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Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)

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DragonParadox said:
Given that she did so in the company of a newly revived drow alchemist
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Oh cool, he lives!

Can he tell us anything about his capture and eventual death? Or is it all black for him, his captors killing him while out?

@Goldfish we could send Cob or Sirim down one of the many chimneys of the estate, since I'm next to certain that the lord's study would have a fireplace in it to make it appear more distinguished and all that.

[X] Goldfish
 
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DragonParadox said:
You would have to roll to convince him
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Would being only a single Dimension Door away - with Shoffe constantly updating Mina as to where to teleport to - suffice to avoid the need for that roll?
[Also, Dimension Door says that the castor can take no more actions that turn, but does not mention anything about those brought along. Would Pepper and Gorok (and Shofee when he gets himself from the bag) be free to act the tunr they are teleported in?]
 
Massgamer said:
Oh cool, he lives!

Can he tell us anything about his capture and eventual death? Or is it all black for him, his captors killing him while out?

@Goldfish we could send Cob or Sirim down one of the many chimneys of the estate, since I'm next to certain that the lord's study would have a fireplace in it to make it appear more distinguished and all that.

[X] Goldfish
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My plan has Sirim go with Cob and Kori, Goldfish's has Sirim stay behind in Kori's body with Gorok and Mina.
 
BeepSmile said:
Having read the update, the more I want Sirim to be there too. I'm assuming that with Marionette Possession, Sirim and Cob will be able to switch freely, so Cob can lockpick and sneak, and Sirim can cast spells.
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Marionette Possession doesn't quite work that way. Cob and Sirim would be able to communicate with one another, but they can't just switch back and forth between who is piloting the meatsuit. Sirim can relinquish control back to Cob at any time, but that prematurely ends the spell.

I'm not sure why you would want Sirim possessing Cob here? If it's just a matter of sneaking in, Sirim has a very high Stealth bonus, too; +23 unbuffed. Or he could just ride along in Cob's bag. I'm not bringing him in my plan because I want him to keep Kori's body occupied and ready for combat in case it proves necessary. The group outside the manor is probably more likely to encounter trouble the the infiltrators.

Also, not sure if you're aware or not, but when someone uses Dimension Door, when they arrive they cannot take any actions until the next round. If Mina used it to teleport everyone into the manor, they would arrive and not be able to do anything but try to avoid getting stabbed.
 
BeepSmile said:
Would being only a single Dimension Door away - with Shoffe constantly updating Mina as to where to teleport to - suffice to avoid the need for that roll?
[Also, Dimension Door says that the castor can take no more actions that turn, but does not mention anything about those brought along. Would Pepper and Gorok (and Shofee when he gets himself from the bag) be free to act the tunr they are teleported in?]
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  1. That would help, but it would not obviate the need to roll since he knows that there are wards that prevent teleportation effects. He is the leader of this motley band and he doesn't want to risk any of you getting killed while he sits it out, unable to help
  2. Yes, that seems clear from the text of the spell, others brought along can act.
 
Massgamer said:
@Goldfish we could send Cob or Sirim down one of the many chimneys of the estate, since I'm next to certain that the lord's study would have a fireplace in it to make it appear more distinguished and all that.
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Building off this, since Cob can turn tiny-sized and walk on walls he should be able to navigate through said chimneys alright so long as he has a means to breathable air if any are on.

Curious, could we also glamor him to look like a rat or other comparable size animal as a backup in case invisibility fails for some reason and spotted?
 
BeepSmile said:
Would being only a single Dimension Door away - with Shoffe constantly updating Mina as to where to teleport to - suffice to avoid the need for that roll?
[Also, Dimension Door says that the castor can take no more actions that turn, but does not mention anything about those brought along. Would Pepper and Gorok (and Shofee when he gets himself from the bag) be free to act the tunr they are teleported in?]
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I'll add the Dimension Door argument to my plan to help convince Gorok it would be best if he stays behind.
DragonParadox said:
Yes, that seems clear from the text of the spell, others brought along can act.
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Really? That's good to know for future planning. :evil:
DragonParadox said:
He did not carry the notes on him so that is safe though he did lose his formulae book which is frustrating.
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Damn, that sucks. We've got that Furry Formulae Book we looted from the pirate Alchemist. It probably doesn't have more than a fraction of his lost formulas in it, but it would give him a starting point.
 
