Here we go!
Gameplay is up. Let's kick this off.
We're going to introduce our 5th player and then buy ourselves a little time for the others to finish their characters with a little combat.
Unlike the flashbacks, all rules are in play now.
I run combat in Block Initiative. I'll roll pre-combat checks like perception and initiative for you. In combat I'll try to make as many rolls as possible for you (mostly this will deal with saving throws).
Sometimes there will be maps. I try to keep them simple, mostly as reference for rough distances and sight lines. When I decide not to use a map it means the combat will be run "looser" regarding things like movement distances and attacks of opportunity. This is mostly to keep things moving through fights that aren't pivotal. If there's a rules dispute that comes up from that I will almost always err on the side of the players.
Please make sure you have a combat tracking stat bar in the class/race section of your alias. Make sure it includes your perception bonus and saving throws.
Death is a possibility in this game. I won't fudge the numbers. A stray crit might bring you down, and enemies will fight smart. That being said, I am on your side and want you to win. I will try to provide you with opportunities to get yourselves out of unexpected jams, and I will try to warn you if you are doing something your character would know was dangerous or Ill-advised.
Try to keep complex questions out of Gameplay. That's what this thread is for. OOC text in gameplay is mostly for rules citations or mechanical summaries of complex actions.
Any questions before things get dangerous?
Nope, I think I'm good! Though... starting combat off Fatigued doesn't bode well for Garridan lol.
Though I think I'll work on a backup character to have, just in case. On that same vein of thought, how are we handling death/replacement characters? Obviously at this low of level, we do not have access to Raise Dead, nor would it do us any good. Does Arch help with Raise Dead? Or do we simply come up with another character?
No questions at the moment, seems fine to me
If maps will be fast and loose, how do you intend to handle flanking? As a rogue, the tactical layout of a battlefield probably matters more to my class than any other. I've played a rogue in a group that had no maps at all and the (not really perfect, but mostly functional) method we used was an understanding that I would attempt to get flank whenever it was possible, and I just rolled my SA damage along with my attacks and let the GM decide when it actually applied. Still, that really was not a perfect solution, and the GM didn't usually communicate as to whether or not I'd managed to deal SA damage in any given round.
Since Unchained rogue has extra goodies based on whether or not I did manage to hit my SA (well, not at this level, but down the road a bit), it would be nice to at least know when I can flank and when I can't, that sort of thing.
I'll post this here then, because I initially didn't realize it until Talas brought up his point. We can assume that Garridan always will position himself so that he has direct line of sight to his target. That is until I hit 6th level and picked up Improved Precise Shot.
My approach to GMing is "Say yes, or roll the dice." I'm not a fan of arbitrary limitations of GM fiat. If you want to do something, I'll either say yes, or I'll give you a mechanical breakdown of how I think it will work and let you decide if you want to go for it.
In the case of moving to flank, it will generally be either a Acrobatics check (if moving to flank while already in melee), a Stealth check (if trying to move into flank while concealed), or just having enough movement to take a roundabout path to the right position.
As I mentioned earlier, when not using maps I'll err on the side of what is advantageous to the players. If it makes sense that Talas can move to flank and that Garridan can get line of sight, then that's what will happen.
Works for me. Yeah, I'm fine with rolling Acrobatics/etc for it, as I'd need to in most games even with a painstaking tactical map.
Re: the languages-- just clarifying, then, were we not speaking Golarion-Common/Taldane earlier? Is that not a common language between the four of us PCs?
Not according to the languages listed on everyone's character sheets.
If anyone wants to make adjustments or rearrange skills for Linguistics, now is the time.
Our 5th party member definitely won't speak any Golarion language though, so it will still be an issue.
Not according to the languages listed on everyone's character sheets.
...really? I just looked through and all four of us have Common listed. Am I having a brainfart?
Point taken, re: 5th party member though-- my question was mostly arising from an in-character wondering as to whether or not this meant that any dialogue that had happened previously had not been in a language that Talas understood, so that I could react accordingly if so.
As I understand it, there isn't actually a "common" language in Golarion. Common just refers to the most common tongue in a region, which people from that region get for free.
Am I wrong on that?
I think so. In Golarion specifically, Common = Taldane. At GM fiat it may change for parts of the world that are waay isolated from the Inner Sea region (like Tien Xia), but anybody who lives in the western hemisphere speaks Taldane, as far as I know.
Works for me. Make sure Taldane is listed on your sheet though. In a Planar game, the idea of a common tongue is kinda loose at best.
Looks like the four of you can communcate.
Yeah, makes sense. Taldane just becomes a regional tongue once you take a step to the next plane over. ;) I think we probably all use Hero Lab, though (or everyone just formats stuff really nicely!!) and it auto-selects Common in there. I'll go edit my sheet.
Nope format everything by hand.
