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He saw at least 9 members of the Trade Guild in the guest rooms, so most of them.Haahque wrote:Was it a significant portion (30%+) or just 2-3 people?
I'm a little confused by this. Isn't Haahqae's goal to rescue Ismene? If so, wouldn't attending her execution mean he's already failed? Wouldn't it make far more sense to find and free her before she's paraded onto a stage in front of hundreds of witnesses, surrounded by many guards, and then executed?Haahque wrote:...it sounded like you wanted him there and really, he can't miss it even on the slim chance that they're executing Ismene...
Does that really add up, logically speaking, though? You're saying that the only prison secure enough for Ismene is the very vault she stands accused of breaking into? If Tethys believes Ismene broke into the vault, stole money, and then escaped it with no witnesses...why would he think putting her back into the vault would hold her?Haahque wrote:He wants to check out the dragon-lair in the tower (it's the only room secure enough to hold Ismene)
There are no posters. The butler just now informed the prefect's personal guard. No public announcement has been made at all yet. He may overhear something about it at the mansion, but not at the grand market or the old fort.Haahque wrote:Can Haahqae find out more about the execution from looking at posters or overhearing conversations?
I may well continue after this game's done; but we've been playing this game for 3+ years now and we (haven't?) even made it to winter yet. It feels like "after this game is done" might be a few years down the line; plenty of time to think about it and/or for my plans/free time to change.JadedDM wrote:I'm guessing by the deafening silence from the rest of you, that you all share Chris' sentiments and have no interest in continuing after this game is done?
That gives Haahqae a bit more reasonable evidence to suspect Ismene would be in the manner then I had thought at first. How much would he draw the comparison though? He has enough information to link the two if he had a clue about how the Prefect thought... but he has no idea how the prefect thinks, especially with his wisdom, Haahqae's going idea is pretty much that the Prefect is a moron who's determined to run the city into the ground through non-sustainable (wrongful) over-reaction to minor infractions and obnoxious oversights of much larger infractions. How would Haahqae be able to comprehend how a moron thinks?JadedDM wrote:He saw at least 9 members of the Trade Guild in the guest rooms, so most of them.
That idea mostly came from the fact that when Haahqae was about to leave his scouting mission and go onto plan #2 that he had for the day; someone official popped up and might have well have said (paraphrasing here) "Something super important is happening in the marketplace today at some point and you have to be there".JadedDM wrote:I'm a little confused by this. Isn't Haahqae's goal to rescue Ismene? If so, wouldn't attending her execution mean he's already failed? Wouldn't it make far more sense to find and free her before she's paraded onto a stage in front of hundreds of witnesses, surrounded by many guards, and then executed?Haahque wrote:...it sounded like you wanted him there and really, he can't miss it even on the slim chance that they're executing Ismene...
Thinking it through, Haahqae might just figure this out. He believes that he's probably interrogating her about where the missing money is; so it wouldn't make too much sense if she was in the top of the old keep. It would take him some thought to figure out the rest of the tower isn't secure enough to hold him/her without the soldiers knowing that there's significant extra security measures in place.JadedDM wrote:Does that really add up, logically speaking, though? You're saying that the only prison secure enough for Ismene is the very vault she stands accused of breaking into? If Tethys believes Ismene broke into the vault, stole money, and then escaped it with no witnesses...why would he think putting her back into the vault would hold her?Haahque wrote:He wants to check out the dragon-lair in the tower (it's the only room secure enough to hold Ismene)
Also, logistically speaking, wouldn't holding a valuable prisoner in a locked vault on the tenth story of a tower be inconvenient for interrogating purposes? If you were the prefect, wouldn't you want to keep her somewhere closer? Especially if you were really paranoid about rebel attacks and thus almost never left your mansion?
That is rather strange. You'd think they'd advertise the execution so that anyone who's thinking about rebelling would see the brutality afforded to that idea and be scared off of it. Not advertising speaks to fear that it would be attacked, disorganization or an attempt to keep it secret. Not sure how to take this one.JadedDM wrote:There are no posters. The butler just now informed the prefect's personal guard. No public announcement has been made at all yet. He may overhear something about it at the mansion, but not at the grand market or the old fort.Haahque wrote:Can Haahqae find out more about the execution from looking at posters or overhearing conversations?
