This is a discussion thread!!
Feel free to dot and delete into the gameplay thread, soon I will have a link for Maps, Loot, and whatever else we might need in the campaign links.
Thank you for the selection.
Android wizard checking in!
Thank you for the selection!
Hi everyone!
I’m reading through character sheets and thinking to myself, Two arcane casters tied to Khonnir Baine... and me. This is certainly setting up some interesting social RP opportunities.
Scavenger identified... prepare defensive measures...
I made some slight revisions to my character, most notably replacing the Reactionary trait with Pragmatic Activator. Hekau is our only (sort of!) divine spellcaster, and I imagine during downtime he will be making scrolls of the spells we would otherwise lack, so I think it's important for Zelvin to have a chance of casting them too. If we can get a hold of a wand of cure light wounds, we might be able to get by without a cleric, but someone has to be able to activate it. :)
I made some slight revisions to my character, most notably replacing the Reactionary trait with Pragmatic Activator. Hekau is our only (sort of!) divine spellcaster, and I imagine during downtime he will be making scrolls of the spells we would otherwise lack, so I think it's important for Zelvin to have a chance of casting them too. If we can get a hold of a wand of cure light wounds, we might be able to get by without a cleric, but someone has to be able to activate it. :)
Yeah, for all that Shesik is technically a Ranger, I’ve traded away all spellcasting for a Rogue’s trap handling abilities. Later on the Traps she can build might wind up useful, but they’re not divine healing.
I think that's really good, because we will probably need roguelike abilities just as much as divine spells, and standard rangers aren't good for much more than triggering wands anyway. We might find some technical gear in this adventure path (heh, might?) to make up for the lack of healing spells too. I'm mostly thinking ahead for things like breath of life, neutralize poison, or restoration, spells we might need in an emergency on a scroll.
I am not too worried about between-combat healing (wands as Zelvin says), or the status-removal spells (since I can fake those) but in-combat healing is I think significantly underrated by the conventional wisdom. We will definitely miss it.
There are non-divine options, but we will need to be smart about limiting the damage we take.
It'll definitely be an unusual party. One thing that might be a good idea is to set aside a share of loot that's for a "party medkit," so that nobody feels like they're having to take on the burden of buying wands and scrolls by themselves.
I feel like a goober, I completely forgot to dot into this thread yesterday!
Hello all, very excited to play this campaign with you!
Welcome Xaerai!
@Zelvin, what sort of relationship do you think Hekau and Zelvin have?
Hekau was rescued by Khonnir Baine a few years ago; a scavenger had captured Hekau somewhere and was probably bringing him to the Technic League.
I haven't specified how long ago Hekau was rescued, but it has been long enough for him to learn magic by studying with Khonnir - as Zelvin has done. Several years at least.
It seems like they are brothers. Hekau is an android, with some difficulty relating to others, but he is learning. He doesn't always receive a great reception from others in Torch, and is at risk of capture by the Technic League. Zelvin is also ostracized by society to a degree. So I imagine they would be pretty loyal to each other.
@GM Losonti: That's a great idea! We should definitely set aside a share of our loot for healing/restoration purposes.
@Xaerai: Welcome! I'm looking forward to it too.
@Hekau: We're brothers! Sure, that's great. Apart from Val and Khonnir, we probably don't have anyone else in town so I imagine we spend quite a lot of time together. And since Khonnir came here with Val, his relationship with Val is probably slightly stronger than it is with us; both of us have kind of mysterious origins and a desire to spread our wings and go elsewhere. Perhaps we've discussed that before?
A desire to go other places might be just the hook we will need to form an adventuring party with Xaerai and Shesik, who I imagine might similarly already know each other. I don't know what GM Losonti has in mind for us meeting and forming up, but it's probably good to have some ideas in mind for why the two of us locals might be okay hanging out with two wandering Robot Slayers from out of town. ;)
Speaking of, it probably makes sense for Shesik and Xaerai to have been traveling together, right? They don't have to be fast friends (unless you want them to have been contacts from back in Xaerai's mercenary days) but having travelled together for at least a week or two would engender a degree of trust before the adventure starts.
Hekau does have some curiosity is about where he was made, and by whom, and for what purpose. Zevlin's wanderlust is an emotion that Hekau does not quite grasp, but he is curious to understand it and will gladly accompany his brother once Khonnir and Val are safe. First, of course, there is the matter of rescuing "Father."
