Lodestar's page

The body has clearly been here for days. Any useful items, arms, or armor that she might have carried with her into the cave seem to have been scavenged from the body already.

Alright I have returned. Real life got a little crazy today. You all have character sheets now. Do I need to assign tokens to you, or do you do that yourself?

Sorry, started this post and then some personal life stuff happened. Alright left it is unless otherwise specified. Assuming everyone is taking 10 on the climb check.

A collection of stalactites and stalagmites choke this low­-ceiling cavern, making it difficult to squeeze between them. Matching stalactites close in from the five-foot-high ceiling, giving the impression of a maw of needle-like teeth bearing down on one another. A dead half-orc woman sprawls on the ground near the cave's eastern entrance.

The group is tied between left and right default movement. I didn't see what Purplefixer had to say about it though. I'll be able to post a few times today.

The party has a choice to either move father through the water to the northeast, or to climb the ledge to the cardinal east. The water is about chest deep. The ledge is roughly five feet high from your current position, with three large stalagmites visible from the low ground.

Alright, the roll20 link is in the campaign info, along with a party inventory spreadsheet (for those of you that haven't seen it).

Thanks to paizo's digital map store and a little photoshop magic, we now have the official maps for book one. I'm a novice when it comes to roll20 and online games in general, but I think I figured it out.

Green around the gills indeed. It's only a short duration though, you can just wait it out.
Fort, Fixer: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
Fort, Rowland: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Fort, Jerrek: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Fort, Illya: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Fort, Pasquot: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Fort, Zane: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

The polluted water makes your stomach and lungs ache as you swim through the tunnel entrance. You make swift progress, but are left with a disgusted feeling as you reach a patch of dry land inside the cave.

Everyone besides Zane is sickened for one minute after resurfacing.

Dampness hangs in the air of this cave, condensing into heavy moisture on the slick stone walls. The calm, dark waters wind around to the east up north, along a stony, soot-scarred beach. A five-foot-high ledge sporting several stalagmites rises to the east, beyond which a low-ceilinged cave beckons.

I'll have a roll20 map set up this afternoon/evening. I'll post a link to it in the discussion.

Glad you are back.

I can adjust the speed as we go. I'm reading some guides on PbP GMing to find better ways of doing things. I get anxious at the idea of us sitting in a temple for a week having a conversation about whether or not we should go down path A or path B. I don't want anyone to get bored, especially when Starfinder is calling our names now. If you ever feel like I'm railroading too much just let me know.

As for block initiative, I've never done that. Is it just sort of an ally phase, enemy phase type thing, like Fire Emblem/Advance Wars? We can do that if so.

I'll work on the Roll20 thing this afternoon.

EDIT: Noon is actually a perfect time for me to post. I've got a short break between classes this semester around that time. I've been enjoying posting 2-3 times per day to get things moving, and will try to maintain that momentum, but regardless of anything else I will post at 11:30-12:30 EST daily.

Assuming you want that free water breathing spell, moving us to the temple. I can retcon if you want to move ahead to the caves.

Bronze wind chimes and clockwork statues decorate the domed portico of this compound dedicated to the goddess of invention. The temple includees a small shopfront selling magic items and gear. Inside, you find an elderly human man equipped with a chainmail suit, a smith's apron, and dozens of workman's tools. He is busy tinkering on some sort of mechanical mask when you enter. He looks up at you inquistively.

"Adventurers. And Fixer. You must be here to explore the caves. Dolga sent you here for a bit of divine assistance, I suspect. My goddess will aid you in the endeavor to rescue the councilor. Hold still for a moment."

He grabs an rune-etched rod off of his table. The runes start to glow as her mutters an old incantation. You briefly feel a strange tingling sensation in your lungs, and then it passes.

"You will have no trouble in the water now, I suspect. The effect will last for about twenty-four hours, give or take a couple. It's almost always twenty-four. Sorry for being brief, but there's a brilliant inventor for you to save. Best of luck. You'll need it, I suspect."

The old priest returns to his work and starts to hum a song, as though you aren't even there. "It'll be the future soon...hmmm....hmm hmmm..."

OK I have sent him a PM. We will continue moving the story ahead to keep from stagnating. There will be combat soon so hopefully he comes back, but if not I can control him for the time being. If they don't respond in the next day or two, I'll drop them. We can add another PC later on if you all feel the need, but we should be fine with the party as is.

Yeah, I was wondering if he was alright last night. I hope he is ok. Idk what the protocol is for waiting on someone. How long do we wait for somebody? I don't want anyone to feel left out, but I don't want to halt the story for the entire party over one person.

I'm probably gonna make one post tonight, pretty busy day in meatspace. Just let me know what y'all want to do. After this week I should be able to post 2-3 times a day at regular times. I'll keep you posted.

