I believe I'll be traveling Sunday and Wednesday to visit my folks. I expect to have time to update Monday and Tuesday, though am not 100 percent sure I will.
I'm guessing from the way you wrote it but just making sure: 25 missed her touch AC? Or did something else happen there?
She has uncanny dodge and Deflect Arrows.
Aha! Makes sense. Thanks.
Btw, Vashta, since Dodging Panache takes an immediate action I don't think you can go out and your stare in the same round.
Hmm. I'd have said it would take the next turn's swift action (though I'm fine if the GM wants to rule that I can't do both): Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a swift action and counts as your swift action for that turn. You cannot use another immediate action or a swift action until after your next turn if you have used an immediate action when it is not currently your turn (effectively, using an immediate action before your turn is equivalent to using your swift action for the coming turn). You also cannot use an immediate action if you are flat-footed.
(And now I'm heading out...)
Ahhhh, you may well be right. Thanks.
I plan to pick somebody new by the end of the week. I gave those who still haven't finished until Saturday to complete their characters.
If you could each PM me your choice/preference among the hopeful recruits as well a short explanation for why by the end of the week, I'd really appreciate it.
The recruitment thread is here.
Remember to post your level's gains here in the Discussion thread.
Hold off on buying anything until you meet back up with Ulf. He has a list of items that can make your trip across the Crown of the World easier, and you can choose to spend some of your party loot on these items if you so choose.
Calder.
Ranger 3.
HP 6 + (2 Con) = 8.
Bonus feat - Endurance.
Favored terrain - Cold.
Skills: 8.
Climb + 1.
Handle Animal + 1
Intimidate + 1
Knowledge Dungeoneering + 1.
Knowledge Geography + 1.
Knowledge Nature + 1
Stealth + 1.
Survival + 1.
Looking over the loot I'd say Give the Lesser Bracers of Archery to Shalelu. She's the only dedicated archer we have.
Calder doesn't really want anything there, so people grab what they want and we sell the rest. Calder wants to buy better and lighter armor, and so is after the money. :)
Calder gets another feat and 2 bonus background skills as well.
Vashta's advancement (going for another level of mesmerist, but at some point I think I'm going to take a few levels of swashbuckler -- didn't feel like she was ready in character to make that move yet; probably next level or the one after it):
+7 hp (+5 for mesmerist, +2 Con)
+1 BAB
+8 skills (+2 background):
+1 Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Spellcraft, Sense Motive, Stealth, UMD
+1 Know (history and nobility)
Feat: Greater Spell Focus (enchantment)
Bold Stare: Psychic inception (works against mindless critters)
+1 3rd-level spell/day (+1 for Cha, for 2 total)
+1 1st-level spell known (see below), +2 3rd-level spells known (jester's jaunt and terrible remorse)
--
Also, I noticed I've inadvertently been cheating ... I seem to have taken my favored class bonuses to add spells known, but that's the psychic's favored class bonus, not the mesmerist's. I can't find anything that would have let me do that, so I'm removing two first-level spells (I'd remove 3 for the cheating but I get one new one this level so it's two total: polypurpose panacea and charm person, since I think those are the two I've not used yet in the campaign) and adding 3 skill ranks in their place (+1 Disguise, Spellcraft, Stealth). Sorry about that!
As for the loot, none of that's really up Vashta's alley. The dagger would probably be the most useful, but she's not really inclined to use poison.
That said, the ammunition and scroll could be worth holding onto.
And that katana seems decent. ;)
--
Also, in addition to items Ulf has, Vashta can craft wondrous items while we're traveling. If there's anything anyone would like, I'd be happy to whip it up. (I could also, if Lein's willing, see about making some custom items.)
Suishen is a +2 defending flaming burst katana. It wards its wielder with endure elements for as long as they carry him. As an intelligent item, it also has access to a range of SLAs.
I'm also going to level up Sandru and Shalelu, as you brought them on the last few encounters.
Does anyone have a new favored enemy suggestion for Shalelu?
Does anyone have a feat suggestion for Sandru?
I wonder if Calder should take Katana proficiency? Unless it's going to Ameiko, he seems like the logical person!
I think the katana, RP wise, it belongs to Ameiko.
I will post a Gameplay post asap. Work been busy. And holiday weekend to boot.
Also, y'all keep in mind Tallak can craft armor, as well as has the feat Craft (Arms and Armor)
I've selected a player - Hattori Aiko, a ninja and one of Ameiko's childhood friends.
