DM Talomyr's The Lost City

Game Master Talomyr

So a SOP approach seems like the best bet. Please let me know what that approach is going to be, and I will do my best to move things along according to that design.

So a SOP approach seems like the best bet. Please let me know what that approach is going to be, and I will do my best to move things along according to that design.

Whoever's up front (usually Silas and Myev, I'm betting) will roll perception & investigation for doors, etc. and if anything suspicious is found, probably get Tek to handle traps.

Any other things needed for the SOP approach?

If each of those individuals want to give me five to ten rolls of those abilities here. I'll keep track of it from there and try to keep things moving.

Once you have entered a room and begin interacting with creatures/things. the pre-rolled rolls will not be used and the party will have to tell me what they would like to do in the given room, including when they would like to leave it.

Sound Fair?

Sounds totally fair! Here ya go from Myev -

Just out of curiosity, are you using passives as floors for the rolls?

I normally don't as I don't particularly care for that mechanic, but I suppose it does make a bit of sense in this situation

Just throwing it out there I think it could streamline these out of combat door rolls for sure. One thing with passives is you can apply advantage/disadvantage in the form of +5/-5 respectively. So, assuming that someone always Helps Silas keep a lookout, his passive perception would be 20. That really eliminates the need for rolls. I wouldn't use passives in any situation of stress though.

But yeah, I get coming from other editions the habit of rolling all the time. Part of 5e's philosophy was to reduce that tedium. Certainly do whatever you're comfortable with.

Rolling aside and back into a fighting stance, the gnome gives Myev a Watch out for the little people! look before stepping up and jabbing his blade at whatever soft spot the nearest beetle offers.

Ehehehe sorry Tek, see the thing, want to smash it. :P

Apologies guys, will get something up tonight.

Poor Tek. Myev will try to be more mindful of him in the future. And encourage Meebo to be, too :P

This is a copypasta so I apologize if you've already read this somewhere else. I've started my new job today, which means my posting will now likely be once or twice an evening rather than the more frequenting posting it has been. Just a heads up!

Starting tomorrow, my posting frequency as a DM may fall off a bit as I will be out of town on vacation. I still intend to post, but it will certainly only be once a day.

Enjoy your vacation!!!

Thanks, I intend to. First real one since before covid.

Enjoy your time off. Totally understand, we are also planning on something longer than a weekend or day trip for the first time since covid started later this month. Just depends on the fire/smoke situation to see where we end up going.

Silas nodded in agreement with Tek's offer to those assembled, offering the friendliest smile he could from under chainmail and dressed in holy vestments. This was his first test from Lathander, to scourge a terrible evil from beneath the sands and bring light to those long since hidden from it. What a truly wonderful gift.

An opportunity to Illuminate the sunless heathens. Lol

Nice. We are literally adventuring where the sun does not shine.

Silas is just here to bring the warmth of the sun to those beneath it. How warm is up to them. <3

I accidentally posted with my GM alias and immediately changed it, but it's listed in "Players" now. Just lettin' you know in case you want to kick it out, DM.

Not an original, but taken from the Japanese classic 'The Tales of Ise'...among whose pages the legends of the tsukumogami are earliest recorded.

whatever it is that the monk is doing

lol, are they that incomprehensible? I was happy with that post, I must be really out of touch... xD

Silas has no frame of reference. Raised in a temple whole life, sent out on his first pilgrimage, you're all amazing and strange.

Myev's never been around anyone like Utsuri. Don't take it personally. It's all being in-character.

Wow 18 yellow mold patches, would've been an xp milking bonanza. :)

Stepping into it would have been a rather quick TPK.

Its been a while since I have seen any of those dungeon hazards (molds/slimes, etc) do real damage. I suppose in the earliest editions there wasn't really a nature skill to roll...though we used the ad&d giant, amazingly detailed and specific skill lists. I do sort of remember there being two very similar appearing ones, one would expand when exposed to cold and another could only be killed by cold...

I think the only time I got players in 5e was one of the published adventures. There was an ochre jelly pushing itself flat and smooth in a mirror frame, disguised as the mirror's surface. >:D

You will likely see more of those classic dungeon hazards throughout this adventure as it is a conversion of a 1980s basic D&D module.

