Present.
Yeah, just having a chaotic week. Mother-in-law is in the hospital. Getting caught up on stuff today and tomorrow, though I have a feeling I'm repeating the same action as before (waiting to shoot when I see the dang thing).
I'm here.
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I'm going to modify the fear rules, moving forward. I haven't been focusing on them too much.
in addition to the 12 to Midnight Fear Effects.
Rather than post the whole pdf the basis is:
"The Horror check is simply a Will save at DC 10.
While the DC for the Horror check is always the
same, the outcome depends on the severity of the
fright. This is categorized by the horror levels minor
spook, medium shock, great fright, and horrific terror."
I'm going to use parts of: Fear Pathfinder SRD
I'm going to "set" people at - (See note in game thread)
"Spooked: The nature of your surroundings or events that you have witnessed makes you uneasy. You take a –2 penalty on saving throws against fear effects and on Perception checks, as your mind conjures potential horrors in every shadow. However, you are ready to face danger, and gain a +1 circumstance bonus on initiative checks."
and "set" at Shaken, since Stringer failed a prior save at here
If that's OK?
No one is psychic or else they'd been having the tunnels "press" on their mind the whole time.
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She failed the save and is singing but then releases that around the corner near Snoop are dozens of human arms, legs and torsos sticking out of the sides of the tunnel, grabbing and kicking and failing at the air. She made this Will save.
Thank you for pointing this out. Mind you, just saying that I make a Will save leaves me confused as to what exactly that means. I can assume that it means that I don't have to sing any more, but without seeing that specifically, I don't actually know. It could -also- mean that I don't have the apparent fear effects that the other party member has. Please be more specific in the future.
Also, please notice that this message that I'm writing is longer than your GM post. I don't mean to be all up in yer biznez, I'm just saying to please remember to breath and calm down and take some time to be more verbose in posting. Thank you!!
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Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's just take a breath for a sec.
1) GM, why are we making Reflex saves? I'm very confused. It doesn't seem that there should be saves related to the dynamite, since it has a -very- small burst radius, and I said I was throwing it a safe distance.
2) I'm not sure who 'in the front' is referring to. Is it more than just me and snoop? If so, have those people made saves against the bodiless limbs?
3) Hey guys, I'm sorry, I'm a little confused on the setting here. It seems like there is group consensus that we should retreat and tell "the authorities". I kinda thought that under the DC rules, there's a theme that humanity is headed down a long slide and it's just a matter of time to see who eats them first. I guess I took it as given that we all knew that "we are the ones we've been waiting for". But I'm wrong about this, yeah? It's more like IRL and we all need to be shown if it's different at all? Otherwise, it looks like we're just gonna waste a lot of time being told there's "nothing we can do" and we'll just be right back here, but in another two weeks of real time.
Also, aren't we supposed to be looking for someone?
4) GM, am I still only able to sing?
We are just running with the panic and confusion of horror, lol. No, no authorities are coming or will care, but that's a discussion for after the panic and confusion part.
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Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, and I get that, and that's fine. But is that really the direction we want to take here? Like, it all happens as you say, but then what? If it just has us back down here after awhile, wouldn't we be best served to skip it?
I don't want to be the stick in the mud, but it seems like we waited for so long for something exactly like this to happen, now that it is happening I'd like to kinda lean into it.
Just trying to rp a little, is all. Wraith may have nerves of adamantium, but Pearl is rightly freaked out. Also, I was under the impression we have not previously had exposure to supernatural horror, so all of this is extremely terrifying. And besides, what could we possibly hope to do about it?
We should count ourselves as lucky GM has been giving us a pass on the horror checks until now.
I'm honestly unsure if others are being affected by possible empathic attacks. So that's flavoring Mick's response.
Lots of times running away and figuring out how to kill a monster (or how to protect yourself from what it can do) are good calls. Other times, you gotta blast your way to survival. I'm not entirely sure which this qualifies as, but as the tank and Bodyguard, I'm exercising an abundance of caution after being affected by otherworldly powers.
Tl;Dr, what she said, just RPing.
Oh, and mostly my worry at the exact moment is regarding using explosives in a cramped space with who knows what coating the walls and everything, lol. Could crack and reveal a gas line behind it, could reverberate the concussion, could just absorb it and be unaffected...we will find out! Hopefully not the Chunky Salsa Effect though.
