The Scales of Terendelev:
Cloudwalking: Three times per day as a standard action, a scale can be used to cast Levitate. A pillar of roiling clouds rises below the levitating object or creature, growing and shrinking with the target’s altitude. This pillar is 5 feet in diameter (regardless of the target’s size) and provides concealment (20% miss chance) to any creature or object wholly contained within.
Disguise: Three times per day as a standard action, a scale can be used to cast Alter Self. While disguised, the target gains a +4 bonus on all Bluff checks made against evil creatures.
Sacred Weaponry: Three times per day as a standard action, a scale can be used to cast Align Weapon, but only to make a weapon lawful or good. Unlike a normal align weapon spell, this effect can be cast on an unarmed strike or natural weapon.
Healing: Three times per day as a standard action, the scale can be used to cast Cure Light Wounds. The amount healed is equal to 1d8 +1 per level, no maximum.
In case you are wondering, the aura is off the charts at your level.
So today Bollwerk pm'd me a question regarding my take on the paladin code of honor. I asked if I could post my answer here so everyone would be clear on how I adjudicate that. My answer:
A paladins code is based on two things: the LG alignment and the code of the particular god he follows. I will take each one in turn, starting with the LG alignment.
Being LG is not a death sentence for fun as a character. It means you must follow the laws of a particular area you are in, and must respect a just authority. Those two items are not always in sync. Compare Cheliax to Mendev, for example. It is not unheard of that LE beings fight the demons of the Worldwound, just as paladins of Iomedae can exist in Cheliax. No one said life is easy....
All of this said, I do not use alignment as the sole determining factor in a paladin's behavior. More importantly to me is the code specific to his god. For example, Iomedae:
The paladins of Iomedae are just and strong. Their mission is to right wrongs and eliminate evil at its root. They are crusaders and live for the joy of righteous battle. They serve as examples to others, and their code demands they protect the weak and innocent by eliminating sources of oppression, rather than the symptoms. They may back down or withdraw from a fight if they are overmatched, but if their lives will buy time for others to escape, they must give them.
Their tenets include:
• I will learn the weight of my sword. Without my heart to guide it, it is worthless—my strength is not in my sword, but in my heart. If I lose my sword, I have lost a tool. If I betray my heart, I have died.
• I will have faith in the Inheritor. I will channel her strength through my body. I will shine in her legion, and I will not tarnish her glory through base actions.
• I am the first into battle, and the last to leave it.
• I will not be taken prisoner by my free will. I will not surrender those under my command.
• I will never abandon a companion, though I will honor sacrifice freely given.
• I will guard the honor of my fellows, both in thought and deed, and I will have faith in them.
• When in doubt, I may force my enemies to surrender, but I am responsible for their lives.
• I will never refuse a challenge from an equal. I will give honor to worthy enemies, and contempt to the rest.
• I will suffer death before dishonor.
• I will be temperate in my actions and moderate in my behavior. I will strive to emulate Iomedae's perfection.
Source: Faiths of Purity
There have been reams of posts about LG and paladins, and evil enemies who have surrendered, etc, etc. In my game, follow the code of your god, and you can't go far wrong.
Do the scales require a UMD check to use, or do they respond to our will?
They respond to you.
Excellent thank you for the information.
I do have the Faiths of purity myself, but I am of opinion better ask first.
I hope Horgus Gwerm is not terribly important, because everyone is pointedly not helping him. ;)
Plus, with a name like Horgus Gwerm, I doubt we are supposed to like him.
Bollwerk will do what he can.... Liking someone is not important for Courtesy! I do not want to give orders... but bollwerk was given a task by the elf and he tries to follow orders!
Take a big stick and hit me on the head if I go too far!
Once a weekday is fine, and I think that's a reasonable expectation for PbP. Weekends can sometimes be a little dicey though -- I often see GMs treat the weekend as one really long day.
But yeah, after a day and a bit, it should be fine to move things along. I'm certainly OK with you botting Lucille whenever you feel the need.
Ok. Take care of yourself. If you need some time, I can gmnpc Seren 'til you get back, let me know.
We waiting on the maggots to go, yes?
Have to review, but I believe I have everyone's intial actions, so yes. Will be up tonite.
Actually, waiting on Dieter's action. He threw a chakram to hit the spider, but still has to go in the first combat round with the maggots. Everyone else is in with their actions.
POSTING QUESTION
Several of my abilities are essentially immediate actions that interrupt the normal flow of PbP. Specifically, Opportune Parry and Riposte, and Dodge Panache, both of which are in response to an attack. Since I don't know whether or not I will be attacked, would it be alright if they were resolved as a 'mini-round,' similar to when we make attacks of opportunity?
Walk me through an example of how you see that working. Im sure we can make it work.
