I Hate Quasits's page

Rather than intrude on your game thread, I thought I'd stick my head in over here and point out that Complete Arcane has a big long discussion on the interaction between sneak attacks and spells, the upshot of which is that JSL is right - you can only sneak attack with a spell that actually uses an attack roll (the rules call such a spell "weaponlike").

Yeah, I mean as sort-of-unclear as it is in the PHB, it's pretty clear that the spirit of the ability is that the would-be thief exploits an exposed area on the target. MM pretty clearly falls outside of that. When I asked all those questions IC, I was intending to hit it with the bow. Being behind cover really put a thorn in that plan. But than again, so did her protection spell with Plan B. Oy Vey.

I have no small part in slowing the game down and for that I apologize. To be honest, I've considered dropping out of the game for this reason; I really enjoy playing with all of you but I spend a great deal of time away from home with friends and I just got a job. Most everyone else posts frequently and frequently posts very long posts. Even if I set aside an hour or so, it's often not enough to read half a page or an entire page of novels (not that I don't enjoy the novels you all write; it's great stuff), much less post a response to them. I don't think it's quite fair to all of you to slow the game down and disrupt the flow of the game. Anyway, just my thoughts on the matter.

I think your posting level is fine, and I don't really think that you are slowing the game down. Like I said above, I think that it is reasonable to assume that we'll be able to post sometimes and not be able to post at others. Jobs and friends are much more important than virtual RPGs in my book, and I'd be sad to see you (and Mal) go. I'd like to see what direction you take this character, and I'd encourage you to stick with it.

Thanks for the minis feedback. I really need to proceed with care--I really don't want to spend a ton of money on minis and get a bunch of bulettes that I'm never going to use.

Bulette: Plumber!
Woman at door: You're that landshark aren't you?
Bulette: Actually, ma'am, I'm a dolphin.

Dreamer: I feel your pain. I think some of the hiccup is in waiting for folks in different time zones. I think we need to allow for a reasonable amount of time--more when we know that person is away or whatever--and then just make the roll or call an action on their behalf. I wouldn't mind if someone did that on Vesh's behalf if I was holding up the works.

In all, though, I think that we're just going to post in fits-and-spurts. I anticipate that our post will pick up again mid-Summer through Fall and then drop off again during the Winter Holidays, just like last year.

Holy Cow! We'll have been at this for a year in October! That doesn't seem all that far away for some reason.

Anyway, as for me, I am pretty available most of the Summer until about August 20. Then I'll be very sporadic for a week (until the 27th). That's about it for me. I've got work-related travel coming up next week, but I'm finding that that doesn't really hold me up from posting--I find tons of hotspots, even in Pendleton.

Good posts, people! My goodness. I need to go to bed! Will post IC tomorrow.

It's good to be a Dad

I couldn't agree more. Happy Father's Day.

BTW. Will check-in/post IC tomorrow.

Okay. I'll give it a try. As listed above, Zieke will be 1-2, Salome will be 3-4, and Slidell will 5-6. So, Vesh attacks...

You didn't think I was going to post the result here, did you?

I've made what I believe to be a very important discovery. "Hermiston" must be the Native American word for "Hard Water."

Nice segues into Vesh impending doom, BTW.

"But then he notices something odd about Vesh's demeanor..."

I'll say! Ha!

Good luck, and I'll see you from the Portland Airport tonight...hopefully there'll be a coffee place open for me to post from...and look ultra-yuppie-pretentious with my laptop! D&D? Ha! L&L! (Laptops and Lattes!)

I blame Pendelton...It's probably my third-least-favorite Oregon town after Cottage Grove and Sweet Home. Or maybe Springfield.

There is much to blame Pendleton for, but I'm afraid this isn't one of them. Cottage Grove? Really? Let's talk about Hermiston (where my hotel is). Perhaps I should describe the scene out my window. *Looks out window.* Or, perhaps I shouldn't. You'd all have to make a Fortitude Save.

So let me offer my deepest sympathies for having to be there.

Whenever I feel similarly, I remember the alternative. Unemployment. See? Now, I'm happy to be here. It works like a charm every time. Also, I am one of those weird people who comes out to Eastern Oregon and quiet like the scenery. I like the high desert. It would be much nicer without the Pendletons and Hermistons breaking the landscape, granted. But I like the hills and wide-open spaces. I imagine the Velashu Uplands (Vesh's stomping grounds) to be similar in nature, but I think Paizo has something more verdant in mind.

