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Happy Father’s Day, any father’s out there!
Oh no. I posted this morning, and now I see it is not here. I'll have to redo.
My memory worked good for once. I reproduced my post pretty much how I remembered it the first time.
I know I roll some of your saves to save posting time. But if anyone ever wants to use a hero point to reroll a failed save, you can and I'll change the result if you pass. Like if you want to reroll of the paralysis, or whatever else.
Henrika also has another option when dealing with Fortitude saves: she can cast burst of adrenaline as an immediate action. Since she has to decide to cast it before she makes the roll, it isn't good for a situation like this where she has to make several rolls in a row, because how would I have known to use it for this particular one? :) I can't remember if you have let me cast it retroactively in the past-- maybe you don't mind that. I think the save she failed was within the window that a +4 would change it to a success, and being fatigued for a round after is a fair trade, so that seems like a good plan if you are okay with Henrika doing that. If not, rerolling the save with her hero point is also good. Just to make sure, casting burst of adrenaline before the reroll seems prudent to me. :)
Hey, listen, use the play-by-post format to your benefit. You can apply a spell like burst of adrenaline to a specific save even if there are a few in a row.
That being said, the DC for the paralysis is 16. Henrika rolled an 8 on her Fortitude save, so a 12 would not be enough. But you can try with a hero point reroll if you'd like.
A paralyzed character is frozen in place and unable to move or act. A paralyzed character has effective Dexterity and Strength scores of 0 and is helpless, but can take purely mental actions. A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it becomes paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A paralyzed swimmer can’t swim and may drown. A creature can move through a space occupied by a paralyzed creature—ally or not. Each square occupied by a paralyzed creature, however, counts as 2 squares to move through.[/ooc]
Since Trevor was still holding his holy symbol when he got bit, does that mean as a mental action, the cleric could Channel Energy again, despite being paralyzed?
Since Trevor was still holding his holy symbol when he got bit, does that mean as a mental action, the cleric could Channel Energy again, despite being paralyzed?
That’s a very liberal interpretation of a mental action, but it’s creative. I’ll allow it only because his holy symbol is already presented. Otherwise, I would say it requires you to be able to move to present the symbol effectively.
After the pump house, you all can level up to Level 5.
As before, please post any level up changes in the discussion thread.
Liraela did you ever decide on upgrades to the estate that you wanted to do?
A fumble is mire entertaining when it results in us fearing for our lives and fleeing the country because we think Stavian is a lich.
Level 5 Cleric
HP 1/2 HP (4) + 2 Con + 1 Favored = 7hp
Channel Energy becomes 3d6
+1 3rd-level Domain Spell per day
+1 3rd-level Cleric Spell per day
Skills
+1 Diplomacy
+1 Knowledge (arcana)
+1 Sense Motive
+1 Spellcraft
+1 Knowledge (nobility)
+1 Profession (bartender)
Feat Noble Stipend
A fumble is mire entertaining when it results in us fearing for our lives and fleeing the country because we think Stavian is a lich.
You can believe whatever you want.
Trevor, average of d8 hp is 5. You should get 8 hp on level up.
Liraela did you ever decide on upgrades to the estate that you wanted to do?
I have some notes hanging around somewhere, but could you tell me if it's even worth doing? I know it's flavorful but will it actually affect anything meaningfully if we just say "we spent the money to make it nice"? If it's worth it then I'll finish my notes but if not then I'll leave it as is.
Leveling:
Increasing to Rogue 3/Bard 2 (Street Performer]
+3 bardic performance rounds
+8 hp
+1 Spell per day (1st)
+1 spell known (0) Lullaby
+1 spell known (1st) Grease
Skills (7/level +2 background)
+1 Acrobatics
+1 Diplomacy
+1 Disable Device
+1 Perception
+1 Spellcraft
+1 Sleight of Hand
+1 Stealth
Background skills:
+1 Perform (dance)
+1 Craft (painting)
I think I messed up Liraela's total skill ranks over the past few levels, will have to double check the math there.
