I actually love that visual. You get into the escape pod and activate it, and it just shoots you into a vacuum tube like one of those bank teller things.
We could be the only real ones. Maybe the rest are androids or something else that were deactivated.
Okay, I did not see this coming. When Doc made the leap and called the whole thing a simulation, she still expected that the Chimera was still actually stranded in the Drift.
Man, I can't wait to kick off the next book!
Okay, Doc's all rested and up to 3rd Level (it's like I was prepared for this or something). She'll be picking up her 2nd level of envoy, which comes with a bucket of skill ranks and the get 'em improvisation (finally, a use for my move actions). As I previously mentioned, she'll also be grabbing Weapon Focus (injection weapons) as her 3rd level feat.
Quick post to let everyone know where we're headed in the next week:
1. I'll be working on your chronicle sheets this week. That includes one for me, which I am excited to apply to one of my two low level characters.
2. I am also working on a new set of google slides. The current slides will remain available as an archive, and in fact a few slides will be copied and pasted right over to the new page. Bottlecaps will move over. I'm also planning to have plenty of slides for you all make notes on.
4. This week I would like to revisit your posts from a couple months ago attempting to explain what you thought was going on within the Chimera. I believe a number of you were very much on the right track.
5. I would like to revisit each of your backgrounds, and attempt to include it in the story a little more. T'sorkel's twins may make themselves known at some point in this book. There may be some flashbacks for each of you at some point, which was something I meant to do in the first book, but never quite got around to.
6. I anticipate the first post in the new book to be middle of next week.
Please continue to make posts here (and in gameplay).
One more thing.
I'd like to plant a seed, and I realize that this may simply not be possible, but it's worth a try.
How would you all feel about a short session on Discord sometime in the next 90 days or so? Although I think most of us are in the eastern U.S., I know there are a couple of outliers (including one on the other side of the world). Still, it's a worthy goal.
I'd like you all to know that this has been one of the highlights of the year for me. Though I have missed a couple of gaming conventions I usually attend and have not been able to play live with friends since March 1st, this has helped filled the void.
Obviously I would like us all to be able to participate in this. If that is difficult or impossible, I could design a couple of short "side encounters" for a smaller group of us. It would not affect the timing of levelling up, but those who participate might discover a couple of cool pieces of gear.
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Updated.
Nothing super special. Picked up Culture as trained skill. Picked up a melee damage spell since she has been acting as Rar's flanking partner in most combats. Her gauntlet now does less terrible damage too after getting Weapon Specialization.
Feat wise she dumped another into penetrating SR, so if we face that hopefully it'll pay off.
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It is very unlikely I will be able to hop into a Discord session.
I could do a Discord session (chat or call?) depending on the time. I'm GMT now, so morning or afternoon on the US east coast might work.
An anti-climactic level for T'sorkel.
Picked up acidic mist spell to do some crowd control. Spell Focus feat to increase his spell DCs. As far as skills, still pumping culture, mysticism, perception and sense motive. T'sorkel can actually access the Akashic Record now, so for 1RP, he can gain full ranks in a skill for a single check.
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I also noticed we have several items no one claimed from the pirate fight and the trip to the escape pods:
Starfinder backpack (Armory 116)
efficient bandolier
an obsidian electrovore figurine of wondrous power (Armory 113) --> Yariel
proximity helmet (Armory 107)
casual stationwear --> Doc
azimuth laser pistol --> T'sorkel
2 batteries (20 charges each) --> Rar'gul
survival knife
2x second skin
2x tactical semi-auto pistol with 60 small arm rounds
frag grenades I (2) --> Doc
basic medkit
crowbar (a type of manual tool; Starfinder Armory 131)
a basic handaxe (Armory 8)
fire extinguisher --> T'sorkel
After having a chance to actually look at some of these, I think the Starfinder Backpack (Str as +4 for carrying capacity) and efficient bandolier (store a variety of weapons and ammo/batteries) should definitely be grabbed by someone. The proximity helmet could be good for a scout. T'sorkel wouldn't mind the figurine.
Thanks for the update GM Q. I have thoroughly enjoyed your work and that of my fellow players through out the game so far!
Rar'gul is also levelled. Like Doc, anyone would think I was prepared for this, or something!
