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Messages - Teshi
126
Necromancy and whatever the school of magic is that lets you blow things up. The Karrns are big fans of that one as well.
127
"Well that's interesting. Do you serve your version of Karrnath? Or a different country?"
"My turn," he says. "How many people have you eaten?"
128
"How many times I gotta tell you I aint a necromancer?" I say, a little exasperated. "The Enclave said I had talent, yeah, but wasn't ever gonna be strong enough. Besides, it's only a problem if you're dumb about it."
"No, Astra," he says seriously. "Necromancy is wrong. That Karrnathi youth are being raised to believe in expediency that is precisely why our mission is so important. There is still time for you repent of the path you're on."
129
"Look," I say, swallowing a little, cause if this Tarravan doesn't want to try beating it out of us and if we already killed one of his buddies and he doesn't have any use left for us the outcome is pretty clear, and lean forward, gazing at him steadily. "I'm Astra, once of Atur, and later of the edge of the Nightwood just to the south. You ever been in that area, you probably heard of me, cause this is what I do. I take jobs to kill bandits and kill monsters from the forest for free and find missing kids. And maybe it aint my place to say everything I know about everything when I'm working, or run my mouth about who's paying me, but I'm only here cause someone's missing and needs help, and cause I need money to look after my sick sister and her kid. And that's the truth, my hand to the gods. I aint your enemy."
He sighs again, looking at her critically, even as he takes on board what she's saying. "All else aside, the necromancy is still a problem, Astra," he says frankly.
130
I hand them over. I'm not a complete idiot.
"I have a question. Who benefits from a weakened Karrnath?"
"Anyone who doesn't want to be a zombie?" Atrelioth scoffs.
Tarravan replies evenly, "I suppose that depends on whether one views Karrnath as a single entity."
131
He sighs, and says, without guile, "I've always been averse to the use of force in interrogations. Recent events are testing my dedication to principle."
"Do you need a knife, sir?" calls Atrelioth.
"No, thank you," he replies testily.
"Do you need a knife, sir?" calls Atrelioth.
"No, thank you," he replies testily.
132
[That's true, but intended to mislead, so I think it needs a bluff check as well, albeit an easier DC one.]
133
FYI I'm out for the next four hours... Warcraft movie.
Oh, right, people leave their houses on Saturdays. lol
134
[Good enough that he's not insulted, not good enough to actually make him doubt what he knows.]
Tarravan looks unimpressed. "We know you're out of Fort Deepdark. This exchange of information ceases to be useful for us if there is no true information being exchanged."
Tarravan looks unimpressed. "We know you're out of Fort Deepdark. This exchange of information ceases to be useful for us if there is no true information being exchanged."
135
[You never know. Miracles do happen, praise Kol Korran.]
]
137
"Nobody said nothing to me about no twisted abominations," I reply. "I'm just here cause some guy wants his missing kid back. Why're you after us, anyway? I mean, what makes you think we can even help you?"
[Just to clarify my thoughts here, I'm not rolling Bluff because to Astra's view that is the only reason she, in particular, was included on this mission; the group as a whole has another purpose as well, but she's just talking about herself. Let me know if that's skirting it too much and I'll toss in a check!]
"One question for one question," he says. His grip on the hilt of his sword shifts, perhaps unconsciously - not a threat, but the gesture of a warlike man who feels he's being far more magnanamous than the situation warrants. "It's my turn. Tell me about this 'missing kid'. And answer my previous question. Which faction?"
138
I see how it's faster at resolving the string of actions you posted already, but it seems like most of the outcomes other than "caught and subued off the bat" just open another degree of separation? So let's say Pepper successfully gets out, spooks the killer horses, and snipes an enemy, wounding them (or even killing him/her, if that was an option on the table). The situation hasn't actually changed much, right? Pepper is still out on her own away from the rest of the party, and the rest of the party is still under guard and disarmed.
I'm not trying to be difficult or made of NO, I'm just unclear on why I'm throwing out the exiting ruleset if the purpose of the alterantive ruleset is to efficiently reuinte separated parties, but the player's desired outcomes don't result in a reuinted party? I might just be missing something.
I'm not trying to be difficult or made of NO, I'm just unclear on why I'm throwing out the exiting ruleset if the purpose of the alterantive ruleset is to efficiently reuinte separated parties, but the player's desired outcomes don't result in a reuinted party? I might just be missing something.
139
"What monstrous abuses?" I break in to ask, curious what this staff whatever thing we've been sent after actually does. Necromancy aint that useful a description, after all, seeing as how apparently some people think what I do counts as necromancy.
"Not only the cruelty of fielding vast armies of twisted abominations itself," Tarravan says, "but doing so for one's own personal gain."
140
I'm not automatically opposed to the idea, except that Pepper cannot roll high enough to one-hit kill any of the enemies, so if by "head-shots" you mean finishes them off all at once...the odds of that are zero, aren't they?
141
The commander says dryly, "We're here for much the same reason you are, I believe.""Yes, but why would you be interested? I mean, you're not from around here and clearly we have... differing beliefs."
