Heroes of Lastwall (Inactive)

Game Master Tilnar

If that was all from your phone, you are one seriously fast typer (or more likely I am now the older generation and just type slow)

The arrival of Rickan was. Last night, I used a keyboard like a sane individual. ;)

Ok, I'll leave that hanging for a bit in case anyone else wants to respond/react to Rickan - though, you'll be having dinner together soon so you can save questions/RP for then.

At the moment, those of you without ranks in Ride have take 1 point of non-lethal and are fatigued. Also, while you were mounted, I'll point out that riding is active and is actually more strenuous than people think especially over a long term - so going out for a long walk will be getting you folks close to 'forced march' territory.

Also, you have a rather large pile of orc-gear that you should take off the poor oxen so they can rest up -- but that you'll want to put somewhere.

Your observation on riding when unused to it is very true. (I know that, and it has been YEARS since I last rode!) ;P

[smaller]Oi, my LAST ride, now that was exciting. Briefly.[/ooc] O_o

But i will also point out, that a good stretching of ones legs, whether after a long car ride, OR a horse ride, goes a long way towards feeling better! (Game rules aside) ;)

Besides, it SHOULD be a game rule, A physical Halfling Racial Ability.
>Food Cures All Ills-
:)

Technically, the game rules (mostly) handle that -- you have 1 point of non-lethal. As long as you don't do anything strenuous (and for a halfling, eating is the opposite of that), you'll heal in an hour and no longer feel fatigued. ;)

LOL, I knew it!

In another life, I WAS a halfling! :)

Wow, I don't think I realized quite how long Rickan's exposition post actually was, even after I finished it. (Though that explains why it took so long to write.. yeesh).

I've had him respond to Sahar's first post - I'll try to answer all the questions before bed tonight (assuming I can do so without being killed by my wife).

Also - small point of order -- three orcs walked out of the forest -- there were four "outcasts". Of course, Rickan and Hamish can't correct you, so I thought I'd mention it here.
;)

Besides, it SHOULD be a game rule, A physical Halfling Racial Ability.

>Food Cures All Ills-
:)

We could always mix up a racial feat. Or trait, even.

Heh, yeah that was a long post. AND awesome!

I admit that I raced through it, so I'll have to go back through and read it more carefully for clues and tidbits.

Or for Tidbits of Clues,.... or something,.... ;P

Three orcs and one half-orc were the outcasts, right? And the half-orc was killed and left behind while the three orcs walked out?

Three orcs and one half-orc were the outcasts, right? And the half-orc was killed and left behind while the three orcs walked out?

You believe that one of the three survivors is also a halfer.

Ah, sorry.

Details. ;P

Ragadolf wrote:

Besides, it SHOULD be a game rule, A physical Halfling Racial Ability.

>Food Cures All Ills-
:)

We could always mix up a racial feat. Or trait, even.

LOL< I think that would become a VERY popular Racial trait.

Something along the lines of [i]"If the Halfling has access to food, he makes all saving throws at (#) (At least for HP dmg, and probably poison) if trying to stabilize for falling below 0HP due to dmg, the halfling automatically stabilizes if he has access to food. (Said halfling would eat the food before passing out due to HP dmg)

Or something like that,...
;P

For group decisions like this (i.e. - press on or not) -- my suggestion is to do one of:

- Tally the votes after 24 hours; or
- Go with the majority as soon as 4/6 have voted (unless it's a tie).

Of course, I'm just annoying and pushy (both because I'm excited to do this and, because, seriously, everything I've read about PbP GMing stresses the heck out of the GM needing to keep up momentum) -- so if others have a better idea, that's good to. As much as I want to keep things moving, I also don't want anyone to feel like they're being railroaded (by me or their party-mates).

I suppose, had I put on my 'smart GM' hat, I could have had you all express your opinions on this particular question over here in discussion over the weekend, since we all knew it was coming.... Look at me, all learning new tricks and stuff..

Here you go, Rags -- in case you have a spare feat to take Additional Traits: :)

Racial Trait (Halfling): Food Cures All Ills

Like many halflings, you've developed quite the palette and take great comfort from food. On any day that you indulge yourself by eating double rations, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude Saves. This bonus is doubled on saves against disease, poison or fatigue. Additionally, once per day you can re-roll such a save that you've failed, by immediately giving yourself a sweet treat (a piece of chocolate, a spicecake, a skin of fine wine or mead, etc.) as a pick-me-up. Such a treat must cost at least 2gp, and generally requires a move action to locate and consume.

LOL, I LUV the trait.
THAT will work. ;)

Not too powerful, On par with (most?) traits, but gives you a little extra 'oomph', (re-roll a save) provided that you have access to the required treatment. (FOOD!) And fits all thematic requirements.

