GM ZD Breaking the Storm Arc (Inactive)

Game Master Z...D...

Wayfinders can only light themselves up.

Pip can swap her one primal cantrip, so she could get Light and place it on an object. She could either hang it in the tree on the middle northern islet or put it on an arrow and fire it once combat begins.

The flames to the west, by description, light up a solid 20 feet from each of them in normal light, and for those who see in dim, another 20 feet. Means that most of the north-south section of the river is lit up. (bridge is not by the fire. But as that is where I expect to be unless scouting says otherwise, my wayfidner will handle that.)

So a light source on northern island, and the light trees somewhat centrally located, covers most areas. At least enough that those with low-light can direct us without. Speaking of, Bardyth has a single sunrod in his pack he has kept around for just such an occasion. (The occasion being "need to light something up at a distance.") It can be dropped out on the island (here's hoping 6 hours is plenty for this adventure), allowing those with low-light to see most of the river, and the rest of us to see a good chunk.

(as a reminder. Per core-book, page 464 anything that just lists an amount of Bright Light/sunlight... like the trees, sheds dim-light for double the listed distance. So for those with Low-light, each tree provides a 40 foot radius.)

The lighting never seemed to be a problem in this scenario, it was the smoke in the that hid the characters.

Working on a post, will have it up shortly.

Hopper is fine being whenever on the map, with 80 ft of movement in 1 action (due to mount command an animal) he can move rather easily.

Hilary is at work until relatively late tonight. Probably be three hours or more before she would have a chance to post.

Even after we agree on tree positioning we'll each have to pick which tree is ours since they act on our turn. I'll pick one of the violet ones.

Can the trees sense each other? So for example could a violet tree heal a blue tree even if one or both have concealment? If not it might require some adjusting.

We might want those 2 PCs in the north to be out in the open. That area has the least coverage but we want it to appear strong so the enemies head to our better defended zones.

Hopefully I don't seem too pushy on the tree placement. Decision paralysis can be a problem on PbP so I'm trying to speed things up a bit and at least give us a starting point.

I'd be picking the Violet one nearest Bardyth. As the color is determined by the one planting it, and that would be the only color he would choose.

As for sensing each-other, they have low-light vision listed as their perception. As such, pretty sure they are affected the same way as we are for targeting. Thus, being in the trees means there's a DC5 flat-check to successfully cast on such. Unless GM says otherwise. (Which would make plenty of sense. Because of "willing target" being a requirement. And usually concealment etc is supposed to target unwilling things... But 2e doesn't give much about what Willing means, beyond the fact you can choose at any time to be willing or not.)

You're fine on the trees. They are pretty close to what I would have put them, and fully agree that Decision Paralysis can be a problem, even in a PbP.

I'll hang my lit Wayfinder just across the bridge so Bardyth can see if someone is coming. It's also within reach of the red tree if anyone moves into that square and tries to climb up and get it.

I'll hang my lit Wayfinder just across the bridge so Bardyth can see if someone is coming. It's also within reach of the red tree if anyone moves into that square and tries to climb up and get it.

As I mentioned in my wall of text in gameplay. those fire squares shed light like a torch. Bardyth's wayfinder bright light covers out to the edge of a torch's bright light. no need for a wayfinder there. thanks though :)

Literally. drop that wayfinder on the top of south-east rockface, and keep violet trees where they are, and lowlight vision sees all but a random square or to on the exact edge of northern part of map. Making the blue trees able to fire at anything, anywhere

I moved it south of the well. If we have to guard it we should be able to see it clearly.

fair enough. :)

Well, I'm happy with object tree and bardyth placement. everyone else decide where you want, and lets get this tower defense started :D

Or one of the ranged characters can borrow it. But yes between the fires, The violet trees, and your glow rod light shouldn't be an issue.

Since we need to guard that south east path exit by the rocks, too, you chose a perfect spot for bright light on both. :)

I so wish I had some caltrops for this.

Cool seeing a scenario where traps would have actually been useful. Most of them that is not the case. Guess I will have to check what can be done now in PF2 for that sort of thing.

What time is it / how many hours until dawn?

Unless you buy the trap ahead of time, you need the snarecraft feat or feature to make one on the go.. .And, unfortunately, once placed, can't really be moved (except certain feats let you move them 5 feet per round...). Thus, their cost is pretty large for the entire possibility that they don't get triggered...

Besides the mysterious and expensive box Herondal bought before we left I plan to buy a scroll of Glitterdust when we get back.

