[OOC] Temple of the Dancer

[Morathor]

Welcome weary travelers! We offer this humble thread for those who need a break from the exciting adventures found elsewhere; for those who wish to relax and discuss things relevant or irrelevant to the story unfolding.

In other words, this is the general purpose OOC thread for Shards of Divinity, the continuation of the game that began in person in December. So, with that in mind:

The in-person session will be considered a prologue, and we'll start with "Chapter 1", for which your characters will all be bumped up to level 2--and tweaked here and there to make them more suited to a long-term game. (Some of the decisions made building the characters the first time around were under the assumption they'd never reach level 2, let alone 3 or 7 or whatever.)

We will need to go over what you all did with the loot from the tower. Some of it, I recall, you distributed as you went along, and that will already be on your character sheets when I get them to you. (I can share ownership of the sheets I've made so you can access and edit them.) But there are other items that you didn't sort out. I don't think it's necessarily a good idea to start by roleplaying the looting and distributing of gear; would you be alright doing it out of character?

[Qith]

Cool, if you can give us the sheets in a DM or whatever we can go over them.

I'm ok with doing looting etc, OOC. there is going to be a timeskip between the prologue and chapter one, so we can just plan to start there.

[Morathor]

Okay. Here's the unclaimed loot; there is also some loot that's already been claimed so keep that in mind while divying things up.

Weapons:

Item	Size	#	Value	Proficient
Javelin	Small	4	1 GP each	Luchi, Anita
Javelin	Medium	1	1 GP	None
Cold Iron Shuriken	Medium	15	2 GP each	None
Short Sword, Masterwork	Small	1	310 GP	Luchi, Anita
Scimitar, Masterwork	Medium	1	315 GP	Bloodwolf

Armor:

Item	Size	#	Value	Proficient
Studded Leather	Small	4	25 GP each	Luchi, Anita
Klar, Masterwork	Medium	1	162 GP	Bloodwolf
Hide Armor, Masterwork	Medium	1	165 GP	Bloodwolf

Consumable items:

Item	#	Value	Proficient
Acid Flask	2	10 GP each	Any
Wand of Summon Monster I (CL 3rd, 9 charges)	1	165 GP	Valon
Potion of Cat’s Grace	1	300 GP	Any
Salve of Lesser Restoration	1	750 GP	Any

Valuables:

Item	#	Value
Amethyst	1	100 GP
Coins, miscellaneous	N/A	247 GP
Small Jade Statue	1	500 GP
Missing persons reward	N/A	1000 GP

For simplicity, I'm using "proficient" here to mean you can use the item without complications. Other characters may be able to use the items, but they'll have to jump through hoops or deal with penalties.

EDIT: I'm also going to list other items from the tower that are already in characters' inventories, as well as giving you the grand total value of the loot from the entire tower (including reward money).

Claimed items:

Item	#	Value	Held By
Alchemical Silver Dagger, Masterwork	1	392 GP	Luchi
Light Steel Shield, Masterwork	1	159 GP	Anita
Scroll of Cure Moderate Wounds	1	150 GP	Bloodwolf
Scroll of Invisibility	1	150 GP	Valon
Banner	1	100 GP	Luchi

Grand total by my reckoning: 5120 GP. (Feel free to double check my math, though.) 1280 apiece if divided evenly, although you don't have to divide it evenly. Also, the appraised value of an item is what it costs to buy; the resale value will likely be less. So that's a factor.

[ProudOddball]

So I'm guessing we'll sell the valuables and equipment nobody is proficient in and divide the money more-or-less evenly.

Anita is going to claim the Salve of Lesser Restoration. Bloodwolf the Epic will fight Valon for the Wand of Summon Monster if he doesn't agree to let her have it.

Is this equipment better than what we started with? Bloodwolf will take armor that's better than she started with and spare weapons that are at least as good. Anita and Luchi will have to divide some stuff between them I guess.

Qith, does this sound about right to you? How do you think we should devide Luchi/Anita equipment?

[Morathor]

Okay, let me go through the equipment:

Javelins: Essentially the same as the shortbows Anita and Luchi already have.

Masterwork Short Sword: Compared to Anita's longsword, deals less damage and has more accuracy. Compared to Luchi's handaxes, deals the same damage but has better accuracy. (However, next it will be to Luchi's benefit to pick one type of melee weapon to specialize in, so he'll need to decide whether to go handaxes, short swords, daggers, or something else.)

Masterwork Scimitar: Compared to Bloodwolf's short spear, deals the same damage and has higher accuracy, but can't be used at a range. (Also, the spear is one of Hacchi's favored weapons, which may be relevant as a roleplay thing.)

Studded Leather: Luchi already has one of these, Anita has better.

