daryen / Skeeve

I can work with this. Can I make a Sunburst with two Radiance that works the same as a Fireball? (I.e. does some damaged to everything in the burst. I still wanna kill those spiders sometime.)

I have to take Mind given Skeeve's Fey background and Charisma Trait. Don't know how he'll use it, but he'll figure something out.

Force will be the third one.

Assuming Sunburst can be a thing, he'll try to make that two-word scroll. Then he'll take enough supplies to try and make a one-word scroll on the fly. (In the other thread you said that one-word scrolls could be created in interludes while out and about. Two or more word scrolls require actual downtime.)

Sunburst ~ Fireball = area affect burn is fine.

Mind can create mental illusions (vs holographic ones) or paralyze targets or make you or an area seem unimportant and forgettable . . . .

Yes 1 word scrolls are easier and thus can be done out in the field. 2 word and up require a save place and tools to be crafted

Blornvid and Skeeve have realy been at this a while. I was going through my notes and setting up a progression schedule. I then looked over the game veterans and added some history details and approximate Exp. You guys should have another trait by now. Go ahead and start working on what you want.

For the new Trait, will you allow Magical Disciplines? In particular, I am looking at Onyx Magic. I do want to slightly change to it, however. I want to delete the Blast effect (because I get that for "free" anyway), and replace it with this:
Push: Test to forcefully push a target away from you. If you are successful, the target takes no damage, but is pushed one range farther away (Close to Near; Near to Far). This cannot be used on a target already in the Far range.
In addition, Hurl is modified to add:
Hurl: Moving an object that weighs more than you requires a Test. Moving an object that weighs more that twice your weight requires a Test at Disadvantage. An object may be a creature. (This means that if you want to hurl a heavy object or an unwilling creature, you must Test twice: once to grab them and once to hit the target.)

If I can get this magic, I will take Sunder instead of Force.

Looks fine. Blast for push is not a problem. I will give detailed feedback tonight

As an aside, I don't think Skeeve has the cash on hand for a fancy two-word scroll. Probably not the time, either. Instead, he will take supplies for four one-word scrolls with him.

Blornvid had all the loot. You have plenty of money, 400gp+, and could make a couple scrolls the night before. Just roll to see if you succeeded

OK, if I can try to make the scrolls, here goes two attempts:

1) Sunburst: a two-word Radiance spell that causes a wide area of effect damage. Everyone in the radius takes radiant damage, Save Test for half. (Basically, it is a fireball that burns but doesn't start fires or anything. Maybe it screws with undead a little extra, but then doesn't harm radiant creatures as compensation. Pretty special use either way. You set the damages.)

2) Tremor: a two-word Sunder spell that damages a 10x10x10 volume. If it is soft rock or dirt, it blows apart. Stone will crumble. Metal will weaken. (I.e. it does structural damage.) Does not directly harm living matter, but if the main support of the roof above a person crumbles, the indirect harm will get 'em. (Or if the floor they are standing on crumbles, they could fall.) Likewise, while it won't harm the person, their clothing and articles might not survive. Again, I am not sure how to scale this, so I will have you set the structural damage. (I call it Tremor because I figure Earthquake should be the three- or four-word version.)

Regardless of the success of either, I will do one attempt for each. Regardless of the success of either, I will still take the supplies for four one-word scrolls.

He did? Sorry, I think I overlooked anything in the caverns. This is what I have for group loot that wasn't divvied up:

20 CP, 37 SP, 1 GP
Fine silk sash threaded with copper (25 gp)
Marble rod inlaid with electrum (25 gp)

I'll go back and check.

Sounds good.

Ok, I went back through about 30 pages or so, and this is what I see unaccounted for since I last updated the group fund:

240 cp, 100 sp, 15 gp, 2 x diamond (50 gp), carnelian (25 gp), 2 x quartz (15 gp), helm inscribed with runes
4 leather armor, 4 short swords, flint & steel, 3 candles, 1 torch, 2 vials of oil
260 cp, 90 sp, 40 gp, diamond (50 gp), chalcedony (50 gp), onyx (50 gp), quartz (50 gp), 2 x zircon (50 gp)
Banded Mail (heavy)
18 siver, 21 copper
2 50' ropes, 2 sets of climbing gear

Combined on the coins: 521 cp, 208 sp, 55 gp.
3 diamonds (50 gp each)
1 chalcedony (50 gp)
1 onyx (50 gp)
1 quartz (50 gp)
2 zircon (50 gp each)
1 carnelian (25 gp)
2 quartz (15 gp each)

These should've been divided by 3 (Skeeve, Raggy, Blornvid) for:
173 cp each with 2 cp leftover
69 sp each with 1 leftover
18 gp each with 1 leftover
2 gems each of 50 gp value
1 extra 50 gp gem each to Skeeve and Blornvid
The carnelian and small quartz combine to 55 gp to Raggy.

