[AP] The Shackled City Adventure Path by GM Rutseg (Inactive)

Game Master Balacertar

No need to spoiler responses guys - I did it to avoid a huge wall of Crafting text/calculations :)

@Bror & Surabar: No worries, will focus on the items you specified.

As touched on previously - once Maxim is CL:9 he can upgrade items to +3 (or equivalent). Was planning on taking Rogue as my next level up, but Wizard or Trickster might be more prudent to allow for us to shift items up a notch.

If you can do +2 at the moment, then getting Alakast up to that would probably be helpful.

@Maxim - That would work for me! Even though Marigold hasn't had to mix it up in melee in a long time you never know when a good weapon will come in handy :)

Maxim Ironhammer! :)

To easy things up, you can consider Taking 10 on the crafting rolls, provided that's enough for you to pass the rolls.

On the side note, I think your prices for the shield improvements are amiss. Adding a (+1) special ability to a +1 shield should cost 3000 gp, similarly to improving a +1 armor to +2.

If you wish so, you can roll a 30% dice after enchanting a weapon for the first time to check if it sheds light magically.

Ryan can also craft Wondrous Items, belts gloves, ect... let me know if anyone is interested. His Caster level is 12 so he can create up to a +4 Cloak of Resistance, granted it takes time - 16 days for the example above from scratch. And the check is a 17 (5+CL12)

Think Ryan will create a belt of Physical Might (Str and Con) +2, will benefit him when he gets into melee (Str) and in absorbing others melee damage (Con).

Maxim hold off on Ryan's upgrades, Magic Weapon, greater can give him a +3 silver light mace if needed

@GMR: You are indeed correct sir :) 3K it is.

@Ryan - Can you upgrade items (akin to how Maxim can with Arms and Armour)? Increasing his Cloak of Resistance (from +1 to +2 or 3) and Belt of Dexterity (from +2 to +3) would be something that would interest him (depending on cost I guess).

Yes same as you can armor and weapons, although the belts like those typically go up in increments of 2.

Posted last night but the system ate it.....

Maxim
Cloak of Resistance +1 upgrade
+2 = 1500gp, 3 days
+3 = 4000gp, 8 days

Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2
+4 =6000gp, 12 days - you'll have to assist on this one, Clerics don't have access to Cat's Grace or Fox's Cunning, Bears, Bulls, eagles and owls oh my yes, but not those two.

Maxim did you see this previously.?

Maxim, I placed Ryans name beside the +1 bastard sword, with hopes of trading to the Church for Sarcem Delasharn's Abadar's First , will pass his own +1 Cold Iron Heavy Mace into the pot (4,324gp)

Yeah Ryan - was duly noted. Think the Belt upgrade will beyond my coin at present, perhaps after our next sojourn.

Will defo take the Cloak upgrade though :)

Once we have set our initial steps back on Cauldron, this is perhaps about the right time to us the fiendish basilisk stuff collected by Juraan to prepare a concoction able to break Ruben's petrification.

If you are interested to proceed with that, I can note to Ruben it is his time to kick back in.

Let's wait until after we split the loot before we restore Ol' Stoney :)

(I jest) lol

Ahem

In Vino Veritas, I always say...

Gang - can I just ask everyone to make any final selections from the loot before I complete all the transactions :)

There are some mint items - the 2nd Lantern of Guidance, some high level spell scrolls and two (count 'em!) 2 Bags of Holding (Type 1).

Ryan/Marigold/Bror: Any of you claiming the divine spell scrolls? If not they'll be traded to Skie (but wanted to check incase you claim them for the Church or personal inventory?)

Kikinnin's feeling quite snug on his items, most priceless. No need to hold onto the Lantern as the best items are located where the sun don't shine...

A bag of holding may be helpful for each of us. Makes carrying around all that loot easier.

@JJ: Maxim already packs a Handy Haversack and a Bag of Holding (Type 2) so we should be covered for carriage of loot.

Yourself and me Bror carry the slicey, hittie things so no need for becoming pack mules as well ;)

GMR said that Skie will buy anything unwanted, so we can always check back on her inventory to see if they are available should we feel the need for them?

Presuming GMR is happy to hand waive the rest of the loot (art etc) as being purchased, then we all have a 5,794.00 Gold Suns reward with 5, 795.50 going into the "commons" pot.

NB: I've adjusted the split to 5 ways since we are down Juraan (know in spirit he would be entitled to a split as he is still around as an NPC, but coin is coin... lol.

The commons spilt will likely fund Reuben's return...

Thanks for your efforts Maxim. Let's make it easy and say you can easily sell everything you found so far.

