GM ZD Breaking the Storm Arc (Inactive)

Game Master Z...D...

Half the people I know are sick -- whether it is Covid or Flu. This is a sucky month. Take care of your wife and little one!

Hmm

Quick question: Does it appear that the gem the things are carrying petrify people? Would a Disarm be effective in preventing them from using the gem?

Need to know because it might be worth a hail-Mary action from Salliss.

If it takes some sort of action to determine that, just let me know what my character would know without spending an action. I’m a little short of actions right now…

Demons might not play fair but then again two crits against one isn't really fair either!

A knowledge check would be needed to know more about the gem and its function.

But it wouldn't hurt to get rid of them.

Can the knowledge check be specifically for the gem since we have seen it in action? I assume it doesn’t cast a spell because if it did I would have identified it as a reaction when used on me.

Correct, you did not sense any spells being cast.

It just looks like a green gemstone. The powers coming through it are from the creature itself.

@GM - Hopper has Dubious Knowledge so he always knows something about the enemies. Let me assure you, if you tell me that Salliss need to be rubbed with mint and sage leaves to stop the petrification, Hopper will do it ;)

Do we want to spend our first aspiration point on freeing Saliss from the slowed condition?

TBH never came across the Dubious Knowledge feat...okay 1 fact, 1 fiction.

They use the Gem to see and they are weak to sonic damage.

Do we want to spend our first aspiration point on freeing Saliss from the slowed condition?

Yeah, we should use them. I just wonder if we should do it now, or at the end of the fight. I am not certain what would be the best approach but yes.

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@GM - it is a feat with interesting potential, combined with bardic lore it allows one to play a know-it-all, but at the same time as Gm I have a hard time telling untrue claims that sounds reasonable ;)

So gem to see and sonic dmg, no sage leaves this time

Just to confirm, I'm climbing up a pile of rubble right? So last turn I moved up it 10 feet.

Can I cast while standing on the rubble?

Pip Hip Hooray wrote:

Do we want to spend our first aspiration point on freeing Saliss from the slowed condition?

Yeah, we should use them. I just wonder if we should do it now, or at the end of the fight. I am not certain what would be the best approach but yes.

I would very much appreciate going into the last fight without the slowed condition. As to if we should do it now or later, I wish I knew how many times the creatures can cause the slowed condition. My chances of making the save are not good so curing it now may just cause it to get inflicted on me again.

If it does stack, we should definitely cure me when I am slowed 2!

I am not trying to collect all the conditions on my character, regardless of what my conditions line says. :)

@GM - Hopper has Dubious Knowledge so he always knows something about the enemies. Let me assure you, if you tell me that Salliss need to be rubbed with mint and sage leaves to stop the petrification, Hopper will do it ;)

Salliss would likely check his own knowledge of such things before allowing someone to dip him in such a concoction. :)

Has Hopper mentioned in character what he thinks about these creatures?

I am here for the rubbing with mint and sage! Though that sounds like an entirely different fantasy genre!

Ooh, good job with the fact and fiction, GM. Both sound plausible, and I was in fact going to try out sonic next round since those things appear to have such an appallingly high will save. It just means no more jokes this combat!

Or maybe I still tell jokes and do offensive spells, because why not?

I... really kind of wish I had taken Brutish Shove after-all... (debated back and forth between it and getting temp hp vigor feat.) Because smacking these things off the 80 ft ledge sounds fun XD

That said... this meat-shield of a barbarian really needs to get between them and some of you guys. Your HP is dropping a bit fast for my liking XD (although, I guess I kind of meat-shielded against that Demon... very accidentally)... I think I'm going to be leaping next turn.

The Disarm attempt will give us an idea how good their Reflex saves are. I doubt they are low enough that the gem is dropped, which is why I fled to where I did. I don’t expect them to pursue out on to the beams.

I can't help that it crit me last turn for a third of my HP...

I do not blame you Ionic. You have done very well. It's more u feel like I'm screwing up when I'm one of the least injured in the party... u focused on extra hp, cus I'm used to being g the punching bag.

Just to confirm, I'm climbing up a pile of rubble right? So last turn I moved up it 10 feet.

Can I cast while standing on the rubble?

The map isn't very clear. It looks like it, so sure.

And I do not see why not...go for it.

The good news was that you all took down the INVIDIAK Demon, or Shadow Demon for those who played the first edition...why did they change their names, I will never know.

I was considering going on the beams, and maybe forcing the fight there, but it could as easily throw Hopper and Wolfie off the beam so I went with providing flank and denying them possibility to flank me.

The good news was that you all took down the INVIDIAK Demon, or Shadow Demon for those who played the first edition...why did they change their names, I will never know.

Think the name change is more of them trying to give the demons some flavor. Most of the name changes has been "X Demon, also known as their previous colloquial name..."

As for taking it down. I'm just glad it worked. As an ex-slave. Bardyth is all about that "no one can control me anymore" bit... and I have yet to get to use his unfettered halfling ability. Which, now that he's getting in level ranges of being mentally controlled, seems he never will. XD

Yup, I doubt the demons call themselves shadow demons, especially using a word from common.

What I would call those demons is not appropriate for polite company. :)

So do I need to roll Acrobatics if I’m not moving? Looking at the Balance action in Acrobatics, it seems to be about moving. If I just stay where I am do I need to roll an Acrobatics check and would that use an action?

So... it's a weird question for bardyth... but should I continue to focus on dealing damage? Or try to make use of his really high athletics to remove the gem from their hands? I ask, cus I have a whip on him that he could use to disarm at reach.

