[PbP Gameday XII] Year of the Shadow Lodge - GM Thread (Inactive)

Game Master Lady Ladile

Welcome! Use this thread for all discussion, questions, etc.

So this might be jumping the gun a little (OK, a lot), but since we have several GMs who've already shown interest in running a PF1e special, I'd like to get a head start picking one for Outpost next year. Let's not discuss until after we finish this one, though--just give it some thought.

The current expected schedule for the special has been posted over in the Gameplay tab! As always, this is subject to change should we experience any website issues or the like. The dates for the last few parts are accounting for the House taking the full time allotted for those sections - so at the very latest, we will be done no later than October 11th but it's quite likely we'll wrap up sooner than that.
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Due to the nature of this special, there'll be some minor changes in how House GM posts are structured in order to streamline the process a bit for the PbP format. I will post a more detailed explanation of those changes within the next couple of days so everyone will know what to expect :)

Hey folks, if you haven't already, please be sure to get your campaigns set up and the links to your tables posted on the Event Sheet! Also, if you requested scenario support and *have not* received a copy of the special, please let me know ASAP so we can get it taken care of :)

Here's a weird one - I've got a player trying to register a level 11 character but he's getting an error that says "Level must be between 1 and 10."

I've never used RPG chronicles before so maybe it's something I did wrong, but I don't remember setting the levels. I assumed it did it automatically based on the scenario.

Any advice?

^It's quite possibly a limitation on RPG Chronicles' end so let me kick that along the chain to them to see if I can get you an answer/workaround.

*edit* Passed it along; it'll probably be a day or two before they can get it fixed.

Thank you!

I don't think it really matters since the tier's the same so the rewards would be the same but I guess there might be an error for some reason.

Hi, I am on vacation. Will return next week Monday and set things up. Thanks

I'm running the CORE T8-9 game, and I just had an L6 character sign up as the 5th party member. With that PC, APL is 7.6, down from 8.0. I already have one below-tier character (party levels are 8, 8, 7, 9). Is this allowed?

Surprisingly, yes it is. The conversation initially came up in the GDXII announcement thread starting >>here<< but I've also confirmed this with Bigrin as well.

As to whether it's *advised* is another story entirely but if someone wants to take that risk with their character, well...

Hey folks, just a reminder that we begin in less than a week. If you haven't already, PLEASE make sure your campaign thread is up and links are posted on the event spreadsheet so your players can get checked in! :)

Further instructions and postings to follow in the next couple of days, when I'm done with my work OT >.<

Okay folks, I'm about to post the House GM 'Starting the Adventure' post across all tables. Between now and Monday, please run the introduction with Osprey and describe the Irorium, while we finish mustering. I will officially launch Act 1 on Monday, September 4th @ between 8-9 am CST (which should be 2-3 pm GMT.) You should expect to see the majority of House GM posts occur in that same timeframe as the special progresses; this is because I work nights and can't always post consistently at the same time each evening (or at all in some cases).

I think you forgot to post the announcement in my gameplay thread.

I think you forgot to post the announcement in my gameplay thread.

Fixed >.>

As an FYI, I only have four players signed up, and two of them have not responded to requests to complete the sign-in sheet. All four have dotted in, but only the two who have filled in the sign-in sheet have actually posted dialog in the Gameplay thread.

Oddly enough, it wouldn't be the first time I've run a special with two PCs and two Pregens. I wasn't sure if the house wanted to try to change the muster.

^I see you've since gotten in touch with one of your players and had a new face drop in to help boost your numbers, which is good. That said, it looks like we've got a couple of tables where players haven't checked in yet. Since we're at the tail end of a holiday weekend here in the US and since we've got plenty of time to play with, I'm happy to push back the beginning of Act One another day or so to hopefully give folks a little more time to check in.

So - we will advance to the beginning of Act One tomorrow, September 5th @ 8-9 am CST.

Thank you, yes it looks like I've got four players now, so I should be good.

