ZEITGEIST (Inactive)

Game Master Whack-a-Rogue

Dot here when ready

Dot

Dot

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Dash. No, no wait, that's wrong...

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Dotty Dot Dot

It is spring of the year 500 A.O.V. (After Our Victory). Seven years after the end of the Fourth Yerasol War, the shipyards in Flint have completed the first Risuri warship powered solely by steam engines, not sail. Your monarch, King Aodhan, has come to Flint to witness the official launch of this mighty vessel. Wooden-hulled but with a heart and skin of iron, the Royal Naval Ship Coaltongue will act as a deterrent against future aggression from Risur's enemy across the sea, the nation of Danor.

The Royal Homeland Constabulary has been called upon to provide security, and you have spent the past several weeks working to make sure this event goes off without a hitch - canvassing the docks, performing background checks on the guest list, coordinating with the local police to set up a perimeter around the royal docks, and following various directives of your superiors.

Now, as a warm breeze off the sea mingles the scents of elaborate floral decorations with the pervasive coal soot that always hovers over Flint, you're at the first of two checkpoints, working with Flint police to let in a crowd of local citizens who want to line the streets and cheer their king.
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Welcome to the Zeitgeist Adventure Path. I'm looking forward to spending the next few years playing through it with the six of you. I've put a map of Flint and some information about the local RHC office in the Campaign Info tab. Right now, I'd like a brief montage of your current relationships with each other (if any) and how you've been preparing for today. You'll receive your first formal directive once your preliminary RPing is done.

Alice sinks her teeth into her chocolate tart while watching the policemen frisking those citizens who are lining up to enter the restricted streets and see the King. I like to see such displays of patriotism. King Aodhan is a war hero and a great ruler, I remember the sense of amazement I had the first time I saw him. It's like standing next to history itself, may he reign long and prosper.
She turns her neck to watch her colleagues, all intently watching the crowd. Azaghâl is as intimidating as ever with his musket, almost taller than he is, gazing with his eagle eyes. Good old Azaghâl, who taught me how hard it really is to win a drinking contest with a dwarf. One of these days I'll have to ask him advice about pistols.
Corynne is apparently gazing upon the infinite, her eyes are unfocused, but Alice has been around her long enough to know that she is actually uncannily perceptive, spooky as she may be. Her father was Danoran, but she's devoted to the RHC, I'll give her that. And if she really can see the dead and speak with them, that would be very useful.
Ellena is standing with the straight posture of a Battalion student, but her slight fidgeting betrays her nervousness. She's still wet behind her ears, but she has the potential to be an amazing swordfighter. I just hope that she can act when push comes to shove. I remember being terrified on my first battle.
Jebediah keeps his usual composure while examining the police work. I guess that we need someone with brains and knowledge among us, but I wonder how he would fare in a brawl. He mentioned his father teaching at Pardwright, I wonder if he ever met Andrew.
And finally, Alice's stare falls on Miselle, who's tinkering with the weird device she slapped on her armor. Her, I don't trust. Everything about her screams "Danoran", from her obnoxious accent to her snobbish, soft-spoken attitude, and especially those weird devices she's always working on. I know that Danoran technological superiority lost us the war, but why is she allowed to do field work in the RHC, where she can spy on everything? Oh, I'll work with her if I'm ordered to, but don't expect me to like it.

She finishes her pastry, wipes her hands on an handkerchief, then straightens her Navy Lieutenant uniform, checking for the hundredth time that the frock coat hiding the unobtrusive leather cuirass is properly ironed and the trousers are straight. She then double-checks to have all of her weapons ready, the rapier at her side, the daggers on her forearms, the switchblade in her inner coat pocket, the blade hidden in her boot and the cestus on her left wrist. Be prepared. Be ready. Be vigilant. Be steadfast. For Risur, now and forever.

Having taken the opportunity to shift her senses into the ethereal spectrum well before much of the crowd had arrived, Corynne stands quietly, almost unnaturally still as her eyes sweep across the plaza. For the young Constable, the area was far more crowded than her companions could ever begin to understand. With her ghost sight active, she could see everyone filling the area, those who lived, eager to catch a glimpse of their beloved king, and those who no longer walked the mortal realm, yet clung to it for one reason or another.

