GM Nomadical's inaugural Bones of Biting Ants (Inactive)

Game Master Nomadical

Sorry folks, my die rolls are killing us.

So if, say, I make a Discovery check does that preclude me from attempting an Influence check during that Empathy Moment?

Normally, yes. Each PC can make one check during an Empathy opportunity. Or Moment. I like that, too. Like you and he were "having a moment."

So in this Empathy Moment, Callah made a Sense Motive Discovery check which precludes her making an Influence check.

But, this Moment also allows each PC to try a special Stealth check. That one doesn't count against your normal Discovery/Influence attempt. Actually, it kind of requires each of you to try the Stealth check. Your results may have ... repercussions ... related to encounters other than with Stuinvolk. Like maybe, you know, the Mzali you're trying to stealth past.

Okay cool, I thought that was the case but wanted to make sure before I made a check that I wasn't qualified to make.

GM, will you permit Mishka the retconned purchase of a wand of endure elements?

Mishka had asked about recommended provisions before we departed.

By my count, Krieger, Forrest, Aeliah, and Callah have already attempted Stealth checks to move quietly. Faust, can you attempt a Stealth check?

GM, will you permit Mishka the retconned purchase of a wand of endure elements?

Mishka had asked about recommended provisions before we departed.

Yes. That's fine. Faust also may, as he said he was going out to get supplies.

I already have my endure elements vs heat covered, but thanks! I have two bottles of brown mold from a scenario trilogy that gives me constant endure elements vs heat, but a penalty against environmental cold. GM I'll share the scenario names and chronicle sheet with your if you would like me to via PM to avoid spoilers!

Making my stealth roll now. My daily post was before it was a thing.

EDIT: GM, I love NPC aliases! Just a tip for them: If you are worried about having a bunch of one-off NPC aliases on your account (some people don't like having them just sit there), make a generic NPC alias and then put the name of the NPC you are currently using the alias for in the "Name" text box of their profile.

Have we begun the Discovery/Influence checks for Day 2 or second 'round' or however we're tracking them?

I'm not sure; I took the Stealth checks as a unique Influence opportunity on top of the 'standard' ones we probably get each day but I could be totally wrong on that.

Oh and I meant to comment on this earlier, but:

Aeliah will pray this night for you and your people, Callah Spirit-speaker."

If that isn't a 'bless your heart', I don't know what is ;)

Calling him Krieger, in either guise, works just fine.

Krieger's vigilante personas don't include a traditional mask or secret disguise.

In his social identity, he's more refined, polite, friendly and erudite, pleasant and composed, attired as a nobleman, the Tian heritage of his mother dominating his persona.

In his vigilante identity, he embraces the barbarian warrior heritage of his Kellid father, loosening his braids, doffing his formal attire, displaying the scars of the Bearpelt following, his speech terse and more direct, becoming a stone cold killer.

What I'm trying to evoke is sense of psychological contrast between the two. Probably more effective in my mind's eye, than I'm able to convey in writing.

I apologize if what I said came off as me implying your writing is ineffective! I didn't want to keep having Faust call The Foreigner Krieger if that is something your transformation would have made clearly unacceptable. Nobody calls Batman Bruce Wayne while he is wearing the suit, didn't know if it was the same thing you were going for or something else entirely :)

Tangential, but still related: How would you all feel if the PbP culture adopted this expectation (no penalty for not sharing) that part of the mission briefing was a PC briefing on the discussion thread about what the player was trying to do with their PC's narrative? Just a thought I had, not a movement I'm trying to start or anything (at least at this time. In the future I'll try it out in games I run and see how it goes).

How would you all feel if the PbP culture adopted this expectation (no penalty for not sharing) that part of the mission briefing was a PC briefing on the discussion thread about what the player was trying to do with their PC's narrative?

Not sure what you mean. Would an example help make it clear?

Well let's see if it does!

Faust was inspired in part by the game The Darkest Dungeon. What spurred his desire for research on dark, powerful forces (basically the Great Old Ones) was his horrifying experiences there and his desire to prevent such monstrosities from strengthening their foothold on Golarion. In this game, I'll be trying to explore how he will respond to another's "unpleasant affliction and haunting memories," as these concepts are quite close to home for him.

Sort of mixed information from the briefing and the character's backstory/inspiration to form a goal I am trying to achieve during this game. Does that show what I'm getting after with that example?

I like the idea.

