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In fact, voicing concerns about living arrangement to Saul directly may get you somewhere....
I just thinking that very thing, that if I didn't already have a room here, I was gonna have to get one. :)
I'm still pondering the mage situation. Not a topic for the squeamish to research, how to break a man's will... Yikes.
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Was your intention, in some way, to use Angvar as a substitution for the arcane caster in the party?
Pretty much, a DMNPC, or, if someone else wants to play him, that's cool, too. I don't think that it would be appropriate for me to declare his actions, as it's not like I'm charming him or anything.
Perhaps someday, I'll be able to pick up Leadership and make him a Cohort. But probably not, 'cause I'd need way more Charisma...
What plans for 'rehabilitation' do you have?
I'm gonna assume that he's as evil and self-serving as the rest of us, and I want to play on that, by convincing him that his own plan sucked and nearly got him murdered, and that he's more likely to live long and prosper surrounded by a bunch of other like-minded scoundrels (including one that can heal his sorry butt the next time he gets himself stabbinated).
Not so much 'rehabilitation' as 'appeal to self-interest.'
Or, to quote the movie. "Come with me, if you want to live."
I reviewed various conditioning / brain-washing tactics (mostly from reviewing old eps of Mission Impossible or Burn Notice or whatever in my head, I didn't actually go out and look stuff up!), and decided that most of it was way too time-consuming (I already post too damn much as it is). I considered various tactics from my old psych classes about how enforced dependency works and how to make someone unable to take a piss without checking for approval first, but that just felt icky, and promised to get into all sorts of dark territory (and sexual situations) I wasn't terribly eager to explore. I'm a fragile flower, that way. :)
I decided to go with The Lady & the Tiger choice (right arm, life, left arm, death) and a more genteel confident stance. If he runs, he runs. If he attempts to stab Mordecai in the back, that's cool too. We'll burn that bridge when we get to it.
I had a notion of taking advantage of the 'create your own curse' option of Bestow Curse and running to the temple of Calistria to attempt to secure a custom Curse (Mordecai takes damage, he feels pain, to motivate him to keep Mordecai safe *or* Mordecai concentrates, he feels pain, allowing Mordecai to punish him at range), but decided that the *minimum* 150 gp outlay (3rd level spell x 5th level caster x 10 gp) just wasn't worth it.
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Well, you presented a very good argument. Not only does Angvar not have the strength to fight back, he also lacks the will. As much as you mentioned not wanting to break him by stripping away everything he has, it's kinda already happened. His support, his items, and even his lover, are gone now.
Sticking with you, even for now, until he can regain his strength, is probably in his best interest.
Though, it's probably for the best that you are going to bury Thuvalia, and not turn her into an mindless undead creature to taunt him....
In terms of the curse...they're both fine ideas. I'd like to make it nonlethal damage. Either way, you're going to have to save up!
Additionally, I studied philosophy/critical theory in uni, with a focus on the body. Marcel Mauss' writing on 'body techniques' coupled with Foucault's book 'Discipline and Punish' are both what I would consider 'must reads' for you.
I gave a talk as well on the reduction of the body into machine, folding in Deleuze's writing on the becoming-animal. It all resonates well, and we can chat further on the subject.
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Though, it's probably for the best that you are going to bury Thuvalia, and not turn her into an mindless undead creature to taunt him....
From a 'manipulative' standpoint, either A) Angvar actually loved her, and respectfully burying her will 'play well' with him and also prey on any guilt he feels for her death or B) he didn't love her, and will be confused and thrown (further) off-balance by Mordecai's apparent show of respect for her (and the thugs).
From a 'meta' standpoint, Mordecai's all hat and no cat, at the moment. It's gonna be four long levels before he's animating anything!
In terms of the curse...they're both fine ideas. I'd like to make it nonlethal damage. Either way, you're going to have to save up!
I toyed with the idea of putting Mordecai in debt to the temple of Calistria, and then remembered that basically the Church of Calistria is pretty much the Church of Anyanka, Vengeance Demon, and that it would be the height of foolishness to owe them money...
Additionally, I studied philosophy/critical theory in uni, with a focus on the body. Marcel Mauss' writing on 'body techniques' coupled with Foucault's book 'Discipline and Punish' are both what I would consider 'must reads' for you.