Yeah, I was thinking along the same lines. Spell research and the like is something that isn't really feasible in this game (due to funds and such). So this game would definitely make up for it.TristenC wrote:The downtime in a tower could be a particular boon, potentially providing easier access to reaearch materials, laboratories, various arcana; all the tasty bits mages usually drool over.
Like henchmen? Yes.BishGada wrote:Will there be NPC recruits available.
I didn't have any specific plans to use such enemies, but if it came up, I guess you'd all have to be creative about it.BishGada wrote:Suppose we deal with magic resistant creature, what will we do?
All of these mages, though, would be members of the Wizards of High Sorcery. They'll all know each other before hand, and may have even studied with or grown up with each other together in the tower. I'll probably have the group make their characters together, so they can decide their relationships with each other before we start.BishGada wrote:Also how so many mages should get along? Mages, even good ones, not to mention bad ones, are problematic personals. They are very competitive and don't like to share their knowledge. It can get bad.
Correct.BishGada wrote:I understand it is going to be on proboard forum?
BishGada wrote:"Mind you, I've broken no rule. It was all simulation and so were my actions.
Am I misunderstanding this? Because it seems a contradiction. First, Tulbas says he shouldn't be judged on his actions during the Test because none of it was real, but then says that actions were as true in the simulation as they would have been in reality.BishGada wrote:And so my action must have been as real as possible to show my true self and how I would act in real life.
Certainly not years. I intend to start increasing the downtime more and more, to quickly get through winter. Even so, there's always the chance the game will end prematurely, as well. There could be a TPK or we could all just decide to end it early.Haahque wrote: It feels like "after this game is done" might be a few years down the line
I'm not sure what a spell-blade is. Is it just someone who can use a sword and spells? Like a Fighter/Mage?Haahque wrote:Perhaps if I was able to make some sort of spell-blade
I'm not sure. But there are similarities in how the Trade Guild was arrested and how Ismene was arrested. In both cases, there was no record made of the arrests. The army denies having arrested them at all. Normally when someone is arrested, they are put on a wagon and taken somewhere south, outside the city's walls. He might put together that if the Trade Guild was being held in the mansion instead, than Ismene might, as well. Just because she's not held in the same rooms doesn't mean she isn't held there at all. She is a magic user, after all. That likely warrants more security than just guest rooms with no bars or chains.Haahque wrote:How much would he draw the comparison though?
Fixed that for ya.Haahque wrote:That idea mostly came from the fact that when Haahqae was about to leave his scouting mission and go onto plan #2 that he had for the day; someone official popped up and might have well have said (paraphrasing here) "There's a possible time limit now, so maybe focus on plan #1 and forget about plan #2 for now".
I think you're forgetting how Haahqae was able to avoid the illusion-piercing dragon's sight himself. Dragons gotta sleep some time. Can't do that if they're guarding a prisoner.Haahque wrote: not the least of which being illusion-piercing dragon sight
It's a good point. On the other hand, a quick execution with little warning or fanfare would, as you point out, make it difficult for anyone to plan an attack and while there wouldn't be as many witnesses, word of mouth would ensure that the whole city learned of it pretty quickly.Haahque wrote:That is rather strange. You'd think they'd advertise the execution so that anyone who's thinking about rebelling would see the brutality afforded to that idea and be scared off of it. Not advertising speaks to fear that it would be attacked, disorganization or an attempt to keep it secret. Not sure how to take this one.
It seems contradictory but it is not. In reality he definitely didn't commit a crime. He doesn't argue against being judge on his action in the trial, just stating that there is a difference between simulation and reality and it should sweeten the judgement a bit.JadedDM wrote: Am I misunderstanding this? Because it seems a contradiction. First, Tulbas says he shouldn't be judged on his actions during the Test because none of it was real, but then says that actions were as true in the simulation as they would have been in reality.
No. Tulbas was genuine. In real life he would do the same (and in the adventure it showed). All I said that Tulbas never faced a decision where being selfish would definitely be the dead of a comrade. If such situation did happen and he would choose to die to sacrifice himself to save the other, that would mark him as a Good person. The actions he did so far (except killing Magnus) mark him as Neutral tending to Good. That was what I meant.JadedDM wrote: Also, Tulbas goes on and on about how important it is to save others, but then in the OOC section you state that Tulbas would not risk his own life for any of them. Are you saying here that Tulbas only pretended to care about the other apprentices because he knew he was being tested and that otherwise he wouldn't have bothered? Or was he being genuine?
