Watchtower––Volume Three

[Stycotl]

note to self: reorganize first post before creation of new thread.

Relevant Threads/Pages:

Watchtower––Volume II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121368)

Watchtower–Aftermath (Volume I) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85229)

Starring:

Hans (Doppleganger Chaos Mage) (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=15074), played by Tacitus; Longest running player; 2008-2014

Illanimus Gnosticarnum (Soulfused Quesar Psicarnate), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=905221) played by Nemquae

Ke'yash (Human Shaman/Soulguard/Incarnate), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=910803) played by Chambers

Levi Dale (Sniper/Society Mind) (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=16755), played by Tacitus; Longest running player; 2008-2014

Oldqua O'rodir (Ghost Pious Templar Paladin), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=238200) played by Jack_Simth

Robert (Illumian Factotum/Seer), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=303740) played by Ben-zayb

Sliver (Ratfolk Warlock/Artisan), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=753628) played by Re'ozul

Zorus Calladdallen (Gnome Über Caster), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=867843) played by Whiskeyjack

Retired Characters:

Aelyth Maernraheal (Dryad Druid/Healer), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=325847) played by Spyder-Cel

Calypso (half-nymph druid-shaper), played by Monty; player MIA

Celestica (Elven Paladin Monk), (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=40860) played by MikelaC1 (Fluff) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showp...0&postcount=35); player retired, but Celestica is still alive, training ranger units for Luna Citadel

Dalbar (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=116327), played by Obscurejones; player retired, but Dalbar is still alive and well, serving Luna Citadel in a recon unit

Elric Krossos (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=127198), played by Mhvaughan; died in glorious combat against a corrupted nature spirit (heavily modified chichimec); player retired; player has official ninja lurker posting privileges

Erfel Fencallad (Gnomish Sorcerous Bardic War Weaver) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=142313), played by Douglas; player retired; player has official ninja lurker posting privileges; (played earlier by Lordsmoothe)

Erfel Fencallad (Gnome Bard-Binder; earlier version), played by Lordsmoothe (and since recreated by Douglas); player retired; player has official ninja lurker posting privileges; Lordsmoothe was the one that started the Watchtower; I just took it over when he was unable to continue

Feldas Tieflet (Tiefling Monk/Rogue), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=363288) played by Kaganmonk

Finvarra (Talansidhe Warlock Paladin) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=181768), played by Mhvaughan; secondary character, retired due to high player count; player retired; player has official ninja lurker posting privileges

Hestaby (Strange Tome Dragon), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=369645) played by Toptomcat

Justice (Warforged Constructor Factotum), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=237671) played by Gnorman; player retired

Kelurn Sanora (Human Warblade-Swordsage) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=116134), played by Douglas; player retired; player has official ninja lurker posting privileges

Kettenbar Sunson (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=141946), played by Obscurejones; died in glorious combat against a corrupted nature spirit (heavily modified chichimec); player retired

The irreplaceable Kyrill Medvedyev (Half Orc Werebear Barbarian) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=180216)(Raging) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=180211), (Antimagic Zone) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=121468) played by Mhvaughan; player retired; player has official ninja lurker posting privileges

Miirikaujir Vaeriternesj (Dragonborn Aasimar Sandshaper), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=268758) played by Userpay

Renatus (Dragon-kin Sublime Psychic Warrior), played by Duke of URL; player retired

Roland (Human Crusader/Warmarked), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=361316) played by Wyvernlord

Sefu Kek (Sorcerous Marrulurk Assassin) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=115128), played by Sinenomine; player MIA

Shek (Fire Elf Initiator), played by Archerpowr; player retired

Starry-Eyes (Halfling Ranger Green Star Adept), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=239140) played by The Vorpal Tribble; player retired, more or less...

Ugrot (Goliath Frenzied Berserker), played by Realms of Chaos; player retired

Uther Gromgrosh (Dragonborn Aasimar Sublime Bard), (http://pifro.com/pro/view.php?id=7548) played by Silva Stormrager; player retired

Xavier (Githzerai Shadow Sun Monk), (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=116289) played by josh13905


Watchtower Organization

Leadership
Lemion Shwalenst––Shieldmarshal; Artillerist

Team 1
Levi Dale––First Sword; Artillerist; First Team Leader; Communication
Finvarra––Second Sword; Artillerist; Scout
Oldqua––Second Sword; Skirmisher; Medic, Scout
Starry-Eyes––Second Sword; Skirmisher; Scout
Xavier––Second Sword; Infiltration; Scout

Team 2
Kyrill Medvedyev––First Sword; Front Liner; Second Team Leader; Tracker
Justice––Second Sword; Second Team Assistant Team Leader; Artillerist
Hans––Second Sword; Artillerist; Infiltration
Kurukshetra––Second Sword; Frontliner;

watchmen that still need assigned secondary responsibilities: justice; kurukshetra

still need: traps; another medic

Rank Structure
Enlisted:
E-1; Trumpet; Private
E-2; Second Sword; Lance Corporal
E-3; First Sword; Corporal
E-4; Iron Lance; Sergeant
E-5; Bronze Lance; Staff Sergeant
E-6; Grand Lance; Master Sergeant
Commissioned:
O-1; Junior Commander; Second Lieutenant
O-2; Commander; First Lieutenant
O-3; Master Commander; Captain
O-4; Shield Marshal; Colonel
O-5; Grand Marshal; General
O-6; Crown Marshal Arch Council


The Contracts:


Luna Citadel Armed Forces Contract

I, __________________, have voluntarily enlisted in the Luna Citadel Armed Forces for a period of two Celestial years, beginning on the date, ______, and ending on the date, ______.

I understand that I can resign before the above termination date, but that I will forfeit any and all future benefits.

I understand that I am enlisting as a Combat Specialist, and will be required to place myself in harm's way on a consistent basis, in order to serve the greater needs of Celestia, as defined by my superior officers of Luna Citadel.

I understand that I am to receive a monthly salary while serving for Luna Citadel, beginning in the amount of 100 auras every month, subject to an increase or decrease as determined by my superior officers of Luna Citadel.

I understand that Luna Citadel will undertake all medical responsibilities for my well being, up to, but not including, death.

I understand that I am subject to obey lawful orders from my superior officers.

I understand that Luna Citadel law and regulatory policies may change without notice, and that I will still be subject to those changes.

I understand that upon successful and acceptable completion of my enlistment, I will be entitled to certain benefits for the rest of my existence.
1) I will always have an open position within Luna Citadel, regardless of current service positions available; this position may or may not be within my original training and service; pay for this permanent position will be subject to both need and the decision of the superior officers of Luna Citadel; this permanent position may be revoked at any time with unsatisfactory behavior or circumstances, as defined by the superior officers of Luna Citadel.
2) I will always have the right to speak before the Citadel-Celestial Bureaucracy liaisons, in order to affect future Luna Citadel regulations, or to affect the legislation of the Celestial Bureaucracy as regarding Luna Citadel; this right may be revoked at any time with unsatisfactory behavior or circumstances, as defined by the superior officers of Luna Citadel.
3) I will always have the right to attend the social and ceremonial functions of Luna Citadel, up to and including those available to me according to my rank at end of service, as if I were still an active service member of Luna Citadel; this right may be revoked at any time with unsatisfactory behavior or circumstances, as defined by the superior officers of Luna Citadel.
4) Other rights may be given as determined by the superior officers of Luna Citadel.

****WARNING: Confidential Section to follow:

Watchtower Contract

I, __________________, have voluntarily enlisted in the Watchtower for a period of two Celestial years, beginning on the date, ______, and ending on the date, ______.

I have voluntarily chosen this wartime obligation, and have not been coerced, by any mundane or supernatural force, to this decision.

I understand that the Watchtower is a nonexistent entity within Luna Citadel, and that I am never to refer to it to those that do not have access to this information; these individuals will be introduced to me presently.

I understand that if I reveal information in a willful or negligent manner, I may be held accountable and prosecutable by the superior officers of Luna Citadel.

I understand that my service in the Watchtower entitles me to a further 100 auras every month in base pay, subject to an increase or decrease as determined by my superior officers of Luna Citadel.

I understand that once I give my final signature, and am accepted by this document, and by the superior officers of Luna Citadel, this section of the contract that pertains to service in the Watchtower will disappear, and will not be made visible except with the consent of the superior officers of Luna Citadel. I further understand that if and when I have reason to review the terms of my enlistment and service to the Watchtower, that I have the right to review the entire contract, including this section pertaining to the Watchtower, with the supervision of a superior officer of Luna Citadel.

I understand the fourfold mission of the Watchtower to be as follows, and I will do my best to further these missions:

One--The Watchtower will identify and monitor high-risk areas, which are generally defined as areas with substantially higher than normal percentages of powerful villains as compared to powerful protectors. These designated areas will be consistently monitored for future problems, in which case the Watchtower will respond as reasonable. In such cases as it is not expedient or reasonable to annihilate the threat, the mission will be to check and control that evil until it can be eradicated.

Two--The Watchtower will identify those villains that skirt planar and area boundaries sufficient to confuse the responsible and authorized application of justice and righteousness. These villains will be eradicated when reasonable, and monitored, checked, and controlled when not.

Three--The Watchtower will respond to requests for aid from sincerely needful individuals or groups. These areas will then be reviewed to determine whether they meet the qualifications for mission number one.

Four--The Watchtower will preserve the lives of innocents whenever possible, and will take appropriate steps to minimize collateral damage within the areas of its operation. Further, the Watchtower will apply the proper emergency relief to those innocents affected by the operation or the targets of the operation. This duty includes medical and guardianship roles where applicable, but does not under normal circumstances include rebuilding, political reform, or other matters of infrastructure. These matters will be handled by Luna Citadel as determined appropriate by the superior officers of the organization.

NOTE: The divine nature of this contract will not allow for dishonest or untrue answers to any of the statements, whether knowingly or unknowingly. If the contract does not accept your final signature, you have been rejected for said service, and will have your memory regarding this incident erased. By attempting to sign this contract, you are giving your permission for said actions by the superior officers of Luna Citadel.

Final Signature: ____________________________ Date: ____________

Witness: ___________________ Witness: _____________________

Luna Citadel Recorder: ______________________ Date: ____________

along with your goals, post a link to your character sheet. that way i can patch it into this directory.

Watchtower Intel
en route.

Rewards

2011 and previous––unrecorded
2011/12/26––1,000 xp xtra to everyone for christmas
2111/11/?––(B) Blooded feat
2012/01/07––2,000 xp to everyone for market place and church crypts
2012/03/03––+4 skill points to everyone for DM tardiness


thanks, aaron out.

[Stycotl]

My houserules

if you have questions, comments, complaints, or ideas, let me know. if you communicate with me, i'll have a better idea of what you need, or what i can do for you. be respectful, and i'll be respectful in turn, even if you are disagreeing with me. these houserules change all of the time. if i find another one i like, or you point me toward one, or we agree that i need to change one of them, i will. i will post it in-game (oocly), when i change a rule, so you all know to look here.

aaron's rule of participation––
1––roleplay. if you are here for the battles only, you're in the wrong thread. i have a basic storyline planned, but it is open, and i can't push the story ahead if you aren't willing to take some initiative. that said, there will be a lot of battles, but there can be as much exploration and rp as you guys want too. so long as you'll do it.
2––post regularly. by that, i mean at least a few times a week. i am not (yet) going to come up with a hard and fast limit, but if you haven't posted for more than two weeks without giving me some kind of notice, you are auto out, and your character will be sent directly to carceri. i'd love to make exceptions in some cases, but i've been making too many. so, two weeks is the cut off.
3––be adult enough to give me a heads up before slinking off for whatever reason (boredom, school, etc). it's not going to hurt my feelings if you want out, but have the stones to let me know so that the rest of us aren't left wondering.
4––be adult enough to tell me when you are bored, frustrated, unsatisfied. i had a girlfriend once, and we never argued or had any other problems. ever. i even bragged about it because it was so nice to be in such a pleasant relationship. then one day (9 months after we separated amiably) she broke down and admitted that she always felt unappreciated, and that she always resented it. a little bit of communication could have fixed that to begin with. if you have an issue with the game, TELL ME! i'd much rather know and be able to fix it, then have you disappear and hope we don't run into each other on the forums.
5––give a considerable commitment to the game. i've been running this since 2008 when l'smoothe left, and it has had its slow moments, but it has been fun too. the more you commit (participate), the easier it will be for me to make sure that it is fun for you.

Ability Score and Feat Acquisition-- this will be similar to the pathfinder game, in that you gain feats based off of hit dice at 1st level, and then every odd level afterward (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc); ability score improvements will condense to once every 3 levels (same level that feat acquisition used to hold). so you guys get another ability score increase (had one at 4th and 8th levels; now have one at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels).

AC
10 + 1/2 BAB is your base AC before any modifiers. The bonus to base AC because of high BAB is not negated when flatfooted or even unconscious––consider it a measure of your resilience and hardened nature.

AC as DR
Armor and natural armor bonuses that usually add to AC now no longer do so. They add to DR instead. Shield bonuses add to both AC and DR. These bonuses to DR from armor, natural armor and shields are all referred to as armor DR, or DR/armor.

The DR an armor, natural armor or shield provides is equal to its total armor bonus with a +1 bonus at BAB +5 and another +1 every 5 points of BAB after that (+4 at +20 BAB, etc). Creatures not proficient with the armor or shield they wear do not gain the bonus to DR at higher levels of BAB. Armor, natural armor and shield DR is specifically untyped DR, meaning that it is not negated by magic weapons, adamantine weapons, etc. Armor DR specifically stacks with all other kinds of DR. Subtract damage dealt to the creature first from armor DR, then DR obtained through magic items, etc, then all other kinds of DR.

Attacks from incorporeal creatures ignore armor and natural armor DR entirely, unless that DR is attributed to a force effect or similar effect that specifically counters such attacks. Attacks from amorphous (elementals, oozes, etc) or swarm creatures treat the DR/armor as half of its normal strength.

Aid Another-- characters with similar casting types can help each other out on caster level checks just as if they were skill checks (with a DC 10 caster level check from the helper). thus, two warlocks could aid another warlock in making an invoker check, but could not also help the party wizard unless they also had arcane caster levels.

Badasses-- http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118689

yeah, so i really liked hadrian_emrys' badass substitution level idea and am implementing it here. there are a few changes to the rules though.

my BADASS houserules
CMA point recovery: between chapters, so long as there was a legnth of downtime of at least a day, any character with a CMA point pool has their pool refreshed to a maximum of 50% capacity (minimum of 1 point recovery, up to max), to reflect the triumphs and failures of normal life.
Substitution Level Gain: If you think that someone did something truly awesome, nominate him or her for a badass level. note that epically extreme acts of daring are not the only kinds of badassedness; ingenious ambushes set up by a badass rogue, uberly resourceful spell applications, and other feats of player cunning or creativity, if properly badassed, are all candidates. the dm reserves the right to veto a character from getting a badassed level if he deems it necessary. note also that unlike the various rp awards, even npc's can be nominated for this reward.

These levels are earned retroactively, never along with the level that you are about to earn unless you already have as many badass levels as you do class levels, and always from the lowest level available. Thus, an 8th level fighter that earns a badass level would apply it to his 1st hit dice, or 1st fighter level. If he later gained another badass level, it would apply to his 2nd hit dice, or 2nd fighter level.
weapon and armor proficiency: gain one additional weapon group proficiency and armor group proficiency that you do not have. If you have all of the basic groups (simple and martial weapons; light, medium, and heavy armor; small, heavy, buckler, and tower shields), then you can gain one exotic weapon and exotic armor proficiency feat per badass level.
A Crowning Moment of Awesome: CMA pool points can only be spent as a free act once per turn in order to treat one dice roll (regardless of kind) as naturally maximized (natural 20 on a d20, natural 8 on a d8, etc). Unspent points disappear after 24 hours (this allows points to be spent in social situations even if dice rolls have not yet come into play).
Badass Feat Changes
Back to Back Badasses: prerequisite: 15 hit dice, 2 badass levels, badass speech; you can spend a CMA point so that all adjacent allies gain one maximized dice roll of their choice this turn as if they had spent a CMA point with the Crowning Moment of Awesome ability.
Badass Roast: prerequisites: 5 hit dice; spend one CMA point in order to treat the next d20 roll made by a foe within 30 feet of you as a natural 1. if this foe does not make a d20 roll within one turn, your spent point is wasted and nothing happens.
Total Badass: prerequisites: 15 hit dice, 2 badass levels, badass roast; spend a CMA point to make all adjacent enemies treat their next d20 roll as a natural 1. Those that doe not make a d20 roll within 1 round are not effected by this use.
Shneekey's Feats in post #13
Extreme Badass: subsumed into badass recovery.
Bring it on: prerequisites: 15 hit dice, 2 badass levels, eloquent description
Eleoquent Description: prerequisites: 5 hit dice.

feel free to homebrew other badass feats with my approval.


Class Fixes-- same as feat fixes. let me know if you have others that need fixing, or different ideas than what is already here.


Monk: full bab (or you can try my homebrewed celox; check sig)

Sorcerer: see Sorcerer's Lament below; it is complicated enough that it deserved its own houserule heading.


Damage Thresholds--
the more a creature is injured, the harder it is for it to fight or act. injured creatures take penalties to attack and damage rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and movement.

creatures that are immune to critical hits, immune to pain, or are under the effect of a barbarian rage or equivalent are immune to injury penalties.

uninjured–full hit points: no penalties

hurt–75% hit points: -1/-5 feet

wounded–50% hit points: -2/-10 feet

mauled–25% hit points: -4/-15 feet

these penalties disappear as soon as the damage is healed.

Diplomacy--i use a variant of the rich burlew rules, but i do throw in fairly substantial circumstance bonuses/penalties at times.

DM's Behavioral Consequences--Any time the DM disappears for longer than one week without giving the players notice beforehand (and thereby violating his own rules of common courtesy), each player character gains 4 extra skill points that can be spent normally, owing to the oodles of virtual downtime that they and their players have had to train. (this rule is not in play at this time; after my school schedule calms down a bit, this will be reinstated)

Note that it will at times be up to the players to keep track if the DM has been gone longer than 7 days, as he might be too scatterbrained and distracted with RL issues to have counted.

Favored Classes-- this is an idea swiped from the intrepid rathgar (a fellow playgrounder); the favored class feature of the different races is severely underplayed. from now on, in addition to the rules already in place, for each level taken in a race's favored class, a character gains an additional 2 hit points and 2 skill points. if it is the character's first level, they instead gain an additional 3 hit points and 3 skill points. for classes with a favored class listed as "any", the character's first class counts as their favored class (gestalt characters characters can pick one of their two first classes if they fall into this category).

Feat Fixes-- this will take a while to compile (cool, i... nevermind...), but i will attempt to post all of my houserule fixes here. if you have one that you want to bring up, it'll probably get put on the wall a lot sooner, so don't hesitate. here they are:

dodge: so, dodge, epitome of a useless feat. now, you get +1/3 levels. max +6 at 18th (then you can take epic dodge). or, you can scrap that as a swift act in order to get half the dodge bonus to all foes (rounded down). can use swift act to change it back and forth. now it is a little better.

item creation feats: i am thinking of making one feat for psionic creation, one for divine magic creation, one for arcane magic, etc. haven't done it yet, but... if and when i get rid of all of those feats, characters that had them will be able to pick new feats as if they were retraining.

metamagic/psionics/etc feats: this is in the works, but i am probably going to scuttle the whole feat system. i am thinking of making it a function of spellcraft and its cousins. tell me if you have better ideas. if, and when--yeah, same as above.

sacred vow: gives +1 perfection bonus to will saves as well. waste of a feat otherwise; always made me feel icky when i had to take it to get vop, and a holy vow should make no one feel icky.

snatch/improved grab: both the feat and the ability have the exact same effect, and anything that snatch can do, that is not explicitly stated in improved grab, still works.

skill focus: gives a bonus to the skill equal to 3+1/ 4 HD (+4 at 4th, +5 at 8th, etc).

weapon finesse (and intuitive attack, etc): at +11 bab, these feats allow you to add the appropriate ability mod to damage instead of strength in melee combat


Gestalt Progression--i don't care if you have levels in the same class on both sides of the progression, so long as you don't have two of the same abilities at the same level...
example:
1--LA 1//wizard 1
2--LA 2//wizard 2
3--rogue 1//wizard 3
4--rogue 2//wizard 4
5--rogue 3//wizard 5
6--wizard 6//sandshaper 1 (with spell progression dead level)
7--rogue 4//sandshaper 2
etc...
...and as long as you don't end up with more levels worth of ability progression than you normally would in one of the classes by that level.
example:
you take two classes that would progress sneak attack, one that ends up with 9d6 at its final level, and the other that ends up with 5d6 at its final level, because there are some sneak attack dead levels. You can stack them so that the higher sneak attack class fills in the one with the dead levels, but you could not do it so that you have 9d6 sneak attack by 10th level, or 15d6 sneak attack by 20th.
clear enough?

Immunities and Resistances–– Treat immunities as superior resistances.
Effects that Deal Hit Point Damage: A creature that would be immune to an effect that would deal hit point damage now gets resistance (as energy resistance) equal to 10 + 5/HD (or class level that provides effect)––against that specific effect only. Thus, a 10-HD creature normally immune to bludgeoning weapons would receive resistance 60 against a successful attack with a warhammer. A 6-HD golem would receive resistance 40 against sneak attack and critical hit damage. This resistance would be applied to a successful attack before any damage reduction.
Effects That Allow Saving Throws: A creature that would be immune to an effect that allows a saving throw gains a resistance bonus to that saving throw equal to 10 + 1/5 HD (or class level that provides effect) against that effect. Further, if the effect is a save-for-half-damage, then a successful save negates all damage as if the creature had the evasion or mettle special ability. So a 15-HD elf would gain a +13 bonus to saves against sleep effects, and a 12-HD multiclass Paladin 10/Fighter 2 would receive a bonus to saving throws against fear effects equal to +12, because the Paladin levels are what supply the resistance to fear effects; hence, the two Fighter levels don't count.
Effects That Do Not Allow Saving Throws: A creature that would be immune to an effect that does not allow saving throws gains a saving throw with a resistance bonus equal to 5 + 1/10 HD (or class level that provides effect) against that effect. The type of save the creature gains should be appropriate to the effect (a spray of acid should allow a Reflex save to dodge, a mental compulsion a Will save to shrug off, etc); if an effect is unclear as to what kind of save should apply, use the one that makes the most sense. So, a 20-HD creature that normally has an immunity to death effects would gain a +7 bonus to saves against a power word kill spell.
Abilities That Overcome Immunities: Some feats, spells, etc, were developed specifically with the intent to overcome immunities, allowing blasters to kill white dragons with ice spells, etc. These spells now simply halve any resistance (as energy resistance) or saving throw resistance bonuses that the creature would have against this kind of effect.
Multiple Resistances Against the Same Source: You cannot gain more than one of the same kind of resistance against one source. So, if that 20-HD creature were subjected to a death effect that deals hit point damage, it would gain both the resistance and the bonus to saves, but if that same creature were also immune to mind-affecting effects, it would not gain double the saving throw bonuses for being immune to both death and mind-affecting effects (power word kill is both a death and mind-affecting effect).
Immunities Granted By Items, Spells Cast By Others, Etc: Instead of figuring a resistance or bonus to saving throws based off of your own class level or HD, use the appropriate class level or HD of whoever created the effect (an immunity granted by a magic shield created by a 13th level caster might grant acid resistance 75, etc).
Possible Exceptions: Characters and creatures with immunities to aging, such as ghosts, or those with the Timeless Body class feature, remain unaffected. A creature that lacks a body part or other required state of being for an effect to affect it, would remain unaffected by the effect (such as a wingless creature being unaffected by the wingbind spell (SpC), a mindless zombie being unaffected by a charm spell, or an eyeless creature being unaffected by a blindness spell).

If for some reason you would need to (if purposefully failing a saving throw is not enough, for example), as a free act you may selectively lower or drop a resistance to one source (typically a friendly source), while keeping the resistance to another source (typically an unfriendly source). Selectively in this sense means that you may drop your immunity to mind-affecting effects to the telepathy effect of your team's psion, without dropping your immunity to the arch lich's domination effect that is happening in the same round.

In some cases, some elaborate roleplay might be needed in order to explain away an immunity or resistance that wouldn't seem to be able to be dropped. The red dragon plucks a layer of scales from its forearms and exposes itself to the ritual fires that would brand it and give it power, or something similar.

Initiative-- Initiative––Aggressive Action
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119745

Figure out the initiative order normally.

Figure out the initiative order normally. For every ten points of initiative that you rolled, you gain a +1 swift bonus to attacks, caster level checks for the purpose of defeating SR, save DCs of your effects, and skill checks made as part of aggressive action (the Jump check made to leap the stream during a charge counts, and the Tumble check made to avoid AoOs during the attack, but not the Tumble check made to avoid AoOs for movement after the attack, and not the Hide check made to escape into the darkness afterward).

Swift Bonuses: A swift bonus does not stack with itself. An individual loses any swift bonuses that it might have during any round in which it is flat-footed, stunned, or helpless. That bonus remains lost until it loses the stated condition.

Once initiative order is figured, one party or the other takes its turn until all of its members capable of taking a turn have, and another party goes. The dm is the one that decides which party goes first in an encounter, though generally the party with the lowest initiative score goes last.

Within a party though, whoever posts first acts first; initiative will not actually determine who goes first within a party.

Effects that would normally terminate during or after your turn in a round terminate instead at the end of that specific round. Note that this may increase the duration of some effects by as much as almost an entire round.

Delayed Actions: Individuals can delay actions indefinitely while it is still their party's turn without taking a subsequent initiative penalty. However, once the party's turn is over and the dm declares that it is another party's turn, delaying individuals have lost their turn for the round (though immediate actions, AoOs, etc still apply normally).

Reading the thread and deciding that your character can't yet do anything and that you are going to wait for a few posts before making up your mind is the same as delaying an action; once you've read the thread, it is your turn. An individual that intends to delay needs to post this intention as soon as they decide on this course of action so as to make it clear to the others that they are not just absent from the computer (we don't want to have one individual delaying until the rest of the party acts while the others are delaying until he acts, and none of them are communicating their plans with each other).

Readied actions: Readied actions can allow an individual to take an action during another party's turn without actually changing his or her initiative score if the predetermined events of the readied action take place. But if nothing happens, that individual has lost a turn for the round (again, barring immediate actions, etc).

Specific Mechanic Fixes

There will be certain feats, spells, etc that will need to be tweaked in order to work with this system. They will be added as they are brought up.

––white raven tactics: this maneuver still moves another creature's initiative count to your own -1. If the individual has already acted in the round, it can act again as if it hasn't acted. Immediately after the round in which this maneuver is used ends, that individual returns to its normal initiative count. If the individual hasn't acted yet during the round, that individual now acts permanently on your own initiative count -1, until it is again affected by an ability that changes its place in the initiative count.
This makes WRT inherently more powerful, but it solves some of the problems that would otherwise come up trying to stick closer to the original intent.

Knowledge Uses-- consider yourselves empowered (remember that you can use them in situations other than combat, like diplomacy, tracking, etc):
http://www.giantitp.com/articles/paBcfg1YaEccDMQACfu.html

Level Adjustment Awards-- occasionally, as an xp award, you will lose one level of LA adjustment. what this means (as far as i have figured out) is that you generally just bump your level progression on that side down one and add another level at the top (highest hit dice).

example:

1-LA 1/wizard 1
2-LA 2/wizard 2
3-fighter 1/wizard 3

would become:

1-LA 1/wizard 1
2-fighter 1/wizard 2
3-fighter 2/wizard 3


Linguistics-- similar to the knowledge uses ability above, this one is mostly on you guys to initiate. when speaking with others or reading someone else's writing, you can declare that you are making a special linguistics sense motive check or a speak language check in order to get any special information about the motives or origins behind the message. both of these rolls will receive a +1 competence bonus for each language that you know from that species' category (if you are reading the ancient writings of an illithid, and are fluent in three aberrant languages, you get a +3). these linguistics rolls can even be used when addressing a tongue with which you are not fluent, such as the ancient script on the dungeon walls, but you must know at least one language from that sub category. these rolls are part of the normal acts of listening, reading, or speaking, and in and of themselves do not constitute an action of any kind.

Lore-- any kind of knowledge check or lore check or anything else will be heavily ad hoc-ed as far as modifiers go, or just plain auto-succeed or auto-fail, if i think that there would be no reason for your character to have any info on the subject in question, or if i think that your character should not have gotten as far as he/she did without having known about the subject in question. tough stuff. i don't like the current, randomness of lore checks.

Magic Transparency--magic, psionics, and every other kind of 'magic' that is not specified as a (Su), (Sp), or (Ex) ability is going to be treated as spells for the purposes of dispelling, etc. i might have to post revisions to this in the future, but i'll warn ya.

Massive Damage--
this replaces the current massive damage rules.

whenever a creature suffers more than 50% of its current hit points in one strike, they have suffered massive damage. they must make a successful fort save or be nauseated by the pain until at least 8 hit points are healed back. if the save succeeds, the creature is instead sickened for 1 round. the DC of the fort save equals the damage that was done to the creature. creatures that are immune to critical hits, immune to pain, or are under the effects of a barbarian rage or equivalent are immune to the effects of massive damage.

Natural Attacks-- a creature with natural attacks designates its primary weapon and if any others, its secondary weapons. primary weapons now gain iterive attacks as if they were wielded weapons. secondary weapons still get one extra, secondary attack each (except with various feats, etc), at a -5 penalty. note that under normal rules, creatures can already do this with a wielded weapon, but not with natural weapons for some reason...

reference thread:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107949

Polymorph Subschool-- using rich burlew's rules on giantitp.
http://www.giantitp.com/articles/dC21fDHZ4tK8n5OjUm9.html
http://www.giantitp.com/articles/PbpHATjPkec7E82kEmo.html

Pure Devotion-- prerequisites: 20th level, 20 levels of the same class. gain a +4 (only +2 in gestalt games) unnamed bonus to all saves. this is a free feat! there is a catch though. in order to qualify for this feat, you have to take 20 levels of a base class by 20th level. so, no LA adjusts, no prc's, no cherrypicking base classes like you're stealing cash from your passed-out-drunk roommate's wallet. pure 20/20 goodness. i used to not allow gestalt characters to qualify for this either, but what the hell. you only live once. however, in gestalt, you can only qualify for it once, even if you have two progressions that reach 20 levels by level 20.

RP Award--(idea stolen from count alucard) after every campaign, or whenever i decide to dole out xp, i will give a bonus award to the best roleplayers among the group. There will be two such awards, the players' choice and the dm's choice awards.

players' choice will be decided by popular vote (among you guys; i will not vote). unlike the dm award, they players' choice award *can* be the same character more than one time in a row.

dm's award will obviously be chosen by me, though the same character cannot be chosen more than one time in a row, and the same character will not be chosen for both players' and dm's awards.

the same player can have different characters simultaneously awarded though.

awarded players can choose between the following (this list will be updated):


+30% xp toward next level gain (remember that if you have +30% and then gain an arbitrary level gain as a result of chapter awards or something, you keep that +30% until it adds up to +100% and you gain another level)

a bonus feat for which they qualify

8 extra skill points and a +2 master bonus to any one skill (master bonuses does not stack with each other, but they count as skill ranks for the purpose of qualifying for feats, prcs, etc).

a magic item of some kind; kind be custom, but doesn't have to be. just give me a list of things that you'd like to improve (initiative, unarmed combat, metamagic, etc), and i'll tailor something to suit your needs. if there is a specific item, just name it. these items won't be huge or super powerful, but i'll try to balance it with the needs of the team and of your character.

Reflex Saves-- whenever you are forced to roll a reflex save, for whatever reason, if you wish, and are successful with the save, you can also attempt a Balance check against half of the initial save's DC. If successful, as a free action, you can move 5 feet in any direction. if unsuccessful, you fall prone in the square that you are currently in.

Rule of Relative Mathematics--i fudge rolls all of the time in order to further the story. ok, 'all the time' might be an exaggeration. but i do it, so don't be surprised if you catch it. normally i try to do it in a discreet, non-railroading way that you guys will never notice. but i'm a fallible human too, and occasionally slip. don't worry, if you will remember, i do it in order to FURTHER the story, which includes the goals and desires of the players and their pc's.

Shards of Narsil––who ever heard of a magic item that couldn't be fixed once broken? not only is that the stuff of legendary campaigns, it just makes sense. so, don't feel so bad when you sunder the BBEG's vorpal sword, because you might just end up with it still...

Skill Ranks-- so, once you have training in a class, the class skills of that class are always considered class skills, no matter what other class/prc/racial advancement/etc you are advancing. once trained: always trained.

Sorcerer's Lament-- the sorc has always been the red-headed stepbrother of the wizard. i hate that he gets nerfed at just about every opportunity. granted, there have been some good supplemental stuff for him, but one of his biggest (in my opinion) crutches is the fact that he has to wait for an extra level to begin a new level of spells. sorcerers in my game will gain new spell levels one level earlier. the mechanic for this is kinda sloppy, so bear with me, and if anyone has any suggestions for a better method, let me know.

mechanical info below:

0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Summon
familiar 5 3 — — — — — — — —
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 6 4 — — — — — — — —
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 6 5 — — — — — — — —
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 6 6 3 — — — — — — —
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 6 6 4 — — — — — — —
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 6 6 5 3 — — — — — —
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 6 6 6 4 — — — — — —
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 6 6 6 5 3 — — — — —
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 6 6 6 6 4 — — — — —
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 6 6 6 6 5 3 — — — —
11th +5 +3 +3 +7 6 6 6 6 6 4 — — — —
12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 — — —
13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 — — —
14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 — —
15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 — —
16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 —
17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 —
18th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3
19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4
20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

^normal progression

the way i am working it is this, at every level where a wizard would gain access to a new level of spells (one level before the sorc), the sorc gains one spell per day of that level. so 3rd level would read (6/5/1), and 4th level would then still read (6/6/3).

spells known is a bit trickier. so far, my best idea has been to do it like the ranger for spells per day. at every level that he now gains 1 spell/day of the new spell level (the level before the sorc normally gets it), he also gains spells known based on his bonus spells only, to a maximum of one spell known of that level. therefore, if the 3rd level sorcerer does not have a 14 charisma, and therefore does not gain 2nd level charisma-based bonus spells, he cannot yet cast 2nd level spells. however, if any of you are trying to create a caster that does not have a 14 or better in your caster stat, then i'm probably going to be using you for target practice anyway, so i'm not too worried that this will be a problem.

notice that even if your ability grants 3 bonus spells at a certain level, you can only gain one for now. why? because i said so. no... well yes, but because next level, you would be getting that one spell anyway. the point is to get it earlier, not to get more of them.

whew. this one has always been harder. thanks for bearing with me.


further, a sorcerer can cast metamagic'ed spells without any casting time increase.

Specific Class Abilities Fixes and Add-ons-- yeah, pretty much the same as the feat fixes. let me know if you have others that need fixing, or different ideas than what is already here.

Dragonscale Husk: can be enchanted with armor magical abilities, if first enchanted with a virtual +4 bonus (that does not actually apply to AC, but factors in the current armor abilities). Enchanting it with that +4 virtual bonus makes it masterwork armor, giving it the -1 to armor check penalties.

alternative to the medium armor (6+1/3 HD armor bonus), a character can trade its armor proficiency in for a light armor dragonscale husk that gives a bonus of 2+1/3 HD armor bonus (max +8 at 18th level), an armor check penalty of -1, a maximum dex modifier of +6, and no chance of spell failure. all other features remain the same as the medium dragonscale husk armor.


spells/powers/etc fixes here––
astral construct: ignore the nerf that complete psionics gave the power; you can have more than one construct at a time.

Spell Ranges–Personal Spells––from now on, any spell, psionic power, mystery, invocation, etc, that has a range of personal is now considered to have a range of touch. if such an effect is used by the caster on him or herself, it is only then considered to have a range of personal.

many "personal" spells are listed at "no SR/no saves." all of them will now be subject to SR, and have saves permitted (save type will be determined on case by case basis).

i reserve the right to negate this ruling on specific spells or related effects if they would become game-breaking or annoying otherwise.

Spinning Yarns-- i realize that it is very hard to actually convey things like battlefield positions, tactics, etc, on a forum. therefore, we are all going to have to be a bit flexible and imaginative. it is going to be hard to be true to normal squares of movement, combat maneuvering, etc. i am very flexible in this regard when it comes to pbp. generally, i will try to give as descriptive an idea as i can as to where your characters are, and who is close to what, etc. i probably am not going to start drawing battle maps and stuff though. so roll with it. i probably am not going to post portraits of each pc and stuff, so roll with it. if you need to know ranges, circumfrences, and volumes, let me know, and i'll let you know. you can improv with me quite a bit. if i say you are talking to a wealthy banker, but don't mention anything else, go ahead and tell him that you love his blue hat and brown shoes--whether or not i mentioned it. i will probably just roll with it. if it goes contrary to something i had planned, i'll let you know.

Trip-Combat Maneuver-- after the touch attack, it is not a contested strength check, but a contested BAB+Str check. Further, tripping an airborne foe causes that foe to fall 10 feet per 5 points by which you beat their roll, before they are able to recover, unless they hit the ground before this point.

XP in general--don't expect standard xp awards. sometimes it will be less, sometimes more; sometimes at the end of a chapter, sometimes in the middle; sometimes i will just say, "everyone gains one level" or something similar. basically, i kind of fudge xp gains as i feel is beneficial to the goals of the chronicle. sometimes i kill level adjustment in the same manner, generally in place of an xp award, or alongside a smaller one.

Weapon Proficiencies––you are proficient with any of your race's specific weapons

Withdraw Action--there is no withdraw action, only normal movement.

more to come as i remember them/dream them up/find them, etc...


Watchtower Character Creation:


recruiting thread
The Watchtower (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9846315#post9846315) is recruiting.

I need a few good PCs to try out for the interplanar antiterrorist team.

the link has houserules, creation rules, etc in the first post.

important: read "aaron's rules of participation" under the houserules tab before deciding to try out for this game. if you know you can't or won't meet the requirements, don't waste my time.

plot

the plot of the game more or less is that the watchtower is an elite squad working for a military organization from the first layer of celestia. they go out and stomp on bad guys that are running amok in the planes. unfortunately, the bad guys you face are numerous and powerful, so the watchtower has a high mortality rate (which coincides with the normal pbp player turnover rate, especially for a long-lived game).

character builds

the game is mid-to-high optimization, but not stupid-high (see linked characters for examples). but if you don't want to optimize, or aren't very good at it, i can work around that too (to a degree).

any heroic archetype that you want to play is potentially ok, but remember that you are supremely good guys (you work for celestia). i therefore generally dissuade the "[evil race] necromancer demon cultist" archetypes. redeemed [evil race] types are possible, but few and far between, and we already have had a few, so i probably won't accept many of them.

backrounds

i like backstories that make sense and are creative. as an example, tacitus' character, levi dale, was a submission to a different game entirely that i just happened to see. but i liked his writing style and his history so much that i offered a place in my game for his character. a history doesn't need to be huge (i am a busy guy, so don't make me read a 30-page novel), and i encourage the use of the ten-minute background (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19713850/The_Ten-Minute_Background--Post_your_characters!?pg=1) by stray, along with a little history synopsis if you want to add one.

32-point buy getalt 12th level

full hit points at every level

fractional bab and saves

2 flaws and 2 traits possible

you are proficient with any of your race's specific weapons

wealth by level: 88,000gp

look at the ability score and feat acquisition houserules in order to calculate these.

we use realms of chaos' combat techniques (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217700) rules, and amechra's additional techniques. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226550)

class skills: once a class skill, always a class skill; further, Intelligence increases are retroactive with regards to increasing skill points (like hit points).

pretty much anything official (printed in one of the wiz books) is legal, though i will dissect the crap out of some things. anything else, even third party publications, is considered homebrew–which is very much encouraged–and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

players, what am i forgetting?

[Barbarian MD]

Do how much XP did the older PCs get from this encounter? The new ones got 100 + 30%, and the new ones got ? + 30%, or do the new ones only get 30% total?

[Stycotl]

welcome to the new thread!

mhvaughan asked me a question that i'm bringing to the rest of you guys. LA buyoff is something that i want you guys to be capable of if you desire. so i need to come up with a mechanic that works for gestalt. once in the past, i just given out LA buyoff as an xp award (those that didn't have any LA to buy off actually got an xp award, maybe +50% or so).

anyway, here it is, and your ideas and comments are welcome.


I asked this before, but don't remember ever getting an answer: how much XP% would it cost to buy off 1 LA?


i'm not sure how that should work with gestalt. normally you'd just be sacrificing a level of ECL only, but in this case, you'd be sacrificing an actual HD.

i am open to suggestions on how this should work, and i'll bring it up to the group with a few of my own ideas.

thanks for asking this.

anyway, my idea:

––you spend the same amount of xp as you would in nongestalt: (current ECL-1) x1,000. normally, this would run a chance of actually dropping a character back one ECL (unless you are very close to your next level), but since you all have HD tied to those LA levels on the other side of the gestalt, that won't work. it would mean that you essentially lose a level.

so, we would say that you can't lose a level in the xp payment, you just end up in the hole, and it will cost more than normal to finally get to 12th level. after that, you're no longer affected by the LA at all.

as an example, an 11th level character with the minimum xp required for 11th level (most of you guys) would have to spend 10,000 xp to buy off one point of LA, and would end up at exactly 10th level normally. under my system, you would still be 11th level, but would be in xp debt.

the upside is that you get to buy off xp and keep your ECL, which is important since you are gestalt characters.

the downside is that the LA still affects you pretty much up until you finally advance two hit dice (an entire level after you've already paid off the LA).



You know, I'll second a nomination for Oldqua for Badass following his possession of the big Rukanyr. That saved our skin and opened up an ability to spot our enemies, which had been severely limiting our ability to fight them.

those are valid points, and effects of the possession that i had completely forgotten about.


I'm thinking that Han's previous action, in which he took the biggest enemy on the battlefield and dropped it from a thousand feet up, was a beautifully creative method of killing a number of enemies. I think (and I'll speak more freely now than before, since he's not with us) that Douglas was campaigning against Hans because he wanted the award for his own action. Even so, that was a Crowning Moment of Awesome for Hans, and I think fits perfectly with the intent of the bonus class.

also valid points. i do remember that now, and it was pretty cool. not only did he teleport an enormous bad guy into the air and drop it on other foes, but it was the mini boss in the encounter, and it weakened it enough that it barely served as a threat throughout the rest of the fight.

regarding the contest between douglas and tacitus for that award, there was never any clause (so far as my memory and a quick glance confirm) that says that only one person per chapter or per encounter could get it. if the entire watchtower was badass during any encounter, the entire watchtower would get a badass level.

all right, i agree that it was badass, so since you and tacitus are the only ones left from that encounter, if tacitus agrees that it was badass, then he gets the award. tacitus, if you truly feel that it was badass, then take it. if not, then shoot for higher next time, but don't turn it down just because you don't like being the final say in whether you get it or not.

and, all of you need to vote on whether oldqua's possession of the rukanyr champion was badass or not. here are the relevant badass rules:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118689

mitigating factors (add more to the list if i am forgetting any):
––rukanyr champion was one of two bosses for the fight
––rukanyr had to roll a 1 to fail his save. he rolled a 1
––possession of rukanyr champion delayed an immediate threat to the watchtower for a very precious round (it was only one round away from constricting kyrill and others to lumpy shreds)
––possession of rukanyr champion defeated one of the major defenses of the enemy (the darkness spheres that gave them 50% concealment)


Edit: Wait, that's not actually a real feat. Alright, new plan: can we come up with a feat called "Inscribe Rune?" that would, (for an xp cost? a gp cost? certainly a time cost) allow a character to create runic items that have magical effects?

i thought that feat did exist in one of the forgotten realms books.


Oh, and yay for everyone being 12th-level now!


+30%XP raises me a level? I thought it was '30% towards the next level' - it's actually +30% of base XP? Otherwise, Oldqua's not leveling just off that battle.


t's two separate things going on. One is that you're gaining XP at a faster rate than the older characters (who were already level 12). Stycotl's advancing you to catch up. So the new characters basically got 100% XP towards level 12 due to the encounter, plus a bonus 30%. The older characters got 30% XP towards level 13, plus some unknown % towards a level up due to the encounter, but less than 100% since we're a little higher in level.

The way this will work is that Stycotl will announce when we level based on our encounter XP. Simultaneously, we'll slowly accumulate bonuses individually, due to spectacular events, role-playing awards, etc. We can cash in these bonuses (I've got almost half a level worth of bonus XP already).

So for a while, the newer and older characters will level at different intervals. The older characters will likely hit level 13 after the next encounter, while the newer characters will require another encounter beyond that to hit level 13.

Does that make sense?

hold on. i'm currently reconfiguring everything at the moment, because i am afraid i am going to have to stop being a lazy piece of crap and actually start assigning experience points rather than experience percentages (LA buyoff and a few other items of gameplay don't work well with my haphazard percentages––thanks for pointing this out, mhvaughan, i blame you!).

yes, all of the new PCs (xavier, justice, starry-eyes, oldqua) advance to 12th level (12.3 percent experience). but from now on, i'm doing everything in experience points).

older PCs (kyrill, fin, hans, and levi), you get +30% xp toward your next level––whatever that may be (some of you are spread out, if i remember). calculate that into actual xp, and then from now on, i'm giving xp awards (which i hate).



Kurukshetra follows the group outside, still listening to STarry and Fin talk about these runes. Once out of the cellar, Kuru springs into the air, leaping over the heads of the halfling and the warforged, and disappears through the open front doors of the fortress in a flash of golden light.

The dragon wheels through the air with the energy of a child and the speed of a lightning bolt, violently rustling the blue-tinged grasses and thorny bushes that grow about the base of the fortress with his passing.

His thoughts through the network are clear. He loves the downtime between missions. He loves just sitting back at the Watchtower and training. His heart is at peace when he is here.

Below, Lemion sits on a worn rock at the base of a gnarled olive tree. Nearly a dozen other rocks of similar size form a ring with this one, and Celestica takes a seat next to the shield marshal.

About them, the gray mists of the demiplane's boundaries swirl and roil, stirred by the winds of the dragon's flight. The mists are a lighter shade of gray, the ambient light strong enough to throw diffuse shadows beneath the olive tree, and about the corners and nooks of the fortress.

Lemion nods when the werebear names the warforged as his assistant team leader. He begins fishing around in a pocket and pulls out a tattered journal that is much too large for the pocket, along with an inkwell and a quill. He arranges these about him, sets the journal on his knee, and begins to write.

As Levi approaches, the gnome requests to enter the network.

Then, once in, he addresses Kyrill's other questions, I know very little at this point. Loraln will address the entirety of our knowledge of the enemy when he arrives.

What I do know is that they appear to be some kind of coalition of undead, fiends, and Far Realms aliens. I know, it makes no sense to me either. But this much is true: it was a balor that led the sack of the Watchtower.

He looks about at the demiplane around them, some of the sadness coming back into his eyes. Behind the rock circle, Kuru hits the ground hard enough to split the hard-packed earth, and looses a growl at the memory of the tragic assault while he folds his wings and lays down in the midst of the circle.

Lemion continues, This balor commanded a force of minor Tanar'ri, the nighthaunt with her undead minions, and that giant rukanyr with dozens of its brethren.

The rukanyr were all protected by the same shadow magics of the nighthaunt, exactly the same as our fight with them yesterday.

How they gained access to the demiplane, much less how they even learned of its location, is beyond me.

