DM Immortal's Blood Red Roses: A Skull & Shackles Campaign

Game Master imimrtl

"Black Powder eh? Mmm. I'd have to think it over. Truth to tell," Adular says as he ponders the possibility. Then another thought occurs to him, "Say, while we're out here, if you should see any flowers that won't bring trouble and are safe to take, let me know eh? I might pick a few."

"Black Powder eh? Mmm. I'd have to think it over. Truth to tell," Adular says as he ponders the possibility. Then another thought occurs to him, "Say, while we're out here, if you should see any flowers that won't bring trouble and are safe to take, let me know eh? I might pick a few."

Horatio grins a bit.

”Aye – I see any goodly flowers, I’ll do that.”

He thinks for a bit as he continues to row.

”As for Black Powder weapons; I’m not saying instantly, maybe further down in your training, like – I don’t know – when you’re hale enough to; but if you had a musket and were camped out on some hill – you could take shots at the whores that come down on us; and you’d probably be doing damn fine at it… trust me, I got an eye for talent in these things…” he says with a sage nod.

”Anyhow, think it over… if you like the idea; I’ll give you some tips, if you’d like,” he says, turning to cough a bit, the strain of talking finally getting to him.

”But that reminds me – you do got a bow on you, eh?” he asks, curiously.

"Just a crossbow. Be sure I'll use it smart and wise, just not always well," Adular says

You manage to make your way slowly through the various overgrown waterways, some getting so narrow you have to force the boat through the vegetation. The rain continues to pound down and you see the occasional flash of lightning through the dense canopy. Eventually you burst into a small clearing and are able to look up at a group of massive trees standing out of the water.

The trees stand several hundred feet high and have leafy branches that spread for nearly as far. The trunks of the tress are 50' in diameter and rise straight up. Looking up at the dizzying heights a lump begins to form in the back of your throats at the prospect of climbing these massive trees. Multiple thick vines wrap around the thick brown bark of the trunk that look like they might help with the climb but at the same time you cannot be certain of how secure they are. One nice thing is that the leafy branches above are protecting you from the heaviest rain...although the water pouring down the trunk may make your ascent that much harder.

Plans? Great ideas? Anyone have climbing gear?

how far apart are the branches in height? Also with twine along could I tie daggers to the bottome of shoes to help in purchase on the tree? Any see a witch with the levitate hex?

Variel looks up at the branches wondering how feasible it would be to toss a rope up and haul Jiro part of the way. Regardless Variel was glad that he had thought ahead to have a featherfall prepared in case something should happen.

You manage to make your way slowly through the various overgrown waterways, some getting so narrow you have to force the boat through the vegetation. The rain continues to pound down and you see the occasional flash of lightning through the dense canopy. Eventually you burst into a small clearing and are able to look up at a group of massive trees standing out of the water.

The trees stand several hundred feet high and have leafy branches that spread for nearly as far. The trunks of the tress are 50' in diameter and rise straight up. Looking up at the dizzying heights a lump begins to form in the back of your throats at the prospect of climbing these massive trees. Multiple thick vines wrap around the thick brown bark of the trunk that look like they might help with the climb but at the same time you cannot be certain of how secure they are. One nice thing is that the leafy branches above are protecting you from the heaviest rain...although the water pouring down the trunk may make your ascent that much harder.

Plans? Great ideas? Anyone have climbing gear?

Arodus 29th

Horatio looks at the tree in front of him, rubbing his chin a bit as he stares at it.

”Hmm… if I am not mistaken it looks like the radius of that tree is about twenty-five feet… that’s a circumference of roughly 157 feet,” he adds somewhat sagely.

Knowledge Engineering, and a lame sense of humor...

Despite the massive hanging vines which dangle down to provide a grip to climb, he shrugs a bit, not sure of their age or strength.

”Well, if the vines don’t provide decent footing, we may need a hand getting up there... luckily, I brought some gear to climb with,” he adds.

Turning to Seijiro – he looks the kitsune up and down quickly.

”Well, Jiro-san – Rain said you’re the best climber. You want to go first while we cover you from below?” he asks amicably.

Note: A climber with pitons can drive them into a surface at one minute a piton for every 5 feet to make a DC Climb of 15. However, anyone with a handaxe can do the same thing with ice and wood, same time, same results.

