GM Peachbottom's War for the Crown

Game Master Peachbottom

Increase Heroism persona with Bluff (DC 31), Charm persona bonus:

My mistake, I looked too quickly and saw the word Charm and thought you were increasing it. I will fix it to Heroism.

Heroism level 8 lets you affect admirers who start out unfriendly: athletes, guards, and soldiers.

I uploaded a link to the Mercantile Council: Link

Disregard the influence checks until I tell you.

Merkondus, wasn't he that drunk fop stumbling around during the party?

I think you are thinking of Titus Casava-Lotheed. You killed him.

Merkondus was at the Tanager Jubilee but he didn't say much and left after the first day.

Thanks. Also ment to put this in gameplay.

Hmm.. We could seize power and rule the city! Muahahahaha!

Trevor, when you get a chance, it looks like Malphene's stats still need to be updated. Also, you can have her post a dot in the discussion, so she shows up as a character.

I'll fix those when I get home from work tonight. I find the thought of the Lore Warden having a +0 Int modifier funny. I'm also likely to have Malphene keep her current gear. It will take most of Trevor's liquidity, but it can be a wedding gift for his future wife.

I just want to clarify as well, I listed multiple skills under a few council members. You only need to make one of the skill checks to influence those members.

For example, with Rudig Autun, I listed bluff, diplomacy, and knowledge (nobility). Henrika influenced him with bluff and learned all that he had to say. He doesn't have different information for the other skills.

Also, you may want to make notes of some of the leads you get. The adventure is going to throw a dozen different leads at you that you can handle in any order you want. It may be hard to keep track of them all. If you need any help or reminders, of course I can help too.

Had to take an impromptu visit to the cottage due to some issues with the pipes at home. I'll be on mobile, but my posts might be light for the next two or three days.

No worries Tychus. Take care of the pipes.

What do we think is the order of priority for the moment? The bandits could be a more immediate issue. But we could also stakeout the Church of Abadar at night and see if more people can be found skulking about.

Did you want to question the last two people? Or are you ready to move on?

It looks like the new map is set to View Only, so I can't edit it to add arrows or move my tokens.

Whoops. I think it's fixed now.

Is Julania present and/or acting in this fight? Since I’m not sure, we can circle back around if she is.

I may have misread the feat but I was under the assumption that if ou used our cohort for a +2 to a Persona check the cohort would be unavailable until the next Persona phase.

My eyes must have glazed over her mini on the map as well as her name in the initiative, oops.

You are correct Xallis.

Truthfully, I forget to check if any cohorts were used in the first Persona Phase. But since the 1st Phase took place on the road, I'll wave that limition this one time and Julania can be present if you want. Although, this particular fight isn't meant to be much of a challenge anyway.

But afterwards, the remaining Persona Phases will all take place in Yanmass, so from Phase 2 and onward, as the feat states, if you use your cohort for the Operations bonus, the cohort will be otherwise unavaible.

That's not to say the cohort can't be present during your downtime roleplaying, but they won't be around for adventuring that may include combat.

But if you don't need them for the Operation bonus during a particular phase, then they can adventure.

Also, the Persona Phases will likely all be back-to-back and given in between each major investigation: the dreams, the bandits, etc.

Yeah I think I'll pass on having her this fight, especially since this fight is more of an Initiative Puzzle. Love the icon you picked for her, though.

While the topic is floating around, I wanna ask how the other players are feeling about Xallis' level of influence, namely in combat. I know Navia can get Great AC with some buffs and dump a small paragraph of attack rolls every round, all while I get a second turn with a spellcaster. I do like the idea of bringing family/cohorts along from time to time, but I wouldn't want to be overbearing or make people feel crowded out of the fun.

And how w feeling about me injecting a little more monster onto Navia as we level? I could go anywhere from Gargoyles to Scorn but I don't want to cause too much tone whiplash or make any players or PCs too uncomfortable.

Trevor isn't feeling pushed to the side by The Livaras. No loss feeling of influence.

Glad you like the token. Finding a scythe wielding woman that wasn't a cleric of Urgathoa was a challenge.

I moved her off the map for now.

Scorn! that sure is a gribbly game.

I haven't felt upstaged by Navia. She feels like one of the party, honestly. In a similar vein, I hope Jack's relationship with Henrika is strong enough in a story sense that it doesn't feel like Henrika is just taking two turns every round.

Would it just be easier for everyone if I continued to include all Persona bonuses to relevant rolls, or just incorporate them into the total roll modifier?

I might be misreading this, but don't Persona bonuses to relevant skill rolls only apply once per Persona phase?

Yes, Henrika is correct. The skill bonuses listed under your Persona are a bonus for if you use that skill during a Persona Phase. It is once per Persona Phase, but I don't think you normally make more than one skill check during a Persona Phase anyway.

I was thinking the Persona phases might last longer than just the roll at the beginning. Like, if we don't use the Persona bonus on a roll for an operation or to improve a facet, can we use it on an important roll some time before the next Persona phase?

Hmm. I could see it interpreted that way. I'm okay with you using it in that manner.

The Persona stuff is new to me too, so we figure it out together.

You can question Findelby further if you want but he doesn’t have much more to say. The sun is beginning to set now. You won’t have time to investigate the manor and go to the Temple of Abadar in the same day. Did you still want to go to the temple next? After that, you’ll want to rest for the night.

I think it makes sense to go to the temple. It's already nightfall, after all. It seems like a waste if we don't, haha!

