DM Voomer's Age of Ashes

Game Master Voomer

Caiten, you will definitely wake up before the next day's preparations, but you're unlikely to be rescued before then, so I think we will need to figure out what happens to the Sulee tattoo in that event. Interested in your thoughts and then I'll research as well.

The timeframe of daily preparations is somewhat flexible or undefined.

This typically happens over the span of 30 minutes to an hour in the morning,

Familiar abilities are chosen during daily preparations, but it doesn't really say how long they last for.

Each day, you channel your magic into two abilities, which can be either familiar or master abilities.

I would expect that they would last until the next day's daily preparations. Though it is uncertain what happens if the next day's daily preparations are delayed.

So this seems to be another place where familiars are not fully defined. The other big one is how long familiars (or other minions) follow commands when they are not in combat, but are given commands.

Basically that indicates to me that the game mechanics should take second priority to the story narrative.

What is clear is that I can only change Sulee's abilities if I go through the process of daily preparations. And I would expect that Sulee needs to not be transformed as a tattoo at that point (because I don't necessarily have access to the ability during the process).

So the easier option would just be to have the current familiar abilities continue working indefinitely until the next time daily preparations are done - whenever that happens to be.

It could be interesting to have the familiar abilities expire in the morning and have to figure out some sort of skill challenge to hide Sulee or stealthily do daily preparations. But I would only go that route if you have a good idea of how to fail-forward the events if the dice are not in my favor.

Tbh, I was interpreting his silence when asked about continuing to be an answer of no.

Well the question about death wasn't like me just littering the thread, I promise. I'd actually been planning on having Cev pray for everyone (like he does), but I hadn't quite gotten to the point where I wanted to ask Voomer to rule on Cosmology & Theology yet, nor had I really figured out if the prayer would be an aspect of worldly consciousness or a product of his soul's love for everyone.

As simple as K10's answer was, there was a lot of information there. Because depending on the rate which time flows on the River of Souls, and/or whether Cev's death, for any reason really, was notciable to Yuelral, Pharasma, or their avatars/heralds, then Cev dying could be the next greatest thing that's ever happened to him since Yuelral reforged him.

You may see Cev's slashed and battered body on the field being probed & prodded by a gorilla, but it could be that Cev's resplendant soul is standing in front of Pharasma getting the greatest reward that any half-elf has ever dreamed of by being escorted to hid afterlife and finally meeting Yuelral. Remember, Cev was a believer!

At least one of you knows that he would hope beyond hope that the bracer which houses his Holy Symbol be taken back to Akrivel and given to Akosa.

I will have a post in a few hours. Just need to do some stuff first.

And HERE is my proposed character change, since we do not have Dario to deal with traps anymore.

Levels after 6 might change, but we will see how it develops. Let me know whether I can make the switch, Voomer.

Thanks

I fell asleep early yesterday. Will get a post in as soon as my students are working independently.

Yasami, honestly, the Pathbuilder interface makes my eyes defocus. I trust that you and the program have built a legal build. Please just let me know if there's anything really significant I should know about or is likely to come up often.

Regarding Pathbuilder, those that only have their character details there, I would ask that you do a more detailed version of your sheet on the Paizo site, something like Yasami has. You don't need to transfer all of the information, but I would really prefer to never have to open your Pathbuilder sheets, because, like I said, I can't stand them.

Caiten, what you suggest is fine. As long as we are in an area of rule ambiguity, I am fine saying Sulee stays as a tattoo unless you or she do something different. Is she able to hop off you and transform into 3D on her own accord or only on your command?

Finally, I'm thinking for the next sequence that my communications to Caiten and Oren, and vice versa, should be under spoiler threads. That will maintain the mystery for the others, and it will not taint their decisionmaking process. But I don't really think it is necessary for communications with Lisi/Yasami/Catalina to be under a spoiler tab, because that would just be a pain. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns with that approach.

It is legal, based on the rules the table uses (Ancestral Paragon and Free Archetype variant rules). I am taking a rogue archetype instead of monk archetype, which gives me one extra skill feat and Trap Finder rogue class feat.

I just wanted to confirm with you before actually making the change.

So of it is okay, I will go ahead and change the profile later today, and drop a post.

Re: Spoilers for multiple parties. I will level with you here - I do actually read such spoilers in the threads, but try to not use that information in my posts. So for me, it's no difference.

Usually, the other half of the story is just as interesting. Hence why I would read them.

Re: Spoilers for multiple parties. I will level with you here - I do actually read such spoilers in the threads, but try to not use that information in my posts. So for me, it's no difference.

