DM-Kal's page

The two skeletons hop down and do a quick air guitar strum before rushing off into an outhouse that disappears in a flash of light.

As the party enters the property, no further movement can be seen. However, Victor does note the well, as well as the lack of water in it. It appears to have a metal ladder within, though somewhat rusted. The doors to the manor appear to hang slightly ajar, the barn is missing a door and has holes in the walls, and the stable is, of course, a stable.

The party sets off in search of the moderately valuable treasure and presumably sinister cultists. As they reach the outer wall of the city, they deliberate on the best way to traverse the wilderness.
Survival & Knowledge(geography)

I apologize for being absent. I will get things moving tomorrow with any luck.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Sarcon tracks down the location with almost suspicious swiftness. The group arrives in the afternoon, just as their shadows are beginning to point back towards the City. The crumbling remains of an old manor sit at the bottom of a valley here. Although only a single story, the property looks as though it once held value. The remains of a short stone wall outline the perimeter, now obstructed by an overgrown hedge along the same path. Thorny vines wind around the property gates. The rotting memory of an old barn and stable stand precariously nearby. Rusted iron bands hang loosely from the rotting wood of an old bucket by what was once a well. But perhaps most ominously, two skeletons are lashed to the front gate posts. There seems to be some movement around the property, but nothing identifiable.

Only the half-umbral dragon is a paizo template, however.

Sarcon, I just want you to know I'm still thinking about robominion upgrade possibilities.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Alright, one full-metal fate suit coming up. I'll get the rolls and stuff up I suppose.

Also, a friendly reminder.

Weekdays (job):

During the week, you have 3 choices of activities-
1) Day Job: You have a legitimate business that brings in money. You earn the result of your Craft or Profession check each week in gp. As a hero, you can also use Heal to represent a more honorable trade.
2) Crafting: You may spend your time crafting mundane, alchemical, or magical equipment if you have the appropriate craft skill. See the crafting skill for more information. For our purposes, a "full week" is five days (weekends are for questing!).
3) Loitering: You spend your time crawling local taverns or making grand public appearances, generally having your meals paid for. Either way, your lifestyle doesn't really cost anything (but doesn't profit you anything either).
Weekends (questing):
On weekends, you quest. You may choose one of the following-
1) Out of the City: You may quest for a specific artifact or objective (a mind-control device, an altar of great suffering, a wizard that will grant you a wish, whatever) or quest randomly.
Roll a [knowledge local/diplomacy gather information] to find something (item or spell effect value up to [check result] x [50gp] x [level]). Then roll a [survival + knowledge geography] check to track down the location.
2) In the City: You may attempt to infiltrate and occupy the Finders' Keep. Although this may change later, at present I plan to make this a shifting environment resulting in a randomized quest each time (so you can't just "come prepared"). It will probably be 1.5x the CR of a standard quest, so be ready.
3) Up to some good: You may attempt to intercept the villains in their quest. If your tracking check total equal theirs, you arrive at the quest site at the same time. Each 1 by which your check totals differ represents an hour of disparity between your arrivals (so if the other team beats you by a total of 10, you arrive 10 hours after they did). You can try to confront them directly, lay traps for them, steal their treasure, turn the locals against them, etc. The only limit is your imagination (and the game mechanics)!

To help you all get back on the right track.

Weekdays (job):

During the week, you have 3 choices of activities-
1) Day Job: You have a legitimate business that brings in money. You earn the result of your Craft or Profession check each week in gp. As a hero, you can also use Heal to represent a more honorable trade.
2) Crafting: You may spend your time crafting mundane, alchemical, or magical equipment if you have the appropriate craft skill. See the crafting skill for more information. For our purposes, a "full week" is five days (weekends are for questing!).
3) Loitering: You spend your time crawling local taverns or making grand public appearances, generally having your meals paid for. Either way, your lifestyle doesn't really cost anything (but doesn't profit you anything either).
Weekends (questing):
On weekends, you quest. You may choose one of the following-
1) Out of the City: You may quest for a specific artifact or objective (a mind-control device, an altar of great suffering, a wizard that will grant you a wish, whatever) or quest randomly.
Roll a [knowledge local/diplomacy gather information] to find something (item or spell effect value up to [check result] x [50gp] x [level]). Then roll a [survival + knowledge geography] check to track down the location.
2) In the City: You may attempt to infiltrate and occupy the Finders' Keep. Although this may change later, at present I plan to make this a shifting environment resulting in a randomized quest each time (so you can't just "come prepared"). It will probably be 1.5x the CR of a standard quest, so be ready.
3) Up to some good: You may attempt to intercept the villains in their quest. If your tracking check total equal theirs, you arrive at the quest site at the same time. Each 1 by which your check totals differ represents an hour of disparity between your arrivals (so if the other team beats you by a total of 10, you arrive 10 hours after they did). You can try to confront them directly, lay traps for them, steal their treasure, turn the locals against them, etc. The only limit is your imagination (and the game mechanics)!

