Sorry I haven't been following this as much as I should. I've fallen away from all (both) of my current games over the past couple of months. That said, I would be more than willing to get back into it if we're committing to pushing through and finishing this up. I'll see what all's happened in my absence and try to post something worthwhile.
Drosil, just at the edge of the tentacles, steps out of them and charges Estovian.
At the mention of angry spirits, Drosil's head whips around to stare at Ashan. "Are you suggesting that we might have to deal with more angry spirits than we have already? I got quite enough of that in that Gods-be-damned prison, and am most surely not looking forward to more of the same. Sure, we came through it alive, but only barely." He pauses, then says, more softly, "...and we had Tibideau."
For throwing; it's also a cheap way to get a masterwork dagger.
Okay, so, based on everyone's input (thanks, by the way), I have decided to go with....(drumroll, please). Swashbuckler (Inspired Blade) 7. Here's my reasoning (if you're interested): As I pointed out, and B'yelka confirmed, rogue isn't really an option going forward, as far as having attacks actually connect. Plus, everyone (myself included) recognizes the various issues associated with being dependent on sneak attacks, positioning, etc. The only way rogue was going to work was if Drosil changed archetypes to knife master/scout, and, while that would have helped his damage output, he would hardly have ever hit. Slayer, in my opinion, suffers from some of the same issues. There are opportunities, obviously, for picking up more feats (perhaps becoming a switch-hitter slayer), but, as with rogue - worse than with a knife master/scout rogue, in fact - sneak attack damage for a slayer is not a given. I could, of course, switch out to a greatsword, go with a str-based build instead of dex, and play him more as a ranger than a rogue, but that wouldn't be Drosil. Plus, we've already got a ranger. :-) As an aside, I, personally, prefer to stick with a single class; this goes doubly for those with less than full BAB, but still, I feel that, for the most part, they do get better the more levels you have in them. While I'm not against a dip, occasionally - I had actually played around with a Monk (MoMS/Sohei) 2/Swashbuckler 5 to pick up Crane Style/Wing/Riposte, then saw that they nerfed it since I last looked at it - there are tradeoffs. Anyway, Swashbuckler is a class that I have, eventually, come to realize embodies what Drosil aims to be. I realize that he won't be as "skilled" this way, but with a slight reworking of stats, I think it's the best move going forward. So, then, the question became whether to take an archetype, and, if so, which one. The two archetypes that I was most interested in were Inspired Blade and Flying Blade. With Inspired Blade, Drosil would get Int + Cha panache each day, but would be locked into using a rapier. That rapier, however, could be used with Fencing Grace as well as power attack. With free Weapon Focus (Rapier) and Weapon Finesse, plus Extra Panache, Combat Reflexes and 18 Dex, we're looking at 5 AoO's per round and 6 panache, which can be recovered by getting a crit with his rapier, at 15-20 (with +11/+6 to hit at level 7). The only bad thing about this, of course, would be having to go buy a rapier, though in this low WBL AP, this isn't necessarily a small thing to overcome. It's worth noting that, compared to no archetype, Inspired Blade switches out Scimitar (what I would use with no archetype, with Dervish Dance) for Rapier, gives more panache (though it's only recoverable via crits, not killing blows), and gives free Weapon Focus (Rapier) and +1 damage from Rapier Training. The Flying Blade archetype, in my opinion, looks great on paper - being able to focus completely on daggers for range and melee, as well as being able to trip/disarm at range, is nice. In fact, I would almost assuredly go with this archetype, except that, as B'yelka noted, Slashing Grace doesn't apply to daggers (they are light, while Slashing Grace only works with one-handed weapons). This, of course, means that, to keep the damage up, I'd have to pump Drosil's Str, which isn't ideal. Also, daggers are only 17-20/x2 (w/Improved Critical), compared to rapiers' 15-20/x2 (again, w/Improved Critical). Given these points, Inspired Blade beats out Flying Blade and, I think, straight Swashbuckler.
Um, ditto what everyone else said - I don't really have anything else to add, though I definitely know how you feel. Best of luck! Jelani - considering the difficulties we've had recently, I think we need to continue on with a 6th. I have no issues with you making requests of players you're comfortable with already.
I lived in Germany when I was in grade school (dad in the USAF), took a couple of school trips to the Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt. I probably didn't appreciate it as much as I could have, in retrospect. Regardless, though, have a fun time!
