PlanetADnD.com

Extra round for the trident?

One extra round to retrieve the trident, then a second to get back to the surface (as the trident is dropping, you'll have to move deeper to retrieve it, meaning there's more distance to travel to get back up to the surface).

Thanks for dragging the poor stupid half-orc up from the depths. As for the trident, let's just say it's better it than her.

It's a shame. Normally I'd probably rule that Val held onto her trident with some kind of death grip, even unconscious. But my hands were tied by that fumble.

Still, as you said, better to lose the trident than her life. And she still has her mundane trident.

It was that or loose both of them!

I don't know how intelligent Mist is, could she dive for her partner's tool?

Even if she could be trained to do that, it's likely at the bottom of the ocean by now. And I don't think orca whales can go that deep. And even if they could, it could take days or even weeks to find it without magical aid, even knowing roughly where it was dropped.

Maybe I should have posted the idea sooner (I discussed it with Jenara last night), I meant Mist might be intelligent enough to see the trident drop, realise it was important and keep it for Val.

Yes, I suppose it's too late now, but I don't think Nuke and I ever actually discussed what tricks and tasks Mist was taught. Well, other than allowing her to ride it, that is.

Nuke wrote:What is the ruling on near death? Is Val capable of any action?

According to the DMG, on the Hovering at Death's Door rule:

"...[the character] is weak and feeble, unable to fight and barely able to move. He must stop and rest often, can't cast spells...and is generally confused and feverish. He is able to move and can hold somewhat disjointed conversations, and that's it."

However, after years and years of players ignoring that and trying to act anyway, I came up with my own set of 'death fatigue rules' that go like this:

-4 STR
-5 DEX
-2 CON
-3 WIS
-3 to hit (this is in addition to any penalties from low STR or DEX)

So, for instance, Val could fire her bow, but she'd suffer a -4 penalty total due to her DEX being 5.

And if she takes even a single point of damage, she's out.

... hence Ouragana's advice to Val.

Annnnnd, that's the end of the chapter. You four can do whatever you like now, until we hit page 30 or all four of you are ready to move on. After that, I'll end the chapter and the arc. Your characters likely won't see each other for another year after that!

Oh, and I went ahead and added the gold bars to everyone's inventory anyway, so I wouldn't forget about them later.

I have to say I enjoyed this chapter a great deal! Was so much fun, felt like Arei was somewhere she belonged..

I'm glad you liked it! I'll put up my own thoughts when I calculate XP at the chapter's close, like normal.

I enjoyed that chapter, too. Ouragana was of not much help during the fight, but I hope I am beginning to learn to play a mage. I'd love to see what comes out of that strange artifact, but maybe we'll never know.

I'm ready to move on, only I don't see any reason at the moment why the four should decide to meet again after a year, they have not really forged bonds enough to want to continue adventuring together. The only thing I can imagine is that they agree to meet to tell about what they've done in the year and that a new adventure finds them there...