/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

>>193949
You have put in the legwork and I respect that. Alright, go for it.
>Unless I'm gravely mistaken with the damage of a torpedo
Torpedoes are designed to sink ships. That said, we have no idea on how capable the pirates' torpedoes are (you can just ask them about that) and the warhead we took from the airplane's torpedo has no detonation source for itself, being a sort of plastic explosive.

>>193950
>and the warhead we took from the airplane's torpedo has no detonation source for itself
.... Then why did we bring it?

>>193951
We were going to use it as an "it's the only way to be sure" option by blowing up the Fellow Traveler. The explosive yield is far in excess of the explosive harpoon, so if we get it into a vulnerable state it should work.

>>193952
The torpedo does nothing if we have no way to detonate it.

>>193950
>being a sort of plastic explosive
If it's actually like plastic explosive, it would be detonated by electricity; slingshot some fresh 9v batteries at it.

Sorry, sorry just passing through.
But if you need a bit more juice, maybe wire about sixteen 9v in series (or parallel? One builds amperage, the other voltage) duct tape them to a crossbow bolt that way, and have metal probes sticking out as the bolt's head.

If you need to be sure, nuke it from orbit; assuming you have a ballista for the harpoon, duct tape the arrow to stick out a bit from the head of the harpoon. Slather the plane's explosive in maple syrup or whatever sticky stuff you can find, catapult it at the side of the extraplaner final boss, then shoot the detonator at it via the harpoon. Batteries discharge into the PE beginning its rapid decomposition a split second before the more conventional explosive is detonated, causing all torpedo devices to explode in full simulcast.

Or shoot it with a laser? Do you have lasers? Maybe forcibly redirect the Kostromo's radar boom to dump its full million-watt sweep straight down at the tinfoil covered explosive pancake. Even if it doesn't cause the pancake to explosively decompose, it should at the very least cause some decomposition of Sleeping Beauty's current physical form, being as that energy output is (probably) not that far from a microwave oven's wavelength.

2nd image was the best I could find for an example of 'wing razors'. With that I'm out for the day so have fun discussing exploding pancakes and undead dueling whales!

>>193954
When I get to lvl 12, I'm going to make my explosives haunt-shifted so that they intelligently fire and detonate themselves ala poltergeists.

>>193954
>explosive
Well the harpoon has an explosive harpoon, which should set off the warhead. Alternatively, we could find the equivalent of a car battery and set up an improvised switch. However that would take a skill check and I'm hesitant considering the danger.
>Do you have lasers?
No but it's possible a magical weapon might be onboard the Kostroma.
>Maybe forcibly redirect the Kostromo's radar boom to dump its full million-watt sweep straight down at the tinfoil covered explosive pancake.
Fun idea but I doubt any of the characters have the technical knowledge for that. We'd also need enough power.

>>193957
>I doubt any of the characters have the technical knowledge for that
How would we even quantify this? We're all 3.5e classes, and the only non-NPC core character classes with (Engineering) as a class skill are Bard and Wizard.

It would work in d20 modern, but d20 modern character classes have a lot more skill points per level than most 3.5e characters.

I waited a week to see if I could get into a better mood. It didn’t work.

>>193897
>I never play 'dating sims' because they're dumb
Well fuck you too

>Every group I've been with, player or DM, has been of the murderhobo variety
We don’t do that here.

>>193901
:(

>>193905
>What’s holding you back from playing Amber as a full magical bard?
I had a whole set for a spiritual, magical awakening of Amber’s powers and… it was ignored. If he doesn’t want to he doesn’t want to. Which I guess is fine.

>>193907
>I don’t care about yaks
The point was to rescue rich equestrian emigres in Yakyakistan, not ponies. But people don’t really have any interest in the quest ideas anyways so it doesn’t matter, really.

>Gloomy (100 gp) slave
NPCs are underrated as loot and equipment

>>193919
>you're playing Call of Cthulhu at best
Well fuck you too

This is a comparatively low magic setting. Spellcasters as enemies tend to be more of a specialist class or the actual boss-villians.

