avb- Drassuk

[planswalker]

if you're not Drassuk or his dm, GO AWAY!

You return to Ezekiel's supplies with a contract in hand. The receptionist reads your appointment and escorts you inside. Jedder asks you to read the contract to him.

if you don't mind, please write it up. it doesn't have to be long, but it'll really add to the flavor.

[Shadowleaf]

(I don't mind, though I'm probably not as good at writing it correctly as my 22 Int character. Gimme a min :smallbiggrin:. Also, a description of Jedder would be nice, if possible.)


The Contract:

This contract serves as the means to bind Drassuk Tanathos' services legally to employment under Ezekiel Jedder.
Drassuk Tanathos will provide his services to Ezekiel Jedder at Ezekiel Jedder's discression, after a verbal agreement on expectations and payment has been made. Drassuk Tanathos will fulfill any tasks appointed to him by Ezekiel Jedder, if he has verbally agreed to it in the presence of Ezekiel Jedder beforehand.
Drassuk Tanathos is compelled to use the full extend of his abilities with each task, and is expected to use his own funding to complete the task, unless other arrangements has been made between Drassuk Tanathos and Ezekiel Jedder.


Failed Contracts:

If Drassuk Tanathos fails to complete a task within a previously set time limit or within previously set conditions, he will pay Ezekiel Jedder _____________ as a fee of reimbursement.

Terminating the contract:
Following a failed contract, Ezekiel Jedder may choose to terminate this contract. Drassuk Tanathos has no say in whether or not this contract is terminated, should it follow a failed contract. The termination of the contract due to a failed contract can only happen up to two weeks (14 days) after a failed contract.

Should Drassuk Tanathos encounter unexpected problems in his appointed services by Ezekiel Jedder, which should have been covered by Ezekiel Jedder's description of the task Drassuk Tanathos was executing, Drassuk Tanathos may choose to terminate the contract. Ezekiel Jedder has no say in whether or not the contract is terminated following a lack of critical information, or critical information withheld by Ezekiel Jedder. This includes, but is not limited to: Number of bodyguards, protective spells, magical items, layout of building, etc.


Ezekiel Jedder
________________________
Drassuk Tanathos
________________________

[planswalker]

Ezekiel Jedder is an older man who has clearly had much experience in life. He dresses tastefully, yet still brings off a sense of wealth with his businesslike pants, shirt, and overcoat. His slightly expanding waistline is a testament to his ease of life in the past few years. He appears to be a kindly man, with a twinkle of cheer in his eye.

"welcome, my boy!" he says cheerily. "I have been on the lookout for for someone to take care of a few problems for me. From what i know, you are willing to help me out with that. I see you have a contract all drawn up. Please read it to me and i'll tell you what i think of it."

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"I have not introduced myself, and yet you already know of my talents. Either my name carries wind, or your ears hear a great deal." Ezekiel smiles to the old man, but again his eyes betray him of not really caring much for smiling. "I am indeed just that - a means to help get rid of.. Problems. I have a draft for the contract, but I underline the fact I am not a business man, and as such it may not be of the quality you are used to."

[planswalker]

"Well, that's no problem, and yes, i may be old and soft, but my secretaries are neither blind nor stupid. I did a little bit of research about you while your appointment was set up. I prefer to get straigt to business. Now then, let's see what your terms are for this contract of yours."

[planswalker]

After hearing you read out your contract, he smiles. "Well, that's vague enough to avoid loopholes but specific enough to mean something." He signs it. "So, as to the matter of pay, how much did you expect to make?"

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"My services do not come cheap. I am extremely good at what I do best, and I expect to be paid as such. The actual figures should be worked out dependant on the difficulty of the task, how long it will take, and so forth. But to put it squarely - I expect payment in the thousands."

[planswalker]

"Then i am sure someone who can pay in the thousands will hire your services." He motions for you to leave.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"What, you are too poor to afford my services? What could you pay?"

[planswalker]

"You must understand that this is the city watch, not Mr Pirner's business or Archduke Rochell's personal guard. We have limited funds, but i can pay you somewhere between 500 and 1000 gold per job. Oh, and you can loot your targets' corpses."

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"I hope you understand, that I take great pride in my work. The actual figures does not mean the world to me, only executing my abilities, and training to be stronger.
I believe there is a deal to be made here. I will work for you, and when or if we.. Out grow eachother, you will put in a word for me at my next employer. Talking is cheap, after all."

[planswalker]

"fair enough."

"Now tell me, what can you do specifically? i already have more than one talented operative accomplishing things for me. What can you do that they can't?"

[planswalker]

BIG apologies. i got yours and someone else's threads mixed up. he offers you the same deal, but his reasons are that you need to prove yourself first. He is a wealthy merchant. and he is asking for your talents because he wants to know how best to use them.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"I am an expert at getting in difficult places. Playing mind tricks, obfuscating my appearance, going in from the roof or through the walls. Almost nothing will stand between me and my target. And they will never see me coming."

Edit: That's fine. Same figures?

[planswalker]

"hmm, so, do you think you might be able to help me out in a certain matter of finesse? There is a merchant who is aiding pirner in his bid to control the guild. He must be stopped, but it must not be traced back to me, at any costs. Think you can do that?"

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"Possibly. It does sound like my kind of job. What are the details?"

[planswalker]

"His name is Michal Kronz. He runs an amulet shop on Scale Row. He has no personal bodyguards, but he is a poweful mage who crafts his own magic charms. Any questions?"

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"Powerful? How powerful?"

[planswalker]

"He has been known to be able to kill a troll by planting a terrifying image in its head, but he mostly seems to work in illusions."

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"I will need floorplans for his home. Does he live in his shop?"

[planswalker]

"What do you think this is, a spy agency? you want his floor plan, scout it out yourself. I do believe that he lives in the second story of his shop."

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"It was a not a request, it was a simple statement. I wouldn't take them if you handed them to me right now. Half the job is preparation.
Is there anything else I should know? A timeframe, for example?"

If not, Drassuk gets up, nods slightly to Jedder, and leaves for the street.

[planswalker]

"He is planning something to help out pirner. I need him eliminataed before then. You will get a bonus if he is killed before he can give pirner that aid."

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"I will talk to your clerk for another meeting once the job is done. Would not want anyone to think we were nothing else than business-partners. Do not worry on that account, by the way - I am very subtle."

[planswalker]

"If that is all, then please go forth and do." He dismisses you with a wave of his hand.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
Drassuk heads out on the streets. He has a good idea of what he has to do.
If Drassuk knows where Scale Row is, he heads there.