In other games I have played, attacks of opportunity are handled as an interrupt to the round and resolved before combat continues. It makes the actions of a PC or enemy conditional until the AoO is resolved.
Post 1
ROUND 3
Player 1 does this...
Player 2 does this...
Player 3 does this...
Player 4 does this...
Goblin 1 does this...
Goblin 2 does this...
Goblin 3 does this...
Goblin 4 moves up to the party wizard and attacks. Attack xx, Damage xx.
GM: The troglodyte passes through your threatened area while moving toward the wizard. Give me an attack of opportunity, barbarian.
===========
Post 2
Player: Attack of opportunity. Attack xx, Damage xx.
===========
Post 3
GM: He dies before reaching the wizard. Ignore the attack and damage from Goblin 4.
That is how I have usually seen attacks of opportunity resolved. Both of my powers rely on reacting to attacks, either by dodging an attack, or parrying an attack and potentially striking the attacker in response. I have never played a swashbuckler, but it seems that this might be the best way to handling it. Dieter ran up to the maggots and took total defense specifically for the purpose of provoking an attack so that he can parry and riposte, but I do not know if he is going to be attacked, so I have to wait to see their actions first.
When you take the Total Defense action, you no longer threaten, and therefore do not have the ability to make AoO's.
My swashbuckler abilities are like attacks of opportunity, in that they interrupt combat and require resolution before moving forward. They can be activated whenever I am attacked.
This sounds to me you must be able to make an AoO.
You can not expend a use of AoO if you are not able to AoO!
Opportune Parry and Riposte (Ex): At 1st level, when an opponent makes a melee attack against the swashbuckler, he can spend 1 panache point and can expend a use of an attack of opportunity to attempt to parry that attack. The swashbuckler makes an attack roll as if he were making an attack of opportunity. If his attack roll is greater than the roll of the attacking creature, the attack automatically misses. For each size category the attacking creature is larger than the swashbuckler, the swashbuckler takes a –2 penalty on his attack roll. The swashbuckler must declare the use of this ability after the creature’s attack is announced, but before that attack roll is made. Immediately after a swashbuckler performs a successful parry, as long as he has 1 panache point he can make an attack as an immediate action against the creature whose attack he blocked, provided that creature is within her reach.
Do not get me wrong, I wouldn´t mind if you can, but I read the ability and understood it quite diffrently.
I believe its purpose is to limited the number of OPaRs that I can make in a round. I read "expend a use of an attack of opportunity" to mean that, just as I can only make a number of AoOs in a round equal to my Dex modifier, I can only make a number of OPaRs in a round equal to my Dex modifier, regardless of the number of panache points I have (the ACG notes that grit feats apply to panache, so I could take Extra Grit (Panache) and have panache points exceeding my Dex modifier).
Granted, there are no other abilities that expend attacks of opportunity without actually using an attack of opportunity, so this may be clarified later. I imagine it is like if a class had an ability that allowed a dying character to stabilize automatically in exchange for burning a spell slot, even though a dying character cannot actually cast a spell.
Maybe ask in the rules forum. One the one side I imagine the total defense option like danny keye in the court jester, waving his sword hilariously so that there is no opening.
On the other side I can see a very well trained swordfighter waving a hard to breach net of steel.
I just "think" from the name total defense, you forfeit any option for attack. BUT.... I think the 2nd option does have a bit of merit.
In the end.... I do not want to make a ruling, I just want to play the advocatus diaboli, to give you a second perspective!
Granted, there are no other abilities that expend attacks of opportunity without actually using an attack of opportunity, so this may be clarified later. I imagine it is like if a class had an ability that allowed a dying character to stabilize automatically in exchange for burning a spell slot, even though a dying character cannot actually cast a spell.
The feat Bodyguard does. But it's even weirder because it triggers on an attack against an adjacent ally.
I'm been trying to think how I'd rule on this and I can see it both ways -- I think I'd want to examine the wording of Total Defense (which I can't do right now). I think this is definitely worthy of a Rules Forum question.
Post it up in the Rules forum. I read it as an AOO. The reason being that it is triggered by an attack on you, not on a "normal" AOO trigger. The use of the panache point gives that chance to get an OPaR (AOO) where others do not get one. Add in the fact that you've already negated an attack on yourself, and that's pretty darn good.
EDIT: I didn't help with the "right now" did I? Let's play it as a use of AOO for now. I will change if the Rules Forum says otherwise. Dieter, I believe you will be quite happy with it as it stands.
Ok, so a couple of things we can work out in these first few (and simple) combats.
1. I rolled Kazul's Fort save from the maggot vomit for the sake of expediency. I can go either way with this. If you are willing to wait for it, then a mid-round save can be left to the players. Let me know.
