No combat this time, but significant story progression. I'll award XP after we're done with the mansion, as you are all right at the edge of leveling up, and I'd have to recalculate CRs and rewards.
Went to the temple of Pelor and talked with the Archdeacon running the joint. He eventually accepted your version of events, and has promised to look into the matter. He also confirmed the use of poison in the recent murders, along with the interesting fact that despite the variable effects, apparently the same poison was used every time. And he revealed that the gods haven't informed their servants as to what's going on. With the possible exception of one, who merely gives cryptic riddles.
Went to the mansion twice. First time Rick and Midila met Gamon, Lord Russet's bodyguard (apparently he makes some of his servants sleep in the stable). He told you to leave, and you did. Second time you refused, and as a fight seemed imminent, the sound of shattering glass came from within the house. Gamon swiftly deemed you an unimportant distraction and went off to protect his employer.
While wandering through the house you met Abel, the gnomish alchemist. He was stealing food, and was fooled into thinking Rick was a guard. He unintentionally confirmed that he is the source of the poison Russet has been using to eliminate his foes without it being traceable. He also hinted darkly at something bad going on in the house, that some of the guards might be in on. We ended the game as you found his laboratory in the stable.
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Terrible avatars throughout the ages! (All by me.)
Tell you what, let's do a test run. Tomorrow night (Tuesday), at around 6 pm Pacific I'll try hosting with Maptool. You don't have to be there, but if at least one person shows up we can check and see if everything seems to be working. I.E., can you connect, can you see images I put on the map, is the Fog working, etc. It'll be a lot more convenient to check now than waiting until Saturday morning.
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Terrible avatars throughout the ages! (All by me.)
I'm working on setting it up now. I'll post if I can get it working on my end. Apparently I need to mess around with my router a bit to be able to host a server.
EDIT:
Okay, please check and see if there is a server named Starscream.
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Terrible avatars throughout the ages! (All by me.)
How to Play Rogues Properly:
Spoiler
Like this:
Last edited by Starscream : 09-14-2010 at 08:15 PM.
Not seeing it... what's your IP and port? Also, editing a message doesn't re-up the 'unread thread' flag, so anyone relying on that won't know you got the server up.
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Of course, by the time I finish this post, it will already be obsolete. C'est la vie.
Last edited by Jack_Simth : 09-14-2010 at 08:22 PM.
Ouch; we have to match client version and server version exactly? Annoying... downloading again...
Oh, and it will NEVER be referenced by a 192.168.X.Y or a 10.X.Y.Z unless someone's actually connecting on your local network - so your brother/sister/cousin/whatever who's at your house can connect that way, and someone you've set up a virtual private LAN with can, but nobody else can.
Edit: I seem to be online....
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Of course, by the time I finish this post, it will already be obsolete. C'est la vie.
Last edited by Jack_Simth : 09-14-2010 at 08:29 PM.
Turns out the noise Gamon heard and trouble Abel alluded to was an assassination attempt, and the guards were in on it. Mr. Knock and the guards attacked Russet, while you and Gamon tried to defend him. Russet however ended up petrified in his own wine cellar, with a dagger in his neck. You defeated Knock and the guards, and then learned some more information about what is going on.
Russet was previously commissioning the mad alchemist Dr. Ghastly to research methods of living forever, through alchemical means (which also have something to do with astronomy). He was unimpressed with the results, and dropped him from his service. However, he hired one of Ghastly's assistants, Abel, who has a knack for creating poisons (a few vials of which you acquired). Russet used his poisons to commit several murders around town, of people who caused him trouble.
Ghastly swore revenge, and sent his assassin Knock after Russet. The guards had their own reasons for hating Russet, and were only too happy to assist, leaving him with only the protection of his very lawful bodyguard (who also wasn't a fan).
It also seems that the reason he stopped funding Ghastly's research is that he got a better offer. The paperwork in his study alludes to some sort of undertaking in the north mountains that Russet was financing instead. The "payment" Russet would receive for his services would require a powerful being to be sacrificed, and Russet gleefully offered up how own loyal bodyguard for this.
Unfortunately, any more details on what's going on were in the paperwork that Abel stole when he ransacked the house for valuables. He escaped by using the same trick as the thief before, tearing a playing card in half and vanishing. These cards seem to be popular among members of the Thieves Guild.
