A Thorn In The Hand OOC [Archive] - Page 3 - Giant in the Playground Forums

Marlowe

2012-09-06, 08:08 PM

Just once, we should play the "Slayers" drinking game (take a drink everytime Emilia says "justice", take a drink everytime Lina resorts to violence, take a drink everytime Zelgardis says something sarcastic, take a drink everytime you can feel the DM saying "oh god. Sure. Whatever"). Then make G DM.

I feel silly right now. Verossa's running to try to see something like an idiot, because that's all she can do.

EDIT: For "Southern Comfort" I use ASCII maps whipped out using notepad in ADOM/DF Style, but some of mine have trouble dealing with them. They do have the advantage that you can just post them (using courier font) on the forum without worrying about hosting.

I live in China and I don't have a decent computer of my own. Simplicity is important. And I must be doing something right.

Malak'ai

2012-09-06, 08:13 PM

We'd need a S&$T load of booze then... And please, please NO to G DM'ing! Especially while drunk :smalleek:.

EDIT: I just made the grid in MS Excell and then screen printed into MS Paint and then did the editing. But must remember to leave the reference bars in next time.

Oh! Also, each square in the grid is 5' by 5'.

Marlowe

2012-09-06, 08:15 PM

Yeah...Chuck Norris would be dead by episode four. And I didn't even write any Martina jokes.

I can't see the battlemap dude. It may not be you. It's probably Chinese internet.

Malak'ai

2012-09-06, 09:01 PM

Hmmm... Try the direct link http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q543/Malakai85/GrassBattle.png

Also, to make things really clear, the Dr on the map is Daranard and the DY is Drayner.

Marlowe

2012-09-06, 10:52 PM

Now it's showing. It's just the bizarro internet thing.

And; Yay! I get to make an attack roll! I think I hit too! Do you know how many PbP campaigns have died before anyone got to do that?

And I'd have Verossa say something badass at this point but "Come out, come out, wherever you are" creeped me out a little.

Oh, is the Bard inspiring courage? Didn't look at anyone's spoilers. :smallredface:

Machuchang

2012-09-06, 10:57 PM

Yup. Daranad's doing his best to be an inspirational leader figure.

That is, if his action has been taken into account yet.

Malak'ai

2012-09-06, 11:31 PM

All actions up to Halabur's attack we're in a free 'reaction action' out of combat, so yes, the Inspire Courage is in effect.

Also Verossa only needs to move 15' to be in range with her glaive. If she goes the full 20' she'll be right up against the Goblin and wouldn't be able to use it.
And those are the 'bowlins' not the 'spearlins'. The 'spearlins' are on the hill.

Marlowe

2012-09-07, 12:38 AM

Oops. I guess she hasn't seen the speargoblins yet.

ALso, if the one that just shot is the one "just to his right" from the point of view of the "deadling", then he's currently threatened by Verossa's glaive, and shooting would have provoked an AoO.

If that's so, just use the top roll from my spoiler. I haven't looked at it yet.

EDIT: Whoops, my mistake, you mentioned stepping back.

I generally have mooks not be smart enough to use 5-foot steps, as it seems unfair to have 1hd xpfodder minions behaving smarter than certain players we won't be naming.

Unfortunately his haste proved to work against him as the arrow streaks high over Verossa's head.
Considering Verossa's over six feet tall and he's only ten feet away, that's an impressively bad shot.

Wordplay

2012-09-07, 06:35 AM

@Marlowe: If you didn't check the spoilers, then you won't know that Raif managed to cast a Bless spell just before combat started, so another +1 on attack rolls.

Malak'ai

2012-09-07, 08:00 AM

Oops. I guess she hasn't seen the speargoblins yet.

ALso, if the one that just shot is the one "just to his right" from the point of view of the "deadling", then he's currently threatened by Verossa's glaive, and shooting would have provoked an AoO.

If that's so, just use the top roll from my spoiler. I haven't looked at it yet.

EDIT: Whoops, my mistake, you mentioned stepping back.

I generally have mooks not be smart enough to use 5-foot steps, as it seems unfair to have 1hd xpfodder minions behaving smarter than certain players we won't be naming.

Considering Verossa's over six feet tall and he's only ten feet away, that's an impressively bad shot.

Yeah, I know... First thing that came to my mind when trying to think of something more than "Unfortunately he missed".

Machuchang

2012-09-07, 05:24 PM

@Malak'ai: How close would you say Eleanora is to her horse? I want to try to mount it and ride it into battle, but first I need to figure out how many actions that'll take.

Malak'ai

2012-09-07, 06:23 PM

@Machuchang: You wouldn't be too far from your horse... Say 15' at the most.

Machuchang

2012-09-07, 06:29 PM

Alrighty. So I can move, mount, then move into range, if the dice are in my favor. Thanks!

Malak'ai

2012-09-07, 06:37 PM

I think this is what your looking for from the SRD:

Fast Mount or Dismount

You can attempt to mount or dismount from a mount of up to one size category larger than yourself as a free action, provided that you still have a move action available that round. If you fail the Ride check, mounting or dismounting is a move action. You can’t use fast mount or dismount on a mount more than one size category larger than yourself.

The Ride check is DC 20, otherwise you move to the horse and mount then have to wait till next turn.

Machuchang

2012-09-07, 06:43 PM

Yup! That's exactly what I had in mind. Is it possible to get the horse to attack too, or is that counted as part of my action? The mount rules have always confused me a bit. :smalltongue:

Malak'ai

2012-09-07, 06:55 PM

Quite simple really:

Fight with Warhorse

If you direct your war-trained mount to attack in battle, you can still make your own attack or attacks normally. This usage is a free action.

So yes, your warhorse will get it's attack(s) at the same time as you as long as you pass the DC 10 Ride check.
Also remember that controlling your mount in combat is DC 20.

And where abouts did you move to on the map?

Machuchang

2012-09-07, 07:03 PM

I thought fighting with a warhorse was a free action. And do I still get an attack after moving?

As for where Eleanora's going, Y13 (I think). The space right above the lowest goblin on the far right, on the same row as Eleanora is herself.

Sorry for slowing things down folks. First combat on the forums, and it shows. :smalleek:

Malak'ai

2012-09-07, 07:28 PM

It is a free action, but you still need to do the check to see if your horse can attack.
And yes you can attack if you make it within range.

Just so I'm clear, Eleanora is going after the spearlin's on the hill?

Machuchang

2012-09-07, 07:36 PM

Ah, okay. And yeah, the spearlins. I mistook the archers for the spearers in the previous post, so please ignore that. Sorry for the confusion.

Malak'ai

2012-09-07, 07:44 PM

Okay, sweet as. Yes you just make it so you can make your attack (and the horses attack if you pass the ride check as I said).

Wordplay

2012-09-07, 07:57 PM

@Machuchang: which of the spearlins are you after? Btw, thanks for the back up. :smallsmile:

Machuchang

2012-09-07, 09:56 PM

Eleanora will go after the middle one.

@Wordplay: No prob. That's what I'm here for. :smallbiggrin:

D_Man_7733

2012-09-07, 11:18 PM

Which spearlin just exploded? Does that mean that I go next?

Malak'ai

2012-09-07, 11:32 PM

Spearlin 2 (the center one on the map). The last bowlin needs to go, but I'm not at home and trying to post all the coding for the rolls and the likes is very difficult from my phone as I only see half the screen when typing.

I wont be home until late tonight (it's 4.40pm here now) so I'll post the goblin's turn when I get home.

D_Man_7733

2012-09-07, 11:38 PM

Ok, yep it's fine, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't holding anyone up.

Machuchang

2012-09-07, 11:48 PM

Haha! Of course my first kill would go to my horse. :smallannoyed:

Marlowe

2012-09-08, 12:12 AM

Very mind dear, at least you're pretty.

Machuchang

2012-09-08, 01:30 AM

@Marlowe: I tell that to myself every day.

Wordplay

2012-09-08, 03:41 AM

@all: Don't forget the +1 from Raif's Bless spell.

Machuchang

2012-09-08, 03:51 AM

@Wordplay: Oh thanks! I totally forgot about that. :smallfrown:

Malak'ai

2012-09-08, 05:38 AM

@Machughang: I'm taking it that Eleanora, due to not having Ride-by Attack, is now at a standstill next to Spearlin 2? - Don't worry, he's already dead :smalleek:.

To make things way easier in the map for next round, the enemies will actually be labeled properly.

EDIT: Okay, I'm having a real hard time believing how bad the forum is rolling for the Goblin's attacks :smalleek:, I've re-rolled them with my own dice just to see what would have happened and going by those rolls Raif would have taken another 4 points and Verossa would have taken 5 from the first bow attack against her :smallfrown:.

