Hey guys! I'm going to need you to start being heroes and run *towards* the scream.
I'm running, I'm running! Straight after the others :)
Also running! Hopefully slightly slower then our lady of shields though yeah :D
I threw the kanka link that didn't work in private message into the old drift rock discord. Maybe it'll work there.
By the way, as always, if there's anything that makes you guys uncomfortable than the X card rules are in effect, just DM me and we'll gloss over whatever it is.
This first scene I made a little intense :).
The map looks quite pixelated for me
I just zoomed in on the Korvosa map and messed with some filters so... yeah, you might see a lot of that kind of pixelated map if you guys keep fighting on the streets. :)
BTW do you guys think discussing on discord is a reasonable idea for all of us?
Yeah, discord should work.
I don't have it on the computers I usually post here on, but I should manage.
Great posts guys.
Going to take a break though. Partly because I'm moving, partly for mental health reasons. Things are rough at the moment. Looking to get back up to speed on the 4th.
Sorry to hear that you are feeling unwell! The state of the world surely isn't helping. But I hope things work out for you. And that the move goes well :)
See ya laters :)
Sure, lets have a break. I hope you get a chance to rest, and that things will work out.
Hope I didn't lose anyone in the last week. I'm really enjoying the start of the campaign, hope you guys are as well.
By the way you can try a 'Recall Knowledge' using Religion (as this is a cleric) to try and identify the spell cast.
Buuttt... let's talk about secret checks first. Basically there are a lot of Secret checks in Pathfinde 2e, which means the GM rolls in secret. What it boils down to is anything that you would metagame based on knowing what the roll is, the GM Should roll.
Knowledge checks, Sense Motive checks etc. The goal is to put you and your characters on equal footing.
To combine that with my desire to keep things moving in pbp as much as possible, I think what I'll do is assume your characters are pretty sharp and observant and at a base level are trying to suss out what's going on and then if you think of something clever and extra then you can tell me what you're trying to do and I'll resolve it (letting you know what secret check I'm going to roll and what bonus I assumed from your sheet) if I get something wrong in the bonus or any fancy feat makes it better then you can let me know and we can retroactively change if need be.
In this case Pytho recognizes that Hafspotter was doing a Detect Magic cantrip.
Since there's fewer skills in 2e, they all do fit into the status bar :)
Posted a secret for Pytho in discord.
Plan to post tomorrow.
Everyone in my house is sick. I hope to get caught up today but may need (more?) hitting.
Hope everyone gets well soon. No worries Asta, we'll wait
We've all got covid. Good times. Please bot.
Hope it's a mild one.
Take it easy, and I hope you all get well soon.
Focus on you and your familiy's health Asta, no worries about the game. I'm playing Asta real simple until you get back.
I do think your character might be pretty unfinished though. Maybe missing a round or two of character building boosts? I quickly built up your character using pathbuilder 2 and this is what I came up with.. lower defenses, but higher attacks.
Perception +5;
Languages None selected
Skills Acrobatics +4, Athletics +7, Diplomacy +5, Intimidation +5, Lore: Warfare +3, Society +3
Str +4, Dex +1, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +0, Cha +2
Items Breastplate, Steel Shield (Hardness 5, HP 20, BT 10)
AC 18 (+20 with shield raised), Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +5
HP 20
Reactive Shield
Shield Block
Attack of Opportunity
Speed 25 feet
Melee Longsword +9 (Versatile P), Damage 1d8+4 (S)
Exacting Strike
Additional Feats Canny Acumen, Quick Coercion
Additional Specials Canny Acumen (Will)
Let's audit the character when you have a chance.
Oof yeah that sounds rough :/
OK, feeling better-ish and trying to get back to things. I trust your expertise, GM, and thank you for looking over the sheet/rebuilding her. Sorry her sheet is a mess :/
Glad to hear things are on the mend Asta. No worries about the character. It's a new game, Pathbuilder makes it easy to build!
