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Hi all. I apologize for my lengthy disappearance; unfortunately my RL circumstances no longer afford me the free time necessary to meaningfully contribute to this (awesome) game. It's with regret that I have to withdraw from play. I've really enjoyed playing with all of you, and I hope that you push on through the trials to come and give the Queen of the Demonweb Pits the boot!
"Looks like you are earning quite the reputation. Word of deeds, good or ill, travels fast in towns like these." He chuckles at Soros' surprise, "No sneaking around Saltmarsh for you two, that's for sure." "Apparently the news lacks for details, if your uncle's estimation of the people of Saltmarsh is correct." Would they be so keen if they knew of my magical pursuits? At Berian's Supplies the young wizard seems unconcerned as Rabalar attempts to acquire new knives for D'ogryn, casually inspecting the wares on display. I wouldn't be surprised if D'ogryn had sharper knives at the Mermaid than any we could acquire here. He idly picks out a piece of cured leather, which he purchases when Rabalar's exchange is complete. Not a bad component to have more of, I think.
Apologies again for the silence! I work in shipping/warehousing and recently took on a much larger role, which made last week a bit overwhelming - the July 4 holiday combined with a sudden deluge of inbound shipping from Canada (trying to cram in as much product before the new tariffs went into effect) meant a LOT of extra work and OT. I will post in gameplay within the next 12 hours. I've lightened my PbP commitments considerably by dropping several games, but would very much like to keep on as a player here if y'all can bear with me for a short while longer as I get up to speed on my RL work stuff.
@ Thout: Given the intended scope of the campaign, I wanted to make a character immediately invested in what appears will be a major point/theme of the game. I haven't played a mystic theurge before as I've never participated in a campaign where the class seemed thematically appropriate; with Boccob on the table, it seems a perfect fit. One drawback of the prestige class side that is mitigated in the current campaign is the delay in gaining higher level spells (due to the initial multiclass requirements) - the longer it takes to gain 4th level spells, the longer I go without having to worry about getting possessed ;)
Soros doesn't acknowledge Direcroft's presence, not even bothering to slow his step as they pass until he realizes that Naia and others have stopped. He waits until the exchange is finished and the rest catch up to him. Why waste the time and effort? The man is obviously a petty, self-important bureaucrat. In the grand scheme of the cosmos, the greatest tailor in all of Saltmarsh is no more relevant than its greatest termite.
Hi folks - I wanted to check in and let y'all know I'm still alive! I should be able to catch up on the gameplay thread and get a post up tomorrow. My temporary increase in workload is looking like it's going to be not-so-temporary, but I'm keen to do my best to keep up with gameplay from here on out. The part that scares me is she had our only healing... If we manage to tough it out to 2nd level, my current plan is to take a level of cleric to start Soros down his path towards mystic theurge (as any proper worshipper of Boccob should be), so from that point on he'll be able to provide magical healing.
Upon their return to Saltmarsh Soros assists with the wounded as best he can, staying overnight in case he is needed. Early in the morning he wakes and moves outside to the leeward side of the house, performing his daily prayers, meditating to renew his mental strength and align his arcane energies, then finally opening his spellbook to memorize his spells for the day. Once complete, he rejoins the others. He casts a cantrip on each of the wounded to bolster their resolve. "Resistentiam." He then sets himself to performing any household tasks his magic may aid in before taking breakfast with everyone outside. Perhaps Boccob will note the use of magic on the wounded and in this home and look favorably upon them.
"No, it is not art...its a favor. I did not do this, it was done for us..." she says this a little uncertain, as if working it out for the first time in her head. Hmm. Soros cocks an eyebrow at the elven woman, then at the plants she - or something - manipulated. "An... interesting viewpoint." He looks back at Naia and Edan, then up to the ridge where Rabalar helps D'ogryn along. "And one which I would be quite amenable to discussing at greater length once we've returned to more hospitable environs." The wizard carefully wades back up the stream and small waterfall to join Rabalar and the others at the rope. "Are we ready? If there are more, and I saw no evidence of their takings from the wagon, we don't want the to find us injured and easy targets. We should get moving." "I agree; let us make what haste we can in leaving this place. Rabalar, Zove, if you would both take the lead again and warn us again of any traps - the rest of us are unlikely to remember them all or their placement. Edan and I can assist Naia and D'ogryn."
"Ho there, up on the ridge! We propose to retreat back to Saltmarsh the same way we came - yea or nay?"
I'm down but not out :) I should be able to check in at least twice a week. Still feel free to bot as needed to move things along!
"I think it a fair tactical assessment that our day's offensive is finished. We should not linger here; let us regroup and make our way back to Saltmarsh as quickly as we can manage, in case the surviving goblins retrieve reinforcements." Soros assists Naia and/or Zove as needed, and awaits direction from Zove or Rabalar as to whether retreat along the "high road" or "low road" is most advisable.
