AVB - On Padded Feet

[Renen]

And waits...

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Sorry, dont know what else to do...

[Rizban]

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I was going to edit that last post with the rolls, but you got in a response before I could.

The Sister returns after nearly 20 minutes looking more than a little grumpy.

"They were more than willing to part with the amulet until I drew out the shape. As soon as she saw it, Sister Lady Margarete began praying for Daughter Tara's soul and apologized for not being able to hand it over. She wouldn't even tell me why! But I'll be damned before I let my little sister die rather than hand over some trinket!"

[Renen]

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I'm the MASTER lurker after all! Fear me!

"Tell us who wants the amulet... We will handle it..." mimics Eve in a mocking voice.

"Then going by your reply we are getting that amulet whether they like it or not? Because really, the only way I'M doing this is also because I don't quite like seeing dead little girls. When are they going to go to bed?"

[Rizban]

"I'm not stealing the amulet. If they said no, then they have a good reason. I'm sure of it. Take me where Tara is. I'll get her back myself. I beg you."

[Renen]

"Now? After you just told me how they reacted? You think I'd turn now? Either help, or stay out of my way."

She paused, thinking for a few moments

"Even if I DID tell you, you think you could do anything when they just decided its best to let a girl die than to get involved?"

"Just help me, unless all the words all the worshipers of these "good" gods say are just for show? Please?"

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Eve casts Charm DC 19 (day per level duration)
Diplomacy if charm fails:
(1d20+6)[23]

[Rizban]

"They have their reasons, I'm sure. Since you're unwilling to help them and they're unwilling to part with the amulet, what more can they do?! I don't care what it costs me. I'll save her if I can. I'll help you if you help me save her, but I'm not stealing from the Sisters. I suppose I won't stop you if you try, but there has to be another way. Tell me where she is. I can't risk losing my only chance of saving her if you selfishly get yourself killed!"

[Rizban]

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Nudge? Been awhile...

[Renen]

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Yeh. Mind giving me abit more time? I both love and am afraid of this game, as I don't wanna die. So far I am trying to find some inspiration of how to proceed as unlike other games the protagonist can't just blunder around and still get our alive.

[Rizban]

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Computer is fixed, so I'm back.

[Renen]

Eve sits down with a sigh.

"Do you know what happens when I tell you? You probably go there, die, then bad things happen to me because I told you things. I mean sure, stealing the thing is wrong, and it might cause some harm in the future, maybe, probably not, and not to us... And if it does, there will be someone way more qualified to deal with it. But me? I dont really wanna die for this. Its too risky..."
Se seems to know what she should do, but not doing so simply because she doesnt like the consequences.

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Sees rather generic post, checks Rizban's post history, sees that he's been back bout 10 times in past few minutes

[Rizban]

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Didn't see your edit until just now. Next time, either just make a new post so the thread shows new updates or send me a PM. I might have kept missing it for awhile if I didn't click your thread to look up something else.

She grabs you by the shoulders and squeezes her fingers tight, causing significant discomfort but not quite pain.

"What do you expect me to do?! Betray my faith or betray my sister?!"

Her voice cracks as she speaks, and she stumbles for words.

"You can save me from both, but you refuse! You're no better than the ones who took her, maybe even worse!"

She shoves you away from her as she turns to stomp down the street on her own, apparently determined to try to find Tara on her own, no matter how hopeless it seems.

[Renen]

"Ha! Faith, load of good it does you! All of you are rushing to help those in need, but if your god really wanted to I bet he could do better than inspire a few people to help others. And anyways, you can always apologize for any tenants of your stupid faith, but apologies dont bring back the dead."
Eve shouts after her.
"I don't have faith! I wont blindly trust you when you order me to! Go! Look hopelessly for the unknown danger, if you do find it, I doubt you'll live to tell me I was right!"
She growls angrily, even in her human form. An occasional good deed is fine, an occasional self-sacrifice isnt.


About an hour later


Now a cat, Eve figures that everyone is asleep by now. Feeling something in her throat, she coughs until instead of a hairball she produces a new psycrystal, just as pretty as the last one, in the shape of a tiny dragon. After restoring her little pet, she goes into the house to find that stupid pendant, how much trouble it has caused her. She removes the door, using her old method, and carefully walks around all the sleeping homeless people on the floor.

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Eve goes to find the bracelet, time-hopping the door away. From what I understand the house isnt so big, and a large portion of it is taken up by sleeping orphans anyways. She looks around for the bracelet.

Rolls if needed:

Hide
(1d20+12)[18]
Move Silently
(1d20+4)[10]
Search
(1d20+6)[15]

[Rizban]

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Based on the average size of most buildings in this area, being "small" doesn't necessarily mean tiny. Here's a better idea of the approximate size.

[Renen]

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Cant access 3rd link, but I actually DID imagine it as being tiny.
Well, its night, everyone is sleeping, and Eve is a small cat. So she looks around for the bracelet.
If she does not find it, she tries casting (well, manifesting) "Detect thoughts".

Hopefully it allows to read a person when they are asleep (they automatically fail the save). And hopefully atleast a few sisters are thinking (dreaming) about the bracelet, it being the last topic of conversation, and apparently a significant one.

[Rizban]

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Alternative 3rd link.

Just making sure you are still wanting to go through with those actions before posting now that you know the building is larger and will take more time to search.