(I just noticed that's two exclamations in three sentences - I promise I will try to curb my excitement throughout the rest of this post! D'oh!)
Weapon specialization is a welcome addition for some extra guaranteed damage to help mitigate some of the low rolls I seem plagued with. On this note, he now has Weapon Focus (Advanced Melee) that will apply to hammers AND Entropic Strike, along with the increase in BAB, so should be hitting things more frequently as well as harder. (He's beginning to shake off some of the rust from his skills following the unstipulated period of absence from his temple guard duties while on his vision quest)
That's about it for Rar'gul, other than some welcome SP and HP.
@GM Q: Speaking of HP, do we have an auto-fill to max on level or the standard rules for an 8-hour rest?
Discord sounds fun! However, being the representative from the other side of the world, it might be hard to sync time wise.
Not bad - only one addition exclamation through the rest of the post! ;)
How would you all feel about a short session on Discord sometime in the next 90 days or so? Although I think most of us are in the eastern U.S., I know there are a couple of outliers (including one on the other side of the world). Still, it's a worthy goal.
As much fun as that would be, I highly doubt I could make it. My schedule is really irregular (part of the reason I play almost exclusively PbP) so it would be hard for me to hold open a timeslot for something like this.
I also noticed we have several items no one claimed from the pirate fight and the trip to the escape pods
Doc will take the survival knife. She'll also pick up the backpack and the other frag grenade, but only if no one else wishes to claim 'em.
Thanks for putting the list of items together, T'sorkel.
On the topic of loot, how are we handling loot for this game?
Would it be worthwhile putting together a loot tracker sheet or some such? It wasn't an issue for most of Book 1 as there was little loot to speak of, but it might be worth organising ourselves to catch up on Book 1 and prepare for Book 2.
Pulled an all nighter for work Monday night. At my age, recovery from such shenanigans is brutal.
Great wrap up to the game. I haven't leveled John yet. Trying to squeeze a lot of work in before Friday. This weekend I'll be trying to get the house squared away. Monday, I'm going to Illinois to help my parents move back to Connecticut. Unless I get a lucky confluence of time and internet access, I won't be posting until December 4 or so.
Regarding a discord session, I'll echo the chat or vocal question. I've never done 'live' discord although I have done chat and PbP. Not sure I even remember my log in. I would be very happy to hear everyone's voice. I have very much enjoyed playing with you all.
Anyway, I've got to fly. See you in December. Don't hold up the game if you're all set before I get back.
Working this weekend (I do one weekend a month, and this is it).
Hoping to work on chronicle sheets tomorrow night.
Meanwhile, I have been working on the new set of Google slides.
Take a look:
Please let me know if you can move tokens around, edit slides, etc. Feel free to add your tokens to room A1 on slide 2.
If you would like to copy anything from the first set of slides over, please feel free.
Oh. No one, and I mean NO ONE, should read slide 3. Seriously. There will be less groaning and eyebrow raising if you just don't....:)
No problem. I hope work goes smoothly for you.
Thanks for the update. New slides looking good so far. Rar'gul's token has been copied across.
Oh. No one, and I mean NO ONE, should read slide 3. Seriously. There will be less groaning and eyebrow raising if you just don't....:)
Argh! You have now made me want to read it so bad! Except that a part of me is thinking you said that to make us WANT to read it, so now I'm not going to. But, you told us not to, so I should heed the warning. Except...
Would it be worthwhile putting together a loot tracker sheet or some such? It wasn't an issue for most of Book 1 as there was little loot to speak of, but it might be worth organising ourselves to catch up on Book 1 and prepare for Book 2.
I stole a slide from GM's new slide deck to put together a simple loot tracker. It ain't fancy, but I don't think that we need fancy.
I stole a slide from GM's new slide deck to put together a simple loot tracker. It ain't fancy, but I don't think that we need fancy.
Thanks, Doc!
I've not forgot you all.
I have nothing to do tomorrow but eat leftovers from our Thanksgiving feast and finally do those chronicle sheets. I suspect we absolutely will get this show on the road sooner rather than later. Frankly, I have enjoyed slowing down a bit this week. I hope that's okay.
