Warah's page

DC 10 Fort: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Anock is so thoroughly stunned by the gooey explosion that she can do nothing but imitate a statue for several minutes. When she finally regains her senses, she freaks the heck out. "Are you kidding me?! Who does this?! This is *unsanitary*! @#$%! Venture-Captain Radaszam: *next time*, *immediately* remove this garbage to a secure location! This could be a bioweapon for all we know!" She stomps off to the restroom to sanitize herself as well as possible, then returns, fuming and muttering to herself, to learn what she can about the scene of the crime. "If I get sick because of this, someone's going to have hell to pay!"

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Since everyone else started working right away, she makes sure that they report their findings to her. There's no sense in the team leader being out of the loop. "Well, it shouldn't be too hard to track down that tricked out droid. There are security cameras everywhere. Who's good with computers? And why VC Arvin, specifically? I think we need to talk to him. *And* the folks down in paper recycling. Alright, team, which one first?" A good leader allows her team to feel like their input is important, and Anock doesn't see any reason to do these things in a particular order. It's a fine opportunity to let them show some initiative.

"'Eight years of-'" Anock is momentarily flummoxed, before recalling that the lifespan of lifespan of skittermanders is quite different from most of the life forms she's dealt with. "Well, I suppose that's quite an accomplishment." She allows, somewhat grudgingly.

Anock stiffens like a board and turns her face away when Sneaker comes in for the hug. "Well, I say! I'm not really a hugger, Sneaker, so please don't. I'll have to sanitize myself. Ugh! And I hope you had the good sense to wash your hands for a full thirty seconds, with soap, before exiting the washroom." She addresses Mizzrym'. Adjusting her posture and straightening her clothes, she announces: "I'm Anock. Medic in training. And cleanliness and respect for personal space significantly reduce the risk of infection. So do be so kind as to keep that in mind."

I think I placed my tokens right. She's starting on the far corner and working her way in. I'm no tactical genius, so this may go very poorly.

Good luck!

Happy Easter! (Or Pastel Halloween, if you prefer.)

What would entice Lan the most right now?

FYI

Publicly Known Shrines
Abadar @ Abadar Shrine (W3) -- South Side, far west
Daikitsu @ Nine Ear Shrine (W9) -- Done
Kofusachi @ Trade Office (W21) -- North Side, far east
Pharasma @ Lady of Souls (W10) -- Done

It would be great to find one close to the Eternal Shrine (center of map at W11)

The town map is on page 16.

"Just make lots of noise as we go, and keep calling their names. That way they'll be more likely to give us a chance to explain ourselves before getting the ketchup. Heehee!"

I'm thinking about hiking in bear country and tying a bell to one's pack. ;P

There are so many doors and covered doorways here, and Mrs. Crinkle is *positively itching* to poke her head in each and every one of them. It's so hard to hold back and wait for the slow pokes others to do a mind-numbingly tedious thorough search of each area. Buuut, of course, there's the whole 'don't want to become a soot stain on the wall' thing to consider. Maybe she can nudge them along. "Hey kids! We don't need to stare at the goo-gahs. Pop your head in, look for live bodies, move on if there's none. Stick together. Oh, and look for traps. Let's do a speed round!" She follows her advice to stick together, as difficult as it may be, as Desmond investigates the east curtain. (It's a nice curtain, but certainly not the nicest the dragon could afford.)

For clarification: Once Midori leaves the map, do all PCs get one more turn so they can follow and not get left behind?

I'm most in favor of minimizing the risk of a crit failure.

My token is placed.

Auntie Wu would want to drop of Miyuki and rush back to the spot where they separated from Kazuki. Then she'd want to follow his trail to catch up to him because she doesn't want Midori to be sacrificed while they're dithering. She's hoping the location is close enough that the team will intersect with Kazuki as he's returning and is deliberately not thinking about what a mess it will be if he takes another route back. She said so in her post here, though I may not have composed it clearly.

The ranger's grin slowly transforms into a frown as she observes Silence's prize. "We are not going to award her with a dead rat. What's wrong with you?"

