But if they all now pool up in the throne room, placing snipers on elevated and almost unreachable positions, possibly splitting us with a hydraulic portcullis they release after the first 2 people enter, with traps and a spell-buffed chieftain that in sum amount to no less than "Rocks fall"(which would be really smart and what a player would do), then no.
furiously makes notes
Uh-huh, and what else don't you like about smart enemies. Feel free to incredibly specific.
With Hellewen in a position to get a better look at things, she can readily spot the level protruding from the back of the chest. Before she can do more than that, a focused tengu is gently but insistently pushing her aside from the entire arrangement, leaving her to examine the holes in the wall.
Carefully peering into one of the holes--for fear of a dart in the eye--the elf can see quite readily that this isn't something to worry about. And that's because she can see through the hole into the room to the north. Though the size of the hole limits her view, taking a look through the other holes gives her a pretty good overview. The room on the other side is well-lit, has a few pillars and a floor that looks to be a combination of marble and blue tile. It looks completely unlike any of the rough rooms, natural caverns, and hacked out rock chambers that the party has seen thus far.
But far more interesting is the lone kobold she can see part of. And her proximity to the holes also allows Hellewn to hear a soft conversation, in the same unfamiliar language that she heard not too long ago, between at least two other kobolds besides the one she can see.
If you'll look at the map, you'll see the kobold in question.
Kobold Conversation:
"What's keeping them? Zolgran's orders were pretty clear, 'get the fish, bring them back here, don't waste time'."
"I don't know, maybe they're having trouble with the unscaled at the fish place? We've been taking a lot from there lately, and they're not that stupid. They have to have noticed by now, and maybe they did something to stop the fish from being taken?"
"If that happened, Zolgran will lose it. The Great One is almost constantly hungry now, and if we have to leave the caves and go out into the woods to hunt for him, she'll have to scrap her plans for the unscaled and their town. And you know what that means."
"Yeah, less sleep for us and more ranting from her. I like the idea of making the unscaled serve us as much as anyone else, it's what they're meant for and all. But she really needs to relax. Get drunk, f!+# someone, something before she drives one us to run a spear through her."
"Hey now, enough of that! I know how you meant that, but you know what'll happen if someone else hears it and runs back to tell her all about it."
"Right, right. Thanks for the reminder, and for not being the one to go running off like that."
Since Eser isn't here at the moment, I'll do a little botting.
Slipping into the room behind the others, Eser takes in the sight of the mechanical contraption with growing interest. Soon she's pushing past her companions to get a better look. In the process, she opens the chest in an effort to see more of the lever's workings and reveals a bounty of coins, a rolled up bit of parchment, and a small glass box containing an emerald.
Chest Contents:
The chest's contents come out to a total of 214 copper pennies, 22 silver weights, and 3 gold measures in coinage. If the scroll is unrolled, you'll find that it's clearly a spell of some sort; Surla and Pfil both recognize it as a magic missile spell, a staple offensive spell.
The emerald inside the box is quite beautifully cut and should fetch a good price (20 gp), but the glass box itself isn't too shabby either, cunningly made by someone with a lot of skill. You're not quite sure what it's worth, but it'll almost certainly get something to make it worth the effort of keeping intact.
Recall Knowledge DC 16 (Trained Society):
While Absalom accepts copper coinage as currency in transactions, such coins are almost all of foreign minting. Absalom itself only issues copper pennies as rare, limited-time releases to commemorate significant events or noteworthy people.
The copper pennies within the chest are all minted by Absalom and are, going by the dates on them, quite old. Between that, their overall condition--not visibly worn from daily use and protected from the ravages of time--and the infrequency with which such coins are released, it's a sure bet that these pennies are worth more than their nominal value. How much more, however, is dependent on whether or not you can find a collector.
Craft Check:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
"This," she proclaims excitedly after several minutes of poking at gears and carefully manipulating the pulleys. "Is a control for a trap in that other room." Pointing at the lever that Hellewen previously noticed, the tengu continues. "No idea what kind of trap, but this activates it." With that, Eser looks at her companions with an almost puppy-like eagerness. "Let's pull it and see what happens!"
Bugger. Well, as Pfil quite correctly pointed out (and which I had completely overlooked) the kobold did indeed have to pass her successfully. It didn't do that, and thus my evil GM laugh had to go back into storage for another time.
Congratulations Pfil, you're the equivalent of a Lego brick :D.
I'll have you know that I didn't forget at all :D. I was merely deciding what action would be a better choice for the campaign's flow. And you can't prove otherwise :p.
@Eser: That's an interesting method of discussion. Unfortunately, for the kobolds at least, it's really not one that allows for replies.
The targets of Eser's rage are mercifully oblivious to their deaths, both being distracted at the very moment that the flailing club ends their mortal concerns. The last of the trio stares in shocked horror at the mess made of its companions and a stream of rank liquid flows down its right leg to puddle around its clawed feet.
Unfortunately, your planning session is cut short by the sound of breaking wood. For while you've been talking over Gin's information and what to do about it, the undead have been making their way after the fleeing familiar and have reached the barricade that separates you. The first skeleton to encounter the blockage begins to savagely batter it with a worn scimitar, intent on destroying the obstacle and getting to your party.
By the light of the torch--though Hellewen doesn't need it--Rik'tik, Surla, and Hellewen can all easily make out the skeleton mindlessly attacked the wooden barrier. The armor it wears must have been quite something when it was in better condition, for it still bears a remnant of its former splendor, though it's current state is such that it offers virtually nothing in the way of the protection. However, a far more pressing detail is visible to the three, one that Gin didn't have time to see in the brief survey of the room; the skeleton is covered in blood, and the blood is fresh enough that it glistens wetly in the fire's light.
The barricade currently provides lesser cover (+1 AC) to creatures on either side that are in a square with the barricade image. Once the barricade's HP reaches 10 or less, it ceases to provide to this benefit in either direction and instead becomes passable as difficult terrain. Bringing the barricade's HP to 0 makes it passable as normal terrain.
Because of their height, Pfil and Grasz both receive greater cover from attacks over the barricade if either of them are in a barricade square, but the obstacle's height also makes them incapable of attacking targets on the other side from melee (though Pfil specifically could flutter up to the top of the barricade to remedy this). Once the barricade reaches 10 HP or less, they don't gain cover from it, but also don't suffer the melee attack penalty.
@Rik'tik: So I did a stupid and misread Hunt Prey, focusing more on the "tracking during exploration" aspect of the ability and not the "applies to a single creature" aspect. Technically, it shouldn't be usable in the way that you requested and that I approved of, because how will you identify one specific creature among a group of them based on anonymous claw marks?
However, because I believe in more options and not fewer, I'm going to go with a suggestion that I read on a discussion thread about this specific situation.
(Add this bit to your character sheet.)
You can use Hunt Prey to track and find a group of creatures of the same type, gaining the bonus to Perception for seeking and Survival for tracking. Once you find one (or more) of the creatures that you've been tracking, you can designate one of their number as the focus of Hunt Prey abilities that require a specific Hunt Prey target to function, such as Hunter's Edge abilities and feats.
The rat that bit Eser has just enough time to see its death approach and release a terrified shriek--and a bit of poo--in response before the tengu's oversized club strikes it with enough force to split its body open like a piece of overripe fruit and splash the resulting gore across pretty much everything and everyone in the immediate (5 feet) vicinity. The floor where the rat once stood now bears a visible chip in the stone from the club's impact.
You did damned near three times its HP on that attack, I'm invoking the chunky salsa rule :D.
Filth Fever Onset Time (Eser):1d4 ⇒ 4
And, barring treatment between now and then, you'll become a Stage 1 plague bird in 4 hours courtesy of filth fever infection.
It's roughly an hour short of noon and the Otari Fishery is quite a different place from the raucous gathering hall that it was the night before. Last night, the building was filled with the indistinguishable chatter of dozens of patrons, all partaking of one of the varied entertainments that the proprietor offers every night. Games of chance and skill, a couple of bards competing to be heard above the noise (and each other, naturally), and plenty of food and drink.
And tucked away in a relatively peaceful corner, a table with the six of you seated around it--and one crocodile napping beneath, resulting in more than one nervous glance to check its position relative to one's feet--with a complimentary meal and round of drinks spread out before you. The Fishery's owner, Tamily Tanderveil, was quite insistent that you all get to know each other before taking on the job that she was offering. Something about forging bonds that would make you more effective as a team or some such. You're not quite sure how that'll work out, but you at least managed to learn each other's names, and you got a free meal in the process!
Now, however, the main floor is all business. Tables that held games and drinks have been returned to their intended purpose of processing fish, and a steady stream of the day's early catch is already being handled. Scaling, cleaning, and then off to be sold directly in the market or prepared for shipment elsewhere. The air is already thick with the smell of fish, blood, and offal, and you can only give thanks to the divine that it's not one of Otari's humid days, when those smells combine with air that's almost thick enough to chew to make for a truly miserable experience.
But your musing on the hardships of working in the Fishery is interrupted by the steady wood-on-wood *thump* of the Fishery's owner approaching. A short, red-haired human woman of middle-age, with a face bearing a generous scattering freckles and deep-set laugh lines, her most noticeable feature--because she makes an obvious effort to draw attention to it--would be the surprisingly fashionable-looking wooden peg that replaces her left leg from just below the knee. It's the sound of this peg hitting the floor that produces the distinctive sound that catches your attention, and while the prosthetic doesn't visibly interfere with her stride, Tamily does have the rolling gait of someone who's spent more time on the deck of a ship at sea than on dry land.
Not one to waste time on casual chitchat when there's things that need handling, Tamily immediately launches into a brief explanation of why you're all here. "Right, so let me start off by thanking you all, again, for answering when I asked around for some help with this problem of mine." Gesturing with one hand for you to follow, she turns and makes her way to a stairwell heading down, where she leans on the railing and points to the stairs as she resumes speaking.
"And the problem is that I've had my stocks of fish going missing for nearly a month now. A few other things as well, like ships' biscuits, salted meat, and pickled vegetables, but mostly the fish. It started out small at first, enough so that I thought it was just an increase in the population of the usual vermin that I have to deal with. No problem, just put out more bait and traps, maybe hire a ratter to get down there and have a look, right?" The question is clearly rhetorical, because she doesn't wait for an answer from any of you. "But then the loses started increasing, far beyond what any vermin infestation could be responsible for. Thought it might have been the local lightfingers having a go, but their boss swears up and down that it's no doing of theirs, and that no outsiders have been practicing their trade either."
Now the woman's expression shifts of a deep frown, and her tone changes as well, thick with frustration. "Tried to get Captain Longsaddle to assign a few of the guard to have a look down there, but he says it's not going to happen, not sooner or later. He's got nearly every man and woman in armor out protecting the loggers from whatever's giving them grief lately, and the scant remainder working double time to keep Otari protected. Not a body, warm or cold, to spare on his end." As she says this, the frown eases into something closer to what is almost certainly her natural expression of good humor. "But fortunately, I've got more than a few friends here and there, good folks who know other good folks willing to lend a hand. And that's you lot."
