AvB - group aside

[planswalker]

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an apothecaries' license is not a guild membership. however, rizban does have a guild membership. the license allows you to practice medicine within the city without being hauled to jail. the membership entitles the owner to special guild benefits. Reich is in charge of apothecarys' licensing, while it takes a general consensus of the guild leadership to issue a membership. part of rizban's first quest earned him membership.

[Rizban]

Punchinello slides his guild membership card across the desk for the secretary to examine.

[planswalker]

She glances over the card perfunctorily, then slides it back. "Well, a new guild member, i see." (your card is dated with the day your membership was instated) "You are quite as ambitious as any new member is expected to be. I am sure that you have a wonderful new idea that needs Mr. Poetsche's financial backing, but he did not reach his position by loaning out money to every starry-eyed entrepreneur who can get a membership. Convince me why i should let you in to see him. His time is too valuable to waste listening to every half-baked idea that someone comes up with."

[Rizban]

"I'm not looking for a handout.

I am a gifted creator of fine magical items of significant power.

In fact, I would prefer to offer contract services to him in exchange for financial help rather than a simple loan."

[planswalker]

"well, you certainly aren't the typical little fish trying to act like a shark. Are there any specifics to this 'plan' of yours?"

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hint: diplomancy might be in order about now. she started off hostile and riz's little speech just bumped her up to unfriendly

[Rizban]

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sum1won isn't on right now, but I'd really like to move this along, because it might have bearing on another player or two that I'm running. Would it be okay if I make a short speech and either you or I roll the diplomacy check for the character using her +18?

[planswalker]

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sure. you roll it for her.

[Rizban]

"I... don't... exactly have a, uh... plan.

I brought some of my merchandise to show to him and assumed he would have a better understanding of how to profit from my skills than I have managed. It would be his money being invested, after all..."

Grace puts some sort of amazing spin on that, which impresses the secretary greatly.

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Diplomacy - (d20+18)[25]

Edit: Which is exactly enough to get her to Friendly... unless you threw in negative circumstance modifiers.

[planswalker]

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i didn't. hostile was a negative enough starting circumstance.

Very well, i will set you up with an appointment with Mr. Poetsche for an hour from now.

[Rizban]

Punchinello and Grace return to the waiting room... to wait.

"Thank you, Grace. You have been most helpful. I don't know how I would have made it through that meeting without you."

He passes her a small bag of coins, 100gp to be precise.

"That's the full payment, but you can stick around for the next meeting if you want. I can't pay you any more than I already have for your help at the moment."

One hour later...

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Based on what you know of her character, I'll let you decide whether or not she stays, since the player isn't here.

[planswalker]

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i'm not sure, so i'll just have her stick around and retcon her out if she objects to the godmod choice.

She agrees to stick around, having gotten curious as to what will happen next.

An hour later, the two of you enter Mr. Poetsche's office and sit down. The man swivels his thickly padded leather chair around and says, "Well, i hear that you have a business proposition for me, Mr. Punchinello. Tell me, do you mind if i call you Pun?"

[Rizban]

"Uh, sure, that's fine...

Basically, I create and sell magical charms and protections, like this one."

Punchinello draws out an amulet of enemy detection from his robes.

"See, this warns me of anyone who means harm to me or any of my allies nearby. It's really quite handy. I can create many other useful items too. In fact, I have a much, much more powerful version of this very amulet."

He withdraws a visibly identical amulet from his belt.

"I'm sure you've heard of the recent and very tragic death of one Mr. Luitpold Strackeljahn. Have you not? I was commissioned to create this very amulet for him, and he promised to pay me 20,000 gold pieces for it, which is certainly a distinct discount based on its numerous and powerful abilities. Unfortunately, he cheated me at the last moment, so I took back my amulet from him. I am somewhat regretful for that though, as it seems he met his death that very day. Would that I had but known he was so marked, I might not have been so hasty.

You see, this amulet not only warns you of threats, if the threat is against your very life, it prevents that threat. Should someone be actively attempting to kill you or one of your bodyguards to get to you, it will assault the target's mind, dominating and crushing it utterly. Then it will blast the target's nearby allies into submission.

Now, I know you're no common banker or such, so I do not intend to try to sell this amulet to you. I know that you can see my skill, and I am offering those skills to use are your disposal. My desire is to open up my own store here on Broad Chase, and if you would but help fund that, I will gladly split the proceeds with you.

This amulet, however, I give to you as a gift, regardless of your decision.""

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Note that Punchinello is wearing and is attuned to the one amulet, but there are no other features on it other than the basic ability. The one he's offering to Poetsche is the only one with special features.

[planswalker]

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i'm hungry and having a hard time figuring out what poetsche would say to this. give me a chance to eat at the DH when it opens first.

