SnowHeart's page

I should also stress, once again, that this mess started in September, and literally every single trans person I know who's been taking part has been unbelievably burned out at this point. None of the points you or Sanityfaerie here are remotely new to us. That doesn't mean they have no validity, but familiarity breeds contempt. When someone bursts down the door and immediately starts trotting out the same tired "people here are getting so offended lately" take, without first asking us in good faith what our feelings on things are, it's the thirtieth time we're dealing with it.

(I'm not certain, but that's quite possibly an underestimation.)

As someone who for his own sanity is only popping in once every week or two and thus doesn't see all the things that have been deleted or everything folks have been dealing with, I just want to say I see this and am sorry if anything I've said has contributed to it. Emotional exhaustion and loss of patience are inevitable when feeling constantly under assault.

I think the OP has a point about "nuance" becoming a verboten topic lately, but this explanation really helps to put the tension and raw feelings into context. Thank you and, again, apologies if I contributed to it.

I remember one of the more uncomfortable moments I had in a PbP campaign was Hells Rebels and trying to make an alliance with a certain slave-owning character. The benefits of the alliance were clear, as were the risks of offending the person. We decided to buy the slaves off the person to free them but even that was fraught and at least two of us felt a bit foul talking about what the price of a person was.

Honestly, I'm perfectly happy to see it dropped as something that is emphasized in the materials. That said, if we're establishing the standard as Paizo not writing about "problematic content," I have notes. Genocide (ongoing today and there are refugees of it throughout the world), child murder, torture (I know survivors) ... Perhaps as with many things this is a more nuanced conversation and not one easily distilled into polemics.

A lot of us play these games to be with friends and have a good time. Sometimes, and I would argue when RPGs are at their best, we also play them to explore difficult and complicated topics and from that experience gain a better understanding of the topic and ourselves. (In fact, I had a long conversation with a psychiatrist who thinks the role play of darker themes and characters can be therapeutic and a constructive outlet for our antisocial tendencies.) Does that mean we need more material from Paizo on slavery in Goladian? Of course not; I have never had a campaign centered around it and I agree: Paizo had bungled its handling in the past. But the implicit characterization that those saying Paizo shouldn't shy away from difficult content are ipso facto racist trolls is problematic in itself.

After giving it some thought and going back to basics, I take Cori Marie's and others' points better than I did a few days ago. There is a real disconnect between stating (or implying) you're looking at DEI/B and then hiring a law firm. In my experience, DEI/B is more of an HR and hiring initiative. It's not really a "lawyer"-thing. If you are an employee and you get into a fight with an employer, you're either hiring a plaintiff-side employment lawyer or your union is hiring a labor lawyer. If you're management, you're hiring a management-side employment firm or a firm with experience fighting unions or representing management in grievance processes.

The lawyer may say they have experience in DEI/B (and they do), but I don't know any lawyer who calls themselves a "DEIB lawyer." I'm not saying none of them do (it sounds like Cori Marie hired an attorney who described themselves thusly and I respect that), but this was literally my practice area and neither I or my husband, also a lawyer, know anyone who refer to themselves this way. Lawyers can help craft policies and guidance around DEI/B since it can be heavily intertwined with the law and liability, but DEI/B is more about workplace culture, hiring and retention.

Honestly, I just spent twenty minutes googling for a law firm or even a lawyer who "specializes" in DEIB and what I got were a bunch of links to law firms' heads of diversity and inclusivity. (I'm not saying you won't find any if you look; I'm just saying it wasn't easy for me to find.) Of the two bar associations I belong to, one has a DEI section and for that the focus is on increasing diversity within the profession (not about representation of clients); the other association only has a Labor/Employment section and no mention of DEI/B at all.

If that sounds like I'm arguing the point, I'm actually not. As I've sat and thought about it, I think it really goes to the fundamentals of the position that a law firm may not have been the best type of service for Paizo to retain. And perhaps that does reflect on their intent. Even though I don't agree with that conclusion, after thinking about it for a while I better understand and empathize with it.

A lot of good will has certainly been lost and many folks are understandably waaaaaaay beyond assuming good faith. I get it. I'm not persuaded it is ipso facto a sign of bad faith or nefarious intent, but I do understand why folks feel that way.

