GM Blake's PF2 Extinction Curse Campaign

Game Master Blake's Tiger

That was a great explanation on the dying rules, GM Blake! Also, good job on the healing Rulean!

Thanks!

You know, I'm jealous this NPC has a better spell attack than my 4th level Druid.

Oh kay... I clearly started her death too soon.

Will try to post in about 12 hours (after work).

Sorry for being horribly incompetent.

Fine... six more seconds of dying. Be that way!

:)

I intend to get a loot tracker linked above soon.

Nemmia's Loot

Hide armor
Rat hood
Staff
Sickle (golden inlay along the outer curve of the blade)
Mistletoe and holly wreath
Iron door key

Leaf's *real* motivation in taking her alive was to give her to the townies so she could face whatever they had/are going to have for her.

Trying to go to town with this information is going to sound like we're trying to pull something on the town, and they already had thugs that came after us...

Abberton has a very reasonable and trusting sheriff who will be more than happy for random circus-adventurers to help out. :)

EDIT: The AP does include a little blurb on what to do if the PCs capture her and hand her over or if they capture her and try (in a lengthy effort) to rehabilitate her.

Given how gravely Nemmia hurt Song, I have no problems with Song having responded with a lethal attack.

Oh, Leaf's definitely not upset about the deathination. An inch to the side, and he'd probably be in there himself trying to tear the halfling's throat out.

Apologies. I thought I'd have time to post this this morning:

1. It is ~1 AM in the morning and would be ~2 AM by the time you arrived in town.
2. Without sleep, you are likely to become Fatigued.
3. Abberton is small. It does not have a wall, and it does not have a town guard. It has a sheriff.
4. You figure, if anyone is awake in town, it might be the inn/tavern.

If any of that informs your planning.

I'm just going to point out here that there's nothing requiring you to fight or even investigate the snakes. There are other ways into the woods--like along the stree--if you wanted to search for Nemmia's camp without stepping on snakes. Or you're more than welcome to try to deal with the snakes however you see fit.

Can we avoid them without adding significantly to the time required to find the camp? I'm all for avoiding an unnecessary combat, especially if it is against innocent animals.

Unfortunately Rulean doesn't have Diplomacy so I assume he would still be best off using Nature rather than an untrained Diplomacy to try and prevent the snakes from attacking. I assume that I can't just act as translator for someone else using Diplomacy.

Not functionally, unless you throw me a curveball. :)

I shall reskin the dire tiger that shows up later in the story as a giant carnivorous snail, then...

So my character can be convinced to go either way. Sounds like Nabi wants to avoid the snakes.

I think we have agreed to try and find the camp before we sleep. Given the GM hints, after the camp we sleep. :) I know I don't have enough Diplomacy to make up for waking a sheriff in the early hours of the night.

Do we avoid the snakes, search the camp, then rest? I would like to hear what others think.

I am happy to roll with any and all of the proposed strategies for dealing with the snakes/camp both here and in Gameplay.

...just don't go to town fatigued. Fatigue in PF2 sucks.

Notes to self:

Find a way to become trained in Diplomacy!

I'm liking that I already had an opportunity to use the Reptile Speaker feat. :)

Was that last thing said in Common?

Yes

I assume that I didn't see anything suspicious with my Seek.

Sorry. No. I should have given an indication.

I didn't see a zone/direction specified, so I assumed burst.

Burst is fine.

Note to self: Bless doesn't stack with Inspire Courage.

Take a Heal spell instead. It seems we need it.

I'm on call, so it will be a bit before I can narratively update, but after Clover hits, Snowy takes out Red.

Rules Reminder: for those who might be unaware, firing into melee in PF2 is not as rough as PF1. Your target only gains a mere +1 to their AC (barring features that let them gain more from such a situation) if there's an ally obstructing your shot (and nothing if you have a clear shot).

If you saw my post before I deleted it, it's because I forgot something.

OK! Assuming you don't want to kill the grigs for the cruel fun of it, you can finish your chat and head to bed to get a well deserved rest. There's time for Rulean or anyone trained in Medicine to make Treat Wounds checks once for each injured person.

That will complete Book 1, Chapter 1: Murder in the Center Ring.

You all reach Level 2. Ding!

I'll give you some time to do your level up and update your profiles/character sheets.

If you would like, I can make Identify Magic secret checks at the end of each day for any items not immediately identified or attempted (we'll assume you do Read Aura on all random items collected). Some things, you'll obviously try to understand right away, but you may end the day with random bits of treasure that you either didn't think were magical or figured might be but not immediately useful.

"Oh neat! Second level!"

I'm not sure about this yet, but was giving this consideration. Definitely not set in stone and if folks have other thoughts or ideas willing to work with them.

