At the Adventurers' Table: Chapter Sixteen

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus Tagimus Maximus!

Hey Gang? If there is a minor delay on my posting, I'm working out something behind the scenes. =)

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Ohai! Just caught up on all my reading and I'm intrigued to know more about this Highwindian Master Rogue? Purr

Captain Hesperus

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus

I'm going to make a try at leveling Otiorin for Cap'n. My ever-restless ADHD brain is not letting me sleep, so... I may as well try to do some good with it. =)

Otiorin, using the blue d8 Cap'n called for long ago, rolled a... 1. But in Sharseya, I long-ago altered to rules so that PCs reroll 1s and rolling again we come up with... 5! This means Otiorin with his Daughters of Summertime-improved Constitution now has a grand total of 98 Hit Points! Not bad at all for a Sorcerer/Rogue, wouldn't you say? =)
- Otiorin's Base Attack at becoming a 6th Level Rogue increases by 1! This puts his Base Attack Bonus at +7/+2, his Melee Attack at +8/+3, and his Ranged Attack up to+11/+6!
- His Saving Throws improved too. All three of them! With his other bonuses, he now enjoys Fortitude Saving Throws at +7, Reflex Saves at +11, and Will Saving Throws at +7.
- He takes on another Rogue Talent and here is where I need to focus upon where I think Cap'n wants to take Oti. Since he's been going offensive in melee, let's take Weapon Training and bestow upon him Weapon Focus in short swords (which he clearly fancies). Never know when that +1 "to hit" might make the difference.
- Otiorin's 6th Level in Rogue also bumps his trap sense to +2. Handy that.
- Oti gains 9 Skill Points. Perception is sometimes the difference between life and death, so he gains 3 there bringing him to 10 Ranks. 3 more into Thievery as he is increasing in Rogue this time. And let's see how much further he can get with his Signature Ability Silver Eyes, Silver Tongue when he gets 3 more Skill Points into Deception (formerly Bluff), putting it to 13 Ranks along with his Thievery. There's a more-potent Rogue here. =)
- Otiorin's 13th Level Character Feat is still something of a mystery. I believe Cap'n said he wanted to improve on Oti's Two-Weapon Fighting, but that particular Feat automatically improves itself thanks to the rules I set down months ago. So how about Vital Strike? That Feat comes into play dealing twice the normal damage on one Attack per Round regardless if he's attempting a Sneak Attack or not. And hey, why should Fighters have all of the fun? He qualifies the +6 Base Attack Bonus. Vital Strike it is. =)

- My memory reminds me that we recently took the Spell Gravity Bow out of the game for the sake of balance. Well... that's a Spell Otiorin had as a Sorcerer too. So... what to replace it with? Well... how about True Strike? If Otiorin can use that Spell as part of his Sneak Attack preparation, the chances of him missing drop incredibly, plus Concealment cannot protect the target. A +20 Insight bonus to both his Sneak Attack and his Bleeding ability? That sounds properly Otiorin-level nasty. Yes. Let's give that a shot, shall we?

And Cap'n? If something here is not to your liking, do let me know! Oti is your Character after all. =)

I think I covered everything? Time to try for sleep again. See you, friends! =)

 

[Purr]

Otiorin Taletreader has been updated in the Character section. =)

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Captain Hesperus

I'm going to make a try at leveling Otiorin for Cap'n. My ever-restless ADHD brain is not letting me sleep, so... I may as well try to do some good with it. =)

