This is a non-Campaign to Test Stuff

Game Master Tacticslion

ok, couple of general comments, I will try and post tonight or in the morning.

My youngest daughter (32 now) really likes Hayao Miyazaki movies, so over the years I have watched 'Howl's moving castle' and 'spirited away' with her, I have see both the tv - cartoon and M. Nights movie "Last air bender" I didn't really consider it anime, and I've seen one or two others, still not really good with the faces.

As for sense motive, most of the GM's I play with, Mort included (sorry Mort) responds to sense motive checks with and I quote "Wants to be hit in face with hammer" So I usually don't waste my time...

Sorry. You know how I am about talking(short and succint). I'll just tell you what you need to know, and maybe try to get as much backstory in as possible.

Anyway that's AP for you, I mean sure I could homebrew stuff, but you know I've never been any good at that, I have no idea how to start...

I'm too bound by the book.

Tell you what - I'll probably just bounce to Shuuvu, through the scrying, then try to bring him back here. The beginning of possibility is one place, but we still do not know what is the name of the control room that we REALLY ought to get to finding.

sense motive >not it!<

Oh, you guys so cray-cray!

I didn't watch Howls moving castle, I liked Spirited Away ending theme. So much that at one point I tried to hear the ending theme by ear and put it to piano. Unfortunately I don't really have the ear for that.

I'm technically fairly adept when it comes to finger accuracy and speed, I just don't get much feeling when I play.

That's awesome that you tried, though! We don't own a piano, now; my parents did for many years, and I even learned when I was younger, but I was an incredibly stupid youth (no comment on my adulthood), and I didn't really care as much about it as I should - I have lost pretty much all training in piano, guitar, or anything else that I used to know, alas.

ok, couple of general comments, I will try and post tonight or in the morning.

When you can!

My youngest daughter (32 now) really likes Hayao Miyazaki movies, so over the years I have watched 'Howl's moving castle' and 'spirited away' with her,

Miyazaki is,over-all, wonderful. Not all of his stuff is perfect, but, in general, it is delightful. Similarly, most anything (that isn't the previously-mentioned Grave of the Fireflies) by Gibli is, in general, wonderful, from my experience.

I have see both the tv - cartoon and M. Nights movie "Last air bender" I didn't really consider it anime, and I've seen one or two others, still not really good with the faces.

... the less we speak of Mr. Shyamalan's film, the better. >.> *cough*

As for the show - though I do consider it anime, and it is solidly anime-inspired, including many anime-specific tropes, it's still a Western-person-originated piece. I really don't fault those who disagree with me on the categorization. :D

As for sense motive, most of the GM's I play with, Mort included (sorry Mort) responds to sense motive checks with and I quote "Wants to be hit in face with hammer" So I usually don't waste my time...

I, uh... I certainly... um... I never... that... that wasn't my plan. No.

>.>

<.<

H-hey! Look over there!

*quickly tosses a hammer in the bushes while you're distracted*

*nervous-smile-question-mark*

(I think they bought it!)

Lets get into philosophy, but admittedly, it's not something I'm very good at. I will probably be brutally frank with my own failings and stuff like that.

You are shaped by events, whether you like it or not.

My early tabletop experiences(yes I am very young by gamer standards - I started picking up the hobby in 2012??) - were PFS.

In PFS it is mostly combat based. Seasons 4 and 5 were particularly brutal. Season 4 = demons = everything and their dog has elemental resistances and spell resistance, DR.

Season 5 = nothing but robots, a big FU to every spell caster. They were literally like making you buy splat books in order to survive(things like heart of metal spell, hold construct). And if you didn't get an adamantine weapon(yes, bloody hell, you can get a whole bunch of level 1's on a scenario that expects you to have an adamantine weapon), you died. Horribly. Things like clockwork soldiers were just a TPK waiting to happen. You can't even dazing (insert spell) well, because their best saves are reflex.

