The chamberlain, the king, and the dragon (drobe)

[Manbearcat]

@pemerton That all looks correct. [MENTION=386]LostSoul[/MENTION]Thurgon is up in the Bramblethorn-laden Fir Tree above the hazard's effect. You are in his grasp so if you are going to attempt to climb the tree up to him, you can have a + 2 to your Athletics check (Easy DC of 14). The water and debris crashing around your lower half is a cacaphony but you can hear the buzzing, stinging insects that dissappeared into the tree earlier. Let me know what you wish to do.

EDIT: I've just reread the original post and the intent is and understanding of the map and terrain features appears to be proper. Sblocking all of the below to keep it there but shortening it for clutter purposes.

[sblock]However, it appears (and I would assume) that your intent is to get you and Quinn out of the Hazard here. Directly adjacent to you is not just Brambleweed, but a Fir Tree covered in Bramblewood. You have enough Speed to climb the tree at the easy Athletics DC (which your 17 Athletics is sufficient for) and get out of the water. You can then use your Standard to pull Quinn up (I would bump this up to the Medium DC, which you pass with your second Athletics check of 21) and Slide him to the square adjacent to you (B10). You would be in the Bramblethorn-covered Fir Tree in A10 (out of the Hazard) while Quinn is in B10. As you mentioned, you would be restrained until the start of your next turn and you would take 5 damage at the beginning of your next turn. Quinn would take 5 damage at the start of his turn (you can go ahead and act now @LostSoul ) and if he stays in the Bramblethorn-covered Fir Tree (the other option is into the drink!), he would be restrained until the beginning of his next turn. The Swarm would be occupying the limbs opposite of you in C8...and make no mistake about it, they will not be satisfied with the safety of the tree with 2 tasty morsels presenting themselves.

Pemerton, if that is up to that task of your intent then that is fine by me. Conversely, you can keep your present outcome at your discretion (which I think was clouded by lack clarity with map features). If we were sitting at the table together, the features of the map would be more easily communicated! Apologies. I think for the next map I'm going to use colors and a Key at the bottom.[/sblock]

 

[sheadunne]

Move Action to stand up from prone at the beginning I assume.

Everything looks good save for one thing. Climbing costs you an extra square of movement so you can get out of the water by climbing into the trees, but the furthest North you can get is L2 with a speed of 8. Your Athletics score auto-passes the Easy DC for the climb in the trees so you don't need to make a check. You will take 5 damage at the start your next turn (and any subsequent where you start your turn in the trees) in those trees due to the Brambleweed.

Sound good?

Sure thing. I'll be up the trail next turn, at least that's the plan. Of course, I haven't seen the dragon so that will be interesting lol

 

[sheadunne]

[MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION]I think for the next map I'm going to use colors and a Key at the bottom.

Perhaps add the relevant mechanics of the terrain to the map as well? Along the margins?

 

[Manbearcat]

Perhaps add the relevant mechanics of the terrain to the map as well? Along the margins?

Yeah. I'll silo all of the relevant info on the map for the next effort. Information scattered in multiple locations (as we all know well from our many days of D&D!), isn't the best of ideas.

 

[pemerton]

@Conversely, you can keep your present outcome at your discretion (which I think was clouded by lack clarity with map features).

I think I will keep my present outcome - my initial plan was to get into the place between trees and zone, and that failed, so I don't have enough actions to do the alternative you sketched.

 

[sheadunne]

I think I will keep my present outcome - my initial plan was to get into the place between trees and zone, and that failed, so I don't have enough actions to do the alternative you sketched.

If we can retrocon our actions, I'd consider moving two squares north, using Knack for Success (which didn't impact my roll at all) on you or Quinn to shift you 2 squares. I would end up somewhere else in the trees, probably E4. What happens if you shift someone grabbing someone else?

 

[Manbearcat]

If we can retrocon our actions, I'd consider moving two squares north, using Knack for Success (which didn't impact my roll at all) on you or Quinn to shift you 2 squares. I would end up somewhere else in the trees, probably E4. What happens if you shift someone grabbing someone else?

[sblock]I was just allowing for a potential retcon on that one because, at initial glance, I thought the suite of actions may have occurred due to lack of clarity over map/terrain features and their mechanics. On a second readthrough, it was clear that his intent was actually trying to achieve northward movement rather than just get in the trees. So we're good.

One of the primary reasons I'm a big fan of transparent, concise rulesets and clear, overt metagame processes, is that I want my players to be able to infer outcomes just as you would be able to in real life. As a GM, there is little worse than my players making decisions at odds with what they "think" is happening because communication twixt them and I is poor or they don't understand what is happening at a mechanical level. Its difficult enough to get perfect communication with new parties, at a table, in real time. Its made tripply worse by our medium and the staggered nature of our resolution of these efforts. Just have to get better at it is all. [/sblock]

 

[sheadunne]

[sblock]I was just allowing for a potential retcon on that one because, at initial glance, I thought the suite of actions may have occurred due to lack of clarity over map/terrain features and their mechanics. On a second readthrough, it was clear that his intent was actually trying to achieve northward movement rather than just get in the trees. So we're good.

One of the primary reasons I'm a big fan of transparent, concise rulesets and clear, overt metagame processes, is that I want my players to be able to infer outcomes just as you would be able to in real life. As a GM, there is little worse than my players making decisions at odds with what they "think" is happening because communication twixt them and I is poor or they don't understand what is happening at a mechanical level. Its difficult enough to get perfect communication with new parties, at a table, in real time. Its made tripply worse by our medium and the staggered nature of our resolution of these efforts. Just have to get better at it is all. [/sblock]

That's certainly true. Anyway, carry on.

 

[Manbearcat]

Couple things right quick as they were mentioned upthread but have likely been lost in the back and forth:

1) @pemerton The tree you are now in is connected via branch overlap with the trees in C (1 - 4) thru F (1 - 4). If you recall, the feygrove chokers (via spider climb and forest walk) navigated this easily. Obviously your go is more arduous but, if you wish, you can access that area without having to go back into the hazard. This would apply to [MENTION=386]LostSoul[/MENTION] should he climb that same tree.

2) [MENTION=27570]sheadunne[/MENTION] While you are still affected by the 5 damage at start of your turn and restrained between turns, your Boots of the Dryad do allow you to ignore the difficult terrain aspect of the Brambleweed. Your climb speed is still your Speed/2.

 

[sheadunne]

Couple things right quick as they were mentioned upthread but have likely been lost in the back and forth:

2) [MENTION=27570]sheadunne[/MENTION] While you are still affected by the 5 damage at start of your turn and restrained between turns, your Boots of the Dryad do allow you to ignore the difficult terrain aspect of the Brambleweed. Your climb speed is still your Speed/2.

My intent is to get to the trail heading up to the castle. Unless circumstances change dramatically, that will still be my intent. We sort of abandoned the king and someone needs to check on him.