Isabelle grinned a big-dumb grin at Alice and nodded her head.
"You flatter me! I hope to be as big of a help as I think I can be."
She nodded, indicating the flag of Risur displayed across her travel pack.
"We never know who'll need our help! What better way than to help each other?"
At the dwarf's words, Isabelle laughed out loud.
"To tell you the truth, Az, I've always admired dwarves. They're so industrious and they get so much longer to work on their gadgets!"
After a moment to catch up with herself, she continued, "I appreciate the compliment, good sir! I've always been curious about guns but I've never really taken the time to look at one in detail."
She began eyeing his gun with extreme curiosity before shaking her head slightly and taking a drink of her ale.
Isabelle remains otherwise blissfully unaware.
"Is very kind of you to say so! Very few of my kind are in Flint, after all...is probably people who spend entire lives in city and only see dwarf a handful of times! Has not been much in way of prejudice I have noticed and am very thankful for it. Perhaps one day after Az has repaired his musket I can show you some of how weapon works, eh?" he offers before turning his attention to Jebediah.
Ах! Является ли кто-то, кто говорит на моем родном языке! Акцент не совсем верно, но по-прежнему впечатляет!"
After he replies to the man who is apparently a polyglot, he looks over to Alice. "Pistols are your preference, eh? Is interesting! I like long-guns better, but I am hopeful that someday I could maybe have pistol or two as backup. Az is thinking you cannot have too many guns!" he says with a broad grin.
He casts a curious glance at the woman that entered moments ago, a curious shiver rushing down his spine. He gazes curiously at her, as if trying to puzzle her out for a moment, before taking a slow sip of his drink. "That one is...different." he observes.
"Word to the wise, Az, you can't have too many weapons of any kind! I feel naked without a blade, once I smuggled a dagger to a high society shindig, and... Well, I almost stabbed a Danoran lackey, but that's another story."
As Corynne enters, she spots something off about her, although she can't quite put her finger on it. "I see what you mean, think it's some sort of magicks?" Speaking of magic, did my cider disappear, or did I drink without realizing it? Goodness.
Alice slaps Srelenon's shoulder and speaks hardly containing giggles. "Another girl came in, big guy, time to shine." Sniggering, she approaches the girl. "Hi there! Alice Kildare, pleased to meetcha."
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When Corynne entered the room Srelenon was simply sitting back enjoying the effects of the alcohol in his system. He had developed a fondness for all the different colors of the bottles behind the bar. At that moment he had actually been wondering what was in the purple bottle at the left end of the bar. He had never seen anyone drink from it...
His thoughts were interrupted by Azaghâl:
"That one is...different."
and Alice:
"Another girl came in, big guy, time to shine."
No need Alice.. I think you might like me a little more than you realize...
Srelenon looked over to where Alice was headed and seeing Corynne the young Eladrin quickly shook off some of the effects of the Alcohol.
He answered Azaghâl's observation in a tone meant to not carry beyond those at the bar.
Corynne... She's got a reputation around the RHC. I guess some of the agents started calling her "Spook", when she wasn't around. Saxsby got word of that and shut it down right quick.
I read one of her reports one time... A body had washed up on the beach. Fish had been at it and there was virtually no evidence. Well Corynne heads off on a twenty minute hike in a random direction and heads straight for the murder scene. Apparently there was enough evidence at the murder scene to find the killer. But according to the report... Corynne had followed the ghost of the murder victim to where they had been killed. Can you imagine that?... seeing dead people.
Looking up from the paperwork she'd been thumbing through while waiting for server, Corynne notices a few people looking at her. That wasn't actually all that unusual though most people thought they were subtle enough that she didn't notice.
What was a surprise was the rather pretty woman with a military stride and a scar under her eye walking over to her table. "Nice to meet you Alice, I'm Corynne." she says trying to hide a smile at the fact that Alice speaking just a hair to loudly meant that she was probably just a hair drunk. "Are you a regular here? I've been past this place before but it's the first time I've ever come in."
