GM Blake's PF2 Extinction Curse Campaign

Game Master Blake's Tiger

Apologies. First, I didn't want to interrupt. Then when you guys were done, I got dumped on and the next setting change takes a bit.

Just a head's up -- Player going to be out of town next weekend and away from Internet during that time (Thu-Mon night 15-19th). Going on a bit of a writing/family thing with folks I haven't seen since 2019.

Have fun on your trip!

Yes, have a good time!

I can do diplomacy, but I also think that it should be the role of Song to take the lead on the task.

More than one can try. :)

Sorry for not posting a role, these skills are untrained for Leaf-On-Wind and don't want to mess up.

Am back from trip but struggling to figure out something that won't totally screw us.

Starting to think Leaf-On-Wind isn't suited for circus life with severe lack of skills to make a difference here.

I am at a loss too Leaf don't worry. It's ok, we know we have a better circus anyways!!!

Your PC is able to contribute a lot, I think the monk archer build comes online a bit later and you definitely have skills to contribute; maybe just not an obvious way for this tough spot we're in.

It is a bit of a rock and a hard place.

I was briefly tempted to 'accident' Doofus Man, but that's not a good move.

Plus, Leaf-On-Wind is far wiser than me. :>

I suspect this is a bit of a no-win for us anyway, barring someone coming up with something especially clever or drastic - either they steal some of our audience with their ticket-hawking or we end up looking like bad guys/sore losers for resorting to threats and/or violence. Though I dunno, I guess there's publicity of a sort to be had if people realize they've got feuding circuses in town?

Also, just hang in there re: skills and such. Everyone will have their moments to shine :)

It was a pretty narrow needle to try to thread and short of that, you were on a collision course for a confrontation at one point or another. Mechanically, starting a fight now was probably the second best option.

However, that said, I'm not sure how much fun you'll have beating up some regular people, and I expect you'd be trying hard to be non-lethal.

So, if you prefer, I can narrate this fight to its conclusion rather than have you go round by round. This does kind of steal Leaf's thunder, since he'd be a monk in a fist fight. :)

Since Leaf has been feeling like he hasn’t contributed as much, I think we have him decide how the fight is done.

Rulean intends to do non-lethal.

I assume that I can still do a Fist attack even though I have Claws from my ancestry.

I have an IDEA.

Post shortly.

Ideas are good. Eyes are better.

Ideas are good. Eyes are better.

"Oolong, you don't know where those eyes have been. Besides, they look kinda jaundiced to me."

Posted.

Is the thread updating?

Was there an announcement I missed?

Everyone okay out there?

I think we are waiting for a GM response to your Medic on Scene post, Leaf.

I think we are waiting for a GM response to your Medic on Scene post, Leaf.

Alrighty.

A couple of years back I got the 'forum bug' where I wasn't getting notifications and I started getting flashbacks.

Having a GM who is a) a doctor and b) has a family means that sometimes we have a wait between updates.

"Pshaw! Caw!" Oolong preens. "What can his family offer him that we can't? Do his kids fly and eat eyeballs with panache? I don't think so."

LOL

Yes, sorry. You gave me a rather interesting scene to adjudicate but missed my window for a decent narration as a bunch of things fell in my lap all at once. I always think it has been less time since I posted than it has. :)

They announced Mumble, mumble NDA!

Nice.

Congrats!

Are you guys trying to recruit Aives?

Is that an option?

Rulean isn’t against the idea, but this is something that he would like a group decision on.

To him, this would be giving the guy a chance at redemption by getting him away from a very bad crowd while at the same time weakening the opponent. He wouldn’t initially trust the guy, but would like to give him a chance.

Been trying to avoid pressuring or commenting but yes, consider an affirm here even if it bites us in the butt in the long run because otherwise we're no better than the Menagerie.

Sounds like we aren’t slamming the door on him, but likely would have a discussion in the morning about if we should attempt to hire them away. Let’s go with that as a tentative plan.

I think Clover is/would be on a similar page as Rulean - cautious but if the guy wants to do it she'd be willing to give him (or anyone else who wanted to leave the Menagerie) a chance.

Chani would be mildly concerned considering the guy's recent history, but is not opposed to giving second chances - especially to someone willing to make drastic changes.

OK. I was just feeling out whether I should continue the scene or move us along. Looks like the intent was to plant seeds that might pay off in the future, so I'll move us along.

My, you were up early Blake! Song was not there, but she would be pro-recruitment.

Please level to 6th!

Apologies. I could have told you that sooner, but it kept slipping my mind.

Hero Points reset to 1 each.

