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I hope Sherman plans to stick around! He's a very interesting character. And I'm a sucker for a good redemption story. @GM: Would you refresh us on your rules for HP? Do we roll or take the average? And was there something with favored class bonuses and background skills, or am I remembering another game? Also, do we get standard wealth by level? How do you handle copying spells/formulae into spellbooks/formula books?
If you’re playing a ranger with an animal companion and you don’t take Boon Companion, you’re doing it wrong.
I had to look Slipslinger up, I had never heard of it. Looks like fun! I’ll take some ranks in Craft (alchemy) and save you some money if we get downtime for crafting. Would either of our primary spellcasters be amenable to taking Craft Wondrous Item in the future to make me boro beads and preserving flasks? Speaking of Spellcraft checks, look at this item I found! Lantern of auras Investigators don’t get cantrips, but this way I can use my high Int to identify magic items and spell auras. Plus it lets everyone see said auras, so anyone else with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) and/or Spellcraft can Aid Another if they feel so inclined. The hardest part of character creation is coming up with a good name. Ugh.
RIP Quinn, he fought to the bitter end! If Tarphrex and Sherman both survive and decide to regroup with new allies rather than flee for parts unknown, we’ll have the primary arcane and primary divine spellcaster roles covered. We could probably use a character with wilderness skills, since my investigator is a city slicker. I know many players consider ranger ‘obsolete’, but I’m having a great deal of fun in a Kingmaker game filling trolls full of arrows right now. Full BAB, easy access to archery feats, an awesome animal companion ripping faces off and flanking with the melee PCs… longbow ranger is a classic for a reason.
It is sad to lose a long term character. I enjoyed Zenaida and Tarphrex’s dynamic a great deal, as well as our GM’s portrayal of her parents. But such is the way of tabletop RPGs. And this might not be the last we see of the Radulescus! My new character was raised Varisian in Magnimar by her mom, so she’s a part of that community as well as one of Zenaida’s many cousins. I figured Zenaida’s family would look to someone in their community for help finding out what happened and avenging their daughter. (Half-elf? Who cares, your mom is one of us, she raised you in the Varisian ways, that makes you one of us.)
Sweet! Then I'm going for a half-elf Inspired Blade Swashbuckler 1/Empiricist Investigator 4/Evangelist of Zohls 1. Primary roles are skill monkey (including Knowledge) and party face, secondary role Dex-based melee DPS. Fencing Grace, en garde! I love the empyreal lords and Zohls is practically the patron deity of investigators. (Also of nerds, lol) Plus she has an easy obedience and some sweet boons. @GM: I have seen some people argue that Evangelist/Exalted/Sentinel should have higher entry requirements for characters with Celestial Obedience, given the relevant sidebar in Book of the Damned for characters with Fiendish Obedience. Paizo never bothered making an official ruling IIRC. If you want to go that route, the entry requirement for Evangelist would be 7 ranks in a skill other than Knowledge (religion), BAB +7, or the ability to cast 4th level spells. That's totally fine, I can wait a couple levels for Evangelist. Just let me know what you want to do.
Hey Loth, are you planning to go the party face route with your skald? I was thinking about Empiricist with the Orator feat for Int-based social skills, but if that’s the niche you’re aiming for, there are a lot of options for investigators to pick from and a bunch of them sound like fun.
Roll for the monster's arrogance? Okay then.
Woooowwww. What did we do to piss Desna off? Death threats? Damn, some people take their games way too seriously. I knew going in that this AP is a party-killer. I like this group and you as a GM, so yeah, I'm coming up with a new character. I figure Snake Lady won't want to risk someone un-petrifying Zenaida and having her return for revenge with a bunch of holy warriors. Religious types are notorious for not giving up and going away just because they got their butts kicked. If anything, being defeated by evil makes them even more determined to redeem themselves in the eyes of their deity by winning the second time around.
Fleeing is a perfectly reasonable and logical response to this situation! Yeah, Zenaida would much rather have died a warrior’s death covering her friends’ escape. That’s Pathfinder for you though. Sometimes the dice are on your side and sometimes they aren’t.
So, I'm thinking investigator for my next character! How about you all?
Ah, it's been too long since I blew up a building in Pathfinder...
Yeah, hopefully GM will let us roll a new party if that happens. I imagine the Radulescus and the Dalverans would pool their resources and contacts to hire people to find out what happened to their loved ones and avenge them.
Place your bets, fellow players! TPK or will some of us survive?
Zenaida is a statue. She just stands there.
…of all the saves to fail. F&&&. …Let me swear, Paizo forums! This is a situation that calls for swearing! At least we’re in Magnimar. Pretty sure Chaplain Tira can and will provide a spell or stone salve to restore her student.
