"Better if you can find a good wagon at a reasonable price. Will allow more room each, unless we are fortunate enough to fill it with rewards the carriage wouldn't hold."
Search Posts
The entertainer frowns. No negotiating angle left when everybody else has already agreed . . .. "It appears you have rented yourself an investigative team."
As the servant asks about a drink, Gudada gets an evil grin. "Kyonin Gold if you have it. I'll go without if not." "If the trip takes 3 weeks on foot, and it has only been 3 weeks since you were told they dropped communications, well, how fast do you expect to hear if they come back? I mean, by the time we get there, they will have been gone for close to two months, yes?" He waits for an answer before continuing. "It had never occurred to me before, but suddenly I'm curious what the going rate is for rescuing a military organization and securing a fort. Just not something I had considered doing, previously, you understand."
The artiste shakes his head. "Of COURSE I have other skills, ones likely to complement the ass-kickery discussed, even. I don't advertise that set except for specific sorts of efforts. I assume this will be related, somehow, but I don't know how, yet. Do you?"
One hand stroking the back of the couch he is perched in, the Varisian looks at his compatriots, apparently trying to take their measure. His smile looks genuine enough, but he seems a bit uncomfortable. "I assume we all were invited to the same meeting? Strange timing otherwise. I am an entertainer at heart, juggling, legerdemain, acrobatics (including slack rope), and a variety of other feats of agility and expertise. I even play the fiddle, some. I am Gudada. You are . . .?" He seems to be focused on the woman as he lets the question trail off.
Something changed? <grin>
Thank you for the selection.
Hunh? I don't see Deft Maneuvers on the character sheet anywhere. He has the Feat Deft Hands, which is a bonus for a couple of skills, and thus not commonly taken because it neither does nor leads to doing damage. In perfect keeping with my having advertised him as heavily skill focused. And I had to stop and look, because previous versions of Gudada HAVE included Deft Maneuvers, so I considered it completely possible I had missed it somewhere. But it isn't reflected in the combat block, and isn't in the Feat list. Edit: Found it. In the cut'n'paste on the class write-up! Oops. Guess I didn't check to see if the class reference block included EitR. I'll replace it with the base write-up from Nethys. Wasn't using it, as noted above.
Well, 'Dada's not a non-lethal/sneak build, but his best damage potential is all sneak. But he's built to be the skill guy, not the beast-which-kills. Know your role. Own it.
And I believe 'Dada is fully updated, except for tweaking his background story to end where this group will start. Man knows the common human languages actively in use on Golarion, and a couple of more obscure ones, too.
Almost done updating. Need to add a BUNCH of known languages. If selected, will tailor the end of the background to deliver him to the starting point for this recruitment. Went with the closest fit trait. Most of the benefit is meaningless, but the core of the trait's story works into the character's background. Never have been much of a fan of this trait set. Central Time Zone, and all of my weekday posting will be after work, usually shortly before I head to bed.
. Never have finished this. Was part of a hand-picked group doing weekly chat games (the GM, another player, and I had previously completed Jade Regent together, so I was very optimistic) and we STILL fell apart before completing it! Don't think I want to rework that character, though. Was my very first experiment with a Shifter, actually. The character I originally created for this was a Varisian Rogue (not used with the chat group because one of the other players REALLY wanted to be THE rogue), born on the road as his parents were moving to Sandpoint. So, not QUITE a native son . . .. This is that profile, actually. Will need to look it over and see about the rebuild to comply with your given rules.
The last stretch of waiting is either tense with anticipation, or apathy, because you've seen something convincing you that you've already been eliminated. I don't think I've already been eliminated, so . . ..
Hoping 'Dada here will be recognized as more than a set of lockpicks. He can do those things because people expect a rogue to do those things, but he works to support the family, as any good Varisian does. That can lead to many unexpected things, like traveling over the top of the world.
