☠ Season of Ghosts w/ DM rainzax ☠

Game Master rainzax

I think it starts around this post?

The post you linked gave me the time stamp in Discussion (Thank you!)

In Gameplay, the party started learning about Mo Douqiu with this post questioning a Jinkin: HERE

I want this info to be actionable for the party. Can someone summarize? Clarifying questions?

To be clear, the toad is dead, correct? Am I missing a GM post? I have Vekka posting twice in a row, one seems to be a roll, and the second narrating the death. Or did this happen over PM?

In Gameplay, the party started learning about Mo Douqiu with this post questioning a Jinkin: HERE

I want this info to be actionable for the party. Can someone summarize? Clarifying questions?

1. Mo Douqiu is "unvisible". Invisible? Perhaps. But the jinkins later said we can't see him because we are dead. I'm not sure this occurred to us at the time it was told to us, but increasingly, it seems like we're in some kind of a dreamscape, or perhaps, an afterlife?

2. Mo Douqiu will kill us with his "strong neck". This is later clarified that he has Reactive Strike with reach. Not sure if the long neck is literal or figurative. He is immune to sleep, and has special defense against bombs. None of us seem to rely on those.

3. Mo Douqiu has taken over the Cerulean Tea House. He "really likes" it for some unknown reason. I don't think this is actionable, and I think we're about to find out why.

4. Mo Douqiu seems to be opportunistic, taking over the town just because he could. Although it seems unlikely, maybe we can find a way to talk him into leaving?

5. There are three "bosses", one with "loyal knives". Gurglegut, and the one at the altar? Did we dispatch the third?

Ninja'd! Lan's got it covered. Thanks!

To be clear, the toad is dead, correct? Am I missing a GM post? I have Vekka posting twice in a row, one seems to be a roll, and the second narrating the death. Or did this happen over PM?

Toad is very dead, yes. And yes, I PM'd Vekka to ask if he'd like to scribe the vanquishing post.

1. Mo Douqiu is "unvisible". Invisible? Perhaps. But the jinkins later said we can't see him because we are dead. I'm not sure this occurred to us at the time it was told to us, but increasingly, it seems like we're in some kind of a dreamscape, or perhaps, an afterlife?

These are exaggerations. By "Unvisible" he means "Invincible", but that is just an overestimation by the Jinkin who believes Mo Douqiu cannot be killed (he has no evidence). And by "You can’t see him cause, cause... ...cause you’re dead" he meant that Mo Douqiu will have already killed you, so he cannot be defeated. Again, an overestimation, as he imagines anyone who tries will be killed in seconds. Jinkins like him tend to exaggerate greatly.

2. Mo Douqiu will kill us with his "strong neck". This is later clarified that he has Reactive Strike with reach. Not sure if the long neck is literal or figurative. He is immune to sleep, and has special defense against bombs. None of us seem to rely on those.

Reactive Strike with a very long reach, yes. With this intel, you understand that you may Ready a Strike to "cut the neck" triggered by his Reactive Strike against an adjacent ally (or ally within your reach). Immune to [sleep], yes. And he has another Reaction usable if the party throws bombs at him, yes.

3. Mo Douqiu has taken over the Cerulean Tea House. He "really likes" it for some unknown reason. I don't think this is actionable, and I think we're about to find out why.

His nickname is "Mo Douqiu the Hedonist" but with a particularly Evil Bent. His motivation can be summed up as: Pleasure-seeking.

4. Mo Douqiu seems to be opportunistic, taking over the town just because he could. Although it seems unlikely, maybe we can find a way to talk him into leaving?

You are welcome to try - the DC would be in the Hard Level Five ballpark and he may try and trick you - but if that's how you want to play it I will set that up with a Party Quorum of Three.

5. There are three "bosses", one with "loyal knives". Gurglegut, and the one at the altar? Did we dispatch the third?

There is a third Downtown Boss whom you have not yet met, discrete from the two Noppera-Bo bosses of the "Rovers" and "Prayers" respectively whom you disbanded and killed.

Good questions! Hero Point!

And so: How does the party want to play this?

Sigurd has no plans to parlay with a creature that would kidnap children and feed people to a giant toad. He plans to kill this thing and restore some semblance of peace to Willowshore.

He deserves to be Mogu's next meal, as far as Auntie Wu is concerned. But if Lan wants to try to bluff about clemency, she'll play along if she thinks it'll increase their odds of successfully killing him.

Counting Kazuki’s favorite of Sigurd’s post, we are 2 vs 2 against Auntie Wu in support of Lan.

Vekka, you are the tiebreaker!

Vekka the character can scarcely contain his rage, believes this villian is an active tumor in his community, and after two lethal games in a row has zero confidence in parlaying. Vote to destroy.

That decides it then…

Folks, if you could do me a favor, and report your current HPs (including 1-round "rest) in your next posts?

=)

I think for Vekka, that's the following from the Warty fight (which he started fully healthy and having refocused).

* -13 acid damage here, full because failed save here
* +2 from minor healing potion here

Now they've hurried and he has not refocused. I believe his stat line is accurate now.

Auntie Wu gave you a cornucopeia for +15, so I don't think you need the minor healing potion.

If that fits in the 1 round and she keeps that action after learning the result of our skill challenge, then yeah that's right. I didn't want to presume though.

Also, waiting to see the result of Lan's potential deception before taking Vekka's turn.

If she doesn't use cornucopeia, Lan will use a 1st level heal so that Vekka can be full (or close to full). It'd be my last 1st level slot, though.

I did the Cornucopia after the result was revealed. Keep it, Vekka. That 1st level Heal could be handier in the next fight, considering its range.

Also:
Auntie Wu HP 46/46, including Sigurd's 1st level Heal
Mogu HP 12/20

Sounds good. Updating Vekka and posting soon!