Picked up dance and painting from her recent adventures, with the dance and Sespinia's lessons.
Class abilities:
-Versatile Performance (sing)(Ex): use Perform (sing) bonus in place of Diplomacy and Sense Motive
-Well-Versed (Ex): At 2nd level, the bard becomes resistant to the bardic performance of others, and to sonic effects in general. The bard gains a +4 bonus on saving throws made against bardic performance, sonic, and language-dependent effects.
Feat: Two-Weapon Fighting
I have some notes hanging around somewhere, but could you tell me if it's even worth doing? I know it's flavorful but will it actually affect anything meaningfully if we just say "we spent the money to make it nice"? If it's worth it then I'll finish my notes but if not then I'll leave it as is.
It won't make a big difference. The focus of the chapter isn't on your estate. Besides paying to repair it, which you did, the chapter doesn't assume anything further.
But I mean, anything that the players are interested in, I'll try to incorporate in some way. If you want to spend more time with it, I'll steer some parts of the story so that its not meaningless. It's really up to you.
"Yes. I can cast a consecrate spell tomorrow. I didn't ask for it when I did prayed for my spells his morning. In the meantime, I can exhaust my remaining channel energies here as a preventative measure?"
Burying the ghast in consecrated ground would do the trick. Do you want to take the body with you and bury it in Stachys? There's not really anywhere to bury it in the swamp anyway. Its all just mud and deep water. And you don't need to do anything with the ghouls. You can leave them or burn them or whatever. If you pay for the pump house repairs, the workers will clean up the inside either way.
Also, any ideas for your next step? You don't have any more leads to follow. Now that the public house is upgraded, you can gather rumors in Stachys. You can spend time in Stachys doing more upgrades. Or you can travel to anywhere else in Meratt and see what's going on. Almost every location on the map has at least one encounter. No matter what your decision, you can't go wrong. I'm just trying to get an idea of where to direct the next post or two.
It won't make a big difference.
In that case we can just flavor it whenever, I won't finish it. No sense making more work for the both of us. Thanks!
For our next steps, I suggest that we write to Pensaris to ask about an invitation, as it's our closest neighbor and we have a good relationship with Baron Okerra. I suspect that if we're going to succeed at convincing him to work against the Lotheeds, we will need more direct knowledge of his circumstances, since I think we learned that he is generally opposed to subterfuge. Or we could invite him to visit us, of course. I'm also fine with just hanging out at the tavern in Stachys and listening for rumors, but maybe we can do that while we wait for the messenger? I think I remember that he invited us to visit, but I don't remember if there were any conditions or time constraints.
Here's the changes to Henrika for mesmerist level 5:
• +8 hit points (5 hp for 1d8 HD, +2 CON, +1 FCB)
• +3/4 BAB (no increase)
• +1/3 Fort save, +1/2 Reflex save, +1/2 Will save (no increases)
• 10+1 skill points (+1 Acrobatics, +1 Bluff, +1 Diplomacy, +1 Intimidate, +1 Knowledge Dungeoneering, +1 Knowledge Local, +1 Knowledge Nobility, +1 Perception, +1 Sense Motive*, +1 Sleight of Hand, +1 Use Magic Device)
• manifold tricks x2
• mental potency +1
• +1 CL
• +1 1st-level spell slot, +1 2nd-level spell slot
• 2nd-level spell known (blistering invective)
• +1/3 towering ego FCB
• Reflexive Trick feat
since I think we learned that he is generally opposed to subterfuge.
sad sneaky snake noises
I agree, though, he's likely a good place to start.
Trevor agrees with Henrika's direction.
