New one, since the other thread is approaching capacity.

Thanks for the answers. I'll get to work on an IC post for Rhydd.

Well, time for another Combo Attack then.  Farwalker; Mallory can hold the guy center stage, you handle putting the spotlight on him.

Ha, that's a great combo.

I don't think a 10' drop should be thought of as child's play! That's pretty close to the height of a window one storey above the ground, and that's not a gentle drop.

Still, trained warriors and people with acrobatic acumen would probably learn how to parkour roll and not blow their knees out.

What about Rhydd’s fourth attack?

In reply to Farwalker (msg # 5):

Sorry, I'm not following you. Would Rhydd get two Attacks for his Action Surge?

The definition of "Extra Attack" does say that the PC can attack twice instead of once whenever he takes the Attack action (PHB, p. 72), which is, I guess, what he is doing by taking his Action Surge this Round.

In reply to Rhydd Maldhon (msg # 6):

That's correct. You're using two attack actions due to Action Surge, and as a level 5 fighter that means you attack twice two times. For a total of four attacks.

It starts getting really dumb when you get your third attack.

In reply to Farwalker (msg # 7):

Okay, thanks -- good eye! I'll edit Rhydd's IC post when I have a little more time to add the fourth Attack. Maybe he can actually kill one of these barbarians in spite of his crummy Damage rolls. :)

And to think, if you were off-hand wielding a dagger, you could use your Bonus Action to throw it for a fifth attack.  ^^

People look down their noses too often at Fighters, ignoring the fact that nobody is better suited for absolutely melting through a single target in short order with consistent output.

Hell, at melting through multiple targets in the case of a ranged badass like Rhydd!

I'm pretty sure that I misplayed that Round on behalf of Rhydd. I have a vague recollection that if you accept a -5 modifier to your Attack Roll, it significantly increases the Damage dealt.

I don't have the citation handy, but I need to go looking for it, for future reference. (I don't usually use it, buuuut for foes with an AC of 12, I should have had Rhydd choose that option.)

I believe that's if you have the "Sharpshooter" Feat.



That's actually a potential synergy option when Rhydd and Mallory fight together.  Depending on what Portent she has available at any given moment, she could potentially give Rhydd a really high attack roll to offset the -5 and ensure a good hit if a situation calls for it.  Though given the +9 you're already rolling at (+10 after we get that magic bow for you), it's probably unnecessary.  ^^;
This message was last edited by the player at 03:45, Sun 10 July 2022.

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 12):

Yep, that's it. I knew that I had seen it somewhere, but had forgotten about it until after I had rolled Rhydd's Attacks. Silly me. :)

I kind of like the Proficiency Bonus fix for those Feats. Where instead of going -5 to hit with +10 damage, you just don’t attack with proficiency bonus, and do double your proficiency bonus for damage.

I intend to post on Khulekani's behalf in a few hours.

Everything is starting to calm down. I would like to go to sleep, and hopefully (fingers crossed nothing FUCKING ELSE happens) have time to post when I wake up, if that is cool.

You've still got Farwalker and Rhydd's turn ahead of you presently, so there's time.

I figured disengaging was the smart move. Even if I got kicked for 1 damage, I'd have to roll a DC 10 concentration roll, and that would just be annoying to fail.

Unless I'm mistaken, you don't need to spend your own Action to Disengage since you're mounted.  Mounts can only use Dash, Disengage, or Dodge under normal conditions (unless it's a creature that also has an Attack Action, as Wifni does).  When your Mount uses Disengage, that includes the rider.



The last line there about Opportunity Attacks indicates that if the Mount triggering an OA could endanger either it or the rider as the attacker chooses, then the Mount Disengaging would likewise protect them both from the OA.

Upon inspection, Mallory is correct. The Mount Disengaging does not trigger Opportunity Attacks on the rider.


I do find it a bit strange since you are actively steering the steed. It's not like you're involuntarily being dragged along, but hey, them's the rules.


Generally, Skill Checks require an Action. This is information that has been previously relayed to the party which Farwalker just happens to be unaware of since she arrived late to the scene. Still, I'll demand this kind of check consumes your Action.

Roll me Survival, Investigation, or Perception as you prefer.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:14, Wed 13 July 2022.

Weird. I’ll take it though.

Anyway, snow is white.
Today: Farwalker rolled 9 using 1d20+6.  Perception .

I get where it's coming from, both from mechanics and real life comparisons.

Mechanics-wise, assigning the Player's action economy to controlling their Mount functionally makes Mounts waste the Player's powerful and more widely useful Actions on something trivial (swapping out all a Player might do in return for a minor, situational speed boost that you have to pay and care for in perpetuity, and that can die very easily).  It would require making a whole other set of rules for Mounted Combat or classes that focus on being paired with Mounts as well, so in the end it's a lot easier both for developers and Players to just have a more simplified rule that everyone can use equally.

Real Life-wise, I've ridden on various animals before: namely horses and even an elephant once.  Animals aren't vehicles that require the rider's constant control to do anything by - the rider is basically just prompting the mount to perform a series of trained behaviors and holding on for the trip.  If the animal doesn't want to do so for whatever reason, there's not much you can really do about it.  ^^;  Even when a mount is very docile and well-trained, it's still a living creature carrying you around outside of your total voluntary control.

Not to belabor the point, but in the case of Wifni and Farwalker here, Wifni qualifies as a trained but unintelligent mount by the rule's standards (that is to say, she's not an untrained wild animal nor does she have an INT high enough to do critical thinking as Zula does).  So Farwalker issuing Wifni to use Disengage and Move to carry her around would fall under the "interacting with the environment" tier of the Action Economy.  Basically something that would be like a quick sound, gesture, or pressure nudged into Wifni's sides to indicate what she wants to be done.  Since it's just Farwalker urging Wifni to do something she's already trained to do and not requiring any unique circumstances or coercion (like an Animal Handling check for making Wifni do something she's not trained for, or is adverse to attempting normally), it doesn't warrant a full use of the Player's Action.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:45, Wed 13 July 2022.

The real life thing makes a lot of sense. I've ridden a horse once or twice in my life, so I haven't the faintest clue as to how much attention you'd need to extend it for it to be able perform something besides basic turning and locomotion.

Neither am I all that familiar with the rules for mounted combat. But the mechanical upsides to a Mount seems significant regardless of whether or not you need to expend your Action to Disengage (which you would have to do anyhow if you wished to Disengage from enemies within range if you were on foot). Being granted Advantage on melee Attacks against enemies smaller than the Mount is a pretty big deal.

Getting the Disengage, Dash, or Dodge Action for free is a massive advantage on top of that. I guess I gotta sic some mounted warriors on you from now on to even the playing field :^)

And an elephant! That must have been quite the experience.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:56, Wed 13 July 2022.

Eh. There’s more that goes into it than that, in combat anyway. Fighting on horseback, or axebeakback in this case, is a little different than just riding. Especially with a mount that has no experience with fighting. Oh, I have some stories about idiots on horses.

But, at that same time, we’re playing a game as superhuman combat monsters, so going full bore on how it works is probably a little much. ^.^

Riding into battle on a war elephant still sounds pretty awesome though. And in the forgotten realms, you can get legit dinosaurs. Because why not?

Mount Benefits
Admittedly, summarizing a Mount's boon to just a speed boost was reductive of me.  There are a lot of functional benefits to having a Mount aside from the increased movement speed, but they're broadly balanced by the fact that Mounts require care, upkeep costs, and the vast majority of Mounts are actually very easy to kill through incidental damage.  It's why mid to high level play for Mounted classes focuses onto Monsters or spells rather than mere animals, such as Griffons or magically summoned Horses.


Unexpectedly wobbly.  Elephants' size always gives the impression that they'd be a steady sort of ride, but their gait really swings you around side to side.


See, this just makes me hope someday we have to cross the half-frozen ocean at some point in the future and Streamseeker returns to give us a lift.  :3
This message was last edited by the player at 17:54, Wed 13 July 2022.

I mean, an Axe Beak is a pretty close approximation of a dinosaur!  :)

Riding an elephant is so cool! I agree that they're remarkably swingy to ride on, especially if you're in the big seat saddle they're sometimes put in. Directly on the spine (which is something only kids were being allowed to do, and I was fortunate to be a kid at the time) is more stable, but I believe it's unhealthier for the animal because the weight isn't properly distributed.

It's always interesting to think about how unlikely and perfect the design of a horse is for carrying hundreds of pounds in the middle of its back at speed. Even the elephants, massive and mighty, start to experience negative health repercussions from frequently being ridden and used as pack animals long before horses will, even carrying a similar amount of weight. They just aren't built to bear the weight of a human and their all their junk like a horse is.

Now that raises the question of whether birds evolved from dinosaurs in the Forgotten Realms, or if they're concurrently-existing cousin species.

Riding Animals Gaits and Carry
Horses, donkeys, camels, elephants and the like - the biggest hurdle to get over is honestly figuring out that the rider has to help the animal do their thing.  Moving with the rhythm of their stride, shifting balance with them, and so forth rather than just sitting still like a bunch of dead weight.  I was honestly surprised how much of a core workout riding is when I first did it; one gets the incorrect impression that you can just kick back and be lazy while the animal totes you along, but you really have to work your abs and hips to ensure you don't get swung right off the saddle.


I do wonder just how much of that is attributed to human intervention with selective breeding.  Equine husbandry has been a huge part of our species' history across the globe, so I'm uncertain how unaffected wild horses are in terms of genetic cross contamination.  Or how well-suited for the task ancient wild horses really were in the long run, as opposed to those that descended in tribal rearing.

Waiting on you, Rhydd. I'll have the chance to post for you tomorrow afternoon. My time.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:49, Thu 14 July 2022.

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 28):

I imagine a lot of it is due to human intervention, but the horse still had to get to a good place evolutionarily for husbandry and intervention to carry it the rest of the way.

Question, DM: Is there time for Astre and Mallory to communicate the presence of the incoming Beastman nearby before the turn order resets?

Answer, Mallory: Yes, this was my intention.

How you doing, Khulekani? Up for posting or should I post for you?

I'll post in the next hour. Just putting my client to bed.

Or not. Emergency emotional spouse support needed. If you can wait until the morning, yay. If not, I understand, and go ahead and post.

