[Hourglass of Zihaja D&D 4e] Heroes on a Sea of Swords OOC - Page 2

ninja_penguin · 02-19-2011, 01:24 PM

Thanks for that table. I'm in Wisconsin, so all the shenanigans here have meant that I've been a lot busier this week then expected, and I haven't had time to parse everything out and brainstorm from there. I should be able to put something together tonight, thanks.

Grey_Wolf_c · 02-19-2011, 01:28 PM

I'll update the table in a moment, and I'll put in parenthesis the connections that are still missing.

After a quick PM to Reverent-One, we have agreed that this will be our neutral connection:

Amirah and Kihtsah, as well as a few regular sailors, all got hired on or about the 16 Lura-Balaz 358, when the Working Name was berthing for supplies. That meant they were together when receiving basic instruction (i.e. being shouted at because they were bad at doing new things) and also when their turn to menial tasks came (scrubbing the deck, pumping the bilges...).

Edit: On my to-do list, I think I'll post a summary of all the connections. This is background tying in a grand scale, and its getting a tad confusing. But I like it, it's better than the usual "you all just happened to be drinking in the same tavern".

Grey Wolf

Belthasar · 02-19-2011, 01:41 PM

I think I already have a simple idea for the neutral connection between Hakhpur and Medinah:

When Hakhpur was staying in the City of God, captain Shaur al-Farid came to offer work to him. Medinah was with her all the time, and helped her in gathering information on Hakhpur's adventurer briefing.

Sounds good?

Grey_Wolf_c · 02-19-2011, 07:59 PM

As promised, a handy guide to our cast of characters - I know I'll need to get used to all these names, and all the extraneous 'h's

Kihtsah Darimil

He is close to Hakhpur, their mixed blood bringing them together.
Usually disagrees about the nature of reality with Teshiq - their Gods simply don't see eye to eye, one searching for balance while the other searches for chaos.
Enlisted at the same time as Amirah, and thus they are on the same cleaning rota. Not that they usually are seen doing it - rank hath its privileges, after all.

Amirah, the living swarm

She and Medinah tend to stick together, particularly when there are strangers present. They are both too aware of how alien they are to normal people.
She is a tad mistrustful of Rahman. Once, she tried to contact him telepathically, and a very different voice answered. She doesn't know what to make of it.
Enlisted at the same time as Kihtsah, and thus they are on the same cleaning rota. Not that they usually are seen doing it - rank hath its privileges, after all.

Rahman Shamis

.
.
His stump was cured by Teshiq when he was rescued by the Working Name.

Hakhpur gar Mubrak

Sharing their devotion to the same God, Hakhpur regularly meets with Tashiq for religious observance.
Dislikes the magical creation Amirah, finding her both strange and weird.
His background was investigated by Medinah prior to joining the Working Name

Teshiq

Fatherly and protective of Amirah, due to her child-like ways
Distrusts Medinah, since as a Mamlaqai, they have bad memories of metal Soldiers from the wars after the Pact Spell. Particularly, their oral tradition dictates that they are not truly in control of themselves but serve arcane masters.
Cured Rahman's arms stump after he was rescued from a pirate attack.

Medinah

Is as fascinated by Rahman, in his quest to seemingly become a warforged, as he is by her. She is also reminded of her 'father', Ibn Sina. Their combat stiles are also very complementary, and usually fight side by side.
Confused by Kihtsah's zeal, particularly when based on a concept as foreign to her rational & ordered nature as a chaotic God
Investigated Hakhpur's background prior to his joining into the Working Name's crew

Edit: Since no-one liked my "flying nereid" idea for the ship name (and I really don't like "Working Name"), I think I'll add my vote for "The Mirage". Possibly with some nautical addition "The Ocean Mirage", maybe.

Shadow_Elf · 02-19-2011, 10:12 PM

How about "The Salty Mirage"?

Belthasar · 02-19-2011, 10:39 PM

The Working Name
The Cerulean Crusader
The Blood Diamond
The Sapphire Slayer
The Flying Nereid
The Duskbreaker
The Serene Falcon
The Mirage
The Ocean Mirage
The Salty Mirage
The Scoundrel's Bane

Wow, so many names!

Scylfing · 02-19-2011, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belthasar

I think I already have a simple idea for the neutral connection between Hakhpur and Medinah:

When Hakhpur was staying in the City of God, captain Shaur al-Farid came to offer work to him. Medinah was with her all the time, and helped her in gathering information on Hakhpur's adventurer briefing.

