[PF2/Farol] #1-19: Iolite Squad Alpha - Delta Squad (high tier) (Inactive)

Game Master Farol

Please provide the following information:
Character Name (required):
Character PFS# (required):
Character Level (required):
Character Faction (required):
Downtime (optional*):

The game will start mid this week (around 7th or 8th)

Character: Teja Khelledottir
PFS#: 100387-2001
Level: 5
Faction: Grand archive
Downtime: academic: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
I think that is 5.6gp, but still getting my head around this bit.

Please provide the following information:
Character Name (required): Emmanuel Holysmith
Character PFS# (required): 133608-2001
Character Level (required): 5
Character Faction (required): Envoy's Alliance
Downtime (optional*): Performance: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24 >Level 3 task< should be successful and earn me 4 gp.

Manny took the Fighter Dedication and has >Opportunist<, so he can use his reaction to take AoOs.

Manny also has >Untrained Improvisation< so he can attempt Trained skill checks, even if he isn't actually trained in the skill.

Teja, good to meet you again. We chased a bog maiden and based some unexpected undead.

@Emmanuel Ahh yes! I'm starting to enjoy the PFS2 scenarios a little more now. I'm getting the feel for the system better, and some of the later ones are less dungeon crawly which is a nice change of pace.

And thanks very much for the seat GM.

Character Name (required): Arlo Rumble
Character PFS# (required): 127656-2002
Character Level (required): 5
Character Faction (required): Verdant Wheel
Downtime (optional*): Gozreh Lore: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
That's a success, that should be 4 gold pieces.

Thanks for the seat, GM! I've updated my profile, should be ready to go!

Character Name (required): Zizark
Character PFS# (required): 2389047-2003
Character Level (required): 5
Character Faction (required): Horizon Hunters
Downtime (optional*): Cult Lore 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

I'm working on getting the profile updated now.

[ed] Updated, and the downtime will have been a success for 4 GP.

Character Name: Jiki the Flatulist
Character PFS#: 312045-2001
Character Level: 5
Character Faction: Grand Archive
Downtime: 8 days' Off-Hours Study

Hey folks.

I would like to welcome you all at my table.

@Aerondor - it is good to be having you at my table. I played at plenty of your SFS games, and I played with a number of your PC's (including Teja in around 5 tables or more). It is good to be playing with you again!

@chadius - I played with Many in Curious Claim, but you GM'ed The Burden Evy and Putrid Seeds for my PC's. I don't think we played beyond that, but it would be a pleasure to run a game for Many.

@Quentin - yeah I played with Arlo in: Devil at Crossroads and then the duo: 1-09 and 1-23 ;) So I know him. Anyway, it is great to be playing with him again. I am fond of that halfling!

@cmlobue - hey mate. Good to be seeing Jiki again. In the recruitment there were 3 bards, so I was wondering if that would cause issues, but overall bards are full-blown casters.

@EbonFist - yeah I know Zabu, and Sabertooth as well ;) I played with Zabu and he is an interesting character. And I GM'ed a quest for Ulfgar (whom I like a lot!). At the same time, we are playing Malevolence together. I know for certain that we played in SFS (Hellih played with your solarian in my first pbp game 1-05 ;)) It would be cool to have you at my table!

@benyar - from what i checked I don't think I ever played with you (I played only 1 PbD game ;)). But I am super excited to met you and your PC. I hope you will enjoy the game!

Few things, as we wait for Zabu to provide his information:

- I love to receive feedback! If you like/don't like something that I do, or should be doing please speak up!
- I love RP'ing, I really enjoy when teams being to interact with each other and the game is something more than GM talking to each of the players ;)
- I set up google slides (link at the top of the campaign): please have a look if you have access and can modify things. I put your avatars (if you use different image please replace it, just make it round ;))
- I set up Macro sheet, I will use it to generate rolls for Initiative and Recall Knowledge checks. Please fill it in
- Everyone is lvl 5 so we play high tier (24 CP)
- I will be giving Hero Point every 1.5 weeks roughly (next HP shall be given around 16th of December)

Few things that you need to do:
- Ensure that you have access to slides (you should have)
- Fill in the macro sheet (link at the top)
- Let me know if you have PF2 glyphs that would allow you to give up Hero Points (and pick players that would get it, everyone is lvl 5;)
- Select School items, and do the purchases before the scenario starts.

In the great spending of Fame before it went away, I picked up three hirelings, with Medicine, Nature and Religion. Any preferences which one I bring?

