The Many-Faced GM's Skulls and Shackles (Inactive)

Game Master Nickadeamous

The ability description describes it as a normal wooden mask that is a sort of psychic receptacle for power. I envision new spells being sort of like revelations as Sandman figures out new uses for his power.

For scrolls, I think he just carves translated spells into the mask and onto his skin. Together they act somewhat like a wizard's spellbook.

I've taken some poetic license already with having the mask "talk" to Sandman, but for now that talking is probably all in his head.

I was approaching it from the idea that the Great Old Ones don't actually care about their followers enough to purposefully grant them power. The power is just there for those brave or foolish enough to take it.

The mask can't be animate yet, but at 5th level it will be. That's when sandman gains the ability to enchant it. Making it an intelligent item is high priority.

Arrrgh! I had most of my character sheet typed out, but when I hit Preview, for some reason it decided oh I'll just boot you to the homepage. So, later when I have more time to do it all again (Did I say arrrgh?) I'll write it up in a text file so the site doesn't eat it again.

Also, I did wish to make one small change from my initial posting, I'd like to switch my Sea Lungs for Ocean's Daughter if that is alright?

yeah...i get all that.

the question is rather how to handle it fluffwise. because to learn from a scroll, your familiar would need to consume its remains...so probably you would have to burn the scroll, mix the ashes with oil and rub it on your mask or something like that.

and the bigger question: if it's just a wooden mask that you cannot commune with, how will it interact with the other familiars? To share "spellbooks", witch familiars can commune with each other, which takes an hour per spell level. How will we handle that with your mask before you turn it into an item? Will the monkey and the turtle just take a nap next to it and thats it?
(I know mechanicswise there should be no problem, just trying to wrap my head around how it should work fluffwise).

and well, the Great Old Ones may be the source of my power, but I don't expect that one of them tentacle-picked me for the job. Since Patrons are an abstract concept anyway, I'd expect it's not a conscious decision on their part, things just fall into place by what seems like chance, to fit into their plans.

@Baltzar: Yeah, the page eats your postings if you don't "preview" every about 15 minutes. I lost many pages worth of stuff to that. I TRY to copy-paste everything I wrote every time before I submit, best way I found to deal with this annoying timeout problem.

On another note, my turtle will not get it's own alias. Possibly at a later time, but right now, it's quite happily sticking with me courtesy of low land speed. Good thing it's tiny otherwise I'd struggle to lift it.

Here is a thread about witch doctors where players discuss their bonus spells and such things (some rather funny too on the spell learning, which is the main reason I'm posting it). Also the last post mentions how in the Monster Codex there is an NPC where Paizo used Con to determine his bonus spells, which is something the RAW does not say and Paizo has made no official statement (JJ gave his opinion, but remember he's the Creative Director, not a Rules Developer) yet one might say that Paizo actually publishing an NPC using Con legitimizes using Con. Ah, gotta love those pressing rules questions Paizo just ignores cause they think it's obvious what the RAW says.

Witch Doctor Bonus Spells

was a fun read :) but the fluff question of familiar teaching familiar was not answered, unfortunately, although now I want a black cat(with gills).

actually did not even catch that part about con not applying to the ability score bonus spells, was too worried about the fluff :)

Good stuff. I always figured the bonus spell issue was the price a witch doctor paid for being a Con based caster.

I like the idea of scroll-oil worked into the mask. I think I will use some version of that.

As for learning spells from other familiars, I'm fine with the mask just not being able to do that until 5th level. Because of the bonus spell issue, I have fewer spells than the rest of you anyway. I'm only going to be memorizing the ones that I know will be regularly used.

If we really want the mask to be able to trade spells with the turtle and the monkey we could just say that the Familiars can hear the mask, but no one else can.

GM, do you have any suggestions or thoughts?

well, it would make sense if handled that way. If you are fine with it, we just start trading spells at level 5 when your mask becomes conscious.
we are not missing out, it's just postponed.

and at the same time it's a small "dampener" because we don't get too many spells early on, which I'm totally fine with.
even with bonus spells, I'm not going to see much use out of several of my spells until way into this campaign.

another suggestion could be that our patrons ritually hurt you while you medidate in front of your mask, and it learns that way. Something like 1HP damage per spell level done from the wounds inflicted, over a process taking 1 hour per spell level(as usual).

but yeah, obviously GM call.

