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Excalibur: a NeoGAF Pathfinder Play by Post Campaign

((Assuming we split it evenly, that's 50,000 a person. Tiberious will want to buy a pair of +6 gloves of ogre's strength for 36,000 gold and enhance his armor by +4 for 16,000 gold. Selling his gloves of +2 ogres strength should cover the extra 2,000 gold to afford that. That also means I don't need the +3 belt after all, so that can be sold and the gold split between us all if no one else needs it.

Also, is the 10% discount a thing in Alydar too? That would change those numbers))
 
((Oh yeah, so it can get taken care of for everyone else, what was the enhancement on the armor we took from that fighter? The +3 gloves will sell for 9,000, and the +2 longsword for 4,000, so once the armor's added in, that can be split 4 ways))
 
((I want to get a Full Plate +5 with the Righteous and Brilliant special abilities. Going strictly by book price, that would cost me 61,000.

I also want to get Bracers of the Avenging Knight, which run 11,500. However I would be about 1500 short after selling my old sword and current armor. Anyone willing to help me out on that?

Also KM, would these items be obtainable given available funds? If so, I'll go into a RP post about getting them.

Edit: Selling that other stuff would cover it, so never mind about borrowing money))
 
(((With the 50k from the reward or w/e and the money selling stuff so far, i am picking up 5 spells(restoration, greater invis, universal formula, freedom of movement and air walk), buying a +3 mithral shirt, +4 dex belt, +4 int headband, +amulet of natural armor +2 and a ring of protection +2.))

((while writing this post i realized i was paying to upgrade instead of replacing my gear... thankfully i caught that so i sold some stuff to put it back right. I lose out on some items i wanted, but at least i get have cash left over for my material components now... my new extracts are pretty expensive to use.))

((EDIT: Opps, double post.... w/e.))
 
((That comes out to a decent bit of gold for everyone if the armor, sword, and gloves are sold. I think I'm going to go ahead and sell the +3 axe and the ring of protection +1 to get a ring of protection +2. That'll still leave me with about 6,200 gold, so if anyone is looking at something they're a bit short for, I can try and help with that))
 

Mike M

Nick N
((So wait, if we sell all that gear, how much do we have on top of the 50K? Dreadstone's sheet is otherwise updated (I forgot to level up his BAB when we hit level 9, so I've been handicapping myself), and now he's got Drow as a favored enemy at long fucking last...))
 

Mike M

Nick N
((Longbow +4, Rosewood armor +3, gloves of STR +2, Snakeskin Shirt. STR boosting gear and/or ring of protection seems most obvious, but I'm not at all versed in what properties gear can have))
 
((I'd listen to anything Deadphoenix advises over me, but how much dex boosting gear do you have right now? I'd imagine you want that as high as possible since you're almost always using a bow))
 
((Longbow +4, Rosewood armor +3, gloves of STR +2, Snakeskin Shirt. STR boosting gear and/or ring of protection seems most obvious, but I'm not at all versed in what properties gear can have))

((A +5 adaptive composite longbow (0 str) will cost you 51400, selling the +4 for 16k+(if it has any special things on it it may sell for more), i'm personally a big fan of the mithral shirt, so getting at a +3 mithral shirt will cost you 10100 gp and give you another 2 ac and actually weigh less the the rosewood(which should sell for about 4.5k). then pick up a belt of dex +4 and a gloves of str +4 for 16k each, then sell the old gloves and the snake skin shirt, giving you another 6k gp total and while you are at it, might as well pick up a headband of wisdom +2 for 4k, give yourself an extra spell per day or something maybe. and you can get a amulet of natural armor +1 for 2k, a ring of protection +2 for 8k and a cloak of resistence +3 for 9k. for calcution puts that at 90k exactly, but i didn't include the full price of selling some items so you should have some extra cash left over(and i also assume you have at least a little bit more then 90k exactly anyways).))

((...hopefully that text wall is readable/understandable.))
 
