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I planned on departing after this scenerio anyway, not that my character could have continued without aid, so I'm good. I might reccomend being more active in prodding players or even moving on without everyone's input if they haven't responded for a few days. I'm not great at that myself, but when I see it, it usually is a very big help on keeping things moving.
Yumiki moves up to the captain, "So you would rather die than reveal who screwed you over? That's some strong loyalty you have. Honestly though, why do you see us as an enemy? I came to talk business, your kind of business. Nothing more." Yumiki is expecting either fire, or an explosion. In either case, she'll try to grab the captain and jump off the ship with her the instant something of any sort happens.
"Well, off this boat isn't a good place for talking business, especially if we want to keep the authorities out of it. Someone has been using you to move bad goods, the kind that tends to result in 'assassins' and 'strange disappearances.' So you're going give me info, and then I'll head off to find who all needs to have some assassins chasing them around." Yumiki states calmly and yet makes it quite plain that the captain's choice is between cooperation, or a reputation that gets smugglers and thieves killed, and that Yumiki is certainly good for starting the killing.
Because there isn't a "Use Rope" skill in Pathfinder. She can't make a swim check in place of it, I didn't think quite that a CMD check would be appropriate. I don't see how any of those are relevant either. She is throwing a rope, not hauling cargo. Once the end of the rope is down there, it is up to those in the water to grab it. Sl my question wasn't about why she was making that type of check, it was why she was making any kind of chdck at all. I can understand making an attack roll to get the rope to the right square , but that is it, as there is nothing left for her to do after that.
I get the distinct impression that as time has gone on, that very few people ever understood the connection between the DC numbers and them actually representing things in the world. Far too many players I encounter only think in terms of rolls being pass/fail and nothing more. I'd love to see the authors of modules, and of Pathfinder anything especially core, to read the Calibrating your expectations article by the Alexandrian. He does a good of pointing out how well the numbers matched up. Unfortunately he doesn't give a full reference or anything, but it is still a good step that everyone should read. To be fair though, the 3.x books never really gave an in-depth explanation, they just kind of left it there for people to figure out by reading between the lines (a mistake I'm not making with my systems).
I think some authors get confused and think 10 is supposed to mean an average person gets an auto success, but what it really means is the 50% success benchmark for average people, as in average people will succeed 50% of the time if they are rushed or focused on something else, like combat. Any task which an average person can rush through, or do without really focusing on it, and succeed nearly every time needs to have a DC well below 10. I'd say a ladder qualifies as needing a DC well below 10. Even a sea slick rope ladder should have at most a DC between 6 and 8. Now people do have accidents on ladders, probably enough to warrant a DC higher than 0 (a 2 or 3 I'd say), but not enough to warrant DC 10, not even for this kind of rope ladder (add 5 for being wet with se spray and you still get 7 or 8). Just my opinion based on the benchmarks of what DCs mean in the rules.
I asked an npc for it. If the module assumes that a PC will never ever use any tactic to get an npc to aquire said item, such as charm, diplomance, or to just trick an npc into revealing those documents, then that is very poor design on the module writer's part and you should compensate. If you don't feel comfortable with compensating for the scenerio author's failings, then we are not going to have a very game together, since I primarily use non-stereotypical tactics. I honestly would consider a charm spell here to be a standard tactic (likely the preferred method for any bard or sorcerer) and it should have been considered as a basic tactic in the scenerio design.
As they approach the harbor, Yumiki asks the others, "If I can see the files I ask for in the office, see if you guys can occupy the attention of anyone present. I'll need a quick moment." Raising an eyebrow as she watches Mivvy go back outside, Yumiki then steps forward and answers the inspector, "I'm Lady Yumiki. My companions and I are investigating something on behalf of Lady Darchana." She presents Darchana's note. "We would appreciate being able to see the docking certificates for the Kat Season and the At Sea please. Additionally, we would appreciate a rowboat and pilot as I believe the Kat Season is ready to be brought into the harbor."
That would be the assumption everyone seems to be making, including the npcs. My experience with pfs, limited as it is, implies that most likely the assumption is true simply cause the writers so far tend to treat this as a minitures combat game with story as mere dressing, but they might throw in the assumption being wrong as a twist, but even if theh did, following along the tracks is probably the only intended way for players to make it through.
"Indeed. We found the merchant the slave was purchased from. Apparently provided by an infrequent supplier named Waheeda Wardak, captain of a ship named At Sea, which bore the yellow sails of the Okeno pirates. Also, the merchant promised to refund the money spent on her. The slave, I mean." Yumiki explains with seeming indifference, save that she doesn't seem to like the word "slave."
Turning to the man behind the desk, "Well, it seems like you are in trouble. Sell me your business for 200 gold and answer our questions for 20 gold. Otherwise, you'll be stuck between them and us. So, what will it be, buying your way out, or finding out what wheat under a grindstone feels like?" she asks steppjng forward and projecting the perfect image of a noble.
Looking at the half-orc, "On the contrary, we are no friends of Mahdi. In fact, we want something from him as well, though for us it is information we desire, so, as long as you keep him alive and able to speak, I don't much care if take blood from him. Or you can wait till after he talks then take care of him. Doesn't much matter to me." she suddenly seems to have an idea, "Out of curiousity, how much does he owe you?"
Lady Yumiki wears well crafted but well worn clothes, strange boots, thick silken pants and silk shirt in dark colors with subtle and intricate patterns of dragons and many-tailed foxes. She has several silk scarfs with odd beadwork, mostly around her waist. She has a long light grey coat and a red cloak. She moves with grace and confidence. "Sounds like merchents are the same everywhere. I am Lady Yumiki of Durandasha."
Lady Yumiki never developed a talent for verbal sparring, but she certainly has no issue being serious and putting a touch of steel in her voice, "Miss, Lady Silviana has a problem, a problem that became a problem of Lady Darchana's. We are here to resolve that problem. Understandably, discretion is desirable for all concerned, so in the interest of discretion, perhaps you can minimize how many outsiders we must interrogate or otherwise involve in this affair by giving us as much information as you can. It would be most unfortunate for open mouthed commoners to start rumor-mongering about the Lady's problem because we were forced to ask around just to find out what you could easily tell us yourself." she ends witn a tone and gesture inviting the Majordomo to respond.
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