DM Brainiac's Fists of the Ruby Phoenix: Three Men and a Fairy (COMPLETE)! (Inactive)

Game Master Brainiac

I was more thinking about the massive hit you took and how we don't want to have to raise you from the dead so early in the game!

We have Hero Points if it comes to that!

Yeah, with Yog's healing, so long as it doesn't crit me again and we kill it within two or three rounds we'll be ok. If I have to burn a hero point it's not the end of the world.

We got this (I hope). Now that I’m in the fray and in my fighting stance, I should deal decent damage next round. Or… it will deal indecent damage to me this round!

Hope you guys roll some good hits so it has less rounds of goring us!

Should we retreat? We can heal up and it can't. We fall back, meet where it can't go (the roof?) and heal up?

I may need to learn the hard way whether this thing can AoO… and learn how Acro works to make sure I don’t get swatted if it does.

I don’t know if raging Esh CAN retreat. But I can fly Hotcha after attacking.

AC is at least 30 if not thirties. 69 damage so far, I think. The law of averages owes us!

One more thought Xin, if you to-battle Hotcha, I can one-inch punch, flurry and fly, allowing me to roll eight d8s that have better than 50% odds of hitting AND I can force the monster to go Miss-Fishing with my stun attempt.

But don’t take that to mean you “should” to-battle her. Esh hits harder, Hotcha is just a tad more accurate. Without to-battle, I can still hit and run.

Correction… Esh CAN retreat, and he has a decent “kite” strategy.

Maybe if you move first, narratively, you prevent Esh or Hotcha from being KO’d by AoO?

What Esh mentioned over Discord is strike, stride, stride.

@Xin, we discussed in Discord:

I haven’t been moving since I’m the meatshield, but I can probable eat two of its actions by strike stride stride

Yeah. So Xin to battles me and moves, you move back and maybe do a ranged attack? Yog move back and heal me if he can, and then I’ll hit it and run perpendicular to you guys?
Still mad I didn’t pop my incendiary aura x.x

I’m going to punch it.

Then I’m gonna fly 50 feet diagonally up, delaying until you move first in case it can AoO. You might still be standing from one attack but I can’t take a hit.

Cool sounds good. We need to post in the discussion thread too so Xin knows what to do

what about a nuclear bomb

[NUKE ‘SPLOSION GIF]
i can give it a shot, but the odds arent in the spell's favor

I honestly have no idea what the plan is. That explanation did not enlighten me! I -think- the plan is not to retreat and for me to "To Battle!" Esh.

I honestly have no idea what the plan is. That explanation did not enlighten me! I -think- the plan is not to retreat and for me to "To Battle!" Esh.

You guessed correctly!

You know, in re-reading that I realized that what I meant as humor came off a bit obnoxiously. I apologize. That wasn't my intent and I appreciate your keeping me filled in on the Discord conversation. Thank you.

No biggie! I took no offense.

Also on discord, I get a Lv.10 campaign feat from meditating in the abbot’s room! That’s what the post is about.

Feel free to read under the spoiler. It’s such a long post I thought I should shorten it. A spoiler for what other PCs don’t see helps.

I think Esh would fully heal in an hour or less. Technically, Hotcha really only needs 40 min. for full HP and full ki.

You can check out mine, as well. It's kind of a bookend to her thoughts.

GM, I've updated my character. I got rid of the Fighter dedication and used Weapon Proficiency to get the prerequisite (martial weapon training) for Marshal. I also (sadly) got ride of Double Slice, Nimble Dodge and Tumble Through. I've taken Bloody Debilitations (at 12th) and retrofitted You're Next and Opportune Backstab.

I'd forgotten about debilitations, which would have made our combats a tiny bit easier. And the combination of Gang Up with Opportune Backstab will often let me get a free attack to offset the one I give away with To Battle!

I also picked up the Terrified Retreat skill feat. I don't know how often we'll be fighting lower level combatants, but now Battle Cry and You're Next can make them run away!

Also, GM, not angling for a feat. I just wanted to do a bit of silent role-playing.

Heh, all good, Xin! I’m looking forward to how your tweaked build plays out!

@Xin,
Read it. Nice! Hotcha has no clue how similar their beliefs are.

I think she’s projecting her perceived perception of herself on Cayden—she, a pocket-fighter no one takes seriously; He, a frat-party god no one takes seriously.

Also, GM, not angling for a feat. I just wanted to do a bit of silent role-playing.

We could do some not-silent role-playing while the other players work out Lv.12 stuff, if you’d like.

Brainiac gave me a bit of free reign over playing the abbot’s visit. Hence the TL;DR-able post. I officially have Wronged Monk’s Wrath now! (I’ll mind my position so I don’t zap you guys!)

