Tiber Graccus |
@Tiber: Your backstory is still longer than one page.
Fixed. Delete extraneous formatting spaces. I can do fewer words too if you like.
GM Granta |
Re: Character Profiles
@Ayalina: For knowledge and perform checks that have the same modifier, please list them like this: "knowledge (local, nobility, planes) +5". And only list modifiers for trained skills. For special abilities, I prefer the full text copy pasta'd.
@Delena: Please remove the spoilers, and move Disriana's stat block to just above macros and botting instructions.
@Pavo: Please remove the spoilers.
@Thalasou: For special abilities, I prefer the full text copy pasta'd.
@Tiber: Please remove the spoiler and format skills and gear into a paragraph with commas. Also, I don't need all of the detail about where the skill bonuses come from, and there is some sort of character in the skill list that isn't formatting on my computer and screws things up.
Tiber Graccus |
Pavo the Bard |
Question on the 'Find Dame Malphene Trant' action:
Is this a "guess the right room" puzzle, too? Or will it be assumed she's in whatever room you decided to try the action in?
If you fail, either roll, can you try again in another round?
If you can try again, if you make the Knowledge (nobility) and fail the Perception, do you need to repeat both rolls?
Thanks :)
Lady Delena |
Profile modified. I removed most of the stuff that was told elsewhere, and things giving static modifiers. I kept the Disgraced Noble part pasted, just to make it easier to remember what the bonus conditions are.
Pavo the Bard |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Did we ever get our free weakness of the High Strategos? Tiber beaten into submission ;)
GM Granta |
Re: Keeping an Eye on Trant
PCs attempting an action in the Gallery or Arcade of Triumphs can make a free Perception check each social round, rolled last, to keep an eye on her. Alternatively, a PC can actively follow Dame Trant, and automatically succeed.
Re: Helping Each Other on Missions
PCs attempting a different action in the same location may Aid Another on one check as a free action, rolled last. Alternatively, PCs can simply perform each others' tasks, in full or part.
Pavo the Bard |
Hey, people in A1 and A4, don't forget your free Perception to keep an eye on Trant if you're not using your free action to Aid Another. Especially if you have better Perception than me *coughTibercough*
Lady Delena |
From the mission, is this one or two social rounds:
spreading rumors with a Bluff check and manufacturing or co-opting damning evidence on the fly with a Linguistics check.
Pavo the Bard |
I'm going to try to lock down A1 (and hopefully did with that roll) and then help you guys work on the High Strategos.
Remind me if you need something specific said or done to him.
...and curse my choice to tank Wisdom as a representation of his foolhardiness!
Thalasou Eidelhan |
I like the way that this whole gala thing is confusing. It is probably a lot like it would be if we were actually there. That being said, there may be some confusion just due to the PbP format and I'd like to clear some of that up if possible.
This is all OOC.
I believe that my mission is "COMPLETE" as is stated on slide #1. My mission had two objectives and I think I've completed both. So now I've got to find something else to do. I think that these are my options:
1) Help someone else complete their mission
2) Influence an area (A1, A2, A4, A5, A6 all need more influence)
3) Influence an NPC (all but Kalibo sill need more influence)
Do I have that all correct? Am I missing anything?
Pavo the Bard |
I'm relatively sure that A1 is going to be complete.
Main actions: Influence area or Influence NPC or Do Someone's Mission for Them
Free secondary action: Perception check to keep an eye on Trant (in room A1 or A4) or Aid Another for someone in the same room as you
Tiber Graccus |
I suspect it does, but does getting involved with whatever we are about to get involved in prevent us from taking our normal social actions?
GM Granta |
Ahhhh, I see! It is almost like you are intentional with what you put in your posts... Hrmm... :P
I actually put a lot of time and energy into (consistently) formatting information. The hope is that once you all learn my style, it will make everything very easy to follow. And in an adventure that might last three years, that should pay off nicely.
Thalasou Eidelhan |
Sorry for the disappearance. Life has indeed been a bit hectic for these last few days. We're trying to put our house on the market this week. Tons and tons of work to do. We had to get it ready for the photographer by today and now that's done.
Also, in my part of the world (west coast USA) it is allergy season and pollen counts have been extremely high. This has left me feeling quite a bit under the weather and without energy.
All that being said, I think I'm back in the saddle now and can keep my posting up.
Ayalina Songbringer |
Aughhhh, I feel like I keep missing the little details!
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Sorry, GM - I'll try to do better, orz.
GM Granta |
@Thalasou: I suspect we're having a particularly bad season. Though my allergies aren't that bad, they are worse than normal.
@Ayalina: That's because you do keep missing them :-Þ I have a writing style where small details matter, and it can take some getting used to.
@Tiber: When you have multiple questions like that, please ask them in Discussion. For one, answering that many is enough to slow the flow of Gameplay. For another, I would've seen and answered them yesterday if they were here instead.
There's no map (yet) for the waiting room. I have to find one on the internet, and ran out of time yesterday. The loudest voice is female. You are in a less trafficked part of the gallery, so there are people in shouting distance, and others might occasionally come closer.
