I see discussion about the resell value of Starfinder items being only 10%. That seems to be intended to keep people from making a fortune by looting bodies and selling their weapons.
That's not what you're doing though, so, let's say that the NightArch revolver retains 50% of its value as you reconfigure it (75% of its value with a DC 20 Engineering check).
I just noticed Zellgato has sleight of hand.
Alright with 3,000 credits I'm going shopping:
275 Ion Tape
10 Zapstick
120 Smoke Grenades x 3
120 Battery x 2
75 Stomach Tabs (box of ten)
1400 Stat Booster (Technology(+2Charisma)
Not sure what to do with the last thousand. Part of me says Jump Jets, but I'm not sure this character actually needs them.
Approriate Level = My current level right?
Concerning Drugs/poison that target specific Subtypes or specific Sicknesses. Are those going to be random? Or can I chose the one I want. (Or spend time later to change the target).
An example (assuming approriate level = our level) is Biocide as well as Counteractant (though this one doesn't require specific afflection to vs like Vaccine I think).
Would be interesting and powerful. Would also make sense it would be an effect they would be testing in the lab. Since I"m trying to stick with stuff that would make sense for the room we're in.
I'm really not knowledgeable enough about drugs and poisons, but I was thinking close to your level, yes. I picked three things to send with you and when Zellgato gets a chance he can figure out what they are. You can choose the other three and then can be anything you want close to your level.
As for the changing the specific target, I think you should probably choose from the specific subtype.
Mostly what they've been testing in the lab has been things to slow the creature's takeover of Von Junzt. The other Gaian has been the control case.
Cool Beans. I'll avoid Biocide then. Its strong and awesome, but we don't have enough info on their subtypes etc, even with the scans. Much less the functional liklihood that they would have biocide sitting there. Unless it was their termination plan~.
I'll read over the choices during lunch tomorrow at work then.
Counteractant Tier 1 In case we get infected somehow.
Turbocurarine Which is a nice way to possibly shut someone down for a few turns (or long if they have really bad luck)
Insanity Mist Will be the last one. For fear of casters/also to provide a different vector for poisoning (inhaled and also injection yay)
We're not level 5, so tier 2 is out boounds on these, [though if were were doing level 5 Would switch Turbo out for Dreamshiver drugs for one of em.Strong effect if lucky.
Oh and here is a handy info stat on Poisons (and some drugs) Info link
Did you want a hiking gear list? Or just assume we get some rations, weather gear, my Mobile Hotilier (which may or may not be a big target on a mountain). Zellgato would llikely add some flares to that list. They're useful survival wise, and he's only gotten one since he used up all his last before. I'd have to look up hiking gear haha
That all sounds good. Hiking and climbing gear, weather gear, the hotilier, the flares, ... The drugs sound reasonable. Zellgato will, once he has a chance to inspect them, finds out what the other three contain.
Two contain polymorphic serum, but it's hard to tell what it's been set to polymorph the drinker into without a thorough analysis. The third is a regeneration serum
Ah if the drug is valid then I"ll switch out Turbo for Dreamshiver. The better to knock out Von Junzt if it comes to it.
Counteractant, Insanity Mist, Dreamshiver Drug. + Some cool serums and hiking/winter gear etc. Neat.
Sorry for being gone, work was nuts this week (first week back in office) and I'd get home, pull up the tabs to post, and then get distracted and forget about it.
I get that. There have been a few days since I started PbPs, especially in the last few months, where it felt less like fun and more like work to post and I posted minimally and let the players keep it going.
For the most part though, having a story to tell keeps me sane. If I don't have something to do with the part of my brain not required by real life, I fill my mind with social drama instead. So, thanks for the help keeping me sane and I totally understand slowing down when it feels like work.
Sorry for my silence. Vrog is in two games with me and will be missed. I actually thought Archeron was quite successful in this mission. Without taking out the power, I doubt anyone would have escaped before Peggy busted in with Pink Penny looking to settle a score with someone who'd actually long ago been replaced by a raktavarna.
I'm sorry, Vrog, that you won't be around for a bit.
As for what we should do, I'm not sure. We could recruit for a couple of characters; we'd probably find some to join us.