Otiorin, using the blue d8 Cap'n called for long ago, rolled a... 1. But in Sharseya, I long-ago altered to rules so that PCs reroll 1s and rolling again we come up with... 5! This means Otiorin with his Daughters of Summertime-improved Constitution now has a grand total of 98 Hit Points! Not bad at all for a Sorcerer/Rogue, wouldn't you say? =)
- Otiorin's Base Attack at becoming a 6th Level Rogue increases by 1! This puts his Base Attack Bonus at +7/+2, his Melee Attack at +8/+3, and his Ranged Attack up to+11/+6!
- His Saving Throws improved too. All three of them! With his other bonuses, he now enjoys Fortitude Saving Throws at +7, Reflex Saves at +11, and Will Saving Throws at +7.
- He takes on another Rogue Talent and here is where I need to focus upon where I think Cap'n wants to take Oti. Since he's been going offensive in melee, let's take Weapon Training and bestow upon him Weapon Focus in short swords (which he clearly fancies). Never know when that +1 "to hit" might make the difference.
- Otiorin's 6th Level in Rogue also bumps his trap sense to +2. Handy that.
- Oti gains 9 Skill Points. Perception is sometimes the difference between life and death, so he gains 3 there bringing him to 10 Ranks. 3 more into Thievery as he is increasing in Rogue this time. And let's see how much further he can get with his Signature Ability Silver Eyes, Silver Tongue when he gets 3 more Skill Points into Deception (formerly Bluff), putting it to 13 Ranks along with his Thievery. There's a more-potent Rogue here. =)
- Otiorin's 13th Level Character Feat is still something of a mystery. I believe Cap'n said he wanted to improve on Oti's Two-Weapon Fighting, but that particular Feat automatically improves itself thanks to the rules I set down months ago. So how about Vital Strike? That Feat comes into play dealing twice the normal damage on one Attack per Round regardless if he's attempting a Sneak Attack or not. And hey, why should Fighters have all of the fun? He qualifies the +6 Base Attack Bonus. Vital Strike it is. =)

- My memory reminds me that we recently took the Spell Gravity Bow out of the game for the sake of balance. Well... that's a Spell Otiorin had as a Sorcerer too. So... what to replace it with? Well... how about True Strike? If Otiorin can use that Spell as part of his Sneak Attack preparation, the chances of him missing drop incredibly, plus Concealment cannot protect the target. A +20 Insight bonus to both his Sneak Attack and his Bleeding ability? That sounds properly Otiorin-level nasty. Yes. Let's give that a shot, shall we?

And Cap'n? If something here is not to your liking, do let me know! Oti is your Character after all. =)

I think I covered everything? Time to try for sleep again. See you, friends! =)

Loving the sound of all of this, thank you for your hard work, Dann!

Captain Hesperus

 

[Kaerri]

- He takes on another Rogue Talent and here is where I need to focus upon where I think Cap'n wants to take Oti. Since he's been going offensive in melee, let's take Weapon Training and bestow upon him Weapon Focus in short swords (which he clearly fancies). Never know when that +1 "to hit" might make the difference.

This applies to his Elven Thornblades, right? Reading the description of them, they sound like short swords to me.

 

[Purr]

Loving the sound of all of this, thank you for your hard work, Dann!

You're welcome! It's a labor of love. Really glad you like it! =)

This applies to his Elven Thornblades, right? Reading the description of them, they sound like short swords to me.

Yes. =)

 

[Captain Hesperus]

You're welcome! It's a labor of love. Really glad you like it! =)


Yes. =)

With this I shall soon ascend to the power I truely desire:


Captain Hesperus

 

[Purr]

Action-packed action! Suspense! Thrilling adventure! And... just... silliness. =)

I'm moving slowly today, but I'm moving! And little moments like those add happiness to my day. Thank you, Cap'n! *hugs*

 

[Purr]

Heya Gang! I hope to post within the next 48 hours. Stay safe and have fun!

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Unashamedly stole this to share here:



Captain Hesperus

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus Kaerri Psychie Sherwood

Heya Gang! It's been almost a week and there have been no in-game posts.

We kin haz posts, plz?

 

[Kaerri]

Soon (TM)

 

[Purr]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Sherwood

Heya Gang!

Are the Wayward Wanderers wanting to do something else inside Highwind or are they ready to go on the module? If you want to buy additional tools or weapons or whatnot, now is the time.

If instead they are ready for the module, then I'll have a certain kobold appear at the Wayward Wagon (or you guys can meet him).

The party will then shortly leave Highwind. But once you leave, I don't think you'll be back anytime soon.

At this time, I have an encounter concerning Jaydude's Alisa ready to play. It takes place outside of Highwind. Jaydude, when you are comfortable with Alisa, let me know and I'll give that encounter the green light. Until then, have no worries; it's on hold.

Questions, comments, etc.?

 

[Kaerri]

Kaerri is ready.

 

[Psychie]

I'm all set.

