I'm still here-ish. Problems at work.
Hope they clear up for you, Raven.
Still here and following.
Since we've more or less decided to take the time... what would you like to focus on, Nyxra, as Sentinel?
And would you guys like to change the Rebellion focus from Secrecy?
EDIT: By the way, here's some of the bonuses you got from your actions this past week.
Vantine will spend the first day of downtime getting the scrolls of Touch of Idiocy and Euphoric Cloud transferred to her mirror. I think that's 2 hours each since they're 2nd level spells?
The next day she will spend visiting her mother.
Yep, and 2 Spellcraft DC 17 checks.
I'll keep focusing on Secrecy, I think.
Sure thing. If no one else interjects in the next few hours, I'll assume you want to keep the rebellion as a whole focused on secrecy, as well.
Alas, that does mean those scrolls go poof.
Attrition
Notoriety Max?
No
Below Minimum Treasury?
No
Do you want to deposit or withdraw gold from the treasury? Remember you need to pay 30 gp from the treasury to heal the Fushi sisters’ team.
Also, you have 3 rebellion actions this week, so I'd like people to make decisions on that within the next couple days.
Rebellion Rank 4 Reward: Title (Guardian)
Each PC gains one of Alertness, Deceitful, Persuasive, or Stealthy as a bonus feat. Make your choices, people.
Random Thoughts:
Rebellion Focus (Secrecy) works for me.
Chose Alertness for Jessi's bonus feat. Character sheet is updated.
Jessi's over 500 posts. She talks a lot. Vantine's over 540. What does that say about her?
Jessi has a code name for Rexus: The Owl. (Laria = the Pheasant?)
3 Rebellion Actions? Always makes sense to Recruit Supporters until we max out our level. The Fushi Sisters could Earn Gold (provided they're allowed an action this week). Another option would be to upgrade an existing team, provided we have the gold. Jessibel would like to recruit and manage a team of street entertainers at some point, but it doesn't really fit into the storyline at the moment.
If you spend the 30 gp on them, you can use the Fushi sisters this week. It happens at the start of the Upkeep phase, technically, which is why it's not 40 gp (for the Min Treasury of Rank 4).
Honest question, folks: Do you guys like the Rebellion subsystem? I know we've only engaged with it three times total, but it seems like it's not something people are terrifically invested in, just based on the lack of suggestions.
Maybe I should ask you guys ahead of time what you're planning on doing, rather than letting it wait until the week's over? Suggestions? Thoughts?
I need to reread the rebellion subsystem rules. They don't stick with me for whatever reason, maybe because of the time lapse in PbP between rebellion phases. I don't dislike the subsystem, but I also don't really have a handle on what it does.
I don't really understand how things done in the subsystem affect the rest of the game. It seems to me like the campaign's Tamagotchi. We feed it and care for it on a schedule, and receive feedback on it's state of health. But?
There's a subsystem in War for the Crown that has a similar problem. Characters come to have agents that can carry out defined tasks when a round comes along. But the tasks they can do rarely match any practical needs in the game at the time. So we invent things for them to do, and they (generally successfully) do those things and none of it actually impacts the game.
Maybe its uses (in both cases) will become clearer over time, or maybe I just haven't grokked it yet. But it's hard to make decisions about it when I don't see how those decisions make a real difference.
Does this make sense?
Yeah, I understand what you're saying. I don't think the PbP format helps, as you say, since we need to double-check the rules every few months IRL, rather than maybe every other week. That said, there's a few benefits that the AP advises - like using certain actions to scout out dungeons before you go in, gathering information on targets/missions, etc.
I've not read far enough ahead to remind myself of other things it factors into, but there's a bit of a big thing with Notoriety, where sometimes I have to roll a check to see if people recognize you. Plus, there haven't been any events, which will impact gameplay more directly.
I use it in the HR game I run on these forums and I like it well enough. Early on, though, I ran into a similar problem, so I asked one PC to make all the decisions for the organization actions and post them in the Discussion Thread; then I gave the other players a day to chime in if they had any better options.
To add to what I just said, in my experience, the organization actions are usually a rinse-and-repeat of a few actions:
1. Recruit Supporters to keep the rebellion growing and earn the boons in the table (Who doesn't like bonus feats and free magic items?).
2. Reduce Danger and/or Spread Disinformation once the Silver Ravens' actions start to push Danger/Notoriety numbers higher. Reduce Danger can be particularly useful, because if the GM rolls that an event is to occur and then rolls high on the random table, Kintargo's current Danger rating gets added to that roll, and some of the events at the high end of that table have the potential to be nasty.
3. Earn Gold to help keep the treasury large enough to afford certain actions (such as Recruit Supporters) or Recruit/Upgrade Team to give the organization more flexibility.
Yes, Kintargo's Danger rating actually matters in this AP, indeed.
Though it is a shame that there're three or so rote actions, it does make things easier, to be sure. Mind you, at Notoriety 4, that's not a huge problem yet.
