GM Redelia's page

I'm sorry, everyone, I really can't do this. This scenario is one that I would never have chosen to run in PbP. I thought I could make myself push through that, since you had already put up with enough, and you needed a new GM. I've realized I'm not going to be able to make this a good game for anyone. Not only am I not posting nearly often enough here, my problems with this game are making me post less to other games, too.

Would you like me to post in Flaxseed to see if I can find a new GM for you, or would you like to just declare this game never happened?

Anything else before we follow the trail other than the trap trail?

Everyone,

The next few weeks are a time when posting tends to be slow. I will continue posting, but definitely less frequently. I'll be expecting that most of you will do the same. Please post when you can. I'll allow plenty of time for you to post, botting the last person who has not posted if it's been a while. In early January I'll resume normal posting expectations.

I hope all of you enjoy any special holidays you have in the next few weeks.

Everyone,

The next few weeks are a time when posting tends to be slow. I will continue posting, but definitely less frequently. I'll be expecting that most of you will do the same. Please post when you can. I'll allow plenty of time for you to post, botting the last person who has not posted if it's been a while. In early January I'll resume normal posting expectations.

I hope all of you enjoy any special holidays you have in the next few weeks.

The fog finally clears. You notice someone threatening up on a catwalk (see the other revealed map). You also see three cultists (green, yellow, and orange circles) tormenting a female gnome who appears to be some sort of engineer or technician.

The entire party is up before the bad guys.

'To determine the order in which the armies act, each army rolls 1d10 and adds its Speed and commander’s Charisma bonus to the roll.'

So what I need from each of you is the speed of your army plus the charisma bonus for your character.

I'll need to go through and change all the dice in that rolling macro to D10, unless someone else gets to it first.

May I know what is around me?

You're in the mist, so you have no way of knowing what is around you.

Helgar, there's nothing in the rules to allow taking the average for healing, so you're going to need to roll for that.

No, it's not. You need to send a private message. To help you, we will need to go into a lot more detail than is appropriate to get into in public like this.

IHiYC, please reach out to one of us (the PbP VO team) for help. Chronicle repair like this is best done with such help.

By the strictest interpretation of the rules, that chronicle sheet would simply become invalid, as would any other chronicle sheets that couldn't apply because the character was under leveled. It would quickly become quite a mess. In cases like this where a mistake was made, we can help find the best way to fix the problem.

Anya discovers that the magic cloud was obscuring mist, and that it will only last for one more round.

One more round of actions, please, everyone.

OK, everyone please fill in your army's initiative in the dice macro on the second map slide. (one of the errors in the last attempt at this scenario is that initiative wasn't rerolled as often as it should be)

The team, realizing they fell into a carefully set trap, is able to back track to relative safety, and then pauses for healing and conversation.

Everyone, please make sure you've updated your headers. Not only should your current HP reflect any damage, you need to include the penalties from the bites. I would suggest temp followed by the new number for all the relevant stats.

Anya finds that the cloud is indeed magic.

(spellcraft to ID)

next round of actions, please, everyone.

damage: 15d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 2, 1, 5, 6, 6, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 5, 1, 2) = 38

The insects’ bites infuse you with the raw essence of the Abyss.

Kahwen takes 38 damage, a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks, as well as a –2 penalty to his AC and to spell DCs, for the duration of the scenario.

Everyone else takes 19 damage and -1 penalties as listed above.

The team is quickly able to deal with the insects, but not fast enough to avoid the bites listed above.

pausing briefly for any reaction or action taken in response.

I apologize for my slow posting right now. I'm suffering from a temporary burnout because another game is going really badly. It should improve in the next week or two, so please be patient and things will get better.

OK, missing token is fixed. I had added two of somone else insted.

Can everyone please make sure that the current map accurately reflects how you moved? I want to make sure I didn't create another problem with my fix.

Just a quick rules note: you can play a scenario once in core and once in standard without using a replay

I'll be resuming here tomorrow. This game takes a bit too much thought to resume right after a very busy holiday weekend.

Following the trail you found, you find yourselves in an area crawling with various biting and stinging insects. Before the team can react, you find them crawling all over you.

I need a fortitude save from everyone. You have a hunch this might be a very important fortitude save.

The team spends three rounds prepping and entering.

The mist is starting to fade, although visibility has not yet improved.

What next, everyone? We are in rounds, but not initiative.

This game is on pause for Thanksgiving weekend. I'll see you all again early next week.

This game is on pause for Thanksgiving weekend. I'll see you all again early next week.