OOC: Fun speculations:

Double-cross the old bastard and strike a better offer with Pirner.
Just kill the old geezer. He's going to double-cross Drassuk anyway sooner or later.
Ally with the Charm Mage, take down both of the merchants. Replace them with a Simulcrum or Alter Self.

[planswalker]

he does

as for your speculations, be careful you dont bite off more than you can chew. Feel free to try any of those things, i'm just saying that the "geezer" is not as helpless as he appears.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
Drassuk takes a trip through the city, taking an indirect route to Scale Row. He makes sure to make several stops in different shops, look around in there, and then leave.



Oh I know. Always assume your opponent has more bling than you. :smallbiggrin:. And class levels.

[planswalker]

upon reaching Scale Row, he finds that one of the shops in there is named Kronz' Charms. It is a green two-story building that features a sign with a starburst out front, proclaiming, "Best Prices in town!"

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
Drassuk heads inside.

[planswalker]

Inside is a cluttered shop where all sorts of trinkets are for sale, littering every available surface space. A raven near the entrance squawks at you in common, saying. "I see you; don't try to steal. I'll catch you if you do!" Before you have time to be offended by this, a young man in a bright red robe walks out of the back and says, "Shame on you, Goliath. How dare you fuss at a customer like that as soon as he walks in the door. My name is Kronz, charm-maker extrordinaire. What can i do for you?"

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
Drassuk faces the young man and smiles. "Hello there. I am not too sure on how exactly you may help. I have some spare gold lying around, and I am looking for some.. Personal protection."


What exactly does he look like? Any visible equipment, etc.

[planswalker]

he is human, male, blonde, about 6'1, skinny, red robe with gold trim, no visible weapons, and an amulet around his neck. he has 2 golden rings on his right hand.

"Well, i have all sorts of protective charms i can offer you. What would you like? Something to ward off disease? oOr maybe something to help turn a knife in the back? Or were you looking to protect yourself from... magical influences?"

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"Magical influence? What do you mean?"

[planswalker]

"Why, anything, that which might try to affect your mind and influence your actions, or something to help you pierce through illusions, or something which helps you resist magical curses. I have charms for them all."

[Shadowleaf]

(Mind Blank and True Seeing? Oh I am so screwed)

Drassuk
"The protection against people in my mind seems great. How much is it?"

[planswalker]

Well, i have several levels of protection available. They can vary in cost between 1000 and 25000 gp. (and no, he isn't that high level)

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"I am intriqued. However, as you probably can understand, I don't carry that amount of money around with me. It's not safe. Can I come back later with the gold, and make the purchase then? When do you close your shop?"

[planswalker]

"Why, i'm open from sunup to sundown. Come by any time. For a mere 10% of the total price, i can reserve a specific charm for you for up to 3 months."

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"Why, you do not think I can pay? I am offended. I will need to visit my safe in order to get the money. Can I persuade you to stay open maybe half an hour after sundown? Will hurry as much as I can."

[planswalker]

"Of course, assuming i know which charm specifically i am staying open late to sell." you see the fires of greed light up his eyes.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"I want to protect my mind against others reading my thoughts. I hope that is something you can help me out with."

[planswalker]

"Of course. I have a headband which can completely shield your mind from any and all telepathic probing. A paltry 20,000 gold for it. My price cannot be beaten anywhere. Shall i see you tonight then?"

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"If you could be discreet, I would appreciate it. I don't want anyone to see I am carrying that kind of gold. I will be back."
Drassuk waves his hand and exits the shop. He walks a few yards, turns around, and looks at the upper floor.
Any windows?

[planswalker]

not facing the street.

[Shadowleaf]

Is there a way to get around his shop?

[planswalker]

yes. there is an alleyway on the north side of his shop (which is facing west) Just behind his shop, it connects to a "feeder" alleyway where the residents can walk to and from each other's shops without attracting attention.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk tries to determine the rough location of the different rooms in the shop. Where the bedroom is, etc.

Knowledge: Architecture[roll0]

[planswalker]

i'll suss that out for you tomorrow. i'm getting tired and can't come up with that just yet. send me a pm tomorrow afternoon if i don't have it done by then.

[Shadowleaf]

Righto. Will have plenty of time to scheme, then.

[planswalker]

After looking at his shop for a few moments, you believe that his shop is on the first floor, with the sales are in the front of the shop, probably a storage area and a private office behind that. The stairs leading up to the second story are probably located in his office. Since his back alley door is on the south side of his shop, he most likely has his office to the south. A merchant who enchants his own magical gear is likely to have an arcane work lab above his office before one entering the second story can reach his private living quarters. Since both the north and south halves of his shop have second-story windows, there is likely an antechamber before one reaches his lab, which is likely then to be over the sales area. This means that his private living accommodations are probably in the North-East corner of the second story.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
Drassuk finds the library again, and sits down and studies in his spellbook. He pretty much simply waits 'till sundown, then heads back.

[planswalker]

Upon entering the shop, Michal greets you rather cheerily, then asks, "Do you have the money with you so you can walk out of here with your new magical protection?"

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
Drassuk pats his Haversack. "Yes, may I see the charm?"

Edit: Is that a bluffcheck? >_>

[planswalker]

yes it is. outcome of that will determine how the merchant responds. unless, of course you actually have 20,000 gp with only 13,000 starting gold (including equipment)

[Shadowleaf]

I have 2600 gp I believe. :smallbiggrin:. I thought about an illusion spell for more money, but, illusion specialist guy might notice.
Bluff: [roll0]
Come on natural 20.

[planswalker]

He seems to believe you and says, "Very well, but i warn you, do not try to run and leave without paying for it."

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
"You should not distrust honest people like that." Drassuk lets off a smile.




If he comes over and hands it to me:

As soon as he lets go of the item, Drassuk reaches out and casts Hideous Laughter, DC 20 Will Save

[planswalker]

He says, "Very well. Here you go." and hands you the headband to examine. As soon as he hands you the item, you cast a spell on him. He seems to try to resist it for a moment, then bursts out in laughter and falls to the floor.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk calmly takes a step back, then lets off another spell - Ray of Enfeeblement.
Ranged Touch Attack: [roll0]
Strength damage: [roll1]


(OOC: By the way - he's prone, so he gets +4 AC against ranged attack :smallconfused:)

[planswalker]

your spell misses him, due to his wild movements on the floor.

he continues laughing uproariously, unable to control himself.

[Shadowleaf]

Another Ray of Enfeeblement.
Attack Roll: [roll0]
Strength damage: [roll1


Miss? Fine. Suggestion, Will DC 20 next round: "Lie down, shut your eyes and ignore everything around you no matter what."

