Cosmic Hunters (OOC)

[chaincomplex]

Does the Str damage replaces the 3d6 damage taken by the subject each day they don't comply with the Geas? Or is it in addition? Does the subject takes the Str damage even on days when they comply? Also, is the casting time a standard action (as for all spell-like abilities) or 10 minutes (as per the original spell)?

By my reading, it doesn't replace the damage. It's in addition, every single day, compliance or no. I guess this makes sense under the principle that a baleful geas is a geas but always baleful, which this certainly is.

It's definitely, unequivocally a standard action.

However, I discovered this RAW interpretation (that I find solid) after having requested the feat to you. In my mind, at the time I brought it up, it meant "I will have to wait a whole turn without using my breath weapon, and on the turn after that one I can use it again". In essence, there's a 2-round cooldown on my Power Surge'd breath weapon. I still stand by that, as I find the other interpretation too powerful. I'm bringing that to your attention in case another player from the team (and many applicants seem fairly versed RAW-wise) points out to me or to you this specific point, so that you know where I stand in that regard.

Per Draconomicon it is unambiguous that having to wait 1 round coincides with being able to use it again next round. DFA unambiguously can make breath attacks at will, and Power Surge unambiguously gives it a 1 round waiting time.

Thus you are absolutely able to use it again immediately next round. It doesn't appear this is disputable in terms of the rules as written, only as intended. And I'm not certain enough that the intention is otherwise; it at least prevents the use of Quicken Breath to breathe twice in a round.

Ux would've kept his end of the bargain with the Dustmen. From here on, he'd have been confident the Dustmen would've meted out justice to an unhinged serial killer, that is, poor guy is not really responsible of what he did so must be mentally cured/physically restrained. In addition, finding out about all this and stopping the killing spree would've probably not prevented the ban on slavery to actually happen, all the more so that House Midai wasn't really pushing that hard against this prospect. Which pleases Ux.

The party wouldn't find this out naturally unless they had Skall as a patron, but the serial killer would get grabbed, subjected to terrible necromantic rituals by Skall, then killed.

From the party's perspective, the Dustmen honor their word and direct the party to Sofie, and the rest follows. The party will also end with good relations with the Dustmen, which I'll keep in mind for the upcoming campaign. I will suppose that the party then is OK with Sofie dragging Teru's soul gem up to Celestia and find some god or goddess willing to assist, or potentially to Everwatch to be held by Helm if she's dissatisfied with the options.

Besides, can we have Myriad turn into an NPC and be our Five Pebbles pilot?

Five Pebbles was basically being readied for decommission after sustaining substantial damage on Dymos and was in no state to be flown again, not without an artificer to rebuild it. Hence none of the facilities working.

About Pilot, I'm not sure Ux would've inquired much further than that. However, had the party uncovered Pilot's past, then Ux would've been in something of a quandary. I suppose he would've suggested that Pilot's long time as a slave would've served as enough of a punishment, and that we used Sofie's daily Wish to completely blank out the memory of Pilot from the minds of all the efreeti guys after him.

This is likely beyond the scope of a wish's power (being at least as potent as a mass variant of mindrape, a 9th-level spell). Thus the wish would have a very large scope of possible drawbacks to "balance" affairs that a solar would be unwilling to test.

Hm. I don't suppose having a portal specialist and a spacejammer ship could help finding and reaching a good spot for Pilot where the Great Fire doesn't shine? I know the Grand Sultan has a long reach, but I'm not sure just how long is long.

The Grand Sultan is an epic caster, it seems unlikely to be beyond his reach unless in the domain of another epic caster or deity. Sofie might recommend sending Pilot over to Akadi's court, or to the court of the Great Caliph of Air, who is not statted but likely epic or even possessing divine ranks. Pilot would probably resist the latter on political grounds, and would want to avoid the former if possible to avoid become a servitor—with his freedom recovered, he is loathe to give it up again—but when Sofie impresses on him that he is likely to die otherwise and the party unwilling to intercede and speak to the Court of Fire, he would crumble and accept a new life in Akadi's realm.