Yup! I was sorely tempted to go mageknight myself.
Given the snowfall we're expecting, I estimate the likelihood of us losing power tonight to be about 99.9999999%, just an FYI.
Idle musing for the day:
I remember back in the original Eberron sourcebook, there was some spell (I'll look it up when I get home later), that gave you like a +5 to your Craft checks for the day. How would one replicate that Spheres-style? I started looking at the Creation sphere but that seems more about "using magic to pull s*** out of thin air."
EDIT: here's the spell I was thinking of, Crafter's Fortune.
Enhancement Sphere: Enhance Focus is exactly what you're looking for. XD
Huh, that does cover it pretty well; didn't occur to me to look in that sphere. Thanks! Specific drawbacks I'd be looking for are 1) self only, 2) enhancing only the one specific skill (Craft).
Enhancement: Personal Enhancement drawback covers the first one. Enhancement: Deep Enhancement talent bumps the duration to 10min/level. If you're really set on only enhancing Craft checks and never intend to use it for anything else, I'll let that be a custom drawback to bump the duration to 1hr/level (1 day/level with Greater Enhancement). That should duplicate the Crafter's Fortune spell almost perfectly. XD
Macaria, looks like you flipped out mid-post there. I sure hope you've got an idea or how to proceed, because I'm a bit of a blank just now. (Working on no sleep, had a real bad night last night trying to play Tooth Fairy for a kid that wouldn't sleep!)
Brainstorming time! Any ideas on how to get past them? I'd assume that IC the PCs would have discussed this.
I'm thinking that it would do with Lamm being dead? An entire operation in shambles and territory unclaimed. Saying that we want to move in under the Spider's banner could get his attention.
Brainstorming time! Any ideas on how to get past them? I'd assume that IC the PCs would have discussed this.
I'm thinking that it would do with Lamm being dead? An entire operation in shambles and territory unclaimed. Saying that we want to move in under the Spider's banner could get his attention.
You're saying we propose to work for him?
Just to get through the door, and to talk to him. Bluff our way into getting the information that we want and then scarper off back to the watch.
Ah yes, sorry... I had several interruptions during my posting, and using the cell phone with the added wonkiness of the forums didn't help.
My idea was, actually, telling the truth... somehow. You guys follow me with some Aid Another rolls, please.
Merry Chrismahannukwanza, everyone! Apologies for the delay. In addition to the expected holiday stuff, my wife tested positive for Covid. It's only a minor case, fortunately, but we're still stuck in quarantine for a bit.
Gameplay will be updated shortly.
Taking spotlight to keep things moving. Now, for what the f!#@ I'm up to.
We're here because a Cheliaxian is working with the King of Spiders to buy up large parts of the city. Great. Well, if we come in with a business plan that involves Cheliaxian interests, then it becomes natural to work with said plot to undermine our city. And once we are brought into the loop? Well, then it becomes natural to get the intel that we are looking for, because we'll be on the same side.
Sure, there isn't any face smashing in this plan. But if it all goes right, then I think that we can turn intel over to the Watch. And once treason becomes proven, who knows? Maybe we'll even get a job to do some good old fashioned justice for the crown. :)
Anyways, my influence is at 26. With 2 aid rolls, we can get it up to 30.
Starting Attitude Diplomacy DC
Hostile 25+ creature’s Cha Modifier
Unfriendly 20+ creature’s Cha Modifier
Indifferent 15+ creature’s Cha Modifier
Friendly 10+ creature’s Cha Modifier
Helpful 0+ creature’s Cha Modifier
Assuming that the King of Spiders has a decent Cha modifier. Maybe even +5 (Cha20), though he looks like he's more of a bruiser by his picture. Regardless, I'd feel most comfortable with a roll of 30 to influence him.
Sorry for the light presence the past few, holidays + anniversary + kid's birthday = my time evaporating.
I'll go check Gameplay and post as appropriate. And Grumbaki, just because a plan has no face-smashing, does not make it a bad plan! It just means we have to smash some extra faces down the line. j/k
No worries. I figured posting would be light until after the new year. XD
Just checking in really quickly to see how everyone's doing. Things have gotten a bit slow (I assume due to the holidays and such), but I'm down for continuing whenever people are ready. XD
Yeah, it's the first day back at work crunch. Crazy how much is waiting once a vacation is over. :P
I'll get something up soon! But if someone beats me to it, then no problem.
Cultural lesson of the day:
In Spain, tradition dictates children get their presents on the night from the 5th to the 6th of January, the same night the Three Wise Men presented the new born Jesus with gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Though nowadays most children get presents by Santa, we still keep receiving things from the The Wise Men (splitting the presents between both), and Christmas Holidays still last until the 6th. There are parades, playwrights, fake Wise Men, you know, all that stuff (though this year has been a bit weird).
That's why I'm still a bit off; just saying :p
Edit: we call the Three Wise Men "Los Tres Reyes Magos" (the Three Wizard Kings), so usually you get presents from Papa Noel (Santa or Father Christmas) and Los Reyes (how they're colloquially known).
So, OOC thought process.
