Choie,
There may be a slight misunderstanding.
Gabe took 8hp of damage, then cast a Cure healing 5hp.
So when the DM says Gabe cured himself, it means he cast the spell once.
Gabe may have regained 1hp overnight (I don't know the rules on that), but I'm sure he is still injured.
Although Tom is delighted how well the party have done in following the trail of booted feet (and being wary of an ambush), his imagination does come up with some wild stuff.
'Suppose' he thinks to himself 'that a massive dragon has got magical boots which lay a false trail for unwary victims to follow.'
He shivers ... and decides that's all nonsense!
It is the Troll on short stilts pretending to be goblins and goblin on tall stilts pretending to be troll you need to watch out for as a tracker. Thankfully the trolls walking in goblin boots sink much deeper than any goblin ever could and goblin are far more shallow than any troll would be.Quote:
Originally posted by glee
Oh great - now Tom will have nightmares! :woowoo:Quote:
Originally posted by What Exit?
And watch out for those vermicious knids...!
If it's a Jabberwock, perhaps we will discover a Vorpal Sword!
(That weapon would be needed as well if there is a Bandersnatch about....)
Tom is incredibly tense as his fellow hobbit scouts ahead.
Eli's bravery is to be admired - possibly saving the party from a disastrous ambush.
On these occasions, Tom's imagination runs away from him. He visualises stupidly shouting "Hey, Eli! Have you seen anybody yet?" ... and instead quietly puts his hand over his mouth.
"Jeez, gimme a minute, would ya?" Eli, reading Tom's mind, shouts back as loud as he can. "I'm trying be all stealthy-like, y'know...."
:DQuote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
On a more serious note: provided Eli makes it back safely, Tom will try to find out what Eli overheard.
Tom only knows Common, Elven and Shiretalk, but hopefully another party member can speak another language (with Orc being the firm favourite.)
Okay now I'm confused (as opposed to all the other times I'm confused). Why are we posting in-character stuff in this thread? Well, glee more than EH, who I know was joking. :) Are we supposed to separate our PCs' actions (game thread) vs. thoughts and feelings (here)? Sorry, it's just that as a noob I have to admit I find it hard to follow.
Choie,
Sorry if I'm confusing you!
The 'Dragon Boots', 'Jabberwock' and 'Hey Eli' posts were all basically jokey - but also gave insights into Tom's character.
Finding out what Eli heard was conditional on our Scout making it back safely.
So if Eli had been discovered and attacked, it would have jarred for Tom to be calmly asking Eli questions.
Therefore I left it to our DM to pick up on Tom's intended action and post in the main thread e.g. 'as Eli returns safely, Tom asks the party to speak any languages they know to see if Eli recognises them...'
Don't worry, it takes very little to confuse me! :) Thanks.
To add to the earlier reply, I seem to recall the odd bit of in-character byplay in the "about" threads when Jim's excellent campaign was running. Talk was in character, but the situations weren't necessarily reflecting what went on in the game, and it was strictly for amusement :)
I recall a conversation about pipeweed that spilled from the game thread to the support thread in character and then went into a nice detail lesson about tobacco storage in the days of sail.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I realized what is missing for this game. We need a character summary. If you make one up I can insert it into the first post of the Game Thread or this thread for you. I am completely failing at keeping track of who is who and what the characters are.
You can find one here.
Perfect, Thanks.
I believe that discussion starts at post 1193 here: https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-...63/439276/1193Quote:
Originally posted by What Exit?
Hey folks, I have to admit that life has gotten the better of me and I don't see having the time or focus to play in the near future. I'm moving, starting a new job, and my wife is expecting next month, so I don't think I'll have the focus to post here as regularly as this game deserves. Perhaps the best thing would be to put Arewe on NPC for now and shift her off to other, "off-camera" adventures in Dale and perhaps if my life stabilizes, I'll be able to pop back in.
I wish you all well!
Aw, sorry to hear that, Appleciders! Hope you'll be able to return before too long. All the best to you and your wife; parenthood is quite an adventure in its own right.
Appleciders,
thanks for playing and for courteously stepping down for now. Do feel free to return when it suits you.
All the best to you and your wife.
Congrats on expecting and holy cow, new baby soon with new job and a move. Holy cow.Quote:
Originally posted by Appleciders
It never ceases to amaze me what trivial excuses people will come up with to avoid remaining committed to an online game.
:D :D :D :D
Enjoy the move, the job, the baby... our youngest turns 18 in just over two months and it feels like it's been an eyeblink. You're going to be exhausted but it will be worth it a thousand time over. Concentrate on the important stuff, I will keep Arewe with the group for now until it makes sense in context for her to step aside (or your life may stabilize first).
Many thanks for letting us know, and switching authors here, Urendi Maleldil.
To the rest of you, it's nearly work time for me now and I'll be back in maybe twelve hours with an update to the game thread.
I'm sorry to see you leave, temporarily or otherwise, Appleciders, but I certainly can't be sorry about the reason! Best of luck to you and your wife, during a tumultuous but hopefully joyful time for your family.
Some game mechanics from what just happened: Eli's Stealth roll was the only one low enough for the ambushers' Perception to beat, so had the bowman in the bushes lasted long enough to act, only Eli could have been targeted. In contrast to some earlier editions of the game system, a sleep spell does not automatically succeed but is resisted by a Will saving throw. These two did badly. :) The spell's area of effect, though big enough to encompass both the known target and another one nearby, could not span the gully to affect the enemies on the far side.
An attack roll that comes up natural 20 (for some weapons, even 19 or 18) carries the possibility of a critical hit, which is what happened with the orc that attacked Bruno. Fortunately for Bruno, even rolling twice for damage for a low-grade orc does not amount to a disabling hit. Were Bruno to roll a successful critical, however, matters would be very different as he would be rolling a much bigger die, and adding a respectable STR bonus (and, by then, the effect of the inspire courage), three times (an unusual property of the greataxe). In fact, three 20s came up in total, the orc's, Eli's sling shot, and Bruno's axe; but in all cases the attacker must reroll their attack to see if an actual critical does result, and only the orc actually managed it.
Meanwhile, Arewe had the ill-fortune to roll a 1 (followed by a reroll that did miss the orc) and hence achieved the opposite effect; here, an inconvenience that would have cost her next round's action by whatever flavour text made sense in story terms.
The sleepers were automatically immobilised by any enemy able to move close enough with the materials in hand to do the necessary, or could have been subjected to a coup de grace - a free automatic max-damage critical hit. But given the declared intent to take prisoners, that's what Eli and Gade did.
As always, the combat was most exciting. :)
Just two minor comments:
- we only wanted one prisoner, so perhaps we could have slain one more opponent in combat?
- Rowena, you do seem to have a Sleep spell to cast!
^Yes that's good to know! I love how bloodthirsty you are, despite playing a humble Hobbit. "Damn, we only needed one orc alive, why the hell didn't we slaughter the other one?!!"
OMG, What Exit?, is he making a pun about a battering ram? That's hilarious (and delightfully unexpected) if so. Or is there actually some spell or whatever that uses a literal male sheep to open doors? A quick google didn't reveal anything but I might not've looked very well.Quote:
Originally posted by What Exit?
(If it's a pun, Rowena must react to that, because it's awesome.)
A bit of a pun and I was going to babble about an Oracle Ram but then decided the door opening fit better.
