DrK's Age of Worms OOC pt7

[Starbin]

Waiting for the ruling on what happens to the dragon. Funny enough, Lan is a better flyer and faster that it is right now. But not sure the Halfling wants to be alone with the dragon 180’ away from the party.

If our clumsy flyer falls, that’ll be muy bueno!

[DrK]

Well on its turn it will come crashing down unless it makes the strenth check due its lack of flight
The windstorm Fort save (1d20)[2]

[DrK]

And so our winged friend is blow back (1d6)[5] x 10 feet. If 3 or higher than the dragon will be spalshing down in the swampy water all tangled and feeling extremely sad

[RCgothic]

No regular projectiles can penetrate the Windstorm, so we're going to have to move up together or hit with ranged spells.

A DC32 strength check is ... not easy. +12 STR modifier (34 STR) required just to have a *chance* of success on a NAT20. Strength Checks are untrained skill checks with no automatic successes or failures. And wriggling out takes a minute even on a successful check.

My other thought earlier in the battle was to use Limited Wish to cast Freezing Sphere and encase them in the swamp ice. But I figured they'd be able to break out of that one too easily.

[Starbin]

No regular projectiles can penetrate the Windstorm, so we're going to have to move up together or hit with ranged spells.

Well crap. But is he 80’ away? Since he was only 130’ horizontal? If so, does that negate the ranged attack issues and count as w/in the eye of the storm?

Otherwise, bad moment to be a ranged martial class. Gym haste and flight are going to go unused for the rest of the round ... and perhaps fight.

Nice move RCG ... now go get him, Tal!

[Stegyre]

Well, as I understand it, the wind is blowing strongly in our direction from 40’ away from us to the dragon, 130’ away. No one is approaching closer than 90’ until amir dismisses that.

[Starbin]

I thought he started 130’ away laterally, and was blown back 50’ ... towards us (based on DrK’s roll). Where did the 40’ come from?

[Stegyre]

You may be right. I didn't check the dragon's blowback. The 40' comes from the 80'-diameter eye-of-the-storm Mir has placed around us. If the dragon was blown back 50', that means we can get to 40' away: 0 (where we are) + 40 (to the edge of the eye) - 130 (original horizontal distance to dragon) + 50 (possible dragon blowback) = -40.

[Starbin]

You may be right. I didn't check the dragon's blowback. The 40' comes from the 80'-diameter eye-of-the-storm Mir has placed around us. If the dragon was blown back 50', that means we can get to 40' away: 0 (where we are) + 40 (to the edge of the eye) - 130 (original horizontal distance to dragon) + 50 (possible dragon blowback) = -40.

Ah, yes ... diameter, not radius. Yup, 40’. Again, sounds like a Tal moment

[RCgothic]

Just need to pass a save.

But I'll move the eye of the storm along with us next turn. And it doesn't prevent spells.

[RCgothic]

If this dragon is roundly defeated, how about we break combat and decide what to do with it.

Either we kill, or we show mercy.

I'm not sure we could enforce regular justice process, especially not in this land, but I have a Geas spell I could cast to ease things a bit. Something along the lines of "Earn forgiveness from my mentor Manzorian."

Geas wouldn't be easy to circumvent, but we could also give Manzorian a heads up to prepare something a bit more ironclad. Even if it's just re-casting Geas at a higher caster level.

I think I'd prefer that to kill.

[redzimmer]

The redeemed et al from Book of Exalted Deeds could come into effect over time.

A dragon companion feat might be appropriate. P

I’d recommend Elkist be our ambassador of peace here, what with CHA and a certain drow paladin je ne se quois

[Starbin]

Well, if our fearless leader directs it, Lan will comply. But he hates leaving future enemies behind. Case in point - these lizards now. Not sure if the dragons raised to be evil, by an evil dragon, working for a tyrant of a devil-worshipper. Not sure redemption is in the cards.

While there is some precedence with the mind flatter babies, I think, this is different. The dragons were old enough to make choices, plot and ambush us. Fortunately, Lan is practical, but still good - he won’t murder anyone Mir doesn’t want to murder

[RCgothic]

Haha, well picked up on my wobbling position as a player on "always evil" races. And Mirriana definitely once executed a thug in diamond lake because she didn't believe in the system bringing him to justice. The mind-flayer babies literally needed the brains of intelligent creatures for sustenance though. Dragons aren't the same class of monster. And she now believes in her own ability to enforce this rehabilitation, which makes a big difference.