If the tree is roughly 200 feet up, we can get handholds carved in a little less than 45 minutes; that's not a fast speed, but it's a safe one.

Oh, and Horatio has a handaxe and 50 feet of rope, luckily :)

Kitsune don't have a climb speed, but I'm hoping having claws and such might provide a little extra traction...

Seijiro takes off his boots and transforms into his humanoid fox form before considering such a climb. "I'm ready I guess... keep Tomo safe here please... he's doesn't need to face whatever danger there might be above. I have no special climbing gear, so whatever you all might have that could be useful, I'd be appreciative of."

Taking rope and pitons and hammer assuming that's what's available, he begins the climb when all are ready for him to do so.

Here's a bunch of rolls to start the climb... add 2 to each roll from Variel's bull's strength spell on Seijiro

climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Kitsune don't have a climb speed, but I'm hoping having claws and such might provide a little extra traction...

Seijiro takes off his boots and transforms into his humanoid fox form before considering such a climb. "I'm ready I guess... keep Tomo safe here please... he's doesn't need to face whatever danger there might be above. I have no special climbing gear, so whatever you all might have that could be useful, I'd be appreciative of."

Taking rope and pitons and hammer assuming that's what's available, he begins the climb when all are ready for him to do so.

Here's a bunch of rolls to start the climb...

[dice=climb]1d20+8
[dice=climb]1d20+8
[dice=climb]1d20+8
[dice=climb]1d20+8
[dice=climb]1d20+8
[dice=climb]1d20+8
[dice=climb]1d20+8
[dice=climb]1d20+8
[dice=climb]1d20+8

Climb skill says you don't need to use pitons if you can carve handholds with a handaxe. I don't have pitons, but I do have a handaxe if you'd like to borrow it. It takes 1 minute for every five feet; but it is safer, considering that the surface is slick (+5 modifier).

I got nuthin ta help out here...
sorry folks

I got nuthin ta help out here...

sorry folks

Use a Diplomacy Check to give us a pep-talk ;)

Slight Retcon if possible,..

HOld up a second Jiro. Before you start your assent let me help you out and give you some extra strength as well. Kow also that I am ready to catch you should you slip with a spell. If your carving your way up though don't know if you want it now as it might be better for you later.

Cast bull strength to give + 2 to climb as well Jiro whenever you say you want it. Lasts 5 minutes. Just let me know when to mark it off.

ok handaxe it is then... and I'm assuming you described the flower in great detail?

With the strength spell, I think he'll take the handaxe but only use it after the 5 minutes has worn off

Horatio takes a bit of chewing tobacco and fits it into his mouth and begins to chew as he watches Seijiro climb.

Guessing a rough surface is already a tree – if it’s slick we got about a DC 20? I don’t know – that’s just a hunch, though.

He turns to Adular for a moment.

”Oye – do you mind if I borrow your bow a second?” he asks.

Assuming Adular agrees – Horatio will take an arrow – cast “Light” on it, and shoot it into the tree roughly 50 feet up. He is aiming very far away from where Seijiro is climbing, but he hopes the light will make things easier.

ok handaxe it is then... and I'm assuming you described the flower in great detail?

I would have given as much detail as possible. Hopefully it will be easy to find it - if you need a hand, let us know!

'Crossbow, Flynn, Crossbow. It's for those of us too lazy to learn proper archery, or so me elven mother said," He hands it over for a borrow.

Horatio, that says you can use a handaxe to carve handholds in an ice wall. It doesn't say anything about using it in wood. How many pitons do you have?

he said he had no pitons, so Seijiro is just climbing up using his own hands (and claws, lol) and the vines on the tree, unless there are more aids available

There's rope, so if he can get to a branch, he can tie off, so if he slips he doesn't go all the way to the ground. I'd recommend that. anybody got a climber's kit? always had one for my melee doods in games that weren't a weekly hack-and slash

and on that note, g'night folks!

By the way Jiro I only have 6 featherfalls available so hopefully you make it by your seventh try.

Also Rain has almost as good of a climb check as you and she has the sure grasp feat which allows her to reroll a failed climb check and take the higher result. So you two might want to buddy up and go in tandem.

