I'm afraid I no longer have time for play by post games, and won't be able to continue. This is a crappy thing to do, and I apologize for where it leaves people, but you still should be informed even if the information isn't fun. The short of it is that I've recently gotten a new job, which is fantastic for me, but not for my game time. I'm involved currently in training for my new job, while also training my replacement for the previous position, and looking forward to a position that much more hands on than administrative (unfortunately leaving much less time behind a computer).
May these characters I've abandoned in your worlds be used to whatever means you see fit, whether prosperous or disastrous. I greatly appreciate the opportunity you all gave me to play/run some games, and apologize for strings left unfinished.
I bequeath all of my possessions to whoever avenges my death, or calls dibs first...
And to the game I was running, it's like when a TV series gets cancelled mid season. It sucks. A lot. Assume wonderful, but dangerous things happen in your characters' futures.
Perhaps we could lure the ravens away. It's likely that they would react with hostility toward Solomon, even under disguise, which could give us means to lure them away and possibly motive as "self-defense"... though that's a shaky and conspicuous one.
If the group doesn't have efforts they would prefer Solomon to be a part of, he'll make sure his disguise is at least passable and spend the day casing the northern walls of the city. He has no skill in Knowledge(Engineering), which would certainly be helpful if someone who does wishes to join. But he'll look for places he might be able to set up some serious explosives, and where they might be most effective. If these walls are as impregnable as people say, then it would help to have a place where we might be able to weaken them from the inside.
"Solomon, I believe we have discovered a back way into the tower."
Rookery? otherwise I think that is good. Can anyone create a scenario where having a few guard's uniforms would be useful? I can try and add that to the agenda for Day 2. I am likely to be occupied with my cover for a day or two & don't want to hold anyone else up, but what can I help . Do we know how long it will take us to reach the patrol's likely campsite?
Gertrart has managed to ease the itching at the back of Solomon's mind, who's been somewhat overwhelmed at not knowing where that trap door led and being unable to investigate further that day. "Then it's probably good I stayed below. Animals don't like me, and I hear there's a rookery there."
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In discussing the possibilities of Arsenic, Solomon pipes up with his own experience handling such things.
Healing Check:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20 Alchemy:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34His Alchemy bonus recorded above of +18 is only when used for crafting purposes... hence the 14 bonus here instead.
He's by no means a healer, but he knows his poisons, so his information there seems a bit more extensive than his actual experience would suggest. Then when it comes to application, he can tell you just about every way someone might fall prey to arsenic... even accidental exposure through public bath-houses, etc. One gets the feeling that the ratman spends most all of his free time considering every possible instance, no matter how circumstantial or unlikely.
I'd like to close the door behind me (to the room) and spend some time looking at what's in some of the boxes. Closing the door is in hopes of not being too conspicuous and buying perhaps a second to hide as someone opens the door if necessary.
Finally, I'll try to listen through the trap door for any indication of what might be above. If there's a ladder of sorts, perfect. If not, I'll stack some boxes of less breakable/valuable contents to form a precarious pyramid!
Perception:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
and if necessary... Stealth:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26
Solomon would like to further explore the tunnel, perhaps see if there are others that might provide more access points for the oncoming assault. He likes tunnels, and he can be sneaky and quiet.
But if his presence would help against the rangers, he's happy to do that as well. For an urban rat, he knows a bit about nature and may be able to lend a good hand.
Solomon could drop his disguise and the other two could get out back the way we came in. He's not likely to notice anything beyond the giant rat, and if Solomon then escapes, nothing ties back to the group... just throwing out crazy thoughts.
Solomon nods, grinning with yellow teeth that look far more rat-like than should be reasonable in his human guise. Is there anything they can wedge in the door as well, so that it doesn't close behind them?
Either way, he descends along with the crafty half-orc.
Solomon sniffs at the air instinctively, as if it might help, but only smells his own peculiar odor. As soon as he disappears from view, Solomon creeps out into the hallway as well. He pauses after a couple steps to make sure that his own disguise is still up. He also returns to the room quickly to grab his thieves' tools and a bottle of acid. He doesn't take the time to grab any more as he doesn't want to fall too far behind the innkeeper.
Then padding back into the hallway, he follows the man as quietly as possible. Before descending the stairs to the basement he checks the first step to make sure it doesn't creek too much... the first ones are always the loudest.
Still a little lost, but trying to track with stuff as it happens now. My comfort level should grow as more stuff happens and I get a better bearing in the fiction.
