Phi'Shaw Off the Cuff

[Animaezing]

Not sure about this auto fail/success thing....

[Phi'Shaw DM]

Short Primer on Phi'Shaw:

Phi'Shaw is a Large country about the size of the continental US. The land is surrounded on two sides by insurmountable mountains, to the north and east, to the south and west lies an expansive ocean. The continental shelf blocks shipping to Phi'Shaw except through it's two natural ports, Kempo to the North West, and Kentar on the south splitting the country in two along the capital road that runs from Kentar to Phi'Shaw in the highlands of the country. There is an expansive wood known as the Elvish wood filled with Elves. It is believed that somewhere in this south eastern wood is a large Elven city. Most of the low lands to the north of the capital is a great desert with a nomadic band of haflings that travel it's dunes. To the far east the dwarves maintain a stronghold in the mountains. They engineered the great railroad that travels the ahold width of the country from the dwarves mines through Phi'Shaw and on to Kempo, making Kempo the main port city. South west of Phi'Shaw in the middle lands lies the magical city of Hilicana, the seat of both the Wizards Rule, and the High Choir. That's it for major land features and cities.

The Nine Deities:

Phi'Shaw The Fist of Justice, LG, most people worship Phi'Shaw. His churches are in every town and city. They hold services every seventh day and most people attend these services. Even if they worship a separate God at home this is generally combined with town hall meetings and the like.

Melodius the Serene Song, NG. Melodius is worshipped by any who enjoy music and laughter and hold the idea of happiness above all other concepts. Typical worshipers wear a necklace of song notes, known as a Hymnal, and are found humming as they work.

Kordant, The Sky Prince CG. Kordant is as free as a bird in the sky and his followers are those who shun overly rigid practices and enjoy the pursuit of finer things, like fishing. Often followers of Kordant are considered lazy, and anyone who is lazy is known as a Kordant Disciple.

Palandrone, the Bueruacrat, LN. Red tape is what holds PhiShaw together, that's what Palandrone's followers believe. Anyone who believes in rules for the sake of rules is welcome into Palandrone's arms. Most worshippers wear a red band on thier clothing either on an arm or a leg.

The Mother Goddess, N. The quintessential nature goddess. Farmers usually devote a section of thier fields for a shrine to the Mother Goddess. A pregnant woman is said to be blessed by the Mother Goddess. All the major cities have a large park for worshiping her, and those who worship her often entwine flowers or branches into thier hair.

Kaos Novem, Chancelor of Luck CN. Kaos is often invoked when the seemingly impossible becomes reality. Carrying a coin with two heads is said to ward off his random ways, while one with two tails invokes his attention. Few have the tolerance for uncertainty needed to actually worship Kaos Novem but those who do wear the double tails proudly, and many step widely them lest chaos surround them too.

Darlancy, The Crumbling Tower, LE. Darlancy brings destruction and decay, as the only true constant in the world are these things. His followers believe in taking advantage at any turn and counting on your enemies mistakes to capitalize on. Patience is the virtue most commonly associated with Darlancy.

The Pale Rider, NE. Death comes for all but those who wish to be the ones to bring death to others worship The Pale Rider. Many soldiers worship him and often are branded or tattooed with a skeletal horse.

Liliandren, the Agony Witch CE. Liliandren enjoys pain. Unlike Darlancy who reveals in the constant destruction of the world, or the Pale Rider's glory in death, Liliandren is all about the pain. While others can openly follow any God, no one openly invokes Liliandren. The vilest of criminals are said to be Liliandren's chosen, but even most of them are too cowardly to worship her. Those who truly do worship her carve flesh from thier own body each month to give a sacrifice of pain to the Agony Witch.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

Animaezing wrote:

Not sure about this auto fail/success thing....

Attack rolls and saving throws. Any roll where a 20 means automatic success and 1 means automatic failure.

Basically what I mean is if you're rolling multiple d20s for attacks or saves then you use the result of the first d20 to determine if the roll is a natural 20(auto success) or a natural 1(auto failure). The other d20(s) are only to determine what you add to that first d20 roll.

[Animaezing]

Okay, I just don't ever recall rolling multiple d20s for that so I was a bit confused.

So it's just normal - a 20 is success and a 1 is a failure.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

Animaezing wrote:

Okay, I just don't ever recall rolling multiple d20s for that so I was a bit confused.

So it's just normal - a 20 is success and a 1 is a failure.

