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

Game Master Balacertar

Last Level, March 22th, 2019

The Pearl and the Ioun Stone would be most useful for Kythel and Marigold. You take first pick Mari :-)

The ends of Alakast would be great. And the luckstone would help my crappy will saves. The ioun stone would also provide a similar bonus but unless Kythel already has an enhancement bonus to his wisdom, that would be best for him.

Right - level up.
FT: Plane of water (we have been doing a lot of swimming!) and (of course) the Abyss.
+1 to fort saves
+1 to BAB (although I think I've had my spoiler incorrect as I think that after my level up I'm only at +19 to hit with Alakast and I had myself at +20 before hand. To counter this, I think my AC was a few points light and my bonus to hit with the bow was a couple of points light as well.)
+7 hp (6 from class, 1 from con)
skills- the usual:
Acrobatics, geography, planes, linguistics, perception, stealth, survival, and 2 in nobility.

Did you select a feat for JJ?

Also, remember you all get 1 more heroic point after this level up.

Level Up

+1 Level of Arcane Trickster

Spellslinger 6/UC Rogue 4/Arcane Trickster 3

+1 Reflex & Will Saves
+1 CL (additional 2nd Level Spell/Day & gain 5th Level Spell/Day)
Gain Impromptu Sneak Attack 1/Day (Can use Sneak Attack on Ranged)
+7 HP (4 from class, 3 from CON)
+1 Adventuring Skill Ranks in: Bluff, Escape Artist, Knowledge (Arcana), Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft & Stealth
+1 Background Skill Ranks: Lore (Jzadirune), Sleight of Hand

Gain Greater Spell Penetration Feat

Between Fentor's spellbook and scrolls I've been hoarding should have a decent pick of new spells to add to his repertoire.

@GMR: Noticed that Deadly Aim Feat does not apply to firearms (as it is a ranged touch attack). Took Deadly Aim as a UC Rogue Talent Feat. Can I change this out for the Iron Guts talent detailed below? (seems befitting on a imbiber and inhaler like Maxim)

The writing of the Deadly Aim predates firearms and their effect on them is unintentional. The designers were just trying to make sure spells did not get improved by the feat. In fact that was one of the feedback provided to the Gunslinger class during the UC feedback.

That's why they added the following exception to the firearms entry:

When firing an early firearm, the attack resolves against the target's touch AC when the target is within the first range increment of the weapon, but this type of attack is not considered a touch attack for the purposes of feats and abilities such as Deadly Aim. At higher range increments, the attack resolves normally, including taking the normal cumulative –2 penalty for each full range increment. Unlike other projectile weapons, early firearms have a maximum range of five range increments.

That said, if your stinking cloud experience made you rethink about the iron guts, you are free to retrain :)

Rest at ease that cloud spells like that are not going to become frequent now.

The writing of the Deadly Aim predates firearms and their effect on them is unintentional. The designers were just trying to make sure spells did not get improved by the feat. In fact that was one of the feedback provided to the Gunslinger class during the UC feedback.

That's why they added the following exception to the firearms entry:

Early firearms wrote:

When firing an early firearm, the attack resolves against the target's touch AC when the target is within the first range increment of the weapon, but this type of attack is not considered a touch attack for the purposes of feats and abilities such as Deadly Aim. At higher range increments, the attack resolves normally, including taking the normal cumulative –2 penalty for each full range increment. Unlike other projectile weapons, early firearms have a maximum range of five range increments.

That said, if your stinking cloud experience made you rethink about the iron guts, you are free to retrain :)

Rest at ease that cloud spells like that are not going to become frequent now.

Cool will keep the Deadly Aim :) Cheers for the clarification GMR

For a feat, JJ picked weapon specialization (quarterstaff).
Which he can finally use thanks for the staffmaster feat! That will help his damage output quite a bit.

Not snagged the Luckstone, just needed it thematically to make the Knowledge roll :)

Will update the loot sheet this evening :)

For a Feat I am taking Quicken Channel. Will complete the rest of my update tonight.

Sorry for the delay on leveling; I've been feeling a bit out of sorts the last day or two. I'll try and get it done once I make all my posting rounds!