We could always call it quits and you'd be welcome in the next game I make, which would probably be Pathfinder's River Into Darkness, probably PF1e not updated to 2e.
River Into Darkness is basically Heart of Darkness / Apocalypse Now set in Golarion.
The characters are heading up river, on a boat, deeper towards something dark, greedy, and colonizing.
In a way, it asks for the same kind of characters as this PbP did ... the desperate, outcasts, people living on the edge, people driven to the edge ... What would make someone desperate enough for coin to take a job heading deep into unknown dangers despite being warned away.
It could be great with people who wanted to roleplay characters.
In this story, I kind of expected things would get haywire. I planned a distraction for the second day that would give a chance for things to open up if you ended up captured. In the end, you were all out of there before Peggy arrived. I had hoped to reveal more about what was going on before things went haywire, but it was a fun game and full of surprises.
I did appreciate Archeron's hitting the lights. Sorry he's gone.
I guess so. I'd continue it, but only after recruiting more players.
Gristlethorn is a fun character. I'd be happy to see him continue.
What do you think? Recruit more or suspend it?
You know, it's kind of funny actually that you are the two players that are still here. I had to create some NPCs for another PbP, and I kind of kept Gristlethorn and Zellgato in my mind as I did.
I didn't use any names--they were an unnamed masked man and an uplifted bear--but I had Gristlethorn and Zellgato in the back of my mind. They were there mostly for the exposition.
They were NPCs from another world who shared a common enemy. The story just saw them return to their world with new information to try to take out a common enemy from their side while my other group of players was trying to shut down that common enemy's infiltration into their dimension.
I don't know if it would be weird to you, but if the two of you wanted to take these characters and jump through a dimensional gate, the groundwork has already been laid for you to show up in my other PbP, I just wasn't really planning it that way. I just enjoyed your roleplaying and kind of used you both as my muses. I didn't do justice to either character, but Gristlethorn could just have been feeling shy.
Also, Skyreaver just left that game too, unfortunately, and we've added a character recently, so it's not like it's a fixed group that would be bothered by new players.
It wouldn't even be weird for you to pop in, but I'd still ask the players in that group if anyone objects, but I don't see why they would. They seemed to like their compatriots from another dimension.
I would need to give you a briefing on the agency that hired you and a few minor details. I kind of advanced your careers a little bit in my head. You got some more important work with NARA and then the Big Bad Common Enemy destroyed your timeline and you've been working to save it.
Or, we could continue with this story and recruit more players.
I’m from that other game. All four players agree you guys are welcome to join us!
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So a dimension hopping kinda game? That sounds pretty narratively intersting. From a quick snooping its mixed pathfidner starfinder? I never thought about that. Works well? Feel like to hits/acs would be a bit different there (also stamina-like, a theorm I almost chose can heal HP but not stamina-and pathfinder spells heal only hp etc). but sounds interesting.
I'm fine with either story. If Gris is up to it, I'm also fine making a hop over. Though if we're shifting Narratives a bit like that. Are we same level? Or are we changing over to their levels? (Assuming levels are diff).
Sounds like a fair bit o fun. I might snoop the thread at work lunch today.
Although if Zell and Gris are dimension hunting via jobs I might see about a soft reboot of Zellgato. same character/ concept but built/money spent better now that I know more about Starfindner. Depdnging of course what the GM wants and what the briefing entails. (i.e. if we're hopping from this world to that. or if we're hopping from 'non discribed world' and we're just slotting in the character into that world as if they were there previously)
Whats your opinion Gristlethorn?
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It’s Starfinder, but the GM added some houserule stuff that may or may not have a touch of PF.
It’s actually the only PbP I’ve ever played that I can go back and read. If you read the first two pages, you’ll know the major characters. The two woman with V names left the party. Where you and Bear Guy come in is the third episode. (I consider us to be in the fourth now.)
The first post of p.23 has Theo answering Nissa’s question about the morality of not killing bad guys. I don’t know if the GM intended this, but that question gets explored repeatedly throughout the third episode (especially by p.36).
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I love that avatar. He looks like Dr. Strangelove.
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EDIT - current level is 4.
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I like the idea myself.
I like the idea myself.