Stepping away from the railing, she leans over and pats the lizardfolk on one arm with a friendly smile. "Now Rik'tik here was all set to get down there and have a look for me, but I managed to convince him to wait. Not that I don't doubt he's quite capable, especially with Grasz there helping out," she adds while dipping her head in the direction of the crocodile at the lizardfolk's feet. "But the sheer volume of stock that I'm losing suggests to me that's it's more than what one person and one crocodile can safely handle. So, that's the job then. Go down there, find out what's taking my fish and whatever else I've lost, put a stop to the taking any way that you can, and then come back to tell me about it and collect your pay."
Tamily's expression shifts once more, now serious with a faint hint of regret. "And I'm really sorry to tell you this, but I'm not going to be able to go any higher than the 10 measures (Absalom gold coin) that I've already offered each of you. Between what I've lost in sales from the missing stock and what I'll have to spend on my contribution for the upcoming Founder's Day Festival, I can't afford any more than that right now." With that said, she looks each of you in the eyes in turn and awaits your decision to proceed with the job or back out.
Recall Knowledge DC 10 (Untrained Otari Lore or Society):
The Founder's Day Festival is, as indicated by the name, a celebration of Otari's founding. Lots of food and drink to be had, lots of things to see and hear, and more than one opportunity to win some money.
Recall Knowledge DC 12 (Trained Otari Lore) or DC 15 (Trained Society):
Succeeding at this check also grants the information listed in the DC 10 Recall Knowledge check.
While the Founder's Day Festival as whole celebrates Otari's founding, the events themselves typically celebrate one or the other of the three founders, and their lost comrade for whom the town was named, specifically. Contests dedicated to Vol Rajani or Otari Ilvashti are physical in nature while those celebrating Zarmavdian are for more cerebrally-inclined participants, and Aesephna Menhemes is honored by contests of either sort.
I've started a campaign and managed to break the gameplay thread in such a way that no posts can be made in it. Is there a way to fix this on my own or get it fixed by someone on Paizo's end?
Alright, assuming we're not interrupted by anything like the end of the world, an outbreak of zombie guinea pigs, or the like, I'll be throwing out the first post of the campaign this coming week.
If that's what you want to play? Sure. I'm assuming that you've at least glanced at the AP's player's guide, so you should have an idea of what sorts of characters are suitable, and that you're also aware of the sorts of challenges a sprite would face in melee combat.
If you go with a sprite, are you from the region immediately around Otari, like Varuzhan's character is? If that's the case, feel free to work out with him whether or not your characters are acquainted with each other. (I'm giggling at the mental image of your sprite hitching a ride on his crocodile companion whenever you need to do some serious traveling.)
@Nezari: Come, join us on the Dark Side, we have cookies and a group you're already familiar with :D. Did I mention the cookies?
@Mordred: I don't know what's worse, that you're familiar enough with that particular series to reference it, or that I recognize it myself.
Free Archetypes
I've looked over the Free Archetype optional rule, along with some threads about it in actual use. Since I'm personally a fan of rules options that allow you to get your character just right according to what you envision, I'll allow it, as follows:
You can pick whatever archetype you'd like. Now I'm not familiar with every possible archetype currently available, so if there's any that are restricted by regional origin, race, or organizational membership, you're restricted from picking those unless you meet the requirement.
You need to meet any prerequisites that your archetype feats have (this one should be common sense, but I mention it just to be absolutely clear).
You need to have whatever mandatory minimum number of feats your archetype requires before switching out to another one.
The number of feats that scale based on how many archetype feats you have is limited to half your character level.
Background
As a campaign bonus, I will allow your character to have two backgrounds, one chosen specifically from the AV player's guide and one generic. One of these backgrounds will be your primary and grant the full benefit. The other is your secondary and grants only the skills and skill feat.
If your combination of class and backgrounds all grant the trained proficiency rank in the same skill, you only get to swap out for the trained proficiency rank in a new skill once (as per the core rules for a single background).
If your character is from Otari or the surrounding region, you can pick which background is your primary and which is the secondary. If your character from elsewhere, then the AV background is default secondary, and I'll work with you to explain why you might be in possession of any Otari-specific background elements (though that only appears to be a pair of Lore skills, Otari Lore and Roseguard Lore).
Please note on your character sheet which is the primary and which is the secondary.
@Varuzhan: This means your lizardman can have whatever background you replaced with Scout.
Other Alternate Rules
If you all agree, and I'll need a unanimous decision on this one because of how it affects class HP, I'll also use the optional rules for Stamina and Resolve. If these rules are approved, then Mordred in particular might want to want check out the options this will make available to his sprite bard.
Ability Scores
I'm going with a slight variation of the bog-standard "Roll 4d6 six times and drop the lowest result" rule for ability scores. You still roll six times and drop the lowest result, but any result of 1 is a free reroll.
@Varuzhan: Your lizardman's scores don't look outrageous, so I'll give you the option of keeping them as is or rerolling here.
Starting Origin
As I mentioned in another post, I would like at least one or two characters to be from elsewhere, preferably from Absalom. This is because I have a vague idea for something to do after the AP is concluded (it's only 11 levels worth of advancement), and this builds off of how those outsiders ended up in Otari to begin with.
That said, however, I'm not about to be that one GM in this regard (or, at least, not for my first shot in the role. Save that for later :D), and if you all want to start in the area, that's fine too.
HP 40/42 | AC 17/14/13 | CMD 19 | Fort +5 Ref +7 Will +4 | Per +12 | Init +3;
Class and Skills:
Gunslinger (Pistolero) 4/VMC Cavalier (Dragon) | Acro +9 Climb +8 Heal +9 (+11 stabilize dying), Sense +9;
Combat:
Grit 4/4 | 30 ft. | Melee +6 (rapier/gladius) Melee +6 (mwk morningstar) Ranged +7 (+9 mwk pistol, +8 up to 30 ft., +10 mwk pistol up to 30 ft.) CMB +6;
Really, all Boros can (maybe) do is shoot the thing down. Which, if the bird is what I think it is, is probably a really bad move on Boros' part. So I'm going let people with options not quite as immediately lethal take the lead on this one :D.
HP 40/42 | AC 17/14/13 | CMD 19 | Fort +5 Ref +7 Will +4 | Per +12 | Init +3;
Class and Skills:
Gunslinger (Pistolero) 4/VMC Cavalier (Dragon) | Acro +9 Climb +8 Heal +9 (+11 stabilize dying), Sense +9;
Combat:
Grit 4/4 | 30 ft. | Melee +6 (rapier/gladius) Melee +6 (mwk morningstar) Ranged +7 (+9 mwk pistol, +8 up to 30 ft., +10 mwk pistol up to 30 ft.) CMB +6;
Kith Jeova wrote:
Hate to do this but to keep things going here I think I'll have to bow out. I'm going through like three major life events simultaneously and I'm finding zero brain space to even check in. I hope things will settle down in a few months and then maybe Kith can join again as I do enjoy the game. Will understand if that's not possible.
This is a pretty extreme way of avoiding more swarms bleeding you to death :p.
But seriously, hope things get better for you, and soon.
HP 40/42 | AC 17/14/13 | CMD 19 | Fort +5 Ref +7 Will +4 | Per +12 | Init +3;
Class and Skills:
Gunslinger (Pistolero) 4/VMC Cavalier (Dragon) | Acro +9 Climb +8 Heal +9 (+11 stabilize dying), Sense +9;
Combat:
Grit 4/4 | 30 ft. | Melee +6 (rapier/gladius) Melee +6 (mwk morningstar) Ranged +7 (+9 mwk pistol, +8 up to 30 ft., +10 mwk pistol up to 30 ft.) CMB +6;
So I've been carefully picking apart Boros to get the VMC bits out of his sheet, and I'm surprised to learn that it didn't do a whole lot of anything for me. At this point in the game, all I got from it was +1 bonus to melee attacks (but only for allies) when threatening a target of a challenge (which I got to use a whooping 1/day).
In the (distant) future, I would have gotten two free teamwork feats that I could share the benefits of.
From adding wizard, I get a few new class skills but only Spellcraft matters, and no ranks in that just yet. BAB and HP are gunslinger, but I pick up a +2 increase to Will saves )Mordred, I know you want to stage the acquisition of the Wizard levels, but can I add the full save right off the bat to avoid any record keeping mishaps? Because I'm just about certain that we'll forget otherwise).
And for class features, I get arcane gun, the Gunsmithing feat (which I already have, so no benefit there), mage bullets (and lose all cantrips, but add read magic and detect magic to my list of 1st level spells known, and school of the gun (which makes Divination, Enchantment, Illusion, and Necromancy his opposition schools; this is a little funny because both of the two cantrips that he can cast as 1st-level spells are now in an opposition school, and by the rules not actually castable until he gains his second gestalt level and can pay the doubled slot cost :D.).
I also get a single 1st level spell per day to cast, and 5 1st level spells known, increasing to 2 1st level spells and 1 2nd level spell spell per day and 2 additional 1st level spells and 2 2nd level level spells known. Those spells known will be (in order chosen) shield, abundant ammunition, magic missile, alchemical tinkering, caster's fortune, fabricate bullets, damp powder, full pouch, and cat's grace.
HP 40/42 | AC 17/14/13 | CMD 19 | Fort +5 Ref +7 Will +4 | Per +12 | Init +3;
Class and Skills:
Gunslinger (Pistolero) 4/VMC Cavalier (Dragon) | Acro +9 Climb +8 Heal +9 (+11 stabilize dying), Sense +9;
Combat:
Grit 4/4 | 30 ft. | Melee +6 (rapier/gladius) Melee +6 (mwk morningstar) Ranged +7 (+9 mwk pistol, +8 up to 30 ft., +10 mwk pistol up to 30 ft.) CMB +6;
Appreciate the offer Mordred, and I believe I will accept it. But I'm not going to make any changes to the character sheet until I 1) fully untangle the VMC Cavalier bits from the rest and make sure the numbers afterward are all correct before adding the gestalt Wizard bits on; 2) come up with a good in-game explanation for wanting to acquire wizard-y skills (not too difficult, given how dead useful it is and Boros being a pragmatist willing to use the tools he can get, but I have to balance that against the Alkenstar mindset about magic); and 3) work out where and how Boros gets a second gun (because remember that Thrune's goons took everything except Boros' personal piece in that raid); it would probably be built by Boros, since Gunsmithing does allow for it.
Oh, and also what kind of gun. Right now, I'm leaning toward dragon pistol for a scattergun-type weapon that will still benefit from TWF and his existing pistolero archetype, but an air repeater is mighty tempting for range and not needing powder. And, based on experience with actual air rifles, it'd probably be a whole light quieter to shoot than a regular gun, which opens the prospect of stealth)-ish) sniping with a scope attached :D.
On the subject of guns, I'm also still interested in modifying said personal piece to have more shots available. And I've got some rather interesting ideas thanks to a series called Forgotten Weapons on YT. One is a Colette gravity pistol, the other is a Guycot chain pistol. The latter might be pushing it for "early" in terms of firearms, but the former is definitely in the appropriate tech range.
@Miranda: I know about the lack of early spells, which is fine. I'd be more in it for utility spells and (if it goes far enough) Craft Wand. Because even without spells to shoot, I can feed spells into the gun(s) for enhancement bonuses and weapon abilities, and nothing says a wand can't supply the spells instead of me directly.