Yay! I did a post!

Farwalker; next turn you will get moved up above the Werewolverines in the initiative order.

Ooh, shiny.

Waiting on Rhydd. I figure I can post for him later this evening if he doesn't let hear from himself. As it stands he doesn't have too much to contribute aside from some Battle Maneuvers.

If nothing else, there's always the Ol' Reliable: disengage and run.

So, it’s my turn now?

Sorta kinda?  Regardless of the Werewolverine's saving throw, Mallory will either move or not move from her current position and that's not going to change much of the battlefield as far as Farwalker's options are concerned.  I don't see why you couldn't get your action in.

Whoops, you’re right, Farwalker. It is absolutely your turn, I just forgot to bump you up in the initiative list.

In reply to DM Bears (msg # 43):

Gotcha. Thought so, was just double checking. I’ll get my post in a little later.

In reply to Farwalker (msg # 44):

A bit later than I would have liked, but it's there!

I've got three spell effects active. That's kind of silly.

Apologies for the delay, Mallory. Here's the roll: DM Bears rolled 16 using 1d20.  Werewolverine Int Saving Throw.

Oof. With that settled, I'll start writing my post since I assume not much changes.

Oof.  And here I went for the INT based saving throw because I figured it would be a safer bet over the DEX based alternative I could've gone with.  Ah well.

I've updated my post with the rest of my turn; Mallory's just moving away to get out of melee range for the time being.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:24, Fri 22 July 2022.

Sorry for holding things up, been feeling a bit under the weather. I'll get a post in either later today or tomorrow. Probably tomorrow.

In reply to DM Bears (msg # 48):

Sorry to hear that you are feeling bad, Bears. You might miss out on Norway's one week of decent weather. :)

Hope that you feel better soon.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:01, Sat 23 July 2022.

Oh, you think we get an entire week of decent weather? We've had exactly one day with clear skies this July, and that was yesterday. At least June was nice.

Speaking of Norway, it is at least possible that I have an unexpected nexus by way of Maine, U.S.A. (I live in Florida). Puzzled? Read on, gentle reader . . .

For some time now, we have been feeding stray kitties (along with racoons and possums) that come into our yard.

We now (through the process of them adopting us, or us adopting them, or both) have an inside kitty and an inside/outside kitty.

By appearance and temperament, we think that our inside/outside cat has a lot of Maine Coon cat blood. If not a purebred, it's pretty close.

I never knew much about Maine Coon cats, but apparently there is at least one theory that posits that the breed is descended from the Norwegian Forest cats that were brought over to this continent by the ancient Norse.

Who knew? Not me! :)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:31, Sat 23 July 2022.

FLUFFY VIKING CATS, YOU SAY?!

In reply to Idrianthe Mar (msg # 52):

I think I have that mini.

Religion for the Codicil of White, Arcana or History (your choice) for Ythryn.

Thank you!

EDIT: Put my roll results in the post!
This message was last edited by the player at 19:42, Sat 23 July 2022.

You have my deepest condolences.  ^^
I live over on the West Coast where we're entirely accustomed to constant heat, and even I still nearly melted when I visited Florida a while back.  The humidity was absolutely overwhelming.  I spent the entire trip huddled under a parasol and actually made quite a few random friends of people who would walk a bit closer to me to get into the shade briefly as well.  ^^;


I yearn for grey and cold skies.  T_T  It's been so long and it's just abysmally hot of late that going outside for any period of time is increasingly untenable.  I've got a little desk fan I have to keep pointed at myself pretty much all the time; if I turn it off even for a few moments, the room starts to swelter even with everything kept in full shade and well-ventilated.

That's one of the amusing aspects of this game for me: people love D&D for the sake of fantasy escapism, and a big part of that for me is being somewhere cold!

I live in New England, and I was born in Alaska.

The sun can eat my ass. It's too hot!

Born, raised and (tragically) still living in northern Ohio. Gloomy gray days are bae, and we're good at them when it's not the hot, muggy garbage time of year.

You likewise have my condolences.  I've been to Ohio once in my life and that was enough for me to swear to never set foot in that state again as long as I live.  I had to go there for the worst of reasons to begin with (a close friend of mine passed away abruptly) and the entire time I was there was one disaster after another.  It felt like the state itself was trying to attack me.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:41, Sat 23 July 2022.

I'm so sorry about your friend, Mal.

But yes, Ohio is a bit of a hostile, eldritch state. It's a running joke in a weirdly large number of forums I'm in that it's the tenth circle of Hell and will devour the world and... You know, it's hard to disagree.

(Although I actually live in a nice area that's not emblematic of life for most Ohioans. It's also a very inexpensive place to live, which is a plus.)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:23, Sat 23 July 2022.

The usual joke I hear is that since Ohio produces the greatest number of astronauts, there's just something about the state that urges one to get as far away as possible, including leaving the planet entirely.

Ah, that old chestnut! Yes, Ohio birthed the people who invented air travel, the first American to orbit Earth, and produces more aviators and pilots per capita than any other state in the Union (or did at one point). Ohio! The state so bad that people will flee the planet to leave!

Or, my preferred version: Ohio, the Get the Fuck Out State!
This message was last edited by the player at 22:57, Sat 23 July 2022.

Eh, close enough.

https://imgur.com/sd5kjaT.jpeg

Edit: Apparently that image is stupidly large.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:08, Sat 23 July 2022.

SO MANY PIXELS

SO MUCH FLUFFY CUTE

...DM Bears?  I have immediate and pressing crafting plans for equipment that a Familiar can take with them into their pocket dimension.

It is hard to argue when a mini has been presented. Especially when it is as beautiful as this! The relic shalt be honored.

First crit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISMPaRYAp4Y

Also, uh-oh time for Rhydd depending on his roll.  Are we going to have two Werewolves in the Party?  o_o  A few more bites and this campaign is going to take a serious left turn.

Saw this, thought of Farwalker and Khulekani presently.

That's pretty much the way it looked to me. I was hoping that Rhydd's "Dodge" precaution would not come into play. :)

Thanks.

Quick question, DM; When the non-Moonbeam'd Lycanthrope died, did it revert to its Human form or is it still in a bestial state?  Obvious "magical monsters = magical crafting materials" intent behind the query.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:42, Wed 27 July 2022.

No, they did not. Loot away! :)

I don't suppose my healing spells or lay on hands could cure lycanthrope if he has it?

Not unless they can also remove a curse.

Mallory:

Arcana check for anything more involved, since it's a magical disease/curse?

Sure. I'm not sure what to tell you, but I'll have fun figuring it out :)
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:38, Fri 29 July 2022.

In reply to Farwalker (msg # 74):

Best I got is Lesser Restoration.

I take this to mean only a Remove Curse ( or Wish), meaning both Lesser Restoration and Greater Restoration are out.

Edit: On second take, I would probably still allow Greater Restoration since it specifies it is capable of removing curses. I am uncertain what RAW implies.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:56, Fri 29 July 2022.

Lycanthropy in 5e is specifically a Curse, so anything that negates Curses should be able to affect it.  That said, 5e offers a variety of options for that depending on how mechanics-focused the DM would like to be.  I had to do a lot of research on Werewolves because one of my friends in our home games is really keen on getting the major stat boosts Lycanthropy offers and has been ever since our 3rd edition days.  ^^;

For raw mechanics, the spells "Remove Curse" and "Greater Restoration" will get rid of Lycanthropy because they both specifically remove curses from the target.  "Wish" is always an option since it can mimic any lesser spell or just alter reality as the DM allows.  Because it's not a disease, a Paladin's "Lay on Hands" won't work.  Since Farwalker can cast 3rd level spells and can hotswap daily via preparation, she can switch in "Remove Curse" after our coming Long Rest and cure herself in the morning, easy peasy.  That said, since the Reghedmen have been willingly transformed by a pact with an evil deity, it's entirely plausible they count the same as a "natural born" Lycanthrope would and would be considered immune to efforts to remove their curse short of a "Wish".  So fighting them with "Remove Curse" could be denied as a viable option.

For more thematic approaches, various 5e sources have curse breaking rituals and events the Party can undertake if direct spellcasting isn't available.  For example, "Fizban's Treasury of Dragons" has hoards of Dragon treasure that are cursed, and the curse can be removed by actions like casting the "Hallow" spell on the whole hoard, making a ritualistic blood offering, or making sacrifices to various Draconic deities.  "Domains of Delight" has similar solutions for Fey curses involving things like transferring the curse into a tree by carving your name into it, pleading to the Summer Queen for her blessing, giving a bouquet of flowers to the creature that cursed you, and so forth.  It would presumably be reasonable to homebrew a way to remove, counteract, or even control the Lycanthropy curse if there was a desire to do so.

There's also a mundane method for curing Lycanthropy from older editions, which Mallory has been referencing in part with her recent remarks.  If a character bitten by a Werewolf eats fresh belladonna (that is to say, wolfsbane) within 1 hour of being infected, it will cure their condition.  But this is an older incarnation of the effect from previous editions that doesn't necessarily work in 5e standards, so I angled it as Mallory referencing a folk remedy rather than an actual curative.  Belladonna is poisonous to non-Lycanthropes too, so it's really not much of a solution.  ^^;
This message was last edited by the player at 22:48, Fri 29 July 2022.

Busy day >.>

Wanted to get something in though. But now, I must sleep.

I assume most of you are hopping in the sled. I'm going to ask for an Animal Handling check from the driver since the sled is so cumbersome. The person riding Wifni doesn't have to make one.

Would the Phantom Vehicle's supernaturally supplied ability on driving checks count in this case, or is it purely a case of managing the animal's attitude?  Also, is it Zula or Wifni doing the pulling?

Does Zula need handling? Isn't she intelligent?

Sorry, not Animal Handling, but Vehicle (Dex). And yes, Proficiency for anyone attempting the Vehicle Check.

I believe we solved this the last time around with Zula doing the Vehicle Handling check on her own. We can do the same here if you'd prefer. That'd be Zula's Dex + Proficiency.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:01, Mon 01 Aug 2022.

Mallory was driving last time, if I recall, so she can do it again this time unless someone with a higher DEX score wants to give it a go.  She has a +2.

Bryn Shander, right? Cabin or town?