All that said, one of the deleted posts said something about being kinder towards one another, not trying to score points, and so on. To me, this thread and subforum generally has grown amazingly hostile and toxic despite the moderators' best efforts. I've also contributed to it at least once back when all this broke, and I'll own that and apologize for it. (Looking at you, thejeff; sorry I was a jerk.) I think we can all point to plenty of examples.

And the kicker is, at this point, I think we're all basically on the same side: we want to see things improve for the employees so what happened to Sara Marie, Crystal and others doesn't continue to happen. We just disagree on the particulars or how we interpret certain steps along the journey.

v/r

Thank you for this. Really great to see representation on this (yes, representation matters!) and get a glimpse of folks beyond the names we see on the products. Huge respect to these creators.

Sigh. So, I'm not interested in arguing the point over much because, as I said, I'm no longer confident in senior management to accept the recommendations. But I can assure you hiring a law firm to provide an assessment of workplace conditions is neither uncommon nor innately malicious. I've been one of those lawyers and I most assuredly did not go about it to destroy the employees. Rather, we interviewed the relevant people, prepared reports that assessed risks including problems with policies and procedures, including acts or omissions by management and made recommendations for improvements. And that was the extent of the engagements. But if folks want to see ill intent in this too, who am I to argue. Maybe they're right. I doubt it, but I've been wrong before.

PS, In defense of the profession, if you see your job as a lawyer is to destroy other people and you're taking clients who want you to do that, you may be in the wrong profession. I always saw my job as protecting people and their rights, whether it was employer/management side or employee. It saddens me to think people see their professional obligation in such a way.

I've believed Crystal's take on everything; I've always had tremendous respect for the quality of her work, breadth of knowledge and interpersonal skills. Where she corroborated others' allegations, I took notice because she said so. And I parred back on my subscriptions partly because of what she'd said and I was no longer confident Paizo actually lived the values I thought we shared.

Yet even with all of that, yes, SKR's take says a lot to me. There are serious problems at the top. While I actually think hiring a law firm to do an assessment is a good step (this is my professional background so I see it differently than some others), there will only be positive results from that if senior management is willing to implement them. I may well be late to the party on this, but I'm not seeing a capacity to enact meaningful change after what sounds like years of mistreatment and indifference.

I want to support the staff and the union, so I'll continue to monitor and see what happens, but I'll be canceling the last of my subscriptions.

Just... Wow. I really don't know how else to express the depth of my disappointment.

Thanks for writing this. Not to diminish the validity of anyone's feelings or understandable anger but, as someone who has been taking a break from the forums for my own mental health, I admire the effort at positivity and kindness.

Zexcir wrote:

RicoTheBold wrote:

- No longer mandatory to share hotel rooms (directly addresses one of the complaints)

I agree that this is great since it's archaic to force those to share. I just hope this doesn't come at the cost of fewer cons/travel or employees who choose to share rooms are the ones who go to cons.

The discriminatory policy wasn't addressed, but one of the items behind it has been changed. It was described as a "business decision" originally.

100% ending shared rooms means we'll see less company-sponsored travel to conventions and it will also likely means we'll see a less varied presence too as it consolidates around a handful of people.

Well, you're right that it certainly means company-sponsored travel will either be (a) more expensive and require a larger budget or (b) fewer people will be going. It's often easy for non-managerial employees and outsiders to look at a company as a bottomless pit of money. "Just pay the workers more!" or "Single-rooms for everyone!", "HEPA air-filters in all rooms," etc.

The reality is that everything costs money. That's not an excuse to discriminate; ensuring all employees get equal opportunities is a cost of business. But the business also has a bottom line to maintain.

So yes, of course there is going to be a balancing here. We can either accept this as a step in the right direction or damn them no matter what they do.

Given that you can't just "copy-paste-publish," I think Paizo knows exactly how hard it would be. The work that goes into writing, editing, the art, layout, publishing, etc...

The bigger risk to Paizo, IMO, is that many people came to Paizo because we appreciated the values espoused by the company and had grown to dislike WotC/Hasbro. It would be easy to just go back to D&D if folks wanted.

