An easy Insight check or Perception check (Easy is DC 1-5) would tell you whether they are friend, foe, or neutral. But strictly speaking, Nare doesn't appear on the scene until SunDial365 posts their actions.
SunDial365, you'll arrive with a full turn. So you'll have free range of movement and action, and any bonus actions you can use.
If you wish to see if Nare knows what kind of monster they are fighting, roll an INT check. Remember that mid-range rolls (8-12) aren't bad rolls, and skill checks don't truly fail, per se. They may just not reveal the information you're hoping they'll reveal, or may provide inacurrate information. A bad roll could cause you to confuse a Hobgoblin with an Orc, for example. Almost any skill check can reveal something though. So if you don't trust that your INT score is enough to get a good read, you can try a skill check that you think will improve your chances of getting accurate information.
Not every skill check will lead you to a stat block though... no matter how high you roll. You can get a 25 on your Athletics check and still not really know the stat block, though you may gain a helpfultidbit of how physically strong it is if you interact with it using an Athletics check... try INT or WIS based skill checks to get better information... CHA skill checks might even get you something useful.
I not going to be that technically...if he acts helpful I let him. I assune he have a good reason to be here. ;)
I ran a vampire game once. And a new character choose to try scare the party for fun. And they killed him. That was before youtube told us what terrible players we were. :D
I condone, but do not approve of, PvP. But there are circumstances where that makes sense.
If you're playing in character, as a tightly wound adventurer in a dangerous setting, and a character (in a world rife with vampires) you've never met pops up and scares you, it makes sense (to me at least) that you'd at least take a swing at them before they get a chance to clarify that it was just a prank. Good follow up should make it to where it's just a warning shot, but you're cool now (maybe with less-than-ideal trust in your new member) should prevent the death of a party member. But if the new character doubles down and fights back, they're kind of asking to get wrecked... kind of like what happened in the last version of this game, where one of my players wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.
The scythe didn't make him act that way. He just wanted to play as an agent of death and chaos before dying. It was an unusual ask, but I allowed it, since a living PC or NPC cannot transfer the scythe to someone else once they're bonded to it... for curse reasons.
Which reminds me... cursed weapons don't necessarily mean that they are bad. Ancient treasure (in my game) will often be cursed. It's how soldiers fought dragons and gods without getting disarmed. Even healers sometimes cursed their holy symbols and relics so they wouldn't get lost or damaged in the chaos of war. Newer magic items are far less likely to be cursed, since the act of cursing a weapon requires high level magic, an attrocious act, or magic poisoning (which takes time and proximity to a defunct dragon's lair). But a custom magic item (which Kasi can now produce for you) will only be cursed if you want it to be. She's not powerful enough to actually curse a weapon, but with enough help, enough determination (to do something attrocious with the weapon), or with access to a powerful relic or caster that is capable of cursing weapons, you can make it so that creatures who specialize in trap/disarm tactics, or greedy thieves, can't steal your precious gear... which may become a real concern if you start venturing farther out of Santekh. It's the badlands out there. The firenewt would've absolutely robbed you blind in your sleep. That Sun Blade would've been a nice addition to his supplies, and you would've had to finish your mission scavenging for food and water. 😉 But your party read the situation well. So you gained loot instead of losing it.
I not going to be that technically...if he acts helpful I let him. I assune he have a good reason to be here. ;)
I ran a vampire game once. And a new character choose to try scare the party for fun. And they killed him. That was before youtube told us what terrible players we were. :D
No way lmao!!! I guess that's fair. Rip to that character. At least it makes a funny story.
also ayyyy hello everyone!!!!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Heyas, SunDial. TBH, your character isn’t making the best first impressions with Hastos, 😉
XD haha yeah I was thinking that the first thing of this new person you meet is them electrocuting you it shouldn't be too shocking that they might hate you a bit.
Somehow in Nare's mind it's like. Oh no! someone needs help. This should do do the trick. *fcking zaps you*
Okay...poor Hastos...we have to try something else. We even meet more of theese slimes down here and have to do something that works better.
Sooo..can oozes be grappled? This is a question to the DM. Googling seems to say technically yes. But it is up to the DM. And how it looks like?
Like knead a bread dough? Use some equipment to keep it in place like a shield?
Sera gonna try anyway to use her shield to scrape off the ooze and keep it in place. No matter just need top know if it is any point roll anything. Use her grapple attack. so the rest can kil it without damage to a party member.
Okay...poor Hastos...we have to try something else. We even meet more of theese slimes down here and have to do something that works better.
