Fortuitous Findings in Foraging: A Study, Part II

[TheOasysMaster]

If You're Part Of My Tomb Of Horrors Game. Or Are In Anyway Related To Any Of My Horrors Games, You Should Not Read This.

[TheOasysMaster]

IF YOU'RE PART OF MY TOMB OF HORRORS GAME. OR ARE IN ANYWAY RELATED TO ANY OF MY HORRORS GAME, YOU SHOULD NOT READ THIS.

Prelude to...

Harley had given Alex instructions to meet him at the Braying Eel Inn.
In the fair city of Veronia, on the Peninsula.
In the dark, the russet-colored tiles that cover the rooves of the cramped buildings seem to hold some of the fading light, brightening oil-lamp lit streets.
As people move about, it's clear to Alex, that even at night, fair Veronia is always a living city.

Meet me at the Sore Tooth Bar'n'Bed...
That's all that the hastily scribbled message that had been delivered by a small, dirty child to Therandil had said.
Tracing the place to the Peninsula, Therandil, like Alex, had the difficult task of locating the place.
And with light fading quickly, he had to hurry.
Fair Veronia might be a city of life, but footpads were always willing to dispense death to carry away a heavy purse.
The smell of sweat and salt hangs heavy on the air, and curses drift about as sailors hurry to offload cargo.

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Alex is at the South Gate. He can turn around and leave the city at any moment. Therandil, having come by boat, is at the docks.

[A_S]

Therandil savors the salty air of the docks as if it's fresh and clean off a brisk sea breeze, ignoring the less pleasant tinges of sweat and humanity that come along with it. His bright red hair glints even brighter in the fading sunlight.

New city, new people, new smells and sights and sounds...by the Dragon Queen, nothing will stop me today!

Smiling good-naturedly, he quickly approaches the nearest stranger he sees. Who is it?

[Valwyn]

So this is Veronia. Looks like a nice place Alex thinks to himself as he looks at the people around. He takes a few steps further into the city, inspecting the streets for anything noteworthy.

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Perception/Spot to find anything that may look interesting (buildings, people, merchants, guards, etc): [roll]1d20+20[/roll]
[roll]1d20+20[/roll]

As he walks the streets, Alex thinks to himself. Should he ask a guard where to find the Braying Eel Inn? Probably not the best idea... if Harley was involved, it'd be wise not to call the city watch's attention. It'd have to be someone else, someone who knew the city well and who wouldn't ask questions. Perhaps a messenger of some sort?

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Perception/Spot to find someone who can tell him how to get to the inn (messengers, merchants, a kid, town crier, anyone who may know and not ask too many questions either because they're busy or something else): [roll]1d20+20[/roll]
[roll]1d20+20[/roll]

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[TheOasysMaster]

If You're Part Of My Tomb Of Horrors Game. Or Are In Anyway Related To Any Of My Horrors Games, You Should Not Read This.

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By the way, did we ever settled on how Grayson and Harley know each other?

Harley would be 36 at this time...
29 at Tomb of Horrors
And The Raven Queen would have been around for only 7 years...
...creating a time-error...
Grayson couldn't have 'brought Harley to the light'...


Mhmmmm. Let's say, they worked together to kill someone who need to be killed.
And though Harley wasn't very nice, they did get the job done.
The next time they worked together, when Harley was 26, was a far better experience, and there was a significant change.
This second encounter established and ensured their friendship.

Gentlemen, go into the Editors menu of your sheets and make TheOasysMaster one.

I'll post more for you two when I get home.

[Valwyn]

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Harley would be 36 at this time...
29 at Tomb of Horrors
And The Raven Queen would have been around for only 7 years...
...creating a time-error...
Grayson couldn't have 'brought Harley to the light'...


Mhmmmm. Let's say, they worked together to kill someone who need to be killed.
And though Harley wasn't very nice, they did get the job done.
The next time they worked together, when Harley was 26, was a far better experience, and there was a significant change.
This second encounter established and ensured their friendship.

Gentlemen, go into the Editors menu of your sheets and make TheOasysMaster one.

I'll post more for you two when I get home.