Excellent. I'll start preparing a briefing, so that you don't feel overwhelmed or that you need to read the whole PbP. I'll focus on introducing the Tarotverse and things that you would have learned since.
So a dimension hopping kinda game? That sounds pretty narratively intersting. From a quick snooping its mixed pathfidner starfinder? I never thought about that. Works well? Feel like to hits/acs would be a bit different there (also stamina-like, a theorm I almost chose can heal HP but not stamina-and pathfinder spells heal only hp etc). but sounds interesting.
It is Starfinder, but World Z--what I'm calling the world of the PbP for now--is a world with superheroes, so we allowed some tweaking and creativity in design as long as no one ended up overpowered. I don't think anyone did.
I'm fine with either story. If Gris is up to it, I'm also fine making a hop over. Though if we're shifting Narratives a bit like that. Are we same level? Or are we changing over to their levels? (Assuming levels are diff).
They are 4th level, although, they've gained more experience at fourth level already ... We'll move everyone to fifth at the same time. I honestly don't calculate XP the way I would in a table game. PbPs are slow and people enjoy updating their characters and these PbPs are more story-driven anyhow.
Sounds like a fair bit o fun. I might snoop the thread at work lunch today.
Although if Zell and Gris are dimension hunting via jobs I might see about a soft reboot of Zellgato. same character/ concept but built/money spent better now that I know more about Starfinder. Depdnging of course what the GM wants and what the briefing entails. (i.e. if we're hopping from this world to that. or if we're hopping from 'non discribed world' and we're just slotting in the character into that world as if they were there previously)
Whats your opinion Gristlethorn?
A reboot is actually perfectly allowable and doesn't even break the 4th wall ... World 12--Zellgato's and Gristlethorn's world--is lousy with time travelers and transdimensional beings that mess with the continuum. Someone could have messed with the timeline and Zellgato's different but the same.
First of all, this story. Clearly World 12 is infested with transdimensional aliens trying to open the gates to more rakshasa. These creatures are from World X and have attempted to invade World 12 many times in history. In fighting these creatures, Zellgato and Gristlethorn could become aware of a few things:
(1) There are other worlds strangely like ours and not like ours. World X is ruled by wealthy Rakshasa while humans are slaves, or meat, or gladiators. The culture is cruel and many humans will be their souls; the Rakshasa, equally cruel, often take those bets.
(2) There are agencies on 21 other worlds, all called TAROT, although the meaning of the acronym varies. They have an HQ on World One. The 21 TAROT groups are not always in perfect agreement, but generally seemed to consist of people who fought against transdimensional invaders in their own realms. That's not all they have in commmon, but it's the main thing.
(3) World 12 is lousy with time-travellers. A group called FATE (Final Authority over Temporal Entanglements), formed by the government, was intended to use time travel to benefit World 12, but became corrupt and tried to twist the world to benefit their bloodlines. Eventually, too many temporal contradictions and messy crossovers just broke the timeline. FATE is everywhere at once and there may even be FATE agents from timelines that no longer exist fighting FATE agents in the timeline that does. The world is a mess. If it weren't for these greedy time travelers, the apocalyptic world you saw would never have happened.
(4) A TAROT formed on World 12 to stop FATE. You can decide what the acronym stands for. Its members adopted the exact same style of mask that FATE agents wore to hide their identities keep any rivals from deleting their ancestors.
As for how Gristlethorn and Zellgato found themselves a member of World 12's TAROT is up to you, but I imagine something like this could have happened ...
Not too far from the day we left our heroes off, Gristlethorn is ambushed by some Raktarna that appeared out of nowhere. As Zellgato launches a rescue, a masked man appears just in time to save Gristlethorn's butt. Zellgato welcomes the help and fights alongside our masked man. Together, they narrowly manage to pull the bear's fat out of the fire. The newcomer soon unmasks himself and reveals himself to be a much older Zellgato who came back in time to save the bear and deputize you as Agents of TAROT.
They soon find themselves a part of this strange Tarotverse of doppleganger worlds that everyone has a different explanation for.
World 12 TAROT is of the opinion that manipulations of timelines has resulted in multiple worlds co-existing.
The elves of Worlds One to 3, believe it is a divinely constructed ring of worlds, protected from temporal intrusion and transdimensional invasions by all powerful entities known as the Celestials, who work in secret to form TAROTs as a defense of these worlds.
