Well, maybe it was because we were all 1st level, but I had to spend all my spells in healing and still it wasn't enough. A Warpriest wasting his spells healing is the same as the sum of a bad cleric plus a bad fighter, so I thought we should look for alternatives. On the other hand, if Zastoran can craft some potions or wands, you get access to some cures and our bard friend also adds her grain of salt, then maybe we're not doomed... yet :p
Yasmeena picked up CLW this level too. (Seems appropriate for characters who have been hanging out in a Sarenrae temple!)
I agree it's probably mostly because we were 1st level. Although according to the Forge model if we are taking lots of damage, it means we aren't debuffing the enemy enough.
That, and I’d like to think on a good day the party’s resident lunatic mage won’t drop half the party through the inside of a less controlled demolition than she would like. Sorries. :$ ;)
Nah, not more than most mages, I don’t think? Though I’ve not yet played any to higher levels. Just fiddly, and dipping/splashing a level or two of other classes is my inveterate vice in character creation. Now, if I ever get around to rolling up a primal warden shaman, that might be complex. At least strategically. :)
Anyway, I think that’s Aith all leveled for now. I’ve got some vague ideas of my own for the spells she might want to keep an eye out for on our travels, but if there are any wizardly-type things that folks want the party to have access to, let me know and I’ll try my best to work them into my plans. And of course, Antarah, I’d be happy to swap spells that are on both the arcanist and magus spell lists.
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I don't remember if the arcanist has a spellbook. If so, we'll swap trading cards, sure. Will your character be leveling up the arcanist now? Or the gunslinger? If arcanist, your haste will come sooo in handy, but you probably already know that.
About buffs, I care very much about Enlarge Person, which is hard to cast. But it's unfair to ask you to cast it if I'm not willing to cast it myself. I will keep it memorized, but I feel I won't be casting it as much given the cast time.
Enlarge person - sounds good doesn't work. At least that's my experience. First you have the long casting time, which sets you up for interrupting attacks. Once you made it, you have reduced AC, the same attack and slightly higher damage. But probably not enough to make up for the lost round.
In a dungeon crawl you are also blocking the passages. This might be a boon, but at low levels you're mostly standing in the way. To get some benefit from it, you'd need to have combat reflexes, so you can deal additional damage from AoOs. If someone is stupid enough to run into your reach.
It comes in handy, if you're fighting large opponents, to counter their reach though. Or did you have better experience with that spell?
Yeah, for a Magus perhaps Long Arms is a better idea (because I'm assuming the key here is to get reach so you don't have to deal with concentration checks as often).
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I find it usually better to cast it than not, if I can spare the round to do so. If it could be cast with Spell Combat, it would be great, but it can't.
The reach is great. I didn't know about that Long Arms spell, and it could be a good addition, I'll have to think about it. So the choice is more damage at the cost of AC and longer cast time. I'll have to think about it.
I don't remember if the arcanist has a spellbook. If so, we'll swap trading cards, sure. Will your character be leveling up the arcanist now? Or the gunslinger? If arcanist, your haste will come sooo in handy, but you probably already know that.
About buffs, I care very much about Enlarge Person, which is hard to cast. But it's unfair to ask you to cast it if I'm not willing to cast it myself. I will keep it memorized, but I feel I won't be casting it as much given the cast time.
We do indeed have spellbooks! Barring fits of madness and/or inspiration, the plan for going forward is to stick with arcanist until qualifying for eldritch knight (and then we’ll see about how martially-inclined we might feel) – the gunslinger dip is really just a backstory-friendly way to get the proficiencies needed.
In my (limited) experience, enlarge person can be fun: mainly for the added reach (and especially casting it on an allied fighter wielding a reach weapon already), and it helps if the party rolls well enough in initiative that a caster hanging back for a round isn’t giving up too much of an advantage.
I think enlarge person is especially good for increased damage, so much less effective at lower levels since you give up to-hit to get it. Also reach, of course. It's better as a potion, but really expensive if you're not an alchemist.
For any sort of magus, Strength-based or otherwise, I think two of the best spells are blade lash and true strike. Both when used with Spell Combat are great for setting up a good follow-up attack with your weapon. You cast the spell (and take the blade lash bonus attack) then step forward and swing with the bonuses for a prone opponent or the +20 bonus from true strike. The latter spell is especially good for enemies with concealment, and the former sets up great attacks of opportunity when the opponent tries to stand up.
