[PFS2, Outpost04] 1-22 Doom of Cassomir (GM Watery Soup) (Inactive)

Game Master Watery Soup

Please post:

Player Name:
Character Name:
Character Level:
PFS Number:
Faction:
Normal or Slow XP:
Downtime (please go ahead and make your roll if you know what you want to do):

Special (please list anything special about your character that you want me as the GM, or other characters, to know - for example, "Everyone calls me Dubs" or "I deal non-lethal damage by default"):

Miscellaneous administrative stuff (ignore if you don't know what these are):

Are you new to RPGs, new to PF2, new to PFS2, or new to PbP?
Have you played or GMed this scenario before?:
GM Glyphs:
Mentor Boons Offered:

Player: Mighty Glacier
Character: Kornel Pastovic, sorcerer 2
PFS# 150675-2002
Faction: Horizon Hunters
XP: Normal
Downtime: Earn Income, Architecture Lore: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

No to all administrative questions.

Player Name: panegyric
Character Name: Pib
Character Level: 1
PFS Number: 237207-2002
Faction: Horizon Hunters
Normal or Slow XP: Normal

Are you new to RPGs, new to PF2, new to PFS2, or new to PbP? This will be my second/third PFS2/PF2 scenario.

Question to the GM: should a character roll for downtime if they have not yet taken part in any games?

Yes, your character should roll for downtime even if they're a brand new character.

Downtime happens at the end of the adventure - I ask for your roll up front just so it's all in one place when I fill out the Chronicle. After the adventure, assuming you survive (MUHAHAHAHA!), you'll have 8 days of Downtime before your next adventure.

You can roll Crafting, Performance, or Lore for Earn Income.

Player: Farol
Character: Makai Goldenoak, Cleric 1
PFS# 2359780
Faction: Vigilant Seal
XP: Normal
Downtime: Earn Income, Crafting: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

No to all administrative questions.

@GM - Makai is finishing a quest and now is a Swashbuckler male dwarf, After that scenario, the PC will be remade into a Female Warpriest dwarf - yes Makai is a unisex name.

@GM: brilliant, thanks for the explanation =)

Downtime: Earn income: Performance: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Player: Enchanter Tim
Character: Rhaegal Dragonkin
PFS# 1142-2004
Faction: Verdant Wheel
XP: Normal
Downtime: TBD

Checking in with Rhaegal. I might rebuild him before the game. Druid warrior build has been underwhelming, though maybe that's just level 1 before he can take advantage of Wild Shape.

Makai is a unisex name.

Please remember to update your tagline with your preferred pronouns - I rely heavily on taglines when I am composing posts.

Checking in with Rhaegal. I might rebuild him before the game. Druid warrior build has been underwhelming, though maybe that's just level 1 before he can take advantage of Wild Shape.

It definitely gets better. My kids love wild shape druid, and some of the forms are awesome. One adventure, they completely obliterated a tower-top combat (that I had planned to be Severe) by transforming into ants and walking up the side (instead of springing the ambush in the staircase), and then Grabbing the enemies and dropping them off the tower for the rogue to finish off. A++++++ would wild shape again.

I think Insect Form is a 6th level feat, though, so it's a long way off

Makai Goldenoak wrote:

Makai is a unisex name.

Please remember to update your tagline with your preferred pronouns - I rely heavily on taglines when I am composing posts.

@GM - Sure thing. I am still finishing Q12 (just as another player at one of your other table). After I am done the whole profile will be changed with tagline and all. So no worries.

@Enchanter Tim - I have no knowledge of druids, I never played one, and I see them very seldom. But my experience of playing Alchemist was infuriating at 1st level, and irritating at 2nd ;) But later it went, it got better. And I think it more important that you like to play the character.

I remember playing a scenario with my goblin when I was unable to act in combat as those were over before my initiative came. A fighter charged in and scored a critical hit which was followed by a rogue finishing the enemy off.

That's awesome insight! I guess I should have clarified. I'm probably rebuilding him as a 18 Wis spellcaster who can then (eventually) wild shape for melee. I don't think the 16 Str and 14 Wis is helpful, especially when it looks like the wild shape forms are always better than my attack bonus. It just makes me a squishy caster though, which seems wrong when I take the Warrior background.

But using Shillelagh in melee is fun.

Since we’re discussing builds: I’m taking a few risks with Pib by sticking to the fighting fan as my main weapon, so will probably rely a lot on flanking and feinting for backstabber and deadly weapon traits. Hopefully this will be enough for him not to be underwhelming when it comes to combat.