Hi everybody. For the next few weeks my work/life balance is going to be very out of whack from the norm, and my posting will most likely be spotty and/or brief. I apologize for the disruption, and please feel free to bot me whenever necessary. My hope is that by the end of June I'll regain some equilibrium and be back to my regularly scheduled posting.
With only one enemy left, Soros decides to risk another sling stone rather than summon another ward.
Given the success of his first sling stone, Soros decides to attempt a second. I suspect the more goblins we put an end to here and now the less likely the survivors are to return. Once his stone is in the air, he looks to Naia. "Stay behind me," he suggests.
Soros knits his brow in anger and looks to the goblins in the east. Not wanting to deprive Naia of his protection should the goblins decide to try and finish her off, he holds his ground. Resorting to mundane methods may cause these goblins to fear me less; however, our situation grows critical. Best strike at their head. The wizard pulls the sling hanging from his belt, loading it with a bullet which he sends zipping at the goblin who appears to be giving the orders.
Feeling his protective ward dissipate, Soros once again focuses his mind on creating the metaphysical spinning pentagram. His defenses thus refreshed, he carefully advances, trying to keep pace with the two women.
That cat is quite impressive, and obviously not a familiar. I've heard that some with a mystical connection to the natural world make use of animal guardians. I wonder - is the beast trained by conventional methods, or does she compel it through her magic?
According to my not-in-any-way exhaustive research, boats would close within 20 feet of a whale or less(!) before throwing harpoons. I think that the fact that they're trailing many yards of rope off their tail end probably throws their accuracy way out of whack.
Ranged attacks take a cumulative –2 penalty for each full range increment (or fraction thereof) of distance to the target. For example, a dagger (with a range of 10 feet) thrown at a target that is 25 feet away would incur a –4 penalty. A thrown weapon has a maximum range of five range increments. A projectile weapon can shoot to 10 range increments.
Soros carefully wades forward to keep pace with Naia and Zove. Let's see if I can't sow a little discord. Once again casting with exaggerated shout and flourish, Soros summons four globes of light resembling will-o-wisps around the goblins on the eastern ridge above them. "Lumina saltatus!"
The wizard glances up at the goblin's screech, alert for any incoming arrows.
I'm okay either way on the one roll vs multiple rolls, though I imagine doing one action roll (ie one Stealth check opposed by many Perception checks) will save a lot of time/effort in the long run. I think one roll probably gives most players a greater sense of agency as well, rather than having the DM rolling additional checks for them. (Which isn't at all to say that the DM shouldn't roll checks for people if it speeds up play!) On an unrelated note, in review I see that I managed to mis-spell my own character's full name in my most recent gameplay post >:|
OK, cool :)
Naia enters the water and can hear the chanting finish as Soros casts his spell. FYI Soros's protective ward is a supernatural ability, which by standard rules doesn't require any verbal, somatic, or material components (I didn't see any house rules to the contrary). Your flavor text had Soros vocalizing it - wasn't sure if this was confusion I've created by having my spellcasting be in bold italics and thoughts in regular italics, or whether you require it to have components. No big deal in our current situation, but I wanted to clarify whether you have house rules on this, as it could be relevant in the future.
The wizard presses his lips into a thin line of disapproval at the chorus of bowstring snaps and whistling arrows from above. They're concentrating all their fire on our contingent above. If I am to protect them, measures will have to be taken. In a dramatic gesture Soros extends his right arm, palm out with fingers splayed wide, and spins his hand at the wrist. "Clypeus magicae!" he shouts, summoning an invisible shield of force. "Pathetic goblins, be warned - you risk the wrath of Soros Sull, servant of Boccob!" His voice rings imperiously throughout the canyon, as loud as he can make it.
Apologies for the delay - will post shortly.
I believe Naia, Soros, Zove, and presumably her cat have elected to stay on the ground. I was thinking there might be some melee to be done, but that has proven not to be the case. I'm sure the ground party will find some way to make themselves useful, even if only by drawing fire away from the ridge party.
Soros furrows his brow in concentration, tracing out the lines of an imaginary pentagram with himself at the center in his head, then sets it to spinning about him. My mind a fortress doth create, five walls crossed to fifteen make, and on three axes to rotate. His protective ward complete, he steps forward to the waterfall's edge to include Zove's great cat within it's bounds. "I have conjured my protections," he informs those nearby.
Still 'anyone with the link can view' instead of 'anyone with the link can edit.'
Soros nods at Rabalar as he goes by. "Archers above, infantry below." The wizard then carefully advances to the gap, peering around the cliff walls at the pool beyond before ducking back and addressing his remaining companions in a low voice. "Zove, Naia, Edan - when we engage, try and stay within 10 feet of me if possible, and I'll try and keep up with you all. That is the boundary of my magical protection."
