Adventures in Oakstead

Game Master Foxy Quickpaw

"At least it is one fish. I don't do fishing. The crew gets to do that. But so far no one was really good at it. Guess it will be a thin fish soup?"

"But if you don't tell us what the potions are and how much they cost, we can't know if we have enough coins to buy them, right?"

Bluff: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

"Potions start at 50 gold. And that is not one to to fly." Grok replies with that - you don't have that kind of money anyway - look.

Jewel considers FishGuts' reply. "Good point. But if I cut the head off I can use pieces of it for bait to possibly catch more. And nobody really wants fish heads in their soup! So I'll try for a bit longer...." She takes a knife and cuts the head off of the fish, setting the rest of the body aside for the soup. Then cuts pieces off of the head for bait. Muscle around the gills, mouth, etc. Can probably get enough for two more attempts without wasting any of the meat that would work for a soup. ??

Another try at fishing? Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 18

Jewel has more luck this time. She gets a big tuna on her hook. Which is easily twice as big as herself. Now she only needs to get the fish out of the water.

Seeing the size of the fish Jewel struggles with it but calls out for help. Loud! "Help! Really big fish for dinner! I need help getting it on board! Help!"

Don't know what to roll. ??

Maybe a Strength check, Jewel?

"Oh," Tarjun deflates. "Then three pieces of candy will do. How do you even get candy anyway? You've got a sweet tooth?"

I agree. And if that doesn't work, maybe a swim check? :P

Grok hands over three of the candy and takes the silver coins.

The black sticks are licorice and that tastes nothing like candy.

Seeing nobody coming to help Jewel screams like only a 9 year old girl can. "Help! This fish is going to pull me overboard and then you can all go hungry!"

Strength?: 1d20 ⇒ 9

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (18) - 1 = 17

Tarjun barely has time to bite into his candy stick and comment that "Your toffee went bad," before he hears Jewel screaming her head off.

"'Scuse me, that's my sister calling," he says, hurrying down his bucket and back on the deck, where he spots Jewel holding on to a fishing rod for dear life.

"Wow, that's a big one!" he exclaims when he sees the tuna thrashing around on the end of the hook. He holds on to Jewel's waist tightly to prevent her from going overboard, and tries to help her reel the fish in.

Strength: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Str: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

For now the fish isn't able to break free. But there is no way, that Jewel would lift that monster of a fish out of the water without putting mcuh more effort in.

Either in strength, or in brains.

Frantically, but very happy that Tarjun has joined to help, Jewel thinks. She activates her feral speech hex for fish. Something she's never done before but it does says "fish".... "Stop fighting and let me get that hook out of you!" She keeps it short knowing the fish isn't very smart. Maybe it will understand? Diplomacy?: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

She still thinks she needs help getting the big fish on the ship. Is there a lower spot along the rail? "Is there a net to help bring the fish up?

Strength: 1d20 ⇒ 13

"Oh, hell, it's really strong! You hold on tight, Jewie! SOMEONE BRING A NET!" Tarjun releases his sister, and casts a spell over the water.

Cast Sleep. Will save DC 14 to beat

Will: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Tarjun sends the fish to sleep. Which ends the struggle.

When the huge fish stops struggling Jewel knows it is just asleep. "We've still gotta bring it on board, preferably without waking it up. If we can get a net around it and just drag it up?"

Is there a lower deck closer to the waterline where it wouldn't be so hard?

Clara runs around on the deck until she finds a net, gets it down and runs back to Jewel. Wich is easier said than done, as the large net gets stuck on everything.

As she finally makes it back she proudly offers the entangled mess.

There is a boat and a small outrigger with a winch that could help one way or the other.

Tarjun stares down at the net. "Well, that's not gonna help much. And this thing's not gonna stay asleep for very long."

"Jewie, if you could get in the boat and try to get the nest around it... I'll hold it."

"I could go down and kill it if I had a weapon made to gut fish." Clare tells.

"Take my club and give it a good whack," Tarjun suggests. "It usually works."

"I don't think a club will work under water."

"Then ask someone for a dagger! Or zap it! Something like that!" Even when not moving, that tuna is damn heavy.

Clara runs to the kitchen to get a big knife, then she downs an extract and jumps overboard, gliding down like a feather. Then she approaches the fish in an attempt to kill it.

CDG: 2d4 - 2 ⇒ (1, 2) - 2 = 1

Fort: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
The fish survives the attempt at its life and starts to struggle again.

Str: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Finally understanding Jewel gets in the boat and tries to pull the fish up. It is much closer to the surface, but....

Strength?: 1d20 ⇒ 16

"Crap! It woke up. Can you cast sleep again?

"I'll need both my hands for that! I'll have to drop the rod!" Anyone holding the fish, besides Tarjun?

Clara keeps attacking the fish.