Horatio, that says you can use a handaxe to carve handholds in an ice wall. It doesn't say anything about using it in wood. How many pitons do you have?

You are correct. I misread it when I saw the part about axe. I skimmed it quickly and assumed that if a person could hack their way into solid ice, they could do the same thing to a tree trunk.

That's all a misunderstanding on my part, than, and it doesn't marry up with the rules, which does allow a person to formally use an axe on ice, but does not allow it on wood. I'm sorry about the mistake.

Climbing at 1/4 speed or 5' per round means you will need 40 climb checks to get to the lowest branches that might have the flower.

Also Rain has almost as good of a climb check as you and she has the sure grasp feat which allows her to reroll a failed climb check and take the higher result. So you two might want to buddy up and go in tandem.

Agree to tis whole heartedly and will give Bull's strength to her as well is she wants it. Although now I only have 4 feather falls available.

Climbing at 1/4 speed or 5' per round means you will need 40 climb checks to get to the lowest branches that might have the flower.

40 rounds or 40 move actions? If they double move for 60 ft does that translate into 15ft a round? If 200ft is goal then 14 rounds and 28 successful checks? Can Jiro take 10 for a result of 20?

Climbing at 1/4 speed or 5' per round means you will need 40 climb checks to get to the lowest branches that might have the flower.

GM: Follow-up question regarding pitons - technically speaking pitons have to be used on a "wall". Yet there is no specific modifier for pitons in general (if we had any), it just says the DC is "15". The "Climb" skill has multiple "wall" types - theoretically they can all have pitons; but all a piton does is set the DC to 15. That's cool if the base DC is 30; but if the base DC is already 10 (such as a "very rough wall") - than that seems to suggest that a piton would actually make the climb check harder. That doesn't seem right, though.

Also, can a piton be used on a tree? Or does it need something more solid like stone? We don't have them, but if we ever get them, I'd kind of like to be prepared for the future.

Thank you.

They can climb at half speed which amounts to the same thing, 14 rounds, but that ups the dc to 25.

I'm not going to up the dc... i'll go slower and with Rain, assuming she's up for it

Wasnt meaning to up the dc but just double move so they have the time to search and maybe have bull strength still up as they descend but either way good luck you two.

pitons can be used on trees definitely. I think they should be used as a modifier instead of a dc in and of themselves. Maybe they make it easier by 3 or something.

pitons can be used on trees definitely. I think they should be used as a modifier instead of a dc in and of themselves. Maybe they make it easier by 3 or something.

Hmm... I don't know... I think I would rather not take the +3 modifier, than. Could it be higher than a +3?

As it stands; if we were climbing up a "Natural Rock Wall or Brick Wall" with a DC of 25; and it was slippery - that means it would be a DC of 30. Pitons cuts that DC in half by setting it to a DC of 15.

On the other hand, if we were trying to climb a Brick Wall with only a +3 Modifier, that means that Seijiro would need a natural 20 with pitons to get up five feet; and it would take him a minute per piton.

The reason I asked about pitons on a tree was because I assumed that a tree was too "soft" (via wood) to use them. I wasn't sure how strict a reading you were using on the pitons in general. However, if we can use pitons, than I will carry them in the future for sure.

It's all academic now, since we don't have any, but I'm just trying to figure out what's up for later.

I'm not going to up the dc... i'll go slower and with Rain, assuming she's up for it

I'm up for it.

So we are going to climb at 1/4 speed or 5' per round, getting us to the lowest branches near the flower, making 40 climb checks?

Variel, I'll take the Bull's Strength - thanks.

So I'm a little confused- we do have the vines around the trunk to assist us, so what is the dc going slow (1/4 speed)?

So I'm a little confused- we do have the vines around the trunk to assist us, so what is the dc going slow (1/4 speed)?

The GM suggested the vines may not be stable. If you use them, they may break.

On other hand - you are pretty light, so they may hold under your weight.

I'm guessing the vines are equal to a "Knotted Rope against a wall" - DC to climb a standard 5 - with a +5 for being slippery. If you were going at a faster speed of -5. That should net your total DC to a 15, and it should mean (I think) that you'd get done in 14 checks instead of 40; as you'd be moving speed of 15, not 5.