I don't know about getting spells past 4th level though, that'd require upping my Int score, and since I planned to dump my increases into Dex as they come--you know, the whole light armor/shoot-y gun/fineese-y blade thing--I don't know that dumping two of those points into Int is a great idea. Plus, it would require giving up a lot more gunslinger levels and their bonuses, at which point it wouldn't really be a dip any more.
With the gestalt being available, I could either cut off the dip with just two class levels at Wiz 5 (get my item feat then), push two more levels to Wiz 7 and get my lone 4th level spell, or go the full 5 levels that I'd been considering and (with the gestalt's 3 added in) get the full allotment of castable 4th-level spells.
HP 40/42 | AC 17/14/13 | CMD 19 | Fort +5 Ref +7 Will +4 | Per +12 | Init +3;
Class and Skills:
Gunslinger (Pistolero) 4/VMC Cavalier (Dragon) | Acro +9 Climb +8 Heal +9 (+11 stabilize dying), Sense +9;
Combat:
Grit 4/4 | 30 ft. | Melee +6 (rapier/gladius) Melee +6 (mwk morningstar) Ranged +7 (+9 mwk pistol, +8 up to 30 ft., +10 mwk pistol up to 30 ft.) CMB +6;
You know, I might have to do a bit of a dip next level up, because I just learned about the Spellslinger wizard archetype. Which is basically the gunslinger but with magic.
Let's see, I'd have to have four opposition schools, so Divination, Illlusion, Necromancy, and Enchantment; Boros wouldn't give up the damage potential of Evocation, the protection of Abjuration, or the utility of Conjuration and Transmutation.
Use the granted gun proficiency for a rifle, and then the Arcane Gun class feature for the rifle and his existing pistol. The rifle would either be a cylinder rifle (for more shots) or an air repeater (for less powder use), subject to Mordred's approval. Since it'd be very much a secondary weapon, no feats spent to tweak it up (like Far Shot, for example). On the other hand, though, I could keep it short-ranged and go with something like a blunderbuss or (to keep pistolero benefits in effect) a dragon pistol.
Intelligence isn't his best stat, but sufficient for a dip. It'll still get him 5 1st-level spells of his choice, one of which will definitely be abundant ammunition. Then shield, magic missile, alchemical tinkering, and crafter's fortune. Via scroll, damp powder, fabricate bullets, longshot, and weaken powder. All of which he would be able to cast via wands too, so that's a nice advantage.
Even just the one level would be (IMO) a good dip, but I could extend it as far as level 5. It'd cost two combat feats for one magic feat (which would definitely be Craft Wand), the last tiers of Deeds, Nimble, and Gun Training, and True Grit (though I'd lose True Grit and a feat in any case for the single level dip). But I'd get a more spells/day and up to 3rd level as well. Some good utility spells there, along with the classics like fireball and lightning. And a surprising amount of gun-related (or -inspired) spells too.
Man, if this had been an option when I was making Boros, I'd have definitely picked gestalt as my creation choice instead VMC.
At least not for that kind of game. I'd expect that from Saints Row, and it would be fun, but not here.
Here's hoping they refine some of these things in the next few months, before I pick it up :D
Well, after about 50 hours of messing around, building up, and just generally figuring things out, I finally got around to finishing the first act. Wow. I got so into the story that the appearance of the Cyberpunk title at a certain point was actually jarring, because it reminded me that all of this was just a prologue for the rest.
I know you might want polish in the game (Mordred & Kith), and I can understand why. But nonetheless, if you have an opportunity to get and play it sooner, do it! Without throwing spoilers, I can't say anything more than that this has got be the some of the best game money I'll have spent this year.
Middle Age: 20 years
Old: 30 years
Venerable: 40 years
Maximum: 40 + 1d20 years
Sorcerer is an intuitive class, so she would have hit level 1 between 13-16 years old.
How many years younger than you was Ruza?
'Ruza was at least 15, having just finished up her own training (we'll handwave her starting age to be the lowest possible for a half-orc fighter) and considered "ready" for adventuring by Armant and Alezra.
Niyut wrote:
Hmmm, given that Garidan is 20 and his bio-mom died in birth and knew Alezara, that would be 20 years ago, which would place her at least at 33 likely around 40 given that she was already an establish adventurer when she moved to the valley.
That would very old for an orc, perhaps she discovered some method of slowing the effects of the aging process in all those ruins she explored?
That could account for her appearing around half her actual age?
Valjoen_GM wrote:
EDIT: Sorry chaos at my house this afternoon with the wife and kiddo. I thought you were talking about Prisca. She is human, but I inadvertantly marked her as orc. Alezra, Ruza's mother and Garidan's step-mother is a Nightblood.
Or some lifespan shenanigans courtesy of being Nightblood--and potentially something else besides--as Valjoen has confirmed she was. Possibly a little bit of all of those things.
Lol, this rather interesting, a background element put in while overlooking just one or two details, and it turns into something with a lot of potential.
Niyut wrote:
Garidan Vissir wrote:
Niyut wrote:
I doubt that the ioun torch was made in the First Lands, since Garidan found it in the Bright Tower.
Honestly, who knows who made it? When you are a godling pretending to be an immortal, human wizard, you tend to collect things.
Wouldn't the Nightblood, with their blatant (and literal) ancestor worship be the likeliest to have some means of knowing when kin are around, even if said kin is just a bit corporeally- and respiration-challenged at the time? Maybe even especially under those conditions?
Yes, kin definitely. Origins of random ioun stone housing the wayward spirit of one of their descendants? Probably a harder ask. Though, that creepy, female vampire seems to have some strong divination skills, so maybe she could tell you that too.
I don't know about you, but if I was leading the Nightblood and had a creepy diviner handy, I'd put said diviner to work sussing out knowledge and secrets regarding the little pack of scrappy adventurers I was going to be using for my work. If she's capable, and has some good sources, she could probably learn all about Garidan's little possessed ioun torch, and just who and what its possessor is.
And if Alezra did part from the Nightblood on account of some embarrassing--or, as you put it to my considerable amusement, super awkward--heritage issues, then having her daughter pop up (in any form) would probably merit a little bit of interest, right?
Yeah, she was indeed full orc, because 'Ruza was a half-orc. Well then, that's an interesting background tidbit resolved there. Of course, now I'm wondering if there's any of her relatives left among the Nightblood, and if any them maybe can recognize what that ioun torch actually is.
I know that you have been interested in bloodline abilities in the past.
We also know that her ability to use [Light] sorcery comes from her mother. "The ioun torch can cast a single spell with the ‘light’ descriptor from the sorcerer’s spell list (as this ability comes from Ruza’s mother, Alezra Sharpwit)."
We also have examples of Essences and Curios adding to spell lists. (My wand, Truk's holy symbol, etc)
I think it would be possible to awaken the Solar bloodline within Ruza since if her mother's magic was light based that's the closest bloodline. An Evocation Essence might add the Solar Bloodline spells to the list she can cast and give those spells for her the [Light] descriptor.
A Fire Essence could imbue her with the Bloodline Arcana. With Life Essences you could give her Bloodline abilities of that bloodline. (Which she could then share with you.)
Now you might not be interested in such a development. (Fair enough!) But, I believe it would be mechanically and thematically possible.
Oooo, this is nifty. It keeps to the supporting aspect of the spellcasting, it works with a couple of other abilities she has (via Garidan or innately)--like adding the [fire] descriptor to any spells she casts, which the Bloodline Arcana could then trigger off of--and it does have a nice thematic element to it all.
FYI, 'Ruza's magic having the [light] descriptor? That's actually a consequence of her vessel being an ioun torch--that was discarded since it wasn't working properly any longer--once upon a time; the spellcasting comes from mom, the [light] element from the torch. I'm sure there's some suitably dense magi-babble explanation that could be cooked up and slapped on it :D, but that's the gist of it.
Still, it doesn't actually negate your heritage suggestion either. If Alezra maybe had something in her background that the rest of the tribe didn't approve of, it could have provided both an impetus for her eventually parting ways and the fascination with old ruins that resulted in her repeated encounters with Armant; she was looking specifically for information that wouldn't otherwise be readily found among the various groups in the First Lands.
Then the Shaping, a literal magical cataclysm, happens and all manner of f+@#ery occurs as a side-effect; bound souls being one notable example. 'Ruza's soul ends up stuffed into a busted ioun torch, and various things--the Shaping, her own magical heritage, the lingering magic in the torch--enable her to push little squirts of specific magic out from time to time. Eating essences along the way (omnomnomnom) strengthens and expands the magic available, but there's still a soul in there and that has an effect on things too, and if that soul should just so happen to have a little (unknown) taint of the extraplanar somewhere on it as well...
30 ft. (30 ft.) | Melee +6/+2/+5 (r/sw/k, lm, b) Full Attack +4/(-0) +3 (r/(sw), k, lm) Full Attack +4/(-0) +3/-4 (r/(sw), k, lm/b)| CMB +5 (+6\7 disarm); weapon cord attached: #1 Yes (rapier), #2 No
Quick checklist of things to make sure we handle before getting back to the fight.
1) Antiplague dose and Fort saves against the disease. If Valjoen will allow it, I'll further bolster everyone with resistance; in light of how utterly crap some of our rolls have been, I fully expect we're going to need every last bit of help to not die diseased :p.
1a) Rest up enough to at least get Kayin's fatigue timer done with. I have to admit, this is proving to be a nasty little drawback.
2) Identify and apportion the essences. Since there's three essences and just the three of us now, I'm guessing no one would object to a straight split of one each?
3) Decide who does what in the next fight. Kayin is probably switching to longspear, because archery is better left to someone like Titan who, you know, doesn't suck at it.
@Chloe: If Alias gets approved for the campaign, Valjoen will work with him to create a suitable and mutually acceptable alternative to any class features that conflict with the campaign's rules. Same goes for any other characters that have such features.
And here's the next one, just one more to go and I'm caught up! It'll probably be later today or (more likely) tomorrow though. These take an absolutely beastly amount of time to write up, as I have to read through the entire game thread for reference.
Entry #5: Plateau, Plains, & First Haemil:
14th of Selefis, 7995 E.C.
It took some days of travel to reach the plateau mentioned at the end of the prior entry, and that time was mercifully free of any trouble or excitement. Niyut and Gruskorb finally overcome the lingering effects of the ant venom on the road, with a bit of help from the former’s magics. The last rest before we made our ascent, Niyut once more shared with us some her people’s lore, a curious blend of history and cautionary tale that I believe will have relevance soon enough. I do hope that Malthazir and Gruskorb recall the story, otherwise we may find trouble that we don’t need. But that’s another matter, back to my recounting. After our rest, we scouted the plateau’s base, hoping to come across a proper route up its face, and fortune smiled upon us, sort of. We did find such a route, but the top was warded by a modest defensive position, and that position had been taken over by the gnolls.
We had come across sporadic evidence of their presence since arriving in the area, so we weren’t entirely unaware of them, but finding them squatting in a keep that had likely belonged to Haemil not too long ago was an unwelcome revelation. Still, they appeared to be unaware of us, and we decided to make use of that fact to assault the keep and wipe them out. A bold action, to be sure, but a necessary one. We didn’t know the region well enough to seek alternative routes up, never mind what mess the Shaping may have made of those routes, and every moment we spent searching was a moment when something else could find us instead. We quickly worked out a plan and began our assault, Malthazir’s magic granting me flight to approach and attack from above with Niyut, a direction from which the gnolls were sure to be caught by surprise. While we occupied them, the others would finish their own ascent with Tacal in tow, then join us via the gate (which Niyut and I would have hopefully swept clear of defenders by that time).
