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Players are always able to toss out lores they'd like to try in place of another check, and if the GM feels it's appropriate they allow them to roll and lower the DC for it being more specific.
The PCs will know that everything was taken from an old Gozreh temple, which should queue them to try a lore closer to the mark if they have it.
Storm Druids are getting a pass because they're immune to weather effects normally. Not because they worship Gozreh. Everyone else gets a pass if they're moving the artifact back to its temple, and I don't think Gozreh in all his grandeur would give a cleric of his an automatic pass if they're working against his artifact.
He may even see it as a test of their resolve against the strength of nature.
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Players are always able to toss out lores they'd like to try in place of another check, and if the GM feels it's appropriate they allow them to roll and lower the DC for it being more specific.
The PCs will know that everything was taken from an old Gozreh temple, which should queue them to try a lore closer to the mark if they have it.
Storm Druids are getting a pass because they're immune to weather effects normally. Not because they worship Gozreh. Everyone else gets a pass if they're moving the artifact back to its temple, and I don't think Gozreh in all his grandeur would give a cleric of his an automatic pass if they're working against his artifact.
He may even see it as a test of their resolve against the strength of nature.
I was sure Gorzeh just don't care.
Venture-Lieutenant, Finland—Turku
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Additionally, distance may become an issue very quickly: From how far can a PC try to command the animals to stop when they start galloping away?
EDIT: additionally, what happens in the unlucky event that the horses run away, the wagon tips, and one or both gets knocked out due to the damage? They are significant, so they probably shouldn't die immediately, but if the PC's don't reach them in time / fail their medicine checks and one or both perish, what happens with the cart and the cargo?
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Venture-Captain, Washington—Seattle
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Should the birds and other critters hit the canvas automatically? The rules on attacking objects only deals with damage dealt to them, there's no mention of AC in there or in the rules, nor there's a mention if you can crit an object.
I think there's 2 reasonable ways to go on this one: either they hit automatically (and crits are not possible), or else the AC is 10, by the formula on p.274 of the CRB, and crits are possible.
From how far can a PC try to command the animals to stop when they start galloping away?
I'd suggest any distance within earshot of shouting is reasonable, and that should easily cover the maximum 3 rounds' distance that the horses will gallop if uncontrolled.
additionally, what happens in the unlucky event that the horses run away, the wagon tips, and one or both gets knocked out due to the damage? They are significant, so they probably shouldn't die immediately, but if the PC's don't reach them in time / fail their medicine checks and one or both perish, what happens with the cart and the cargo?
The horses have 22 HP and the wagon tipping over only causes 1d8 damage so they would have to be quite injured beforehand in order for this to be a problem. However, if the horses do perish, perhaps part of the party might go back to town and obtain more horses while the rest of the PCs make camp and guard the wagon. (This might trigger encounter B4.)
Venture-Captain, Germany—Bavaria
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Should the birds and other critters hit the canvas automatically? The rules on attacking objects only deals with damage dealt to them, there's no mention of AC in there or in the rules, nor there's a mention if you can crit an object.
Not having good rules to attack objects is a system-level problem, but I agree, that it is a problem for the scenario. I went with an automatic hit and no chance for a critical effect.
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Venture-Lieutenant, Finland—Turku
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The horses have 22 HP and the wagon tipping over only causes 1d8 damage so they would have to be quite injured beforehand in order for this to be a problem. However, if the horses do perish, perhaps part of the party might go back to town and obtain more horses while the rest of the PCs make camp and guard the wagon. (This might trigger encounter B4.)
Ah, thanks! I just searched AoN for horse and didn't realize I was looking at the animal companion stats (which lists hp as 8), riding horse indeed has much more so death is unlikely.
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How did some of the rest of you handle the Riding Horses where the CRB says (pg 294 - under the Animals heading) that normal animals in combat become Frightened 4 and fleeing as long as they are Frightened?
I'm planning on running this in a week or so and would like to hear some of your experiences.
Thanks,
NiftyB
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Venture-Captain, Washington—Seattle
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How did some of the rest of you handle the Riding Horses where the CRB says (pg 294 - under the Animals heading) that normal animals in combat become Frightened 4 and fleeing as long as they are Frightened?
