The Back Room: Live Tabletop Games - 2018-03-19

« first day (2711 days earlier) ← previous day next day → last day (2240 days later) »

1:02 AM

@nitsua60 -- sorry if I seemed a bit out of it by the end of last night, btw -- I got a bit dragged into something I probably shouldn't have

(which was OK as long as we were moving at an ordinary clip, skirting encounters, and the likes, but really wasn't so great when the Flaming Fist folks showed up to try to ruin our day)

@Shalvenay No worries--I wouldn't have said "out of it," but I was surprised at how hot under the collar the FF seemed to get you. Everything alright now?

(And, to be clear: it seemed to me like the FF got Shalv hot under the collar, not just Rrauj-ysh.)

All I can say is Trogdor's paladin doing that "we'll break your heads" as the closing statemend, followed by intimidation check, was a great closeout.

@nitsua60 I'm still a bit hot under the collar about them, but know where to channel my anger (ICly through Rrau at them, not OOCly at you, although I find the way that seemed like a boobytrap of sorts to be out of place -- it was as if the arc Nadarr got put on was designed to turn us into outlaws forevermore)

Would it make you feel better if I told you that the FF encounter was a random roll? It was.

I think of the FF this way: you can drive around in the US with a kilo of cocaine in your car. And you'll probably be fine. Most of the time. But if you happen to run across a cop, that's a Bad Day. Same with the FF and charters of exploration.

In any case, I'm sorry if it felt like a setup. From my end it looks like more of a snowball.

@nitsua60 here's the thing -- people in the US generally get that it's a bad idea to drive around with a kilo of cocaine in their car -- it's something that's mostly well understood to be illegal

OOCly, the notion of "charters of exploration" as a permit system seems extremly jarring, especially without notice of the situation. granted, the party could have investigated further, but I suspect that their charter would have been summarily revoked with no right of appeal the next morning had they tried to apply for one anyway.

1:08 AM

True--maybe a bad analogy. More like an American littering in Singapore. You might not know it's a Big Deal, but that doesn't stop them throwing you in jail.

it's the kind of thing I'd expect not to be left to the rumor mills to provide notice of

@Shalvenay It's Chinatown, Jake.

if you're going to make a law a Big Deal, especially one that will catch people out because it's not a matter of simple morals, the notice needs to be a Big Deal to match.

If you're Lawful Good, I'd agree. They're not.

@nitsua60 yeah, the FLaming Fist strikes me as out-and-out lawful evil (summary punishment with near-nil due-process, legal catch22s making process impossible for those banished from the fort)

OOCly: I'd like some more clarity of the actual law at hand here, but I'm not sure if that'd be a spoiler at this point...

1:14 AM

@Shalvenay back room?

@nitsua60 sure

(Actually, I'm going to move a bunch of that ToA stuff over there, anyway.)

so yeah @nitsua60 -- what I'm trying to understand is how this whole "exploration charter" thing works WRT: Rrau coming into the lands from the south -- is it a permit to travel anywhere else in the land besides Fort Belurian, or for specific activities?

← 21 messages moved from RPG General Chat

(or for traveling anywhere besides Fort Belurian & Port Nyanzaru for that matter?)

1:19 AM

@Shalvenay (@KorvinStarmast @NautArch @trogdor as far as I'm concerned, this can be considered some understanding of the "charter system" that you-all took away from the conversing with FF just before weapons came out; not meta, in other words, just re-sequencing.) The Flaming Fist claim dominion over the lands north of Kitcher's Inlet (about two weeks to the south) and across the whole continent (maybe 4 weeks East-West.)

Anyone adventuring or exploring in the jungle needs a charter, or their gear and possessions are subject to seizure by the FF. According to the FF.

There's no other law in the jungle, and the FF "law" is enforced by patrols.

so anyone doing something else than direct, point-to-point travel from point A to point B?

or is there a specific list of activities that require the charter?

@Shalvenay Anyone they feel like squeezing.

