Raulzig Turfoodle II's page

Ouch. I personally have gotten used to the slow posting rate and it did not bother me. Most of the games I'm in have slow posting. Having majored in systems engineering, I just took the approach of hiding latency with parallelization - i.e. played in more games concurrently.
The recent board issues did certainly have an effect on me as I primarily rely on RSS to keep me updated and 'Focus' just wasn't doing the job. And RSS does not work yet.

All in all, I'm sorry that this game did not work out for you, Motteditor. Thank you for the time and effort you have invested into it.

Raulzig will listen closely at the door.
Perception: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (15) + 34 = 49
If he hears nothing, he will cast Invisibility and attempt to enter.
Stealth for moving silently: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (14) + 30 = 44

Raulzig will observe the tentacles for a while, and if he concludes they are not aggressive, he will attempt to backtrack and see if there were any other pathways they have missed. He will use the right-hand rule and leave markings on the floor every 30 feet to trace his route, until he finds a door or passage they have not been to.

Good call. Raulzig will rummage through his assorted knowledge too.
Bardic knowledge: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17

Raulzig can do some lantern archons with Summon Monster VI. Maybe together with Lefty we can even get them to fuse. But what did you have in mind for them?

Raulzig reflexively jumps backwards and draws his crossbow upon seeing the arms. Not being able to see Lefty, he cries out "Hey Lefty, can you see it? get back here!"

Sorry for the absence, I'm back
"Wow. Just... wow. I knew that the village was magically frozen, but seeing it is another matter entirely... This sends even more chills through my spine, even though it's chilly here by itself."
Raulzig inspects the wall, checking if there is a way to climb up the cliff face.
Perception: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (12) + 34 = 46
"And those people who were torn away from here - I wonder who needed their bodies and for what purpose... Though maybe I'd prefer not to know."

Sorry, too much going on right now... I'll try to go through the thread and make a post today or tomorrow at the latest. Feel free to GMPC Raulzig if needed.

"This throne seems to suppress all magic. Looks like it was designed to confine someone very powerful, who then broke free together with one of the manacles. I would advise to stay away from it. Are there any other exits?"
Raulzig will start scouring the perimeter of the room for secret doors.
Perception: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (1) + 34 = 35

If anyone here is interested in running a campaign, I am in a Serpent's Skull campaign with pretty good players. We were about 3 weeks in and then the DM just switched the campaign to inactive and said he did not want to deal with the issues. Issues that we have all seen a dozen times on PbP. If anyone is interested, or know someone who wants to DM a Serpent's Skull campaign, please let me know.

Here is the OOC thread for the now inactive campaign.

Serpent's Skull

We have a mwangi elf wizard, a vanara ranger, a human cleric (me), and a human bard(archeologist). If someone wants to take over, we can play with 4 players, this group is decently balanced I think, or pick up 1-2 more.

As I said, we had only played for about a month, so very little has happened and we could easily restart if necessary.

Reflex: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (6) + 21 = 27
His reflexes honed by years of successfully escaping death traps in the tombs of Katapesh, Raulzig slips behind cover at exactly the right moment for the negative energy wave to coast past him harmlessly.

"Speaking of the happy sticks, I have some too!" He offers a fresh CLW wand to Lefty to replace the used one.

Much resources burnt on this one since I assumed the seven humanoid figures will be hostile... well played, DM!

Spellcraft on the breastplates: Take 10=32
Spellcraft on the Throne: Take 10=32
Bardic Knowledge on the Throne: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15

"Was that the seat of Koststchie? I would refrain from trying to sit on it, if anyone has this kind of ideas."

Feeling like he's late to the party, Raulzig shoots a trial bolt into the massive energy sphere, imbuing it with some of his own arcane energy.
Arcane strike, Haste, Deadly Aim, not sure if Point Blank Shot applies
Atk: 1d20 + 24 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 24 + 1 - 4 = 32
Dmg: 1d6 + 4 + 4 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 4 + 8 = 18+1d6 ⇒ 5 fire

Ref1: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (11) + 21 = 32
Ref2: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (8) + 21 = 29
The blasts of cold travel too slow for the hasted gnome, and he easily evades both of them.
Do I have to spend a move action getting into the room, or do we assume it happened in the surprise round?

