Thriss'k's page

In all honesty, I think the scenario's not that great. Very little RP or skill checks in between fights, and the fights themselves aren't that interesting either. Enemies don't have any cool gimmicks, so it makes for a meh repeatable.

You did great livening things up, don't get me wrong, I just think it's a bit of a dud.

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To be honest, I'm feeling a bit tired of playing PbP. I'll stick around if you need me to fill a spot, but if you could replace me, I'd be grateful. It's just that I've been playing this character for a year now, and I'd like to have some time off.
You're all great people and fun to play with, so it's got nothing to do with you, I just need to recharge. :)

Agree with Merian. I'm not familiar with Tableplop, but as long as I can access it without logging in to something, I'm fine.

Also, level 3! What should I do with my skill increase? I'm considering putting it into Intimidate (that Threatening Approach is going to work sometime), but maybe with a Charisma of 12 it's just a lost cause.

Thriss'k tries to find some nice-smelling flowers and herbs to turn into potpourri or incense. One bag he rives to Rawiri as a present, the rest he sells on.

Herbalism Lore: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Alas, the harsh climate isn't suited for the herbs Thriss'k is used to and he returns home with only a meager bag of coin.
8 copper for me.

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The scenario felt a little short, but maybe that's just the scenario's fault.
I liked the personal touches, such as the MGSH. I always like it when GMs add their little spin on things. :)

Technically, Nimble Dodge can trigger on any attack (as long as I'm able to perceive it). It just makes more sense to do it on the first attack, I think.
There's a case to be made for doing it on the second attack, as the first attack has a big enough chance to hit anyway and I might benefit more from the MAP, but anyway. I get crit in the face.

Thriss'k dodges two attacks from Red, but its final attack catches him off guard, leaving a big wound on his chest. Thriss'k tries to patch it up before striking back.

Battle Medicine, DC 15 on himself: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Wow, diceroller wants to keep things risky, it seems.

Failing to patch himself up, Thriss'k sticks low to the gound and skitters to flank Red. Would provoke from all three.

Then, in position, he tries to headbutt Red.

Unarmed Strike, Lethal, flat-footed: 1d20 + 7 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 7 - 2 = 9

His skull connects with that of the goblin, and there's a loud crack, but that might just be Thriss'k's own skull.

"Oww, those action scenes in the theatre make it look so easy," he says as he rubs the top of his head.

Thriss'k was so preoccupied with the cat that he totally forgot about the skellies. He's surprised himself that he only got some minor scrapes from that. Still though, that cat is the main threat. He Steps into a flanking position with Resinosa and takes two nonlethal swipes at the cat.

I forgot that regular unarmed strikes are also an option. Those are nonlethal by default, so I don't have to take the -2.

Fist at Cat's face, flanked: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Nonlethal bludgeoning damage?: 1d4 + 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 1 + (2) = 4

Fist at Cat's face, flanked: 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 7 - 4 = 21
Nonlethal bludgeoning damage?: 1d4 + 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 1 + (3) = 6

I'm sorry, my damage dice aren't with me today. And with my STR being crap, I'm not making much progress.

Reaction: Nimble Dodge: +2 AC versus first attack I see.

Seeing as the cat isn't playing nice, Thriss'k returns the favour. He aims his claw at the cat's soft belly and tries to rip open its guts.

Claw attack vs flanked cat: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Wow.

With the cat squirming too much to keep hold of Merian, Thriss'k moves closer to her and tries to patch her up.

Battle Medicine, DC 15: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

I've tried my best, sorry! :(

"I think this cat is also possessed! Or mind-controlled, or whatever. Please keep it alive, if possible!"

Thriss'k's druidic upbringing prevents him from needlessly harming the animal.

Seeing Merian suddenly all up close and personal with the big cat, Thriss'k decides to help out. Since the cat got into a nice flankable postition, Thriss'k decides to try some scare tactics.

Two actions: Threatening Approach. This will work at some point!

