Kesperex: King's Land Scoundrels

Game Master Nathanael Love

Compromise position for keeping the cannons and the soldiers that Viatrix is too paranoid and not smart enough to come up with:

The surviving soldiers get moved ASAP, before they gain consciousness. That way, they don't know what we did with the cannon (which I don't think we do either yet) and can't tell the Westmen. Unless one or both mounts can do that alone tho, that does take one of us out of the RP scene.

It leaves the gnome as the only loose end which he already was anyways.

I don't think we can take sides in this... the turning people over to the west thing isn't going to fly. This is why waiting for them to show up rather than just sabotaging the bridge was a risky choice.

If we take sides, what happens in three days, or three weeks, or three months when the other side is occupying our town? They won't occupy if we've shown that we're on the other side... and the occupying force there now ... that guy is pure evil.

I mean, I also think that the whole idea of the scenario falls apart if we just take sides. And that's okay if that was just the set-up. Living story, for sure, and maybe we don't have the characters that we really need to make that kind of scenario work anyway. Not enough stealth, not enough subtlety. None of this is noble work... it's guerilla warfare... just trying to survive.

...but if we don't care about the scenario, then anything is open. We could just evacuate the town and move someplace that isn't a war zone. Refugee adventurers.

Anyway, probably doesn't matter. We're past that, and so anything is open. If we keep the cannon, we'd have to defend it, and fire on anyone who came close. We definitely can't turn it over because it isn't like the occupying force will refrain from using it on us if they stand to gain an advantage. If we're leaving other people alive, then let's just leave them and not turn them over. If that gets us in trouble, then we face it and suffer the consequences, but it's better than turning them over if we feel like some of them are just caught in the middle too, trying to do their jobs.

Yeah I really don't know what end game looks like for this aside from, we create and defend a third (NG or TN) nation in the midst of civil war on two sides, or dethrone both kings and live as a decentralized agrarian state. But that's okay! I'm excited to go where the future takes us, like our characters, we have to take this as it comes, we have no idea the depths around us.

As it stands

My vote on the cannon is to partially dismantle it and take some guns (easier to hide and disguise), throw the rest into the river to destroy it, hide the guns in Augustus's stables, Crarak's shack, the gnome teaches us how to operate it and make new ones as a private form of penance and in exchange he gets to avoid the Western army claiming ransom on him.

My vote on the soldiers is murder or to leave them be or somehow convince them to abandon their army?

My vote on the oxen is they are part of my share of the loot because I need them for my ranch even tho the soldiers boarding on my land will probably eat them.

We may be able to convince the unconscious soldiers that it was in fact the west that attacked them. they don't know the townsfolk so for all they know we may be a guerrilla squad of the west army. Do we have any western army garments?

Votes for the above by the way are Dismantle and take some weapons from the cannon.

Neutral on the soldiers (Augustus is against killing them but Siren thinks that any enemy soldiers deserve nothing but death).

Oxen can go to Viatrix, maybe we can concoct a lie about me selling them to you so that it looks more reasonable.

I'm down with dismantling the cannon thing, and taking some for us, and burning/dumping the rest.

Let's see what Sir Count has to offer in rebuttal on the disposition of the soldiers and himself, I don't know if there is a tradition of parole or somesuch where he'd swear to go hide in his keep for a year and a day or something to preserve him and his soldiers?

I'm all for not picking sides in this messy situation!

It sounds to me that the group wants to make an independent town, under the leadership of neither king. I’m ok with that. But if we do this then we need the cannons, and we need the town on our side and willing to be under arms. Doing this is going to require a claim of legitimacy. Who is the current owner of the town? Is it a person, a council?

----

Step 1: Hide the cannons.
Step 2: Raise support in the town for actual independence.
Step 3: Get the occupying troops out of the town.
Step 4: Fortify the town, wait our cannons and militia so occupying troops may not come in.
Step 5: Declare the town to be neutral between the wars of the kingdoms, and that it will defend itself against any aggressor. Declare that free trade and travel is upheld, so long as it is not militaristic in nature.

Does that sound about right?

I would be willing to go for neutrality... like the idea. Just worried that we'll be crushed. However, if we can pull it off it might do a lot of good, and we could get people joining us... might even stop the war if we can set up an independent nation between the two sides and get people to join us... the more I think about it, the more I like it actually.