First, it's not that I knew mages are not killing mages and that the Tower is sacred, and decided to do it against the laws of the mages to prove some point or statement. Second, I think all Tulbas behavior since the beginning of his adventure is the complete opposite of becoming renegade. He tried to expose Darewind and was very obedient to Raetmal. He tried to catch Belzor and didn't joined the cult. He followed the church rules and didn't oppose them. He served Magnus in spite of all things. He appreciated his value in teaching and did respect his knowledge if not other characteristics (I had several posts about his debated and reaction to Magnus. He did enjoy practicing with him). He was against the rebellion and never agreed with the other apprentices that said they prefer to run away and not take the test. And he wanted to help the order survive the rebellion. His hate for Magnus is for once, very singular and second pretty much understood. I don't think it reflects on how he will react in life. Magnus murdered Raetmal (in real life, while he could spare him, and now I understand it is against the mages laws), does it indicate he is going to be renegade one day?JadedDM wrote:The main concern, though, is whether Tulbas is going to one day try and go renegade. That is a big part of the Test. And Tulbas all but said he would. He justifies killing Magnus (despite mages killing each other in the tower walls being a huge crime) because he states that the Orders were falling apart anyway. This is basically admitting that he will abandon the rules of the Orders if he thinks they won't be enforced. (You can imagine using such a defense in the real world. "Yes, your honor, I did kill those people and loot those buildings before torching them to the ground. But to be fair, I only did it because I thought society was ending.")
Well, I disagree. I didn't mean Tulbas kills because there are no laws to prevent it, but he felt Magnus is a major threat in the situation they were in and Tulbas had no means to protect himself. Again, I think the whole situation with Magnus is an exception. I think most of his actions during the game put him Neutral tending to Lawful in respect to the order and laws and Neutral-Good in respect to his interaction with people (helping Daxia, his interaction with Darga, helping killing the giant, catching Belzor and so on).JadedDM wrote: This is what Ladonna meant by 'reckless.' At this point, the Council of Three is less worried about which Order to place Tulbas in than they are about whether he should be failed and killed before he becomes a threat to them all. The fact that he cannot seem to make up his mind on whether he is Good, Evil or Neutral only reinforces that idea. I'd describe his behavior at this point as Chaotic Neutral, which is the typical alignment of a renegade.
Yeah, well... I pretty much stand alone in protecting Raistlin. I can't argue about many deeds of him (especially since I read the stories once about 20 years ago). From what I remember, when Raistlin could travel time he found himself killing the goddess and destroying the world and for that reason he sacrificed himself. So in my opinion, even if a bit late, he redeemed himself and actually saved the world. This should be count as ultimate good deed.JadedDM wrote: Also, I whole-heartedly disagree with your assessment that Raistlin was Good. He was unequivocally Evil. He believed that his intelligence made him better than everyone else, even his own brother. And that gave him to right to do whatever he wanted. He would have ended the world if he had not been stopped. Sure, he did good things now and again. But that didn't make him a good person. Nobody is 100% Good or Evil. Even a White Robe can be selfish at times. Even a Black Robe can feel love. It's their overall behavior that dictates their alignment, not their most recent action. Raistlin betrayed his friends, killed his brother during his Test (out of jealousy, no less, because he couldn't stand the idea that his brother was equal to him in any way), and then, as I pointed out early, came dangerous close to ending the world. Just because he was nice to a gully dwarf now and again did not make up for that.
