Quote from MrUncleTio >>

Congrats on the new gig! What a great job!

I’ve been playing since COVID. Gravitated towards classical and classic rock. But prefer acoustic to electric. Trying to pick up some Irish/Scottish/Bluegrass tunes to appease my roots.

Also, you guys had me howling about Hatos’ ass! In my head, I just heard basketball sneakers on a court!

Exaclty, but ridiculously fast. 😆

I can't unhear it ever since you described Hastos that way. Everywhere you go, it's just -wrenk, wrenk, wrenk- And since you've been in the hottest parts of the desert, things have got to be stewing in a sauce by now. Which will make you extra squeaky.

I've decided not to let it hamper your stealth... but I've been tempted. Let's just say low rolls will be represented by it.

Quote from Hrothbert_Neruca >>

Ditto the congrats. You got 10 more years practice than me. Same as you I can keep a basic beat on drums, but you got me beat with the music theory and sheet music for sure.  I learned it all but never really used it so I lost it. 

Thanks all! Music is a passion of mine. But I enjoy teaching it even more. I get gradually sadder when I don't play. I was in a funk for days, and my roommate pulled me out of it by asking me to teach him another lesson. Doing so got me jamming. And by the end of the day, I was in a much better place. ☺️

In spite of all I've been going through, I'm fortunate to have a friend like him. He's been there for me in ways that most people can't, and some people won't.

Quote from Hrothbert_Neruca >>With it being such a distraction we should start sending you in to battles butt cheeks first! Maybe we can get initiative advantage or surprise rounds for the absurdity of it. 

First dragon we meet you’re walking up to it Al a Ace Ventura and “asking” is some questions….sound like a plan? 

A bold strategy. I like it! 😆

Larskolstad, are you still incabable of seeing the maps?

I'm making best guesses about your movement. But where and how you move in the dungeon matters. "2 squares east, 1 square north" something like that works, if you prefer not to use feet as a source of measurement.

"walk a but more closer" could mean you only scooch a foot or two closer, which wouldn't change the square you're in. Each square is presumed to be 5 feet. For the average walking gait, that's 4-6 steps. So I'm assuming you're only moving forward 1 square.

I have a couple ideas on what Merkas is gonna do but quick question about the golem, Can it dodge in it’s current state? 

Had to use my phone and it is a bit hard to see. I try be more spesifik. Sorry

If Sera’s spell finished it off then Merkas would use his action to drink a healing potion instead. If not then turns stays as is. 

I'm gonna post more tomorrow. Today is a grieving day. My grandma has passed from breast cancer.

 Thats sad to hear . I am very sorry for your loss. :(

Take your time. 

Sincere condolences. Loosing a loved one is hard. Take what time you need. 

The hardest part was my mom. She was the first to accept me as trans. But when I managed to find a way to go and visit my grandma in hospice, she revealed her true feelings to me. Those feelings were pretty hurtful and vitriolic. To be honest, I expected my visit to be uncomfortable, so I intend to arrive and leave quietly anyway. But she called me a penniless prostitute who hated the family and only wanted to come down there to hurt everyone, because I wouldn't come down there looking like a man.

Of course, not only wouldn't I... but I couldn't. I don't have any masculine clothes left. My hair is long, with pink and lavendar highlights. And I couldn't afford to go shopping to hide my look, because I am, in fact, penniless. Guitar Center hasn't given me a start date, and all my remaining savings has either gone to dog care for Yasha, bills, or medicine for me. Even if I had a start date, it takes about 2-3 weeks for you to get your first paycheck, so I wouldn't have any money until mid-February, which I'd have to spend on bills. Besides... part of the reason I donated the last of my masculine clothing is because I'm leaving that old identity behind. Whatever happens to me next, good or bad, I want to be myself. No more slowly dying in a shell that doesn't suit me. I believe that if I crawled back into my "mansuit" I wouldn't be able to survive much longer. So, for my own safety and mental health, I gave those clothes away. I didn't expect it to be easy for my family to accept that. But I was shocked that my mom so brutally rejected me at the very thought of seeing me again as Michaela.

To be honest... I'm not entirely sure my grandma has passed. My mom said so, but it's not beyond her to lie about something like that. She's had her own fair share of trauma in her life, that remains untreated because my father doesn't believe in therapy or anti-psychotic medication, and he is the unquestioned patriarch of the family who rules with dominating intimidation and violence. Her lifetime of fear and submission has made her manipulative, emotionally erratic, and abusive. She lashes out at those who can't or won't hurt her. That includes me, because I've given her a near unlimited supply of second chances.

But even if she's lying, it makes no difference. Even if my friend, who was willing to sponsor and accompany me for the full trip, took me down there to see my grandma, I believe I'd never be allowed to see her anyway. Best case scenario, I'd never be allowed in the room. Worst case scenario, I'd be attacked or shot at. It wouldn't be the first time a family member has been greeted with a shotgun. 

