The return trip to Perdition's Point takes upwards of half an hour, as the mud was only thickened by the heavy rain. The lights of Perdition's Point slowly make their way into view. The lightning strikes overhead illuminates the little hamlet, casting an eerie light broken by the shadows off surrounding dead trees.
Going to give the other two a moment to catch up in time after talking with Tommas
EVA AND ELIJAH:
The rapid lightning strikes and booming thunder indicate that the storm is passing directly overhead. The militia posts two watchmen at each end of the road along the forest's edge. Asking around points you towards his house, which neighbors the Carevin residence. To the right of #4 on the map. He is alone in the house, awaiting his evening shift while his father watches the north forest and mother tends to the church.
If you knock on the door, he calls for you to come in. A single candle lights the main room. It is uncomfortably dark, and the occasional flash of lightning playing with the shadows in the room. As you enter the house he grumbles, "If you talked to Lia, it was just a shadow..."
When talking to Tommas - Sense Motive DC 20:
You get the sense that he is not himself. His attitude is generally enthusiastic about life, and while grim events have dampened his joy, he is shockingly emotionless.
When talking to Tommas - Sense Motive DC 25:
You get the sense that he is not himself. His attitude is generally enthusiastic about life, and while grim events have dampened his joy, he is shockingly emotionless. Something peeks your interest: he really isn't himself. Something, or someone, is influencing him.
Trusk, seeing the group surrounded, moves into the center of the group to combat the horde of undead. However, the adjacent kobold lashes out at you with a powerful claw.
AoO vs. Trusk:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20 Slam Damage:1d2 ⇒ 2
Its diminutive size makes the wound no worse than a scratch. Once in position, you call out to Gorum and unleash a wave of positive energy, engulfing the kobolds.
The dark magic that animates them seems to clash with your positive energy, diminishing the power.
Scaths Turn:
Stalking the kobold out of the forest is success, but the ambush was not. Despite being caught off guard, the leather armor seems to have melded with its scaly hide over the years to form a tough defense, deflecting your claws.
Valeria's Turn:
Your years of hunting down undead has taught you to descern their various natural defenses; these zombie kobolds appear to be resistant to bludgeoning and piercing damage.
Charging the closest advancing kobold, your greatsword swings down with divine force, cutting the kobold from shoulder to hip, cleaving him in two.
Alexis Turn:
Your crossbow bolt flies through the air, cutting through the pouring rain and piercing the kobold directly in the abdomen. To your surprise, it appears completely unaware that it was even shot.
Damage Was Reduced to 0
Wylliams Turn:
Parrying the vermin's attack, you follow up with a devastating blow, removing its head from its neck and sending the creature to its knees as it collapses, dead, in the mud.
Luther:
As you see Valeria charge towards one of the kobolds, you make your way towards it in an attempt to double team it. However, she cuts the creature in two before you reach and switch targets to the next closest victim. Your clenched fists lands firmly in its chest, staggering it, but you get the impression that it did not feel the impact of the blow as much as you would have expected.
Damage Was Reduced to 1
ENEMIES TURN
The kobold nearest Scath turns to face assaulting lynx, swinging its spear high, expecting a traditional humanoid sized enemy.
Spear Attack:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
The attack goes straight over Scath's head and misses completely.
The two kobolds adjacent Luther begin there steady attacks, lunging with spears at the bare-fisted bartender.
Attack 1:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12 Attack 1:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
Their moves are all to predictable for the practiced bartender, who deflects them from his body. As the rain continues to pour, the fog clears, revealing the decrepit appearance of the creatures. A flash of lightning heralds an immediate crash of thunder.
Sorry for the delay, I had an issue with my comcast account that's been going off and on for months now. Give me a moment to read through all of the discussion and gameplay and give you an update tonight!
Sorry for the delay, I had an issue with my comcast account that's been going off and on for months now. Give me a moment to read through all of the discussion and gameplay and give you an update tonight!
Haha well this is no AP (assuming AP is adventure path), so don't expect to go finding it in something you downloaded. Also, how is the google drawing working?
The kobold corpses quickly fill the air with scents of rot and decay. Their bodies decomposing at an accelerated rate. The heavy rain gently peeling the flesh from bone. Upon inspecting the caravan, you find some generic rations that would amount to 10 trail rations, lanterns, 3 pints of lantern oil, 5 sets of flint and tinder, 3 bottles of strong ale.
Perception 10:
The wreckage to the caravan seems to have come from more than just a wreck. Slashes cut into the canopy and small spurt of blood from the drivers seat.
Perception 15:
The wreckage to the caravan seems to have come from more than just a wreck. Slashes cut into the canopy and small spurt of blood from the drivers seat. Lightning flashes and you catch a glimpse of light reflecting off a broken necklace with a pendant half in the muddy waters. The pendant is engraved with the same icon on from the windowsill.
Perception 20:
The wreckage to the caravan seems to have come from more than just a wreck. Slashes cut into the canopy and small spurt of blood from the drivers seat. Lightning flashes and you catch a glimpse of light reflecting off a broken necklace with a pendant half in the muddy waters. The pendant is engraved with the same icon on from the windowsill. As you continue investigating around the caravan, you spot indication of large bootprints in the mud leading into the northern end of the forest. Blood has tipped the outer leaves of the surrounding brushes, hardly remaining in the downpour.
Elena:
Based on your knowledge of the area, you recognize this portion of the forest to be close to an old kobold infestion that was cleared out by a group of mercenaries sent from the capital.
The rain turns into a storm, lightning strikes overhead and the resulting thunder is almost deafening. The sky is almost black, if you hadn't been aware of that left just after noon, it'd be easy to mistake it for night.
CAREVIN RESIDENCE
Talking to Lia - Diplomacy <15:
The pressure of remember that night is too much for the little girl, and she begins to cry. Nothing loud, but the obvious result of trauma. Her father comes in, standing at the door, and makes a kind but stern gesture to leave her be. "I know you are just trying to help, but she has been through a lot recently. I think for now it would be best to give some time. Thank you for what you are doing, please bring our son back." The despair in this final plea is hard to imagine, but he said it as if his life depended on it.
