Caiten's page

Caiten maneuvers the boat over to the gate and climbs out. He comes and joins Sulee on the stones while Yasami tends to the groups injuries, many of them his own. He slowly strokes the tiny dog while trying to relax and refocus his energy.

I like the way that PFS handles it. If the familiar is not an active participant in the battle, then they are 'off the map' and excluded from AoE. If they are actively doing things and have a token on the map, then they are fair game.

So Sulee walking/flying/swimming around, throwing out spell-like abilities, and generally making a nuisance of herself should be a combat target. Even for direct attacks, not just AoE. Guba hiding in the hood of Lisi's cloak could instead be considered similar to an attended item and not subject to AoE or direct attack.

5 HP per level is the standard for Familiars. So 40 HP at level 8. There is an ability to bump that to 7 HP per level instead, so 65 HP. I also have Phase Familiar available. And Sulee is Undying. Sulee's death would mechanically just be a minor and temporary inconvenience.

Will vs croak: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16
Reflex vs acid -frightened: 1d20 + 14 - 1 ⇒ (5) + 14 - 1 = 18

"Oren," Caiten calls out. "The gate controls are on the other side of the gate. At your convenience, could you open the gate for us."

Caiten fires a blast of spirit energy at the boggard in front of him.

Divine Lance attack +bless -frightened: 1d20 + 16 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 16 + 1 - 1 = 19
spirit damage: 5d4 ⇒ (3, 4, 3, 1, 2) = 13

Then casts Stoke the Heart on Yasami, who is only almost out of range. "Better?" He asks Sulee.

◆◆ Divine Lance, ◆ Stoke the Heart

Stoke (Yasami): +3 status to damage.

HP: 25 +6 TempHP; Status: Frightened 1, Bless

Reflex vs adic blast: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19
resistance 5 to acid (and fire) damage for being in the water.

Will vs croak: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31
No defense agains the sonic damage?

Acrobatics climbing back in boat: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21 Good enough

Caiten carefully rolls back into the boat and regains his feet. He casts Stoke the Heart on Yasami, then takes a careful look at the gate checking for how it is latched and locked closed.

◆ Acrobatics, ◆ Stoke the Heart, ◆ Recall Knowledge
Recall Knowledge: crafting +16, thievery +14, Perception +12. Question: where is the release and opening controls for the gate?

Stoke: +3 status to damage for Yasami.
Bless: +1 status to attack rolls in the radius.

If the action lost is from this round, I am still casting Bless. Sulee won't be able to move as far if not commanded, but with Independent can still use one of the Swim actions.

If it is for next round, yeah - one action with an athletics check to climb back into the boat is good mechanics representation.

Reflex: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28

"I can't do much to help if you don't cast any Hexes. I can't draw power from our Patron if you don't."

"Well, you should mention that then."

"Sulee, see if you can keep Oren alive over there on his own."

Caiten then casts Bless to surround everyone on the boat with divine favor.

◆ Command familiar, ◆◆ Bless

Bless: 15 foot emanation: +1 status to attack rolls. 1 minute duration

Caiten paddles quickly to keep the boat at least somewhat stable while riding the crest of the wave Lisi conjures. "I expect we will have to open these gates ourselves," he comments quietly.

I'm assuming Caiten would want to cast fly on Oren before the canoes are moved and Lisi casts his spell.

Yes. I think that means that the other canoe would be empty at that point too. Unless Lisi or Oren want to stay in it for reasons.

I'm currently taking the duty of Rowing the one canoe with Yasami and Catalina in it.

"Yes. One moment," Caiten responds as he maneuvers his boat next to Oren's. "I believe a ranged barbarian would be beneficial." He reaches across to the other boat and casts Fly on Oren. Then paddles his canoe with Yasami and Catalina around the corner.

Caiten helps to row while also keeping his weapon spell active. As soon as the Boggards come in view, Caiten sends the mace flying out to harass them.