Sooo..can oozes be grappled? This is a question to the DM. Googling seems to say technically yes. But it is up to the DM. And how it looks like?
Like knead a bread dough? Use some equipment to keep it in place like a shield?
Sera gonna try anyway to use her shield to scrape off the ooze and keep it in place. No matter just need top know if it is any point roll anything. Use her grapple attack. so the rest can kil it without damage to a party member.
Okay...poor Hastos...we have to try something else. We even meet more of theese slimes down here and have to do something that works better.
Sooo..can oozes be grappled? This is a question to the DM. Googling seems to say technically yes. But it is up to the DM. And how it looks like?
Like knead a bread dough? Use some equipment to keep it in place like a shield?
Sera gonna try anyway to use her shield to scrape off the ooze and keep it in place. No matter just need top know if it is any point roll anything. Use her grapple attack. so the rest can kil it without damage to a party member.
I'm playing off a stat block, with rolled HP. So if the stat block says it can be grappled, it can be grappled. If only any of the characters knew the stat block of this creature... *eyes Merkas mischeivously*.
Heyas, SunDial. TBH, your character isn’t making the best first impressions with Hastos, 😉
XD haha yeah I was thinking that the first thing of this new person you meet is them electrocuting you it shouldn't be too shocking that they might hate you a bit.
Somehow in Nare's mind it's like. Oh no! someone needs help. This should do do the trick. *fcking zaps you*
Didn't Larskolstad just warn that Sera may go full ham on a party member that tries this? 😆
Okay...poor Hastos...we have to try something else. We even meet more of theese slimes down here and have to do something that works better.
Sooo..can oozes be grappled? This is a question to the DM. Googling seems to say technically yes. But it is up to the DM. And how it looks like?
Like knead a bread dough? Use some equipment to keep it in place like a shield?
Sera gonna try anyway to use her shield to scrape off the ooze and keep it in place. No matter just need top know if it is any point roll anything. Use her grapple attack. so the rest can kil it without damage to a party member.
I'm playing off a stat block, with rolled HP. So if the stat block says it can be grappled, it can be grappled. If only any of the characters knew the stat block of this creature... *eyes Merkas mischeivously*.
What do you want from me, Merkas to go glossy eyed and quote the state block like some possessed automaton, He told Hastos, he has to get free, and tried to get him out, Not my fault the thing passed the con save...
Before I read the game notes, I'd like you to know I've started writing my own autobiography and posting it on Ko-fi in order to raise more funds. I am about $200 away from being able to afford and attorney.
If you know someone who would like to read it, please share it with them. I've been told that my life is very interesting, and should be written and published. But because it's the only life I've every known, I never really believed it. 😅 But, I've read it to a few trusted friends (who are definitely autistic enough to give me real feedback), and they agree that it's worth reading and would like to read more. It's all very personal stuff... and some of it was emotionally challenging to share. But my story is entertaining enough to close the gap on my legal fees, I'm only too happy to share it.
Please check the Blog portion of my page and see for yourself if it's something you'd like to read more of.
Well done! You defeated your introductory encounter to these sewers.
Just fyi: that was a CR3 encounter and counted as Trivial on the encounter calculator. Some of the enemies down here are going to require IC knowledge (preferably not meta-knowledge) of how best to defeat them. But you have other "gimmies" that you don't exploit very often. And that might've made the encounter end before Hastos suffered major damage.
Most notably:
Skill Check for Feats house rule. (DC 10, +1 to DC per Prerequisite) INT Check to Know the Stat Block house rule. The DC is based on the HD of the monster. So, in this case, the DC would've been 6. Medicine Check to Know HP house rule. (Since I tend to roll for the HP of my monsters.)
Also, if there's something your party wished they'd brought down in the sewers, feel free to exploit the Insight for Hindsight house rule (DC 10). It'll only get you a tool, toolkit, or mundane item, but even a pole or crowbar might've allowed you to fish Hastos out of there without risking coming in contact with the mysterious Gross Slimy Creature.
I have a slight feeling the cultist we chase is smarter than we give him credit for...maybe he made a mark on the door he NOT go...leading us into the monster area. Like how the hell he avoid slime, wandering lightning trigger happy Haregons and growling monsters in the dark?
A common misconception is that the enemy is dumb, or weak, and the heroes are smart, or strong.
But it is a safe assumption that in any settlement, your group is likely to be the most powerful (or in the top 5% most powerful) people in it, since you have PC classes. But so is Superman... who is frequently outwitted by Batman, who has the least amount of superpowers in the whole Justice League.