Intimidation attempt versus Will DC: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

He approaches with his neck-frills up high, but once again doesn't manage to scare the ambush predator. He swipes with his claw, hoping that'll have more effect. Gonna try nonlethal again, so that cancels out the flat-footed penalty.

Nonlethal claw vs flat-footed cat: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

I think this is a sign from the universe telling me I should stop playing this character. >_>

I've made an aura around me to denote the light (and my vision).

Thriss'k, unaware of any danger around him, creeps forward, notices a small side passage, but decides to scope out the main room first. When he gets close to the ledge he sees two eyes reflecting the light, and a large feline appears in his vision.

"Whelp, I think I've alarmed them to our presence," he whispers loudly back. "I think stealth is out the window now."

He notices he's very far away from the main group now, so he runs back to the entrance of the cave.

Basically three actions to move around. I've noticed the cat up north, but is unaware of the creatures in the middle (and south).

Oop, wanted to say I have no special vision, so I'd need light to move, which kinda ruins the stealth approach. With GM's permission, may I be 5 or 6 squares to the north, so I'm not ruining Resinosa's approach to stealth? Basically fanning out to cover as much of the cave as possible. It's not an ideal strategy, but hey.

No worries, enjoy your holiday!

I'm a young whippersnapper and M.A.S.H. is from before my time. But I appreciate the reference anyway. :)

"I think Corona's right. None of us can see in the dark, and cats have incredibly sharp senses. We'll only make ourselves a target by going right now. On the other hand, the wind might have erased the tracks by morning..."

He falls silent for a while.

"In any case, I think we should try to purge this magic. It's not natural, and we can set the cat free again after we've dealt with whatever is causing this."

Thriss'k walks over to the dead cats to see if he can at least harvest some parts of this cat. If you kill it, you must at least use it.

I have Tanning Lore, so I guess I'll be making some cool leopard-skin outfits. :P

I'm in favour of going in the morning. Merian's offer of using Dispel Magic sounds good. :) My Survival is +8.

Thriss'k panics as the heavily injured leshy walks over to the unconscious cat. "Smell of the Pines, watch out! You're injured, what if it wakes up and smells blood? You're snack-sized!"

He busies himself with dressing Smell's wounds with Medicine.

Medicine check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

He agrees with the leshy on containing the leopard. "Cats can be taught tricks, but I'm not sure if we can convince it to lead us back. We could try following their tracks, though."

When Smell of the Pines is all healed up, he looks back over at the cat. "Has anyone found out what's wrong with it, yet? I can't check for traces of magic, but I can look if it's in good condition or not."

I'd like to use Medicine to see if it shows signs of captivity or training or the like (modifier of +10). Maybe training is more Nature-like, Smell of the Pines has that covered.

Merian's attempt at nonlethality reminds Thriss'k that these cats might be controlled by someone, and he's reminded of his Druidic oath of protecting nature. Instead of using his go-to spells, he tries to knock the cat out nonlethally. He curls his clawed hands into fists and tries to clock the cat in the head.

Unarmed Strike vs flat-footed: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Nonlethal damage plus sneak attack: 1d4 + 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 1 + (6) = 9

Unarmed Strike vs flat-footed: 1d20 + 7 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 7 - 4 = 19
Nonlethal damage plus sneak attack: 1d4 + 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 1 + (4) = 8

Unarmed Strike vs flat-footed: 1d20 + 7 - 8 ⇒ (19) + 7 - 8 = 18
Nonlethal damage plus sneak attack: 1d4 + 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 1 + (4) = 8

Thriss'k sees that Merian is being surrounded by cats. Though she seems to handle it well, a little help is always welcome. He gets close to the ground and rushes up to Green or Red, if Green's dead, his neck flaps raised high, making a hissing noise all the way.

◆◆ Threatening Approach.
Intimidation to Demoralise: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

When that clearly fails, he takes a single swipe at Green.

Claw attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

If Green is dead, please move me one square closer to Red. I have the movement for it.