Indeed, and hopefully our modern countermeasures will continue to foil them. *thumbs up*

Hey friends, I already talked to Talomyr about it, but turns out balancing 7 games is rough once summer break ends and work picks up. I've clearly been slacking as Meebo, and most of you have seen how Witchlight has slowed down on my part, lol. So I am trimming things down a smidge and benching Meebo.

Not gonna stop the games I am DMing so no worries there, but I haven't had the time to give my gnome the attention she needs, and it stresses me out not staying caught up with things. So I am bowing out of this game. If you're all still going strong come next summer, perhaps she will fall out of a ventilation shaft or something =) But for now, see you in the Feywild. (and some of you at Sea... and some of you in a Jungle... And one of you in Thistletop... O.O)

<3

<3 myev will see her bff later!

Take it easy!

Sorry folks, it has been an exceedingly long day, I'll update tomorrow.

Take care of yourself <3

Delayed reaction...

Hey friends...

Sorry to hear it, but certainly understand.

DM, do you have a system for tracking loot that you'd like us to use, now that we're finding things?

Nothing preferred. I can make a google spreadsheet later tonight and provide a link that you all can modify as need be.

Yeesh! Why does the RNG seem to hate Myev so much?

I don't know! RNG hates Myev AND one of my PF2e Age of Ashes characters, Elise. I can't hit ANYTHING or use any of my cool rogue skills because I CAN'T ROLL ANYTHING GOOD!

Sometimes it really makes me wonder just how random the RNG is...I had a character in a game years ago who suffered the same issues, seemed like 80% of his rolls were less than 10.

I've got another player in my other game who seems to suffer from the same fate on multiple characters, and then there are the ones who seem to be blessed by the RNG and can't roll less than a 15...

I have not got a bad luck character on the boards myself, but I have seen my players have it before. In DM Tareth's game, my halfling rogue is blessed.

I have yet to see a triple nat 20 in a single post (I think I've seen 2 double nat 20s in the 5-6 years I've been playing here). I've seen 3 nat 20s from 3 separate people in sequence though.

There is a way to cheat with the roller I found using duplicates/deleting. I caught someone doing it once...

One of the players in my Fall of Plaguestone game rolled two nat 1s for healing in a row. RNG is cruel sometimes. (I let them reroll)

Totally agree with the RNG being a bit wonky. There was a stretch in one of my games where it seemed like everyone who rolled 2d20's in the same post got duplicates.

It also seems to know when I'm rolling some random RP or toss away roll verses I'm rolling to desperately save my hide. One inevitably gets the crit the other gets the fumble.

Of course in Myev's case, we all know she just needs a good set of specs. ;)

*ducks the incoming maul*

DM, on another note, I totally expect and understand if this lizard attacks, but I couldn't resist at least trying to domesticate it. For some reason Tek has apparently always wanted to explore the underdark riding a giant lizard like some gnomish knight of ni. That's in spite of being completely unsuited for such a thing.

At this point, Myev is considering the glasses.

DM, on another note, I totally expect and understand if this lizard attacks, but I couldn't resist at least trying to domesticate it. For some reason Tek has apparently always wanted to explore the underdark riding a giant lizard like some gnomish knight of ni. That's in spite of being completely unsuited for such a thing.

i literally require this to happen.

lizard with wide flaps of skin between its legs

I'm still a bit perplexed on this detail, has it just laid a bunch of eggs or can it glide like a flying squirrel?

DM wrote:

lizard with wide flaps of skin between its legs

I'm still a bit perplexed on this detail, has it just laid a bunch of eggs or can it glide like a flying squirrel?

One of those two is correct.

lol

Nice. Rolling hp?

lvl2: 1d8 ⇒ 1

Not nice.

Myev is currently crying with joy that she finally hit something.

Will get Myev leveled up soon - don't have good access to my character sheet stuff while at work.

Nice. Rolling hp?

[dice=lvl2]1d8

Not nice.

Take half HD + 1 + CON bonus (i.e. for a monk take 5 + CON Bonus)