"We have many great healers in town, some of who sit on the council. If you can help our town, we will do anything we can to repay you."

Dolga walks you out of the hall, wishing you luck. "Now that you're on the job, I'll give each of you a writ that you can show to any of the merchants in town for a flat twenty percent discount on any gear you need to purchase. I wish I could offer a greater discount than that, but that's the best I can do. Finally, Joram Kyte has agreed to cast a water breathing spell on any group to aid in entering the caves-free of charge, of course. You can find him at the temple of Brigh or up at Crowfeather Palace when you're ready to go."

"As far as we know, that's the only way in. Didn't even know about any tunnels under Black Hill til a week ago, and I've been here an hundred years! Khonnir noticed a large number of footprints on the pond's banks-he was there the day the fires went out testing the water to ensure it hadn't suddenly grown more toxic-and he realized that a sizable group of people had entered the pond but had not emerged. 'Course, the townsfolk will say it's the League, but I'm worried that might be too convenient of an answer this time."

Dolga gets up and walks over to an old trunk. She motions you over as she unlocks it and pops it open. Inside, a small fortune of gold coins is kept. On top of the treasure lies a scroll.

"We don't expect you to do all of this out of the kindness of your hearts. We've got eight thousand gold pieces here-four thousand for recovering the Councilor, and four thousand for relighting the torch. I suspect these two things are connected, and that in delving below Black Hill and returning, you'll earn yourself a hefty reward. Two birds with one stone, and all that. We've prepared a spell for Baine's resurrection, should he be slain. That, you can keep to yourself. We don't want the townsfolk thinking we fear the worst. If you can recover the Councilor alive, the scroll is part of your reward."

She closes the trunk and locks it.

Dolga nods and returns to her desk and sits, inviting the party members to take seats across from her. "We don't know much, to be frank. Only what Khonnir was able to tell us after his first expedition. The caves are inhabited by several enormous vermin and other scavengers, along with some strange humanoids who had the ability to blend into the shadows of the cave walls, and a nest of gremlins. Khonnir believed this might indicate a connection to the Darklands, but of more immediate interest was his discovery of a wall of solid metal deep in the caves. A wall made of a skymetal alloy called glaucite. He said it was like the kind we mine from the hills, but formed into a structure with doors. It was near one of these doors that Khonnir found the broken automaton that he brought back after his first expedition. We don't know what's beyond those doors, but I suspect it is the source of the disappearances of the Councilor and the adventuring parties."

"Adventurers, eh? And well-equipped for the task at hand, by the looks of it! Welcome!"

Her stern introduction makes this woman seem like a different person than the one before you now. Her face is beaming with hope. She stands up from her desk and gives you a firm handshake before moving to Illya. Dolga stands at least 3 heads shorter than the pale woman.

"Gods be good, you are a titan! I'd love to see you in action, were it not for my station behind this wretched desk." She bellows a hearty laugh and pats you on the back. Her sinewy hand lands heavily on your back not unlike, you imagine, the dwarf's warhammer blow might.

"It's about time we got some professionals in town to handle this job. If you've got questions, my lady, I'm happy to tell you what I know."

In the tavern:
Val tends to the adventurers that chose to stay behind. "You don't know Brigh? She's an important god here, although not many worship her. She is the goddess of invention."

In the town hall:
The town council consists of five members, yet when you arrive at the town hall, only one member is available to speak with you. Dolga Freddert is a dwarf with grey braided hair, a gruff demeanor, and over a century of experience. The hefty warhammer propped up against her desk denotes a past familiar with adventuring. She looks over the representative party members with an intense gaze.

"You look tough, and like trouble. We don't need any more of that 'round here. What brings you to Torch?"

Val has a worried look as Illya voices her estimation. "Gods, could it really be the League? We only just found the caves, but..."

She leaves the room temporarily. She has loaded her supplied on the cart and is preparing to move them over to the tavern, to set up your headquarters. When she returns, her expression is a mix of excitement and anxiety. "There was a group of adventurers from out of town that went down between Baine's...Father's first and second expeditions. They said they were devoted to Brigh, and wanted to help reclaim any machinery they could find. We never saw them again. Could it have been the league, setting a trap?"

Val does her best to tell you what she knows about the expeditions. "Far as I know, there's been five expeditions. The first was some group of halfling strangers, second a group of ruffians from town, and fourth was that group devoted to Brigh. The third and fifth expeditions were led by Father and his team, though only the third expedition had anyone return."

She grabs a small piece of parchment and a stick of charcoal, and begins sketching a very basic map.