 

[jaydude]

Captain Hesperus jaydude Kaerri Psychie Sherwood
At this time, I have an encounter concerning Jaydude's Alisa ready to play. It takes place outside of Highwind. Jaydude, when you are comfortable with Alisa, let me know and I'll give that encounter the green light. Until then, have no worries; it's on hold.

Thanks. Yeah, been meaning to complete Alisa, but sometimes had trouble finding the time and/or motivation.

 

[Purr]

jaydude Heya Your Jaydudeness! Can I help in some way? I mean, I cannot add hours to your day of course, but what in the motivation area might help?

Have you...

1. ...come up perhaps with a name for Alisa's sword?
2. ...decided if Alisa's Divine Bond (Core Book, page 63) is going with a holy steed or a weapon bond (or have we covered this and in my enthusiasm have I already forgotten it? It happens!)?
3. ...figured out what Skills you'd like her to have? What she knows will affect her maybe even more than what she doesn't and every 5 Ranks in a Skill means rising to a new plateau (see Shop Talk).
4. ...done anything else that you've thought of that I haven't brought up?

So yeah! How can I help?

 

[jaydude]

jaydude Heya Your Jaydudeness! Can I help in some way? I mean, I cannot add hours to your day of course, but what in the motivation area might help?

Have you...

1. ...come up perhaps with a name for Alisa's sword?
2. ...decided if Alisa's Divine Bond (Core Book, page 63) is going with a holy steed or a weapon bond (or have we covered this and in my enthusiasm have I already forgotten it? It happens!)?
3. ...figured out what Skills you'd like her to have? What she knows will affect her maybe even more than what she doesn't and every 5 Ranks in a Skill means rising to a new plateau (see Shop Talk).
4. ...done anything else that you've thought of that I haven't brought up?

So yeah! How can I help?

1. Didn't realize named weapons were a thing. Can certainly come up with something, however.
2. Just read up on Divine Bonds over on Archives of Nethys (I assume the version of it on there's similar to what's in the Corebook). Currently thinking of taking an Elk mount because, you know, forest-based goddess.
3. How many skills can I take again? At the moment I'm think of at the very least taking Handle Animal, Ride and Survival, based on what I've got for Alisa's backstory so far. Considering taking Heal, but I don't know whether or not paladin spells will make that particular skill redundant.
4. Can't say I have.

I think that part of the issue with motivation is that this is a very new system for me, and I'm sometimes a bit hesitant to approach new stuff. You and everyone else are definitely making it a lot easier for me though, and now that I'm actually starting to spend more time working in RL - and thus putting my financial and other concerns a bit more at ease - I'm feeling a good bit better now in general, and that's a nice motivator for me. Hoping to make some at least decent progress on Alisa tomorrow.

 

[Purr]

jaydude

1. It is only if you want it to be! Some people get a kick out of naming things (Cap'n with Otiorin for one). Others never see their tools and weapons as anything more than inanimate objects. Either route is fine by me only as long as it works for them. These bits of "flavor" if you will are there in the same spirit as creating a dish; add it if you like it, refrain if you don't, for you are the one ingesting it! Hah!

2. The Elk mounts in Sharseya come from only one region, the small forest-city of Silverthorn where noble-hearted cavaliers bound along on armored elks to the great woe of bandits and wandering monsters of foul intent. Silverthorn is of enough distance from Highwind as not to be affected by the War for Highwind, but that would most certainly change drastically if the mountain-city should fall. The Silverthorn people, should it please you to know, are my Good-aligned "French-themed" people. Free-spirited, chivalrous, and with a great love of food, music, and fine wines. And elks! Perhaps Alisa rescued this particular elk (or another) from the clutches of the Black Fang and was rewarded with a summonable and dismissable holy mount? If this is the case, the holy elk will have higher-than-average intelligence for an animal, maximum Hit Points for a creature of its class, and the utmost loyalty and courageousness. If however instead Alisa would rather a Divine Bond with a weapon, that bond would serve her in different ways, likely able to go places the holy elk cannot. The choice, of course, lies with you. =)

3. I'm afraid I've come down with another headache (this morning, a headache but not a migraine!) so please pardon me if I get some of this wrong. Since you have altered Alisa's Intelligence Ability Score, she has 78 total Skill Points with which to select from. We are using a combination of 1st Edition and 2nd Edition rules for Skills (which as far as I am concerned is still in its "Beta" stage if you will, for we haven't used Skills a great deal since this change, and not enough for my liking to make any permanent changes).