I just noticed something else, which might be a pretty big problem. I don't think being a FS of the Raven Queen is possible, since she's been around for only 7 years. Plus, Grayson is 26 right now (I can change his age, but still), so he wouldn't have been able to help Harley with his missions. Either that or he was very young (16ish by the second time they worked together). We could just fluff it and say that the Raven Queen chose him when she came to power (when he was 21, so he was a commoner when he met Harley), but then his backstory wouldn't make much sense.

Do you think we should change something? I don't mind making another character (I have a few other characters halfway ready [CG arcane archer, CG shadowdancer, NE warlock, N barb1/monk2/druidX, NG warmage]), but it might be too much work to change the plot. You could still keep his NPC if you want, I know you've been working on him, and tie him to another character (maybe Welby or Dranga?). Or I could change the backstory of one of the other characters to include the NPC.

Should we change anything?

I should have thought of this earlier...

[TheOasysMaster]

IF YOU'RE PART OF MY TOMB OF HORRORS GAME. OR ARE IN ANYWAY RELATED TO ANY OF MY HORRORS GAME, YOU SHOULD NOT READ THIS.

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I just noticed something else, which might be a pretty big problem. I don't think being a FS of the Raven Queen is possible, since she's been around for only 7 years. Plus, Grayson is 26 right now (I can change his age, but still), so he wouldn't have been able to help Harley with his missions. Either that or he was very young (16ish by the second time they worked together). We could just fluff it and say that the Raven Queen chose him when she came to power (when he was 21, so he was a commoner when he met Harley), but then his backstory wouldn't make much sense.

Very true...
Particularly with the specific time frame I had worked out for Harley...
Can I flex it?

Do you think we should change something?

Or I could change the backstory of one of the other characters to include the NPC.

This I need him.
Though I have already flexed the true events to support my purposes...

I should have thought of this earlier...

It's not your fault.
But yeah, I think you might need a new character.

This is how I organized one of my NPCs.

The following skills have been combined: Balance and Tumble = Acrobatics (Dex). Handle Animal and Ride = Animal Affinity (Wis). Climb, Jump, and Swim = Athletics (Str). Listen and Spot = Perception (Wis). Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate = Persuasion (Cha). Hide and Move Silently = Stealth (Dex). Disable Device, Open Lock, and Sleight of Hand = Thievery (Dex). Decipher Script and Forgery = Wordsmithing (Int). In addition Use Rope is now a function of Escape Artist, Survival is a function of Knowledge (nature), and Concentration is a factor of Spellcraft, Primary Casting Stat for Spellcraft.

I was going to make a Perception Check for Therandil, than I realized he hadn't done this.
And for the record, Concentration is now Spellcraft.

The nearest person?
Why a sailor of course?
A down-trodden looking dwarf, with a pipe clenched beneath his teeth, he appears to be rearranging his many many bags, moving items fro one bag to the other, and shifting the weights and load of each bag for easier carrying.

[Valwyn]

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Very true...
Particularly with the specific time frame I had worked out for Harley...
Can I flex it?

Tell me when my PC met Harley and I'll give you a new sheet. I'm thinking rogue might be for the best (storywise and for surviving the traps).

This I need him.
Though I have already flexed the true events to support my purposes...

I think I found a way to include the NPC, let me know if you prefer to have him related to my PC or to an NPC.

It's not your fault.
But yeah, I think you might need a new character.

Working on it. I have a rogue halfway ready (he could be a friend of Harley), but I'd also like to try a Half-orc Barbarian1/Monk2/Druid11 (shifter variant from PH2). Well, I think the rogue is more important to the plot, so I guess I'll just use him. Plus, with high Int and the new skill system, I have ranks in most skills.

[TheOasysMaster]

IF YOU'RE PART OF MY TOMB OF HORRORS GAME. OR ARE IN ANYWAY RELATED TO ANY OF MY HORRORS GAME, YOU SHOULD NOT READ THIS.

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Tell me when my PC met Harley and I'll give you a new sheet. I'm thinking rogue might be for the best (storywise and for surviving the traps).

14 years in the past...
Harley would have been 22.

I think I found a way to include the NPC, let me know if you prefer to have him related to my PC or to an NPC.

Well, what are you thinking about?

Half-orc Barbarian1/Monk2/Druid11

Go for it!

