As You Command OOC

[MrAbdiel]

...Don't suppose we'll be able to source a Golembane Scarab or two, for this? Then again, they're probably most easilly sourced where we're going!

[Waistcoatwill]

No need to apologise, RL stuff has a way of doing that!

Just did a couple of rolls to help us prep things before we leave. If we leave on the same day as that prep I'll select one less a Arcane Dilettante spell for the raid.

Edit: Arcane Dilettante options - Cypher can prep an iron silence for the boss plus one other, lasting 8 hours. Alter self might work to turn Cypher into an elf (he has no ranks in disguise since he's a desk-jockey spymaster) but maybe Sharkan and Maiabel can help him and the boss with blending in with the elves. Invisibility Sphere might be efficient for group sneaking. Would Find Object be useful to track down an alchemical workshop or even saltpetre once we're in the undercity itself? Other suggestions are very welcome!

Edit 2: I mistakenly assumed Iron Silence would be on the wizard/sorc spell list. Can Maiabel copy 2nd level Cleric spells, she might be able to cast it?

[Dusk Raven]

Edit 2: I mistakenly assumed Iron Silence would be on the wizard/sorc spell list. Can Maiabel copy 2nd level Cleric spells, she might be able to cast it?

Any divine spell from any list, I can grab. I was going to keep my spell list from before, but I can swap in Iron Silence if that would be helpful. It'll only last four hours and I can only apply it to one person, unfortunately.

[Waistcoatwill]

I think only the boss needs it, so that would still be helpful. What would you need to give up to swap it in? Between Iron Silence and an Invisibility Sphere from Cypher, the group might be able to bypass a golem or two. We might be able to manage that with fewer spell slots with some simple trickery though.

[MrAbdiel]

Lamorak is definately more effective with his armor than without, so Iron Silence would help; maybe to have in back pocket for extraction, etc. If we can get some disguise-self action we can just try wandering in, lookin' all elf.

[Waistcoatwill]

That Range: personal is so irritating!

Edit: So each gate is guarded by a crystal thing, fleshy golem, and two elves, but there's no traffic going through the gates? How close can we get to the gates without being seen? Also, are the gates physically barred, or just guarded openings? I'm asking in case we can just quietly walk past the guards whilst invisible and quiet.

[MrAbdiel]

^ This is worthy information to get, I think! I fumbled us forward into an infiltration mission without being particularly ready to perform one, lol.

[JbeJ275]

That Range: personal is so irritating!

Edit: So each gate is guarded by a crystal thing, fleshy golem, and two elves, but there's no traffic going through the gates? How close can we get to the gates without being seen? Also, are the gates physically barred, or just guarded openings? I'm asking in case we can just quietly walk past the guards whilst invisible and quiet.

There is no traffic that you’ve seen right now, but you’ve done not been looking for like two minutes early in the morning. Some might come along later.

There isn’t much good cover around the gates, the closest the terrain provides good cover is 400ft away, past that point it’s kind of an open plain path without much of anything to hide behind. The gates have physical doors made of wood to bar entrance, but they’re fairly light and seem to prioritise being easily opened and closed over being massively secure.


Also sorry for taking so long to reply, I didn’t think to check for edits and so missed the questions.

[Waistcoatwill]

Sorry, I'm terrible for thinking of something else to say 5 minutes after I post. I might double post in future if that's easier?

Was there any info gleaned from Cypher's spymaster and knowledge rolls from earlier? He'll want to try and specifically ID the crystal thing and fleshy one once they get close enough, but 400ft is probably a stretch.

[MrAbdiel]

Hmm, I'm in analysis paralysis. Don't want to do something stupid and dumb because I don't know the setting and capabilities of the enemy as well as I'd like; but hey, I don't want to lose ALL out momentum for my handwringing.

What do you say, gang? How about we jump into this cart, and try our luck? Worst comes to worse, we'll have to quietly murder the drivers of the cart and pass it off as our own. If we move before it gets too close to the walls, we might be able to manage it!

[Waistcoatwill]

This could be thremoment for invisibility Sphere to help us slip through with the cart! That or wait til darkness and wade through the moat and scale the wall away from a gatehouse.

[Waistcoatwill]

Any objections to the invisibility sphere and sneaking in behind the wagon idea?

Might as well haste the group too, so we can cross the distance more easily. How noisy is the sound of the cart moving along road surface? I assume it isn't deafening, should we chance it or get Maiabel to cast iron silence on the boss?

[MrAbdiel]

I have only the whiners suggestion- “wwwwah, don’t use a spell slow we might succeed at the roll, waaah”. But honestly this is a great use for invis sphere.

[Waistcoatwill]

True, I'll hold off on the concurrent haste and we can leave off the iron silence too maybe and see how we manage.

[JbeJ275]

Any objections to the invisibility sphere and sneaking in behind the wagon idea?

Might as well haste the group too, so we can cross the distance more easily. How noisy is the sound of the cart moving along road surface? I assume it isn't deafening, should we chance it or get Maiabel to cast iron silence on the boss?

It's not really particularly loud, so you will need stealth checks to get on board undetected.

[MrAbdiel]

...Yeah, I think I'm gonna need that Iron Silence from my dutiful maid.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Am I wrong in thinking Sharkan will need a Stealth as well?

[JbeJ275]

Anyone getting onto the carriage will need a move silently roll.

[Dusk Raven]

Speaking of silence, sorry for mine. If I don't have a post up soon, assume I cast Iron Silence on our lord.

EDIT: Post made. Once again, I apologize, time flies and I've been distracted.

[Waistcoatwill]

The silence was clearly just method acting, awesome stealthing Maiabel!

[MrAbdiel]

No worries, Dusky! I was in analysis paralysis trying not to command the group to do something dumb; but sometimes you just have to jump in feet first and trust the DM not to interpret your intentions as stupidly as they can!

[Waistcoatwill]

So what next? Some of the charismatic members of the party could do some Gather Informationing? Cypher has Locate Object as another Arcane Dilettante spell, he could try try locating alchemists tools or saltpetre, which might give is a place to start?

@Jbe - could we tell if the cart folk were elves themselves? Do we know if non-elves live in the undercity?

[JbeJ275]

The cart folk were humans. The undercity is dominated by humans apart from a few elves who serve as guards, inspectors, enforcers or have lost the political games of the higher city.

[Waistcoatwill]

Cool, so disguise isn't as much of a necessity as we thought it might be! I say let's wander about whilst we have invisibility, get some kind of lay of the land, then the charismatic folk do some talking.

[JbeJ275]

I mean the tiger, and humans with armour and weapons both very much will stand out. It might be a good idea to procure disguises you just have a wider range of things to disguise yourself as.

[Waistcoatwill]

Cool, what rolls would you suggest for grabbing some suitable disguise materials?

[JbeJ275]

Depends how you’re getting them. Breaking into a house to steal some is open lock and move silently, mugging someone for them is intimidation or attacks. Or you could look for someplace selling them or otherwise leaving them about with spot checks and the like. There exists no ‘obtain clothes’ skill.

[MrAbdiel]

Alright. It's crime time. While we're invisible, we're gonna try to steal some disguises from the crappy shacks of these poor human under-serfs.

Also I have become somewhat more warm to the idea of trying to poach serfs from here. I just think it's gonna require some finesse not to piss the elves off!

[Waistcoatwill]

Yep, these haughty elves definitely aren't winning any friends so far. Cypher can handle the open lock, but will probably have to stay by the doorway if they're all to remain within 10ft of him. I imagine Maiabel is better at moving silently anyway.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Sharkan is capable of many things, hes just not particularly skilled in this area