13. Have you had any of Mama Guisseppe’s beef stew? Delicious! I hear she goes up to the Watchtower and cooks a big batch of it for the men every Monday! What a nice old lady.
Solomon might be able to whip up some poisons. He doesn't have the ability to do so without any danger to himself I believe, but given time and resources could do so I believe.
He could also use his full allotment of extracts on Polypurpose Panacea and grant the guards either Hallucinations for an hour, or maybe drop them into restful sleep (but we would need to capitalize on that hour to either further sabotage them or something they would otherwise prevent us access to).
Solomon is also quite interested in Mad Martin and his rookery, but he's HORRIBLE around animals. Really. They'd probably attack the rat on sight, so as interesting as that is, it may not be beneficial.
However, it may provide an excuse for killing them if he just gets attacked seemingly out of the blue (and he would be disguised as somehow much more human). The guards may even help... food for thought.
As you guys know, we were playing in a S&S game when we met.
So I'm thinking of running a S&S game that runs more on the good end of the spectrum. I also want to not have it bog down during the 21 days of servitude!
Any interest?
Tempting, especially as I enjoy your GMing. But as you can probably tell, I'm bumping against the ceiling of PbP gaming I can handle. So I'm afraid what little I could give would take away from what little I'm giving elsewhere. Thanks though!
Ok, Solomon, get yourself levelled up to level 4! and have Level 5 figured out.
So, you've got a bunch of rumors. I'd say they collectively give you quite a bit of information.
Feel free to ask questions, make plans, etc. You're going to be in town for a bit, unless you pick an alternate base of operations, so let me know what the plan is.
We can roleplay discussions with the patrons to delve further into things. We can dive into checking things out. Whatever you guys want to do. Sell gear? Buy gear? Etc.
Somehow I feel like Aldencross is worse off than if Angela Lansbury had come to visit!
Right on, will do. And thanks for rolling the Gather Information last night. I'll post lvl 4 updates shortly.
As for having lvl 5 figured out, should I post that stuff here, or just be sure to have it in my head so it doesn't slow stuff down later?
Hey everyone, this is your resident slacker rat. If you'll still have the mangy alchemist throwing bombs around, I'd still enjoy joining you. But I'm really behind on what's been going on.
Solomon perches himself on top of one of the crates in the belly of the ship, crouching on his hind legs like some sort of animal, looking rather curiously however as a large woman. He drinks his CLW extract, then sets to work on creating another, should anyone need it.
Solomon has been rather dazed by the elemental attacks. The first hits him hard in the head, rattling his precious grey-matter and stunning the disguised vermin. The second jerks him from this daze but still sends him sprawling. By time he gathers his wits about him, much of the explosive conflict has already ended.
Tracked the 13 HP damage
There are still a few in the water, however, hindered from fully retreating. As much as Solomon would love to down a healing extract, he instead delays his comfort for the sake of actually drawing some blood.
He frees his longbow and sidles up to the edge of the ship where he hopes to get a clear shot at the dazed creature--the same one Taeral looses an arrow at.
Sorry everyone! I'm in heavy training until Friday, and keep putting off letting you all know in hopes of being able to catch up and update. But that just isn't going to happen. I'll be back Friday though, and am so sorry I didn't warn you all in monday!
Even seeing the blue men emerge, Solomon steadies his aim on one of the elementals wreaking havoc aboard the ship. He's gotten pretty skilled at predicting the complicated dance of combat, and is fairly confident he can avoid piercing an ally.
Solomon is slow to stir, only waking from his slumber once men have been thrown into the black waters surrounding them. As he tries to shake the sleep from his eyes, he quickly snatches up his bow and reaches for an arrow to knock.
He knows better than to throw any explosives on board their own vessel, doubting it would do much to creatures that seem to be made entirely of water. In fact, who knows if an arrow will do anything either, but at least it won't blow a hole in the watercraft.
The misshapen woman seems a little disappointed as the Blade sails off. Rarely are potential adversaries grouped together in such tight quarters and surrounded by combustible material. But "she" slides the makeshift explosive back down the front of her blouse and wiggles back down into a seated position.
"She" will take daytime watches then, as it seems evenings are covered. She tries to steer clear of the sides of the craft, as she isn't fond of getting wet... at least not completely drenched. Her curiousity, however, regarding the strange fish that dart and leap beside the ship often draws her closer than she'd prefer.