>>193922
>GM Pony, like me, has never heard of these classes
Correct. Everyone, please take note of this. I don’t really care about class building. It does not intrigue my autism. If I were building a character, it would likely interest me, but I’m not and so it does not. The question of “will a Molotov cocktail filled with diesel light effectively?” is more interesting to me than whatever class

>>193919
>if you're all roleplaying as fursuiting humans I want out
And if you’re going to be rude as fuck all the time for no fucking reason constantly like you have in these several snide little shitty remarks then I want nothing to do with you. Jesus Christ, I’m not a student in school and I’m not a minimum wage service employee. I don’t have to put up with people being shitty to me, and so I don’t.

>But we are all shitty, extremely rude people on 4chan or roll20 or discord or whatever shithole I am familiar with
There is a reason why everyone there hates everyone, hates the website, hates themselves, and hates their lives

>>193930
>I get the distinct sense this recent line of questioning has accidentally killed all discussion by the cause of how awkward the air in the room just got.
Correct. When I read your above comments I thought to myself that I should put the phone down and not respond that day annd wait until I’ve calmed down, so I can be more polite and just generally be better. Unfortunately that didn’t work.

>>193930
>>193936
I had a whole rant on why I hate flying characters and just generally don’t like flight, but honestly, what I hate is specifically when flight is used to scout ahead into new areas by a single character. I could explain why but… why?

>>193937
>I mean, we tried that, but here we are all these weeks later with no progress.
:(

>If we go back to debating who goes where, we might just spend another three weeks arguing
>I don't actually care what we do in the end.

>>193939
>Imo, it's a bit late to care about "balance" when races that fly at-will at lvl 1 are on the table
No shit

>>193950
>the warhead we took from the airplane's torpedo has no detonation source for itself,
Why would you not take the contact detonator from the original torpedo?

Also remember the torpedo boat has four torpedos

>>193954
Ooh, these are clever

>>193959
>I had a whole set for a spiritual, magical awakening of Amber’s powers and… it was ignored. If he doesn’t want to he doesn’t want to. Which I guess is fine.
I do want to...but can she be a wide-eyed, clueless mare for a couple more in-game days? I know MLP tends to have magical powers manifest within a very short time, but Amber has not had the chance to do much as her mundane self. Why not live a mostly ordinary life for a short amount of time, have her go on a couple short adventures, have her talent noticed, and get some music lessons? It would be very much worthwhile and at the end of it she would be a clear-cut bard. All it takes is time, but roleplay is fun as it is. At least it is for me.

>The point was to rescue rich equestrian emigres in Yakyakistan, not ponies.
I shouldn't have been so negative. Rereading it, it sounds appropriate for Cavaliere to embark on and like a fun quest. Les Meridianes is also fun if it's rewritten slightly. Rather than have foreign nations intervene, let conflicts and power struggles be more domestic in nature, with Cavaliere having to resolve this mess of a situation.

>what I hate is specifically when flight is used to scout ahead into new areas by a single character
Noted. Was it bad that Cavaliere looked in the aft deckhouse of the Kostroma? Flying scouts are fairly intuitive, but I get how they can throw a wrench into quest design. It's the easy way out of gathering intelligence compared to asking locals, for example. But you could introduce downsides to flight. Maybe Baltimare has a strict "no flight by unauthorized creatures" law or the quest is in daylight where fliers are an easy target.

>Why would you not take the contact detonator from the original torpedo?
Maybe we did actually. I'll have to go back and check. All I remember is that the explosive is soft and pliable.