I'm taking all of this with some skepticism (some of the allegations seem legit while others seem rooted in either bad blood or emotional distress). I can also tell you, as someone who has represented management and employees, there are always two sides to every story -- even when you think the merits weigh more heavily on one side than the other.

But I am watching to see what Paizo does.

"Aaaaaand we're back!"
~Perram, Know Direction

Thanks for the patience and understanding. Life has just been kicking our family in the pants lately.

The SRO nodded. "Fires in nautical or sealed environments can be extremely hazardous for those who require oxygen, but if you think it wise, 'kill it with fire' has always been a reliable extermination protocol for dangerous -- or merely undesirable -- biologicals." Its oculus cycled once. "So this one has been told..."

After visually surveying the status of the other members of the party and checking its own weaponry, Set stated, "This one will scout a short distance ahead and will message with any new hazards."

GM, Set isn't going to go all the way back, but is going to scout ahead just a little bit to make sure nothing is creeping up on the party while they rest and Bravo makes his next grenade.

Stealth: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29

As it moved through the abandoned science station, Set began to quietly hum to itself:

We are two mariners
Our ships' sole survivors
In this belly of a whale
Its ribs are ceiling beams
Its guts are carpeting
I guess we have some time to kill

Aldren went over to the landlady's window as a backup plan unfolded in his mind. He then paused to listen.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Oh, my... look at the rot on that windowsill. She better get that fixed.

Yup! Happy holidays to everyone.

Hi all. Quick update, I should be able to start posting again later today. My father-in-law (FIL) is doing fine and is back home, but was beastly to the nurses and got kicked out of the physical therapy facility where he was supposed to be recovering. Husband is back home, though, and life here is somewhat back to normal. Thanks for the patience.

Since a mounted rider threatens all squares adjacent to the mount (and can be attacked by those adjacent squares, AFAIK), I think it's fair to say you both threaten and gain flanking.

I don't think so, no. But I didn't want to go through folks' character sheets to look for vulnerabilities. This is, how shall I put it... not the A-Team.

Doc, sorry if I misunderstood! I thought it only affected a single creature. Or were you hoping they'd try to talk the others out of it, too?

Ingrid: Killify
Karik/Valor: Trip (Red is Dead, moved to Orange)
Brogol: Double Move
Eris: Madness Channel -- Both fail; one self harm, one act normal
Doc: Sotto Voce; Combat Advice

Ingrid returns the futile attack of the rioter with one far more deadly. Her mace crushes into the man's chest. When that doesn't kill him, she leaps in and literally tears the man's throat out. The spray of blood across the stage sends screams of horror through the crowd and they begin to flee in a panic.

Karik stands back, supervising Valor as the eidolon whips her chain out and sends one of the rioters to the deck just as Eris's mad energy sweeps out. The guard who is still standing (pink) seems unaffected, while the one who had just been tripped by Valor takes his arm and slams it into the chopping block beneath Caggan's head with all his force, resulting in a sickening crack of bone.

Within the bedlam of the crowd, Brogol and Cimri continue to make their way towards the "angel knight". Cimri replies to Brogol, "Flank 'er? You got it!" In the chaos, Cimri seems to completely disappear, bobbing and weaving as she leverages her slight frame and considerable nimbleness to escape the crowd's notice. Brogol does seem to think, however, without such skill or luck, moving into the crowd is likely to result in injury from the sheer crush of bodies.

Back on the stage, Franz utters raspy words of advice and direction. Ingrid feels inspired, while the lone standing guard casts a quivering glance at the intimidating doctor.

The guard who isn't hurting himself, though shaken by the doctor's words and Ingrid's quick dispatch of their compatriot, screams, "Help us! Help us save Longacre!" A couple more emerge from the crowd -- Caggan's old employees -- but there is little more support to be found. "Hold on, Caggan!"

He then tries to get away from Ingrid while moving up to Eris and swings his club at her. Against the mad cleric's insane armor class... the blow glances uselessly against her armor. Sad GM Face

Of the reinforcements, one charges towards the doctor while the other clambers up the stage in a suicidally bold confrontation with Ingrid.

From the back of her steed, the "angel knight" lifts a bow and... casts a spell on Ingrid. "Stop the slaughter and go to SLEEP foul demon of the pit!"

