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Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God


Welcome to the Elemental Evil! Specifically



A terrible threat gathers in the
North. Throughout this region of the
Forgotten Realms, savage marauders
bring destruction. Monsters are on the
prowl, preying on flocks, rampaging
through croplands, and attacking
homesteads and travelers. In settlements,
discord and suspicion grow. Sinister
strangers lurk in the shadows, whispering about how
everything is soon to change.

The rise of Elemental Evil in Faerūn
begins in the Dessarin Valley, a lightly
settled region of caravan towns,
isolated homesteads, and uninhabited
wilderness just a week’s journey from
Waterdeep. Residents in places such as
Red Larch or Triboar boast that their
humble settlements are “the Gateway
to the North.” Through these lands pass hundreds of
caravans and keelboats each year, linking the great
ports of Waterdeep and Neverwinter with places such
as Everlund, Mirabar, or Silverymoon. The steady
caravan traffic breathes life into the towns of this area,
supporting businesses in the settlements along the
Long Road. Inns cater to travelers anxious to sleep
safely within sturdy walls and enjoy good food by a
warm fire instead of camping by the side of the road.
Minor issues are nothing unusual in the Dessarin
Valley, from bands of savage humanoids from the Sword
Mountains or the Evermoors, to bandits gathering in the
lonelier parts of the vale to waylay caravans traveling
the Long Road or the Kheldell Path. But six months
ago, an insidious new threat began to grow in the area,
unsuspected by the locals or any passing adventurers.



Red Larch has been an important stop on the Long
Road for two centuries now. Named for a distinctive
stand of red larch trees that were cut down when
the hamlet was founded, Red Larch is a prosperous
community facing dark times. The heart of the Sumber
Hills has become far more dangerous, with monsters
lurking seemingly everywhere. Banditry is on the rise,
and the weather seems to be getting more severe and
more unpredictable. The townsfolk fear that dangerous
times are at hand, but no one seems to know what to
do about it.



You are recently arrived to Red Larch, you each have your own reasons why you adventure, and through luck or happenstance you have come together for your first real adventure. Perhaps you know each other, or perhaps you have passed only a few words with each other before coming out this way. Whatever the case may be you have heard rumors of strange goings on in the area and have come to get to the bottom of it.

----

Okay this will be a DnD 5e game, starting at 1st level with the usual point buy character creation. The game may go as far as 15th level.
I am thinking of using a houserule for Champion fighter, if anyone actually goes that path, though it won't come up until 3rd level.
Should probably be on IRC fairly often, opened a channel at #PotA for the game.
Would like fairly frequent posts, one a day would be nice, though perhaps not always possible. But the faster the better.

Ryuujin posted:

Okay again thinking about ways to improve the Champion archetype of the Fighter, and while I like the idea pd0t, I believe it was, had about Fighters/Rogues/Barbarians/Rangers grabbing two archetypes from a specific list of classes when they grab their archetype, I have another idea.

This came from looking at the Gladiator, thinking man a fighter would like some of that, and trying to extrapolate and add it to the stuff Champion already gets. Also maybe add some other stuff just to fit the same kind of ideas.

So the Gladiator automatically deals an extra die of damage, would probably want to do that as the equivalent of a crit increase, like 2[W] from 4e turning a 2d6 weapon into a 4d6 instead of turning a 2d6 weapon into a 3d6 weapon. I am thinking of adding that to the Expanded Crit features. So an extra "weapon die" at 3rd level, and then another at 15th level, turning it into 3[W]. This would be in addition to the actual expanded crit range, and would make the expanded crit range all the better.

The Gladiator gets +10 Athletics, which looks like Str mod +Athletics Proficiency +proficiency again, so basically it seems the Gladiator gets Expertise in Athletics. Was tempted to add this to the 7th level Remarkable Athlete feature, which is like worse than the 3rd level Thief ability that is similar. But that didn't seem badass enough. So instead of Expertise in Athletics lets go Expertise in Strength. Period. Gain proficiency and Expertise in Athletics, and all other Strength Checks, also gain Expertise in Strength Saves, and Expertise in Strength based Attacks. Those last two don't normally have anyway of getting Expertise, but this would help setting them apart as really good at that kind of stuff. Still get the rest of the Remarkable Athlete stuff, for whatever good that does, and probably give them the ability to pick a new skill if they had Athletics already. This would also help fix the thing where a high strength Bard or Rogue is better than a Fighter, or Barbarian, at Grappling and Shoving.