I asked my VC - why are PFS scenarios so combat based(because there's such a thing called being a curious kitty), then he told me that combats were easier to run as opposed to talking sessions. It made perfect sense, since we'd only have 4 hours to run the scenario at the gameshop.

Come season 7 - GMs complained scenarios were hard to run - why? Because the PFS coordinators, with complaints that PFS was only combat, started making it into a skill challenge, and talk your way through challenge. Season 7 scenarios are hard to prep - there are too many things to push into a 4 hour slot, honestly.

Next - we have some gripes. Some of you(people like Hmm, you too, Robert, to a certain extent), have the gift of the gab. I do NOT. I am a shy, geeky, nerd, and for me to speak up at a gaming table(for anything other then how to best murderhobo things), it's actually quite hard.

In PBP, we have more time to prepare. I try to use the time to sound, at least, passably eloquent. But I am not a gifted speaker, and there really isn't much more I can do about that.

I am in full sympathy with nosig, since I too have the same issue.

I'll tell you what I want(like I want info on XX/YY, or want NPC to do XX), but if you want the exact words in a nice eloquent speech right on the spot, I am sorry, I am unable to do that =(

You can ask Robert, I am also unable to describe scenery for nuts :P

I think you guys are doing quite well, here.

I love your characterizations, goals, and story, and generally find how you handle things to be quite fun.

I hope you never think that I, for any reason, think less of you, as players (though you do lean on your take-10s, pretty hard... unless I plan on you to use take-10s, and then you roll... *shakes fist* XD)!

As you can tell, I've struggled to visually establish the scene several times, too - it's a thing I feel I do much better IRL than in PbP - in RLTTRPGs, I can just answer questions and fire back and build a scene, but for PbP I have to set clear parameters in advance and... it's hard. XD

There are definitely things we all struggle with. We all have natural talents, weaknesses and tendencies, and those are shaped and honed by the experiences we go through to make us who we are. I think that challenging those can be good, but it needs to be done in an environment where it supports instead of harms... and that's hard to know how to do. I empathize with nosig's wife - I'd love for her to play at our table! - but I also understand those GMs: they are trying to help her in the same way they, themselves, were helped to learn the game; it's just that not everyone is built the same way.

I also RP intimidate better then diplomacy. But I'll thank that to my training in the kitchen. Nothing like going...do you want to talk, or do you want to see me cut open your abdomen and pull out your intestines, then leave then dangling over a cliff?

Nah most of the time I don't do that. It's more like, I have acid splash cantrip. Where do you want your latest tattoo? Otherwise, talk.

Take 10 is so convenient! I've only played a bard like once...and never got to really make use of that Take 10! Now I can, I should abuse it! ^^

I do not personally feel I can take 10 for sense motive since it is but a fleeting moment, then the conversation is gone. And that's why I don't.

You usually cannot take 10 for knowledge checks but bard allows it so...

And for intimidation - if you run out of inspiration, just draw upon your culinary skills...

I'll rip out your stomach and make soup out of it! Of course - acutally carrying out the threat on any sentient creature is an evil act...

Oh. I've actually prepared THAT soup from scratch, including the cleaning of the stomach, so I could easily tell the creature in question what I'm going to do...

Ok, work started a little rough due to people not showing up, but now that I have sat down and started stuffing potato chips into my mouth all is right in the world and I can interject.
First of all TL, I would not compare how you handle interaction with characters at all the norm, I would certainly use sense motive more in one of your games.

Also, philosophically speaking, I disagree with nosig’s and his GM’s perception of how the situation should be handled. All of the skill attempts have certain things you are attempting to accomplish. For instance, diplomacy is to gather information or influence attitude or make a request. if you desire to do one of those things then roll the dice. If your dice succeeds then what you said was successful. How one communicates is based on a minimum of three things: The individual person, what they say and how they say it.

A person can say the exact same thing as someone else and the recipient get a totally different feeling or sense. That’s why the dice are important. We’ve seen characters in fiction and non-fiction who influence with many words and others who influence with none. If a different character tried the same they would fail miserably. Most of my characters like to talk. But rarely are they trying to convince, usually just inform.

