Trouble in the Realms - a Forgotten Tale

Game Master TheLastGhost

Yeah, isn’t it like…10gp for 1st-level copying costs? Maybe this includes buying the scroll and/or service charge too?

I'm most games I've seen gms using the costs for a caster to cast a spell for you (which is CLxSLx10) as the fee for copying the spell into your book. More than free, less than a full scroll.

I've always used this table (scroll down a little), as it is the cost for copying/writing a spell, which is what she's doing. Anyways, I'll leave that to the GM.

I’ve always had to buy scrolls in order to get more spells at the beginning of the game. It would be great to just pay copying costs, but I’ve never encountered that before.

Yeah, so they’re using that cost from the table plus the cost of purchasing a scroll. The other option is borrowing a spellbook, which is the cost from the table x1.5 as it includes the additional cost for borrowing on top of the writing. They’re all legit methods and I think is largely down to GM discretion.

Forgot to grab a spell component pouch. that's fixed now.

Learning Extra Spells
The spell learning dynamic has for multiple editions been a bane on prepared arcane casters. Pathfinder 1e did a solid job of reducing the cost, but even still, it is a constant penalty. To keep it simple, for before the start of game, we will use the "Spell Level and Writing Costs" as the cost to get another caster to share the spell with you (0th - 5gp, 1st - 10 gp, 2nd - 40 gp). There will be no cost to scribe it into a spellbook. Once we get into gameplay, learning spells will be handled in game, so price may vary based on availability and relationship with who you are learning it from.

Crazy Elven Armor Idea
After talking with Liliane about her goal to eventually gain a set of mithral elven plate, I started to theorize on how an elf might craft heavy armor different from a human or dwarf. Given an elf's natural agility, even their heavy armor might depend more on flexibility. As such, I would theorize that elven full plate would almost be more "plate-and-chain" in a sense, with plates to cover vital areas, and chain to allow for enhanced flexibility. This spiraled into a "beskar-esque" (star wars reference) component armor. Some elven warriors persue having a custom set made for them, but others start with a mithral shirt, and slowly, over time, add components to it. Each component is unique and likely has its own story. So I pitched her the idea. Given the elven-dominance of our party and the game taking place around the great forest of Cormanthor (ancient realm of the elves), I can include this as a bit more of a component to the game (and will add the notes to the campaign tab).

Aelanurel 
I costed out to the Travel Cloak from 3.5 (using the "multiple similar benefits" taking some liberties based on existing theory), and its honestly not far off. I am cool with it being available for 1500 gp.  To add resistance, it would be another +1500 gp. Alternatively, I have always been a fan of "body slot" items of resistance (tabard, vest, robe), so if you wanted a robe of resistance +1, it would be the standard 1000 gp.

Wow, thank you GM! My brain is too fried to redo my math tonight though, I'll have to do it tomorrow.

Fab, thank you. Think that answers my equipment queries so I’ll aim to finish off later.

Still finalising the last few bits and pieces of the cheap stuff but mostly done.

Aelanurel is definitely a character who is letting me lean into lots of fun, interesting, flavourful stuff rather than just going down the big six route. Thanks again TLG for such generous character creation rules to allow us to really flesh out our characters.

Happy to give everyone the chance! A significant factor about the six characters that were chosen is none of them felt "min/maxed" to me. There were several builds that were clearly people trying to squeeze the most juice out of my character creation rules, something I asked people to explicitly not to. The group we have assembled seems like a potentially strong crowd of role players, and that's the goal.

Working for my mobile device right now, one of a few minutes later I will get the armor notes, as well as a few other things added to the campaign tab. Get rolling!

That’s the kind of character, I was aiming for, so it’s good to know that I succeeded! It’s so nice not to have to minmax to make a viable wizard.

Is that the Travel Cloak from Magic of Faerun? If so, I’m going to buy one too! Never occurred to me to ask for 3.5 content. (Beyond my future tressym familiar, of course.)

It is, yes. I’d say it’s probably the item more of my characters have had than any other, hence why I asked! As per the post above it’s been approved and costed at 1500 (as opposed to the 1200 in MoF).

Okay, I think I'm ready to go. I know at some point I'm going to be hitting Lilianne up for some custom armor.

I also am ready to go!

@Mia: We'll just have to wait and see if you perform honorably enough to warrant it! :P

@Mia: We'll just have to wait and see if you perform honorably enough to warrant it! :P

*looks at class*

Rock'n'Roll!

Shopping 2, electric boogaloo!

Ready to saddle up and move out!

Whoops, I should have specified that the shopping list means Rissa is ready to roll! Provided I didn’t screw up the math, of course.

Also good to go I think. I’ve had a look across our prepared spells and they seem pretty complementary/have various bases covered but would appreciate someone sense checking that - I’m very open to switching something out if useful.