>Clever Improviser< lets me use skills even if I need to be Trained in the skill. Also, my Proficiency bonus is equal to half my level. I've filled in everything in the macros sheet.

I have 1 glyph to give away. I'll give it to 1d4 ⇒ 3 Zizark. I added it to the slides.

I choose 1 scroll of >Heroism< as my school item.

In the great spending of Fame before it went away, I picked up three hirelings, with Medicine, Nature and Religion. Any preferences which one I bring?

Bring in your Medicine Hireling- I'm an Expert in Religion (+9).

Arlo's a Cleric, and has all three trained (Religion at Expert, even), so feel free to choose. I'm not sure how Hirelings work, can they take part in combat? Extra healing would be nice.

I have two glyphs, so here I go: 1d4 ⇒ 3, 1d3 ⇒ 1
Teja and Emmanuel get my Hero Points. Updated in the slides.

Also, good to discuss beforehand: I have Assurance Medicine for a 19, so I can do standard 2d8 Battle Medicines. But I also have a +14 on it, so the chances of me critting for 4d8, or trying a DC 20 for 2d8+10 is also an option. I typically spend my Hero Points on those if I fail, so chances are good I make my checks. Do people have a preference?
A) Assurance for 2d8
B) Roll for DC 15, critting is reasonable
C) Roll for DC 20, chance of failure

I'll grab a scroll of Heroism as well.

Also, relevant information for the GM: I have Battle Medicine, Continual Recovery, and Ward Medic, so I can heal 2 people out of combat in 10-minute intervals.

Also, Druid Dedication, Halfling Luck, Watchful Halfling (bonus versus possessed people - don't think it'll ever come up, but you never know), and Wildwood Halfling, so natural vegetation doesn't slow me down.

I like to post these things, so GMs aren't surprised when I do something weird.

@benyar - from what i checked I don't think I ever played with you (I played only 1 PbD game ;)). But I am super excited to met you and your PC. I hope you will enjoy the game!

I've only ever played one other game on this forum, and the bulk of my posts here came from GMing the 2-00 special back in Sept-Oct. I am not very active here, but this game is one I've been excited to play for a while and I need the slower pace of a forum right now. I'm quite excited to play this.

I'll re-examine my character sheet later today to make sure there are no errors and then fill in the macro sheet and give you an avatar.

In advance -- thanks for running this!

Hmmm... I also have a glyph hero point to give away. Assuming the HP count on Slide 4 is accurate... 1d3 ⇒ 2

Please give a hero point to Jiki.

Looking at the macros, it seems like the Nature hireling would be most useful, since we don't have an expert there yet (and we managed to have an overlapping lore with the Medicine hireling as well).

Character Name Zabu "Daggertooth" Creed
Character PFS# 143948-2002
Character Level 5th
Character Faction Horizon Hunters
Downtime Legal Lore: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

I'm terrible with the downtime, but I think that's a fail and thus I get .64.

Zabu has the Titan Wrestler feat and he likes to trip and grapple people.

He's also got Illusion sense all the time as a gnome and Supernatural Senses when he's raging. And Deny Advantage all the time as a Barbarian.

I'm trained in every skill, though not great at the wisdom ones.

Also I have Kreightons Cognitive Crossover

So when you roll a secret society or occultism check for recall knowledge and I don't get any knowledge - you get to roll another check using the other skill (helpfully the same bonus!).

Looking forward to playing with you all.

Zizark has Cognitive Crossover also, but it's Occultism crossed with Cult Lore.

Zizark casts divine spells, but they're generally destructive and harmful in nature. There's one heal due to Divine Evolution, but he mostly casts damaging and debuff spells. He's not a healer.

Oh...almost forgot.

I'll take the two healing potions from my school.

Jiki will take the lesser healing potion.

Indeed, a lesser healing potion.

I'll take two lesser potions too.
Teja is also skilled in medicine and battle medicine (and with assurance can auto succeed) to help hp recovery between (or possibly even in the middle of) battle.

So officially we started.

@Zabu - I saw that you put into the macro sheet modifier of 5 or 7 to most skills when you are untrained in those. I think your modifier for things like Craftin/Society should be 0 as your INT is 0. Am I missing something from your profile that would increase your skill bonuses?

Also keep in mind, when you don't want to do Recall Knowledge in given skills (as you are untrained and don't want to be fed with potentially false information) don't fill the modifier ;)

It is written in the instructions below, but I know that plenty of people do not read them :D

I did not mean to slight Jiki. I'm unfamiliar with you all and might have conflated names. Sorry. :)

Sorry, every time I think I get a handle on the skills I realize I'm misunderstanding something. I thought untrained just meant you didn't get a bonus to level and ability not that the literal bonus was 0. I'll fix it.