Masterwork Klar: Compared to Bloodwolf's heavy wooden shield, the Klar has lower defense, but also a lower check penalty. It also has spikes if you want to do a shield bash with it.

Masterwork Hide: Strictly better than Bloodwolf's current hide armor.

Additionally, the masterwork light steel shield that Anita already took, is similar to the klar--lower defense than her carried shield, but a lower check penalty as well. Also, Anita has mostly been favoring her polearm over sword and shield anyway. So if you decide you don't want it, that's fine.

[Qith]

Ok, so Valon will fight Bloodwolf for the wand, since that is clearly for casters. But will probably back down if Bloodwolf makes a big deal of it.

Luchi will want the short sword. Maybe if I get some nice axes I'll focus on that but for now I'll want to use whatever is best. He'll also want the Potion of Cat’s Grace.

Otherwise liquidating the rest and splitting it equally makes sense

[ProudOddball]

I don't quite remember what check penalties a shield would affect, but bashing people with a spiked klar sounds very Epic so Bloodwolf's doing that. And she's definitely making a big deal of a wand to summon murderfriends. Luchi can have the short sword.

Edit: apparently Bloodwolf can't really use the wand. Darn.

[Morathor]

Okay; with a diplomacy of 21, Anita was able to sell the assorted goods for an average of 60% of their appraised value. (We can assume that some things she was able to get more than that, and some things she really wasn't able to get more than a few coppers for.) Combined with the loose coinage and divided four ways, you each get 426.2 GP.

I'll start working on the opening post, but let me know if there's anything you'd like to spend your money on. Veratuna's a fairly big city, so you'll have pretty good access to non-magical gear. Low-level spell scrolls and potions shouldn't be too hard to come by either. Alchemical items may be a bit trickier as the Ascana aren't super big on alchemy. (But you're never that far from a Galsic clan...)

[Morathor]

Okay Chris gave you each a small cash advance--just travel expenses, basically, but I did bump you all up to 435.

...then I realized that for the prologue, I gave Luchi weapons he actually wasn't proficient in. Thaaaat's my bad. So I refunded him 12 GP for the handaxes.

Anyway. You all have over 400 GP; you can say you spent some of it before you left Veratuna, or hold onto it for now. If you have something you want to buy, let me know. But if you're not sure, I put together a list of items you would have access to that might benefit you--mostly upgrades to your armor, weapons, and skill kits; I also gave the prices for potions and scrolls and such.

Anita
--Masterwork Polearm, 308-312 GP: There are small, situational differences between a bardiche, a glaive, a glaive-guisarme, or a horsechopper, but they all do 1d8 slashing damage and have reach. A masterwork version would give you +1 to hit compared to your current polearm, with no downside.
--Masterwork Shortbow, 330 GP: A masterwork version would give you +1 to hit compared to your current bow, with no downside.

--Masterwork Four-Mirror, 195 GP: A masterwork version of your current armor would reduce your check penalty by 1, with no downside.
--Splint Mail, 200 GP: +1 AC but increases your check penalty by 2 compared to your current armor. For an extra 150 GP, you can have this masterwork and reduce the check penalty so it's only 1 more.
--Banded Mail, 250 GP: +1 AC but increases your check penalty by 1 compared to your current armor. For an extra 150 GP, you can have this masterwork and reduce the check penalty so it's the same as your current.
--Masterwork Heavy Shield, 157-170 GP: Same defense but reduces the check penatly by 1 compared to your current shield. (Steel or wooden, steel costs slightly more.)

Bloodwolf
--Masterwork Shortspear, 301 GP: +1 to hit compared to your current shortspear, with no downside.

--Horn Lamellar, 100 GP: +1 AC but increases your check penalty by 2 compared to your current armor. For an extra 150 GP, you can have this masterwork and reduce the check penalty so it's only 1 more.

--Healer's Kit, 50 GP: +2 on heal checks, enough supplies for 10 uses. For an extra 20 GP, you can get surgeon's tools for an extra +1 bonus on treating wounds. (As opposed to poison, disease, etc.)
--Antidote Kit, 100 GP: +3 on heal checks to treat poison, enough supplies for 10 uses.
--Veterinarian's Kit, 25 GP: +3 on heal checks on animals, only +1 on humanoids, enough supplies for 10 uses.

Luchi
--Masterwork Light Weapon, 305-315 GP: You do already have two masterwork melee weapons, but if you feel compelled to squeeze out just a bit more damage, you could get a second shortsword for dual-wielding--or a gladius, rapier, light mace, sickle, or aspergillium. Any of these would have a +1 to hit compared to your dagger and bump up damage from 1d3 to 1d4, but they're not silver and not ranged. (Although you also would still have the dagger for when those properties are useful.)
--Masterwork Shortbow, 330 GP: A masterwork version would give you +1 to hit compared to your current bow, with no downside.

