Yup, still here. Just been working on some stuff and I know the others have been going through some things recently, too.
I’m still trying to figure out how to balance my life now that I’m working full-time. Chance had a massive work thing this past week, and Jisara’s been going through some mental stuff. I try to not hound people during the weekends just to give them some breathing room.
Sorry, I should’ve said something in Discussion instead of just leaving you in the dark, Vitalis.
No worries.
Short answer: the ritual is still ongoing.
Long answer: Y’all know from seeing the ritual’s specifics that, in order for Barzillai to redeem his wish, the wish must be given verbally by either Barzillai or a person designated as his proxy through Barzillai’s express written consent.
So even if you managed to kill Barzillai, the ritual going off is still a possibility.
So I’m kinda waiting on y’all’s next course of action (as well as in-character reactions to this current situation). I’m assuming that your next step is to fight the ones performing the ritual (so you don’t just screw around letting the bells ring after each encounter), but I just want some confirmation on that first.
Also, just for the sake of clarity so all the scheduling stuff doesn’t just stay behind the scenes:
Chance’s player had a major, unavoidable work responsibility last week (and maybe this week?) which is the reason for their absence.
Edrakk’s player has finals this week AND came down with a cold the other day.
Jisara’s player has had a really rough week with mental health stuff.
And *I* had a meltdown yesterday related to anxiety and existential dread.
So yeah…and with next week being Christmas, I’m fairly sure posting frequency is going to be slowing down for a bit. I’m still gonna try to keep the momentum going behind the scenes, but I just wanted to let y’all know.
Thanks for the update.
If it looks like we can take out those performing the ritual, I'm all for it.
It looks like we have some more rooms on the second floor too.
True, but you’ve definitely been exploring in here long enough to recognize that the Devil’s Bells ring after each encounter, so it’s very likely in y’all’s best interest to minimize the number of encounters y’all go through to avoid the Bells’ weirdness.
I apologize for being out so long - I was tied up longer than expected with a trial and then got sick immediately afterwards (which happens when the adrenaline goes away).
I'm still gonna give people a bit more time to post their reactions to the end of combat. I'll definitively move the narrative forward on the 26th, regardless of if we're still waiting on someone or not.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Merry belated Christmas!
Hero Points reset in 6 days
Y’all are able to do any reasonable pre-buffs that you want to.
Since we rested before the Barzillai fight, I think Vitalis probably would have another titanic fury cocktail from Edrakk. Given the large size of this room, this would be a good place for Vitalis to use it.
That is the only pre-buff Vitalis would do.
Oh, did we heal before this fight? Vitalis was down 66 hp. He would want to heal first. He has potions he can use if needed. His one focus was used in the fight, so the first short rest would be needed to restore the focus.
My bad; could’ve sworn I did a thing for healing up. I’ll get on top of that later. For now, just assume full HP and Focus Points.
So, I just realized that we did something a little wrong.
When Vitalis went unconscious during the fight against Barzillai, Vitalis's champion's aura deactivated (and it's required to be active for Retributive Strike). So technically Vitalis should have had to spend an action reactivating his aura to be able to do some of his Retributive Strikes afterwards.
Well, waaaay too late now.
Happy New Year!
Hero Points have reset
No post today. It’s been really rough for me.
I may or may not have written the monologue for Corinstian casting that spell well over a year ago XD
You take half the distance fallen as bludgeoning damage, so 5 (reduced to 2). Because you took at least 1 point of falling damage, you land prone.
Intentionally jumping down doesn't reduce that at all? I mean its not a big deal. I'll just stand up next round. Not going to argue. Jumping in Pathfinder just seems really weird to me sometimes.
I also forgot to put the 2 damage from the fall into the initiative card; I have it in my notes and it will be reflected on future rounds.
Next time Chance levels up, he's going to learn to cast Schadenfreude and will include it as one of his regular reactions.
Gesundheit
Hey everyone, I'm going to be traveling for a conference this week, so I will be gone from Wednesday through Sunday (15th-19th).
Ok
Hero Points reset in a week
Did either of my attacks hit?
Huh? Oh, sorry. The Blessed Counterstrike hit, but the follow-up against the coarti missed.
