Menace of the Icy Spire (Ozymandias79 judging)
- Thread starter JoeNotCharles
- Start date
JoeNotCharles
First Post
[sblock=OOC]
Sorry, was waiting for DarwinofMind to chime in, but I guess we have a consensus.
[/sblock]
The forest closes in overhead, briefly shielding you from the falling snow, but after a few minutes the snowfall increases. By the third twist of the trail it's become a squall. By the fifth, a chill wind has begun to blow, whipping snow into your face. The trail slowly disappears under a blanket of white, until you're not sure you're even on it any more. Soon you're being pelted with driving snow, seemingly from all sides. Minute by minute the storm's intensity continues to rise until you're in the middle of a full-on blizzard.
[sblock=Skill Challenge!]
Finding your way through the storm is a skill challenge needing 8 successes before 3 failures. Each round of the challenge lasts an hour, during which everyone must make a DC 10 Endurance check (which doesn't count towards successes and failures). Anyone that fails loses a healing surge from the battering of the elements. Each player can also roll one other skill check per hour, which counts towards the challenge.
Since the blinding snow and wind makes it hard to talk (and concentrate!) Aid Another isn't permitted. If you're worried about failure, you can choose not to make a check by concentrating on slogging straight ahead, but the challenge doesn't end until you get 8 successes or 3 failures, so wasting time leads to more Endurance checks.
You have two goals: keep on the right path towards the center of the island, and don't succumb to the storm. Be creative with what skills you use - Nature and Athletics have obvious uses, but things like Acrobatics and even History can be used if you can justify it.
Slogging through the snow takes a lot of energy, so anyone pulling a sled will have to take -1 to all checks. (Even for mental skills, since the storm makes it so hard to concentrate.) If you're pulling it all by yourself, it's -2.
Round 1: everyone roll Endurance, and a skill of your choice, please. (DarwinofMind, can you post for OnlytheStrong until he gets back?)
[/sblock]
Sorry, was waiting for DarwinofMind to chime in, but I guess we have a consensus.
[/sblock]
The forest closes in overhead, briefly shielding you from the falling snow, but after a few minutes the snowfall increases. By the third twist of the trail it's become a squall. By the fifth, a chill wind has begun to blow, whipping snow into your face. The trail slowly disappears under a blanket of white, until you're not sure you're even on it any more. Soon you're being pelted with driving snow, seemingly from all sides. Minute by minute the storm's intensity continues to rise until you're in the middle of a full-on blizzard.
[sblock=Skill Challenge!]
Finding your way through the storm is a skill challenge needing 8 successes before 3 failures. Each round of the challenge lasts an hour, during which everyone must make a DC 10 Endurance check (which doesn't count towards successes and failures). Anyone that fails loses a healing surge from the battering of the elements. Each player can also roll one other skill check per hour, which counts towards the challenge.
Since the blinding snow and wind makes it hard to talk (and concentrate!) Aid Another isn't permitted. If you're worried about failure, you can choose not to make a check by concentrating on slogging straight ahead, but the challenge doesn't end until you get 8 successes or 3 failures, so wasting time leads to more Endurance checks.
You have two goals: keep on the right path towards the center of the island, and don't succumb to the storm. Be creative with what skills you use - Nature and Athletics have obvious uses, but things like Acrobatics and even History can be used if you can justify it.
Slogging through the snow takes a lot of energy, so anyone pulling a sled will have to take -1 to all checks. (Even for mental skills, since the storm makes it so hard to concentrate.) If you're pulling it all by yourself, it's -2.
Round 1: everyone roll Endurance, and a skill of your choice, please. (DarwinofMind, can you post for OnlytheStrong until he gets back?)
[/sblock]
[sblock="OOC"]Sorry, I thought I had chimed in, I said we should go to the forest long ago, I was waiting on everyone else. I'll be happy to post for OnlytheStrong. [/sblock]
Larinza pulls her cloak tied up around her to block the wind and the cold.
Endurance Check (1d20+5=10)
Larinza muscles her way through the blizzard shouting in hopes to keep others on the path.
Athletics Check (1d20+7=12)
Shorrin steels himself against the cold.
Endurance Check (1d20+5=8)
Athletics Check (1d20+4=22)
Larinza pulls her cloak tied up around her to block the wind and the cold.
Endurance Check (1d20+5=10)
Larinza muscles her way through the blizzard shouting in hopes to keep others on the path.
Athletics Check (1d20+7=12)
Shorrin steels himself against the cold.
Endurance Check (1d20+5=8)
Athletics Check (1d20+4=22)
JoeNotCharles
First Post
Larinza and Shorrin pull their respective sleds steadily, helping to force a way through the storm by brute strength, hoping that they're heading in the right direction. Every few minutes the sleds hang up on rocks or underbrush concealed under the snow and have to be hauled over. Branches whip unexpectedly at them out of the whiteness and at one point they have to halt to lever a fallen tree out of the way. It's obvious that the group has left the path at some point - how could this have happened? The trail seemed wide and well-marked as it left the clearing, and nobody can quite pinpoint the moment in changed.
