HM's Carrion Crown AP - OOC

[Satin Knights]

Actually, I don't care about an apology. Everyone just relax and have fun. This is a streaming, free form fantasy, with a 1,001 rules. Please don't treat it like a chess match. If it is generating stress, it is not a game.

Since the battle gave me a perfect point to make an example, I did.
This explanation of what it is and what I did is to head off the "now he is making demands" as a possible view of the posting before it starts.

Marshan shouted out a battle order. To the players behind the other characters, it is only a suggestion. Since Halal is the next in the informal ordering we have been using,

Halal can pay attention to the order, move in a 5 square U, flank with Marshan and take a single attack.
Halal can pay attention to the order, move in a 6 square U, flank with Toddy and take a single attack.
Halal can ignore the order, take a 5' step and attack with beak and sword.
Halal can attack with a spell.
Halal can pause because he remembers a previous request from Firvin, then move somewhere and attack.
Halal can full withdraw and run away.

Marshan chose his ready action trigger so only one of those will not trigger his ready action. But, only one of the actions gives Marshan the bonus that he was looking for. Mowgli has full control of what Halal is going to do, and even though it was a shouted as a battle order, it is really a suggestion. The order was short, blunt and hopefully unambiguous.

Unless Halal runs away, Marshan will get his swing in this turn. Between him and Toddy, all the area from the original victim, to I2, to M2, to M6 is reachable for AoO possibilities. Some hard corners are actually limiting Marshan. Toddy's next action is probably movement to further box in the beast, because that is what his master shouted.

Since we are missing *so much*, it looks like Gregori might get a chance to get back into the fight.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

Was trying to think what Halál would do, rather than what Mowgli would do. I don't think the characters would see combat as turn based, but rather as free flowing - Halál would get in as many swings as he could, relying on Firvin to jump in with her singing when she could get to it.

He'd trust her to do what she thinks is her best option to help with the fight; he doesn't know her well enough yet to know what all of those options are.

 

[perrinmiller]

Sorry I had computer problems yesterday and did not read anything on EnWorld until today. So I am catching up now.

Rude or not, I am asking for player courtesy on something and basically told to pack sand by everyone now. This was an OOC request as players, nothing to do with how long IC are characters have been together. In fact the entire debate on tactics was as players, nothing IC about it. It was meant to foster OOC teamwork, and it back fired, I guess.

Despite feeling aggrieved, I will be the better person and apologize. My last post was childish and selfish, I am sorry.

But most of you KNOW how upset I was, my feelings hurt and you all basically stood by and did nothing. Mowgli understood right away when I was upset and apologized. GE ignored my PM. And our reference has let it all continue, apparently to work out IC. SK doesn't think he has ever done anything wrong and hasn't apologized once. If he had the first time, I might not have been upset as much this time. But instead of apologizing this time, he basically told me to stick it in my ear since I did not spell out OOC plainly.

All I ever wanted in this combat was something so simple. Add these words at the beginning of your posts:

OOC: Delay until Firvin goes and then do this:

So if you want things plainly in OOC requests, I will do so in future so it will be properly understood.

But more often than not, I will want to go first among the players during our turn as long as it doesn't negatively impact anyone's actions. Particularly when against a lone opponent and I can use a ranged touch attack right before you guys close in for melee. Just like at the beginning of the current round.

This is an OOC request as of now. I don't mind if people post ahead of me, I just want Firvin's Actions resolved first.

But just being granted this request appears to be something no one is willing to do though. And near as I can tell, it looks like no cares what I think or feel on this entire deal. Is that how I am supposed to interpret this situation? It certainly feels that way to me.

 

[GlassEye]

These bad feelings seem to have carried over from the scene where you, Perrin, felt Firvin was undercut in front of the sheriff by Satin’s character. The problem is, as I see it, that Halal previously mentioned that someone else could be using the farm without Geb’s knowledge. Firvin skipped over that in favor of a more dastardly interpretation (backed up by Gregori’s previous comments). When Marshan interrupted with an explanation the sheriff would be more likely to accept, you took offense. I’m sorry if this offends you, but showing our group can be level-headed and reasonable is more important than saving face for one character. To put it even more bluntly, I don’t think Satin owes you an apology for that situation. True, he could have put it more diplomatically but, c’mon, forthrightness is part of Marshan’s character just as much as it’s a part of Borric’s.