I suppose that's really up to the Halfling fellow himself to decide?  Otherwise, since it's night already, we might be best served going straight to Bryn Shander to get inside the town walls and wait until morning to give the Old Trapper the news.

The Halfling will wish to be brought to Bryn Shander so that the Lycanthropes aren’t led to the cabin. As for the time of day, it’s late Thulsun, so around 15.

Oh, much earlier than I thought it was.  Though I suppose "night time" and "sundown" are very different things given the current Auril-influenced weather.

Yup, that’s exactly it! ^^

I have a fever, and it is a record setting heat wave.

I am a boiled lobster.

Rest up, drink way more liquids than you think you might need (not just water either! Get electrolytes and salt in there too with non-sugary sports drinks), and take frequent showers.  Speaking from experience: heat exhaustion is no joke.

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 91):

Seconded!

An alternative to sports drinks, if they aren't your preference, is to mix lemon juice and salt into a glass of water. It'll taste like salty lemonade, obviously, but drink it quick and it helps balance your electrolytes about as much as a Gatorade would (without the eight bajillion carbs).

Got back from GenCon yesterday, and uh. I did nothing other than make food today. It was wonderful.

I'll get a post in later tomorrow, gotta catch up on work. It'll be great.

I'm not dead! I just smell that way.

Aside from some filmy eyes and a headache, I feel mostly better.

And it went from 97 yesterday to 66 today. It feels soooooooo good.

Glad to hear it! You haven't been missing much, as the game has mostly stalled on me.

I'll take you to the road when you guys feel ready. If we assume travel happens uneventfully, you will be taking the Eastway for about four hours, and then take north before Easthaven and continue for another four until you reach Caer Dineval. Traveling to Caer Konig will take another two hours, which will put you in Forced March territory.


Which means I assume you want to stop in Caer Dineval for a Long Rest.

Travel from Caer Konig to the Spire will take anywhere between 14-19 hours depending on where it is exactly.

I'd rather avoid the chance of taking Exhaustion needlessly, so stopping in Caer Dineval for the evening sounds fine to me, especially if the exact location of the Spire will be a full day search in and of itself.  Better we have every opportunity to rest and prepare before setting out into the tundra since we're likely not going to coming back until we find the Spire and the lost mercenaries, whatever state they may be in.

Slight metagaming question for the sake of planning; are we set to meet up with Idri in Caer Dineval or in Caer Konig?  There's plenty of reason for us to stop in both settlements as we head north, but best not to linger too long in one when Idri's Player has been waiting so patiently for us thus far.


I'm seething with jealousy, I'll have you know.  It's been perpetually hot both day and evening here, to the point that it's been a solid 80+ F even in the dead of night.  Absolutely miserable.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:32, Fri 12 Aug 2022.

Question, DM Bears: Looking back through our PMs on Mallory's current crafting project, we had it last set that she had 16 hours of work remaining when she last set to working on it.  But I've lost track on whether that was 16 hours left at the start or end of that crafting period when discussed.

Primary question being that, with Mallory having spent last evening crafting, does she still have more time left to go before it's finished or would it be ready and completed this morning?

Now for the real question: Who should I make an outfit for first?

Let's see. If memory serves, she would have had time to work on after her shopping spree. That same day she interrogated Dzaan twice and inscribed her Spellbook with Phantom Vehicle. I vaguely recall that we ruled how much time she would have left for Magic Item crafting, but looking through the previous OOC I am unable to find where it was discussed. As such, I'll make a new ruling;

Mallory was able to put down 4 hours on her current crafting project.


Caer Konig. We won't spend long in Caer Dineval.


I do remember Mallory saying something about transitioning away from a red robe? :>
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:20, Sun 14 Aug 2022.

Crafting Times
I'll do some more digging and cross-referencing with the post time stamps as well to see what I can lock down.  Honestly, I really just need to set a ledger in my character sheet to track the progress going forward.

Caer Dineval
Works for me.  Mallory would only intend to stop into there for a quick look around whatever shops might be in the area, as well as ask the locals about various people of interest (her uncle, the missing mercenaries, Sephek Kaltro, Dzaan, etc).

Farwalker Tailoring
To be perfectly fair, Farwalker already crafted something for Astre, so I think it'd be someone else's turn instead.  Khulekani, perhaps.  Or even making a charming little jacket for our Chwinga friend while we're still in town.

Magic Item Crafting Times
Okay, I did some more digging and I think I've got this situated.  Given what we decided about crafting requirements, Mallory couldn't have begun crafting until she had all materials ready to go in the first place since she can't just fiddle piece by piece.  She finished buying everything she needed the evening we arrived in Bryn Shander before meeting Khulekani for the first time.

According to compiled posts in the PM thread and your ruling of time here in the OOC, Mallory would have gotten a total of 5 out of 16 Hours required done by the end of the 17th of Uktar.

Based on how much time we spent with the Reghedmen and returning to Bryn Shander on the 18th, we got back at some time in mid-afternoon/early evening depending on travel time involved.  Mallory would've absolutely needed a full eight hour Long Rest that night and I'm assuming we generally leave around Sunrise/Harbright to make the most of what qualifies for daylight hours.

So the question, DM Bears, is how much time do you think she would've have available to her to craft between finishing the report to Sheriff Markham and bedding down for the night?

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 100):

Those are carvings, and slightly different from clothes. I think Rhydd still needs his carving.

I'll leave that up to you then.

Also, notification for everyone: we were awarded 200 GP for the Reghedmen encounter, so that's an even split of 50 GP each on top of whatever items anyone took from the Redghedmen loot.  Update your inventory!



Rhydd took the arrows and Mallory would like to keep one of the Ornamental Knives for herself.  The rest is up for grabs or can be sold off as we choose, presumably before we left Bryn Shander.

Well, you finished with Hopwood at 15. Half-an-hour trek back + arranging a meeting with Markham puts you at around 16. Let's say the conversation went on for a while because he wanted to be thorough, making it 18. That gives Mallory approximately 4-6 hours of Downtime in the evening depending on how early you wanted to set out the next day. Let's meet halfway and go for another 5 hours.

So, all in all, before setting out on the 19th of Uktar, she's been able to put down 10 hours on her crafting project.

I'll let her work while on the road, but I don't think she should be eligible for Halved Time during this. Fidgeting with something while crammed into a moving sled contra having an entire table worth of workspace in front of you should make a difference. Which means she can put down another 4 hours on the 16 hours requirement during the 8 hour travel.

RE: Selling items
Everything undamaged goes for half the market price. All items are undamaged save the Hide Armor, which is slashed, pierced, and bloodied. The prices listed below are total for the quantity.

• Hide armor x4: 4 gp.
• Handaxe x4: 10 gp.
• Longbow x4: 100 gp.
• Trinkets: 1 gp.

Renarin is probably the person take these from you, save the rat skull and dreamcatcher, which Helka will buy.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:12, Tue 16 Aug 2022.

I was honestly of the mind that crafting while traveling would be diminished progress too, so I'm glad to see we're on the same wavelength there.

So with all said and done, Mallory's down to 2 hours of work remaining before her first project is done.  Assuming she can squeeze that in before the Party settles in for the night or has the opportunity to finish up while on the ride to Caer Konig in the morning; either way she'll be finished before they set out into the tundra to search for the Spire.

Re: Selling Items
Anyone want to call dibs on anything before the funds are divvied up?
This message was last edited by the player at 09:17, Tue 16 Aug 2022.

Jesus. I forget how much time work trips take. August is a busy month for me, but I’m done with trips, so back to my regularly scheduled workout/posting times.

Would it possible to do an insight to see If the keeper actually doesn’t recognise the illusions?

Sure!

In reply to DM Bears (msg # 108):


That is a 19!
Today: Farwalker rolled 19 using 1d20+6.  Insight!

Bears, what time of day is it, in-game? If it has gotten late into the afternoon, that will factor into Rhydd's "stay or go" preference.

Thanks.

It kind of depends on when we left.  Assuming we left at some time early/mid morning it'd be around early to mid afternoon right about now.  But nightfall comes very early based on how early it got dark yesterday.

Caer Konig is only about two hours trek from where we are now, but we'd need to at least take a Short Rest to avoid pushing our mounts into Exhaustion levels from traveling for more than eight hours consecutively.

[distant warning klaxons]

Ominous matters aside, if nobody has anything else they want to claim out of the Reghedmen loot, then we can each pocket an additional 28 GP, 7 SP, 5 CP with everything having been sold in Bryn Shander before we left.

To summarize again, that's 50 GP each for the reward money from Sheriff Markham, and then an additional 28 GP, 7 SP, and 5 CP for the loot profits in case anyone forgot to update their coin purse.

Rhydd; as agreed on earlier, I'm keeping track of your funds on my sheet as well just in case.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:13, Tue 23 Aug 2022.

Much appreciated! :)

For the record, I am fairly busy and will continue to be so until Wednesday evening. Don't expect any updates.

Apparently "junk" as a term for garbage items dates all the way back to the 14th century, so it's actually correct in usage here.  ^^  Linguistics is fun.

Say "rubbish" if you are feeling fancy.

I *love* etymology! Thanks for that! :)



You say "rubbish", I say "junk" . . . meh, it doesn't exactly have the panache' of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald singing the "Tomaeto/Tomahto" song. :)

The fucking site ate my post!

Grrr.

*Sigh

Time to do it again.

"Grrrr" is right! I hate it when that happens.

Indeed.  I'm often in the habit of copy/pasting any significantly large post onto a Notepad document whenever I'm about to put something up, just in case.  Same goes for major edits to character sheets as RPOL likes to eat those as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:55, Thu 08 Sept 2022.

Hrm. Thought I posted last week. I’ll get one in tomorrow.

I think it's time to move forward soon. Perhaps you can discuss your planned course of action in the OOC, then I can wrap up in the thread? Poor Idrianthe has been left on the sideline for far longer than I intended xd

Agreed; Idri is waiting for us and Rhydd's slowly freezing outside, so it's best we wrap this up and get a move on.  Whatever is going on at the castle is apparently a stable situation despite any nefarious antics potentially at play, so it can presumably be left alone for a few days longer without harm.

So, the question then becomes; do you hole up in the abandoned inn for the night, or press on for Caer Konig?

I'd like to rest to get my spell back.