Right but we are using variable modifiers from UA, which means anyone with a base modifier of 10 or more will be rolling more than 1 d20, to prevent confusion I was just establishing that when rolling multiple d20s because of a high base modifier the first twenty counts as your "natural" d20, the one that matters for crits and auto successes and failures.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

The Three Avatars:

Phi'Shaw is ruled by three immortal beings, the avatars of Phi'Shaw(Vendek), Kordant(Tark'Kadian), and The Mother Goddess(Arilyn). They have lives for at least two thousand year so the Elven scholars say. Mythology says that once the world was broken and these three took the worlds pain into themselves in order to heal the world and were rewarded with eternal life. Some myths say that they knowing risked destroying the world to gain power. Either way they seem to be good and fair rulers. They only get involved with most governmental issues when they cross a line.

Life in Phi'Shaw:

Life in the land of Phi'Shaw is pretty serene for the most part. The natural defenses of the mountains and continental shelf prevent wars with outside nations and the general contentment of it's citizens prevent rebellions, that and the immortal rulers. Orcs in Phi'Shaw are CN rather than evil, and other evil races such as goblins and kobolds are children's stories. Vendek sees to it that every city and town of modest size has a well trained and outfitted militia that serves as a policing force. Crime is uncommon but not unheard of. In most areas people can leave thier homes unlocked and travel on the roads between most towns is safe enough for women to travel alone. Banditry is fairly rare with the militia often having very little to do but see to these bandits, when bandit groups do spring up they are often short lived. There are a few thieves guilds and even an assassins guild though they have only a handful of members.

Kempo:

You have all been to the great trade city of Kempo. Nearly a full quarter of this metropolis is taken up by the docks. All the metal and gems mined by the dwarves in the eastern mountains travels though this port on it's way to the mysterious lands across the ocean, and even to other planes as the rumors go. Kempo is connected by railroad to Phi'Shaw, and them by road to the other major cities of Phi'Shaw. The spider web of roads leading out from Kempo all lead to various small farming communities, except the North Road, that leads to Fort Aeomunds an ancient fort inhabited by the nearly mad psion Aeomund.

Three Forks Divide:

Nestled about two days journey from Kempo and another three days to Fort Aemonds on the North Road, Three Forks Divide is a quiet farming village. Nothing much happens here except the occasional chicken thief. Carts of strange supplies pass trough on occasion headed for the Fort. Recently there has been an increase in muggings in the area that have lead to murders. Many townfolks, including the mayor, Destry, often frequent the Two Prongs Inn in the evenings. It is one such evening that the campaign starts with all PCs in said tavern.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

I think that's enough info dump for now, go ahead and ask if you got any questions.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

Let's see, major info to get through. The auto fail dice don't faze me, it's like my tabletop game where you roll the AC again to find out if the critical confirms or it's just a normal hit. Defense and powers will be static until I get confident about the system, while "taking 10/20" seems normal. I'm wondering if there are any special rules about untrained skills? Like a Knowledge: Local you have no ranks in (yet), or a Stealth you have no ranks in (yet).

Kempo is a northwest port? Is it ice-locked in the wintertime?

The dwarves have a railroad? Are we talking full technological coal use (1800s) or just a road with rails for carts to be pushed? Is coal available? What about gunpowder?

Fort Aeomunds - great, psionics is known, I'll have to see how it is treated by the common folk and the rulers.

Three Forks Divide - muggings and murder? Somebody needs to put a stop to that. I had Traveler sleeping in barns and the occasional lean-to along the road. Need to call out the militia, it's not safe anymore.

Any need to change my craft/backstory? Is a tinkerer still needed in this railroad world? It looks like the dwarves have all the mining and gemstones wrapped up in a monopoly in the eastern mountains.

I notice we have no bards among the party, nor females.

Edit: also forgot to ask, how are saving throws being done? 1D20 + number, or 1D20 + 1D(2x#)?

[Beestinger]

We do seem to be light on the magic side of things; that is neither good or bad, but it does mean adjustments in tactics will likely be needed if that is the final party makeup. As for the no females, I guess I really don't think much about the gender of the characters as being particularly important to balance. It definitely effects party interaction, but as one of many factors that effect party interactions, it doesn't strike me as the most important one. Bards are fun, and make good 5th or 6th characters, but are hardly required. My biggest concern currently is lack of knowledge skills, and a bard would definitely fill that requirement the easiest, but it could also be covered other ways. One thing that drives me nuts as a player is the party as a whole going forward blindly having no idea of what is going on or how to take at least some control of the situation, and having no means of figuring anything out.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

Ach, I've only got so many skill points to spread around at Level One! With my Intelligence score just give me a level and access to some books or whatnot, and I'll start filling out Knowledge: Local, Arcana, Geography, etc. I had to concentrate on the "trained only" skills like Acrobatics and Craft: Smith, and the "don't die by accident" skills like Swim and Ride (oooh, those bring back bad memories of 2E).

