Ramenhotep the Risen's page

Yes, thank you for getting us this far, GM! I very much enjoyed the game and getting to play Ramenhotep for a while at least. Rest assured I will keep playing him in some form or another, perhaps as a PFS character.

And just to take some weight off the GM's shoulders and to let everyone else know, I was the one who approached Lithrac about bowing out of the campaign earlier this week. The reasons were twofold really, in that I just have too many long-term PbP campaigns going on at the moment and needed to drop a couple (and this one hadn't moved in some time) and also that I have GM'd it before and while I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I have enjoyed GMing it, it is not my absolute favorite AP (that honor probably goes to Reign of Winter) and so playing it while knowing all the secrets is nearly as much fun as it could be.

But thank you all for putting in the effort through book 1 and for putting up with the crotchety old man in the group!

Oh, I forgot to respond:

@Zeltyieli: I was basing Ramenhotep's two weeks of work off of this:

Two weeks have passed. Before you leave Heidmarch manor for your next destination, Sheila summons you in her office.

I took from that that we had a two week hiatus where Ramenhotep could have worked on his academy. Maybe I was mistaken on that and the GM can correct me but I don't think it's super critical whether we took one week off or two for the purposes of the story.

6 days of work from Zeltyieli for 6 goods (60 gp) then. Thanks Zeltyieli!

Current academy status:
18 / 121 goods
16 / 17 influence
20 / 110 labor
4 / 5 magic

Awesome, thanks guys! We'll get this academy built in no time!

Diplomacy and Intimidate are both listed for Goods and Labor (scaring people or talking people into working for you or selling you things for cheap?) so that helps!

8 goods from Telka for 80 gp
6 labor from Telka for 80 gp
14 labor from Hralyk for 140 gp

total: 300 gp (140 paid from Telka, 160 paid by Ramenhotep)

Current academy status:
12 / 121 goods
16 / 17 influence
20 / 110 labor
4 / 5 magic

"Fifty miles?! That's quite a trek! I hope you've got a porter and maybe a pony to loan me, my old back won't take that kind of nonsense!" When he hears her mention a ship, Ramenhotep huffs for a few seconds before calming down. "A ship, that'll do."

"Well, a Shard of Lust, eh? I don't want to be touching that one, surely no! Next thing parents will be checking the maps for my name and I'll have to introduce myself to the neighbors, no, I don't like the sound of that! We'd better be careful, oh yes! And I elect for avoiding the swamps if we might. Nothing good comes from a swamp, all the sands of Osirion can attest to that. Ever been the Mwangi? Me neither. I like living too much, heh heh!"

Thanks!

If anyone doesn't have anything else to do during their downtime, Ramenhotep could use some help with the construction. You can gain goods and labor by making various checks; basically for every 10 you earn 1 good/labor/influence/magic on that day (so 20 can earn you 2 goods/labor on a single day of work). I think just about every skill is useful for something so I won't bother to list them all here. Then you just have to pay the "material" cost that goes along with it. Ramenhotep is happy to pay for the costs out of his own gold rather than party gold or expecting you to chip in. But your time donation is appreciated!

Goods: 10 gp each
Influence: 15 gp each
Labor: 10 gp each
Magic: 50 gp each

Ramenhotep will ask Jordan to make a belt of giant strength +2 for him.

In his downtime, Ramenhotep is going to start working on founding his own Magical Academy (name is open for submission).

This will require a total of 121 goods, 17 influence, 110 labor, and 5 magic.

Taking 10 on all checks:
2 days of magical study (21 Spellcraft - 4 Magic earned): 200 gp
8 days writing letters to sponsors (20 Linguistics - 16 Influence earned): 240 gp
4 days purchasing construction materials (16 KN: engineering - 4 Goods earned): 40 gp

Total cost: 480 gp

Should have plenty with that new 2000 to pay for that and for my new belt crafted by Jordan at a discount.

I'm agreement with the daylight and fly purchases from the party fund. Those were going to be my suggestions anyways.

Ramenhotep will buy:
oil of bless weapon x4 (200 gp total)
ring of protection +1 (2000 gp)

That leaves him with 495.64 gp. I might learn a few new spells for my spellbook but haven't decided yet.

It would be cheaper to upgrade my armor but since I'll be able to wear medium armor in two more levels it seems silly to invest in nicer armor now. I'll just have to be squishy(-ier) for a bit and try to be careful. I'll focus my spells on defense and such I guess.

Ramenhotep suggests that Hralyk might benefit most from the shard's powers. "Although we might not have it for long anyways. Let's quickly get back to Sheila and show her what we've found."

Yay 5th! I've got Ramenhotep leveled on HeroLab, I'll updated his profile when I get home.

Frankly I want to move on to part 2 now, I'm not interested in having the party going back inside, this dungeon is so big that we could play for two years in PbP if you wanted to explore everything and do all the encounters.

-Posted with Wayfinder

I can attest to that fact and I'm fine with skipping some encounters.

