Susan Draconis's page

Nebulous_Mistress wrote:

TheAntiElite wrote:

Nebulous_Mistress wrote:

Human-looking feat. Childlike feat.

Just sayin'.

OBJECTION! (cue Pressing Pursuit/Cornered theme)

Not all gnomes are going to be child-proportioned, unless that's how you play 'em. Likewise, or more emphatically, ESPECIALLY not the default halfling, who lack the feat.

That being said, I find the notion disturbingly hot - a pandering male stripper who get a vicarious thrill out of the conflicted discomfort he causes in his patrons, where the press of cheek to exposed decolletage and a murmured bit of sweet-nothing would be enough to turn any boisterous battle-babe into a crimson inexplicably-protective guilty victim of such a 'cake-eater'. The sheer amount of Nabekovian torture that could be inflicted on a man of strong moral character by a suitably youthful-appearing member of the 'short folk' would only be exacerbated by the presence of one who not only knows of the discomfort caused, but gets off on it, and the seemingly soul-crushing despair that accompanies the physical gratification that comes along with the succumbing...

I find your description to be perfectly suited to my alignment. I heartily approve.

Thank you. As mentioned, I seldom see any of the short folk played AS evil of anything but the most ineffectual variety, which is why I could see such an individual not necessarily as 'lol insta-pallyfall' bait, but certainly something to seed self-doubt and angst of an appropriate variety. It only gets better if the short-folk in question is not doing what they do out of malice, but simply out of finding the squirming discomfort appealing in their own way. In a setting where such attractions are known, one might have priest/-esses of an Ilmater-analog purchasing the freedom of children subjected to such horrid abuses with their own bodies, allowing such villains an alternative. While some might treat such actions as only emphasizing the perceived mental connection, they might be looking at it from the inverse perspective - the person's fixation might be on the size and perceived helplessness, something that could be provided by other venues. Perhaps the size is the source of the eroticism, and not the age; while the expectation is that there are other 'issues' in play, I believe it may be no more strange (make of that what you will) than, say, wanting to be called/calling someone 'Daddy' in the midst of the carnal act.

To go there just as hard...

Imagine, if you will, a paladin. Standard human male paladin, never quite able to enjoy himself with the barmaids, no interest in the woman his family/church/wingmen set up for him. Has no interest in men, that he knows for sure. But then he ducks, embarrassed and disguised for fear of being made fun of, into a house of ill repute.

The human women still hold little interest, the human men even less. The half-elf is pretty but not what he's looking for, in fact he suspects her ears are fake. The big half-orc woman in studded black leather is too weird for his tastes. The kobold is just weird. And then he meets this gnome...

Bright red hair shot through with pink and orange. The blade of his longsword is longer than she is tall. Tiny little hands and feet, bright green eyes, perfectly proportioned...

Sure he might bolt out of the whorehouse the first time, gasping in terror, lust, and just a little bit of despair. But he'll be back.

They always come back.

Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?

Quantum Steve wrote:

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

ProfPotts wrote:

I just hope the OP's Druid is an evil alignment, since he's planning on wearing the skin of a fellow sentient creature... ;)

Armour made from animal intelligence monsters certainly has the appeal of being less of an ethical quagmire!

Druids should have a Native American outlook on dead creatures. Use every single part, letting nothing go to waste. Armor from the hides and/or bones, bones and teeth to create weapons, and and all the squishy bits for alchemy or whatever.

I don't think wearing the hide of an Int 2 Neutral Animal is even in the same ballpark as an Int 27 LG Dragon. That would be like if someone tried to sell you a hat made from Joe, the weird foreign guy from the hut in the woods. Sure he may not look like us, and he wears funny clothes, but he's a pretty nice guy and he always shares his nuts and berries.

On the other hand, a True Neutral Druid may not care that some adventurer probably robbed and murdered Joe, skinned him and sold his hide. But, a NG one might.

I don't think you can compare human relations to other humans, despite ethnic and cultural differences, to the difference between vastly different sentient races, where others have no resemblance whatsoever to your own, especially not when these sentient races might be ruthless creatures who seemingly exists for no other purpose than to kill you and your kind.