Naximarra has been raised in an evil family. Evil was the easy choice. Now she gets the chance to choose redemption if she wants. Or she can choose death if she prefers. The Geas would be there to help prevent backsliding, combined with whatever Manzorian can think up. And maybe it would be a worthwhile investment for him.

(I will definitely be mentioning the horrific fate its mother had in store for its siblings in the marsh.)

I think trying to redeem a black dragon is the slightly more interesting choice over straight executing it.

[Starbin]

No worries ... I’m down. And given she’s growing as a holy roller consorting with celestial, it makes sense. Lan will grumble Star Wars style about bad feelings, but he’ll stay inline.

And storytelling is also better when the road isn’t all peaches and cream.

[RCgothic]

The redeemed et al from Book of Exalted Deeds could come into effect over time.

A dragon companion feat might be appropriate. P

I’d recommend Elkist be our ambassador of peace here, what with CHA and a certain drow paladin je ne se quois

The Dragon Cohort feat is cool (although it's a while before any of us get any new feats), but the dragon "effective character level" from Draconomicon is broken, even with the -3 reduction the feat allows.

E.g. A Young Silver Dragon is CR7.

That makes it roughly equivalent to a lvl 7 character. A lvl 7 cohort can be taken by a lvl 9 character with leadership, or lvl 8 with the improved cohort feat.

But using Draconomicon, a Young Silver Dragon has an effective character level of 18, or 15 with the Dragon Cohort feat. That means a lvl 17 character can take it. That's a 10 level difference, not 1 or 2.

Requires some house ruling.

I have a character in another game, Mia, who at level 18 goes around with a 25HD silver dragon cohort. The dragon is BY FAR not the most powerful part of that pairing. Although admittedly Mia is Gestalt.

[redzimmer]

Well we’ll just ship it to the dragon equivalent of Time Variance Authority and send it on its scaly path to redemption.

[Ghostfoot]

I'm good with mercy too.

Characters can grumble all they like 'in character' but as a player I'll have them opt for mercy every time.

Executions are not a fun part of the game (for me) unless it's taken care of offscreen by 'the powers that be'.

[RCgothic]

Well we’ll just ship it to the dragon equivalent of Time Variance Authority and send it on its scaly path to redemption.

I don't think that's generally what the Time Variance Authority does... Most of their "acquisitions" tend to get pruned.

[redzimmer]

I don't think that's generally what the Time Variance Authority does... Most of their "acquisitions" tend to get pruned.

Just a specific one I have in mind, all green and mischievous…

[Starbin]

Oh you! Pop culture reference in an Age of Worms game? How very modern!

[redzimmer]

Since he’s been here all along, maybe GoatT can escort her to Spellport.

[RCgothic]

Ok, that's enough spotlight hogging from me.

Next up, (after Naximarra is out of eyesight) we've got to search the bodies and locate the horde. And if anyone has a sending prepared we should probably give Manzorian a heads up.

Hope there aren't too many more battles today, I went pretty Nova!

[DrK]

Ok, that's enough spotlight hogging from me.

Next up, (after Naximarra is out of eyesight) we've got to search the bodies and locate the horde. And if anyone has a sending prepared we should probably give Manzorian a heads up.

Hope there aren't too many more battles today, I went pretty Nova!

It was a very impressive display though!

[redzimmer]

Memo to self, still spell feat.

[redzimmer]

For mechanics, is this effect considered poison?

(1d20+8)[26]

If so Buer’s got my back.

[Starbin]

as Tal joins him the shifter can feel the presence of emanating from the pool of toxic liquid but his telepathic abailities detect no other thoughts

@DrK - The presence of what? An entity or simply the presence of toxic liquid?

[DrK]

@DrK - The presence of what? An entity or simply the presence of toxic liquid?

Tal cannot tell
It’s a strong evil aura from the pool

[RCgothic]

Well that's friendly.

We can all get down there using a charge of Mirriana's ring of four winds for feather fall.

[redzimmer]

Maybe Gutsav Wind will clear the air.