The Closed Eye (DM: Halford, Judge: garyh)

[KenHood]

[sblock=Skills]

The group doesn't have...History (which is less of an issue since you can consult with outside help and/or Palindrome can try to spoof it... +4 with a reroll at +6 once a day when he visits the library).

Hey, it's like Palindrome says, "Those who know history are doomed to repeat it."[/sblock]


[sblock=Bluff]

*=This is an issue because you can't "outsource" a bluff. A lot of what Paldindrome seems to want to do (convincing the servants to take a day off, making people think things that he obviously doesn't believe himself, etc) falls under "bluff".

Hrmm...

In retrospect, I should have given him the feat to train in Bluff. Is it too late to drop Expanded Spellbook?

If not, I guess I can pick it up at second level.[/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

[duplicate post]

 

[Graf]

[sblock=Palindrome's Skills]
It is not to late to swap in my mind. I'll check with Halford since he's the judge for the adventure but I don't think he'd object.
And you can "swap" as you go up in levels; so it's not binding beyond 1st level if you change your mind.

[sblock=from a mechanics=reality position]
I confess to thinking that Palindrome should have bluff.
He does it a lot; it seems very in character.
You've roleplayed him doing so very effectively. On one hand I think it's fantastic as a roleplaying element and adds a lot to the story.
On the other, I do feel that I can't really give out a "free skill" just because you roleplay it so well.[/sblock]

If it were trained it would be much more reasonable for me to say, for instance, that Lady Glasston's insight roll (which i rolled for her yesterday) failed. (she got a 16, you'd have a "passive bluff" of 16, but a +1 for timely posting (and a probable -1 or -2 for her being distracted) would push you over the top.

Otherwise she's got a +5 and you've got a +1. The odds of her not catching on fairly quickly are poor, however distracted she might be.

[sblock=There's nothing wrong with failure]Of course, failing opens up a lot of story elements too. So it's not like the game would stop or the adventure will be imperiled if Lady Glasston doesn't notice you.

But Palindrome, who seems to prize "the truth" and dislike hypocracy seems unlikely to be so completely delusional as to have convincined himself that he's a good disembler when he isn't.[/sblock]

I -won't- be rolling for every situation, but she's potentially a significant NPC and it was a fairly major element in the scene.
[/sblock]

 

[Graf]

At the sound of the door closing Doddoddod; makes a harrumphing sound; it echos pleasantly through the room, sounding only a little like a large bird has come to nest.

Indeed. He says and relights his pipe.

I think this will be a very worthy pursuit. How do you gentlemen intend to follow up on the matter?

 

[Dunamin]

As the matron is rushed out the door, Woe puts on an overly pursed face and fans himself with his open hand to complete the imitation. Any pretense of concern for her plight drops as the door slams shut, and he takes to pace around the room a bit to shake off the rigid posture he was in when addressing Lady Glasston.

“I think more of that fist to the forehead would serve the old gasbag well, if only it was done more forcefully... Using brass knuckles... By an ogre...”

“I’ve looked into the Screamer before, back when I was on the city guard roster. A good bit more fun than patrolling streets of the docks and shaking down small-time smugglers. Could have cost me my livelihood, though.”

“Supposedly, mayor Bunt once came across what he believed to be reliable information on the author’s hideout. Runners from the guard came door to door, calling in every man and woman interested in earning a month’s pay. So we show up on the scene before dawn, I got my sash on backwards and a headache as if I’ve been hammered by a dwarf, a quick briefing and serge kicks in the door. Nothing. The mayor himself showed up while the building was turned inside out, rambling on about “slow response time” and such to the captain.”

“A week later, two men from my squad is in the paper, something about a brothel in the slums. Orc-girl exclusive. Seems the current issue is taking shots at the force, everything from bribery to underage girls. Good thing I was a man of impeccable integrity.” Woe smirks.

“Anyhow. Mighty convenient that this Arnest boy disappeared when the Screamer did - three weeks ago. First theory that comes to mind is that he took it upon himself to find out what happened to the object of his obsession. Perhaps the paper had exposed a secret so severe he couldn’t look his dearest grandma in the eyes again, only it hasn’t been recognized as such yet. I suggest we get a copy of the last issue that came out, then pay the Glasstons a visit.”

While waiting for the others' feedback Woe walks to a mirror, fixes his hair and picks a trace of breakfast from his teeth, then tests his smile to make sure that it's positively beaming.

 

[KenHood]

Palindrome...