If the dragon in question was one of the good kind, the should certainly be a lot considerations before slaughtering it, but wearing the scales of an evil one is a well won trophy.

Great Wyrm Gold Dragon to his paladin apprentice:

"My son, I am not long for this world. The wolves of years have snapped at my heels far too many centuries in my search for one such as you, one capable of upholding Good and Law in dark times as these. I have taught you all I can in this life but I fear it will never be enough. Your task is too important to leave to idle chance and the waves of fate. Therefore I leave you with one most important task. I will die. When I am dead you will skin my body and take my hide to Elrin the Smithy. He is the only armorsmith I trust to have the skills needed to preserve my essence. He will have access to my hoard for any of the materials or magics he needs to ensure my aid in your ultimate quest.

I will be with you always, my son. You will never be alone. When your quest grows so great you fear you may break, I will strengthen you. When your faith in Good and Law are tempted by the easy lures of Chaos, I will guide you. When the fires of Evil lap at your body, I will protect you. My strength is your strength, my son. My life is yours."

Dragon then kills himself and a paladin gets a suit of Gold Dragon fullplate and one epic backstory.

primary game: Smuggler's Shiv, upon Red Mountain

secondary game: small town, Velashu Uplands, Varisia

Ya, spent 9 levels in the same small town and I haven't named it. Bad GM, bad! ::scolds self::

Power Word i think the reason you don't see a lot of gay and bi's playing same such characters is the fact. Gay and bi is still not completely accepted by society. If i may explain my point. One of the groups I play in my main group has a gay guy in. Everyone knows he is gay and is ok with it, but some get uncomfortable if he talks about his love life to much. He has played a gay character before and some of the players got uncomfortable if it happened to much. He rarely does it anymore and tends to play straight characters most of the time.

So my guess is most such gay and bi players have ran into that before and just to avoid causing waves choose to play straight characters. I should note this only seems true of men. No one seems to care about lesbian or bi women or if they play their characters that way, regardless of the gender of the other players.

Cue society's double standard.

I run a very rare group when it comes to sexuality. All four of my players were transwomen (one asexual, two lesbian, one "does it move? yes? then sure!") until two left for various reasons (one moved, one got dumped by her girlfriend) and now I have a much smaller group of two transwomen. And me, but I'm usually GM so I don't count.

Trust me, when your gaming group is made up of people already considered to be sexual deviants then the standard straight character is considered not just an oddity but a role-playing challenge.

I've also played with these same players in more... statistically average groups, let's call it. Suddenly it's all reserved, quiet, straight characters to keep from rocking boats or drawing attention. Regardless of what they wanted to play or what characters they've already made it's always boring, dare I say normal characters once your straight dude sits down at the table. PC PCs, if you will.

So I suggest, straight dudes, play that outrageous idea of yours, whatever it is. Enough stretching of roleplay roles and we might just have a broader range of PCs in the field.

Try getting your Harrow readings done by someone who actually does tarot. It's both awesome and creepy.

I used to read tarot professionally. I read the Harrow for our CotCT game. I didn't start as DM and the first Harrow reading predicted half the AP. I ended up DM and still read the Harrow and found it predicted player actions. My players were impressed enough that they had me reading the Harrow several times per adventure for tips, kicks, and awesome. Whenever they'd get stuck, out came the Harrow and they used it to get out of being stuck.

My readings only failed at one thing. Lem never did get his beating.

The simple answer is just don't be Evil-Stupid.

The longer answer:

Evil is no more extreme than Good. Going out of your way to hurt people, kick puppies, and burn down orphanages is all well and good when you can get away with it or it's a special occasion but you don't always have the option. Same as the Good guy who doesn't always have the option of saving a burning orphanage or adopting every stray puppy on the streets or make sure everyone is without hurt or hunger. There just isn't enough time in the day, resources, ability, whatever.

The Chaotic Stupid guy who runs giggling into town, shanks all the guards, burns down all the orphanages, steals all the bread, draws mustaches on all the paintings, and moons the mayor, that guy's just trying too hard. That's not Evil, that's just plain Stupid. So just don't be Stupid, be Evil.

Retaliatory violence happens when there are sudden shifts in power, but within American society things are happening relatively slowly and the power structure isn't changing. That doesn't mean the violence can't or won't happen, but rather it will be more isolated and exceptional.