Tom isn't as bloodthirsty as it might seem. Attacking the Orcs waiting in ambush was self-preservation.Quote:
Originally posted by choie
But Tom also foresaw the party's dilemma over any captives.
Do we take them back to the farming community for a trial? (Losing time on the trail of the others...)
Do we disarm and release them?
Do we execute them?
I enjoyed reading about the battle but would humbly suggest, in future and if possible, that combat be broken down a bit more into phases, with players being given the chance to say what their characters wish to do next, rather than largely being spectators from first blow to last. Just my two cents' worth. Thanks!
Ooh yes, that would be so helpful! The action was so well written, as all the narrative is of course, and enjoyable to read! Still I'd be curious to see how I might have chosen Rowena's actions once she saw that the "Lullaby" hadn't worked. I suppose "sleep" would've been what I chose anyway, so that might be okay to assume that's what I'd do.
But skipping forward a bit, I wonder if I'd've thought to have her sing the "courage" song... or she might've made a loyal but poor judgment to scrabble around with her bow and arrow, which, given her rudimentary skills and never having killed anyone before, might have resulted in an orc chewing her arm off.
...I mean, yeah, that wouldn't have been a terrific result for the girl, but it'd be useful experience in cause/effect and consequences in general. (Both for me as a newbie player and for Ro as a brand new adventurer.)
Is there a way to stop at certain breaks in the action where each (or at least some) of us has a choice to make? I know it's a possible pacing issue, esp. since some of us are super busy and are fairly slow to post. It must be a drag to have to pause like that. But you could have some known deadline by which we'd need to post any further actions, and woe be unto he (or she) who fails to react in time. :)
Choie gives the reason why I much prefer the DM to run the combat using the party's plan.
Sometimes it takes a week for everyone to reply.
So if there are a couple of decisions to make in a combat ... it would take 3 weeks to adjudicate!
P.S. I don't want to penalise those of us who lead busy lives...
I remember some of those 3 week combats, they weren't very fun. It is a tough mix.
I think I usually had the initial clash, wait for player feedback and then conclusion of battle, but I might be remember incorrectly.
Indeed. This whole thing ran only two rounds, so I needed some basic intent from all the players and then run according to that. If I'd hit something that looked like it needed fresh input, I'd have given it, but to me it made perfect sense that if fresh attackers appeared on the far side of the gully then they would be shot at or meleed by the trio in the gully, while those on the far side would lend what help they could.
At the moment Rowena cannot begin Inspire Courage at the same time as loosing an arrow, but she could maintain it if she had begun it already. I added the flavour text of preparing to shoot as soon as she was ready, although in game terms loading ammunition into a bow (not sling or crossbow) takes zero time. As far as I knew Rowena meant to follow the lullaby with a sleep anyway, and it made sense that she should cut straight to the chase once it was plain that the ambushers knew something was up. (Their Perception check wasn't that great, but Eli's Stealth check was very bad by his standards. Equally, nothing stop a bard either Performing or spellcasting with a weapon in hand, and I assumed it would be the bow as the sword is probably a last resort when there are others about who might be happier in hand-to-hand.
When you start getting into longer fights, and especially when you have more options, I will certainly ask for more input. :)
Oh that's logical. I'm used to a different style of immersive role-playing (for what little experience I have in RPGs) but of course what's most fun and viable for you and the majority of the players should rule the day. :) I'm sure I'll adjust and enjoy this format as things go on!
Meanwhile, sorry for the wall of words with Rowena's posts. I should warn y'all that in lieu of conversation/interaction among the PCs, my girl's gonna have a lot of internal monologues to satisfy my character development fetish. EH and anyone from the STRPG can back me up on how I roll.
(Ha, dice pun not intended but appropriate nonetheless!)
...But if interaction/dialogue isn't what others are into, that's cool and I'll just putter around with Rowena's POV. She can always annoy any NPC that might talk to her. :D
Tom likes Rowena's thoughtful posts (and so do I!)
Thanks, glee. :) I'm not so sure about Tom, though! If he wants to check with Rowena to ask about her ability to cast another Sleep performance before they kill the orcs, he'll need to follow her to wherever the nearest puddle or stream is.
She'll certainly have something to say about his request, that's for sure. :devil:
Choie,
Apologies - I've muddled up my knowledge with what Tom knows. So Tom should stop referring to any 'spells' you cast as he does not know your abilities.
(Also I did note Rowena was going to clean her shawl - if she moves out of sight, Tom would be slightly concerned and follow her to make sure she is OK.)
No problem, glee, I'm kind of unsure myself what we're supposed to know or assume happens without input vs. what we have to wait for, re: character choices.
Heck, as far as I was concerned, Rowena was still looking for a puddle/water source, because I didn't want to assume anything without Malacandra's telling me that she was successful or not. (What if she'd run into a stray orc? Or found the ram, drinking placidly unharmed after all this agita?) And I don't know whether Tom actually spoke to Rowena or if he just "checked," which to me sounds like he peeked at her and left. And finally also, I didn't show her returning, because I hadn't gotten confirmation of the first two points. I gave up and just had her appear now, because obviously we were moving forward, but it feels like I skipped a lot.
Basically--and this Q is just for Malacandra--do you prefer us to just do as we like and assume we'll be successful except for in battles? Normally (well, in my other RPG) I generally wait for the GM (or other player) to respond to my actions or dialogue, especially when our characters are in new and unknown surroundings and there could be some dangers or obstacles that my PC might come across.
Like, I'll write something like, "Nia opens up a hatch, hoping to find the air breathable before venturing outside" and will wait for our GM to confirm that "The atmosphere is similar to that on the shuttle and she ventures out on the rocky planet" (or "Nia chokes the instant her lungs discover toxic gasses make up the atmosphere," whatever the case). Or even in less dangerous circumstances I'll still defer in certain circumstances, e.g., "Nia gets up from her station at the Helm and, unless the Captain has further orders, leaves the Bridge." I'd be waiting for the GM to respond with something like "Captain Singh just nods and lets Nia continue on her way" before assuming my character can continue. Basically when I write something like "If she's successful..." or "Assuming she finds ____,," it means I'm waiting for the GM to confirm or block the action.
Is that too granular for your preferred GM style, Malacandra? It's great either way, I just wanna get up to speed. :)
No problem, choie -- if all you want to do is have Ro wash her shawl and write some internal monologue about how she is processing current events then that can be taken as read, and you can rejoin when ready. On the other hand if she was testing the strength of a rope bridge before crossing then you'd need to wait for a reply.
And, as you say, had something of moment occurred when Ro wandered off, you would find out quite soon :)
Ah thanks, good sir. That's very helpful to know!
I'd like to keep track of the treasure we've found. So far I think we have:
- two Potions of Healing (I assume d8, correct?) ... one bought; the other recovered from the Snaga
- one unidentified Potion (= Snaga-2)
Have I missed anything?
P.S. For the party's benefit, Tom can cast Detect Magic and also use Spellcraft to eventually Identify basic items.
I don't remember anyone finding the 50 gold for the potion Briagha offered for sale - did I miss something?
Pathfinder CLW is d8 + caster level, but the level add caps at +5. Potions and wands are almost always made at caster level 1 as making them any higher costs a multiplier equal to the required level, for only a flat increase.