Well, yeah since no developers chimed in, the thread had no official answers on any of it, but it seemed the general consensus seemed to be that the important part was the time taken ritually burning the scroll and the familiar eating it was just fluff.

In a game I ran the familiars being able to 'talk' to each other is what I did, basically just like how is a cat gonna talk to a monkey about the spells? They can't, but they obviously do. But of course, that's just my opinion.

Hey Rillum I noticed you put "wizard" as your class, shouldn't it be alchemist?

Yes it should. Let me fix that.

Arrrgh! I had most of my character sheet typed out, but when I hit Preview, for some reason it decided oh I'll just boot you to the homepage. So, later when I have more time to do it all again (Did I say arrrgh?) I'll write it up in a text file so the site doesn't eat it again.

Also, I did wish to make one small change from my initial posting, I'd like to switch my Sea Lungs for Ocean's Daughter if that is alright?

Feel free to make any changes so long as it doesn't involve changing the race or the class. You can change skills, feats, abilities or anything else until we officially start which will be tomorrow at some point. I will provide an "official" notice of sorts.

In a game I ran the familiars being able to 'talk' to each other is what I did, basically just like how is a cat gonna talk to a monkey about the spells? They can't, but they obviously do. But of course, that's just my opinion.

Well, how to they talk to us? I'm always rationalised it as more of a form of telepathy, a mind-affecting aspect that lets you transmit information. If you'd speak monkey, how come it only works with it? How can you both talk in your native language but fully understand each other?

Romello wrote:

In a game I ran the familiars being able to 'talk' to each other is what I did, basically just like how is a cat gonna talk to a monkey about the spells? They can't, but they obviously do. But of course, that's just my opinion.

Well, how to they talk to us? I'm always rationalised it as more of a form of telepathy, a mind-affecting aspect that lets you transmit information. If you'd speak monkey, how come it only works with it? How can you both talk in your native language but fully understand each other?

I figured it was the same for familiars communing with one another...they'd link their minds and synchronize, as they do with us. No idea if there's some canon though, thats just how I always imagined things.

Well, right that's kinda what I meant, it doesn't say HOW they talk to each other, just that they do.

Good stuff. I always figured the bonus spell issue was the price a witch doctor paid for being a Con based caster.

I like the idea of scroll-oil worked into the mask. I think I will use some version of that.

As for learning spells from other familiars, I'm fine with the mask just not being able to do that until 5th level. Because of the bonus spell issue, I have fewer spells than the rest of you anyway. I'm only going to be memorizing the ones that I know will be regularly used.

If we really want the mask to be able to trade spells with the turtle and the monkey we could just say that the Familiars can hear the mask, but no one else can.

GM, do you have any suggestions or thoughts?

To teach the mask, animal familiars could simply scratch a few new lines into the mask similar to the tattoo's on Sandman, maybe bite a small piece off to change the physical make up slightly...after spending an hour in it's presence. To learn spells from the mask, they spend an hour physically near the mask. After an hour, the familiar makes physical contact with the mask. It's nose touches the mask while sniffing it, it gives it a lick, maybe extends a paw, whatever. The familiar experiences a brief vision in which it witnesses the arcane movements needed to cast the spells and the visual effects of the spell. In one of the hobbit movies, they go to the elven forest, and Gandalf finds a statue or something overgrown by foliage and when he touches it he gets a brief vision of the great eye and suddenly knows it's involved. Basically something similar to that.

The Scarred Witch Doctor's casting stat is Con, for everything.

Awesome! Yay for bonus spells!

This is a reminder to PM me your email address so that I can invite you to the roll20.net Skulls and Shackles campaign.

I have sent invites to those three that have already sent me their emails addresses. There isn't much to see on the site as of yet, but I will be adding more tomorrow and should have our first official game play campaign post up.