And probably occur on the internet. It's easier to be a dick to people when you're anonymous, whether or not they deserve it.

Anonymity, the NEW angry mob who's got your back.

I know this seems hard to consider but...

Isn't the hilarity of not ending up as something you'd expected or wanted half the fun of Reincarnate?

Doesn't suddenly being stuck in a different body where people treat you differently and your personal challenges have to be rethought provide incredible roleplay experiences?

Isn't when the rest of the players have their moment of pointing and laughing to the tune of "ha ha, you got turned into a yakman" funny and on some level worth it?

There's more to consider than the price of spells and scrolls here. There's the fun the players are having, the challenge of having to try something new, the threat of rolling an 00 and being turned into a gelatinous cube...

Sooo coooool!

Testicles can be very dangerous.

Oh yes. Best watch out for those tanuki, they'll knock you out with those things.

::sticks tentacle into little crack in the wall to find something clothed:: There you are! Found you, little cleric. Yum yum.

Jordan Fenix wrote:

what are you trying to imply... dear? *getting sword ready to even more shopping*

I wouldn't mess with Susan if I were you, didn't you just hear what happened to the last cleric of Iomedae in her world? You know, the one that was the original topic of this thread?

I like clerics of Iomedae. They're crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and so wriggly...

KaeYoss wrote:

The raping and killing is usually done to different people. (Take care not to confuse those two groups)

Damn! So it actually was kill their cows and rape their women? Excuse me while I go get a new pillaging manual... and a doctor.

I recommend Pillage Before Your Burn by Vic the Viking. Lots of good tips.

Hm... now that I think of it (and have gained maddening insights from this thread), they never tell us what exactly the Eleven Acts of Iomedae were. Maybe it's not about what she did, but who! There's always more than one way for people to climb the career ladder, including the one where you climb it lying on your back. ;-)

Yeah but from what I hear that lowers the glass ceiling to demidiety status. Unless of course your sugar-daddy dies randomly (or not so randomly, heh) and you immediately rise to take his portfolio.

Littlest Elder God wrote:

I wasn't that drunk, just drunk enough that I couldn't fly my byakhee straight.

Leave your bukkake out of this.

Got a thing against leather-winged birds? They're great for interdimensional travel.

Besides, bukkake means there's a hole not being filled and we all know that all holes must be filled.

The 6th Act of Iomidae was grappling with dagon without losing her virtue.

What?! She said she wasn't going to write about that! I was drunk, I tell you. She never told me her alignment. You have no idea how pissed Aroden was the next morning when he came to pick her up.

Oh, and she lied about not losing her virtue. Turns out she was good. Very good.

Susan Draconis wrote:

What do you do?

Was this for the Ask A Shoanti Thread? Because if it was, the answer is "Kill, Rape, Pillage". In that order.

I could make it so...

Wait, aren't you supposed to rape before you kill? Like how you're supposed to pillage before you burn.

Susan Draconis wrote:

Jordan Fenix wrote:

nah

its a good reference for another player i have

and terrific story that of the poor sister know become follower of the Deep One

as a priestess of Iomedaei hope our justices smacks her... now can i have the sword reforged by the elves for my personal use and so i can be called Queen when i return to the realm?

I have a feeling that one among the pack of hound archons Iomedae had to call off from searching has picked up the pieces of the shattered sword. It will be reforged when Sauron awakens again, I mean, when need of it arises.

lol next AP to ask for justice for her previous "owner" crimes?

i appoint myself for such carrying of justice!

You'll have your work cut out for you. I'm altering Second Darkness to work for high level play and we're continuing with these characters. By the time that's done Poor Evil Cleric will be about powerful enough to act as the big boss of an AP.

::tempts writers:: 20th level cleric of Dagon... has her own nest of deep ones... mother to a half-fiend... wants to sink all the lowlands of Varisia beneath the waves...

So I guess I have a hypothetical question. Say a band of adventurers saved your city of Korvosa, deposed your queen, aided in the placing of a new ruler on the throne (despite rumors that the new king is a rakshasa), and the city now enters a new Golden Age of power, trade, influence, and all those good things for making people rich enough to afford the many vices that the new king allows (and finances). This is a lawful neutral city so if the king says it's okay then it must not be so bad.

