DM Nagging: It's pretty much my job

[Corwin]

Weekly Feedback

Seira

I'll be honest: This wasn't my favorite dungeon to prep, but I admit you've made me have a lot of fun running it. The boiling dragon battle was a treat of abilities and resources used with intelligent strategy. There's been a lot of speedbump battles here - I think it's safe to say that so far, it looks like the efreet invested mostly in a few trump cards and otherwise preferred to let the natural terrain scare away attackers. A reasonable choice that looks worse in hindsight, but hindsight can do that. Nonetheless, I've had a great deal of fun with it as well as a possible conclusion Monday -assuming nothing else happens.

Everyone

I really had fun this week, some RL things aside. We had a few super strong days that more than make up for that and I'm ready for next week.

I regretted not being hammier, but I was trying to keep the efreet confused and uncertain of their opposition. That said, now the cat's fully out of the bag. And while I was a bit curt with the rescuees since I needed to get to the others in time, there'll be time to fix that once we're all back home.

I do wonder what happened to all those dudes I saw while rushing past in time stop. Aside from the last ones under that arch they ran off. Probably into Lagann and Oraga, so more fun to them. Same with the couple of devils?

And a chance to use Battle Metamagic on a grand scale is such fun~

[Ebiris]

I admit that I've had a fun time this week. This sort of challenge for Alicia is one I've wanted to run for quite some time. Combine that with a chance for Marie and Jessica to get screentime and you have a winner. I've enjoyed how the two are ultra competent here and yet simply not equipped or used to working together. As Marie has a new powerset this makes a lot of sense to me. Anyway, I've enjoyed the challenges, the banter and the set up for the camp assault, which is going well right now. It's also been a kick to see how all of this meshes with the plans in play. Also, this is a really great time to give Jessica screentime, as she comes more into her new powers and role without being on the spot in front of an established deity.

You'd think Marie and Jessica would be better at playing charades together, since back in B1 they often got left home alone together while Alicia and Anty were off adventuring, but yeah I'll chalk it up to being unused to the new powerset. Plus side this sort of infiltration and assault mission plays to Marie's skillset when it comes to wiping out armies of regular demons, and Jessica's perfect for assassinating the elites. It's almost like the two of them add up to one Afina!

Hopefully Alicia and company do as well against the main bulk of the army that's already headed their way. Living on/by Ysgard should at least give everyone plenty of practice for this sort of thing.

[Anastasia]

Weekly Feedback

Seira

I'll be honest: This wasn't my favorite dungeon to prep, but I admit you've made me have a lot of fun running it. The boiling dragon battle was a treat of abilities and resources used with intelligent strategy. There's been a lot of speedbump battles here - I think it's safe to say that so far, it looks like the efreet invested mostly in a few trump cards and otherwise preferred to let the natural terrain scare away attackers. A reasonable choice that looks worse in hindsight, but hindsight can do that. Nonetheless, I've had a great deal of fun with it as well as a possible conclusion Monday -assuming nothing else happens.

Everyone

I really had fun this week, some RL things aside. We had a few super strong days that more than make up for that and I'm ready for next week.

I regretted not being hammier, but I was trying to keep the efreet confused and uncertain of their opposition. That said, now the cat's fully out of the bag. And while I was a bit curt with the rescuees since I needed to get to the others in time, there'll be time to fix that once we're all back home.

I do wonder what happened to all those dudes I saw while rushing past in time stop. Aside from the last ones under that arch they ran off. Probably into Lagann and Oraga, so more fun to them. Same with the couple of devils?

And a chance to use Battle Metamagic on a grand scale is such fun~

Mostly, yeah. One made a tactical escape, but the rest were heading downstairs to support things as needed.

[Anastasia]

I admit that I've had a fun time this week. This sort of challenge for Alicia is one I've wanted to run for quite some time. Combine that with a chance for Marie and Jessica to get screentime and you have a winner. I've enjoyed how the two are ultra competent here and yet simply not equipped or used to working together. As Marie has a new powerset this makes a lot of sense to me. Anyway, I've enjoyed the challenges, the banter and the set up for the camp assault, which is going well right now. It's also been a kick to see how all of this meshes with the plans in play. Also, this is a really great time to give Jessica screentime, as she comes more into her new powers and role without being on the spot in front of an established deity.

You'd think Marie and Jessica would be better at playing charades together, since back in B1 they often got left home alone together while Alicia and Anty were off adventuring, but yeah I'll chalk it up to being unused to the new powerset. Plus side this sort of infiltration and assault mission plays to Marie's skillset when it comes to wiping out armies of regular demons, and Jessica's perfect for assassinating the elites. It's almost like the two of them add up to one Afina!

Hopefully Alicia and company do as well against the main bulk of the army that's already headed their way. Living on/by Ysgard should at least give everyone plenty of practice for this sort of thing.

Okay, I've seen this behavior a lot and I'm really worried, Eb. This concerns me deeply, so let me broach right to the heart of the matter: Eb, are you trying to get Afina in on Hanna's gig? It's like instead of being a unit of measurement, Afina is trying to become a unit to measure epic level characters by. It's quite scary.

