Chapter 9: Q&A / Discussions

[Dave B.]

I agree. Great encounter and thanks Jeff for deciphering what Shorak was trying to do. I've decided that the bad rolls are to make up for the fact that he keeps coming through these encounters unscathed.

[Jeff]

"Belarin, if you would like, place the arm in my haversack for safe keeping."

;D

Only in D&D does this make complete sense, and isn't necessarily a dirty euphemism. Hee hee.

[Darren]

Very well, thank you, Good Streko! I might as well leave it wrapped in my cloak -- I doubt I'll be wearing that again until the Cleaner Supreme, Lord Kalarian, can put his magic to proper use at a calmer time." He winks at Kal as he steps behind Streko and places the cloak-wrapped arm in his halfling friend's haversack.

Sadly, Kal lost Prestidigitation in the transition to 4E, so he no longer has a way to clean his own clothes. That was a sad day for him.....

[Brian]

Jeff, is Streko's translation ritual still working? Because I'm wondering is the "he who is not she" is a translation error. Like maybe, "he who is not from a she"? That would suggest Adamant is the right one.

If we have it repeated and Streko could hear it precisely, that may help.

Just thinking out loud.

[Jeff]

Streko's Comprehend Languages is still going. It lasts 24 hours.

[Brian]

Well, then . . .take it away, Joe. ;D

[Ken]

It might be time to start talking OOC about our ideas to get to the chest. Here's what we seem to know (and correct me if I'm misstating anything):

• The chest has been here for about a year.
  
• It's surrounded by an area of negative energy that immediately deals necrotic damage. We don't know how long the area has been there.
  
• None of us is immune to this damage, although we seem less susceptible than the sahuagin.
  
• The negative-energy field may well be completely unrelated to the sahuagin's prophecy regarding the chest or its destined opener.
  
• Our air bubble will be destroyed if we move closer.
  

That about it? Belarin is suggesting a "Bring the mountain to Mohammed" approach; if we can't go the chest, let's see if there's a way to bring the chest to us.

During the fight with the vampires, a key move that kept the party alive was Dave's use of Adamant's divine bodyguard daily power, which split the massive amounts of damage that Condign took between both Adamant and Condign.

No matter what we as a group decide to do here, if Adamant could use that power in this situation, then whoever takes the lead role would be able to last longer. It would require Adamant to stay out of the necrotic area, of course.

Jeff: Based on our time on the Merrow, would we know whether the ship has long lengths of chain? I'm guessing so, since duh!, anchor.

[Brian]

If Dave is allowed to use Adamant's power out of combat, I'm certainly willing to have Condign be one of the people to move to the chest.

Something Ken said started me thinking: what if is the thing inside the chest that throws off the necrotic field? And if we obtain it, what's to stop us from simply moving the necrotic field with us as we carry the object? Not to mention what that would do to the bubble.

[Darren]

I'm pretty sure someone could get to the chest and back without dying. It's only 6 squares away. It seems like, at most, they'd maybe take about 25 or 30 points of damage from the entire trip there, attempting to open the chest, and coming back. If the wrong person goes, Streko heals them up and we try again with someone else.

[Ken]

Brian: Excellent point. I just asked a question in character to hopefully give us an answer. And Adamant's divine bodyguard is a utility power, not an attack, so it should be OK outside of combat.

Darren: OK. I don't think we've officially stopped for a short rest to regain encounter powers, so we should do so in order for Streko and Condign to recharge their healing abilities.

[Jeff]

The Merrow has lots of rope, and some chain. But the anchor won't likely come down this far.

You will take 1 point of damage per round in there in a turn-based scenario. Sahuagin for some reason would take a lot more.

I'll post again soon in the in-character thread to address the latest words.

[Dave W.]

More thoughts:

• I'm fine with using Divine Bodygaurd to soak the damage.
• but, it only applies to one pc
• and if we send one non-Adamant PC across, he's going to be holding his breath the while way there and back
• or the whole lot of us have to go to stay with the bubble
• whereas Adamant has no breath
• and Adamant also has the most hp
• if the rate is a constant 1hp/round, he could be there for 58 rounds.
• so maybe Adamant should go and drag back the crate.
• the only downside to that is that if we have to make swim checks, Adamant's not so hot with that.

Thoughts?

Ps: just being a goof with the bullets...

[Darren]

Well, the bubble can't go into the dead zone, so we can't all go. And H'raska said that the dead zone appeared at the same time or just after the chest arrived, so there's a good chance that moving the chest will move the dead zone with it. So I don't think we'll be able to just drag it to us. The only way to test that, I guess, would be to move the bubble back a bit, then have Adamant try to drag the chest closer and see if the dead zone moves. If it doesn't, then we can move it into the bubble with us. If it does, then we're no worse off than when we started.

