Or, you could have the second group tend to the wounded until the first group gets back...
Well that's entirely up to y'all, ain't it :-)
Every choice has a consequence...that's the beauty and pain of life!
Sorry about my posting delays, people. I work full-time during the week, and some days are more harrowing than others. I'll do my best to stay on top of this every night, but there may be one or two days every so often where I'm just too frazzled or I forget to check for new posts. Bear with me, people!
I think everyone her understand. I too have been having a busy week. Past two days I didnt make it home until 9 at night and i cant even look at a computer at work, there are none. So the best we can do is read the posts at the end of the day and make do. I share your plight
No worries - real life always takes priority over game life ;-)
I am trying to keep things moving, but will wait for the big decisions/rolls for as log as I can.
Thanks for the info!
My favorite TV show is 'Castle'...the female lead character had a tragedy in her past that shaped the no-nonsense cop that she became...and occasionally comes out of the dark to haunt her...
Need to watch Castle I guess. It looks good, but I just never get around to watching TV. I do have a tivo...
Tomid has now tried to look over the Lizardmen for useful weapons/armor and other items we might need on a foray into the swaps. I do not want this most recent attempt to go unnoticed.
Side note, what do you guys think of the little asides and interludes I've been slipping in with Keel's posts? I'm sort of going for a noir-ish slant, with the narration being half-provided by Keel himself and constantly tying events back to stuff he's seen or done in his past as a Watchman. Does that make sense? Sort of a Hardboiled Detective vibe.
Side note, what do you guys think of the little asides and interludes I've been slipping in with Keel's posts? I'm sort of going for a noir-ish slant, with the narration being half-provided by Keel himself and constantly tying events back to stuff he's seen or done in his past as a Watchman. Does that make sense? Sort of a Hardboiled Detective vibe.
I'm a fan, personally.
I dont feel strongly either for or against the Noir style, as long as it keeps being well written and character appropriate, id say go with it.
It is a decent writing on its own. Since you asked, my only advice would be a cautionary word about not letting your ventures into background detract from the fact that you are in the present and interacting with other players who are thirsty for your interaction. Especially when doing so repeatedly and often with shaky or unjust cause seems to put a kind of spotlight on you that diminishes everyone else's presence in the story.
I'm enjoying it. But as our characters are more fully defined and we get to know each other I would think there would be less of it. Not less role playing but less character background. So more in the present interaction with each other.
I am wondering about the Tomid-Brother Silas relationship; what they know about each other and if they like each other. Tomid makes it his business to know what is going on in the town and has some decent skills to do so but Silas has equivalent skills to prevent detection. My personal and biased thoughts are that short term Silas fools everyone, but over the long term some folks at least partially catch on. And over, what, 12 years in town(?), Tomid would know something is up with the good brother. And once he knew about anything he would be watching more closely. Of course he may not tell a sole even if he knew everything.
What do you think Silas? What is reasonable? I do not desire or intend to spoil any of your fun.
Yeah, I gave some thought to that already. I decided I was going to wait and see what you did, how you played it, and then roll with whatever you decided. But since you're asking me directly, I would say this: Silas is natural born liar, a charlatan, but there's just enough truth in his lies that although some might know he has some grave character flaws, he isn't an evil person. There are people whom Silas has blackmailed into doing things. Never admitting that's what he's doing, but it is nonetheless obvious to the victims...until later, maybe, when they start to think about it and wonder if that was his intent or if he's just that strong a personality (his charlatan trait kicking in, bluffs becoming more believable after the fact). Each "victim" of course has a motivation not to talk to others about it...except maybe Tomid. Which puts Tomid in a certain vantage point to see that apparently the good Brother Silas has had his way with a lot of the townfolk in one way or another, whether they realize it or not.
Especially when doing so repeatedly and often with shaky or unjust cause seems to put a kind of spotlight on you that diminishes everyone else's presence in the story.
Shaky or unjust cause? That feels a little bit insulting, tbh. What do you mean?
I wasn't saying you did that. It was an "in case you do so and it lacks justification". As I said, it was just good, cautionary advice. Something to think about so that you don't do that. Provided you agree with me, anyway.
Hmm. Maybe some type of uneasy alliance? Tomid is Neutral Good. Maybe in a strange way he acts as your moral compass, at least in regard to the things he knows about. Sort of keeps your blackmail in check with blackmail of his own. In short he has told you he is on to you with regard to a half dozen scams, but he is not gonna blow your cover as long as you don't take things too far. A sort of professional courtesy. You know he is checking up on you, and even though that offends you, you realize he checks up on pretty much everyone. And deep down you might appreciate a moral compass, even in halfling form.
And maybe we have worked together on a thing or two. You had a lock box you could not crack and Tomid helped and/or you paid for info on a guest at the inn a time or two? Lots of possibilities.
Works for me.
I wasn't saying you did that. It was an "in case you do so and it lacks justification". As I said, it was just good, cautionary advice. Something to think about so that you don't do that. Provided you agree with me, anyway.
Ohh, okay. Mis-interpreted you there. No worries.
Hope you all had a great weekend / (holiday if you're in the States!) How is the pace so far? Too fast? Too slow? Just right? Wish you had more time in between me posting the next tidbit? Can't keep up with it?
I don't want to overwhelm you but I also don't want to lose your interest, either.
Thanks!
Seems about right to me atm.
I'm doing fine with it, yep. Good pace, good balance of action and RP.
Personally I'm having a bit of a hard time keeping up with everything, but my life is really hectic these days.
I like it. Not losing interest
I'm enjoying it. I might even get to tell the story of how I bravely beat a lizardman to death with a hot poker.