Usually, the other half of the story is just as interesting. Hence why I would read them.

Same.

Spoilers are great. They make a clear indication of which content I can use for making character decisions with, and which information I should make decisions without knowing.

Yeah, I'm basically the same as Yasami. I'm going to read the spoilers, lol, but I'm not going to use them to metagame. Metagaming is not fun. :P

I so wish there was a Pathbuilder interface that was easier to see. I exported Lisi to Google Sheets, at least.

I agree on the spoileration dichotomy.

Lisi, if you like the way my alias is set up with rolls and stuff, I can transfer your stats and the like to this format and just send you a google doc that you can simply copy/paste into your alias for Lisi to avoid this.

GM, I have my pathbuilder sheet linked in my alias for Catalina, but all her pertinent information is transcribed into the alias, including feat/whatever descriptions. I'll get botting instructions in there too, but hopefully, you'll not need to use them ever.

There may be a period of time in the next couple of weeks where I will be off the grid for a couple of days - Spring Break is coming up and my partner and I may go to some cabins for a nice vacation. I'll keep you guys in the loop and make sure it won't interfere too badly with things.

Yasami, I'm fine with your character changes.

As for the spoilers, I'm really curious to see what approach Lisi/Catalina/Yasami come up with with the mining camp being a black box. So I think I'll just wait until Lisi/Catalina/Yasami have their plan before posting anything to Caiten and Oren. That's the next thing that should be happening in the gameplay thread: Lisi/Catalina/Yasami among themselves planning their resting and their approach to the mine at this point.

I'm fine with you reading spoilers where it's knowledge checks and that kind of stuff. Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about you looking at GM roll spoilers. I mean, you're not supposed to because it reveals in minute detail the enemy stats, right? It does allow you to doublecheck my work, but that's never possible in non-PbP games (at least if the GM rolls behind a screen, which I do). Do you all think it is standard for players to read GM roll spoilers? Curious for any thoughts you have on that.

Finally, FYI, I am going to be traveling for a couple of weeks starting 3/20 and I don't know if I will be able to post because I can't get the Paizo site to work on my phone -- it doesn't keep me logged in so I can't post in the game threads. Has anybody experienced this problem or have a suggested solution?

GMs fudge rolls. I'm pretty sure that is standard RAW. I could go through and double check all of the bonuses and compare the final results to the stated outcomes - but what would be the point of that? Even if I find a discrepancy I wouldn't call it out.

So no, for GM rolls I generally just gloss past that. Whether they are behind spoiler tags or not.

Imo, if you want things to be behind screens, you can preview the rolls and then go off of that, leaving them out entirely when you actually submit the post.

I honestly don't really look at the GM rolls.

Pbp has a level of transparency that can make things a little difficult when you want to fudge things, but ultimately...spoiler tags are just space savers to me tbh. If something truly needs to stay hidden from specific players, PMs are best. As a pbp GM you just have to adjust your beliefs on things like keeping things behind the screen or find a workaround. It was an adjustment for me, for sure.

Oh yeah I meant STORY spoilers. Numbers don't really interest me much. Passing glance, sure.

PS, if you really feel like we would metagame based on the numbers, yes, that can happen... BUT, if you really feel like that could happen, you can always just roll physical dice on the table and just put down results in the thread.

I trust you.

Regarding traveling - just put the game on hold. We can make small talk between characters in the meantime.

Lisi, if you like the way my alias is set up with rolls and stuff, I can transfer your stats and the like to this format and just send you a google doc that you can simply copy/paste into your alias for Lisi to avoid this.

Yeah, that would be great! I accidentally clicked on your image link instead and was struck momentarily blind by an anime aasimar. :D

Can folks remind me where the Thornscales are at and how you left things with them? And, I suppose, the elephant people, although that is more tangential.

They chose to stay near the place where we found them. Until Hezle rejoins them, at least. We did help some with the arsenic poisoning.

Link

Great. I am also going to say you communicated to the Ekujae that the kobolds are harmless and the Ekujae should let the kobolds be while you are sorting out the situation at the mine and Hezle.

Also, is there any clear record of which pillars you all already encountered? Or does anyone happen to recall without digging through the gameplay thread...?

I believe we encountered...three? Or four? One with Pendergrast and two others after, I believe. We destroyed all three.

Don't happen to recall where they were, though. That would probably be on the hex map in roll20, if the marks saved. Otherwise, it's digging through the thread

I'm only remembering two. But I could be forgetting some.

