Chapter 15: Q&A / Discussions

[Jeff]

And I appreciate that, Dave!

[Dave W.]

Jun 19, 2018 20:54:06 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

If we were around the table and I was rolling badly, I would vent and nobody would be bothered by it as that is part of the game as far as I'm concerned. Just nod knowingly and let's move forward. Okay?

Yeah, one night in a F2F game a friend managed 5 ones in a 4 to 5 hour session... his verbiage was colorful....

[Jeff]

Jun 20, 2018 7:48:23 GMT -4 Darren said:

Not that it will matter a ton, but Kal had also readied Fire Bolt to use against "any non-tiefling/bugbear enemy that presents itself."

The key word is also. You don't get to do all of your listed contingencies, which leaves me to interpret. Since Kal was specifically moving to defend Streko, I figured you'd favor Counterspelling a spell cast directly in Streko's direction (and the rest of you) over a cantrip aimed at something not even moving toward you (but rather the longship). All given your wording. I had considered it.

[Brian]

Jun 20, 2018 6:17:48 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Kal moves defensively closer to Streko, and Tangat runs around the halfling to guard the other flank. Even as Melethos calls to Adjalarr, and the woman nods in acknowledgment, the stronger current of the water suddenly intensifies. Waves crash on the rocks as if high tide had come in just an instant. And then it's apparent that something big is displacing it!

A massive shape bursts from the water is a spray of sea foam accompanied by a tremendous, beach-quaking roar that turns all heads! In the monster's movement, the tip of the dock that Belarin and Shorak are standing on is shorn violently away. The boards beneath them tremor and become unstable, now cocked at a slight angle. The beast appears to be a gargantuan snapping turtle, complete with a huge carapace shell of green and brown patterns, but the head also has some vaguely draconic features as well: and even though its face isn't human, it's impossible to miss the rage, especially as it roars. This seems to be what had stirred the currents earlier, that the tieflings on the ship had been looking around for.

Even as it rises, the monstrous turtle whirls in place, turning its wrath toward the tiefling longship. It mouth opens wide: instead of another roar, the monster issues a loud hiss, and with it a great cloud of swirling steam is expelled upon the ship! The two chainmailed tieflings near the bow, and the three bugbears behind them are caught in the blast. They scream under the scalding steam.

Melethos knows they are as inured to heat as he is, but the intensity of the dragon turtle's breath is obviously great. You can barely see them even as the steam starts to evaporate, but they look to be in poor shape. Yet none of them drops dead straight-out.

But now that the turtle has whirled to face the boat, four strange humanoid figures are now apparent, rising up from a crouched position upon its shell, almost camouflaged there. They are somewhat froglike in shape, but have arms much longer than legs, and their own green-and-brown mottled skin is pebbled with rocks and shells along their backs. Two of them leap out into the water and splash up the rocks, a third springs down to land upon the broken dock in front of Belarin, while one remains on the great turtle shell. That one surveys your party, then extends one arm and points a long rounded finger your way. It croaks some form of spell...

Kal, not knowing what to expect but recognizing the use of magic, quickly utters the arcane word to quell it. The creature's spell is snuffed out before it can begin.

All of you have heard of, but never expected to see any, dragon turtles. They are, by reports, considered to be a form of true dragon, yet they are not ever associated with the chromatic and metallic dragons of legend, nor are are they as "confined" to the continent of Argonnessen as their cousins are said to be. Instead they dwell in coastal or deep waters anywhere. Their steamy breath is well feared, no less than any dragon's, and though they are not dumb animals, dragon turtles are not, by all reports, quite as complex and intelligent as most of dragonkind.

Shorak has certainly heard that dragon turtles dwell around the coasts of Xen'drik and even some of the swamplands, but has never faced one before. But Shorak knows, better than most, that any creature that dwells in and around this continent may be affected by the same unpredictable magic that causes the Traveler's Curse.

None of you know anything about a dragon turtle's mood, or what provokes one to attack. Certainly you have seen no prints or evidence of its movement around the beach before now. The only thing you can infer is that the yugoloth may have had something to do with it.

I think Melethos just pooped a little.

[Elvis]

Is the entire dock difficult terrain?

[Darren]

Jeff's Edit: Argh. Sorry, in attempting to quote this post I accidentally deleted the body text. But see your quote below for what was here.

[Jeff]

Jun 20, 2018 8:53:49 GMT -4 Elvis said:

Is the entire dock difficult terrain?

No, but most of it. I see that I drew the white line that outlines the difficult terrain too lightly on the map. Here it is more clearly:

Jun 20, 2018 8:56:56 GMT -4 Darren said:

Jun 20, 2018 8:07:01 GMT -4 Jeff said:

The key word is also. You don't get to do all of your listed contingencies, which leaves me to interpret. Since Kal was specifically moving to defend Streko, I figured you'd favor Counterspelling a spell cast directly in Streko's direction (and the rest of you) over a cantrip aimed at something not even moving toward you (but rather the longship). All given your wording. I had considered it.

But Counterspell is a reaction, not an action. Kal should be able to do both.

Hahahahah. No.

Counterspell
3rd-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you see a creature within 60 feet of you casting a spell

Ready
Sometimes you want to get the jump on a foe or wait for a particular circumstance before you act. To do so, you can take the Ready action on your turn, which lets you act using your reaction before the start of your next turn.

You only ever get one reaction between turns. 

[Ken]

Whatever game system Darren is using sounds interesting.