2. Dieter's move forward was changed by the maggots going first. I put him in a spot to be able to shift and flank this round. Seemed like the obvious thing when the "reality" of two combatants moving simultaneously forces a change of plans. In this case, advantage, Dieter. EDIT: Having read this, with Dieter's special abilities, we will have to work out when he may WANT an AOO against him to trigger one of his specials.
3. Lucille's shot is a good example of how I would craft her response towards intent. Firing at the maggot on Kazul when he is isolated seemed to make more sense than hitting the one attacked by two party members. Let me know.
4. Seraphyna's crossbow shot: If you don't specifically fire, don't mark it off your sheet. That was too good a story item to not use, so a bolt is not wasted, if you get my meaning.
In any case, we can work together to make these combats flow to our satisfaction. Now is the time, before we hit the tough stuff. (Might be a demon or two....)
I have no problem with you rolling saves. With Kazul +0 on both fort and will, I expect he will be failing a lot but that's how I built him so I am on full notice. :)
Please post a link to the question in the Rules Forum when it goes up. Or just in general, I can't find the forum for the life of me.
I have no problem with you rolling saves. With Kazul +0 on both fort and will, I expect he will be failing a lot but that's how I built him so I am on full notice. :)
And not all of the saves, just where waiting for one would slow it down.
Ok, so a couple of things we can work out in these first few (and simple) combats.
3. Lucille's shot is a good example of how I would craft her response towards intent. Firing at the maggot on Kazul when he is isolated seemed to make more sense than hitting the one attacked by two party members. Let me know.
In any case, we can work together to make these combats flow to our satisfaction. Now is the time, before we hit the tough stuff. (Might be a demon or two....)
That worked well, and your alteration made since and was perfectly in line with my intent. It's awfully hard to give enough contingencies when you move last.
I am of opinion that 7 people put a strain on the flow of the game, so I am all in for the GM doing the saves for us, or change actions if they are more logical. I also prefer commen sense and a cool story to micro management and giving a pc absolute control of his char. Example: Waiting hours for a unimportant choice. Questions of morality or life or death choices Should be done by the player.
Just my 2 cents.
Here is my post in the Rules Forum.
I think Sweet Lucille's logic on the Bodyguard feat is consistent with OPaR. With Bodyguard, you are incapable of making an AoO due to distance (barring a reach weapon), but you can still expend an AoO. So it would seem that unless I'm incapable of taking any action (paralyzed, unconscious, etc.), then eligibility to make an AoO would not affect my ability to expend a use.
I think the combat is going well enough, but there are a few things that might make it easier.
1: Definitely keep making all init/save/necessary skill checks for us. It speeds up things immensely.
2: It may be easier to use the NPC's turn as a good break/summation point, not the top of the round. It would prevent a lot of if/then statements if everyone knew where the mobs are. For example, in the latest combat, Kazul acts, then GM summarizes his and the maggots actions, then all the PCS go, including Kazul's second action, rinse/repeat.
We have an answer for the OPaR question: if you can't AOO, you can't OPaR, per the designer.
As I stated before, I will only make the rolls where stopping to get a roll would slow things down.
Let's try Seraph's suggestion for the next combat. I have to see how that works in practice, and because you all are in for this round (and they aren't gonna last) we'll go to it after the maggots.
Sure. Waiting on mine.
This is why I love Pathfinder. I can get a rules clarification straight from the proverbial horse's mouth within hours of asking.
True that.
Yikers... Was off at my FtF game, haven't checked since yesterday, and now I'm 21 posts behind.
Working on catching up now!
Well, one for two :)
"Be awesome". Lol, no pressure!
I will be out this weekend with limited access to post. If I can, I will. If not, I will be back Monday.
Regarding equipment.
Kazul:
10 days of rations, a flint and steel, a set of caltrops, two flasks of oil
Sweet Lucille:
12 arrows
Seraphyna (she is Small, and more likely to be able to reach other characters in a pinched melee):
a potion of cure light wounds, and a potion of lesser restoration.
Fine by me. Do I get the backpack too? If not, who?
Kazul should have it, since I doubt he could fit all of that equipment into his pants pockets.
I like to imagine that it is a Hello Kitty! backpack.
Sera can take the potions if you guys want.
Just holler if anyone needs arrows -- I've got some to spare, I'm just a bit paranoid about running out. This is my first gunlinger-type; I hadn't realized it came with its own ammo-tracking mini-game.
Kazul should have it, since I doubt he could fit all of that equipment into his pants pockets.
I like to imagine that it is a Hello Kitty! backpack.
Thought he was orcish, not elvish....
MIGHTY HALF-ORCS CAN LIKE KITTEH! WHY U MOCK KITTEH!
Jeez, want to give him dandelions to sniff too?