But say you were Just a Commoner. Your brother lost his arm and nearly his life in building stupid monuments for the deposed queen. The church of Asmodeus demanded you pay for his healing in blood. And the adventurers stopped that, saved the both of you. Life is now looking up, trade is bustling, the city is repopulating, you even handled your first ever Gold Piece recently thanks to the efforts of these adventurers.

And then you see a paladin, a supposed bastion of everything that is good and just. A paladin who had stayed quiet like the rest of his fellows during the queen's rule, citing that she was lawful ruler and they could thus do nothing to stop her. A paladin who is at the moment stabbing one of the heroic adventurers in the back, without warning, while screaming to the skies and streets that this adventurer is a "heretical demon-worshiping whore unworthy of even speaking the Inheritor's name".

What do you do?

nah

its a good reference for another player i have

and terrific story that of the poor sister know become follower of the Deep One

as a priestess of Iomedaei hope our justices smacks her... now can i have the sword reforged by the elves for my personal use and so i can be called Queen when i return to the realm?

I have a feeling that one among the pack of hound archons Iomedae had to call off from searching has picked up the pieces of the shattered sword. It will be reforged when Sauron awakens again, I mean, when need of it arises.

KaeYoss wrote:

Can we get back on track, please? Fighting over real-world cultures and religions will get us nowhere except into afternoon detention.

I think you replied to the wrong thread. This one is about tentacles and a falling/fallen cleric.

Did I mention tentacles? Your reply looks like it's intended for the angels and good outsiders thread.

Maybe KaeYoss's post has some significance. If said KaeYoss can tie alignment issues to the actions of differently aligned tentacles during a hentacle attack. Gotta admit, that would be an interesting discussion.

The choice as been made. Sister May Arkad of the church of Iomedae has fallen.

The Voice of Dagon came to her in an encounter with a giant squid, whispered sweet nothings in her ear. He told her how to destroy Iomedae's sword using the powers of pure chaos and madness, how to avoid the inevitable divine backlash, and where to seek out cultists of the True Faith. He gave her the tools to change, just as the Voice of Iomedae gave her the tools to stay the same.

The sword is sundered. The trumpet archons sounded their challenge, the hound archons tracked her down but in the end she evaded them the way Dagon bid her: she ran like heck to the ocean and dove in.

The Campaign Setting book mentions deep ones among Dagon's faithful. I have turned their mention into Nests. Stripped of all power save those granted her by knowledge and items May swam into the deep and dark to such a Nest.

Like Iomedae's suggested atonement, Dagon asked for both very little and all too much. Forever passed in a moment and she is now heavy with his child.

The other deities have quelled Iomedae's fury for now. She no longer attempts action through the throwing of archons at her wayward charge. No, her vengeance will be much more insidious, much harder to trace as the Mother Superior of Korvosa's Church of the Inheritor sends the products of her own wounded pride to track down and take revenge upon the heretic.

I look forward to the future.

Susan Draconis wrote:

Snorter wrote:

Susan Draconis wrote:

Found easier access infos. It's all about the easy access.

So; you wearing a pair of those 'Old Prospector's Pants', with the door in the back?

Heck no. Skirts give the easiest access.

Susan...will you marry me? I mean, I'm no Dagon, but I do make a mean grilled salmon over rice pilaf.

I finally saw it. Now, I cannot unsee. I don't know what I did right, but I do know this game(and its' expansions) are my reward for a life well lived. Thank you, God.

::pats Masked DM on the head:: Ooo how cute.

Susan Draconis wrote:

Found easier access infos. It's all about the easy access.

So; you wearing a pair of those 'Old Prospector's Pants', with the door in the back?

Heck no. Skirts give the easiest access.

Montalve wrote:

Who is that masked DM? wrote:

I think Dagon, while not into sex himself, may want her to marry one of his fish people so she can become a new wellspring of those weird half-fish people for him, as in the original story. While he's not a sexual being himself, Dagon may enjoy watching. As I might. ::sets up camcorder::

jajaja i do agree

masked DM? cani have a copy?

