Admin, OOC, and Launch Discussion

Yo, I misread my own character sheet! Turns out I had 12 arrows + 6 crossbow bolts. So when Ryhim asked he would have given 5, not 2. And he would have said, "Make them count."

Guys, I’m slowly crawling back. I missed so much and I apologize. J, that was some awesome shit, I just read like 4 pages of very vivid and engaging stage setting but I’m disappointed I couldn’t get to some of the things your wrote about... oh well, there is killing to be done.

No problem, Ox. Glad to have you back. I think Bryn is up in fact, or at least up for your review on what he is going to do.

Probably worked out fine - suspect Bryn was a little distracted in character, facing stress, so it sort of fits that he was quiet and aloof. But then now it seems he's snapping back into it - great timing to see you return.

Depends on how J looks at it. Is it flanking from range? Not sure. What rogue archetype did you take? Just curious more than anything. Swash?

Curious about Ryhim as well. Kray knows Maeriks and Thorn pretty damn well.

Iasu is 2 levels of Spell-less Revised Ranger (DT version) and 6 levels of Rogue Scout.

Ryhim is a swashbuckler/battlemaster.

Also, bringing back up the topic of stealth: You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding.

Ryhim can do this from a feat, we have a big ass bull; would this be a viable hiding option? Or is there anywhere that would be considered lightly obscured in the current room that is accessible?

Probably won't come up until the disadvantage ends and I can make the most of the limited arrows (big thanks Jabes and Iasu) just getting it out of the way now while it's on my mind and before I forget.

Well, looks like Thorn is off to deal with Fingol. Never split the party... I swear I didn't mean to do it this time, Ez!

Thorn locked out, following orders. Now the tables have turned,... and Thorn is STILL sitting at a lone chair away from the tables.

Fellas,
Have been on attention lock with The Real for past several days and may have to continue today.
Will get back to gaming when I can, hopefully by tomorrow 2 Apr 2019.

I think the game will get pretty seriouso when we get back at it.

J-Busy
aka J-Bizzy

Hell to the yes. Ready to roll.

Betrayal.

The worst of all forms of malevolence.

I know it's a hard hit, Jabes. I hated writing that.

Good luck, Players' Club.

This is it. The Battle on the Edge of the World.

Damn you, J! I'll never trust again! Seriously.

Damn, I knew it or I need to get out my tinfoil hat. I wanted to expose him but Ryhim wasn't introduced until after. Since the cat's out of the bag now, perhaps some confirmation?

When Elam started fucking with all the ritual stuff, it struck me as odd as I recalled him saying something to the effect of 'Only the Twins know how that door work, now they dead I'm lost'. Was this a coincidence or did I catch him in a lie?

I went back to look for the post but found Ryhim wasn't introduced so it would be ooc knowledge so I ceased looking for it and dropped it but I could of sworn Elam said something like that.

Yeah, that might have been something that could have been pressed to exposure. He did say something like "I’m not sure what is possible since they are dead" and then later "I have experience at that room and I know what to do." Not sure what was possible on a full out "gotcha" because he always tried to speak with enough vagueness that he could go back later and paper over some cursory objection with a good answer later. But yes, call-outs might have generated more suspicion after responses were given and compared to previous comments.

This whole thing was a highwire tightrope walk that I was trying to balance for the entire performance, with no certainty if there would be a fall to the death or a success.

Several things in play: effort to write some purposeful openings on inconsistency, warning signals from outside influencers, being realistic with Elam’s extraordinaire expertise in Deception, a serious language barrier in many cases, and also factoring in PC-voiced suspicions.

There were always openings for manual RP force to check accuracy and deception by PCs – would have tried to roleplay those out if they happened, to whatever degree they were pressed.

There were specific times that I thought the always-suspicious Kray was going to press it full throttle to roleplay showdown that might have forced exposure (was always reminded of this scene, though Elam is no Elliot). I believe know Ez was right on the brink of it a time or two. He even brought Maeriks over for the druid expert assessment which was itself very insightful and a great idea. Alas it just didn’t deliver on the numbers.

Throughout I did many, many PC Insight vs. Elam Deception Comparison Checks. Mostly Kray because he was the one doing the most exchange, seeking the most detail, and had either overtly voiced his suspicions or had a stance of caution and scrutiny. Not just Kray though. Other people also (Iasu, Bryn, Maeriks). At different points along the exchange when it seemed possible that someone might have just felt like something was wrong. I suspect I did somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 or 18 checks. I would have written a "You feel like something that he is saying is not true and something just doesn’t feel right." But in the entire series of comparisons: not 1 success for the PC contenders.

I won’t expose yet, but someday I probably will if anyone cares - Elam’s Deception Modifier. It’s a sicko Mod stack that that delivers near supernatural capability. Just below the mark of unfair? He’s the quintessential sociopath.

So on the dice numbers, it was always going to be hard. Breaking through was most likely going to have be driven by an active RP intervention to force the issue. In the end, that is what would have been required – because the dice behind the scenes never delivered.

In any case, a candidate for Worst Villain NPC Ever. At least one of my least favorites of all time. Heavy and exhausting to write – I personally feel relieved now that he is exposed, a proverbial weight off the shoulders - but the villainy isn’t over yet unfortunately.

Obviously Iasu's only possible action is to attempt escape. What initiative die would that be?

Jabes, you’re right. That really blows. 1d6 only. Good luck.