Volcano's Land - Beyond the City of Light

Game Master Miner Cotren

Oooof, that's pretty crazy.

Sorry for not posting, I got sick last week. Resuming as normal

I'm going to be away from home today through the 30th, so my responses may be sporadic.

Happy new years, good people!

Sorry for the quiet. Whole house got sick right after christmas. feeling better though.

Happy new year. May it be a boring one :)

Happy new year!

I will post IC in about 12h

Sorry for the hiatus - getting both my students and my kids back into the school routine this week was exhausting. I also ran a 2 hour combat for D&D Club on Thursday (3 Orcish Death Knights, a group of enhanced warg skeletons, and a necromancer backing them up) Fun, but as I say, exhausting :)

Planning on posting tomorrow, and I will be back in the swing of things this upcoming week.

That sounds fun. I think I might have the flu. Feel awful. If I am radio silent for a bit it's cause I am ill. Please feel free to bot the grumpy ghost and hungry mushroom

I appreciate the update. Focus on feeling better.

To answer Aisling's question in Gameplay -- to match the psychoactive skin that Gabe received, I think that heroes of your stature would be granted ~30,000 gp to spend, and you have 2 weeks of downtime until the convergence allows the ritual to begin, and for you to go forth and clear the way, and get the final sources of energy to complete it, etc etc.

Again, I don't use the exact downtime rules (they are way too tedious), so just let me know your goals and how much time/ effort/ money you are putting into said goals.

So during this time we can RP Gabe's skin being made, the a new temple being built, etc etc

Let's see, in general terms...

* Training with the party to iron out fighting together
* Establishing a chain of command and otherwise organizing the paladins
* A fair amount of praying to Phoenix just because he's surprised about the whole actually-got-an-answer thing and he's still kind of not confident about apparently being the foremost champion of Pheonix around
* Training Drook
* Looking around Hearth to make sure things are getting settled and help out those who are still recovering from everything that's happened.

* At least half time of creating various alchemical weapons suitable for the expected elemental opposition (what is the opposite of dust of drying for dust elementals? :) )
* Establishing contacts in the spy network/Dove secrets
* promoting and organizing new temple (finding handlers is a priority since I won't be here)
* buying alchemical items I cannot make or that I don't have time to create
* getting protection from evil in some form (maybe upgrade the wayfarer? )
* training with the party
* magic item shopping :)

Qizz has that rock that summons earth elementals and can-do other summons for training reasons if wanted. Not sure what to spend the coin on yet buI did realize Kallik did not have any feats so now she does and will be trying to trip some baddies.

And Qizz is a little goblin so would want to sample cookies from many places and be helpful to anyone who needs it as they do not have many goals of there own. Their natural curiosities would likely have them wanting to visit the graveyards of the city to see how these elen treat their dead. Since decay and death are important part of the life cycle.

Also needs to figure out a name for the griffon figurine of wonderous power. needs a name

I appreciate the replies! I've always been fine with doing multiple scenes at once, so once we get done with the current day, we'll shift into a more general timescale and start getting projects done.

Another long week. I will update tonight.

I've got the flu and can't think straight. Go ahead and bot me.

Ooof, feel better! It's really going around right now.

Oh, I should remember Benedetto could actually memorize a few spells. XD

Feel better Samen, and don't worry about the game for now :)

I like to restate my basic ideas on PbP combat now and then. Let me know if anything is unclear.

--I bot after 24 hours (or right away, if I've been told to bot). Combat has to flow.

--I weave together the posted actions roughly in initiative order, and where there is ambiguity I tend to fall in favor of the players, or strive for a neutral call.

--Monsters / bad guys are usually built on a pathfinder monster chassis of some kind, but I tend to use the idea of "action-oriented monsters" to give them a few flavorful powers. I never use anything out-of-box without modding it.

--Knowledge skills are valuable to ID weaknesses, resistances, potentially abilities, etc. Usually a free action.

--Creativity with spells and abilities, especially as we ascend to level 11+, is encouraged. I like using abilities in an interesting way rather than not using them at all.

--On that same note, sometimes combats have additional goals / consequences. I will communicate those in the ooc tags.

I'm finally starting to feel better enough that I can presumably post for round 2 when it comes around. Thanks for covering for me, it was a brutal weekend.

Glad to hear you are feeling better!

I'm currently traveling, so my posts may be more sporadic than usual.

Apologies for the gaps here and there - seems like everyone at my school is either sick, or vacation, (both teachers and students) so I'm either covering a class or trying to catch up students that are finally back, etc. Busy times! I'm just fortunate that me + fam have good health, so a little extra work is nothing to complain about :)

Should be able to post an update tomorrow. I'm enjoying everyone's posts.

There's a *lot* of sickness going around, hopefully you and yours can continue to avoid it!

The idea that, from an elen point of view, natural human reproduction may involve being vomited out of the Dark -- that definitely tickled me. Thanks Aisling!

It was amusing for sure. :D

Benedetto obviously needs to retrain some skill ranks to Diplomacy the way he's ending up now.

The idea that, from an elen point of view, natural human reproduction may involve being vomited out of the Dark -- that definitely tickled me. Thanks Aisling!

LOL, rule 0: have fun

Also, this forum needs "reactions" or emojis

Pretty sure I've replied to everyone in gameplay at this point :) I'm trying to stay better on top of things with posting every other day or so.

Speaking of very old computer games, I have been taking my D&D club (freshmen and sophomores) through the old Quest for Glory computer game series for the past three years.

I have to homebrew and add to it of course, but it makes for a very fun framework. We're 3/4 of the way through QfG 3, as they race to prevent a war between nations that seems to have its roots in an unseen demonic influence.

Remind me, is that similar to the old Kings Quest games? That's my go-to for old crpgs.

Very similar, even the same company (Sierra) I would say King's Quest was almost 100% puzzle solving, where Quest for Glory had combat too (so the fighter had to slash his way out, magic-user could cast spells, but kinda slowly, and the rogue was better off throwing daggers and not even getting into combat) There was still plenty of puzzle solving, using items, class abilities, stuff like that.

****

I think I'd like to try two parallel things:

--Gameplay, to continue everyone's current scene, at their own rate

-Gabe and Samen and Qizz to Elder
-Aisling's rise in political stature, Sky Temple started
-Benedetto training and squire and finding other paladins/knights to help

--Discussion, to roleplay and describe long-term stuff over two weeks

***

I don't want to rush the current scenes, and I don't want to do another 14 days of individual days :) Hopefully this is a good compromise.

So for instance, I'd like this to be the spot for:

----Aisling's observations of the Temple as it is built, and your eventual vision

----Gabe helping to 'forge' a psychoactive skin

----Samen presumably helping the new humans (including Tallmind Theta) get settled in Hearth, or elsewhere. Figure out more about humans and psychic abilities in general.

-----Qizz: ? visiting columbariums and graveyards and crocodile grounds outside the town (vultures are always family-owned, and the affairs of sylphs are veyr private)

----Benedetto: taking a stronger role as leader, figuring out his path, perhaps even establishing a new Knightly Order.

Ok, so, we're still in the downtime, we're not rushing back into dungeon looking for bones? That one I thonk will need some explanation from Samen

I do picture Benedetto slowly working his way to forming some kind of organization. Probably more than just a knightly order in the end, I'm sure with some bits of a loosely-organized church and probably some charity organization mixed in. He's already slowly working towards that--I'm picturing him starting to pick out some officers from the paladins and such he's started working with, while also kind of unintentionally starting to spread some information about Phoenix and inspire people to start to follow it.

There will be some an encounter/RP looking for the bones with Samen and Gabe, but I think we all have our individual agendas right now, which I'm perfectly fine with.

Overall, I think some solid RP in our individual scenes and nice moments /progress in the 'downtime' portion will be a nice way to give everyone some room to breathe before our next bout of danger/exploration/combat.

Can I just say, I appreciate all the description and details of getting a new "upstart" church set up in the shadow of the Volcano. The considerations of planting books out of the way in case something tragic happens. The politiking with the volcano priests. Even going so far as to develop a symbol/picture! Well done!

Can I just say, I appreciate all the description and details of getting a new "upstart" church set up in the shadow of the Volcano. The considerations of planting books out of the way in case something tragic happens. The politiking with the volcano priests. Even going so far as to develop a symbol/picture! Well done!

Thank you, two more then I'm letting DM adjudicate the time and effect - and maybe limit my poetic license :p

Seconded. The shared world aspect, with players and DM both creating something greater than any one person's effort, has always been my favorite part of D&D. (and shard story telling as well, but in my mind they are two sides of the same coin)

I'll be responding to Aisling's posts tomorrow, I just need to absorb and take notes first :)

Imagine having one phoenix for every human saved - we'll be neck deep in little pests - that will somehow still be holy and untouchable :p

Or simply be unkillable, I mean Phoenix...that's kinda their schtick

New apocalypse scenario - overrun by immortal phoenix babies!

And again rule -1: do not give DM ideas. I never learn...

Gabriel,

You work with one of Dove's favored alchemists - Culkin. The talkative, long-fingered sylph talks about how to brew his favorite drink -- cawcoh -- which is a mixture of fresh-brewed coffee and hot cocoa.

Culkin talks excitedly with Samen about the possibility of infusing a low-grade 'mind' into an item, which could fulfill Gabriel's request.

Pointing to a barrel of gray gel, he asks you to cast a few telepathic spells into the goop. Having done this, Culkin unceremoniously shoves Gabe into the barrel. After getting out, Gabe finds himself being gently heated by an alchemical fire Culkin had time to whip up. Like children's glue, the stuff from the barrel turns clear and comes off in one sheet, like reptile skin.

The shed skin moves around, possibly the ugliest thing you've ever seen. Then, mercifully, it becomes invisible. When it settles onto you, you cannot even feel it.

Psychoactive skin granted!

Culkin notes the whole thing with an air of satisfaction. He based the idea Gabriel's shadow. What a time to be alive and inventing!

Benedetto, don't feel rushed just because I posted few big posts that assume time lapse

And The Declarative, is there a time in all this for me to create or comission few things out of that 30 000 gp? Beyond flags, books and bards :) At least few healing potions and some alchemical magic (I won't object to other stuff, but I imagine Aisling is too busy rushing in three directions at once)

Maybe more along the lines of being granted stuff rather than buying it :)
I am thinikng on creating wish list, but never got around to it.

Yep, we can weave in some time to use the 30,000. Let me know your thoughts in more detail.

I haven't been in the mood most days to write big speechs for Benedetto is part of why I wanted to just jump ahead a bit. XD

Benedetto, I imagine your 30,000 gp could easily be spent with your outlined goals earlier --

* Establishing a chain of command and otherwise organizing the paladins

---> This would take some gold and some time, say 6,000 or so to help get all paladins blessed by the circle of Sunlight -- swords blessed in the Dawn light specifically.

* Training Drook

--> This is cheap on gp, just takes time. I imagine you would be spending time getting to know all drilling techniques from the ground up, and learning the names of many other squires along the way.

* Looking around Hearth to make sure things are getting settled and help out those who are still recovering from everything that's happened.

-->Meaningful charity in this area would use up your remaining resources-- would that be what Benedetto chose to do?

Broadly speaking, would everyone like to:

1) keep doing Hearth downtime for more game time (like another week or 2 in RL) or

2) fast forward a little and narrate the results, RP a little more conclusion/prep, then head out toward a warped plane of air-earth soon?