Stuff I am thinking about maybe adding, but not sure and not sure what level I would add them if I did:

The Gladiator has Multiattack that lets them get 3 melee attacks or 2 ranged attacks, was tempted to give them an extra attack if all their attacks for the round are melee, but not sure what level I would give them that, if I was to give them that at all. Could be at the 10th level feature, but then Fighters get a 3rd attack at 11th level already.

One of the Gladiator's attack options in melee is a Shield Bash. Lets them attack with a shield, for 1d4 base damage, 2d4 with the Gladiator's feature, and force a DC 15 Strength saving throw on a medium or smaller creature hit or be knocked prone. This would be a pretty cool feature, though it would lead them toward a shield and spear/one handed weapon build, while the extra die on weapons feature would lead them toward big two handed weapons.

The Gladiator also gets a special Reaction called Parry that uses a Reaction to add 3, so probably proficiency, to its AC against one attack by a creature it can see. This feature does require the gladiator be wielding a weapon. This would be another nice feature that would be nice to add in to the Champion at some point, but not sure when.

Any ideas?

Maybe making Parry and Shield Bash, and some other options, dependent on what Fighting Styles the character has. Also tempted to add Feats like P.d0t mentions in the Next thread.

P.d0t posted:

That's my point, though; over the life of the typical campaign, they get ONE more ASI as compared to other classes (and on a class that natively needs to bump more ability scores to keep up). That just isn't enough.


Like, I'd be looking to do something like, "At level X, you gain one of the following feats based on your archetype/fighting style. You gain additional feats at level X+4 and X+8" or something.

Just a quick flipthrough of the feats in the PHB, I came up with a list something like this:

Champion: Athlete, Charger, Grappler, Tavern Brawler
Battle Master: Actor, Inspiring Leader, Skilled, Lucky
Eldritch Knight: Mage Slayer, Magic Initiate, Spell Sniper, War Caster

Archery: Crossbow Expert, Sharpshooter
Defense/Protection: Shield Master, Sentinel
Two-Weapon Fighting: Dual Wielder
Great Weapon Fighting: Great Weapon Master, Polearm Master, Savage Attacker
[Any]: Defensive Duelist, Tough

So thinking I might let all Fighters pick a feat when they gain a Fighting Style or an Archetype. The feat needs to fit their background, archetype or fighting style. It is a little open to interpretation but the above list would be some good suggestions.

Also looking to try out AlphaDog's? Leader Archetype.

AlphaDog? posted:

When you choose this archetype at third level, gain a number of grunts equal to your proficiency bonus. This number increases with your Proficiency bonus. See "Grunts", below.
Replace your Fighting Style with "Leader" (see below)
Gain the use of Formations, detailed below. You can use one Formation per turn.
Some of your Formations require the target to make a saving throw. The DC is 8 + prof bonus + Str or Dex mod, your choice
At 3rd, 7th, and 15th level, you (your grunts) gain proficiency in an extra skill
At 7th level, you can do some stuff involving using your grunts as scouts, see battlemaster 7th level ability.
At 15th level, when you roll initiative and have no unexhausted grunts remaining, one of your grunts becomes unexhausted.

Grunts

After you use a formation (ie, once the effect ends), one Grunt is Exhausted and can no longer be used.
Exhausted Grunts can be refreshed, one per short rest, all per long rest
Your attacks can originate from yourself or from any of your Grunts. If you have multiple attacks, each one can originate from a different grunt, the same grunt, or yourself.
Each non-exhausted Grunt can make an OA using your to-hit and damage rolls.
Attacks on Grunts count as attacks on you. Damage to grunts counts as damage to you.
Grunts have your movement rate, saves, AC, etc.