I tried to write up Torsten's little spiel as being along the lines of him trying to lowkey convince the King of Spiders to get involved in our smuggling operation by dangling in front of him why it is going to be so lucrative. The selling intel part is likewise a cover on how we know this information, dressed up like a sales pitch so that we can walk out of here with something more valuable than a "I decided not to kill you" outcome. IE: acting like an ambitious member of the underworld. But the real reason he's saying this is to subtly indicate that we would want to be part of the much larger scheme, and that we are useful enough to be an asset in it. That way he might bite and get us involved.
And if he only says that he will buy information? Then we take our time. Arrange for the Watch to come investigate and sell him advance warning. Thus proving ourselves as being the real deal and earning some trust and go from there.
Anyways, that's what I was going for. And worst comes to worst? We kill them all. :P
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This is definitely proceeding extremely differently than the adventure envisions. It's keeping me on my toes. Whenever we end up finishing this particular mission (however it ends up), I'll fill you in on the expected approach, as you may find it somewhat humorous in hindsight. XD
Heh, well I'm certainly enjoying this. :)
So, to share a story. Years ago I was part of a group called "Animosity Campaigns." It was based around Warhammer, but what we had was a map to fight over and factions to be a part of. Each turn players would be able to move their army on the map, and attack or defend a region. Could earn resources to build up regions or do special projects. Resources could be used by factions, or by individual players. That required writing stories or doing hobby projects to go along with it. The mechanical strength of projects was directly linked to how many people would write about it, and the campaign had an entire team of GMs to keep it all running.
There were also NPC factions, with GMs who RP'd the leaders of those factions. We had roughly 100 players who participated, and a half dozen GMs. The campaign was set in Estalia, a Spanish themed setting. The factions included Bretonnian Knightly Crusaders (Arthurian/French inspired) who were invading Estalia from the north, Arabian interventionists who were invading from the south, Dark Elf pirates who were raiding from the western ocean, as well as Orc/Goblins coming from the eastern mountains. With some NPC cities and a tiny player controlled city state stuck between all of this.
I started as part of the Bretonnian faction, with my character being an elven merchant just out to make a profit in the crusade. My faction was at war with the Arabian faction, and I wanted to make a profit. So I wrote to the leader of that faction and offered to sell them information for in-game resources.
I made up a story about how much of a s%!&show my faction was and how nobody was following orders, so what I did was sell them forum posts and orders from the faction leadership. But the way I did it was by taking the real orders and real posts and then editing them to give false information. Such as orders to defend locations X, Y and Z when we were really attacking Locations 1, 2 and 3. And I'd do this with copies of arguments which would be edited to show individual players not agreeing with the orders. I felt that using real posts was a must, because people have their own way of writing and it came across as being authentic when the 'style' of writing really matched how people wrote.
I kept this going on for 4 turns (4 RL weeks) and got quite a bit of resources out of it, before they realized that the information they were getting was consistently wrong. Their faction leadership was pretty furious at me for siphoning so many resources from them, and I think that he actually held the grudge against me in the subsequent campaigns.
----
Anyways, I share that story because what is happening here reminds me of that. Working two sides to make a profit. One side honorable to the point where they are being ineffective, and the other being little more than a criminal organization. With profit being had, at the risk of angering said ruthless criminals.
That, and I think that is a good story. :D
Yeargh! The website issue kept me out the past few until I had the bright idea to clear cookies/cache for paizo.com.
So Torsten, is your plan still afloat? I'm not sure I quite grasp your tactics here, but LMK what you need from me to back your play.
Just got back into my account!
As for my plan, we’ll buy the letters. Bring them to the guard, and then use the letters to forge documents “proving” that the Chelish agent was secretly working with the other crime family as well. This will get the King of Spiders to think that the Arkona are working against him. It’s good for the city to have them working cross purposes and we can get paid to do it. Plus, if we are lucky, then the king of spiders might even remove the chelish agent for us, saving the watch from getting their hands dirty.
This is getting a bit twisted for Macaria to follow xD
Just got back into my account!
As for my plan, we’ll buy the letters. Bring them to the guard, and then use the letters to forge documents “proving” that the Chelish agent was secretly working with the other crime family as well. This will get the King of Spiders to think that the Arkona are working against him. It’s good for the city to have them working cross purposes and we can get paid to do it. Plus, if we are lucky, then the king of spiders might even remove the chelish agent for us, saving the watch from getting their hands dirty.
I like the plan overall. Do we have the skills to pull it off? Personally, I don't have any ranks in Linguistics (which is the skill required for forgeries, n'est-ce pas?).
Fast forward away! :)
What he said.
Little character building shop-talk for the other players:
How urgent a pickup do you think Trapfinding is for Ril? The only-in-favored-terrain restriction (which I'm assuming translates to favored community for an Urban Ranger) limits its utility a little, and I can't decide if that means it's worth stalling on that a smidge. My first thought had been to take it right away at level 4, but now I'm considering pushing it out to 8, use the Talent at 4 to get Combat Trick, and pick up one of the many Fencing talents that are begging for me to pick them up.