Nice. Welcome aboard, Aiko.
As for favored enemy, I'd suggest outsider after dealing with the oni. (No idea, though, if we'll see more of them.) Not sure about a feat for Sandru; was going to suggest True Love, but that doesn't seem quite right. ;)
And I agree it seems like Ameiko should get the katana.
Cleric 7
HP Gain = 7
Feat - Craft Wand
Skills: 6
+1 to Perception, Handle Animal, Spellcraft, Craft (Armor), Craft (Weapons), Survival
+1 1st level spell, +1 4th level spell
+1 BAB
Channel 4d6
And I think that does it...right?
Oh yeah: changing my animal companion, but that will come shortly.
Man, we got all sorts of crafting possibilities going on...
Ok, new companion done.
Anyone have better luck than me finding a cool image of an armored white tiger?
Hello and thank you for the welcome! Please don't kill me when I appear in a puff of smoke. :)
Welcome aboard.
Calder wonders if there is anyone actually left in Sandpoint?
Calder Fighter 4/Ranger 3.
Feat. Vital strike.
Skills (Background)
Craft (Armor) + 1.
Profession (Sailor) + 1.
BAB + 1.
Just the missing details.
I see you got some interesting loot. While I don't necessarily have a good way to buy in right now, in the future that ninja jumper and the super-fast poison dagger might be good for me... when I am able to get a share of treasure down the road and buy them. ;)
Oki, now that you're here Hattori, I've got a few things to explain about how this game is run.
- - -
First, dicerolls! When you have conditional modifiers to your dice rolls, I like those spelled out in the individual dice roll.
For example, if you're affected by heightened awareness and a Wisdom cognatogen, but you happen to also be grazed (between 3/4 and 1/2 health), you roll Perception like this:
This helps me confirm how you get your modifier totals.
- - -
Second, Initiative. This will be easy to get once it happens, but I keep track of initiative in the smaller campaign info tab, so that it appears at the top of the page. I also keep track of statuses.
The campaign info tab is filled with good and relevant information. I keep track of statuses, health pools, NPCs, the important allies, and more. There is a link to our loot page, a Google doc.
What I believe we are planning to do for loot (to encourage people to take cool items when they show up) is that you just don't get money from sold items until everyone has about the same amount of loot.
We use maps hosted on Google drive, which everyone can edit. I try to make them make sense. Please only move your own token.
Roger that chief!
Ok, new companion done.
Anyone have better luck than me finding a cool image of an armored white tiger?
Ok Hattori - How do you want to be introduced?
Btw personal name is Aiko - Hattori is the family name. Japanese style.
While it's pre-planned, the intro that fits the current theme is Aiko rushing to catch up, so she arrives in full ninja mode, which of course is not doing any favors. Party is probably like "Great, yet another jerk ninja" and she has to do some quick tap-dancing to avoid getting stabbed and show "Don't kill me, I'm on your side!"
Right. I know that.
Okay, so... should I just leave it up to you then?
Ok! Will do boss!
Leinathan:
So I'm interested in converting the Rhino Hide armor into barding for the tiger. Seeing as it is Medium armor, I'm kinda thinking maybe I could use it primarily as a base layer for the boarding, and supplement it with some metal bits (cosmetics, still mechanically Rhino Hide). That okay with you, and if so, what would it cost me to make those adjustments, in both time and coinage?
Also could I have something made akin to Boots of Striding and Springing for the tiger? Maybe like cuffs around the ankles? That way it'd be just as fast as a horse in barding.
Also, I'll need an Exotic Military Saddle for it, can I buy that here?
I don't know about how long it would take - a week or two, probably? I'm gonna say it would cost 1,000gp to make that adjustment.
I also wanna put Ulf's suggestions here:
He says that the most successful caravan he ever guided was made up of several Night Monarch's Vardos, and that if you have the coin, getting one would be good.
On the High Ice, even endure elements doesn't work, and some scrolls of tiny hut or mage's magnificent mansion could help you survive the very coldest of nights.
Making sure that everyone has food for the whole time that you are there can be one of the hardest things... while there are people up on the High Ice, and there is game to find, starvation is a very real threat. Therefore, rings of sustenance would be a wise purchase. Either that, or bags of holding to store even more food.
In addition to magical gear, making sure that you have things like shovels, ten foot poles, collapsible bridges, snowshoes, cold-weather clothing, tents, blankets, potions of lesser restoration to temporarily shake off frostbite, and other mundane gear to help survival. Rope, pitons, and grappling hooks are basically required.
