Kort Drakovich's page

ALLCON -

First - rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated. I'm not dead - simply being eaten alive by new job and new commute. Please accept my sincerest apologies for the dead air, I really hadn't anticipated the impact of the changes on my free time.

I still haven't caught up on PMs. Correspondance to follow.

Kort looks expectantly at Choamski, seeking a cue.

Kort is very, very taken with the starscape. He hadn't really understood that such fantastic imagery could be created in such a way. This was either the product of an intellect encompassing the stars themselves, or the illusions spun not of things observed, but only of things imagined.

"Books for the scrolls indeed. I'll bet some Scroll somewhere has an extremely specialized 'books don't fall apart' spell they spent decades researching. Fabulously useful.. need such a thing every day." Kort's scoff is almost contained.

"Let me have a brief look at these doors - fancy inscriptions, and a fabulous illusion - perfect distractions. Choamski, care to help me defang the maw of wonder?"

Kort carefully inspects the door for any hazards.

"Some more exploring - yep, definitely scratch an itch. As much as this merchanting is good for the purse, it doesn't speak to my soul. "

"As for the constructs.. I think they've been dispatched to a Pathfinder warehouse somewhere. Something about burnt out zero-point energy sources, or such twaddle. I'm pretty sure they've been moved out - but let me double check the ledgers..."

I'm assuming the golems/constructs can't be carried forward to the next module, yes? no?

Details, details, details. Since the overthrow of Krenar's laboratory, Kort's life seems to have been consumed with details. As one of the few in the Pathfinder Society with any significant training in the conduct of mercantile trade, and at the same time one of the few with some mercantilist training who is able to disarm a poison-thorn trap on a chest, Kort was very busy.

Fortunately for Kort's sanity, none of the continued extraction of the wizardly apparatus(es) from Thornkeep's Forbidden Laboratory was routine. Every day was a new hazard, a new problem to be solved - though sometimes the problems included disentangling three different tally sheets in different languages, with different origins, destinations, and descriptions.

Because many of the apparatus(es) extracted from Thornkeep were mechanical, alchemical, sometimes whimsical, and invariably complex, many of the traders and buyers of the equipment were gnomes. Kort found himself in the unenviable positions of being very familiar with gnomes (and liking them quite a bit), but having a paltry command of the gnomish language. His adoptive extended family had always been kind to him, to the point of not forcing their language on him. His days with them had always included lessons in sorcery - and those principally in draconic.

So with a will, monetary motivation, and to discharge a debt of gratitude, Kort took the opportunity to truly embrace the gnomish language.

@Lithrac - that level dodge will bite me a bit. Would it work out if I were to run a pregen rogue for Masks of the Living God?

Init: +3
Per: +6

@Choamski - Kort got all of his sorcerous instruction in draconic, and that's what stuck, rather than the gnomish. But.. hanging around with you bad influences, I'm dedicating the skill point to it this level.

True to my inner Shadow Dragon, I'm hoarding - both PP and gp. I have a strong, burning requirement for some item of see-in-the-dark, and a serious yen for a robe of arcane heritage. Both of those are big ticket items, So I'm going to be hoarding my little pennies. And sleeping on them.

In all the searching and poking, Kort is particularly keen to find the homonculus/imp familiar thing. Kort also gains a keen appreciation of the benefits of having an iron golem break path in a heavily trapped environment.

'Might have to get me one of those, full time. Maybe something a bit more portable... pocket sized even.'

Thank you all - a great group.

And many thanks for Lithrac running!

"Anyone have an interest in playing with golems? It appears these may respond to orders in draconic. I think we've got power for these."

@Lithrac - absolutely. my bad, and I'll make it happen.

Kort waves his wand suggestively toward Choamski, "Your sure I can't help you with that?"

While folks search and poke and prod, Kort stands watch at the unexplored door, armed with his bow. As Rellen approaches, Kort covers his advance, and steps in immediately behind him.

arrggh.. rough long weekend. I guess it took Kort longer than expected to recover from the boss level encounter.

back in the saddle.

