GM Doug's Troubles in Otari (Inactive)

Game Master Doug Hahn

I think this is the very first time in 2E I've had an enemy actually use Dispel Magic.

Darn, I realize now that I never applied a talisman to the short sword.

It's fine if you want to say you applied it. I would rather not get too bogged down in which talisman is where at which moment of the day.

It seems reasonable your PC would apply talismans to the weapons he is using.

More of a guardrail here really, but let's not push the theme of self-harm and medical aid in dying any further; these are public boards and it's a sensitive topic. Thanks!

(By the way, I also greatly enjoy all the in-combat smack-talking; it's a lot of fun!)

Sorry.

Yeah, probably a good idea to let it drop.

Understood.

No worries at all.

I think Aiding attacks is a really great strategy and underutilized in PF2… especially at higher levels when we can more easily hit that DC 20. In this case the circumstance bonus stacks with bless (status) too!

Silly me. I forgot to add in the Bless in my to-hits.

At least he's flat footed against your attacks until the end of your next turn. Bright side?

I added in the treasure from the three dwarves on the loot sheet. Notable items are Couple half-plates with some GP, a scroll of magic weapon, and a magic dagger.

If no one else can use it, I could surely use a +1 to my acrobatics, from the amulet. Obviously the half-plate isn’t useful to a rogue, and I already have a magic striking weapon.

I'm thinking with the 1/day increased movement and +1 Acrobatics the Bracelet of Dashing probably is best used by you Dethor.

I have no objection.

I agree. I thought of Dethor immediately.

Well there SHOULD be helltabbies, if you ask me!

I'll move you on in the morning, to the keep. After that, it's time to level to 4!

Hero Points to Nandipha for tanking the evil cleric and to Dethor for leaning into fun knowledge checks!

To be clear, we level before or after we get to the keep?

I realize that might not have been clear! After you complete the keep, you will complete Chapter 2 and level up.

I've added an arrow to the side of the map showing approximate wind direction.

GM, how are you treating APG spells? Could Nandipha have prepped Quench this morning if she made the nature check and spent the gold?

All the common spells are available, regardless of book!

Not sure why you'd need to spend gold, though?

Don't you have to spend gold to learn spells? Or is that only true for people with spell checks?

Okay, so one Quench and one Resist Elements.

That's only true in PFS(2) (and debatably true in PF2, hinging upon the interpretation of "access to").

At 1st level, you can prepare two 1st-level spells and five cantrips each morning from the common spells on the primal spell list in this book, or from other primal spells to which you gain access.

In this Campaign-Mode game you all have Access to all Common spells from all Paizo sourcebooks. So, Divine/Primal casters can Access spells like Quench at no extra cost.

We're not in PFS, where you have to pay to learn all non CRB spells!

"Ignore" might be too strong of a word in regards to the missing statue. More like, "Can't do anything about it."

You might be able can get back on the roof to look for a hiding creature, for example. You know there is a creature hiding nearby — one who probably isn't an ally — and you are about to open a door to a further unknown.

I just want to take a moment and make sure this is the path you decided upon, and that the situation is clear.

Also for clarity, none of you passed secret knowledge checks to ID what kind of creature might be pretending to be a statue on a roof. I should have noted that in the last post and will edit it in now.

Climbing a ladder; you can auto-make the check without rolling because it's… a ladder, but you only move 5’ per 20' of movement you normally have (which is all of you, basically). You would need to make a DC 20 Athletics to move more than that (10') as a crit success but risk falling. Both hands are occupied while you climb unless you have Combat Climber or some other class feature.

Those on the ladder probably do not have weapons drawn. Those on the ground can and do! However, those on the ground don't have line of sight yet to the creature yet, but you know trouble's on the way!

Who has two thumbs, a rocking tail, and combat climber feat? This gal!

Baux moves on to the roof, gets his warhammer out, and raises his shield.

“Statues don’t move.”

Don't shields say that "Most shields must be held in one hand, so you can’t hold anything with that hand and Raise a Shield"? I would think this means you cannot climb a ladder with the steel shield in hand. It would be 4 actions to move off the ladder, draw a weapon, draw shield, raise shield.

Yeah, combat climber is a really good feat!

--

Let's just say you started off the ladder if you want. I don't think I need to be so draconian about these rules in the narrative moment here. I basically gave Nandipha a free action to Recall Knowledge when she saw the creature; Baux can have stepped off in that moment.

Buckler is the one that gives you a free-ish hand, I believe, though still more restricted than PF1 bucklers.

Yeah, buckler specifically says you can have the hand free or holding a light weapon.

Shields can be awkward in all sorts of ways. There is contention about how many actions it takes to remove a shield. Wielding Items says it's an interact to "Detach a shield or item strapped to you." There are a couple of ways to read that and it's been discussed on the forums a few times; I am personally of the opinion that as written all shields take an interact action to unstrap and that's how I run it PFS games until more clarification is added.

Sorry, you are right. I am fine with Baux having spent an action to ready the shield so it becomes Stride, Interact (draw warhammer), Interact (draw shield). However you want to run it.

I've really enjoyed Nandipha a lot in this game. I was experimenting with so much with her build, but she really came together well as a person!

I'm glad! I have been enjoying the whole party so far.

Hero point to Lucius for getting on the ladder even though he probably knew out of character I would totally try to pull something like that — and for contributing some good damage against a creature with DR.

Will be home later; don’t you forget your flat check, Biltri!

That's a fun reaction to have!

*waves hand* *Lucius gets hit*

Well you pulverized his minion instead, at least! Solo Casters gotta stay alive somehow…

Shouldn’t that be 1d6 persistent from acid arrow?
It has been my understanding that is the value of the persistence, so that is what you roll each turn.

Shouldn’t that be 1d6 persistent from acid arrow?

It has been my understanding that is the value of the persistence, so that is what you roll each turn.

I rolled a 6 on the d6 for his turn this round. You can always read the spoiler for attacks.

Oh, I see... you are just rolling it each turn. Hadn't caught that.

I have seen people that think that you roll the persistent damage with the attack, and that it is a static number after that.

Yeah I roll it on the enemy's turn and then write the amount the PC will take in the initiative block at the end of their turn.

Some elements of 2e just feel clunky in PbP; at a live table, I would roll the d6 at the end of the player's turn, for example. In PbP I don't want to write an extra post and interrupt flow just for the d6, and it's something the player is likely to forget to roll themselves. So the best solution I have is to roll it ahead of time and make a note about the incoming damage.

Open to suggestions on capturing persistent damage both quickly and with more clarity!

Actually, I'm going to start using your solution for Persistent damage!

I like it.

Yeah, makes sense to me. :)

Whoops! The initiative block is wrong; Baux is up and his aura is10 now.

This module might be cheap on adventuring loot, but not on property assets.

So by the end do we each have our own property? :)

Being a priest of Desna, I'm doubting that Baux puts a lot of value in land holdings.

Any chance that Nandipha can get a striking rune on her tail? I have no idea if I have the funds for it.

Handwraps work, which in turn can get you a striking rune (the total cost would be the same as a striking weapon).

If you sell most of the stuff you're not using right now, you should all have about 80 gp evenly split — how you actually split is up to you; I'd recommend using the spreadsheet. I added a "Purchase" option as well.

Time to level to 4!

Was about to ask that! Cool!

Yay! I'm looking to take Shared Stratagem, which I hope will help out in combat.