[Valwyn]

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14 years in the past...
Harley would have been 22.

I see, so the PC could have been about 18-20 at that time and 32-34 during Return.

Well, what are you thinking about?

The rogue and the NPC lived in the same city and knew each other (not necesarily friends). One day the rogue (I need a name for him... err... Alex!) decided to play a prank on the NPC and took an item from him. Problem is, the item was an important part of an experiment, thus resulting in the NPC have the same issue with Alex than he did with Grayson. Is that okay? Or maybe Alex found a Macguffin, took him to the NPC, with the same result as above.

Go for it!

It's tempting (particularly the idea of Reincarnating people ), but I can't think of a way to link... Vundak with Harley or the NPC (long story short: lived in orc settlement (barbarian), life sucked, settlement destroyed by rival raid, found by old man, learned to focus his agression (hi monk; bye rage), old man teaches how to channel spirits of nature and become one with them (hello limited shapeshift at will).) If you can think of anything, I'll go for it. Though there's the issue of equipment, since I couldn't find rules for enchanting clothes (a masterwork peasant's outfit?), nor gloves (to deal better unarmed damage), and most of my items wouldn't work even with Wilding Clasps (unless you rule otherwise). Also, I'm not sure about what happens if a druid is proficient with weapons from another class and uses them. I guess he still looses his powers (which sucks, I wanted to use a ranged weapon other than slings).

[TheOasysMaster]

IF YOU'RE PART OF MY TOMB OF HORRORS GAME. OR ARE IN ANYWAY RELATED TO ANY OF MY HORRORS GAME, YOU SHOULD NOT READ THIS.

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Is that okay?

I need the part where the father dies...

Or maybe Alex found a Macguffin, took him to the NPC, with the same result as above.

Alex took it from the father...
...and in the circumstances, the father died.
Is Alex good?
Perhaps feeling remorseful he got advice from Harley on how to return it. Or atleast to make amends.
At the morgue, he met William?
And child necromancer encounter ensues?

[Valwyn]

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I need the part where the father dies...

That's what I meant, only I didn't want to spoil it. The idea was, Will was researching/preparing a spell and Alex took a focus/material (without knowing it was important) and then- boom! daddy's dead.

Alex took it from the father...
...and in the circumstances, the father died.
Is Alex good?
Perhaps feeling remorseful he got advice from Harley on how to return it. Or atleast to make amends.
At the morgue, he met William?
And child necromancer encounter ensues?

Could be.
Yep, he's CG. He just likes (or liked, at least) to play pranks (following someone and scaring them, hidding stuff, etc).
He was planning on returning it next morning (without anyone noticing)... except, well, you know. Things went boom. He could have still gotten advice from Harley. Maybe he saw the whole thing?
Could be. Maybe he was trying to apologize, but this is the kind of thing people will have trouble forgiving.

[TheOasysMaster]

If You're Part Of My Tomb Of Horrors Game. Or Are In Anyway Related To Any Of My Horrors Games, You Should Not Read This.

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That's what I meant, only I didn't want to spoil it. The idea was, Will was researching/preparing a spell and Alex took a focus/material (without knowing it was important) and then- boom! daddy's dead.

Perfect.
In the right conditions, Will could possibly explain his true version of the events.

Could be.
Yep, he's CG. He just likes (or liked, at least) to play pranks (following someone and scaring them, hidding stuff, etc).
He was planning on returning it next morning (without anyone noticing)... except, well, you know. Things went boom. He could have still gotten advice from Harley. Maybe he saw the whole thing?
Could be. Maybe he was trying to apologize, but this is the kind of thing people will have trouble forgiving.

Great. Stat him up.
Every instance when Grayson is mentioned is to become Alex.

[Valwyn]

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Perfect.
In the right conditions, Will could possibly explain his true version of the events.

What true version? It was an accident. Don't make me slap him, 'cause I will.


And now I'm picturing this scene:

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Alex: You never knew what happened to your father.
Will: I know enough! I know you killed him!
Alex: No. Dranga is your father!
Will: No... No! That's not true. That's impossible!
Alex: Search your feelings, you know it to be true. (Plus, she's a Transmuter, you know.)
Will: NOOOO!