4. Okies! =)

5. I am reminded of the Dalai Lama of Tibet's wisdom when he remarked that happiness basically comes in three forms: Financial, Spiritual, and Health. One must have "enough" of all three regardless of their station or time in life in order to have any sense of harmony. I am glad to see yours is becoming closer to "enough" for I am a fervent believer in a line written by the famous fantasy writer, Raymond E. Feist: "Nothing is worse than nothing." May you always have enough in all three realms, Jaydude. =)

 

[Kaerri]

Skills: Presuming Dann's math is correct, you have 78 points to spend however you choose amongst the below list:

Acrobatics (Dexterity) - Balance, Tumble Through. /// Maneuver in Flight, Squeeze**.
Arcana - (Intelligence) - Recall Knowledge***. /// Borrow an Arcane Spell**, Decipher Writing** ***, Identify Magic** ***, Learn a Spell** ***.
Athletics - (Strength) - Climb, Force Open, Grapple, High Jump, Long Jump, Shove, Swim, Trip. /// Disarm.
Crafting - (Intelligence) - Recall Knowledge* ***, Repair**. /// Craft*, Earn Income* ***, Identify Alchemy**.
Deception - (Charisma) - Create a Diversion, Impersonate**, Lie. /// Feint.
Diplomacy - (Charisma) - Gather Information**, Make an Impression**, Request.
Intimidation - (Charisma) - Coerce**, Demoralize.
Linguistics**** - (Intelligence) - (None) /// Recall Knowledge (only the basics of culture native to the language)***, Decipher Writing.***
Lore (includes Profession from Pathfinder 1.0) - (Intelligence) - Recall Knowledge***. /// Earn Income* ***.
Medicine (Wisdom) - Administer First Aid, Recall Knowledge***. /// Treat Disease*, Treat Poison, Treat Wounds**.
Nature (Wisdom) - Command an Animal, Recall Knowledge***. /// Identify Magic** ***, Learn a Spell** ***.
Occultism (Intelligence) - Recall Knowledge***. /// Identify Magic** ***, Learn a Spell.** ***.
Perception**** (Wisdom) - Search, Sense Danger. /// (None)
Performance (Charisma) - Perform. /// Earn Income* ***.
Religion (Wisdom) - Recall Knowledge***. /// Decipher Writing** ***, Identify Magic** ***, Learn a Spell** ***.
Sense Motive**** (Wisdom) - Perceive. /// Recognize Feint.
Society (Intelligence) - Recall Knowledge***, Subsist* ***. /// Create Forgery*, Decipher Writing**.
Stealth (Dexterity) - Conceal an Object, Hide, Sneak.
Survival (Wisdom) - Sense Direction**, Subsist* ***. /// Cover Tracks*, Track*.
Thievery (Dexterity) - Palm an Object, Steal. /// Disable a Device, Pick a Lock.

The points "buy" what we call ranks: how skilled Alisa is in a particular field. At level 13, Alisa can have up to 13 ranks in a skill, so she'll be able to "buy" ranks in lots of different ones.
-- Note that having 5, 10, 15, or 20 ranks in something unlocks special benefits, like not having to roll sometimes, access to specialized knowledge, or the ability to perform difficult actions that the unskilled wouldn't even get to roll for.

I don't see Medicine (formerly Heal) ever being a bad choice. What if you've used up your daily paladin-healy-magic points for the day? Or if you just need to identify the problem quickly? (This also includes trying to see if someone is ill or poisoned, which I don't think paladins can cure, at least automatically.) The Recall Knowledge may come in handy in odd places, too.

I'd also recommend Religion (she's a holy person, after all!), Nature (that includes training and handling animals as well as knowing all sorts of things about the natural world), Perception (never a bad thing), and Survival (tracking falls under this).

