Also, I'm back in the US, though still a few time zones from home. Sick as a dog, et-lagged, etc, so another day or so before things really begin to roll again.
Last thoughts on 5e, keep an eye out for my pulp sci-fi material, hopefully coming to an online retailer in about a year.
Hope you feel better soon, Nerk, and please take your time getting up to speed. I've found coming home from overseas travel is a lot harder than adjusting to wherever I travel to.
Let us know when your material comes out. I'd be happy to kick a few bucks towards your account. Will this be a game, fiction, or something else?
Welcome back to the states!
Yeah let us know when that comes out! Do you write freelance? Design things for fun and publish them?
Glad to hear you're nearing the end of your trip!
I got into the playtest of 5th early on and liked what I was seeing but I haven't really looked at it much since. I'm excited to see what they have done with it. I think they have a strong framework this time and look forward to being excited about D&D proper again! 4e kind of soured me on it for a while.
That sounds awesome Nerk, I'll have to take a look when the time comes!
It'll be a sci-fi rpg based off 5e rules. Generic but with a lean towards pulpy, Swords and Planets type stuff. I had been working on doing something similar with PF when 5e was announced. Depending on the 3pp policy WOTC comes up with for 5e it'll be published or just punted onto the 'net as a really big houserule.
Swords AND Planets? Count me in. Looking forward to seeing it.
I would like to note that this is the first time Kal'tos has smiled. Ever. I did a search function through his posts. A true dwarf, this one is.
This makes me incredibly happy.
Should we head back to the campsite and try to determine which direction the hobgoblins reside in?
I think this is a good idea for tonight. Tomorrow, if we still don't know about the hobbers, I'd like to head back to Newspring and get those villagers foraging in a new hex. They should probably forage as they move out to our new hex as well. I think that since we're pretty sure the hobgoblins are not in our current hex, the chances of our foragers getting into another conflict with the goblins is little, especially if there's like 50 of them.
Well that's the point really. We know very little about these hobgoblins. There could be a ten or a thousand, we really need some info.
Though if we are unable to at least get a good idea of which hex they left towards, we should head back. If we do have a good idea of where to check, we should probably search the next hex before heading back. If there is a large group of them right next door, we are nearly guaranteed to lose more people...
I agree with Gair
Indeed we need to make sure we're not sending (more) people to their deaths. Especially not the elves, there's only 5 of them left now. 1 is mentally questionable.
Hey, wait a sec... Cueta is arguing for not scouting and Kal'Tos is arguing for scouting?!? Rangers and Clerics agreeing on stuff, dwarves and elves living together...
It is madness! MADNESS I TELL YOU!!!
What hex do you all want to head towards if we don't find any tracks? We have a lot of choices...
Oh, EDIT: So you're saying, look for tracks, and if 1) we find them, head towards that hex or 2) if we don't find them, back to Newspring? Whatever you all want to do works for me.
That is kind of madness! Istiel is just along for the ride. She found out the fate of the elves, and can't bring them back. She wouldn't mind a little bit of revenge though... just a little bit. Okay maybe a whole lot.
Of killing hobgoblins.
So as I understand things, Newspring is roughly a day behind the exploration party as things stand, yes?
So watcha all want to do about the hobbos? We continue going on day 22 and we're probably looking at another day or so tracking, if they are in hex 14d. Is that enough of a diversion to put Newspring down another day or two of food?
And, to pose a related question - I imagine I know Istiel's answer to this question, but what you all want to do about the hobbos when we find them? If we find the hobgoblins, do we attempt to communicate with them first? I think Cueta's going to want to try and find a peaceful accommodation with any intelligent life we find here. She tried to talk to the cannibals, and would have been willing to honor a truce with them until they proved in her mind lost to monsterdom. I think she'd do the same with the hobbos - after all, we don't exactly what happened to our explorers. The explorers could be at fault for the confrontation themselves (though the evidence leads Cueta to believe they were ambushed).
Given how our Kuru situation turned out, Kal'Tos will want to face hostility with hostility. If the hobgoblins seem friendly he is willing to entertain not killing them all.
I believe we could spare another day of tracking, but Istiel is neutral in the matter. The hobgoblins aren't going anywhere, and to an elf, vengeance is a dish best served cold.
