Ives probably did know that about stirges given his great K nat check. It is tricky to decide how gamey to be with the combat stamina points and whether or not to add exactly the right amount of stamina. Ives has hit enough stirges today that it's definitely fair to say he knows exactly what it takes to hit their normal AC. In the past, I've often just let PCs assume they know a monster's entire stat-block if they pass the check but I'll think about playing it closer to RAW in the future where increments of 5+ grant further information. In that case, it would probably look like a string of spoilers something like this
DC 11 K Nat:
It's a stirge! They attach and suck blood. This looks a little smaller and less tough than an adult stirge normally would.
DC 16 K Nat:
While attached, stirges are easier to hit.
DC 21 K Nat:
Look up stirges' stats. These guys have -2 to hit, -1 ac, and -1 hp compared to a normal stirge.
Fair enough. I've always found the increments of five rule for knowledge checks fairly difficult to implement in play. Not only does it require extra math (which slows things down at the table) it's hard to know how much knowledge to give out as the base line before they start getting to ask questions.
Sure I dislike rectonning as well.
We'll see how I run with it in the future. I might just allow hitting the DC to mean "you know the statblock." It's not like this party has room for a lot of knowledge skills anyway.
I count 8 stirges killed so far, just for tracking purposes.
Teleri is definitely going to need to pick up a damaging spell of some sort at her next level.
Yeah the party's too small for a strictly support role to grt a lot of mileage.
9 juvenile stirges killed for 1350xp + 200 xp for crossing the most impassable part of the swamp. That brings us solidly to level 2. Level up now since we're between encounters.
I almost always do PFS, akak average rounded up, aka half max +1. So that's what we're doing.
D6: 4
D8: 5
D10: 6
D12: 7
Teleri's level 2:
+1 BAB
+1 Will saves
Learned a cantrip (Acid Splash)
+1 level 1 spell slot
7 hit points (4 from die, 2 CON, 1 favored class)
New total is 16 (but reduced by 2 due to current CON damage)
Note that her Fast Learner feat gets her both a hit point and a skill point from favored class.
I generally try to allocate skill points according to things the character has been doing.
Regular skills:
+1 Knowledge (Nature) - because of wandering around the forest
+1 Perception - because of the naiad ambush
+1 Sense Motive - she's done a lot of that
+1 Spellcraft - more spellcasting
+1 Stealth - because I like Stealth
Background skills:
+1 Knowledge (Engineering) - mine expedition
+1 Profession (Clerk) - from her backstory, but didn't have enough skill points to fit it in at level 1.
Yay, I got a cantrip. All in all, I'd characterize this level as useful but not exactly exciting.
EDIT: Oh, and in the process of leveling up I discovered that I've goofed -- All of those jump checks should have been much harder. Teleri's got +1 to Acrobatics from DEX, and a -3 armor check penalty from her medium load; I took all that into account. But, I failed to realize that because the medium load decreases her land speed to 20 feet, she takes a further -4 penalty specifically on jumping. So she should have been rolling all those checks at -6, rather than -2. Ugh.
EDIT 2: my stat block and summary lines are up to date, including the effects of encumbrance and constitution damage.
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Ok! Leveled up. A pretty good level for me.
+1 BAB, +1 fort and reflex (and I realized I got my reflex wrong up til now, it is a 7 now), +2 natural armor (AC is up to 20).
For skills, I took acrobatics (all that jumping!), climb (Ives is a tree- climber!), k nature (of course), perception (of course), and survival (tracking!).
These grippli came to play. It's a winnable fight but I would have put your odds of winning at 60/40 before the fight started and a little lower now. I don't feel too bad about throwing a tough fight at you guys as it's definitively non-lethal. If you lose, it'll just take the plot in a somewhat different direction.
It doesn't help when I roll 2's and 3's to get out of the dang vines. Also, GM, could we maybe pick our own starting positions next time? I mean, the guy could have entangled us regardless, but I would have put Teleri behind Ives, not beside him, meaning that the frog monk would have had to either pick just one of us to hit, or else get into the entanglement with us.