To gain access to the inn you'll ever have to break down the door or pick the lock. Dexterity (Thieves' Tools), which I suppose will fall on Mallory.

Lock Picking - Thieves' Tools
Mallory Bonheur rolled 7 using 1d20+5

I mean... maybe Mallory can?  ^^;  If it's a DC 5 lock, at least, or if there's no rush in the effort and she can just Take 10 to make it a 15 result.

Whether guile or force gets us into the inn to rest, Mallory will still set up a Tiny Hut spell for everyone to rest in.  She mainly wants to be indoors for the sake of the animals; this way they can sleep sheltered by the physical walls since Large Creatures can't fit inside the Tiny Hut area.  Mallory has a blanket for both Zula and Wifni to help keep them warm as well.  But us Medium folk get to enjoy a safe, pleasantly temperate sleeping environment.

Also, once we get settled in for the night, Mallory will spend a bit of time casting "Identify" on the various items we've acquired (should be 40 minutes total to cover her three purchases and Khulekani's clockwork), and will spend the remainder of the evening before sleeping working on her crafting.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:45, Tue 13 Sept 2022.

Just got home. I must sleep, then I shall post when I hit the gym. And the bike.

I'll set a timer. Tomorrow evening (CEST) I'll update to the next day. If you want to get a reply in, get it in before then, Farwalker's player.

Hope you crushed it at the gym! It's been a while since I've been myself, but hopefully I can get back to it soon. And yes, I do have a membership! Figured the local locale could use the extra money :)

I try to go six times a week. Work has been silly this month though. Three trips so far. Bleh.

Unfortunately, my wife had unexpected surgery on Thursday, and is a lot of pain. I will still be posting, but it might be a little more sporadic for a few days until she recovers.

Goodness, I hope everything's gone well.  That certainly takes priority over game events, so please don't feel pressed.  We can simply assume Khulekani is being a stoic defender of justice in the background as need be.

In reply to Khulekani Kumalo (msg # 131):

Something like that is a real jolt. Hope that everything went well for your wife.

New day, new upkeep.

Today's Lucky Numbers: 1 and 18
A day of dramatic success and failure, it seems.

Cantrip Formulas
Mallory will swap out "Minor Illusion" with "Mind Sliver".  She still has the Eldritch Invocation for "Silent Image" in her back pocket, so her capacity for creating magical illustrations remains unhindered.

Prepared Spells
No change.

Item Crafting
Mallory's current project should be finished by now, so I'll address that later when it's relevant.  Mallory will begin crafting the next one soon, likely by the time we start our next Long Rest.

Just so we're on the same page, Mallory would have had upward of 6 hours to do her crafting. Travel for 8 hours, and then subtracting 2 hours for all other business and visits in Caer-Dineval, for a total of 6 remaining until Long Rest.

Mallory only needed 2 hours of work to complete her first crafting project, so then it's 4 hours into the second one?

Sounds right to me.

Sounds good, thanks.  To make life easier on us both I've added a counter on my character sheet that breaks down each crafting project into 1-hour increments, so I can just mark them off individually as time goes by.

Yay! That’s the last of my road trips for the month. I’m excited to not drive.

I’m going to sleep, then post tomorrow

I hope we didn't lose Idrianthe somewhere along the way. I'd prefer if she was present going forward, so I'll give it a couple of days. If she doesn't show signs of life I guess we're going to have to get creative.

Have you tried sending their player an rMail outside the game?

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 141):

Good idea, Mallory. It appears that her player has not logged into the game for a bit.

I have done so now.

Farwalker, do I take it you have cast Remove Curse on both yourself and Rhydd?

In reply to DM Bears (msg # 143):

Yeah, which’ll be both my third level slots. Alas. I need to update my sheet, too.

I was a mite confused about that, hence Mallory even bringing it up in-character.  Since we had an entire Long Rest and day of travel after the Reghedmen fight, I figured Farwalker would have prepared "Remove Curse" yesterday morning and cast it right before we went to bed last night to maintain spell slots.

At the very least, the Party has been traveling for two hours between when Farwalker would've cast this morning and now.  There's been plenty of time to use "Channel Divinity: Harness Divine Power" - the cleric's version of a Wizard's "Arcane Recovery" that I've been using -, so you can at least get one of those third-level spell slots back in return for a Channel Divinity charge.


This message was last edited by the player at 16:53, Fri 23 Sept 2022.

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 145):

I forgot about it, so Farwalker forgot about it. Or was waiting to see if there was anything weird. Farwalker is also not going to care about optimal spell usage when it comes to timing.

As for getting back a third level spell, I would like to point out that we do not have a proficiency bonus of +5.

Certainly fair as an in-character thing, given Farwalker's attitude toward her encounters.  ^^  Mallory's the opposite; she's the gung-ho troubleshooter sort who plans way too far ahead and immediately goes after a problem as soon as she even thinks it might be there.

Re: proficiency and spell slot level: Ack, you're right.  Sorry, I mentally mixed it up with Character Level since that's what Wizards use for "Arcane Recovery".  Well, I guess you can at least have it in reserve for 2nd level spell slots for the time being.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:59, Fri 23 Sept 2022.

It's your vision, Farwalker, but know that I would allow the retroactive usage in this particular instance.

I do, in fact, still exist! I did re-enroll in and start a semester of university since the last time I logged in, but I exist. And then I was afraid to log in because everyone might be mad at me for being an unpresent bitch.

Back, though, if y'all still need a clanky crafty.

Welcome back!  Just in time for your entrance, too.

Hope you're having a good time with your higher education as well.  I sometimes miss school days every once in a while... nostalgia is an odd thing.

I'm returning after 5 years away and major life changes, so it's been a better experience across the board thus far, thanks!

The only one who should be ashamed is me, for leaving you waiting this long. Glad to have you with us!

Welcome back Idrianthe!

I silent paladin news, my wife went for a walk today! She's feeling a lot better. Now we just have to wait for the biopsy results and hope that everything is okay. :)

That's really wonderful to hear, Khulekani! All the good wishes. =)

In reply to Idrianthe Mar (msg # 149):

and

In reply to Khulekani Kumalo (msg # 153):

That's interesting news, Idrianthe -- and we're delighted to have you with us, both OOC and IC. :)

And that's great news as well, Khulekhani. Hope that your wife continues to improve and that all is well.

Bears, what sort of Check would you need from Rhydd to learn if he has any knowledge of scouts/thieves/Deurgar who kill themselves in the fashion that Trovus has described?

Thanks.

None. Rhydd would not have knowledge of this, no matter how high he rolled on any check. For info on Duergar in general you can roll me a History.

In reply to DM Bears (msg # 157):

11:00, Today: Rhydd Maldhon rolled 6 using 1d20.  History Check re: Duergar.

Notes: Rhydd probably knows that they live underground. :)

Just to clarify, I'm holding back on posting at the moment to let everyone else have a chance to chime in as they will.  As demonstrated; give me half a chance and I'll just banter away with NPCs all day long, so I want to make sure others have an opportunity to get a word in edgewise.

The biopsy came back. No cancer!

I should start regular posting again hopefully tomorrow.

That's the best news! Fuck cancer! Hell yeah!

That is absolutely wonderful to hear! :)

I'm quite firmly in the "fuck cancer" camp myself as well, and it's wonderful to hear things are looking up.

In reply to Khulekani Kumalo (msg # 160):

Delighted to hear it. Congratulations to your wife and you.

So, how's everyone feeling of late?  Hope life is calming down across the board.

Doing okay, thanks. Yourself?

Busy with social matters.  My younger sister just got married and it was quite a bit of set-up getting the whole ceremony underway.  Lovely time though.

Any thoughts on how you're going to introduce Idri into the game?  She's been rather quiet sat at the table all this time while Mallory's been chattering away.

Mazel tov to your little sis!

Yep, I've got some thoughts! Just waiting for the right moment. ^_^

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 167):

Yes, by all means, congratulations to the both of you! :)

Doing alright. Had the past couple days off, and I’ve spent them playing Wrath of the Righteous. Which is surprisingly good. Except for all that pathfinder. So much silly pathfinderness.

Aw, I like Pathfinder! 5e has its merits, of course, but there's room for both in the world.

Pretty good game, though, agreed.

There comes a point where 41 AC is just too much math :p

The two Pathfinder video games are absolutely ridonkulous with templates, class levels, and stacking abilities for enemy and ally alike, much to their discredit (never met a GM who would want to make one enemy that complicated, let alone all of them). Brace yourself for absolute shenanigans.

As I’m playing a magus, I am made of shenanigans and crits. So many crits.

I played a lot of 3/3.5/PF prior and honestly can't bring myself to go back to it after playing 5e for a few years.  The number crunch and tight control over your character build/progression 3/PF bear have their appeal, certainly, but these days I find I much prefer the simplicity of 5e.

I tried Starfinder recently, but couldn't quite get into it.  Felt a bit half-baked.  Have either of you tried Pathfinder 2.0 yet?

I still play a lot of 3.P, it's the preferred game of my main group IRL. I think there are some character ideas that you need the granularity of the older systems to fully realize and there's a visceral joy to the math, but 5E is perfect when you need a lower-maintenance, more cinematic game.

Starfinder definitely isn't my jam for similar reasons, feel you there.

I haven't tried Pathfinder 2E yet, but I've heard good things from a friend whose opinion I trust. He reported to the group that 2E leans into Pathfinder's strengths as a simulation game with a toybox full of modular parts and a system for every scenario, the same way that 5E leaned into theatre of the mind and streamlined rules that work no matter what's happening in a scene.

He also said it refined the action economy to a stronger place then Pathfinder 1E or 5E, which was surprising. And poison is scary now, he was very excited about that (big fan of low-power, high-danger).

I've played Pathfinder once. That was several years back, and I've only really played 5e as I was a bit of a latecomer to the hobby. Lucky, I suppose? I've never found 5e lackluster. I have, however, been looking for a robust sci-fi system for a game idea I've had, so if any of you have any recommendations to shoot my way I'd appreciate it!

I have spoken with Khulekani's player and they are still busy tending to real-life, so we should move forward with the scene. Let us assume she introduces herself.

Depends on the flavor of sci-fi what system might go well with it!

Better focused on than neglected, I hope everything keeps getting better.