Well-done sir! Your rules-building skills do obviously surpass mine! :)

All right, then, I'll go add it to the wiki for posterity. ;)

Lani is good to press on.

Seriously, me? "That's good to"? Buy a vowel, man.

(Sorry. Apparently I'm more prone to typos than I'd thought)

Heheh, I USED to be good at typing, Honestly.,

THEN I started playing 'Neverquest', and my typing went to h@!! and never came back. :P

Hah! Cross-post on 'only one light at a time' :)

You win THIS round Sahar,... ;)

Muah-ha-haaaa.

Us casters gotta stick together.

Hey, Fiona's no magic-caster person, she doesn't know what you guys are capable of.

(She does, however, think it ought to be better than you've shown so far!)

Wait until she encounters Otto's Itchy Underwear.

I don't think I quite thought about the fact that Fiona's the only non-spellcaster in the party (or, will be when Sandy gains a level)

Just a note - I wasn't trying to mess with you guys in terms of the light level -- but since the Golarion calendar overlaps our own, I went and looked up the lunar cycle from the appropriate time, and, well....

LOL,
It just HAPPENED to fall out that way I swear! <evil GM chuckle>

;P

Spellcraft freebie: It was continual flame on the stone. The crystal in the dagger did the fun of focusing the beam.

Party composition freebie: Only the familiars have darkvision.

I figured it was just Continual Flame, BUT Merlan doesn't have that one in his books. Yet. ;P

For group decisions like this (i.e. - press on or not) -- my suggestion is to do one of:

- Tally the votes after 24 hours; or
- Go with the majority as soon as 4/6 have voted (unless it's a tie).

I'd recommend the latter.

Of course, I'm just annoying and pushy (both because I'm excited to do this and, because, seriously, everything I've read about PbP GMing stresses the heck out of the GM needing to keep up momentum) -- so if others have a better idea, that's good to. As much as I want to keep things moving, I also don't want anyone to feel like they're being railroaded (by me or their party-mates).

It's not just the DM's job to keep up the pace, but the DM does have a disproportionate potential impact on the pace (in either direction).

I suppose, had I put on my 'smart GM' hat, I could have had you all express your opinions on this particular question over here in discussion over the weekend, since we all knew it was coming.... Look at me, all learning new tricks and stuff..

Hurray for learning!

Oh, the challenge of not suggesting things that could work... I'm so used to helping you guys plan out strategies.... ;)

I will make 2 comments, though, just as things to keep in mind if you're planning to go with "ambush whomever shows up" as your plan:

a) Orcs (generally) have 60' darkvision. At 65', they're in the same boat as you guys (in fact, were the moon bright, they'd be disadvantaged relative to folks with low-light);

b) As Sahar was doing with her stone earlier, one or more of you could have a light source ready but hidden, that you drop or wield when you start your ambush.

In terms of whether or not ambushing 'em when they get here is the right plan, well, that's what evil GM smiles are made for.

Edit: Also, what Sandy just learned from their tracks is probably useful in planning too.

Tilnar wrote:

For group decisions like this (i.e. - press on or not) -- my suggestion is to do one of:

- Tally the votes after 24 hours; or
- Go with the majority as soon as 4/6 have voted (unless it's a tie).

I'd recommend the latter.

Then, barring anyone objecting loudly to that approach in the next day or so, let's adopt that as our "official position" (tm) going forward.

Fiona nel Mare wrote:

Tilnar wrote:

For group decisions like this (i.e. - press on or not) -- my suggestion is to do one of:

- Tally the votes after 24 hours; or
- Go with the majority as soon as 4/6 have voted (unless it's a tie).

I'd recommend the latter.

Then, barring anyone objecting loudly to that approach in the next day or so, let's adopt that as our "official position" (tm) going forward.

I see what you did there...

Tilnar wrote:

Fiona nel Mare wrote:

Tilnar wrote:

For group decisions like this (i.e. - press on or not) -- my suggestion is to do one of:

- Tally the votes after 24 hours; or
- Go with the majority as soon as 4/6 have voted (unless it's a tie).

I'd recommend the latter.

Then, barring anyone objecting loudly to that approach in the next day or so, let's adopt that as our "official position" (tm) going forward.

I see what you did there...

His original post read "official position" (TPK), we are lucky he changed it.

His original post read "official position" (TPK), we are lucky he changed it.

I can't say that I've never killed a party in its first ever encounter.... But.... I will say that the time it happened, I was willing to rewind and let them try again.

Of course, that was back when I was younger and less bitt -- er, more forgiving -- than I am now. ;)

Hah! Wait, What?!?! O_o

I feel like we probably need to have a quick OOC powwow before the DM decides we've had enough in-game time and sends an army of orcs pouring over our un-concealed position.

