Yet Another ... Rise of the Runelords PBP

Game Master ziltmilt

Nich, you're all set.

Hakak, I'm showing your total Ride bonus is +4, not +3. Other that that, you're all set.

Leveled to 3.

It doesn't look like your sheet has been updated, Jub. Can you let me know what's changed?

You're due a Mercy, hp, fav class bonus, 3 skill ranks, and a feat

According to my notes I get a -3 check penalty (-2 chain shirt and -1 buckler) so my Acrobatics and ride without penalty would be +6 so after penalty it's +3.

exactly half <sigh>

Ned, you check out pretty good, but i'm showing you've got 2 more skill ranks to spend.

According to my notes I get a -3 check penalty (-2 chain shirt and -1 buckler) so my Acrobatics and ride without penalty would be +6 so after penalty it's +3.

But didn't you get rid of the buckler?

I just remembered that, I must have forgotten to change my paper character sheet.

Lleidr wrote:

Hakak Bloody Axe wrote:

I was just going to go smash-um-up kill-um-all with Hakak, but with a barbarian is there any other way.

You could develop a Bruce Banner/Hulk type character. I'd love to see nerd Hakak :)

Well I could go barbarian/alchmist :D

Lleidr since I posted this the concept keeps jumping back into my head on how I could make a Hulk character. Alchemist has an archetype of Beastmorth where when you drink your mutagen you become more beast like, combine that with a Barbarian's rage power thus the Hulk is born. The only problem is that I didn't think of this at the start of the game so my Int is a 0 so he would suck an Alchemist. Though all I would be using it for would be for the mutagen. Darn it Lleidr now you go me thinking.

In a 15 pt game those concepts are tougher to build for.

Lleidr wrote:

Other leveling notes...

I hate to be a pain, but I'm using Herolab and that particular archetype is part of the Inner Sea Worldguide, which isn't in my software license.

Let me double check what my license has in it.

Not at all, dude! I think I'm the one being a pain. I just saw the archetype on the website I'm using for rules reference and ran with it without even checking its availability first. So thanks for putting up with it. If I need to recompense you for the worldguide purchase, please let me know.

OK, Lleidr, you're all set except that I think you're due another Feat. What's the monkey's name?

Got the pdf. Thanks! I think the feat missing from the sheet is Arcane Strike. Holler if I need to add something else.

After a lot of thought, I've named the monkey Arg, which according to the free translator I use is Welch for "imp."

And while I'm thinking about it, I suppose I need a brand/scar for Arg. Besides the oak leaf on the back of his left hand, Lleidr will also manifest a stylized monkey shaped scar on his left shoulder. Seems appropriate enough a place :)

Darn it Lleidr now you go me thinking.

I feel like I should apologize? lol

Hakak Bloody Axe wrote:

Darn it Lleidr now you go me thinking.

I feel like I should apologize? lol

Oh it's fine, but if this group continues on to another AP I'm calling the Bruce/Hulk character.

Ned Rodan wrote:

exactly half <sigh>

Ned, you check out pretty good, but i'm showing you've got 2 more skill ranks to spend.

I'd left off his intimidate skill and, although I had the right bonus', missed updating the skill point total for survival. It should add up now.

Selia D'Averam wrote:

Oracles get to add either Cure or Inflict for free and it doesn't count in our spell total. I would like to swap that spell out for know thy enemy. Is this OK?

I took my Mystery spell into account as well for my total. I should have five 1st level spells at Oracle 3, plus Cure Light Wounds and Alter Winds (Mystery spell).

I'm showing you have 5 1st Level spells as well:

Alter Winds
Comprehend Languages
CLW
Divine Favor
Summon Monster 1.

Are you saying you're due 2 more? I'm using Herolab, and this looks right. Alter Winds and CLW are built-in so to speak, so the other 3 could be swapped out as needed.

I'm assuming you took the Skill Point for taking another level in Oracle. I'm showing you've got 6 skill points.

You've also got 1 feat to add.

Yeah, I goofed and read the 0 level spells #. I'll fix it all now! OK, so I have three 1st level spells and the two freebies, CLW and Alter Winds, for a total of five spells.

Yes, I did take the skill point.

