Nicholas von Dorn's page

dot

Interested, PM sent.

Thanks for the advice GMsui! I'm just learning how to play an investigator and didn't consider crafter's fortune as I didn't realize it would apply to the Day Job. I do have the APG, as that's basically where most alchemist formulas come from. So can we assume that I follow your advice and spend 15gp to get Crafter's Fortune and a +5 to the Day Job check?
Inspiration: 1d6 ⇒ 3 for a total Day Job check of 28.

Thank you for running this game for us, it was fun.

"The Baroness granted us the right of passage within a few miles of Dalun, and this site is within our remit."

"Let me see the clasp. The venture-captain mentioned some sort of artifact; if it is not magical, then perhaps it could be an important clue to something that is."
Nicholas squints his eyes, trying to concentrate on the minute details of the clasp's ornament.
Knowledge: Local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 for Clasp (a)
Knowledge: Nobility: 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (10) + 7 + (4) = 21 for Clasp (b), using Inspiration
Knowledge: History: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 for Hao Jin

Craft (alchemy): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

starting Raging Song is a standard action, so I think it's not up until Balooo's init count
Hoping that the appearance of two large weapon fighters distracted the unquiet dwarf enough, Nicholas dashes past him for a good flanking spot.
Nicholas will take a spot opposite Huron, possibly provoking AOO along the way if the dwarf somehow has any left. The following post assumes he isn't paralyzed.
atk: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 piercing
But the grave cold radiating from the creature numbs his fingers, and the strike is not very precise.
Fort vs cold: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

With the team gathered, Nicholas hesitates for a moment before drawing his rapier and forcefully opening the eastern door.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Init: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Duly noted, profile updated.
Nicholas tries to back away from the door as carefully as possible, even though his own blood pounding in his ears sounds louder to him than his footsteps.
Stealth: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Gently stumbling into Yakanzi, Nicholas quietly tells him:
"I sense something not quite dead stirring behind that door. Whether it is a victim of whatever has transpired here or the cause, I wouldn't count on its friendliness. I am not quite an expert on undead abominations, but it does feel considerably stronger than a simple animated corpse would."

"I wonder what happened here. The perfect shapes like this are rarely a work of nature."
Nicholas spends a minute mixing and shaking some strange liquids and colorful powders, finishing by putting a pinch of dirt into the mix, which dissolves instantly. He carefully approaches the eastern door, holds his breath and gulps down the foul-tasting extract.
Detect Undead towards the eastern door

I have to admit I don't have much passion for Bethesda games. I didn't get past the second quest or so in F3, so don't even bother with checking out F4.

Nicholas finally catches up with the party. Finding a spot between Baloo and Yakanzi, he is glad that his rapier doesn't need a lot of space to pierce the enemy hide.
Atk: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24, Dmg: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Nicholas has discovered that the hilt of his rapier has actually frozen to the scabbard, so by the time he has managed to break free the blade, the combat was already raging around him. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he circled around the melee, waiting for an opportunity to make his strike count.
standard action - draw weapon, move action - move 30ft. beside Yakanzi and Baloo.

Nicholas draws the rapier but keeps the blade lowered. He cautiously steps to the side of Yakanzi. "I wouldn't take any bets... But neither would I willingly surrender one of our own to this beast."
To the wolf, he says, trying his best to keep his voice from trembling:
"Your quarry is currently under our employ. Besides, she is close with the Baroness of Dalun. If you came here to hunt, you would do wise to turn away, lest you become prey for Jadwiga justice."
This is a bit of conjecture and wishful thinking on Nicholas' part; I suppose bluff should cover it?
bluff: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17

Nicholas grabs a brick of clay and palpates it with fingers, then sniffs it, attempting to gather his academic knowledge of alchemical effects in order to intuit the best way to apply it to the real-world circumstances.
untrained Knowledge(engineering): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

Nicholas uses an extract of EE each day as noted earlier.
Also, Blackfire clay is listed under Alchemical items with a DC20 to create: link. Can Nicholas attempt Craft(Alchemy) check to use it?