Ooh, thanks!

As soon as a cat comes close to Resinosa, Thriss'k increases his clanging in an attempt to scare it off.

Intimidate check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Yeah, no. I needed a nat 20 for a crit, sorry! :(

Good point about vision. I'll use my Wayfinder, and I guess we've posted torches around the camp for clear vision?

Thriss'k was dozing off during watch, but snaps awake when the bells start ringing. Not really thinking things through, he starts yelling, "Goblins, on your guard! The enemy is approaching!"

Because he can't see the cats just yet, he just starts making as much noise as possible, banging pots and pans together to (hopefully) scare off the enemies.

I guess that's just an Intimidate check against no one in particular, so it won't have any effect, but it feels like something Thriss'k would do.

Thriss'k nods in agreement. "Yeah, if those cats are trained or something, normal defenses won't work. But traps and alarms sound like a good idea. Are there any bells in the camp? Ooh, and if they can climb over regular walls, how about spike walls?"

Several Chevaux de frise would probably injure them pretty badly, unless they jump over them. But vertical jumps are pretty difficult. Either we ring the entire camp with them and hurt them however they approach, or put them in strategic places and funnel them to where we want them to go (so we put them everywhere except where we're guarding the place, basically).

Hmmm, not sure what to do. I'm always bad at "you make up stuff to do now." I'm thinking palisades won't work since the cats will just climb over them. But we could funnel them into a certain direction with fires.
Also, there's two goblin camps. I presume the map is not to scale, so if we split our teams across the two camps, we're only spreading ourselves thin. Would it be an option to make one big camp?
A different idea would be to stash them all in the mess hall for one night and keep the camps as a misdirection, but I'm afraid the cats can just smell them out anyway.

Thriss'k, having earned good grades in First Aid class, goes to visit the MGSH. If a goblin says they're wacko, it must be impressive.

"Hello Pearlybones, Hawkeye, I'm Thriss'k from the Pathfinder Society. Have the cats gone straight for the kill, or do they just injure whoever they can and cause as much chaos as possible?"

He looks around to see if there's many injured around after the attacks and if he can help out if needed.

Or or do some fancy tallying and seat the least popular table first, see if it fires (in this case, C will with three players and a pregen), and if not, spread those players out across A and B. Players who just wanted to play C get left out, but that can't be prevented anyways. Have the players selected randomly so that it's not "first-come-first-served," and you'll have fixed most of the problems. Again, lots of work, but I'm sure there's programmes/geeks that can do this stuff.

I added this as an afterthought, but this is much easier than my original idea. You don't even have to limit the number of games per player to one. Just make sure the people who have signed up for the least number of games are served first. If everyone has at least one game, you can go over the list again and fill the tables with people who already have a different game, but are also interested in this one.

That all sounds super complicated on the players' side. The advantage of the current system is that a player just needs to sign up and they're done. Adding this whole bidding thing in the mix makes things a lot more complicated and doesn't even guarantee you can play, either (you can lose all bids, for instance). I have an in-between solution and an alternative solution.

In-between solution:
Players can sign up for any amount of games, and players get seated through priority. People who have signed up for only one game get seated first. If there's space left over, people who have signed up for two games fill up the rest, and so on.
When those players are seated, you cross off all the games that have been filled. Hopefully, that bumps people down from multiple tables down to one again. Repeat this process, and fill up with players who have multiple sign-ups again. This means that the fewer tables you sign in on, the more likely you'll be able to play. If you sign up for five tables, you spread your chances thin.

An example, to (hopefully) clear things up.

There are a few problems with this as well:
- There might be more demand than supply. If there's 60 people who just want to play A and only three GMs, 42 of those get left out and have nothing to play.
- There might be tables that don't fire because there's not enough people. In the example above, C is last to find players for, and is unlikely to find enough players. With a big enough con and a wide variety of adventures that shouldn't be a problem, but it can still happen. The problem is finding the right balance. Too many players and not enough scenarios means people are gonna left out. Too many scenarios and players are spread too thin. You can cap tables at 4 at first and see how things spread out, then adding more people as you redistribute them.
- This all is a lot of work. I'm sure there's a smart algorithm and/or nerds who can do this for you, but still.

