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Excalibur: a NeoGAF Pathfinder Play by Post Campaign

<I made sure it was an item that could be created with the game rules and made sure it was priced as such, which I think is how the third party rulebook came up with the item.>

((Aww. Alright, I'll keep that in mind while I'm looking. Although I haven't found anything interesting and cheap enough yet...))

((EDIT: So, should I roll to appraise the wine and the statue or w/e?))
 
my other group has actually house rule appraise out because its probably the lamest skill ever.))
<Pathfinder streamlined some skills but some are still pretty bad like Profession which is just "make a roll to get a penny under the couch's worth of gold during time skips". One guy on GameFAQs even said "this skill lets you be a baker, but doesn't actually let you bake a cake" (of course, this requires that the DM actively fights against any and all bit of common sense he might have to enforce this; but technically there's no rule that profession can be rolled to perform a task which actually falls under that profession, it's just a roll that gives you money.>

((EDIT: So, should I roll to appraise the wine and the statue or w/e?))
<Sure.>
 
((I've seen a couple good uses of profession skills before(my paladin has profession soldier for mass combat and profession sailor is a must have for using ships at all), but appraisal is just a way to keep you from making money without doing anything interesting(unlike say, spellcraft).))
 
<Fair point on those uses of profession. I do think appraisal does make sense for some uses (like here where you have items where the value is purely subjective) and I don't plan on saying "you don't know the price of this item", it'll be a base price to start with for bargaining.

With that said, I can avoid needing the appraise skill in the future, but go ahead and roll it now since we're already here.>
 
Draco can figure that the statuette being made of gold would obviously be of some worth in that currency, but the craftsmanship and sentimental merit would bring the value higher than the actual gold composition of it. His best guesstimate is that the statuette is around 3,500 gold in value.

His appraisal of the wine bottle is similarly based on analysis. The date on it shows that the liquid has been aged for quite a long time, a quality often sought by wine collectors. The labeling and bottle design are also vintage, likely giving more credibility to their value. Based on this his asking pricing is 2,500 gold.

((I can try rolling too to see if Tiberious can get higher. The odds aren't in his favor, but it's possible. Would that be ok?))
<Go ahead.>
 
Tiberious gives the items a look as well to see what he comes up with. He may not have Draco's brains, but he's picked up a few basic points on figuring out an item's value.

Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=66730]Appraisal: 1D20 + 3 = [14]+3 = 17
[/url]
 
Tiberius, based on his knowledge of how arena prizes are valued, and Jake's ramblings on alcoholic beverages, would agree with Draco for the most part.

<You can use those prices to sell right away or try to bluff to get a higher price.>
 
"3,500 and 2,500 look about right to me too, Draco. We both are putting these items in the same area of value, so it has to be accurate!"

((Yeah, I'm going to want to try and bluff up. Want me to just give you a roll and go from there?))
 
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=66731]Bluff: 1D20 + 14 = [7]+14 = 21
[/url]

((Kind of squandered that +14 there. Oh well, that could have gone worse))
 
<I probably should have had you set a price first. Do that, re-roll, and we'll roleplay out the encounter.>

A collector you find in the residential district eyes the items you bring to him, taken aback by the quality of the statuette, "This is purified gold, and the design of the statue resembles greatly the account of those that had seen the laughing rogue in their deaths. Surely this figure would be a good addition to my monetary investments."

---

A wine collector looks at the wine bottle, "This bottle! It is from a brewery whose family name had ended long before The Fall. The labeling is genuine, and there are still hints of the grape vine painting on the label that had faded, but whoever kept this bottle kept it well protected. I will pay a high price to allow it to be preserved further and to increase the value of my collection."

<I'm just going to treat these guys as one person mechanically.>
 
((I'm not sure if this is going well over my head or being not ambitious enough, but I'll have Tiberious try and add 1,000 gold to the price of each item. That would get us all an extra 500 gold if he can pass off both of them))

Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=66732]Bluff for Statue: 1D20 + 14 = [6]+14 = 20
[/url]
Code:
[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=66733]Bluff for Wine: 1D20 + 14 = [15]+14 = 29
[/url]

(( I missed the one person mechanically part until after I did both checks. Do you want me to nix one of those rolls?))
 
Tiberious boldly approaches the collector and makes his pitch. "It's a fine piece, isn't it? Worth its weight in gold and then some. We found it in the lair of a crazy cult that worships the old gods. It was even guarded with bound elementals. As much trouble as we went through to get it, I'm kind of reluctant to part with it, but-" Tiberious draws upon his acting talents to cause tears to roll down his eyes. "I lost a very close friend taking down that cult, and while looking at this statue reminds me of the triumphs we had, it also reminds me of his painful last moments. I can't handle looking at it anymore, so I want to give it a good home and maybe, if I can find someone, use the proceeds from selling it to go towards a resurrection. I was going to try finding some who would take it for 8,000 gold, but I just want my friend back. I think 4,500 gold is a pretty good price for it. What say you?"