"Heehee! I called it! Told you it would be a mouse, but a rat's an upgrade. Heehee<hic>heehee!" Mrs. Crinkle pounds the bar as she giggles, causing drinks to rattle all along its sturdy surface. She's still chuckling when Meadow places the feather around her neck. With a conspiratorial wink she replies: "I like your style, young 'un! <hic> It is my honor to accept this noble prize. It's even better than a dead rat. Or a pre-digested dead rat. And hey, it matches my dress!" She seems to like the ribbon as much as the feather. It isn't long before she ties the ribbon around her head with a bow over her ear. It's absolutely adorable, until she sticks the feather into it so it juts out over her forehead. "Time to party like there's no tomorrow! Woooohooo!" This woman has no shame.

"Or pour honey on him while he's sleeping. --OOO! Does putting an owl's wing in warm water while they're sleeping work the same as when you do it to humans? Heehee!"

Regarding this post stating our Discovery/Influence results from our first meeting with Old Matzuki, here's my input:

Take the time you need, Kazuki. I hope things start improving for you soon.

"Wooohoooo!" A plump, rosy-cheeked elderly human woman wearing a ridiculously enormous bright red sweater dress cheers. "I love secret prizes, dearie! Heehee! Here's a gem for you:

Thank you! Thank you, dearies! I'll be here 'til closing. Heehee!" She preens and bows, then drains her tankard. "Ahhh! That's the good stuff."

Done and done.

And here's the text so you don't have to load another page:

I'm noticing a difference in the names some players use to identify their characters vs. what others and the GM use, which confuses me sometimes. For the sake of clarity, what does everyone want their PCs to be called?

Me: Auntie Wu

Thank you for taking the time to research that. We really appreciate it.

Pai is cursing herself for ditching her torches long ago because someone always had a light spell handy. Never again! (If she survives.)

Sorry for the delay. Laptop died of water damage. Can't afford a Greater Make Whole or a technological equivalent of.

And here's my GM alias.

Rotten luck. Here's hoping the universe sends you a boon to compensate.

My bright, shiny, and new GM alias.

Auntie Wu lives alone, but her son knows he's always welcome even if she isn't home.

Nature, DC 15: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

As they approach her house, Auntie Wu stops short. The tiny hairs all over her body rise. "Ravens." She breathes. "They sound like...in a cave, instead of out in the open. Their voices shouldn't...resound like this..." She grabs her shield and raises it, ready (and not ready) for anything.

Oh, hey! She's got a pretty nice house. I like it. It's not tidy, though. Nature has its own order, a juxtaposition of precise Fibonacci sequences and seemingly random tatters; the interior of her house is the same.

Every GM will make mistakes, and every new(er) GM has a learning curve. The good ones are open to respectful discussion about it and willing to improve. I think sometimes people are tempted to label someone a "bad GM" (or a "bad player") when they have a different communication style. This is amplified over PbP. Effective communication is vital.

I wouldn't say I disagree with anyone else's assertion; it's more of a "this and" situation, and each GM will prioritize and juggle the different aspects according to their style and preferences.

Pacing is essential in PbP. Too slow and everyone forgets what's going on. Too fast and the players who can't check their games multiple times per day get excluded. The GM has a lot of control over the pace of progression. They can set expectations during recruitment and/or the group can come to an agreement in the Discussion tab before the game starts.

When things crawl to a halt, the GM can post: "This is what's going on now. Here are the options for moving forward that you've discovered. There may be more if you ask more questions/keep looking." Or "Where to next: Door A, B, or C? First consensus of X votes wins."

On a different note, the most engaging GMs I've played with have made a priority of integrating the PCs into the narrative and making sure the world and the NPCs respond realistically. I had one GM delve into my other PCs and have NPCs make offhand comments about them.

'The GM is first and foremost another player at the table.' -- Valid point. For most of us, this is another way for us to play. We're not paid, so if it's not fulfilling to us there's less incentive to continue. I think taking my own turn at the wheel will help me be a more understanding player.

The job of a GM...

To make sure everyone has fun.