[Beestinger]

I know the feeling about having only so many to use; I like my skill points, and feel starved no matter how many I can manage to pull out of the air. It kills me a lot since I tend to prefer the structure of the divine classes better than the structure of the arcane classes, but focusing on wisdom rather than intelligence always hurts a bit.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

Same rules apply for untrained skills, if it can be used untrained you can take 10, 20, or max, otherwise you can't use it. Note that while knowledge skills can be used untrained you cannot exceed dc 15 checks untrained.

Kempo and the rest of Phi'Shaw does not see snow, except in the mountains.

Steam powered by magical fire, there is only the one railroad, As dwarves have no use for any others, Coal is available but hardly used as Phi'Shaw is a temperate land and only has mild winters. Gunpowder does exist, haflings primarily make and use it.

The militia is looking into it. In Three Forks Divide ther are only six members in the garrison, but they are doing thier best.

Your services as a tinker are greatly appreciated in the town. Only dwarves really have access to that level of engineering, and like thier mines they protect those secrets vehemently. Not quite a monopoly as metal and gemcraft does flow through the port of Kempo, and to a lesser extent Kentar.

Saves will follow the 1d20 +1d(2x#) format

[Slanter]

Phi'Shaw DM wrote:

Nestled about two days journey from Kempo and another three days to Fort Aemonds on the North Road, Three Forks Divide is a quiet farming village. Nothing much happens here except the occasional chicken thief. Carts of strange supplies pass trough on occasion headed for the Fort. Recently there has been an increase in muggings in the area that have lead to murders. Many townfolks, including the mayor, Destry, often frequent the Two Prongs Inn in the evenings. It is one such evening that the campaign starts with all PCs in said tavern.

Ok, the Trhee Forks Divide is a bit smaller that I thought it would be. I will make adjustments to my background to reflect.

[Gut Lighter]

Well my class is a half-arcane caster class based on INT, so I do have some access to knowledges and spells, but not as much as a full wizard. I certainly plan on increasing my spectrum in the future, so maybe I can handle that for the party.

[Slanter]

I will be intermingling in some magic as well, but my arcane gifts will be very intuitive and not overly studied.

[Thackery]

Hey, do we want to set up a time for these sessions so we can all coordinate? Any time is fine by me, pretty much.

Whoops, sorry, this is Gut Lighter, I used another account accidently.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

I am Eastern Daylight Savings Time in the USA (North Carolina), but lead a haphazard schedule including working a weekend or two. I prefer to post 0530-0730, 1130-1230, and after 6pm, but you could catch me on here anytime.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

I'm PST but due to working graves I post at random. Like right now I should be sleeping.

[Beestinger]

It's nice to know I'm not the only one with a random sleep schedule.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

IC Thread

Okay game is now live. Everyone go ahead and post what you're doing in Two Prongs Inn and we'll take it from there.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

I actually had in my mind's eye that Three Forks Divide was farther from Kempo. Let's see, two days from the port to Three Forks Divide, and a full five days from the port to Fort Aeomunds. Three days from Three Forks Divide to Fort Aeomunds. A traveling journeyman smith visiting every farm on the way to Three Forks would probably take several weeks getting there.

I'm just asking Phi'Shaw DM if Traveler would have gotten to Fort Aeomunds at all. I wasn't planning for it, and a Kempo-to-Kentar circuit would be totally out of the question. I hadn't even figured on Traveler meeting with the dwarven railroad (and hitching a ride, hobo-style) yet.

Consider Traveler setting out from the northwest port of Kempo after the spring floods are done and making it back just after the harvest season but before the bears and wolves start eating anything that can't run away fast enough for winter.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

I would say that you have if only to meet Aemond as he is the only psion you've heard of in this world. The actual amount of contact you've had with him and whether or not he knows you're a psion or an Elan for that matter is up to you.

I would also say that everyone has probably been to Fort Aemonds at least once, except maybe Slanter. Aemond does hold a harvest festival every year.

