So I'm a little confused; is there a door wanting a blood sacrifice like the other rooms we've been in? I was under the impression that there wasn't a door, so we were trying to figure out a way to progress.
Also, people should holler if they want healing. I have Prayer of Healing, but I also have the healing kit. I'm not entirely sure whose status lines are up-to-date, but there are a number of people who seem to currently be missing 1/3 to 1/2 their health.
There's another blood price door you may pass through whenever you want. You just had time to mess with the relief as desired.
...Also, people should holler if they want healing. I have Prayer of Healing, but I also have the healing kit. I'm not entirely sure whose status lines are up-to-date, but there are a number of people who seem to currently be missing 1/3 to 1/2 their health.
I would love some healing. I'm in pretty rough shape. Currently sitting at HP 23/45.
And probably worth pointing out that I only have one more Rage left for the day. Now, I won't be useless without Rage, but I certainly won't be nearly as effective.
Oh, here is the text for the Stone. It's a pretty cool item, En, you should keep it.
Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement)
While this polished agate is on your person, you gain a +1 bonus to ability checks and saving throws.
So make sure you update your init, for example!
Damn, that is one shiny rock.
Does anyone else need it more? Enizver's Artificer abilities means I can use more magic items than most, but that's a potent item for 5E.
It's probably my favorite uncommon magic item.
It is very nice, though I'm fine with Enizver keeping it.
Wrinil, can I get some explanation of passing? Are you busy or otherwise unable to post? Everything ok?
I don't have any particular action that'd be overly useful. My character is built off of limited resources. If my action would provide any major use, I don't need to use the resources. I enjoy the game just fine without acting every turn of combat. Generally combat is not something that majorly excites me anyhow.
Ok as a GM I like players to be engaged at all times, including combat. So firing a crossbow or taking the dodge action and adding some description in both cases is desirable. Similarly, I don't want beat-sticks to be completely disengaged when we're outside of combat (which I think they do a good job about). That's just my GM preference.
Edit: The note-taking works. I'll grant a small bonus for some related checks in the future perhaps. Will consider.
I would like to point out Wrinil that you also have Magic Missile and a lot more remaining spell slots than me, even with the 4 I've regained through short-resting.
You are correct. As I said previously, I do not feel the need to do things every round of every combat.
Also, Wrinil's patron, Mystra, has given tenants such that magic should not be used unless it is needed.
Ok Wrinil but at least make sure you're roleplaying. And know this GM is of the school of thought that players should do something every round of combat to help out the team as much as possible. It was a little different with Fizz because that was a short adventure and he was a funny character but I do tend to think it's better for long term teamwork if everyone knows you're trying to help them not die and conserve their resources all the time.
So I'm curious to know what your teammates think. Do you prefer your teammates to always look for a way to contribute in combat or is it not a big deal to you?
Given the number of times characters have been dropped, I think it would be wiser to use the resources we have to shorten fights and avoid those death rolls as much as possible. Using them later, when the situation is bad, still leaves us without the resources but in a worse position.
I play my casters on a strategic need basis. That is why I cast fire bolt every round last fight, because it was needed. This fight, there is not an action save spamming magic missile that would be useful, so I sit back and see if healing is needed. Especially with the crit from Enziver. This is an assurance to all of my allies, I will act whenever it is needed and even if it looks like it is needed.
But due to action economy, if Wrinil is the only one with spell slots left, that still leaves us in a not-great position. Best case scenario, we long rest when I'm completely out of spells, making all those saved resources not useful anyway. Worse case scenario, we go into a fight where my combat options are very limited and get into a very bad position. Plus there's Enizver's point about making the fights shorter; typically not letting the enemy attack by killing them faster is better than trying to heal people after the damage has already been done. Healing can't typically keep up with the amount of damage enemies can do.
I see your points and I am not disagreeing. This is the way that I play my character. I can understand that you choose to play differently. If you are all very insistent I will go ahead and step out. I do not tell you how to play the game and I would expect that same reciprocation. There is no hard feelings on my end, I just play the game differently ( *shrug* ). I have never been a part of a TPK where it was my fault, nor have I been the result of someone's death.
I understand that this sounds very obstinate of me. As you can imagine this is not the first, nor will be the last time I have this conversation with a group. Again, if you wish me to pop out, I understand. Just give me the word. I will not change, just as I wouldn't expect you to. Sometimes players just don't gel well with groups.
There's plenty of scope for non-combat actions in the campaign.
That said, shortening fights reduces the opportunities for enemies to get lucky. E.g. Critical hits.
I prefer acting each round, on that basis.
Perhaps Wrinil, you might prefer buffing in combat? Lasting benefits that don't require action each round.
I'll leave this up to the party as they will be most closely affected.
@Party: Any thoughts on my suggestion?
I would agree that there are many ways to help the party in combat. If the core issue is "I don't want to take actions every round," buffing would be a good alternative. Warding bond in particular might be great to cast on Horat; it lasts an hour and isn't concentration. Me casting it wouldn't work well since I'd end up having to make a bunch of concentration checks for Shield of Faith, but since Wrinil isn't typically concentrating on anything, it would work great for him.