Actually, not until tomorrow. But I don't have any offensive spells anyway so you can start without me :)
"Let's do it."
Init: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Raulzig sneaks into the room after Lefty.
Stealth: Take 10 = 40
Perception: Take 10 = 44
And immediately retreats to where the rest of the party is.
"Aside from this Undeath sphere, there are seven humanoid creatures waiting in shadows. Looks like an ambush. I suggest we prepare ourselves."
If there is time available before the encounter, Raulzig will cast another Haste and Tactical Acumen on party, and Shocking Image on himself, before re-entering the room.

Raulzig is fascinated with the portable hole and wants to carry it around (along with all the loot we put in it, hehe). Other items do not interest him so much.

Ever the optimist, Raulzig looks a bit disappointed.
"The cunning fiend disappeared just as we were about to serve it its fire-breathing backside on an ice-filled plate. Harumph. I guess I'll have to be less threatening going forward."

He takes interest in the ogre statue, the falchion on the floor and the spot on the north wall it seemed to point to.
Perception: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (9) + 34 = 43

He helps to examine the assorted loot found by Lefty.
Appraise: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (3) + 22 = 25, or just take 10 where possible.
Detect Magic as needed.

Raulzig will reactivate his Luck ability, as a swift action, which will persist for 3 rounds.
Raulzig inches closer to the melee team moving forward to be within 30ft of everyone, likely 3 steps up and 1 step to the left.
and attempts to give second wind to the team by casting Haste.

D'oh. RSS feeds are down AND dots are lost. Extremely annoying.

That's fine; you've got A LOT of spells and abilities to account for :)
Raulzig didn't like to leave the stunned Lefty in the fray, but at least he felt better now that Krokod was near him. He took a step forward, aimed his crossbow and released a barrage of bolts at the devil, hoping to distract him from unleashing his wrath on poor Ryarg.
Luck is still active this round because of the Lingering Performance. Disregarding fire damage as it's immune. Activating Arcane Strike, Rapid shot and Deadly Aim. 5-foot step forward should bring me within 30ft. for Point Blank Shot. I don't think there were any AOE buffs up yet.
Atk1: 1d20 + 24 + 4 - 2 - 4 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 24 + 4 - 2 - 4 + 1 = 41
Dmg1: 1d6 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 4 + 4 + 8 + 1 = 27
Atk2: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (14) + 23 = 37
Dmg2: 1d6 + 21 ⇒ (3) + 21 = 24
Atk3: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (5) + 18 = 23
Dmg3: 1d6 + 21 ⇒ (2) + 21 = 23
Atk4: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30
Dmg4: 1d6 + 21 ⇒ (4) + 21 = 25

I'm guessing the first two hit. Not sure how DR is applied vs a +4 weapon - enough to overcome DR/silver, but not enough for DR/good.

Greater heroism should give Bern immunity to fear, which was the whole point, or did it get dispelled?

Okay, so Raulzig already knows it has some kind of fear aura, fire-based SLAs, stunning blows and regeneration. He'd like to know what kind of elements he's strong and weak to, and also if it has any other special ability.
Raulzig approached the panicking bear and soothed him with a magical touch, inspiring him to do his best to help Ryarg. Greater Heroism on Bern

It won initiative? So its Dex is higher than 22? Uh-oh.
Ref1: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (1) + 20 = 21
Ref2: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (11) + 20 = 31
Remind me, do saves auto-fail on a 1?
Oh yes. Yes they do.
1=Armor, 2=Head, 3=Weapon, 4=Cloak
1d4 ⇒ 4
Does a Cloak of Resistance get its own bonus on saving throws?
Assuming it doesn't: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
But does Raulzig's Improved Evasion apply to the cloak? It takes no damage if yes, and 15 fire damage if no.
I am unable to find the HP for cloaks anywhere. I guess it's up for DM to decide if it is destroyed or not.