But seriously yeah, new form and new powers means an adjustment period. Theyr'e strong enough that some leeway exists anyway.

[Anastasia]

In a discussion about Jormugandr, Moore asked if I recalled Muirfinn's business and reasons for needing poison from Jormugandr. I didn't have it 100% at the time, so I said I'd look into it. Here are the relevant log snips. I posted this here since I didn't see Neph on IRC today, and I didn't want to forget about it.

> "There are three things that are needed," Ebony begins, "As you may or may not know, Kascha hails from the same world as Alicia. The region there is known as the Lost Eastlands. Take here there and seek the Forsaken of Yasyvant and the Gilded Heart. She can explain the finer details, but we need a powerful object that represents sacrifice for this. It's the best one we know of on short notice." Ticking a finger off, "Secondly, we need the blood of a child of the Jormugandr of Ysgard. They are fearsome creatures of exceeding toxicity. The Guardian of the Felic Gate in Sylica is a child of one of the children and can tell you more, or you can investigate it yourselves. The blood represents true eternal life, not the mockery Kina-ja took. Thirdly, have you heard of the Lover's Tree?"
<Muirfinn> "I have not."
* Lief shakes his head.
> "In Hades, there is a tree that shines like the sun. It holds off the curse of the greys and eludes all the daemons. It came to be when a mortal paladin gave his life and soul to save his slain wife's soul from the clutches of a yugoloth. The power of the sacrifice pleased Ilmater, who interceded and wove the two into the tree, so that they would be together forever. The tree represents true, undying love and forgiveness for one another." Here she sighs slightly, "The full story is more complicated, a sad tale of betrayal made right in the end by both lovers forgiving and sacrificing for one another. The good that wander Hades can find it for respite, while the denizens of the plane will never find it. We need one of the fruits of the tree."
<Lief> "That sounds.. Fun."
> Ebony doesn't quite crack a smile, but it's a close run thing. "It's a lot of work," she concedes, "But these objects can be used to further weaken Kina-ja when she falls into our trap."

So it wasn't the poison of the World Serpent, but the blood of one of his children. To summarize a rather lengthy quest, the party was trying to deal with Kina-ja at the time. A marilith general of great power, she was a former Sharessian who betrayed Sharess and was cast into the Abyss. As Ebony notes, the blood was to be a symbol of 'true eternal life', rather than what Kina-ja did.

http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php/topic,102889.msg1048223/topicseen.html#msg1048223 - In case you want to read the log hands on, Neph.

[Iron Dragoon]

Lief was the one who got the poison, and that was in trade for tales of adventure. He wanted it for poison arrows since he got it from a class feature.

[Nephrite]

Thank you for logvdiving.

[Anastasia]

Thank you for logvdiving.

All good.

[Anastasia]

Elyssa is up on in the C&M topic on R&S. I suggest reading her fluff section, as it deals with the Incarnations in passing.

[Corwin]

I've decided to write out the Epic Arcane Trickster continuation. Dune, can you take a glance and confirm it's right?

Table: Epic Arcane Trickster Level
11th    Impromptu sneak attack 3/day
12th    Sneak attack +6d6
13th    Ranged legerdemain 4/day
14th    Sneak attack +7d6, bonus feat
15th    Impromptu sneak attack 4/day
16th    Sneak attack +8d6
17th    Ranged legerdemain 5/day
18th    Sneak attack +9d6, bonus feat
19th    Impromptu sneak attack 5/day
20th    Sneak attack +10d6
21th    Ranged legerdemain 6/day
22th    Sneak attack +11d6, bonus feat
23th    Impromptu sneak attack 6/day
24th    Sneak attack +12d6
25th    Ranged legerdemain 7/day
26th    Sneak attack +13d6, bonus feat
27th    Impromptu sneak attack 7/day
28th    Sneak attack +14d6
29th    Ranged legerdemain 8/day
30th    Sneak attack +15d6, bonus feat

[Anastasia]

That looks right and matches the one in the SRD for 11-20, yeah.

[Corwin]

Ah crap. Then I forgot to grab a bonus class feat at lvl32.

[Anastasia]

Well, no time like now to grab it.

[Corwin]

Level 33: Rogue 8//Epic Arcane Trickster 13

HP: +6+11
BAB: +1
Epic feat, Epic arcane trickster feat (lvl32)
Improved uncanny dodge
Impromptu sneak attack 6/day
Skills: +8+18+4
+1 spell level, +1 CL
14th level spells!

[Corwin]

Hey Dune, this feat doesn't really work within your epic rules: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#intensifySpell

Given improved metamagic and how cheap empower and maximize are even without it, there's no incentive of grabbing an epic feat that increases spells by 7 levels just to double them.

Maximize and empowered are houseruled to give x1.5 for any spell, and only cost a 5 spell level increase. With improved metamagic, that drops to +3. The discrepancy between improved metamagic and intensify spell means you would never choose the latter as your epic feat of choice, which is sad. Can you make intensify more attractive?