>>193959
>>193960
>I had a whole set for a spiritual, magical awakening of Amber’s powers and… it was ignored. If he doesn’t want to he doesn’t want to. Which I guess is fine.
Me when Amber:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2YExuGLJ9ns
>But people don’t really have any interest in the quest ideas anyways so it doesn’t matter, really.
I am interested.
>NPCs are underrated as loot and equipment
Agreed. That's why I want to collect wild undead like they're Pokemon.
>I had a whole rant on why I hate flying characters and just generally don’t like flight
Agreed. The balance of flight one of my biggest dilemmas in pony-based ttrpgs, but the wider ponyfinder/homebrew/etc community has me beat, so I just try to accept it.
>what I hate is specifically when flight is used to scout ahead into new areas by a single character. I could explain why but… why?
I splitting the party just complicates everything in general, especially if it's done with movement abilities where the rest of the party can't just rush in.
>:(
Sorry... I was being excessively negative due to stress that week.
>This is a comparatively low magic setting. Spellcasters as enemies tend to be more of a specialist class or the actual boss-villians.
Yeah, it's a bit like d20 Modern Arcana.

It's an interesting blend, because Equestria is a very high magic setting in the show, but this is more of a down-to-earth realistic military setting. I have come to appreciate the nuance and the intrigue, despite my character being a bit of a sore thumb in it.
>>193960
>I know MLP tends to have magical powers manifest within a very short time, but Amber has not had the chance to do much as her mundane self.
You are a Bard. Your powers are inherently esoteric. You only need a moment of inspiration:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rQVZZ8ktaew
Literally just sing in public, or climb a mountain and sing into the wind to attune yourself with the primal music of the universe.
You are the character that kings look to for advice in times of crisis. You are the one who gives desperate armies hope in the face of grim odds. You are a legendary warrior-poet chosen by the gods to sing legends of heraldry. You are a peerless tactician who's presence on the battlefield changes the course of history. You a the keeper of the sacred words of creation, weaving fate itself with your voice. You have the power to start and end wars. Animals bow to your glory. Angels descend from heaven to hear you sing. You are a legendary polymath, collector of stories, and savant in the arts. The world is your oyster.

>>193960
>Was it bad that Cavaliere looked in the aft deckhouse of the Kostroma?
When I was planning on writing a 1000 word essay on why I hated flying (it was always specifically scouting and not flying itself), the key example was going to be Brie. And especially, Brie scouting on the island. Cavaliere on the ship was not as bad, in no small part because I expected him to do it.

The main thing I wanted on the ship was for the party to encounter the torpedo boat, for which, I needed them to approach around the ladders. I expected fliers to just skip the whole process, but I figured that since most of the party cannot fly they’d need to go up the ladders anyways.

When Cavaliere scouted I wanted him to encounter… well, kind of nothing. It’s a derelict ship on a dark, rainy night. There are no people on it. Just signs that people were there, and they left in a hurry. If Cavaliere encountered anyone, it would have destroyed the derelict atmosphere. Unfortunately because Cavaliere didn’t encounter anyone, Posey assumed that almost the whole ship, if not the whole ship, was actually abandoned… which isn’t what I wanted to imply. There was a description of blood on the deck but it wasn’t noticed.

What I did dislike about Cavaliere’s scouting was the infirmary room. I had it as empty. That was a massive kissed opportunity. If I did it again there absolutely would have been a weird, wounded pony there, presumably an early victim of the Traveller. Also I would have added more health potions. And both of these would have been added if the infirmary were visited later. But now, because it’s already been visited, I’m locked down to that description.

I hate scouting because:
1. I have to describe the whole fucking area. That isn’t always easy. It often is 500 words to describe a new area.And then when the main party arrives… do I just copy paste the description again?
2. It locks me into what is in an area. It doesn’t actually give me time to think of what is in an area. It doesn’t let me add stuff later
3. It spoils cinematic reveals. This is hard to describe, but Sea Stone on the beach is the best example
4. It spoils ambushes and surprises generally

>Les Meridianes is also fun if it's rewritten slightly.
Lee Meridianes was less of a quest idea and more of a region where quests can take place. There was going to be a griffin princess who is royal blood of Aquelia, trying to hold onto power in the islands while in exile. An equestrian captain who is now the fillibusterer president of one island. There was an entire series of encounters involving a pony-eating leviathan that was damn near a myth to the natives, not entirely believed in by the equestrians, and could actually be directly encountered in… I had three different situations. That really was a whole planned quest. It got partly reused in this one, but still. And there was going to be a whole heart of darkness quest of an island owned by an equestrian pineapple magnate who turned it into a pineapple plantation with Kirin workers. But he’s made a cult of the pineapple and the whole island is dominated by the pineapple cult.

