Ophioglossum - Out of Character discussions
Characters on this adventure:
Branwyn
Indigo
Kristelle?
Miranda Paige
Foriso Fairhand
Imari
and two "blank slots" for potential returning players.
There are three skiffs, each can hold three people. You have food for 27 days for 8 people.
It might be good to discuss what you want to do about this negotiation with the witch. We know Kaz and Mike will be in first next week, then Lisa and Guy will make it in as they can.
8/22
One thought that I had in case opening negotiations do not go well, was to give her Tenser's Will. As a witch, I was thinking she's going to be very interested in Branwyn's spellbooks - unfortunately. And we do know there is a trap on Tenser's Will. If she can be made to think that this is Branwyn's main spellbook, she might just open it.
Lisa
8-24
not sure if witches use actual spellbooks off hand guess it all depends on how Bob is using them. i guess i should mention that there is a witch NPC class that TSR created but i dont know if Bob is using it or not.
Guy
8-24
Yes Witches can use spellbooks, they do not normally have enough wealth to be able to afford such a thing so make do without.
Witches as a separate class is not something I do, but they are are treated as Magic Users like Branwyn is so you can expect at least mage spells. Some primitive spellcaster can use both Mage and Priest spells depending on training and level.
In an case you can always guess that any magic user character will be able to recognize traditional accouterments of other magic users.
BOB
8-28
This has been a chaotic "day" to say the least. In the last few hours you have been captured by lizard men, attempt to escape from them and fail, handed over to the Witch, she starts the questioning and then another fight breaks out with the group now free to move around but lacking weapons, food, armor, etc.
Of course I think it will be good to discuss what happened, what everyone thinks about the various possibilities and where to go from here.
BOB
So not sure where this is going.
You have one skiff that can hold three people. You have no food, but you did 'hunt' and get food for the morning at least.
You are lost in the swamps and have killed or chased off everyone who knows where you are or how to get out of this area.
You have all your magic back except the magical mace that had something to do with undead.
You are missing both sets of chain mail and most weapons.
It is the morning of the 20th and you are supposed to be meeting your contact on the 21st.
Will be interesting.
BOB
4 Sept
As far as being lost: Kristelle was born and raised in swamps. No, not in this area, but it's a terrain she's used to. She has Swamp Survival and Tracking, and she wasn't unconscious when they made the trip in the skiffs. Between all those things, she should be able to get the group back into the vague area they were in when they were ambushed, unless you will it otherwise.
I'm not sure why you just gave up when Kristelle was sitting there, waiting for the witch to do her thing. But, done is done. Oh, well.
k
9-4
We do seem to be in big trouble as far as this mission is concerned, whether we are truly lost in the swamps or not. We hadn't even reached the skull area on the map when all this happened, so without serious divine intervention, I do not see us making our meeting with snakeman. This will undoubtedly irritate him and I am not sure how long he will wait outside the lizard village for us to show up. Thereby, potentially ruining our chances on getting the inside info on how to accomplish getting the dagger for Foriso.
We will kill the pig and get the vegetables for food, but will have to be scavengering around for food the rest of the trip. Indigo will have to build at least one skiff, which will take a lot of time considering he has to build them from scratch. Unless he builds two skiffs, some of us will have to be in the water, subjecting more of us to possible disease that we cannot ourselves cure.
Then there is the weapon issue. Miranda and Foriso have no weapons and Imari only has her bow. This will make taking down the lizard village more difficult than it already was going to be to say the least. Since there are no more of our weapons in the buildings, I guess we will have to search the grounds while Indigo is skiff-building or just forget about them and go on. And if we kill some lizardmen later, perhaps Foriso and Miranda can pick up something to use.
I totally realize that this last escape attempt is completely my fault and I am sorry for that. When the witch pulled the spellbook and dagger on me, I thought she was going to try and kill me and so I cast. I could not comprehend at the time that our weapons would be scattered all over the place and not in a pile somewhere. I thought if I could get her away, we could find our stuff and get the hell out of there. Big mistake on my part and again, I am sorry for starting this latest mess.
Ploment is still there, but I think his loyalty to a master that does not abuse him will keep him from helping us no matter what we say. So, I think it is time to suck it up and talk to the witch. I am sure she is hanging out keeping an eye on the place. She already knows my name and I have no problem doing or saying whatever we need to in order to get us out of here as quickly as possible. Branwyn's pride will easily take a back seat to survival. And who knows - maybe we are really close to the village and just don't know it and it would take much longer to back track and start over? The witch could possibly help with that.
Bob makes a good point that we are jeopardizing the entire quest by staying here too long. If Foriso was afraid of his mentor before, just wait if we have to go back empty handed. I know I was so caught up in the events in directly in front of us that I was forgetting the bigger picture and that we were on the clock.
Lisa
If you understand this is a continuing story, BOB is going to try snd get things back on track, though sometimes the players make it hard. The witch did mutter something about hoping to have someone deal with the snake people and that is somewhat releated to your original request. You might be able to to make a quick deal and be back on the road. If you do, take me with you.
John
9/18
I can not begin to express my concerns for Sunday. I have no idea what is the right thing to do. I hope I can help by giving some things to think sbout.
1) The guards we first attack will be the easiest, as we are prepared for to an extent. It is the group of unknown that we should worry about and attack when they are the weakest, when they are asleep, and not after they have rested too long.
