@Niyut - Done.
@Malthazir - Not at this time. I hadn't considered Leadership before, let me ponder a bit.
@Malthazir: Do you want to have a post about the ritual? Otherwise, I'll start healing people and such.
So about Gruskorb: I'm worried he isn't coming back or if he does it won't be soon. He hasn't replied to my most recent email. I'm okay with holding his spot in reserve (unless the GM wants someone new), but storywise what are we doing? Should we NPC him in battle or just let him fade into the background for the purpose battles, loot, etc?
I hope he's okay. And I have no problem with keeping him around as an NPC until we know for certain what's going on with him. But if we must leave him (and potentially replace him with a new player) then this is kind of the best time and place in the campaign for that to happen.
I'm worried as well.
I would agree with Garidan that it isn't the time to replace him. I would say, let's have him run as an NPC for now and skip loot. If he comes back and is ready to play, I'll hand wave him some movement on the power curve.
If he isn't back by the time the group gets done with this chapter of the story, we can discuss going forward without him, getting another player to play him or introducing another character.
@Malthazir: What do you think of Planar Inquiry?
Wait does that spell allow a 5th level caster to summon basically any outsider up to 18 HD? I realize it's just to answer questions but that's bonkers.
Yeah, but it's not like they have lives of their own or anything, so why not answer magical coldcalls from mortals asking the most inane things? :D
No, it would allow a 5th level caster to call up anything with 5 HD. But you could call an imp and ask him to ask a friend. Though if one had boosts to caster level, you could get slightly more potent people on the phone.
It seems like a spell Malthazir might like if he is into trawling the spirit world for information.
I mean you have that scroll that could have any conjuration spell 4th level or lower and I believe it offers multiple 3rd level spells.
I would also like to point out that Minor Reversion could save your life.
Another thing to note is that your Sodality, Sodālitas Sei, has access to healing magic: "These five Archuses head the branches of conjuration: Creation, Summoning, Healing, Teleportation and Calling."
I don't know about you, but if I had a scroll that could have potentially any conjuration spell, I might be wondering if there was an arcane version of Remove Disease or other very useful but very niche healing spells. You don't need them all the time, but when you do, it's nice to know them.
@Garidan: Have you seen the Hurtful feat? I know you like demoralizing the npcs.
Oh sorry, I just skimmed. Didn't see it was called by your level.
That makes the spell...kind of not great for int based casters, decent for others. I usually will just have a higher knowledge check myself than about any outsider I could summon.
Hmm, the spell is indeed a lifesaver but only lasts 24 hours, meaning it would be a daily cast. Perhaps at higher levels when our enemies are more capable of pinning down a flying invisible wizard.
We have a druid and an Oracle, I'm sure you two can manage any healing type issues that come up.
We know that the results of one's knowledge checks in this campaign are not based merely on how high your numbers are but the origins of your knowledge base. It's already come up a few times where the info that I could get is substantively different than what you could get. In one instance, I could not even make a check though the difficulty was within reach of my numbers.
I would imagine that the knowledge base available to entities living on different planes would diverge even further than that created by a mountain range and a subcontinental divide. This is borne out by the spell's origins in Golarion where it was created by Old Mage Jatambe, whose Knowledge check modifiers are far more impressive than ours. What did he use the spell for? Besides for recreating the knowledge base for wizardry after a world shattering cataclysm? Getting unique spells and arcane versions of divine spells, especially druidic magic.
Another related use that could be of more interest to Malthazir. Learning true names to summon specific outsiders makes calling much more manageable, but is difficult to do without a library and other research stuff. It would be easier to call up a guy who knows a guy.
This isn't to upsell you on the spell -- though I think it would be wise to pick up new spells since they are hard to come by for a wizard in these trying times -- it's more to point out that raw numbers, however high, do not and cannot get everything done in this campaign's cosmos and by historical implication the cosmos of the base campaign.
@Garidan: Have you seen the Hurtful feat? I know you like demoralizing the npcs.
It's already listed as a prospective choice in Garidan's build, but thanks for looking out :D.
For prep and planning purposes, what is your objective/plan after leaving the village?
Start following the dowsing rod (mother's staff) back to the Forest of Night. See where it leads us/what we find.
After Niyut almost got eaten by those sabertooth tigers, she will be keeping her mirror images up constantly.
Garidan can actually help keep an eye out for anything lurking in the tall grass. Or rather, his ioun torch can help, as his sister has Blindsight to a range of 30 feet (and that ability negates concealment and invisibility as a nice bonus).
Also, sorry for my sporadic positing. I've been blessed again by the seasonal crud fairy and I don't have much energy for the thinking that a proper post requires.
Can you do a barter post or should we move on with a time bubble open for the barter post you would have done were you able?
No, as I said in the game thread, go ahead and bot me for this one. I trust you lot not to leave Garidan owning nothing but a barrel and blush :D .
I'm not comfortable botting Garidan in social situations, and I doubt any of the other players are chomping at the bit. GM, can you handle this or move us forwards with the understanding that it happened?
Sure, I'll post something up this evening... I hope.
I'd be fine with it.
"Oh Malz you're so smart and powerful, we would be lost without you! Could I get you more tea, or brew some wine for you?"
Not sure Garidan would be :P
Still diseased, still miserable, still hurts to think most of the time. Thanks for botting, I'm trying to pay attention enough to manage any fight posts needed on my end.
And if Malthazir really wants some tea from an adoring minion, Garidan can make him a special cup of salty nut blend :D. Just a few dips of his personal teabag will flavor the water quite nicely.
Feeling better, mostly sort of.
Malthazir, I'll get around to that character background some time this week, after I get caught up on the crap I didn't do while I was sick.
