May 13, 2024 3:29 pm
OOC:
Rolling StealthRolls
Stealth - (1d20+2)
(16) + 2 = 18
IC Story Thread: Ch.1,Ad.2 - The Far Reach
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May 14, 2024 4:50 pm
Stefron says:
... Let's move closer and see if we can determine whether or not the full crew is onboard...The sail plan is generally an easy one to sail, in calm or inland waters... A skilled crew of 2 would be the minimum to sail the ship. But a maximal crew of 4 would be more necessary if it was sailed on open sea waters and over-night sails.
As long as it's been in sight though, you've seen no one above deck and nothing to indicate activity on board.
...
OOC:
RE: stealthing up to the building.And indeed, upon entering you find it empty of occupants. There is a place for cooking fires and a central hearth, as well as the decaying wood of what look to have once been several bunks. But there is little else of note in the cavernous space.
May 14, 2024 9:53 pm
Cirion crouches low to a vantage point, and observes the ship to figure out the best way to board it unseen from the possible occupants.
Possibly using a small row boat, accosting the hull from river level, then up the anchor chain? He assesses his best options, also checking for signs of life aboard
Leaving a Perception to spot a way in
Possibly using a small row boat, accosting the hull from river level, then up the anchor chain? He assesses his best options, also checking for signs of life aboard
OOC:
apologies if the detail escapes me, what is the time, are we in full daylight?Leaving a Perception to spot a way in
Rolls
Perception - (1d20+4)
(3) + 4 = 7
May 14, 2024 11:14 pm
Túril helps Cirion. Perhaps there is a boat on the shoreline.
Last edited May 14, 2024 11:14 pm
Rolls
Perception (with natural watchfulness) - (1d20+6)
(17) + 6 = 23
May 15, 2024 3:18 pm
OOC:
It is mid-day.Closer inspection reveals all but one of them are quite old and have damage to the hulls. But the one looks well kept and has oars sitting inside it, sitting on the underside of the benches.
The sailing ship is designed to be boarded from the port side where there is a drop in the railing and a rope ladder dangling down the side. However you couldn't really board there without risking being seen. There is no other place designed for boarding, and so it would require people boosting someone up from the unstable row boat to grab a railing and climbing aboard, and eventually the last person being pulled up from above. A slow and probably noisy process. Or there is the mooring rope which could be shimmied up, one by one, to gain access at the prow, but that would be a challenging physical feat.
OOC:
In the interest of saving perhaps a couple IRL days of back and forths... Spoiler alert: we're not going to dwell much on how you access the boat here. That is not the challenge/where the gameplay is here.I really just need to know at this point who is going to the boat? Which is another way of asking, who wants to participate in the only roleplay and gameplay that's gonna happen for the next couple IRL days?
I don't like being this meta or transparent, and wouldn't be in a normal/in person game, but in an in person game it would only take a minute or two to make these choices and play it out, but here in pbp it's days, and so if there's just no consequential game play here, I don't want to take the time and drag out this stuff that doesn't really matter.
Apologies if you don't like this fast-forward approach. I can not do it in the future. Just let me know if that - working through stuff that isn't going to actually really impact the narrative or mechanics - is how you would prefer to handle things. Because it does potentially create the tension of the unknown for you all right? And so if you do feel that tension and don't see it as a disappointment when nothing happens after working through the choices, then perhaps it is worth playing through all that? But I personally feel like it's kind of a false drama/fake-out and if we went through the work of making these choices and it ended up not really mattering, I feel like I would be like, "Why did we just work through all that?"
Let me know your thoughts.
May 15, 2024 4:08 pm
OOC:
Cool. Happy to play it out with everyone on board the ship.OOC:
Survival check with bonuses from ways of the wild and Known Lands. Also, from Known Lands: While tracking other creatures, you automatically learn their exact number, their sizes and how recently they passed through the area. [ +- ] Ways of the Wild
You have a great deal of experience from travelling through the wilderness and surviving the various dangers that the wild constantly offers.
At 1st level, you have advantage on all Wisdom (Survival) ability checks when tracking others through the wilderness. If you act as a company’s Guide on a journey, you are considered to be assuming all vacant travelling roles (you are considered to ‘fill in’ as the company’s Hunter, Scout and Look-out at the same time, if no other companion is already covering that role).
