Billie runs off to get her car, still confused about the night's strange events.
_____________
Dafydd hurries into the house and quickly finds his way towards the back of the building into the kitchen. Entering, he sees the smoke and remnants of what had once been an uncontrolled fire in the pantry to the left. Looking on the right towards the counters, he sees a trio of large ceramic jars in disarray - the smallest is tipped over, with tea leaves falling out. The middle and larger are both still standing, though the have been smashed open and their contents, both white and powdery (likely sugar and flour), have spilled across the counter and show traces of fingers searching through.
Coming close, you search through the fluffy powder (definitely flour) in the largest stone jar. You fix a crumpled piece of waxed paper discarded within, but nothing else.
______________
The Professor looks up to John, seeing the anguish in his eyes. "If you did not find her within, then yes. I fear those who attacked us tonight took both her and Flossie. They likely planned to use them as leverage against me, or to try and extract information from them. Or worse." The Professor is clearly upset, but tries to calm his words, "I am sorry Mr. Mosby, I truly am. I had told Jacqueline to approach you months ago, but she was always so conflicted in her emotions."
Thank you all so much for your patience and understanding. As my family has been through the string of events. We took our boys up into the Northern Appalachians, and found a bit of peace amidst the pain. We are back home now with full Internet and I am diving back into this game. I hope you all will continue the journey with me.
Professor Finch looks significantly relieved, but still in rough shape after Billie’s exceptional care. He looks up at her, listening to her professional evaluation. He then carefully takes the letter, reaches into a pocket to produce a pair of spectacles. They are badly damaged, with one lens completely missing, and the other cracked and chipped. Squinting, he attempts to use the one remaining lens to evaluate the letter. ”Yes, this is most definitely from Jacqueline. I am truly sorry that she has also drawn you into this - though, selfishly, I am now glad you were here.”
He hands the letter back to Billie, then briefly looks at the broken spectacles before tossing them on the ground. ”Given both what I have briefly heard of your academic excellence and your clear demonstration of skill here, I will agree to your assessment that I must be on my way to the hospital.”
Looking to Khaled, he is a bit puzzled. ”Emerick? I didn't think he came with us to Egypt, but he is another colleague in the research that led to this find which brought us all together tonight - how do you know him Khal?”
He chuckles, and coughs briefly, then hearing Eva’s words - continues. ”Sliver of Eternity? So you mean - how could you know? A vision you say? Then I guess I must ask of you all a favor - can one of you go into the kitchen and look inside the largest stone jar on the counter. If luck is still with us, then perhaps it is possible that I still have the Sliver, as you call it. Once we know the date of that, then yes Doctor, I will go to the hospital “
Good morning, and my sincere apologies for my absence. The last 10 days have been one sucker Punch after another. I share this not looking for forgiveness - I should have at least given a heads up that some issues were going on - but at least am asking for understanding.
The previous Thursday and Friday my entire family came down with either strep or covid, with my 4-year-old son getting both. He ended up in the hospital for several days because of a pre-existing condition that triggered seizures with the covid/strep combo.
As everyone was starting to recover, our refrigerator's compressor failed.
And on Wednesday, our senior but still lively malamute (dog) had a drastic health crash, which led to us having to put her down on Thursday night. She was with us for 10 years and we also lost my father (grandpa to my boys) 4 months ago, so the loss hit the whole household very hard.
Before my absence I had just mentioned how much i was enjoying the game. I hope the sentiment still exists among the party. I will try to get it moving again today, but will be honest that I do not know what my posting rate will look like the next few days as we continue to mourn.
Billie kneels down at the professor, opening his shirt. She produces a small leather kit from her side, and pulls out several tools, quickly going to work on the worst of his wounds. She deftly stitches up several deep lacerations, and resets a dislocated shoulder. The professor grunts in pain as she works, but any observer can see she is no back alley sawbones, but rather a master physician.
skill check ends up a 31 with the medkit. I sent you a chart on your Healing skill options, but in this case, with a 31, he will get 2 hp per level (he is 6th), +2 from precise healer, +4 from the heal skill for beating the DC by 5, and +4 from the feat Healers Hands, for beating the DC by 10 = 22 HP
The moment is passed, and the professor looks to be in considerably better shape. He coughs, and winces briefly, but manages will Billie's help to sit up. "Miss, could I venture a guess that you are a medical student at University College? And if so, I would wager that Jacqueline invited you. Am I right?"
As Billie turns to leave and begins to walk away, Khaled and John try to lift the old man to help him inside - upon which he cries out horrifically in pain, and crumbles back to the ground. Despite whatever Dafydd was able to do for him, Professor Finch is still severely wounded.
Dafydd’s Lay on Hands have given him 8 hit points; after the gunshot and the passage of a couple rounds prior to the initial healing, he was at -7 hp… so he is at 1 hp currently.
After a couple moments sobbing in pain on the ground, he speaks feebly, "I think... perhaps... could one of you call for a doctor? I would be most obliged. And yes, I think alerting the constabulary would be most sensible at this time."