Fighting Style: Leader

At the start of each combat, decide whether your and your grunts gain
1: +1 to attack with ranged weapons
2: +1 bonus to AC
3: +2 bonus to melee damage rolls.

Formations:

You must have at least one non-exhausted Grunt in order to use a Formation. You may use one Formation per turn e: round.

Hold The Line:
Until the start of your next turn, enemies have disadvantage on all melee attacks against you and all allies adjacent to yourself or a grunt. You and your grrunts have Advantage on saving throws to avoid being tripped, grappled, knocked prone, or moved.

Outflank:
Until the start of your next turn, you and your allies and grunts gain advantage on melee attacks against opponents who have at least two of your grunts/allies adjacent to them.

Seize Them:
Every size Medium or smaller enemy adjacent to a grunt is restrained. Every size L creature adjacent to at least two grunts is restrained. This lasts until you use another formation or until all restrained monsters are no longer restrained, then exhausts a grunt. STR save as an action for monsters to break the restraint.

Push Them Back:
Every size Medium or smaller enemy adjacent to at least one grunt and every size Large enemy adjacent to at least 2 of you or your grunts is pushed back 10' if they fail a STR save. You and your grunts can follow them without provoking OA.

Massed Charge:
AS an attack action, you and your grunts move up to your movement rate, and then make a melee attack with advantage.

Evasive Maneuvering:
Any enemy attacking you or your Grunts gets disadvantage on their attack roll, as long as you and your grunts have moved on your previous turn. You gain Disadvantage on all melee (but not ranged) attacks. Lasts until another formation is used, then exhausts a grunt.

Defensive Maneuvering:
Until the start of your next turn, enemies have disadvantage on all attacks against you and your grunts. You and your grunts are not subject to enemy OA, but cannot attack.

Offensive Maneuvering:
Until the start of your next turn, enemies have advantage on all attacks against you and your grunts. You and your grunts are not subject to OA, and gain advantage on all attacks.

Ryuujin fucked around with this message at 07:13 on Apr 6, 2015

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Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Okay there was some questions about the Fighter houserules so I will go in more detail. Also I am allowing the Spellless Ranger variant and Favored Soul Sorcerer Origin if you want to try them out.

----

Fighters
Okay first and foremost all Fighters gain a Feat at 1st level, and any other level where they gain a Fighting Style through the fighter class. No they don't get more feats by multiclassing Paladin or Ranger.

The Feat they get should reflect the Fighting Style, or possibly their Background or future Archetype.

Second all Fighters gain another Feat at 3rd level when they select an Archetype.

The Feat they get should reflect the Archetype, or possibly their Background or Fighting Style.

Third a new Archetype and Fighting Style are open to Fighters. The Leader Archetype, and the Leader Fighting Style, the Fighting Style does little if you aren't a Leader Archetype though.

Fourth I am making major changes to the Champion Archetype. It keeps pretty much all of its features, but they are expanded.

Some suggestions for the various Archetypes and Fighting Styles:

Champion: Athlete, Charger, Grappler, Tavern Brawler
Battle Master: Actor, Inspiring Leader, Skilled, Lucky
Eldritch Knight: Mage Slayer, Magic Initiate, Spell Sniper, War Caster
Leader: Alert, Dungeon Delver, Healer, Inspiring Leader, Keen Mind

Archery: Crossbow Expert, Sharpshooter
Defense/Protection: Shield Master, Sentinel
Two-Weapon Fighting: Dual Wielder
Great Weapon Fighting: Great Weapon Master, Polearm Master, Savage Attacker
[Any]: Defensive Duelist, Tough

Improved Champion Fighter
3rd Level Improved Critical+mproved Damage
Keep the Expanded Crit Range at 3rd and 15th level. But add an increase to damage, like the Gladiator's Brute feature. At 3rd, and again at 15th level, the Improved Champion gets an extra weapon's worth of damage on each Melee attack. A 1d8 weapon does 2d8 at 3rd level and 3d8 at 15h, while a 2d6 weapon does 4d6 at 3rd and 6d6 at 15th.