FYI, I'm redoing the curio, wonders and relic entries on the wiki to rename the pages as "Items" since some of them have changed categories as essences are imbued. This will break any links you made. Sorry about that.
I've completed the Curios and will be working on the other categories shortly. I'll keep you updated.
The Wonders are updated.
And the Relics are updated.
Been slammed with work recently, but I've been keeping up with the threads. Just haven't found time to write. Very cool scene so far, hopefully I will have time for a post tomorrow.
Out of curiosity, how close did the orc woman appear and did my psueodragon or Torenz pick her between their detect magic and blindsense? How she arrived may help give me insight to her abilities.
When you have a chance can you update Asiel's byline on the wiki to Astahane's elder sister and not her daughter?
She appeared at the cave entrance. She had just followed you down. More dramatic entrance than anything.
When you have a chance can you update Asiel's byline on the wiki to Astahane's elder sister and not her daughter?
Done
Sorry, just asking for some clarification on what just happened.
He seemed to express some interest in wine, and specifically looked to Malthazir, so I thought he could use that to foster some common ground. But the response seems to be...abrupt? Surprised? Like I just suggested something truly outrageous. Am I missing something?
Your sense motive failed. He's not drinking wine like you are!
He is a vampire after all, although I'm not sure that Niyut or Truk'tosh ever explained that to Malthazir.
But, I loved Mal's comment. It was very in character with his massively high intelligence but flat-lined wisdom. Very Shelton-esqe!
I guess I should clarify, for player knowledge, after rereading my post.
He nonchalantly remarked that the destruction of the First Lands would "be a shame". Then he looked on to the proverbial greener pastures of the lowlands for his next source of nourishment.
Well to be fair there's nothing stopping a vampire from having a love for wine in addition to blood :P
I'm happy leaving it as is. Either Malz totally missed the mark, or he is feigning ignorance to poke fun at his comment and make him uncomfortable. Similar to responding to a racist joke with "Huh, I don't get it, can you explain the joke?" And then the person gets quiet because they have to explain why racism is funny.
Onwards! 10 wisdom, full steam ahead!
Oh! Hadn't considered that Mal was being sarcastic or intentionally acting naive with his comment. Plays well into his personality too.
Neither had I!
But of course, that's one of the problems of playing a character who has a mental score far above yours, especially intelligence or wisdom. You can't really grasp what they understand.
Is there anything you guys want from the vampires? My thought is we don't want to get too deep with them. Should I be think of something specific here?
Malz really doesn't care for the vampires, he thinks a mutual agreement not to kill each other is more than enough.
While I may want to see about those Ampoules of False Blood--vampires being a logical source for such things--Garidan would be happy enough to get out alive :D.
Should we expect an update this evening? I want to know how fervently I should be checking. :-)
RSS feeds, I tell you. They're a lifesaver when you have fast games or a ton of games.
Rough day at work and event at my daughters school tonight. I’ll try but not promising. Sorry.
While I may want to see about those Ampoules of False Blood--vampires being a logical source for such things--Garidan would be happy enough to get out alive :D.
Garidan, why do you want one of these?
While I may want to see about those Ampoules of False Blood--vampires being a logical source for such things--Garidan would be happy enough to get out alive :D.Garidan, why do you want one of these?
I'd have to search the discussion thread to recall the specifics, but it boiled down to creative f%#&ery via Use Magic Device. See, I can use that skill to emulate the bloodline class feature of a sorcerer, with the result of the check -20 being my effective sorcerer level.
Now, the following bit requires a rather generous interpretation of a particular sentence under the UMD skill's description--" It just lets you activate items as if you had that class feature."--and the GM's willingness to go along with the idea that the magic of the Ampoule alone is providing the benefit that it grants (alternative bloodline powers). But, if that all lines up, Garidan can essentially trick the Ampoule into granting him access to the bloodline powers of whatever blood is in the container.
Huh.
"This skill does not let you actually use the class feature of another class. It just lets you activate items as if you had that class feature."
This and the wording of the magic item (requiring the bloodline powers or the feat based stuff like Eldritch heritage) (which suggests to me a replacement effect not a bestowal) doesn't give me much hope for your reading.
Unless you have a prior agreement with the GM of course! He is obviously in charge of how magic items work.
But, if it were me, I would require you to either spend Life essences on the appropriate feats or to imbue the item with additional ethereal essences to bestow the abilities when worn. Probably in a cumulative fashion 1 for the 1st level ability, 2 more for the third, 3 more for the ninth, and 4 more for the 15th level ability.
Though I bet with a Transmutation Essence (+ maybe more) you could make the bloodline granted "re-programmable."
@GM: Good job by the way. You really freaked Niyut out.
Oh, I know what the skill does, I've read it closely. Like I said, the key to this trick comes from the assumption that Ampoule is the source of the bloodline powers in full. And that's the part that requires Valjoen's nod :).
As for the essence, if I'm paying those into using this, then why even bother with the skill? Or, for that matter, just straight up take Eldritch Heritage with a character level feat and not even spend the essences. No, I considered that, but that wasn't really the point; the point was to get temporary but consistent access to a suite of useful abilities that actually uses what is otherwise a sorely underutilized aspect of Garidan's character sheet. There really aren't a whole lot of opportunities to make use of UMD with how magic items function and are available in the campaign--scrolls are just about the only game in town--so I'm left to devise to my own methods; the armor's spell thing and the Ampoule trick are about all I've come up with. (I could probably dump the skill entirely, and arguably should have several levels back before it became such an issue. But it fits with the image I have of his early education and life, where he learned so much in regards to magic except for the actual part where he, you know, casts the spells.)
Now using an essence (but on the Ampoule itself) to switch what sort of bloodlines it allows, that is a very cool idea! And one I will cheerfully make note of.