Athletics rowing: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33

Sustaining spell for as long as I can. Let me know how many rounds are left.
Spiritual Armament has a range of 120 feet and a maximum sustained time of 1 minute.

Caiten watches the battered beast swim away. He calls out to Sulee, "It doesn't appear to be necessary."

He looks over at the not so distant fortress. "I expect that any option of a stealth approach has been lost." He sustains the force weapon spell and rows to come alongside Oren's boat. "Oren, if we row this boat together, Lisi, can you push the other boat? We may be able to at least get on solid ground before facing guards."

"Do you taste particularly good, Yasami? It seems like most everything in this jungle is attempting to eat you specifically."

Caiten sustains both of the spells he has active, noting with satisfaction that his corrections for the rocking of the boat were sufficient, and casts his damage boosting Hex on Oren now that he is also in position.

Spiritual Weapon attack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30
Bludgeoning: 3d8 ⇒ (3, 8, 5) = 16

+3 damage to both Catalina and Oren

Also, Oren was asking about action/check needed for moving the boats around during the combat. What are we using for rules for that?

Vehicle Rules are available, but need specifics added. Or just pick an action cost and check type and DC.

Reflex: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32

Caiten uses the oar to help keep his balance, bracing it against the other boat to keep his footing.

He quickly casts a staple Hex on Catalina, then gathers his focus and conjures a weapon to use against this foe. A morningstar made of force materializes and Caiten swings it at the crocodile's snout. "Back off," he mutters.

Spell Attack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17
Bludgeoning damage: 3d8 ⇒ (2, 8, 1) = 11

Catalina: +3 status to damage

◆ Stoke the Heart, ◆◆ Spiritual Weapon (H+2)

Feel free to modify Caiten's action, of course.

No changes needed really. Sulee should be able to handle a Grootslang in the water by herself.

And I have no plans until combat actually starts. I'll just beat whatever it is half to death with a boat oar.

Sulee does have wavesense.

Though looking at the post before it, I do note that I forgot to mark myself back up to 3 focus points.

Caiten watches Lisi snatch Guba from the water and lift off into the air. He looks over at Sulee questioningly.

Not getting more information, he asks for the oars from Catalina. "Something is going on. It must still be a ways out and over by the other boat if Sulee isn't noticing it. You have better range than I do. I'll row for a bit."

He looks over the other boat to see if he can notice anything in the water there. "Sulee, see if you can find out what is coming up on us over there."

◆ Interact to take oars, ◆ Seek, ◆ Command familiar

Telepathic Emotion at a mile range by default. So, calm if nothing sensed, nervous if something small or distant sensed, scared if something large sensed. Things like that.

I semi-permanently put Speech ability on Sulee and now Scent because it fits with the dog shape. Those both cost familiar ability slots.

Voomer wrote:

All sounds good. With the U.S. election coming up, this will be a distracted time, but I'll try to nudge us along as I have bandwidth.

Oooh I feel that deep in my soul, as one living in a swing state.

I'm not in a swing state. Or even a contested state.

My vote doesn't count.

My state will almost certainly be voting for Trump and there is pretty much nothing that I can do about that.

Caiten climbs in to one of the small boats. "Oren, if you would, take the other boat. I expect I can handle this one."

"Let's be off. I think we are as prepared as we are going to get."

I'm not sure how to decide placement in the canoes.

What are the requirements for piloting these canoes? Are we making athletics checks to row them, or no check required?

Caiten patrols the camp quietly during his shift at watch, grateful that nothing significant happens.

In the morning he discusses his spell choices with Sulee. "It is unfortunate that we do not know what dangers lurk inside this temple. It also seems to me that it is a bit of a problem that nearly all of the spells that we know do not damage inanimate objects. I am not able to use spells against those totems that were erected in the jungle. I expect that there are going to be something similar inside the temple too."

There are guidelines for setting watch available.

With Oren we have 5 PCs.