I feel a pre-game scrimmage coming on...

As do I. Alas.

Not to let the cat out of the bag, but I'll apologize in advance for Vesh's impending misbehavior. Oh, and just to be clear, NSpicer, this will NOT be Vesh's version of Slidell's "Plan B." Though the visual description that accompanies what is about to happen should make that clear.

EDIT (continuing my thought from the game thread...): I would prefer, JSL, that Vesh be yours to control until this 'situation' is resolved. If we do it that way, we can cut out the middle-man (you telling me what to roll, me rolling, you describing). I find this preferable on a player-to-player basis as well. The reins/keys/whatever are yours. I'll check-in to see what Vesh is up to from my hotel tonight. BTW, just so that I can feel sorry for myself, while I am in Pendleton, my bag is in Portland. Thank you Alaska Airlines. Whine over.

Or maybe Lamashtu isn't allied with either one? Someone noted that the Runelords didn't sound like the type to worship a god, viewing themselvs almost as gods.

Remember, though, the demon described itself as "favored" of Lamashtu, Lamashtu gave it Nualia as its servant. It also described Lamashtu as a "champion of our cuase." Seems that there is a connection to Alzanist or Karzoug somewhere. I'm not completely convinced that the demon was Alzanist's, however. I suppose that Wrath fits Lamashtu's portfolio better than greed, however.

Now that we're in past the Alzanist door:
Let's retrace our steps toward the well-chamber, but see if we can lure the quasit to the smaller anteroom. Cover the top of the ladder with a net. If possible (we never got a diagram of the room), I think Vesh and Malcolm should hide outside the archway (as the wrathspawn hid inside the archway last time) to catch/strike the quasit as she leaves the large room to get the Slidell-bait. Zieke, Salome, and Ehlissa cover. If that doesn't work, we can enter the larger chamber and fight as planned.

I think that this plan has merit (I'm biased). Whatever falsehood Slidell uses is likely to work better when seen from the other end of the hall in semi-darkness. Once the quasit is lured into the hall, we'll have limited its options for movement some, making it easier for Mal to snare the thing while Zieke and Vesh take care of the Wrathspawn while Ehlissa and Salome cover the mage. That leaves Slidell (and Salome and Ehlissa) to hit the demon until we can all converge on it. If Mal comes out to help with the wrathspawn, that also means we've kept our original groupings.

The trick will be getting into position quietly.

I Hate Quasits wrote:

Which begs the obvious questions:
1. What are the spawn of Lamashtu?
2. Where, specifically, are they imprisoned?
3. Who was Alzanist's rival?

Well, 1 out of 3 ain't bad!? :) About Sli's average, actually. ;P

Actually, I think that we're more like 2 out of 3. Or, 2.5.

1. The "Spawn of Lamashtu" are the Yeth. I believe that if we ever run across Nualia, we'll run across the Yeth.

"The lone success among Lamashu's myriad failed progeny are the Yeth, dog-like demons of great strength and cunning. They are often found in the company of her faithful. It is said that Lamashtu's bestowal of a Yeth to a mortal priest is both a blessing and a reminder; a reminder that should her servant fail her or show even the slightest hint of weakness, the Yeth, hungry and treacherous to the last, will turn on him: rending his flesh, devouring his entrails, and returning to its mistress with his still-beating heart clutched in its jaws."

2. Where they are imprisoned:

"She has gone forth to free the spawn of Yethazmari - a champion to our cause - from imprisonment in the realm of my former Master's rival. Oh, don't be sad, precious one. There is enough yet here for you!"

Seems to me that there are two possibilities here.

One: the demon's former master is Alzanist (Wrath), which means that the rival was Karzoug (Greed). In this case, the realm where the spawn of Yethazmari are imprisoned would be Karzoug's realm, Shalast.

Two: the reverse is true and the demon's former master is Karzoug (Greed) and the former rival is Alzanist (Wrath), in which case the realm where the Spawn of Yethazmari are imprisoned is Alzanist's realm, Bakrakhan. This would mean that Nualia is much closer, possibly right under our noses!

The thing that we have to figure out is this: would Lamashtu, described as "a champion to our cause," be allied with Karzoug or Alzanist? A bit of a toss-up, really.

3. The Rival = as Rags points out, this has been answered.

Gotta run.

*Yawn!* I'll post something tomorrow.

That's how I feel. I'm all caught up on the game thread, but I'll post tomorrow.

