Estella finishes her walk around the pond. "Good idea. Looks like there's nothing here."
She'll walk through the door, after any trap checks have been performed, of course.
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Then, none the wiser, Estella will continue slowly advancing.
Estella nods at Valorina's observation. "Something's off here. The door on the other side should take us back to the central pool. I'll sweep the path." She warily starts making a turn around the pool, poking at the floor with her spear and keeping her eyes peeled for traps.
Estella nudges her spear towards the door to the right of them. "Shall we try that door?"
"Just three of them, nothing big or organized. Could've just been squatters. Well, and there were those dead ogres too, but I can't shake the feeling there's more to this place. Like it's hiding something from us." She glances to the left and right of her. "Two more doors. Wanna check one of those out first?"
Yeah, I didn't know about Thornkeep either, but it sounds pretty neat. Made as a backer reward for Pathfinder Online, huh... I'd completely forgotten that was a thing. I was in Japan!
"This place is looking pretty quiet," Estella remarks. "I don't know, considering we're looking into how the dam might have been broken, I expected a bit more activity... this place looks like it's been abandoned for a while." Despite her words, she keeps her eyes peeled for any movement as she steps forward. Her eyes meet the pool. "What could be the deal with the slime here?"
It was a lovely time, thanks for asking! We balanced out some real tourist traps with some less conventional things. Got 'lost' in the woods for a bit and found an old waterfall training ground, the type you meditate under, which was very neat!
I'm back! I'll catch up over the weekend, apologies and thank you for your patience!
As much as I wish I could continue to play and get to know our new players and their characters, my trip is starting tomorrow so I won't be able to post until I get back in 2 weeks. Here's some botting suggestions to hopefully help out. - Estella will gladly take the front line, but she's also able to effectively support the frontline directly from behind. She's got Phalanx Formation, so she can jab at enemies with her spear past an ally without having to deal with cover, and she's got Cure Light, Moderate AND Serious Wounds to keep anyone near her in the fight.
Common Estella Buffs: The following boosts all apply as long as the party member can hear Estella: Controlled Inspired Rage: +4 Morale Bonus on STR or DEX, OR +2 STR and +2 DEX Lesser Spirit Totem: Small spirits surround every party member and make one slam attack (+10 to hit, 1d4+4 damage, these modifiers are static and can't be buffed) every round against a living foe adjacent to a party member. These go off at the end of the party member's turn, I'll tally them up as necessary. Spirit Totem: Any ranged attacks and melee attacks made by non-adjacent enemies (reach for example) have a 20% miss chance The following boost only applies if the party member is within 30ft and can see the banner. Flagbearer: +1 Morale Bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws against fear and charm effects. Only within a range of 30ft and if you can see the banner. The following applies to Estella if she's adjacent to two or more allies. Back of the Crowd: +1 dodge bonus.
"My father?" When Magnar mentions him, she immediately grimaces, though her expression is more like a face someone would make when they're busted sneaking out a snack from the pantry. As Magnar gives his story, her face is a rollercoaster of emotions: she's relieved, she's moved, she struggles to hide a chuckle at papa's troublesome new petitioners. "Hearing from my father is already a wonderful gift, especially when it's blessings like this. Thank you so much." She pauses a bit to savor the thoughts before turning back to 'business'. "The trail we walk is a fraught one. As Tarphrex has already mentioned before, it's one that's claimed many victims. I can only speak for myself, of course, but I will happily take all the help we can get." She extends a hand towards both the newcomers, eager to work with them.
Happy birthday to her!
You've both made very fun characters and I'm excited to see them in play! I'm always happy for a roleplay opportunity so I wanna say thanks to Magnar tying your backstory to mine, I think that's really fun. Excited to be playing with you both :) Glad to hear that Ceven's still around, as well. If you're reading this, hope everything's alright! Same goes for Elisani, of course. RE: Tunic, another game you may enjoy for the Link's Awakeningness of it all is Isles of Sea and Sky, though that's less of a Zelda-y game and more of a Zelda inspired block pusher puzzle game. It's got a lot of exploration and getting new skills that let you solve puzzles you previously couldn't, etc etc
Hey there, welcome! Straight off the bat I have to say I'm really impressed. Like Tarphrex says, you've clearly done your homework. I'm seeing not just backgrounds tying into current player characters but also ones that have passed away already! I'm of course very biased here but I would LOVE a frontliner in front of Estella. She was built for exactly that sort of thing but it hadn't really panned out the way I thought it would; no one to blame but myself for that lol. I've got no annoyances when it comes to class or race choice. Personally, RotRL is a very Core-feeling adventure so I've opted to stay core-ish (Skald is a hybrid of two core classes, it counts) but I wouldn't ask a fellow player to stick to that themselves. All I would ask is that the character is cool and/or fun, and I'm very easily satisfied in that regard. ---- Happy birthday, GM's daughters! Tunic's on my list, and I really need to get to it. I'm a big fan of what I've seen of Tunic's puzzle design, I love games that get clever with that sort of thing. In the spirit of other creative games that play around with common game design, have you tried Inscryption?
