[Gameday IX] Sky Key GM Thread (Inactive)

Game Master Dennis Muldoon

Is the success tracking sheet being updated manually or automatically? I'm not seeing the success I reported yesterday.

It's automatic, feeding results from the Google Form linked at the top of this page. It seems like yours didn't go through; please submit it again.

What does "aid the rebels" mean in the context of the reporting form? I did a search of the scenario PDF and can't find that exact term in the document.

It's a thing you can do in the Slave Pits. Once half the tables reported it, a condition happens. See page 16.

Are one of our backups available to step in to help out Yours is Mined's table?

It's a thing you can do in the Slave Pits. Once half the tables reported it, a condition happens. See page 16.

I was trying to report a success for the slave pits (1 victory point), but it only seems to be accepting reports for the temple district now, though it *is* asking that question. I'm a bit confused.

This whole area, top to bottom, is the 'Temple District'. That's the chunk of the city that was ripped forward in time. There is only one kind of success to report, regardless of where you earn it (Victory Point), so I didn't break the reporting down by Area. Report 1 victory point, and add the 'aided the rebels' if your table improved their attitude enough to trigger that reporting.

Gotcha. I was thinking that "Temple District" referred to Area D in particular. Thanks for clearing that up.

Yeah, it's not the clearest naming imaginable, sorry. I went with that because the name of this whole section of the adventure is "Part 2 - Temple District of Sessegishoss"

Are one of our backups available to step in to help out Yours is Mined's table?

I'll catch it.

Thank you!

And then I run up against rules I've not used before. Bah! Thought it'd be easy.

Question for GM's at large regarding the Mouser swashbuckler archetype.

Their underfoot assault class ability gives them the ability to move into a larger creature's space without provoking. At which point they cause all sorts of havok.
But they can only do that by spending a panache point when the creature swings and misses them.

If I'm reading this right, it means if a creature has not swung at them, and missed them, then the normal rules for occupying an enemy's space apply...

Which are that there needs to be a 3 size category difference (ie: tiny vs large, small vs huge, diminutive vs medium) to do it at all, and it provokes.

Is that right?

As far as I understand it, yes. All the ones I have dealt with have used options to make themselves tiny, so it hasn't been an issue.

Tiny vs medium is the issue. If the foe were large, it wouldn't be an issue (though would still provoke, as they're not using underfoot assault to get there)

Also note "Lacsuhnollo", found on page 9. This is the name of the Azlanti city from part 3, and was likely a copy+paste error.

Are we still looking like the 27th to move on? We just finished talking with the general and I'm wondering if I should drop in another combat or just tell them to wait.

If they are breezing through, throw it at them to make them weigh using resources. If they’re pressed, feel free to back off a bit.

I'm just about to start talking to the general, so I'd rather not change the schedule now.

Good to know others are just starting the social part, thanks.

There seem to be no optional encounters in E, but I guess I can just throw one of B, C, or D's optional encounters at them?

My group is also only slightly into the conversation with the general.

Good to know others are just starting the social part, thanks.

There seem to be no optional encounters in E, but I guess I can just throw one of B, C, or D's optional encounters at them?

The optional encounters specifically say they can happen anywhere except area E. Maybe head back and help out the slave revolt in areas A or B? Putting them in C or D would be a bit of a punishment, since page 24 has save-vs-damage for those districts when things start going wrong.

That's exactly how I was going to flavor it — escorting the general back to locate Uszanria and her revolt.

However, each other area is "controlled," and I believe that means it's cleared of threats. But unless I hear otherwise I will err on the side of player engagement and common sense, and let them murderize more stuff.

Just remember that the next part is a success grind, and so you should be wary of sapping their resources too much.

It sounds like I misspoke anyway, there are no further encounters in area E.

We've officially moved on to part 3, and you should all have posts from me in your games. The 1-minute pause the scenario calls for mid-transition is awkward for PbP, so I posted the whole thing, but don't forget about the 'rocks dissolve, everyone falls' bit at the bottom of page 23/top of page 24.

but don't forget about the 'rocks dissolve, everyone falls' bit at the bottom of page 23/top of page 24.

Excellent reminder *eg*

Reading ahead a little, I noticed something at the bottom of page 25 and top of page 26. When "code green" happens, all skill check DCs become one step easier. "Hard checks become Average, Average checks become Easy, and so on." That last part is confusing - what do Easy checks reduce to?

I think they remain easy, though I agree that is not a clear way to say so.

When attempting to find the vault (trying for a Discovery success), the party needs to get 5 successes from a list of tasks. Do those tasks need to be different? My group really doesn't have access to most of the resources suggested - they're level 1. So could they, for instance, make the Intelligence check multiple times? Or should I just push them towards finding the anchors?