Talking to Lia - Diplomacy >=15:
Lia finally breaks her trance-like state and looks at you, no longer through you, "One of the older boys saw him. Tommas just joined the militia, he likes walking at night to keep us safe. He told me it was just a shadow," she looks down at her lap and begins to cry. "I think he's scared too." With the girl's sobbing, her father comes in, standing at the door, and makes a kind but stern gesture to leave her be. "I know you are just trying to help, but she has been through a lot recently. I think for now it would be best to give some time. Thank you for what you are doing, please bring our son back." The despair in this final plea is hard to imagine, but he said it as if his life depended on it.
As long you don't let it affect your person attitude towards the player or character, I'm all for it. I'll try and post a bit on your findings shortly - both parties.
Alexis unleashes twin bolts of arcane energy at one the kobolds, burning its flesh and causing moderate damage. Stepping back in front of Alexis to prepare for close quarters combat, Wylliam switches to his longsword. Luther closes the gap between himself and his allies, preparing for action.
The kobolds continue their steady advance. The western most group converge to a small group closing in on Luther. On the other side, the singed kobold approaches the moving target and clumsily stabs at Wylliam with its decomposing spear.
Spear Attack:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
The kobold on the southeastern portion of the trail makes its way towards Trusk, the largest pile of fresh meat in front of it. As it attempts a stab the half-orc, its spear gets lodged in the mud, only managing to fling dirt and grime in his face.
Spear Attack vs FF:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Map updated. Order will now start with Trusk/Scath and continue down until the enemies. Trusk, if you would like to take a 5 ft step back to avoid the AoO, I believe you would still be in range of the kobold on the western side, in addition to the other 2.
Ahh, okay. My bad, I simply clicked the link to control undead and read that. Even more intriguing. I'll send the link to the stat block in a PM so you can have a look see. And it is totally reasonable for you to know that basic knowledge.
As the allied kobold makes its way towards its former ally, Elena strikes it down. Without command, it stands and waits. With only one more threat remaining, Elena runs to aid Lineera. Mahb, preparing for close quarters combat, is denied the opportunity to use her dagger as the last threat is felled by Lineera's deadly sickle. Now, only the kobold in servitude stands.
Carevin Residence:
Joan responds to Eva's questioning, seeing her connecting the dots and hoping to help, "I haven't seen anyone around the house dressed like that, or who smelled like -" he cuts himself off to think. "The tax collector! I remember he smelled terribly the last couple times he came here, acting very stange. He didn't seem to want to sell, or even take our money really. He just spent all day and night at the inn before leaving."
Elijah - the markings seem to be identicle, you are sure of it. The strange application that left no shavings or burnt wood imply magical origin.
Lia looks to Eva when answering the questions, her eyes glazed over and hardly taking in anything, "No. He only comes sometimes. The other kids call it Taking Day."
Lia - there are 11 other kids under the age of 14 in Perdition's Point.
I think she might have been referring to me telling her if enemies qualify. For these guys, you are not sure if they worship anything at all. Wylliam, you can still fire from 10 ft. away without the concealment penalty kicking in.
The five of you approach the caravan, keeping your eyes set on the surrounding woodlands, a sense of immediate danger seems to have you all edge. Scath sits crouched in the bushes, keeping an eye out for any approaching threat. The caravan looks to be that of the tax collectors, but no tax collector is to be found. However, there does appear to be damage done to it. The woods creak and moan as the dying trees are whipped back and forth by the chilling winds. The smell of decomposing leaves and wood fill the narrow road, masking the scent of what is coming.
Alexis - You do not sense anything with detect magic.
Enemy Stealth:1d20 ⇒ 6Stealthing through brush covered forests aint easy!
As you all approach the caravan, your caution pays off, and within the woods you can see small shadowed figures approaching. Five enemies surround you on all sides, each no bigger than Scath himself. As they get closer, you begin to discern their flaking, scaly flesh from the decomposing armor and the rotting spear in hand. They appear as kobolds to you, but kobolds long since dead.
Most of you have plenty of time to react, but others are still caught off guard by the startling approach of zombies.
The field is covered in fog, granting concealment to all ranged attacks greater than 10 ft. (On a successful hit, roll a d100, on a 1-20, you miss). Additionally, the forest is difficult terrain (10 ft per square) and grant cover (+4 AC and +2 Ref vs ranged attacks). It is the parties turn to act, with Wylliam, Alexis and Luther able to post before the enemy. A link to the map is in the description under the Perdition's Point map. FEEL FREE TO CHANGE STARTING LOCATIONS
I posted the map of the caravan in the description under the Perdition's Point map. Go ahead and get familiar with the layout, moving your characters where you want them. You should all be able to move everything around. Again, managed to find some spare time, but I will be posting again later tonight with a real update =D
Yeah, I meant to go back and respond to those last night, but I got caught up in other distractions after updating the combat (sorry =/). Updated your status.
Responding to the inquiring about the windows, Joan steps up, "We try to lock them often, but the kids slip out during the night and day, leaving it unlocked for periods of time. We do our best, but they're a handful - were a handful."
As you try to think of methods of putting someone to sleep, a particularly simple spell comes to mind that many arcane types learn in their earliest of training. It would have given whoever cast it time to get them out of the house without any noise. Inspecting the mark, it similar to many of the arcane marks that wizardly types use to hide messages or brand things as their own.
When you ask Joan about the drawing, he seems worried. "Not since her brother went missing" Joan responds. "I thought it might have been nightmares, but it lines up too perfectly."
Send me a PM on it, it should be fine as long as it's nothing overpowered. Seems just like a mishmash of ranger/rogue. Also, DC to climb a slippery wet tree is 20, so I'm afraid your stuck in the tree line =3. I managed get this slip in, but I will be posting later tonight, as you all seem to be aware, things are going to heat up!
I could use simple outlines. Green = full, Yellow = damaged, Red = Weak. I am fine either way. Or even just spoilering the health status's of the various enemies and continuing with the descriptive state of health for each enemy.
The undead kobold under Lineera's influence make its way towards the advancing kobold. Sensing the strange magic that controls it, the enemy kobold turns to attack it.
Attack of Opportunity:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
The attack whiffs and the mind controlled kobold strikes back, swinging weakly with the pole of its spear into the kobolds leather armor. It appears unphased.