Gunsligner Level 4:
- +1 BAB
- +8 HP
- +1 Fort, +1 Ref
- +6 Skill Ranks
- Feat: Weapon Focus (Heavy Repeating Crossbow)
- Bonus Feat (Rapid Shot)
Level 5
HP 4+2 Con +1 FCB= +7
New Feat: Fencing Grace
Prerequisite(s): Dex 13, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (rapier).
Benefit(s): When wielding a rapier one-handed, you can add your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to that weapon’s damage. The rapier must be one appropriate for your size. You do not gain this benefit while fighting with two weapons or using flurry of blows, or anytime another hand is otherwise occupied. +2 damage
Poison Resistance +4
Skills
Appraise +5
Bluff +5
Background skills
Linguistics +1 (Draconic)
Know-Engineering +1
Investigator Talent:Expanded Inspiration
An investigator can use his inspiration ability when attempting Diplomacy, Heal, Perception, Profession, and Sense Motive checks without expending uses of inspiration, provided he’s trained in the skill.
+1 1st/2nd level extracts
New 2nd level extract Perceive Cues
In that case we can just flavor it whenever, I won't finish it. No sense making more work for the both of us. Thanks!
Ok, but I am curious about what some of your ideas were.
Skulls of our enemies on pikes!
To my nephew, Sir Trevor Kastner,
Your efforts in Stachys have not gone unnoticed. I can see you are clearly representing the high values I've set for our House, and you have represented our family well in the Meratt region. Therefore, I feel that you should continue to represent our family's generosity of spirit, by receiving a weekly stipend. Enclosed is 100 gold pieces. I recommend your use this stipend only on services and nonmaterial goods. The hiring of entertainers, messengers, mounts, servants, transport, workers for Betony, etc. etc.
This stipend should also go toward any lodgings you might need, stabling, taxes, and tolls. Despite your divine patron, you have a good head on your shoulders, despite it being heavy with drink. I have faith you will make the right decisions on how it is used. Your mother and myself would appreciate more letters though, despite how busy you are in Meratt County.May The General of Vengeance and The Accidental God keep you,
Lord Remilliard Kastner
This is great. I approve.
Ohhh... level 5 is a juicy one. Been excited about this since the first few encounters.
Level Up!
Xallis and Navia have reached Level 5!
Xallis
+8 HP
+1 Skill Rank to: Diplomacy, Perform (Dance), Knowledge (Planes), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device, Knowledge (Nobility), Linguistics, Knowledge (Arcana)
Extra Language: Ignan
Feat: Superior Summoning
+1 1st level spell per day
+1 2nd level spell per day
New 2nd level spell: Haste
Summon Monster: Xallis can now cast Summon Monster III as a spell-like ability
Navia
+7 HP
+1 BAB
Ability Score Increase: +1 Int (Modifier changed from -2 to -1)
Str/Dex Bonus: +1 (now +2)
+1 Skill Rank to: Disable Device, Stealth, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Sense Motive, Knowledge (Planes), Perform (Dance), Fly, Use Magic Device
+1 Fort, +1 Will
Bonus Natural Armor: +2 (now +4)
+1 Evolution Point
Evolutions Removed: Improved Damage (Bite), Bite, Climb, Shared Evolution (Scent)
Evolutions Gained: Flight, Claws (arms), Skilled (Perform: Dance), Shared Evolution (Perform: Dance)
Summon Monster stats will soon be updated to represent new stuff Xallis has access to, as well as his Autopilot suggestions for using it.
Also adding a spoiler tab to link to previous level-up posts, mostly to aid in my own book keeping.
Ooh, flying Navia.
Liraela would like to retrain her Finesse Training from Daggers to Kukris, which will cost her 5 days and 250 gp.
She'd also like to purchase one +1 kukri and one masterwork kukri (curse you, lack of funding!) for her new class feature, though I think I have to head to Lotheedar for that, as it costs 2,000 GP to have one enchanted. At 2,308 GP for the magic and 308 for the masterwork, that leaves her entire costs at 2,866. Leaving her with 307 GP. We need to rob a bank or something!