Catalina
Lisi
Yasami
Caiten
Oren

seems like a fine order to me.

Caiten watches his familiar. "So it seems."

"Regarding camp, we are a bit close to the stronghold. Fire would be very risky. I can keep watch during the dark of the night easily enough. Sulee, would you be able to keep watch during a different shift? Those with poor night vision would be grateful for your sense of smell to use as an alert."

Familiar rules are ambiguous on if this is possible or not. Minions that are given orders when not in combat - has no rules.

"Caiten, we could make this into a business, back on Breach Creek. Even lighter wood might work..."

Caiten nods. "Generally I make them smaller. A toy boat. But it seems that the pattern works well enough when scaled larger."

After everyone has rested a bit and is ready to go, Caiten heads out with the group towards the swamp, looking for boat crafting materials along the way - vines, clay, anything else that seems useful.

As the ground starts getting soggy, he calls out to Lisi. "It appears that it is time to get started."

Crafting: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (19) + 16 = 35

I'm proposing resting here and preparing spells for the next day.

"I would prefer to not spend the time traveling to the Ekujae and back. There is a good chance that the wards against them are still intact in the immediate area of the fortress. It seems a risk with too low of a probability of success."

"Though boats may be necessary. My last attempt at creating a boat was effective, though only marginally."

Caiten finishes assessing the opals and drops them into a pouch. "Nothing overly interesting. But likely valuable."

He assesses the totem itself. "Intricately carved. Was magical previously, but not any more."

Scanning the area, he notices the slight signature of magic from the area where the Bida hid and goes to investigate.

"Caiten, what do you see?"

"Not entirely sure. Something magical. Sulee, do you smell anything living?"

Caiten draws his short sword and heads into the area to investigate and pinpoint what he is sensing.

Caiten nods in agreement with the idea of checking out the remains of the totem for any curses or useful magic.

+14 Religion/Occultism/Arcana, +12 Nature

She turns to Caiten and Lisi. "You guys have experience with this, right? Suppose I want to make two boots roughly..." she put out her left leg. "this sized. Rouhgly knee-high. How much material are we talking? And should I cut more?"

Caiten looks over at Yasami's leg for sizing. "Probably about six square feet. Less if you don't mind a lot of seams. I could line the inside of the boots so that you don't feel the seams, but they would still be visible."

After checking out the jewels to the best of his ability, Caiten uses Detect Magic to see if there is anything else in the area.

At Rank 4, Detect Magic now gives an imprecise sense to the location of the highest power unknown magical aura in the spell's range.

Caiten starts up the ladder. "Is there a need for me to do something if Oren is capable of handling the pillar?"

Not sure how many move actions it will take me to climb the ladder. Or if there are rolls involved. Bot rolls as needed. Athletics +13.

"Sulee, what do you see up there?" Caiten asks.

He also walks closer to the ladder himself and casts Guidance on Oren who is half way up.

◆ Command familiar, ◆ Stride, ◆ Guidance
Guidance: +1 status bonus to one attack roll, Perception check, saving throw, or skill check before next round.

"Sulee," Caiten says calmly. "Would you fly up there and see where that dragon is going."

Caiten then casts another spell and sends some more permanent healing magic to Yasami.

Heal rank 3: 3d8 + 24 ⇒ (8, 7, 8) + 24 = 47

◆ Command familiar, ◆◆ Heal

Yes, the party's chronomancer is doing delayed damage. Needle of Vengeance damage happens during the Bida's turn conditional on its action choices, and persistent damage happens at the end of its turn unless it does something to qualify for immediate assisted recovery during its turn.

Haven't done combat in so long I had to double-check every rule and my abilities and stuff, lolol.

Understandable.

Double-checking it myself because that's how I be...

Personal Antithesis is half level +2, which is 6 points now.