The first ball of fire catches Raulzig completely unaware, scathing him. However by the time the second fireball exploded, Raulzig has already moved out of the blast zone with one fluid rolling motion.
"It's a trap!", he shouts the obvious out loud, while wracking his mind for the right spell to the occasion.
Activating Archaeologist's Luck again, 3rd time
Bardic Knowledge: 1d20 + 14 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 14 + 4 = 37 to identify the fiendish creature.
He decides it's best to help his allies figure out how to deal with the monster, and casts a spell over a tattered piece of a map.
Casting Tactical Acumen. Bonuses due to positioning increase by a +3 insight bonus.
Spells left for the day: 2/5/4/5/5/7

"They might be searching for something downstairs. Do we want to explore this level first, or descend now? I think we better send scouts ahead. Me and Lefty can go down first, invisible."

okay, I'd like to know one weakness. Perhaps it would be easier if you chose one at random?
Also I guess the handy haversack wouldn't fit those items?

"This breastplate was enchanted to enhance leadership abilities. Was it one of the leaders of the Kostchtchie-worshippers? If so, where are the others?"
Perception: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (11) + 34 = 45

It's like this creature has been a normal frost giant, but then something... changed it.
Bardic Knowledge: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23
Spellcraft on breastplate: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (18) + 22 = 40
Spellcraft on battleaxe: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (11) + 22 = 33

Just wanted to double check - Clustered Shot means all the damage is pooled together before applying the DR - so that's 80 physical and 14 fire from the four shots, if I'm reading it right.
source

Yeah and Luck persists for 3 rounds, allowing me to use Arcane Strike for another +4 damage if something lives this long... I'm impressed myself :D

"Shouldn't be harder to hit than a Djinni", Raulzig mutters as he drops to one knee and unleashes a volley of bolts in rapid succession, aiming for the spots already scorched by Lefty's rays.
Rapid Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Clustered shot, Haste, Archaeologist's Luck +4, Deadly Aim -4/+8
Atk1: 1d20 + 24 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 24 - 2 + 1 = 25
Dmg1: 1d6 + 4 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 12 = 17 + 1d6 ⇒ 4 fire
Atk2: 1d20 + 24 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 24 - 2 + 1 = 37
Dmg2: 1d6 + 4 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 12 = 22 + 1d6 ⇒ 3 fire
Atk3: 1d20 + 24 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 24 - 2 + 1 = 32
Dmg3: 1d6 + 4 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 12 = 19 + 1d6 ⇒ 3 fire
Atk4: 1d20 + 19 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 19 - 2 + 1 = 29
Dmg4: 1d6 + 4 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 12 = 20 + 1d6 ⇒ 3 fire
Atk5: 1d20 + 14 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 14 - 2 + 1 = 31
Dmg5: 1d6 + 4 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 12 = 19 + 1d6 ⇒ 5 fire

Does Raulzig have to move more than 5ft. in order to have a clear shot of the giant? He has Precise Shot so is not impeded by the melee.

Raulzig auto passes as well
"Thought we can't be the only ones here."
Raulzig will cast Haste, ensuring that the party makes quick work of the giant.

When I encounter an area like this in a video game, I usually end up exploring it snake-like: all the way to the right, one step up, all the way to the left, etc. So my proposal would be to start going to the right.

There are stairs in the right part of the map - do they lead up or down? Same question for the tunnel.

Raulzig cannot fly on his own, so he carefully treads towards the fountain, on the lookout for more objects of interest and hidden dangers.
Perception: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (11) + 34 = 45

I'm gradually getting back into the posting cycle. Don't mind waiting as well.

Coincidentally, my posting is going to be sporadic at least until July 23rd due to RL issues. Take your time Krokod, I hope everyone in your family is going to be well.

How is the golems' DR supposed to work on a mundane crossbow bolts fired from a magical crossbow with a total enhancement bonus of +6?
1. I think the DR 10 shouldn't apply because enhancement bonus of at least +4 negates the DR. Overcoming DR
2. The hardness and HP of a crossbow bolt are 5/5, right? When fired from a magic crossbow, do they gain bonus hardness and hp as magic weapons do? Is only the base enhancement bonus (+4) or the equivalent bonus (+6) taken into account?

Know(Arcana): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24
Not quite sure what he's dealing with, Raulzig intones several arcane words to protect himself. Suddenly, there are 1d4 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 Raulzigs in his place, all shifting and blending into each other. Raulzig will remain 30ft. away from the golems and cast Mirror Image.

Raulzig's curiosity is piqued by the strange and monumental contraption.
He tries to decipher the arcane symbols and the meaning of the whole clock-like structure.
Can the Helm of Comprehend Languages and Read Magic assist in this?
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (19) + 22 = 41
Knowledge History: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (11) + 32 = 43
"It looks like it measures something. Was the waterfall imprisonment supposed to be eternal or temporary?"