I would also like to canvass your feelings on using the variant rule: free archetype. You would all gain a free archetype feat at even levels. All prerequisite and access conditions would apply. Given the geographic range and time frame, I wouldn't expect the organizational archetypes to become available--certainly not by level 2. It allows you to take something like Linguist without sacrificing core class mechanics. Obviously, some could be power boosts, but I wouldn't anticipate anything too egregious.

So since we are going to second level, what did you decide with respect to this?

@Leaf

With the errata and later printings they got rid of the bandolier (and sheath for that matter). If you haven't seen the errata, they also made bulk a lot less of a nuisance.
You need Healer’s Tools in order to use your Medicine skill.

You should do something to indicate visually what level of training you have in skill.

Acrobatic Performer seems like a very reasonable skill feat to pick up for this campaign.

---

Now to go look at my own character, decide what I'm doing. :)

GM Blake wrote:

I would also like to canvass your feelings on using the variant rule: free archetype. You would all gain a free archetype feat at even levels. All prerequisite and access conditions would apply. Given the geographic range and time frame, I wouldn't expect the organizational archetypes to become available--certainly not by level 2. It allows you to take something like Linguist without sacrificing core class mechanics. Obviously, some could be power boosts, but I wouldn't anticipate anything too egregious.

So since we are going to second level, what did you decide with respect to this?

That's actually an interesting question, because it would 'free up' a Feat for Leaf.

GM Blake wrote:

I would also like to canvass your feelings on using the variant rule: free archetype. You would all gain a free archetype feat at even levels. All prerequisite and access conditions would apply. Given the geographic range and time frame, I wouldn't expect the organizational archetypes to become available--certainly not by level 2. It allows you to take something like Linguist without sacrificing core class mechanics. Obviously, some could be power boosts, but I wouldn't anticipate anything too egregious.

So since we are going to second level, what did you decide with respect to this?

Ooh, that means I could actually take Celebrity or Dandy! I leveled Song, but would happily add an archetype!

I didn't remember getting any feedback, and I didn't want to house rule something that was going to make people feel uncomfortable, but if the consensus is for it:

Free Archetype

1. You gain a free archetype dedication at 2nd level
2. You must meet any prerequisites
3. Faction archetypes (e.g. Hellknight) are excluded, if #2 did not already exclude it
4. You gain a free archetype feat at each even level, but (provisionally) you must stick with that archetype
5 (provisional): You cannot use your class feats for archetype feats

Related but unrelated: Rebuilds

You can adjust your build during this level up to move things around or swap out things that didn't quite meet your expectations. The only thing I ask is that you keep your ancestry and keep your class close to what it was. If you feel you need to make more drastic changes such as ancestry and or significant changes in class, we should probably talk about creating a new character.

Off the Cuff Examples of Close Class Changes
Rogue: Fighter, Monk, Swashbuckler
Cleric: Oracle, Divine Sorcerer, Champion
Fighter: Ranger, Rogue, Champion, Barbarian, Swashbuckler

Off the Cuff Examples of Drastic Class Changes
Cleric: Wizard, Witch, Rogue
Wizard: Fighter, Barbarian, Champion

These are non-exhaustive nor set in stone examples, but I didn't want to think too hard if nobody is feeling the urge to change class.

Oh excellent. I will then shift which of my two muses I got first, thus getting rid of True strike in favor of a better Bard Spell. And now I have to decide which of the socialite archetypes I want.

We could take multi-class archetypes, right?

I'm trying to figure out what archetype to take and right now the only ones that seem fitting are the multi class archetypes -- Bard, Champion or Swashbucker seem the most fitting at the moment.

If it were Bard, I would want to be a different Muse than Song has -- most likely Polymath.

I'm not seeing anything in the other archetypes that really seems to fit. I don't see anything that would be a charlatan or fortune teller.

Yes. Multi-class archetypes are allowed (part of the reason I'm not allowing doubling up).

Blessed One might be a consideration if you want the abilities of the champion without going through the lead up feats.

Marshall adds some different non-spellcasting abilities than Bard.

Dandy could be reskinned into a charlatan, depending on what kind of charlatan you were thinking, and there's Vigilante. Loremaster has some divination-esque abilities, but it's a bit of a shoe horn into fortune teller. Eldritch Researcher fits better the flavor of a fortune teller.

But I eagerly await a Harrow-based archetype or ten. ;)

Hmm...I'm working the next two nights but I'll try and get the archetype options looked over to see what might suit Clover and get her leveled up as soon as I can :)

Harrow or Astrology based would be very interesting. Circus is more likely to have a Harrow reader.

Blessed One and Dandy don't give me an option for Diplomacy.

Marshal could be interesting...I hadn't looked at it before. Thanks for pointing it out.

Thanks for the feedback!

---

Clover,

Looks like Animal Trainer would give you an option later for Mezmerizing Performance and a few other animal companion options.

There is also the Beastmaster which gives a lot of the animal companion abilities.

Either of these options would allow you to pump Snowy and still have options for other Ranger feats.