Marlowe

2012-09-08, 06:00 AM

Also, I'd apologise for Verossa's last remark. Except that I geniunely thought it was funny.

D_Man_7733

2012-09-08, 07:13 AM

Inspire courage added to the IC post

Malak'ai

2012-09-08, 10:39 AM

@Machuchang: I need you to roll a D20 IC to determine if Daranard or the 'Unknown' enemy goes first. Both are acting on the same Initiative, and have the same DEX bonus :smalleek:.

Wordplay

2012-09-08, 10:45 AM

@Malak'ai: To be fair, with Raif's AC, the Goblins only have about a 1 in 4 chance of hitting, and one out of two hit. The one that hit rolled max for damage, so it's not all going the PCs way.

The bow goblins have even less chance to hit Verossa. It doesn't help that so far the goblins have been attacking the characters with the highest AC.

Malak'ai

2012-09-08, 10:59 AM

@Wordplay: They attacked the people who advanced towards them in some way. And seeing as 3 of the Goblin's (2 'Bowlin's' and 1 'Spearlin') are dead already with the party only taking 6 points of damage(albeit on one person), I think the combat is going the way of the PC's quite nicely.

If your referring to me rolling my dice just to see what would have happened at the actual table, then yeah, it does seem a bit unfair, but as Marlowe can attest to, my actual dice (and I have 3 d20's) go through periods of rolling decently and rolling really bad.
We had one session IRL where, with changing the dice, we rolled nothing but 3's atleast 3/4's of the time. The next session, 2 of my dice rolled nothing under a 14... If you want to know, I rolled an 18 to hit Raif and a 17 to hit Verossa. And D6's are just fickle :smalltongue:.

Malak'ai

2012-09-08, 08:26 PM

This is not looking good for our loveable little greeny/grey snot flickers, their big mean, hairy boss and his evil pet pooch :smallfrown:.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-08, 09:55 PM

Yeah, but at least the boss won't have to see us taking out his troops anymore.

Who has two thumbs and possesses phenomenal cosmic powers?

THIS GUY!!!

Machuchang

2012-09-08, 09:59 PM

Mad props, Arranis. Mad props.

Marlowe

2012-09-08, 10:58 PM

As I can atest, if by some chance you're ever gaming in person with Malak'ai, myself, or D for that matter, don't bother using any spell that allows a Will Save. Just don't. I guarantee that the save will be passed.

Seems to work both ways fortunately. My wisdom-impaired spoiled princess-in-exile-Sorceress shrugged off three Feeblemind spells in a row in one battle.

Malak'ai

2012-09-08, 11:46 PM

Where as D's Sorcerer failed his and decided to attack the Giant with his bare hands.
And my Ranger went through 3 bow strings in 5 rounds :smallfurious:.

EDIT: And don't forget D making us roll Spellcheck every time we tried to cast a spell, and saying we lost the spell if we failed.
AND his Half-Celestial Paladin who could hit anything on a 3, but NEVER hit when trying to Smite Evil... Except the earthworms :smalltongue:.

Marlowe

2012-09-09, 08:32 AM

So many houserules. All of them pathetic.

But it was liberating, really.

Because I learned I can know nothing about the game, play a newbie blaster sorceress with a backstory ripped off an anime character who was designed as "the character played by somebody's 9-year old little sister, who's just with the gamers to save on babysitting bills, and who doesn't understand the rules at all", have the houserules deliberately designed to screw me over, Get turned into a ferret twice, use the same 3 spells over and over again...

and yet I can still be more effective than D or G.

Although I really messed up the spell duration on flight. What. I hadn't played since the dawn of 3.0.

Wordplay

2012-09-09, 12:49 PM

@Malak'ai: Oh, no question, it hasn't gone the goblins way, and I expected them to go for whoever moved to attack. I was just saying that the dice rolls for the goblins weren't so surprising, but yeah, the party's been quite lucky with their attack and damage rolls.

Raif's clearly got the luck of a goblin...:smallsmile:

Malak'ai

2012-09-09, 04:14 PM

@Wordplay: By the looks of that to hit roll, you certainly do :smalltongue:.
Also, it was Daranard that killed the other Spearlin that was flanking you, Eleanora (with some minor assistance from her horse) took out the one on the hill.

@Marlowe: But D's game always rock! Going against Chain Devil's with a party of five level 4 characters and his two DMPC's or his latest attempt with the wacked out character gen rules... :smallyuk:.

Wordplay

2012-09-09, 04:26 PM

@Malak'ai: Oops. Chalk that one up to the fog of war. Raif saw a dead goblin, saw Elenora, jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Machuchang

2012-09-09, 04:51 PM

Shucks. A 1. :smallfrown:

Malak'ai

2012-09-09, 04:59 PM

@Machuchang: I'd like to appologize. You don't need to make the check to Control Mount in Combat. I misread the passage, that check is for controlling NON-war trained mounts.

Machuchang

2012-09-09, 05:22 PM

@Malak'ai: No worries, dude. :smallsmile:

Malak'ai

2012-09-09, 05:38 PM

Damn cowardly Goblin's! Why can't they be suicidal idiots like they are in most computer RPG's! :smalltongue:

Machuchang

2012-09-09, 05:39 PM

Seriously! Who does he think he is?

Marlowe

2012-09-09, 06:54 PM

If we catch him, can we recruit him? He seems like he might have a decent Wisdom modifier.

Also, "large female brute"?:smallbiggrin:

Malak'ai

2012-09-09, 07:01 PM

If we catch him, can we recruit him? He seems like he might have a decent Wisdom modifier.

Also, "large female brute"?:smallbiggrin:

Verossa is twice his height, over three times his weight, to him your a f&%king Titan! Especially when you take out one of his companions in one strike and almost cut the Bugbear in half with another :smalltongue:.
And I think it's more instinct rather than Wisdom to run away at this point.

Wordplay

2012-09-09, 07:05 PM

Yeah, plus Verossa's a head taller than most of her travelling companions, the only one even close to her in height is Daranad at 5'10. I always imagine Raif having to look up when he's talking to her. The next tallest are Raif and Drayner, who are only 5'6.

We should definitely recruit him - he can be our next cleric after Raif's goblin luck kills him :smallbiggrin:

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-09, 07:06 PM

Trust me, he's not getting away. :smallwink:

Edit: Okay... He might.

Malak'ai

2012-09-09, 09:14 PM

Okay, Daranard's turn now. The Worg got to go first since it is using it's own DEX mod to determine if it or Daranard went first.

D_Man_7733

2012-09-09, 09:31 PM

I guess I'm outside of 250ft then and can't help. But I can see everyone right?

Malak'ai

2012-09-09, 09:41 PM

Your still within 250 from Eleanora and Verossa and you can still see them, it's just that your far enough away that nothing from over there will be able to affect you in anyway.

Machuchang

2012-09-09, 11:04 PM

If Daranad shot at the warg, he'd suffer a penalty for shooting into melee, right?

Malak'ai

2012-09-09, 11:11 PM

Yes, he would. In fact, at the moment, both Eleanora and Verossa are almost totally blocking your view of it.

Machuchang

2012-09-09, 11:17 PM

Alrighty, that's what I figured. Is it possible to drop my bow, draw my sword, and attack the gobbo?

Malak'ai

2012-09-09, 11:23 PM

Yep. Drop the bow and draw the sword as part of your move action, and because it'd be on the diagonal then it would count as moving 15' so you could actually make it a charge as well :smallwink:.

Machuchang

2012-09-09, 11:33 PM

Sounds like a plan! :smallbiggrin:

EDIT: Sorry, redoing the attack and damage due to some major typos. A 1d26 is not a thing.

Malak'ai

2012-09-10, 01:14 AM

But if only it were :smallwink:.

And I think I'm going a bit over the top with the descriptions of your attacks... Doing 8 points of damage doesn't really lead itself to being impressive enough to have chopped the top of someones head off, but oh well.

Machuchang

2012-09-10, 01:25 AM

Hey, he's dead isn't he? :smallwink:

Malak'ai

2012-09-10, 02:12 AM

True, but might take the 'WOW' factor out of it if anyone gets a crit.

Malak'ai

2012-09-10, 08:53 AM

New round, Arranis, it's your turn.

Marlowe

2012-09-11, 05:21 AM

Funny, it never really sank in to me how much taller Verossa is than everyone else.