Hey hi I had phone and internet problems starting the same day and just got my phone back late last night; I'll catch up and post soon, sorry y'all

Yes- there's some amount of shots worth of balls & powder for the cannons; I need to think a bit before I decide the exact number.

So from a meta perspective, right, imo the Fear Eater is obviously a fey (which Vee wouldn't suspect in character). This implies to me that the Huntsman, the war god the Eastern deserters what kidnapped Sylvia worshipped, is probably a court fey/archfey, and that also perhaps, the elemental breathing wolf from our first encounter might have been a fey, because we also failed to pass THAT knowledge check. To my memory, all its victims had been soldiers, which adds to the mystery.

Frankly I love that we just truly got no idea what is happening in character and keep missing these knowledge checks. It adds to the drama and also emphasizes our fish out of water, tryna survive, at odds with everyone thing.

The wolf creature did eat farmer's as well- it was a predator of opportunity.

Editing my post to respond to Karak as well; we posted within seconds of each other

Two cavaliers at the bar, drinking.

One is lawful good Order of the Sword.
The other is true neutral Ronin.

Both discussing honor. I love it!

----

By the way, if it is open for the group to know, what are Viatrix's personal cavalier edicts?

She hasn't thought about her "Code" much past the first edict that she quoted at you, but in game terms, this is what I'm running her by.

1, Survive, 2, Protect Burrowdar and Her Brother (emphasis on family over town if she and Vargas ever had to ditch to protect one or both of them), 3, Question Authority and Offer it No Respect.

I was considering eventually transitioning her to become a NG Order of the Town since we're so location based, but with you as a foil to react off of, at the moment I doubt she'll find her center of honor and become anything but entrenched in her position.

I'm so sad I got taken out of the RP opportunities! Loving reading through it though!

Hey, sorry I’ve been unreliable recently, but unfortunately for the next two weeks or so that will likely continue, I have a bit of a family emergency, nothing too terrible though, after that I should be fully active again though I understand if that is an issue. I will still try to make posts at a reasonable rate but may not be able to. Feel free to not me if needed. I am sorry for any inconvenience.

Hey- no worries; everyone has life happen.

I know the next two weeks our overall/general pace is going to slow as it is because everyone (myself included) has a LOT going on with the holidays, so no worries there either, and apologies if we seem to slow to a creep as I am on the road next week.

Sorry guys- I'm buried after work today and our wonderful rural internet doesn't work in bad weather so I was delayed last night; was able to update some games and I'll still try to keep things rolling- but I'm on the road from tomorrow till the 28th, so apologies in advance and worst case we will pick everything back up the 29th.

I understand most people are traveling during this time as well.

Sorry guys- I'm buried after work today and our wonderful rural internet doesn't work in bad weather so I was delayed last night; was able to update some games and I'll still try to keep things rolling- but I'm on the road from tomorrow till the 28th, so apologies in advance and worst case we will pick everything back up the 29th.

I understand most people are traveling during this time as well.

All good!

Enjoy the holidays!

“ I recognize it was an in character misunderstanding (although it could also be a genuine one), but to be clear, Viatrix's desire to kill the wounded soldiers was so that not one could run back to the Eastern front and blab that the opposition they faced was townies and not the enemy army. She didn't want them pursuing a vendetta against Burrowdar.”

It’s completely IC. I understand what V was saying (and many of my other PCs would have been onboard for the exact same reasons). And I know that V isn’t going to put a bullet in Karak’s head. But IC? Just based off of his limited reactions with her, I thought that the misunderstanding was both reasonable and a fun one to explore.

I'm here, just been super busy with the holidays, it may be a couple days before I can craft something to the level of the RP going on right now... Hope all are well!

I'm back from exile-- if we can pick up again, probably easiest to roll the in game day clock forward 2-3 more days so that Cra'Rak becomes a PC level CHA again, unless anyone has a problem with that.

(I also don't want to cut off any RP, but want to move forward when you guys are ready)

Sorry, holidays were unexpectedly busy, will catch up when I can.

