I'm feeling better enough to actually start doing some accounting and stuff! Buying and selling between adventures is a classic hallmark of adventuring, and I need to chime in to provide guidance.
One note for our spellcasters. It hasn't come up yet because no one has (as far as I know) cast any spells with material components, but please make sure that you have a spell component pouch with you if any of your spells have material components.
I'm going to go through the loot sheet as well to double check that nothing is missing. If Median's player is fine with Median receiving none of the loot from the Crypt, then we'll do a three-way split of the coin.
Kassen's Base Value is 500 gp, and its purchase limit is 2,500 gp. What does that mean?
The base value of a settlement is used to determine what magic items may easily be purchased there. There is a 75% chance that any item of that value or lower can be found for sale in the settlement with little effort.
A settlement's purchase limit is the most money a shop in the settlement can spend to purchase any single item from the PCs. If the PCs wish to sell an item worth more than a settlement's purchase limit, they'll either need to settle for a lower price, travel to a larger city, or search for a specific buyer in the city with deeper pockets.
So if you want to buy goods in Kassen, here's what we've got:
Lucky for you, you didn't find anything that someone in Kassen won't buy.
If you can't find what you want/need in Kassen, then you can indeed still travel to another city. You'll pass by Crowstump on the way to Tamran, so who knows what will be available?
Done. Thanks for the reminder.
So there were some missing items (and gp values), which I have gone back in to add. There are still some unclaimed items.
Please check ownership in the next couple of days and let me know if you were planning to buy anything in Kassen. Assuming the current split, the three PCs transitioning from this adventure to the next will walk away with 1653.83 gp (cell L3). That number is likely to fluctuate as you figure out whether you're keeping or selling certain items, so don't bank on this post until the value is declared final.
Also, I intend for The Dark and the Light, the book that Silvio just received, to have a mechanical benefit. On the way to Tamran, you will have six days. During each of those days, a single character can spend an 8-hour period reading the book and attempt either a Knowledge (religion) or a Linguistics check (with a hidden DC) to uncover some of the promised secrets. If you meet the DC, you will unlock points of Inspiration (as per the Investigator class feature, but no free uses) that you will be able to use while you are in Tamran. Each party member will be able to acquire up to 5 points of inspiration in this way, though with only 18 opportunities you probably won't max out (unless we get some confirmed natural 20s).
During travel, you will be able to designate that your character is grabbing the book at a specific time of day (morning to early afternoon, afternoon through evening, and overnight), and then make the roll of your choice. If you are planning to read overnight, then you either need to plan to sleep during the day or find some way of dealing with fatigue (and eventually exhaustion) the next day.
You're welcome to do other downtime activities during travel as well, most notably crafting (or substituting profession for an analogous activity). training an animal companion, or retraining. You can also chat with your fellow crewmembers, etc. And there may or may not be some encounters floating around between Kassen and Tamran. Nothing that a few newly seasoned adventurers can't handle.
So start thinking about that as we set off on the Tourondel River!
There's nothing else I want from the loot. There's a CLW potion, CMW potion, and smokesticks if anyone in the party wants it. Someone else is welcome to claim the Ring of Swimming or else we can sell it. Nevermind, realizing that our purchase ability is limited, I'm going to take the Ring of Swimming!
We will buy the Wand of CLW from Father Prasst--party healing expense.
Silvio will definitely be studying the book!
Incomplete shopping wish list:
*Masterwork sling staff
*Masterwork chain shirt
*Masterwork buckler
*Sling bullets!
*Spring-loaded wrist sheathes
*Utility scrolls TBD
Yes indeed, Braggar Ironhame's shop (where Median is apprenticed) is the premier stop in Kassen for masterwork arms and armor. Please just mark up your official purchases at some point.
So far, that's just over 1000 gp of goods purchased so far (320 for the sling staff, 250 for the chain shirt, 155 for the buckler, 5 for a spring-loaded wrist sheath, and 300 for the wand, along with pocket change for the sling bullets). The 300 gp can be split three or four ways depending on your preferences.
Also please note: at some point over the next day or two I'm going to change the name of the campaign to reflect the transition from Crypt of the Everflame to Masks of the Living God. The name change will put this campaign at a different location in your campaign tab. But I wanted to provide the advance warning so that you don't go looking and panic that it was deleted.
Sounds good. I wen ahead and purchased Bracers of Armor +1 with Charles' starting gold. The more I thought about it, the more that made sense and definitely best to go ahead and get that miniscule AC up a bit.
If Sledge continue's hanging on to that spellbook, there are a couple of spells in there that Charles doesn't have that would certainly come in handy. Charles may have a couple Sledge could copy as well, if they would be beneficial. But we'll see if anything comes up. It sounds like studying the one book may have better benefits for the current trip but there should still be plenty of time for other down activities.