Yasmeena will take haste as soon as she can (level 7), as I figure the more the merrier. That's probably about the same time as Aith gets it too, with her slower progression.
Arcanist uh? Well, I hope you put to good use this wondrous pistol you've dug out. On the other hand, I'm glad to count an Arcanist on our side - the have the greatest flexibility of them all imho.
The caravan isn't going to show up on itself. Someone ahs to tell them the job is done. But what you do in preparation before you tell them is up to you.
Yasmeena has Knowledge (nature) if we want Aith and Yasmeena to go back while Tariq and Antarah begin preparing a pyre or a grave for the corpses.
Sounds good to me, as long as it's evident to Tariq that the mold in Aith's arm won't spread to everyone in the camp.
The mold actually only appears when she holds the gun in her hand. Once she sheathes it, the mold disappears from her arm again (Just in case that wasn't clear to everyone).
You know, you could have that discussion in character in gameplay. ;)
I'm having way too much fun imagining Yasmeena giving Garavel the tour like "And here is where Aith collapsed half of the building. And there is where she tried to burn down the rest. And here are some rooms she didn't unleash her calling for destruction upon." :D
Indeed, that is an amusing image, accompanied on the oud and with interpretive dance! Also how poor Aith almost died each time, slipping into unconsciousness just as everything fell apart around her. :) Oh, that would be mean of Yasmeena to her friend, though. Maybe if she could spin it as heroism? Her actions were quite impressive, and it’s not her fault that the dice fell as they did.
I can’t actually blame anyone for being amused.
For the record, credit where due, and all that, setting the fire was Antarah’s idea, and Aith just went along with it. Well, and provided accelerant. :)
Incidentally, since we’re on the subject of arson and it gives me an idea for a bit more fun (Tariq may need to avert his eyes, depending), could you remind me how the main body of the church is roofed? Lead? Ceramic tiles?
I don't like where this is going... xD
There is of course no information on that. But I suggest, that the southern wing where the sleeping rooms are has flat roofs made of wood, earth and straw. And the cloister and chapel have arched stone constructions.
No worries. In a more northerly climate, Aith might hope, having set a terrible fire, that if some of the roofing had just happened to melt, well, one can never have too much ammunition, right?
She'll have to come by her lead honestly, then, like a normal person. :)
And now I think I've got an in-character post for a tour that just hints at Aith's awareness of how much of the state of the monastery is more her fault than she would necessarily want to admit.
As for rooms we have
A1 - the nave
A2 - the chapel
A3 - upper works - no longer existant
A4-A7 - Cloister
A8 - Garden of Ashes
A9 - vestibule
A10 - Chapter House
A11 - Secret garden
A12 - Shrine to Vardishal
A13 - Southern hallway
A14 - Library (Princess, Garavel)
A15 - Deanery (Gards)
A16 - Kitchen (Hadrah, Hadrad)
A17 - Mess Hall
A18 - Dormitory
A19 - Laboratory (Zastoran)
A20 - Crypt
There are Dashki and the Mercenaries who still need rooms.
There is no single room policy in place.
Interesting is also which rooms have intact roofs. It doesn't matter most of the times, but when it does, it is crucial for your peaceful sleep.
Reliable roofs are on top of A14 and A15. A18 has a mostly intact roof. A10 has also a roof, but it stinks. A12 also has an intact roof.
The rest of the rooms you'd get wet if it starts raining.
Well maybe not the chapel, but thats not really a room in the classical sense.
A secret garden? I think we missed that. Art imitating life, I guess, since I never got around to reading Burnett nor even saw the adaptation that came out when I was a little girl.
Ha! And Garden of Ashes! I should probably feel guiltier about that than I do. :)
I guess we'll have to wait for one of the other caravan folks to discover the secret one, unless it's got triffids lurking, waiting to make their move, or something else that would reveal it.
There was a musical adaptation of Secret Garden that came out in the '90s that has a beautiful score and famously starred Mandy Patinkin.
Ashes are great for the soil! It will make a great food garden now.
I think the Dormitory makes the most sense for us.