----------

Tiberious lets a look of shock come over him when speaking to the wine seller. "I'm glad you said that! I was thinking about cracking this baby open after a hard fought adventure tonight, but you just prevented me from accidentally destroying a piece of history. That would explain the room of armed guards and the magic sigils blocking off that rebel group's winery. They may have been evil bastards out to sow mayhem, but I guess they knew their wine. I'd be glad to turn this over to your protection, and bolster what must already be an impressive collection to boot! How does 3,500 gold sound?"
 
"I... I didn't realize that a life was lost in order to recover this artifact! I'll pay five thousand, which is said to be the exact number for reviving a person at a clergy. They offer a fixed price on the diamonds they use to cast their resurrection spell."

---

"I have a well tuned nose to take in the scent of many different tastes of wine before they touch my lips, so I know your story smells of rot. Regardless, I will pay that price for the bottle as I can simply make up the cost easily."

---

<Your roleplay actually boosted the money you get to pay for your "friend's resurrection". I rolled a 7 on 1d20+1d6 (random skill rank) + 3 (class skill) for the opposed sense motive, and your appraisal overshot the price of the things to begin with, so you got more money than what the items are actually worth.

You get 5,000 gold and 3,500 gold from the respective items.>
 
((Awesome, I was actually on the fence on whether or not he should paint the dead friend as being resurrectable or the corpse being lost. I'm glad I went with resurrectable now!

If I did the math right, I think that means that each person gets 2,125 gold from the two items being sold.))

Filled with pride at a job well done, Tiberious returns to the party and splits up the gold evenly. "That went really well! Here's everyone's share, with a good bit more than what me and Draco figured we'd get. I don't usually act outside of combat, but I guess knowing how to pays off some times."

((Inb4 paladin scolding for deceiving merchants. May the spirit of Val protect Tiberious's lying ass))
 
((Thaddeus is either hanging out in another part of the market district, or on his way to Dortumn with Dreadstone, so he won't know a thing.

Unless Tiberious decides to yap about it. Actually I could maybe see that happening. Hmm))
 

Mike M

Nick N
((I'm down for time skipping to Dortumn since the sale of the idol and wine has been taken care of. Was struggling to come up with a way to do that with DS anyway, but breaking up a philosophical debate between Leo and Thaddeus would be a good transition. Heh.))
 
<I'm gonna go ahead and have Thaddeus meet with Dortumn.>

When Thaddeus is either brought to, or voluntarily arrives at the Emerald Bay Academy, he is met by a stout Dwarf in a Ruby Keep officer uniform and accompanying guards. With the guards advancing to secure the Drow's path, the Dwarf says, "The acting prince is waiting. You are expected to explain yourself truthfully."

Thaddeus is henceforth led around towards the arena, where he'll be brought in and eventually taken to the top stand. Eventually he is taken to the small viewing box where he is told to hand over his weapons and not to try anything.

Once he is inside, an aging noble sits in a seat near the view. He gestures over to an opposite chair, "Have a seat." When Thaddeus does, the regent gazes over with relaxed eyes, setting down his champagne glass, "I was told that you were in the service for quite some time. Please, tell me more about yourself."
 
Thaddeus complies with all that is requested of him. Though he is somewhat perturbed at being asked to relinquish Demonsbane, he does not show it outwardly.

He recognizes the regent after a fashion; the kidnapping of the princess had been big news all those years ago, at least until the Fall supplanted it, and at the time, this man's face had become well-known around the kingdom. The passage of time hadn't done him any favors; though Thaddeus loathed his Drow heritage, he did at least appreciate the significantly enhanced lifespan it afforded him.

"I am Sir Thaddeus Birchwood, Junior Officer Second Class, My Lord," he replies. "I have served in the Ruby Keep military for forty years. My father was General Aloysius Birchwood, who raised me from infancy after discovering me abandoned in the wilderness. He passed away shortly after I joined the military.

"I am a devout follower of Heironeous, one of what some would call the Old Gods. I believe the so-called Old Gods are not dead, but have simply transitioned to some other phase of existence unknowable by us mere mortals. Few share my views, but I can still feel Heironeous's grace in everything I do, and my faith has not wavered in all these years.

"Some weeks ago I was taken from my home in the night, by a rebel organization who calls themselves the Orphans. I was made to live in an underground bunker on an island south of here, where immoral experiments were being conducted on animals. I was recently rescued by the squadron led by Lieutenant Dreadstone, and together we brought down the operation."

He pauses. "Continuing from this point would bleed over into a mission debriefing. Would you like for me to keep going?"
 