A Tian caravan that he once guided carried a sashimono of comfort with it, and Ulf allows that it helped camping down a lot.
Boots of the winterlands for everyone would be helpful as well, but especially for anyone that will be involved in combat. The snow can really slow someone down, and battling a creature evolved to hunt in the snow can be difficult when you can't move.
Potions, wands, or scrolls of protection from energy can be helpful as well. The remorhaz, with a belly full of lava, is the Crown's greatest common danger, and protection from energy can mean the difference between life and death if it manages to swallow you. In addition to that, many creatures use cold-damage attacks up on the Crown, and protecting yourself from those can save your life.
Everyone in the caravan will likely need to be warded with endure elements in some way. Ulf has known many of his wards to have died of frostbite overnight, or to have lost limbs from prolonged exposure to the cold. It's certainly possible for someone to survive without it, but Ulf himself knows that he wouldn't last 5 days if he had neither warm shelter nor the ability to cast it.
You can buy mostly anything in Kalsgard - it is a large city of over 70,000 inhabitants. 6th-level spells are available there, and items of up to 14,500gp can be found as well. There is a 75% chance that any single item worth 14,500gp or less is available in Kalsgard's markets.
Ulf suggests that the trip will take no fewer than 100 days, and he has heard of caravans that got stuck somewhere for months at a time, so a journey of up to a year is possible. He will go over the route with you when the time comes to depart.
OK, that could take a lot of money. How many people total are there in the caravan? 5 PCs, 6 allies, 5 hirelings for 16 total? How many wagons and mounts?
Looking at the loot list, here're my recommendations:
KEEP
Ring of counterspells [4,000gp] -- can be handed out to someone without a magic ring, though I think it's a tough magic item as you're just guessing what'll be used. Could also be traded in but only for half-price.
Stone salve x2 [8,000gp] -- might as well hold onto them. Give one to Clara, one to another random PC? (Maybe someone with a good Fort save so they're less likely to be turned to stone before we need it?)
Wand of flame arrow (9 charges) [2,025gp] -- I don't think we have any wizard/sorcerers with this on their spell list, but Vashta has a +13 UMD so could probably take 10 to activate it (out of combat, IIRC Lein's rules). Having flaming ammo could be good for Shalelu (I think our only archer). Not sure if someone else has a better UMD. Could also sell it...
Greater slaying arrow (magical beasts) [4,057gp] -- give to Shalelu
UNSURE
2 earthfire shuriken [800gp] -- for our new ninja? (that is meta-gaming a bit, so if no one previously in the group used shuriken, might be something to sell)
Shozoku of the night wind [12,000gp] -- see above. Could fund a lot of supplies.
Deadly kiss [10,302gp]
Scroll of planar binding [1,650gp] -- can anyone use this? Seems tough and not worth it with UMD...
1 black lotus extract [4,500gp] -- more for the ninja? (That said, might be kept by default as it's probably tough to sell.)
1 deathblade poison [1,800gp] -- See above
Elegant golden helm, a dormant cassisian angel -- do we have any way to wake it up? Is there any benefit to wearing it?
SELL
Oathtaker [18,540gp]
Large mwk composite longbow (+7 Str) [1,800gp]
Large mwk tatami-do [2,300gp]
jade statuette of a raven -- price?
--
So, assuming we get half price for all the "sell" items, that'd add 11,320 gp to gems/coins/party fund for a total of 27,395. We could buy a single night monarch vardo (hey, that was *my* first year in Superstar!) with it, but not sure that's the best value considering our numbers.
A wand of endure elements would be 750 -- and would last 2 days (I'm rounding off and assuming we have 25 horses/people in the caravan). That means 50 wands, which is more money than we have (37,500 gp) -- though I guess Tallak could craft as we go to cut that cost in half. I'm not quite sure the best solution here. I guess we could buy a ridiculous number of scrolls to cut the cost in half?
My recommendation: The sashimonos could be more cost-effective. Maybe we get a couple of those for nighttime, and rely on cold-weather outfits during the day (they can protect a few people in the caravan too, so could rotate some or assume the NPCs are covered -- which could let us stretch some wands for the PCs; if it's covering just 5 per day, a wand would last 10 days, which would mean we need 10 wands for 7,500 gp)?
Cold-weather outfits are 8 gp each, which is a nice, tidy 128 gp for everyone (that doesn't include horses -- I guess if we pair that with barding, it's four times the cost, so 32 gp per mount?).