Let's have a look, We've got:

Glitterdust (x2) - Debuff/Perception
Sensory Overload - Debuff
Web - Control
CLW - Heal
Sow Thought - Control/Social
Ear-Piercing Scream - Blast/Debuff
Grease - Control
Enlarge Person - Buff Off
Colour Spray - Debuff
Silent Image - Misc
Detect Thoughts - Scry/Perception
Invisibility (x2) - Stealth
Summon Monster 2 - Misc
Enthrall - Control/Social
Protection vs Evil, Communal - Buff Def
Restoration, Lesser - Heal
Bless - Buff Off
Charm Person - Control/Social
Keep Watch - Buff Def
Frostbite (x2) - Blast/Debuff
Reduce Person - Buff/Utility
True Strike - Buff/Debuff
Mirror Image - Buff Def

Maybe we're lacking a bit of damage, but I've only had a look at the spells. The rest of capabilities will probably compensate, and we'll have chances to change our spells prepared.

I'll post what Mia has in her spellbook tonight.

Color Spray and Enlarge Person should do the trick at leveling us out. If not, the summon monsters might help

As stated in her letter (in recruitment), Lilliane will be arriving a couple of days earlier than the recruitment. In an effort to foster goodwill, she might have very briefly met with the High Councilor when she first arrived. He would have found that she was slightly injured from bandits found on the road, and she was left by his grace to recover over the next couple of days before he saw her again at the proper recruitment time. If that is okay with you GM, then we are on the same page for intro backstory. If not, then I can just assume what you wrote in your post for the other players into Lilianne's background.

Also, would you like us to go ahead and post? I won't do so until you give that message.

And another thing, if you have discord, I am on there and can send you my handle if you use it and want to get ahold of me quicker.

Well, what we lack in blasting we do have in control/debuff, so I guess even so our strikers will have an easier time. But, as I said, there are many prepared spells casters, so we can adjust from one day to another.

@Mia, sorry, I somehow thought you didn't have access to spells at Eldritch Scoundrel 1st level. My bad.

If necessary Rissa can prepare a couple acid arrows, and she has her wand of magic missile. At this level, though, I find it more effective to play control/debuff as a primary arcane caster and let the martial types take care of damage.

Witches have few blast options so there’s a limit to what I can do in that respect. (And having never played one before I’m very happy to take advice on spells or indeed anything else!) Overall though, as has been pointed out, we have plenty of other good options and can change things up as necessary.

@GM Thinking on what Liliane’s said, are you planning to keep with this tab for main ooc chat and discussion or were you thinking to use Discord or something else?

Sure, we'll need some time to learn how to work together but we'll manage.

@Corwynt: No worries. Mia wasn't originally going to be an eldritch scoundrel, but when the GM brought up me not having a free archetype and that I was thinking about taking wizard...

I think we're just waiting on the okay from the GM to get started. It looks like it's an open invitation to introduce ourselves, though.

Woo!

Yes, we are good to go for game!

I have only limited experience with Discord as a voice service companion for VTT games, not so much as a messaging app, and plan to use the Discussion forum here for all OOG communication. I will also be setting up a Google Doc to manage battle maps, and will share that shortly (my email address is corbectheghost@gmail.com)

All sounds good to me!

A quick update and apologies.

My two and a half year old son grabbed my laptop on Saturday morning and decided it would function best as a trampoline. Suffice to say, despite my best efforts over the last 2 days, it is inoperable.

Luckily my notes for the game are all saved in google docs. This post is coming from my phone, working on getting a temporary unit from work. While I hopefully can get my main laptop fixed.

Game post coming shortly, thank you for your patience.

Oh no, I’m sorry - that really sucks. Hope you’re able to get it fixed ok.

Oh, that is... yeah.

Good luck getting it fixed. Finding spare parts for laptops can be a crapshoot.

Behold the power of those approaching age three. Only rivaled by the otherworldly cat who is itself a walking static charge who can disable a computer forever (as happened to me) by a mere touch of a combo of buttons as it walks across its keyboard.

Oh no! Don't worry about us, the game will still be here when you get your laptop fixed.

My work didn't have anything I can borrow, but I remembered I had an old laptop buried in the closet. Dug it out and it still works. Need to run some updates and clean up some junk files, but should be operational by the end of the night.

Yay for having spares!

Hi! How you doin'? :)

Doin' okay. At least it looks like I'm doing better than the GM with his Laptop troubles.

All good here too thanks.

Still alive and kicking! No thanks to my professors this semester. One of them assigns these ridiculously time-consuming labs that are worth... wait for it... a whole ten points each! AAAAAAHHHH. Why do I have to bust my buns for a measly ten points? If he's going to assign this kind of work it should at least be worth a more significant part of the semester's grade.

/rant

Either he has real world experience and is trying to prepare you for it, or he has never left academia and has no idea how much work you're having to do for those 10 points.

Those are my guesses. :P

The best tool I've found for labs is to go to the book's website, and often times they will have little quizzes you can do. These are often identical to the lab work. I'm not sure what you are going for, but it's worth a look.

Soooo, I really don't want this game to die right at the gate. Would anyone be up to a little non-canon RP while we wait for the GM to sort out his computer troubles?

Yeah, that sounds good - what were you thinking? Be good to help find character voices.

I've also been working on a flashback post to drop in when things are moving again, though it's turned into something of an essay.

Yeah, that sounds good - what were you thinking? Be good to help find character voices.

Two options I thought of were having dinner at a tavern/inn or settling in for the night at a camp.

I've also been working on a flashback post to drop in when things are moving again, though it's turned into something of an essay.

No judgements here. I once got carried away and wrote a 20k word short story for a character's background. :P