An Opalline Tide

Game Master Patrick Curtin

LOL!
I HOPE you get THAT part figured out!
Everything else aside, breathing is kinda important! ;P

Yeah, I actually probably have enough 'time' (more or less) for what I need to do.

MANAGING it effectively, is another story. :P

No worries Pat! You know me, I'll be here! :)

I've got to thank you, Patrick, for running this game and giving me a chance to run Norveg. I've had the character concept for years now, ever since I was in a party that had its a&& handed to it by a flying, negative-channeling cleric (how did NONE of us have ranged weapons?) Then I heard of Hanspur and the backstory kinda came up, then the ale/wine variant popped up on HL with the nauseated condition and ... well.

I'm having a blast. He probably won't be much help in a boss fight, and he's almost zero help as a healer, but he's turning out to be a decent mook controller. I'm also not sure how well he'll do at higher levels, but we'll see. It's a fun experiment.

So thank you.

No worries! Thank you for putting up with my sporadic posting.

Sorry guys ... was a busy weekend. Not that I seem to be able to make any difference - my rolls are horrible

LOL, no worries. RL is kicking everyones hienie, I think. :P

And welcome to the 'Digi-Dice Hate Me!' club! ;P

(Usually. SOmetimes they throw me a bone. Mostly to tease me I think.) ;)

It’s a moot point, but Narl didn’t need that stabilizing save.

From the PRD: “ If any sort of healing cures the dying character of even 1 point of Damage, he becomes stable and stops losing Hit Points.” The healer’s 1 hp channel was enough to stabilize, even if Narl was still in the negatives.

Epic battle music. What every game needs! :)

It’s a moot point, but Narl didn’t need that stabilizing save.

From the PRD: “ If any sort of healing cures the dying character of even 1 point of Damage, he becomes stable and stops losing Hit Points.” The healer’s 1 hp channel was enough to stabilize, even if Narl was still in the negatives.

Good to know!

I learn a new rule every day ... and promptly forget another ...
#ImOld

Celestial Healer wrote:

It’s a moot point, but Narl didn’t need that stabilizing save.

From the PRD: “ If any sort of healing cures the dying character of even 1 point of Damage, he becomes stable and stops losing Hit Points.” The healer’s 1 hp channel was enough to stabilize, even if Narl was still in the negatives.

Good to know!

I learn a new rule every day ... and promptly forget another ...
#ImOld

i only ever use 3 hashtags (If I were, you know, to actually USE hashtags)

#ImOld
#ImHuman
#GetOverIt!
;P

Yeah I feel you on the critical hit damage. Right now with playing a 5e game, and several Pathfinder games I get hopelessly confused

LOL, At least YOU have a reason to get confused, (playing in and managing multiple games)

I'M only playing in PF1 rule-games, and all right here in PbP land, I have,... considerably fewer reasons to be confused. >_<

But, that's never stopped me before! :)

so when you go unconscious does the chill touch spell dissipate? Or could he still discharge it?

I’ll rule since you were only down momentarily you still have it

So we're straight up killing unconscious people then?

I suspect we’re just getting a taste of Norveg’s lack of moral standing. I dig the roleplay, but Tragon will not be letting that fly.

Norveg has morals. They're just not the same as Tragon's.

Norveg and Tragon are going to become best friends by 3rd level or so. This has all the makings of a classic buddy cop movie.

[Narrator voice] "A by-the-book half-orc three days from retirement. A rebellious ratman with nothing to lose. And now... they're partners."

cue the 80’s montage

by the end, they are sharing a tandem bicycle and splitting an ice cream cone

If it were a different player, I would be nervous, but I’ve been gaming with Treppa enough years to know I can draw a sword on her character without derailing the campaign.

Yeah, I probably wouldn't have done that with a group I didn't know, but there's enough familiarity here to be comfortable with some squicky RP, knowing that our characters will act rationally (if not morally).

EDIT: Plus it gets this boundary drawn early so there won't be misunderstandings later.

No harm in a little forceful negotiation.

Makes sense. Hadn't really nailed down a moral line for Nahuatl ti as yet, though use of Protection for Evil sets her at Neutral at the darkest,

Yeah, I was waffling on Norveg's alignment. He channels negative because of the circumstances of his inadvertent priesthood, and he's a bitter, angry rat now - if he could have favored enemy, it would be human. But that doesn't necessarily change a person from basically good to deepest evil. I set him at neutral because of that. I dunno. We'll see which way he slides. Maybe with his buddy Tragon around, he'll solidify at neutral at sword's point.

