Ascaede Voheque's page

Hi folks, I’ve already alerted GM NABU - I’ll be leaving the game. Narratively this is a good time for Ascaede to take her leave of the group with the cure she needs for her Yolanite temple. Whether she makes it or not is entirely up to the vagaries of fate, the whims of GM NABU and the necessary intersection of those two with the overarching requirements of said narrative!

Thanks to all of you for playing along with Ascaede and definitely a big thank you to GM NABU for all the behind the scenes work with plot and hooks; mapping and running combats and just all around being a relaxed and understanding GM.

May you crush tour enemies, make firm and fast friends, and for Sebastien, enjoy at least *one* night in a comfy, warm, bed-bug free bed!

Ascaede will miss her allies and always remember their shared adventure. She will give Kolek a big hug, and an ear and throat scritch, as allowed.

(@GM NABU - as time allows, please remove me from the Campaign. Also, continue to be wonderful, and enjoy your family time!!!)

Ascaede stares at the reflected light on her bloodless blade, wondering whether it was steel, light or indeed, intent that had banished the darkness, or if it was after all…all three. The noise from the next chamber is at first a dull murmur, but its immediacy draws her attention away from what has happened, to what is happening.

She blinks. And looks up. In a practised movement she sheathes her blade and moves toward the concerned former prisoners.

Ascaede steps closer to the Shadow so as to create an opportune flank, and weaves a dazzling cut at the shape of darkness. Once more she puts her shield up to try at least to keep the foul thing from harming her.

◆ Step (or Stride if the bench is Difficult Terrain…) ◆ Strike ◆ Raise Shield

Let there be…!!!: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 6 + 1 = 26 [vs. Off Guard]
Light!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 13 [vs. Personal Antithesis]

Ascaede makes her characteristic frown as the shadow avoids both her swings. The acolyte chases through Waedin and slides by Kolek’s back to flank the creature with the doughty halfling. Using the glints of Sebastien’s magical illumination, Ascaede’s blade catches the light and streaks down to slice the darkness…then brings her shield to bear against that very same ebon tide…

Sadly, the Yolanite just *cannot* hit the broadside of darkest night…

◆ Stride ◆ Strike ◆ Raise shield

Lux!!!: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 1 = 9 [vs. Off-guard]
Aeternum!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 10 [vs. Personal Antithesis]

If only I had rolled that Crit RK for Exploit Vulnerability, then I would have the bonus of my Esoteric Warden feat to defense…On that note, *is* there a value in a Critical Success on an RK? I’m sure some classes get…something that interacts with RK…you’d think Thaumaturges would get something outside of Exploit Vulnerability/Esoteric Lore…

Sebastien has light listed as a cantrip and magic weapon (runic weapon?) listed as a 1st level spell…

Sebastien is Ascaede’s (and Stepnik’s?) light source…

GM NABU: on that note, have either the Shadow or Shadowspawn been able to become Hidden again?

Oops. Also Ascaede would have told everyone everything in the spoiler she learned with the RK crit success…So you folx can read the spoiler GM NABU left above…

With her blade now ensorcelled by her own mystic reconaissance, and with the shadow now helpless before her, the acolyte steps forward and strikes…only to have her blade swing well wide of the lurking foe.

◆ Step ◆ Strike

Zig!!!: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 1 = 11
Zaggt!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 9 [vs. Personal Antithesis]

@GM Nabu: NB If, while I am “threatening” it the shadow “uses a concentrate, manipulate, or move action, or leaves a square during a move action it's using” my Weapon Implement Empowerment kicks in:

Requirements: You're holding your weapon implement and are benefiting from Exploit Vulnerability against a creature. The creature must be within your reach if you're wielding a melee weapon, or within 10 feet if you're wielding a ranged weapon.

Your weapon senses a moment of weakness and guides your hand to strike down a foe. Make a Strike against the triggering creature with your weapon implement. If your attack is a critical hit, you disrupt the triggering action. This Strike doesn't count toward your multiple attack penalty, and your multiple attack penalty doesn't apply to this Strike.

Essentially seems to be a Reactive Strike that also disrupts the triggering action on a crit…

If Sebastien has moved, and thus his shadow has moved too…is the Shadow still Hidden?

How exactly is Ascaede seeing anything? I vaguely remember Sebastien casting light on something, but what was it and when?

Having remembered enough about Shadowstuff, Ascaede tried to remember more distinct and hopefully pertinent information about shadows and how to combat them…

◆ RK

Esoteric Lore: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

”Light! Light will allow us to harm it!!! It is resistant to non-magical attacks, doubly so - but magical light on a weapon makes the weapon magic enough to harm it!”

