GM Kate's Extinction Curse [closed]

Game Master Kate Baker

I think it was three who wanted to start in the woods. They're wrong, but what are you going to do. :)

And, yes, I planned to bring Thkrull.

Rules question for when my turn comes: You automatically fail at Command an Animal if the animal is hostile or unfriendly to you.

Do I need to Sense Motive to see if they're either of those conditions? (I mean, their turn might make it obvious, but in case it doesn't.)

FYI, I got asked to help out on a late project, so I may be a little slow to post in my PBPs until I get it done. Will still try to post daily, though.

In the same way that people have different online regions with different paradigms, different online circles have different paradigms, so here is one we should chat about. Do people prefer turns in combat to resolve in initiative order or in posting order? I’m more used to posting order (with a note if you are waiting for inspire courage or something) but I’m fine with running everything in initiative order if that’s easier for everyone.

I prefer posting order. I have done a game that insisted on initiative order and massively slowed things down (though that's also a mythic game, and all that b~#*++!! makes it make a tad more sense).

My style as GM is to resolve by round, though I keep initiative order in that (I'll have people delay if that makes sense).

I'm happy to do in posting order if we're not resolving by round (and I think in 2e it makes sense to try to resolve more quickly if possible, to allow for Recall Knowledge and other secret checks of that sort).

Sorry, long ass meeting.

Anyhoot, I prefer round resolve, with GM latitude to interpret and adjust as necessary, than in order. As I will most likely post pretty quick, and would prefer that changes in the circumstances be adjusted as he goes.

In the current battle, MM posted his round 2 action before Niksi and Prism posted their round 1 actions. As it happened, both Niksi (bard song) and Prism’s (flank) would have affected him.

I’d obv prefer that taken in account and am happy to have a standing “waiting for whomever is going before me to do thing, please apply those effects” and “I trust the GM to adjudicate this sometimes messy format”, to having to wait until after others have posted, especially because I sometimes have blocks of time when it’s tough to post.

My two coppers and am happy to do whatevers.

Mukluk's feelings are the same as my own

I am with Mukluk. I generally have the players that are bolded all post, then I go back through and run their actions through initiative order. If something seems a bit off action-wise due to a player waiting for something then I go with it in the players benefit as it is usually something that would have taken seconds and been discussed at the table to where in PbP it could take days.

All right, sounds like intiative order is the preference!

I have a tendency to just "make up" lore that I like, including that Lantern King bit in my last post, so please feel free to let me know if I get something wrong. Most of it's either about Iomedae and/or her faith (cause this is me we are talking about) and Golarion literature. I like making characters who read a lot and it's infinitely more fun if you can actually talk about what they are reading.

Eh, we can have whatever canon you want for this game. If it was someone who figured into the adventure heavily, I might ask to stick to published lore, but I’m good with people filling stuff in for their characters’ sake. Details are interesting!

I try to mostly just build on what's already there, so that's good with me. A lot of the lore that interests me is not necessarily the kind of lore that people will run out to buy. Medieval Catholicism-inspired Iomedaean theology and "The History of Golarion Art and Literature" would probably not be bestsellers for Paizo :P

@ a Con this weekend will be back Sunday afternoon.

I'm trying a thing! If you want to attempt a check to Recall Knowledge, roll it yourself and then look at your results in the spoiler.

How do we want to handle Treat Wounds? I'm happy to do it automatically (or even better, you can assume I do it and roll if we're switching to exploration mode/there are no time worries), but as Mukky pointed out, it can actually hurt you. I don't want to be responsible for killing you (that's Groetus' job)!

I definitely think we should have an automated process for doing out-of-combat healing, though that may be difficult until when/if we get some more easily renewable healing resources and/or methods to guarantee healing. I could see about finagling the ability to get Assurance with Medicine eventually.

As is, I am happy spending my 1 free first level spell a day on Soothe, but I'd prefer to save that for in-combat healing when it's most needed. We are probably closing in on 2 at this rate, so we are probably close to a couple more feats to throw at the problem.

Do we want to say that generally, you will take the time you need to continually attempt Treat Wounds until everyone is healed, and so it’s automatic and you don’t need to roll for it, but I will alert you when time is a factor and I need to know how long it’s taking?

