GM Jhaeman's PFS1 # 0-23: "Tide of Morning" (Inactive)

Game Master Jhaeman

General Notes:

I try to post every day to keep things moving, and if you can keep a similar pace, that would be great. We all have real life interruptions of course, so if you can't post and we're in the middle of something like a combat, please give me bot instructions or I'll assume your PC does Total Defense.

Please place a good array of information in your character header. Knowing your PC's armor class, Perception mod, Initiative mod, etc., saves me a lot of time when doing posts. If you need help figuring out how to format that, we can help you.

If you're new to Pathfinder, Pathfinder Society, or play-by-post, just let me know--I'm always happy to help.

If you want to earn extra GM love, posting a full character sheet in your profile is great. That way I can look stuff up and answer my own "how did they do that?" questions. Related, if you have some crazy weird or complicated build and want to explain anything, here's a good place.

If you've made any purchases between the end of your last Chronicle and the start of this scenario, please post them here so I can reflect them on your new Chronicle.

You'll need a picture of your character for the grid scenes.

Finally, role-playing is good! Please give your PC some personality and engage with the other PCs and NPCs. I'll gently move us along if we're dwelling too much in one part of the scenario.

Any questions, ask away!

Please note this is one of those Season Zero PFS scenarios that starts in media res. If you want to buy anything for the scenario, do it quick :)

These are the purchases made before or in-between adventures:

Riding Dog 150gp
Saddle Riding 10 gp
Saddle Bags 4 gp
4 days rations 2 gp
2 waterskins 2 gp
MW-Tool: Riding (Riding Boots) 50 gp
MW-Tool: Spellcraft (Book) 50 gp
Wand of SMI CL3, 9 charges (from chronicle sheet) 135 gp
Backpack 2 gp
2 Acids 20 gp
3 Alchemist Fires 60 gp
2 Sunrods 4 gp

2 Spring Loaded Wrist Sheaths 10 gp

2 Scroll Cases (Leather) 2 gp

Potion of CLW 50 gp

Scrolls - Comprehend Languages, Obscuring Mist, Mage Armor(3), Infernal Healing (3), Vanish, Silent Image, Shield. 275 gp

Total cost of purchases 826 gold.

Didn't like the name Pepper, so, I changed it. I should have profile completed later tonight.

Thanks for having me!

How are we in the way of skills? I have a 2nd level investigator if need be.

Sombra is more of a Knowledge guy so if you're talking about rogue skills, just Stealth.

Ok, you guys are fast as mustering! We'll get officially going soon, so last chance to buy anything. Below are faction missions. If you're not familiar with the concept, early PFS had additional goals for each character based on their faction. Please note these are purely optional, and completing them will have no bearing on whatever rewards your character or the group obtains. However, they can add some fun challenges, so please feel free to try to complete them (as long as you don't torpedo the group's overall mission).

Are we going to be tracking food or can we assume that we have been and are going to continue to hunt and or gather in this nice forest? It seems to be a waste of perfectly good rations when you have a Hunter and a Ranger in the party.

That's a good question! I am a stickler for rations, though there is a use of the Survival skill to find food as you travel (albeit at half speed).

Obviously, I won't make anyone deduct any rations for the off-screen travel to this point, since the scenario officially starts with your arrival at the hut...

@GM Jhaeman - I just added my pet and mount Shaggy to the map. Relgar is currently riding his dog.

I made an adjustment to the map because Sombra, being squishy, isn't going to be out in front.

Thanks, yes—I forgot to mention you can adjust starting positions as long as you’re all on the path. I just moved the tokens there randomly.

Everyone I just adjusted the tokens around so martials are at the front of the party. If you disagree you can adjust your character's starting position of course. :)

I took the alternate trait of being able to cast goodberry 1/day. Pretty good little spell. Should have my profiles completed later today.

Profiles are finished. I would greatly appreciate a look-over, especially on Pretty Kitty, since I'm very unfamiliar with building companions. TIA!

Pretty Kitty looks good. He just needs some tricks to round him out. To make life simple I would go with Combat Riding package and Attack(All). This should cover you well for now.

FYI - Panthers do not grow that large. They are at most medium sized at maturity. So if you plan on playing this cat at higher levels you might want to re-skin him at a latter date to another type of cat like a Tiger or a Lion that can grow to be much bigger.

Pretty Kitty looks good. He just needs some tricks to round him out. To make life simple I would go with Combat Riding package and Attack(All). This should cover you well for now.

FYI - Panthers do not grow that large. They are at most medium sized at maturity. So if you plan on playing this cat at higher levels you might want to re-skin him at a latter date to another type of cat like a Tiger or a Lion that can grow to be much bigger.

Thank you! Tiger it is. (I thought tigers and panthers were similar in size in the real world). What book is the Combat Riding Package in?

The basic combat tricks including the combat riding package is right in the CRB under the Handle Animal section of the rules.

These felines are all impressive hunters and frankly put humans (in the real world) to shame in regards to raw physical power.

The basic combat tricks including the combat riding package is right in the CRB under the Handle Animal section of the rules.

These felines are all impressive hunters and frankly put humans (in the real world) to shame in regards to raw physical power.

As Relgar mentioned, and is in the CRB, the companion will need to be taught the Attack trick a 2nd time so it will attack 'weird' things like undead, constructs, etc.

I found some awesome threads to help me with animal companions. I also discovered earlier today that I have the Animal Archive book in my Paizo digital files. I must have gotten it with the last humble bundle.