Yay.

Notable additions:

Ammunition Thaumaturgy. I can reload a crossbow with hands full of implements. I'll probably be switching over to using the crossbow more often. Not sure how to handle having both weapons and switching between them. Being a switch hitter is a bit expensive.

Scout's Speed. Like Fleet only better.

Quiet Allies. In case we want to do some sneaking around as a group.

I am trying to decide between Dirge of Doom and Harmonize. Harmonize would let me get off two compositions in a round, but I am betting that only one of them could linger, which means that I wouldn't be doing anything else.

So instead I am leaning towards Dirge of Doom to have a different composition to play with. Thoughts?

The other possibility is taking Multifarious Muse to get Versatile Performance. Thoughts?

Given that Harmonize doesn’t linger, I think Dirge of Doom is better. Reduces their ability to attack and their ability to resist.

Although the Versatile Performance is nice, when we have had problems it has been in combat and there I think Dirge of Doom is better.

This is totally from a mechanics POV. Song would probably not want to Doom anyone.

Suspenseful music!

Still working the details, but I will be taking Selective Energy, Basic Sorcerer Spellcasting (from free archetype), and Rapid Mantle at 6th level. I will add a note here once I’ve updated the profile.

Sorcerer spells added: Tether and Quench.

You can’t even linger one composition if you’re harmonizing because of how next actions are chained.

Basically its deaigned so it always takes all 3 actions on your turn every time.

Level 6:

Class feat: Split Slot
FA feat: ???
Skill: Magical shorthand
Free advancement spells: Time Jump, Slow
----

Would like to buy a scroll of resist energy and prep that in the split slot. I'll treat it as its own spell in my spellcasting spreadsheet.

Edit: I just realized my FA feat is a dead feat this level because Imp. Familiar does nothing. I think I need to take it anyway since I need 2 feats before taking another archetype. Maybe I'll take familiar conduit instead, next time Ephie throws Mr. Splinters onto a roof.

HELLO FRIENDS.

I need to review familiar/master abilities. Hero Lab doesn't not seem to count them correctly. Anyone mind checking my abilities here?

Abilities
- Improved Familiar Attunement: 3 + 1
- Familiar Master: 2

- Mr. Splinters always has Master's form: Manual dexterity, speech, Master's form. This costs 3, meaning I have 3 to play with.
- Skilled familiar (intimidation) = 1
- Cantrip Connection = 1

Not sure what to do with the last one. Mr. splinters has valet familiar so I can take familiar focus if anyone thinks they would want a refocus in battle. Otherwise maybe Climb because dolls climbing on the ceiling is always creepy.

I think next level Ephie will definitely take Spell Battery.

I went through it step by step to figure out what I thought it should be. Improved Familiar does give you one more Familiar Ability than you would otherwise have.

So Mr. Splinters should always have Construct and Flamable abilities plus 6 of your choosing.
Manual dexterity, speech, Master's form, Skilled familiar, Cantrip Connection plus one more.

Of those, only Cantrip Connection could be used with your Mascot ability.

You could take Familiar Focus and use that with your Mascot ability.

Recall Familiar would lead to Mr. Splinters telling you “Your not getting rid of my that easily!” the next time you throw him.

Second Opinion would work well with Recall Knowledge checks and Ephie is pretty good at most of those.

Honestly, you might want to consider changing it daily based on what we expect to be doing.

Yeah, the number of familiar abilities that a familiar has can get really complicated after dealing with specific familiars. The rule language isn't completely clear. Though with the wording of the Improved Familiar feat considered also, I think there is one best way of interpreting it - though it isn't the only way.

Familiars get 2 abilities by default, 4 with Enhanced Familiar.
Improved Familiar Attunement Thesis gives +2 at level 6.
Switching to a poppet familiar costs 1 ability by default, -2 from that with Improved Familiar.

So 2 4 base, +2 thesis, -1 -0 poppet = 6 abilities to play with.

If you want to always pick speech, manual dexterity, and master's form then that leaves 3 to choose each day.

Profile and Macros updated.

Thanks all. Imp. Familiar it is.

I would like to swap based on days but it's a bit too much effort. If we know we have a lot of downtime coming up I will probably run a different setup though.

Profiles updated shortly, I'll add Intimidation to Ephie's and note it's Mr. Splinters.

Ah yes. Macros sheet.

Updated that now too.

Since it's no fun for you guys to not have fun, I'll give you a heads up (and will try to remember to do it whenever there's a sharp shift): the next phase is going to be Social and Research.

Also, WARNING: Railroad Tracks ahead.
This transition is so forced...