I am not sure where they come from or what their purpose is. Heithaniel apparently became aware of them when interrupting the desecration and ransack of an old temple in the spacial vicinity of Toril, a prime material plane that some of you may have heard of. Same forces: demons, aliens, and undead.

She has no clue what they were looking for, but it was definitely a search of some kind.

He sighs and passes his journal to Levi and Kyrill. Look this over and correct any mistakes that I have in the entry. Finalize any decisions that have not yet been made, regarding ATLs, primary combat roles, secondary roles, etc. I need the roster filled out completely before Loraln arrives. Don't worry about what I have you written down as, role-wise; you will make it as you see fit, and I'll go with what you come up with. If any of you have specialties that you think merit a secondary role designation, just let your team leaders know. Investigation, sabotage, information gathering, burglary, etc––those are all good specialties that we don't have written down yet.

Upon the open page, the Watchmen see a rough outline of the teams and their breakdown.


Watchtower Organization

Leadership
Lemion Shwalenst––Shieldmarshal; Artillerist

Team 1
Levi Dale––First Sword; Artillerist; First Team Leader; Communication
Finvarra––Second Sword; Artillerist; Scout
Oldqua––Second Sword; Skirmisher; Medic, Scout
Starry-Eyes––Second Sword; Skirmisher; Scout
Xavier––Second Sword; Infiltration; Scout

Team 2
Kyrill Medvedyev––First Sword; Front Liner; Second Team Leader; Tracker
Justice––Second Sword; Artillerist;
Hans––Second Sword; Artillerist; Infiltration
Kurukshetra––Second Sword; Frontliner;

watchmen that still need assigned secondary responsibilities: justice; kurukshetra

secondary roles still needed: traps; another medic

Lemion listens as Oldqua speaks his mind about the tactical angle of the Exchequer battle. Many, many years ago, when I was an infantryman––don't laugh, it's true––we trained and trained and trained with the aim of finding the perfect battlefield spacing. It is always a hard equation to balance.

On the one hand, you need good interval between you in order to reduce area attack casualties, and as Oldqua rightly says, in order to tackle multiple threats and multiple mission goals at the same time.

On the other hand, a closer interval between team members greatly increase the effectiveness of the medic and anyone else that needs to be tending to individual team members.

We have an advantage here, though, that I think we ought to see if we can exploit. Levi, you know how to transfer healing energy through your network, how to shuffle it from one person to another. Is there any way that you can accomplish the same thing with other kids of effects?

As an example, let us say that Oldqua wants to enspell Xavier with a helpful bit of magic, as he did a number of times in our last battle, but let's say that Xavier is out of reach, but Kyrill isn't. Do you think that you could learn how to grab that spell energy as it is given to Kyrill, and transfer it to Xavier, the same way you do with healing energy?

Is it feasible? I would be willing to invest whatever resources are at the Watchtower's disposal in order to allow you to research a solution.


Do how much XP did the older PCs get from this encounter? The new ones got 100 + 30%, and the new ones got ? + 30%, or do the new ones only get 30% total?

yeah, yeah, yeah, it's all screwed up. i know. the original intent was actually just +30% to the next level, so the new ones would go from 11.0 to 11.3, and so on. but i had forgotten about the need to catch them up with you guys, which i have normally been pretty good about.

ultimately, this was just one more reason why i am switching back to an actual xp award, instead of a percentage award. with the xp award, i don't have to worry about giving you all different percentages and stuff. i think it will end up a bit more fair and less likely that i will forget something as important as that.

and while i didn't want to allow you (older) guys to get too far ahead, i suppose that giving the new ones an entire level-up and you guys only +30% toward the next level isn't entirely fair.

i had also thought that most of you older PCs were at 12.6 or better, and nearing 13th level, but apparently i was wrong. hans is listed at 12.05 and levi at 12.1.

fin doesn't have any xp recorded on his sheet, and that is probably because he is pretty new to the group too. has he receieved any xp awards yet that just aren't listed on your sheet?

also, by my admittedly hodgepodge records, i have kyrill at 12th level already, on his way to 13th level (as are levi, hans, and fin). but your character sheet says 11th level. am i forgetting about something and kyrill is really 11th level still?

i'll tell you what. the new characters advance to 12.3, as already mentioned. the older characters advance to 13.0. assuming that kyrill actually was 12th level, then he is 13.0 now as well. if he really was 11th for some reason that i just don't remember and wasn't bright enough to write down, then we'll figure something out.

and because it was my ineptitude that caused all of this mess, all characters get the skill point rp award (+8 skill points to be spent as they wish, though normal level maximums apply, and a +2 master bonus to any one skill (master bonuses does not stack with each other, but they count as skill ranks for the purpose of qualifying for feats, prcs, etc)).

then let me do the whole conversion to actual xp awards, and i think we'll be set. is there anyone that still feels screwed or unsatisfied? speak now or forever hold your peace. this was entirely my fault, and i am trying to make it right.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua glances over the list, and replies over the network to the responsibilities "I can sometimes deal with traps, although it's not compatible with stealth. It's less 'disabling them' and more 'setting them off from a distance', but if we don't have anyone with us who can handle them properly, well... it's *usually* better than nothing. I'd likely need someone to carry my wrecking ball for it, though."

Oldqua also looks at the tactical situation, and shrugs, saying "It's probably always going to be at least a little situational... still... possibly stay in a group for the first few seconds of battle, then spread out? I've got a few prayers that work great if everyone starts in a fairly small zone, and they stack with each other...."

So... for now, 8 extra skill points, and a +2 untyped bonus... nifty... I'm out of room for listing languages... ah, there we go: I've been putting new points into Knowledge(The Planes), and it makes sense to keep that up, seeing as how we're planar adventurers, now). As to the boost... Spot. Can never have enough Spot.

As for the Big Bad: So I shot for the moon and won on the 5% chance, huh? Cool. Hmm... am I supposed to abstain from voting on my own actions?

[Stycotl]

As for the Big Bad: So I shot for the moon and won on the 5% chance, huh? Cool. Hmm... am I supposed to abstain from voting on my own actions?


definitely not. we need your opinion on whether that was badass or not too.

Kurukshetra looks at the list, still not very good at reading Common. Umm, I'm not much of a good scout if we're following a classical definition, since I don't have much in the way of stealth. But I have the keen senses of a dragon, so I'm a good eye in the sky. And I'm mobile.

And, umm, I guess I can haul stuff. Is "mule" an appropriate secondary role, or do you think the Council would frown upon that? The dragon's maw splits into a grin at his own joke.

Lemion rolls his eyes and continues with Oldqua's line of conversation. Some of you are more in need of pre-combat augmentation than others. I want you to be honest with yourselves and the team, as it helps no one to feed an ego, and let us know where you think you need consistent help.

Celestica, I'm going to use you as an example, even though you are leaving us. Were you to stay on with the Watchtower, I would expect you to seek help in your ability to successfully target and damage an enemy. Your largest weakness as displayed in the Exchequer of Souls was that you were not skilled enough to destroy the target you were trying to hit. Some of that was simply a matter of tactical experience; you could have moved on to one of the smaller enemies when you realized that the big one was beyond your capability. But some of it was simply the lack of experience needed to combat such monstrous foes.

Therefore, I would expect you to approach the others about augmenting your abilities, and you would be a priority over, say, Kyrill, who can generally handle himself against even the largest of foes.

In this way, Oldqua, Levi, and the others that concentrate on bolstering the efforts of the others more than on their own assaults, would know immediately who they need to concentrate on, and what they need to do for them.

The gnome leans back on his rock for a moment, fingers interlaced on his right knee as he thinks.

There is another, more radical alternative that I have been pondering for a few weeks now.

Some of you knew Erfel while he was with us. He was transferred to the Citadel's recon units at the same time that you, Starry, Justice, Xavier, and Oldqua, came in. He had trained in a peculiar magical discipline called an eldritch weave. It allowed him to store all of his combat enchantments in a single, ready-to-cast spell that he could loose upon the teams at a moment's notice.

I might be persuasive enough to get his new superiors to allow him to come here for a few weeks and teach us the basics. Alternatively, if that is not possible, one of our contacts on a world called Mendea has a similar ability that he taught himself. This would be costly, as he works with us for payment only, but if Erfel cannot come to us, then this one might.

The reason that I mention this is that I have studied this eldritch weave somewhat, and I am confident that I could create an object that would allow you Watchmen to store such spells, provided that you could train under Erfel or another with the ability to teach you how to use such a weave in the first place.

This would require the collaboration and training of the entire Watchtower, and would be long hours of academic and magical study that would bore some of you out of your minds. But it just might work. The gnome's eyes twinkle, mirroring the amused curl to his lips.

ooc translation: teamwork benefit tied to a magical item that allows the teams to store a few select spells into an eldritch weave as if by a war weaver (heroes of battle) of some yet-to-be-determined level.

as a teamwork benefit, it would require training, and skill point expenditure (likely knowledge (arcana) and spellcraft; so those of you already having those skills would be fine). and i'd probably even require some xp expenditure for it to work with a certain individual, as if he or she helped craft it. but it could be fairly cool.

[Jack_Simth]

In that case, yes. Totally: for shooting for the moon and hitting it.

As for the teamwork item: I'm cool with that. I don't have Knowledge(Arcana), but I get a fair number of ranks each level and can afford to burn a few. And if we're going to 'normal' XP, well... a little expenditure is fine, really. And being able to dump a few really useful spells into the net quickly would be very worthwhile. Recitation (+2 Luck to AC, Attack, Saves - +3, if you keep to the same deity as Oldqua), Righteous Wrath of the Faithful (+3 Morale to Attack/Damage, and a haste-style bonus attack), Mass Conviction (+4 Morale to saves), and Mass Bull's Strength (+4 Enhancement to Strength ... and so +2 Attack/damage) make for a mean combo. Temp HP from Mass Aid is just icing. They're all area spells with the potential to affect basically the entire group... well, those who aren't immune to mind-affecting stuff... but most of them are rather short duration, and nobody seems to want to stick in a group for me to get them all out.

Oldqua considers, and replies across the link, getting used to this curious method of telepathy "Hmm... it would definitely be worth the investment to be able to dump a lot of prayers onto everyone at once, if we're going to have a rather lot of 'big fights', as Celestia's response seems to indicate. In the meanwhile, I understand we're supposed to spend a time sparring... who's up for some wrestling?"

Telekinesis: Grapple: Touch: [roll0], Hold: [roll1] for the first round on anyone who volunteers.

[Barbarian MD]

Massive wall of text! :smalltongue: :smalleek:

Level 13? That's... generous, Stycotl. Thanks for the bump. That puts Finn at 13.3 and Kyrill at 13.75. (vote for me for RP! :smallbiggrin:)

I'm away from home due to the holiday, but I'll get my sheets updated soon. Speaking of: Stycotl, you're using an old link. In my stat block are my new (now outdated) sheets. The first is a sheet for Kyrill normally, the second Kyrill while raging. It's much easier stat-wise to have two separate sheets, due to the size increase and stat bumps from raging.

Plan for level:
Kyrill - Penny Dreadful Barbarian 13//possibly Crusader 2
Finn - Eldritch Disciple 5//possibly Fax Celestis Paladin 4

What are the requirements for War Weaver? If Finn can go that direction, I'll do it, but I imagine there're a lot of prereqs for it.

I'm all for the war weave for Finn. He's got some things that will certainly help that he can dump, like Haste or Blur and True Seeing (though those are single target).

As to buffs (I'll approach this in-character later, but easier to simply deal with it now: Finn is fairly self-reliant, so long as he can get his own buffs going. He can set up Haste/Blur/True Seeing/Entropic Shield. Getting True Seeing up early would be fantastic though, since it'd let him get a handle on magical things early, same for Battlemagic Perception (which will ALWAYS go first in an encounter). Kyrill always benefits from a Haste, and if someone could give him True Seeing to avoid miss chances, he'd be a lot more effective, but those are the sorts of buffs that aren't time-critical.

Oh, and in terms of LA buyoff, Finn would definitely benefit from them. His cleric casting level is currently being impeded by 4 LA!

I do feel that full cost might be a little much though, seeing as how buying off LA won't improve our HD/BAB/Skills/etc in the same way that a normal LA buyoff would. A caveat would be that spellcasters will benefit much more than melee guys, though. For a melee character, an LA buyoff amounts to a feat (30% XP is the current precedent), whereas for a caster, LA buyoff means a whole new CL, with increases in casting... But either way, I'm not sure 100% of the non-gestalt cost is the right price.

EDIT: Oh, it also means most of us will choose to forgo buying it off. When you consider that the cost to buy off an LA is going to be 10-12000, and we could instead level up for the same price, I don't think there's going to be any contest, since both (may) mean an increase in caster level, but leveling up also gives the benefits of BAB/HD/etc.

[Jack_Simth]

Requirements for War Weaver are easy to answer: Heroes of Battle, page 112:
Craft (Weaving) 6 ranks, Knowledge(Arcana) 6 ranks, Enlarge Spell, 3rd level Arcane spells. If you already have the spellcasting, you'll likely have half the skill ranks needed, so you'll just need the one feat... I haven't really looked at your build, though - might be out of easy reach.

[Barbarian MD]

Ah, totally out of reach. Finn's a divine caster. Thanks though.

[Barbarian MD]

By the way:
Trap Smasher (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, you can sense traps with a Search DC higher than 20, much like a Rogue can, except you use your Survival skill instead of your Perception skill. You can also attempt to disable any trap that has moving parts, using an attack roll in place of a Disable Device check. If the attack roll misses the Disable Device DC by 5 or more, the trap triggers (a natural 1 on your attack roll does not trigger the trap unless the modified attack roll misses the DC by 5 or more).

When Lemion mentions traps, Kyrill responds simply: "I do not like traps; their use is the tactic of cowards. I do not abide their existence."

[Jack_Simth]

So both teams have at least one method of handling traps... neither of which is particularly stealthy. Hmm... perhaps some silence spells... yes, Silence the wrecking ball... 2nd level spell. Yeah... putting that in my list next time I prepare spells. Just two, and they're only minutes/level, but eh, oh well. Oldqua considers, and asks a question across the net "As it seems nobody here locates traps in the 'normal' manner, do we have any disposable traps for practice, just so that the rest of the team will know what to expect in the process?"

[Stycotl]

In that case, yes. Totally: for shooting for the moon and hitting it.

and then some (all the added, possibly unintended, bonuses to subduing the brute).


Massive wall of text!

you of all people should know by now that this is nothing when it comes to my posts.


Speaking of: Stycotl, you're using an old link.

that 'splains it, and reassures me that i'm not going as crazy as i was afraid i was for a moment there.


What are the requirements for War Weaver? If Finn can go that direction, I'll do it, but I imagine there're a lot of prereqs for it.

I'm all for the war weave for Finn. He's got some things that will certainly help that he can dump, like Haste or Blur and True Seeing (though those are single target).

unfortunate, eh?


Once you have woven an eldritch tapestry, you can send your spells across the life-force strands to your allies. Although you cast but a single spell, you can have it affect every creature in your eldritch tapestry as if the group were a single creature.


Ah, totally out of reach. Finn's a divine caster. Thanks though.

i'm disappointed. how many homebrew feats/classes/races/etc have we made by now, and you are giving up after just seeing a knowledge (arcana) prereq? tsk, tsk.

if you really want the class, make a divine variant that does nearly the exact same thing. if not, no worries.

now, the "adaptation" section of the prc does caution against simply replacing arcane requirements with divine requirements for a divine war weaver, because of healing spells. this would make it too good.

so, we'd nerf that. as far as normal spells go, a weaver can stick spells equal to his/her level in the weave. so a 6th level wizard/6th level war weaver could put up to 6th level arcane spells in his weave. for healing spells, we'll halve that. so a 6th level cleric/6th level weaver could put in the weave 3rd level healing spells, but 6th level cleric spells of any other kind.

this is all off the top of my head, so it would probably need to be tweaked, but that seems fair to me.

however, realize that if you do go divine war weaver, and we have some kind of magic item that grants something similar, they stack...

that's right: essentially two war weavers' worth of spells going off at the same time. but again, if you have a different path in mind, no pressure.


Oh, and in terms of LA buyoff, Finn would definitely benefit from them. His cleric casting level is currently being impeded by 4 LA!

I do feel that full cost might be a little much though, seeing as how buying off LA won't improve our HD/BAB/Skills/etc in the same way that a normal LA buyoff would. A caveat would be that spellcasters will benefit much more than melee guys, though. For a melee character, an LA buyoff amounts to a feat (30% XP is the current precedent), whereas for a caster, LA buyoff means a whole new CL, with increases in casting... But either way, I'm not sure 100% of the non-gestalt cost is the right price.

good points. in light of that, i think you are right that it shouldn't be full price. but i don't think it should go to 30%, and i'm not keen on the idea of making it very dependent upon caster or noncaster advancement. especially because retraining later could cheat that (LA buyoff as a fighter, and then next retraining session change it to a wizard level).

maybe 50% xp cost would be reasonable, since you're getting rid of LA that affects 50% of that gestalt level and replacing it with class features.


EDIT: Oh, it also means most of us will choose to forgo buying it off. When you consider that the cost to buy off an LA is going to be 10-12000, and we could instead level up for the same price, I don't think there's going to be any contest, since both (may) mean an increase in caster level, but leveling up also gives the benefits of BAB/HD/etc.

to be fair though, sometimes a gestalt level does equal a level-up even where HD/BAB/etc are concerned; if you are running wizard or rogue levels on one side, and replace LA on the other with knight levels or something, that bonus to hit points, BAB, and fort saves is significant.

Kurukshetra just chuckles as the ghost asks about wrestling. He'll leave tangling with the ghost to someone else. Someone that can actually wrestle incorporeal foes. That pretty much leaves Xavier, and the dragon looks to him to see if he'll take the challenge.

Meanwhile, Lemion is continuing the conversation with Levi and Kyrill, So, Justice for ATL. Levi, your ATL? Kyrill and Oldqua, you want a Traps role? Ok, we'll still need one more designated to the same, one that can finesse the traps that you two cannot destroy. Who else are you two going to give the medic role to? We need at least one more, though you can certainly designate as many people as qualify for any of these jobs. We ought to designate one more tracker too, if there are any others that can do it.

What is Kurukshetra's noncombat role going to be? He mentioned observation, and no, there is no "mule" role that will work here. But you could certainly give him a "transportation" or similar role. And at the rate he's growing, he'll be able to ferry the whole Watchtower to and from missions if you two want him to.

He looks to the whole group, thinking loud enough that Oldqua catches it over whatever wrestling he may be doing.

I am bringing out the confiscated equipment taken from the attackers at the Court of the Hidden Flower now. Don't get too excited––sometimes this ends up looking like a bunch of toddlers fighting over toys. The team leaders will get to choose who is entrusted with what, though they will certainly take your opinions into consideration. Gold and other normal, non-mission-related valuables will be split as well, and anything left unclaimed will be used to augment the meager funding we get from the Citadel.

There was a very large sword among the items taken, the one that Dalbar picked up that seemed to have some sort of phantasmal magic to it. The Council already had me send that one in, as it was a sentient minor artifact of questionable morals. We would probably have had to simply destroy it anyway though.

He motions for the team leaders to hurry up with the roster, and then begins digging around in his pockets for something. After a moment, he pulls out what looks like a small purse. He kneels in the middle of the rock circle, prompting Kuru to get up and slink off to the edge where he is not in the way, and sets the purse down.

Then he unties it and begins to fold down the corners of the purse, and as he does so, it grows and becomes a large blanket that he is straightening out. In the middle of the blanket is an overflowing pile of treasure––more than could fit in the blanket even at full size––all taken from the corrupted shifters and fiends at the battle of the Court of the Hidden Flower.

"Have at it."

this should come close to making up for the rather slim pickings in previous fights.

i did forget to mark down the market price of some of the items.

7,000gp worth of small gems; black pear-400gp, black star sapphire-4,300gp; gold chalice w/ emeralds-12,330gp; aquamarine-600gp; staff of evocation-34 charges-44,400gp; ring of acid resistance: minor-12,000gp; +4 large studded leather; +3 ghost touch sling; power stone-personality parasite-4th-700gp; power stone-time hop-3rd-375gp; oil of magical vestment +4-2,400gp; 3-spiked chains of bloodfeeding brutal surge acidic burst +2; orb of frost (radiate aura of cold: 2d6+4 cold at 10' radius; swift act (de)activate; CL 12); wand of suggestion-16 charges-3,600gp; wand of wall of fire-10 charges-4,200gp; +3 huge greataxe of wounding; greatsword of wand of disintegration-23; +2 studded leather of greater fortification w/ wilding clasp; skull plaque (MIC); torc of heroic sacrifice (MIC); instruments of the blood gift (MIC); rod of enervating strike (MIC); a pair of "the fist" gauntlets (MIC); dagger of denial (MIC); greater falchion of charging collision +3, crystal echoblade (MIC); greater tentacle rod) w/ greater crystal of return (MIC); ankh of ascension (MIC); belt of mighty blows (greater one mighty blow; 3/day) (MIC); bone ring (MIC); greater boots of the mountain king (MIC); force shield ring; drums of panic; mace of smiting; silver raven figurine; 3-potions of cure serious wounds; potion of fox's cunning; 2-potions of invisibility; potion of barkskin; potion of protection from arrows; gloves of dexterity +4-16,000gp; stone horse (courser)-10,000gp; crystal mask of discernment (command thought is psionically imprinted)-10,000gp; psicrown of the evader-5/356 pp-357gp; psicrown of the dominator-312/450pp-14,040gp; rod of metamagic extension-11,000gp; wand of contagion-18 charges-4050gp; heavy psionic steel shield+4-16,170gp; +4 fleshgrinding, thundering harpoon (5 rounds, every round jerks the victim around, bullrushing it w/ bab and str of thrower, in any direction thrower desires; already claimed by kyrill)

EDIT: incidentally, most of these things were used against you guys in that battle at least once. not all of them, but most of them...

[Barbarian MD]

That wall of text (spread across two or three posts) was larger than usual, even by your standards!

I should point out that the harpoon is medium sized, which is a HUGE penalty for Kyrill to use. Anyone that can make use of it, have it it; he just picked it up at the time because we were going after Shet and I wanted him to have about twenty weapons on him.

Now if only I knew what half those items did...

Minor question: Stycotl, is Kyrill's magic item (reward from a while back) somewhere in that pile, or is that coming later in the future?

[Jack_Simth]

Ah... "greatsword of wand of disintegration-23"? Is that a regular Greatsword that also functions as a Wand of Disintegration?

Let's see... the Torc of Heroic Sacrifice is right up Odlqua's alley - he's not even using that item slot. 1/day Immediate Action to take a blow for another. Then again, we might want to put that on the team without a proper medic, specifically on one of those with Fast Healing.

The Ankh of Ascension is good - great for reasonably long-term buffs, such as Mass Conviction. And at 3/day, it's replaceable for something normal later on.

The Rod of Metamagic Extension - is that a Metamagic Rod of Extend spell?

Oldqua could benefit from the Gloves of Dexterity +4... not really any more than anyone else could, but he could benefit from them.

Also... what was the questionable morals of the word in question that the Dagger of Denial didn't fall under the same category?

[Tacitus]

God I've missed a lot.

I do think Teleporting the giant beastie on top of his buddies was particularly inspired, and if I have my way Hans will continue to be as bad-ass as I can possibly make him. I accept this bad-assery and will bad ass more in the future, this I vow!
He may even sport outrageous sunglasses and demand of people a simple answer to the ever burning question of just who the heck they think he is!
...I may be in the middle of watching Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann... XD

I also agree, strangling an abomination with ghostly possession, if only for one round, and riding around inside it as a means of playing the Spotter is suitably bad-ass for our Old' Ghostie.

Erfel was a war weaving Bard and routinely hit the War-Weaved Network with Cure spells on everyone. A war weaving cleric would be any worse how?

I have a Feat request for Levi's 13th level feat:
Professional Luddite [Skill]
You've learned to break machines because you're an
antitechnology fanatic { or maybe you just work for
the local protection racket.
Disable Device ranks:
0: You can use Disable Device on magic traps like a
character with trapnding. If you already have that
ability, you gain +3 to your Disable Device checks.
Disable Device is always a class skill for you.
4: You can use your Dexterity modier instead of
your Intelligence modier for Disable Device checks.
Darkness and blindness do not hinder your ability to
disable devices.
9: You can reduce the amount of time required to dis-
able a device. For each multiple of 10 you beat
the required DC, you can decrease the time required
from 2d4 rounds to 1d4 rounds to 1 round to a stan-
dard action to a move-equivalent action to a free
action.
14: You can use Disable Device to end any persistent ef-
fect or area spell eect as if it was a magic trap, but
the DC is 25 + twice the spell's level.
19: As an attack action, you can disable magic items.
You must succeed on a melee touch attack roll for at-
tended objects. Make a Disable Device check against
a DC of 15 + the item's caster level: if your check
succeeds, the item must make a Will save against
a DC of 10 + 1=2 your character level or be turned
into a normal item, and even if it saves, its magical
properties are suppressed for 1d4 rounds.


OR


Investigator [Skill]
You have an eye for detail and so much patience that
going through a 100' by 100' room inch-by-inch doesn't
even try it.
Search ranks:
0: You can use Search to nd traps like a character
with trapnding. If you already have that ability,
you gain +3 to your Search checks. Search is always
a class skill for you.
4: You can Search a 10' by 10' area with a full-round
action.
9: You automatically sense any active magic eects in
an area you search. If you succeed on a DC 20 Search
check, you can determine their number, strength,
and school, as if using detect magic.
14: You can Search objects or areas within 30 feet of
yourself. You can make a Search check as a swift
action.
19: You have an intuitive sense for hidden things. Any-
time something that someone has hidden is within 60
feet of you, you know it; if there are multiple things,
you know how many. However, you must still make
Search checks as normal to locate them.
If not that then probably something to help people cast spells through my Net. Possibly as the basis/leader of a teamwork benefit.

Also, can we get a list of Craft Skills, Knowledge Skills, and Profession Skills (with ranks, obviously) spread between every member of the Watchtower? I've got a spiffy new power I want to take for a spin.

Upon waking and checking the Network Levi manifests Collective Unconscious (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172014)
Everyone may share the highest of any network member's Knowledge Skill Ranks, are treated as having those ranks for the purpose of Synergies, and the network as a whole gets a pool of 70 (-7 for each Member less than 10) Improvisation Points to spend on d20 rolls to increase the roll on a 1 for 1 basis before rolling up to a maximum of 6 (or 7) per roll.
Also, if the level up comes before waking, then Levi also chooses to allow all Craft skills to share among networked members.
Levi and Hans's skills: (wow, so uch crappier than I figured >.<)
Levi:
Craft Weaponsmithing: 2
Architecture: 1
History: 4
Local: 1
Psionics: 1
Planes: 3

Hans:
Craft Alchemy: 12
Arcana: 1
History: 3
Planes: 3
Profession Herbalist: 2
Profession Mad Prophet: 5 (Yes, Mad Prohpet)

For Hans at level 13 I'd like to pick up a PrC that might be a little... not good aligned (as well as move his levels around a bit to get full casting on one side, the end result is in the next spoiler). The Bloodcarver (http://grandwiki.wikidot.com/pclbloodcarver) lets you bleed in exchange for a bonus to Chaos Weaving checks. Hans could get up to a +8 bonus on weaving checks for 8 damage that can't be healed by magic (though fast healing applies).
1: Doppelganger RHD//Chaos Mage 1
2: Doppelganger RHD//Chaos Mage 2
3: Doppelganger RHD//Chaos Mage 3
4: Doppelganger RHD//Chaos Mage 4
5: Doppelganger LA//Chaos Mage 5
6: Doppelganger LA//Chaos Mage 6
7: Doppelganger LA//Chaos Mage 7
8: Doppelganger LA//Chaos Mage 8
9: Warshaper 1//Chaos Mage 9
10: Warshaper 2//Chaos Mage 10
11: Warshaper 3//Chaos Mage 11
12: Warshaper 4//Bad-Ass (Chaos Mage 12) 1
13: Survivor 1//Blood Carver
Either that, or not taking level 13 and instead using it to burn 2 levels worth of level adjustment (50%+50%?), if you'd be willing to allow that. Not take Bloodcarver but still get all Chaos Mage on one side and pick up that second level of Survivor.

Definitely going to have to brew up a Network Healing power...

In other news, totally got Miles range on the Network now.

And then I read the post about Erfel's weave and teamwork benefits after I've written a bunch of stuff on the topic. XD

Levi and Hans in the Exchequer...

With no means to heal the wounded, Levi and Hans are left to wander about the battlefield in a daze. Levi almost seems a mindless automaton as he stares at each corpse in turn, not a hint of emotion left to flicker across his face. The network is a jumble of thoughts for quite some time, fragments of ideas from many more than the handful of individuals he is normally able to carry. When called to leave he does so without hesitation, though his visage remains grim. Hans, meanwhile, tumbles about in the shape of a very fit young man that may very well be a halfling, if not for some of his facial features and the overly pointed ears. His few wounds close immediately and several others in the network can feel the surge of power that comes from someone else imbuing their own rapid healing beyond its normal limits.

When addressed by Kyrill Hans giggles and rocks on his heels, "Would that I could, Lord Commander Bear Hands. The erratic nature of my talents mean that a little explosion or two are never out of the question. At the very least I didn't cause any permanent damage to anyone but myself, I suppose."

...Home Again

Levi says very little, or rather less than usual, and any telepathic messages from him are brief but clear. On the demiplane the chaotic mess of his network condenses into crystal clarity once again. Neither the sniper nor the chaos mage seem to have any input on the matter of celestial infiltration.

The chaos mage sleeps only part of the night and spends the remainder huddled up in his rack jumping at every last little sound that he hears, some of which he replies to with meek chittering as though he were a squirrel. Levi, meanwhile, sleeps like the dead, having gone to bed early and is slow to wake in the morning.

Outside the cellar Levi takes the time to begin sketching in the dirt with a loose bolt. Something seems to have taken hold of him as he tries putting ideas in his mind into a written form, if only temporarily.

When Lemion begins the brief about the enemies of the Watchtower he ceases his efforts and pays close attention. His scribbles look like some crazy crossbow of some sort.

And as the gnome speaks a single word resounds through the net, a weight carried with it that the Shieldmarshal no doubt does not intend.

'Toril'

Levi does not seem to notice, and in fact he even seems oblivious to the strange weight echoing through his network. As quickly as it had been said, however, it vanishes into the psychic depths of the network and whatever fragment of thought might have been attached t it is gone.

Levi looks over the journal when it is handed to him and remarks through the net as he reads, 'I do have some small bit of experience with the quiet disarming of traps, and have been working on it since the less than stellar results in the simulation, but my hands aren't much good with such mechanisms. I'm often surprised my left arm works at all.'

He winces almost imperceptibly and slides his burned left arm out of view, though he can do nothing to hide the scars along his neck and face. He presses on, 'As for my personal Second, I will rely on Starry-Eyes to aid me, to see what I cannot and stand in my stead should I be unable to do so.'

He lets out a mental sigh at the examination of tactics in the Exchequer, 'In such a short time serving with Erfel Fencallad I became accustomed to our beneficial spells spreading through my network and as such did not think about the limited range on those that others might utilize. And I somewhat disagree. We did our best to distribute our offensive capabilities where they would do the most good at the time. Granted, had we focused more on the larger targets we might have put them down faster, but also potentially at the cost of many more lives. It was my decision to allocate resources to saving those not of the watchtower precisely because I have faith in the abilities of those that serve under me. As for the transfer of magical energy along the network other than healing, I know how to create duplicates, but it takes a dedicated effort of willpower to do so and quite a bit of concentration. I could try to work on transferring other sorts of magic along the threads that bind us all together, but it would take some doing.'

'As always, I am not opposed to taking on the mantle of a healer, the many gifts I have been granted by my nature allow me to change my capabilities each day. Learning psychometabolism is not beneath me by any means. As for Kuru, I've little experience with dragons, much less ones so unique, so I have few ideas on non-combat roles that he could take. Transport is indeed amusing, but potentially demeaning. We will find hidden value within, with time.'

'That... is a massive pile of unclaimed property. I... don't even know where to begin.'
He offers up a Wand of Orb of Electricity to the pot as well, in the event that someone else can use it better than he.

Hans picks up one of the spiked chains and begins giggling like a madman as he begins spinning it around.

'Put that down.'

'No, shiny, miiiiiine. Its so delightfully pointy! I promise not to hu-OW! You saw nothing.'

Hans is a bad-ass and suddenly gains proficiency in anything that could conceivably be a weapon. What? XD

[Barbarian MD]

Man, that's a big list of items.

Looking at the pile, the werebear has an idea. Kyrill has stripped his armor off and wishes to try something. His back arches, spine popping and creaking. His form begins to twist and flow, and his features change in a sanity-shattering instant. He has returned to the form of a half-orc.

He reaches down and plucks the harpoon up again from the ground. And then the process is repeated in reverse, with more creakings and shudderings. Curious to see if the transformation has affected the size of the harpoon, Kyrill looks down to his hand.

Any chance this would make the harpoon large sized?

Kyrill places the harpoon back on the pile and continues to look over the pieces.

"I imagine I am the only one capable of picking this up." He gestures to the Huge Greataxe. "May I?"

He picks it up, running a finger over the edge of the blade. He is not impressed with the edge, and the poor quality of steel that was used to craft it. "Whoever owned this last did not maintain it. It is a wonder it holds an edge at all.

"I am little practiced with the ways of magic. Would it be possible to transfer the magical energy from one weapon to another, in a sense overwriting it, or swapping it? By your notes there is more magic in this weapon than my own blade, but I'm loathe to part with mine for a weapon not made of adamant."

Is there a rules-legal way to do that, or could we get a houserule/homebrew solution, Stycotl?

[josh13905]

Grrr, post to say I'm alive, and if this is still the most recent post when I find more time, which I doubt then, I will hopefully catchup.

Sorry but the holidays have been busy, and I wanted to read everything before I posted, and that still hasn't happened as I realize I have 5 minutes and half the thread to read...

But I still am here. So don't fret yet.

[Jack_Simth]

No ranks in Craft or Profession, but 11 ranks in Knowledge(the Planes) thanks to that +8 from the RP award, and 15 ranks in Knowledge(religion).

As for changing weapons... as written, Dispel Magic makes something nonmagical for a few rounds. Polymorph Any Object lets you change one object into another. So in theory, you could dispel it, change it to your weapon of choice, and then let the dispel expire.

Of course, that requires an 8th level spell....
Oldqua pauses a moment at the mention that Levi can copy spells, and asks a question of him across the network "Levi, you said you can copy spells ... does that work with Prayers, too? I've got a few I can access, good for keeping people from being overly affected by spells and such, that are touch range - which is a problem for applying them to everyone else... but if you can copy them across the network, and I can put them on myself, well... are there any particular limitations on that?"
I'm looking at spells like Conviction (Spell Compendium: 10 minutes/level, +4 Morale to saves at caster level 12) Greater/Superior Resistance (Spell Compendium again: +3/+6 Resistance to saves for 24 hours), Ebon Eyes (Spell Compendium again: 10 minutes/level, lets people see through magical darkness ... if you can already see in the dark, anyway) and so on.

Oh yes, as for the substitution level: Nobody's said no, but everyone's chimed in with a 'yes'. Where does that put me?

[josh13905]

I've managed to read everything, understand very little, and arrive at a point of curious confusion. *Takes deep breath* So If I miss anything, point it out nicely, and if I miss that too, then scream it from the rooftops. Either IC or OOC

Oldqua = Badass, 1 in 20 wins, 19 in 20 we all die. Sounds pretty Badass.


When Oldqua offers to spar by means of wrestling Xavier chooses to turn down the chance. He would have little chance, and the effort would likely be a waste, perhaps another time. No Xavier's strength lies in his speed, not his musculature.

Xavier looks at the pile of treasure in wonder, he had never seen such riches. There must have been dozens of things whose use escaped him, for now.

RETCON:

To Kuru

"Your problem appears to be a lack of Time, which is something that I cannot give to you, however, if you possess the drive to walk the path, then I think you'll find the time somewhere, even if it is just a few minutes here or there, meditation works, if it didn't I wouldn't be alive today."

Still gotta level and do a bit more digging into the list of treasure, but atm I cannot access my sheet, so it'll have to wait.

I find myself in possession of two immovable rods, whose use was originally to allow Xavier to climb without a wall, but such means of transportation now are unnecessary, so does anyone want them or should he look to give them away or find a use for them elsewhere? Because currently its just 10k worth of gold lying in his pack, albeit much much lighter weight.

[Jack_Simth]

Immovable Rods are utility items. Need a quick tripwire? Tie a rope between two Immovable Rods. Need a door kept shut? Stick an Immovable Rod in front of it. One of the party members can't fly, but needs to get over the ravine? Tie a rope around an immovable Rod up above the middle, and have fun with your rope swing. Stuck in a room with the ceiling coming down on you? An Immovable Rod can slow it down, and give you a bit of time to get the door open. And so on.

You did get a rope too, right?

[Barbarian MD]

Just popping in for a quick update. I'll come back tomorrow and post all my craft/knowledge ranks.

As to leveling, (I can't believe I'm saying this, but) I'll be following Tacitus's lead with Finn, dropping two LA instead of leveling from 12 to 13. Kyrill will be taking Barbarian 13//Crusader 2, and that sheet update (or, at least, his raging sheet) is basically finished. That puts Finn at 12.0, and Kyrill at 13.45

I'm thinking about dropping all 10 bonus skill points on craft armor or weapon, but crafting takes forever, or at least, it does in games other than this one. I imagine a lot of "aid another" could happen to speed up the process, but I wanted to ask: Stycotl, do you have any house rules about crafting?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Everyone see the Notice

Aww, dangit, missed the post about this. Wondering where everyone was. Gonna take me some time to catch up.

I'm going for Green Star Adept/Keeper of the Cerulean Sign. I want to do this in a special way as with this level Starry will no longer breathe, eat or anything. She will be more symbol than girl.

She has a bottle of her starmetal-infused apple brandy to begin the transformation. If we can fit this in let me know.

Also need to work on her Cerulean Sign. Am thinking it will be inscribed on her once she can't feel pain.

Notice
Have polished up draft for the rewrite of the Green Star Adept here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177627).

Suggestions/critiques welcome.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Starry-Eyes and Finn talk through the night. Starry-Eyes dances as she speaks, almost singing her words, never once actually seeming to grow tired or sleepy, but seems refreshed by her prance.

"I think it may be do-able then, but it will take some time to make. I fear at least a month. This will take some thought... but if last night showed me anything, it's that if I am to truly dedicate myself as I promised my people and the Lady, I must be willing to accept the last sacrifice. I must die."

The little halfling walks out to meet with the others and tries to gain their attention.


Ok, it will take a minimum of 11 days to make a Cerulean Sign, and I require one before gaining the abilities. Then I'd only get a +1 bonus. I'd just assume spend much of my wealth this level on a +3 Cerulean Sign. That however will take 36 days. Both however seem a long time unless I can get some kind of null-time bubble or something to work in...

Anyways, in the meantime, Starry-Eyes must ingest more star metal. As per backstory she has special hard cider distilled from the fruits of trees that have soaked up star metal. She will then lose most of her fleshy bits and will no longer need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe.

Let's have us a wake :smallwink:

If my GSA fix is alright, here is what my character sheet will be after I take both levels:
http://pifro.com/pro/view.php?id=5808

[Gnorman]

Oof, catch-up on my part too. Definitely support Oldqua for the badass award, by the way - I think he already got it, but I'm putting in my vote anyway.

Upon hearing news of his promotion, Justice bows to Kyrill slightly.

THANK YOU, SERGEANT. I WILL ATTEMPT TO NOT DISAPPOINT YOU NOR THE TRUST YOU HAVE PLACED IN ME.

While the others sleep, Justice takes the time to polish his armor plates, until they shine with a brilliant azure-and-silver sheen (it is safe to say that staring directly at Justice in the sunlight is a slightly painful proposition now). Justice's eyes seem to glow a little less brightly than usual upon hearing news of Celestica's departure, however. When he has a chance to say a few words to her on the way out of the barracks, he is characteristically brief.

IT IS A SHAME TO HEAR OF YOUR DEPARTURE, BUT YOU ALONE KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR YOURSELF. MAY YOU FIND YOUR PURPOSE AND FULFILL IT.

Justice is similarly nonplussed by the blanket of items, unaccustomed as he is towards the tendency of organic creatures to squabble over shiny things. After all, what is the point when he can create his own shiny things at will?

I HAVE NOTICED THAT I HAVE YET TO BE ASSIGNED SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE SUCH? BESIDES ARTILLERY, I AM ADEPT AT BATTLEFIELD CONTROL - I CAN DIVIDE AND LOCK DOWN OUR FOES WITH A VARIETY OF ECTOPLASMIC MEANS. I AM ALSO QUITE ADEPT AT TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL MANIPULATION. AND FINALLY, I CAN BE A SQUAD TOOLBOX - IF WE REQUIRE ANY SUBSTANCES, ITEMS, OR MATERIALS, I CAN EASILY CREATE THEM OUT OF ECTOPLASM.

And, as if almost to prove a point, Justice concentrates, eyes dimming low, until a swirling mass of silver goo rises up from the courtyard ground, forming itself into a massive block of marble. Slowly but surely, invisible sculptors chip away at the form, until it is left as a massive bear wielding a greatsword, with a small kobold perched upon its shoulder, wearing an eggshell as a helmet. Chiseled in the base of the statue are the words "KYRILL AND HANS, BEST FRIENDS FOREVER," while small mesh holes around the sides of the base begin playing a rousing march militaire, replete with blasting brass sections and pounding drums.

Psionic Major Creation + Greater Fabricate to create the statue, simply for the kicks. Control Sound for our soundtrack.

[Barbarian MD]

You win an internet.

[Jack_Simth]

Vorpal: Rules quotes are your friend (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicitems/creatingmagicitems.htm)

The creator also needs a fairly quiet, comfortable, and well-lit place in which to work. Any place suitable for preparing spells is suitable for making items. Creating an item requires one day per 1,000 gp in the item’s base price, with a minimum of at least one day. Potions are an exception to this rule; they always take just one day to brew. The character must spend the gold and XP at the beginning of the construction process.

The caster works for 8 hours each day. He cannot rush the process by working longer each day. But the days need not be consecutive, and the caster can use the rest of his time as he sees fit. (Emphasis added)

Starry-Eyes no longer needs to sleep, most people do. So adventuring or not, that's an extra 8 hours per day for working on stuffs (unless you're an Arcane caster). And you can halt work if we need to go on an adventure, if you're not sure you won't get interrupted for that 8 hours.

Also, I can never remember where to find it, but isn't there a section on improving magic items, that would let you build a +1 Sign for the normal cost & time, then upgrade it to +2 for the difference in cost (and time) between a +1 Sign and a +2 Sign, and then upgrade it again for the difference in cost&time between a +3 Sign and a +2 sign?

Oldqua looks at the statue, and asks a question of Justice across the mental link: "Can you make a hard object, about five feet long, weighing three hundred pounds? Possibly something like heavy rod, with a sharp point on one end, for rolling down hallways to trigger floor traps, or throwing at opponents? Also, how long do these things last?"

Well... I guess I'll write in the boost level, then. Hmm... if I put it at 1st, which the original instructions seem to suggest, do I get the *4 skill point boost for first level? Quite useful, that.... I think I'll go with the recovery ability... just because I hate rolling 1's on saves.

Oh, and a question:
If I roll a natural 1, then negate the nat-1 with a luckblade or other 'normal' reroll mechanism, do I still get a CMA point for it?

Which reminds me: I'll need to start rolling more dice in combat....

[Gnorman]

A SIMPLE TASK, MY FRIEND.

A moment of mental shaping, and exactly what Oldqua described appears on the courtyard before him, with elaborately-wrought engraved designs along the shaft.

THIS PARTICULAR CREATION WILL HOLD ITS SHAPE AND FORM FOR ABOUT HALF A DAY. AFTER THIS, IT WILL DISSIPATE BACK INTO THE ASTRAL PLANE.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua nods, and replies across the mental link "Looks good... I wonder how well it shoots...." and looks around for a reasonably safe target, settling on a bit of already-broken masonry, then glances at the object, launching it at the selected target, point-first.

Telekinesis: Violent Thrust: [roll0] for... hard, dense object, 300 pounds.... [roll1] damage (more, if the point helps), targetting a bit of already-broken masonry that nobody's expected to care about.

[roll2] rounds until he can do that again.


Oldqua then inspects the results... both to the target, and the projectile. He nods in satisfaction, pauses a moment to catch his nonexistent breath, and rolls it around on the floor for a time, getting a feel for it, picking it up a bit off the ground, then setting it back down.Telekinesis again: Sustained Force.Oldqua then looks back to Justice, and relays across the mental link "Yes, quite nice... pity it'll be gone by tomorrow. You chiseled that statue earlier.... do you think there's a big enough block of stone or metal around here to make one of these things that'll last until I wear it out? As we're not normally going to be working directly with each other, it'd be handy to have. I'm not sure how to transport it normally, though... hmm...."

[Gnorman]

IF THE STONE IS NOT OF ECTOPLASMIC ORIGIN, YES, IT WOULD BE PERMANENT. I CAN SHAPE IT INTO WHATEVER YOU DESIRE.

[Barbarian MD]

Couple of points to discuss:

1) I noticed that no one has the feat "Craft Magical Arms/Armor." I'm going to retrain Finn's feat "Practiced Spellcaster." This will result in a CL drop from 12 to 10, but I think it will be completely worth it to the group as a whole. [Stycotl, with Finn having this feat, any way we can gimmick some ritual magic that would allow the transfer of a magical enhancement from one weapon to another, or one piece of armor to another?]

On that note: I'm now taking requests OOC. It will take a little bit of time before this happens IC.

2) If anyone can condense War Weaver into a copyright-legal form, I would appreciate being able to peruse it. If I remember correctly, it's largely the formatting and specific wording of the documents that are copyrighted, and simply posting the requirements and a listing of what abilities come at which levels (sort of like the website-that-must-not-be-named-on-these-boards does) is okay. Once I can take a look at it, I'll look into homebrewing a divine version. Right now I've swapped out my LA for 2 more levels of Church Court Inquisitor, but if War Weaver advances spellcasting either at 1st or 2nd level, I could instead take Divine War Weaver 1-2.

3) Skill points: does anyone have ranks in craft (armor) or craft (weapon)? If no one does, Kyrill will be taking ranks, but since we can now share craft skills, I'll go for something else if someone already has them. If someone wants to go in with me on this, I could max out one and you could max out the other. Stycotl, crafting takes forever according to RAW. Any houserules regarding makings weapons/armor?

Kyrill:
History 3
Nature 9
Planes 3

Finn:
Arcana 4
Planes 4
Religion 8

Starry-Eyes:
Arcana 10
Architecture 2
Dungeoneering 14
Geography 2
History 2
Nature 5
Religion 1

Oldqua:
Arcana 4
History 4
Planes 11
Religion 15

Levi:
Architecture 2
History 4
Local 1
Psionics 1
Planes 3

Justice:
Arcana 15
Architecture 5
Dungeoneering 10
Geography 1
History 1
Local 1
Nature 15
Nobility/Royalty 1
Planes 15
Psionics 15
Religion 15

Hans
Arcana 5
History 3
Planes 3

Kuru ?

BEST
Arcana 15
Architecture 5
Dungeoneering 14
Geography 2
History 4
Local 1
Nature 15
Nobility/Royalty 1
Planes 15
Psionics 15
Religion 15

4) Stycotl, Relentless Dispelling is a Lesser Invocation, but is limited by a dispel check of 10 (like Dispel Magic). Any chance I could retrain it with a Lesser Invocation that loses the "relentless" part of the invocation, in exchange for the limit to increase to 20 (like Greater Dispel Magic)?

