Laara Tanner's page

Laara repeats her trick of listening in on those around them. She notes anyone difficult to read, and tries to discern both any potential threats and any relevant information to their moonshot initiative to save Telye's nephew.

Laara trusts Taz and follows his lead. She does however slip into the shadows. Its always good to be an unseen, even if one is diguised as a sunny halfling incapable of extreme violence.

Indeed, no time to waste. Its your business, so I won’t question your decision to leave that woman be...

knowledge (local): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

Yay, avatars!

Laara is taken aback by the tale," As if you have to ask hun, after all you've done for me. In the words of the man who raised me, they've made a 'little' mistake, and it'll be a problem. Excuse me a brief moment before we leave."

Laara walks up to the woman who dismissed Tazwell, Well, I intended to be a little more subtle than this, but you've been waiting here for two hours, and I have just learned we don't much time. Who are you, and do you have any business with me or any of my friends? Do you mean us harm?

Take 10 on sense motive for a 45. I may not be able to read her mind, but maybe I can get something!

I find Google slides to be a good choice. I think roll20 is more than you need.

The nice part of google slides is no lining up maps.

It is much easier to take turns for me when I can see the state of the board, I can't speak for others. It minimizes stuff like, how far away is he, can I flank X with Damon, etc.

Laara sighs,” well she is about as sweet as a jar of snakes, I guess she doesn’t share my concerns about have to listen to Taz complain about the sting of a rude rejection. I’ll wait for our final companion to join us before I give her a try. She seems all business, so maybe a more genuine approach. ”.

Laara warmly greets Othniel,” We’ve got a swing and a miss. I understand being dismissive, but that was downright mean. The servers were prompt with the beer, and we just ordered some roast duck if you want to join us. Any fun discoveries over the last month? Hows Lauren doing?”

And here I thought we should wait for all of our allies to arrive first, well, thats what I get for telling Taz.

Laara intently listens intently to Taz's interaction with the woman, but decides its far less intimidating for one person to meander over to her rather than all of them.

Laara "Yup, well, adventurers, " she says geasturing to the two of them ," have been known to frequent this tavern. But its always good to be friendly, and no one has ever accused Taz of not being friendly towards women he just met.

Laara greets Tazwell by giving him a hug, using her broom rather than hugging his leg or something similarly awkward.

" At least some clap and applaud you. Worry not, you're better than you've ever been, even if the crowds aren't as big. Anyways, we chose to meet here, it isn't as though this in the Chelish Operahouse in Egorian... Looks like we're still waiting for two more."

He once again passes a secret message, but to Tazwell this time, " We've got a non-civilian over there with the rapier and breast plate. I couldn't get a passive read on her"

I’m waiting for the rest of the team to check in before interacting with this interesting NPC.

Good to see you Damon. From what I can tell, people seem to like the duck. Although they haven't brought it yet. This isn't too bad though" Laara says gesturing at the beer.

She continues, keeping with her loquacious halfling guise," Its been too long since I last dropped you behind that nalfeshnee and let you show him how an Aldori master works... In the meantime I dealt with some more mundane business in Oppara for my former employer... I think for now I don't have to worry about them coming after me, so thats good. I'd tell you about it, but so many ears here and I just went through all that trouble clearing my good name with the Brotherhood... Anyways, how's the family? Any interesting news from court? She asks, knowing full well that Damon would much rather be dueling than talking of court.

using bluff, taking 10 for a 40 to pass a secret message to Damon
Laara very quietly adds," The woman over there seems like our sort of folk. Fresh out of a helmet, wearing armor and carrying a weapon. Not to mention, I couldn't passively read her"

Laara sits quietly observing everyone in the tavern, waiting for her allies to show up and using her supernaturally enhanced senses to listen in on others and discern their motives.

Its nice being so good at reading people that you can almost detect their thoughts.

Being able to easily read the simple minded in the tavern and detecting no hostilities, she breaks her stealth and enters properly. A small, apparently halfling woman, with red hair and an oval face goes to the bar and orders a pint of whatever is on tap.

It is good enough for the people drinking in here, it should be good enough for me. The half orc and the human in the booth look to be on a first date... Too bad, I doubt they’ll have a second with such different streams of thought... Well, the consensus is the roast duck.

Laara commonly employs a halfling disguise. She even permanently reduced herself in size to make it look good. Disguise DC is in the bar. Taking 10 on sense motive anyone with less than 25 bluff, Laara can detect their surface thoughts. Anyone she cannot detect would obviously qualify as interesting...