If the core issue is "I don't want to attack" then there are even more options (try to get monsters to attack you and then Dodge, take the Help action to give melee people advantage on their attacks, etc). At higher levels there are also summoning spells.
At the end of the day, it's Winril's players choice. I don't agree with doing nothing in a round, even when an enemy looks almost dead - a crit on there final round is still to hurt and possibly drop a character - but it's not my choice to make, and I don't want to impose my idea of what's a good idea on another player.
I do agree that possibly buffing or summoning might be good, or simply throwing out a Sacred Flame. There's quite a few nasty cantrips that level with the player, after all. It might not be much, but it's better than nothing.
But it's not up to me.
Just a heads up, I'm going to be traveling for work this upcoming Monday evening through Wednesday. There's a good chance I won't have time to post during that time. Bot me as necessary.
As a reminder (in case I need to be botted), I can't use the healing kit on Horat or Halgrinn again until we finish a short rest. I'm also out of Shield of Faith's, though if we get in a fight less than 10 minutes after this last one started, it'll still be running (which is something I now realized I should have been asking about instead of recasting the spell every fight).
Also, that last sorcery point is probably going to be used to twin Eldritch Blast since I don't think I have anything else useful to use it on.
Waiting on Halgrin at the moment.
The eldritch invocation improved pact weapon grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage if it's not a magical weapon that already has +1 to attack/damage.
Gotcha thanks.
Halgrin still to go. Will bot if I get a decent chance to.
This is great stuff hearing all this background RP from you guys.
Just to be clear, this is a devil here in the this temple. The only extra-planar creatures you've encountered in this temple are devils. The distinction between LE devils and CE demons (which are what the party fought up until this point or the worshipers of demons) is important for the bigger story. Sometimes I might say it wrong but I'll try to help us keep it straight.
Horat isn't approaching "Seleku", expecting his brother to come to him.
Cheers GM.
Unless casting Comprehend Languages counts, Olivia has no knowledge of infernal and will stick to her theory that it either wants blood from everybody or it wants someone to bleed until they fall unconscious (/reach 0 HP).
Horat does not have infernal either.
None of us do, I don't think.
Although honestly I don't think it's a big leap for us to assume that, more than blood, this place wants life.
Yeah, the only thing I can think of if bleeding someone until 0HP doesn't work is leaving the temple, catching some wild animal, and then navigating all the way back through the temple again to sacrifice the animal. Which seems like kind of a pain and also assumes that we are indeed able to leave the temple since the entrance actually caved in on us when we first entered. Though I could possibly Misty Step outside and then Misty Step back with the sacrificial creature. That might require the creature to be pretty small though.
Yeah, a living creature does seem likely. We could dig our way out of the cave-in - and will likely have to, assuming we want to leave at some stage. So we may as well do it soon while the food holds out.
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Reminder because play by post makes it hard to remember everything, a couple rooms ago you found a cave attached to the temple and you could hear some creatures in that temple.
OK, so who is gonna roll? My Arcana is +5 and Deception is +0. I'd roll for Arcana, but I suspect that my luck has already been pushed.
As the Charisma-based caster, my guess is that my Deception is the best in the party (+4). Though after we decide who's rolling, I would suggest the people who aren't rolling aid those who do, so we can roll with advantage.
I'm rocking a +8 to arcana.
Sounds like you're our best bets, then. And yeah, aid sounds smort.
Horat would have gladly aided with Arcana.
Just catching up myself.
Good plan, Enizver. Take inspiration. The dice just didn't help you make it happen.
Just a heads up, I'm going to be at a con from Friday-Sunday and don't expect that I'll have time to post while I'm there. Bot me as necessary.
Proposed tactic: Olivia uses the fact that the apes are concentrated on Horat/Wrinil to grab Enizver's unconscious form and pull it onto her broom/out of reach. Wrinil uses the fact that he's right next to Horat to cast invisibility on him. Admittedly, everything goes terrible if Wrinil manages to get attacked, but I can't think of any better idea. Unfortunately, Olivia is probably better able to withstand getting attacked than Wrinil, but she's also better at doing damage than he is, and with 2 spell slots left, I can't do both offense and defense.
Sounds good. Horat has no issue with taking a beating but he physically can't do any offense until he's healed.
Yeah, but unfortunately they seem to be doing ~50 dmg a round (or at least, they did the round they took Enizver out), so there's absolutely no way healing can keep up.
Yeah they rolled really high that round and that was when all three of them were up. Your call, folks. It doesn't help that I hate botting PCs so Halgrin hasn't helped. I think you guys also went easy on them at first assuming they would be pushovers but the tide turned quickly.
It was less 'assuming they were pushover' and more 'we need one alive' so we didn't want to go all out. Plus our traps were...not so effective.
Yeah grease isn't particularly effective for shutting someone down. They just give you a chance at advantage when attacking on your turn if you can keep them in the grease.