Eh I don't watch much Anime. Maybe a bit of Fate Stay Night, RWBY, Innuyasha, Claymore...

Fun list!

If A:tLA doesn't count, though, I don't know that RWBY would either...

(I don't have a problem counting them both, I'm making that comment for Robert's sake.)

I have watched a "decent" amount of anime, but honestly wish I could watch more. I'd watch Crunchy Roll (and I do!) but when you're not signed up/paying a monthly fee, the ads are pretty rough to sit through, time-wise (I usually don't, but that often means rewinding to see what I missed, after having left for a while, and rewinding always comes with the prayer that the - thankfully rare - problems don't occur that make you reload the whole thing... and thus have to wait for the ads again...).

Ok, focus here people we have plant jewelry to figure out! So, explain to me again why Inarus gets to speak to the plant lady and Usawoti doesn't, what do we have to do to rectify that?

editIs it one of those old rules? Are they the same alignment so they share the alignment languages?

yeah, that was a thing back in the day

Telepathy duuuuude!

so who do I have to kill to get my alignment changed to 'telepathy'?

Sorry, you can't :(

This

That...and she doesn't want to tell me what's wrong with heaven. I did ask..

Oh, she's still pissed off with you ;)

the page didn't come up for me, so does that mean that when you put her on you formed a bond with her or was it caused by something else?

this spell

I have telepathy. It comes with the package of being a shadow demon.

Dragon speak, translation module engaged:

Eh..whats that?

Super nice, I hear. Cold but has everything for me. Ok, good night.

Okay, two things:

1) are we waiting on me? I honestly can't tell (it feels a bit like Inarus skipped sole thing in-game and/or I was waiting for Usawoti, but I don't know)

2) Inarus: hah! Well done, but not what I meant (I was referring to the teeth thing, not the words, which I assumed/hoped you'd be able to more-or-less read...)

sorry, I'm up, will post soon.

Usawoti was supposed to be doing the scrying and I peek in. Obviously if it looks dangerous, I'm not jumping in.

sorry, I'm up, will post soon.

No problem! I'm not trying to rush you - at all! I just wanted to know what was happening. So long as I know you guys aren't waiting on me, specifically, we're good. Had we been waiting on me, we'd need more clarification of things - so I had to ask to know what I needed to know to post! XD

EDIT: Added quote for ninja-dragons!

1) are we waiting on me? I honestly can't tell (it feels a bit like Inarus skipped sole thing something in-game and/or I was waiting for Usawoti, but I don't know)

Ahem.

2) Inarus: hah! Well done, but not what I meant (I was referring to the teeth thing, not the words, (which I assumed/hoped you'd be able to more-or-less read the words...)

I'm good at English and communication, you guys, I swear.

>.>

Usawoti was supposed to be doing the scrying and I peek in. Obviously if it looks dangerous, I'm not jumping in.

NO TAKE-BACKS! er, uh, I mean, "That sounds reasonable."

Yes.

sorry guys, I normally don't get that bogged down, updating characters, looking at magic items I have no idea what are, changing another character for a different game. Work has been just chaotic enough that I've not been able to get as much done.

Hopefully the post wasn't too blunt or quick, I will be back to full speed soon, or at least after I get Einar posted with his wish list.

I give you 2 days to decide if you want to go to the Plane of Air to shop, I get zilch. The best I ended up with was Crummocks - "I'm happy with my purchases"

I don't even get a straight answer on how many days you want to spend crafting. Geez. Is it very hard for a GM to get answers? All I get is radio silence. To quote TL - "I can't read your mind"

*is put out*

Granted, I'm an impatient fk...

Or at least I could get a - sorry could you please give us more time kind of thing.

I've seen games die from a lack of momentum. I don't want it to happen. I may be taking things on the extreme end, though.