The 3d10 is odd. I think the first two d10s are normal weapon damage and will be doubled on a crit. The third one is from the Fatal trait and since it is something that is added by the crit already, then it doesn't also get doubled. The weakness damage also doesn't get doubled. It took me a while to figure out that the +2 on the weapon damage is from Weapon Specialization (spellcaster here, I won't get that for a while). I think(?) the +4 is an even more outdated number for Personal Antithesis. Unless there is something more that I have forgotten about that would be adding static damage to a ranged attack.

So: ( d10(10) + d10(4) +2)x2 +d10(9) +6(EV) = (16)x2 +9 +6 = 47 damage.

Edit: The +4 is from Implement's Empowerment. So that would be included in the base weapon damage that then gets doubled on a crit.

So 55 damage.

Yeah. Witch got some cool things for their familiar.

The other one to be aware of that I grabbed is the level 8 feat of Spirit Familiar.

I also got access to Haste and Slow from the Chronomancer archetype. I don't have either of those prepared currently though.

"I strongly recommend that you stop attacking Yasami," Caiten states calmly and boldly while casting Needle of Vengeance.

He follows up that declaration with another spell, blasting a bolt of pure necromantic energy straight through the flying dragon.

◆ Needle of Vengeance, ◆◆ Enervation

Needle of Vengeance: 8 mental damage for each hostile action against Yasami with a DC 26 Basic Will save each time.

Enervation: 30 ft line, DC 26 Fortitude Save:
Crit: No effect
Success: 2d8 persistent Void damage
Fail: 4d8 persistent Void damage and Drained 1
Fumble: 4d8 persistent Void damage, Drained 2, Doomed 1

Caiten follows Catalina into the clearing with Sulee clinging precariously to one shoulder. He listens curiously to the ramblings of the dragon creature, but decides that replying is unnecessary.

Instead, he begins quickly casting one of his staple spells on Yasami while Sulee jumps from his shoulder and floats sedately down to the ground.

Stride, Stride, Stoke the Heart on Yasami: +3 status to damage

I put mine up in discord.

I'm not overly familiar with administration on Roll20. I have muddled my way through it on a game I was GM'ing for my family with.

But I don't know how or where to upload a token image on a game that I haven't created. For now, I was just planning on using the forum avatar images - everyone recognizes them easier than the other images that I have for these two characters.

So if someone knows what I need to do to get those tokens created, let me know.

Caiten listens to the scouting report and considers options for a moment. "No plan is going to be perfect. I think if we can get on the bridge, that would be our best option. At least then we wouldn't risk having enemies throwing things at us from above."

The next day, Caiten trudges through the jungle while Sulee flies around with her feathered cape keeping an eye out for anything dangerous.

The group approaches the pillar's location on the map as the sun is starting to set. The mists ease and reveal a crumbling stone temple jutting out from where the forest has grown around it. Sinister towers, partially collapsed but once carved in the shapes of grimacing dragons, provide support for the cracked walls. A flickering red light pulsates within the hollow of the central ruined tower.

As they get within view of the temple ruins, Caiten calls Sulee closer and briefly confers with the others. "This appears to be the correct place. It is unlikely unguarded. Any suggestions for approach strategy? Stealth reconnaissance has not always worked well for us, but neither has being swarmed by multiple enemies."

I'll need two character tokens since I also put Sulee on the map (somewhat necessary now that she has abilities that require positioning).

Anyone else having problems with the Roll20 link in the campaign header, or just me?

Caiten ponders for a bit. "Yes, it could be a very different response that we get from the Ekujae if they did not so critically need our assistance."

Thanks. Will be interesting to see how the rest of the characters react to that.

-----

Regarding the scrolls we picked up recently, I am planning on learning Fly, Holy Cascade, and Implement of Destruction. Keeping the scroll of Remove Curse in scroll form.

I don't think it is interesting enough to handle in-game though. So just noting it here instead.

Caiten nods in agreement, apparently having heard this explanation from Sulee before.

"I spent several hours that evening learning the basics of magic. And at least the basics of this new remarkable companion that I found myself with. It was most definitely not the assistance that I was expecting."

