General Discussion

[GlassEye]

I don't think it breaks any LPF rules to NPC the character for a while.

 

[Satin Knights]

It is fine by me if you want to NPC Anna for a while and split the XP three ways.

 

[perrinmiller]

The precident I set (with Veniarus) was if a character was NPC'd during combat, they take XP and treasure if they participated. Same as if they died.

But after a certain period of time, just terminate their participation back dated to the last thing the character (not player) did and then it is a non-issue going forward. But, I think a DM can actually not award the encounter stuff during the NPC'd time to the player if he drops them.

So if Anna took part you gotta take out the character awards. But time based can be stopped as of the player's last post and those awards are not given to her.

 

[jkason]

If I replaced Anna with a GM-created NPC, would I also reduce the awards for everyone else? For that matter, should Elenka's eidolon (clearly as effective as a PC) similarly count against party awards in battles where he fights?

At this point, Anna's player has been gone since before the first of two separate xp-granting rewards. Anna's effectively no more an active participant than if I'd filled the party with a random NPC of my own devising. If the only difference is that Anna is 'player-owned,' if not player-controlled for quite some time, I'll just write her out. For continuity and story purposes I'd rather not, but if it's going to be an issue where everyone else is (to my mind) punished for it, I'll do some shoe-horning and give them an NPC, instead.

EDIT: While I think the discussion still has merit for future issues, mine is now moot. Artur Hawking stepped up, and I think I'll be able to fit Audra into Anna's place with just a wee bit of sleight of hand...

 

[Artur Hawkwing]

Considering she's a monk, that should help some, with her high Dex.

Working on getting her up to speed so she can be surgically inserted, but I have a question.

I know previously there had been a thread I started about the use of Brass Kunckles (as listed in APG, so the monk bonus is allowed) and the potential of adding enchantment to them (I'm down to frost, fire or shock effect). I have always sucked at making my own items, so I have questions that I will ask here:

1)Do Brass Knuckles come separately, so you buy one for each hand (which is logical) or as a pair? (never hurts to have a back up if you only use one)

2) Calculating the price of the item, you start with the base price of the item (a single brass knuckles is 1 gp), then adjust for masterwork quality (add 300 gp, current effective price 301 gp) and then add the quality in question (all are +1 bonus attributes, so add 2000 gp) thus making the cost of a single Shock/Frost/Fire Brass Knuckle 2301 gp. Did I get that right? So if sold individually (description does not state they are sold as a pair) a pair of them would cost 4602 gp?

3) The Flurry of Blows attack, is the 2nd attack with the "off hand", or does it make a difference?(hand, foot, knee,whatever) Could this just be just fast shots from the same hand? (or is that just flavoring we can put in the description of the attack?) I can get a single enchanted knuck know, just curious as to how it would effect flurry of blows.

i think for the moment that does it. I hope that all makes sense. Once the Knucks thing is narrowed down, I'll do my post and writing up in Dunn Wright (assuming to have taken place right after return from Expansion) and all should be set.

As my Uncle would have said..."Donkey shins!"

 

[jkason]

2) Calculating the price of the item, you start with the base price of the item (a single brass knuckles is 1 gp), then adjust for masterwork quality (add 300 gp, current effective price 301 gp) and then add the quality in question (all are +1 bonus attributes, so add 2000 gp) thus making the cost of a single Shock/Frost/Fire Brass Knuckle 2301 gp. Did I get that right? So if sold individually (description does not state they are sold as a pair) a pair of them would cost 4602 gp?

I'm far from an expert, but I believe it costs 8301 gp for the knuckles: "A weapon with a special ability must also have at least a +1 enhancement bonus." (source). I read that as meaning you can't just have shock knuckles, you have to have at least +1 shock knuckles, meaning +2 total enhancement cost.

3) The Flurry of Blows attack, is the 2nd attack with the "off hand", or does it make a difference?(hand, foot, knee,whatever) Could this just be just fast shots from the same hand? (or is that just flavoring we can put in the description of the attack?) I can get a single enchanted knuck know, just curious as to how it would effect flurry of blows.

Monk unarmed attacks are any combination of limbs, I believe, but there's no restriction I'm aware of that requires flurries to use multiple limbs. Monks are faster (or potentially faster) than normal folk, so I don't see any reason why you couldn't flurry with a single hand. Folks with better rules knowledge may have better info on that front.

 

[IronWolf]

I've got a player who's been missing from Distant Relations for the last two XP-granting encounters. I've already turned the split on the most recent encounter to three ways, but since it's an undercover / infiltration adventure, and since the Dunn Wright's pretty much empty, too, I'm not really in a position to replace.

This post lays out the options I've given the remaining players. I guess I just want to make sure the NPC option is kosher / doesn't raise any major objections with judges?

I would not have any major objection to any of your options as presented. I think a GM should have some discretion on how they handle a player going afk unexpectedly and I don't really want to tie their hands unduly on that. Sometimes it is easy to write the character out of the story, sometimes it is better to simply NPC them as their isn't a logical way to write them out. I trust the GM in most cases to do what is best for that game in question and make sure everyone is having fun in light of the inevitable player drops in PbP.

In games I run (and not always LPF games), I tend to lean towards writing the character out of the story. That can be a bit harder in a 4 player game though as the party might be a bit shorthanded. In a PFS game I ran once we had significant player drop and by the end had a GM'ed NPC and two actual players. It still worked out.

And while I don't necessarily *like* awarding XP to NPC'ed characters, I'm not sure we should boost the xp rewards for the three remaining characters who had the help of an NPC'ed character. They get all the reward with no increase in risk.

I do think an NPC'ed character should not get time based XP or gold rewards though. As they weren't playing their character - the GM or a volunteer was.

 

[IronWolf]

If I replaced Anna with a GM-created NPC, would I also reduce the awards for everyone else?

I would be tempted to. I've not adjusted individual rewards in PFS games where I ran a GM'ed NPC to make a full table. I've also approved an adventure for PFS that will have some NPCs that assist at one point where the adventure split the XP across each participant.

Now if the NPC is simply along for the ride as a guide, a person to be protected or very minor involvement then I would not reduce awards. I think a lot depends on the situation though and what seems reasonable in one case, might not in another.

For that matter, should Elenka's eidolon (clearly as effective as a PC) similarly count against party awards in battles where he fights?

No, the eidolon is a class ability and figured into the power level of the character that has an eidolon.

 

[GlassEye]

...I think I'll be able to fit Audra into Anna's place with just a wee bit of sleight of hand...

Excellent! How many years has it been since we've been in a game together, Artur? Too many, by my count. Glad to have you (soon) aboard 'Distant Relations'.

 

[Artur Hawkwing]

Excellent! How many years has it been since we've been in a game together, Artur? Too many, by my count. Glad to have you (soon) aboard 'Distant Relations'.

Outside of you as GM? For a few days we worked together in a game else-board. Otherwise, probably way back when, once upon a time in 2nd Edition Faerun.

Glad to be aboard. I just need to work out the weapon problem so I know if she still needs to save up more coin or something. Nothing she would be comfortable using in there at the moment.