Sorry for the absence. I've been busy with work and to add to my misery Portland has been a pollen bomb lately, worse than I ever remember, so my allergies are murdering me slowly. I actually went to the coast last weekend just to get out of the cloud so I could see and breathe normally for a little while.
Yeah, I think it's best to save Lore Master for a potential monster ID in a tight spot. Lots of odd stuff in this place.
There's a little time before this occurs, but it's a longer time away so I didn't want to spring it at the last moment.
I've got a trip from 7/31 to 8/12, and for much of it I won't have internet access.
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As a general thought here...
Feel free to PM me with any thoughts on how I am doing as GM.
I know this part has been mostly a wilderness/dungeon crawl, but I have tried to introduce some drama. At least in my head, the mysterious huge thing stomping around in the dark was eerie and dramatic, as were the bloodsucking mists disappearing at the edge of your sight. There should be a bit of mysterious horror to this - it's not Strange Aeons, but it is pretty indebted to Lost in some parts.
I am glad that everyone seems engaged and keeping up with the posting. You all know that I wasn't looking to be GM but stepped in to keep the game running and I feel that it is going pretty well. Again, feel free to share any thoughts with me about how I can improve. I've run a short AP before (Red Hand of Doom, again stepping in as GM after starting as a player) but it's not my usual role in PF.
The stomping definitely gave a sense of being on-edge, and less certainty of whether it was safe to just wait it out (or...?)
Am I right in assuming this fight is marking the end or near-end of book one?
Near the end of Book 2, you mean? It might be had you done things in the expected order. You skipped over quite a lot of the missions for Carver Hastings so it might be appropriate to go back and do them.
Because this part was expected to be after numerous side-quests, you would be expected to be Level 6 for it.
Oops right. "Whatever book this is" :D. Yeah, I would prefer we do circle back to those side-quests as I assume they would fill in quite a lot of useful information.
There's a little time before this occurs, but it's a longer time away so I didn't want to spring it at the last moment.
I've got a trip from 7/31 to 8/12, and for much of it I won't have internet access.
Reminder
There's a little time before this occurs, but it's a longer time away so I didn't want to spring it at the last moment.
I've got a trip from 7/31 to 8/12, and for much of it I won't have internet access.
Final reminder. It's a bit of a long one.
Okay. I will bot Vexas if needed.
I've added a link to bbcode snippets on his profile. It's probably not exhaustive and I can enhance it until wednesday if needed.
I'll get a post up tomorrow to move things along.
Oof! So sorry! It's been a wicked rough couple of weeks for all sorts of surprising reasons. I'll be in the clear to get a gameplay post in on Saturday.
Back and slowly catching up.
I'll update tonight - on my phone now, and need my laptop for the module PDF.
FYI: I'm away in nature this weekend starting late Friday (9/6) afternoon and through Sunday (9/8) afternoon (US/Pacific time). I will resume posting Sunday evening.
I'll get up a post tomorrow moving us on. I don't want to leave any players behind but I do want to keep this moving.
Hi everyone. Very sorry for being away for so long. A bad case of covid knocked me flat for a couple of weeks and the timing was very bad. It turned everything into a train wreck that I'm still putting back into order. I'm pretty much back to 100% now though. I can get back into the game within the next day or two.
Oh wow. That does not sound fun. Glad you're feeling better!
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Everybody can level to 6! This normally would have happened after all of the side quests and before Nal-Shakar.
I'm not sure that you need this (with 5 PCs and some generous boons), but I know some later parts of this AP can be pretty challenging and I don't want you to feel you have to pull out all the stops for hardcore optimization. So go ahead and level up.
Now for the occasional reminder of how we do hit points for this game. Roll, average or choice between the two? It looks like we did GM Mioki's original rool of max through level 4, then average? That's what my build shows.
Vexas will take a level in wizard, and from level 7 he will get to take arcane trickster.
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Max through 4, then average.
