The Journey of a Thousand Miles (Jade Regent AP)

Game Master Sensen

Unfortunately, I can't convert domain spells into cures. :(

Oh, and he's also used endure elements this morning. I forgot about that.

So Teruko's assumption is correct and mine was wrong :P

Yes, I might be using Cyrus and Arika to push you towards the intended AP, why do you ask?

I'm torn here. On the one hand, I don't actually like derailing things. On the other, Teruko is 100% not okay with attacking the Licktoads right now, which seems to be what Cyrus is suggesting. (She's also in a rather unstable frame of mind which isn't helping.)

Perhaps someone both wiser and calmer could take over the conversation?

I actually appreciate being pointed in the right direction. I fear though as level 1 characters we are really squishy and have no backup resources to recover from a situation gone bad.

Even if removing the 'character layer' of 'we came here just to save you not to wipe out the goblins' and the dread to a goblin village at night after our attack has been almost defeated, I think it is clear to most of us as at 'player layer' that if we do not rest and recover our only healing resource (spells), going forward into what is likely a harder encounter will end with a dead character more likely than not.

Right now if a character falls into negative, we have no means to recovering her/him, which means if the party has to run, the character is lost.

And I am often considered a 'reckless' player by my fellow companions in most tables I sit, so I guess more prudent people here might have a stronger opinion on taking it calmly before continuing with the adventure railroad.

To be clear, Cyrus isn't saying "right now." He's saying "let's come back tomorrow and kill them."

He was overreacting to Teruko's comment that she was here to save them, and decided to take a stand.

Ah. I thought he was still advocating for attacking the rest of the goblins right now.

Unsurprisingly Teruko has Opinions about people throwing their lives away for vengeance, and she also overreacted to Cyrus' comment about the chieftain getting away. Once Cyrus explains he's not calling for a suicide mission Teruko will have a lot fewer objections. She still won't be entirely happy about it, but she understands that the Licktoads are a threat.

A question for all of you. How do you feel about random encounters? There may be a few in the swamp if you like them, otherwise, I'll leave it to planned ones.

Nooooooooooooooooooooo

Funny, a similar topic was discussed in another of my groups last week, so I'll put here the same Thoughts and Opinions. :)

If we're doing milestone levelling, random encounters are not mechanically useful, since we're not getting the XP benefits from them. In which case random encounters will only slow down the pace of the game, they're friction for the sake of friction.

As far as I'm concerned, no to random encounters, unless they are used to provide more information/flavour/hooks that are related to the story and setting, and if they're not all combat encounters.

The latter is more my preference as well. Less combat and more just, "hey, you meet a bunch of Shoanti who want to sit and trade with you of an evening."

I don't really like the idea of random encounters being a thing you need, so I'll probably be keeping random combat to a minimum - with possible exceptions if you guys start sleeping in dungeons where there are actively hostile forces - though that's less "random" and more "consequences of your actions."

I agree with Torra. Particularly in a PBP I don't think there's much point in throwing random combats at the party. It just slows things down. However if the random encounters are used to further the narrative in some way, that's a different story.

Same here. The adventure is long enough. Better skip random encounters and other stuff that do not contribute to the plot or the development of the characters and the party interactions.

That said, there are some times when a random encounter might be on place. Like if the group is resenting from a long time without combats, or if the players got into a loop discussion other paralyzing scene, a random encounter can help change the mood and solve tensions. Also, sometimes they help showcase the flora and fauna of a space, add some variety to the type of enemies found, or the adventure just relies on this mechanic (see Kingmaker exploration for example).

Some GMs just like to hand-wave minor encounters, like random encounters for example. They just narrate the encounter and resolve it in a post that moves the party also to a different scene of interest. That way they can add color, and explain the setting, without bogging down the game. It is specially helpful at higher levels, as it allows the players to feel their characters are powerful now, without delaying the game. No reason to set up a fight to combat against a couple of goblin guards for a party that has been storming goblin villages for 10 levels, but probably it makes sense for them to be there guarding the village, so narration is a good way to resolve those minor encounters.

Sounds like we have more or less a consensus, then. I'll move us on shortly.

