[GDX] GM Blake - PFS(2) 2-02: Mountain of Sea and Sky (Inactive)

Game Master Blake's Tiger

Wildwood actually has an Golarion reference (relating to the Wildwood Lodge, a sect of druids in the Verduran Forest in Taldor), though the heritage is not specifically linked to it ("a jungle or forest").

The way the GM described it, it sounds like it'll take longer than simply one minute to get through, but that's a cool out of combat ability! Grab some proficiencies when necessary.

Maybe, but climbing over fallen trees does not require more than one minute of continuous use; it can be done in 1 minute chunks, with Jayma resting for 9 minutes before continuing. We're not in any hurry are we? And Mowgli's got nothing better to do than to keep helping until she gets through.

Where it fails is when the activity requires more than one minute of continuous use, such as for Medicine to Treat Wounds; Crafting to Repair; Survival to Track; any of the Learn a Spell actions; and obviously it can't be used to Earn Income.

The scenario does not specify how much time it takes, and there is both a composite result and individual consequence, but one casting should suffice for the purpose of this challenge.

I could have sworn that I read it was select three challenges, but now I can't find anything like that in the scenario. Well, I will have scoured the text by the time you're due (or not) for the next.

EDIT: No. The forest is not done with you yet. I must have been remembering something from GenCon preparations.

By the way, I hope I'm not backseat GM'ing, but shouldn't we have gotten Hero Points by now?

Indeed. I'll give one to Arlo for keeping people alive through the boar conflict.

:D Thanks!

Would GM allow us to reroll now that we know it is a failure? RAW hero point reroll can only be done before results are known, but that can be a bit wonky on PBP.

I mean, I think the common DC by level table (page 503) is public knowledge. I'm assuming DCs to lie between 18 and 20 in our case. And you can assume Azu's 9 also won't cut it.

As someone who fights in melee, I am not going to burn my HP on a skill check moving through the mud. With someone's crit success, we should only have one failure, so I am hard pressed to believe the scenario expects 100% passes. Sure, that's meta-gaming a little, but perfection should not be a requirement for every group skill check, imo.

Fair point. Most secondary success conditions usually say something along the lines of "succeed at X out of Y challenges," (usually a two-thirds majority?), and we've been doing pretty well so far, so there's that as well. There's just usually a bigger downside to failing skill challenges other than just wasting time.

Didn't mean to burn you all through your HP, sorry if it came across as such.

No need to apologize.

Would GM allow us to reroll now that we know it is a failure? RAW hero point reroll can only be done before results are known, but that can be a bit wonky on PBP.

Sure.

Will go ahead and use my Hero Point. Need to break my this bad habit of hoarding. You should see my potion chest in Skyrim. :)

Of all the careless things to do I just realized I never updated my pbp profile to level 5 before playing this scenario.

Better late than never

Jayma has Athletics -1 (untrained). She's going to be very little use. Her spells aren't much help either. She can summon an Unseen Servant to fly over, but with Str -4 I doubt he's strong enough to fly down, grab the loose end of the bridge, pull it over to the other side and tie it back up. Probably the same goes for Twyl, though oddly enough, I believe that on paper at least, he has Athletics +4.

GM... What would it take to pull the bridge up onto our side? Athletics presumably. We would then need to get someone over to the other side of the chasm, at which point Twyl could fly over there with some rope that has been tied to the loose end of the bridge. The person on the other side could then pull the loose end of the bridge over there and reattach it so the rest of us can walk over in comfort. Would this work? Would such a person need Crafting to Repair the bridge on the other side?

Looking over the group, I see:

Jayma: Athletics -1 (untrained) Crafting +3 (untrained)
Arlo: Athletics -1 (untrained) Crafting +7 (trained)
Hobbs: Athletics +0 (untrained) Crafting +13 (expert)

Azu: Athletics +7 (trained) Crafting +0 (untrained)
Max: Athletics +8 (trained) Crafting +9 (trained)
Zelphari: Athletics +10 (expert) Crafting -1 (untrained)

So it looks like it'll be up to Zelphari to do most of the heavy lifting, possibly with Azu and Max Aiding him. If Crafting is needed on the other side, then it will need to be Max that goes over.

The rest of us should probably sit back and watch, as the chances of us crit failing an Aid roll is way high, and our chances of succeeding at one way low.

Anyone have any better ideas?

So if I read the description correctly we could climb up to where the path doubles back then walk back to the other side of the bridge and haul it up and repair it. We have a couple of climbing kits so Zelphari and Max can climb up and if they critically fail the climbing kits have an excellent chance to prevent a nasty fall. Once they get up they can use a rope to haul Hobbs up and the three of us can go to to the far side of the chasm to repair the bridge.