I should also clarify, especially for those not familiar with PF2 terminology, that you must meet the Prerequisites but not (usually) the Access conditions.

If the Prerequisites or Access conditions mention "member of..." something that you are not a member of, those are the ones you can't take.

Okay, will take a look at it probably after work tomorrow :>

Hmm...it looks like either option would be useful (and fitting) for Clover.

Animal Trainer seems to focus on making a single companion better and a little more versatile in what it can do and makes Clover better at dealing with animals in general.

Beastmaster would allow Clover to potentially gain up to 3 more animal companions in addition to Snowy (though obviously only one is active at any given time) and otherwise allow her to pump them up more and get more out of them during combat.

Tough choice! I like the idea of Beastmaster because I like companion critters in general and she could pick up different companions with different strengths and abilities. On the other hand, that's more critters for me to keep track of and keep updated even if only one is out in the field at any given time.

Animal Trainer would be easier to manage and given that it's an archetype that debuts specifically in this AP, it's certainly the more 'thematic' option of the two.

I'll have to think on this.

I honestly have enough of an hard time understanding how PF2 works without adding too much new stuff. I fell it's over-complicated, and I don't really like it so far (nothing against the GM, just the technical part of this new edition).

I'll try to hang on a little more (at least until the end of the second part), but I will bow down if I don't understand the mechanisms better.

For my leveling up: (let's see if I understand that correctly)
Rogue 2
+8 HP (+ Con bonus)
+1 to all trained proficiencies, Bab, saves, AC
1 rogue feat (either Minor Magic or Mobility)
1 skill feat (either Wary disarmement or Hobnobber)
1 skill increase (either an untrained skill getting trained, or a trained skill getting expert): probably expert in thievery

Correct.

I understand, Nabi. Not everyone enjoys PF2. Let me know if there are things that I can explain better or moments when you need clarification. If it gets to be too much, let me know and I'll transition your character out. It is hard to keep up with games/systems you're not enjoying, like I am having with my last Starfinder game.

The archetype choice is interesting. Nabi, have you looked at Archaelogist? It would let you lean even more into roguish stuff, building on core rogue capabilities, freeing up some of your roguish feats for other things. Also, Linguist might be a good fit, giving you more languages.

As for myself, I had a bit of choice paralysis last night. Acrobat would let me still perform in cool acrobatic acts with my brother. Marshal would be a great archetype for a Circus Leader. Celebrity to be a Prima Donna. Duelist or Swashbuckler to fight better 'wit' a sword and a bon mot!

But I think I'll go Dandy, because I already saw the seeds of it in my character when I took that red silk cape. Starting a rumor to drive up audience participation could be fun. And if I get tired of it, I can do three feats in and start up a different archetype.

My one question is: Dandy offers no option on Level 6, and Gossip Lore is currently useless to me because it does not offer a +1 to Bardic Lore the way Loremaster Lore does. I won't be far enough in to start another dedication. Can I get an alternate feat choice for being a Dandy at that level?

Strange that Dandy has Feat 7 on some of their feats. You can’t take an Archetype feat at 7.

I wonder if they will errata that....

——

Navi,

Playing a 2nd edition Rogue is a lot different than previous editions. The Rogue is the skill master, getting more skill feats and more skill upgrades than other classes. Having one in the group can make it a lot easier for everyone to do skill challenges.

What do you want your rogue to be able to do? We can probably suggest ways for you to build for it.

I would not recommend anyone spend a skill increase on getting training in a new skill. You can hopefully use Skill Training (skill feat, require Int 12) to do that. Most classes can only get two skills to Expert before the skill increases would bring you to Master.

Also, add to your list because of optional rules:
One archetype dedication feat.

——

Still considering which archetype to take. Bard and Marshal both look interesting. One thing I can say is that whatever I choose, I intend to get a method to Make An Impression to Trained.

Those level 7 archetype feats are Skill feats. You can take Skill feats from the archetypes you have whenever you gain a Skill feat, so Rogues and Investigators and anyone with odd level Skill feats can take them early. That's why they exist at 7th.

@ Song, Re: Gossip Lore: We'd have to discuss an alternative feat, but off the cuff, I wouldn't have a problem merging the two (Bardic Lore and Gossip Lore) together so you'd get a Dubious Knowledge result on a fail and either Occultims or Society at Legendary could boost it.

Also for Song to consider, there are mechanics for boosting the circus' reputation and draw in a crowd at default in the AP, so you can do that same thing without needing Dandy. If you all decide that you want to continue with the circus mechanic (rather than put it on autopilot).

About skills and leveling: can someone explain me how work the skills when you level in PF2? I'm not sure to understand...

in PF one we had a set numbers of skills by level (with Int bonus and maybe Favored Class). In PF2, it seems we have one point per level and the Int bonus is irrelevant?

As a rogue level 2, it seems I have another skill point ((skill Increase). It says I can use it either to get an untrained skill trained (that's logical) or a trained skill expert, am I right?