Massgamer said:
Building off this, since Cob can turn tiny-sized and walk on walls he should be able to navigate through said chimneys alright so long as he has a means to breathable air if any are on.

Curious, could we also glamor him to look like a rat or other comparable size animal as a backup in case invisibility fails for some reason and spotted?
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Gonna add it to my plan.

Cob can change his appearance, I'll add that, too, but Disguise Self has some limits. He has to stick to the same basic body plan, at least. He can't appear to be a squirrel, but he pretend to be a Fey Sprite.
 
That's a very good point on teleportatin wards. I forgot about those.
I mean, if Gorok wants to come, we might as well all go?
Because you never split the party. And we built the party to be stealthy. Let's go as a team!
And Mina can give a +10 to everyone.

Give our lowest stealth person the stealth cloak too.


DragonParadox, is it too late to have bought stuff? I'm thinking of a couple of potions of flight and an invisibility or two (and we forego casting the Mythic Invisibility)
 
Goldfish said:
Marionette Possession doesn't quite work that way. Cob and Sirim would be able to communicate with one another, but they can't just switch back and forth between who is piloting the meatsuit. Sirim can relinquish control back to Cob at any time, but that prematurely ends the spell.

I'm not sure why you would want Sirim possessing Cob here? If it's just a matter of sneaking in, Sirim has a very high Stealth bonus, too; +23 unbuffed. Or he could just ride along in Cob's bag. I'm not bringing him in my plan because I want him to keep Kori's body occupied and ready for combat in case it proves necessary. The group outside the manor is probably more likely to encounter trouble the the infiltrators.

Also, not sure if you're aware or not, but when someone uses Dimension Door, when they arrive they cannot take any actions until the next round. If Mina used it to teleport everyone into the manor, they would arrive and not be able to do anything but try to avoid getting stabbed.
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What abou PfE?

We cast it it suppresses but doesn't end the posession.
 
BeepSmile said:
That's a very good point on teleportatin wards. I forgot about those.
I mean, if Gorok wants to come, we might as well all go?
Because you never split the party. And we built the party to be stealthy. Let's go as a team!
And Mina can give a +10 to everyone.

Give our lowest stealth person the stealth cloak too.

DragonParadox, is it too late to have bought stuff? I'm thinking of a couple of potions of flight and an invisibility or two (and we forego casting the Mythic Invisibility)
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You never split the party...until it makes sense to split the party. We built everyone to be sneaky, but that only goes so far.

Cob takes Stealth to the next level and beyond, and Kori is only just behind him.

Adventuring parties trying to tag along with the Rogue on scouting or spying missions are the most likely reason those missions will fail. There are memes about that for a reason.

And it isn't just a matter of hiding, but of taking up space, needing to open and close doors, etc. if there is a trap, Cob might need to disarm it so the others can pass, whereas he alone could just bypass it. A single Tiny-sized Goblin can move around and remain undetected much easier by himself than with three Medium-sized tagalongs.

The only Invisibility spells I have in my plan are Kori casting Mythic Invisibility on him and Cob, because that defeats all of the most common and economical methods of seeing through the spell, including See Invisibility and Invisibility Alarm. We can drag Mina and Gorok along under Invisibility spells, but that might not help much, and if we use Mythic Invisibility to do it, that leaves Kori with one Mythic power left for the day.

Invisibility Alarm – d20PFSRD

www.d20pfsrd.com www.d20pfsrd.com

This spell is very likely to be Permanency'd in the manor, especially in the office where the evidence may be found, but probably entrances and common areas, too.
Artemis1992 said:
What abou PfE?

We cast it it suppresses but doesn't end the posession.
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It's a short duration effect, though, and it cannot be willingly dismissed. Sirim could tag along for seven minutes before the Marionette Possession went back to acting like normal, and Cob would also have to take off his PfE ring to make that work.
 