Yes, Athletics to haul up the bridge.
Your options are up to where the path continues above you, down the chasm and back up, or over (long jump) the chasm. If someone ties the bridge on the other side, anyone else can just walk across it.

Not that it matters much, but I seem to have made some mistakes in writing the skills in my statblock. I copy-pasted a different character's stats as a template, and I seem to have left in some stuff (I'm not trained in Crafting, for instance). Also seem to not have updated my skills to level 4. Luckily I consult his actual character sheet for skills and such, so there'll be no change gameplay-wise. If you see some changes, that'll explain it.

So far we know the following:

Climbing up and down chasm: expert in Athletics (only Zelphari qualifies)
Long Jump: Athletics vs DC 25 (a good way to die)
Pull up bridge: Athletics vs DC ??
Repair bridge: Crafting vs DC ??

It seems that climbing the chasm requires no skill roll as long as the person is an expert in Athletics, otherwise forget it. So Zelphari can get to the other side of the chasm without a problem. Assuming the DC for pulling up the bridge isn't to onerous, we can get Twyl to tie a rope to the loose end and take it over to Zelphari for him to pull it up.

The only problem then will be Repairing the bridge. As Hobbs states, we need to get him and/or Max over to the other side with Zelphari. To do that, we're going to have to hope that Zelphari can drop down some rope from 40 feet up where the path doubles back to reduce the Athletics requirements of a climb to something Hobbs, but more likely, Max can handle.

GM... do we know what the DC for a rope-assisted climb of the chasm would be? How about pulling up the bridge and repairing it?

There's still a check for Experts in Athletics (I may or may not disagree with how they're presenting the rules), you're just not even allowed to succeed at the free climb if you're less than Expert.

DC for climbing a rope is 15.

There's still a check for Experts in Athletics (I may or may not disagree with how they're presenting the rules), you're just not even allowed to succeed at the free climb if you're less than Expert.

That does seem odd. Maybe there is a Core rule which addresses this? I haven't seen it, but then I am not an expert on the rules.

My best guess is that they were thinking of the Hazard rules which have proficiency limitations on who can detect and who can disarm various hazards and confounded it with the example tasks by proficiency under the skills.

What do the Sky diamond and kodama rope do?

The sapling, olivine and sky diamond are the three foci that we're using to unclog the ley lines. We've already placed the sapling and olivine, so they're struck out. The rest of the items are gifts that we've received or magical items that we picked up along the way. I don't know if they do anything; I suspect that they are merely treasure bundles, but I'm keeping track of them just in case.

You have not specifically tried to Identify them as some scenarios will expect you to do with found magic items... but, Jayma is right, these don't actually do anything except represent treasure bundles.

How many of us need to climb the wall and how many attempts do we need to make?

The way I see it, this is the Zelphari and Maximillian show and the rest of us are merely the audience. As far as I can tell, the following are the steps required to surmount this obstacle.

1) Zelphari climbs up 40' to the switched-back path above. (Athletics roll - success?)
2) Zelphari drops a rope down to Maximillian who then climbs up to join him. (Follow the Expert & Athletics roll +2 vs DC 15)
3) Zelphari and Max walk back along the path to reach the other side of the bridge gap.
4) Twyl/Unseen Servant ties a rope to the dangling end of the bridge and flies over the gap to Zelphari with the other end. (Roll required?)
5) Zelphari and Max pull up on the rope to bring the dangling end of the bridge to their side of the gap (Athletics roll)
6) Max securely reattaches their end of the bridge to their side of the gap (Crafting roll)
7) The rest of us cross the bridge in perfect safety and the adventure continues.

Azu has decent Athletics, so he could follow Zelphari and Max up the chasm to the other side of the bridge gap. He could also help with the heaving to pull the bridge up, but he has no Crafting, so that would still be Max's job.

As an FYI, Azu has the Tarnbreaker's Trail boon which allows him to treat steep slope Greater Difficult Terrain as Difficult Terrain

Any indication of why that big honking statue suddenly appeared? It rose up and walks in our direction, but why? Did we do something wrong?

You restored the power supply. Only "wrong" in the sense that this ancient machine is running off it's old programming and causing this encounter to happen.

The toy dog was supposed to be a clue that some of you picked up on that this would happen.

EDIT: @ Jayma: it is a circumstance bonus, so shield won't increase your AC, but you could still use it for the Shield Block effect.

Ah, thanks. I had misinterpreted and thought the creature just came stomping along (my fault, not yours). Still a bit strange to me that the dog was friendly and this isn't, but oh well.

