DM Fang Dragon's: War for the Crown

Game Master FangDragon

I'm trying to switch it appropriately for her current persona... :)

I think we've had our fun and are ready to move on, GM.

Do we need to establish a watch order?

Ah noted Cyrene, let's just assume she's scared of succubi. If you're resting, yes Triphylla.

Oh re leveling up, that'll happen soon so I suggest thinking about what what options you'll take and if you want to coordinate skills. Incidentally I'll be offering retraining rules when there's downtime if you feel the need to change anything.

RE: Watch Order

For the sake of getting the ball rolling, what about:

Triphylla
Julia & Valeria
Lope & Pelligrina
Cyrene

I think the repartee can be fun, and I was pretty satisfied with how this played out in the end, but based on his last post I'm not sure rdknight feels the same. Triphylla has already blown it off. Personally, I really, really don't care, so let's move on. No hard feelings.

No, I'm fine myself.

Pelligrina is concerned though. Whatever the specifics of future assignments may be, they will be taking place among Taldor's upper crust. They are both enemies and friends, and it won't always be clear who is who. If Triphylla is all about class warfare all the time, it will be alienating to all of them, friend or foe, right out of the gate. Usually that will be very very bad. Pelligrina, and presumably everyone else, will be spending a lot of time mitigating or undoing damage just to get back to even, and it will make for a hard road ahead.

Now Pelligrina doesn't care a whit whether Triphylla hates every last single member of Taldor's aristocracy to her core, not her business. But if Triphylla can't mask it and be civil or at least not antagonize them, she's a handicap and a liability.

So yeah, Pelligrina has her eye on Triphylla because she thinks she's trouble.

I can have fun with some character conflict, it can really spice things up and keep RP alive. But I do want to be clear about why it's happening here. Pelligrina just doesn't care about Triphylla on a personal level. This is a professional dispute for her, about what excellent work looks like and what it takes to succeed.

Okay, that's helpful. Your last IC post read as rather petty and I interpreted it to be that you were writing internal monologue to avoid resolution.

I re-read your character backstory and it is entirely appropriate that our characters should clash on a personal level. I think you were doing that very early in the narrative but I didn't catch on, so it makes complete sense that Pelligrina would have lashed out this way when Triphylla demanded payment from her peerage.

And Triphylla is most definitely trouble for everything Pelligrina represents. She will absolutely continue to antagonize the nobility when she is in the advantage, as she deemed to be so here. But you can read her attempts with the nobility at the Gala and find her to be fully capable of putting on a show of mesmeric adulation when beneficial. It's an act of course, but that's exactly why she is valuable, and she can get into places Pelligrina would never want to go. Each of us has a purpose.

For her part, Triphylla knows now Pelligrina's true character, if she had any doubts. Triphylla will occasionally mess with Pelligrina, but it's all in fun. They share a common goal, and that's not nothing.

so it makes complete sense that Pelligrina would have lashed out this way when Triphylla demanded payment from her peerage.

One other point I'll make about motivations. Pelligrina doesn't really have that kind of class consciousness or solidarity directing her. It didn't matter what the particulars of their social station were. They needed help and the decent thing to do is help them. She didn't want to help them because they were "her" people, but because they were people.

Don't get me wrong, Pelligrina is an awful person in certain ways. But she does have a code of honor.

I liked the whole scene myself and think it has added a lot to character for the two of them. As far as Valeria is concerned she is going to end up the mediator of these inter-party disputes because she knows what will happen if people turn on each other all too well. She's seen it and suffered for it and does not want it to happen again.

Also that watch roster seems good to me. Keep in mind that Valeria does have darkvision so it would be wise to try and divvy those of us with it up between the watches.

Cyrene is delighted that her new group comes with inbuilt entertainment!

Yeah, as a GM, I could tell which games were likely to fail when the players seemed to have no interest in rp with each other. Getting players emotionally connected to characters is almost always a huge win.

Sort of related, another thing every good GM does is to allow for strong RP to affect outcomes. Gotta reward that and I think our GM is doing a good job with that. It frustrates me as a player when I put a lot of energy and time into a post and then I miss the DC by 1 and the GM is just like, too bad. No! I put a lot of time into that. Time I could have (should have?) spent with my kids! I used to get annoyed when my players would go post fishing for a good roll but I've come to realize it can be a good thing so long as they don't abuse it.

I'm good with the watch order as well.

To clarify the damage from the trap is non-lethal. I don't think you need to make stabilization checks from non lethal damage.

Indeed, no need then :D

It is then 10 non-lethal and 3 lethal, ok!

Next time you rest, you'll be level 2 so please post your leveling summaries. Some of you spoke about resting, now might be a good time.

I will be stopping to rest and level. Can we please slow down with opening doors and wandering about to at least be in the same place at the same time?

It might be slower and/or more boring to take things one at a time together, but it does tend to help keep us alive.

Level 2:

+1 BAB
+1 Will
4 +1 (Con) +1 (FCB) = 6 HP

New Hex: Misfortune

New Spells: Burning Hands, Ill Omen

Skill: +1 to Bluff, Diplomacy, K Arcana, K Local, Spellcraft, UMD

Background: +1 K Nobility, Perform (Dance)

Alchemist (Vivisectionist) Lvl 2

+1 BAB, +1 Fort, +1 Ref, +2 save vs Poison
+1 Extract / day
+1 Formula known: Cure Light Wounds
Poison Use
Discovery: Feral Mutagen
Skill Ranks 4+2 = 6
+ Heal
+ Kno Arcana
+ Kno Nature
+ Spellcraft
+ Survival
+ Use Magic Device
Background: + Craft Alchemy, + Perform (Oratory)
Hit Points: 1d8 ⇒ 6 or 5
Favored Class Bonus: +1 HP

+6 HP

+1 Bab

+1 Will

+1 rank in all skills except acrobatics, that point went to bluff igiving me the _1 and _3 as a class skill.

