GM ShadowLord's Jade Regent - Group 1 (Inactive)

Game Master The Rising Phoenix

I’ll get a post up with my actions tomorrow. My wife had a rough day so I spent extra time taking care of them

RE: Mundane Item Crafting

Kajiwara's Take 10 for Craft (bows) is 16. Per the Craft Skill, the DC to make regular arrows is 12. His weekly progress (for 20 arrows) is 16 x 12 = 192 sp worth of work per week. As this is 19 times the price of 20 arrows in silver pieces, I think using "Progress per Day" is a better option for this, giving a final result of 27 sp per day, almost three times the price in silver pieces. Working only in the evenings, does it sound like three days per 20 mundane arrows for Kaji's arrow crafting is about right?

I’ll get a post up later hopefully! We’re helping a friend move all day. Sorry for the delay

We haven't heard from our amazing chef recently, Poppy are you still with us?

I am on a ski trip and may not get a game update in until Monday.

This week is extremely busy for me and next week I will be on holiday until March 11th, so please bot me if needed. I will *try* and post something before I go on holiday, but no promises.

Posting to all my games: My grandmother died Sunday and I'm not in a great headspace for posting. Plus I have to travel home for the funeral, help with arrangements, that sort of thing.

I'll try to get a few posts in, particularly if my character needs to do something in order for the party to move forward, but probably won't manage much in the way of RP or helping with decision-making for the rest of the week. Please bot as needed. I hope to be back in form by next Monday.

Sorry to hear, Ruka. Please take the time you need to be with family right now. We'll be here.

Condolences to you and your family, I'm sorry to hear of your loss :( Do not fret on this game, we'll be here when you return.

Sorry for your loss, take all the time you need.

Condolences to you and yours, Ruka. Echoing the others, you should of course take whatever time you need. Priorities.

Thank you all for your patience. It ended up taking a little longer than I'd thought, but for the most part things seem to have settled down.

Are we up?

I'm going to give you level three slightly early. It's better than doing it a few rooms into the castle I think, let's start fresh.

Please notate your significant level-up changes.

Notable changes for Ruka:

Weapon Focus (Nodachi) for her feat.

She now adds 1d6 sneak attack if attacking flat-footed foes.

I took Linguistics as one of my background skills and added Minkaien to her list of languages, although for roleplay purposes she'll still be learning for a while.

Everything else is the usual: hp, skills, etc.

Notable changes for Kajiwara:

My class gives me Point Blank Master, and now I use my Wisdom to make ranged attacks.

For my feat...I will get that figured out.

Asuka is taking her mesmerist(fey trickster) level this time, so she's getting a few new tricks. Her archetype makes her cast divine spells using the hunter's spell list, and she picked lead blades and commune with birds, the latter of which is a cool sounding tengu spell I've never used before.

She can also use hypnotic stare and painful stare now.

She picked up False Flanker as her Mesmerist Trick (which she can use 3/day). She'll probably be giving it Ruka so she can take advantage of sneak attack more often.

She got two more languages from putting a point in linguistics thanks to her tengu racial ability and picked celestial and skald.

For a feat, she took Persuasive Performer, a Shelyn feat which extends the benefits of her versatile performance to diplomacy as well.

Thanks to the mesmerist skill points, she picked up UMD and caught it up to max ranks and put a point in sleight of hand finally.

Everything else is just the usual leveling up stuff.

Lor-Sinn is getting another Oracle level (but no exciting new things there). Notable changes - Point Blank Shot. Skill points in Diplomacy, K. religion and K. planes.

Okay, I think I'm taking Combat Expertise for my feat, depending on the answer to the below.

GM, I need to ask a rules clarification question to make sure I'm reading this right. The Zen Archer's Flurry of Blows ability reads:

Flurry of Blows (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a zen archer can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action, but only when using a bow (even though it is a ranged weapon). He may not make a flurry of blows with his unarmed attacks or any other weapons. A zen archer does not apply his Strength bonus on damage rolls made with flurry of blows unless he is using a composite bow with a Strength rating. A zen archer’s flurry of blows otherwise functions as normal for a monk of his level.

Emphasis mine. The normal Flurry of Blows has this text in it:

A monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks as part of a flurry of blows.

Now, since the Zen Archer can't use Flurry of Blows with unarmed attacks, am I still able to substitute bow attacks for the listed combat maneuvers? Obviously, I would need the feats to use them at range, but since I'm planning on going in melee to provide flanking and using the bow at point blank range, that shouldn't be an issue.

