Chapter 21: Discussions / Q&A

[Jeff]

Here there be dragons and whatnot.

[Dave W.]

So here's an odd and possibly embarrassing thing… I was going through Adamant's gear on the DE Stats sheet and saw this entry: "pouch from Soranda d'Orien"

I couldn't recall what that was about so I did some searching on the boards… Turning up this thread:
.
ashlock.proboards.com/post/33804/thread

So I think this pouch has been sitting in Adamant's backpack since Chapter 15. Jeff, is that right? Or did Addy actually give the pouch to Kal… I can't find any reference for that happening.

Won't we all be surprised when the Eye is in it?

[Jeff]

If it's not in Kal's inventory, then Adamant hasn't given it to him, is the easy answer. But more importantly, what was in it was a brooch (first mentioned here) and then identified (here). I think that's the last it was mentioned. In any case, the Brooch ended up in the Bag of Holding (which Sem carries by default). You guys are positive dripping with magic items.

Also, Sem is the one is has held onto the warforged docent, another mysterious item that's been given no study (and I don't was ever even mentioned to Kurra).

Jun 21, 2021 15:35:35 GMT -4 Brian said:

Melethos gestures to Sem. "I'll take the soarsled ashore. If it's attacked by anything winged, best we have a fighter on the craft."

So the soarsled has two modes: If a 1st-level transmutation spell (of any kind) cast upon it turns it into a kind of varation of a Tenser's Floating Disk, where it can bear lots of weight and float around for a full day, but it can't be "ridden." It just floats there and follows around the person who cast the spell.

Only when two Fly spells (or one 4th-level casting of Fly) does it become enabled to be flown in the way that you're talking about. It lasts only for 15 minutes.

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[Brian]

Okay, I'll edit my post.

[Darren]

I guess I didn't even notice the brooch...Kal had taken the wand back then. If no one else wants it, Kal will take it.


Also, Jeff, once we land, can we have a map of the beach/landing area? Going to want to figure out if there's anything we can do to slow down the tieflings.

[Dave B.]

Actually, Shorak could make use of the brooch, but since it can be shared, anyone can carry it.

[Darren]

I don't know why I thought Shorak already had dark vision. My bad. He could definitely use it more.

[Dave B.]

There are other items in the bag that can also bestow dark vision and stupid me, there are more +1 hand crossbow bolts in the bag as well. I'm sure Shorak will need those sooner or later. Hopefully, later.

[Dave W.]

I'm going to assume that the "pouch from Soranda d'Orien" is empty then and we'll just leave it there. Adamant has an empty pouch should that ever be needed.

I had this worked out a while ago… Let me recreate it. Warning… real nerd shit coming up… tl;dr: Create Food and Water will be enough as long as Addy or Streko cast it every day (and we don't pick up more than 2 more people)

Create Food and Water makes 45 pounds of food and 30 gallons of water. The spell states it's enough for 15 humanoids or 5 steeds per day. I believe it lets me fill multiple containers; "containers within range" (range is 30').

So first, food. 15 humanoids = 5 steeds; ergo 1 steed = 3 humanoids. So in one casting we can feed 12 humanoids and one horse (Lucatrent). There are, if I counted right, 10 of us (okay, one's a dog), so enough with two spares. The food goes bad after 24 hours so the other portions will be lost.

Now water. If everyone has a waterskin we would fill those first and any excess goes into the barrel. That's 10 waterskins. A waterskin holds 4 pints. A gallon is 8 pints. So 2 waterskins per gallon.

The spell creates 30 gallons of water so if we fill the 10 waterskins that leaves 25 gallons for the barrel. Doing a little math, we will use up 26 gallons per day and leave 4 gallons in the barrel. The water doesn't go bad (why does the food go bad but the water doesn't? Magic? Whimsical deities?) so we will actually gain water every day.

[Jeff]

Was there a question lurking in there somewhere?

[Dave W.]

nope. Just nerd wanking..

[Jeff]

Jul 2, 2021 13:43:57 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

When they reach the bones, Adamant uses the glaive to point them out to Shorak. And points at the cave and the trail forward as though to ask "which way?".