As a clarification, we already have a Bracers of Armor +1. So it's better if you take that instead or, since we don't know you yet, buy it from us at half cost!
I suppose in that case, buying some magical ink to copy spells down might be the way to go for my "share" of the gold. Although it's pretty damn cheap to copy down first level spells. Perhaps Charles and I will spend our downtime being book nerds.
I'm traveling the rest of this week, so I may be a bit slow to respond if things start picking up. Out of town at a company Christmas party.
Major congrats on your graduation, Sledge!
Congratulations, Sledge!! Big achievement! Hope you can rest up a bit now that finals (and the degree) are behind you. :-)
Hi all. I want to apologize for my extended absence. First things first, I fully intend to keep up with the campaign if you’ll still have me. Second, I’ll offer an explanation. (Posting this to all of my currently active campaigns).
I wish I could say that there was one big thing, but instead it was a lot of small to medium things. Physical and mental health problems, almost 20% of my waking hours spent traveling in the last month and a half, some work-related woes, the stress of the holidays, internet outages, writer’s block, etc. In the few times that I had sufficient time and energy to even look at the Paizo boards, I found myself overwhelmed by the high number of new posts and was experiencing terrific guilt and anxiety about having missed so much. I have been composing this message for a couple of days now, trying to provide a semblance of apology.
And now I am trying to catch up in earnest.
Thank you for your patience with me, especially those who reached out here or on Discord. I tried my best to respond as I was able, but I know I missed some of you.
A bit of good news: I read a couple of books during the holiday that should help me run this next part of the adventure with more compelling verisimilitude. I’m excited to get there.
Great to have you back and glad to hear that things are improving for you. Praying that things continue to calm down a bit!
Great to have you back too GM Poly. I too know the guilt of being gone for a while, and having trouble catching back up. Take your time, I love playing in this game; your GMing is top notch.
So glad to have you back! Looking forward to what we have in store.
I'm entering a busy period at work that may keep me tied up until February 12 (Super Bowl Sunday). I'll still try to check in and post, but I can't guarantee I'll make a consistent appearance. Please feel free to bot me.
I do love Ragathiel. Would you be interested in having this be a story choice instead of a retroactive fiat? Garen could meet a devotee of Ragathiel and begin the switch of allegiance.
I understand that. To be fair, Iomedae's herald (the Hand of the Inheritor) used to serve Ragathiel before the death of Aroden. So there is a definite connection there.
If you want to retroactively declare that Garen has been a paladin of Ragathiel, we can do that. But it would be interesting to have a conversion story of sorts. Ragathiel is not commonly worshiped in Nirmathas (the two primary deities are Erastil and Iomedae, with Gorum and Milani a relatively distant third and fourth respectively). But you're welcome to make the change either way.
Please go ahead and sell. Silvio is optimized for slings. With an incidental focus with other thrown weapons like daggers.
Are we assuming rain penalties to ranged attacks?
Ah, I hadn't thought about rain penalties because the book didn't mention it. Assume no ranged penalties for now, as the rain isn't heavy enough to cause the penalties.
Thanks!
Separately, I never ended up making all my purchases before we set sail--I think we didn't fully resolve what to keep and sell. After this fight, hoping I can do that? I'll try to get a full accounting for the party.
*Edit* - Sledge is the best! Please don't get shot dead.
Definitely. Tamran has the best market in Nirmathas.
Charles should be shooting crossbows at a +3 bonus, +4 after adding bless.
He was shooting into his second range increment, so -2 for +2. A 17 still missed.
I'm entering a busy period through April 7. Will check in when I can, please feel free to bot me as needed.
Thanks for letting us know! Good luck, and I'll try to do Silvio justice in the rolling department!
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Per Sledge's request, here are the known details on the Tamran mission:
"Three months ago, I was wrenched back here and have been stuck in this chamber ever since, unable to do much of anything. But there were people here then. They stole something...Our amulets. Mine and Asar's. Maybe that's why...did they know?"
"Our amulets were parts of a key to the last great treasure vault we found. It was a place of stark temptation: near endless treasure and power. My companions and I agreed to split the key into four parts and to carry them with us until the end of our days: for one person to have control over that much wealth and power...well, it was certainly against what Aroden stood for. Asar, Iramine, and Delaab agreed to the plan. We took what we could carry and split the key back into its original four pieces. We also swore to tell no one of the amulets' true purpose. The thieves must have somehow found out about the Vault and come looking for the pieces."
"Whoever is trying to find the Vault can surely have none but ill intentions. And I'm afraid of what such a person seeks. What they're capable of. What they will do if they get their hands on all that wealth. And may Aroden forgive me for my selfishness, but I'm afraid of what will become if me if I am unable to return to the River of Souls."