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I think this is a big hint to 'the plan must include what to do if you run into an enemy party equivalent to Cpt. Sparrow's crew'.

Because this is the other loose end we never tied up. Just where did they go to? They aren't back to piracy, and are a bit too useful to cut loose.

So long as we have a contingency for that, we make that speech roll and see where the almost-invisibility takes us, and if we can't bypass any encounters that way. Give Cob an out (as he is the one taking most risks, Shadow-Kori is not actually Kori and can be left behind if all goes wrong), and think of a way for others to get an in if they need it.
 
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Nevill said:
I think this is a big hint to 'the plan must include what to do if you run into an enemy party equivalent to Cpt. Sparrow's crew'.

Because this is the other loose end we never tied up. Just where did they go to? They aren't back to piracy, and are a bit too useful to cut loose.

So long as we have a contingency for that, we make that speech roll and see where the almost-invisibility takes us, and if we can't bypass any encounters that way. Give Cob an out (as he is the one taking most risks, Shadow-Kori is not actually Kori and can be left behind if all goes wrong), and think of a way for others to get an in if they need it.
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Yeah, the lucky captain and his mage associate are unaccounted for. Hopefully, they hightailed it out of Dodge and are at the other end of the Inner Sea by now, but I would not plan with that in mind. If they are still around, however, I would be surprised if they're staying at the Basri manor. That would be incredibly sloppy.

We can have the party at the manor in moments using Dimension Door, with Battle Toad Warty and Guardian Pepper ready for action, if a rescue is needed, but I don't think that will be necessary. Even without Invisibility, Cob will have a +46 Stealth bonus. That's better than being Invisible, since the spell only gives you a +40 Stealth bonus when remaining still, or +20 while moving. If someone does happen to have a True Seeing spell running (unlikely, because the duration is short and the Material components to cast it are very expensive) that can see through the Mythic Invisibility spell, they would still need a Perception check result of 46+ to spot him.

Since he's going to be affected by Mina's Fly spell, I've also got Cob wearing Sirim's Jaunt Boots. Those are good for short-range Move Action teleports, which he can use alongside his Shadow Teleport, if necessary. We can't rely on being able to teleport around freely, but Kori should be able to tell if there are wards to prevent or detect teleportation when he examines the manor more closely. Or at least identify if there are wards of an unknown nature, which would give us cause to be wary.
 
Do we think House Barasi would have reason to know the Princess is having someone make a move? Beyond the regular "we're running ops, so be on generally heightened alert"

I am growing more worried a fight breaking out with high end magical effects/traps/combatants.

@Goldfish is the anything I can do to convince you to have Sirim possess Cob in your plan so he's present to provide skill checksand spells?

Is there any reason you don't want to, beyond "Kori would be very vunerable"?

(@DragonParadox Can we give Pepper a ring with Marionette possession in it and have him Possess Kori, and since Pepper's a figment, he doesn't leave a body?)
 
Goldfish said:
If they are still around, however, I would be surprised if they're staying at the Basri manor. That would be incredibly sloppy.
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Maybe, maybe not. If they are laying low and are on guard duty, the only way they are discovered is if someone breaks in into the household, at which point either the intruders should be dead and silenced, or it's an all-hands-on-board emergency where survival is prioritized above secrecy.

But also, they are a reminder that House Basri may routinely employ CL9 adventurers. It needn't be the good captain himself.
 
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BeepSmile said:
@Goldfish is the anything I can do to convince you to have Sirim possess Cob in your plan so he's present to provide skill checksand spells?

Is there any reason you don't want to, beyond "Kori would be very vunerable"?
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Not really.

It's not so much about not leaving Kori vulnerable, but also making sure the outside group is ready to act at full power immediately if necessary. We're outside the city, so it's harder to blend in with the crowds, duck into alleyways, etc. I think if anyone is going to have a combat encounter, it is probably the outside group while Kori and Cob are doing the infiltration.

Sirim possessing Kori's body helps with both of those. He keeps Kori mobile and in play while also providing magical backup for Mina and Gorok, including being able to use spells like Invisibility Sphere or Ashen Path on them if the situation calls for it.