Marcallus uses this opportunity to refresh himself with a sip of the cool drink as he listens to the short biography of the Drow before him. The expression he has is neutral, it may not even be certain much of what is being said resonates with him at all. When given an opportunity to give his thoughts on what he says, he begins, "Forty years, hm? General Aloysius would have been before my time, but I'm afraid I have not heard of a Drow in the military, but that may be because we're on opposite ends of the ladder; my voice is carried to men directly below me and they give orders to those below, and so on."

When given the theory on where the old gods went, he answers, "Devotion to an old god is admirable given how much society has changed since the gods had died... but it's simply not enough to prove a Paladin's sincerity these days, as their powers come from their inside themselves and cannot be lost; rumors and reports grow within the castle that show corruption among what were supposed to be Heironeous' warriors. I hope you understand the concern we have, given what a captured Drow had pulled off recently."

When asked about the debriefing, he answers, "The Field Marshal already debriefed me when telling me about you. He also said that evidence of your existence is being heavily denied. Is this true?"
 
"If the Headmaster of the Academy is to be believed - for it is only through his Sendings that I have been made aware of such things -, then yes, it seems my existence is being disputed. However, I am more than willing to be questioned within the influence of a Zone of Truth, under whatever scrutinies you wish to bring to bear. It saddens me greatly that the reputation of my family's name is being besmirched as it is, and I should very much like the opportunity to set the record straight.

"I cannot speak to the corruptions of others who claim to be followers of Heironeous. I can only speak to my own unwavering devotion, My Lord."
 
Giving a thought to consider, he shakes his head, "I am not sure that will be necessary. If you are an enemy working for the rebels, you have done a miserable job. I'm sure you'll be interrogated later, but so far you have defied our expectations. If you truly want to prove your loyalty to the Keep, I would like you to work under me with the others that had rescued you. I cannot promise that this will provide you immunity after the war though, the Drow will be seen as a political enemy after this war is over, and even the Queen seems to agree with taking action against any Drow seen as war criminals. What I can offer is a chance to flee the country or working with the academy to change your appearance, but you aren't obligated to accept if you feel confident enough in yourself."

"Your devotion is noted. There should be more men like you to set an example."

---

<I'm not going to roleplay Emerald Bay interrogating Thaddeus, It'll be time to move on to the next thing soon and it'll probably just be extraneous pressure put on a character.>

<Has everybody bought what they wanted and split their earnings? Also, I would like to know where Draco is ICly atm.>
 
((ThLunarian, do you still have that ring of protection +1 you mentioned? If you weren't planning on selling it and no one else feels like they need it more, I could still use it.

Other than that, I think I'll hold on to what gold Tiberious has left over for now

EDIT: Not sure if it needs to be specified, but assuming the refillable potions are still a thing, he'd refill the potion of enlarge person before we move on to the next thing))
 
"I am at your disposal, My Lord. I will gladly continue to work with Lieutenant Dreadstone and the others."

Thaddeus carefully considers the Regent's other offers. "My honour forbids me from fleeing my country - the country I took an oath to protect -, but if there be a way to alter my appearance, or perhaps even my very race, I would be a fool to deny the opportunity. Living as a Drow has taught me a number of lessons about grace, humility, and forgiveness, but those are lessons already learned, and they would not be forgotten should I cease to live as a dark elf."

((The ring is all yours, Axel))
 
Not expecting such eagerness for such a huge change right away, the man agrees, "Very well. It'll take a bit of negotiation to agree to undergo magical operation. For the time being you'll most likely have to stick with being a Drow for a little while longer."
 
Not expecting such eagerness for such a huge change right away, the man agrees, "Very well. It'll take a bit of negotiation to agree to undergo magical operation. For the time being you'll most likely have to stick with being a Drow for a little while longer."

"Of course, My Lord." Thaddeus rises from his seat, and then kneels in front of the regent. "If you need nothing else from me for the time being, by your leave I should like to retire to my room for the evening. It has been an arduous journey, and I should like to change out of my armour, get a good night's sleep, and refresh myself for the 'morrow. As it is I am only barely presentable to appear before a noble such as yourself."

((I have more money than I thought I did before checking my character sheet. I think I'm going to get a Swashbuckler's Cape too, and just say it was on the same shopping trip as the belt))
 
"Please, I can hardly call myself a lord, much less a prince. The best I can do with my status is to do my best to fight this battle against the Orphans." He gets up from his seat, "Please, stand up, soldier," and if Thaddeus does, will salute to him with a smirk, "I'm a bit of a military buff. Armor is presentation enough in my presence."
 
((While we're waiting on Draco, I don't think we ever did anything with that jousting field plate. Thad's the only one who can use heavy armor, so unless you want it Lunarian, we'd probably be selling it and splitting up the money.