[Will wait for advice re shadow/shadow/Hidden before making an attempt/attack…]

Ascaede moves a little closer, and conjures from her memories all she knows about this shadowy creature…

◆ Seek ◆ Stride ◆ Exploit Vulnerability

Grey Matter for…Grey Matter: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 [Does Seb’s buff add +1 to this?]

So my understanding from reading the entry Seb linked is that according to Point Out, an Undetected foe becomes Hidden. And Hidden requires a flat DC 11 Check to target. Is this correct in this situation?

Same with Ascaede…looky looky…

I remember the first time this happened. At least you have *some* idea of what to expect!!! ;)

Ascaede’s eyes widen briefly as the homunculus she just battered seems to leak soul-stuff into the now marauding anvil-device. The acolyte once again scours her memory, looking to recall what might assist her and her allies…she produces a strip of fine silk and wraps it about her blade as she on e again advances to the fray, blade almost spinning in her hand en route to the deadly, if mindless, object…

◆ EV ◆ Stride (to flank if possible)◆ Strike

Exploit Vulnerability/Esoteric Lore: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Whisktt!!!: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 1 = 22 [vs. Off-guard?]
Tschtsh!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 10 [vs. Personal Antithesis?]

Ascaede’s brows furrow as she reaches within the folds of her coat to find a particular pouch or pocket. With a flourish she produces a mannikin made of straw and bone and…well…it’s kind of hard to tell in the poor light and the swift zig-zaggery slash of her blade as she leaps to attack the homonculus…

…and then she sweetly and discreetly raises her shield.

◆ Stride/Step/Leap ◆ Strike/Exploit Vulnerability ◆ Raise Shield

Zig!!!: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 1 = 27 [vs. Off-guard?]
Zaggery!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 9 [vs. Personal Antithesis] [+2 Str, +2 implement’s empowerment, +1 Seb’s buff]

GM NABU - yes, apologies. I had de-conflated Esoteric Lore and Exploit Vulnerability. In my mind I was thinking that to do EV you have to be making a Strike, so I used EL just to be helpful to the team. But essentially EV uses EL and is then available until the creature is dead or a new EV is used on a different creature.. I’ll apply personal antithesis if I ever land a hit on the dang thing…

I also missed the part where the homonculus flew away, and thus couldn’t be flanked because noone was engaged with it. My bad - it’s totally my shoddy attention.

Also have no access to map currently, so having to fly theatre of the mind. Apologies.

Ascaede’s eyes narrow as she tries to remember anything pertinent about the violent flying marionette, then moves to provide a flanking position with Waedin, raising her shield to ward off potential… bitey… violence.

◆Recall Knowledge ◆ Stride ◆ Raise Shield

Esoteric Lore/Dubious Knowledge: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 7 + 1 = 20

[Not sure what the current protocols are for RK - the spoiler says “no known weaknesses/long list of immunities - so I guess I’d like to know *some* of those immunities, or failing that, what is its weakest save?!? Ascaede will relate whatever she “remembers” to the team using highly florid and antiquated terms…]

Ascaede attempts to provide first aid to herself and then her injured companions…she can’t seem to get her own tourniquet right and mostly shifts blood around on Waedin. But perhaps Sebastien’s supportive nature rubs off on the hopeful medic, and Ascaede does a pretty good job healing the halfling…

Halp Ascaede!: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Halp Sebastian!: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

Halpt!!!: 4d8 ⇒ (1, 2, 6, 1) = 10

Halp Waedin!: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

That all sounds like a plan. Ascaede can use Medicine, just unsure who is still an available patient this day. Or we use Step’s vials…

I appreciate how the animal companion has been treated in 2e. The wizard's familiar, however, feels very lacking. My wizard very often forgets he has a bird perched on his shoulder.

I kinda agree. I’m sad AC’s aren’t as fully fledged as they were in PF1, but given the parameters of PF2 I understand the design path and resolution.

But Familiars? Interestingly enough, I don’t exactly mind the approach but finding the information is a nightmare. A Witch’s Familiar is a Familiar. A Familiar uses Pet rules, plus more. So to fully stat out your Witch’s familiar you need to check Familiars, then check Pets in the Per feat, then go back to Familiars and finally back to Witch Familiars because they get more. And the information regarding what they can do (skills and actions, “attacks” etc) is countermanded AND unclear. I once tried using AoN and the way they nest the information was completely borked. Some pages give you links. Others have some of the information, and depending on which way you arrived it sends you to different landing pages with either very little or unrelated information.

@Ustemir: thanks for the thorough links et al. I was…familiar…with almost all of that, I just didn’t know the AC was required to use the Support action to provide the benefit, and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone call it out the way it should be like you did across any of the PbPs I’ve been in. I’m also running must have skipped the bolded section!