Alice's eyes narrow slightly hearing the woman's name. "Corynne? It sounds like a Danoran name. Are you Danoran?" She leans closer, studying her clothes, her face and the elaborate jewel on her neck.
"No, I wouldn't think so." she admits after a handful of seconds. "Were you from Danor you would wear scarves and frills and ribbons, and yhou vould speak like zat! Heh. Anyway, no, I'm not a regular but I plan on being, since it's so near to where I'll work. What made you enter this particular time?"
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As usual, Jebediah continues to watch his surroundings and spots the newcomer as she walks in. He is almost certain the chair moves before she reaches it, and he hears the Eladrins comments and sees Alice approach the newcomer.
She is good at making people feel welcome. A useful ability
To the Eladrin, he says,
"Seems to me a useful ability in the event of murder. Of course, other crimes would need a different approach, but if it solves the case then I can't fault it."
Most of the time, people looked at her as if she were some sort of oddity, though they quickly looked away if she met their gaze, often with a visible shudder. For some reason, Alice inspecting her for signs of being Danoran actually made her smile. "Well my father was Danoran and came to Risur years before he met my mother, but apparently was still fond of the naming conventions." she says looking up at the other woman. "Not the bad for an impression though." she continues with a grin.
"I just felt the.....pull to come in I suppose. You can sit if you like" Corynne says, putting the papers on the table very carefully in a document purse, careful not to let anything out of her hands before putting it away.
"That sounds wonderful! I'll certainly hold you to it." Ellie said with a big cheesy smile on her face--as if you could definitely tell that she was pleased with what the dwarf had to say.
"Привет! Я тоже знаю Гномов! Это действительно аккуратный!"
Isabelle finished up her food very shortly thereafter. Seeing as that was taking up most of her focus, she began to notice that the people around her were starting to take note of a new girl in the establishment.
Weird Isabelle thought I don't even remember seeing her come through that door...
Nonetheless, Isabelle stood and put on a great big smile before walking over to this Corynne lady. She reached out her hand for a handshake.
"Hi! My name is Isabelle but you can call me Ellie if you want. I'm in the RHC too!"
"Nice to meet you Ellie, I'm Corynne" she replies shaking her hand. "It looks like this lace is a pretty popular RHC hangout."
So she is part Danoran. And she freely admits it. Also, it sounds like she's RHC too, which means her loyalty has been checked... Admittedly, she does not look like a spy, but I'll be keeping an eye on her in any case.
She sits on a chair on the side opposite to Corynne, taking another sip of her whisky.
"It sure looks like it, I think only the barmaid and the cooks aren't Constables, and I wouldn't bet on it. By the way, I can't quite put my finger on it, but I noticed some weirdness when you came in. Are you perhaps some kind of a magic user?"
She turns her head slightly to the left, studying the girl.
Corynne's expression clouds over slightly, not becoming hostile by guarded. She sighs softly, her expression hinting toward a complicated answer and an expectation of a less that positive reaction.
As if in response to her shifting mood, the glass that the barmaid had just set down with her wine suddenly slides across the tabel to fall on the floor.
"Damn it!" she mutters, casting an annoyed glare off to the side, apparently at thin air. "I'm really sorry about that." she says getting up to gather up the bits of broken glass I...yes I suppose you could call it magic....I'll explain in a moment."
"Last call, everyone! We'll be closing shortly."
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Alright, I'm posting here my considerations about the party.