_1 1st lvl spell per day; Mystery Spell gained: Fumbletongue

+1 Cantrip known: create water

Bard (Arcane Duelist) Level 2

+1 BAB, +0 Fort, +1 Ref, +1 Will
+1 1st Spell Per Day
+1 1st Spell Known: Hideous Laughter, +1 Cantrip Known: Read Magic
Bonus Feats: Combat Casting
Skill Ranks: 6 (Class) + 1 (Int) + 1 (Skilled) = 7
+1 Bluff
+1 Diplomacy
+2 Disguise
+1 Knowledge (Local)
+1 Perception
+1 Sense Motive
Background (2):
+1 Knowledge (Nobility)
+1 Perform (Sing)
Hit Points: 1d8 (Average) + 1 (Con) = +5 HP
Favored Class Bonus: +1 HP

Vigilante 2
+1 BAB

+1 Ref/Will

Vigilante Talent: Lethal Grace. (Since we get weapon finesse from the feat taxes I believe this nets me another feat - Skill Focus Stealth.)

Skills (8): +1 to all existing skills.

HP: 5 + 1 FCB + 1 toughness.

Looking at spell memorization I'm wondering what y'all think is going to be more helpful, a little more offense or a little more support. I have three 1st level spells and two of them will be Mage Armor and Burning Hands.

For the third I could take another offensive spell, or even double up on Burning Hands since it's not mind affecting and is useful against swarms. I could take Cure Light Wounds instead though if we're feeling pretty good about winning fights without extra spells but like extra healing afterward. I'll have the Daze cantrip anyway, but it's mind affecting so more situational, and the effect is weak.

Any opinions?

Oh, also if nobody is planning on using that crossbow we found Pelligrina could take it.

Cyrene could use it reasonably effectively, but she'd have to stay within 30ft which is a tad naff for a crossbow.

Regarding spells, why not just leave the slot open? It take 15 minutes to fill an empty slot after main prep, but it does offer flexibility. If the casters are out of heals, take a break and prep CLW. If we've burned through all our damage spells, prep another Burning Hands. :)

Yeah, that's what I should do Cyrene, thanks. I don't play prepared casters much and tend to forget about that option.

What I meant with the crossbow is Pelligrina could take it if the alternative is it would go unused. Literally anybody else who's inclined to use it will do it better than Pelligrina.

She also does have her hexes but until she gets Cackle at 3rd level they're very short in duration so not yet a big thing.

@Trip: yes, I was proposing the original safe rooms. We can control the entrance and there are multiple places to sleep. Definitely the best place. :)

Was busy tonight so didn't get a chance to post, will update tomorrow.

Level 2

HP +7
Spells blade lash, vanish
Features Spellstrike
Skills
Bluff
Climb
Disable Device
K. planes
Spellcraft
Use Magic Device
Linguistics* (Vudrani)
Perform Oratory*

I'll try and get an update for door F in the morning before I start work.

@DM Fang Dragon

I think you forgot to something in the spoiler conversation between Julia and Jowuan.

I think it's a forum bug. I'll try and inspect the html when I'm at a computer and see if I can rescue it.

I would suggest we use some of the gems to buy the cloak +1, someone is going to buy that one at some point, and it is better someone enjoy through this level rather than carrying gems.

Also, the two wands are a great cheap buy, specially at this low level where our pure casters have so little magic available per day. I would say we want those by sure.

Wands:

cure light wounds (10 charges)
aqueous orb (1 charge)

I agree.

Sure, if we have the money.

No objections here. :)

Sounds good to me.

Agreed.

So how do you want to deal with monster lore DM Fang Dragon? Once we identify the creature the characters know basically everything about it, or you want to actively provide a list of the most relevant characteristics or you want us to ask questions on what we want to know?

(Sorry if this was previously explained already)

The most common thing I've seen done is you ID it with the base check and you get to ask a question (offence/defences/special attacks) for each 5 you exceeded the roll by. With a roll of 28 you basically know everything there is to know about guardian scrolls, i.e. everything here.

Sorry, I was confused by the bolded text and thought the whole party was up. Please use Lope post for his action, I can repost again or change actions if this is no longer valid.

Woot! Go Rule 0!

Going to update tomorrow, it got late - sorry folks!

Well that was a close one!

Death by a thousand paper cuts. Narrowly averted.

We really need a healing wand or two.

The logical thing to do would be to use the key, return it and 'borrow' something else. Let me know what your plans are.

Lope is not worried by those needs, but we can do it if someone wants one of those items.

Ok so you're maybe going to breech the door and storm in? Let me know if that's what you collectively want to do (if nobody has posted by this time tomorrow I'll assume you do and roll initiative). If you collectively decide to do something else I'll refund Triphylla.

Fwiw, I missed the last ooc that we had not opened the door yet; I was acting based on Lope's declaration of throwing it open. If the door is not yet open I expect we will open it, but perhaps not guns blazing. Her warning will have been spoken quietly instead of shouted.

With additional time to buff Triphylla will consume a Heightened Awareness extract, to be dismissed for the +4 to Initiative, and then also her Shield extract.

I'm confused. If the door is not open, then are the rolls we make for future events? We would wait to react to them then since we don't know the information in the spoiler IC quite yet?

We unlocked the door, but not quite open it. Lope is going to open it now, but I am guessing the DM is waiting so others can attempt that Perception check, Triphylla succeeded and read something that makes her think there is combat ahead.