Vitalis, do you care if I drop a stagnate time on your current position? You're already slowed 1, so it's unlikely to make your situation worse, but it might mess up some of those guys bothering you.
Go for it.
Hero Points have reset
Please post in Discussion about the new stuff you get at 13, please.
I'll update my character sheet when I get a chance, but I'm gaining:
Armor Mastery
Weapon Mastery
Increase Skill - Hell Lore to Master
Gain Ancestry Feat: Bounce Back
+14 HP
Yay!
I got Defensive Robes, 7th-rank spells, and Weapon Specialization.
Ancestry Feat: Slip Sideways
New Spells: eclipse burst and shadow raid
Skill Increase: Stealth to Master
Ancestry Feat: Thunder God's Fan (since I'm pretty sure post-remaster you don't need Wind God's Fan as a prerequisite)
Armor Expertise, Weapon Specialization, Greater Field Discovery (Toxicologist)
Skill Increase: Stealth to Master
Formulae: Pummel-growth Toxin, Purple Worm Venom
Ancestry Feat: Thunder God's Fan (since I'm pretty sure post-remaster you don't need Wind God's Fan as a prerequisite)
Correct.
While we're waiting on Chance to level up, I would like to know what y'all's next course of action is. There are still several rooms you haven't explored, including the belfry, and Barzillai has vanished to who-knows-where.
Chance to level 13:
New spells (Rank 7): Inexhaustible Cynicism, Tempest of Shades
Skill increase: Diplomacy from Expert to Master
Ancestry Feat: Life Leap (it’s a 9th level feat, but there is only 1 feat at level 13 that Chance is eligible for, and it doesn’t really fit his theme and overlaps too much with Unexpected/Fortuitous Shift).
Other class features at level 13: Light Armor Expertise, Weapon Specialization (+2 to damage with weapons in which Chance has Expert proficiency, which are martial weapons, simple weapons, and unarmed attacks - thanks, Remaster!)
I’ll update Chance’s statblock and taglines in the morning.
I vote for resting outside of the temple. Then returning to clear out the last few rooms.
Do we have a means to fly up to the bell tower? If not, maybe buy a scroll.
Side note, Vitalis: I'm honestly not sure why you never decided to pick up Diabolic Certitude, because it's a really solid feat (especially since it's a SKILL feat).
Probably because I didn't know about it. I thought all the archetype feats where class feats. I didn't realize there was a skill feat mixed in there. I would definitely consider it for my next skill feat.
Yeah, it's why you need to keep an eye on the traits. And to be fair, I didn't notice it until really recently either. As a class feat, it is kinda meh (a bit better in this campaign), but as a skill feat it's really good.
The recall knowledge ability is good on its own but it is also even more powerful because it will increase my mental and bludgeoning resistances since they increase for each hellknight/armiger feat I take.
So, assuming we go with Vitalis’s suggestion, is y’all’s priority the belfry? Or the other parts of the temple? (Because, y’know, the bells have been going off after every encounter thus far)
Get those bells.
If we don't have another way, can I buy a potion of flying for 100 gp if it is available in the city?
Jisara can prep fly, so that’s an option.
I can prep fly if we're resting, though if I give that to all of us then that takes up all my 4th-rank slots.
We could always rest again afterwards or clear the rest without any more 4th-rank slots. I'd hope there wasn't anything left as dangerous as the last two fights. But who knows.
One last question for no particular reason whatsoever: what do y’all do with Corinstian’s body?
I wasn't planning on doing anything in particular to it. There are dozens of bodies left in our wake throughout the temple. Clean up is for someone else to do. Unless Vitalis has a reason to think Corinstian's body stands out as important over the other bodies, he won't think twice about just leaving it where it lies.
The way you ask, makes me think there may be some significance, but I'm not sure Vitalis would recognize it, unless there is a knowledge or lore check you want me to make or something.
There isn’t anything you could identify with Recall Knowledge. Otherwise, no comment.
I can prep fly if we're resting, though if I give that to all of us then that takes up all my 4th-rank slots.
Chance has winged sandals, which gives him fly for 10 minutes once a day, so that should save one spell slot.
As for Corinstian's body, maybe Edrakk could make a Medicine check if there's anything peculiar about it?