Angels Fall: A Hells' Vengeance Campaign

Game Master bluedove

I suppose taking a rest is probably not going to be feasible. May as well collect the loot and be about it.

More loot. How to share? Potions to Guillaume and Fellzir, scroll to Fellzir, sell the elven curve blade?

I'm good for tying loose ends (although came in just before the Court of Spears, so clueless about anything in Longacre)

Also, in the long run I need to figure out ways to overcome DR of celestial enemies, I think...

Sell the blade, yes. (Unless we can polymorph G into an octopus and give him eight weapons.)

If you have the time, you may be highly entertained to read the first two chapters here, although it's really sad that we've lost at least three players and two GMs.

I can cast align weapon and magic weapon anytime you need as long as you use your power for evil.

One of my party wide judgement can help with overcoming DR too, but thats level 6.

Good to know the anti-DR options are available. I don’t think there’s that much DR anytime soon, but as we climb in levels I’d expect to see more and more.

Regarding opening the door and waiting… It would be funny, but I expect the occupants would just come out eventually.

I’ll be mostly offline until tomorrow evening ( Eastern European TZ), bot if needed.

Aurelius, Noticula called. She wants you to smite this fool.

A vigilante question, as next round I'm hopefully getting around to attack something... What is the enemies awareness of The Shrike?

Hidden Strike rules say:
[hidden strike] allows him to deal an extra 1d8 points of precision damage on melee attacks (or ranged attacks from within 30 feet) against foes who are unaware of his presence, who consider him an ally, or who are made flat-footed by startling appearance (see page 17).

I suppose the hound archon is aware of The Shrike as he can smell him. But how about the boss lady?

Not sure how I missed The Shrike's question, sorry about that. Yes, due to the scent ability, the Hound became aware of The Shrike as soon as he was 5 feet away. The Angel Knight has no such ability though.

Aurelius, can you grab the sword? You shouldn't provoke an AOO.

I fear I must disabuse you of this notion. Picking up an item in a threatened square always provokes an AoO. You might be questioning if she still possesses a melee option to be threatening, I will simply state that she is wearing full plate armor and wielding a shield.

Disabuse is an excellent word.

My statement was based on her not having a melee weapon. It is entirely possible, as you suggest, that she could swing her shield or have Improved Unarmed Strike. (Or something else) I still feel like it's worth trying. If she spends the rest of her life trying to shield bash, it's in our favor. (But I'm typing this without seeing A's current hp.)

Since it's still the weekend, I'll allow a little more time before I advance the combat. Please feel free to bot Guillaume else I will delay him when I post.

Success with the first try. Does that mean I have one move action left? About tactical placement: is the square below Cimri and left of AK filled with stuff or can it be entered?

Yes, you still have an action available, I moved your token onto the bridge for your successful climb. The square you are referring to is occupied by a wooden statue of Iomedae, so it is not an option.

By your grace, he has been botted.

Thank you, I can't imagine he will begrudge you a roll like that on his behalf. Especially given the way the dice have been falling.

By the way, you can still edit a post within 1 hour of submission.

I kinda hope she tries to pick up the sword and all three AoOs go off. Two with flanking, one with smite, one with power attack. It could be magnificent.

I kinda hope she tries to pick up the sword and all three AoOs go off. Two with flanking, one with smite, one with power attack. It could be magnificent.

Aw, an evil optimist... isn't that sweet.

I'd like to see where Shrike ends up before I go.

Also, should G have 6 more hp after I enraged him? (Yes that grammar is perfect.)

Am I the only one that wants to call him "Rice Sack?" Probably.

Also, should G have 6 more hp after I enraged him? (Yes that grammar is perfect.)

Ah yes, I hadn't accounted for that. Thank you.

I say "Rye Sack", so he's a big bag of grain either way... XD

So double checking Amoral Mercenary Aurelius needs to be Neutral Evil to make use of this trait. Probably just an error on the sheet but he is currently listed as Lawful Evil.

And Fellzir, your sheet is still not complete. I see no feats or traits listed anywhere. Nor your armor.