>>193962
And also in the Meridianes there was supposed to be a rebel group of natives (I assumed donkeys at first, but I think EAW implies ponies) who are genocidal communists who want to ethnically cleanse the islands of foreigners.

It’s islands. Every island is different. This island is run by griffins, this one by equestrian pirates, this one by natives, this one by the pineapple cult, and so forth. Also hippogriffs show up

>>193962
>I have to describe the whole fucking area. That isn’t always easy. It often is 500 words to describe a new area.And then when the main party arrives… do I just copy paste the description again?
>2. It locks me into what is in an area. It doesn’t actually give me time to think of what is in an area. It doesn’t let me add stuff later
>3. It spoils cinematic reveals. This is hard to describe, but Sea Stone on the beach is the best example
>4. It spoils ambushes and surprises generally
Ugh, tell me about it. It's quite the struggle.
I hate describing things when I'm unprepared, because I always forget something and then either have to commit to it or retcon my descriptions.
It can help if you type out your descriptions ahead of time though. Basically just divide your dungeon into a numbered list which each room having it's description paragraphs and encounter level. Basically try to just plan ahead as much as possible, write out your encounters/rooms in a compartmentalized fashion like an official module would write them.

In my campaign, I also have a Psion that automatically detects nonmindless creatures within 40 ft, and a Druid who likes to cast Detect X Creatures spells, which often forces me to describe the creatures they detect before I get to describe the room itself, which is counterintuitive and messes up my attempts at dramatic reveals. I'm still trying to figure out how to handle that.
The Psion also has an army of enthralled Rogues (they were pirates) that he is telepathically linked to and can send ahead for scouting, but doesn't do it all that often because he doesn't want them to be killed (how gracious).

>>193958
>How would we even quantify this?
One day we'll sort all this out. For now though, it's safe to say none of the PCs have the know-how. Maybe one of the scientists do.
>>193961
>You only need a moment of inspiration
You're right. GM Pony, if you want to come up with such a moment I'm all ears.
>What I did dislike about Cavaliere’s scouting was the infirmary room.
Awwww
I had no idea about any of that. I was specifically looking for medical supplies because we had none. I do like the desolate atmosphere you developed.
>That isn’t always easy.
I love these descriptions but I know how hard they are for you. Have you tried using AI to make the process easier? You could revise it as needed.
>Lee Meridianes was less of a quest idea and more of a region where quests can take place.
I like Baltimare and I would hate to leave but this is a great concept.

>>193965
>GM Pony, if you want to come up with such a moment I'm all ears.
Ngl, it low-key sounds like more of a thing for you to just commit to and roleplay. You can describe your own spiritual epiphany. It could be something as simple as contemplating the setting sun while humming a ballad. You don't need to wait for an opportunity to decide to take being a hero seriously.

>>193963
I would be interested, although I was also planning on setting up shop in Baltimare, so maybe I would need some kind of hook from the University to send Posey over so that she would change locations.
Posey has only been in this country for about a week in universe. It feels a bit awkward for her to move so quickly, but I will do my best to comply with whatever direction you would like to take the story in.

>>193964
>just already have everything in the next area prepared
Yes but… I don’t have everything in the next area prepared. I almost never have every tiny detail of a next area prepared before hand. Maybe most of what’s there but I often add things or change them.

