GM Lorenzo's PFS-Sanctioned Module: Gallows of Madness (Inactive)

Game Master Lawrence Smith 2

Annea's shopping list:

Potion of Lesser Restoration 150gp
Potion of Dark Vision 150 gp
Healer's Kit 50gp
Masterwork light crossbow 335gp
20 cold iron bolts 4gp
total= 689gp.

Sorry- the potions cost 300gp each. Total 989 gp.

Folks, something I try to in PbP is include the DCs with my die rolls, and for skills - like Knowledge - that normally require training, to indicate if I'm attempting the check if I'm untrained.
For example: Knowledge (history) untrained, INT bonus +2: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

That saves folks from having to scroll back and forth to find the DC in a previous post and, in some cases, switching pages to look at a PC's character sheet to determine whether or not there's a skill rank invested.

If you don't mind the few extra key strokes, I'd appreciate the effort.

Thanks.

Looks like we're reaching some sort of consensus to stop trying to learn more in the archives and to stop collecting rumors from the people of Saringallow.

There's no time constraint, but if the players/PCs aren't into the investigation, that's okay.

Bellisir, Gervase, and Annea indicate they're done, I think.

Shall we halt the research and just proceed to the Sarini Estate with what you've managed to learn so far?

I was a little bit late with my most recent post, but that's on me.

Based on where I was placed (the archives), I rolled with it and did what I was able to with skills for information gathering purposes. I'm just waiting for all of us to get back together so we can share information and based on that, others might want to try their hand in the archives to figure out things that Bellisir and Gervase couldn't figure out.

I wouldn't be opposed to trying to gather more information through talking with townsfolk in an attempt to discover things the other players might not have been able to discover but if everyone's ready to hit the Sarini Estate, I'm ready to head that way with them.

Sorry, I basically took an unannounced day off yesterday to catch up on sleep. Catching up on Gameplay now and will post Soddy's thoughts/actions accordingly.

In case my Gameplay posts weren't clear:

You can have Lupia search the archives according to keywords you provide her. She'll bring you what she has. In some cases, you can learn even more information from the material depending on certain skill checks.

You can hear rumors from the locals through Knowledge (local) or Diplomacy (gather information). Any PC who wants to may make such a check.

You can also ask the locals you already know.

Rumors are just that: rumors. They might be true, or they could be false. Research in the archives might confirm or deny some of the information.

So we can cross-reference:

bring rumours to Lupia at the archive, give her apt keywords

bring info we learn from the archive to persons of note in the town

Sound right?

You can attempt both of those, of course.

I'm not sure if the second suggestion will really get you anywhere with the rumors folks in town are familiar with.

I thought I'd been clear in my Gameplay posts, and then again in the Discussion thread.

Guess not, huh? ;-)

Hey, folks.

To paraphrase a title of a Glass Cannon Podcast blog feature, "I am stupid."

When I leveled up Bellisir to Level 3, he gained the Ki Mystic supernatural ability. Pretty much, that gives me a ki pool. As long as I have one point in it (with one point being all I have at 3rd level), I gain a +2 bonus on all Knowledge checks I attempt.

Here's where the stupid part kicks in. I assumed that having this ability would allow to make any Knowledge check with a +2 bonus.

Wrong.

If it's a Knowledge check that I've not put any skill ranks in, I can only make an untrained check, even with the +2 bonus, if the DC of the check is 10 or less. I have ranks in History and Religion, but none of the other Knowledge skills. This means that I should not have been able to have rolled on the Nobility and Engineering checks when Bellisir was helping Gervase out in the archives.

Ultimately, neither of these checks affected what the characters did and didn't discover. Bellisir failed the Nobility check and while the Engineering roll that succeeded shouldn't count, Gervase's character had already rolled a successful check to discover the same information.

I think GM Lorenzo was trying to explain this in a previous post and I wasn't getting him, but Lady Ladile was able to clarify by pointing out the specific rule on this to me.

I also feel like that in the process of trying to really develop the character in terms of storyline progression, I overlooked and subsequently missed how the untrained Knowledge skills worked. For this I apologize, and having learned from this experience, I won't forget it going forward for this adventure or any future ones I play with other characters.

If you like the concept as it applies to your character, consider dipping into a class that gives you access to the skills you want and adds some cool fluff and some useful attributes.

Cloistered Cleric would seem to be a good fit with Bellisir's personality.

You'll have the opportunity to advance 2 levels at the successful conclusion of this module.

I wouldn’t worry about it, Bellisir.

I have made some tremendous goofs based on misunderstanding new rules as I encounter them.

Here I completely bamboozle myself with the Toughness feat!

Fortunately, I (playing Luisila the cleric) had some excellent PbP friends to set me straight ;)

I wasn't sure how to proceed since my bonus-to-roll would give me an auto success on the Sense Motive check, but I rolled anyway just in case.

Never hurts.

Sometimes, the roll's result can inspire the GM to add a bit of flavor to his or her post, reacting to a spectacular success or failure or to a near miss or a success that barely squeaked by the DC.

Still waiting for Quinn and Bellisir to resolve their AoOs triggered by the mite's unarmed strike.

Looks like we need Soddy Daisy to chime in regarding the plan, and Boom Sticks needs to make his attack and damage rolls.

Apologies for the sluggish posting; I've mentioned it elsewhere but work and moving stuff has kept me busy and winter malaise has also left me feeling a little blue. The bulk of the moving will be done after tomorrow though so posting will hopefully pick up accordingly.

Feelin' the blues a bit myself. Post when you can.

I will be traveling to London on Saturday. I will post on Sunday. In the meantime just bot Annea as necessary. Basically she will heal anyone who needs it- whether by hex or by her wand of CLW.

