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I saw that post, but I still don't think I entirely understand what the stakes are at the moment: Placate the guard (or else what?) and find something (again, what?) hidden in the backroom?
Chelk's getting pretty lucky with his Diplomacy rolls, but if it's not enough, I have a few tricks that could potentially salvage the situation.
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My opinion is to go to the magistrate now and ask permission to investigate under the bridge.
Since the Count is not in this town and we are not aware of anyone who might be working with him, I don't see where we could possibly go to talk to him.
I may have missed something, though.
Outside of a Mass Invisibility spell, I don't see how we are going to sneak into the tunnels without getting spotted by the guard, and I don't think we want to wait for nightfall either.
Open to other plans.
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"2, but in the event of a run-off vote, 3."By my interpretation of that, Mercutio shifts his vote to '3'.
That gives us #1 with three votes and the majority.
Except that that actually wasn't what I meant by that at all - I should have used the term "preferential voting", perhaps. Wouldn't be fair to use my words against me in a manner I didn't mean them, would it?
Does anyone have an actual plan for sneaking into the pirate tunnels. Convince me, and I might change my vote.
Fair enough; we've got enough social manipulation and mystical mind-control potential in this party that we should be able to bluster and befuddle our way past the guards (especially if it's still just that one dodo we met at the bridge). In addition, "Remmy" is stealthy, if I'm not mistaken, Segray has her alternate form, and I know the vanish spell - as well as lock gaze for a different approach to stealth.
I could concoct a more detailed plan if I had more knowledge of the obstacles - but as far as I know, the obstacles are just a few half-hearted guards. Perhaps, if it's still just that one guard, I could lock his gaze, allowing everyone else to pass by, then vanish to follow you in.
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IIRC We will need to hang a rope from the side of the bridge and rappel down and I think we would be doing this in the middle of the day, as we really don't want to wait for the Earl to have another day to hide evidence.
Probably lots of foot traffic.
If we can get down without harming anyone, I can join in, but if the plan involves waiting until nightfall again why wouldn't we just get deputized and go right now?
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As I recall, Chelk (who'd know more than anyone else about Taldan society and politics anyways) had some particularly compelling and articulate reasons why we wouldn't want to voluntarily submit ourselves to the local chain of command. Mercutio would also bridle at the notion out of principle as much as anything else.
Last time we went there, we saw one guard and nobody else, and I think that was sometime during daylight hours.
As for needing to rappel down and such, do we even know that? Plenty of bridges have service doors and ramps and various other structural features that would enable people get under and around it without having to resort to ropes or whatever.
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The group walks over to St Lymirin Street to look upon the bridge in question once Kita arrives again with his mount. The bridge crosses the main canal into Ridonport, a weathered stone affair arching over the murky shipping lane. The waxing moon has only recently appeared in the sky, and occasional foot traffic of those hurrying home from late evening business still crosses the bridge.
That was early evening, after most businesses had closed down. It is now morning. There will be much more traffic now. While the occasional foot traffic of the other day left us alone, if we start rappelling down the bridge, they will be sure to make problems.
Near the end of two hours of quality work that has left Chelk, Remmy, and Kita sweating, Rasvelg shares what he knows. “There are some tunnels that crisscross Ridonport, used by smugglers in days past. Vernisant likes to say he drove crime out of Ridonport by sealing them up years ago, but I remember there’s one tunnel that opens up underneath the Saint Lymirin Street Bridge over the main canal. I’ve also been told that barges with no lamps lit stop under the bridge late at night.”
Yes, tunnels. Under a bridge. With high embankments that will require climbing, jumping, or swimming.
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To my knowledge, Chelk simply doesn't want to be known to be working against the Earl.
Fine, he doesn't have to go to the meeting with the magistrate. His name can be left off of the role of the deputized, but he can still join us at the bridge. I'm sure we can talk through that if a guard shows up to complain about an extra person.
Mercutio "bridles at the notion out of principle". Fine, I have no problem with that, but we aren't going to be conducting an obvious second story operation in the middle of daylight without alerting the entire guard. We also aren't going to put the entire town to sleep.
If it was really just one guard, I could see the plan working, but the citizens are sure to contact other guards, even if we incapacitate or otherwise get by that one guard.
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In addition, "Remmy" is stealthy, if I'm not mistaken, Segray has her alternate form, and I know the vanish spell - as well as lock gaze for a different approach to stealth.
I could concoct a more detailed plan if I had more knowledge of the obstacles - but as far as I know, the obstacles are just a few half-hearted guards. Perhaps, if it's still just that one guard, I could lock his gaze, allowing everyone else to pass by, then vanish to follow you in.
Segray has two tails, thus can use Disguise Self twice a day. She could try to take an approach as the some figure of authority. However that would mean also compromise said person at the same time.
I still think getting deputized is the first thing we should do.
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To my knowledge, Chelk simply doesn't want to be known to be working against the Earl.
Fine, he doesn't have to go to the meeting with the magistrate. His name can be left off of the role of the deputized, but he can still join us at the bridge. I'm sure we can talk through that if a guard shows up to complain about an extra person.
Chelk? What do you think?
Mercutio "bridles at the notion out of principle". Fine, I have no problem with that, but we aren't going to be conducting an obvious second story operation in the middle of daylight without alerting the entire guard. We also aren't going to put the entire town to sleep.
If it was really just one guard, I could see the plan working, but the citizens are sure to contact other guards, even if we incapacitate or otherwise get by that one guard.
Those are the questions, alright: Would we need to contend with just a few people, or an indefinite number? Would we need to "second-story operation" our way down, or is there some other way to access the underside of the bridge? If I'm wrong, then that is different. Can we just visit the place beforehand to check? How much time would that take?
Near the end of two hours of quality work that has left Chelk, Remmy, and Kita sweating, Rasvelg shares what he knows. “There are some tunnels that crisscross Ridonport, used by smugglers in days past. Vernisant likes to say he drove crime out of Ridonport by sealing them up years ago, but I remember there’s one tunnel that opens up underneath the Saint Lymirin Street Bridge over the main canal. I’ve also been told that barges with no lamps lit stop under the bridge late at night.”
WAIT. What if it's all a moot point, and we'd HAVE TO wait for nightfall for anything to happen, deputized or not? I understand wanting to minimize the Earl's time window for covering his ass, but it sounds like we may have no choice.
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I think the Earl is currently whipping his nightwatchman, and has a fairly good idea that we're onto him. If we're going to tie him to the smugglers, we need some good evidence. Seems a bit late to worry about getting involved now.
I say we get deputized, and go back to the bridge after dark. If there are smugglers using the canals/tunnels then they won't be unloading in daylight. Did the shipwright guy say anything useful? Can someone suitable (Remmy?) spend the day asking around about where a good place to encounter the smugglers might be?
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Per the Occult Adventures guide:
Thought Components: Thought components represent mental constructs necessary for the spell's function, such as picturing a wolf in vivid detail—down to the saliva dripping from its jaws—in order to cast beast shape to transform into a wolf. Thought components are so mentally demanding that they make interruptions and distractions extremely challenging. The DC for any concentration check for a spell with a thought component increases by 10. A psychic spellcaster casting a spell with a thought component can take a move action before beginning to cast the spell to center herself; she can then use the normal DC instead of the increased DC.
The psychic version of the sleep spell requires a thought component. Are you going to use the move action, Uzziah, to not take the +10 penalty to the Concentration check?