Let's get to discussing this!
Rich AKA Gundar checking in...
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All, when faced with a choice of skills to solve or know something, each PC should choose just one and roll it. Don’t try all of the options.
Probably a better "Discussion" for the Discussion tab.
Here's my plan. I'm not going to change the control ability, because it is very helpful at times for players who can't get to a computer (because Roll20 sucks on phones and some tablets) to be able to express their wishes and have another player move them on the board. In the game Ghaernan references above, I know I regularly line us all up for storming a door in a dungeon. It's not a big deal to let each player get online and move their own token though, unless they prefer otherwise.
I would like to point out that APs expect 1st level PCs to have a rough time "jelling" into a cohesive unit. Early encounters might appear more brutal than they are, but the module does have an escape hatch for those. With that said, ummm, the two "combat" encounters so far both had such escape clauses. As the group moves to facing the real dregs of Magnimarian society, there's not as much of a chance for that.
I have a topic: Initiative
Should I just roll for the whole group when combat starts, so we don't spend a day waiting for that?
I vote yes.
Since I usually attend to my games at night, if I am holding up the action, please feel free to move my token and roll Init...
Sweet! Someone updated the loot sheet!
I will be leaving on Saturday to visit family for two weeks. I will try to post, but bot me as necessary.
You can whisper messages and receive whispered replies. Those nearby can hear these messages with a DC 25 Perception check. You point your finger at each creature you want to receive the message. When you whisper, the whispered message is audible to all targeted creatures within range. Magical silence, 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal (or a thin sheet of lead), or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks the spell. The message does not have to travel in a straight line. It can circumvent a barrier if there is an open path between you and the subject, and the path's entire length lies within the spell's range. The creatures that receive the message can whisper a reply that you hear. The spell transmits sound, not meaning; it doesn't transcend language barriers. To speak a message, you must mouth the words and whisper.
A rules question has come up regarding this cantrip.
I'm good with a DC 25 (+1 per 10' away) being needed to hear the whispered message.
I'd also like to focus down on these sentences:
"The creatures that receive the message can whisper a reply that you hear."
"When you whisper, the whispered message is audible to all targeted creatures within range."
I believe this spell requires the caster (Ghaernan in this case) to whisper something, and then the recipient(s) can each whisper a response. Once they have whispered their response, they must await a further prodding whisper from Ghaernan, before they can give a further response. At later levels, when Ghaernan has this cast on multiple people, one of you might wait a while to whisper your response, while the others respond immediately, but once each recipient provides their response, they'll need to wait for a further message from Ghaernan to be able to respond back. This may cause Ghaernan to be whispering "and what now?" every so often to keep resetting the stimulus/response part of this spell. I'm ok if someone's response is the full text of the Gettysburg Address, but if there's a pause in the middle, the caster needs to ask "what else did Lincoln say" to get the rest of it.
It is clear that when cast on multiple people, the various recipients can't all hear one another, only the caster can send a group message out, and only the caster hears the responses (barring DC 25 Perception checks).
In short, I don't believe message is intended as Secret Service throat mics/ear buds that are constantly waiting for everyone to chitchat back and forth, or even for the scout to provide dozens of messages back, without there having been followup messages from the caster.
There's no need to retcon anything up until now, but we should remember we're talking about a 0 level spell here.
Thoughts?
I never heard that interpretation, but it makes some sense to me. I'm bothered by, "You point your finger at each creature you want to receive the message." With this interpretation wouldn't he need to point again at everyone he wants to receive (and be able to reply to) the second message? If this is the case, would people who hadn't responded to the first message yet still be able to, or would the response capability be eliminated once the second message was issued (perhaps to a different set of people if repointing was necessary)?
Another point of order is what counts as a response? Since responses are now valuable resources, how will the responder denote if any spoken word was the response, or only words spoken at a whisper? I would argue that this is too difficult to define in practice, so the next spoken words (at any volume) the responder makes would count as the response.
What about the caster? If he needs to repoint, then he also needs to differentiate between spoken words in general and whispered messages. I would argue that as caster of the spell he could do this at will.
Thinking about this more, the only use of the plural "messages" is in the first sentence giving a general description of the spell. Rather than inferring that multiple rounds of conversation can be conveyed through the spell (with all the issues discussed and more I've though of since), it makes more sense if the single use of a plural is referring instead to the fact that this single message can be conveyed to multiple recipients (after first level). All further sentences describe how this single message and reply are to be handled. This would make sense for a cantrip that can be cast over and over.
I think the above from Tripp is a solid interpretation, but a few key points from the actual full spell description.
- The pointing at recipients only has to happen initially to designate who is in the Message. After that the Messages can go through things, around things, etc. - as described. The pointing establishes the distro list for the connection.
- Its range is formidable and grows - 100' + 10 ft per level. You can add one creature per level, via the initial pointing, to the Message. The caster can transmit to all, but only the caster receives.
- Last, it's definitely meant to be used for many multiple rounds - it lasts 10 min per level - and unlike a number of other spells, adding a new one doesn't cancel the old one.
It definitely takes "whispering," so it can't be used say for the party's "Face" to move forward and have a conversation and expect someone on the other end of message to hear every word. To back that up, I point out that you can't very well have a "conversation" with a gate guard, if the guard needs to continually be making a DC 25 Perception check to hear you.
Eric asked about the rules for climbing out.
The sludge in this pit is 3 feet deep, and is considered a shallow bog for movement purposes (Core Rulebook 427). If someone falls into it from the plank or a doorway, she takes no damage. Climbing the oozing pit walls requires a successful DC 15 Climb check.
I figured with retries, Caius could get out, especially with Gundar's help.
Tripp, whatever that animation wrap was that you put on Ghaernan, which was a helpful reminder, it's so large that it keeps him from fitting through the door...