Let's see if she takes up Dagon on the offer....

I rather think she will. Her player keeps trying to get me to let her choose Dagon right now. Sadly I can't do that because she needs to at least look able and willing to Iomedae long enough to wield the intelligent sword in finishing the AP.

I can inform you all that the Voice of Dagon is a devilfish with many wandering tentacles... He just needs something to say while keeping Not So Poor Cleric *ahem* occupied...

I'm cashing in those Freud points. Not for cigars or tentacles or creepy memories of my father but for a brainstorm. I have something like two days to come up with what Dagon would want and offer our poor cleric in exchange for her fealty.

New background: Poor Cleric (now 15th level) was told she'd have to listen to two arguments, one from the Voice of Iomedae, one from the Voice of Dagon. Iomedae demands Poor Cleric give up Dagon through Atonement, which in her case will involve (tagged for the squeamish, consider yourself warned)

Now I need to come up with what Dagon wants. Thoughts?

Susan Draconis wrote:

Who is that masked DM? wrote:

Susan Draconis wrote:

Who is that masked DM? wrote:

First of all, I must thank the OP for creating this thread and sharing her story, and apologize for arriving to this thread so late.

But to answer the question posed, no, there are not enough tentacles. In fact, there can never be too many tentacles. They're kinda like dice that way.

It's not late if the game and therefore the question is still going on.

And that's why somewhere in the Abyss there is a plane made entirely of tentacles. And if there wasn't then there is now.

Do they have any vacation packages? Because if they do, there are a few people I'd like to drop off there for an...extended stay...yeah, that's it.

A very long extended stay. I'm thinking they have some *ahem* permanent vacation packages. All it costs is their soul...

Susan, this is the start of a beautiful friendship. Provided you become my travel agent, that is.

Dunno if I'd be good at that. I can get you to the tentacles but I make no promises about your luggage nor where the tentacles decide to go. Only the tentacles decide where the tentacles go...

Susan Draconis wrote:

Who is that masked DM? wrote:

First of all, I must thank the OP for creating this thread and sharing her story, and apologize for arriving to this thread so late.

But to answer the question posed, no, there are not enough tentacles. In fact, there can never be too many tentacles. They're kinda like dice that way.

It's not late if the game and therefore the question is still going on.

And that's why somewhere in the Abyss there is a plane made entirely of tentacles. And if there wasn't then there is now.

Do they have any vacation packages? Because if they do, there are a few people I'd like to drop off there for an...extended stay...yeah, that's it.

A very long extended stay. I'm thinking they have some *ahem* permanent vacation packages. All it costs is their soul...

First of all, I must thank the OP for creating this thread and sharing her story, and apologize for arriving to this thread so late.

But to answer the question posed, no, there are not enough tentacles. In fact, there can never be too many tentacles. They're kinda like dice that way.

It's not late if the game and therefore the question is still going on.

And that's why somewhere in the Abyss there is a plane made entirely of tentacles. And if there wasn't then there is now.

So after a few mad dreams and a few more tentacles Iomedae gave her wayward cleric an ultimatum. Poor cleric has to give up the tentacles through an Atonement conveniently placed after the AP is over or lose her power ('poor cleric' is 13th level).

I guess that's what she gets for trying to defend herself in a Contact Other Plane to Iomedae with the excuse "But Dagon seemed so nice..."

I give the odds of a radical alignment change plus Atonement into Dagon's favor at 60-40. For.

DitheringFool wrote:

Susan Draconis wrote:

So I discussed tentacles with my clerical player. In her case, the final ruling is that every time she gets grabbed by a tentacle she makes a Will save, DC probably varying depending on what I feel like, never less than 15 nor more than 25.

Success means she can act normally and that the tentacle acts normally. Failure means that she does not and nor does the tentacle. I left whatever groping, exploring, undressing, and/or molesting it might do unspoken, to be described during the actual combat. After all, each tentacle is going to work different. A mohrg's tentacle is going to want to do different things than a havero's, a displacer beast's, or even an otyugh's.

After a save is failed she can make another save the round after. Once she succeeds both parties act normally and she doesn't have to make a save against that tentacle for 24 hours.