SD, a bothersome rules question for you. Yay! Soros's Protective Ward ability is centered on Soros and grants a bonus to all allies within a 10 foot radius. RAW I must pick a corner of Soros' square (grid intersection) for the effect to be centered on, which will then cover the standard "plus sign" template, leaving a square adjacent to Soros unaffected. Some DMs house rule that such effects emanate 10 feet out from the each side of the caster's square, effectively granting a 25 foot diameter rather than 20 foot, so as to cover all squares adjacent to the caster. I thought I'd verify how you'll have it work, as it'll probably be relevant pretty soon :)
"If we attack from above and below, it seems likely our lower force will be the more heavily engaged by enemies. I shall stay down here to provide defensive support."
Soros walks carefully forward as D'Ogryn makes his climb. When the rope drops down, he looks to his remaining companions. "Is anyone following him up?" The wizard notes the large feline's behaviour and readies himself for action. I'm no naturalist but that cat does not seem particularly pleased with whatever it senses ahead.
Soros cocks an eyebrow as the cook begins his climb, surprised by both his courage and skill. "We shall do what we can, but I don't know that any of us can follow your ascent."
"I can provide magical protection to all within a limited proximity to me, therefore I will accompany the division of our forces most likely to directly engage the goblins - I believe they will benefit the most from additional defense."
I've italicized the verbal component to Soros's spellcasting because I think it reads cooler, but if anyone is going to find this confusing (ie due to standard forum formats for inner monologue/telepathy) just let me know and I'll stop :)
At this point an ambush seems inevitable. While I don't want to unnecessarily waste a spell, it will be much harder to cast after a goblin arrow has pierced my throat. Besides, a spell cast is never wasted - it serves to strengthen Boccob and the weave of all magic on Oerth. Soros draws a small piece of cured leather from his belt, tracing a quick, simple triangular pattern in the air in front of his face, chest, and groin with it. "Armis magicae."
I placed Soros directly behind D'Ogryn on the map, as I don't believe he can make it past D'Ogyrn, Edan, and Naia without a Reflex save, which he's not going to risk. If you like, D'Ogryn, feel free to switch places with Soros to keep everyone in front of you - I didn't want to presume :) SD, is a double move considered a hustle?
Soros carefully continues forward, staying adjacent to the rock wall and in shallow water.
Confrontation here does not yet seem inevitable; I shall reserve my magic until it's definitely needed. As everyone continues towards the narrow gap under the threat of goblins above, Soros begins to doubt his reserved approach. Should I hurry? The wizard begins to take a quick step when Zove crashes face-first into the water. Best not. He proceeds to move carefully up the narrow shoreline behind D'Ogryn, hugging the wall and crossing in front of the cook at the man's indication.
'Version history' is grayed out for me, though it autosaved my change in Soros's position.
After a few long, tense moments Soros relaxes his hand. "We'll obviously be at a disadvantage here during an engagement. If we've scared them away, I recommend we move forward with haste - before they return in numbers that make them confident."
I'm good for one post every weekday :)
The Suel wizard looks up at the cliff in alarm as Zove exclaims and bathes the tree in faerie fire. Enemies! His free hand curls into a strange shape, his fingers arranged and bent as if to create some bizarre shadow-puppet. His eyes hurriedly hunt for any sign of enemies near the elf woman's magical flare without success. "I don't see anything - where are they?" he asks towards Zove, his voice low and tense.
Hitching up his robes, Soros proceeds into the deeper water of the narrow behind Naia and Edan. Shivering as the cold water washes over his shins, he again silently remonstrates himself for his morning's elemental attunement. Father's talk of returning to the forge must have poisoned my reason. I must be sure to maintain proper mental discipline, especially when around my family.
Soros will have his staff at the ready when on land and when in the water will hold it in one hand, with that arm draped over his PFD (log). He'll put his spellbook and component pouch in the top of his pack, and when in the water he'll do his best to keep them above the waterline.
I don't think alternate suggestions should be taken negatively. However, the posting rate of this game thus far is somewhat irregular, so I do agree that debate of any real length is likely to bog us down. Perhaps we should adopt the rule that when 3 of us post agreement in gameplay the group follows that course of action, for better or for worse? This would help us maintain forward momentum. For the record, Soros is willing to follow any party majority decisions that don't involve dealing with magic - outside of his area of expertise he's willing to swallow his doubts and assume others know what they're about.
Soros looks at the water a long moment. "I cannot swim save to tread calm water, but if those of you skilled in woodcraft believe it's our best option, I can cling to a log as if my life depends on it.' And it will. Well, Master Atron never claimed proving myself to others would be easy! Quite the opposite in fact. The wizard belts his robes tighter about his waist and checks the straps and buckles of his pack in preparation for entering the water.
SD, I'll be travelling all day/evening tomorrow and probably won't be able to post until Friday (42 hours from now). Please bot Soros as needed.
"That 'bottleneck' concerns me... Argh! I must be more vigilant in my avoidance of metaphors, no matter how common the may be >:\
Soros indicates the narrow turn ahead. "That 'bottleneck' concerns me. If the goblins have left any of their number behind to harry pursuers, we'll be quite vulnerable." He looks up at the cliff walls. "Are any of you skilled climbers? Perhaps someone could ascend a wall and scout above and ahead from that vantage."
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