"I'll take some bitter, if you'll take some hot. And west sounds lovely. I'll take point." So saying, Kort loads an acid flask in his bandolier, and moves down the western corridor.

Anticipating finding places to unload all of this fancy alchemical stuff...

day job, profession(merchant): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

All kinds of clever and intersting tag-team on that. Very nifty!

Amid the glittering alembics and rhetorts, Kort looks around, pats his legs and arms, 'yep, still all there. The boys as well...'

"Thanks all for the timely intervention. New meaning to 'chestnuts out of the fire'. I will learn, someday, not to underestimate a man just because he's wearing a dress."

Waving off Wizzy's wand, "Savethat for when we're pressed for time.." Kort applies his own wand (infernal healing). "This one's a bit more thorough, if somewhat slower. Anyone else need a shot? No?" With a bit more venom than the situation merits, Kort thinks, 'Some folks just don't know what's good for 'em.'

All better! - thanks Wizzy and Knorrin - and thanks Rellen for the take-down.

ow ow. ow. ow ow.

<pfft.. pfft.. pfft>sound of arterial blood<pfft.. pfft.. pfft..>

'ow ow ow ... can't do this long...'
"Flame and shadow, shadow and flame. You may scorch my whiskers, but I'll freeze yer short hairs for you!"

Kort releases another stream of chilling gray cold to tender places where the sun has never reached. Before the results of his foray are evident, Kort scrambles back under the alchemist's workbench.

yah - draconically cold-focused (+1 dam), and an ice flask (+1 dam). Some more for point blank (+1), and another for inspire courage (+1 dam). It stacks up...

Handy linky linky :)

Kort bites back a curse - having failed to take into account the singing splash from the alchemist's bombs. Instead, Kort scoots down the length of the workbench, pops from out of cover, and sends more gray lines of cold seeking up Krenar's skirts.

Kort is momentarily frustrated by the alchemist taking to the air, but rapidly adapts - casting grasping gray tendrils of cold up Krenar's skirts, then ducking for some cover beneath the alchemist's workbench.

For me - the separation between Gameplay thread and Discussion thread is a master stroke for game design. I need a side-channel 'discussion thread' at my live tables, and probably another side-channel 'social chatter' thread too. :)

With the tool helping provide the separation between discussion and play, I can better manage the in-play spearation between mechanic and story, without a lot of overhead. I can see a couple of other possibilities (side-by-sides...) that might help as well, but I'm pretty content.

I can see the desire to drive more immersion - and ('ll try to support that more thoroughly. But from a content perspective I feel way ahead of the tabletop - just turnaround time issues. As a player. As a GM, ramped up pace would swamp me very very quickly...

so... for the asynchronous media, I think this is a solid tool set design. A vast improvement over single-threaded, no-markup chat boards, or play-by-mail. I think the next big leap is good tools for online GM support - and I'm betting roll20 or some of the other synchronous platforms will probably spawn those.

So... so much for grappling. I wonder how he feels about ice beams up his skirts?

AoO to order!
Round 2 - AoO
standard: great sword: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 4 + 1 = 20, damage: 2d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (3, 2) + 3 + 1 = 9

Dibs on the rings, or bracers, or whatever this dude's got to juice his armor class! I maybe shoulda used that 'true strike' while I had the drop on him. Just a little too cocky... <sigh>

On to the next anti-caster trick.

Wasn't someone considering a roc companion? Any thought to the Hipogriff Rider archetype? I haven't done the maths, but it may scratch some of the same itch, without being obliged to be aerial.

@Rellen - two items I've found helpful with 'handout'-style things - 1) put 'em in a google docs directory and share 'em with the players, and put a link in the campaign description (as is the case with our current map..), and 2) put a summary in the campaign info block for ready reference (to the extent space permits). Spoilers can help with that too (f'rinstance for faction goals...).

making those things part of the fabric helps keep 'em from getting lost - both for players and for the GM.

Kort also gets an additional +2 from being invisible, if it isn't factored in.

No, no it hadn't. Thanks! So I guess the to-hit total against flat-footed AC is 14.