The bones are a ways off, almost 100 feet. And Shorak spots them, too. Just pointing this out, because since Shorak's the scout we're going to have to wait for David every time there's some kind of observation or decision to make. So that's why Adamant isn't right up on the bones yet.

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[Jeff]

By the way, I've recently learned that Proboards has a space limit for attachments. I don't mean individually, I mean in total. So to even attach files now I have to go back and delete attachments to older posts to free up space. Alas. Fewer visuals to look back at.

[Dave W.]

oh, I thought we were closer to the cave with the bones welcome mat... my bad. Clearly we need millions of more images attached...

Sad that we've hit the limit on images...

[Jeff]

I was referring to the bones right there on the map. That's what my maps are for, Dave. And once everyone's on top of that first little easy climb of rocks, you're back on level ground. The brown is all packed earth. You haven't seen the stairs being talked about yet. Right now you're looking for them. Starg and Histra have merely reported that they can see the stairs further up on the cliff face, meaning there's some way to connect to them from below.

What else can I do?

[Jeff]

I did at least find a place I can "manage" all the images. So I can delete easier looking at it in a big list format. It's funny to see the things that are still there.

This one took up a lot of space: ashlock.proboards.com/admin/settings/attachment/137 Back when you were first boarding the Dragonfly.

Oh, and hey, here's form that last tiefling meet-up: ashlock.proboards.com/admin/settings/attachment/164

And the downfall of "Nyci": ashlock.proboards.com/admin/settings/attachment/171

[Dave W.]

sorry, tried to be funny…

i understand the need from PB’s side to put a limit on storage. And images do add up. it’s sad we’re running into it.

I’d suggest compression but I don’t know that PB has a way for you to do that. And it probably only postpones the issue a little while.

I suppose if we had a shared cloud like google drive we could put the images there and just have links to them. That’s going to be a bit of a pain for you, Jeff, I think. And you’re still going to run into whatever limits the cloud storage has, but that is likely to be higher.

Not sure what else there is to do…

[Jeff]

Jul 3, 2021 21:51:10 GMT -4 Jeff said:

I am unclear what's happening next. Is Shorak leading the group on, with him and Adamant at the lead as before? Or is he scouting and the group is waiting? To be clear, I've only got that Shorak intends to scout ahead occasionally, but I need to know explicitly when that is.

Thus I need to wait another day to find out for this instance.

Would be really good to iron stuff like this out.

Jul 4, 2021 10:01:17 GMT -4 Darren said:

Yes, the entire party is moving to the waterfall behind Shorak.

Okay. Going forward, can you guys always specify which way we're going?

[Brian]

As the "move the party forward" person, I'll try and make sure we're clear on this point.

[Brian]

Jul 5, 2021 8:53:56 GMT -4 Jeff said:

"I can fight," Thul responds as if that's all that needs to be said.

The crested lizard in the sand has now spotted the griffon on the rock above it. It certainly looks wary. The griffon rider continues watching, making no gestures.

When he reaches the top of that rocky path that leads either back down to the beach or continues directly to the south toward the misty possible cave, which way he is going? And is the intent to main reverse order?

I was just doing what Shorak instructed, assuming everyone was following his directions. But I will expand my post some to make the action clearer.

[Jeff]

Jul 7, 2021 12:53:35 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal nods at Belarin, then wiggles his fingers in the warlock's direction. Belarin hears a low growling in his ear like the one he sent to the glidewings. Kal grins at the other man's reaction.

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Kal has Message, too.

It's trivial, but Kal wouldn't have heard what Belarin messaged to the glidewings, since "the target (and only the target) hears the message." He can see Belarin using the candlestick wand, so he can guess he's doing a Message or a Sending, of course.

[Darren]

Jul 7, 2021 13:26:31 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Jul 7, 2021 12:53:35 GMT -4 Darren said:

Kal nods at Belarin, then wiggles his fingers in the warlock's direction. Belarin hears a low growling in his ear like the one he sent to the glidewings. Kal grins at the other man's reaction.