There were always more of them where people grouped, drawn to the accumulation of life. Here and there among the crowd spirits flit back and forth, some carrying out the habits of their former lives. She smiles slightly as a phantom cutpurse passes by creating that random sensation that make The least three people check their pockets. A few feet from where Miselle tinkers with one of her gadgets, a young woman in black, clearly in mourning breathes in relief, her sad eyes looking surprised as she feels her pain ease,, completely unaware that her lover's stands beside her, his ghostly arms around her shoulders.

As crowded and busy as it got when she studies a crowd like this, magic used to cloak a person's presence often borrowed energy from across the veil and she could see it when others couldn't. Besides, with the barriers between world's always thinner wherever she was, it was like having a host of assisting agents helping her keep watch.

Taking 20 on perception with 1point spent to activate Ghost sight for an hour gives Corynne a 27 perception allowing her so see any invisible or ethereal entities

Jeb stands still, letting his senses play over the crowd.

Just like when I was a child he reminisces, remembering warm summer days spent running around the city. Despite his apparent composure, Jeb was feeling quite happy, his senses immersing themselves in the ebb and flow of people, searching for anomalies - the person who does not follow the pattern of the crowd.

He glances at his fellow compatriots. Alice he liked, her down to earth, welcoming manner Must ask her for a sparring session he thinks to himself, touching his hand to his rapier, I'm sure she has much she could teach me; Corynne he knew of but had not really met, as she tended to keep herself to herself; Elena as usual eager to get stuck in but making an admirable job of holding herself in check; Azaghal lovingly touching his weapon while paying attention to the crowd; Miselle with the most fascinating machinery. I wonder how they see me he thinks to himself briefly, switching his attention back to the crowd and the guests as they are checked in.

Despite his stature, it isn't hard to pick the dwarf out, standing at the front of the wall of the sea of people as they file in to get a glimpse of the goings-on, hoping to see the launch of the fleet's new iron giant, an event which even the King himself has come to be witness to.

It may also be the pedestal he's been given to give him a good vantage point over the crowds, too, of course. Wouldn't be much of a watchman if he couldn't see to watch anything. His brown eyes were narrowed, a wide-brimmed hat on top of his head to shield his eyes from the sun and make it easier to observe his surroundings. Quite a few members of the people walking by gave him a more-than-lingering glance. It didn't bother him any more...he'd gotten used to it. Most of the people in Flint saw dwarves only rarely; there weren't many of his kind in Risur.

He caught Alice's gaze as his eyes scanned, and he gave her a slight, stoic nod, no hint of a smile on his face. He was all business today. Not that that was an unusual attitude for him...his compatriots had just come to understand the dwarf's gruff personality and had been around him long enough that he felt comfortable laughing with them. A few steins of mead had a way of loosening him up too, of course!

He knew without looking that Corynne's eyes were scanning as keenly as were his, with the added benefit of being able to see the unseeable. The woman's abilities were helpful, he had to admit, but they were kinda creepy sometimes. That glazed-over, glassy stare that he had once mistaken for meaning a lack of attention when the truth of it was she saw at least as much as he did. He didn't want to see through the veil. There was enough to see among the living.

Then there was Miselle. They both had an interest in mechanisms and machines, and that gave them something to talk about...well, as long as the device in question shot a bullet. He understood the machine theory behind the operation of her devices, of course, just...didn't have the same passion for them as the pale brunette did. Even so, that common thread was one of the few things that truly seemed to get his blood flowing faster.

Ellena was a bit closer to crowd level. She had to be for that sword on her hip to be useful for anything. She didn't care for it the way he cared for his musket, but then it wasn't as complicated a weapon, either. It was a "pointy-end toward bad guy" kinda thing. She clearly respected the weapon though, and he'd seen her in the training areas practicing with it...and he had to give credit to her obvious skill with the blade. He wouldn't want to meet her on the field of battle within reach of her weapon, that was for sure.