5) Kyrill's raging sheet is now updated. I'll be taking this previously discussed feat: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143091. It came down to this vs. improved grapple, since he seems to find himself in the same situation over and over again, but it'll just have to wait.

6) I have no idea what the following items do:
power stone - personality parasite
power stone - time hop
instruments of the blood gift
psicrown of the evader
psicrown of the dominator
Could someone enlighten me?

Oh, Bone Ring looks promising. Rod of Metamagic Extension, too.


7) Stycotl, can we sell these items somehow? "Trade them" with Celestial bureaucrats?


Finn listens, enraptured, as Starry-Eyes talks through the night. At first he is quite excited to discuss the ramifications of a more permanent sign, but as she speaks of dying, he becomes horrified. It is only as daylight begins to dawn on the Eastern horizon that he is finally won over, and gives tentative support for her plan. Yet it still makes him uneasy to think over, and he loses himself in his breakfast in an attempt to stop thinking of it.

Later in the day, as Kyrill changes form to inspect the weapons, he has a thought, and broaches the subject with the werebear. "Sir, it occurs to me that you spend a lot of energy lugging around your armor, and I see a potentially fatal flaw. What happens should we need to fight in an antimagic field? You would shrink down to the size of a man, and yet your armor would not. But I have an idea: refit your armor, resize it to your birth-form, and I might be able to enchant it to grow with you. Then, if we fought in an antimagic field, your armor would return to its non-magical size, and still be useful to you, rather than a trap of steel.

"Granted, I've never before enchanted armor before, but it doesn't look too hard--I'm beginning to see the patterns of flow in these items."

Basically, I'm going to upgrade Kyrill to 16+2 ranks in Craft (Armor), to give him a 19 points (counting ability modifier). The craft check on his armor would be DC 23, which would be easy enough to hit with an aid another. He could even voluntarily increase the DC to 33, use a masterwork item, aid another, and take 10 each time.

10,500 gp = 105,000 sp
DC 33 x 33 check = 1089 = 97 days... (barring a house rule--oh please let there be a houserule).

Anyway, aside from the very silly crafting rules, he could craft it using the mithral from his large full plate to create a medium-sized full plate. Then Finn could hit it with the re-sizing armor enhancement. And this way Kyrill won't die as quickly in an antimagic field.

...

Kyrill studies the list of items carefully, and then plucks the Torc of Heroic Sacrifice from the pile, clasping it around his neck without a word.

Don't think anyone will mind Kyrill taking damage in your place. Yay for having almost half as many hit points as a Tarrasque!

Studying the list further, he addresses Lemion. "Sir, it strikes me that we have no use for many of these items. Would it be possible to requisition other items from Celestia by convincing the bureaucrats to trade for these?"

[Barbarian MD]

I don't know if anyone has calculated the value of these items yet, but I just did. Holy crap.

Not counting the potions and a few items that I couldn't quickly figure out prices for orb of frost (radiate aura of cold: 2d6+4 cold at 10' radius; swift act (de)activate; CL 12); greatsword of wand of disintegration-23; instruments of the blood gift (MIC); greater tentacle rod) w/ greater crystal of return (MIC) the total value of the items before us amounts to...


818,663 gp

Sell all of that for half value, then divide by 8 characters, and that amounts to a little over 50,000 gp each.

If Kyrill could count that high, he'd pee his pants.

[Stycotl]

That wall of text (spread across two or three posts) was larger than usual, even by your standards!

pooh, pooh.


I should point out that the harpoon is medium sized, which is a HUGE penalty for Kyrill to use. Anyone that can make use of it, have it it; he just picked it up at the time because we were going after Shet and I wanted him to have about twenty weapons on him.

'course, it'll shift size with you when you grow during a rage, but that still leaves it one size too small at the moment.


Now if only I knew what half those items did...

unfortunately, this is where i have to open up my magic item compendium and have lemion start describing them all. tedious work. anyone else that has a magic item compendium is more than welcome to help out, IC of course. either say that they have seen a similar kind of magic item before, or simply recognize and understand what the enchantments would do, or that they caught a mental glimpse of it through lemion's thoughts, etc.

all of you, feel free to start persuading the team leaders––in character (though ooc explanations are fine along with the IC banter)––that the item you really want would be good for the teams in yours hands because of [______].


Minor question: Stycotl, is Kyrill's magic item (reward from a while back) somewhere in that pile, or is that coming later in the future?

it'll be in there. i just have to finish it first.


Ah... "greatsword of wand of disintegration-23"? Is that a regular Greatsword that also functions as a Wand of Disintegration?

you've never heard of that artifact? major artifact of the typo gods. now i have to go through my notes and see if i can remember what the hell i was supposed to be writing there...


The Rod of Metamagic Extension - is that a Metamagic Rod of Extend spell?

yes.


Also... what was the questionable morals of the word in question that the Dagger of Denial didn't fall under the same category?

the dagger isn't an artifact; the greatsword is sufficiently powerful that the council wanted to oversee its destruction personally. lemion gets to choose what happens to the dagger. it's still in the pile because i am working on some sort of mechanic for reenchanting items (in this case specifically stripping it of its tie to vecna and its evil personality; though i haven't actually finalized the rules for it yet.


I do think Teleporting the giant beastie on top of his buddies was particularly inspired, and if I have my way Hans will continue to be as bad-ass as I can possibly make him. I accept this bad-assery and will bad ass more in the future, this I vow!

cool.

your badass level will be on level 1; so you'd end up with something like this:

1: BADASS Doppelganger RHD//Chaos Mage 1
2: Doppelganger RHD//Chaos Mage 2

or something like that. if you ever get anyother badass level, it'll apply to level 2, and so on.

remember that if none of the badass feats sound appealing to you, you can always homebrew more, and i'll pass them off if they aren't over/underpowered.


I also agree, strangling an abomination with ghostly possession, if only for one round, and riding around inside it as a means of playing the Spotter is suitably bad-ass for our Old' Ghostie.

EVERYONE: i need to know ASAP whether oldqua gets the badass level so that jack can update the character. so far, it is unanimous; is there anyone that thinks that oldqua's stunt wasn't badass? if you truly don't feel that it was, don't be afraid to speak up. that'll just force us to aim for a higher mark.

i want your votes on this finished in two days so we can lay it to rest.


Erfel was a war weaving Bard and routinely hit the War-Weaved Network with Cure spells on everyone. A war weaving cleric would be any worse how?

i forgot about that fact. no, that never bothered me when erfel used the weave for healing spells. i was jsut reading up on the prc and responded to the variant suggestions, and their concern that healing spells would be overpowered.

so, healing spells will function under the same rules as anything else, if we end up with war weaver abilities in the teams.


I have a Feat request for Levi's 13th level feat:
Professional Luddite [Skill]

hmmm. a skill feat, and i think i've already ok'ed a few of those. i'm concerned about the abilities at 14 ranks and 19 ranks. i'd allow it with these changes: if the effect is permanent for either of the abilities (area effect or magic item), then it only suppresses it for 1d4 rounds; if it is not permanent (a weapon enspelled with magic weapon or something similar), then it is dispelled. or maybe i'll allow the actual unmagicification of an item or permanent effect, but at +10 DC or something, and you can choose to just suppress it instead if you want, even if you roll that high.

does that sound fair to you guys?


Investigator

that one would be ok as is.

*********

for the rest of you, certain f&k feats are allowable (though i haven't made a list of which are and which aren't, partially because it depends on the character). so if you really want one, run it by me.



For Hans at level 13 I'd like to pick up a PrC that might be a little... not good aligned (as well as move his levels around a bit to get full casting on one side, the end result is in the next spoiler). The Bloodcarver lets you bleed in exchange for a bonus to Chaos Weaving checks. Hans could get up to a +8 bonus on weaving checks for 8 damage that can't be healed by magic (though fast healing applies).

that would work.


Either that, or not taking level 13 and instead using it to burn 2 levels worth of level adjustment (50%+50%?), if you'd be willing to allow that. Not take Bloodcarver but still get all Chaos Mage on one side and pick up that second level of Survivor.

yes, you can buy off as much LA as you have XP to spend. just remember, if you go in the hole (less xp than you need to be at the level you are at), you won't go any lowert than 12th level, but have to catch back up before you can start shooting for 13 again.


Man, that's a big list of items.

yeah, i had to make up for the fact that you guys didn't really get anything on highpoint. plus, you all fought off an almost company-sized enemy unit, so there was a lot of loot used against you that the survivors get to enjoy.


Any chance this would make the harpoon large sized?

hmm. i know that enlarge person/expansion change weapon size. i don't know about a were's alternate form though.

*********


Is there a rules-legal way to do that, or could we get a houserule/homebrew solution, Stycotl?

i've never seen any system already in place for that kind of stuff. but i don't think it would be too hard to come up with one. i've been tinkering with similar ideas already, so this can just be added to the list.


As for changing weapons... as written, Dispel Magic makes something nonmagical for a few rounds. Polymorph Any Object lets you change one object into another. So in theory, you could dispel it, change it to your weapon of choice, and then let the dispel expire.

you guys familiar with the incantations of unearthed arcana? this is what i've been thinking of using in order to cannibalize magic items, etc; and when i do, i might just make dispel magic and polymorph any object part of the ritual. plus, lemion has artificer levels...


Of course, that requires an 8th level spell....

you guys are almost there.


Oh yes, as for the substitution level: Nobody's said no, but everyone's chimed in with a 'yes'. Where does that put me?

if we're not missing anyone's vote, then you're golden.

lessee: yays: josh, jack, gnorman, tacitus, mhvaughan

nays: ?

not voted: vorpal, have you voted? i think you are the only one that i can't find.


I've managed to read everything, understand very little, and arrive at a point of curious confusion.

what are you confused about? let me know and i'll clarify what i need to (i'll readily admit to be unintelligible pretty darn near all of the time).


Oldqua = Badass, 1 in 20 wins, 19 in 20 we all die. Sounds pretty Badass.

well, not everyone. but i was shooting to make it a lethal enough encounter that 1-2 PCs could/would/should die. oldqua's victory over the rukanyr champ kept it from constricting the crap out of you guys for a decent amount of time. and as much as i love kyrill, he was the number one target there.


I'm thinking about dropping all 10 bonus skill points on craft armor or weapon, but crafting takes forever, or at least, it does in games other than this one.

excepting for rare exceptions, you'll probably have enough time during the between-chapters downtime to craft at least one semi/complicated item, or at least make some really good headway on it. your mileage will very there, and i do have some very short downtimes planned, but not too many.


I imagine a lot of "aid another" could happen to speed up the process,

yes, that would help a ton. find someone with some ranks in whatever you want to craft and partner away. if no one else does, lemion has a number of craft skills. so do a bunch of the nonwatchtower NPCs that you guys will have access to.


but I wanted to ask: Stycotl, do you have any house rules about crafting?

not yet, though i might in the future.


Notice
Have polished up draft for the rewrite of the Green Star Adept here.

Suggestions/critiques welcome.

looking it over now.


Starry-Eyes no longer needs to sleep, most people do. So adventuring or not, that's an extra 8 hours per day for working on stuffs (unless you're an Arcane caster).

i don't think i've actually ever seen that RAW, but if it isn't, it should be.


Also, I can never remember where to find it, but isn't there a section on improving magic items, that would let you build a +1 Sign for the normal cost & time, then upgrade it to +2 for the difference in cost (and time) between a +1 Sign and a +2 Sign, and then upgrade it again for the difference in cost&time between a +3 Sign and a +2 sign?

i am not sure. but that is something that i have allowed before (and have done before myself in other campaigns).


Well... I guess I'll write in the boost level, then. Hmm... if I put it at 1st, which the original instructions seem to suggest, do I get the *4 skill point boost for first level? Quite useful, that.... I think I'll go with the recovery ability... just because I hate rolling 1's on saves.

yes, you get it *4 at 1st level. remember though that the 10+int mod replaces whatever your old skill point mod was for that level.


Oh, and a question:
If I roll a natural 1, then negate the nat-1 with a luckblade or other 'normal' reroll mechanism, do I still get a CMA point for it?

i ruled a no on that earlier, but i haven't actually PMed the creator about it, so i don't know what his intent was. you are more than welcome to if you want.

Lemion nods in Levi's direction, his face wrinkled into a smile, I thought you might want to work the traps, Levi. Your efforts in that simulation were actually pretty decent. It was set up to be a little more uncontrollable than is normal in real life though, so I hadn't expected you guys to make it through that one unscathed.

Congratulations on your new responsibility, Starry-Eyes.

That reminds me, Kyrill. Your promotion came through as of this morning. Once you were named as second team's leader, you were put on the papers for a raise in paygrade. You are now a first sword.

The gnome chuckles as the chaos mage gives himself a lump with the spiked chain.
Careful, lad. Those things pack quite a nasty bite.

Kyrill cycles through his forms for a moment, picking up the harpoon as he does so. When he takes his large warform again, harpoon in hand, it has grown considerably along with him.

Kuru watches him closely, more curious as to what the others intend to do with the treasure than interested in it for its own sake.

haven't checked posts since yesterday, but will update probably tomorrow morning. i'm posting this incomplete one now though so you don't have to wait any longer.

[Barbarian MD]

Kyrill is somewhat surprised to see the harpoon grow in size when he does.

"Lemion, how exactly does this weapon work?" He listens quietly to the answer, raising his eyebrows when he learns that the strength of the user is imparted to the weapon. He turns to the others: "I'm not very good at throwing things, but it seems that I could stab something at close range instead. This weapon was infuriating when it was inside of me."

Quick Draw is sounding better and better. Any chance Kyrill could stab something with this, draw his sword, and then continue a full attack action? Or I suppose he could charge an enemy, stab it with the spear, and then quickdraw/full attack on his next turn. Either way, this thing would be a beast bolstered by a +23 strength.

Does anyone else want this? I could see it being really useful in the hands of someone who could throw it, conceivably more useful, in fact. It could be used to pin down a caster, causing them difficulty while casting, from afar, or in the case of our last encounter, someone could have pinned the winged caster with it before she could escape/teleport all over causing trouble.

Kyrill is humbled by the promotion, though not as much as the responsibility he had already received with Squad Two. "Thank you, sir. I won't disappoint you."

I got my hands on a very simple (and therefore legal) version of War Weaver (thanks!). I'll definitely use this, and retrain a smidge. Stycotl, what was the feat that Douglas used to incorporate the weave into the network?

The Divine War Weaver would be basically the same:
Pre-reqs: craft (weaving) 6, knowledge (religion) 6
Ability to cast 3rd-level divine spells

BAB 3/4, Good Will, HD d4, Skills Int+2
1) Eldritch Tapestry
2-5) Quiescent Weaving 1-4
5b) Enlarged Tapestry

This will be the new progression, unless you object, buying off 2 LA:
1) Warlock 1//LA
2) Warlock 2//LA
3) Warlock 3//Cleric 1
4) Warlock 4//Cleric 2
5) Warlock 5//Cleric 3
6) Eldritch Disciple 1//Cleric 4
7) Warlock 6//Church Inquisitor 1
8) Eldritch Disciple 2//War Weaver 1
9) Warlock 7//War Weaver 2
10) Warlock 8//War Weaver 3
11) Eldritch Disciple 3//Fax Paladin 1
12) Eldritch Disciple 4//Fax Paladin 2

So it'd be cutting out one Paladin level, replacing it with Warweaver, and then gaining two more Warweaver levels through the power of XP.

Bottom line: Warlock 12, Cleric Casting 10.

Any objections?

I don't have an empty feat slot for the tapestry-net feat, but I could certainly get it at the next level up.

[Jack_Simth]

unfortunately, this is where i have to open up my magic item compendium and have lemion start describing them all. tedious work. anyone else that has a magic item compendium is more than welcome to help out, IC of course. either say that they have seen a similar kind of magic item before, or simply recognize and understand what the enchantments would do, or that they caught a mental glimpse of it through lemion's thoughts, etc.
Will do. And Oldqua's old enough to actually have that be practical, as well as having Lore....

all of you, feel free to start persuading the team leaders––in character (though ooc explanations are fine along with the IC banter)––that the item you really want would be good for the teams in yours hands because of [______].Will do
you've never heard of that artifact? major artifact of the typo gods. now i have to go through my notes and see if i can remember what the hell i was supposed to be writing there...Sorry....
the dagger isn't an artifact; the greatsword is sufficiently powerful that the council wanted to oversee its destruction personally. lemion gets to choose what happens to the dagger. it's still in the pile because i am working on some sort of mechanic for reenchanting items (in this case specifically stripping it of its tie to vecna and its evil personality; though i haven't actually finalized the rules for it yet.Gotcha.

EVERYONE: i need to know ASAP whether oldqua gets the badass level so that jack can update the character. so far, it is unanimous; is there anyone that thinks that oldqua's stunt wasn't badass? if you truly don't feel that it was, don't be afraid to speak up. that'll just force us to aim for a higher mark.Note: I've gone ahead and written it into my character sheet for now, but I also put it in there in such a way that it's pretty easy to remove if needed. Just for grins, I'm also respecting the max 4 skill points at level 1, even though I picked them up later. Makes for a rounder character, anyway,
you guys familiar with the incantations of unearthed arcana? this is what i've been thinking of using in order to cannibalize magic items, etc; and when i do, i might just make dispel magic and polymorph any object part of the ritual. plus, lemion has artificer levels...Only slightly. Oooh, and Artificer? Those make NIFTY additions to parties....
you guys are almost there.True. Highest PC is, what, 13th at the moment, for 7th level spells?

yes, that would help a ton. find someone with some ranks in whatever you want to craft and partner away. if no one else does, lemion has a number of craft skills. so do a bunch of the nonwatchtower NPCs that you guys will have access to.... wasn't there something about a new power from the nifty party Society Mind that permits anyone in the network to operate as though they had anyone else's ranks in Craft, Knowledge, and Profession?
i don't think i've actually ever seen that RAW, but if it isn't, it should be.... I thought I included a quote off the SRD, and linked, with the relevant portions underlined for that one... did I goof up the formatting?
i am not sure. but that is something that i have allowed before (and have done before myself in other campaigns).Ah, found it: The section's titled Adding New Abilities (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm#addingNewAbilities):

A creator can add new magical abilities to a magic item with no restrictions. The cost to do this is the same as if the item was not magical. Thus, a +1 longsword can be made into a +2 vorpal longsword, with the cost to create it being equal to that of a +2 vorpal sword minus the cost of a +1 sword. ... not that it matters, what with it being properly approved by the DM.




yes, you get it *4 at 1st level. remember though that the 10+int mod replaces whatever your old skill point mod was for that level.
Yep - so I go from 4*(6+Int and other bonus) skill points to 4*(10+Int and other bonus) skill points - gain of 16 skill points.
i ruled a no on that earlier, but i haven't actually PMed the creator about it, so i don't know what his intent was. you are more than welcome to if you want.Eh, it's mostly moot at this point - a luckblade is on my 'things to get eventually' list, but I don't have one yet.

Oldqua chimes in over the net as questions are raised about what things do: "I've actually seen most of these before...

That's a powerstone - basically a mentalist's version of a scroll - of personality parasite; causes a second personality to develop in a subject for a short time... a personality that wants to hurt the subject. Doesn't have access to the body to do it, though.

That other gem is a powerstone of Time Hop - pulls someone out of time for a little while; can be used both offensively to get one opponent out of the way while you deal with another, or defensively to put someone who's in bad shape somewhere they can't be hurt and don't get worse for a little while.

Those spiked chains are rather nasty... they soak up the blood of the injured, and use that power to hurt the current target a bit more .... and they can knock people around a bit more than most weapons do. Oh yes, and they have a rather caustic acid. The skull plaque is a defensive item when fighting undead - doesn't do much, really, but eh, makes them slightly less likely to hit you.

The Torc of Heroic Sacrifice lets you take a blow for another, once per day.

The instruments of the Blood Gift... that's a set of items, actually, which let a Sorcerer burn his own blood for various effects a few times per day.

The Rod of Enervating Strike is... well, an infinite wand of healing for me, of low value for anyone else. Basically adds a little Inflict Light Wounds spell on a slightly magical mace. And I heal reasonably quickly anyway, so it's not all that grand, even for me. Although... the type of damage it does kinda skips the problem I have with hitting people on the material realm... hmm... mind if I keep that one?

The Dagger of Denial... we'll probably want that one in storage, for now... it's an unholy intelligence that Worship's Vecna, can detect magic at will, and can dispel things once a day reasonably reliably. Might be useful if we can redeem it, but otherwise... no. But then, I suppose even if we can't, we *might* be able to threaten it with destruction to do our bidding, what with it being intelligent. Who's best at laying threats?

The Tentacle Rod is a strange device, in that it attacks on it's own, as long as it's held. It'll sometimes exhaust people, too. Handy if you're not much of a fighter, as it fights reasonably well.

The Ankh of Ascention lets you burn one Prayer to make another have a bit more oomph. Only works three times a day, though. Still, it's very useful for those prayers that last a long time, once invoked. I could use that one, I think....

The Belt of Mighty Blows lets you hit harder a couple of times per day.

The Bone Ring gives you a small measure of protection against some of the nastier attacks undead can bring to bear.

The Greater Boots of the Mountain King let you ignore most rubble, charge up and down slopes, and can wrap you in a protective layer of stone occasionally.

The Crystal Mask of Discernment gives a person a bit of extra insight into what another is intending, making you a bit harder to fool.

The Psicrowns... are basically a mentalist's version of a Staff. Each has a few powers it 'knows', and some mental strength to use with them.

The pair of The Fist gauntlets are actually two independent items - spiked, adamantine gauntlets that make you immune to having your armor magically altered in temperature, and gives you the option of expending a little magic to make them hit a bit harder.

There's more I recognize... but I think I've gotten a bit carried away... is there any specific item anyone's curious about?"

[Barbarian MD]

Kyrill wanders over to the dagger. "This thing is... intelligent? Do you mean to say someone's soul is... trapped inside?"

The barbarian is clearly uncertain, holding it carefully between two outstretched claws and looking questioningly at Oldqua.

"You want me to... scare this dagger into behaving, is that it?" He turns his attention back to the dagger. "Listen, you, dagger, thing: I've got a blade that will slice you in half quite easily. Can you see me somehow? If you can, you should be able to see what I may be capable of. You better behave for us, or I'll destroy you into really tiny...pieces. Here, I'll show you."

He draws his blade and slices a tree in half with barely any effort. He then hands the dagger over, hoping he's made his point and that someone else can take it from here.

Kyrill's from a VERY low magic world. Intelligent items are a totally foreign concept.

Intimidate: [roll0]+39
that's right: +39. He talks with his muscles, not his astounding oratorical abilities. : )

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua shrugs, and replies across the mental link "It's not expected to be someone's trapped soul - sometimes, when making a magical item, the item develops a sentience of it's own. This is one such... very old; the four originals were gifts from Vecna to keep his priests in line. It's sentient, evil, can see and hear you, can talk to you if it wants... including directly into your head... can detect magic whenever it wants, and can disrupt magic about once a day. It's got some other things it can do if you establish a particular type of Divine connection to it... but yeah. It's smart, it's evil, and it'll be out to hurt you if given the chance. Still, most Evil things are inherently a bit selfish, so threats against it have a chance of working... but it's going to betray you as soon as it can. Best leave it alone, though, as it fights back."

Oh yes, and that thing has a serious weight of evil about it - it's Unholy, so as a good-aligned character, you gain one negative level for wielding it... and with an Ego score of 26, you gain two negative levels for picking it up. And with an Ego score of 26, it can force you to make a Will save (DC = Ego score = 26) or force you to give it a concession whenever you do something the item doesn't agree with ... and the list includes a lot of things. Oh yes, and it's 'once per day, or when a critical situation comes up'. So if you want to try wielding it in battle, you soak three negative levels, and THEN make a Will save. But you might be able to intimidate it into doing what you want, regardless.... although as it's treated as a Construct, it might be immune to it as a fear effect... I'd have to check....

[Barbarian MD]

Don't worry about me: I want nothing to do with it. I just figured I'd see what happened.

[josh13905]

Xavier's hands dart with blurring speed into the pile retrieving the gloves. He slips off his own battle-scarred gloves, and flexes his deadly hands, "While I have gloves like these mine have been marred, by time, and do not work quite as well, while the difference may be hardly noticed by others, it may just be the last grain of sand that completes the mountain." He continues to peruse the items eyes examining each slowly, with concealed interest.

Thanks for the support Stycotl, but I think I'm ok now.

Gloves of Dex +4 are slightly better than my current +2 version...
Ring of Force Shield just adds to Xavier's already high, invisible barriers of AC, but I don't really need it, it would just help.

Lastly the Orb of Frost; Xavier has a way to gain Cold Resistance 10, and if this reduces any damage he can fire off a ray of fire for 2d6 damage next round also as a swift.

The problem I see is its just too many actions, and 2d6+4.

But just wondering can you take items with you into the ethereal plane, and then drop them off having them materialize in the other plane? Perhaps inside a creature?

[Barbarian MD]

The only things I'm interested in are the metamagic rod for Finn, the bone ring, and the boots for Kyrill. If it's possible, I'd like to transfer the magic from the great axe to my fullblade, and the harpoon might be useful. Now, I'm not saying I want all those things--I'm just saying those are the things that my characters would find useful. More than any of that I'd like about 5000gp to work with on Kyrill's armor.

Does anyone else even USE weapons? Levi has a crossbow. Hans, Starry, Finn, Justice are casters. Kuru doesn't use weapons. Xavier is unarmed. Oldqua uses weapons, too. So, am I correct in thinking Kyrill, Oldqua, and Levi would be the only ones interested in these things?

"Leave your old gloves out--someone else will benefit from them. I'll take them if no one else will."

Finn address Levi and Lemion. "Tell me about this Erfel. He was casting spells through the net? How did that work? That sounds like something I'd like to learn.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua's a caster, first and foremost; sure, he's got full Martial proficiency, but he's 3 points shy of full BAB, doesn't have Power Attack, has a low strength (10, although for most purposes it's a strength of "-"), and has problems when trying to get usable weapons in melee (needs Ghost Touch). Plus he's usually got better things to do - buff spells, or telekinetic grappling. The Negative Energy Rod is good (as positive/negative energy bypass incorporeality), the Gloves of Dex are good, the Rod of Extend Spell is good, the Ankh of Ascention is useful (especially in combo with the Rod of Extend Spell - +4 Morale to saves for the entire party (well, except for those immune to mind-affecting stuff) for five hours using two 3rd level spells? Most people would consider that fairly good... although this party's saves are pretty high already)
Oldqua considers, and says across the network "Well, that Ankh of Ascention would be rather useful for me - I've got a number of prayers that can guard the entire squad fairly effectively against magic, and that would make the prayers last longer, be harder to remove, and more effective. I could also make use of the Rod of Enervating Strike... it has the ability to hit things more effectively than most melee weapons I can wield... not that I'm in melee much ... and has the added benefit of being able to speed my own healing if we're in a hurry. The Rod of Metamagic Extension is likewise useful; I have a few prayers that last all day, and that would make them last two... which means I could apply them to someone else, as well as myself. But I will abide; I understand it's up to the squad leaders to divy things up, after all."

[Stycotl]

Oldqua then looks back to Justice, and relays across the mental link "Yes, quite nice... pity it'll be gone by tomorrow. You chiseled that statue earlier.... do you think there's a big enough block of stone or metal around here to make one of these things that'll last until I wear it out? As we're not normally going to be working directly with each other, it'd be handy to have. I'm not sure how to transport it normally, though... hmm...."

actually, the two teams won't split up very often. most of that is simplys so that half of the players don't sit out, bored out of their mind for weeks, while we try to catch one group up to the other.

occasionally it will happen though (i think it has once so far).


[Stycotl, with Finn having this feat, any way we can gimmick some ritual magic that would allow the transfer of a magical enhancement from one weapon to another, or one piece of armor to another?]

yeah, i'll work on getting that ritual written up when i can. until then, assume that there is one and rp as if preparing for it. i'll have lemion make sure you guys can do it.


Stycotl, crafting takes forever according to RAW. Any houserules regarding makings weapons/armor?

nope. except planes with mutable time properties. that is all i can think of at the moment.

i suppose that i have used another ritual (i once played a character that focused on ritual incantations; it was loads of fun and allowed me to brainstorm all kinds of things like this) that made so you didn't have to actually forge the metal and carve the wood and stuff; the ritual itself would pick up the raw materials and craft them according to your directions.

it was expensive, and adding a time-cheating factor would up the price and the DC, but that would be cool.


Kuru ?

BEST
Arcana 15
Architecture 5
Dungeoneering 14
Geography 2
History 4
Local 1
Nature 15
Nobility/Royalty 1
Planes 15
Psionics 15
Religion 15

kuru has:

know (history) 13 ranks
know (planes) 10 ranks
know (religion) 10 ranks

no craft or profession skills.

so he only benefits the group with history unless we're split up.


4) Stycotl, Relentless Dispelling is a Lesser Invocation, but is limited by a dispel check of 10 (like Dispel Magic). Any chance I could retrain it with a Lesser Invocation that loses the "relentless" part of the invocation, in exchange for the limit to increase to 20 (like Greater Dispel Magic)?

not for a lesser invocation. however, there are other options. we could see about getting fin some items/spells/etc that raise his dispel modifier; you could trade out one of your greater invocations for whatever that one is that functions as greater dispel; you guys can suggest others too if you have ideas.

i seem to recall that boosting dispel checks is actually pretty easy.


7) Stycotl, can we sell these items somehow? "Trade them" with Celestial bureaucrats?

definitely. the citadel is pretty well stocked, and always looking to increase its loot––i mean, its equipment.


Finn listens, enraptured, as Starry-Eyes talks through the night. At first he is quite excited to discuss the ramifications of a more permanent sign, but as she speaks of dying, he becomes horrified. It is only as daylight begins to dawn on the Eastern horizon that he is finally won over, and gives tentative support for her plan. Yet it still makes him uneasy to think over, and he loses himself in his breakfast in an attempt to stop thinking of it.

for a second i thought it said you lost your breakfast.


Basically, I'm going to upgrade Kyrill to 16+2 ranks in Craft (Armor), to give him a 19 points (counting ability modifier). The craft check on his armor would be DC 23, which would be easy enough to hit with an aid another. He could even voluntarily increase the DC to 33, use a masterwork item, aid another, and take 10 each time.

the image of fin working at a forge with a tiny tack hammer just came to my head and made me smile.


10,500 gp = 105,000 sp
DC 33 x 33 check = 1089 = 97 days... (barring a house rule--oh please let there be a houserule).

Anyway, aside from the very silly crafting rules, he could craft it using the mithral from his large full plate to create a medium-sized full plate. Then Finn could hit it with the re-sizing armor enhancement. And this way Kyrill won't die as quickly in an antimagic field.

depending on the kind of armor, that doesn't seem all that ridiculous to me. some of the ornate plate mails took forever to make.

however, i'd be willing to ok a ritual that could cut the time by quite a bit. it would be pricey though.

also, i was just thinking that the more skill ranks you have in the related craft skill, the quicker you could do the same job that a lesser craftsman would require. i have no clue how to work that into the mechanics, but it's an idea you could play with.


Quick Draw is sounding better and better. Any chance Kyrill could stab something with this, draw his sword, and then continue a full attack action? Or I suppose he could charge an enemy, stab it with the spear, and then quickdraw/full attack on his next turn. Either way, this thing would be a beast bolstered by a +23 strength.

yeah, that works with quickdraw. and yes, it would be potent in kyrill's paws. there's even that throw-on-the-charge feat that might be kind cool, although somewhat niche...


Does anyone else want this? I could see it being really useful in the hands of someone who could throw it, conceivably more useful, in fact. It could be used to pin down a caster, causing them difficulty while casting, from afar, or in the case of our last encounter, someone could have pinned the winged caster with it before she could escape/teleport all over causing trouble.

you might be the best person to use it, unless oldqua's gonna telekinetically hurl it around.


Stycotl, what was the feat that Douglas used to incorporate the weave into the network?

i don't remember one for the weave, though my memory is pretty short. but he did have one for bardic synergy that i do remember.


Telepathic Inspiration
Prerequisite: Inspire Courage +2 class feature, 12 ranks in a single Perform skill
Benefit: You can use your bardic music and similar abilities through telepathy. Doing so replaces the normal range of the ability with the range of the telepathy you are using, and allows you to use such abilities without making noise. As the sounds you can imagine and send over the telepathic link are not limited by the physical capabilities of your voice, you can gain the effects of one masterwork musical instrument of your choice (see Complete Adventurer pages 124-127) when using this feat regardless of whether you actually have or are using such an instrument, though you must have 12 ranks in the chosen instrument's associated Perform skill. Limits on the number of targets of each ability still apply. This feat does not grant the telepathic ability required to use it.


The Divine War Weaver would be basically the same:
Pre-reqs: craft (weaving) 6, knowledge (religion) 6
Ability to cast 3rd-level divine spells

BAB 3/4, Good Will, HD d4, Skills Int+2
1) Eldritch Tapestry
2-5) Quiescent Weaving 1-4
5b) Enlarged Tapestry

This will be the new progression, unless you object, buying off 2 LA:
1) Warlock 1//LA
2) Warlock 2//LA
3) Warlock 3//Cleric 1
4) Warlock 4//Cleric 2
5) Warlock 5//Cleric 3
6) Eldritch Disciple 1//Cleric 4
7) Warlock 6//Church Inquisitor 1
8) Eldritch Disciple 2//War Weaver 1
9) Warlock 7//War Weaver 2
10) Warlock 8//War Weaver 3
11) Eldritch Disciple 3//Fax Paladin 1
12) Eldritch Disciple 4//Fax Paladin 2

So it'd be cutting out one Paladin level, replacing it with Warweaver, and then gaining two more Warweaver levels through the power of XP.

Bottom line: Warlock 12, Cleric Casting 10.

Any objections?

that works.


I don't have an empty feat slot for the tapestry-net feat, but I could certainly get it at the next level up.

if erfel did have a feat like that, then definitely get it going. if not, then make it!


Only slightly. Oooh, and Artificer? Those make NIFTY additions to parties....

yeah, but lemion won't be with you guys on missions very often. he's "in the rear with the gear," as we say in the usmc. 'course, that's a decent place for an artificer to be.


True. Highest PC is, what, 13th at the moment, for 7th level spells?

yep. sometimes i think i should have started you gys out at 5th level or so, to save me the pre-epic headaches for a little longer.


... wasn't there something about a new power from the nifty party Society Mind that permits anyone in the network to operate as though they had anyone else's ranks in Craft, Knowledge, and Profession?

yes, there is. it's gonna take me a little bit of time to get used to that though, so feel free to keep reminding me.


Ah, found it: The section's titled Adding New Abilities:

good, good, good. less that i have to homebrew.


But just wondering can you take items with you into the ethereal plane, and then drop them off having them materialize in the other plane? Perhaps inside a creature?

not as far as i have ever seen. if you take it to the ethereal and leave it, it stays.


Kuru doesn't use weapons.

wrong! kuru is a weapon. he actually has to have a concealed carry permit on him at all times. it would be open carry, but his dazzling aura makes so people can't actually see him. thus, he's hidden. i think that's badass enough for an awarded badass level or two.


The instruments of the Blood Gift... that's a set of items, actually, which let a Sorcerer burn his own blood for various effects a few times per day.

just dawned on me that this would be somewhat thematically appropriate for hans on his new career track. the choker and barbs would have to be tweaked so that they would be useful to a chaos mage, but i'd be ok with that if he wants them.

RETCON

Kurukshetra listens to Xavier's talk about meditation, I know it works, and I do have some time nowadays, especially during our training periods, to devote to it. More than I used to outside of the Watchtower actually. I just need someone that can show me what I haven't learned yet.

The dragon regards him hesitantly, wondering if Xavier does not wish to teach meditation. The idea seems strange to Kuru, but he figures that humanoids are strange creatures anyway, and this wouldn't overly upset him.

just as a hint, kuru isn't a pure psionicist. he has more monk levels than manifester levels.

The dragon continues to listen as Fin and Starry-Eyes discuss the Cerulean Sign and her transformation. He too seems concerned about the need to die in order to undergo the ritual. It seems risky to him, but she is the master of her fate, and Kuru values freedom over protecting people from ideas that seem strange to his youthfully narrow perspective.

He'll just have to help make sure that nothing goes wrong when it is time.

LATER

Kuru regards Justice's shining armor with satisfaction, enjoying the way the metal gleams in the light––almost as magnificent as his own dragon scales. He doesn't mean to be superior about it, but doesn't even think to hide from the network that his natural armor is among the most beautiful things in the multiverse in his own eyes.

When Justice mentions that he does not yet have a noncombat role specified, he pads over to the warforged, working a kink out of his right shoulder. He laughs when the sculpture forms out of the ether, particularly approving of the heading. I don't have a secondary role either at the moment. I think my specialty will be easier to pinpoint as I grow up.

You though, it seems like you'd be perfect for general utility. You and Hans both seem to be capable of conjuring anything you want.

team leaders, anyone that you can't come up with a secondary role for, just put "support" or something similar. justice and kuru can be jock straps until we all dream up a title more creative than that.

either way, let's get all of that decided and done with.

When Oldqua launches the psi-crafted pry bar-spear at the old granite, it hits hard enough to blast the whole slab into powder and rubble. The weapon sags a bit before coming to rest lodged in the ground at an angle.

Lemion turns his attention to Kyrill, Certainly, the Citadel will trade as much of this stuff from us as we wish to give them. They even have an impressive armory that you can peruse if we decide not to exchange for an increase to the budget.

And as for how the harpoon works, I know little about how to actually use it. That would take practice. But I do know that it will jerk a large tree clear off of its roots. But I suppose that you know that too.

Kurukshetra seems thoroughly creeped out by the idea of a personality parasite, even more bothered by sentient, malicious artifacts, and also bewildered that Oldqua knows so much about all of this magic.

Lemion too is impressed with the ghost's examination. "Well, maybe I should go on a vacation..."

The gnome frowns when Kyrill chops the tree down, Calm down, Kyrill. We only have a few of those on the demiplane––very few indeed after the balor's attack––and I'd like to keep the rest of them. Any of you know how to mend a tree?

Kuru forgets about the evil weapons and personality parasites as he sees Kyrill standing over a fallen tree, and cracks up laughing.

Intimidate the dagger, or entertain it. I'm not certain which one was your goal there, team leader.

Then the dragon is looking at Celestica, She gets my share; I have no need for any of it, though she will likely see more battles while serving with the Citadel and could use some of this. And she fought as hard as any of us in that hall.

The dragon looks around challengingly, wondering if any of his team mates would begrudge the girl some of what he feels she earned.

The elf cringes at the idea of taking treasure from the Watchtower, a group of warriors that she feels unworthy of associating with. But Kuru insists, and she finally shrugs, "If there is anything left over that would be useful to me, then sure. If not, sell it and equip yourselves better."

Lemion looks to the team leaders, and it is obvious that he is going to leave it to them. He turns his attention instead to Fin's question about Erfel. Erfel, well, to be honest, I'm not exactly sure how his weave works. For that reason I am going to see if I can get him to pay us a visit soon. Or my friend from Mendea. One of the two.

I don't know what he and Levi concocted together, but they were a very capable team. This is one of the biggest blessings that I have, in working with the Watchtower, is getting to know some of the most brilliant and dedicated people in the multiverse. There is a reason why you all were chosen. That includes you too, Celestica. I learn a lot from all of you.

LATER

The morning passes quickly, and as time lags on, Loraln still has yet to show up. Lemion oversees some informal lessons on the cosmology of the planes and the nature of the gods, ending with his thoughts that most of the gods seem to be tied to only a few planes of existence (some of them have broader ties than others), and if their ties were ever severed to those planes, they would lose much of their power.

They'd still be immensely powerful, most of them, but only a shadow of their normal might would be evident, as the energy of the planes that they are bound to is almost like lifeblood to them.

After a while, the gnome retreats to the fortress for a while to do some paperwork while the teams exercise in the grass and rocks outside. Someone come get me when Loraln shows up. I'll be in the cellar.

[Barbarian MD]

Kyrill looks a little embarrassed. He sheathes his sword and stomps over to the tree, picking it up and fitting it as carefully as he can to the stump. "Hit me, Finn."

Finn shrugs, and a cone of brilliant light shines forth, enveloping the tree in a blast of positive energy.

Kyrill tentatively lets go, and the top holds. Cocked at a slight tilt and backwards from the way it was before, but it holds. He breaks out into a childish grin.

He catches Lemion before he leaves: "Lemion, I've been mending my armor all my life, but I've never made anything before. Finn had a good point about antimagic fields, and I think I'd like to try to forge a suit or armor. Is there a forge on site? Are there any raw materials I can work with, like Mithral or Adamantium? We can melt down my current armor after it's done, to replace your stores, but I believe this is going to take a long time to make, and I don't want to use the metal of my armor to make a new suit, since we'll likely be deployed again before it's done."

"As well, I agree with the idea of placing Justice in a "utility" position. Does that solidify Squad Two enough for you?"



...

"I'd very much like to meet this Erfel, sir. I like the way he thinks about magic, and I believe I might be able to accomplish some of the same things, given a demonstration."

Finn meanwhile procures the help of Justice in laying the magical weapons out on the field in a row. For the next hour or so, he paces up and down, studying the individual pieces, placing a tiny hand on the metal, looking with more than his eyes at the way the magic flows from point to point. Occasionally a soft glow surrounds him as he stares at a piece, and at one point he stands between two pieces, arms stretched to each, with his eyes closed and his head back, concentrating.

After a while he returns. "I think I could create some of this!" he shouts in triumph. "And Kyrill, I think it might be possible to transfer the magic from one weapon to another!"

[Jack_Simth]

actually, the two teams won't split up very often. most of that is simplys so that half of the players don't sit out, bored out of their mind for weeks, while we try to catch one group up to the other.

occasionally it will happen though (i think it has once so far).
Ah. Well... oh well, it's still in-character. Nothing says Oldqua can't be confused on a point or two.
Oldqua picks up on Kurukshetra's confusion over the network, and addresses it over the network "It's no special trick. People have tried to use things very much like these on me, or on people I was with, in the past. All the items have already been identified and named - I recognize most the names, but that's just because I'm very, very old, and have picked up a very large, very random assortment of information over time. Trust me - if you ever get to be as old as I am, you'll have similar things happen. It's actually part of why I tend to ramble on so - I've mostly lost track of what time means, and have a different definition of 'soon' than do most people, and so take my time when I'm speaking. I've been trying to cut back... oh."

[Barbarian MD]

Standing with the list in hand, Kyrill addresses the Watchmen after Lemion's departure:

"Alright everyone, settle down. I think this might be best. I'm going to read this list of items one at a time. If you want to use something on this list, call out. If more than one of you wants it, well, we can decide that together. Oldqua, you'll probably have to explain some of these items to us. He begins, slowly sounding out some of the syllables, but doing a passable job otherwise.

Here's my idea: I'm going to post the list and put the names of characters beside items that they've already said they wanted. The next person to post should copy my list and add your own name beside the items you want. Everyone can copy and paste the list, until we've gone through all the characters. Don't be afraid to put your name beside an item that someone else has already put their name beside. If, at the end, you're the only one who has put your name beside an item, I don't see any reason not to give it to you. If multiple people want an item, we'll discuss together how to split them up. At the end, we'll take a look at the unclaimed items, see how much gp we can get for them from Celestial bureaucrats, and then sort out how to split up the money. That might give some order to this process of sorting out almost a million gp worth of stuff.


7,000gp worth of small gems;
black pear-400gp,
black star sapphire-4,300gp;
gold chalice w/ emeralds-12,330gp;
aquamarine-600gp;
staff of evocation-34 charges-44,400gp;
ring of acid resistance: minor-12,000gp;
+4 large studded leather; - Finn (to strip the enhancement off)
+3 ghost touch sling;
power stone-personality parasite-4th-700gp;
power stone-time hop-3rd-375gp;
oil of magical vestment +4-2,400gp;
2+ spiked chain of bloodfeeding brutal surge acidic burst;
2+ spiked chain of bloodfeeding brutal surge acidic burst;
2+ spiked chain of bloodfeeding brutal surge acidic burst; - Hans
orb of frost - Xavier
wand of suggestion-16 charges-3,600gp;
wand of wall of fire-10 charges-4,200gp;
+3 huge greataxe of wounding; - Kyrill
wand of disintegration-23;
+2 studded leather of greater fortification w/ wilding clasp;
skull plaque (MIC);
torc of heroic sacrifice (MIC); - Kyrill
instruments of the blood gift (MIC);
rod of enervating strike (MIC); - Oldqua
a pair of "the fist" gauntlets (MIC);
dagger of denial (MIC);
greater falchion of charging collision +3,
crystal echoblade (MIC);
greater tentacle rod) w/ greater crystal of return (MIC);
ankh of ascension (MIC); - Oldqua
belt of mighty blows (greater one mighty blow; 3/day) (MIC);
bone ring (MIC); - Kyrill
greater boots of the mountain king (MIC); - Kyrill
force shield ring; - Xavier
drums of panic;
mace of smiting;
silver raven figurine;
3-potions of cure serious wounds;
potion of fox's cunning;
2-potions of invisibility;
potion of barkskin;
potion of protection from arrows;
gloves of dexterity +4-16,000gp; - Finn (+2 for group), Oldqua, Xavier (+2 for group)
stone horse (courser)-10,000gp;
crystal mask of discernment (command thought is psionically imprinted)-10,000gp;
psicrown of the evader-5/356 pp-357gp;
psicrown of the dominator-312/450pp-14,040gp;
rod of metamagic extension-11,000gp; - Finn, Oldqua
wand of contagion-18 charges-4050gp;
heavy psionic steel shield+4-16,170gp;
+4 fleshgrinding, thundering harpoon - NOT Kyrill

I know I had earlier said I wanted to harpoon, but I realized that it makes up about 1/8 of the entire pile's value (128,000gp, I believe). It'd be selfish to take it, in addition to the other things that I want AND the gold I'll need for his armor.

In addition, I need to pump Finn's charisma if he's going to include everyone in the Tapestry. He's limited to 4 + himself at the moment, so I'll be requesting about 36,000 gp for a Cloak of Charisma.

Edits: So Justice has VoP, so he'll need some gp to go towards that (I think we could get away with the bare minimum for WbL. :smallwink:

And Kuru doesn't want any of it.

Starry-Eyes wants X gp for her Cerulean Sign.

Still waiting on Levi and Hans.

More to come, but have to go.

P.S. Found this from Watchtower Volume I:

Skilled War Weaver
You are much more efficient in the weaving of your eldritch tapestry than normal.
Prerequisites: Eldritch Tapestry and Quiescent Weaving I class abilities, 14 Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma
Benefit: You can add one more spell than normal to the Quiescent Weaving ability, and the maximum spell level that you can cast into the Eldritch Tapestry and Quiescent Weaving abilities is raised by one.

Master War Weaver
You are much more efficient in the weaving of your eldritch tapestry than normal.
Prerequisites: Skilled War Weaver, Eldritch Tapestry and Quiescent Weaving III class abilities, 19 Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma
Benefit: You can add one more spell than normal to the Quiescent Weaving ability, and the maximum spell level that you can cast into the Eldritch Tapestry and Quiescent Weaving abilities is raised by one.
Special: The effects of this feat stack with the Skilled War Weaver feat.