We had two offers to pay (perhaps we could get refunds from the rest of the party for Eli and Tom?!):
(Briagha) A day's worth of cram for the whole party will cost 1 gp in game terms, though actual gold is rarely seen hereabouts and most in-game references will actually stand for an appropriately-sized silver coin. You don't need to pay too much attention to this. The keg of ale she is offering holds a full gallon and is priced at 2 gp. The meat is free, but would benefit from being cooked and eaten within a day or two. Also Briagha is able to offer a small crystal flask containing a healing elixir that she took in trade "a while back", but she says it is worth 50 gp
(Eli) Eli will dig into his bag and pay his fair share for the provisions.
(Tom) Like Eli, he is happy to pay his share.
Sorry, by "provisions" I understood food and drink - did you two have the fifty between you?
Tom has 45 gold - though he's still hoping the other party members will chip in their share!
Bruno is a poor rural man, only 8gp to his name.
Pay what you can afford - also you're a front-rank Fighter who needs the healing potion more than most!Quote:
Originally posted by What Exit?
I don't mind assuming that a whip-round was organised. You needed about a gold apiece to have basic grub for the possible few days this job could take, or else you're living off the Survival skills of the party members that have it and generally taking longer into the bargain. The joys of being low level; very, very soon mere basic necessities will be unimportant trivia. Still, that feast back at the Dragonfall is starting to feel like a long time ago.
(Arewe is flat broke, in no mood to complain "blimey, roast mutton again!" at the evening stop-over, and in no condition to chip in for any healing potions. This bow she is toting is definitely her "pearl of great price")
Anyway, figure out who chipped in what, reduce your account accordingly, and we'll call it good.
Interesting! Never heard the phrase "whip-round" before. On this side of the pond, we might say "let's pass the hat" (in which to collect loose change for some good purpose): https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/whip-round.html
Please do make an offer, everyone.
It's fine that Arewe has invested in a bow and that Bruno can only spare (say) 4 gold.
A Potion of Healing can save your life :cool: (and also if we have a couple of them, our Druid can go back to loading an Entangle if he likes.)
Well yeah but it's too late now. Tom and Eli are the only ones who offered at the time, and that was back at the farm. We'd have to traipse there again, or as the GM, says, if you assume that you guys already bought the potion, maybe they can ask the others in the party to pay for our share.
Rowena had 44gp at the start of the game, so she could chip in something. I'm a little surprised she has that much; characterwise I'm not sure she'd be sticking around if she didn't need the cash. But maybe she's a bit money-hungry since she doesn't want to rely on her absent mentor anymore.
4gp is fine. It has taken my whole life to save up such a large fund, but so be it.
Well, of course, cash is one motivation for adventuring, but you already hinted at another earlier: a group of companions to work with for a while to let Rowena come to terms with these strange talents that she has, and is still far from comfortable with; and trying to find her place in life and where she belongs. Besides, 44gp would let you live well for weeks even in a place like Dale, but it's not retirement funds by any means... and of course once you get used to a gold-piece lifestyle it's difficult to go back to a penny a day :)Quote:
Originally posted by choie
So far we would have had enough to buy both the Potion and the food:
Tom willing, has 45g
Bruno willing offers 4g
Rowena willing, has 44g
Eli willing
Arewe willing but no gold left
Gabe ?
Tom remembers the stories that other hobbits on adventures have found:
- magic ring
- magic swords
- chest of treasure
- huge gems
So we just need to sort out the exact gold shares for this Potion.
Already we are in profit! We have another Potion of Healing, plus a further unidentified Potion. And that was the treasure from two weedy Snaga Orcs!
The first part is what we were thinking, but I dunno if that's as workable as I'd thought it might be, now that I see the format of the game and have a feel for the rest of the gang's gameplay preferences. The more straightforward money issue seems better suited at least for now. So yep I can just work with the 'not retirement funds' idea!Quote:
Originally posted by Malacandra
Anyway, so glee, maybe you could have Tom ask for some compensation for the money he and Eli already laid out for the potion?
Choie,
I appreciate the support, but it's going to be a clumsy post at best in the roleplaying thread e.g.
Tom says "Remind me everyone, who paid what for the Potion and food?"
At this point, all the party know is that Bruno kindly offered 4gp - so how can anyone else say what they paid to make up the 53gp?
It would be much easier if Tom knew who was willing and how much gold they had!
He would then balance things out (i.e. those with more gold pay a bit more), get party agreement (within this thread) and finally post in the roleplaying thread...
Oh, I was just thinking that back at the farm, since Eli and Tom were the only ones to offer money for the provisions at the time, this obviously means that they were indeed the only ones to offer money for the provisions. No backsies, we can't rewind the clock and pretend the rest of us paid when we didn't say so at the time, right? We snooze, we lose. Just makes Tom and Eli look better!
Seems perfectly normal for Tom, or Eli perhaps, to say in-thread something like... I dunno... "Seeing this potion reminded me... look at all the cool stuff we have now, but my purse is getting empty. We'll need more potions and food soon. Maybe the rest of us can pitch in, as possible? Pitch in now or pool funds, perhaps."
It's probably my being such a noob, not to mention a reader who's embarrassingly literal, but to me it feels more immersive and, like, role-playingy, to have characters just talk to one another like people do, in real-time, rather than splitting it off. We do so little chatting amongst ourselves. This is a perfectly natural topic for a group of travelers to have with one another, no?
I mean whatever the rest of you prefer is what should work, I'm really just an intern, or maybe class auditor is a better metaphor. :) Just trying to wrap my mind around how this type of game works, it's really eluding my grasp and incredibly I'm feeling even dumber the more I play, which is frustratingly counter-intuitive!
So if y'all agree it's kosher to just handwave that yeah we actually all discussed this at some point but didn't bother writing it, then okay, put Rowena down for like 5gp, I guess? Whatever's average.
Choie,
I share your preference for things to be resolved in the game thread and to have good conversation there.
Unfortunately it's clear that there is a big difference in how much free time players have. :(
Personally I'm retired and look at these threads a couple of times daily. I also try to put in a fair amount of detail and promptly answer topics raised by others (including the DM.)
Some folk post less often and don't necessarily reply to an implied suggestion (e.g. shall we bury the Snaga bodies?)
I hasten to add that this is NOT a criticism.
Seriously, we are facing a deadly virus and people are facing huge difficulties over work, holidays, debt etc.
A game like this is welcome relief from our real-life troubles - but is not a priority!
Nevertheless it was July 8 when Briagha offered us the Potion and food - and we still don't know how we paid for it. :woowoo:
Oh totally of course I understand that. The part I don't understand is... we could have this conversation in the game thread and it would've been over, and whoever answers answers, and whoever doesn't, we'll just assume is quiet and the rest of the characters will just roll with it. What's the difference?
Heck with it, I'm just gonna lead by example. If Tom wants to answer, he can, or Eli can, or Arewe since I know Malacandra is around fairly often. The others have built-in reasons for saying nothing: Bruno's a man of action, not words :fishbeat: and Gabe is in his own sing-songy world. :iiam: Perfect character excuses!
Choie,
I like your enthusiasm. :)
Tom is certainly happy to try to gather the payment by an in-game discussion ... fingers crossed!
As I dimly recall from days of yore, enthusiasm can sometimes make up for lack of experience. Or at least balance it out. :devil: :smug:
I'd say you're definitely on the plus side of the ledger, choie.
You read some amazing things on t'Internet*, but this I shall remember forever:
*garlic bread?!Quote:
Originally posted by choie
Glad to meet an Elf along the way. What does "Idhrenion" mean?