<I just woke up, you're probably right. You won't be able to do both Brilliant and Righteous though, because the total bonus is capped at +10>
 

Mike M

Nick N
((A +5 adaptive composite longbow (0 str) will cost you 51400, selling the +4 for 16k+(if it has any special things on it it may sell for more), i'm personally a big fan of the mithral shirt, so getting at a +3 mithral shirt will cost you 10100 gp and give you another 2 ac and actually weigh less the the rosewood(which should sell for about 4.5k). then pick up a belt of dex +4 and a gloves of str +4 for 16k each, then sell the old gloves and the snake skin shirt, giving you another 6k gp total and while you are at it, might as well pick up a headband of wisdom +2 for 4k, give yourself an extra spell per day or something maybe. and you can get a amulet of natural armor +1 for 2k, a ring of protection +2 for 8k and a cloak of resistence +3 for 9k. for calcution puts that at 90k exactly, but i didn't include the full price of selling some items so you should have some extra cash left over(and i also assume you have at least a little bit more then 90k exactly anyways).))

((...hopefully that text wall is readable/understandable.))

((Goddamn, dude. I should just let you handle all my optimization for everything.))
 
<I just woke up, you're probably right. You won't be able to do both Brilliant and Righteous though, because the total bonus is capped at +10>

((What is Brilliant? I know there is one for weapons, but not armor... also righteous is a flat cost instead of a magic bonus, so i don't think it is limited by the +10 max, since it doesn't interact with it))

((Goddamn, dude. I should just let you handle all my optimization for everything.))
((I've got nothing but time and this shit is weirdly entertaining for me, sometimes.))
 
((I meant Radiant. The word 'brilliant' is in the description so it threw me off.

If I can't do the +5 with both of those then I'll do a +2 with them instead. Too flavorful and useful. I'll make up the lost AC with Deflection or something))
 
also righteous is a flat cost instead of a magic bonus, so i don't think it is limited by the +10 max, since it doesn't interact with it))
<It's still categorized as a +5 ability despite its cost, so I'm gonna go ahead and rule that it does count for the +10 cap.>
 
<I was gonna wait on ThLunarian's thoughts but since I'm very interested in getting back to RP as soon as possible, I'm gonna go ahead and allow it, but as a houseruled addition rather than how I interpret the rules.>
 

Mike M

Nick N
((Had slightly less cash than I thought, but still armored up real good.

Adaptive Composite Longbow +5
Mithral Shirt +3
Ring of Protection +2
Belt of Dexterity +4
Gloves of Strength +4

Forgoing the wisdom boosts and resistance since I never use spells anyway/already have a decent Wisdom modifier, and KittenMaster didn't nerf my Fiendish Resistance.))
 
((Just realized that if I forego the Bracers, I'll be 2 gold shy of being able to make the armor Adamantium. That seems much cooler, so I'll assume someone can lend me the 2 gold to make it happen))

Thaddeus is saddened to find that Arianna has already skipped town. He would have liked to make amends with her in person, but still - make amends he shall.

He finds a local wizard with spellcasting services.

"I would like you to perform a Sending on my behalf," he explains. He hands her Arianna's letter and offers the sword. "These are items she has given to me. I would like the message to say, 'Thank you for your kindness. I apologize for the dark place I was in. Best of luck to you. Sincerely, Thaddeus.' "

((According to the rules, this should cost me 360 gold. Not sure if performing a sending on someone else's behalf is allowed, but that can be addressed in-character, since Thaddeus wouldn't be completely familiar with how the spell works either))

Once that business is concluded, Thaddeus counts up all the money he has and takes a few hours to sequester himself in a room at the Golden Griffin and perform some calculations. The following mission may very well be his last hurrah, so he decides to make it count.

"Let's see.... if I sell that, and cash these in, carry the four... I believe I've just enough," he mutters to himself. He carefully folds the scroll with his calculations and gathers his things.

His first stop is to the local magic item shop, where he trades in Frink's longsword and the armour of the Alydar City Watch for gold. He then makes his way to the largest bank in Alydar, where he cashes in an absurd number of gold coins for some slightly more manageable platinum.

When all is said and done, he is left with seven thousand platinum and seventy five gold: still unwieldy to carry, but far better than the alternative.