Don't worry... I didn't build a never-ending gauntlet of death. But the area that you are currently in has guardians to deter unwanted visitors. There will be opportunities to settle in and have a rapport soon, unless you decide to speed-run the dungeon... which isn't a terrible idea. Time is working against you down in the sewers.
Hrothbert_Neruca feel free to roll an Insight check to see if you just happen to be carrying an empty vial or shot glass, or something of the sort with you. You searched a lot of pockets at The Laughing Dwarf. With the proper hindsight, you might've thought it was a good idea to stock up on things that could carry valuable alchemical items. (DC 10)
And THEN..in the sewers..a Hare jumps forth!
We roll if we get startled and attack it? Or we completely ignore it as a hallusination caused by sewer stench?
Technically, that's up to you.
An easy Insight check or Perception check (Easy is DC 1-5) would tell you whether they are friend, foe, or neutral. But strictly speaking, Nare doesn't appear on the scene until SunDial365 posts their actions.
SunDial365, you'll arrive with a full turn. So you'll have free range of movement and action, and any bonus actions you can use.
If you wish to see if Nare knows what kind of monster they are fighting, roll an INT check. Remember that mid-range rolls (8-12) aren't bad rolls, and skill checks don't truly fail, per se. They may just not reveal the information you're hoping they'll reveal, or may provide inacurrate information. A bad roll could cause you to confuse a Hobgoblin with an Orc, for example. Almost any skill check can reveal something though. So if you don't trust that your INT score is enough to get a good read, you can try a skill check that you think will improve your chances of getting accurate information.
Not every skill check will lead you to a stat block though... no matter how high you roll. You can get a 25 on your Athletics check and still not really know the stat block, though you may gain a helpfultidbit of how physically strong it is if you interact with it using an Athletics check... try INT or WIS based skill checks to get better information... CHA skill checks might even get you something useful.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
I not going to be that technically...if he acts helpful I let him. I assune he have a good reason to be here. ;)
I ran a vampire game once. And a new character choose to try scare the party for fun. And they killed him. That was before youtube told us what terrible players we were. :D
I condone, but do not approve of, PvP. But there are circumstances where that makes sense.
If you're playing in character, as a tightly wound adventurer in a dangerous setting, and a character (in a world rife with vampires) you've never met pops up and scares you, it makes sense (to me at least) that you'd at least take a swing at them before they get a chance to clarify that it was just a prank. Good follow up should make it to where it's just a warning shot, but you're cool now (maybe with less-than-ideal trust in your new member) should prevent the death of a party member. But if the new character doubles down and fights back, they're kind of asking to get wrecked... kind of like what happened in the last version of this game, where one of my players wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.
The scythe didn't make him act that way. He just wanted to play as an agent of death and chaos before dying. It was an unusual ask, but I allowed it, since a living PC or NPC cannot transfer the scythe to someone else once they're bonded to it... for curse reasons.
Which reminds me... cursed weapons don't necessarily mean that they are bad. Ancient treasure (in my game) will often be cursed. It's how soldiers fought dragons and gods without getting disarmed. Even healers sometimes cursed their holy symbols and relics so they wouldn't get lost or damaged in the chaos of war. Newer magic items are far less likely to be cursed, since the act of cursing a weapon requires high level magic, an attrocious act, or magic poisoning (which takes time and proximity to a defunct dragon's lair). But a custom magic item (which Kasi can now produce for you) will only be cursed if you want it to be. She's not powerful enough to actually curse a weapon, but with enough help, enough determination (to do something attrocious with the weapon), or with access to a powerful relic or caster that is capable of cursing weapons, you can make it so that creatures who specialize in trap/disarm tactics, or greedy thieves, can't steal your precious gear... which may become a real concern if you start venturing farther out of Santekh. It's the badlands out there. The firenewt would've absolutely robbed you blind in your sleep. That Sun Blade would've been a nice addition to his supplies, and you would've had to finish your mission scavenging for food and water. 😉 But your party read the situation well. So you gained loot instead of losing it.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
No way lmao!!! I guess that's fair. Rip to that character. At least it makes a funny story.
also ayyyy hello everyone!!!!
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Anyone wanna just kick Hastos in the balls for the helluva it? I think aside from being set on fire, I’ve collected the whole set… LOL
Heyas, SunDial. TBH, your character isn’t making the best first impressions with Hastos, 😉
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
This battle @ Hastos
XD haha yeah I was thinking that the first thing of this new person you meet is them electrocuting you it shouldn't be too shocking that they might hate you a bit.
