I got nothing Varin isn't the sort for this. He is honestly thinking abiut trying to kill this guy. This is a really bad thing for Varin....
Mizaru low-fives Varin.
And you could always try a spell or a hex.
I'm amazed Miz hasn't opened a can of woop ass yet for the monkey comments. Neither one of us is very civilized and I think its about time to show our colors. Someone hoist the black flag.....
He's, like, 300 feet away. It's hard to open a can at that range.
Well the orc just flipped his s&&!. I told mini this would happen. Lol. Either he's gonna laugh at varin and give us the stick or we are gonna take it and die trying lol. Sorry but he is an orc. As civil as he is its just another mask.
Lol. That's all right Varin. Thought I had worked out a way to get Mizaru within charging distance in case we needed it, but we'll see how things fly.
I hope the f%%#er hits me with a dispel first it won't even bother me and I have no spells up. That way I can get close enough to try to hex him. And keep him busy while mizaru charges. Of course I'm still awed Miz didn't pop first. Lol.
so as always there is still a chance to talk out of this.
but assuming not. This is a mythic foe, with a greater artifact that apparently lets him cast in an anti magic field, an antimagic field that for all you know fills the room. I won't pull any punches this time. If I thought last fight might be a tpk. THIS might be a tpk
I know you guys are all cool, but I don't want upset players.
I don't think we can win this where we are placed. Maybe if we'd managed to get Mizaru closer. I'm not sure Boneyard is going to be able to do anything here other than talking and rerolls for Mizaru :(
About spell sunder: The spell is suppressed. If it's an area spell, that means the whole area is suppressed. However, I was just checking the Antimagic rules and it seems that Supernatural abilities won't work in an antimagic field . . . which Spell Sunder is. :P
My Beast Totem is supernatural too, so I'm down by 3 AC already! Hah.
Well, he can't say this isn't entertaining!
We can always run! *checks to see if door is still open* And if the door is open, we can chuck things from outside it? Haha. We just need to steal that staff thingy, right?
Honestly its awesome mini just said an antimagic field. Unless this guy is an insanely strong fighter miz should be able to ginzu him. He can't cast and keep up the field. He drops the field I blast him he keeps it up and mizaru eats his face.
Mini that rds actions don't really make sense.... I'm 60ft ahead of the party to start with...
as soon as you approach him varin he acts. I gave you 30 feet. He said don't approach him
again he ha san ancient artifact guys. Are you sure you want to do this. Basically you have no magic and he has magic.
are you sure?
it is possible, mizaru certainly can do the damage as can gunser but you will probably all die here.
this is a situation created to be rp'd through.
I am sure you can come up with something other than dancing for him, those struck me as good ideas.. Heck he I s even slightly amused by varin
but if you insist on fighting you are probably going to die. Not definitely but probably
remember this guy was a lieutenant of Nex. Nex built this tower.
Unfortunately, acting for someone's amusement isn't quite some of ours gig. If it was just Boneyard and Gunser, that'd be fine, but he had to include Varin and me with our abysmal Charisma. :P
And we don't have to kill the guy! Just grab the staff doohicky and then get the heck out of dodge. Just surviving gives us some good chances. :P Mizaru can get to the throne in two full-rounds.
To clarify: did Spell Sunder work? If it didn't, can I replace the action with attempting to break the grapple or is the action wasted?
...And argh, I didn't get any Smoke Pellets, which would have been great for Stealth. Any of you have any potential substitutes? I suppose I can throw my bottle of ale....
no it did not I thoguht it was an extraordinary ability. not supernatural.
Go ahead and try to break the grapple.
Quick! Everyone run outside the door!
Then we'll make a big long-ranged staff-grabbing contraption!
I have poured back over the build of this particular NPC. I do have an abort button that I can push, it will mean that you will fail to get the staff but wont die.
If you choose to do so, as long as you all are in relatively ok shape, ie if someone is on the verge of death, I can make do that
Gunser will intimidate Varin who is within the 30' range of Intimidate.
