Kelvar Silvermace2's page

Alright, folks, I follow the belief that you should try to give your players chances for their characters to shine, which means letting them do what they do best and letting them do cool and exciting things. For example, if you have a rogue who likes to sneak, every now and then you
should try to give him a chance to sneak in somewhere.

I wanted to come up with an elaborate heist scenario comparable to Ocean’s Eleven. But I suck at complicated plots, so instead I came up with a simpler “sneak in, sneak out” caper. But I need help to make it challenging—but not too challenging. Here’s the scenario:

I have four 10th level player characters, (Normally five PCs plus an NPC female cleric of Desna, but for various reasons the next few sessions will only involve four PCs). They are:

A female dwarven Ranger (with the shape shifter archetype from the Advanced Player’s Guide) who focuses on light crossbow and has a wolf animal companion;

A male human Inquisitor of Cayden Cailean;

A male half-elf Rogue 9/Wizard 1; and

A female elven Wizard (Universal, but strongly favors evocation).

(The PC who is absent is a male human fighter)

The half-elf and the elf were originally from Magnimar where they worked as a sort of a husband and wife Robin Hood duo—stealing from unscrupulous wealthy people and giving to the poor. Both enjoy doing stealthy, sneaky sorts of things when they get a chance. In so doing, they earned the enmity of a mid level Sczarni boss named Milo Scarnetti. As part of their back-story, before the campaign started they had bested Milo and left him naked, bound and gagged on a ship bound for Absalom.

Their back-story has nothing to do with the campaign, but it occasionally crops up. Most recently, a couple of months ago (in game time) the entire party was secretly drugged and woke up naked and locked up on a pirate ship bound for the Flesh Fairs of Okeno. It sounds heavy-handed, I know, but I know my players and they enjoyed it—especially since they ended up escaping, trouncing the pirates and claiming the ship as their own (which they have since turned over to some of their followers to engage in smuggling/legitimate commerce).

Naturally, it was Milo Scarnetti who orchestrated the abduction and now they’re looking for some payback. They are trying to tread carefully, though, because the fighter’s (NPC) sister is the leader of a local group of cat burglars and they don’t want to make trouble for her. (She doesn’t normally adventure with the party, but she is helpful from time to time). They decided that the best way to get back at Milo would be if they could implicate him and have his own family/organization (the Sczarni) turn on him.

Last session, I had the sister, Natalya, tell the party that Gradon Scarnetti (one of the Sczarni elite in Magnimar) is expecting a delivery by ship which should arrive the following night. The item is a painting by a famous painter from Absalom—it was a portrait of a Scarnetti matriarch, and happens to have been the last thing the guy ever painted, because he died under mysterious circumstances shortly afterward. The painting has a lot of intrinsic value both because of the painter and because it was his last work. But it has even greater value to the Scarnetti family due to the specific subject. Gradon very much wants the painting to display in the Scarnetti family Villa. The painting will remain on board the ship overnight (because . . . reasons?) and will be unloaded the following morning.

Natalya proposed they sneak on board the ship, steal the painting, then sneak into Milo’s mansion and place it in his vault. Her underlings have also been spreading misinformation on the streets that Milo has been skimming off the top and not turning over the family’s fair share of his ill-gotten gains. The notion is that when the painting is discovered to be missing, Gradon will be angry, will search for it (with magical aid?) and when he finds it in Milo’s possession, it will not go well for Milo.

What I like about the plan is that it requires them to sneak into two different locations. I’ve also planted the seed that Milo has a unique set of lock picks, and if one of them was left on the ship, it would help to sell the notion of his treachery. So if they want to do that, they would first have to sneak into Milo’s place, steal the lockpicks, sneak back out, then go steal the painting and sneak back in. I guess I’m going for a vibe similar to the computer game "Thief".

Here are my concerns:

I want this to be a challenge, but I also want them to feel like capable adventurers. They should have a chance to feel like badasses. This isn’t the main plotline, just a brief interlude. So I need it to feel realistically challenging, yet easy enough that they can pull it off with some panache. In my world, 10th level characters are fairly rare and they should feel like they are somewhat extraordinary. I don’t really want the opposition to be more than 6th or 7th level (maybe 8th at the most), but I want them to behave logically and I want to maintain verisimilitude.

At that level, considering both Milo and the people shipping the painting, what are some precautions they might take, knowing that there are people out there who might want to steal from them and who might be able to: fly, turn invisible, teleport, etc.? One thing that occurred to me is that on the bottom deck of the ship (where the painting is, naturally), there could be a passageway enclosed at both ends by beaded curtains and the floor could be covered in sawdust. The notion is that if someone—even an invisible someone—wants to pass through, he will find it difficult to do without revealing his presence. Maybe there are guards there who have potions of see invisibility. If they see the curtains moving or footprints in the sawdust, they pop the potions and draw their weapons. Is that too hard? Not hard enough? I want it to be possible for the PCs do this without getting into combat if they’re smart about it.