[Tempestorm]

I would say Slanter has spent nearly his entire life in Kempo. So, safe bet he has not been to the fort.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

Tempestorm wrote:

I would say Slanter has spent nearly his entire life in Kempo. So, safe bet he has not been to the fort.

That's pretty much what I was thinking.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

If you don't mind Phi'Shaw DM, I will play it such that Traveler has been to the Fort once or twice, mostly for that harvest festival before he heads back to the port city Kempo for the winter. But he hasn't seen Aemond face-to-face yet.....let's roleplay that. (Oh boy)

[Diskordant]

Andrezi the Traveler wrote:

If you don't mind Phi'Shaw DM, I will play it such that Traveler has been to the Fort once or twice, mostly for that harvest festival before he heads back to the port city Kempo for the winter. But he hasn't seen Aemond face-to-face yet.....let's roleplay that. (Oh boy)

Fine by me.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

Phi'Shaw DM, I'm going to need some more information about Fort Aemonds. Does it:
- look like a medieval fort or is more like an American Western fort (stone or wood walls)
- is it against a cliff or out in the open,
- I understand that there is a forest nearby,
- does the road lead straight to it or does it meander around it,
- is there a river nearby or what is the water source,
- does it have a moat/drawbridge

If we've been there before, it should be DC 15 for my untrained Knowledge:Arcana checks.

My "I have a plan" was to sabotage a few siege engines (by cutting rope, etc) then go for the water entrance or a back door to the fort.

If we're merely scouting, then cutting the ropes on a few siege engines still works, as long as we run away quick.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

Andrezi the Traveler wrote:

Phi'Shaw DM, I'm going to need some more information about Fort Aemonds. Does it:

- look like a medieval fort or is more like an American Western fort (stone or wood walls)
- is it against a cliff or out in the open,
- I understand that there is a forest nearby,
- does the road lead straight to it or does it meander around it,
- is there a river nearby or what is the water source,
- does it have a moat/drawbridge

If we've been there before, it should be DC 15 for my untrained Knowledge:Arcana checks.

My "I have a plan" was to sabotage a few siege engines (by cutting rope, etc) then go for the water entrance or a back door to the fort.

If we're merely scouting, then cutting the ropes on a few siege engines still works, as long as we run away quick.

Stone fort l, said to be ancient.

It's back side is on a cliff overlooking the ocean.
The trees from the mountains come down from the north and thin out to the east of the tower.
The road sweeps from the east straight into the tower's east face. I'll try to post a quick map tomorrow.
There is a moat, it's 50' down to the water at low tide making the fort to look like it sits on a lone rock at the edge of the continent. There is a permanent bridge with a portcullis at each end and one in the middle. The bridge is 40' long.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

You may note that npcs use a slightly different variable modifier than pcs. For reference they use 1d(2x-1) where x=static modifier. The variable modifier for pcs give them a 5% advantage over the long run, this gives npcs a 5% disadvantage.

[Tempestorm]

Question, we are using the variable modifiers for all d20 rolls to include initiative?

[Andrezi the Traveler]

Tempestorm wrote:

Question, we are using the variable modifiers for all d20 rolls to include initiative?

Inquiring minds want to know. Also,

Slanter wrote:

Initiative: 1d20+18

...the heck? How does a Level 1 character get a +18 to initiative? I mean, an 18 DEX with a +4 with Improved Initiative is less than half that.

[Tempestorm]

Andrezi the Traveler wrote:

Tempestorm wrote:

Question, we are using the variable modifiers for all d20 rolls to include initiative?

Inquiring minds want to know. Also,

Slanter wrote:

Initiative: 1d20+18

...the heck? How does a Level 1 character get a +18 to initiative? I mean, an 18 DEX with a +4 with Improved Initiative is less than half that.

Well, first my Dex is 20 not 18.

Initiative = 9 (+5 Dex, +2 Reactionairy, +2 Elven Reflexes)
Given the variable modifiers (if it does indeed apply to initiative) that is +1d18 at 1st level.

However, that being said your comment did make me think about something that I hadn't thought about. Both traits give a trait bonus and trait bonuses do not stack. Hence, I need to swap out one of my traits and lower my initiative by 2.

Phi'Shaw, I will change one of my traits and let you know... also, please feel free to lower my initiative roll to compensate.

[Tempestorm]

I swapped out reactionairy for resilient (+1 trait bonus to fortitude saves). If that is acceptable please let me know and sorry for the mix up. I should have known trait bonuses don't stack... just wasn't thinking when I selected them.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

Yes we are using variable mods for all d20 rolls, including initiative.

