GM TOP #10-14: Debt to the Quah (Standard, Foxes) (Inactive)

Game Master Pete H.

Sounds good GM, thanks.

I did think the whole action economy of the cage grapple was kind of harsh, so not surprised to see table variation in how it's been handled.

In another two or three levels, if we make it that far, we'll be pumping out a lot more damage. But at this level nothing saves you from sucky dice.

Yeah, bad dice are bad!

Also, I think we're known for being Kitsunes. That's about it ;)

Yeah, bad dice are bad!

Also, I think we're known for being Kitsunes. That's about it ;)

Lol, so says the one who never shifts out of human form and took us like three sessions to even get him to admit he was one. :D

We’re known for getting our butts handed to us with some frequency :P

I would agree that a few more levels should (hopefully) help.

Kitsune are well suited to a couple roles (any charisma caster or dex-based melee or ranged can be quite strong), but most of those aren’t particularly “powerful” at lower levels.

Low level damage seems to almost always come from Str, and a race taking a -2 penalty definitely makes that harder to build around.

That’s actually part of why Hiiragi’s build is so wonky—she gets STR from alternate sources. She’ll likely get a belt at some point.

Just taking the planning conversation here.

We could also test drawing them out with 'Silent Image'. If they are mindless, its just a charge, but if it works, it could draw them away from the door.

Also, if I remember that correctly, Ikari offered Onna a chance at being big. Is that still a possibility, or was that tied to your now spent rage?

Also, just double checked and I only have two (2) first level spells remaining, so it looks as if we will have to fight.

If Ikari can’t do it, I can—it’s a Domain Spell and the only one I’m allowed :D

I can give Onna a round or two of embiggening if she wants. It’s a swift action for me and i have two uses remaining for the day. How are you thinking of using it? I wonder if your best action might be magic missile at the dogs from Itami’s wand?

If it is limited to that, take it for yourself. I was thinking we would have three enlarged foxes heading into the room and laying waste. Not certain a round or two will be enough. You and Hiiragi NEED to be big. I really don't.

I can give the wand a go, but I have to UMD each shot. So, no auto-damage from Itami's Ole Faithful.

I can give you a full minute without affecting my ability to Lorg myself, FYI.

TWO minutes, actually!

Happy National Fox Day, by the way!!

Ok, so we go in with three large foxes? Toshiko throws daggers, Itami fires Magic Missiles. Dice willing, I think that's our best bet. Worst case scenario, some of us could invisi-flee out and come up with a plan to save our, hopefully, unconscious brethren?

Anywhere in the yellow area is enough for Itami to move and cast, so feel free to move him if you want that space!

Getting outside whilst Large probably needs the golem to go down, at any rate it looks tricky to lure it somewhere where a large Fox can go by - although a large invisible fox can do it.

Being Large also means squeezing through the maze, which is slow and penalises AC. However, Hiiragi and Ikari can leave the maze whilst Medium and swift enlarge on our turns. If Ikari beats the golem's initiative he can get within 20' and AoO should the golem make a ranged attack.

As the maze connects, we can attack from both sides. Might make it easier for Tosh to get a flank.

Sounds good to me. I have knives and I can throw them.

Alright, let's get this thing rolling and see what happens!

I just realized and I'm not going to retcon anything (my post was already done), but Moment of Greatness doubles a Morale bonus. Inspire Courage grants a Competence bonus to the Weapon Hit/Damage stuff. It's fine, I don't want to negate that great crit and for all I know Hiiragi was missing five bonuses anyway. But going forward, you all might want to wait till you have Bless up or something before burning MoG on an attack roll boost.

MoG doubles a Rage bonus to STR ;)

- so actually, MOAR DAMAGE!

Good point, there are more morale bonuses out there than just bless and part of IC. At later levels it could be really nice with good hope.

Oh shoot, and my Rage bonus is +4 STR... so my final number would actually be higher!

Oh shoot, and my Rage bonus is +4 STR... so my final number would actually be higher!

And there it is, lol. My no retcon decision was well made.

You can always count on my math to be a few points off for some reason or another!

Sturdier than they look indeed! I’m not benefitting from my size increase and I’m rolling low on damage, but even still, a crit and a hit from me is usually more than enough to down something. And there are two of them plus the golem!

Oh, never mind!

The odds have just improved :D

You all are playing a tier 3-4 scenario, definitely different than our runs at tier 1-2 (and our other tier 3-4? Onna uh... needed some really strong 'healing' afterwards). That said, I am very skeptical that this fight is properly balanced down to the level we are playing it at. If everyone was 4-5, I'd see no issues. It also doesn't help that all the enemies here are 'unique'. That may have been the reason why the usually carefully balanced CR system seems so off.

I also just found a tiny little oddity that would have negated even MORE of the damage you all would have done last fight. And it's an oddity that makes my brain hurt.

The DR on the cage you all discovered by some trial and error? It was technically DR 5/Adamantine AND Bludgeoning. What freaking lvl 3 has access to buy a 4000g Adamantine weapon, much less the odds that it is also bludgeoning? Ugh. I'm leaving it as just DR 5/Adamantine OR Bludgeoning. /le sigh

Yeah, I’m thinking about how my other PCs that aren’t playing against race/class divides would have handled this at level 3 and it’s not really any better! This fight is a toughie!