Based on the limited interaction with NPCs so far I'm sure there's not going to be much to do topside, but horror is only good if we're committed to rp it as if we're genuinely scared to death. I can't imagine my character making a choice to go forward at this point that wouldn't feel like metagaming.
We do know something, which is that we're not the only ones who know what's down here. Otherwise Lou wouldn't have known anything and written us that helpful note. If there is ready game content beyond the sewers we may be able to go figure out what is already known to get a sense of the scale of the superdimensional manifestation.
GM can steer us in the direction he wants us to go, but at a minimum I think we need more bigger guns. Or chainsaws.
Stringer is 3 levels deep into missing saves against Fear so he's ready to get the hell out of here.
From a setting perspective, Stringer's just a smart, fast-talking kid who does small time biz like selling stolen electronics out of the back of trucks and runs drone coverage for mercs on the side. A hallway made of disembodied hands? Naw, fam, get the hell outta here with that.
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Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's just take a breath for a sec.
1) GM, why are we making Reflex saves? I'm very confused. It doesn't seem that there should be saves related to the dynamite, since it has a -very- small burst radius, and I said I was throwing it a safe distance.
It still has a blast radius and there's a DC in the SRD It was minimal damage. No real serious in game injuries.
2) I'm not sure who 'in the front' is referring to. Is it more than just me and snoop? If so, have those people made saves against the bodiless limbs?
we haven't done "by the book" tactical combat. I was leaving it up the players where they thought their PCs were.
3) Hey guys, I'm sorry, I'm a little confused on the setting here. It seems like there is group consensus that we should retreat and tell "the authorities". I kinda thought that under the DC rules, there's a theme that humanity is headed down a long slide and it's just a matter of time to see who eats them first. I guess I took it as given that we all knew that "we are the ones we've been waiting for". But I'm wrong about this, yeah? It's more like IRL and we all need to be shown if it's different at all? Otherwise, it looks like we're just gonna waste a lot of time being told there's "nothing we can do" and we'll just be right back here, but in another two weeks of real time.Also, aren't we supposed to be looking for someone?
Yes your friend. You haven't found any clues to what happened to him.
4) GM, am I still only able to sing?
You're in shock but can talk will note in the game thread.
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It still has a blast radius and there's a DC in the SRD It was minimal damage. No real serious in game injuries.Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's just take a breath for a sec.
1) GM, why are we making Reflex saves? I'm very confused. It doesn't seem that there should be saves related to the dynamite, since it has a -very- small burst radius, and I said I was throwing it a safe distance.
Okay, I'm sorry, it has been quite some time since I've played 3.0 so there might be something obvious that I just don't understand, and it seems like this might come up again so it may be important that we get all clear on this.
A single unit of dynamite only has a 5 ft burst radius. I understand it has a DC, but I thought, and I may be wrong, but it seemed that that is only called for when inside the burst radius, and I tried to be careful to make sure we were outside of that. If I'm wrong about something, I need to be corrected.
Also, yes, I understand we're in an enclosed area, but with only a blast radius of 5ft, that doesn't seem so large as to bounce off walls.
Also also, even if it was larger, I don't think that are rules for explosions in small tunnels having a larger radius. I think there are things like that in, like, Shadowrun, but trust they are a convoluted mess. I'd rather just hand-wave that part and drive on. =)
When I post I'm planning to just keep firing and falling back. I'd rather not drag the rest into things just yet and been slow because I'm exhausted lol. Holiday weekend was more working than relaxing.
Julian is sticking with the people that have the guns as I did not give him a ranged weapon— not for checking up on Lou, at least. I was not expecting a sewer dive upon arrival.
Julian is sticking with the people that have the guns as I did not give him a ranged weapon— not for checking up on Lou, at least. I was not expecting a sewer dive upon arrival.
Stringer went all the way home to change and gear up before we went in the sewer so Julian had time if you want them to be ready.
Waiting on Wraith to take the lead.
Sorry, I've been super exhausted lately, haven't been able to check in much, but I'm around!
Work is constantly busy at this point, but I've finally found a decent sleep pattern in the varying schedule. I should be around more.