Lore is not a catch-all, but something you can take multiple times and choose a different thing each time. It replaces Pathfinder 1's Profession skill, but also includes knowledges that aren't included under other skills. For example, my Kaerri has "Lore: Fishing," "Lore: Geography" (for two different regions), "Lore: Monster," "Lore: Planes," and "Lore: Sailing." (Geography and Planes represent things she's learned in her travels as well as her studies.)
-- Note that "Lore: Monster" can be an incredibly useful skill, as it's what you roll when you come across a thing you don't know and want to see if your character just happened to have read or heard about it in training. Also useful even if you think you do know it, as the results may give you more information. However, just like any knowledge skill, if the dice give you a botched roll, your character just might be absolutely convinced of some piece of information that is utterly untrue.

Linguistics is also not a catch-all -- for each rank you put into it, Alisa can know a different language. I believe you can "save" a language slot for later if you want to spend the points now but don't have a particular language in mind for that point.

 

[Purr]

I don't see Medicine (formerly Heal) ever being a bad choice. What if you've used up your daily paladin-healy-magic points for the day? Or if you just need to identify the problem quickly? (This also includes trying to see if someone is ill or poisoned, which I don't think paladins can cure, at least automatically.) The Recall Knowledge may come in handy in odd places, too.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that it is the Medicine Skill that is used if the PC is trying to Stabilize a Dying Character. As Kaerri, whose Character once reached a nail-biting -9 Hit Points in one of our games years ago only to be successfully Stabilized by another wonderfully-loyal PC, sometimes Skill is all you need but not to have it can have regrettable results. =)

Thanks for helping out here, Kaerri! =)

Deception - (Charisma) - Create a Diversion, Impersonate**, Lie. /// Feint.

To show how this works, anyone can attempt to create a diversion, try to impersonate another, or lie (just ask any parent about that last one; they'll tell you, I'm sure!). But that "///" is a divider between the Actions anyone can take and only those who have put Ranks into a Skill can take. So... if you're playing a fencer and you want to Feint during combat to gain an advantage on an opponent, one must have Ranks in the Deception Skill to even attempt it. Side note: That's one of the few times I have ever imagined why a Paladin might take Deception (a.k.a. Bluff)! I can't think of a single Paladin in Sharseya that's a deceptive person! If they don't want you to know something, they simply won't tell you! =)

I'd also recommend Religion (she's a holy person, after all!)...

(ellipsis mine)
I believe a Paladin, Cleric, or Druid without any Ranks in Religion is purely possible, but they're running on faith alone. The Religion Skill, I think, is of tremendous use to any PC who wishes to know about the gods in general and their followers (who, of course, the party are far more likely to run into).

Linguistics is also not a catch-all -- for each rank you put into it, Alisa can know a different language. I believe you can "save" a language slot for later if you want to spend the points now but don't have a particular language in mind for that point.

This is true.

 

[jaydude]

Thanks you two. A couple of questions;

1. What language(s) would Alisa be expected to know if she's from this region?
2. What do the asterisks next to certain things mean? The amount of skill points that you have to invest to get that thing?

 

[Purr]

jaydude
Sure! Answers:

1. Common (Averlundian). Sylvan is a plus for anyone wishing to communicate with the vast number of creatures who call Shandra's Evergreen - the forests surrounding Highwind and beyond - home.
2. Asterisks (copied from the Conversation piece Kaerri posted - thanks, Kaerri-darlin'!) =) There are three forms of time used in Pathfinder - Encounter (this is where combat falls into), Exploration (where hours or even days can pass at a time as the party travels or searches), and Downtime (days into months of time a party is considered to be doing all number of things that simply take up time). We've been using Encounter and Exploration time for the vast majority of the Wayward Wanderers' RPing.

*This skill action can be used only during downtime.
**This skill action is used during exploration.
***This is a general skill action, with a description appearing on pages 234-240 instead of under the entries for the various skills it's used for.
****Skills from Pathfinder 1.0 (that therefore will not have Skill action descriptions in Pathfinder 2.0).
Skill actions with strike-through are not in use.

 

[Purr]

Okies, Gang!

Sounds like everybody is ready to go. Or... if there is a post where one of you is waving your hand and saying, "Hey! Wait! I'm not ready for the next stage of the story yet!" Well, I haven't seen it. So here goes and... if you find you really aren't ready, well, I can change my posts and we can take on what you need before moving the story on!. =)