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I'm not fussed on substystems, I'm dyslexic so the less reading i have to do the better. But i do't want to get in the way of other people using it, if they like it.
Honestly, I haven't really engaged with it for any significant length before now, but the Rebellion subsystem feels like 'another Paizo subsystem that gets in the way'.
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WHAT THE REBELLION SUBSYSTEM DOES:
1) Affects the Silver Raven's Notoriety as they go about saving Kintargo. Notoriety affects how certain NPCs may view the Silver Ravens--positively or negatively--starting in Book 2 of the AP (and maybe going forward from there).
2) It can affect Kintargo's Danger rating, which can go up after certain encounters occur during the AP.
3) Events. Can add some drama and intrigue, especially in the capable hands of a GM like ours. As mentioned previously, certain actions in the subsystem can lower (or accidentally raise) Danger or Notoriety. This is important because if the GM rolls for an event, Notoriety and the Danger rating are both added to the d100 roll to determine what happens, and as I've mentioned before, some of the high-end events can be pretty nasty (Can you say "Thrune Inquisition?")
4) It drains the party's monetary resources a bit, but not terribly.
5) It grants all Silver Raven PCs a boon at every one of the Rebellion Ranks attained. I like free feats, magic items, skill ranks, XP, and the like.
*****************************************
I whipped up a Rebellion Actions Worksheet--you can view it on Jessibel's profile character sheet, under her Skills macros. It's a cut-down version of what's in the Hell's Rebels Player's Guide but only contains the actions we're capable of taking at this point in time with the teams we've assembled. It also includes other info (like the teams' managers) and macros for the required dice rolls that one can cut-and-paste.
If Vantine or the Raven aren't interested in running the weekly actions, I'll do it. Any player or GM knowledge I possess of the AP really shouldn't affect my choices much if at all.
That sounds fair to me. Thanks for the summary, Jessi, that's far more cogent than I could've put it.
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I've gotten a start on selling stuff on the Loot List. The following incorporates everything on the list except the consumables, the strix's amulet (Not yet IDed?), and the imp's silk wrap (Poor appraisal, maybe?).
The straight 5-way split totaled 856+ gp apiece; if we all took 850 gp even and put the rest into the rebellion's treasury, we'd add 32.74 gp there, enough to pay for the Fushi Sisters' healing and recovery.
Sound good?
Also, GM Kintargo suggested that maybe the scrolls had gone to Ventine. If not, we could also sell those (and the wand) for more gold.
We should probably distribute the potions now as well. How does this sound?
2 potions of cure moderate wounds: 1 each to the martials, Nyxra and the Raven.
3 potions of cure light wounds: To the casters (Aisling, Jessibel, and Vantine) to keep on their persons in case of extreme emergency (e.g.--When they're knocked unconscious, the potion can be poured down their throat by any other PC).
4 potions of lesser restoration: One each except for Aisling (since she's got the capability of casting the actual spell). I'd consider these more like party treasure, but we'd carry them at all times in case they're needed.
You are correct on the ID and appraisal - just unlucky, the both of them.
EDIT: If neither Vantine nor the Raven chime in, I'd like you, Jessi, to take on the rolling/deciding for the Rebellion's actions this week.
Tahnks Jessi, that's really helpufl :)
In terms of bonus feat I think I will go with Persauasive, I have decent Intimidate and Diplomacy so that wil help. I'm ok with putting some cash into teh rainy day fund to get the Sisters up and running again. I agree with distibution of potions and will update my character sheet.
EDIT: jst seen i already have a potion of lesser restoration form last time out.
What did we do with the women we rescued from prison? Are they another team we can get wokring with us?
They're already a team you've got working for you, actually - they can Reduce Danger in Kintargo at the moment, until you upgrade them further.
But yes, they've been hanging around in the Wasp's Nest - some probably have even asked to spar with Aisling, get some practice in, so to speak.
I can keep doing the rebellion stuff, I don't mind. I've had to stop work for two weeks, again, while I wait for a part that's on backorder, again, so I can fix things and get back to work, so I'm depressed and not posting much. I'll get a rebellion phase post up tonight.
In the meantime the Raven took Persuasive and I suppose i'll take the MWK spiked Gauntlet.
I like Jessi's suggestions for the Rebellion phase and Secrecy is fine again as far as I'm concerned.
I'll try my best to look through the rules again this evening, I've been in the weeds at work for a couple of weeks now.
This is probably something that we can't do until later on, when we have teams with more capabilities, but when we can get bonuses from them from scouting or extra info, maybe we lead with the rebellion calendar when we start new things. We check it first before doing the next thing.
Right now we sort of ask around among ourselves what we feel like doing today or tomorrow as we transition between encounters. It might help to integrate the two pieces if we decide to do certain encounters next based on when a rebel team has been scheduled to do the prep work. Basically we treat what we do next as a work schedule and let downtime days fall where they may. It makes what we do less random and off the cuff, but maybe that's part of the idea behind it anyway.