I gave a talk as well on the reduction of the body into machine, folding in Deleuze's writing on the becoming-animal. It all resonates well, and we can chat further on the subject.
Interesting sounding stuff. Most of my own understanding of the matter comes from seeing how dependency (and co-dependency) is handled in media (not so much real life, thankfully), which is thankfully all I'd really need to explore it in a game-sense (since it's just gotta *sound* right, not actually be right).
Toss me an email if you want to chat more about stuff, so we don't clutter up the thread.
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Oops. Guys. I think I just killed Angvar.
And I was so excited to work it all out between him and Mordecai! In case you can't save him, I may apologize ahead of time. I know you put a lot of work into him!
Eh. Better him than Mordecai (assuming I don't get Mordecai killed trying to rescue him, like a greedy doof).
If nothing else, I'll try to get his spellbook back to loan to Bex's pet wizard, since I done gone and broke mine. :)
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A critical hit for max damage both times means that even if you rescue him, all the pieces may not be there....
His spellbook conveniently dropped at his feet, at the edge of the pier.
My meta-gamers mind immediately thought, '1d6+4? Equal to a Monitor Lizard, so it might have 3d8+X hp.' Or was it 1d8+4 for Monitors? I don't remember. I used to know all of this stuff because of the Scalykind Domain Cleric with his posse of Komodo Dragons (clearly I watched too much Johnny Quest as a kid)...
Swamp Barracuda. It's what's for dinner!
Unless it keeps rolling like that, in which case;
Mordecai, it's what's for dinner!
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Sorry, 4d8 here.
I did roll a '94' on the random encounter chart. Good thing it wasn't a swarm of flesh eating cockroaches...
Awesome, me and Gierixi's will get major exp!
Or, yanno, the fish will advance a size category after it eats us. :)
Ah, random encounter charts. Our attempt at Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil had three random encounters in a row that consisted of a white dragon, a pair of wyverns and a trio of stone giants (we were like 2nd or 3rd level, IIRC, the GM kept having to say 'Yeah, that was a dream, then you wake up...').
Heh. Good times.
I look forward to Mordecai's last words being something fun like, 'It's a freaking fish, how tough could it be?' or 'Dinner's gonna be late, I'll be right back.'
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It's a fish the size of you, however....
More to eat!
Mordecai's done some damage to the thing, and grabbed Angvar. If Gierixa can distract the thing, you may be able to drag him away and stop the bleeding. No guarantees.
Eh, no worries. The dice fall where the dice fall. Angvar's the one who'se got the most to lose, obviously, and he's an NPC. :)
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It's why I try to roll in the open. Even in my table top games, I roll all my dice for everyone to see.
If I had, instead, just asked you to trust me that Angvar was critically hit for max damage, and I sweeped him away into the dust, it would be an attack against the work you've put into him. This way, it's the dice's fault. Although I do have a nasty knack for rolling criticals on IC...
Speaking of my table top game, we played our first session of Second Darkness. They had lunch with Mordecai, and they didn't like him very much. We'll see how it plays out.
My posting dot disappeared so I'm just returning it to its rightful place.
Oops, also realized I didn't give any xp for the first battle and the intro threads.
Take 400 xp each.
No problem Terra. My games are certainly not for everyone. We hadn't had a post from Dergo in 5 days, and your combat posts were pretty non-committal, so I figured there was something up.
Dergo was a bit of an outsider with this crew, anyway. I could certainly see him not being comfortable with them and ditching. I just need to work out Saul's reaction....
Any concerns the rest of you have that you'd like to bring up? I can crank up the action if you'd like, but you may all be dead by the end of it. Let me know, I'm reasonable, and fairly new to PBPs!
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I've got no issues with pacing, but I brought my own fun, so I can just sit in the corner and amuse myself. :)
TerraNova gets credit for going with a Rogue. I could never find a way to enjoy myself playing one. (That's not a criticism of the class, or people who like them, that's just me and my preferences. I also love brussel sprouts, so I'm clearly a mutant freak.)
Darn. Now I want brussel sprouts...
Please welcome Rev Rosey as the other Angvar. Rev is gonna help me run NPC's a little. She's great. We're tight.
Now. Boss her around.
Hey Dahn..the SD game I was in died just as the fight in the GG was starting...so if you need a rogue to replace Dargo..I'm available...