As long as he's not taking the brunt of most of the fighting, I'm okay with having Ionic be wherever you need him. Even with a level bump, being the lowest level in a high tier scenario can be deadly, but he can probably handle one of the creatures in the first wave one-on-one assuming the dice aren't nasty.

Once everyone is happy with there positioning and understand which tree they are responsible for, please acknowledge here again. Then we can started.

To answer a question or two.

Hopper is set, the tree is selected (Northern most blue one)

Mostly by process of elimination how about Ionic Saltbeard and Pip start out in the NE part of the map near the river in the trees with Wolvie guarding the entrance to the well?

And I'll actually pick the red tree.

Mostly by process of elimination how about Ionic Saltbeard and Pip start out in the NE part of the map near the river in the trees with Wolvie guarding the entrance to the well?

And I'll actually pick the red tree.

Having Pip and Ionic start up that way should be fine. (But Wolfie I think stays with Hopper. As it sounds like Hopper has invested strongly in having their character riding Wolfie... Maybe have Pip's dog, Bailiff, guard the well if Pip isn't so engaged on?)

Probably have Ionic closer to the middle, due to the shorter movement. (don't want him to get killed, cus he is right. Bottom level in a high tier is very dangerous. But also want him to have a chance to contribute too, cus I know how much sucks to feel like you are just along for the ride in a combat-heavy scenario. Which this has been explained by the GM to be.)

And maybe put him in-charge of the other Violet tree. So if he goes down, the healing that can save him from needing to spend a Hero Point to stabilize, possibly, happens on his turn? (as well as help with the fact we know the critters most likely to take the river have blood that can cause damage. Which sound like a "if struck by melee weapon. do X damage back" type reaction/effect. So him getting healed immediately after that happens should help keep him from getting dropped too easily.

Just my two cents.

@gm ZD
As for not bringing in other memories, since you weren't a GM for. Fully understood. Hence me asking first.

The description for dark/dim-light specifically says in the description it is dark be cause the smoke blocks "the night sky." (Oddly, it is the last paragraph about the river. Not the fires. yay organization/editing.) Hence the question of when is dawn.

The question on the trees targeting, is because the undergrowth is described as giving concealment to "any creature in it". which is a DC5 flat check too. The trees count as a creature... So the question became if being a Willing target, in your table, allows one to still be auto-targeted by a friendly effect. (namely, Heal). Or if the concealment always applies.

Otherwise, I am set up, claim southern violet tree, and await the start

@GM ZD
The description says the setting sun so I was expecting it to be later than that. We are supposedly protecting this area until sunrise the next day.

Basically all I want is to know when it is about 7.5 hours until the ritual should be done. At that point I will want to activate my brand new still in the box wand of 2nd level Longstrider to get my movement rate up to 45’.

——
@Everyone,

Bailiff is just a riding dog, in the past Pip has avoided having it be a combat creature.

I will claim the northern violet tree.

I have added text with lines to indicate each person’s tree on the map. Once the action has started, I am fine with removing the labels. I just thought it would help a lot with defining which trees were still open.

So the question became if being a Willing target, in your table, allows one to still be auto-targeted by a friendly effect. (namely, Heal). Or if the concealment always applies.

Concealment would still apply.

Basically all I want is to know when it is about 7.5 hours until the ritual should be done. At that point I will want to activate my brand new still in the box wand of 2nd level Longstrider to get my movement rate up to 45’.

Could of sworn I read early afternoon some where...could be another game I'm running...smh.

If it makes it easier, I can say that your wand of longstrider would last until the end of the scenario. Not much lag time in between encounters.

If it makes it easier, I can say that your wand of longstrider would last until the end of the scenario. Not much lag time in between encounters.

Yes, it does make it simpler. Thanks!

Switched trees to the blue one next to him so Pip could have a Purple tree. :)

Now that we are done with the Pathfinder Tower Defense strategy portion, now lets get into the fun stuff. Rolling virtual dice.

assuming blue tree resistance doesn't stack with ring resistance,

Correct. The higher resistance would take over.

Barydeth wrote:

assuming blue tree resistance doesn't stack with ring resistance,

Correct. The higher resistance would take over.

Ironically, there is no "higher" in this case. The tree provides identical to the ring. Hence the hoping it wasn't a wasted purchase for this scenario... if it is... well... fire is a common enough damage type.

Btw it is safe to assume Herondal will be Inspiring Courage on his turn no matter what else he does so take that into account if I don't post quickly.