And Jebediah...Jeb. Probably the team member he knew the least about, despite the fact that he was also the only other male. He expected they'd have plenty more time to go out for drinks in later days, and he quirked a barely-perceptible smile when he idly wondered if Jeb could handle his ale as good as Alice. Granted, she was the only human who'd ever challenged him to a drinking contest, so he didn't really have much of a point of reference otherwise.

He heaved out a deep breath and went back to scanning the crowd, waiting for the Coaltongue's christening ceremony to begin.

It was difficult to focus the potent energies a Mobius Core required to function correctly, and adjusting them took time, but Miselle was reasonably confident that the machine would reinforce the huge coat she was wearing over her uniform. And it almost certainly wouldn't explode!

Almost certainly.

Slipping her tools back into one of the pouches she wore, she glanced around at the other RHC officers present. It wasn't too surprising that they had such a large group was here - the King was going to be here, and the Coaltoungue herself was a target to certain groups - but it was still unusual to have such a group. There were only twenty officers in Flint, and they were busy.

Miselle glanced over at Flint and grinned, although she knew he wouldn't return it. The Dwarf and her had wiled away a few too many nights with a drink and the plans to a weapon, and his advice had helped in the construction of the rifle she had been building. The kick and recoil were issues, but she hoped to solve the problem eventually. The Dwarf was a better shot, and problaly always would be, but prefered guns of a slightly smaller calibre.

Watching Corynne for a moment, Miselle got the usettling feeling that she was seeing something near a closeby woman that Miselle couldn't, although the woman seemed sad even in the crowd. She knew the woman's magic was an invaluble resource, but it was still strange to her. But she seemed nice enough, and pretty to boot. Pretty was always nice.

Jebediah didn't seem to be a bad guy, and his skills were a major assett to any team he'd worked with that she had spoken too. His Alchemy was a fascinating science, and as she understood it worked in the same kind of fashion as her own devices, binding energy within chemicles rather than metal and gears as she did.

She nodded to Elena, and giving her encouraging nod, Miselle was glad to see her there. She knew the woman had confidence issues, but from Miselle had seen she was skilled with the fine blade she'd seen. It was difficult not to appreciate the flowing forms Elena went through in the training yard.

And then there was Alice. Miselle was never sure why the woman didn't like it. Her home nation, her preference for machines. A lot of the people of Risur weren't fond of those, despite the good they did and the King's own commands to move towards progress. But Miselle knew Alice was a professional, and knew Miselle herself was loyal. You couldn't join the RHC without passing an Inquisition proving such, after all.

It was an interesting, diverse and skilled group, Miselle decided as she looked over the crowd. And it would be good to see the ship launched. Her former countrymen's own warships had proven unpleasant during the last war, and the Coaltoungue was the first step in countering them. Risur's magic combined with technological might would make them unstoppable.

Shht. Shht. Shht.

The rasping sound itched it's way through Ellena's mind; a staccato accompaniment to the sunburn-like itching on her forearms. Fabian was pissed at her. Her nerves had kept her up late last night and she had over-sharpened him - the burning sensation and the excoriating sound were his idea of payback.

Shht. Shht. Shht.

A lull in the crowd gave her a chance to glance up at the others. Alice and Jeb seemed at ease; her standing in that weird, bow-legged way anyone who fought on ships seemed to adopt and him standing perfectly still, eyes flicking back and forth across the crowd.

Shht. Shht. Shht.

From where she was standing she could just see the top of Az's hat - she hoped he hadn't noticed her snickering when they brought out that box. In the corner of her eye she noticed Miselle grinning at her and smiled back, before her vision drifted to Corynne and her lips tightened. She knew the woman wasn't a shyster, had seen her intercede with the dead, but her profession still left a bad taste in Ellena's mouth.

Shht. Shht. Sh-Would you SHUT UP! she hissed to herself, then blushed furiously as the old woman in front of her gave her a reproachful look. "Sorry, not you." She gave the old lady a cursory once-over and waved her through, getting back to business.