- Alice: frontline, face, bodyguard-style evasion tank
- Azaghâl: ranged fighter, strong Perception, possibly scout
- Corynne: diviner, ranged caster, debuffer, knowledges, strong Perception
- Ellena: frontline, evasion tank
- Jebediah: secondary fighter, skillmonkey, diplomat, knowledges, alchemy
- Miselle: ranged magic support, diplomat, knowledges
- Arcana: Corynne, Jebediah, Miselle
- Dungeoneering:
- Engineering: Azaghâl, Jebediah
- Geography:
- History: Alice
- Local: Alice, Azaghâl, Corynne, Jebediah
- Nature: Miselle
- Nobility: Miselle
- Planes: Corynne, Miselle
- Religion: Corynne
- Bluff: Ellena
- Diplomacy: Alice, Jebediah, Miselle
- Intimidate: Alice, Azaghâl
- Sense Motive: Alice
Highest Strength: Jebediah (12)
Highest Dexterity: Alice and Ellena (18)
Highest Constitution: Azaghâl (14)
Highest Intelligence: Jebediah (18)
Highest Wisdom: Azaghâl and Corynne (14)
Highest Charisma: Alice and Corynne (16)
Strong Fortitude: Azaghâl, Ellena, Miselle
Strong Reflex: Alice, Azaghâl, Ellena, Jebediah, Miselle
Strong Will: Corynne
If we are allowed to tweak the builds before starting, I see that we have a surplus of Knowledge(local) and Diplomacy, I might swap out my Knowledge(local) for some non-knowledge skill.
If we can't tweak the builds, remember to check next level when allocating skills.
Furthermore, we'll need sooner or later to get some protection from mind-affecting spells, seeing as our Will saves are generally low.
Finally, as a map avatar I'd prefer to use this image if possible.
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I'm quite happy to swap out knowledge (local) too. I'd added it mainly as a skill I didn't think would be commonly held that would be useful, but I can't see a cloistered background like Jeb's producing much in the way of knowledge (local). Perhaps dungeoneering? result of a series of lectures on the perils of the undercity?
I am surprised Jeb has the highest Strength; I increased it at the last minute as I became aware of how poorly he will fare in combat until he can get dex to damage at level 5, but didn't expect it to be the highest in the party.
Your analysis seems sound; the only ting I would add is that Jeb has good stealth (especially if he adds inspiration) and a disposable simulacrum that he can direct to sneak forward, making it ideal to scout ahead a little (only 30' unfortunately), but it is no big deal if it gets trashed and would be better than losing a fellow player if it can be used.
Alright, I had missed Stealth because you didn't put any ranks. Also, let's not all swap out Knowledge(local), lest we end up surprisingly misinformed XD
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Now that everyone's dotted Gameplay, go ahead and finish up any last-minute character adjustments. I'll put up the first post in a few hours (heading off for a date night with the wife).
In regards to profile headers and formatting, I'm fairly flexible. Basically, I just want to make sure your crunch is easy to read. Alice/Ellena/Miselle are good to go. Azaghal just needs a header. Same goes for Corynne (although you may want to spoiler off or link your spheres/talents known. HERE'S a good resource if you're not already aware of it). Jebediah's close, but I don't see your extracts anywhere.
Alright, I swapped my Knowledge(local) for Sleight of Hand. Will read the update when I get up next morning, have a nice date!
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Alright, I had missed Stealth because you didn't put any ranks. Also, let's not all swap out Knowledge(local), lest we end up surprisingly misinformed XD
Somehow it got cut out of my character sheet, along with spellcraft (though I have no ranks in that yet). I've added it back in.
knowledge (dungeoneering) can be useful, too and we have no one who knows it yet. As levels progress, I intend to get at least 1 rank on all knowledge skills as I get free inspiration on them, so it would probably only be at 1st level that I remain ignorant.
Dungeoneering is one of my class skills, so I can swap something for it or wait until we level up.
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Just got back from dinner at an AMAZING fondue place. :-) Gameplay will be up shortly.
Is it just me or is the damage for the base Ghost Strike not listed? I'm assuming its the 1d6 per 2 caste levels as the vampiric version but haven't found it.
Spoilered the casting stuff, and stat bar is up
I'll keep Knowledge local with her background as a homicide detective
Is it just me or is the damage for the base Ghost Strike not listed?
I understood that it didn't do damage, just fatigue/exaustion and possibly other effects through talents, but I might be wrong, I'm new to SoP
I wasn't sure about that either, also new to it, but that sounds about right id the default Ghost Strike is Exhausting strike.