May I add that I hate 1-round casting times? They cause a ton of rules arguments because they just don't work like anything else. And I constantly forget the distinction between a "1 round" and a "1 full round" casting time.
Yes the rolls have been unfavorable, no doubt. Fair point about picking starting positions. I agree this arrangement might not be optimal. But the alternative isn't fantastic either as Ives would be focused down by this grippli.
I observe that the grippli caster has been healing his ally at range. I have several theories:
1. He has Reach Spell and has been burning higher level slots to heal the monk remotely.
2. He has a Lesser Reach Metamagic Rod, which would be surprising at this level (they're expensive).
3. He has some other weird ability that lets him cure at range.
4. The GM has forgotten that Cure spells are touch range.
Could be any of those. Just thought I'd leave that there. :-Þ
Hahaha. Good try, guys.
5. Plant domain Grippli cleric has selective channel.
I believe that would be covered under #3, some other weird option that lets him heal at range.
<-- Has bases covered.
On a totally unrelated note, somebody over on Reddit recently asked "Why would my players find masks of their own faces?" I answered that question with this story:
She was a demigoddess of peace. At her merest smile, mortal enemies would throw down their weapons and sit down to talk out their differences. Her glance could cool the hatred in even the most fiery heart. Everywhere she went, rivalries ended, and people came together in friendship.
The God of War hated her.
But even he was subject to her power. Every time he came to slay her, his fingers would slacken around the grip of his sword, and soon he would be nodding and agreeing that everything is better when people live and let live. It took months -- sometimes years -- to shake her influence after each encounter. And so he began to dwindle in power as peace spread throughout the lands, and the worship he craved -- the clash of steel, the cries of agony, the flow of blood shed in mortal combat -- came slowly but surely to a halt.
Finally, in desperation, he struck upon a gambit. He locked himself away, and toiled for years to create two things.
First, he created a man. A handsome man, and kind; a man with no hatred in his heart, no lust for power; only an open and childlike love for the beauty of the world. And the God of War named him Maldaré.
Second, he created a mirror of perfectly silvered glass, flawless in every respect. Its frame depicted creatures of terror weeping tears of repentance, and hardy warriors laying down their arms. By the time it was done, the God of War stood on death's door, his power drained almost to nothing. His hands, once strong and sure, trembled as he wrapped the mirror.
He called Maldaré to him. "My son," he said. "I have come to see that Harmony's path is the way of the future. My time has past. But I bear her no ill will. And in token of this, I have fashioned her a gift. It is a mirror, that she may experience for herself the peace she grants to so many. Please, I am old and weak now ... take this gift to her for me."
"Of course, Father," said Maldaré.
And so he took up the gift, and bore it far across the many-colored lands until he reached Harmony. "Goddess," Maldaré said, "I come from the God of War. He bids me tell you that his time is past, but that he bears you no ill will; and that he has made you this gift in token of that."
Harmony looked upon Maldaré, and saw in him nothing but truth, kindness, and love. And so she smiled upon him, and took up the gift.
She unwrapped it. Her gaze fell upon the mirror. And for a moment, she saw herself, and felt the same peace she granted to everyone else.
But then the surface rippled and blackened. The creatures in the frame shook off their tears, and clutched at her hands with cruel claws. She screamed a scream that rang across all the lands as spiked hands reached forth from the glass and tore at her face, pulling and pulling until it came off altogether and fell into the inky blackness they sprang from.
Then the warriors in the frame took up their weapons and struck -- at the mirror. It shattered into a million pieces, falling from the frame in a cascade of inky black shards; and then, faster than the eye could see, the shards scattered, dispersing through land and sea and air and time.
Finally it was over, and Harmony dropped the empty frame. "What have you done?" she cried, turning to Maldaré.
