Cold Embraces

[harknail]

Vadania asks, "So do we head back to Burr town to help there, or try to join those in the desert?"

Either way Vadania wants to visit the tree to recover the communication stones and see if the tree activates any further enchantments on her wooden sword.

[Jasmine]

Brennen thinks. "Why don't we contact the others with your whispering sands spell and see what they're up to? We can also touch base with Berith."

[at]

(pick spells - for what it's worth neither Ka'lion nor George prepared sand for the spell, but the mage may be more reliable)

The tree is only a short distance away so an early morning walk is all that is needed to reach it. The party find the remnants of a recent camp as well as Ka'lions horse wandering nearby. It would seem that they reached the tree not long ago and left with the stone, Vadanias spell may now be the only way to contact Berith unless he returns in a day or two with another stone.

[harknail]

Vadania tries holding her wooden sword against the magical tree to see if it will do anything more for her sword at this time. She isn't really expecting anything to happen, but it worked once...

She'll lead the Ka'lion'sor respect to the Silver Flame monastery rather than leaving it as a meal for the next carnivore to wander by.

[at]

Vadania feels that the tree has given up all the power it will, and that to further empower the blade she must give up a little of her own instead.

[harknail]

Does Vadania know how to give up some of herself to the sword?

[at]

Jan 12, 2017 13:14:13 GMT -5 harknail said:

Does Vadania know how to give up some of herself to the sword?

She has never encountered such a weapon, but Brennen suggests meditation or contemplation, and a focus on the weapon. Even if it does not immediately achieve the desired effect it may reveal something of the weapon.


In practical terms, as a weapon of legacy Vadania needs to give up 4 hitpoints and take a -1 hit to her saves while she remains bonded to the weapon - in return the weapons ability to deflect arrows will be enhanced allowing her to automatically deflect a ranged touch attack a number of times per day equal to her CHA mod (minimum 1) and enhances the weapon to a +2 enchantment.
Vadania may also choose the nature of the enchantment(s) on the weapon including treating it as a masterwork non-magical blade with a single +2 ability.

[harknail]

I remember giving up 4 HP to boost sword when leveling up in the silver flame adventure, and she already has the once per day deflecting a ranged touch attack. I don't remember the -1 to saving throws, and it's still only a +1 weapon.

At the moment if I'm understanding this correctly this doesn't sound like a good deal for her. Give up 4 HP and -1 to saving throws to improve her weapon of last resort from +1 to +2. I think she uses her saving throws a lot more often that she uses that sword!

[at]

Jan 12, 2017 20:12:00 GMT -5 harknail said:

I remember giving up 4 HP to boost sword when leveling up

In that case you don't need to do that a second time.
Vadania actually gets the +2 weapon for no further loss - see below


The weapons of legacy, even with a little bit of extra help, have always been somewhat underwhelming - though i'm looking at the reference tables in the back of the book and it looks like the editors have mis-copied their own rules into the weapon entry. It's a table 4-1 weapon which means the (optional) save penalty doesn't apply until 8th level - the upgrade to +2 should be free.

Just worth noting that table 4-1 thing on your sheet in case I forget to refer to the main rules rather than the weapon entry in the future. The weapon doesn't have another meaningful upgrade until 11th level unless its powers are reforged so no additional penalties will accrue - just those 4hp.

[Jasmine]

When I looked at the legacy weapons in the book, my reaction was basically, "Yep, that's not worth it, neither is that, neither is that, mhmm, pretty much all of these suck, wow, this subsystem is kind of lame, isn't it? Seems like the correct play if you get a weapon of legacy is to never upgrade it ever."

Of course normally there's an exorbitant gp cost attached to it on top of giving up HP or whatever, so if you get rid of that, I suppose it does start looking a lot more reasonable.

[harknail]

And now Vadania has two of them, though she doesn't use the hammer.And now Vadania has two of them, though she doesn't use the hammer.

[at]

Jan 13, 2017 22:55:49 GMT -5 Jasmine said:

Of course normally there's an exorbitant gp cost attached to it on top of giving up HP or whatever, so if you get rid of that, I suppose it does start looking a lot more reasonable.

I treat the legacy feats as quest rewards, much like the enchantment Vadania and Ka'lion have on their capes, provided the party actually goes off and adventures for them.
I only use the buy-in cost if players want to skip the adventure and just unlock the next tier.

[harknail]

Either way, it's a lot of investment. And probably not worth it for a secondary weapon that the character is barely proficient with (low STR for melee fighter)

And a good reason to pass on the second melee legasy weapon (the hammer) to an NPC that can make use of it.

There's still the question of which quest we want to do next: Rejoin the NPCs on the main demon quest, or go see what's going on in Burr Town?

[at]

The group return to the monastery to make their decision.

In their absence the priests have made a little progress with the hammer and the name of its previous owner - Jastar, a witch hunter.

While there was little specific known about him or the circumstances of his stand against the demons the symbols of Pelor on the hammer give some insight into his life as it was known that within Pelors clergy there had long been elements opposed to arcane magic, and order dating back countless generations.

Moving the hammer close to Brennen she indicated it's power, the glow that Vadania had seen on it from time to time responded to magic of non-divine origin.

[harknail]

Vadania asks, "Do you have any use for this hammer? I bought it back from where Ka'lion had sold it so that it could be used in fighting the demons."

[at]

"The demons seem gone from this place for now, but it may aid us if trouble stirs to the north. We have yet to determine the goals of the cabal, or what it is they intend in Clearwater."

"And what of your group, do you intend to join a caravan east? One is currently camped just beyond the gate and with affairs as they are another may not arrive for some time, forces from both sides are watching those that cross into the Steadlands with increased vigilance."

[harknail]

Vadania says, "We've had a wizard contact us with an offer to provide transport to wherever we need to go. So we could join those in the desert city. Tink, do you still want to go after the demon?"

She continues, "Also, we've just about used up the wand of lessor vigor. Do you have any others I could trade for?"

OOC: Vadania is reluctant to leave the fell, the only land she's ever known. But she feels somehow responsible for the release of the demon, feeling that she didn't do enough to stop it. And she's worked with both of the NPCs mentioned before and liked them both.

OOC: wooden longsword updated to +2

[Jasmine]

"I don't see why not, assuming we have some idea of where to find it," says Tink.

[harknail]

Jan 27, 2017 2:29:06 GMT -5 Jasmine said:

"I don't see why not, assuming we have some idea of where to find it," says Tink.

kmansadventures.proboards.com/post/new/8936

Vadania answered, "Well we don't know where the demon is, but we've got a pretty good idea of where he wants to go." She holds up her copy of Ka'lion's book. "This shows where the other demons were being held, it seems he's trying to free the rest of them. So if we can get our wizard friend to drop us off somewhere close to Altar and Lynette we can hunt for the demon together. From my previous experience, I don't think he'll be too hard to find."

[at]

Slightly delayed posting atm - should pick up again properly in a day or two
Basic divine magical items like wands and potions are available here, as well as low-level arms and armour - particularly silver and fire based.