"Please. I know that you claim you are no heroes, but you are the only ones who now know of what happened here. Please, stop the person responsible for all this from reopening the Vaulet."
"You could seek Iramine and Delaab and pray that they stayed true. Elves live for a very long time. Iramine was from Kyonin, and Delaab from Ustalav. They might have gone back home or settled elsewhere. I would not know..."
The man that you found dead by the river was wearing clothes that were in season in a place like Tamran. The man was a commoner, but he was a well-dressed one. There is no clear sign of the man's faith on his person, but he had coins in his coin pouch. The coins appeared to be relatively newly minted from the capital city of Nirmathas: Tamran. They bore the likeness of Forest Marshal Weslen Gavirk, the recently-elected leader of Nirmathas.
On another body in the Crypt, Median found a map detailing the area, similar to the one that you all had received from the Mayor, with the entrance to the Crypt circled. There was also a small handbill of a type typically found posted in taverns. The handbill is faded, but clearly reads as a notice of employment, telling all those interested to meet at "The Ranger's Lament." Sledge recalled that the Ranger's Lament is a popular tavern in Tamran, the capital city of Nirmathas, about 130 miles to the southeast.
The central sarcophagus of the crypt room has been disturbed, its lid lying broken on the ground in front of it, and the sarcophagus itself empty. The name "Asar Vergas" has been carved into the broken stone. A corpse dressed in gray robes lies beside the sarcophagus, the stench of rot hanging heavy around him. Flipping the corpse over, Garen sees that he is wearing an iron mask that fully covers his face. There are also bruises and striations about his neck, a sure sign of death by strangulation. Garen thinks that he died about 3 months ago.
A cursory glance of the man's person reveals a few more items of interest. First, there is a map of the region, similar to the one that you received from the mayor, with the roads leading to the Crypt marked. On the back of the map is a message scrawled in ink: "The amulets are entombed with Ekat Kassen and Asar Vergas." There is also a wand tucked into his belt, a pair of stylized copper wrist guards, a small horn (for playing, not drinking), a coin pouch with 354 newly minted gold coins, and a spellbook with many pages filled.
Looking over the dead man, Garen recognizes from the mask affixed to his face that he is--or was--a follower of Razmir: The Living God. Cults of Razmir have been gaining traction all around the Lake Encarthan Region, spreading out from the country named after the Living God. Forty-eight years ago, in 4661 AR, Razmir became the most recent mortal to attain godhood by passing the Test of the Starstone: a feat last accomplished by Iomedae almost 900 years ago.
Sledge has heard rumors of a cult opening up a major headquarters in Tamran, the capital of Nirmathas. Tamran is about 130 miles southeast from Kassen and very close to the border with Molthune. The city built on piers and pilings over the marshlands at the mouth of the Marideth River, where it meets the banks of Lake Encarthan. The city is connected by a web of bridges, ramps, and causeways, and a flotilla of barges and skiffs, and all of the buildings are made of wood.
Altogether, you found seven people associated with the suspected tomb robbing: one by Gray Lake, one in the room with the frogs, the man in the iron mask, and four zombies. None of them were carrying any amulets, so one might suspect that someone got away.
Given the Nirmathi coins and the flyer from the Ranger's Lament, it seems possible at least that perhaps trying to tie this tragedy up will only mean looking into one cult cell--the one in Tamran--rather than the whole of the nation of Razmiran. Hopefully.
"While you all were moving through the lower floor, I kept an eye on the entrance. Last night I heard some howling and scratching at the door. I carefully opened it after the scratching died down and saw a pack of switchback jackals prowling around. I tried to chase them off, but they were more brazen than those I've usually encountered. Just being near them filled my mind with dread and they looked...off. It's the same feeling you get around undead, but they were definitely alive. Some had patches of fungus growing from them. Others looked like they were rotting. Whatever you all end up doing, I'm going to tell Arnama about this and ask her to help me investigate this blight."
"Mutated frogs? Maybe whatever happened in the Crypt has gotten out into the wider Fangwood, then. Like some sort of curse, or blight. Not good."
"That name: Delaab. It's impossible to know for certain, but it sounds like an anagram of my father Baelad's name. It could just be a coincidence, but with his treason and spycraft I wouldn't be too shocked."
"The living god: that's Razmir. You know, ruler of that country across Lake Encarthan? The Church of Razmir set up a Temple in Tamran right around the time that I was mustering out of the military. It was just a few people at first, but they started drawing converts faster than any other Cult I had seen. I'm a born-and-raised Erastilian, but I admired them. They did good charity, feeding the poor, healing the sick, protecting businesses from criminals, that sort of thing--and unlike the stuffy Abadaran bank they weren't trying to charge money for it. The local government liked them: they were bringing in foreign coin and solving problems that the city was too poor to manage itself. They would make good donations to the military as well, enough to feed and arm our soldiers and even hire some mercenaries to help fight Molthune. They were gaining influence with the city guard and the government. But some things about them made me nervous."