Cleric Level 11:
HP + 8 (6 Level + 2 CON)
+1 BaB.
Channel Energy + 1d6.
Spells: 1 more 3rd, a 6th level slot + Domain.
Skills: 3 Points - +1 Perception, +1 Stealth, +1 Knowledge Religion
Background Skills: 2 points - +2 Knowledge Local
Feat: Quicken Channel [Benefit: You may channel energy as a move action by spending 2 daily uses of that ability].
Hero Points +1

Marigold. The Ioun Stone brings my Wisdom to 19, which gives me 1 more bonus 4th level spell per day. It would bring your Wisdom to 16 giving you a bonus 3rd level spell per day. You would get that same effect from having the Pearl of Power III. :-) I am fine with whatever way you want to go though!

I thought oracles got their bonus spells from Charisma?

Sorry for the delay on leveling; I've been feeling a bit out of sorts the last day or two. I'll try and get it done once I make all my posting rounds!

Do not worry Marigold. The level up will not be relevant for some days, maybe a week. Well I never know with you people, but that is my thought xD

@Kythel, Marigold is an oracle, she cannot benefit with neither of the two items. I think you are competing there with Maxim for the pearl of power (although Kikinnin, and JJ could use it at some point).

Marigold Montajay wrote:

Sorry for the delay on leveling; I've been feeling a bit out of sorts the last day or two. I'll try and get it done once I make all my posting rounds!

Do not worry Marigold. The level up will not be relevant for some days, maybe a week. Well I never know with you people, but that is my thought xD

@Kythel, Marigold is an oracle, she cannot benefit with neither of the two items. I think you are competing there with Maxim for the pearl of power (although Kikinnin, and JJ could use it at some point).

Ah whoops, don't know Oracles that well :-)

OK then, I will take the Ioun Stone and Maxim or whoever, can have the Pearl. Another 4th level spell and a +1 to will saves is good for Kythel plus a bit higher save versus my damage spells.

I think that's everything!

Do you already have plane shift Marigold? I'd have thought that would be very handy for transit to/from your new home!

Ooh, good point! I'll swap out Communal Air Walk for Plane Shift.

Happy to swap my Pearl Of Power I for the Pearl of Power III...

Will give Kikinnin or JJ an extra 1st level spell per day?

I don't use much in the way of spells. This most recent jaunt being the first time I have cast anything other than cure light wounds for quite some time.

And even if it was a CLW, that would be better with our cleric as his caster level is a lot better than mine.

Blond beard drags us to 10k!!

Well done, folks!!

Much rather see the post count climb than the current infection tallies...

How are we going on that all-time high post games list?

How are we going on that all-time high post games list?

Currently I am playing in a 20K post game. EDIT: 16K game.

I closed down my old Vampire thread that was at 19k+ so we have a ways to go here :-)

If I recall correctly, we’re close to being a Top 30 game, based on post count. We’re more Top 10 in my heart... ;)

Well, we are there now :)

Post count definitely does not speak about campaign quality and shared fun, but it is certainly required to go forward.

This year has been tougher than usual, we were advancing at 2 chapters per year, but this last one took us a full year to complete. This is partially my responsibility as I am no longer able to squeeze posts in the morning before going to work.

But losing both Juraan and Ryan at the beginning of 2019 was tough and it was noticeable in our pace. Also I know some of you had a busier year than usual, which had an impact as well. And then there was the addition of the Demonskar interlude which was fun but dragged us again.

That said I am happy with the depth we are having both with the adventure and character interactions. I am only worried about the pace because I know the more time we take, the more likely one of us has to stop or lower playing time due to real life constrains.

The next two chapters are very interesting and I think we are recovered from our 2 friends leaving us. Thus, I hope this next year will have a better pace and bring us to new levels of enjoyment!

Cheers and thanks all for your good gaming and commitment!

Yeah, 2019 was busy and 2020 has been uh...a year, so far, but things will get better - they always do, in the end :)

Here's to our continuing adventures :D

Definitely. I'm enjoying this game immensely. Everyone has their moments to shine, and everyone is doing their own bit of "growing up".

It's hard to believe we have been at it for four years!

It's a great game - you lot are excellent players and I love the interactions and development of the characters and the world we're building.

Special mention to our illustrious leader GM Rutseg. You've made a railroady and liner AP play out very organically, and managing that and us on a regular basis is no mean feat. Major kudos to you my friend for the work you've put in.

Here's to 4 more years one and all :)

Condolences, GM Rutseg, for the loss of your princess. Royalty is not any more important than those we love, but if they can succumb to the virus, with their financial capabilites, our commoner death tolls are gonna ring louder still...