Gunser's Intimidate is huge. Varin might stop short.
I suppose if the enemy was immune to the 32 result from before, he might not be impressed, but Gunser can take 10 for 33. Enough for any of us real people.
Just to stop Varin, if the player agrees. Because sometimes it's better to die true to your character, than live on covered in hobbit spittle. And sometimes, you wipe the spittle off, and keep playing.
So, Varin's call. If Gunser's ship-captain's bellow can stop the orc, maybe Gunser can reason with the enemy. "If there were a slut among us, you'd have no right to f#!% the others. Same for them, don't count themselves minstrels. I might share a yarn or a song, and argue for the harmlessness of them tellin' such, but if you're lookin' for a bow and a scrape, you'll not have it from those two."
See how Varin reacts.
but you can do the other as a free action
Maybe (actually, surely) I'm tired, and worn down to not much left before we get to nerve. But I was not thinking, 'spat on and insulted, offered the choice of death or prostration' when I heard 'Mythic', and brought in my character.
So far, Mythic is just getting bullied by a better class of people.
So this guy is immune to magic, immune to anything else we can do, and has us in tentacles like we were hentai loli-pop-tarts. He wins. He must have VERY small parts, if he also needs us to prostrate.
I won't absolve they-who-are-not-glib, of all blame. Tell a story! You have nothing you're proud of? No creation myth? Dirty limericks that only rhyme in Dragon?
But this encounter, which seems to be written "Each of the party must entertain the chair-guy" is about as fair as "Each of the party must strike the gong for 20 pts of barehanded damage in a single blow". Some parties can't. I'll grant it's more about character, but it's supposed to be about character. And that's supposed to be alright.
(I suggest you) Strike the tentacles (and BTW, when Gunser said that, he said 'then strike...', making his words a reply to the chair-guy's previous statement. Not a command. But it's fun to watch me be wrong and then grant me a ret-con, right?)
(I suggest you) Strike the tentacles, Gust of Wind us all out, slam the door, and let it not open for a while. Or get the TPK over with. And own that you chose it.
guys you chose to fight an encounter that I made clear was way out of your class. I tried to give you a chance to back out. Sometimes you cannot fight. If you want to be pissed at me that is fine if you want to quit that is fine. However even mythic haracters can be outclassed.
I have done verything I can think of to give you a chance. Stories are fine, songs a riddle would have been fine, the pain contest would have been fine had you continued with the idea and came up w an alternative to him beating on you. You could have offered to gamble, arm wrestle, do pushups, tuen backflips, f!~@ing anything would have been fine, hell no one even attenpted to bargain with him it was brought up then abandoned when he said "what could you possible offer me?" no one tried anything
you blame failure on me here if you like. There were a million ways to "entertain' him.
I am sorry you feel I am unfair.
A little calmer now
I truly apologize that you feel like I put you all in an unwinnable situation. I am truly sorry that it is not fun for you. I am assuming now that our campaign has reached its end
I am not willing to turn this into a simple fight. Is it possible to beat a level16 mythic lich, who can function in an anti magic zone in a fight? Yes Is it likely? no. Mizaru even made a good point of taking away his stick, yes that would have done it. He would have died without it. But It is obvious that the characters are unable to deal with an egotistical uber powerful being. That is perfectly ok. However we are at an impasse.
If folks would like me to write an epilogue a to the fate of everyone I am happy to do so.
I am very disapointed at this turn of events and thank you all for good gaming. I take the responsibility for misreading the group and killing the campaign.
I suppose we couldn't work together enough to get through. Even with Gunser passing out +9s to CHA skills, some just cannot be ordered to entertain, and were not built to take the insult of being ordered lightly.
So they don't feel I'm mocking that, let me say Gunser also was not built to 'yessir, may I have another', and I haven't been right with him since the intimidated halfling spat on him. I suppose it was funny from the other side, but it was not why I play Gunser. So I get that once insulted, there's no way your toon can meet halfway.
If this is the end, thanks all. If it's not, thanks for that, too.
