The description of dust of dryness indicates that you could basically suck up 100 gallons of water into a marble-esque sphere. Is the assumption that all the dust has to be used at once? If so, what would be the thoughts behind a character (even NPC) crafting smaller doses of this dust? It seems to me to be a very economical way to transport water in the absence of something like an endless decanter. At 850gp for 100 gallons, one would assume that enough dust to store water for a medium-creature's waterskin would cost 4.25gp... Still expensive, but considering that one could carry thousands of gallons of water across, say, a desert for only a couple pounds of storage, it sounds like it might be useful. Perhaps a derivative item that can only be used on non-living matter (removing the use against water elementals, for instance) would be marginally cheaper? Has this been considered before? Am I trying to over-fix something where there's already an easy solution?
Side disclosure: I'm currently GM'ing the Kingmaker AP (Book 1) and the characters weren't thrilled about carrying multiple waterskins, even when spending weeks at a time trekking through forests. We're slowing exploration so that they can use survival to forage every day as a result, but that's hardly elegant. Upon reading about dust of dryness, I thought about having them discover the remains of a body (following an encounter) with numerous small beads similar to that of the dust, each containing about half a gallon of water. Pop a bead, fill your waterskin. Not a permanent solution itself (there would only be a few dozen of these beads in the loot), but perhaps they could arrange to get more of these wondrous things from the city for a cost, providing a possible gold sink in the process. Looking forward to the future, with colonization and empire establishment as objectives, the easy transport of something as vital and heavy as water could be useful.
No prudent cleric with create water?
Heck... why not throw in a wand of create water on a dead dude.
Or the far more plausible solution, dead traveler with multiple waterskins, or some type of trader that can sell them, so when they go and fill them up they can carry more than a day's worth.
The dust thing is pretty neat... but I can't help but think a more practical solution is in order, especially so early in their adventuring careers. Honestly, you probably shouldn't coddle them on something that is genuinely kind of dumb on the players' part. Give them a chance to 'fix' the problem, but if they insist on not carrying supplies and searching each day, inflict the ol' GM encounter punishment.
Lots of predators lurk near water holes. Send something obnoxious at them. Grab one, drag him into the water, and don't forget those totally aggravating water damage reduction and concealment rules and swim checks! Or have some critter abscond with some of their stuff.
Thanks for the opinion. No, no cleric in the group (Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sorceror.) I'll consider some of the options you tossed out, both kind (limited-use wand) and not-so-kind (surprise waterhole encounter.)
Thanks for the opinion. No, no cleric in the group (Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sorceror.) I'll consider some of the options you tossed out, both kind (limited-use wand) and not-so-kind (surprise waterhole encounter.)
If it's thematically appropriate just let the sorcerer add Create water to his list of spell option. thematically approptiate would be water elemental bloodline, fey, acquatic, whatever that storm one is, stuff like that.
Thanks for the opinion. No, no cleric in the group (Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sorceror.) I'll consider some of the options you tossed out, both kind (limited-use wand) and not-so-kind (surprise waterhole encounter.)If it's thematically appropriate just let the sorcerer add Create water to his list of spell option. thematically approptiate would be water elemental bloodline, fey, acquatic, whatever that storm one is, stuff like that.
Also a good idea. She's from the Destined bloodline, which allows for the possibilty of some sort of intervention or miracle perhaps once to save them from starvation or thirst, but we haven't gotten to that point... Yet.
Wand of Create Water is probably your best bet here if they can't be convinced to carry more than 1 waterskin. 375 GP for a CL1 wand, which is good for 100 gallons of water (much cheaper per gallon than the dust), and between the rogue and the sorcerer someone should have the UMD necessary to make it work.
You can also give out or sell wands with less than 50 charges to control the treasure value or account for low party wealth.
What I have wondered:
If you use dust of dryness to suck up a huge amount of holy water and throw it at something evil, what happens? :D
A decanter of endless water is 9000 GP, A little more than 10 times a dust of dryness, but it never runs out and has alternate uses. You could throw in a side quest and hand one out as treasure.
What level, btw?
A decanter of endless water is 9000 GP, A little more than 10 times a dust of dryness, but it never runs out and has alternate uses. You could throw in a side quest and hand one out as treasure.
What level, btw?
Currently 2nd about halfway to third. I'd say we're about halfway through the first book, but there's still plenty more exploring to do and more to come in the second book from my understanding.
Yeah, I think the decater will inevitably come down the road...
Keep in mind that there's water everywhere in the Stolen Lands. It's just usually too small to show up on the map.
Whether it's clean or not is another question, but I'd say present it as an option, and let them make fort saves each time. Secretly pick one time (or roll some low percentage chance) to make that time have some disease in the water, and then if they failed that time's fort save, they catch dysentery or something.
What I have wondered:
If you use dust of dryness to suck up a huge amount of holy water and throw it at something evil, what happens? :D
It says in the dust description that it only works on water/ salt water ... so I guess it would suck up the water and leave the holy behind?
On that note- if you summoned a water elemental with the celestial template, would it not be a holy water elemental? Could it baptize as a touch attack?
Oh and +1 for the diseased water idea.
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Hmmm, well if it only works on water/salt water and wouldn't retain the holiness, would that mean you could use it to purify water too, leaving the corruption/disease behind?
Let's look at the description:
This special dust has many uses. If it is thrown into water, a volume of as much as 100 gallons is instantly transformed into nothingness, and the dust becomes a marble-sized pellet, floating or resting where it was thrown. If this pellet is hurled, it breaks and releases the same volume of water. The dust affects only water (fresh, salt, alkaline), not other liquids.
If the dust is employed against an outsider with the elemental and water subtypes, the creature must make a DC 18 Fortitude save or be destroyed. The dust deals 5d6 points of damage to the creature even if its saving throw succeeds.
Actually it seems to me it just means you can't use it on things that aren't water, such as acid etc, and doesn't make a distinction of what kind of water. Time to make some holy water pellet bombs!
And +1 to the holy water elemental, hahahahha, that just opened up a whole slew of ideas for me.....
Hmmm, well if it only works on water/salt water and wouldn't retain the holiness, would that mean you could use it to purify water too, leaving the corruption/disease behind?
Let's look at the description:
This special dust has many uses. If it is thrown into water, a volume of as much as 100 gallons is instantly transformed into nothingness, and the dust becomes a marble-sized pellet, floating or resting where it was thrown. If this pellet is hurled, it breaks and releases the same volume of water. The dust affects only water (fresh, salt, alkaline), not other liquids.
If the dust is employed against an outsider with the elemental and water subtypes, the creature must make a DC 18 Fortitude save or be destroyed. The dust deals 5d6 points of damage to the creature even if its saving throw succeeds.
Actually it seems to me it just means you can't use it on things that aren't water, such as acid etc, and doesn't make a distinction of what kind of water. Time to make some holy water pellet bombs!
And +1 to the holy water elemental, hahahahha, that just opened up a whole slew of ideas for me.....
So my question after this is, if the marble is thrown at someone that is not sub-type water and say that this creature is standing near a cliff, what exactly happens. Also does the same effect work on walls, doors and objects?