ALSO, I had forgotten about the houserule to make spells with Personal into Touch spells. That was for Erfel's War Weaver, and I'm going to be using it. I'll be able to hit those in the Tapestry (limited to a total of 4+Finn at the moment) with True Seeing, Blur, etc. :smallbiggrin:

Kyrill, whenever you're ready to forge your armor, I think I can help. I can petition for a spell tomorrow that will help you by giving you a number of unseen servants. I don't have much skill in this sort of work to speak of, but thanks to Levi, these servants will all be able to use your own skill at armorsmithing. I'll have to stay close by, so it would be best if you can move your forge out into the practice yard, but if you can't I have some things I want to try out on my own anyway.

Unseen Crafter FTW. 5 Unseen Crafters, each using Kyrill's ranks, and working for days without stopping, so long as Finn stays within close range. One could make the argument that this should cut the crafting time down from 100 days to 6, since they'll be working 24 hours instead of 8, and the fullplate is multiple pieces, and therefore each piece could be crafted separately, rather than just using "aid another" checks. :smallwink:

Finn could cast a divination spell, asking whether we'll need to deploy in the next 6 days. If the answer is "no," Kyrill can sacrifice his old armor to produce his new armor.

[Gnorman]

PLEASE, TAKE MY SHARE OF THE PROCEEDS AND USE IT TO REBUILD THAT WHICH WAS DAMAGED IN THE ATTACK. OR TO PAY FOR THE DIAMONDS NEEDED TO RESURRECT THOSE WHO WERE KILLED. I HAVE NO NEED FOR MATERIAL POSSESSIONS.

[Barbarian MD]

So, just out of curiosity, I went through and figured a real-life timeline of events, just to take stock of everything we've been through. Stycotl, how long has all this been in Game-Time?

March 31, 2009 - Introductions: Kuru and Levi are introduced to Kyrill, Erfel, Sefu, Dalbar, Calypso, and Kelurn.

April 4, 2009 - Kyrill has strange dreams of getting married. :smallbiggrin:

April 8, 2009 - Deployed to Highpoint. Mechs, Explosions, More Explosions.

July 24, 2009 - Left Highpoint by portal, with Tegen, but lacking Calypso //Level up to Level 11, training begins.

July 28, 2009 - Sefu leaves. Elric, Hans, and Kettenbar join the team.

August 3, 2009 - Watchmen leave for "Boot Camp" (har har)

August 7, 2009 - Watchmen meet the "Witch Woman." Dalbar accomplishes a Crowning Moment of Badass in the Labyrinth.

August 13, 2009 - "Witch Woman" defeated, continue on to Boot Camp.

September 15, 2009 - Court of the Hidden Flower

October 1, 2009 - The most insane battle in all of PbP history begins. Thus begins FOUR MONTHS of combat rolls and 30+ rounds of combat. Things were frozen, beaten to death, scorched, chopped, stabbed. A vrock was used as a club. Hans blew himself up. Lots of squirrels led the way to victory. Multiple PC deaths, including Elric and Kettenbar.

January 7, 2010 - Hans has his own Crowning Moment of Badass when he drops a giant worm from the sky.

February 21, 2010 - Bhairadya is finally sliced into pieces by Kyrill after being hit by a TON of magic. Shet escapes with the soul of Kettenbar in a dagger. //Level up to Level 12

March 15, 2010 - Watchmen pursue Shet into Hell. Finn joins the team.

April 1, 2010 - Watchmen catch Shet. Battle is joined. Holy Crap that's a lot of demons.

May 31, 2010 - Dagger stolen from Shet. He is somewhat confused by this. Watchmen exit via portal before the forces of Hell can close in.

September 6, 2010 - Weary Watchmen return to Celestia. Many new faces await, and they have names! (Xavier, Starry-Eyes, Celestica, Justice, Oldqua.) Erfel, Dalbar, Kelurn all reassigned. Epic singing contest.

September 30, 2010 - Celestial ceremony interrupted. Oldqua the Badass uses an aberration as his own personal mecha. Xavier takes down the Big Bad with a punch.

November 11, 2010 - Fight in Exchequer winds down. (We finished a battle in less than 2 months? Impossible!) //Level up to Level 13. Presented with 3 level's worth of loot, original Watchmen no longer poor!

[josh13905]

"While I have little need for conventional weapons, I once found a Mage who was kind enough to make for me a special piece of enchanted weaponry. The man enchanted strips of cloth that can be wrapped over one's forearms in order to enchant his strikes. However finding such things has never been easy, and so the ability of transferring magic from one weapon to another intrigues me."

Nothing to add to equipment atm, but I am interested in how the weapon transfer works.

So yes Xavier does use magic 'weapons,' but a vary special set of them.

He has wounding on them already, so even against high DR'd foes his crazy amounts of attacks should be taking them down.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

"I may not be alive, but my spirit will still remain. I've died before, and was brought back for the purpose of putting this body to the best uses I can think of. This time it should be a little more pleasant." Starry-Eyes reassures the dragon and fairy.


Ok, before I look at items, I planned on pumping most of my new level's worth of moolah into my Cerulean Sign. How does this effect my share of the booty before us?

I think I also missed where exactly it came from...

*wades through the great bunch of text again*

[Barbarian MD]

Vorpal, to answer your question, it represents the fact that we haven't gotten any loot in three levels. The original characters are all still working with 49,000gp. Specifically, this loot is said to have come from our 35 round battle that spanned Winter 2009-2010.

If we were to sell all of it and split the gold evenly, it would be a little more than 50,000gp apiece. Tacitus could make the argument that about half of it belongs to him, since Hans, Levi, and Kyrill were the only ones present at those encounters, but I think we ought to split things for the benefit of the team. How much do you need? I imagine it would be easy to get you what you need.

[josh13905]

If you guys are down tons of loot then by all means take what you need to catch up,

Oh and Xavier will request a rope if one can be made available

No Jack, I don't have a rope, I have the 'unlimited' sashes that comprise a monk's outfit though.

[Barbarian MD]

So, I guess one of the goals (but not necessarily the primary goal, or even secondary or tertiary--those prime spots belong to making sure the party as a whole is strong) of loot distribution would be to bump everyone who's Level 12 AT LEAST to 88,000 gp (no reason to hold you guys back, though--seems we've got plenty to go around) and everyone who is Level 13 up to 110,000 gp. Hans, Levi, Kyrill, and Finn are all currently at 49,000 gp. I'm not sure what you guys used when you created your characters, but we can get you up to at least that level as well. But, if you don't want that gp, I'm sure everyone else will gladly take it! :smalltongue:

[Jack_Simth]

As per recruiting, new characters were done at:
"wealth by level: normal for 11th level"

[Barbarian MD]

So at a bare minimum that's 12,000 gp for everyone that just hit Level 12 and 61,000 for Hans, Levi, Finn, and Kyrill, but we've got such a big stinking pile of stuff here that everyone is probably looking at at least 40-50,000 gp, or 80-100,000 worth in items. Sign up for items using the list I posted earlier, and we'll see how everything shakes out.

Let's see, that shakes out to be (61,000 x 4 = 244,000) + (4 x 12,000 = 48,000) = 288,000 gp. I calculated the total value of the pile to be around 850,000 gp, so we have around 550,000 gp that's unclaimed by WBL.

[Jack_Simth]

Hmm. That's more than enough for two Greater Stone Golems, almost enough for three (196k each)... but as we're also 30% or so of the way to the next level, a bit above WBL is expected.

[Barbarian MD]

Enhancement Transfer Rough Draft
This is how I'm envisioning enhancement transfer.

Let's use Weapons as an example. The enhancement cost is as follows:

+1: 2,000
+2: 8,000
+3: 18,000
+4: 32,000
+5: 50,000
+6: 72,000
+7: 98,000
+8: 128,000

1) Let's say we have a mundane Greatsword and a +1 Defending Longspear.

We could transfer the +1 Defending to the Greatsword and have a mundane Longspear. Simple and done.

2) Now, let's take a +1 Greatsword and a +2 Defending Longspear. We now have two options:

A) We take the two and swap their magical energies. We now have a +2 Defending Greatsword and a +1 Longspear.

B) We could ADD their magical energies. But, because of the exponential growth in magical pricing, we can't simply say it becomes a +3 Defending Greatsword. Instead, we need to look at the pricing of each individually. We have a +1 item (2,000 gp) and a +3 item (18,000 gp). That amounts to 20,000 gp, which will only amount to a +3 item. +1 magical energy is lost in the transfer, but you have the option of ending with a +3 Greatsword or a +2 Defending Greatsword.

3) Now, let's see what happens when we combine the magical energies of much bigger weapons. Let's take a +5 Greatsword and a +4 Defending. Find their individual value (50,000 + 50,000 = 100,000) The result is a +7 Greatsword, or a +6 Defending Greatsword. So only 2,000 gp of magical energy is lost, but the result is less than a simple 5+5 magical enhancement.\

4) Now, let's get complicated. Let's take a +3 Greatsword, a +2 Defending Longspear, and a +2 Vorpal Tribble. We now have enhancement bonuses worth 18,000 + 18,000 + 98,000 = 134,000 gp. That would get us a +8 bonus, or a +3 Vorpal Tribble.

Note that no NEW magical enhancement can be added using a ritual--you're simply using what's already in existence. Therefore, you can't add a Brutal Surge Enhancement to a weapon by combining Defending and Acidic Burst weapons.

Now, the thing that seems dangerous is allowing multiple weapons into the mix. Take enough +1 weapons, and you'll eventually reach a +10. But it would take A LOT of weapons. I'm sure power gamers would do it, though, so let's add an arbitrary limit, like "the number of separate magical energies that you may manage during a ritual is equal to your ability score bonus from your primary casting score." And let's also add a time involved (again an arbitrary number): N-1 (where N equals the number of weapons in the ritual) days x total enhancement bonus of the weapons involved. So a +5 Greatsword and a Vorpal Tribble would take 10 days, and a +5 Greatsword, Vorpal Tribble, and +2 Longspear would take 12 x 2 = 24 days.

Does that make sense? Any suggestions? I suppose the next thing to do would be to clean it up and post in on the Homebrew thread, but I'd like to get feedback from y'all before I do that.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

but I think we ought to split things for the benefit of the team. How much do you need? I imagine it would be easy to get you what you need.
Oh, don't know I really 'need' anything. I'll definitely let everyone else have first picks. Just curious.

If I could gain enough extra gold to make my sign even better, say a +4 instead of +3 that'd be great.

Just going to take almost two weeks, even for a +1 that she can eventually improve.

[Barbarian MD]

As the Watchmen listen to Kyrill read the list aloud and ask to claim various items, Finn cannot shake a feeling of unease. A glance to the sky does nothing to alleviate his worry, and he cannot help but think that Loraln is long-delayed in his arrival.

He leans over to the Watchman beside him and murmurs: "I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to worry about Loraln's lateness. You don't suppose there's been another attack, do you?"

[han voice]I've got a bad feeling about this.[/han voice]

ITEM LIST:
Reposting for ease of locating

Here's my idea: I'm going to post the list and put the names of characters beside items that they've already said they wanted. The next person to post should copy my list and add your own name beside the items you want. Everyone can copy and paste the list, until we've gone through all the characters. Don't be afraid to put your name beside an item that someone else has already put their name beside. If, at the end, you're the only one who has put your name beside an item, I don't see any reason not to give it to you. If multiple people want an item, we'll discuss together how to split them up. At the end, we'll take a look at the unclaimed items, see how much gp we can get for them from Celestial bureaucrats, and then sort out how to split up the money. That might give some order to this process of sorting out almost a million gp worth of stuff.


7,000gp worth of small gems;
black pear-400gp,
black star sapphire-4,300gp;
gold chalice w/ emeralds-12,330gp;
aquamarine-600gp;
staff of evocation-34 charges-44,400gp;
ring of acid resistance: minor-12,000gp;
+4 large studded leather; - Finn (to strip the enhancement off)
+3 ghost touch sling;
power stone-personality parasite-4th-700gp;
power stone-time hop-3rd-375gp;
oil of magical vestment +4-2,400gp;
2+ spiked chain of bloodfeeding brutal surge acidic burst;
2+ spiked chain of bloodfeeding brutal surge acidic burst;
2+ spiked chain of bloodfeeding brutal surge acidic burst; - Hans
orb of frost - Xavier
wand of suggestion-16 charges-3,600gp;
wand of wall of fire-10 charges-4,200gp;
+3 huge greataxe of wounding; - Kyrill
wand of disintegration-23;
+2 studded leather of greater fortification w/ wilding clasp;
skull plaque (MIC);
torc of heroic sacrifice (MIC); - Kyrill
instruments of the blood gift (MIC);
rod of enervating strike (MIC); - Oldqua
a pair of "the fist" gauntlets (MIC);
dagger of denial (MIC);
greater falchion of charging collision +3,
crystal echoblade (MIC);
greater tentacle rod) w/ greater crystal of return (MIC);
ankh of ascension (MIC); - Oldqua
belt of mighty blows (greater one mighty blow; 3/day) (MIC);
bone ring (MIC); - Kyrill
greater boots of the mountain king (MIC); - Kyrill
force shield ring; - Xavier
drums of panic;
mace of smiting;
silver raven figurine;
3-potions of cure serious wounds;
potion of fox's cunning;
2-potions of invisibility;
potion of barkskin;
potion of protection from arrows;
gloves of dexterity +4-16,000gp; - Finn (+2 for group), Oldqua, Xavier (+2 for group)
stone horse (courser)-10,000gp;
crystal mask of discernment (command thought is psionically imprinted)-10,000gp;
psicrown of the evader-5/356 pp-357gp;
psicrown of the dominator-312/450pp-14,040gp;
rod of metamagic extension-11,000gp; - Finn, Oldqua
wand of contagion-18 charges-4050gp;
heavy psionic steel shield+4-16,170gp;
+4 fleshgrinding, thundering harpoon - NOT Kyrill

I know I had earlier said I wanted to harpoon, but I realized that it makes up about 1/8 of the entire pile's value (128,000gp, I believe). It'd be selfish to take it, in addition to the other things that I want AND the gold I'll need for his armor.

In addition, I need to pump Finn's charisma if he's going to include everyone in the Tapestry. He's limited to 4 + himself at the moment, so I'll be requesting about 36,000 gp for a Cloak of Charisma.

Edits: So Justice has VoP, so he'll need some gp to go towards that (I think we could get away with the bare minimum for WbL. :smallwink:

And Kuru doesn't want any of it.

Starry-Eyes wants X gp for her Cerulean Sign.

Still waiting on Levi and Hans.

[Stycotl]

hey, i just remembered something (i think): i don't actually have access to the net right now to look, but i think that my original plan had been to let kyrill go to dharti first thing in the morning, and that he'd miss the briefing by loraln.

so, i'll say that this was lemion's original plan, but that loraln had been told everyone had to be there for the briefing. so mhvaughan, don't forget to remind lemion about it IC after the briefing.


+4 fleshgrinding, thundering harpoon - NOT Kyrill

I know I had earlier said I wanted to harpoon, but I realized that it makes up about 1/8 of the entire pile's value (128,000gp, I believe). It'd be selfish to take it, in addition to the other things that I want AND the gold I'll need for his armor.

let's see if anyone else even wants it, and then you can accept or reject it. in the end, it should be about what is the best for the teams; if you having it is better than someone else having it, then you'd have a strong argument for taking it.

alternatively, it might make a cool weapon for oldqua, assuming kyrill wants to carry it for him. it'd double as a trap smasher. we might want to modify it so that it used oldqua's mental ability modifiers instead of strength, or change some other things about it. but it would be a powerful debuffer––throw it at the beginning of the encounter and watch it shake its target to pieces by the end of it.


ALSO, I had forgotten about the houserule to make spells with Personal into Touch spells. That was for Erfel's War Weaver, and I'm going to be using it. I'll be able to hit those in the Tapestry (limited to a total of 4+Finn at the moment) with True Seeing, Blur, etc.

yeah, i don't think i ever put that on the front page; i'll check when i get home. that goes for everyone; spells labeled "personal" can be applied to others at a range of "touch."


Unseen Crafter FTW. 5 Unseen Crafters, each using Kyrill's ranks, and working for days without stopping, so long as Finn stays within close range. One could make the argument that this should cut the crafting time down from 100 days to 6, since they'll be working 24 hours instead of 8, and the fullplate is multiple pieces, and therefore each piece could be crafted separately, rather than just using "aid another" checks.

hmm, that's a good idea––though it won't exactly like that, but i'll work it in.


Finn could cast a divination spell, asking whether we'll need to deploy in the next 6 days. If the answer is "no," Kyrill can sacrifice his old armor to produce his new armor.

go ahead; but realize that the answer could always be tricky, or change dependent upon PC or NPC actions.


So, just out of curiosity, I went through and figured a real-life timeline of events, just to take stock of everything we've been through. Stycotl, how long has all this been in Game-Time?

...

wow. ok, mhvaughan deserves some kind of an award for this; i'll have to figure something suitable out (like maybe finishing his custom magic item someday soon).

and that's not even the beginning, because i was a player in the original watchtower that lordsmoothe dm'ed. so it has been going on since some time during 2008.


August 7, 2009 - Watchmen meet the "Witch Woman." Dalbar accomplishes a Crowning Moment of Badass in the Labyrinth.

that was a moment of awesome-sauce, and i forgot all about it. if dalbar ever makes an NPC appearance in the game, or if obscurejones ever comes back to play him, he's getting that badass level.

if i remember right, you guys were all stuck in the witch's labyrinth, and dalbar managed to bring the whole thing down on her. that threw you all back into the material world where she could be killed.

i'll check it out sometime, but i think that was the gist of it.


October 1, 2009 - The most insane battle in all of PbP history begins. Thus begins FOUR MONTHS of combat rolls and 30+ rounds of combat. Things were frozen, beaten to death, scorched, chopped, stabbed. A vrock was used as a club. Hans blew himself up. Lots of squirrels led the way to victory. Multiple PC deaths, including Elric and Kettenbar.

i only have maps made for 18 rounds (some rounds had 3 or 4 maps too, dependent upon how much the battlefield changed between posts), though i might be forgetting some, and i did lose track of what round we were in a few times. either way, that was a large battle, and the source of all of your mundane/magical income at the moment.


March 15, 2010 - Watchmen pursue Shet into Hell. Finn joins the team.

April 1, 2010 - Watchmen catch Shet. Battle is joined. Holy Crap that's a lot of demons.

yeah, well you were in hell... did ya expect fluffy bunnies?


September 30, 2010 - Celestial ceremony interrupted. Oldqua the Badass uses an aberration as his own personal mecha.

we are full circle back to highpoint.


Xavier takes down the Big Bad with a punch.

she went down a lot quicker than i expected her to; granted she's a shadowcaster with monster levels, but i had her decently decked out, and she had a number of levels on you guys...


(We finished a battle in less than 2 months? Impossible!)

let's see if we can beat the record with the next match.


Nothing to add to equipment atm, but I am interested in how the weapon transfer works.

me too. i'll get it fleshed out in the next couple of weeks, though i'm in finals right now so it might not happen till after the 15th or so.


Tacitus could make the argument that about half of it belongs to him, since Hans, Levi, and Kyrill were the only ones present at those encounters, but I think we ought to split things for the benefit of the team. How much do you need? I imagine it would be easy to get you what you need.


If you guys are down tons of loot then by all means take what you need to catch up,


So, I guess one of the goals... ...of loot distribution would be to bump everyone who's Level 12 AT LEAST to 88,000 gp

i am not going to referee treasure splitting. and i honestly don't have too many intentions of making sure that i keep everyone's up to wbl (though you will probably have times when you are below wbl––such as up until this point––usually i tend to default to higher than wbl, so don't worry too much).

i'm trying to take an interest in the IC aspects of the treasure, while making sure everyone is OOCly satisfied. but if that means that one of you gets 35,000 gp of exactly what he wants, and the others are all sitting at 70,000 gp apiece, then so be it.

just make sure that no one is unsatisfied by the split; talk it through. if any of you are too embarrassed to admit to the group that you are unsatisfied with the split, then PM me, and i'll try to fix it.


4) Now, let's get complicated. Let's take a +3 Greatsword, a +2 Defending Longspear, and a +2 Vorpal Tribble.

mhvaughan, you are the glue that holds this campaign together. without you, boredom would run rampant.

i am actually working on my own mechanic for this, but your system is intriguing. i want there to be a price for the ritual, as if building the enchantments from scratch. but i want the price to be lessened depending upon what strength of magical item you are cannibalizing for the ritual. therefore, i think that there needs to be a cap on how much you can augment with sacrificed magic items.


Just going to take almost two weeks, even for a +1 that she can eventually improve.

that might change once we get some specific variant rules on crafting going.



Edits: So Justice has VoP, so he'll need some gp to go towards that (I think we could get away with the bare minimum for WbL.

And Kuru doesn't want any of it.

kuru is VoP too; however, i'm not going to be ridiculously strict about making sure the VoP characters give away their WBL requirements to charity. justice, pick a worthy donee and give something away. kuru has already picked celestica.

the rest of you can keep or give away what you want. and lemion has already washed his hands of the treasure trove, seeing as you guys earned it all (yes, that includes you new guys. you more than pulled your weight).

[quote]ITEM LIST:

Reposting for ease of locating

yeah, you guys fill out mhvaughan's list and let's get the treasure part over with. take too long and i'll get bored and start the next chapter before you're all properly outfitted...


Before he goes inside, Lemion answers Kyrill's question, There is a small forge to the rear of the fortress, but it hasn't been used in decades, and would need some refurbishing. Sadly, this is the kind of heavy labor that the sprites wouldn't be able to do themselves. There are no raw materials though, and I think most of the tools are gone; we'd have to spend some money to get it working again.

We can do this, but it will take some time, especially since we have a lot of training to cram in between missions. In the mean time, there are a few smithies at the Citadel, and I can get you clearance to use them, and even get you authorization to train under the smiths there if you wish.

And yes, if Justice and Kurukshetra are given "utility" roles, I think that it might satisfy the administration officials, Loraln among them.

Then to Finn, he says, Good. I will see about getting someone here to train you, and to help me in the creation of a redundant item that could do a similar thing.

Lemion leaves them to work out the details, while Kurukshetra listens to all of the strategy regarding splitting up the confiscated equipment in only slight boredom. The dragon's attention is drawn to Fin and Kyrill as they discuss metalworking and magical enchantments, but he doesn't understand much about it.

Later, Kuru starts fidgeting, also wondering what is keeping the justice archon so long. Where is Loraln. I know he is busy, but so are we... The dragon stands, stretches, and leaps into the air, winging his way around the tower in wild, recklessly fast circles that give the impression of a dog chasing its tail or a child with pent-up energy running rampant through the house on a rainy day.

[Jack_Simth]

alternatively, it might make a cool weapon for oldqua, assuming kyrill wants to carry it for him. it'd double as a trap smasher. we might want to modify it so that it used oldqua's mental ability modifiers instead of strength, or change some other things about it. but it would be a powerful debuffer––throw it at the beginning of the encounter and watch it shake its target to pieces by the end of it.Interestingly, when doing a Violent Thrust... attack rolls do use Charisma for him (damage rolls don't, though). I am currently planning on having Oldqua grab Ghostly Grasp (Libris Mortis) next level, though, which will really make him a monkeywrench in the gears of the universe - things have trouble touching him without permission, but he can touch things just fine.

By the way: What level of optimization do you like? Violent Thrust Telekinesis can get a little borked - "Weapons cause standard damage (with no Strength bonus; note that arrows or bolts deal damage as daggers of their size when used in this manner)" - arrows are cheap & light, even when there oversized - the 'dagger' damage at 1d4 balloons to 3d6 if they're Colossal (which weigh in, strangely, at only 2 and 2/3rd's pounds each), and can be enchanted with Greater Magic Weapon in groups - that Ankh of Ascention would let Oldqua put a GMW on a set of 50 Colossal arrows to make them +4... and then in the first round of combat he could take a standard action to launch 12 of them at an opponent. And then repeat it 1d4 rounds later (until he runs out of bolts - four iterations, longer than most battles). I figure the regular ballista bolt usage isn't gamebreaking (hard object, 300 lbs = 12d6 damage - single-target Cone of Cold that's harder to land, essentially), and it's easy to roll & envision, so that's what I went with for now.



yeah, i don't think i ever put that on the front page; i'll check when i get home. that goes for everyone; spells labeled "personal" can be applied to others at a range of "touch."Handy... some of the best Clerical buffs can now be applied to others... as soon as Oldqua gets to the point where he can reach out and touch someone (next level, with Ghostly Grasp, or sooner, if we can make that work with Ghost Touch Gloves or something).

Of course, with a little help from the Society Mind, we can do that anyway... how's that Echo work? One additional person for every four points your manifester level is above the caster level of the effect copied, or some such? So if Oldqua casts Divine Favor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/divineFavor.htm) at Caster Level 9 (for the +3 Luck to attack/damage), you could echo it to two people by spending 13 Power Points? Ditto for Righteous Might (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/righteousMight.htm)(CL 9 is the minimum - +4 Str, size boost) and Divine Power (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/divinePower.htm)? Buff the tanks into C'zillas right quick that way...

i am not going to referee treasure splitting. and i honestly don't have too many intentions of making sure that i keep everyone's up to wbl (though you will probably have times when you are below wbl––such as up until this point––usually i tend to default to higher than wbl, so don't worry too much).Interestingly, there's both IC and OOC reasons for the characters & players to want to approximate WBL - or at least use it as a guideline for splitting. OOC, it's for game balance and relative character power. IC, it's for getting the strongest team while still giving a nod to the more experienced members.Oldqua considers, and asks across the network "So... do we want to draw up some battle plans, seeing as how we seem to get in a lot of fights?"

[Tacitus]

Power Points equal to CL of the effect and then an augment to make additional copies. Here's the weird thing though, the power points spent to Echo are not limited by Manifester Level if its on target, but the total PP are if its multiple targets.

Fun fact, Levi has a ML of 14 for all Network powers and when using Network abilities such as Echo, and has a modest pool of bonus PP for Network effects.

I've been super busy lately, and this thread takes so much time to read through most times that it gets shuffled to the end of my list, so I haven't really been able to reply. This weekend and the next I'm involved in a chirstmas train and craft show so I'm going to be unavailable on the weekends and probably running around like a chicken with its head cut off during the weekdays of this next week.

As for the items, the Psicrowns and whatnot look kinda cool for Levi, but I'm not sure if he'd use them much. I'll give them a closer look eventually, I swear, but unfortunately not today.

Levi only really needs a better boomstick, and in this downtime he's probably going to switch over to single load weapons over the repeating crossbow if he can trade a +2 heavy repeater for a +2 heavy normal in the Celestial Armory while he designs up something cool.

Hans isn't much for items, and aside from having something badass to defend himself with none of the items there really call out to me for him.

[Gnorman]

Even if we aren't following strict VoP requirements, there's nothing there that really would help Justice out. So he'd decline anyway, even if there wasn't a worthy charity to offer it to (plus, for me as a player, not having to keep track of items is a welcome break)

[josh13905]

Other than what Xavier's names already near nothing much he could use. Unless the weapon transfer type thing is really handy enough to be useful for him, which I expect it will.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua glances around, and asks across the network "So... has everyone decided what they'd find useful out of that loot pile?"
Let's see... real-time, it's been... what, 1 full week since the loot listing was posted, five days since the more esoteric items were described, three full days since mhvaughan posited his particular method of organizing a split, and about a day since anyone attempted to update the "I want it" list.

At this point, are we OK with, say, handing everyone the items they asked for if there's no contention, rolling off if there is (E.g., Gloves of Dex+4: Just in-order on the listing, rolling a [roll0] and putting the Gloves of Dex+2 from that player (assuming Oldqua doesn't get the +4 version...) back into the same spot for the next person who doesn't have at least that... which would be Oldqua.... and then rolling [roll1] for the only other 'contested' item (Rod of Extend), then liquidating the rest, handing out the cash for purchases reasonably evenly (less a bit for those who took specific items out of the pile - at, say, what those items would have added to the cash pile)?

[Barbarian MD]

Finn sees that others desire the gloves, and bows out. "For me, they would have merely been a small help. I'll want to focus my attention on my efforts to support the team through casting, and for that I have a different item in mind."

Most important for me is a +6 cloak of charisma, so take the gloves. As for the rod of extend, either of us could use it effectively. On the other hand, you have 6th-level spells, which Finn doesn't yet, so take it.

Kyrill finishes his reading of the list, surprised that so few people want so little of the pile. "It would appear that the only disputed item is the set of gloves. Xavier, Oldqua, tell me why you need them, and we will see to it that they go to the right person. On the bright side, it appears both of you will end up with a set of similar gloves, no matter the outcome."

[Barbarian MD]

Okay, results of some mathamancy.

We have something around 850,000 gp currently in items. That's 425,000 gp in cash.

Pulling everyone up to WbL costs 310,000 gp cash.

So that's 425,000 - 310,000 = 115,000 gp in cash.

Divide that 7 ways = 16,500 gp each.

So everyone should be at WbL, plus an additional 16,500 gp.

...

Alternatively, we can pull everyone up to WbL for Level 12, which would cost 220,000 gp. That leaves 425,000 - 220,000 = 205,000 gp split 7 ways.

That gives everyone 88,000 gp for WbL, plus an additional 29,000 gp.

Which way do y'all want to do this?

[Jack_Simth]

Actually, all things considered, they're probably better for Xavier - for me, it's just AC + Init + reflex (3 items of note - no particular ranged touch spells... although I might pick up Bolt of Glory if we keep running into undeads); for him, it's Attack Bonus (Weapon Finesse) + AC + Init + Reflex (four items of note). Sure, Oldqua's got a much lower AC, but he's got Incorporeality (usually) and ranged effects to supplement that.

As for the split: A few questions:
1) Did you count the trade goods (items usable as cash) separately?
2) Well... as we're going back to 'normal' XP gains, everyone will soon be the same level, +/- a small amount - so putting everyone at the same wealth level (or close to it) would probably be best, as such things go.

Oldqua considers, then replies across the network "Hmm... all things considered, I suspect that Xavier actually gets a little more out of them, and so to be the best team we can be, he's better off with them."

[Barbarian MD]

I'm okay with everyone using WbL for 12.

As to the split: the math I used didn't account for items. I suggest that we all have WbL + 29,000, (approx 120,000 total, counting what you already own) and then you can "buy" something from the pile for half price (since that's all we'd get for selling it). And, of course, if someone is a little shy of something that they want, we can help each other out.

[Tacitus]

If we've got a massive pile of stuff that we won't be using I'd like to try to barter something plus Levi's Belt of Magnificence +2 for a +4 version (and maybe add a Belt of Battle upgrade to both his and Hans's), but I feel this would be unfair because the upgrade to +4 alone costs 100,000gp and I don't want to sap resources from the remainder of the party.

Other than this though, I don't have a use for most of that. Levi can't actually dependably use the Evader crown as many of those powers aren't on his list. The domination based one he might could use though, I'll have to check his power list again. Doesn't use shields either. Hans would probably take the blood bands though.

Need to fix his sheet... I started leveling to 13 and then had the LA thought and a wee bit of badass got added in and I'm not sure I finished that, so I'll probably have to recalculate most of everything on him to make sure I didn't screw up somewhere.

But, for another time, as I have to be awake before the sun. T__T

[Barbarian MD]

Tacitus, we could do a hybrid of the two plans I presented earlier. We could give Kyrill and Levi WbL for 13, and everyone else WbL for 12. That honors the two players who have been here since the beginning (the commanders) more than plan 2, but doesn't take it to the extreme of plan 1, which gave it to Hans and Finn as well.

That would give Kyrill and Levi WbL 13, everyone else WbL 12, and then 159,000 left over, divided 7 ways = 23,000 gp each above WbL.

That would ensure that Levi could get his Belt and his weapon, and it would only be a small hit to everyone else.

I kind of like this idea myself, but then again, I'm benefiting from it...

[josh13905]

I'm pretty much fine no matter how we decide to split up the treasure.

Xavier has dex to Attacks, Damage (Melee), Reflex Saves, and AC But if you want 'em let me know and we'll switch back.

Xavier deftly switches his gloves with the ones from the pile, then he flips his gloves to Oldqua and gives him a nod of thanks.

So half of the cost of +4 Dex Gloves is 8000, then minus half the cost of +2 gloves yes? Totaling for 6000 cost to Xavier

Actually I don't think I want the orb of frost, I think it will only be useful rarely. probably not worth the cost. Although in the most recent item list there isn't a price, anyone know how much it does cost?

[Jack_Simth]

The gloves fall straight through Oldqua, but he concentrates a moment, and they appear in his hands. He then puts them on, and nods back at Xavier. With nobody seeming to contest the things Oldqua said otherwise, he looks at the items one by one, and they vanish from where they are into his hands, and he slips them on, or into storage.

Dimensional Reach, Complete Mage: Oldqua's incorporeal on the material plane, but corporeal on the Ethereal. So his hands are on the Ethereal, but he's got range based on his manifestation... so he can snatch objects, and they end up on the Ethereal, with him, in his hands. He's a walking flying, talking planar breach.

Let's see... assuming we go with mhvaughan's most recent idea for now... that'd be...

Rod of Enervating Strike (MIC) (market 18,312) = 9,156 reduced from share
Ankh of Ascention (MIC) (market 9k) = 4,500 reduced from share
Rod of Metamagic Extend Spell (market 11k) = 5,500 reduced from share
Gloves of Dexterity +2 (market 4k) = 2,000 reduced from share
Cost: 21,156 reduced from share

23k above WBL (which is 88k), minus the 21156 reduced from share for claimed items, so 89,844; he started at 66k (WBL for 11th), so 23,844 more to spend for Oldqua if we go that route. Hmm... not *quite* enough for the next item on his 'I want it' list... oh well. Ah, Luck Blade (0 Wishes): 22,060 - one of the other items on my "I want it" list - just about perfect.

Let me know once we've decided on a specific course of action, eh? Meanwhile, I'll pick up the specifically claimed items, as there's no further contention on them.

Oh, and as long as everyone's leveling about now anyway... might I request everyone pick up Drow Sign, for communication when the network's down?

Also: Updated summary and sheet for the claimed items:
Oldqua O'rodir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=238200)
HP 169/169, AC 28 (T 28, FF 24) F/R/W 20/22/24 Init+4
Undead: No Con; Cha to Concentration; Darkvision-60; Immunity to: Mind-affecting, Poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, Disease, death effects, massive damage saves, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, damage to physical ability scores, most fort save effects; doesn't eat, breathe, or sleep; immune to raise dead and reincarnate
Incorporeal when not on the Ethereal: No Str; ignore nonmagical stuff; 50% miss chance vs. magical stuff; Charisma to AC; pass through objects; attack from objects; ignore Armor, Natural Armor, and Shield to AC; Immune and unable to Trip, Grapple, other direct physical manipulation; no weight; silent; full speed while blind; mostly immune to scent, blindsight, and similar
Ghost: Malevolence, Telekinesis, Manifestation, Rejuvenation, +4 Turn Resistance, Skill Bonuses
Evolved Undead: +1 AC, See Invisibility, Fast Healing 3
Cloistered Cleric: Lore, Spells, Turn Undead, Domains (War, Good, Knowledge)
Paladin: Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 0/1, Lay on of Hands 0/18, Divine Grace
Monk: Wis to AC, Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Flurry, Deflect Arrows, Evasion
Pious Templar: Mettle, Spells, Smite Evil +1/day

Fiery Burst: 5d6 Fire, five-foot radius burst, 30-foot range; reflex DC 19 half; Su
Telekinesis: CL 12, 1d4 round delay post-use, save DC 25 where applicable, Grapple at +25, bull rush at +9, Disarm at +21, Trip at +21/+9
Malevolence: Will DC 24

Active Magical Effects:

Undetectable Alignment (CL 12)
Ring of X-Ray Vision (Yes, he leaves it running, most the time)
Greater Resistance (Spell Compendium): +3 Resistance to saves (CL 12)
Manifestation (Su)

[Stycotl]

By the way: What level of optimization do you like? Violent Thrust Telekinesis can get a little borked

i can't say that there's a specific limit, and there might be encounters where 36d6 worth of colossal crossbow bolts is entirely called for. the best indicator that i can say exists is just the team at large. if the team is averaging somewhere around 36d6 worth of damage per round each, then go for it. i have to base the NPC strength off of the average strength of the teams, though i do plan for individual challenges sometimes.


I figure the regular ballista bolt usage isn't gamebreaking (hard object, 300 lbs = 12d6 damage - single-target Cone of Cold that's harder to land, essentially), and it's easy to roll & envision, so that's what I went with for now.

that's fine, though i don't mind a flurry of ballista bolts or crossbow bolts either. use it as a combat opener to try and thin the mook ranks, or drop cliff faces on bosses or something. so long as oldqua isn't manhandling all of the encounters by himself and taking all of the fun from everyone else, and so long as he's being creative with his really powerful attacks, then he's golden.


Other than what Xavier's names already near nothing much he could use. Unless the weapon transfer type thing is really handy enough to be useful for him, which I expect it will.

i expect it will come in handy pretty soon, though i would imagine most of you are more often going to liquidate treasure for cash. that is fine too, and there are even resources set aside for that to work better than in normal campaigns.


At this point, are we OK with, say, handing everyone the items they asked for if there's no contention,

yes, please. let's just get this over with. don't worry if there was nothing in the pile that was useful to you; you'll get cash for it, and have the option to go get something useful. and where lemion will take you to go shopping, you can get just about anything you need.

so let's just settle this thing now.


although I might pick up Bolt of Glory if we keep running into undeads

yes. yeah, i'm leaking ooc info to you guys, but you're gonna find out IC in just a little bit.


but I feel this would be unfair because the upgrade to +4 alone costs 100,000gp and I don't want to sap resources from the remainder of the party.

realize though that you all are soon going to be needing expensive enough upgrades that the whole team(s) will have to chip in and sacrifice for one character to some degree or another. cooperation and collaboration in the acquisition of treasure will make the teams stronger, which will increase survivability and the procurement of more treasure.

so it's totally realistic that levi one day request that the others help him trade in for his upgrade, or that starry ask the others to help her gain her next level of starmetal transformation, etc.

Another hour passes, and the dragon is now curled up on one of the crenellations of the top level of the fortress.

A rose-colored portal finally opens before the open doors of the fortress, and a winged archon steps into the demiplane. When he sees all of the Watchmen outside, he turns for them and heads for the rock circle.

"Please forgive me tardiness. Citadel business kept me away from you. Um, where is the shield marshal? Can we get started?"

Kuru's head snaps up at the sound of Loraln's voice, and then he vanishes into the interior of the Watchtower, looking for Lemion.

Loraln carries a few scrolls and journals in his hands, each one with a silver seal of some sort on the front that radiates various abjurant magics.

He sits on a rock closest to Xavier and leans back, clearly enjoying the laid-back atmosphere of the Watchtower.

"I have probably already mentioned this, but I cannot help envy you all. Getting to stay out here, away from command, away from the daily ceremonies and having to press uniforms and shine boots and march in formations...

"I enjoy coming out here."

Lemion comes out then, folding some spectacles and putting them in the breast pocket of a wool coat he is wearing.

Loraln stands, salutes, and sits again as the gnome waves him off. "Sit down, Loraln. You're among friends and while at the Watchtower, we're all the same rank. Let's get this briefing over with. What is so important about the balor and his forces that we have to formal about all of this?"

The archon opens one of the scrolls and glances at it quickly, and then takes a gold, lion-shaped pin off of his jacket and puts it in a pocket. All right. Pay close attention, because you aren't authorized to record this anywhere, and this will be short. I'd expect that First Sword Dale's network will aid you in some sort of collective memory of the briefing, but try to keep the details straight.

The forces that Heithaniel has been tracking are based off of a magical ship that apparently has interplanar travel capabilities. She encountered it first in the Ethereal realm, but she has tracked it through the Astral, Elemental Fire, and the fringes of the Far Realms.

"It is unknown who the ring leader is. At first we thought it to be the balor, but we know now that he is working for the group in exchange for pay. That female nighthaunt seems to have the same level of authority within the group as does the balor, and they don't seem to get along.

"She commands large numbers of undead creatures on the ship, and they have been the devastating main effort of a number of their assaults on other worlds. We are unsure as to why they were not used in the attack on the Exchequer, but think that it is because they could only breach those wards with a small force.

"As was demonstrated in their attack here at the Watchtower, the undead on that ship are immensely powerful. We don't think that the nighhaunt actually creates them, but that she commands them by the authority of whoever is in charge of the operation.

"Yes, I speak of her in the present because she is probably still plotting against us

"The rukanyr are mercenaries that work for the balor, who in turn works for the ship's master. Most of them are fairly simple-minded, but the big one was pretty smart.

Now, we are ready to discuss their purpose, which is largely unknown. They are searching the planes for something, though we don't know what. They have ransacked old churches, a very deep canyon on a prime material plane called Aebrynis, and a meteorite crater on one of the moons of another prime plane called Krynn.

He pauses for a moment, taking a breath, "Any questions yet?

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua closes his eyes for a moment, and asks a question "Do you have the name of the ship, the Balor, the Nighthaunt, the churches ransacked - especially to whom they were dedicated - or anyone else involved? None of the seemingly-major players we've seen are particularly mortal anymore, so it's possible they're trying something they've attempted before, or researched before ... and I've been around long enough that I might have heard something."
Lore: to see if Oldqua recalls anything of note about:
Ship [roll0]
Ship's Captain [roll1]
Ship's Master [roll2] (not necessarily the same as the captain, you never know ... unless you're the DM, anyway)
Balor [roll3]
Nighthaunt [roll4]
Crew [roll5]
rukanyr mercenaries [roll6]
Aebrynis canyon [roll7]
Crater on Krynn [roll8]
Things the Exchequer might have - or be guarding - that could be used in ancient rituals and whatnot [roll9]


i can't say that there's a specific limit, and there might be encounters where 36d6 worth of colossal crossbow bolts is entirely called for. the best indicator that i can say exists is just the team at large. if the team is averaging somewhere around 36d6 worth of damage per round each, then go for it. i have to base the NPC strength off of the average strength of the teams, though i do plan for individual challenges sometimes.K. I'll keep it in mind... they're a pain to lug around, though. Hmm... maybe a horse and cart...


that's fine, though i don't mind a flurry of ballista bolts or crossbow bolts either. use it as a combat opener to try and thin the mook ranks, or drop cliff faces on bosses or something. so long as oldqua isn't manhandling all of the encounters by himself and taking all of the fun from everyone else, and so long as he's being creative with his really powerful attacks, then he's golden.
Cool. It's not usually going to be a big deal - fairly tricky to pull off - and it also doesn't work against hordes of mooks (single-target), but good to know. And, of course, you'll have plenty of advanced warning if I do go that route, as I'll need to purchase the ballista-sized arrows for it... or at least ask Justice to fake them up for me.

yes, please. let's just get this over with. don't worry if there was nothing in the pile that was useful to you; you'll get cash for it, and have the option to go get something useful. and where lemion will take you to go shopping, you can get just about anything you need.

so let's just settle this thing now.
OK - I'll just assume the most recent distribution from mhvaughan, and write it up that way on my character sheet, then. Purchasing an exhausted Luckblade (0 Wishes), by the way, for the boost to saves and the 1/day reroll.

[Barbarian MD]

Idea. Thoughts?

Item: Resonance Fork (single use)
Forged with an alloy of silver and cold iron, this 18 inch rod resembles a tuning fork. This fork's power lies in its ability to transfer the magical essence between two items. To use, one must strike the fork against first one item--a piece of armor, a ring, a weapon--and then another, similar item. The rod is then planted in the ground between the two, and a circle is drawn around the items, with the fork at its center. Anything will do to draw the circle: chalk, a line in the dirt, blood. Once completed, the circle seals, and magical energies begin to fill it. After one hour, the resonance fork shatters, and the circle along with it. At this end of this time, any magical enhancements present on the items involved in the ritual are swapped between one another, unchanged. This is an all-or-nothing effect, the magical energies cannot be manipulated or changed, or combined in any way.

Moderate Evocation; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, imbue with spell ability; Price 3,000 gp.

Homebrew thread here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9902576#post9902576

Finn remains quiet throughout most of the briefing, until Loraln mentions the Nighthaunt. "But she's dead! Xavier killed her himself. Was not her body destroyed afterward?"

Kyrill muses throughout the presentation, and then asks a few questions of his own. "How long have they been at work? And what has the pattern of their strikes been? And when you say "large numbers," I would like a force assessment. How many, what kind, how were they deployed? But that can wait--I do not want to interrupt your story."

Just realized Kyrill can't use the Boots of the Mountain King and his Winged Boots at same time. Anyone else want them?

[Barbarian MD]

Random thoughts:

If we're going to be going to different energy/alignment planes, might I suggest everyone invest in:
Armor Crystal of adaptation, greater Protected as endure elements; immune to alignment and positive/negative traits of planes 3,000

Weapon/armor enhancements against undead and aberrations are sounding better and better these days. There are a lot of weapon/armor crystals that accomplish some of those things for fairly cheap.

I may end up claiming the harpoon after all (if I can afford it--I might take out a loan from Finn or something). I just discovered the weapon crystal that lets you quick draw. It would be a brutal tactic to stab something with a harpoon, quick draw the full blade, and then slice and dice while they're helplessly flopping around like a skewered fish.

I'm considering reforging the fullblade into a hammer. Why? Hammers are just cooler that way, I've been wishing I had homebrewed a big hammer in the first place, and it would allow the Disruption enhancement. Will Save 14 isn't much, but compounded by 4-5 strikes a round, it might add up.

Stycotl, what sort of crafting would be involved in reforging a sword into a big hammer? Would it be like starting from scratch?

As to the armor situation, what I think I'm going to end up doing is take the full plate, wear just the breastplate, and reforge the rest of the suit into a medium full plate. I imagine there would be enough metal involved to do that, and that way Kyrill wouldn't be totally defenseless while he was doing it if we had to deploy.

[Jack_Simth]

If we know where we're going in advance, it's no big deal. Avoid Planar Effects (Spell Compendium, Page 19) is Cleric-2, 20-foot radius, and is an immediate action for a 1 minute/level reprieve. Planar Tolerance (Spell Compendium, page 159) is the same, but it's 1 hour/level and Cleric-4. Attune Form (Spell Compendium, page 17), is 1 character per 3 levels, 24 hour duration, standard action, and the same. How many divine casters do we have? Those are also Druid spells... Wizard spells, too.

But then there's that pesky problem of being randomly thrown to another plane. Hmm... tell you what:
I'll start prepping a copy of Avoid Planar Effects, if the rest of all'y'all will grab a few scrolls of Planar Tolerance. Just make sure the caster level of the scroll is high enough for two things:
1) To get everyone in the party.
2) To last at least long enough to prepare spells again (as high as 24 hours might be needed - Extended at caster level 12?)

[josh13905]

Xavier also hears the Nighthaunt referred to in the present tense, and thinks that Loraln must be mistaken until he says she's probably still plotting aginst them. However fast he may be, he could not match the speed of Finn's mouth, and merely gives Loraln a quizzical look while waiting for a response.

"I no not the ways of destroying an undead, but she appeared to have lost all life, or unlife when she fell, if I refrained from taking actions past that which were necessary I apologize..."

He mentally remembered the scene, though his face gave no change, remaining quizzical waiting for a response.

RETCON:

"Kuru before we are to begin, know that I have not taught anyone about the Path yet, however if still wish to proceed, then I will teach you what I can. Are you agreeable to that?"

[The Vorpal Tribble]

What kind of world is Krynn? Be interesting to have Starry-Eyes from there.

