‘Eκάτη's Endless Night

Game Master ‘Eκάτη

Why 50-feet-deep btw?

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Because in my genius and unquestionable, encyclopedic mastery of All Things RAW -- I just saw "max 50 feet" in the Spell Description and assumed it was 10 per CL instead of 10 per Two CL. Um. Oops! (This is why teamwork when it comes to Rules oversight is important. Thanks for catching it.)

GM ‘Eκάτη wrote:

Why 50-feet-deep btw?

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Because in my genius and unquestionable, encyclopedic mastery of All Things RAW -- I just saw "max 50 feet" in the Spell Description and assumed it was 10 per CL instead of 10 per Two CL. Um. Oops! (This is why teamwork when it comes to Rules oversight is important. Thanks for catching it.)

Haha! You know, this is my way of communicating. Even when I correct my students, I always ask "why did you do that?" instead of immediately saying "this is not right, do it differently." This often baffles them at first. My reason for this manner of communication is respect for someone else's mind. Like, I never know how much a person is actually smarter and more talented than me, even in my professional field. It seems to me that I need to first understand the logic of another person - maybe this person sees something that I don't see. So don't be surprised by such a questioning manner in the field of rules, it's something of a habit.

Cirok can't get his Sneak Attack, since it is not Climbing any more.

I think otherwise (there won't be a question here despite the post above, huh).

To stealth, you need to fulfill two conditions:
- have a cover or concealment
- don't be observed

So when you move away from the edge of the pit, you technically fulfill both conditions. Since stealth can be used as part of move action (with some penalties if you move at full speed), then... You get the idea.

Cirok Brokencrown wrote:

Cirok can't get his Sneak Attack, since it is not Climbing any more.

I think otherwise (there won't be a question here despite the post above, huh).

To stealth, you need to fulfill two conditions:
- have a cover or concealment
- don't be observed

So when you move away from the edge of the pit, you technically fulfill both conditions. Since stealth can be used as part of move action (with some penalties if you move at full speed), then... You get the idea.

I had thought about that, bit I didn't want to cheese for it...lol. But, by RAW, that would work.

Cirok is not the jumping into the pit kind of fellow...lol.

6 more or 6 less?

6 less. "This still leaves you at -1" implied your current hitpoints.

Btw stabilization is a CON save, not FORT, but nat20 is success anyway + CLW from ally is a success too ))

Did we get the celestial healing wand or did we not have enough money?

Request of the DM -- if everyone else likes the idea:

I've found it helpful to have some pertinent info in The Campaign Tab to help us remember what we know and and such. Just a good reference spot.

I've done a little copy/paste to get us started, and I'm hoping you can put in in the Campaign Info tab for future reference. And that we all try to keep it up to date.

Since PbP is so long it's really beneficial, and I figure especially in a game like this, where Player knowledge (of Drow, the Underdark, etc.) could be significantly different than PC knowledge (Our PCs don't even know what a Drider is, yet.), we can really rely on a current Campaign Tab.

Here's what I did:

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DROW:

Amazing idea. Done!

On the other hand, perhaps it is better to make a separate Google document where all the information will be collected? There will really be A LOT of it. It would be easier and faster if you edited it yourself. And yes, I really appreciate those players who keep such logs, as well as those who deal with the party budget.

Well done, Soryan!

Awesome

The google doc is what I usually do for my players and link it as player notes in the section with maps and such.

@ Soryan Dirge My good Wizard. Considering that you went Exploiter (no schools) then you have all cantrips in your spellbook.

Spellbooks: A wizard must study his spellbook each day to prepare his spells. He cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook, except for read magic, which all wizards can prepare from memory.

A wizard begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level wizard spells (except those from his prohibited schools, if any;see Arcane Schools) plus three 1st-level spells of his choice. The wizard also selects a number of additional 1st-level spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to the spellbook. At each new wizard level, he gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new wizard level) for his spellbook. At any time, a wizard can also add spells found in other wizards' spellbooks to his own (see Magic).

So, just like little Annie Ann: Tomorrow, tomorrow,...it'sonly a day away.

LOL,
I always, always confuse 'Whispering Wind' and 'Message.' It's far more embarrassing when I'm DMing. But alas. Every. Single. Time. Whenever someone says 'Message' I immediately think of the mechanics of 'Whispering Wind' and forget about the existence of the Cantrip.

It's not the first time I've said it this game; it won't be the last: "Teamwork."

> I don't know whether a Linguistics check is at all needed here, but, is the Drow language similar to Abyssal? Infernal? Elven? Undercommon? In other words, if Soryan Dirge speaks in Elven to the other PCs, will it be obviously similar to the language Gadak speaks (according to the results of my Linguistics check)? Or perhaps Abyssal?

This is a strange mix of this three languages. If you understand one of these languages, you barely understand the simplest things (go, stop, die). If two, then you can already communicate, although it will be immediately obvious to any drow that you are not a drow. If all three, then this is a full speaking this language. Having a drow language now (via magic) does not give you automatic speaking abyssal language, for example, although you will be able to catch some individual words.