I'm going to have to be careful with how I write her. If she's too assertive she could come across like a bully.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-11, 07:30 AM

It's all the same to me, everyone is taller than me. :smallwink:

Wordplay

2012-09-11, 08:03 AM

I realised last night that I did something quiet noobish - forgot that Raif should have bonus spells from his 18 WIS. (hey, just because my character has 18 WIS...) :smallredface:

Anyhow, if you're wondering why Raif has a couple more spells next time he prepares them, that's why. (In my defence, first time playing a Cleric).

@Malak'ai: On that note, is it OK if Raif burns prepared spells for cures? It's not been addressed whether Raif burns spells for inflict, or cure wounds, but he did take Healing Domain, and Celestial as his bonus language.

I guess the other question is whether Clerics can do that in this setting.

Marlowe

2012-09-11, 09:07 AM

You're not evil, and you don't serve Wee Jas (the only god for whom the neutral clerics of Must be a Rebuker/Wounder) so it's up to you.

Bear in mind, Rebuking is more useful than turning, and that "Spontaneous Healer" and "Spontaneous Wounder" are feats that any neutral Cleric with a decent K/Religion can take.

Malak'ai

2012-09-11, 04:32 PM

DING DING DING!!!

We have our first crit people!
And the winner is.... MACHUCHANG!!!

Here's your prize:
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q543/Malakai85/cake.jpg

Also, Wordplay: Normal rules for Clerics apply, so it's up to you if Raif is a turner/rebuker or healer/harmer.... Though it looks like you've made the healer choice already.

Machuchang

2012-09-11, 04:35 PM

WOOHOO! YEAH! FREE CAKE!!! :smallbiggrin:

Malak'ai

2012-09-11, 04:35 PM

Damnit... Forgot to say, Machuchang, you can write the Worg's death scene :smallsmile:.

Machuchang

2012-09-11, 04:41 PM

Wait, seriously? That's so cool! Thanks dude! Geez, I'm looking forward to seeing what the other folks'll do!

In the meanwhile, time to gore it up! :smallbiggrin:

Malak'ai

2012-09-11, 05:40 PM

Umm.. Just so we're clear, the Worg is now dead... Eleanora's hit took it out.

Wordplay

2012-09-12, 06:36 PM

Ouch...a 1 on Sense Motive.

@Marlowe: much appreciated - needed the extra time to get my post in. :smallsmile:

Marlowe

2012-09-12, 06:41 PM

I have no idea why I'm playing Verossa as a masochist. Oh well, Hexblade. Probably an appropriate paraphilia.

Wordplay

2012-09-12, 07:02 PM

Incidentally, Raif's response to Verossa is me RPing some of that natural 1. Obvious plan to torture somehow went over his head.

RP it now, and hopefully some of the sting will be taken out of it...

If Verossa's going to be masochistic that's going to set some...interesting resonances with Raif. Verossa's already pretty close to the state that he considers saved - the state he's trying to convert everyone to - and yet, interestingly, they disagree about so much...

Edit: Interesting. Just looking over the character sheets, and I had no idea how many languages the party had between us. 2 speakers each for Dwarven, Elven and Orcish, 1 for Goblin, Gnome, Undercommon and Celestial.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-12, 08:08 PM

I am the 1%!

Marlowe

2012-09-19, 07:50 PM

I can honestly say I have no idea what state Raif would consider saved...:smalleek:

Verossa's quite conscious that she's where she is because people played by the rules with her when they might have done something completely different, and she repays this by being a good girl and staying in her place. That was partially behind why she reacted so badly to all those "My Ladys" a few pages pages ago. She's no lady, and is frightened of what might happen if people thought she was trying to be one. Currently, that's an irrational fear, but old habits die hard.

And curse it, why can't these goblins speak common? All it takes is INT 13 for them and they know it automatically.

I know it's realistic, but still, awkward.

Malak'ai

2012-09-19, 07:58 PM

I know what you mean about the Goblin's speaking Common. I always thought that they did speak it, it wasn't until I actually checked them on the SRD when you captured him i was like "Ahh... Ok, this is gunna get annoying...".
Bugbear's on the other hand speak Common :smalltongue:.

Also... Are you suggesting that you travel a week out of your way to the Goblin's village? :smallamused:

Wordplay

2012-09-19, 08:12 PM

No-one mentioned it was a week - to Verossa and Raif anyway.

@Malak'ai: You know I thought Talhruamy had given us something to keep in contact with him, but after looking back, IC and OC I can't find any mention of such a thing. Did I imagine it?

Malak'ai

2012-09-19, 08:20 PM

@Wordplay: Yes, yes he did give you something... The Silver amulet with the light blue gem in it. If I remember correctly, without trawling through the first few pages, Drayner has it.

And no, no-one said it was a week away, I'm saying it OOC just to make you think about time frames.

Marlowe

2012-09-19, 08:22 PM

Well, that's going to be something Verossa will ask, but currently she's taking one thing at a time.

EDIT: And currently she's busy making embarrassing verbal slips. Well, that's still a thing.

BTW Malak'ai, any progress on the Blenheim version of this campaign? It's been a couple of months, G and D might have bothered to roll some dice by now.

Malak'ai

2012-09-19, 08:49 PM

That's fine.

Also, seeing it has been almost 2 months since EE said he'd be gone for a month, I think it might be time we discussed having Daranard wander off and find his own destiny :smallfrown:.
Since this game is geared towards 6 players I'm gunna put it to you lot to try and enlist new players.
I'll take submissions and make my selection and then bring them in when the best opportunity arises

@Marlowe: Nope... Haven't seen of heard from G in about 2 months. Also S has had a change of shifts at work so is now working afternoons/evenings.

Marlowe

2012-09-19, 11:02 PM

That's a shame.:smallfrown:

We could send Daranand off with the goblin to try to convert Loknarg through the power of diplomacy. He wants to be a leader. Let him try to win himself an army.

That said, he'd probably just get killed. :smallredface:

Shall we put up a "looking for one player" thread?

Malak'ai

2012-09-19, 11:07 PM

Sounds like a plan.

Machuchang, since you have Daranard at the moment, would you like to do the honours of his send off?

I'll post the recruitment thread later on. If any of you have other people in other games you think might be interested, either direct them to the new thread, or to the first page of this one if I haven't got the new one up.

Malak'ai

2012-09-20, 12:31 AM

Ok, new recruitment thread is up.
Hopefully we get some nice responses :smallbiggrin:.

Machuchang

2012-09-20, 01:23 AM

I'd be honored to do the send off. But how would the rest of the group like to go about it? Send him and the goblin off on the crazy mission? He breaks off to gather his own army? Something from his past suddenly comes back to haunt him?

Wordplay

2012-09-20, 03:41 AM

Personally I'm all for sending the Goblin off with Daranad on the crazy mission. That way when we get in over our heads, Daranad can turn up with a friendly army of goblins :smallsmile:

I guess we've tried PMing EE and his inbox was still full. Sad to see him go.

Malak'ai

2012-09-20, 03:46 AM

I've tried a few times and yes, it keeps saying his Inbox is full.
I also think it's unfair to ask you guys to keep playing as a character who you don't truly have full control over.

Marlowe

2012-09-20, 08:52 AM

And while it's nice to have a Bard played in a competent fashion, the joke about him declaiming loudly to be the leader while everyone ignores him was going to get old quickly.

Wordplay is perfectly correct, it never hurts to set up Schroedinger's Cavalry ahead of time.

Malak'ai

2012-09-20, 05:24 PM

Well guys, I've set a deadline for the new characters to be created, and I will be ask for your opinions on them to see if they would work well with you guys IC.

Lets just hope we get some good submissions :smalleek:.

Machuchang

2012-09-20, 06:43 PM

Thanks for including us on this one, Malak'ai! As for submissions, I'm not too worried. Most of the people on these forums are pretty good at coming up with cool characters who work well with others. Still, I hope all goes well. :smallsmile:

Wordplay

2012-09-20, 06:52 PM

Thanks for asking for our input. :smallsmile:

It's early days yet, but the people who've expressed interest seem good so far.

Malak'ai

2012-09-20, 06:56 PM

Hey, it's you guys who have to deal with the character, I'm just the one who has to try and kill challenge ya's :xykon: :smalltongue:.

In saying that, the final decision will be down to me, but your opinions will be taken very seriously in the decision I make :smallsmile:.

I will be planning to have the new character join up with the party as soon as possible after the decision is made, but I want there to be a decent event where it happens, not just a "as you make it over the hill you see a lone figure sitting beside a campfire" type inclusion.

Marlowe

2012-09-20, 11:29 PM

"as you make it over the hill you see a lone figure sitting beside a campfire" type inclusion.

It's Odin! Run!