Laying still a moment, he composes himself through the pain, "Dafydd, ah yes, Tollers spoke of you before.” He pauses for a moment, looking around the crowd, ”Helena, Khaled, John, and Dafydd, I am truly sorry to have drawn you four into this. As for you two ladies, I do not know who you are, but I thank you for your aid on this night."
The Professor takes several seconds to compose his mind in response to all the questions, ”Jacqueline - Madame La Rochefoucauld, is a colleague of mine. She is a professor of modern languages at University College, which itself is a part of the University of London, where I serve in the Institute of Archaeology. We have worked together on several research projects in the past several years, and she and her assistant took residence with me here perhaps nine months back. To your other question, Reginald, he has been an assistant and houseman to me for the past decade - those bastards butchered him when he tried to stop their entry to my home. ”
The Professor becomes overwhelmed with emotion again, but works to regain his composure. ”As to who would be so bold as to enter my house, slay or kidnap my friends, and beat me to within an inch of my life - I am not quite sure. They no doubt seek that which I found…”
For a brief moment Dafydd had been alone, tending to the wounds of the dying old man. Just as the grace granted to him flowed another time and the man opened his eyes, others began to gather at the front door. Within a few moments, there are now six strange souls gathered around the wounded man - the man whom both Helena and Khaled recognize to be Professor Alistair Finch.
At John’s question about Jacqueline and Khaled’s later response from the door, Finch looks amongst the group. ”You mean Madame La Rochefoucauld - oh my, was she not inside? Please tell me that she did not befall the fate that good Reginald did? Oh, heaven’s please.” Professor Finch becomes rather emotional and begins to sob and cry, which then causes him to wince in pain from the many wounds still existing on his body.
For any who would like to make a skill check
Perception (DC 15):
Several more homes on the court that were previously dark have at least one lit window.
Perception (DC 20):
The whole affair took perhaps a minute, and yet, given the gunfire, it is strange that you have not yet heard a constable’s bell or whistle.
I spoke with Billie, she's been dealing with some extra chaos at work this past week. She is hoping things will level off shortly and she will be back in the swing of it.
Dropping in Bot actions for Eva and Billie to keep things moving along
Outside on the Front Stairs (John & Dafydd):
As John asks the question and Dafydd responds, a subtle warm glow ebbs from Dafydd's fingers into the wounds of the unconscious man. A knife gash visibly mends itself closed in the instant following, and the mans coughs more vigorously. As he does, he spits out some blood from his mouth, then slowly raises his head, opens one eye, and softly, light-heartedly mutters, "Most strange... I... always thought... pain, would cease... upon death?"
The Professor is now at positive hit points!
In the narrow hallway (Helena & Billie):
Will Save:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
Reaching in to a dying man's mind is dangerous, or at least so you'd read. Sifting through the pain and anguish, brushing away the fleeting memories of lost moments, you find a small whisper of a response, 'Make it quick and get what you can, then get back to the truck and Jakob will drive you back to the warehouse".
Shaking off the fog surrounding the failing mind, Helena realizes the Asian woman she had seen before has entered the hallway, returning from the back of the house. She looks shaken up and confused, and is likely even more bewildered to see you kneeling over the dying man.
Just curious, Helena, why did you roll a Will save?
On the second floor (Khaled & Eva):
Khaled pockets the paper then hurries down the stairs to the office where he had the previous conflict. As he steps over the fallen man to pick up one of the discarded pistols, he notices a large amount of smoke in the office and the room beyond. Glancing over, he vaguely sees a darkly dressed woman standing amidst the smoke, holding a large, half-charred book in her hands.
Helena kneels down and examines the fallen man beside the stairs. He has two crushing wounds and two gunshots, one downward from above that struck the neck and is soaked in blood. There is the slightest hint of life left in his slow, fading pulse, though what could save him at this point is well beyond the realm of mortal men.
Khaled:
The desk is in utter disarray - items and notes cast asunder, a drawer withdrawn and dumped on the floor, a bottle of ink spilled upon much of it, but the partially written letter you pick up reads as follows:
”Emerick,
As I write this emissive I prepare to break bread with those potential allies who could help us in this dangerous time. I fear we are far beyond our depths, and the unknown players involved pose a greater threat than we ever imagined. I found my office and work room at the University broken into and looted earlier today. Luckily I had not kept it there, but I am concerned now they'll make a plan us soon. I fear I need to get out of the city to a safer sanctuary, so that they cannot get their hands on -”
The writing stops abruptly, as though the process of writing it was interrupted.
John:
looking around both the bathroom and and then back into the bedchamber, it is clear that a woman, or rather two (given the pair of single beds and the divider between them), live here. The clothing scattered about the room is finely made and styled, and the bathroom holds many products. Picking up a small glass bottle, John immediately recognized the fragrance within - and in his mind, he is flung back to a last embrace the night before he went up to the line…
Dafydd:
Dafydd finds himself alone on the front steps, tending to the unknown man's wounds. He seeks the power within him to try and mend the injuries - though the power comes, it seems muted in the moment.