One that Pendergrast was trying to cart off after it petrified his helpers. We took it instead and eventually destroyed it.

The other was being guarded by some jungle drakes. Which had apparently dispatched and eaten the cinderclaw guards that were guarding it originally. That one spit poison beams.

There were some others marked on the map, but I don't remember encountering any of them.

I found the map. Looks like the info is there.

My memory is bad, so... :p trust Caiten, imo

I don't love doing a retcon that reaches kind of far back, but I don't have any good explanation of where the second vrock could have gone (giving the binding of the ritual), but neither do I have any intention of inflicting it on you (now or later). Given that the module didn't call for two and it was frankly just a miscalculation on Fern's part to add it, I think let's just say there was never a second vrock! One less thing to worry about.

We did actually encounter 4 totems, 3 of which were disabled. The party actually disabled two, the Ekujae destroyed one near the portal to Mwangi (before the party arrived), and we found a fresh one here in the mine. The one with worms around it.

We destroyed the one that was turning workers into stone, and then the one that was guarded by the two drake-things.

I get the impression that the burnt thing near the gate was a totem, at least.

That all makes sense. Thanks.

I don't know if I will be able to post because I can't get the Paizo site to work on my phone -- it doesn't keep me logged in so I can't post in the game threads. Has anybody experienced this problem or have a suggested solution?

I vaguely remember something like that a year or so ago. If I remember right, I fixed it by clearing the cache on my phone's browser.

Yeah. You've either gotta clear the cache or open up the site on Incognito mode and post that way.

GM Voomer, suppose folks go along with the plan of going in to the belly of the beast as fake prisoners--could Lisi use Prestidigitation to fake vrock spores and vines? Too bad there isn't a Druidry spell in Pathfinder the way there is in That Other Game.

Lisi, you don't have darkvision?

I have darkvision permanently. Oren has it while raging.

Not that it does the rest of you any good currently.

Just low light vision. I think! I mean, I could do a Humanoid shape thingy..

Yep, clearing the cache seems to have worked. Thanks!

Sorry for the delayed responses. Yesterday was busy with doctor's appointments and today my brother-in-law was in a wreck. He's okay, just emotionally shook up. He's been helping a lot with my mom (who has COVID and autoimmune disorders) so I am picking up some of his responsibilities and it's made things crazy. It's also the end of the quarter for my students, so I'm grading a lot of make-up work and essays!

Thanks for bearing with me.

100% sympathy for all that, Catalina. Life is rough out there.

Please take the time you need and don't let us add to your stress. Life can intervene for all of us and delay things. Good luck with all of it. I'm committed now to the campaign and will hang with it during slower and faster periods of posting. I hope that those of you who are left feel the same.

Honestly, all that stresses me out is that this tends to be my outlet/escape from stress, and when I have a lot on my plate, I can't do the thing that helps me release stress. :P

SAME. Annoying, innit? I've spent an hour on the phone for my mom's stuff this morning, and I have more to go. Yay, reverse parenting!

Survey: Would you allow Hero Points to be used with Quiet Allies? If so, who would spend one?

Am I prepping an arsenal of attack spells, or more sneak and get-the-heck-out spells?

Am I prepping an arsenal of attack spells, or more sneak and get-the-heck-out spells?

Yes.

And healing spells too.

*sigh*

I don't think that narrows things down any.

hehe. I'm gonna make the arsenal of debuffing area spells.

Survey: Would you allow Hero Points to be used with Quiet Allies? If so, who would spend one?

Yes I would, with the person rolling (here, Lisi) being the one to spend it. No need to roll for this broad-level surveillance though.

Can you believe that Tiny actually does NOT give a bonus to Stealth? o.0 Only for Hide. (or rather, any bonus from size doesn't stack with one's skill bonus).

Hey, folks. Starting tonight I am out of the country for a couple weeks. I may be able to sneak peeks every few days so if I am able to access by my phone and I may try to do some relatively straightforward posts. Otherwise we will pick up again in earnest when I get back.

Right now, in game, we are waiting on the free PCs strategy to approach Hezle and any reflections they have based on what they saw with their surveillance.

Sounds good. I think we needed a stealth roll with Follow the Expert added on from Lisi to approach.

Right. But I also need to know how you intend to approach, whether it will be all of you, and if there is anything in particular you want to do about the guard that can see. Even though being small does not technically give a stealth advantage, if Lisi approached alone in some small animal form that would give some significant advantage to avoid detection.

Let's discuss in character, eh? :)

And thank you for the clarification, Voomer! Safe travels!

Lol, Yasami! You don't have to stare!