GM supervillan's Godsmouth Heresy [Menagerie] (Inactive)

Game Master supervillan

Roger that, thanks...I was just asking as you mentioned “between the staircase and the party” so I thought Deadeye Bowman might apply...

I think I'm OK with arrows as they're all durable and it's a stairwell so I'm guessing I should be able to recover them...

I think you may have misconstrued "between the staircase and the party", Data, and I see how my choice of words could have caused that confusion.

I would have been clearer saying "because of the staircase and the party".

No problem recovering the arrows :)

No worries, GM, I’m easily confused...

If you GM could make perception checks for all of us including the phantom at each door that would be great.

That's certainly possible, if the party wants. It'll be a bit slower of course. Also, it will help me to have a standard order to use (eg westernmost doors first, proceeding clockwise). Some rooms have a lot of doors :)

Western first and then clockwise completely makes sense.

Can anyone of us disable device?! Dungeon craw without being able to handle traps? :-)

You are four level 2s and two level 1s plus an incorporeal phantom in a level 1-2 module. If you set off the odd trap I'm sure you'll survive ;)

Some encounters in this module should give you no problems at all. Others, well they'd be extremely difficult for four level 1s and will probably challenge you.

That darkmantle is a difficult encounter if nobody has darkvision.

Regarding SOP, I'll go ahead and state that Tsamara will scan around using Detect Magic each time we enter a new room.

Do we want to Take 10 in each room, Take 20, or just roll with basic passive Perception checks?

I think take 20 on doors takes too long.

I would think it is best for the gm to roll d20 plus modifier for active searching for traps on doors and when moving through the rooms / aisles at slow speed. .

As far as Taking 20 and taking too much time, are we worried about buff durations? Taking 20 may be the safer option. It's not like the characters are under a time constraint.

I'm fine with clockwise door progression unless we have something to indicate a change in SOP.

As for perception, I'd suggest Data take 10 for a static 18 and everyone else bot roll as we enter new spaces/triggers.

Onye will use scent upon entering a room without an obvious threat.

Tsamara has volunteered for detecting magic upon entering a new space.

Assuming there are no active environmental light sources other than ones we're carrying Felix is gonna be keeping an eye out for braziers/sconces/whatever that might be flammable, just so they can create light sources in any given room/passageway they enter and have them be maintained. If he sees one or has one pointed out he'll set it alight. There may not be any, but he's darn sure gonna look out for them just the same!

Makes no difference to me, but since West was mentioned first, I vote West...plus James West was my favorite action hero growing up so maybe it is lucky...

I think we have an SOP now.

Before you open a door, everyone will examine it (botted Perception checks; Data takes 10).

When you enter a room/new area Tsamara uses Detect Magic and Onye uses Scent.

I'll also bot Perception checks when you enter an area if appropriate - though for features like the statue in the current room I think it better if those who want to examine them make their own rolls.

Sounds good to me, GM!

By the way, I'll be out of town from tomorrow through Wednesday afternoon/evening. I'll have my Chromebook with me but I don't know if I'll end up with any time or energy to do any posting. Just wanted to give a heads-up!

Back from my trip and ready to roll on :)

Still around, but since Data’s only has a 5 charisma, he’s not exactly the one you want speaking in our current situation...

I find those can be the perfect time to chime in. Get some of that role play in, especially at the lower levels. Get a feeling for the character.

He will chime in...still getting the feel of playing an android and I just haven’t been witty enough to think of a quip yet that might fit the current situation...gonna have to watch some TNG reruns to get some inspiration...

Djahan it seems like the easiest way to deal with other PCs asking the phantom what it's seen is for me to answer with its voice. Do you agree, or is there a better way? I don't want to 'take control' of your phantom.

That’s great! Thanks!

A note on how I handle Detect Magic and Illusion: a cantrip does not defeat an entire school of magic, that is to say that the cantrip caster does not automatically know 'oh that's an illusion spell' when his divination picks up an illusion. If the illusion is one that is intended to deceive the senses then the cantrip caster gets a Will save for interacting with the illusion, just as if he touched it. If the illusion spell is something else (and there are many spells and magic items within the school that do other things than deceive the senses) then Detect Magic reveals the school in the ordinary way.

Isn't that a necromancy spell, though?

To clarify, this is from my Orc Bloodline: Whenever you cast a spell that deals damage, that spell deals +1 point of damage per die rolled.

Oh, I didn't even realize you were a sorcerer. :)

Low level monsters with high AC in tight corridors make for long fights :o

Indeed. Was hoping to drive it back into that space where we can at least have 3 attacking with 2 around the corners. :/

therefore it does not threaten whilst incorporeal and provides no flanking bonus.