Probably depends on the GM, though, right? You'd certainly want him or her to be aware of it, and ask him or her to give you a sense if that's something that can fit within the scenario's parameters and the GM's willingness to paint a bit outside the lines with a little extra RP.

I'd encourage that in the Discussion thread of any game I'd run. You could even mention some of the Faction Journal Card goals you're pursuing, maybe tying them into your broader motivations.

I could even see some of it being useful in the Gameplay thread, during in-character PC introductions and interactions with the Venture-Captain and the other PCs, with a little exposition or some of the PC's internal thinking, if necessary to elaborate.

To each his or her own. I try to keep my PC development (one of the things I love about PbP vs F2F play) in relatively short and pithy during the game, but I sometimes post something longer when introducing my PC to the GM and fellow players, like I did for this scenario. Seeing your idea, I think I'll modify my future introductions to include the sort of goals/motivations that you mentioned.

Too much, and the hair starts to grow on your palms and you go blind. Or so the nuns say.

Speaking as a player, I'm ambivalent but it's not because I don't like the idea - I do, actually, and I'll explain that a bit further down. I tend to generate more concrete character backstories and personalities for characters in long-haul campaigns, like an AP. For PFS I sometimes have a fairly clear picture of who a character is when I first create them but others start out as more of a general idea and then I discover who they are through the course of their adventures, if that makes any sense.

As a GM, I like the idea because I'm all for trying to form an experience where the player feels like the world and the people and places that their character encounters feel real instead of static. And so the more details I have about the characters to work with, the easier that can be. Usually I'll make note of character backstories, if one is provided, and other details like race and choice of deity (if any), but I might try a more direct approach next time in the form of a discussion in Discussion.

Yeah, I dunno.

I like to drop myself into my PC’s belief-system and then interact with others based on what those others say or do. That way the relationship develops more naturally.

I mean in real life when meeting someone for the first time, I probably don’t know their backstory/motivations.

I like having fairly detailed backstories for all my PCs, but that doesn’t mean I know how they’re going to react to a situation or what they’ll say until they actually do. I’m sure my own mood at the time also has an effect.

Having said all this, go with what works for you I say!

Oh and just in case, because of the dang lack of non-verbal clues and tone in PbP, just because Faust and Aeliah got off on the wrong foot, doesn’t mean I don’t like and respect your approach to the game, Gummy :)

I'm back! Thank you all so much for being patient, and especially for continuing the character development and discussion. I've seen games where the GM disappears for a couple days, and everything just stops. You all have been great! (Though the sample may be skewed based on my having recruited known top-tier PBP folks - YOU!)

My schedule has settled down for the next few days, so I should be able to get us moving along on the next couple encounters fairly smoothly.

@Krieger: You only get Discovery/Influence opportunities when called out specifically. In this case it was still the first opportunity (called "Scars of the Past"), with a special chance to roll Stealths. Maybe call the Stealth checks Opportunity 1.5. Next opportunity is coming up in my next post(s).

But you all could have rolled a Daily Diplomacy for the day of trekking across the savanna. Only Forrest & Faust did that, so I will allow the rest of you to attempt Diplo (with Forrest's Aid) for that day.

It would certainly depend on the GM and the players too! I know it isn't something everyone would be interested in (or know enough about their character to do!), which is what I was trying to get at when I said there wouldn't be a penalty for not doing so.

I think you all bring very valid points (in support and in opposition) to the idea! When I suggest it to my next batch of players, I'll see what happens and make it clear that it is 100% optional, no reason need be provided. We'll see how it all shakes out.

Thanks for making that clear Yours Is Mined! I wasn't worried, but the peace of mind is always appreciated. I feel the same way, no player vs player issues here :)

Welcome back GM! :D

Hey, you'll never know until you ask/try! And should I find myself at your table (or anyone else's table that's playing) and it's something you suggest, I'll still be happy to give a whirl :)

And yes, welcome back GM!

Man, this is taxing my limited brain power to track.

Would a matrix of some sort help? There's something available on the GM Shared Prep Drive, but I don't want to look at it myself, to avoid spoilers.

Want to make sure I've got a clear understanding:

In the immediate wake of the mwanga encounter, we can attempt to establish empathy with Knowledge (geography). (Not a skill Krieger's trained in.)

This particular check is separate from our daily attempts at a Discovery or an Influence check.