The whole experience has been shattering. My roommate has been a champion during this. He's been showing me anime to keep my mind busy. I've been on antibiotics lately, which prevents me from taking most of my medication, so I've also been in a lot of physical pain. So the distractions have been nice. I haven't really been able to leave the recliner lately, so he's handled most of the house chores. And he bleached and died my hair into those lovely pink and lavendar tones that apparently would hurt my family. It makes me feel beautiful though, so I'm grateful for it. Anyone who can be hurt by pink and lavendar hair is only hurting themselves anyway, which I refuse to allow to be my problem anymore.

For better or worse, I believe now that I can leave the country guilt-free. There are still people in this country that I will miss terribly, and I will be allowed to say goodbye to them. But those who don't want to have anything to do with me have been given their chance to put their transphobia and hatred aside to say a loving farewell.

There is now only one living relative who might be able to understand me. Who might actually miss me when I'm gone. My great-aunt Donis. But I have no way of contacting her. She has a gay son, but they don't speak. There are no pictures of him in the house either. But I think that's more because of her husband than her. I think she misses him, and would like a chance to make right on that mistake in judgment. She was the last one in my family to welcome me into their home after I shamed the family by remarrying after my first divorce. And as much as I would love to bridge that gap, I don't think I could handle the rejection if she turned me away as well. She doesn't have social media, or a cell phone. To contact her, I'd have to come visit her. Which would apparently be dangerous, even if I had the money. It's a 350 mile (563 km) trip to see her. Plus hotel expenses. Cold as it sounds, it's not worth the pain of rejection for me to even try. I'll keep my memory of my Aunt Donis positive instead when I start my new life in Denmark.

This post is getting too long. I didn't get to tell you what an awesome woman my Grandma was. If she truly has passed, then I believe she passed peacefully. And that's good. 91 years is a long life, and she's seen and been through so much. Impoverished as she was, she did her absolute best to be a good wife to my grandpa, a good mother and a good grandmother. My father is an arrogant, narcissistic, abusive ass, but her other two sons were amazing people whom I feel blessed to have known. I have so many stories of her strength, courage, and gentleness that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.

I'm starting to bounce back. I had a restful day yesterday, and got to practice my bass, which always helps my mood. And I got up to do some chores around the house. Today, I need to call Guitar Center. I haven't heard back from them in over a week. The background check should be cleared by now, so I need to find out what the holdup is. I'm not sure I'm ready to throw myself into my job just yet, but I still have to strike while the iron is hot.

Oh 😅 I think I just realized what's slowing things down. The winter storm. 1 inch of snow is enough to shut most of Texas down. We don't have salt crews, or snow tires. Also, black ice is infamous in Texas. Even back when I was a truck driver, I remember that there was no worse state to drive in during the icy weather than Texas because of it. I wouldn't be suprised if Guitar Center is running a skeleton crew until the storm passes, and I seriously doubt they have any prospective students. Nevertheless, I'll give them a call and check in.

Winter storms suck for sure. Been hovering between -30 and -40 for the last week, and on top of that more than half my town lost power on friday which was the coldest. I was at work and called my wife. We sent notes out to friends and school contacts that our house was open if anyone needed a warm place to stay for a bit. One family did most the others were ok. Power was back on in most of the town by 330-4 but some people didn’t get theirs until 11pm. 

Quote from Hrothbert_Neruca >>

Winter storms suck for sure. Been hovering between -30 and -40 for the last week, and on top of that more than half my town lost power on friday which was the coldest. I was at work and called my wife. We sent notes out to friends and school contacts that our house was open if anyone needed a warm place to stay for a bit. One family did most the others were ok. Power was back on in most of the town by 330-4 but some people didn’t get theirs until 11pm. 

That's a real winter storm. Texas just panics every time there's a bit of sleet. We couldn't even get most of the groceries we needed for this week, because by the time we got there, the grocery stores were wiped out. Shoppers go in a panic before a winter storm here, and we create our own crises. A really hard winter storm in Texas lasts about 2 weeks, and it's about as bad as an early spring sleet-fall in the midwest. There's a thin layer of slushy ice on the ground, and light flurries during the night... and Texans lose their f*cking minds. They load up on perishables, toilet paper, bottled water, and generators. Then, absolutely nothing happens. 😅 Except that the people who might've actually needed those supplies can't access them now.

The only time we're actually at risk of losing power is in the summer time, when temperatures become lethally high, and Texans turn their homes into refrigerators. They put a strain on our grid, and so the government schedules Brown-Outs to ration the electricity. Walk into any home in July, and it'll be at most 65 degrees. SMH. We are executors of our own ill fate.

Should Sera just use this spell now? So the rest not take any more damage than nessesary? I tlast 8 hours and just go around with her.

Guardian spirit: A Large spectral guardian appears and hovers for the duration in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. The guardian occupies that space and is invulnerable, and it appears in a form appropriate for your deity or pantheon.

Any enemy that moves to a space within 10 feet of the guardian for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 20 Radiant damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. The guardian vanishes when it has dealt a total of 60 damage.