[Darren]

Oh, I guess I misunderstood that. I forgot that taking the Ready ACTION is an Action, which allows you to use your REACTION to do something else. I understand now. No need to be mean about it.

[Jeff]

Not mean! Honest. Just trying to explain again. It's my job.

[Jeff]

Jun 20, 2018 9:31:31 GMT -4 Ken said:

 Kal? Histra? I'll hug both of them later.

I'd like to see Belarin try to grab both Histra and Kal in a group hug. She'll just love that.

[Darren]

I think it will require a Grapple check. DC 30.

[Dave W.]

Jun 20, 2018 9:51:44 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Jun 20, 2018 9:31:31 GMT -4 Ken said:

 Kal? Histra? I'll hug both of them later.

I'd like to see Belarin try to grab both Histra and Kal in a group hug. She'll just love that.

Adamant feels left out...

I'm not sure there's much for Addy to do... I'm assuming I'd be swimming to get next to the dragon-turtle. I really need to get a crossbow next time we go shopping... of course it would be easier if we didn't attract all our old enemies when we went shopping next time...

[Darren]

Adamant does a ton by standing near everyone and providing bonuses. Kal always tries to stay near Adamant in battle.

Also, the frog-people are moving up the beach. Adamant can play with them.

[Jeff]

Jun 20, 2018 12:27:53 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

Move Action: 4 N puts him right behind Histra. With the diagonal and difficult terrain I don't think I can move any farther.
Standard Action: none so I can react to impose disadvantage on the first attack on an adjacent ally…

Hmm. You know you don't have to not take an action in order to take your reaction between turns, right? Even if Adamant does take an action, whether Attack, or cast a spell, or whatever...he still can impose disadvantaged against one attack made against an ally within 5 ft.

[Dave W.]

Jun 20, 2018 12:35:07 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Jun 20, 2018 12:27:53 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

Move Action: 4 N puts him right behind Histra. With the diagonal and difficult terrain I don't think I can move any farther.
Standard Action: none so I can react to impose disadvantage on the first attack on an adjacent ally…

Hmm. You know you don't have to not take an action in order to take your reaction between turns, right? Even if Adamant does take an action, whether Attack, or cast a spell, or whatever...he still can impose disadvantaged against one attack made against an ally within 5 ft.

Yeah, sorry that was written a bit confused on my part.

I don't think I can get in range to attack and I'd like to keep the spells for smiting. But now that I think on it, I could use the standard action to move another 25'. 1 NW would cost 1.5 x 2 = 3, right? then 1N puts him next to Belarin, right?

[Jeff]

Yes, he could move through Histra's space and stand next to Belarin if he takes the Dash action to move a second time.

[Dave W.]

let's do that... I'll update my post at some point but we just got called to the War Room... back in crisis mode!

[Brian]

Since we are in turn-based mode, I'm going to wait for Melethos's turn to respond to Ajdalarr's offer and question.

[Jeff]

I'm okay with a word or phrase out of turn, here and there. Sometimes NPCs do that.

[Dave W.]

When I stepped back did the frog guy follow? I’m not sure when they go but can I get a sense if the frog guy near me is observing a truce?

[Jeff]

Since you used the word “disengage,” and took no other actions except move, I took that to mean the Disengage action, which allows no opp attack on that frogman’s part. But it does look still hostile, enough that it would have make an opp attack if it could.

[Dave W.]

That was my intention, I’m just not sure when the frog guy goes or what his intentions are...

[Jeff]

Jun 24, 2018 10:03:58 GMT -4 Darren said:

I'm making an assumption here that Kal and Streko can't really hear everyone too well. In any event, Kal isn't ready to tell Streko to bring the nycaloth back until he knows it will actually stop the fight. So Kal will ready an action to use Fire Bolt against the spell casting frog man if it looks like he is going to do anything offensive. The only alternative would be if something tries to attack Streko before that happens, Kal will use his action to attack whatever tries to attack Streko. Tangat should move to Kal and also stand ready to defend Streko.

One important but often subtle distinction to note here: Readying an action makes the reaction happen as a response to something, not before the thing. (Opp attacks being the unique exception, since they work kind of like Ready actions.) So Kal would be able to attack something after it makes its attack.

Alternatively, you can word is so that the trigger is that a creatures moves toward Streko at all, or whatever. Then the reaction happens as a response to that, instead of an attack that might follow. Does that make sense?

Also, yeah, I think he's too far enough away to clearly hear what's being said or acted upon on the other side of the beach. The dragon turtle is NOISY.

[Jeff]

Actually, I need to take that a step further. You said you're readying an attack against the frogman "if it looks like he is going to do anything offensive." From as far away as that guy is, this is way too vague. If he even croaks out a word in any language, from this distance that could look like a spell.

So I'm fine at making the trigger "he casts a spell that's not obviously defensive" or whatever, but you can't really determine what looks like it might be a threat (but might also not be) from this far. Especially with their froglike physiology.

[Darren]

Right. Kal will only attack in response to an attack.

[Dave W.]

So Addy takes fire damage, can I invoke the Disk of Energy Resistance to get fire resistance?

[Jeff]

Yes! Totally. I'll add that in.

[Ken]

Joe: I'm very curious as to why no action from Streko this round? The party is in dire straits, so inaction seems an unusual choice.

[Brian]

I have to second Ken's question. Streko is asking Kal what to do? And then ultimately does nothing? If that dragon turtle's breath weapon recharges this round, several of us are going to die.