[Renen]

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I am assuming she has a few hours of searching, since it's night and everyone is sleeping anyways (and as a cat she has good night vision). She also tries to mind read the sleeping sisters, who automatically fail any save (because as dirty as that sounds, being unconscious (or sleeping) automatically makes you willing target).

Though she won't stay there until the very morning, and will leave as soon as either the sun comes up or someone wakes up and starts getting dressed.

Though I have this bad feeling that searching the house is bad in and of itself, and this is the obligatory "are you sure you want to do this" from the DM.
Though I am trying to play this safely, and hope only "stupid" actions get punished by death and such. And in this case it seems much worse to betray a demon than to sneak around a house full of good aligned folks.

[Rizban]

You time hop the door, and move to enter. Before you can pass through the open doorway, a being of shining light blocks your path. A solemn and dignified head floats about six inches above the shoulders of the otherwise headless body of this stocky humanoid creature. The being’s skin softly glows, and white light peeks between the cracks of its armor. He holds a large shield before himself defensively, his weapon ready to strike.

The being spots you, its floating head rotating at a grotesque angle to better look at you.

[Renen]

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Gogo Gadget-Knowledge religion!
(1d20+6)[10]

[Rizban]

The being does not appear to be a god or goddess, nor does it appear undead. You do, however, recognize that the emblem of the Sisters of Salvation is emblazoned on his shield.

[Renen]

"Oh, hi! A guardian for the sisters? Please dont squash me! I'm trying to rescue one of the sisters from a likely unpleasant place. Do you mind helping me? I hope you care for the sisters enough to help with something like that?"

Said Eve telepathically, while wearily eyeing the morning star (I think its a morning star type weapon).

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Eve takes Total Defense action. She also tries to diplomacy the outsider.
(1d20+6)[16]

The Psicrystal tries to help (Aid Another)
(1d20+6)[20]

Also a Sense Motive check.
Eve:(1d20+5)[10]
Psi:(1d20+5)[22]

Edit: How to know you totally suck at knowledge check:
"Well... its NOT a god!"

[Rizban]

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Knowledge (religion), as far as creature types go, applies only to gods and undead.

Total Defense and Rushed Diplomacy are both full-round actions. You can't do both in a single round. Pick one.

The DM is the one who rolls Sense Motive for you so you can't metagame based on a particularly high or low roll.

His head rolls around to the other side as he stares at you.

"Cats belong outside."

He draws his longsword back behind him, ready to swing, and kicks at you as he would to scare off a cat without actually trying to hit it.

[Renen]

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Oh I totally messed up. I actually meant to roll the planes, but posting from my phone made me derp. If you like, you can roll in secret to see what Eve knows. If possible, i'll have psycrystal do a DC10 roll, to see if it can aid another, but I wont be cheesy and have it do it's own roll.



In terms of Total Defense, I think its a standard round action

Total Defense
You can defend yourself as a standard action. You get a +4 dodge bonus to your AC for 1 round. Your AC improves at the start of this action. You can’t combine total defense with fighting defensively or with the benefit of the Combat Expertise feat (since both of those require you to declare an attack or full attack). You can’t make attacks of opportunity while using total defense.

But I still cant use it during diplomacy, you are right. Also, is there any reason to do rushed diplomacy if there are no external factors that are rushing the situation?
Example:
If I am running from the guards and need to convince some reluctant homeowner to let me hide, there's the external factor of the guards, making it so that I need to get the diplomacy done fast.

If I am just asking that same person to go into their house, but there's no one chasing me, whats to stop me from taking the normal minute to diplomacy?

Hopefully the same applies here. Unless there's some external factor that will stop me from addressing the guy, will you allow the diplomacy to be non-rushed, as if I am "making sense" to him, then he'd listen to the stuff im saying. (hopefully I explained properly)

[Rizban]

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You're right on the Total Defense. I remembered wrong.

He's the guard, you just made the door disappear to force entry, and you're trying to talk your way into the building. He's not going to just stand there and stare as you blather on for a full minute. If nothing else, his kick at you to make you flee would disrupt the attempt.

You can't diplomacy someone for a full minute who is unwilling to sit there and listen.

Eve is unable to identify the being's race.

[Renen]

Eve looks at the outsider with wide cat eyes.
"But I am outside. This door disappeared. I am here to help one of the sisters, and for that I need an amulet from somewhere here. I assume if you are guarding the place that means you are their friend? Mind helping me help them? "

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Charm to increase friendliness. DC17.

[Rizban]

The glowing being continues to stand in the doorway wordlessly. He scans the area for any threats while keeping a eye on you to make sure you don't sneak by him. He doesn't seem to consider you a significant threat, but he also doesn't seem inclined to dismiss you either.

[Renen]

Eve's crystal attempts to diplomacy now, using same arguments, but since there's no danger of getting smashed, it takes the time to do it right. Eve helps abit.

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Diplomacy
(1d20+6)[18]
Eve's aid another
(1d20+6)[10]


P.S. How's that map thing?

[Rizban]

He seems about as friendly as he is apt to be with a total stranger, though he doesn't seem any more willing to allow entry to someone who tried to force their way in after the Sisters went to sleep.

[Renen]

"Why are you trying to stop me?" asks Eve, sitting down on the ground.

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Time for some cat-logic

[Rizban]

He only repeats himself.

"Cats belong outside."

[Renen]

"Well, I'm actually an indoors cat. I belong indoors. I'll even let you pet me! "