Nicholas raises an eyebrow when the Baroness dismisses the guards on the mention of Haltani. Just how familiar are they?
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
"Indeed, we could find no fault in Dalun's welcome. Ulfen, half-orcs and Taldan alike are granted safe passage here, which honestly defies the prejudice that some foreigners may have about Irrisen. It shows how confident you are in your ability to maintain the order you have built in this town. It takes an uncanny mind to see that the society is most stable when it is ruled by rational cooperation instead of blind fear of the outsiders. With your graceful permission, I would be happy to share the story of your successes with certain nobles I have come across in my travels, who would be happy to discuss the principles of enlightened leadership with your Highness."
Diplomacy to persuade her to cooperate with Sovereign Court: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Feeling a bit under the weather despite being kept warm by means of alchemy, Nicholas kept uncharacteristically quiet for the last couple of days.
"I'd rather not overstay our welcome in this land of cold ice and hot heads. Let us go find the Baroness."
Knowledge (local) to find the way: 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (10) + 7 + (6) = 23

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
"Your lust for retribution is justified, but revenge is a dish best served cold. A well-placed and well-timed strike will be more effective than random acts of wanton violence."
Diplomacy, aid Rogzul: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9 (using Int instead of Cha to persuade others)
Nicholas feels that his words fall on deaf ears and gives up with an exasperated look, letting fate decide the course of their expedition.

Nicholas wonders incredulously if the Battle-leader is actually proposing to turn their stealth mission into a full-scale assault.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
We thank you for the fair warning of the Irriseni treachery, and the offer to stand side by side to your mighty warriors, but please, understand - we are not here to make war. While it's true that the Witches are hostile to Society, the Society is not a nation and cannot muster an army to crush all witches in one battle.
Please consider this: you have already lost some of your men to a single ambush. You may win a single city and its leader; will Jadwiga not retaliate by sending in a full-fledged force from Whitethrone? And to be completely open about our interests - will the warfare not obliterate everything in the path of our research?
I am not against aiding your cause, but I think a discreet effort by our group could bring more use in the long run than just adding six soldiers to your army. Perhaps you know something about their supply chains or recon patrols - we could be of use in dealing with that."
Nicholas gives a tentative pause to hear what his companions have in mind.

Nicholas is frustrated when his message reaches the wrong ears, so he decides to keep his mouth shut. But when Yakanzi very nearly spells their doom, he feels he must intervene once more.

"Look, if we wanted a fight with your men, we'd have attacked them before being brought here. I suppose that's true for you as well, and since we're not fighting yet, you must be willing to hear us. Yes, we had a cover story, but it was for the Witches, not for you. We didn't expect to be stopped without warning like this" - he throws an annoyed look at Haltani - "so we were on our toes. We're sorry for trying to deceive you before, it was a mistake."

"The truth of the matter is that we are actually Pathfinders, adventuring explorers, employed by the Pathfinder Society to explore a location of a long-lost dwarven relic, rumored to be in Irrisen, and study it for the sake of gathering knowledge. Our organization is not allowed in Irrisen - you would know pretty well, I assume, how close-minded and hostile their laws are to anything foreign."
Not that we have a huge step forward here, he thinks to himself.
"Hence the need for the cover story, to be allowed into Irrisen - but it's not too far from the truth actually, we are not looking to pick a fight with anyone, just find the relic we're after, hopefully avoid having to kill any wolves or trolls in self-defence, and safely return home."
Still, given how well it went so far, we probably need to come up with a better one.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Reflex: 1d20 + 8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 8 + 4 = 17
Nicholas saw the trap almost as the boat hit it, but his reflexes were quick enough for him to keep his balance.
As the 'inspectors' show up, he does not draw his blade but keeps the hand on the hilt.

"You speak of honor, but you have trapped our boat without warning, like brigands. We have no ill intent towards your kin, but rest assured we are prepared to defend ourselves should the need arise."
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Sensing that the Whiterook people seem to be genuinely concerned, Nicholas relaxes his stance and lets go of his weapon.

"Do you not have a Customs-leader to deal with peaceful travelers? No? I should have known. Fine then, let's go make peace with your Battle-leader."

As Nicholas is being escorted, he does two things:
First, he tries to remember the terms of the Ulfen Guest-right:
Know(local): 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (12) + 7 + (1) = 20. If he fails, he asks Huron and Baloo.
Second, he strikes up a conversation with Rogzul, attempting to pass a secret message (that anyone who speaks Common can overhear).
Bluff: 1d20 + 3 + 1d6 ⇒ (10) + 3 + (6) = 19 expending a use of Inspiration

Haltani joins Nicholas one chilly morning as he prepares his extracts, obviously intrigued by all the fancy glassware and colorful smokes. They chat for some time, and while at first Nicholas feels like an academy professor, as the conversation topics change, he wonders if he's the one being examined.

