let me check
I found it and I moved up.
I found it and I moved up.
It's fixed! Free dragon breath for everyone! :)
She already got me
She already got me
I'm dragon breath intolerant
This is really an interesting take and such a departure from the Chronicles, I like it!
This is really an interesting take and such a departure from the Chronicles, I like it!
Agreed! I was actually pretty shocked that Goldmoon died!
Hey, I am trying to find Wayreth to take the test, it's not my fault the War of the Lance started! :-)
depending on how things turn out it is a very different event in the River of Time, if the cleric of Paladine comes first, the Prophet before Mishakel and the worship of Kiri-Jolith is quicker to return thatn what took place in the regular DL canon
I've never read the books (blasphemy, i know) so this is all gravy!
We shall burn thee at the stake.
We are doing Max Hp correct?
We are doing Max Hp correct?
We are indeed.
Wizard 6. Belt of Mighty Constitution is my pick from the horde, can we "bank" value not taken now for the next wealth by level increase?
So uh, Jakun won't be getting any sleep as he reads the spellbook, what's in it? :-)
This is really an interesting take and such a departure from the Chronicles, I like it!Agreed! I was actually pretty shocked that Goldmoon died!
You've managed to do pretty well at following the books' path to this point, but it's not the only option available on either side of the screen. I mean look at these minotaurs! And the half-elf is a woman! :)
Automatic Bonus Progression: Because I forgot.
I was just now reminded that we decided on using automatic bonus progression way back in the day. That means:
1) Your wealth by level is cut in half. So right now you've got 8,000gp to spend on whatever you like.
2) You in lieu of that half of WBL instead receive these bonuses. They replace the standard +X magic items, basically.
3) But with a twist! The progression as written gives casters their +ability items first and makes martials wait. That stinks. You may take the +X to ability for the stat category more useful to your PC first, swapping its progression with that of the other.
As of 6th level, everyone has:
+1 resistance bonus to all your saves
+1 enhancement bonus to one weapon
+1 enhancement bonus to ac from one suit of armor (which can include completely mundane, non-armor clothes)
+1 deflection bonus to AC
And physical or mental prowess, which grants +2 to the ability score of your choice.
Sorry I forgot. It's been forever since we talked about it and this is the first actual level-up we've done.
So if I wanted to, and I got my pearly white robes, I could give the +1 enhancement to them?
I need to see how to play around with this in Herolab but I am backing up my computer because this one is on its last legs an I got a new one.
So if I wanted to, and I got my pearly white robes, I could give the +1 enhancement to them?
You can do exactly that. Any sort of clothing from Lord Soth's frilly underthings to Sturm's breastplate counts as armor for ABP's armor attunement.
What happens if we find a longsword +2 and all I have is a +1?
I'd do this in PMs, but then I'd forget I'd done it and never find the post again. So here we are. This is mostly for Jakun, but you can look in if you want the curtain pulled back some.
There's no rules anywhere for Fisty's spellbook, which is totally what this is. You know it; I know it; the kender has no idea. This is very much a first draft open for comment.
Design goals:
Emulate the ability to learn magic outside of the box your order puts you in, but with the consequences seen in the books.
Do so without making Order affiliation trivial.
Create a temptation toward the Dark Arts.
Do all the previous in a way that can involve the rest of the party as well.
Not break the game.
Right then, rules:
1) It is a spellbook. It's got spells in it, but no abjurations or divinations.
2) You can learn spells from it. The first one is free. Just add it to the automatic two you get every level-up. This can be from any school except the two prohibited above and additionally cannot be from a school prohibited to you by your own specialization choices.
3) You can learn another two, but these spells must be from enchantment or necromancy. You can learn, prepare, and cast them despite any prohibitions from class or prestige class. Learning is safe. Preparing is safe. Casting is not. When you cast these spells, you perform an act of worship to Nuitari and act in contravention both of your alignment and the magical forces with which you're otherwise most attuned. This is not something one's mind or body are really prepared for. As part of the act of casting, you make a Fort save, DC 10+2*spell level. (So 14 for a first level spell.)
If you fail, you lose the spell and take 1d6+spell level wisdom damage plus 1d4 constitution drain. The wis damage can be healed by any of the usual methods. Healing the Constitution drain requires an atonement spell cast by a priest of a good god followed by a break enchantment spell. (For purposes of break enchantment, this curse has a caster level of 20.) Alternatively, you can accept an alignment shift toward evil and become a member of the black robes if you've gone all the way. This avoids all damage and drain, as well as successfully casts the spell. That's not necessarily a make-a-new-PC consequence, but it would need to be RPed out.
This spellbook can supply spells of up to 4th level. Other spellbooks in the set may hold greater secrets and perils.
What happens if we find a longsword +2 and all I have is a +1?
+X longswords (and other such items) don't exist in the game anymore. The automatic bonuses replace their fucntionality. You might find a flaming longsword or something, but not one with a generic bonus. The idea is that you don't need to swap out old weapons. You'll eventually get another point (or more) of weapon attunement that you can devote to the same blade, a separate one, or to a new physical weapon you flavor in or find.
