Eyes of the Ten 2019 --- GM Xavier Kahlvet (Inactive)

Game Master KingTreyIII

I am a terribly indecisive individual who usually takes ages to buy new crap between scenarios so this is some kind of fresh hell.

Renewing the temporary Restoration, Bless Weapon, and Dispel Magic. Buying a discounted scroll of Greater Dispel Magic with the other card ability for 1320GP, adding Glamered to my armor for 2700gp, and getting a +4 Dex belt for 16,000GP. I'm on my phone, updates to the sheet will be done tomorrow when I don't have to worry about Autocorrupt ruining everything.

Sorry, purchases have been on the back burner for several days. Especially with that much gold, it takes me a little while to figure everything out. That being said, here's what I've got:

- First Aid Gloves (4500 gp)
- Lesser Talisman of Life's Breath (3500 gp)
- Replacement Wand: Cure Light Wounds (2 PP)
- Wand: Dispel Magic (CL 11) (6 charges) (2970 gp)
- Wand: Haste (20 charges) (4500 gp)
- Lesser Threnodic Rod (9000 gp)

Have to check my funds, but will need a bit to grab sheet and evaluate new purchases. I don't know if I got my sheet... I thought I saw it, but am now not seeing it.

I just checked again and Sahess your sheet should be in the google drive link on this post.

Jordan's player (since I know him IRL) told me that he upgraded his cloak to +5 and bought boots of speed, so I'm going to advance the narrative because I'm impatient. Combat won't be immediate after you step through the portal, so once Sahess has things figured out we can just say that she bought what she meant to buy; it's an easy enough retcon.

Okay. I did buy the gloves to replace mine during the adventure. I have 20622 remaining which I'll get spent tout de suite. I could spend 14k to get Furious on my greatsword. Remaining 6k to buy another set of gloves, because never enough, and just chill with the 2k left over. Unless anyone thinks I need more tanky and less smashy.

If Sahess is willing to wait a little bit before smashing things, Arnaut can help the Tanky part with displacement.

If there's one thing that amuses me most about how this scenario has aged, it's that the two Chileaxian faction PCs absolutely despise Chileax.

If there's one thing that amuses me most about how this scenario has aged, it's that the two Chileaxian faction PCs absolutely despise Chileax.

RIGHT?!

Quick aside: “Chelaxian” refers to an ethnicity, while “Chelish” refers to the nationality; so it would be “Chelish faction PCs.” Nitpick, I know, but when you run Hell’s Rebels you tend learn the difference quickly.

Huh. I always used Chileaxian to refer to matters of the state or organizations affiliated with it, and Chelish for characteristics: IE "Chelish Pride".

Learn something new every day. I'll try to watch that in future.

Something I'm unclear on: if someone else starts a surprise round by their actions but I go before them in initiative, are they flat-footed because I'm reversing their momentum or normal because they wanted to make things violent?

I’ve got an answer: improved uncanny dodge. But to actually answer your question I’d say that they’re flat-footed because of the momentum thing.

You know, I always thought it was funny that rogues of all people got the "immunity to Flanking" ability, when they're confined to light armor and so it's just not going to matter against a high level creature.

Edit: Ditto Barbarians, whose motto is "My AC says no, but my Hit Points say 'yes'."

This is me, posting for the day. I'd have done it in character but I got violated.

The things that happen when I don't check the thread while I'm doing work. Sigh.

Hooray for Rocket Tag

I'm beginning to feel the whole "initiative wins battles" thing.

Level 20 Adventurers are probably terrified of doors through sheer Pavlovian conditioning.

Hey, at least I held them to their initiatives rather than have them immediately go first, like what’s written.

Also, perhaps Arnaut would have used the gloves and started to Inspire Greatness for the temp hp. Bit late to retcon that now (especially since I’d rather not make Jordan’s shots miss), but we can get that started next round.

EDIT: wait, no, Arnaut would be unconscious. Sorry Jordan - GM, can we retcon Inspire Greatness instead of Inspire Courage?

Thought never crossed my mind. Sure, I’ll allow the retcon since I was trying to adhere to the instructions you gave me as closely as possible; would only mean Red takes 8 less damage, anyhow. If Zhu Li also got the temp hp then she won’t be unconscious.

I'm... Honestly just useless here.

How did I f&%& up a 12th level character this badly?

You're not useless Zhu - if you used inspiration against the second breath cone (red doggie I believe) you would still be conscious for your turn (see Gameplay thread for details). Let's wait to talk with the GM.

The worst part is thinking of all of the stuff i could have done if I had focused initiative like I apparently should have.

Oh, so many things I could have done to help with this. Communal resist Cold, for example. It's a lv3 extract so I can use Universal Formula to get it. Or just moving out of the way.

Side note: this is officially the second most suicidal faction mission I have ever been given. First prize still goes to "take a feather from a harpy Witch while she's in flight. I'll know if she wasn't flying when you take it."

The witch in question had a penchant for Blindness.