I have a way to get her into the story line the first section was written as my intro for the original game and does cover the same ground as the intro threads for the others.
Spoiler for Dahns eyes only
No one here is really paying much attention to the slight youth...not the crowd, not the vendors selling ale and hot sausages to them, not the sad and bedraggled whores who work the arches of the arena for a few measly coppers a time and who have lean't not to bother trying to attract his attebtion.
Nodding to the heavies who block the way for the general audience she slips into the box..the 'Old Man' and some of his Capps are there some wagering on the match, others indulging in whatever pleasures they fancy be it food, drink or women.
Clegg Zincher looks round his senses telling him off her entrance even over the noise.
"Ah Mel....you got the papers"
"Yes Guvner, the bills of sale made out by the Magnimarian merchants for all the 'goods' we brought in last week and proof that our taxes were paid in full"
"Good, Good that should keep the bastards off our backs for a bit"
The crimelord offers Mel a plate of sweetmeats which she politely declines
"Suit yourself"....A shout goes up from the Arena as one of the Shoanti scores a telling hit on the Bull-man "Dammit....I thought that thing would last longer than a month..."
As the three barbarians close in for the kill he turns back to Mel
"I've got a job for you...that swine Vancaskerkin..you heard he's got a new place right"
"Yes Guv" the youth tries to avoid looking down towards the bloodbath
"I want you to go have a look, see what 'e's up to...there's sumthin' going down there soon I can feel it in me water. Find out who 'is backers are if yer can"
"Have a look at 'is place, see what's 'appening and who 'is backers are...right Guv...."
"There's some sort of bash there tonight...something about beating the devil...hah that useless sod couldn't beat a two year old..could he boys"
A huge roar erupts, drowning out the lieutenants laughter, as the Minotaur falls taking one of the Shoanti with him. The two survivors stare at each other for a second in disbelief before beginning to acknowledge the crowd.
"Farkin Hell....some one get that hunk of beef out of my arena...and feed it to the tigers. Set up for the elimination bouts."
"Ok ...you've got your job..do alright on this and you're in for good...course if you fail me..." the heavy set mob boss lets the unspoken threat hang in the air
"Don't worry Boss I'll not let you down" the youths words belie the nervous flutter in her stomach
"One more thing...same as usual..if you get's a sniff of that cow Lavender Lil...you let me know at once y'hear"
"Yes Guvner, I know"
"This'll cover your entrance to Van's place"he flips Mel a Gold piecenow get out..I've got a business to run."
Zincher turns to annouce the winners as Mel slips out of the box and down towards the exit
THE FOLLOWING DAY
"So what happened" Zincher asks as he digs into a slab of bacon
"Bleedin' fiasco boss" the young rogue replies "A bunch of bleedin' amateurs tried to rip off the old bastard and got stopped by another bunch of bleedin' amateurs..I stayed out off it but I managed to swipe a fair bit of cash well chips really in the confusion.|"
"Thing is,after it was all over, most of the staff quit you should have heard the language..and that was just the doxies."
"Really" a feral grin comes over the crimelords face "So he'll be lookin' for replacements then...I think you should go down there again young Mel and see about gainful employment..keep an eye on my old friend Saul and let me know what's happening with him"
So basically Mel is Zinchers plant in the GG..what do you think?
Please welcome Rev Rosey as the other Angvar. Rev is gonna help me run NPC's a little. She's great. We're tight.
Now. Boss her around.
Holy crud! I didn't notice that Thistlecritt was spelled differently!
Welcome to the show.
Thanks. Still finding his voice, so put anything discordant down to nearly dieing twice in a couple of hours.
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Spoiler for Dahns eyes only
That's like catnip! I keep clicking the button and unclicking the button before I can read anything.
I have no willpower.
Thanks. Still finding his voice, so put anything discordant down to nearly dieing twice in a couple of hours.
No worries. I haven't known him long enough to get a feel for him either.
Being Chelaxian, and based on his picture, I can't help but feel that he's a bit entitled, a bit arrogant, and in a bit over his head (because if he was 'all that and a bag of chips' he'd be back in Cheliax. The fact that he's a small-time crook in Riddleport says to me that he's decided to go to some backwater where he can pretend to be the hot stuff he wasn't back home...).
