|
Mara nods at Ingold's words, her axe in both hands as she looks around, alert for troulble.
[dice=Perception]d20+5
Sure! I'm always happy to help!
A couple options seem to open to Mara. For starts, there are -two- fire-fighting options to choose from. Doderic is wisely suggesting to create a perimeter around the fire to stop it from spreading. You could be aiding him, which would be especially helpful since the DM asked him for a roll that he might not be good at, and your Aid could give him advantage on that.
Or you could help the impassioned NPC Carter to help him put out the fire on his house.
Or or, you could realize that IT'S A TRAP! and rush back to the house, hopefully to get here in time to still roll initiative.
cheers!
Hey all. Got swamped at work today and have some family stuff tonight. I'll bump things forward tomorrow.
All. So it looks like we may have lost Mara (she's not posted in any of her games for quite some time now). Given the GP topic of taking the nefarious items back to Rivendell, you could have Mara take them back instead of needing the whole group to return and thus double up the journeys. That is if you wish to continue on to Fornost. Right now you are less than a week away from the ruins if you take the Greenway north. This verses at least three weeks back to Rivendell.
To make the solo journey safer for Mara, you've got a bit of time here in the village to do a little research, testing, and prep. Knowing that at least one of the items can be used to track the person carrying it you could likely figure out some way of blocking the effect. A Lore check would get things rolling.
I put this out as a potential option given what looks to be a PC drop. If you all do wish to return to Rivendell, that is totally fine and we can proceed in that direction accordingly.
Ingold considers what materials might be used to block the elf-tooth dowsing pendulum for the coin, especially since he could empirically test his theories.
Frustrated, he asks the others for help in his experimentation…
this is one of those situations where, sadly IC I can't -really- come up with a reason for Doderic to allow her to journey all the way on her own. its to dangerous, and too risky for all their work to be lost. So to speak.
He is also a curious hobbit, so would like to hear if there is anymore to be heard about the items.
Though, I recall something about (?orc?) gathering near fornost? Or am I misremembering?
Doderic: Yes, one of your original tasks for coming here was to find out if there was some kind of major gathering of the enemy (ie Orcs, trolls, etc.) in the region of Fornost Erain. The current circumstances point to a possible yes, but it could also have been just a simple raiding party or a group drawn to the specific presence of your fellowship. So more proof is probably needed to truly complete the goals of the mission.
And of course you can always try to block the effects of the items and still keep them with you as you either return as a group or continue on. :)
Ingold considers what materials might be used to block the elf-tooth dowsing pendulum for the coin, especially since he could empirically test his theories.
[dice=Lore]1d20+5
Frustrated, he asks the others for help in his experimentation…
Sorry, should have been in Gameplay. Regardless of Mara’s disposition, blocking tracking of the shadow items is important…
Anyone else with skill in lore who could HELP Ingold the previous day or give him advantage this day? If you help the previous day, we could get moving again in the morning.
Hi all, just to let you know that Sarah (Mara) has been in hospital: it's not Covid, she had an accident (I've got her permission to tell you this, btw). She's OK but I don't know when she'll post again - she's struggling with pain management and other dull RL things.
please give her my heartfelt well wishes. And I'm glad that shes relatively okay.
Sorry to hear about Sarah. Best wishes for a quick recovery!
DM, could I get confirmation on this? I posted several times, but didn’t get a response on if it worked or not. A response from Thorgrim would be good too.
”Yes, I expect we should resume our original course now that we are healed,” responds Ingold. Turning to Oswald, he says, ”Thank you, Master Healer. We should be on our way in the morning.”
Assuming his other errands have borne fruit, Ingold finds a quiet moment and hands a small packet to Thorgrim. With a smile and a nod, he takes his leave and prepares for bed.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Sorry to hear about Sarah. I hope she recovers quickly and completely.
Ingold: Sorry, yes, you are able to commission the items.
Hellw (also ow) - thank you for your good wishes. I am back but easing my way in slowlly. I appreceiate Atlas inviting me to this game, but it has a loong history and I think getting back in is going to be a lot of work. I see you dropped Mara somewhere and I think that works for the best.
It was fun gaming with you and I'll either see you int the other games we have together or somewhere else on these boards, Im' sure.
Thanks,
Sarah
|
|
Apologies, I've had a cold the past few days and I'm not quite as sharp.
Re-reading what I wrote, I see where I went wrong. I meant to imply that, after getting the Hobbit's name, I was going back, along Ingold's rope, "gone" from the past-spirit-un-dream. I wasn't clear, though, and I seem to have instead implied that I was going with the hobbits to storm the King. (Which, I'll admit, was an idea I entertained, but in the end might not work out how I'd hoped. =)
I'm down to retcon, if we'd like?