Level up stuff: Int vs Wis, that's a hard choice! I went with wis because dominate person on Caitlyn would be kinda scary.
Items: I'll get back to this
New rage power: Savage Dirty Trick -- this should be a lot of fun to describe and actually kinda useful.
Ok so the magic item to increase Con is bye bye and I should pick something else, got it. Will finish that later.
As for the book, love the flavor DM!
Level up stuff: Int vs Wis, that's a hard choice! I went with wis because dominate person on Caitlyn would be kinda scary.
Items: I'll get back to this
New rage power: Savage Dirty Trick -- this should be a lot of fun to describe and actually kinda useful.
Heh, I just took dirty trick myself! It'll be fun! Pants dropping for the win!!!!
I will wait to see which one I do since I want to see what transfers from my backup for my computer and to see if my Herolab stuff is saved. I printed her out just in case she was lost.
DM how aboutthis for the 1 free spell from Fist's spellbook.
School evocation [acid, cold, electricity, or fire]; Level alchemist 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a scale from dragon that produces the energy you seek to absorb)
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 10 minutes/level or until discharged; see text
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
Draconic reservoir functions as protection from energy, absorbing 6 points of one type of energy damage per caster level (acid, cold, electricity, or fire, maximum 60 points). Each round, as a swift action, the subject can release 1d6 points of the absorbed energy and apply it to any melee attack, as if using an acidic, flaming, frost, or shock weapon. The first creature the subject strikes with this attack takes the energy damage in addition to any other consequences of the attack. Releasing energy in this way does not "free up" space to absorb still more energy; the maximum amount of energy the spell can absorb remains fixed. The subject cannot release more energy than he currently has absorbed. Once the subject has absorbed all the energy allowed by the spell, he takes damage as normal from that energy type. Once the energy has been released, the spell is discharged.
Draconic reservoir does not stack with protection from energy. Draconic reservoir overlaps (and does not stack with) resist energy. If a character is warded by draconic reservoir and resist energy, draconic reservoir absorbs damage until it reaches its maximum limit.
DM how aboutthis for the 1 free spell from Fist's spellbook.
** spoiler omitted **
Looks good to me...but are you sure you're going to face a lot of energy damage? :)
Looks good to me...but are you sure you're going to face a lot of energy damage? :)DM how aboutthis for the 1 free spell from Fist's spellbook.
** spoiler omitted **
Just a hunch... :-)
Sammel, I understand that many will not be easy to convert among the peoples, either in elves or Solamnics, but how would you like to go handle her attempts to convert people to the faith of the new gods, especially Paladine and Mishakel?
Jakun, I know a certain Black Robe renegade hunter that would love to find you and that spellbook!
Jakun, I know a certain Black Robe renegade hunter that would love to find you and that spellbook!
He hoping I pass the test and become a Black Robe? Now apprentice, its tradition to give your new master all of your spellbooks for his perusal...
I will be away from the boards for the next 2 days, bot me as necessary. I am leveled up and ready to go.
Sammel, I understand that many will not be easy to convert among the peoples, either in elves or Solamnics, but how would you like to go handle her attempts to convert people to the faith of the new gods, especially Paladine and Mishakel?
For important NPCs, it's probably something we'll play out. Diplomacy checks might be involved. For more mundane preaching, I'm content to handwave it.
So like Brian Donner in the Winter midules?
So like Brian Donner in the Winter midules?
Not sure how prominently I'll be using him just yet. He's quite a ways off. :)
maybe he wont die in this timeline!
I wonder what we should call our time line?
maybe he wont die in this timeline!
I wonder what we should call our time line?
Rise of the Minotaur? Has a nice ring tot it :-)
DM, the two spells I will learn from Fists' books are - Vampiric Touch (Necromancy I know an Opposition school but has the flavor for what Fist is trying to do to me!) and
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/wizard 5
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: Nonmagic quarterstaff touched
Duration: Permanent until discharged (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)
Spells you can normally cast may be placed into a prepared quarterstaff. You can store a number of spell levels equal to your caster level, but no spell can be higher than 2nd level.
0-level spells cannot be stored within an arcane staff. A spell stored within the quarterstaff can be cast just as any other spell. It does not count against your normal allotment of spells for a given day. You use up any applicable material components and expend any experience cost to cast the spell when you store it in the staff. You cannot have more than one prepared arcane staff at any given time.
Focus: The masterwork quarterstaff that stores the spells.
maybe he wont die in this timeline!
I wonder what we should call our time line?
Rise of the Minotaur? Has a nice ring tot it :-)
DM, the two spells I will learn from Fists' books are - Vampiric Touch (Necromancy I know an Opposition school but has the flavor for what Fist is trying to do to me!) and
** spoiler omitted **
Those are good choices. I really like the Arcane Staff line of spells. I know they're from Towers of High Sorcery right now because I was just in the book, but I'm very likely to forget in the future. Do me a favor and put a note on it to that effect in your profile? Might save me confusion down the road.