More money is coming. Don't worry.
Yes, you can retrain your Finesse Training feat.
And you can purchase a +1 kukri right in Stachys. It is a minor magic item and you can purchase up to 6 minor magic items in the current week.
Something to keep in mind, removing the Gone to Seed quality from Stachys requires (3) improvements:
Mill
Civic Improvements, Basic
Farms, Basic
The penalty this quality applies is: Economy –4; halve Base Value and Purchase Limit; no available spellcasting.
Since you built the mill, you only need to do the other two improvements.
Also, Baroness Voinum offered to give you an additional 3,000 gp that can be used for improvements once you make the "farms, basic" improvement. As she would like to make a trade deal for the grapes you'd be able to grow.
I've realized that almost all of the heads of these towns has lost a spouse.
Piscum Onorra lost her husband.
Parthena Crabbe lost her husband.
Nicolaus Okerra lost his wife.
I'm seeing a trend here.
Sounds like a job for a criminal investigator, eh Ichabod? ;)
The halflings did it.
Gonna sit down after work tomorrow and put Liraela through PC Gen, see if there are any mistakes with her. I think there is at least one with her skill points.
Perhaps we can try to play Matchmaker with Okerra and Crabbe!
Unfortunately, Crabbe is not Okerra's type.
I'd like for Henrika to purchase two items with her share of the newfound wealth: a cracked dusty rose prism ioun stone (500 gp) and a cracked magenta prism ioun stone (800 gp). I figure as she gets to know the magical sword Koriana's Blade and its strange gemstones in its hilt, she will begin actively looking for magical gems in the hopes of learning how to awaken something in the magic of the sword. To that end, I'd also like her to purchase a set of crystallomancy gems to aid her in her crystal-gazing experiments (I think these are masterwork tools that cost 50 gp and give a +2 bonus to Sense Motive when used for prognostication-- their effect is mentioned under the occult skill unlock but I can't find an item entry anywhere).
I'm also planning to set up a small competition in Stachys for Serri to show off her talents and for other martially-inclined people in the area to demonstrate their skills, assuming that Baron Okerra agrees to let Henrika look after his daughter for a short while. I'm thinking this would be a fair persona action to increase her Charm facet? It's kind of like "organizing a party", isn't it? :)
Hey, just in case anyone was interested: the Lantern Archon is now on my list of available summons, so if anyone needed an infinite supply of caster level 3rd continual flame I can hook you up.
I'd like for Henrika to purchase two items with her share of the newfound wealth: a cracked dusty rose prism ioun stone (500 gp) and a cracked magenta prism ioun stone (800 gp). I figure as she gets to know the magical sword Koriana's Blade and its strange gemstones in its hilt, she will begin actively looking for magical gems in the hopes of learning how to awaken something in the magic of the sword. To that end, I'd also like her to purchase a set of crystallomancy gems to aid her in her crystal-gazing experiments (I think these are masterwork tools that cost 50 gp and give a +2 bonus to Sense Motive when used for prognostication-- their effect is mentioned under the occult skill unlock but I can't find an item entry anywhere).
Yes, you can purchase both of those ioun stones as 2 of the 6 magic items for the week. The crystallmancy gems can also be purchased in Stachys; since it is not a magic item, it doesn't count toward the number of items available.
As for activating the gems on the sword, that will happen on its own as you achieve triumphs throughout the adventure. There are two triumphs to achieve in this chapter: rebuilding Stachys until the villagers' attitude shifts to Helpful and ousting Bartleby Lotheed from the palace. Assuming you achieve these two things, everyone's relics should power up two times by the end of the chapter.
There is also one more relic to be found in this chapter. You'll come across it eventually.