[Stycotl]

K. I'll keep it in mind... they're a pain to lug around, though. Hmm... maybe a horse and cart...

dude, you've got a giant werebear, and even better, a radiant dragon that has just been tasked with the possibly-humiliating job of being the watchtower mule. he's VoP, so he can't ever use it for you, but he can certainly carry it.


Cool. It's not usually going to be a big deal - fairly tricky to pull off - and it also doesn't work against hordes of mooks (single-target), but good to know.

hmm, we might have to fix that somehow. this would be the perfect anti-mook artillery cannon. maybe a skill trick or something to keep it low-cost. certainly isn't worth a feat, unless we turn it into only one of a couple of benefits, like a tactical feat relying on telekinesis or something.


And, of course, you'll have plenty of advanced warning if I do go that route, as I'll need to purchase the ballista-sized arrows for it... or at least ask Justice to fake them up for me.

justice, making quality ballista bolts on the fly since 2010.


Purchasing an exhausted Luckblade (0 Wishes), by the way, for the boost to saves and the 1/day reroll.

this goes for everyone:

hold up just a bit; we still have to get to that part; lemion is actually gonna take you guys shopping.


Idea. Thoughts?

Item: Resonance Fork (single use)
Forged with an alloy of silver and cold iron, this 18 inch rod resembles a tuning fork. This fork's power lies in its ability to transfer the magical essence between two items. To use, one must strike the fork against first one item--a piece of armor, a ring, a weapon--and then another, similar item. The rod is then planted in the ground between the two, and a circle is drawn around the items, with the fork at its center. Anything will do to draw the circle: chalk, a line in the dirt, blood. Once completed, the circle seals, and magical energies begin to fill it. After one hour, the resonance fork shatters, and the circle along with it. At this end of this time, any magical enhancements present on the items involved in the ritual are swapped between one another, unchanged. This is an all-or-nothing effect, the magical energies cannot be manipulated or changed, or combined in any way.

Moderate Evocation; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, imbue with spell ability; Price 3,000 gp.

Homebrew thread here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...76#post9902576

cool idea. i'll respond to balance in the homebrew thread. i'll use this as the focus for the rituals used to combine enchantments. hopefully i'll have that done by tomorrow or so.


Just realized Kyrill can't use the Boots of the Mountain King and his Winged Boots at same time. Anyone else want them?

remember that we're on the verge of making enchantment combining a reality. so if you really want them, hold onto them for a bit.


Weapon/armor enhancements against undead and aberrations are sounding better and better these days. There are a lot of weapon/armor crystals that accomplish some of those things for fairly cheap.

yes.


It would be a brutal tactic to stab something with a harpoon, quick draw the full blade, and then slice and dice while they're helplessly flopping around like a skewered fish.

i have been trying to get a good mental picture of this.


Stycotl, what sort of crafting would be involved in reforging a sword into a big hammer? Would it be like starting from scratch?

hmm, physically, it would be like starting from scratch, except that your raw materials would already be pretty darn pure (adamantine). but i'd allow it so that the magic stays in the weapon.

further, something like that might be easily thrown in to the re-enchanting ritual i'm brewing for good measure.

RETCON

Kuru quickly agrees to Xavier's terms about meditation training. There is a smile on his scaled face and a bounce in his gait as he walks away from the monk, Thank you, Xavier. I hope I do not disappoint as a pupil, and I am thinking we'll get to know each other better through this.

PRESENT

Loraln scans his notes at Oldqua's questions, "Hmmm, oh yes, the ship is called Dead Gods..."

Instantly, Oldqua recognizes that name.

"...and apparently has some sort of tie to the Negative Energy Plane or the Shadow Plane, as it seems to have some undead properties in and of itself. We think it was created by a powerful necromancer.

Oldqua has heard of Dead Gods, and knows that it was created by no mere necromancer. It is a powerful artifact ship born of the deranged whims of some ancient evil. The ship's incredible power comes from something called the Shadow Engine, a vortex to the deepest, darkest part of the Shadow Plane. This engine could only have been created by a being of incredible divine power, and Oldqua has read legends that say that a powerful god of death built the ship to save himself when a coalition of divine beings destroyed his body for the crimes that he had committed. Supposedly, the ship seeks out necromancers and fiends of sufficient power to engage in a bloody war of revenge on the heavens themselves.

Lemion looks up at the ghost in concern, reading all of that through the network in an instant.

"This sounds worse than I think we had been prepared for. But this is precisely what the Watchtower was created for: to take care of threats outside of the ability and jurisdiction of most of the protectors of the planes."

But the thought makes its way through the mental bonds of the group that maybe challenging dead gods is beyond even the steel and grit of the Watchmen.

"Are any of you having any doubts about staying with the Watchtower? You will not be thought of any less by your brothers and sisters here."

Celstica shrinks back from the question, feeling shame and guilt despite the fact that she knows that none was meant in the gnome's sincere question to the others.

Loraln continues, a little flustered by the apparent grave thoughts that are passed silently between the team members, though the way he looks at Oldqua lets them know that he saw recognition in the ghost's eyes, "Unfortunately, Heithaniel's scouts were killed before being able to give her the location or name of the first church that was ransacked, but she herself met the enemy in battle at one church called the Living Light of Pelor, in the interplanar city of Union. The fiends had stolen every book within the Sciences section of the Holy Library there. That was almost two years ago now."

He then looks to Fin and Xavier, "All of the undead aboard that ship seem to have incredible regenerative abilities. The shield marshal can attest to how even the skeletons and zombies unleashed here upon this very demiplane a few months ago would rise only moments after being struck in half or sundered with divine magic. They are very hardy foes, and the nighthaunt witch seems particularly unkillable."

As Kuru shudders in memory of the assault on the Watchtower, Lemion addresses Xavier's words, "Place no blame on yourself, brother. She fell twice by my own count here at the Watchtower, once with her dagger still in Heithaniel's ribs. I could not figure out how to keep her down, and neither could Heithaniel herself.

Kuru nods, his shoulder muscles trembling with unforgotten anger and helplessness, "It is true. There were a pair of skeletons, as large as houses––giants probably––that slew many of my teammates, and every time they were destroyed, they would just get back up and kill more––" The dragon stops suddenly, choking back uncharacteristic emotions. He growls and stomps out of the circle, pacing back and forth behind Justice.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua considers, and nods, already considering strategy and accidentally pushes his thoughts across the network before they're fully coherent "If they won't die directly, need to focus on controlling them, sending them away, confining them ... few prayers for that - Wall of Stone, Plane Shift; Dismissal, Banishment if not on home plane - more Arcane's better: Command Undead, Control Undead, Wall of Iron, Wall of Force, Wall of Ice, Dismissal, Banishment; Disintegrate destroying the body? - Consecrate or Hallow keep them from getting up? - need to look into the opposite of a Darkskull ... that'll be unpleasant, but oh well... might need to contact an angel to make one... Ring of Spell Storing for Hallow to speed it up? Possibly get a Greater Ring or two, and beg a Solar to drop one of it's cheap Ressurections into it... turn one of our biggest enemies into the living creature it once was ... ally with us? ... Invisibility or Hide from Undead to bypass them and look for the controller - damage the ship itself? Will also need forces occupied so they're not looking for the skulker... stron light spells as the place has ties to the Shadow realm ... limited resources, though.... Wall of Fire, perhaps?"

[josh13905]

The monk frowned, Dead Gods, it looked like their coming enemy was carrying divine weight against them. It was bound to be a difficult mission, but neither was it something that he would turn away from, no his path had but one road, to change course now would be to throw away everything.

"Perhaps this could be used as an advantage for Oldqua, perhaps you will be unable to die as well. Although it would probably be a good idea to prepare to combat unlife."

"Though I agree with you Oldqua, if we damage the ships engine then we may be able to avoid fighting them all."

[Stycotl]

"Good suggestions, both of you. Destroying the engine might end up being our only option, especially if it has a chance of taking the ship and its occupants with it. Lemion leans back against the tree, interlacing his fingers behind his head.

Loraln continues, "Um, where was I? Oh yes. Their purpose. As I said, we don't really know a lot about that. This is where you all come in. The Council has given you orders to track down the Dead Gods and destroy them if you can. But at the very least, you are to figure out what they are up to, and point them out to Citadel forces. The Council is determined to stop that ship at all costs, even if it means reassigning whole divisions to the mission.

"A few of the recon units have already been reassigned to the hunt as well. They are tracking down leads as to the ship's whereabouts even as we speak. I hope for your sake that you find them first, even if only because you are the only elite unit capable of standing a chance against them if they are actually found...

"Heithaniel's troops have also been reassigned, though they are to act as your backup, and are on strict standby while they await you to point them out a target. Hunt down the ship and unleash Heithaniel and her hosts if needed.

"I'd suggest starting at the Living Light of Pelor."

Lemion nods, "Yes, I need to get them resupplied anyway, so we were going to visit Sigil––some of the best shops in the multiverse are in that confounded city. But Union will do nicely too.

"Thank you, Loraln. Do you have anything else for us?"

The archon shakes his head. Lemion stands, motions to Kyrill and Levi and then looks to Celestica, "This is where we bid you goodbye, Celestica. You always have brothers and sisters here if you need us.

"Team leaders, what of Kuru's donation to her? What does she leave us with?

"Loraln, hold on one moment. I have the team rosters that you need to take back to the Citadel.

"Kyrill, are you ready to leave? You have fewer hours than we had planned on, so make the most of it, and if you cannot finish it all tonight, we'll get you back there later.

Kuru, you are going to have to carry all of this equipment yourself on our way to Sigil and Union, as Kyrill will not be with us. All of us will have to be wary; this is a lot of valuable equipment, and we would be prime targets for mischief or violence.

"Anyone else have anything before we part?"

Loraln is looking over the rosters, "Yes sir. I have one more thing. The teams need a designated burglar. Just one. It came down from higher just this morning."

Lemion looks expectantly to the team leaders.

[Gnorman]

THE REGENERATIVE ABILITIES OF THESE UNDEAD MOST LIKELY STEMS FROM THE ENGINE ITSELF - PERHAPS THE PLANAR RIFT AT ITS CORE HAS SOMEHOW LEAKED INTO THEIR VERY BEINGS. UNDEAD POWERED BY SHADOW RATHER THAN NEGATIVE ENERGY IS SOMEWHAT ODD, HOWEVER NOT WITHOUT PRECEDENT.

Justice nods at Oldqua's suggestion.

REGARDLESS OF WHOM OR WHAT INHABITS THIS SHIP, IT SOUNDS AS IF IT IS IN DIRE NEED OF DECOMMISSIONING.

A knowledge check from Justice on any relevant information regarding the Plane of Shadow, planar rifts, and the possibility of jamming the engine, rerouting the rift, or negating its function somehow: [roll0]

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Ok, been rereading everything but haven't seen it. Where is Kyrill going except to the smithy?

[Barbarian MD]

Permanent (while raging) Enlarge Person. :smallbiggrin:

Kyrill's going to spend the 500xp to get it cast by Nomura, a caster we helped protect against enemy forces in our last chapter. I've been trying to find time to go for a couple of months. It's becoming an obsession for him.

So he'll be Gargantuan when he rages. Barbarian capstone will make him colossal.

Reminds me of another homebrewing item I need to design: Belt of Constraint, for when he has to move and fight in enclosed spaces...


P.S. It's official--I can't afford the Boots of the Mountain King, and since they're Greater, I can't fully use them anyway (already have DR). Anyone else want them? Otherwise they're getting sold. I'm also abandoning the Bone Ring in order to afford the harpoon. I'll eventually just get a Ring of Negative Protection anyway.

I have to say, I'm sad that I'm not going to get to roleplay Kyrill in a Magic Mart. Coming from an awesomely low-magic world, I had planned to have a lot of fun with that.

Kyrill slides the Harpoon over his back, sheathes the Fullblade in the other direction, and then takes hold of the Greataxe. Fitting his helmet securely over his head, he nods to Justice, "You're in charge until I get back. If anything happens in Union, give 'em hell."

He turns to Celestica, handing her a belt as he does so. "You'll fight again one day, so use it well, Watchman and Ranger."

Belt of Mighty Blows. I feel like I'm skimping on her, but I don't see much that she'd benefit from in the pile that hasn't already been claimed...

Then he tromps over to Lemion. "As soon as you can open the portal, sir, I'll be on my way." He calls over his shoulder to the others, "Bring me back something nice, and don't kill anyone without me!"

With that, he steps through, on his way to Greatness (of size).

Couple of things involving items. Will be getting rid of my :

Amulet of +1 Natural Armor (it sells for 1000 gp).
Least Armor Crystal of Arrow Deflection (250 gp).
+1 Magebane Huge Greataxe (4000 gp worth of enhancements)

if anyone is interested. Otherwise they'll get sold to Stycotl.

[josh13905]

Xavier slips a ring from the pile onto his finger, taking a moment to acquaint himself with its use nods in satisfaction, and clenches his hands. He would have to be careful with his money, if they were to be tested to their limits against such powerful foes, then he would want to have the best equipment available.

"I get the impression that this lifestyle of rapid events, is the norm for the Watchtower?" He says smiling.

[Jack_Simth]

this goes for everyone:

hold up just a bit; we still have to get to that part; lemion is actually gonna take you guys shopping.Oh. OK. So we're going shopping in-character? Works, I guess. Will take a while, though.

hmm, we might have to fix that somehow. this would be the perfect anti-mook artillery cannon. maybe a skill trick or something to keep it low-cost. certainly isn't worth a feat, unless we turn it into only one of a couple of benefits, like a tactical feat relying on telekinesis or something.
Oh. So you'd like something like:
Multi-Shot Telekinesis:
You can divide Violent Thrust thrown objects among multiple targets with a Concentration check, DC 10 + 2 per target above the first, to split up the shots, as you divide your concentration between multiple targets. For every two points by which you miss the DC, one of your shots (selected by the DM) goes wild (does not get to roll vs. AC) as you weren't paying enough attention. ?
Oldqua considers, and asks aloud "If we're heading out, by any chance may I have the Plane Shift focus for this location, so I can return here if I get separated from the group?"

[josh13905]

Xavier's gaze is brought back to the group at Oldqua's question, it would probably be a good idea for him to also acquire the focus for this plane.

"Actually if I could also obtain such a focus, then I would be grateful."

[Stycotl]

gnorman


A knowledge check from Justice on any relevant information regarding the Plane of Shadow, planar rifts, and the possibility of jamming the engine, rerouting the rift, or negating its function somehow: (1d20+28)[30]

very little is known about the artifact, and oldqua has more info about it, being of the type and being so old.

but, you do have some insight, as detailed below.

vorpal


Ok, been rereading everything but haven't seen it. Where is Kyrill going except to the smithy?

he's going back to dharti (scene of enormous, penultimate battle) in order to get one of the shamans that they met to give him a permanent or semipermanent size increase to large.

mhvaughan


I have to say, I'm sad that I'm not going to get to roleplay Kyrill in a Magic Mart. Coming from an awesomely low-magic world, I had planned to have a lot of fun with that.

you could always reschedule. but if not, there will be other shopping trips.


if anyone is interested. Otherwise they'll get sold to Stycotl.

i've always wanted a few of those! now, to find someone to give them to...

all of you

from now on (when i remember), i am going to preface ooc text with your name in bold. that should make it easier to go through the chaos. i still want you guys to read the stuff i post to the others, because it will affect you, and if it is secret, i PM it. but this should help out a bit and make it easier to read the relevant parts when you're in a hurry, or go back and find relevant info later.

also, be aware that in the future, it might not be so easy to split loot into equal shares. this means that you'll have to devise different ways of making sure that it ends up satisfactory to everyone, and in some cases, some of you might have to be satisfied just knowing that your buddy got something that makes him or her that much more of an asset to the teams.

Kurukshetra makes his way back to the circle as they are finishing things up. He looks embarrassed by his earlier emotions, but has the fierce haughtiness evident in his current attitude that dares anyone to call him weak.

Lemion can only smile at the young dragon.

Kuru asks, "Is it possible for something like this Shadow Engine to empower the aberrations as well as the undead? Our rukanyr foes have enjoyed shadow magic wards every time we have battled them.

Loraln shrugs again, "I have no experience with any of these kinds of things. Once I was a warrior, fighting for a different organization of archons on the Second Layer. But when I was given this form and my promotion, I was transferred and have been in charge of administrative functions here for too long. One day..."

He chuckles.

Justice does not know for sure whether or not this shadow engine could be destroyed, or whether or not that would have any effect on the foes that they face. But he does know of certain ships created to traverse the deep reaches of space and the planes, made of magic and psionics. These ships generally function with something that sounds similar to him, a powerful concentration of power that keeps the ship afloat in the ethers.

He's never heard of one that imbues as much power to its users as this shadow engine seems to, but he does know that the ships he is familiar with become helpless when their spelljamming helms are compromised.

Celestica hesitates when Kyrill hands her the magical belt. But seeing the encouragement of Kuru, Lemion, and the others, she finally smiles bashfully and nods. "Thank you. I don't deserve this, as I'm leaving before I really begin. But I will use it as a reminder of you all, of those that I look up to."

Lemion claps the werebear on the knee as he approaches, since that is more or less how far he reaches, "When I open the portal, you will follow Loraln and Celestica through. It will take them where they need to go, and you where you need to go. I told Tandu that you would be short on time in Dharti, buthe assured me that Nomura would make it work in the small bit of time allotted. He also said that he wants the others, even the new Watchmen, to find their way over there sometime, and that they would be similarly gifted. Apparently, Nomura is already drawing up plans for all of you."

Kuru walks up beside Xavier as the githzerai comments on the Watchtower lifestyle. "Never a dull moment. Well, almost never."

Loraln has fished a quill out of his uniform and has it poised over the roster, "Who am I to assign as the burglar?

[Barbarian MD]

Burglar:
Finn is tiny and invisible.
Oldqua is a ghost.
Levi has crazy hide skills.

Does anyone have "open lock" and such?

Seems like Oldqua might be our man, seeing as how it's kind of hard to lock doors against the incorporeal...

[Gnorman]

I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO ASSIGN OLDQUA AS OUR... BURGLAR. IF WE TRULY NEED ONE. VERY FEW MUNDANE BARRIERS WOULD PRESENT A PROBLEM TO HIM, AND IF WE ENCOUNTER MAGICAL ONES, HIS SKILLS IN THAT ARENA WOULD ALSO BE APPROPRIATE. UNLESS OLDQUA DOES NOT WISH TO TAKE THE POSITION OR ANYONE ELSE HAS A NOMINATION FOR IT...?

Justice turns to the assembled group to see if anyone objects.

[Tacitus]

Levi

"Oldqua would seem to be the best for such a title, given his ability to transfer things between the physical and ethereal on a whim in conjunction with his ghostly state. As for mischief and violence in Sigil and Union, I do have a pack we can hide the majority inside, a minor extradimensional space. It isn't much, but it should do for some of what we have. Oldqua's ability to move things between material and ethereal might also help."

Hans

"It is said that the weave of chaos can greatly alter items, perchance they could become as light as a feather and the size of a bean, for a time."

I'd have to double check, but I'm fairly certain Hans can alter the dimensions and weight of objects with Transformation chaos magic, I'll check here in a bit...

Yup. Hans can affect an item weighing less than 240lbs with a Minor Transmutation Effect to give it up to a -50% size change and reduce the weight by around 1/8th the original or use a Major transmutation to decrease it by up to 90% so that it weights only 1/100th what it did before.

Given one minute per large item he could reduce them all by 90% for 6 hours.

DC 25 (Major [20] + Hours [15] -9 full rounds casting [10])

If Hans gives himself a Wis boost he'd only fail on a 1 or a 2, so I'm hoping we can just handwave rolling casting checks. >.>

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua considers a moment, shrugs, and responds "I never really gave burglary much thought. I suppose I'd be fair at it, I guess. And yes, while I can grab small things off of the material fairly readily, getting them *back* to the material gets tricky - I've seen Xavier step to the Ethereal a few times in practice... he's probably set up best for getting such things back to the material. Of course, one of the ironies of my being is that it's a fairly simple matter for me to produce long-lasting barriers that will stop such people as myself... but people in my situation are relatively rare, and those who can cast long-lasting walls less so, so such barriers aren't common."
He's Lawful Good. Of course he doesn't volunteer to be the burglar when the question is asked! He will, however, accept the role if need be when half his coworkers tell him the role is needed, and he'd be good at it.

As to the barriers issue: Core RAW, there are ways for keeping him out - mostly resolving around the little bit that he's corporeal on the Ethereal plane when he's incorporeal on the material - put a wall there, and he's stopped... potentially by what looks like an open door to those on the material.

When Oldqua, manifested, casts a Wall of Stone spell, though, something really strange happens: you get a chunk of stone that affects the material plane (as he's there by way of the Ghost's Manifestation ability), the Ethereal Plane (as he's there, too - see the Ghost's Manifestation ability), and incorporeal critters on the material plane (a factor of the incorporeal subtype - incorporeal critter's attacks affect incorporeal critters normally). Of course, what's REALLY nutty? It's all the same wall. Theoretically, Oldqua could then Stone Shape the stone wall into a stone ball, which would *also* be on all three planes.... letting him hide on the Ethereal, lob the rock around with telekinesis, and hurt people on the material plane. But that would be rather unbalanced in terms of game mechanics.

Oldqua could probably make a fair amount of money making walls for the paranoid... and stealing things to make people paranoid. Fortunately, he's Lawful.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

"I've only tried this once or twice, and I don't know if it'd work with ghost people... would you like to try an experiment, Oldqua?" Starry-Eyes inquires, coming to the ground finally after buzzing furiously in thought above.

[Stycotl]

tacitus


If Hans gives himself a Wis boost he'd only fail on a 1 or a 2, so I'm hoping we can just handwave rolling casting checks. >.>

yeah, go ahead.

jack


Theoretically, Oldqua could then Stone Shape the stone wall into a stone ball, which would *also* be on all three planes.... letting him hide on the Ethereal, lob the rock around with telekinesis, and hurt people on the material plane. But that would be rather unbalanced in terms of game mechanics.

while that may still be a bit advanced for the current power level of the game, in another level or so, i don't think it would be a problem, and it fits with the real-life fluff of ghosts pretty well.

maybe say that he is experimenting with techniques like that, but hasn't quite perfected it yet. then, in a few levels, he's good to go.

Lemion gestures toward the open area of the courtyard, away from the trees, and a portal opens there that simultaneously flashes emerald greens and cool silvers and blues.

"Loraln, Celestica, good luck. We will see you later.

"Kyrill, I can't open a portal directly unto their court, so be ready for some hiking. I try to get it as close as possible, but sometimes their wards throw off the dimensional effects quite a bit. Anyway, you know where to go, the large island in the lake at the bottom of the valley. They will send you back sometime before 12 hours have passed. We can't wait for you any longer than that.

"The rest of you, armor up and let's get the excess equipment bagged for our trip."

Loraln is looking to Levi and Kyrill, "Very well, so it is Oldqua? Is that final? If so, good luck, all of you, and may the gods smile upon you." If that is it, he turns, Celestica in tow, and disappears through the portal.

Celestica gives one final glance at the others, with some regret and some apology mixed in with her relief, and is then also gone.

[Barbarian MD]

Kyrill bids farewell and then takes the portal at a swift gallop, but then stops himself. Instead, he calmly steps through, and then seems to stare at a spot three feet from his nose. Voicelessly, he begins calling forth to the spirit children.

Ten silent minutes later, a second portal opens, and with a nod of thanks he steps through. Only then does he begin to run, enjoying the thrill of a sprint in open country.

Step Sideways. 50 miles an hour through the Spirit World.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua shrugs, and replies to Starry-Eyes "As long as you don't expect it to do lasting harm, I've no particular objection to most forms of sparring. What do you have in mind?"

[The Vorpal Tribble]

"Just try to move somewhere else than here. Fade away or however you do it. Try to go to another place. That Ether Real place I've heard you talk about maybe." Starry-Eyes explains, stepping close to the apparition.

The faint light that surrounds her begins to grow brighter, and there is movement in the light, though nothing that can be focused on. A strange noise, just at the upper level of hearing can be made out, like a mix between a croak, a warbling scream, and the sound of a wet finger on crystal.

The glow envelopes the spirit and seems to caress him.


Dimensional Anchor within 5 feet of Starry-Eyes, no save.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua shrugs, and attempts to fade back to the Ethereal for a bit.

Hmm... that's a funny one. Let's see....

A green ray springs from your outstretched hand. You must make a ranged touch attack to hit the target. Any creature or object struck by the ray is covered with a shimmering emerald field that completely blocks extradimensional travel. Forms of movement barred by a dimensional anchor include astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and similar spell-like or psionic abilities. The spell also prevents the use of a gate or teleportation circle for the duration of the spell.

A dimensional anchor does not interfere with the movement of creatures already in ethereal or astral form when the spell is cast, nor does it block extradimensional perception or attack forms. Also, dimensional anchor does not prevent summoned creatures from disappearing at the end of a summoning spell.
Vs.

Manifestation (Su)

Every ghost has this ability. A ghost dwells on the Ethereal Plane and, as an ethereal creature, it cannot affect or be affected by anything in the material world. When a ghost manifests, it partly enters the Material Plane and becomes visible but incorporeal on the Material Plane. A manifested ghost can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or spells, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. A manifested ghost can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. A manifested ghost always moves silently. A manifested ghost can strike with its touch attack or with a ghost touch weapon (see Ghostly Equipment, below). A manifested ghost remains partially on the Ethereal Plane, where is it not incorporeal. A manifested ghost can be attacked by opponents on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane. The ghost’s incorporeality helps protect it from foes on the Material Plane, but not from foes on the Ethereal Plane.

Let's see... is turning off an ability (which is what it is when Odlqua fades - turning off Manifestation) more like "astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and similar spell-like or psionic abilities" (which Dimensional Anchor would stop), or more like a summoned creature disappearing at the end of a summoning spell (which Dimensional Anchor doesn't stop)?

Does Dimensional Anchor not stop a ghost from fading out, because it doesn't interfere with the movement of critters "already in ethereal or astral form"?

Hmm... I'd be more inclined to say it wouldn't, but the RAW is quite fuzzy there, so it's a DM call. Stycotl?

In either case, unless it bypasses line-of-effect, or has a duration that continues after the subject is outside that five-foot radius, there's a really simple way for Oldqua to bypass it - step underground, and THEN fade out.

[josh13905]

Xavier calmly hefts his pack, and waits for everyone to be ready, he'd done all he needed to at the moment, all he needed was some rope, a focus to this plane, and a place to spend his money on something that could save them all.

[Barbarian MD]

Finn buzzes excitedly in circles around the group. Union wasn't exactly Sigil, but it would still be an exciting trip.

"I should hope you don't expect me to carry anything," he jokingly comments with a twist of his awe-inspiring mustache.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041012a


A dimensional anchor spell used against a manifested ghost has little effect because the ghost already is on both the Material Plane and Ethereal Planes. While the spell lasts, however, the manifested ghost cannot exit the Material Plane.

Keeps anything from disappearing at any rate.

Either way, might come in handy if we have to deal with incorporeal undead.

[Jack_Simth]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041012a

Keeps anything from disappearing at any rate.

Either way, might come in handy if we have to deal with incorporeal undead.

Yeah... that article also does such things as say that a ghost using a magic weapon is making an incorporeal touch attack, while a ghost using a ghost touch weapon is dealing with full AC - when the actual MM entry says nothing whatsoever about a magic weapon turning into an incorporeal touch attack, and the ghost touch entry specifies the weapons acts as incorporeal, or not, whichever most convenient at the time.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Seemed like it was just errata for them.

*shrugs*

[Jack_Simth]

Seemed like it was just errata for them.

*shrugs*

Errata (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20040125a) is something a bit different - official updates for the books, and is supposed to handle actual rules changes.

Rules of the Game (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/rg) is essentially one DM trying to tackle tangled questions about the rules, and he doesn't seem to get much actual editing.

Now, to be fair, this one is a strange one, but I stopped giving much heed to the FAQ and the Rules of the Game when Acid damage both ignored hardness, and did not ignore hardness, depending on which section you checked.

[Stycotl]

real quick link:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178983

for all of your crafting needs. i want some feedback on balance and whatever others issues might come to mind. also, if you think of any other crafting gimmicks that we talked about, but i didn't include, let me know and i might scrap up a new incantation, add it to an existing one, or do something entirely new.

back to your regularly scheduled thread; will update in a while (or maybe in the morning, depending on when i finish this darn 3d church roof...).

[Barbarian MD]

Stycotl, EVERYONE knows what a Wacom Cintiq is. It's basically a fancy tablet PC that you draw on. :smalltongue:

[Stycotl]

all of you

i still have not gotten votes in from all of you for the roleplaying award. if you aren't aware of what i'm talking about, check the houserules; it's listed as "rp award" or something like that. start with an "r" anyway.

if you don't vote, you are doing a disservice to your fellow players as much as they are doing a disservice to you by not voting. while you may not get it even if everyone votes, you certainly won't get it if no one votes. i want votes in by tonight unless you can't log in today.

jack and vorpal


Hmm... I'd be more inclined to say it wouldn't, but the RAW is quite fuzzy there, so it's a DM call. Stycotl?

it is fuzzy. i think that i would say no, that it wouldn't affect him. but i will need to check up on that in order to make a real ruling.


In either case, unless it bypasses line-of-effect, or has a duration that continues after the subject is outside that five-foot radius, there's a really simple way for Oldqua to bypass it - step underground, and THEN fade out.

i'm away from the books right now, but that would depend on whether it was a spread or emanation or something, wouldn't it?

mhvaughan


Stycotl, EVERYONE knows what a Wacom Cintiq is. It's basically a fancy tablet PC that you draw on.

eh, i just figured that only art nerds like me knew what it was. i was using a tiny little wacom intuos at school in the hall once, and some guy came by and was flabbergasted. that's right, flabbergasted. he couldn't believe the technological breakthrough that are a tablet and stylus.

The teams say goodbye to Loraln, Celestica, and Kyrill, and then the portal closes behind them. Kuru paces impatiently while the others prepare themselves for the trip. But he comes to help when lemion has them begin tossing the treasures back into his magical sack. Finally, with the last coin thrown in, the gnome fastens the bag closed and draws the strings tight. Immediately, the bag shrinks down to the size of a purse, and the gnome hands it to the radiant dragon.

Now that the archon is gone, he reverts back to telepathy through Levi's net, This is real heavy, and is going to be tough, Kuru, but I think you can manage. You did volunteer to be the mule, after all.

The gnome smiles mischievously while Kuru blinks in surprise. The shield marshal certainly had a sense of humor, but it was usually not as obvious as it has been so far this day.

Are we ready? We are going to Sigil first to get rid of as much of this as we can. Then we will continue on to Union, finish our bartering there, and then investigate the church. I have some friends in the markets of both Sigil and Union, and we should be able to make some fair trades today. If there are no other concerns, let's leave.

Another portal opens up before the Watchmen, and Lemion steps through when everyone is ready.

Upon entering the portal, the Watchmen find themselves in the hazy smoke and dim light of Sigil's largest bazaar. Some of the Watchmen have been here before, but even to them, this extraplanar metropolis is something beyond staggering. To their left looms the open expanse of starless night sky beyond the horizon of buildings and warehouses. To their right, the central stone spire fades into the darkness of the Outlands below, believed by many to be the axle around which spin all of the planes. Before them and behind them the inner surface of the great ring city of Sigil also curves upward until it is lost in the darkness.

Sigil, the City of Doors.

Crowds of sentients move and mingle in the streets, seething around the Watchmen like the eddies of sea water in a tidal pool. Most of them are humanoids of various sorts, but devils, demons, daemons, angels, archons, aberrations, an enormous deep dragon, and even a softly glowing spectre all stare as the group steps out from their portal.

Lemion is quick to close the blue-tinged doorway to the Watchtower, smiles and nods at the closest of Sigil's residents and visitors that have noticed their entrance, and then starts moving purposefully toward one of the edges of the bazaar.

The undead spectre watches the group curiously, filmy eyes lingering on the insubstantial form of Oldqua. A bone devil steps aside for the gnome and his troop as it heads for a paper-maker's shop, muttering an apology for being in the way. Kuru's crested brows rise in surprise at the devil's curiously polite manner.

This is contrasted sharply by a trio of hound archons leaning up against the wall of a goldsmith, who stare at the companions with suspicious contempt and an air of open threat. Now the radiant dragon's brows are knitted and the spiked crest on his back rises in complimentary irritation. He walks on all fours, but uses the knuckles of his left forepaw, as the purse is tucked securely between his talons.

Nothing is as it seems here. It didn't like this place last time we came here either.

Lemion chuckles, Oh, come now. It isn't all bad. For the most part, the sentients of Sigil would rather trade with you than slit your throat. You just have to know how to handle yourself subtly and diplomatically.

Kuru snorted, That might be harder for those of us that glow in the dark and smell like the shores of Celestia's sea. I can't help but make enemies here.

So I will keep quiet and let you guys do the talking.

Kyrill

The werebear finds himself traveling through the ethereal cloud forests of the Mirrorlands, making very good speed toward the lake. But Lemion's portal had opened up far on the north end of the valley, just below the wall of stone hidden in roiling stormclouds. Beyond the ever-present storms, the immense peaks of Dharti's largest mountains lie perennially covered in snow and ice.

It would be another half hour at least before he reached the lake and had to cross its black waters to the island beyond. Of course, it is entirely likely that Duy or Raja or one of the others would find him before he got that far.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Starry-Eyes buzzes through the upper portal, but breaks suddenly as if hitting a wall as she emerges into Sigil. She'd fought in what she had considered cities before, but even they were but yokel hamlets compared to this.
A country girl at heart, the halfling looks about with wide-eyed wonder, and is more than a little intimidated. Not knowing really what she thinks of such a place, she keeps shyly quiet and watchful.


Ok, guess my question is, am I 12th level now or will I have to wait until I have my apple juice and sigil enscribed?

Or do I have the saves and BAB, just no additional class features?

[Jack_Simth]

all of you

i still have not gotten votes in from all of you for the roleplaying award. if you aren't aware of what i'm talking about, check the houserules; it's listed as "rp award" or something like that. start with an "r" anyway.

if you don't vote, you are doing a disservice to your fellow players as much as they are doing a disservice to you by not voting. while you may not get it even if everyone votes, you certainly won't get it if no one votes. i want votes in by tonight unless you can't log in today.
Submitted by PM Nov. 27

jack and vorpal



it is fuzzy. i think that i would say no, that it wouldn't affect him. but i will need to check up on that in order to make a real ruling.
Works.

i'm away from the books right now, but that would depend on whether it was a spread or emanation or something, wouldn't it?
In some cases; in this one, no. It's due to line-of-effect (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#lineofEffect) requirements, and the Area type (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#area). A spread acts as a string from the origin - if there is a path by which the string could touch you, you're in the effect. An Emanation is more like a lightbulb at the source - if you could see the light without going through a blocking barrier, and you're in range, you're in the area of effect.

In this case, it doesn't matter which it is, as there is no line-of-effect through solid ground, regardless of path. If I were just hiding behind a pillar, though, a Spread could get me, an Emanation or Burst couldn't.

__________________________________________________ ______


Taking some mild liberties with stuff below; doesn't really impact anything, hope you don't mind.
Having been here several times before, Oldqua doesn't seem to view his surroundings with more than a mild curiosity at some of the changes in architecture, other than pausing briefly at a building in the process of being refaced with green stone tiles, the blue ones that had previously been there having crumbled away with age. He stops for a moment, and asks an air Memphit ferrying tiles something in Auran "Excuse me, but wasn't this building white the last time I was here?"

The memphit raises his white eyebrows, and replies absent-mindedly in Auran as it continues with it's tasks "... no, it was blue when I was first bound to service here, about a thousand years ago."

Oldqua pauses just a moment, then nods, and replies again in Auran "Ah... I must have misremembered; I hope you have a good day." Oldqua then hurries on to catch up with the rest of Watchtower.

[josh13905]

My vote was PMed on the 29 of November. Didn't get a reply but assumed you got it. . . let me know and I'll resend it if you need.

Xavier had spent most his younger life in a Monastery floating by itself among the emptiness of Limbo. Since he has visited several towns but none to such scale as this.

"Definitely never a dull moment." He sends across the network before taking in his surroundings. Closing his eyes he briefly takes in his surroundings, bombarded with the information he was sure it might have drove him mad if he were here forever.

It appeared as though this was a place for everyone. It should be easy to remain inconspicuous if they were spread out. As they were however. . .

"So where to first?"

[Barbarian MD]

The din of the bustling city crashes through the portal, and with an unrestrained burst of alarm across the net, Finn and his mount disappear from sight.

Invisible to the others, Eircheard is literally quivering in fear, and Finn has to force himself to take a few breaths himself before he has the strength to stroke his hummingbird's neck to calm it. Whispers of soothing song, themselves with a faint tremor underneath, float from nowhere. Finn forces the bird through the portal behind the others, and it is only through the magic of their link that he can get the bird to comply.

Once through, the pair dart upward, high above the group and as far as they dare away from the packed crowds in this strange city, the size of which neither of them have ever faced in their long lives. Two pairs of eyes dart nervously around ceaselessly, and it promises to be a very long trip for the both of them.

[Stycotl]

all of you

when i said:


all of you

i still have not gotten votes in from all of you for the roleplaying award. if you aren't aware of what i'm talking about, check the houserules; it's listed as "rp award" or something like that. start with an "r" anyway.

...i meant that i was talking to you all, and that i didn't have all votes in, not that i didn't have any of your votes.

i am just missing gnorman's vote now.

nevermind, he sent it in now too. we're good.

and the players' choice award goes to...

kyrill!

and the dm's award goes to...

oldqua!

both of you, see the houserules for your potential prizes. if you have suggestions for new prizes, by all means bring them up.

vorpal


Ok, guess my question is, am I 12th level now or will I have to wait until I have my apple juice and sigil enscribed?

Or do I have the saves and BAB, just no additional class features?

ooh, good question. hmm, the original prc robs you of class features until you do the ritual, but i honestly have never seen a point for it.

if your class were so powerful that it warranted such a nerf, then sure. but i'd wager it isn't. your class doesn't do anything in my opinion that differentiates it from any other decent prc out there, and none of them have per-level dependency clauses.

i'd just make the ritual a fluff thing from now on. make a query about that on your homebrew thread and see if anyone else thinks it's overpowered without the dependency, but go with the assumption that it isn't unless proven otherwise.

jack


A spread acts as a string from the origin - if there is a path by which the string could touch you, you're in the effect.

ah, thanks.


Taking some mild liberties with stuff below; doesn't really impact anything, hope you don't mind.

not at all. i even encourage it in the houserules.

Kuru is sympathetic to Starry-Eyes, Fin and Xavier's reluctance at the situation, and sticks closer to them. I always feel out of place in cities, and this one is bigger than most..."

Lemion just chuckles, though his eyes are roving the crowds with the careful alertness of a bird of prey. Bor's Trade, one of the newer establishments in town. Still small, still struggling to get ahead in the cutthroat markets here. So he can use the business.

Plus, he's a nice guy.

They make their way toward a single-story building with heavy brick walls and barred windows. A dusky-skinned half-giant in exotic leather armor stands guard at the door, a halberd in his hands and a sheaf of javelins over his shoulder.

"I wish to see Bor."

The giant grunts, mostly uninterested, though there is a look of curious recognition, "Yeah, I 'member. To the back, bloke." He jams a large thumb through the open doorway and motions them through. His brows furrow as he surveys the team members going through, and his eyes linger on Levi and Justice.

They move through a large, sprawled out display floor, toward the back. Though only 30 feet wide, the building apparently stretches back into some transdimensional space, because it goes back more than 300 feet before they reach the far wall, and it is full of items of every imaginable kind, many of them clearly used. This is pretty much Sigil's version of a pawn shop.

A rickety wooden door graces a corner of the back wall, and Lemion pushes through without slowing. Bor, a grizzled and tusked orc with a cane and a scarred stump for a let foot, is hunched over a table scattered with rare coins and small gemstones, a glass lens wedged into his squinting right eye.

He looks up as everyone enters, the lens falling from his face as his eyes widen in surprise. A yellow and brown-toothed smile crosses his face, and he rises to his impressive full height––though it is far short of Kyrill's hulking stature.

"B'en long time, short one. How you find Bor?"

Lemion chuckles and dips his head in greeting, "I keep tabs on you, Bor. Didn't want to be unawares if things got dicey again. I saw a few months ago that you had bought a place here in the market, and I figured that I'd give you first pickings when we came to unload goods. Our earlier trade agreement, does that still hold?"

Bor took a moment to figure out what the gnome was talking about and then snorted, "Course. Bor not gonna find better customer than short one. Ever. Come, come. Show Bor."

Then he seems to realize that there are others, and he looks to the group, "Who they?"

Lemion nods for them to introduce themselves, "Fellow soldiers of mine. And good friends."

Bor nods and sits gingerly on a stool as the gnome beckons Kuru forward. The dragon moves carefully past the others in this cramped space and sets the tiny purse on the table. Lemion takes it to a mostly bare end of the table and undoes the ties. Again, as the purse falls open, it grows into a heap of treasure.

Bor whistles. Lemion gives him a moment to take it all in, and then gets down to business.

at this point, feel free to rp away, but as far as trade is concerned, take into account how much money you have, and start giving me requests.

i'll tell you if you can get it here or not. we'll visit a few other places in sigil, and then go to union for the rest. you don't have to spend all of your money now, of course; you can save it up for later purchases.

we'll presume that he has some of what we are looking for, takes us through the display floor, and then gives pointers on who might have the other stuff. i don't want to try and rp all of that though, so have at it.

this is sigil, so you have a good chance of finding what you are looking for. just not a 100% chance.

Kyrill

The werebear thunders through the trees of the Mirrorlands and finds himself at the edge of the lake.

Before him stands the witch.

Her coffee-colored skin seems to glow in the silken light of the Mirrorlands, and her golden eyes are as luminous as a tiger's. A smile slowly curves upward on her face as she sees his reaction.

"Where are your friends?"

[Jack_Simth]

Nifty! I think I will grab the bonus feat... been looking forward to being able to touch things (Ghostly Grasp, Libris Mortis page 27). Hmm... reviewing... does that, or does it not, let me deliver touch spells to allies by touching the ally's clothing? Text:


Ghostly Grasp [Monstrous]
You can handle corporeal objects even while incorporeal.
Prerequisites: Cha 15, incorporeal subtype
Benefit: You can wear, wield, and otherwise use corporeal items as though you were not incorporeal.
Hmm... of course, if I can't deliver touch spells that way, it's quite the curiosity - I can pat someone on the back through their armor, and a normal touch spell could be delivered through their armor, but I can't deliver a spell to them through their armor. Hmm....


As for what I'm looking for in terms of items: A 0-wishes (AKA, 'Exhausted') Luck Blade (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#luckBlade), for the 1/day reroll and the Luck bonus to saves. Core item.
Oldqua looks around, momentarily lost in looking at all the assorted items, concentrating on some of them to look at their magical dweomers briefly. He absent-mindedly picks up an old mahogany scroll case to see if it has a label, and then pauses when he realizes what he just did. He then carefully puts it back down, moves his hand through the shelf like it wasn't there, closes his eyes a moment, and picks the scroll case back up. He then puts it back down, opens his eyes, and passes his hand through it again. He then picks it up, and puts it back down, and passes his hand through it. He then examines it more closely for magic... but doesn't see anything. He glances over at Bor, who's deep in negotiations. Oldqua then turns to Xavier, and says "May I borrow a copper for a moment? I just forgot I couldn't touch things for a moment, and then I could... and I just want to make sure it's not the scroll case...."

[Stycotl]

jack


does that, or does it not, let me deliver touch spells to allies by touching the ally's clothing?

yes.

[Barbarian MD]

Thanks everyone!

Kyrill pulls up short, ethereal dirt kicking up and he plants the haft of the axe in the ground. He had been expecting this, and rather than driving forward, he squats. Something between a smile and a snarl crosses his face.

"Hail, witch. I was beginning to wonder that we had not crossed paths.

"They are shopping--selling your tonfa at this moment, more than likely.

"Sit with me. I call you witch, but I would know your true nature. Who are you, and why do you haunt these forests? I do not think you are of the Wyrm."

[josh13905]

Xavier produces a coin faster than most could have thought possible, and flips it arcing through the air to Oldqua. A curious expression on his face, something was up with the Ghost, that could either be good or, it could be very, very bad.

"Not a copper, friend but it'll do."

The coin arcing through the air, glints off the light, and then falls where it may, revealing itself to be a platinum piece.
How much did we decide the newbies get Gold wise?

[Jack_Simth]

I *think* we're going with:

Tacitus, we could do a hybrid of the two plans I presented earlier. We could give Kyrill and Levi WbL for 13, and everyone else WbL for 12. That honors the two players who have been here since the beginning (the commanders) more than plan 2, but doesn't take it to the extreme of plan 1, which gave it to Hans and Finn as well.

That would give Kyrill and Levi WbL 13, everyone else WbL 12, and then 159,000 left over, divided 7 ways = 23,000 gp each above WbL.

That would ensure that Levi could get his Belt and his weapon, and it would only be a small hit to everyone else.

I kind of like this idea myself, but then again, I'm benefiting from it...

... or at least, I haven't really heard any competing ideas since, nor any objections to it.
Oldqua catches the coin in the air, then tosses it up, lets it fall through one of his arms, and catches it in his hand again. He then tosses it back to Xavier, and smiles as he sends a laugh through the network, reaching out to clap the monk on the back, as he thinks across the network "It would seem that Heironeous has seen fit to bless my labors yet again. It's been an age, so I'm sure I'll lose, but is anyone up for arm-wrestling?"

[Barbarian MD]

Finn can only wonder silentLy through the net, "What is this place?" in regards to Sigil, and this is a question he repeats when they enter the pawn shop. Never in his life has he seen such a assortment of magical items in one place, seemingly wealth beyond measure.

He and Eircheard unmask themselves once inside and buzz slowly down the aisles in wonder, at least until he passes a display case of rings. Most of the magical auras are a jumble, but one in particular calls to him, because it seems to be producing a field of magic exactly like a certain spell he uses almost religiously.

"Shiny..."

Ring of Spell Battle, which duplicates Battlemagic Perception. I have a few more items I'm interested in, but my shopping list is on my computer.

I don't suppose, since this is a pawn shop with used items, that we could barter for a better deal than the standard "sell for 50%, buy for 100%"...?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Starry-Eyes flutters about, before dropping back to the ground and taking purely halfling shape.

There is the barefooted PAD Pad pad pad... as she goes looking at this and the ...pad pad Pad PAD as she goes running to look at that.

She approaches Kuru finally, "I've heard that in the realm of Faerie you can go for a day, but come out to see a year has passed. Is there a place where it's the opposite? Much time passes there, but very little here? Or... and this sounds really unlikely, but I've already seen stranger things here than I have all my life, can you... rent a place where time moves slowly? I have a thought on how to improve my abilities against the unnatural things that poke their way into our realm, but with all of our missions I don't know when I'll have the opportunity to construct it. "

[Barbarian MD]

Finn marks the location of the ring on a mental map and continues to wander, eager to speak with the proprietor about the ring, and yet eager to see what else this store holds.

Instead, he winds his way to the front counter and dismounts, standing on top of the counter. A massive book stands there, ancient from years of use, and he leaps upon it, sending his hummingbird to roost on a beam high above. Laboriously, he begins to try to decipher hand-scribbled lines of ink. The first half of the book is almost universally crossed off, presumably sold ages ago, but he finds many of the fresher items near the back. With two hands, he grabs ahold of each page individually and drags them across the length of the book, leaping out of the way when a new page falls and repeating the process.