This makes them the best at melee damage, kind of, and synergises with their own expanded crit feature that otherwise was fairly anemic.

7th Remarkable Athlete+Remarkable Strength
Keep Remarkable Athlete as is except for the part of using half proficiency on non proficient Str checks. This is because Remarkable Strength grants you Proficiency and Expertise in all Strength Checks, including Athletics where you can pick a new skill if you already had proficiency in Athletics, also grants Expertise in Str saves, and in Str attacks. Something that no Expertise feature currently grants.

This is an expansion of the Gladiator clearly having Expertise in Athletics, and a Fighter being worse at Athletics than a Bard or Rogue. It also helps with being accurate and hard to stop with Str saves.

10th Additional Fighting Style+Improved Fighting Styles
Okay keep the second Fighting Style, and with the other changes to Fighter means yet another themed Feat. Improved Fighting Style grants something a little extra to each of your Fighting Styles.

[*]Two-Weapon Fighting: If you are wielding a weapon in each hand, you can make 2 attacks with the offhand weapon as a Bonus Action
[*]Great Weapon Fighting: Brutal 3, reroll all weapon dice that show up as a 1,2 or 3 until they show a 4 or higher when wielding a two-handed or versatile weapon two-handed. A Critical Hit with such a weapon in two hands stuns until the ends of your next turn.
[*]Protection: Gain a Shield Bash attack when wielding a shield. Shield deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage as base, before other Champion features adjust it, and hitting with the Shield Bash forces a Str save DC 8+your Str Mod+Proficiency (do not double proficiency here.) Failure on the Save knocks the target prone. You can make a Shield Bash as a Bonus Action, and/or you can use it in place of any of your normal melee attacks with the Attack Action. A Critical Hit with the Shield Bash causes the Dazed condition, until the end of your next turn.
[*]Archery: Your Improved Crit Range is doubled with Ranged Weapon Attacks. Critical hits with Ranged Weapon Attacks now inflict Restrained condition, until they use an Action to remove the arrow, or succeed on a Str save DC 8+your Dex Mod+Proficiency. Reminder that neither Improved Damage nor Remarkable Strength are used with Crossbow or Bow attacks.
[*]Dueling: Dueling Bonus damage is now increased to +2+Proficiency. Can now make an extra attack with a Bonus Action. Critical Hits under the same conditions that the Dueling Bonus damage is granted now inflict a Bleed. Each round until they succeed on a Con save DC 8+your Str/Dex Mod+Proficiency (do not double proficiency here), or receive a Medicine check beating that same DC, they bleed for an amount of damage equal to your Dueling Bonus Damage.
[*]Defense: When wielding a Melee weapon, or shield, can use your Reaction to add your Proficiency to AC against one attack against you made by a creature that you can see. You are immune to critical hits. When a creature would crit against you it is instead a normal hit, and no extra features that trigger off a critical hit are triggered.
[*]Leader: If you somehow gain the Leader Fighting Style, which is less useful without the Leader Archetype, all numerical bonuses are doubled.

AlphaDog? posted:

When you choose this archetype at third level, gain a number of grunts equal to your proficiency bonus. This number increases with your Proficiency bonus. See "Grunts", below.
Replace your Fighting Style with "Leader" (see below)
Gain the use of Formations, detailed below. You can use one Formation per turn.
Some of your Formations require the target to make a saving throw. The DC is 8 + prof bonus + Str or Dex mod, your choice
At 3rd, 7th, and 15th level, you (your grunts) gain proficiency in an extra skill
At 7th level, you can do some stuff involving using your grunts as scouts, see battlemaster 7th level ability.
At 15th level, when you roll initiative and have no unexhausted grunts remaining, one of your grunts becomes unexhausted.

Grunts

After you use a formation (ie, once the effect ends), one Grunt is Exhausted and can no longer be used.
Exhausted Grunts can be refreshed, one per short rest, all per long rest
Your attacks can originate from yourself or from any of your Grunts. If you have multiple attacks, each one can originate from a different grunt, the same grunt, or yourself.
Each non-exhausted Grunt can make an OA using your to-hit and damage rolls.
Attacks on Grunts count as attacks on you. Damage to grunts counts as damage to you.
Grunts have your movement rate, saves, AC, etc.