Remove that gem!

Since I already rolled out my coming turn. I'll save the decision for the following turn. But I partly ask cus I know my static is ridiculously high. (Like higher than Ionic's max, non crit, damage with his off hand.) But also know I have the highest chance of a successful disarm.

Highest chance to do it successfully would be if two of us worked together on it, one to loosen the grip and the second to cause it to fall. That said, on your primary attack you might be able to get a crit success.

Assuming I have the actions, I’m thinking that I will improve Ionic’s damage potential by using my haste spell on him. He is a flurry ranger, so he has a great chance of hitting on the later attacks compared to everyone else.

Yeah, hasting Ionic sounds good... Unless these things have a stupid high damage reduction. (Really hoping they don't have a 15 vs slashing. Cus that will tank my damage XD and we have reached the level where things like that. Or resist all physical 10, exists... just usually a weakness as well... like my favorite "weakness good"... which shows up on soo many evil things as a pass for high Resistances, even though your group is no way guaranteed to be able to do good damage)

So do I need to roll Acrobatics if I’m not moving? Looking at the Balance action in Acrobatics, it seems to be about moving. If I just stay where I am do I need to roll an Acrobatics check and would that use an action?

Since it has the move trait, I would assume you would need to be moving. So if you are standing still, not roll needed.

Haste sounds good to me too. Also I'm pretty sure these things are not resistant to physical damage, as our GM would probably mention something about that either out of character or in the descriptions

Sounds like haste it is!

I have no idea what relative elevation we are at, but it is only 15’ from my character to yours. Hopefully we are within the 30’ range.

Haste sounds good to me too. Also I'm pretty sure these things are not resistant to physical damage, as our GM would probably mention something about that either out of character or in the descriptions

I don't know. "Stone like skin" sounds like physical resistance to me... at the least, it sounds like there is resistance to both slashing and piercing. As for weakness, must be cold iron, as that is the only thing my glaive has that your axe doesn't.

Yup, I posted before that post so of course I was proven wrong in the literal next GM post.

Also why I'm looking at changing to he trident, I bought a cold iron one.

I have been struggling with what to do with my third action this combat. I am thinking that I should pull out my whip next turn, and do hail mary whip attacks to disarm, in the hopes of a successful hit giving you guys a +2 on your disarm attacks.

I bought that whip before my first adventure, and have NEVER used the darn thing. But if I could aid with a disarm, that might be useful.

Assuming no MAP, it could work. The thing is it uses Athletics for Disarm so you would only have a +9.

Might want to start with Demoralize if you haven’t used that yet.

The other possibility is that I try to aid Bardyth's check, using my harmonic wayfinder's once a day option. Would that be better?

Aid requires two actions and a reaction. You would then need to roll 11+ to succeed on the Aid for the Athletics check. I think you would also need to have the target in reach.

No, I do not think it a better option for this case.

If you still own a whip, you could attempt the Disarm. A success puts them at a -2 to defend. You could even do the demoralize first to have a better chance at the Disarm.

Other options include healing people that are hurt.

I still own that whip. Heck it is still carried on Pip, I just forgot she has had it on her belt loop all this time. And yeah, it is probably time for some healing! Unfortunately, it is also time to renew Inspire Defense... Let us see where we are once the GM acts.

I also have a whip but am not much better at athletics then Pip. I doubt Assurance will be enough even as an Expert with no MAP.

The GM did not mention the creatures especially shattering to my sonic, so I think it is likely they need those gems to see. I am sad that Pip does not know Grease.

Pretty sure the disarm will be a success. I think this is the first time I've ever seen something disarmed.

It requires a critical success to pull off. Not something to build around.

The modifier for loosing the grip doesn’t even make up for MAP.

Agreed.

To be fair, 1E was laughably easy to disarm a target with enough feats. Now 2E, is on the other end of the spectrum. Maybe feats in future books, a combat related book, may help with this.

@Pip - a couple of ideas on what to do with 3rd action in combat:
- Cast guidance on Bardyth to aid him disarm (it grants status bonus) - you can do it only once ;) but still
- I think sustaining hideus laughter could be not that bad idea, if we would try to push one of them off. Catch the edge is a reaction, laughing creatures don't grab edges ;)
- You can always try tripping the creature (since they are flanked it does not give much, but it will eat one of their action to stand up), i know that chances are slim, but even a success make them fall

Outside of this combat, I personally like to take out scrolls, potions or anything else that does not hurt to have in your hand. If you have to many actions pulling potion in one and pouring it into someone the other round could be a good use. Eventually summons are a good use, when your third action is sustaining and doing something as a minion. Summon Fey's would fit nicely into who Pip Hip is, especially summoning Brownie, she is my all time favorite (graphics wise)

As I know it comes up rarely, and "stone skin" suggests blanket physical resistance to me. I'm glad Hoppers bleed die is soo big.

"Bleed Damage: Another special type of physical damage is bleed damage."

That said... yay on those identify checks to learn, in a round about fashion, that the creatures use the gem to see. Since I have whip in hand, I could leap over to the other one next round, and attempt to disarm it as well.

Yeah it is funny that Wounding rune change from 1d6 on crit to 1d12 :| But hey I will not complain, especially that GM rolled 11 ;)

Now Herondal should be able to use the gem as ammo for telekinetic projectile. It is an unattended object.

We are surrounded by rubble. That was never a problem :)

The seeing gem, not rubble!

Yes, the idea had been to get the seeing gem out of reach. I agree it isn’t defined where ammo ends up, but it wouldn’t have been in Red’s square any more.