Remember (and remind your players) that they can come up with creative solutions to that as well. For instance, looking back at one of the tables the last time we ran this in PbP, someone used Knowledge (Religion) to consider where the vault might be in relation to the temple of Aroden.

In addition, Table GMs should be amenable to other methods the players might devise. In general, a tactic that involves a skill check or minor expenditure of resources should be worth one success, and a tactic that involves a major expenditure of resources or an especially profound methodology should be worth up to three successes.

I think it's a more interesting encounter if they do a variety of things, but I don't see anything prohibiting them from repeating, so feel free to make that call whichever way you'd like for your table.

Remember (and remind your players) that they can come up with creative solutions to that as well. For instance, looking back at one of the tables the last time we ran this in PbP, someone used Knowledge (Religion) to consider where the vault might be in relation to the temple of Aroden.

Page 29 wrote:

In addition, Table GMs should be amenable to other methods the players might devise. In general, a tactic that involves a skill check or minor expenditure of resources should be worth one success, and a tactic that involves a major expenditure of resources or an especially profound methodology should be worth up to three successes.

I think it's a more interesting encounter if they do a variety of things, but I don't see anything prohibiting them from repeating, so feel free to make that call whichever way you'd like for your table.

Yeah, it's just a minimum-size table where only one PC has any XP. Their resources are "bear", "sword", "bomb", "misfortune", and some skills. Maybe a little better than that, but not by much. I'll see what they come up with.

** spoiler omitted **

I have a nagaji paladin in the party, which has a lot of interesting ups and downs in this scenario. Also lots of "good snake vs bad snake" conversation.

** spoiler omitted **

To be fair, they were enslaving and sacrificing people. The Society has a faction or two devoted to stopping that kind of thing.

I always grow concerned when there is the option to take a peaceful route but their calm minds have prevailed thus far. They even spared a dinosaur in the gardens via a spell!

But our Nagaji has been smushing the scale-kin without second thought...but not before they toss some insults his way.

The snake pit encounter was interesting because it allowed the nagaji to essentially walk around and ignore the hazard. Of course, with nagaji paladin intelligence, he couldn't really do the skill challenge on his own, so mostly he was helping ferry other people across.

Grandmaster TOZ wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

To be fair, they were enslaving and sacrificing people. The Society has a faction or two devoted to stopping that kind of thing.

** spoiler omitted **

The scenario also provides an explicit opportunity for them to calm the townsfolk via Diplomacy or Intimidation, which isn't really present in the earlier encounter.

I just reported 2 anchor successes; this isn't an error; I forgot to report the first one yesterday due to some real-life business.

@GM Fuzzfoot, are you still OK to start taking over my table as planned from … well … now, for the next 4 days?

Here is the link to Discussion

The PCs have just finished a dinosaur combat in the Azlanti town hit by the time storm.

So you pretty much have complete freedom to inflict whatever you like on them! ;)

Enjoy & I’ll catch you on Monday!

Just to be sure - each table can do only one Vault success, right? Or did I just mess up and report a Vault success when I should have done a Discovery one?

That exquisite feeling you get right after hitting Submit.

The house has not discovered the vault yet, so area G is not open. You should not be reporting any Vault successes. If they succeeded at their 5 tasks to find the vault, you should report a Discovery Success, as described in the Development paragraph on page 29.

Discovery Success = Finding the vault
Vault Success = succeeding inside the vault

Looking at your table, I think that should have been a Discovery success, so I'll update the reporting to match.

Also, that is enough for the house to 'discover' the vault! I'll post in your games unlocking area G shortly.

@Yours is mined, got you covered! Have a great weekend.

Hey folks, be sure to use those Aid Tokens and keep them moving!

Mine are probably gonna pass theirs soon, who wants it?

We will have all have 5 anchor successes later today; even though the house has discovered the vault, it would behoove the house to generate more Discovery Successes for the calculation of Task Successes, right?

I'm going to gently prod my group to generate one before heading to G.

I don't believe Discovery successes are needed after the vault has been found. (Requirement is only 1/4 of the tables succeeding.) It doesn't look like those successes contribute to overall success besides allowing the tables to start generating the successes that do count. Once my team finishes putting down the Azlanti I'll be moving them on to anchors.

Ahh, I think you are right. The conclusion says to tally resources we co-opted in p3, which wouldn't count Discoveries. Thanks.

Yeah, the final result is based on Victory Points + Anchor Successes. We need at least 30 Anchor Success to escape, and 36 (when combined with the 64 Victory Points in part 2) for an Unrivaled Accomplishment (the maximum success level).

My group is one success away from another Anchor success.