At 1st level, you have advantage on all Wisdom (Survival) ability checks when tracking others through the wilderness. If you act as a company’s Guide on a journey, you are considered to be assuming all vacant travelling roles (you are considered to ‘fill in’ as the company’s Hunter, Scout and Look-out at the same time, if no other companion is already covering that role).
[ +- ] Known Lands
Long years spent roaming over the land have given you vast amounts of knowledge about some of the regions of Middle-earth. You know the terrain of such lands like the backs of your hands and your lore can seem almost unnatural to any companions travelling with you. At 1st level, choose 3 regions + a number of regions equal to your Wisdom modifier from the Middle-earth maps.
- When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to a land you know, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill you are proficient in. (All except stealth)
When you are travelling in one of your Known Lands you gain the following benefits:
- If any part of a journey passes through a land you know, the DC of your personal Event tests are lowered by 2.
- If the entire journey passes through lands you know, and you act as Guide, you lower the Peril Rating of the Journey by 2.
- You have advantage when making Wisdom saving throws against Corruption caused by Blighted lands you know.
- You cannot become lost under normal circumstances.
- You know at least one place in each Known Land where you can safely take a long rest: a settlement where you have friends, perhaps, or a hidden cabin in the woods or simply a dry and defensible cavern or secret glade.
- You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) ability checks and can move stealthily at a normal pace.
- While tracking other creatures, you automatically learn their exact number, their sizes and how recently they passed through the area.
- When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to a land you know, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill you are proficient in. (All except stealth)
When you are travelling in one of your Known Lands you gain the following benefits:
- If any part of a journey passes through a land you know, the DC of your personal Event tests are lowered by 2.
- If the entire journey passes through lands you know, and you act as Guide, you lower the Peril Rating of the Journey by 2.
- You have advantage when making Wisdom saving throws against Corruption caused by Blighted lands you know.
- You cannot become lost under normal circumstances.
- You know at least one place in each Known Land where you can safely take a long rest: a settlement where you have friends, perhaps, or a hidden cabin in the woods or simply a dry and defensible cavern or secret glade.
- You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) ability checks and can move stealthily at a normal pace.
- While tracking other creatures, you automatically learn their exact number, their sizes and how recently they passed through the area.
Last edited May 15, 2024 4:33 pm
Rolls
Survival (advantage) - (2d20H1+6)
(1318) + 6 = 24
May 15, 2024 5:03 pm
Thunder_Lungz says:
OOC:
Survival check with bonuses from ways of the wild and Known Lands. Also, from Known Lands: While tracking other creatures, you automatically learn their exact number, their sizes and how recently they passed through the area. OOC:
Oh wow, and a good roll too. A single medium sized creature moved through/away from here about a week ago.
May 15, 2024 5:26 pm
As the Homeguard prepares their plans, Túril returns and tells them of the trail made by a single medium creature about a week ago.
To Cirion and Seonaid, he says: You said that this craft requires two or four sailors at the least. Perhaps we can expect at least one sailor to be aboard the vessel?
To Cirion and Seonaid, he says: You said that this craft requires two or four sailors at the least. Perhaps we can expect at least one sailor to be aboard the vessel?
May 15, 2024 5:56 pm
OOC:
re: spoilers, I personally prefer not to have these. For instance, here, we are after a dangerous villain who could potentially be on the ship. Although inconsequential for the plot/game, our characters would naturally approach this with caution. Since it is daytime, we might have tried to hide and waited for darkness, staking the ship.
I feel that by saying there's nothing on the boat that is interesting or that affects the narrative, all the mystery of the situation is shattered instantly... I would much prefer, if the GM wanted to 'save game time', that they engineered for something in-game happening to interrupt the sneaking plan. Like the owner of the boat disembarks, and starts talking to us spontaneously, for instance. Or we overhear two sailors of the ship talking to each other, which lets us evince it is not a situation of danger, etc. Maybe you'd achieve the same result of preventing days of PBP sneaking, but without being too meta or transparent? My two cents (intended as constructive!)
May 15, 2024 6:42 pm
OOC:
I didn't say there's nothing interesting or impactful on the ship.I said - getting on the ship - is not the challenge.
I wanted to avoid having you guys spend days deliberating how to get on the ship and potentially making rolls to get on the ship, when there is only one outcome to that relatively small part.
That's all we're fast forwarding through. Getting ON the ship.
I don't know.
It just feels like I'm struggling to keep ppl engaged?
And so I'm wildly flailing about for ways to keep things moving and to keep things interactive and to avoid feeling like nothing is happening.
