[Outpost II] PFS #10-03 Death on the Ice - Author Run (Inactive)

Game Master Scott Young

It also makes it so the GM can react to actions immediately (so saving throws and taking damage and the like).

I don't like block initiative in fights with a large number of enemies (Mwahahaha...) because it really swings things. I did move a couple of creatures around for convenience, though. But yes, Sickly can delay to get the spell off since I assume tactics would have been discussed.

I think you're misunderstanding what block initiative is.

It's not grouping the bad guys together, which can be problematic with lots of opponents (though can also be a good thing in pbp).

Block initiative is having all PC's who are grouped together via the normal init process, go in the order they post, rather than adjudicating their actions in init order... with the assumption that they are just delaying within their group for it all to work out that way.

It is really the only way to keep pbp sane, to be honest... without having to constantly retcon things, or have pc's suddenly doing things that make no sense, yet were perfectly reasonable when they posted.

Ah, I see. I've seen that used as well, but I find that when there are elements that the players can't immediately know, it can be awkward to assume that one post actually occurred as it was posted. Things like DR, immunities, bad guy readied actions, and environmental hazards complicate the matter. I'd rather continue as we have, and I'll try to check in more often to improve speed.

Its more about the players only being able to act on the information available.

External elements are completely immaterial, and have no bearing on any of it.

ie: If I can only log in at 7pm to post... and see its my turn... I look at the map, read what the situation is, and post my action.

2 hours later, person B pops in, and looks at the map, sees what's been posted, and posts their action based on that.

GM shows up a few minutes later, notes that person B is in front of me i the init, and decides to adjudicate their action first... and somehow that messes up or invalidates what I posted... then everything is messed up, for almost 24 hours. Suddenly, each round of combat starts taking days to get through.

The players can only act on the information available when they are able to post. If you then resolve actions in a different order, it rarely turns out well.

It's the real life delay between posts that's the real issue. Using block initiative makes it so a player's actions can be deal with ASAP instead of forcing real life timezones to unfold.

As players we can all start our posts with 'I delay until the posts from the players above me have been resolved', but if this is a silent agreement it also works.

There's so many moving parts in this encounter! I love it!

Also love it that some parts stopped moving for a while ;-)

@Sickly, I wouldn't go into the pit until inkwell locates any other of those nasty bone creatures.

Inkwell's blindsight should be able to make out any other invisible creatures in the pit as the 60 feet covers it entirely.

Sorry folks, unexpected absence. Back now.

I see what you're saying, Ward, but look at the last attack I had to resolve - if that had been a PC's attack, much of that information wouldn't have been available when the next player posted, because of things like Bodyguard, Fort saves, etc..

Most of the games I've played, I've used contingent orders, with some conditionals in case something happens in the interim.

Hmm, I'm Ward. Is there another Ward in the room?

Hmm, I'm Ward. Is there another Ward in the room?

All dwarfs look alike?

Looks over at the pale creature with a runny nose... returns a flat look at Zey..

Whoops - yeah, this was actually a "Ward is the dwarf!" mistake by the GM. sorry, that was aimed at Sickly. Yeesh.

And yes, the undead did in fact attack twice, but there is an extra bit of "1d6d20" stuff at the end of the damage from attack 1 that can be ignored.

Just testing

1d6d20 ⇒ (4, 2, 10, 19, 7) = 42
1d6d20 ⇒ (7, 14, 11) = 32
1d6d20 ⇒ (17, 8) = 25
1d6d20 ⇒ (17, 6, 14) = 37
1d6d20 ⇒ (10, 8, 6, 16) = 40
1d6d20 ⇒ (20, 9, 5, 18) = 52
1d6d20 ⇒ (17, 4, 8) = 29
1d6d20 ⇒ (5, 15, 7, 1, 1) = 29
1d6d20 ⇒ (11, 6, 13, 18, 9, 17) = 74
1d6d20 ⇒ (11, 10, 9) = 30
1d6d20 ⇒ (11, 13, 8) = 32
1d6d20 ⇒ 8
1d6d20 ⇒ (15, 20, 9, 9, 14, 16) = 83
1d6d20 ⇒ (10, 7, 5) = 22
1d6d20 ⇒ 19
1d6d20 ⇒ (17, 7) = 24
1d6d20 ⇒ (4, 2, 7, 4, 20, 10) = 47
1d6d20 ⇒ (17, 15) = 32
1d6d20 ⇒ (10, 12, 2, 14, 14, 4) = 56
1d6d20 ⇒ (16, 1, 15, 13, 17, 7) = 69
1d6d20 ⇒ (8, 17, 18, 15) = 58

