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Post by Wolfgar on Jan 5, 2016 10:54:15 GMT -5
So we should decide how involved we want to get with the rescued townsfolk. It may prove advantageous down the road to have these high placed individuals as allies. And certainly if we want any immediate reward we will need to see them safely restored to their positions. I guess the basic plan is - Get them into the city without alerting the Drab Men.
- Contact their allies.
- Determine what the Drab Men have been up to.
- Capture Drab Men and bring them to justice.
It does sound like Lily Guilder is our best bet for step 1. Does the magistrate think he can prove to the captain of the city guard that the Drab Men have taken up roles in the city?
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Post by venger on Jan 5, 2016 12:44:34 GMT -5
It does sound like Lily Guilder is our best bet for step 1. She is confident she can get the group inside the town, no questions asked. Or at least she could two weeks ago. Assuming she can still trust her contacts.... maybe less confident. Does the magistrate think he can prove to the captain of the city guard that the Drab Men have taken up roles in the city? He doesn't seem all that capable right now, (being at stage 3 exhaustion/disadvantage on all rolls) as the Iron Shadow curse leeches the imagination and creativity from him.
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Post by Ginger on Jan 5, 2016 13:25:45 GMT -5
What is the cleric situation in town? Is there one established church, or several smaller ones? What kind of authority do they have? If we can convince them to magically verify our story, it would be very advantageous.
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Post by venger on Jan 5, 2016 15:22:28 GMT -5
What is the cleric situation in town? Is there one established church, or several smaller ones? What kind of authority do they have? If we can convince them to magically verify our story, it would be very advantageous. The ruins are regarded as a holy site by many faiths and all divine domains are represented within the town to varying degrees. None of them have any particular influence in town beyond ministering to their followers.
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Post by Ginger on Jan 5, 2016 19:01:51 GMT -5
Are we going to do any of this on the board?
Thoughts: We could split up, and have Quarion go on ahead and independently contact the Thieves' Guild to inquire about undercover entrance into the city. Maybe if they think we're bringing in 3 no-name outsiders they won't look to hard. We could just take our chances with Lily's contacts. The magistrate could tell us which of his guards get yelled at the most for being sloppy about work and take our chances that way.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jan 5, 2016 19:05:37 GMT -5
With the fake magistrate in place we could have problems with the city guards. The fake magistrate may have warned them about a plot against the city or himself. That is going to make it difficult to clear up things.
Do the guilds or large merchants have private guards?
Other than the wizard who lives on the island are there any individuals in town above reproach? Someone so high-level that no one is going to mess with them and will listen to what they say no matter how unlikely it sounds. I am looking for someone to whom we can appeal in order to avoid any misunderstandings with the city guards or the rest of the magistrate.
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Post by Ginger on Jan 5, 2016 20:06:34 GMT -5
Maybe we could trade the egg to the wizard for assistance?
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Post by Wolfgar on Jan 5, 2016 22:31:36 GMT -5
OOC: This is probably something we are supposed to solve ourselves.
At this point we don't know if the Drab Men instigated this plan for their sake or whether there are people within the city who have hired them. I would guess they at least have some allies/henchmen within the city to handle any problems that might arise with whatever they are planning.
Is there any sort of newspaper in the town? Or town criers? I wonder if we can start a propaganda campaign that would sow doubt as to the identity of the impostors. We could always start some rumors in the inns.
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Post by venger on Jan 6, 2016 1:07:10 GMT -5
Are we going to do any of this on the board? The planning. Feel free to ask questions specifically of the NPCs with you or in general about the town. Do the guilds or large merchants have private guards? Yes, they regularly retain mercenaries - some of which supplement the town guard. Other than the wizard who lives on the island are there any individuals in town above reproach? I wouldn't say anyone is really above reproach. Under normal circumstances, the three individuals accompanying the party come pretty close... There is a mayor (elected by popular vote) but important people in the town consider him something of an idiot. Maybe we could trade the egg to the wizard for assistance? Should note the wizard is not actually a citizen of Lakeshore. He settled on that adjacent island and nobody has disputed his claim because he's a wizard. But he isn't a prominent figure in the town. OOC: This is probably something we are supposed to solve ourselves. It is more fun for me that way. That said, these three NPCs all have a much greater stake in this than the party and will not sit idly by. Is there any sort of newspaper in the town? Or town criers? No newspaper, no printing press, rampant illiteracy. There are town criers though and one can always find people willing to yell crazy things for money.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jan 6, 2016 8:38:46 GMT -5
We could split up, and have Quarion go on ahead and independently contact the Thieves' Guild to inquire about undercover entrance into the city. Maybe if they think we're bringing in 3 no-name outsiders they won't look to hard. I would worry about involving the Thieves' Guild. They are likely to recognize these three individuals. Also they may be in league with the Drab Men. The Drab Men would have needed help to initially capture them and get them out of the city. Do they remember anything about their abduction? Did they all get captured on the same day? Any idea how they got smuggled out of the city? Do they remember anyone on their staff acting oddly in the days before their capture?
