The Wandering Archipelago (OOC)

[Dlover]

Yeah, the summary sheet is missing a few details. For one thing, Syli does have Darkvision, and I'm pretty sure Gwen's Devil Vision essentially gives Darkvision too. Gwen's listed as only knowing Common, when I'm pretty sure she knows at least Orcish, Mehr knows Dwarvish as well as the listed languages, and Syli knows Elven and Druidic as well as Common. Syli's stats could probably all benefit from being adjusted to the new sheet for her. That should probably be the only things wrong, but I'm not checking each individual stat.

[spiderwrangler]

I changed the languages and vision issues, but I'm just putting in static values for Syli, since I'm not up for mucking about with merging format and pulls from her new sheet.

[thinkslogically]

Thank you

If you guys want to decide in who gets what armor / shield, it'll probably do you more good than keeping it in a pack

[Dlover]

Anybody got proficiency with shields or... Heavy armour, I assume, but no equipment to match?

[spiderwrangler]

I think they are only really an AC upgrade for Kal. Varsk was making sure the armor didn't get left behind, but had more designs on selling it than using it. If the armor is not in character with Kal's upbringing, might as well hold it for sale later.

[WearsHats]

Kal is currently wearing hide armor and has no shield. His fighting style (just selected) is protector - if he has a shield he can use it to deflect incoming attacks against nearby allies. (If you're within 5 feet of him and he can see the attack coming, he can impose disadvantage on the attack roll.)

OOC, the chain mail would increase his AC from 13 to 16, and the shield would grant an additional +2. As a paladin, he's proficient with basically all weapons and armor and is designed to be a front line fighter.

IC, the hide armor has some sentimental value. The hide is from hunting trips with his mother, he helped make it into armor, and it's what he's been wearing for years. In fact, it doubles as his priestly vestments. It also feels more comfortable, given his inclination towards nature. But he doesn't have any actual traditions against metal armor.

So, while he would gladly take the extra protection, he wouldn't be too disappointed if someone else claimed the chain mail. (And he'd keep the hide armor in any case.) But it's to everyone's benefit if he has a shield.

[spiderwrangler]

Yeah, pretty sure it's all yours. Kal and Varsk are literally the only ones that can use it, and Varsk already has chainmail, and wields a two handed weapon.

Stop being so considerate and just claim the loot!

[WearsHats]

I can't help it! I'm a paladin!

(Kal actually was supposed to start with chain mail, but he couldn't afford it. i.e. I cashed in the standard paladin and acolyte kits to give him a bunch of tools and more natural armor, befitting his being raised out in the wilds where metal work is uncommon and people are expected to be fairly self-reliant. That's also why his weapon is a sturdy axe, just as good for cutting vegetation if the need arises.)

[Rodgeir]

IC: As spider said above, Varsk just wants to sell the armor and is very thorough when looting. He doesn't really expect to get to walk away with 75 gold worth of equipment unquestioned, but he isn't familiar with the group and it's financial status (beyond suspecting Mehr is wealthy) so he is taking a shot at it!

Any reasonable offer will be considered!

Also as a paladin, Kal was okay with the corpse dismemberment and just leaving her there in a pile without some words? Varsk doesn't know your a paladin or he would have probably been more, outwardly, respectful. Not that he was disrespectful, just not really treating the body different than the snake.

[WearsHats]

((Oh, I thought you had the rope to help you. Sorry. Tired and distracted. But you made it across, so I guess it worked out.))

"Do any of you recognize the heraldry on this shield? If not, is there any objection to my claiming it? I'd like to take a minute to wash it off, if that's okay."

"Does anyone want the armor? The previous owner doesn't seem to have any further need for it, and it could help someone keep from joining her in the afterlife. "

"I'd also like a moment to say last rights for her."

"At least we can get some useful provisions out of this little adventure. Campfire roasted boa is better than you might think."

Raised in the remote wilds, Kal is very practical and utilitarian about these things.

So... We cut her free of the snake, took what we needed (I don't recall anything about dismemberment - actually she was mostly digested already), and Kal said last rites over the corpse. (You can tell how tired I've been by the fact that I wrote "rights" in the original post.) But it's hard to bury things in the swamp, he doesn't know the dwarf's preferences, and building a cairn would take too long. So the words will have to be sufficient. (He probably put some branches over her before the group moved on.)

As for value - we're a company. To at least some degree, we're pooling resources. Kal doesn't see that Varsk has any more claim to the armor than anyone else. But, as mentioned on the previous page of this thread, he's fine with taking a lesser share of forthcoming loot. He doesn't have much coin on him now. Varsk would have to make a case for why it's owed, in any case. As far as Kal's concerned, it's group property. (Unless and until it's claimed by the dwarf's kin.) We encountered the snake together, we killed it together, and Kal did most of the work cutting it open. He's the one in the best position to put it to practical use for the common good.

If Varsek (who, granted, is not currently part of the company) wants money, Kal will gladly cede rights to less practical loot down the road. But the only justification for looting the armor is to put it to use, and it seems he's the only one who can.

[Rodgeir]

Ah, I had missed where you'd written the last rights bit, my bad.

Just approach Varsk about the armor. His position in the group is tag along (with no explicit claim to loot) and realizes his bargaining position is weak plus he never claimed the armor, just took it and is expecting someone to say something. He isn't going to be hostile to Kal's wanting the armor, especially if you frame it as overall group (and his) survivability!

Kal did most of the work cutting the corpse out? Varsk would disagree on that point.