Fighting Style: Leader

At the start of each combat, decide whether your and your grunts gain
1: +1 to attack with ranged weapons
2: +1 bonus to AC
3: +2 bonus to melee damage rolls.

Formations:

You must have at least one non-exhausted Grunt in order to use a Formation. You may use one Formation per turn e: round.

Hold The Line:
Until the start of your next turn, enemies have disadvantage on all melee attacks against you and all allies adjacent to yourself or a grunt. You and your grrunts have Advantage on saving throws to avoid being tripped, grappled, knocked prone, or moved.

Outflank:
Until the start of your next turn, you and your allies and grunts gain advantage on melee attacks against opponents who have at least two of your grunts/allies adjacent to them.

Seize Them:
Every size Medium or smaller enemy adjacent to a grunt is restrained. Every size L creature adjacent to at least two grunts is restrained. This lasts until you use another formation or until all restrained monsters are no longer restrained, then exhausts a grunt. STR save as an action for monsters to break the restraint.

Push Them Back:
Every size Medium or smaller enemy adjacent to at least one grunt and every size Large enemy adjacent to at least 2 of you or your grunts is pushed back 10' if they fail a STR save. You and your grunts can follow them without provoking OA.

Massed Charge:
AS an attack action, you and your grunts move up to your movement rate, and then make a melee attack with advantage.

Evasive Maneuvering:
Any enemy attacking you or your Grunts gets disadvantage on their attack roll, as long as you and your grunts have moved on your previous turn. You gain Disadvantage on all melee (but not ranged) attacks. Lasts until another formation is used, then exhausts a grunt.

Defensive Maneuvering:
Until the start of your next turn, enemies have disadvantage on all attacks against you and your grunts. You and your grunts are not subject to enemy OA, but cannot attack.

Offensive Maneuvering:
Until the start of your next turn, enemies have advantage on all attacks against you and your grunts. You and your grunts are not subject to OA, and gain advantage on all attacks.

Ryuujin fucked around with this message at 16:36 on Apr 7, 2015

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Okay if we are going to end up with a bunch of people dipping fighter for a feat I think I will have to make a change to the houserules.

Fighter's no longer gain a feat when they get a Fighting Style. Also instead of gaining a feat when they pick their Archetype they straight up get a feat every time they pick up a fighter Archetype feature. So 3rd, 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th Fighter levels. This will grant a straight fighter more feats in the long run.

So that the already submitted Fighters don't have to pick a feat to drop I am instead giving everyone a single free feat at 1st level.

For the Fighters this changes nothing at 1st level, for the others this means you get a new feat.

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
The Fighter and Grunts only take the damage once from an AoE.

Also I guess about a week from now. Or until I get enough submissions that I feel like I should start it.

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Okay I got 7 completed submissions, and I really shouldn't but I will take those 7. For now. If people don't post or do anything super stupid like rolling half a dozen times for the same thing to only take the result that finally looks like it succeeds, or something, people might drop.

And as such for those who wanted to make a character but didn't finish before this, feel free to make a character, and you will have first shot should someone drop.

Players
Lars "Longshanks" Borikfikod Human spellless Ranger played by A Darker Porpoise
Darys Stoneback Mountain Dwarf Fighter played by Trast
ZedZeshoon Four Rogue Clone played by Waador
Khidash Lodi Human Cleric of Lathander played by Dr. Doji Suave
Quilian Nailos Wood Elf Ranger played by Lothire
Sereia Arlingfeld Half-Elf Paladin played by P.d0t
Ursa Manuel Genasi Sorcerer played by Monk E

Game Thread

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God

Waador posted:

Need to do some fact-finding before figuring out my plan for the next few levels, so a few questions...