Larinza seems to be weathering the cold well, but Shorrin's scales are starting to turn blue.
[sblock=OOC]
2 successes / 0 failures
Athletics: DC 10: The character forces a way through by brute strength. Failure will cost 1 healing surge. Gives at most one success per character (though you can keep trying as often as you want until you succeed).
Either you've added the +1 from quick posting to all your rolls, or you didn't use it at all and also forgot the -1 for the encumbrance of the sled. I'll choose to add the +1 to Larinza's Endurance check, so Larinza actually rolled 10 Endurance and 11 Athletics, and Shorrin rolled 7 Endurance and 22 Athletics.
Shorrin loses 1 healing surge.
[/sblock]
Larinza seems to be weathering the cold well, but Shorrin's scales are starting to turn blue.
[sblock=OOC]
2 successes / 0 failures
Athletics: DC 10: The character forces a way through by brute strength. Failure will cost 1 healing surge. Gives at most one success per character (though you can keep trying as often as you want until you succeed).
Either you've added the +1 from quick posting to all your rolls, or you didn't use it at all and also forgot the -1 for the encumbrance of the sled. I'll choose to add the +1 to Larinza's Endurance check, so Larinza actually rolled 10 Endurance and 11 Athletics, and Shorrin rolled 7 Endurance and 22 Athletics.
Shorrin loses 1 healing surge.
[/sblock]
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renau1g
First Post
Murphy is struggling to fight off the effects of the blizzard, he can feel the cold seeping into his very bones. He tries to recall anything he's heard of how to survive a blizzard, or how to navigate one.
[sblock=OOC]
Endurance; Nature (1d20+1=7, 1d20+3=20)
Man... Can I bluff or initimidate the blizzard?
[/sblock]
[sblock=OOC]
Endurance; Nature (1d20+1=7, 1d20+3=20)
Man... Can I bluff or initimidate the blizzard?
[/sblock]
JoeNotCharles
First Post
Murphy studies the terrain carefully as they pass. The driving snow skitters in gusts, making eerie shapes swirl in front of his eyes, but he squints through it as best he can, looking for landmarks which seem to advance and recede moment by moment. Suddenly a familiar crooked tree looms out of white curtain, and he realizes they've been travelling in circles! At the next fork, the ground slopes slightly uphill and downhill - last time they took the easier downhill path, but Murphy suggests going uphill this time to break the cycle. It seems to work: the ghostly albino trees slowly disappear, replaced with by darker, gnarled growth that closes in overhead.
As the party moves into this new part of the forest, the howling of the wind fades off into the distance, sounding almost like a scream of disappointment. It's soon replaced by a new note, a low, eerie moaning.
[sblock=OOC]
How did you get +3 for Nature? It's a Wis skill, you should have -1 with the penalty from pulling the sled. That's still a pass at 16, fortunately.
If you can come up with some good flavour for bluffing or intimidating the storm, go ahead - if it's useless, it won't count as a failure. I don't want to punish experimentation.
3 successes / 0 failures
Nature: DC 10: The character relies on their knowledge of wilderness lore and terrain to guide the party. Gives at most 1 success per character.
Murphy loses 1 healing surge.
[/sblock]
As the party moves into this new part of the forest, the howling of the wind fades off into the distance, sounding almost like a scream of disappointment. It's soon replaced by a new note, a low, eerie moaning.
[sblock=OOC]
How did you get +3 for Nature? It's a Wis skill, you should have -1 with the penalty from pulling the sled. That's still a pass at 16, fortunately.
If you can come up with some good flavour for bluffing or intimidating the storm, go ahead - if it's useless, it won't count as a failure. I don't want to punish experimentation.
3 successes / 0 failures
Nature: DC 10: The character relies on their knowledge of wilderness lore and terrain to guide the party. Gives at most 1 success per character.
Murphy loses 1 healing surge.
[/sblock]
Balth pulls his cloak in tight around him, attempting to lead the others back to the trail as he shortens his distance between himself and the sleds so the others do not lose sight of him.
[sblock=ooc rolls]
Nature, Endurance (1d20+11, 1d20=[14], [16])
Also, wanted to let you know now Joe that I will be in Paris from Friday until next Saturday, and won't have any way to communicate most likely. If you could please autopilot me to do woodsy elf-y things I'd appreciate it
Merci beaucoup 
[/sblock]
[sblock=ooc rolls]
Nature, Endurance (1d20+11, 1d20=[14], [16])
Also, wanted to let you know now Joe that I will be in Paris from Friday until next Saturday, and won't have any way to communicate most likely. If you could please autopilot me to do woodsy elf-y things I'd appreciate it
Merci beaucoup [/sblock]
JoeNotCharles
First Post
Balth could swear that they were forging ahead in a straight line, but once Murphy starts pointing out landmarks they've already passed, it's like a veil is lifted. How could he have missed that? He resolves to pay more attention, but now that he's watching, he can't see anything strange. Navigating through this new part of the forest is almost deceptively easy.