Warmth. Surrender. No, not surrender; relief. Job well-done, life well-lived. "NO!!!" Ah, B'yelka. So talented, so strong... "DROSIL!" Are you here, too, Janos? I can't see you... "Drosil!!" Anton. I thought for sure that you would succeed, even when I failed. Always so steadfast, friend... "His leg has been severed, B'yelka." Whose leg, Dantrian? I can't imagine...wait. More warmth...no, turning colder. What's going on? No...don't. Wait. Pain. Oh, Gods, the PAIN! No!! Make it stop, makeitSTOPMAKEIT Drosil screams as he awakens, the pain of severed limbs and evisceration still fresh in his mind. He sees the trolls laying next to him and screams again, tries to scramble backwards to the nearest corner, but he's held in place by Dantrian's strong grip. He writhes in agony, every nerve in his body crying out. A cold sweat breaks out on his forehead, and the warmth seeps from his limbs into the cold stone. For the moment, he can do nothing but close his eyes and grit his teeth against the pain.
Grimbli sees the creature fall just as he is about to cast a spell, and lets the power behind his incantation fade. "Well, that didn't go at all how I thought it might. Not that that's a problem - you all were very efficient. Took the fun out of it for Fluffy and I, though..." Still, the grin on his face says that he is perfectly happy with the way things turned out.
Holman begins nodding to Morvius when An and August begin lamenting the loss of their newfound friend, and rolls his eyes slightly as they express their disbelief. He isn't a particularly trusting sort - not being particularly trustworthy himself outside of his Pathfinder responsibilities - so it usually comes as no surprise when others prove to be the same. "Yes, yes, let's get it all out now. The Sphinx isn't real, never was, oh woe are we. There, feel better? Now, back to the matter at hand." He turns to Kath. "We should really do what we can to protect the secret of the circus, if we can. Yes, it would prove their innocence, but let's not just go blurting it out without trying other alternatives, shall we?" He directs his attention once more to Morvius. "Right, I think you're on the right track. I suggest we do some asking around to see if we can figure anything out along those lines."
After he hears the admission, Holman's jaw hangs open until he absorbs what he is surely the truth. Once his brain has processed it all, it snaps shut only briefly before he says, "Well, that's definitely a nifty trick, and convincing, too." After another moment, his mouth opens once more, channeling his thoughts as quickly as he has them. "I know how much this secret means to you, so let us assume, for the moment, that we will not clear your circus of wrongdoing by admitting this. We can, at least, continue with the investigation, knowing without a doubt that the Sphinx is not responsible for the deaths. Who, then, would want to pin them on the circus?" He pauses, takes several breaths as his brain races, then continues. "It wouldn't be someone inside the circus, because you all apparently know the secret behind the Sphinx. They would not have tried to start rumors of the Sphinx flying at night, nor tried to pin these deaths on the circus. That would potentially force you to admit the secret to the officials, which would damage their own livelihood. So, then, some person or persons in the town?" He thinks back to the ruckus the townspeople were just causing. "The townsfolk were complaining that their purses were substantially lighter after having visited the circus. Am I correct in assuming that you did not have your own pickpockets working the crowd? Considering your current problems with the law, I'd imagine that, even if you regularly employ them - and, mind, I'm not saying that you do - you would not have invited further problems by having them run rampant through the crowd." "It seems, then, that this points even more towards the fact that there must be a local thieves' guild that is attempting to divert attention away from themselves and their activities. That would explain the thieves we found in the vault, as well as the reason that the store owner was the first target." He pauses, then, a confused look crossing his face. "Why, then, would they have killed this woman?"
Oret arrives as this last comment leaves Talon's lips, and ever-so-calmly steps between the two and wills the entire corridor to rumble and shake. The ground ripples, and pieces of rock and dirt fall from the ceiling. A deafening crash, and large cracks appear around him, making the terrain even more treacherous. As the dust begins to clear, he speaks. He does not raise his voice, does not force himself to be heard, but despite that, you hear every syllable. "You will both stop this. We have but one goal here, and you would do well to remind yourselves of this, for we are supposed to be united in our struggle to reach it." He looks at each of them, disgust plainly evident in his eyes. "You are acting like two children, each trying to prove that they are worthy of the others' respect. I tell you this: you have each lost my respect. I did not choose this path in order to have the opportunity to babysit you, nor to wipe the tears from your eyes because your pathetic feelings have been hurt. I once thought you better than that, but no more." "I have no desire to hurt either of you, but it will happen if either of you attempts to approach the other for the rest of this day. This is not a threat. It is a promise."
New BAB: +6/+1does that mean two bombs per round? My gut says no, but prove me wrong. Your gut would be right, except for the fact that he also took the Fast Bombs discovery, which allows just that.
