Upcoming game

[Lee Gonzales]

Team Fredricksmire, 

Or goat-fuckers as you have become known around the Squad house....

This weekend you will be facing the most difficult game session yet. 

The first test will be attacking the Fort you so skillfully defended last time. Your characters get a day off and are regaled of the stories of the other teams battles. it quickly becomes apparent that all of the teams are bringing special items, skills and tactics to the battles to take the "Fucked Fort" as everyone is now calling it. Sort of a fucked if you defend or fucked if you attack sort of sentiment develops. You expect this next battle to be very, very difficult. 

Further it is clear that the teams from each of the early battles would rather hide their successful strategies and laughable blunders, but the judges publish detailed reports covering the events of each battle. Perhaps some details are hidden, especially those obscured by terrain or weather, but most major tricks and technique are noted and most of your teams techniques are documented for all to read, think about and worst of all prepare for. 

What will you do next? How will you prepare and what devious tricks and dirty schemes will you cook up to keep winning. And oh do you want to keep winning. The winning team of the most battles receives two days freedom, the losers get to rest on-base in abject boredom. 

Your trainers excitedly tell you that depending on how well you do you may get the chance to defend one more time and show off your teams capabilities. And WIN!

Remember, the last test is the climbing test. Starting with a few thousand meter trip across rocky, icy terrain, preferably being stealthy the whole way, culminating in a multi-hundred meter climb up the back of a mesa to Ice Fort Eiger, followed by an assault into the Fort. This is the real deal in terms of mobile assault and the crowning test of this training program. The teams who are able to complete this test are truly worthy of wearing the cross and rifle of the MOB units of the Empire.  

Make plans, scheme, if you want to acquire or build new items let me know. If you want to gather intel - tell me what you want to find out. If you want to sabotage, sneak, or generally be devious  insidious schemers... tell me in advance. 

That is all... and good luck. May the odds ever be in your favor. 

Lee

--
Lee

"People, ideas, and hardware in that order!" - John Boyd

leegonzales.com

[Peter Frost]

We use ropes. Crampons for a plus 5. We have the strongest climbers at the head and the end of the rope. When we assault the castle we have to use those crappy weapons so we stay in a group. Create a diversion, and under cover we ascend the wall with our spiderclimb potion, salve, fruit, whatever. And we move as a group to the center room and claim the treasure and fight our way out or just eliminate them all.

Cause, that's really all the variables we have to work with that I know of.

I think my plan is basic and bland. Anyone else have a better idea?

Cliff 

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[Peter Frost]

I don't have time to look up the names of the spells. But I can put pretty much any spell into a one shot item (like a potion). Spells I think would be useful for all of us to have.

1 Spider climb "berry" each.

1 or 2 concealing mist or smoke

1 or 2 illusions for the distraction. Maybe not this one because its a little too heavy handed. Plus I can make smoke alchemically easily enough.

1 rejuvination or whatever spell gets rid of strength drain. Everyone can have an almond of rejuvination in their mouths though the encounter. You get put down, you bite it and get back up and keep fighting.

Any other one shots you think we need?

CHEAT TO WIN!

Cliff

[Lee Gonzales]

At one point as you all are talking about preparations for your next round of capture the flag... one of the trainers comes in and says in a stern tone:

"Listen up: you are to use the weapons and training provided, don't get creative and use outside resources." "Do not make this contest unfair to the other teams" "do not cheat - we will be watching and you will be scored appropriately." 

What is odd about this is that when you look at the scoring it only seems to matter who won, how fast they won and if any casualties resulted. 

So what does that mean you wonder?

[Devon Jones]

Lee,

You say there are detailed reports of what happened with each assault, can you please describe for us the tactics and resources used by the team we will be attacking?

Devon

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[Devon Jones]

The Terrain is snowy, right?  Can we acquire some clothing/cloaks that blend in with the surroundings?

Unlike Cliff, I think we should prove the defenses.  They can only defend so many parts of the wall and so on, and it normally takes a few shots to get a person down with those guns.  With 24 hours, we should focus on using overwhelming odds against single targets.  Take them down, then move most or all of the team to a position to take out the next person.  If they hole up, we can smoke them out.  If multiple people come at us, we fade.  Never engage unless it's with overwhelming force.

Said

[Monica Jones]

I agree with Devon. Also, booby trap the fuck out of the place. 

Monica

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Visit my blog at http://www.dirtyhooker.org

Twitter: @Dirty_Hooker

[Monica Jones]

Half of my response got cut off because I accidentally hit send. . 