[planswalker]

He seems to be rather difficult to hit with your rays. Once again, you miss. He seems to have some sort of minor deflection protecting him.

while prone, his touch ac vs ranged is 17, btw

[Shadowleaf]

Edited above, but:

Suggestion, DC 21 Will Save. "Lie down, shut your eyes and ignore everything around you no matter what."

[planswalker]

although he is still laughing, he complies with your suggestion. and lies still on the floor, though he is still giggling uncontrollably.

be aware, you have 3 more rounds before the laughter wears off

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk
Drassuk takes a step towards him, pulls his knife, and attempts to stab him.

[roll0]
[roll1]




I'm well aware. Just trying to get him helpless, so I can slice him up.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk facepalms, and remembers his gear.
From his Haversack he pulls forth a Scroll of Summon Monster III. He reads it aloud and summons a Fiendish Constrictor Snake.

[planswalker]

The snake appears. What does it do? (it acts on the turn it is summoned)

[Shadowleaf]

It attacks him with a Smite Good bite attack.
(Assuming I roll it)
[roll0]
[roll1] Damage, +3 if he is good.

If the attack hits, it grapples him.

[planswalker]

The snake bites the man, but the profane energy seems not to harm him. his chuckles are begininning to lessen.

he's not evil. he takes 7

[Shadowleaf]

Smite Good.
Grapple checks in order? I have no idea how Grapple works with an opponent who can't take any actions.

Anyway: Grapple - [roll0]

Edit: Okay, if you don't mind, could we skip the Grapple? I mean, the Grapple rules are giving me a headache.

And unless he has a ton of HP, he'll be dead pretty soon anyway.

[planswalker]

well, we can't SKIP them, but i can adjucate all the stuff at my end behind the computer screen. just give me a grapple check every turn. you are right about him not lasting long. that's the darned thing about npc sorcerors. so fragile.

it's your turn, btw. he laughs uncontrollably for the final time.

The merchant's laughter seems to die off.

[Shadowleaf]

(Sorry for disappearing. Fell asleep on top of the computer)
Grapple check: [roll0]
Damage roll: [roll1] (Sorry, reroll?)
Constrict damage roll: [roll2] (Sorry, reroll?)

[planswalker]

what are those d30's?

[Shadowleaf]

They are 1d3's with an added 0. :smallbiggrin:. Typos.

Damage: [roll0]
Constrict: [roll1]

Edit: I assume you can cast spells into a Grapple.

Hold Person on him, DC 20 Will save.

[planswalker]

The mage is squeezed by the snake, unable to resist it. Furthermore, he was unable to resist your compulive enchantments and is helpless. He seems on the brink of death.

[Shadowleaf]

Snake full-round action: Coup de Grace.
Damage: [roll]2d3+8[roll]

Drassik: full-round action: Coup de Grace.
Damage: [roll0]

[Shadowleaf]

Botched Snake damage roll.
[roll0]

DC 22 Fort Save or die.

[planswalker]

the mage gives one last dying gasp as the snake squeezes the life out of him.

you earn 1000 xp

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk wipes his dagger in the cloth of the dead man, and gently places it back in its sheath. He turns around, walks to the door, and locks it if possible.
He then walks back to the dead man.
He calmly bends over and takes whatever items the man had, including his clothes. He puts the items in his Haversack, along with the charm the man had given him.
He then proceeds to loot everything not bolted down in the place, focusing on the charms.

Everything looking even remotely magical gets taken. Drassuk also tries to look for any gold that might be lying around.

[planswalker]

gimme overnight to generate the items list. He finds 2000 gold in the house.

[Shadowleaf]

How long is 'overnight'? It's 07:06 here. :smallbiggrin:
Having Detect Magic would've made this a lot easier. I forgot to buy and scribe scrolls into Spellbook before looking for a job. Guess that's my next step.

Drassuk takes:
Everything that looks like a charm.
Safes, boxes.
Expensive looking items - clothes, jewelry, etc.
Important looking papers.
Arcane focusi, arcane components worth anything, etc.
When done with that, he takes everything he can from the arcane workshop.
Edit: Scrolls, spellbooks, etc.

The Haversack can carry another 120 lbs.

[planswalker]

it's 12:30 here. i will have something up by 9:00

[Shadowleaf]

So 8-9 hours? I can live with that.

And boy did it feel good to take down a spellcaster by targeting his will save.

Are you heading to bed now? I have some stuff I can do regardless of loot.

[planswalker]

you find in his house: amulet of natural armor +1. Scarab of protection +1. ring of protection +1, ring of feather falling, ring of air breathing, ring of underwater action, ring of water breathing, boots of sleepy steps, headband of vulnerability, headband of telepathy protection, silver holy symbols for 22 different religions, an insignia ring, and about 35 different "charms" of no magical value, although they detected as magical.

that's right, he was selling 1 or 2 cursed items and most of his stuff was useless junk. you won't be able to break wbl that easily, but i tried to include enough to make it intersting.

[Shadowleaf]

What about the anti-mind influencing thing I was buying?

[planswalker]

it's among the loot.

[Shadowleaf]

Uhm. Several of the items I don't recognize. "Scarab of Protection +1" is not an item AFAIK, "Scarab of Protection" is.

[planswalker]

this is a cloak of protection knockoff (+1 to each save)

[Shadowleaf]

Okay, let's deal with it when I can get it identified. I still have a body I need to dispose of. What did he have on him?

Drassuk stands over the now naked body for a while. First of all, he makes sure he has not forgotten any possible loot - important papers, ingredients for the charms, a hidden safe or lockbox, etc.
After that, he quietly opens the front door, walks back to the corpse, picks it up. How much does the corpse weigh?

[planswalker]

120 lbs.

oh also, on the corpse was bracers of armor +1

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk pulls out his knife again, looking at the corpse. It will not fit in the Haversack like that. He slices and dices.




Sorry, I really tried to avoid doing that. :smallbiggrin:

[planswalker]

you have a bloody mess, now.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk clears out the main compartment of his Haversack, putting his loot in the two siderooms.

Put BLOODY MESS in HAVERSACK slot.

Drassuk casts Unseen Servant, and tells it to start cleaning up the blood on the floor.


Sorry. Nethack shoutout.
He didn't have a spellbook or scrolls btw?
Now, to light the place on fire or not.