Running across a FF patrol, basically, is what "requires" a charter.

so anyone traveling in the jungle could be subject to the charter requirement at any time, even if they are not engaged in anything other than point-to-point travel?

Based on a day in Fort Belurian and chatting with guards you could reasonably assume that roughly one-third of their total force is in the Fort at any time, half on patrol, and a handful on "special assignments." I'll leave you to work out the math on what that means for how likely one actually is to run across a FF patrol in any given jungle hex. =)

@nitsua60 that's not very helpful -- I'm trying to understand the scope of the law itself here

1:24 AM

@Shalvenay It's straight-up law of force.

@nitsua60 or more precisely, the scope of the statute at hand

There's no statute.

This is not just. It does not arise by the consent of the governed.

(Well, I suppose for varying definitions of "justice".... Let's table that.)

A bunch of people who're trained to fight have put up a fort and walk around killing undead and effectively "taxing" anyone they run across for the privilege of their protection.

...yeah. btw: would Rrau have ever had a brush with these patrols before, having come up from the south?

Yeah you don't need statutes if you are the only one in several miles who has a fort full of soldiers

In the middle of an extremely dangerous jungle full of undead

@Shalvenay Apparently not.

1:29 AM

(plus man eating plants, trolls and cyclops)

@nitsua60 yeah, I suspect that he'd have seen them but been able to elude them easily solo, between natural Tabaxi stealth, assumptions by the Flaming Fist that a soloist wouldn't have a clue how to survive, and a few other tricks (like climbing trees ;)

(and dinosuars and scorpians and, you get the idea)

@Shalvenay I don't know how far down the cat-hole you want to go; it's possible you prefer nocturnal living when alone, but adapt to day-walkers as a concession? (Like my two housecats?)

@trogdor (and dinosaurs spitting spitting scorpions)

And spitting out undead on you

XD

@nitsua60 that's also a possibility, yes, although it would have actually exposed him more to Flaming FIst patrols running into him when encamped, vs him being actively on the move and able to elude them

1:33 AM

@nitsua60 daywalkers? You were holding out on me :P

user image

Can't see what that is

(got it on the third try)

@trogdor I really like Blade.

Hehehehe

@Shalvenay Unless you "camp" up in trees?

1:38 AM

I was not sure if you would know what I was talking about

@nitsua60 is a possibility

Good to know you did

@trogdor Actually, probably one of my favorite vampire imaginings.

The Flaming Fist is like some of the robber barons and feudal lords of Europe in 900. Might makes right, in terms of "I've got the right."

Or like Wyatt Earp in Tombstone.

@nitsua60 yeah it's pretty cool

Did you ever see the series that got cancelled or the the relatively short Blade anime?

1:43 AM

or like the sheriff in Unforgiven, the movie. (Played by Gene Hackman)

@KorvinStarmast It makes me wish I knew more about that time period when Portugal was the only European power taking a serious look at Africa--how closely does D&D Chult track?

@nitsua60 Oh dear, you are looking at 1400's I think

I know they rented out exploration contracts, for instance....

The same was true for the English in North America.

Maryland in particular IIRC

IIRC John Cabbot had to get a royal writ for his voyage

D&D Chult for this edition is partly the victim of bad magic, but also had a bunch of natural calamaties take down a great kingdom

Earth quakes, volcanoes, ad such

But I had to put the book away since we had agreed to play this ToA, so I have a great deal unread.

@KorvinStarmast that I see as somewhat more like a true charter of voyage than what this "charter" is coming off to Rrau

1:47 AM

@Shalvenay it's a classic "protection racket" and extortion, Plain and simple

@Shalvenay Did you watch breaking bad?

@KorvinStarmast I did not, but I get the idea behind racketeering

It's about steaking out your territory. Nothing happens on your turf without a "by your leave"

did you watch peaky blinders? Similar theme

It's law of the jungle .. and in Chult, heh, it's an actual jungle.

3

alternate-historical analogy for how Rrau sees this: it would be like Cabot's men demanding permits from the local natives just for them going about normal travels.