Interesting! :-)

Ya, it is.

So it randomly rolls from 1 to 6 d20's

Didn't realize it resolved itself like that!

Quick question; Is inside the pit normal terrain for us?

Quick question; Is inside the pit normal terrain for us?

I think it is indeed normal terrain for us, due to this comment

Mason the Wall of Kortos wrote:

Quick question; Is inside the pit normal terrain for us?

I think it is indeed normal terrain for us, due to this comment

lol, yep, it was right there in black and white ;)

Lilybeth Zey wrote:

Mason the Wall of Kortos wrote:

Quick question; Is inside the pit normal terrain for us?

I think it is indeed normal terrain for us, due to this comment

lol, yep, it was right there in black and white ;)

Blue and white actually ;)

Sorry for the delay again, folks. There are enough bits to track that I don't want to just do an update on my phone, I need to be able to sit and run through things in sequence. Should be better now, work is still nuts but kids aren't sick.

@Mason, as you delayed last turn to be teleported, you are now lower in initiative than Lilybeth (and friends). Not that it really matters much with a d20 that rolls about equal to your d4 :-(.

You can 5 foot step out of the cloud (Even with the nice fortitude save, it's better not to risk getting poisoned).

Not sure what my current status is. It looks like you rolled a natural 20 to hit with one of your attacks and did not roll to confirm the crit.

Also, I'd like to use my folio reroll against the Fort save where I rolled a natural 1.

Yep, missed a crit. Oh, well, not going back. You've taken 22 points of damage plus 11 cold thus far, and rolled a pile of Fort saves. I rerolled the nat 1... sorry about that.

When I get home today I will update the initiative order with everyone's status, sorry for the confusion.

Thanks. I'll be out for a few hours. I'll post my action when I get home.

I was hit twice the first round for 22 plus 11 cold, subtracting the DR that's 29 total damage.

This round 44 damage after DR for a total of 73.

I had 18 temp hp from my unchained rage. So currently I should have 98-73 = 25 hp remaining.

I was hit twice the first round for 22 plus 11 cold, subtracting the DR that's 29 total damage.

This round 44 damage after DR for a total of 73.

I had 18 temp hp from my unchained rage. So currently I should have 98-73 = 25 hp remaining.

Also crits do not normally multiply additional damage dice from special weapon abilities (such as flaming), but we can discuss that when it starts becoming the difference between life and death.

Updating my tracker with the temp hp for rage (which I forgot) and removing the doubled cold damage.

Lilybeth, how are you mentally guiding the ceustodaemon?

Lilybeth, how are you mentally guiding the ceustodaemon?

Telepathy, although Lilybeth could just tell the daemon instead where the enemy was. “It’s on your 10 olock” or “it hasn’t moved from it’s previous location since the flash in the sky”

The daemon's Telepathy won't help locate an invisible target.

Telling him directly would =)

Sickly, I'm ok if you are going to attack the undead topside. Mason is all about attrition; as long as these start attacking him, or the summons.

I intended to... because of the difficult terrain, it will take 3 or 4 rounds to get both, and there's only 5 or so rounds left on the paralysis. Wouldn't do it they woke up!

Then there is the "accidental" blindness to deal with. Well at least while I'm blind I'm probably not going to "accidentally" start any more fires. Probably just get to stand around now and look pretty.

Then there is the "accidental" blindness to deal with. Well at least while I'm blind I'm probably not going to "accidentally" start any more fires. Probably just get to stand around now and look pretty.