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Post by Ginger on Jan 6, 2016 9:03:59 GMT -5
Which of Quarion's Arcane Trickster abilities would help us bypass a checkpoint? He can create illusions, right? That might make a good distraction.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jan 6, 2016 10:11:56 GMT -5
I think we can rely on Lily Guilder to get them back into the city. The party can come and go as we like. She can find a place to hold up while we figure out what is going on.
Is there someplace outside the city where they can stay while we get the lay of the land?
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Post by venger on Jan 6, 2016 13:01:11 GMT -5
Do they remember anything about their abduction? Did they all get captured on the same day? Any idea how they got smuggled out of the city? Do they remember anyone on their staff acting oddly in the days before their capture? They don't remember much, the details are fuzzy. They were perhaps drugged or ensorcelled. They have vague recollections of horrifying gray, faceless men capturing them and taking them by skiff across the lake. All of them woke up in the ettercap's dungeon at the same time. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary leading up to their abduction. I think we can rely on Lily Guilder to get them back into the city. The party can come and go as we like. She can find a place to hold up while we figure out what is going on. She would still require the party's assistance discretely signalling her contact in town to arrange passage. She also would prefer not to reveal this contact to magistrate Lawsigil. Is there someplace outside the city where they can stay while we get the lay of the land? There is a wretched/squalid shanty town (see Player's Handbook: lifestyle expenses table) that spills out from the wharf gate. You know, a hive of scum and villainy. The monster-infested ruins. There are remote farms to the south and east. Isolated cabins of woodsmen/trappers in the hills/forests to the north and west. These would require a day's travel (at least) and it's already past mid-morning The NPCs aren't equipped/provisioned for camping out.
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Post by Ginger on Jan 6, 2016 15:32:37 GMT -5
We should inquire with the wizard if he can, for a fee, provide information about dopplegangers. It would be good if we knew their abilities more precisely along with any weaknesses.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jan 6, 2016 17:04:36 GMT -5
So before we get back to town we will find a secluded spot to rest. Lily Guilder will give us a note to pass to her contact. A couple of party members will head into the city. There they will find the contact. Hopefully they can arrange something for this evening. Once there is an agreed upon plan the two party members will return. While in the city they can purchase clothes and whatever else they need. We then wait until the plan is ready to be put in motion. If it is going to be more than a day we'll need to stay in the shanty town or get horses and ride to an outlying farm.
Sound reasonable?
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Post by Ginger on Jan 6, 2016 20:23:56 GMT -5
For 25 GP we can purchase a disguise kit if someone goes in and out of town. With "cosmetics, hair dye, and small props" we can get our 3 VIPs through a gate checkpoint.
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Post by venger on Jan 6, 2016 20:36:01 GMT -5
For 25 GP we can purchase a disguise kit if someone goes in and out of town. With "cosmetics, hair dye, and small props" we can get our 3 VIPs through a gate checkpoint. I think you have to be proficient to use a toolkit? *to gain any benefit from it. And need the "Deception" skill to pull off the disguise.
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Post by Ginger on Jan 6, 2016 21:36:27 GMT -5
For 25 GP we can purchase a disguise kit if someone goes in and out of town. With "cosmetics, hair dye, and small props" we can get our 3 VIPs through a gate checkpoint. I think you have to be proficient to use a toolkit? *to gain any benefit from it. And need the "Deception" skill to pull off the disguise. You only need to be proficient to apply your proficiency bonus to the check. Otherwise it's straight Dex check.
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Post by venger on Jan 7, 2016 9:54:42 GMT -5
Under the description of Deception checks, one of the examples is pass yourself off in disguise. Thus once you've created the disguise using the kit (and most likely an Intelligence check) you may still need a Deception check to pull it off.
*http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/62606/how-do-the-disguise-kit-and-forgery-kit-work
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Post by Ginger on Jan 7, 2016 14:46:19 GMT -5
"Pull together a disguise to pass as a city guard" is way, way more difficult than what we're talking about. We just want to not be recognized. I'm thinking like a minor celebrity putting on a wig or a fake mustache and a hoodie to go to starbucks without being bothered. That's unbelievably easier than being able to put on a starbuck's uniform and convince someone to let you behind the bar.
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Post by venger on Jan 8, 2016 9:08:17 GMT -5
"Pull together a disguise to pass as a city guard" is way, way more difficult than what we're talking about. We just want to not be recognized. I'm thinking like a minor celebrity putting on a wig or a fake mustache and a hoodie to go to starbucks without being bothered. That's unbelievably easier than being able to put on a starbuck's uniform and convince someone to let you behind the bar. That's where the difficulty checks come in. Trying to impersonate a guard will have a higher DC than disguising oneself to simply not be recognized. But there is always chance of failure.
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Post by Ginger on Jan 9, 2016 17:22:40 GMT -5
2nd level cleric spell "Enhance ability" will give advantage to the disguise check for 2 of the 3.