[planswalker]

the unseen servant cleans out the bloodstains. The building is rather closely crowded to others, it would likely catch other houses on fire as well. the BLOODY MESS fits in the sack. You found no spellbooks or scrolls.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk tries to find a quill and a piece of paper.
If possible, he writes a note:


"Kronz,
Your old friends at the Church of Boccob requires your immediate presence at our old meeting place in the countryside, due to matters best left out of this letter.
We hope you will make due haste, and hope it is not too much of an inconvinence.

- Larry The Shield"

He puts the letter in the back of the shop.
He then tells his Servant to open the front door, casts Invisibility, and walks out, telling the Servant to close it behind him.

[planswalker]

so have you spoken, so has it been done.

[Shadowleaf]

So, I just realized Drassuk has no where to go.


Drassuk heads for the Maid and the Mermaid.

[planswalker]

what about the reward at ezekiel's?

[Shadowleaf]

Ezekiel is an old man, and it is after sundown. Guess Drassuk swings by to see if anyone is still up.

[planswalker]

his butler is. "how can i help you?" he asks.

[Shadowleaf]

"Hello, I am Drassuk, I believe Mr. Jedder is expecting me."

[planswalker]

"Ah, his hired thug. here is your reward. can you show me proof of demise?"

[Shadowleaf]

"Called me a thug one more time. Please."

Drassuk puts his hand in the Haversack. Head. He graps the head, and throws it on the floor. "There's your proof."

[planswalker]

"Very good, Mr. Thug. Here is the blood money." he tosses you a sack of gold.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk catches it.
"I have punished men for a lot less. It is only out of respect for your master I will not do the same to you. You should learn your manners, servant, and respect your surperiors."

[planswalker]

"I do respect my superiors, Mr thug. You are not my superior" he slams the door shut before you can say another word.

[Shadowleaf]

He just made Drassuk's to-kill list. Along with Jedder.
How much is in the bag?



Drassuk heads for the Maid and the Mermaid.

[planswalker]

500 gp





.

[Shadowleaf]

Okay. Drassuk still heads for the Maid and the Mermaid.

[planswalker]

The Maid is located in the City Streets.

[Shadowleaf]

How do you handle time differences? It's evening for me, but City Streets could be afternoon to others?

[planswalker]

well, i'm afraid that the temporal prime directive prevents me from sharing the details, but basically, time works like a mmo. Each thread is its own "instance". Time passing in one thread has little bearing on others. The city streets is time-neutral. Time doesn't really pass there. When players' threads interact, rizban and i are careful to make time of day fit well enough. We will even create a temporary co-op thread if two people are going to team up for one mission then head their separate ways. If this confuses you, you can assume in your head that the story is zipping back and forth through time, looking at the various characters as they advance without much regard as to when each event took place. or you can blame it on time-teleporting aliens. take your pick

[Shadowleaf]

Oh magic, I get it.



Points for reference. I'll head to City Streets, try to get a place to sleep, then go to Ezekiel's in the morning on a shopping spree in the morning.

[Shadowleaf]

I'm still at loss as to what the different items I found do:

Amulet of Natural Armor +1
Scarab of Protection +1 (?)
Ring of Protection +1
Bracers of Armor +1
Ring of Feather Falling
Ring of Air Breathing (?)
Ring of Underwater Action (?)
Ring of Underwater Breathing
Boots of Sleepy Steps (?)
Headbang of Vurnability (?)
Headban of Telepathy Protection (?)
22 Silver Holy Symbols
Insignia Ring
35 "magical" charms.

Marked the ones I have no clue what are with a (?)


Drassuk attempts to find a merchant who's willing to buy his aquired loot for a good price.
Selling at least:
Ring of Protection +1
Necklace of Natural Armor +1
Bracers of Armor +1
Scarab of Protection +1
22 Silver Holy Symbols
35 "Magical" Charms
Ring of Underwater Breathing
Ring of Feather Falling

More depending on what the other items do.

[planswalker]

have you identified them in-game yet?

Upon walking down Scale street, you arrive at the Bazaar, where several merchants have already set up shop.

[Shadowleaf]

Oh crud. No, I haven't.
Drassuk attempts to find Wizards willing to cast Identify for him.

11 Castings of Identify +1 on one of the "magical" charms. That's 1200 in material components alone, plus 120 gold for the castings, if going by the Goods and Services prices. Oh and 24 hours.

Edit edit: Okay, Drassuk can actually take care of it himself. Is it too late to revise his spells memorized? If not, he memorized Identify 13 times, buys 13 pearls, and starts casting in his room.

[planswalker]

we can retcon that he did so.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk buys 13 pearls for castings of Identify, then heads up to his room and casts Identify for the next 13 hours.

You make me feel bad for not spoilering my OOC stuff.
Identified:
All the named magical items.
2 "Magical" charms.

[planswalker]

mulet of natural armor +1- as dmg.
Scarab of protection +1- amulet form of cloak of protection (+1 to all saves). ring of protection +1- as dmg,
ring of feather falling- as dmg,
ring of air breathing- allows aquatic creatures to breathe air,
ring of underwater action- no armor check penalty on swim,
ring of water breathing- allows air breathers to breathe water,
boots of sleepy steps- reduces speed by 10; looks like striding and springing,
headband of vulnerability- -3 on will saves,
headband of telepathy protection- absolutely no telepathic messages can be delivered or recieved, cannot even be percieved. Mind reading and other such effects cannot target him,
silver holy symbols for 22 different religions- nonmagical symbols,
an insignia ring- he was the son of a minor lord,
and about 35 different "charms"- they have no actual magic- nystul's magic aura disguises them.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk heads to the magic shop and sells everything except Telepathy Protection.



How much would it cost to have the items altered to a different body slot?

[planswalker]

How much would it cost to have the items altered to a different body slot?
the cost of buying another copy of that one. incidentally, the mage doing so will also give you another copy of the item in the original slot free. sorry for being so smart about it, but i just can't justify how you morph the enchantment from one form to another. If you mean buying an item with those abilities on something other than what the printed material says they're on, the cost will either be the same or x1.5, depending on the body slot affinity.

assuming you sell all the items at the average price offered, you will make 5,551. unfortunately, it is illegal to sell cursed items and thus the sleepy step boots and vulnerability headband could not be sold. The black market could potentially buy them, but not in broad daylight.

[Shadowleaf]

Wait, what? That can't be right. You sell items for 50% of their worth, right?
Ring of Underwater Breathing is 6000 gold.
Ring of Feather Fall is 2200.
Ring of Protection is 2000.
Bracers of Armor is 500.
Amulet of Natural Armor is 2000.
That's 6350 with only half the items.