"You see, the only way in is through a submerged waterway West of the hill there. The water is calm, so that is no trouble if you can hold your breath or have a lick of magic to help you out. The water in that Weeping Pond will make you green around the gills, though. Side effect of all the waste from the forges. Now, I need to go get this set up. Come get something to eat, so that you can start your expedition in earnest."

Val speaks as she prepares to move her supplies to the tavern. "Yes, yes. The meals are on the house."

Val chuckles nervously, still shaken from the encounter. "Haha, no no. Just a little war paint. Reminds me where I come from."

She looks over to the automaton's broken body. "Baine was still studying this thing when he disappeared. He believed it might be some sort of drone dedicated to repairing larger and more sophisticated machines."

Val cautiously walks over to the robot, and furrows her brow as she looks down upon it. A single tear falls from her face before she kicks the remains. "Piece of junk. What happened to Baine?!" She sobs for a moment before regaining her composure.

"You said that you're here to rescue the Councilor. I think you should go speak with the town council and see if they have any support they can give you. We've already lost so many adventurers, and we are getting desperate. As for my part..."

Val grabs several bedrolls and blankets from the storage room.

"I am no fighter and I can barely even remember a single spell. But I can run that tavern like nobody's business. I'll set up the back room for you to use as a headquarters. Don't worry about the cost."

The bullet sails past the automaton and hits a wall, but it does not seem to be aware of the attack.

Fixer, you wedge your Elvish blade in a crack in the machine's plating, sheering through its inner workings. Its arms spasm for a brief moment before its eye goes dark, and the automaton falls over destroyed.

Val climbs out from under the table, rushes to Fixer, and greets them with a Hug. "Oh, it was horrible Cal! It just lit up, a-and started breaking things. I tried to stop it, but it just grabbed me and threw me aside. Thank you for saving me."

The young Kellish woman has long, curly blonde hair, steely gray eyes, and a red stripe of face paint across each cheek, starting from the jawline.

She turns from Fixer and shakes hands with each party member. "Thanks you for responding so quickly. Who knows what that thing might've done. Are you friends of Cal's?"

Val cries out, "Help! Help! It's come to life! It's tearing the house apart!"

Rowland and Pasquot, you find her cowering under a table in the dining room.

Fixer and Jerrek, you see a strange automaton in the storage room between the broken window and the dining room.

The automaton is about 5 feet tall and made of a grayish metal. It is moving erratically on its three spider-like legs. Its torso and arms and head are vaguely humanoid, with one blazing "eye" in the center of its head, and a four-fingered hand on each arm. Bits and pieces of its chassis are missing, exposing the delicate circuitry within, and it makes loud and tortured grinding noises as it moves.

As you scan the area outside of the tavern, you notice that Baine's house has a busted window on the South wall. There aren't any guards around, so you may be the first to respond to the scene.

OK, I am already having so much fun reading y'all's RP. I'm gonna try to post a little more frequently.

A singular sound cuts through the chatter in the tavern: a woman's scream. It is nearby, just to the North, where Baine's house is.

Fixer and Rowland, you recognize the voice. Val is in danger!

OK, here we go. Once again, this is my first PbP game, so if you have any advice as to how I can be a better GM for y'all, please let me know. I recruited you not with the intent of starting Iron Gods, but with the intent of finishing it.

The town of Torch has long enjoyed a singular claim to prosperity-a violet flame that burns atop Black Hill in the heart of the town. This flame burns incredibly hot, and while it's usually the size of a bonfire, several times a year the fires spew up into the heavens in a brilliant beam of purple violence. Torch is one of the only locations where skymetal can be worked with relative ease outside of Starfall, and its entire economy has risen around these purple flames. Which is why, when the fires atop the hill suddenly go out, the town is in trouble

So, the AP and Player Guide assumes that the PCs are either natives or recent arrivals, and that you have recently formed a party. If y'all want to collaborate on how that happened, I'd love to know.

What You Know:
+ The violet flame that has burned atop Black Hill for over a century has gone out, leaving behind a strangely seeping pit of rubble and bubbling fluids.

+ Councilor Khonnir Baine, one of Torch's most powerful wizards, has gone missing during his second expedition under Black Hill, and the people fear the worst. They town has promised a 4,000 gold piece reward for the recovery of his body.

+ Khonnir Baine discovered the a submerged tunnel that revealed an unknown network under Black Hill. Before disappearing, he found a deactivated semi-humanoid automaton, which sparked public concern that something strange might be going on in the caverns. Several adventuring parties have gone missing in the caves, and Torch finds itself running short on new volunteers.

Additional Rumors:
+ Ratfolk bandits are becoming bolder on the roads to the east.
+ Some townsfolk are concerned that there may be a Technic League spy among them.
+ Garritt the Junkmaster found something a few weeks ago that emitted a powerful light comparable to the Torch. He has become withdrawn and quiet since then.
+ A remarkably beautiful woman with bright purple hair passed through town recently. She was seen a couple days before the torch went out, and hasn't been seen since.