Another thing is that aerial scouting of an area is a really fucking good way to get your character killed in a campaign where rifles are the most common enemy weapon, and machines guns are often present. There’s no cover or camouflage in the air. There’s a reason that in modern combat, going prone or even digging trenches are common. It’s better to be below ground than above it.m

>>193965
I really hate that the bed was empty. That’s the biggest regret.

>Use AI to write
No.

There probably is quite a bit more I could do with Baltimare. Really the leviathan was the only very developed part of the Meridianes idea. I had three distinct scenarios involving it.

>>193967
Yeah, fair enough

>>193960
>can she be a wide-eyed, clueless mare for a couple more in-game days?
Okay…

She is really cute like that

>>193968
>Yes but… I don’t have everything in the next area prepared. I almost never have every tiny detail of a next area prepared before hand. Maybe most of what’s there but I often add things or change them.
Yes, it is easier said than done. I say it as advice, but I don't always follow it. Pic related.
It really does help to plan ahead though, if you can find the time (I often can't). Most challenges in DMing can be lessened by planning things out more. It also lessens the stress of having to type things out on the spot.
It's part of why I usually just stick with pre-written modules in my games, because my work schedule makes it hard to find time to write stuff out in detail.
>I really hate that the bed was empty. That’s the biggest regret.
I mean, it's not too late to say that there was an unconscious pony that fell behind/under the bed unnoticed. Nobody would complain.
There could also be another infirmary on the Kostroma with the same thing.
>>193965
>Have you tried using AI to make the process easier?
Don't do it. It's a trap. I tried it, and it creates more problems than it solves.

>>193960
>>193969
>I do want to...but can she be a wide-eyed, clueless mare for a couple more in-game days?
Tbh, a way to do this could be just to recreate her character sheet as a lvl 1 character, and then reinvest all of her lvl 5 XP into XP related mechanics such as virtual Bloodline Levels, inborn gifts, prestige race altercations, and possibly a bought-off template with dormant abilities (Firesouled would be appropriate). That way she could go on lvl 1 adventures, but still have an enormous amount of "hidden potential", but would also be able to level up very quickly when joining the party.

I was actually planning something similar for Gloomy, who needs to be low level to be my Apprentice.

>>193971
Wait, actually, this is sort of what I did for Posey, and I still regret it because I deleveled myself mostly just so that my character would have an excuse to look sexy while undead...

>>193969
>She is really cute like that
She is
>>193971
>Tbh, a way to do this could be just to recreate her character sheet as a lvl 1 character, and then reinvest all of her lvl 5 XP into XP related mechanics such as virtual Bloodline Levels, inborn gifts, prestige race altercations, and possibly a bought-off template with dormant abilities (Firesouled would be appropriate).
What...? I don't know what those are. No offense but this sounds metagamey. If Amber got these powers and then leveled up she would be overpowered, even if she was a level or two behind.

>>193959
>this recent line of questioning
INcorrect
The line of questioning I was talking over was Kira asking if Posey had a soul.

FWIW, I've never played an online game. In-person only, with people I knew. That way I could get a feel for the world, for the DM, before putting a bunch of time into a character that would be cockblocked at every scene and roll.

>This is a comparatively low magic setting.
Yeah I'm out.

>Ooh, these are clever
So, am I dumb or am I clever?
Don't know, don't care; I have my answers I wouldn't like actually playing here.

>>193974
Bye Nigger

>>193973
D’awww

>>193974
Instead of lurking (faggot), (you) came here to bait with interest and then snidely react when a long-running game isn't what you usually play. We dodged a bullet with you if this is how you react to hospitality. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

>>193974
But seriously,
>am I dumb
I never called you dumb. I pointed out that you were making an ass of yourself by being needlessly rude and insulting in multiple occasions. Did you expect that that would go down well? Did you think you wouldn’t get push back? Did you think we were not going to insult you back? If you can’t handle being insulted, why insult us?

You’ve had multiple actually good ideas here, like how to detonate the torpedo, and I think that having the party encounter a crazed griffin in the hold of the Kostroma is an interesting way to introduce a character. I just wish you knew how to interact with people.