The initial attacks were quite successful; the gnolls were unaware of our approach and we sowed much confusion and death with our opening attacks, she with her spells and I with flasks of alchemist’s fire roughly aimed and dropped onto targets below. The latter tactic, though it shows potential, wasn’t terribly effective and I resigned myself to having to get in close and start stabbing things. However, an unanticipated option made itself known to me at that point. I learned that my rapier—once my birth mother’s weapon, and something I cherish deeply as one of the few things left of her—had gained a rather intriguing attribute from the sundry essences it had absorbed after our arduous slog through the Tower of Necromancy. With the proper motion and a bit of will, I can direct shards of bone to form around the blade and hurtle at a distant target. The shards don’t go very far, and their accuracy grows abysmal at about half of their effective range, but it’s certainly a very useful trick to have available, albeit an odd one due to the bone aspect. (I also learned that I can launch a shard that rapidly expands into a cage-like lattice of thick bones upon striking the target, restraining it where it stands. Subsequent battles have demonstrated that the target’s size is immaterial; the cage will always be just large enough to contain it fully. Forming one of these cages seems to put a heavy burden on whatever magic lies behind the ability, however, and I can only do so once before the magic temporarily exhausted.) Thus armed with the ability to strike at a distance with a weapon I know better than any other, I stayed in the air and hurled osseous fragments downward.
Though I wished otherwise, the gnolls didn’t remain confused and helpless for very long. Reinforcements boiled out of the keep’s various buildings, and balance shifted to something a bit more in their favor. Among their number were several archers who were quite intent on using me as an archery butt, and I found it prudent to descend and engage further targets in my usual manner. At the same time, Niyut managed to foil an effort to signal the keep’s situation to other gnolls, and even Malthazir contributed with the timely intervention of a summoned servitor. Outside, Truk’tosh and Gruskorb—the latter momentarily sidetracked by dealing with a gnoll who’d followed us up the path—finished the lengthy ascent. Dealing with what few foes remained before me, I decided to ensure that any further efforts at signaling were blocked and relocated to the unlit signal fire. At that point in the fight, I suffered what might have been a rather fatal mishap. Distracted by a brilliant flash of light elsewhere in the keep, I missed a stroke against a gnoll and managed to lose my grip on my rapier. I recovered it quickly enough, but that could ended very badly for me.
As it was, the gnoll attempting to light the fire very nearly managed to do so in my moment of distraction, my shards punching into its back just as it reached the stacked wood with torch in hand. Had that torch fallen from its lifeless grip one way instead of the other… Of course, other gnolls were more than willing to make the effort in the fallen one’s place, and I quickly found myself engaging in a desperate defense of the signal fire, struggling to keep it unlit and keep’s circumstances unknown for the moment. Malthazir, who had rendered himself invisible for the duration, once more provided a servitor that proved quite helpful in that matter. At the gate, Truk’tosh and Gruskorb made the acquaintance of the gnoll commander, whom Niyut had literally thrown out of the keep and who was attempting to flee as his subordinates were cut down. I didn’t witness their fight myself, but the duo managed to bring him down with only single wound—which was, admittedly, quite a serious one—taken between them.
Though I despise the mangy beasts, I’ll reluctantly give them what little credit is their due, because even when the keep was obviously ours and the smart choice—futile though it would have been in the end—would have been seeking escape, the last gnoll still standing and otherwise unrestrained instead made for that signal fire. It failed, however, in part due to the surprising intervention of my sister, of all people! She managed to seize control of the magic infusing her vessel and reshape it into something very like an actual spell. The effort was apparently quite draining, as she couldn’t do it more than once, but it caught the gnoll by surprise and left it open just long enough for me to dispatch it. After that, we spent a few moments putting down stragglers, and the keep was ours, with none but us and the dead gnolls aware of its fall! In searching the keep afterward for whatever remained that might be of use to us, the gnoll commander’s weapon was revealed to be an item with a considerable amount of power in it, though neither Malthazir or Niyut were able to exert any control of the magic within the weapon, and it remains little more than a trophy in Truk’tosh’s possession as of this journal entry. A message recovered from one of the fallen and translated with a bit of magic also revealed that the gnolls are, in a distant way, aware of us now. They don’t seem to know our purpose or goals, but are watching for us, a worrisome prospect.
In the time afterward, as we recovered from the short but brutal fight, Malthazir put at our disposal a particular skill of his. I had no use for it myself, and so declined the unexpectedly generous offer. Niyut accepted, however, and the pair spent a fair bit of that rest period doing whatever it was that Malthazir made possible, with Truk’tosh standing guard over them as Gruskorb and I patrolled the walls. I still don’t know the full measure of what Niyut learned there, save that some of her and Truk’tosh’s clan still survived, but it was apparently enough for her. Following that rest, we discussed the best way to cross the plains between the keep and Haemil, which were sure to occupied in force by the gnolls if their hold over the keep was any indication. It was decided that stealth and speed were the tools by which we’d make our way, with whatever assistance magic could render up. Almost immediately, we were forced to come up with rather innovative means of leaving the keep’s vicinity, as it was being approached by a group who were apparently there on schedule, and close enough that we wouldn’t have been able to successfully evade them by normal means. We got past them, and hastily left the area before they came upon our work and raised the inevitable alarm.
In our crossing, we came across more than horrid monument to the gnolls’ seizure of the plains, with the remains of Haemil’s soldiery displayed as crude trophies to the gnolls’ victories. And the gnolls themselves were in evidence as well, with ever-larger groups nervously avoided as Haemil drew closer. Eventually, we reached a point where we up to the horde itself—and I fervently pray that it was the main body, and not merely a subgroup, for its numbers were dismayingly large—and we once more settled in to plan how best to get past. Briefly entertaining the idea of trying to cut straight through, sanity prevailed and it was decided that swinging around the horde was the safer option. Niyut, with some inspired input from the rest of us, decided that her illusions would be our best bet, and she cloaked us in the seeming of gnolls (with Tacal taking on the role of an ogre, something that makes me smile to think of now). It was, to my surprise, a fairly effective plan of action; we were confronted by gnolls once, but Niyut’s illusions and fast talking—and a nasty magical slap when one of the gnolls apparently tried to pull rank on her--got us safely past the small band. That was the only encounter we had with anything, thankfully, and we drew closer to Haemil
There was, however, still one major obstacle to overcome before Haemil itself could be reached, in the form of a vast split in the land. It didn’t take long at all to realize that this was no natural feature, but a far more recent thing, as we all gazed downward at the vast sea of stars now separating us from the chunk of land that was our destination. It was awesome, in a terrible way, to look upon the aftermath of the Shaping’s power, to see the shattered fragments of the world itself and realize that, no matter how successful our task for Baerwynnd might be, this was likely to be a permanent thing. Children would grow up hearing stories of an unbroken world, and wonder that such a thing ever existed. Soon enough, nearly everyone who knew what the world used to be like would be dead and gone, and this would be considered normal by those that came after.
Still, whatever state the world was in now, it could get quite a bit worse if we didn’t step right along, so we each did whatever was needful to get ourselves under control and back on the task at hand. A quick of the area where we’d noted some unusual lights showed that the gnolls had somehow managed to bridge the gap and were funneling an army across that span to engage with Haemil’s remaining defenders. That route was, obviously, not available to us, but where mundane means failed, magic prevailed. We all took to the skies again and made the nerve-wracking crossing to the next landmass with no mishaps. And almost immediately upon landing, we stumbled into one of those fights between the gnolls and the horselords. I admit to reluctance to engage in yet another fight, but it was the right thing to do in the end, and our arrival made all the difference for those soldiers, who were in the process of being overwhelmed. I’ll spare the details of that fight, save to say that even with our aid, nearly all of the soldiers still perished before it was over with. It was hard fought, and all those who survived did so with injuries of varying severity; if weren’t for restorative magics preventing scars, I’d probably look like a patchwork quilt by now with all of the wounds I’ve suffered up to this point.
The aftermath of that skirmish was our introduction one Captain Foramdar, a man we’d fight alongside of at a later time. He guided us most of the way to Haemil—only leaving our company when his need for haste finally overcame the best pace our group could manage--and proved instrumental in smoothing our way past the usual barriers meant to stall people like us in seeing the people we absolutely needed to see in Haemil. And Haemil itself was something to see, even now. The drawings and paintings that depict it really don’t capture the full grandeur of the city, and none of them can convey that peculiar feeling that comes when you finally grasp the fact that Haemil was built to a scale for use by something quite a bit different in size than the mortals that make it their home. I do wish we’d had the time to properly enjoy the sights, diminished though they were in the wake of the Shaping, but more pressing matters took precedent, and Haemil’s king himself awaited us. Before that meeting could occur, we were intercepted by the very Hazard we’d come here for, Rhykal, who explained to us that she had things to do in Haemil before she’d give any thought to answering Baerwynnd’s call for assistance. And yes, she knew what the First Hazard required of her, for a tenuous line of communication had been established between Haemil and Talanor. That was, in a word, aggravating to learn. We’d struggled across the distance between Pyrae’s corpse and Haemil, and still come in second to Baerwynnd’s direct contact by a matter of some hours. It turned out that her aid was conditional on the continued safety of what remained of Haemil’s population, and she wouldn’t consent to leave so long as that was in doubt. It eventually came out that there was a way to ensure that, but it required something that she didn’t actually have on hand, as well as the cooperation of Calledrym’s local clergy to actually make use of. Even learning that there was a message for me personally, delivered by the griffon that I’d talked out fighting us to the death for Tacal, wasn’t enough to distract me from this unwelcome news.
Our meeting with King Helluddar Krogen XIX was, to put it bluntly, not a good one. We were tired, worn down from the tension and danger imposed by our crossing of the plains, and no doubt some of us—myself for certain--were more than a little put out at the prospect of having to fetch and carry on Rhykal’s behalf before she’d consent to do what was needed of her. Having his majesty then speak to us as though we were something tracked in on the bottom of a boot and smeared across his floor did little for our manners (mine in particular, I’m ashamed to admit). It didn’t help in the least that I’m not very adept at the sort of social interaction that others do as a seeming matter of routine, a legacy of my childhood. I can sort of manage the basics, but it never feels natural to me, and my usual blunt manner doesn’t stay restrained for long. Acceptable with most of the people that I meet, not so much with royalty (not that I’d ever planned on meeting any to begin with, but I still should have held my tongue under better control). We avoided censure for our conversational missteps, however, and secured permission to go chasing after the key needed to activate the Circle of the Whispering Wind, an ancient means of transportation over long distances, and the only thing capable of evacuating Haemil in any sort of reasonable timeframe.
Yet again, an entry has grown well beyond what I’d intended to put down. No matter how I resolve to be concise, I cannot prevent the inevitable addition of details that I feel are necessary to the record I’m making. I suppose the next entry will be similarly bloated, regardless of my intentions when I begin writing it.
This is a long one, lol. Enjoy, and the next entries will be later this weekend.
