Shane has the following which requires allocating the benefits:
Docker's Jank: You may select up to four allies to be affected by this feat. Once per combat, each ally may, as swift action, attempt the aid another action, granting another ally (or yourself) either a +1 bonus on his next attack roll or a +1 bonus to his AC. You can switch your four chosen allies if you spend a few hours training with them.
I think Ralf also has this feat, so we can probably agree to distribute them as evenly as possible. Shane will offer to train Aziel, Anthony, Ralf, and Jaelynn, on the assumption that this would have been taken care of during two weeks of paper pushing.
I'm going to need until Saturday to firm up my requisitions. I will be traveling tomorrow with no time until late evening for posting.
I just thought I'd mention there are a lot of useful items in the Feather Token list. Most are under 500 gp and provide some very useful functions, including a bird feather token that can be used to convey messages, and a boat feather token that could accomodate the group plus the ones we may have to try to capture and bring back alive.
Jae will accept the mind-meld, and the circus training. ;-)
I think I'm going to go with the half-wand of Mage Armor. The duration is longer, and she can use it on Ralf and Shane, as well as herself, since neither of those boys wears armor.
The rest of her requisitions will have to wait till the weekend, since I need sleep tonight, and have seminars tomorrow.
Can wands of Mage Armor be used to cast it on someone else? If so that's definitely the best pick. Shield is a useful spell for those already with armor like Bloodragers or multi-classers but a straight caster will always get more bang for their buck from Mage Armor.
As far as requests from the resident magician... Uh.... At this level I got nothing. XD If you have Touch of the sea, that might be useful.
Feather Tokens are a good option. I'm going to have to look at them as well as other items for requisition but I'm thinking basics plus a few screwball ideas. -nods-
On the collective thing, I'm fine with whatever y'all want to do. At present Ralf can have four collective members (along with himself). Some discussion fodder:
* Eventually it'll be a non-issue -- his maximum will bump up at L4 and every other level after eighth -- so we only need to consider near-term.
* The configuration can be swapped around as desired. It's a line-of-sight Standard Action to add a willing member, and a Free Action to drop one. So if you guys want to have a more "dynamic" setup, we just need to work out the tactical plan ahead of time.
* Networked healing at his current level is limited to A) 6 HP in 3 HP chunks across one or two collective members per round (SA), or B) redirecting any healing achieved from any source (FA). He's purchased a CLW wand so a ready "pool" of healing is available for option B. (He can also touch-heal -- well, mostly touch-transfer to himself -- but collective membership has no bearing on that.) Too, there are healing tricks that involve hurting the enemy, but those are a bit circumstantial to depend on.
* Biofeedback (DR 2/-) is the only buff available right now, but as he levels up other options will become available, like a Haste equivalent, or elevating an ability. So our tactics can become richer as we move forward.
... Ralf and Shane, as well as herself, since neither of those boys wears armor.
I absolutely will not turn down additional protection :o) but I'll point out that Ralf is wearing lamellar under his robes (he's cocky, not stupid). Plus he'll be avoiding front-line combat as much as possible. So someone else may be more deserving of the Mage Armor.
Docker's Jank... I think Ralf also has this feat, so we can probably agree to distribute them as evenly as possible. Shane will offer to train Aziel, Anthony, Ralf, and Jaelynn...
Yeah, we talked about this when we first started, but I think we decided there wasn't enough time before the mission to "train up." That boring fortnight of paperwork must have begged for the distraction of training breaks, so I agree we should set this up now. If you have me, then by reflection I also have you, leaving me with all four slots which covers everyone else (Anthony, Aziel, Tarvak, and Jaelynn). So, anyone should be able to take a SwA Aid Another any round they wish. Unless I overlooked/misunderstood something? That seems too easy...
a stick of chalk to mark our way through the sea cave in case it's extra-twisty
Check out Tarvak's "miscellaneous" items - every one of my PC's have them, I compiled and distilled them from many many forum posts for "just in case" situtations :
Whistle, marbles, length of string with fishing hook
Flint&steel
Chalk, wire, twine, candles
Small steel mirror
Empty sacks and belt pouches
There's heavier common items (crowbar, hatchet, spikes, etc.) if the PC can carry them (or has a beast-of-burden), and more items for a modern game.