Okay folks, all tables should now have a post from me that begins Act One! You'll notice that most of the House GM text from page 6 has been combined into a single post for a smoother experience. I'm also planning to combine the Kn. History and Perception checks at the end of page 6 with the House GM text for the dragon attack that's on page 7 to make a single post. There's no consequence for success or failure on those checks and it's not worth pausing for a day for them.

So, next House GM update will be tomorrow, September 6th @ 8-9 am CST~

GMs you have one day for the crowd to ask questions of the spirits through Charvion.

Are we supposed to just make up random answers?

Cryptic & spooky?

Yarp

All tables should now have a post from me that transitions us to the dragon attack! Given that we've shifted the schedule forward slightly, we will be wrapping up this section Monday, September 11th.

I hate t ask for a substitute GM to step in, but I am on my way to the hospital and expect to be admitted for a particularly nasty infection.

Here are the resources for my table. I shared them such that anyone with the link can edit

GM notes in Google Doc
Template for slides with enemies etc
Initiative tracker

Yikes, hang in there and get well soon! I'll ping our backup to handle your table for the time being.

Yes, I did see Computerpro's post earlier and took a look of his table. Now posted.

Also, I'm worried that since GM Nowruz hasn't posted since tuesday we haven't yet had chance to begin this encounter.

I dont see a requirement to track the victories at this sage but my group have seen off a dragon

Since our official backup GM Mustaparta is already busy and is a player at that table, I've taken Nowruz's table until he's back.

Core 3-4 table success in first encounter! HUZZAH!!!

(In the scenario it says each table should shout out each victory.)

We also have a victory - the second dragon, out for revenge, should be winging in shortly.

I haven't had a chance to post it to them yet, but my table just wiped out a squad of elite goblins.

First wave of tier 1-2 goblins defeated.

Core Tier 8-9 5-6 has managed to pin (?!) a young adult dragon. It's only got 1 HP left, so this one's about done. Since it's likely to come up, if they don't kill it does immobilizing it alive count as killing it for the purposes of triggering the next attack?

My table downed another pair of goblins between Saturday and today. I'm going to wait until we move to the next section rather than trying to get another wave in.

Core Tier 8-9 5-6 has managed to pin (?!) a young adult dragon. It's only got 1 HP left, so this one's about done. Since it's likely to come up, if they don't kill it does immobilizing it alive count as killing it for the purposes of triggering the next attack?

My apologies for missing this last night but if similar situations come up in the future then yes, I'd allow effectively neutralizing a foe (tying it up, knocking it out, etc.) to count as a 'kill' in the interests of keeping the action moving along.

Speaking of moving along, all tables should now have a post from me that wraps up Act One and transitions us to Act Two and the 'Fire in the Streets' encounter. We'll conclude Act Two and advance to Act Three on September 16th - though do let me know when your tables finish up Fire in the Streets; if all tables manage to finish before September 16th then I'll go ahead and move us to Act Three a little early.

In terms of timing and healing, the market is some nebulous distance between the Irorium and the Grand Lodge. You can use your own judgement how many minutes away it is, but it seems reasonable that groups would have a couple of rounds to heal before they set out across the city.

We'll start actually having some things to track with Act Three so I'll have a success reporting form ready to go for when we reach that point.

To no one's surprise, the almost T8-9 party finished off T5-6 Fire in the Streets in one round. A Create Pit spell took Melyra out of the fight, a fireball killed the goblin dogs and 2/3 of the archers, and a crossbow bolt wounded the third goblin badly enough that it fled as soon as it could act. At least they burned a couple of spells.

Early season adventures...

All the goblin dogs except 1 got wiped out in less than a round.

Thanks to focused fire, one of the PC's has taken 2 arrows, but I suspect it's going to take the high tier table longer to get to the bad guys than kill them (they're all melee focused.)

And my lot (Tier 5-6) seem to be taking a cautious approach.

Is it possible for Create Water to put out a Flaming Sphere?

Is it possible for Create Water to put out a Flaming Sphere?

Gut feel was no but having read the description of flaming sphere yes. although that 5 foot diameter sphere is pretty big I would rule give caster level check to dispel effectively, Does feel subject to table variation.