I'm so happy, I actually hit something! My character in the WotR game I'm also playing has had the worst luck in the current combat. Five rounds and I rolled 5 or below for every attack roll. EDIT: Just posted in the other game. Rolled a 2. What did my poor cleric do to piss Desna off this much?
Zenaida runs up the stairs, the old wood shaking under her armored weight, as she emerges onto the roof. "Fight me!" The warpriest steps between the... being... (Quinn said she wasn't a demon, but what is she?) and Sherman, slashing at the enemy with her glowing, fiery blade.
Very tired tonight, today was a long day. I'll get a post up tomorrow.
Gods, how could she be so stupid? Zenaida should have insisted that they get reinforcements, Alain's weird prejudice against Iomedaeans be damned. Now they're all going to die at the hands of an enormous demon, and for what? A flash of memory. "Never let the enemy see your fear, girl." Chaplain Tira, during one of her last lessons before judging Zenaida ready to strike out on her own. "There will come a time when the fight looks hopeless. When you're outmatched with no way out and people looking to you for leadership. In those moments, you hold your head high and put your trust in Falayna. And if you die, you die fighting, so that others may live. That's what it means to serve Heaven." Right. She can do this. Head up, shoulders back, shield and sword at the ready. Zenaida runs a hand down her blade, calling upon Falayna's power. The sword begins to glow with a steady golden light. "Pick on someone who can hit back, demon b!~~#!"
Okay, so this either happened while I was away, or I had a brain fart and forgot. Both are equally likely, to be honest. I’ll try to remember for future reference!
*Merry and Pippin meme* We've had one spell effect, yes. But what about the second spell effect? Second, the subject immediately receives another saving throw (if one was allowed to begin with) against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects, such as charm person, command, and dominate person). This saving throw is made with a +2 morale bonus, using the same DC as the original effect. If successful, such effects are suppressed for the duration of this spell. The effects resume when the duration of this spell expires. While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target.
Zenaida scoffs at the demon's offer. "I serve only Falayna, demon. I know full well what eventually happens to those who deal with fiends." Eternal torment in death for power and wealth in life? Only fools make that bargain. Fools, and necromancers who plan on becoming liches rather than accept Pharasma's judgment for their sins.
"Thank you, Alain." Zenaida raises her holy symbol, invoking Falayna's blessing on her friends. Next she calls upon her empyreal lord for strength, enchants her sword with three different spells (she really wants a proper magical sword like Loth, this is getting old), and asks for Falayna's favor in battle.
The warpriest impatiently waits for everyone else to get out of the way so she can get onto the roof. Stupid narrow staircases.
"Tarphrex!" Zenaida turns her shield to shine the light spell toward the kobold's voice, trying to figure out where he is. "Where are you?"
Zenaida eyes the stairs distrustfully. "I'll bring up the rear. If my weight breaks the stairs, at least the rest of you will be able to keep going." And that way Quinn can use the light from her spell too.
Hurray for healthy communication! I'm with GM and Sherman, I don't care for 2E. I like the complexity of 1E, it keeps my brain busy, and I need that. Fortunately there seem to be plenty of players in both camps, so everyone can find a game they like.
Sooo, guess who got horribly sick over the holidays? >_< I'm not dying and I don't have COVID, don't worry. I have several chronic illnesses, one of which decided to flare up with a vengeance. Haven't been able to think very well, let alone type coherently, in a while. But I'm alive! And I think I'm okay to catch up on my games now. Hopefully I'll get a post up tomorrow.
Oh my god, what a week. Apparently I pushed myself way too hard with finals and my final project. Jumping right into holiday shopping and baking the next day was, in retrospect, not my brightest idea. I've had more migraines in the last week than I've had in the past three months. But hey, I got an A-! So it worked and I'll probably do it again next semester. @GM Sphen: I'm getting a certificate in GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Since I already have an undergrad, I get the dubious pleasure of taking the graduate level classes. This semester was Applied Spatial Statistics, which is exactly as painful as it sounds. If I never see another regression analysis again in my life it will be too soon.
Once Tarphrex and Loth give her the go-ahead, Zenaida follows them in, pausing at the entrance to cast a light spell on her shield. "I hope those stairs are more sound than they look. Falling through a rotten floor is not my idea of a good time." She tilts her shield to illuminate the room, looking for anything of interest.
Hey everyone, my life is the Elmo on fire meme right now. I have so much work and studying to do before finals on the 11th. I'll try to check in and post as I can, but please bot me if I don't post in a reasonable time period. I don't want to hold the game up.