Entry #4: Tower of Necromancy & Kragenwood:
14th of Selefis, 7995 E.C.
Well, as noted by the heading of this newest entry, I now know what the date is, and what the date of the disaster was as well. It requires little enough calculation to figure out the difference between those two and come up with how long we've been at our quest in days and weeks, though the timing of specific events and occurrences is still beyond my reckoning for the most part.
My previous entry had us just outside of Pyrae, preparing to seek out the Hazard of Necromancy said to be there. Well, he was indeed present within what remained of the city, and the city itself was a nightmarish ruin, with undead swarming mindlessly around the keep from Pyrae was once ruled and which appeared to be one of the few remaining concentrations of survivors to be found there. The defenders did their very best, from what little we could make out across the distance between us and them, but Sivantanpisil made it clear upon meeting him after our success within the Tower that few enough of those folk made it away from Pyrae alive in the end.
The search through the Tower of Necromancy for Stoorjian's Staff was a trial that pressed us quite sorely. We very nearly failed to overcome the guardians presented within the entry chamber, for a start. Two massive, mindless constructs of bone barred our passage, and while we all had some problems with overcoming their impressive durability, I myself had particular issue; my fighting style matched poorly against those things, and I had to resort to literally flailing about with a flail to actually damage them. If Malthazir hadn't dropped one into a pit created by his magic, effectively taking it out of the fight for a few precious moments, I think we would have all died right then and there. Still, we did eventually manage to get by them, between raw physical power from Truk'tosh, the magic of Niyut and Malthazir, and--thanks to a bit of foresight on my part before we ever entered that place--some of the various alchemical implements I had acquired in Eastgate.
At this point, my sister oh-so-helpfully reminds me that I managed to slip and fall into the damned pit with the second golem, which made ample use of that opportunity to beat me quite nearly to death. I wasn't conscious to witness it myself, but she tells me that Niyut was utterly ruthless in pounding it with that magical snow blast that she likes to use, and dispatched it before it could anything more. If it hadn't been Malthazir applying that ooze of his, I doubt I would have recovered quite as quickly as I did.
Following that fight, we pressed cautiously onward to find a rather nasty and clever trap barring further progress. The trap itself was a descending ceiling that reached quite nearly to the floor itself before stopping; there was unpleasant evidence that a couple of unknown souls had learned of that function the hard way. I shudder to think of their fate, forced to choose between the golems that were undoubtedly waiting just outside of that chamber, and the ceiling pressing further down with each breath taken. Whoever they were, I hope that their passing was quick, and I thank them for the gift that one unknowingly made to me of the armor that I currently own. Though it was somewhat battered as a consequence of that trap, my sister's bequeathed skills at the forge were sufficient to restore it, and I now wear a breastplate of fine mithral. As to the trap itself, we managed to discern the way past it, but it proved quite bothersome when we had to get Tacal past it; maneuvering several hundred pounds of leery, only marginally cooperative ox past that was no easy task. And even then, we were forced to abandon the little cart that had served us up to that point, along with the least useful portion of the things we had somehow accumulated as supplies. I don't doubt that Tacal, now burdened to his limits as the primary bearer of our needful things, missed that cart just as much as I still do.
Yes, 'Ruza, it was just a cart. But it was ours, we killed those undead rats to get it, hauled it through what was quite possibly the worst route through Eastgate at the time, and all the way to that miserable Tower. No doubt lugging it around through all of the places that we went to afterward would caused more than a few problems as well. Doesn't change the fact that I still want that cart back.
Still, complaints aside, the trap was bypassed and we pushed onward and upward into the Tower's interior. We soon learned that the Tower's original master had imbued additional things with an animating energy, and some select few of those with a measure of intellect as well. Ghurlehz, as the thing named itself to us, was apparently some manner of personal servant, set to keep the Tower's living areas in order. Careful--and polite--questioning of Ghurlehz led us a library full of interesting tidbits, some of which we laid claim to for our own us. We also found another of those damnable constructs, a nasty little thing that was unwholesomely fast, vicious, and just as much trouble to put an end to as the larger ones we'd met down below. After patching up a new array of wounds, we continued further and found yet another dangerous puzzle to overcome.
This was apparently some form of waste disposal, rather than a dedicated trap, though it served quite handily in the latter role in any case. With Niyut and Gruskorb caught inside the chamber as it sealed, the rest of us were left to figure out how to release them. We couldn't accomplish that feat before the chamber released a new threat in the form--a term I use loosely, all things considered--of an ooze commonly known as a 'gelatinous cube'. But Malthazir came up with a solution, summoning one of his varied servants to dig a tunnel through to the chamber, through which we quickly passed to engage the thing. Once again, my particular form of combat proved quite ineffective, and magic proved the more viable solution. Gruskorb had, in the meantime, figured out the door mechanism, and we quickly moved through the chamber as whatever mechanism drove it reset and prepared to go into action again.
Beyond that point, we found--no surprises here--yet another puzzle to stymie our progress. Stoorjian was quite the paranoid in life, apparently, if this constant array of traps and tricks was any indication. Still, we overcame it with a bit of skill and careful consideration, and moved further on into the Tower. The newest chamber entered had a sarcophagus within it, and the occupant of that resting spot was apparently not quite done with life just yet, as we all learned upon disturbing its slumber in the course of removing the sarcophagus' lid. A mummy, as I later learned it to be, emerged and engaged us in a short and vicious battle. Though it managed to briefly stun Malthazir and Gruskorb with its appearance, it proved little match for Niyut, Truk'tosh, and myself.
And again, onward. Truly, I have to come to hold a special loathing for the Tower of Necromancy, for it was a repeating array of traps and threats seemingly without end, as we learned when we came up to the entryway of a rather nauseating chamber strung with dead bodies still in a state of decay even as another body reduced to little more than bone lay on the floor. The oddity of this--bodies still rotting, but one a skeleton--put us all on our guard, and that proved quite fortuitous on our part when the rotting bodies demonstrated their true nature as undead, lying in wait for prey. Though the creatures, ghouls, managed some minor successes against us early on, our wariness let us answer their attempted ambush with ruthless speed and force. It took but a moment to dispatch all four of the things to a permanent rest, and we carried on with our search after seeing to what few wounds we'd taken. Still, while we were so far succeeding in our push, it was proving to be quite draining on all of us, and there wasn’t a one among our number who relished the prospect of possibly having to seek rest in that trap- and monster-filled puzzle-maze.
Fortunately, this looked to be a groundless worry, as the very next room we came to appeared to be our goal. The room’s interior was finished in a rather eye-catching manner, and hosted only one architectural feature of any note, an ornate tomb. And before that tomb, waiting in patient silence, was an armored guardian. Clearly another undead of some sort, it seemed not the least bit troubled by our appearance, and simply remained where it stood even as we visibly prepared ourselves for the coming conflict. Naturally, as with every other damned thing so far in this miserable place, there was trap waiting for us. Mind, the guardian was real enough, but in focusing on it, we neglected to observe our surroundings as closely as we certainly should have, and never realized that the room itself was a trap as well. I’m not quite certain how it functioned, but in comparing details of the experience afterwards with the others, I learned that those of us who succumbed to its effect were sent into a vivid dream state of some kind. Sounds harmless, I know, but it wasn’t in all truth, for injuries sustained in this dream had a very real effect upon our true bodies. And injuries there were to be had, as the dreams each came with their own dream copy of the room’s guardian, who was ready and willing to deliver death to us. And for those who resisted the trap, well, they found themselves standing before the physical version of the guardian, bereft of whatever strength in numbers that they may have enjoyed, and further burdened by the need to protect their fallen comrades as well.
Somehow, most of us managed to shake the dream off after a time, returning to the waking world with little ill effect. Gruskorb, however, found his dream foe to be more than he could manage, and very nearly died as a result. While I’m not proud of how long it took me to shake myself free from the trap’s grip on my mind, I was at least in time to provide him with aid before he could worsen. And even as I did so, the guardian’s form came apart quite violently, though I still can’t figure out why; my best guess is that the majority of us having defeated the trap was somehow responsible. From its shattered form appeared a second undead creature, a geist. I’m not certain if this was a backup of some sort, or if it was the tomb’s true guardian merely wearing that other as a sort of suit for concealment, but by that point we were beyond caring about such details. The geist found itself quickly and brutally beset from all sides, and Niyut managed to blind it as well with a well-placed spell. At that point, we just hammered it down with an almost excessive level of violence, in no mood for any sort of subtlety or strategy. Following that entirely satisfying beating, and Gruskorb’s return to the land of the waking, we inspected the tomb with an appropriate level of caution before warily unsealing it and examining its contents. And there we finally beheld the goal of this search, Stoorjian’s Staff! Niyut was swift to take up the fabled item and begin inspecting it, though I was bit distracted at the time with something else and didn’t make note of what she might have mentioned about it. The source of my distraction was the quite unintentional absorption of an essence from the recently-slain geist, which provide a confusing flood of information. I don’t know who or what it was in life, but it was apparently an accomplished alchemist among other things, as its essence left me with a respectable comprehension of the alchemist’s art. And that comprehension was no mere book learning, but more akin to what my sister’s spirit had left behind with regards to her skill at the forge during our brief shared tenancy in my body. On a more disturbing note, I also gained a rather unsettling level of fluency in the language of some of the more unpleasant inhabitants of the planar realms.
While I was occupied by my sudden influx of unexpected knowledge, and the attendant worry of what side-effects might come with it, Niyut had successfully teased out a measure of the Staff’s secrets and coaxed it into obeying her will to the extent of getting us all out of there much faster and safer than the way by which we’d entered. Gathering around Tacal, who had weathered the Tower’s various threat with surprising aplomb, she unleashed the Staff’s power to transport us somewhere a bit friendlier. Still within the Tower, but in that part claimed by Sivatanpisil and his predecessors in their role of Hazard of Necromancy and rendered (mostly) safer than those portions originating with the first of that title. (As an aside of some relevance, I find it difficult to reconcile what I know of the Tower’s interior arrangements, limited though that knowledge admittedly is, with what I have observed of its exterior dimensions. Either the Tower has had its inside magically expanded in some fashion—not an impossibility, with what little that even I know of the existence and function of magical storage containers—or much its actual volume is located below the surface, and accessed via the use of cunning magical forms of conveyance that have no discernable evidence of their use or existence. A trivial matter, I know, but one that periodically arises from some odd corner of my mind to annoy me.) The Hazard was swift to greet us upon sensing our arrival, at which time he informed us of Pyrae’s final fate, and offered us the use of his sanctum to recover from our ordeals, as well as what facilities and supplies he have available to further aid us. Taking advantage of the offer, I made repairs to the breastplate found earlier, restoring it to a state fit for use, and then dove eagerly into the modest alchemical arrangements once owned by his apprentice. With the Hazard’s permission—though I admit that I likely would have done so even in its absence—I cobbled together a reasonably complete and sturdy assembly suited for easy packing and the rigors of travel, allowing me to practice my new skill virtually anywhere, so long as materials were at hand.