[Jeff]

So I'll just wait until I see some actual stated actions. I see Kal's intent, but I'm not sure you guys are done planning this.

Just don't plan too much; you know how things don't always pan out like you think it will. (Though I certainly enjoy watching the guesswork and strategizing!)

[Ken]

It sounds as though Adamant dragging the chest back might entail a lot of Strength and swim checks, which could stretch this out quite a bit and dump more necrotic damage on Adamant.

I'm OK with what Kal proposed earlier in the main thread, Darren. Belarin withdraws his objection, if not his doubt. Let's just make sure that Streko and Condign have rested and recharged their healing powers before we get underway. And Kal may want to spend a couple of healing surges before he dives in.

[Darren]

Right. I forgot Kal was so banged up still.

Yeah, honestly Ken, I have my doubts, too. But my strategy is usually about the immediate choices in front of me, and I don't see too many others.

[Brian]

Okay, so to make sure I understand what is going on:

1) The necrotic field has nothing to do with the prophecy of who can open the chest. It's simply an effect of the chest or whatever lies within the chest.

2) According to "the prophecy," one of us should allegedly be able to open the chest.

3) So we are back to taking turns? On seeing who can open it?

[Darren]

1 and 2 are my understanding of things, and 3 seems like the way we're headed.

Of course, I'm sure that when the first person tries to go and open it, Jeff will have some kind of terrible surprise in store, and all of this talk will be for naught, anyway.

[Ken]

Brian, yeah, it sounds as through the area has long been considered dangerous because of territorial disputes, not because of the negative-energy field. (In other words, Belarin/Ken was wrong YET AGAIN. )And the longer we stay, the greater the chance of a skirmish with another sahuagin tribe.

And as far as we know, the prophecy says that the chest contains a holy relic of the Devourer. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's a piece of necromantic nastiness, especially since Belarin senses "planar" energy.

Yeah, we may have to do this in pairs, as per Kal's plan.

[Darren]

Here's something else to consider....if whatever is causing the necromantic field is what is inside of the chest, then taking it out of the chest means that we just have to hand it over to H'raska and then keep our distance, since it will also destroy our air bubble. Unless what is causing the field is the chest itself and not what is inside of it....but how likely is that?

[Dave B.]

It could also be what's guarding the chest that is causing the field.

Is there a protection from energy type of power in 4E?

[Ken]

There are some powers that provide "resist 5" to certain damage types, including necrotic, but I believe most of those -- at least those that would last more than 1 round -- are in the Paragon tier (levels 11-20). I'd have to search through the Compendium online to be sure. Certain magic items would provide this, too.

[Ken]

I'll post IC again after Belarin gets Larest's response. Also, I want to give Dave W and Joe another chance to chime in, just in case Adamant or Streko have any protective abilties that would come in handy.

[Dave W.]

Actually Adamant has a Disk of Energy Resistance that would give him Resist 5 vs an energy attack but only for the fire, force, lightning, psychic, radiant, or thunder types. Necrotic isn't on the list, so no joy there.

I'm fine with resting first or not. I'll abide by whoever decides. I probably wont' get to post again until tomorrow night... been doing a training at work in addition to the regular load and have the pager so it's been sort of stressful this week...

[Darren]

Joe, I think you missed the posts where H'raska was saying that the necrotic field is actually worse for them than it is for us. He was just saying that his people were able to make it to the chest and back again without dying, but presumably they weren't there for very long. I don't imagine they'd be able to actually move the chest without dying.

[Jeff]

Nope, the group hasn't rested for 5 minutes yet. So encounter powers are not "recharged" yet.

Yes, Joe: The sahuagin seem to be more susceptible to the necrotic effect than the rest of you. When they've gotten to the chest, they weren't able to open and they were getting too injured. A few have died in the necrotic zone.

[Darren]

Maybe we should take the 5 minutes, guys? H'raska did say this was a contested area. Would Jeff bother to mention that if we weren't in for a fight?

On the other hand, Jeff might decide that because we were standing around for 5 minutes, that gave the Blue Fins time to show up. So, either way we're screwed. Stupid DM's, always trying to kill us.....

[Ken]

Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing, Darren.

If we stop for a rest, then it's almost certain we'll come across a rival tribe of sahuagin. On the flip side, though, at least we'll have our encounter powers back if there is a fight. YEEEESH, tough choice.

Well, we're all healthy right now, so I vote that we move forward and get this done without resting.

[Darren]

I'll go with that, too.

[Dave B.]

Sounds good to me.