Malak'ai

2012-09-20, 11:31 PM

We lost a potential :smallfrown:.

Now we have 6 people interested and 5 who have given a suggestion of what they will be going.
If you haven't done so yet, let people in your other games know we have a spot open :smallsmile:.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-21, 08:05 PM

I have Complete Scoundrel if it helps any.

And we have one sheet submitted so far! :smallsmile:

Malak'ai

2012-09-21, 08:43 PM

@Arranis: Thanks dude, but read the question I posed in the recruitment thread :smallwink:.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-21, 09:08 PM

...You know... I don't think I thought that out very well at all. :smalltongue:

Malak'ai

2012-09-21, 09:42 PM

Haha, no worries dude, but thanks for the offer.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-22, 08:31 AM

Um... Raif just raised an interesting question. Daranad can speak Goblin, right?

Malak'ai

2012-09-22, 09:04 AM

Nope, but since the higher ups in the tribe are Bugbears who CAN speak Common, it shouldn't be too hard to communicate... If he lives that long :smalleek:.

Machuchang

2012-09-22, 01:20 PM

Haha! Oh dear, things just aren't looking good.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-22, 03:16 PM

Come on, it's not like we've done anything to offend them like wipe out a scouting party.

... Oh wait...

Marlowe

2012-09-22, 11:03 PM

Lets hope he has a whole lot of really easy encounters and levels up along the way.

Wordplay

2012-09-23, 11:07 AM

The scouting party was definitely asking for it. :smallsmile:

I knew he couldn't speak goblin, but as Malak'ai says, he'll get by/ :smallsmile:

It might actually work out better that they're not able to understand what he says at first!

Fingers crossed, taking out a scout group is the appropriate form of greeting for goblins... yeah, earn their respect, sort of thing...:smallbiggrin:

Machuchang

2012-09-23, 04:08 PM

Yeah, what sort of fearless leader would he be if he let one measly tribe of goblins get in his way? :smallbiggrin:

And Wordplay, I like the way you think! Maybe not speaking Goblin will do more good than harm in this sort of situation anyway! Afterall, how suspicious would it be if he DID just waltz in and start chatting everybody up? :smalltongue:

@Malak'ai: Any news on the replacement yet? I haven't been checking the other thread.

Malak'ai

2012-09-23, 05:25 PM

@Machuchang: Well, there's about 5 people who have rolled for stats, but only one partially completed character sheet so far, so.... Not looking too good :smallfrown:.

Also, you guys better get a move on IC if your gunna get to the break in the lines in time.

Malak'ai

2012-09-25, 06:26 PM

Well guys, we have just over 12 hours till cut off.
I'll post all the links to the different characters in here, then when you guys get the time, look them over and if you want, discuss between yourselves (via PM or e-mail, I want to keep discussions private) then e-mail me with your thoughts on all the characters.
I have changed my e-mail addy since I joined up so please send your opinions to [email protected].

Malak'ai

2012-09-26, 07:15 AM

Okay people,
Here are the candidates:

Simba with Maiali Orle (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=448326) the Elven Rogue/Swashbuckler.

Medic! with Fash Falath (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=450241) the Halfling Swashbuckler/Rogue.

only1doug with Stivan Baerns (http://pifro.com/pro/view.php?id=8461) the Human Dragon Shaman.

Linguz with Rort (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=448378) the Halfling Druid and his animal companion, Feng the Brixashulty (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=448381).

And last but not least; Seige Tower with Chandra Tirel (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=450496) the Human Favored Soul of Pelor.

I'll be waiting to hear what you guys have to say about them. Just remember, all discussion about these characters is to be done in private.

Marlowe

2012-09-26, 10:49 PM

Heh, why do I know that Verossa and Chandra would get along like a house on fire.:smallbiggrin:

screams, flames, people running away in every direction...

D_Man_7733

2012-09-27, 05:39 AM

Looking proud of himself Drayner waits for the obvious ooooh's and aaaaah's from is fellow companions.

The player however is waiting for the obvious mistakes/oversights that Drayner made to be picked apart so he stops feeling so proud of himself... (it wasn't my Idea so I shouldn't hog the IC credit)

What are you waiting for? Have at him! My character has NO RIGHT to be ENJOYING AN IDEA DEVELOPED BY THE PlAYERS! :smalltongue:
Unless all of you are two soft to tear down an overconfident 19 year old who will lord it over your (character's) heads for the end of time (or until he dies, which I suspect the latter may occur sooner than first anticipated)

Uneccesary insults are encouraged! :smallbiggrin:

Machuchang

2012-09-28, 01:13 AM

Geez, nice rolls, Eleanora. That's what you get for being such a hard-ass. :smalltongue:

Malak'ai

2012-09-28, 01:17 AM

You not only don't see or hear (or feel) the Dire Hummingbird that's tugging on your hair, you fail to see the tree branch as it looms up and smacks you in the face while at full gallop :smalltongue:.

Machuchang

2012-09-28, 01:19 AM

Well, it was bound to happen eventually.

Simba

2012-09-28, 04:52 AM

Hi all! It looks like we will be playing together, I'm glad I got in.

Until (much) later :)

/me goes off to read the IC.....

Wordplay

2012-09-28, 05:06 AM

@Malak'ai: Quick lore questions. I was about to have Raif rebut Verossa a little more specifically, but I realised that I would be relying several assumptions.

Checking back I find the cult has been a problem for 15 years, so I'm right in thinking that Raif's childhood happened long before the cult, since Raif is 42.

The first assumption that I'd made was that Raif had only left the lands of the cult in the last two to four years, and that therefore he had some experience of living under the cult. (Raif's home town is quite deep in Covenant territory, according to the map, and it's established in Raif's back story that he lived there until adulthood at least).

The second being that there were plenty of human towns in the cult lands - places with more brutal laws than the Free lands, but not so different.

So I was wondering if it would be possible to clarify this a little. If the lands are as Verossa describes, then Raif has probably been gone longer, and either doesn't know what life under the cult is like, or does, and escaped it.

If, on the other hand, the lands of the cult are anything like my assumption, then Raif probably left more recently.

So I guess my questions boil down to:
1) How long ago did Raif leave the lands now held by the Covenant?
2) Does Raif have experience living under the Covenant?
3) If the answer to 2) is yes, what is life under the cult like?

Sorry for the length of the post - just want to make sure I avoid causing any continuity snarl.

Wordplay

2012-09-28, 05:10 AM

@Simba: Oh, and hi Simba! You ninja'ed me there. Welcome aboard, nice to have you with us.

Malak'ai

2012-09-28, 05:44 AM

Wordplay:
Okay, I was kinda dreading a question like this because, even though I know what the answer is, if I gave it, it'll take many paragraphs and give away a lot of information that could influence decisions that you make before actually making it into a largely populated area. So I'll only give a very vague overview if that is alright :smallsmile:.

The conditions under The Covenant is, in a nutshell, like an extreme version of a very corrupt dictatorship.
Those in power use and abuse it in anyway they want.
There are internal power struggles in the lower and middle levels of control. Powerful/rich/ambitious families plot, backstab and straight out murder each other to try and gain favor with the higher ups.
The common people are treated worse than the dirt under the feet in most places. Random beatings, killings and torture are all everyday occurrences. This is made worse by army 'recruiters' wandering from town to town/city to city, scooping up anyone they choose and forcing them to the front lines.
Monster races, although still considered 'lesser beings' by The Covenant and The Hand are given more freedom than the humans as they have come to join The Covenant of their own free will.

As to how long Raif has been out of the controlled territory, that's up to you.
Seeing as adulthood for Human's starts at 18, Raif would have been 27 when The Covenant first came to power. They didn't automatically control all that territory, it was fought for or conquered via treachery.
Seeing as Raif's home town is in one of the areas that would have been taken over quiet early (say within the first 3, maybe 4 years), he could well have been in a town under their sway for many years.

And yes, welcome to Simba (sorry I didn't say it before, kinda been back and forth from the computer for the last couple of hours).
Please don't take too much of what is said here in the OOC thread seriously, we use it to joke around a lot :smalltongue:.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-28, 08:54 AM

Hello Simba, a pleasure. :)

Be warned, here thar be Dire Hummingbirds.

Malak'ai

2012-09-28, 08:56 AM

And Top Hat wearing Gnomes who think they are gigantic Willow trees capible of swallowing Halflings whole :smalltongue:.