At least Fabian had fin- Shht. Shht. Shht.

Assistant Chief Inspector Delft approaches, chewing a cigar. "I hope you're ready, Constables. In half an hour, almost seven hundred people are coming through our security checkpoint to cheer the king as he passes by. Can't let any assassins get past us, can we!" He pokes a nearby crate suspiciously with his cane before walking off, chuckling humorlessly.

Skill Challenge
You have three rounds of 10 minutes each. There are four separate goals, to be accomplished in order. Unless otherwise noted, all skill checks are a DC 15, and I'll include some possible skills next to each goal. Good luck. :-)

Round One
At the moment, the crowd waits idly at the checkpoint. People are chattering amicably, and everything seems calm.

Of course, with seven hundred people to sort through, you can't just question the entire crowd. You need a clear idea of what appearances or mannerisms might be clues that someone's a threat. That way the police will know what to look for.
Suggested Skills: Knowledge(history or local), Profession(soldier); PCs with the Docker and/or Yerasol Veteran theme feat gain a +2 bonus on this check.

I'll post the next goal/s once both of these have been accomplished. Also, once all six of you have posted your first action (regardless of its success or failure), I'll advance to Round Two.

Moving over to the others for a quick huddle, Ellena looks to the more experienced members. "What should I be keeping an eye out for?"

So to make sure I understand this correctly...when the group, as a whole, has met the required number of skill challenges within the required time frame, we are all free to open the spoiler window?

That's correct. In other words, once a single person successfully creates a threat profile, the entire party can open that spoiler and proceed to the next challenge. Don't forget that a PC can only make a single check per round.

Would Sense Motive be allowed for the threat profile? If so,
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 2 = 24.
Otherwise, Knowledge(history): 1d20 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 1 + 2 = 11
Since one is a success and the other is a failure, I'll add some roleplay once you rule on the skill.

Sense Motive won't work for the threat profile, but you can use it when the party starts canvasing the crowd.

Alright. Another question, if I had rolled a Diplomacy check to canvas, trusting one of the more knowledgeable PCs to make the threat profile roll, would it have been legal in case they later made the roll? Also, just my luck, had I rolled Knowledge immediately it would have worked.
Alice gazes uneasily at the crowd. "I guess that we could look for nervous people, or maybe those who try to hide... I'm not sure. Back in the war finding the enemies was easy, they had uniforms and were shooting at us."

As long as you specify that's what you're doing, it's allowed. It's a risky play, but I don't have a problem with it.

Knowledge local: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

So do we roll once per round until we succeed as a group or run out of Time

Correct. Just like a regular combat, each PC gets one action each round.

Know(Local): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Woohoo! Posting it now, will edit for action; just want everyone to see that I made the check for us to move on.

"Is no way for us to watch whole crowd...is way too many people. We do know who is most likely to make trouble, and why, though:" he begins, counting each group off on a finger as he names them,"One: Dockers are not liking how city treats them. Two: Primalists, are not liking bringing industry into city. Three: We should be on lookout for the terrorist 'Gale' and her comrades. And fourth: Veterans who are not liking that Coaltongue's designer is tiefling. We should keep lookout for any who would fit into any of those groups." he says to his allies.

Assuming they concur with him (and why wouldn't they?), the dwarf immediately turns his attention to the crowd, determined to spy out any trouble-makers.

Are skill challenge successes cumulative? By that I mean, would the same PC succeeding on a skill challenge in both Round Two and Round Three count as two successes?

Yay! That means Ellena/Jebediah/Miselle get to start working on the second stage. :-)

Ellena nods earnestly at Az. "Alright, I suppose I can start over by the fish-market. Meet back here in..." - she checks her pocket-watch - "...10 minutes?"

Moving slowly through the crowd, she watches how people are dressed and what they're carrying, who they're talking with and what they're doing with their hands. She watches how they stand and how they move. Everyone stands differently, and you could often tell how good a fighter they were just by their economy of movement.