"Naturally, we wish to prevent the monstrous abuses that would result from such a device falling into the hands of any Karrnathi faction," he replies. "A question for a question. Which faction are you agents of?"
142
I sit.
I sometimes know when not to push my luck.
"Now hand over your cloak, mask and gloves," the commander says.
"You got a name?" I ask the commander, then jerk my head at Andri's body. "And sorry about him, for real. I shoulda knocked him out at the end, there, before... don't matter now, I guess."
"Tarravan," he replies. He adds stiffly, "We will celebrate his death, not grieve it." He doesn't look particularly celebratory.
"This is a horrible country," mutters Atrelioth."Why are you here? Are you lost?"
The commander says dryly, "We're here for much the same reason you are, I believe."
143
[Initiative, just in case, 2 + 6 = 8]
[Same question, am I including a Val turn in every round?]
144
[Do they sound like they're from this country?]
[Insight Roll(1d20)+12: 7,+12, Total:19]
Nope! Not a hint of a Karrnathi accent in their Common.
145
[Don't know that Mari has any intention of aiding Pepper, but I'm going to roll Initiative just in case I need to do something: 17 + 9 = 26]
[Do you want to be part of the incipient combat encounter? i.e., should I be including a Mari turn in every round?]
146
"Tis a strange place," I say, leaning against a post for comfort, "and I've seen stranger than vampires here. A roving revenant warforged, for example. I didn't know those things could have souls, let alone one strong enough to bring em back. Purposeful thing, though. You could see that in its unblinking, phosphorescent eyes."
"And I saw a gallows tree once. Hung seventeen gnome spies from it, they did, and left them there to rot. Something in that oak tree went... bad. Uprooted itself and went on a walkabout, seventeen shrieking gnome corpses swinging in the wind."
"Strange place this is, yes," I say, pondering. "Vampires can be downright pleasant."
"This is a horrible country," mutters Atrelioth.
147
"Sort the situation with that sniper," the commander orders his surviving subordinates. [B and C roll initiative.]
[The PCs interacting with A outside of combat time are welcome to continue doing so while this thing plays out with Pepper.]
[The PCs interacting with A outside of combat time are welcome to continue doing so while this thing plays out with Pepper.]
148
[I don't have a lot of time to post this morning. Pepper Turn 7]
[This is what I intend: Pepper escapes through the window as soon as Oleg says "We surrender". She would not lurk around for the blather. She makes for Oleg's clawfoot, mounts and gathers up the four horses and makes to move around the far edge of the stable to the right and into the brush into the SE. She whistles for Fondue with instructions to climb to the top of the stable and wait (if you doubt a goat can climb to the top of a building you have never been around goats. She then crosses through the brush to the south in a large circle to emerge from the NW corner of the map. She motivates the clawfoot to charge the front door of the cabin while she stealths across to the north side of the bridge where she sets up a cozy sniper nest. Soon as the first enemy comes through the door, she will shoot him or her in the face.]
[I gotta run. Tell me what rolls I need to make and I'll post them as soon as I am able.]
[Oh, at all some opportune time she will signal Fondue to scream from the top of the stable.][Let's break this into pieces.
1. I need a new initiative roll from Pepper, and from any PCs who will be aiding Pepper's endeavor.
2. First thing for Pepper is to get through the window unnoticed. Stealth check while using the bar as concealment, then an acrobatics check to pass the window smoothly as she uses her move action to go outside. I'll give Pepper a surprise round 0 if she succeeds at the checks. If she fails the checks, it'll be round 1. The reacting NPCs will have their first turn round 1.
3. I count six squares to Oleg's dino, but the window would be difficult terrain, so account for that in the move action.
4. Enemies' warhorse mounts, when unmounted, are hostile combatants with their own intiative and moves, I believe. The pony is also a mount, but not enemy and not a combatant. I am open to the idea of Pepper using some sort of standard action nature check to turn warhorses non-hostile. There are four of them, though. Make a case for why I shouldn't require four separate actions? Perhaps one action at quite a challenging DC would suffice? Let's go with that.
5. Pepper'll need something to string the horses along if she succeeds at turning them non-hostile and wants to take them all with her, since she can't ride them all at once. Rope? I believe tying that would be a standard action as well.
6. Are you thinking of the goat as your minion, or is it still my NPC? If it's a minion it uses your moves (and I'll need some goat stats), if it's an NPC it'll need checks to be compelled to act. How will Pepper communicate to it that it's to get onto the roof?
That's enough to be starting with, I think! Fire away!]
149
"It's a ghost," he says, in a what the fuck is wrong with you tone. Ghosts don't count. He does not, however, decapitate Val. "Sit," he says, pointing with his sword.
150
"What do you want, boss man?" I ask the commander, trying to steer the conversation away from me being chained up.
They won't do squat to stop me turning into a bat, but if they're blessed they'll certainly tickle as I metamorphose.
"You restrained or decapitated," the commander says, his voice and face hard. "Your status as a crime against God and nature aside, you attacked first."
[I suggest a very good speech check (or something!) if Val wishes to change their minds!]