The newcomers will definitely pose an RP challenge. While he will likely be wary of them, Hekau will defer to Zelvin's judgment of people - Hekau knows that his programming in this area is inferior to human (or half-elf) capabilities.
This is my first time playing an android - if I lean a little too heavily on Data from Star Trek for the inspiration, well, hopefully that's not a bad option for a team player.
Hello everyone. Its an honor to have been selected to adventure with you all!
Another Robot Slayer?? Hekau would be worried if he had emotions!
Love the weird little family that's being put together. :)
I am busy writing up a few more things to get us started, but to give you a starting point, your first point of business will be heading to meeting with the town council prior to beginning your investigation. You could all already know (or at least know of) one another, or this could be the first time some of you meet each other.
Additionally, I've added a link for Maps and Handouts (also in my tagline here) and another for the party's loot table. If you've played with me before it will look very familiar. Check it over, make sure I didn't screw anything up, and add your inventory to the loot sheet when you can. Thanks!
My word, aren't we a bunch of misfits! :)
Hello everyone. Its an honor to have been selected to adventure with you all!
Welcome Tyn, Glad to see we have a healer (that's a great stack of complimentary archetypes, I've played with that group before and it pays off eventually). We are definitely not a divinely powered party. I don't know if the Stargazer may be a more fitting Campaign Trait for your personality and background. Numeria is a bit of a hike from the Mana Wastes, what brings you this far north?
Speaking of, it probably makes sense for Shesik and Xaerai to have been traveling together, right? They don't have to be fast friends (unless you want them to have been contacts from back in Xaerai's mercenary days) but having travelled together for at least a week or two would engender a degree of trust before the adventure starts.
Probably would have been a more passing/recent acquaintance, Shesik would probably not have been much of a merc. I don't know when Losonti wants the adventure to begin and how much our characters should know, but Khonnir recently pulled a suspicious robot from the caverns below Torch. That could have brought us to town together.
Well, seeing as about everyone else is also a robot slayer, I can change the trait to Stargazer and work into my story if it will help the party-per GM approval.
That's fine. This is a good time to make any necessary adjustments to your characters.
Stargazer just seemed the more alien conspiracy Trait than Robot Slayer, which can also be applied to standard arcane terrestrial (not sure what the Golarion centric term would be) golems.
But that’s jus my opinion.
"Golastrial"
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"Golastrial"
terrible
Golarible?
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Let's get this show on the road!
Tyn, don't forget your die rolls.
You guys are off to a great start. When you're ready, I'll move you along, but I don't want to interrupt what you have going here, it's a lot of fun to read.
I'm loving Hekau.
I know this AP has a reputation as a meat grinder, so perhaps I shouldn't get too attached, but I will enjoy the ride as long as it lasts.
Sorry about that Tyn!
I had read what Tyn said but somehow skimmed over the extended hand. Will try to read more carefully in the future. For now, it works that Hekau was just alarmed by the possible threat that Shesik represents.
Also, I noticed that nobody has great social graces. Hekau's 8 Cha is tied for highest in the group. I imagine at least one of us will pick up Clever Wordplay, Student of Philosophy, or Orator.
Heh, or else we will just trip through with no diplomatic abilities whatsoever. No face, no healer, no motorcar, not a single luxury...
I’ll take a look at my build and see if I can work some social skills in there. I can probably change my Skill Focus from Knowledge (engineering) since everyone has good scores in that. I have sort of established Zelvin as gregarious, even though I was thinking it was an act based in desperation. But maybe that’s how he got good at it. :)
Dude don't apologize to me-I like a little conflict and missed social graces! I am gushing overboard at the moment at the dissention in the ranks already! Besides, it gave me a chance to roleplay a perfect socially awkward denied handshake/high five moment. It was perfect considering the situation! Why am I exclamating so much? Exclamating isn't even a word!!!
Also, I noticed that nobody has great social graces. Hekau's 8 Cha is tied for highest in the group. I imagine at least one of us will pick up Clever Wordplay, Student of Philosophy, or Orator.
I just figured that we are all such ornery a-holes, that the council wasn't really low on volunteers-they just picked us to try and get rid of us (which is what Tyn is gonna think anyways)
I mean, low Cha takes all forms and an 8 isn't that low...
Whether we are ornery or awkward or gruff or just trying too hard, none of us are natural charmers. But that can be overcome.
If all else fails, Xaerai might learn the secret technique for how to punch strangers into friendship.
