I vote that Aramil does something ridiculous involving teleporting.
Also I swear almost everyone in the party can teleport. It's hilarious. Although I think Aramil and Eltain are the worst offenders, having the most ways to do it and the greatest frequency. (Technically, Eltain can teleport more often, since he can do it every single round, though Aramil has more useful things to do with it.)
Also it's hilarious how Eltain's gone from the least mobile party member to quite possibly the most mobile. I laugh at your Immobilized and Restrained.
Spoiler
Perception for an NPC in my game: (1d20+5)[21]
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Damn it, Shligger. >:U </in-joke reference nobody will get>
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Also, I think the War Devil beat the AC Aramil has listed on his character sheet, but I'm pretty sure I remember that Aramil has a +2 bonus to AC after a teleporting power, so I'm assuming it missed.
After seeing Haberdashery's most recent IC post all I can say is... I hate needless sacrifice.
In effect by agreeing to this, Shep is giving the devils free reign to do whatever they want without interference from the party or we do try to interfere making Shep's signing pretty much worthless.
Might Pavick's Study of the Planes PP feature apply to it? Technically this isn't a ritual, but it seems about as close to one as a power will ever be.
I will also point out to everyone that opening the portal cost Pavick 3 surges, and each round of holding it open costs a standard action to sustain and another surge. And he doesn't have many left.
In effect by agreeing to this, Shep is giving the devils free reign to do whatever they want without interference from the party or we do try to interfere making Shep's signing pretty much worthless.
He's not preventing the party from interfering. What he was trying to do was make it that if the devils do anything aggressive against the party, the contract is void. Baalzebul just added that if the party instigates the devils, then the devils can retaliate. But if the party goes out and attacks the devils anyway, nothing changes--they aren't barred from doing so, just it doesn't affect the state of the contract. The party can still very well go out and beat up devils with no negative consequences.
What the contract does do is not add in another group of enemies seeking the party's death. So far we already have quite a lot. So it gives you all buffer time, so to speak, in case you do want to go after the devils eventually. Meaning it's not a needless sacrifice at all--otherwise we'd have the whole Nine Hells after us, and that's kinda...bad.
In effect by agreeing to this, Shep is giving the devils free reign to do whatever they want without interference from the party or we do try to interfere making Shep's signing pretty much worthless.
Might Pavick's Study of the Planes PP feature apply to it? Technically this isn't a ritual, but it seems about as close to one as a power will ever be.
Oh yeah, Pavick is bright enough (& has studied enough) to know that this deal as-is is bad news. Feel free to yell out or act accordingly.
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I will also point out to everyone that opening the portal cost Pavick 3 surges, and each round of holding it open costs a standard action to sustain and another surge. And he doesn't have many left.
That is a predicament, ain't it? Especially after coming out of that arena battle. Pavick only has...what, 1 or 2 left?
Oops, sorry about the unclear pronoun there. I had editted the post as I wrote it. I meant my question about the Study of the Planes to refer to the opposed arcana check. Might the +4 to arcana checks apply to this situation? It probably wouldn't as written strictly, but it seems close enough to me that I thought I'd at least ask.
According to my notes, Pavick now has 2 surges left after opening the portal. The power does give the option to hold it open by burning through a surge value of hp per round instead, if I run out of surges, but I hope it doesn't come to that.
Oops, sorry about the unclear pronoun there. I had editted the post as I wrote it. I meant my question about the Study of the Planes to refer to the opposed arcana check. Might the +4 to arcana checks apply to this situation? It probably wouldn't as written strictly, but it seems close enough to me that I thought I'd at least ask.
I think you guys missed my post, since I posted the same time as Hzurr. I'm not sure how this would protect the devils at all--I only specified that the contract is void if the devils interfere with the party. If the party interferes with the devils, they can retaliate, but it doesn't change the contract. So you can still attack devils without consequence.
No, I caught your posts. I'm just saying that without more clear wording on what "directly provokes" means, as soon as we attack a devil somewhere, Baalzebul could take that as direct provocation against the fiendish army. Freeing him to take any offensive action he wants against us.
It's not what a sane reading of the contract might mean, but it is what the devils can twist the wording to mean, that is important. Devils are just like lawyers in that regard, but worse.
Right, so all that would do is revert this back to the way it'd have been pre-contract, and devils would hunt us down. Which is what they'd be doing if Shep doesn't sign. It was never the plan to make this contract solve the devil issue, because it doesn't. The contract does only one thing--it gives you time. Time to remove some of the huge enemies waiting for us (the Winter Fey, the drow, etc.) Because otherwise, the devils can just ally with the Prince of Frost, add their devil army to his fey army, and crush us. Or attack us from a different front, and therefore we're in between three armies at once.
I know the forum roller hates us all, but of all the times to roll a 1!
Maybe someone can aid Pavick somehow?
So, now comes the tricky part. Pavick has lost control of the Portal (sustaining it, closing it, etc) but it's still tied to his lifeforce. So if Baftis just holds this thing open, it'll continue draining Pavick.