Until the party suddenly breaks from the trees at the lip of a steep gorge, 15 feet across and at least 30 feet deep. More trees crowd closely at the far side. In the momentary clear patch, the party can briefly see a white flash on the horizon - some sort of sparkling tower or spire. Then the wind and whipping snow closes in again, driving you back into the shelter of the trees to discuss your next move.
[sblock=OOC]
4 successes, 0 failures
With a running start, jumping 15 feet across the gorge takes an Athletics roll of... 15. Convenient. But you'd need to either abandon the sleds or figure out some way to get them across separately.
Balth is pretty sure that the gorge gets less steep to the north, so you can get around it by following it that way until it's shallow enough to cross, but who knows how long that could take?
Janus still has to make a check before anyone else can start on their second checks. Since you haven't had a general action in the challenge yet, it doesn't have to relate directly to crossing the gorge, but after Janus you need to get to the other side of the gorge before you can get more successes on the challenge.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Paris]
Ooh la la. So you're gone from April 3 to 10, is that right?
Have fun!
[/sblock]
Until the party suddenly breaks from the trees at the lip of a steep gorge, 15 feet across and at least 30 feet deep. More trees crowd closely at the far side. In the momentary clear patch, the party can briefly see a white flash on the horizon - some sort of sparkling tower or spire. Then the wind and whipping snow closes in again, driving you back into the shelter of the trees to discuss your next move.
[sblock=OOC]
4 successes, 0 failures
With a running start, jumping 15 feet across the gorge takes an Athletics roll of... 15. Convenient. But you'd need to either abandon the sleds or figure out some way to get them across separately.
Balth is pretty sure that the gorge gets less steep to the north, so you can get around it by following it that way until it's shallow enough to cross, but who knows how long that could take?
Janus still has to make a check before anyone else can start on their second checks. Since you haven't had a general action in the challenge yet, it doesn't have to relate directly to crossing the gorge, but after Janus you need to get to the other side of the gorge before you can get more successes on the challenge.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Paris]
Ooh la la. So you're gone from April 3 to 10, is that right?
Have fun!
[/sblock]
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changer
First Post
Janus struggles with the storm, although familiar with cold weather he is usually ensconced in a stone tower pouring over mouldy tomes.
The constant white outs play on his mind, so Janus calls a halt and explains what he is going to do. "Ok, listen up people, I cannot pull this thing and slog thruough these snow drifts using muscle power, so everyone stay behind me except Balth. Balth you scout ahead, not too far mind, just enough so I can see the magic light I am about to cast on your cloak. Everyone stand close so I can warm your clothes for you, should last about an hour. It probably won't stave off hypothermia but I will make freezing to death more comfortable." Janus smiles as he continues to explains his grand plan. "I will take the lead on the first sled, any large snow drifts we encounter, Balth will mark and I will blow them out of the way with my Thunderwave, should make the going easier."
Janus nods to his comrades hoping they like his plan...
[sblock=ooc]
Janus nods to his comrades and if/when all are in aggreement he will cast the nessassary spells.
Light cantrip on Balth's Cloak or backpack, Recasting every 5 minutes.
Prestidigitation on eveyones clothes, warming them for one hour. Recasting when needed.
Endurance, Athletics: 1d20+1, 1d20-2 = 15, 5
[/sblock]
The constant white outs play on his mind, so Janus calls a halt and explains what he is going to do. "Ok, listen up people, I cannot pull this thing and slog thruough these snow drifts using muscle power, so everyone stay behind me except Balth. Balth you scout ahead, not too far mind, just enough so I can see the magic light I am about to cast on your cloak. Everyone stand close so I can warm your clothes for you, should last about an hour. It probably won't stave off hypothermia but I will make freezing to death more comfortable." Janus smiles as he continues to explains his grand plan. "I will take the lead on the first sled, any large snow drifts we encounter, Balth will mark and I will blow them out of the way with my Thunderwave, should make the going easier."
Janus nods to his comrades hoping they like his plan...
[sblock=ooc]
Janus nods to his comrades and if/when all are in aggreement he will cast the nessassary spells.
Light cantrip on Balth's Cloak or backpack, Recasting every 5 minutes.
Prestidigitation on eveyones clothes, warming them for one hour. Recasting when needed.
Endurance, Athletics: 1d20+1, 1d20-2 = 15, 5
[/sblock]
JoeNotCharles
First Post
[sblock=OOC]
Not sure why you rolled Athletics there - Thunderwaving things out of the way would be an Arcana check, to my mind. The roll would be to see if you can maintain your concentration in the blizzard and work past numb fingers to get your spells off. That same roll would be a 15 in Arcana. Is that what you intended?
[/sblock]
Not sure why you rolled Athletics there - Thunderwaving things out of the way would be an Arcana check, to my mind. The roll would be to see if you can maintain your concentration in the blizzard and work past numb fingers to get your spells off. That same roll would be a 15 in Arcana. Is that what you intended?
[/sblock]
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