Unfortunately no. You had to leave in a bit of a hurry.

I've never read such a thing.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Well, they still use a post. But you could hire a courier.

-Posted with Wayfinder

A mithril shirt will make your AC 16. They're both armor bonuses, so they don't stack.

Alright Sarcon, let's keep it at established templates. Perhaps you can accomplish what you're after with magic items and/or multiclass dipping as well?

Victor:

Feth, maybe I'm missing something here, but what's wrong with good old mage armor?

I'm not sure custom templates are a good idea. I want to be flexible with my players, but templates as-is are tricky. Custom templates may be more than I can manage.

What do the rest of you villains think?

-Posted with Wayfinder

Let's spin up a new week (if anyone remembers how). Also, level up!

Did anyone try to take Victor's book back?

Let's spin up a new week (if anyone remembers how) and go over loot.

First off, we lost Marcello, so that's more than money can buy.
Secondly, Victor made off with the vampire's book (more on that later).
Thirdly, Sarcon somehow absconded a rather large rug.

Was there anything else?
Also, level up (unless you're you-know-who)!

The party mills about a bit, examining the room, questioning Garroth, and otherwise acting as though a vampire had not just threatened them with final destruction. Eventually, however, the collective intelligence of the party comes to the realization that they will need to open the door or become comfortable living together ("living" "together") in this dungeon.

As the door swings open under Marcello's iron hand, the vampire is found impaled on a stake just outside. Various gold and silver baubles hang from the vampire's clothes, imprinted with strange symbols that might be familiar to some in the party (the villains, if they were paying any kind of attention). However, as the party gathers around to investigate the dead vampire, the iron gate opposite them swings open on loud, rusty hinges. A horde of zombies pours through, assaulting the adventurers with mindless ferocity. Marcello stands first against them as Garroth climbs the treacherous stonework up towards ground level. He lowers a rope down and helps the others climb up, but Marcello doesn't follow. Other abominations begin to climb the inside of the tower towards the party as the sound of Marcello slaying zombies continues. The door is shut upon the iron-clad fighter and the pit of monsters, and the remaining adventurers make haste back to town.

Patry is found part way through the journey, bringing strange tales of her own adventures above ground that she may share at her leisure (or not). Payet, however, is simply not seen again. To what fate he may have fallen, the others can only guess.

Both parties return to their respective meeting points in failure, left to mourn their lost companions. However, some yet produce token items liberated from the vampire and his lair. Though the day is dark, a new week brings new dawns and new hopes for the future of The City.

I conquered France! But it wasn't as cool as Napoleon made it out to be, so I gave it back.

Anyway, I've returned from abroad. France is surprisingly internet-deficient. I'll get a post up tomorrow.

Since the teams are 4 and 3 right now, I'll open recruitment for another hero (or maybe NPC a paladin...) and call it good.

As it has with me. But I do not like to be "that GM", so I'm trying to find a way to restart this campaign with renewed vigor and interest.
Except that I leave for France in a few days. :/

Tell me something--what would you guys like to change about this game? First thing I intend to do is sweep up the current mess and get everyone back in their respective threads. In fact, I can try to get that post up before I leave. Then you can both roleplay your plans for the future. After all, the heroes now know some pretty damning knowledge, and the villains now have some pretty powerful advantages. You both have a lot of work to do.

How does that sound? And what might you like to hand-wavingly change about the game during such a cinematic event?

I'm treating it as the "captured" option, as you're apparently Sarcon's prisoner now.