Solomon rouses himself, still maintaining the disguise of a rather awkward looking woman. In hind sight, it probably wasn't the best idea as it's made things like going to the bathroom and sleeping rather uncomfortable, for al involved he imagines.
But now as the Blade draws nearer, he palms one of his bombs... trying to keep it hidden from the approaching ship. He too looks to Malleck while indicating his readiness to bring the fire when necessary.
A somewhat plump woman, with mousey features and a rather unsettling gait accompanies the group. She keeps winking at the other members of the group, as if attempting to clue them in on who she really is. But there's little doubt that the awkward woman is Solomon. Not only is it evident in his clear lack of understanding of how normal people look, but also in the sound of vials and components clinking beneath her bulky robes.
She (he) tries to assess the boat for a bit, analyzing the structure and build for what might be the weaker points. It's incredibly difficult to do, especially as it sits laden in the water. But she wants to make sure that any explosives are maximized in potential when they eventually destroy this remarkable craft.
The white-rat devours the wine, which drips a bit from his whiskers, before nodding in agreement with Taeral's suggestion. "Further coin means further research!" he exclaims, as if his discovery is equally important to all of you as it is to himself.
"And, er... Bugbears speak with the goblin tongue, right? I'm rusty there, having never actually met one. I may need to practice a bit before we get there."
Favorited for future reference. I've mostly written off poisons as I assumed it wasn't doable without "Use Poison". But hell, I'm fine with a 5% chance to poison myself... that just makes it fun! So yeah, I should start crafting up some poisons as well.
And from everything I've read, Brew Potion is the biggest loss here (not so much of playing Pathfinders Society). But it was nice to pick up the longbow proficiency, even if I hadn't made much use of it yet. And I'll have to really utilize extracts in lieu of potions.
Not sure on Master Alchemist, as there's quite a few really tasty feats. Plus GM Grymp mentioned earlier that lackeys are for crafting :). And Sticky Poison is even less likely as his archetype sacrificed "Poison Use".
That's what I wanted to spend the last week on, but funds ran out. Maybe we can use party resources. They're expensive, but I can make 3 of them in the final week for 50gp (the cost of just 1 at standard market price)
Or just one/two at 16.7gp each
Math:
Cost 50gp, DC 25 (16.66gp to make)
Take 10 for 33 on the check
33 x 25(DC) = 825 compared with cost in silver (500) he can make 1.5 in a week. Boosted by Swift Alchemy it becomes 3 per week.
I'm afraid Solomon sacrificed the Feat "Brew Potion" as part of his archetype :(. So his ability is limited to alchemical creations.
However, Solomon has 5 Extracts per day that he can create, as well as the "Infusions" discovery that allows other characters to drink them. So the rat would be more than happy to create an "inflict minor wounds" extract for you before we get into something nasty.
The same goes for all of you. I built this character to be dps heavy, but his own extracts are best for boosting YOU rather than himself. So if any of the following sound appealing to you, let him know before fights and he can whip one up in a minute (up to 5 overall in a day).
Solomon also visits Grumplejack on a daily basis. After the first week or so, the white rat started showing up with a couple elixirs of Polypurpose Panacea.
Should the ogre be agreeable, the two trip out for an hour at the end of each day.
Solomon's Alchemical Crafting First - Making some money to fund the craft:
Making Money Checks:
It seems in my best interest to simply take 10 on any of these that don't require high rolls, as the law of averages indicates it will come near that anyway and this requires far less rolling.
With the crafting skill, one can make an amount of gold per week equal to half of their crafting skill roll. Crafting Skill
Take 10 for 33, split in half is 16.5gp. Over 7 weeks totals 115gp 5sp
Second - Crafting the items:
Crafting Acids:
DC 10, cost 10gp (3.3gp to make)
Taking 10 on these, gives 33 on the check
33 x 10(DC) = 330. Compare with cost in silver (100), making 3 a week. Swift Alchemy cuts the time needed in half. So he can make 6 in a week, cost: 20gp
Crafting Alch. Fires:
DC 20, cost 20gp (6.6gp to make)
Taking 10 on these gives 33 on the check
33 x 20(DC) = 660. Compare with cost in silver (200), making 3 a week. Swift Alchemy boosts to 6 in a week, cost: 40gp
Crafting Shard Gel:
DC 20, cost 25gp (8.3gp to make)
Taking 10 on these give 33 on the check
33 x 20(DC) = 660. Compare with cost in silver (250), making 2.5 a week. Swift Alchemy boosts to 5 in a week, cost: 41.7gp
Totals (after all the smoke clears):
Made 115.5gp
Spent 101.7gp
Created 6 Acids, 6 Alchemist's Fires, and 5 Shard Gels. With 13gp 8sp left over.