[planswalker]

uh, no, i'm not. if you would like to roleplay the sales, i am willing to give you half price (assuming you are halfway decent at haggling and/or sales), but i'm trying not to break WBL and still let you have looted a merchant. (no logical in-game reason you can't). the items over 2000 gp value (1000gp made selling to merchants) were depreciated to 1000gp kickback. If you'd like to actually rp the sales, i'm willing up that to the standard values. I'll also award some more story xp to help keep wbl from being completely shot.

[Shadowleaf]

Meh. I think that's.. Thin, honestly. I can't get full price listed in the rules for my items in a major city without putting in an extra effort?
Not that I mind RP'ing it of course, I just think it's wrong.
And why is it so bad to 'break' WBL? If I robbed a couple of banks, I'll only aquire gold equal to my WBL?
So on one side, you won't agree to a rule concerning selling prices, but you will enforce the WBL rule?
:smallfrown:

[planswalker]

i find it hard to synthesize realistic wealth for most civilized situations, standard wbl guide, and pricing guides. I tried to pick the best 2 that won't break the game and retain flavor. standard dnd guidelines (50% sell-back) is far more generous than real life usually is. However, the goal of this game is to be fun for you. If you feel this is unfair, i am willing to bend one of the other 2 principles to help you have fun. which of the 3 are you willing to lose?

[Shadowleaf]

Realism has no place in a D&D game. In a world of Magic, where items never lose quality, there is no reason they should decrease in value.
I don't mind tinkering with the rules at all, but it should be to help the players, not work against them. It's not like it'll ruin the game for me or the other players, that we use the standard selling price rules.

[planswalker]

you've convinced me. feel free to look up the values of the various items (air breathing costs same as water breathing) and credit yourself with half value. I wasn't trying to work against you, i was trying to make it more immersive and believable, but if it's coming off as hostile, clearly i need to change how i do it.

[Shadowleaf]

Not at all. I don't mind a bit of discussion - never really viewed discussions as hostile, we're just sharing opinions here!
I don't think there is a listed price for Water Movement or Scarab of Protection (unless it's just a slot-swapped Cloak of Resistance).

[planswalker]

sell water movement for 2000
ring form costs 50% more than resistance cloak (I've been consistently misremembering it)
well, i wasn't getting emotional about his myself, but someone else took the same tone to be hostile. sorry for projecting his crap on you. I thought it was quite a civilized discussion myself.

[Shadowleaf]

That's 12850 gold. Only 6850 over WBL. :smallwink:
Someone else is reading our stuff? BLASPHEMY! And I've taken no offence what so ever.

[planswalker]

... assuming that you get no more money from other xp-gaining events. which is why i tried to limit you... 12k a haul could soon get ridiculous at your current level.

[Shadowleaf]

I've played in a campaign where we pushed around millions of gold at ECL 6. I'll keep it under control, I promise.
We can go the easy way out - most of the money will be spend on RP stuff - Drassuk needs a house and protection for it.
One thing Drassuk needs to do first, though - get more spells on his spell-list. It's 24 hours per deciphered scroll, right?

[planswalker]

yeah, 24 hours. I'm a lot less unwilling to overshoot WBL if most of the excess goes to rp or other non-combat stuff. What i am trying to avoid is one of my pc's and one of rizban's pc's getting into pvp combat and me breaking WBL by more than rizban did (or, worse, two of mine and the pie has been shared unfairly) making things unfairly slanted. a good scheme to gain extra wealth should grant an advantage, true, but me simply stocking a target with a +5 sword shouldn't be a deciding factor.

[Shadowleaf]

So the plan is:
Instead of upgrading his Headband of Intelligence for more spells and higher DC's, he:
Gets a place to stay, costing a few thousand gold. If Charmguy's place gets put up for sale, he'll buy it in a heartbeat.
Scribes scrolls for a wider spell selection.
Upgrades his Handy Haversack to a Bag of Holding.

[planswalker]

i hope that sounds as cool to you as it does to me. as to the merchant's shop, i'll have to crunch the numbers to get you a cost (based off of the 3.0 supplement Stronghold Builder's Guide, with adjusted modifiers that rizban and i have already calculated)

[Shadowleaf]

Compare as to who is the coolest:
The guy with the biggest sword who sleeps in his cloak, OR:
The guy with the smaller sword running a fully staffed mansion.


I know I know who'd I be.
But I really do love my big swords. :smallbiggrin:

[planswalker]

well, I'll still let you have a good-sized sword. just not one so big it's compensating for something.

[Shadowleaf]

While you crunch the numbers, do you mind I sit down and choose some spells? If you could give me a rough estimate as to how much the house would cost, I'd really appreciate it.

Edit: Okay, Drassuk as 15999 gold.
While laying low for a few days after the job, he goes to the local libraries etc in order to find other Wizards, offering his spellbook in exchange for copying spells from theirs. He is also willing to pay a small fee, should his spells not interest them.
He is looking for he spells:
2nd Level:
Knock
Shatter
Detect Thoughts
Ray of Stupidity

3rd Level:
Dispel Magic
Gaseous Form
Haste
Halt
Major Image
Nondetection
Ray of Exhaustion
Slow

If he cannot find anyone to copy those spells from, he will buy scrolls for the spells and attempt to copy them from there instead.

[Shadowleaf]

And Spellcraft checks for copying the spells:
DC 17:
Knock [roll0]
Shatter [roll1]
Detect Thoughts [roll2]
Ray of Stupidity [roll3]

DC 18:
Dispel Magic [roll4]
Gaseous Form [roll5]
Haste [roll6]
Halt [roll7]
Major Image [roll8]
Nondetection [roll9]
Ray of Exhaustion [roll10]
Slow [roll11]

[planswalker]

Wizards who are not a member of the magic guild are required to learn no new spells from guild members' tomes. Fortunately, there are quite a few scabs hanging out at the local libraries. You find the requested spells in exchange for your own. On an unrelated note, you also notice in that span of time that the house of your first target is being sold by his family for 15,198 gold, 7 silver, and 5 copper. Cash preferred, no questions asked.

[Shadowleaf]

15000? For a 2 story shop? Not going to happen. :smallbiggrin:
I'll stick to my 5 gold a' night room if prices on housing is that high.

[planswalker]

well, housing is kinda expensive in the merchant's quarter. however, that cost is so high primarily because it's also a fancy shop in addition to a basic house. you could buy housing from the Old Town for quite a lot less. you don't have to give up on being a homeowner if you want. the pricing on this housing will pay for itself in about 2.5 years of in-game time.