Hey hey! Guess who happens to have 20 blunt but not adamantine arrows!
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Me...I do. Was that not clear?

An important thing to have as a ranged character, well done Onna!

I had an adamantine katana on a level 3. I think it was almost the first thing he bought, except for a few potions and scrolls, but then he's a monk who flurries a katana, so didn't need armour or a cloak.

I currently have three other level 3s, and the flurry monk is level 4. Even the ragers in that roster would struggle to do enough damage against these enemies, and whilst the gunslingers would get past the bludgeoning DR they don't do high gun damage at level 3 (and are multiclassed anyway).

I’m delighted—my Nine-Tailed Heir has used silent image to summon a paladin in the past as well!

EDIT: actually I just looked up the post and she specifically summoned Kenta as well. Must have seen him at the lodge, because those PCs have never met before!

Hmm...looking at the map and the rubble in the front room, I had a thought. We may not need to win the fight at all.

ASSUMING that the rubble is the door for the crypt, we just need to get outside and use the stone-healing rock to seal the portal (with the BBEG & company on the inside). Does that sound like a thing? This also assumes that Tosh didn't use up all the magic while she was drunk-fixing everything.

I mean, why else is the rubble still on the map?

Thoughts?

That seems... time-intensive, maybe? I think they’ll likely interfere with us while we’re working on it. But if we can do it fast... mayyyybe???

As a standard action, you can smash a scavenger’s stone against a destroyed object or damaged construct. Doing so immediately repairs the object to full functionality or heals a damaged construct of 10d6 points of damage.

Oh shoot, well disregard all that stuff I said, then!

Hey if we heal the Golem with the magic rock maybe it'll think we're friends?

I like that idea, unless it doesn’t work, in which case I’m mad at you for suggesting it :P

The GM also LOVES that idea. I think a mindless automaton could definitely be taught how to love!

Now, if you are wanting to seriously consider that idea, you may wish to burn another Confirmation Boon to check if that kind of thing will actually help you complete the mission.

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I'd like to note strongly that it hasn't ALL been the GM rolling well. Your Main Tank AND (usually) strongest DPS has rolled horribly. If anyone dies, I'd assume you'd blame Ikari as much as anyone. :}

Hey, in the meantime, I’ve been rolling awesomely. If I had room to Lorge, this thing would probably be a pile of bones by now!

If we make the golem friendly can we keep it? I feel like if we can have a bony golem following us around putting cages on people we don't like (and dogs, naturally) our dps problems are solved ;)

Slightly more seriously, you guys in the back can run past the golem now. One round of full attacks, someone takes an AoO, and then all we have to do is get Toshi out of the cage and run away before someone else gets trapped.

Even more seriously, Silent Image is a very kitsune route to victory / survival. Give the golem a new target every round, throw up an illusory wall once we're on the other side of it ;)

But hey, why not use an Explore, Report, Cooperate boon? (I used mine already)

Hiiragi, did you forget the IC or the Magic Weapon buff for that entire last combat? I'm just wondering which. It might have made a difference, but you also just barely took down the enemy with that last hit of five so that's hard to say if an extra damage per attack would have added up enough.

Toshiko, does your archetype allow 'Opportune Parry and Riposte'? If so, definitely a thing that you should use. You did have a rough string of rolls there on the E.A. checks.

Onna, I was really hoping you'd use that image trick at the start of the fight. I was also hoping you'd pull out your bow and plunk away with blunt arrows and steal the kill, but the heal you dropped saved Hiiragi for the killing blow so it certainly wasn't anything to complain about.

Itami, were you planning to try some acid splashes? You sorta missed out on a round and then never got to try anything before the end. The mist cloud was an excellent plan, though someone getting caged really screws up any escape plans.

All in all, I'm super proud of the group. Hindsight is as usual, 20/20. That was a very strong (OP vs. lvl 3's) opponent and you all actually killed it.

I forgot about Magic Weapon as soon as my Rage ran out!

Yeah, we are definitely weak vs. knowledge checks (pulling this discussion out of the spoilers since it isn't a spoiler).

Maybe Kenta will take a dip into bard at some point so he can at least roll everything at a +0. Lotta decent synergy between pally and bard too.

We’ve already got a sexy bard, we don’t need two!

Ah, but do we have a sexy bard archaeologist? Hmm? With the fancy clothes and the little brushes and the one big brush?!?

But I probably won't go that route. Too many downsides and at a +0 on most knowledge checks, he won't be getting any info at higher levels, even on a crit.

It all came down to time management. I had planned to get the image up earlier, but they beat us on initiative, so no surprise round. Then I had to get IC up. So Round 2 it was. It has a duration of concentration, so as soon as I started moving and healing, the image faded.

I also realized after I posted that I had up to 16 squares to work with. Kenta could have had a harem of archers with him.

Kenta could have had a harem of archers with him.

Hey now, are you spying on him right now!

Actually, I was thinking how hilarious it would have been to see the look on Kenta's face if he saw himself walk into the room from the other side.

Well that was a nail-biter! Good teamwork in the end, foxes :)

I think I'll put a couple of points in Knowledges (planes and religion, the ones clerics get as class skills) next level. It'll only give a +4 total, but it's probably worthwhile. Ikari only really needs to max Acrobatics and have decent Perception.