I'm here. We may have lost Wraith though, not sure if you want to bot her for now or no.
I'm here. Pearl and Stringer are back on the other side of the Field of Limbs, though.
One of the folks I messaged about our open spot hit me back saying he was playing around with a special forces type of guy tracking down an old army buddy. He's thinking fast with a dip in either string or smart but he's still more brainstorming than building at the moment.
Most current update: he is working on gear and fleshing out backstory and believes he'll be ready later tonight.
Guys, this seems like a good time for me to drop out. Pearl is just not the right character template for what we're doing here. Unless the game goes places where a face is actually useful, I don't see her doing much. Better to let someone else in.
Well, I think that's a shame personally (especially because a more tactical hitter will hopefully be less reckless...that may be Mick talking) but if you don't feel she's a good fit then trying to force it won't help matters.
FWIW, I think you gave me a better understanding of Mick early on, so much appreciated! Sometimes it's interacting with others that let's us really get to know the characters we build, lol.
I would stay if I had a sense that this was more than a dungeon crawl fif which Pearl is ill-suited. If there's going to be intrigue with other human npcs that would be more her skilkset.
TBH, that's one of my main issues with D20 based games of all sorts, they tend to be heavy on combat to present challenges, and while Dark Conspiracy can be a lot of figuring out how to use violence to stop monsters, investigation legwork is still critical. What we really need is to talk to someone, we just haven't found the someone who can tell us what's going on yet!
That reminds me that we need to talk to gas station guy...want to hang out long enough to take point on that?
I'll see where it goes.
Plus there's bound to be Face type stuff at the chemical company we keep talking about. Stringer's not built for in your face combat either- even once he starts taking levels in Techno Mage he's going to be a back-liner at best.
Of course, if you're not having fun then that's what's important.
I have presented two character for consideration on the Recruitment thread. One was also a charismatic hero with many of the same features as Pearl. Grace is the other who is mainly a street fighter. If Pearl is staying on and I'm still needed to add a player, I'll add Grace. If Pearl drops out, I can run Nona as a replacement, if the GM thinks it there will be Face-type stuff to do as much as combat is needed.
I've been invited to play. I'll run Grace and keep the other character I developed as a back up in case Grace buys the pesticide-laced farm.
I'm open to suggestions as to any connections to PCs or the NPC Lou that could draw a teenage martial artist street fighter to get involved. Feel free to read her background. That is a first draft that I'll revise and add detail to once other things are settled. Looking forward to joining.
I have a few purchase questions to clear up in the meantime.
Grace's wealth level is currently high enough to cover the cost of a Katana (purchase DC 12). The rules suggest that a mastercraft +1 version can usually be obtained for +3 Purchase DC.
The rules add the following: Mastercraft objects with a bonus of +2 or +3 are not common and are generally not for sale. If a mastercraft +2 object could be found for purchase, its cost would add +6 to the normal purchase DC. The cost of a mastercraft +3 object would add +9 to the normal purchase DC.
I'm thinking such an item might be something like an heirloom item that she was able to get through her connections with people in her school or perhaps an ancestor passed it down. She'd still pay for it per normal. If this is a possibility, what would be the highest available bonus?
The other item I'd like to get if available is some kind of personal conveyance like a moped, scooter, self-powered skateboard (perhaps with the kind of wheels described in the novel Snow Crash for the character YT). Another possibility would be just a conventional mountain bike or perhaps an electric powered bicycle. Let me know the purchase DC if there would be something under 23. Her current wealth level is 13 and she hasn't purchased anything over that level so far.
Welcome. I am new here as well.
As to a connection, if she is from the neighborhood. Then she would probably know Lou. Maybe he had asked her to check with her friends and at school about the strange events. Then she could just walk up. Coming to check why Lou is not returning her calls.
Just a thought.
I've been invited to play. I'll run Grace and keep the other character I developed as a back up in case Grace buys the pesticide-laced farm.
I'm open to suggestions as to any connections to PCs or the NPC Lou that could draw a teenage martial artist street fighter to get involved. Feel free to read her background. That is a first draft that I'll revise and add detail to once other things are settled. Looking forward to joining.