Nicholas slowly headed towards the cabin exit, looking to be deep in though about something. Opening the door, he turned around on his heels.
"Just one more thing, if I may - you mentioned that we should be looking for signs of a royal family. What exactly did you have in mind - fine silverware thrown around, or perhaps did Naldak have some sort of clan symbol that would be present in his quarters?"

After receiving the answer, he takes his leave but still seems to be troubled by something. Some time later, as Haltani is about to bid them good night and go about her business, he halts her.
"Look, are you sure your plan's going to work? Trader disguise seems like a good idea on the surface, but half of our group is Ulfen. And the city officials in Dalun, who are supposed to give us access to the site, would be Jadwiga, as all officials in Irrisen, right? According to the information I had, Jadwiga and their cronies treat these people as little more than talking livestock; what sort of goods would they be willing to trade with us?"

Hmm - well apparently posting in the Discussion thread does the trick too!
And thanks for the advice, I've already found that Alchemists can still craft their items in PFS; surely it must extend to Investigators as well.

@Huron: I have been checking the 'My Campaigns' tab on my profile page to notice when it starts.

Edit: deleted a question after reading PFS FAQ

Edit: ooh, I apparently can add inspiration die to the trained Knowledge checks at will - nice!
History: 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 7 + (3) = 12
Local: 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (8) + 7 + (2) = 17

"Well, I haven't been in these parts before, though I have read a couple of travel accounts. They did not give an impression that Irrisen is a safe place to be, especially for its neighbours" - Nicholas frowned at his Ulfen teammates. "You'll likely face a lot of prejudice; perhaps we better come up with a cover story to avoid drawing less than welcome attention to our group."

He shivered and jumped up and down at one place.
"I don't really have any cold gear on me... But don't worry, I can quickly brew something up to keep me warm" - he nodded in the direction of Benarri's flask.
Nicholas is going to prepare an extract of Endure Elements and leave the other slot blank for now.

"As for the questions... Is anyone else aware of this Sky Key piece location? Do we expect anyone to be protecting it or hunting it? Or it's just the local bigots and wildlife between us and the artifact?"

Nicholas shivered. Even this land's native people find reasons to leave and not return. Someday, there will be just linnorms left for the kings to rule.
"With any luck, we won't have to stay for long. We find whatever it is the Society has discovered; document it or maybe take it with us, and return for our next assignment. Since you have been brought up in these parts, can you navigate the area well? The faster we find the path to our target, the sooner we get this over with."

Can we assume to have learned each other's names, seeing as we start having spent some time travelling already?

Leg- and paper- work: those things Nicholas was actually good at. During the weeks of travel he kept returning to the memory of feeling proud at receiving the Venture-Captain's orders so soon after taking his first steps in the Society. Surely, he thought, his sharp intellect, uncannily broad skill set, classical education and dignified manners must have excelled even by Pathfinder standards, for him to be selected for reporting on an important (if remote) discovery alongside the best of Pathfinder breed!

Awoken from his daydreaming by the loud slurping noises of an eating bear, he stared at the animal for a while, nonplussed.
What in Aroden's name am I doing in the middle of nowhere in the company of a hairy, smelly omnivore and his bear, several uncivilized savages, at least one of whom is overconfident in his vocal abilities, and a bloody orc?! By the Inheritor's shiny buttocks, this discovery must be no less than the next Starstone for me to not regret signing up for this. I'll consider myself lucky to get back with all my fingers intact from frostbite.

Realizing that this inner rant might have left him a bit more slack-jawed that is usually appropriate (at least by non-bear standards), he tried to put back his trained courteous smile as best as he could.
"We must indeed be getting closer to the Linnorm Kingdoms. The air is getting chilly and the coniferous trees become more common, with moss covering their northern sides."
Know(Geography): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

I don't like dotting threads for the sake of it, but just in case GM is waiting for everyone to mark their presence, here's a dot :)
Apparently we're heading somewhere to Irrisen, Nicholas has crappy Fort save and no cold gear whatsoever. Will there be an in-game opportunity to stock up?

Reporting for duty.
PFS number 42785-1, Sovereign Court faction.
Note that the character started out in Grand Lodge, but I've rebuilt him after getting 3XP.
Muscle of the Society trait also grants him improved carrying capacity in addition to the listed benefit. So his light load limit is 66 lbs.