If you all wish to take a different tact, that is fine by me. Easy enough for Cereidh and Ingold to urge Thorgrim back into 'present' time.
You've secured some visual proof due to the spirits and some circumstantial proof with a couple of the items found. There's also a lead that could be followed up during a Fellowship Phase by searching the Old Took's library. So you all do have enough to take back if you wanted and fulfill the basic terms of the hobbit bet/quest. There might be more to find, but if hunting orcs is more fun feel free to go that route. The two may not be mutually exclusive.
I expect they wouldn't be mutually exclusive: hunt the orcs, see if we get any bonus info on the hobbits, and then head back, whether or not #2 happens?
Hunt some orcs, visit the Took library on the way back to Rivendell, and keep our eyes open along the way for more clues…Sounds good to me.
I would like to apologize to you all for my absence. I don't like talking about it, as usually I can deal with it, however I have, slightly random swings of burnout and apathy over the course of the year where I lose all interest in almost everything. Where even things I normally greatly enjoy feel like a chore to do at best. Normally, I can push through, continue on and eventually the "burnout" as I've called it leaves. However I've hit a particularly rough patch this time around. That coupled with doubling my work time due to the holidays has left me with the desire to do nothing. However, that doesn't excuse my radio silence in this, and my other games. So again, I would like to apologize for that.
I think I'm on the upswing, and, if you would still have me I will happily rejoin the game properly in hopefully a few days time.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Doderic, I totally understand burnout and what not, especially these days. You're certainly welcome to jump back in and there's apparently no rush since it looks like Thorgrim is going to take down the current monster with his uber-critical dice rolling. :)
Has Ingold sensed anything different after having the silver pin in his possession for a time? Magical attunement, etc?
Ingold replies, ”Fair enough. I will keep watch behind us for any orca who think to catch us from behind,” as he follows at the end of the group, watching for any foes who might try to sneak up behind them.
HA!
You would think by now my spellcheck would do orca in preference to orca ….You read that right, spellcheck decided to change orca to orca, and it just did it again. That tears it—no use blubbering about it. Time to saddle up your harpoon and hunt some orca.
|
|
Do we just wanna bot Doderic for this part?
Also, just to spitball an idea here, we might could wanna think about maybe recruiting one more person, especially if they wanted to play a hobbit.
Alas, I'm not as active on these boards as I once was (and all my favorite people are already playing in this game =) so I can't PM my way into an invite like I used to.
Thoughts?
pologies, I thought I made a post monday. I'm not sure if the forums ate it, or I merely imagined doing it.
Doderic making Thorgrim proud. haha.
Also, need to get a (non cursed) magic weapon for Doderic haha.
|
|
Also, need to get a (non cursed) magic weapon for Doderic haha.
Mrmmph. Not sure if we can make that happen. Noctocide and Bregghar are magic through a class feature. Since LOTR is really a "Low Magic" setting, getting a magical anything is big whoop.
It might also take truckloads of money, too. Well, just make sure to pick up everything you can. =3
yeah, us hobbits can get a magic weapon. I'm just trying to decide if that or magic armor is more useful. haha.
The armor gives +1 AC and +1 to all saves and a 1/day reroll IIRC, the weapon gives no + hit, but gives +3 damage. I'm leaning towards the armor tbh.
Also competes with some interesting Culture Virtues honestly.
Frankly that's my impression too.
Er, do I tack on a 1d6 to my latest roll? Unfortunately even at max that won't meet the DC.
you can use it on a future roll whenever you like. within the next 10 minutes or something I think.
Thanks!
So I've pulled free. How much of my round did that take?
Cereidh: It would take the full round to pull free and remove enough of the webbing to move, fight, unhindered.
Ingold: This looks like another case where the AiME rules are a bit contradictory or confusing. Hands of the Healer "Alternatively, you can spend a Healing Die to cure one disease, neutralize one poison, or remove one condition affecting a single target. Conditions are removed instantly, but poisons and diseases require the creature to take a long rest before they are removed."
The paralyzed condition is actually the effect of the spider's poison, so technically Doderic could still be full of venom but not paralyzed.
Shadowthorn doesn't remove the poison, but it does provide Advantage on Saving Throws vs Poison for 1 Hour.
