The Devil's Gorge (and Beyond)!

Game Master Rynjin

There hasn't been a post in ages...because you haven't posted. =p

Huh... I only now noticed there were a few posts since my last one there. That's odd... I didn't see the "X new posts" tag next to any of the TBS threads in my campaign tab.

You have said that a couple of times in the past, not sure what could be the problem.

Answering to the original question, I don't know, It is hard to revive again the campaign, but hey I'm a dreamer, that is why I have not shut it down.

I'm pretty sure tapping into your backstory gets you Critical Hits. I should have written more and maybe I would have confirmed it too.

Am I allowed the 2 hours of crafting time a day while adventuring that seems to be by the book? Over a few adventuring days that would let me craft a potion. Actually, just one adventuring day for a level 1.

That would be in the evening, after you were out of the dangerous cave, but yes.

I'm going to be very limited in internet access for the next 2 or 3 days. My complicated cross country move is finally getting finished up. I will check in when I can.

Okie doke. Appears to be moving a bit slow anyway.

Sorry, guys... There has been an unexpected personal problem. I'll probably not be able post much of anything for a couple days.

My apologies for the disruption... But it's kinda serious. Hopefully, things will be alright soon.

See you soon.

A quote from your post on July 11 at 11:12 pm on the Myrial discussion thread:

Dorla wrote:

Are there any skills that are useless/don't exist in this world? In particular, is spellcraft getting used at all? What about use magic device?

Rynjin replied:
Kn. Arcana no longer exists, and any allowed classes that would normally get Kn. Arcana get Kn. Psionics instead. Spellcraft still exists, but uses these rules instead of the ones in the Core Rulebook.

(the link is to the Dreamscarred Press rules)

I took this to mean that Spellcraft was only usable for psionics, including only identifying psionic stuff, so I did not take any ranks in it. If I had realized that it was still the skill for identifying the magic stuff we were trying to find, I would have taken max ranks in it. I did not learn the identify spell for the same reason.

Ah, gotcha. TBH I hadn't quite hammered out exactly how I was going to handle the magic items at that point, and only thought of it around the time you entered the Phrenic Scourge's room and fought him.

You may swap skill ranks around if you wish, though it will still be a relatively rare occurrence that magic items show up. Unless you guys want it to be, this treasure hunt was more of an intro than the main point of everything, the real meat (hopefully) will come from decisions you make later, including who to sell it to.

If you want, a perhaps easier solution would be the creation of a "Greater Identify" Extract, that would be 3rd or 4th level and grant a +20 Competence bonus to the skill.

That way, you don't need to drop a skill rank every level for something that will very rarely come up. With regular Identify you have (Untrained) a +17 Spellcraft...higher even than Donovan's total skill I believe, so that shouldn't even be necessary come to think of it.

Isn't Spellcraft trained only? However, based on what you have said, I think I will just move one or two skill ranks to it, and buy normal identify for my formula book. This also makes sense for Dorla's background and interests. Does this sound like a workable solution to you?

Do you want me to make the changes now, or wait until we go back to town?

If you have the Infusion discovery, Donovan could do the identifying, if you don't mind. I gotta max Spellcraft for my psionics stuff anyway.

You can make them now. A single rank would give you +11 base, +21 with Identify...which is enough to identify almost every item in the game with a Take 10. Up to CL 16 items, and most are CL 10 or so.

I'll do that this evening. For right now, my family probably considers meals for them to eat and things like that more important than my game :)

Bah, tell them to fend for themselves. =p

So... I have 22310gp (plus whatever is my share of the loot we just found).

I bought weapons and armor (and eye implants)... I have no idea what to buy next. :P

In fact... What Can I buy, anyway? There are a bunch of magic items in the Thunderscape book, but they don't exist in this campaign.

You can buy Psionic items, you can buy Technological equipment, you can buy Manite Implants, and depending on the Thunderscape item we can perhaps work something out (like the engines went from being magitech to just tech). You can buy Potions as well.