Thanks for checking in. Not a problem at all. Life's been crazy the past couple of weeks, so it has been good to be able to take some time.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the U.S. :)
No worries at all. Happy Thanksgiving! Take some time with the family.
By the way, anyone else get Ascension vibes with the Chimera at the end of Book 1?
Chronicles are finally done. I will sort out where to post them tomorrow night.
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Alrighty gang, I hope this works. All of the sheets are in one document, hopefully no one minds just printing the relevant sheet.
If you have any trouble with google drive, please let me know and we will come up with a plan B.
Also reported the session here on Paizo, so you should see it reflected on you organized play page.
Thanks!
Thanks GMQ! Got it.
I'm back, and very weary. I'll pick up the chronicle tomorrow, and start leveling John.
Welcome back Thom! I hope all went well for you.
We shall get things started over the weekend then.
I've downloaded the chronicle, GMQ. Thanks to everyone again for a great game. I'm so looking forward to starting the next chapter.
I leveled John up, and am excited to commence the next chapter.
T'sorkel and others: I believe I fixed the links to the new set of slides, both in the header of this campaign, and here in my posts.
Although she just told Beau that she suspects the bots are here to nonlethally incapacitate the party, Doc has a sneaking suspicion that this could all be an extension of the "test" on the Chimera. This is shifting her whole perspective - the bots are only meant to appear to be a threat, but they're either a test in themselves or something to soften the party up before a "real" test down the road.
This is uncannily like the mindset of playing a tabletop game, yeah? As a player, you know that the GM's goal isn't to roll as many TPKs as possible (hopefully). You know that, generally, the challenges are not random events pitting you against the will of others but structured events with a carefully tailored difficulty level.
It's not fourth-wall breaking, but it is mirroring over the fourth wall, which is all sorts of weird and interesting.
Clearly, this adventure allows for all sorts of second guessing!
As far as TPK's go, that certainly is not my goal, though there is some real danger here.
Sorry about the tardy posting, all. FINALLY, got my act into gear.
GMQ - how are you ruling HP restoration after the 8 hr rest and level? Back to max or standard resting rules (1 HP/lvl)?
Standard resting rules, but you can get back your new level (3).
Standard resting rules, but you can get back your new level (3).
Thanks GMQ!
SuperS, way to snap out of that batting slump!
GMQ, I need to double check John's build. I'm using PCGen, and just rolled with what it gave me, but now I'm not sure whether it's right. Ithought it was cheating me out of my weapon specialization bonus, but John's attack bonus looks too high. Can't do it til I get back to my home laptop.
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GMQ, I need to double check John's build. I'm using PCGen, and just rolled with what it gave me, but now I'm not sure whether it's right. Ithought it was cheating me out of my weapon specialization bonus, but John's attack bonus looks too high. Can't do it til I get back to my home laptop.
From what I'm seeing, things are mostly right.
Both your sword cane (operative) and pistol use dex to attack, so +3 from dex and +2 from BAB is +5.
The pistol will get weapon specialization at half your level, so it getting +1 to the base damage is correct.
The only thing I see wrong is that your sword cane should get +1 damage from strength AND +1 from weapon specialization (it is also half since it is an operative weapon).
Hey hey, that's our first loot of book 2! I've put the 4 stickybombs on the loot tracker table in the slides and tentatively claimed one of them. If you want any of the others, go ahead and claim them on the table; otherwise I'll hoover up any unwanted grenades in a week's time or so.
SuperS, way to snap out of that batting slump!
Thanks! I wasn't sure if it was going to be enough with rolling the 'tweener and having the entanglement penalty, but it was a nice way to start out the new book/level. Let's see how it pans out as we go on.
Sorry I missed that Beauregard. Gave you a little tidbit in game play.
JUST THOUGHT YOU WOULD ALL LIKE TO KNOW THE FOLLOWING:
My home group is meeting via Discord tomorrow evening.
They'll be transporting several coolers of Pygosian Rending Geese meat to deliver to the Akitonian north pole, where the ice tribes particularly enjoy the meat as a delicacy.
I have the new Alien Archive 4 book, and there is a predatory beast that stalks this part of Akiton called an Arabuk that will be be attracted to the irresistible smell of the meat.
Sounds like a lot of fun! Have a great time :)