I'd also like to keep continuing. Much like the GM, I've been here since the very start and have a lot of great memories in this campaign! I'm all-in to see it through to the very end. A pause makes sense to me. I'm also thinking ahead to early June here, when I'll be abroad for two weeks so I'd have to be botted anyway. I can't speak for all of us, of course, but if we pause and plan a date to reconvene, I'll set it in my agenda and I'll be there, 100%. I like Ceven and Elisani a lot, and would very much like to keep playing with them as long as possible, so I'm also in favor of seeing if they'll be able to properly come back. At the same time, I'm a bit afraid if we hire multiple replacements, and one or both of E&C come back, that might lead to an awkward situation where we're suddenly made to pick between them... At the very least I wouldn't want any potential new players to be blindsided by some old players' triumphant returns, if that makes sense. For that reason, I like Sherman's solution a lot. I think it strikes a good balance and leaves minimal room for awkward situations like that. I might be a bit overly worried, though. As for recruiting... at this point this is the one game I'm still in, so I don't exactly have an avenue for recruiting right now, I'm afraid. EDIT: wow, Tarphrex was the latest post when i started typing this out and then when I posted it, the GM had posted 22 minutes earlier. Maybe I was pondering this one too long lol
@SHerman: It was, thank you. I do not yet know how much of a success, but we'll be donating a couple thousand at least That's an amazing outcome, congratulations! Also, I'd like to let everyone know in advance that on the 29th, I'll be going on my Japan trip, so I'll likely be unable to post for a good 2 weeks.
Estella nods at Sherman. "Rest assured, he'll be just as lucky getting past us as the other one." As if to emphasize her point, she attacks, with the spirits fluttering around Elisani swooping in to get a hit as well. "Stand firm, friends, and finish what we started!"
Estella's Buff Corner: The following boosts all apply as long as the party member can hear Estella: Controlled Inspired Rage: +4 Morale Bonus to dexterity. Lesser Spirit Totem: Small spirits surround every party member and make one slam attack (+10 to hit, 1d4+4 damage, these modifiers are static and can't be buffed) every round against a living foe adjacent to a party member. These go off at the end of the party member's turn, I'll tally them up as necessary. Spirit Totem: Any ranged attacks and melee attacks made by non-adjacent enemies (reach for example) have a 20% miss chance The following boost only applies if the party member is within 30ft and can see the banner. Flagbearer: +1 Morale Bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws against fear and charm effects. Only within a range of 30ft and if you can see the banner.
Estella, are your wisps still active? Should they defend you and Sherman? They are, and they would, in fact! Somehow I'd failed to internalize the "non-adjacent melee attacks like reach" part of the rage ability. Thanks for the reminder. I'll keep an eye out for those circumstances when they apply again.
I'm jealous you can stick to game so well! I always get distracted by 5000 other things to play. The side content I did do was The Reacher which in my opinion was so good I'm shocked it wasn't part of the main game. I'll try to be more alert both with regards to botting Elisani as well as keeping my statlines up-to-date. Apologies for that, I didn't mean for that to become a bit of a thing. We continue!
"Tch!" Estella exclaims in annoyance, angry at herself for not anticipating such a basic sneak attack. Seeing that the tentacles have things covered over there, she repositions herself between the troll and her allies. "Fear not, friends! I have you!"
She shifts in a more defensive stance before attacking.
Yes, I've played and beat Expedition 33! I'd had my eye on it for a while before it came out, I'm always eager to add a bit of parrying into my gameplay. (Sekiro is one of my all time favorite games). I had a lot of fun with it, though I will admit once I reached the end I didn't feel the energy to bother with the massive amount of extra Stuff that unlocks in the lategame. I told myself I'd come back for it... maybe I should. As for the buffs, that sounds correct!
Estella grits her teeth as the troll tears into her. She steps back and attacks with her lance.
"Already our foe is faltering! Keep on the pressure! Let them eat steel and acid!" As she continues her chant to keep morale up, the wisps around Elisani begin to attack, as well.
Estella's Buff Corner: The following boosts all apply as long as the party member can hear Estella: Controlled Inspired Rage: +4 Morale Bonus to dexterity. Lesser Spirit Totem: Small spirits surround every party member and make one slam attack (+10 to hit, 1d4+4 damage, these modifiers are static and can't be buffed) every round against a living foe adjacent to a party member. These go off at the end of the party member's turn, I'll tally them up as necessary. Spirit Totem: Any ranged attacks and melee attacks made by non-adjacent enemies (reach for example) have a 20% miss chance The following boost only applies if the party member is within 30ft and can see the banner. Flagbearer: +1 Morale Bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws against fear and charm effects. Only within a range of 30ft and if you can see the banner.
The job hunting gauntlet is an absolute killer, best of luck to you both!
Estella swears she's heard about creatures like this before but is drawing a total blank. No matter, time for a plan. "I'll hold the line for a bit, but eventually I'll need to step back to attack!"
Holding her position, Estella takes a deep breath and begins to clearly call out to her allies. "FRIENDS! Stand ready and hold the line! May our formation not follow the dam's example!" As she calls out, the spirits from her raging song begin to pop up around the party, the ones next to Estella immediately going on the offensive.