I'm also planning to set up a small competition in Stachys for Serri to show off her talents and for other martially-inclined people in the area to demonstrate their skills, assuming that Baron Okerra agrees to let Henrika look after his daughter for a short while. I'm thinking this would be a fair persona action to increase her Charm facet? It's kind of like "organizing a party", isn't it? :)
Baron Okerra will allow Selli to visit for this. I'll include his respond a gameplay post as well. Why don't you guys plan for doing the "Festival" improvement next week then and you can have this competition be part of it? If you want to do your Persona Phase during this time instead of the Harvest, I'll let anyone do that. Also since the festival improvement says "Inviting a noble to visit during a festival grants you a +2 circumstance bonus on checks to influence that noble during the visit." Since you don't really benefit from that, I'll have the festival give you a +2 circumstance bonus on Persona rolls as well. And yes, Henrika, you can attempt a Charm facet increase, as similar to "organizing a party".
It doesn't look like this is likely to change what anyone else did with their Persona Phase so far, but if it would, let me know.
Also, an event happens at the end of the Harvest, which I'll be working on a post in a little while, so hold off on the competition until we resolve the Harvest event first.
Do we know (or attempt to know) whether or not there are any loopholes or ways to defer/diminish the taxes owed? Tychus is a man of the law, but maybe he knows something that could come in handy.
Do we know (or attempt to know) whether or not there are any loopholes or ways to defer/diminish the taxes owed? Tychus is a man of the law, but maybe he knows something that could come in handy.
So sorry for the lack of post, super busy weekend. Getting one up now.
I absolutely think we should rob this tax collector of everything he has, and if he ends up dead at the end of the night with a dagger in his back? Eh, these things happen.
Would also like to spend 2k gp to get my other kukri magical.
Side note, are my persona numbers correct? Only having 4 seems low, unless I did other things with some phases. Just want to check!
Side note, are my persona numbers correct? Only having 4 seems low, unless I did other things with some phases. Just want to check!
I thought I was doing a good job keeping track, but you are correct. I missed one increase.
Liraela's Charm should be 3 instead of 2. I updated it now.
I went back and checked each phase we did:
Liraela did:
1st: Improve Subterfuge to Rank 2
2nd: Operation Infiltration
3rd: Improve Charm to Rank 2
4th: Improve Charm to Rank 3
Liraela has one more Persona Phase to take either before or after you deal with the tax collector.
Would also like to spend 2k gp to get my other kukri magical.
Yes, you can also buy that now.
Could we use our agents to steal the tax money back?
Retrieving the money/harvest will most likely involve a fight or some impressive skill checks.
While your agents can perform risky operations, they aren't necessarily fighters. You'll have to handle this on your own.
The best option involving agents that I can see is the Provide Distration basic operation.
Provide Distraction (Heroism, Risky): Your agents may not be individually strong, but your example has inspired them, and they’d risk anything to help you, even in dangerous circumstances. At the beginning of combat near a populated area, roll an Operation check against a DC equal to 10 + the CR of the most challenging creature in the fight (maximum DC 25). On a success, each PC gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls or to Armor Class as if benefiting from the aid another action for the first round of combat.
If you’re not down for the unique improvement, can redo it with one of the stated ones.
"I would not condemn you for attacking and robbing this man. You may certainly be right that leaving behind spoils would ruin the charade. Perhaps we can hide any money we find, and when the count comes sniffing around we can offer to pay him a more reasonable sum from our private coffers, to make up for his loss?"
If it helps clear Henrika's conscious, Giado only took from Stachys. You won't be stealing anything that was taken from anyone else.
Updated Lir's character sheet for level 5, decided to take Silent Image instead of Grease, as it both fits her better and we have at least one person with Grease. Let me know if you see any mistakes!
If anything, it's the murder that would keep her up at night. She doesn't believe killing someone is a fair punishment for thievery, or many of her good friends would have to be executed. OOC, this will be much harder to pull off if we leave Giado alive, but Henrika at least won't deal the killing blow, and I think she will try to convince the others to leave him frightened but alive if possible.