Sorry for the late arrival. Every other Saturday is an all day RL game and I covered for someone Friday night. After a 30 hour day, I slept until Sunday afternoon. I usually post when I get to work (11 pm CDT) and in order by oldest to newest game.

I will PM my e-mail address right away and then get caught up on the discussion thread before moving over to the game play thread. I will be caught up tonight.

EDIT: It's not the loss of Sandman's mask that will result in insanity.

@Eidyia - The magus cannot heal... yet.

Seeing the party roster, it's too bad I cannot add the Hexcrafter archetype.

Okay, I'm in. Name is AbsolutGrndZer0.

Well, right that's kinda what I meant, it doesn't say HOW they talk to each other, just that they do.

True that, but his mask can't talk to him, so it was kind of puzzling how it would do so with someone else. But we got an answer there, so, perfect.

Also sent a PN.

Oh, and

"As a bonus, please select one extra bonus feat that you qualify for."

Thats a general thing, right? Everybody gets to pick up one bonus feat?

I'll go over some things again, but i guess you will give a warning before this re-work-period is done.

Oh, and also because I missed what you wrote regarding us being a powerful unit but not neglecting others: I believe in many...many situations and encounters, for reasons of action economy we will not utilize coven actions(takes 3 fullround-actions for each action, basically, and we all have to stand close enough together to basically ask for area-effect attacks in case of encounters-).
Regardless, I'm very open to modifications to existing coven rules.
Quite possibly it would make sense to waive the hag requirement altogether(so we don't need to aquire that item), but only hand out certain powers once we reached a certain level.(so we don't have to wait until level 9 to even be able to form a coven, but neither can we use force cage and mind blank at will right from the moment we do).

I'm suggesting a way of forming a coven that begins with low-level witches and gradually becomes more powerful as individual magical strenght increases. Dunno about the others, of course, but wanted to put that out there as food-for-thought.
Right now it would feel like up to level 9 we are all normal individuals, a regular party with plenty of casters, and then BAM, level 9 onwards we have a unstoppable coven because we suddenly learned to link up. Personally I would probably prefer a more gradual progression giving access to some aspects a bit earlier and keeping others out of our grasp a bit longer.

I saw somewhere you mentioned that we get two extra skill points that must be spent on "craft or profession skills" right? That's the background rules, or was that something else? I currently have 9 skill points spent (2 + 4 (Int) + 1 (FC) + 2 (Background)... since it's getting close to crunch time I want to make sure my skill points are properly spent.

Also, I got most of my character sheet up, ability names at least. Later I will cut and paste descriptions so we don't have to keep looking them up for reference.

Oh, and are you using Unchained skills, that is can we take the Signature Skill feat?

The Background skills are:

Appraise
Craft
Handle Animal
Knowledge (engineering)
Knowledge (geography)
Knowledge (history)
Knowledge (nobility)
Linguistics
Perform
Profession
Sleight of Hand

You get two extra points per level that must be spent on those skills.

Yes, everyone gets one additional bonus feat at first level, normal rules apply.

Yes, the Signature Skill feat is available for use.

You can always link your abilities to their webpages instead of detailing out everything on one page. Up to you.

Characters receive an extra 2 skill points per level that can only be put into the following skills. Any class that grants Craft or Perform as a class skill also grants Artistry. All classes treat Lore as a class skill. Otherwise you must still get the skill from your class normally to consider the skill a class skill. Lore is basically a more specific knowledge. Instead of having Knowledge (history), you may have lore (elven history). So an elven rogue for example, could use Lore (elven history) as a class skill even though they don't get Knowledge (history) as a class skill.

Appraise
Artistry
Craft
Handle Animal
Knowledge (engineering)
Knowledge (geography)
Knowledge (history)
Knowledge (nobility)
Linguistics
Lore
Perform
Profession
Sleight of Hand

Regular skill points can also be spent on the above skills.

Full Background Skill Rules

The first map is ready. All invitations have been sent out. Player tokens have been created using the same images as your profiles. If you would like something different then let me know.