Ingrid, Will Save vs Sleep, DC 14 Unless you're immune which, with my luck, you probably are

Rioters: 1 fleeing (sow thoughts); red dead; orange prone and harming self (-4 hp); pink acting normally

Angel Knight: inspire courage
Cimri: Stealth DC 28
Brogol:
Eris:
Karik:
Franz:
Ingrid: Combat Advice +2 to next attack
Caggan: prone; manacled; -4 hp

Thanks for your patience, all. Our clients are all federal government agencies and, since they're off Thursday and Friday, they're dumping a week's worth of work on us in a couple of days.

Several of the archbaron's guardsmen are on hand to help with crowd control. Brogol senses there is a lot of tension in the square, like a pot ready to boil over. Some of it is directed towards the scaffolding and your group, while much of it is between the townsfolk themselves; those who are gravitating towards a more loyalist stance and those who remember the petty cruelties of the regime.

Cando and one of his men flank a shackled Caggan. The former barkeep spits on the planks beneath your feet and snarls, "All these years and it comes to this. Over what? Some spilled chili and heated words? You're pathetic."

Cando rams an elbow into the man's back, though the crowd's view of the maneuver is somewhat blocked by his deputy. He growls, "That's enough out of you, pig." Then to you, "Will any of you be making a speech, or should I just carry out the sentence?"

ACK! Bad typo in my last... Caggan is marched to his fate, not Brogol! LOL!

With eight favors and if 2000gp is a benchmark, it might be feasible to ask him to free his slaves, too. At the risk of being insensitive but just talking about rules and mechanics, a “specialized” slave is the most expensive at 500 gold per person. Asking to to free all three would still be less than the equivalent of 2000gp.

It’s not something Aldren would think of on his own, but I think he’d support it.

"I--" She stopped short and quickly averted her gaze.

Cimri's reputation as a volatile and reactionary thug was well earned. At times seemed utterly incapable of acting with any degree of impulse control, lashing out at the slightest provocation and firing off barbed comments without a lick of caution or restraint. And yet, time and again, through some sort of native cunning and charm, she'd always escaped the worst of the consequences.

Now, she seemed decidedly more conflicted, glancing about the tavern as if there were watchful eyes in every corner. After a moment, she seemed to reach a decision and looked back up at the towering tiefling. She then hopped up on the bar, grabbed Jerax's collar and pulled him in close. It wasn't, however, for a kiss. Her lips went right to Jerax's left ear, which she cupped with her free hand, and whispered.

She then released her grip and looked Jerax in the eyes.

Perception to hear whisper: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Aldren's lips twitched as he overheard some of the conversation between Lubella and Talvek, and considered the different schemes that seemed to be unfolding around him. He was about to insist the guards open the gate, but if the puppy were to wake from its magical slumber. More noise to distract from Talvek...

"An elemental! Of lightning! The small ones are beget by larger ones, moving through hidden wires in the walls no doubt! Why, it could already be inside the manor! Are the Lord and Lady alright? Who is watching them!?"

Bluff: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28

On the plus side, Lubella seemed to have the interior courtyard under control. As for the exterior... "Ugh..." Aldren muttered with self-pity. "All that noise will attract all kinds of attention."

He considered what type of diversion he might be able to create, then stepped to where he would have a view of all three approaches. While he trusted his elven vision would give him an advantage on spotting anyone approaching, he took no chances.

"I'm changing to appear as an Asmodean. Don't kill me," he whispered to Lubella, hoping she would hear him over the raucous.

And with that, he conjured a disguise to appear as a bespectacled inquisitor of Asmodeus. As the Prince of Lies, surely you appreciate the irony, mmm?

Sounds good. Thanks all for sorting that out. Gearing up for Friday night and the weekend here, with a tabletop (virtual) game tomorrow from 11a to 4p (Eastern) but will update as soon as I can.

Hey, Karik. Thanks for checking in and completely understood.

FWIW, it’s been awhile but I’m gay and still remember my coming out process. It’s a different perspective than being the parent but I’d be happy to talk over PM or Discord if it would be at all helpful. Glad you’re being there for her and letting her know she’s loved. The world is much improved compared to 20 years ago but it can still be scary.