Oh, and also, you would have had the endless decanter to clean up instead of having to scrounge for semi-clean water. Hotcha just needed a couple bowls of water and a goblet.

Come on out and join us.

When did we get the decanter? I must have missed that.

I believe it was found after I got clobbered with the table.

Are we keeping track of this stuff? I noted the two treasures I kept in the gear section of the profile, but that’s it.

Will post in a bit.

What're we waiting for? Are Y & E still leveling up?

I think a mix of that plus Yog’Moi isn’t feeling well and Esh is on a business trip.

Asking Brainiac if the Phoenix Necklace can be activated outside of combat. Seems so, given the duration.

Yes, it can be activated out of combat.

Things will likely pick up again in a couple of days.

How're your other FotRP games going, Brainiac?

You're the only person I know with more games than me!

The first table is at the same spot as you, having just hit level 12. Table 2 has almost finish clearing the temple. They still have yet to face the long-necked monster.

I do have a lot of games. Too many, some would say. :)

Level 12—that reminds me. This is my first ever character to reach Lv.12. My record was held my a PF1 monk who exited a game upon reaching Lv.12. (I moved from one table to another; same GM.)

Regarding Hotcha’s apparent lack of interest in boy-sprites… being both a fairy and a nun, a thought I had was to make Hotcha among the most innocent of my characters. Hopefully, I’m pulling that off despite her weird booze-centric religion. She doesn’t even swear.

Oddly, my only other PF2 character is my only other character who keeps the language clean.

Level 12—that reminds me. This is my first ever character to reach Lv.12.

Well, you did start at level 11, which gives you an advantage. ;)

You'll be level 20 by the end of this campaign!

Modern gaming is so very different. Back in my OD&D days, I think the highest level any of my players achieved was 9, and that was when we were kids playing every week. One of the players in my D&D2e game reached 13, which was -astonishing-. It took him eight years playing every other week to achieve that (no one else survived/lasted that long). These days my players go 1-20 in Pathfinder in two years of every-other-week playing.

I'm rarely a player, but I had a dozen PFS1e characters, one of whom made it to 14th level in 10 years, so there's that.

The loot list is now linked at the top of the campaign page.

Thank you!

That is a nice list. I’m good with the proposed distribution, equal cash split, and if I can sell my old striking rune, add that to party cash. (I doubt it’s a significant amount.)

Once everyone is leveled to 12, do we go to the shop from here? If we need to walk somewhere, I’d like to take the half-mile walk to the library first to check on Tino’s Toughest.

Yeah, we need to walk to the portal towers to go there or to other towers. We can walk over to the library first. But we need to all go together.

A striking rune is worth 65 gp. I'll put it on the list. Remember, you can do that, too.

You'll be level 20 by the end of this campaign!

And I’ll be an incredibly strong fairy by then. I just learned how Apex Items work. So my sacrifice in damage-dealing to play a proper sprite will open the door to a huge unintended pay-off if I pick Belt of Giant Strength as my apex item.

(It is not against my self-defeating principle to magically increase my STR from 8 to 18!! If anything, that makes me want to write myself a reminder not to boost STR at 15, just to make the belt as awesome as possible.)

Damn… and here I was worrying about how my low strength would work out in the long run.

Hmm… on the other hand, boosting STR at 15 & 20 and increasing my DEX mod by one is almost as good damage-wise (as 18 STR without the extra DEX), since I’d hit 5% more often and crit 5% more often. And my fireballs are unaffected by STR. Aaaaand I’m more likely to slow enemies if I land my flurry.

Plus, I’ll want to draw Hotcha with her endgame equipment and anklets look better. By Lv.15 I’ll have thought this through.

I think.

Plus, I’ll want to draw Hotcha with her endgame equipment and anklets look better.

That is hilarious. And genius!

Hotcha Twinkletoes wrote:

Plus, I’ll want to draw Hotcha with her endgame equipment and anklets look better.

That is hilarious. And genius!

Between this comment and math, I think anklets are in Hotcha’s future.

TL;DR Version: i ♥️ Anklets

So, heading to check on Tino's Toughest first? Or going to the Stone Market?

I’d like to check on Tino and the gang first. They gave us free stuff so Hotcha would want to thank them and all that.

Indeed. I think we were just waiting for Yog'Moi and Esh.

@Xin,
Confirmed over Discord: Esh & Yog’Moi are saving up, so shopping is complete.

My character profile now lists an additional 45g and 5s in my “purse,” after spending 500g on the Flaming Rune.