With divine power, Elena unleashes her wrath upon the kobold, felling it in a single blow.
Mahb takes a step towards the newly revealed kobold and prepares her sling for advances.
Upon seeing yet another kobold appear from the fog, Lineera runs up to the kobold farthest from the group, sickle in hand, and cuts a clean slice across its torso. The vermin stands there, innards exposed, barely held together.
In response to Lineera's vicious attack, the kobold readies its spear and attempts to ram it into her leg, Pink Kobold Attack:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 but the effects of undeath make it all too easy to dodge.
The eastern most kobold makes it approach towards Elena, putting himself directly in line of sight of Mahb's sling bolt. The stone flies cleanly through the air and smashes into his head, leaving it cocked slightly to the right, but otherwise unharmed. His steady advance places him well within range of Elena's enlarged spear AoO for Elena, but he continues on, intent on attacking.
If he lives: Orange Kobold Attack:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16Elena's large AC = 16, so hit Damage:1d6 ⇒ 4
The kobold jabs his corroded spear into an exposed portion of your exceptionally large foot.
Question for you, LM... How are you running experience?
Good point. Going to do fast progression to just give the pbp a little bit more pace. Generally I don't do experience as exact number crunches. I prefer a much looser form to experience and determining level ups based on good points in the adventure (clearing out the dungeon of evil, rebuilding the town guard and preparing for bandits, discovering the source of mysteriously disappearing children and putting an end to its tyranny). If you would like to go with with exact experience values, I can totally do that. It's much easier on a pbp forum where everything is archived. Since you get such a broad range of player preferences in pbp's, I try to be flexible, adjusting to the group's wishes. So if loosey goosey is fine with you (I do calculate out the experience based on encounter CR's I plan and see where that lines up in the campaign) then I will continue as planned, but if you would prefer to have the numbers I'll count em up and post them.
Okay, so AoO is going to be left to the players. Now for another question, are you guys okay with me displaying enemy health values, because Elena keeps one shotting these guys before you get to make your move on them haha. This way you can check and see if an enemy was kill before you make your move. In the meantime, Elena killed the purple kobold if you would like to switch tactics Lineera.
Would you guys like me to roll for your attacks for attacks of opportunity? Since there may be situations where you want to save your AoO on later monster attacks in the round, I understand if you want to do it so you can choose who to use it on.
Elena's swift reaction to the undead kobolds favors her attack, striking the enemy straight through its decrepit head. Upon yanking out the spear, the kobold staggers a bit, then collapses.
Mahb's supernatural stare pierces through even the dark magic reanimating these corpses, leaving the middle kobold distracted and suffering in self defense.
Lineera's burst of channeled energy radiates out from her body, passing over the now lifeless corpse and into the second kobold. You feel the creature absorb the entirety of the energy and in a flash your minds are now linked. The first will save is ignored since that kobold died, the second is for the middle kobold, which has 1 hd [modified], using all your hd worth of enemies to control. The enemy outlined in blue is under your control.
On the enemies turn, the farthest kobold continues its march towards the party, setting its focus on the large woman standing in front of him. His slow approach gives you plenty of time to strike at him [AoO - Elena].
If the AoO doesn't kill it: Attack - Spear:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Stumbling in the mud, the zombie barely manages the strength to thrust its spear - an easy attack to deflect. With the fight going favorably, you gain a sense of satisfaction, but it is cut short when the snap of a few twigs and demented grunts reveals two more kobolds approaching from the forest.
A new round. Lineera, I will count the controlled kobold as having first initiative for this round.
So it seems that the group is preparing to head out to follow the tracks down the road. Assuming Scath is still scouting ahead, I will include a spoiler for you.
Scath:
Scouting ahead of the group, you continue to track the strange scent of decomposition down the road for a mile leading to a wrecked caravan. It seems to have crashed into the trees. The scent grows stronger as you close the gap. For now, you keep your distance until you decide what to do. By that I just mean you can decide what you do upon seeing the wreckage, don't want to dmPC you.
You have decided to follow the tracks heading west out of the city. The road is narrow and surrounded entirely by sickly purple trees. It isn't long before the sight of the Perdition's Point is lost in the distance. The rain seems to intensify, but the linear path of the road makes it easy for you to keep up with the tracks. The fog grows thick on the road, pouring out of the woods like an overflowing cauldron of mysterious witch's brew, creating a claustrophobic effect.
1 mile down the road:
After 20 minutes of sludging through the thick mud, you finally catch something strange in the distance. Through the thick haze of fog and rain, you can barely make out a collapsed and covered wagon. You don't see any movement, it's maybe 60 feet out from your location.
Gently probing the girl with questions, she still sits unmoving, but responds nonetheless. "It was raining when he came. Dark and scary. He wore robes and mask, a scary mask, like bad people wear in stories. And his weird round hat kept getting stuck in the window. I thought it was a dream, but he took my brother. He didn't wake up. And when I woke up, he was still taken. He smelled bad, like dead animal or mold. He came to the window the night before that. I saw his shadow and hid under my blanket. There was a scary red glow then he was gone." When she finishes talking she stands up to go to the window, and where she was sitting you see a chalk drawing on the floor.
The three of you approach the caravan, keeping your eyes set on the surrounding woodlands, a sense of immediate danger seems to have you all edge. The caravan looks to be that of the tax collectors, but no tax collector is to be found. The woods creaked and moaned as the dying trees were whipped back and forth by the chilling winds. The smell of decomposing leaves and wood filled the narrow road, masking the scent of what was coming.
Enemy Stealth:1d20 ⇒ 19
As Mahb circles the caravan, Pyewacket lets out a screech to reveal the encroaching threat. You all glance at the tree line, finding three short figures shuffling their way towards you, no bigger than Eva herself. As they get closer, you begin to discern their flaking, scaly flesh from the decomposing armor and the rotting spear in hand. They appear as kobolds to you, but kobolds long since dead.
The kobolds spend their precious moments undetected to move in closer for an attack, leaving the cover of the forest.