Changing his alignment, NE is still ok for an Omdura of a LE infernal entity.

He isnt particularly lawful, and giving that Malacoda thing is bastards, he is probably on the "not all that lawful" side of the spectrum for servants of hell

BTW here is pretty standard template for character profile. I highly recommend that format for readability.

I'm not a big stickler on format. In fact, I'll happily generate the sheet myself. I just need to actually see the relevant selections made like feat and trait choices. Prepared spells and skill ranks would be nice too. ^_^

Feats and Trait are up. Spells will have to be tomorrow...

Milady, if I may be so bold, it looks like the AK did a LoH during Cimri's turn, not her own. Is that correct?

I did roll it at the end of the round, yes. "Turn" is a subjective term. Lay on Hands (used on herself) is a swift action, so she gets 1 per round. All actions do not need to occur on the characters initiative, however. You could, for instance, use your standard action to cast, delay until Cimri moved and then use your move action to take her place. We just don't usually split up actions like that in PbP because it takes more time, but it's perfectly legal.

I did the same thing on this post. I'll admit, sometimes it's due to being forgetful or in a hurry when I'm posting and sometimes it's intentional to try and not use it until it's absolutely necessary.

She couldn't delay it into the next round, however, nor could she apply LoH after Aurelius but before Guillaume because they both precede her. But it's not as if a window for action closes as soon as the next person acts. Does that make sense?

Apologies in advance for any issues with the post, including lack of the Round summary. We're off to get back to school haircuts today! ^_^

I'll have to wait until late tomorrow to post. Sorry. (Work travel)
Is anyone able to count how many channels I've used "today?" I can't find my notes.

I'll have to wait until late tomorrow to post. Sorry. (Work travel)

Is anyone able to count how many channels I've used "today?" I can't find my notes.

No worries, the boards always chug a little slower on the weekend anyway.

By my count, you have spent 5 channels. Which is why I specified that I needed to see your feats, as this would be your max without extra channel. Fortunately you do have it, so 2 more to spend "today".

Spell accounting looks like you may be all out except for your 1st level domain spell. Protection from Good would be useful for this fight.
2 CMW, 1 AW
2 CLW, 1 BD (2nd from pearl of power)

I do see a few things we can resolve after this combat, mostly to your benefit. Hope that helps! ^_^

Many thanks for the counting and accounting.

Please clarify if the bastard's bastard sword is lying across his body or if I need to use my move action to grab it or put it back in his hand or anything like that. I will use my move action differently if it's still in his evil clutches.

So 4 hp and prone right?

Aurelius, being prone invokes his incantation of healing, which I think does not provoke.

He then heals for 2 hp, as does everyone else.

Yes, that is correct. Aurelius' invocation is a supernatural ability and as such, does not provoke. Fellzir may still drag Aurelius out of threat range if he chooses, after which Aurelius will be safe to stand up.

Many thanks for the counting and accounting.

Please clarify if the bastard's bastard sword is lying across his body or if I need to use my move action to grab it or put it back in his hand or anything like that. I will use my move action differently if it's still in his evil clutches.

It won't cost him any movement to grasp his sword, you can safely move both bastards out of harm's way. It's not a trap. ^_~

First day of school today, so my posting schedule may be irregular until I get back into the swing of things. Thanks for being patient! ^_^

August 7th? Wow. Texas starts early.

First day of school today here in Helsinki as well (August 8th, since I'm a bit ahead of you)

That's the 'normal' start of school then? :)

August 7th? Wow. Texas starts early.

Yeah, seems like public school starts have been creeping up earlier and earlier each year. First from late to mid August, and now earlier still.

Our district recently shifted to a 4 day week, so we're even earlier than most. I think the 12th was about the average for most districts.

Isn't Aurelius getting two points every round and thus auto-stabilizing?

Ha! I typed two pints a round. He definitely will be needing that too.

Not anymore:

A called invocation cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the omdura is killed, paralyzed, stunned, or knocked unconscious.

In my opinion, this dungeon is one of the hardest Paizo ever made.