Machuchang

2012-09-28, 10:59 AM

@Simba: It's a pleasure to have you! I'm quite looking forward to seeing what Maiali has to offer! I loved your backstory by the way, and I can't wait to see how you play him. :smallsmile:

Malak'ai

2012-09-28, 08:16 PM

D_Man, could I get you to do an edit to the table of characters please?
If you could add in Simba, put a strike through Daranand and also a "Status" column on the end with "Active" for you guys, "TBI" for Simba and "Retired" for Daranand.

Malak'ai

2012-09-28, 08:38 PM

Don't worry Machuchang and D_Man, it's not a Dire Hummingbird, though it could still be a hat eating menace :smalltongue:.

Machuchang

2012-09-28, 08:40 PM

Thank you, Malak'ai. For this lack of a Dire Hummingbird, I am eternally grateful. :smalltongue:

D_Man_7733

2012-09-28, 08:50 PM

Finished the table addition/edit.

Malak'ai

2012-09-28, 08:51 PM

Thank you very much Oh Master of Tables.

Drayner seems to be quite paranoid about that bird thing doesn't he? :smallwink:

D_Man_7733

2012-09-28, 09:03 PM

"NOT MY HATS!"

Yes, I feel like you are doing it on purpose/will be doing it on purpose from now on, if it wasn't important before, it either will be know, or you will torture me with it by making it a Spellwarped Dire Hummingbird...

I actually feel like adding something to do with hummingbirds to my character background now... just something simple like, the sound of a hummingbird giving him a headache up close.

I still think that bird-thing just destroyed the entire pavilion we came from and everyone but Tahlrumy is dead.

Malak'ai

2012-09-28, 09:16 PM

Do you think that I would be so evil as to taunt you constantly with some sort of giant, possibly demonic or angelic, bird? :xykon:

D_Man_7733

2012-09-28, 09:24 PM

Angelic didn't even cross my mind... so it probably won't cross Drayner's... ever. I just realised I haven't even looked at my Knowledge rolls, so for all I know, I critical failed, and your just feeding me misinformation... grrr, it is extraplanar, it destroyed the Pavilion, so it needs to be killed, it is evil.

Don't torture me like this Malak'ai! :smalltongue: Being a DM doesn't mean you can commit psychological warefare agains the players... oh wait, yes it does... carry on then.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-28, 09:26 PM

Don't worry Machuchang and D_Man, it's not a Dire Hummingbird, though it could still be a hat eating menace :smalltongue:.

No! It's going to go for my magnificent top hat! It's tall, black, silky, and has a pair of angry eyes stitched into it with the phrase "eyes up here" sewn in beneath it. Nooooooo!

Machuchang

2012-09-28, 09:27 PM

@Arranis: At least you don't have any flowers on it. I hear Dire Hummingbirds are crazy for flora.

Malak'ai

2012-09-28, 09:39 PM

Don't torture me like this Malak'ai! :smalltongue: Being a DM doesn't mean you can commit psychological warefare agains the players... oh wait, yes it does... carry on then.

Drayner's next dream sequence: Drayner running through the grass naked, constantly looking over his shoulder at the slowly approaching shadow of a gigantic flapping.... :smallwink:

Machuchang

2012-09-28, 09:39 PM

@Malak'ai: Not gonna lie, but that sounds super-dirty.

D_Man_7733

2012-09-28, 09:41 PM

Drayner's next dream sequence: Drayner running through the grass naked, constantly looking over his shoulder at the slowly approaching shadow of a gigantic flapping....

NO, NO, PLEASE NOOOOOOO!
I already had a dream sequence thought out, but that makes it extremely scary if combined...

Malak'ai

2012-09-28, 09:50 PM

@Malak'ai: Not gonna lie, but that sounds super-dirty.

My mind is nowhere near the gutter... I'd need to climb K2 to even get anywhere near the gutter :smalltongue:

NO, NO, PLEASE NOOOOOOO!
I already had a dream sequence thought out, but that makes it extremely scary if combined...

Muahahaha :xykon:

D_Man_7733

2012-09-28, 09:52 PM

Wait... is there a bush in the gutter? I BETTER NOT BE ON A GRASSY GNOLL!

The gutter is relative, I believe my mind is somewhere in the plane of sewage.

Machuchang

2012-09-28, 09:56 PM

Wait... is there a bush in the gutter? I BETTER NOT BE ON A GRASSY GNOLL!

You guys are making this so easy. :smalltongue:

Malak'ai

2012-09-28, 10:03 PM

D_Man: I do not want to know about your "Grassy Gnoll" :smalltongue:

Machuchang: Take your best shot :smallwink:

D_Man_7733

2012-09-28, 10:19 PM

Marlowe

2012-09-28, 11:55 PM

Hello again, Simba!:smallsmile:

Bear in mind that Verossa's only been on the front lines (or occasionally, owing to the chances of war, slightly in front of them) against the Covenant. Her experiences fighting them have been pretty nasty, and her mental picture of what's in their homefront is worse. She's definitely a little shell-shocked, and is using her basic optimism and affability as a crutch to keep herself together. She has no illusions as to how bad it could be where we're going.

Incidentally, what ARE the Covenanter armies like? Verossa would know. I've been working on a mix of terrorised conscripts and barbaric human and humanoid mercs supported by undead and summoned creatures, probably led by a few extremely powerful and selfish individuals. It's the standard "Evil" army setup.

I used to make jokes make in my HOTT days that "Good will always triumph over Evil, because Evil never bothers to train its infantry".

Malak'ai

2012-09-29, 12:40 AM

@ Malak'ai, I'll spare you the minor details, but let me just say there was a sword that had the ability to detect "good" (if you know what I mean)

I was referencing the hilarious story of Ed and the Gazebo, I am ashamed that you saw some sexual innuendo in that statement. :smalltongue:

I know what you were referencing, I just choose to ignore it :smalltongue:.

Hello again, Simba!:smallsmile:

Bear in mind that Verossa's only been on the front lines (or occasionally, owing to the chances of war, slightly in front of them) against the Covenant. Her experiences fighting them have been pretty nasty, and her mental picture of what's in their homefront is worse. She's definitely a little shell-shocked, and is using her basic optimism and affability as a crutch to keep herself together. She has no illusions as to how bad it could be where we're going.

Incidentally, what ARE the Covenanter armies like? Verossa would know. I've been working on a mix of terrorised conscripts and barbaric human and humanoid mercs supported by undead and summoned creatures, probably led by a few extremely powerful and selfish individuals. It's the standard "Evil" army setup.

I used to make jokes make in my HOTT days that "Good will always triumph over Evil, because Evil never bothers to train its infantry".

Pretty much this though maybe not so much of the undead (doesn't mean they aren't there though), except the core of the army is trained.

Wordplay

2012-09-29, 07:28 AM

@Malak'ai: Thanks for the back ground; that's all I needed. The impression I had was that it was pretty much like that. It's good to know, and I won't .push for any more info. (Just use Knowledge: Local checks in future)

As to how long Raif has been out of the controlled territory, that's up to you.
Seeing as adulthood for Human's starts at 18, Raif would have been 27 when The Covenant first came to power. They didn't automatically control all that territory, it was fought for or conquered via treachery.
Seeing as Raif's home town is in one of the areas that would have been taken over quiet early (say within the first 3, maybe 4 years), he could well have been in a town under their sway for many years.

It seems like the Covenant came to power roughly around the time Raif managed to buy himself from slavery and seize his former owners assets. (As a trusted slave, Raif would have been allowed to keep a little money. I imagined he invested it wisely (and crookedly) and saved up for himself, then bought up his owners debts through a series of fronts).

The confusion from the Covenant probably helped Raif more than anything, and he'd likely remember the years immediately after their takeover as the best time in his life! I guess he lived as a respected landowner under the Covenant for about 5 years, at which point he manumitted his slaves. (As one of the richest men in a small town, so basically allowed to do what he wanted, as long as he could keep playing the game well enough to stay on top). So Raif probably left home aged 32, wondered Covenant lands until 35, and has been outside their controlled territories for 7 years (although some of the former alliance held lands he travelled through will now be Covenant held). I think that clears it up, and reconciles everything nicely.:smallsmile:

Hmm...I hope all that extra detail is all OK. It's going to make it fun playing Raif, because, apart from his crazy theological beliefs, he really is from a different culture to the others.

Malak'ai

2012-09-29, 08:05 AM

Absolutely fine as long as you remember it, because I can't give garantees that I will :smalltongue:.