Eventually, he identifies the ring he had earlier found as a "Ring of Spell Battle," and can't help but laugh aloud, little peals of laughter piping across the counter, but he is even more amused to discover the words "+6 Cloak of Charisma" scrawled across the top of one page. He can't say much for those who name their magical devices here in Sigil, but at least they are clear about what they do.

One other item strikes his fancy as he delves deeper into the book, a mysterious item simply called a "Talisman of Undead Mastery." After reading the inventory slot, Finn hops off the book and calls Eircheard to himself, and together they go in search of it.

Those are the three items I want for Finn, and Finn will stumble upon a Greater Truedeath Crystal that he'll get for Kyrill in a little while.

[josh13905]

Xavier wanders the shelves of items, eyes shifting back and forth across the many items hands at his sides. Reminded of his last fight, and the deafness he was forced to endure, he asks Bor, "My cloak helps me avoid the effects of many things, however, I am curious to know if you have a stronger version of it."

He offers his own cloak to Bor if he would like to examine it.
Have a +1 cloak of resistance want to buy the best one I can, or do some magic transfer,

Also if it hasn't been sold yet, I'd like to transfer the magic from Kyrill's +1 Magebane Greataxe to my wrappings.

That is if I can afford it all.

[Barbarian MD]

Josh, as the rules are now, you'd be better off just having Finn or Lemion enchant the wrappings normally. The cost for transferring enchantments is currently 3,000 + 80% (8000), which is more than the 8,000 it would cost to just "craft magic weapon."

Speaking of Crafting, I found a number of interesting items while browsing Realmshelps:

Magic Forges - Dwarven Items

From the mighty Moradin down to the local toolmaker, a dwarf smith's quality is tied to her forge. Without a forge, no smith can create even the simplest of tools. With the right forge, a skilled smith can create masterpieces of art and design, objects that will live through the centuries long after the smith herself has died. Given the dwarven drive for excellence, it is little wonder that the dwarves have perfected magic forges to help them in their crafts and allow them to create works that will live on beyond their deaths. All forges are built in a specific location and cannot normally he moved from that location. (A major expedition with teams of mules might be able to haul a forge to a new locale, but this would be an extraordinary event.) As immobile magic items, the sample magic forges presented here are priced at about 1/4 the cost of a comparable portable magic item. The Player's Handbook states that a character using the Craft skill can voluntarily increase the DC by 10 to craft an item more quickly. In fact, a character can increase the DC by any multiple of 10 (10, 20, 30, and so on), using the same rules. When using magic items that grant large competence bonuses to skill checks, such as many of these forges, increasing the DC by a large amount can dramatically speed the creation time for an expensive item (such as adamantine mountain plate armor).

Forge of Sustenance

A dwarf using this forge for any purpose need not eat, sleep, or even breathe while he continues to work at the forge, and he can work indefinitely without tiring. When using the forge to craft an item, the user multiplies his check result by the item's DC and then by 3 to determine his progress on a weekly (in sp) or daily (in cp) basis.
Strong conjuration; CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, create food and water, regenerate, creator must be a dwarf; Price 8,000 gp.
Source: Races of Stone

Forge of Thautam

A dwarf using this forge can create magic weapons and armor as if he had the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat.
Strong conjuration; CL 12th; Craft Wondrous Item, permanency, creator must be a dwarf; Price 15,000 gp.
Source: Races of Stone

Forge of the Armorsmith

This magic forge grants a dwarf who uses it a +20 competence bonus on Craft (armorsmithing) checks made using the forge. In conjunction with voluntarily increasing the DC by 20, a smith working at this forge can craft expensive armor in a dramatically reduced time.
Strong conjuration; CL 18th; Craft Wondrous Item, fabricate, creator must be a dwarf with 20 ranks in Craft (armorsmithing); Price 10,000 gp.
Source: Races of Stone

Forge of the Weaponsmith

This magic forge grants a dwarf who uses it a +20 competence bonus on Craft (weaponsmithing) checks made using the forge. In conjunction with voluntarily increasing the DC by 20, a smith working at this forge can craft expensive weapons in a dramatically reduced time.
Strong conjuration; CL 18th; Craft Wondrous Item, fabricate, creator must be a dwarf with 20 ranks in Craft (weaponsmithing); Price 10,000 gp.
Source: Races of Stone


Perhaps we could homebrew a Divine spell that would function like some of these forges. If nothing else, Justice using Kyrill's craft skills could duplicate the Forge of Sustenance, but I REALLY want to see Kyrill craft these things using his own skill points...

A mathamancy update: if Kyrill could get ahold of a +20 bonus to craft (armor) from a spell like that forge, and the 3x multiplier for not having to sleep (or simply have Justice craft it), he can craft basically any piece of armor anyone could want in about a week. Next level, I can invest everything in Craft (weapon) for a similar result.

The only problem that would leave us with is magical arms/armor, which take 1 day per 1000 gp. A +7 weapon will take 100 days of enchanting...

P.S. Two additional magic items I'm going to get for Kyrill:

Hammer of the Weaponsmith
This masterwork tool gives the user a +10 circumstance bonus on Craft (weaponsmithing) checks.
CL 6th; Craft Wondrous Item, creator must be at least 6th level; Market Price: 2,055 gp; Cost to Create: 1,055 gp + 80 XP; Weight: 8 lb.
Source: Magic of Faerûn

Tongs of the Armorer
This tool gives the user a +10 circumstance bonus on Craft (armorsmithing) checks when creating metal armor.
CL 6th; Craft Wondrous Item, mending, creator must be at least 6th level; Market Price: 2,055 gp; Cost to Create: 1,055 gp + 80 XP; Weight: 5 lb.
Source: Magic of Faerûn

That should decrease the time even more.

P.P.S. If Kyrill survives his "encounter" with the witch, it ought to be enough XP to bump him to Level 14, or at least to buy off 2 LA, so he doesn't get too far ahead... :smallbiggrin:

[Barbarian MD]

Stycotl, what would you say to accepting my Resonance Fork as written if it could only transfer a total of 2-3 enhancement levels? That way we could still use it for small things, like the wraps he's talking about, but still needed the ritual for more complicated magic? It even makes sense, in a way--the fork can handle simple transfers on its own, but still needs someone running the show for the bigger stuff.

[Gnorman]

Justice says nothing during the trip, simply watching and following quietly. He does not share (or even truly understand) his teammates' enthusiasm for magical items.

[josh13905]

My wrappings were already +3 Total +1 and Woundings, so crafting new wrappings would be more than 8K if I wanted all the enhancements, so the transfer I figured would be cheaper, I'd like to have both Magebane, and Wounding, is that possible?

[Barbarian MD]

Ah, now I understand. Didn't realize you already had enchantments.

Upgrading from +3 to +5...

So, let's see, that's 30,000 gp to upgrade. Now, according to the ritual that Stycotl came up with, that'll take 1 day and 80%(30,000)=24,000+3000+2000=29,000 gp, as opposed to 30 days and 15,000 gp through the normal process of crafting.

So, if you're willing to pay an extra 15,000 gp to get it done in one day instead of 30 days, go right ahead...

Hmmm, Stycotl, how is the first ritual different than the second? Can the first ritual not be used to improve an already existing item? Unless that's the case, I'm not seeing any benefits of using the second ritual, and it seems like no matter what you're doing, it be best to just sell the sacrificial item. (Unless you deduct the XP and GP cost from the ritual?)

[Barbarian MD]

Finn winds down the aisles on foot, his tiny mail-shod feet tik-ing across the store.

He finally arrives in a section of the store that can only be described as devoted to the occult. Evil auras radiate everywhere, and dark faces and black shrouds peek out from the wares. He locates the Talisman, and his curiosity about it is only further increased. Rather than the evil aura he had begun to expect, the Talisman positively shone with brilliant energy. He'd have to ask Bor about the artifact.

Picking it up and turning to go, however, he is stopped when, out of the corner of his eye, he spots another gleaming gem, poking out from underneath a belt that he was sure was made of human skin and a cruel looking dagger that seemedto be laughing. Like the Talisman, the gem seemed to shine forth an energy that seemed almost holy, and judging by the way it was laid into a socket, it was designed to fit onto a weapon or piece of armor. He grabbed that, too, for good measure.

The rest of the items from his list he retrieved on the way to the back. The man called Bor seemed to be free, for the moment, and so Finn approached and gav his pant leg a gentle tug, ducking out of the way when Bor turned and nearly flattened him.

"What do these do?" he asked, indicating the Talisman and the Weapon Crystal, "and how much for the lot?"

So, Greater Truedeath Crystal (10000), Talisman of Undead Mastery (3000), Cloak of Charisma +6 (36000), and a Ring of Spell Battle (12000). That'd be 61,000 gp, if I'm not mistaken, minus any deal for buying a lot of stuff from him and/or used nature of items. :smallwink:

[Stycotl]

everyone

i'm in the middle of finals week(s), so it will be wednesday night or thursday morning before i can post IC. i'll still try to resolve ooc questions and stuff in the mean time though.

EDIT: i had intended to send this out a day or two ago, but apparently i forgot. i finished finals today, and i think i did pretty well. we will see.


I don't suppose, since this is a pawn shop with used items, that we could barter for a better deal than the standard "sell for 50%, buy for 100%"...

yes––well, kind of. i am trying to figure out some sort of a random-economic-demand table, and i was actually considering having you guys make charisma or diplomacy checks for bartering within this system.

as is, the ruleset for trading is too simple; doesn't let you sell for more or buy for less. but i don't want it to specifically be a function of someone's ridiculously high charisma check either. i want to somewhat simulate market fluctuations (it might be somewhat masochistic, but at least it'll make trade more interesting).

obviously, most magic items will not generally drop too drastically, but normal trade goods (including single-used magic items, spell components, and alchemical substances) should probably be pretty easy to get at reduced prices, and even the others can be found for cheaper prices, if you know where and when to look...

mhvaughan

thanks for looking into those. i've seen some of them, but not all of them. i'm gonna have to start actually outfitting the watchtower demiplane with some of this stuff.


Stycotl, what would you say to accepting my Resonance Fork as written if it could only transfer a total of 2-3 enhancement levels? That way we could still use it for small things, like the wraps he's talking about, but still needed the ritual for more complicated magic? It even makes sense, in a way--the fork can handle simple transfers on its own, but still needs someone running the show for the bigger stuff.

so long as we're talking about swapping abilities, rather than combining abilities, that would work (though i'd gauge it by final price rather than enhancement bonus). since they do different things, the fork could take care of swaps, and the ritual the composites.

if we're talking about giving the forks some ability to strip enchantments off of one item and add them to the enchantments of another, then you'd have to persuade me and balance it with the input of others on the homebrew forum.

if there were such a limit on an enchantment-swapping fork, i would would think it reasonable to reduce the price too. if you want, you could have a greater version that could still affect more expensive items.


So, let's see, that's 30,000 gp to upgrade. Now, according to the ritual that Stycotl came up with, that'll take 1 day and 80%(30,000)=24,000+3000+2000=29,000 gp, as opposed to 30 days and 15,000 gp through the normal process of crafting.[quote]

i think i need to clarify some things. it is 80% of the cost that you would normally pay. so you already craft at 50% of base price, so it would be 30,000(.5)(.8), or 12,000 gp.

[quote]Hmmm, Stycotl, how is the first ritual different than the second? Can the first ritual not be used to improve an already existing item? Unless that's the case, I'm not seeing any benefits of using the second ritual, and it seems like no matter what you're doing, it be best to just sell the sacrificial item. (Unless you deduct the XP and GP cost from the ritual?)

the first ritual is just like normal crafting, but cheaper and a helluva lot faster. so yes, you can enchant already enchanted items with it, as per the MIC rules.

the second one allows you to suck the soul out of one item and add it to another, something you can't do with the first ritual. however, your questions remind me of part of the purpose of the second ritual: the vampiric pillaging of one item in order to make the second item really cheap. you even kill a magic item for its effect.

therefore, maybe i ought to drop the price to 50% of base crafting price instead of 80% (which is equal to the first ritual, though the loss of another magic item currently makes the second one waaaay more expensive).

50% is ust off the top of my head. help me brainstorm what the adjusted price would actually have to be in order to make it worth killing a magic item for.

all

i'll update IC in batches...

[Barbarian MD]

StuffNow we're cooking with diesel fuel.

And yeah, the Fork, as written, only swaps--there is no compositing. I figured that would be too complicated for the fork and would require a ritual for the magical energies to be properly controlled.

EDIT: homebrews
P.S. Cooking up another homebrew: Greater Relentless Dispelling (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9978684#post9978684). As I said in the thread, it's not incredibly creative, but practical.

P.P.S. I've created a monster of a feat, and we'll see how the 'brewers think of its power level. I give you: The Color of Magic (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179966), a feat for melee characters to make casters cry.

Updated Resonance Fork (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178563)

[Stycotl]

this has been a relatively crappy week. finals, and then the funeral of one of my good friends from high school. on the good side though, at the funeral i was able to see friends that i haven't seen in years.

all

i'm actually going to nix the bartering for treasure idea right now. i'm not going to have enough time to rig it up as of now, and i'd rather just get to the next chapter. so if you haven't already, post your list of desired items, and i'll tell you if and where they are available. make sure that you list both your total gp allotment, and how much each item costs. since i'm restricting bartering after i said that i'd allow it, i'll be more generous on what will be available at hand and what won't.

if i put an asterisk by it, it means that we've already procured it in trade.

fin––*Greater Truedeath Crystal (10000), *Talisman of Undead Mastery (3000), Cloak of Charisma +6 (36000), and a *Ring of Spell Battle (12000).

hans––

justice––NA

kyrill––

levi––

oldqua––

starry––

xavier––


Kuru watches Oldqua play with a coin while Starry-Eyes asks about planar realms where time marches at different speeds. He frowns, swiveling his head to the side. You know, I've never thought to study such a thing. I would bet that there are such places, but I do not know of them myself.

Lemion, currently jotting down notes as Bor goes through the pile of stuff and quoting prices, looks over at her, "Yes, there are places like that, and I can take you to some if you'd like. But if your concerns are merely for the time it takes to forge your cerulean sign, I will show you a rather quick method shortly.

Two hours later, Bor is shaking hands with each of the Watchmen in turn, "Nice business. Friend of short one, friend of Bor. Nice business. Friend of short one..." and so on.

The magical purse that Kuru carries is lighter of content now, though it seems no different when shrunken and secured. They have most of the items that they sought, and Lemion was able to show them other items that he thought might compliment their abilities. There are still two more shops that he wants to visit in Sigil, and then it will be in Union that they try to finish their trades.

As they exit Bor's shop, the old orc is waving at them with the wide smile of a lucrative day on his face. He disappears inside again after a bit, and the Watchmen filter into the streets.

Kurukshetra walks behind the rest of the group, trying to keep quiet and out of view, despite the fact that he is nearly as large as an elephant.

They are making their way through a thick crowd, heading toward an armorsmith that the gnome has recommended, when all of a sudden a surge of terror seizes the radiant dragon, nearly stopping his heart, and the others all turn in near as much surprise to find Kuru holding a small strip of tattered cloth in his left forepaw.

It takes him a second, but he frantically begins looking through the crowd, panic beginning to set in.

The truth races through the net quickly: Kuru holds a ragged bit of cloth instead of the magical purse, with roughly a quarter of their trade goods now missing.

"It was here a second ago!" The dragon booms, much louder than he'd intended, his voice rattles nearby windows and scares some of the pedestrians around him, drawing dark looks and muttered curses.

once i get all of your lists in, i can determine what you are in possession of, and what is still missing, and then you can set about finding the missing purse.

kyrill

The undead woman chuckles and pats her side, where both tonfas sit comfortably in her belt. "Not likely. You didn't think I would let such a treasure fall into the hands of the unworthy, did you?

"I do not have time to sit with you unfortunately, but I will tell you that your friends there at the Court are stunting your growth with all of this talk of wyrms and centipedes and such. Surely you do not think that there is one lonely moral code worth following in this wide world?

She draws her weapons and moves closer, "Now, let us begin."

will save, DC 36.

[Barbarian MD]

Quick point: the Truedeath Crystal is for Kyrill. And we need to find Finn a +6 Cloak or else he won't be able to pull everyone into the network (though I suppose it'd be easy enough to make...)

Will Save: [roll0]+26 (Fail, though he's immune to some things while raging, and if this is a fear effect he gets a rather large bonus).
Initiative: [roll1]+3

This is the second time I've updated my sheet to account for the enlarged size after assurances that it would be okay to do so... You're going to be getting fuzzy math/modifiers for your trouble. :smallfurious: :smallwink:

[Jack_Simth]

Can I at least get a Spot check to notice the slight of hand? Would be useful to have specific confirmation of what being stole it... so I can prepare Greater Scrying tomorrow, so I can describe for gather information checks, and so on. [roll0]

And Knowledge/Lore checks, of course, if he does see anything:
Lore:[roll1]
Kn(History): [roll2]
Kn(Arcana): [roll3]
Kn(Religion): [roll4]
Kn(The Planes): [roll5]
... oh, we've got that nifty society mind buff running that lets us all use the max ranks in Knowledge/Craft that exists in the party... what's that listing, again?


And the item I'm looking for: 0-Wishes Luck Blade (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#luckBlade), Core item, market 22,060 gp, Oldqua's budget was 23,844 gp. If his budget had been 156 gp higher, he would have gone for a Third Eye Sense (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#sense) at 24,000 market; were the Luck Blade not available, he would have been looking for a Third Eye Aware (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#aware) (10,000 gp), and/or a Vest of Resistance+X (Magic Item Compendium, functions as (and priced as) as a Cloak of Resistance, except it's in the vest slot, rather than the shoulders slot)

[Barbarian MD]

Sorry to hear that, Stycotl.

By the way, a couple hundred is nothing. Kyrill can spot you.

In addition, I think it would be good to invest in one of my Adamantine Resonance Forks, since they're required for the ritual magic. The adamant ones are permanent, rather than single use, and with Finn's craft feats and everyone's high ranks, I doubt we'll ever need to go shopping again.

It'll cost 40,000. I'll go back through my inventory and shopping list, but I'm guessing at this point that I could contribute at least 15-30,000 of that, if everyone else could put something in the pot.

P.S. I suppose it's too late to "ready an action" to hit her if she comes within 15 feet?

[Stycotl]

all

get your purchae requests in pronto so we can end this mall shopping trip and get on with the game! if you posted a list already, but it's not up on my following list, it means i missed it, forgot about it, or didn't realize that it was the final request.

the shopping list:

fin––*Talisman of Undead Mastery (3000); Cloak of Charisma +6 (36000); and a *Ring of Spell Battle (12000)

hans––

justice––NA

kyrill––*Greater Truedeath Crystal (10000); something to make him bigger; +10 armor and weapon crafting hammers for about 2000 apiece; heavy greathammer

levi––

oldqua (23,060 gp)––*0-Wishes Luck Blade, Core item at 22,060 gp; *Third Eye Sense at 24,000 gp

starry––

xavier––

mhvaughan


Fail, though he's immune to some things while raging, and if this is a fear effect he gets a rather large bonus

no, not a fear effect. a teleportation effect in fact!


This is the second time I've updated my sheet to account for the enlarged size after assurances that it would be okay to do so... You're going to be getting fuzzy math/modifiers for your trouble.

don't worry too much; this is only a partially real encounter...


P.S. I suppose it's too late to "ready an action" to hit her if she comes within 15 feet?

yep. but you can still attack if you want anyway; initiative doesn't matter for that.

jack


Can I at least get a Spot check to notice the slight of hand?

not in this case, as it was not a sleight of hand check or anything similar. however, in retrospect, you can certainly look at kuru and the surrounding area using those rolls to see if you can note anything fishy.


Would be useful to have specific confirmation of what being stole it...

yes, it would. hehehe.

all


If his budget had been 156 gp higher, he would have gone for a...

if you are really only this short (within 300 gp or so) of something you really want, assume that you get it at a slight discount. only large-price items, not 300 gp worth of sunrods or something...

[Barbarian MD]

If he just failed a Teleportation effect, it doesn't seem likely that he's going to be able to hit her now...

*Waiting patiently to see where he lands*

Stycotl, I'd like to pool money together for an Adamantine Resonance Fork. Is that something we can buy somewhere, or is Finn going to have to craft his own Resonance Forks for now, since he's basically inventing the idea..?

P.S.Like I mentioned before, I'd like to have Kyrill find/purchase a Heavy Greathammer at some point, since no one yet has skill ranks in Craft (Weapon). That will complete his shopping. I want to get the +10 armor and weapon crafting hammers for about 2000 apiece, but I may have to hold off depending on this resonance fork.

[Stycotl]

the shopping list:

fin––*Talisman of Undead Mastery (3000); Cloak of Charisma +6 (36000); and a *Ring of Spell Battle (12000)

hans––

justice––NA

kyrill––*Greater Truedeath Crystal (10000); something to make him bigger; +10 armor and weapon crafting hammers for about 2000 apiece; heavy greathammer

levi––

oldqua (23,060 gp)––*0-Wishes Luck Blade, Core item at 22,060 gp; *Third Eye Sense at 24,000 gp

starry––

xavier––

*****************

mhvaughan



Stycotl, I'd like to pool money together for an Adamantine Resonance Fork. Is that something we can buy somewhere, or is Finn going to have to craft his own Resonance Forks for now, since he's basically inventing the idea..?

depends on how you'd like to flavor it. do you want it to be something that fin developes (in-game), or do you want it to be something that already exists that you can go out and buy tonight?

[Barbarian MD]

I really like the idea of him developing the magic. But at the same time I don't want to slow everyone else down in getting their own magic items before our next encounter...

Perhaps we could just do it with fluff? "Craft" an adamantine resonance fork for the full price of 40,000 gp, but be generous with the "crafting time"? That way Finn could create it, but it wouldn't slow everyone else down.

[Stycotl]

mhvaughan


Perhaps we could just do it with fluff? "Craft" an adamantine resonance fork for the full price of 40,000 gp, but be generous with the "crafting time"? That way Finn could create it, but it wouldn't slow everyone else down.

i could see this working if the RETCON idea is that fin has already been pondering/tinkering/sketching out this kind of a creation. considering some of the encounters that i have been dreaming up for you guys, it could actually become in some roleplaying opportunities in the future too...

all. or mhvaughan and jack, or whoever it was supposed to be applied to.

i seem to recall saying that whoever won the dm and players choice rp award would get to pick the setting of a future mission or random encounter.

however, i was just (hastily) searching through the thread and could not find where i actually said that, so maybe i never actually posted it. or maybe it wasn't tied to the rp award. or some other screw-up happened that i don't yet know of...

either way, the intent was that someone would win the chance to pick their favorite campaign setting, fantasy fiction setting, or whatever, and i'd create an adventure arc for you guys there.

if someone can find what i actually did say––if i indeed said it––then i'll go by that. if not, default is that mhvaughan and jack-simth will PM each other with a list of their favorite ideas for a future adventure, and then collaborate a list to PM to me with the top 3 choices, in order of importance.

three choices make so that i am still likely to be able to research the setting/read the books/find info online/etc, even if unfamiliar with the source to begin with; and so that there is a larger chance that i can think up a tie-in from our campaign to that setting.

questions?

[Jack_Simth]

jack
not in this case, as it was not a sleight of hand check or anything similar. however, in retrospect, you can certainly look at kuru and the surrounding area using those rolls to see if you can note anything fishy.Theoretically, Spot's supposed to be reactive, at least initially - so yeah, I would like to know what fishy thing happened at around that time. When the portable hole was swapped out for rags (which Oldqua can see! I love being able to keep a Ring of X-Ray Vision running continuously...).

yes, it would. hehehe.Useful, yes; required: Not so much. Cuts down on the number of spells / skill checks needed, and how much XP & GP we'll need to burn on assorted Divinations.

all
if you are really only this short (within 300 gp or so) of something you really want, assume that you get it at a slight discount. only large-price items, not 300 gp worth of sunrods or something...Ah... like how I got a discount on the paint job of the vehicle I currently drive. Few independent merchants will lose a sale for the target only being able to cover 99% of the price tag (regulated merchants are a different story).

Oldqua reviews his memory a minute to see if there was anything overly unusual occurring when the Dragon lost the enchanted purse....

[Barbarian MD]

Yeah, I remember you saying it.

I will draw your attention to this post: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7501614&postcount=557. You've already had us vote once before.

I'm cooking up a list though. We'll get back to you soon with it.

[Stycotl]

jack


Theoretically, Spot's supposed to be reactive, at least initially - so yeah, I would like to know what fishy thing happened at around that time. When the portable hole was swapped out for rags (which Oldqua can see! I love being able to keep a Ring of X-Ray Vision running continuously...).

i suppose that the ring would allow you to see the exchange, providing your spot check is high enough, but you still wouldn't be able to see what made it happen.


Useful, yes; required: Not so much. Cuts down on the number of spells / skill checks needed, and how much XP & GP we'll need to burn on assorted Divinations.

true.


Ah... like how I got a discount on the paint job of the vehicle I currently drive. Few independent merchants will lose a sale for the target only being able to cover 99% of the price tag (regulated merchants are a different story).

precisely. plus, even on top of that, bor and a few of the other merchants lemion will be taking you to are considered on very friendly terms with the watchtower.

mhvaughan


Yeah, I remember you saying it.

I will draw your attention to this post: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showp...&postcount=557. You've already had us vote once before.

that was something else entirely (allowing you guys to pick a whole mission itself based off of admittedly scant information), and is still on the conveyor belt of upcoming adventures. mind you, the results of that one will be weird, but hopefully fun...

this other one that i mentioned in the last couple of posts was different: just choosing the setting, not the story itself.

so, you and jack get together and send me a list of the top three places the two of you would like to take this campaign for a single mission. make sure that it isn't too ridiculous, and that it wouldn't give me an aneurism to try and come up with an appropriate watchtower adventure in that place, but other than that, the three settings can be pretty much anything you want (any official d&d setting; any homebrew setting so long as there is enough info on the web for me to get familiar with it; middle earth; dark tower; historic periods of earth (and quasi-historical earth settings such as atlantis, hyborea, etc); pern; whatever).

IC post tomorrow. try to get the lists finished by tomorrow night.

[Barbarian MD]

PM doesn't allow rolls, apparently:

Track Feat and +19 Survival: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]

Will Saves: (+26) [roll3] [roll4] [roll5]

Int+BAB: (+14) [roll6] [roll7] [roll8]

...

Finn bursts into excitement with the others, spinning his mount and swooping back towards Kuru. Instead of joining him directly, though, he flashes into action, scanning the crowd for anything suspicious, even if he doesn't know what to look for yet.

Hitting True Seeing, along with the See Invisibility I have up all the time.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Starry-Eyes would be flying to keep out from the milling mob. Would she have seen anything from her vantage point?

She also didn't buy anything.

[josh13905]

Xavier floats into the sky also, beside the others, his eyes peering into the crowds. His eyes flickering back and forth searching the thief. All the while wondering if this was not uncommon for clients of this area, such things were almost non-existant in the Temple.

List:
23,000 GP to spend:

Xavier already has a cloak of resistance +1, can he trade that for a cloak of resistance +4

So my question is, do I sell the Cloak of Resistance +1 for 500GP [1/2 price] then buy a +4 version for full price 16,000? Or just pay the difference of the two full prices? [15,000]

Then the Ring Of Force Shield Bought from Treasure pile for half price of 8,500 So 4,250GP

So I'll be spending a bit under 20,000 and buying a better cloak of resistance, and the ring of force shield for now,

Also if possible I'd like to transfer the Magebane enhancement from Kyrill's old weapon onto Xavier's wrappings, but there isn't a cost for that yet.
Basically,

[Barbarian MD]

RETCON: Finn puts out a hand and catches the monk by the wrist, physically stopping Xavier from purchasing the expensive cloak.

"If you've got a few days, my boy, I've been cooking up an idea since I first laid eyes on that big pile of loot. We'll get you your fancy new cloak, we will, but we'll do it up right.

Going to stop you there, Josh. Seems that the ritual magic/resonance fork stuff is coming together.

Your options are sell old and buy a new
Wait 15 days to have old one enchanted/upgraded
Or get the upgrade for 25% of its listed price. :smallwink:
(Whoops, not quite that low, but still cheap.)

Finn's going to be buying/crafting an adamantium resonance fork, which will be the team's favorite new toy for a few days. It's not worth it for items less than about 5000-10000, since you have to pay the couple of thousand extra for the ritual, but anything more than that we ought to see about making ourselves. (Assuming we can make the checks as a team...)

P.S. Oh, and the transfer of enhancements using the resonance fork will be covered by the cost of the fork--there's no ritual involved. Just an hour long use of it.

[josh13905]

RETCON: HANS:
Xavier registers the mental equivalent of a shrug across the link to Hans, before retracting his hand, and nodding. "Well if there's a better way, the."

Alright I can throw the rest of my money into the Fork's cost, if you like, hopefully helping you out some.

Stycotl:
Did I miss a response to Kuru's retcon or am I up to date?

[Stycotl]

all

posting will be semi-sporadic for me for the next few days, as i am sure it will be for you too. so there will be some leniency on post frequency until after holidays and such.

that said, if you can, post away so we can keep this moving.

meanwhile, is anyone missing anything here? everyone here got 23,060 gp except for VoPers, levi and kyrill, correct? how much did the last two get?

the shopping list:

if i put an asterisk by it, it means that we've already procured it in trade and you have it at hand.

fin (23,060 gp)––*Talisman of Undead Mastery (3000); Cloak of Charisma +6 (36000); and a *Ring of Spell Battle (12000)

hans (? gp)––?

justice––NA

kyrill (? gp)––*Greater Truedeath Crystal (10,000 gp); something to make him bigger (? gp); +10 armor and weapon crafting hammers (2,000 gp apiece); heavy greathammer (200 gp, assuming med-sized)

levi (? gp)––?

oldqua (23,060 gp)––*0-Wishes Luck Blade, Core item at 22,060 gp; *Third Eye Sense at 24,000 gp

starry (23,060 gp)––cerulean sign (? gp)

xavier (23,060 gp)––cloak of resistance +4 (15,500 gp), *ring of force shield (8,500 gp), weapon transfer with kyrill's axe (free)

mhvaughan

all (more or less)––adamantine resonance fork (40,000 gp): kyrill (? gp); fin (? gp); xavier (? gp); anyone else?

tribble and mhvaughan


Starry-Eyes would be flying to keep out from the milling mob. Would she have seen anything from her vantage point?

possibly; i'm rolling two spot checks and one sense motive check for you and fin.

does starry see anything special (detect magic, etc)?

starry––spot (+12): [roll0], spot (+12): [roll1]; sense motive (+11): [roll2]
fin––spot (+6): [roll3], spot (+6): [roll4]; sense motive (+4): [roll5]

these skill modifiers were taken directly from your character sheets, so add on any other buffs that are currently up.


She also didn't buy anything.

what is starry-eyes spending her money on again? you have 23k gp to spend too, if i remember right, and most of that was going to your cerulean sign, wasn't it? was there anything else she was trying to get ahold of?

josh


Then the Ring Of Force Shield Bought from Treasure pile for half price of 8,500 So 4,250GP

what's the 1/2 price break from? if it's something so obvious that i should remember it, you can all laugh at me and point fingers or something.

Both Fin and Oldqua catch the fading glimmer of some kind of teleportation magic on the dirty strip of cloth in the dragon's paw.

From above the market, Starry-Eyes catches sight of a number of possible culprits.

Two halflings are running more or less away from the Watchmen, about 100 feet away and disappearing quickly into the throngs of moving bodies.

At the opposite end of the market, the enormous deep dragon has been watching them intently since they returned from Bor's shop.

Closer, only three or four paces behind the radiant dragon, a suave-looking human male watches their sudden burst of action with a curious raise of an eyebrow instead of the startled fear of the other passersby.

Those are only the first individuals that catch her eye though, out of thousands within the cramped streets of the market.

[josh13905]

Things from the pile of loot gathered are sold for 1/2 full price in order to get money which the group uses to buy, so don't player's only pay half price for items that we find?

Ring of Force Shield was in the pile of loot I thought, though I might be wrong

ALSO:
Xavier was warned against getting a cloak of resistance by hans, because of the Resonance fork making it would be cheaper, so rather Xavier can put his cash [16,000 GP] into the Fork, unless we're all splitting it equally.

[Barbarian MD]

WAIT!

This was a spell?

I HAVE A RING OF SPELL BATTLE!

Take THAT side quest!

[Jack_Simth]

all

posting will be semi-sporadic for me for the next few days, as i am sure it will be for you too. so there will be some leniency on post frequency until after holidays and such.

that said, if you can, post away so we can keep this moving.

We're getting into things that require DM input (Gather info checks, asking around with NPC's, Commune castings, et cetera). Speed of game will be the MIN(DM, MAX([All Players, individually])). If we were in combat, it would be MIN(DM, [All players, individually]). We can 'shoot the breeze' with RP in the meanwhile, but when you get to the point of needing to interact with NPC's / information-gathering Divination spells, there's a practical limiter on the speed of plot.

Huh. It seems minmaxing is not just for character building anymore!

meanwhile, is anyone missing anything here? everyone here got 23,060 gp except for VoPers, levi and kyrill, correct? how much did the last two get?

Not quite. Everyone except the VoPers got 23,060 over wealth by level. Everyone just leveled, so there's a rather hefty chunk of wealth to spend for those who didn't grab stuff out of the loot pile.


oldqua (23,060 gp)––*0-Wishes Luck Blade, Core item at 22,060 gp; *Third Eye Sense at 24,000 gp

Was an either-or, as his total budget was 23,844 after 'buying' stuff out of the loot pile. Preference goes to Third Eye Sense, by a lot, thanks primarily to the substitution level.

The little issue that the item is going to be crazy-useful during this plot arc doesn't really enter into that decision.


what's the 1/2 price break from? if it's something so obvious that i should remember it, you can all laugh at me and point fingers or something.

Items 'bought' from the loot pile are bought at the price the item in the 'for sale' pile would have brought the party - AKA, half-price. So if that Widget of Woozle pulled out of the loot pile had a market price of 30,000, it only reduces the amount of cash to distribute by 15,000, as that's what it sells for. So if person A wants the item, it only reduces the amount of cash Person A has to spend by the sale price - half the market price. That's probably what's referenced.


WAIT!

This was a spell?

I HAVE A RING OF SPELL BATTLE!

Take THAT side quest!
Let's see...
1) You'll need a Spellcraft check (DC 15+Spell Level, so pretty much max DC 24). But as the target is going to be an object, you can probably divert it to a random cobblestone or something.
2) Maybe - depends on how far away the source was (60 foot limit on the ring).
3) Possible issue: Action Economy: How do immediate actions work outside of battle? Might need to roll init for it or something.

Oldqua takes careful note of those that seemed possibly suspicious, and checks them as they're running for any potential disguises or deception.
Spot:
Halfling 1:[roll0]
Halfling 2:[roll1]
Deep Dragon:[roll2]
suave-looking human male:[roll3]

Sense Motive:
Halfling 1:[roll4]
Halfling 2:[roll5]
Deep Dragon:[roll6]
suave-looking human male:[roll7]


Oldqua also pushes a thought through the network "So... assuming, for the moment, that we have problems figuring this out today, how hard is it to aquire a vial of holy water, and a bit of incense? After the proper prayers, those will let me attune myself properly, and Commune with Heironeous - there's fairly decent odds He will help us find Justice for the thief. "

Oldqua considers a bit, and then asks across the network "Also... who all here has skills in social arenas?"

[Jack_Simth]

Let's see who's got the best mods in:
Sense Motive: Oldqua at +19
Gather Info: Starry-eyes at +14

... seriously? I've got the least-bluffable character? Ouch.

Oh yes, and I'll probably want initiative to react to someone if I decide they're the ones most likely to have done it with the Spot / Sense Motive pairs:
init: [roll0], with the most likely reaction being to attempt to hold the thief: Telekinesis: Grapple: Touch: [roll1] Hold: [roll2]. Might as well get that out of the way now, rather than waiting for the DM to reply on which one seems most likely, and then waiting for the DM to respond again on what happens with the attempt. Of course, no grabbing if none seem overly likely to be the one.


Can't type-driving. If ring doesn't work, will follow pair invisibly.
You get this on your phone, and reply a little while driving? Yikes.

[Barbarian MD]

Okay, arrived at parent-in-law's and have a few minutes:

Hammer costs 3,200 (adamantium), not 200

1/2 price has been explained already. It's easier, book keeping wise, and it encourages us to use the items that you spend however long creating a list of, rather than just giving us a gp value to split.

It was Finn that warned Xavier off, not Hans. He'll be able to craft a cloak for 100% * 50% * 80% full price, using the incantation rituals. Don't put all your money towards the resonance fork, since you'll need some to spend on the cloak.

Finn can put right around 40,000 gp into the fork, but I would like to set aside 36000 * 50% * 80% = 14,400 gp for his cloak of charisma that he'll need in order to incorporate more people into his war weaving.

Let's see, a check for Spellcraft [roll0]+17. I'm spoiled--Battlemagic Perception doesn't require a spellcraft check to identify things being cast. I'm away from my books, but I'll check on how exactly the Ring of Spell Battle works for you, unless you can beat me to it.

[Seriously, a natural 1? Thank goodness skill checks don't critical fail. Unless someone does an Aid Another (which we can definitely do through the net!), that will be able to identify a level 1-3 spell. Time for Aid Anothers, people!]

This would be an excellent time to have an Explosive Rune hanging out in my pocket, but I'll make due. I still haven't seen the wording on the item, but if possible, it'd be awesome to redirect it so that Finn winds up in their hand, but if it has to be an object, I'll just use a cobblestone (unless someone has a signal flare type item)

If Finn's Ring doesn't solve all our problems:
In the blink of an eye, Finn is already hovering over the shoulders of the halflings. On the way he calls back silently through the net, "What's the range on this thing, again?" Silently, invisibly, he follows along, listening to their conversation and hoping for an unwitting confession of guilt.

Using my phone for PbP is nothing new for me--I've been doing it as necessary since my part in this campaign started almost two years ago. I try not to do it while driving too much, though, but it's definitely how I post during lunch breaks and other down-time. It's a little more difficult, though. You'll notice that my posts are much shorter, and the text-correction feature can result in some funny posts... :smallfurious:

Possible RETCON:
Finn starts in alarm as his ring buzzes (for lack of a better word), an unfamiliar feeling compared with his usual Battlemagic. Instantly, he knows that he does not yet have mastery over the ring, and telepathically the others become aware of it, too, being invited to join him as he identifies the spell being cast.

With the help of the others, he finally wrests control of the ring, and when he realizes that someone is trying to steal from Kuru, he instead redirects the spell to a small rock at Kuru's feet.

[Jack_Simth]

Max Ranks in Spellcraft. Aid Another is DC 10. I'm an auto-pass.... but rolling anyway: [roll0] +15.

Oldqua O'rodir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=238200)
HP 169/169, AC 28 (T 28, FF 24) F/R/W 21/23/25 Init+4
Undead: No Con; Cha to Concentration; Darkvision-60; Immunity to: Mind-affecting, Poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, Disease, death effects, massive damage saves, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, damage to physical ability scores, most fort save effects; doesn't eat, breathe, or sleep; immune to raise dead and reincarnate
Incorporeal when not on the Ethereal: No Str; ignore nonmagical stuff; 50% miss chance vs. magical stuff; Charisma to AC; pass through objects; attack from objects; ignore Armor, Natural Armor, and Shield to AC; Immune and unable to Trip, Grapple, other direct physical manipulation; no weight; silent; full speed while blind; mostly immune to scent, blindsight, and similar
Ghost: Malevolence, Telekinesis, Manifestation, Rejuvenation, +4 Turn Resistance, Skill Bonuses
Evolved Undead: +1 AC, See Invisibility, Fast Healing 3
Cloistered Cleric: Lore, Spells, Turn Undead, Domains (War, Good, Knowledge)
Paladin: Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 0/1, Lay on of Hands 0/18, Divine Grace
Monk: Wis to AC, Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Flurry, Deflect Arrows, Evasion
Pious Templar: Mettle, Spells, Smite Evil +1/day

Fiery Burst: 5d6 Fire, five-foot radius burst, 30-foot range; reflex DC 19 half; Su
Telekinesis: CL 12, 1d4 round delay post-use, save DC 25 where applicable, Grapple at +25, bull rush at +9, Disarm at +21, Trip at +21/+9
Malevolence: Will DC 24

Active Magical Effects:

Undetectable Alignment (CL 12)
Ring of X-Ray Vision (Yes, he leaves it running, most the time)
Greater Resistance (Spell Compendium): +3 Resistance to saves (CL 12)
Manifestation (Su)

[Barbarian MD]

That bumps it to a level 5 spell. I'm sure we can get two more aid anothers to identify anything short of epic. Thank you houserules and aid anothers as immediate actions!

[josh13905]

I'd use my aid another check, but no ranks in spellcraft...

So I don't think I can.

[Barbarian MD]

Random: I'd like to get one of these for Kyrill. Reach 40'? Why, yes, that would be very nice.

The duom is a longspear fitted with a standard spearhead, as well as two blades curved so they point backward along the haft. The weapon has reach, allowing you to strike opponents 10 feet away with it. Those proficient with the duom can also attack adjacent foes with the reversed heads using a practiced “reverse thrust.” Apply a -2 penalty on the attack role if you use the duom to attack a second opponent in the same round you attacked the first opponent.

Cost: 20gp
Dmg (S): 1d6
Dmg (M): 1d8
Critical: x3
Type: Piercing
Weight: 8 lbs.

[Barbarian MD]

Resonance Fork UpdateIf we sell the +4 armor that Finn set aside to transfer the enchantment from, he'll be able to purchase the resonance fork for 40,000 and have 8,000 left over. If someone else could toss in 8,000, that would allow him to create a cloak of charisma +6, which will allow him to incorporate everyone into the war weaver's tapestry, which will let him cast a single instance of a spell on EVERYONE during a turn.

So, Stycotl, definitely going to get the fork, but if anyone can help, I'd appreciate a donation of 8,000 gp, particularly since this will let us craft everything we could possibly want for ~25% of the market price + 2000gp, and complete each item in a single day.

And, of course, this means that the +4 armor is up for grabs, if anyone wants it.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua will probably get left out, due to that pesky 'living' clause in war weaver - no big deal, though. On the plus side, it likely means that your calculations can work with a +4 Cloak, rather than a +6 Cloak.

[Barbarian MD]

I'll still need the +6 to include Kuru, I think.

I didn't catch the "living" clause in war weaver. Stycotl may make an allowance.

[josh13905]

You're alive in our eyes Jack. :smallwink:

[Jack_Simth]

You're alive in our eyes Jack. :smallwink:
Oldqua, however....

Meanwhile, most of us are waiting for the DM's next reasonable opportunity to go over the thread and post results of assorted skill checks & actions, correct?

[Barbarian MD]

Merry Christmas!!!

[josh13905]

Merry Christmas to all, and yes I'm waiting on the update though I'll not be able to do much anyway.Merry ChristmasMerry ChristmasMerry Christmas

[Jack_Simth]

Merry Christmas to all, and yes I'm waiting on the update though I'll not be able to do much anyway.Merry ChristmasMerry ChristmasMerry Christmas
Quite the contrary: If we can pinpoint the antagonist successfully, your movement rate is likely to come in quite handy with stopping the antagonist from getting away.

You do have Improved Grapple, right?

[Stycotl]

all

go ahead and roll initiative.

initiative
oldqua–21: telekinetic grapple

tribble and mhvaughan


starry––spot (+12): [roll0], spot (+12): [roll1]; sense motive (+11): [roll2]
fin––spot (+6): [roll3], spot (+6): [roll4]; sense motive (+4): [roll5][/b]

well, that obviously didn't work right. not sure what the problem was, but i'll try again since tribble hasn't yet posted and mhvaughan hasn't rerolled my flubbed attempts as far as i have seen:

starry––spot (+12): [roll0], spot (+12): [roll1]; sense motive (+11): [roll2]
fin––spot (+6): [roll3], spot (+6): [roll4]; sense motive (+4): [roll5]

josh

[quote]Things from the pile of loot gathered are sold for 1/2 full price in order to get money which the group uses to buy, so don't player's only pay half price for items that we find?

Ring of Force Shield was in the pile of loot I thought, though I might be wrong

you aren't wrong. i forgot entirely that this came from the pile (even though the pile was provided by myself...). so, yeah, you guys can point and laugh if you want and i will try and bear it stoically.

jack


Huh. It seems minmaxing is not just for character building anymore!

does this technically go on the campaign-ops board then?


Not quite. Everyone except the VoPers got 23,060 over wealth by level. Everyone just leveled, so there's a rather hefty chunk of wealth to spend for those who didn't grab stuff out of the loot pile.

one of the reasons i left it to you guys: i already have bad enough headaches.


Was an either-or, as his total budget was 23,844 after 'buying' stuff out of the loot pile. Preference goes to Third Eye Sense, by a lot, thanks primarily to the substitution level.

gotcha. bor has the sword though, so if you find a way to finance it before he sells it, you know where to come to get it.


The little issue that the item is going to be crazy-useful during this plot arc doesn't really enter into that decision.

sure...

jack and mhvaughan


2) Maybe - depends on how far away the source was (60 foot limit on the ring).

hmm, fin was aerial and kuru was at the far end of the line. plus, the caster was farther away than that, but i'm not actually sure if the ring would affect the point of origin of the spell, or the point of effect.

i'm inclined to say no, that fin wasn't in range. if the ring affects the point of origin of the spell, then that is a definite no. if it affects point of effect, then i'll roll a dice or something to see how far away he was from kuru at the moment the spell went off. [roll6] in feet.


3) Possible issue: Action Economy: How do immediate actions work outside of battle? Might need to roll init for it or something.

yeah, you'll need this now that we're actually rolling dice.

mhvaughan


Hammer costs 3,200 (adamantium), not 200

thanks. fixed.


You'll notice that my posts are much shorter, and the text-correction feature can result in some funny posts...

i'm not in any way encouraging you to text while driving, but have you guys checked out lamebook.com? some of their funniest posts come from people using the auto-correct function of their iphone.

...

all for now; will post more tonight probably, including the IC response.

[Jack_Simth]

sure...It actually didn't; a Luck Blade is on my list of 'things to get' because I don't like rolling 1's on saves. The substitution level power I grabbed was the 'never roll a 1 again' - or rather, the one that lets me use the point gained from rolling the 1 to turn it into a 20, or save the point for CMA later. The Luck Blade would then have gone to 2's, which are much less problematic anyway. And if we have ID'd the suspect, it won't matter....

[Barbarian MD]

i'm inclined to say no, that fin wasn't in range. if the ring affects the point of origin of the spell, then that is a definite no. if it affects point of effect, then i'll roll a dice or something to see how far away he was from kuru at the moment the spell went off. (1d100)[75] in feet.
I don't see it as likely that we're going to be spread out in a line 100 feet long, or that Finn is going to be that high in the air. It strikes me that we'd be in a tight formation, particularly being in a strange and new city. I was picturing us all being right up beside one another in a cluster, with the flyers only a half dozen feet above the heads of those in the street...

Finn's initiative: [roll0]+14 [What is it with Finn and 1s?!?!?]

Just typed (and still typing) a massive IC post involving Finn's design of the Resonance Fork and Kyrill's crafting of his armor using the ritual. Whenever we reach that point IC, I'll be able to simply copy and paste it. I've got another couple of days in town, but we're going up to a cabin for extended family Christmas/New Years on Wednesday and I won't have internet access except for on my phone (assuming I get service up there). When I get back, I'll start my Pediatrics rotation, which is going to begin with a very intense 2-3 weeks, likely with posting only every couple of days, at most, so hopefully taking the time to do this now will keep me from holding us up.

[josh13905]

You do have Improved Grapple


No But it is unlikely he can hit me.

[josh13905]

Forgot roll:Initiative:[roll0]

[Stycotl]

[quote=me]starry––spot (+12): (1d20)[2], spot (+12): (1d20)[19]; sense motive (+11): (1d20)[10]
fin––spot (+6): (1d20)[16], spot (+6): (1d20)[9]; sense motive (+4): (1d20)[2][/b]

well, that obviously didn't work right. not sure what the problem was, but i'll try again since tribble hasn't yet posted and mhvaughan hasn't rerolled my flubbed attempts as far as i have seen:

starry––spot (+12): (1d20)[2], spot (+12): (1d20)[19]; sense motive (+11): (1d20)[10]
fin––spot (+6): (1d20)[16], spot (+6): (1d20)[9]; sense motive (+4): (1d20)[2]

that was a double weird now. i don't think i've ever seen it do anything like that. ignoring the fact that both sets rolled exactly the same, that first set of rolls was a quote that i forgot to write in the </quote> tag, but it had quoted this: <roll1>, <roll2>, etc, as if you are editing a post that already has rolls in it. and the quoted <roll1> wasn't even grabbed from the edit post page, but just copied from the main page itself.

you guys are all fascinated, i can tell...

all

initiative
xavier–26;
oldqua–21; telekinetic grapple
finavarra–15;

levi–?;
hans–?;
justice–?;
starry-eyes–?;


Max Ranks in Spellcraft. Aid Another is DC 10. I'm an auto-pass.... but rolling anyway: (1d20)[13] +15.

if your total modifier is higher than the DC, don't worry about rolling; just note that you succeed. consider it kind of like taking 10 or 20.


Just typed (and still typing) a massive IC post involving Finn's design of the Resonance Fork and Kyrill's crafting of his armor using the ritual. Whenever we reach that point IC, I'll be able to simply copy and paste it.

cool. if any of you ever have the desire to type of some kind of narrative like this, just let me know, send me a copy, and i'll work it into the story so you can. mh already has some foreknowledge of what was going to happen in the future, so that makes it easier, but you don't have to wait until you know what the team's plans are if you don't want to.

mhvaughan


That bumps it to a level 5 spell. I'm sure we can get two more aid anothers to identify anything short of epic. Thank you houserules and aid anothers as immediate actions!

kuru tries to aid another; [roll0]


Random: I'd like to get one of these for Kyrill. Reach 40'? Why, yes, that would be very nice.

The duom is a longspear

any duom in particular, or a specific one?


I don't see it as likely that we're going to be spread out in a line 100 feet long, or that Finn is going to be that high in the air. It strikes me that we'd be in a tight formation, particularly being in a strange and new city. I was picturing us all being right up beside one another in a cluster, with the flyers only a half dozen feet above the heads of those in the street...

i see your point. my point is just that we're a fairly large group, moving single file through a tight crowd. sure, the ones on the ground are going to be spaced pretty close, but that's not necessarily true for the ones in the air (although it's not necessarily not true either). so i was imagining something around a 20-30' spread minimum, not counting kuru, whose length alone adds another 30' to how spread out we are from front to back (not going by creature face, which is 15' for huge creature, but by the actual length of the dragon from snout to tail).

then, we have to take into account the distance of the caster, who is farther away than that. i know he's in range of kuru, but since we didn't decide positions beforehand (my shortsightedness), i'm trying to randomly determine how close he is to everyone else now.

either way, i am pretty sure that your ring would have to be able to reach the point of origin, not the point of effect. anyone know if i'm right or wrong?


[What is it with Finn and 1s?!?!?]

saving the higher rolls up for the next BBG?

jack


Oldqua will probably get left out, due to that pesky 'living' clause in war weaver - no big deal, though.

no way! oldqua works in the weave. i doubt that there is anything balance-wise that would make undead unacceptable in the weave.


It actually didn't; a Luck Blade is on my list of 'things to get' because I don't like rolling 1's on saves.

ah, i thought that statement referred to the third eye-sense.

josh


Quite the contrary: If we can pinpoint the antagonist successfully, your movement rate is likely to come in quite handy with stopping the antagonist from getting away.

yeah, don't get too tied into the my-stats-determine-everything-i-can-do-in-life mentality. i still love 3.5 more than the other editions of d&d that i've played, but i hate how a side effect of its enormity is that it has taken a lot of the creativity and problem-solving out of the game because players think that if they don't have a stat for something, they can't do it.

in fact, if you find ways to do this stuff that works around your stat limitations, you're more likely to get a badass nomination from me, than if you just use a spell or class feature in a totally normal way.

end of pulpit-pounding rant...

xavier has a number of abilities that could help him out here: flight, high speed, high stealth abilities, high perceptive abilities (including see invisibility and blind sight), and the ever-cool martial maneuvers. hell, even your immovable rods could come in handy (i'd love to see you use those to help pin a foe in a grapple...).

*******

all

gotta go change my boy's stinky diaper, so i'm gonna just post this since i already have it all written up. will post IC next.

[Jack_Simth]

that was a double weird now. i don't think i've ever seen it do anything like that. ignoring the fact that both sets rolled exactly the same, that first set of rolls was a quote that i forgot to write in the </quote> tag, but it had quoted this: <roll1>, <roll2>, etc, as if you are editing a post that already has rolls in it. and the quoted <roll1> wasn't even grabbed from the edit post page, but just copied from the main page itself.

you guys are all fascinated, i can tell...

Oh, that. The roll tag doesn't care about whether it's in a quote tag, or not. However, it DOES care about whether this is the first time you've posted this, or not. So if I go originally, it'll roll the d20, and if I go back and edit, it'll show up as roll0 inside brackets in the edit (or with a different number, if I roll more than one die). However, if I try to roll inside an edit, it won't be substituted, and I'll get the plain text I typed in to do the roll in the first place. When someone then turns around and quotes me, there will be properly-formatted Roll tags in the quote section, and the forums will treat *those* as normal rolls. I'll demonstrate in a moment....

This roll was edited in, and will show up as the roll formatting, but won't actually show a roll: [roll]1d20


if your total modifier is higher than the DC, don't worry about rolling; just note that you succeed. consider it kind of like taking 10 or 20.Badass Substitution level gets a CMA point on a roll of 1. When I literally cannot fail to make the DC on a roll of 1 is when I most benefit from rolling the dice. So, of course, I keep rolling 2's....
i see your point. my point is just that we're a fairly large group, moving single file through a tight crowd. sure, the ones on the ground are going to be spaced pretty close, but that's not necessarily true for the ones in the air (although it's not necessarily not true either). so i was imagining something around a 20-30' spread minimum, not counting kuru, whose length alone adds another 30' to how spread out we are from front to back (not going by creature face, which is 15' for huge creature, but by the actual length of the dragon from snout to tail).
With a 15 foot face, there's going to be a relatively wide gap for everyone else to step in to immediately behind him as he travels.
jack

no way! oldqua works in the weave. i doubt that there is anything balance-wise that would make undead unacceptable in the weave.
Nifty.
ah, i thought that statement referred to the third eye-sense.It does, in a roundabout way. I've got a 'get this eventually' list half-formed in my head - assorted utility items to get Oldqua - the Luck Blade and the Third Eye Sense are at about the same price point (22k for one, 24k for the other). Normally, the Luck Blade (intended purpose: avoid the occasional Nat-1, +1 Luck to saves) would be slightly higher priority than the Third Eye Sense (look around corners, on the other side of doors, and map out areas without personal risk) - however, the Badass substitution level covers the purpose of wanting the Luck Blade's reroll power - Nat-1's are no longer a problem. The two were relatively close on the priority slider, and the substitution level knocked the Luck Blade down a bit - hence, the Third Eye. If I need to search or map a large area quickly, I now can... although it'll alert anyone with Detect Scrying up (or a really good Spot check, like Oldqua himself) that they're under observation.

Oh yes, and please let me know when someone invisible (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#invisibility) is about - an Invisible critter active within thirty feet is DC 20 to notice that something's up; a invisible living critter is DC 30. Oldqua's currently got a Spot modifier of +29 - auto-pass for both (although it doesn't work for inanimate objects, DC 40... although he's *still* got a 50% chance. Not that it matters too much with a permanent See Invisibility guy in the party, but meh).

[josh13905]

yeah, don't get too tied into the my-stats-determine-everything-i-can-do-in-life mentality. i still love 3.5 more than the other editions of d&d that i've played, but i hate how a side effect of its enormity is that it has taken a lot of the creativity and problem-solving out of the game because players think that if they don't have a stat for something, they can't do it.

in fact, if you find ways to do this stuff that works around your stat limitations, you're more likely to get a badass nomination from me, than if you just use a spell or class feature in a totally normal way.

end of pulpit-pounding rant...

xavier has a number of abilities that could help him out here: flight, high speed, high stealth abilities, high perceptive abilities (including see invisibility and blind sight), and the ever-cool martial maneuvers. hell, even your immovable rods could come in handy (i'd love to see you use those to help pin a foe in a grapple...).



Alright, now with all these expectations I guess I'd better go and do something. . . We'll see about the next IC post.

[Barbarian MD]

Finn feels the magical energies of Oldqua's grapple swelling and manages to call out through the net, "If it was a spell, it wasn't cast within 60' of me."

The faces of those within range of the Ring go pale, colorless, as Finn fiddles with the HUD of Levi's network.

[Barbarian MD]

Watch this bit of magic:
[roll0]
[roll0]
[roll0]
[roll0]
[roll0]
[roll0]
[roll0]

When you roll, the system numbers your rolls (roll0), so anytime you have [ roll0 ] in your post, it puts te result there. You were quoting yourself, and when you go to edit posts, it shows the numbered roll. Then you made new rolls, and, since those had the same numbers, the same result was plugged into the old quote.

No duom in particular, just a normal mundane one, whose stats I quoted in that post.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua fiddles with the HUD back, turning the faces green, rather than gray, pushing a quick thought through the network, with a slight undercurrent of unpleasant memories "I've... seen a few crowds actually do that. It wasn't pleasant. Life colors, please."

Here's another trick of dice:
[roll4]
[roll1]
[roll3]
[roll7]
[roll6]
[roll2]
[roll0]
[roll5]
Tell me: What are the odds of rolling six d20's, and getting them in order?

[Stycotl]

initiative gnorman, vorpal, and tacitus, i need your initiative rolls too.
kuru–37; pounce on trash can
xavier–26;
oldqua–21; telekinetic grapple
finavarra–15;

levi–?;
hans–?;
justice–?;
starry-eyes–?;

the shopping list: am i missing anything from you guys that have spoken up? gnorman and tacitus, i need your lists too, though as i said earlier, it's the holidays so i'm not in a rush.

if i put an asterisk by it, it means that we've already procured it in trade and you have it at hand.

fin (23,060 gp)––*Talisman of Undead Mastery (3000); Cloak of Charisma +6 (36000); and a *Ring of Spell Battle (12000)

hans (? gp)––?

justice––NA

kyrill (? gp)––*Greater Truedeath Crystal (10,000 gp); something to make him bigger (? gp); +10 armor and weapon crafting hammers (2,000 gp apiece); heavy greathammer (200 gp, assuming med-sized)

levi (? gp)––?

oldqua (23,060 gp)––*Third Eye Sense at 24,000 gp

starry (23,060 gp)––cerulean sign (? gp)

xavier (23,060 gp)––cloak of resistance +4 (15,500 gp), *ring of force shield (8,500 gp), weapon transfer with kyrill's axe (free)


stuff about forum roller

huh. i didn't know any of that. i figured that the [roll 0] thing was just a security measure to keep people from cheating when they edit or quote posts.

all


Badass Substitution level gets a CMA point on a roll of 1. When I literally cannot fail to make the DC on a roll of 1 is when I most benefit from rolling the dice. So, of course, I keep rolling 2's....

yeah, if you guys have a reason why you want to roll a skill check even if it is an auto-succeed, go ahead. those of you that get badass levels will definitely want to, because every time you roll a 1 on a d20, you get a badass point or whatever it is called.

jack


With a 15 foot face, there's going to be a relatively wide gap for everyone else to step in to immediately behind him as he travels.

kuru was at the rear of the procession.

Kurukshetra's panic at losing the magical pouch has him distracted, and he seems not to hear the thoughts of the others in the network as they try to formulate a strategy. The dragon turns back and forth, looking at faces in the crowd, his crest erect and nostrils flared, eyes and aura blazing with harsh, angry light.

The crowd falls back from the dragon with screams and curses, horrified at what they see as a raging, murderous monster that is looking for its first victim.

Lemion stays calm throughout the brewing ordeal, trying to focus at once on where their property has been taken, and upon the reactions of his troops. Though the others are certainly animated and moving with a possibly deadly purpose, the radiant dragon seems likely to a larger problem than the theft of valuable equipment.

Above the street, Fin can feel his ring tingle slightly in reaction to the theft itself, sensing the switch that took place in Kuru's paw, but its senses cannot distinguish the origin of the effect.

Oldqua focuses on the few individuals that Starry-Eyes noted were suspicious, and immediately senses that something is wrong with the two halflings running away from the scene. They don't move as living creatures would, but rather as would clumsily animated sketches done by an inexperienced artist.

Upon closer examination, he realizes that the two halflings are illusions, and their overly obvious placement seems meant to draw the Watchmens' attention to them.

Lemion is in the middle addressing the others, Illusions! Everyone look farther out, in case we––" when Fin spots something suspicious that had gone unnoticed before.

Only 50 feet or so behind the excited radiant dragon (so 70-80' past the others), an old waste bin sits upturned and forlorn on the muddy cobblestones, beneath the gaze of the hundreds of people that have passed by it in the last few minutes.

Now that a pair of particularly large stone golems have moved out of the way, the hummingbird-mounted sprite can see that the trash bin glows with a twinkling light of divination, teleportation and a dimming abjuration, like the last guttering flames of a dying fire. Every time the abjuration effect becomes visible, the divination and teleportation magic also becomes visible, and the aura of the shield marshal's magical pouch becomes can be seen for a fraction of a moment.

Kuru sees the rusted, grime-covered can through Fin's eyes and whirls immediately, crouching in preparation for a mighty leap. The nearest pedestrians are scrambling over each other in an effort to get out of the way of the elephant-sized dragon. Then Kuru is airborne in a flash, a winged streak of golden light.

It is at that moment that Oldqua, Starry, and Fin see the magical pouch's aura disappear from the can, and Oldqua, able to see through the can, sees another teleportation effect as the bag fades from view.

[Jack_Simth]

Seeing the immediate thief get away, Oldqua turns his mind to the dragon, and sends him a thought with as much mental force as he can muster: "DON'T ANGER THE LADY OF PAIN"
Charisma check to push it through his semi-panic: [roll0]+9. If Diplomacy is more in-line, the modifier is +26 before any circumstance modifiers; if the -10 "Rushed" penalty applies to the Diplomacy check, the net is +16 before any circumstance modifiers.

Oldqua continues the thought with a bit less force "People who anger her are Mazed, and never seen again. You do not start fights here. The Lady usually doesn't get involved, but you never can tell. We will get the guy - just not right now."

Did I get a glimpse of the guy's face? I'd really like to avoid the Save Bonus / DC penalty on Scrying attempts later on.

[Jack_Simth]

Oh, also: Spellcraft to see if I can ID any of the spells in use; they're reactive checks, if he cast his spells 'in a strong voice' required of Verbal components in my range of hearing (+27 Listen modifier - and normal talking is DC 0 to hear, 10 to understand - that's understanding every conversation within 180 feet on a roll of 1 for Oldqua). Let's see... we had what, three specific spell effects that pretty much would have had to be cast while we were present?

Spellcraft 1: [roll0]
Spellcraft 2: [roll1]
Spellcraft 3: [roll2]

I'm hoping to catch which version of transportation magic he used - both to grab the thing, and to escape.

[Stycotl]

jack


Did I get a glimpse of the guy's face? I'd really like to avoid the Save Bonus / DC penalty on Scrying attempts later on.

no one has positively identified a thief yet. halflings have been debunked as a trick, but dragon and human are still right there, as are the multitudes of semi-scared, semi-irritated, or semi-uncaring others.

Oldqua begins to see what has happened here, with the fading magic patterns, especially now that he can see where the pouch had initially been transported to.

It was very likely that the thief used some sort of object teleportation to hide the pouch in the trash bin. Possibly, the thief would have been able to leave it there until the crowds left and things calmed down––and that certainly would have made it harder for the Watchmen to figure out what was going on––but Oldqua guesses that the trash can's nondetection effects faltering made it necessary to risk move the pouch sooner.

The problem with a hasty save like that, everyone realizes at the same time, is that it means that the thief is no longer in control of the game, and that he or she is now reacting defensively as much as are the Watchmen.

The playing field has suddenly become a little more even.

Lemion reiterates Oldqua's warning to the radiant dragon, Kuru, take to the skies and be overwatch.

But the dragon is already mid-leap, and comes crashing down into the spilled garbage pile even as the pouch completely disappears from the can. Kurukshetra skids to a stop, sending odorous refuse flying in all directions.

With one last look at the rusted trash can, he leaps again into the air, this time winging higher and higher until his gleaming body is lost from view in the perpetual gloom of Sigil's skies.

The shield marshal then turns to the others, Oldqua is right. This is not a city that we can ransack in the name of justice. Tread lightly...

In the mean time, Finvarra, Starry-Eyes, look farther out than our initial scan. If someone really is making this up as they go with the second teleport, they'll have to be closer to the garbage can than to us.

And all of you, communicate only through the net as of now...

[Jack_Simth]

Ah, so the magical effects were done from the can, but the actual caster wasn't there? Interesting.
Oldqua considers a moment, and sends a few thoughts through the network "Let's see... if the thief was planning a different exit strategy than what was used, the thief is probably going to ground, and making at least some waves in doing so. We'll need someone looking - preferably two people; one who's good at doing so without drawing attention, and one who isn't. The one to be seen clumsily asking questions, to make our opponent overconfident that we don't know what we're doing. Xavier, Starry - between the two of you, I think you fit the bill. Possibly something along the lines of looking for that idiot who couldn't pull off the theft without it getting noticed? Meanwhile, those of us magically inclined should probably be looking into Divinations - I know of a few prayers that would be useful here, but I don't have them readied today, so I don't expect to be overly useful immediately... although i can begin a systemic search of the area. By any chance does anyone have a vial or three of Holy Water?"

Oldqua pauses a moment, and asks across the network "Can anyone think of a better plan, any angles of approach I'm missing, or other things we might be able to do in parallel?"

[Barbarian MD]

Can't remember how many fort saves Kyrill needed.
[roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]

Finn, who had opened his Sight moments ago, decides to deny it to their foes. He and his mount vanish without a trace, and together they race off to establish some semblance of a perimeter.

Active effects: invisible, see invisibility, true seeing

Heading out of town tomorrow, so massive IC part coming on morning. It will leave some plot threads still dangling, but it should prevent me from slowing y'all down.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Starry-Eyes looks this way and that as things seem to spiral into chaos. She watches with uncertainty as events rush past, trying to get a handle on what is going on and how much is simply a trick.

As ideas ans suggestions flow across the link, a quirk comes to her lips.

~Play the yokel, hmm? I suppose I can do that. ~

Initiative = [roll0]

[Barbarian MD]

PRO-Con

Kyrill returned from his experiences with the Court changed. His size was greater, of course, but that wasn’t truly it. His experience with the Witch had shamed him, and he was still confused about what had happened on the return trip. He spent the next day or two alone, thinking, working in the forges, losing himself in the work.

What he had not counted on was what he discovered there. Tucked away, behind a hunk of steel and a tower shield made of mithril, was the biggest hammer Kyrill had ever seen. The handle was clearly designed to stand about head high, and the head of the hammer surely weighed a hundred pounds. It was beautiful, a work of art, and he loved it so much he was ready to lay his fullblade down in that moment. It spoke to him, and it spoke power. He took the weapon up and—when not in the forge—could be found on the practice field swinging it, learning its heft. When Lemion saw him swinging it later that day, he told Kyrill that its previous owner had been a hill giant--they had brought it back as a sort of trophy years ago and forgotten all about it.

Retraining Exotic Weapon Profiency from Fullblade to Heavy Greathammer.
During his time in the forge, Kyrill found also found another rather interesting weapon. It sat quietly in the corner of the armory—Lemion called it a Duom—and Kyrill could not help but see the benefits it represented, if he could but learn to master it. That would have to wait, but for now, Kyrill strapped it to his armor, curious to practice with it when he next got the chance.

Duom (Exotic Weapon)
The duom is a longspear fitted with a standard spearhead, as well as two blades curved so they point backward along the haft. The weapon has reach, allowing you to strike opponents 10 feet away with it. Those proficient with the duom can also attack adjacent foes with the reversed heads using a practiced “reverse thrust.” Apply a -2 penalty on the attack role if you use the duom to attack a second opponent in the same round you attacked the first opponent.
Cost: 20gp
Dmg (S): 1d6
Dmg (M): 1d8
Critical: x3
Type: Piercing
Weight: 8 lbs.

Exotic weapon, no proficiency at this time.

Having returned from Sigil and Union, Finn immediately isolated himself, taking to the forges with Kyrill or the workshops above and only rarely coming to chow times. The others noticed his bunk empty more often than not.
An idea had been stoked in his mind, ever since Kyrill’s question about transferring the magic from one weapon to another. It was a good question, the right kind of question, the type of question that leads to innovation.
In theory, it should be easy. The magical energies of a weapon were woven together around that weapon—why should one not be able to unweave them? It was just a matter of seeing the ties, the individual strands, of discovering the knots that held the whole thing together.

It had started easily enough—venturing forward, ever so tentatively, with his unique blend of divine and evocation magic, he had found that he could “see” the ends of the threads, could pluck them like an instrument, could set the whole thing thrumming on the axis of a weapon.

But try as he might, whenever he pulled a strand, it always unraveled into nothing, the magical energy escaping as heat and light. He couldn’t contain it. He practiced, over and over and over, on a piece of steel from the armory—placing an enhancement, trying to pull it off, placing an enhancement, trying to pull it off, just a simple thing, not even worth noticing, but enough to get a feel for how to make theory a reality.

Day and night passed, and blurred together for the little fey, so convinced was he in his mania that he hardly noticed. The others likely became concerned for his mental health, but he did not notice.
And then one day, inspiration struck, and the world changed (or, at least, their tiny demiplane).

Finn was up in the workshop, trying for the 240th time to hang on to the magical energies as they slipped away. Below, Kyrill was stoking the forges. And, as was his wont, he was singing.

Singing.

Serendipity.

A low A, 440Hz, wafted up through the building, and the magic caught, hung, swirled. A moment later, Kyrill’s note changed, and the magic faded. But Finn had seen it happen, and, more importantly, he immediately caught the importance.

The frequency, even the fact that it was a sound wave, wasn’t the important part. What was important was the concept of resonance. The magic, and the music, had resonated together, building and holding, like a guitar Harmonic.

A simple question from Kyrill had resulted in a manic search for an answer. A simple request to Kyrill resulted in a simple device—a tuning fork.

The first fork worked beautifully as a proof of concept. Amplified with magical effort, the fork’s tone caught the energies, and he was able to shape them for the first time. The energies were halfway to another chunk of useless metal when the fork shattered, but Finn was elated nonetheless.
Over the course of a day, no more, really (and several designs later), Finn’s masterpiece, the Resonance Fork, was pulled from the forge and quenched for the last time. The last dozen had splintered and shattered on use, and so Finn had managed to “borrow” a bit of adamantine, hoping that this final design would be his Magnum Opus.

And it was.

Kyrill volunteered his new hammer for the first real test run, and within an hour the magic from his axe, the axe that he so hated for its poor quality, had been transferred to it. With joy Kyrill tossed the axe into the scrap pile amidst the forge, never to pick it up again. With some regret, the werebear handed over his sword to the other Watchmen, watching as the magic was stripped from it and it was deposited, more lovingly, in the same scrap heap.

Transferred +3 Wounding from Greataxe to Heavy Greathammer. Sold Huge Greataxe and Large Fullblade.

But the technology went far and beyond anything Kyrill, or Finn, could have originally hoped for.

The effort involved in crafting magical weapons or armor was immense, to say the least, and the vast majority of that effort—of that time—was due to the fact that the immense magical energies had to be laid carefully and slowly down, weave at a time, and the individual strands woven and knotted at precisely the right moments and in precisely the right places. Normally, a crafter would have to allow only a tiny flow of magic in at a time, and then had to concentrate to hold it within the system while those weaves were placed. If a caster tried to input too much magic into the system, it became unstable and unraveled, and so crafting a true work of art was a feat of months, perhaps even years.

But with his resonance fork, Finn quickly discovered that he could simply dump all of the magical energy into the system at once, at the beginning, and the system could hold it without his attention. All he had to do was weave it together. The effort of crafting was reduced to the barest fraction of its former nature.

This discovery was made when he began to weave for himself a cloak, like the one he had been searching for without success at Bor’s. A shout of joy and amazement escaped the workshop in those dark hours, and Finn descended to breakfast that morning wearing a beautiful golden cloak, woven with scenes of fey history—figures and heroes out of history, scenes of glorious battles, both ancient and modern, and in the center of it all, an image of his Queen, majestic and awful.

Invented the Resonance Fork, built an Adamantine Resonance Fork, crafted a +6 Cloak of Charisma
The next test was the armor Finn had promised Kyrill. For the last week, since their return from Sigil and Kyrill’s return from the Court of the Hidden Flower, Kyrill had been honing his skills at the forge, both working on his own and training with the smiths at Celestia, learning the intricacies involved that went beyond merely maintaining a piece of armor. He wanted to create, to give life to the ideas that floated around in his mind every time he cursed the current fashions and philosophies or armor design.
That Saturday evening, Finn invited the barbarian to join him at the forge the next morning, before dawn and with his best tools. It was time to create another work of art.

Eager, Kyrill spent the night in the armory, completing rough sketches of designs, marking out in charcoal dozens of ideas before settling on a final piece. He wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but he wanted to be ready.
After directing Kyrill to place his armor in the center of the room, Finn began by striking his precious fork against the breastplate, and then used the butt of the fork to draw a circle around the system. The real work of drawing the circle, however, was not so much physical as metaphysical. Invisible strands of magic were woven into place, the true circle around the system. Taking a knife, Finn asked Kyrill to stretch out his hand over the line in the dirt, and the fey sliced his palm open with a wicked silver knife. The blood pattered to the dirt, and the circle sprang alive with light.

It was at this moment that Finn invited Kyrill to step into the circle, and begin his work.

The armor flared with unseen heat, as though stoked in an impossibly hot forge, and Kyrill, taking up tongs and hammer, began his art.

After some work of preparation, the armor began, largely, as an identical copy of his original full plate, on a smaller scale. But Kyrill was not finished. Specific corners were molded, plates and joints were reinforced, and places that had originally caught blows were reshaped to cause them to glance off.
But Kyrill went further. The weakness of armor was inherently the joints, places that for the sake of movement were thinner, vulnerable. Kyrill would not be able to protect those joints while they were in motion, but he had an idea for when they were not—interlocking joints. Extra armor was laid over the joints, capable of shielding these vulnerable positions while not in motion.
Finally, Kyrill was tired of being bitten. He had found himself in the jaws of another creature larger than himself too many times already in his short career with the Watchmen. Steps had already been taken to correct that, to a degree, but he wanted to discourage further such events. Much mithral remained from down-sizing his armor, and he used this to create numerous sharp spines, bolting and welding these to the exterior of his armor. The next creature to try to make a meal of him would find itself with indigestion.
Finished, Kyrill stepped back from the work. From his perspective, he had spent almost a month in its craft, neither sleeping nor drinking, sweating profusely from the heat of the forge. He stepped out of the circle and sagged to the ground, merely two hours from the time he had entered. This armorsmith was utterly exhausted, and fell into a deep sleep. He would not awake until the ritual was over.

Finn took over, pouring magic into the system and weaving it, an artisan in his own way. The armor began to glow a purple hue, and crimson swirls rose to the surface, evidence of the blood Kyrill had sacrificed to power the system. These swirls would remain visible, forged into the mithril itself, similar in appearance to Damascus Steel.

Several hours later, the fey, himself exhausted, trundled off to bed. The brilliant armor he left next to the sleeping werebear, as a sort of Christmas gift for him to discover when he awoke.

The days that followed were a blur for Finn, who, still not quite recovered from his manic phase of invention, was now spending his days and nights busy crafting magic items for the other Watchmen, most of the time with their help in the process. Particularly near the end of this time, he was merely driving the work, asking more and more from the others to power it. By the end, each and every item was constructed by the entire team, and even Kyrill learned a bit about passing these magical energies about.

Turned the Large +1 Mithril Fullplate into Medium +1 Wild Spiked Mithril Interlocking Plate. The crimson represents the XP cost that Kyril pays for the magic item creation.
Looking back on this experience several days later, Finn made another startling discovery—he had passed magical energy back and forth between individuals, and without realizing it, he had emulated the abilities that Lemion had spoken of that Erfel possessed. He had reinvented the wheel, so to speak, even if it had been an accident. The next morning he discovered that he could do this trick without the need of the Fork, and from then on his Eldritch Tapestry was an ever-present layer of magical energies upon the Watchmen.

War Weaver!
Kyrill, meanwhile, was not so utterly exhausted. He had wakened to discover his beautiful mithril and crimson plate beside him, and had—in fact—been like a child waking on Christmas morn. He suited up once, and (also like a young boy who is given a cowboy outfit for Christmas) never took it off again during their downtime. It fit so well, hugging him like a second glove, and it was much easier to care for, now that it was only half the size of his old suit.
He helped the others, as necessary, with their own crafting, but he had another goal for their down-time. His encounter with the Witch had been hard on him, hard on his pride. ”Stop spinning around like a **** and hit something!” she had screamed at him from the shadows. She had deeply shamed him, shamed him for his wild swings, shamed him for wasting precious energy on a side show. He had decided to leave the martial arts to those who didn’t have weapons.

Starry-Eyes was busy with her own research, and Finn was otherwise occupied. That left Hans, unfortunately.

”How much effort does it take to focus on casting while you are in combat?” he asked the little chaos mage during lunch one day. ”More specifically, how can I stop it from happening?” That whole day, Kyrill watched as Hans cast spells, paying attention to the movements, the words, the actions that he had to take. Kyrill would try to interrupt him, flicking the little guy, or shouting in the middle of a spell, trying to get a feel for weaknesses. He also had the little mage make himself hard to see, or invisible, or cloaked in shadow—whatever paces he could put Hans through, he did. As far as Kyrill was concerned, he wasn’t interested in allowing casters to carry on their threat with impunity.

Dropping Feet of Fury (Fighter 1) and Frighteningly Strong (Level 13). Instead, taking Mage Slayer and Pierce Magical Concealment. Yes, Finn will be able to drop True Seeing into his Tapestry before Kyrill even gains the abilities of Color of Magic, but it just fits thematically with Kyrill’s hatred of (enemy) casters.

[josh13905]

That's a wall of text right there. . .

Xavier floats back to the ground, hesitant to do anything after Oldqua's shouting about the 'Lady of Pain.' Better to wait, and take a less obvious approach, then hears the plan of asking around, while the others worked their magicks so to speak.

Bad Charisma = -2 Net Mod to Gather Information, but I have +11 to Diplomacy, but I'm not quite sure which role you thought Xavier would fit? the Idiot asking stupid questions, or the guy getting real answers?

[Jack_Simth]

Don't forget: The info in this spoiler is all OOC knowledge. If you needed it explained, chances are your characters don't actually have it.

Gather info is for when you don't know who specifically has the info you need. Diplomacy is for when you do, and the person isn't immediately tractable. If Diplomacy was applicable, I'd have Oldqua doing that (+26 mod).

As for roles? I simply went over all readily-accessible-to-me PC character sheets, and picked two people: The person with the highest Gather Information modifier, and the person with the lowest. However, like most distractions, if the person handling it is specifically aware that he's just a distraction, it can be wheedled out of him. If you don't know you're the distraction, you can't let it slip accidentally. The Vorpal Tribble / Starry-Eyes seems to have caught that, and appears to be pretending to have the Yokel role in the charade so that Xavier can play his part.

While it might seem a bit chaotic to manipulate people that way, it's a straightforward application of the military concept of operational security. Additionally, Oldqua made no attempt at deception in what he was doing - he spelled it out quite clearly, and simply didn't say which person was expected to fill which role, just asking both to try it.

And I'm sorry for anyone who's not sufficiently used to doublethink to avoid a headache from the above.

Oldqua pushes the public-to-WatchTower portions of his plan through the network to Xavier"Yes. If we can't figure out who the crook is immediately, I'd like it if both yourself and Starry-Eyes were to ask around on the sly about what went down today. Meanwhile...."

Oldqua sees about passing near enough to the two main suspects for his Ring of X-Ray Vision to let him search them without touching.
I really like being able to see through things. Really I do. Would you prefer Spot or Search? [roll0]; +29 if Spot, +8 if Search, before any applicable Circumstance modifiers.
Oldqua O'rodir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=238200)
HP 169/169, AC 28 (T 28, FF 24) F/R/W 20/22/24 Init+4
Undead: No Con; Cha to Concentration; Darkvision-60; Immunity to: Mind-affecting, Poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, Disease, death effects, massive damage saves, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, damage to physical ability scores, most fort save effects; doesn't eat, breathe, or sleep; immune to raise dead and reincarnate
Incorporeal when not on the Ethereal: No Str; ignore nonmagical stuff; 50% miss chance vs. magical stuff; Charisma to AC; pass through objects; attack from objects; ignore Armor, Natural Armor, and Shield to AC; Immune and unable to Trip, Grapple, other direct physical manipulation; no weight; silent; full speed while blind; mostly immune to scent, blindsight, and similar
Ghost: Malevolence, Telekinesis, Manifestation, Rejuvenation, +4 Turn Resistance, Skill Bonuses
Evolved Undead: +1 AC, See Invisibility, Fast Healing 3
Cloistered Cleric: Lore, Spells, Turn Undead, Domains (War, Good, Knowledge)
Paladin: Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 0/1, Lay on of Hands 0/18, Divine Grace
Monk: Wis to AC, Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Flurry, Deflect Arrows, Evasion
Pious Templar: Mettle, Spells, Smite Evil +1/day

Fiery Burst: 5d6 Fire, five-foot radius burst, 30-foot range; reflex DC 19 half; Su
Telekinesis: CL 12, 1d4 round delay post-use, save DC 25 where applicable, Grapple at +25, bull rush at +9, Disarm at +21, Trip at +21/+9
Malevolence: Will DC 24

Active Magical Effects:

Undetectable Alignment (CL 12)
Ring of X-Ray Vision (Yes, he leaves it running, most the time)
Greater Resistance (Spell Compendium): +3 Resistance to saves (CL 12)
Manifestation (Su)

[josh13905]

Ah so Xavier's inability has become his forte?

"I suppose I could attempt at gaining such knowledge."

Xavier says slightly taken aback at the request, but nonetheless planning to do his best.

So when I roll, I'll be hoping for a 1 I see. . .

[Stycotl]

still here. gimme a couple of nights to catch up. as soon as school starts (wednesday), i'll be able to post more regularly, which is ironic considering that i'm on "vacation" now...

i'm cooking up some nasty missions for you guys. hope you like lemon-grilled pain with a side of pain.

[Gnorman]

Justice is unperturbed by the theft, observing quietly in the back of the group. When Oldqua offers his plan, he chimes in briefly.

OLDQUA, YOUR PLAN SEEMS SOUND. I AM AT YOUR DISPOSAL.


Initiative: [roll0]

[josh13905]

i'm cooking up some nasty missions for you guys. hope you like lemon-grilled pain with a side of pain.

Actually I'd order the flame-broiled pain burger, with some agony sauce, hold the happiness bun, and condiments. :smallsmile:

[Stycotl]

still not a real update, but thought i'd mention that as i walked the dog tonight, i was pondering what i'm going to do with you guys for the choose-a-setting mission that i gave to jack and mhvaughan.

all of a sudden i had one little brainstorm (a scene from a movie, though i'm officially required by luna citadel to not say any more about it), that cascaded into a dozen other ideas, and has since grown into multiple new angles for the game, and tied together previous plot lines that i have been wondering how i will make work.

this is definitely convoluted and crazy, but i think it will be lots of fun.

[Stycotl]

i need you guys to do a bit of a brainstorm skill check simulation for me: i need to know how high you guys can push skill checks, so that i know what kind of DCs i need to begin concocting.

give me any and every buff you can think of that you guys currently have, that will boost skill checks. any and all that you can think of.

give this your *best* shot–as if your lives depended on it. and they will. and it will be a collaborative effort, so assume that you all need to be holding hands and singing gospel songs together. this means that i will need every one of you in ooc cahoots in this discussion.

i'd love to get more specific than that, but it'd only disappoint you later, so get to it!

in other news, happy new year!!!

[Jack_Simth]

Let's see... reviewing Oldqua's list...
Currently:
Prayer is +1 Luck to skill checks
and... that's all that's on there which can boost skill checks, at the moment. And being Mind-Affecting, Oldqua can't actually benefit from it anyway.
If it's a strength-based check, Oldqua has Mass Bull's Strength prepared... which will work for anyone in the party who *doesn't* already have +4 or more Enhancement to strength.

Given a day's notice (unlikely), Oldqua can pick up Divine Insight (Spell Compendium, page 70), which (at the current level and build) would be +15 to any one check during the duration (hours/level). Personal spell, but thanks to the house-rules, that makes it Touch range.
Guidance (Core) is +1 Competence to a single check within one minute of casting.
Neither of those are currently prepared, however.

Then, of course, there's always Aid Another, or finding unusual ways around skill checks.

[josh13905]

Depending on whether or not it's my fly speed or regular speed contributing to bonuses I get a +39 or a +55 on my Jump checks, which would be completely useless because Xavier can fly. . .

Other than that I don't have any spells, nor do any of my manuevers alter my skills, so just what's on my sheet which tend to cap [Max ranks best Ability score] around +25, but for other's around 10-15

[Stycotl]

all

initiative: tacitus, i need your initiative rolls.
kuru–37; pounce on trash can
justice–26; searching
xavier–26; searching
oldqua–21; searching
finavarra–15; searching
starry-eyes–12; searching

levi–?;
hans–?;

the shopping list: am i missing anything from you guys that have spoken up? gnorman and tacitus, i need your lists too, though as i said earlier, it's the holidays so i'm not in a rush.

if i put an asterisk by it, it means that we've already procured it in trade and you have it at hand. and obviously, if you ended up with something from the original stash, then you have that item with you too (unless you left it back at the watchtower or something).

fin (23,060 gp)––*Talisman of Undead Mastery (3000); Cloak of Charisma +6 (36000); and a *Ring of Spell Battle (12000)

hans (? gp)––?

justice––NA

kyrill (? gp)––*Greater Truedeath Crystal (10,000 gp); something to make him bigger (? gp); +10 armor and weapon crafting hammers (2,000 gp apiece); heavy greathammer (200 gp, assuming med-sized)

levi (? gp)––?

oldqua (23,060 gp)––*Third Eye Sense at 24,000 gp

starry (23,060 gp)––cerulean sign (? gp)

xavier (23,060 gp)––cloak of resistance +4 (15,500 gp), *ring of force shield (8,500 gp), weapon transfer with kyrill's axe (free)


That's a wall of text right there. . .

yeah, i'm no longer the owner of the longest post in this game. maybe.


Actually I'd order the flame-broiled pain burger, with some agony sauce, hold the happiness bun, and condiments.

ah, you didn't hear that they had to recall the meat for those burgers? turns out that the lady of pain has been selling low-grade product to all of her buyers, and they're all a little pissed. not that they have the cajones to do anything about it.

Lemion is turning slow circles as he stands there amid a sea of pressing bodies, too short to really see over the crowd. But he uses the eyes of his Watchmen, and other senses that he has fine-tuned through the years.

The others feel him as he begins to focus on the magic. In just moments, the world through his eyes fades to a blur of black figures and shapes amid a swath of dark charcoal gray, highlighted here and there by bobbing specks of radiant color, some of them faint, some as dazzling as a full moon.

Lemion is seeing magic itself. There is Starry-Eyes in the shield marshal's vision, a raptor-shaped sunburst of mostly jade-colored light flying above the seething mass of sentient gray below. There is the translucent form of Justice closer to ground level, awash with silver and violet hues.

The gnome sees the passing forms of many strangers in the crowd, looking at their magical accessories, searching for any auras that seem familiar to him. They are looking for a fairly potent radiation of magical energy, one that would be small in size, but very bright. There are a few such spots immediately visible within the gnome's vision, and at an astounding speed, the gnome begins to analyze what he sees, discarding unlikely individuals with merely a thought. The lights in the gray around him begin winking out as if a people in a large crowd were extinguishing tiny, multicolored candles in a cascade effect.

While searching the crowd, Oldqua is planning with the others how they will go about sleuthing the marketplace if it turns out that the thief makes a full get-away. But the gnome has no intention of letting it get that far, and hopefully, there will be no need to work on a plan B or anything else. Hopefully, the gnome thinks, he will see the magic glow of their stolen goods any moment now.

The ghost passes first by the trailing human, as he is closest. Though the human is loaded with objects of magic, as evidenced by the visions that the Watchmen receive of Lemion's magical sight, none of them radiate any familiar auras, and Oldqua sees no sign of a little magical pouch. However, he does see a fairly large gaping hole in the magical aura of the man, at his left hip. Where nearly everything else on the human's person glows with the light of magic to the eyes of the Watchmen, his left hip is drab, mundane darkness. Except for the fact that every time his magical cape touches that spot of normalcy, its fringes seem to cease radiating magic as well, as if the man's left hip were robbing the cape of its power.

Even with his magical sight, the shield marshal cannot see into that patch of magical darkness.

At the same time, others are studying the deep dragon. This one is an even greater mystery, as his very scales radiate magic. Everything about the wyrm indicates powerful magic, and the auras that they produce are so convoluted and intermingled that it would take many minutes to sort through them all with merely a visual study.

Seeing as the dragon lounges comfortably without any indication that he is leaving soon, Lemion ignores him for now, If any of you see the dragon make as if to leave, alert the rest of us. Until then, look farther out.

Starry-Eyes and Fin, you two make wide passes over the bazaar, and start looking into the residential blocks on the edges of the markets.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Would we have enough information for Starry to use Circle Dance (Spell Compendium, p. 46)?

If not, here are some rolls:
Rolls
Gather Information - [roll0]
Spot - [roll1]
Survival for tracking purposes - [roll2]

Edit: DANG those are some good rolls!

Will add fluff text when I know what direction to go.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Starry-Eyes gains a +4 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival when using these against Aberrations.

Ray of Hope allows her to give a +2 bonus to all skill checks.

[Tacitus]

Levi: Trade Eyes of the Eagle +6 (3600gp value before half for sale, or give it to somebody else, as it takes the same slot as the following) for Crystal Mask of Insightful Detection (20250gp for +9 Search and Spot)

Hans: Upgrade Mithral Buckler or get something to cast a high CL Magic Vestment on it 1/day. Dunno the exact cost, but some mathamancy reveals: (3[SpLvL]x20[CL]x2000[use-activated]x1[hr duration spell]x0.2[1/5 times per day])= 24,000gp for a 1/day CL 20 Use-Activated item of Magic Vestment. Possibly higher based on item slot limitations, if any, but as he has so few filled I don't mind most slots. Maybe double the cost on his Mantle to add a second charge/day? Only 6000gp, and with the Bad-Assitude involved I probably won't be using it as much.

If we're not going to be getting Superior Resistance or whatnot through some semblance of War Weaving, then I'll also request upgrade from a +1 vest of resistance on Hans to a +2 (3000gp) and a new +2 vest (4000gp) for Levi.

I have no idea whats going on at the moment and can't see long enough to read everything, so... pass? I hate to do it, but without glasses writing this much has been plenty hard.

[Jack_Simth]

Olqua makes not reaction to the apparent antimagic dot - yet - beyond noting it for the benefit of the network. He continues on to give the dragon a related treatment. He does push his reasoning for continuing on through the net "More than one reason to have a spot of antimagic... and we haven't eliminated the dragon as a possibility, yet. So before I go forceful with the current best suspect, I'd like to rule out the current second best suspect... but that's just my preference. Commander, thoughts?"


Continuing on to the dragon. Not tipping hand yet... after all, there could be any number of reasons to carry an antimagic dot....

I will, however, make Spellcraft, Lore, and Arcana checks reactively to guess at what it is. I'm just calling it antimagic for now.

Lore: [roll0]
Spellcraft: [roll1]
Kn(Arcana) (uses best ranks in the party, due to the power running on the net): [roll2] (Justice, 15 ranks)

Oldqua O'rodir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=238200)
HP 169/169, AC 28 (T 28, FF 24) F/R/W 20/22/24 Init+4
Undead: No Con; Cha to Concentration; Darkvision-60; Immunity to: Mind-affecting, Poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, Disease, death effects, massive damage saves, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, damage to physical ability scores, most fort save effects; doesn't eat, breathe, or sleep; immune to raise dead and reincarnate
Incorporeal when not on the Ethereal: No Str; ignore nonmagical stuff; 50% miss chance vs. magical stuff; Charisma to AC; pass through objects; attack from objects; ignore Armor, Natural Armor, and Shield to AC; Immune and unable to Trip, Grapple, other direct physical manipulation; no weight; silent; full speed while blind; mostly immune to scent, blindsight, and similar
Ghost: Malevolence, Telekinesis, Manifestation, Rejuvenation, +4 Turn Resistance, Skill Bonuses
Evolved Undead: +1 AC, See Invisibility, Fast Healing 3
Cloistered Cleric: Lore, Spells, Turn Undead, Domains (War, Good, Knowledge)
Paladin: Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 0/1, Lay on of Hands 0/18, Divine Grace
Monk: Wis to AC, Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Flurry, Deflect Arrows, Evasion
Pious Templar: Mettle, Spells, Smite Evil +1/day

Fiery Burst: 5d6 Fire, five-foot radius burst, 30-foot range; reflex DC 19 half; Su
Telekinesis: CL 12, 1d4 round delay post-use, save DC 25 where applicable, Grapple at +25, bull rush at +9, Disarm at +21, Trip at +21/+9
Malevolence: Will DC 24

Active Magical Effects:

Undetectable Alignment (CL 12)
Ring of X-Ray Vision (Yes, he leaves it running, most the time)
Greater Resistance (Spell Compendium): +3 Resistance to saves (CL 12)
Manifestation (Su)



If we're not going to be getting Superior Resistance or whatnot through some semblance of War Weaving, then I'll also request upgrade from a +1 vest of resistance on Hans to a +2 (3000gp) and a new +2 vest (4000gp) for Levi.Ask about it in character, please. Oldqua is currently preparing Greater Resistance (+3) twice - once for himself, and once for Xavier. With the Rod of Extend, he can cover four people with those spell slots - a third slot for it, and he gets six. He doesn't (yet) have enough 6th level spell slots to pull that off with the Superior version (+6), but will be switching to it in a few levels. He's actually explicitly asked about such things in-character, and nobody's responded....

[Gnorman]

I won't be submitting a list for Justice - I'm going to take VoP seriously.

[Stycotl]

all

the shopping list: am i missing anything from you guys that have spoken up?

if i put an asterisk by it, it means that we've already procured it in trade and you have it at hand. and obviously, if you ended up with something from the original stash, then you have that item with you too (unless you left it back at the watchtower or something).


fin (23,060 gp)––*Talisman of Undead Mastery (3000); Cloak of Charisma +6 (36000); and a *Ring of Spell Battle (12000)

hans (? gp)––still unsure: either an upgraded mithril buckler (no specifics desired?), or an item of magic vestment.

kyrill (? gp)––*Greater Truedeath Crystal (10,000 gp); something to make him bigger (? gp); +10 armor and weapon crafting hammers (2,000 gp apiece); heavy greathammer (200 gp, assuming med-sized)

levi (? gp)––crystal mask of insightful detections (20,250 gp)

oldqua (23,060 gp)––*Third Eye Sense at 24,000 gp

starry (23,060 gp)––cerulean sign (? gp)

xavier (23,060 gp)––cloak of resistance +4 (15,500 gp), *ring of force shield (8,500 gp), weapon transfer with kyrill's axe (free)

**********

justice––(Vo)––NA

kurukshetra––(VoP)––NA

vorpal


Would we have enough information for Starry to use Circle Dance (Spell Compendium, p. 46)?

hmmm, yes,,, pm coming. rolls will be used in pm.


Edit: DANG those are some good rolls!

yeah, i don' recall ever seeing numbers that high. don't worry, starry finds something.

tacitus


I have no idea whats going on at the moment and can't see long enough to read everything, so... pass? I hate to do it, but without glasses writing this much has been plenty hard.

how'd you lose your glasses? my wife and i were just watching the harry potter movie where he losses his glasses and can't see for a bit. can't remember if that is number 2 or 3. and i'm writing thus on the oncoming effects of an ambien dose that is making me forget where keys are, and how to spell, how to punctuate, etc. so if this post sounds weird, it's the sedative talking, not me.

as for you, maybe you ought to take levi's the +6 eyes of the eagles for your glasses that seem to be lost or broken or whatever. good luck...

gnorman


I won't be submitting a list for Justice - I'm going to take VoP seriously.

ah yes, i switched you out to the bottom of the list. i still don't recall whether or not justice chose a magical trinket out of the pile that he intends to give to charity.

all

will post IC tomorrow.

[Barbarian MD]

Finn is no longer in the thick of things, but the tension of the team is palpable to him from across the street. The emotions boiling up concern him greatly, and he speaks through the net.

"Peace, gentlemen. Peace! It is only money, and we have only conjecture at this point. I will not be a party to accosting innocents when we have no proof that they have done wrong. We either find the bag or we do not.

The little fey amplifies his Sight, now looking at the auras of those around him, searching out Evil-Doers, but at the same time understanding that simple theft probably won't be enough to ping someone.

Detect Evil, followed by renewing Invisibility. Continuing to fly around looking for anything suspicious.


If we're not going to be getting Superior Resistance or whatnot through some semblance of War Weaving, then I'll also request upgrade from a +1 vest of resistance on Hans to a +2 (3000gp) and a new +2 vest (4000gp) for Levi.
Finn is a War Weaver 3 at this point. Next time we level up I'll buy off two more LA and boost him to War Weaver 5. War Weaver itself doesn't grant any kind of Resistance, but Finn would be able to cast up to Level 5 Divine spells on everyone in the tapestry. A few levels from now, I should have one or two of Douglas' homebrew feats under Finn's belt, so he'll be able to cast Level 6 and Level 7 spells into the tapestry.

I don't have any ways to boost skill checks outside of the usual Divine spells and aid another. I don't think I have any of those spells prepared today, either, and I would need some sort of IC warning to do so.

By the way, I'm posting today, but I start my Pediatrics rotation tomorrow. I've been told it's going to be hellacious. We'll see, but I'll try to keep up some semblance of regular posting. This should last for 2-3 weeks before I move on to outpatient work, which will be more regular.

[Stycotl]

testing, testing. this is a test of the emergency broadcast system. there has been a system error in which an administrator of this station accidentally posted PM information over the public thread. he shall be terminated promptly and replaced by a cyborg.

after this test is concluded, you will go about your daily business and forget that you ever saw this test, or what you might have seen before this test, else you to will be replaced by a cyborg.

thank you. regards. cyberdyne movie station.

[Stycotl]

hmmm, trying to figure out a way to make starry-eyes spell work. i think i can make that happen...

going by d&d's apparent definition of "firsthand" observation, seeing the subject would work. i would extrapolate that to mean that hearing the subject would work too. otherwise blind casters would never be able to "observe" anything in that sense (ooh, double meaning).

so, taste and smell could probably also work, though i might have to make a skill check prerequisite or something.

Kyrill moves toward the portal, realizing as he does so that not that much time has passed on the material plane after all, though it seems much had passed in the witch's realm.

There is something strange rolling around the back of his mind as he plunges through the portal, something he knows he should be remembering, something not altogether pleasant.

He has no clue what it is, but is suspicious that it has to do with the undead creature that apparently is to be their instructor of sorts.

Then, with a flash, he is caught in a whirlwind of magical energy, and disappears from Dharti.

Back in Sigil, Starry-Eyes is circling the crowd, beginning the ritual involved with a finding spell, hoping that it will work with what scant information she can get from the scene around her.

Above, Kuru realizes that she will need some sort of identifier of the thief. Though it hadn't dawned on him earlier that this information might be useful to the others, now he realizes that he might possess exactly what she needs.

Starry, I didn't see the thief, but I am pretty sure I could smell him!

The dragon slows his flight now, hundreds of feet above them, sorting through his memories of the smells in the trash can. Rotting food. Excrement. Old wine. Crusty, three-day old vomit. The faint indication that a hobo had slept in this can within the last few weeks. And a the smell of a human, probably young, definitely cleaner than the other smells here. And recent––within ten minutes or so.

Will that work?

Meanwhile, as the radiant dragon and the were-chordevoc conspire, Lemion is busy surveying the crowd. His attention is so fully absorbed by his spell, that he barely registers the words of the others over the net. But his concentration is broken when his portal relay suddenly flares to life before him, and Kyrill steps out into the crowd, towering over every creature visible except for the enormous deep dragon. The shield marshal's spell sputters and then dies as if water was dumped on glowing coals.

This new, heavily armed and armored apparition, combined with the earlier behavior of the radiant dragon, sends the nearest passersby into even greater heights of loud, obnoxious fear.

The once smug-looking human suspect suddenly stops in his tracks, having been uncomfortably close to the monster as he stepped out of the portal. He turns perpendicular to his earlier course and begins heading for the crowd, apparently deciding that now would be a good time to make his disappearance.

The deep dragon watches with renewed curiosity, especially since the noise level of the crowd has reached a level that is likely to draw attention from authorities.

In fact, from farther down the street, shouts and sounds of clanking armor can be heard.

At that moment though, the halfling's spell flares to life, and a line of azure light shoots off in the direction of the closest residential block to the bazaar, opposite the direction the human suspect is moving.

From his higher vantage point, Kuru scans that neighborhood as he turns toward the large houses below.

Starry-Eyes is looking in that direction too, and happens to catch sight of a lithe little figure disappearing over a high wall in the shadows of a very rich-looking manor, roughly 600 feet away from them, directly in line with the blue light of Starry's spell.

The radiant dragon's aura blazes to life as his eyes follow to the house below, and then his wings are folded, his aura blazing like a nova, and he is dropping like a ballista bolt toward the manor below.

[Barbarian MD]

Kyrill takes a look around, clamps a hand over an ear, and exclaims into the net, "What in the nine hells is going on, and where are we?"

[Barbarian MD]

Finn is indecisive for a few moments: should he dart towards the sound of armor clanking, to see what's coming, or should he follow after Kuru and provide support?

The others can take of themselves, he decides, and Kuru might need a bit of help with his self-control. He slews his hummingbird around and spurs it forward, racing after the radiant dragon under cloak of invisibility.

Again, we've got True Seeing, Invisibility, See Invisible, and Detect Evil all up and running. He's going to pursue the thief, and once he's in sight I'll decide what he'll do.

I can curse him with Bestow Curse, but there's some other nasty tricks I can use, too. Would "drop all stolen items" be something that invocation could do?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Starry-Eyes also takes a deep whiff of the refuse, wrinkling her little nose but keeping to it. With the connection with the dragon, she believe she knows who she is tracking.

The halfling leaps up into the sky, and begins to spin dizzily, gazing up into the sky. She then spreads her wings, stopping abruptly, and floats down to the ground, her eyes closed. That's when the light spears out through the crowd.

She buzzes back into the air and peers towards the manor. On the heals of the dragon she zips towards it like a furious glowing bumblebee.



If it helps, Starry-Eyes also has Scent.

As for buying stuff:
23,060 gp I presume from my share of the loot.
4,000 gp I still had leftover.

Dang, 3,000 gp short of a +4 cerulean sign. Guess I'll be making a +3.

[Barbarian MD]

Starry-Eyes, that's 23,000 over and above WBL. So you actually get more than that.

P.S. That's around 110,000 in total wealth, for those of you keeping track at home.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Ah, so add 22,000 gp to that for leveling up. 49,000 gp worth for me to spend then.

Can certainly make a +4 symbol now. A measely 2,000 gp short of making a +5. HA! Perhaps can sell something...

[Barbarian MD]

Still a bit interested in this human fellow that was previously mentioned... Stycotl, does he ping on Detect Evil?

Finn yanks hard--unnecessarily--on the reins. Something about the human man with the antimagic pouch is bothering him. He turns and gives pursuit, deciding that a thief can be handled easily enough by Kuru and Starry-Eyes. He moves in close, hovering only a foot and a half above the shoulder of the man, watching and listening intently and trying to navigate the crowd at the same time

[josh13905]

Vorpal Tribble:

I just had the same surprise you had, I didn't realize it was 23,000 past WBL just thought it was 23,000

So the result is that Xavier can certainly get you the money you need for the +5 sign, :smallsmile:

Assuming we get our stuff back that is.

Xavier decides that the others would be able to handle the thief on their own and instead decides to fly over to Kyrill's head and inform the giant Werebear what has transpired. Through the network to Kryill he says;

'Our bag of trade goods was stolen moments ago, the others are in pursuit of the suspect, however if too much chaos is made then apparently a 'Lady of Pain' or some such will stop us, likely forever from causing a commotion again. How was your trip?'

He finishes somewhat nonchalantly considering their predicament, and smiles inwardly, This Watchtower business is certainly starting to rub off on me, I'd better be careful or else I might end up crazily flying around laughing maniacally causing chaos everywhere. . .

I felt we could use more comic relief among all the direness of the situation. Lemme know if you need Xavier, he'll be pondering the meaning to life. :smallsmile:

[Barbarian MD]

The Werebear takes it in stride, taking a step towards what looks to be a fairly robust building and leaning against it, crossing his arms and trying to look nonchalant. The building creaks in protest.

Silently, without letting on that he is holding an internal conversation, he begins to speak once more. "My trip was... painful, but I obtained what I wanted, and more. Stolen our equipment, eh? Whoever made that mistake is going to regret it soon.

He takes a quick mental walk-through, now that he has the basics of the situation, it's a bit easier to figure out the tangle of sensations and emotions.

"Lemion, Levi, what can I do to help?"

[Stycotl]

mhvaughan


I can curse him with Bestow Curse, but there's some other nasty tricks I can use, too. Would "drop all stolen items" be something that invocation could do?

that seems too specific for me; i know that the spell description says that it can do other things too, but i want to be careful that it doesn't just become a more portent version of prestidigitation with a nasty bent.

that said, i am ok with the idea of coming up with a list of other effects that it can have. i would bet that there are some ideas already posted on the net somewhere.


Still a bit interested in this human fellow that was previously mentioned... Stycotl, does he ping on Detect Evil?

nope. but fin has more than enough experience with these types to not immediately trust that spell return.

josh


I just had the same surprise you had, I didn't realize it was 23,000 past WBL just thought it was 23,000

So the result is that Xavier can certainly get you the money you need for the +5 sign,

that's the kind of unselfish teamwork i like to see. i like to reward that kind of stuff too.


Now that Starry is on his cent trail and heading toward the manor house, she can smell the human that Kuru had sensed at the trash can. It still is not positive that this new target is the actual thief, as no evidence has been presented yet, only the fact that he was in the path of her spell indicator, and that he had been at the trash can only minutes before.

But it is likely, and this one is a better suspect than any of the others now. Though, admittedly not by much.

Kuru seems to remember himself as he nears the residential neighborhood, and the light of his holy aura is doused in a second and the dragon eases back into a holding circle above the manor house.

A mental growl accompanies his thoughts to the others, I am sorry for my hastiness. I will not endanger you all for my rash actions.i/color]

Then Starry is over the wall, flying low enough to be close to the scene and capable of following the human's scent. The thief had disappeared somewhere within this high-walled compound, but barring teleportation or similar tricks, they arrived before he could make his way back out. With any luck, he is still within these walls somewhere.

The manor is three stories tall, with a simple but well-maintained courtyard and gardens, full of weeping cherries and smoke plum trees. A small brook gurgles to life at one end of the courtyard, underneath a large cherry tree, and then disappears again at the opposite side of the yard, beside a bank of ferns and lilies.

The house itself is dark, though a carriage rests beside the front doors, and a lantern is lit inside of the stable in the back. Occasional whinnies and snorts come from this smaller building.

Fin moves closer to the original human suspect, the one trying to get farther away from them. As he moves, he takes off his wide-brimmed hat, stuffing it into the mysterious bag at his hip. Then he removes his cloak, flips it inside out so that the blue-trimmed interior is visible, and puts it back on. Once he is 15 feet or so into the shuffling crowd, the human turns back around and watches the Watchmen.

It seems likely that he does not expect he is being watched, and his expression shows only a mild note of interest now that his proximity to the planeshifting werebear and angry radiant dragon has been taken care of.

The deep dragon still sits passively, watching the slow approach of armored figures through the crowd. A whistle and series of hollers sound from down the street, and the crowd begins to part in irritation.

Lemion takes one last look at the deep dragon, considers making a getaway now, and then sighs, [color="sienna"]You all stay calm. No tresspassing. No assault. If you get a chance, steal it back––without assaulting him. Otherwise, just keep him from getting away.

We are not the law here, and Sigil is not an area that we have been invited to deal our brand of justice. I shall try to smooth things with the officers if it comes to that.

Levi, I'll need you to stay in the middle of things for a bit. Physically as well as figuratively. I will need you to make sure that we remain connected through your net while this is all taking place.

Then he turns as the first of the soldiers moves in, the captain of the day in the bazaar.

"Good day, sir..."

[Barbarian MD]

Finn silently sends to Levi, "Permission to pursue?"

He'll follow him back to his place, if nothing turns up sooner. He might relieve himself of stolen items in the safety and security of his own house/apartment/room/whatever.

[Jack_Simth]

Was I able to reach the Deep Dragon and make sure he's clean by way of X-Ray vision?

[josh13905]

Now that Kyrill was informed, Xavier flew over to Lemion providing support, sometimes just having an ally in a sea of enemies would be a help, regardless of whether that ally was actually doing anything. The monk also wanted to be there on the off chance that these soldiers did what soldiers are payed to do. . .

Kyrill he figured would be fine by himself in a fight. :smallwink:

[Stycotl]

Lemion intercepts Fin's request to Levi, It goes without saying, but I am trusting you all to act in a manner that befits the Watchtwer, and that will keep us pure gold in the eyes of the authorities here.

Go get him. Her. It. Whatever it is.

At approximately that same time, Oldqua finishes his scan of the dragon, and can find nothing suspicious about it except its inordinate interest in them. Of course, something he had not expected, the wyrm's armored scales are thick enough that even his x-ray vision cannot penetrate more than a few inches into its flesh, so if the dragon swallowed anything, he wouldn't be able to tell.

On the other side of the bazaar, Fin and Starry are just crossing over into residential neighborhoods. Above, Kuru is circling like a shark; tremors of excitement and anger shake the smaller dragon's sinuous form occasionally, and feelings of humiliation and frustration vie for control of his currently calm and controlled demeanor.

Despite his religious vows and monastic training, Kuru would have a hard time keeping violent tendencies in check if he were the one heading toward the manor walls and the thief did anything that declared hostile intent.

Back in the market, the crowd has finally backed off from the remaining Watchmen and stands there in fascinated observation as three armored soldiers approach the gnome, while eight more take up strategic positions around this section of the bazaar with crossbows and wands drawn, and gleaming melee weapons still hanging in baldrics and scabbards close at hand.

The captain, wearing a silver crest shaped like a bird of prey on his surcoat, towers over the gnome. He is probably human, judging by his proportionate size and his voice, though every inch of him is covered in immaculately kept armor.

"I have been pointed to your group as the source of the commotion, master gnome. Please explain."

There is a maxim among professional soldiers worlds over, one that the Watchmen are well versed in, "Be polite to everyone, but have a plan how you will kill them."

And this officer and all of his men seem to perfectly espouse the philosophies behind it with their appearance. Sharp and professional, but posed like a ballista bolt on a taught cable––utterly lethal when loosed.

Lemion bows to the soldier, "Captain, I assure you that my fellows and I present no threat to your city or its guests and inhabitants. Our only fault has been a rather loud and rude reaction to a theft of some of our valuables. But our emotions are calmed and we now wish solely to get our belongings back and to be done with this affair.

"My allies have an idea of where the thief has gotten to, though they are aware that any offensive action on their part would be folly.

"Can we please show you where the thief seems to have hidden himself, or be of any other assistance?"

The captain considers his words for a moment and then looks behind him. One of the other soldiers leans in and nods, "He tells the truth, sir; I read no lies."

The captain turns to Lemion, his commanding voice softening just a touch, "Very well. Show us, but do nothing without my permission."

The shield marshal looks to the skies, "I communicate telepathically with my allies, but I will speak my thoughts out loud as I relay them to the others.

Starry-Eyes, Fin, take up positions around the perimeter of the manor and await further orders. Kuru, alert us to any movement whatsoever. Put those dragon eyes of yours to good use."

Fin and Starry both see the cloaked human figure then, under the would-be cover of some sort of invisibility spell, though it does not fool the senses of the Watchmen. He sneaks out of the shadows of the manor's wall on the opposite side that he entered, and begins quickly climbing the tall iron gate with impressive silence.

The magical aura of Lemion's bag of holding is visible through the folds of his cloak.

Above, Kurukshetra growls and resists the urge to drop like a meteor down on the poor fool's head.

Lemion can see the thief through the eyes of the others, but not so for the captain. The gnome breaks into a jog, motioning for Xavier and the soldiers to follow. "He moves to sneak away!"

[Barbarian MD]

Quick correction: Finn is following the other guy--they one who switched his cloak. He'll continue to do so, despite now knowing that he's following the wrong person. You never know 'til the fat lady sings, and you've pricked my curiosity.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Starry-Eyes buzzes close by the culprit and calls out in common, "We can see you quite well. We just want our things back. We don't mean to harm you!"

To prove her point she shakes herself around and her glow momentarily brightens and then explodes upwards like a geyser. A gentle rain of emerald embers floats down from the sky, covering the thief.


Using my pixie dust Casting Glitterdust so all may see. He needs to make a DC 21 will save or be blinded as well.

[josh13905]

Xavier lifts off noting the following eyes of several soldiers and begins to fly above Lemion, keeping pace with the officer easily. Worry etched in his face, he awaits the apprehension of the enemy.

[Jack_Simth]

And we were just told not to do anything, too... oh well.
Oldqua briefly considers the little issue that he hasn't been called out to the guards, and shrugs, glancing at the glitter-coated invisible fool, to see if the antimagic ball he's using to hide the loot extended to nullifying his invisibility at that point. However, having finished his scan of the dragon, he ducks underground, using his Ring and the mental references of his companions to keep pace with the apparent thief, running through the ground, and begins maintaining a position directly beneath him, ready to pounce if the need arises.

Full-round: Head over to the current apparent-thief, as he gives the appearance of being the correct target... for now.

And Spot to pinpoint him naturally, just in case he's somehow immune to the Glitterdust: [roll0]

Oldqua O'rodir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=238200)
HP 169/169, AC 28 (T 28, FF 24) F/R/W 20/22/24 Init+4
Undead: No Con; Cha to Concentration; Darkvision-60; Immunity to: Mind-affecting, Poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, Disease, death effects, massive damage saves, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, damage to physical ability scores, most fort save effects; doesn't eat, breathe, or sleep; immune to raise dead and reincarnate
Incorporeal when not on the Ethereal: No Str; ignore nonmagical stuff; 50% miss chance vs. magical stuff; Charisma to AC; pass through objects; attack from objects; ignore Armor, Natural Armor, and Shield to AC; Immune and unable to Trip, Grapple, other direct physical manipulation; no weight; silent; full speed while blind; mostly immune to scent, blindsight, and similar
Ghost: Malevolence, Telekinesis, Manifestation, Rejuvenation, +4 Turn Resistance, Skill Bonuses
Evolved Undead: +1 AC, See Invisibility, Fast Healing 3
Cloistered Cleric: Lore, Spells, Turn Undead, Domains (War, Good, Knowledge)
Paladin: Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 0/1, Lay on of Hands 0/18, Divine Grace
Monk: Wis to AC, Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Flurry, Deflect Arrows, Evasion
Pious Templar: Mettle, Spells, Smite Evil +1/day

Fiery Burst: 5d6 Fire, five-foot radius burst, 30-foot range; reflex DC 19 half; Su
Telekinesis: CL 12, 1d4 round delay post-use, save DC 25 where applicable, Grapple at +25, bull rush at +9, Disarm at +21, Trip at +21/+9
Malevolence: Will DC 24

Active Magical Effects:

Undetectable Alignment (CL 12)
Ring of X-Ray Vision (Yes, he leaves it running, most the time)
Greater Resistance (Spell Compendium): +3 Resistance to saves (CL 12)
Manifestation (Su)

[Gnorman]

Justice follows quietly, not saying a word to anyone. When the guards arrive, he stands silently and stoically, obeying their orders. He does, however, transmit one short message across the network.

DO NOT CAUSE ANY MORE TROUBLE THAN WE HAVE TO, COMRADES. I WOULD RATHER LOSE A CARTLOAD OF GOLD THAN DENY OURSELVES THE TACTICAL UTILITY OF SIGIL.

[Stycotl]

mhvaughan


Quick correction: Finn is following the other guy--they one who switched his cloak.

ok.


He'll continue to do so, despite now knowing that he's following the wrong person. You never know 'til the fat lady sings, and you've pricked my curiosity.

do you?

jack


And we were just told not to do anything, too... oh well.

for the moment.

The thief pauses when he hears the voice of Starry, shrinking back into the shadows of the wall that he stands beside. His head moves back and forth for a moment, trying to find the source of the voice. It takes him a moment, but he spots her in the air, though too late to take evasive action.

Starry's dusting of faintly incandescent starmetal flakes settles over him in a fine, even spread, and he just barely manages to pull the cowl of his hood down far enough to avoid getting it in his eyes. However, the man now glows green, and will be more or less incapable of hiding from the Watchmen.

Lemion and the soldiers are still a block away from the manor house with the cornered thief, but will be there within the next few seconds. From above, Xavier can now see the target of their search, drenched in Starry's green powder, and unlikely to be getting out of here without confrontation.

Still in the market, Oldqua has finished his search of the dragon and is preparing to make haste to the manor house, when he and Fin both see at the same time something rather peculiar.

Back at the bazaar, the first human suspect––the one with the broad hat, the inside-out cloak and the little wallet at his side that hides magical auras––sees in what direction the Watchmen and the soldiers are heading. He gets a very worried look on his face for just a moment, pushes through to the edge of the crowd, and watches the soldiers disappear around the corner of a leathworker's shop in their run to the residential neighborhoods beyond.

There he stands in indecision for a moment, wondering what to do. He even draws a hand-sized crossbow from his belt at one point. But in the end, he swears, puts it away, and turns to disappear for good into the crowd.

Back in the residential neighborhood, from within the manor a light shows through one of the side windows, and a maintenance door opens. An older human woman peeks out of the door, looking around in irritation at whatever is disturbing her yard.

There she sees one intruder actually on her property, covered in glowing green glitter (alliteration!), and another figure flying above her gates, just outside of her property line.

"What is going on here? Why do you disturb an old woman's sleep?" she rasps in a wavering voice full of spite.

Then she turns her head back inside and yells something unintelligible to someone else in the manor before peering back outside with darkly narrowed eyes.

It is about this time when the glitter-covered thief in her gardens hears the pounding of booted feet and the creaking of heavy armor heading his way, though still out of sight of the manor's tall iron gate.

He looks up at Starry-Eyes, gives a shrug that almost looks apologetic, and then reaches into the folds of his cloak with both hands at once. In the right hand, he produces the shield marshal's magical pouch, which he promptly throws into the bushes beside the door that the old woman peers out of. In the left hand, he produces a small roll of fabric, which he unrolls with a snap of his wrist.

The fabric unfolds itself and suddenly enlarges, becoming a beautifully embroidered, luxurious rug. He lets go of the rug, and it snaps fully open and hovers in the air before him. With a shout, the human mounts the levitating rug and points up into the sky back over the bazaar, and the rug is off in a flash.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua continues to catch up, and sends a thought through the network as he does so at a dead run through the ground "Is there any chance we can confirm that the pouch contents are intact before letting the thief leave?"

[Stycotl]

Through the net, it is obvious that Kurukshetra is not sure which thief Oldqua is talking about, now that both of them are fleeing. He doesn't want either to get away, since it appears that one of them actually had the pouch, and the other might be an accomplice.

Shield Marshal, he's getting away! Can we chase him?

At just that moment, the captain of the guard curses, watching the thief make his escape over the city. One of his soldiers raises a wand, but he waves him off, "No. No lethal force. Summon the retrospects." Then he looks to Lemon, "Your allies, can they get him without killing him or causing collateral damage?"

It is obvious that he doesn't like turning to the Watchmen for help, but there was some uneasy tone to his voice when he ordered the summoning of the retrospects.

Lemion nods and signals the others with but a thought, "Go get him and bring him back here. Gently..."

[Jack_Simth]

In answer, Oldqua steps up when he can, and tries to grab one of them, missing horribly with the unseen force, so it just looks like he stood up and did nothing....

Telekinesis: Grapple: Targetting whoever's *farther* away of the apparent suspects (range of 880 feet at this level, so not likely an issue if they've only been allowed to travel for one round):
Touch: [roll0], Hold: [roll1]
Edit: Oh, hey - finally got a nat-1 on the d20! I think I'll keep the miss for now... so I have the point to use later... although we usually only have one encounter in a day. Hmm....


Oldqua O'rodir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=238200)
HP 169/169, AC 28 (T 28, FF 24) F/R/W 20/22/24 Init+4
Undead: No Con; Cha to Concentration; Darkvision-60; Immunity to: Mind-affecting, Poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, Disease, death effects, massive damage saves, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, damage to physical ability scores, most fort save effects; doesn't eat, breathe, or sleep; immune to raise dead and reincarnate
Incorporeal when not on the Ethereal: No Str; ignore nonmagical stuff; 50% miss chance vs. magical stuff; Charisma to AC; pass through objects; attack from objects; ignore Armor, Natural Armor, and Shield to AC; Immune and unable to Trip, Grapple, other direct physical manipulation; no weight; silent; full speed while blind; mostly immune to scent, blindsight, and similar
Ghost: Malevolence, Telekinesis, Manifestation, Rejuvenation, +4 Turn Resistance, Skill Bonuses
Evolved Undead: +1 AC, See Invisibility, Fast Healing 3
Cloistered Cleric: Lore, Spells, Turn Undead, Domains (War, Good, Knowledge)
Paladin: Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 0/1, Lay on of Hands 0/18, Divine Grace
Monk: Wis to AC, Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Flurry, Deflect Arrows, Evasion
Pious Templar: Mettle, Spells, Smite Evil +1/day

Fiery Burst: 5d6 Fire, five-foot radius burst, 30-foot range; reflex DC 19 half; Su
Telekinesis: CL 12, 1d4 round delay post-use, save DC 25 where applicable, Grapple at +25, bull rush at +9, Disarm at +21, Trip at +21/+9
Malevolence: Will DC 24

Active Magical Effects:

Undetectable Alignment (CL 12)
Ring of X-Ray Vision (Yes, he leaves it running, most the time)
Greater Resistance (Spell Compendium): +3 Resistance to saves (CL 12)
Manifestation (Su)

[Stycotl]

Edit: Oh, hey - finally got a nat-1 on the d20! I think I'll keep the miss for now... so I have the point to use later... although we usually only have one encounter in a day. Hmm....

it's not entirely fair to you guys (in my opinion) to do 1 encounter/day most of the time, and then on other occasions to do more than that; it kind of breaks the d&d paradigm and makes it harder for you guys to plan.

so every now and then, i will warn you (usually IC) that there will be more than one. of course, sometimes i'll screw with you and the encounters/day just for the sake of the story and my own sense of sadism.

so you should always act strategically, especially as you constantly have killers out for your blood, but in a realistic scenario, even in a combat environment, encounters would be sporadic.

in this case, we've already been warned that there will be more than one, more or less, since we have to go to union after this to sell more stuff, and then to investigate some nasty happenings at a church.

so yes, there will be a few more scenes today.

[Barbarian MD]

is he by any chance flying kyrill's way?

Finn transmits: "Sword Levi, I have a suggestion: bring the officer into the net."[/spoiler]

[The Vorpal Tribble]

"Apologies, lady, but this man is a thief. He trespassed while attempting to flee. Please remain inside." Starry-Eyes calls to the woman with a smile.

Ignoring the satchel for now she grins as he sits upon the rug.

~I think we can catch him at any time, but I want to see what he's up to. ~ Starry-Eyes says over the link. ~Going to go unseen for a short time, and fly under his carpet where he can't see me. ~

With that Starry-Eyes speaks a few words and fades from view with a wave of her hand.

Now invisible, she flies beneath the rug and keeps pace with it.


Casting Invisibility. Rugs normally only go 40 feet, so I should be able to cast and then catch up with it in the same round. If it looks to be going even faster, let me know and will adjust post.

[josh13905]

"Understood Starry Eyes, but I don't want him to get too comfortable."

Nodding an apology to the older woman, Xavier twists effortlessly in the air and speeds off to pursue the thief. Staying within sight, but far enough away to give a room to maneuver. He didn't need to catch the thief not with Starry Eyes, he could even see the figure of his ally flying beneath the rug, no he was there to keep the thief on his toes to keep his attention.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

~Why not? If he works alone, that is well, but if we were singled out he may lead us to others.~ Starry-Eyes sends back.

[Gnorman]

ALLOW ME TO ATTEMPT TO CURB HIS ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.

The minds of all those around Justice are filled with a deep, gentle throbbing. The throbbing increases in frequency until it is a constant mental hum, and then in a split second, it is gone.

Justice echoes into the mind of the thief: STOP YOUR FLIGHT. RETURN TO US. WE WILL NOT HARM YOU.

He also sends a quick message to Starry-Eyes: THE COMMANDER HAS ASKED US TO APPREHEND THE THIEF, NOT TRAIL HIM IN SECRET. RETURN TO US AND WE WILL INTERROGATE HIM TOGETHER.

Manifesting a fully-augmented Psionic Dominate on the thief, with a boost from my Channel Energy ability. He must make a Will save with a DC of 29 to resist, and it lasts one hour if successful.

This all depends on him being within 250 ft of Justice, though - if not, things will need to be retconned a bit.

[Barbarian MD]

Finn continues to silently pursue the crossbow-wielding turn-cloak.

"Everyone stay back; we don't want him to have any idea he's being followed. Levi, I suggest that you invite the commander into the network--it would allow him to see what we're seeing.

"I'll continue to follow this man. He'll either lead us to others or lead us to his safe house. We may (or may not) have our goods back at this point. This one has the anti-magic pouch, so I for one believe he still has our goods. We might get ours back, and be able to restore the stolen items of others, if he isn't careful."

...

Kyrill continues to lounge against the building, sure that he can't help with the pursuit of either thief.

If the thief on the flying carpet flies within 100' horizontally of Kyrill, let me know, otherwise the following happens.

No one else of import appears to be on the street, having disappeared when the soldiers arrived, aside from a few stragglers and vendors that can't make hasty exits. He shrugs, approaches the dragon, and calls out, "Care for a pint barrel? My companions are a little busy, and I find myself with nothing else to do at the moment. By the size of you, I'd say you might make an adequate drinking partner."

[Stycotl]

busy with school; will respond probably tonight or tomorrow. hold on!

[The Vorpal Tribble]

So, we now have Starry being told not to follow, and another saying we should. I just spent two spells so that he could be followed. Coulda thrown a Hold Monster at him to begin with otherwise, so what she we be doing here?

[Stycotl]

mhvaughan



is he by any chance flying kyrill's way?

yes.


If the thief on the flying carpet flies within 100' horizontally of Kyrill, let me know, otherwise the following happens.

consider yourself notified. he's about 30 feet overhead, 20 feet off to the left of kyrill, lemion, justice, hans, levi, and the soldiers. he's farther away from xavier, kuru and fin, but starry-eyes is directly beneath his carpet.

gnorman


This all depends on him being within 250 ft of Justice, though - if not, things will need to be retconned a bit.

he's within 250 feet; he was currently flying back toward the bazaar, heading directly over your heads.

vorpal


So, we now have Starry being told not to follow, and another saying we should. I just spent two spells so that he could be followed. Coulda thrown a Hold Monster at him to begin with otherwise, so what she we be doing here?

just roll with it somehow. sometimes there will be conflicting ideas about what actions we should be doing. you can use it as rp leverage if you want, when we get our debriefing on the encounter and try to figure out what we could have done better or not. heck, if you and gnorman are both up for it, you could use it to rp a little bit of inter-unit resentment/rivalry or something. after all, even among exalted-type characters, not everyone needs to like everyone else.

alternatively, you could put the invisibility to good use by veering off and following the other thief with fin.

The old lady frowns and opens her near-toothless mouth to say something more as Starry-Eyes answers, but then hears the pounding of booted feet on the cobblestones outside of her manor and recognizes the approach of the constabulary. Muttering something, she shakes her head and goes back inside.

Then Starry is beneath the carpet, easily keeping up with its much slower flight speed. The carpet races off toward the market, almost directly over the heads of the group running with the soldiers.

Lemion is looking to the captain of the guard, considering Starry-Eyes' indicated goals regarding the thief, when Justice's voice booms through the winding lanes of the residential neighborhood.

The thief looks down at them as he passes, noting Justice's words with a salute, and then urges his carpet onward with a laugh. But just as he shoots past them, the carpet sags, jerks upward, then drops to the ground rather suddenly. The thief tumbles out, gets shakily to his feet and then begins walking toward the group with an extremely confused look on his face.

"Yes?"

Before anyone can react, two soldiers hold him by the arms, another one grabs him around the neck in a vice-like grip, and another begins patting him down, pulling knives, a crossbow, Lemion's pouch, and various other items from him.

The soldiers are not brutal, but they are far from gentle. Throughout the rough ordeal, the thief simply watches Justice for his next set of orders, grimacing in pain when one of the soldiers twists his arm behind him too hard.

Lemion frowns, but does not say anything. Through the net, he warns the others, Good work, all of you. Justice, that was remarkably effective. Starry, I would have actually gone with your plan, were I the ranking authority here in this city.

Fin, yes, continue following the other man. Take one of the others with you. Kuru, stay above as overwatch. Tell us of anything strange coming our way.

Everyone be alert for trouble, but do nothing to alienate the citizens or the guards.


Then the gnome sees Kyrill wandering back toward the dragon in the bazaar, and smiles. make a friend, Kyrill. It is as much a warning to be polite as it is an approval of the werebear's current investigation.

[Gnorman]

Justice first addresses the members of the guard.

PLEASE, SIRS. I KNOW YOU ONLY DO YOUR JOB AND THAT THIS IS YOUR TERRITORY, BUT I IMPLORE YOU TO HANDLE THE PRISONER WITH MORE RESTRAINT. THOUGH HE IS CRIMINAL, TREATING HIM WITH DELICACY WILL MAKE OUR EFFORTS EASIER.

He then turns towards the thief, who is now hopefully less uncomfortable.

THANK YOU FOR COOPERATING. NOW. YOUR WILL IS NOT YOUR OWN CURRENTLY, BUT I WILL BE AS GENTLE AS POSSIBLE. YOU WILL NOT BE HARMED. NONE OF US HAVE ANY INTENTION OF CAUSING YOU INJURY, EITHER DURING THIS INTERROGATION OR AFTERWARD. IF YOU SATISFY OUR INQUIRIES YOU WILL BE GIVEN CLEMENCY BY OUR ORGANIZATION, THOUGH YOU WILL BE TURNED OVER TO THE PROPER AUTHORITIES TO FACE JUSTICE FOR YOUR CRIMES.

NOW, PLEASE SUBMIT TO SHIELDMARSHAL LEMION FOR QUESTIONING. YOU WILL ANSWER HIS QUERIES IN FULL TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY, WITHOUT DECEPTION OR OMISSION.

Justice turns towards Lemion and nods.

HE IS ALL YOURS, SHIELDMARSHAL.

[Barbarian MD]

Finn relays through the network: "Advise that you do not mention other thief to local commander or continue to pursue overtly. If you resume shopping after interrogation, and my target sees that, he may become complacent and sloppy. Starry and I should be able to handle him, if need be, and we will hopefully remain in contact."

Gnorman, that's spooky and messed up and I approve whole-heartedly. Even if it does creep me out.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Starry-Eyes crawls out from beneath the carpet, unhurt, though with an expression that mixes amusement and exasperation.

She narrows her eyes as the thief is roughened, but doesn't say anything.

~Guess I'll be sure to await confirmation next time.~ Starry-Eyes sends over the link, a touch of wryness to her tone.


~Where are you, Finn?~ she says, buzzing back into the air.

[josh13905]

Xavier comes to a stop spinning a few times, floating upside down in the air, watching the thief with a curious expression. Satisfied, he flips end over end and lands beside his comrades. He would leave the questioning to those adept at it.

[Barbarian MD]

"This way," he replies, utilizing the HUD to mark a path through the jumble of alleys and narrow streets. "It's faster if you come over the top.

"Having two will be of good benefit--we can leapfrog one another, so there's less chance of him hearing us fly about above him, and we can give him more room, just in case he decides to look or invisible creatures."

[Stycotl]

The captain listens to Justice's entreaty quietly and then nods, turns to his soldiers, and commands them to let the thief go. The hesitate for just a moment and then put him down, standing ready beside him.

The thief, whose hood fell during his tumble to the ground, is light-skinned human male with dark hair and a confused, numb look in his eyes. He looks from the soldiers, to the captain, and then back to Justice.

"I will answer your questions."

The shield marshal smiles, nods to Starry as she makes ready to go, and then turns to the human thief, "What is your name?"

"Leo. Leosann Namid, sir."

"How old are you, Leo?"

"Sixteen, sir."

"You almost got away with this, Leo. Impressive, I must say. But what made you think it a wise decision to rob such a group? We consider ourselves fair and benevolent, and would certainly never do anything on purpose to upset the Lady of Pain or her governing officials," he says with a nod to the soldiers, "but even so, stealing from a group of obviously armed, obviously formidable individuals is a risky business."

The human sorts through his thoughts with a frown before shrugging, "Bergan told me to target the yellow dragon's pouch. There wasn't much else to do at that point. It seemed full of potent magic, and Bergan specializes in stolen magical goods."

Then he seems to recover a bit from the mental fog that affects him, "I was afraid. I have never robbed a dragon before. It was... exhilerating. Though I don't think I can honestly say I'll do it again."

He looks to the ground and scuffs his feet on the cobblestones, rubbing the bruises on his arm from his crash landing and the soldiers' handling.

Lemion smiles, "Leo, is this Bergan here in the market with you?"

The youth shrugs, "He was. I don't know if he still is. He doesn't stay when a job is botched."

"He will have turned his cloak blue-side out right about now as he flees, right?"

The human looks up in amazement, "How did you––"

But Lemion is already talking to the captain, "Captain, two mof my band have eyes-on this boy's master. He is currently trying to escape the markets, and will undoubtedly be gone within moments. I ask permission for my team to bring him to you just as we did this boy."

The captain takes a deep breath, obviously crossing deeper into the limits of his comfort zone. Still, he nods, still holding on to Lemion's pouch, "Very well. Same rules.

The gnome bows his head and then simply looks to Levi and the others, "Get to it. Make it as quiet and invisible as possible, for the captain's sake. And ours."

But Lemion is smiling confidently as he speaks, and when his team jumps to action, he turns back to the captain, "Sir, I am cusious. What are these retrospects that you summoned? You don't seem to like them much..."

The captain shakes his head, "No I don't. You'll find out soon enough, and you won't like them either. Sergeant, follow the gnome's team and oversee the capture. I don't want the retrospects apparating into the middle of their skirmish and annihilating both sides."

From above, the radiant dragon grinds his teeth and circles in ever greater boredom and frustration.

[Barbarian MD]

I have no ability to do what you've just asked me to do...

[Barbarian MD]

Finn waits for Starry to join him before proceeding.

"Sir, I'm not equipped for capture. I will proceed if you wish, but request additional assets."

[IF Finn is told to act immediately...]

"Ready yourself... Kuru, start coming this way--we may need you to grapple him."

Finn gets right beside the thief, and speaks in his ear.

"We arrest you, sir. Do not fight us. Your compatriot's mind has been dominated, and you will be next if you resist. You chose to rob from a very powerful group of individuals, and you have no escape. Walk back to the main street and you will not be harmed."

To make his point, Finn--still invisible--lays a hand on the thief's ear, and waves of magical energy flow over and bind him.

[roll0]. Dimensional anchor. I get various bonuses for being invisible and being inside his space, which I will add if necessary.

Edit: yep, that ought to do it.

[Jack_Simth]

Oldqua nods, and dives underground, using the network to guide him as he runs, full tilt, using the ground for total cover as long as he can, and avoiding all noise, until he catches up with the master thief at least well enough to attempt to grab him. He does send a parting thought through the network "What are the odds we're the first to mind-control the immediate thief? Might be worth asking. Might also be worth asking how many people were involved in setting this up, who they were, how to find them, and so on.... or even just any other illegal activities he knows about."

Oldqua seems briefly annoyed at grabbing the air again, but then he immediately sees an opportunity that the miss opened up, and instead of grabbing the villian directly, he instead grabs the man's clothing, dragging the head thief along for the ride. As the human stumbles and falls, his run brought to a halt by ghostly power, Oldqua steps into full view of the man and lists off his recent sins "You had one of your companions steal from one of mine. Your companion has been captured, and is spilling everything he knows of the operation as we speak. This is irrelevant, as you did not escape notice yourself. As you left the scene, I watched. As you flipped your cloak around, I watched. As you attempted to flee, I watched. As you stumble now in blind panic, I watch. You cannot hide, you cannot flee, you cannot win, you cannot escape. For I see, I follow, I do not die, and I need not rest. Your loss is inevitable. Surrender, confess, and live."


Rules were 'nonlethal force only', correct? Fortunately, Grappling doesn't need to hurt...

Telekenisis: Manuevers: Grapple: Touch: [roll0]; Hold: [roll1]
Edit: Nat-1 on the touch attack. Got the CMA point earlier from a similar issue, so my CMA pool is full. Which means Badass Recovery / Extreme Badass are in effect, and that's a nat-20 on the touch attack. I don't *think* it also applies to the grapple, but editing in a second IC paragraph for it.

Oldqua O'rodir (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=238200)
HP 169/169, AC 28 (T 28, FF 24) F/R/W 20/22/24 Init+4
Undead: No Con; Cha to Concentration; Darkvision-60; Immunity to: Mind-affecting, Poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, Disease, death effects, massive damage saves, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, damage to physical ability scores, most fort save effects; doesn't eat, breathe, or sleep; immune to raise dead and reincarnate
Incorporeal when not on the Ethereal: No Str; ignore nonmagical stuff; 50% miss chance vs. magical stuff; Charisma to AC; pass through objects; attack from objects; ignore Armor, Natural Armor, and Shield to AC; Immune and unable to Trip, Grapple, other direct physical manipulation; no weight; silent; full speed while blind; mostly immune to scent, blindsight, and similar
Ghost: Malevolence, Telekinesis, Manifestation, Rejuvenation, +4 Turn Resistance, Skill Bonuses
Evolved Undead: +1 AC, See Invisibility, Fast Healing 3
Cloistered Cleric: Lore, Spells, Turn Undead, Domains (War, Good, Knowledge)
Paladin: Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 0/1, Lay on of Hands 0/18, Divine Grace
Monk: Wis to AC, Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Flurry, Deflect Arrows, Evasion
Pious Templar: Mettle, Spells, Smite Evil +1/day

Fiery Burst: 5d6 Fire, five-foot radius burst, 30-foot range; reflex DC 19 half; Su
Telekinesis: CL 12, 1d4 round delay post-use, save DC 25 where applicable, Grapple at +25, bull rush at +9, Disarm at +21, Trip at +21/+9
Malevolence: Will DC 24

Active Magical Effects:

Undetectable Alignment (CL 12)
Ring of X-Ray Vision (Yes, he leaves it running, most the time)
Greater Resistance (Spell Compendium): +3 Resistance to saves (CL 12)
Manifestation (Su)

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Starry-Eyes hurriedly flies for Finn's location from his directions and looks for someone of the thief master's description.

~Coming, I can probably keep him from running off .~ she sends.


Readying an action to cast Hold Monster on the fellow if he tries to bolt.

[Stycotl]

all

i'm gonna give fin two actions since he's already there, before starry and oldqua get there.

mhvaughan


I have no ability to do what you've just asked me to do...

bull crap! i don't wanna hear that kind of pessimism here! lessee...

curse of despair, and plundering dispel would be pretty useful off the top of my head...

plus, the specific command was to keep it nonlethal. not nonpainful.

jack


Rules were 'nonlethal force only', correct? Fortunately, Grappling doesn't need to hurt...

exactly.

vorpal


Readying an action to cast Hold Monster on the fellow if he tries to bolt.

he's trying to bolt.

The human jumps in surprise when Fin's voice sounds beside him, and he crashes into a fruit-laden cart, stumbles, regains his feet, and keeps running.

As he runs, he looks around for whoever it is that was talking to him, "Sweet mother! Leave me be! I have nothing to do with you!"

From above, Kurukshetra growls, folds his wings, and begins to plummet.

Back in the alley, Lemion looks again to the thief, following Oldqua's reasoning, "How many others are there?"

Leo shrugs, "I don't know––twenty maybe. I've never met them all. I'm still kind of new to the group. But Bergan sends them all out on different marks every day. He came with me today since I'm still new, and since I'm older. He wanted to see how I work."

[Jack_Simth]

... That grapple touch became a nat-20. I've got that option on the Badass Substitution level, and my current pool is full from the earlier nat-1 on the grapple touch, so it's automatic, due to Extreme Badass being subsumed into Badass Recovery. Now to suitably reflavor it.... I'll be editing...

[Barbarian MD]

Finn easily keeps pace with the man, and he hits the thief with a one-two punch. Crashing on the heels of his Dimensional Anchor comes another wash of energy--this one embracing and drawing back to the fey any magical energies around the man.

Plunderig Dispel FTW. On call at the hospital, so good luck finding my numbers. I think it's +12 on the checks, but maybe more. [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] [roll5] [roll6]

"If you do not cease this instant, I will be forced to blind you! And then a giant dragon will land on you. While you are blind."

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Starry-Eyes prepares to capture the man with a quick word, but halts in her casting as the ghost bursts up from the ground to envelope him.

She twitches in surprised response, and withholds her spell expectantly, awaiting the outcome before releasing it.