You can cast remove blindess on yourself, using the mnemonic vestment, but I think the 1st round haste already gave us enough of an edge to succesfully finish this fight!

The daemon's Telepathy won't help locate an invisible target.

Telling him directly would =)

I've always assumed that a creature with telepathy could initiate two way communication (like receiving a phone call even if you don't have any credit), but Lilybeth will happily shout out instructions in Abysal or Infernal if the GM rules otherwise.

You can cast remove blindess on yourself, using the mnemonic vestment, but I think the 1st round haste already gave us enough of an edge to succesfully finish this fight!

I have a potion on me of remove blindness (not my first "accident") but ya I wasn't too worried about this fight just yet. I'll start worrying if you guys start telling me to nuke the place.

Lilybeth Zey wrote:

You can cast remove blindess on yourself, using the mnemonic vestment, but I think the 1st round haste already gave us enough of an edge to succesfully finish this fight!

I have a potion on me of remove blindness (not my first "accident") but ya I wasn't too worried about this fight just yet. I'll start worrying if you guys start telling me to nuke the place.

Ah! I misread your sheet and thought the scroll of blindness/deafness was a scroll of remove blindness/deafness. (And was it 1st ed. AD&D where you could cast it either way?). But I do think we're winning as long as we don't do anything stupid! :P

So, I'm having some trouble with the amount of detailed direction Lilybeth seems to want to provide all of her creatures. She's directing a blind creature to attack around a friendly and into a non-adjacent square, and to do so three times; she's directed Inkwell to get Loxx out of there in a specific way (which is pretty minor), and she's telling a newly-summoned azata to heal Loxx instead of attacking, and then move to a specific point. That's not going to happen in a 6-second round, even if that's all she did.

I'm going to invoke the GM's ability to limit free actions. I'll resolve things in the order they were written, and Lilybeth can decide what she still wants to do next round.

Other notes: yes, a creature with telepathy can initiate two-way communication, but in this case why would it? Under the spell description, a summoned creature "attacks your enemies" unless you can communicate to it a different instruction. As Lilybeth speaks Daemonic, the point is moot, but I wanted to explain my reasons for asking.

And a question: how is Inkwell using dimensional step?

So, I'm having some trouble with the amount of detailed direction Lilybeth seems to want to provide all of her creatures. She's directing a blind creature to attack around a friendly and into a non-adjacent square, and to do so three times; she's directed Inkwell to get Loxx out of there in a specific way (which is pretty minor), and she's telling a newly-summoned azata to heal Loxx instead of attacking, and then move to a specific point. That's not going to happen in a 6-second round, even if that's all she did.

Fair.

Other notes: yes, a creature with telepathy can initiate two-way communication, but in this case why would it? Under the spell description, a summoned creature "attacks your enemies" unless you can communicate to it a different instruction. As Lilybeth speaks Daemonic, the point is moot, but I wanted to explain my reasons for asking.

As it wants to attack, I think it's fair to assume it initates communication (either vocal or telepathicly)

Question "Did they move away?"
Answer "No"

Command to the azata
"Revive him, then engage"
after which it defaults in attack mode.

And a question: how is Inkwell using dimensional step?

Class Familiar, Specialty Stowaway, Conjuration (Teleportation)

but as Loxx shrinks down automatically this action wasn't needed anyway.

Loxx, I can't remove your fatigue due the paladin archetype I took. Sorry. I can only lay on hands myself.

(Sp or Su) A school familiar can use any granted abilities of its master’s arcane school that have a limited number of uses or rounds per day, expending twice the number of uses or rounds as usual.

(Sp) At 8th level, you can use this ability to teleport up to 30 feet per wizard level per day as a standard action. This teleportation must be used in 5-foot increments and such movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You can bring other willing creatures with you, but you must expend an equal amount of distance for each additional creature brought with you.

It doesn't look like Dimensional Steps is eligible for Specialty Stowaway, since it has neither a limited number of uses per day nor a limited number of rounds per day. Am I missing an interaction of clarification somewhere?