Yeah that's sort of what it is. There's a few takes on the idea of merging spells with martial prowess; from the basic: Use spells to buff yourself (blurr/displacement/tensers/truesight/freedom of movement/flight etc) and then primarily combat through physical prowess augmented by your magic. To the more advanced: channeling your spells into your weapons and having extra effects; for example a duskblade in 3.5/pathfinder is allowed to cast a touch-spell through their weapon when they hit an enemy with it; effectively getting say; sword damage and shocking grasp damage on the same attack. Another interpretation is someone who uses conjuration and/or transmutation to make or improve their usual weaponry on a temporary or permanent basis as their primary form of combat.JadedDM wrote:I'm not sure what a spell-blade is. Is it just someone who can use a sword and spells? Like a Fighter/Mage?Haahque wrote:Perhaps if I was able to make some sort of spell-blade
He hasn't ruled out the possibility that she's being held there; it's just that he never planned to go inside the manor today; and that so many of his well laid plans have come back to bite him recently; I don't want him to charge into a heavily guarded building without a solid plan and only half his spells available; that sort of sounds like suicide. However, as he thinks on it, it's seems more likely that she is in the manor somewhere.JadedDM wrote:I'm not sure. But there are similarities in how the Trade Guild was arrested and how Ismene was arrested. In both cases, there was no record made of the arrests. The army denies having arrested them at all. Normally when someone is arrested, they are put on a wagon and taken somewhere south, outside the city's walls. He might put together that if the Trade Guild was being held in the mansion instead, than Ismene might, as well. Just because she's not held in the same rooms doesn't mean she isn't held there at all. She is a magic user, after all. That likely warrants more security than just guest rooms with no bars or chains.Haahque wrote:How much would he draw the comparison though?
Classic misinterpretation. However, he completed plan #1 already; he finally got a good initial scouting out of the manor with enough information that he could come back on another day (when he's had time to plan and has his spells back up) and have a good chance to get inside and back out again without ending up captured or dead first. It's sort of more "There's a possible time limit now, so forget plan #2 and panic instead." Which is pretty much what he's doing now.JadedDM wrote:Fixed that for ya.Haahque wrote:That idea mostly came from the fact that when Haahqae was about to leave his scouting mission and go onto plan #2 that he had for the day; someone official popped up and might have well have said (paraphrasing here) "There's a possible time limit now, so maybe focus on plan #1 and forget about plan #2 for now".
I was under the impression that the dragons took shifts in the vault. Sleeping shifts theoretically; but it's not the most notable change if they switched them to awake shifts.JadedDM wrote:I think you're forgetting how Haahqae was able to avoid the illusion-piercing dragon's sight himself. Dragons gotta sleep some time. Can't do that if they're guarding a prisoner.Haahque wrote: not the least of which being illusion-piercing dragon sight
A wizard murdering another wizard isn't the issue, in fact, it's even expected to some degree. The crime is murdering another wizard within the walls of the Tower. The Tower is sacred neutral ground, considered holy to all three Orders. Magnus killed Raetmal in Haven, not in the Tower. That's why he's not chastised or punished for it.BishGada wrote:Magnus murdered Raetmal (in real life, while he could spare him, and now I understand it is against the mages laws), does it indicate he is going to be renegade one day?
In the simulation, Magnus was so wounded he couldn't even stand up. He had to ask Tulbas to fetch him bandages. He was no threat to anyone at that point. That Tulbas, a mere apprentice, managed to kill a wizard twice his level so easily showcases just how helpless Magnus really was.BishGada wrote:I didn't mean Tulbas kills because there are no laws to prevent it, but he felt Magnus is a major threat in the situation they were in and Tulbas had no means to protect himself.
It was actually his brother, Caramon, and the kender, Tasslehoff, who traveled into the future (by accident) and discovered the world was going to be destroyed because of Raistlin's actions. They then returned to the present and warned Raistlin what would happen. Raistlin then sacrificed himself to keep Takhisis from entering the world, but only because by that point it was too late (he had already opened the portal and it could only be closed from inside).BishGada wrote:From what I remember, when Raistlin could travel time he found himself killing the goddess and destroying the world and for that reason he sacrificed himself. So in my opinion, even if a bit late, he redeemed himself and actually saved the world. This should be count as ultimate good deed.
I've heard the term 'duskblade' before, but don't know anything about it. I did some searching. It seems the general consensus is that duskblades can exist in Dragonlance, but not until the Fifth Age (we're currently in the Fourth Age), because they use spontaneous casting, which does not exist in Dragonlance yet.Haahque wrote:for example a duskblade in 3.5/pathfinder is allowed to cast a touch-spell through their weapon when they hit an enemy with it
That's right. One sleeps in the tower while the other flies over the city to patrol. If the tower one is awake guarding a prisoner instead, it would beg the question of where and when the two dragons find time to sleep. (Even dragons need to sleep at some point.)Haahque wrote:I was under the impression that the dragons took shifts in the vault. Sleeping shifts theoretically; but it's not the most notable change if they switched them to awake shifts.