Boneyard doesn't like getting spit on or made fun of either, but its also all about the job. He is extraordinarily clear that this fighting isn't the best way to get that accomplished. If you all will accept Diplomacy or Oratory or Intimidation from a companion in arms I think we should go that route.
You guys are allowed to play however you want. If they refuse to bow to the wishes of a VASTLY more powerful creature that they NEED something from, in his own lair, that is their choice. I tried to sway you from it so you didnt die.
If you had a problem with the halfling you should have said something months ago and I would have explained that with intimidate you can either "shake" someone or improve their attitude. In your case you moved it from hostile to unfriendly. Yes he spit at you. He also told you what you wanted. I see nothing wrong with his actions, especially since he thought you were going to kill him in any event, and he was hoping you would do it quickly.
I am just bothered by the implication (at least in my mind) that I have put you in a situation that you had to make a CHA check to avoid a fight. It is not true, and I am particularly bothered since the entire time we have played I have allowed people to do anything that they wanted if they could come up with some kind of roll for it.
But instead an obviously (since I told you after the worm that walks)social encounter came up with a bully and when I pointed out that it was a fight that you probably cannot win so I "recommend" not taking the "I kill it" tactic I get told I am being unfair and I have decided that this is a TPK etc etc. Hell I even gave it a chance that Varin's threat would work to entertain him and rolled a 4 or whatever.
If you want to choose to not do what he wants that is fine you dont have to, you could have left. But he had ZERO reason to give you what you want, he is in the position of power.
so i leave it to you all to decide what you want to do from here. But I will not deal with being told I am not being fair. If I misread a rule, great tell me and I fix it. I have no problem with that. If you don't understand why I make a decision fine ask me and I will explain.
boneyard and gunser passed their parts.
Varin and Mizaru have not. As I posted earlier I will accept almost anything-you can see the examples I posted
If you had a problem with the halfling you should have said something months ago and I would have explained that with intimidate you can either "shake" someone or improve their attitude. In your case you moved it from hostile to unfriendly. Yes he spit at you. He also told you what you wanted. I see nothing wrong with his actions, especially since he thought you were going to kill him in any event, and he was hoping you would do it quickly.
I see that we have different understandings of Intimidate. Yes, I should have called out at that time. It was unfair and unkind of me to carry the grudge against you for having cheated Gunser of the power's effect, because 'it was funny'. I see now you thought you were meant to apply attitude shift like in Diplomacy.
You can run Intimidate any way you like, but the rules I thought applied make the target Friendly for 1d6*10 minutes, and Unfriendly after that. You can, I hope, see how I felt cheated.
I apologize for carrying this so long, and for letting it affect how I felt about Gunser and your game. That was wrong and immature of me.
hmmm. Had I realized that error I would have changed it.
the question remains what do we want to do? If we want to continue we have to resolve this encounter.
You've got a continue vote from me. In fact, Boneyard is likely to try to find way even if the others fail.
That's just it Varin relates to the world through death and pain. Both of which to him are as important as food, water, or air. That's where the creepy comments keep coming from. He offered what little the he posses that might be entertaining to some but unless you want him to recite alchemical formula. As far as Varin sees it this guy who was offered the very core of himself tossed it aside and said its not good enough what more can he offer he is unwilling to leave without the staff. He has given a vow. He knows nothing that might be entertaining if death and pain aren't. Everything else is knowledge. And he doesn't do the whole bowing thing. Its why the drow cut out his tongue beat him and broke his fingers because he doesn't know how to be a good little slave even to save himself. He has been offered a choice between death and failure to save someone. He will go out fighting.
I'm sorry guys I will try to absolve you in my speech but this guy is gonna have to kill Varin unless you guys take him down.
for the record I would have let you use your alchemy in some way. you could have taught him about the herbal healing thing you created.
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I no longer know what to do. I am now actively upset. I am devastated that basically I am being told that I have been completely unfair. The idea that I put you in a no win situation really bothers me, and even though I would have let any number of things be done to appease him apparently I was not clear about it.