It does somewhat depend on the sci-fi. Cyberpunk? Space Opera? Space Western? Hard Sci-Fi?

(I’ll still recommend Genesys though. Even if it has weird dice.)

I want something that is as little fantasy as possible. Starfinder, for example, is first to be tossed out the window. I guess Hard Sci-Fi is the closest approximation of what I want, but I don't necessarily need it to be insanely accurate. Something inbetween Soft and Hard?

I'll check out Genesys! Maybe it is suited to my needs :)

Well . . . yes*. His mind's eye would not possess a picture-perfect recollection of it, but it's pretty close.

Dzaan envisioned the top of it jutting out of an open and somewhat flat tundra.

Ah, so Dzaan pieced together an idea of what the Spire looked like/was located from research, as opposed to having laid eyes on it himself?  Sounds like Vellynne here is quite a few steps ahead of him.

In reply to DM Bears (msg # 180):

Genesys is a fairly cinematic setting neutral game. It can do almost anything well. The cyberpunk splat for it has some good stuff for sci-fi, and it’s easy enough for everyone to be human but very different. It’s based on the Fantasy Flight Star Wars system. I just like it because it’s got a baked in yes/and, no/but, etc. in how the dice work.

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 182):

If I told you to imagine a red ball, you'd have a pretty accurate image of it in your head (and even this people can do to different degrees; for some the red ball is a flat circle, others a shaded, three-dimensional one. It can be on a flat background, or in a more complex environment). Now try to imagine the Notre Dame. Even though they've seen pictures of it, no person is ever going to conjure a perfect representation of it in their head. I can't truly know that this is the case, of course, but I have a strong belief.

There is no way for Mallory to know, without being told explicitly, if his image of the spire is a pure fabrication or constructed from something he has actually seen. She can only infer the case based on the level of detail, and as we've established, he could be good or bad at constructing things from pure imagination.

However, if there are obvious discrepancies between the image and descriptions given by other sources, it would be safe to say Dzaan was wrong and therefor has not laid eyes upon it. All I can say is that this is not the case here; he isn't wrong, whether it be more broadly or in more detail. This could be owed to the fact that his imagination is too vague to be wrong. The snowfield surrounding the spire is a representation of a snowfield, not the actual snowfield.

It all depends on the probed person's imagination. I image Kim Jung Gi, may he rest in peace, has a more accurate minds eye than your average joe. I also imagine searching Da Vinci's head yields more fruitful results in general than searching Trump's.

On a final note, this gets weird. In real-life we have a pretty incomplete understanding of how the brain works, and so mining that to apply to a fantastical concept such as sharing an individuals thoughts, accessing their mind, or however you want to frame it, becomes difficult. Disclaimer; I am not a brain-scientist or whatever.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:51, Sat 08 Oct 2022.

My (and Rhydd's) thanks to you, Mallory. :)

I'll definitely help Rhydd! I'd say so IC, but I don't want to assume anyone's intent for meal chitchat or not.

Since Idri's got our local Darkvision needs covered, Astre will stick to doing aerial recon duty with Passive Perception checks to keep awareness of the surroundings from a higher-altitude vantage point.  Usual positioning; out ahead of and above the Party, moving in-and-out of the minimum Telepathy range with Mallory when necessary to feed her information.

Mallory will be working on her crafting as much as possible on the long trip, so I believe we decided it was 1/2 rate while traveling?  How much progress she ends up with depends on if we put down camp for the night, I suppose.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:19, Thu 13 Oct 2022.

Correct. I do intend for the penalty to apply throughout the travel (meaning it is active when you make camp as well) due to the harsh conditions of the climate unless Mallory cannot conjure a more comfortable environment. Tiny Hut would suffice.

As for the specific hour of the day, let us say it is about 13 when you reach the river crossing. That should give you a springboard to plan from.
This message was last updated by the GM at 17:31, Thu 13 Oct 2022.

How long were we able to travel among the towns before we needed to stop to let the mounts rest?  Was it 8 or 12 hours?

So we set out east from Caer-Konig for X hours, stop for a Short Rest to let the animals recover and re-cast the Sled, then continue on for the remaining time/however long we can go before needing a Long Rest ourselves?

Mallory's absolutely dropping Tiny Hut any and everywhere the Party stops for any amount of time.  Doesn't matter if they're only going to be there for 15 minutes; she'll spend 11 of those ritually casting for 4 minutes of comfort, because like hell she wants to sit in the cold.  ^^
This message was last edited by the player at 19:43, Thu 13 Oct 2022.

There are no resting rules for Axe Beaks, only for Sled Dogs who must rest every hour (though I believe I took issue with this at one point; it should be frequent, but not that frequent unless you're pushing the dogs really hard).

I tried to look up whether it is the Mount that suffers Exhaustion or its riders, but couldn't find any concrete answers. The discussions seem to be split, but favoring Exhaustion for the characters. This is also assuming riding horseback as opposed to sitting in a sled, where the latter would be far less straining.

This is what the official rules have to say on the matter;


Okay, that doesn't tell us much about Exhaustion. Meh. We'll have to invent some rules for this purpose, I suppose. I'm just going to say 8 hours and call it a day. Go for longer and Wifni rolls for Exhaustion. If you go for more than 12 hours in the sled, everyone rolls for Exhaustion.

Zula of course doesn't roll for Exhaustion since she's a spirit and doesn't get Exhausted. However, compared to Wifni she is ill-equipped to traverse anything but road in this landscape. She'll slow down to 1/2 mile per hour no matter what, while Wifni alone can maintain a speed of 1 mile per hour. Wifni is able to pull 2,100 lbs on her own (5x her Carrying Capacity) which should be enough, so I would recommend dismissing Zula.

Okay, I want to crunch the numbers to make sure we're within Wifni's drag capacity:

Rhydd: 165 lbs, carrying: 169.25 lbs.
Mallory: 110 lbs, carrying: Undetermined, but combined her mundane items are 107.5 lbs. Special items and monster parts have not been assigned a weight, so I'm just going to add another 50 lbs.
Farwalker: ~330 lbs, carrying: 323.5 lbs.
Khulekani: 165 lbs, carrying: 185 lbs.
Idrianthe: 134 lbs, carrying: only ~80 lbs (because of some very light Mithral Armor)!
Sled: 300 lbs.

Total: 1819.25 lbs.

Yeah, Wifni's good, but it was closer than I had anticipated. This is all assuming you guys didn't leave any belongings behind in Caer-Konig, which would be easy for Idrianthe at least.

Edit: Oh, yeah, you have a tab to settle. 1 entire gold piece.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:22, Thu 13 Oct 2022.

Hell yeah for not being a significant chunk of our carry weight! I take my wins where I can find them.

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 187):

Is my 300’ of Darkvision a joke to you? :p

In matters of vision, elevation is everything.

I've designed a custom Magic Item that lets people summon their own Familiars, so now all we have to do is equip everyone in the Party with one and we can all have flying eyes-in-the sky.  And surely drive our poor DM mad.  :3

Once I have a gem to make my homunculus, my future DM-maddening familiar shall ride it into battle! Or the other way around! Whichever!

In case of absolute emergency, Mallory technically has a 100 GP pearl that could be used if there was a dire need and no other option.  But it's also both 1) a family heirloom from her mother and 2) her casting focus for "Identify", so I'd rather not give it up.  ^^;  But we're about to go on a dungeon crawl, so I'm sure we'll find plenty of goodies to work with.

Oh for sure, we'll find something, no pearl required. I don't have a pressing need for the little fella right now, either; my second daily Infusion is much better spent on a couple of other options.

I also have three hours of darkvision I can just throw at people. Should really remember to use that. But when?

Probably when folks without darkvision are on watch while resting, that'd be my first thought.

~Rhyyydd and Mallory, sittin' in a tree.~
~Free-e-e-z-i-n-g.~

(That exchange was quite sweet.)
This message was last edited by the player at 03:56, Fri 14 Oct 2022.

In reply to Idrianthe Mar (msg # 199):

Glad you enjoyed it. It was fun to write. :)

Kudos to Mallory. Her IC posts were scintillating, as always. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 04:12, Fri 14 Oct 2022.

Well, with the Boots of the Winterlands, freezing isn't that much an issue any longer.  And you've got another thing coming if you expect Mallory's not enchanting her own boots as we speak.

But yes, lovely fun indeed.  ^^  I don't think either of us intended for a budding romance situation coming into the game, but it's a nice bit of organic growth between the two.  Plus it'll make things extra tragic when we're inevitably eaten by a Dragon.

Nice, Mallory and Rhydd! I enjoyed that. If I gave out Inspiration I'd award it to you both. :)

And note that I'd never have a Dragon eat both your characters, as it would be far more tragic if only one of you died.

Question; do any of you possess Navigator's Tools?

Rhydd does not. Although now that you mention it, that would be a handy thing for him to pick up should he happen across them, just for use when the weather conditions get dicey (or should the party be spending a long time underground without the presence of a Dwarf). :)

Yeah, a compass would make this a lot easier on you.

Edit: Cartographer's Tools would be the one I'm actually after, not Navigator's Tools as it only applies to seafaring navigation. Though I don't suppose it's unreasonable to assume a compass included in both.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:53, Fri 14 Oct 2022.

I can make some! I won't be proficient, but Idri can spend an hour to magically generate any set of artisan's tools. Happy to whip up a set for Rhydd.

EDIT: Would it be acceptable if Idri made a set before they left during the two hours prep time?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:01, Fri 14 Oct 2022.

Yeah, sure. She's already eaten and everything, so she should have had the time to spare :)

I'll update the result of the Skill Check to reflect the addition of the compass.

Woot!! Rhydd is making out like a bandit, here. :)

Haha, I guess so! Mine isn't permanent, sadly; next time I use that class feature, the existing tools are unmade.

I'm back!

In reply to Khulekani Kumalo (msg # 209):

Delighted to hear (and see) it! :)

I hope that all is well with you and your wife.

Things are much better, yes.

We are even enjoying a short staycation at the moment.

Welcome back, and yay for staycay!

All cold-weather savvy Icewind Dale travellers rate them five (count 'em, five: *****) stars! :)

T-24 hours until I post and progress the plot.

In reply to DM Bears (msg # 214):

Thanks, Bears. I'll get started on an IC post for Rhydd.