Level 3:
HP - 8 + 2 = 10 (rolled on page 6 of discussion tab)
Revelation - Wind Sight
1st Level - Comprehend Languages
Feat - Superior Summoning
Skills - +1 Diplomacy (10), +1 Fly (5), +1 Knowledge(nature) (7), +1 Knowledge(planes) (6), +1 Spellcraft (6), +1 UMD (6)

I have also created a breakdown of what I took at level 3 on my character profile. I don't remember my level 2 picks off hand, so I won't be adding that.

Skills - +1 Diplomacy (10), +1 Fly (5), +1 Knowledge(nature) (7), +1 Knowledge(planes) (6), +1 Spellcraft (6), +1 UMD (6)

I'm really confused. I'm not seeing these #s at all. So you added 1 rank in Dip and are at +10? I'm only showing you at +8. None of my #s for your skills matches. How many ranks total do you have? I'm showing 18.

18 should be correct. 4 base, 1 favored, and 1 human for each level.

You do add the Ability Score bonus into your total skill level for trained skills, correct?

If I'm not mistaken (which is entirely possible, I normally use HeroLab, but I haven't used it since we started) Diplomacy should look like this:

+3 (trained class skill), +3 (levels 1, 2, 3), +4 (CHA bonus) = 10

Let me know if I am wrong so I can fix it!

I think if you can tell me how many ranks you're putting into a skill, i'll get to your #s. If I show that you're allocating 3 ranks into Dip, then yes, I see you with a Dip skill of +10.

In honor of April Fool's Day, I proudly present:

an abandoned police car

That's impressive.

Nice

They need to do something like that around here, I would totally jump in that car, those it probably wouldn't even surprise my wife one bit.

Jubrayl, what are you taking for a Paladin Mercy?

Selia, I'm still confused by your skill rankings. Can you help me out and tell me the # of ranks you're putting into which skills?

Fatigue.

I have redone everything (layout-wise) in order to better facilitate my knowledge of the skills and ranks. Here you go!

Acrobatics - 4 (+1(DEX) +3(Ranks))
Diplomacy - 10 (+4(CHA) +3(Ranks) +3(Class Skill))
Fly - 5 (+1(DEX) +1(Ranks) +3(Class Skill))
Know(nature) - 7 (+0(INT) +3(Ranks) +3(Class Skill) +1(Trait))
Know(planes) - 6 (+0(INT) +3(Ranks) +3(Class Skill))
Spellcraft - 6 (+0(INT) +3(Ranks) +3(Class Skill))
UMD - 6 (+4(CHA) +2(Ranks))

OK, now I'm good. But there is 1 wrinkle. Even if you drop your backpack at the start of combat, you're encumbrance is Medium, which i think is pushing your Fly to a +2 instead of +5.

OK, no worries. We aren't to the point where Fly matters yet. Does it affect my Acrobatics as well? I haven't really needed it, but in case it does come up, I want to make sure I'm rolling correctly.

Crap has hit the fan with work. Will post as best I can for the next 48-72 hours. Please bear with me.

Well, I'm afraid we have probably lost Jubrayl (the player). I'll see if my kid can step in and run this character while the original player is missing.

He just gold skinned the guy and everything... did he PM you or has he just fallen off the forums? It could be shit happened and he's off for a week

I sent him a PM, but haven't gotten anything back yet.

Yeah, the metallic skin thing .... some of the PF options are so bizarre. And, this only gives you a +1 bonus. I would think for a mere +1, the skin would merely have a grayish tinge as opposed to an outright metal sheen, ala X-Men's Colossus.

I personally think it's a crappy feat which leads to another crappy feat which leads to flight. I think paizo under powered them.

Uh oh, Nich, you're not a power gamer, are you? :)

If I were a PF player, I'm sure my PC would be the weakest thing on 2 legs; there's so many freakin options in this game, I get lost trying to figure out what's the best choice.

If I were a PF player, I'm sure my PC would be the weakest thing on 2 legs

Weird when an RPG mirrors real life so well, ain't it? :D

Uh oh, Nich, you're not a power gamer, are you? :)

If I were a PF player, I'm sure my PC would be the weakest thing on 2 legs; there's so many freakin options in this game, I get lost trying to figure out what's the best choice.

So so - I am generally a RP-er but given feats are generally pretty awesome I try to get good bang for my buck. I am am ALL for RP feats and have taken a few subpar ones myself at times.

Its just I think Paizo low balled the power level on that feat.

Wanna know something not very interesting at all ?