I meant, I think they're going to booby trap the fuck out of the place. It's what I would do if I didn't have magic. So let's be careful of that. 

[Misty Ewegen]

Win by any means necessary. They talk a good game about teams following the rules, but they don't deduct enough points to make following closely to the rules matter, obviously we are supposed to win (especially with God quoting the Hunger Games).

So, for the assault, any spells and tools we can use to trick them into thinking we are attacking for another direction than we are. I agree with an overwhelming attack. Form a single unit, create one hell of a shield for it, swarm the defenders and take 'em down one by one.

Also, we need spells or knick knacks that will assist us in determining whether or not they have hidden the chest in a unique way, such as burying it somewhere.

As for the climb, I agree with Peter. Again we need tools to assist with maximization and stealth.

Let's remember, in training there are rules, in the real world there is winning, or death.  We want to show them we can win.

Avatre

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--

Misty K. Ewegen

[Monica Jones]

From a purely roleplaying perspective, I must object to breaking the rules. Lawful Good characters are prigs. 

That said, carry on. 

[Misty Ewegen]

Because I didn't hit reply all...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Misty Ewegen <mewe...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 9:20 PM
Subject: Re: Upcoming game
To: Monica Jones <the....@gmail.com>


One night, after a satisfying meditation with Alessa, Avart\\tre opens a bottle of fine wine from her personal stash and sits with Alessa by a fire, enjoying the starlight and relative peace of the night.  She discusses the upcoming challenges and mentions the following:

"From the hazy memories I have from the last time I went though this" she mutters, clearly frustrated at what she has lost "this training is one where they harp on the rules, focus on the rules, and then look to see who follows the rules and who discards them and uses creative problem solving when threatened.  It is my opinion that the family wants people who question the rules.  You see,  the empire military has never been traditional and is filled with those who think outside the lines.  I am not sure why we are so different from traditional military infrastructures, but we really are.  It is for this reason I think we should not worry overly much about the rules, I believe they are in place precisely to be worked around."

--

Misty K. Ewegen

[Misty Ewegen]

I will be late to gaming tomorrow, as I have the Sutton Colloquium at DU. I should be there by four p.m.  While I am gone I grant power of attorney over my character and her decisions to Monica. She is the coolest.

M

--

Misty K. Ewegen

[Peter Frost]

Cliff works long hours mixing potions, making powders, engineering devices. He holds up a mechanical climbing wheel and examines it in the sunlight. He sours up his face and tears it apart for the second time. These few days it seems like he is a different person, wound tight and stressed. He makes winches and pulleys, potions and mechanics. He takes a lot of responsibility for the teams success or failure this next event on his shoulders.

Some new things you see him experimenting with are a berry of Windy Escape for avoiding one hit, you would keep that in your mouth too. (Maybe I can make it a headband one-shot?)

(what is the appetite of the group for 3rd level oneshots? I can make them but they cost a little more. I can do a beast shape that will let us fly for 30 minutes. That ought to be enough to land us in the castle in record time. They most likely wont even have time to set up any defense.)

[Monica Jones]

So as we plan this, I'd like to take precautions to make sure no one is listening in on our planning sessions. Also, if we know which team we're facing, we should try and get our stealthier peeps to gather some intel. 

Monica

[Peter Frost]

So, for around 300 gp each, I can equip you all with flying (making us look like angles), protection verses strength drain (lesser Restoration), and an obscuring mist. The last team hiked up to the castle and attacked us within a half hour. That was wicked fast. I bet we can get in there within 10 minutes, beat the place up and take the goods making the fastest time ever on this course. Sure, its a chunk of cash, but we are Fredricksmires. Money is our weapon of choice!

Whaddya say?

[Lee Gonzales]

Peter you will have to walk me through how you could do that, especially for so little gold. For you to imbue an item with Fly (and those would be items listed in the book) you would also have to make a DC 25 craft check. Furthermore example magic items would seem to contra-indicate your math. 

Wings of Flying

Aura moderate transmutation; CL 10th Slot shoulders; Price 54,000 gp; Weight 2 lbs. DESCRIPTION A pair of these wings might appear to be nothing more than a plain cloak of old, black cloth, or they could be as elegant as a long cape of blue feathers. When the wearer speaks the command word, the cloak turns into a pair of bat or bird wings that empower her to fly with a speed of 60 feet (average maneuverability), also granting a +5 competence bonus on Fly skill checks. CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS Craft Wondrous Item, fly; Cost 27,000 gp

[Devon Jones]

he's doing a scroll of beast shape

[Lee Gonzales]

You mean http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/beast-shape - that turns you into a small or medium size beast, so you could have wings and fly 30. 

