GM Doug Henderson’s Malevolence (Inactive)

Game Master Fiasko

"How old are you two?" Pavo quips as tends to the wounds that he can treat. It is not immediately clear if he is violating universal taboo by literally asking the two women their ages (given Ioseff's implications) or simply calling into question their relative maturity.

"I suppose we can try to lay them to rest within their coffins," he says to Shade. "They won't last long if we break the seal on the cases."

”That might make some sense. ”

He ponders the burial rituals that he learned from Desna and her followers.
Religion(E): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16

That resolved, she pinches Phaed by the ear with her skeletal arm. ”You have a great deal of explaining to do, dear sister. Especially now that you are finally lucid.”

OW!

Phaed talks as she helps inter the brains.

One must strive for the proper moment to raise the curtain upon these truths, sister! It can take years!

I believe we were separated at birth. Unwanted triflings, given up for adoption. I felt awful that I landed in a fine home and attended Chelaxian finishing school whereas you ended up in some awful necromancer's cult. All that fresh dirt. It made me feel terrible to have been born so talented and given the gifts to flourish at a fine arts program!

She grumbles. Of course, my understudy in theater class, Salicina, sabotaged me with fleshwarping magic and twisted my form into what it is today. So, perhpa flourish is the wrong word.

In fact, Salcina is a famous actress now. I intend to invite her to a special party here at the manor once it's repaired to my liking. I shall reveal some DRAMATIC TRUTHS to her at that time as well. What do you think, sister? These tombs might make a nice necromancer's la-bore-atory. We could throw interesting dinner parties here at the manor, and we wouldn't have to pay the help.

You remove the brains from their jars and carry them to the family crypt, to the southern sarcophagi adorned with the names of Asethanna, Marney, and Mira, where you place the brains delicately in the open skulls.

Shade performs a traditional Desnan burial, and immediately upon concluding the ritual, a bone-chilling howl of frustration and pain fills the air as Ioseff’s ghost rises up from the ground!

Ioseff makes a move as if to attack Shade, but a tangle of long, spidery legs made of blood-red ectoplasm reaches up from the ground around him and pierces his ghostly body in a dozen places!

An immense set of toothy jaws rises up to swiftly close around him. Ioseff screams in agony as this ectoplasmic manifestation of Tchekuth consumes his soul, absorbs his memories, and then retreats back into the deep below!

The ectoplasm disappears from the walls as Tchekuth retreats back into the deep below, once again slumbering as long as the Void Mirror remains in place...

Phaedria oversees the restoration of the manor, hosting parties and galas and dramatic reveals as one might expect, but as time goes on, and word of the strange events that took place there spreads, the manor is visited by increasingly strange and sinister folk eager to have access to “the Xarwin legacy” for unmentioned research topics of their own.

Eventually, a small gathering of Desnans arrive to take over stewardship of the Cosmic Crypt. The Desnans offer the heir(s) of Xarwin manor free healing and spellcasting services for life if they’re allowed to remain as custodians. In time, the sect hopes to see the return of a much more positive force from Thassilon’s dying days— the return of the Order of the Starless Night!

Still... all of these outcomes only delay the inevitable, for as long as Tchekuth slumbers below, his threat remains…

Thus ends Malevolence! Thanks so much all for playing! Feel free to post and wrap up any scenes you would like. I’ll get chronicles sent out as soon as everyone has signed in!

Crit success

Drat!

I <3 when Abella rambles.

I’m glad <3 It’s what I do!

Was that a window or a door in the bedroom?

There is a door in the bedroom, where Phaed was standing.

I propose addressing that door first.

Agreed let's go back.

Oh, we cross posted. I'll adjust!

My ideal sequence of events--barring those nasty shadows just self-imploding--would be for Abella to use her 3rd action to move at least 5 ft back, Phaed to move into that space behind Pavo (before or after doing something), and then Pavo to move into Phaed's original position to strike OR someone destroys black circle and Pavo moves into that spot.

...so Delaying.

Used a turn to stride but depends on Abella's turn where Phaed ends. Feel free to occupy that space.

If, by some miracle, killing the parent shadow kills the shadow spawn, Pavo would move far enough to direct those attacks at Cathilda.

I'm fairly sure persistent damage only does what the effect says it does on a critical success/failure and is not automatically doubled.

For example, if you throw a lesser acid flask and hit your target, that creature takes 1 acid damage, 1d6 persistent acid damage, and 1 acid splash damage. All other creatures within 5 feet of it take 1 acid splash damage. On a critical hit, the target takes 2 acid damage and 2d6 persistent acid damage, but the splash damage is still 1.

This example makes it pretty clear that persistent damage is damage, and is thus doubled on a crit.

That's a problematic thing in the CRB, I've noticed it before. But normally persistent is a condition and is not even rolled with the crit damage, it happens later on the creature's turn. Doubling and halving damage specifically calls out an example of persistent not doubling as well, which seemingly contradicts the example in the CRB.

IMO it's definitely a FAQ candidate because it seems highly illogical to me that persistent doubles as it's a condition gained and rolled on the creature's turn and not damage of the strike.