Stab: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 201d4 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0

I thought I had the rod. ?? Or was I trying to wrap the fish in a net? Re-reading the posts I'm not clear. Net or Gaff? For a really big fish, if you are close enough a gaff hook works pretty good! Yes, I have gaffed several 20+ pound fish out of the Mississippi river into our boat. Faster than using a net and almost as easy....

Keeping tension on the line and trying to pull the fish onto the ship Jewel yells to Clara. "Clara. Can you tangle it in the net? Then we can pull it in with the net!"

Once sure that Jewel is holding the fish, Tarjun tries sending it back to sleep. Will DC14

Will: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

"Chrrrzzzzz"

Jewel yells again. "Clara. Don't attack it. It's asleep. Can you tangle it in the net so we can pull it up?"

"If you hand me the net."

Tarjun fetches the net, and tosses it to Clara. "Can't you just get the fish into the boat, and then we'll haul you back onto the ship?"

Is the fish still immersed in the water? I'm surprised it's not running out of oxygen

No one used the outrigger and the boat yet.

Clara swims to fetch the net and drags it under the fish and then wraps it around the fish in hopes it stays there. Once it is in position she states "There is no rope attached to it."

"Let down the rope for the boat with the winch!"

while Tarjun and Clara deal with the net Jewel runs down to the little boat.

"I'll pull it on to this boat. Then it won't be able to get away."

Maybe again an explanation. The boat is on deck of the ship. The outrigger is a beam extending over the water with a guide roller at the end, a winch, and a rope, running from the winch over the guide roller to the boat. At the end of the rope is a hook, that is attached to more rope, that will lift the boat. Which is still on deck. Something like that. The boat can be used as you please, once it is down in the water. And the only way to get directly from deck into the water is jumping, or extending the rope ladder.

"I'm not sure it's gonna stay asleep that long. Hurry!" Tarjun replaces Jewel at the fish-holding game. At least it's not struggling to get free currently.

A picture worth a thousand words. Can the hook be disconnected from the boat and lowered to the water? Then Clara could hook the net and the winch can be used to pull the fish up. ??

Yes. You know - not being able to release the boat and keep it on a leash would be kind of not helpful. ;)

Working together the kids finally get it done. Tarjun holds the fishing rod, Jewel unhinges the boat and lowers the hook into the water. Clara gets the net on the hook from all loose ends and with the winch it is easy enough to reel the fish in and out of the water. When the fish finally wakes it is too late, as it is entangled in the net and lying dry on the deck. After flailing around for a few minutes the fish dies from exhaustion and lack of oxigen.

With the huge fish finally safely on deck Jewel works to get things back where they belong. She disconnects the hook and connects it back to the boat. "Thanks Clara. Thanks Tarjun. Tarjun, help me get it out of the net? And can you get the net back where it goes? I'll drag the fish to the galley so I can clean it and cut it up for dinner."

She struggles to even drag the fish to the galley. But once there she calls out, "Got a bigger one this time. Can you help me clean it for supper? Oh! I gotta run and fetch the rod. Tarjun has it. I'll be right back." She runs to get the fishing rod from Tarjun. "I'll be going below deck in a bit. Ingredients for tonight's fish stew. And maybe to bring Remy up for advice on flavoring the stew right...."

"Phew... Didn't think it's be this hard to catch a single fishie!" Tarjun carefully untangles the tuna from the mess it made of the net. "Do you think Remy would like it cooked with fried potatoes?" he asks hopefully. "I really like fried potatoes. It's been weeks since we last ate fried potatoes. Isn't that right, Clara?"

"We're not that long gone." Clara replies, but then pauses to count the days they are away on the fingers of her right hand and then the days at home wihtout fried potatoes on her left hand, but she then gets confused and just stands there staring at her fingers.

"Wow, that is a nice fish." Fishguts calls out. He takes over the monstrum and hangs it on a beam with a hook. With a few cuts he opens the fish and removes the innards. After a shower with a bucket of saltwater is the fish is clean and ready to cook.

"What do you say? Fishsoup?"

Jewel thinks about her response to FishGuts, then replies. "Yes. Fishsoup. So there's more to go around for everybody. What should I get from the hold to add to it? You understand that I didn't grow up around the sea so I've never made fish soup before. Potatoes? Maybe onions? Anything else?"

"I don't care. Whatever you like."

"Feels like we've been gone forever though. You wanna get back to exploring?"

Jewel nods to FishGuts with a smile. "OK. I'll take a quick run below and try to find whatever looks good to put into the soup. Probably take a couple of runs since that's a big pot and I'm small." She turns to run to the hatch. "I'll be right back!"

Once she gets below she looks around to be sure nobody else is watching, then calls out using her Feral Speech hex. "Remy? Hey, got another soup to make for the crew. FishSoup. I caught a pretty big fish. I think somebody said it's a tuna? Any ideas on what I should put in the pot with it? And can you come up to guild me again? That last one was really good."