Using https://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.htmlQuote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
idhren N. Ety/361 [ˈiðrɛn] adj. FR pondéré, sage, réfléchi — EN Ety/361 pondering, wise, thoughtful
ion S. MR/373, VT/50:18 [jˈɔn] (^iond *S. X/ND1, X/ND2, ionn N. Ety/400) 1. n. m. FR fils — EN Ety/400 son ○ 2. n. m. by ext., FR scion, héritier, descendant masculin — EN scion, male descendant ◈ Pour le second sens, cf. Hadorion, un épithète de Húrin dans WJ/294, tandis que Hurinionath s'applique à la maisonnée de Húrin l'Intendant dans PM/202-3,218, cf. aussi l'épithète Ereinion de Gil-Galad et la définition du vieux terme qenya apparenté, yondo "descendant de" dans PE/12:106, ou l'utilisation de ce même suffixe dans des noms comme Isildurioni et Anárioni en quenya plus tardif, "Héritiers d'Isildur (resp. Anárion)" dans PM/192,196 ◈ For the second meaning, cf. Hadorion, a Húrin's epithet in WJ/294, Hurinionath referring to the house of Húrin the Steward in PM/202-3,218, and Gil-Galad's epithet Ereinion, cf. also the gloss of the old Qenya cognate yondo "descendant of" in PE/12:106, or the use of the same suffix in later Quenya names such as Isildurioni and Anárioni "Heirs of Isildur (resp. Anárion)" in PM/192,196 ◈ ionnath S. n. coll.
iôn S. WJ/337 [jˈɔːn] n. FR fils — EN WJ/337 son
I would interpret as Son of Wisdom
Ah, thanks!
Top marks to What Exit? for a smart piece of detective work :)
He's a craftsy one, he is.
Sorry Stebb! Gade it is.
Hey, I'm continuing to poke at a question I had for Malacandra about one of Rowena's spells, sift. Hopefully it's not too rules-lawyery. I just need to know the parameters of this thing. (And also to decide whether she understands it herself, but that's an internal character choice for me, I guess, unless our GM determines that her stats say she's too dim deluded in denial unknowledged about how any of her spells work.)
Just so we're all on the same page, here's the explanation Malacandra kindly gave me,. Some side stuff omitted.
Right then, I need to tease out some specifics, so I can know at least as much as Rowena would. (Admittedly, not much.)Quote:
Sift just lets you look over something nearby (up to 30' away) as if you were standing over there. You make a Perception check -- there is a penalty for view via spell instead of in person, but this replaces any existing penalty for looking at something from a distance. Snip [Y]ou can find objects by touch as well as sight (but no other senses). Notice that if it's dark, sift won't turn the lights on.
There is a magic word and gesture that Rowena probably rationalises away as "just something to help me focus". It is short and simple.
You wouldn't find hidden orcs or rams this way, but you might spot something valuable or, as the case may be, dangerous; and you are welcome to ask questions like these in the out-of-character thread any time you like.
Here's a scenario: I am 20 ft. away from a room through a partially open door, through which I can see some of the inside--say, a corner of a table. On that corner I can see a small wooden box with a lid, closed. Using sift...
1) Can I see some engraved writing on the lid that I couldn't see through the open door?
2) Can I see inside the box, even with the lid on?
3) Expanding a bit, can I see the table as a whole, and notice if something else is on the far end of a table, such as a weapon or some elaborate booby trap just waiting for someone to touch the box?
4) Since sift seems limited to objects, I assume it wouldn't let me see a large guard dog or a person sitting at the far end, right? But--okay, this is weird--would I see the chair the person is sitting on? Or would it be blocked?
5) Expanding even further: Can I see the rest of the room as a whole, even parts (say, a bookcase) totally unconnected to whatever I could directly see through the door? If yes, am I correct in assuming this is limited to the 30-foot limit from where I'm standing?
6) Finally: Is there some hypothetical skill or spell that would allow anyone in the room (or nearby) to know that I'm sifting? And if that's a risk, would the GM tell me that before using sift that I have to make some skill check about whether I'm able to be stealthy enough to avoid detection?
(Or does this unknown NPC make his own secret skill check behind-the-scenes about reflexes or detecting magic or perceiving spells or whatnot? Presumably s/he wouldn't literally see me, unless there's some other skill I don't know about, yes?
Hm. I think that's all I can think of. Guess I'm trying to suss out whether this skill is a zoom lens or a camera on a drone (limited to 30 feet from where I'm standing).
BTW, Malacandra - if you determine that Rowena's knowledge of magic/skills isn't high enough to know the granular details on the above, I'm fine with having her know less than I do, and would show her learning through discovery/practice. In fact that's likely how I'd play it. (Honestly, as long as it's in character, I never have a problem showing my character's flaws/mistakes/ignorance. EH can hopefully confirm. :D) I just want to understand before I try anything.
Also, if you have your own in-universe ideas about sift and any of the aforementioned questions/abilities that rewrite general Pathfinder rules, that's perfectly copacetic. You can let me know if you want this stuff to be a surprise for Rowena, or just generally mention this if you want it to be a surprise for me too.
Sorry for what might be some pretty boring questions to folks higher up on the RPG food chain! :)
I have to comment, Bruno is such a basic character I find him incredibly boring and uninteresting. I'm use to being a skill monkey or spell caster. I rarely play front line fighters. Even then they need to at least be a smith or something. I think I need another option to keep any interest in the game. My simple characters are generally archers with stealth or the like.
The game itself is fine, but the character is so against type and boring for me. There is for me nothing more boring than a 1st level meat shield.
I was a bit nervous when I saw Bruno was going to be a 'strong silent' type. It means that apart from combat (when he is jolly valuable), there will be very little to do.
Maybe you could just give him a diverting hobby, like macramé or stamp collecting, for those slow times between bloodthirsty rampages?
D&R
Here's my take on the six points you raise:Quote:
Originally posted by choie
1) Plausibly yes. If it's difficult to see, you would need to make a Perception check (or announce it: I roll the die for you) but although the spell comes with a built-in penalty it might still be a better option than trying to see it directly from 20' away.
2) No, it's not X-ray vision - you can see only what you could see if you were actually there and able to make a look-but-don't-touch inspection, and feel only the exterior.
3) You do need line of sight to anything that you want sift to see, although if you used it on, say, a smoke-filled room, then you can still feel anything that doesn't have a solid obstruction between you and it.
4) You have that exactly right - you can see furniture and so on, but not, say, someone lurking behind an overturned table.
5) No, you do need line of sight to anything you hope to see. The main advantages are that you can remain out of view of someone round a corner, for instance, and don't have to actually stand in what could be a dangerous place.
6) Merely being in the area of effect does nothing to creatures and nothing happens that could be seen. The only way anyone would know what they did would be if they saw you cast the spell, and then only if they could and did use spellcraft.
If you wish to reconsider your decision to play a meat shield, I'm fine with that. Taking over Arewe is an option, but if you have other ideas, run them by me. We're aiming to be at this for some time :)Quote:
Originally posted by What Exit?
Thanks for the answers, Malacandra! Zoom lens it is, cool.
Sorry, What Exit?, that is frustrating I know. Can Bruno's stats be tweaked so that he's a more dynamic guy, or is his race limited to specific abilities/personality characteristics?
I sympathise with What Exit? and would be completely fine with either a change to Bruno or taking over Arewe or making a new character.
This is about enjoyment (and Tom going up levels ;) !)