The way to Torra's heart is through quoting from books. Her attitude towards Cyrus has just improved by one step. :D

Teruko is ready to rest for the night. She wouldn't think of it, but should we set a watch order?

We definitely should!

Yuto can take any position in the watch, but in his current state it will probably make sense for him to make one of the last ones.

Also, if someone can provide long term cares (DC 15) Yuto and Hana can recover 2 hp instead of just one.

And a treat deadly wounds might be able to bring back even more hp, so our casters might go along without spending many early day spells on healing.

Long term care implies spending at least a day caring for the patients though.

I an attempt a couple of checks at DC 22 for treat deadly wounds though.

Heal, DC 22: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Heal, DC 22: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Long-Term Care: Providing long-term care means treating a wounded person for a day or more. If your Heal check is successful, the patient recovers hit points or ability score points lost to ability damage at twice the normal rate: 2 hit points per level for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 4 hit points per level for each full day of complete rest; 2 ability score points for a full 8 hours of rest in a day, or 4 ability score points for each full day of complete rest.

You also double the healing rate for 8 hour rests ;)

I'm going to say that an overnight treatment isn't enough to qualify for long-term care - for that, you need at least a day.

You mean about recovering a full rest 4 x level hp for a full day of rest with a successful Heal check, isn't?

I think we are in line that 8 hours rest recovers 1 x level hp, or 2 x level on a successful Heal skill DC 15 check.

By my reading, long term care requires one or more days of caring for a wounded person, then a full rest of the patient, during which they recover HP at double the normal rate.

@Aganhei GM, I really like the dream sequences, the writing is evocative and the images fuzzy enough to tease, but not spoil.

So, uh, thunderstorms. They have heavy rain and strong winds, which do these:

Rain, Heavy: Heavy rain reduces visibility to one-quarter of the normal range, resulting in a –6 penalty on Perception checks. Heavy rain automatically extinguishes unprotected flames and imposes a –6 penalty on ranged attacks.

Strong Winds: - 2 ranged weapon penalty, -2 to sound-based Perception checks.

Further, as the Soggy River floods, it flows faster and wider, as well as higher. The squares closest to the rivers' edge are getting dangerously close to becoming part of the river. The river's now 1d10 + 30 ⇒ (1) + 30 = 31 feet deep, and the swim checks to cross the river now are DC 15 rather than 10.

A channel or two from Seishin should be sufficient to get everyone back up to full health regardless of treatment rolls the night before.

I don't think we need to cross the river to get back to the Licktoad Village, do we? Then we can take the actual trail back instead of swimming.

(BTW, I loved the dream sequence. Very atmospheric.)

You do not need to cross a river to get to the Licktoad Village, no. But you may need to afterwards (even if you're going back to Sandpoint, which will annoy me as a GM but would be fine.

I mostly wanted to make sure 'how to cross the river' wasn't an immediate issue that required solving. As for moving on after the Licktoad Village, I'm assuming there will be a hook there that encourages us in the right direction. Teruko is very much in 'Get this done, get back to Sandpoint and clean clothes and baths oh my gods I am so filthy' mode, but her player is more reasonable :)

(As a side note, I am really looking forward to roleplaying the long journey aspect of this AP. Teruko is going to hate it.)

There is a hook, yes. I'm not sure it'll be sufficient for (some of) the PCs to pursue it, though... I'm still debating on how to best handle that.

Let me know what you thought about these in the discussion thread.

I do appreciate a lot the detail and dedication you put in the game. I can see that putting a different dream for each of us probably took many minutes from your life and I do appreciate a lot that you make that unselfish effort for us. Thanks for your dedication!

It was fun!

A reminder, which may or may not be relevant, especially since one of the goblins has a torch:

When inside, the humans can see clearly within a 20 ft (4 squares) radius of Yuto or the torch-bearing goblin. Between 20 and 40 ft (5-8 squares) they have a 20% miss chance.

For Seishin and Hana, they can see 40 ft. normally, and from 40 ft to 80 ft. (8-16 squares) they have a 20% miss chance.

Torra can see perfectly clearly up to 60 ft (12 squares), but can't see anything beyond that (as she lacks low-light vision, and the torchlight only extends 40 ft. for her).