If I have focused upon events within the Tower of Necromancy to an excessive degree, it is with good reason. I feel that this time was when we became more than just a random gathering thrown together by desperation and chance, who would split from the others with little notice, or even none at all, to pursue our own goals or salvation if the opportunity was presented. While I won’t say that we became friends—I don’t know that I would claim that even now—we certainly became more than just allies of necessity. At any rate, we still had Baerwynnd’s task upon us, and places to be. Following a well-earned and sorely-needed period of rest and recovery, the Hazard’s magic whisked us to the far border of the distant Kragenwood, not very far from the great city of Haemil that was our next destination. Not long after our arrival, we were subjected to a storm of a magnitude that I have never before experienced in my life, and hope never to experience the likes of again either. Hurrying through the forest—its once-majestic canopy now withered and dying, if not already dead from the Shaping—we sought shelter and found it within a massive gathering of trees, all twisted together into one vast trunk. At that point, Gruskorb called upon the knowledge of the spirit residing within himself, and opened a proper passage into the trunk, just as the storm’s core rolled over us and unleashed a tornado!
As if the weather raging about us weren’t threat enough to life and limb, a giant chose that particular time to make an appearance as well. Initially, I feared that we were in for a pressing fight in the worst possible circumstances. And when the wind swept ‘Ruza’s vessel away from and right into the giant’s possession, I was almost suicidally ready to make it a fight. Fortunately, calmer heads than mine were present, and violence was averted as my sister’s vessel was returned to me by the giant, who proved quite a bit more peaceable than I’d thought at the time. I would have enjoyed getting to know her—I don’t even have her name to put onto this page—but the storm still raging beyond our shelter had its own input to make, as it finally overcame whatever resilience remained within our wooden shelter and began to destroy it. I wasn’t present to witness the end of the great tree, or the giant, as a fissure opened up beneath myself and Niyut, likely as a consequence of the roots shifting under the storm’s harsh pull. Down we went, and my last sight of that giant was of her being pulled steadily into the storm’s deadly embrace.
After a good tumble, the pair of us found ourselves within a small cave, where we found a tiny, tiny portion at the great tree above still possessed of life. Niyut managed to skillfully transplant it into a container—with what little help I could provide on such an odd subject—which we hope will sustain it long enough to be properly replanted somewhere more suited to growing into something to rival its former self. Of course, even in this dismal place, we still had threats to see to if we wanted to live another day. Drawn by whatever draws creatures such as themselves, a pair of giant ants made an appearance in the cave, and immediately approached us with ill intent. We wearily gave them a fight, certain that our escape wouldn’t go interrupted as long as they were present, and the remaineder of party made their own way down the fissure during this time. Gruskorb and Niyut both came unnervingly close to being carried off to the nest after getting dosed with venom. It was a chaotic mess of a fight, but we got both of the ants down before they could retreat with their prizes. Between the storm, nearly losing ‘Ruza, and then the ants, I’m afraid my temper got the better of my sense, and I got quite snappy with Malthazir in the aftermath. I still need to do something nice for him by way of apology, because even if he was a bit of an arse at the time, he didn’t deserve to have me snarling at him as I did. It took some time, but the two recovered fully from their encounter with the ant venom, and the time spent during that recovery wasn’t wasted either. Though the tree’s bulk was shattered and scattered in a long swathe down a stretch of tornado-ravaged Kragenwood, enough remained to provide us with adequate shelter. The wood from that magnificent tree made for a surprisingly pleasant fire—which I swear did something to us, because ever since that night, my skin has had just a faint tint of green to it, and a feel of something akin to treebark in places. I can’t tell from looking at Gruskorb, Niyut, or Truk’tosh, due to their natural coloration, but I’d be willing to wager that Malthazir’s skin has a bit of green to its color now too. The wood also provided the material for a decent, handcrafted buckler that I managed to make. It looks like plain wood, for the most part, albeit masterfully shaped, but I get the sense that there’s more to it. Like a few other things in my possession right now, I haven’t figured out how to go about uncovering whatever that ‘more’ may be.
With everyone back into something approaching top form following the tornado above and giant bugs below, it was back on the road, and we soon left the remains of the forest for the approach to the plateau where Haemil was (hopefully) to be found. But that’s for the next entry, as this one has grown quite past the modest recounting of events that I’d originally planned to make.
I'll update the inventory once Valjoen clears this.
Gear
Oil (3 casks), 18 lbs. 16 pints each I'm going to assume that these casks are the same size and volume as the one that the party is currently toting about.
Collapsible bathtub, 20 lbs.
Ink (5 vials, assorted colors), - lbs.
Ink, invisible (1 vial, good), - lbs.
Quills (6), - lbs.
Masterwork spyglass, 1 lb. (@Valjoen: What does masterwork even mean when applied to a spyglass? Does it increase the range increment at which the Perception penalty is applied?)
Cardice oil (2 vials), 1 lb. each
2 Stormstones, 1 lb. each
Black pesh (5 doses), - lbs.
The following are Adventurer's Chronicles covering a specific Knowledge skill, each costing 50 gp and weighing 1 lb. Decided to have a little fun with the following item, because it seems more interesting than just some nameless, generic books. Mattaracor is (or perhaps was, if he didn't survive the Shaping) a gnome who might justly carry the sobriquet "the Maimed" due to his almost-maniacal disregard for personal safety in pursuit of information with which to fill his long-running, multi-volume compendium. A noteworthy discrepancy involves the edition count of his seminal work, which (as of 7995) numbers 120 releases. The updated editions are released every 5 years, which puts the total well above any recorded lifespan for a gnome, and yet, every reputable source with knowledge on the subject confirms that the Mattaracor currently attaching his name to the work is the very same one who started it centuries back.
Mattaracor's work covers every Knowledge skill in exhaustive detail, but is generally too large to take on the road, nevermind the risk that that would pose to the expensive volumes. So a thriving secondary market has sprung up around distilling various subjects down to the essentials and repacking that information into books that can better survive the hardships of travel (and are considerably cheaper to replace when they finally succumb to said hardships). Mattaracor is well aware of this (quite profitable) sideline, but doesn't seem to care one way or the other about it or the money that it brings to the various participants, so long as the information presented meets his standards of accuracy.
Mattaracor the Inquistive's Compendium Æustëra, 120th Edition (Traveler's Abridged Edition)
Volume 1: Beasts and Beings of the Ether (Knowledge [arcana])
Volume 2: Beasts and Beings of the Depths and Void (Knowledge [dungeoneering])
Volume 3: Beasts and Beings of the Settled Dominions (Knowledge [local])
Volume 4: Beasts and Beings of the Wild Dominions (Knowledge [nature])
Volume 5: Beasts and Beings of the Planar Realms (Knowledge [planes])
Volume 6: Beasts and Beings of the Unspeakable (Knowledge [religion])
Didn't find anything specific for companions of differing sizes with the following item, so just assumed it's sized for Medium-sized companions as a default, then used existing rules as a basis for the increased cost and weight.
Companion cold-weather outfit (Large), 60gp 12 lbs. For Tacal
Companion cold-weather outfit (Tiny), 15 gp 0.5 lbs. For Oseja
Cleats (5 pairs), 5gp 2 lbs. each
Cushioned inserts (10 pairs), 5sp - lbs. each
Insulated flasks (5), 2sp 1 lb. each
Red flame torches (11), 20gp 1 lb. each These have a burn duration of an hour. Provided that someone is willing to track such a thing, could we measure that out in minute increments--snuffing and relighting the torch as needed--to get the most use of that time?
Tanner's kit, 10gp 5 lbs.
Masterwork brewer's kit, 75gp 50 lbs. Anyone excited about Garidan making alchemical booze?!?
Alchemical filters (57), 5sp 0.5 lbs. each
Wyrm's breath bitter (3 flasks), 30gp 1 lb. each
At this point, I've pretty much run out things that the party might find any use for, so I'd like to spend the remaining 170.5 gold pieces of value on an equivalent value of unspecified alchemical reagents. These are not generic ingredients, mind, but particular items with a per-dose price and intended use. Most, however, are fairly common things--salt, quicksilver, urea, and so on--and could reasonably be found in the various places that you mentioned being visited by Garidan and Gruskorb in their little pilfering expedition.
Thank you :D. I got it while looking at the effects of that pesh stuff, and wondering what possible use it could be to us. That got me to considering how handy it would be stick an enemy with the effects, and maybe a raging addiction in the bargain, and it was a short hop from there to alchemical weapons :p.
I know the party hasn't had much use for Garidan's little tools so far, what with the monstrous concentration of magical prowess (and only slightly less monstrous martial prowess), but I'm aiming to cook up something that at least one of you is going to look at and say "I want that, and I want a good supply of it." And then actually use it. Maybe that'll be a prepper compound that leaves targets reeling and more open to save or suck spells, or something that turns inflicted wounds into sources of ruinous contagion, so that even surviving a fight doesn't mean a victory has been had.
I'm also pondering whether that oil of Vra'lithe can be diluted down into the oil that Garidan found to make it more flammable (and remove that 50% ignition chance that oil usually has as a splash weapon).
I'm also looking for rules--I know Paizo has some--for making alchemical boosters and such, performance enhancers for characters. That seems a good line of product to look into.
That was there for casters, which Garidan isn't. I'd allow for some additional casting, but would only 1-2 per day per essence... and limited only to the light spells already available.
That's fine, I'm not looking to rival the party's casters with the ioun torch's spellcasting, just improve upon a neat little niche trick to make it a bit more effective and sustainable in the course of long fights (such as the one we just had).
Now, just clarify that last point in your answer, as Garidan's character level increases--raising 'Ruza's effective sorcerer level in the process--will this include any new [light] spells she gets access to (which she's already restricted to).
Or will newly-gained spells of that type get their own per day use, which will then require its own essence(s) to increase?
Valjoen_GM wrote:
You'd need an arcane essence attuned to evocation or light.
Noted.
Valjoen_GM wrote:
Yes, I would think that an instant light spell made to last 1 full round from Lingering Spell would qualify as an "area of light" needed for Solar Spell. However, remember that Solar Spell only affects creatures while the spell persists... which would only be 1 round. With your increasing level, Ruza has access to some higher level spells which should have a longer duration.
Oh, I know there are beefier spells that 'Ruza will eventually be able to use this with. I just wanted to get to the interaction settled before it came up in game :D.
Also, your "No comments" are awfully suspicious there ;p.
Valjoen, would you be amenable to allowing the use of essences to modify or enhance the effect of stock feats? Because I had an idle thought about how useful it would be if Garidan could sometimes use Dazzling Display--and Diplomacy in place of Intimidate--to bolster allies within its range (essentially putting on a show of absolute confidence that the situation will work out as he intends).
Granted bonus would be the inverse of the shaken condition's penalty, with a duration similar to that of Intimidate's demoralize (1 round base, one additional for every 5 over the DC).
HP 40/42 | AC 17/14/13 | CMD 19 | Fort +5 Ref +7 Will +4 | Per +12 | Init +3;
Class and Skills:
Gunslinger (Pistolero) 4/VMC Cavalier (Dragon) | Acro +9 Climb +8 Heal +9 (+11 stabilize dying), Sense +9;
Combat:
Grit 4/4 | 30 ft. | Melee +6 (rapier/gladius) Melee +6 (mwk morningstar) Ranged +7 (+9 mwk pistol, +8 up to 30 ft., +10 mwk pistol up to 30 ft.) CMB +6;
Man, if skill crit successes were a thing... And you're welcome! It's nice to get an unexpected use out of a skill that's mostly there for fluff (since it would take great, big adamantium balls to practice that Profession skill for money in Kintargo right now, lol).