Eva:
Eva's attempt to shape the arcane power is surprisingly effective, and as the deluge of water falls from above, it not only smothers much of the remaining flames, but seems to soak in well to the books and wood of the shelves. The Fire on the second floor is out.
Khaled moves through the bathroom to the far door. Pulling it open, he finds a well-appointed primary bedchamber. In addition to a large armoire, there are several book shelves, a large desk, and a pair of chairs by the fireplace. Every piece of furniture has been knocked over and rummaged through, and numerous pieces of art and artefacts have been torn from the wall or shelves and cast around. On the desk to your right, you see several pieces of paper that match the letterhead upon which you received the letter from Professor Finch. Amidst the blank papers, it appears there is one that is partially written on.
At the front of the building John sweeps through the other bedchamber to the far door. Checking the handle, it is unlocked and opens into a washroom. The room shows little of the defilement that has occurred in the rest of the home.
On the Second Floor (Eva):
Eva calls into the ethereal realms and unleashes a flood of water above the large fire spreading across the bookshelves. It slows the flames, but does not put it out.
if attempting again, add in a spell attack roll (d20+caster lvl+casting modifier)
At the Back Door (Billie):
Billie sees the truck turn left out of sight and head down the alley…
Outside the Front Door (Dafydd & Helena):
Helena sees the sword-bearing man whisper and run his fingers across the gunshot after she had plucked the bullet from it, and is astonished to see the wound glow slightly and begin to mend. The unconscious Professor Finch coughs up some blood, and begins to breathe a little more, though still raspy and broken. He remains unconscious.
Across the open courtyard, you do notice a light on in the first floor of a house that was previously dark when you arrived…
A strange interaction occurs at the base of the stairs between Helena, Dafydd and Eva as they move in opposite directions.
Passing through the smoke-filled doorway, Billie encounters a further door, slightly ajar to outside. As she cautiously inches it open further, she hears the rumble of the engine grow louder...
Billie:
Perception: Nat 20!
Looking out the doorway with caution, you seen an open-backed cargo truck, an AEC Model 201, pulling away down the alley. On the back are two darkly clad individuals, tucked down low between several boxes. They seem to be looking on the direction of the building, but have not noticed you peering out. As it turns left down another road, light from a nearby window casts a yellow glow across the side of the truck, which reads "Geldersen & Co" briefly, before it pulls out of sight.
Billie, this first floor fire is effectively out, and you can move through the back doorway if you so choose.
Working together, Helena and Dafydd are able to carry the limp body of the Old man down the stairs and out the front door. Looking him over under the street light, he has multiple wounds, from a combination of cuts, bludgeoning strikes, and the most recent gunshot. Gunshot. He is in bad shape.
Up on the third floor, Khaled sweeps through the first door towards the back of the house. He enters into a well-appointed washroom, with a porcelain tub. It seems. Seems the chaotic search through the rest of the house has skipped the space, as nothing appears to be damaged or tossed.
Across from him, John enters the door towards the front of the house. This large bedchamber has a sitting area with a fireplace directly in front of the door, then a pair of single beds place lengthwise under the windows to the front of the building. A divider once stood between them, though it now lies broken atop the inner bed. The closet to the left has been swung open and torn through, and both the desk and bookshelf are scattered and their contents are everywhere.
After John shoots the man then starts speaking quickly with Khaled and Dafydd, they can both clearly see the fire starting to spread in the room behind him.
John and Khaled move quickly to sweep up the stairs and to the third floor. Making their way up with a mixture of haste and caution, they come up through the railing and see a common hallway with 3 doors off it. All three stand slightly ajar.
On the second floor, Dafydd's question of where is answered by Helena as she drags the battered, bleeding, and unconscious man into the corridor. A small amount of smoke drifts out of the doorway behind her.
Down below, Billie and Eva quickly spot the fire burning on the shelves and in the doorway leading to the back exit. Something up on the shelves or in the ceiling bursts, as water suddenly showers down and snuffs out the fire. The kitchen itself is disheveled, and looks as though the preparation of a meal was recently interrupted.
Billie & Eva:
perception (Billie):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25 perception (Eva):1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
Both of you hear the revving and rumble of a vehicle engine outside the back door.
End of Round 5 / Beginning of Round 6, all players may ACT
Khaled's whip wraps around the ankle of the final assailant and he yanks, pulling his feet out from under him. As he falls, Dafydd swings in with his sword, striking a dangerous blow. Seeking a source of water to put out the flames, John steps through the other doorway and fires a 45 acp round into the man, throwing him sideways into the wall as he falls.
The fire is spreading across the bookshelves in the upstairs study.
Eva & Billie: Perception (success):
Perception (billie):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25 Perception (Eva):1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
You smell and see smoke coming from the back of the house, in what appears to be the kitchen.