What about at Milo’s house? What sort of precautions help to sell the idea that this guy is prepared, without necessarily thwarting the PCs?

Any advice is welcome.

My group will be heading to the Shadow Clock next time. They killed all the cultists and spared Ironbriar (for now) in case they need more information. They were able to figure out that he was charmed and they managed to dispel it. They then successfully interrogated him and learned everything he knew--which didn't seem to be a whole lot from what I could tell. With the spell broken, he realized that he had been charmed. It wasn't clear if he'd ever seen Xanesha in her true form, so I had him figure she was human as she appears. He revealed the fact that they've got a flesh golem and several faceless stalkers, and the location of the Shadow Clock. I don't think he knows what Xanesha's real purpose is, though, or the full extent of her power.

The party just reached 7th level (actually long overdue, because I gave them a side quest related to the back-story of two of the PCs). If the party Cleric (of Desna) casts "Divination", any suggestions about what she learns? The description of that spell is awfully vague. For a 4th level spell it should be pretty darned helpful, I would think. But I don't want to go overboard.

If it makes a difference, I'm mostly referencing the Anniversary Edition, although I have the original adventure path volumes as well as the deluxe Sihedron Tome version (collector's edition?).

I've been considering tinkering with the Spherewalker prestige class with a house rule to make the starknife more attractive for Clerics of Desna. At second level, the Spherewalker gets "Starslinger" which lets her treat a starknife as if it had the "returning" special ability. I noticed one of the new classes from the Advanced Class Guide allows a character with multiple attacks to make those attacks with a ranged weapon in one throw (or did I dream that up?). I imagine it working like Xena's chakram where it hits one foe then bounces to the next (requiring a new attack roll).

As cheesy as it sounds, what about adding this to the "Starslinger" ability?

In qualifying for the class, we can assume the character has multiple attacks by the time she's a 2nd Level Spherewalker. Let's say she gets two attacks per round. My house rule would allow her to throw the starknife one time and roll to hit twice (maybe I'd say she can't attack the same person more than once per round unless there's something for it to bounce off of). After the starknife has ricocheted and hit or missed the maximum number of attacks per round, *then* it returns.

So it would look something like this: throw--stab--bounce--stab--return.

I’m also considering allowing the starknife to return to the character even if she has moved (which I believe the Returning special ability normally does not allow). I might also add an ability so that, at some point, the Spherewalker treats starknives as if they had the "Agile" special ability.

Like I said, it is very cheesy, but I don't know if it is much cheesier than having a supernatural ability that makes it return on its own.
I don't think this would be overpowered and it would give Clerics of Desna some of the love they deserve.

(I’m also working on a “Dream” Domain and can post that if anyone is interested).

So, I was in the bookstore flipping through the new Inner Sea World Guide and checking out the info on my favorite deities, when I noticed one glaring omission: Ketephys, the Elven god of hunting, archery, etc. I understand that he's not a major deity, like Desna or Sarenrae, but I thought he at least should have been mentioned, perhaps in the section entitled, "Other Gods."

Was this an oversight? Was it in there and I just missed it? Can we count on a full-blown, 64 page sourcebook dedicated to Ketephys now, lest we incur his wrath? ;-)

(I am particularly interested, because I'm currently playing an Elven Scout in a Pathfinder campaign, and my character is a follower of Ketephys--so I'm looking for any info on him that I can find).

Let me start by saying that I searched and didn't find anything on point, though I'm sure this has come up before. Here's the question:

Suppose I want to take Feat X. Feat X has a prerequisite of Class Ability Y. My Character gains class ability Y at 5th level. At 5th level, every character gains a new Feat. Can my character acquire Feat X at the same time he acquires the prerequisite class ability? In other words, how strictly are we supposed to construe the "pre" in "PRErequisite"? Do I have to gain the class ability first, and then pick up the feat at a subsequent level? Or can I take the feat as soon as I pick up the crucial prerequisite?

What say you? (Hoping it is the latter).

Kelvar

First of all, let me say that I *love* the GameMastery Flip-Mats. I recently received the Flip-Mat Keep and Cathedral that I ordered, bringing my total up to six. I hope to get them all, because when I DM they are one the few accessories I use *every* game. I do find that I use the generic fields (like the reverse of the Tavern or the reverse of the Dungeon and City Market) more than the specific maps, but when you do need that map--WOW!!!.

