[Spirits of Rock and Sky] is this lunacy?

[reason]

Is this lunacy? Have I just been playing too many odd computer games (and watched the Swiss Family Robinson at too early an age)? Is this something that every other GM looks at and imagines hours of fun stemming from it? Will players be challenged and amused by something this odd?

Plot Seed: Ten Wooden Spheres

Another time of Still Sky has passed. The crafters and warriors of Clan Jatu are descending from the rugged, high foothills to the Causi Meet in Naskal.

Resant of the Jatu has spent twenty long cycles crafting ten great wooden throwing spheres. Each is half a span wide, and at least a body in weight. [This is 5 to 6 feet wide and about as heavy as a man]. The spheres will finally be used in contests at the coming Meet, signs in and of themselves of Jatu prowess.

Resant, ever the perfectionist, has finished late. Barely four wakes remain, and Resant’s fellows in the Clan have already left for the Meet. It is a matter of pride and reputation for the Enierd crafter to catch up with the other Jatu and bring the spheres with him.

Resant appeals to the PCs in absence of others who will help him. How will the PCs safely navigate ten weighty spheres down steep slopes, through narrow ravines and past deep chasms? Why are the PCs in this remote location in the first place? What of the Susyan raiding party that even now climbs toward the deserted Jatu communities?

 

[Rybaer]

Well, depending on the severity of the terrain (and it sounds pretty severe), I think it'd be a challenge for a party to move just one of these beasts, let alone ten of them. A wooden sphere 5-6' in diameter is going to weight a whole lot more than a man does unless they're relatively thin and hollow. It'd probably take several strong men just to keep one from rolling away on a moderately steep grade.

(quickie calculation using average density of the tan oak):
5' sphere of solid wood would weigh appx 2500 lbs
6' sphere of solid wood would weigh appx 4450 lbs.

(These guys aren't giants by any chance, are they?)

In principle, though, I like the idea. I can think of many challenges moving a heavy and unwieldy object like that would present. I like challenges that involve doing something mundane (hiking down a mountain) and adding a couple twists (with a 2500 lb wooden ball and ambushers on your heels).

 

[reason]

oops...factor of two

Half a span wide is 3'. Or so. (A span is the distance between outstretched fingertips, about equal to height). Oops. That's what I get for posting late at night. The spheres are are more likely to be constructed out of interlinked pieces of wood than one solid mass, since wood is rare and very valuable. Large chunks of it are not common.

I'm usually pretty good with these reality check things Must run those density calculations...a solid 3' wooden sphere is about 150kg (330lbs) or so if the wood is 600kg/m**3. (4/3*pi*r**3*density). Hmm.

The Enierd aren't giants, no. They're strong(er) humans. Probably +2 STR/CON. Throwing a throwing sphere is something like tossing the caber (If you're familiar with that Scottish sport). You struggle to pick it up, then you struggle to hurl it more than ten feet

The real fun comes because Spirits of Rock and Sky is a resource-poor environment -- i.e. no running out and buying 1000' of rope.

Reason

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Is this lunacy? Have I just been playing too many odd computer games (and watched the Swiss Family Robinson at too early an age)? Is this something that every other GM looks at and imagines hours of fun stemming from it? Will players be challenged and amused by something this odd?

It sounds like a lot of fun- I wish I could play. Be sure to let us know how it goes.

Of course, how well it works depends on your players. If your players just want to fight monsters, then you may have a problem.

Some other ideas:

I don't know how many players there are, but you may want to drop the number of spheres. That is a lot, and I have trouble thinking how they will do it in a resource poor environment. Unless you can come up with a list of ways, then your players may have trouble coming up with one.

They spot a fire breathing monster of some sort coming their way- and it looks hungry.

They have to pass through a canyon that is inhabited by a hag. A very grumpy hag that likes to torture those rude enough to bother her.

One rolls into a cave- how do they guard the others and retrieve that one? Perhaps giant ants begin to take off with it?

They have to pass a river.

Good luck!
FD

 

[reason]

Re: Re: [Spirits of Rock and Sky] is this lunacy?

It sounds like a lot of fun- I wish I could play. Be sure to let us know how it goes.

Of course, how well it works depends on your players. If your players just want to fight monsters, then you may have a problem.

They spot a fire breathing monster of some sort coming their way- and it looks hungry.

They have to pass through a canyon that is inhabited by a hag. A very grumpy hag that likes to torture those rude enough to bother her.

One rolls into a cave- how do they guard the others and retrieve that one? Perhaps giant ants begin to take off with it?

They have to pass a river.

Good luck!
FD

This is just a plot seed, and GMs are free to expound in different ways, but the way I'd focus it is as an internal personal conflict:

1) Most obstacles (cliffs, ravines, Susyan raiders...) can be overcome by creatively dropping some of the spheres on them or rolling the spheres over them.

2) Resant will never, ever let anyone do anything to one of his spheres that will damage it. This rules out most easy solutions.

3) Eventually, after enormous trials and troubles keeping the spheres pristine, an event will occur that forces Resant to buckle under. This would probably be the Susyan raiders. Bowling, anyone?

Rivers, hags and fire-breathing dragons in caves (oops, this rolled in here, I'll just be taking it back, thank you, don't mind me) are good ones if running this in another world. Keep them coming, and I'll have to inflict this on a fantasy D20 group.

Spirits of Rock and Sky is resource POOR No rivers, no rain, no clouds, bare rock for 99% of the world, no sun, no magic, no real gods, no workable metal, no monsters that aren't of the human variety. It's pretty interesting to see that the logical outcome of that is an intricate, fascinating world. Read the alpha preview of Chapter 1 (http://www.twilightminds.com/sorasfull.html) for an overview.

Reason