[OOC] Troubles in Otori PF2

[Xihirli]

Beginning with Menace Below Otori from the Pathfinder 2E Beginner's Box, Troubles in Otori takes characters from first to fifth level.

Otari is a lumber town and trade port with a storied past that was founded by a group of adventurers over 400 years ago. Today, the town is a prosperous community and one of the most influential along the coast of the Isle of Kortos.
Though day-to-day life in Otari is much like that of any small town, its skyline stands out due to the enormous waterwheel at the town’s eastern edge, the ingenious and enormous flume that brings lumber down the cliffside for easy transportation.
About 1,240 people live in Otari, drawn from all over the world. While most of these residents are humans, some dwarves and elves also live here. Most of the town’s residents work in the local fishing and lumber industries.

This takes place in the world of Golarian, we'll discuss if we want to use any Variant Rules once we've gathered the players.

IC thread

[davyjones]

Tigerpaw is a catfolk aesthetic who travels from town-to-town on a journey of exploration, and uses prize fighting as a way to make a little coin on the way. He's fascinated by the small-but-thriving lumber town he finds himself in at the moment, and revels in the culture to be found there.

[Bobthewizard]

Depending on what everyone else wants to play, I'm open to playing either a fighter or a sorcerer, leaning towards fighter if it works for the party.

Are we using gradual ability increases and/or free archetype?

[Xihirli]

That's open to discussion. Generally I always recommend to people trying out new system without too many variant rules so practice-what-I-preach time but what are players thinking?

[Bobthewizard]

I'm fine keeping it simple since we're learning a new system.

[Valmark]

Yilverth Sunefrinys on the run from his country.

Personally I'm fine with either, though to get a gauge of how characters work at base it's probably better to keep it without alternative rules.

That said, gradual ability increases make the growth in power of characters more distribuited without actually changing it, so I'd love to use them.

Also I'm taking this speech color if we're already picking them.

[Xihirli]

Alright, good notes.
We have one more player left to arrive.

[Valmark]

Depending on what everyone else wants to play, I'm open to playing either a fighter or a sorcerer, leaning towards fighter if it works for the party.

Are we using gradual ability increases and/or free archetype?

Btw if it helps deciding I plan on taking lots of Medicine skill feats to help out with healing.

[Bobthewizard]

Are you sure you both want to play monks in a 4 person party? Are they both melee?

[Xihirli]

I'm sure the adventure won't fall apart if I have to add in a few more healing potions.

[Valmark]

Are you sure you both want to play monks in a 4 person party? Are they both melee?

Seems like it. The only other character I have mostly ready is an evil spellcaster gnoll which kinda sounds like something that isn't going to fit in with the group :v

Besides, a couple frontliners that can also sneak together are going to be helpful to one another.

I'm sure the adventure won't fall apart if I have to add in a few more healing potions.

Inflation, truly the greatest cause of adventure failure.

[davyjones]

I'm all for erring on the side of the core rules vs. optional rules as folks learn the system.

And I'd really prefer to keep my monk intact (especially since the monk was invited to join this game, and I'm just along for the ride ;) ).

[ahyangyi]

Re-posting Adriel, human sylph sorcerer.

I was hesitating posting the character here because I probably needed to change the background; freed slave is a Streets of Absalom campiagn background, and I feel I need something else for Otori. I'll make the change soon, though.

Optional archetype kicks in at level 2 though. While I lack any system mastery at this moment, I think I should be able to pick something after one level of gameplay. Hence I support free archetype. As for gradual ability increases, I honestly don't understand what problem it's trying to solve.

[Valmark]

Mmm, suddenly wondering if the Elven Branched Spear may be more fun after all.

Hence I support free archetype. As for gradual ability increases, I honestly don't understand what problem it's trying to solve.

I'd say it's there for two reasons- style, because GAIs let you grow in the same level of power but faster and less at a time, which means you're getting your powers frontloaded- conversely, by doing this the levels 5/10/15/20 and possibly the levels 4/9/14/19 are likely to feel more underwhelming because you already picked your most important ASIs by then.