After making some inquiries around town, Thaddeus lugs his riches to the most upscale smithy he can find.

The man inside raises an eyebrow as Thaddeus heaves a small barrel full of coinage into his establishment. He is a middle-aged man, stout and with a full beard of coarse, black hair. His clothes are protective and practical, but very well-tailored - obviously among the best available for one in his line of work.

The customer area is clean and well-maintained. There are no less than four apprentices that can be seen hard at work in the back.

"A Drow, eh?" he says, more amused than anything. "Judging by the size of your coin purse, I wager you're about to make a special order. I ought to warn you that I've only ever made one set of Drow equipment, and while I can guarantee its quality, you should know that the customer wasn't particularly happy with its aesthetics."

Thaddeus smiles. "I am not an ordinary Drow, sir," he explains, "Though the mere fact that one of them sought your services speaks volumes of your skills as a blacksmith. It appears I've come to the right place. In point of fact, I am looking for something a fair bit more... luminous."

A long discussion ensues, in which Thaddeus shares his calculations, as well as a very rough draft of what he's looking for, with the blacksmith. Finally, a consensus is reached.

"Right," says the man, "Since this is by far the most expensive item on my itinerary and it seems you're going to need it quickly, I'll make it my priority. You're lucky I happen to have Adamantium in stock. I can have it forged and decorated by tomorrow((*)), but I can't guarantee that my enchanting cleric will be able to finish the enchanting part until the day after((*)). Also, I'll be requiring full payment right now. Do we have a deal?"

Thaddeus extends his arm and gives the man a mighty handshake. "Absolutely, Tessai. I'll be staying at the Golden Griffin if you need me before then."

****

Thaddeus spends the next few days in relative seclusion, though when he does make appearances to eat with the party or tend to small errands around town, he seems to be in good spirits and at peace. His alone time consists of quiet meditation, prayer, and reflection on all that has happened lately.

He spends the most time grappling internally with the idea of Heironeous. His temporary loss of faith disturbed him - not just for his own sake, but out of concern for the well-being of his god. He could no longer deny that something terrible had happened to the God of Valor. He found it very difficult to believe that Heironeous could permanently die - that wasn't even true of mortals, whose souls were almost always carried on to the Astral Sea for eternity.

But if the Gods already lived in the Astral Sea, where would their souls go when they 'died'?

That question turns itself over and over many times in Thaddeus's mind over the next few days. He is unable to come to a fully satisfying conclusion, but one thing is for certain: his faith in the principles of his god is unquestionably reaffirmed.

Three days((*)) pass, and there is a knock on Thaddeus's door. He answers it to find a young human male, of no more than twenty years.

"Master Tessai sends for you," he says. "Your order is ready."

******

Thaddeus enters the blacksmith's shop, and is greeted with one of the most beautiful sights he has ever seen.

Set on the counter is an immaculate suit of full-plate armour. Gleaming like the sun and yet entirely undamaging to the eyes, it exhibits a supernatural shine. It is adorned on all sides with symbols of Heironeous, perfectly centered in all instances, and engraved directly into the metal. They also boast a shine to them, of a slightly different color than that of the rest of the armour, so to stand out.

"Incredible," Thaddeus whispers. He is still just barely inside the front door, having forgotten to come closer.

"Aye," says Tessai, also admiring the suit, up close and from behind the counter. "I have to say that it's one of the better designs I've churned out over the years. Sorry about the delay; the cleric had a bit more trouble with the Adamantium than I'd anticipated, but in the end I'd say it came out quite well. In any event, it's yours now. Would you mind trying it on right here? I'm quite proud of this, and I'd like to see it in full effect at least once before it leaves my shop."

Thaddeus obliges the man. He takes his time, donning it piece by piece over his smallclothes, and relishing in the feel of it against his skin. Somehow, merely wearing it makes him feel more righteous and true, and invincible in the face of his enemies.

"Thank you," Thaddeus says emotionally, somewhat holding back tears. He extends both hands and gives Tessai another hearty, heartfelt handshake. "You've no idea what this means to me, sir."

