[RP] Play-By-Post Pathfinder

General
#3703

deliberately passing a secret message is Bluff:

Convey Secret Message

You can use Bluff to pass hidden messages to another character without others understanding your true meaning. The DC of this check is 15 for simple messages and 20 for complex messages. If you are successful, the target automatically understands you, assuming you are speaking in a language that it understands. If your check fails by 5 or more, you deliver the wrong message. Other creatures that hear the message can decipher the message by succeeding at an opposed Sense Motive check against your Bluff result.

Action : Delivering a secret message generally takes twice as long as the message would otherwise take to relay.

general vibe-checking is Sense Motive

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#3704

@discobot roll 1d20

SM

#3705

:game_die: 8

#3706

(14)

#3707

(I presume that’s high enough to notice that Canary is Uncomfortable?)

#3708

(it doesn’t really seem like she’s Hiding It, so I think you can definitely tell)

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#3709

Drakor contemplated, searching through his repertoire of conversation starters and fillers for the right tool for this situation. At last, he settled on a soution.

He sneezed.

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#3710

It was not an especially loud sneeze - in fact, the more perceptive among the observers might think it a tad forced - but noticeable in the awkward space between the conversation. He covered it appropriately, taking care not to land any spittle or mucus on his dinner companions, but had the grace to look sheepish.

“I beg your pardon,” Drakor apologized.

#3711

I jump at the noise.

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#3712

“Do not fear,” Drakor said. “I am not sick. I simply looked at the light too quickly.”

Any casual observer would almost certainly clock this as a lie, but would also likely catch that this was an attempt to steer the conversation into more comfortable waters.

Whether or not the attempt succeded was up to the hosts.

#3713

The baron, Avel Rodin, quirks an eyebrow up, just for a moment. “Good health,” he says.

Halina smiles at you. “Have you lived in Granite Hill your whole life as well?”

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#3714

Drakor shook his head. “My home’s in the Gronzi. Quite small - you would not have heard of it - but home’s home.”

He offered a smile. “I was just passing through Granitehill when the incident occurred.”

#3715

“The forest! How fascinating. Did you have the opportunity to learn about the monsters that live there?”

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#3716

Drakor perked up. “Yes, of course.”

His demeanor shifted, from that of a carefully thought out persona to someone genuinely engaged in the conversation beyond just saving his friend from awkwardness. “I’m a hunter and tracker by trade - I’ve spent a lot of time with the creatures of the forest.”

#3717

The baron, fairly quiet until now, leans forward, listening intently to you. “Can you turn me more about your work? Any particularly exciting stories?”

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#3718

(what sort of monsters would be appropriate for a lvl 1 slayer to have fought?)

#3719

(sure! among monsters found in the Gronzi Forest, a few you’d likely be able to fight solo without much trouble (if there was only one of them) include greensting scorpions, dire rats, alpluachras, and zombies (you could potentially fight more than of any of these, it would just be a more challenging fight). Some you’d theoretically be relatively evenly matched against 1 of (so, maybe a win, maybe a loss, though obviously since you’re still alive you can’t have lost anything too badly) would be giant spiders (:joy_cat:) and wolves. You might get lucky against a tougher monster (or manage to outplay it with tactics), like a boar or a skin stealer, and obviously if you have allies who are helping you fight that makes it more likely you’d be able to win.

(More generally, a level 1 PC with PC wealth is considered to be CR 1, so theoretically if you fought against a CR 1 monster, you’d be evenly matched – but note that “evenly matched” is not great for you, since if you’re constantly picking fights you have a 50/50 shot of winning vs. losing that is a good way to die very quickly. In practice, CR is an approximation; there are almost certainly CR 1 monsters you could easily defeat, but e.g. you might struggle against a flying monster in situations where a level 1 character built for archery would be totally fine (and of course, shadows are CR 3, so if you send a shadow up against a level 3 party they should have no trouble ← this is a joke. Shadows are notoriously a party-killer).)

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#3720

((conventionally, a fight where four PCs fight a single monster of a CR equal to their level is considered to be an “average” fight, which will consume some of their resources but is very unlikely to actually kill anyone. But this is notably different from being an “even” matchup – if it were an even matchup, it would be pretty likely to kill some PCs!))

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#3722

“Nothing too interesting, I’m afraid…” Drakor’s eyes gleamed. “Well, aside from the time I escaped a pack of wolves by hiding in a giant spider burrow.”

He began recounting the story, describing how he had first found the burrow on one of his many scouting trips around his village. He’d flagged it - not literally, but informed the rest of the village - and checked on it every so often to make sure the spider hadn’t started breeding.

“…but one day, I noticed it was missing. Now, I don’t know about you, but the question I never want to ask in any context, let alone a forest, are ‘where did the spider go?’” Drakor chuckled. “So I started searching…”

He eventually tracked the spider to a different nest. Drakor had theorized that its prey had started avoiding the old area, causing it relocate. Fortunately for his village, the spider had decided to move away from them.

“But on the way back, I noticed a wolf following me. It must have been hungry - there’s usually plenty of easier prey in the forest. Anyhow, I wasn’t worried until I saw the second one…”

Drakor had hoped to avoid a confrontation - though he was armed, wolves had their own natural weapons, and there were eventually three following him. As the day went on and he made his way home, he became more and more concerned. Wolves were endurance hunters. They could afford to wait for him to make a mistake.

“…and then the second phase. You know, wolves are quite methodical in their approach to hunting - they chase, they bait out counterattacks, and slowly try to disable you. But then…”

The wolves were quite literally nipping at his heels when desperation bred ingenuity. Drakor sprinted towards the old spider burrow and climbed inside. The confines of the tunnel meant that he would only have to face one wolf at a time, instead of attacks from multiple directions that sought to cripple him.

“…it didn’t even come to that. I think they saw the webs, because the wolves left without a fight.” Drakor grinned. “Not exactly a story of gore and glory, but a lot of survival in the forest depends on knowing when and how to run from danger.”

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#3723

The baron listens intently, interjecting occasional questions, and seems suitably impressed by your achievements. From his questions, it seems like he has some hunting experience of his own — he’s clearly familiar enough with wolf behavior to avoid asking silly questions.

“Very clever! Do you have much experience with trapping, or has your focus been mainly on hunting? A well-constructed trap can serve as an excellent defense in the right situation, though of course most traps take some time to set.”

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