However, Pavick does have his full array of actions at his disposal.
So, I'm doing something kind of crazy, and I am going to ask politely for you to please respect it and the opinions of me and dariathalon(and nobody else seems to really want it either), and not go back through. Please. I am... Actually kind of upset by this, and I do not want it to happen. I've thrown every resource I have at my disposal into trying to save everyone twice now. It got negated the first time when we had to come into this place with Jabba. Please don't make that be in vain again. Pretty much everyone except Toric is trying to stop you, and I know why on that, so... Yeah. :(
Also, dariathalon may find this History check result from my game amusing:
Spoiler
Baruk recalls from his lessons the story of Pavick Roslow, ancient master of the arcane arts. He was a gnome of great magical skill and power whose mastery of portals and illusion magic was said to rival even that of Corellon himself. His tower was a glorious masterpiece of magic and trickery, and it and he were frequently visited by an archfey called the Lady of Mirth, whose demesne was nearby. Legend tells that he disappeared long ago into worlds beyond the knowledge of even the gods, having fooled death itself with his illusions. Some say the Lady misses him to this day.
The tower now lies half-ruined, the long centuries since his disappearance having taken their toll on the structure. Few visit it, believing it to either be trapped or haunted. An ideal location for a secret delivery.
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Perhaps for the very first time, a single drop rolled down the Shepherd's cheek. "I accept your offer, on the condition that you will let my allies leave unharmed, along with their vessel and its crew, and neither you, nor any devil, will attempt to harm them, or pursue them any further. Furthermore, neither you or any devil will take action in the conflict in the Feywild. If any of these demands are not met, this contract will be void."
The red ink blazed as he signed it.
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Originally Posted by Hzurr
DM Post
Baalzebul holds up a finger. "'Neither I nor any devil will attempt to harm them or pursue them unless we are first directly provoked by them.' I'll not have a group like that hunting devils without fear of reprisal all because of some contract." He gives a wicked smile. "And I'm sure we'll discuss your love for me in great, great detail."
This is how I interpret this contract:
If Shep signs,
1) the rest of us, including the 'Jammer and crew, are free to leave.
2) neither Jabba or any other devil will take any action in the Feywild war.
3) if we "provoke" any devil, and that information gets back to Jabba, he has full rights to engage us openly. (Like most devils, his wording is very vague about what "directly provoked" means.) This could hinder us in the Feywild anyway if we accidentally bump a devil. Hells, if Ash talks to Keezul the wrong way, Jabba could come after us!
Yeah, he'd mentioned that to me. Reasonable enough reason not to.
You can heroically sacrifice yourself, just do it in a less extreme manner when it's more needed.
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Is there anything Pavick can do to try to regain control of his spell? I mean he doesn't have any powers that say he can try to do so, but I don't think I've ever noticed a power (for either pcs or monsters) that allows someone to take control over another person's powers. Maybe another opposed arcana roll?
If there really isn't anything he can do, I've only got two other ideas...
1. Wait until everyone on our side is through the portal and drop my last daily (a beefed up version of sleep through to the other side) and hope I can knock out Baftis.
2. Move outside of the range of the spell. I believe to sustain a power you have to stay within the spell's range. Maybe either forcing Baftis to move away from the portal and/or Pavick moving himself away from the portal can sever the hold.
Either way, Pavick really needs to wait to see what the others are doing first.
Is there anything Pavick can do to try to regain control of his spell? I mean he doesn't have any powers that say he can try to do so, but I don't think I've ever noticed a power (for either pcs or monsters) that allows someone to take control over another person's powers. Maybe another opposed arcana roll?
You can make the opposed roll 1/turn, so this turn you can't, but next round you can make a check to regain control.
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1. Wait until everyone on our side is through the portal and drop my last daily (a beefed up version of sleep through to the other side) and hope I can knock out Baftis.
2. Move outside of the range of the spell. I believe to sustain a power you have to stay within the spell's range. Maybe either forcing Baftis to move away from the portal and/or Pavick moving himself away from the portal can sever the hold.
Yep, you suspect that if you break the prerequisites for the spell (via range, or if Baftis was somehow no longer able to maintain her counterspell, like if she was asleep or you used the Sequester power) you'd regain control.
I don't suppose Thrull could use a Majestic Word on Aramil? :p
Also, can Eltain make an Arcana check next round to try to help close the portal? (How'd this jerk even get control of it anyway? I didn't even know that was a thing.)
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Shep & Lucan have plenty of healing powers if Aramil needs it.
You can either aid Pavick, or you can try to distract Baftis so she'll take a penalty.
Shep is too busy being insane and Lucan is busy shooting things and Thrull is a nice guy.
Aww, I wanna try to grab control of the portal too.
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Re: Adventures in Sigil - OOC - Part III [4E]
I hate needless sacrifice. 
I know the forum roller hates us all, but of all the times to roll a 1!
