21:57, Today: Elmelio rolled 12 using 1d20+7.  Society.

21:57, Today: Elmelio rolled 16 using 1d20+5.  Diplomacy.

Between Booker's knowledge of history, Ember knowing where to look for notes on haunted locations, and Mezzaline recruiting the aid of librarians and asking just the right questions, the party manages to find some information on the manor--and most of it is probably true!
In particular, they find a map with the precise location. They also know that the manor was built about 80 years ago, in the year 4642, and that it was fully abandoned only 15 years later.

That's information you get for 2 RP, and you've earned a total of 3. That's most of what you can get before investigating some primary sources, but you haven't quite hit the cap for regional lore yet.

(Mezzaline's Lore check would be a success, but cults isn't a useful knowledge base for either of these topics).

You can also each attempt a second Society check if you want to see if you know anything about Ioseff Xarwin.

And actually, I think I'm going to throw the second hook at you too. For this, I need to choose a research topic to give you... in the interest of not giving too many hints yet about what you might find, I choose Asethanna Xarwin.



The slim half-elf dropped his pencil. "I'm sorry to eavesdrop, but did you say 'Xarwin Manor'? Xarwin as in Asethanna Xarwin?" he said eagerly, "Are you going there?"

He'd been sitting at a nearby table at the library, a table holding books about sculpting and painting. Also perched on the table was a small, intricately carved wooden statue of a small bird which he had been drawing, fairly adeptly, in his sketchbook.

"Oh, no... I suppose it's probably as in Jossip Xarwin. Joseph.. ? Well, Asethanna's spouse. I don't know much about them, but they'd be the actual lord of the town while she was just the lord's wife. But she was also an artist, you know."

He held up the wooden bird. "This is one of hers. She was respected in her time, but not especially famous, and she's mostly forgotten now. She was an up-and-comer, but died young before she really achieved success. Or disappeared? I'm not sure anyone really knows what happened to her."

He held out a hand. "Caladrel. I've been studying human sculpture styles. If you're visiting the house Xarwin lived in, I hope I can convince you to tell me anything you find out about her. My teacher would pay especially well if you uncover some incomplete or forgotten work!"

Hello folks! I am just finishing off my character and trying to equip them. I am trying to figure out what exactly we can have.

A +1 potency is a level 2 item if I understand the rules correctly. What is a first level common permanent item?

What about my rolls? Did they help or can I use them for other things?

There aren't a lot of them. Splint or half-plate armor. There are several held 1st-level items.  Walking Cauldron. And the cloak of feline rest.

I think that's about all.


You did post while I was writing mine, which is why I didn't mention Elmelio. But I didn't add him because those are failures.

That said, if spending hours in research until you're sure you've learned everything you can is something your characters want to do... you can just say that. "Two hours" isn't a high cost before you set out, so we can just assume you get it eventually.

In reply to Pharasma (msg # 61):

10-4. No problem. Might as well given there's no rush before the adventure.

I've added the bit of information you were able to learn on Xarwin Manor, and on Ioseff and Asathanna Xarwin, to the Research thread.

I've also opened up the IC thread. You won't need full complete game stats right away, but those of you still finishing up let me know how I can help.

Oh, and some of you already worked on joint backstory, but for the rest of you here's the prompt I had in mind for helping tie the characters' history together:

Tell us about a time that your friend totally saved your life.

That can be figurative, or it can be literal.

In reply to Pharasma (msg # 63):

I'm assuming I cant use society skill for more research?

Not at the moment, just because I assumed with no time limit you'd get it eventually and gave you all the research points you can earn so far.

Once you discover other avenues to explore and/or other relevant topics, yes. Society isn't always the right skill, but it will come up.

A quick post, been sidetracked by some IRL stuff but will have most of the weekend to catch up here both IC and OOC.

@GM I'll have my sheet finished properly by Saturday afternoon.

And for part of GM's backstory suggestion, real quick, one of Mezzaline's friends clearly helped her get out of whatever cult she might have been in, tie it to character creation.

During a quest to deal with a local bandit camp, Athraz and Elmelio approached the camp from a different direction. As they were sneaking, Athraz got caught by the leader who had to go to the privy. Elmelio, thinking quick, threw sand in his eyes, giving Athraz the opening he needed.

In reply to Mezzaline (msg # 67):

I could have been of help here. To help get you out from the cult.

I think for myself the strangeness of my character might have caused him problems in some lands and misunderstandings led to a potential witch trial like affair someone helped him out of.

Wow. Very perceptive.

The DC to notice that something was wrong was 15, so not only did almost everybody spot it but several of you critically succeeded.

Normally when a creature rolls Stealth for initiative, you compare it to the opponents' initiative rolls to see who goes first and their Perception DC to see if it's spotted. With about half of you rolling critical successes, though, I feel like I should give a benefit for that, so...

Malcolm and Mezzaline spot the centipede swarms. Sorry Elmelio: this applies to you, but your Perception DC was high enough you didn't need the help.

Elmelio, Malcolm, Mezzaline, and Athraz spot the centipedes and win initiative.
Ember also wins initiative but doesn't spot the enemy. He'll probably get some hints from the others, but can also Seek to notice them--their Stealth DC is 19.
Neither Booker nor Saoirse spot them, but it's a moot point as they also lost initiative. They'll reveal themselves before your turns.


I tend to think it's only fair for players to know the mechanics representing details their characters are clearly aware of, so some notes on swarm monsters:
For most purposes, the swarms of centipedes count as two Large creatures.
They can share space with other creatures, and must do so to damage them.
Swarms are typically vulnerable to area and splash damage, resistant to physical damage (especially piercing), and resistant or immune to precision damage.
As they lack a single mind, they're immune to mental effects that target a single or set number of creatures; they can be affected by mental effects that affect all creatures in an area.

I think that about covers it.

As Elmeilio and I were checking out the pond, I assume we are both far away from the swarms?

Wow, Saoirse is oblivious to danger. I think I want to live in his head. Definitely not in his boots.

No, because no time passed. You didn't get a chance to make much progress in that direction. Quirk of pbp--wait, hang on, I need to interrupt you.


I though something else distracting was a nice way to describe a failed perception check.

Since swarms don't make attack rolls, being hidden doesn't do as much for them, anyway.

How far are the swarms from Booker? Will they overrun his postion next round?

He was starting to move away, so perhaps 20 feet? They probably could, but would have to move away from their current targets.

Of course, I assume they'll probably move too.

In reply to Pharasma (msg # 76):

How fast did they move onto thier current targets? Given how they are made of normal sized bugs thier speed may not be great.

They only moved 5-10 feet, but they only had to move 5-10 feet so that doesn't mean they couldn't move faster.
Actually, their speed is surprisingly high.

I'm trying to find the rules on firing weapons, but I can't find it on nethysis. . .

Do I have to spend an action to load my sling or is that free?

In reply to Elmelio (msg # 79):

It's one action to reload.

Okay, so currently I have to load, sling, then load again. 10-4