Tarvak wears leather for "sneaking", so he will welcome more AC as well.
... any mundane (i.e.- non-magical, non-alchemical, non-weapon or armor) item that costs 10 gp or under can be requisitioned for free.1) Is that one single item costing 10 GP or less, or any number of items each costing up to 10 GP? Because I'm thinking things like: A silk rope and a couple of grappling bolts in case we need more Passwalls than we have, a stick of chalk to mark our way through the sea cave in case it's extra-twisty, and so on.
2) If multiple items are allowed, do you want a list here, or is it okay to just quietly add things to the alias profile?
Thanks!
It's any items that cost less than 10 gp. Just add them to your profile. While the stuff is free, though, if your PC is carrying around a ton of stuff in his pack it will incur penalties. And part of the plan involves swimming, or at least being underwater, so those penalties could be significant.
I just thought I'd mention there are a lot of useful items in the Feather Token list. Most are under 500 gp and provide some very useful functions, including a bird feather token that can be used to convey messages, and a boat feather token that could accomodate the group plus the ones we may have to try to capture and bring back alive.
Just wanted to make sure it was clear- the plan isn't to capture the duchess and get her back to the fleet, the plan is to get into the fortress, open the gates so the marines can take the fortress, and capture the duchess. So you don't need to plan on how to get back to the fleet, since the plan is for the fleet to come to you.
Man, typing what's happening right now in past tense is *tough*! I don't like it.
This next part is in total jest : first person / third person, present tense / past tense - am I at least allowed to use "-ing" once in a while? Has the past perfect tense been banned? :)
Shield has a range of "personal," so a wand of shield would only work on the person using it - and I'm pretty sure only Jae can pull that off just now.
Mage Armor will work on anyone, but it's an armor bonus to AC, so it won't stack with any armor you might already be wearing. I somehow missed that Ralf is wearing armor. I'm still getting the wand, and still using it on Jae, but it may prove less helpful to the rest of you than I had originally thought.
Which means (after a little investigating) That if Jae uses the wand on party members,...
Aziel can get a +1 bonus to her AC,
Tarvak a +2,
Shane a +4,
Jae a +4,
Ralf and Anthony are both already at +4 and +8, respectively, so they would see no improvement.
But the idea of Shane being at 20 AC is... interesting.
I'll see your 20 AC and raise with DR. :o)
Man, typing what's happening right now in past tense is *tough*! I don't like it.
I guess that's why all the best authors get the big bucks. :o)
Funny thing, the vast majority of fiction -- or at least of what I've read -- is written third person past tense, and I felt very comfortable writing in that space. Switching to present tense for PbP was jarring, but eventually I got used to it. Then when I started this game, third person limited past tense felt unnatural! (And I occasionally screw up mid-post: "... he turns to Jaelyn," bah!) I guess it's what you become accustomed to. (Erm... "I guess it's that to which you become accustomed?")
But hey, it's good practice. Stretches your writing muscles.
... am I at least allowed to use "-ing" once in a while? Has the past perfect tense been banned? :)
Like this?
Ralf grumbled but, in deference to Delft, swallowed his irritation over the thought of helping Danor secure one of its holdings.
But his eyes narrowed when the woman started speaking...
He somehow managed to avoid spitting on the floor of the squad room.
Ralf is -ing-ing all the time. :o) And remember, you might be writing past tense, but Tarvak is speaking in the present tense. :o)
Me not know grammar good enough for past perfect tense answer.
... if your PC is carrying around a ton of stuff in his pack it will incur penalties. And part of the plan involves swimming, or at least being underwater, so those penalties could be significant.
Thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately encumbrance is an ongoing problem for me as I rarely run a musclebound class. Almost every PC I have is weighed down to Medium encumbrance with backpack, and has to drop it if moving at full speed or using affected skills becomes necessary.
Handy Haversacks are way too expensive. :op
Everything I have an eye on is light or inconsequential, so Ralf won't be pushed to Heavy. But at STR 10, getting below Medium with reasonable gear is a challenge, period.
Oh, and speaking of being underwater: One of those "under 10 GP" items is a waterproof bag for the scrolls. :o)
Loved everyone's reactions to the blue forms. :-) Anthony's was priceless.
"Paperwork" is clearly a thing. :-D
Perfectly illustrates the beauty of RPGs. They can be so "organic" and go in unexpected directions based on some simple remark someone makes, or something that's done. Everyone working together to bring the tale to life. Gotta love it!
As always: I'm honored to be involved with players of this caliber.
Thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately encumbrance is an ongoing problem for me as I rarely run a musclebound class. Almost every PC I have is weighed down to Medium encumbrance with backpack, and has to drop it if moving at full speed or using affected skills becomes necessary.
I should clarify my clarification.
I don't usually care about encumbrance. I vaguely remember reading something about either looking at armor for encumbrance or carried items for encumbrance, not both, and that's usually good enough for me. I'm not going to scour profiles and add up the weight of all the items your PC is carrying.
I will, however, skim your sheet to see if your guy is carrying everything and the kitchen sink, and if he is I will probably drown him. Or at least put him in a situation where he needs to shed that pesky bulky backpack if he wants to get to that air pocket before his potion of underwater breathing wears off.
As I've tried to make clear, I'm heavily in favor of glossing over rules that slow things down or make scenes less interesting to read/write. But that doesn't mean I won't recognize blatant attempts to take advantage of my laissez faire nature and penalize you for it.
I will, however, skim your sheet to see if your guy is carrying everything and the kitchen sink, and if he is I will probably drown him.
This part, right here, made me laugh. Almost to the point of tears. Probably because I can totally see Karl doing that - even without us being underwater. Or even near water.
Marching through the middle of the desert, barely surviving the heat, and in need of something - anything - to drink, suddenly, Karl checks a PC's sheet. Results: One PC drowns, the rest of them refill their canteens.
Marching through the middle of the desert, barely surviving the heat, and in need of something - anything - to drink, suddenly, Karl checks a PC's sheet. Results: One PC drowns, the rest of them refill their canteens.
Says the guy who's favorite spell is Create Water. ;)
Hey! It's a very useful spell. ;-)
Somehow I managed to forget that mage armor gives you an armor bonus that doesn't stack. *sigh* Switching out that mage armor potion with a shield potion... more requisition forms!
Tarvak looked rather crestfallen (and worried) at being excluded, but figured it's because he's the new guy.
To me it always seemed sensible to protect the weakest/most vulnerable of a group. Tarvak is right behind Jaelynn at the top of that list. But Ralf (in all three of his incarnations) and Nagbur (my Blue vitalist) have always struggled to keep up with demand. So I guess it's worth a try to back up the Tank and possibly take the threat(s) out more quickly (and that approach is championed by a lot of people).
Over time maybe the optimal strategy will reveal itself.
Rather than you folks having to suffer through a series of long posts, I'll do a capsule summary of the last link-ups.
But the idea of Shane being at 20 AC is... interesting.
No one finds it more interesting than Shane. :)
If we're going to be swimming on this mission, I recommend spending 250 gp for an elixir of swimming, which grants +10 to swimming skill for 1 hour.
Here is Shane's requisition list. I'm assuming he can get just a handful of +1 Shuriken. Correct me if that is wrong.
5 +1 Shuriken @ 40 gp each: 200 gp
5 Smoke Bullets @ 10 gp each: 50 gp
1 Elixir of Swimming: 250 gp
1 Elixir of Hiding: 250 gp
1 Elixir of Tumbling: 250 gp
He will also requisition an all black outfit with lightweight soft sole shoes, including black balaclava (Ninja style garb for stealth).