Generally the spell effect ends immediately before the caster's next turn. The lumped initiative blurs that a bit, but Ingrid moved before Eris in the previous round and is doing so again this round, so I think we can say, yes, Caggan is still confused. And everything I read says a CM is an attack roll, and that's what you're making at the end of a charge, so you can trip at the end of a charge... Aaaaaaaand 24 beats his CMD, so he is tripped and prone. You guys, I'm not even going to get a single attack in. <Sad GM>

Hey all. Feeling a bit under the weather today. Will try to have an update up later this afternoon but it may be tomorrow.

I'll confess, I still feel there is something different in this scenario BUT counterspelling does seem like the closest comparison and my "feelings" aren't a substitute for the rules. [-;

To simply things, I'll roll AoOs and damage on my next update. With the odds of missing plus DR, I don't expect it will change the setup much, so won't require a retcon.

Thanks, thorin. Maybe it's just a huge brainfart on my part. Your examples make sense, more so the Counterspell example (to my mind). Funny thing is when I presented this scenario to my F2F table for their input (literally linking to this), one player said, "This is so obscure it will never happen again."

I found an old, 500+ post thread on this topic that had 130+ nominations for a FAQ and, in the end, am still confused.

Situation is this:

A. Player readies a spell (Cause Fear) if NPC takes an attack action.
B. NPC declares attack action, triggering the readied action.
C. NPC fails save and is frightened, requiring them to flee the source of the spell.

Question: Did the NPC ever actually use his standard action?

Readying an Action: You can ready a standard action, a move action, a swift action, or a free action. To do so, specify the action you will take and the conditions under which you will take it. Then, anytime before your next action, you may take the readied action in response to that condition. The action occurs just before the action that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another character’s activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action. Your initiative result changes. For the rest of the encounter, your initiative result is the count on which you took the readied action, and you act immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered your readied action.

One way I read this is the NPC never actually took his standard action, the spell went off before it, so he is able to take a full round action to withdraw. However, if the readied action "is part of another character's activities", then the NPC simply loses his standard action and is only able to take a move action.

Thoughts? (And thanks in advance.)

Staggering his own arrival, when Aldren eventually approached the gate it was with all the indifference and casual contempt he'd nursed over the previous thirty-some years of his life. He couldn't quite keep the contempt out of his voice, but otherwise played his chosen role.

Bluff: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

"Really? Is all of this necessary? I've been, hmm, invited to see Lady Delilah of House Delronge. Apparently she's looking to do some 'riding' tonight. Do you need any more details or see my, uh, 'credentials'? "

While the innuendo was clear and he was hardly being subtle, Aldren was trying to stop short of making an outrageous scene, gambling that he'd be quickly ushered through to avoid an unsavory scene that could embarrass one of the noble families.

”Make it stop make it stop make it stop...”

”We are trying! You need to hold still so you can be suitably neutralized!” Set declared as he stabbed at the ghost again.

Trick Attack (DC 20+CR): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
Attack (Knife): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Dmg: 1d4 ⇒ 1
Trick Attack Dmg: 1d4 ⇒ 1

I should have a proper update up this afternoon; just want to give others time to post if they like since my previous post was yesterday evening. In the meantime, there is some information locals would know, and I just want to make sure it's on your radar in advance of talking with Rohalendi.

Longacre started as a lumber town, but as it's on the edge of the Chelish Empire, more recently its become a home for retired veterans. They're not particularly well taken care of by the Crown, generally treated as disposable once they can no longer fight. Rohalendi's styles her little operation here as a "hospice" (i.e., the provision of palliative care for the terminally ill), and locals will know she opened her home a number of years ago to homeless and dying veterans who needed someone to help take care of themselves. Rohalendi's reputation in town is about as "good" and altruistic as it gets.

"Hmph," Brakenbol replies. It is at once dismissive and amused. "Such a pretty sash in such a dark and dull office, hmm. Do you think I do not know who you are or the capacity in which you are here, Master Stokl? Who do you think drafted the edicts you posted the other day, authorized you to act as the Archbaron's agents... and stamped them with his seal?" The last is uttered in a sharper tone with much less amusement. "As his agents, you assuredly understand this, so perhaps there is a simple misunderstanding as to my own relationship with the Archbaron and who might be putting in a good word for whom..."