[Shadowleaf]

Oh I still want to be a homeowner - 15 thousand gold for something that'll probably only be used for resting and eating is a bit much, though.
How much would a two story house in Old Town be?

[planswalker]

well, about 3x the cost of a 1-story, and probably about 1000-3000 gold

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk goes homeshopping for a 2 story house in Old Town, prepared to spend roughly 2500 gold on a good quality house with a decent location.


A few rolls in the next post

[Shadowleaf]

If he finds a proper house, he tries to remember any details worth noting of the house, and inspects the house himself.
Knowledge: Local [roll0]
Knowledge: Architecture[roll1]

And tries to gather some info on the street concerning the house.
Gather Information: [roll2]

[planswalker]

well, give me a while to rejuvenate my creativity. three other character threads are about to coincide for a bit, and a fourth is in a delicate negotiation. my creative juices are running dry. i gotta eat first.

[Shadowleaf]

Sure I don't mind. I'm in team Nonpan as well, so I know about the Warforged and stuff.

[planswalker]

that's riiight. hammer is your bodyguard, he's the one who is staying with pirner. i think i'll just combine everyone into a combined thread for this encounter. link forthcoming.

[Shadowleaf]

Hammer?! It's Cannonball. Much offence taken!

[planswalker]

sorry. i got you and the other warforged bodyguard who just recently got hired to defend a merchant mixed up. the two who both use a two handed weapon to defend their boss and were hired primarily because they are 'forged. I'm terrible with names when i don't look them up and was going off of memory.

[planswalker]

Drassuk goes homeshopping for a 2 story house in Old Town, prepared to spend roughly 2500 gold on a good quality house with a decent location.


A few rolls in the next post


you find a salesman who is willing to help you find the best price and will do all the househunting for you, he asks only 100 gp for his services.

assuming you pay him, he asks, "So, a two-story house, eh? What do want in it, specifically? All sorts of things can be done with a standard 50' plot and a two-story stack."

[Shadowleaf]

"I have floor plans. Keep to them as close as you can."

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/7857/floorplans.png

[planswalker]

"Oh, i do approve of your tastes, and it seems quite functional and elegant, but i am afraid that such a plan is simply unattainable for your asking price. The simple costs of all of it run at least 4,000 gold, which doesn't include the labor or taxes. It can be had for 8,000 or so, and i will do my utmost to keep the price as low as possible. now then, for a simple bedroom-living room-study one-story arrangement we could easily make this work at your asking price, but i have to be realistic with you; what you want cannot be had for 2,500 gold."

i'm afraid that this is just simply the cost of things here. exact figures when we finalize a design. By the magical luck of storytelling, your dream home (or at least the compromise you come down to) will be for sale. don't worry about all of your money going into this, i will replenish your coffers. No one will be punished for rp expenses. You will at least get WBL no matter what. I promise. My dm'ing money weakness is being too generous, not too stingy.

[Shadowleaf]

"I do not make comprimises. I know what I want, and you are going to get it for me. Write up a proper budget with estimated costes, and we will look it over. I am prepared to spend more."



Deducted ink cost from currency blog. Something struck me though - Drassuk has a familiar, but, you know, his whole sly-bastard-I-work-alone-and-am-grumpy doesn't really work if there's a kittycat on the floor.
Drassuk is already pretty powerful as it is, but could we find a trade for his Summon Familiar class ability? The only one I can recall AFB is Immediate Magic or something, which requires you to be a specialist.

[planswalker]

the xp threat of losing the familiar is considered a balanced tradeoff. you can simply choose to not have one, but i'm not going to give you a houserule tradeout. Like you said, you are pretty powerful and i don't think you really need it. If you can find an official trade for your familiar, i'll allow that. A kitty or hawk following you around isn't your character, no.

"Well, you can buy in the Old Town where the land is cheapest, except for the dock slums, but you don't want to live with those cutthroats. There is a very nice view from this historic part of town, and even a few house-run museums of some of the more colorful parts of the town's history. I estimate that what you want can be had for just about 7,100 gold, including a slight fee of about 20 gold for my services. This is in addition to your 100 gold you have already payed, since i am helping you to get a rather special and exclusive deal. That would be the entire house, title, and deed. my services will have been paid in full. I can have everything ready for you to sign and pay the day after tomorrow."

that's simply in-game time, wherein you can do another job real quick if you want, or we can skip straight to the house buying.

[Shadowleaf]

"Tell me, do you know much about the criminals in the docks? Are they organized, or are they just concentrated there? And yes, that sounds agreeable. What title would go with such a house?"

[planswalker]

"Well, none. It's just a house, but i guess that would make you a landed freeman, so you call yourself Freeman if you so wish. It does give you the right to attend city council meetings, but they don't have any real power in the city. They mostly just keep up the sewers and such."

"As to the criminals in the docks, i don't associate much with them myself, but i assume that some crime lord or another runs things down there, but it looks a little too chaotic for any one boss to run all of it."

[Shadowleaf]

"Fair enough, just asking. Put together the budget, try to keep it below, say, 7500, if possible."



Can I be named Gordon too, then?
Freeman Drassuk sounds stupid.
The only ACFs I could find were Wizard of the Sun and Moon (while totally lulz, is no where near what I imagine Drassuk to be), and the specialists-get-cool-stuff.

Edit: Okay, how about this: Enchanters with the UA ACF for Wizards get a cohort at level 6 instead of a familiar. Can I trade my familiar for a butler, who is totally useless, but keeps my house clean, cooks my food and shuts up about my business?

It's fluffy, it's not powered, and it's totally awesome. And it's that or Polymorphing my familiar into a butler. :smallwink:

[planswalker]

"As you wish." He leaves to get the current arrangements made.

if you want to officially change your name, that's only 10 gold and filing some papers down at clerk's office. Any landed freeman can do so. Of course, there is no cost associated with nicknames. oh, and i LIKE the butler thing. Yes, you can have it.

The salesman comes back the day after tomorrow to the appointed meeting place, with a deed in hand, previous owner at his side, and a witness in tow. "If you would like a tour of the place first, please feel free." the owner says.

[Shadowleaf]

"Do I look dumb? Of course I want to see the place first."

[planswalker]

"No offense intended. It is merely that many savvy homeowners have already toured the place ahead of time and scoped it out themselves. Since you are a newcomer to the business and working through an intermediary, i did you the courtesy of asking if you had already done so or not."

You are taken through a tour of the house, and it seems to be exactly what you were looking for, with a ssecond0story window in the study with a beautiful view of the city.

"As a safety precaution, it is customary for a new homeowner to install new locks in the doors and windows, since one can never be sure that the previous owners do not have a copy of a key or two hidden away or "lost". We took the courtesy of removing the locks already so that you need merely pay for your new ones."

