New OOC thread here.

@Erin, don't forget to roll initiative

Wait, are we in actual combat now?

01:30, Today: Erin rolled 11 using 3d6+2 with the AGE System with rolls of {1}, 2, 6.  Initiative.

Posting it ehre becasue my internet is being super weird, and don't want to risk editing the IC post myself.

Better roll than wait? Our Storyteller is busy right now and we don't want them to have to ask for any roll that could be easily made.

I still don't think I made the right choice...

In reply to Tyrus Morven (msg # 4):

At least someone made a choice :D

Sorry. With the holiday and a family issue this week, I haven't been able to follow up on your posts.

I'll also get initiative rolls done for the other principals and nick Fost's table, as usual. :)

@Fost: Appreciate it, I might have doomed us all or only Tyrus but I feel like that's something Tyrus would have done. He'd probably have blasted that mage some time ago tbh.

Life happens, with pbp games its important to post something occasionally or else people are likely to forget about it.

Question: How does everyone feel about puzzles/riddles in TRPGs?
Personally I love a good puzzle as long as its not required to finish the quest.

Depends a lot, I like intuitive things, I am not very good at making the thinking, so it because a bit of a sit down and think thing, I dread it and feels like something akin to torture.

First, got the post out. Sorry that took so long. (New maps are up for 0 & 1.)

Second, puzzles and riddles? I enjoy them in general (I loved doing the logic puzzles from the old crossword magazines and I do a couple daily crosswords online these days, plus Sudoku is fun), but I'm always a little wary of them in an RPG setting. If you make it too obvious, there's no drama; if you make it too obscure, there's no chance of success and the players get frustrated (that's one of the reasons I stopped playing the Kingmaker online game for Pathfinder, got tired of the tedious obscure puzzles). It's hard to find that sweet spot in the middle.

What I like to do is to sometimes show the framework of the puzzle, and allow the players to have their PCs figure it out by making the appropriate skill or intellect rolls. That way, there's still some chance of failure without having to dial in the difficulty to the players' real world knowledge.

I'm running a murder mystery in my online Star Trek campaign, and I'm having to do this same kind of balancing act. Can't make the clues too easy, but can't make them too obscure, either, since, you know, the players themselves aren't necessarily investigators (or mystery writers). I try to have them let the characters do the heavy lifting.

Oh, murder mysteries are fun but my players tend to have troubles to come up with more obvious questions and actions.

In my own game I include puzzles only in big/important dungeons and even then they only protect extra loot. Also, there are always stories/tales that the party can use to solve the puzzles but they have to do their research before they go to the dungeon. I feel it helps to give players who choose "less useful skills" a chance to shine and help the party.

And honestly, some of the funniest moments happen thanks to puzzles.
I send my party into a tomb, the one buried there was a very smart cookie and included a couple of riddles/puzzles. One of them they thought the answer was "milk" and the party druid had the idea to turn herself into a cow to get milked...

(the answer was wrong but I gave them inspiration for trying so hard)

Is there not way at all I can save Nolan? D:

In reply to Erin (msg # 11):

I guess I could try and heal him... after we dealt with the mage.

In reply to Erin (msg # 11):

On your turn, you can take the Heal Action, even if he's at 0 Health. Cunning (Healing) vs. TN11. Success means he gets Health back equal to Erin's Cunning  + the result of the Dragon Die. (She has an even chance of succeeding.)

A character at 0 Health requires healing within 2 + their Constitution rounds or they will die.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:37, Thu 29 June 2023.

This can't be a serious considerstion... can it?

100% serious. Erin's turn is after everyone's right? So the poor hunter gets double bonked goes down and then Erin can try to save his life.

Just as a note, Fost's Round 1 attack will not take him to 0 Health. Nolan will still be able to defend himself this round. I'm waffling a bit on whether Wendoll considers Nolan "handled" by Fost and Erin there, or if he's going to follow through and just shoot the poor bastard before moving on. (I may roll on it.)

Of course, Erin could forcefully interject herself between the two men, if she wishes. :)

After that first attack, considering eh was heavily wounded and prone, I had a mind of basically removing him from both harm and combat this round. So super wounded almost dead after this new round's attack and starting on his butt, what do we understand by "defending himself"? Because what Erin may or may not do varies wildly by the happenings before is her time to go to be hoenst.

I mean that he is above 0 Health and can take his normal turn (if he survives long enough to get to it). However, with Arnie acting before him (and the dog will growl and be generally menacing, with a prepared attack if he tries to move), I'm going to have him try to surrender to the group. (Honestly, when I called for Round 1 actions, I didn't expect him to survive the second attack.)

If you want to save him then you could always call out to him to lay down his weapon or better yet, join us against the demon.

Ok, help me to understand why you consider Nolan 'poor' and worth to save.
I really don't understand what makes him, unlike the clearly enchanted non-combattant folk, an 'innocent' person.
Mind, in the heat of battle I cannot really see anybody reacting accordingly (unlike all those US movies/series glorifying eg Navy Seals/Specials Operations), except that Fost then must believe that Erin has been enchanted, too.
Which will in turn, of course, change the whole flow of the confrontation.

Please do note that I am not trying to convince you otherwise, let alone 'command' how you should act. I really want to understand ooc... I will probably still ic 'what are you doing?!?", lol

Erin knows not a thing about demons and magic, people here were behaving strangely alright, but that's about it. She managed to talk some sense in the couple and Nolan while intimidating had yet to really do anything. Moreover, his tone and demeanor had just begun to change too before he got jumped. That's on the facts on the ground as Erin experienced them.

Now adding Erin on top, she is part of the local militia, her job is to keep the peace and see for the wellbeing of the people of the region. Carving up someone just because they are kind of rude is definitely out of the question, she will definitely take a chance if she isn't absolutely convinced that she HAS to cut people up, that applies fifty-fold to people she considers locals. Moreover, she is a happy-go-lucky cheerful idiot with a simpleminded approach to life.

The way things are through Erin's eyes, assaulting Nolan was more or less unnecessary, striking him once he was on the ground, absolutely reprehensible behavior. *nod nods*

Anyway, now that I am awake with breakfast rather than falling asleep on the keyboard I will post (on the assumption Nolan is not super dying yet but that he is more or less giving up).

Ok, well, I see Nolan/Fenny/She-Elf as "the enemy" and strangers to the region.

Personal Memo:
no name provided yet for the she-elf, 'V' on map indicates victim.
Fenny is 'M' for Mage
Nolan is 'B'
This message was last edited by the player at 12:53, Fri 30 June 2023.

You are aware that Tyrus started the fight, yes?
Magic being what it is in DA (flashy boom bang), Erin would have noticed his spellcasting evenif it were at her back

Yeah he told Erin as much, razzle dazzle Demon's magic. That's over there and magical business, this is here and regular business, Erin's concern is with leaving town as she was instructed and taking the happy couple to safety to later escort back to the farm we came from.

gonna update soon. I'm a little bit tied up at the moment.

Question, would you folks rather have Wendoll continue maneuvering to attack Fenny, or do you want him to shift his focus to the entranced farmers?