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A Rather Odd Shovel [Judge: Bront]
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<blockquote data-quote="covaithe" data-source="post: 4728187" data-attributes="member: 46559"><p>[sblock=Math and brainstorming]Let's see, Tommy has a +5 for decipher script. I note that Guidance has no material component requirement, so that's +1, even if we have to pay for it. For 60g (SRD prices) we can get (I hope) a fox's cunning lasting 3 minutes; that's another +2 for up to three pages worth of checks. Fimble grants +2, and Tarag grants +2. We're at +12, if I'm not mistaken. The library will presumably grant at least +2 circumstance bonus, possibly more if Rae is kind. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> If we can find a way for Keldar to help, that will put us at +16. The only other sources of bonuses I can think of would be hiring a 3rd level bard for inspire competence, or sweet-talking the librarians to see if they have a <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#helmofComprehendLanguagesandReadMagic" target="_blank">helm of comprehend languages</a> that we could borrow, or some similar item. Actually, it's perfectly reasonable for a big library to have one of those; that's probably worth exploring. It won't stack with guidance, but +5 is better than +1. </p><p></p><p>Suggestions for how Keldar might help: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">social skills to find a bright young student at the college who likes codes and ciphers and charm them into helping. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> forgery to try to identify from the handwriting words or phrases or letters that are likely to be important, vs. ones that are just misdirection -- i.e. ones written carefully rather than dashed off hurriedly.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> bardic knowledge to provide insight of famous code deciphering episodes from story and song. Or perhaps poetic forms that encode semi-hidden information, like acrostics. </li> </ul><p></p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p>Tommy marches straight to the shelves holding the books on cryptography he'd identified earlier, mildly protesting guide in tow. While Tarag researches crafting techniques, he studies the books, looking for ciphers likely to have been in use around the time Urton was writing this journal, and codebreaking techniques that seem suitable for those ciphers and based on the brief glances through the journal that Tommy has had so far. After a while he rubs his temples, stands, and speaks to the guide. </p><p></p><p><span style="color: gray">"Thanks for your help. I think I'm almost ready to tackle this journal now, only a few things left to do. First, I'd like to purchase an intellect enhancing spell."</span> He shrugs, slightly embarrassed, but grins. <span style="color: gray">"Hopefully it won't be needed, but.... I didn't spend as much time learning how to work on this kind of problem as on other things, and I every little bit counts, right? Second, could I use your helm of language comprehension? You, uh, do have one, right? Of course I'd be happy to have whatever supervision you feel is necessary. And third... Could you tell me where the, uh, toilet facilities are? Wouldn't do to have any interruptions..."</span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="covaithe, post: 4728187, member: 46559"] [sblock=Math and brainstorming]Let's see, Tommy has a +5 for decipher script. I note that Guidance has no material component requirement, so that's +1, even if we have to pay for it. For 60g (SRD prices) we can get (I hope) a fox's cunning lasting 3 minutes; that's another +2 for up to three pages worth of checks. Fimble grants +2, and Tarag grants +2. We're at +12, if I'm not mistaken. The library will presumably grant at least +2 circumstance bonus, possibly more if Rae is kind. ;) If we can find a way for Keldar to help, that will put us at +16. The only other sources of bonuses I can think of would be hiring a 3rd level bard for inspire competence, or sweet-talking the librarians to see if they have a [URL="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#helmofComprehendLanguagesandReadMagic"]helm of comprehend languages[/URL] that we could borrow, or some similar item. Actually, it's perfectly reasonable for a big library to have one of those; that's probably worth exploring. It won't stack with guidance, but +5 is better than +1. Suggestions for how Keldar might help: [list] [*]social skills to find a bright young student at the college who likes codes and ciphers and charm them into helping. [*] forgery to try to identify from the handwriting words or phrases or letters that are likely to be important, vs. ones that are just misdirection -- i.e. ones written carefully rather than dashed off hurriedly. [*] bardic knowledge to provide insight of famous code deciphering episodes from story and song. Or perhaps poetic forms that encode semi-hidden information, like acrostics. [/list] [/sblock] Tommy marches straight to the shelves holding the books on cryptography he'd identified earlier, mildly protesting guide in tow. While Tarag researches crafting techniques, he studies the books, looking for ciphers likely to have been in use around the time Urton was writing this journal, and codebreaking techniques that seem suitable for those ciphers and based on the brief glances through the journal that Tommy has had so far. After a while he rubs his temples, stands, and speaks to the guide. [color=gray]"Thanks for your help. I think I'm almost ready to tackle this journal now, only a few things left to do. First, I'd like to purchase an intellect enhancing spell."[/color] He shrugs, slightly embarrassed, but grins. [color=gray]"Hopefully it won't be needed, but.... I didn't spend as much time learning how to work on this kind of problem as on other things, and I every little bit counts, right? Second, could I use your helm of language comprehension? You, uh, do have one, right? Of course I'd be happy to have whatever supervision you feel is necessary. And third... Could you tell me where the, uh, toilet facilities are? Wouldn't do to have any interruptions..."[/color] [/QUOTE]
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