She will of course be in favor of killing every single one of them for their transgressions, taking their stuff, and then calling it even.
She will of course be in favor of killing every single one of them for their transgressions, taking their stuff, and then calling it even.
Ha! Is that elven conflict resolution at work?
Elves typically try a diplomatic approach on beings that can be reasoned with, but she would be highly suspicious of hobgoblins to begin with and likely recommend killing them all anyway.
The murder of her comrades has already put these hobos into the "irredeemable" territory, and they will be punished one way or another.
Given that the hobgoblins have already killed a simple exploration party, seemingly by ambush. Gair is set to treat them as hostile unless he sees something to change his opinion once we catch up to them.
In the end it will likely depend on how many of them there are?
Yeah, I'm operating under the assumption that they ambushed the scouts as well - it seems the most likely scenario. But I'd like to hear, if possible, what the rational was (of course, I think we left all of our goblin-speakers at home, yeah?). Perhaps they approached the scouts while they were camped for the evening and things went bad? Perhaps they thought the elves were of the demon-worshipping, dwarf-loving type?
Cueta's just along for the ride though. She's perfectly happy being out in the stars eating monkeys and not having to deal with her gnawing guilt manifested in person with the arrival of her sister. You all want to kill hobbos, she'll go along with it.
When will the constitution checks for starvation begin, Nerk?
When we actually run out of food, people are likely either to start killing one another for what food is left or they will scatter in hopes of finding food elsewhere. What will we do? Try to hold them together? Will we take our NPCs and the Thayers, and make for Dwarf Portress in hopes of scraping together a living there? Will we set off into the wilderness and try to find a friendly civilization (the elves?)
I haven't asked Nerk this, but is there a way we "lose?" If Newspring crumbles, is that it? Or will we continue to play as our characters wander the new lands like nomads, or live in what's left of Newspring after people leave/start killing each other?
When we actually run out of food, people are likely either to start killing one another for what food is left or they will scatter in hopes of finding food elsewhere. What will we do? Try to hold them together? Will we take our NPCs and the Thayers, and make for Dwarf Portress in hopes of scraping together a living there? Will we set off into the wilderness and try to find a friendly civilization (the elves?)
Eek. This is some scary stuff, Vallen. Cueta's starting to think in terms of herself as a mother-figure for Newspring, so she'll definitely try to hold it together. Worst-case scenario, if everyone starts with the murder and cannibalism and leaving, she'll advocate for relocation to the ruins of Portress.
Also, specifically:
Will we take our NPCs and the Thayers...
Cueta casts a sideways glance towards Vallen, and then eyes the Thayers' tent, her hands tightening around her bill, as she watches the canvas over the tent's entrance billow a little in the wind, as if to invite in a mosquito...
"Who said anything about bringing the Thayers?"
I kid, I kid. Mostly.
Lets not get ahead of ourselves. I think we're a ways from talking about eventualities if Newspring falls apart completely. I don't imagine things will be easy, but I don't feel like we're in danger of complete failure just yet.
Oh, and I think we have about 4 days left before we have to start making starvation rolls. Nerk said half rations would have starving take twice as long as normal. I would also assume that while we can reach the exhausted stage, we won't ever actually starve to death on half rations. Right?
When Ingwe said "It Begins", I have the feeling the collapse of order is what he was talking about.
Okay I forgot you have to actually get to exhausted first. Sure you can starve if you're only getting half what your body needs every day. It just takes twice as long! Which is a long time.
Yeah but you don't eat the minimum you body needs to continue functioning regularly. Half standard rations should be enough to keep you unhealthily and unhappily alive pretty much indefinitely.
When Ingwe said "It Begins", I have the feeling the collapse of order is what he was talking about.
This was my reading too. More than starvation, we have to worry about the perception of starvation, at this point - and that can be almost as damaging, in my opinion. We've got at least three major factions: the halflings, the Thayers, and Ingwe and his cult, and perhaps the Harpyites. Keeping these people from each others' throats may be pretty tough.
Then, as Vallen mentions, some people could just up and leave, most likely to their own deaths.
I don't think we're too far from either or both being very real possibilities. We need to get the people foraging our new hex ASAP, and of course in 10 days we'll get our garden and farm operational, which will be a big boost, emotionally, for Newspring.