Estella's Buff Corner:
The following boosts all apply as long as the party member can hear Estella: Controlled Inspired Rage: +4 Morale Bonus to dexterity. Lesser Spirit Totem: Small spirits surround every party member and make one slam attack (+10 to hit, 1d4+4 damage, these modifiers are static and can't be buffed) every round against a living foe adjacent to a party member. These go off at the end of the party member's turn, I'll tally them up as necessary. Spirit Totem: Any ranged attacks and melee attacks made by non-adjacent enemies (reach for example) have a 20% miss chance The following boost only applies if the party member is within 30ft and can see the banner. Flagbearer: +1 Morale Bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws against fear and charm effects. Only within a range of 30ft and if you can see the banner.
Every time Farmageddon happens I'm always sitting here like, "wow, has it really been another year?"
After Sherman casts his spell, Estella takes point and slowly opens the door.
First things first, a close look around to see if there's anything lurking around, ready to ambush.
Completely agreed, I'm just preparing for the possibility that people get dropped off, then get ambushed while waiting for the second round trip.
I'd actually suggest Estella and Elisani get up there first, they're pretty likely to hold their own together without burning through resources, but Estella will take any and all travel companions.
No objections here. Estella gladly offers to take point as usual.
Snow or no, that sounds like an absolutely delightful trip, I'm jealous!
Before the group splits from the townspeople, Estella sheepishly approaches the old woman who mentioned going to Fort Rannick first, holding a bundle of canvas: it's "Shalelu and the Ogres", the banner she's had on her spear during their capture of the fort. "I was wondering if you could hand this over to the Black Arrows in the fort, along with my apologies. We fought together for a bit and worked towards a common goal, but by the end we parted on... less than amicable terms. I'm not sure if they'll accept them, but I'm hoping that with this, I can at least mend a bit of the sore feelings between us." -- By the time they reach Skull's Crossing, the walk's gotten to her, and she grimaces at the state of it. "This doesn't look like we'll be able to sneak in a good night's sleep before we investigate it, huh?" she complains. "Any chance we can go back to Magnimar after this? I think we deserve a week off sometime..."
"We should probably check if the dam is still intact. If not, odds are that thing might have something to do with it." She looks up to the sky. "And, perhaps, the crazy weather we've been having played a part in it as well." She looks around at the displaced populace. "... But perhaps we should first help these folk out first?"
Estella shouts to Sherman's question. Estella keeps dashing, trying to keep an eye out for any struggling townsfolk.
Get well soon! Take it easy. Think it's from the cold weather?
"I think Ceven should carry the hostess, or maybe we can Dimension Door her? Either way, I don't think we should just let her run." Estella will cast Haste on everyone in the room. If there ever was a time to use it, after all... Once the spell is cast, she takes a deep breath. "Good luck, everyone." After that, she starts running, out the door, away from the roaring.
I'm mostly relieved to hear from you! Thank you for the update, and good luck with your recovery! Have fun at the convention, GM!
Upon hearing the noise and putting two and two together, she calls out to the rest. "We need to get out of here. Now! I think there's a massive wave coming from the north!" Estella rushes to the proprietress and offers her hand. "It's panic outside, ma'am. Come with us, we'll keep you safe!"
"Call it adventurer's intuition, ma'am." Estella calls back at her. She steps out the door to get a better idea of what's going on.
"There's water flowing already?!" Estella has a bad feeling. "I'm with Sherman, we should go."
Coming week I'm gonna get back on the GM seat, running an online Quest for the Frozen Flame campaign. It's been years since I last GMd, wish me luck!
Estella leans towards Ceven. "I think some scouting might be in order, yes. Something about this storm..."
Seeing an opportunity to do a little bit of prying of her own, Estella answers the lady's question. "We're doing a bit of traveling and exploring. Heard there was a big ancient dam here, might be worth checking out, right? Are there any other interesting places around here?" Like, for instance, a casino boat? Her head shoots up by the loud thunder. "Whoa, that was close. Does this happen often around here?"
@GM Sphen: Good to note for the future in case Tarphrex is separated from Ceven and a crossing can't wait. I simply wanted to share that this gave me the mental image of one of those river crossing riddles, you know, a wolf, a sheep and a cabbage need to be ferried over the river, but with the party instead. It amused me.
I'll also try to keep track of things better and offer healing more. If there's ever a need for it, feel free to request heals from Estella!
Estella lets herself be carried by Ceven with great amusement. "I'm shocked at how effortless you make it seem, Ceven." She settles by the fire, dried and slightly warmed up and immediately in much better spirits. For now, her very deep suffering has ended. She gives a bit of a smile. "Thank you, Tarphrex. Between the flight and this, this group can make even traveling through a rain like that somewhat pleasant." Once settled and dried a bit, it's time to get back to business. While Sherman is discussing with the lady, she turns to the rest, talking a bit low. No need for the lady to hear about this, after all. "We should probably poke around tomorrow, see what we can figure out about how this town connects to Lucrecia's plans." Her thoughts flash to Kaven. "... But I'm a bit worried about drawing too much attention. If the Black Arrows betrayal is any indication, then anyone we talk to might be in on it."
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