I think everything else fits under that. Rules adjudication and consistent application? It's more fun when everyone gets the same predictable advantages/limitations. Chronicle sheets/reporting? Folks enjoy seeing their characters' progression and getting credit for it. Running the plot? Discovering a story is engaging. RPing the NPCs and describing the world? Immersion increases enjoyment. Preventing and/or managing personal conflict? We all have more fun when there are no hard feelings. Etc.

Hello all. I'm a full time homemaker with a spouse and four kids. My husband got our family started playing PF1 in a homebrew game in 2016, then finally convinced me to try PbP in 2017. It was fantastic. I tend to draw a blank when I'm put on the spot, but the PbP format allows me to get past that and have time to craft a response/post.

In 2020 I made my first PF2 and Starfinder characters. Most of my games these days are in those two systems, though I am in a PF1 GM rotation group (my turn's next--gulp!) and try to keep my very first PF1 character going as much as possible.

I'd like to give back to the community by GMing some, so here I am. I've run some PF1 games for my husband and kids at home, but don't feel comfortable with it. I keep discovering that I did something wrong because there was a rule for it that I didn't know existed. :p The PF2 rules are easier for me to manage, so that will be my focus for GMing.

Fort DC 20: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19
Hero Point: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

Salaish feels something bad start to happen when the lizards stare into her eyes, but she tears her gaze away quickly enough to reject it. "Not today, lizards! Don't look at them, guys! Their stare is bad news!" Salaish drops her Persona Mask over her face and launches into song, shaking her finger dramatically at the lizards.

Inspired by "Don't Do Me Like That" by Tom Petty:
"Don't do me like that!
Don't do me like that!
Someone-ah might need me baby.
Don't do me like that!"

Lingering Composition (Performance), DC 22: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34
Crit success: Inspire Courage lasts 4 rounds.

◆ Avert Gaze, ◆ Interact, ◇ Lingering Composition, ◆ Cast a spell

Thanks for the Hero Point!

BTW, I'm willing to have Nal try to pick the lock on the chest. After checking for traps, of course. It would be ridiculous if it would even be possible for a 5th level rogue to succeed, considering the prize supposedly within, but who knows?

Also, I'm curious about why Zirzip became a boar to watch the supply wagon coming in. Was it the investigator that was his initial interest, and we just happened to be there? After the scenario is over, GM Watery Soup, would you like to share some behind-the-curtain information?

Pai S. heaves a huge sigh of relief when Pai K's eyes flutter open. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right, Pai!" She opens up her handy haversack and flies down to the group. "Everybody grab a potion and chug it! We gotta kill that guy with the toddler scribbles all over him before his sloths* attack us!" She reaches her own hand in and pulls out a red feather. "Ooo! Pretty!"

*(She remembers that Krune is the Runelord of Sloth, but not that this "sloth" isn't a mammal? Really? Oh, Pai.)

Move action to fly down, standard to hold open the handy haversack and pluck out the feather. Using the feather will have to be next round.

Anyone else can grab a healing potion or scroll if you want one. She has:

potion of cure light wounds (1)
potion of cure moderate wounds (3)
potion of cure serious wounds (2)
scroll of Cure Serious wounds (1)
Radiant Ruby Feather (1; see Discussion for description)

Hope you feel better soon, Wymarc.

Glad you and the cats aren't popsicles anymore, Scratch.

"Stop that racket, gnome! It's breaking my concentration!"

Smirking, Salaish riffs along to the tune she'd been singing as she sustains the spell to keep Paravaax clapping to her beat. "Bum ba ba da da dah da!" With a flourish, she casts Slow on him.

Paravaax: DC 22 Fort save vs. Slow

◆ Sustain Roaring Applause, ◆◆ Cast a spell

Salaish glances all around, noting the locations of her teammates without letting her eyes linger in any particular spot. (She doesn't want to give away their hiding places.) (Also, not everyone's moved their tokens from the last fight.)

Once it's clear everyone's as ready as they'll ever be, she casts Roaring Applause on Paravaax, then starts singing:

DC 22 Will vs. Roaring Applause

Lingering Composition (Performance) DC 22: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22
Success. Inspire Courage lasts 3 rounds.

“Eye Of The Tiger” By Survivor
"It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger

Face to face, out in the heat
Hanging tough, staying hungry
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive!
"

◆◆ Cast a spell, ◇ Lingering Composition, ◆ Cast a spell

If that's too much to do before rolling initiative, I'll use the extra rolls and actions on her next turn.

Have fun!

Round 1

Twila-5 whips out her datapad and takes a moment to jot down some lyrics, cobbling together various ideas she's heard from multiple people during her travels, then hands it to Dr. Koob.

“Cosmogony,” by Bjork

Heaven
Heaven's bodies
Whirl around me
Make me wonder

Heaven
Heaven's bodies
Whirl around me
And dance eternal

Composer (Culture): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

---------------------------

Round 2

Giving her brain a break, she switches to gross motor skills. She leaps, tumbles, and spins in time to Dr. Koob's rhythm.

Dancer (Acrobatics): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29

Auntie Wu bites back her snarky remark about men and asking for directions, which turns out fortuitous when Sato manages to lead the group quite expertly to the proper location. Once there, she finds a bush to hide behind.

Stealth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Stealth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

She's as good at hide and seek as the average two year old.

Hero Pointing the second of those sad, sad stealth rolls. Posting in a rush while kids are coming home from school is a poor idea.

Realizing her entire back end is sticking out, she shifts so it's aligned with the branches of the scraggly bush, reducing line of sight from the door.

Stealth, Hero Point: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

Mrs. Crinkle's eyes light up at the sight of the oxygen ooze. She can't help herself. She immediately grabs it and pops it into her mouth, chewing ecstatically before blowing out a large green bubble that encases her head. "Look guys! A snot bubble! Heehee!"

A short time later, she sneaks up on Bertram and offers his spellbook one last poem. It's a classy one this time.

When the team indicates they're ready, Salaish slips her Persona Mask over her face and bursts into song. Knowing the sounds of the upcoming scuffle will carry and be heard by the gargoyle, she chooses lyrics to taunt him.

From "One Way or Another" by Blondie:
One way, or another, I'm gonna lose ya
I'm gonna give you the slip
A slip of the hip or another, I'm gonna lose ya
I'm gonna trick ya, I'll trick ya
One way, or another, I'm gonna lose ya
I'm wanna trick ya, trick ya, trick ya, trick ya
One way, or another, I'm gonna lose ya
I'm gonna give you the slip

Lingering Composition (Performance) DC 22: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (7) + 16 = 23
Success. Inspire Courage lasts for 3 rounds.

◇ Lingering Composition, ◆ Cast a Spell

Our PCs won't know there's a penalty for waiting, so Salaish would be concerned about making sure everyone's fully rested in case they encounter another pack of those vicious sod hounds.

Auntie Wu wrote:

I'm going on a camping trip this weekend, so I won't be able to post from Saturday until later on Sunday.

I hope not in the Rocky Mountains! Supposed to get a lot of snow this weekend here.

Nah. Washington state. We might get rain though.

"Stayin' alive! Stayin' alive! Ah-ah-ah-ah! Stayin' aliiiiiiiive!" Salaish belts out a quick line, this time boosting the team's defense.

Casting Inspire Defense this time, because we seem to need a +1 status bonus to AC and saving throws, as well as resistance 1 to physical damage.

Then she casts Soothe on Caitlin.

Soothe: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

◆ Cast a spell, ◆◆ Cast a spell

Since DM rainzax is letting us retroactively purchase healer's kits, I'll do so and retcon her actions to what I had intended to do before I realized my error.

Suddenly, Auntie Wu remembers: "Oh! It's in the other pocket!" She fumbles around in her pack again and pulls out her healer's tools so she can bind the bite wound.

Treat Wounds DC 15 on Auntie Wu: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
HP healed: 2d8 ⇒ (8, 3) = 11

As she pulls her clothing aside to treat the wound, a livid bruise shows beside it. "What? When did I get that? I know I didn't have it before the festival." Having taken a bath that morning, she would've noticed. "Come to think of it, I ache all over. Does anyone else feel like they have bruises everywhere?" She checks herself all over (well, almost all over), as well as anyone else who allows her to. "These bruises are fresh. They're only half a day old."