Now we do need to talk about reactions. Asta can do one of either Reactive Shield or Attack of Opportunity per round and on this round you could have chosen to snap your shield to try and ward off the attack or an attack of opportunity when the imp tried to flee later.
The only way I can think of keeping the game flowing fast is to let you retcon your preferred reaction on your turn and we'll adjust whatever happens because of it.
I will also modify Exacting Strike to apply it after the fact so you don't have to call it out. If you miss a stirke and strike after that then I will take care of applying the Exacting Strike benefit automatically. You still would have missed your third attack though :).
Fighters are a very tactical class, not straightforward beatsticks in pf2e!
^ Oh my! I chose Fighter b/c I figured it would be simple to play rather than needing mastery of a lot of options :)
Regarding reactions, I think it is fairest if I state the intention to use the shield snap ahead of time? Otherwise I could basically pick and choose between the two any round that they both are applicable, correct? That might not be a bad thing, I'm unsure,
That makes sense on applying exacting strike after the fact. I'll make sure to always roll damage.
So I'll let you decide if you feel defensive enough to want to use Reactive Shield as a callout on your turn and I'll use your reaction for that. If you have a reaction left then just like this time I'll call out if you can use attack of opportunity on your turn and we'll retcon if need be just like this time.
Annnd you guys get 80 xp for beating up two imps.
Hey guys there might be challenges you might not be able to overcome in a straightforward way. A rich merchant protecting something is going to have protection that will be beyond 1st levels PCs to overcome in a straightforward way.
There may be clever workarounds but I'm not planning on the story stopping if you're not able to open a drawer lol. Not saying it's impossible to get into this particular drawer, but you might need to get creative as 1st level PCs without a rogue (or even with a level 1 rogue)
Also I'm going to put block initiative back into play. Do whatever I can to speed up the game.
Also Asta, you guys got 100 xp for just surviving the first encounter. I've put in a 'XP Track' Journal on Kanka to hopefully keep track overall. You guys are at 180 right now.
^ Right on, thank you GM!
I'm going to be starting up a game of Curse of the Crimson Throne (PF1e) here on the boards. If any of y'all are interested, I'd love to have you in that game.
Oi! Tempting, tempting... :) I haven't played that one, so interested.
When are you planning to start?
Very tempting indeed :)
What posting rate would you expect Asta? Good Old Lorick from five years ago now (wow) is still around.
Some new music up.
Sorry, I didn't get any notifications for the discussion thread!
Pytho, maybe start in a week or two? I could get an intro post up ASAP and we could work on players on the discussion tab until everyone is ready?
GM, I was kind of hoping to see Lorik again :) Is be looking at 3 or 4 posts a week. I really liked the structure of DR's first act for the game we were in. More than the AP as written, so I'd probably borrow a bit of that.
I've got two players from another game interested so if y'all are interested that would make 5 and I'll go ahead and set a game up when confirmed if y'all are interested.
Traveling today, about to board a plane. I'll get a gameplay post up tomorrow.
Need to know the build details :). Pathfinder 1 is a great game but it needs a lot of house rules for the character creation.
Nice! Once you set up the campaign thread we can start discussing characters and party composition.
I have a couple of character ideas, but as GM Stargin said we need to know character creation rules (books allowed, alternative rules, etc.).
So our options are 1) Skald speaker, 2) break cabinet, 3) rest, 4) look through the night market for a crowbar and/or Skald speaker. Am I missing anything?
Regarding CotCT character build rules, I'm thinking something along the lines of:
Classes: any Paizo 1e. CotCT is largely an urban adventure. There's one extended jaunt outside of the city that I'm not sure I'm going to use yet.
Level: 1st
Point buy: Assuming 5 people, I'm inclined to go 15 point buy, but that makes playing 3/4 classes and MAD class difficult. What do y'all think?
GP: roll or take average, whatever is better
HP: Standard 1e PFS rules (max at first, 1/2+1 subsequent)
Leveling would be by milestone.