On about Ruben, it seems JamZilla is going through difficult personal times and we will have to halt Ruben's return indefinitely.

As such, I propose to jump in and move the action to Maavu's interrogation so the game does not stagger too much. Maxim's uncle will have obtained an appointment for you all so we can RP that talk together.

This week is main holidays here in Spain, which means my posting will be uneven all through to next Tuesday. We can discuss during this time what plot lines or Cauldron relations we can explore after Maavu's meeting.

Following that, it might be a good time to plan contacting Marigold and bringing her to Cauldron (if she is ok with it), so we can officially begin Chapter 7 - SECRETS OF THE SOUL PILLARS, written by Jesse Decker.

*delurks*

Still watching; looks like you'll be looking to contact Marigold within a week or two real-time, yes? I should be good to jump back in then :)

Sorry to hear that JZ's lauded return is in hold, hope things work out for him enough to step back into our misadventures.

Speaking of Miss Adventure (see what I did there ;) - 7-14 RL days would make sense, as may well be revelations we gain from Maavu that have direct implications for Lil Miss.

@GMR: Re; coin - that's perfect chief. Much appreciated .On a separate note Will Maxim still have time enough for crafting or will be need to belay that until next downtime? Am good either way as he'll only get better at it :)

Yes, sure, you can go along and roll 1 or 2 weeks of crafting Maxim!

Same for Ryan.

Hey, folks. My wife has just been accepted into a 3-year program to become a Nurse Anesthesiologist. It was a pipe dream, until this month, and for the reality of it, I've chosen to work seven days a week for the foreseeable future, to offset our financial obligations where I can. Not unreasonable side effects- tiredness and distraction, and my PCing has suffered. Obviously.

Things should work themselves out, but I may need you to bear with me a while longer, I'm afraid. Not as young as I used to be.

Hey, congratulations for you and your wife. What does a nurse anaesthesiologist do? Kind of like a regular one, but without the full doctor qualification?

That's wonderful news! Hang in there with the work schedule and always remember that it won't be that way forever.

Yes congrats on her acceptance and as Marigold says it won't last forever.

Congrats a lot Kikinnin! It is going to be good in the long run.

Working without having a single day for relaxing sounds terribly tough though. Do you have at least some kind of flexibility at your work?

Congrats Bror - good to hear her following her dream, and kudos to you for shouldering the load - as GMR says 7 day weeks will be a tough slog... but yer Malachite tough so I have faith :)

Any grants or funding/scholarships or whatnot she is eligible for? (Am sure you've likely explored all avenues already).

@JJ- yep, she'd be knocking out folks for surgery, under the supervision of a Doc Anesthesiologist, so surgery hours, instead of nights, which will be a blessing :)

@Marigold 'n Ryan- much pride here, and a pretty dim light at the end of a long tunnel. Good thing I have Darkvision...

@GM Rutseg- Optometry's got two humps in the year where you gotta help folk receive the care after tax returns, and before school starts, so I've seen the first hump through, with a weekend for graduation in May, and about a month long vacation in the bank. I'll savor each day off, trust that.

@Maxim- I find strength in my friends here, so I'm pretty set. I expect that we'll see her graduate as we all conclude our Shackled City hehehe

Always here for ya Bror :)

On a separate note hopefully Maxim's ruse to try and glean knowledge from Maavu under the guise of gaining his business rights will work...

See us money coveting merchants aren't all bad ;)

Speaking of coin... Loot Sheet is now wiped. Can everyone make sure they have updated personal wealth with + 5,794.00 Gold Suns

Common Fund is also + 5,795.50. I have no idea whose tracking that or how much was in it prior to this wealth division? Regardless its: 5, 795.50 Gold Suns minimum.

Going forward if we don't see a need for a "common" fund we can easily divvy the above up between us all (and just contribute equally if/when necessary?)

If so it would mean an additional + 1,159.10 Gold each (for this split), but I'll leave the final decision to a unilateral view.

I like the idea of the party fund for restores etc.

I'm not too sure that I've been keeping accurate track of my funds in. I suspect there is a big gap somewhere, but no biggie there.

I'm not too sure that I've been keeping accurate track of my funds in. I suspect there is a big gap somewhere, but no biggie there.

According to my journal in Hero Lab, the last loot distribution was 4/22/017, almost 2 years ago to the day. Doesn't count individual things people have collected along the way like your Alakast or healing potions and wands of displacement.

Ryan will spend 10 days working on a belt he found a design for in the church library.
Belt of Physical Might +2(Str, Con) (DC17 <5+CL12>): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
-5,000gp

Going forward if we don't see a need for a "common" fund we can easily divvy the above up between us all (and just contribute equally if/when necessary?)