Can anyone cast "Haste" on Seijiro? And would "Enlarge" make it easier for him to move up faster?

Just curious is all...

Immortal mentioned accelerated climbing is a dc 25 so normal climbing should be a dc 20. Bulls strength on you Rain. Will mark it off. Once you guys are finished just jump down and Variel will Featherfall you to the ground.

Yes you have the vines to assist you...however you may find that not all of them are secure. How that works will be a percentage chance that one of them will give way while climbing. That said, it will reduce the DC of the climb by 5 if you use them. So it's a risk/reward thing.

A question, if I may. Why can't Dhaavan's thrush, Jack, fly up there and the get the flower for us?

He can go and look for it, which is a really good idea to make sure you are climbing the right tree ;-) but he's not going to be able to get the flower and roots out of the tree with his strength and lack of tools.

see Manticore vs Jack last encounter... Might not end well..

Rain has rope in her backpack. If she climb to a certain level, can she not use the rope to secure herself to a branch in case the vine breaks or at least, get up a level then send the tied rope down to Jiro and help him up per level/branch?

Okay, so does that make the DC 20 or 15 then?

The roots? I presumed the flower grew on/from the tree, so why the need for roots? Or is the flower like a vine that grows up along the tree, with its own root system? Because if it's just a flower, can't Jack use his beak to bite it off the stem?

At the very least, Jack can fly up and make sure the tree we want to climb doesn have the flower we need. Dhaavan's gne for the night, so we may need to wait on him to see if he approves the plan.

A question, if I may. Why can't Dhaavan's thrush, Jack, fly up there and the get the flower for us?

I'm guessing he could - and if not Jack, Dhaavan could summon a creature to carry a rope up, or something like that.

This is pretty confusing to me, actually. For example, I'm also not sure why climbing vines would be at a DC of 25. Since they are slippery, that means that the vines Base DC is 15 (+5 for slippery, +5 for faster climbing). But that would make sense only if Seijiro was climbing the tree; not the vines; because the base DC for a tree is already 15.

A lot of what we've been dealing with here is pretty confusing to me, though. But as for sending either Jack or Tomo - or a summoned creature, such as a small air elemental to rip off a branch or two - I don't know why it wouldn't work. But I guess we'll have to see what the GM decides.

Seijiro will use the vines to reduce his climb check to a dc of 15, and test each one before putting his full 106 lb weight at the mercy of any single vine. Of course he'll be climbing normally as well as using the vines, so hopefully have a chance of catching himself if a vine does give way. THat said, with the bull's strength, all of his climb checks so far should be good.

Imm, let me know what else I need to roll for the vines or whatever... :)

I wish TOmo were smarter - he has a climb speed, and hands, sort of, but not sure he's smart enough to identify a specific flower

I wish TOmo were smarter - he has a climb speed, and hands, sort of, but not sure he's smart enough to identify a specific flower

Yeah, my hope was that we could sort of tie ropes together and he could just drape them over a tree branch for you to grab each end and climb up. But it looks like you made it anyway, so it's all good.

You can but the lowest branches are 200 feet off the ground. It looks something like this except a bit less pine tree in shape.

awesome pic. doesn't look like an easy climb for sure, but I don't think we have a total of 200 feet of rope, so climbing is it I guess.

You can but the lowest branches are 200 feet off the ground. It looks something like this except a bit less pine tree in shape.

It's all good, though. It seems Seijiro is up. The whole thing does confuse me, though.

Still not sure why an axe cutting into ice works, not wood - not about why the DC to climb the vines was the same for the tree - and not sure why there is a fixed variable for pitons (though you did say you were looking into that, so that's cool). I always thought "Climb" was such an easy and basic skill; this is pretty crazy, though. I'm also not sure why they keep wasting our time with a "1/4" move speed instead of just saying "5 feet". It's such a tease!

Too bad Seijiro didn't have the "tumble" skill, though - I've heard that's good for getting up walls... ;)

EDIT: Rain - that is a crazy lot of climb checks - kick ass job, though!

Honestly, I have no idea now whether you want Rain to climb up or not. I put up the checks in case. Just let me know, please.

Yes, Rain - My understanding is we are both climbing up.