He casually leaned forward then reached to his side, opening a drawer and drawing a piece of parchment from a file. Closing that drawer, he opened another and withdrew a lockbox, which he opened with a key from a chain strung from his waist, taking out stick of crimson-colored wax and stamp, setting both on his desk, before lighting a candle.

As he went through these movements, he continued with the same raspy voice, "As you know, this is a nation of laws, for without laws, we are naught more than animals like those you might shoot in the Whisperwood and eat for dinner. But, if you wish to keep flopping your phallus about on my desk to impress upon me its size, by all means, continue..."

"Otherwise," he pauses, as he completes his preparation and looks up at you... "If you'd like to actually see someone's taxes, you need the necessary paperwork. That happens to be a writ. Which, conveniently, you can procure from the notary of Longacre, who was entrusted with that position by Darellus Fex, Archbaron of Longacre. And that individual happens to be..." he furrows his brow in a display of dramatic thought, then looks as if he's had an epiphany, "Well, how convenient for you... it's me."

"The necessary writ will cost five gold, with a surcharge of five gold for legal and expert advice on navigating the Chelish bureaucracy." He rested his hands on the prepared desk before you and arched a whiskered brow, "Shall we proceed, or is additional advice required?"

Aldren tried to find a relatively quiet or private corner. Once there, he said, "This is... a little unusual for me. I'm so used to double-meanings and false apologies, but I think I need to clear something up."

He took a breath, as if for courage, then said, "We talked earlier about grudges. You said you only have room in your heart for one. Sometimes I think I have no room in my heart for anything but them. And the other day, when I met you all in the square again, maybe I'm wrong, but I felt you judging me for something. Then we had that exchange in the alley, when I used your real name in a public place, and you said I had nothing to lose but you did. I was furious, but you were right."

"My mother thought so little of me she left me at the door of a father who wishes I didn't exist. A mere glimpse of me, and his wife wonders if it was love or rape that conceived me and, of the two, she thinks love the worse. I have siblings who..." The fingers of his right hand reach for the air as if grasping -- a weapon? a neck? -- something, while an expression of unfiltered, murderous fury flashes across his face. "Siblings who sold the only person who ever cared about me into the clutches of some diabolist from Westcrown..."

Aldren stopped, realizing he was ranting and a pained expression came to his eyes. His became softer, quieter, "I know you worry for your family. When we first met, I thought it contemptible. I thought I could use it." He paused, letting the significance of the last phrase sink in. "This is supposedly one of the better cities for your kin, yet the conditions are abominable, even before Thrune arrived under the supposedly enlightened rein of Jilia Bainilus. I thought I could use that to gain Calistria's favor. I was wrong." The last three words are precise, pointed.

"Seeing the twins with their parents, remembering you with your mothers and your sisters... Where you could ask for vengeance, you instead try to protect what you have. Calistria offers vengeance for those who ask for it, but I don't think she cares about manipulating people into taking it. Some of Her clergy do -- I tried -- but I don't think She cares."

His voice caught slightly and he swallowed to regain it, then said, "I don't owe you an apology just for using your name in an unsafe place. I need to apologize for much more than that. For all my self-indulgences, I try to be honest with myself. And I was wrong. Not having anything to lose may have made me reckless with your safety. I don't want to hurt you or put you at risk, nor your family. I'm sorry if I did, and I am sorry for trying to use you when we first met."

Hi all. We just went into a combat in the other table I'm running and it reminded me of something I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page with. I think this is "Rules as Intended" but I'm open to discussing.

Except under circumstances such as surprise rounds, I'm going to generally have everyone flat-footed and roll initiative when combat starts. There won't be any "I'm in total defense" or "readied action as soon as x happens". My reasoning for this is largely based on this post in the forms (link) but the short version is this:

Unless an enemy is surprised, they could have a readied action, too. Or they could decide they're always in total defense. And then the flat-footed condition and surprise round rules are largely set aside. For example, if an enemy hears you on one side of the door and readies actions, and you're on the other side and ready actions, it's still going to come down to initiative -- you both heard one another, or were at least prepared for the idea that there could be a fight.