The field is covered in fog, granting concealment to all ranged attacks greater than 10 ft. (On a successful hit, roll a d100, on a 1-20, you miss). Additionally, the forest is difficult terrain (10 ft per square) and grant cover (+4 AC and +2 Ref vs ranged attacks). It is the parties turn to act, since the kobolds spent their turn moving out of the forest. A link to the map is in the description under the Perdition's Point map. FEEL FREE TO CHANGE STARTING LOCATIONS
Discussing strategies here is perfectly fine. I'm going to use google docs for the combat, which I think you guys will enjoy, and also has a comment mode - but I think you have to sign in to a google account to do that. Either way, comment here or on the google image, I'm fine with either.
With the group split to cover more ground, you have decided to follow the tracks heading west out of the city. The road is narrow and surrounded entirely by sickly purple trees. It isn't long before the sight of the Perdition's Point is lost in the distance. The rain seems to intensify, but between the linear path and Pyewacket's previous scouting, you manage to keep up with the tracks. The fog grows thick on the road, pouring out of the woods like an overflowing cauldron of mysterious witch's brew, creating a claustrophobic effect. After 20 minutes of sludging through the thick mud, you finally catch up to what Pyewacket spotted earlier. Through the thick haze of fog and rain, you can barely make out a collapsed and covered wagon. You don't see any movement, it's maybe 60 feet out from your location.
Investigating the perimeter of the Carevin residence:
Upon arriving at the home of the first kidnapping, you take a step around the building before approaching the front door. Not surprisingly, the very same mark is branded into the windowsill.
Investigating the inside of the Carevin residence:
The Carevin house is much larger than the Hanns', with a second story added on to a portion of it. After knocking on the door, you are greeted by Alexis and Joan Carevin, "The mayor told us you might be coming by. Please, come in." They open the door wider to welcome you in. You enter into a large sitting room, a comfortable fire blazing off to the side. "If you'd like, I can prepare some tea for you?" Alexis said, doing her best to be accommodating. Without waiting for an answer, Joan chimes in, "While that's heating up, I'll show you to the room. I'm eager to see what you find." He takes you to the back room on the western end of the house. Opening the door, he gives it a knock, then peaks inside. "Lia, honey, we have guests." He opens the door all the way to reveal a young girl on the floor, tossing her dolls around in a manner that dares to be called playing. She doesn't respond, she doesn't even budge. "They're coming for me next, aren't they?" she asks, staring through the window and into the woods. The room has many more belongings: a bunkbed, 2 rocking chairs, a fake tea set, several dolls, a couple picture books about princesses, a stick with a horse's head for riding, and some jacks.
Okay, so it seems we have Eva and Elijah inspecting the town, and Mahb, Lineera and Elena headed down the road to investigate the raven's findings. I will post an update on what you find later tonight. Not enough time now.
"One, two...4...8. Hmmm, hardly a warband, but still unfavorable odds." He tracked a small caravan crossing in front of Cloakwood. Perched on the branches of a think oak, he kept his bow drawn aimed at the passerby's the entire time. Suddenly, a shrill whistle called out to him disguised as a bird. It was a friend from Candlekeep needing to get in contact. Dagoliir left the caravan to their own desires, figuring them for merchants or something equally harmless. Skipping from branch to branch, he made his way to edge of the forest and the designated meeting spot. There his friend stood, another elf, with a parcel outstretched. "It's from Gorion. I found it half tucked under your door." His friend was a servant at Candlekeep, another wood elf like him. Dagoliir grabbed the note and peeled it open immediately, thanking his friend. After a quick read, Dagoliir looked up at his friend, "Gorion's been acting strange lately. Where are my parents? I need to speak with them immediately." The elf relays the location of his parents, and Dagoliir thanks him as he departs. When he finally meets up with his parents, Dagoliir keeps the letter tucked away, "Do you know anything about Gorion's recent activities? He's been acting very strangely lately."
The Lynx is only known to one family, who lives outside the village.
Since there's a witch in the other group who lives in the woods, what if I carried her character over as an npc and she was the person in the woods that you knew? Might give a cool opportunity for investigations. I only suggest it cause I don't see a whole lot of people living in the woods by themselves if that is what you were implying.
Haha well now! I'm glad to see the roleplaying is alive and well. A few spoilers for those who are investigating various locale:
Investigating the Luke Carevin's Window:
Without much searching and knowing what to look for, you spot the mysterious marking on the window. Casting detect magic reveals the faintest of auras, a spell that is about to lost forever. You realize his room and the window are at the back of the house, allowing whoever or whatever came to stay out of the public's eyes.
Investigating the Tracks:
Following the muddy tracks, it is easy to determine its direction - west, out of town. You follow them to the edge of the forest where the fog is thick and you realize it may be a long walk until you find anything.
Scath:
Going around from house to house you inspect each and every windowsill, however, no signs of a familiar scent of that ominous symbol are found.
Knowledge(Local) 10 - Luther ONLY:
You remember the tax collector visiting the Jolly Spirits for dinner on the night of Elizabeth's disappearance. You try and keep tabs on everyone that enters the inn.
Knowledge(Local) 20 - Luther ONLY:
You remember the tax collector visiting the Jolly Spirits for dinner on the night of Elizabeth's disappearance. You noted his strange dress for his profession - long robes that scraped the ground past his ankles.
You have seen many symbols similar to this in books on the Old Cults. Most feature some depiction of the earth, astral bodies and an additional symbol specific to their cause. You recall a certain name associated with this symbol: The Lord of Things Which Are Buried
Inspecting the surrounding area outside the window - Perception 20:
You notice the rain filling what remains of a pair of tracks in the mud. They appear to be made by something similar a carriage or wagon.
Aah, wasn't sure you wanted to use that to search.
Valeria:
You are able to pick up on some odd tracks in the mud. You recognize them as wagon or caravan tracks, concealed by the water pooling in the grooves. They head west, meeting the road and leaving the town. This must be what Scath was trying to show you. It appears Wylliam has caught on to it as well.
Responding to Eva's question, Ebonlocke chimes in, "I don't recall, as far as the weather goes. As much as it rains here, it's entirely possible. I will speak to the Carevins on my out to let them know you might stop by, I'm more than certain they would welcome you."