I think the roll in this case would be another CON Save DC 15 attempt by Doderic. This time with advantage. On a success he is free of being paralyzed and the poison is cleared from his system. He can act this round. On a fail, he is free of being paralyzed, but the toxins are still affecting his system and so he suffers from the Poisoned condition until he successfully saves or takes a Short Rest. He can act this round, but with the disadvantages of being Poisoned.
sounds fair to me.
Totally reasonable. Ingold’s specialization changes the poison fix from a long rest to a short rest, but the effect for the combat timing is exactly the same. I figured I would just have Ingold do what made sense to him and let you sort out the ruling…
I didn't catch the rest change for your specialization, so thanks for sharing that. I think I ruled short rest on a fail anyway, so that still fits. With a save success meaning no rest necessary. Hopefully being able to eliminate any rest requirement feels a bit better and gives Scholar a tiny boost in overall party effectiveness.
Gotcha, so I'm on the bench until the round turns over.
Ingold: From the Loremaster Guide "When an artefact is first discovered, its capabilities may not be readily apparent. While it is possible that a hero discovers these while adventuring, they may learn about an item’s Blessings by seeking out a knowledgeable Scholar or uncovering more through the Research Lore undertaking during a Fellowship phase. Additionally, the Loremaster might let a Player-hero guess the nature of a Blessing when the companion rolls a 20 while using a skill affected by the Blessing."
I think by 'knowledgeable Scholar' they mean a Scholar with the Master Scholar Specialty and a specialization in Works of Elder Days. This seems pretty specific and limiting as does having to use an entire Fellowship Phase to discover single items history and/or properties.
I'd say, that your initial 20 for the Lore roll gets you all you can know for now under the current circumstances. But I would allow additional Lore rolls to discover more through study, testing, research, etc. when you are able to take a Long Rest at any Sanctuary. If the Sanctuary has a library or other accessible trove of knowledge then you'd have Advantage on the Lore roll. For now I'm limiting the check to being at a Sanctuary under the reasons that such study requires your full attention and not being worried about ambushes, watches, camp chores, etc. As I think about this we could allow Lore checks for items during regular Long Rests outside of Sanctuaries, but those would be at Disadvantage. The base DC to learn anything about an item would be 15.
Thoughts anyone?
I like the Sanctuary and Library ideas for the true full ID on an item like you wrote (effectively a Legend/Lore effect).
There are lesser levels of information that may be more easily gained in the field, though, and some level of player knowledge that might help with the logistics of making rolls or using abilities associated with the items, even in the character does not realize the extent of the benefit.
I suggest a lowest level of difficulty for being able to discern if a given item is magical or not (equivalent of a detect magic).
A slightly higher check (or shadow Lore version of the same check) for if the item is tainted by shadow (equivalent of a detect evil or detect curse).
A higher difficulty Lore check or history check to understand in vague terms what type of benefit the magic item might be capable of. This might be the equivalent of the info you get from a standard attuning during a short rest in DND, just a lot more vague.
For example, Ingold found the Ohtari Tirrim pin, which was reputed to have the blessings of the kings of old, but nothing specific. I think that means it is likely magic, but he only did the History check, not the Lore check, so he could be wrong…and what form those blessings might take is unknown.
Still, he clipped it to his collar, so if it has a game effect, it is something the DM will have to deal with bookkeeping until player or character figure it out better and include it in the relevant stats.
I'm okay going with a Lore/Shadow Lore check to see if an item is magical in nature or not and tainted or not. I'd say a base DC10 for magical and a variable DC for Shadow Taint (probably base DC12) depending on the item. Conducting both initial checks would still take a Short Rest.
If doing the check without a rest or under more stressful circumstances (In a dark, underground chamber of a shadow tainted city, in a spider lair, with a rotting corpse just as an example) the check would be at Disadvantage. Another modifier that might make for a higher DC on an item is being from a completely different culture/region. For instance a Dunedain of Eriador trying to understand an Easterling Shaman's Charm. This would be more difficult. A simple Breelander Rabbit's Foot, might be easier or have Advantage.
This may not work on all items. For instance, The One Ring could essentially disguise itself from all but the most intense scrutiny.
Higher successes on these checks could fill in additional details. Maybe for every 5 over the base DC, some other element is revealed. Either Historic Lore or something related to the power or taint.
All of this makes for a bit more work for, but seems to fit better with the LotR general feel of low magic with lost legends and artifacts being potent, rare and with historical contexts.
Anyhow, we can give this a try and see how it all works.
I likely won't get a post up until the weekend. I hope all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Sounds fair to me. It gives the property mysterious feel for the items of power in the setting, but it allows the lore and history skill checks to have some meaning and let you get a reasonable feel for the item with the proper check.