If so it would mean an additional + 1,159.10 Gold each (for this split), but I'll leave the final decision to a unilateral view.

Are there any potion that needs to be created before we head back into trouble once more? The commons could pay for that. Ryan can create potions up to lvl 6, so Restoration, Cure Serious Wounds, ect.

As for the Basilisk blood, I find it hard to believe Juraan would have removed the basilisk blood, especially since he was GMPC'd for that move, and not have sent it back to Cauldron with us.

Normally you can only brew potions up to third level spells :-(

But restoration is 3rd for you isn't it?

yeah your right... :/

was reading the Craft Potions section

Forgot about the wording in the feat description that limits it to level 3

So odd question, who creates those lvl 4 and above potions......

Retcon of above question: Are there any 3rd level or lower spells you'd like as a potion?

found this in a dead thread after searching on my own question, would fall to the GM's discretion of course

spell level x caster level x 50gp
Ex 6th lvl spell x 11(min caster level) x 50gp = (3,300gp + any special materials) / 2 = 1,650gp(crafted) 4 days to craft DC16 craft

Ahh, smart. More expensive than normal potions, but certainly a way around that rather arbitrary limit.

That has sense to me Ryan. You can do it if you have both feats, or two people with access to both feats can cooperate to make it happen.

Regards to securing Maavu's escape - Maxim can get him the spell book, after which it really is up to Arlintel.

We can't implicate ourselves as it defeats any subterfuge we had. Plan would be to frame Holg as Arlintel's accomplice.

Push comes to shove we can drop Holg quickly as part of this scene, then claim that we uncovered Arlintel's escape and the half orc's treachery. *

Food for thought, and Maxim will happily lie through his beard to help cover up the subterfuge.

* Need to get Arlintel to sign over his business interests as payment of course. Nothing is free - especially freedom.

Maxim is a real scoundrel :)

Couple of footnotes for everyone:

- Have put in a Common's Fund Total into the Loot Sheet. Means we can keep track and deduct where/when relevant.

- Hopefully my wee in-game spoiler (everyone can peek) show's Maxim's not a total cad & scoundrel ;)

Hi! I will be barely available during the week. Feel free to RP your Cauldron downtime and discuss next steps.

Hope it's at least pleasure and not business that'll have you busy this week, GM!

Week's end sees me off to the state of Ohio, where we'll watch our daughter graduate from the University. So, yeah, quiet here after Friday.

BTW, I'm swamped IRL at the moment, so posting is a little slow.

I don't play characters that craft, but reading the Item Creation Feat for Craft Arms and Armor suggests to me that Maxim's saving me the full cost of that Champion upgrade.

As I read it, the value of taking a Shield from +1 to +1 Champion would normally cost 3000gp, but the Feat marks the expense of Maxim's work as 3 days of work, one day for each 1000gp of value, and half the cost of the 3000gp in materials, so Kikinnin only drops 1500gp worth of coin to fund his Bror's work.

Is this the correct way of interpreting it?

That is my understanding. There is a bit of a gamble that you make the spellcraft roll, but that shouldn't be a problem for Maxim.

I'll be absent this weekend, attending a graduation in Ohio. I should be able to update on Monday.

Sorry for the tardiness regards the crafting - work hammer was swung hard this week.

Clear now though, so I'll try and get some crafting done and get those arms and armour upgraded for those who wish it.

- Bror: Add Champion quality to his +1 Shield [3000GP crafting cost & 1500GP actual cost]

-JJ: Upgrade +1 Elven Chain to +2 Elven Chain [3000GP crafting cost & 1500GP actual cost]

- Lil First Lady of Occipitus: Upgrade her Silvered Mace to MW, then from MW to +1 Silvered Mace [2300GP crafting cost & 1300GP actual cost) (Am presuming that Maxim will have borrowed her Silver Mace to conduct this work)

That is my understanding. There is a bit of a gamble that you make the spellcraft roll, but that shouldn't be a problem for Maxim.

Heh. I eat spellcraft and craft thunder ;)

Thanks Maxim! I'll go ahead and update Marigold's equipment and gold totals now so I don't forget; just assume she'll pay you back for the crafting cost next she meets up with everyone.

Ok people! I am back!

You can consider all the crafting done. You had some days already before visiting the prison, so that is just ok.

I am quickly catching up and if no other agreement is done I will be moving you to speak with either Vhalantru or Annah Taskerhill (unless you want to seek other of the Stormblades for checking) by tomorrow.

What I wanted to know is if Marigold is joining the party before you go checking or after?