The town of Torch is in disarray. The economy is at risk of collapse, Councilor Baine is missing, and all attempts to explore the Black Hills and learn of his fate have failed. The council is is offering a small fortune for a successful recovery of Councilor Baine or his body.

Writing up a list of locations in town that will be posted in the Game Info section.

A few things you should discuss, in order to keep the pace of the game going:

- Standard Door Opening Procedure
- Perception/Stealth, roll or assume take 10?
- Always go left/right if you don't have a specific direction you want to go in a dungeon etc?
- Watch order
- March order

OK I have opened up the gameplay thread. We'll be starting very soon!

Just opening this up for dots. I will be posting late tomorrow or early friday so have your stuff ready.

OK recruitment is closed for now. Adventurers, move over to the discussion thread for updates.

Alright looks good, gimme another day or 2 and we will be 100% ready. I will post here to let you know when the first post goes up.

Oracles make excellent bashers. The Curse of the Crimson Throne AP that I've just wrapped up had an Oracle/Sorcerer/Mystic Theurge/Eldritch Knight in it that specialized in longspears.

Alright so due to some people being inactive and not submitting promptly, this is what the party looks like right now:

Jerrek of Nex, Fighter (Cyber-Soldier)
Illya Nym, Oracle
Pasquot of the Bauga, Fighter (Mutation Warrior)
Zane Levallis, Sorcerer
Rowland, Barbarian (Urban Barbarian)

Dodekatheon will have the final available space. I need another day or two to finish prep. After that, we can start when everyone else is ready.

@Ammon I think it's best to focus on preventing damage vs. reacting to damage, so you're build will probably be great.

@Ierox Yeah 2 traits, 3 with a drawback.

@Dodekathon my bad dude, I totally spaced on your pistolero. Trying to keep tabs here while doing math study... fun times. It might be worth trying to convince one of the fighters to reconsider their class choice. I've never had so many people wanting to be a fighter at once.

We don't have a primary arcane caster or a trapfinder. I won't pressure anyone to change their class, but the party is gonna miss having those things later on.

Sounds good. So we're currently looking at Level 1:

Fighter (Cyber-Soldier)
Fighter (Mutation Warrior)
Fighter (Eldritch Guardian)
Oracle

I think that alchemist and MW levels can stack for mutagen duration, even though that isn't explicitly written. It makes sense to me that your knowledge of mutagens would be cumulative.

I won't allow the levels to stack for determining when you can get new discoveries(ex. Getting your level 2 discovery at 1MW/1Alchemist...I'm not sure if that is what you meant), but I will allow them to stack for determining level prerequisites for discoveries.

I will uphold the alchemist's rule that you can only have one mutagen prepared, even if you have multiclassed. The ACG isn't as clear as it could be on this, but that book is notorious for its poor editing.

Jerrek sounds interesting. Thanks for the backstory. Definitely some stuff in there I can use.

Dhampir Arcane Duelist with a bone to pick vis-á-vis the Technic League...sounds pretty cool.

So far the prospective party looks like this:

Fighter (Cyber-soldier)
Fighter (Eldritch Guardian)
Bard (Arcane Duelist)

You're gonna be some tough customers.

A campaign trait is not required, but you will need a reason to be in Torch at the start of the adventure.

Jerrek looks good. Interested to see the cyber soldier in action.

If you have anything you want to talk about, here's the place to do it.

I am headed to Wyvern's Tale later today, hopefully I will get there in time for PFS.

Regarding level of guns, I have been advised to stick with Emerging Guns. AFAIK, that is the canonical level of gun technology outside of Alkenstar. I don't have much firsthand experience with the Gunslinger, so I think we'll stick with that.

2 Traits, 3 with a drawback.

Thanks, I have been hearing a lot of good things about it lately. I don't really have a dedicated group of players (I have recently moved and my old group is full of troglodytes that don't want to play online), so I am hoping to try my luck on here.

System: Pathfinder RPG
Adventure Path: Iron Gods
Player Count: 4-6
Allowed Content: All Official Paizo Material. No 3rd Party Material.

Character Creation:

• Backstory: Short paragraph or two required.
  
• Experience: Level 1
  
• Wealth: Average for your class.
  
• Ability Scores: 20 Point Buy.
  
• Hitpoints/Health: Max 1st Level, Average after that.
  
• Alignment: No NE or CE alignments, LE only upon backstory and character concept approval.
  
• Variant Rules: Background Skills Optional Rule
  

Other Notes: This is my first PbP campaign, so please be patient with me and let me know if I'm doing something wrong, or could be doing it better somehow.