The other reason is that for characters that need to get better stats ASAP GAIs work a lot better. For example I've tanked my Str and Con- there's a world of difference between getting to 5ft level with 12 str and 10 con and getting 14 str at 2nd and 12 con at 3rd and getting to 5th level that way.

[ahyangyi]

Ah, it's more about "I trust the GM to balance encounters". So if everyone gets an ability score bump at level 2, then I assume everyone would bump their primary stat, getting better at hitting and critting, and then the GM would balance accordingly.

Anyway, I don't oppose GAI either. I just feel the numerical adjustments aren't exciting either way.

[Valmark]

Ah, it's more about "I trust the GM to balance encounters". So if everyone gets an ability score bump at level 2, then I assume everyone would bump their primary stat, getting better at hitting and critting, and then the GM would balance accordingly.

Anyway, I don't oppose GAI either. I just feel the numerical adjustments aren't exciting either way.

Yeah, at the end of the day a +2/+1 isn't exciting by itself although you can use it to classify for prerequisites (say, if you have 14 str/12 con you can boost con to 14 at 2nd and immediately grab a barbarian devotion, rather then wait for 6th, something like that).

But it's something you need to know at character creation to plan for.

Funnily unless someone made a less specialized character you probably ain't bumping your primary score up. If you start with an 18 you're only getting to 20 at 6th level (or 10th with standard rules) so with gradual ASIs it's likely to be your 5th level one.

EDIT: 'cause if I recall correctly any ASI beyond 18 only increases by +1.

[Bobthewizard]

I didn't want to add a fighter to a party that already has two monks, and I'm not quite ready to tackle a cleric build, so here's Gorak, orc paladin champion.

He'll speak in dark green.

Let me know if that's ok, Xhirli, since that's not what I submitted to the other game.

[Xihirli]

All good, any class that you’re willing to put up with the complexity of is fine.

Once I’m off work I’ll get up an IC.

As for an escaped slave, a small middle of nowhere fishing village isn’t the worst place to run.

[Xihirli]

And we're live.

[ahyangyi]

As for an escaped slave, a small middle of nowhere fishing village isn’t the worst place to run.

I just looked at the map and saw how close Otori was to Absalom, I guess I don't even need to change the background story then. Anyway, for mechanical reasons (wanted more dexterity) I changed the background to Servant, which also fits the previously written background.

EDIT: wait, I just read the blurb, are we all going to be Otori locals?

[Xihirli]

Nah, but I will say you've all been here for at least a month. If that's okay with everyone.

[Valmark]

Nah, but I will say you've all been here for at least a month. If that's okay with everyone.

Yeah, I can work with that.

[davyjones]

I'm usually a navy blue type, but I think I'll go with saddle brown for Tigerpaw's text

[ahyangyi]

Grabbing the blue color then, also buy a shield.

[Bobthewizard]

Nice job on the intro posts everyone. I'm excited to see where these 4 characters can go.

Do any of your characters have any mechanical effects the team needs to know about?

For the champion class, I recommend you stay within 15' of me. If you get attacked within 15', I can use my reaction to give you some resistance and to attack whoever tried to hit you.

I assume we try to make a three person wall that bad guys can't get through to attack the sorcerer. If the room is only 10' wide then it's monks in front with me right behind since I have 10' reach. Plus, I think monks are pretty awesome with the best AC and flurry for two strikes with one action. This will be fun to se them in action.

[Valmark]

Do any of your characters have any mechanical effects the team needs to know about?

I don't think so, the only thing that comes to mind is that Yilverth's spear can't be used for flurrying until level 2.

[davyjones]

Tigerpaw is built as an unarmed combatant. He has a sling, but that's pretty much the only weapon he carries. I figured he'll be at his best when paired up with Yil, as Bob suggested, or when he's behind the guy fighting Gorak.

[ahyangyi]

Adriel should be fighting from afar. I’ll try to avoid getting attacked, though my lack of system mastery might get in the way.

The defensive plans are 1) run away 2) Raise a Shield and 3) noxious vapors to get concealment.

The utility aspects of him is also lacking, Detect Magic and Read Lips and that's it.

[Valmark]

Valmark there's no point in posting if you forget to roll (1d20+5)[24]

[Bobthewizard]

Gorak initiative (1d20+3)[8]