This game is on pause for Thanksgiving weekend. I'll see you all again early next week.

Specter, Ella, and Dass notice faint sounds of screaming coming from inside the building.

(assuming that does not change your plans to enter through the front door...)

When you enter, you can see the outlines of three great structures piercing a thick mist that chokes nearly the entire western half of the building. A brass planetarium rotates in the northeastern corner. Next to the celestial model, a clockwork contraption ticks and tocks as it turns on its axis. Finally, a giant metal crab sits with its claws extended on a southwestern platform. A hatch at one end of the crab provides an entrance into a barrel-like chamber; inside two levers rest near the front of a cockpit.

Please place yourselves in the revealed portion of the map. You can only see 5 feet in front of you due to the thick mist.

Day 1:

The enemies are unaware you are doing anything, so will not act. You may move. There will be no combat unless you move to where an enemy army is located.

Engagement 1: Silvershore

The lakeside settlement of Silvershore was once a thriving fishing town. Silvershore had the lucrative privilege of supplying a massive, floating pleasure palace known as the House of Reflections that floated near the middle of the lake. Many believe that the House of Reflections has become haunted and extremely dangerous. Scouts report that Silvershore is now fortified and serves as an outpost for demons. By capturing Silvershore, the Society will not only eliminate an enemy stronghold but also secure a defensible forward camp. It can use this camp for its march on Jormurdun through passes in the Wolfcrags to the north. Cultists and murderers loyal to Tancred Desimire teem throughout the area.

Map notes: the green donut is the town of Silvershore, your goal. The red cloud is the area containing the House of Reflection, which you have been warned to avoid.

Helgar is unable to determine anything more.

nothing you're doing wrong, team, the DCs are just pretty ridiculous for the skill checks to know what is going on here.

Anything else before we move on?

Death watch returns really confusing results. It's like he had already had no hit points for several days, but was kept from dying by some sort of necromancy.

Svetlana, or anyone she shares what she knows with, can attempt a spellcraft or knowledge:arcana check to figure out what is going on.

Smoke and steam pour through many openings of this misshapen building. Gears and gizmos can be heard clicking against one another in a rhythmic cadence. A loud “chunkchunk” sounds as several pistons churn up and down, powering some unknown machine. A cacophonous symphony of grinding metal plays on. An enormous sign, nearly the entire width of the building, declares it to be the Hall of Wonders.

Perception checks, please, everyone.

Also, you are now standing in front of the building. It appears there is a front door you could go in, or you could go in by a window (there are several of them) or climb up the walls and go in by the skylight. Please post what you would like to do at the same time you post your perception checks.

You are sure that you know where the Hall of Wonders is, and could travel there when you are ready.

anything else before we move on?

The second painting depicts Cassomir’s Imperial Hall of Records.

The third painting depicts the northeast retaining wall that shores up parts of the ruined Quickfall Abbey.

OK, I've used a copy I made of GM Colin's slides to make a set of slides for you. It's not complete yet, but the rules handouts and stat blocks are there. Please review them carefully before we begin. We won't be starting until you all confirm you have done so.

Omrax finds that although he clearly needs healing, the healing fails to do anything, in a rather puzzling way. He falls over dead as soon as he is done speaking.

Kahwen does not notice anything in particular.

does anyone else want to try a heal check to see what you notice? or try anything else? We can retcon it as happening before he dies, if needed.

They were not going to do anything with the forums; it was just the store that got redone.

OK, it sounds like everyone wants to use the same army they did before.

I will get some documents put up in the next day or two with your army stat blocks and with the rules references you guys may want or need.

As written, you will each need to post twice for each round. The first time would be to choose a strategy and target, etc. and the second would be to actually roll your attack. If everyone is OK with me doing the attack rolls in a block, that could really speed things up, but leave you still posting once every round for moves/strategy/target. Is this OK, at least to try for a round or two?

Once the crazed painter completes his third masterpiece, he rapidly explains that his “master” resides within the Crypt of Fools, hidden deep beneath Old Cassomir. He does not know its exact location, but he tells you that if anyone has knowledge of the Crypt of Fools and how to get there, it would be the engineers at Cassomir’s engineering guild, the Hall of Wonders. The engineers, he explains, have complete blueprints of nearly everything built by the Taldor government in Cassomir, and since the Crypt of Fools was built by the government to hide the crypts of shamed families, it’s highly probable they have all of the information you need. He knows all this because, as he explains, Dalirio once told him that the cult was going to need to remove the documents from the guild eventually to prevent anyone from finding them.