[Rizban]

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Okay, I've got to go for awhile anyway.

[sum1won]

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Sorry, I've been on an airplane at airports for the past day or so. Will try to catch up.

[planswalker]

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k, i'd like a diplo roll from someone to influence how concilatory he will be to your request. as a trust building thing.

[sum1won]

Mr. Poetschke, I urge you to consider accept his offer. Your business acumen is well known in the community, and you can see how lucrative this enterprise could be for you.

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(1d20+18)[34]

[planswalker]

"Very well. I will take your business venture. However, i hope you will not take it amiss if i feel that your trinket is unnecessary." With a wave of his hand, a halfling with batlike wings, a dwarf with a very large axe, and an elf in bright blue robes appear out of thin air. The dwarf and elf each have a golden ring on. "No one with hostile intent can get close to me." he says smugly. "What more can that brooch of yours do, especially if you can afford to part with it for free?"

[Rizban]

"I really can't afford to part with it for free... I just didn't want to come empty handed asking for money. I thought a worthwhile gift was in order, and it is truly the most expensive and useful object I own."

[planswalker]

""You will forgive me for not taking you at your word, but i didn't get to where i am today by accepting every 'gift' at face value"

[Rizban]

Punchinello pockets the amulet.

"Regardless, I'm still in need of funds to open my business. If you don't want my best, then you don't want it. I suppose I shall just have to take my wares elsewhere."

Punchinello stands to leave.

[planswalker]

"Just a moment. Surely you will not throw away my guaranteed backing in this over one trinket?"

[Rizban]

"You insult my best work then insist that you want to back me? I apologize, but this seems somewhat odd to me. I offer my best, and you think it worth little. I do not understand why you would then choose to invest your own money in something you view as trivial.

Unless, of course, you are trying to infuriate and manipulate me into accepting a lesser offer with a higher interest rate or some other such thing."

[planswalker]

He gives you a warm smile. "I can see that you have an acute business acumen. I do trust you to be a competent businessman. However, i make it a personal policy to never trust a magical item i haven't seen used before. More than once someone haas tried to manipulate me or kill me with a 'gift'. Can you demonstrate its power for me?"

[Rizban]

"Sure, if you have an employee you're willing to kill off.

The first problem with that is that it only activates the damaging abilities on an intent to kill. If he's not genuinely trying to kill the wearer, then it doesn't activate except to warn you of hostile intentions. If he is genuinely intent on killing the wearer, then it will activate automatically, before the wearer even has time to react to the danger.

The second problem is that it can only be attuned once. Once it is attuned, it can't be given to someone else. If I use this one to demonstrate, then you will have to wait for me to create another, which also can't be adequately demonstrated for you. I suppose you could call that a flaw in the design. Changing that would cause the amulet to double in cost."

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No Bluff checks, because there are no lies in there. Just making sure you're not going to try to call for one for me trying to sell him on my amulet or something like that.

[planswalker]

"Well, it seems like i will have to trust you if we are to be business associates. You are quite the hard bargainer. Very well, i accept, if you will take a token of trust from me as well."

[Rizban]

"Agreed. Tell me what this token is and what it does."

[sum1won]

It seems to me that demonstrating the utility of a potentially deadly device might not be safe to a few of the test subjects. Were you planning on using your bodyguards, or just having them examine it? The second option may be safer.

Anyways... about that venture?

With that, Grace leans back and crosses her arms.

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Grace has gotten him to the meeting, and looks like he is biting on giving punchinello a shop. (1d20+14)[23] Intimidate check. Trying to throw some disarray into enemy ranks so they get back to business.


OOC: he's got quite the guard coterie for a predominantly human town. Halfling with wings?

Ninjad about a million times. Thats what I get for slow posting.

[planswalker]

He reaches into his cloak, and pulls out a pair of armguards. "These are one half of a linked set. I wear the other pair. They allow us to transfer our wounds from one owner of the armbands to the other. The transfer can only work once for each injury, however. If i give a wound to you, you cannot give it back, and vice versa. Once you have placed them on, they will attune to you, and form a bond with you. Few spells can break their enchantment once they have attuned to you. Should either of us feel the other has betrayed them, they need only think about the pain and focus on their armguards and the wound shall be transferred to the other. This can work 2 ways, so you are not enslaved by them. however, they must be put on willingly and their effect cannot be resisted afterwords. Are you willing to trust me?"

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and no, this isn't meant to be a wall that you can't climb, i'm just trying to make this worth the rewards you will get. And see if you aren't a one-strategy killer. you can kill him with the amulet, but it won't be so easy this time.

[sum1won]

Grace leans forward.

Can you demonstrate that power? I'd quite like to see that.

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Okay, she has a bit of a creepy side.