Ok, as we are discussing builds and stuff. Makai the cleric (the one that will be playing at this table), is a warpriest. So looking at our lineup she will be frontline with medium armor and shield. The way she is built right now, she will have 2 healing spells (only 12 CHA ugh) + a heal scroll from training.

Hopefully, she will be the one to take hits and you can flank. She has 20 HP and AC 20 with shield block. Just keep in mind her short legs (20 ft move speed :D).

Now my limited experience showed me that fights are rather brutal for lvl 1 PC's. But I think we have a good lineup. I things go south, Kornel will animate us :D

btw. Hi Mighty Glacier! Good to be playing with you again!

I think we have a good lineup. I things go south, Kornel will animate us :D

btw. Hi Mighty Glacier! Good to be playing with you again!

Well hello to you too. I must again admire your forethought: giving your dwarf a unisex name, on the off-chance you don't want to commit to either gender. What was the saying, "commitment to noncommitment"?

Player Name: Esha
Character Name: Kya Mossfoot
Character Level: 1
PFS Number: 2369698
Faction: Envoy's Alliance
Normal or Slow XP: Normal
Downtime (please go ahead and make your roll if you know what you want to do): Lore(herbalism): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Miscellaneous administrative stuff (ignore if you don't know what these are):

Are you new to RPGs, new to PF2, new to PFS2, or new to PbP? I am pretty new to both PF2 an PFS2. I have played 4 or so other PFS2 games. I think I've been doing PbP now since May and am feeling pretty comfortable with that part of things. I still feel very inexperienced regarding organized play.
Have you played or GMed this scenario before?: Nope!
GM Glyphs: I assume no.
Mentor Boons Offered: I assume none?

Hello everyone! I am looking forward to playing in another of your games, Watery Soup!

Kya is a cloistered cleric. Do we have any information going into this? I am just trying to figure out what spells she'd have prepared.

I have now read through the rest of the posts. I see we have two clerics, but since Kya is a cloistered cleric, it should work out well. She doesn't fight at all. She is purely there for support spells and healing.

I just realized that the deity descriptions list a divine skill - does that mean she gets an extra skill based on her deity? It would be nice to give her something related to the arts given that she is a cleric of Shelyn.

1. Yes, you get a skill. For Shelyn, it must be Crafting or Performance.

https://2e.aonprd.com/Deities.aspx?ID=17

2. There is some disagreement on when characters need to "lock in" their spells. I favor the "as late as possible" interpretation - wait until after the mission briefing before you prepare.

However, as a courtesy to GMs that hacve different opinions, I would prepare a "default" list in your character profile as a backup.

Hey Kya, welcome to the team!

Btw. I saw in the sheet that the last spot was taken by a Champion :D If that will come true we will have: 2 clerics, 1 champion, druid, and a monk.
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followed by a heretic sorcerer who uses the sacred powers for his own vanity :D (sorry Might Glacier could not have helped myself).

I am certain that evening dinners by the fire will be full of different opinions on religion, a path of living etc.

I honestly think @GM should add a special condition whoever converts Kornel to their church/monastery/druid order should get an extra XP/fame/gold :D

I need to print out my theses and I will nail them to every wall that Makai can find ;)

I mean...Rhaegal has DRAGONS.

1. Yes, you get a skill. For Shelyn, it must be Crafting or Performance.

https://2e.aonprd.com/Deities.aspx?ID=17

2. There is some disagreement on when characters need to "lock in" their spells. I favor the "as late as possible" interpretation - wait until after the mission briefing before you prepare.

However, as a courtesy to GMs that hacve different opinions, I would prepare a "default" list in your character profile as a backup.

Thank you! I will update my character sheet in the next day or two.

...followed by a heretic sorcerer who uses the sacred powers for his own vanity :D (sorry Might Glacier could not have helped myself).

It's a fair assessment. (Did you read my backstory before I deleted it...?)

But "followed"? Surely you mean "led". Kornel is the only 2nd level character babysitting this party!

I honestly think @GM should add a special condition whoever converts Kornel to their church/monastery/druid order should get an extra XP/fame/gold :D

Unless you got a way to legally worship Urgathoa or some other undeath-domained deity, good luck with that!

Makai Goldenoak wrote:

...followed by a heretic sorcerer who uses the sacred powers for his own vanity :D (sorry Might Glacier could not have helped myself).

It's a fair assessment. (Did you read my backstory before I deleted it...?)

But "followed"? Surely you mean "led". Kornel is the only 2nd level character babysitting this party!