Alright, it will pass to night without incident. If you're standing watch, let me know the order.

I'll contribute to the watch rotation, in whatever slot(s) the party needs. Idri can trance, so she has 4 extra hours of light activity to fill with HELPFULNESS.

I won’t be able to get a post in today, unfortunately.

Since we've got three Humans in the crew, it'd likely be best to pair up accordingly during watch shifts so there's always someone with Darkvision on each shift.  Since Astre doesn't need to sleep at all, he can assist on all shifts as necessary.

As for Idri's helpfulness and class proficiencies, it occurs to me that she could actually lend a hand with Mallory's enchanting process if she were so inclined.  Mallory's currently in the process of enchanting her own boots with cold protection; shaving off an extra four hours would be quite helpful since that means Mallory would be able to complete the job herself by the time the Party reaches the Spire even with the halved progress rate while traveling.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:55, Thu 20 Oct 2022.

Yep, happy to contribute there. I've got Arcana trained, I believe that qualifies for the time-halving help.

Every watch is 1.6 hours, split up like this:

1st Watch: Mallory
2nd Watch: Farwalker
3rd Watch: Khulekani
4th Watch: Rhydd
5th Watch: Idrianthe

Just a suggestion.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:25, Thu 20 Oct 2022.

Works for me! Idri can assist Mallory during her watch period, trance, then help again (or make solo progress while Mallory sleeps, the time saved should be the same) during the downtime before her turn. It won't be a full 4hrs of help, but it's still progress and I can help again during the travelling day.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:27, Thu 20 Oct 2022.

Mallory can't do any crafting during her watch period without interrupting her Long Rest, as keeping watch itself is the "limited light activity" portion of that period.  DM and I had discussed that prior when trying to figure out the timing ratios and concluded that crafting counts as a more mentally-demanding task that would interrupt resting.

As for spacing out the watches, that works fine for me.  Remember that Astre is on hand to assist throughout everyone's turn, so any necessary skill checks for keeping an eye out could potentially be made at Advantage with his assistance.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:59, Thu 20 Oct 2022.

In reply to Khulekani Kumalo (msg # 221):

That works for me as well.

And it will certainly be helpful for Astre to be available to assist the darkness-impaired Humans. In return, Rhydd will try to be alert for something that Astre enjoys (perhaps some sort of treat -- something that Mallory might "ration" so as not to spoil him). :)

[checks notes]

That would be Attention, Small Objects, and Committing Crimes.

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 223):

Ah, I see, so Idri also couldn't do it without interrupting her rest (since the trance covers eight hours of sleep but not the full long rest period for spells, to the best of my knowledge).

Unless I get to treat crafting as a lower-effort task than everybody else because of my class, but that's almost certainly not fair and won't happen.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:53, Thu 20 Oct 2022.

Elves get the full benefit of a Long Rest in half the time as everyone else, so you should be able to craft or do other non-light activities for the remaining time the rest of us have to stay down.

At this point we're just resting to avoid having to make Exhaustion checks, as none of us spent any resources (HP, spell slots, etc) that would require replenishment.  So long as you get that 4-hour Trance in, you should be fine.  I was honestly tempted to keep Mallory awake and not Long Rest to keep the 1 - 18 Portents I have right now since they reset on a Long Rest, but I don't want to risk going into a dungeon with a level of Exhaustion.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:05, Thu 20 Oct 2022.

My (possibly incorrect) understanding is that I can avoid exhaustion with just the trance, but that I do need the full eight hours Long Rest to reset my class features. Specifically, I was actually going to switch one of my infusions. DM was kind enough to let me have my Alchemy Jug active for Idri's first day in-game so I could make the daily allotment of a substance (two flasks are now filled with acid), but I think my Rope of Climbing will help us much more than the jug at the Spire.

Good thing you remembered, because I would have had to dredge through our conversation to confirm. xd



I am under the assumption Elves finish a Long Rest in 4 hours.

Per the errata:



Given this, Elves with Trance cannot satisfy the requirements for a Long Rest, and it must therefor replace it entirely.

Do bear in mind that I will not allow you to do crafting and stand watch at the same time.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:37, Thu 20 Oct 2022.

If I can Long Rest in 4 hours, I happily will! I think this is probably a case where the RAW got too specific for their own good and the RAI isn't to make elves categorically better at Long Rests than everybody else, but I'm also not the DM.

Since my watch is only 1.6hrs of the 4 I'm awake, that's still 2.4hrs that Idri could contribute to Mallory's boots -- if the wizard is amenable to her doing so. ^_^

Or 4 hours if everyone else takes a 2hr watch so Idri can spend the full time working, but that feels mean.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:49, Thu 20 Oct 2022.

Not so sure about the RAI there: Elves' sleeping habits are foundational since the original versions of D&D, which were also based heavily on Tolkien.  And in those cases, Elves literally are Demonstrably Better Than Everyone Else.  So it kind of fits if Elves are just superior to all others in this case.  Warforged are in a similar category, as they have a similar trance-like state for 6 hours to get the full Long Rest benefits.

In any case, Mallory is all too happy to have assistance with her crafting.  She can spend a bit of time in whatever overlap in watch shifts there is explaining things to Idri before letting her take over.  For the sake of simplicity, however, it's probably best we avoid fractions and just round down to say it's 2 hours of progress.  If Idri can also assist Mallory while we ride out to our destination the following day to negate the "crafting while traveling" negative, that should handle the whole project before we arrive at the Spire.

Can dooooo.

All well and good. Rhydd was, however, more concerned about that big White Dragon . . . :)

Re: Msg. #2 in "The Lost Spire of Netheril" thread: Woot! Very nice, Khulekani! :)

Farwalker may have left us on a bit of a cliffhanger as to what our shelter would be, but I'm assuming it was her version of the "Tiny Hut" spell since she's a Twilight Cleric and they get access to that as a Domain spell.  So we'd have been quite Dragon-proof all evening.

...assuming the White Dragon doesn't know "Dispel Magic".  >_>

General Upkeep
Today's Lucky Numbers: 7 and 8
Much less useful than the previous extremes I had the day before, but such is the fickle nature of chance.

Prepared Spells: Mallory is dropping preparation of "Color Spray" and slotting in "Detect Thoughts" instead.  Otherwise her prepared spell list remains unchanged.

Attunement: With Idri's help, Mallory's Boots of the Winterlands would've been finished with plenty of time to spare, so she'll have also Attuned to them by this point.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:04, Fri 21 Oct 2022.

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 235):

That is correct. Sorry, went on a date and then was a bit out of it yesterday. Thursday always be like that though.

Again, had I awarded Inspiration, Khulekani would have it :)

Nothing to apologize for; life always takes priority and dates are something to be enjoyed!  I've been a bit knocked about at work this week myself, so I'm honestly aching for the weekend at this point.

Bears:

A couple of questions about the tracks that Rhydd sees:

1. How old (or recent) would he judge them to be?

2. You mention that the footprints all lead towards an outcropping. Is the spire located on an outcropping of rock, or is there a different outcropping located in the immediate area?

Thanks.

1. More than a day. By his accounts, it should have last snowed in the region on the 15th of Uktar (aside from today, of course). So that would make them anywhere from one to six days old.

2. Forgive me, I intended for the Spire to be the outcropping. It's vaguely reminiscent of one, hence the description. There is nothing but the Spire in the immediate area.

In reply to DM Bears (msg # 240):

Thanks. I'm going to be away from the keyboard for a while, but in an hour or two I'll get to work on an IC post for Rhydd that references this information.

Idri:

OOC: May others of us try to investigate, as well? And since the Spire is ambiguously a stone structure, would this be an appropriate use of Mason's Tools?

Investigation: You may not since I try to discourage check piling. You may instead justify to me a use of Working Together to retroactively grant Rhydd Advantage on the roll.

Mason's Tools: Sounds like a perfect use for it. Roll me an Intelligence (History), and I'll grant you extra information as per Xanathar's. It makes more sense than calling for an Intelligence (Mason's Tools) check unless she's actually bringing out tools to chip away at the structure. Which she is allowed to do if she wants to identify weak points as such.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:15, Thu 27 Oct 2022.

Perfectly understandable about not piling! I don't currently have an idea of how this would help him to provide retroactive advantage, since I'm trying to investigate the spire more than the snow mound.

I will take the tools out to take measurements, but Idri has no intention of damaging the structure until she has to. More she just wants to understand what they're looking at.

And I'll throw in a Guidance for good measure, if that's all right.

15:18, Today: Idrianthe Mar rolled 24 (26 with Guidance, if allowed) using 1d20+7 with rolls of 17.  Intelligence (History), Mason's Tools & The Spire.

15:18, Today: Idrianthe Mar rolled 2 using 1d4 with rolls of 2.  Guidance.

Big brain artificer time, apparently.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:21, Thu 27 Oct 2022.

Yay, I helped! Rhydd, absorb the power of my big magiscience brain to discover things that are useful! I, meanwhile, discover things which are fascinating.

Idri will contribute her rope of climbing (50ft once knotted, Advantage to everyone's Climb checks) to the descent. Whoever is least confident about their chances, she can also offer a Guidance spell to for 1d4, assuming it won't take us more than a minute to descend.

That leads us to a most amusing Animal Handling check; can you fancy a pulley system to lower her down the tunnel? Not saying you should (Mallory's latter idea is probably better), just that the idea is rather funny :)

It would probably be accommodated by an Athletics check since she's quite the hefty bird.

I actually got the Block and Tackle set entirely for the possibility of having to haul mounts and/or frozen corpses up out of icy crevasses, assuming ahead of time "Levitation"'s weight limit wouldn't cut it.  ^^;  I've done that sort of thing in past games where a Party had to lower down the pack mule into subterranean ruins.

Honestly, part of me would almost think Wifni could just brute force her way down the ice tunnel via claws and beak making her own footholds if she really wanted to.  One would imagine northern Axe Beaks would be quite good at navigating ice.  It'd likely be slow and noisy as all get-out though, so I'd rather just leave her cozied up in a little igloo nest to wait for us to return/abandon us when she gets bored.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:47, Fri 28 Oct 2022.

Able? Probably. Willing? Hardly.