@Choamski - thanks for that - I had neglected the +2 for invisible (though not the denied-dex, so key for sneaky-damage). I'm overcompensating from olden-days +4 for 'attack from behind' equivalence...

Kort races across the room, drawing his Great Bloody Monsterwhacker as he proceeds. As he stands next to Krenar, he drops his bow, taking his greatsword in both hands, and cuts viciously at the alchemist.

Round 2
status: Status: HP 14/16 AC 17 | T 13 | FF 14 | CMD 16 | F +1 | R +5 | W +0 | Init +3 | Per +4
move: across room, next to Krenar (will update map when I have better access)
free: draw sword
free: drop bow
standard: great sword: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 1 = 12, damage: 2d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (6, 5) + 3 + 1 = 15 + sneak attack: 1d6 ⇒ 6
(is this attack against flat-footed AC, since he may be unaware of Kort's presence?)

...and... Kort pops into visibility.

A bit appalled at the initial mayhem, Kort evaluates for a brief moment, then casts a spell, and begins to maneuver across the room invisibly.

Round 1
swift: Arcane Armor reduction
standard: cast 'vanish'
move: full move across the room acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

Kort gestures broadly, and makes room for the door-breaking crew.

go go go - non-stealthy entrance. :)
"hut hut hut hut"

Kort shrugs off the goblin issue, 'freedom of one sort or the other...'

"I'll move on ahead a bit, once I've got my equipment together again." Says Kort, as he picks up and readies his bow.

Kort moves stealthily down the southern corridor, relying again on the shadow illumination from his fellow Pathfinders.

Yah, I really need to find some kinda darkvision widget. <sigh>

At the door at the end of the corridor, Kort makes a cursory examination for traps or other hazards, and sees if the door is locked.
perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Kort used his wand of infernal healing on the gobbo.

"Wasn't there a goblin tribe outside the town? I'm betting their tribe leader would trade something moderately valuable for such a shining example of goblin cunning as a new subject. We can tie him up with my rope for now, and pick him up on our way out."

"I'm willing to bet this gobbo doesn't know that Krenar was going to transmute him into one of those beasties back there. That it's part of Krenar's master plan - if this gobbo knows Krenar's grand plan. I'm also betting this little snottling can't identify the compounds around this laboratory - Krenar never would have entrusted his servants with such knowledge."
bluff: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Kort drops a long wink at Choamski.
after all.. this gobbo might be clever and know common...

"Maybe it's not entirely dead. Anyone speak goblin? Maybe it knows what's going on?"

Kort makes his way over to the freeze-dried goblin, and pokes it to see if there's any life left in the green thing at all.
heal(untrained): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (19) - 1 = 18

With a grumble of some frustration, and appearing a bit less cavalier about the endeavor, Kort lashes the goblin with a cold imported from between the planes, from between lightness and dark.

Status: HP 15/16 AC 17 | T 13 | FF 14 | CMD 16 | F +1 | R +5 | W +0 | Init +3 | Per +4
swift: arcane armor proficiency, reducing arcane failure
standard: ray of frost - ranged touch: 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 15, damage: 1d3 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 1 + 1 = 7

Kort looks disappointedly at the bisected goblin, poking it briefly with a toe. "Well, that's no good for cowering. Quite unsatisfactory."

Almost offhandedly, Kort threads the space between his swarming comrades, and tags the remaining goblin with a beam of cold. "We may have to find more... fulfilling... ways to make the goblins grovel. They aren't telling us much about what's going on when they're in multiple bits."

Round 2
Status: HP 15/16 AC 17 | T 13 | FF 14 | CMD 16 | F +1 | R +5 | W +0 | Init +3 | Per +4
swift: arcane armor proficiency, reducing arcane failure
standard: ray of frost - ranged touch: 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 11, damage: 1d3 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 1 + 1 = 7

With a bit of acrobatic flair, Kort maneuvers back to a flanking position with Bash, and lets fly with the Great Blood Monster Whacker.