You guys are welcome to some of these if you'd like, and Solomon will pack around the rest. There is also one week left that he can spend making something, but his funds are quite low to do so at this point and may need help.
Indeed, scrolls are quite nice. So I'd prefer to see them used rather than sold.
Also, I'm trying to figure out the math again for crafting. Solomon has leveled (which means higher stats), has an elixir now that enhances his ability, and got a class bonus that cuts the time needed in half. So over the 3 months he should be able to crank out quite a few alchemical items. He'll snag several himself, but open it up for anyone that would like him to craft some for them as well. (Though he would still likely be confined to the lower level stuff)
Most of Solomon's training took place far from the others, due to the volatile nature of it. But by the end of the three months he has learned to mix and stabilize a significantly more potent explosive powder, using deceased animals from the swamp as the projectile. Furthermore, his accuracy has improved to the degree that multiple targets and the dance of melee no longer fluster him.
When they undergo the ceremony, the white-rat is still wet and dingy from the swamp where he had been practicing--all but the patch of dry fur around his snout where the gas-mask was covering.
He reacts gleefully to the cardinal's blessing, parting his lips in a wide and yellow grin.
How do you feel about crafting during this training time? Is it possible, or is the time too far packed with rocky style workouts?
HP: 6 (1d8+1 CON)
+1 BAB
+1 Will Save
Bomb Damage: 2d6
Swift Alchemy
Feat: Precise Shot (no more penalties for shooting into melee!)
+1 more extract per day
+1 known lvl 1 formula (Crafter's Fortune)
9 Skillpoints:
Craft: Alchemy (Plus another bonus from class) +2
Disable Device +1
Heal +1
Use Magic Device +1
Spellcraft +1
Stealth +1
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +6 (Including INT bonus as new skill)
Bonus trait is awesome. I love initiative, especially if I'm throwing bombs! It's nice to get the drop before they can scatter or our own ranks can rush into the blast zone ;)
Solomon cares little whether the squire lives or dies. The lad physically assaulted him... how barbaric. The alchemist finally drops his hideous disguise, appearing once again as the white-furred ratman, and scurries down the hall to where Sir Balin was previously being held. He figures that room deserves a better lookover now that it's denizen has fallen.
Now charged, Solomon hurls one of his few remaining bombs at the enraged knight. The darkness hinders him little, though the clashing of blades between the knight and Malleck make the throw a bit trickier.
Bomb!:1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 6 - 4 = 19Against touch AC, but no splash due to elixer 1d6 + 6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 5 = 12. Additional damage is from doubled int bonus
Solomon stumbles backwards from the punch. It really hurt, and he tries to recall if he's ever actually been 'punched' before. He's been slashes, scratched, definitely burned, and hit with blunt objects... but there's something much more personal about a punch--skin to skin (or fur more appropriately). His pride seems a bit bruised.
As Sir Balin crashes in though, eager to defend the rat it seems, the alchemist steps lightly away from the carnage while slipping one of his extracts from the folds of his robes. The foul liquid burns as it slides all the way down his throat, but in a rather stimulating way.
Move: A 5' step if currently threatened. Otherwise, full move to get away.
Standard: Draw and drink elixer - Targeted Bomb Admixture. (Alchemist class can do both with a single standard action)
Solomon, near the back where Timeon had retreated as well, draws his bow and knocks an arrow at Malleck's command. Then, sighting the shaft, targets the young squire rather blatantly.
"Sir Balin is being tested right now. I say you let him and don't move a single muscle. You're not a cheater are you?" Solomon says with a verminous glare.
Move to draw bow and arrow. Readied action to shoot should the squire take any movement. Solomon made it pretty clear that he needed to freeze.
Solomon cowers for a moment, looking at the inscription.
"Something doesn't seem right about this." He mutters. "Why would something be locked so thoroughly with the key nearby. Rat-traps often display their bait conspicuously, counting on the fact that when delighted by prospects reason often diminishes." He thinks a bit longer. "I imagine the inscription speaks more of completing the... er, rescue... of the pendant. Though we serve one... higher than the bishop, in the immediate task we are at his behest."
"Hmm, it's real silver." Solomon shares while inspecting it. "But this can't be the real thing. The eyes certainly aren't sapphire. I doubt you could get more than a few gold pieces for it."