Malak'ai

2012-09-29, 08:23 AM

.... Damnit Wordplay... How can a character like Raif, who see's everything around him as a complete lie, come up with something so pure and elegant as what he just said? :smalleek:
(Incase you didn't guess, I liked it :smallbiggrin:)

D_Man_7733

2012-09-29, 08:34 PM

FINALLY, A NAT 20 SURVIVAL ROLL! Take that poison Ivy! I'm not eating you this time, or ever! :smallbiggrin:

Arranis Thelmos

2012-09-29, 09:09 PM

FINALLY, A NAT 20 SURVIVAL ROLL! Take that poison Ivy! I'm not eating you this time, or ever! :smallbiggrin:

*While mouth is full* "What was that Drayner, I couldn't hear you? Say, I found some tasty leaves over here, you want some?" :smallbiggrin:

D_Man_7733

2012-09-29, 09:13 PM

*While mouth is full* "What was that Drayner, I couldn't hear you? Say, I found some tasty leaves over here, you want some?" :smallbiggrin:

"what HALABUR NO! Your supposed to smoke it, like this see?" *Proceeds to stuff flaming leaves into mouth*

D_Man_7733

2012-09-29, 09:20 PM

I just had a look at my character sheet, and is that bird thing still visible? (How could I forget I had a spyglass... that thing I bought just for fun and never thought it would actually come in handy... how could I forget:smalltongue:)

Malak'ai

2012-09-29, 10:05 PM

No, the "bird-thing" has gone back over the other side of the mountain.

Malak'ai

2012-09-29, 10:44 PM

"what HALABUR NO! Your supposed to smoke it, like this see?" *Proceeds to stuff flaming leaves into mouth*

You take [roll0] fire damage to your mouth and throat, you are unable to talk, breathe, spit, eat or anything else you do with your mouth until healed :xykon:

Wordplay

2012-09-30, 02:58 PM

@Malak'ai: I'm glad you liked my earlier post. I had in mind those reformers who were initially jubilant over the French Revolution, then saw it gradually shift into a military dictatorship.

@D_Man: Careful with that burning brush! Raif's not made of cure wounds, you know. :smallbiggrin:

Malak'ai

2012-09-30, 10:16 PM

Okay, in the interest of speeding things up so we don't take almost a month to get through another day (and because no encounters come up when I rolled), do you guys mind skipping two days worth of travel? Don't want this to end up sounding like a Christopher Paolini novel with each day of riding through the wilderness with nothing else going on being explained in excruciating detail. Also gets us set up for Simba's introduction.

@Wordplay: That sort of character development sounds great. I see you're also integrating more 'normal' terminology and thinking :smallwink:.

D_Man_7733

2012-09-30, 10:22 PM

I'm fine with it, Just let it be known that if that bird thing would come into view again Drayner uses his spyglass to get a better look (everything in the spyglass is two times it's size).

Machuchang

2012-09-30, 11:28 PM

Sounds perfect to me! It's about time we met up with Simba and Maiali.

Marlowe

2012-10-01, 12:26 AM

I am throughly in favour of this having no similarity whatsoever with the efforts of that "I'm going to rip off the plot of Star Wars in a generic fantasy setting and amazingly hope people will not notice" hack.

Also, I've been struck with getting a good line for Verossa trying to figure out why Drayner's mouth is on fire.

And trying to explain why Verossa is a Classical Liberal.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-10-01, 07:27 AM

A generic fantasy setting, but the orcs are nicer than people 'cause humans are scumbags. With dragons. And a shoddy film.

Anyway, I'm fine with it. Gotta look over my spell list now, just in case. :smallwink:

Malak'ai

2012-10-01, 10:20 PM

Sorry for the wait guys, had trouble trying to figure out how to describe what I envisioned the camp looked like, also I could not for the life of me get inside the Dwarfs head! I wanted him to be surly and disgruntled about how his troops on the front are faring. Just keep in mind, he's been out here in the thick of it for a couple of years, he's lost friends, he doesn't get much sleep, and as you can tell, he hasn't had a chance for a decent wash in weeks.
So please, don't rip into me too much about him :smalltongue:.

Marlowe

2012-10-02, 02:44 AM

Obnoxious NPCs are bang up my street, to paraphrase the dizzy Novice.

((DON'T EXPLAIN THE JOKE: OK, explaining the joke, there was a book of cartoons that my mother was found of. It involved satirising Catholic Nuns and the things they say. My mother WAS a Catholic Nun for a short period and found it hysterical.

The funniest cartoon involved having a bright little Novice (trainee Nun) saying; "Oh, Existentialism? Bang up my street!" with a clueless smile.

The second funniest involved having an old, disillusioned looking Nun looking hopelessly at her fellows and saying "Sweet of you to suggest it Sister, But I Hate my favourite hymn tune".

Maybe you had to be there.))

EDIT: Verossa's gotta stop bringing up that "retreat from Barnflaed" thing soon, because I'm getting tired of it. But it's the relevant thing right now, so, sorry everyone?

Malak'ai

2012-10-02, 06:49 AM

Hmmm... Just noticed I still have errors with the "Dwarven accent" popping up now an then.
If you notice the continued inconsistency, don't worry, I just missed it when I made my edits. I type everything out normally then go back and hack letters off here and there, or change them completely.
If I don't notice them on the first go, I'll notice them on the 2nd or 3rd or 4th... Hell... I re-read all my posts nearly everytime I post just to double check I haven't screwed myself over because I had forgotten something :smallbiggrin:.

This announcement was brought to you by Bored Sleepless Guy International. Have a nice night :smallbiggrin:.
Now, back to the regularly scheduled programme.

Wordplay

2012-10-02, 03:26 PM

Had a health issue lately, same as what Verossa described would happen from eating the red berries. May be some time before I'm back on form. Posting might be sporadic/delirious.

Malak'ai

2012-10-02, 08:14 PM

Sorry to hear that Wordplay. Keep your fluids up and make sure you get as much sleep as you can.

Malak'ai

2012-10-03, 01:33 AM

Okay, I think I have to clear something up because I obviously wasn't clear in the post where Talhruamy laid out his plan.

The Dwarves attack to the north, which is going to happen tomorrow (IC time) is the distraction to allow you guys to slip through the enemy lines when there are very few of them left in the camps.
The Dwarves here are NOT making the attack. Those that are left here at the barricades are only here to keep up a show of strength and to not leave the lines unmanned.
There's less than 200 soldiers spread over the whole position, and most of them are wounded in some way or another so even if they wanted to, they wouldn't be able to make a sizable attack anyway.

Marlowe

2012-10-03, 01:50 AM

That does help, thank you. Although I reserve the right to have Verossa get annoyed with people when they insult her instead of providing info.

Malak'ai

2012-10-03, 02:11 AM

Have at him with the insults. He's your typical old soldier, he'll give as good as he gets (or as good as I can think of :smalltongue:).
Also, it's be nice to hear from some other people :smalltongue:.

Simba, you'll be coming into it shortly, I'll PM you a bit later when I finalize my plans for how to introduce you.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-10-06, 08:57 AM

Forums are back! YAAAY! We'll celebrate by watching Frankenweenie, courtesy of Paragnome Pictures and 20th Century Illusionist.

Wordplay

2012-10-06, 09:51 AM

@Arranis: I second that!

@Marlowe: Heh, I don't think all Verossa's stories end the same way - that's a thought Raif had, that he was a little too afraid to voice.

@Malak'ai: Thanks for the good wishes, I'm much better now.

Wordplay

2012-10-08, 06:32 PM

See, I know Elenora speaks Orcish, but Raif doesn't.

Malak'ai

2012-10-09, 01:37 AM

So you have a plan... Now what can I do to put a huge spanner through the spokes :xykon:.

D_Man_7733

2012-10-10, 02:45 AM

You shouldn't do that just to put a spanner in the works, at least make it a tactical error on our part so we can improve... or roll it and judge the failure... if you purposely screw us over do we get story experience for complying :smalltongue:

Malak'ai

2012-10-10, 04:57 AM

Wordplay

2012-10-10, 02:52 PM

@Malak'ai: Sorry to hear about that, I hope that everything's OK, and that it all works out.

D_Man_7733

2012-10-10, 04:17 PM

Malak'ai: damn, I hope everything get's cleared up soon.

WOW, that's a nice set of disguise rolls, I didn't even notice how horrible the base roll was for the first one.

Machuchang

2012-10-10, 05:22 PM

@Malak'ai: Oh geez. Hope everything gets better for you and your fan soon!

Wordplay

2012-10-10, 06:48 PM

@D_Man: We got a one and a two. The annoying thing is, if Halabur uses disguise self, and we assume it's a DC 20, then Raif and Raif alone would fail the dratted check! By one, because it's a +17 modifier.

Let's hope it's not a DC 20. It's not even as though Malak'ai needs to do anything to put a spoke in our wheel: the plan relies on Elenora making untrained Bluff checks. We can do a bit with circumstance bonus and support magic, but it's still going to be a tough set of rolls.