So, both are 5. Got it. No, wait. You said half or higher roll, not half+1. So, do I keep the 4 or did you mean for it to be rounded up to the 5? Just trying to ensure I comply with your intent. 1 HP isn't going to make that much difference, really. Edit: I think I've finished adjusting 'Dada to your rules and level goal. Currently using the 4 instead of 2 5s. Since he already had a specified relationship with Sandru, making him Best Friends with the caravan master fit into the existing back story and makes folding him into the caravan background basically effortless. He can perform many of the entertainments you see at Ren Faires these days, with juggling, sleight-of-hand "magic" tricks, acrobatics, escape artist, and Perform (Strings) all trained (mostly) to the entertainment purpose of a traveling Varisian caravan. Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive allow him to fill in as a secondary Face role as needed. And Perception, Disable Device, Stealth, Knowledge (Local), and UMD, because, well, of course. He's absolutely NOT a combat monster, though. Sneak Dice will help.
I've been hauling this character around for a while. Never seem to have any luck with him and games, though. Either not selected or folded. I will need to rebuild him a bit for the slightly different rules (No stress, just time - that's why there are weekends!) He is supposed to be a very typical Varisian Rogue, and could easily have faded into the background earlier as a member of the caravan team. There shouldn't be HUGE changes to the character, but each time I adjust him he morphs a bit. One of the social points I like to play with when playing Gudada is that within a Varisian caravan, everything belongs to the group, not individuals. Logically, whoever can best use the item should be assigned the item. Realistically, emotions require things get spread around more generously, and sometimes based on political power instead of likely direct benefit. He will remain a back-up face, as social skills are important to people in a Varisian caravan. I think the background adjustments are pretty clean for this, actually.
I hope whomever is selected has fun! And purchases are complete and applied across the sheet. A little late, I know.
Got the magic item purchases planned. Still need to do the more mundane things, like Thieves' Tools, actually, but I wanted to get this update in before you do your choices. Haven't incorporated them in all the numbers, yet. Will do that before I start mundane item purchasing. The impacts are broader.
hustonj, here. I did the whole cookies/cache thing, too. Still had to reset my password. <shrug> Spent the past couple of nights (especially when I couldn't get into the site) with my wife in the living room instead of at the keyboard, so I haven't got the purchases made yet. Should be pretty standard stuff when I finish it, (adamantine?) Rapier, Mithral Shirt, Handy Haversack, belt, cloak, etc. Since I got in after 2200 tonight, I skipped straight to updating the profile with the Level 8 build (all sans gear) and posting it for consideration that way if you choose. Well, straight after running through my games to contribute to the existing games first, of course. Now that things are back to normalish, maybe I'll get the gear done tomorrow night instead of waiting until Saturday, when I would normally do that before anyone else gets up in the house, after I sleep in a bit. <shrug>
Hey. First, I owe everyone apologies for vanishing without a word. I've come back to try to apologize for doing so, and to let you know that I have no idea when I'll be able to meaningfully return. That's as far s anyone needs to read. If you're curious, you are free to keep going, though. Why did I vanish? My wife had started an evaluation of her knees, scheduled to run for about 2 months. First appointment was on a Monday. Late that same Thursday we were told the evaluation was over and they were going to schedule her for a full knee replacement in her worse leg. We found out that next Monday that surgery was that Thursday, a week after we were told she would be having surgery. I took some sick leave to help her through the surgery and earliest recovery stages. I've been working half days, taking sick leave for the rest, for the past couple of weeks, trying to keep her from doing too much with the live-in grand kids and doing her exercises, with only partial luck. She's doing her exercises while I type, and the grand kids are down for their naps. Today is going to be the last day I PLAN to do the half-day thing. Thing is, even having been home so much more than normal, I've been going non-stop. We were two weeks past her surgery before I even got into the office where my computer sits, and we're over three weeks past it now and I've had to steal the time to let people know what's going on. I don't know how long it will be before I can reasonably expect the leisure time to properly contribute to these games again. I am sorry for vanishing, but I have to focus on my wife's actual needs before I play. Game specific: And my Gudada curse seems firmly in place, with me unable to get this character through book 1, let alone the AP. Gah!