I took a look at the technology guide... But everything needs batteries to work (even lighters and fire extinguishers, for some reason), and I'm really hate the idea of micromanaging every single item I carry, so I just put it aside.

Implants are an interesting idea, but most (if not all) of them are really freaking expensive and/or just weaker versions of existing magical gear.

I'm looking at the psionics stuff... Hopefully, there is something interesting there that doesn't cost a fortune.

We can work something out on batteries or other fuel.

One upside is that all batteries operate all equipment I believe. Plus you know I'm willing to work out stuff that doesn't make sense. Fire extinguishers and whatnot should still have "charges", but not need batteries.

Things I would be especially interested in doing...
-more dungeon crawls to find magic stuff
-investigate why magic disappeared (even if we don't find more magic items or find a way to reverse the loss of magic)
-find Chirrup's old owner (a Vanaran rogue who used him to locate traps by walking into them and otherwise mistreated poor Chirrup) and punish him (I'm developing quite a dislike for him, considering he's only in my mind)
-find out what Dorla's magic amulet is or was (and maybe get it working, but OK if not)
-something having to do with Thetsu's master who abandoned him

I don't know if I think we should sell the robe or keep it until we find out what it is.

Not sure If i want another dungeon crawl, it gives little opportunity to have a different experience from standard stuff.

I've been thinking on it, and I think this is how I'm going to run things in the future for magic items:

-Kn. History can be used to recall legends of the items being used in the past, and tales of their creation BUT

-An Identify boosted Spellcraft must be used to discover the actual mechanical details.

Meaning that Dorla knows the legends of what it was rumored to do, but Donovan can identify exactly what the limits of it are, and any drawbacks it may have (limits per daily use being a common one, or specific command words required to activate them).

Do we need identify even if our check is high enough? That would be a pointless arbitrary tax IMO.

I made Identify a prerequisite because it's the only way to get a Detect Magic effect with no magic-using classes.

What about magic/psionics transparency (or whatever it's called)?

I believe I said it doesn't exist in this case, since magic is gone?

Uh... Why would that change whether or not spell/psionics transparency applies?

Does that mean psionic abilities ignore spell resistance and magic ignore psionic resistance and so on?

I don't know man, does it even matter? When will it ever come up?

Apparently on Spellcraft checks... And creatures with SR.

I don't know what creatures of the bestiaries are present in this setting, some of them might have SR, though. And quite a few creatures have some sort of supernatural or spell-like ability that could easily be flavored as psionics.

I'm not trying to pressure you one way or another. I just want to know how it works. If it's not something our characters would know, then nevermind.

Really, I just want opacity as far as Detect goes because it seems weird that a "new" technique (Detect Psionics) is tweaked to recognize ancient powers for some reason. Identify is kind of a hold-over from from the old magics, a potion that does much the same thing. I picked it because it added just a tiny bit f extra favor wihout being a real hindrance (it's a one time cost of 10 gp and a 1st level slot you only need on downtime on rare occasions).

Most enemies with SR will be changed to have PR instead, and likewise SLAs will usually become PLAs (and different but similar in effect as a result). Very very rare creatures will still have SR (like Dragons or Outsiders), but I'll probably end up giving them BOTH in many cases, except where it wouldn't make sense (Golems, for example, would not be immune to Psionics except for the specific Psionic base golems like Crystal Golems, since Golems were specifically made anti-magical weapons).

TL;DR: It's a case by case.

I'm confused about something.

Originally TDG was a short campaign to have a break from Miryal (I thought the whole campaign was about to recover the magic item). So, what is the scope of TDG?

Until we get bored of it?

The problem with Myrial is I kind of trapped myself in a specific setting, and it was hard to think of new urban adventures that didn't always feel same-y.

Plus, you have to admit...you guys have posted a hell of a lot more often in this game, and been far less indecisive.

And it feels good that it doesn't have the baggage of every party member but you two dropping out over time.

It is fine and all but I want to play Jo D:

We'll see what happens. I was a little burnt out on Myrial but after a break, who knows?