Great. Stat him up.
Every instance when Grayson is mentioned is to become Alex.

Stating is done. I just need his equipment (I'll need some time to spend 225.000 gp, probably by saturday). By the way, are these prices okay for arrows? I was never sure if you pay per arrow or per quiver:

Regular Arrows (20): 1 gp
Adamantite Arrows [+60 gp] (20): 1120 gp
Cold Iron Arrows (20) [twice as regular]: 40 gp
Silver Arrows (20) [+2 gp]: 22 gp

[TheOasysMaster]

IF YOU'RE PART OF MY TOMB OF HORRORS GAME. OR ARE IN ANYWAY RELATED TO ANY OF MY HORRORS GAME, YOU SHOULD NOT READ THIS.

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What true version? It was an accident. Don't make me slap him, 'cause I will.

(Plus, she's a Transmuter, you know.)

Nooooooooooot, anymore.

Stating is done. I just need his equipment (I'll need some time to spend 225.000 gp, probably by saturday). By the way, are these prices okay for arrows? I was never sure if you pay per arrow or per quiver:

Most impressive, respond IC.

[A_S]

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Whoops, forgot the skill changes! I'll go mess with those.

You're now an editor.

Therandil walks up to the down-trodden dwarf and says, "Excuse me, friend, I wonder if you could tell me the way to the, uh..."

(He glances at the note in his hand.)

"...to the Sore Tooth Bar and Bed. I'm supposed to meet some friends there, you see, only I don't know quite where it is."

*edit*

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Okay, I've updated my skills. I made a couple assumptions about how the skill consolidation rules work:

-Subskills inherit their main skill's key ability (so Survival's key ability is now Int).
-Bonuses to main skills apply to all subskills (so my synergy bonus to Spellcraft also helps my Concentration).
-Bonuses to subskills do not apply to main skills or other subskills of the same skill (so my bonus to Jump from Heart of Air doesn't give me a bonus to Climb).
-Main skills are class skills if any of their subskills are class skills (so Bluff gives me Persuasion as a class skill).

If any of those are wrong, lemme know and I'll fix my mistakes.

[TheOasysMaster]

If You're Part Of My Tomb Of Horrors Game. Or Are In Anyway Related To Any Of My Horrors Games, You Should Not Read This.

The dwarf continues struggling with his packs, focused on his task.
Talking around the pipe, he says something Therandil in all his years of life wil never be able to determine the exact nature of what he said.

[A_S]

"I'm sorry, sir, I'm afraid I seem to have missed what you just said. What was that?"

[TheOasysMaster]

If You're Part Of My Tomb Of Horrors Game. Or Are In Anyway Related To Any Of My Horrors Games, You Should Not Read This.

The dwarf takes the pipe out of his mouth.
"Sorry, sometimes I forget."
He thinks, "I said, 'I don't know that particular bar...', but I know of a few other good ones."
The dwarf looks down at his bags, then at Therandil.
"All the bartenders know each other-work together to keep the prices of drink high!"
He spits, and chuckles.
"I'll take you to one if you help me carry my bags!"
All the bags look to be immensel heavy.
And there are a lot of them.
Worse still, one of the bags appear to be smoking.

[A_S]

"Of course, I'd be happy to help you! As I'm sure you can see, though, I might not be much as help as I'd like; perhaps just a lighter one, like that one over there?"

Therandil points to one of the bags that isn't smoking.

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Persuasion to convince him to let me just carry the one bag:
Persuasion - (1d20+24)[39]

[TheOasysMaster]

If You're Part Of My Tomb Of Horrors Game. Or Are In Anyway Related To Any Of My Horrors Games, You Should Not Read This.

The dwarf looks a little forlorn, but he does need the help.
"Alright, take that one."
The pipe goes back in his mouth, and Therandil no longer understands him.
The lighter bag he'd selected...
Wriggles at his touch.

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(1d20)[2]

Sigh, Tenser's Floating Disk, never underestimate it.

Oooh, Handle Animal and Ride are combined to make Animal Affinity, a Wis-based Skill.

[A_S]

As Therandil heads off wherever the dwarf leads him, he tries to make small talk.

"So, what is it we're lugging around? I notice a few of these bags are pretty interesting."