Also, no worries about neglecting the PbP, real life comes first. :)

Well, the dog was a toy. This is a battle engine. They have different programing. :)

Seems we've gone from griffons to combat in one GM post with no opportunity for players to take precautions or prep, or whatnot.

Is it reasonable for Azu to figure this ritual might go bad and result in combat (like seemingly every other ritual...lol) and for Azu to be standing with his weapons at the ready?

Sure. Rituals performed by Pathfinders tend to summon trouble.

So is this creature stuck in the archway? Or can it move out, or is it intentionally blocking the archway?

@Team - We probably want it to come out at least 5' so we can flank it.

It is not stuck. Beyond that, you don't know why it stopped there. Draw whatever conclusion you might from the fact that Zelphari is in reach of it's arms (it just critically failed its attack).

Though it seems like a success means no damage at all?

They’re all wearing 10 temporary HP and I rolled well below average on damage, so 7 hp absorbed by the temp HP on a success or 15 on a fail (5 real damage) or 30 on a critical fail (20 real damage).

Aah, thanks for the clarification. Misread the HP buffer as an evasion-like effect.

I was giving it a Dr. Strange in What If..? style. :)

+1 Hero Point to Hobbs

GM, two things: Tempest Surge deals 2 persistent damage, as it's heightened. Only noticed just now. Don't think 2 damage more or less will matter at this point.

No, but I'll change it now. This round was the first round it actually did any damage.

Also, how far did that shockwave reach? I might want to get closer, but not necessarily within reach of another wave.

60 ft

Ah, cool, thanks!

That'll take care of the statue, but I've got to put my kids to bed.

That'll take care of the statue, but I've got to put my kids to bed.

eh. They fall asleep on the floor once they run out of gas.

GM Blake wrote:

That'll take care of the statue, but I've got to put my kids to bed.

eh. They fall asleep on the floor once they run out of gas.

...I wish.

All that is left is farewells and an epilogue.

You received full rewards: 10 TB, 4 faction reputation, 2 bonus Envoy's Alliance reputation.

I'll report this game shortly.

Well, I don't know who says casters suck in this version, but Jayma had to be the top damage dealer, or close to it.

@GM Blake.. Great job. Looking forward to my next chance to sit at your virtual table.

Well, I don't know who says casters suck in this version, but Jayma had to be the top damage dealer, or close to it.

@GM Blake.. Great job. Looking forward to my next chance to sit at your virtual table.

I mean... a Flurry Ranger against someone with Hardness is going to have a hard time, as well as someone who's shooting a bow at it. No offense meant, sorry if it comes across as such. Didn't mean you imply you didn't carry your weight. Big blasts like Jayma helps a lot.

Blake, thanks for the game! You're a nice GM, I had great fun! :) (Though I might be biased, this was very much Arlo's area of expertise. :P)

You're welcome, everyone. Anticipate chronicles this weekend.

Sorry my posting slowed towards the end when my work ramped up.

But thanks for the game, GM. Enjoyed your GMing as usual.

I feel your pain, Kuey. :)

I mean... a Flurry Ranger against someone with Hardness is going to have a hard time, as well as someone who's shooting a bow at it. [ooc]No offense meant, sorry if it comes across as such. Didn't mean you imply you didn't carry your weight.[/ooc

Not offended at all. I don't know that has anything to do with Flurry per se, more like the entire class design. Bow or blade, Rangers get that common dual attack option which combines damage for Resistance. So not necessarily any worse off than anyone else in melee vs Resistance. The problem is really the action economy issue with the class design.

Ideally, I should be making all my attacks with a flanking buddy and that would allegedly up my damage. But that's often not possible. In the last fight, I kept having to switch Prey and move to attack. That routinely leaves me no option to Command Animal. Even if the companion were Mature, it would continually have to use its one action to move.

Versus the construct, I couldn't flank the creature the first couple of rounds. Even when it did move out, I would have had to stand still and risk a pummeling. I would have done that in the next round, but it was already defeated.

In retospect, I should have stayed put after it moved out. With Arlo in the party, I could have accepted a higher level of risk in exchange for damage, but I was thinking that was always a plan B if the casters couldn't whittle it down.

I suppose as a Precision Ranger, I could have had a bear companion just sit and add attack for an extra 2d8, but Companions are crit magnets, so you run the risk that GM one or two shots your companion in a boss fight.

Yeah, the Ranger is just not a powerful class. I think people have anecdotal evidence about Precision Rangers with crits doing massive damage. But the that's like a 1 in 320 (7 or 8 on both damage die and Precision dieo on a crit) of happening. I am running a Precision Ranger (archer) in an AP. First combat I crit and did like 30 points of damage at level 1 (like 20 of it overkill). That hasn't happened again in four levels.