>>193977
It would have been a bit complicated and tedious to introduce him right now anyway.

>>193978
Not really. He could have just been locked up in a room among the crew quarters. Or chained upright in the cargo hold. If he had no interesting explaining backstory, why he’s there, or generally integrating himself into the setting - which I’m sure is exactly how he would have played it - all of those questions could have been handwaved away with amnesia or a crazed demeanor, which could have been blamed on the Traveller.

>>193956 →
Four torpedos. Two in launch tubes, then two more, one behind each launch tube. Best guess is 3,300 pounds each.

>>193979
>3,300
That is more than Monstro's light load. We will have to just use the plane's torpedo we brought.
Thank you for clarifying.

>>193965
Admittedly, it's not as if we would need to leave Baltimare permanently. In fact, going to the Meridiennes would be a great way to progress certain storylines in the city. Say we do something that completely changes the power dynamics of the factions in the city, such as wiping one of the factions out or installing new leadership. The effects might not be noticeable immediately, but if then we went to the Meridiennes for a bit to complete the various opportunities, quests, and activities in that region, enough time will have passed that when we return to Baltimare we see either the end result of those changes or get to witness these changes in full swing.

>>193970
I second the infirmary idea. Perhaps an additional room was hastily converted into a second infirmary when things started going bad, with this one having signs of more gruesome activities and atmosphere. I also don't think there would be anything wrong with finding the unnoticed pony behind/under the bed.

>>193981
>Say we do something that completely changes the power dynamics of the factions in the city
Do you have something in mind?

>>193980
I think that weight probably is kind of close to accurate. The warhead alone is 600 pounds. That’s why the first torpedo was disassembled

>>193982
Well, the Waterfront Gang is likely still after White Orchid and Mint Marine. And they're probably still slightly upset about Silver accidently murking Bargain Strength in his own restaurant, so they may be after Silver too. Thank goodness the ghoul that Posey has watching over Gloomy is there to kill and cannibalize any unwanted intruders for this mission, but he won't be there forever. Of course this means that the Waterfront Gang needs to go if Silver and his household wants to be safe, but removing the entire gang would result in a power vacuum and significant instability in the city. That's bad.

So what if Silver recruits the rescued Kostroma survivors as his Druhzhina, and together they take out the Waterfront Gang's leadership, assure the loyalty of the underlings, and assume control of the Waterfront Gang themselves? Silver can have Black Heel and the rest of his Druzhina run the gang for him, ensuring both that his household is safe and that the city won't fall into gang warfare.

>>193981
>The effects might not be noticeable immediately, but if then we went to the Meridiennes for a bit to complete the various opportunities, quests, and activities in that region, enough time will have passed that when we return to Baltimare we see either the end result of those changes or get to witness these changes in full swing.
I'm in favor of this. Amber could use a time skip to train her musical ability and have an opportunity for an inspiration. Cavaliere needs to recuperate and train. Also, Baltimare has been in late January for a while and it would be nice to be closer to spring.
>>193982
>The warhead alone is 600 pounds.
That would easily blow apart the Kostroma's cargo hold. But it could do some decent damage to the destroyer if we could rig the warhead to explode.
>>193983
>So what if Silver recruits the rescued Kostroma survivors as his Druhzhina, and together they take out the Waterfront Gang's leadership, assure the loyalty of the underlings, and assume control of the Waterfront Gang themselves? Silver can have Black Heel and the rest of his Druzhina run the gang for him, ensuring both that his household is safe and that the city won't fall into gang warfare.
Fun idea but there is a lot more to running a gang than merely being the toughest, and Silver would run into those issues headfirst.

>>193984
I know, that's why Silver would have Black Heel lead it. He's far better suited to the task already having been a commissar, making him both a military leader and a politician, roles which combined would make for a good gang leader (fun fact, many prominent communists such as Stalin were originally gangsters). Silver was a sergeant in the Great War, but he has no political experience whatsoever, and leading the gang would mean he wouldn't be able to chase other pursuits as much, such as questing, waifu collecting, and foal making.