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Sigh, Tenser's Floating Disk, never underestimate it.

Do I look like a utility caster?

[TheOasysMaster]

If You're Part Of My Tomb Of Horrors Game. Or Are In Anyway Related To Any Of My Horrors Games, You Should Not Read This.

With the pipe, clenched firmly between his teeth, the dwarf remains unintelligible.
However, despite the mumbles, Therandil can recognize an evasionary tone.
Beneath the pile of bags, the dwarf is actually completely unseen!
He looks less like a dwarf carrying a large amount of bags and more like an animated pile of luggage!
The dwarf leads them away from the docks, and through a tile district.
Shops are still open, and merchants display their intricate works, hoping to make some final sails.
One shop advertises new healing tiles, that do the work of a potion without having to drink, specifically made with fasting warriors in mind.
It's good business!

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Do I look like a utility caster?

Ah, you say that now...
But when there's a big ole pile o' treasure, and I've set off a timed detonation trap, you're gonna wish you had it.

[A_S]

Unconcerned with his companion's evasion and incomprehensible mumbling, Therandil breezily banters on.

"That smoking one you've got there, for instance; it reminds me of how my mom looks when she gets up in the morning! I sorta know how she feels, though, you know? Back in school, they used to make us get up before the sun came up, just so we could practice our cantrips! Cantrips, I tell you! When I could have burned the whole place down! Not that I'd have done that, you understand, I might not have liked those people very much, but that's no reason to go burning their things, you know? I kept trying to talk to my mom about that sort of thing, but she never really understood where I was coming from, it was very frustrating. I used to get so mad at her when I was home from school over all the stuff she'd do..."

Therandil sighs, lost in melancholy recollection for a moment, then perks up.

"Say, what's the name of this bar we're heading to?"

[TheOasysMaster]

If You're Part Of My Tomb Of Horrors Game. Or Are In Anyway Related To Any Of My Horrors Games, You Should Not Read This.

The dwarf listens carefully to Therandil's sharing, nodding as he speaks, and responding in his own incomprehensible 'language'.
Though his remarks are understood, Therandil can tell the dwarf is quite iterest-
A dark-clothed form dashed past Therandil, and leaps over his new friend.
Taking ahold of one of the packs, she lands lightly next to a trash-clogged gutter and disappears into an alley way.
The dwarf, oblivious to the robbery in progress, continues to plod along.

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You've got Initiative! Gogogogogo!
Reminder, this is a crowded city, while using magic to settle personal matters is fine, blowng up a building to catch a thief is not.
Sorcerors...

[A_S]

"Hey! Stop that!"

Therandil lifts his feet up off the ground and zooms off through the air after the thief.

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Move: Fly at ground level, pursuing the fleeing thief. My fly speed is 50/Average.

The rest of my actions for the turn depend on what I find when I get to the alley. Is she still in sight running off, or gone?

[TheOasysMaster]

If You're Part Of My Tomb Of Horrors Game. Or Are In Anyway Related To Any Of My Horrors Games, You Should Not Read This.

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Move: Fly at ground level, pursuing the fleeing thief. My fly speed is 50/Average.

Forgotten you could technically do that...
^-_-
The alley continues, dips and curves. Can't see the end.

The thief gives a yelp of fear, seeing pursuit of a flying... thing...
...where'd she'd expected the typical and easily-evaded guard...
Her boots pound the ground carrying her deeper into the alley all that much faster.

The alley dips down a flight of stairs, twisting so one can't see what's at theend.

[A_S]

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How far is she in front of me at the end of my move action?

[TheOasysMaster]

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Thirty feet...
^-__-

[A_S]

Therandil's eyes flash red as he chases down the thief, and he mutters to himself and points at her. Great, blood-red wings seem to flicker into being behind him as the spell completes, and she finds herself buffeted from all directions by an enormous force. As he continues to chant, several doubles seem to flow out of his form, until a whole pack of Therandils seems to be bearing down on her.

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Standard: Wings of Flurry, designating her as the only target. (16d6)[62] force damage, half on a DC 24 Reflex save. On a failed save, she's dazed and can take no actions on her next turn.

Swift: Greater Mirror Image for (1d4+5)[9] (max 8) images.