Anyway, I was thinking earlier of some other Flip-Mats I'd like to see made. Here are some I thought might be useful:

“Dwarven Mine” with tracks for carts; flip side has a large area with…piles of ore or refuse, maybe indicating different elevations?

“Warehouse”: a large room with boxes, barrels and crates, an office and a room for valuables; maybe a room where a guard sleeps. The flip side either depicts catwalks over the warehouse (with the area below kind of blurry or dim) *or* it could feature a large section of just wooden flooring so the DM can depict the inside of virtually any urban building. (I definitely think a Flip-Mat with wooden floors to represent a generic urban indoor map would be useful).

“Dwellings”: one side has an affluent house with the upstairs and downstairs. Flip side has two or three common houses, with two to three rooms each; this side might have a dirt or cobblestone path between the houses, maybe a well, a haystack, etc.

“Farmstead”: one side has a farmhouse and a barn/stable. The flip side is one half cornfield and one half is a field with haystacks.

“Orc Fort”: a fort with wooden palisades and crude tents inside, with a fire pit and a stockade; the flip side has a scraggy “badlands” area.

“Arctic Caves”: a network of icy caves and tunnels. The flip side has a large, icy cavern.

“Volcanic Caves”: a network of caves and tunnels with bridges over streams of molten lava. The flip side has a large cavern with a stone bridge over a river of molten lava.

“Thieves Guild": Foyer, training room, armory, bedrooms, treasure room, guildmaster’s suite. The flip side could feature…?

“Wizard School”: Inspired by the Academae in Korvosa, though smaller by necessity. It could feature a library, a laboratory (complete with summoning circle), student rooms, dining hall & kitchen. The flip side could be maybe a large library room or a walled, grassy courtyard (where else should they practice the new "fly" skill?).

Does anyone like any of these? Anyone have any other ideas for Flip-Mats? Anyone think these ideas are terrible? Anyone think of better ways these ideas could be executed?

Last time, my group cleared out all of the goblins on the first level of Thistletop, including Ripnugget and his commandos.

They were out of spells and badly, badly wounded...so they returned to Sandpoint to heal up and sell their loot. By the time they return, I'm thinking at least one day will have passed. Now, I want to be as "realistic" as possible, but I also don't want a TPK. Here is how I think the bad guys might prepare:

I start with the assumption that the bad guys will notice that something is amiss and will learn of the massive slaughter that occurred above.
They cut the rope bridge, making access much more difficult.
Bruthazmus (the Bugbear Ranger) and the four goblin wives (from D2), Orik Vancaskerkin (human fighter) (from D4b), and Lyrie Akenja (human wizard) (from D15) will all move to the top floor.
Orik and Lyrie will take up watch in one of the towers, Bruthazmus will take up watch in another tower and the remaining four goblins will stand guard just inside the gate. The gate will be barred and nailed shut. Bruthazmus and Orik will fire upon any enemies with their bows and Lyrie will cast magic missiles from her wand. Once the PCs break through, the bugbear and the Orik will rush to the entrance to engage in melee with Lyrie as backup. This is the part that worries me. Bruthazmus and Orik are not what I'd call overpowered, but they're no slouches either. I'm afraid that all of this combined might be too much. On the other hand, I want the NPCs to react with some semblance of logic. And seeing how the PCs completely destroyed a more sizeable force, it seems like an appropriate response.

The PCs consist of:
A human fighter who favors the longspear (but also carries a shield and the sword he took from Koruvus, the mutated goblin)
A Dwarven Cleric of Sarenrae
An Elven Wizard
A Half-Elven Scout (with a masterwork composite longbow)

We're using the Pathfinder RPG rules, and I started them with double maximum hitpoints (which has really helped on more than one occasion).
They are currently only second level (which is probably my fault for not leveling them fast enough). My friend who plays the fighter has remarked several times that he has never had so many hitpoints...but he has also been brought down to exactly 1 hitpoint on two occasions now.

So...any advice on whether my plan is too deadly? I want it to be a challenging fight, but I don't want to kill any PCs if I can help it. I have considered having Father Zantus donate a few potions to help them--like Shield of Faith and Bull's Strength.

If it is too deadly, any alternate suggestions for a realistic, though less deadly, reaction by the remaining denizens of Thistletop?

Any advice is appreciated!

This quote by James in another thread, and my group's recent experience raised a question for me:

The game expects the PCs to be 3rd level by the time they start in on Thistletop, and it also expects 4 PCs, so a lower level & lower number of PCs can certainly end in a grisly TPK here, alas.

That said... even if the goblin druid "wins" the battle... you have a pretty cool option...