Sounds good?

Sounds good to me.

So my contrast with Kihtsah I think would be that he's a holy warrior whereas she's godless. While Medinah has accumulated a large sum of facts about religion she has no understanding of what it means to have faith, so people who are particularly zealous can be confusing to her. That Kihtsah's zeal is of an unbalanced nature would only heighten her confusion; with Teshiq at least she shares a common outlook (although her idea of "balance" is based entirely on logic) even if there's antipathy between them in other respects.

How about The Blue Mirage?

Belthasar · 02-19-2011, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scylfing

How about The Blue Mirage?

Added to the list:

Spoiler

Grey_Wolf_c · 02-20-2011, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scylfing

Sounds good to me.

So my contrast with Kihtsah I think would be that he's a holy warrior whereas she's godless. While Medinah has accumulated a large sum of facts about religion she has no understanding of what it means to have faith, so people who are particularly zealous can be confusing to her. That Kihtsah's zeal is of an unbalanced nature would only heighten her confusion; with Teshiq at least she shares a common outlook (although her idea of "balance" is based entirely on logic) even if there's antipathy between them in other respects.

Updated table & Dramatis Personae.

Also, the way I read it, Teshiq's problem with Medina is not particular, it is general. Many stories of his people describe warforged as evil magician's puppets, so it takes a lot to get past that. I'm sure you can think of similar RL examples, usually rooted in prejudice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scylfing

How about The Blue Mirage?

Oh, I love that one. Definitely has my vote.

Grey Wolf

Scylfing · 02-20-2011, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c

Also, the way I read it, Teshiq's problem with Medina is not particular, it is general. Many stories of his people describe warforged as evil magician's puppets, so it takes a lot to get past that. I'm sure you can think of similar RL examples, usually rooted in prejudice.

Sure, I can definitely understand that. Perhaps what I should have said was "...even if there's still mistrust between them." Medinah may be reserved, but she's definitely not an automaton and would reject being compared to other Warforged.

Quote:

Oh, I love that one. Definitely has my vote.

Thanks!

Shadow_Elf · 02-20-2011, 01:38 AM

I like The Blue Mirage. Synonyms for Blue might also work - The Cerulean Mirage, The Sapphire Mirage, The Azure Mirage or The Cobalt Mirage all sound nice too.

Belthasar · 02-20-2011, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow_Elf

I like The Blue Mirage. Synonyms for Blue might also work - The Cerulean Mirage, The Sapphire Mirage, The Azure Mirage or The Cobalt Mirage all sound nice too.

Shades of blue. Here are some variations of blue we could use in the name. Like, Cerulean Mirage, Iris Mirage, Midnight Mirage, Cobalt Mirage, etc, etc...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c

I know I'll need to get used to all these names, and all the extraneous 'h's

Heheh, indeed. I never realized that everyone of us have characters with an h in our names!

A'den · 02-21-2011, 01:37 AM

In Arabic a lot of the h sounds are replaced with 'flemmy' sounds when spoken rapidly.

The Midnight Mirage sounds pretty good. I don't particularly dislike any of the names I'll throw my vote behind whatever the majority comes to.

Neutral connection to Rahman; Teshiq heard of Rahman's curious and heretical cure for his arm when he was expelled from the arcane university for his invention, as a healer Teshiq is always curious of obscure healing practices and may of read or heard of Rahman's experiment when it was popular gossip in the cleric community.

Shadow_Elf · 02-21-2011, 01:40 AM

I like Midnight Mirage, and also Azure Mirage, the best. Also, I think the best Neutral connection between Rahman and Teshiq was the one you suggested earlier, that when al-Farid's crew rescued Rahman, Teshiq tended his wounds.

A'den · 02-21-2011, 03:52 AM

Okay, I read the table and thought it meant I still needed to complete that connection. No problems though thats fixed then. Glad that part is finished about.

ninja_penguin · 02-21-2011, 03:21 PM

Bleh, okay, now I finally have time to post stuff. My apologies about that.

Tie with Kihtsah: Rahman gets along well with Kihtsah. The presence of another kobold helps him feel at ease, and without the need to hide their arcane histories Rahman enjoys his company.

Contrast with Hakphur: Rahman dislikes Hakphur's impatience and temper, preferring to think things out. Hakphur's apparent noble background also seems to rub Rahman the wrong was as well.