Makai Goldenoak wrote:

I honestly think @GM should add a special condition whoever converts Kornel to their church/monastery/druid order should get an extra XP/fame/gold :D

Unless you got a way to legally worship Urgathoa or some other undeath-domained deity, good luck with that!

:D No I did not read your back story. Just imagined the common misconceptions of Sorcerers amongst clerics ;) I am glad to not be far off the mark. I usually ask PC's of their backstories and not read their profiles.

Yeah, I saw that you will be our secret weapon ;)

Urgathoa? Nah, but we will try to think outside of the box

Perhaps Pib will be able to sway him with the power of dance, instead…?

Also, welcome, @Kya

Pib, are you dancing fighting?! Amazing!

Though, I read your backstory. I guess you won't be joining Rhaegal in the reveling in the power of DRAGONS.

I wanted to see if I could make a fan dancing kobold work thematically after I saw the newer/cuter designs Paizo created! (sadly they're not available as avatars on the forums).

Regarding DRAGONS: I think Pib will try to convince Rhaegal that kobolds are totally better than dragons. That said, he will also have a very hard time processing the fact that not all kobolds are into the performative arts.

Kya loves the performing arts! She is going to be very excited to meet a dancing kobold.

@Kya - one piece of advice. Before your character reaches level 2 you can rebuild Kya anything you like, so I recommend trying different approaches with her so that you can check what suits your play style. You can literally change everything between games, so you may experiment with different focus spells, different attribute distribution, etc. I just wanted to let you know, as some people are not aware of it.

Can second Makai's advice. I've been making generous use of the rebuilds with my other character (a witch). I haven't played much with focus spells because I like the flavour of the night patron even if the hex is…not great, but it's also great to try out different regular spells.

Also, it's possible Pib and Kya become BFFs (if he survives).

Player Name: Brinlin
Character Name: Huldrum Rumbeard
Character Level: 1
PFS Number: 2389823
Faction: Envoy's Alliance
Normal or Slow XP: normal
Downtime lore (curses): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Special:
Miscellaneous administrative stuff

Are you new to RPGs No new to PF2 Yes, fairly new new to PFS2 yes or new to PbP? Pretty new - second game
Have you played or GMed this scenario before?: No
GM Glyphs:
Mentor Boons Offered:

Welcome, Huldrum! If you have any questions to hesitate to ask, we all were (or still are) new players so we remember (or experience) the pains of being the new guy.

Thanks guys. I have made use of the level one rewrite before with other characters. So far, I have been very happy with Kya.

Welcome, Huldrum!

Slides are up. Please make sure you can access the slides, put your icon on Slide 2 in default marching order, and fill out your Perception modifier and your Initiative modifier assuming your default Exploration activity.

Let me know if any of that doesn't make sense.

I just got the chronicle for my quest and will make the changes to Makai profile. I will post in the gameplay shortly.

Updated!

Everyone, can you please update your tagline to contain, at a minimum, the following information:

- Your character's preferred pronouns (your character's gender will suffice if you're okay with a default of he/him for males, she/her for females, and they/them for nonbinary)
- Your character's current and maximum hit points
- Your character's AC (with any common modifiers in parentheses)
- Your character's Perception, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will modifiers

Preferred inclusions on top of that (for my benefit):

- Your character's class
- Your character's level

Optional from my perspective (but often helpful for your teammates):

- Your character's alignment
- A space for your character's active conditions (e.g., wounded 1, etc.)
- Some kind of counter for tracking how much buffing you have remaining (e.g., focus points for bards who Inspire Courage, Heal spells remaining for divine spellcasters)

I am looking forward to playing in another of your games, Watery Soup!

I just realized the significance of this, Esha - I'm very happy that you're able to join!

Ok, corrected Makai gender, added a counter for heals and spell slots. I think that would be all

And I filled the missing pieces in the slides. I love how the spots at the back of the party were already taken :D

Either way, Makai is frontline, depending on Huldrum build she might go second or first.

I've had a very busy week. I will try to get something up tomorrow

No hurry - game doesn't start until Tuesday.

It's February 16 in Greenwich, England, the center of the world. We're at 13 Challenge Points.

you have 3 options to chose from: Gather Information (marked with Secret label), Make an Impression (no Secret label), and Request (no secret label).

I run this a little differently in PbP. Fundamentally, I would rather the players roll as much as possible, so I will request open checks sometimes even when the rules technically say they're secret.

I use 4 different modes of secrecy:

1. I pull your modifier, and I roll. You don't even know I've made a roll. This is the easiest for the player (who does nothing), but most work for me. An example would be a Perception check to spot a trap.