Lady Delena |
Just to be clear, I'm using intimidate trying to change their attitude / act friendly / cooperate.
Not to demoralize them (which is a combat action anyway.)
GM Granta |
I generally treat magic as a weapon. Most people have no idea which particular spell you are going to cast, and are not going to assume the best--or sit and wait for the worst.
@Ayalina: The mechanic for readying an attack before initiative is the surprise round of an ambush. In this particular case, ambushing would require a Bluff check opposed by everyone's Sense Motive, including your allies, since they also don't know what you are doing.
Pavo the Bard |
Counter argument: That would be a surprise round action in order for them to react to the start of casting--they looked a little busy pushing Duo around to have a readied action vs. someone casting a spell--and since their weapons are peace bound anyway, there's not a thing they could do before seeing it's not a fireball.
Regardless, the spell should be completed with Trant's sleeve stained, we play it right and they're the ones with the weapons out and not us, and then we exit through the door and call for help.
Ayalina Songbringer |
@GM: I'll keep that in mind for next time! But given that they seem to leave Dou alone, I don't think she would've ended up casting anyways. @^@
Ayalina Songbringer |
@Pavo: I had prepared an action to cast daze if they chose to remain violent with Dou instead of leaving him alone. c:
Pavo the Bard |
If you’re unarmed, you don’t normally threaten any squares and thus can’t make attacks of opportunity.
In preparing my action, I'm just clarifying this is the correct rule.
So unless they have Improved Unarmed Strike, which they might, they can't take advantage of actions that provoke AOO. I am interpreting that correctly?
GM Granta |
So unless they have Improved Unarmed Strike, which they might, they can't take advantage of actions that provoke AOO. I am interpreting that correctly?
Correct. Also, attacking with fists without the feat provokes from anybody who is armed, which is why you never want to get into a bar room brawl with a monk.
Thalasou Eidelhan |
Hmm. Since we are in round time and combat seemed imminent, my curse kicked in. But now things seem to be calming down. When does my curse go away?
Kinda affects my actions...
GM Granta |
What follows is a private conversation between Pavo and myself, but we agreed it should be shared.
I wondered which way you would go with that as I was looking up a lyric to co-opt for the casting.
While I understand the stance of NPCs not simply standing around waiting for you to finish casting a spell, two things (in order of importance to me):
1. Are you sure using a cantrip to add a little creative flourish to a post is the line you want to draw? Intended or otherwise, the message I just received was, "Don't be creative. Color inside the lines and just roll dice."
2. Casting prestidigitation is a standard action. Unless Trant's body guards were standing around with a Ready Action vs. Spellcasting instead of tossing Duo around, it's a surprise round action the same as if Pavo had a knife in hand and then threw it. They are reacting to the consequences of the spell (color) not the threat of spellcasting, so they know it's not a fireball.
I was planning to message you about this in the next day or two, because the answer to your question--which I strongly suspected you would have--spoils part of this encounter. So, read on, but do your best not to meta-game.
The problem is the NPC's drunken morale. The AP specifically mentions that they draw weapons and go for lethal damage if a PC casts a spell. Since we weren't in combat though, I downgraded their response to initiating combat--they started it, not your spell. But they will still go lethal if anybody casts a spell, so I didn't want to say that yet.
I think we disagree on your first point because of the scenario's wording. I did think about ignoring it because of how awesome you guys rolled, but in the end decided against it. I will admit, that may have been a mistake on my part. All of my GM experience prior to this AP is PFS scenarios. That means I have a strong habit of following the author even when they write badly, and that I have no experience yet in determining when to break from the adventure. There are going to be growing pains.
As far as your second point, I believe you are misunderstanding what a surprise round is and how it's triggered. You would not get a surprise round in these circumstances if Pavo had a knife in hand and threw it. Surprise rounds happen when some combatants do not realize that the others are there, or believe that they pose no threat. You successfully intimidated the NPCs, so they clearly know that you are there and hostile. Surprising them would now require a successful Bluff check.
Tiber Graccus |
So far, I have two letters to deliver. One to our benefactor, and the other to Duke Centimus. I don't know how long my letter train will be, but whenever it finishes, I'll be doing what I can to assist y'all with influencing important people. Whether that is aiding or trying to discover information will likely depend on the skills involved.
As far as our general strategy, do we want to all start "ganging up" on one VIP until we max them out?
Who is still working on their mission and would like help?
GM Granta |
So far, I have two letters to deliver. One to our benefactor, and the other to Duke Centimus. I don't know how long my letter train will be, but whenever it finishes, I'll be doing what I can to assist y'all with influencing important people. Whether that is aiding or trying to discover information will likely depend on the skills involved.
As far as our general strategy, do we want to all start "ganging up" on one VIP until we max them out?
Who is still working on their mission and would like help?
As much as possible, I would prefer to see these discussions in character.
Pavo the Bard |
I have a decent chance to influence the remaining rooms except the library when Delena has made some headway. I could also work on Pace and Centimus.
I don't know if we'll have enough time for me to work on new NPCs, but there are certainly decent targets if we team up.