Desert Survival - Relevant?

[Christopher Dudley]

I looked for the answer in this forum, but so far haven't found it.

I plan on running this one soon and have told my players. Since they want to be prepared for the AP but don't want to waste focus that they could spend elsewhere, they've been asking me questions about survival. Because a few of the traits and background concepts mention it, they're wondering how often the ability to survive in the desert is going to come up.

I'd like to be able to answer them sooner than later. Without reading through the entire AP, how often does desert survival become a challenge facing the player characters?

Thanks in advance.

[Boxhead]

It doesn't. At all.

Fire resistance is key, the ability to survive in high heat helps eventually, but Katapesh is pretty temperate, overall. Plus they'll be near enough (within a week or so) of major settlements that it doesn't matter.

[Halidan]

I've got to disagree just a bit with Boxhead. He is correct that it's not relavant in most of the AP. However, If you have a group like mine, which likes to explore beyond the initial assignment of investigating and recapturing a small town on the edge of the desert, then it could be.

There is an area map in Book #2 that shows some areas that could easily be considered desert. If they want to check these areas out, at least one character with skill in survival will help. There are enough rivers and mountains that a desert focus won't be critical, but it can't hurt either.

I told my players that they'd be begining in a mountainous area near a desert, and their initial mission would concern reclaiming a village in the lower hills. One player did give his character a desert background and some points in Survival. It help him spot a possible ambush spot as they approached the village on their initial scouting run. I won't say more due to spoilers.

Overall, I'd say as a DM, you can make a players Survival skill relevant without much effort. But, as Boxhead says, it's not critical to the AP.

[Christopher Dudley]

Thanks! I can let my players know that it's at least not a central focus of the AP. The way some of the information is presented in the player's guide, it makes it sound as if surviving in extreme environments is going to be important.

Much appreciated.

[John Mangrum]

Christopher Dudley wrote:

Thanks! I can let my players know that it's at least not a central focus of the AP. The way some of the information is presented in the player's guide, it makes it sound as if surviving in extreme environments is going to be important.

It does play a factor -- extreme heat is a fairly significant aspect of the campaign (and Katapesh in general). It just happens that mountains and hills are where the lion's share of the campaign takes place.

Desert survival arguably comes into play for the opening part of book 3, and then again for a small part of book 4. Really, that's about it.

[Akumamajin]

John Mangrum wrote:

Christopher Dudley wrote:

Thanks! I can let my players know that it's at least not a central focus of the AP. The way some of the information is presented in the player's guide, it makes it sound as if surviving in extreme environments is going to be important.

It does play a factor -- extreme heat is a fairly significant aspect of the campaign (and Katapesh in general). It just happens that mountains and hills are where the lion's share of the campaign takes place.

Desert survival arguably comes into play for the opening part of book 3, and then again for a small part of book 4. Really, that's about it.

I play out the one year rebuilding of Kelmarane with modified Kingmaker rules and inserte several sidetrack adventures, where my players get exposed to the head quite often. Being fatigued is a real off-turner and just one guy hinders the group as a whole ... or the Paladin has to burn one of his LOH of the day, just to get rid of fatigue (he took that mercy after leveling up, when half the group was suffering from fatigue ... he really WAS a saint then :D )