If it makes you feel better, I can include Pepper as part of the infiltration group? He could ride in Cob's bag for most, if not all of the mission. He's super stealthy, too, can provide additional magical support, and he can swap his Evolution points around to boost his Spellcraft and Knowledge (Arcana) checks.
 
We haven't had a chance to use it yet, since the combat situations we've ended up in haven't made it practical so far, but we might get to see Cob's new headband in action: Headband of Ponderous Recollection

Whenever he gets a chance to observe an eligible target for a few rounds, he can attempt three Knowledge checks with increasing bonuses to learn about them. That could be pretty helpful in a lot of future encounters.
 
Vote closed.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Dec 28, 2024 at 9:31 AM, finished with 26 posts and 4 votes.
  • [X] Shadowrunning for a Good Cause
    -[X] Cob and Kori will infiltrate House Basri's manor, with Pepper riding along in Cob's Handy Haversack and peaking out of it to examine wards and magical auras when necessary. Between the three of them, they can enter unseen, do what needs to be done, and depart without anyone ever knowing they were there.
    --[X] They will first approach the manor using the upper path, flying by spell or innate power, in order to closely examine what protections it might possess before deciding on whether to make entry from there or to do so through the more highly trafficked areas. They will pay special attention to chimneys which might leave an easy path into the manor, open windows, etc., defeating the manor's protections might not be necessary if the inhabitants have been lax in basic security.
    --[X] The rest of the party waits nearby, ready to provide a distraction or attempt a rescue if things go wrong, or even to teleport directly to the manor should that prove necessary. Even if the manor is warded against teleportation, the grounds themselves likely are not. Gorok is sneaky, but the more people we take on this mission, the more difficult it will be and the more likely we will be discovered and forced to fight our way out. Sirim will make the argument to that effect to convince him.
    -[X] Preparations
    --[X] Kori will use his Shadow Projection power to accompany Cob on the mission, taking advantage of its Incorporeal nature and enhanced stealth, to provide magical support for the mission. Before he and Cob set out, he will cast Deeper Darkness on a random pebble found on the ground nearby, which Cob can then store in his Handy Haversack for later use. He will activate his Cloak of Darkness ability to raise his Stealth bonus to +30 (+34 in Dim light, +26 in Bright light) and cast Mythic Invisibility on himself and Cob before attempting to enter the manor.
    --[X] Cob will use his Chameleon power, augmented with 6 Power Points to raise the Stealth bonus it provides to +13. Before he attempts to enter the manor, he also uses his Minor Metamorphosis power to shrink down to Tiny-size (increasing his DEX by +2 and his Stealth bonus by another +4). Between the two effects, his Stealth bonus will increase to +46. He will wear his Cloak of the Hedge Wizard and Sirim's Jaunt Boots, and make sure he has our Potion of Fly readily available in case he needs to take to the air after Mina's spell elapses. He clears the Divine Favor spell from his Ring of Spell Storing to make room for Mina's spell. Shoffe stays behind with the rest of the group to facilitate telepathic communication between them and Cob. Just in case he is discovered, Cob will make sure to change his appearance to that of a Liminal Sprite. They are known to be mischievous but not malicious, and it would not be a surprise if one took up residence beneath the eaves of the manor.
    --[X] Mina will cast Hermean Potential into Cob's ring to go with the Invisibility spell already there. Before they depart, she will use Wild Arcana to cast Fly on Cob, then use her and Gorok's 1st level Pearls of Power to cast Hermean Potential spells on Cob and Kori, and her Pass Without Trace SLA on everyone. She will use her 2nd level Pearl of Power to recover her See Invisibility spell, place it in her own Ring of Spell Storing, then allow Cob to use it to cast the spell on himself before he departs.
    --[X] Pepper uses Figment's Fluidity to change his both of his Evolution points to Skilled (Knowledge Arcana & Spellcraft). He casts Mage Armor on himself and Cob before they depart.
    --[X] Sirim uses Wild Arcana to cast a Greater Magic Aura spell on Cob to completely hide all of the magic auras from his buffs and gear, and casts Marionette Possession to possess Kori's body while he is using his Shadow Projection.