It sounds to me like you intend for Astre to creep through the doorway, Mallory. Are you sure? Please tick the appropriate box;

[] Yes.
[] No.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:22, Fri 28 Oct 2022.

[X] No.

Roger that. Give me a Perception on behalf of Astre, with Disadvantage.

Astre - Perception w/Disadvantage
Mallory Bonheur rolled 12 using 1d20+5.  Astre Perception

There's a big part of me that wanted to cast a spell through Astre and cause some mayhem just then, but Mallory would never put him in such immediate danger.  Even if it would've been really funny.

https://i.imgur.com/BJCj8tl.jpg
This message was last edited by the player at 23:19, Fri 28 Oct 2022.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

...Did that kitty swallow a light?!

I’ll be able to post in a few hours. Ish.

OOC, I have a mind's eye vision of a family of otters sliding down the ice-chute in the interior of the hole in the ground, squealing with delight (or mayhap terror, if the Bugbears popped out from behind the door and tried to catch them). :)

I definitely had a moment where I thought about Idri using her shield like a sled, but not if she's going face-first into Bugbears. XD
This message was last edited by the player at 16:03, Sat 29 Oct 2022.

Everyone else got a MTG card Idri, now it's your turn!


This message was last edited by the player at 16:57, Sat 29 Oct 2022.

That... is a very dangerous card.

Suppose I’ll cast guidance. Just in case.

Just to verify here; the Bugbears are hiding well over 50' away (down the skill-check required ice climb, across a room of indeterminate size, and behind a door), and Farwalker is just calling down to them from the surface?  Before the rest of us can do anything to get into position or prepare?

I mean, I'm not against calling the enemies out once we're down there, but can we at least get into a better position first and not completely ignore the marching order plan we've been setting up?  We still have to get down the ice channel and can presumably only do that one at a time.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:34, Sat 29 Oct 2022.

In reply to Khulekani Kumalo (msg # 259):

This is amazing, thank you! I don't know MTG well enough to appreciate its power, but I love being included. ^_^

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 262):

If she goes in and that’s entirely reasonable. A group of well armed and armoured people wandering into your house is worrisome. So yes, she’s going to yell at them before wandering into their house.

I have drawn a picture. Behold.

I sense there might have been some confusion here, so I hope this can clear things up.

Oh, and Farwalker can roll me an Intimidation.

So you're saying the sled plan would be more like a short skydive? That's a damn tragedy.

Iron Man Idri and Mallory's smiley are killing me in the best ways.

In reply to DM Bears (msg # 265):

Ah, that’s quite a drop. Good thing we have rope. I think.

Today: Farwalker rolled 14 using 1d20+1d4+7. Intimidation

I love the little picture of us! :)

What sort of check would one need to roll in order to make it safely down this ice luge if they slid? Shield may or may not be included. ;)

I'm not entirely sure making it down without a rope or a fly speed is even possible?  It seems like the tunnel is basically an almost straight drop, so it's less a matter of making it down safely so much as not falling Prone.  You'd be taking damage regardless.

Yeah, it's almost a straight drop. Is it possible to just drop down and land safely? Sure. Is it easy? Hell no.

DC 20 Acrobatics.

Now I want to hop straight down.

I lament the loss of my 18 Portent even more now.  I could have guaranteed someone would get a cool superhero landing.

Hm...the picture made it look like it had a curve. I've been on water slides that looked like that.

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 274):

Which leads me to a philosophical question (of sorts).

To wit: Do superheroes ever botch their landings? :)

Yeah. The Banzai Pipeline comes to mind. :)

P.S. Originally a surfing location in Hawaii. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:10, Sun 30 Oct 2022.

I was just thinking about the Six Flags in the next state.

Based on Bears' charming illustration, I think it would depend on how one actually approached the drop.  The angle of the slope makes it appear like one would be carried by the whims of momentum since the sheer angle would give them nothing to control themselves with.  Whereas positioning oneself away from the walls might allow for a straight drop.

https://i.imgur.com/vKmX3Jq.png


If they do, I believe they're classified as "crumpled heaps".

This puts me in mind of various summer vacation trips (when I was but a lad) to Pit-of-Hell, Georgia (which, in the dog days of summer, encompasses most of the state).

In reply to Khulekani Kumalo (msg # 275):

If you use an inflatable tube I'll grant you Advantage on the check :)
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:32, Sun 30 Oct 2022.

Does a Folding Boat count? :p

Now I really want to sled down to make the entrance.

Also, if we just hammer one stake up here then I can send my rope up later to anchor so we can come back up, if the new plan is for everybody to YOLO.

Athletics - DC 12, w/Advantage
13:57, Today: Mallory Bonheur rolled 13 using 1d20-1
13:57, Today: Mallory Bonheur rolled 11 using 1d20-1

Idri, you are my hero.

Idrianthe's the name, useful magic items are the game!

Rhydd's flirty chivalry is wholesome, but catching someone from a 50ft plummet would probably break his arms. XD

Oh, pish! I'm certain that Mallory is a light as the proverbial feather! :)

DM Bears - I appreciate the foreshortening on the rope in that map.

Also, this is all I have running through my head whenever I think of Mallory climbing:

https://youtu.be/DXWYf0tfvhc?t=138

Oh wow, I didn't even catch that, that's a great touch. Leave it to the artists to go and notice the extra mile. ^_^

DM Bears - quick request for clarification: are the Bugbears saying that all three adventurers fled further into the Spire at different points, or that only the Halfling did for certain and the other two escaped elsewhere/aren't accounted for?

Redhed Barbarian: Fled the tower/escaped.
Halfling: Was captured by the Bugbears, then fled to a lower area.
Shield Dwarf: Was never encountered by the Bugbears.

I'd offer the Rope but that's also an Athletics check.

Could Idri wrench the chest from the ceiling using her Telekinesis feat?

Ooh, actually, how long does it take to prepare a spell in an empty slot?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:53, Fri 04 Nov 2022.

I assume it is more than 10 lbs.

You could use the Telekinesis to tie the rope to the chest though.

Khulekani has a +10 to Athletics, so she could probably climb without much effort.

Not just Mage Hand, the full telekinesis ability I can push and pull Medium creatures with! The rope can also move on its own as long as someone is holding the other end, no other magic required.

But I also just checked the Artificer spell list and I know Spider Climb, so I could wiggle on up there and either remove the bolts to lower the chest or open the lock for y'all to catch the contents.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:55, Fri 04 Nov 2022.

I assume you are referring to this;


In which case no, I would not permit you to use this to pry objects from the environment beyond what Mage Hand normally allows as this specifically refers to creatures and relates to shoving.

And while both stacking three people on top of each other and climbing a rope would be Athletics checks, I can assure there will be a significant difference in the DC. Do bear in mind that whoever is climbing the rope would have to do the lockpicking.

Spider Climb would circumvent the need for any checks related to climbing.

Coolness, so no MIND MAGIC YANK but we still have the rope and normal magic.

How long does it take to prepare a spell outside of the Long Rest system?

Before we go allocating or spending any resources: my thought on the matter was simply to have one of the tallest folk (either Farwalker or a Bugbear) hoist Mallory up overhead.

The chest is 15' up.  I believe Farwalker is at least eight feet tall?  Even just standing on the base person's shoulders would give Mallory (about 5' tall with the capacity to reach another few feet overhead) more than enough reach to hold her Immovable Rod up above herself, activate it to lock it into place, and hoist herself up to sit on it practically level with the chest.  All of that falls within a creature's available Climbing movement range of no more than 5' at a time and thus presumably wouldn't necessitate a skill check unless DM Bears feels the overall situation is deserving of one.  Lifting oneself to sit on a bar as a full-body pull-up could certainly be taxing for some.

Since the chest requires a key, either Mallory or Idri would need to be the ones to go up, depending on their proficiency and the application of Guidance.  Mallory has a +5 to Thieves' Tools for picking locks and disarming traps.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:41, Fri 04 Nov 2022.

Idri's also at a +5, plus I can give whichever of us goes up a Guidance for +1d4!

I think we would also be wise to prepare some means of catching the contents, maybe have a few of us hold a blanket underneath the chest to dampen the fall. If anything within is fragile, it's unlikely either of us is strong enough to hold the chest closed and carefully remove everything when we're fighting gravity itself.

Unless the Artificer has a specific feature that allows them to prepare spells outside a Long or Short Rest, it is not possible. I'm not sure how you get an 'empty slot' either, as the list of your prepared spells and spell slots are separate (i.e. you can cast any prepared spell with a spell slot of the appropriate level).

I believe there are lore reasons for why it works this way, but I am no authority when it comes to anything outside of fifth edition (and anything inside, too, for that matter). Something something memorizing spells something something expunging all information related to the spell from your brain. Perhaps someone more versed in D&D's history could enlighten us.

As for using the Immovable Rod; yeah, that'll work. Let's do an Athletics check for the pull-up, but make it hilariously easy so it'd be funny if Mallory failed. DC 6.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:51, Fri 04 Nov 2022.

An empty preparation "spot" as in, I didn't know what all spells we'd need for the day so I didn't prepare my maximum number. I didn't realize 5e had that gap in the system; please remember I mostly come from PF, so I'm not accustomed to all the differences. =(

So I'm just down two prepared spells until our next Long Rest, that's fun.

In the case where you have not prepared the maximum number of spells you're already in violation with the rules, so it'd incur a ruling from the DM.

And I'll say eh, go ahead and prepare those unprepared spells.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:58, Fri 04 Nov 2022.

Oh, thank you. Um, I think it'd be prettyeta to prepare exactly the spell I was talking about, so I'll check the list and pick anything but Spider Climb.

That's your decision, but I would be perfectly fine with you preparing Spider Climb though it might benefit you in this particular instance :)

Had I been a better DM I would have caught this when approving your initial character sheet, so the blame should in part fall on me.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:01, Fri 04 Nov 2022.

I think Mallory's locked rod is the best call either way. Idri will boop her with a Guidance to contribute.

It's complicated, primarily because the in-universe explanation for how spell prep works changes because the mechanics change between editions and not the other way around.  Back in the earliest of editions, Wizards would have to prepare how many times they wanted to cast a given spell per day, not just the spell itself, and casting it literally burned it out of their brain until they sat down and re-learned how to do it.  The shorthand is basically that Mystra - the Goddess of Magic and source of The Weave - tends to drastically alter how magic functions from time to time based on external events, or there's some major shift in the cosmos that forces a change.  Like her own death, which happens quite often.

All convoluted justifications aside, the basic idea is that spellcasters attune themselves to their own magic in a manner.  Arcane casters synchronize their energies and focus, Divine casters align themselves with sympathetic forces like the gods or nature itself, etc.  That alignment of energies can't be changed at-will and requires focus to establish or alter, and generally only at certain times of the day where the ambient energies of one's environment make it easier (such as based on the position of celestial bodies and so forth).  Spontaneous casters who don't need to prepare spells each day, like Sorcerers, are just innately tied to their magic since it's literally a part of their biology.

---

Something Idri should also keep in mind when it comes to Prepared Spells: if a spell has the "Ritual" tag on it, you don't need to prepare it each day.  It can be cast as a Ritual (ie, it won't cost a spell slot but will take 10 minutes + the casting time to perform).  But if you want to cast it using a spell slot without spending that extra 10 minutes, you can choose to do so.

---

Athletics Check - DC 6
Mallory Bonheur rolled 17 using 1d20-1

As hilarious as that would've been, Mallory appears to be better at climbing up than she is climbing down.  As I didn't need the Guidance for the climb, I'll go ahead and spend it on the Thieves' Tools check to pick the lock.

Picking a Lock w/Guidance
Total: 18
Mallory Bonheur rolled 14 using 1d20+5
Mallory Bonheur rolled 4 using 1d4



That's actually a very good point.  DM Bears - is it the sort of chest that the lid swings open in one direction?  Could Mallory open it so the lid rests on her knees and anything unsecured inside would just settle in the lid/her lap?  Or have the others prepare to catch any falling items in a blanket or their cloaks?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:52, Fri 04 Nov 2022.

(DC 15) to pick the lock.

I rolled a 14 without Guidance.  Once again, Idri comes to the rescue.

Now then, would Rhydd like to catch Mallory?  :3

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 306):

Without a doubt! First, however, Rhydd (OOC) needs to do a little reading to catch up with what is going on . . . :)

https://imgur.com/gallery/Xeu1qhk

Back on topic, I can only assume the option for Players to instantly identify a Potion is a quality-of-life choice for Parties that don't have access to "Identify" or to make it easier for unidentified Potions to be used on the fly.

Ignoring that as a potential path (especially since Mallory wouldn't want to crack open ancient bottles needlessly), we're left with Mallory ritual-spamming "Identify" four times in a row to get the Potions figured out as the fastest option.  If some folk would like to take a Short Rest for class/resource-based reasons, now would be a good time to do that.  Narratively, we could also fill any other downtime involved in that with chatting with the Bugbears, getting various resources traded, and maybe scouting ahead a little?

Those who wish to stay behind to chat with the Bugbears are welcome to do so. They're willing to do some trading, but you'll quickly find out they don't own much of value. No need to roll anything, as Khulekani has already rolled quite well on a Persuasion.

Those who wish to scout ahead can tell me where they wish to go. Here's what the Bugbears will offer on the matter:

• A tunnel stretches from the western part of the first level. The Bugbears haven't done more than initial probing because . . .
• . . . some kind of burrowing creature dwells in it.
• The hole in the floor leads down to the second level. The stairway, which originally connected the two levels, is collapsed and filled with rubble rendering it useless.
• There's not too much of value on the second level. It is filled with rubble and leads further down into a cavern.
• According to the Bugbears, the cavern is where the Spire ends.

This message was last edited by the GM at 16:33, Sun 06 Nov 2022.

I've now prepared Spider Climb and Identify, so Idri and Mallory together can get the potions knocked out in half as long as Mallory doing it solo.

Artificers get "Identify" as well?  Excellent, team work makes the dream work!  20 minutes is a lot more reasonable when it comes to doing some quick chatting and scouting too.

Yay magic buddies!

Yeah, it's a very eclectic spell list.

My suggestion would be for the rest to just wait until you finish before you all resume exploration. I can update you with the Identify results shortly.

Before moving on, would it be possible to set up a proper ladder to get our of the hole, and maybe set up a kind of door, so we can keep the room warm?

I'm assuming you are referring to the tunnel you entered through? If so, there should still be a Rope of Climbing hanging in it. As for raising the temperature of the room I'm not sure. The Bugbears will tell you they've lit a fire before and it works fine, since the entrance is upside down and thus flush with the ceiling; the smoke is routed through the tunnel.

They have no firewood though, so you'll have to come up with the fuel.

So, how's everyone doing?  Are we stuck at something in particular here?

My brain is blank for some reason. Probably a lack of sleep. I’ll get something out tomorrow, after some sleep.

I think we were just sitting tight for our Identify results so we could then scout as a full team, yeah? But it looks like our lovely DM has been busy for a couple of days; hopefully the good kind of busy and not the stressful kind of busy. =)
This message was last edited by the player at 16:39, Thu 10 Nov 2022.

I certainly know that feeling.  I've been in studio all week and will do so again next week as well.  It's only ever short bursts for these sort of work sessions, but goodness are they draining.  ><

Sounds like you do interesting work, at least!

Game development.  I hop studios all the time as part of the career but, at the moment, I'm a lead editor and doing recording with our voice actors for an upcoming title.

That's so cool! Being a voice actor is still my childhood dream, even though I'm almost 30.

Age is hardly a matter when it comes to voice acting.  At my previous studio, our title villain character - a young woman in the narrative - was voiced by an actress who was in her late 40s at the time.  Plus you've got a lot of the big names in gaming VO right now who are all across their late 30s to mid 50s.  If it's really something you want to do then it's worth looking into; there's always a need for all sorts of voices.

I've done a few voice acting gigs in the past. It's fun, if you can get a good paying job.

Which I never did.

And I was a radio DJ for a year, so...my voice is totes sexy. ;)

I really need a break from recording, though.  I was seeing edit scripts in my sleep last night.  >_<

Ouch. Yeah, over-work can drive you crazy. Make sure to take breaks, if only for your mental health. Burnout is always a real danger.

Actually, its funny the topic of voice work came up here. Just yesterday I was complaining to my internet buddies that I was super embarrassed and felt cringe at a 5 min lore video I made YEARS ago, that was still on my YouTube account.

I just...I left all my stumbles and "ums" without editing them out. What's the point of reading from a script if I can't have a clean read? And the hiss and tinniness of the audio bothers me.

Future me looks at past me and wants to hit them with a good mic and a better editing software.

@Idri: Almost 30? You are a baby child! You still have plenty of time!
This message was last edited by the player at 22:58, Sat 12 Nov 2022.

Haha, well, even almost-30 is a little bit of an exaggeration (27) buuuuut I'm also transfeminine, with all the vocal challenges thereof. Training my voice up to a new place has taken a lot of my old flexibility out of the equation, and affecting a deeper voice (back down to where I had more range) straight-up hurts mah throat!

Still, I'll always dream of doing mo-cap and voice work. Maybe someday it'll even happen, but I'd want a very comfortable financial cushion to land on before taking some huge risk like moving out somewhere that such jobs are, if not plentiful, at least less scarce.

@Mallory: I second the dangers of burn-out, take a break if at all possible!
This message was last edited by the player at 01:33, Sun 13 Nov 2022.

There are online courses and YouTube videos that help with trans feminizing voice training, on the off chance that you weren't aware of that. That might help you get some flexibility back!

At the moment I am struggling with a Scottish brogue. I want to play Dwarves correct, damn it!

I've got Russian/Eastern European accents down perfect. I used to play in a LARP as Yuri Burikov, a bodyguard for our Romani analogue, who also happened to have sticky fingers and a heart of gold. I can't tell you how many people I freaked out when on Monday I went back to my American accent. Good times!

I did know, but it's very kind of you to mention it!

I've got a solid Scottish brogue (thank you for having such a nice voice to listen to and imitate, Graham McTavish) but my Irish is a mess; usually, it sort of turns into Mike Myers Scottish after a few sentences. XD

That's awesome! It always feels so good when people get lost in an affected voice, and even better that you got to do it fully in-character and blow some minds.

Found a new character creator program!



8-bit Paladin!

That's awesome!

Ooh, very neat!  Do you have a link?  I kind of want to give it a shot.

Also, regarding our currently AWOL DM - I've tried contacting him outside of RPOL but haven't received any sort of reply yet.  I've played with him before (and am currently playing with him in another game here), and this sort of vanishing act isn't a normal thing for him.  He doesn't just ghost on games.  I believe Real Life is getting in the way in some manner, though by what cause I couldn't say.  Hopefully it's something that will resolve itself sooner than later.

Given this game's longevity, yeah, RL seemed like the most likely culprit. Super hoping it's something that is fundamentally positive and that he's not dealing with something really unpleasant.

I would also love a link to the pretty character creator =D

I hope everything is okay...

Oh, and here is the link.

https://reroll.co/

I do happen to know, from our DM's online art profile, that his birthday coincides with the day he went offline.  I'm personally hoping his family just kidnapped him for a surprise trip or something like that.

Well, that'd be positively A+. And a belated happy birthday upon his return!

This was a delightful way to spend seven dollars.

In reply to Mallory Bonheur (msg # 335):

What area of the planet do they reside? Because there are a lot of natural disasters and political upheaval going on in the world right now.

I haven't heard from my great uncle for months, for example.

And that looks so cool Idri!

I'm not entirely positive.  His profile says he's Norwegian, but that doesn't necessarily mean he lives in Norway.

He offhand mentioned to me in a chat when I was joining the game that he was, at that time at least, located in the general vicinity of Norway (and that it was getting late so he wouldn't be up much longer).

I hope that Bears is okay. I would have thought that if he had decided to end the game (for whatever reason), he would have given us a heads-up to that effect.

I'm in another game with him as a player right now and he vanished from that one at the same time as here.  So I don't think it's a case of him just bailing out on the responsibilities of DMing this game.  I do hope we hear something sooner than later though.

Ah! Ah! DM login today!

I tried to think of so many ways to post that there was a login without seeming like I was calling him out and you nailed it effortlessly. Dammit, DiCaprio! XD

Hello! I’ve been in the ICU, where I still am. Campaign is put on hold until further notice. Sorry!