Great interaction between Salome and Vesh; again, it is an honor and a privilege to play with a group of talented writers and players.

I was just thinking the same thing! This whole thing is so much stinkin' fun. Thanks to all of you.

And ditto to Dreamer on the Paizoland post-of-the-month award. We'd be a shoe-in for sure! *Basking in the glow of the lights...* "I'd like to thank my agent, and all the people at Miramax...and the fans, it was all for you."

Ahem.

To Rags: WTF? An infection? I hope you feel better, man. At least now you can do the whole 'method actor' thing with Sli! Get well.

I think Vesh is ready to go. Aside from finishing the little scene with Salome on the way to Cathedral (and I have nothing more to add to that), I've done pretty much all the RPing I had in mind. And, if Salome has no further questions for Father Z., Vesh is ready to meet-up at the Rusty Dragon and then return to the tunnels.

Let's go get the Quasit! I hate 'em.

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, I can probably post tonight after the kids go down. I won't post tomorrow, and very little--if any--on Monday. I'm on the road Tuesday and Wednesday, which means posting from hotel rooms and/or airports, so my posts won't happen until the evening on those days. Thursday returns me to normal. Just FYI.

Good job, Dreamer.

Let's Vesh and Salome go to Father Z. and Slidell go to the sage for more info. on the three questions above.

Well, now you're getting somewhere!

Perhaps, in the couple of hours leading up to re-entering the tunnels, Slidell could consult with the sage, and Salome and/or Vesh could consult with Father Zantus on the answers to the above questions. We could use the information against the Quasit, to make a more convincing lie.

EDIT: I don't really care what ruse we try, but I will reiterate Vesh's concern here. If whatever ruse we use falls apart, we're really back to square-one (just a little more prepared this time). Assuming that she attacks and becomes visible, it'll come down to ranged spells and weapons. Mostly ranged spells, I'd imagine. Slidell better have all the Magic Missiles he can!

Just letting you know:

1) I'm still around, even though I'm very busy and likely to continue to be very busy for all of next week.

2) It sounds like you are still planning, which is fine. I haven't had time to read all the posts thoroughly, so if there are questions for me, let me know.

Also let me know (or set a date) for when you are re-entering the tunnel. Sometime this weekend would be good so I can write up the exposition.

I think this weekend would be fine. I won't be able to post much during the day tomorrow, but I'd be able to post once the kiddos go down. Also, you probably won't see much of me on Sunday.

EDIT--So to translate the Quasit's statement:

"She has gone forth to free the spawn of Lamashtu - a champion to our cause - from imprisonment in the realm of my former Master's [Alzanist] rival [some other dude]. Oh, don't be sad, precious one. There is enough yet here for you!"

Which begs the obvious questions:
1. What are the spawn of Lamashtu?
2. Where, specifically, are they imprisoned?
3. Who was Alzanist's rival?

Hmmm...wheels within wheels...

As long as we can do it without the quasit knowing we've done so...or otherwise tip her to the fact that we brought nets. She's smart enough to figure out what they're for pretty quickly. And also smart enough to avoid them once she does...

A very salient point. This should add a sense of haste since the characters are already employing nets in the tunnels. She may have encountered them already.

Wrathspawn
...
Special: Flammable

That made me laugh.

I don't see the net as a round lost so much as an item to facilitate our ultimate goal.

Agreed. Right on the nail. I was just trying to point out that that's an action that takes away from someone (Mal) dealing damage, which only becomes an issue if we're facing a lot of riff-raff. It is definitely a crucial tactic against the Quasit.

HAND SIGNALS:
Aside from the ASL sign for "look" (point to eyes with two fingers and then point them in the direction indicated), I don't know any good combat signs.

My three-year-old does that sign, but only because I taught him how to do it as part of the whole DeNiro/Meet the Parents/"I'm watching you" thing. He cracks me up: "Papa, papa! Look!" *does the sign*

(This made the animated Clone Wars a little difficult to follow.)

Okay, hold the presses! Please do NOT misconstrue what I'm about the write. I love my wife, dearly. She's the best thing that ever happened to me, literally (marrying me, that is). But, she's not a gamer, isn't remotely interested in Sci Fi, and--while she appreciates good writing, etc.--I think in her heart of hearts, she's still waiting for me to outgrow this whole D&D thing. SO, the fact that someone out there (JSL) is married to a woman (Dreamer) who sat down and watched the animated Clone Wars...I'm a little jealous.

For the uninitiated, could someone give some examples, which would probably help my RPing when we get there?