And Boros is up to full hp now.
With everyone approaching readiness, Boros takes up a position at the party's rear, where Lily and Varuzhan with their "prisoner" will obscure his presence and hopefully draw the initial looks from the prison's staff, and so let him go unnoticed for a few precious moments. "Right, night's runnin' out, and Aldous probably feels like he's been in that lockup for months (:p), so let's get goin'."
Garidan will attempt to parry the bite for 1 panache point and an AoO.
I don't think this has ever come up before--there's never been a situation previously that fits this exact circumstance--but since a caveat of sharding is Garidan treats the rapier as a melee weapon for effects applied when using the shards, I'd like to try using Riposte if you'll allow it, with passive Precise Strike for extra damage. If the parry is successful, Garidan will follow up with a Riposte as an immediate action (this eats his swift action for round 2).
If this ranged Riposte is not allowed, then Garidan will instead spend a panache point and his immediate action to use Dodging Panache, increasing his AC by +3 and moving one square right. The first claw attack still gets through, but the second is negated. Garidan's swift action for round 2 is used in the process.
I'll do an action post for round 2 once I see how this shakes out.
F$!~ this bucket of s#*~ Paizo calls a messageboard. 30 minutes prepping this post in the course of looking up option, and one of Paizo's little page refresh errors wipes it all and dumps me at the main board page.
Hmm. Can't add new weapon abilities at this point, though an increase to +2 is possible.
Nothing among armor abilities catches my interest, though again, an increase to +2 could be made. However, there is spellscribed armor, which looks interesting. Obviously, there are questions.
list]
How many essences would it take to grant Garidan's breastplate this feature?
How many more to do away with the costly requirements--and Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat--needed to add spells to the armor?[/list]
Perhaps this last question could be balanced by one of the following:
Adding a spell requires little more than casting it upon the armor, but once added, it is permanent. Garidan can, subject to a successful UMD check, use it once per day;
Spells can be added, changed, or recharged by spending time and making skill checks. Weaker (low level spells) are naturally faster and easier, stronger spells more difficult and time-consuming.
Garidan must feed the armor an offering of his own flesh (hp damage) to induce it to accept new spells; fits well with the source of the essences. Can be further expanded to allow Garidan to feed slain spellcasting--whether by class or SLA--foes to the armor, upon which it gains--depending on the open spellscribe slots available at the time--a random selection of that foe's magical repetoire.
Presumably, the spell's variable effects would be treated as if it were cast by a caster of Garidan's character level, using his Cha modifier for DCs? So to cast stronger spells, Garidan would need a minimum character level.
If spellscribed armor isn't possible, then I'll feed one essence to Garidan for a +5 bonus to Random Skill:1d4 ⇒ 1 (1: Bluff; 2: Intimidate; 3: Perception; 4: Stealth), and the other to 'Ruza for the Elemental Spell (lightning) metamgic feat; I'm assuming this would follow the particular rules for wands and metamagic feats--lesser metamagic rod, 1 essence per increased spell level.
HP 43/58 | AC 22/14/19 (24/14/21 vs. humans or undead) | CMD 21 | Fort +4 Ref +8 Will +5 | Per +14 (+18 vs. humans, +16 vs. undead), Low-Light | Init +3;
30 ft. | Melee +7/+2/+8/+4 (k, w or t, and b); +9/+4/+4 (n and b); +9/+9/+9 (2 c and b); Ranged +9 CMB +8 | all attacks add +4 vs. humans, +2 vs. undead;
Caravan/Green:
It's been a long journey, tiring and with much desert grit in places that no bird wants it, but Pazeek has finally managed to find the caravan he was separated from during the chaotic march through the jungle to the Kothargu Ridge. And he even has supplies to contribute. Granted, it's mostly wandermeal biscuits, and too many of those'll plug your nethers shut something fierce, but they're filling and edible... Mostly.
Unfortunately, it seems as though there is some trouble ahead. The lack of posted guards to intercept his approach was the first hint, and now he hears screams filled with panic and fear, easily discernable even at this distance. Groaning, the tengu transfers the bulging sacks from his own back to the bed of the laden wagon beside him, then begins the process of unhitching the beast pulling the vehicle, who is all too happy to be rid of its burden to judge by the way it bounces and fidgets with scant patience. Patting the beast on its side as the last of the harness drops away, the slight avian humanoid chuckles as he retrieves a rolled bundle of leather, a saddle, and tack from the wagon. "Yes, I know quite well how happy you are be quit of that wagon," Pazeek answers the complaining chirps and warbles of his companion. Unrolling the bundle to reveal armor sized for the creature next to him, the tengu begins to apply it, the familiar process taking some time, during which the screams from the camp ahead periodically sound again and again. But he doesn't rush, regardless of his growing anxiety; improperly fitted armor is almost as bad as none at all. Once the armor is finally on, he adds the saddle and the tack, then gives everything a final check for safety before patting the prancing creature to calm it down.
"Alright, alright. Give me a moment to get myself ready too, aye?" He's about to say something else when the intensity and pitch of the screams rises sharply, drowning out a loud voice whose words he can't quite make out. The capper, though, is the fireball rising into the air. Either someone indulged just a bit overmuch on the beans--which could neatly explain the screaming--or there's a fight going on, and someone decided that "more fire" was the solution to their troubles. Expression hardening abruptly, the tengu barks a command to his companion, who unfurls large wings and launches swiftly into the air with a combative shriek. Pazeek follows seconds later on wings of his own, newly-appeared through specialized gaps in the rear of his armor, and then the pair are flapping hard for the camp now visible ahead and below them.
Pazeek has no spells left today, having used them for cloak of shade and pass without trace on himself and Sharpfeather. Pazeek has activated his daily use of Tengu Wings, and can fly for 5 minutes.
HP 43/58 | AC 22/14/19 (24/14/21 vs. humans or undead) | CMD 21 | Fort +4 Ref +8 Will +5 | Per +14 (+18 vs. humans, +16 vs. undead), Low-Light | Init +3;
30 ft. | Melee +7/+2/+8/+4 (k, w or t, and b); +9/+4/+4 (n and b); +9/+9/+9 (2 c and b); Ranged +9 CMB +8 | all attacks add +4 vs. humans, +2 vs. undead;
Excellent, thanks for the speedy ruling!
Ghast Retch Flask: 12gp, 5sp material cost, DC 20 (complex), 4gp/day base progress; full alchemical lab (+2 circumstance bonus to Craft [alchemy] checks) Craft (alchemy) (Day 1):1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 10 + 2 = 20 Craft (alchemy) (Day 2, doubled progress):1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 10 + 2 = 21 Craft (alchemy) (Day 3, doubled progress):1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 10 + 2 = 22 Craft (alchemy) (Day 4, doubled progress):1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 10 + 2 = 23 Craft (alchemy) (Day 5, tripled progress):1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 10 + 2 = 28 Craft (alchemy) (Day 6, tripled progress):1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 10 + 2 = 25 Doubled progress from day 2 onward due to the inclusion of the easily worked materials. Beating the required DC by a full 5 or more on days 5 and 6 also doubles the progress made, which--if I'm remembering and applying the right rule in the right manner--equals an overall tripling of the progress per day.
After some careful thought, and recognizing that getting too ambitious could be wasteful and embarassing both, Pazeek decides to brew up a flask of "ghast retch." The nauseating formula is fairly simple, stomach-emptyingly effective, and--unlike some things he could make--doesn't make corpses of those exposed to it. The initial day's work is nothing spectacular, but the following day, Pazeek gets a bit advice that leads him to an unutterably vile fluid that far surpasses anything he's smelt before for sheer foulness. Added to his formula, it proves a truly remarkable substitute for a number of lesser ingredients, which in turn speeds the rate at which the noxious brew is completed. His confidence bolstered by this, the tengu manages a few inspired shortcuts that further accelerate his progress, and the brew is readied for use with a full day to spare out of the week available. After carefully noting for the Aestheric's records everything used in his work, Pazeek takes his leave of the alchemical lab, his flask of stink carefully packed away for future use.
Garidan will take any watch required, as usual for the lone non-caster in the group. He'll have the ioun torch unlit for concealment.
With the trip being happily uneventful, Garidan is free to let his thoughts roam a little, specifically to the subject of utilizing his nascent alchemy in more effective ways. And he thinks he has a pretty good idea quite early on, though he himself lacks the skill to implement it. But perhaps one of his companions can make up the lack, and so Garidan broaches the idea to them in a soft voice. "I think I've got something that'll make it bit easier to hit distant targets with some of the compounds I can make now. But I'm lacking a bit of skill in a required area, so I'm wondering if any of you perhaps know how to make arrows?"
If someone does know how:
Garidan smiles brightly while digging about in his quiver to retrieve a particular type of arrow, the inspiration for his idea, as it happens. Holding up the arrow with its oddly enlarged tip, he nods toward it. "This is one of those arrows full of holy water I got back in Eastgate. I was thinking of something similar, but filling the resevoir with other things, such as acid or liquid fire, before it's sealed up for use. Could you make more of these?"
If nobody knows how:
Garidan mutters a quiet curse under his breath before speaking up, his voice kept soft just in case. "Ah well, perhaps I'll find someone in Haemil with the skill I need then. I just hope they'll be able and willing to use on my behalf for a reasonable price."
When their pack animal deciding that it's time for a halt, Garidan helps set up camp, passing around rations to everyone who has need of them and--with aid from Niyut--topping off their supply of clean water as well. He briefly debates unpacking his alchemy kit, but soon thinks better of that plan; a sudden interruption, or a need to leave in haste, could cause more problems than it's worth right now. Instead, he settles in for a spot of relaxtion before his watch rotation comes up.
When his turn at standing watch arrives, Garidan patrols a slow circuit around their camp, meticulously examining the terrain for any hint of trouble within range of his enhanced vision. His bow is held ready in one hand, while an arrow is absentmindedly twirled in slow circles by the finger of the other. At the back of his head hovers his sister's vessel, its light dimmed down to virtually nothing, and its occupant straining her own odd senses in an effort to aid her sibling's guardianship.
Taking 20, if possible, on his Perception Check to spot approaching danger. Can 'Ruza make her own check as well? Perception Check [Take 20]: 20 + 10 = 30
Nothing private here, just spoilered because it's a bit lengthy.
Garidan and 'Ruza:
"Gari, I've been thinking about that thing I did at the outpost, and I'm pretty sure it was a spell," his sister says after some time has passed. "Oh? And how do you know that," he responds in a low voice, eyes roving slowly and carefully over the star-lit landscape. Huffing in annoyance--and Garidan can almost feel the "slap of enlightenment" that his sister used to accompany that particular sound with--'Ruza explains in an overly patient and slow voice, as if to an idiot. "Because Mother used to cast that spell quite often during festivals back home, you clot." And the moment she says that, Garidan nearly puts an eye out when his arrow-carrying hand reflexively meets his face. "Ah, yes, well... Now that you remind me, I do recall that. In my defense, however, I've sort of been trying not to think too often or long on things before..." And here, Garidan's words trail to an awkward, painful halt.