Well, this was a bust. Zenaida sighs. "So much for that idea. How about we go find some food, then come back and investigate after nightfall? If there are any cultists inside, they might be asleep by then."
"A good idea, Tarphrex. If we can see what entrance the cultists are using, it may lead us to a safe path." Zenaida has already experienced the dubious pleasure of falling through a rotten floor. She's not eager to go through that again.
I vote to investigate the clock tower first. Then if we get any loot there, we can sell it all at once instead of having to go back to the market.
*points to previous OOC post* Hit points? 'Tis important for leveling up. Also, this month is going to be insane at school. I have so much work to do. So much. T_T So if I don't respond right away I'm okay, just swamped. Why did you think this class was a good idea, Past Me?
Zenaida grimaces at Alain's mention of Hellknights. "I will not work with Hellknights unless there is absolutely no other option. Chaplain Tira at the Temple of Iomedae would probably help us if I asked. She was... very enthusiastic about the prospect of a good fight for a good cause earlier." About the prospect of a new crusade, to be exact. Hopefully it won't come to that. "I have no objection to involving the Pathfinders, though. Not if Stalig vouches for the local venture-captain."
Um. It's been a while. I didn't mean to worry you guys. Honestly, I'm surprised you still want me, I had assumed that you replaced me and moved on. But since you apparently want me around, would someone be willing to give me a recap of what's happened in game? I'm taking graduate level spatial statistics this semester and things are ramping up with my term project. Not sure when I'll be able to get to reading through the backlog. @GM Sphen: How are you doing hit points for leveling up again? And, uh, if someone wanted to help me figure out how much gold I have, that would be AMAZING. I have no freaking clue.
"I'm with Sherman. I'd really rather not go swimming if I don't have to." If there are any enemies at the end of their swim, Zenaida will be fighting them without armor. Ugh.
Zenaida doesn't have an art to practice or a book to write in, and it looks like Tarphrex is interested in the market. "If you want to look around the market, Tarphrex, I'll be happy to go with you. Just don't buy any more than you can easily carry. And keep in mind that we might be getting wet later on." Swimming, ugh. She'll have to take her armor off and drag it along behind her if it comes to that.
Hmm, looks like Quinn might be an alchemist. Interesting. Zenaida thought he might be a wizard. They tend to like books and knowledge of all kinds, not just magic. But if he thinks he can take care of himself in combat, that's good enough for her. "Very well. I look forward to seeing what you can do." She turns to Loth and nods. "I think we've found everything there is to find here. I suggest we find a busy market to lose any potential followers before heading elsewhere." Paranoia? Not when an evil cult is actually out to get you.
"Can you fight, and can you keep your mouth shut when necessary? We're on a dangerous mission. It's vital that we keep our enemy in the dark as to what we're doing for as long as possible, or they'll go to ground." If this Quinn can't keep up and defend himself, tagging along with their group will kill him sooner or later. Probably sooner.
Zenaida steps forward and offers a gauntleted hand to the newcomer. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Zenaida Radulescu, priestess of Falayna." Now she'll see how much research this Quinn has done on them. Does he know who Falayna is, or has he mostly concentrated on Loth and the Dalveran family? "And yes, I'm perfectly aware that Loth had other companions before us. The strain of adventuring takes a toll on some people." Does she know that Quinn was trying to be discreet about that question? Yes. Does she care? No.
Hey, I've been super sick the past... I don't even know how long it's been. Time gets funny when you feel like this. :P I'll do my best to catch up quickly, but I'm still not feeling great. Just coherent enough to form sentences and type them.
Thanks everyone! Just the end of the semester, I still have another year to go for my certificate. Is it really a Pathfinder game without theft, murder, and/or arson?
"No melting the house until after we've made sure there's nothing of value!" Pause. "Nothing of value to the investigation, of course. That's what I meant." Look, there's a reason why Zenaida is a warpriest and not a paladin.
I LIIIIIVE! Oh my god, I can't believe I made it through the semester. There were times when I wondered if I would. Sorry about the delay, folks, we had a major hailstorm here yesterday that took the internet out for quite a while. Hail the size of golf balls actually exists. Wild. Now back to your regularly scheduled warpriest posts! And leveling up, argh.
"I could probably use a healing spell, Sherman, if you don't mind." Now that the rush of battle is fading, Zenaida's wound is making itself known. Once the priest heals her, she joins in the search, starting with the kitchen.
You have my condolences, GM. I'm on the homeward stretch, but not done quite yet. My final project is due this coming Tuesday. So it's going to take me a while to level up, I'm afraid. Aww, I was hoping Aldern's sword was magical. I really need to upgrade. |