It doesn't look like Dimensional Steps is eligible for Specialty Stowaway, since it has neither a limited number of uses per day nor a limited number of rounds per day. Am I missing an interaction of clarification somewhere?

Reading Dimensional Steps leads me to believe that it is in fact limited to a number of units per day. That would be 5-foot increments of 30-feet per wizard level. So in this case 54 uses per day if needed. (That's (30/5) * 9)

For the familiar to use this and bring another, it looks like it would take double the number normally used. And carrying someone uses double, so quadruple for the familiar to bring someone. In this case it would be limited to 13 uses of 5-feet or 65-feet total per day. To me that reads as a limited number of uses per day.

Links for those that care:
Conjuration Dimensional Steps (Sp)
School Familiar Specialty Stowaway (Sp or Su)

GM Lamplighter wrote:

It doesn't look like Dimensional Steps is eligible for Specialty Stowaway, since it has neither a limited number of uses per day nor a limited number of rounds per day. Am I missing an interaction of clarification somewhere?

Reading Dimensional Steps leads me to believe that it is in fact limited to a number of units per day. That would be 5-foot increments of 30-feet per wizard level. So in this case 54 uses per day if needed. (That's (30/5) * 9)

For the familiar to use this and bring another, it looks like it would take double the number normally used. And carrying someone uses double, so quadruple for the familiar to bring someone. In this case it would be limited to 13 uses of 5-feet or 65-feet total per day. To me that reads as a limited number of uses per day.

Links for those that care:
Conjuration Dimensional Steps (Sp)
School Familiar Specialty Stowaway (Sp or Su)

I've always read it the same way as LiveLover, so a daily pool of 54 5-foot increments that is drained twice as fast when used by the familiar, but a very strict reading could indeed say "limited number of 5 foot increments per day" isn't the same as "limited number of uses per day".

LifeLover wrote:

GM Lamplighter wrote:

It doesn't look like Dimensional Steps is eligible for Specialty Stowaway, since it has neither a limited number of uses per day nor a limited number of rounds per day. Am I missing an interaction of clarification somewhere?

Reading Dimensional Steps leads me to believe that it is in fact limited to a number of units per day. That would be 5-foot increments of 30-feet per wizard level. So in this case 54 uses per day if needed. (That's (30/5) * 9)

For the familiar to use this and bring another, it looks like it would take double the number normally used. And carrying someone uses double, so quadruple for the familiar to bring someone. In this case it would be limited to 13 uses of 5-feet or 65-feet total per day. To me that reads as a limited number of uses per day.

Links for those that care:
Conjuration Dimensional Steps (Sp)
School Familiar Specialty Stowaway (Sp or Su)

I've always read it the same way as LiveLover, so a daily pool of 54 5-foot increments that is drained twice as fast when used by the familiar, but a very strict reading could indeed say "limited number of 5 foot increments per day" isn't the same as "limited number of uses per day".

Proof by contradiction:

Is the Dimensional Steps ability usable an unlimited number of times per day?

As we all know, sometimes they word things to capture a meaning, and sometimes they word things in a specific way to capture different classes of things that are worded the same way.

For example, there are feats that allow you to increase the number of uses of an ability that you can use (3+stat bonus) times per day. If you have another power that just happens to be usable exactly that many times, but is defined differently, would it also qualify? No.

Dim step uses neither a limited number of rounds per day, nor a limited number of uses per day, but a different measurement system entirely. So it's not usable.

Please post your Chronicle info here, as they've asked us to report promptly. We're not quite done, but I can start doing up the paperwork at least.

Please also provide your starting gold and starting XP/fame/prestige so I can fill them in. I'll leave purchases and totals for you to complete.

Boon rolls - 19 or 20 wins a boon! Rolling in PC name alphabetical order.

Bertha: 1d20 ⇒ 15
LifeLover: 1d20 ⇒ 9
Lilybeth: 1d20 ⇒ 17
Loxx: 1d20 ⇒ 18
Mason: 1d20 ⇒ 2
Sickly: 1d20 ⇒ 1

Boo-urns!

GM player boon?: 1d20 ⇒ 2