Thoughts?
Torsten, Ril's first impulse is to show these fellas exactly how bad an idea it is to threaten us. Thoughts?
Tried with a warning first. If they don’t get the idea, then I look forward to seeing his scary Ril can be
I'd say a 35 for the opening day is...pretty good?
Quite good indeed, Torsten.
GM, I feel like at least some of my rolls should be against Profession (fortune-teller), as I've always intended Ril to do both things. Should I just split the rolls 3/2?
The Plan:
(1b) Get a forged letter written up, using the letters given to us by the King of Spiders. The forged letter should show that the Cheliax nobleman has been working with the Arkona crime family.
(1b) Or have a forged letter, requesting an assassin from Cheliax to come and kill the King of Spiders, to free the nobleman from the blackmail being held over his head.
(2) Return the forged letter to the King of Spiders. Get paid! Preferably resulting in said nobleman being killed by the King of Spiders.
(3) Use the trust earned by this with the King of Spiders to get proof of crimes that the Watch can act on. Hopefully getting them to pay us to capture or kill him. Which would let us play out the scenario where we fight him. Because that combat should be fun. :D
Anyways, that's my 3 part plan. How does that sound?
OK, I think I've got it now. I'm glad you thought of this, because for whatever reason I can't keep this straight for longer than like 5s without reading it in front of my face. :)
@Yhrrilka: either tattooing or fortune telling is fine.
@Yhrrilka: either tattooing or fortune telling is fine.
Thanks, I'm actually quite happy with the rolls I got doing 2/1, so if it's all the same I'd be happy to keep the rolls I made. :D
GM, do either of the powers of my customized magic item (the silver bracelet) require an action to activate? The ranged miss chance, I'd assume is always on, does the bonus to attack require an action more than free? Also, does the bonus have a type of any kind?
(I'm in middle of doing some remodeling on Ril's character sheet, I'll put all the changes in when we ding 4.)
Good questions! The miss chance is always on (unless you choose to deactivate it for some reason), and the attack bonus (insight) can be activated as a swift action.
And as for your Gameplay question, Divine Future lasts for the entire day (until used), so since you've had a lengthy amount of downtime, you can definitely have it ready to go. XD
Bleargh, swift actions are going to become quite the bottleneck for me. :)
Thanks, IDK how/where to note this, but barring some manner of extraordinary circumstance, putting up a use of Divine Future will be part of Ril's "morning routine."
I want to chew on the situation with Trinias before I post. Macaria/Torsten, do you think it's wise to split up, have someone "cover the back door," assuming one can even be identified in this chaotic environment? (GM, can such an ID be made?)
That's often the case, I've noticed. Swift actions are arguably the most-used action type when it comes to class features and whatnot.
It will be difficult to ID a "back door," as in THIS type of environment, any egress point is fair game. Talking to the locals might help, but it also might alert the mob.
It will be difficult to ID a "back door," as in THIS type of environment, any egress point is fair game. Talking to the locals might help, but it also might alert the mob.
Yeah, that's exactly as bad as I thought it would be, and I think the only thing worse would be if the rabble gets alerted to what we're up to. Given that, I'm thinking we just find her place, and all three of us try to talk her in. If she runs, well, that's why we have ranks in Athletics, right? ;)
Just to let you folks know/chime in/offer alternatives if you think there are any, Ril's solution for the Trapfinding issue will be to use magic for that, trading one scarcity for a slightly-less-scarce scarcity, :) It'll take a talent or two's investment, but I can pick up See Hazard (which, if I'm reading correctly, is a spell equivalent to the Rogue Talent Trap Spotter, right?), then get Trapfinding after that.
Works for me! Traps aren't all that common, and spell slots much more so.
Works for me! Traps aren't all that common, and spell slots much more so.
Indeed, if I fire up See Hazard before we go someplace we're expecting trouble, that will do a lot of the heavy lifting (automatically force a Perception check when I get within 10ft of a trap, with +1/2 caster level bonus to the roll).
Unrelated Sphere question: the Wards provided by the Protection sphere look to have about the consistency of damp toast. Any thoughts on the best way to toughen those up?
Wards start out rather weak because they're essentially a minor wall of force. I'm pretty sure they block physical movement, and since they're usable at-will, they're fairly useful - even though they only have a few hit points. For maximum effectiveness, you'll want a Greater Durable Buttressing Barrier. That gives you a Barrier with 10hp/CL that halves damage done to it and can be healed twice your CL/round as a Move action.
That's quite close to what was in my mind's eye. That guy reads a little older than I'd have pegged Torsten, but other than that it does check all the boxes!
EDIT: I don't really see a lot of art out there that captures Yhrrilka well. I am strongly tempted to commission something to rectify that. :D
I know that picture! In a previous Skull & Shackles campaign, one of my players was a dwarven tattooed drunken monk. That's the art piece he used. XD
That's what I get for using google!
If Trinia stops:
First thing we tell her: if you run, but change your mind, find us at our shop (tell her the address). You come with half of Korvosa looking to string you up, we can't help, so make it before that happens.
What do the two of you think of that?