Hal sees it from a different perspective, based on Hal's back story. The sheriff back in Mosstone ran a protection racket that either protected, or didn't, merchant caravans

He understands what's going on, and is still pissed (in character, OOC it was hilarious) about the set up.

@Shalvenay You're a native, but now you've thrown in with the ~~Europeans~~ northerners.

1:53 AM

That three out of three failed persuasion got her so mad that I didn't try my -1 persuasion check. (OOC) IC, I saw someone like my sheriff, and I was worried about us getting out with our skins.

Glad to be out of the damned fort, IC.

Getting kicked out of the fort actually seemed very reasonable to me

Also, IC, even though our paladin was played for a patsy, my second char trait is one of loyalty to the team. Nadarr has already saved my life once, saved yours once, and did the awesome power puke after I thought he was dead. IC, I consider Nadarr to be good to be around.

Both in and out of character

Doubly so OOC. :)

I could sort of understand the fort ejection OOC, it just really turned into a catch22 when combined with the permit matter

1:55 AM

Yes true

I loved your closing "No, you will not!" at the end last night. Loved It!

I imagine I am less upset about it than Nadar was

I had my bow ready, and was looking for an excuse to shoot. You gave me one, but time ran out.

Yeah well

yeah, I still have to ask about the acolyte's holy symbol even

1:56 AM

Actually Nadarr gave me one, but it was that arrogant ass we are talking to that got me ready to start killing.

@KorvinStarmast Btw, when I hear you say "three out of three failed persuasion got her so mad that I didn't try my -1 persuasion check" I simultaneously hear Hal saying "you-all struck out so badly that I, a known stumblebum, figured it'd be better to take our lumps than make it worse with whatever I say." That's the sort of thing I mean when I say I have a permeable IC/OOC membrane/brain.

This is the kind of thing Nadar has already been confronted by in Chult

(Not that I though you didn't understand--just pointing out an example of what I mean.)

@trogdor ah, that'd make sense

People walking around with weapons and demanding free stuff

1:57 AM

@nitsua60 I almost tried "my boss in Baldur's gate has me on amission ..." thing. but after three strike outs, I was (true to my character) eyeing the "get out of this alive" angle.

The momentum was swinging badly for us, I didn't want to make it worse.

I'd have loved to take on that troll, but I suspect it would have wiped the floor with us since I have no fire.

And our barb was almost deatd

@nitsua60 as far as the permeable IC/OOC membrane, I think everyone in this hobby has that to some degree

Some more than others of course

@KorvinStarmast That's the kicker--if he weren't at, like, 1 HP I think you-all would probably be okay. It'd be hard, but not impossible.

oh btw: I take it the Flaming Fist ecnounter was a day after the trap and the troll?

I tend to get into a character in short bursts myself

@Shalvenay Yes, I had found us again after we were lost

2:00 AM

@trogdor I used to think that until I met the internet and all the screaming and wailing and gnashing of teeth that's out there about metagaming and immersion and whatnot.

The rest of the time I sit on the sidelines a bit

The Prodigal Ranger

@nitsua60 that's the effect the internet has on everything

@trogdor YOu being more "on" and "forceful" would be cool, if you like to play that way. But I've also noted a sort of "quitely competent" aura on Nadarr.

@nitsua60 We remain contaminated by the Forge ...

@trogdor When I GM I intentionally try to rotate through third-person/first-person over the course of a session, sometimes even shifting within a scene. Kind of to remind people it's "okay" to play either way.

2:02 AM

phone call from brother .. afk

@KorvinStarmast Probably won't see you later--have a good night!

@nitsua60 I also have a habit of making jokes out of character and having everyone think I am actually in character

It's gotten either me or my characters in trouble a couple times

@trogdor I feel like that almost happened with Commander Liara?