That doesn't account for protection from energy spells. Maybe we get one wand for cold, one for fire? Tallak can cast it too, if need be. Also doesn't account for boots of the winterlands, potions of lesser restoration, etc.
I'm less concerned about food -- trail rations are 5 sp per day, which over 100 days is 50 gp per person. (Plus whatever for the horses.) Maybe we need to get a bag of holding to help carry some of that? Not sure. Tallak can also create food and water if necessary.
The night monarch vardo is interesting but how many people can it actually hold? It has three rooms. We also have to make sure the horses/sled dogs/tauntauns don't die from the cold and they're probably not going into the vardo, either. Plus our DM mentioned above that the cold on the High Ice is so intense that even endure elements won't protect against it. The advantage is the extradimensional space can carry more stuff, at least. If we did do the magic vardo we might wanna try to get a figurine to pull it so that it's not a natural animal pulling the wagon, and thus less likely to suddenly fall over dead and leave us stranded.
There's also the expedition pavilion, which has several advantages: While you're inside it you can't be seen from outside, it has a covered 10x10 space but inside it's 30x30, and it has the temperature-moderation abilities as well (so even if it's, say, -20 degrees outside, it's still a chilly but survivable 50 degrees inside the pavilion). It costs 6,400 gp, so it's cheaper than the vardo, and you could presumably shelter horses under it.
One other issue that long-range arctic expeditions often forget is firewood. You can't count on finding anything that you can burn while crossing arctic sheet ice. We will likely have to bring several cords of firewood with us, or else have a way to generate lasting magical fire that creates heat, if we want to be able to cook, melt water, thaw out frozen people, or keep a campsite warm. (Two or three campfire beads might help here, at 720 gp a pop.)
Nice finds, Aiko. Those could both be good options (the pavilions and beads).
Oh, and I read more on the campaign tab (that's what I get for looking at just the first parts) and saw the caravan is made up of two supply wagons, a fortune-teller's wagon, and a passenger wagon. Ten people can ride inside of the wagons at a time as passengers.
Still not sure how many horses, though. Looks like 2-8 are generally required, depending on size.
If we got four sashimonos, that would be 9,600 gp. We could still get a pavilion too, but not sure we'd need to.
I agree that the sashimonos are really useful - if we can get enough of them - especially because once we stop the wagons for the night we can plant them in the ground and it creates an area of comfort around them (four sashimonos would make an area a little less than 60' across, which is a plenty-spacious campsite; and that's how many we'd need for all four wagons, anyway). The campfire beads are probably still useful because we need fire for normal business like cooking.
Other fun fact: During the siege of Stalingrad in WW2, when the Germans invaded Russia in the worst winter that it had seen in a century, soldiers died while leaving their trenches to relieve themselves. The cold was so intense that just doing your bathroom business was enough for you to freeze to death. So, yeah, being able to resist cold is kinda a big deal!
Some communal resist energy might go a long way if we expect to fight remorhazes or cold-using monsters.
Four horses per wagon.
Each supply wagon can hold 1,200 pounds of things. Your wagon train can hold 200 days of food if you store little else.
Shalelu owns a campfire bead.
Oh yeah. Food for the horses. Can't graze on ice. Have to carry hundreds of days of grain and hay.
You can also downsize if you want to. Or change things up.
I don't plan to micromanage. I just think planning for a trip this dangerous is a big part of it.
Also I meant 200 days for all of the humans. 3000 pounds of food.
Question, weren't some of us getting wages?
Remember that you can craft Wondrous Items, Wands, and arms and armor at 1/2 price, and are on no time limit to leave Kalsgard any longer. You can take as much downtime before you leave as you deem necessary.
Also, Koya can ward 4 people with endure elements per day, if she uses up all of her non-domain 1st-level spells, and Shalelu, Ukshakka, and Ulf can all get themselves. Also, Tallak has boots of the winterlands, which provide for that purpose. That means that, provided you're okay with Koya using her spells in this way, half of the party is covered by endure elements by default.
Calder, I suppose it's true that yourself and the hireling NPCs would have been receiving wages. They wouldn't be very high... most of the money gain from a caravan is in the share of the profits that you get when the caravan sells its goods. Sandru would pay for your food, some small entertainment, and lodging. On the road, that doesn't mean much though.
I also would like us to figure out what we're doing with the loot before we move on to the next thing. Please post whether you'd like any of the loot items and whether you think it's fair to reserve one or both of the cool ninja items for Aiko, and then we can sell everything else? If that's ok?