Miscellaneous under 10 gp items:
Fish hook and fishing line, compass, Steel Mirror, 3 candles, 1 dose vermin repellent, waterproof vial with 5 tindertwigs, belt pouch, grappling hook, and 100 feet of silk rope.
This plus his other weapons and thieves' tools and sunrods comes to a weight of 29 lb. He can carry another 14 lb of gear without going over light encumbrance.
Regarding the Dockers' Jank thing...
I think, if Shane and Ralf could each include everyone except one another in each of their Janks, then we (not Shane and Ralf) could all help anyone (including Shane and Ralf), but Shane and Ralf could each help all of us, but NOT one another. Does that make sense?
Shane, having looked at your requisition list, I may be confused - is that your level 2 WBL that you hadn't spent yet, or does RHC ALSO allow us a stipend before each mission?
At first blush that sounds better. Plus Ralf can help Shane in other ways via his psionic powers, so really Ralf's the only one left out... and he's not a front-liner.
Shane, whatcha think? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Sounds like another "tower" puzzle to me... :)
Ralf isn't left out. Everyone else can Aid Another on him, just not Shane.
Or did I get confused, and Ralf doesn't have the Dockers Jank ability?
The Jank thing sounds okay as long as one of us has time to include the probee ... I mean Tavak.
The requisition is from this post:
Re: gold, all PCs receive 1,000 gp in salary/equipment allowance to purchase personal items or requisition equipment before the next mission. 'Requisitioning' items in between assignments is functionally the same as buying them- if they're expendable items and you expend them, you need to 'requisition' more with your next salary payout/stipend allotment.
GM will have to indicate if Tarvek gets this too. Technically, this was after we completed the gig on the ship but before Tarvek was added to the team.
Jaelynn: Ralf has Docker's Jank. What I meant was your earlier "everyone can help everyone else except Ralf-x-Shane," plus Ralf being able to help Shane in related ways, means only Ralf is left out of "everybody can help everybody" (no Shane->Ralf path).
Shane: Good point, we declared we were practicing during the fortnight of paperwork, whereas Tarvak came on at the start of the third week. I guess it should be a GM call, but the feat states it only takes "a few hours" to train up; surely we can fit that in before heading out? The new kid's already gotten squeezed out of the collective, I'd hate for him to think we're ignoring him or that he's been teamed with a closed clique.
Karl - does Tarvak also get 1000 GP of "requisitions" for this mission? I'm still not clear on how that works with respect to WBL and "treasure", but that's not important now.
ALL - if so, Tarvak would ask each of you what you're getting (like Shane's list above), to have some idea of what's good to have. I haven't seen anything as complete as Shane's, other than references to a potion or two. (And yes, I-the-player realize that each PC is getting what's best for *them*, but Tarvak wouldn't know that.)
I'm putting this here, rather than roleplaying it, so people can post their lists now rather than waiting for an answer from Karl. Thanks!
If Karl says yes, then besides asking what other are getting, there's something else Tarvak *will* have to roleplay in Gameplay...
Pretty sure this is our "second level" requisition money. And Tarvak already got that stuff, didn't he? I thought you said something about him getting special arrows and a bow and some potions? This is our first infusion of cash/equipment since beginning the game with "starting gold."
Oh, I assumed that when everyone had declared they had leveled up, they had *included* WBL (1000 GP) purchases in that process (like I did, since I started at 2nd level), so that's why I was confused by Shane's list.
And Jaelynn, notice that Karl said requisition money is "per mission", not "per level".
So, Karl - which is it? Should all the other PC's have *purchased* items from RHC when they leveled up (like Tarvak has already), or not?
Are the requisitions going on right now the "1000 GP before each mission" that Shane quoted, or the PC's 2nd level WBL purchases? Sorry for all the confusion...
Thanks!
(ALL - Tarvak would still like to see what you're getting...)
