A Song for Silver Ravens (Hell's Rebels AP) (Inactive)

Game Master Sensen

I'm good with hand-waving the croc fight...so long as Nyxra tries to skin the beast afterwards. Jessi wasn't kidding about some new boots!

"No promises."

Level Up Summary

+7 HP

+1 BaB

+1 Fort/Reflex Saves

New Combat Style Feat: Precise Shot (THANK HEAVENS)

+8 Skill Ranks (Favoured)
--1 Acrobatics
--1 Diplomacy
--2 Sense Motive
--1 Perception
--2 Stealth
--1 Survival

Background Skills
--1 Handle Animal
--1 Knowledge (Geography)

... they have killed at least one person.

Plus three tengus. I'm afraid our gator is destined to become a couple pairs of very fashionable boots. (Jessibel calls Dibs!)

After a few more posts, I'm going to move you all into downtime. You will want to collect the loot in the Wasp's Nest, first, as well as discuss the matter of actually kicking off the rebellion with Laria and Rexus.

Then you will be able to start on the Rebellion subsystem, sell your stuff, and investigate the mysterious page, for example, but the reins will come off shortly.

Just so you all know. :)

Don't forget to increase your level when you get the chance, Aisling.

Yep, level 2 and onwdwards!

+6 hit points

Diplomacy
Intimidate
Sense Motve
Perception

+1 Will
+1 Fort

+1 Cantrip

+1 Spell/day

"I knew the alligator wouldn't be able to resist me," Jessibel comments airily. "I always suspected I'd taste delicious!" she adds with pixie-like grin.

My bard Elaina and Jessibel would have gotten along quite well... or they would hate each other.

Raven, don't forget to change your profile above your posts - I think you have, but you're still written as Vigilante 1, so I can't be sure. :P

Aisling, who was chompd almost in two by the gator and stll has the blood on her clothes to prove it, gives Jessibel a long, slow look - before giveing a very, very slight smile. Or it might be a grimace. It's probably a smile.

Make it an official smile--Jessi thoughtfully cleaned up all the blood in THIS POST.

My bard Elaina and Jessibel would have gotten along quite well... or they would hate each other.

Was she on a game on these forums? If so, which one?

Okay, so. Downtime. Start talking about the Rebellion, at least OOC. IC, it can wait until Laria comes to find you all in a few hours.

I'm finally back! It took SIX days for my power to be restored!

So I have a lot to read through here... And I need to level up it seems!

I don't think I'm even going to try to respond to any of the game posts unless there's something that demands it. I'll just pick up at current.

I'll get a game post up and level to 2nd today.

Jessibel L. Aulamaxa wrote:

"I knew the alligator wouldn't be able to resist me," Jessibel comments airily. "I always suspected I'd taste delicious!" she adds with pixie-like grin.

My bard Elaina and Jessibel would have gotten along quite well... or they would hate each other.

They would hate each other. The Superdome doesn't hold enough oxygen for both of them to share nicely.

Jesi: Look up the old Savage Tide PbP on my or Raven's campaign list. Elaina was borderline insane. At least my character thought so. Mimi spent half the time afraid of Elaina, and the other half infuriated by her.

Was she on a game on these forums? If so, which one?

Elaina the annoying.

Welcome back, Vantine!

Welcome back! Glad to see you're okay.

Hee hee! Yep--one post is all it took. Jessi would either hate her guts or be her sidekick and left stereo speak to Elaina's right. :)

At least Jessi doesn't exaggerate things like Elaina. It's not like when Jessi makes a comment I have to include a Sense Motive spoiler so you might get a better idea of what she actually means.

I had to throw points into acrobatics, climb, and swim sooooo no appraise. I always put a point into climb and swim, even though they don't come up often, so that they're not auto-fails.

Worth noting: Appraise is, in fact, a background skill. You do have two ranks of those to spend.

You could give us 30 skill points a level and I'd still whine about not having enough skill points.

I hope you guys are enjoying the extra characterization I'm giving the NPCs, and aren't just feeling like you want to get a move on. :P

GM, if I were to complain about you giving extra characterization to the NPCs, I'd be a hypocrite of the highest order. It's fine.