Somehow in Nare's mind it's like. Oh no! someone needs help. This should do do the trick. *fcking zaps you*
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Okay...poor Hastos...we have to try something else. We even meet more of theese slimes down here and have to do something that works better.
Sooo..can oozes be grappled? This is a question to the DM. Googling seems to say technically yes. But it is up to the DM. And how it looks like?
Like knead a bread dough? Use some equipment to keep it in place like a shield?
Sera gonna try anyway to use her shield to scrape off the ooze and keep it in place. No matter just need top know if it is any point roll anything. Use her grapple attack. so the rest can kil it without damage to a party member.
Hhahhahhah!.
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Fingers crossed!
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
Quick, start eating it like a bowl of jello.
I hope it taste of Raspberry! ;)
All the players: We grab spoons and start eat it!
DM : -facepalms-
I'm playing off a stat block, with rolled HP. So if the stat block says it can be grappled, it can be grappled. If only any of the characters knew the stat block of this creature... *eyes Merkas mischeivously*.
Didn't Larskolstad just warn that Sera may go full ham on a party member that tries this? 😆
Sharn: Hm... tastes bitter to me.
Merkas: And cranky.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Conferring with DM…
Character: Hastos, Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread
What do you want from me, Merkas to go glossy eyed and quote the state block like some possessed automaton, He told Hastos, he has to get free, and tried to get him out, Not my fault the thing passed the con save...
Loyalty Begets Honour
Before I read the game notes, I'd like you to know I've started writing my own autobiography and posting it on Ko-fi in order to raise more funds. I am about $200 away from being able to afford and attorney.
If you know someone who would like to read it, please share it with them. I've been told that my life is very interesting, and should be written and published. But because it's the only life I've every known, I never really believed it. 😅 But, I've read it to a few trusted friends (who are definitely autistic enough to give me real feedback), and they agree that it's worth reading and would like to read more. It's all very personal stuff... and some of it was emotionally challenging to share. But my story is entertaining enough to close the gap on my legal fees, I'm only too happy to share it.
Please check the Blog portion of my page and see for yourself if it's something you'd like to read more of.
https://ko-fi.com/mickysofyne
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Well done! You defeated your introductory encounter to these sewers.
Just fyi: that was a CR3 encounter and counted as Trivial on the encounter calculator. Some of the enemies down here are going to require IC knowledge (preferably not meta-knowledge) of how best to defeat them. But you have other "gimmies" that you don't exploit very often. And that might've made the encounter end before Hastos suffered major damage.
Most notably:
Skill Check for Feats house rule. (DC 10, +1 to DC per Prerequisite)
INT Check to Know the Stat Block house rule. The DC is based on the HD of the monster. So, in this case, the DC would've been 6.
Medicine Check to Know HP house rule. (Since I tend to roll for the HP of my monsters.)
Also, if there's something your party wished they'd brought down in the sewers, feel free to exploit the Insight for Hindsight house rule (DC 10). It'll only get you a tool, toolkit, or mundane item, but even a pole or crowbar might've allowed you to fish Hastos out of there without risking coming in contact with the mysterious Gross Slimy Creature.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
I have a slight feeling the cultist we chase is smarter than we give him credit for...maybe he made a mark on the door he NOT go...leading us into the monster area. Like how the hell he avoid slime, wandering lightning trigger happy Haregons and growling monsters in the dark?
A common misconception is that the enemy is dumb, or weak, and the heroes are smart, or strong.
But it is a safe assumption that in any settlement, your group is likely to be the most powerful (or in the top 5% most powerful) people in it, since you have PC classes. But so is Superman... who is frequently outwitted by Batman, who has the least amount of superpowers in the whole Justice League.
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin
Don't worry... I didn't build a never-ending gauntlet of death. But the area that you are currently in has guardians to deter unwanted visitors. There will be opportunities to settle in and have a rapport soon, unless you decide to speed-run the dungeon... which isn't a terrible idea. Time is working against you down in the sewers.
Hrothbert_Neruca feel free to roll an Insight check to see if you just happen to be carrying an empty vial or shot glass, or something of the sort with you. You searched a lot of pockets at The Laughing Dwarf. With the proper hindsight, you might've thought it was a good idea to stock up on things that could carry valuable alchemical items. (DC 10)
My DM Registry
My Campaigns:
Ibahalii Vriwhulth, the Reaper of Glory v2: IC Thread (PbP); Secrets of the Island (On Discord); Lost Mine of Phendelver (tabletop)
My Characters:
Krik-tul, Thri-kreen monk; Mme Cragmaw, Goblin Artificer; River Kuthraeann, Wood Elf Paladin