I have a few purchase questions to clear up in the meantime.
Grace's wealth level is currently high enough to cover the cost of a Katana (purchase DC 12). The rules suggest that a mastercraft +1 version can usually be obtained for +3 Purchase DC.
The rules add the following: Mastercraft objects with a bonus of +2 or +3 are not common and are generally not for sale. If a mastercraft +2 object could be found for purchase, its cost would add +6 to the normal purchase DC. The cost of a mastercraft +3 object would add +9 to the normal purchase DC.
I'm thinking such an item might be something like an heirloom item that she was able to get through her connections with people in her school or perhaps an ancestor passed it down. She'd still pay for it per normal. If this is a possibility, what would be the highest available bonus?
The other item I'd like to get if available is some kind of personal conveyance like a moped, scooter, self-powered skateboard (perhaps with the kind of wheels described in the novel Snow Crash for the character YT). Another possibility would be just a conventional mountain bike or perhaps an electric powered bicycle. Let me know the purchase DC if there would be something under 23. Her current wealth level is 13 and she hasn't purchased anything over that level so far.
Is there a reason why this character needs to be 16 years old? If so, then I think we can just hand wave the introduction. I missed where the background is, but no parents/loner/vigilante probably fits enough. Just happens to be stalking the neighborhood looking for a fight, like a brash teenager might. Has heard about disappearances in this part of town and sees a bunch of toughs crawling out of a sewer. Knock, knock...
That's a possibility. She makes what money she can participating in street fights where people bet on matchups and the winner gets paid by the organizers. She could be on her way to or from a fight and encounters the group.
She doesn't need to be a teenager, but I like the notion of a teenager mixing it up with a bunch of people she would consider to be old dudes. Someone in the school of gifted street kids that she goes to might know someone who is in the party. That's the reason I suggested Grace might have been to Mama's.
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If GM's cool with it, I'm fine with it, as long as Grace is cool sitting outside if we ever go into a bar to meet with a fixer lol.
Stringer is young, early 20s, and a street kid trying to make ends meet, but he's not from this neighborhood and I don't think he has any legitimate reason to know a 16 year old underground fighter.
I can invest in a fake ID so she can get into places that still care about age limits. She's got some wealth to spend on it, but I'm waiting to learn what she has to spend on her Katana and some form of wheels.
If GM's cool with it, I'm fine with it, as long as Grace is cool sitting outside if we ever go into a bar to meet with a fixer lol.
Stringer is young, early 20s, and a street kid trying to make ends meet, but he's not from this neighborhood and I don't think he has any legitimate reason to know a 16 year old underground fighter.
Pearl is 21 but she's been singing in clubs for years. I think we could sneak Grace in. ;)
On one hand, this is speculative horror, and anything goes. On the other hand, one of things that attracts me to this genre is the vulnerabilities of the human characters. Atlas, who runs Wraith, has been a very close friend for more than 30 years. In this rare case I wish he had played the character with a little less swagger - it takes me out of the story when someone can look extra-dimensional horror in the eye and shrug it off. Now if Wraith is legitimately crazy... It would be my vote for GM to get more heavy-handed with saving throws and fear effects.
It depends on how you play Grace, of course. Seems like there are some contradictions in that she has enough money for a real katana, which is more money than almost anyone in Louisiana the South would have on hand (the game probably doesn't care about the difference between a katana and a Japanese-style sword), but was selected to a School for gifted street kids. Maybe you're a child of privilege or just incredibly good on the hustle. 16 Str on a teenage girl is like, uhh okay, I guess you do a lot of pushups.
Obviously no one needs to make me happy since I'm still tepid depending on where the game goes. Hoping some of our other leads have content.
Try giving this a read: Childhood Careers for DArk Conspiracy 3.
I was working on some stuff for the game's third edition before the license got transferred to Clockwork and then they folded before my work on DC4 was wrapped up. Doh! The crunch won't make sense to you, but the fluff could help.
Try giving this a read: Childhood Careers for DArk Conspiracy 3.
I was working on some stuff for the game's third edition before the license got transferred to Clockwork and then they folded before my work on DC4 was wrapped up. Doh! The crunch won't make sense to you, but the fluff could help.
Great content, Mick!