If the party successfully uses Command an Animal, the horses don't flee -
If you successfully Command your Animal using Nature (page 249), you can keep it from fleeing, though this doesn’t remove its frightened condition.
Practically speaking, other than in Encounter A, where the "horses running away" mechanic is explicitly called for, as long as the PCs aren't using the horses as meatshields, I'd use a generous definition of when the horses are "in combat" and avoid having them go running off all the time.
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How did some of the rest of you handle the Riding Horses where the CRB says (pg 294 - under the Animals heading) that normal animals in combat become Frightened 4 and fleeing as long as they are Frightened?If the party successfully uses Command an Animal, the horses don't flee -
If you successfully Command your Animal using Nature (page 249), you can keep it from fleeing, though this doesn’t remove its frightened condition.Practically speaking, other than in Encounter A, where the "horses running away" mechanic is explicitly called for, as long as the PCs aren't using the horses as meatshields, I'd use a generous definition of when the horses are "in combat" and avoid having them go running off all the time.
I can see this point too logsig, but I seem to recall somewhere the adventure mentions that the animals specifically attack the wagon/cover to get at the items inside and the druids or their companions specifically attack the animals and wagon/cover.
I've also done some research concerning attacking objects and it appears they are tied to attacking Hazards. To that end I have squint-eyed some stats for the cover and wagon to facilitate the encounter at the end of this week. Have a look-see:
Cover Statistics:
AC: 13 Fort: +4 Ref: +4
Hardness: 2 HP: 8 (BT: 4) Immunities: critical hits, object immunities, & precision damage
Wagon Statistics:
AC: 14 Fort: +9 Ref: +5
Hardness: 5 HP: 20 (BT: 10) Immunities: critical hits, object immunities, & precision damage
Thanks,
NiftyB
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Venture-Captain, Washington—Seattle
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I can see this point too logsig, but I seem to recall somewhere the adventure mentions that the animals specifically attack the wagon/cover to get at the items inside and the druids or their companions specifically attack the animals and wagon/cover.
You're right, the horses would be attacked if the wolves won initiative and no PCs were able to intercept and draw their attacks. If the PCs damage the wolves, they stop attacking the horses.
Lots of things will attack the wagon cover. Whether attacking the wagon/cover (as opposed to the horses) counts for the horses being "in combat" is up to you.
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I really liked this Scenario!
Should the birds and other critters hit the canvas automatically? The rules on attacking objects only deals with damage dealt to them, there's no mention of AC in there or in the rules, nor there's a mention if you can crit an object.Not having good rules to attack objects is a system-level problem, but I agree, that it is a problem for the scenario. I went with an automatic hit and no chance for a critical effect.
I used AC 11 for the Wagon, but the Hardness (2) and BT (4) of the Covering as listed.
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Had a player tonight get really interested with the Scale for the fight with Vengeant Thorn, and tried to mimic his activating of the artifact (which another player was able to successfully identify with Recognize Spell). I could have said "No because (vague reasons)"... But ended up going off-book and allowed him to spend a Focus point and 3 actions (just like Thorn!) to roll an opposed Tradition check. Since he succeeded, I gave him a choice to dispel the Entangle, calm the Weather momentarily, or control the Lightning.
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I'm going to be running this next week. When I played it, the GM didn't have us affected by the Scale at all (no downgrading the success level of first roll each encounter, and no winds that suddenly abate when you head south). I'd like to play up this aspect more, so that the PCs might be more inclined to dig into the cargo and find the scale, maybe have someone wear it.
For any GMs who have done something similar, how obvious did you make the shifting of the winds during the player's journey? Any winding east-west coastal road is going to have portions where it travels south, did you have the wind just stop every time the wagon turns south along the road? Or did you take into account the intent? That is, if the players are taking the scale to Absalom, the winds still oppose them even if they're coincidentally heading south at some points in the journey?
Edit: Also, how might a PC carrying the scale change how the wild animals react? Kind of doesn't make much sense for them to be diving into the wagon if the scale isn't there.