Links to follow:

A page of SWAT team hand signals. Who knows where these came from. But, when you read them and follow with this page...

A spoof on the above hand signals. I laughed so hard a co-worked looked into my office to see if I was okay. But, then again, maybe it's just me.

A couple more questions to consider: How do we define "victory," and when do we know it's time to run? AND who will be the one with authority to call retreat?

Hmm. Do we need to define victory? Our government seems to avoid doing so. Ooooooh, I'm sorry. I broke a cardinal rule right there. Believe me when I say that I did so for the sake of the joke. Won't happen again.

Seriously though, I think anything short of a dead Quasit is a loss at this point. Permanently damaging the runewell would be nice. I wonder what would happen if you chucked some holy water in it?

You guys are funny. I like the rock idea! I should've taken you both fishing--though your tactics kind of cramp the whole 'catch and release' vibe I had going on at the time. Got a lot of instruction on the catch, not so much on the release.

In any case, to put in my two cents:

STRATEGY THUS FAR:
• Actually, flour might not be a bad idea. Anything to aid detection. I'm expecting Salome's scarves to still be up.

-->I also think the flour thing might have merit. The bummer is execution. How do we get the flour above, to burst on, or stick to the Quasit. Perhaps if we roll it in butter first?

-->The thing to remember is the number of actions we can take. Sorry for the gamesmanship-think, but if some of us are engaged in flinging flour and casting nets, we're not engaged in dealing damage. This doesn't matter as much if it's just us vs. the Quasit. But it matters more if we've got to get through even one minion before we get to the quasit. And, no, I don't mean minion in a 4E sense. The Wrathspawn is a little more formidable than that. But the function remains the same for JSL. Any action taken against the Wrathspawn (or whatever else is down there) is an action not taken against the Quasit. The battle is finite, say four-to-five rounds, so JSL gets to deflect one fourth-to-one fifth of at least a couple of PC's (and maybe all of the PCs depending on the amount of riff-raff we need to wade through) actions away from the Quasit.

• I think I like Vesh's teams and reasoning for pairing off. Even though Vesh and Malcolm got the bad end of a wrathspawn last time, they work well together (flanking, back-stabbing, etc.) and are the most mobile. I'd trust them to work as a pair if they each have AT LEAST one CLW. Can Slidell cast Mage Armor on one or both?

-->Mage armor would be most excellent in any case. However, that eats up time as it would have to be cast before we enter the well room (right before initiative, ideally) and if the thing isn't in there, we've likely wasted the spell.

• Similarly, I think Salome and Zieke's styles would work well together and their abilities (magical/spiritual vs. combat/physical) are complementary. In that pairing, if attacked from two directions, they can each hold their own.

-->Agreed.

• In a Slidell-Ehlissa team, would Slidell listen to Ehlissa? Would they be competing to talk to the quasit? And would Ehlissa be able to hold off multiple threats in order to protect both herself and the mage?

-->Slidell isn't completely defenseless, but this is a danger if multiple minions get to them. However, I don't think that the groups (whether in threes or twos) should spread out more than one move action away from the other until all the minions are killed or at least mostly dead ("Bring out you dead!" Sorry.) . In terms of talking, we'd just have to decide up-front who is going to take the lead...and then stick to it.

• I need a better idea of what Zieke has in mind for bait. Is there any way in the--let's say 2-3 hours before everyone is ready to go--to figure out what this thing wants? Is there time for Slidell to consult his scroll one more time, or for characters to meet with townspeople who might be able to shed some light?

-->What can we piece together so far in this regard? Whose been paying attention enough to link the goblins to the runewell to the Temple of Lamashtu to the Thassilionian ruins to the demon to Nualia??? I'm starting to loose track a little.

Does Salome not have the ability to spontaneously cast healing spells? Do I not know how that works? I thought she could prepare whatever 2nd level spell she needs and turn it into a healing spell if necessary. <---Drrr. Nevermind this. Perhaps I should actually read more closely, yeah?

Also, in terms of netting, I think Mal is the only likely candidate for that. Do we know what we're going to do once we've caught it. It's one thing to go fishing and another to catch fish. (I remember catching my first trout and freezing--I realized that no one had told be how to release the darned thing!!! Not that we're doing 'catch and release' with the quasit, mind you.)