Miselle nodded at the information. She simply didn't have the life experience to idetify such subjects herself as easily, given her background. But now she knew what to look for...well, maybe she could do something. "Merci, Azaghâl. Let us get to work...Faux, if you please." Pulling a small bundle of metal from her pack, she placed it on one of the higher positions she could find, and it changed into a small dragon of gears and brass, steam slowly puffing from it's nostrils. "Let us see what we can find."

Moving into the crowd, Miselle began talking to people who matched the description Azaghâl had given them, seeing if anything could be gathered from conversation. She swallowed her accent as much as she could, use the coat to hide her uniform, and smiled a lot. It was surprising how much a pretty, smiling girl could find out.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

At the same time, Faux scanned the area based on the criteria Miselle had mentally provided it.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Just waiting on Jebediah, then I'll advance to Round Two.

@Azaghal: That's correct.

Nodding amiably at the suggested threat profile, Jeb wanders into the crowd checking for any who fit the criteria.

As I understand it, 1 of the perception checks and the diplomacy check has succeeded. As I don't have knowledge (local) or profession (soldier), I can only attempt the second perception check

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Yay! Crit threat! oh drat, it's not combat

@Jebediah: anyone can use any of the suggested skills - and even suggest an alternative if they have a better idea. Thanks for catching the fact that I accidentally wrote 'Perception' twice, by the way. ;-)

Round Two
As you continue canvasing the crowd, a half-dozen official messengers hand out lyric sheets of the royal anthem, to make sure people get the later verses correct. People are beginning to get excited, as it's almost time to go through the checkpoint.

Suggested Skills: Diplomacy, Knowledge(local), Perception, Profession(soldier)

Will put up the next stage once this is passed. I don't expect it to take long. ;-)

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Miselle continued to canvas the crowd, checking out potential suspects. Once she had finished she headed back to the others and reported what she had found.

Nice work, Miselle. :-) Everyone else gets to move on to the next challenge.

Between your keen eyes and some helpful assistants, you've been able to locate twenty potentially-hostile individuals. Of course, it'll be important to determine whether or not each one is an actual threat without causing too much of a scene.
Failed checks right now mean you waste time questioning innocent people. Feel free to RP the resulting awkwardness. ;-)

Suggested Skills: Bluff, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth

In addition to the above skills, a pair of PCs can now work together to play "Good Cop, Bad Cop." One makes a Diplomacy check; the other makes an Intimidate check. Both checks are made with a +2 circumstance bonus.

The sounds and smells of the fishmarket are overwhelming. People from all walks of life are packed into stalls, singing and joking and shouting at each other. Stepping deftly around a group of children, Ellena's head turns at a particularly boisterous man - a docker she'd seen before, who liked making jokes about bombs.

@Ellena: At first level, Fabian isn't quite a true intelligent item. That kicks in at Level Two when you can start choosing properties. At the moment, his mental scores are 10s, and he has no skill ranks.

@YBD: Alright; I had thought he became intelligent when he acquired his ability scores.

"You ther- oh. P-Pardon me." Ellena stutters as the man turns towards her, along with his three kids and wife standing behind him. Flustered, she hurries away.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Moving up behind someone who wore the clothes and haircut of a Gale sympathiser, tapping the person on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, could you step aside and...wait, are you not Sir Winstor's youngest child...Dorothy? Oh. Um. Whoops. I am sorry, ma'am, please do enjoy the parade. And give your best to your mother. Maman very much enjoyed the silks." Cheeks red, Miselle moved to see if she could spot anyone else.

Pairing off with Miselle as a fellow techie, Az allows her to take point in the search for persons of interest, letting his own keen eyes aid hers.

Since Miselle is only one shy of making the 15, Az will use Aid Another to assist her Perception check.

Aid Another (Perception): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

That will give Miselle a 16 on the check and give us a pass!

For a moment, Az thinks he spots something not quite right, so he quickly takes the machinesmith by the arm and points her in that direction. "Oy, Miselle. I am thinking someone over there is looking familiar, but I cannot put finger on it. What you think?"

