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PF - CoT - Session Five

Page history last edited by Jon Goranson 10 years, 2 months ago

Downtime and the Performing Arts

 

January 16, 2014

 

We spent quite a bit of time working on designing the changes to Judged. We built some bedrooms and rolled to find Capital, which includes resources like Magic, Goods, Influence, and Labor.

 

We managed to accumulate:

 

Capital: 12 (can be assigned to any of the rest but must be purchased at the price listed)

Influence: 12 (15gp)

Magic: 4 (50gp)

Goods: 4 (10gp)

Labor: 0 (10gp)

 

(The Downtime system is from Ultimate Campaign.  It allows for things to be bought outright, just having to wait for the time, but it can also allow for the Capital system, which allows the PCs to interact with the community more.  Further, the interaction is much cheaper, about half, of buying it outright, so there is incentive to do this.  The players started out with a tavern, and we broke that down into various rooms as per the UC system, and then the players got some ideas of how they wanted to expand their own building and perhaps other buildings around them.  I think it worked out well.)  

 

We bought an Everlasting Torch outside the door for 110gp.

 

Verus spends time with the books in his office in the basement and found some uncounted coins. The total of those coins:

 

164 pp

1770 gp

569 sp

116 cp

 

Ailyn Ghontasavos is introduced to us by Arael. She is supposed to be able to help us remove the curse at night. She tells us the Pathfinder society was kicked out by the House of Thrune. She is with the Pathfinder society. She is from Andoran. Her plan is to petition the government to allow the Pathfinders back into town. This should provide a distraction to allow the rest of us into the house. Her idea is completely within the letter of the law, but would allow her to legally give us access to Delvhaven.

 

Robahl is the director of the 6 Trials of Larazod. This play is a torturous murder-play. Robahl is looking for an adventuring group to be hardy enough to withstand the torture of the play. Ailyn thinks that we would be invited afterwards as honored guests to the Lord Mayor's house.  Somewhere in the Lord Mayor's house is the key to getting back into Delvehaven, the Pathfinder Lodge.  And within there, Ailyn thinks this will help lift the curse that has befallen Westcrown.   

 

Thesing Ulbaro Ulvauno, the noble prick Ricken and Verus greased, is playing the part of the Judge in the play. This could be bad.

 

When we arrive, the director is shouting at someone, who is attempting to read a part for the play. Praetorius pushes him out of the way and demands the greatest part in the play. Thus begins our torment of acting. 

 

Praetorius is given the part of Larazod to tryout with. Ricken is given Dentris. Gaylen is given Tybain. Verus is also given Tybain.

 

Robahl is trying to figure out who does best. He starts over by giving Praetorius Tybain's line to try. Ricken tries Larazod. Gaylen tries Larazod. Verus tries Larazod as well.

 

Praetorius tries Tybain. Verus tries Dentris, while Ricken is Messaging him the wrong lines. Gaylen also tries Dentris. Ricken tries Drovalid, while Verus sings in his head.

 

We get the job(s). Calsenica, playing the role of Ilsandra, who got the job because of the Baroness, the Diva of the playhouse, is quite jealous of her.  They found out that Calsenica was the Baroness' understudy in the The Winter of White Roses and when the Baroness had an accident, Calsenica took the critics of Westcrown by storm in the part.  The Baroness is hoping that the role of Ilsandra will potentially hurt and maim Calsenica, so she no longer has a rival.  The Judge, Haanderthan, is being played by Thesing. Millech, the stagehand, is creating some illusions and playing the bailiff. Ricken introduces Thesing to Curator, telling him that he will take care of all his needs. Curator just gets in his way and does not help.  

 

Verus gets the part of Dentris, the clever wizard and advisor. Ricken gets the part of Drovalid, the torturer who joins Larazod. Gaylen gets the part of Tybain, the young and noble paladin. Praetorius gets the part of Larazod.  (I can see all of them trying to explain the play from their character's perspective, as if they were the star.)  

 

We are starting with 6 popularity and get 1000xp for our roles. Surviving to the end of the play when performed gets us 100 popularity each, which will help earn us Fame and hopefully garner the invitation to the Lord Mayor's house, Vaneo Arvanxi, also called Aberian's Folly. 