** spoiler omitted **

I'm not clear on how the PCs could be 3rd level by this point. Admittedly, I haven't done the math, and I've been using a "you level when it seems right" method, and my players are cool with that. But in our last session, my group assaulted Thistletop...but they were only second level.

Before now, they've faced:

It might have seemed a bit long to level up, but does anyone know where they should have leveled?

At any rate, my group didn't have so much trouble with

It was actually a great session. We're using the Pathfinder rules. Our group consists of:
A Human Fighter who favors a longspear,
A Dwarven Cleric of Sarenrae,
An Elven Wizard,
and a Half-Elf Scout (my wife).

The Dwarf was nearly dead, he was out of spells, the Fighter was down to ONE hitpoint. He was facing down Ripnugget and he kept crapping out on his rolls and not hitting (though Ripnugget has a pretty good AC anyway). The Wizard had cast Grease on Ripnugget's Dogslicer and he lost it, so he picked up the horsechopper from a fallen commando. Several rounds passed where the fighter and Ripnugget kept trying to hit each other but they kept missing. The Dwarf and the Wizard had their hands full with two commandos and the Scout whittled away at Stickfoot, the giant gecko. We kept expecting the fighter to buy it at any moment--I roll the dice in the open...no DM screen. Finally the Scout tags Ripnugget (who was down to about 27 hitpoints) with a natural twenty. She rolled to confirm and rolled...a natural twenty...again.. Ripnugget dropped like a sack of potatoes, his spine shattered by an arrow lodged in the base of his skull. It was a cinematic moment.

Sorry, I had to share that. But anyway, now I'm wondering when to level them. The last session was their first session as second level characters so...now would seem a bit soon, wouldn't it?

Also, I wonder if there would be any way for future APs to include a brief note here and there that basically says, "If you have 4 characters and have played everything through in sequence up to here, this is about when your group should level." Or maybe even just a symbol stuck in at the appropriate point? I realize that these things aren't on rails and it is hard to predict when an individual group might level, but something like that might help GMs like me who don't want to count up xp for every slain goblin or dire rat...

Any thoughts?

I just got my first Flip-Mats a couple of days ago: Flip-Mat Dungeon and City Market. These are beautiful maps and they really get the creative juices flowing. However, I have one big problem with them: I can't seem to get them to lay flat. I have trouble keeping minis from falling over, etc. I really want to use these in lieu of a generic mat, but I need to find some way to flatten them out and keep them fairly flat during game play.

Again, great product, I just need to figure out how to make them practical for use during the game.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I could have sworn that there was official information in one of the sourcebooks on different mounts that Paladins can get as they gain higher levels and I went to look it up the other day and for the life of me I cannot find it. Specifically, there is a source that lists a Griffon as a suitable mount for an 8th level Paladin. Does anyone know where I might have read this?

Thanks!

Okay, the thread on how to build an Arcane Rogue Base Class got me thinking again about the humble Spellthief (from the "Complete Adventurer"). I like the idea of a base (i.e. 20 level) class that is basically a Rogue with some arcane spellcasting ability. My preference would be to take an existing class and tinker with it to get what I want.

Specifically, I want the class to be lightly armored, skilled, capable of sneak attack (to some extent) and with enough spellcasting that it is a noticeable class feature, but not the primary focus. I like the Beguiler (from the PHB2), but Beguilers don't get sneak attack. And I like the Beguiler well enough as it is.

But my perception is that most people believe that the Spellthief, as written, is a pretty weak class. I would like to tweak it to bring it in line with the PHB classes in terms of power.

So here is what I am considering are the following changes:
d8 hit die (possibly)
Same weapon proficiencies as Rogue
Keep the same casting progression/spells known/spells per day, with one modification--able to select spells from all of the Wizard/Sorcerer schools. (They currently don't have access to a couple of schools, like evocation). I think the limiting factor here is their slow casting progression (same progression as Rangers/Paladins) and their very limited spells known/spells per day.

I think that would make the Spellthief more attractive. But my question is, does it make it too good?

Second question--if the above proposal is too good, how would it balance if he gave up his signature ability--Steal Spell, Steal Spell-like ability, etc., in exchange? (I know he's no longer a spellthief, but he's a Spellcasting thief, which what I really want).

Third, does anyone think the class is fine as is? Or are we in agreement that it could use a little help?

Fourth, any other suggestions about how to accomplish this goal?

Thanks,
Kelvar

Did anyone else see the first two episodes of Codemonkeys on G4 this past Wednesday? As someone who first started playing videogames in the 80s, this show really took me back. And the humor is irreverent and (admittedly) sophomoric, but I really enjoyed it.

And I really like the theme song. If you google "codemonkey lyrics" you can hear the song for free.

It really seems like a show for gamers of all types. Anyone else see this?