My condolences as well, GM - not just for your princess but for your country.

Echoing the condolences to all who've lost their lives during these sad times.

What Princess? :O As far as we know here the royal family is all good despite they have been sharing events with some members of the government touched by the virus.

I have been looking at figures this morning and it seems the new cases rates have been stable through the last 4 days. It all points we touched the peak during the weekend and we will see a quick decline of cases along the next two weeks.

Of course this has a heavy inertia still on the hospital system which is already saturated. Not collapsed because people, with health system at the forefront, has been multiplying the number of available beds for the last two weeks. What is most worrying is the lack of enough protection equipment which is affecting our doctors and nurses. It is really hurting us we do not have the industry to produce those equipments at a good enough rate at a moment other countries, understandably, do not want to sell them.

We all will win this virus people. Cheers and take care you all!

We just had our first death yesterday, sitting at about 500 cases in total. But our peak is probably still a couple of weeks away. We are only half way through the first week of full lock-down though.

I don't know much about Bourbon-Parma, but I caught this news, and only read 'Spanish princess' in the title.

I don't know much about Bourbon-Parma, but I caught this news, and only read 'Spanish princess' in the title.

Ahhh! You shocked me before :D

Besides, what will pink press publish without them ;P

So, going forward, do you have any special plan about going back to Cauldron or what do you plan to do first there?

I am prone to mostly skipping travel time and a few days in town so you can craft equipment before we head into Chapter 8 events.

I'm good with the return, post-haste. Reporting to St. Cuthbert, and debriefing our allies of the Karran Kural intelligence received. Possibly also checking in on Vanderboren's resurrection, as we're gonna need as many allies to see a mass exodus come to fruition.

Does practised magic work on spells as well as spelllike abilities?

JJ's ranger level at 6 makes him a very low level caster, but being able to boost that up would be wonderful.

Returning to town and getting Alakast upgraded is high on JJs list of priorities.

I'm good with skipping the travel time as well, especially if there aren't any particularly interesting random encounters that we could encounter on the way back.

Trading items for coin, crafting/upgrading (can now upgrade to +3 as CL9).

By my reckoning Maxim could upgrade Alakast to +2 and a Spell Storing weapon.

To work on all necessary crafting and enscribe spells from scrolls & Fentor's spellbook will likely require a decent amount of time so if anyone has any requests let me know to prioritise :)

Does practised magic work on spells as well as spelllike abilities?

The book referred only and specifically spell-like abilities. I think there was one feat for spells in D&D. In the case of Pathfinder there is the magical knack trait that allows you pushing spells up 2 levels (only caster level not daily uses). If you are interested I suggest you access it through the additional traits feat. Your stay in Karran-Kural gives you a nice justification on the development of such a power.

Ok, we will fast-forward to Cauldron so you have a bit of time for all that crafting. If you are crafting please make a summary of it so everyone can add to their sheets any equipment produced. It is probably a good time to sell and buy stuff too.

For those of you who have no ideas on how to enjoy a little bit of downtime, you can have a look at the Ultimate Campaign downtime rules.

We can say as you walk back to Cauldron, deliver reports and try to decide how to move forward you have around a week of downtime.

Selling Loot

As per previously gang - if there's anything still taking your fancy or you haven't claimed yet then please do. I'll be selling anything unclaimed through the usual channels (once completed I'll let everyone know their shares :)

@GMR: Do you want Crafting and Study rolls in OOC or spoilered in game thread?

I've put JJ down for the luckstone, but someone else wanting that would be fine.

I think it is better to keep rolls in Gameplay

I don't think there's anything much on the current loot list that Marigold can really make use of but I'll check further when I get home in the morning!

By tomorrow I will update if there is anything Kythel wants on the loot list as well as downtime ideas, work has been keeping me too busy to think it through and I have plans tonight.

Have dropped a couple of scrolls that Maxim was holding onto for copying into his spellbook back into loot. Fetor's book already covers them so I'll slowly pick over that for spells.

While you complete your decision on what to sell and what to craft, a quick conservative look to your loot sheet indicates you will have 50000 gp at the least to share. In case you want to think on some expenses at Cauldron, take into consideration you have those 10000 gp for crafting or buying (you might be able to skip the 20% adventuring tax succeeding on a Diplomacy roll with one of the Shop owners you have made good relations with in the past).

Also, let me know if you have some RP interests or some other interests at town to explore before we move on into Chapter 8.