Traits: 2 traits, one must be a background trait. See fluff, below, for more information on background traits.
Skills: This is largely an urban adventure but having at least one person with some wilderness skills wouldn't hurt. I'm waffling on background skills. Assuming we have five players, it may not be necessary.
Other house rules: Automatic bonus progression, variant multiclassing, combat stamina (free for fighters, feat for others).
I'm OK with elephant in the room feat tax fixes if others like it. Happy to consider other rule options as well.
The NPCs are important - y'all would be locals and know some folks. I plan on bringing your NPCs into the story at various points. A name and a sentence or two describing your NPCs' relation to your PC, as well as any quirks, personality, or description you'd like them to have would be enough.
As mentioned above, you'll start out as a local under the thumb of Gaedran Lamm, a fairly significant crime lord in Korvosa. You can still be heroic or have heroic qualities, and I'd personally prefer that your PC has at least the room to grow into a hero. I'll need a reason for why your PC is under Lamm's thumb. The first act in the story is largely the story of how your PCs get out from under Lamm's control. The campaign traits (see below) can help in deciding this.
You were hardly a model citizen as a child or young adult. Your reasons for turning to a life of crime may be varied, but what matters is that you eventually fell in with a certain well-connected and notorious crime lord named Gaedren Lamm. His reputation as a snake and a treacherous scoundrel was known to you, but for reasons of your own, you chose not to turn him down when he offered you a chance to work for him. You may have assumed you were an exception, or that you’d be able to handle him, or perhaps even planned to betray him. As it worked out, though, Gaedren got the upper hand and took you down you first. You may have served time in jail, may have been beaten by his thugs and left for dead, or could simply have had your profits stolen out from under you. Whatever the cause, Gaedren wronged you, and you are eager for the chance to get revenge.
Choose one of the following benefits.
Hungry for Revenge: You’ve never forgiven Gaedren for his betrayal, and have vowed to make him pay for what he did. Whether that’s seeing him rot in jail or a shallow grave, you hope to taste vengeance someday. Whenever you deal damage with a melee weapon on a creature that is flat-footed, you gain a +1 trait bonus on the damage roll.
Reformed Criminal: You’ve given up the life of crime, and managed to talk your way out of any repercussions such as jail time or fines. You’ve told yourself that you would rather leave your past behind, yet the concept of seeing Gaedren Lamm pay for his crimes still appeals to you. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks, and Diplomacy is a class skill for you.
No crime is too despicable for Gaedren Lamm and his thugs—a gang of lowlife murderers, kidnappers, and drug dealers that operate in Korvosa’s Midland district. You’ve lost someone to Lamm and now you’re out for revenge. While Lamm remains alive and free, you are not slain until your hit point total reaches a negative number equal to your Constitution score + 3. Once Lamm is imprisoned or killed, you lose the former benefit but gain 3 permanent hit points.
Someone you know has become addicted to shiver, a drug distilled from the venom of tropical arachnids known as dream spiders. The drug induces sleep filled with vivid dreams, during which the user’s body shakes and shivers, giving the substance its street name. You’ve always thought of shiver as a problem of the lower class, but then someone you know overdosed on the stuff. You’ve done a bit of investigating and have learned that the villain who got your friend addicted in the first place was a crime lord named Gaedren Lamm. Unfortunately, the guards seem to be focused on the bigger dealers. They don’t have time to devote many resources to what they’ve called “a bit player in a beggar’s problem.” It would seem that if Gaedren’s operation is to be stopped, it falls to you.
Choose one of the following benefits.
Addicted Friend: The addict is a friend or lover who might or might not have survived the overdose. Your research into the drug scene and local politics has given you a respectable education in street knowledge. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks, and Knowledge (local) is a class skill for you.
Personal Addiction: You were the addict. You blame Gaedren for your brush with death and hate how his drugs are causing similar problems among other youths. Fortunately, your body recovers quickly from toxins, and you gain a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saving throws.