I'm, ah, not in a position to check my physical book but is the quoted text discussing damage or criticals, or is it discussing acid flasks?

Many things have critical effects that grant persistent damage where a normal effect dies not have persistent damage, e.g. produce flame. You wouldn't double the 1d4 persistent fire damage from a produce flame on a critical hit.

EDIT: Checked. That us the section on splash damage. Acid flask is a rare thing where it's primary effect--what happens on a regular hit--does persistent damage. Other examples of where the critical effect is specifically called out include wounding rune (1d6 regular persistent bleed becomes 1d12, you wouldn't double the 1d12) and flaming rune (adds 1d6 persistent fire on a critical, you wouldn't make it 2d6).

The key is that Persistent Damage is damage. At least as I understand it. And all damage (that isn't added because it is a critical hit) is doubled.

At least that is my interpretation.

Persistent damage is normally a condition, not damage. It is a condition gained from the strike that inflicts damage later on. That is the main reason why I think it is not normally doubled. You don’t double conditions as a default.

Half the rules/examples are written assuming it doubles, half aren't.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I need to watch these on a break...
Pathfinder Rule Reminder #20: Is Persistent or Splash Damage Doubled on a Critical Hit?

He also refers to CRB 544 for his reference.

Pathfinder (2e): Basics of Damage Part 2 (Precision Damage, Persistent Damage, & Alignment Damage)

I know this guy isn't an official source... but...

My instinct is that persistent damage is already quite good, and it’s ambiguous, so I would prefer to err on the side of caution and say it doesn’t double.

Paizo editorial burying an extremely important rules implication in a random example about something totally unrelated, in the very back of the huge core rulebook? I have déjà vu!

I mean of COURSE one would immediately go to the splash trait section's theoretical example of splash damage, which located is in the Crafting and Treasure chapter of the CRB, to understand the general rule about doubling all persistent damage in the game… perfectly logical.

Yes, I was assuming persistent didn’t double.

Since there is discussion, and this game is in Adventure mode, I am fine going with the GM's ruling (I'd be fine in PFS mode as well, due to ambiguity, though you know how I'd rule)

If only we had some striking runes. Sigh.

That, and a returning rune on my star knife.

Yeah, fatigued isn;t really that bad after they fixed it in the errata to say "while traveling."

Botted Abella and updated notes and venues.

Botted Abella and updated notes and venues.

Thanks so much!

I’ll get back into the swing of things tomorrow. I’m on a much-needed break right now and have been trying to recover my energy.

I fell and hurt my dominant hand pretty bad yesterday so i might be much slower to post for the next day or so. Thankfully i dont think there is anything broken

Oh no! Be safe!

Ouch! Thanks for letting us know. I hope you're okay!

Battle Medicine bolsters against Battle Medicine, so I locked myself out of Shade's better healing.

“your Battle Medicine”

Got to remember that.

Yes... each battle medicine only affects those from the one taking the action.

I am about leveled up, but have had a day. Will update later.

While Pavo didn't quite hit the DC, I thought that little bit of info would be really unsatisfying if you learned even later on.

Indeed, it would have been! :D

How far underground are we that Tuco/Phaed/Abella can't see up the shaft?

Here is a brief summary of the timeline based on your research so far. There may be some gaps because you haven't quite discovered everything yet (Or because I did a poor job explaining things!).

Let me know if anything is still unclear!

Thanks for the history recap!

That does help.

Now we just need to recall what we've done, and piece together what we have left.

Eviscerate

Technically, then, the surgery was on Pavo's abdomen. Else it would be a craniectomy... :X

P.S. Aaaaaaagh!

Leveled. Shall we do some dream research?

Level 6
Bard Feat: Dirge of Doom
Skill Feat: Bon Mot
Swap lvl 1 Fear spell for Bless
Add Ghostly Weapon lvl 3 spell

I have leveled, too.
Tweaked my spells a bit, picking up searing light and dispel magic. Probably useless :D

Skill Feat: Ward Medic
Cleric Feat: Magic Hands

The blessing of your deity heightens your healing ability, making your mundane healing work as if by magic. When you succeed at a Medicine check to Treat Wounds, your action gains the divine trait and you heal the maximum amount for the 2d8 (or 4d8 on a critical success). If you have an ability that adds additional dice to your Treat Wounds, you still roll those normally.

So, this only works on Treat Wounds, but still seems good enough.

Oh I totally forgot to post here, but I’m leveled! She picked up unmistakable lore (undead) and split slot. Plus Haste!

Hi all, I've created an RPG Chronicles sign up for the game here:

RPG Chronicles

Please sign in. We are close to the end!

filled out, with a new PFS2 character!

Because now I have to play Shade more...

And he'll have access to the Starless Scope!

filled out, with a new PFS2 character!

Because now I have to play Shade more...

I need to review characters and figure out where this is going. Will do this weekend.

I need to look over character stuff too, and I’ll figure that out sometime tomorrow

Hi all, the game has been reported and chronicles are here:

Malevolence Chronicles

Let me know if there are any problems.

Thanks again for playing!

Got it! Thanks Doug!