These are things that Gristlethorn and Zellgato from the story would have known, but that might be almost all they know about TAROT. They could be fairly new to the organization.
There was one other TAROT member referred to by the 'Bear Guy' in the other PbP. His name was 'gears'. He has a magic coin that helps him work with alien machinery.
So, if the above works, how did Zellgato and Gristlethorn end up on World One when the World Z players arrived?
Future Zellgato urged them to escape from this dimension as FATE planned to eliminate them from the timeline. As long as they were offworld when this happened, even if FATE was successful, Zellgato and Gristlethorn would survive. For that reason, World 12 TAROT relocated to gather more information on FATE.
While visiting the other PbP world (World Z) Zellgato and Gristlethorn were given a picture of an unmasked Agent of FATE. Not enough, but it is a start.
Okay, that was a lot. Just spitballing here though.
The first post of p.23 has Theo answering Nissa’s question about the morality of not killing bad guys. I don’t know if the GM intended this, but that question gets explored repeatedly throughout the third episode (especially by p.36).
I think the conversation about not killing Grendel's mother started that thread off. No one expected that. Somewhere in the Great Library, by the way, exists a series of young adult fiction called The Saga of the Shield Maidens and the more adult and controversial 'Farlander' reimagining of Beowulf.
I think the conversation about not killing Grendel's mother started that thread off. No one expected that. Somewhere in the Great Library, by the way, exists a series of young adult fiction called The Saga of the Shield Maidens and the more adult and controversial 'Farlander' reimagining of Beowulf.
The first post of p.23 has Theo answering Nissa’s question about the morality of not killing bad guys. I don’t know if the GM intended this, but that question gets explored repeatedly throughout the third episode (especially by p.36).
It was actually Nissa worrying that the Evil Wonder Twins would escape and kill again, and do we bear responsibility for the next murder victims.
True though... killing Grendel and sparing his mother were also explorations of that, and I felt like the conclusion was Grendel could not be reasoned with, but his mother can.
The pace of PbPs can be really slow. Fights by PbP can be REALLY slow. The fun, I think, is most easily found in moral debates, (not too difficult) mysteries or puzzles, great character interaction, and (not too disorienting) plot twists. I love reading the dialogue when the PCs talk to each other and I enjoy not knowing where the PCs are going to take things.
Good looking out for Genius. One thing I didn't explore in the other PbP: when they went to World Z 2219, Masked Man and Bear Guy perhaps passed in the hall Scarlet Meadows. I don't recall if anyone used her last name around them though and they didn't talk as far as I remember.
Scarlet's grandmother was named Genius Meadows. If Z and Gris ever meet Scarlet (again?), they would see an uncanny resemblance to the World 12 Genius.
These stories have always intersected, just only in my own head.
Anyhow, when you see Scarlet again, I'll have to remember that you'll recognize her eyes immediately.
I fine with that as an 'origin' story. Gristlethorn would totally be the person captured, as he is huge and obvious, but really just a teddy bear.
Zellgato wouldn't like letting it occur but he also has enough pragmatic to avoid being captured when its down. also he's a bit sneaky
https://paizo.com/campaigns/v5748p75ivkua
is the link to the other place. I have talked in discussion a bit, but not in the game itself. (been a busy stressful week. and I soft rebuilt Zellgato, going with the assumption of alternate future zellgato changing the past resulting in this one, who then goes on to learn all the world layering /time shenangans/apocolypses, on top of the body snatchers...
basically he got even more scared, and doubled down on his safer distancing debuff style. Rlying on his medic and analystics for most things but being pretty scared but knowing he has to these days sorta deal)
Basically though, just swapped some feats, stats, and changed up his equipment with a Longarm, with lenty of debuffing abilities (some buffing but most will be debuffs). Though I do need to chooese one feat. May end up weapon focus for lack of anything that fits. That would represent basic training in the military for the medics.
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I'm thinking of not being the "masked man and uplifted bear" they met, but being past alternate selves. Just so it smoothes out the past characterizations with our characterizations. And since it'll take a long while to read all the catch up (they give highlight notes. but so far i've only read the most recent 10)