Lineera:
He did, long robes, probably to conceal everything he was carrying - papers and coins and the lot. There a few horses belonging to Farrin Darris, he usually requires something upfront, you know...just in case. I also have a horse of my own that I'd be glad to lend you."[/b] He seems enamored by your sweet scent and kindly demeanor.
Fanferella readily accepts your help, moving around you as if you had been there all along. Francis seems a bit hesitant to speak, giving short responses that sometimes don't even make sense. You feel that he has almost given up with the loss of his daughter. Fanferella, however, masks her sorrow much better. She gladly carries the conversation, even cracking a joke or two to lighten the mood, but you sense the recent events are still fresh on her mind. They both seem genuine in their feelings.
Valeria:
No undead that you can think would be able to act with such grace as to not bust through the window or damage the furniture in the room. Perhaps a ghost of sorts could, but then again, they wouldn't leave tracks.
Scath:
As you run from building to building, inspecting the window sills, You come across one (#4 on the town map) that has a familiar scent to the Hann residence, although much fainter and lost to time. In addition, you spot the same marking from the first house.
In response to Alexis's question, Ebonlocke steps out to ask the parents. "She was 7. They searched the room for any signs, but didn't notice anything out of place. They can't afford much, so anything out of the ordinary would stand out."
William:
(A bonus will be given since Scath is essentially aiding you.) You are able to pick up on something odd in the mud. Surprised that you missed it before, you recognize them as wagon or caravan tracks, concealed by the water pooling in the grooves. They head west, meeting the road and leaving the town. This must be what Scath was trying to show you.
The mayor's eyes flare with terror at the mention of a necromantic cult, but aware of the Hanns' presence, he suppresses his surprise and thinks on the question. "Now that you mention it, the tax collector left the very same night she was kidnapped. He usually takes the road west to Illmarsh. There, he restocks before setting out for the capital.
Eva:
Thinking back on your magical discoveries, you remember discussions with other arcane scholars speaking on the perceptibility of children to outer-worldly influence. Many rituals use children as hosts for other beings, be it religious channeling, or demonic summons.
@Mahb, the symbol seems to be burned into the wood and arcane marked, almost as if the spell was channeled through some sort of brand.
Pyewacket:
Flying through the turbulent wind and rain, you are flying straight towards a thunderhead. The tracks are still visible enough for you to track. Almost a mile down the road out of town, the trail is lost, but quickly answered with a wrecked caravan. Thick fog is covering the road, making it hard to discern any details. One thing is for certain, you don't see anyone moving around.
Ebonlocke returns to the room. A sigh of relief at the amount of progress that has been made, but as he opens his mouth to speak, his melancholy cadence cuts his satisfaction short, "I'm afraid I have much work to do, what with postponing it the past few days. I will be in my estate should you need me. Feel free to browse the few books we have in the townhall if you think they would help. There's a few on the founding of Perdition's Point, others on local legends." He stays for any questions you may have, then bows and takes his leave, bidding farewell to the Hanns and trekking back through the muddy streets.
You have seen many symbols similar to this in books on the Old Cults. Most feature some depiction of the earth, astral bodies and an additional symbol specific to their cause. You recall a certain name associated with this symbol: The Lord of Things Which Are Buried
THE SITUATION
I am opening recruitment for my ongoing Council of Thieves campaign, which has lost a player because of real life commitments. We are looking to add two more players to the campaign. We have just begun book 2 and thus the players are currently third level. This game is a fast paced game, and thus requires people to usually post 2+ times a day. The campaign currently consists of an Urban Ranger, a Bard and an Oracle/Fighter. However, the group does have wands of cure light wounds as well as potions, so healing isn’t really the issue at this stage. I'd like to make a decision by July 3, and get started around July 6.
Please take a look at the campaign information page for details of the setting. This setting is extremely evil. In fact, it is so evil that I do not want to get private messages from the players telling me to “tone it down, I’m having nightmares.” If you can’t handle human sacrifice, bodies piling up in pits filled with flies and what not, then do not apply to my game. If human sacrifice, slave trading/ownership and devil worship freak you out and you’ll complain all the time about how over the top the setting is or graphic, move along, this game isn’t for you. I will not tone down the setting. If you can’t handle that, don’t apply.
PASS THESE 5 HURDLES BEFORE APPLYING
Before you apply and read about the character creation rules, I want to make five things ABUNDANTLY clear to anyone who is accepted into this campaign. Please consider these carefully, and if you cannot accept these five conditions, do not apply to this game.
First, this is an extremely fast paced game. Since I live in the US West Coast, I will only accept people who can post several times a day while I’m awake. I will generally post between 6:30a.m. PST to 7:30pm PST. So, if you are asleep during that time period like most Europeans, you won’t be able to keep pace and I will kick you from the game. You are wasting my time, your time and everyone else’s time if you apply and can’t post multiple times during the time specified. We have one European in our group who posts often enough to get away with it. So, it’s not that I’m anti-Europe, I’m anti-slow posts.
Furthermore, if your idea of a fast paced game is 1 post/day (or because of your time zone you only post while I’m asleep, which equates to a 1/day), don't apply. In general I expect 2-3 posts a day, maybe slower on weekends. Brief absences tolerated when given advance notice (one of our players is going on vacation in July but we will NPC his character during that time). We simply can’t NPC multiple characters at the same time. If you are about to go on a long vacation, or have some kind of life event coming that might prevent you from posting frequently in the near future (school restarts, baby on the way, new job), don’t apply. I don’t want to read “Oh, this and that happened and I can’t post as often now.” So, you should have stability in your life for the near-future. If not, don’t apply.
Second, I want to emphasize that you need to be familiar with rules for your character, and if you play a spell caster, you need to be familiar with your spells and how they work. You don’t have to be a rules expert with some kind of certification badge (I don’t have one either), but I do expect you to know the basics. If you cast a spell that won’t have an effect on a specific creature/situation, then you’ll waste the spell/action. For example, if you cast mage armor on a fighter wearing heavy armor (don’t laugh, I’ve seen it), you just wasted your spell. Furthermore, if you are selected I will “re-create” your character myself. This allows me to be very familiar with your character, but it also might catch an error or more. If you have a problem with me pointing out a character creation error (or confusion over a selection) via a PM, then don’t apply. Some folks are extremely sensitive if I tell them they made a mistake on their character. So, if you’re room is full of participation trophies and can’t handle being told you might have made a mistake, don’t apply. Finally, while I generally follow the rules, I reserve the right to amend the rules as GM.
