The Game Thread 2

[tibbius]

Elcroon eyed the scrapes and gouges. He pointed and directed the lycanthrope to it.

“Black Dog - does your nose detect
The scent of creature I suspect?
Some beast of fearsome aspect?”

Inside the cave, the bard inhaled deeply with his nose, to smell if the cave was a den. He lit a torch, holding it high, observing if the flame fluttered from wind exiting the tunnel, and to get a better view deeper inside. His sword was in his other hand.

woof

The cave smells faintly of sulfur and lightning. Mostly of cold water. There is a faint breeze from the motion of the stream, the torch flickers but doesn't bend in any particular direction. The wind blows down the chasm outside but the cave is basically still air.

[jemmus]

Delx
It takes something quite strong-- or heavy-- to scrape and gouge stone, I reckon. We'd best keep our eyes and ears open, I'd guess. He slings the fine axe and readies his bow.

[Grognardsw]

Elcroon nodded at Delx’s words. The songceror feared the sulfur and lightning smell meant a wyvern, though he did not voice his fear as wyvern was a hard word to rhyme to.

“Yes, into Ghostal let us make haste!
Though not so quickly we make waste.”

With the others, Elcroon proceeded deeper into the cave, torch alight, looking into the shadows for reflecting eyes, eggs, bodies, the glint of coin, but mostly a way into the mountain.

“Black Dog take heed - ahead of us proceed.”

[Juramenta]

Walk behind the dog. You are a target first, combatant second Bishop instructs the effigy making it walk in front, but always keeping it behind the group's scout.

[tibbius]

The cave shows many signs of stone craft. For example, the walls floor and the twenty foot high ceiling are flat and have squared corners. The shallow water rippling across the smooth floor seems out of place.

It gets dark as you go further in but the space does not get smaller. You do find the source of the water: it runs in a smooth sheet down the left hand wall, about fifty yards inside. Beyond that point the floor is dry. Your torch flickers.

You notice gouges in the stone floor, they look somewhat like claw marks.

The odors of sulfur and lightning linger in your noses.

Black Dog abruptly stops moving forward. Head and tail lowered, she silently crouches.

[jemmus]

Delx follows Bishop's striding wooden automaton and observes the sheet of water running over the wall of stone. He whispers, Plumbing problems, from above. Something the engineers of Ghostal would have designed against-- at least, from what we've seen of their works. He silently points to the dry area beyond it, then to the gouge marks on the floor. He stage-acts sniffing the air and looks at Elcroon's snuffing torch with a pantomine's face of alarm.

But Black Dog suddenly alerts and silently crouches. The vagrant minstrel smoothly and quietly exchanges his bow for a torch and lights it with the flickering flame of Elcroon's. Then takes the honed dwarven axe with its leathern thong from his belt and holds it in both hands.

He says aloud (with a wink to all), Black Dog, what might you be doing now? Friend Bishop, your stick golem made a fine bridge. Maybe a good torchbearer in a cave as well? He hands his torch to Bishop. He being the companion (and friend?) who built and conjured movement into the scarecrow thing.

[tibbius]

He says aloud

There is a heavy slithering noise from further on in the immense cave room. Two blue-glowing circles appear there. Maybe the size of Elcroon's palm, if they are as distant as they seem.

[Grognardsw]

Elcroon’s heart sank as he spied the eyes, realizing the wyvern was already inside the cavern. Given its lightning and speed, a retreat was unlikely. The icy gorge outside would box them in.

“Beware the dragon ahead!
Unleash all or we’re dead!”

Considering his two spells, Elcroon judged the Chariot Transport Vulture to be the more damaging. He started uttering the mystic words while grasping a vulture feather.

How many feet away are the eyes? Is that distance within range of the spell? Would the distance mean melee engagement is a round away?

[tibbius]

Elcroon’s heart sank as he spied the eyes, realizing the wyvern was already inside the cavern. Given its lightning and speed, a retreat was unlikely. The icy gorge outside would box them in.

“Beware the dragon ahead!
Unleash all or we’re dead!”

Considering his two spells, Elcroon judged the Chariot Transport Vulture to be the more damaging. He started uttering the mystic words while grasping a vulture feather.

How many feet away are the eyes? Is that distance within range of the spell? Would the distance mean melee engagement is a round away?

The eyes are beyond the torchlight, but not far beyond. At a run, or a wyvern's leap, the distance might be closed at about the same time as the spell goes.

Keep in mind that in 2400 Legends, "Wizardry: … Cast with Reason at risk of unnatural or dangerous side effects on (1–2) you or (3–4) a friendly target."