Yeah sounds like Neutral with Evil tendencies

"%!@# around and find out"

Right? I'm glad there are players willing to have their PC's hold a moral line. It's way too easy to go evil with a character that tends that way.

I used to get a lot of dark side points in SWRPG. :/

And Tragon’s wide-eyed hero complex may be due for a small dose of reality at some point.

But for now he can keep Norveg in line.

Nice RP all! I’m glad we have this collection of characters. It will be a fun journey

Can't believe I nat 20'd the STR check :D

I thought it was a sign from Hanspur.

Quick question what do you think of Narl eating some of the flesh of the captain and perhaps being able to roll a knowledge local check even though he doesn't have one? To see if he can gain any knowledge from the deceased captain on who may have hired them?

Can't believe I nat 20'd the STR check :D

I thought it was a sign from Hanspur.

Hanspur doesn’t send nat 20s. He sends crit fails on swim checks.

Umm... Did I pick the wrong campaign to make a good-aligned character? Lol

LOL, I'm 'good-ish' and i was just thinking the same thing! :P

I am just a necromancer ... nothing to see here. Lawful neutral just eats some flesh and can gain knowledge from it. Nothing evil there.

Quick question what do you think of Narl eating some of the flesh of the captain and perhaps being able to roll a knowledge local check even though he doesn't have one? To see if he can gain any knowledge from the deceased captain on who may have hired them?

Wait what?!?!

THAT'S a power?!? (Ability, whatever)

Cool, GROSS, but cool. ;P

Well, In Character, Taishe would be very fascinated to watch this ability in action. Especially if he knew that Narl had the ability and was going to use it, and didn't just take a bite for 'funsies' :P

TBH, as a kobold, I suspect that Taishe would not have a lot of the same 'hangups' as more common humanoids, even though he was raised by Humans. He would understand enough of how 'common morality' functions in concept, and would advise against taking a bite out of someone on a crowded street even if it WAS 'useful', but to have such an ability and NOT use it on an already deceased person, when we could certainly use the information it may be able to provide, would not be logical. :)

SHORT ANSWER- Go for it ;P

I am just a necromancer ... nothing to see here. Lawful neutral just eats some flesh and can gain knowledge from it. Nothing evil there.

LOL!

"this is not the necromancer you are looking for,... </Jedi Hand wave>
;P

Yes, Narl is what I was referring to, coming on the heels of the Norveg showdown.

Norveg’s foibles can be resolved with the occasional squabble. Narl has a fundamental class feature oriented around cannibalism. That’s tough to swallow (pardon the pun). I’m not sure if we are better off with Narl doing that behind everyone’s backs, or if there is a way for the good-ish PCs to rationalize the behavior. Fortunately there are no Pharasmins about.

Uhm...yeah...that won't go over well with some of the party, and I'm sure most NPC's. I'd keep that on the sly as much as possible.

Let's see how that flies with our paladiny half-orc fighter. If nothing else it gives Norveg someone to throw under the bus when things get ugly.

I guess before we go down that road, it’s worth exploring the cultural aspects. Respect for the dead is often culturally specific; if a culture decides that eating the flesh of the dead is a way to honor them, the moral calculus changes quite a bit.

GM: What are the cultural taboos in Opal with regard to dead bodies?

If nothing else it gives Norveg someone to throw under the bus when things get ugly.

Roit? "Dead" useful, mate, fanks.

<facepalm>

Oh this is gonna get GUUUUUUD, I can tell! :)

I guess before we go down that road, it’s worth exploring the cultural aspects. Respect for the dead is often culturally specific; if a culture decides that eating the flesh of the dead is a way to honor them, the moral calculus changes quite a bit.

GM: What are the cultural taboos in Opal with regard to dead bodies?

Excellent question!

Dons reading glasses

Opal is a hybrid culture blending Vellasian (Mediterranean/Italian) with Zapotec (Mesoamerican). The Vellasian culture has traditionally gone for cremation. Cannibalism is a shunned thing, but something not really high priority. Basically No body is a good body.