We've already discovered his only weakness and only strength. (Which revealed, I think, that we can use Heal and Knowledge (geography) to influence Stuinvolk during an 'Empathy Moment'? Or maybe that we can also use those skills during the daily attempts to Influence him?)

Any additional Discoveries can only be made with a successful Sense Motive check.

With his crappy dice rolling, Krieger hasn't helped much, anyway, but maybe his luck will change.

Man, this is taxing my limited brain power to track.

Yeah, you and me both. Maaaaybe this wasn’t the best scenario for an inaugural PBP run.

Would a matrix of some sort help? There's something available on the GM Shared Prep Drive, but I don't want to look at it myself, to avoid spoilers.

Thanks for not peaking. Honestly, I think it would only confuse you more, cause it’s broken out by Scene and really requires knowing the scenario. It’s more of a summary/cheat sheet for DCs and modifiers while sitting at the table, although I am using it to double-check things as I compose.

In the immediate wake of the mwanga encounter, we can attempt to establish empathy with Knowledge (geography). (Not a skill Krieger's trained in.)

Yes, in an Empathy Moment, ONE and only ONE of you may attempt to establish empathy (Influence) with Knowledge (geography) or Heal. You’ll learn of more ways / more skills that can be used as you get more Discovery successes.

This particular check is separate from our daily attempts at a Discovery or an Influence check.

No. Discovery or Influence checks only happen during Empathy Moments (not Daily*). Those Moments are called out in the scenario because they occur when something significant to Stuinvolk’s recovery is occurring or has just occurred. So, after the visit by mngwa, he’s rattled and there’s a specific Moment wherein you have the opportunity to either Discover something about him OR Influence him using one of the skills you’ve previously Discovered. In this specific case, Callah leanred about his affinity for foreign travel, and Faust also learned that speaking to him in Skald helps.

*There’s a separate mechanic for Daily Diplomacy checks. This is just like it sounds. Each day you attempt a Diplomacy check. You may Aid Another.

I tried to make a matrix for a slide. I couldn’t get it to fit and make sense. So, instead, when the scenario calls for an Empathy Moment, I will add a spoiler of the current options for that particular Moment. If nothing else, you can always roll (or Aid) with Sense Motive during an Empathy Moment. Successful Discovery checks will reveal more, new ways to Influence him. Here’s the Empathy Moment spoiler that you will see the next time an opportunity arises. Will this help?

Yeah, the spoiler helps, and thanks for clarifying the Discovery/Influence check.

The Daily Diplomacy confusion was more about when to make them.

For example, we woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of Mwanga Maddow shrieking at us. Since we're rousted out of our bedrolls anyway, should we go ahead and make the next Daily Diplomacy Check?

Yes, the spoiler should help, thank you!

Maaaaybe this wasn’t the best scenario for an inaugural PBP run.

My first GM game after I finished GM School was Confirmation. So for what it's worth, I'm impressed that you were feeling up to the challenge of taking on what seems to be a rather complex scenario for your first PbP run.

Now that you've already taken the plunge though, they'll all be easier after this! :P I ran Bid for Alabastrine on PbP. While that was the best medium for the scenario, it used discovery/influence for a bunch of PC's too and it was new to all of us. Huge learning curve, but after that, most scenarios I run are a breeze!

I was fortunate for my first PbP GM game to run #7-04 Ironbound Schism for an experienced group I had been PbPing with for several years.

It didn't hurt that GM Hmm and GM Endless Forms (the original founder of the Flaxseed Lodge) had just finished running it, so the slideshow was already ~done! ;)

Don't feel bad, influence can always be a bit clunky. Especially when it changes from author to author.

Don't feel bad, influence can always be a bit clunky. Especially when it changes from author to author.

Consistent use of subsystems? Get out of here! :P

My personal favorite is when scenario authors create a subsystem that already exists. Not only does it eat up word count, IME it also invalidates abilities designed to give a character a benefit in that scenario! Example: Quest for Perfection (Part ?) and the Mountaineer Dwarf Alternate Racial Trait.

So, who would you cast (as Aeliah)?

Oh that’s easy!

Louise Jameson, the English actress who played Leela, whose companion was the Fourth Doctor Who.

(It’s almost like I had Leela in mind, when I created Aeliah …)

Casting Krieger?

In appearance and possessing the acting chops to play both of his personas, I'd cast Viggo Mortensen. Loved him in Eastern Promises.