And maybe post a wish-list if you have it?
I see none of it I'd want, and am fine with Aiko taking a share, assuming she's proven a loyal ally to the cause ;-P
Also, technically I could ward 13 people with Endure Elements a day as well, if I used every spell slot exclusively for that.
I also will want a Ring of Sustenance, at the very least.
Also, if funding is available, I'd like a form of a combination item of both Horseshoes of Speed and of the Zephyr for my tiger. This would let him handle walking snow walking easily, and move quicker. By my math, that's cost 10,500 gold, or 5,250 if someone could craft it for me. Not sure what our individual cuts would be to know if this is feasible though.
At work. Will post more when I get time and more info.
Shalelu level 7, ranger 5
BAB +1, HP + 9 (6 + 2 CON + 1 FC)
+7 skill points (6 ranger, 1 Int)
- +1 rank to: Acrobatics, Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (planes), Perception, Stealth, Survival, Swim
+1 1st-level spell/day (daily prepared: endure elements and resist energy)
+1 Feat: Stabbing Shot
+1 favored enemy: outsider (native) ; goblinoid raises to +4
Sandru level 5, unchained rogue 5
HP +7 (5 + 1 CON + 1 FC)
+9 skill ranks (8 rogue, 1 human)
- +1 rank to: Acrobatics, Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Handle Animal, Perception, Profession (merchant), Sleight of Hand
+1 feat: Amateur Swashbuckler
+1d6 sneak attack (total 3d6)
+ rogue's edge (profession (merchant))
Since nobody said anything about the four items that Vashta indicated to sell, I've removed them from the item tracker and added their value in gold to the gold pile. The jade statuette sold for 50gp.
You cannot find a buyer for the poison here in Kalsgard. Generally, Ulfen people are not okay with such underhanded tactics.
The dormant cassisian angel was part of a previous loot pile and can be awakened if you take the time to figure out how to do it. When wearing it you gain the benefits of protection from evil.
I also wanted to explain that I'm going to China on Wednesday! Paizo isn't blocked or anything there, but I may not be available for a couple of days while I figure out wi-fi and my new job and stuff.
I'm also going to re-train Ameiko's rogue level into a ninja level, as Suishen teaches her how to use itself. I am also going to explain some of the information that Suishen has for you about the doom that befell the Amatatsu family when Aiko's introduction is done.
Oh, and I added a link to the Google doc where I keep the NPC stats.
Cool. Good luck/have fun in China!
So, I don't think the math is working out on this caravan, especially when we get to the food issues (see below)... We could reduce the number of wagons to help perhaps, but then fewer people are able to ride in wagons, which might add costs elsewhere.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Koya can ward 4 people with endure elements per day, if she uses up all of her non-domain 1st-level spells, and Shalelu, Ukshakka, and Ulf can all get themselves. Also, Tallak has boots of the winterlands, which provide for that purpose. That means that, provided you're okay with Koya using her spells in this way, half of the party is covered by endure elements by default.
OK, this changes the math a lot. I think it would mean that Koya could ward each of the four PCs every day, while Tallak's boots cover him. If we have the four sashimonos, that would cover everyone -- maybe we get one or two wands for when Sandru and Ameiko need to go out too (plus we can use a couple spells from Tallak, though I don't think we should do that exclusively). If Tallak crafts two wands, this would all cost 10,350 gp.
I *think* that deals with the basic cold issues. (I don't think we want Tallak using all his spells for this problem.)
FOOD
Food/space remains an issue.
Dealing with human food isn't too bad. I'm guessing it will cost around 800-1,500 gp (per my earlier calculations or using Leinathan's weight figures: 1 day's worth of trail rations is 1 lb, so 3,000 of that times 5 sp....) We could cut some of that by dropping to 100 days worth of food (or 150).
That doesn't count horse food for 16 wagon horses (plus do we have individual mounts? I know Vashta does). I'm going to round up to 20 horses/tigers to make the math a little easier -- 1 day's worth of feed costs 5 cp, so that's 1 gp per day (no big deal) but a LOT of weight (200 pounds per day worth of feed, times 100 days is 20,000 pounds of food! That's more than we can carry).
We can find ways to cut the weight/space of food, but I'm not sure we can afford them all:
If Calder devotes a single third-level spell per day, he can create food and water for ALL the humans or 7 horses. That could let us cut the weight of horse food to 13,000 pounds (or save 1,500 gp on human food). but that's still way too much for the caravan.