Jubrayl's backpack has exactly 30.14 lbs of capacity remaining. How do I now this? I've been building an item tracking/encumbrance tool as part of an Excel application I've been using awhile for PF games.

Herolab kind of does this already, but it's bugged me beyond measure that Herolab doesn't track container capacity. So, if I can stuff 300 lbs of stuff in a backpack, why even track which items are assigned to which container? If capacity isn't enforced, then what's the point of this feature?

But, my app does track amount and won't let me add stuff to something that's nearly full. And it also tells you to what degree you're encumbered. Plus, I can do other neat stuff with it, like make a note on exceptional items, track what you appraise something vs what it's really worth, quickly summarize wealth, etc.

So, yeah, just in case you were curious, I'm a hopeless nerd. But, I like this capability, because I can easily enforce encumbrance limits without actually having to do any book-keeping myself. Just let the computer do all the grunt work!

Heh. Nice.

I did GM the Haunting of Harrowstone for my first experience with Pathfinder. I was using Microsoft OneNote to keep all of the notes in order for the entirety of the module. It really helped make prep much quicker.

I never thought to use Excel to track weights, though, that's a great idea!

Well, I think Ned is dead (well, not dead, just MIA). I know we've been progressing at a very slow rate this week. I've got a change in mind to speed things up.

Let's give Ned another evening to participate, and then I'll update first thing in the morning.

Again, I apologize for the delay.

Nah - its been good for me

What is meant by 'stockade'... Is it a 1860's indian era fort of sharpened logs? Presumably with a gate? Does it have a open means of entry into it? It has Arrow platforms, that have been clarified, I think, as empty of archers.

If we can't see a clear way into the stockade then charging in is suicide. We don't have a battering ram, or grapples and ropes/ladders to get over the walls.

I'm, at the moment, just trying to make sure we don't get stabbed in the back. With my last rouns action I have successfully funneled the goblins into one-on-one combat with me and I should be able to keep them at bay until either none are left or they run scared. If they goblin spellcaster wakes/frees those dogs and no one is there to help me I'm going to get surrounded and that won't end well for me. So if at least one melee guy could stay back with me we could catch up with the others when we're done.

The stockade is a crude wooden structure, with 2 30' tall wooden towers, one in each southern corner (see the SE and SW corners of the blackened area in the map image). There is a pair of closed double doors leading into the complex, which you can see in the image. They're the 2 narrow white boxes poking out of the blackened area where the path ends.

From this distance, it's impossible to tell how well secured the doors are.

Thistletop

One fact I'll point out to you is this: the goblins Hakak is engaging have referred to themselves twice now as 'Birdcrunchers'. The Birdcrunchers, according to what Shalelu told you, live near Devil's Platter, not in Thistletop. Out of the various goblin tribes in the area, Birdcrunchers are usually the least aggressive.

BTW, Selia, you notice nothing coming from that southern tunnel. I meant to point this out earlier and forgot.

Cut the bridge and pull back I say. Yes its a pain in the butt later to take the fort but hells, I don't see how we two can pull it off. We are gonna be flat out enough killing this lot in the brambles (and looting them) and any others on this shore. At the least? we isolate the gobbo's in bodies.

So speaks the Cleric of the God of Tactics.

There's no shore, per se. The ocean ends in a cliff, about 80' high. This Nettlewood is the closest to a beach you get in this part of the Hinterlands.

shore is a relative term.

Right, I'm just trying to clarify what the surroundings are like.

Let me check w/ my kid when he gets off work, as to what he wants to add. I meant to this morning, but we ran out of time.

Well, I've never been much of a long term planner, either in character or IRL, so...Lleidr's immediate focus is on taking out the goblin spell caster, hopefully before he rouses the sleeping dogs. His secondary concern is the pile of goblins facing Hakak. Fortunately, between Hakak's physical prowess and barbarian abilities, it's a very small concern, but still, Lleidr doesn't want to see any of his friends go down.

As far as the goblin fort...Birdcrunchers here instead of where they normally live? Was the goblin who spotted us and ran off one of these guys? And why no sign of a patrol or guards over at the fort, not even after the dogs started barking? Something's up, apparently, but until we know what, I don't think cutting the bridge is going to do us much good. Now if reinforcements start pouring out, or the 'Crunchers push us to retreat over it, then yeah, cut it down.