Helena raises her pistol and snaps a shot off at the aggressor standing in the doorway. Whether a touch of luck or a mark of her skill, the bullet struck the man in the throat as he turned his head to duck, and the sound of bone shattering as he fell backwards through the doorway.
Billie (skills):
Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18 Medicine:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22
Despite being nearly overwhelmed with the insanity of the situation, your analytical mind kicks in. The woman is kneeling over the body, seemingly examining it. She is holding a cane, but the body has a massive slashing wound across it, clearly from a heavy blade. There's no way she could have done that with her current implement. And the pool of blood underneath the body suggests it has been there for some time.
Khaled & Dafydd:
Unlike moving through a threatened square, there's no mechanical option for you to just walk through opponent's square. Overrun or tumble are the two options, with either failure causing the person attempting to move through to be stoped before them. So essentially he would need to give up, which he is not. As there is no AoO prompted without either action, I will skip ahead to his action, if that makes sense.
At the top of the stairs, the man in the doorway sneers at Khaled's words as you try to push forward. "The viper's bite take you." he pulls a dagger from his belt and slashes it into khaled's belly.
At the top of the stairs, Khaled successfully disarms his opponent, tossing his hatchet to the side.
John snaps off another shot at his counterpart, with the flames and changing scenario clearly throw his aim off.
Ava opens the double doors and steps into the first floor drawing room, coming face-to-face with what was likely the first victim of this melee.
Eva (Perception):
The body of the man lying before you is covered in blood. A single large gash runs from his upper left shoulder and comes out his lower right abdomen. The man was likely in his late twenties or early thirties, a decent physical stock, and his clothing suggests something of a scholarly nature.
The room itself has really been haphazardly searched, with things thrown off shelves and furniture upended.
end of round 3 / beginning of round 4: Helena, Khaled, Billie, and Dafydd are all up
Billie’s second shot comes at a steep, downward angle and strikes the man at the collar of his jacket. He staggers for a moment before a spurt of blood comes out of the wound on his neck - he coughs weakly, then stumbled and collapses, sliding down the wall.
Upstairs, Dafydd leans into the doorway next to Khaled and catching the assailant offguard, shoots him at short range, a resounding cry of pain echoing from his mouth.
At the front of the second floor, Helena kneels down beside the wounded and now unconscious man. It takes a moment, but she recognizes her old colleague from so many years past. My, how he has aged. You use his clothes and a nearby pillow to slow his wounds, which look grievous. He is alive, but barely hanging on. (Heal skill: provide first aid = success. Finch is in negative HP, but stable)
The pair of men at the double doors eye John, Helena and the professor. One notch to the other and quickly says something to his colleague. As the other snaps off a shot at John before running through the door, he pulls a glass bottle from a pocket and throws it against bookshelf nearby, causing flames to erupt.
perception DC 15:
”Go. These fangs will scorch.”
assailant #1, molotov:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14hit
vs. John assailant #2, pistol:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19miss
At the doorway to the back room, the wounded man stands up and swings his hatchet at Khaled.
vs. Khaled assailant #3,hatchet:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7miss
At the back of the room, the remaining man can be seen climbing out the window, and jumping down.
assailant #4, athletics:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22success
Eva strikes her assailant again, ribs cracking under the aggressive swing. He stumbles, but is still standing.
John fires another shot at the gunman by the door, but strikes the door itself rather than the man. He then dives behind the coffee table in front of the couch.
End of Round 2 / Beginning of Round 3
Upstairs short pulls his whip, snapping it back around the ankles of his attacker. The coil wraps him well, and Khaled pulls his feet out from under him. As he falls, Khaled swings his heavy curved dagger, but he misjudged the doorway and the blade embeds in the frame.
Helena, to be clear I loved the action. I just wanted to make sure there was a clear expectation of how in combat social skills would be handled.
And the "give up your surrounded" and then immediately shooting him before he could respond may have had opposing influences on his decision making process.
Upstairs Helena draws down on the assailant opposite her, and offering her threatening words, fires her pistol, striking him in the shoulder.
Dafydd had reached the top of stairs, but delayed, seemingly unsure of his next action.
Billie rushes up the stairs and turns her pistol down on the man fighting Eva, offering him a chance to withdraw… and he starts to step back, before snapping his pistol up to fire at her. She discharges her pistol, and it glances across his shoulder.
In response his figure squeezes the trigger, firing back at her, but he was not prepared for the higher attacker.
Upstairs in the back office, Khaled’s primary foe closes on him again, attacking with his hatchet. The swing in brutal, Khaled barely manages to dodge the blow.
The other man in the same room drops his jammed pistol, grabs a bag off the counter next to him, and turns to the back window, pulling it open.
In the front room, the firefight continues. The man just shot by Helena looks at her and then the wounded man on the couch. Turning his pistol down, he fires at the prone man, who cries out in pain as the bullet strikes him in the chest. As he fires, he withdraws across the room, toward his ally by the other door.