Or or do some fancy tallying and seat the least popular table first, see if it fires (in this case, C will with three players and a pregen), and if not, spread those players out across A and B. Players who just wanted to play C get left out, but that can't be prevented anyways. Have the players selected randomly so that it's not "first-come-first-served," and you'll have fixed most of the problems. Again, lots of work, but I'm sure there's programmes/geeks that can do this stuff.
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An alternative solution would be to let players request certain scenarios, and have GMs on standby who are willing to GM, but don't have a preferred scenario. When they see a scenario is requested enough, they can pick those players and fire off a table.
Basically it's the exact reverse of what happens now. Instead of having players sign in to a scenario/GM, you can let players add their name and requested scenario to an Excel sheet and have GMs add their name to it.
One problem I see is that it doesn't fix the "first come, first served"-issue. 10 people can request a scenario, but only 6 people can get seated. But then, a second GM can jump in and run for the other 4 (or a mix of 5-5, if they want). Or have a second deadline where those people "left over" can re-select and jump into a different game that's already fired, but hasn't reached its limit of 6 people yet.
A mix of the current system and this system is also possible. Have several scenarios on offer (some GMs just really like/want to run certain adventures), and have several GMs on standby filling in where needed. The problem here is that there might be too many players and not enough GMs, not being able to fill all tables (as well as tables with only one or two people), but I think this system's a lot better. There'll always be supply and demand issues, I feel.

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These are just two ideas off the top of my head. Both have problems, but solve Soup's issues in different ways, I feel.

Thriss'k runs after him and fires a Produce Flame in his direction, more to motivate him to run harder than to actually hit him, then walks back with a smug grin. He then notices the goblins trying to stoke the flames again. He rushes up to them.

"Nonononono, stop doing that. While I approve of making fires," I'm a Flame Druid, after all :P "We need this cart to transport us. When we're at camp, you can probably torch it, okay?"

Let's hope Moneymaker doesn't mind paying for an extra cart, he thinks to himself.

"And see, those bandits were no problem for us. Whatever is preying on you won't stand a chance with us around."

Thriss'k thinks he's well hidden, but he does not like Merian being surrounded by so many opponents. He abandons his hiding spot and runs to flank Blue potentially provoking, if they have a reaction.

Also, is any of that stuff difficult terrain? I have 5 feet of movement left over, in case it matters.

He casts a spell and his already-sharp claws grow extra long, then he rakes them across Blue's back. Gouging Claw.

Attack vs Blue, flanked: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Slashing damage, plus sneak attack: 1d6 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 4 + (4) = 11

Nimble Dodge reaction: +2 AC versus first attack I see.

I see Merian is still missing on the map. I think she can place herself when she posts.

Thriss'k skitters forward and tries to hide himself behind one of the large rocks, hoping to catch one of the bandits unawares.

One action to move, one action to use the Hide action. It's a secret check rolled by the GM. My Stealth is +7. Last action goes to waste.
Apparently the cover also gives a bonus, according to this.

Cool, I signed up to GM the PF2 special. I'll be unavailable from the 24th of October onward, so I hope the special is over by then. Also put that in the comment section, just to be safe. I haven't done a play-by-post special yet, but I think 6 weeks is enough to finish the special, right? Or does it go all the way until the end?

Thriss'k sits down with a sigh next to Corona. "Tough crowd, right? I liked you dance, though. Would you mind, er... teaching me sometime? Most dances don't take into account that some folks have a tail dragging behind them, which makes spins awkward. You don't want to accidentally slap your dancing partner in the face."

Thriss'k's normally brown scales turn fiery red as he says this, and avoids making eye contact.