>>193982
Mostro can fly carrying only about ~2.2 K, which is what I determined the aircraft torpedo to be based on research.

>>193982
How many dice of damage does the torpedo do?

>>193987
does some quick math

A lot

>>193981
>Admittedly, it's not as if we would need to leave Baltimare permanently.
I would agree, but you should also consider that no matter how time passes in universe, it also passes in real life. We have been on this one-day mission for a year irl.
I'm not saying that we should never go exploring or go on adventures, quite the contrary actually, but we should consider what our plans are before we commit to long-term changes in location.
I am interested in this adventure locale though. I would be glad to move there or towards other frontier regions where I could raid with impunity.
>Say we do something that completely changes the power dynamics of the factions in the city, such as wiping one of the factions out or installing new leadership.
Taking over Baltimare or subverting infiltrating/subverting its political hierarchy was on my to-do list.
>The effects might not be noticeable immediately, but if then we went to the Meridiennes for a bit to complete the various opportunities, quests, and activities in that region, enough time will have passed that when we return to Baltimare we see either the end result of those changes or get to witness these changes in full swing.
Ah, I see. You are proposing a timeskip for political developments, with a change in locale to facilitate it. I would be on board, whether or not I am part of the adventure.
Posey has lots of downtime activities planned, and she could be set up shop and grind for years it need be.
>>193982
>Do you have something in mind?
Hmmm, what if Posey were to become mayor?
>I think that weight probably is kind of close to accurate. The warhead alone is 600 pounds. That’s why the first torpedo was disassembled
According my my research, torpedos carried by those kinds of planes weigh about one ton, which is what Monstro csn carry while flying. It's actually kind of convenient that Monstro is just barely strong enough to carry a plane's torpedo.
>>193983
Posey is interested in raising her profile with the Blackhooves, as a mercenary and an expert in war magic. Once she gets maximum affiliation, she will solicit them for funding for the Manehattan Project.
>removing the entire gang would result in a power vacuum and significant instability in the city. That's bad.
Hmmm, sounds like an opportunity for a certain charismatic sorceress.
>So what if Silver recruits the rescued Kostroma survivors as his Druhzhina, and together they take out the Waterfront Gang's leadership, assure the loyalty of the underlings, and assume control of the Waterfront Gang themselves? Silver can have Black Heel and the rest of his Druzhina run the gang for him, ensuring both that his household is safe and that the city won't fall into gang warfare.
I think you would need more feats if you want that many followers.
>>193984
>Amber could use a time skip to train her musical ability and have an opportunity for an inspiration. Cavaliere needs to recuperate and train. Also, Baltimare has been in late January for a while and it would be nice to be closer to spring.
Posey could use a timeskip too, to set up her research lab, army, projects NPC contacts and job.
>That would easily blow apart the Kostroma's cargo hold. But it could do some decent damage to the destroyer if we could rig the warhead to explode.
Yeah, we do not want to use that thing for the Intruder. The explosive harpoon should be enough if any explosives work at all.
>Fun idea but there is a lot more to running a gang than merely being the toughest, and Silver would run into those issues headfirst.
Leadership builds can be tedious. Might need more feats to pull it off.
>>193988
To reiterate my question, would it be enough to destroy one hull section of the GRU's ship (up to 150 HP, maybe)?

>>193989
>would it be enough to destroy one hull section of the GRU's ship (up to 150 HP, maybe)?
Could the existing explosives penetrate the armor of the destroyer? Yes. Would it be enough to sink it? ... Eh...?