Both are silent for a time, and then his sister clears her throat with a soft cough--and he can't help but wonder in passing why she even did that--before returning to subject she wanted to discuss. "Right, well that's how I'm pretty sure it's a spell. Well, that, and just before I unleashed it on that mangy gnoll, something that looked an awful lot like the formulae that Mother used to use when she made scrolls appeared inside this crystal. In fact, it even had those personalized notations she always added to her formulae, the ones that always aggravated Father so when he'd try using her scrolls." Considering this briefly, Garidan soon asks the obvious question. "Could you cast it again? Not right now," he is quick to add, and his sister laughs in reply. "Relax Gari! I'm not going to make that kind of attention-grabbing spectacle unless you need it. And yes, I can cast it again. In fact, I think I can cast more than just that one. I've been rooting around in here--and let me tell you, that is just so weird --and I've found more of those formulae, including the one for that spell. Strange thing is, most of the formulae I've found are dark, faded out, and don't do anything when I poke them."
Garidan can't stifle the chuckle at his sister's obvious displeasure at being unable to sate her burning curiousity, and a part of him is rather happy that she's found something to hold her attention in her new, and incredibly limited, form. He quickly brings that wandering bit of his attention back to her voice, as she's still speaking. "There are a few formulae, however, that are lit up bright with colors I can't even put names to, and when I give one of those a poke, it starts to spread across the inside of this crystal. I get the distinct feeling it's just waiting on me to unleash it at that point. After a while though, it sort of fades away and reappears with the other formulae."
Garidan hums softly as he takes a short rest in his pacing around the campsite. This is pretty useful, more so since it appears that his sister can repeat the act. Resuming his slow walk, he asks a few quiet questions. "Okay, let's assume that these are spells then. Is there anything you can make out about them, maybe identify the spells?" Her voice taking a disappointed tone, 'Ruza answers. "No, I can't. I never actually got around to reading the notes that Mother and Father gave me about deciphering spell formulae. All I can tell is that these formulae, aside from having Mother's own notations written into them, have a common structure to them. I think that that means that they're all in the same general class. Oh, and based on their size and complexity, I'm pretty sure that the formulae I can use are weaker spells, and that the darkened ones are progressively more powerful."
The swashbuckler considers this in silence, then smiles a bit. "Well, then we'll just have to figure it out as best we can, huh? That sounds like fun, and it also means that you're not stuck in there just watching helplessly whenever something dangerous is happening."
With his attention split between his sister and their surroundings, Garidan hasn't been as careful as usual about keeping his conversation with the ioun torch to himself. As a result, Malthazir is virtually assured of having gotten much--maybe even all--of the oddly one-sided discourse if he's been paying any attention at all.
1) Essence can be fed to the ioun Torch per the rules. You are in effect casting it, so any essences you absorb for evocation will affect the DC's for any evocation [light] spells. The caster level is your level -2. I'd be fine with you adding EE's to get metamagic effects per the wand rules. More uses per day will come via GM boons. I have them worked out just like any limited use effect from any of the essences.
2) Garidan's charisma... again it really is your power channeling through the ioun torch.
3) No components necessary as it is an spell-like ability. I was thinking the casting time would be a swift action... let me know if you're wanting to cast that has a full round casting time. I wasn't aware of any.
4) No.
5) It operates just as an SLA.
6) yes.
-- Sure, as long as she is in your possession, it would apply to her.
1) Awesome. Now I'll have just have to pry the occasional evocation essence away from the other casters in the party :p. When we actually get some, that is. Essences for metamagic effects are also nice to have, as it'll let Garidan wring every little bit of advantage out of those available spells.
2) Well, that works out very fortuitously with being a swashbuckler and having Charisma as a key stat.
3) Good, less stuff to carry, less stuff to scavenge more of when we run out. And I'm not really up on spells and their casting times myself, having played pretty much all martial types thus far on these boards, but I'm putting it out there just in case.
4) I figured this would be case, but making sure never hurts.
5) & 6) Alrighty.
?) Neat! Every little bit helps.
Edit: And I think I just figured out a neat combination for this ability and a few metamagic effects. Garidan'll have to up his level to make it work, but Snapdragon Fireworks has both [Light] and [Fire] descriptors. Apply Elemental Spell to change [Fire] to [Cold], then apply Rime Spell to give the spell the ability to entangle targets damaged by the firework dragons when they burst. Because the spell allows a save for half damage only, even 1 point of damage fulfills the trigger condition of Rime Spell too, which means a no-save auto-entangle for one round! No attack roll needed for the spell, either, and if multiple targets are somehow occupying the chosen square, they all suffer together.
A nasty variation of this combination uses Elemental Spell to split Snapdragon Fireworks' damage between fire and cold, giving it both descriptors at the same time, then add Rime Spell for the entangle effect and further adds Burning Spell for further damage the subsequent round. Again, even 1 point of damage taken by a victim of the spell meets the conditions for setting off the metamagic effect, hehehe.
It turns Snapdragon Fireworks into a 3rd- or 5th-level spell, depending, of course, so Garidan would need a minimum character level of 8 to 12 to even think of pulling this off, the damage is miniscule at best, and Valjoen would have to allow it. But it offers Garidan a pretty neat option at least once a day.
Looking between Niyut, Gruskorb, and the dagger in turn, Garidan shrugs in answer. "If he doesn't want it, then you're certainly welcome to it, Niyut. In fact, if you really need one right now, there's another in with our supplies."
Didn't notice initially, but those two days of travel after the tree allow Garidan more opportunities to craft his goods! I'll tuck the checks and notes regarding them behind a spoiler to keep the eyesearing wall of green and blue down :D.
I want to get this acid done, so I'm going to increase the DC of this check by +5 and the complexity by one level, with the intention of making this the last check I need. Acid: DC 20 (complex), 2gp, 5sp materials cost Craft (alchemy) Check #4/4:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
And again for the new buckler he's working on. Going to take 20 on the required masterwork check, because the dice are being right bastards after four successes, and I really want this shield! Craft (armor) Check (Base #2/3):1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18 Craft (armor) Check (Base #3/3):1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26 Craft (armor) Check (Masterwork) (Take 20): 20 + 9 = 29
[ooc]And done! Valjoen, I'm going to assume that Garidan now has a masterwork wooden buckler with the usual shield bonus and acp for such things (+1 and -0, respectively). Does the material have any effect on the spell failure chance or weight. And does the wood's unusual source do anything of significance?
During the long hours of travel between the tree and base of the plateau that is the party's next destination, Garidan takes advantage of the lack of interruptions to work on his pair of projects. He even goes so far as to precariously perch his armorer's tools on Tacal's back and work on that buckler while walking; his sister's exasperated supervision from her orbiting vessel keeps him from taking a spill as his eyes stay focused on what his hands are occupied with. Even with his focus split, the swashbuckler somehow manages to complete both acid and shield without mishap, though any practioner of alchemy would probably have issues with the way he rushed the final steps on that acid before tranferring it to its waiting flask. To make up for that, Garidan spends extra time on finishing work for the buckler, patiently and carefully going over even the most minor details to ensure that the end result is the best he can make.
New shield in hand, Garidan wastes not a moment consigning his old one to the party's cache of arms, though he does point it out to his companions. "If one of you wants that little shield there, help yourselves. It's quality work, and nothing wrong with it either. Just finally had enough of it throwing off my bladework." He then settles in to attentively listen to Niyut spin another of her curious tales--he's not sure if they're histories, or lessons, perhaps both at once, or something else entirely--before spending the last of his waking hours quietly pondering what sort of alchemical bane or boon to work on next.
Time for me to start putting some serious thought into how I want to enhance that ioun torch, and to that end, I'll throw out some ideas I've come up with so Valjoen can plot out what sort of essences Garidan will need to collect.
1) Considering the torch's base purpose, and how Valjoen has let me play with that to some extent, it's a pretty good idea to grant the torch further ability to generate and manipulate light. Here's a few things I'd like to be able to do, at will for the effect that aren't explicitly magic in origin.
Increase the existing area of the light currently generated, with a commensurately larger dim zone;
Refocuss the light from a torch's area to a bullseye lantern's cone;
Control other, nonmagical light sources at varying distances--make them brighter or dimmer (with an adjusted consumption of their fuel/burn time), change their colors, even extinguish them;
Generate magic light and darkness effects of various potency, such as dancing lights, darkness, daylight, faerie fire, and sunbeam (to name just a few that I can recall from memory);
Control magical light sources (ioun torches, everburning torches, and so on) in the same manner as nonmagical sources mentioned previously;
Manipulate/interfere with magic light and darkness effects cast by others, such as enhancing or reducing their effect.
2) Give 'Ruza the ability to interact with the world somewhat via minor spells like prestidigitation and unseen servant. Further enhance her with actual skill ranks so she can make aid another checks.
3) Grant the ioun torch--which is basically an ioun stone reject--ioun stone powers that Garidan can make use of.
HP 40/42 | AC 17/14/13 | CMD 19 | Fort +5 Ref +7 Will +4 | Per +12 | Init +3;
Class and Skills:
Gunslinger (Pistolero) 4/VMC Cavalier (Dragon) | Acro +9 Climb +8 Heal +9 (+11 stabilize dying), Sense +9;
Combat:
Grit 4/4 | 30 ft. | Melee +6 (rapier/gladius) Melee +6 (mwk morningstar) Ranged +7 (+9 mwk pistol, +8 up to 30 ft., +10 mwk pistol up to 30 ft.) CMB +6;
GM Mordred wrote:
Oh, I did not forget, I did assume thats how they got to be here in the first place...part of the stuff that disappeared.
Unfortunately, not among your other things that were conveniently packed up in a Masterwork Backpack you retrieved from some abandoned safe-house.
(A backpack, I might add, that is definitely NOT a scrying focus. Totally not! And even if it was, the fact the inquisition was hunting down rebels and torturing them for information does not mean they placed it there as bait. It could have been anybody! Like another Rebel Group that wants to know what you are up to. If it was something other than a ordinary backpack. Which it is not. Over.)
...
......
And now I'm suspicious, and quite worried because that line of thought wouldn't occur to Boros. F!$~ you, f%~$ you very much :p.
GM Mordred wrote:
Regarding the upgrades, I believe I did mention I'm fine with you tinkering and upgrading to another model of the early firearms category.
I believe I even mentioned it's up to you what pace you want to go with. While you have the advantage of being from the origin place of guns, you are but one man.
The person on the other side is a Savant with disposable minions and a full workshop with limitless resources at his disposal.
If you work fast? They will catch up soon.
If it's complicated enough to keep you busy a while? It will also be sufficiently complicated to keep them puzzling.
In other words, you get to set the gun level.
I seem to recall that if you get the partys okay, you could even venture into modern firearms and get a revolver. If you are willing to deal with rifles on the watchtowers and shotguns at the entrances. Not very likely, but I'm not going to forbid your vision.
In my defense, it was a long while back when this was initially raised, and I have been asleep once or twice since then, lol.
However, there is to my eye a reasonable progression to his research and tinkering:
If it does get to advanced firearms, though, I do think any in enemy hands should be limited to elites or boss-type enemies. The best of best, as it were, who merit the expense of such weapons. Because Boros is just one guy, as you point out, and the flipside of that effect on his efforts to improve his arsenal is that he's a lot cheaper to equip.