I saw your handling of Zaiobe. Amusingly, it echoed the way I had felt about the character when I first read about her.

Well, come on--a mute harpy is a character you don't just use for one book and put aside. :)

And only a third of the book, at that. Canonically, if she escapes Brinewall, she, uh...

Or at least, that's what I remember reading somewhere. It might've been implied? Or maybe just a head canon I somehow came up with.

Alright, Level 2:

HP: +6
BAB: +1
Will: +1

Hex: Cackle

Spells: Ears of the City, Sleep

Skills: +1 Bluff, Diplomacy, K Arcana, Perception, Stealth, UMD
Background: +1 Appraise, K Engineering

I'm not a big fan of Sleep. I'd never take the Hex. But the spell is tamer and Vantine really needs some teeth.

I'll update Vantine's character sheet as soon as possible.

I hope you guys are enjoying the extra characterization I'm giving the NPCs, and aren't just feeling like you want to get a move on. :P

PbP is in my opinion the superior storytelling format because of things like more time for character building.

I love the Sandpoint: Light of the Lost Coast book. I have a real soft spot for Sandpoint. I'm too lazy to ever do it, but I'd love to run a homebrew campaign based around the book, so much good stuff!

Oh, good, more Knowledge (arcana). It's pretty great/important.

And yeah, sleep is a trap for spontaneous casters, in my opinion, but for prepared ones it's a decent start.

Two big administrative things, now that you guys have all leveled up:

Who's taking the potions?

And you should all consider what sorts of things you want to do with the rebellion system: Officer positions, focus, action, etc.

EDIT: Yes, I will keep hounding you all to do this until you do it. :P

Potions: Makes sense that they go to Nyxra and the Raven, the two PCs who can't cast cure light wounds themselves.

Rebellion System:
Jessibel Officer Position(s): Demagogue, Spymaster (though I sort of like the Raven for Spymaster, thematically at least);

Focus: Secrecy (choice #2 = Loyalty);

Action: Gather Supporters.

How do we want to do the weekly organization checks? In the Hell's Rebels game I run, I have one PC who makes the decisions, presents them to the group in case someone has a better idea, and then makes the rolls. We should probably do something similar, but if it doesn't lead to game paralysis, I kind of like the idea of whoever manages a team that's active makes the rolls for that team.

I'll volunteer myself for initial decision-maker if no one else wants it, as I have experience with the system. On the other hand, I also am running a Hell's Rebels game on these forums, so I'd have an idea of ideal choices to make, though I'd try my best to keep player and character knowledge separate.

Aisling should take one, maaaaybe both healing potions.

Alexius is trained in military strategy, so he could take the Strategist roll.

It looks like the Fushi sisters can be used to Gather Information so that could be a good action, maybe recruit supporters for second action?

I will want to roll some things - like the Events and attrition phase. The checks for your actions, I'm open to letting you guys do.

It looks like the Fushi sisters can be used to Gather Information so that could be a good action, maybe recruit supporters for second action?

Forgot that having a Strategist gives the group an extra action. Yeah--that sounds good. Gather Info on what? The Red Jills from the rumor Jessi picked up at the protest? Something else?

I will want to roll some things - like the Events and attrition phase. The checks for your actions, I'm open to letting you guys do.

Yep, makes sense.

Gathering Information can be just "tell me about some rumors," too. Like "what's going on in Kintargo?"

Often, it will lead to interesting hooks. Other times, it'll be foreshadowing. Other times, you'll hear about how Barzillai's planning to exile all the cheesemakers in the city because they're secretly Abyssal spies.

So, you know, the usefulness may vary.

Not really sure what to say about the Rebellion stuff yet. I've sort of read the rules but need a refresh.

As for officer, any suggestions for Vantine? Since there is no Cheerleader or Rest & Relaxation officer titles I'm not sure what she would be best for. I don't have any ambitions for any particular officer position so what Vantine does isn't something I'm troubled about. Recruiter?

Also a spell selection question. If we have a Gather Information action available to us through the rebellion, is Ears of the City a bit redundant as a spell choice? I do think I need to select a spell of some sort that can be used in downtime or on non-adventuring days. With so few spell slots per day right now, choosing more offensive or defensive spells means some of them would just sit around unused.