What does leveling up at this point entail for Poppy and Sam, both prepared casters? We both get new spell slots, but they'd all be empty. Do we get the chance to prep our spells?

Kajiwara - I have no idea. I did some googling on the forums and found this snippet which seems to make sense to me:

An ordinary monk can make a flurry of blows with either his weapon or unarmed attacks, and may substitute the maneuvers for his unarmed attacks. The Zen Archer, however, cannot make unarmed attacks as part of a flurry, and so has no unarmed attacks in the flurry to replace with the maneuvers.

That seems to lead me to a "No".

Sam - Normally I don't like awarding things without a full rest, but it's essentially a new day so let's just hand-wave this one and say you get it.

Cool. Was mainly asking for Poppy, really. Doesn't actually matter to Sam as his archetype lets him prep new spells in a couple minutes instead of an hour. Just seemed a shame for everyone else to get a full level while the Witch gets... I dunno. 6 HPs?

But level up though:
6 skills points + 2 background skills going into Craft (maps), Knowledge (arcana, geography, history, nature & planes), Linguistics, and Spellcraft. Sam now speaks thoroughly broken Minkaian.

+1 to Fort & Ref saves, and 6 more HP.

Picking up Craft Wondrous Item despite not being overly fond of trading feats for petty cash. It's just that you save so much cash with it. Jade Regent also seems kinda ideal for crafting what with spending most of one's time sitting on a caravan.

Finally, taking Sam's first two lv.2 spells, being Alter Self, just because it is so stupidly versatile, and... I guess Bull's Strength? I'm having a devil of a time deciding on which of the +4 stat enhancing spells like Bull's Strength or Cat's Grace to pick. They fit with the transmuter theme and I want to play a support role, but the party is really split on their primary combat stat. Lor-Sinn uses Dex to shoot, Ruka has Str for attack/damage, Kajiwara uses Wis of all things while I'm not even sure I understand what's up with Asuka. Dex for attack and Str for damage? Picking Bull's Strength 'cause its very effective on at least one party member.

Asuka uses dex for attack and strength for damage, yeah, and that’s not gonna change. Her archetype will give a scaling damage bonus as long as she sticks with dex to attack and strength for damage

Neat. Never been overly fond of the 'Dex does everything' mentality that seems to haunt this genre of RPGs. Glad to hear there's viable ways of doing the Str/damage, Dex/attack route.

The Warrior Poet archetype is really cool - if Asuka hadn't beaten me to the punch, my submission would have been a Warrior Poet.

One day. One day.

Also, I just found an archery feat that almost definitely should never have been published. I'm going to say up front I will NEVER take this feat, but I have to share.

Exceptional Pull

Thanks for the ruling, GM. I think I'll keep Combat Expertise as my feat. I may not be able to mix the maneuvers in with my flurries, but it still might be helpful to be able to kick a foe's weapon from their hand or sweep their legs out.

2nd level spells! 2nd level spells! lol But for real, The true draw is the feat. Brings Poppy Cackle which is lovely with Hex vulnerability and Fortune, making her the parties good luck charm. And thanks for looking out, Sam.
Witch 3
HP: 3+1+3=+7 [23 in total]
BAB: 
Saves: +1 to Fort & Ref [ 1fort & 5 ref total]
Favored Class Bonus: +1 skill point

Skills: 2+1FCB+ Int+3 
Bluff +1  
Sense Motive +1 
Stealth +1 
Perception +1 
Knowledge Nature +1 
Climb +1

Background Skills  
Craft (Alchemy) +1  
Linguistics(Tengu) +1

Feats: extra hex

Class features:  
Hex: Cackle

Spells : 
0 lvl Mend, Spark, Daze, Guidance 
1st lvl 2xHex Vulnerability, Ill omen
2nd lvl Blindness, Glitterdust

Heads up that I am having surgery on Monday the 25th and will be unable to post for a few days. Bot as needed.

Good luck in the surgery! Next week will be slow for me anyway. I'm playing in PaizoCon Tuesday-Friday for day and night sessions and the posting from me will be few and far between.

I’ll get a post up as soon as I can, hopefully later tonight. I’ve been at 4 protests in the last 5 days and I’m exhausted. My apologies for holding things up!

My apologies for the same; I've also been doing a lot of protesting this week.