She asks the tavern operator for an order of the duck to go with her beer and goes and sits at a table big enough for 6, human sized, occupants.

You can hide in plain site the vigilant talent version. I'd say that it would only apply after the last jump and would require more than a 5 foot step. And Im inclined to say yes worn and carried items would impede stealth but then the question is at what point do you have to worry about it and I'm leaning toward only when you have a heavy load but...I'll have to think about it. Put it this way, don't try it while trying to carry around the entire party's loot and playing symbols and I think we'll be fine.

I'm a very rule of cool DM so as long as you aren't abusing things and realize my rulings are final when I say no to things then we won't have a problem. This is a one shot and I'm not really going to be that big of a stickler about things.

Got ya, I'm planning to 'carry' a broom of flying since that'll get past one of the high level hurdles for melee (getting the air), but other than that, I don't plan to carry anything else.

I've dropped hellcat stealth and will just use hide in plain sight, per your guidance.

Laara should be good to review. I made a spreadsheet (linked in her character sheet) that goes over feat/talent selection, equipment, etc.

Ugh, we’ve all been there :(

@GM
Thanks for getting back to me about stealth. I was thinking of taking Hellcat stealth and HiPS so that there is never any question, Laara can always enter stealth, although light conditions may force me to take a -10 penalty to do so. Are you saying that I don’t need to worry about ambient lighting? If so I’ll forgo Hellcat Stealth. I’ll finalize Laara’s build depending on the answer to that.

Your answers on stealth are exactly how I’d rule it, but stealth is one of those things that different people view very differently. I calculated Laara’s encumbrance and she is not encumbered, but I needed the answer about the broom of flying because if she can’t use a broom of flying with stealth then there aren’t really non-consumable long duration methods. I don’t plan on carrying anything excessive. The main reason I ask is I’m planning to use stealth and flanking as her two ways of getting sneak attack, because if she isn’t sneak attacking, she isn’t going to be doing much combat wise.

@All PCs
Regarding tactics, I’ve switched stuff up such that I can probably open most of our combats with a swift action dimension door full attack so that Damon and I can get a full attack, and I can potentially moves others. With a caster level of 16, I can carry each of you with the dimension door. So the big question is, when combat starts, do you want to be where you are at the start of combat, or dropped into the thick of things. Looking at Telye, it looks to me like she may want to be in the thick of things just to be able to use her own dimensional abilities with Damon/Laara, but she may also want to hang back, so I’m not certain. I’m similarly not certain about Tazwell (although there it looks more like you’d prefer to be left where you start combat). Othniel probably similarly prefers not to move.
Laara will probably use flanking to full attack with sneak attack in subsequent rounds if possible, and if not, she’ll move to reestablish stealth probably use a wand to buff or something else, with the intention of full attacking the next round.

@Tazwell
Using your magician ability, I’ll probably request you use my wand of heroism on me rather than myself, since you’re much better at it! I see you have greater invisibility, if we’re ever facing foes that don’t see invisibility, Laara would love to get that buff from you.

@Telye
I’d vote for Outflank, Paired Opportunist, and Coordinated Charge personally.

@GM did you see my questions about stealth?

Do I need hide in plain sight (the vigilant talent version, which is identical to the shadowdancer version), since I also have hellcat stealth? Also what does it takes to enter stealth (e.g. its clear that if I move normally, I can enter stealth even while observed using either HIPS or hellcat stealth; but what about if I use the dimension door to teleport around, does it apply after each jump or just the last? What if I 5’ step? During which part of my movement do I become eligible for the stealth check (e.g. after moving 5’, which matters for aoo purposes) Do worn and carried items impede stealth (e.g. a broom of flying)?

Glad you’re feeling better.

I’ve had some time to think it over and I think I’ll just drop False Attacker out of my build altogether. It seems to be difficult to understand how it works, because certainly if a creature is attacked, it knows something attacked it, and since we plan on adventuring together, the best case scenario from this would be a single attack, and then remaining stealthed in combat. I’ll update Laara’s sheet tonight.

The question about if I need hide in plain sight (since I have hellcat stealth) is still relevant. As is what does iit takes to enter stealth (e.g. its clear that if I move normally, I can enter stealth even while observed using either HIPS or hellcat stealth; but what about if I use the dimension door to teleport around? What if I 5’ step?) Do worn and carried items impede stealth (e.g. a broom of flying).