For boat names: I rather like the Azure Mirage.

Shadow_Elf · 02-21-2011, 03:24 PM

And with those completed, we have finished the exercise! I will post the IC thread in the next few days. Feel free to organize party ritual components and whatnot amongst yourselves.

Scylfing · 02-21-2011, 05:13 PM

Cool. So, Blue Mirage, Azure Mirage and Midnight Mirage all appear to have support. Should we have a vote?

Shadow_Elf · 02-21-2011, 05:49 PM

Sure, sounds like a good idea. I will be a tie-breaking vote, if a tie occurs, but otherwise, I'll withhold my vote. So, vote away!

Grey_Wolf_c · 02-21-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow_Elf

And with those completed, we have finished the exercise! I will post the IC thread in the next few days. Feel free to organize party ritual components and whatnot amongst yourselves.

Rules Question: Shadow Elf, do we need to keep track of and differentiate the components used for the different ritual types? (alchemical - arcane, herbs - nature, etc.)

--------ooOoo--------

Ship name: My first vote goes for Midnight Mirage (I like alliteration; it's a character flaw). My second vote (if Midnight is voted out) goes for Blue Mirage.

--------ooOoo--------

Rituals

We seem to have quite a few duplicates. Mind you, I'm not sure it's a bad thing (redundancy), but obviously culling them would give us more cash for other rituals, as well as components. I think it will come down to the ritual, though - some, like Comprehend Language, cannot be conferred to others and it is useful for several people to have it at the same time. On the other hand, rituals like enchant/disenchant/transfer can be centralised. I am happy to let Rahman be team enchanter. Equally, the wind/water rituals could be held by Amirah only, except maybe the "breath water" for emergencies (and even then, given that a ritual takes about 10 minutes, that's going to be one placid emergency).

--------ooOoo--------

Ritual Components

I was thinking we should all carry enough mystic salves for at least one resurrection, but at 5000, it ain't cheap, so maybe only 1000, and hope we don't need more than one person raised. Beyond that, The most likely ritual candidates for frequent use are the ship-improving rituals (Enhance Vessel, 400 gp - 80 each; Summon Winds, 50 gp - 10 each - I suspect we may want to use this one a lot), the survival in water ones (whole range of prices, up to 80 each for the quite nice Water's Gift) and the transportation ones (I like Eagles' Flight, 80 per person, we can fly).

In fact, looking at them, the 80 gp/person keeps popping up, so maybe 800-1600 gp worth of each herbs and alchemical reagents would keep us well stocked for a while.

By the way, A'den, you haven't bought any rare herbs (nature rituals), and you shouldn't be able to have residuum yet ("You can’t usually buy [Residuum] on the open market; you acquire it by draining it out of magic items." PHB 300). Otherwise, that would be a ridiculous way around Shadow Elf's limitation on magic items: buy enough residuum to build the other magic object you want, and in your first post use enchant magic item to create it.

Grey Wolf

Shadow_Elf · 02-21-2011, 06:02 PM

Yes, please differentiate how much of each of the four varieties you have. In addition, there will be an apothecary aboard the ship where you can store components, so they don't all have to be on-hand at once. Finally, no residuum at the beginning. I am also going to houserule that you need Residuum to cast Enchant Magic Item, otherwise, as you said, the easy solution to the item limit is just to use Arcane components to make the items you are missing. Don't worry, I'll be sure to provide enough Residuum to make Enchant Magic Item useful.

As for redundancy, I don't think you need any redundant rituals except for Raise Dead (because if the only caster of that ritual dies, you're snookered.) Also, I dunno how much of the world fluff everyone's read, but once a soul reaches the Pit of Fate and is destroyed or reincarnated, it is too late to perform a Raise Dead. Gentle Repose prevents the soul from leaving the body as well, so you have more time to perform a Raise. I will be randomly choosing a time limit based on factors of your location for how long you have to Raise someone.

ninja_penguin · 02-21-2011, 07:11 PM

Okay, so, Ritual Breakdown:

Amirah:

Comprehend Languages
Speak with Nature
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Disenchant Item
Enchant Item
Knock
Raise Dead
Animal Friendship
Eagle's Flight
Starshine
Water's gift
Enhance Vessel
Summon Winds

Rahman:

Enhance Vessel
Spirit Idol
Raise Dead
Endure Elements
Disenchant Item
Enchant Item
Transfer Enchantment
Summon Winds
Make Whole
Water Breathing

Teshiq:

Genlte Repose
Silence
Comprehend Language
Enchant Magic Item
Brew Potion
Heal
Phantom Steed
Magic Circle
Linked Portal
Wizard's Sight
Shadow Walk
Reverse Portal
Sending
Raise Dead
Water Walk
Endure Elements
Arcane Lock
Cure Disease
Discern Lies
Speak With Dead
Remove Affliction
Detect Object
Control Weather
Knock

These Rituals occur more than once.