-Posted with Wayfinder

Assuming that get's the first success out of the way.

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14 Really?

When Miselle points out Coulton, Corynne focuses on the man before continuing to comb the crowd, something nagging just on the edge of memory but just out of reach. "There's something about that man......something I almost remember but...." she trails ff as she gazes off at something only she can see.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 7 + 2 = 25 Jeb, Diplomacy for being a Good Cop, if you please.
"Well, let's see what he has to say for himself." Alice says before singling out Coulton and pushing him against a crate and lighting a cigar.
"Listen now, you two pence fiddler. You started a riot last week that had seven wounded, then fled like a coward. Today I have little time, the stakes are high and I'm in a bad mood, so listen here. You either tell me what you're planning, or you can learn the true meaning of the expression police brutality. Your word against mine, pal, not looking good for you." She puffs a small cloud of smoke towards him and conspicuously rests her hand on her rapier.

Sorry, late to the party again

diplomacy, good cop: 1d20 + 8 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 8 + 2 + (2) = 15 using inspiration

"Now, now Alice; I'm sure the man didn't mean for things to get out of hand; after all, even dockers draw the line at seeing innocents hurt. I'm sure that if he tells us what we want to know, everything will work out, eh?"

Coulton pushes Alice's hand off his shoulder and raises his voice. "You see that, gents? The woman just threatened me! I got rights, ya know! Is anyone watching this?!?" His companions pick up the cry and promptly begin yelling for 'Dafton' to get over here and help them. Soon, a fourth Docker (and known rabble-rouser) has shoved his way through the crowd. If you're not careful, this could get ugly fast.

Congratulations on passing your first Skill Challenge with time to spare. :-) Have fun resolving the situation (all of you can join the RP here). There's still around 10min before the Coaltongue launch ceremony begins.

Dafton... The name rung a bell.

...Honest, industrious, peaceful citizens are named bloodsuckers, if they ask to be paid a living wage!... ..Praise is reserved for those who get paid enormously for committing crimes against which no laws had been passed!

She'd read some of his pamphlets, the man could write. This could get very ugly, very quickly. Nervously, she looked to the others for hints on what to do.

Alice stares Coulton unflinching, then raises her voice as loud as she can without shrieking.
"You are right, Coulton, you do have rights. You are under arrest for disturbing the peace; you have the right to remain silent and I really wish you would use it. Are you going to come with me peacefully, or will you hide like a coward behind those you pretend to stand for?"

Coulton sneers at Alice and puts up his fists. "Disturbing the peace? I ain't done nothing! Lotsa people are making noise, and you're singling me out?" He and his buddies clearly aren't planning on coming quietly and are about to start throwing punches.

Unless the entire party immediately backs off and leaves them alone, we'll be starting combat.

"Not now, last week. If you wish to fight, you will be resisting arrest. If you are as innocent as you claim you will have nothing to fear, but anyone who attacks constables in the lawful pursuit of their duties is going to have a great deal of difficulty persuading the magistrates of their innocence."

Jeb assumes position, his fists up, ready to dodge.

someone call the regular police for assistance; the sooner we take these guys down, the better

Once combat starts (as things appear to be going that route), a PC can request aid from the crowd with a DC 12 Diplomacy or Intimidate check. They won't make attacks or deal damage, but can provide flanking and hinder movement.

Miselle raised an eyebrow. "You realize that the King himself will be here, yes? To raise such a fuss, to cause a fight and assault agents of the crown...that would be treason. Are you traitors to your nation and your kin, your neighbours and loved ones?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Alice always had a short patience threshold, and the dockers had already pushed her to the limit. Hearing the Danoran accent of Miselle speak of King and loyalty to Risur was the final straw. Echoes of the cannonballs rocking the Impetuous in her ear, she shouts one final warning to her opponent.
"Throw the first punch, Coulton, and I swear that you will regret it. STAND DOWN!" she shouts at the top of her lungs.
Demoralizing is a standard action, if I can also get a move action I'm drawing my rapier.

Intimidate(demoralize): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25