I guess one sees/hears the advice a lot of: don't roll the dice unless there's stakes or a consequence to failure. If the players have all the time in the world or there is no consequence to failure, you just narrate what happens.
So that's what I wanted to do, regarding getting on the ship.
I'm trying to get us to the part where there is stakes.
And I totally agree that having the story come for the players is a good way to go, if they're looking for the story in the wrong place. But that's not what's happening here. I just wanted to cut through a moment where it seemed like there could be gameplay or meaningful choices, but there isn't.
May 15, 2024 9:07 pm
Duinhir was both relieved and puzzled to see the house empty. Where is the crew then?
He returns to his original plan to get on board the ship. Then Túril tells os the tracks leading away.
"If they are indeed only two sailing that ship. There may be more onboard. We must be careful, though I do not think we can get unnoticed onboard, we can try. Then meet whatever we'll find on that ship. Who are with me?" he says preparing to push a boat off shore.
He returns to his original plan to get on board the ship. Then Túril tells os the tracks leading away.
"If they are indeed only two sailing that ship. There may be more onboard. We must be careful, though I do not think we can get unnoticed onboard, we can try. Then meet whatever we'll find on that ship. Who are with me?" he says preparing to push a boat off shore.
May 15, 2024 9:44 pm
Quote:
You said that this craft requires two or four sailors at the least. Perhaps we can expect at least one sailor to be aboard the vessel?Walking in the open towards the riverbank, Crion calls out to the ship. "Hello? Anyone aboard?"
May 15, 2024 10:09 pm
Seònaid steps up beside Cirion, scanning the ship for activity as his voice rings out."Be wary my friends, they may not like our unannounced arrival." She whispers to her companions.
OOC:
She is expecting an unwelcome reaction to their arrival, so she will be on-edge while they wait for someone to answer.May 15, 2024 10:11 pm
Dr_B says:
They might be willing to answer some question for a coin or two."He darts off to watch from the brush, hoping to hide his presence from unfriendly eyes.
OOC:
He just wants to hide on the banks somewhere so the people on the ship don’t see him right away.Last edited May 15, 2024 10:59 pm
Rolls
Stealth (advantage) - (2d20H1+5)
(1415) + 5 = 20
May 16, 2024 3:15 pm
Quote:
... a single ship moored perhaps 100 feet off shore.May 16, 2024 6:35 pm
"If anyone is onboard they either cannot hear you or will not answer you. Let us row out and find out which it is." Duinhir says
May 16, 2024 6:44 pm
Stefron says:
"If anyone is onboard they either cannot hear you or will not answer you. Let us row out and find out which it is." Duinhir saysMay 16, 2024 8:29 pm
Cirion nods, and leads the group to the small row boat that they had spotted, the only one in decent seaworthy condition.
With the help of the others, he will upturn the boat and get it to the shallow waters, then row out towards the ship once Duinhir and Túril have boarded.
He scans the coast to see if anybody reacts to their loan of the row boat, repeating himself it is not stealing... just borrowing.
With the help of the others, he will upturn the boat and get it to the shallow waters, then row out towards the ship once Duinhir and Túril have boarded.
He scans the coast to see if anybody reacts to their loan of the row boat, repeating himself it is not stealing... just borrowing.
OOC:
if they get there without incident, he will manoeuver to board the ship.
May 17, 2024 9:54 am
No reply from the ship? Éothain's anxiety grows . The last thing he wants to do is ride the boat. Check that ... the last thing he wants is to swim to the ship. Images of the dangers that might lurk hidden beneath the waves invade his thoughts like groundsel in the grain fields. It's better to face a company of Dunlendings.
Éothain's reluctance passes when he sees the surety of the others. "I'll join you."
Éothain's reluctance passes when he sees the surety of the others. "I'll join you."
May 17, 2024 7:03 pm
Seònaid helps Cirion row the boat, taking the opposite oar position. Once they reach the ship she works to help keep the boat as stable as she can to help her companions.
During the trip she remains quiet, uneasy about the turn of events. She is suspicious, as to her mind no one would leave valuable ship unguarded in unruly lands such as this.
"They must be watching us, or awaiting us, but either way they mean no good," she thinks to herself as she works the boat.
During the trip she remains quiet, uneasy about the turn of events. She is suspicious, as to her mind no one would leave valuable ship unguarded in unruly lands such as this.
"They must be watching us, or awaiting us, but either way they mean no good," she thinks to herself as she works the boat.
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