Really, I just want opacity as far as Detect goes because it seems weird that a "new" technique (Detect Psionics) is tweaked to recognize ancient powers for some reason. Identify is kind of a hold-over from from the old magics, a potion that does much the same thing. I picked it because it added just a tiny bit f extra favor wihout being a real hindrance (it's a one time cost of 10 gp and a 1st level slot you only need on downtime on rare occasions).

Most enemies with SR will be changed to have PR instead, and likewise SLAs will usually become PLAs (and different but similar in effect as a result). Very very rare creatures will still have SR (like Dragons or Outsiders), but I'll probably end up giving them BOTH in many cases, except where it wouldn't make sense (Golems, for example, would not be immune to Psionics except for the specific Psionic base golems like Crystal Golems, since Golems were specifically made anti-magical weapons).

TL;DR: It's a case by case.

Seems needlessly complicated, IMHO... But it's no big deal.

- - -

Donovan doesn't have any home city in particular... Ever since he left the island where he was "raised", he wondered around, never staying longer than a few years in the same settlement. Originally, he's trying to find out more about the little machines that "raised" him or about his parents, in time, that became a secondary concern, he just grew used to travelling.

- - -

Anyway, I can finally go back to posting with some frequency. I found a new apartment! The first one in my life with both of the following qualities: 1- I can afford it. 2- It's probably not a former murder-house. XD

That is what the murderer wanted you to believe.

Here's a bit of back story as it implies a locations:

Dorla grew up in a tiny village that all the residents believed was a big city many, many years ago. Most of the city ruins had disappeared during a few earthquakes and storms in the last few centuries. One day, when she was about 8, Dorla was playing in the fields near her village. She saw something glittering in the woods nearby. When she went into the woods to investigate, she found a patch of ruins that the villagers had all forgotten about. It became her favorite place to play. It's also where she found her magic amulet years later.

Although no one knows this anymore, the rumors that the village used to be a big city are true. Back in the days before magic was forgotten, there was a huge magic school in the city. The ruins that Dorla grew up playing in are what is left of the magic school. When magic was forgotten or disappeared (I don't know if this was a sudden or gradual process) the residents almost all left the city, and all that was left was a little village. However, there must be some lingering aura of magic in the town, because the residents of the village do have much more curiosity about magic and what happened to it than most of the rest of the world. Not as many are as curious as Dorla, however. When she was old enough, Dorla left her village to try to learn about magic. When she realized that no one remembered anymore, she trained as an alchemist, because that was the closest she could learn about. However, in her wanderings as an alchemist, she is always looking out for every possible clue as to magic, what happened to it, and if it's possible to bring it back.

Did everyone lose interest?

I'll get something up later. Assuming you're headed back to a city now. Lemmy has been having some issues posting as well.

I'm back to normal! Though I'll move to a new apartment in a few days, and that will problem make posting everyday very difficult.

I just have no idea of what to post here, since we have no clear objective or adventure hook.

I'm finding myself without a motivation for Ugash, AKA, I don't know what he wants in life. For the moment he agrees with whatever the other decides.

I thought Ugash was wanting to collect treasure to sell and make money.

In a sense yes, and that worked initially because I thought the campaign would be short, but that it can be quite boring in the long run if it is not supplemented by something else.

4 campaigns and not a single post in any one of them...

You guys disappoint me! >:P

Unrelated to anything... How would call a condition that is a middle point between Dazzled and Blinded? Blurry-Sighted?

Also, two lesser versions of Petrified: Stiffened? Rigidified? Half-Petrified? :P

Clouded?

Stiffened is good. Perhaps Joint-Locked for the second?

Clouded is a good one... Though it will always sound like a description of the weather for me. ^^

Joint-Locked makes sense... But it sounds more like some version of grappled/entangled than a lesser form of petrified.

hardened, maybe? It sounds a bit like I'm talking about someone who is tough, but it could work... couldn't it?

Come an' 'ave a go if ya think yer 'ard enough

*Gazes more*