[Shadowleaf]

"Yes of course. I plan on protecting the place with every spell imaginable as well. No one is going to rob me, that is sure."



Inspecting for water damage, making sure it's 'up to code' and whatever, etc stuff.
Knowledge: Architecture [roll0]

[planswalker]

To the best of your knowledge, it has been well taken care of.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk signs the deed, buys furniture, and picks up a butler.


.. And Shadowleaf heads to bed. Sorry, but I really have to.

The Butler is of course named James, preferably has a class level or two just for the heck of it (a Beguiler Butler would be so awesome)
He cooks, cleans, lives somewhere else, and simply wipes up the blood should Drassuk drag a corpse home - as in, no questions asked.

[planswalker]

Everything goes as you wished it to

don't worry about it. like death and taxes, sleep eventually comes for us all.

[Shadowleaf]

So now Drassuk owns a house which is being furnitured by his butler James The Beguiler. Great.
What's the total cost of the house, the furniture, and Whimy McWhimp the Real Estate Agent's services?

[planswalker]

7,300 gold was spent to make this new home exactly as you wished it to be

7,087.5 for the house itself, the agent charged the amount for his services necessary to bump this up to an even 7,200 (including his 100g upfront cost). Your butler spent another 100 gold on new locks for the outside doors and the furniture you want.

gotta go to bed myself, now. insomnia the night before a test sucks

[Shadowleaf]

Happy with his new house and James, Drassuk prepares new spells for work, then head to Ezekiel's Supplies.

Oh, and picks up a Longsword on the way, if possible.

[planswalker]

"Welcome back, my boy. What can i do for you today? if you're looking for work, i think i know of another target you can take care of for me."

[Shadowleaf]

"Hello again, mr Jedder. I would be glad to.. Help out. One of you employees need to learn his place, though. I take great pride in my work, I am a perfectionist when it comes to do what I do - as I said the first time my met, it is my strongest talent. I am no simple thug, as your employee suggested."

[planswalker]

"Do forgive Mr. Pennyworth. He is a very reliable and efficient butler, but he can be rather stuffy about modern business practices. I will tell him to be civil in the future. Don't expect him to like you, but he should be polite at least. I promise you, I value your services highly. If you feel that you can handle it, your next target's head is worth 1500 gold to me."

[Shadowleaf]

"I do not care for him liking or not - he should just know his place as a servant, and know respect. What are the details for this job?"

[planswalker]

"I would just like to note that Mr. Pennyworth may be a servant, but he has had the implicit trust of running my family's household for three generations. It wouldn't demean you to give him a modicum of respect as well."

"As for your new assignment, I have heard that Mr. Pirner is opening a talk with Oskar Heilran of the mage's guild. I cannot allow him to gain an ally among the mages. dispose of him."

[Shadowleaf]

"A Mage? Of what power?"

[planswalker]

"He is no more powerful than your last target, but he has quite a few more resources than your last target, and keeps a bodyguard on retainer. He is also more cagey and does not invite strangers into his home late at night."

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk smiles. "Oh, you heard about that? Whatever gets the job done. Where does he live?"

[planswalker]

"Yes indeed. Whatever gets it done. His house is the one at the inner corner of Dorin's bend. His shop is located just outside of Brass square."

[Shadowleaf]

"Does his bodyguard accompany him to work?"

[planswalker]

"everywhere. He even watches over him in the same room as he sleeps"

[Shadowleaf]

"His bodyguard does not require sleep? That complicate things. Do you know anything else about this bodyguard?"

[planswalker]

"Well, it's not that his bodyguard doesn't sleep. It's just that he always seems to wake up whenever anyone unfriendly to his client approaches the room. He's a human, by all appearances, but there is something odd about him. No one ever sees him eat or drink. And he never smiles."

[Shadowleaf]

"Hm. That could be any number of things. Any word on his combat abilities?"

[planswalker]

"He normally shoots lightning from his hands."

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk tries to recall if he knows anything that might shoot lightning from its hands, while still appearing to be human.



Knowledge: Arcana I guess [roll0]

[planswalker]

very likely either a magic-user who has silenced his spells or a psion of some sort. That seems to be the most likely. anything else would be incredibly rare and your readings did not mention it in detail.

[Shadowleaf]

"I will need time to purchase a few things, and complete my battle plan. Expect it done within 3 days."

Drassuk leaves.


Righto. Need to memorize some other spells. If I had only gone full cheese mode, this wouldn't be hard.

Let's see.
1st Level:
Charm Person
Ray of Enfeeblement three times
Magic Missile twice

Second Level:
Hideous Laughter
Glitterdust
Invisibility
Ray of Stupidity twice

Third Level:
Suggestion
Hold Person
Dispel Magic


I also need to pick up a Scroll of Silence.

[planswalker]

drassuk is in the streets just outside his employer's shop.

get as cheesy as you wish. I'll keep ratcheting up the diff a little bit at a time.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk goes home, rests, and gets ready for tomorrow evening.



I'd rather not. Nerveskitter is taking things a bit too far, in my opinion.

Drassuk rests to be able to prepare a new spell list. I think he has everything he needs.

Oh yea, did he find a place to buy a longsword?

[planswalker]

of course he does. there are literally dozens of merchants, any of whom can get him anything from a simple common iron longsword to an adamantine longsword that is +3 and holy. with an upper gp limit of say 100,000 gp you just have to say "my character buys x" and i can assume that he finds it.

[Shadowleaf]

That'll help coup de grace damage a little bit.
Anyway, rest, and if Drassuk knows where the guy lives, he goes there after sundown.

[planswalker]

You approach his house as the sun sets. it is an elaborate two-story constuction, with a sense of dignified age and respect. Since the current owner is not of noble blood,you must conclude that he purchased it from a noble family who could no longer afford to keep it.

[Shadowleaf]

Ugh. I hate to do this mid-action, but we'll have to pick up in roughly 15+ hours time. I have a big exam in 14 hours, and I need to go sleep.
Sorry.

[planswalker]

no problem. rl comes first.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk has come up with a choice of actions. First, he invokes an Invisibility spell, then a Gaseous Form spell. Then he floats up to the upper floor and tries to find a window he can seep through.

[planswalker]

the windows are not airtight.

[Shadowleaf]

Then he seeps through the crack.

[planswalker]

Inside of his bedroom is his bed and a nightstand. you almost miss noticing his bodyguard in the corner. He snaps awake and says, "Who is out there? I can sense you, and know that you mean my client or myself harm. Surrender and you will die quickly."