Seems like we've got a few possibilities:

1. Hang around in hiding, hoping nobody spots us, and listen to the orcs' conversation. If only one orc (and his catlizard) comes to the drop, seems unlikely there'll be much to listen to. There's a lot of risk with this plan, since all it takes is them spotting one of us for things to turn bad. (Read: a sneak attack arrow to the head.)

2. Break into the drop now, and see what they're coming to pick up. Do we have anybody who can disarm magical traps at this point? If not, this probably isn't worth considering.

3. Hang around in hiding and ambush the orc(s) when he/they arrive. Captives can be handy for information, and then we can still raid the drop. Worst case, we end up killing them all and the orcs know something's up (but not what, and we still get to raid the drop).

4. Head back to town and try to pick a better day for a night-time fight with darkvisioned creatures.

Fiona's in favor of #3.

Xia can disarm magical traps. Her perception is terrible, so someone else will need to check to see if they can find one, but she is decent, +7, at DD.

I feel like we probably need to have a quick OOC powwow before the DM decides we've had enough in-game time and sends an army of orcs pouring over our un-concealed position.

I would never do that....

... without at least making a few statements about the passage of time.

(That said, I've always told people at my table that conversation/discussion/planning takes the same amount of time in game as out -- to avoid talking 20 minutes to plan for these thing happening in 10 minutes)

Though, since I'm already in mean GM mode, I'll remind folks they owe me Con checks against fatigue

Well good news is, Xia can also Detect magic yes? SO if its a magical glyph or sigil, she should be able to find it pretty easily.

Fiona nel Mare wrote:

I feel like we probably need to have a quick OOC powwow before the DM decides we've had enough in-game time and sends an army of orcs pouring over our un-concealed position.

I would never do that....

... without at least making a few statements about the passage of time.

(That said, I've always told people at my table that conversation/discussion/planning takes the same amount of time in game as out -- to avoid talking 20 minutes to plan for these thing happening in 10 minutes)

Though, since I'm already in mean GM mode, I'll remind folks they owe me Con checks against fatigue

LOL< you would NEVER have enjoyed some of the games my friends and I got ourselves into.

So we strategized, we coordinated, we planned, we cussed, we started over,... and somewhere between 3-4 hours later, we did ONE round of actions. And won the fight maybe 2-3 rounds later. :P

Yeah, not something I want to do on a regular basis, but it was fun! :P

3. Hang around in hiding and ambush the orc(s) when he/they arrive. Captives can be handy for information, and then we can still raid the drop. Worst case, we end up killing them all and the orcs know something's up (but not what, and we still get to raid the drop).

(Bolding mine)

You and I have different visions of worst case!

I'm OK with attacking as long as we have a plan that everyone is in on, like shoot from the darkness at the orcs around their fire (if they build a fire).

We can toss a shiny rock, shoot at any targets, then immediately extinguish the rock by recasting on another, hidden one.

Also, I have a

Remember, what takes you - a computer geek/techie/nerd/(other name for a gamer) - several hours, would probably only take a trained adventurer with full knowledge of their and their companions skills a few moments to figure out.

I have no issue with people thinking about what they're going to do -- and, as Tirion suggests, your characters know their abilities and how the world works, whereas we players need to translate our ideas into mechanics.

The issue I have is with a 20 minute conversation to weigh the pros and cons of different approaches against in a 10-minute deadline.

To be fair, we probably don't have full knowledge of our companions' skills... :P

So — plan?

Fiona's going to take 20 on Stealth regardless of what we end up doing, but her positioning likely depends on the plan.

Plan:

1. Merlan gives Fiona shiny rock.
2. Sahar gives Merlan thunderstone.
3. Fiona and Merlin hide near burrow.
4. Everyone else hides near campfire.
5. Orcs arrive.
6. Once everyone passes stealth checks and burrow dude and lizard go to the burrow:
7. Squeaky drops thunderstone on them. THE SIGNAL.
8. IF the orc band has a fire, everyone around them shoots, else Sandy and Sahar throw lighted rocks at the sound of the main band, THEN shoot.
9. Fiona tosses her light at burrow dude and steps in to boop them.
10. Merlan casts whatever devastating spell at burrow dude he's going to do.
11. The rest of us continue to engage the other orcs and hope there aren't too many.
12. RUN AWAY.

I vote we nix step 12, but other than that, looks good.

Tear it up, folks, it's a first cut. I don't know what spellcasters can do. Xia might do something with disguise (though that could be VERY dangerous).

Just a small thing - you can't take 20 on stealth.

You can, however, get nice circumstance bonuses if you're taking time to set up hiding spots (plus, there's several nice rocks and things that provide cover and/or concealment)