No almost

On a different note: I will say that I think this particular sequence illustrates some of what I think is best about random encounters/plot elements, *properly conceived.* (And overland travel.)
It's all *exposition*. You don't put lotsa trolls and only one weak goblin encounter into your table because it's "right" for encounter balance. You do it to teach the players, organically, that *this place is freakin' swimming in trolls!*
In our case: you all had randomly "assigned" hooks in your handouts. You-all chose to go with Nadarr's, with little to no reasonable way to choose based on in-gam…

2:15 AM

@nitsua60 yeah, very strong indeed

and a lot of it is of the FF's own making, too. (did you catch the analogy I PMed to you in Discord @nitsua60?)

(Oh, sorry--I'd closed out and stepped away a few minutes. Checking....)

Alright, gonna head out. Night, all!

2:36 AM

@Shalvenay check email when you get a chance.

11 hours later…

1:15 PM

@nitsua60 I am no longer pleased with Commander Liara and the FF. They are quickly earning a place on my Enemy list.

2 hours later…

3:17 PM

@NautArch I'd like to use email to kick around some ideas, now that nits and shal have arrived at an accord on what this band of extortionists were up to. (If you check the game chat, Hal had his bow in hand and I was getting ready to shoot when I looked at the clock and realized that the game time was almost over for the night. Then trogdor did his awesome "no, I'll be breaking your heads" thing and nits called a perfect stopping point.

@KorvinStarmast sure, i'll send it to you on discord. Always happy to use Kik/Whatsapp if folks want to create a group.

Not sure I want to mess with Commander Liara, since I don't know if she knows my patron/sponsor from back story, and I'll have to get a message of trouble with her back to him once we get to the Port. I owe him a report anyway.

@KorvinStarmast Given she kicked us out for not having done anything other than escort Omalu, she established herself as 'unfriendly' to me.

@NautArch OK, I'll check tonight. Will then send an email with a couple of "team building" points I want to raise. Shal is right that we've not quite RP'd the team getting together.

@KorvinStarmast and i've got some thoughts on why I didn't go after those creatures and how that may/may not change.

3:22 PM

@NautArch Nits provided a broad hint that I have an adventure hook in my back story, but it requires us to go back to the port to activate it.

but @trogdor, if you really wanted to go after those creatures, speak up! We can RP that :)

@KorvinStarmast we're on our way back (if we survive these guys)

@NautArch They want our stuff, they are roughly murderhobos with a badge as far as I can tell. So I say we may be forced to take them out.

@NautArch Anyhoo, I have a few ideas but I'd like a bit of brainstorming for our first tactical challenge.

@KorvinStarmast and non murderhoboism is partly why I didn't say to go after those encounters.

You mean the Giant and the Troll?

I'm trying to do some more RP with this group and not just have everything be an XP generating event by killing.

3:24 PM

(I would have liked to have taken out that other giant scorpion, but team consensus was evade, so we did)

I think we have done that so far. We didn't go after those explorers, did we? :) Sorry you missed the dinosaur races, that was good fun.

@KorvinStarmast I was thinking of it that the goal is to get from point A to Point B. Not to do that and kill everything I meet on the way.

Yeah, hence my suggestions to evade cyclops and troll. We need to get to port and sort out things With Grandfather Zitembe and our contact with the merchant prince.

@KorvinStarmast I dislike choosing not to fight because no XP, but it just doesn't always make sense (as much as I want to get to Level 3!)

We need to pick our fights. The group versus cyclops would likely have ended with us as smushed, I think Cyclops is CR 5 or 6. They hit sorta hard when they hit.

As with that statue: hmm, trolls nearby, but Discretion the Better Part of Valor was a good call on that case as well.

(Plus, I have giants as favored enemy, so the lore/info nits provided helped inform the decision to just stay small in that case ... )

@KorvinStarmast and we can lure cyclops, too :) Set up a hunting trap or two and bring them in.

Nice that Giants are your favored enemy and I speak Giant :)

3:33 PM

Wow, I just checked. Cyclops 3d8+6 on a hit. Easy to one shot any of us, since they have +9 on a to hit. So we gotta trap one, if we want to take one down. I speak Giant as well.

@KorvinStarmast Nice, we can talk to each other without others understanding :) Good if the two of us do recon together.

