OOC Discussion and Table Talk

[Scott308]

Maybe we try something simple. Only two of the party have actually asked Emirikol for help. Maybe nothing has happened yet because he would be helping people who have not asked for his help despite the note listing that requirement. It can't hurt to try that, but if we try to get into the storm and things don't go perfectly right, this could be the most epic TPK in history, with us not even really getting into the adventure.

[Zhym]

Maybe I should keep my mouth shut (and tell me if you think so), but the update pace of this game is kind of slow and I figure you don't want to spend too much of it trying things that don't work. So I'll make this general comment—in spoiler tags in case you don't want the advice.

You may be too accustomed to playing low-level characters. If a party of, say, 1st to 5th-level PCs came across a storm like this, it would be obvious that you need to do something like phrase a request for help in the right way or have the right people ask or something else like that to avoid the storm entirely because there's no way your PCs could possibly hope to get into the storm and survive at that level. But your PCs are insanely powerful, so much that venturing into Hell itself does not give them much pause. They have high-level spells and rare magic items. You have four wishes at your disposal! Given those facts, I would consider whether a module would set up something like the Metalstorm and let you avoid it the same way a module for low-levels PCs might allow.

That's not to say that cleverness won't be required instead of brute force at times, but remember that you have a hell of a lot of brute force at your disposal and that the module was built to challenge high-level PCs. It may be metagaming, but I don't think it's bad metagaming.

[ravenn4544]

Thanks Zhym. Good point.

Cube is a good idea - didn't realize that it could protect from anything like that. Still urging a bit of caution as we don't know how long you'd be in there - but let's do this! Can use our wish as a back-up. I'll do a quick augury and see if that tells us anything about using it (low level spell but worth a try). I'll stay out if you need a bit of a hand in the next few mins!

It does now occur to however that we should have a way of communicating across the maelstrom for any that stay back. I don't have a spell or potion or item that will let me do that i think.

[Inferno]

Fyi, Khogeki will wait on the results of the Augury before deciding to join the cube of force force.

Also, did I miss something? Was there anything to lead us to believe that Emirikol lives inside the metal storm? Or is this a hunch?
Thanks.

[Zhym]

The Cube has 36 charges which can be used in a day....it will recharge each day.

To protect from just gasses, wind and non-living matter: 2 charges per Turn at a maximum movement rate of 8'' per Turn

To protect from living mater, along with non-living matter, gasses and wind: 3 charges per Turn at a maximum movment rate of 6'' per Turn.

To protect from all of the above AND magic: 4 charges per Turn at a maximum movement rate of 4" per Turn

To protect from EVERYTHING: 6 charges per Turn at a maximum movement rate of 3'' per Turn.

The protections of each side of the cube are not cumulative. So the cube can protect against (with charges/movement rate):

Gases, wind, etc: 1/1"
Non-living matter: 2/8"
Living matter: 3/6"
Magic: 4/4"
Everything: 6/3"

In other words, to have the cube block both non-living matter and magic, you would need to expend 6 charges per turn and you would be able to move no faster than 3" (30 yards, outside) per turn.

Also, the cube protects a 1"x1" (scale) area. You can fit at most four people besides the one using the cube if you want them to be able to fight, cast, etc. You could cram all eight of PCs in there at once, but no one could do anything that requires freedom of movement (fight, cast spells with somatic components, retrieve items from packs or bags, etc.).

[ravenn4544]

Thanks again Zhym.

Malibran will remain outside the cube as there won't be room in there for all of us.

[Zhym]

If I tallied everyone's post correctly, here's what I have for who is going where:

In the protected cube:
Xale (with cube)
Khogeki the Unseen Servant
Rool
Odilo

Waiting outside:
Malibran
Tanner

Undeclared:
Hallagad
Risdac

Is that about right? What do Hallagad and Risdac want to do?

FYI, I'll usually assume inaction over inaction for NPCing PCs. So if I don't hear otherwise by Sunday's update I'll have Hallagad and Risdac wait with Malibran and Tanner, unless Malibran and Tanner heed The Unseen Servant's call for everyone to go with Xale, in which case Hallagad and Risdac will stay with the group.

[AleBelly]

Sounds like the cube is crowded, so Hallagad will wait outside, protecting himself with his shield.

Sorry, thought I posted that decision

[ravenn4544]

For those of us on the outside, should we set a time that we wait before pulling the trigger on a wish spell. It is possible we may not hear anything until they are successful (or not). 6hrs? 12hrs?