So with after succeeding on a DC 25 craft check. Then for cost:

Single use, spell completion

Spell level x caster level x 25 gp

Scroll of haste

so 5 times 3 times 25 = 375 

Or for more versatility make it as a potion:

Single use, use-activated

Spell level x caster level x 50 gp

Potion of cure light wounds

so 5 times 3 times 50 = 750

Plus lesser restoration scroll or potion:

DC 23 Craft check. 

3 times 2 times 25 = 150 or 300 for potion

[Gary Mascenik]

I'm of the opinion that this is a training exercise, and as such differs from a real-world exercise in that it's goals are not winning, but learning. The instructors have made it clear that they wish us to use only our skills and supplied equipment, presumably so that we can utilize the skills we learned and they can gauge whether we've learned them. If this were not a training exercise then absolutely do what it takes to win, but I feel like we should participate in the spirit and within the goals of this training.

In that vein I suggest we get ourselves some tower shields, form an impenetrable turtle like wall, and lock step to the gates, taking out anyone that dares shoot at us with coordinated attacks. These rays should have no chance against such a defense as Said found out in our last engagement.

--
 
 

[Peter Frost]

Actually, I think the test is specifically to test whether we are clever enough to disregard the rules or not. Normally I would agree with you, but this seems specifically engineered to give us a knowing wink and pat on the back if we go around the rules. Heck, I think we should try bribing one of the range guys. Maybe give us a early start or something.

[Lee Gonzales]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lee Gonzales <lee.go...@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 8:12 PM
Subject: Re: Upcoming game

To: Devon Jones <devon...@gmail.com>


I am not going to go into the depth of the reports here. Many of the attacks were relatively straightforward: most teams in the initial round used speed, surprise, focus and often luck to overcome their opponents. 

A few teams however used some notable approaches and capabilities:

* One team used full body shields with arrow slits which they could fire from as cover. As it turns out the weapons don't fire through cover. They used thunder stones to pacify the defenders inside and rolled over their enemy first slowly and then quickly once the first round of defenders fell.

* Another team used mortars with smoke bombs and thunderstones to soften their enemies up and relied on a frontal assault. 

* One team used hats of disguise and cover of smoke to overwhelm their opponents when they attacked. 

* One team used multiple silent image spells to distract their opponents and then from cover drew out attackers and picked them off. Then they faded away, returning to glitterdust the interior fort. 

* One team apparently seeded the fort ahead of time and then used entangle spells, obscuring mist and speed to quickly move in and take out the struggling other team. They won in 6 minutes. 

* One team seemingly snuck in and took the treasure chest out. No one _apparently_ knows how they did this. 

When you read the scoring of the teams, it is clear that what mattered to the judges was how quickly the win or loss occurred and how many of each team was disabled.

Questions?

Lee

On Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 7:37 PM, Devon Jones <devon...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 8:12 PM, Lee Gonzales <lee.go...@gmail.com> wrote:

I am not going to go into the depth of the reports here. Many of the attacks were relatively straightforward: most teams in the initial round used speed, surprise, focus and often luck to overcome their opponents. 

A few teams however used some notable approaches and capabilities:

* One team used full body shields with arrow slits which they could fire from as cover. As it turns out the weapons don't fire through cover. They used thunder stones to pacify the defenders inside and rolled over their enemy first slowly and then quickly once the first round of defenders fell.

* Another team used mortars with smoke bombs and thunderstones to soften their enemies up and relied on a frontal assault. 

* One team used hats of disguise and cover of smoke to overwhelm their opponents when they attacked. 

* One team used multiple silent image spells to distract their opponents and then from cover drew out attackers and picked them off. Then they faded away, returning to glitterdust the interior fort. 

* One team apparently seeded the fort ahead of time and then used entangle spells, obscuring mist and speed to quickly move in and take out the struggling other team. They won in 6 minutes. 

* One team seemingly snuck in and took the treasure chest out. No one _apparently_ knows how they did this. 

When you read the scoring of the teams, it is clear that what mattered to the judges was how quickly the win or loss occurred and how many of each team was disabled.

Questions?

Lee

On Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 7:37 PM, Devon Jones <devon...@gmail.com> wrote: