Kahli looks over the five Kuru and sees they have various cuts and bruises, but nothing life threatening. (Each one is just a few hp down) While Kahli is looking, Ko'tua, with a watchful eye, responds to her questions. "They are there." He points to the west side of the room. "We met here and fought. They hide over there. We stay over here."
Sim moves forward, Ko'tua and the other Kuru watching him as he goes. He gets to the corner where the two Kuru are set up and peers around the corner. He sees that the stone room extends into another chamber with multiple pillars set around the large open space with a stone door on the far side.
Looking around, Sim doesn't see any signs of movement or life. There are signs of a struggle and a battle with a couple daggers laying on the floor and various splatters of blood, along with the two corpses.
Lash's aasimar appearance can sometimes be shocking to people who've not seen them so often. She certainly doesn't look human, and as these people are just easing down, she will try to remain hidden behind her own teammates for the most part--as if she were insignificant. This time, with Sim taking the lead, she will actually wait for the others to enter and follow him before she does.
As Kahli moves around Ko'tua and questions where their enemies are, Ko'tua turns to her. "They not invisible. They hide." He glares into the second chamber and yells out, "Cowards!" He turns back to the rest of the party. "You look like warriors. Cowards hide. We fight with you." He lines up next to Kahli, giving her a look of companionship, seeing as she was the one who talked with him. "I not fight next to woman before. We fight together."
Standing next to him, Kahli can see his red-tinted skin and the horn bulging out of his forehead near his hairline. He reeks of body odor and dried blood, probably from countless fights.
"We are all here, forced to fight. Whether we are cowards or not, we should be working to fight against the one who put us here, not each other," she comments. Part of her worries that, while there is no deception in his looks, his perceptions are misguided. She doesn't particularly feel like being his brute arm to kill someone who doesn't want to fight.
Ko'tua turns to Lash, who has not joined the others, and sneers at her remarks. "Kuru born to fight. You kill plant. You strong warriors. You help us, we fight with you, forward."
Lash, do you want to try a Diplomacy to try and convince Ko'tua not to fight the people he's talking about? Does anyone else want to try and sway the conversation one way or another? If you want to try for peace, you can Aid Lash's Diplomacy roll.
"Or, we convince others to fight with all Kuru, you don't kill your friends, and we all go against the evil man who put us here. Your tribe members don't have to die today. You moved over to this side away from them or made them go to that side away from you. If you can do that, already sparing them as much as you have, why not a little bit more? Mercy is the mark of a great ruler. One of powerful strength, because he knows he can take life away, but also grant people the right to live."
Her words are loud enough so that perhaps even the other Kuru can hear her. She is not particularly skilled at diplomacy. She doesn't even particularly care about the Kuru, but she does care about the actions of her party. Her words to the Kuru are to show her own group that she doesn't want to do this.
Cleric of Calistria | HP: 30 (of 30) | Init: +2, MAB: +4/+5, RAB: +5 | Fort: +5, Reflex: +4, Will: +7 | AC: 19, FF: 16, Touch: 13 | Diplomacy: +10, Heal: +9, Know:Religion: +5, Perception: +13, Sense Motive: +10 | Selective Channel 7 (of 7) 3d3+ -3 to attack, Will DC15 to ignore the attack penalty | Bit of Luck 3 of 5 | Copycat 5 of 5 | CLW Wand Charges: 47 | 1 points INT damage
Kahli hears Lash's elegant words and pauses. She looks to Ko'tua and adds, "Have you tried talking with the enemy? If they could also be added to our forces we'd have even greater strength to face the challenges ahead. What do you think?"
Ko'Tua's eyes stay narrowed throughout Lash's speech and Kahli's follow up. You see him contemplate your words for a few moments. He takes a few steps away from the corner towards Lash and shakes his head. "Those men not Kuru. They don't fight with honor like Kuru." He seems like he's ready for battle, but he says something to the other Kuru and they move towards the south east corner of the room. "If you want to talk, you talk," he says, stepping back with the other Kuru. "If they fight, we fight with you."
He seems to be willing to let you try and talk to them, but is eager to fight if things go sour.
- Succeeded on Diplomacy check and convinced Ko'tua to let you talk
- Ko'tua and the Kuru will stay back until you ask them to fight or if violence breaks out
- Shiv, let me know if you're still wanting to go forward. You can do Perception every 5', just let me know how far you want to go.
- Same for anyone else who wants to move forward into the next area. Tell me how far you want to move and roll a Perception check for each 5'
- For anyone not taking point, let me know where you want to set up
- If you want to do a Diplomacy roll against the hidden "enemies", type out what you say and roll Diplomacy
- Either Kahli can roll the main Diplomacy (she has the highest bonus) and everyone else can aid. Or, if Kahli doesn't want to do that, whoever goes farthest forward will be the main Diplomacy roll
- The talking will happen as the party members move forward
"A lot of people would say the same about making traps and placing them, or utilizing poisons to weaken enemies. I wonder if these have gone down a path like this in light of what they've seen in here?"
"We are coming forward, please don't attack."
Diplomacy Aid Another:1d20 ⇒ 1
Hopefully, Kahli's words will encourage them not to attack. She seems to have been able to work with them the best, whereas Lash seems more nervous.
She will scan out forward, moving to a path far from any wall. There, she will be on the defensive, but she wishes to look out within her sight to see if she not only sees the Kuru, but sees any traps in their path.
Move from doorway to Q14
Perception:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
On defensive +4AC
She moves slowly so as to try to not appear as a threat.
After Sim's post, I thought maybe I didn't explain it well. Ko'tua came from the room to the north. He indicated that the two men were hiding somewhere in the room/chamber to the left/west.
Marcos steadily walks until he finds himself between both corpses (Q16), hoping not to be attacked. There, he clears his throat and starts talking.
"Why, you might say, is regarded a defensive position as useful? It's been since long that commanders consider a place where the enemy cannot enter a very valuable asset. However, when this place turns itself into a rat trap, the vision which with..."
Trying to call their attention, he gently signals his friends with his hand to move forward.
Marcos: You can Fascinate one person right now. The rules say "Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and capable of paying attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creatures affected." You can Ready an action to start Fascinate if anyone steps out, but you don't see anyone right now. If you hit a good Perception check, you can start Fascinate.
Lash: This doesn't affect anyone in the party. Marcos is going to direct it at one of the enemies (I'm pretty sure lol)
Oh, as I understood it, it was for all who are able to see and hear him. That includes us as it doesn't say "enemies". Nevermind then. I also didn't think it was for one specific target, but for anyone in the 90ft.
At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him.Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and capable of paying attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creatures affected. The Distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a bard has attained beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with this ability.
- # of creatures: "one or more", plus 1 additional for every three levels beyond first. --- I read that as 1 at first level, 2 at fourth, 3 at seventh, and so on.
- Those creatures must be: within 90ft and able to hear and see the Bard and capable of paying attention
- The Bard must be able to see the creatures
At 2nd level, Marcos can designate one creature he can see (and that can see/hear him) within 90ft as the target of his Fascinate.
It was a great idea! Don't worry about using a round of Performance for that as it never actually happened.
I'm going to wait to post what happens until Shiv and Sim confirm that they saw the clarification that Ko'tua said the enemies were in the left/western chamber. That way Sim and Shiv can alter their movements if they want.
As the party slowly and carefully moves forward, Lash calls out a truce to someone she can't see. Marcos attempts to sprinkle magic into his words, but without a target, his words carry through the air without effect.
Just as everyone gets into place, Kahli catches slight movement from behind the pillar in front of them and around the wall to the left. Before she can say anything the man behind the pillar steps around, yelling "That's far enough!" He tosses a bag at Sim.
Sim: You are Entangled. –2 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity. You failed your Reflex save, so you are glued to the floor, unable to move. A creature that is glued to the floor (or unable to fly) can break free by making a DC 17 Strength check or by dealing 15 points of damage to the goo with a slashing weapon. A creature trying to scrape goo off itself, or another creature assisting, does not need to make an attack roll; hitting the goo is automatic, after which the creature that hit makes a damage roll to see how much of the goo was scraped off.
Cleric of Calistria | HP: 30 (of 30) | Init: +2, MAB: +4/+5, RAB: +5 | Fort: +5, Reflex: +4, Will: +7 | AC: 19, FF: 16, Touch: 13 | Diplomacy: +10, Heal: +9, Know:Religion: +5, Perception: +13, Sense Motive: +10 | Selective Channel 7 (of 7) 3d3+ -3 to attack, Will DC15 to ignore the attack penalty | Bit of Luck 3 of 5 | Copycat 5 of 5 | CLW Wand Charges: 47 | 1 points INT damage
Kahli sees the man right before he throws a bag at Sim, cementing him in place. She reaches over to touch him, casting Guidance quietly, then calls out "Hold! We don't want to be your enemy! We've spoken with the Kuru and they are staying back. Don't force us to fight you! Please speak with us."
Standard action to put Guidance on Sim. Free? action to talk?
Kahli casts Guidance on Sim, hoping to assist him in breaking free before calling out to the two men to listen.
I'm going to roll Diplomacy for Kahli as she didn't roll before. Lash rolled to Aid, but got a Natural 1. I'll roll to see if Marcos Aids, as he did say some words, even if Fascinate didn't work.
The man pauses for just a moment before calling back out to Kahli and the party"You can't trust those man eaters! Stay away!"His attitude appears uninfluenced.
Onto Round 1! Turn Order
Marcos
Man 2
Sim
Shiv
Kuru 1
Lash
Man 1
Kuru 3
Kuru 2
Kahli
Ko'Tua
You hear the footsteps of the man to the south continuing to run away as he calls back "Hurry up! I'm not waiting for you!" The man by the party yells back, "Don't go too far! We don't know what that thing does!"
Man 2 (still happening after Marcos, just posting now)
Assumed Move Action: Double move away
"You can't survive this dungeon on your own!" Marcos shouts at the two. He doesn't want to engage, and the fact that they didn't use lethal force makes him redefine his thoughts.
But he doesn't want to side. There's no need to side. He trots slowly after the men, with hope of an alliance fading away. "Please, come back! We're enough to ensure a truce!"
I don't know if this gets me another chance to roll, but if it does, feel free to roll for me or for Aid Another if a more skilled comrade wants to try.
With the others running away, it is helping separate them from those who wish them dead. The fact that they call the Kuru "man-eaters", makes Lash's eyes go wide. She could believe it looking at them.
Intimidate:1d20 ⇒ 16
"I am asking you to stop running!"
Her words may be nice and loud, but the intimidation really comes from her firing an arrow into a stone gap between stones right next to the head of the one running and the fact she already has another arrow drawn and ready to fire at the same moment pointing their way.
Ranged Attack:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
"We just want to talk," she offers kindly in a sweet voice, "...and I know there are numerous creatures and traps in here that can kill you if you run through here. Please don't do this."
The Diplomacy rules say "You cannot use Diplomacy to influence a given creature's attitude more than once in a 24 hour period." I'm going to rule that the "you" refers to specific characters. Therefore, with Lash and Marcos attempting to Aid Kahli already, that leaves Shiv and Sim able to still attempt Diplomacy against Man 1. Because he ran away, Man 2 hasn't had a Diplomacy check against him, but you'll need to catch up to him.
Lash goes after Sim and Shiv, so if you two want to try a Diplomacy before her Intimidate roll, that's possible.
Intimidate is open for everyone against both Man 1 and 2, so if anyone wants to roll with Lash to Aid against Man 1, go ahead. Also, Lash, you get a +2 for firing the arrow.
Marcos and Shiv yell out at the men, their pleas for harmony falling on deaf ears attached to visibly frightened men who seem very eager to get away from the party and the Kuru.
Marcos: You said you were chasing after them. Did you mean to put a location you're moving to? If you want to run past Man 1, he is currently holding a dagger in his shaking hand, so he would be able to take an AoO, if that influences your movement.
Man 2's turn goes now (refer to my earlier post). Sim still goes before Lash's Intimidate check resolves against Man 1.
Cleric of Calistria | HP: 30 (of 30) | Init: +2, MAB: +4/+5, RAB: +5 | Fort: +5, Reflex: +4, Will: +7 | AC: 19, FF: 16, Touch: 13 | Diplomacy: +10, Heal: +9, Know:Religion: +5, Perception: +13, Sense Motive: +10 | Selective Channel 7 (of 7) 3d3+ -3 to attack, Will DC15 to ignore the attack penalty | Bit of Luck 3 of 5 | Copycat 5 of 5 | CLW Wand Charges: 47 | 1 points INT damage
"Marcos, stop! Let them run. If they want to be unreasonable and set off every trap ahead, let them. That makes our progress less dangerous!"
Just trying to be practical, now that we think we are traveling with a group of demonic cannibals....
BTW, I am calling that out loud enough for them to hear me. Not Diplomacy since we already failed that one. More of a "Since you decided to ignore us and run in to danger, Have a nice whatever!"
Marcos stops running when he realises he's going to venture in the unknown. Having the other man nearby, he's also cautious - they haven't shown lethal force yet, but that could change if they feel caged.
"Come on, lad. We don't want to fight, we just want out of here."
Not rolling because we already rolled. But Marcos is an old guy and old guys never surrender :p
I'm going to bot Sim to keep what seems like a non-combat initiative going.
Even if Sim wanted to move forward, the tar and resin has hardened and is preventing him from leaving his spot. Seeing as there's been no "violence" thus far, he calls out to the men and tries to calm them down.
Sim Diplomacy:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Nothing the party is saying to these men so far seems to be getting through to them.
Kuru 1 will Delay
Lash fires an arrow near the men to add a pointedness to her words. The man in front of them stops any movement he was about to take, but the man to the south is far enough around the corner, Lash's methods don't seem to reach him. Man 1 is Shaken for 1 round.
The man in front of the party looks at the arrow Lash just fired, then back at the party, then back at the arrow, before turning to Lash and hurling the dagger he is holding at her. Lash gets Soft Cover (+4 AC)
The dagger flies high and wide, not hitting anyone. The man doesn't stick around to watch it fly. "I don't want nothing to do with cannibals or statues," he yells at the party as he runs to the south, following his friend.
Man 1
Standard: Throw Dagger at Lash (miss)
Move: Move South
The Kuru flinch at the dagger flying through the room, but Ko'Tua holds up a fist and they stay where they are. Kuru 2 and 3 and Ko'Tua Delay
It almost seems like more of an offense to disappoint an aasimar, a holy race, but they were determined. She will gather the dagger and try to use it to cut Sim free. The Kuru's voice that he wanted nothing to do with cannibals or statues rings in her ears.
"Yeah, but you just began running through the dungeon. We'll see you again, as something else's meal because you were too foolish. Now what do we do with the remaining Kuru?"
"There...they've run off. You have this whole area to yourself. What are your plans?"
After a few moments (2 rounds later), from wherever they ran to the south, the party hears the voice of Man 1 yelling, "What are you doing?! You've gone damn mad!"
Also, to clarify, the two men are not Kuru. They appear simply Human. Lash, if you/the party don't chase after the two men, I will resolve your question to the Kuru.
Cleric of Calistria | HP: 30 (of 30) | Init: +2, MAB: +4/+5, RAB: +5 | Fort: +5, Reflex: +4, Will: +7 | AC: 19, FF: 16, Touch: 13 | Diplomacy: +10, Heal: +9, Know:Religion: +5, Perception: +13, Sense Motive: +10 | Selective Channel 7 (of 7) 3d3+ -3 to attack, Will DC15 to ignore the attack penalty | Bit of Luck 3 of 5 | Copycat 5 of 5 | CLW Wand Charges: 47 | 1 points INT damage
Kahli waits and listens. At the outburst she nods, "Perhaps they've encountered a trap? Some sort of magic or gas that causes insanity? Be ready but hold position. If they return needing assistance we'll offer it. But if they come raving and attacking be ready to take them down!"
"Okay, but I'm going to look over here really quick," she comments to Kahli.
She will not be chasing after them.
Lash, in a fit of lawful justice does not care about the humans anymore. She doesn't will them to die, but their own choices they are responsible for. They have acted on instinct and their own will and made their choice. The consequences will be their own. Instead, she makes sure their rear is not vulnerable and will move to check things out.
Move: Q14 to N16 and will look around the pillar too. Round 1 used up. If nothing is seen, she will move back to the group on round 2.
Perception:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Lash leaves the men to their own devices and moves to ensure the party has a safe area. She moves to the north chamber of the room where Ko'Tua came from. The soles of her shoes get a little damp as she steps in the shallow trickle of water flowing across the stone floor. To the west, there's nothing of interest. Turning to the east, Lash sees a small pile of bones in the southeast corner, mostly stripped of meat. She also sees that the eastern wall is where the trickling water is coming from, leaking through the stones and mortar in four or five different spots.
Returning, Lash asks Ko'Tua what they plan to do now. He gives her a smug look and chuckles. "You did it strange, but they leave. We could join you. If you talk good, maybe you don't fight good."
This is going to be a classic dungeon crawl with fun monsters and traps around every (not every) corner. Each floor will get more difficult with you leveling up after each floor.
Each floor will have a boss blocking the way to the next floor. We're using Automatic Bonus Progression as that will fit with the gameplay, as opposed to buying and enchanting equipment.
90% of the role-playing will be within the party, though you may find the occasional person or thing in the dungeon that wants to talk.
There will be a map to reference to help with exploration. It will get a battleship-style grid overlaid on it during combat to be able to say where your character moves.
When posting, use 3rd person present tense, bolding speech. Put rolls on a separate line.
Ex. John walks over to the chest and kneels down. "This lock looks fairly simple. I should have it opened in no time." He pulls out a roll of tools and begins tinkering with the lock.
Disable Device: 1d20+9 -> 2+9=11
Skill Checks: Make them when you think you should and I'll take them into account if I decide it's necessary. I'll also rollover high skill checks to help keep things moving, especially Perception or Stealth.
Detect Magic/Evil/etc.: If you have that ability, I'm going to assume you're always running it unless specified otherwise.
In combat, separate out what your Standard, Move, Move Equivalent, Swift, Immediate, and Free actions are. That way it helps clear up any confusion. Type out attack and damage at the same time. I'll roll initiative for all the PCs and monsters at the same time so we don't have to wait. Example:
Move: 20ft from C7 to B3
Standard: Fire light crossbow at Goblin 2
Attack: 1d20+3 -> 15+3=18
Damage: 1d8 -> 3
Free: Reload crossbow
Post rate: I'll be checking in multiple times a day and posting at least once a day. I want everyone to check in once a day, as well, and post within 24 hours of your character being prompted (whether it's your turn or another character addressed you). I really want to keep this moving along so we can get to the top of the tower!
I'll keep updating this as more things get worked out!
AC 19 T 11 FF 18 | HP 19/21 Croc HP 9/11 Samsaran Druid (Nature's Fang) 3
Great to be chosen, than you DM! I'm excited for this campaign!
Shiv'Raston is a melee using druid who will get Sneak Attack as I go up, but I keep my full druid spells so I can do some healing and combat spells as well, and my Caiman familiar will be hardy enough to help provide flanking.
(At 4th level I'll get a Slayer Talent and the ability to pick up Trapfinding as well if needed).
Thanks for the message and acceptance, GM NameShortage. I am looking forward to this. If any of you has any questions concerning my character, feel free to ask.
I wanted each character to fill a niche! I hope everyone feels the party is balanced.
If everyone is ready, I'll get the gameplay thread up sometime before Saturday morning.
One question about Saving Throws: Would you rather I give you the DC and tell you what happens if you fail all at the same time? Or would you rather I just give you the DC then tell you the effects after you roll?
I would leave that up to you, but as for my opinion, I will say that if you give us the DC and tell us the effects after, that may give you more free range to describe how badly we fail. If I were to roll a 6 total and Sim rolled a 15 total and the DC was 16, while the damage or effect may be the same, the flavor of what happens to me might be a bit more severe. I know it's a neutral answer but meh :P
I'd prefer for you to give us the DC and the description of what happens, since it speeds the game A LOT. PbP is not the fastest modality and everything that speeds gameplay is always a good idea.
Regarding the description of the severity of the effects as Lash mentioned, I believe we can do it ourselves. If I critically fail a fort save against poison, for sure Sim will be screaming in pain for his mama.
I have the same opinion on every kind of DC possible that gives us some information: Knowledge, Heal, Sense Motive, Perception, etc. Just give us what we'll find in a spoiler and trust us to not peek it without passing the test. Most of the games in PbP end because of slowing down too much and players/GMs loosing interest so this is our first priority to make it run as fast and smoothly as possible.
Also, since you mentioned this is your first game as a PbP GM, if you wish I can also share many other methods that work really well in PbP to speed the game.
Regarding the description of the severity of the effects as Lash mentioned, I believe we can do it ourselves. If I critically fail a fort save against poison, for sure Sim will be screaming in pain for his mama.
That's true. I'd agree. We can always flavor it ourselves, and whatever speeds up the game, I suppose that would be grand for me. :)
Cleric of Calistria | HP: 30 (of 30) | Init: +2, MAB: +4/+5, RAB: +5 | Fort: +5, Reflex: +4, Will: +7 | AC: 19, FF: 16, Touch: 13 | Diplomacy: +10, Heal: +9, Know:Religion: +5, Perception: +13, Sense Motive: +10 | Selective Channel 7 (of 7) 3d3+ -3 to attack, Will DC15 to ignore the attack penalty | Bit of Luck 3 of 5 | Copycat 5 of 5 | CLW Wand Charges: 47 | 1 points INT damage
I agree with all mentioned and add one more.... Sometimes you may want to post a "everyone roll a perception check", but not what it is for. Reason: There is something that we might not notice and there is no reason to tell anyone that doesn't see it, secret door for example. Once you get a reply high enough to notice it you can reply as to what was found and that no more are needed. Or, the trap wasn't noticed and it activates! It can add to the anticipation of the game without slowing things too much, especially since you have requested that we all post at least once per day!
Some GM's just roll for the players, but I've noticed that some players don't like that. {shrug}
I have the opinion that a roll is a roll no matter who rolls it. As long as there is no decision making involved, I'm all for the GM rolling as much as he can in order to keep the game going. I usually call these rolls "passive rolls".
The idea is that whenever something occurs in game that the only possible outcome is for the player to roll a particular check or save, the GM can simply roll it and tell us what happened.
Example:
Lets say the players are about to open a trapped door with some monsters on the other side of said door. So far the players don't know that the door is trapped or that there are monsters on the other side and unless they discover that, they will proceed to open the door.
There is no decision involved here, so the GM can roll for the players both Perception checks to see if they notice the trap and/or the monsters. If the players do notice either/both of them, then the players have a decision to make (disarm the trap, goad the monsters, buff, etc.) and the GM can't move forward without said decision.
However, if the players failed to notice both dangers, they still have no decision to make as their original plan to open the door is still perfectly fine in their point of view. They open the door and spring the trap. Let's say this trap requires a Reflex save. Once again the players have no decision to make (generally barring some special immediate action ability) so the GM could simply roll for them and say who was hit by the trap and then roll Initiative to start combat, and even a knowledge check to identify such monsters. The players can't simply decide they won't be hit by the trap or that they want to start a combat if the enemies do and as soon as they see the creatures, their brain will automatically recollect the information (the players can't chose not to know something).
Doing it this way, assuming the players did not notice neither the traps nor the monsters, in a single post the GM could move from "opening the door" to "fighting ghouls", while asking the players to roll for everything would take possibly 4 posts (1 to detect the dangers, 1 to save against the trap, 1 to roll initiative and 1 to roll for knowledge). Considering the rate of 1 post per day, this simple thing that would be solved in minutes in a F2F game could possibly take 4 days in PBP!
I agree and I have zero problems with the GM rolling for us, always with having reactions and immediate actions in mind (those are not very well suited for PbP, yeah).
AC 19 T 11 FF 18 | HP 19/21 Croc HP 9/11 Samsaran Druid (Nature's Fang) 3
Yeah- I'm fine on saves being done however is easiest; in my own games I use a hybrid approach were if the result makes a huge difference on the continuation of combat I as the DM roll it, but if its something like a difference of a modest amount of damage I'll have the player roll.
Ultimately whatever seems to keep the game flowing best at the time is good :)
Just asking because I am not sure, but if I spotted the dog in the surprise round, I'm flat-footed because he goes before me. Because I saw it, I do get a standard/move action correct as a reaction in the surprise round? I can't really use either at the moment without getting attacked, and I have nowhere to go, but I can ready an action to move on Shiv's turn right? And I'd no longer be flat-footed if the dog attacks on round 1?
I'm trying to understand. I'm not very good at combat lol.
It rolled higher initiative than you, so it would go first in the Surprise Round, which comprises of just you and it. It does its attack, but you are correct in that you should not have been Flat Footed (it was a miss either way). You can use your Surprise Round standard action to ready a move action. So on Shiv's turn, as he moves forward, you'll step back then fire?
And your breakdown of your turn was great! Thanks!
Oh, I think I'm still supposed to be flat-footed in the surprise round, as he goes first before I've had a turn as you've said.
I was saying that in Round 1 (after the surprise round), since I saw him and I technically had a turn, I wouldn't be flatfooted anymore, even if he goes before me. Technical mumbo jumbo...anywho, cool!
GM, do you prefer for all of us to post what we want to do and then you accommodate it according to what happens in combat, or do we wait and post in order of initiative? The first option requires more work from you but is really much faster.
Yeah, I was thinking about that overnight and I think option one is the way to go. Post your preferred actions, then post an OOC contingency plan, and I'll make everything fit.
For example, you want to move 10ft and attack, but if the creature is dead by the time you get there, you'll heal so-and-so.
Yes, it's a pain in the arse for me to go first because you people will probably be waiting till I wake up :p I'm gonna try to do a "standard opening" for combats, so you can bot if needed. For rounds 2 onward, it's not too important, I guess - as long as the bard is using performance, it's fine :P
Sim, with Lash moving back, you can step up to E3 and take her spot without provoking an AoO. If you wanna do that, you can also roll any potential attack and damage.
I hope that kind of summary works for everyone! I kinda tweaked actions to fit initiative order and what had happened at different times. It was a little bit of work, but something like that can allow us to do a round (or more) a day depending on how fast everyone can post.
Cleric of Calistria | HP: 30 (of 30) | Init: +2, MAB: +4/+5, RAB: +5 | Fort: +5, Reflex: +4, Will: +7 | AC: 19, FF: 16, Touch: 13 | Diplomacy: +10, Heal: +9, Know:Religion: +5, Perception: +13, Sense Motive: +10 | Selective Channel 7 (of 7) 3d3+ -3 to attack, Will DC15 to ignore the attack penalty | Bit of Luck 3 of 5 | Copycat 5 of 5 | CLW Wand Charges: 47 | 1 points INT damage
Yep. I've seen a +20 roll fail by angry dice.... :) At least it's disease, not poison. We've got a day before the effects kick in. And maybe we'll find some way to resolve it before then!
Sim, can you break down how you get to AC:27 T:19 FF: 19? It's not that I don't believe you, I just haven't figured it out lol
Sure thing!
First there is the "fighting defensively" modifier that anyone can apply when attacking. It gives you +2 dodge bonus to AC (and thus to CMD as well) but imposes -4 on all attack rolls for a full round (including future AOOs).
Then, there is the Cautious Fighter feat, which increases the dodge bonus from "fighting defensively" or "total defense" by 2.
Finally, there is the trait Coutious Warrior that does the same thing as the previous feat, but increasing the bonus by only 1.
Since both feats actually increase the bonus they stack with each other, that without considering that dodge bonuses, unlike other bonus, always stack with each other.
In total, when "fighting defensively", Sim gets +5 dodge bonus and -4 to attack and when using "total defense" he gets +7 dodge bonus but can't attack at all.
At level three, when Sim gets 3 ranks in acrobatics, the bonus will further improve by 1 for "fighting defensively" and by 2 for "total defense".
Now, thanks to his Blundering Defense feat, he will able to provide half that bonus to his adjacent allies, thus making Sim a tank that actually work in Pathfinder, since he not only is hard to get but also boosts his allies. Normally a smart enemy could simply kill all the others and leave the tank for the end and be safe.
And it only works for halflings, which are generally not thought when someone thinks about tanks! I believe Sim falls in the "thinking outside of the box" characters.
While I know it is a LOT at first levels, there is no way to increase them (that I'm willing to do) further.
My plan for him is to invest in feats that will further boost his allies but also allows him to do a bit more damage so is not solely focused on his defense.
@Lash: Not sure if it would fit my idea of Sim. He is not one to openly provoke or challenge others. It could work with Diplomacy, but then it is not a class skill and I believe there is not enough skill points... also, I believe will not work on many enemies since it is a mind-affecting thing.
I'm having an idea for how to split up Initiative for making combat easier to smooth out:
I'll roll all your initiatives, then average them out. Then I'll roll all the enemy's initiatives, then average them out. Whichever group has the higher average initiative goes first.