So just to be clear, we can't see the big bad oni right now? Are the corbies in the way of which direction he went?

Correct on both counts.

Welcome to level four! You are all now equally as powerful as the bard you just rescued, or will be upon next rest.

Yay!

Lor-Sinn's Level 4!

- Oracle +1 level
- Revelation: Life Link
- Skills: Diplomacy, Knowledge Planes, Knowledge Religion, Intimidate, Handle Animal, Knowledge History
- +1 CHA
- Additional level 1 spell, 6 spells/day

Level 4, let's see.
The stat boost goes to Int (surprise, surprise), making for an even 20.
7 skills points plus 3 retroactive points go spattered into the knowledge skills pretty willy-nilly.
+1 to BAB, Will, and 6 more HP.

And then there are the two new spells. So many spells to consider. So many spells... Think I'm keeping with the transmutation theme and grabbing Steal Breath ('cause Sam is just that charming) and Cat's Grace. The latter is just another nice buff good for either Asuka or Lor-Sinn, while the former just wrecks opposing casters hard. Oh, and the Healing patron grants Sam Lesser Restoration too, pretty much a prerequisite for adventuring. So that's nice.

Updated the crunch, but keeping my status line as is until the party actually rest.

Kajwara Level 4

Ability Boost: +1 Int
BAB: +3
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1
Favored Class: Monk
FCB: +1/4 Ki Pool

Skill Points: 4 + 1 Int +1 Human = 6
Acrobatics +1
Diplomacy +1
Perception +1
Sense Motive +1
Stealth +1
Survival +1

Background Skill Points: 2
Craft (bows) +1
Knowledge (history) +1

Class features: Ki pool (magic), slow fall 20 ft., Flurry of Blows +2/+2

EDIT: +6 HP

I feel I should point out that she gave Lor-Sinn her longbow to use to kill Kikonu here.

This is true. It turns out she has two fancy longbows. One to kill Ruka with here.

Signe uses up her spells to heal herself, Lor Sinn and Samton before they rest.

1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

All three are now at full health.

So, seeing as Zaiobe apparently had 2 +1 composite longbows, and Lor-Sinn has one, we cool if I take the other?

Level 4: +10 HP, +1 STR, +1 BAB, +1 Fort, +1 Ref.

7 skills + 2 background, mostly just continuing to max out stuff I already have.

Most importantly, I took the Slayer Talent Combat Style (Menacing), which gave me Gory Finish as a bonus feat. Whenever Ruka kills something, as a swift action she can try to demoralize all foes within 30ft.

So, seeing as Zaiobe apparently had 2 +1 composite longbows, and Lor-Sinn has one, we cool if I take the other?

Yes. Kikonu spoiled her with lots of gifts :) I have to sprinkle in some expensive items here and there to help keep WBL up for the additional players.

Forgot my +1 AC Bonus from being a level 4 monk when I leveled up.

I read that as the mesmerist only gets extra damage on their own painful stare triggers once they hit 3, and that it is in addition to their normal damage. So it would be 1d6+1 once you hit 3, but you would only have +1 until then. The bolded part does not say (minimum 1d6), so it would not come into effect until 3.

Huh. I always interpreted it like a Sneak Attack you could apply to other people's damage, albeit at a smaller amount. Well, guess I've been reading it wrong. Learn something new every day.

All good. I made a mesmerist for another game and she's going to be full mesmerist, so I actually took the time to do a more thorough reading of the rules.

Level-based calculations with no minimum always trip people up, so it's an understandable oversight. Like how ear-piercing scream does not actually do damage at 1st CL. And I got to feel fancy with a nice damage bonus for a while.

Ruka hasn't posted in a month. I've reached to her on Discord and on the forums. I'd really prefer she was here to post for this part for story, but we will obviously move on if she's not available. I'll give it through the weekend and we'll push onward on Monday.

Hi everyone.

I'm very sorry for disappearing like that. I've been pretty sick for the past few weeks, and at this point don't expect to start feeling better anytime in the immediate future. Therefore I'm dropping out of all my games. (Which I had unofficially done anyway I guess.)

Again, I'm very sorry I didn't say anything sooner, I just kept hoping things would get better and I'd be able to rejoin. It was great playing with you all, and I wish you the best of luck.

Sending you best wishes, hope you will feel better at some point. Sorry to hear that you've been sick. Take care of yourself!