Jousting adds 3,750 gold to an item. Field plate is 1,200 gold. That would put the armor at 4,950 gold. Half of that is 2,475. Split between the four of us, that's 618 gold per person, rounding down on the leftover decimal.

So, is selling it ok?))
 
Thaddeus smiles back at the regent. "Regardless of the status of your nobility, Sir, it has been an honour to speak with you. I thank you for your kind words and for all that you've offered me. Be well."

He bows one more time before leaving to retire to his quarters. Once there, he changes out of his armour and, if a wash basin is available, he takes a long-desired bath, paying special attention to cleaning his hair and restoring it to its bright white hue.

((Selling the jousting armor sounds good to me))
 

Mike M

Nick N
((I still need to go shopping, haven't even done the math for what Dreadstone's share is : /

I'll get to it after work. Probably just gonna be whatever STR-boosting gear I can afford or maybe armor or weapon upgrade if I can afford it.))
 
After help Leo sell that old junk, Draco goes off to buy a few things for himself from his various sources instead of using a shop like a normal person whenever he can. He replaces his shawl with a cloak of resist, picking up a amulet of natural armor and replacing his thieve's tools with a masterwork set as well as picking up some fancy new set of boots of striding and springing. Also, he picks up a few scrolls to copy into his formula book.

After done with all that junk he goes back to the inn to meet back up with the team.
 

Mike M

Nick N
((Looks like Dreadstone has ~11K gold, which doesn't seem to be enough to reach the next level of weapon or armor enhancement, or an STR+4. So I guess I'm not buying anything unless anyone knows of any more obscure item I could buy that would be of use.

Sorry for the minimal posting, but work's a beast again lately. Everyone and their mother requested PTO this month and then business development pushed to have all sorts of shit run this month and we're all paying for it...))
 
One of Draco's "sources" is a carriage stationed near the Piano Bar and his informant sitting on the edge with his little collection of items commissioned for people. While handing over items, the man nods over to the bar, "They say there's a job for your talents waiting in that bar. Just ask the tender."
 
Draco figures why the hell not and heads to the bar where he takes a seat, "So, I hear you are looking for a man with a particular set of skills... Which I may possess."
 
The atmosphere in the bar is quaint this time of day, but still holds a sense of relaxation as the few men and women sit to discuss private matters among themselves in their own corners.

The tender looks over awhile cramping a wash cloth in a small glass, smiling over, "Not me in particular, friend, but I draw a lot of people to my place that happen to be useful for people with.. certain issues they need to deal with. You're a bit thin but you seem like the kind of guy that will find a man and... sort things out."

Setting down his cleaning he reaches under to grab some flyers he has, "There's a bit of trouble down in that little Thornsdale place. Small town, small community, small minded folks." He sets down the flyer, a note seeking possible adventurers, "Apparently there's some spooky happenings going on, and girls going missing. People claiming their abandoned temple became haunted and taking kids that wander in, others saying kidnappings are going on. A sort of wive's tale thing going on."
 
"Alright, I'll be sure to look into this." the investigator says as he takes the flyer. When he later meets up with the rest of the crew, he explains the situation. If they ever happen to be in the area, perhaps they could investigate.
 
Leo's eyes light up on hearing Draco's info. "Haunted temple? Possible kidnappings? This is the kind of thing I took up adventuring for! Yeah, let's check that out if we get a chance."
 

Mike M

Nick N
Dreadstone's expression grows grim. Preying on children is a particular evil to be set aside from all others, one that merits especial ferocity in putting an end to.

"Might want to see 'bout headin' that way sooner rather than later..." he mutters. "We're 'fficially ghosts now that Excalibur thinks we're dead anyway, a haunted temple seems up our alley."
 
After Thaddeus has had his bath, he finds that the hour still remains early. He dresses in his newly-acquired civilian clothing and forays down the stairs, to find the others gathered around one of the tables.

Upon being informed of Draco's discovery, Thaddeus nods. "Considering the lack of available leads on the Excalibur front, I am all for investigating this rather troubling development. I thought I recalled one of you make mention of a kidnapped woman, though? An ally of yours... a wagon driver, perhaps? Is that matter still a priority?"
 
<I'll let you decide what you want to do before going to dortumn. EDIT: That is to say, you don't actually have to do this quest, you can just assume another group of adventurers can solve it if you want.>
 

Ganhyun

Member
((I would like to apologize to everyone from the previous game for disappearing for well over a year. I had a lot of life issues hit at once and I basically ended up shutting down for a long time. I would like to thank everyone for letting me play and also thank you for the nice send off. ))
 

Mike M

Nick N
((I would like to apologize to everyone from the previous game for disappearing for well over a year. I had a lot of life issues hit at once and I basically ended up shutting down for a long time. I would like to thank everyone for letting me play and also thank you for the nice send off. ))
((I'm just glad to see you're okay. I'd feared the worst.))
 
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