Vantine will take Deceptive. After all her Patron is Deception.
Nyxra will take Stealthy for her bonus feat.
This is probably something that we can't do until later on, when we have teams with more capabilities, but when we can get bonuses from them from scouting or extra info, maybe we lead with the rebellion calendar when we start new things. We check it first before doing the next thing.
Right now we sort of ask around among ourselves what we feel like doing today or tomorrow as we transition between encounters. It might help to integrate the two pieces if we decide to do certain encounters next based on when a rebel team has been scheduled to do the prep work. Basically we treat what we do next as a work schedule and let downtime days fall where they may. It makes what we do less random and off the cuff, but maybe that's part of the idea behind it anyway.
That seems a reasonable tack to take, I think, if I'm understanding rightly. It'd also serve to help pace things out, I think?
This may be a simplified version of what's possible, but I'll use a past example to try to make what I'm thinking a bit more clear: the Red Jills.
We could use a Street Performer team to gather information or rumors about them before we go there. Afterward we could use a team of Spies (if we had them yet) to go in and clean things up, get rid of the bodies.
But to do that we'd need to have those teams able to act in a timely way. So we'd need to answer a few questions up front instead of just waking up one morning and deciding to head on over to their hideout for a showdown.
1. When would a team of Street Performers be able to start?
2. When would they finish?
3.When can a team of Spies come in to get rid of evidence?
We would then have to schedule the teams with their actions and go deal with the Red Jills at a time after the first team has finished their action, and when the second team is ready to begin their action.
So, it seems if we really want to get the most out of what they rebellion can do for us, we need to start thinking about the calendar first, rather than not thinking about it until it's the end of the week and you Kintargo GM bring it up to us.
Doe that make better sense?
Can we upgrade the Peddlers team to tier 2 and Earn Gold with them in the same week?
Edit: Neverminded, I suppose "being upgraded" counts as being assigned to an action.
Yes, that makes sense to me, Vantine - I wouldn't mind more engagement with it, and such planning will probably help as we get further into the AP.
Raven: Yes, yes, you can. Upgrading a team doesn't actually require that team to take the action.
Heal Fushi Sisters
Cost: 30 GP.
Week 3 Action 1: Upgrade Peddlers to tier 2
Cost: 50 GP.
Week 3 Action 2: Earn Gold (Peddlers (T2); Dove)
48 Gold
Week 3 Action 3 (Bonus Action): Recruit Supporters
Cost: 40 GP.
For the moment I'll subtract the cost of things from the Ravens' gold until we figure out selling loot and stuff.
It's a shame we don't have a team to Activate Safe House, we could take over the Jills' old base.
Missed disaster on the Loyalty Check by one, but at least the peddlers have already paid for their upgrade. Nice job, Hummingbird.
I swear, one of these times an event will happen, and I will be so gobsmacked that I'll have no idea how to implement it.
Other than that, I'll get a post together either tonight or tomorrow morning describing some of the things that happen.
We are a subtle crew.
(Laria = the Pheasant?)
Mother Hen, safe in the Nest.
Anyways, I guess I'll make it 'official' that the Ravens' Safe House is, for now, his cottage at the Vashnarstill manor and I'll increase Alexius' monthly Cost of Living to 100GP/month.
From the story side of things, Alexius will have his 'wine cellar' expanded...
Vantine will use day 4 of downtime for information and rumor gathering around the city. I'm not sure of any days past then yet.
That's fine - it may be that you'll stumble across something important!
What sort of check would it be to prepare something like an escape plan or escape route for when a rebellion job goes awry?
Hmm. From the Wasp's Nest, or what?
For the Wasp's Nest, I'd probably say it's... Knowledge (engineering) with a relatively small DC, a raw Intelligence check with a higher one, a very difficult Perception check for the last.
If you mean out of the city, that's probably beyond the scope of one check.
Sure, Wasp's Nest.
EDIT: Well, that didn't go so well.
It probably won't be an issue. Right?
I'll give Aisling another few hours to decide/post what she might want before I give the information that our social butterflies have picked up.
For Vantine: violent accident. Just gonna leave that here...
I am both intrigued and frightened.
It's a good spell for you to have! Just imagine how much fun it would be to curse dottari or CCG militiamen and -women!
I might actually put that in a scroll for you to collect some time in the future, if you don't go looking for it on your own.
Also, did you - huh. Never mind, I guess witches don't pay to transfer spells to their familiars, unlike a spellbook. Neat.
Oh it's a great spell for Vantine! It has a petty, sneaky vibe to it that's perfect for some of her moods.
But it's a very bad spell for Narcelia to have.
Thus the reason for my initial ambivalence when you mentioned it.
For anyone who's interested, HERE is the piece of artwork that inspired me to create the Solstine siblings. (Left to right: Carlissa, Jayson, and Jolena.)
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But what's the frog's name?
But what's the frog's name?
I pretend the frog doesn't exist. I'm not a big fan of familiars.