--Masterwork Studded Leather, 175 GP: A masterwork version of your current armor would reduce your check penalty by 1, with no downside.
--Chain Shirt, 100 GP: : +1 AC but increases your check penalty by 1 compared to your current armor. For an extra 150 GP, you can have this masterwork and reduce the check penalty so it's the same as your current.

--Thieves Tools, Masterwork, 100 GP: Gives +2 on disable device over your current tools.

Valon
--Ranged weapon, (free)-350 GP: If you want a backup weapon to save your spells, and you don't like the thought of rushing in with a quarterstaff, you are proficient with a few ranged weapons. Slings, light crossbows, and heavy crossbows are all options if you want them; any of these can be made masterwork for higher accuracy. (You'll aslo need ammunition but it's cheap.)

--Artisan's Tools, 5 GP: Valon has Craft (Armor); if you are interested in using it, you'll need tools. For an extra 50 GP, you can get them masterwork for a +2 bonus.

Any
--Climber's Kit, 80 GP: +2 on Climb checks.

--Potion/Salve of 1st Level Spell, 50 GP each: Potions and salves are mostly the same mechanically; the difference is largely aesthetic. Anyway probably the most useful of these is Cure Light Wounds, your basic healing potion.

--Potion/Salve of 2nd Level Spell, 300 GP each: Most likely Cure Moderate Wounds.

--Scroll of 1st Level Spell, 25 GP each: Cheaper than potions but the spell needs to be on your class spell list to use it. (Or you can make a Use Magic Device Check.) Still, for Bloodwolf this would offer extra spell slots, and Valon could have access to spells not usually on his short list.

--Scroll of 2nd Level Spell, 150 GP each: Same as above. Note that even though they can't cast second level spells yet, Bloodwolf and Valon can still cast them off scrolls. Anita can't, because even though she'll get spells at higher levels she's technically not a caster until she has spell slots. It's weird.


Anyway. You are not limited to these options and you are also not required to spend any of your money right now; I just know that for me, the entire equipment list can be an overwhelming number of options. So this is just a more manageable list.

[Qith]

I'm thinking of having Luchi get a masterwork chain shirt and getting Valon a ranged weapon, probably a crossbow unless slings are better. Can you explain the difference between slings, light and heavy crossbows?

Also thinking of getting a couple of potions of cure light wounds. One for each.

[ProudOddball]

Thanks for putting this together! It's very helpful.

Well, the weapons and armor don't look like big improvements relative to their cost. Bloodwolf is definitely getting all three kits, though. (175 GP.) I think Anita the momfriend will grab a Climber's Kit since their last adventure involved climbing and they were unprepared. Also four Cure Light Wounds Potions, one per party member. (280 GP.) We're currently around 20 HP each; if I remember right, Cure Moderate Wounds is expensive overkill at this point.

Should I make the changes to character sheets now?

[Morathor]

@Qith: So here are the basic stats of each weapon
--Sling, 1d4-3 damage, 50 foot range, free+1 sp per shot
--Light crossbow, 1d6 damage, 80 foot range, costs 35 GP+1 gp per shot
--Heavy crossbow, 1d8 damage, 120 foot range, costs 50 GP+1 gp per shot
I forgot that slings apply your strength modifier to damage, even if it's negative. So that may not have been a great recommendation. Anyway.

A sling you can attack with every round, but a crossbow takes a full round to cock. So you can only attack every other round with a crossbow. (Unless you take quickdraw feats, which are probably not a good investment for a sorcerer.

A sling does also have the benefit that you can use free rocks instead of metal bullets (which are cheap but not free), but you take a small penalty to hit with those.

@Oddball: The basic Cure Light Wounds potion heals 1d8+1, for an average of 5.5. Moderate heals 2d8+3, for an average of 12. Those numbers can also technically be higher, if a stronger mage makes the potions; light wounds can get up to 1d8+5 and moderate can go up to 2d8+10. However those potions cost more to compensate their more skilled creators.

So I wouldn't say it's overkill, exactly. It's just not very efficient, when you can get six light potions for the cost of one moderate. However you can't use six light potions in a turn, or even two; so the main advantage of cure moderate is for mid-combat healing.

And yes, please change your sheets to reflect any purchases.

[Qith]

Alright, Valon is going to pick up a heavy crossbow and some bolts, and Luchi is going to get a masterwork chain shirt. I'll make the changes to the character sheets.

[ProudOddball]

Have edited my character sheets except for the new weight. Where are the references, by the way? I don't remember where to find them.

[Morathor]

The details are a bit scattered but you can find most of the skill kits here.