The final gunman snaps a shot at Helena, her having moved into the room and posing a more immediate threat, but fails to hit her. He steps back, and throws the door open into the back office.
vs. Helena assailant #2, pistol:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21miss
Eva & John are Up
All other characters may act at the start of round 3 following their actions.
Just want to quickly touch on a topic: using social skills in combat. I love social interplay during scenes, and think it can both build emersion, play into the overall tone of the action, and help influence outcomes. That said, all the social skills also have direct mechanical ways they can be used in combat, and to do any of those, they will take the appropriate action type.
In the case of Helena's current action, an Intimidate check most commonly have the effect of "Demoralize Opponent", which is a Standard Action. There are feats that build on this, and if you select Intimidate for Skill Unlocks at 5th level, there are additional benefits.
So to be clear, if you want to have a potential "thematic impact", you can always toss an Intimidate/Bluff/Diplomacy in with dialogue in combat, but if you want to have a direct mechanical impact, it does take the required action.
The intent of the EitR Feat Tax rules was to target roughly two categories: feats that were broadly taken by large groups of characters (all melee types wanted power attack, all ranged deadly aim, weapon finesse for any dex character) which were turned into combat options, or feats that did very little and we're overburdened in cost (combat expertise + improved disarm + improved trip = deft maneuvers) and were consolidated. This is definitely a oversimplification of the concept, but I think it gets the general message across - they didn't target much for class specific feats.
The Investigator is already a hybrid class, crossing the Rogue and the Alchemist. It pulls from two average base attack classes, it's not designed to be the best ranged combatant (ranger, gunslinger, fighter to name a few options). Studied Combat is a solid combat boost for the class, and can be expanded on by getting Ranged Study. There is a firearm-focused archetype for the class - Steel Bound. But they did not build Ranged Study into that archetype, I think because there is some awareness of how potent a boon it could be.
Sherlock Holmes may have been a crack shot, but there are two flaws in the comparison: first, he is a single-character hero (as is often the case in literature and media), and second, if he were built in an rpg, he would most certainly not be 4th level.
You do have access to Deadly Aim to boost your damage. With all characters getting a free archetype, the benefits of EitR, AND double feats, I think there are plenty of feats to purchase Weapon Focus and Ranged Study, either through future feats at 5th and 6th, or a respec.
As for Weapon Focus, the firearm groups Billie proposed are exactly what I was thinking.
Eva runs forward and strikes the gunman soundly with her cane, a resounding crack echoing as bone breaks beneath the blow.
Upstairs, John levels his pistol on the assailant in the far corner and snaps off a shot, wounding him.
END OF ROUND 1 / START ROUND 2
Khaled, having just suffered a winging gunshot, snaps his whip to wrap his combatant's ankles, but just as it starts to close, it gets tangled in the legs of the table. Lounging forward, Khaled still tried to strike him with his dagger, but had been anticipating a fallen adversary and swings too low. (miss)
Khaled steps into the back office and snaps his wrist, sending his whip twirling across the chamber and knocking the pistol out of the hand of the nearest assailant. In return he charges forward, pulling a hatchet from below his coat, but not before the other assailant snaps off a shot at Khaled - though no bullet seems to launch.
The two gunmen in the front room split their efforts, with one shooting at John and the other firing on Helena after she enters, though both shots go wide.
vs. John assailant #1, pistol:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15miss
vs. Helena assailant #12, pistol:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6miss
Dafydd thunders up the stairs behind Helena, hit pistol at the ready. You may look at the Helena perception note in my previous post
On the ground floor, an assailant comes from the back room, and seeing Eva, snaps off a shot, though seems unprepared for the narrow confines and puts a bullet in the wall.
vs. Eva assailant #1, pistol:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16miss
Eva & John, you are both up! Once they go, everyone else can dive in on round 2.
Okay, it seems there is growing confusion in the Defense Bonus alternate rule. I am going to directly copy some text from the 3rd edition SRD where the concept was introduced, with hopes this clarifies things:
In the standard d20 rules, a character’s skill at attacking gets better as he goes up in level—but not so his skill at avoiding attacks. Characters rely on armor and an ever-growing collection of magic items to protect them in combat. But what about campaigns in which it’s not common or appropriate for characters to go everywhere in full plate?
This variant system is particularly appropriate for swashbuckling or stealth-based campaigns, for settings in which firearms are common, or any other setting in which armor is not worn on a day-to-day basis—even by adventurers.
The Class Defense Bonus
In this variant, every character has a defense bonus based on his character level. The defense bonus applies to Armor Class. However, it does not stack with the character’s armor bonus. A character wearing armor gains his armor bonus (including any enhancement to that bonus) or his defense bonus—whichever is higher—but not both. The defense bonus stacks with all other bonuses to AC, including the character’s shield bonus, natural armor bonus, deflection bonus, dodge bonus, and so forth.
Unlike an armor bonus, a defense bonus does improve a character’s AC against touch attacks.
So if someone puts on armor (or casts a spell that grants) with an AC bonus higher then their defense bonus, they use that instead.