Third, I’ll be using Ditzie for maps. As such, if you cannot adjust a map on your computer, don’t apply. I can occasionally accommodate a player who is on a phone or touch-pad device, but I’m not going to move you every single time. Please go to THIS MAP and see if you can move stuff around from the device you will post the most from. If you can’t, then you can’t play in this campaign. If you say you are attacking, but you are in the other room on the map, then you don’t attack and waste your turn. Use the map!
Fourth, my descriptions assume a point of view from your perspective. If you, for example, crawl into a building from a sewer entrance, I will not tell you what the outside of the building is, what street it’s on, etc. You are given the information that you have at the time. As such, it can be difficult for people who want to put lots of actions into just one post (a typical thing for people who can only post once a day in a fast paced game). You will have to do what people would do in that situation, like look for an exit, or talk to the people in the room. Running out, doing this and that, then coming back and doing some more stuff, all in one post, will usually be a gigantic problem. I will allow if/then posts, as long as you can accept that some of your potential actions might not occur because they would have been interrupted by an NPC action/event along the way. It would simply be easier if you can post multiple times in a day.
Fifth, I just want to be abundantly clear, that what you write in your gameplay post is what you do. If you say you went into the main sewer line and then cast channel, and that places you out of range of some of your allies that needed healing, then you blew your channel for nothing. I don’t want to hear “oh, well I would have channeled next to them first.” Sorry, you wrote you went into the sewer line, then did it. This is to force people to think about what they write and what they do, so as to there not being a debate going forward about any response by an NPC. If you don’t pull the sword off the dead guy, then you can’t sell the sword later. Sorry. If you don’t like that, please don’t apply to my game. I also demand that you not read spoilers not directed at you. If you like to read all the spoilers regardless of whom they are directed at (as I believe most of you do), then don’t apply. If I make a DC 18 Sense Motive check spoiler because an NPC is lying, and you roll a 12 but still check the spoiler and then act like the NPC is lying, you will have some explaining to do. If you respond to information in a spoiler not directed at you, you have some explaining to do. I don’t want to be sending PMs left and right because the players can’t control their urges to read spoilers. Most of you can’t control this urge (I know because most of you read spoilers directed at other characters in different games), so please don’t apply.
Okay, if you can pass those five prerequisites, please see some information in the campaign info section. You will need to read the Council of Thieves player’s guide. Please pay close attention to the character creation rules I have listed. Lastly, unlike some online GMs, I do not give preference to who posts first or in what order. When I say July 3, I mean July 3. Take your time and post when ready. You don’t need to create an alias, just give me your background and your character sheet. Please make the character sheet easy to read. I expect the game will restart around July 6 to let people enjoy the upcoming holiday and time to understand the characters and recreate them myself.
CHARACTER CREATION DETAILS
Character Backgrounds:
You have grown up in Westcrown. You have had to deal with the night terrors for the last 30 years, the watch of citizen spies, and the terror of the dottari and hellknight’s version of justice (suspects burned at the stake kind of thing, or tortured until they confess, then burned at the stake, depending on how much time they have). You know several people who have been killed in gladiatorial battles staged on behalf of the public’s entertainment. In short, you despise your city, your rulers and the government’s inability to deal with the nightly terrors, but are unsure what to do or who to trust. Spies are everywhere and will report any suspicions to the dotarri or worse, the hellknights. You joined a group formed by a half-elf named Ariel to try to improve the city. Upon joining the group, it has decided to name themselves (k)Night's Bane to show how they will fight the night terrors and improve the city. The group has some notoriety already for stopping a group of tieflings from robbing and killing at night known as the Bastards of Erebus, but they never learned how they avoided the night creatures. There were some clues, but alas they don't know.
Please pick one trait from the Council of Thieves Players Guide (download it from Paizo, it's free) and make sure it fits your background (and pick one additional trait, for a total of two traits). No drawbacks permitted.
Also note that you are unlikely to be a successful thief that steals money for a living: they don’t live long when they have to operate in daylight. If you are caught, you are usually killed immediately or put in a gladiator setting and killed there (eventually). So, if you want to play a rogue, play a rogue that isn’t into stealing.
Character Creation Rules:
20 Point Buy. No stat below 8 (including racial modifiers). No Firearms. No third party. Otherwise probably okay. 2 Traits, one of which must be a campaign trait that fits your background. Please write a character background.
Alignments:
Lawful Neutral (with conditions), Lawful Good (with conditions), Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, and Chaotic Neutral alignments are permitted. Lawful characters will have to come to grips that this campaign involves a mild rebellion. As such, you’ll need to come to address it in your background. Lawful Good characters will have to be able to lie occasionally (monks need to avoid the vow of truth). Evil characters need not apply. Remember, non-evil deities have on occasion worked with Asmodeus, so non-evil people can worship him, I just don’t recommend it. Over time, the preaching and actions take their toll on your soul and eventually you turn evil. You can only participate in a human sacrifice only so many times before you start thinking it is okay to do it.
Classes and Archetypes allowed:
These are the classes allowed in my campaign (1) because they fit the campaign and (2) I’m also familiar enough with them so that rules issues can be kept to a minimum: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Magus, Monk, Oracle, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard.
These classes are prohibited: any class not listed above (obviously). But in case you have to ask: Paladin, Alchemist, Gunslinger, Summoner, Cavalier, Inquisitor, Antipaladin, Ninja, Samurai, Witch, and any test class. Paladin’s are restricted for a specific reason in the campaign and are simply too disruptive given the incredibly evil setting.
Most archetypes are allowed (no play test archetypes or firearms), but remember this is an urban campaign so make sure your archetype reflects this fact. Do not pick an archetype that is woodlands or primitive based (especially true for Barbarians and Druids).
Also, given the setting, petty thieves are usually killed quickly in Westcrown since they can’t work at night (those that do are killed by the Shadow Creatures), so take this into account if you play a rogue and think you’re some kind of master thief. If you play a Cleric, please do not select an evil deity, as that will just cause too many problems. However, clerics should be aware that they are limited to openly worshiping Abadar; worshiping another deity must be done so in private. Worshiping in private just means you can’t have a following, which really isn’t a problem. You will meet NPC clerics along the way that worship non-evil deities in private.