"You might be scared of the unknown, and I get that. But you don't have to be afraid of what can't find you. When the alarm goes off, you need to hide. Mask your scent, hide in the shadows, and maybe you can get the jump on your attackers. Like this."

Thriss'k disappears into the shadows, sneaks around the band of goblins, and taps one on the shoulder; not trying to scare, but more to show his skills.

Stealth attempt: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
Bah, I'll use a Hero Pint on this. Need to show them we're capable of defending them.

Stealth attempt: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
*Headdesk.*

Ah, I love the Gobfather. :)

Thriss'k thinks for a bit. "Could this be personal? Someone who doesn't like goblins, or you in particular? I can imagine merchants making some enemies along the way. Oooh, or maybe a third city that loses out on this deal?"

I dread to think about the quality of a bridge built by goblins. >_>

I can do scouting, Perception, and Recall Knowledge as well, depending on party needs. I think Perception is my preferred one, since I'm pretty good at that, but I'm flexible.

---

Regarding grades, as I said, "we" do scores out of 10, where you need an above-average grade to pass (a 5.5), and grades even out. Assuming all tests have the same weight, you just add them up and divide by the number of tests. If you got an 8/10 and a 4/10, you do (8+4)/2 = 6/10. Generally, you can't get below a 1/10, as you get one point just for showing up.*
You need to do some math when some tests are a bigger part of your average than others, but that's the gist of it.

* Depending on the test or system used, some tests all points add up to a certain number and each right answer is worth a certain amount of points (like your 65/80, which then gets translated to a score out of 10) (some questions might be more difficult and be worth more points, for instance), and sometimes you're judged on overall performance. The quality of an essay might be a 7/10, taking into account bad arguments, bad sentence structure, spelling mistakes, and so on.

Basically, one method counts up, each good answer builds your grade by a set amount, a different method counts down, theoretically going infinitely low, but capping at a 1/10. Exact sciences such as maths tend to use the former (as well as multiple choice options), non-exact sciences such as languages use the latter.

Hero Point roll time!

1d3 + 1d2 ⇒ (3) + (1) = 4

One for Corona, one for Merian!

Though I think we have enough to give everyone a second HP.

Thriss'k looks sad as he hears Rawiri isn't coming along to the next mission. "Aww, that's too bad. I missed out on last mission because I had to take summer classes, and I wanted to celebrate getting a D in Absalom History! I'll bring you back some... sand, I guess?"

During the boat trip, when the weather gets increasingly hotter, Thriss'k has to be reminded to stay in the shade. As a cold-blooded iruxi, he overheats quickly and becomes agitated easily as he warms up.

My country doesn't do letter grades. A D is barely a pass, right? We grade out of 10, where a 5.5 is a pass.
(I've heard the French grade out of 20, which is just bizarre to me.)

Yep, same. Big cats were involved, but though I remember the story somewhat, I don't know the how or why.

Yeah, especially with your angina and stuff. Don't know how much that impacts your availability.

Do people think they can get some GM credit on their character before the end of my scenario? Then we can all do a 3-6 next time. If not, no worries.

Of all the repeatables at least, 1-06 is the most fun IMHO, but I don't want to steal Farol's scenario from him without his permission. Otherwise I'll grab something else, or maybe there's a regular 1-4 available.

Ah sorry, didn't mean 1-2 scenarios, just something in the tier 1-2 range. So basically a regular 1-4 scenario.

Ooh, Crashing Wave sounds cool. I've GMed it once already, it's a cool scenario. Definitely interesting with Merian and Rawiri/Thriss'k (Team Fire) :P

Anyone any recommendations for a 1-2 scenario? If not, is everyone familiar with the PFS Tracker? I can pick a scenario this weekend to prep and (slowly) start going by Monday.

If everyone's okay with a slower pace, I'm happy to keep playing. :)
Again, wasn't saying we should stop, just throwing some feelers out there to see what everyone thinks.

Farol, if you really feel more comfortable if you're not GMing next month, feel free to say so. Maybe you can switch places with someone, or someone can GM a second time (I really don't mind GMing again, for instance).