    [X] Shadowrunning for a Good Cause [I am ONCE AGAIN stealing Goldfish's hard work]: Sirim goes with
    -[X] Cob and Kori and Sirim (possessing Cob) will infiltrate House Basri's manor in an attempt to acquire the evidence Eutropia needs to accomplish her goals.
    --[X] Kori will use his Shadow Projection power to accompany Cob and Sirim-in-Cob on the mission, taking advantage of its Incorporeal nature and enhanced stealth, to provide magical support for the mission. Before they get close to the estate, he will cast Deeper Darkness on a random pebble found on the ground nearby, which Cob can then store in his Handy Haversack for later use. He will activate his Cloak of Darkness ability to raise his Stealth bonus to +30 (+34 in Dim light, +26 in Bright light) and cast Mythic Invisibility on himself and Cob before attempting to enter the manor.
    -[X] Cob will use his Chameleon power, augmented with 6 Power Points to raise the Stealth bonus it provides to +13. Before he attempts to enter the manor, he also uses his Minor Metamorphosis power to shrink down to Tiny-size (increasing his DEX by +2 and his Stealth bonus by another +4). Between the two effects, his Stealth bonus will increase to +46. He will wear his Cloak of the Hedge Wizard and Slippers of Spider Climbing, and make sure he has our Potion of Fly readily available in case he needs to take to the air. He clears the Divine Favor spell from his Ring of Spell Storing to make room for Mina's spell. Shoffe stays behind with the rest of the group to facilitate telepathic communication between them and Cob.
    -[X] Mina and Gorok with Kori's body will hide close enough to the house that Mina can Dimension Door the three of them to any point within it via Wild Arcana. Shoffe is ready to dive into a Bag of Holding if she needs to teleport in. [Intention is for Kori to return to his body the instant it appears. Alternatively, Kori's body can be kept in the Bad of Looting for the duration, left open so the air is always fresh].
    -[X] Mina will cast Hermean Potential into Cob's ring to go with the Invisibility spell already there. Before they depart, she will also use her and Gorok's 1st level Pearls of Power to cast Hermean Potential spells on Cob and Kori, then casts her Pass Without Trace SLA on everyone. She will use her 2nd level Pearl of Power to recover her See Invisibility spell, place it in her own Ring of Spell Storing, then allow Cob to use it to cast the spell on himself before he departs.
    -[X] Pepper casts Mage Armor on Cob and Sirim.
    -[X] Sirim uses Wild Arcana to cast a Greater Magic Aura spell on Cob to completely hide all of the magic auras from his buffs and gear, and casts Marionette Possession to possess Cob's body.
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I hope the dice gods are cooperative here. We've built a team of stealth specialists and this would be a great time for Cob and Kori to flex their skills to do something slick and impressive.

We've already demonstrated power and competence for the princess, but this would be showing off an entirely different aspect of our abilities. She knows we can dig up clues through investigation and magic, and she's seen how effective we can be in a fight. This time we can show off how subtle and sneaky we can be if we can manage to snag the evidence without anyone realizing we were ever here.

If our actions in Cassomir could be considered a job interview, this final mission is to clench a better position.
 
Goldfish said:
I hope the dice gods are cooperative here. We've built a team of stealth specialists and this would be a great time for Cob and Kori to flex their skills to do something slick and impressive.

We've already demonstrated power and competence for the princess, but this would be showing off an entirely different aspect of our abilities. She knows we can dig up clues through investigation and magic, and she's seen how effective we can be in a fight. This time we can show off how subtle and sneaky we can be if we can manage to snag the evidence without anyone realizing we were ever here.

If our actions in Cassomir could be considered a job interview, this final mission is to clench a better position.
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It will probably work, I sure hope so, but to keep another fact in mind, this whole thing started because the Basri have a divination-expert who could spy on the governor through an illusionary plant.

Don't underestimate the other side of the burglar/guard game.
 
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