"First, they really denigrated other faiths. They'd openly mock Erastil if I walked by one of their street sermons wearing my holy symbol, calling him a distant god. Second, they seemed even more focused on accruing money than the Church of Abadar. It was like an obsession: they promised wealth and power to anyone who followed Razmir and learned his truths. And finally, they require anyone who joins to wear these masks at all times. I had a friend who joined before I left Tamran and...well, I never saw him again. I mean, I might have seen him in the streets, but I wouldn't have known it because they never show their faces."
"Everyone I knew who joined the Church of Razmir was about your age. Our age. With all due respect, Ranger Lastrid, they'd be the perfect people to figure out what the Church of Razmir has to do with all this. Better than most of us, at least."
"I think that settles it then. If the three of you will accept it, I would ask you to travel to Tamran and find those responsible for unleashing this violence on our town. They may not have known that that's what they would do when they robbed from our founder, but we deserve answers. I would prefer to avoid a diplomatic incident, of course. Remember: you are representatives of Kassen and Nirmathi citizens. Rantal, is there someone they should contact in Tamran?"
"Tamran has a loose ruling council with three members: the Speakers. The Speaker of the Heart, Aromina Yasgon, would be a good person to connect with. She's a veteran, like the other two Speakers, and she's probably the most amenable to overtures from outsiders."
No rush, but anything else in this scene? Anything that anyone wants to do before sleep and advancing to the next day?
I wouldn't mind doing a debrief, and coming up with some plans/backstory about why we're here/working together to fool the average Razmiran
You're also welcome to do some information gathering, tonight or tomorrow. I'll just need Diplomacy checks from anyone trying to gather, along with a sense of who you're trying to talk to and what information you're trying to learn.
Been a hectic few days. Will update tomorrow!
Updated the loot sheet with the assumption of selling everything that you have found so far. The total gp gained on the journey from Kassen to Tamran so far has been 3088.4 gp, or 772.1 gp per PC. (This includes the selling of masterwork equipment from Quinby, along with Garen's old scale mail.) I also tried to keep track of the PCs' purchases/crafting to help you figure out what you have. If I forgot something, feel free to adjust it.
So far we have Silvio advocating for going to the Forest Bounty, and Garen wanting to go to the Ranger's Lament later in the evening. Once I get a clear direction of what the party plans to do next, whether they're doing it all together or splitting up, I'll advance us to a next scene. But feel free to continue your brief/debrief/prebrief in the suite for as long as you want. I'm here to answer any questions and pull the trigger when the table is ready!
Are you still briefing, or are you ready to head to your next destination?
I think we are ready!
Let's do it!
So there were some missing items (and gp values), which I have gone back in to add. There are still some unclaimed items.
Please check ownership in the next couple of days and let me know if you were planning to buy anything in Kassen. Assuming the current split, the three PCs transitioning from this adventure to the next will walk away with 1653.83 gp (cell L3). That number is likely to fluctuate as you figure out whether you're keeping or selling certain items, so don't bank on this post until the value is declared final.
Updated the loot sheet with the assumption of selling everything that you have found so far. The total gp gained on the journey from Kassen to Tamran so far has been 3088.4 gp, or 772.1 gp per PC. (This includes the selling of masterwork equipment from Quinby, along with Garen's old scale mail.) I also tried to keep track of the PCs' purchases/crafting to help you figure out what you have. If I forgot something, feel free to adjust it.
I've been putting off the accounting but will finally take it on. So basically, Silvio should have received 1653.83+772.1=2425.93gp to make purchases.
Silvio already purchased the following:
Mwk Sling Staff 320
Mwk Chain Shirt 250
Mwk Buckler 155
Spring-Loaded Wrist Sheathe x2 10
CLW Wand with 20 charges 300
50 sling bullets (0.5gp)
20 Cold Iron sling bullets (0.4gp)
10 Silver sling bullets x10 (20.1)
Total spent = 1056gp
Remaining gold = 1369.93
He will go shopping for some more stuff, if possible:
Cloak of Resistance +1 (1000)
Alchemist's Fire x3 (60)
Acid x2 (20)
Tanglefoot Bag (50)
Scroll of Comprehend Languages (25)
Scroll of Magic Weapon (25)
Scroll of Obscuring Mist (25)
Scroll of Remove Fear (25)
Scroll of Protection from Evil (25)
Scroll of Unbreakable Heart (25)
Additional gold spent: 1280gp
Leftover gold = 89.93