For incorporeals trying to pretend they are not

Funny story, TLGM mentioned that the attack would be different depending on Usawoti's SP, first I had to go find out what SP was. I eventually learned it was Spell resistance. Then I went to my magical sheet with all the information gathered about Usawoti on it looking to see if he had SP. When I stumbled on a note reminding myself to find where Usawoti caught a dragon face with his face. I ended up Here, But I didn't immediately find the stats, so I went to that date in discussion to see if it was posted there, and I found this. and I quote, or actually I'll let Tacticslion quote.

Robert: how's the RotR character coming? I'm not pushing, but as we get closer to the end, I'm curious how ready we're going to be at the end of this.

Yeah, it just sort of made me giggle. Ok, back to finding the face figures and then if Usawoti has spell resistance so I can post…

Note to self, change Navarre ‘Two Fingers’ so at least one of the fingers has sense motive, this ‘getting hit in the face with a hammer’ hurts.

I don't think Usawoti has SR. Aka Spell Resistance.

Anyway looks like scrying won't work. So we'll have to do it the hard way. First we need to get out of here before the place blows...

Just on the side note, I've never done a scry and fry thing before...

I don't think Usawoti has SR. Aka Spell Resistance.

Anyway looks like scrying won't work. So we'll have to do it the hard way. First we need to get out of here before the place blows...

Just on the side note, I've never done a scry and fry thing before...

do you think blowing is imminent? Also with our combined understanding of the 'map' shouldn't we be able to figure out what 'heaven' is? I'm assuming it's air and something, probably lust.

No clue, but probably within 8 hours. I'd just think its cold, so I'd guess water. But I don't want to go to heaven. I want to find the controls to this place.

ok, we should be able to tell how to get to the main shaft, lets do that, are we bringing the dragon with us or letting him sleep here?

Can we bring the dragon with us? your incorporeal...

Nothing in incorporeal said I can't bring people along with me.

Can you try to detect which direction Shuuvu is from here, approximately?

ok, I've given up.

I cannot find the stats on Usawoti's relatively new face. TL, I don't remember if you PM'd it to me and I failed to copy and past, or if I totally missed the info. dump or if it never happened. If you could resupply and by that I totally mean make it up if you need to. the information about Usawoti's dragon face, I would really appreciate it.

Also, I couldn't find Usawoti ever having spell resistance. So going to go take the lumps in-game then talk to Inarus and probably be made faces at by the 'lady.'

hey Inarus, as I was reading posts looking for the information on the face I noticed something I had forgotten, when you were wearing the ring/bracelet that is the lady, when the Mephits saw her/it some of them freaked out and fled, we never found out why.

Maybe, once we get settled out of the tunnels we should ask one of the mephitis, and by that I mean Chandruu

I was threatening them that they'd better scat? Because I thought they might attack us after we killed the boss they were fighting with each other to serve.

I was threatening them that they'd better scat? Because I thought they might attack us after we killed the boss they were fighting with each other to serve.

Here is where he said it,

At your sudden appearance, they look, almost in unison, at the bracelet Inarus indicates, and several dozen of the creatures, spread among all five groups, freak out and flee down one of the corridors in panic.

"They look, almost in unison, at the bracelet Inaurs indicates ... panic." sounds a lot like they were fleeing from 'the Lady.' Unless you were wearing some other bracelet at the time... just sayin'

A few posts back I said I killed their boss

The bracelet is just proof I did the deed.

so is it a different bracelet?
edit yep a different bracelet, darn...
Edit # 2 that's what I get for not going back and just reading the whole darn thing...

Unrelated to anything: hheeeeeeeeeeeeee-hheeeeeeeeeeeee~! You guys totally forgot something about... something~! Nya-hahahahah~!

/evil_villain=GM

Sorry, I just kind of find it funny when the PCs have totally forgotten something pretty important...

Funny story, TLGM mentioned that the attack would be different depending on Usawoti's SP, first I had to go find out what SP was. I eventually learned it was Spell resistance. Then I went to my magical sheet with all the information gathered about Usawoti on it looking to see if he had SP.