I expect the first failed save within the current side quest.

That's awesome! Now, I would be worried if the cleric visits the apothecary for a vial of Grick Musk or something...

How come the monsters don't get a chance to make a save as well? Surely a mohrg has better things to do than get all freaky when it just happens to grab a willing victim. Same with a otyugh or a mind flayer, or Dagon.

By not dictating beforehand what tentacles do when the will save is made (and I haven't, not with the player and technically not with these boards) I can tailor their actions. A mohrg can try to suffocate its victim for easier eating later, an otyugh or displacer beast can drag off its prize to use it as bait, food, or something else. A tree might keep the cleric occupied until things around kill her and it can use the body as fertilizer. And frankly I see no reason why Dagon wouldn't take any opportunity to defile beyond repair the cleric of a LG goddess; the cleric's failed save just puts tentacle antics as the option Dagon thinks of first. Tentacles don't have to fully get jiggy with it to be creepy tentacles. They just have to be tentaclly.

Besides, if the cleric fails her save and say the mindflayer makes it then not only do we have a dead cleric but it's a dead cleric who didn't fight back. And then I have stuff thrown at me. Better to have the cleric make the only save; that way if she fails the mind flayer decides to take the time to savor his meal by slowly petting, tasting, and feeling her head to find all the best parts before actually going in to eat brains. And the cleric's party members have an extra round, maybe two to save their friend.

So after five successful will saves my cleric finally failed two. Both turned out to be fairly advantageous. Both happened during the Expedition to Demonweb Pits as translated to fit into the Pathfinder cosmology.

The second failed save came about because translating Demonweb Pits into Pathfinder removed Obox-Ob from the fray and replaced him with Dagon. Yes, Dagon. Who brought a Star Spawn of Cthulhu as his second.

Only a nat 20 would have saved her. She rolled a 1.

So I discussed tentacles with my clerical player. In her case, the final ruling is that every time she gets grabbed by a tentacle she makes a Will save, DC probably varying depending on what I feel like, never less than 15 nor more than 25.

Success means she can act normally and that the tentacle acts normally. Failure means that she does not and nor does the tentacle. I left whatever groping, exploring, undressing, and/or molesting it might do unspoken, to be described during the actual combat. After all, each tentacle is going to work different. A mohrg's tentacle is going to want to do different things than a havero's, a displacer beast's, or even an otyugh's.

After a save is failed she can make another save the round after. Once she succeeds both parties act normally and she doesn't have to make a save against that tentacle for 24 hours.

I expect the first failed save within the current side quest.

Is the character coming to enjoy the tentacular attention? Or become kind of inured to it or anything? That might help inform you of the nature of the feat.

Who doesn't like a little tentacle love now and then?

The player's come to a reluctant acceptance. Not really of the tentacles themselves but of the horribly juvenile (and just plain horrible) jokes from another player.

The character started off being traumatized but constant exposure has lessened it into acceptance to almost expectance. She just knows by now that if tentacles are nearby they'll go after her.

James Jacobs wrote:

Sometimes, a tentacle is just a tentacle.

And sometimes it's covered with goo and coming for your...face.

...that wasn't my face. ::wipes off goo::

Yog-Sothoth is the key, Yog-Sothoth is the gate.

They've just been through the tentacles in the 4th adventure and are heading toward the tentacles in a side quest. If she hasn't changed her mind I have one level to prelude the AberrationLoved feat with tentaclly dreams.

Hell, considering the tentacles coming up I might give her the feat for free.

Seriously, are there?

Without naming names or pointing out specific encounters I have to say that I have one player, a formerly pure cleric of Iomedae, who's been grabbed, grappled, groped, lashed, strangled, and smothered by every tentacle and/or tentacle monster in the AP. By the middle of the 1st adventure she'd lost her purity, now in the beginning of the 4th she's muttering about taking the AberrationLoved feat.

We switched DMs after the 1st adventure and still the dice pit every tentacle after her. Even more so after I took over.

So, I have to ask. What would the AberrationLoved feat look like? Would it be worth taking? I thought of taking the LichLoved feat out of the old Book of Vile Darkness and tweaking it but found that unsatisfying and kind of insulting to the base LichLoved feat.