For example: if there were a sorcerer in the party, they would only have a +1 defense bonus, so casting Mage Armor (which grants a +4 armor bonus) would be vastly superior. But for someone on Column C or D, casting Mage Armor would serve little purpose.
Helena, this obviously makes Mage Armor a pointless spell for you, but the spell Shield would be a perfect alternative.
Helena, as your sprint up the stairs, you scan your eyes with surprising clarity:
Helena (perception):
The room toward the back of the house appears to be an office and work room, with a desk, work table, several shelves, and two assailants taking cover behind the furniture.
The longer room toward the front of the house is clearly a library, adorned with overfilled bookshelves, with a fireplace burning low in the middle. You only saw one assailant, standing next to the fireplace. An older bloodied man lies half unconscious on a couch to his left.
Khaled, thank you for asking - just looked at the post talking about both Defense and ABP and realized I wrote it in an ambiguous manner. Defense chart is as level (so currently 4th), Automatic Bonus Progression is at level+1 (so 5th) to account for basically no magic items whatsoever.
Helena, where are you getting the possible +4 deflection from?
Could everyone take a look at their character sheets? It seems like some things are incomplete and other components have not been updated with regards to PMs and/or Discussion notes.
Please take a look again at the Defense chart from the spreadsheet and make sure you have the correct defense bonus (there is no bonus to armor from Automatic Bonus Progression, it is integrated into the Defense chart).
From Automatic Bonus Progression, remainder you all have:
3rd - resistance +1
4th - weapon attunement +1 (to clarify, this is non-magical, think of it as an 'expertise' or 'familiarity' bonus)
5th - deflection +1
Just after the front door opens and Helena spins around to face the newly arrived individual, John's count hits zero and he and Khaled kick in the doors. In that instant, the danger of the scenario is revealed as two assailants stand ready in each room, pistols pointed at the doors. They fire at John and Khaled.
vs. John (you have +2 AC from cover) assailant #1, pistol:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20miss assailant #2, pistol:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7miss
vs. Khaled (you have +2 AC from cover) assailant #3, pistol:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21miss assailant #4, pistol:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17miss
The bullets snap off in succession, but the cover afforded by the door frames absorb three of the four shots. The second targeted at John goes wide, and shatters something glass within the room, unseen from outside the door.
The assailants are dressed in a mix of dark workers clothes, with overcoats, hats, and cloth masks pulled over their mouths and noses.
John ascends the stairs to the second floor with Khaled following close behind, his eyes watching the lower floor behind them. Coming up, he can see through the railing a narrow hallway with two doors. The hall turns back above the foyer, and continues with stairs up to the third floor. Both doors are closed at the moment.
Standing at the base of the stairs, Dafydd examines the damaged painting.
Dafydd:
The liquid is clearly blood, and fresh, though cool to the touch. You safely assume a long slashing blade cut into a person and through the painting. You also notice some additional drops of blood going toward the double doors to your right.
He and Helena occupy the foyer, with the hall going past the stairs on the right. Double doors are adjacent to the foyer, with another door further down the hall, and a doorway further beyond into another room.
Billie and Eva stand outside on the stairs, both more than a little confused by their predicament. The court itself remains empty, though the sound of a car engine rumbling down a nearby street can be heard.
Hello, and Happy Father's Day to all our dads in the group. I just logged in from work to take a peek at replies to the gameplay post last night, and it looks like it got eaten. I didn't bring my laptop in with me today, with things being too busy. I will repost it when I get home. My apologies.
The Battle Map is posted, it is linked at the top of the Campaign thread, and will also be linked In My gameplay repost.
The men's body language seems both tense, and yet comforted by the presence of each other.
Looking across the distance between you and the door at number 16, you think you can use the front porches and a couple shrubs to move close. You see no others in the open area, and the three in front of the door are now moving within. As you pass across the second house, a gas lamp sputters and flares, casting bright light across you for any beyond to see.
Dafydd:
Staying tight to the walls as you enter the court, you make your way towards the primary residence. Be carefully observe as the trio in front of the door. Enter the house, cautiously, with one of the men drawing a pistol as he does. Suddenly oil lamp flares in front of another house, revealing a slight woman with dark features carrying a bag in her hand. She seems caught off guard by the light, and does not seem to notice you behind her.
There is no response to khaled's call out for the professor. The stairs themselves are slick as you begin to move up. As John and Khaled head up the stairs, Helena is taking pictures of the chaotic scene. A moment after the click of her camera, she hears the tell-tale creek of a foot moving on a wooden floor above her.
Locations
- John and Khaled, on stairs inside residence
- Helena, foyer, first floor in residence
- Billie and Dafydd, approaching residents along one side of court
- Eva, in alley across court
Psychic Significance – you sense a familiar reflection, one that aligns with Professor Finch, at least as you remember him. You’d last seen him more than 20 years back, before the Great War. He had been in his early 40’s back then, placing him well into his 60’s now. There is definitely an aura of fear radiating through his presence. The words conveyed in the letter seem to match his emotional state.