Could I see Arewe? That might be the answer. Is the character a skill heavy Ranger? I don't really know pathfinder.
Rangers are one of my go to classes.
Just off to work now, I will forward you the details later, but in general, yes, rangers are one of the more skill-heavy classes. Arewe was set up to be a horse archer from the back story and if you dislike that then there is no bar to another ranger pitching up - we can discuss this.
Thanks to all for keeping things going - of course it's completely understandable that real life can affect our game!
Thanks for letting us know, Malacandra. Please wish Stebb all the best, and I hope whatever he's dealing with is not too serious--and if so, that everything works out okay.
Thank you. I don't think I'm crossing any boundaries in reassuring you that Stebb himself isn't in any danger or distress, but the rest is for him to talk about.
Thanks; we appreciate that.
Sorry to have kept people waiting - I will get things moving again tomorrow. Meanwhile, the board informs me that it is What Exit's birthday today, so many happy returns! :)
Thank you.
Hear, hear!
A double celebration!
Belated happy birthday, What Exit?! (Oh hey, as an aside: You used to be the grand poobah here, right? Do you know anything about how the blog system works?)
As for the crazy situation we find ourselves in... dang I don't know. I guess Rowena has to gather herself together (like, is that an Initiative roll you'd do?) and try to find a spot from where she can aim and perform her Sleep skill. If that can be done without sending the whole party to sleep too, that is. I don't see anything on her chart about her ability to target specific individuals or groups.
Now, how many actions, or "if / then" possibilities, can or should I pack into one of these posts? Are we going to have another chance to re-evaluate depending on how our first moves went? That's what multiple rounds are, am I correct in that?
For sure I'd need to change her tactics if she sees, say, one of the orcs aiming at or attacking someone in the party without their knowledge. (Choosing whether to use either weapons or less violent methods is important to Rowena's development so I'll need to show her making that decision.)
Yes, Tom would indeed have cast Shield and Dancing Lights before the party went in.
Now that battle is joined Tom will repeatedly cast Magic Missiles at the leader Orc. (If he falls, then Magic Missiles at any Orc who is coming towards Tom and Rowena; else an Orc who has injured one of our front line.
Tom will also try to keep his Dancing Lights a) helping Eli sneak b) distracting an Orc.
(Sorry if I should have posted this in the main thread - I've now copied it there...)
Yes, you can give instructions that are meant to cover several rounds if you like, and if things change materially enough that the party needs to give me fresh input, then that will happen.Quote:
Originally posted by choie
sleep is defined as a "10' radius burst" which means you can normally position the point of origin so it will catch the enemy and not allies, as long as the melee is not hopelessly intermingled.
Also, sleep is a spell, it fires automatically with no Performance check needed.
Initiative, along with other dice rolls, is something I'll take care of; once you've decided what you'd like to happen, the dice will tell me how quickly everyone reacted. :)
Happy Hobbit Day!
Huzzah!
I'm off for my annual Civil War roundtable fall field trip with friends (our first since COVID hit), this time to the battlefield at Chickamauga, Ga. I may not be able to post again until Monday.
When I read Elendil's post, I thought of asking "Cavalier or Roundhead?", before remembering he's in the USA and I'm in England. ;)
Just a bit of housekeeping:
- I believe the party have 4 magic potions (3 Cures, 1 Remove Fear; all held by Tom at present*)
- I reckon Tom has today already cast 3 of his 5 1st level spells
*I assume that if we win a battle, but a comrade has been reduced to 0hp (or less :eek: ), that we can pour a healing potion into them for a Cure, correct?
If so, then Tom will pass a potion of Cure to Rowena (so two of us can help save our colleagues :cool:
Yes. Also, unlike in some editions of AD&D, being reduced to 0 hp or below does not render you helpless for the rest of the day; if you can get some HP from somewhere then you are good to go.
Tom has cast two MMs and a Shield. He has yet to try out his Toppling Magic Missile :)
As I understand it, Toppling Magic Missile uses a 2nd level spell slot?
Watching Eli smoothly gather important information and bring it swiftly back to the party reminds me of a charming but 'over-enthusiastic' chap (George) that I played with for many, many years.
If George (like Eli) had overheard an important conference - which finished with some troops heading towards the rest of the party; George would have followed the leaders deeper into the caverns and not warned the rest of us. :eek: :woowoo:
Heh. Thanks, glee. Knowing when to fight, and when to sneak, is something I'm still working on. Eli is definitely more a spy than a swordsman.
Obviously all party member make useful contributions.
However I always rate a good Scout, who can give the party advance warning, map an area and use a sneak attack. :cool:
It would, but Tom has the Trait that reduces the metamagic cost of Magic Missile (and only that spell), so the first +1 metamagic is free, although it does use up your Move as well as your Standard action to cast it.Quote:
Originally posted by glee
Otherwise I'd have recommended a different feat for Tom's build rather than one that could not kick in before fourth level.
Aha! So I can cast Toppling Magic Missile as a 1st level spell?!
I'm sorry to reveal ignorance :(, but I find the round actions (Standard, Free, Move, Full-Round, Swift, Immediate) rather confusing.
So I'll stick to giving Tom's casting actions and trust you to interpret them!
Choie,
Of course Malacandra is the DM who knows all :cool: - but as far as I know anyone can just drink the potion. We can also pour it down the throat of an unconscious (i.e. 0hp or less) comrade and it will help revive* them.
*unless they are actually deceased :sad:
Unless I'm misreading my character sheet, Rowena doesn't have any curing/healing ability. Unless that's inherent in a Bard? It's not listed under Ro's innate abilities, and I didn't have the chance to pick one as a bonus. (I'd definitely want some healing-related skill in the future though, if the opportunity arises.)
She does have a +7 in Magic Devices, so that'd be useful for the potion I guess? (Or can anyone use a potion if they have it?) Ah glee answered me already, thanks!
Her only health-related skill will only come in handy if someone is in very dire straits indeed. Fortunately that hasn't cropped up yet. :)
Yes, glee has it right - anyone can drink a potion and anyone on 0 or less hit points can have one fed to them. Use Magic Device is more useful when you get your hands on a wand that fires a spell that you don't actually know how to cast -- and in the right place it can be a very useful skill indeed.
Not all spells can be made into potions; typically those that can spells that could be cast on a friend. Thus mage armour exists in potion form, but shield, which specifically affects only the caster, does not.
Thanks as always, Malacandra and glee. Y'know, I can't help but be gratified that I had the forethought, unintentional though it was, to make Rowena nearly as ignorant as I am! Really covers up a lot of flubs. :)
I used my magical lineage and meta-magic feat to include a Topple on top of my Magic Missile. :woowoo:
Indeed you did. I thought you'd like to see how it worked, and that was as good a time as any.
"Rider" effects like "Toppling" always have a saving throw even if the spell they're applied to doesn't - they're powerful enough as it is. :)
Tom will pick up tje silver and jewellery on behalf of the party.
(DM, do we need to keep track of such valuable money items as well as the magic stuff?)
Yes, it's a good idea to track money. Pathfinder has much more of an outlet for it than early editions of AD&D ever did. (I used to have high level characters with six-figure wealth and little to spend it on.)
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! At last the scales have fallen from my eyes and the penny has dropped! Thanks Malacandra, after this last post I finally understand how to participate in your story. Took me long enough, LOL. I'm slow but I get there in the end.