Someone you know and love was accused of murder. A supposed eyewitness account from a local fisherman seemed to be enough to seal the case, but the accused had enough alibis that sentencing wasn’t immediate. Someone confronted the fisherman and discovered he was intimidated into providing false witness and forced into planting the murder weapon by the actual murderer—a local crime lord named Gaedren Lamm, whose thugs killed the fisherman before he could recant his testimony. Although this removed the key witness and resulted in the accused being set free, the stigma was enough to badly damage the accused’s reputation. If you can find Gaedren, you’re sure you can find evidence that ties him to the murder and can clear the accused’s name.
Choose one of the following benefits.
Dropout: You were the one accused of the murder. Although you were eventually freed when a friend confronted the fisherman and got the truth, the damage had been done. You were forced to leave your school or church. As a result, you were forced to self-train and promised yourself you would become better at your chosen profession despite the spurning of your peers. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Spellcraft checks, and Spellcraft is a class skill for you.
Family Honor: The person who was framed was a family member, perhaps a father or sister. You managed to trick the fisherman into revealing the truth with your skilled tongue. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is a class skill for you.
Someone you loved was knifed to death in a dark alley one night. You were called to the scene by the Korvosan Guard to identify the body, and as rough as that was for you, you also noticed a ring was missing from your loved one’s finger. Whoever murdered your loved one stole that ring— you’re convinced of it. You’ve done some investigation on your own and recently found the ring for sale at a local merchant’s shop. To your great frustration, you can’t yet afford the 500 gp to buy it back, but the merchant did tell you from whom he purchased the ring: a man named Gaedren Lamm. It seems likely this criminal killed your loved one, or at the very least, he knows who did. The only problem is finding him.
Choose one of the following benefits.
All Alone: The murder victim was a lover. With your lover’s death, a part of you died as well, leaving you haunted, grim, and prone to dark musings. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is a class skill for you.
Orphaned: The murder victim was your only surviving parent. You had to work hard to make ends meet for yourself and any siblings, and often had to scavenge for food. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Survival checks, and Survival is a class skill for you.
You suspect that a child you know has been abducted by Gaedren Lamm. Whatever the relationship, you’ve heard rumors about “Lamm’s Lambs,” and of how the old man uses children as pickpockets and agents for his crimes. You’ve even heard rumors that the child you’re looking for has been spotted in the marketplaces in the company of known cutpurses and pickpockets. Although the Korvosan Guard has been understanding of your plight, it has its hands full with “more important” matters these days, it seems, and has not yet been able to learn anything more about Gaedren. No one else is interested in bringing Gaedren down and rescuing his victims— that task falls to you. Yet where could the old scoundrel be hiding?
Choose one of the following benefits.
Missing Sibling: The missing child is a brother or sister. Although everyone else has given up hope, you believe your sibling still lives. Your constant search for the missing sibling has developed into great skill at rumormongering and finding out information from others. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sense Motive checks, and Sense Motive is a class skill for you.
Missing Son or Daughter: The missing child is your own son or daughter, a niece or nephew, or a child you were charged with protecting. The child was abducted during a trip to the market or other daily event. Your stubbornness and long hours spent searching for rumors grant you a +1 trait bonus on Will saves.
You spent a period of time as one of Gaedren Lamm’s enslaved orphans, doing all manner of dirty work for him. Maybe you were abducted from your parent’s home or during a trip to the market. Perhaps the irresponsible matron who ruled your orphanage traded you to him in return for a desperately needed financial loan. Or perhaps you, like most of Gaedren’s slaves, were merely a child of the street who succumbed to his promise of regular meals and a roof in return for what he said would be “a little light work.” Whatever the case, you spent several years of your life as one of “Lamm’s Lambs” before escaping. You’ve nursed a grudge against the old man ever since.
Choose one of the following benefits.
Religious: Today, while on a job for Gaedren, you found a holy symbol of the god you worship, and intrigued by it, you snuck off to attend services. When Gaedren found out, he beat you to within an inch of your life and broke your holy symbol. Your faith let you block out the pain, and you escaped his control and took shelter in the church, where you spent the rest of your youth. You gain a +2 trait bonus on concentration checks and Constitution checks to stabilize at negative hit points.
Tortured: After you made one too many errors, Gaedren tortured you and left you for dead in a garbage heap. Your scars and memories have motivated you to hone your reaction speed and make you rather jumpy. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Reflex saves.
Your family is particularly hearty, and has even passed down tales of a Varisian ancestor who sought to cure (or, some loose-lipped relatives say, create) diseases. You gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws made to resist diseases. Additionally, you are immune to the diseases Vorel’s phage and blood veil. You do not need to be of the Varisian ethnicity to take this campaign trait, but if you’re not, your background should explain how you have a Varisian ancestor.
Oh, regarding traits, they suggest that the PCs' association with Lamm is more or less in the past. My intent is that the PCs are very much still in Lamm's debt. Traits should be modified as needed. If you take the reformed criminal trait for example, it could be re-interpreted like this:
Reformed Criminal: You barely escaped jail after the last job, and intend to give up the life of crime. While you plan to leave your past behind, the idea of seeing Gaedren Lamm pay for his crimes is very appealing to you. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks, and Diplomacy is a class skill for you.
Point buy: Let's go with 20 instead of 15. More concepts are viable that way.
Yeah I think 20 is the actual standard for pf2.
For this game I do feel the need to point out Erytheis got pretty hurt lol.
Yeah I think 20 is the actual standard for pf2.
For this game I do feel the need to point out Erytheis got pretty hurt lol.
I think 15 point buy is "standard", but 20 is the de facto standard :) But 20 is nice, gives some room for MAD's etc.
And thanks for reminding about Erytheis' wounds - I somehow missed them.
Medicine skill is actually one of my big likes in pf2. No more spamming CLW from wands.
@Asta: Automatic bonus progression, Variant multiclassing, Combat stamina, Elephant in the room - Damn, I had forgotten all those. :D I don't think I've really played with any of them, so I don't know how removing the feat taxes would affect. I assume it should get some martial build online quicker and allow to take more interesting feats than the mandatory ones.
Good point on the damage, was procrastinating looking up how much rest heals in pf2 :p (Con mod * class level it seems?)
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Automatic bonus progression is very nice, don't have to stress about +stat items as much :)
Kinda same with elephant, you can pick cool stuff instead of bigger numbers. Usually.
Agree on de jure and de facto point buy values :p
Ohhh, I'll need to look up how healing works in PF2. This seems like a big and welcome change.
So it seems like we're resting and then looking for a skald and a prybar in the morning?
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I'll get CotCT set up today or tomorrow.
@Pytho, yeah, EitR is intended to make martials a little more fun to play. Power attack, weapon finesse, and combat expertise become baseline actions that one can do in combat, and some other feats are merged together or altered in ways that make them less tax-y. It is a good system IMO.
@Erytheis, I agree, ABP is wonderful. It takes the "big 6" items out of the equation, allowing for itemization to focus on other things. Not so important at first level but great for later down the line.
Got 1 vote for sleeping and finding a skald speaker and a crowbar the next day.
Yeah, I assume it's been a long day, let's rest and continue the search the next day.
+1 :)
Resting sounds good to me!
Here's the discussion thread for the CotCT game. Looking forward to it!
I think we can skip RPing buying standard gear. I'll try and post tomorrow so tell me what you'll do after dropping the diary off to the Skald speaker since it'll take them a little bit of time to translate it.
Crowbar is 5 sp, I think we can afford that.
Mechanically it just eliminates the -2 penalty to athletics check for Force Open action (there's an action for everything in PF2)
Hmmm, what else did we have on the list? Do some research into what this thing was that we found/found us?
Oh yeah, Can somone please track finances :)? It can be on here, on kanka or elsewhere.
Happy Easter to those who celebrate!