Nope format everything by hand.
Same.
Nope format everything by hand.Same.
Likewise! And yes, Taldane is considered the "Common" tongue of Golarion. All races automatically receive is a free language plus their ethnic language if they have one.
Also, Merry Christmas!
Yeah I just format by hand. I have it saved in a onenote file where I keep all my character sheets. I'll update Dolgrin's language from Common to Taldane.
Merry Christmas Everyone
Doomed, should I be looking into introducing my character soon, or should I wait for you?
Wait for me.
All I need to know is that you're standing by and ready.
Guess I'll introduce you before I start a combat scene.
we ready to get moving again?
Ready and willing.
Howdy Folks!
My profile is done beside picking some spells and minor equipment.
I should have the last few details posted within a day or so.
Ready for action++++++++.23
Oi, near enough.
Howdy Folks!
My profile is done beside picking some spells and minor equipment.
I should have the last few details posted within a day or so.
Looks good so far. Let me know when yu're ready for me to give it a full audit.
NOTICE FOR EVERYONE:
I'd like you all to adjust your sheets so that modifiers which have a lot of small bonuses making up a larger total, such as Skills, AC, and Attacks, site the sources of the bonuses.
Also, in your equipment sction, please make yourself a "magic item slot spreadsheet" to easily track what items are where. It isn't terribly important now, but it will be as the game progresses.
This alias has good examples of the kind of things I'm looking for. It doesn't have to be just like this. I just want to be able to know at a glance where all the numbers come from and what kinds of stuff you're carrying.
I will work on that later this evening. I'll adjust my standard sheet a little to incorporate your requests! I will let you know once it has been completed so you can let me know if it needs any other adjustments.
Roger dat. I have a busy day today, but will have it ready in the near future.
Talas should now be squared away, let me know if there's anything I forgot.
Character sheet has been updated to include Garridan's background. The only thing I haven't really filled out yet is his Personality section. I'm still working on that... trying to flesh out his personality in game first to really get a feel for him.
I'm probably gonna be changing some aspects of Talas's personality, too. He's playing quite differently than I originally envisioned him, heh.
Done
Everyone should be able to access the combat map. Please let me know if you can't. You should be able to move your character too, but please be careful when you do. Its easy to accidentally erase stuff on these maps. If you'd rather just note your destination with grid coordinates I can move your character for you.
3D maps are always tricky to make sense of. Anything that isn't clear, please ask.
The squares marked in green are where the orcs have torn down enough of the overhead platforms to be able to climb up them.
The walkways with the dotted lines are clearly damaged and might not support anyone moving across them.
Looks like stuff keeps changing so will wait until you're done to post.
All done now.
Are the tree trunks laying down on the ground?
One of them is. The others are growing out of it. Trees do that sometimes.
Oh, Eythil, Ylmen, in case you missed it, you've just been introduced in game.
Kenna give me the word when you're ready and I'll introduce you too.
I'll have a post up late tonight. Group B, you're on deck.
You might have noticed the little hiccup that happens midway through round 1 when using a Block Initiative system.
Here's the breakdown-
When the enemies all act on 1 initiative, essentially what happens is that Group A (the fast people) act, then the enemies act, and then the entire group of PCs acts (group b's 1st round, group a's second).
At that point initiative is just a back-and-forth between the two groups.
Things are slightly more complex with enemies on more than one initiative, but it is still faster than one-at-a-time initiative (which basically kills PbP games in my opinion).
All this make sense to everyone?
Another note
I don't usually describe resolutions of actions which affect your character. Instead, I describe the threat and roll the dice. The outcome of how that action affect's your character is up to you to describe.
I want to see your description of how the orc's axe hits you, or how you dodged. Your descriptions are the fun part for me.
If the AoO hits it'll be the shortest run ever, already down 2/3 hp
I'll be hopping in once i'm back from breakfast
From the Enveloping smoke spells point of origin, currently Eythil, Spectrum, Kenna, Teral, and Orc scouts 1, 2, and 5 are currently obscured from normal sight.
Ylmen also has cover from the aforementioned characters as well as Orc Heavy 4 and Witchdoctor 1.
From the Enveloping smoke spells point of origin, currently Eythil, Spectrum, Kenna, Teral, and Orc scouts 1, 2, and 5 are currently obscured from normal sight.
Ylmen also has cover from the aforementioned characters as well as Orc Heavy 4 and Witchdoctor 1.
Can you link Enveloping Smoke for me? I'm having trouble finding it on either SRD.
If the AoO hits it'll be the shortest run ever, already down 2/3 hp
Orcs, right? Everyone tends to underestimate them as enemies right up until they're taking TwohandedragepowerattackD12s to the face.
These guys are actually pretty underpowered for my usual orcy bad guys. Spent all their character resources on being fireproof instead of facemurder.