I think the "why" is in the back story.

Yeah, we do recon since I can move quick with stealth checks due to favored terrain. And you are bugbear sneaky.

and it's always a good idea to split the party!

sent email addy to you on discord

@NautArch Tee Hee, there was even a whole book written about that. :)

Can't do discord until on that machine, so will check it tonight.

ah, well, here's a hint. It's my name at gmail:D

3:36 PM

:)

Ranger Goodness...• Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel. • Your group can’t become lost except by magical means. • Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger. • If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace. • While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

Later, there's that phone ....

4 hours later…

7:21 PM

@trogdor @Shalvenay pls check email, have some ideas to kick around, and I am working on our episode 3 journal entry.

8:21 PM

@NautArch It's a double-challenge in that by AL rules I can't be intelligent in giving out XP. I.e. in a home game I give roughly half my XP from combat, but plenty outside of combat. Here, not so much. (cc @trogdor @KorvinStarmast @Shalvenay)

@NautArch no I was interested in avoiding them XD

@NautArch @trogdor @Shalvenay Please take a look at the diary entry and add commentary, corrections, as needed.

@nitsua60 I presumed no Xp, that's in the log entry.

@trogdor I don't think they will go along with your pacificst tendencies. 8^D

I think a good theme song for you to enter center stage when we play next is this song here: Start Me Up!

8:36 PM

@KorvinStarmast I meant the creatures we actually already avoided

@KorvinStarmast ha! XD I do like this one

for some reason this is one of their songs that doesn't get on the radio as often as some of the others? it's one of my favorites of theirs though

@KorvinStarmast That sounds right. It's too bad, because I'd have given half XP for each of the scorpion and the troll, personally. There's allowance in AL for things like disarming a trap, but Bludfont triggered it instead =\

'S'alright--I'm having fun and I hope y'all're too =)

@trogdor ah, ok. I misunderstood - i thought you were angry about our conflict avoidance.

nope

the Flaming Fist guys though, I think I need their blood XD

@nitsua60 And now I know better than to rush off and play with statues in the jungle.

@nitsua60 I am looking forward to our next session. It's gonna be fun to see Nadarr get all paladin of devotion on them.

8:45 PM

@trogdor a fountain of blood?

a,.... Bloodfont perhaps? XD

@nitsua60 I think this was my first D&D session with no combat - and I had a great time.

lol

@NautArch I envision a new work of art, called "Seven Blood Fountains, and abstract study in mangled flesh" signed by Bludfont, left bank artiste of the morning star

I am fine with a D&D session with no combat, just not too many of them maybe XD

8:46 PM

If I spoke better French I'd put in a different title. I am still kicking myself about not poisoning a few arrow tips

@trogdor For me, it's about being smart in a hostile territory. Going off and killing things could easily attract more things. It's better to move towards where I want to go then stop and risk life just for a kill. While bugbears are bloodthirsty, we're not stupid. And it goes against our stealthiness.

yes, but if these FF guys don't back off, they need a lesson

it's not like we jogged after them to pick a fight

@trogdor Unless your intimidation check works, there's no FF backing off. Again, we need to be tactically smart to take on superior numbers. We are still low in level/HP.

yes

I don't see this as anything but a bully need a bloody nose (FF being the bullies).

@NautArch The bugbear who set off a loud bell and an explosion talks about "our stealthiness" Tee hee. 8^D

And Rrauj was trying so hard to be diplomatic ...

9:55 PM

@KorvinStarmast hey that statue was interesting!

1 hour later…

11:13 PM

@NautArch You are right. Hal had never seen a statue do that before. Interesting statue. for sure

« first day (2711 days earlier) ← previous day next day → last day (2240 days later) »

Transcript for

Mar '1819

The Back Room: Live Tabletop Games

A space for online tabletop gaming.

open-gaming rpg

join this room
about this room

00:00

06:00

12:00

18:00

all times are UTC

site design / logo © 2024 Stack Exchange Inc; legal

mobile