Starting Wealth & Level:
Please make a third level character. You start with 3,000gp, of which no one item can exceed 1,000gp. You were either given it, inherited it, stole it, worked for it, or whatever.
Skills
The Council Chairman suggests these skills if they make sense for your character: Stealth, Bluff, Sense Motive, Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (History), Perform (Act). The Council Chairman believes these skills will prove less useful: Survival, Swim, and Ride. The Chairman wants to emphasize that skills will be used in this campaign (and your skill results can be a matter of life or death), so being only a combat junkie with minimal skill points will likely result in your death faster than fighting.
Do you have questions? Feel free ask here; do not send me a PM as my current players will be reading this recruitment thread as well.
Currently there are two ways to get a campaign off your campaign list:
1) Have the GM remove you using the Edit Campaign information. This is great when GMs know to do this, or the GM is active. Gives the GM plenty of control. But there is no control by the player.
2) Find the gameplay thread on the main forum list and select "hide post" option. This is EXTREMELY hard to do if your campaign is old. The only way to find it is to do a search, but when you get the search result, it takes you directly to the thread itself, not the block forum listing that has the option to hide it. Thus, you are forced to scroll endlessly through the forums trying to find your exact campaign to then hide. It shouldn't be this hard.
The hide option needs to be in the thread itself, or there needs to be a way so that when you search for your campaign thread, it will give you the option to hide a campaign. Something. Anything, so the player can also manage their campaigns. Ideally, it should be on the campaign tab or in our account.
This is the discussion thread. If you were considering posting in the gameplay thread a comment that was entirely or mostly contained OOC text, this is the place for it. Keep the Gameplay thread for gameplay and limited OOC text.
This is also the thread to be used if you have character questions or whatever. Please do not post in the gameplay thread until we are closer to starting.
This is for my Council of Thieves play-by-post game. I will add more information soon. Recruitment will be done by invitation initially, so the recruitment thread will be closed.
This is my first time making a melee focused monk, so I'm not sure if I'm doing this right.
My goal is to make a melee focused dwarf monk for PFS play. I don't want to give up Flurry of Blows so one of the archetypes that seems to work is Martial Artist.
My stats (with racial bonus):
STR 16(+3) DEX 14(+2) CON 14(+2) INT 8(-1) WIS 16(+3) CHA 8(-1)
I took Dodge and Deflect Arrows as my monk bonus and starting feats. I got my AC and Touch AC to 16, not bad for first level I suppose.
Question 1)
What to do with the 150gp starting gold for a PFS play? Masterwork Nunchaku are 302gp, and nothing stands out that does more than the 1d6 damage from the unarmed strikes. Should I just hold onto as much gold as I can so I can get masterwork items sooner?
Question 2)
My plan was to get Crane Wing style to deflect a melee blow, which should go well with deflect arrow feat. But, can you do two styles at the same time?
In my profile page, the section with the input fields is overlapping with the large text block for additional information. This is making it EXTREMELY hard to read.
Many of us use "Class/Levels" line to put key information about our alias to show on each post, and as such that information can be rather long. Furthermore, the Homepage URL can also be long, since I link to my character's Google Drive character sheet.
So, what happens is that those lines run into the "About XXX" section when I look at my various alias profiles.
There are 2 solutions:
First, put the "About XXX" section below the key data section, not next to it. This would be the preference.
Second, if that isn't possible, can we add lots of "blank lines" to our "About XXX" section so that we can manually push it down? Right now I tried that it and it doesn't show up.
So a Heavy Flail has the Trip and Disarm attribute. Assume the character has Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm and Improved Trip feats.
Question 1 about tripping with a Heavy Flail: When you announce that you're going to trip with the weapon, do you have to "hit" with that weapon (producing potential 1d10 + modifier damage), and then roll CMB versus CMD? Or is it a straight up CMB versus CMD roll (no damage potential)? Can it be both?
Question 2 about disarm with a Heavy Flail: The Disarm attribute says it is a +2 to disarm an opponent. Does this stack with the +2 from Improved Disarm feat, making it a +4 to CMB? Do you have to "hit" with the weapon (producing potential 1d10 + modifier damage) and then roll CMB versus CMD? Or is it a straight up CMB versus CMD roll (no damage potential)? Can it be both?
In other words, do you "hit" like any other weapon, but it also allows you to either a trip or a disarm on a separate CMB versus CMD roll. Or do you have to choose to trip or disarm with the weapon first, and thus you don't do any damage, just the combat maneuver?
I'm confused because with my animal companions, they can trip when they successfully attack, but I'm unsure if the same thing applies to weapons.
So, I've read several threads and guides, but they don't seem to help with my particular situation, so hence the new thread.
Problem #1: 15-point buy with limited "Dump Stat" ability
This is turning out to be a big problem. Our GM will allow us to min/max to a point, but maybe only allowing for 1 low score. Given this issue, I've decided for dwarf because of the +Con and +Wis modifier since I don't need the Charisma.
My stats (including racial modifiers) for 15 point buy:
STR: 12 DEX 14 CON 14 INT 8 WIS 18 CHA 6
With CHA at 6, I highly doubt I'll be allowed to drop INT below 8 (even that's a stretch). While I was considering lowering DEX, I realized that several archery feats have a DEX requirement of 13, and some of them are needed early on. Well, if you're going to have a 13, might as well move it to 14 and get the +2. So, I had to decide what to cut. I'm debating lowering CON to 12 and STR up to 14, but Strength-based composite bows are very expensive and our campaign has limited funds for the first four levels (extremely limited, level 3 still at 0gp in our Carrion Crown campaign). So, by the time we get coin, it will probably be level 4 or 5. The other factor is I'm hoping that +strength items are easier to find by the time I can afford a strength based composite bow.
Problem #2: Most guides and builds assume a high level campaign.
I doubt this campaign ever gets past level 12-15. Also, since gold so far has been EXTREMELY hard to come by, I can't assume using a bunch of fancy magical items, which again most guides and advice threads assume like boots of speed, etc.
