Dwarves of Gold Peak

Game Master Nathanael Love

I think I got the math a little wrong on my attack rolls as I was in a hurry.

GM needs to know: So that's 25 to hit for 23 damage and 30 to hit for 27 damage. I'll note that in gameplay as well.

Regarding the riders: They are fey so we could attempt K nat checks to know stuff about them. Unfortunately, Rubius is dumb and has no ranks in knowledge skills. Dvalin?

Dwarven comic I came across

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! we're travelling so I will try to update if the wife lets me out of black Friday at a reasonable time tonight

I have change of command and then Hail & Farewell/Christmas Ball tomorrow so I may be out till Sunday after tonight.

Have fun!

Being out of the Combat, I took a look at Cold Riders because I noticed you did not apply the Strenght penalty on the attack or damage rolls.

It did not make a difference - the attack rolls would have hit anyway, and despite the Glaive being two-handed, the 3 strenght penalty kicks them from 17 to 14.
So instead of +4 from strenght, it's +3 from strenght, or only 1 damage point less per attack.
Which is still sufficient to fell Dvalin. (Had it been 4 strenght drained, it would have made a difference - same with 16 base strenght).

So, yeah, TLDR: Despite strength damage, attacker used normal stats - but unfortunately it would not have made a difference, I checked before bringing it to attention.

Ugh! I messed up six ways that round, sorry!

Actually, it should have been 17 STR -3= 14 for +2 x 1.5= 3 +2 for the +2 weapon= +5 damage, but because I'd just applied it as -2 I got +6-2= +4 damage.

Aye, but no worries. It would have been +5 damage here, and in the previous instances. More importantly, all would have hit, regardless, and the end effect would have been exactly the same :)

It's just a habit of mine - if a PC(more so if it is my own) goes down, I double-check the math in case someone missed something, somewhere :)

Hoping the queen is true to her word, I am somewhat relaxed this time.

I'm cheering for you guys.
I didn't expect it to be so close in the beginning.
But, dice willing, you actually have a chance to win this.
Here's crossing my fingers.

Win...? No, I don’t think so. But I do think that we will have a good enough showing

There is a very real chance that it's currently 2v3 in our favor - the chance is there -

A lucky crit doesn’t hurt in that regard! Here’s hoping the riders don’t have similar luck.

Just out of curiosity...where are we? Those 'dead'?

Are we unconscious? Do we find ourselves in an afterlife? In Pharasmas Realm, or those of our respective Gods?
Not looking to go in-depth there, but still curious what exactly happens during our time spent slain...

FYI all, I am traveling through the 26th- updates may be a little slow during the holidays here, and Merry Christmas to you all!

Dvalin: when you "die" you find yourself in something more akin to a purgatory- you aren't actually dead so the usual death thing doesn't happen, but while there, you are each visited by either an avatar of your primary deity or a servant of your deity.

I will be traveling Dec 25-Jan 1 so please feel free to bot me then. I doubt I will be able to post at all as I'll be in a national park.

Am here, but not yet posting in gameplay.
I think my Patron may be...letting me go last.
The concept of time does not really occur to it.
So I'll count myself lucky to come back at all, even if it takes an little extra tug from the Winter Queen to pull me free.

Have to say, that was a nasty fight! I’m surprised we pulled it off. Could very easily have been a TPK

Sorry guys, we've caught up to where I had planned and I need a bit to get realigned here.

All good. Was planning to get a post in myself but have been feeling dry, as I’ve been traveling a lot lately.

All good here, too, after holidays leaving me with less time for private hobbies than I would have wanted, not there's piles of stuff at work to take care off :P
I'm currently delayed across the board, so some breather is actually welcome :)

Ok- so I have decided to ditch the Militia stuff-- not as a plot point, but the rule set. Looking at it, every adventure takes between 1-3 months so that leaves a huge gap between militia turns (October was the last one!) so I don't feel like it's getting the momentum it needs.

I think an alternative could be skill checks. Kobold press does this. Scene is set, with multiple options on how to proceed with varying DCs to hit based on skill, and a generic “player makes something up” option. It lets month long gaps be filled and the story to be moved, but without the extra sub system.

I must admit, I'm rarely invested in extra subsystems when they pop up in adventures. Social interactions, skill challenge encounters, etc? I love them. But not a huge of tracking extra subsystems...

I do generally like subsystems - if they are easy enough to understand and have just the right amount of impact on what else happens.