But he could not answer her; for when he saw the horror of her ruined face, he fell dead upon the spot.
Harmony felt something new in her heart. Something she had never experienced before. She felt ...
Rage.
And so she ran to the stronghold of the War God, feet flying swift across the lands. As she passed, any who caught full sight of her face perished. Those who caught only glimpses fell into madness and began attacking their friends and loved ones.
As she approached, the War God felt his power returning. Voices were rising in anger. Weapons were being drawn. Battle was being joined. And his beard, once sparse and white, filled out with black. He stood from his throne, and felt his old strength. He picked up his axe, and it sang in his hand as it always had before Harmony.
"What have you done to me?" Harmony cried as she burst into the chamber.
"I have defeated you!" the War God answered. "I have torn away the facade of 'peace'. I have given the people freedom to make war or not as they choose, not because of your witchery. I have broken Harmony."
With a shriek, Harmony threw herself at him; but he is the God of War, and she had never before lifted a hand in anger. And so he defeated her once again, this time with contemptuous ease.
The God of War is not above gloating. He leaned down over her. "You want to know what I have done?" he whispered. "I have taken your face from you, and shattered it into many pieces. A million times a million; and these I have scattered across all the lands, and every age in the vastness of time. There they have become masks: perfectly formed in the image of those who honor me with fist and blade and spell. Perhaps if you found all of them, pressed each one into the ruin I left, you could heal yourself. But until you do, everywhere you go you will spread strife and madness to balance out the unnatural 'peace' you forced on the world. Now. Get out."
And with that, Harmony fled to begin her long, long task.
They call her Harmony. Once, it was true. And perhaps, one day, it will be again.
But for now, she walks this wide world of hatred and pain alone with her grief and rage; and all right thinking folk pray never to be visited ... by Harmony.
Thought I'd post it here since I know Jason likes these stories I write occasionally.
Thanks, Will! Always an interesting read.
Question on 1 round casting times: I'm not done casting the spell until the beginning of my next round, right? So, at what point in that process do I decide the target?
It's a 5 foot radius burst (essentially a 10-foot square), so if I have to decide where it's targeted at the beginning of the casting, then the squares I target may be empty by the time I finish the spell. If, on the other hand, I decide the target at the end of the casting, then I can target anyone who happens to be in range.
As mentioned, I hate 1-round casting times. They're stupidly complicated.
Imo you can target the location of the spell after finishing it. I'm not sure that's RAW but until and perhaps even if I find out otherwise, that's how we'll play it.
Okay, that makes sense to me. Thanks!
I've never played a sorcerer before, and wow, at this level their options are super limited.
Yes indeed they are!
Re 1 round casting times: I'll allow the following homebrew feat
Fast spellcasting: 1 round casting times become 1 full-round action instead.
Up to you if that's worth it.
Is that:
A. A metamagic feat, and if so what spell level adjustment would it be?
B. Applied to all 1 round casting times all the time?
C. Applied to a particular spell chosen at the time the feat is taken, or to a list of spells (perhaps a number equal to casting stat modifier).
I was thinking B but if that seems over-powered to you I'm happy to amend it.
I think B would be fine, honestly. I just wanted clarity.
I'll definitely think about that; it's a solid option. But there are an awful lot of feats I'd like to have, so I might not pick it at third level. We'll see.
Yes it's not like sorcerers exactly overflow with feats...
I hope you guys are enjoying this language barrier even half as much as I am! I think language barriers in live conversation with an NPC is unrealistically rare in PF, despite being a fun difficulty. It's also great to reward PCs for having some odd language on their sheet. The wife thought this picture puzzle was too obscure as is but I think it's fair since you're allowed to take actions to get clarification/extra information.
In general I'm finding that my puzzle design works better when it starts hard and with few clues but then PCs can earn clues through clever thinking, skill checks, etc. It's really unsatisfying for me when they solve it very quickly and easily or even worse for everyone if I just give out hints for free because the puzzle was too obscure.