Knowledge (Arcana/occult)(Int): 35 – there are numerous things in ancient mythology that count potentially cause such fear and concern. Yet in his reference to his dig on Crete, you recall the strange parchment, for when you had felt its essence, there had been a hollowness that felt akin to the grave. Digging out old notes and several other books to cross reference, you note a mention of “the eighth sigil” unlocking a door of sorts, and in another the weeping eye is a reference to Charon, the ferryman to the underworld. In one text you found at an estate auction in the aftermath of the Great War, you find a single line that speaks of the shattering of the Tablet of Acheron.
Perception: 11 (rolled a 1) – so fixated are you on the door, that you walk entirely past the two men standing in front of it speaking, not even realizing they are there. As you go to ring the doorbell and finish the enchantment of your spell, you notice the older building has no bell, but rather a classic knocker.
Detect Magic – there is no sense of magic as you approach the front door.
Eva (skills):
Knowledge (occult): 29 The puzzles unravel quickly on several points – the smell assailing you, means something unmistakable – death. Not just a death, but a foreboding of Death rising. The broken quill and spilled ink, obscuring the words of the document, suggest some work unfinished. And the hunting serpents could relate to a predator, seeking yet unseen.
Stealth: 24 Staying to out of the way alleys and dark corners, you travel across the city seemingly unnoticed. As you draw to the Court, you hang back in an alley, safely nestled in the darkness and cover provided by the tall buildings, foggy night, and abandoned debris.
Perception: 16 You notice little beyond the basics in the fog, though you distinctly see the two men, at first strangers, then perhaps friend? They do not seem to match the monsters portrayed in your vision. Another figure moves past them out of the fog, tall, lean, with flowing hair and a loose overcoat. They ignore the men and close on the door itself.
Khaled (skills):
Perception: 16 The light in the window is weak, and flickers from beyond a thin, gauzy screen. It could be a candle, or perhaps a small oil lamp. It is certainly not one of the newer electric bulbs.
Billie (skills):
Stealth: 31 Taking note of the layout of the Court as you circle the area, you position your car away and begin your careful approach. The narrow alley you sneak through could fit little more than a single person, and above you there are boards connecting the roofs of the two adjacent buildings. Drawing toward the exit into the Court, you keep close to the wall, taking stock of the area beyond.
Perception: 28 You quickly deduce which building is the residence, both though mathematical deduction, and because you notice a small crowd forming in front of it. Two men, who appear to be embracing, and a third figure of similar height, who bypassed them and stands before the door. In the distance, you see movement of at least two figures within the gauzed window on the second floor. You also thought you saw some movement in another alley, opposite your own, but cannot make out anything within through the darkness and fog.
The two men face each other in front of the door, apparently old friends from another time. Khaled’s distraction by the arrival of John makes him almost fail to notice that, after rapping the door knocker three times, the door creaked open slightly, as though unlocked. Helena, having walked right passed the men in her search of a ringer, only suddenly draws the same conclusion.
The door now sits slightly ajar, and wisps of fog follow the airflow into the darkness within.
Opening the door:
Pushing the door open, you find a well-appointed entryway, adorned with a number of interesting artefacts and curios – only now, it is in utter disarray. The coat rack lies toppled and cracked, its hats and scarves strewn across the polished wood floor. A valuable-looking vase is shattered in a corner, its porcelain shards glinting dully as the lights from without trickle in. Several archaic weapons have been dislodged from their wall mounts and tossed aside.
At the base of the stairs a large painting has been cut in two, one half still hanging on the wall, the other crushed beneath it. Dark stains streak across both the cut itself, and have pooled on the half below. A hallway proceeds straight past the stairs, and one door exits the foyer on the right, while another can be seen further down the hall.
The air inside is cold, and the eerie silence is even more pronounced.
Position currently, Helena, Khaled, and John are by the front door of #16. Eva and Billie are in alleys on opposite sides of the Court. Dafydd is approaching in the road that lead into the cul-de-sac.
The chill of a London autumn night bites through your coat as you navigate the labyrinthine streets of the city. A thin, greasy fog, a common companion in this sprawling metropolis, curls around lampposts, blurring the edges of the aging Victorian townhouses. The air smells of damp earth, burning gas lamps, distant coal smoke, and something faintly metallic, like rain on old iron.
After winding your way off main thoroughfares into smaller upon smaller streets, the address leads you to a narrow cul-de-sac. The buildings are aged, and most show signs of disrepair. Most are only dimly lit and none evoke a sense of liveliness. Looking for the number “16”, you find a three-story townhouse, squeezed between a boarded-up grocer and a perpetually shadowed pawn shop. The windows of the residence are dark, save for a faint, flickering glow on the second floor, almost like candlelight. The silence of the street is unnerving, broken only by the distant clatter of a hansom cab and the mournful cry of a foghorn from the Thames. As if on cue, in the distance you hear the tell-tale call of Big Ben, ringing nine times.