Moving forward a couple of days is fine with me... we can just assume we had the meeting, but we need a plan for the ambush, either way.

Correct, so however you guys want to do that as far as IC/OOC/a combination-- if you want to do scouting let me know who is going, and go ahead and make any Knowledge/other skill checks you think are appropriate as you do.

I'm good either way, although I appreciate the time to let me heal up some CHA, I really got no idea on how to RP 1 CHA, so I made my best guess :)

Two things-

1. I'll prep the random encounter and kick it off in a bit

2.- you succeed in theory on finding the type of spot you are looking for; I'm going to have to dig through maps and find a good- but if anyone has a map that you think fits and want to use drop it in the slides and we can use that-- otherwise I'll find one with ambush spots and a road

I popped one in (current slide 3) if you want to use it, but if it wasn't what you had in mind for the ambush, then no big. It has some rocks, trees, and bushes where we can hide and it is beside a road... ?

It works for me if the rest if the party concurs- effectively you could have found about anything you wanted.

Really sorry for the delay guys- I was locked out all day unable to log in; trying to get everything caught up but may not be back on track till tomorrow AM.

Same thing happened to me all day, finally swapped to my new laptop and was able to clear the cache and get in.

Just got back into my account!

And that encounter will cap us off for second level!

Bring yourselves up to level 3 before the ambush of the gold shipment!

Awesome,

Added Spells: Message, Grease
Feats: Precise Shot

HP: 22 + 6 (Class) + 3 (Con) = 31
Saves: +1 Ref/Will
BaB: +1
Class: Fearless (Su)

At 3rd level, a ghost rider becomes immune to fear. Each ally within 10 feet of the ghost rider gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions only while the ghost rider is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead.
Feat: Power Attack

And for the mount:

HP: 20 + 6 (class) + 2 (con) = 28
Saves: +1 Will
BaB: +1
Skills: +2
Feat: Power Attack
Share Spells (Doesn't do anything as Karak has no spellcasting)

+8 HP, +1 BAB, +1 Ref/Will, Whip Mastery.

Vic doesn't increase in HD or BAB or saves, but does gain +2 to Natural Armor, +1 STR/DEX, and gains Evasion.

Third is a pretty huge level, another die of sneak attack, rage, and a choice of scent, lowlight vision, or swim when using a mutagen! And of course, don't underestimate the supreme power of Swift Alchemy!

Arrgh. I leveled yesterday, but the post isn't here... guess I spent too long on it or something--?

Anyway, let me know if you need the play by play recreating it.

Short version:

+4 hit points (but wasn't sure if that was right... half +1?)

couple new spells: gravity bow and color spray

couple new skills: can't remember all of them but I know perception, diplomacy, stealth... I think geography and smuggling (profession) and ...err, disable device?

New class thing was Immolation... can set myself on fire as a swift action and burn people around me.

Question: Anyone know of any armor enchantments that would make plate armor be effective against firearms?

No response from Augustus/Joker . . . checked his other alias's no posts at all since the 12th, don't know if he's still having trouble getting back in or if something else happened.

Leaves us with a choice--

Continue with 5 until he gets back

Add a 6th and when Augustus goes back go up to 7

I have someone who I can bring in if we want to go with option two there.

I'm the newest one here, so I think you should take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I'm fine with any of the proposed options, preferential to keeping things moving

I like option 2. The more, the merrier. :)

I think 7 is when RP really starts to bog down and am generally not willing to go to that number, but with a slower game like this I am amenable. I do really like Auggy so I would prefer we wait but if we have to, he can just be sick and need to like stay home or s/t

I'm just a bit worried on the next encounter without him, and I don't want to venture how he would level to try to bot him or have someone else run him

I can also introduce option 3 where I put in an NPC to assist on this part of this particular quest in hopes that Augustus returns soon.

I vote for the NPC option. It gives him time to come back, and could show support from the town. A few low level NPCs representing town militia would be characterful.

Yeah I think an NPC would be helpful, we've got a good group here and the RP has been fantastic thus far.

I agree that 7 can bog things down, but as long as we bot when someone doesn't show up, it wouldn't hurt, and 7 also future proofs us against drop outs which seem to happen ultra frequently in PbP.

That said though, totally fine with an NPC option as well.