@Hawthorn - Generally animal companions are limited by the tricks they know and what you can push them to do (with a Handle Animal check of 25). So you generally cannot talk to them and control them like an intelligent familiar. It is up to the GM to decide exactly what these limits might be in terms of the capabilities of your animal companion.

My companion knows the "seek" trick, though (listed on bottom of Kitty's profile). Why would I have to "push" it if it knows the trick?

Apologies for the delay in posting but my modem died and my ISP literally has almost no one who could actually get the new one working. Hopefully now that it's working it will keep working but, if my history with them is any indication, this isn't the last of my issues.
You do not know how f#@*&$&$ enraged I am right now.

Hawthorn has a small racial bonus to climb. Is it possible to climb a nearby tree trunk then shimmy along the branches over the water to the other side?

@Hawthorn: Sure, I'd allow you to try that (I'd need a Climb check).

Update coming in a few hours/-apologies for slow posting over the weekend. Been under the weather.

Update coming in a few hours/-apologies for slow posting over the weekend. Been under the weather.

No problem, I have been as well over the last part of the week and the weekend. Plus another strong storm system blew through Saturday night but at least I didn't lose power this time.

I hope you feel better GM. Hopefully it will pass soon.

Get well soon!

Thanks everyone, I'm actually feeling pretty good. It was this annoying sequence of events where I thought I had food poisoning, but it then developed into mild flu-like symptoms, so I had to go get a Covid test (which took all morning), and now I have to arrange to self-isolate until the results come back in 24-48 hours.

That's a bummer. Fingers crossed for good news.

Thanks everyone, I'm actually feeling pretty good. It was this annoying sequence of events where I thought I had food poisoning, but it then developed into mild flu-like symptoms, so I had to go get a Covid test (which took all morning), and now I have to arrange to self-isolate until the results come back in 24-48 hours.

Make sure you take it easy/take care because COVID can be serious business.

Quick question. Is the remaining 'x' on the map a trap that can be lept over now that we know it's there, or does it still need to be disarmed?

Got the all clear, will post tonight.

@Kelleran: Technically, it still needs to be disarmed.

Good to hear it's not Covid, Jhaeman!

As much as I like casting tactical spells it really is fun to blow things up. Fire spells are especially enjoyable despite the fact that they are so commonly resisted. It must be the inner cave man speaking. :)

That's a wrap! As is often the case with these early scenarios, there's not really much in the way at all of a conclusion or epilogue, but please feel free to RP anything you'd like in closing. I really enjoyed the personalities of your characters and it was a fun session.

I'll work on Chronicles over the next few days. If you have a Day Job roll (or something else I need to put on the Chronicle), please list it in this thread.

Only if you want to add scrolls to the 'Items Bought' list.
Before I forget again, thank you very much for running this scenario!

Wow! That seemed really short for a scenario. Had a ton of fun, though! Thanks for the good time, everyone.

No day job. I'll need to purchase that vanity to use Survival for day jobs soon.

I hope to adventure with you all again in the future!

Wow! That seemed really short for a scenario. Had a ton of fun, though! Thanks for the good time, everyone.

No day job. I'll need to purchase that vanity to use Survival for day jobs soon.

I hope to adventure with you all again in the future!

Another very short Season 0 module is offered for Gameday X: 'The Hydra's Fang Incident.' Unfortunately I have already played that module but maybe some of the others have not?

I've played & GMd that one a few times. The only 1e game for Gameday X I'll be jumping in on is a Core game of #5-01: Glass River Rescue.

Edit: Oh! I just checked my sessiontracker. I've only GMd Hydra's Fang. Hmm. I might jump in on that one.

Thanks for running GM Jhaeman. :)

I am wondering if we recovered a named text during the adventure?

Also I imagine that the Lorestone would be considered a unique magical item?

@Relgar: No named text, but the lorestone is definitely a unique magical item!

Everyone, my tabletop session ran long, but I'll have your Chronicles in about 12 hours if all goes as expected.

Okay, the session is now reported. Chronicles are here. (Any problems, just let me know and I'll fix them up).

You succeeded on both the Primary and Secondary success conditions:

*Primary: Recover the undamaged lorestone and deliver it to the Pathfinder Society.

*Secondary: The PCs prevent the fire in Hemzel’s hut from spreading to the nearby woods and resolve the encounter with gnomes without resorting to violence.

You also earned full gold and gained access to all the items in your subtier. There are no boons for this one.

In other words, a complete success! Thanks for playing. I'll be back with some more Season 0 in the near future.

Excellent news on the Season 0 as I think I've only played 2 now; this one and 'Hydra's Fang Incident'.

Now if I could talk you into running some Season 5... ;)

Looks like I forgot to roll my Day Job.

Day Job (Craft:Weapons) {w/ Masterwork Tools and Crafter's Fortune}: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

WOOHOO! That's a nice chunk of change for a low-level scrub like me.

Chronicle looks good. Thanks again, everyone!

Looks like I forgot to roll my Day Job.

[dice=Day Job (Craft:Weapons) {w/ Masterwork Tools and Crafter's Fortune}]1d20+14

WOOHOO! That's a nice chunk of change for a low-level scrub like me.

You're rich, rich I tell you! Now we know who's buying drinks at the inn! :)

My character thinks that you should be gaining prestige for spreading fires and not putting them out. Clearly there is something very wrong in the world with that kind of thinking.

A small fire is good and a bigger fire is even better. The fact that he burnt down his own house and escaped with only his dog, well that is a story that he is loathe to repeat. :)

Of course not fighting with the gnomes is just good sense.

Ok, it sounds like everyone is happy, so I'm going to turn this campaign thread to Inactive. But if you need anything, just PM me!