Excellent. That's 7 less damage on Ramenhotep last round.

Ramenhotep rejoins the fun and swings his staff!

quarterstaff (two handed): 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 4 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 23
damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 9
nonlethal cold damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
If the target takes any nonlethal cold damage, it is fatigued and entangled.

Finally! It's probably already dead though, haha. Still two charges of my spell left.

16 dmg taken to be at 1/24 HP. Sorry to undo your work Zeltyieli!

Ramenhotep takes a heavy beating. He curses and swings again before backing up away from the beasts.

quarterstaff (two handed): 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 9
damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 9
nonlethal cold damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
If the target takes any nonlethal cold damage, it is fatigued and entangled.

Ramenhotep nods in thanks to Zeltyieli as he takes a deep breath and steps back into the fray, swinging at the same critter as the others.

quarterstaff (two handed): 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 13
damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 11
nonlethal cold damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
If the target takes any nonlethal cold damage, it is fatigued and entangled.

Ugh! This is the worst!

Forgot to update my HP before. 4 dmg last round, 14 dmg this round. 6/24 hp currently.

"Blast!" Ramenhotep curses as the spider claws into his arm. "We need to kill these things fast! I'm bleeding!"

The Garundi swings at the same one as Hralyk and then steps back.

Spend last point of arcane pool for Arcane Accuracy (+3 attack)

quarterstaff (two handed): 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 = 15
damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 10
nonlethal cold damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
If the target takes any nonlethal cold damage, it is fatigued and entangled.

4 damage taken.

Ramen hotel swings again. "Foul beasts of the old days! Begone!"

quarterstaff (two handed): 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 12
damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 8
nonlethal cold damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
If the target takes any nonlethal cold damage, it is fatigued and entangled.

Agreed. I think I only skipped one or two encounters in book 1 when I ran this and it took too long and really started to drag after a while. Once I started being a bit more lenient in skipping some of the encounters, the game moved much faster and has been much more enjoyable for everyone.

Thanks Lithrac! Please apply this to #55162-21 Skip Flaxseed.

As you know from playing in my games, I am also a fan of the "organic" leveling system rather than the XP system since the XP system can promote random encounter and/or encounters just for the sake of XP, which I heartily dislike. So that all sounds good to me.

Oh sorry. I thought it was against touch for some reason.

Ramenhotep casts rime frostbite and moves up to the spidery creature to hit it!

Swift action to enhance quarterstaff to +1, spellstrike hit.

quarterstaff (two handed): 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 = 14
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
nonlethal cold damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
If the target takes any nonlethal cold damage, it is fatigued and entangled.

str: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

Ramenhotep does a few quick stretches to snap the cords binding his limbs down.

"Pah!" Ramenhotep spits on the ground. "Let's just all calm down! They're tricksy creatures, no doubt. But I don't like killing anything once it's surrendered. Take it as a servant, set it free, send it to jail, I don't care! Jordan has claimed responsibility for it so let him do with it as he will! Come on, we've got an artifact to find!"

"Heh heh! Well, that was nifty! Let's get going! Let the little bugger go. He knows we'll kill him if he comes back."

"What's that he's gibbering about?"

Sure thing!
SR: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

"I'll have none of that!" Ramenhotep shouts at the derro as he brings his quarterstaff down again.

+1 enhancement, inspire

quarterstaff (two handed): 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 18
damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 9
nonlethal cold damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
and the target is fatigued and entangled (if it takes the cold damage)

3 dmg taken

"I'm bleeding!" Ramenhotep calls out to his allies as he swings his staff around at the derro. 5' step towards the other one if the first drops.

+1 enhancement, inspire

quarterstaff (two handed): 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 7
damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5
nonlethal cold damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
and the target is fatigued and entangled (if it takes the cold damage)

Ramenhotep swings and misses! 2 more charges of frostbite still.

"Ow! Little vermin!"

Ramenhotep, angered at his gaping wound, casts a spell and charges it into his quarterstaff, which he also augments with arcane energy, and steps forward to smack at the little bastard!

Swift action to give +1 enhancement to quarterstaff. Cast rime frostbite. 5' step forward. Spell Combat/Spellstrike.

+1 enhancement, -2 spell combat, +1 inspire

quarterstaff (one handed): 1d20 + 4 + 1 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 1 - 2 + 1 = 10
damage: 1d6 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 1 + 1 = 5
nonlethal cold damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
and the target is fatigued and entangled (if it takes the cold damage)

quarterstaff (one handed): 1d20 + 4 + 1 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 4 + 1 - 2 + 1 = 21
damage: 1d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 = 5
nonlethal cold damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
and the target is fatigued and entangled (if it takes the cold damage)

Can use frostbite 1/level (so three times) with each casting. So it looks like I probably got 1 dischage off above and still have two more discharges before it runs out.

