May not be around much today, son's 5th birthday.
Trevor - Caldazar has no problem taking the death sentence from you - there is a certain Abadarian priest that he thinks is worthy of receiving it.
Lets see if we can get stinky to go kill some drugged up nobles instead.
I think Trevor just squeed a little inside from your speech.
If you don't have a weapon, you can grab my silver morning star. If things go nuclear, we should back up and let it squeeze through the door so it doesn't go mixmaster on us.
@Alkenstar folks: You may begin screaming now.
A satisfying day overall been a while since ive had one. Pirates are going to get off the old stinky boat into a new stinky boat. Nobles get to attempt to turn a bearded devil otyugh thing into a weapon of class warfare, bloodless crits a thing, and the alkenstar game decides to spin off in an interesting new direction I frankly did not expect it to take.
Via La Revolution!
Sounds like you have your plate full of deviousness.
Perhaps more like a face-full of spiked tentacle.
Giving Aerieth until tonight. I honestly don't know what's going on with Pollux he's not nearly as prolific as he used to be but he's still posting now and again on other characters. Maybe t's a rather jarring experience to get into Pollux from Ryzern or Setebo two very very different characters than the yellow coated mad hobo.
In any case I just recevied a private message from someone I want to foward to the rebels group to get their opinion on. Since this most directly affects you.
Not long after finding the boards I started wondering what "play by post" was. As I started trying to learn how it worked I found the Rebels game and decided to start following it. Over the last year or so I've been a regular lurker in 2-3 games including Rebels, and try to read up on their progress at least once a week......which is how I noticed that they appear to be divineless again.
Now, what kind of 80s hair-band fan would I be if I wasn't ready to jump into an open seat if the opportunity arose to graduate from fan into the big leagues?
I know you haven't opened recruiting yet but I present to you Connell Rickard, cleric of Abadar. Not exactly optimized but my take on a support cleric without having the cajones to give up spontaneous cure casting and taking the Evangelist archetype.
.....The church of Abadar is not happy with the situation in Cheliax. Cities are meant to grow and thrive, to evolve in whatever direction the citizens and leaders freely choose. Sure, the cities like Westcrown are fine examples of city life, but the tyranny of Thrune has put a stranglehold on natural progress for the sake of infernal order. And the fact that inns and taverns cannot become prosperous businesses after dark? Well, that's just not civilized. Not quite ready to move in force yet, servants of Abadar have begun moving into the cities to see what if anything can be done on a small scale to make a difference....
Connell is 99% done (I'm still toying with the notion of taking a variant channel, that's the last decision I need to make). He was built with a 20pt buy and given 2nd level wealth since the group still seems a bit low. I already have the next few 1,000gp planned out so I can easily go up a step or two if needed. Also spent some of that level 2 wealth on scribing a few scrolls.
My apologies if this unsolicited submission is not welcome, but I've enjoyed reading the game so far and would certainly welcome the chance to join it. Thanks in advance for any consideration, and congrats on creating such a great game!
I leave it to you to determine whether or not you like the idea of a replacement.
Thats fine by me.
You know how I roll; if it isn't a special snowflake, isn't wealthier than we are, and the player is prepared to keep a good post rate I'm happy.
I wouldn't mind some quicker combat resolution though, just sayin.
Speaking of happy and resolved., tell me the BBEG just got wasted by Bloodless.
On a side note, I should have just gone fighter instead of Ranger with Bloodless - so he could go Order of the Gate Hellknight at 6.
Eh, you'd have to actually join the order in my game for that. It's entirely possible for bloodless so its not exactly difficult. It's a roleplay thing.
That being said yes you pretty much two shot the bbeg in this book.
On another note the more I read/watch things on early renaissance warfare the more and more I apply it to the rules of the game and come out wiht something that actually makes sense in golarion warfare. Magic is like a very powerful, very accurate but also very expensive to build and maintain artillery. Great for an empire like cheliax, impractical for others.