Agreed. It's more interesting this way.
I don't know how long this game is going to go on, but if it lasts long enough, a Handy Haversack is a high-priority item for Teleri. Walking around with a sixty pound backpack is really cramping her style.
Good choice! As foe duration, I say we play to level 5 then re-evaluate. I have plans that can take us through 14 or so.
Finding the snake not-withstanding, Ives makes a good point about how incredibly inappropriate PF CRs are. A level 2 and a level 1 npc were MUCH harder to deal with than a CR 2 creature. But dice make a difference too.
I think those fights were basically identical, but in mirror image of one another.
The grippli fight was, basically, 2 versus 1: the gripplis versus Ives. Teleri soaked up a little damage, and that was all she contributed for basically three rounds. By the time she could actually do anything, Ives was down and it continued to be a 2 v 1 fight, this time the gripplis versus Teleri.
The snake, by comparison, was also a 2 v 1 fight: Teleri and Ives versus the snake. We were free to move about and had no particular adverse conditions to deal with; it wasn't very bright, and in short order it got ganked.
Yes that seems an apt summary.
Note to self: Add multiple hostile grippli with PC levels to all encounters. ;)
So, point of clarification, you said Ives won initiative, and then told him go. I'm assuming that means the grippli go before Teleri. Yes?
Yep. Paul puts up these wonderful initiative trackers every turn of every battle. So far I've thought my players could do without but maybe that would be helpful.
I don't think that's necessary, particularly with just two players. But if you could just announce the initiative -- e.g. "Ives, baddies, Teleri" -- that would suffice.
Ok I'll announce that in the future.
Ugh. All I need to do is roll a 10 or higher, and then I can contribute something to this fight.
EDIT: I did the math! On any given round, I have a 45% chance of doing nothing at all. So not quite a coin flip, but close.
2 rounds of nothing so far. I've got three more tries at Sleep, and then I'm down to cantrips.
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Wrote up a post and then deleted as I wondered how many rules we are breaking.
This is all difficult terrain so we can't be five foot stepping around. That is problem one.
Problem 2 is that every turn we stay in the area, we need to resave to not be entangled (if we are currently free). I haven't rolled this for Ives and I don't think you've been rolling this for the bad guys.
Really, the cleric should probably still be right next to me, never allowed to five foot step in the first place. Or Ives should get an AoO, and can the cleric even move at all? His reflex save must suck.
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Wrote up a post and then deleted as I wondered how many rules we are breaking.
This is all difficult terrain so we can't be five foot stepping around. That is problem one.
Problem 2 is that every turn we stay in the area, we need to resave to not be entangled (if we are currently free). I haven't rolled this for Ives and I don't think you've been rolling this for the bad guys.
Really, the cleric should probably still be right next to me, never allowed to five foot step in the first place. Or Ives should get an AoO, and can the cleric even move at all? His reflex save must suck.
I noticed the five-foot step Ives took earlier and started a post pointing it out, and then thought ... naaaaah, that's the GM's job to catch. :-Þ But really, once you got free you needed to use a move action to get into position to attack the cleric, which would provoke even though it's only five feet.
The grippli cleric was totally fine taking his five foot step -- he positioned the entangle to leave a strip on the side that's not affected. He and the monk are free and clear to move as they please as long as they don't enter the affected area. See the bright green line denoting the area on the map?
Teleri's entangled and hasn't bothered trying to get loose. There's no place she would want to go anyway -- the only free spaces are much too close to the monk and the cleric for comfort. She's got three more castings of sleep, and I live in hope that some day she'll roll a concentration check which isn't in single digits.
Teleri's point about the placement of the entangle is correct. The only question is whether or not Ives can 5 ft step out of the entangle, which is difficult terrain. But this he can do, iirc. Moving into a square is what matters.
"When movement is hampered, each square moved into usually counts as two squares, effectively reducing the distance that a character can cover in a move."
From exploration and movement.