"Drosil the G-g-g-rey!" Amidst the jeering of the crowd at this last, Drosil steps forward confidently. He recalls his conversation with Dantrian the night before, addressing the particulars of darkvision and golems. Keep calm, man. You've been through worse. Drosil clears his throat softly and waits for the jeers to die down. When he speaks, his rich voice washes over the assembled spectators, and they fall completely silent. "You have heard evidence from the good people of Morast that an assailant came into their village in the black of night, using no lantern, no torch, nor any magical means of lighting his or her way. We do not dispute this - how could we? We were not there, and so we trust that this information is accurate. 'How is this possible?' you may wonder. 'How is it that they could, with no source of light, find their way in the dark, into peoples' houses, and see well enough to abduct them, carry them off, and evade pursuit?'" He lets the echoes of his voice carry and fade, allowing the question to firmly settle in, then he continues. "To answer this question, we must know something of golems. They are creatures born of magic - that magic infuses them and gives them great power, great strength. They are created to be slaves, to have no will of their own, but to work tirelessly for their master, through day and night. Rather than have them have to carry torches and the like to work through the night, however, their creators give them this ability - to see in the dark." At that, the crowd rises up again, their fears confirmed. They call for the Beast to be led to the slaughter, the trial concluded. Drosil holds up his hand and, slowly, the noises die down once more. "I say again, this is an ability that is constant; everlasting, for the life of the golem. There is no scroll to be read, no spell to be intoned, no potion to be drunk to give them this ability, for they already have it." He lets this information sink in as well. "In our investigation of the assailant's camp, located in the village's old boneyard, we found this," he holds up the vial with a flourish, "a vial for an alchemical extract that grants the imbiber this same ability, to see in the dark. 'Why,' you may ask, 'does a golem need such an extract, if they have this very same ability given to them by their creator?' I tell you this; a golem has no need of such an extract - it would have no effect on them whatsoever. Therefore, we can only conclude that the criminal responsible for the assaults on the good people of Morast was not a golem, and thus not the Beast!"
Oret replies in a matter-of-fact way. "When I left, there was only a single half-orc guarding the defiled horn. I suggest that, if you wish to end this fight quickly, you should attack at once. In addition, I will lend what aid I can."
I trust you, DMIB. Of course, you're ultimately trying to kill us, so not sure if I'm using my best judgement.
"How exactly would you propose we track someone that never touched the ground, never broke a branch...never left a trail? No, if he is foolish enough to lose himself in the Caer Bryr, then we would be equal fools to try and find him there." He pauses to let his words sink in, then continues. "No, we will continue as before. If he returns or not, our task has not changed. If we find him, or his corpse, in the pursuit of that task, then so be it, but I, at least, will not go searching for him."
Oret, finally able to have blood on his hands once more, grins evilly. "Unless you've some other plan, I'll take on anyone foolish enough to enter this room. You just make sure they don't run." With that, he walks to the center of the room and plants his feet firmly on the ground. He loosens his upper body, working the kinks out of his neck and shoulders, then shifts his appearance to that of a masked assassin, dressed all in black, unarmed and unarmored. This wouldn't be nearly as fun if they were scared to approach...
Morgrym (Oret) looks confused by the dwarven being spoken, and when the other dwarves burst out in laughter and cheering, he withdraws into himself even more. "Again, sir, I'm sorry - I don't understand our native tongue. I was adopted, you see, by an elven family that couldn't have children of their own. They didn't care much for the dwarven tongue, or culture. They taught me their language, but I will never forgive them for keeping my heritage from me." Oret lets his frustration with his own childhood, and later by the hypocritical world around him show through. "Finally, though, they grew tired of me, my rough look and voice, and of my lack of grace. I left them, and went in search of adventure, and that has brought me here. Seeing you all here, made me realize that I want to learn to be a dwarf, and what better way to learn than to spend my days with them, working alongside them? I want to feel the stone beneath my hands, and to truly learn about myself in the process." Realizing that he will need to sell his value to this man, he stands up straight, looks the dwarf in the eye, and concludes, "If you doubt that I will be of value, I say that I am stronger than any of you. I will carry the heaviest load any one of you can, and more besides." His piece said, Morgrym (Oret) stands and waits.
Oret places his circlet on his head, and wills his appearance to be that of a short, overweight soldier, of similar build to his own, but human. Not having any experience in this, however, he botches the job several times before getting himself presentable.
Oret looks at Caladwhen. "I believe you're mistaken. This is not your company, nor are you at my service. Master Thorn has gathered us all for his purposes, and his will is second only to that of our unholy Lord Asmodeus." |