Can someone help me with some decent feat selections for a game that tops out at 12-15 that doesn't rely on "just use your magical X item"?
I was considering something like this (edited to remove feats at 4 and 8)
1-Precise Shot (monk bonus), Toughness
2-Point Blank Shot (monk bonus)
3-Deadly Aim
5-Defensive Combat Training
6-Improved Precise Shot (monk bonus)
7-Improved Initiative (couldn't think of anything else)
9-Hammer the Gap
Problem #3: I'm an idiot when it comes to monk styles.
Are there some monk styles I should learn instead? If so, which blends well with a Zen Archer, again assuming the campaign ends around level 12-15?
Problem #4: Qinggong Monk Combination and PRD source question.
I see some folks really harp on also using the Qinggong Monk WITH the Zen Archer archetype. I wasn't sure why, so can someone tell me what exactly the benefit is? Second, is there a rule that can be sourced from the PRD that shows I can take both archetypes? My GM is all about the PRD, and if it doesn't say it in the PRD, it doesn't exist.
So, to summarize this long post:
Question 1: Should I move my stats around on my 15 point buy?
Question 2: Should I change my feat selection for a game ending around 12-15?
Question 3: Should I use monk styles, and if so, which ones? I assume they go as feats, so it relates to Question 2.
Question 4: What is the key benefit of Qingong for a Zen Archer and can anyone source the PRD saying you can take both archetypes?
Thanks a lot. I know those are a lot of questions, so if you know an answer to any of them, please just post that and I'll be most grateful.
Okay, I scanned the list of two-weapon fighting questions and this one didn't pop up, probably because everyone knows the answer but me.
When using two weapons and you take a move action then attack, you only get 1 attack. That part I got.
What I don't know is: Do you still take the penalty for using 2 weapons when you only attack with 1 weapon in that initial round? My guess is you probably do, but I wasn't sure since you only swing one weapon that round.
I can't believe I didn't notice this issue earlier, and I have no idea how to resolve it. In the description of GRAB, it says "Creatures with the grab special attack receive a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple."
Now, I get the +4 to start a grapple, but the +4 to maintain a grapple is what is confusing. If you didn't have grab and successfully grapple a target, you get a +5 bonus to CMB to maintain a grapple. So, why just a +4 bonus when you normally get a +5 bonus?
So......does the +4 grab bonus to maintain a grapple actually stack with the +5 bonus to maintain a grapple, making it +9? That seems really high, but why give a +4 bonus to maintain it when the standard bonus is +5 unless it is meant to stack?
Thus, I suppose you could say Grab only provides a +4 bonus (not the +5 because you got a bonus to start the grapple), or you get the standard +5 bonus that everyone gets with grapple since it is higher and overrides the +4, or the special ability adds to the normal bonus and thus it is +9.
Thanks for reading my post. I currently have a level 7 Druid that has the Heavy Armor Proficiency feat. My GM allows us to retrain feats per the ultimate campaign rules.
Question 1)
If I took 1 level in Fighter, would that grant me access to the Heavy Armor Proficiency ability naturally? In other words, could I then go back and retrain the Heavy Armor Proficiency feat to something else and still wear my heavy dragonscale plate armor because I took 1 level in Fighter?
Question 2)
If "yes" is the answer to question 1, then when I go back to retrain the Heavy Armor Proficiency feat (taken at level 1 feat), assume I would like to retrain it to something that has a Base Attack Bonus minimum requirement (say Vital Strike). While I couldn't take that feat normally at level 1 because of the minimum requirement, since I'll be level 8 when I do the retraining, my BAB would meet the minimum requirement for the feat. So, can you retrain a feat and replace it with a feat that you currently meet the requirements, but put it in an earlier feat slot (like a level 1 feat slot)?
Hate to put 2 questions in one thread, but my GM and I had a discussion on my Druid and some clarifications were needed. Please respond, even if you agree with other posters, as we are trying to get a consensus on these issues. Thanks so much.
Issue 1: Improved Natural Attack - Is it a combat feat?
Let's assume that I'm a Druid/Fighter multi-class with at least +4 BAB. Should the Improved Natural Attack feat (listed under "Monster Feats") also be considered a combat feat (thus available as a fighter bonus feat) or just a general feat?
One view is that since it involves increasing damage, it's a combat feat. For comparison, Eldrich Claws ("your natural weapons are considered both magic and silver for purpose of overcoming damage reduction") is specifically listed as a Combat Feat.
The other view is that since it doesn't change an attack and also not specifically listed as a combat feat, it is only a general feat.
Issue 2: Wildshape and # of attacks
Say a medium animal the druid is familiar with can do multiple attacks. However, the Druid at level 4 (when wildshape becomes available) can only do 1 attack. In wildshape, does the Druid gain the extra attacks of the creature it assumes, or does the Druid only get his normal number of attacks, regardless of form?
One view is that he should get the # of attacks of the creature, because that's the form of the creature. The other is that you only take the shape of the creature, but you retain your base number of attacks. Issues like Pounce, Rake, Vision, etc. are already addressed in the Beast Shape spell, but it doesn't address the number of attacks.
I'm trying to figure out the proper damage for the following situation:
1) 10th level Druid using wildshape as a Behemoth hippopotamus, which has Huge size does base bite damage of 4d8 + Strength Mod.
2) The Druid was allowed to take the Improved Natural Attacks (bite) feat since he fights in Wildshape all the time. This says increases 1d8 to 2d6, so that suggests 4d8 becomes 8d6. So now the hipo does 8d6 + Strength Mod.
3) The Druid with Natural Spell feat (so he casts while in natural form) casts Strong Jaw spell (Advance Players Guide p.247) which then increases the damage for size by two, so his Huge size goes to Colossal-size. Page 302 in Bestiary 1 says Huge bite is typically 2d6 and Colossal is 4d6. So, that doubles the dice essentially. So going back to the hipo doing 8d6 now becomes 16d6. The spell lasts 10 minutes at this level.
4) Finally, the Druid also has Vital Strike, which of course doubles the damage dice rolled.
So, is that 32d6 + Strength Modifier? Can you really end up rolling 32D6 as a level 10 Druid?