Hey thanks for the locale correction, Mal. Unfortunately I'm stuck with Rowena's mistaken geography, since sadly as genre-savvy as some bards might be, the girl can't yet intuit exposition. :) Which is cool, as I'm fine w/playing someone who gets flustered or can't guess what's on everyone's mind. (IMO flaws are much more fun to write.)
And who knows, maybe her inability to keep track of direction can be exploited later, if you ever need character quirks to impact your plot at some point. Right now we're going where the NPCs tell us to go, but things could diverge from that path if/when the story gets deeper. :iiam:
Good -- I think! Is there something I'm not getting? :)Quote:
Originally posted by choie
Well, to share some of my navel-gazing, I just mean I've been sluggishly and mulishly using the wrong strategy/mindset for the game. Spending too much time on irrelevant matters that would slow things down, and aren't productive or a good match for the forward-moving pace at which the rest of the gang, and most importantly you as the GM/author, prefer the story to play out. I'll be fitting in better now, hopefully!
You're doing just fine, from all I've seen.
Choie,
Honestly there isn't really a 'correct' way to play D+D!
Some (like myself) focus on moving the story along, some offer background and some add style + humour.
It all adds up to an interesting story.
I think you have added a lot to the game and established Rowena's character in depth. :)
I look forward to your posts and you are welcome to continue in the same way. :cool:
(I might add that I've played with Malacandra a lot and if he felt things were not right, he would discreetly let the player(s) know!)
Oh gosh you guys are very sweet! I hope you know I wasn't fishing for compliments, but I greatly appreciate them anyway. I just think tweaking my understanding of and expectations for gameplay will help move things along, or at least not slow things down, and keep me a little better in sync with the rest of us.
Choie,
I've played a lot of D+D and I know that it's best when it's about enjoyment (for both players and the DM!) whilst taking the campaign World seriously in character.
I think Rowena is a well-played character who is new to adventuring, learning as she goes and making up poetry*.
(This fits in really well with Bilbo in 'The Hobbit' and you can't have a better background than that. :cool: )
*Tom would like me to add that he should have commented favourably on your rhyming skills - but he was rather focused on adventuring. :smack
P.S. As for 'slowing things down' - pah!
When I play the 'Lord of the Rings Online', I like to look around ('smell the flowers', so to speak.
You're doing fine, choie.
Just remember that Rowena can support the party by singing to Inspire Courage and that leaves her hands free to shoot her bow or even engage in swordplay should she so wish.
The party is close to levelling up so you will all have slightly more options soon. :)
Are these the greatest quotes in the English language?!
"Some people are on the pitch - they think it's all over .... it is now!"
"I'll be back."
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"You're going to need a bigger boat."
Well they are all excellent - but don't compare with:
"The party is close to levelling up" :woowoo: :D
Aye, 'tis music to my ears!
:hist:Quote:
Originally posted by Malacandra
Thanks Malacandra, good to know!
So far, Rowena's lack of physical participation--i.e., actively fighting--is one of the consequences of my playing wrong. (Maybe not wrong-wrong, but not in sync with the game the way it's meant to be played.) As is my wont, I've been focusing way the heck too much on the RP part of RPG. And when I read in Ro's character sheet that she avoids melee fighting unless a friend were in dire need... I wanted to give her a rationale for that. Other than cowardice. :) Her youth/naivete/inexperience presented me with the obvious: reluctance/unwillingness to hurt anyone.
Luckily I don't think any of the gang has been in such dire straits as to trigger that impulse. Y'all are very good fighters! So Ro's had the luxury of keeping pure. I figured she'd struggle with this for a while--maybe enough of the PCs start getting annoyed with her self-righteous arse--until eventually something trips the alarm and she needs to step up, however reluctantly.
BUT this is exactly the point I made earlier: all this artsy blah blah character arc stuff isn't meshing with the pace. Things are kept moving along nicely, and downtime (non-battle time, e.g., resting or traveling) is usually handled efficiently, allowing us to skip right to the next destination or NPC meeting.
Everyone enjoys this quick pace while I've been potentially bogging things down with internal stuff and having Rowena trying to pry into other people's business. The other PCs don't nag each other like frickin' biographers, you know? Long 'getting-to-know-you' sessions aren't what the game's about.
In short (too late) I've realized I've been playing the way I do in the other RPG I'm in. It's a mistake; each game has its own feel, its own pace. And I think learning to be a good team player means adjusting accordingly.
I think so, too, but again, I'd say you're doing just fine, choie. And I know Eli Proudfoot is glad to have Rowena along for the adventure with us.
Rowena can be forgiven for being a little angsty... only three or four days ago she was living a comparatively peaceful like in a prosperous town; she has had about as much time to adapt to her changed circumstances as Frodo, Pippin and Sam had by the time they got to Farmer Maggot's. :D
Also, (DM coughs), while sending Aster off to hunt for the Eagle might work, Westerly himself gave you some instructions a while back...
Woo hoo! :smug: Second level!
Malacandra, will you be rolling hit points and letting us know what extra abilities we get? :hug:
P.S. Suggestions on what Tom could spend his money on (Scroll? Potion? Item?) are most welcome... (he has about 180 gold)
glee, I can do all that for you. A 1st-level Wizard scroll would cost 25gp (and take effect as if cast by a 1st-level caster), and barring some very unusual circumstances it could be used only once. You gain only a cantrip at second level, although things pick up a little better on future level-ups. You can look up "pathfinder 1e 1st level wizard spells" if you are interested. Potions of 1st-level spells (and taking effect as if from a 1st-level caster) cost 50gp.
I know that stebb is able to level himself up, and I am happy to receive input from players, or do it all myself, as you prefer, for the rest of you. :)
Malacandra,
thanks for the details.
Please can I check I've read the details correctly. At 2nd level:
- I get more hit points :D
- I can cast 1 extra 1st level spell / day (so 4 out of my mind ... +1 from my Bonded Staff)
- I learn 1 more cantrip
- I gain 3 ranks in Skills
I also have some gp to spend.
If that is correct, how does this look?
Learn 1 extra Cantrip; either Open/Close (safety in opening doors/lids) or Presdigitation (minor magic display)
Improve Knowledge, Spellcraft and Use Magic Device
Buy two scrolls (@25 gp each) for one-off use: Sleep (take out some low-level troops) + Detect Secret Doors
Buy one 1st level Potion (@50 gp) ... please recommend one for me!
open/close and prestidigitation are both on the Bard cantrip list as well so you could liaise with choie as to who will learn what. They're both potentially useful, although they're only 0-level spells and you shouldn't expect much of them. One potion you could consider is hold portal (that comes as an oil to be applied rather than a potion to be swallowed), which could be useful once in a long while and definitely not worth wasting a precious "spell known" on. Or you could just grab an extra cure.
Otherwise you are exactly right.
Bruno will gain a "Combat Feat", there is one called "Shield of Swings" that would fit well. You halve your damage for a round in exchange for a +4 shield bonus. Situationally this is rather like wielding a +4 defender sword, letting you trade off attack and defence as the need arises.
Arewe will gain a ranger bonus feat, of which more later (ties into the character's intention to build into a mounted archer).
Rowena... gets quite a lot; an extra cantrip and 1st-level spell, Versatile Performance (which lets you make a Perform check in place of some social skills like Bluff, Diplomacy and Sense Motive), resistance to sound and song effects, and an extra two rounds per day of performance
Eli gains evasion (like the monk ability to dodge all damage from a blast instead of taking half) and a rogue talent, which we will need to look at :)
All right, thank you!