Having talked with a few people, the connections Laara has so far are that Damon and Telye have gone demon hunting with Laara in the world wound. Laara’s latest activities, besides a recent spy craft mission to Oppara, largely involved serving as a leading (unconventional, as a chaotic good rogue) crusader specializing in dealing with demonic traps and their tampering with wardstones. I also proposed that Tazwell’s dragon hunt involved a few of us earlier in his career. So far what I’ve gathered about our adventuring careers is:
Telye: Curse of the Crimson Throne AP plot no spoilers please, I haven’t played
Laara: Various stuff (see background), but a lot of travel all over golarion, involving meeting and adventuring with various members of this group.
Tazwell: Underwater adventures that began with a dragon hunt I proposed that several of us went on this dragon hunt, maybe that was the first time we adventured together, before Tazwell became the savior of an underwater city
Damon: Kingmaker no spoilers please, I’ve only played a bit
Othniel: Intentionally vague

Windwalk is amazing for minimzing travel time. I bought the ring and Laara would really appreciate shield other.

Laara and Damon could have met long ago before Damon got promoted to bureaucrat. How does Damon feel about demon hunting missions in the worldwound to stave off boredom? Would others be interested in that or have alternative suggestions?

We’re high enough level that being an eclectic group that adventures together makes sense, even if from all over the place, the question is what is our common motivation for adventuring, why do we work with each other? What sorts of adventures have you had? I think vague is fine, but it’d be nice to tie stuff together a bit.

That sounds like flu, lots of fluids, take care of yourself!

Anyone have any suggestions on tying together backstory? I made some suggestions, buy am completely open to whatever people want to do.

Did you also manage to fit outflank into your build?

Tazwel is from Absolom, what did you do there? Are you a preeminent maestro? What adventures have you gone on that may have had you interact with others? Damon essentially founded a nation state, perhaps during Laara's earlier travels before she joined the crusade she became friends with Damon on a few bounty missions before she moved on?

As a potential hook for this adventrue, I wrote "The queen (Galfrey) would have probably been more upset, but there was a pressing mission where Laara’s unique skills could be applied. Crusaders had uncovered a ritual allowing demons to escape to the Moonscar and then escape back to Golarion, and the riftwardens had engineered a modification of the ritual that’d send brave heroes to fight there." If that works for the GM, maybe I helped assemble some previous friends, along with others who may have shared such a background originally? As a cleric of Desna, has Telye fought demons before?

What about Othniel's background?

I'm completely open to changing my background to fit whatever we decide together as a party, just trying to get a feel for it.

For my own edification, I compiled the following, which could be wildly inaccurate, just what I could glean.

Mechanics-- roles
Othniel Laurentius – Magus 16—Ranged, Spell Damage, Knowledges?
Telye Sin—Cleric 16—Support, Healing
Damon Surtova—Fighter 16 -- Melee
Laara – Rogue 12, Horizon Walker 3, Monk 1 – Melee, Skills
Tazwell Bladenkurst—Bard 16 – Ranged, Support, Buffing, Skills, Knowledges?

@ Damon Are you interested in taking the Outflank teamwork? I was thinking of this (especially since 9/day I'll be able to flank with myself, which is pretty cool), but generally it can provide both AoOs and a bonus to hit when flanking.

DM Mathpro wrote:

Yes you can, you've had about a month off so if you wanted to be working on 1 thing for each of your party members you could, kind of like an "I'm thinking of you" kind of gift that will be new to them. I will consider any other gear existing before the break but will also let it be bought at half price assuming you crafted it while the group was out on their previous exploits.

That make sense at all?

Sounds great!

Telye Sin can use her feat "Craft Wondrous Items" for all of the Wondrous Items of the party, so it costs us all 1/2 normal price. Correct?

I understood this to be one half price item, from our dear friend.

So one half priced wonderous item, which is very generous.

Stealth is fairly tricky from a rules standpoint. If I have hide in plain sight (the vigilantee talent version, which is identical to the shadow dancer version), and hellcat stealth feat , and I move (more than a 5’ step) I think this means I can enter stealth, even if observed? Do I need both of these or is hellcat stealth sufficient? What about if I use the dimension door ability, with the dimension agility feat chain, could this be done on each jump?

Also, how does false attacker rogue talent work with multiple people, is it my bluff and each of them gets a check? Its a bit of a headache to figure out how these things work, but I figured I should ask sooner rather than later.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): The vigilante can use Stealth to hide even when being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of dim light (his own shadow doesn’t count), he can hide without anything to actually hide behind. Only a stalker vigilante of at least 8th level can select this talent.

For other PCs, my backstory included travel all over golarion, so I am pretty adaptable about when we met. I wrote something about being a member if queen Galfrey’s crusade, but I’m open to anyones suggestions on how we know each other?