2182 / 4 = 545.50, assuming we’re dividing the $$ evenly. If you have a different system for loot in mind, I’ll go along with it. (OoC, I’m not picky, nor am I picky IC. Hotcha has no reason to be since she can’t even carry much of the loot!)

I will post more details about how hexploration works in this adventure, as well as what's in the hex you are exploring, later tonight.

Hotcha's got Xin's attention (literally - that beats his Will DC by a fair amount).

Ha! You have a point—I might end up fascinating our party plus 7 total strangers. (Two opposing teams, except for one guy going, “Wha? You never see a fairy blink different colors before? C’mon! Bed ain’t gonna go to itself.”)

Fortunately, in combat it only works on enemies. I need to exceed Will DC by 10 though.

And Xin's is +17...

For that matter, Esh's is +19. Only Yog'Moi would have succeeded.

The hobgoblin, wondering why everyone else is staring at the fairy.

Hotcha’s nat.1 is 27. Poor Wu Xin can’t resist. Only her very worst dance is simply less fascinating.

TRAVELING ON BONMU

Bonmu is a large island, about 6 miles in length and just over half that distance wide. Travel through Bonmu uses a modified version of the hexploration rules found on pages 170–173 of the Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide. Rather than exploration taking up days at a time, hexploration on Bonmu is broken into half-hour increments. Sixteen hours of each day are “active hours,” during which the characters can fight other teams and earn silver feathers to qualify for the Ruby Phoenix Tournament. The remaining 8 hours, roughly between 12 a.m. and 8 a.m., are designated as “inactive hours,” during which matches are prohibited.

The characters have no need to map Bonmu or establish a camp, as they have a dedicated headquarters within the temple of Irori and receive a map from Ingdani. Thus, there is no need to use the individual hexploration activities described in the Gamemastery Guide. As every hex on Bonmu is only a half-mile wide, even the slowest group can make significant progress across the island in the course of a day, and can complete a much larger number of activities due to this smaller scale. Assuming they rest 8 hours per day, characters receive a total of 32 hexploration activities per day, regardless of the group’s moving speed. To accommodate for the smaller scale of Bonmu, the Travel and Reconnoiter hexploration group activities should be modified as follows.

TRAVEL
MOVE
You move into an adjacent hex. In open terrain, like a beach, plain, or open water, using 1 Travel activity allows you to move from one hex to an adjacent hex. Traversing a hex with difficult terrain (such as a typical forest or hilly region) requires 2 Travel activities, and hexes of greater difficult terrain (such as a steep mountain or typical swamp) require 3 Travel activities to traverse. Traveling along a river uses a terrain type one step better than the surrounding terrain. If you Travel into a hex containing a transport tower (area D), you can use the tower to transport yourself to any other hex with a transport tower as part of the same Travel activity.

RECONNOITER
CONCENTRATION
You survey and explore a specific area, getting the lay of the land and looking for unusual features and specific sites. Reconnoitering a single hex takes a number of hexploration activities equal to the number of Travel activities necessary to traverse the hex: 1 for open terrain, 2 for difficult terrain, and 3 for greater difficult terrain. Traveling on rivers doesn’t lessen the time required to Reconnoiter. Once the hex has been Reconnoitered, you learn of all of the specific sites within the hex and can visit one of the sites as part of your Reconnoiter activity.

In addition to their exploration of the island, the characters are likely to find other teams and face them in matches. This process is represented by the Engage in a Match activity.

ENGAGE IN A MATCH
MOVE
You compete against another team in a sanctioned bout. Both teams travel to the nearest match site (either a fighting site or team headquarters), declare a match to the enforcers, complete the match, and resolve all of the involved consequences of the match (including the handoff of wagered silver feathers). This takes 2 hexploration activities. If you are not in a hex with a suitable match site, you move to the nearest hex with one as part of this activity.

The player characters can travel around the island at all hours of the day but can Engage in a Match only during active hours. However, any travel during inactive hours could potentially eat into valuable time for rest. All other teams are assumed to be taking their period of rest during inactive hours. If the player characters choose to rest at another time, they run the risk of another team challenging them to a match and disrupting their rest.

Interesting! I should start my real-life inactive hours early tonight though, so I’ll check tomorrow late morning or so and see what the party decides to do with that tower!

Assuming we start at "A". And I'm willing to bet that "B1" is the docks? That likely makes "E" into Tino's library. Do we know what "C" is? If not, that's where we go with the light left to us.

You've explored everything in the hex with A, B1, C, and E. I had you move down the coast to I1.

I'll post this map key in the Campaign Info tab as well. I will update it as you discover more locations.

Gonna try some diplomacy if everybody's alright with that?