As I understood it the "requisitions" are just role-playing of the 1,000 GP, which is basically an "allowance" for gear and so on. I suspect we won't be finding a lot of "treasure" on missions and whatever we do acquire will be turned over, so I saw the allowance as taking the place of that.
As was explained before, we purchase the stuff we need. But then the GM threw in the "anything you want 10 GP or under for free" bit also, which might have been the confusing factor?
I didn't include any WBL funds at all. I thought that was just for when you come into a game above 1st Level (basically "adjusted starting gold")?
As to what was purchased/requisitioned, Ralf picked up a CLW wand and upgraded his leather to lamellar; that's it (other than a few things on the 10 GP requisition plan).
Just for clarity, when I said I had leveled up, I was only talking about the game mechanical aspects things like skills, feats, and hit points. I did make any purchases related to the 1000 gp requisition aspect. The GM mentioned that we did not have to decide what we are getting until we knew what our next mission would be.
Karl has said before that the we don't get WBL the normal way, we get it through requisitions. We don't keep or earn treasure. Anything we do find gets turned over at the end of the mission, though you have the option of attempting to requisition it at cost in the future.
I think it's assumed that any gear you 'start with' is coming out of what they're allocating to you. Either 'you were too poor before hand to have armor' or in 'you've already got armor so you're getting a little less then the others'. So I believe that Shanes requisition form might be a little off because it fails to account for items you already have on you. If the WBL became additive we'd be far ahead of it far too quickly, after all.
Speaking of, Anthony will have...
Requisition
-Research Investment (200 gold)
-Breastplate (200 gold)
-Armored Kilt (20 gold)
-Elixir of Underwater Breathing (250 gold)
-Masterwork Warhammer (310 gold)
-Shield, heavy steel (20 gold)
Misc
Fish hook and fishing line, compass, Steel Mirror, 3 candles, 1 dose vermin repellent, waterproof vial with 5 tindertwigs, belt pouch, grappling hook, and 100 feet of silk rope.
Total- 1,000 gold
I have the research investment plotted out... Hopefully. XD Also copied Shanes misc since it seemed like a good idea.
I did make any purchases related to the 1000 gp requisition aspect.
That should have read: I did not make any purchases related to the 1000 gp requisition aspect.
Sorry if that caused any confusion.
Regarding first level creation, Karl did say you got the max GP for your class (couple hundred GP at best) for a weapon and armor and such.
So, looking back over the first Gameplay page quickly, it looks like this is the first time everyone else has "requisitioned", and so has Tarvak. Just wanted to make sure Tarvak hadn't done anything different than everyone else. But I thought it was more WBL/level-up income, and pocketed the extra GP. I'll convert that into extra equipment tomorrow morning (real-time).
P.S. - I'm surprised RHC didn't give us for free, nor has anyone (that's posted so far) requisitioned Cure X Wounds potions. Guess we're all depending on Ralf? No pressure, Ralf. :)
P.P.S. - Or do I have a vague recollection of someone talking about getting a wand? Don't have any more time to look today. Another good reason for everyone to post what they're requisitioning. But still, there's no guarantee you'll be near the person with the wand (or Ralf) when you need some healing...
Aziel got some CLW potions, along with a few others. Her magic items are in blue on her sheet.
Karl has said before that the we don't get WBL the normal way, we get it through requisitions. We don't keep or earn treasure. Anything we do find gets turned over at the end of the mission, though you have the option of attempting to requisition it at cost in the future.
This is correct. PCs don't get to keep loot from missions, so the 'salary/requisitions' are supposed to keep the group at WBL. Tarvak should be set since he came in at 2nd level- he does not get an additional 1,000 gp on top of his 2nd level WBL at character creation. And since it is a combination of salary and requisitions, you don't have to turn all your gp into gear. You can keep money on hand; that would just be the 'salary' part of it.
I really enjoyed the requisition form grumbling, btw. :)
Guess we're all depending on Ralf? No pressure, Ralf. :)
"Nine times out of ten, no problem."