It can occupy a space and another creature can't end its move in the incorporeal creature's space, so it would keep it from occupying the last square in the hall and leaving us one-on-one with it.

That is an important point Onye.

I allowed the phantom to share Tsamara's space, but perhaps I shouldn't have.

Intuitively, if an incorporeal creature can pass through solid objects no bigger than their own space then they can pass through corporeal creatures in the same way (though they still provoke AoOs for movement, and that movement can't be prevented). Therefore I surmised that it should be possible to share a corporeal creature's space.

However, there is nothing specific within the incorporeal subtype or incorporeal ability, nor within the movement rules, to say that an incorporeal creature can share a corporeal creature's space.

Even though it feels counter-intuitive, I think I have to say that incorporeal creatures can't share space with corporeals, and can prevent movement by enemies.

I'm open to hearing alternative points of view.

I thought that was specifically written in the incorporeal rules, but apparently that detail is written in 2e.

So I had to go looking for 1e's rule, which isn't covered as far as I can find beyond:

Opponent: You can’t move through a square occupied by an opponent unless the opponent is helpless. You can move through a square occupied by a helpless opponent without penalty. Some creatures, particularly very large ones, may present an obstacle even when helpless. In such cases, each square you move through counts as 2 squares.

Ending Your Movement: You can’t end your movement in the same square as another creature unless it is helpless.

Incorporeal is technically not helpless.

A helpless opponent is someone who is bound, sleeping, paralyzed, unconscious, or otherwise at your mercy.

Interesting note: D&D 5e specifically allows it (opposite of PF2).

I've GM'd a few spiritualists, but DFM is the first phantom that's stayed mainly incorporeal, the other phantoms were generally ectoplasmic form fighters.

Being incorporeal seems to apply all the usual incorporeal rules, the only exceptions being that the phantom isn't harmed by channeled energy nor by holy water (by virtue of not being undead), and it can't yet fly (but can't fall either).

So Djahan's phantom only has a 50% chance of being affected by cure spells (or any other non-damaging spell) whilst incorporeal. Djahan can always force it into ectoplasmic form in order to heal it with spells or wands.

This is probably one of the most dangerous encounters in the module - exceptionally so for four neophytes.

As written, the monster isn't getting out of the pit though. No climb speed, no skill ranks, and the climb DC of the walls is 20 !

The phantom immediately starts to become ectoplasmic.

I don't see any way for the phantom to change its manifestation on its own.

Spiritualists get this ability:

A spiritualist can fully manifest her phantom through a ritual that takes 1 minute to perform. When the phantom is fully manifested, the spiritualist can change the form of the phantom’s manifestation (either from ectoplasmic to incorporeal or vice versa) as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

I haven't spotted anything in your archetypes to change this Djahan.

That’s correct! Sorry!

So the phantom just delays angrily! :-D

Apologies for posting delays; Tuesday & Wednesday proved busier than expected. As a note, I'll be heading out of town today for a convention and won't be back until Monday afternoon. I won't make any guarantees about posting but I will say that I'll have my Chromebook with me and probably won't completely fill my schedule up with games, soooo...we'll see!

That said, if it comes down to waiting on me, by all means go ahead and bot me and keep things rolling. I'll catch up when I can :)

Back from my trip and ready to roll :)

GM: Do you want me to re-roll my attack where I jumped the gun?

Yes please.

ETA: well, I would ask you to, but Djahan killed it with his AoO ;)

Demm will move the dancing lights toward the room.

Onye's got a sunrod hanging from his belt currently, in case you thought we were fighting in the dark.

Indeed - at the moment the door was opened into the undead's room Onye was around the corner so neither his light nor the dancing lights illuminated them.

I just didn't want to double move into the room. Plus, if Onye dies and falls face-first on top of his sunrod, the area will still be lit.

Not that I don't think that is a possibility... ;)

The other door? The secret passage that remains unexplored goes around a corner - not a door. I'm not sure of your intent.

That is what I meant, too.

FYI: I'll be leaving on vacation this Saturday for a week. I expect to have wifi, but plan on posting once a day in the late evening.

I'm guessing you're wanting to delay until after Djahan in order to bring more attacks to bear . . .

That would be the idea. Or maybe Djahan and Data will take them all out and it will be moot. :)

Data: Could you use your move action to fall back, please?

I will but I can't shoot worth beans from back there as I'll be effectively firing with a -8 penalty...

ETA: Token moved

Thanks.

Since you’re not making full attacks, you can fire, move back then move forward, fire.

I've got some botting instructions from Felix in the event that Onye & Data just took out Mr. Marrow...

*watches & waits*

Mr Morrow is dead again. Will update gameplay later today.

I thought that the alchemist's buffed AC of 22 might slow you down a bit, but no :D