Can we get more information from Lily about her contacts? Would she have us pass a note to someone who would do a favor for her to smuggle us in? Or is it that she knows a person who will bring anyone through the gate for a fee. The latter would probably be more likely to let us slip through unnoticed.
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Post by venger on Jan 11, 2016 14:19:27 GMT -5
Can we get more information from Lily about her contacts? Would she have us pass a note to someone who would do a favor for her to smuggle us in? Or is it that she knows a person who will bring anyone through the gate for a fee. The latter would probably be more likely to let us slip through unnoticed. Working on a dossier of town information for the party. ETA this weekend.
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Post by Ginger on Jan 11, 2016 23:23:54 GMT -5
While we're waiting on plot related things, has everyone picked their new feats and spells? Spell casters get to learn a new cantrip. Since my Strength is 17, I'm taking Heavy Armor Master which gives me +1 STR and the ability to ignore the first 3 points of non-magical physical damage per hit. However, I'm also considering that this ability will give a lot less bang for the buck at higher levels and I'm feeling pretty overconfident after our last few sessions. Maybe just taking 2 points is the way to go.
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Post by Wolfgar on Jan 12, 2016 12:11:42 GMT -5
I found a list of feats here. Does this look complete? Since Wolfgar isn't really a front line fighter, that eliminates about half of them. Of the remaining feats, the ones that appeal to me the most are Healer, Heavy Armor Master, Spell Sniper and War Caster. It may be better for someone else to learn Healer to spread around the ability to heal. Heavy Armor Master assumes Wolfgar is going to be taking more damage. There are certainly going to be situations where he will be in melee. Spell Sniper is nice for the extra range and another cantrip. Probably better for a Wizard. War Caster looks really useful. Concentration will definitely be an issue at some point. Or I could take +1 Wisdom and +1 Strength or Dexterity and increase both modifiers. A better Wisdom will help with all my cleric abilities. Everyone will appreciate the additional hit point for healing and sacred flame and guiding bolt will be more likely to hit. For Ginger, I think Heavy Armor Master makes sense. It won't make a big difference against creatures that deal massive damage but against a horde of zombies you're a tank. And you still get your Strength bump.
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Post by Ginger on Jan 13, 2016 21:43:40 GMT -5
What about Observant? It would give you +1 WIS, and also a huge boost to passive perception. You'd have a passive PER of 21, right? That would let you automatically spot anything but a Very Hard check
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Post by Wolfgar on Jan 14, 2016 8:56:42 GMT -5
Yeah, 21. That would certainly be useful. I didn't see anything else that would increase your wisdom. Eustace could also benefit from this feat.
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Post by Bolo on Jan 14, 2016 20:09:00 GMT -5
I was looking at that, but I believe Eustace is currently at 17 in both INT and DEX, so it's very tempting to just +1 both of those.
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Post by venger on Jan 18, 2016 1:35:32 GMT -5
New Lakeshore thread sticky, will continue to dump information there. Can we get more information from Lily about her contacts? Would she have us pass a note to someone who would do a favor for her to smuggle us in? Or is it that she knows a person who will bring anyone through the gate for a fee. The latter would probably be more likely to let us slip through unnoticed. After discussion with Lily Guilder, Idris Thenorean and Gliff Lawsigil: Lily Guilder of course believes that one of her enemies in the Merchant's Guild is responsible for this plot. Her contact is criminal in nature and has been used in the past to smuggle goods in/out of the city undetected. Her concern is... Magistrate Lawsigil strongly believes that whatever is going on, the criminal kingpin Crofik Drake must have a hand in it. Idris Thenorean suggests it is a plot by one of the rival houses to undermine her family.
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Post by Ginger on Jan 18, 2016 16:28:56 GMT -5
New Lakeshore thread sticky, will continue to dump information there. Can we get more information from Lily about her contacts? Would she have us pass a note to someone who would do a favor for her to smuggle us in? Or is it that she knows a person who will bring anyone through the gate for a fee. The latter would probably be more likely to let us slip through unnoticed. After discussion with Lily Guilder, Idris Thenorean and Gliff Lawsigil: Lily Guilder of course believes that one of her enemies in the Merchant's Guild is responsible for this plot. Her contact is criminal in nature and has been used in the past to smuggle goods in/out of the city undetected. Her concern is... Magistrate Lawsigil strongly believes that whatever is going on, the criminal kingpin Crofik Drake must have a hand in it. Idris Thenorean suggests it is a plot by one of the rival houses to undermine her family. It seems to me that the upstart League of the Open Hand is more likely to be behind it than Crofik Drake, if they're trying to establish a power base in the city. How does Idris believe we can best persuade her father? A council meeting where the two clerics present cast Zone of Truth should go a long way. The best thing to do is probably isolate the first Drab Man we identify and capture/kill him before the others are aware and try to learn more about their plot and capabilities.
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