Tessai smiles. "Just do me a favor and don't get yourself killed, yeah? It would be a right shame for such a fine suit of armor to fall in the hands of some ne'er-do-well."

*****

Some time later, Thaddeus reunites with the party, fully decked out in Ultimate Paladin Fighting Gear his awesome new armour and sword. "Gentlemen," he greets them. Shall we proceed?"

((*Can adjust time frames as needed))
 
((Since no one's responded yet, consider me your 2 gold lender. That still leaves me with about 6,200 gold to spend/give to the others for cool things they can almost afford. I'll edit something in if I figure out something worthwhile to spend it on))
 
((Had slightly less cash than I thought, but still armored up real good.

Adaptive Composite Longbow +5
Mithral Shirt +3
Ring of Protection +2
Belt of Dexterity +4
Gloves of Strength +4

Forgoing the wisdom boosts and resistance since I never use spells anyway/already have a decent Wisdom modifier, and KittenMaster didn't nerf my Fiendish Resistance.))

((It should be noted that Fiendish Resistance does something completely different from what a Cloak of Resistance does... Despite the name. The cloak gives you a bonus to all of your saving throws.))
 
((Eh, I'm typing enough to where a new post seems more appropriate than an edit into a wall of text that could be missed))

((Tiberious is buying a potion of barkskin +5 and magical weapon +5. Quick question/confirmation, a higher magical bonus would overrule but not stack with the bonus of a magic item, right? In other words, if he poured the +5 magical weapon potion on his +2 keen falcata, it would become a +5 keen falcata for the portion of the oils's spell, right? If it doesn't work that way under your interpretation, I'll just abstain from buying the +5 magical weapon))

Once Tiberious is payed, he heads straight to the richest part of town, looking for equipment to enhance his muscles (preferably beyond that of Thaddeus, whose superior brute strength he has envied for a long time now), as well as magical assistance to make his armor more reliable in combat. After a bit of walking, he discovers a store with an 8-point symbol. While he is not particularly knowledgable on the symbolism of the gods, he sees that the sign is made of spears and maces, and is able to figure out from this that it is a symbol of Kord, the god of battle, courage, and athleticism. After gawking at the sign, Tiberious's interpretation is confirmed by a sign which reads "The Armaments of Kord." This is enough to convice Tiberious to enter the shop and spend his money here.

Tiberious passes through the double doors by tossing them both open, throwing his hair flamboyantly as he passes thorugh the threshold. The store's owner, dealing with a mundane customer who was shopping for strength-bolstering crutches at the time, is quickly caught by the fabulous display. He quickly rings up the noble and moves towards Tiberious. "I'm not sure if I've seen you here before. You're a dead ringer for one of my prominent customers, but something about you seems a little... off. You don't seem as sharp, yet your instincts for fighting are off the charts. Hmm..."

As he contemplates the man before him, Tiberious takes out the barrel of fifty thousand gold and puts it on the counter. "My friend! I recognize this shop as in alignment with a close brother in arms of mine! I seek gear to take my muscles to the peak, as well as magical assistance to take my armor to its highest functions in deflecting blows. Not that I need much help weathering blows, but I am working with ticky, discrete people, and they would appreciate me not relying on my ability to bleed gallons of blood while emerging unscathed."

The store owner looks at the small fortune worth of gold on the counter with his mouth agape, then back to Tiberious, then back to the barrel. "Why... yes... now that I think about it, surely you are related to the Avatar of Kord that has come through here so often! Surely you must be brothers! Twins, even! I'll gladly take your gold! Err... requests! I have an array of elite magi and clerics working under me to produce exactly what it is you demand! And for just an insignificant bit extra, I'll throw in two potions! One to make your skin harder than steel, and one to make the weapon of your choice sharper and deadlier than your wildest dreams!"

Tiberious looks at the figure offered to him and closes his eyes, at an attempt in deep meditation. He thinks. brother, do you know this man? Is this a fair price, or is he trying to rip me off?