Regardless, I'm happy we're still continuing. This is a nice group. :)

Maybe I'm being a little pessimistic here, but with one player leaving, and another player and the GM going on holiday, maybe call it quits? Don't want people to feel beholden to the PbP while real life is getting in the way.

(Not saying that I WANT to quit, just that this might be a good natural end point.)

Thank you GM for running! Thank you everyone else for participating! It was a cool scenario. :)

Bye rainzax, hope to see you again sometime! :)

Thriss'k curses as the final kayal yells for redemption and Ghul starts weeping. He rushes to them and attempts to put the fire out and provide first aid if possible.

Medicine: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11
I could reroll this, but I like this outcome, actually.

Sadly, the kayal's wounds are too severe to relieve, and they die in Thriss'k's arms. After a moment, Thriss'k lies them back on the ground.

"I'm sorry Ghul, I tried my best. It wasn't meant to be, I guess."

He sits next to Ghul and provides emotional support until he's ready to leave the tavern.

"I guess that's a no?" Thriss'k says, then moves and lobs another ball of fire at the kayal.

Produce Flame: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
I have Hero Points, let's use them.
Produce Flame: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Fire damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Uh oh, Red's still standing? I'm in a flank. This will not end well for me.
Still though, Team Fire is on a roll. :D

"You've got this, right," Thriss'k says to Corona and Resinosa. "I'll go help out Unifax and Jaguar."

Thriss'k moves up, right in flanking position with both the noble steed and the flaming feline would provoke a Reaction if they have them, then casts a melee Produce Flame on whoever looks the most damaged. Probably Red, I think.

Produce Flame attack vs Red, flat-footed: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Fire damage, plus sneak attack: 1d4 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 4 + (1) = 6
That's a disappointing amount of damage. Oh well, I got to sneak attack with a spell. :D

↺) Nimble Dodge +2 AC versus first attack

Thriss'k is looking for an opening to flank. He could join up at the bar, but the only option is to get flanked himself, which is a bad tactical decision. Instead, he moves up a little, then tosses a ball of flame at Blue. If Blue is already down, I'll take Red.

Produce Flame: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Fire damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Thriss'k looks at the torch in his hand and then at the dancing orbs in the air. "Thanks Corona! Don't need this, I guess."

He walks up to a rune on the ground and starts dismantling it. "I have no idea what you are, but it can't be good."

Thievery to Disable a Device (two actions): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14
Ergh. I'll Hero Point this.

Thievery to Disable a Device (two actions): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Assuming I can reach it from here. Technically, the table might be in the way, but I'm adjacent to it. I even have 5 feet left to stand on top of it, if necessary.

You mention a rune, but it's never described. I presume it's a trap of some kind, but I'm just a bit confused about how it suddenly appeared.

I know Corona's got her lights on, but I don't want her to feel obligated to keep them going. The torch is more like a fallback option. :)
Moved myself next to Rawiri. Actions: Move, look for torch, grab torch.

Ah, completely forgot about the Everburning Torch. GM, might I re-do my turn to move next to Rawiri and dig in his backpack for the torch?

Thriss'k curses that he can't see any enemies, despite knowing that they should be here. He drops his backpack and retrieves a torch and flint and steel, intent on lighting them before going in.

"C'mon baddies, we know you're here! Why did you sabotage the boat's shipment and set those giant mosquitoes loose?"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but dropping your backpack is 1 action, and retrieving an item from it is also one action. Could be two though, I'm not sure.
EDIT: I read that using flint and steel in combat isn't that useful. I might want to hold the torch against Jaguar, then. :P

I've played 1-06 once, maybe twice, back in the beginning of PF2. I took a quick look at the enemy names and none of them rang a bell for me, so I'm pretty sure I go in blind regardless of route.

If your GM load is too much, I'm sure some people can shuffle around (I can GM again, if necessary). No need to stick to promises made like 6 months ago.