2) I can not see how we can kill everybody without raising some sort of alarm. I also do not see how we can expect to kill anyone then rest for too long as they will come looking for us.
3) If the group expects to go through another big fight in another day or so, Miranda's spells might want to be saved only for healing.
4) While I like the idea of defenind a door way where only one lizard man can come in at a time, it does seem to put us in a situation where we have to fight to the death.
Just don't over plan
9/25
Before I go a mulching, I want to thank you all or agreeing to take on a dragon. This adventure was just getting too easy. I think I am going to have to refuse healing in order to make this challanging enough. Maybe we can it it to swallow Indigo whole so he can kill it from the inside. ;)
John
The group has one last "required" task in front of them. Deal with a Young Black Dragon that is guarding the treasure you want. After that combat/solution then you will be free of the Yuan-Ti and able to make your ways back home. I imagine dealing with this guardian will take most of the next session then the trip home will be over the following sessions. Not to jump ahead but I know Lisa expressed interest in stopping by the Witch's farm again on the way home.
Thoughts on Dragons?
BOB
well i remember once playing an a 2nd lvl illusionist traveling with one or 2 other 2nd lvl characters and we got very lucky and killed a young white dragon but that was a once in a lifetime thing i think. as far as the black dragon goes we are super fortunate that its a young one it will have none of its special abilities and its AC will be only a 2 BUT its breath weapon will do 6d4 plus damage our best chance is to hit it with everything we got as hard and as fast as we can and keep moving and keep seperate so when it does breathe it wont get all of us at once. foriso is going to try and backstab it as its waking up and then just hit and run. so thats my suggestion indigo, kristelle, and hoffman should just hit and run as well let the spell slingers sit in the back and cast away, who knows maybe we can get lucky and take it down without losing too many lives.
Guy
I was wondering if we might not run back to the temple and pick up some of those old snakeskins. We could wrap ourselves up in those disgusting things. Scarlet and I could cantrip some scent of Yuan-Ti around us as well, since we are now familiar with it. Maybe it wouldn't wake up if it did not detect unwanted visitors.
Lisa
No backstabbing non-humanoid creatures so that is not an option on the Dragon.
Do not depend on extremely strict Monster Manual version.
You can handle this as a combat encounter because you will have a full night's rest for spells etc.
BOB
well i CAN backstab i just wont get any bonus damage for it because i mean heck what else would you call stabbing something in the back besides backstabbing? ok you might call it politics but that doesnt work in this case.
Guy
Smiles at Guy,
Just to be clear about things Backstabbing is a special thief ability to get a higher to hit and higher damage. It only works on humanoid races.
Picturing Foriso jumping up on top of the dragon, and the rest watch in awe as he rises up into the air in flight....
BOB
Hey at least this time i know i will be able to make my dex check and I dont have to worry about any scree lol
Guy
It certainly wouldnt be the first time we ended up with someone riding on the back of some giant thing. One dwarf rode the back of a purple worm and I seem to remember a thief riding the back of a giant bat (well technically it was normal size, but we were small so it was relatively giant... I suppose we are due for another ride eh?
Still, I am not exactly clear on why we have to fight it at all. Cant we just sneak past it and do what we have to do? If it isnt guarding treasure (unless you count yuan-ti eggs as treasure, which I dont), we dont really have anything to gain by fighting it. We have a thief and I can do a couple of invisibility spells. I dunno about what everyone else can do, but seems to me thats enough to get us in to get this knife that we came for and get out.
BiBo
I'm not sure we have to fight it either, but I think we should be prepared to. I know I need clarification from Bob on the positioning of dragon to door (maybe he could draw us a map!), but what I got from last Friday's game was that the door was somehow underneath or directly behind the dragon.
The dragon is charmed to protect the eggs and not harm the Yuan-Ti, but kill anything else that dares approach it. I am not sure that sneaking and hiding from sight will be enough to trick the dragon's acute senses all the way from approach, to opening door, to escape. That is why I suggested retrieving the snake skins and cantripping Eau de Yuan-Ti. Even if it didn't work the entire time, by the time the dragon did figure us out we may get the benefits of surprise in our initial attack. It was my understanding that ivisibility is simply that. Invisible people will still be heard if they make noise and will still smell decidedly human. Of course, I am just as happy to sit under a tree with Hoffman and discuss God's plan for the universe and let the thief and invisible mage do their stuff if that is what is deemed to be the best plan.
I would certainly hope that after getting past a dragon and opening a secret door to a vault, that there would be something in there besides the dagger. Chests of gold and gems would be nice. Maybe a couple sets of chain mail. Hint, hint!
Lisa
Thinks to keep in mind for sneaking in. Invisibility and Extraordinary senses will be good to review. It is a good plan for both being Invisible and smelling of Yua-Ti on the approach but do not depend on it being the be all end all to save you. Remember Bilbo and Smaug.
BOB
I didn't mean to imply that it would be the "be all end all" solution. I was just hoping that if we were going to get caught by a dragon, that it would be when we were behind him rather than when we were right in front of his face. Any delay or maneuvers to get us into a better position, would aid our chances. This was all I was trying to say. :)
Lisa
i dont know i kind of like the idea of trying to backstab the dragon and going for a flight lol, sewriously though im afraid that fighting this dragon will be a definite rather than a possible and that will not be a fun time although we will get to earn our dragonslayer name by deed rather than just membership
Guy