Or do I have a vague recollection of someone talking about getting a wand?
Ralf invested in a wand.
But still, there's no guarantee you'll be near the person with the wand (or Ralf) when you need some healing...
The advantage to being in the collective is not needing to be near Ralf or the wand. He can fire off a charge and redirect the healing as needed, out to his range limit (currently 120').
As for Tarvak, "Stick with me, kid!" :o)
Regarding first level creation, Karl did say you got the max GP for your class (couple hundred GP at best) for a weapon and armor and such.
So, looking back over the first Gameplay page quickly, it looks like this is the first time everyone else has "requisitioned", and so has Tarvak. Just wanted to make sure Tarvak hadn't done anything different than everyone else. But I thought it was more WBL/level-up income, and pocketed the extra GP. I'll convert that into extra equipment tomorrow morning (real-time).
P.S. - I'm surprised RHC didn't give us for free, nor has anyone (that's posted so far) requisitioned Cure X Wounds potions. Guess we're all depending on Ralf? No pressure, Ralf. :)
P.P.S. - Or do I have a vague recollection of someone talking about getting a wand? Don't have any more time to look today. Another good reason for everyone to post what they're requisitioning. But still, there's no guarantee you'll be near the person with the wand (or Ralf) when you need some healing...
They just gave us a salary/requisition option of a 1,000 gold. That might not seem like much as PC's who will be adventuring, but from the perspective of the common citizen, that is about two to three years of inn's and fine dining. So they're trusting us to pick up potions if we think we'll need it.
"Nine times out of ten, no problem."
"What about the tenth time?"
"Nine times out of ten, no problem.""What about the tenth time?"
That's what makes us "adventurers!" ;-)
"Nine times out of ten, no problem.""What about the tenth time?"
"Problem."
You're right - totally missed it. But funny. :-)
I also don't think that invalidates the previous response.
So, now I'm just curious, it looks like Shane and Tony have spent their entire salary/requisition on items - what are y'all going to live on? :)
So, now I'm just curious, it looks like Shane and Tony have spent their entire salary/requisition on items - what are y'all going to live on? :)
Fluff. Delicious, delicious fluff. :)
Since this is an urban game at heart I could implement something like a Lifestyle mechanic (anybody else play Shadowrun?) that would reflect a necessary investment in things like rent/mortgage, food, transportation. But I'm fine with letting everybody just determine how their PC lives and writing it that way without a tax for what is just RP, there to make the game more interesting.
Plus WBL doesn't really take into account living expenses. I guess the assumption is PCs are either camping or living in the keep they took from the orcs. Either way, yes it's 'salary/requisitions' but lifestyle costs don't enter in.
I actually figured as much, that's why I didn't go into a diatribe about the comparison of the cost of magic items to living expenses, which a couple of the players in this game know that I am wont to do.
But, that also means Tarvak is moving out of his one-room flat and into a nice (but not extravagant) furnished apartment. And eating out at restaurants MUCH more often. :)
But, that also means Tarvak is moving out of his one-room flat and into a nice (but not extravagant) furnished apartment. And eating out at restaurants MUCH more often. :)
Not that it's going to matter much in the near future, as it looks like we'll be on a boat for a while, but I wouldn't get too carried away with Tarvak's living arrangements. The RHC doesn't pay that well. ;-)
For example, Jaelynn is probably the most well-quartered of them, and she's only in a 3-4 room suite (depending on whether or not one counts the kitchen as a separate room from the living room or not, as it has no door to separate them), which is the upstairs in a town house owned by someone else. The rooms are pretty small (think of Sherlock and Watson's flat in the newer BBC "Sherlock" series) and it's only that good because she's not paying for it (she's from a noble family, AND has a rich fiance who's footing the rent). I think Anthony is next, and that's only because he has a workshop in the basement below his crappy, 1-bedroom place.
Pretty sure everyone else is in a one-room flat (except possibly for Aziel, who seems to sleep wherever she likes). ;-)