As soon as Sorala gets 10 "gp" - hopefully tomorrow - she'll be converting that to labor, towards another garden. Hassan, would you be willing to do the same?
Human beings have some unique biochemical adaptions that allow us to starve for much longer than other species. All I see in that is irony, living in America, but I digress.
I could go into the biochemistry but humans can survive for several weeks without fulfilling their minimum caloric intake and still remain active/have enough muscle mass to complete tasks. After fat is used up the body begins to burn muscle- even at half calories, you are going to use up important muscle eventually and suffer cardiac arrest/organ failure. It would take months if you're still getting all your vitamins and minerals (less if you're not), but it will happen.
The real danger is the perception of starvation, as Cueta said. It will strike long, long before people begin to show signs of starvation other than fat loss.
Of course, the only thing that matters is how Nerk handles it from a mechanics standpoint.
Once Vallen has 10 gp I'll be getting some labor too. Should have listened to Gair in the beginning and made gardens, but I think we'll last long enough for the farms to pay off.
If anyone speaks anything other than common, dwarven or gnomish see if the goblins understand your other languages. I am hoping that their leader speaks common but in not we may get lucky with a random language.
A lot of interesting stuff about starvation.
You all know a lot of interesting stuff about stuff that I know nothing about. I love hearing explanations about real world issues, and I love seeing how the abstractions translate to this game as well.
A lot of interesting stuff about starvation.You all know a lot of interesting stuff about stuff that I know nothing about. I love hearing explanations about real world issues, and I love seeing how the abstractions translate to this game as well.
+1
I just told Garrak we used his remains as fertilizer in the recruitment thread. I hope he's flattered.
I just told Garrak we used his remains as fertilizer in the recruitment thread. I hope he's flattered.
Ha!
So next level Kal'tos and I can magic up some understanding- Share Lanuage We just have to touch the one we want to share the language with. I'm sure there will be no problem with that! Interestingly enough this spell works on creatures of limited intelligence. Really nice.
A smarter GM would have just waived the language barrier. Sigh.
less interesting that way though.
less interesting that way though.
Yeah, I agree. This is a challenge that has added a lot of verisimilitude.
On the other hand, a certain smarter player character's player would have found reasons for her taking goblin last level-up.
We just have to touch the one we want to share the language with. I'm sure there will be no problem with that!
Yes, I foresee absolutely no problems with that! :)
But I like the language barrier! It gives linguistics such a new and exciting use.
Good luck dragging Vallen away from his forge to go translate goblin :p (Of course he'll go, but he won't be happy about it.)
I think returning to Newspring to get Vallen and communicate with the hobgoblins just got moved up to top priority. We can also get people starting to forage in the Hex we cleared as well.
I think returning to Newspring to get Vallen and communicate with the hobgoblins just got moved up to top priority. We can also get people starting to forage in the Hex we cleared as well.
I think this is a very good idea.
Yep, diplomacy will be key at this point!
Hi! I take it our invitation here is a positive sign?
Hi! I take it our invitation here is a positive sign?
Hi, Zoriya! I'm glad you'll be gaming with us! I think Nerk meant this discussion thread though. Looking forward to seeing what is in store for all of us!
Whoops! Thanks, over I go...excellent, excellent. The plotting begins!
Hello Zoriya, great to see you made it!
Sorry for being a little spotty everyone, I've been kind of slammed with work the last couple days...should be ok now though :)
Welcome back Gair! We're talking with the newbies Here.
So what are we going to bring these hobos as a gift? We have some excess swords that they are probably going to be mighty impressed by.
Welcome back Gair! We're talking with the newbies Here.
So what are we going to bring these hobos as a gift? We have some excess swords that they are probably going to be mighty impressed by.
A pair of swords should work.
on an unrelated note, what happened to the psuedodragons?
Oh, I also have the ruby ring we found. I would save it for when we find the elves though- they would appreciate it much more.
I believe the psuedodragons are doing their own thing. They're indifferent towards us after the Istiel incident.
I forgot the pseudo dragons. Maybe they can be the ones to alert Newspring to the new arrivals....
Dot!
Oh that's what happened to the pseudo dragons. Maybe Manari can finally make a linguistics/diplomacy check and butter them up.
....... butter-basted pseudo dragon.... mmmm