Round 2
Status: HP 15/16 AC 17 | T 13 | FF 14 | CMD 16 | F +1 | R +5 | W +0 | Init +3 | Per +4
move: acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
standard: great sword: 1d20 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 4 + 2 + 1 = 22, damage: 2d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1, 4) + 3 + 1 = 9 + sneak attack: 1d6 ⇒ 4

"Yeah - over here! Pay attention to me yeh little snotling! A bit of cowering might be in order!"

Sorry 'bout radio silence for a couple days - some unexpected viral infestations running around the house, and closing out my current job (last day 1/24 - yah!). Back on station.

Kort drops his bow (gently...), draws his great bloody monster whacker, takes a step forward, and takes a great whack at an unfortunate little monster. 'One can only hope the little gobbo is distracted by the great Bash on his other side.'

Round 1
Status: HP 15/16 AC 17 | T 13 | FF 14 | CMD 16 | F +1 | R +5 | W +0 | Init +3 | Per +4
free: drop bow
free: 5' step
standard: great sword: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 2 = 24, damage: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 = 9 + sneak attack: 1d6 ⇒ 6

ooh! goblins! bad guys with sensitive bits, rather than big piles of rocks or goo. yah!

Peering briefly at the bubbling beakers, Kort proceeds to the eastern corridor, and sets up a watch for possible opposition, bow at the ready.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

In response to Choamski, Kort says, again quietly, "I care for things that work well. This does. I won't force it on you, or anyone else - just be aware it's available at need."

Kort will accept one vial of acid, and one of alchemists fire from Rellen.

"Shall we further down here then?"

Kort scouts further south down the corridor, again with a 20' standoff from the party, and relying on their illumination (he pockets the ioun torch).

As a quiet aside to Choamski, Kort says, "You should probably conserve that wand for quick use in combat. I've one here that's more effective, though it takes a bit longer."

Kort takes up station a bit farther down the corridor to the South (bow in hand, arrow nocked), while 'the smart ones' probe the chamber and its possible clues.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

Kort has a wand of 'infernal healing', which is a bit more efficient for out-of-combat use. Y'all beat me to it with the CLWs though...
Kort's take-10 Stealth is a 19.

Kort alternates with Choamski in scanning the books. He moves to assist in opening the construct's chest, but watches appreciatively as Rellen beats him to the punch. As the glowing gem becomes visible, Kort appreciates it visually, then views its magical properties. He reviews both his own magical knowledge, and what he's seen from the books so far, to see if he can gain an understanding of the gem's properties and uses.

detect magic; spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
know(arcana): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Is there direct reference in the books to the gem, or to power sources for machines/constructs?

"Let's keep this gem easy to hand. If it's used in a mining machine, a similar power arrangement may be used for other things in these caverns. Wizards frequently have a 'style', and re-use their tricks."

Knorrin and Rellen are not permitted to comment on character confusion :)

Kort's avatar has been criticized as 'non-representative'. My response to date has been... "have you met Kort?"

"If y'all would like to move out of harm's way, I should be able to dance with it until it freezes into pebbles. I'll give a pleased whoop if it falls to rubble. I'll give a despairing scream if it gets a hold of me."

Kort bears down with fierce concentration, continuing to chip, chip, chip away. 'Like water on a stone, small drops will split the rock.'

Round 3
Status: HP 16/16 AC 17 | T 13 | FF 14 | CMD 16 | F +1 | R +5 | W +0 | Init +3 | Per +4
Swift: reduce arcane failure
Standard: cast 'ray of frost'; ranged touch: 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 18, damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

I've been forgetting to put in my +1 for point-blank, and to include the swift action to reduce arcane failure... no significant impact, but I need to remember to keep adding 'em.

Though slow and incremental, Kort continues to chip away at the animated stone figure. "It doesn't appear to dodge much - perhaps some mighty and heroic blows?"

Power attacks for bigger damage to exceed DR?

Round 2
Status: HP 16/16 AC 17 | T 13 | FF 14 | CMD 16 | F +1 | R +5 | W +0 | Init +3 | Per +4
Move: dodge out to the south end of the chamber
Standard: cast 'ray of frost'; ranged touch: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 4 + 1 = 22, damage: 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5