Examining the two other paintings, you find some of the same iconography.

The second painting depicts a stately, white stone building,
(Knowledge (local) check to identify the building). Three-foot-tall bas-reliefs circle the building’s outside walls at ground level, though they are warped and twisted in the crazed painter’s art. Derros stand atop the hall’s steps and seem to punish criminals—all of whom are wearing the robes of Taldan government officials. At the southwest corner of the building, the bas-relief glows a bright white. The same lone figure from the other paintings attempts to sooth a group of frightened children by playing a flute— the notes are actually painted above him on the canvas.

The third painting depicts the northeast retaining wall (Knowledge [local] check to identify what building the retaining wall is near). It shows dozens of angry derros smashing brightly-painted urns against the retaining wall, while the same lone figure from the other paintings frantically attempts to push down an obviously barred door in the middle of the wall, presumably to escape another group of menacing derros that seems to pursue him.

Jaervahn finds what he believes is the trail of Koth'Vaul.

Before you can start to follow the trail, a gaping chasm rends the ground, a blood-red glow emanating from its depths. The rocky walls of the chasm are blanketed with buzzing locusts, and the sickly sweet scent of rotted fruit fills the air.

An armored figure lying in a pool of blood near the edge of chasm suddenly lets out a gasp and speaks in a pained, halting voice. “Help... you must stop the demon. I tried to slay him but was struck down. He is searching for Riftcarver... a legendary weapon. He wants to use it... to open portals... summon demons.”

The wounded figure lets out a hacking cough and continues, “You must find the weapon. Only Riftcarver can kill Koth’Vaul. It is guarded... the belly of a demon-beetle... the Eternal Hive... near the ruins of Deskari’s castle. Use its power... to kill Koth’Vaul.”

Anya, you may safely assume that your party members have explained to you that they just fought derro who were allied with a cult of Groetus.

You feel an odd, disorienting feeling which most of you know from experience to be a teleport spell. You find yourselves, as expected, a few miles from a portal to the abyss.

You may attempt a survival check to find Koth’Vaul’s trail.

also, somehow between the previous bit and this one, some of the painter's other works make their way onto the wall and you are now able to see them, if you wish.

After Neri describes the statue carefully, the crazed painter appears to ignore you for a short while and furiously paints the blank canvas on his wall, splashing paint wildly about his cell. Upon completing the painting, he shows it to you. It shows a twisted perspective. The once-beautiful statue stares back transformed, her visage twisted into a demonic snarl. Short humanoids with large, black eyes torment cowering prisoners in the painting’s background. Brandishing a radiant holy symbol, a lone figure fails to fight them off.

OK, everyone, I'm concerned. It's often taking several days to get responses to questions I'm asking. This is not a scenario that will work unless everyone is willing and able to post within a day of being asked to post. Can everyone do that? If not, we should maybe call this off.

The statue sits just outside of the prison’s gates, its golden form shining brightly in the sun. It stands just over 7 feet tall and rests atop a 3-foot-tall stone base. The statue depicts a curvy Taldan female with short hair and wearing flowing robes open at the neck. She regards onlookers with a blank, uncaring expression. Faint moons decorate her flowing robes, and she crushes a set of scales beneath her left foot.

Neri notices that the sculptor left his mark on his work of art—he carved a small letter “I” into her left foot.

Vesuvius - Riftwardens
Tarragon - Mammoth Riders
Gaston - elves
Knight Thornrose -

These four are all unique.

The siege masters were not unique. Do you want to stick with them, Eredur?

Snorri, I think I've provided you with everything you were not given before that you need to decide which army. If you want to stick with the army you used before, just let me know who they are. If you want to consider something else, I can post a list.

Once we get armies picked and things I'll make sure you have access to the rules. I may just post a link to the full army combat rules, because I think they are a lot more clear than the shortened ones for the scenario, and if you understand the full rules, it's easy to get the shortened ones for the scenario.

(waiting one more day in case anyone wants to do anything else first or objects to the provided transport)

Do you want to use the same armies you did before, or make different choices?

I don't think you guys were warned before that the enemies will be stronger if you choose the unique armies (actually more armies). Also, if a unique army is defeated in this engagement. that army will not be available for anyone to use in the second engagement.

We are now HERE in the original thread.

It looks like some of the information Colin provided you is no longer available, so let me know if you are unable to find anything and I'll post it.

OK, anything else before we set out? Do you accept the magic transport Jorsal has arranged, or do something else?