encounter every week. Also, if you devise a way to be able to communicate with the PC and teleport them to the party as needed, then I think it's fine, but I would consider that to negate their involvement in the mission.
We're bogging down a bit.
Fang, as much as I am loathe to loose planning and crafting time, we're going to be doing this for years at this rate.
I'm willing to handwave all the bookkeeping to move forward, if everyone else is.
Hmmm, I'll have to think what Umurn's list would be.
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Think we need to get our villain on more to be honest... the ritual and the evil mastermind base is cool an all, but a creature like Albekt is a blunt tool rather than a subtle scalpel.
Waiting for trouble to find us seems a counterproductive use of such a fine bludgeon lol.
Personally I'm up for a seek and destroy mission - wreak havoc and let slip the dogs of war!
How about we destroy the Abbey. Ritually execute a passel of nuns and dress the streets of Farholde with their corpse parts. Plus killing stuff will accelerate the whole level up process much quicker than "ear of elf and wing of dove" malarky.
Happy to conduct slaughter on my own, but its always more fun with some friends...
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Friends don't let friends massacre alone.
Umurn could do with some more exciting hunting. He'd rather be a *bit* more subtle about it.
Of course, his favorite plan is to bite a bunch of people in the middle of the night and see who turns next full moon.
I would be okay with being more proactive, but I'm not sure we can fully skip to the ritual, as I believe there are some events that might occur at the Temple that we need to deal with.
Aside from that, yeah, I'm okay with some skipping and the other suggestions.
I am absolutely ok with just skipping along as needed. I really don't think that this particular adventure lends itself to PbP, just due to the amount of planning necessary.
@Xanos: I'm fine with crafting still happening we can just retroactively apply it as necessary.
@Albrekt et al: Attacking the abbey is fine, but please note that there are hundreds of sisters and it is an order devoted to the destruction of evil. Due to the ongoing war, the sisters are effectively the city's militia.
But it sounds like people would be fine with some judicial cutting of superfluous material and just getting to the highlights. Let me dig through the module to figure out the plan off attack and let's kick this thing into overdrive.
(Kicks can around the Horn) ... Mmm. Ok.
As discussed the vampanzer is a creature of action so he'll either enter a phase of stasis or start looking to cause bloodshed and mayhem :)
We could probably do something more subtle. Disappear hunters in the wilderness, that sort of thing.
Sweet.
Haruk, did you finish up the organization actions?
To clarify Albrekt's in-game announcement - Urgathoa has spoken to him and commanded he prepares his nesting crypt for his change to a true vampyr.
Essentially at this juncture the vampanzer is somewhat impotent, and I've discussed with GMF that he will essentially enter a torpor (punctuated by bouts of blood-frenzied feeding and other depraved rites) for the foreseeable future.
Am not leaving the game (rest assured) but will have Albrekt move to the background for the time being - he can (and if necessary will) be able to be awoken should the Horn come under grave threat, but sealing himself into his crypt to commune with his Goddess and transform into his true form makes sense to me...
Plus its cool and flavoursome to the campaign and character :)
Posting to all my games:
This Tues(the 1st) I'm heading down to NYC to work at New York Comic Con, and returning home on Mon(the 7th).
I will have my both my laptop and cell phone with me, so I'll be able to keep up with my games, but may not be able to post much. Please bot me when and where necessary.
Enjoy MG :)
Slammed at work at present - 2020 offshore service budget estimates eating up my time, normal service will hopefully be resumed by weekend.
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There's an old video game called Evil Genius where you play as a pastiche James Bond villain, and create a mountain base full of elaborate death traps.
It's one of my all time favorites. :)
I've seen it. This does seem a bit like the Pathfinder version of that. :D
GM, is the statue with the Eyes up in the upper Sanctum, or is it the one in the church on the third floor?
@All: Just a wee heads up that I'm off down to Edinburgh (Auld Reekie) tomorrow for a couple of days catching up with an old buddy.
Back Friday but likely (a little) worse for wear. Anticipate normal service will resume o'er the weekend.
Please bot me as necessary :)
@Xanos: It's the one in the upper sanctum.
@Xanos: It's the one in the upper sanctum.
I thought so. Haruk, Molsabar, you might not want to hang out all the way up there. There's no fast way down, unless you can teleport or something.
Also Haruk, I haven't moved any of your cultists. They're still mainly manning the stations on the 2nd floor. If you'd like to move any of them around before the fight, go for it.
Posting to all my games: I leave tomorrow to work Baltimore Comic Con this weekend.
I will have my laptop and phone with me so I can keep up to date, but I am hoping that since it's a lot less of an insane convention than NYCC, I will be able to get some posting done.
If I am unable to post, I will return next Mon(the 21st), but may be overly tired due to travel and might not be able to post till Tues.
Note to GM, for clarity regarding what the enemies are walking into.
The entryway traps are designed to look old and not well taken care of. That's why the DCs are low. They are time wasters.
The front door is open, but can be closed and barred from the guard stations on either side (takes both of them to work right. The system isn't sophisticated yet). Left guard station controls left door, etc.
The arrow slits are hidden. The slits themselves are designed like hatches. Someone with Profession Soldier or Knowledge Engineering would probably know what they are, but without a skill check they just look like decorative architecture.
As they travel down the hall, they'll probably notice the holes bored in the ceiling. Each one is about 1.5 inches in diameter, and they form a simple grid pattern that runs most of the length of the hall. Again, profession soldier will probably recognize them for what they are. (siege defenses). (on the map they are marked as gratings, and look like they are on the floor, but they aren't)
At the end of the hall is Strong quality wooden door with a Good quality lock. (DC 30). It is currently locked. Again, the door can be locked and unlocked (and also barred for additional security) from the guard stations, but currently isn't.
There is a hidden portcullis just in front of the wooden door. (DC 30 spot check). It is activated at the guard chamber. The whole setup is very similar to the one in the caverns. (I haven't had time to install floor latches for the portcullis yet, so this one can be lifted same as the ones in the basement).
Once through that wooden door, the enemies are in the murder hole. The portcullis drops down to lock them in, they are surrounded by murder holes, and the guard stations on the second floor are standing by with cauldrons of hot sand. (if you check the second floor kilns, you'll see the flaming boggards ready at the grating, being directed by a couple of Haruk's cultists)
On the other side of the murder hole room is a much sturdier door. (Very Strong quality, Masterwork lock) It leads to a room with a pair of uncontrolled skeleton archers in it. This is a false hall that leads to a dead end (again, a time waster).
The actual way through the room is the hidden door to the south, marked on the map.
Ya. You've created a pretty formidable defense.
That's kind of the part of the issue with the pacing. Basically, the adventurers are just going to slowly move through the dungeon, dealing with threats as they come at them. Due to this, basically our roles have switched, the enemies are reacting to the PCs, not the other way around as usual.
I'm just using take 10 values for things. The rogue can open the locked doors. No one will spot the portcullis trap before it's triggered. I would recommend that we just jump to the point where you trigger the ambush.
@GMF: Just a suggestion - but might be worth recruiting a group of drop in players to run the adventurers? Gives us a "live" target that will think outside the box?? Would make the encounters pretty memorable and also more meaningful?