I couldn't find any specific ruling on this question but I did find an old (nearly 13 years old) post from James Jacobs with his thoughts on the matter. Most of the other posts in that thread either land on 'no' or 'no but I'd let it reduce the damage the sphere does' or 'yes, if they can make a CL check to basically dispel it'.

So yes...definitely something that's subject to table variation and GM discretion. I personally would either go with 'no' or 'no but it'll reduce the damage somewhat' at one of my tables.

Im just going to direct you to this post in my Core 3-4 game.

TL/DR: Two crits & the fighter is confused with the cleric right next to the fighter after rolling "Attack nearest creature".

should have said we are finished although the interaction about the prisoner trussed up in Zon Kuthonite knots is the most interesting thing to have happened this special at my table so far

:) My fault :)

3-4 tier table has finished encounter with Melyra Shimore.

A bit late due to unforeseen circumstances this morning but every table should now have a post from me that wraps up Act Two and transitions us to Act Three. As stated at the bottom of that post, I would like each of you to work out with your table how they are going to contribute to getting everyone to the other side of the gates. That could be assisting with strength checks, flying lower-level Pathfinders over, whatever they want to do to help. When they have decided, please enter their contribution into the success reporting form (also linked at the top of the campaign page). Feel free to run this how you'd like, be it tactically, theater of the mind, or an OOC planning session. The goal is for your table to find a way to contribute to the goal of getting the mass of assembled Pathfinders to the other side of the gate.

Once I have everyone's contribution, I'll summarize them into a post then move us on. By the schedule we have two days to complete this.

Are any tables willing to fly or Dimension Door 4 lower level PC's across?

Edit: Lol. I just realized my 7th level cleric in the tier 8-9 core game has fly & dimension door as domain spells.

We have an unconscious cleric with us. One of my PCs want to know if the wall is climbable with a 'take 10' and +10 to climb.

The wall and the gates are 30 feet tall. Since it doesn't give any additional information, we'll say these are brick walls. Based on the DCs for climbing, that would be a DC 25 to free-climb without any additional aids like a rope. If someone has a rope and grappling hook, that would basically knock the DC down to a 5 so Taking 10 with a +10 to climb would be fine in that case.

Is it possible to share a post with you guys? I found it amusing.

There is also thoughts about alternative ways in - such as the sewers.

Please share the post!

Ohhhh, the sewers. Good idea!

Walking next to the gate, Alli cranes her neck back and stares. "Damn it's tall."

"Kreighton Shane might have set a command word to open it in case his favorite Vudran curry delivery needs to get through. Knowing him, it would be... difficult to guess, though." Alli knocks on the gate and starts to catalogue her options.

She pulls out an adamantine wiresaw. Looks at the gate. Like sticking a knife at a golem. "Nope."
She considers casting long arm. Looks at the gate. Rhu can already reach higher. Nope. "Nope."
She considers the Absalomian entrepeneurial spirit. If I manage to sell the gate and someone buys and removes it, Ambrus Valsin is going to be mad at me. "Nope."
She touches a copper coin dangling on her neck. Chaldira doesn't approve of someone asking for a lucky break. "Nope."
"Explore! Cooperate! Report!" She waits a bit. "Didn't expect it to work, really."
She puts her hand in the rucksack, stops, blinks, and stuffs her arm deeper comically. I actually forgot to buy a grappling hook? She scowls. "Nope."
She thinks back on her training with Swords. Marcus Farabellus himself isn't going to flip over that. "Nope."
She looks at the fleeing goblin. Could have tied a rope on him and make him run over the wall with a pace like that. "Too late for that."
She looks at Janus Too's feet, looking for climbing pads. Now I'm just getting desperate.

She shakes her head like a dog and turns to the team. "If no one here knows where Shane gets his curry, climbing it might be the swiftest option? Rhu looks like he's raring to go, and I'm willing to help him." She pauses. "I could dig out an amulet and rub out a monkey fish spell for myself to climb over easier, but it'll take a moment, I'd prefer to recharge the shield I cast at the arena, and most importantly, that spell makes me look goofy as heck. But I can survive being embarrassed as a secondary plan." She starts knotting a rope to make climbing it easier.