OOC

[Polyphemus]

On 4/25/2024 at 12:28 AM, Roughtrade said:

Big Picture Meta Planning

Most of these I have said in several places In Character.

We need to find out more about this prophecy so that we can control the narrative of it instead of having to rely on a conclave of mortals who are split on how they feel about it. The cocoon stage leaves us helpless. Getting control over the mortals watching over our eggs seems like priority one to me.

Discovering what the stone does before handing it over seems like a very good idea to me.

Discovering what the scepter does before handing it over seems like a very good idea to me.

Finding our own exit out of this place so that we have options over returning to the Mortal Conclave seems like a very good idea to me.

Maybe the Frozen Lich is a separate path of returning to power. I don't trust him any more than the Mortals. If this place is his prison, then going through it might give us more information about him, and the things that jailed him here.

These all seem reasonable, although as Michael now reminded us, it looks like we'll have to investigate further to find any exit out of this place anyways.

I'd say I'm inclined to trust the lich less than the mortals because I'm assuming we'll have an easier time manipulating the mortals (especially considering the prophecy, though I'm also in favor of learning more about that). That being said, I'm not necessary staunchly opposed to working with the lich, it just feels like more caution is warranted there than regarding the mortals. I know there's been some talk of wanting to kill the mortals, I'd prefer to not go down that path at the moment, but I'm open to forcefully seizing control later down the road when we've recouped some more of our fiendish powers.

Let's see if we can get any information on these items that would sway us in trading them or not, but regardless, we'll have to continue exploring the complex.

[TheFred]

I don't know whether we can go back the way we came once we have the crystal. Even if we did, it wouldn't preclude us then murderising the mortals and keeping it for ourselves, or trying to bargain somehow (though admittedly at L2 our odds are probably not that great). If we can find an alternative exit though that's probably a lot better. Either way, I reckon we should grab both the crystal and the sceptre because they appear to be powerful and/or valuable magic items, but no reason that we can't just keep them for ourselves. If the sceptre is powerful enough to free the lich dude and make him strong again, presumably we could just use it ourselves for whatever purpose and cut out the middleman.

IC, I would actually expect our characters to have been arrogant and violent enough to have tried to kill the mortals already, though by now it's obvious that they're not up to anywhere near their full strength. Personally, I think killing them is probably as you say premature, both from a metagaming story point of view (as in, there's clearly meant to be more plot to do with them - not that that's ever stopped us in a Fiends game before... 😲) and from the point of view that we can probably still make use of them.

[Michael]

21 hours ago, Grand Poobah said:

Nizell moves in next to Carmine also looking over the object with interest.

"I agree, but I would also like to see what it's worth to him. Even hear from him why he thinks we are better off working with him rather than just taking what we can. If we assume it's as powerfully as any we have seen. Let's see what he will offer.348-352 Sussex Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

GP

 

 

 

I Don't think the lich can provide you Sydney real estate.

[Grand Poobah]

Too Funny!!!!!!

@Michael even a staff of power would fall short

Edited May 2 by Grand Poobah (see edit history)

[Michael]

Group seems split between more explore and going back to the lich. If it helps, the DM thinks the latter a good idea.

[Roughtrade]

Any chance at all we get an answer on examining the rod before going anywhere else?

It has been the first thing I tried to do.

[Roughtrade]

I really loathe the idea of giving away something that we have no idea of what it does.

Ditto on the stone, when we get it.

Lich think's of it as a trinket, easily given away.

Humans think it's the most powerful item they know of.

Someone is either lying or been lied to.

[TheFred]

Molgrug can cast Detect Magic but it won’t do anything Carmine isn’t already doing and he only gets 1/day. But, I could attempt a UMD check to activate it blindly. I can’t see that going wrong at all.

[Roughtrade]

The once a day thing does bite.

5 hours ago, TheFred said:

Molgrug can cast Detect Magic but it won’t do anything Carmine isn’t already doing

Detect Magic

3rd Round: The strength and location of each aura. If the items or creatures bearing the auras are in line of sight, you can make Knowledge (arcana) skill checks to determine the school of magic involved in each. (Make one check per aura: DC 15 + spell level, or 15 + 1/2 caster level for a nonspell effect.) If the aura emanates from a magic item, you can attempt to identify its properties (see Spellcraft). 

---

My skills on these are not where I want them yet. I could only put one point to each.

If I could get it swapped to a Charisma based check instead of Intelligence….

I rather thought Mol was more focused on these sorts of skills. With his Intelligence, he’s got to have better than a +5 on the roll.
 

Always prefer trying to examine before going UMD, but considering my Charisma maybe I should change tactics. Randomly discharging a powerful and unknown item is Chaotic.

[TheFred]

Molgrug gets a +15, with his specs, but he’s limited by spell slots. Now we’ve got both items he could detect on all of them at once… though we might want to finish exploring first in case there’s anything else. Detect also isn’t that useful for items, you get a clue but you really need Identify. Or, indeed, he could UMD, just who knows what that might do? Maybe don’t stand in front of where he’s waving that thing around?

[Roughtrade]

6 hours ago, TheFred said:

though we might want to finish exploring first

Was my thought all along until....

On 5/4/2024 at 12:37 AM, Michael said:

Group seems split between more explore and going back to the lich. If it helps, the DM thinks the latter a good idea.

 

6 hours ago, TheFred said:

Detect also isn’t that useful for items, you get a clue but you really need Identify.

It doesn't replace Identify, but "attempt to identify its properties " gives us something.

---

Looking back at "Live" I realize I never rolled the checks, so inputting here.

KS Arcana is +4 DC is 15+Spell Level so Minimum of 16

Spellcraft is also +4 with DC of 15+Item Caster Level, so again minimum of 16

6 hours ago, TheFred said:

he could UMD,

With Mol being limited, it's up to you to decide when to use your slot. Might as well wait out my bargain basement check and see if I get lucky.

Activate Blindly with UMD is a flat DC 25. Going to roll the other two first.

---

Could those be any lower? When the RNG hates you, it really hates you around here.

Beat the DC by 1. Over to IC real quick now....

[TheFred]

You don’t need to Detect Magic to try a UMD… but Molgrug’s modifier is not that great (since it’s a Cha skill); Carmine’s is better.

[Roughtrade]

3 minutes ago, TheFred said:

Detect Magic to try a UMD…

Yes.

As I said many times, prefer to puzzle it out at least in part using DT magic before blindly activating.

[Michael]

On 5/5/2024 at 1:23 AM, Roughtrade said:

Any chance at all we get an answer on examining the rod before going anywhere else?

It has been the first thing I tried to do.

It's very magical (as I said) but otherwise inert. Likely needs activation

[Michael]

Ryfte is returning, he'll fade in from the background.