So navigation. I've put a map up. You can discuss this IC if you want but I came here to avoid the big blue wall of ooc text.
You are presently in the ruins of Xak Tsaroth, in the middle of a swamp, Eastwall mountains between you and greater Abanasinia. You covered the distance from the Darken Wood by air, which is not an option this time. Qualinost is to the southwest. Wayreth is somewhat to the south of it.
You have a few different ways to get from A to B:
1) The direct route by land: You can cross the Eastwalls through the pass that you landed in when you came and then cut SW down the Broken Sageway. It's direct as the crow flies, more or less, but it is all over land and some of it without the benefit of any trail.
1b)If you like, this would also be a good chance to call back in Solace and see how things are. It's not too far out of your way, really. Solace has some trade with the elves, so you may be able to hitch a ride on a caravan.
2) By land and water. Much like previous, but instead of the Sageway you go across to the road linking Solace, Que-Teh, and Que-Kiri and follow it to the White-Rage River, where you can either make a raft or see about hiring a vessel
3) By mainly water. You can either skirt the Eastwalls and Dire Wood in a southerly direction and come out at New Ports, or cross the mountains and go straight down there, where you might be able to hire a ship to get you to Qualinost. You'd be going upriver here, so just making a raft isn't feasible.
Or something I didn't think of. That's why the map's up. :)
Those are good choices. I really like the Arcane Staff line of spells. I know they're from Towers of High Sorcery right now because I was just in the book, but I'm very likely to forget in the future. Do me a favor and put a note on it to that effect in your profile? Might save me confusion down the road.
Done.
This spell I will learn on the second night of Overland Travel as the first night I would have added the other spell.
I say overland, direct as possible.
DM, I think it is important for Jakun to take his Test, however, how would that work out for the rest of us?
ditto direct and overland
DM, I think it is important for Jakun to take his Test, however, how would that work out for the rest of us?
Playing out the full version where you do every possible test and exhaust your spells again and again would probably take an age or two. But we can abstract that out quite a bit.
How much so? The maximum version would probably be that I work out some narrative encounters with Jakun via PMs and then stitch it together into a single post. The wizards will let you watch if you want, after all.
The extreme opposite would be running a full-on mini adventure with everyone involved. It's right there in the rules that companions can enter the Test and help, but do so at their own peril.
In between we might have something like narrative encounters with a few die rolls here and there. Say between 5 and 10 of 'em, possibly culminating in a full-on battle.
Which option we take will depend heavily on how much the group in general is interested in playing through, since it's no fun to sit for a few weeks while someone else's character does stuff even if it is a big deal for that one PC.
Is there a way to do it off screen while we are doing stuff?
i am good with all options, but prefer the one where THistletorp gets to be awesome and sneaky
Is there a way to do it off screen while we are doing stuff?
Simultaneous role-playing scenes, yes. Big, plot-advancing things? Not so much. I think it would be pretty hard to fully play out both sides of a split without getting into weird continuity issues.
For encounters in the test, I'm not picturing big dice fests except maybe at the end. Things would resolve in prose. So those 5-10 encounters might be no more than that many posts.
Tossing this here entirely because I had to reconstruct it and it'll be easier to find when next I have to reconstruct it. :)
Refresher rules: On clear ground, Thistletorp limits the group to 16 miles in a day's travel unless you try forced marches. When you were on a clock that was a possibility, but now there's no IC reason to hurry just for its own sake. I'm also doing a lot of rounding here to make the calculations easier.
Itinerary to Date
Autumn Harvest 13, Day 1
Party meets Goldmoon, flees Solace with her. Camps in a cave by the lake.
Autumn Harvest 14, Day 2
The party leave the cave and enter the Darken Wood. They meet undead, centaurs, and the Forestmaster. He sends them on to the Eastwall Mountains by pegasus. You arrive at Midnight and take a rest around 2 AM.
Autumn Harvest 15, Day 3
You reach the foot of Forsaken Pass, and thus the swamp, around dusk. The party press on and half get captured by draconians and taken to Xak Tsaroth. Rescue ensues and further exploring into the late night.
Autumn Harvest 16, Day 4
The first clash with Onyx. You meet a goddess. No big. After some exploration you go meet the gully dwarves and arrange for a nap.
Autumn Harvest 17, Day 5
You go the secret way to Onyx. Goldmoon becomes dragon chow. Mariel kills a dragon. The gods come back. Flight, rest and recovery.
Autumn Harvest 18, Day 6
The present day when I started this post. It's 20 miles from XT to the foot of Forsaken pass, most of it through swamp. That swamp is largely trackless, or rough enough that it might as well be unless you want to take a swim. You can do 8 miles a day through it. Two days to the foot of the pass, the 18th and 19th.
Autumn Harvest 20, Day 8
The party traverses Forsaken Pass. Mountains with a trail, so you can do 12 miles a day. It's about 20 miles across. Call it a day and a half.
Autumn Harvest 21, Day 9
It's noon on this day when the scene in the IC thread begins.