The Zapotec civilization emerged from the oppressed nations conquered by the Xoltec Empire. The Xoltecs were a race of necromancers, and refined necromancy to a high art. They sacrificed thousands of victims yearly to their god Xipe Totec, and then animated the corpses as servitors. When their necromantic control was erased during the Night of Bloody Bones, a mass of undead were unleashed into the jungle, where many still plague settlers today.

As a result Opal’s culture is adamantly anti-necromancy. It is considered the foulest of acts. Paradoxically a lot of necromancy goes on in the shadows. Necromancers from across the globe travel to Opal in search of the Xoltecs lost knowledge.

Narl would be wise not to advertise his necromantic background

Heads up, I will be traveling the next four days. I’m not sure if I will post, but I might. If I go silent, it’s because I’m having a lot of happy time fun. I hope to return refreshed and ready to get things rolling again.

Celestial Healer wrote:

I guess before we go down that road, it’s worth exploring the cultural aspects. Respect for the dead is often culturally specific; if a culture decides that eating the flesh of the dead is a way to honor them, the moral calculus changes quite a bit.

GM: What are the cultural taboos in Opal with regard to dead bodies?

Excellent question!

Dons reading glasses

Opal is a hybrid culture blending Vellasian (Mediterranean/Italian) with Zapotec (Mesoamerican). The Vellasian culture has traditionally gone for cremation. Cannibalism is a shunned thing, but something not really high priority. Basically No body is a good body.

The Zapotec civilization emerged from the oppressed nations conquered by the Xoltec Empire. The Xoltecs were a race of necromancers, and refined necromancy to a high art. They sacrificed thousands of victims yearly to their god Xipe Totec, and then animated the corpses as servitors. When their necromantic control was erased during the Night of Bloody Bones, a mass of undead were unleashed into the jungle, where many still plague settlers today.

As a result Opal’s culture is adamantly anti-necromancy. It is considered the foulest of acts. Paradoxically a lot of necromancy goes on in the shadows. Necromancers from across the globe travel to Opal in search of the Xoltecs lost knowledge.

Narl would be wise not to advertise his necromantic background

Yeah I figured as much that he would generally hide his necromactic abilities from the others as well as his real name. So can he take a bite from the captain to see if he can determine the spider-like creature as well as who may have hired the crew? He will try and slip away to taste upon the flesh when no one is looking - using his blade to slice off a chunk before hand.

Have 'HAPPY' happy-fun-times my online acquaintance!

Go forth! Enjoy life!
We the PC/interwebs- addicted shall await your return and live vicariously through your adventures! ;P

Have fun! ;)

Hey all. Another PbP I am running needs a few more players. If you are interested, you can post >here< and I can give you more information. It’s a modern-day occult game, with Lovecraftian/Twilight Zone/X Flies vibes to it.

Wow, that sounds interesting.

Potentially terrifying, but interesting. O_o

BUT I think that I may be at my PbP saturation point. At least for now. :P

Maybe later,.... ;)

Thank you for offer!

Pat, what's your feeling on decoy holy symbols. I've allowed clerics to wear or display a decoy symbol when their religion was forbidden, as long as they actually use a real symbol in spellcasting, allowing a sleight of hand to hide the use of the actual symbol from others. My rationale was that outlawed gods would be happy to have a follower be clever enough to worship them in public without being killed.

The flip side rationale could be, you need to openly acknowledge me as the source of your powers or you're dead to me.

Do you have any thoughts on decoy symbols in your game?

I would rule that a power wouldn’t have a problem with a cleric using a decoy holy symbol, if said power was sneaky and I’ll-regraded anyway. Especially in a place where your faith could kill you. Martyrdom is usually a LG sucker bet. Hanspur sounds like the kind of god that would relish the deception. I would rule Hanspur would be OK with it. Also, he has an alliance with Besmara, a goddess that is frowned upon, if not completely banned, in Opal. Opal suffers from a lot of piracy, both on the open sea and hideouts with her walls.

Is Gozreh OK? I can't see how they would be forbidden.

Sure. Gozreh is fine. Opal is a polyglot society. The worship of Gozreh would be intermixed with Tlaloc, but since Norveg is not a native Opalline, wearing either Gozreh or Tlaloc’s symbols would be fine

FYI folks, I’m heading out to the Poconos for the long weekend. I might post, but if I go quiet, that is why.