I'm fine with not doing the encounter in every room. Having GM'd up to book 5 in this AP so far, I 'm actually impressed with it and like it (a lot) more than I thought I would but over PbP you have to skip some of the encounters or you will never finish. It's just too dense encounter-wise in some parts.

---

Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Ramenhotep is about to make the same objection as Telka when the devil disappears. "Well, I guess we'll just have to find out for ourselves. I don't know that I like the sound of a rift siphon but let's investigate anyways. I'm sure it will interest the Heidmarches."

Ramenhotep steps around the corner and brings his staff down on the devil!

quarterstaff (two handed): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Once the creature is visible, Ramenhotep advances as he pulls his quarterstaff into a two-handed fighting stance.

Ramenhotep shrugs. "Let's find the rift siphon first then. We can always pit them against each other and let them fight it out for all eternity if we need to."

Ramenhotep takes a nap, as he is wont to do, and reprepares his spells the next morning. Ready! No special shopping for me I think. Partly because I am terribly busy this week.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Sounds good to me.

Diplomacy: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6 Fitting, I suppose. Ramenhotep was kind of an ass to him (her?).

"I believe you have an enemy here. They sent us to kill you. Convince us why we should listen to you instead of them. Tell us what you know of this place. We seek an artifact of great power, as my friend here implied."

"Done." Ramenhotep follows Jordan's advice and opens the other door.

Ramenhotep shurgs as Telka takes the sword from him and hands him a mace. "This I can use."

The Garundi moves in beside Telka and swings the mace at one of the lemures!

light silver mace: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

"I've got a mithral short sword, but I'm not very good with it. Let's proceed. If you want to speak first, go ahead and try."

Once someone points it out to him, Ramenhotep will study the key for a moment.

Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

Detect Magic if necessary.

Knowledge (history): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

"Hrm. This Sihedron is pointed down instead of up. Strange. A mockery perhaps? Or a trap? What do you all think?"

"Are you kidding? Look at these babies!" He flexes his sagging arm. "Come on! Let's go!" Ramenhotep marches alongside Telka.

"Raaahhh!" Ramenhotep turns around with a fire with in his eyes. "Ah ha! Yes!" He stands up straighter and acts as if he were much younger. "Well, that was invigorating! I need to hit something! Work off this. . . this. . . anger! Wrath! Let's go! Join me!"

He gives the others an opportunity to touch the pillar before leading the way down the corridor at the other end of the room.

"Ah! Well this here is Alaznist," Ramenhotep studies the woman on the pillar. "And that other pillar has all seven runelords."

He humphs! and says, "I'm still operating under the theory that this is her-Alaznist's that is-place and therefore she would think that the power lies in herself." He then goes up and fondles the pillar as described previously.

Knowledge (history): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

"I'm not sure but my guess is that a runelord would think that all the power lies in just one, namely their own self."

Ramenhotep goes up and taps on the pillar with the woman with his staff. If that doesn't work, he touches it with his hand and even speaks aloud, "The one!" in Common and Thasillonian.

East is good!

Ah! There's a much easier way to do it! Use the "fog of war" feature, that's exactly what it's for and one of the reasons I love Roll20 so much more than using Google drawings.

I think by default it is not turned on but you can turn it on by highlighting the button between the ruler and the clock that looks like an eye. There is an option to "reveal areas". Highlight what you want the players to see and it will give you a prompt about turning fog-of-war on. Then it will automatically shade everything out except what you just revealed. As the GM you will be able to see everything but the players won't be able to see what it shaded out. You can even use the "Polygon Reveal" feature for irregularly shaped rooms and whatnot.

It's super handy and saves a lot of time compared to making black boxes to cover things up.

Ha! I forgot about this guy! Yes! Our archaeologist had this pet robot for two books until it finally got destroyed in combat and despite their emotional attachment didn't feel it was worth spending a bunch of money to fix him. So sad.

Knowledge (engineering): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Ramenhotep brings the crank along and pats the clockwork on the head. "We'll be back for ya, buddy."

Ramenhotep takes in a breath and asks, "So, should we go back to the entrance and go south like the Suzerain suggested?"

Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

"Hm, whoever worked in here had a particular skill in enhancing potions, particularly those that bolstered the body. Most of it's garbage now though."

Ramenhotep will but his bony old shoulder to the door.

Str aid to someone else: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

I also forgot that Ramenhotep isn't even proficient in short swords. If someone else wants it, take it. Otherwise we can trade it in next time we go to the surface.

"What? Is this Little Erebus? The place we're in now? Some realm...."

"Um, I mean, it's quite nice!" Ramenhotep nods at the voice's demands. "Sounds reasonable enough. I've no problem with it. Let's go find this Lord Baz figure. Where is he?"

Yeah, it's not on his profile but I have the shortsword added on HeroLab. I just figured Ramenhotep couldn't reach it properly around the corner.

Ramenhotep tries to distract the lemure to give Telka an opening.

quarterstaff aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

+2 on Telka's next attack.