Varsk and Gwen make quick work of the snake carcass, splitting the creature in a spiral around the corpse caught in its throat. As the corpse slumps out, the arm and shield detach from the rest of the body and the whole mess clatters to the forest floor with a heavy, wet clang. Now exposed, the group can see that this carcass belongs a partially-digested dwarf wearing heavy chain mail. The flesh on her legs and lower torso are largely digested away to the bone, leaving only scraps of hide and leather behind. The mail and shield seem to be in salvageable condition at least though.

Plus the actual removal of the armor from slimy corpse...

[WearsHats]

Ah, right. I cut open the rest of the snake. My apologies.

For the record, Kal would have removed the armor. He'd already signaled his intention to do so.

[Rodgeir]

Duly noted

[thinkslogically]

Out at a conference this week but will try and catch up properly this evening. I'll roll initiative for anyone who hasn't rolled by the end of the day

[thinkslogically]

So with the discussion on readied actions, the part I was mostly unclear on is what counts as a round in terms of keeping your action "ready". It seems a little ambiguous whether it's when we get to the bottom of the initiative order and start from the top again (which would prevent a slow pc from ever holding an action effectively) or if it's from your own turn to your next turn regardless of the order.

I use the latter because it seems more sensible, but it's unclear if that's how it is RAW.

[spiderwrangler]

Ah... I think you might have an older version of the PHB?

Readying an action received an errata.

"Ready (p. 193). You have until the start
of your next turn to use a readied action."

[thinkslogically]

That'll be why! Cool stuff. The first version seems really stupid

Also, as long as I'm updating from work or my phone I'm reliant on memory and Google for rules reminders which is a bit of a can of worms thanks for keeping me right!

[spiderwrangler]

Yeah, rpg stack exchange is pretty good, as the best responses (with sources to back up their statements) get upvoted, and if you add 'sage advice' to the end of a term your searching, it will usually point to a twitter response by the Jeremy Crawford, who is the official WotC rules guy.

[Rodgeir]

Question about spell casting and the readied action. I was looking through what people have and can cast and then checking to see how casting works. For Syli, she has 5 possible spells she can cast from but can only cast 3 of them (I am assuming repeatedly from Mehr's multiple use of magic missile). Could Syli ready thunderwave and then activate it based on the event that Kal moves out of the 15ft range? Or is that the same problem with concentration that Gwen had?

[WearsHats]

You have a spell list. That tells you what spells you know.

You have spell slots. Those act similarly to mana in other games. They tell you how many spells you can cast.

In Kal's case, there's also the matter of preparing spells. He knows the full list of spells at his level, but can only prepare three of them per day (which must be done over the course of a long rest).

So: Kal knows about 10 spells (not going to look up the exact number right now). He has 3 prepared - Bless, Heal, and Purify. He has 2 first level spell slots. So twice per day he can cast any one of those 3 spells. Later, when he levels up a little more, he'll have some level 2 spell slots. He'll be able to use those to cast more powerful spells, but he'll also have the option to cast a more powerful version of some first level spells (casting Heal with a level 2 spell slot heals more).

So, yeah, you can mix and match however you like.

As for concentration: You can only concentrate on one spell at a time. While concentrating, you can move and make melee attacks as normal but you cannot cast another spell. Holding a spell as a readied action counts as concentrating. Things like taking damage can break your concentration.

So: Bless gives a bonus to all affected allies for up to 10 rounds (1 minute in combat). That takes concentration. Healing does not require concentration because you're not maintaining anything. Kal would have to let go of the Blessing to Heal. If he was holding healing as a readied action, he would not be able to Bless.

Clear?

[thinkslogically]

The number if spells you know varies by class as well. So Kal and Syli know all their class spells and can prepare a mixture of spells after each long rest (the number varies according to their stats and level).

Mehriv and Gwen get their powers from less flexible sources (apparently) and only know what they know. They can switch one spell out when they level up, but they have to live with their spell choices much longer than the other two.

((I haven't gone into the classes we don't have, but they all basically follow one of those two rules)).

For your example, Syli could absolutely do that with the proviso that it would require concentration and she'd lose the spell slots even if she doesn't actually get to cast the spell (because the trigger doesn't occur or because she loses concentration by e.gm taking damage and failing the save). Readying spells is quite expensive.

[Dlover]

As for concentration: You can only concentrate on one spell at a time. While concentrating, you can move and make melee attacks as normal but you cannot cast another spell. Holding a spell as a readied action counts as concentrating. Things like taking damage can break your concentration.

Wait, you can't cast another spell while Concentrating? Doesn't that pose a problem for Burns' whole Hex + Eldritch Blast thing?

[thinkslogically]

You can't cast two concentration spells simultaneously, but eldritch blast isn't concentration.

[spiderwrangler]

As for concentration: You can only concentrate on one spell at a time. While concentrating, you can move and make melee attacks as normal but you cannot cast another spell. Holding a spell as a readied action counts as concentrating. Things like taking damage can break your concentration.

So: Bless gives a bonus to all affected allies for up to 10 rounds (1 minute in combat). That takes concentration. Healing does not require concentration because you're not maintaining anything. Kal would have to let go of the Blessing to Heal. If he was holding healing as a readied action, he would not be able to Bless.

Wait, you can't cast another spell while Concentrating?

Yeah, I was going to comment on that, you can cast other spells while maintaining concentration on a spell, provided that the other spells don't also require concentration. At that point either the new spell would fail to be cast, or you would lose concentration on the previous spell. Kal would be able to keep Bless going and cast a Cure Wounds on his turn, but would not be able to cast a second spell the needs concentration, or be able to ready an action to cast Cure Wounds on someone elses turn.

[thinkslogically]

Welp, I screwed up that last round! I've edited the updates to include Syli's actions now which has changed a few things. Please have a check over your actions and let me know if everything looks ok.