So tactics adjust, units break into smaller coordinated parts rather than large blocks of pikemen. Professional crossbowmen get slaughtered by their own employers because french nobles are soon to be dead idiots. I don't know my ideas are coalescing into something worth writing about. e Following the rules laid out and thinking about tactics with the weapons given I'm seeing something less like medieval warfare and more like the hundred years war. Anyway, quick ramble.
I'd need to rebuild him to be honest, he's not getting much mileage out of being a Ranger (favoured enemy hasn't come up since book 1) and terrain seems mixed enough to make it highly situational, he's just a light fighter and lacks the frontline crunch we probably need. Every fight is a knifes edge bloodbath as the hits just land to easily on him. Ranger 6 Hellkinght X is a pretty horrible combo so wouldn't do that.
On a re-do it would be straight fighter and then HK at 6, that said the party composition when we started was pretty different - and Bloodless went from idealist to 'bitter enough to learn to hate' :p
Well, I don't think it's necessary honestly. You have bejis, and your favored enemy will come up more often than you think. The AP just does a good job of providing a good swathe of enemies to fight. Besides You haven't finished the book yet.
Nor met the BBEG if I were to be completely honest.
Native outsiders - only the Tieflings (one combat) so far in two books.
Urban - not once since I got it.
Pretty bad ROI...!
I think the recommendations in the players primer were not the best :p
Outsiders-Evil is always a good choice since it covers a broad spectrum(if you are stabbing good outsiders, you are in the wrong AP.)
Humans
Yeah to be honest that was clearly the pick of the bunch, Outsiders covered Tieflings, so in Cheliax it seemed a good idea. Who knew after a small handful of them we'd not see them again. Stooged by the players primer I was :p
Outsider (evil) is definitely the pick of the bunch, followed by native and undead. Like I said I think bloodless is doing fine. If he wasn't there wouldn't be a mad tentacle monster lying dead at his crud covered feet.
That said, the next round he would have been dead, same with the Barbed Devil fight. He only has enough to last 1-2 rounds before he falls -in this fight he wouldn't have made round two,
That's not unexpected. Both fights were a higher cr than the group against a couple of melee hefty enemies.
Cohesion seems to be the groups biggest problem and it's not too surprising since it seems like their's a revolving door of characters ever since the start. Rokan, LeVash, Asmodia, Bingo, Calla, and those are just the ones that left after bloodless came in (I'm leaving out the two that dipped immediately I really resented that).
It's also a problem in most groups. I don't know in terms of combat and out of combat bloodless really is doing pretty well. If we compared his progress to our dead door walking Mr. Bernard from the other group you'll find that heavy armor isn't all it's cracked up to be when things straight up crit you or touch attack you to death.
For what it is worth Tal is based on defense more than damage and has been hit more than I figured he would be. Granted he has not been in combats that are good for him either. Shadows that do touch attacks were bad but with combat expertise they still missed 50% of the time.
Being a tower shield fighter I don't really come into my own till level 5. Next level I should be at a 28 AC without counting on magic armor or shield. It is hard to balance staying power with damage dealing. If you killed the bbeg in 2 rounds you are doing something right even if it was getting lucky with crits. It would probably take me 6-8 rounds but hopefully I have the staying power to last that long.
As for group cohesion, I think the nobles are ok as we have arcane, divine, tank and the wildcard Caldazar that fills multiple roles and is the face of the party. I would lose to have seen Caldazar roll a 20 on his last roll just to see what happens.
Well Caldazar hits with about the force of a wet noodle in combat unfortunately - with the loss of Meraxilar we're really just down to hiding behind Tal until he lucks out and smacks something round the head. Social and Knowledge is about the only thing Caldazar does half-well unfortunately.
That being said - if we had Merax instead of Trevor at the shadows... we'd all be dead.
Lvl 5 means I can lay down Magic Circle against Evil for extra protection, but that would mean Pollux would go around being very unhappy.
Anyway, assuming we all pull back behind the door for a buff session, I'll start doling stuff out.
If say Caldazar gets Leadership, he can perhaps get a AM BARBARIAN! tagging along.