We ended up skipping the super dryad (who is a near guaranteed TPK if played by a nasty GM, unless one party member is a CMB specialist),
but yeah, I kind of think it would be more in line with normal paizo balance if the party was level 4.

Not an offense to the GM at all, it is as written.

In my opinion, this dungeon is one of the hardest Paizo ever made.

We ended up skipping the super dryad (who is a near guaranteed TPK if played by a nasty GM, unless one party member is a CMB specialist),
but yeah, I kind of think it would be more in line with normal paizo balance if the party was level 4.

Not an offense to the GM at all, it is as written.

Oh no, I agree completely. I feel like the Hound Archon, followed by the Dryad (which has level in Swash, iirc) o_O , and then facing the Hound and the level 5 paladin together is seriously meant to kill you all. Especially since it is very possible depending how you progress to face them all at the same time!

In light of how underfunded and underequipped you dudes were, I couldn't in good conscience, do that to you. That would be a CR 12 encounter for a level 3 party. Iomedae does not play fair, lol.

BTW, am I supposed to approve of Aurelius' spoiler as a fever dream or as an origin story? Because I'm not giving you a half-succubus template no matter how interesting you write it! XD

Aurelius is part demon, but just a demon spawn tiefling.
He grew up thinking he was devil spawn (as did his surroundings), but as a bit of a joke on behalf of his demonic ancestors side it was revealed that his parent was a demon impersonating a sire devil, not the actual sire devil.
This caused poor Aurelius to be disowned so he got the hell out of the capital. He is a demon spawn tiefling, and has the appropriate attribute adjustments.

He suspects that he is used for amusement, and that his demonic parent is watching him, for fun, not watching over him.

I like to write in such "outsider connections" to have plot hooks for the GM. You could have his "demonic family" as either antagonists or extremely risky allies of conveniance.

The only thing that Aurelius could have from his background, which is not RAW is that he can easily pass as a devil spawn, rather then a demon spawn, tiefling, although his heritage is subtle enough he can also pass for human (he got the alternative racial trait for that).

His demonic parent may have intervened in his background part here:

He suspects that he is used for amusement, and that his demonic parent is watching him, for fun, not watching over him.

I like to write in such "outsider connections" to have plot hooks for the GM. You could have his "demonic family" as either antagonists or extremely risky allies of conveniance.

Ah, I see, you want to give me more work. =P

Your background fluff is yours to craft as you wish, but if it's going to be brought forward to affect the game mechanics or plotline, then it needs to make sense by RAW or at least RAI. So here are some issues I see off the bat:

1) A true sire devil always sires tieflings and they don't actually need to couple with the target to do so, a touch is sufficient. This is not true of a succubus. Their direct offspring with a human are either half-succubus or alu-demons. So I'd be more inclined to say that the fiendish parent could be a half-succubus. That would make you only 1/4 fiend which is more in line with demon-spawn tiefling.

2) Alter Self lets the caster take a humanoid form for a few minutes. A Sire Devil is not a humanoid form. Not even Greater Polymorph can do what you are suggesting. I can't find an existing spell that could pull this off. Much more reasonable to say that the fiendish parent worked some mind-altering spell to leave the mortal parent with a confused memory of the event.

3) What means of communication is the fiendish parent using to contact Aurelius? I've honestly been taking it all as dreams or ravings because it doesn't make sense to me otherwise.

4) I feel like you might have misunderstood Cheliax's outlook on tieflings, even of the infernal variety. They are looked on as "unfortunate side-effects" of compacting with Hell and still treated like second class citizens or even enslaved. As individuals, they have to try twice as hard to prove themselves useful. They are not desirable as noble offspring. Your mother could have had a different outlook, but it would help if she had a reason.

So I'm not saying no, precisely. But I don't see a way to utilize it as it stands. To be frank, I had to look up Nocticula to even know what you've been referencing all this time. So I might be the wrong GM to try this as a sub-plot.

I like APs because I don't have to invent plot hooks and try to motivate players to invest in the storyline. It's already set up. I'll also add that Wrath of Thrune has sort of done away with all the GM training wheels. I don't get any cute little opening scripts for any of the MANY NPC's I'll be introducing, so I will already have plenty to do with what's already in the AP.