I really need to drop Bruno at this point. I just don't enjoy front line fighters.
Maybe generate a Dex based Ranger assuming that is good for Bows & Defense?
I would want some skills but especially stealth & tracking.
I assume Elf or ½ Elf (Dúnadan)
It looks like Tracking is part of Survival which is Wis based.
Tom will:
- learn Open/Close cantrip
- improve Knowledge, Spellcraft and Use Magic Device
- Buy two scrolls (@25 gp each) for one-off use: Sleep (take out some low-level troops) + Detect Secret Doors
- Buy one 1st level potion (@50 gp) Hold Portal
Yes, and Rangers also start to gain some spell ability beginning at 4th level (much sooner than they did in 1st Ed AD&D and rather more relevant when they do!) which needs some Wis also. Although Str is still useful for archers since they can buy a bow that takes advantage of it, you can compensate to some extent with feat choices and if you are determined to avoid melee then you need Str less.Quote:
Originally posted by What Exit?
I can stat you up an archery-focussed Ranger easily enough and on a quick look around the Guide archetype might give you some of what you are looking for - they can give allies (including themselves) bonuses to initiative, Survival and Perception checks, and ensure that their party doesn't leave a trail. Instead of selecting a "Favoured Enemy" as regular Rangers do, they can "focus" on one particular foe and gain bonuses to hit and damage that foe.
There are reasonable numbers of Mirkwood elves regularly passing through or near Dale and you can assume that one of these has run across the party at about the time that Bruno felt the call of either home or something else. :)
Guide looks pretty solid.
Is there any archtypes that either add more skills or eventually more spells?
Rangers are skill monkeys anyway - lagging only behind rogues, and about on a par with bards. If you really wanted to push skills then humans get an extra skill rank every level.
I just found out about the "Woodland Skirmisher" archetype, which gets an extra spell of every level and has some access to the druid spell list as well as the normal ranger list. It loses proficiency in Medium armour (you could buy that back with a feat, there is nothing in the description that says "x ability only works while wearing light armour") and gets ranger combat bonuses only against one type of enemy and in one type of terrain (whereas regular rangers build up a list over time).
Sorry, I'll just stick to the Guide. That 4th level ability is a nice help to the entire party.
Yeah, sounds good!
Yay, cool that we levelled up. Can someone help me out with what would be good options for Rowena? The only thing I know I want is some healing option. Since our main healer is either MIA or has turned into an NPC, we probably should have backup. (Plus Ro should put her money where her mouth is--if she's so against violence, she should make herself useful by fixing the consequences of violence.)
Otherwise I'm uncertain what would be most useful upgrades. Any ideas?
cure light wounds is a useful option anyway since it frees up the Druid to load some other spells instead; unlike the bard and the sorcerer, druids have a lot of spells to choose from but have to prepare their spells every day and can cast only the ones they've prepared. "Spontaneous" casters can just carry on casting whichever of the (few) spells they know until they have used up their allowance.
I have noticed one or two interesting rogue talents to consider, Elendil's Heir, but you may be doing your own research.
Choie,
may I suggest an interesting new Cantrip for Rowena - Presdigitation (to give minor magic display.)
Thanks guys, I'll run with your suggestions. So in addition to whatever bonuses she automatically gets (is that correct?), I think cure light wounds and especially prestidigitation make sense. The latter seems like a skill she'd try to pick up manually anyway. She'll also use some cash on a new instrument, but we'll see what she can afford in the thread.
Whatever rogue talent(s) you think best, Malacandra, I'm glad to acquire.
Hiya,Quote:
Originally posted by glee
PCGen doesn't seem to want to let me make an oil of hold portal so I have given Tom a scroll of it instead - to be honest an oil is no real benefit since this is a spell Tom could learn and hence a scroll auto-succeeds when used, and it is cheaper.
I have most people levelled up now; I'd just like to know whether What Exit wants his new guy to be a Man or an Elf.
I've given you one which lets you run away from someone you just sneak-attacked without them getting a hit on you as you run. Ought to play well in character. :)Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
I think human, you mentioned more skills I think?
Yes, humans receive an extra skill rank per level, and an extra feat. I'll get on it ASAP, been a busy day today (Remembrance Sunday, I played trumpet at two church services and organ at one of them)
Tom is fine with a scroll - especially if it's cheaper! (The extra coins will go into the Rowena Super Sword Fund. :) )
:: steeples fingers ::Quote:
Originally posted by MalacandraI've given you one which lets you run away from someone you just sneak-attacked without them getting a hit on you as you run. Ought to play well in character. :)Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Excellent.
In order to use this you must be in a position to take a Move action after attacking; that is, you cannot use it on a round where you had to move to close for combat. The advantage is that normally if you attack and then move away, the enemy gain an Attack of Opportunity on you -- which this rogue talent prevents as long as your attack was a sneak.Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir:: steeples fingers ::Quote:
Originally posted by MalacandraI've given you one which lets you run away from someone you just sneak-attacked without them getting a hit on you as you run. Ought to play well in character. :)Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Excellent.
****
Everyone should now have received their upgraded character sheets (except Stebb, who can take care of himself)
I've got both Tom and Arewe, thanks. :D
Bruno is prepared to either depart or become a secondary background character that doesn't talk much. :)
Beecher the Ranger Archer is ready to join whether recruited or if fate intervenes.
One idea, Beecher could be following the party that slayed the weird orcs that he had been tracking and observing a bit.
Welcome to Beecher!
(Tom is ready to say whenever the party sees a stream... "I say, Beecher! Is that your brook?" :)
I don't get it I'm afraid.Quote:
Originally posted by glee
In a top English horse race (the Grand National), there's a fence called Beecher's Brook. :woowoo:
Got my sheet, thanks, and welcome to Beecher!
Hey, do I get OOG-XP for doing the research on Pathfinder card games, decks and even blasphemous uses thereof?
(I suppose I should've looked up Middle-earth card games etc. but I wasn't sure there'd be anything that could be used by a con artist.)
:D
OOC: just testing
Test result nominal.
Given that we think a local gang has attacked someone, is there an authority in Dale that the party should report to?
Or should we try to sort it ourselves?
^^ The man asks a good question. :)
Rowena, who's lived in Dale for a while now, knows (or should know) more about the place than I do. To Malacandra -- when questions like Tom's crop up, should I perform a knowledge check, may I ask you in PM, or just wait for you to include the answer in exposition (or via an NPC like Dan)?
(Aside: Sorry all, I have been quite busy lately and really tired. Will try to gee myself up in a day or two.)
Hope you get some rest, Malacandra! Take care of yourself.
LOL. I only had Rowena respond to Tom's question just to add something to boost the signal a bit, as we'd gone dark. Couldn't give a direct answer (see above) so she just had to waffle.Quote:
Originally posted by Elendil's Heir
Malacandra,
sadly we live in tricky times - please take the all time you need.
Yes, indeed!
Well things in Dale may be a tad moribund, but I hope everyone has a wonderful, happy, safe, healthy, peaceful holiday! It's also the 20th anniversary of the LOTR trilogy, so let's celebrate that as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1dU1HZ_73M
Poor Anna Kendrick... good sport though. :)
Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, Happy Holidays.
Happy 20th Anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring.
That video was pretty awesome. Is Anna part Elvish? She doesn't seem to be aging?
Choie,
that was a great way to celebrate the Anniversary!