It is hard to balance staying power with damage dealing. If you killed the bbeg in 2 rounds you are doing something right even if it was getting lucky with crits
LOL Bloodless is a rocket-tag firecracker, but given the razors edge it always comes down to I suspect his luck will soon run out as things get more serious :p
Bloodless needs a flanking buddy to help draw off aggro.(Yes I know this isn't WoW but it is appropriate.)
but that would mean Pollux would go around being very unhappy.
Well if we are talking 5th level then I get to turn into a bug and strangle people with my hair so I'll be happy in any case.
Tal: Do you want Fortune? Take the best of 2d20 once each round for as long as the monkey cackles but you can only get Fortuned 1/24 hours. Worth it now?
Otherwise Enlarge Person? I plan on cursing the thing to oblivion but fortune will help you in the devil mashing.
The puckish element in me says Fortune every single one of us and then just start maniacally cackling as we push you round the corner and start dogpiling in on it.
used it on you in the last fight so no fortune for you. But I can hit everyone else. I really need a wand of mount. Move actions are worth their weight in frog's toes to witches.
Abilities and items do no good unused in a devil-things gut.
Wonder if dropping rat swarms on it will help.
Up to you when you want to use it but Tl will definitely like it at some point. Dont know if it would be better to try and hex it to reduce its to hit bonus if it has that many attacks. Anything you do in this combat will be beneficial I just don't know which option is the best.
Rt swarms for auto damage and a secondary effect sounds great. If it should fail the distraction save it cant do anything but take a single move action. Sounds like we should lead with that. plus it might take some of the attqcks away from us if it goes after the swarm. Especially since the thing is large the swarm will cover only it and not target Tal or Caldazar.
Abilities and items do no good unused in a devil-things gut.
Wonder if dropping rat swarms on it will help.
I am assuming at least 5pt dr of at least the silver/cold iron variety. Swarms will do nothing. Pity.
I think Fortune all around, cept cal and embiggen on the tin man should help. Pollux may well need body guarding keeping hexes up costs the poor monkey's move action.
Good point on the dr of the creature not allowing the rat swarms to do any damage. The distraction effect should still apply though I think.
Good point on the dr of the creature not allowing the rat swarms to do any damage. The distraction effect should still apply though I think.
nope takes damage to activate and the DC is a mighty 12. Swarms are great for pinning down mooks and lovely for annoying casters but not so good vs the big and smelly here
Bloodless needs a flanking buddy to help draw off aggro.(Yes I know this isn't WoW but it is appropriate.)
Bejis is supposed to be the meat shield, but Bloodless was the obvious threat in that encounter.
As a note, I will be at CarnageCon this weekend, so my posting is likely to be light.
I too will be out pretty much all weekend. Should be back to posting Monday evening.
I've been having problems accessing paizo.com, I assume it's related to their sale from the notice on the top of some of the web pages.
Congrats TarkXT on getting in on the Dwarf game.
yay! I get to be not-king!
As long as the floor isn't lava you are all set.
I'm getting nobles updated now. I'll try to get whatever I can before I leave for work and the rest tonight before going to bed.
Pollux just saved the groups life btw. Rolled like four different crits on that guy.
Humph... Don't tell the monkey. It'll give it delusions of adequacy.
heh... I see he made you roll 12 times this round.
Thanks for the hexes. It still seems this is turning into something of school-yard slappy fight with everyone flailing and missing.
As long as it continues to flail and miss I am happy with that.
Perhaps ease up on the Combat Expertise for higher Bab? Trevor can try to flank instead of attacking.
Trevor can try to flank instead of attacking.
Flanking would just give it a lower AC target. Misfortune is powerful but all it takes as one run of good luck.....
I thought of the combat expertise but it is only a -1 penalty to hit for 2 AC. What I need is 5th level to remove the penalty for the tower shield. If we find a good weapon to use and Tal picks up weapon focus his to hit will increase by 4 next level.
I'm very sorry to do this, but I've decided to step out of the Alkenstar campaign. I'm very busy with school and the pacing of posts is making it hard for me to keep track of what's going on. I've also lost the sense of who my character is following the long break of a few weeks ago.
I hope everyone continues to have fun with the campaign.
Best wishes!