Ironically, there is no "higher" in this case. The tree provides identical to the ring. Hence the hoping it wasn't a wasted purchase for this scenario... if it is... well... fire is a common enough damage type.

Those with the fire resistance rings get the reduced Fire damage regardless of where they are on the battlefield. Everyone else needs to stay near a tree to get it.

I wouldn’t call the purchase wasted.

So as a tree, do I get three actions?

I’m just wondering if I should have attacked more when I acted. Each attack is only one action, so if I had more actions I could have soaked more fire creatures!

The trees each get 2 actions and the handout specifies what they each do. The blue trees use fire ward then shoot.

Ok, I wonder if we don't have to take the battle to the other side of the river. If they can cast such huge (in size) AOE, we might want to go after them.

Wolfie can easily jump over the river, and they should be able to entertain one of the horned creatures. I think Salliss with his 45 speed could do this as well.

We can spread out a bit to avoid some of the aoe.

Anyone who moves to their side would get swarmed. We have ranged attacks and healing. They have aoe. But they have to come to us to succeed while we just have to survive.

I have the feeling we will get the option to buy a much weaker version of these feathers.

The trees each get 2 actions and the handout specifies what they each do. The blue trees use fire ward then shoot.

Thanks, that explains it nicely. I had not absorbed the part about granting the fire ward taking an action. Fortunately it acted quickly enough to grant it before the fireball.

I'm not sure if it was on purpose or not but if yes then credit to the author for that turn 1 aoo. It gives the controller of the violet trees something to do right away.

Hopefully they mix it up a bit.

Ok, I wonder if we don't have to take the battle to the other side of the river. If they can cast such huge (in size) AOE, we might want to go after them.

Wolfie can easily jump over the river, and they should be able to entertain one of the horned creatures. I think Salliss with his 45 speed could do this as well.

Right now I agree with Herondal, stay on our side of the river. Let them try to cross the river. If it turns out the goat-heads can fireball at will, then we need to go to them.

With his speed, Salliss can clear a 10’ gap normally. Would need an athletics check to leap further. Most areas of the river can be cleared with his normal leap.

Also, across the river quickly enters into dealing with the smoke and risk of being sickened. As much as I want to blindly charge in and slaughter things... Caution is suggested at this point

Added the trees to the combat tracker since they are getting hammered as well.

Looking again at the lay out of the trees and the wording on the handout. The blue trees fire ward ability on targets allies. Since you do not count as you own allies, Ionic's and Salliss' tree do not grant themselves or each other the 5 resist fire like I first thought.

Target rules

The only thing that changes is that Ionic's and Salliss' tree takes an additional 5 fire damage from the previous fireball.

Other than that, carry on, you all got this.

Since we are retconning, I had missed that Standard Cover provides a bonus +2 to Reflex saves.

With that bonus, Salliss would have made the first save and not needed the Hero Point.

Mind if I recover that?

I don’t know if the cover would have changed the results for anyone else. Unfortunately the cover was reduced by the fireball so no bonus on the second instance.

Sure, I am okay with that.

I'll put a Hero Point back on you.

Think I’m going to need some healing…not getting my own fire ward really hurts.

Um in light of the trees not getting their own resistances, could Ionic put his Ring of Fire Resistance on his tree and protect it that way? It's an invested item, but I haven't found anything in the rules that prevents a mindless thing from investing other than the flavor of it.

From what I am reading, I do not think it would work. To invest an item, it takes one or more interact actions. As mindless plants, and with a set routine that lists out it's only actions, I do not think it would have the ability to invest an item.

I appreciate you putting in different spoilered what ifs..keeps things moving nicely.

I am confused, did the attack here get resolved? It looks like it may have been missed.

I am confused, did the attack here get resolved? It looks like it may have been missed.

I saw it. It was indeed a miss. Just forgot to describe in the summary post.

Ugh, I forgot that the salamanders had pikes, otherwise I would not have taken that route. Oh well, 40 Hp for learning that they have AOO, steep price but might be worth it.

Herondal doesn't have a fire resist ring and was out of range of the blue trees last time so took 16 fire damage from the fireball instead of 11.

NPC Buddy wrote:

I am confused, did the attack here get resolved? It looks like it may have been missed.

I saw it. It was indeed a miss. Just forgot to describe in the summary post.

Ouch. AC in excess of 29 (figuring for soft cover), the trees aren’t going to be hitting often and I’m at less than 50% hit rate on first shot.