Don't worry I missed the trait bonus thing too, the swap for resilient is fine.

[Tempestorm]

Much to my chagrin I have found a second error with my character. It seems I was applying my weapon finesse to my Katana which, under the play test rules, is treated as a bastard sword. Thus, it is not allowed to be utilized with weapon finesse. Which I disagree with (I am of the mind that the elven curved blade is a better proxy for the katana than the bastard sword), but I digress.

At any rate, I have lowered my attack roll with the katana to a +2, down from a +6 (unless, of course, you agree that a katana should benefit from weapon finesse ;) )

[Phi'Shaw DM]

I will allow that. I definitely agree the katana should be finesseable.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

Hopefully my character profile is correct and passes muster, and my in-melee posting style doesn't make anyone think "wall o' text". The dice roller problem didn't help matters any, either. (Changing a 17 to an 11....it's like a dice being cocked after it rolled on the table!)

Now to find out if I have to do Bluff checks on my psionic attacks to make people think that they are spells.

Did that guy from the Gamer Connection thread ever show up, Phi'Shaw DM?

[Phi'Shaw DM]

No that guy never did.
I'll look into that dice roller is everyone else wants but I post primarily from my iPhone so if I can't get it to work from here then it'll be a no go.

[sunshadow21]

I've found that the dice roller seems to go wonky when you clump dice rolls together and then change anything in that clump. So for the game I run, I have had to do the attacks, than do another section for damage based on the attack rolls. So the dice roller works but each clump once rolled needs to be left alone or the whole thing will likely change.

[Tempestorm]

sunshadow21 wrote:

I've found that the dice roller seems to go wonky when you clump dice rolls together and then change anything in that clump. So for the game I run, I have had to do the attacks, than do another section for damage based on the attack rolls. So the dice roller works but each clump once rolled needs to be left alone or the whole thing will likely change.

I am fine with the boards dice roller. The only time I have noticed an issue is if I forget something and add a roll into the mix. I did that with initiative in the first post for combat. Forgot to roll it and when I added it in it took my first attack roll and rolled a new d20 for the attack. So, lesson learned... Pay attention and get everything right the first time. lol

[Andrezi the Traveler]

That may have been my problem, I rolled for the initiative, suppression and ranged touch attack, then went back to the top of the post for the Perception check. It was like all my rolls scrolled down to the next roll.

So, lesson learned - roll in order.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

Beestinger, you posted as sunshadow21. You can still change your picture/identity up to an hour after posting with "Edit".

[Andrezi the Traveler]

Anybody here speak Draconic? Because I just realized I have no idea how to speak Kobold. I thought I had the bases covered with Elven, Dwarven, and Infernal.

Guess this makes the interrogation easier. As in, no interrogations.

We are either going to have to get a really good visual picture of what's going on, or hope these things drop a scrap of parchment for us to find.

[Tempestorm]

Actualy, I never selected languages because I wasn't sure what the DM was using. I tend to pick heavily from the Galarion settings human dialects with my characters. That being said, draconic is not a language Slanter would likely have.

[Beestinger]

It's not one Beestinger would have been particularly concerned about either.

[Phi'Shaw DM]

There are no human dialects, the country you play in is small and well travelled, accents yes, dialects no.

[Gut Lighter]

I could help if they were earth elementals...

Yeah, but they're not Earth elementals, lol.

I guess we won't be talking to them. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't take one prisoner just in case.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

Just to let you know, I've got a working weekend coming up, where I won't be able to post from Friday the 1st at noon until Sunday the 3rd at 8pm when I get back home. Unless I get a hotel with Internet access, which is always a gamble.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

Ok, I'm back! Let's recap: the original kobolds are down, but here comes the Chinese horde over the hills. Eep! Let's get out of here.

And yes, I'm taking an unconscious kobold just in case. Chaotic Good, remember? Even if it fails its' Constitution check and dies, we'll have proof to show the soldiers coming from Kempo. If the kobold lives, then maybe somebody will know Draconic for us to interrogate it.

[Andrezi the Traveler]

Gut Lighter wrote:

((OOC: I assume Shield has run out?))

"D--- it!" I yell and run after Traveller.

Initiative:1d20+1d6

You're a little bloodthirsty there, Gut Lighter. Save some for the rest of us. If we live that long. ;-)