________________
Kal has Message, too.

It's trivial, but Kal wouldn't have heard what Belarin messaged to the glidewings, since "the target (and only the target) hears the message." He can see Belarin using the candlestick wand, so he can guess he's doing a Message or a Sending, of course.

I considered that, but as has been pointed out to me before when using Message, you still have to actually speak or make whatever noise you are sending, even if you whisper it, so I made the artistic choice of assuming that Kal heard Belarin making noises while waving the wand around.

[Jeff]

I know it's a bit of me being a rules stickler and rules lawyer. I guess I only point stuff like this out in case we ever do have a situation where it's not so trivial, but important.

Anyway, Kal would see Belarin point the wand and speak the Verbal component to trigger the spell (probably a single arcane word), that's still true. And Kal knows the Message spell inside and out and, no question, can identify the spell Belarin is casting. But it's the actual whispered message (in this case a whisper growl) that can only be heard by the target (and the reply can only be heard by the caster).

No need to amend anything in this case, but I do think it's potentially important to understand how this sort of thing could go with greater consequence some other time.

[Darren]

Jul 7, 2021 16:14:46 GMT -4 Jeff said:

I know it's a bit of me being a rules stickler and rules lawyer. I guess I only point stuff like this out in case we ever do have a situation where it's not so trivial, but important.

Anyway, Kal would see Belarin point the wand and speak the Verbal component to trigger the spell (probably a single arcane word), that's still true. And Kal knows the Message spell inside and out and, no question, can identify the spell Belarin is casting. But it's the actual whispered message (in this case a whisper growl) that can only be heard by the target (and the reply can only be heard by the caster).

No need to amend anything in this case, but I do think it's potentially important to understand how this sort of thing could go with greater consequence some other time.

That's actually a good clarification. I always assumed that the people standing near Kal could hear what he's saying. It sounds like you're saying they only hear the trigger for the spell, not the message itself. Good to know...

[Jeff]

I'm trying to figure out what to do with this:

Jul 7, 2021 19:41:19 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

Hearing Histra, Shorak stops 15 feet before the entrance to the cave, "Okay, that doesn't sound good. Adamant, wait here and let me take a look at the opening before we try to enter."

Jul 7, 2021 10:18:53 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

Adamant stays with Shorak as the changeling moves forward. "I know I am making a lot of noise," he says above the drumming of the waterfall, "but I would rather you not go off by yourself. There will be a time for stealth later."

Jul 8, 2021 11:34:07 GMT -4 Dave W. said:

"Do not go far or be gone long. We are packed together so stealth is unlikely to be an asset and time is pressing on."

Still he waits a few paces away from the cave.

Shorak says for Adamant to wait behind. Adamant goes anyway? Just to be sure. Waiting a few paces from the cave is basically where Shorak is now, so that would mean Adamant is leaving the rest of the group to follow Shorak closer...

[Dave W.]

Well, Shorak asks him to stop at a point "15 feet before the entrance to the cave" which doesn't seem like much more than a few paces to me.

in any case, Adamant does stop where Shorak says that, he isn't following but waiting impatiently.

[Jeff]

No, Dave had Shorak stop 15 feet from the cave, which means he's 35 feet from the rest of the group (starting with Adamant), on the last map. Again, I'm just making sure things are clear in case it matters at some point.

Starting to feel like a lot of you guys aren't referencing the maps.

I'll remove the elevation approximates in my next main map update, though, since they'll only be confusing without the larger context. In general, I try to crop down to just what's theoretically perceivable or relevant.

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[Dave W.]

I guess I'm mis-reading the sentence. I thought we were travelling side by side until Shorak asked Adamant to "wait here".

But ok, Adamant will wait where Shorak asked him to, 35' back. And he'll tell Shorak to not get too far ahead at that point.

[Dave B.]

Actually, I did mean for Adamant to stop 15 from the cave entrance, where Shorak stopped initially to ask him to wait. Then he moved forward to the entrance to examine it. I guess my grammar made it unclear. I will try to make things clearer in my next post.

[Joe]

This begs the question: Did the rest of us stop back where we are now or 15 feet behind you and Addy?