He strikes me as being like one of those ex-pats you run into who've lived in some country for fifteen years and complain endlessly about how much better everything was in their home country, despite having zero desire to actually go back there, where they were not exactly the top of the social ladder (and, indeed, may actually be wanted for something or otherwise terribly unwelcome!).
Bad Bad naughty Set
No worries. I haven't known him long enough to get a feel for him either.Being Chelaxian, and based on his picture, I can't help but feel that he's a bit entitled, a bit arrogant, and in a bit over his head (because if he was 'all that and a bag of chips' he'd be back in Cheliax. The fact that he's a small-time crook in Riddleport says to me that he's decided to go to some backwater where he can pretend to be the hot stuff he wasn't back home...).
He strikes me as being like one of those ex-pats you run into who've lived in some country for fifteen years and complain endlessly about how much better everything was in their home country, despite having zero desire to actually go back there, where they were not exactly the top of the social ladder (and, indeed, may actually be wanted for something or otherwise terribly unwelcome!).
Small time crook with big ambitions for sure, but I think the relationship with Thuvalia was his total reason for living. She showed him passion and power he'd never seen. He needs that gap filled, and Mordecai might be able to do that. It's an unlikely alliance, but it might just work. Right up to the point they decide to kill each other. Anyway, let's find out. I suspect that Angvar's only going to ride with the "you're my slave in public line" for so long, but you never know.
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Melissa/Wellard
I'm not sure I can convey how perfect this is. Not only was I already thinking about recruiting a rogue, i was also thinking of suggesting that they be in Zincher's employ. That was my ticket into the place. It's going to work out great, as long as you understand this is somewhat of an neutral/evil game. You can start neutral and move to good, if you'd like, but just be cognizant of the other players....uhh....freakish tendencies.
I'll work you in soon; give me time to weave my web...
Melissa/Wellard
** spoiler omitted **
Well her good side is mainly being nice to small children and giving money to those in need..and the chaotic bent is her tendency to act before thinking things through completely as well as her problems with authority figures....she's your typical overconfident teenager with some nasty stuff in her past she doesnt want to discuss.She's also pretty much an agnostic...in a "What have the gods ever done for me" sort of way..which should make for some interesting byplay with Mordecai
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Wellard/Melissa
I'd like to bring you into the game now, thanks for waiting. My intention is to have you come in while the others are eating (right now), but before they're given a tour. That will allow you to join for the tour (and not make me have to repeat it), and to get a sense of the others.
Is that cool with you?
fine by me..will post a little later
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I was waiting for Bex, sure, but I was also slacking myself! This has been a hard and unforeseeable week of torment.
Sounds distinctly un-fun. Hopefully the torment is over!
Impeachment for the win!
Can we impeach everyone and start over as an anarcho-syndicist commune, with weekly meetings to vote on purely internal affairs?
Mmm, maybe not. I'd have to trade my car in for two empty halves of coconuts...
[Ugh. Politics. So glad our 24 month election season is over, so we can go back to news stories about crazy stuff that people in *other* countries are saying and doing and wearing... I was getting 'election rage' I think, since that was all anyone would talk about.]
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(but wherer'd you get the coconuts?)
Rob, have you given any though to the 'Pain Taster' prestige class from 'The Armageddon Echo'. It's something that seemed like a sure fit for Bexilarius, and I assumed you were familiar with it considering your name appears as a contributor in the book's credits!
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(but wherer'd you get the coconuts?)
Rob, have you given any though to the 'Pain Taster' prestige class from 'The Armageddon Echo'. It's something that seemed like a sure fit for Bexilarius, and I assumed you were familiar with it considering your name appears as a contributor in the book's credits!
HA! I was thinking about mentioning that to you. I just got PF15 in the mail, and looking at the drow article, my first thought was "That's a perfect class for Bex!" (I hadn't seen it before - my contribution was the maftet in the Bestiary). So yeah, I'll need to run the numbers and feats to see about it, but I'm definitely interested in it!
Oooh. Was just looking at that and contemplating the same thing for Angvar. Will keep my sticky NPC paws off it then.
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Sweet Pharasma, it's finally done. Of course I was enough of an idiot to have lost the first one that I did to the time-out post monster. Understand that I was disheartened enough to not jump into the thing again right away. Thanks for your patience.
I wanted to, again, thank you all for the quality posts and interactions. I think you are all doing a fantastic job, and I look forward to continuing on with you all, regardless of pace.