If you want to have a discussion about what room to take, why not have it in character in the game?
If this becomes a trend, I'll be a shoo-in for tenure-track at some magic school in Rahadoum. There are worse fates, though I'm not sure it's what I would choose for myself, all else being equal.
Once you're on your way, you got three options.
You can walk in a straight line towards Kelmarene through a pesh field. Pesh are cacti, but it will not be like the cacti field in the first fight.
You can go along the river (on either side)
You can go along the mountains
The different options are not about where to hide best.
Guys, I'll go on mini holidays from Friday to Sunday. I'll have limited access and mostly through mobile phone, so I won't be able to edit aliases and my posting will probably suffer. Feel free to make me go first and eat all traps.
Also, my vote is for the river.
If you want to move into town, please scribble into the map, where to and which way you take.
You could have noticed that with the save against the color spray already. It's a mean beast.
That warthog is a variant Dire Boar.
Any Swinburne fans here, or of Mediterranean mythology? Well, call me Atalanta, anyway. I'll take any boar heads / hides anyone cares to offer. [/Smug mode]
(I'll try to make sure no one gets set on fire from a mysterious curse for it.) ;)
HERALD.
Lady, good cheer and great; the boar is slain.
This woman thy brethren wrangling bade yield up
The boar's head and the horror of the hide
That this might stand a wonder in Calydon,
To which the GM replied
Feel free to sever whatever parts of this horror thine heart desires
if thou findst the time before anew a wave of hostility surges
PS. I think its settled, that if anything catches fire in this AP, no one will assume a mystery. ;)
If you keep the work up, in the end you might even be able to challenge the genies for credits for the title of the AP
So now I know what path you want to go, but still not where to? You're calling it a day, returning to the monastery?
If it doesn't sound too dangerous, I'll make the case for back to square one on the map, in the trees, until we can assess the situation, and then, if we can avoid pursuit, maybe up into the hills until we can sneak closer again, maybe after a night to refresh if we can camp out here?
I'll post in character in a bit.
I'll wait for some in game comments and answer later.
It's a shame to leave behind the carcass, but I don't think we can take the meat with us and also get away before the scouts find us.
I was just being silly, really. On that note, we should charge them the going rate for catering - whatever it is for (half-) preparing a dire boar for a barbecue. :)
More seriously, Aith doesn't actually have a strong preference for how we get away. She would like to hole up and gather more information about what's in Kelmarane before going back to Garavel (prowling about after first thing after regaining spells, say), but that depends on everyone else being comfortable trying to find a place to camp out with gnoll scouts out after us.
It's funny. I stressed it in both games: Go scouting, watch, don't enter town. It was a simple task that would have required one post: "We lie in wait in the bushes for the whole day."
And both groups failed miserably at that simple task. I'm impresssed how you all managed to get out of that fight alive. But if you're still shaken, I think you learned the lesson.
Let's see your next actions, if this learning by burning taught you the lesson in one go.
Map update:
You're the orange circle in the bushges.
red square is the dead boar
purple square is the gnoll patrl
blue square is the upright goat guy.
There is no raft around where you are. And the path directly to the river is no option, as you'd walk in plain sight of the gnolls.
Let's see your next actions, if this learning by burning taught you the lesson in one go.In our defense, my first instinct was:
She squares her shoulders even more determinedly. “We could at least start with the boring bit: fan out, get just close enough to see what’s what and watch for how many gnolls are about, their movement patterns…”
Of course, Aith let herself get talked out of it. :)
Right. Anyway. Looks like its back up to the hills for now, and if we can shake off pursuit, I think we've been convinced to watch only.
I stressed it in both games: Go scouting, watch, don't enter town.
You're a kitsune, I thought I shouldn't trust your tricky ways :P
Yep. You've taken the bait, hook line and sinker. (smug grin)
Which way this time? That's the only question, if you don't want to do something at the monastery now.
Of course there will be follow up questions, once you're settled in for the scouting.
The hills seemed to serve us pretty well last time.
I'm happy with settling in across the river, where the post in gameplay and the map put us.
Given how last time went, and Garavel tut-tutting at us, I guess we could spend (the better part of) a day just honestly watching. And then, when we are ready to poke about and maybe stir up trouble, start with trying to clear B6 and B7 on the map?