Yay, the September crazy is almost over! Over the next week I'll be catching up on things which I let slide this month, this thread included.
Does anyone have a map of what's been explored, or per-room notes, or just links to the post with the description of each room, or anything like that? It'd make getting up to speed easier if I don't have to read all ~330 posts in one go.
I'll just summarize for you.
The Tomb opens up with a long hallway, several pit traps on the floor. At the end of the hallway is a devil's face, mouth open, with a sphere on annihilation in it. Additionally, there is a gem-studded archway with an impenetrable mist, keyed to teleportation spells.
Just a bit down the hallway is a secret door that leads to a small stone room. Inside the stone room are the remains of a four-armed gargoyle that the party dispatched earlier. A door in that room leads to a complex doors puzzle that Garret chopped right through with his battleaxe. That puzzle leads to an illusory door connecting to another hallway with many figures holding painted spheres. Several of the spheres are illusory and contain passages forward. One of these passages is the party's current location.
I'm thinking about using google docs to do some rough cartography of this place.
GM, how wide was the initial hallway? How wide is the hallway of spheres?
All hallways are 10 feet wide so far.
Great. I'll throw something together.
Rough map up under my name.
Isn't Channel Energy a standard action? And even if it were a move action, is attacking twice as you have not a full attack action?
I have Quickened Channel, which reduces it to a move action, but you're right. Fixed it.
So sorry, everyone--had a busy few days.
Ah, I see where I made my mistake. I took the bit about not provoking aoo as using the ability, when it clearly states the movement not provoking.
Assume you are deposited at the edge.
...Fireball has a 20' radius, right? Don't want to crisp anyone at the edge of a 20' pit.
It's a sphere. It's only hitting 20' at the top of the apex, which will be in the middle of the pit, straight up.
Out on the edges where we are, the ball of fire will only go about 10' up the walls.
Not only that, but Shadassa would have fired the fireball before Aviel retrieved Garret from the pit, so you were gonna put at least one person in danger anyway.
Luckily, Garret has Evasion and high Ref saves :D
o.0 ah the joys of PbP initiative shenanigans. I'll wait next time!
No problem. Fire away. I'll take the risk.
A note on taking 20 and taking 10.
Taking 10 is just there to cut down on rolls. It's what your character knows (or knows how to do) without putting any real thought into it.
Taking 20 is there for when PCs want to be super careful. It represents the time taken to make 20 rolls and take the best result.
Since this is PBP and there's no time lost for extra rolls, we could go with a house rule that when taking 20, we just Spoiler 20 rolls and take the best result. That means we'll most likely get a high number, but it isn't guaranteed.
This mostly will impact me since I do most of the trap searching, but I don't mind cutting and pasting.
My philosophy on every trap is "20 perception checks, 1 disable check"
We could just houserule away taking 10 and taking 20, which is what things were like when the Tomb of Horrors was written, but if we do that, dumb luck is going to kill us.
Perhaps no taking 20's...if one considers the entirety of the Tomb to be a potential threat or distraction. Wait, did I offer to hobble us?
I think taking 10 is reasonable, but yes, taking 20 seems silly. I don't want dumb luck to kill you, but I don't want you to auto-succeed on everything either.
Alright. :)
My trapfinding skills just got a lot less reliable. Where's that dwarf...
Also let's not forget that on all but the mindless tasks, taking 10 or taking 20 do take up a lot of time in game. It's less of an issue at this level but spell clocks are ticking.
I think our GM mentioned that the traps in this game sometimes re-set...another time incentive.
Alright. :)
My trapfinding skills just got a lot less reliable. Where's that dwarf...
Right here, I think. Finally caught up on everything that had been piling up. Going to go over to the gameplay thread now and see if I can come up with a post before going to bed... It might not be much of one, but at least once I've posted I can keep up, since I have a starting point.
Also let's not forget that on all but the mindless tasks, taking 10 or taking 20 do take up a lot of time in game.
Taking 10 doesn't take any longer than rolling once. Taking 20 is the long one.
