OOC Discussion

Item Power-Ups are pretty dope track, DM. Cool idea.

For convenience, I posted loot as if you had already gone and searched through the entire laboratory, but thanks for playing this like the area is still unknown and potentially dangerous. When this scene is over, let me know what (if anything) you are taking with you.

If nothing is picked up, Ybus will claim everything.

Naatkinson and CancerMan are familiar with tikbalang because I play one in Naatkinson's Out Of The Abyss game. For the rest of you, here's a little taste of Filipino culture.

In Philippine folklore, the tikbalang are a race of half-man, half-horse: the body of a man with equine head, hooves, and tail. They are incredibly fast and immensely strong. Malevolent fey, they are tricksters, waylaying travelers who trespass on their domain.

Interesting tikbalang video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRUSBSJ39KY

In First Foray, the tikbalang are noble warriors that live in the Bimari highlands. But at the moment all you know about this creature is what Urban glimpsed beyond the portal:
So obviously this is developing into a hook to go to Bimar. It's entirely up to you if you will bite or not.

THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!

Baracus isn't too worldly though, so I'm not sure how to express his interest in this hook in character. I'll think on it for a bit.

Guys, I hope I haven't been laying it on too thick with Makisig. I don't want to influence you too much one way or another. But yeah, those are some options: bring the rats before the Golden Child, bring the rats before the tikbalang elders, or let Makisig execute them on the spot - after which, there's the choice to be made again whether to return to Pradesh or travel to Bimar. Or something else entirely!

We'll do the ol' Gordian Knot solution.

I have corrected an error in the first post of Episode 3. Where I originally wrote "it will likely take you at least three days to make the westward climb and northward traverse" it now reads "southward traverse"

I've always had this idea of Bimar (or at least the portion settled by the tikbalang highlanders) being North of Pradesh, and studying the map, it's true that it's north of the city, but south of the temple of the rat cult. Your current destination, by way of an extremely convoluted route, is indicated on the map by those two pine trees.

For the curious:

• A little bit on Filipino folklore concerning balete trees.
• A short article (and a longish one) on the dying art of the Filipino tribal tattoo.

Sorry for lack up updates, guys! Still in cram mode.

Cram those cakes, Jabes! All the ones you've shared with us have been amazing looking.

Fellas, trying to get on the boards but struggling. Trying to catch up at work after travel, plus in-laws visiting at the house for a family event. Sorry for the delay.

No worries, J!

Been playing almost exclusively on mobile for the past few months. Playing is hard. DMing is hell. It's been nigh impossible to run combat. That, more than anything else, has caused delays in me updating the two games I run.

So expect less reliance on die rolls from now on, at least on my end. When you do something that forces a creature or NPC to make saving throw, or opposed check, do me a favor and roll it for me (put the DC in the roll description). Thanks for bearing with me!

Will do!

Ya, got it, DM Jabes.

Urban is gon be grappling and slamming fools. Urban is the best wrestler in the world. I’ll click dice for all those weak bitches who try to step up to get knocked out. Urban has the Championship Belt.

I will be going on my first vacation in a really long while. Will be traveling May 16-23. I will most likely be absent from the site for the duration.

Made a few minor edits because I wanted Makisig to demonstrate the necessity of applying fire to an infected wound. He intentionally thrusts his arm into Ybus' Flaming Sphere, taking 1d6 fire damage (I added a +1 by mistake).

My flight leaves in a few hours, so that's probably it from me for about a week. Catch you all on the other side! :-)