At the Adventurers' Table: Chapter Eleven

[Purr]

Blue for Bren! =)

Psychie, did you want your white dice here too or the aquamarines you had previously for Oreleth?

 

[Purr]

But then again... hee hee... maybe you all think Wolf is right, I'm just trolling, my games are going too easy on you, and maybe I need to bump them up a notch?

How do you feel about that, Gang? =)

That request was half-teasing, half-serious. But seeing as no one has even gave any feedback, am I to guess that you guys and gals like the difficulty where it's at?

 

[Psychie]

I like the way things are running in the Robotech game, but have little enough experience with this one to give a informed opinion.

 

[Purr]

Thanks, Psychie! And did you want white dice here too or the aquamarine you had been using here in Sharseya?

 

[Psychie]

White will be fine. I just don't want to have the on site roller screw with me for a while. The fight in Broadsword is painful for the lack of good rolls on the part of the whole team.

 

[Purr]

I couldn't agree more! I'm just glad we have an alternative. In tabletop, you can just switch dice. =)

 

[Sherwood]

If I were to lay a complaint out, the only thing on my mind is the last encounter with the golem. If it were not for Nivirea being able to use the control staff, there was nobody in the party able to do anything to it. I can handle that with Luna; she had enough to do with support actions, buffing up the others with her spells. But not being able to have a player being able to affect it? I was not a fan of that.

Other than the one complaint, I like the pacing and the depth of the personal interactions of the game. I don't want to have encounters that we can just sweep aside, but a non-winnable battle is not what I'm hoping for. Does that feedback make sense? Please understand that I do love the game, and I don't want to see it end any time soon!

 

[Psychie]

Not every encounter will be 'defeated' by martial means. This particular one we just had to think our way out of it instead of beating to pieces.

Now, I'm not saying that Sherwood is entirely wrong; I like being able to pummel the bad guys into a squishy pulp (or a rocky pile, in this case). But keep in mind that we still came out of that encounter on the winning side.

 

[Sherwood]

I get it. Like I said, it was just a little gripe.

 

[Purr]

(Ooh! Lots of words below! Enjoy, Gang! Hyperactivity engaged! Felane option in full effect! We now make the jump to... Hyper-face!!)

If it were not for Nivirea being able to use the control staff, there was nobody in the party able to do anything to it. I can handle that with Luna; she had enough to do with support actions, buffing up the others with her spells. But not being able to have a player being able to affect it? I was not a fan of that.

I'm glad you weren't a fan of that, Sherwood. I know you just said you get it, but if you will, let me share a few things everybody here might find worthwhile. =)

See, before I put together any serious challenge toward my PCs, I have this habit of coming up with at least three reasonable solutions that are fully available to the party with who and what they have at the time of the encounter. Often, my PCs have a fourth I've never even considered. That's great! I'm all for that! This is one big reason I promote OOC chat among PCs! The more you put your heads together, the greater the chances of a solution. Teamwork beats thinking solo hands-down! =)

Case in point - going back to the colossus for a moment - in case anyone is interested, here were my three solutions prior to posting the challenge:

Spoiler

1. Party uses the rod. The rod was the key, yes, but... Nivirea was far from the only person able to use the rod. Had she failed, there was nothing stopping the other three arcanists in your party from giving it a shot! Whomever beat the DC on the roll (which really wasn't that high) just once would gain control of the colossus! Boom-done! Plus, anyone with Use Magic Device could have given it a shot using that instead of Knowledge: Arcana. Plus, there were other solutions that did not involve the rod.

2. Party plays "Nyah, Nyah, Can't Catch Me" using the horses. How many people in your party can Speak with Animals (or in Bren's case, Speak with Equines)? You've got Bren, Melshaef, and Bria (via healer spell). What was the colossus chasing? The horses and the wagon, right? Well, who was faster? Again, the horses! So since the lumbering lummox of a stone golem was focused only on them, ride or guide the horses down the street. Cast Haste on the horses or free them from the wagon if they get into trouble. Find out where they need to go from Arubellum, and get the colossus back to Ben & Misha's.

3. Party either brings Ben & Misha to colossus or they use option #2 with one of the party members in place of the horses. This was the toughest solution. Just because your spells and weapons won't damage the colossus, it doesn't mean the colossus knows that. It's only a construct. So... Party rolls Knowledge: Arcana or Monster Lore on colossus. Whomever has the highest roll shares their information with the Party. Now Party is all on the same page.

Remember how I kept mentioning that while your party's spells could not affect the colossus, it was possible for your spells to affect things other than the golem? Well, things like Light cantrips and Web spells and the like in its way, repeated attacks by melee or missile fire, distracting attack spells used with a little cleverness, and that sort of thing going on, someone would have eventually drawn the aggro (gotten the hostile attention) of the colossus. That's when things would have gotten extra-dangerous, but only if you slipped up.

