Thread and Circuses

Game Master ChesterCopperpot

you guys, would i have had time to Refocus or is speed of the essence here?

People were doing Treat Wounds, so there would definitely be time to refocus.

Any great ideas since we have the drop on these guys?

Also, once again confused Thelonious for Uncle GG.

my fault for playing to two goofy social rogues in one go

Hmm, should we be giving intimidate a shot before putting them down with force? It's not something I'm good at, but maybe someone else?

What should our standard procedure be for refocusing after a fight? It seems a bit meta-gamey to expect that we'd do it after every fight, but if we don't then it means going without inspire during some fights.

To me that seems like the right approach, but I'm curious what you guys think.

I think any time we are trying Medicine we can also refocus, and/or any time when we aren't in a hurry. Tim, only Lingering Composition costs a focus point, you can cast Inspire Courage forever since it's a composition cantrip.

I'm still immune to Treat Wounds, so either some Battle Medicine for me or I'll need another Heal :( Derrick should be able to (try to) heal Celery with Treat Wounds, right? He wasn't hurt yet?

Yeah, any time there is a break I'm fine with you folks refocusing.

I think any time we are trying Medicine we can also refocus, and/or any time when we aren't in a hurry. Tim, only Lingering Composition costs a focus point, you can cast Inspire Courage forever since it's a composition cantrip.

I'm still immune to Treat Wounds, so either some Battle Medicine for me or I'll need another Heal :( Derrick should be able to (try to) heal Celery with Treat Wounds, right? He wasn't hurt yet?

Well, I've been doing that wrong. The good news is I can spam Inspire at you guys way more than I have been.

Ha - I thought maybe that was the case ;)

Papillon - I'm still immune from the last try after the fight in the first room. Once you do it to someone, succeed or fail, they are immune for an hour. Just sitting still for almost an hour (not that much time has passed since we entered the front door - maybe 12 minutes?) doesn't seem great, so I'd love another heal, or we can retreat out of the hermitage and wait the time out and return.

Ah, I see you have continual recovery. My bad. So it was still a failure for me, but then after treating Celery you could try again.

Bump-bump, hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! Just checking in to see where everyone is?

We've had lovely weather here the past few days, so I'm hoping GM has been too busy enjoying it to post!

...and/or living his best #vanlife. On the road, not looking back.

I wish! With the end of the school year, the bosses have me hopping. Sorry about the delay.

Haha, @GM, looks like you're running Cradle of Night too! I only recently picked up the module for one of my groups on PbP this month as well! :)

Yes, fun so far, but we just got started.

Regarding the barricade: I think if we'd have to pile things up, then it alerts any crazy person that walks down the hall that something is up. If we break the lock, then we have an issue of getting inside, and I feel like we'll want to get in there eventually since it's the abbot's room and there might be info/leads inside. Resonable to not want to fight in there in close quarters, so continuing to explore makes sense to me, but happy to be outvoted if folks want to head back in and deal with them.

My only concern with leaving them is having them eventually come out and attack from behind while we’re engaged with someone else.

I don't mind either way, let us just explore and see what happens.

Matt, I'm a little confused where we are. I thought it was first room on the left, but I'm assuming the secret door doesn't go to the cell next door. Are we across the hall in the covered up area?

Sorry, I might have gotten the directions mixed up. The librarian's room is the first door on the right.

Gameplan time! One idea: Orm goes around to the outer door, where Papillon is now. The rest of you come from reading room via librarian's room. Maybe using either Celery or Papillon as the melee bait, Derrick and Thelonious flip that desk in the room up and make a bit of a barrier. When the demons head to that side of the room, Orm comes in behind and we have them sandwiched. Other ideas? Particularly if Papillon or Thelonious has a good surprise spell to drop on them at the start of combat.

Sounds good!

I'm game. Are you thinking we should try to sneak into that room without being seen? And then flip the table (which I'm assuming would start combat rolling?

Yeah. Kind of depends on how many it would take to move and if you could do it quietly. Those guys just hit like trucks so was trying to think of how to build some cushion in for most of you.

That's a good plan, but it will hinge on whether we can get the table into place in front of the door. Worst case, maybe Papillon or Celery goes in from the south as Orm attacks from the west.

As for spells, I've got grim tendrils if they give me a line, or spiritual weapon. But a spot behind a flipped table seems like a good spot for an archer.

Yeah I think someone or thing needs to be on the other side or they will just shove it back.

Matt, given we can see the table, how can we mechanically make this work in terms of sneaking to get in position, then having derrick/orm/thelonious flip the table/desk into place (which would presumably trigger the fight.

Sure, I like that idea. Just decide who is doing what and we'll roll with it.

Ok, well need some input from Derrick and Papillon about who wants to be on the far side of the barrier. But here's my vision:

1) Orm circles around to the door near where M.P is now - he enters as soon as the sound of battle breaks out.

2) Derrick/Thel/MP flip the table up and into the door as [Celery or MP] gets their attention.

3) Profit!

I like it. Derrick will probably be the hardest to dislodge if they try to batter their way through the flipped table. TJ is probably best in the second rank where he can support whoever is on the door.

I'm in. so we just need to see if Pomp wants to be behind the table with me or on the melee side with Celery and Orm?

Haha! I will stay behind Orm. :)

Haha! I will stay behind Orm. :)

so by that do you mean "safely" behind the flipped table while doing things from range, or in the room with Orm and getting into the melee but hoping that he'll take the brunt of it? Just wasn't quite sure, there.

I'll set up what I envision it looking like and will place Papillon in 3 possible places, you say which.

Haha, i deleted the other simulacrums of Papillon, which would be awesome to have at this level btw...

Nah, MP will stay behind Orm and walk into melee with him. :)

Unfortunately I can't get ki strike in there bc I had to go long way. Fear it might've been the difference.

Nah, you got him. Nice work.

I just did a search and as far as I can tell the only use of battle medicine this day was Papillon on Celery, so we should be able to try it on everyone else, and then do a regular treat wounds as well.

And you can do more treat wounds on top of battle med to top off Derrick.

Don't forget that any treat wounds can be converted to an hour of treatment to double the hp gained. Since we're resting I'm assuming we could do that easily.

Once we've figured out healing, how about we finish the loop of this main section, and check back on the abbot's room where the two monks were fighting before. Then head to the northern section we can't see yet.

Did Derrikk’s damage not get updated somewhere, or did I miss something? Because I think he got fully healed with the 20 from crit battle medicine

Was thinking of Thelonious since he's down big.

Good time to take a loot inventory too, since you are resting.

Assuming Madame P doesn't mind patching me up...

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
2d8 ⇒ (5, 3) = 8

...a full hour of treatment will put Thelonious back to full.

And Tim that was a crit so you might have done it one go.

Everyone ok with continuing counterclockwise until we get back to abbot's room? Then heading north up those stairs we can see?

sounds good to me!

Any chance it is time for a hero point?

Yes, I haven't given one in a while. One to Tim and one to Alex, who were both very heroic in the last fight.

I hope you know I'm not being a grubber, I just know it's hard to remember to hand them out. :)

Matt, you also mentioned taking stock of treasure, but besides recovering the books, I don't think there has been anything significant. I can go back and check (and obviously there is the current check in play).