(It's "SR" as Inarus noted. ;D)

When I stumbled on a note reminding myself to find where Usawoti caught a dragon face with his face. I ended up Here, But I didn't immediately find the stats,

darkvision 300 ft., blindsense 90 ft., lowlight vision (x3 instead of x2), and scent. I'll let you choose how noticeable this is, and, heck, why not - feel free to choose to have a bite attack, or not, your option; GM's fine either way. You're not sure if it's long term or not.

Since you chose to have a bite attack, which, according to your size, is 1d6. This is 1d6+(1.5 STR)*, and functions as either a "free" extra weapon you wield (so standard action to make a bite attack), or a "free" extra attack at -5 your highest attack bonus when you full-attack.

Anyway, that's pretty much all there is to it. I didn't know if you gained any SR through a spell or magic item or special effect, so I wanted to make sure, and mentioned it.

* It would normally be +1/2 Str or just +STR, but dragon, so...

Also: I'm really, really tired. Don't know if I'm going to be able to update tonight.

Check out my posts that others have favorited for why...

so I went to that date in discussion to see if it was posted there, and I found this. and I quote, or actually I'll let Tacticslion quote.

Tacticslion wrote:

Robert: how's the RotR character coming? I'm not pushing, but as we get closer to the end, I'm curious how ready we're going to be at the end of this.

Yeah, it just sort of made me giggle. Ok, back to finding the face figures and then if Usawoti has spell resistance so I can post…

Note to self, change Navarre ‘Two Fingers’ so at least one of the fingers has sense motive, this ‘getting hit in the face with a hammer’ hurts.

Hey, now. Hey. Hey! Hey, now...

Just because I was, like, six pages off (and counting!)... XD

There's a whole story about mixing natural attacks and manufactured weapon attacks, natural attacks become secondary and become -5, at 1d6+(half str modifier). Also, power attack is half as effective, and multi attack feat doesn't really help.

*sighs as she gives the lecture regarding mixing manufactured and natural weapons...I wonder how many times I've done THAT one..*

Mao!

BTW - other then the main elevator - what other areas have been *unlocked* per se, I know heaven is a place, but after the Quiet Gazer seems apprehensive about it, I'm not sure if I want to go there.

Eh, do what you want? She's a jewelry.

Re: natural: note the dragon bite attack explicit exception to general rules.

Also: my Intenet is currently terrible enough that I've been failing to load a post about how bad it is for... a hair less than nineteen minutes. I am using my limited data to post this so I can give up on trying to post that!

Some creatures treat one or more of their attacks differently, such as Dragons, which always receive 1-1/2 times their Strength bonus on damage rolls with their bite attack. These exceptions are noted in the creature’s description.

Creatures with natural attacks and attacks made with weapons can use both as part of a full attack action (although often a creature must forgo one natural attack for each weapon clutched in that limb, be it a claw, tentacle, or slam). Such creatures attack with their weapons normally but treat all of their available natural attacks as secondary attacks during that attack, regardless of the attack’s original type.

Its a rule ambiguity. I don't think I want to think too much about it, it gives me a headache.

Its a rule ambiguity. I don't think I want to think too much about it, it gives me a headache.

That's fair! :D

Incidentally, I fixed my internet... but am still falling asleep as I do stuff. Proooooooobably should go to bed. XD

good night, Sunday's are always busy so get some sleep!

Was it ever!

... this week was buuuuuuuussssssssyyyyyyyyyyy...

So I'mma share it!

Here was my week:

- Monday: TKD practice until 6

- Tuesday: TKD practice until 6:30 (at a new location I had to find)

- Wednesday: TKD practice until 7

- Thursday: my Eldest's violin concert

- Friday: turning the gym into a TKD tournament hall

- Saturday: TKD tournament from 8:30 AM to 6 PM (including cleaning up much of it afterward), church from 6-7, dinner, and internet here.

- Sunday: church, out-of-town for family meal, and back (plus my complete implosion upon returning, passing out on the couch until it was time to put the boys to sleep)

Today I've got TKD practice again, but proooooobably not until 6? Maybe? We will see...