See, just about everyone in your party has Boots of Striding and Springing, and even without them, they can easily get out of melee distance with the colossus (why? The colossus cannot run or it would have been; anyone paying close attention would have noticed it was too big to run and could only stomp along at a double-move at best every round). Though the colossus has two ranged attacks, the party could have gotten its attention and drawn the colossus either to Ben & Misha's or back to EarthHome where the Mielikkians would have entered the situation with their own reasonable solutions.

That's what I thought up anyway. =)

* * *​

Other than the one complaint, I like the pacing and the depth of the personal interactions of the game. I don't want to have encounters that we can just sweep aside, but a non-winnable battle is not what I'm hoping for.

I am happy to hear you like the pacing and depth! And I don't think I could be satisfied running a long-term game without personal interactions. The game wouldn't mean as much to me.

* * *​

Not every encounter will be 'defeated' by martial means. This particular one we just had to think our way out of it instead of beating to pieces.

Here is where Psychie is spot-on. This. =)

Please understand, Gang - I will never put you guys into a no-win situation. Challenge? Yes! Kill All Da PCs? Absolutely not. Where is the fun in that?

I have used my "three solution guideline" for years and it hasn't done me wrong yet. Even when Bria was ambushed by the Monk-Mages of Wee Jas, I had thought up three reasonable ways out for the Wayward Wanderers.

Now, that said... here is my long-held disclaimer in every game I've run during tabletop: If any PC decides to put themselves into a no-win situation, well, then they've chosen to jump off the cliff, haven't they? =)

Spoiler: Dumb PC

Imagine this, Gang.

Dumb PC: "What? The King of Highwind has a pretty redheaded wife? Redheads are sooo hawt! Hey, DM! I go kick his butt and throw her over my shoulder with my 10th level character! I draw my longsword +2 and charge the king! Come on, guys! Roll Initiative, DM!"

DM after he gets up off of the floor: "You are honestly making you and your party a direct threat to this entire kingdom? Well, dude, it's probably time you roll up a new character, because your character is in mortal danger, and... from the looks of your fellow PCs, they'll be the ones sending your character to his afterlife..." =)

Dumb PC: But guys! It's a redhead!!

Party: *insert glares, finger-pointing, and foul language here if I am that lucky...*

I think a good DM lets either the dice kill the PCs or the PCs kill the PCs. For this reason, I avoid "PC-killing" DMs like the plague. =)

Does that feedback make sense? Please understand that I do love the game, and I don't want to see it end any time soon!

Sure does! Thanks for your thoughts and I feel the same way! =)

EDIT: Fixed two typos. =)

 

[Purr]

Anyone else want to share their thoughts? Also, has everyone seen the post (#10) I put up about a day ago in Pathfinder 2.0 Playtest Chat? I've been having issues receiving no alerts and I want to make certain you guys saw that (some of it is important).

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

I assumed that my lack of complaints implied my consensus, but in case that it does not: I concur *woof*

Sorry that I don't have anything insightful to add :c

 

[Purr]

Well, I feel consensus and feedback are two different things. Sherwood raised a point that was important to him. I learned about it and in the learning, was able to respond. Plus, his posting both his opinion and his concern in OOC made it available to everyone in our game. Once again, we're all on the same page! The best place to be!

I did this from time to time when I ran tabletop games. How else is a DM/GM to improve without the feedback of those directly involved in his stories? By learning what you like and what you don't, I continue to keep my finger on the pulse of the game - and that connection is one of the "secrets" of my success at storytelling.

As I've become fond of saying, I can't do much with silence. So, even a little bit helps. I don't need anything insightful; just your opinions. No one else can give them but you. And if you don't have much to say, well, that's O.K. too! =)

 

[Purr]

Heya folks! I posted a little something in-game, but I intend to post more. But not now. My brain is telling me to shut off the computer, take off my orange glasses, and go to bed so I'm going to do that and post later! =)

Stay healthy! Love you guys & gals!

Honor and fun,
Dann =)

 

[Purr]

Wheeeeew! =)

In-game post complete! Enjoy, Gang! Robotech: Broadsword will be next when I'm up to it (unless it's a short post here). =)

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

That's quite a post *woof*

Looks like a chance to get back into things.

 

[Purr]

Thanks, Wolf! That was one of the goals of my post so I'm glad I accomplished it. =)

 

[Purr]

For reasons unknown to me, I am not getting any alerts in-game.

But look at Luna getting all wizardly-philosophical here! I love it!

Now I can't wait to see what Nivirea and Brendoran have to say! =)

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

As usual, Luna is blurting everything out first chance she gets! I'd have respectfully let the party leader explain the group's agenda, all the more so when the person we are justifying ourselves to is close to him... But there she goes again! <_< Recap of everything worth saying stuffed into the very first post upon being asked the very first question, lmao XD *woof*

 

[Purr]

Whoops! Hey Wolf Rawrrr ?