Outside, the rain extinguishes any fires, and the sight is modified thusly:

The humans can see clearly within 1 square of Yuto's sword, with 2 squares from there being their maximum. So, uh, yeah, it's pretty dark yet.

Seishin and Hana can see 2 squares from Yuto's sword clearly, with 2-4 squares being their dim-light.

Torra can see 30 feet with darkvision, and no further.

Also, those outside (whether shooting to outside or in), as well as those inside who are shooting out, take a whopping -8 penalty on their ranged attacks. So, uh, sorry about that.

Note that this assumes that Yuto's sword has light on it. If Teruko was using something else, replace Yuto's sword with that.

Okay, I feel like a bit of an ass, because it looks like I didn't need to bot you, Hana. My apologies, I just wanted to give others the chance to post today during their high-post times, but I guess I waited too long. I'm very sorry. x_x

I've been around most of the day, so if the initiative had been a little different the botting would have helped. While I can't speak for Hana, I won't ever mind being botted in an attempt to speed up the action.

Okay, I feel like a bit of an ass, because it looks like I didn't need to bot you, Hana. My apologies, I just wanted to give others the chance to post today during their high-post times, but I guess I waited too long. I'm very sorry. x_x

Oh no, its fine. I overslept anyway, so I probably won't have been able to get a respond back to the post in all that quickly anyway. And yeah, I'm with Teruko in regard to botting being fine, especially when a daily resource isn't being used up.

Sorry, I saw there was only Hana in the initiative and got relaxed with dinner and a movie.

Here you have, next! :)

No worries. These things happen.

Blinded: The creature cannot see. It takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class, loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), and takes a –4 penalty on most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks and on opposed Perception skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Perception checks based on sight) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) against the blinded character. Blind creatures must make a DC 10 Acrobatics skill check to move faster than half speed. Creatures that fail this check fall prone.

Deafened: A deafened character cannot hear. He takes a –4 penalty on initiative checks, automatically fails Perception checks based on sound, takes a –4 penalty on opposed Perception checks, and has a 20% chance of spell failure when casting spells with verbal components.

Well, that's unlucky. Being blinded is worse than deafened for both Yuto and Hana.

EDIT: Yuto is staggered: A staggered creature may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can he take full-round actions). A staggered creature can still take free, swift, and immediate actions. A creature with nonlethal damage exactly equal to its current hit points gains the staggered condition.

Sorry for not checking in today. Will post in the morning.

Not to worry. Such things happen from time to time!

Hei, Aganhei, I think Yuto should be still at 2 hp and no non-lethal damage. He used Combat Expertise on his last post raising his TAC to 13 :D

Although it is probably not going to make any difference, blinded in front of three mad goblins with one going before his turn comes xD

@Hana, dodge bonuses are lost when your Dexterity is denied (like while blinded), so taking total defense or combat expertise is not going to help save us here :(

You know, I missed both of those things. So yes, you are correct. :P

@GM, Yuto cannot perform an AoO because he has total concealment with respect to the offending goblin (he cannot see the target). In general, you cannot make an AoO against someone with total concealment.

So, there will be no AoO even if he would want to :P

For reference, you can also not make AoOs against someone with cover, or if you are grappled (grappling also gives you the grappled condition, so no AoOs either, unless you are using grab and applying yourself the -20 penalty to maintain other natural attacks available for AoOs and other normal attacks).

Oh, see, I was wondering if I was missing something. In that case... I don't think anything changes. Because of her poor acrobatics roll, she can't actually pass through your space anyways.

Cyto, a new hero has been born, brave and mighty or coward and unlucky, we will know in next session :)

Good there Torra, you made me chuckle!

Besides, I am happy Cyrus came with us, this would have been a slaughter without his help, certainly.

He's also hawt. ^.^

I would've lowered the challenge if he hadn't come, actually. It took some last-minute changes to see if I could make it happen.

Is Cyrus looking better or worse than Yuto in terms of HP? (Doesn't need to be specific, just a 'Cyrus/Yuto is staggering more' would do.)

Put simply - they are literally at the same hp. Cyrus has one less total, so proportionately, he's worse off, but... yeah, they're equally hurt.