And, in the category of what's "good for the goose is good for the gander," I think this also inures to your own benefit as enemies won't be going first every time you come into a room.

And, it puts more of an emphasis on trying to setup surprise rounds and using stealth.

Totally open to discussion on this and revisiting it if you like.

The dockmaster clicks his tongue and grins. It's a friendly if slightly unctuous gesture.

If no one else has anything to say to him, he casually pockets the gold and heads down the street... as he slips a toothpick back into his mouth.

I second the red herring sensation. It kinda feels like we’ve stalled.

Yeah, I've wanted to queue up a couple of things but things haven't lined up. That said, I'd think about it more as you've spent some time exploring your environment and, kind of like in a CRPG, you've stumbled across a cave-in at the end of the tunnel and your character thinks, "I should come back here later." You guys are kind of trying to charge towards the end-of-book content and right now would get squashed. So, I tried to give you some hints of things to come at the glade with the statues, and I'm just trying to play the Allamars as somewhat smart; they know what you're about, they're diametrically opposed to you in alignment, so they're hostile and very suspicious. It would have taken some stellar rolls to change that. But Brogol did find the mother, so you could have tried to talk to her that way if you wanted.

Reluctantly Karin joins her.

In Nature Show Narrator Voice: "And here we see the infamous 'Karin' in her more advanced form, a near-undead abomination of pure evil..." ;)

VERY SORRY FOR THE DELAY!

Every time I've sat down to write an update, open up stats, etc., I've gotten hit with work. Thanks for the patience and my sincere apologies.

Opting to follow the tracks into the Whisperwood for a time, Eris seems to have the nose of a bloodhound, following them with little difficulty. After about an hour of the tracks turning and veering in seemingly random directions, you arrive at some old ruins. Whatever the purpose of this place once was, it has been obliterated by time. A few columns, mostly ruined, can be found -- where they once held up a roof, they now simply rise as mostly broken and completely silent witnesses to your passing.

Here, the tracks seem to fade.

Maps updated. Perception and Survival checks are appropriate.

All,

Sorry for the delay in posting. Work had been very busy this week. I will have something up tonight or by tomorrow at the latest.

Aldren prays more to Calistria, this time to protect himself and his allies from the cultists' attacks.

Protection from Evil, Communal -- 2 minutes to Lubella and Talvek each, 1 minute to Aldren

So, this should give Talvek another save against the Confusion with a +2 bonus.

GAH! I tried posting an update yesterday but it looks like Paizo ate it. Sorry all.

Kels' withdrawal from the jail is initially apprehensive, perhaps expecting a crossbow bolt in the back, but gradually gathers steam until he is in a full sprint. Cimri snorts derisively before turning her attention back to the others. "Caggan won't be going anywhere if he's in a cell, though if you put him in the stocks, someone probably ought to stay here and make sure nobody tries to free him. I can stay if you want."

I feel like there's a rough sex joke here, but poor Riley is too scared to say it. Oh well.

"I SWEAR IT'S ALL I KNOW OH GODS DON'T KILL ME!!!!!!" A wet stain begins to go down the bard's leg and puddle on the floor. "The hill! Yes, yes, the hill! It's northwest of town, maybe a half-hour walk... two? Yes, two miles! I think it's two miles. Maybe?" He blinks and tries to focus on Raziya, "Her helm? It was like what the knight showed at the square."

The name Lencia Visserene is familiar to you only as being the same named referenced in the note the Sword Knight read at her public sermon. She is not a local or, if she is, she's going be a pseudonym. Visserene is a Chelish surname.

If someone would like to suggest a particular question/instruction to Karik, I can RP/bot it that way.

OH OF COURSE Y'ALL ROLL 20s NOW! :p lololol (Me: "Heh, that was a good roll, they'll never hit a DC 24 on Sense Motive." Party: "Beat it. Me too. Yeah, me too."

Update to come later as this is getting more complicated. :p

No 'Rona, thankfully. Just exhaustion from everything and not enough sleep. A good night's sleep seems to have helped.

If it's just 3 or 4 days, that's all there is to it. Thanks for the heads-up and good luck! We'll see you when you get back.

<reads his last post and makes sound of sticking his tongue out (at himself) affect/effect, whatever, English sucks.