I’m also running a PF2 face-to-face game with two Rangers in the party, one has a big cat he basically ignores and doesn’t particularly care about (was Flurry archer, then swapped to Precision archer until I advised him to switch back) and the other is a Precision archer with a hawk for scratching folks eyes out (persistent bleed). The former only has an AC because of the lacklustre feats available to Rangers at 1st/2nd level, and the latter loves his widdle bird friend but finds the action economy limiting. Both are kind of underwhelmed by their ranged ranger experience.

@Ustemir: two things I don’t understand, and I find no information on your character alias/sheet:

1: is the 1d8 Slashing damage added to your fist attack due to Hunt Prey, Kolek being a bear or something else?

2: In Kolek’s turn , you have a one Action “Support”. What is the Support Action? Does an AC have to use this to provide a special combat effect?

I have found the rules for Familiars, Pets and Animal Companions (mostly when playing Witches, Druids and Rangers) very hard to understand, with their rules scattered about and not easy to follow.

@GM NABU - does being knocked unconscious mean you drop what you are holding in your hands? If so, how many Actions does it take to grab/retrieve/wield both blade and shield?

If becoming Prone is merely an abstraction, and once healed Ascaede is magically ready and raring to go, sword and shield in hand, and Skelly 4 is adjacent to her…

◆ Stand ◆ Strike ◆ Raise Shield

Shaking her head groggily, the beleaguered acolyte struggles to her feet, restored by Waedin and Sebastien’s magical ministrations, and empowered by the halfling’s support. She cuts back at the skeleton, hoping to end the threat standing before her…

Swisht: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 1 = 11 [not sure if flanking?]
Swasht: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 9 [with Personal Antithesis]

[Note if the Skelly gets a Reactive Strike for the Stand (Move Action) Ascaede has not raised shield yet but does get +2 AC vs. Skelly 4 due to Critical Success on Esoteric Lore for Esoteric Warden]

GM NABU: What do “EV” and “EW” stand for?

Ascaede gives a thankful nod to Stepnik then likewise downs a flask of liquid heals…

Gulp!!!: 1d6 ⇒ 2

”These doors look…important. Well, in that there are two. Possibly to a larger room. If I were designing a redoubt, I might make a secret way to such a room. Waedin - is it possible the dwarven builders of this place did such a thing? Should we examine where the secret passage leads?”

[Can’t access the map right now, so there may be no actual, physical way Ascaede is correct. Really just spitballing here…]

Both invigorated by her initial success and somewhat angered, and in pain from being stabbed, Ascaede responds in kind…slashing twice in quick succession before once again raising her shield…

◆ Strike ◆ Strike ◆ Raise Shield

Siwww!!!: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 1 = 27
Wishp!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 8

Pshish!!!: 1d20 + 6 - 5 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 6 - 5 + 1 = 22
Shipsh!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 2 + 2 + 1 = 13

Woah. Two Nat 20’s. Ok, if the first attack drops the kobold directly to Ascaede’s North, then she would target the blue to her North West.

Ascaede follows Waedin forward, and slashes at her own counterpart enemy…then brings her shield to bear…

◆ Stride ◆ Strike ◆ Raise Shield

Swisht!!!: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Swasht!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 2 = 9 [Slashing]

Ach! Forgot I was up, I’ll try to get to this ASAP. Until then, because I’m not near a Roll20 conversant device, does Ascaede have the same options Waedin had to rush in and stab someone? Can she flank with Waedin at all, even with two Strides or Stride and Step?

Ascaede shrugs…

”Let’s go with Waedin’s plan - at least if things turn against us we might use the secret passage as a respite…”

Ascaede nods toward the secret door.

”Does the hidden portal look recently used?” she asks those with good eyes or skill.

”If not, perhaps the current inhabitants are unaware of its existence - at either end. We might have a way to pass relatively unmolested”

Ascaede studies the halfling as one might ponder a puzzle or painting, eyes boring into and possibly straight through the poor soul. She nods, and approaches him.

”I’m not the most accomplished healer, but I have some knowledge if not skill…”

The acolyte talks while she works, having been told that keeping the patient calm and soothed is essential in any healing arts…

”I hope your friend’s demise was not horrific, and that they exhaled their last breath quickly upon the commencement of their unholy sacrifice. And too, I hope the others you were confined with did not meet especially grisly fates consisting of limb-loss or other amputation, impalement or severe trauma. There. Better?”

Treat Wounds, DC 15: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

Ascaede cleans blood off her blade with a scowl (but probably uses a cloth in reality), and looks askance at the massacre around her. The acolyte wearily calls out to the personage behind the makeshift barrier.

”The hostilities are ended, yes. You may remove yourself from the confines of your barricade at your ease…”

Ascaede moves to flank with Waedin, slicing in two quick slashes of her blade...