+8HP (5 class +2 con +1 favored) (total 60)
+1 BAB (CMD/CMB) (4)
+1 to all saves (2/2/5)
+8 skills (4 class +1 human +1 int +2 background) (Craft armorer†, Craft Stonecarver†, Heal, Knowledge History, Knowledge Religion, Perception, Spellcraft, Swim)
+2 Mental Prowess (charisma)
+1 second level spell per day (6)
+4 third level spells per day (4)
+1 third level mystery spell (magic vestment)
+1 cantrip (spark)
+2 third level spells (cure serious wounds, free swim)
Spells Memorized (Caster Level 6, Concentration +11, DC 13+lvl)
. . cantrip: Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Spark
. . 1st (7/7): Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Divine Favor, Enlarge Person, Liberating Command, Remove Fear
. . 2nd (6/6): Burst of Radiance, Cure Moderate Wounds, Endure Elements Communal, Fog Cloud
. . 3rd (4/4): Cure Serious Wounds, Free Swim, Magic Vestment
- - -
Hmm, two updates with background skills and Vexas seems to not be using them. Wondering how I missed that.
Yes, we are using background skills.
If everybody is ready I will get us moving again tomorrow.
Will add those tonight. No need to block on it though.
I'm back. Again, sorry it's taken so long. The last couple of months really crashed my life and I've had a lot to do to get to the point where I have some energy for getting back into things here.
I'll see if I can get leveled before sleep time this evening.
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Alright, Bard level 6.
BAB +1
Fort, Ref, Will +1
HP +8
Mental Prowess +2 Cha
Versatile Performance (Dance)
Comparative Arcane Studies: Cast from written spell using spell slot rather than consuming written source. 1/day
New 2nd level spell: Gallant Inspiration.
Skills: +1 Bluff, Swim, K Arcana, K Dungeoneering, K Planes, Linguistics, UMD
Background Skills: +1 Perform (Dance), +1 Perform (Oratory)
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The colonists have found additional materials and items to lend to your efforts. Or, old items that you have can have taken on additional powers due to your heroism, or the mysterious properties of Nal-Shakar, or the blessings of deities.
However you choose to describe it, you may each have an additional 2,000 GP in magic or mundane items, or crafting components, or you can "bank" this towards a larger acquisition later.
That is most of the difference between 6th-level and 5th-level WBL under ABP, accounting for the fact that some found items are not totally useless.
Brannart, for his part, will 'bank' it. That is of course not an intentional decision on his part, but mine as a player.
Sosche will bank it for now, as he needs just a little more than that to make his boots.
Vexas chooses Cat Burglar's Boots
Fenna will bank the 2,000. I can't think of anything she needs right away.
Remembered what Brannart needed. So he'll get that.
Everyone else's requests are fine.
Actually I forgot about scrolls. I may pick up 2 or 3 scrolls to cover some essentials that might be handy to have in a pinch. I'll take a look through the spell lists.
That is fine.
As well, the party found a good deal of alchemical reagents in Nal-Shakar.
The alchemists in the colony can use these to create up to 1,250 GP of potions or alchemical items.
@Vexas: I've been meaning to bring this up for a while now, but I've been so pressed for time I haven't managed to so far. Both Vexas and Fenna have an interest in having written spells on hand, so we should figure out a bit of coordination for them.
Fenna can only cast one a day, but she can cast any wizard/sorcerer, witch, or bard spell from a written source without expending it. Fenna also has the scribe scroll feat. At the moment, she only has one scroll, Paragon Surge, which a nabbed back when we got a reward. Didn't want to leave such a gem of a spell for her to chance. She can't use it until 7th level though.
If I remember correctly, we now have 2 spellbooks. Vexas has his own, and we found one. We should figure out a system to distribute the spells we have in aggregate so that both Vexas and Fenna have access to them between books, scrolls, and scribing new scrolls.
Once a day isn't much, but Fenna doesn't have to prepare it. She can cast any spell we have in writing on the spot as needed. That takes some pressure off Vexas to use up scrolls, or prepare spells that are only situationally useful. At 10th level she can do 2/day, 14th is 3/day, etc.
Sound good?
I'm also going to pick up 2 or 3 scrolls since Fenna didn't spend any money. I know one of them will be Ashen Path, but I haven't yet had a chance to look further. Any suggestions from Vexas?
That is fine.
As well, the party found a good deal of alchemical reagents in Nal-Shakar.
The alchemists in the colony can use these to create up to 1,250 GP of potions or alchemical items.
Offhand I'd say everyone could benefit from having 1 or 2 potions of Touch of the Sea. Having a swim speed available for crisis moments would be nice. Cure and Restoration spells never go out of style. Same with Tears to Wine.
As for 2nd level choices... Barkskin? Alchemical Allocation? Darkvision?
If nobody has Tears to Wine in their spellbooks or among their spells known, that is a spell I would rather do without. I think it is grossly overpowered for its level and think it is banned in PFS for good reason.