So....that paranoia's pretty high huh Alice?
So....that paranoia's pretty high huh Alice?
Hey, paranoia doesn't mean there isn't an assassin trying to kill the king.
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The base ghost strike doesn't deal damage. It's basically the touch of fatigue spell at range.
To piggyback on your party summary, Alice, I'd like to submit that another thing that would make Az an excellent party scout is that, being the only non-human in the group, he's also the only one that has extra-normal vision. I imagine having access to darkvision will be a boon for the party on more than one occasion.
I'm probably gonna train Know(Arcana) after our first level-up, too; start making my way to the seven ranks I need in Alchemy and Arcana to qualify for Mad Shootist.
To piggyback on your party summary, Alice, I'd like to submit that another thing that would make Az an excellent party scout is that, being the only non-human in the group, he's also the only one that has extra-normal vision. I imagine having access to darkvision will be a boon for the party on more than one occasion.
Yes, excellent, didn't think of that. Darkvision could be extremely useful. About Arcana, well, it's one of the most useful knowledges, so I'd say the most people have it, the better.
As you know, the Zeitgeist has several things that differ from standard Pathfinder assumptions. Here are several. It would probably be wise to save this post somewhere so you can refer to it as needed. :-)
* Flight magic is extremely limited and only lasts for a maximum of 5min.
* Summoning and other spells that involve planar transport have the same limitation: they'll last no more than 5min.
* Teleportation is blocked by gold - as long as it's a closed loop. That's why all RHC constables are issued with a gold ring.
* Guns are commonplace, but advanced firearms don't exist. The world's only recently started its technological/industrial revolution.
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Prestige
At times, you may want to call in favors from various power groups. Currently, they are the citizens of Flint, the Risuri government/police/military, and the fey. Your collective influence for each group will range from 0 (buffoons and pariahs) to 6 (you're as influential as possible). The party can call in one favor per group per day, and there are some samples on page 18 of the Player's Guide. Requesting additional favors from a group each day requires a scaling Diplomacy/Intimidate check.
As long as the requested favor is of a level equal to or less than your current Prestige, it'll be accomplished within a few hours. You can make a Diplomacy/Intimidate check to decrease the time, though. For extended favors (like asking someone to stake out a building), it'll generally last for up to 30min, but you can increase this time by raising the Prestige level of the favor.
All of this information (with charts and examples) is on ppg 17-18 of the Player's Guide, but these are the basics.
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Skill Challenges
The Zeitgeist adventure path uses a broad mix of combat and non-combat encounters, with a heavy focus on investigation and exploration. While you can certainly just roleplay the scene and call for the occasional skill check, we try to provide a mechanical structure that gives the characters a reasonable challenge...without slowing the game down and forcing the GM to roleplay dozens of insignificant NPCs as the party investigates suspects. Normally these skill-based encounters let each PC make one skill check per “round,” though a round could represent 6 seconds, ten minutes, or even a week of work, depending on the encounter. Successful checks will yield information, provide access to new options, and eventually accomplish goals. The party typically has some sort of time constraint, and if the party doesn’t achieve their goal in time, they might fail or only get a partial victory.
Essentially, a Skill Challenge has a certain number of rounds, multiple stages, and a required number of successes. Each PC gets a single action per round. There's no Initiative Order, and once a success condition is met, the party can immediately begin the next set of checks. On occasion, this can mean that multiple stages are completed in a single round. Each stage requires specific skill checks, although skill substitutions MAY be allowed if they make sense. Taking 10 on these checks is NOT permitted, as that would defeat the purpose of the skill challenge. Aid Another is allowed but often won't be the most efficient use of your action.
At last, a sensible system of skill application. I suggested something similar once for trap disarming, making it a party-wide interactive event rather than one lone character making a few rolls while the rest are whistling in the wind. It's good to see something implemented, I'm looking forward to seeing how it works.