Now down to business:
Two level 5 fighters defeated - 1000 xp each
One CR 9 Rogue/Stonedeath Assassin captured - 2000 xp each.
Loot:
*2400 gp
*A +1 Flaming Dagger
*Masterwork Leather Armor
*+1 Heavy wooden shield
*Ring of Protection +1
*Boots of Striding and Springing
* Four vials of Abel's poison.
Not a bad haul for a CR 9 opponent. Should help make up for the gap between you and WBL.
Since you specified that you wanted to take 20 in searching the rest of the house, here's what you found. The three bedrooms of the house each had a plaque on the wall, containing a poem. Here's what they say:
A simple man when doing sums
Must look no farther than his thumbs
But beyond my value he can't go
Or twice me with help from below.
Half of me is twice of thee
Twice of me; infinity
Although this fact is only true
From a certain point of view.
You'll find me in the rainbow
You'll count me among your sins
You're reading me now you see
Again, again, and again.
I like the new program so far. Any thoughts?
__________________
Terrible avatars throughout the ages! (All by me.)
How to Play Rogues Properly:
Spoiler
Like this:
Last edited by Starscream : 09-18-2010 at 04:31 PM.
oh.. what book has all the nifty monk type feats in it?
I recommend Complete Warrior, Tome of Battle, and (because you are good aligned) Book of Exalted Deeds. Lots of nice monk stuff in those.
Tome of Battle is especially nice. It's a whole book about martial arts style combat moves. The Swordsage class is basically what monks were supposed to be (after WotC wised up and realized that casters get all the nice things). It even has a variant that gets the same unarmed damage and AC bonus as monks (and your levels stack for those things if you multiclass).
Incidentally, monks can multiclass in my games, as can paladins. I think the creators put in that rule because they didn't want people to dip into monk for the Wisdom to AC or into paladin for the Charisma to saves. But they overestimated the power of that stuff, and didn't realize that the characters most likely to gain a benefit from it (wisdom and charisma based spellcasters), would also hate giving up caster levels.
As for the riddles, yeah, they aren't too difficult. One of the problems of an online game is that I have to write stuff like that myself. If I look for some on the internet, I know that anyone else can find them as well.
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Terrible avatars throughout the ages! (All by me.)
So I assume we are going to head back to town now? Can I get some funky weapons there while we are back in town? There are just a couple I thought I may pick up (that I don't want to summon every time I want to use them).
Hey guys it looks like I am not going to be there this week. Sorry for the semi-late notice. You guys are welcome to play, or wait for me next week, either way is fine with me. I know there is also sometimes a problem with encounters being geared towards three people instead of four, so if Jack or someone wants to play my character during the battles, that works too.
Hey guys it looks like I am not going to be there this week. Sorry for the semi-late notice. You guys are welcome to play, or wait for me next week, either way is fine with me. I know there is also sometimes a problem with encounters being geared towards three people instead of four, so if Jack or someone wants to play my character during the battles, that works too.
No worries, I'm still designing the next session, so I'll just keep two party members in mind when picking encounters.
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Terrible avatars throughout the ages! (All by me.)
Combination for something with numbers, generally. Likely points to look at in the observatory.
Ah, here we go; three basic things to check for:
1) Numbered volumes on the shelves. The three numbers being buttons, essentially.
2) Listed degrees in the observatory.
3) Numbered cubbies in the study.
Basically, look around the mansion for anything with numbers on it, and check that sequence to see if anything comes loose.
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Of course, by the time I finish this post, it will already be obsolete. C'est la vie.
hey starscream, dont forget to send me that campaign file!
for everyone, what kind of variables do you want to see added?
a list of ones already in mind:
Max HP
Fort
Ref
Will
StrBonus
...
ChaBonus
flatAC
touchAC
Var1-Var10 empty spares to be used for personal tracking, like ammo counters, wand charges or whatever
Level
HD
SR
DR
The ones I was testing with...
MaxHP
BaseFort
BaseRef
BaseWill
StrBonus
...
ChaBonus
SaveBonus (For Cloak of Resistance and such things)
BAB
AttackBonus (For things like Prayer, Divine Favor, and whatnot)
DamageBonus (For things like Divine Favor and whatnot)
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Of course, by the time I finish this post, it will already be obsolete. C'est la vie.