◆ Stride ◆ Strike ◆ Strike

Swisht!!!: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 1 = 9 [vs. Off-guard]
Splsht!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 = 5

Swasht!!!: 1d20 + 6 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (19) + 6 + 1 - 5 = 21 [vs. Off-guard]
Spipsht!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 1 = 7

AC back to 17...

Ah. Ok. I’m just going to sleep, so I’ll post later. I sent Stepnik a message via Discord telling him he was up in Initiative…

I'm a bit confused.

When we entered there were four kobolds plus the commander.

Then one was killed by Waedin and one ran off into the northern corridor.

Which should leave two kobolds (flanking Waedin) and the Commander.

But I see a kobold to Ascaede's right with a red spot in the upper right corner of its icon.

Which kobold is this, and how did it get there? It can't be our prisoner, as he is tied to Kolek's back...right?

Seeing that kind words are of no use, Ascaede moves into the chamber, and raises her shield protectively...

◆ Stride ◆ Raise Shield

@Ustemir: You and I are up. Ascaede’s “diplomacy” failed. It’s definitely “chop”. Getting to it now…

Sorry if anyone is waiting on me. Got stuck doing a job application. I’ll try to get tot to this tomorrow…

Gotcha, I’ll post in a bit - trying to wrangle devices and Roll20…

In future, I’m happy for you to roll based on what I’m saying and any other clues given by my text/context - have added my social skills in my alias header. Admittedly my exposition was sparse and I didn’t leave you much to work with! I’d say Ascaede is trying to be Diplomatic to all sides. I’ll roll initially for the kobolds/Draconic. If you want another roll for the Common/stranger, happy for you to roll Diplomacy also…

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Heh, Ascaede isn’t tacitly telling her companions to do anything as her words in Common aren’t directed to them - she’s trying to work out who is speaking in Common behind the barricade. But yes, delaying a moment might help with “negotiations”.

Ascaeee shouts out in Draconic:

”Vashkai Merlokrep siezza dar! Kam doğu!!!”

Then in Common:

”I’m attempting to parley with the kobolds! Who are you?”

Ascaede looks askance at the fire preparations as she chases after the hasty dwarf.

”Why are we making a fire back there if we are moving away from it and toward possible confrontation?”

Don’t mind Ascaede, she’s even more obtuse than her player. So is the pyre idea in preparation to bring any and all corpses to the pyre and burn them to ashes?

Recall Knowledge: Esoteric Lore: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

I’m quite confused by the information provided:

Ah. I guess I hadn’t put Ustemir’s level with Kolek’s size. I had imagined Kolek as full-grown…but of course he won’t be, yet.

Don’t forget Stepnik also speaks Draconic…

Ascaede nods at Waedin’s suggestion, and carefully crafts a question as to how long their prisoner has been scared of this particular now-defeated “dwarven ghost” while also suggesting that the removal of such surely makes a kobold lairing here somewhat safer…

As to the arrangement of their prisoner’s security, the acolyte feels it prudent, once question and answer time is over, to favor tying the prisoner bodily to Kolek - a rope between them is too easily severed. Also, the idea of a wearable “tactical kobold” on a bear is too much fun.

Happy to overnight here if we need to restore caster resources…and make new checks to heal if possible…

@GMNABU: Is the Elusive Antidote quest still “Active”? While the actual object of the mission is obviously to deliver the mushrooms to the herbalist so she can make a cure, the quest log merely mentions “locating a key reagent”. We have ‘em! ;)

@GMNABU: have we hit level 3, or is Sebastian “hearing” level 3 merely that his ears hears a long ways off, longer than perhaps the rest of us?

Medicine, DC15: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 1 = 8

Ascaede nods with a big smile, perhaps to hide her nervousness. And nervous she does seem to be, proving to be completely ineffective.

She frowns.

”Perhaps our alchemist or priest might prove more valuable…”

Ascaede rummages in her pack, and with a wistful look at the prisoner presents Ustemir with some poor quality manacles. And a long coil of rope.

Shackle his hands, and tie the rope to the shackles at one end, and Kolek at the other? Either that or just strap him bodily to Kolek…

Breathing heavily, Ascaede slumps a little, blinking against the sweat on her brow. Slinging her shield and sheathing her blade she moves close to Kolek, hands upraised.

”Ustemir - will he let me treat his wounds?” the acolyte asks, trying not to allow the distress in her mind show on her face as she assesses the acid damage to the poor ursine.

Ascaede’s eyes widen again as two of her companions are sucked into the platonic solid flambé. Seeing as her blade seemed to slice it before, she slices again and again. With completely underwhelming strikes…Then judiciously moves away at pace…

◆Strike ◆ Strike ◆ Stride

Spblabp!: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Plisht!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5

Spblabp: 1d20 + 6 - 5 ⇒ (7) + 6 - 5 = 8
Plobsht!!!: 1d8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 2 = 6

[Ascaede moves directly away from cube….]