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Edit: Ok, I read the last two pages worth of the thread, and checked the map. The three chests were under the lower of the two "crawl space" areas (P14), with the red line in front of it, and now we're going down the upper of the two (P12)?
I'm just going to pretend that I've been there all along, but hanging back for some inexplicable reason. Please don't stare too hard at the the giant pile of handwavium - it's rather unstable and liable to explode if it's disturbed, and it finds observation disturbing.
Please to healbot me today if need be. Back Monday.
Edit: Ok, I read the last two pages worth of the thread, and checked the map. The three chests were under the lower of the two "crawl space" areas (P14), with the red line in front of it, and now we're going down the upper of the two (P12)?
I think so.
By the way, I think I've set it up so that everyone can edit the map. I'll be adding to it as we go but if you feel like making notes or adding things, go ahead.
On the map I've drawn the chapel as having rows of pews with a gap down the middle to create a center isle. Is that correct? Which pew is the "last" one?
The one farthest from the door is the "last" one, and yes, this is correct. The altar is just past and between the farthest pew, and the misty door is on the wall, to the left of and behind the farthest pew.
The secret door is in the eastern corner.
I'll be kayaking today (seems apropos for a mermaid)...should be able to post tonight, but the weekend will be punctuated.
So, what next?
Clearly the mist arch is another trap, so I think we should be looking for a secret door.
Also, Garret really wants to destroy the evil alter. What's it made of?
Pretty sure putting the ring into the slot was the next plan..
The altar has a stone base and is mostly made of wood barded with metal, but has got the two magical traps on it...so you know...be careful.
Do what you want to do, then! :D
Ferrek is exceedingly scared of the altar, but if specifically asked he'll go disarm the traps there.
His player thinks doing that before the ring makes sense.
Sorry, just catching up on my PbPs. Did someone give me a way to fly, or a rope to try and cross on? Otherwise, I can't get to the door on the other side without climbing down and back up.
Currently, Garret, Shadassa, and Isletta are flying. The door on the other side of the pit is stuck in precisely the same way that the first door is stuck, meaning it requires a Strength check.
We can carry you, I think.
We can carry you, I think.
Works for me. Very undignified, but Ferrek is not a very dignified dwarf to begin with.
I need to see some more door-opening from you guys first, though :D There's more stuff behind the door.
I'm just gonna DMPC Ferrek and hope that the rest of you haven't been scared away :D
Still here.
I believe 'tis your turn.
I'm just gonna DMPC Ferrek and hope that the rest of you haven't been scared away :D
Yeeep, that was sudden. No objections to your rolling, though!
Sorry, it's been a busy day.
I'm busy with Thanksgiving tomorrow, and will be out of town until Sunday after that. Don't let the lich get us in the meantime!
So, in terms of loot...how's this configuration?
glove of storing - Garret
staff of dark flame - Isletta
ring of protection +2 - either Shadassa or Ferrek
headband of mental prowess - either Shadassa or Garret
boots of levitation - Ferrek
five potions of cure serious wounds - one for everyone
ten rubies - two for everyone
a scroll of dominate person - Aviel
a scroll of teleport - Aviel
a scroll of invisibility - Isletta
a scroll of hideous laughter - Aviel
a scroll of summon swarm - Isletta
and a scroll of read thoughts. - Aviel
Have I misunderstood your requests? No one mentioned wanting the staff, but it makes the most sense for Isletta to have it because its evocation/necromancy, she's an evoker, and evocation is one of Aviel's opposition schools.
Also, where are you guys going next? It might be prudent to discuss it. I'm willing to tell you that you haven't yet defeated Acererak, but that's about it XD
Shadassa, do you already have a charisma boosting item? Would this one be better for you.
I'm interested in the headband, but I think it would be more useful for you unless you already have something better.
GM can I get the full stats of that disruption mace?
She will take the staff if no one objects.. Its a decent backup item for her..
I was thinking that the staff would be thematically appropriate for Shadassa, and would give her some offensive punch.
I'd like to see it get some use since it's such a great item. Which of you is more likely to use it?