Hi Boss,

Just a heads up, Gervase activated the light function on her wayfinder straight after the mite/drochtac fight.

>>Details Here<< :)

Sorry, missed that.

Happy Thanksgiving and/or Happy Thursday! I hope you all have a grand day no matter what you do or who you spend it with :)

Lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Wishing everyone a blessed day with great friends and loving family.

Go Bears!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Bears WIN!

They're still in the hunt, GM.

Cruel creatures, the Bears tease their fans, only to make the pain more excruciating, when they break your heart.

GM Lorenzo- Do you think Annea could use her magical hair to set off the trap without endangering herself. The hair is magical effect that can't be damaged or cause her any harm. But I want to know what you think before I commit her to doing it.

Looking at the description of prehensile hair, yes, she can use the 10-ft reach and manipulate the door handles as dexterously as with a human hand. The statues' wings would probably sever the offending locks of hair.

Did you see Tarik Cohen's back-flip at the end of TNF, GM?

I missed it. (We have a Bible study group on Thursday evenings.) I got to see the first half of the game, and I watched the highlights after we got home.

A pair of first-world frogs tried to eat Boom Sticks once

That's such a fun scenario, whether you're playing or GMing :3

(s,p,ci,ag,m)

What does this mean, Quinn?

By the way GM, just wanted to reiterate that I've really been enjoying the module and getting a chance to play (and advance) Soddy a bit. Thanks again for being willing to run it!

High praise, considering the source!

When Quinn attacks with his claws, they are slash, pierce, cold iron, silver, and magic. It seems a bit much to type everytime so I use that abbreviation.

Now I know. Thanks.

PbP Tip: Pushing the Action

Most of us want to be collaborative, and no one wants to be perceived as overbearing. The result is that player etiquette can sometimes bog down PbP play.
It's almost always helpful, when PCs help 'push the action' a bit, especially when the party faces multiple options. At a minimum, indicate your PC's preference. If appropriate, add a roll or two of skill checks that might help. Offer a suggestion to the rest of the party, if you think your own preference has more merit than the other possibilities.

And sometimes, when push comes to shove and folks are busy, you may have to occasionally act a bit out of character for the sake of pushing the game along. For example, back when the Shattered Star game I used to play in was still running, there was a situation where half the group was really busy IRL and only able to post sporadically; this included the investigator who would usually scout ahead and the paladin who generally took the lead otherwise. So there was a period of maybe a week or two where my shy shaman with no Stealth ranks and less armor was taking point on exploration just so we wouldn't stall out completely.

Good points and good example.

Please takes these GM comments as intended: Tips to enhance play, not mean-spirited personal criticisms.

Well...let's get the 1's out of the way now.

I feel your pain. My dice have been either hot or cold lately, no matter which side of the screen I'm on.

I am travelling on a short family break without the internet during the next 24 hours.

Taking my tablet, so I can continue playing once I'm at our destination.

Expect me to be back online from about 3pm Monday Pacific Standard Time.

Sorry, desktop took a crap on me last Thursday and I have spent the last two days setting up my new one...getting numerous programs and passwords all up and running.

Merry Christmas, friends. The leisure and luxury to play this game is a gift.

Glad tidings and great joy this day!

Thank-you, boss. What you say is so true!

I also appreciate the chance to meet and play with like-minded folks from all over the world!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Merry Christmas, friends! I hope it's been a great one :)

Merry Christmas everyone, and I hope 2020 is good to you!

She substitutes five of the mite's arrows for the blunt ammunition in her quiver, binding the latter together with some castoff cloth and stowing them in her pack. This assumes the arrows are medium not small. Is that right, GM?

The shortbow and arrows are size Small.

The action in the manor is similar to that of a dungeon crawl.

PbP Tip: Party SOPs

To expedite play, it helps when the party develops a door and room-clearing SOP.

For example: When we approach a door, our casters will cast detect magic and the paladin will detect evil, then everyone will check for traps. If there's magic detected, the casters will try to identify the aura and the spell. If there's a trap, the rogue will try to disable it. If the paladin detects evil, we'll pause and consider buffing. If the door seems clear, our frontline muscle will open it. To clear a room, we'll all make a Perception check... and so on.

With the SOP, we can avoid a lot of these time-consuming individual posts by having the GM roll the checks and indicate the results in a single post.

I'll have a go at writing a door opening algorithm ;)

Feel free to change stuff if you like guys. I won't be offended.

- A door to open is chosen by the 'rule of two'
- The 'muscle' - Gervase, Quinn & Bellisir stand closest to the door. The Leshies stand in a loose second rank behind the muscle (in an orientation so they wouldn't fall into a standard 10x10 pit say). With Annea standing in the rear, well back (15 feet?) from Soddy and Boomy.
- Annea detects magic from maximum practical range. If she finds anything, she attempts to identify the source, spell etc
- Everyone then rolls perception for traps + tricks on the door. The highest number is adopted, with any 10+ results counted as aids to that highest number.

[spoiler=Perception[]

[dice=Boom Sticks]d20+6[/dice
[dice=Soddy]d20+9[/dice
[dice=Gervase]d20+7[/dice
[dice=Bellisir]d20+9[/dice
[dice=Quinn]d20+9[/dice
[dice=Annea]d20+3[/dice (+3 in bright light)

[/spoiler[]

- If a trap (magic or non) is discovered, everyone stops what they're doing and backs away. We then discuss how to deal with trap.
- If there's no trap and nobody specifically states they're opening the door, the GM randomly determines which of the muscular three opens it.

[dice=door opener is Bellisir, Gervase or Quinn?] d3 [/dice[]

Any good? :)