That gets her mind turning. The village's "kidnappers" weren't particularly rough. Why would they be so bruised?

Medicine DC 15 to Diagnose Cause of Bruises: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Boo. Anyone else trained in Medicine want to try?

--------------

And now, back to the present

It really bugs her that this person isn't turning to face them. That's what shady characters do. And she's not a fan of haphazardly hacking vegetation when one could simply go around it. That's just plain offensive. But most folks don't like you getting serious about their business first thing, so she decides to go along with the diplomatic approach the group has chosen and broach the subject with some levity. Gesturing toward the machete and the path of destruction, she remarks as lightly as she can: "What'd the plants do to deserve that?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Ohhh, I need some tea.

You assume correctly, Isaku.

Taking several moments to compose a composition, Salaish is late to the party as she finally belts out a tune to Inspire Courage in her teammates.

Lingering Composition (Performance DC 22): 1d20 + 14 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 14 + 1 = 22
Success! IC lasts 3 rounds. (+1 from Virtuosic Performer feat.)

To the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus"
"The mantis shrimp goes
*Snap snap snap*
*Snap snap snap*
*Snap snap snap*
The mantis shrimp goes
*Snap snap snap*
And punches you to death!"

She follows that up with a spell that emits a loud, cracking BOOM right behind the attackers that are threatening her.

Sound Burst, sonic damage: 2d10 ⇒ (3, 9) = 12
Gray, White, and Red need DC 22 Fort saves.

@Players: Salaish also has Dirge of Doom, which makes all creatures within 30' Frightened 1, and they can't reduce that. It would replace Inspire Courage, though. I'll assume you want IC unless you tell me otherwise.

◇ Lingering Composition, ◆ Cast a spell, ◆◆ Cast a spell

I love that the centipede icons are carrots.

Auntie Wu was just starting to take some deep breaths, grateful that Kazuki made the effort to calm her, when crazy stuff started happening. She stares wide-eyed at the red mist and the centipedes for the briefest moment before jumping into action.

Recall knowledge (nature DC 13): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

White-hot, crackling lightening leaps from her outstretched hand into the orange-ish centipede, then leaps to the black one.

Electric damage vs. orange & black: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

The Orange and Black centipedes need a DC 17 reflex save vs. Electric Arc.

◆ Recall knowledge, ◆◆ Cast a spell

I got my book!!!

Yay!

-------

It occurred to me that we might want a way to track certain useful posts so we don't have to scroll for twenty minutes to find something. I'm sharing a link to a doc called Useful Info for Season of Ghosts AP where I'll be compiling them. Feel free to nudge me if you want something added or if you know of a better way to organize it.

I'm thinking this will be most useful if we need to whip up another character at some point.

If one of our characters dies, does the player get to build a new PC to join the party at that level? Or are we permanently eliminated, like in a reality show?

As we wait for the GM's reply, let's all hear in our heads the music they play during elimination rounds in "Survivor" or whatever.

As far as modifications go, I think I'll keep Auntie Wu the same unless someone has some good suggestions. Between Sigurd and her, we should have healing covered, especially once we hit level 2 and Auntie Wu takes her Blessed One archetype feat.

That archetype is rather perfect for her. I like the idea that she was comfortable being a constantly-mildly-high-and/or-drunk minor druid, and then all this crazy stuff starts happening that causes Pharasma to take a special interest in her. She'll feel pulled in two directions and have to make some tough decisions about what her priorities are going to be. She can't just sit around eating magic mushrooms and whatnot every day anymore, at least not without consequences.

@GM Nomadical: What is the difference between the yellow and red suns charges? I'm thinking of casting Spirit Object on one or more of them and having them follow Strak around.

Itka casts Mage Armor on herself. Nursing her achy hips, she continues toiling up the slope.

◆◆ Cast a spell, ◆ Stride

Her hips are the problem. They're still making her limp, but she makes do.