Quote from Larskolstad >>

Should Sera just use this spell now? So the rest not take any more damage than nessesary? I tlast 8 hours and just go around with her.

Guardian spirit: A Large spectral guardian appears and hovers for the duration in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. The guardian occupies that space and is invulnerable, and it appears in a form appropriate for your deity or pantheon.

Any enemy that moves to a space within 10 feet of the guardian for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 20 Radiant damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. The guardian vanishes when it has dealt a total of 60 damage.

Sounds like a pertinent question for the party. And a good one to ask IC.

I will say that you've already learned that Radiant damage tends to imbue crystals with Radiant energy. Until you make some checks to figure out the extent of that application, that's all you really know. Obviously, crystals are powerful magical components, especially if embedded into armor, jewelry, and weapons. But Hastos has already shown by throwing it, it doesn't have much power. However, it had more power when he spat it out. Hastos's magic affinity is latent, though. Perhaps it amplifies magical essence (as spell usage). Since Hastos doesn't have very much magical essence, or rather, didn't expend any during his Investigation check, the fireball that came out of his mouth was weak. Either way, creating a monster that walks around, pulsing with a 10' AoE of Radiant energy is certainly an interesting way to create Radiant Shards, I would think.

Puzzles and riddles are difficult for me to balance to a party. Sometimes I make them too easy; sometimes I make them too hard. XP-wise, they can be a bit tricky to guage, because you basically have to compare it to how difficult it should be for the party, and grant XP for that. With encounters that do not risk harm to the characters, I usually half the XP given.

This musical puzzle was meant to be considered Easy... a little bit harder than Trivial, because it's based on a similar musical puzzle I learned in Elementary school. Liszt's Fantasia and Fugue, which plays the notes: B, A, C, H, and is a tribute to Johann Sebastian Bach. B, D, E, H create an acronym for Blue Dragon Entrance Here. But, I realize now that not everyone is as obsessed with music theory as I am... so that may have been a bit too tricky, which is why my NPCs stepped in.

So, I'd like some feedback. On a scale of:

1. Easy (easy enough to get it on your own, with a little experimentation)
2. Medium (a few hints would be needed with successful moderate skill checks)
3. Hard (high skill roll results and lots of checks required to get the hints needed to figure it out)
4. Deadly (hard enough to grind the game to a halt unless I intervene)

How difficult would you have ranked this particular puzzle? Trivial would be the equivalent of "immediately obvious"... like... a locked door, but there are three keys hanging on a nearby key hook, and you just have to figure out which one works in the lock. I won't even waste your time with a puzzle I think would be Trivial, unless it's paired with a charging monster or something. And I'm trying my best not to make the puzzles any harder than Hard. In PbP, it's better to keep the puzzles somewhere around Easy and Medium, so one puzzle doesn't take an IRL week to resolve. This information will help me calibrate future puzzles and riddles to keep the gameplay stimulating, but still as fast-paced as PbP can generally go.

Given the answer is/was step in all four tiles I would say it was easy. I figured this was the answer pretty quickly but was trying to share and explain the idea in character with thr knowledge Merkas has and not just my own.

If you were looking to up the difficulty a bit a couple ideas are adding a couple stray notes on other pressure plates that would also cause chords but not open the gate, having misplayed chords activate the other golems in the room, having “minor” chords open false exits to traps or looping back to this room. 

overall I enjoyed it. Though “H” note I have no knowledge of. Never got that far jnto music theory

I'm Germanic musical notation, the B natural is an H. I do not know why. 🤷 You'd think it'd be the G#. 😄 

But it sounds like I calibrated the challenge appropriate to you, because I was going for Easy. 

Anyone else want to weigh in?

I did not get it at all. In the describing I read it as a natural or magical mood moment. I focused on other parts of the challenge. 

Sorry :(

Valid. Sounds like the puzzle wasn't in your wheelhouse. Hrothbert had the advantage of a musical background irl. Perhaps I should consider more generalized puzzles that don't require a special interest, until I'm more familiar with what everyone's special interests and backgrounds are.

Don't forget though, when stumped, roll skill checks. Your character might know something that you don't. Even so, I'll make some corrections on the rest of the puzzles I have lined up.

MrUncleTio, you had pretty good roll results on your skill checks, and ultimately came to a conclusion that would've solved the puzzle because of it. So I'd like to hear your feedback on difficulty scaling.

Hrothbert says it's Easy. Lars seems to have described the challenge level as Deadly, as in the puzzle could not be solved without my intervention. Those two evaluations make the challenge rating dificult to calibrate, so I think your opinion will offer the final bit of clarification I need to figure out how to run the rest of this dungeon. You've all been told that Blue Dragons tend to be playful, so I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying you can expect more puzzles, riddles, and traps. And I'd like to know what corrections I need to make to the dungeon so that it is challenging, but fun. This is a dungeon that you all could've succeeded at by the time you were level 5-7. So, beyond the mini-boss at the entrance, this should feel relatively easy for the party. A chance for you to gain some glory, treasure, and XP, with minimal risk.