[Juramenta]

Spirit of stone, rise from your slumber and strengthen his hold on the spear. Guide it as he takes his charge Bishop pushes the spirit into the effigy. Failing to keep the spirit longer dan a few seconds, yet those might just be enough.
Charge at it and strike true! he commands the effigy now fused with the spirit of stone.

I use 'guidance' on the effigy

[jemmus]

Delx slings the bow and takes the dwarven axe. He lights a torch from Elcroon's and prepares to the follow Bishop's effigy into battle.

He'll drop the torch on the floor to illuminate the creature and have two hands free for the axe.

[1d12]=9

[Grognardsw]

Keep in mind that in 2400 Legends, "Wizardry: … Cast with Reason at risk of unnatural or dangerous side effects on (1–2) you or (3–4) a friendly target."

That’s terrible. So I have a 50% of side effects with a d8. Who would ever choose a wizard? This game designer doesn’t like magic. One could never become a master wizard as statistically you’d kill yourself or be kicked out of a party who’s tired of getting effected by your magic.

I will leave it to a party vote on whether I cast or not.

[Juramenta]

I know I already submitted my post, but can I switch my guidance to Elcroon's spellcasting? Also, I missed the part on taking over the torch. Could Bishop pick it up as a 'free' action this turn?

[tibbius]

Keep in mind that in 2400 Legends, "Wizardry: … Cast with Reason at risk of unnatural or dangerous side effects on (1–2) you or (3–4) a friendly target."

That’s terrible. So I have a 50% of side effects with a d8. Who would ever choose a wizard? This game designer doesn’t like magic. One could never become a master wizard as statistically you’d kill yourself or be kicked out of a party who’s tired of getting effected by your magic.

I will leave it to a party vote on whether I cast or not.

Practically I would alleviate the problem with a 1d6 Luck roll whether the effects are dangerous or merely unnatural. Still there is what some might see as an unacceptably high risk of things going sideways. Whether the game designer dislikes magic or just has a different perspective on it … not sure.

[Juramenta]

I checked the character and I think I know what went wrong. Elcroon needs Rote for his talent, not wizardry (or rote on top of wizardry). No more side effects to worry about, only harm. He should be good to go then.

[tibbius]

I know I already submitted my post, but can I switch my guidance to Elcroon's spellcasting? Also, I missed the part on taking over the torch. Could Bishop pick it up as a 'free' action this turn?

Yes ou can switch guidance to the spellcasting

[Juramenta]

Grognardsw, you get to roll a d10 alongside your d8 and take highest.

[Grognardsw]

I checked the character and I think I know what went wrong. Elcroon needs Rote for his talent, not wizardry (or rote on top of wizardry). No more side effects to worry about, only harm. He should be good to go then.

Hmm, I think Elcroon is second level. Can he pick Rote as the second level talent pick (first level being Wizardry)?

[tibbius]

I checked the character and I think I know what went wrong. Elcroon needs Rote for his talent, not wizardry (or rote on top of wizardry). No more side effects to worry about, only harm. He should be good to go then.

Hmm, I think Elcroon is second level. Can he pick Rote as the second level talent pick (first level being Wizardry)?

definitely yes ... there could be a whole "slow build" power progression where at an "odd level" you gain a new spell and at an "even level" you make it Rote

[Grognardsw]

I checked the character and I think I know what went wrong. Elcroon needs Rote for his talent, not wizardry (or rote on top of wizardry). No more side effects to worry about, only harm. He should be good to go then.

Hmm, I think Elcroon is second level. Can he pick Rote as the second level talent pick (first level being Wizardry)?

definitely yes ... there could be a whole "slow build" power progression where at an "odd level" you gain a new spell and at an "even level" you make it Rote

Thanks, I’ll do that.

Elcroon waved the vulture feather in a mystic pattern as he uttered the sorcerous syllables that summoned and unleashed the chariot transport vulture. A planar rip tore the air above, swirling in a black hole from which emerged a screaming cosmic vulture pulling an undulating sparking flaming ectoplasmic chariot! The temperature dropped 10 degrees and the cavern lit up as the phlogistonic chariot and vulture hurtled into the wyvern in an explosion of magic energy!!

Casting CTV [1d8]=8, [1d10]=6

CVT Hurts [1d4]=3

Chariot Transport Vulture
An ectoplasmic flying flaming 4’ long chariot pulled by a screaming black hole vulture materializes and can be directed by the caster to hit a target for 1d4 Hurts. Alternately, it can be used to blow open a door, put a hole in a wall, scare the superstitious or cause a general mess. Material component is a vulture feather.