Armor and hull is penetrated when the forces against it are too much for the metal to handle. But a ship is lost only when the amount of water in the hull exceeds buoyancy, the ship's structure is physically broken in half, a fire is completely uncontrollable, or the ship is disabled and likely to be captured if not scuttled. This is a much, much higher threshold to meet than simply penetrating the hull with a single (relatively) small explosion in a single watertight compartment. Remember that if water comes through from a single hole in the hull, just close a couple bulkheads and the damage is contained to a single compartment. Just limp the ship back to port and repair it. If a fire is started, there are onboard firefighting crews. And if the explosion happens above water, so what? It won't cause the ship to take on water, the ship can just fight on, even if a massive explosion kills people. That massive explosion on the USS Forrestal that killed 134 people and burned literal tons of jet fuel? It didn't sink the ship. The I believe literally two thousand hits from battleship and cruiser guns that hit the Bismark? It killed many people, sure, but it was the crew of the ship scuttling the ship that sunk it. Those shots hit the hull above water and thus failed to actually cause the ship to take on water.

Remember that the RMS Titanic sunk because it had gashes past 100 feet of bulkhead that caused something like five different compartments to be penetrated and fill up with water. There's a reason that when you read about battles in the Pacific and Atlantic in WW2, most of the ships that are actually sunk receive multiple hits from torpedoes, and why most submarines would fire multiple torpedoes. The Wilhelm Gustlave was hit with three torpedoes.

Of course you can sink a ship with a lucky hit if you hit the magazine or otherwise cause an explosion that is vastly larger than the size of the bomb. The Arizona famously sank with a single hit. At least one of the Japanese Carriers at Midway were hit in tanks storing aviation fuel and thus burned until they were lost with a single hit. The Lusitania seems to have suffered a boiler explosion after being hit by a single torpedo. And then Bismark's rudder was disabled by a lucky hit from a swordfish, and this is what really turned the battle. But these are lucky hits.

Think of it sort of like shooting a person with a bullet. Can a person die with a single gunshot wound? Yes, if they are hit in precisely the wrong place, or if no medical attention is given and they bleed out over time. But most of the time, most people can survive one or even multiple gunshot wounds, so long as they are not hit in a critical location, and they have medical care to prevent death from blood loss or infection. And ships are kind of similar.

>>193991
I have been operating under the assumption that the Stormwrack style rules for ship combat were the default, which I guess was a hasty assumption to make.
Do you have another homebrew document or source I could read regarding the logistical mechanics of sinking a ship?

>>193991
Very good explanation and comparison.

>>193992
Not a document but visual cues may help.

>>193994
I think I will wait until after we do our business in the Kostroma then, so we have time to clarify ship combat/sinking rules before then.
This isn't the only time Posey is going to want to use her minions to destroy naval vessels and other military installations, so I would like to figure things out sooner than later.

All that's left is to hear the response from the NPCs on where they want to go.

Boss enemy idea: the party is hired to take out an experimental Wingbardian "Land Cruiser" tank that's causing hell for New Mareland in the Hoovesplain. Invulnerable to damage and bristling with deadly weaponry of all types, the party has to find ways to disable the tank's various systems like the tracks and the guns in order to make it vulnerable enough to destroy.

>>193996
What would make a tank invulnerable to damage? It should just have high hardness, damage reduction and energy resistances.

Sounds like an interesting encounter otherwise.

>>193997
Mostly just through the shear size of it. This isn't just any old tank, this is a tank that's capable of mounting a heavy cruiser's 14 inch main gun as it's primary armament, and still be able to mount various AA guns, demolition guns, and flamethrowers as well as equipment like its own RADAR system.

>>193998
>Mostly just through the shear size of it.
Collosal sized ships and Epic Constructs are still vulnerable to damage. Just give it high HP and damage reduction proportional to its hardness.

>>194000
You wouldn't be able to use it with the current group of PCs and NPCs, and Silver could probably mention it to Posey IC sometime, but: I've thought of a pretty good cover story to explain Posey's powers to others without the truth coming out, if you want to hear it. If you'd rather not or if you'd rather Silver mentioned it IC, then I completely understand.

>>194025
Let's try to get through this mission before we divide our attention elsewhere.
I just want to enter the boat.