We may need a bot for Kazuki

Bump

I'm here. I need some time to post. Reading through last page now. There sure is a lot going on!

Lan has been asking about the dark boxes on the map, and whether or not they are permeable, or if there are walls blocking the view into the other room. At first, I misunderstoond the question, but now I am straightened out.

The walls block the view into the other room, and the second floor is shaped like a capital "I" that fell to it's side - two large rooms separated by a hallway, all encased behind walls.

And the Mo Douqiu sounds are coming from the other room.

Hope that clarifies?

Let me know if there are any clarifying questions remaining!

Yes, that clarifies. Thanks!

Final Battle of Book One!

(Did I forget anything?...)

Let's Go!

Lan is going to delay until after he sees what Vekka is doing.

Sigurd will try to Stride around and bait Mo Douqiu's reactions.

Question: Does Act 3 technically "break" the action? Specifically, does it ends Vekka's stance?

Vekka is a little more cautious than aggressive right now, given how little they know of MD's capabilities, so our front line is going to start a little further back to the left side.

Question: Does Act 3 technically "break" the action? Specifically, does it ends Vekka's stance?

It does not.

I rolled initiative for Mo on round three.

The players are just in the middle of round three otherwise uninterupted.

Gotta run to work - maybe get an update tonight!

Other than that, welcome to Cantrip City!

Yup. I hear you. Electric Arc and Ignition: here we go! (Thank goodness I picked up Reach Spell when we leveled up!)

It's a good thing Cantrip City got a revitalization in 2e.

Gimmy flanks with party, per your question Vekka, because right now he is on your side.

Also.

Sometimes I wonder how certain names are pronounced, especially since we're not playing in person and I can't hear anyone saying the name.

Mo Douqiu. Is it pronounced Mow dough-kwee? Mow doo-kwee-ooo?

Haha. I like the first pronounciation better. That's what I say in my head.

With the caveat that this is a fantasy game, so real life rules don't always apply 1:1, Q in Mandarin Chinese is pronounced like "ch", and X like "sh".

"Moh doo chew" is how it would be if it were Mandarin Chinese, but there's another level, which is intonation. Mandarin Chinese has 4 tones, Cantonese Chinese has 8, and I'm sure there are others, but basically, Chinese has its "singsong" quality because whether a word's pitch starts high or low and continues high or low and then ends high or low ends up with different meanings.

The classic example is "ma".

Ma, 1st tone (starts high, stays high) = mother
Ma, 2nd tone (starts medium, goes high) = rope
Ma, 3rd tone (starts medium, goes low, ends high) = horse
Ma, 4th tone (starts high, drops sharply) = yell

It's pretty common for there to be minor confusion when someone hears a name for the first time. Someone might introduce themselves as Mo Douqiu, and then the two could spend a few seconds clarifying.

Person 1: "My name is Mo Dou Qiu." (hyperlinked in case you want to know where I'm getting these translations)
Person 2: "Dou is 'all' as in 'we all contribute to your demise', or 'pause' as in 'pause your life'?"
Person 1: "Pause."
Person 2: "Qiu is 'autumn' as in 'forgotten by autumn', or 'seek' as in 'seek to retreat'?"
Person 1: "Autumn."
Person 2: "Nice to meet you, Mo Douqiu."

So, without knowing exactly what Mo Douqiu's name means (and, of course, I wouldn't expect there to be a meaning behind the name), it could be any of the following:

mo2 dou1 qiu4 = Imitate All Autumn
mo4 dou2 qiu2 = Drowned Pause Seek

Unless the author has a specific meaning (and some do - for example, "Tian Xia" almost certainly is Mandarin Chinese for "under the sky" and an actual term that ancient Chinese used to refer to the world as a whole), it's kind of anyone's guess, really.

At a F2F table, I just go with however the GM pronounces it, even if I would have pronounced it differently (except for my characters' names, since many of them actually do have specific meanings). This holds the same for 'aiuvarin' or 'dromaar' or other made-up fantasy words. In the end, though, it's a game.

Wow! Thank you, Lan, for the detailed information!

Mow doo chew. Awesome.

I'm catching a flight to Denver tomorrow to help the ex with cleaning and taking care of the house for a few days then driving back to Phoenix with some of my stuff I left behind. I should be able to keep up with the game, but I'm just giving a warning that I may need to be botted. Thanks all!

Unexpectedly long Tuesday yesterday - fell behind and catching up throughout the day!

There is only one Mo Douqiu.

I have one token off to the side to adjust for neck size - please disregard!

Calling in a bot for Kazuki!

I'm here! Waiting for plane to board. I'll whip up a post.

Hey gang,
(Posting this in all my PbP games)
Going to be travelling tomorrow and through the weekend, meaning my posting should slow and be "lower tech" than usual, and following that, I will be attending Gencon in person (end of July through early August), slowing again. But yeah, gunna do my best to keep up.

Cheers.

I left you guys a lot of info and links in the combat tracker - please make use of them!

DM rainzax wrote:

Vekka's sword nearly falters until he rights it at the last minute. (12 damage Mo Douqiu)

He was targeting Sweetie (not sure which HP total it was deducted from, but just in case that wasn't a mis-type)

Will fix next pass!

Is Mo Douqiu still hidden?

Yes. I pointed out his location (1 square to the north of the purple square, which is 1 square up and left of Sigurd.)

Mo Douqiu is Observed (we know what square he is in), but Hidden (DC 11 flat check to target).

There's a little time before this occurs, but it's a longer time away so I didn't want to spring it at the last moment.

I've got a trip from 7/31 to 8/12, and for much of it I won't have internet access.

Reminder

Hey gang!

Been busy offline and will climb back into my pilot seat by Tuesday the latest.

Cheers.