"uh, thanks?" He answers Gogmurt. "Sven and Naesehorn both need a rest, I'm sure. Do we have much of a choice, really?" he asks the group.
The entire situation does not sit well with Gudada, but he waits for a resolution to the fight, ready to pull his blade and defend himself if his fears are realized. As Sven is proven victorious, Gudada actually becomes MORE nervous until Gogmurt is clearly honoring the agreement. As he realizes this, his breathing begins to return more to normal. "That was amazing, Sven, but it was also very risky. If you had lost, we would have been in some serious trouble!"
'Dada turns back to the others and gives them a questioning, uncertain look.
"Your fear does not become you, Chief. We come with empty hands to talk to you about not killing goblins, and you say we offer nothing but death? We are offering life without conflict, about stopping those who abuse you and yours by throwing them before a great many people ready to protect themselves and their families. True, we ended up killing a few goblins in order to survive the day, but others did, too. If kobolds attack you, do you blame your goblins for the death of the kobolds, or the kobold chief who sent them into your home? You blame the kobold for the fight, and are grateful for the warriors who protected their home. Do not expect us to think differently. But we believe these other people are using you to make their work easier, not to make you more powerful. When they have what they want, they are as likely to kill you as they are to simply leave, but they will not leave you more powerful." Oy! How do you talk to someone this paranoid? Not sure there IS a right tack . . ..
Looking at his companions, Gudada realizes he might have to be one doing the talking. "So, I think we're as surprised to be standing here talking to you as you are to have us standing here talking to you. During the recent goblin raid on Sandpoint, somebody more my size broke into a tomb and stole a body. They used the goblins and all those goblin deaths to try to hide what they were doing, abusing whatever trust they had built to talk you into performing the raid in the first place. We're here for them. Let us have the ones who caused the death of so many of your people, and we can part on good terms." I hope this is the right tack. I really hope this is the right tack . . ..
"With his strength, we might yet see him back in a tavern at Sandpoint. Not sure we should be counting him out. Not counting on his help, obviously, but counting him out?" The Varisian shakes his head. "Seems unlikely."
The generic post to share before attempting to recovery post: So, I got the flu. Not really over it, yet, but past the worst of it. I went to get tested to verify it was flu, and the care providers went down the "better safe than sorry hole" a might to far, in my opinion. Standard questions, designed to check for other, deeper concerns/problems, right? "Do you have any tightness in your chest?" "I've been coughing for about three days at this point, yes, I have a tightness in my chest!" So, they stopped everything about verifying the flu in order to check for a heart attack. Thing is, my fever had just started to break, and I was not only DRENCHED in sweat, but I was still actively sweating that hard. They couldn't get a good EKG read because the contact stickers wouldn't. Stick, I mean. They called an ambulance and transferred me to an ER, to make sure I wasn't having a heart attack. The ER team was focused on EXACTLY one thing, for obvious reasons. First thing they did different? They took that super medical tape and taped the sensors down. EKG told them almost immediately that there was no heart attack going on. I was still in that ER for nearly 15 hours . . .. IV fluids. Roughly 2.4 liters of fluid pushed into my system. Breathing treatment. Seems when I arrived in the ER, my O2 saturation was around 82. They started to admit me in order to watch my O2 saturation levels, but after I sat in their ER for that long without any further dips, they accepted it might not still be required and discharged me instead of continuing to wait for a room. Having an asthmatic wife means we have a nebulizer at home, and that helped sell the release, too. Still spending more time asleep than awake, for now. Missed a couple of Santa gigs the family had lined up. Went to a photoshoot with a family yesterday. I was there for about 10 minutes, just needing to sit and smile, but I stumbled into the house when I got home, completely exhausted. I'm supposed to go get caught in a neighbor's house tonight. Very worried about going. Just as worried about denying their kids.