Alas, Tiberious is not a telepathic. Instead, he hears hid own subconscious thoughts. Fuck yeah, beeotch! 'Dis shit be awesome! You better hop on it the second you can, or it'll be gone before you can fuck a bar whore, dawg! You'll be able to lop off all 'dem heads and skullfuck their corpses! Don't you wanna be 'da baddest of bad dudes of all time, Brochiavelli?!"

This is enough for Tiberious to almost impulsively buy the goods. "You're serious? It'll do all that?! Count me in! I'll buy ALL OF IT!!""

This pleases the store keep. However, as a merchant of Kord, he has a representation to uphold. He can only uphold such pricey armaments to those who are worthy of Kord's blessing, and the only way to test one for Kord's blessing is through Kord;s physical trial.

The merchant quickly wipes the oppurtunistic look off his face and beholds Tiberious much more seriously. "This is a puchase of Divine severity you make, and to that end, I must test you. Follow me. You must first survive a trial in unarmed combat."

Tiberious follows the man to the cellar of the store, where an eight-sided steel-caged ring arises from the floor. Without fear, he steps into the cage. As if by magic, a spectral crowd fills the room, expanding its length to a small stadium filled to the brink. Out of nowhere, multiple booming, shaking voices fills the room.

"My god! Will you look at the man who has entered the ring today! At six foot two and two hundred sixty pounds we have the destroyer of evil! The prospective avatar of Kord! The herald of thunder! Tiberious! Thunderface! By god, Lord Ross! Who can oppose such a man!?

A second voice speaks up. "Well, we've got a hell of a response tonight, from the gates of the Ninth Hells... My God! There's three of them! At 6'1 and 250 pounds, we've got the heavyweight champion of the abyss, Kil'Kane! The Red Demon himself! And behind him we've got the lightweight champ. the Goat from the five-hundredth layer Thalgoz-Bry'ant and ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! At half a ton, the biggest of the big, the baddest of the bad, the meat-squasher himself, JU-BI-:LAYOUS! How in any realm of law is this a fair fight, King? How? HOW?!"

Kil'Kane walks up to Tiberious, face to face, flanked by his trusted partners. A tense conversation is had. "You've no hope of getting the blessings you seek here, welp. Walk out of the ring now, while you still can in one piece. Submit to the forces of evil and admit that you're unworthy, and we will yet let you live."

Tiberious looks intensely at Kil'Kane, his mind in thought. "That's a tempting offer you've got, Kane. I have half a mind to take it, there are probably other places in town that can enhance my equipment half as well, for half the price. But you know what? A man's got to do,-" At which point the entire crowd chants, "WHAT A MAN'S, GOT, TO DO!"

With that, Tiberious kicks Kil'Kane in the stomach, and when his body lurches forth, he grabs his head and leaps into the air, landing in a sitting position on the mat and sending the formerly fearsome demon flying out of the ring.

"BAH GAWD! The stunner! Tiberious landed the Thunder Stunner right off the bat!" Yells Lord Ross.

With the fight started, the lighter demon rushes Tiberious, grabbing him and landing a multitude of light punches. The half-ton beast lumbers in, practically punting Tiberious's head off of his shoulders. Tiberious tumbles to the mat, allowing Thalgoz'Bry'ant to sweep in and secure an arm-bar. Tiberious thrashes about the mat at the devil-spawned referee looks closely for any sign of submitting. To the shock of everyone, Tiberious works his way to his feet and lifts the lighter demon from the ground. Securing a hand around his neck, Tiberious raises him further higher and slams him into the ground, bouncing him ten feet highwards.

"My god! Yells the demon king! "A chokeslam unlike any other I've seen before! That's It! That's got to be the end of the match for the lightweight champion!"

Sure enough, TIberious plants a foot on the unmoving devil, and three seconds later, he's out of the struggle. As opposed to coming to his assistance, the horrible Jubileous climbs to the top rope during this time. Tiberious turns around to find his final foe, only to find a small planet's worth of evil barelling towards him. The resulting bellyflop creates a sonic boom throughout the entire arena, causing the exalted Lord Ross to lose his mind.

"Bah the gawds! He's dead! With gawds as my witness, He! Is! Dead! Call off the match! There's no coming back from that! Oh gawds! Are there any clerics here qualified to fix Tiberious?"