Tone is a difficult thing to judge on forums. Heaven knows I’ve gotten riled enough times at something I’ve read online; it’s easy to do and sometimes hard to let go of those feelings. Here’s the thing, though: when reading all the posts involved yours feel more antagonistic and demanding to me.

True, I didn’t respond to your private message. I’m sorry your feelings are hurt but I feel you are blowing all this way out of proportion and that these situations are mostly of your own making. I didn’t think saying so would help improve your feelings any so I said nothing and let Mowgli be the calming voice. Just because I didn’t respond doesn’t mean that I ignored it; please don’t ascribe motives to my actions when it is impossible for you to discern them.

As for this current situation with the initiative and delaying, your request came across as a demand. Maybe that’s not what you intended but that’s the way it read to me. The IC definitely influenced the OOC discussion. The big problem with group initiative run in this fashion is that it favors those active at the time of the DM over those who post at different times. In this case, because Perrin is so far away he ends up frequently going last. This causes a problem when he feels he has something that needs to go off before others close. Posting that we delay, waiting for Firvin’s action, then posting our actions slows down combat so that we might as well be using regular initiative. A possible solution to use with group initiative is to post more than one round of actions in a post if you end up being the last person to post in a round. That way you may have to postpone your preferred action but you’ll still be able to get it off at the beginning of the next round. It’s not ideal as it doesn’t work for the first round of combat. If circumstances change the person should get the opportunity to alter the stated action.

I hope that I haven’t offended anyone with my comments. Some of it probably should have been said a while back; maybe that would have helped lessen hurt feelings, maybe not. I really hope we can work this out and continue playing the game together because, overall (minus the arguments), I’ve enjoyed it and think we could have a really good time with the rest of it. On the other hand, if we can’t let go of bad feelings now we might as well end it; I’ve been in games that have continued on with built up resentment still lingering and neither ended pleasantly. I don’t care to repeat the experience.

--GE

 

[HolyMan]

Listing the Spring Heeled Jacks ability to see if you all read it as I do.

Vault (Su) Spring-Heeled Jack is capable of leaping great heights and distances. In addition to receiving a +8 bonus on Acrobatics checks made for jumping, Spring-Heeled Jack possesses the ability to spring up to 20 feet vertically as a move action without provoking an attack of opportunity. This acts exactly as the levitate spell, except Spring-Heeled Jack can also move horizontally as long as the cumulative distance moved is equal to or less than 20 feet. This ability cannot be used again until Spring-Heeled Jack lands on a stable surface, but may be used twice in the same round if he lands between move actions.

Since Jack moved straight up then over (actually moved in an arch but for mechanics it was 10' up 10' over) I took it as unnecessary to roll the check. Any mage in a grease spell who cast levitate would also not have to roll as they aren't crossing through the area of effect.

BTW - he also has a permanent feather fall in effect - hence the floating down to sit on the roof edge.

And his entrance.

HM

 

[Satin Knights]

I would argue that levitate does not need a stable surface to push against, Vault specifically does and the greased ground isn't exactly a stable surface. Therein, I would require an acrobatics roll. But since a skill roll doesn't fail on a 1, the the Jack has an auto success. If it is an auto success, the roll need not be shown.
The movement is through the air, so it would not be halved.

That is how I see it. In other words, The "stable surface" phrase adds an additional condition on top of the "works as levitate". But, he cannot fail that condition.

 

[HolyMan]

So a higher DC would effect him, I can see that. Say trying to vault while on a frozen lake or from a galloping horse (have no idea why Jack would be riding a horse) would be more difficult.

HM

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

That works for me, I guess. My thinking was that he would auto-succeed the check, thus would be able to move half. While the movement is through the air, it requires effort against the ground, and since the grease requires extra care and less push he wouldn't be able to jump as hard without falling - just like a normal person wouldn't be able to 'walk' as hard without falling.

I can jump on a frozen lake or an ice skating rink, too. I just can't jump as high or as far without falling down.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

In regards to the horizontal movement: it's not up, then over like a levitate or a fly spell. It requires that he push in a horizontal direction as well. Ever tried jumping forward on an ice rink? It's a whole lot harder than just jumping straight up.

 

[Satin Knights]

Passwall? Yikes! And this is a first level encounter?
OK. A tunnel in the building centered on where he touched it.
Assuming he cannot dismiss it the same round he creates it, and assuming he didn't move on the roof inward before casting it through the roof so it would affect only the roof.

So, how big is the hole? Which way was it orientated? (assuming down) Did it create a pit? And did it take out the adjoining wall he was sitting on below it so Marshan and Toddy can chase through?