[Shadowleaf]

Man, he's hardcore. Picks up an invisible almost soundless being entering the room? This might be tough.

Also, could I get a description of the place? Size, etc. How does the bodyguard look, where is the bed, all that jazz.

[planswalker]

he doesn't know where you are, just that you are within 30 feet of him. The bodyguard is human, about 5'9, has tattoos all over his body and what appear to be crystals embedded all over his body. you can see at least 5. The room is 20x20, the door is on the far wall, flush with the left wall. The bed is lengthwise along the right wall, head facing the wall you just oozed out of. The bodyguard is in the corner of the far wall and the right wall. do you need more of a description than that?

I'm happy to give it, it's just that i don't plan these details out ahead of time, so i flesh it out as i go based off of the outline already established in my head. I already know the gist of it, but i don't have a full description pre-written out. That's part of how i manage to post as reliably as i do.

[Shadowleaf]

Spellcraft and/or knowledge arcane to have a better idea of what I am fighting. Assuming I can dechiper the tattoos and/or use of crystals.

Knowledge: Arcana [roll0]
Spellcraft: [roll1]

[planswalker]

he has all the hallmarks of a psion who uses embedded crystals and psionic tattoos. oh, and side-effect: you recognize that he is using the power of detect hostile intent, likely something that he did as soon as his alarm went off upon any living creature entering the room. he seems rather better-prepared than your last target was, although his boss is still soundly asleep and he can't actually see you.

[Shadowleaf]

Never fought a Psion before. This should be interesting.

Hoping to catch him offguard with a frontal attack, Drassuk dismisses his Gaseous Form spell, and tries to catch the Psion with a Suggestion spell - Drassuk says calmly "Sit down, shut up and close your eyes until I tell you otherwise."


DC 21, as always.

[Shadowleaf]

And initative, I assume.
[roll0]

[planswalker]

he sits down and shuts up. As his eyes close, a smug smile spreads across his face. a glowing nimbus around him appears, and he seems to shrink in half.

[Shadowleaf]

Spellcraft: [roll0]

Ray of Enfeeblement. [roll1]

Strength damage: [roll2]

Edit: Botched roll. Reroll or go with 1+3?

[Shadowleaf]

If you want reroll:
[roll0] Strength damage.

[planswalker]

You sap the man's strength, at which he silently chuckles to himself, and a thin ray of electricity shoots from one of his hands. It strikes you square in the chest for [roll0] damage.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk falls to the floor.

At -2.
So uhm. 24 damage with closed eyes, no saving throw or anything? Righto.

[planswalker]

oops. forgot you had him close his eyes. there was an attack roll. he fails the miss chance

the electric ray misses you wildly as he is aiming blind.

[Shadowleaf]

This is why I hate DMs doing secret rolling. You could've simply said that in order to not have me lose my character, or you could be honest.
Anyway. Spellcraft 20 didn't identify his shrink power?

This is a worth advesary. Time to go all out.

Drassuk conjures up another spell. Hold Person.


Will DC 20

[planswalker]

well, in my defense, i did report things honestly. if one electric ray kills you, it kills you. i had honestly forgotten that his eyes were closed by the suggestion and the miss chance honestly failed. at this point, if your low-hp guy dies, he dies.

he seems to be shaking in absolute laughter. your hold person had no effect. he aims another blind electric ray from his hand

for your benefit, the miss chance will be rolled openly. i'm still doing the attack roll secretly. [roll0] low 50 is a miss.

[Shadowleaf]

Drassuk moves to the nearest cover within range - preferably behind the bed.

He then lets off a Ray of Enfeeblement.

[roll0]

[roll1]

[planswalker]

i am very sorry. he rolled a natural 20 and then a 16 for the roll, not including the modifier, which is a positive number and overcomes your touch ac. i bear you no ill will, but he deals [roll0] damage on his crit. i swear to you it was a (un)lucky die roll. If you feel that my die rolling policy is unfair, you are welcome to have rizban dm your next guy. i am very sorry that this outcome supports the hypothesis that i am not actually rolling dice but merely picking numbers, but i feel it is important that i follow the die rolls honestly.

The bodyguard's electric ray hits you square in the face, frying your brain.


the bodyguard was a 6th level elan psion who used compression (learned off of his 3rd level expanded knowledge feat) and energy ray, modified to 6d6. he is an abberration, not a humanoid, and either a knowledge (psionics) or (dungeoneering) check would be required to identify it as not human, since their appearance is almost identical to humans. I'm afraid that psionics are a purely mental action, so having him sit on his hands wouldn't help.

once again, i want you to know that there are no hard feelings on my end and i quite enjoyed dm'ing your guy and am truly sorry that he got unlucky. i'm tempted even now to ignore what i rolled and have him have rolled a 1 or something to spare your guy. I'd love to dm your next guy, but will understand if you do not trust me.

[Shadowleaf]

It's fine, no hard feelings. I just need to beef up my characters in order to survive this.

I'll be rolling up a new one soon ish. I'd be glad if you wanted to DM :smallwink:

[planswalker]

thanks! i was very worried that one of my favorite players may have been alienated by secret die rolls that just so happened to look like i was picking on him. and, just to be brutally honest, this psion is not nearly as dangerous as either of the two full manifesters on metasynapse or the psion on nonpan. and there are at least 2 characters that can see through invisibility. And more of the other pc's aren't humanoids than are. all that said, i liked your character and thought he was a solid tier 3, very useful in the right situation, practically unbeatable against the right opponents, but mediocre in other things. many of the pc's are tier 1 or 2, although riz and i are trying to limit the power curve that there are no inherently broken tier zero's.

[Shadowleaf]

I tried to give him a schtick - the whole Enchantment/infiltration route. Disguise Self, Suggestion, Invisbility, Knock etc.
It's on purpose I've given him Mind Influencing spells, seeing as Drassuk sought to dominate/ascend the human mind. Taking the strong will of others and then crushing it appealed to him.

Edit: If I conjure up another Assassin, what power level should I then aim for?

[planswalker]

well, if you want to solo in this city, aim for a solid tier 1. anything less, and you will get ganked by someone eventually. if you get a good enough build, bodyguard teams generally gain xp slower than solo assassins. get a few levels on a bodyguard team, and i;ll even pit you against them.

[Shadowleaf]

Bah. There's no fun in playing a straight tier 1 character, in my opinion.
Maybe you guys should consider gestalt. I think it'd help a lot for those soloing.

[planswalker]

bring it up with rizban. i'm cool with whatever the pc's want.