Gudada goes over to the hole and looks below, being careful not to risk himself. "Do we have enough rope to at least go look?"
The look that crosses Gudada's face reminds Sven that he is a half-orc, and sometimes trust is harder for him to come by than others . . .. But the Varisian doesn't SAY anything else.
"You just made a deal to work WITH the goblins? Didn't you?"
The Varisian falls into a defense crouch as the conversation he doesn't understand unfolds. He looks confused when the spell is released, and his jaw drops when the goblin talks abou tthe "longshank" leadership and offers to trade access to them if the group avoids killing goblins when and where they can. As it seems the deal is closed in that other language, his gaze darts from one of the speakers to another, before he turns to the rest of the party with his brow tightly knit and confusion writ large on his features. "Hunh? Is what I think just happened what just happened?"
Hey. Real life. I live in a 3 generation home. This last weekend, both of the youngest generation (one is 2 the other just had her first birthday) got sick. So did their mom. Monday so did their dad. Somewhere in there, grandma got sick, too. Now I'm sick. At least the youngest seems to be over it. If you need to bot me to keep things moving, please do. I'm sorry, but I'm not even managing to focus to play spades on my phone right now, and that's amazingly brainless.
Gudada manages to free himself from the plants before trying to push through to help Sven . . .. Given the pressure from the plant walls and the opposition, Gudada finds himself forced to either stand with Sven or get past the enemy, so he tries to do what he can to continue moving forward.
Well, POOH! I knew something was going to end up giving . . .. And we all find the available time adjusting over time. That's just life.
Hearing Sven drop as much as seeing it, Gudada realizes he can't get through the press of his companions, and hopes that he can go around the bit of growth in front of him. Moving that direction, he fairly quickly sees that it doesn't go through, though, and he is forced to backtrack to his companions, hoping there will be another opportunity for him to move forward in a second or two.
Working his way around the greenery, Gudada steps up to the body of the goblin he just dropped, tries to trick his way past the adjacent goblin, and then steps up to the archer just beyond.
Seizing the opportunity, 'Dada goes to stab the one right in front of him.
"It's coming from over there . . .. Get ready and form a line, in case." Assuming that since he can't see them, they can't see him, Gudada tries to sneak forward, hoping to be able to surprise them from behind when they attack the group.
Trusting his companions' instructions, Gudada pokes at the dog-thing before him and then steps back, trying to draw it forward as Nyx seems to want.
Gudada slides up into combat and sees if he can't help drop one of these beasts.
"We can hear the water, so we've got to be close. We know the goblins were using this as a base, so we should expect to run into some. Try to crouch and crabwalk instead of crawl. Your thighs will absolutely burn with pain, but you'll be able to respond when we run into goblins better than if you are on your face." Gudada follows his own advice, but when the burn gets bad enough he needs a break, he walks on his knees instead of crawling.
"So, we're supposed to climb through thorny bushes, now? This seem like a bad idea to anyone else?"
Family needs have to come before entertainment. I may grumble at things which are personally inconvenient, but that doesn't mean I think you're making the wrong choices. Why wouldn't I? I grumble at my wife sometimes, too. <grin>
"Okay, then. Meet outside the Rusty Dragon in 30 minutes? Give us a chance to load up for an expedition and to stow anything we don't want to carry."
"Don't think I like either option, but that animal's better in a fight than I am, so I think it is far more important he be with us than me!"
The Varisian bites his lower lip, waiting for this audience to be over, considering the course Sven just identified. His brow knits as he thinks about trying to clear goblins out of a fortress. Finally, his mouth gets the better of his caution. "Now, if Thistletop is an old fortress, are there any maps or drawings of it that could help us reduce the suicidal nature of walking up to the door and knocking on it?"
|