The wealth of my experience in GMing has been with several long-established groups of players, that have been friends for years and often cooperatively create their characters and backstories. With an online public recruitment, this is the exact opposite situation, so I wanted to give some time for players to discuss potential connections.
Not everyone needs to be connected, and certainly not to everyone. it would be intriguing for there to be layers of interconnection, perhaps as though the ethereal energy that exists under reality had connected the lives of those with awareness to what exists out there. However, If you want your character to have no connections to other players, that is absolutely fine and entirely your choice.
As to the start of the game, I have a hook in place, will be reaching out to each of you to start the adventure in the next 24 hours.
I have also had a couple players send me PMs about certain things, so I have been addressing those as well. I appreciate everyone wants to get started, I do too.
I would prefer to keep the gameplay thread dedicated to the game itself, and don't want anyone to feel left out if they don't want to jump into pre-game rp. Anyone is welcome to continue such posts in the discussion thread for now.
Trawets71 Advanced Firearms (not even "modern") extend the "touch AC" effect of firearms out 5 range categories, making most ACs very low where firearms are concerned. The use of the Defense mechanic (in addition to armor basically no longer existing) is to help balance that. Let me take a look at your archetype and see if we can figure something out.
Good evening all! My apologies, between wrapping up some legwork/adjustments to campaign rules and starting notes, a surprise visit from my director on Friday, and then two managers down with the flu, it has been a bit of a busy weekend.
On to details...
Wealth hey all, I am still working through the details of a functional wealth system. The more I look at and test out, the more I am frustrated with. I am almost pondering drifting over to a World of Darkness style abstract, but not sure how to transition that into d20. And then is the question of is it really necessary? Still to be TBD.
Equipment to Khaled's question about general gear, yes, you can write your equipment list in two forms: what you have on your person in general; and, what you have available to you when engaging in 'adventurous activities'.
Firearms I have made some adjustments to the damage of rifles. There was little reason to have one in comparison to a pistol other than range. Now rifles pack significantly more punch. ALSO, I am debating giving characters ½ Dex to damage to make guns just a bit more effective (because using Defense instead of Armor takes away one of their biggest boons). Or perhaps limiting it to those with the Amateur Gunslinger feat. Thoughts?
Automatic Bonus Progression and AC I realized that both Automatic Bonus Progression and the Defense bonus chart took into account the benefit normally gained from magic armor. As such, we will be ignoring the “armor attunement” bonus included in the ABP system. We will, however, be using the system at +1 level, so you get the benefits of a 5th level character. Also, please confirm your Defense bonus to AC from the campaign spreadsheet, I made some slight adjustments to the progression.
Connections I am greatly enjoying both the practice RP and all the potential connections between players. Once you are sure on any starting connections, please repost as just short, single sentence overviews.
AGES (& birth year)
Helena - 30’s (132; 1803)
Dafydd - 35 (1900)
Eva - 32 (1903)
John - 36 (1899)
Khaled - 29 (1906)
Billie - 25 (1910)
Trawets totally off-topic, but you mentioned it in your overview so I had to ask - i love the old Rogue Trader / Dark Heresy 40k games. Have you tried the new system from Cubicle 7, Imperium Maledictum? I have the rulebook but have not had a chance to play.
Just over 12 hours, and everyone has dotted in. We are off to a great start!
Before we dive into gameplay, I figure we could share a little bit about ourselves, our gaming experience, and outside interests. You are welcome to share as much or as little as you would like.
I am a 40-something man residing in Massachusetts (USA) with my wife of 12 years, 2 boys (both under 5), mother (in her role as ‘nonna’ to our boys), dog, and 4 cats. I am a restaurant manager, and have been working in hospitality for over 25 years. I also spent the better part of a decade working concurrently in education, but that is now well in the past.
As for gaming experience, my early days started with storytelling games with my brother involving lego knights. This progressed in 1991 into HeroQuest and the ‘Black Box’ edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Soon after we dove into years of AD&D 2nd edition, and then 3rd Edition. When the 4th Edition / Pathfinder schism occurred, my gaming group resoundingly went with Pathfinder, and have remained loyal ever since. Though initially the ‘younger brother’ in my gaming group, after a few years I was given a seat at the head of the table, and GMing became my role of choice.
Along the way, I also delved into the various White Wolf games, Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, GURPs, and many others. I spent several years involved with a LARP in Pennsylvania, where I was part of the “perma-cast”, did some writing, and event GMed a few events.
Outside of gaming, I love to cook, spent time outdoors, I'm a general handyman and can do a variety of trade skills, and I used to play the guitar (need to get back into it).
As for gaming itself, I view it as a cooperative storytelling experience, for all of us to enjoy. I want it to be fun and exciting, with moments of challenge and conflict, ultimately leading to success (or rarely failure, depending on decision making and the dice). I want it to be fun or all involved. Inter-character conflict is fine, and can help you build a strong, realistic game. But it should never devolve into inter-player conflict. If anyone has any limits or concerns, feel free to share them here or in a PM.