Another good choice would be Jim Caviezel. Thinking of his portrayal of Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo.

Though in the Foreigner guise, I imagine Krieger a bit like Clint Eastwood in The Outlaw Josey Wales.

I think Willem Dafoe does just enough creepy to play as Faust! Not tall, not built, with a little make up to play up the whole half-vampire thing and a touch of CGI to assist some of his actions, I think it'd be a great fit!

I don't really know, I'd have to think on it some more. I've never been one to take much character inspiration from movies or tv. Of course I've had no cable for the last 7 years (by choice) so that probably has something to do with it too :)

(Also I'll get caught up on Gameplay soonish and get a post in.)

I also, have to think about that... My characters often take inspiration from their forum photo, and Forrest is a prime example of that!

I'm a bad person and really should have mentioned this when I was mustering in. I'll be out of country from June 22nd-June 29 and will likely have almost no access to internet. So I will do my best to keep involved but will probably need some botting during that week. I'll be sure to add some good notes to his profile, but also feel free to put me on delay.

Forrest is such a bad person! UGH! Nobody pay aaaaany attention to me while you laugh at Forrest! Yeah! HAHA! Coincidentally, I will also be out for those dates... Forrest, are you going on a cruise, by chance?

What's all this whining about "being out of the country?" Which country? Define "out of." Whaah whaah, whatever! ;)

Huh, I never knew vomiting on shoes was the way to a woman's heart! I'll have to remember that one!

Just don’t take it as far as this slimy demodand did … ;)

@Forrest & Faust: For shame!

:3

Seriously though, hope both of you have a grand time on your respective trips!

This and this and this pretty well sum up my night at work tonight.

You got any extra space on that cruise, Faust? I don't eat much and you'll never even know I'm there. Just leave me at the pool and I'm good!

That sounds like a sucky night.

Cruises are good, but what about getting away from it all with Air Nomadical?

Just wait til he hits your town and stow away!

While I like to travel I'm not sure that doing so as cargo is a good idea :3
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In other news, Happy Father's Day to all you dads, grandpas, step-dads, godfathers, and father-figures out there! Hope you have a fantabulous day today!

If you (general you) have reason to find today sad rather than joyful, I hope you're able to have a good day today just the same. Hang in there, okay?

For everyone else, Happy Sunday :)

Haha we'll bring an extra suitcase just for you! Hope work gets better and fast!

Forrest, are you going on a cruise, by chance?

Yes! I'm pretty psyched.

I'm so impressed with Nomadical's ablity to fit PbP in with his, well, nomad-ical lifestyle. Ha, I can't even do it for a week!

Not sure how many additional rolls we were supposed to make. Hopefully, the last two cursed rolls were unnecessary.

Discovery
+5 Sense Motive

Influence
+1 (Untrained) Knowledge (geography)
+4 Heal
+1 (Untrained) Perform (Comedy)
+1 (Untrained) Perform (Oratory)
+1 (Untrained) Knowledge (religion)
+5 Knowledge (engineering)

Discovery
+3 Sense Motive

Influence
+5 Knowledge (Religion) *Special Case
+3 (Untrained) Heal
+2 (Untrained) Perform (Comedy)
+2 (Untrained) Perform (Oratory)
+1 (Untrained) Knowledge (Geography)
+1 (Untrained) Knowledge (Engineering) *Special Case

Daily Diplomacy
+8 Diplomacy

Looks like Faust has the best Kn. Religion at a whopping +12 :)

Discovery
+4 Sense Motive

Influence
+0 (Untrained) Knowledge (Religion)*Special Case
+4 (Untrained) Heal
+1 (Untrained) Perform (Comedy)
+1 (Untrained) Perform (Oratory)
+0 (Untrained) Knowledge (Geography)
+0 (Untrained) Knowledge (Engineering) *Special Case

Daily Diplomacy
+1 Diplomacy

Unless someone has a better idea, I am good with Faust trying a Knowledge (Religion) check and Aeliah aiding if Faust’s roll is a little low.

If Faust nails it, Aeliah will try a Discovery, Sense Motive check (with guidance) instead

Forrest, I sent you a PM on an unrelated matter.

Yikes, Forrest needs some things to stab, he's missing all of the knowledges.

This is the last post from me for 8 days! Have fun killing the Mngwa when it makes it's sudden but inevitable appearance. :)

Stay safe and have a fantabulous time! :D