Creating a wand of create food and water would cost 5,625 gp. One wand could feed all the horses for about 25 days, so we'd need at least four (22,500 gp).
A type IV back of holding could contain 1,500 lbs., which doesn't really help with the animal feed. It could hold most of the human food, though, so we could carry some cargo. Not sure how important that is to anyone or if we're just trying to get across the Crown of the World. It costs 10,000 gp, which means we probably can't afford that (but if we're not looking to make a profit on this voyage, that doesn't really matter).
OTHER CONCERNS
* Do we want/need a second campfire bead? 720 gp.
* Boots of the Winterlands are 2,500 each if we want to get more. My inclination would be to say people can decide individually, but we haven't really divvied up any money out of the party fund.
* Protection from energy? Tallak could make another wand. If Clara can add it to her formula book, she could also make a handful of potions, doing that while Tallak is making his endure elements wands.
* Ring of sustenance is 2,500 gp. IMO, it's not cost effective in this situation (again I'd be inclined to say if Tallak wants to buy one, he could do so with his own money, but it's not looking like we're going to have any money to disburse to individual characters).
* Tiger tracks: I don't see how this is affordable at this point if we're having to spend probably 20,000-30,000 gp on food and effectively shelter right now.
TO SUM UP
10,350 gp would get us four sashimonos, plus two wands of endure elements
24,000 gp should cover costs of food for people and mounts (but leave us no space in the caravan for other trade goods)
That's 34,350 (with no protection from elements, boots, campfire bead, ring of sustenance or tiger tracks, or anything else), which is 6,000 more than we have in party funds. We could sell a couple other things (the stone salve and ring of counterspells) to cover that.
At any rate, I'm open to suggestions if there's something I'm missing. (One thought: Can we co-craft? I don't have most of the spells needed, but if I could craft with Koya, we could halve the price of the sashimonos, for instance, saving us 4,800 gp. I thought there was a rule for that, but I'm not finding it.)
---
Vashta's crafting
Vashta's got Craft Wondrous Item, but with her spell list, I'm not sure she can help with any of these essentials (I could make people unaware of the effects of cold/hunger if the GM wants to stretch things a bit, but I'm not sure that would negate the need):
0: dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound (DC 13), lullaby (DC 15), prestidigitation, unwitting ally (DC 15)
1st: grease (DC 14), mental block (DC 16), murderous command (DC 16), sow thought (DC 16), vanish
2nd: aversion (DC 17), blindness/deafness (DC 15), detect thoughts (DC 15), glitterdust (DC 15)
3rd: jester's jaunt, terrible remorse (DC 18)
---
Wish list for GM
Vashta has nothing big on her wish list at the moment. Maybe a blouse of the boastful bastard, cloak of disarming, maybe a swordsmaster's flair. Long-term (though Vashta doesn't know this yet), she'd like a nice rapier so she can become a better swordswoman.
It seems like create food and water is the most efficient way to feed the horses and probably the people as well. Especially if you downsize a caravan.
Remember that you only need one solution for each problem - if you can find a way to cover the whole group with endure elements spells each day, for example, you don't need the sashimonos. If you have magical means of providing food, you don't need to buy it.
You can also hunt for food along the way, reducing your daily depletion of food stores. You have at least two people (Calder and Shalelu) who can do that on a daily basis and feed maybe a half-dozen people between them.
You don't need to pay for mundane things like snowshoes or trail rations out of your own pocket - Sandru has a pool of money that he uses to pay for caravan costs, but can't really afford wondrous items to outfit the caravan with.
You can co-craft with someone else. You can co-craft with any number of people, as long as all of the people helping with the crafting are present for each day of crafting. Also, Koya has Brew Potion, with which she can create cleric potions. As long as you provide her the money. Also, the benefit of potions is just in case someone who can't already cast the spell gets swallowed.
The specific circumstance that Ulf is talking about re: remorhazes is when his employer got swallowed by a remorhaz leaping out of the snow, and was dead in the 15 seconds it took Ulf to kill the beast and cut its belly open.
Also remember that you can get ~10,000 extra gold if you sell that ninja gear that nobody except Aiko wants, and yeah, you can sell the ring of counterspells or stone salve if you really need to.
sad as it is I think we should sell everything we found. Calder needs Boots of the Winterlands, and some lighter armor.
Since no one has done any trading perhaps downsizing the caravan is the best solution. With our party we can join another caravan offering them guards and magic.