The non-magical swords and armor could've been sold to cover our meal expenses (lodging too?). If not, we can take it out of the petty cash.

Is this ok, Psybermagi?

Sorry for dropping the ball here, guys.

Basic food and lodging are free as long as you work for the expedition. But only 1 tankard of ale or small glass of wine per meal

Basic pricing is in the Tiny Info sheet

As an aside, Skeeve will take a diamond, the onyx, and a zircon. Gives something to bargain with if we need it on our teleporting around.

While Skeeve took one of the short swords (mostly as a long utility knife, rather than a weapon), I completely agree with selling off/donating the non-magic weapons and armor.

Given the 18 gp each above, plus what he had before, Skeeve is completely covered on his scroll attempts. So, we're good without even touching the team kitty.

EDIT: Updated my character sheet. I changed out a chunk of copper and silver for gold to reduce the coin total. (No change in money; just different coins. Basically he paid for his scroll stuff with lots of copper and silver!)

I'm selling off those two items (silk sash & marble rod) from the group fund and putting the proceeds into the group fund.

On the idea of secret note or writing in code, the two main ideas would be to either use some obscure or unknown language, or to use Spell-Touched magic to overwrite or obscure it. Or, ideally, both.

So, on the first one, I assume Skeeve had to learn the language of the fey he served, which is different than the Common language used normally. If that's the case, maybe he writes the fey language using the Common script. (Like writing the Chinese language using Latin script.)

On the second one, is Spell-Touched powerful enough to visually alter a section of writing to look like it says something similar, but different? Basically, he writes down two different things in the same space, but one is seen and the other is hidden. I assume someone powerful like Fiznik would see right through it, but someone like Skeeve or Gardakhan would have to roll to have a chance, and someone with no magical help would only know of and see the alternative text. (Obviously, I am merely using myself as an example if someone else did this. Whomever actually wrote it can see both automatically.)

Do either, or both, of these work?

I see no problem with the idea of writing in one language using another alphabet. Another person with similar skill can figure it out but it would not directly be apparent.
Spell touched can transform small objects but that would be about 1 word per action so about 15-20 words per minute. IE not fast but permanent. Or you can mask an entire page with an illusion but that only works while in range and you concentrate. Or you can place a magic mark that can last a day that anyone with magic might detect or see. The harder it is to detect the shorter it lasts. All of those seem reasonable to me for Spell Touched. Minor, small, temporary effects

Ok, thanks!

I am assuming that Skeeve knows both the Common language and the fey language of his service. I am also assuming he is literate. (Or all that writing would be pretty pointless.) So, that's what he'll use for the base text whenever he wants to leave a note to himself that to be just for him.

That first method you mentioned is what I was thinking of. He permanently changes the visible words (and a limit of 15-20 words a minute is perfectly fine) until dismissed. He can dismiss it for free; anyone else has to roll, assuming they figure it out. (Which wouldn't be hard for anyone who has magic.)

I'll figure out he does what he needs this time when we get to it, but I'll keep this all in mind going forward.

Literacy and education in general is much lower in my games. Closer to history but not exactly prices is accurate. All people just basic ideograms for common signs. But I usually allow increases levels based on background. Ex merchant do not math, all spell casters know more reading and writing, etc.

Changing ink is transmutation and receiving anything changed could be tricky and a bit complicated so your are getting a bit being the standard Spell Touched definition. The exact mechanics aside adding hidden text is like a hidden mark so I don't have a problem with it but this is still a limited thing. Don't go too sophisticated or powerful or it will fail

On language, here is how I envision Skeeve's languages. Whatever his original language was is long forgotten. I assume he was too young to remember. When with the fey, being human meant he could concentrate on things better than them, so he got to do some light administration, meaning he became literate with their language. When he was dropped off on this world, he learned the spoken language and has been working to learn the written language. So, I guess he'd have to write common using the fey script. He's working on the Common language, and I assume he's well along the way for it.

On the magic, I think I got it. It isn't meant to tax the magic. Just make it non obvious. Think "obfuscate", not "encrypt".

Not sure of the correct place to ask this, but since it is about a Trait, I'll do it here.

I know Beastspeaker lets me talk to normal animals, at least to the ability of their cognition. That's cool. But does it allow me to talk to fantastical animals? Like could I talk to a gryphon or an owlbear or something like that?

I figure something completely alien (what a more famous game would call an aberation) is either already intelligent enough to speak on its own, or too alien to use the Trait with. I'm cool with that. Likewise, if the fantastical animal is above animal intelligence, then that becomes a normal language issue (like a giant eagle, which are generally of human intelligence). I am only talking about creatures that are still identifiably animals with animal intelligence. (Like a gryphon or hippogriff or owlbear or something like those.)