The Wayfinders - The Wreck of the Archon

jkason · Mar 29, 2012

[SBLOCK=ooc]

SelcSilverhand said:
Well the spell says it is a day a level, so you can figure on 8 days of use which seems about right for unrefrigerated berries exposed to fire balls, acid breath, and squishing pistons! If you want to cast it a few times I'll let you carry as many as you can until they expire. Also there is a town somewhere near the Mournlands that sells a goodberry wine if your group wants to detour.

I was thinking the duration was the limit, but went back and looked, and remembered why I didn't think goodberries would do us much, well, good: max 8 HP healed per 24 hours. Ouch. At our level, that probably doesn't even heal a single hit.

Something that provides fairly accessible fast healing, even with potential side-effects, would definitely be nice, then.

Anyone inside the sphere doesn't have line of sight or line of effect to anything outside. It takes a full round to open the sphere and at least one person actively working on opening the latches, pulling gears, lifting the lid, etc to get it open.

Gah. Not sure how we should play this one, then. Sticking the casters away means no buffs / debuffs for the early rounds; securing the fighters means squishy folk as prime targets. Opinions of better tacticians appreciated.

Do you want me to recruit another person? Damage Inc vanished, who was going to be your guide to the Archon. I'm fine with either option, so let me know if you want another party member.

Initially I thought we might do all right with who we have, but with the Mournlands on the horizon, we might want at least one more person to aid our survivability...[/sblock]

Deuce Traveler · Mar 30, 2012

OOC:

Before we go anywhere, do we still have a finger to drop off?

SelcSilverhand · Mar 30, 2012

Deuce Traveler said:
OOC:
Before we go anywhere, do we still have a finger to drop off?

OOC:

Nope, it was dropped before you flew up to the tower

Deuce Traveler · Mar 31, 2012

OOC:

Since the Rumbleball can't really be used in combat and seems solely to help transport us, I still think we should have our two pilots be the ones with the most hp. If we have the ones with the lowest hit points be the pilots, and they are knocked out of a fight, then the party has no means of escape.

Dr Simon · Apr 2, 2012

Kraken looks around the group as they stare at the outlandish contraption like stunned mullets. With a shrug he steps forwards.

"Can't be any harder than riding a war canoe down a breaker," he says. He looks to the gnome as he moves in to examine the controls of the rumbleball. "So, how fast can one of these beauts go?"

jkason · Apr 2, 2012

Midian Rightson, human druid

"Well, I have a vague sympathy with elementals. Wouldn't hurt to learn to pilot this, myself," Midian offers.

[sblock=ooc]Looks like Midian's the next-highest HP. It occurs to me, too, that he can wildshape into an earth elemental form. Would he be able to pilot in that form? He can hold it for 8 hours, cast in it, and Earth Glide should mean he can effectively exit or enter the craft as a normal move action, yes? Or am I playing too fast and loose with that interpretation?[/sblock]

SelcSilverhand · Apr 5, 2012

jkason said:
"Well, I have a vague sympathy with elementals. Wouldn't hurt to learn to pilot this, myself," Midian offers.

[sblock=ooc]Looks like Midian's the next-highest HP. It occurs to me, too, that he can wildshape into an earth elemental form. Would he be able to pilot in that form? He can hold it for 8 hours, cast in it, and Earth Glide should mean he can effectively exit or enter the craft as a normal move action, yes? Or am I playing too fast and loose with that interpretation?[/sblock]

OOC
[SBLOCK]
He would have to manipulate the controls with limbs, so there wouldn't be much of a point to the wildshape. I'd rule no on the earth glide for entering and exiting. The entire craft is designed to contain and elemental while at the same time allowing passengers to ride within it. I would say the binding magics would prevent you from using those powers because they are designed to prevent the bound elemental from using them as well.

I will have another big update here soon, I'm a bit overwhelmed at work and getting ready to move but I might be able to get a bit of writing done today.
[/SBLOCK]

jkason · Apr 5, 2012

OOC
[SBLOCK]

SelcSilverhand said:
He would have to manipulate the controls with limbs, so there wouldn't be much of a point to the wildshape. I'd rule no on the earth glide for entering and exiting. The entire craft is designed to contain and elemental while at the same time allowing passengers to ride within it. I would say the binding magics would prevent you from using those powers because they are designed to prevent the bound elemental from using them as well.

Works for me. I'd not thought about the binding magics, but it makes sense. With the second-highest HP, Midian should probably still be training, I guess.[/sblock]

SelcSilverhand · Apr 7, 2012

Once a decision has been reached, Weyls claps his hands and rubs them together. "Right, lets get to work. The rest of you lot, uhhh, don't touch anything, and stay out of everyone's way." He turns and leads Midian and Kraken to another room.

Midian and Kraken sit down in too-small chairs and listen while Weyls begins a lecture, complete with chalk and slate, about the movement controls of the Rumbleball. Idly you notice several names have been scratched out above the word Rumbleball. Sphere of Annihilation 2. Mace-Head. Rolling Death Ball. Look Out. Besides the numerous whimsical names are detailed drawings of the inner workings of the sphere, all of which are incomprehensible to you. You spend the next several hours listening as Weyls describes how the Rumbleball moves, what each lever does, and how to navigate with the goggles. A good part of the time is devoted to understanding the elemental bound within the sphere and using your own willpower to bend it to your will. Towards the end he sets up some broom handles in a bucket, labels them, and has you practice wiggling them back and forth as a control room mockup. When asked why you can't practice on the real thing, he says that he doesn't want to be anywhere near a giant spiky ball when you start "ham fisting the controls".

Meanwhile the rest of the party do their best to stay out of the way while other gnomes and a few humans work hard on doing last minute tweaks to the device. Eventually one of them thinks to ask you what you want for the trip. Whisper and Doral put their heads together and come up with a short list of supplies that you might need. You end up with a few extra lengths of rope, supplies of food and water, tents, blankets, excavation tools, everburning lanterns, and a myriad of other campsite belongings.
Adal has long ago vanished, no doubt off to oversee some other important matters.

Finally after several hours of training and preparation, Weyls declares you as ready as you're ever going to be.

OOC
[SBLOCK]
You can either depart today or wait until tomorrow morning for Midian to prepare and cast his goodberry spells.

I rolled a 4 on your training bonus, so Midian and Kraken get a +2 bonus each.
[/SBLOCK]

Deuce Traveler · Apr 7, 2012

Doral says, "I am for staying the night to allow for Midian's preparations. Besides, it may be the last time we enjoy a fine bed and glass of wine for sometime. And I wouldn't mind having one more night in the country of my birth. It has been too long."