Your skill bonus is your ability stat as a basis, no matter what.
However if you are trained you also add your level
And then you add the bonus from your level of training 2/4/6/8 on top of that.
There are sometimes circumstantial or item bonuses, but they are rare and typically quite small compared to PFSv1

I did not mean to slight Jiki. I'm unfamiliar with you all and might have conflated names. Sorry. :)

No worries Zizark! It was nice of you to introduce the others, not a lot of people do that. And making a mistake (especially when someone put a name and avatar to hireling) is nothing bad! I picked on that, to let Hobgoblins turn their attention to Jiki (for reasons) ;) So you did well.

And just an FYI (I learned it during the last game): Flatulist is something different than Flautist :) Although Jiki confuses everyone as he carries a flute, and I never saw his posts describing his true performance :P

Sorry, every time I think I get a handle on the skills I realize I'm misunderstanding something. I thought untrained just meant you didn't get a bonus to level and ability not that the literal bonus was 0. I'll fix it.

That is fine. I just raised it as there are not that many Barbarians with +5 modifier to skills ;)

Yeah, no problem about missing Jiki.

As for the name - I wasn't exactly sold on 2E when I made him (he is my 2001), so he was kind of a joke character who did not know the difference. I'm stuck with the message board name, but do not emphasize that aspect of the character any more now.

And just an FYI (I learned it during the last game): Flatulist is something different than Flautist :) Although Jiki confuses everyone as he carries a flute, and I never saw his posts describing his true performance :P

I did say in the beginning that Zizark would mangle the Common tongue with great glee. Notice his mis-wording of everything else, including the names of his companions. This was an intentional player (not character) decision. :)

So, in this fight Hobgoblins aids you at initiative 10 (last) ;) Then aid you in taking one of the predefined actions:
- Melee attack +15 for 1d8+6
- Blinding smoke - Fort Save DC21 or be blinded for 1d4 rounds
- Draw Attention - Will save DC19 or an enemy spend action chasing hobgoblin

Otherwise, they don't get hit or anything. For RP purposes I prefer to describe them to fight a separate enemy and spend one action aiding you as they are busy with their own fight. So treat the two enemies without a border as 'background' ;)

--------

Otherwise, they are 4 skilled soldiers that get 1 action every round, otherwise acting 'professional' on a battle field :|

I failed to mention in my last turn, but it's currently not relevant.

Zizark will cast Blood Vendetta as a reaction should he receive piercing, slashing, or persistent bleed damage.

I noticed I hadn't yet prepped any third-level spells. I'll put those in after this fight, so my choices aren't influenced by what's going on right now.

Taking this part out of the story since it's entirely OOC:

Out of curiosity why crit damage is 5d8 compared to 2d4 for normal? A reminder, you forgot Inspire Courage which is still in effect, but that would be miss even with extra +1

The light pick has the fatal 1d8 trait - on a critical hit, the damage die changes to d8 AND you add an extra die. If you prefer, I can just roll 2d8+4 for you to double, as you'd likely do on a crit with any other weapon, and then an additional d8; I was shooting for simplicity in rolling the whole thing in one expression.

Also I forgot Kobold Weapon Expertise in those rolls, which on a critical hit invokes the pick's critical specialization effect -- 2 more damage per weapon damage die.

Also I'm afraid I'm terminally forgetful of Inspire Courage. I'll try to do better. :)

GM, just checking: The Grab action is an action, it's not a free rider on top of the attack.
Similarly, Swallow Whole is also an action to perform (unless stated otherwise in the creature entry)

So the beast did a move, attack, grab, swallow, and another attack. That seems a bit much. Is that correct? Not trying to rules lawyer my way out of this, just helping a fellow GM. :)
(If it's not correct, I don't mind being swallowed. People have already acted on it and it's difficult to retcon. Though removing the damage on Zizark would be nice.)

Taking this part out of the story since it's entirely OOC:

Fearless GM wrote:

Out of curiosity why crit damage is 5d8 compared to 2d4 for normal? A reminder, you forgot Inspire Courage which is still in effect, but that would be miss even with extra +1

The light pick has the fatal 1d8 trait - on a critical hit, the damage die changes to d8 AND you add an extra die. If you prefer, I can just roll 2d8+4 for you to double, as you'd likely do on a crit with any other weapon, and then an additional d8; I was shooting for simplicity in rolling the whole thing in one expression.