I guess for reducing redundancies, we could have Amirah be our nature type, Rahman be the tinkerer guy, and Teshiq covering the religious angle of things.

Grey_Wolf_c · 02-21-2011, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninja_penguin

I guess for reducing redundancies, we could have Amirah be our nature type, Rahman be the tinkerer guy, and Teshiq covering the religious angle of things.

That sounds right to me. That said, you seem to be missing quite a few rituals from your list (Teshiq has a few more in the language section). The whole list is as follows (unfortunately, I had already combined the lists, so I cannot say who has what).

Spoiler

Edit: Ummm... A'den, you need to check your expenses. You have way too many very expensive rituals, not to mention components, that you cannot possibly have paid for from initial allowance. You have 11000 components, and the rituals Mark of Justice and Drawmij's Instant Summoning are 2600 each. Add to that the 4200 from the cloak, and say the 1600 from Hallowed Temple and you're already past 22000.

Sorry

Grey Wolf

Belthasar · 02-21-2011, 10:54 PM

Okay, I'll spend the 5 grand in some potions, and the rest I'll buy some ritual components (no residuum) for the ritualists of the party (you never know).

As for the ship's name, my vote is for Blue Mirage first, Midnight Mirage second and Azure Mirage third.

Scylfing · 02-22-2011, 01:38 AM

I can donate 1400 gp for ritual components. Sorry I can't donate more, but I'd really like to have that built-in light source.

And I'll say Blue Mirage first, Midnight Mirage second, Azure Mirage third.

A'den · 02-22-2011, 05:45 AM

Huh thought I got my math right, well I'll take another look at this.

Forgot the cost adjustment for Paragon Tier through off my calculations. Adjusting new list. Also I think I made my calculations at the component price not market price my bad.

Also Humans have 10 feats at level 15 right?

New Teshiq Ritual list:

Spoiler

Grey_Wolf_c · 02-22-2011, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scylfing

I can donate 1400 gp for ritual components. Sorry I can't donate more, but I'd really like to have that built-in light source.

And I'll say Blue Mirage first, Midnight Mirage second, Azure Mirage third.

Hey, no sweat, put 400 in both arcane and nature components and that should keep us going for a while - but you may have to buy some extra later. I just remembered: would we ever need to resurrect you? Can a warforged die at all? If not, then you needn't reserve any components for your own raise dead.

Edit:

Quote:

Originally Posted by A'den

Also Humans have 10 feats at level 15 right?

Yes, with up to 8 being paragon tier.

Edit: I'll be selling Amirah's magic item-related rituals for extra cash. I don't think we need redundancy there.

Grey Wolf

Scylfing · 02-22-2011, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c

Hey, no sweat, put 400 in both arcane and nature components and that should keep us going for a while - but you may have to buy some extra later. I just remembered: would we ever need to resurrect you? Can a warforged die at all? If not, then you needn't reserve any components for your own raise dead.

This is a good question. My understanding is that Warforged can die (and be resurrected), but only when they reach their negative bloodied HP value, since their ability to take 10 for death saving throws effectively means that they can't bleed out. (I don't know if saving throw penalties would apply to that or not though.)

As for resurrecting Warforged, I wonder if it might be appropriate to have the ritual be an Arcane one?

Shadow_Elf · 02-22-2011, 08:27 PM

Since it is established in her fluff that Warforged models of the same series as Medinah do indeed have souls, Raise Dead affects her as normal. Additionally, saving throw penalties do apply to the warforged racial ability, so feats that boost saving throws or death saving throws specifically are needed to ensure proper invincibility.

Scylfing · 02-22-2011, 08:34 PM

Ah okay, that's fair, it'd be kind of overpowered if that ability could overcome saving throw penalties too.

And you're right, Raise Dead should work for anyone who has a soul. I imagine the restoration work she needed when recovered from the archeological site would've been because of the extensive damage she'd received.