Oooooooh, 'GREAT' and 'WISE' and 'ALL-POWERFUL' Doddoddod, it would be rude for me to point out the value of your having cast a Feign Interest ritual upon yourself whilst the PAYING CLIENT was present. Therefore, I shall not.

But...

At the risk of not only beating a dead horse, but also corralling his living relatives, extinguishing their lives, and proceeding to tenderize their remains with a dwarven hammer, I should like to point out what I ALWAYS point out before I am sent on little 'find it' missions of this sort--such as the one in which I had to stick my hands in the excrement of 121 privies to find a dowdy dowager's ring--YOU could take, say, ten minutes to an hour to cast a SINGLE DIVINATION SPELL to find the answer to this dilemna. Then I could go back to studying my rituals. [Palindrome points at Woe.] My friend over there could go back to working on a raging case of syphilis. [Palindrome casts a thumb at Tander.] He can go back to randomly addressing dieties in hopes of a response. (Like they'd ever have any time to respond between trysts with virgins and in-family fights.) [Nods at Tristan.] And he can return to writing sonnets to his lost love.

Palindrome then turns to Woe. Palindrome points and gestures that there's still a little stuck in Woe's teeth. "You missed something, buddy."

 

[KenHood]

[sblock=Palindrome's Skills]
It is not to late to swap in my mind. I'll check with Halford since he's the judge for the adventure but I don't think he'd object.
And you can "swap" as you go up in levels; so it's not binding beyond 1st level if you change your mind.
[/sblock]

[sblock=OOC]I'll go ahead and make the changes, under the assumption that y'all won't object. I didn't realize the Palindrome would be this much of a liar until I started playing him![/sblock]

 

[Dunamin]

[Palindrome points at Woe.] My friend over there could go back to working on a raging case of syphilis.

“Heh, that’s what you ritualists are good for fixing, Pal. The local quack healer has a good discount going for me, you know.”

During the time he has been working under the wizard, Woe has gotten the impression that there’s a far cry from Doddoddod’s reputation to his actual prowess. Still, though he might not live up to his clients’ expectations, he does seem at least more than a half-way competent mage.
So Woe waits to see how Dod responds to his apprentice’s request – it was a well-paying client, this time chances might actually be better than the usual slim-to-nonexistent that he would get off his considerable backside and cast a helpful spell.

Palindrome then turns to Woe. Palindrome points and gestures that there's still a little stuck in Woe's teeth. "You missed something, buddy."

“Ah, you’re right. Looks like blueberry by the color of it, was a damn good pie too…”

After finishing, Woe culminates his self-absorption by unstrapping his shield to compare looks with those on the emblem – his very own face is part of the metallic design and smiles back at him. “Looking good, aren’t we?” he says with a wink.
[sblock=Female escapades]Ha, Woe’s Fortitude defense and Endurance skill modifier laughs at STDs![/sblock]

 

[hafrogman]

Tristan doesn't relax in the slightest at Lady Glasston's exit, retain his poised stance as he has been throughout the interview. He does however, turn his attention to Doddoddod, noting that the wizard in question had nothing to contribute.

He remains silent, staring at a point on the wall while Woe and Palindrome engage each other in their witty banter. He doesn't react at all until Palindrome's dig at him, which ingnites a flash of anger in his eyes, but he resists the urge to respond, and tries his hardest to not reveal his ire. He takes a few breaths to calm himself before addressing the situation.

"Given your apprentice's seeming intent to antagonize the client as much as possible, perhaps we should give her some time to . . . recouperate before we descend upon her home en masse. Perhaps a few hours to examine this publication, and to ask questions about town before we expose the Lady to Palindrome's. . . humors once again."

He continues to look straight ahead, not at anyone as he voices his suggestions.

 

[KenHood]

As the matron is rushed out the door, Woe puts on an overly pursed face and fans himself with his open hand to complete the imitation. Any pretense of concern for her plight drops as the door slams shut, and he takes to pace around the room a bit to shake off the rigid posture he was in when addressing Lady Glasston.

“Good thing I was a man of impeccable integrity.”

"Hmm. That's obviously a definition of integrity that I have never seen before."

Palindrome smirks back.

“Anyhow. Mighty convenient that this Arnest boy disappeared when the Screamer did - three weeks ago."

"I agree.

"Three weeks is a LONG time. I hope no one has looted the corpse before we find it."

“I suggest we get a copy of the last issue that came out, then pay the Glasstons a visit.”

"A good suggestion. And it would be nice to find someone willing to spill some information after losing a thumb or two. Not like that last guy. You remember him?"