That said, we can still formally 'build up' a militia/army - that is, a skimmed down-aspect of the whole thing - not even going to mass combat stuff, but e.g. focus on a few aspects and have that as a background-thing much like settlement qualities.
(say if we decide to focus on inner security after the wererat infiltration, it could function like law+2, crime-2; meanwhile, focusing outward against orcs, trolls and giants because they are overall the bigger problem, may provide defensive combat boni(e.g. +2 AC/+2 Attack from assistance and distraction provided by combat-trained militia members against specific enemies)

That's just random numbers and just a pitch, where we would not do things in-depth, but also not discard the aspect completely. As you said, you want to ditch the rule set, not the plot point.
Making it into a entity that we can influence/form that will have some impact on things that happen(or even just small flavor side stories, where our crimebusters solved a case by themselves before we even got involved) would be great.

Just throwing thoughts out there - maybe you were thinking something similar already, or maybe it won't work like this, but one can always suggest ;)

FYI- I'm travelling unexpectedly for my cousin's funeral this weekend so I won't be able to get an update till tomorrow afternoon.

@Divine Sight: Unless I missed something, to use it the way you intended, we'll need to be Level 7?
Or have a direct line of vision to them(so just the penalties get negated) in which case a rough map would be great.

@Tactics: I do have Thorny Entanglement prepared. Thats 80-feet diameter of difficult entangling terrain with 2d6 automatic damage and with a 110-feet diameter of 2d6 damage on hit.
(Never really worked before because single enemies/surrounded by enemies/no natural terrain with vegetation - so glad I can finally use it for once :P)

No IFF, however, but if we're smart about this we may catch most of them with their pants down...

Thorny entanglement would be great. I'm happy to shoot them while they're stuck in the middle!

You’re right! When are we 7th level?

Total Previous XP: 29,986 each

XP gained: 6400 each

Total current XP: 36,386

SO yes- apologies, you should level to 7 off the Ice Queen adventure.

Lvl 7!

I forgot to add this at lvl 6: “Starting at 6th level, whenever he has at least 3 points of burn, the kineticist gains a +2 size bonus to two physical ability scores of his choice. He also gains a chance to ignore the effects of a critical hit or sneak attack equal to 5% × his current number of points of burn.“ So Kragg gets +2 Dex and +2 Con

HP: +5 (Class) + 6 (Con) + 1 (FCB) = +13 + 12 (Con Bonus from lvls1-6) = +25
BaB: +1
Saves: +0
Skills: +4
DR Adamantine: +1
Feat: VMC Wizard (Transmutation, +1 Enhancement Bonus to Con. This bonus increases by +1 for every five wizard levels you possess to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. So adds +2)

Expanded Element: Water! To add ice to his repertoire, as it seems appropriate following the last adventure. Also gives option for elemental damage when needed and can hit vs touch against heavily armored foes

Physical Blast: 4d6+4 (blast) + 6 (Con) + 4 (Deadly Aim) + 4 (Overflow) = 4d6+18
Cold Blast: 4d6 (blast + 3 (Con) + 4 (Deadly Aim) + 4 (Overflow) = 4d6+11
Composite Physical Blast: 1 burn for 8d6+8 (blast) + 6 (Con) + 4 (Deadly Aim) + 4 (Overflow) = 8d6+22

Mud Blast
* Element earth, wood; Type composite blast (Sp); Level —; Burn 2
* Prerequisite earth blast, water blast
* Blast Type physical: bludgeoning
* 2d6+2 + the kineticist’s Constitution modifier, increasing by 2d6+2 for every 2 kineticist levels beyond 1st.
* Until lvl8 it costs 1 burn every time I use this along with gather power

Lvl 7 Sage!

HP: 21
Saves: 5/5/2
Intelligence: 8
Natural Armor: +2
Skills: Knowledge Planes (+6)
Figment Evolution Skilled Stealth (+22)

Level 7

Finally got Rage Prophet, but only effectively a 5th level Oracle, so no Divine Sight for two more levels.

DECISIONS
1 rank Perception
2 ranks Diplomacy
2 ranks Sense Motive
1 rank Know Nobility
1 rank Perform Oratory

Level 7
+7hp
+1 bab
+1 2nd and 3rd spell per day

+1 1st(spirit share), 2nd (burst of radiance) and 3rd (resist energy, communal) known

Revealation - Wings of Darkness
Feat - extra revealation - shadow projection

6 skills + 2 background

Diplomacy
Disable Device
Perception
Sense Motive
Stealth
Bluff

Profession Spy
Linguistics (aklo)

Will have to level up tomorrow on Saturday.

Level 7
+8 HP(4 class, 3 con, 1 FCB)
+1 Level 1 Spell/day
+1 Level 4 Spell/day (+1 Bonus from Int)

+ Spells known: Wall of Blindness/Deafness, Shadowform

VMC: Bardic Performance(+1 Inspire Courage, +2 Inspire Competence) for 8 rounds per day.

Patron: +5 Hardness, +1 Int and Clairvoyance/clairaudience.