I included the bit about keys in my manor house scouting instructions to justify being able to use Henrika's Young Reformer trait on one Disable Device check if we should need it. (I know, Navia is super-good at Disable Device, so we probably won't, but I figured it doesn't hurt to be ready just in case!)

I definitely think we should bring along some Stone Salve. However, I only have 114gp left on me...

I can pony up 6K (Don't spend much)

Well, if Ichabod is willing to pay the 4,000 gp for two doses of stone salve, I think he should get to carry it. :)

Guys, I had a rough day of work yesterday, and today isn't looking much better. Please bot until Saturday if you can.

No problem Trevor. Hope you have a better day.

No one posted anything new in gameplay yet, so I'll give everyone more time anyway.

Icabhod can buy the stone salve.

Henrika dismisses her heightened awareness spell to gain a +4 to her initiative. This probably won't put her action before Aresphena, but it will put her ahead of the Unknown enemy.

Also, have I miscalculated on Henrika's hp? I think she has 64/66.

Maybe I just copied something wrong. I'll fix it.

I think Tychus might have accidentally rolled a d20 for damage.

Good catch.

I think Tychus might have accidentally rolled a d20 for damage.

Oh my, I'm an idiot. I usually copy/paste the attack line and replace it with a d10. GM Peachbottom, please feel free to roll the d10 in order to correct the damage.

Remember the medusa's gaze is constant. You need to avoid or make the Fortitude save every round.

Wow! Trevor and Malphene might be taken out at the beginning of Book 3. Nail-biting suspense!!

Nah, you guys got this. And you have the cream to cure Trevor's stone problem.

"No need to spend a salve on her. We only need to destroy her current stone form, which will send her essence back to her home plane, where she'll reconstitute in the morning."

That's one way to do it. It will work though.

Conditional immortality changes one's relationship with pain and physical destruction.

Honestly, I didn't have anything planned specifically; was not sure what to do and how to do it.

Okay, I'll come up with something.

Peachbottom, I want to get Trevor's Charm or Sacrifice up to Rank 6, so his teasm can start doing some Advanced Operations. Do you have any suggestions here in Yanmass?

The actions listed are just suggestions. You can come up with ideas along similar tracks if it makes sense. For Charm, maybe you try to improve your standing with the Mercantile Council, or try to get a meeting with the baron, or celebrate rescuing Eutropia's representative? For Sacrifice, maybe you could try helping people suffering from the strange dreams or have some agents temporarily fill in for the missing cavalry protecting the roads?

Henrika is going to continue to work on the puzzle of the missing cavalry during the next persona phase, but I'm not sure exactly how she should proceed. Perhaps hiring someone who is skilled in handling animals to convince the elephant to track its master? Would any of her agents have the necessary skills? Or maybe Jack could retrain?

I'll let you accomplish it with a Heroism Operation DC 15. Your agents can work with the restored soldier to search the city with the elephant and see what they find.

I have plans this morning, so I'll probably have a post later today.

For Sacrifice, maybe you could try helping people suffering from the strange dreams or have some agents temporarily fill in for the missing cavalry protecting the roads?

Tychus would definitely be interested in securing the roads. What Skill would be involved with this?

I'll let Trevor take the lead with the two cultists.

It says under "Watch Yander Merkondus" that it's risky, but how does that factor if I don't see anything talking about a required roll? And on that note, how many can/should be sent?

It is also a Persistent Operation, so under those rules, it is a DC 17 to start the operation.

It is "Any Facet" and your highest Facet is 8, so you can send up to 8 agents. So it is a d20+8. If you include your cohort, you get an additional +2, so it would be d20+10.

The Risky tag means, if the DC 17 roll fails, those 8 agents (or however many you send) are lost. You cannot lose your cohort this way though.

Once it starts, it you can keep 1 persistent operation going for as long as you want over multiple Persona Phases. You'll still be able to take other Persona actions but the agents involved in the persistent operation aren't available until you end it. However, you all have more than enough agents unless you start losing some that it shouldn't affect anything.

If you do lose any agents, there is a Recover Agents Basic Operation that anyone can take to get them back as well, so it isn't a huge deal.

If you guys don't want to deal with these cultists right now, you can let them leave and we can move on if you want as an option as well.

GM Peachbottom wrote:

For Sacrifice, maybe you could try helping people suffering from the strange dreams or have some agents temporarily fill in for the missing cavalry protecting the roads?

Tychus would definitely be interested in securing the roads. What Skill would be involved with this?

I was just waiting on this before doing my Persona Phase rolls.

Tychus would definitely be interested in securing the roads. What Skill would be involved with this?

Oh, sorry. I guess I missed it. How about Perception? For keeping watch.

Most of the time, as long as it makes sense, you can pick something that you think would work. If I think it doesn't, I'll let you know.

Sounds good. I'll do the roll here to not clog up the main thread too much.

Develop Persona - Sacrifice (Perception): 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (20) + 18 = 38

(Charm) Diplomacy (Charming) + Persona Bonus: 1d20 + 24 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 24 + 2 = 42

See my note on your Diplomacy skill:

*I was looking at Trevor’s Diplomacy skill: Diplomacy +23 (+24 Charming) (7 Rank, 3 Class, 3 Cha, 2 Skilled, 3 Circlet of Persuasion, 3 Envoy Ring, 2 Persuasive).

The circlet of persuasion and the envoy ring are both competence bonuses, which don’t stack. So assuming you are keeping the ring, the circlet adds no extra bonus, so you can free up your head slot for something else.

It should be adjusted to Diplomacy +20 (+21 charming).

Sorry, Peachbottom. I thought I corrected it. I was a little rushed this morning to make my post. It was not intentional.