Ok, today has been a bunch of real life interruptions. It took me three tries to sit down and finish that post.
I've been having fun with our little back and forth. I don't mean to be harsh to Hekau, but there's only so comfortable Shesik is going to get when first meeting someone who qualifies as one of her favored enemies.
As for our face problem, Shesik also has an 8 Charisma, she's not unattractive, but her history of being orphaned and ostracized has made her pretty harsh. A self-proclaimed outsider. She's gonna get the first slight in, hurt them before they hurt you, even emotionally. Besides, face skills aren't Ranger class skills, so it'd be pretty lousy at it anyway.
Also, given everyone's race and background (not entirely sure about Hekau), it looks like Shesik is a youngster in comparison to most of the party. Hekau is more of an innocent (he seems to be a bit like Data in early TNG), Shesik is much more of the petulant teenager in this party. Tyn, Xaerai, and Zelvin have decades on her.
Xaerai is in her late sixties, well into adulthood for a dwarf and she cut her teeth as a merc for over a decade. I was serious about the Change of Heart feat--it'd have to wait until at least 7th level but if we find ourselves struggling with diplomatic options it's an option, although only in situations that have already deteriorated into violence :(
Well, since Tyn can use most of the wands we're likely to need early on, I'll change Zelvin's trait to Clever Wordplay (Diplomacy) and his Skill Focus from being half-elf to Diplomacy instead. He still doesn't have it as a class skill, but he should be able to help us get along with people who might not kill us. If not, Xaerai can just punch them. :) I'll still take Use Magic Device for emergencies, though I don't think it will come up as often.
Oh, and Zelvin's only about 25 or so. Half-elves aren't as long-lived as their progenitors. :)
I've been having fun with our little back and forth. I don't mean to be harsh to Hekau, but there's only so comfortable Shesik is going to get when first meeting someone who qualifies as one of her favored enemies.
And it's going to take Hekau a while to get comfortable with Shesik.
His first memory is being a prisoner of a scavenger, dragged through the wasteland by a shock collar. Likely to end up sold to the Technic League. Khonnir Baine saved Hekau from that fate.
As to the low Cha, I thought it a bit funny that we were all that way. In the AP about dealing with high tech, all the PCs just happened to be socially inept outcasts. It isn't 1978, people! Computer geeks can have 10 Cha! Even 12 sometimes! ;)
Who knows how much it will matter. In my War for the Crown game, nearly everyone has some good face skills, as you'd expect. Same in Kingmaker. Oddly, this is also the case in my Strange Aeons game.
As to the low Cha, I thought it a bit funny that we were all that way. In the AP about dealing with high tech, all the PCs just happened to be socially inept outcasts. It isn't 1978, people! Computer geeks can have 10 Cha! Even 12 sometimes! ;)
(This is no criticism of anyone's build, of course. Just an observation on a commonality.)
Sorry-a slip of the mouse and I posted with an alias-feel free to extricate Abe from the character log. OOPS!
Is the lighter part of the beach up and right of Tyn (under Shesick) considered difficult terrain?
I believe that is the ledge that the beetles crawled out of.
A five-foot-high ledge sporting several stalagmites rises to the east, beyond which a low-ceilinged cave beckons.
yeah I think i see the ledge relief now-I have to retcon my action...GM Losonti, can you delete the last post I made in gameplay, or...?
I can't delete your posts, unfortunately, but we can pretend it didn't happen. Normally we'll just have you redo the post but Shesik and Xaerai have put an end to the fight. On the plus side, you didn't actually use your bomb!
It's almost comical how swingy firearms are at low levels. :)
For purposes of ranged-particularly with bombs/splash/firing into melee-if we get the higher initiative, yet post after someone who moved into melee, do we dice as if we won the initiative and are able to act before they get there, or do we dice in the order of post?
It's more my fault for not checking the feed last night as I normally do...
I imagine the posts resolve in initiative order, right? Otherwise what are the initiative rolls for?
@eriktd Except for 1's they don't really seem any swingy-er than any other weapon in low-level play. A Str16 character with a greatsword is in the 0-17 range depending on whether they miss.
I'm in another game where we have a gunslinger and we are level 4. The poor gunslinger has had only one hit with the pistol in the entire campaign so far, and two misfires. Maybe we all depend on hitting touch AC more than we should, but I was thinking it could be a trend rather than a fluke. :)