Maybe that's enough time to wait until we have to move forward to help our dude trapped in Hell.

[max_vale]

Yeah....I was just gonna say.....whoever has access to the Wish spell should probably come with.....as I'm not sure what the ultimate destination is supposed to be.....trying to cross the Storm?.....just entering it and THEN try calling out to Emirkol?....trying to get to a theoretical 'eye' of the storm?....etc., etc. But having the ability to cast the Wish spell with the group protected by the Cube might be a really good idea.

Thoughts?

[Urson]

I agree we should set a time limit. I'd guess 12 hours would be plenty.

[Scott308]

Sorry guys. We had company visit from out of state this weekend, so I didn't get as much accomplished online as I wanted. Risdac would have stayed outside of the cube/ maelstrom anyway, so that worked out fine.

[max_vale]

OOC: Okay, maybe I'm missing something here; but I know I asked for whoever has the ability to use WISH spells to accompany us into the Storm. Seeing as how Emirikol is NOT replying to us (or can't hear us); can whoever that is please use a WISH to take us to Emirkol....or on the opposite side of the Storm or whatever?


Sorry...puzzle solving is NOT my forte.

[Zhym]

Now, hold on there, says the DM.

Right now, Xale can only communicate with those in the storm with him—Khogeki, Odilo, and Rool—and them only barely, what with the noise of the Metalstorm. He can't ask anyone outside the storm for anything.

The people outside the storm don't know what's going on in the storm. Maybe I should have spoiler tagged the in-the-storm action.

Malibran, who has the ring of wishes, chose not to accompany Xale. Now he can't see what's happening to those in the cube. The time limit that was discussed for pulling the trigger on a wish spell if Xale didn't emerge from the Metalstorm was 12 hours, so I can't see a way for Malibran to use a wish after 20 minutes that isn't pretty serious metagaming.

Sorry.

[max_vale]

Zhym: Sorry, I wasn't trying to say anything to YOU; but rather to my fellow PCs. I didn't remember who had the WISH spells; so that's on me....but I guess I should have paid more attention; because I didn't intend on going into the Storm unless that person was with us. My hope was that just by going in; something would happen and if it didn't, we had another way of getting through/around/whatever the storm.....which we don't. So, sorry....my bad.

Basically, this was either A: a complete waste of time....or, to be optimistic; at least it proves that simply entering the Storm does NOT lead one to Emirikol.

Sigh....I'm just gonna leave problem-solving to others.....

[Norjax]

Thirteen of the thirty-six small dots on the cube face vanish. The intense pummeling the cube is taking has already burned more than a third of the cube's charges and you're only 30' into the storm!

Another 14 of the small dots on Xale's cube vanish. Only nine charges remain.

So, we can't safely make it back out?

[ravenn4544]

Zhym: Sorry, I wasn't trying to say anything to YOU; but rather to my fellow PCs. I didn't remember who had the WISH spells; so that's on me....but I guess I should have paid more attention; because I didn't intend on going into the Storm unless that person was with us. My hope was that just by going in; something would happen and if it didn't, we had another way of getting through/around/whatever the storm.....which we don't. So, sorry....my bad.

Basically, this was either A: a complete waste of time....or, to be optimistic; at least it proves that simply entering the Storm does NOT lead one to Emirikol.

Sigh....I'm just gonna leave problem-solving to others.....

No way dude. You made a decision and went for it (we were getting a little sluggish). That's sometimes a reality in PBP games, I've found, when you get some wires crossed on timing and intent. No worries from me. If this plan doesn't work out, we'll get creative with some wishes and raise dead spells!

Someone recently said (maybe another forum) 'Are we gonna play D&D or what?!" and here we are .

[Zhym]

For simplicity (and because I'm ever so nice), I ruled that the charges are used at the end of the turn. You moved 30 yards into the storm in the first turn and were stationary for the second turn, so were able to back out in one more turn.

And I wouldn't say going into the storm was useless. You learned a little bit about the storm and a little about how it affects the cube, anyway.

[max_vale]

All I can offer is 'Try the WISH' and keep your fingers crossed....

[Norjax]

For simplicity (and because I'm ever so nice), I ruled that the charges are used at the end of the turn. You moved 30 yards into the storm in the first turn and were stationary for the second turn, so were able to back out in one more turn.

Thanks for the simplicity.