Very nice, so for instance I could use my high Intimidate to interrogate a suspect while Jeb uses his Knowledge to search a library and Corynne combs the crime scene if I understood correctly.
About firearms, the guide states that advanced firearms exist, but are not Risur-made and might be hard to find.
Risur produces pistols, carbines, and muskets from a variety of factories in Flint and elsewhere. Drakr possesses somewhat superior firearm technology, and it is possible to import (or custom-make) shotguns, grenades, and rifled versions of normal firearms. Additional innovations such as metal cartridge ammunition are known to exist, but they are the domain of specialized gunsmiths, and as yet cannot be mass-produced.
@Alice: That's correct - on both counts. Skill Encounters don't require the party to stick together, and you're encouraged to get creative. :-) Regarding advanced firearms, you won't have access to them for quite a while, so they're essentially nonexistent from the party's standpoint. At least for the moment. ;-)
@Gavmania: Precisely. :-) There's nothing more boring than "I roll Perception to find the trap, then roll Disable Device to bypass it." Same thing with "I roll Diplomacy/Bluff/Intimidate to make the guy do what I want." Skill challenges give the entire party an opportunity to apply their strengths to a problem and (more importantly) Role-Play.
@YBD A quick question that won't be relevant for a little while: Do daggers count as 'swords' for the purposes of Swordmaster class features?
Yes
Sorry for wasting my check, I got impulsive and acted before being sure of the rules.
I'm going to be camping in rural Appalachia leaving Friday and returning Sunday; wanted to give you all some advance notice. I'll be trying to update on my phone but I might not have signal. Feel free to bot me if necessary.
Jeb, do you want to be the Good Cop to my Bad Cop?
Also, should both the Diplomacy and Intimidate checks succeed or just one?
"Good Cop, Bad Cop" can be used after the first spoiler is unlocked, as that initial success will give you a valid suspect.
To answer your question, both checks get the +2 bonus, but it's an all-or-nothing deal. If one PC fails, both of your actions are wasted - so please specify both participants in the initial post if you go that route. To make up for this increased risk, success will allow the party to skip the (as of yet unannounced) next skill challenge.
Ok, then if, when I wake up tomorrow, someone has made the first success, I have the highest Intimidate of the group and my offer stands.
Miselle, I believe you already acted in Round Two, canvassing the final quarter of the crowd. If so, Az and Corynne should be the ones to pinpoint Coulton (using aid another should work, unless the GM asks for a reroll, so I'm going on with the intimidation)
That's correct. I'll let Az's roll count as aiding Corynne so we don't have to rewrite the narrative.
If Jeb successfully plays Good Cop, you'll complete the entire skill encounter (skipping a stage in the process). If he fails, we'll advance to Round Three.
Whoops, I'm sorry. I suppose that would be my action for round three, if we get that far.
*Posted to all my games*
At the moment, my wife and I are in the Hurricane Matthew danger zone and may be evacuating early tomorrow morning. If you don't hear from me for a couple days, that's the reason.
I knew there was a reason that I lived in a country with no tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, large scale forest fires or any other major RP-stopping disasters...
Good luck to you and your family.
Stay safe, YBD, best of luck to you and all yours!
About the spontaneous riot that we have on our hands, how do we want to deal with it? My base idea is to attract attention through a loud noise (Az discharging a shot, for instance), keeping authority and silencing the dockers through diplomacy (although I might have crippled my own chances), Corynne's fatigue talent, or plain old arrest with charges of disturbing the peace. I am open to any kind of suggestions and plans.
Honestly, the first thought that popped into my mind was having Az fire his musket into the air. The report of a gun does tend to get a lot of attention, but my concern is that it would start a panic in the crowd. There are a lot of people there and there being some kind of civilian stampede is gonna get people hurt.
I'm thinking a more subtle approach, with lots of diplomacy. With a little luck we can talk them to side...and arrest them there.
Arrest them for what, public intoxication? Why not just ask/tell them to leave?