 

We are expected to practice for 12hrs/day for the next 7 days. We all gain a free rank in Perform. Gaylen does badly enough during practice that Rubol gives him a circlet of persuasion to use for the performance. Robahl has been quite the character.  At one minute, berating an actor for not doing well, but the next praising their "outfits" in the adventuring gear they normally wear.  Robahl will take out some anger on a stage hand, Millech or someone else, if they are not fast enough.  The characters can tell that it's not malice that is driving Robahl but perfectionism.  Robahl can probably retire at the height of his career, or do as he wants, if this goes well and so he pushes everyone to their hardest and to do their best during rehearsal.  

 

Thesing is a complete bastard during the practice, and during day 2 Praetorius puts him against a wall and Verus Jolts him. On day 3, Thesing remembers Verus and Ricken from the dress shop.  When Thesing takes out some of his ire on Calsenica, much to the delight of the Baroness, even Robahl steps in and tells him to back off because it's Robahl's job to direct, not Thesing's.  Thesing glares at him but does manage to tone it down.  

 

We read through the play, in real life for the dress rehearsal.

 

Act 1 "Condemnation": Several people stand up and try to leave. -4 Loss of popularity and a -4 on Act 2 perform tests.

Act 2 "Trial by Torture": We get +7 popularity for whipping Larazod, but lost 8 for missing whippings.

           We get +13 popularity for whipping Dentris, but Calcenica prevents us from losing one on a failure.

           We get +13 popularity for whipping Tybain, but lose 1 from misses.

           We get an additional 6 popularity for the performance. And we succeed on the perform check. 

Act 3 "Trial by Pleasure": Drovalid uses his minion imp to claw at him to rip the Fluke out of him, which gains us a +1 popularity.

           Larazod cuts his Fluke out and flicks it at the magistrate. 

           Dentris cuts his neck and electrifies himselft to be rid of the Fluke, which gains us a +1 popularity.

 

We break for the night at the break between the Act 3 and 4.  This is the intermission as the large, glasswork monster has to be set up on stage.  If asked, Robahl only says it's for the next act, "Trial in the Belly of the Beast."  Before heading back onstage to his position, Thesing lingers around the glasswork monster.  However, there is not enough time before the curtain rises to see what he might have done.  

 

1000 xp

John: 200xp

Bob: 800xp

Drew: 200xp

Brook: 400xp

 

 

 

 

GM Notes

  • I did update a few things in the notes from the player for clarity.  Due to my note below about NPCs, I also expanded on a few of the NPCs in these notes.  
  • I was really impressed by the players willingness to jump in and read the parts.  Further, they surprised me by wanting to read out the play for one of the performances.  I thought it went well and was disappointed when we had to end the evening with the play undone!  But at least we got to a good stopping point.
  • I will say that I am finding this tough, and that's good!  I'm probably not the best with NPCs and this is very good practice.  Further, I am wondering if I should have drawn this out more and played up the rehearsals, leading up to the dress rehearsal.  I think I rely too much on stereotypes and tropes for the NPCs.  My thought behind this is whether or not I missed an opportunity by not having the NPCs better prepared and allowing for some more development, for myself in playing the NPC and for the NPCs interaction with the PCs as well.  Something for me to ponder.  
  • This module is really showcasing how PF (and DND in general) can be used to give role playing XP.  It did have a random element in the roll but the players could influence that roll with their performance, so at least some of it was in their control.  The PCs earned enough xp in this session to advance, and it was all from the role playing and how well, and willing, they tackled the play!  (They would have only gotten a third of the xp listed in this entry if they had not been as willing.  I applaud Paizo for putting so much role playing xp opportunities into it.)  
  • The module did create another item to track, which is popularity.  The idea is that how well they do with the play then translates into Fame at the end of it.  It probably allowed for some granularity into the Fame system.  However, I wonder if it's really used to its full extent and needs to be remembered?  For example, maybe they are remembered more for the play than any deeds they do?  Maybe it takes a while to get out from under the shadow of having done the play?  I think some more role playing opportunities were missed, unless I am not remembering something.   
  • I managed to maintain my standard level of creepy in playing Calsenica, as the Erinyes Ilsandra.   

 

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