Hmm...perhaps if they detect a lie, we argue we were sent to test them?

Marlowe

2012-10-11, 03:49 AM

Would I intentually screw you over? :belkar:.

Just to let you guys know, the brown smelly stuff has hit the shiny spinny thing on the cieling at home. Because of this I might be staying with a friend for a little while and wont have access to the net (other than my phone), so my replies will be short (sometimes badly spelt... Well more than normal), if I'm actually able to reply.

I can only say I hope things get better.:smalleek:

I actually bought a new Laptop today, but it'll be an uphill fight to get it reset to English, copy all my stuff over from the old one, get a home internet connection and download the things I like to have.

Malak'ai

2012-10-11, 04:56 AM

I can only say I hope things get better.:smalleek:

I actually bought a new Laptop today, but it'll be an uphill fight to get it reset to English, copy all my stuff over from the old one, get a home internet connection and download the things I like to have.

Well Karen and I are talking again (kinda). Joe still hasn't said a word to me though so I think that's progress.

Also Woohoo! Good luck on finding someone to change things over for you.

Simba

2012-10-11, 05:18 AM

Just to let you guys know, the brown smelly stuff has hit the shiny spinny thing on the cieling at home. Because of this I might be staying with a friend for a little while and wont have access to the net (other than my phone), so my replies will be short (sometimes badly spelt... Well more than normal), if I'm actually able to reply.

I hope you will be able to sort things out. I have something of a similar kind behind me (and damn, I miss the kids) and I don't want anyone to go through the same kind of smelly, brown stuff. Not even my enemies...

So, heads up, all the best to you all!

D_Man_7733

2012-10-11, 06:26 AM

@Wordplay, Going by my disguise's we I beat the DC 20 because of Halabur's disguise roll, he also rolled the disguise though, so I'm not sure how it works?

Arranis Thelmos

2012-10-11, 07:12 AM

Going back I see you made a disguise roll for me, I'm not sure what to do here either.

Marlowe

2012-10-11, 07:18 AM

Just posting to let you know I'm posting from my own computer, via wireless from the school office.

Also, have discovered that a lot of the cuter female teachers effectively LIVE in this place during the week. After school they get out their little portabe cookers, eat in the foyer, and crash in the back room.:smalleek:

Malak'ai

2012-10-11, 07:45 AM

Wordplay

2012-10-11, 08:07 AM

@Arranis & D_Man: I say we just throw rolls and modifiers at it, and let Malak'ai sort it out somehow. I guess theoretically, and I wish I'd thought of it earlier, we have the time to take 10, or possibly even 20 on the disguise checks.

If we'd done that, with our ridiculous modifiers, we could all beat DC 30, depending on whom we had do the checks.

@Marlowe: Huh, that's weird. Do they bring in extra clothes, or just wear the same thing all week?

Malak'ai

2012-10-11, 08:40 AM

Okay, back home.
Had to sneak back in as it's the middle of the night and everyone else is asleep.
Will be going to bed shortly as I haven't slept in over 48 hours and have to go out tomorrow morning (this morning?).

I'll take a look at the disguise rules and Disguise Self spell before I do go and see if I can figure out what you guys are actually doing as all those rolls are making my head spin.

Malak'ai

2012-10-11, 09:48 PM

Alright. I've looked at the Disguise rules and the Disguise Self spell.
There is no DC you need to reach for Disguise, you just need to roll high.
As for Disguise Self, yes, it does give a +10 to disguise checks, but it ONLY lasts 10mins/level. So it would only last 30 minutes.

Marlowe

2012-10-12, 03:27 AM

@Marlowe: Huh, that's weird. Do they bring in extra clothes, or just wear the same thing all week?

Mixture of both, although there's usually laundry hanging out the window of their "barracks" and they're certainly not unkempt. Chinese people do seem to change clothes less frequently than us.

They told me they do this because their homes are so far away. Trouble is the town's not that big. It may be more a case of them not having their own transportation, and wandering around alone at night, or taking a taxi alone, is dangerous for pretty young women in asia.

The school isn't usually open mornings, so I'd make a guess that they go home then to freshen up.

Marlowe

2012-10-13, 10:04 PM

Haha, looks like you need a sleeping bag and to learn how to cook :smalltongue:.

It inspired me to buy a rice cooker. :smallwink: Those things come in very handy.

Machuchang

2012-10-13, 11:37 PM

@Marlowe: Oh dude, rice cookers are the best! As a starving Asian college student, that little device has basically kept me alive for a year straight. :smallbiggrin:

Malak'ai

2012-10-14, 01:29 AM

It inspired me to buy a rice cooker. :smallwink: Those things come in very handy.

As long as you don't do what my cousin Rebbecca did when she was in Japan for a year... Smothering the rice in Vegemite :smalleek::smallyuk:.

@Machuchang: Not only poor Asian students... I lived off a rice cooker for about a year when I was studying the first time... Mine you, I didn't just do rice. Steams veges brilliantly, also did wontons and pasta bloody well.
Damn I miss that rice cooker... Stupid cow of an ex-fiance took it with her when she moved out :smallfurious:.

Marlowe

2012-10-14, 02:31 AM

Naturally, if you use a Rice cooker just do rice you are really missing out.

Smothering Rice in Vegemite is not actually that bad an idea. I remember using marmite as a flavouring agent back when I was a student and couldn't even afford condiments.

What I usually put with Rice is Turmeric, which is a pain as I have just discovered that not only can you not buy that here, but Chinese does not even have a word for it.

Well, OK. There's a word for it. That word also means "Ginger". Which is ubiquitous. So ask for turmeric and they keep trying to sell you ginger. I need an Indian or SE Asian food store, and I'm not sure this place would have any.:smalleek:

Malak'ai

2012-10-14, 02:51 AM

Malak'ai

2012-10-14, 04:41 AM

Well either my google-fu is really weak or there is actually no Dwarven word for 'Scum', which is quite strange really as it is generally considered one of the main words Dwarves use when referring to Orc's.

Wordplay

2012-10-14, 08:57 AM

Maybe they use the common 'scum' as a loan work. :smallsmile:

Wordplay

2012-10-14, 05:38 PM

@Malak'ai: Ahh, good. So everything's alright. On a critical fail. Now I really am worried. Too bad Raif's reassured. :smallsmile:

Malak'ai

2012-10-14, 05:52 PM

Doesn't help that I rolled a nat 1 either :smalltongue:. And when do camp cooks have any type of Wisdom bonus? :smallwink:

Malak'ai

2012-10-14, 05:57 PM

Also Wordplay, I just noticed when seeing what languages you all speak, that your selling yourself short. You have an INT of 14 which gives you 2 bonus languages, but you only have 1. Common is automatic for Humans.

Wordplay

2012-10-14, 06:48 PM

@Malak'ai: :smalleek: I'm short two bonus languages? I didn't realise you got bonus languages for a positive INT modifier. (I keep losing the page that has that on. Spent hours looking for it the other day to work out bonus spells).

It really is two, because Celestial is a class feature - it's my bonus language for Cleric. Can I take goblin and orc for free when Raif next levels? It's been established that he doesn't speak them, but that he is trying to learn them. I was planning on taking them anyway, but hopefully now I can take them and also have skill points to spend. :smallredface:

Oh, also, didn't we disguise Verossa as a human barbarian tribeswoman? I'm pretty sure we rolled for her somewhere...

Malak'ai

2012-10-14, 06:58 PM

@Wordplay: No, just the one, Celestial counts as one of your bonus languages.

SRD/Classes/Cleric:
Bonus Languages

A cleric’s bonus language options include Celestial, Abyssal, and Infernal (the languages of good, chaotic evil, and lawful evil outsiders, respectively). These choices are in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of his race.*
*Emphasis mine.

And you get one bonus language for each point of INT bonus, so for you, with an INT bonus of +2 you get 2 bonus languages, for Halabur, with INT 18 (+4) he gets 4 bonus languages.

You can take either Orcish or Goblinoid free when you go up to level 4, you'll still have to spend the skill points to get the other.

And even if Varossa is dressed as a barbarian woman, she's still human coming from the direction of the Coalition lines, which will make her target number one unless the party can convince anyone who inquires that she's a Covenanter

Wordplay

2012-10-14, 07:12 PM

@Malak'ai: Ah, OK. Well, glad it's sorted. Yeah, I thought the dwarf might be thinking that. The invisibility spell should work. I'm not casting it just yet, as I wanted to wait until D_Man and Marlowe had a chance to protest leaving the camp.

Malak'ai

2012-10-14, 07:20 PM

No worries.
And seeing as your Disguise Self spell has a duration of 30 minutes (7 of which have already gone) it might be wise to head out pretty soon. Still being broad daylight isn't going to help either.

Wordplay

2012-10-16, 06:34 PM

@Malak'ai: IC do we know which camp is the Orcs' and which one is the Hobgoblins'?

Malak'ai

2012-10-16, 08:09 PM

@Wordplay: Yes you do. The Dwarf that showed you the map told you. OOC thread, page 19, bottom of post #557.

Wordplay

2012-10-16, 08:23 PM

@Malak'ai: Ah, thanks, I thought I remembered something about that, but I couldn't find it.

Marlowe

2012-10-17, 05:25 AM

I know we're all dressed as Stoned Crows, but I thought I was supposed to be invisible?

Roll on next level. Being a 1/3 caster isn't much fun really.

Malak'ai

2012-10-17, 05:27 AM

@Marlowe: You are, it was in the first spoiler in Wordplay's second to last post.

Marlowe

2012-10-17, 05:37 AM

In that case I feel less silly. I'm not in the dress am I?

Malak'ai

2012-10-17, 05:40 AM

I don't remember you ever stating that Verossa actually put it on... And I'm not sure if any of the others actually helped you with any sort of disguise :smalleek:.

Marlowe

2012-10-17, 05:41 AM

And in answer to your old question. I can't remember ever saying I can't cook, but if I did it might have been in the highly idiosyncratic sense of "I can't cook right now, because I don't have the ingrediants I like and I'm not raiding mum's kitchen".

I've been in at least two flats where I was the designated kitchen-b---h, not that I was great at it, but everyone else was significantly worse. And in both cases people started assuming that because I was doing the cooking I should be doing all the cleaning as well.

Malak'ai

2012-10-17, 05:46 AM

Ah, must have mis-heard you then.
Anyway, no worries and glad to hear you have home internet again.

Wordplay

2012-10-17, 05:55 AM

@Marlowe: I hate it when you do a favour like that for people and then they start taking it for granted. I hate washing up myself - used to sometimes be able to trade extra cooking for washing up, but the people I lived with were good cooks who liked to share their food, so I had to up my game a bit.

By the way, is Verossa mounted, or on foot at the moment? I thought that she would be on Fighter so that we could all cross mounted. Just in case it didn't come out clearly, Raif tied Fighter's reins to Filofax so that he could lead Fighter and Verossa across, because if Verossa held the reins it would be apparent there was an invisible rider. That was the intention anyway, sorry if you'd already got this.

Malak'ai

2012-10-17, 06:08 AM

I was lucky in one of my flats. One of the b$#@hes only ever ate take aways (our rubbish bin was full of KFC boxes, Macca's/BK wrappers, chinese containers or rolled up paper from fish & chips every time I had to take the rubbish down the 67 steps from the house to the road) and the other not so b$#@hy one didn't eat at home all that often, maybe once or twice a week so I was basically washing up after myself... One dinner plate, a knife and fork and one glass could last a whole week if you rinsed them properly :smalltongue:.

Marlowe

2012-10-17, 06:21 AM

D_Man_7733

2012-10-17, 04:09 PM

Verossa mounts Fighter. And there has to be a better way of phrasing that.

Come on... it's JUST A WORD PEOPLE!

Arranis Thelmos

2012-10-17, 06:57 PM

"If it's just a word, you're using it wrong." - Wil Wheaton. PAX 2011 Live Dnd game.

D_Man_7733

2012-10-17, 07:59 PM

:smallbiggrin: Nice...

Machuchang

2012-10-17, 08:07 PM

Wil Wheaton is law. :smalltongue:

Malak'ai

2012-10-17, 08:38 PM

Wil Wheaton is law. :smalltongue:

*Obligitory Sheldon Cooper type comment about how Will Wheaton is a hack*
Never did like ST: Next Generation... Except for Data, he was hillerious (and wow, my spelling is really horrible today).

Simba

2012-10-17, 08:53 PM

/me is busy waiting :)

Malak'ai

2012-10-17, 09:59 PM

Oops, sorry Simba. We do get side-tracked sometimes.
Okay guys, play times over, lets get this show on the road. :smallsmile:

Marlowe

2012-10-17, 11:00 PM

Yeah, time to begin our brutal and relentless genocide against anything Elven and anything duel-wielding.:smallbiggrin:

Malak'ai

2012-10-17, 11:33 PM

Yeah, time to begin our brutal and relentless genocide against anything Elven and anything duel-wielding.:smallbiggrin:

Ummm... Not unless your alignment changes dramatically and you switch sides to the other team.

Marlowe

2012-10-17, 11:35 PM

I haven't really decided which team Verossa plays for...

Machuchang

2012-10-17, 11:35 PM

Alrighty! Let's get this party started! Here's hoping Eleanora's doesn't get us all killed right off the bat!

Malak'ai

2012-10-17, 11:38 PM

I haven't really decided which team Verossa plays for...

Okay... I deserve that... I was meaning it in the clean way, Covenant vs Coalition :smalleek:.

D_Man_7733

2012-10-18, 02:31 AM

I assume Raif is in the lead, this wasn't the exact setup I was suspecting... so I'm not sure the best way to go about it...you can't hide with horses, so I just assumed we would be traveling at 40' a second straight through the middle? I might be wrong, if I am please correct me, Raif seemed to be taking the lead on this one organisation-wise, so I assumed he was in front leading the "charge".

Malak'ai

2012-10-18, 02:45 AM

Wordplay did say Raif was angling towards the Orc camp.
Also as far as I know, Raif only tied Fighters reins to his saddle and started started out from the gates, didn't make any mention of leading the party.
Frankly, IMO, it'd be better to have someone who speaks Orcish up the front but that's up to you guys.

D_Man_7733

2012-10-18, 02:45 AM

Isnt't the only person who speaks Orcish invisible?

Malak'ai

2012-10-18, 02:49 AM

Nope, last I checked, Verossa only speaks Common.
Eleanora and Halabur speak Orcish, but as I said, it's up to you guys who you have up front.

Marlowe

2012-10-18, 04:34 AM

Malak'ai

2012-10-18, 05:20 AM

Given our cover story, we might want to look as though we're more scared of what's behind us than in front. So we need to be sneaky but not look as though we're trying to be sneaky.

I don't know, sneak casual.

Either sneaky or in a hurry. If you're all moving as quickly as you can (even with the movement difference between horse and pony) you'll stand out, but you'll stand out in a way that the enemy might confuse with either fear or dire need to report back to someone inparticular.

As the old saying goes; Look and act like you should be somewhere you're not supposed to be and people wont ask questions.

Arranis Thelmos

2012-10-18, 08:12 AM

Given that both Eleanora and I speak Orc, should I be the face because lying wont go against my scruples?

Marlowe

2012-10-18, 08:50 AM

Remember the cover story's includes a lot of Literal truths. We did deliver a Bard to the goblins, we did come here to discover the timing of the dwarven attack (not our primary mission, it is was something we came here to find out), we are spies, and Verossa is a large violent person that wants to not attract attention.:smallsmile:

Wordplay

2012-10-18, 09:30 AM

The only reason I didn't go with Halabur initially is that I figured the Orcs might not view a goblin as equal, or even high status enough to talk with them. I figured it would come better from a fellow Orc, with Halabur filling in once Elenora's established as spokesorc.

I'm wondering if I could use disguise Self to make it look as though Raif has no tongue...to help explain why he's silent.

Raif headed towards the orc camp because it's not really possible to hide, so I was aiming for us to look scared of what's behind us. I'm hoping that we can just ride past with a few shouted explanations. Raif's riding at the watchtower, on the assumption that they're less likely to attack something that looks as though it's trying to gain their attention. (Could be wrong, but I figured if we tried to go straight through the gap they'd almost certainly attack us).

In grid references my plan was to go forward to AG20, then diagonally until Y12/X11, so we can hail the watchtower. Raif's only got the horses moving at a canter, so I guess for convenience we're moving at 40ft per round. Definitely want to be going faster than a trot, but if we're going a long way, (which is our cover story) horses wouldn't be able to keep up a gallop for very long. I'm not sure if Raif is in the lead, I've no problem if anyone else wants to - I was just trying to move things along.

@Simba: Sorry it's taking a while. I've been trying to move us on as quickly as possible.

@Malak'ai: Are we only going to pick up Simba when we get across? I'd been wondering if we were going to pick him up on the front lines, or as a prisoner of the orcs. I wouldn't normally ask, but if we know we can try and hurry to the point where we meet him.