Merry Xmas everybody - and may it be a better year to come.
Hear, hear!
I'm going to be traveling with my family for a few days and may have spotty Internet access. I should be back online on Dec. 30. Thanks!
Hope everyone else has had a good Christmas -- mine has been excellent with four and a half days off work, too much good food and a giant helping of sleep. Back for a couple of days and then another long weekend for New Year. In the meantime there is an update to events in Dale...
I'm watching the extended version of The Fellowship of the Rings.
In honor of my friend that just passed from COVID. We started playing D&D together in 1977.
A decade ago, my roleplaying group watched the extended version in full over a weekend.
Sadly we too have lost members over the years (we started in 1979), but there are many happy memories.
Very sorry for your loss, Jim. Rewatching in his or her honor is a lovely way to pay tribute.
I guess the longer we participate in stuff like these RPGs, the greater the sad chance that we'll lose some members of own fellowships along the way. Over in the ST:RPG, we lost one of our friends five years ago. (Damn we should have done something to mark that...)
As an aside, my most active thread on the Straight Dope was, not surprisingly, LOTR-based. I'd wondered if I would enjoy the films even without having read the books,* and this ended up with me watching and asking tons of questions to get some more context of stuff I didn't understand.
* Spoiler alert: Hell yeah I did!
Man, that bites. A friend of mine I knew from a university RPG group I used to hang with died two years ago after short tussle with a really aggressive motor neurone disease. We're none of us getting younger, but it was too soon anyway.Quote:
Originally posted by What Exit?
Very sorry to hear that, my friends. My condolences to all those who've lost gaming chums, and others, recently.
Yes indeed. But while we have time, let us who are alive and well rejoice in our good fortune... and meanwhile, events are moving in The Shambles. Happy 2022, all!
Most definitely, and thanks. May we all have a happier, healthier New Year.
Yes, Happier New Year (if you see what I mean!)
Choie,
I hope Tom doesn't come over as overbearing in the game thread - he's just worried that Rowena is badly injured...
Oh no, thank you! I don't know how I missed the healing potion offer, it's in boldface and everything!
Rowena's as clueless as I am (one of the reasons I'm playing her) so just as she doesn't know how to purposely heal herself, neither do I. So whatever's happening as she puts her hand over her wound, it'll be new to both of us. :)
Also, Malacandra, is it apparent enough when she's trying to use one of her Bardy skills? Such as trying to win over the attackers' trust via bluffing or oratory? I can be more diligent about finding a way to include the specific skill if it's too nebulous.
Also also: I edited Rowena's earlier post to reflect the proper weapon she's holding. Her sword's long, not short. (It's her bow that's short; I knew I saw "short" somewhere!)
Tom is relieved he did not give offence. ;)
He does feel Rowena should get some healing immediately.
(Tom didn't understand that the Bard was cleverly trying to influence our opponents :confused: - if such future text could be highlighted in some way, that would help Tom!)
[Crocodile Dundee ON] Call that a sword? This is a Sword! [Crocodile Dundee OFF]Quote:
Originally posted by choie
The vagueness of this genuinely cracks me up. (It's pretty much what I would've written, so no insult taken!) She needs to find some way of being of use, 'cause otherwise she's as valuable as a one-legged man at an ass-kicking contest.Quote:
Originally posted by glee
Choie,
I don't want to tell everybody what to do (although the marching order seemed an acceptable suggestion once Eli led the way!)
Beecher already had his bow ready; similarly Gabe with his light-emitting Staff.
So I genuinely wanted to let you play Rowena (who is undoubtedly much more like a one-legged man at a hopping contest*.
*I really hope this comes over as a)mildly amusing and b) a compliment to the Bard...
Hi there choie, if there's a skill you want to use then mention it in an ooc block -- if I see something that looks like a shout-out to a skill check then I will pick it up if I can.
I'm happy to play along with Rowena's bewilderment at finding her desire to be able to heal wounds suddenly working. In game terms you just levelled up and learned a new spell, but this will mean different things to different people. Tom also has a wild talent which he's still trying to come to terms with but he does have some idea of how he's trying to make sense of the mysterious elvish letters that dance frustratingly through his sight, whereas Rowena is still trying to blame things on "just coincidence" or "anyone could do that if they just focussed on it a bit more" :) I expect that as time goes by she will gradually bow to the inevitable, though.
Thanks to both of you, as always. Yes, Rowena is already at war with her own common sense. I'm not even sure what constitutes 'common sense' in a world where thinking one has supernatural powers is actually reasonable and, indeed, factual.
Tom can understand Rowena's amazement - he's gone from standing in a bog cutting peat to unleashing magical forces! :woowoo:
"And I think to myself, what a wonderful world...."
Jolly fine research, that Bard - yes that must be the 'dust'! :)
Kudos to Rowena, and I bet she's right.
Thanks guys, hope you're right. TBH my brain followed exactly the same path that Rowena's did!
This might be of interest, as to Amazon's upcoming Second Age series: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood...ies-first-look
I continue to enjoy Choie's roleplaying - Tom does lean towards the aggressive choice and Rowena provides a balance....
Aw thanks glee. She's not a great judge of motive, and has an exaggerated sense of the impact of talking in confrontations. One day she'll learn. Maybe. I don't know if her hesitancy to use her weapon vs. attempting to talk her way out of situations counts as "flat-footed" in RPG-lingo, but if so, that's Rowena.
No, "flat-footed" is quite specific - a mere reluctance to engage in violence doesn't have any impact :)
(While Rowena is not well acquainted with criminal haunts in Dale, this definitely looks to her as though they have intruded on the private business of someone engaged in unlawful activity, so there's that to set against "barged in uninvited")
Sure, she's aiming her words at the baddies in hopes of placating them. (Ro's looking at the gang when she says this, not her fellow adventurers. I probably wrote that poorly and didn't make it clear enough.)
Also, general crime prevention isn't part of her agenda, at least not at this stage of her development. She'll leave that sorta thing to the lawful good crowd. :)
Oof, have I really left you guys hanging this long? I am so sorry. Really having trouble motivating myself at the moment, I had no intention of ghosting you :(
It is a weird time, a very weird time.Quote:
Originally posted by Malacandra
I'm playing my live game tonight. We're rotating GMs which is fun. So after 2 sessions I now get to play.
My Game Room with my Daughter's game setup.
https://i.postimg.cc/F73mTXkF/20220313-142136.jpg ...https://i.postimg.cc/MvbNc6jB/20220313-142113.jpg...https://i.postimg.cc/KRtDGGGj/3-D-Printer-20220124.jpg
Also the 3D resin printer area in my basement. I've been printing figures and other D&D stuff.
https://i.postimg.cc/w3D4GHVd/Dryad.jpg...https://i.postimg.cc/670905D3/Ticks-printed.jpg...https://i.postimg.cc/XpFM6bVq/Recent...d-20220212.jpg...https://i.postimg.cc/NLKqbXS1/Suppor...oved-clear.jpg
And not for D&D:
https://i.postimg.cc/sMcM0Lhn/C-H-CR...N-20220219.jpg
Looks good! I've not had a chance to play since New Year but it's only a couple of weeks to our next session (this one via Zoom, the next one a couple of months later will be FTF). We're playing a Pathfinder campaign called Return of the Runelords and I am playing a druid who is heavily into shapeshifting... it's a ton of fun :)
Anyway, the latest post is up now.