It is quite possible that dark elves also know several languages by the way, as do most surface dwellers.

So I will generally not speak to my allies in Elven when Drow are around, less they recognize some Elven-sounding words mixed in the Abyssal-ish/Infernal-ish/Elven-ish pidgin of Drow language. I'll stick with Sylvan or Draconic or whatever else we may be able to use.

At some point Soryan Dirge will speak in (purposely broken) Taldane to see if Gadak recognizes Taldane, or perhaps Varisian. (I wasn't able to get Skald as one of my languages right out of the gate but it will almost certainly be the next language I add with a next Rank in Linguistics, as though he's been studying it for months (off-camera) and is finally becoming fluent.) And there are other languages Soryan Dirge will be adding as well.

For now, I'll just see if Gadak knows Draconic.

Similar thinking here. Cirok is also a Linguist. Although, until he is able to get a bigger sample size of drow speaking (hello city!), he sticks to Drow.

@Soryan, I missed that there was Infernal in the enumeration. Drow is a mix of Abyssal, Undercommon and Elvish. I have already written about this somewhere.

***

Friends, I need from one to three days break. I am very tired at work and mentally a little burned out. You know, when you look at the to-do list (which includes TTRPG) and you're like, "to hell with all this, I'll be watching cats on the Internet." I don't want to write game posts from such a state. I'll swiftly reboot and come back.

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Announcement: we are almost done with the introduction to the adventure. We are waiting for something very tasty ahead and a lot of sandbox. So don't get lost.

PS By the way, I will be active here (discussion thread), you can ask some questions etc. I just need to get in shape for the game posts.

No problemo!

All good

roger, roger

We can talk, sight see and devise sure to blow up in our faces fool proof plans....

Take care

As you understand, I'm here. And now it's time to clarify the important part about my style of GMing! :)

In this city you will meet with very different creatures and there is no auto-leveling here. If you decide to offend a wizard of level 20 (CE, note), and then after a time stop you will be torn apart by several summoned glabrezu and the rest will simply be disentegrated... Well, you shouldn't have offended a level 20 wizard. There are GMs who would save the party in such situations or very actively suggest that this should not be done. From my point of view, it kills the whole "nerve" of such an adventure. Drow live their lives constantly trying to understand who is above and who is below them in terms of danger, both direct and commutative (connections, power, etc.) and their life is built on this. You are certainly not as ready for this as they are. But that's the whole point, you'll have to retrain.

Btw I will once again ask you to put your alignments in the sidebar. Who knows, maybe at some point they will go down while you "retrain". This is especially true for the paladin... I love paladins in such situations btw, it's a fantastic space for roleplay.

Speaking of paladins. Divine spellcasters, please remember the condition of presenting the holy symbol at the moment of casting the spell (and using some other abilities too).

*GM's sinister smile*

Soryan Dirge is exhausted from real life's work/stress and may be a little brief or banal in posting for the second half of this week. Please excuse my brevity and banality.

I will, though, post his own Sense Motive for Gadak's response to Velath Tel'Quessir's question about where he's taking us (though I assume it's just "House Vonnarc" whether that's in the richest neighborhood or not).
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Friends, sorry for the slow mode this week. Mom is put in the hospital (nothing dangerous, but unexpectedly), which mixed up all the plans (for example, I had to cancel a short vacation trip, etc.) and created additional stress. The next update is on Sunday and I will try to switch back to mode of 1-2 posts a day from next week! :)

Absolutely no worries. Take care of your Mom.

As someone whose mom is lost for thirty years, I can say with conviction, "Take care of Mom."

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Meanwhile, my back giving me problems: x-rays show my lower spine has tilted left and my hips are out of alignment (I think they've gone from LG to NE.) and there's too much separation in a few of the disks. Monday the doctor will tell me if I need surgery or just good chiropractic therapy. As a result, yeah, Soryan Dirge is fine with more delay.

Thanks!

Molech, hold on! I hope everything will be easy for you.

My mom passed last year, and I can say cherish your time with her GM. No worries and Soryan may the diagnosis be favorable.

We can add Undamesta to info in House Vonnarc in the Gameplay tag -- and that Vonnarc worships Areshkagal. Plus we can add House Rasivreign.

Also, The image of Areshkagal I use when I DM. If anyone is interested.

Apologies if we hadn't heard of House Rasivreign as leading that drow invasion to the Surface?

Cirok will improvise that part in the meeting then?

I was waiting for others responses for our free 10 minutes prior to posting the interview scene....

Keep it vague, can't help with where we are from, vagabonds basically, as to our house, that bridge was burned when we were left up top, and why did we come to this city? we didn't choose to, we were withdrawing by the nearest exit. My 10 minute discussion points.

Soryan Dirge will post his roleplaying dialogue with Undamesta Wednesday sometime. I don't know how Tuesday got away from me, not even thinking about the game and my posting-rate and all the sudden the day's over and I'm ready to crash in bed and sleep for the next month. But when I awaken tomorrow I'm sure I'll have all the energy I need for Hump-Day. Including a few moments to try to answer (in as clever a way as I can) the Slavemother's interrogation.

I was about to post the exact same thing as our Wizard!

Plus, we have our SFS Tuesday tonight.

And I the same. I've been running over possible answers in my head and no look days gone...must be something in the air. Tomorrow

I feel like Cirok would take her new questions as a dare....

I promise I still exist. Posting soon.

If you are thinking that at the next level-up you need more social skills (distribute new skill points differently, take that feat that gives an extra skill point per level or even a dip into something like a rouge), then you are on the right track. This is how, in my opinion, personality development takes place in real life - adaptation to circumstances.

Level up? I was under the impression that this Book would be played at 8th?

I hadn't actually thought about any 9th level shenanigans, as yet....lol.

I guess I can handle the Intimidate angle, be right at home with the drow

One day it will definitely happen. TTRPG without level ups is like... (searching for a suitable metaphor)... a movie without popcorn?

Apologies again for the lack of posting this past week -- hopefully the post Soryan Dirge just made does a reasonable job roleplaying the excuse for the delay. This week I just couldn't pull myself to get into the PbP.

I *think* I did all the necessary rolls and questions. Soryan Dirge is purposely letting Undamesta repeat the question, 'Where are you from' so he can repeat that he killed his former master, a "Lone" Wizard in the Darklands "whose name shall be lost from all memory."

I can try to learn the Irish words for "Blood Currency" -- if the group wants to stick with the Irish version. Otherwise, I'm comfortable just saying "Blood Currency."

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As for Colgrim Barrelhouse's name, I was thinking, maybe we can say he got cursed on the Surface and thinks he a Duergar. And since we're Drow, we just laugh at him instead of try to remove the Elven Curse?

So, uh, Colgrim Barrelhouse, if you're okay with that, or something like that -- we could have briefly discussed it in the stables.

He will just make a note in the Book of Grudges for later.

Smurf! The dwarf has a Book of Grudges...already!

Nice!

Cirok may be thinking it is time to go off script.

He has been studying these drow since we crossed over. He believes the quickest way to the Slavemothers heart is pure and chaotic mayhem and murder.

We are on a clock.
We need to have her total trust as quick as possible so as to begin our information gathering.

We need unfettered access to everything and everywhere and she can grant us that.

If we must we can spare Gadak and whomever she deems untouchable.

Thoughts?

EDIT

If it helps; just think of us as Pathfinders....lol.

Blood Currency is cool. I just didn't know what to use for Drow.

Cirok is sizing up those in attendance.

Guards? Attendants? Nobles? Sycophants? Driders? How many?

And apparent armaments, Spell component pouches, and anything that hints at obvious class or such?

He feels that a bit of a performance may be in order.

I realize that our Paladin (and possibly our Warpriest) would not participate in a sudden Coup de Grace moment?

Cirok really wants a Wand of Hold Person...lol. Too bad those DCs are so terrible.

I am attempting to Devise a Stratagem for this next sequence based on the above information.

I also realize the GMs point about not pissing in any Wizard 20 shoes.. hehe.

You would make an excellent Troll Slayer. Just need a mohawk

I used to absolutely enjoy reading stories with Pwent in them. He was a tru dwarf...lol.

I am actually really excited to play a drow in a Drow circumstance. Reading those Drittz Books (Homeland etc) was really inspiring and the imagery was fantastic. It is how I am viewing this (for right or wrong) and it is awesome.

Cirok will absolutely try to fit in our new roles. It is what he does well.

I also imagined Thibbledwarf Pwent when I saw Colgrim's description back in Recruitment -- mostly that one image of him jumping in Bruenor's Court after a buzzing fly, and then a moment later "vigorously chewing on something." But the spikey armor & convulsions work, too.

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My thought is, regarding time, that we are still on day 1 of 91 and, as per the cautious side of me, I'd rather get more and more info before going "off script." But that's just one vote.

I was planning on maybe getting permission to "impress" Undamesta by hitting an expendable Evil NPC with an Evocation spell. I kept saying dumb stuff like, "I'm so worthy -- I'm so powerful", hoping to trigger her to let me kill an evil character. Who knows what will happen.

But we're still on Day 1. If we get this right, then we have a spring-board to really sink our Drow fangs into some info-gathering adventuring. But if we get this wrong, we could have to flee House Vonnarc and hope like Abyss to get another chance at another 'safe'(?)-house. Again, my vote is to play the opening scene cautiously. And again, that's just one vote of five.

I am thinking along the same lines (if not crossing it a bit more), so I agree.

I will wait for his observations to bear fruit prior to advancing my speech, display, actions.....