Okay. Now that we're in (or going to) the Rusty Dragon. Here's what Vesh is equipped with that will help with the group:

1 potion CLW

1 vial of alchemist's fire (for toasting Wrathspawn or marshmallows)

1 silk rope and grappling hook (from his original equipment list)

2 hemp ropes and a couple pitons (these are for the climb down the brick wall rubble into the Thassilonian [sp?] hallway and the climb down the rubble from the tilted room into the Lamashtu shrine room)

5 sunrods

20 cold iron arrow

I'm putting this all here with the assumption that at some point our characters are all seated around a table, and they tally up their equipment. I'm also doing this because, in a moment of duress, it'd be nice for one of you (or your characters, rather) to say, "Hey, didn't Vesh have a potion of CLW. Hey Vesh! Give it up, dude!" Okay, leave the 'dude' part off, but you get my drift.

Hiya Fabes! Welcome back!

To clarify, just so that I'm not holding things up:

1. If Slidell wants to do a little talking with Vesh, great. If not, we can move on...

2. If JSL has a Vinder Father, Daughter, or Mother scene in mind, I'm throwing Vesh that way. If not, we can...

3. FF to tonight at the Dragon with everyone present, OR FF even more to the dungeon (after taking care of re-supply OOC).

I'm happy to go along with whatever everyone else would like to do. I'm up for more RPing, definitely, but I'd also like us to keep our eyes on the clock. The upside of RPing the downtime a little more is that Fabes gets back tomorrow, right? So maybe if we give Fabes a chance to give Ehlissa some RPing chops, we can all get together at the Dragon, do some quick planning, and then get back down into the dungeon at dawn???

Is it too much to think that we could be swinging swords/slinging spells by Thursday or Friday? If not, we'll probably have to freeze next week's RP award. Or, maybe we should just freeze this week's???

BTW--we're closing in on 2000 posts. W00t!

Vesh is pretty good with thrown weapons. I'd say either he or Mal.

Rags: congrats on 12 years! Way to go! My wife and I are closing-in on ten. I hope you had a good time on your anniversary.

Lastly, here are some items that Vesh has been able to buy. I don't think I'll write up the whole story IG, but if JSL wants to drop an NPC in the mix for Vesh (ahem), I'll porvide the following info:

1. He goes and buys 20 cold iron arrows from Savah. I think the whole enhancement bonus thing on MWK arrows and bows not stacking is weird. I understand it, but there's really no reason for Vesh to look for MWK. arrows when he already has a masterwork bow. Also, why would a fletcher bother to use a special material, like cold iron, on an arrow and NOT make it a masterwork item? The whole thing smacks of game rules just getting in the way. Rant over.

2. He then goes to Nisk Tander's Bottle shop to buy Sunrods and a flask of Alchemist's Fire.

3. Lastly, he goes to Vinder's General Store (donde esta Shayliss???) to get some sundries (ropes, pitons, and a hammer...see Vesh's character sheet). These are independent of the whole net/piton plan as mentioned before. There are two spots that'll require climbing over rubble, and Vesh will leave the cheaper hemp ropes and pitons, rather than his silk rope and grappling hook.

One side note: I haven't counted up the number of pounds he's carrying, but in general, I've been careful to note when/where he drops his pack. I've been assuming that w/o his pack he's lightly encumbered and that with it, he's is under medium encumbrance.

EDIT: I threw in a little RP opportunity btwn. Vesh and Slidell. I'm not thinking anything extensive, just a chance to get Vesh caught up on the current goings on of the others. He'll then head into Vinder's for his supplies and return to the Rusty Dragon to check up on others.

Maybe everyone's just rushing to find Salome by the river because word spread that there's a petite woman in wet robes down there...though I guess some might consider that a religious experience. ;)

Ha! Vesh might have to reconsider his loyalty to Desna after that vision. *Queue the burlesque music!* Sarenrae, goddess of the Sun…and mooning.

It's bizarre. "I'm being clawed to death inch by inch!"

Whole new meaning to 'killing me softly.'

That's just another funny thing about this encounter, I guess.

Yes. I'm laughing on the inside. Right now. A-ha-ha...uh. Hmm.

Let's just say that Vesh would have a Slidell-shaped hole in his heart that he'd never be able to fill. *Sob*

Alrighty then...let's grab Slidell, chop suey some Wrathspawn, and get the hell outta Dodge. The demon is making me go apoplectic, let alone Vesh! I'm literally closing my eyes before I hit the "Roll the dice" button in Invisible Castle. Sheesh! Nothing like getting your blood boiling over someone else's imaginary demon!