I realize now I did not word Ben's question to the Wanderers quite as accurately as I should have - the smithy is asking each of your characters to speak for themselves. With your own words, what have you done for Highwind, even individually? He wants to hear each of your replies.

I will edit that now to read: "And while you are at it," Ben the legendary smithy grinned, his eyes brimming with challenge, "tell me - each of you give answer any way you like - what have you done for the people of Highwind? I don't give a bugbear's bum about who you think you know - only deeds are worth anything to me!" (bold mine to emphasize the edit).

My bad. =)

 

[Sherwood]

Wolf Rawrrr Perhaps I'm getting the wrong vibe, but time and time again, I see that you have jumped on me and my character in a way that doesn't seem very tongue in cheek. I am only human, and yes, sometimes I miss stuff in the massive posts that Dannigan sometimes makes. But when I do, instead of just rolling your eyes at me, you lash out in a way that doesn't feel like you are joking. Is there a problem here that needs to be addressed? Have I offended you in some way, and you show your irritation like this? What's going on?

If I am reading things wrong, I am sorry. But this has gone on for some time and I am starting to feel uncomfortable with the situation.

 

[Psychie]

Just to be clear, I read the original post as it has been edited to say; that is, each of us tell of our contributions. That's why Oreleth answered the way she did, but since she's never been to Highwind, she hasn't had any chance to do something of consequence for the city.

 

[Kaerri]

Sherwood I think it's more the way Luna has this tendency to leap feet-first into situations and conversations, frequently leaving others with little more to say than "Uh, yeah, what she said." Maybe I'm reading her wrong, or completely missing Wolf's point, but it does happen fairly often, and has more than once been the cause of my delaying my own posts because I just can't think of anything worthwhile to add. I mean, if that's in character for her, then it's in character for her (as seems likely since it's happened so much recently). But it's not going to leave others much room to join a conversation if Luna covers all the bases for them. (In the current case, they can answer Ben's question about their personal Highwindian contributions, of course, but there's no point in trying to explain our current mission because Luna's already summed it up.)

Please don't feel like I'm attacking you, because I'm not. I'm sorry if this seems to come out of nowhere, because it hasn't been me saying anything before. (I don't like posting when I'm irritated, I'm worried I'll say something I don't mean and then regret it later. And then I forget, or don't want to rock the boat when everyone else seems to have moved past it.)

We had a character in one of our tabletop games who had this habit of blurting things out at inappropriate times. The best example was when we were facing off a demon on the front steps of a ruined temple, and she said (and not quietly), "Don't tell him about the back way in!" To which we all just rolled our eyes and sighed, but laughed too, because as dismaying and inconvenient as her verbal missteps were for our characters, the players had gotten used to it and thought it was funny. Over the years, I've personally gotten used to poking fun at character quirks (y'all are, of course, welcome to poke at mine, too).

All the same, humor can come off more sharply to some than others over the internet, and sometimes can mask frustrations we don't want to openly state for fear of offending or upsetting people -- but sometimes it's only someone being amused at someone else's character. Not trying to speak for Wolf, just myself, but when I see anyone, including myself, say, "Welp, there goes Luna speaking for everyone again!" I take it as more of a silly thing, poking fun at a character quirk. That it happens so often is, well, because Luna does it so often.

Sorry for the wall of text. I appear to be in a wall of text mood, given other things I've been doing. Hope I haven't said too much, but I didn't want to say too little and risk being misunderstood.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

I meant what Kaerri said. I wasn't talking about you, Sherwood, I was talking about Luna. She does what she usually does, and I just assumed it was part of her personality - albeit whether or not you intended it. I certainly don't think you misinterpreted Dann's post in any way. I'm glad Kaerri described this in greater detail, because it's pretty much what I'd say, and if that's not enough, I don't know what else to say. Except maybe sorry for the confusion *woof* (I did hope that ending my post with "lmao XD" might indicate that I was less than serious, even if I do stand by my point)

Speaking of misinterpretation, Dann, I know exactly what the smith is asking. I had triple-checked the post before replying. Yet that's all that Nivirea said - partially because both of us expect the smith to go off the rails at what Luna outlined and all but forget about Nivirea (and some others perhaps) and partially, well... Who knows what else is on Nivirea's mind *woof*

 

[Purr]

Speaking of misinterpretation, Dann, I know exactly what the smith is asking. I had triple-checked the post before replying. Yet that's all that Nivirea said - partially because both of us expect the smith to go off the rails at what Luna outlined and all but forget about Nivirea (and some others perhaps) and partially, well... Who knows what else is on Nivirea's mind *woof*

Oh! So I wrote it right the first time? Terrific! 8D (Sometimes, I can't tell; it's just the way my wonky brain works sometimes.)

O.K. Then let's see what Bren has to say before I post again (give Kaerri some time though; things have been pretty busy around here recently). =)