I mean, you never had a chance to post buffs and I would think from the ice on the doorhandle we might have an inkling of what could be inside the room. GM, your opinion?

Also, that's almost such a terrible faction mission it's amazing.

Zhu Li didn’t have the immediate action to use inspiration on her save.

And with all the hints of cold and such, I don’t think it would be stretching it to say that you would’ve done that buff to resist cold—I did just railroad you guys to hell in a hand basket to save time.

Also, don’t forget that you can use inspiration on Initiative; it is an ability check, which is valid.

And I think an establishment of some ground rules (and a few retcons) would be for the best; I do tend to get in over my head with a lot of stuff related to moving the scenario along...

Not right this moment, though, as I have somewhere I need to be for the next 2-ish hours.

At 8th level, your energy resistance increases to 10. So I have resist 10 to this energy damage. SUCK IT FIRE DRAGONS, THIS IS WHY I'M ICE.

Yeah the note on my sheet says "cold resist 2 and NA +10", those are backwards. I'd love to have +10 NA, but alas.

Ok, so... Retcon to have Shield and Communal Resist Cold up? Which would mean we didn't get royally destroyed by the triple come of frost thing, and those gloves didn't get used.

I approve of this! If that's the case, my actions won't have changed, yet, but my next turn likely would (I'd probably walk into the room given the resistance.)

Also, GM, I don't think I'm passing this faction mission. I'd rather lose a prestige than, well, die. Thanks. I gave it a shot. It didn't work. Told the devil to stop. Devil didn't stop.

Oh? Do you need a [tosses handful of flowers in the air and turns around with a Japanese idol pose] charmer?

If we can get that devil to not attack us, that would be great. Jordan is totally about to spoil our faction mission IC. Because, well, I think it'll only work out if the entire party knows.

I'll say it here first, while we're working out the retcons. The faction mission boils down to "Don't kill devils." I'm pretty sure the entire party needs to not kill devils, not just Zhu Li and me, so yeah.

This should be fun.

Need is a strong word, and honestly, if Zhu can't swing it with logic like right now, it's probably not happening on my end either.

This thing is a pain in the ass without trying to fight Nonlethal.

Hey guys, can you bot me for the day? Just... I dunno, try to bless Sahess' sword or something.

My head's not a good place right now, and I'm stuck in it.

Now granted by canon these events happened BEFORE the other events I reference, but...

Time has become such an abstract concept in Absalom ever since that incident with the Sky Key...

Reminds me of the Dwarf Fortress steam page.

"Time is subjective."

Long day at work today. Expect a post in 8 hours or so.

Before I forget (again), I have 56 points of heal to account for.

Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Healing Stick: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

11 charges.

For future reference, I allow taking average out of combat (5.5 hp healed per charge). Still would’ve taken 11 charges, though.

This upcoming weekend (May 23rd-27th) I will be attending PaizoCon, so my posting during that time will be severely diminished, if existent at all. Just letting you guys know in advance.

I will also be fairly incommunicado the 24th-27th as I'll be on a trip with my wife, and am not taking along any of my computers. I'll have my phone, but not great for posting.

Ooh, have fun everyone!

Apologies for the deleted post, my map was stuck on an old revision with a lot more enemies for some reason.

Wouldn't Sahess' blindsense auto-ping the stealthing gorilla?

Oh...crap, you're right. If I've said it once I'll say it again: I always forget that Dragon Disciples have constant blindsense.

Same end result anyways: Sahess flies, Silverback AoOs, Sahess attacks.

I have literally never seen a DD played before, if I'm completely honest.

Ah, good call on that. May I roll the attack I had intended?

Go right ahead.

Oh, man, forgot Shaken was a thing for skill checks for a second there.

Exact change only, all sixth level healing spells are final, no substitutions, exchanges, or refunds.

To all: My new job starts up on Monday, and my main home game moved to Tuesday nights, so things may get skipped and such as my schedule begins to finally settle down. I will still attempt to post every day during the week, and now that I've not got 3 games over the weekend, I should be able to get a post out once a weekend, too.

Thanks again for dealing with my absences during this strange transitional period. A LOT of things have changed for the better.

Jordan is not paralyzed, but he now has a different problem: being right in front of the gorilla lich.

Well, given the funkiness with initiative and PbP, could Zhu step into the square Arnaut just vacated, leaving her old space clear for Jordan to step into? Arnaut is right in front of Zhu in initiative, so Jordan could "delay" until Zhu moves and then 5 ft step and take his turn.

Or Jordan could just provoke. What are the odds this thing has Combat Reflexes, eh? Honestly, I have no idea. Regular lich? I'd guess no. Cleric? Also no. Gorilla lich cleric? I wouldn't really be surprised.

Ideally though, we want someone standing where Jordan currently is at the start of the lich's turn. (Shaess perhaps?) That'll force it to either keep taking damage from the wall, retreat and leave itself open to Jordan and Zhu's ranged attacks, or move closer and pop its anti-life shell - leaving it at the mercy of a very angry Sahess.