Also I forgot Kobold Weapon Expertise in those rolls, which on a critical hit invokes the pick's critical specialization effect -- 2 more damage per weapon damage die.

Also I'm afraid I'm terminally forgetful of Inspire Courage. I'll try to do better. :)

And as I feared... the explanation made sense :D keep on rolling those 5d8's it is simpler that way.

With regards to Inspire Courage, I have a bard and I know how often people forget, and GM's as well. I usually am good at it, but you'll never know ;)

GM, just checking: The Grab action is an action, it's not a free rider on top of the attack.

Similarly, Swallow Whole is also an action to perform (unless stated otherwise in the creature entry)

So the beast did a move, attack, grab, swallow, and another attack. That seems a bit much. Is that correct? Not trying to rules lawyer my way out of this, just helping a fellow GM. :)
(If it's not correct, I don't mind being swallowed. People have already acted on it and it's difficult to retcon. Though removing the damage on Zizark would be nice.)

Why there is someone speaking from the Wolf's belly? :P

Yeah, you are right... The scenario, when describing the creature, mentioned swallow whole as a 1-action thingy. The online description specifies that the enemy needs to be grabbed. A dumb mistake from my end, but this is my first swallowing creature in my GM career.

To retcon, we will go with him only attacking Arlo and grabbing him by the head => hence confusion from you team members that you are already swallowed :D

- Then the liberating command still makes sense, you are still grabbed, and with a bit of ... fortune... you will be swallowed next round. Keep in mind the wise words of Drax: 'the skin is thinner on the inside'

I think grab works differently in PFS2 from PFS1 as well. If PFS1 it was often a free action if you hit.
We're all still learning the new system.

Yes, Grab (not Grapple) works as soon as you hit, but it requires an action. I believe there is Improved Grab, which is a free action, but it's for higher level monsters.

Grab was one of my most hated abilities in 1e. Technically a monster could attack, grab, constrict, release and then do it multiple times in a turn to rack up constrict damage. One of my PCs was killed by one with 4 attacks, each one dealing Str damage. Joy.

I think constrict/release/grap/constrict was an unintended side effect of the way the rules were written. I'm pretty sure I've had the option and not taken it. My thinking being "Why would an animal int level creature let some of something it was constricting?"

Even for an intelligent opponent I think it is an unfair tactic that was unintended. Given the power of some of the splat-books additions to 1st edition characters I may have been tempted but don't think I ever did it.

Yeah, there's this PFS1 scenario with an awakened octopus. It could do that whole grab-constrict routine eight times. That was not cool. I would personally have made that an "end of turn"-thing, as I imagine it takes time to properly squeeze your prey.

I'm not sure if I played that, but I have played another scenario where the GM used that tactic. At least I don't recall that beasies having eight arms. Even just doing it round after round was pretty nasty, rather than just a plain constrict..

The fight is over! Congratulations on your doings!

As the 1.5 weeks is approaching (roughly an hour of gameplay) I shall give the Hero Point to Zabu, for playing Red Riding Hood's Grandma

Next, HP shall be granted around 27th of December (as a Christmas gift)

I've prepped my third-level spells. And considering it's nightfall, I guess we'll start a new day soon. So my loadout will look like this:

Divine Prepared spells DC 21, attack +11
0: Daze, Guidance, Light, Shield, Stabilize
1: Air Bubble, Fear, Sanctuary
2: See Invisibility, Sudden Blight, Faerie Fire
3: Calm Emotions, Searing Light

BTW. Christmas is coming ;) Due to that my posting this week could suffer. Historically it was not bad, but I have to deal with some chores, so we will see.

Assume that I will not post 24-26 December. I could surprise you thou ;)

I'm on vacation from Dec 28-30. I should have internet but I know my posting speed will slow down as I'll be at the mercy of airports and tourist traps.

I'm sure there will be a flurry of messages like this around the board soon, but I'm off tomorrow and Monday for the holidays so my posting will likely be sparse, if not nonexistent.

Merry Nondenominational Season of Joy, Reflection and Sharing to everyone!

Hey Folks, I hope you had awesome Holiday/weekend. We are back with the game, to be frank, we are close to finishing it. This is the last fight. The scenario itself is relatively short (only 2 combats and a few skill checks).

==================

Since it is time to give Hero Points I shall give one to Manny for this Song Well done!

In a different game, My sorceress cast Calm Emotions at a group of kobolds. In that case it was obvious most of them were pacified, since they lowered their weapons and asked why their leader was still so hostile.

But I doubt these are talking spiders...