Stealth and communication...
[Warlock 1] - Telepathy (Great Old One) - Are we treating this as one-way telepathy or two-way telepathy?
One way. Sad I know.

quote:

[Warlock 1] - Telepathy (Great Old One) - Does communicating with a creature via telepathy reveal your position? Or can you successfully be hidden from a creature and still communicate with it via telepathy?
Be hidden all you want to be!

quote:

Illusions and stealth...
[General] - Illusions - I would prefer to know how these are going to work before selecting either of Minor Illusion or at-will Silent Image. Intended uses rather obvious.
[Cantrip] - Minor Illusion - Does activating this break stealth? It has only somatic and material components, so I assume not, but want to confirm.
No stealth break you broken monster you.

quote:

[Invocation] - Silent Image - Do invocations require the same base actions as the spell? The spell is verbal, somatic, and material, but not sure if invocations use the same. If they do, does using this spell break stealth? [This is somewhat less than relevant, as with cunning action it would be simple enough to cast and then immediately re-hide, but I am curious as it might determine the progression order of rogue and warlock.]
I believe they do, and thus the verbal component would likely break stealth. But yeah Rogue Cunning Action will let you hide again.

quote:

Other...
[Sneak Attack] - My understanding is that sneak attack only works with ranged weapons (and finesse weapons). Specifically, it can't be used in combination with eldritch blast, correct?
Sadly it cannot work with Eldritch Blast or other spells. Which is unfortunate, especially for the spell based Rogue archetype. I think I remember seeing it requires the attack to be, if not Dex based then at least possibly, Dex based. Like a short sword would work, even if you actually use Strength to attack because it is possible to use Dex for it.

quote:

[Cantrip] - Message - Would you say this can't be heard by anyone other than the recipient? Or would it break stealth if used near an enemy?
It has a verbal component, even if that component is only whispering, so it may draw attention. That said, you could possibly roll stealth as you do it to try and whisper it quietly enough for a nearby enemy to maybe not hear it?

quote:

[Stealth] - Attack rolls against opponents who are not aware of the hidden creature are made with advantage. Is the same true with skill checks to assault a creature? An example would be an athletics check to grapple it, or a similar 'physical' check that would benefit from them not seeing you coming.
Yeah sure, if it makes sense like that grapple from hidden/behind surprise thing.

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
That wasn't a trap that you triggered. Had you come across a trap with a DC of 20 or less I would have let you know.

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Well maybe you can level up in your free time?

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Yes and yes. Should have been in an actual post.

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
You need a long rest to actually level.

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
I think the wording is that you only ever get 1 use of it, but I am not entirely sure. But I will let you use your spellslots to cast it, at least for now and with Healing Word. I reserve the right to change it later though if I feel it is broken.

Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Okay going to do a roll call. Who is still in?

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Ryuujin
Sep 26, 2007
Dragon God
Okay time to respond to some stuff.

I am sad to hear A Darker Porpoise is thinking of leaving. If that is what you want to do then that is fine, but if what I have to say doesn't turn you off you are free to stay.

I am going to try and keep the game going.

I would like it if people maybe toned down the poison use, I think I am going to rule that hitting with a poisoned weapon uses up the poison and it needs to be reapplied with an action, or maybe a Thief Quick Hands bonus action?

I am just going to move past the tower, at most you are going to either leave in peace or kill everyone and at the moment I don't want to stall here. I will instead fast forward to you arriving at the Stone Monk Monastery place.

If Dr. Doji Suave wants to bring Khidash back I am sure P.d0t would like to go back toward a less healy build.

I was thinking of removing the Deck of Many Things because no one has used it and I worry about Four's plans for it. But uh apparently his plan is to take the face of Thurl, lead this cult, and force them to draw from the Deck then kill anyone who gets something good and steal whatever they got.

. . .

Yeah apparently the whole reason he is doing this secret assassination thing is because of the Deck.

When it comes to whether the game is a sandbox game or not . . . well the game makes it seem like you have some freedom, and early on in the 1-3 stuff you could more or less do them in any order. And you could theoretically do the other stuff in any order, except these keeps kind of assume certain levels and expect you to gain a level after each keep or so. I mean you DID do the water keep before the air keep so there is that. So yes you could do them in different orders, it just might be dangerous.

Not that you care because you are breaking everything over your knees.

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