Characters should be finalized today. Starting tomorrow, no changes should be made without my consent. The first official campaign posting will be up later tonight kicking off our campaign. I hope everyone is ready to begin, and by that I simply mean excited. I know I am. I also know there will be last minute tweaks and fixes and questions and whatever, and we'll handle those at they come up.

Avast me hearties yo ho!

DM, I made some minor adjustments, but the biggest was with equipment. I have included alchemical components in my gear in the hope I can craft with them later. Is this acceptable?

And I am very excited to begin play; Bilge is not a good person, and I look forward to him having his 'stuff' taken one more time.

(I don't think he'll take it well . . . )

Hunch Hunch! What what?

Oh, I'm definitely excited to set sails!

I do have to admit I do not know if I can finalize my edits tonight. I can guarantee that tomorrow I'll be finished, but do not know if it'll be before the official go.
I believe things will mostly stay the same, but for example, i'm still pondering how best to use the extra feat(especially considering I use variant multiclassing with a class that gets no bonus feats). Would love to actually have a little time to think options over rather than rush into a decision and then have to retcon it with your ok.
And I'm still not 100% sure on a few other minor aspects(like my snapping turtle or 1 or 2 spells, and equipment), I'll get them in order ASAP but had a few very busy days.

I will make a few tweaks on equipment and spells tonight. I have added the bonus feat, but may change it as well.

Very excited to start the game. I spent the weekend binge watching "Black Sails" on Starz to get in the mood. I recommend you watch it if you can to get a good idea of how pirate crews behaved.

Black Sails is incredible, and not just from the pirate aspect.

I'll amend the completed deadline to the first combat encounter which should buy everyone a few days considering the rate of most play by post games. I'm in this for the long haul and I'm hoping you are to. I'd rather you be sure about a decision than be stuck with a forced ultimatum result.

Crafting will definitely be available, as long as you have the resources. Resources will not just magically appear though, (unless there is spell that's slipping my mind) you'll need to make a point of going to get them. While ships may be big, they do have finite space. Probably won't be a big deal for quite a while.

You can also expect, but not plan on, additional bonuses here and there. As much potential as a coven offers, essentially starting with 6 casters will put you in binds on occasion.

Season 2 was awesome.

Crafting will definitely be available, as long as you have the resources. Resources will not just magically appear though, (unless there is spell that's slipping my mind) you'll need to make a point of going to get them. While ships may be big, they do have finite space. Probably won't be a big deal for quite a while.

That's why I included 60gp of alchemical supplies as raw crafting ingredients to use later. Is this ok? If not I will remove them and choose other equipment.

The Many-Faced GM wrote:

Crafting will definitely be available, as long as you have the resources. Resources will not just magically appear though, (unless there is spell that's slipping my mind) you'll need to make a point of going to get them. While ships may be big, they do have finite space. Probably won't be a big deal for quite a while.

That's why I included 60gp of alchemical supplies as raw crafting ingredients to use later. Is this ok? If not I will remove them and choose other equipment.

Yes, that's fine.

Season 2 was awesome.

There are very few shows that I find myself saying out loud:

"Woah, I did not see that coming."

And this was definitely one of them, easily in my top 5.

Added in my gear. Also added +1 to my Knowledge (local) checks from the campaign trait. I hadn't realized that we were using background skills and I added a rank to Knowledge (history) as it was the one of two skills I chose as a class skill from the campaign trait.

I should be good to go.

Crafting will definitely be available, as long as you have the resources. Resources will not just magically appear though, (unless there is spell that's slipping my mind) you'll need to make a point of going to get them. While ships may be big, they do have finite space. Probably won't be a big deal for quite a while.

What about Inscribe Magical Tattoo? Just want to make sure that's allowed before we start (though level 5 is soonest I can get it) and that I will be able to make tattoo versions of wondrous items (at double cost since they are slotless) as I did take Craft: Tattoo.

Also, sent you an avatar PM hehe

It will probably make you very popular with the group, and the crew, just about anybody really. Yes, it's allowed. Although I wouldn't recommend tattoo work during rough waters or bad storms, but that shouldn't be a problem down the road for this group.