I hope that isn't too disheartening. I still want you to play and have fun but I might need more guidance and some tweaking of the backstory to make it work for me. ^_^

--------------------Why create tieflings in Cheliax---------------
Essentially, his house wanted people with bloodties, and thus a bit more implied loyalty, but who will not inherit or compete with the trueborn because they are tieflings. Had things been normal, Aurelius may have ended up as an officer of his houses guard, or perhaps as an envoy who gets to report failures, or other such tasks were you want to have one of your blood, but not one you care about too much or one where him being taken as hostage would work very well.

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-------------------How his half fiend parent may have pulled it off--------
A certain way to impersonate a devil long enough is a scroll of veil. 1650 gp and a umd check, but the half fiend may have levels in bard or sorceror that forgo the UMD check.

Less expensive is using disguise self to appear as another subtype of your type (a half fiend would be outsider native, and thus could disguise self but not alter self into outsider evil or outsider devil). That needs a degree of b*~%@~$*ting on account of the half fiend (since disguise self isnt tacticle), but given the bluff scores involved its probably doable.

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------------------Communication and knowing------------------------------
If we are going with his demonic parent being a half fiend, perhaps Aurelius has her "profane gift" but because because of said parent only being a half fiend, all it does is give the parent the status on Aurelius, as well as a telepathic one way connection (which perhaps only activates if he is in deep trouble), no profane stat boost.
Alternatively, a weakened profane gift could happen if a pregnant mortal receives one. It would be a funny twist of Aurelius mortal mother has actually been benefitting from a profane gift the entire time, while hypocritically casting out Aurelius as demon influenced.
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I hate to bot Guillaume again. I like his flair for the dramatic.

Sorry y'all, my work schedule's been in flux lately, in part because I'm about to start back to school, but it's thrown my schedule out of whack.

No worries. Glad you got that swing in! Are you going back to school as a student or a professor?

Oh no, I agree completely. I feel like the Hound Archon, followed by the Dryad (which has level in Swash, iirc) o_O , and then facing the Hound and the level 5 paladin together is seriously meant to kill you all. Especially since it is very possible depending how you progress to face them all at the same time!

Good that we skipped/missed the dryad then :)

Just recently had our butts kicked by Rise of Runelord book 2 end boss. And compared to that encounter, this feels rather easy :P

Just recently had our butts kicked by Rise of Runelord book 2 end boss. And compared to that encounter, this feels rather easy :P

Said the guy I allowed to "air swim" back into the tree so the party didn't lose out on their singular evil weapon.

Lencia throws an alchemist fire at the tree and when Losoni shows up, points at The Shrike. j/k =P

We do have a very kind and generous GM... :D
Then again, I spent so many rounds hitting nothing so could have as well been jogging up from the ground.

But surely this map/encounter has plenty of opportunities for a nastier kind of GM, as Aurelius pointed out earlier.

BTW, I think The Shrike's Shield of Faith has expired? Hard to calculate the rounds, but I think it was cast before we fought Rhysak and his gf.

BTW, I think The Shrike's Shield of Faith has expired? Hard to calculate the rounds, but I think it was cast before we fought Rhysak and his gf.

The Shield of Faith from the wand is only 1 minute, so yes, it's long since expired. Fellzir cast it on Guillaume and Cimri during this combat and G's has already expired and Cimri's will too by round 13.

@Aurelius, those amendments work for me. I think this "father figure" is likely to be more antagonistic to A's goals, at least as long as they are aligned with those of Her Infernal Majistrix. I will keep an eye out for a way to work A's parent into the plot.

@Guillaume, it's all down to you!

The objective of the father figure may be a degree of generalized trolling and/or subversion of Cheliax, with an eye towards corrupting Aurelius to chaotic evil.

Although it probably doesnt like the Iomedeans either.

Possible goals could be:

But first, our glorious party needs to get that Paladin!

Someone might want to bot the G-man before this paladin kills your Cleric. *goodly grin*