Raulzig gathers the phantom horses but does not dismiss them in case they will be needed again.
"The horses will wait for us here for about two and a half hours, should we have to retreat or move somewhere else. So, now that we're all here, should we begin exploring?"
Effortlessly balancing on ice, Raulzig approaches the statues surrounding the large structures and inspects them.
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (8) + 26 = 34
Bardic Knowledge: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (18) + 14 = 32
Perception: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (18) + 34 = 52

The Communal spell duration is divided among targets, so I'd like to know how many steeds are needed. So far it looks like Krokod, St. Germaine, and both Ryarg and Bern will need one, so that's 5 total. Did I miss anyone?

Take 10 on Spellcraft = 32
"Since we couldn't teleport in, the dimension door is also likely to get countered", Raulzig points out to Lefty. He then summons several translucent horses, which seem to hover slightly above the ground. "They should last us a few hours, and they're fast.", he adds proudly.

"Those who need a lift up, raise their hands!"
Raulzig will cast Communal Phantom Steed to gain flying.

"I prefer to think that the luck which keeps me alive is quite smart!", Raulzig winks. "Apart from luck, during the adventures I rely on stealth, skills and misdirection, and my magic is mostly directed to enhance those powers. Everything else can be covered by items." And he meaningfully pats his haversack.
If anyone has any last-minute ideas what kind of situational scrolls or magic items can be grabbed for use with UMD, you're welcome

I have somewhere around 30K to donate to the item pool
Raulzig dashes back into his tent and returns with a haversack and sporting fur-lined winter boots. His light armor still looks unfit for the tundra climate, but he seems unfazed by it.
Looking at Lefty doing arcane preparations, he sighs. "Not sure about you folks, but I feel kinda nostalgic for the times when I had to do the trek from Absalom all the way to Katapesh on carts and donkeys, and the most powerful spell I knew created a greasy puddle... To think it was only a couple of years ago! Amazing."

"... and that, friends, is the story of the immortal Kostchtchie and his Torc. Now, could I please have a glass of water?
Having refreshed himself, Raulzig continues.
"A Torc is a piece of jewelery, like a necklace, I believe. But in this case, it's also a phylactery of sorts. I'm afraid if Kostchtchie gets it, it will significantly shift the power balance of the forces of evil, potentially igniting another Witchwar and bringing more suffering to the common folk.
The ancient Irrisen ballads have conveyed the approximate location and looks of the Necropolis to this day. I can aid in guiding us there."

Raulzig takes 10 on Knowledge (history) for a total of 42 :)

"Excuse my tardiness"
Raulzig hurriedly enters the tent, a gaudy patch on the grim landscape of Mendev. He wears an exotic turban sealed by a large green gem on his head, his armor is almost hiddden under several belts with holders for potions, scrolls, wands and miscellanea, and the shoes end with intricate if perhaps silly-looking spirals curling upwards.

He carefully strafes past the bear and picks up the note, seemingly at ease with Infernal language. Yay for the Helm! :)

Raulzig should auto-pass any knowledge checks DC24 or lower thanks to his Lore Master ability

"Oooh, we're going to Irrisen? I've heard it's mighty cold there! But since Koschtchie has apparently gained a cult of followers, they must be stopped. It never ceases to amaze me why some people worship such entities."

Gear took longer than expected, but it's done now. I also fixed some errors in the character build.
I don't have experience of the high-level play, so I'm afraid I overlooked something quirky but useful in the chase for the big numbers.

Built the character, but haven't selected the gear yet. Will do so tomorrow.

Hello there and sorry, I have somehow managed to miss the final selection! Raulzig will be up and running shortly.

I've made an alias and expanded the background for Raulzig II, but my attempt to stat him up via Hero Lab has failed because I don't currently own the package with the Pathfinder Delver in it, and I'm having issues with my new credit card when trying to buy it.
I was planning to go for Archaeologist 6\PF Savant 1\PF Delver 10, but now I'm thinking to make him straight Archaeologist 17 all the way. I think it will ultimately depend on what's more useful to the party - slightly more skills/UMD/scouting abilities, or more Bard spells. From RP perspective both variants should be equally fitting.