Tiberious is carried out of the ring and towards the back. The emergency clerics get him about half way down the run way when he stands back up and barrels back towards the ring.

"I don't believe it!" Both commentators say in a state of shock. "The presumably dead Tiberious is still alive and heading back in for seconds! How much more of a beating can he take?!"

Tiberious re-enters the ring, narrowly ducking a ferocious clothesline from Jubleous. He ducks three more, before grabbing the hulking creature and lifting him onto his shoulders.! "I don't believe it!" Lord Ross blurts out. "An F'5 Thunderous Hurricane? An F5 against this monstrosity?~ NO WAY!" Moments later, Tiberious lets him go, flopping him down onto the mat with gusto. He gets a two-count before the beast rises up and casually tosses him from the ring. Tiberious shakes off the wound and charges back in, but is unable to dodge a gargantuan boot. "That's it! That's it!! No one comes back from the colossal boot!" The announcers shout in a state of partial madness.

Tiberious stumbles up, and takes an awkward swing, which is easily dodged by the massive Jubileous. Jubileous then grabs Tiberious, putting him in a mind, body, and soul-crushing bear hug.

"This is it for sure! No one ever escapes the three-realm bear hug of Jubileous. You can call the match now!"

For thirty excrutiating seconds, Tiberious flounders and struggles, with every ounce of his being, he resists the hug. Finally, somehow, he shakes himself out, landing on the mat in a disheveled daze. Seeing a weekened, near-helpless target, Jubleous charges forth. Suddenly, Tiberious leaps into the air, making his body horizontal. He grabs Jubileous by the head and, with momentum uninterrupted, crashes towards the ground, bringing the great beast jaw-first with him.

"Bah gawd, King! A Thunder Cutter! A Thunder Cutter out of nowhere! This is a once in a lifetime thing!"

As the spectral announcers and crowd go wild, Tiberious stands on top of the unconcious Jubileous, assuming a wide stance with this arms out towards the winds. A mere three seconds later, he is declared the winner of this lopsided battle.

The spectral celebrations wind away to nothing, leaving only a shocked merchant. Left with no doubt, the merchant rings up the price of the items, giving the worthy chamption his strength-bolstering gloves, armor enhancement, and potions. An exhausted Tiberious makes his way back to the inn, and after a bit of rest, resumes training with the mace and spear given to him.

The work has been excrutiating, but bit by bit, it has paid off. In this final session, he feels as if he has made progress. Finally, it seems as if he can wield the spear and mace without drastically hindering himself, although due to the specific nature of his intensive training, it seems to apply only to spears and maces.
 
((Tiberious is buying a potion of barkskin +5 and magical weapon +5. Quick question/confirmation, a higher magical bonus would overrule but not stack with the bonus of a magic item, right? In other words, if he poured the +5 magical weapon potion on his +2 keen falcata, it would become a +5 keen falcata for the portion of the oils's spell, right? If it doesn't work that way under your interpretation, I'll just abstain from buying the +5 magical weapon))
<It is an enhancement bonus, so no it won't stack.>

<Also, I'm just gonna pretend that post happened in Emerald Bay instead.>
 
<Thaddeus needs to update his level and equipment, Dreadstone still needs to update equipment, Gnaw is still level 6.

Mike M -
Do you want to detour before going to Ruby Keep? After some planning updates this is the only chance you'll have.
>
 

Mike M

Nick N
((Son of a... Didn't save my Myth Weavers sheet for Dreadstone when I updated the equipment D :

Gnaw doesn't seem to gain anything from this level except for another HD, so that is easy enough to take care of.

As for the spoiler
let's skip the detour for now, unless you really want to do it. I can just save all that stuff for an epilogue

Really just want to comment that you guys bothering with the RP lately have really been upping your game. I'm sorry I've been so deficient the past few weeks, but I've been opening the arteries of my creative juices on my NaNoWriMo novel, and it's taking a lot out of me. 70K is a lot to write in three weeks, and I'm only just over the halfway mark of the story D :

I'll be back in form as soon as I can. ))
 
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