Skills: 2(class)+4(Int)+2(background)

+1 Perform(Oratory)
+1 Craft(Siege Engines)

+1 Use Magic Device
+1 Spellcraft
+1 Knowledge(Arcana)
+2 Fly
+1 Perception

Forgotten decision:

Feat = Extra Revelation (Lightning Breath)

Level 7
Hp: 1d10 ⇒ 3 + 2 Con + 1 Toughness = 6
BAB +1/+1

Skills
+1 Diplomacy
+1 Sense Motive
+1 Disable Device
+1 Intimidate
+2 Survival
+1 Knowledge (geography)
+1 Knowledge (nobility)(Background)
+1 Craft (weapons){Background)

Special
Brothers In Arms Outflank (Teamwork)

Access to 2nd level Mynrughdaer spells

Thinking for those negotiating, knowledge of where the hidden orc homeland is would be good to have

Tonight I head out of town on business returning Saturday. I'll have limited time to post, and combat posts will be very difficult. Please bot me as necessary. Cheers

GM, I'm thinking of taking exotic weapon proficiency (orc hornbow) this level but I need to ask if Thurgrom and I can use craft (bows) to upgrade my composite longbow with horn to make it an orc hornbow. Because there's no way I'm giving up my awesome icy bow so if that doesn't work I'll take another feat.

Yes, that's fine.

Apologies, I was in transit to Kansas City late Sunday/yesterday.

I am not with the group leading the negotiations, but I have a suggestion nonetheless...

Demand the children as wards.

They are not as highly valued in orc culture as they are in others, but all the same, they would make for reasonable hostages. At the same time, it would be some vulnerable members removed from the group that may not make it to spring otherwise. And we have a month to show these Orcs kids what Dwarven Culture is about...maybe laying a foundation for a generation of Orcs - in that tribe - that is more open and willing to culturally adapt to new circumstances.

It's something they do have, it's a demand not beyond reason. If necessary, Dvalin will be host to them.

Ah you don't have message?

Rubius hates the idea of cooperating with these orcs but he presses on for the safety of the Dwarves. He repeats his key question "How do we tell these orcs apart? Maybe we can go and kill the blood-drinkers who would also attack Dwarves. Then the rest of the orcs can live there peacefully."

I do have it, alas, not prepared. I had Detect Poison for the Social Event, and forgot to swap it out.

Chances are even if I remembered to do so I would have choosen Stabilize, Guidance, or Putrefy Food and Drink for any open Level 0 Slots.
We should probably coordinate in the future, bringing up the lack of communication right now could easily convince Dvalin to prepare Message henceforth.

Sorry guys, dealing with a sickness here at the house. I'll update tonight.

Just a heads-up(for all my games):
If everything works out according to plan, on this next Friday, my third daughter will be born.
I had to spend more time with the 2 I already had and help at home, as well as do some preparation work at home(moving and building furniture etc.) Simultaneously, I am taking 4 weeks of unpaid leave, and that has left work very...stressful. Trying to get every open topic done or handed over to someone that can and will take care of it has left me spending way longer in office than usually, further cutting into available time and leaving me exhausted.
Tomorrow will be my last workday before then - I'll try and make sure to update before Friday, but the first few days after, I may be MIA(with 2 kids at home, and 1 in the hospital). If the first two kids are an indication, I will have some time in the evenings to keep posting, so I expect to be back at latest after we are reunited at home(4-5 days after birth), and, paradoxically, less stressed than I feel right now(seriously, I feel burned out - and while those little joy bundles can be incredibly demanding, they never left me feeling as drained as work manages to do.).
Thanks for your patience. As said, I'll be here again before ;) Just figured some advance notification would be in order.

Please do bot me as needed during that time, I'm with Kragg and Rubius in a different game, they may call shots while I'm away.

Congrats! Very exciting news. :)

Sorry I forgot to bot something for Dvalin. Will read his sheet and come up with something now.

GM, how would you feel about us taking feats/spells, etc that usually have a pre-requisite of being a non-dwarf race? I'm thinking specifically of the celestial servant feat that you normally have to be an aasimar to access.

I'd say on a case by case basis, but for celestial servant I would rule yes to waive the race requirement.

I'm back :)
Well, kind of.

We returned home from the hospital yesterday and I estimate I still got about 10 hours of sleep missing before I'll be back to normal operation.
Our everyday-routines are still adapting to our new family member, but things are getting there.
I'm hoping to be back to posting shortly, but things may still be spotty in the next couple days. I'll try and get caught up as soon as I find some time, though.

Good to have you back, buddy! I tried botting you a bit but you're build is certainly funkier and has different moving pieces than my witch. I even forgot to summon something for you before this big fight!

Let's say that you summoned something. I just don't know what... Oh and you used the flight hex on yourself too.