Actually, if I'd been paying attention, I would have realized there's no reason to be in combat turns right now. Feel free to act out of turn and interact with the map as needed. You don't need me until someone opens the door.

PS - Garroth is unconscious, but alive. That's how this "death" will be handled.

Yes, I will tomorrow. I was trying today but there was a lot of Paizo downtime, at least from my computer.

Anyone heard from Marcello or Feth? I'll bot them tomorrow if they're still not around.

Marcello can't quite figure out where the vampire went, but he moves further into the room to prepare for the reappearance.

Feth detects for magic, but doesn't find any.

Melaphi moves towards the web to begin burning it away.

The vampire appears on the ceiling, dropping down to the door and declaring "I'll make this room your grave!" he declares as he passes through the door and slams it shut.

Party up!

Victor, Marcello, and Feth?

And apparently I failed to mention here that everything turned out fine with my father. Thanks for the well wishes.

Stealth: 1d20 + 20 - 10 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 20 - 10 + 12 = 37
The vampire remains undetected as it scurries off into the room somewhere and goes silent.

Victor, Marcello, Feth, and Sarcon up!

I think he meant "deader-ish".
Anyway, he was released today, so I should be back home this weekend.

Sorry I've not posted in a few. I've been at the hospital with my dad. He wrecked his bike, and apparently himself. But he's better-ish.

Marcello hasn't received most of his template actually. And while Crystal is currently, everyone else will catch up at the end of this combat.

The vampire sounds to be moving, but before anyone can react, he's simply gone.
Perception checks to hear him?

Worth mentioning, you would have surely noticed by now that when you hit the vampire:
1) not all of it goes through. In fact, he seems quite resistant to your weapons.
2) his wounds heal with startling speed.

Y'know, in case you get any ideas about waiting this out (and thereby letting him return to full health).

That would be moving away from the last place you heard the vampire, fyi.

Marcello

Well, true, but Protection from Evil is a good spell to have as a hero anyway, even if you're not planning on being dominated.

Protection from evil suppresses the effect. It's not permanent, but it's long enough to, say, kill the vampire and thereby end the effect. And it's a first-level spell.

Well it's not even so much preparing for an encounter with a vampire as it was preparing for an encounter at all. What if you'd shown up to this dark, creepy castle and there was no vampire to be found, but instead some dark stalkers? Did you bring Daylight? What if there was just a mad wizard? Did you bring Dispel Magic? Remove Curse? Did you bring cold iron, silver, or adamantine weapons? Vermin repellent?

There are lots of general "good to have"s while adventuring, and nobody brought any of them (not even the villains, and technically this is their quest).

It was my secret plan to erase the villains.
I failed to anticipate Sarcon (yet again).

I'll have to think about long-term residency in temporary housing.

I don't have any templates picked out for anyone. It's up to you (and your questing companions) how you handle all that.
Though the Wolf Pack makes a fine point...

Bad guys inject themselves with the mutation serum, good guys get bitten by the radioactive spider by accident.

And what I was trying to say was essentially this. You can get creative and find a way to become something more than you are, you can get creative and find a way to counter their specific advantages, or you can do what you feel is staying true to your character and leave the balancing act to me. I have a few things planned that will change the course of events anyway, so really in this PvP you can have as much roleplay or rollplay as you like, and I'll take care of the rest. As I try to say often, the goal is just to have fun.

As for the houses, citizens own their own house. Unowned homes, non-residential buildings, or military structures require no invitation.

Hmm... I don't really think of "hide under a blanket" as a use of the disguise skill, and that's essentially the approach those two have taken. But I can raise the question in the "Control" discussion if you prefer.

Tell me if that worked.

Technically he is completely concealed by his armor. But he and Victor are in much the same situation in that regard. They're fine as long as they're completely covered, but if something were to happen to Marcello's helmet or Victor's mask in public view... well, that would be an entirely different story.

As for templates, I have no problem with, say, Melaphi seeking an Archon's blessing and thereby acquiring angelic blood. Garroth could seek out a mysterious sensei to teach him how to exploit the weaknesses of his foes, Feth might search for an ancient tome of arcane power over undeath... lots of options.

I tried re-adding you to the game.

Most notably, Feth and Marcello's week?