It would let you use your own stats, and also not use up a Rebellion action on doing so. Or just get more information in a week. It might be a little redundant, but not too much, I think.

That said, Jessi as spymaster with Vantine as demagogue would be more efficient mechanically speaking, but only just, and it's not worth it overmuch, in my opinion. That said, it is an option.

What would being a Sentinel for the rebellion entail?

Now that I've had a chance to look at it, I have reasonably high modifiers for the job. I think Nyxra will be the rebellion's Sentinel.

... You know, it doesn't say in the book. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it has something to do with keeping watch, making sure everything's running as it ought to be, that sort of thing? If anyone else has a clearer idea, feel free to share it. xD

Would Sentinel be something akin to counter-espionage? It sounds essentially defensive.

Would Sentinel be something akin to counter-espionage?

I think Kintargo GM's got the Sentinel officer about right. They step up when there's a weekly event to be dealt with, so they're a kind of overseer/fixer in my eyes.

Well, it can enhance secrecy, loyalty, or security, so I... really don't know. I mean, based on the title it definitely seems like counterespionage.

I've assigned Aisling to Partisan, as she's the most martially inclined of the Ravens at the moment, and her Wisdom is the highest. If you have a problem with that, Aisling, let me know and we can switch it up.

I've also added Laria as the Spymaster, as she is probably best suited to that in-story, and mechanically identical to Rexus for the role.

Partisan works for me.

Raven, i'm happy to take the potions but I haev cure spells so don't need them.

Note: while a soup kitchen might be a bit harder, handing out soup is an excellent example of a gather supporters rebellion action, I think.

If everyone else is going to argue over not taking the potions, Vantine will take one since almost everything kills her.

Besides, it would open up a precious spell slot. She can always hand it off to someone if they're having an emergency.

I guess it would be difficult for Aisling to use a potion between her shield, sword, and holy symbol. The Raven can take one, the gauntlet doesn't occupy his hand, though at this level he's still statistically unlikely to be hit in combat.

I like the soup kitchen idea -- or something similar. I want to take the Safe House Vigilante Social Talent at level 3. At level three it could only be a 30x30x30 foot area, too small for the Wasp Nest, but would make for a pretty big kitchen. Big enough to maybe even have a secret room in back or something...maybe. Then at higher levels the Renown Social Talents can be used to change the Safe House to whatever is appropriate at the time since the possible size of the Safe House scales with level. That's what I'm thinking, anyways.

Aisling is definitely up for soup kitchen, part of her background is that her famly spend a lot of their time and money on good works.

Safe house sounds great, but maybe as a backup for us to do our planning away from everyone esel? Thrune is oing to try and spy on us and if he can't do that then I'm happy.

I have been wondering how to include Safe House, given certain story elements, but using it on something like a soup kitchen basement or the like would definitely help!

EDIT: Also, let me know when you guys want to start figuring out what you'll do during this first week of rebellion. There's plenty to do, and some things might happen!

If no one has any questions for Laria, I'm going to move us into downtime later today.

Alright, downtime starting now.

Here's a brief list of things that you'll probably want to do:
Decide on the rebellion actions you want to take, including what you want to focus on of Loyalty, Secrecy, and Security. This one's important, so please take the chance to do so when you can - I know it is a busy time for some, so there's no huge rush, just wanted to emphasize it.

Sell the crap that you don't want to keep, and buy the things you'd like to. Both Aisling and Nyxra have expressed interest in getting their swords silvered, so that's one option. You may also want to buy some party-wide tools, like a wand or some more potions.

Perhaps donate some of the cash you have in the loot tracker as party funds to the rebellion's treasury, which stands at a pitiful 10 gp. If you're planning on recruiting supporters, the minimum treasury cost almost certainly going to go up next week.

RP amongst yourselves.

Pursue personal projects, like talking to your families and stuff.

And other things I can't really think of at the moment.

I don’t think Secrecy or Security is a big issue right now...

I probably won’t have a gameplay post up for a day or two, my small business is still dealing with the fallout of that damn storm. Way behind.