That sounds good to me. I was more concerned about letting players decide they want it, since there is a chance I hurt them after all.

I'm not sure how much assurance helps with Medicine, since that would just give you a 10 + proficiency bonus. I guess in a few levels, that would get us the presumed minimum DC to Treat Wounds. I'm also willing to continue to invest in healing if necessary. I hadn't pictured Rova as a healer initially, but I suppose it would make sense people expecting the end of the world would be ready for bad things to happen.

In a few levels, getting the minimum DC would mean we would have a mechanical justification for just handing-waving OOC healing. That was all I was thinking. In my Fall of Plaguestone game, it's a bit easier because we have things like my champion's Lay on Hands, which heals a guaranteed 6 and I just need to spend 10 minutes refocusing before doing it again

We have a tactical map on Slide 1 and a map of the town on Slide 3!

I don't know what the song does, but I get a feeling Niksi won't be participating in the encounter. At the very least, I do appreciate it when my characters fail when it makes the most sense that they would haha

I will get Niksi's eulogy up later tonight. Gotta do errands before I got locked down at midnight!

I underestimated how exhausted I would be and how long this would take to write, so I'm gonna do it first thing in the morning!

It was worth the wait, Niksi.

Also, I really like the measured tone with Niksi vs. Rova's, since she just kind of said what came to her at the time, as opposed to agonizing over it.

Really enjoying the game so far, everyone!

I'm also really loving the game! Niksi is very different from my typical characters and it's been worthwhile writing training for my next book!

Following up on my Quick Draw feat -- will that work with ammunition? (If not, I think I'm going to bail on this halfling sling, since the shortbow feels like it'll be much more useful with the 0 reload.)

I do not believe that works with ammunition. An example of wording that works with ammunition is the Running Reload ranger feat.

Yeah, that's probably how I'd have read it too. Shame, since I think action economy really makes it not worth using the sling staff -- I've already got to likely spend actions to Hunt Prey and Command Animal. Maybe it'll change as we get some bigger monsters that don't go down as quickly, though...

I am running into that as well with my ranger in another game Rova. I put a shield on him and I just don't have enough actions to even raise it yet between command an animal and Hunt Prey. Higher level I need to figure out a way to gain a semi-permanent hast buff to free up an action.

Yeah the action economy of 2nd ed is both nice and incredibly frustrating. The whole "moving grip is an action" thing in particular super annoys me.

I just updated the party loot list (yay for quarantining on my "Saturday").

Couple items there we may want to figure out what to do with -- the owlbear claw and potency crystal, in particular. We also left everything in the Thunder's wagon, though I'm sure the adventure meant for us to take it. :)

Thanks Rova.

Where is there a link to the loot list? Mukluk doesn’t want the claw or the crystal, but was eying the splint mail and the low grade fever pick.

Loot list

There are a few slides describing the various members of the Sideshow of everyday wonders. Also, the town map is updated with all the locations you know about.

Loot list

Thanks. Where is the splint mail and the cold iron pick?

GM Kate, can you put that loot list into the AP header or Campaign Info page?

Will do!

Loot sheet has been added to campaign info.

Loot sheet has been added to campaign info.

Sweet cheese. Added the splint mail and pick and silver from the carnies.

Went back and added in +1 bonuses to attack and damage to my last attack.

Just a reminder: you were at the Mill because you were looking for leads into the missing Miller family.

Just a reminder: you were at the Mill because you were looking for leads into the missing Miller family.

Oooh...this is a good reminder for violence avoiding dwarves. Thank you.

Trying to come up with something good for our last prompt. I may be taking today as a mental health day, though. Hopefully I'll get inspired/energized later on.

Yeah I'm considering various options myself. I'm enjoying the opportunity for a flashback vignette :D

Is there any guidance you can give us in terms of how dark we want to go on these flashbacks. I don't want to make one of these characters out to be a serial killer if she isn't (I mean, obviously the clown is, but the other two?).

There is absolutely no problem making them villains!

Good question!

Also, one of my own: I was thinking of having Danika be an ex of Niksi’s, and I wanted to ask if that would be okay, Kate? I can think of something else if you would prefer