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A bit rough to get rolled right into trauma territory. I can see what some people see now when they write in family members-- big angry red Xs on characters faces, target practice for the DM. Kind of sad that I'm pretty sure they're all dead or lost or dying. And then Silas is all like 'ayo girl' coming in like Will Ferrell's funeral crasher in the Wedding Crashers. Abby has a tough life. I don't know if she'll survive the upcoming adventure if things keep being just god-awful for her. It's also a bit soul crushing to have to roleplay it, especially since I made Abby out to be kind of cheery and Disney-Princess-esque and she's immediately targeted out with some deep hurting.
(I had to listen to The Host of the Seraphim on repeat to get into the mood to write out that discovery post. You listen to this for an hour and not feel soul crushed!!)
Feel free to DM teleport us at any time though if it keeps us moving. Like we've been hanging around the house for a long time and if you want us to move on and you think we've decided on a course of action feel free to just be like 'you move on' since you've done that before.
It's all good. I'm engaged. Just waiting for it not to be depressing.
The tragic aspect of it has been interesting for me to work with. Although Silas has connections within the community, they're not as deep as those who are from here. As such, I play him with a kind of disassociation from it all, in the way that makes his surface interaction appear to have reason and be sympathetic but in reality be a more conflicting series of motivations. And any genuine emotion I tend to couch in dialogue and narrative moreso than in the action.
Though I will say I was glad I had the opportunity to play a character who could be disassociated from the sudden bleakness to a certain extent. If I'd had to dredge up what Abigail had to dredge up and give it just as much verisimilitude, I'd have to really work at it.
I am fine with the pace. Like Abigail, I do not want to wallow in sadness and despair for too long. Was not thrilled to split the group and unsure about the feasibility of getting it back together.
Abi - as I was thinking about how to tie everyone in to go on this little joyride, yours was the only character without a clear reason for riding off to Cromm's. In the actual adventure, you're all supposed to be members of the local militia and on duty when the rider comes in...but that DIDN'T work at all with the ordinary heroes theme. So I had to find a way to get you in the party. And though it may have been tough on you to go through it, your role-plating and writing have been phenomenal and on the mark.
Oh, and for the rest of you, I'll be using your backstories and what we're learning about you now as plot starters for the other little adventures you'll have. Don't worry - they're not all this heavy. However, you have such intricate and juicy characters (Silas...) that I can think of several plot twists and hooks that will flow throughout.
My bad on the boni, DM. I was at work and was accidentally looking at the stats of another PC of mine. Will be more careful about that from now on!
OK - so...first I have never heard of being able to sneak on insects. The rules for Pathfinder say, "The rogue's attack deals extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target." Since the rogue's attacks were neither against a Dex denied insect nor flanking it, they don't the damage. Next round they might if flanking it :-)
FOr Tomid - my mistake on size modifier adding to your ranged attack - did not think size mattered for ranged weapons - you still hit though and I'll remember that for next time :-)
And Abi - only Brother Silas takes 0 dmage for 1 non-lethal...since no one else hit it.
Thanks for the questions!!
The condition of being 'flat-footed' (having not yet acted in a combat), conveys the situational penalty of being denied your dexterity, thus granting sneak attack damage, for most foes.
Exceptions would be those foes whose stat blocks specifically list them as immune to sneak attack-- such as swarms, constructs, and a few others.
Flat-footed would have described the party but not the centipede. It was, after all, attacking you from the start.
This is good dialogue, though, as I'm new to the Pathfinder rules - and the last time I seriously played D&D was before skills and feats :-) (shows you how old I am!!)
Doesnt matter, first round of combat, you are flatfooted untill you act. What you describe would be a surprise round, with the Centipede getting to take a free turn, then we would roll initiative, and it would have already acted, thus not being flatfooted. As it was, since everyone rolled initiative at the same time, there was no surprise round.
Hugo has it right. If you actually want the creature to not be flat footed when it meets us then it has to surprise us. And there is no automatic surprise in boxed text any more in Pathfinder. Its all about perception. We were ambushed in one game in a driving rainstorm. The DM imposed a -20 to the perception check and the ambushers were good at hiding. But our elven ranger had focused on Perception (racial, high wisdom, magic items, max skill points, skill focus. etc) and was +30. He spotted them and was not surprised. Of course the rest of us were.
Also, almost everything is sneak attackable in Pathfinder. This is a big change for rouges. Undead are sneak attackable now. Almost everything is.
I concede the points about flat footed and sneak attacks. Unfortunately, Doc and Silas would still have missed their attacks in round 1...
;p
I am a hot freaking mess.
Live and learn. Like you said, it's good discussion! :)
Silas is hot, hot, hot. :P
You might even say hes feelin hot hot hot
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Yeah - who knew the dice would be loaded to simulate your ordinariness? =) Maybe when you all go up a level it will revert to normal??
Has Group 2 arrived at the scene yet?
I will post the next step in about 12 hours...unless you note otherwise I will assume 2x party order is John & Hugo, Eve & Zinny, Doc & Tomid, Abigail & Silas.
Traveling and posting from my phone. Tomid wants to try to have further discussion with the "friendly" lizard men. Maybe use diplomacy to make them more friendly or even helpful. MayBe there is some assistance they can offer.? Equipment or even a guide?
Will try to post more IC later but he will first discuss the plan with others and maybe get Brother Silas on board to help/assist.
Thoughts?
I was going to do that, too, but they left, so I didn't bother. I took that as the DM closing the door on that opportunity. :)
Yup. Since the Lizardfolk abruptly left, there's nothing else really to do except press onward.
(Silas would prefer backwards...)