GM I made a number of changes as discussed last night. Character sheet has been updated. Please review and let me know if you have any questions or if you catch any mistakes (it was getting late and my math gets fuzzy!)

come to think of it, being press-ganged is a bit of a weird concept for characters with aquatic-subtype and swim speed. Bonus for know direction and knowledge geography.

Obviously thats not what will happen since Nivian was looking to get on a ship anyway, but from pure mechanics, that kind of character could use the first chance they get to go overboard and escape...I do expect we get a share of the loot to keep motivation high, right? ;) *smile*
(on a side note, they could hold my familiar hostage to keep me in line...not sure how that should be handled.)

GM, can we get a link to the Roll20 page in the Race section of your profile? That way it will always be accessible.

@Nivian - Well typically I think having your compatriots press-ganged with you would be enough motivation to remain on board. Not everyone may breathe water or could swim for days, or even know where in the ocean they are. Also, having lost all of your possessions might be motivation to stay, maybe not.

@Sandman - Good idea. Done.

@Rhemus - I don't see any problems. Everything looks good.

yep, understand, but then I should have set it up so I have some connection to one or more of these compatriots. I guess I'll just stay on because it's what I was looking for in the harbor anyway, then stay for the friends I make- ^_~

Hey guys, one thing we haven't discussed - PvP.

DM decision final of course, but we should set ground rules. I like the dramatic potential but hate the competition and chaos it causes.

I propose a ban on any PvP between us, UNLESS we check here in discussion and all parties agree beforehand.

For example (I don't plan on or want to do this.) I could 'rat' out Rhemus' hiding place to curry favor with the pirates, but I won't unless Rhemus himself thinks it would be a neat idea to play through.

I think explicit ground rules are important because we are playing 'bad' people. Opinions?

As a player, I'm not a fan of PvP myself. I feel that in most cases it detracts from the flow of the story rather than adding to it.

As a character, Sandman is a pretty helpful fellow most of the time. He'll be perfectly willing to hear out plans or grievances and back pretty much any play, even if he doesn't fully understand it or agree with it. He'll bring it up later if he thinks something didn't go right.

We can be vicious cut-throat bastards who understand the value or loyalty and teamwork. In fact, being vicious cut-throat bastards, we aren't likely to be making many friends other than ourselves and our crew.

Not a big fan of PvP either. However your suggestion of explaining the intention "behind the scenes" here would make it less of a problem.

Rhemus is not a bad guy, he has been on a ship before and understands the importance of the Crew sticking together.

I agree on the PVP part, as well. no actions/working against other players unless agreement here in discussion.
(except what one could expect regularily, i.e. friendly competition that won't bother the paladin in a good group either)

Agreed, pretty sure none of us are chaotic evil (though not for sure) so we can work together just fine. That is after all the primary reason (besides story) Fire Mountain Games Way of the Wicked works... mostly just CE is the really antisocial personality, so it's the only evil alignment banned. If anyone IS CE then it still can work, if we all agree.

Uhm, just because I see you guys roll Sense Motive: You were included in "others here involuntarily"...the Sense Motive is for the pirates.
I apologize for the confusion, but I used

Oh! You threw it under a spoiler, so I didn't read it to see the bluff check because I missed the Sense Motive. Sorry for the confusion.

yeah, I'm used to that format from a few other games.
basically in the spoiler you write the prerequisites for reading the spoiler. Either a check, or e.g. a certain location, language, or in this case, the target audience ;)

as said, I figured myself it was confusing, and I was also wording it confusingly, so just go with the discussion thread interpretation- Simple short message as defined above.

My experience on other ships was, if you show you are weak, you get picked out for bullying. And bored pirates make cruel bullies. So you want them to be on their toes because they can't be sure you will take everything they throw at you. It's not a relaxed way of coexisting but, again, in my experience, significantly safer.
May be different on this ship, but she sticks to what she knows, plus at this point of time, she is not attached to any of you, so if her plan backfires and she gets picked out for bullying instead, she could technically always flee once she retrieves her familiar, so she's doing a free favor by either warning if she is right or drawing attention if she's not.

I totally misunderstood your message. I thought you were telling us to walk out boldly and not cower to the pirates.

Anyway, thanks for the explanation.