But I'm hoping to find a new GM for Book 3 and they may feel differently.
Sosche can also cast one spell a day from a written source (divine though). I have a number of scrolls (see below) already and happy to share them, though they're likely of limited use to non-divine casters.
Also please remember, Sosche can craft wondrous magics and will do so for the party. I have a list of his own desires of course, but no money to get started quite yet, so the door is open for you if there's something you want now. Happy to get started on it!
Scrolls (caster level)
Air Bubble (1)
Ant Haul (1)
Calm Emotions (3)
Comprehend Languages (1)
Cure Light Wounds (1)
Cure Moderate Wounds (3)
Delay Disease (3)
Delay Poison (3)
Diagnose Disease (1)
Obscuring Mist (1)
Make Whole (3)
Remove Sickness (1)
Restoration Lesser (3)
Share Language (3)
Water Breathing (5)
Water Walk Communal (3)
So for now let's say that the colonists have happened to uncover a set of Azlanti copper tablets with inscriptions that they cannot read. Read Magic will reveal these as instructions to cast two different 2nd-level spells, and two different 1st-level spells (total worth 100 GP). These happen to be spells that Vexas was looking for.
1st - Feather Fall, Hydraulic Push
2nd - Knock, Locate Object
@Vexas: I've been meaning to bring this up for a while now, but I've been so pressed for time I haven't managed to so far. Both Vexas and Fenna have an interest in having written spells on hand, so we should figure out a bit of coordination for them.
Fenna can only cast one a day, but she can cast any wizard/sorcerer, witch, or bard spell from a written source without expending it. Fenna also has the scribe scroll feat. At the moment, she only has one scroll, Paragon Surge, which a nabbed back when we got a reward. Didn't want to leave such a gem of a spell for her to chance. She can't use it until 7th level though.
Vexas has some more scrolls but he intends to transfer them into his spellbook.
If I remember correctly, we now have 2 spellbooks. Vexas has his own, and we found one. We should figure out a system to distribute the spells we have in aggregate so that both Vexas and Fenna have access to them between books, scrolls, and scribing new scrolls.
Once a day isn't much, but Fenna doesn't have to prepare it. She can cast any spell we have in writing on the spot as needed. That takes some pressure off Vexas to use up scrolls, or prepare spells that are only situationally useful. At 10th level she can do 2/day, 14th is 3/day, etc.
Sound good?
I'm also going to pick up 2 or 3 scrolls since Fenna didn't spend any money. I know one of them will be Ashen Path, but I haven't yet had a chance to look further. Any suggestions from Vexas?
Okay, so if we take any arcane spells that we find and let Vexas make them permanent in his spellbook, then we should be able to further transcribe them to the 2nd spellbook for Fenna to use too.
If nobody has Tears to Wine in their spellbooks or among their spells known, that is a spell I would rather do without. I think it is grossly overpowered for its level and think it is banned in PFS for good reason.
But I'm hoping to find a new GM for Book 3 and they may feel differently.
That's cool, no problem. Actually I think you might have brought that up before and I forgot. I can't remember for sure.
I'd love to say I'd take over come book 3, but obviously I'm just not in a position to do it anytime soon. If we can find a book 3 GM and keep going, I'll make myself available for book 4 or 5 (book 6 scares me a little, I've never even played at that level before, much less run a game at that level). My time crunch won't last forever, but I can't say with confidence exactly how short of forever this will ease up.
Okay, so if we take any arcane spells that we find and let Vexas make them permanent in his spellbook, then we should be able to further transcribe them to the 2nd spellbook for Fenna to use too.
Yeah, we can do things that way. Probably better all around than Fenna carrying a boatload of scrolls eventually, though it could be done that way.
RP-wise the found spellbook does belong to a particular person (whose name I don't remember and will not go digging for) and might need to be returned to them in the future.
We'll need to make the arrangements and get some scribing done the next down time that comes along.
I'm looking at buying scrolls for the following spells:
1st level wizard: Protection from Evil, Obscuring Mist.
2nd level wizard: Resist Energy, Ashen Path, Commune with Birds, See Invisibility, Stone Call(?) or Web(?) or Create Pit(?)
1st Level Witch: Ill Omen
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One thing I thought of, did any of the characters who are no longer in the game take any magical loot that we've found along the way? If so, could we reclaim the items and redistribute them?
How close are we to the end of book 2?