2. I ask who wants to roll, and I roll. You know I've made a roll, but you don't know if you've succeeded or critically failed. An example would be Recall Knowledge.

3. I just ask players to roll, but don't mention the DC. Players will know how well their characters did on a relative scale, but not whether they've met a bar. This level of secrecy is what's going on in the tavern right now.

4. I ask players to roll, and post the DC with spoilered information. Players can roll or not roll and see how others performed. This is the easiest for me, but most work for the players. I can't think of an example off the top of my head, I use this option pretty infrequently.

Interesting distinctions, GM. I'm GMing only my second PFS2e game and I have struggled how to handle secret checks so it's good to have these insights.

Players from my first game actually preferred #1 to keep the game flow moving and minimize back-and-forth. While I was concerned about players wanting to roll dice and see the outcomes, they mostly were more concerned what the information was and how they got it.

Is there a reason you don't use #4 more often? I felt like that was the standard in 1e around here.

The main problem with #4 is that 2E is designed so that crit failures are indistiguishable from successes. So if you Coerce a bandit into telling you where all his stolen loot is, and he says it's in a cave to the east, you're not supposed to be able to tell if you succeeded and Coerced him, or crit failed and he's lying - until you enter the cave and find out it's a dragon's lair muhahaha.

That didn't exist in 1E.

---

One alternative I've heard on the Roll for Combat podcast is this:

- The player makes three d20 rolls.
- The GM rolls a d3, and selects the results of that die.

This lets the player generally know how well they did (three high rolls, two low one high, etc.) without letting them know exactly how well they did.

It seems like a LOT of work, but it's an option.

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I think #1 is totally fine if the players don't feel like they're missing anything. The rules, as strictly written, call for #1 a lot. Some GMs will ask players to fill out sheets with all their skill modifiers at the beginning of the game so they can make secret checks.

For me, personally, I feel very passive if I don't roll. It's more fun for me to roll something than to listen to the GM roll, even if the end result is the same.

But one of the reasons I may be unusual is that I am very comfortable with roleplaying poor rolls, so I'm 100% on board with charging into the dragon's lair and having my character think it's the bandit's hideout. I know that's hard (or not fun) for some people. I also know I've annoyed some people with my insistence that my characters own up to their crit fails. :\ Sorry to the party that had to wait around for 10 minutes while my character went and beheaded all the zombies "to be sure."

Bottom line is I strive for fun. If you'd prefer I adhere to the rules more strictly / do more secret rolls for you, I can.

That's pretty interesting. As someone who plans on GMing soon(ish), I had been mulling over how to deal with recall knowledge and secret rolls in general. Thanks for that =)

Yeah, the secret roll is even more important for things like Dubious Knowledge. Where there is a different outcome for every effect: crit fail, fail, success, crit success.

But to be honest I love secret rolls. Especially for things like Perception, where the fact that your rogue does not see a trap is the only information that you have.

An alternative solution that some GM's are trying is to ask people to make a roll in the spoiler and not look in it. But to be honest it did not make me feel like I do the roll.

I like the plan you laid out Watery Soup. I don't have much experience playing 2E yet, but I love the idea of the secret rolls. At least when they matter in the sense that there is some kind of consequence for failing. It definitely makes it more fun for me not knowing. I also hate spoilers, so I guess I am consistent!

Having said that, I do feel I can keep player knowledge and character knowledge separate when needed. I just find it the most fun when I also don't know what is happening!

I'm including more art than I usually do in the slides. Please let me know if this slows down the downloading to an unbearable degree and I will try something else.

All the art except for the map is downloaded from pixabay.com and is royalty-free. The map is courtesy of Doug Hahn, and uploaded for public use at pfsprep.com.

@Kornel - would Groetus be a fitting deity to your PC? It would be funny if you would choose the shoe-less preacher as your spiritual guide

If the scenario offers an opportunity to convert, I'm accepting it, as a temporary measure at least. The benefit of being deity-less is spiritual flexibility.

[dice=Kornel, Society]1d20+4 Fortunately, no crit fail.

Hm. I suspect the scenario specified something like "PCs can't critically fail this". Natural 1s worsen the result by one degree, so a result of (1)+4=5 would crit fail if the DC was 6 or higher.

Well, it's as simple as "there's no critical fail result listed."

It happens sometimes, for things that are important. It'd be more realistic to have you guys waste a few hours/days chasing down wild geese and scouring the city for clues, but it'd be boring.

Just channel your inner Horatio Caine, put on your sunglasses, and yell, "YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!"