I have put tons of effort into this, have done my best to present opportunities to utilize all of your skills, let you come up with creative, but RAW illegal solutions (like building the catapult in a day with only an engineering check) but I am simply not a strong enough GM for you all, I was unable to give the unlimited options that I promised and this linear chunk of the adventure simply went on too long.. I apologize for wasting these last months with such an unsatisfying end. I will stick to playing and running prewritten things.
I simply do not see a way out of this. Mizaru and Varin will fight until they die, maybe Gunser will live, maybe not. Boneyard can likely get his way out of the situation and maybe even fulfill his mission, but then of course he is left alone.
Slap Varin with a dominate then use him as a puppet for a bit. Will is my middle save.
I am now actively upset. I am devastated that basically I am being told that I have been completely unfair. The idea that I put you in a no win situation really bothers me, and even though I would have let any number of things be done to appease him apparently I was not clear about it.
It was me that said that the scene was unfair. I also said that the non-performers giving up was unfair. I understand now that my take on the scene was wrong, colored by the grudge I had about what I thought was a disregard for Gunser's abilities in service of humiliating him.
I regret having groused about the scene. I was wrong, both to have said so, and to have thought so. In explanation, but not defense, I have seen things here through very uncharitable eyes for some time now. I hope you'll forgive that.
I know logic, like math, can change as soon as an error is seen. Emotion, however, turns more slowly.
I hope we can all be that patient with each other, and with ourselves.
I have put tons of effort into this, have done my best to present opportunities to utilize all of your skills, let you come up with creative, but RAW illegal solutions (like building the catapult in a day with only an engineering check) but I am simply not a strong enough GM for you all, I was unable to give the unlimited options that I promised and this linear chunk of the adventure simply went on too long.. I apologize for wasting these last months with such an unsatisfying end. I will stick to playing and running prewritten things.
That would be a pity. Your effort shows. You've done well.
I simply do not see a way out of this. Mizaru and Varin will fight until they die, maybe Gunser will live, maybe not. Boneyard can likely get his way out of the situation and maybe even fulfill his mission, but then of course he is left alone.
We can find a way out, if we keep trying.
ok. i guess we just need official round actions from some still
Varin is 5 feet out of the tentacles
mizaru is still grappled
30 is your number
sadly that is not racked.
though maybe i could arcane bond it
So its in service of the story.... smack him with it.
Gunser the problem for Varin is he has a low tolerance for being treated like that. He tried and when that didn't work he tried to stay out of the way and let the others carry the encounter it didnt work. Remember what happened with the drow? Wait you weren't around for that. He had his tongue ripped out and fingers broken. And was still trying to figure out how to kill his captors.
You don't have to defend Varin's outlook to me. Stand as tall as you want, we'll try to drive around you. :) Or pick you up after, if we have to drive over you.
Fair enough. But what I was trying to say is the whole entertain me thing reminds him of the week or so he spent as a drow slave priestess said if he was good and amused her he would be allowed to live. He kept trying to kill them lol. That was oh three weeks ago game time.... its a button. It leads to fear which leads to anger which leads to suffering which leads to hate which leads to the darkside/berserk...
still waiting for a couple of people to post their round 1 actions. I do not really want to bot you guys since this is still a possible tpk. I am not going to handwaive this.
I think I've done my 1st round actions? If it was the one struggling to get out of the grapple, that is.
yes you have mizaru. Need bone and Gunser to act this round. Unless you want to accept his challenge, in which case I will act on that instead.
If the damage stops, Gunser will stand by and see what happens.
it does once he dismissed the tentacles
This is one of those times when Boneyard has a very different perspective on things. He's convinced the best way to accomplish the job we took on is not fighting the guy. Probably a borderline case, but I might even become sickened due to triggering legalistic. I'd say for sure I can get my +4 on something here should the opportunity present itself.
oh dont worry there will be plenty to talk about. you will have the opportunity to talk your way into full success, and mythic tier 2
sorry guys we are at a standstill until Boneyard gets back.
if someone wants to attempt to do his speech I can roll his dice. or we can wait