"But it was effective. After a couple of days of having Sulee snooping around the city we found that Roen was being kept in a small warehouse. And kept there at the direction of his own father. I am still not fully sure what the reason was, but it involves more of Bianca's story."

"But with his location known, it wasn't very difficult to sneak in there, free him, and leave with both child and mother. We left Varisia entirely. I settled in Breachill and Bianca and Roen went into hiding in a different nearby town."

"So yes, my treatment from the people in Breachill has been markedly better than the treatment that I experienced in Varisia. I am as yet uncertain if it is because of changes in my own understanding and behavior, if the people of Breachill are above the standard for their acceptance of others, or if the people of that city in Varisia are beyond the norm for their exceptional mistreatment of some of their own citizens."

Caiten sits down and gets settled. He stares into the fire while speaking.

"When I first left the home of my youth, I settled to the north in Varisia. I worked as an apprentice to a couple of crafters. They quickly tired of constant questions, and I think they became concerned for their own financial security as my aptitude for crafting began to show. Whatever the reasoning, they both discontinued my apprenticeship. By then, I had learned the basics and gotten some of my own tools. I rather quickly learned that adults often do not treat me kindly, or with equitable business dealings, because I am different than they expect. Children do not have as much prejudice. So I focused on crafting toys for the children in the area."

"That worked marginally well for almost a year. I probably could have continued in that capacity for longer if other events had not happened. During that time I was often forced to relocate to a different section of the city. The reasons varied, and I think most of the time the reasons were superfluous. I am not sure why people so often don't like me. But clearly they didn't."

"One day, an adolescent human boy came to my booth. He had several bruises in places that are not common to be caused by the typical rough play of boys. Or evenly matched fistfights also typical between boys. I gave him an additional bauble and told him to return often. I watched him carefully for several weeks as those bruises faded only to be replaced by others."

"I followed him to his home once. To see where he lived and who he resided with. I could not get fully up to the house. The boy, Roen is his name, comes from a family of reasonably wealthy merchants. I also spoke with Roen to try and learn about his family and why he would be gaining bruises like that. He would not fully answer me. I offered any to assist him and any other members of his family in any way that I could. He did not take me up on the offer. Perhaps not expecting that I would be able to do much. Which, granted, was probably a reasonable expectation."

"But perhaps my efforts did have some influence on him. One day, he did not appear at my booth as he usually did. The next day a rather distraught woman named Bianca did. It turns out that Bianca is Roen's mother and Roen had not arrived at his home the day previous either. And Bianca had been forced from her home."

Caiten pauses for a bit and stares into the fire in silence. "Bianca's story is much worse than mine. I was treated in a manner without consideration and without justice - but by people who did not know or understand me. Bianca was treated most horribly by people of her own family. Her story is not fully mine to tell though. It is sufficient to know that she was estranged from her own parents and family through no fault of her own. Married to a human monster not of her own choosing. And now desperately wanted her one child back."

"I could do very little for her. I did not know where Roen went on typical days when he was not at my booth. I certainly did not know where he was at the time."

"After Bianca left, I closed my booth and did something that I had never done before and have rarely done since. I prayed. I have not had much interest in a personal relationship with any of the gods or the organizations that proclaim their virtues and power. So I did not pray to any particular god. But to any god who would listen and cared at all for the welfare of a young missing child, I would offer my service to find and rescue this one if only they would give me some information and a place to start looking."

"When I opened my eyes again, I found that one of my toy dolls had climbed down from the shelf and now stood before me. I was quite surprised."

As the group makes camp and prepares for bed on the second evening in the jungle, Caiten mentions to Catalina, "You mentioned being interested in hearing my tales from a previous time." He looks around at the jungle and the others of the group within earshot and starting to settle down for the night. "Now may be the best time for that, if you are still interested."

Daily preparations for the day we arrive at the temple.