Elementary my Dear Mund
Subject Elementary my dear Mund
The night passes, faster for some then for others. Watches are kept, stories told, meals are eaten, weapons and armor mended. Both Mund and Salix seem to have an internal clock that lets them keep track of time, at least a general idea of what time it would be if they could see the sun and if they were even back on Kelavan. When it comes time for the entire party to wake, Harp calls every one to attention.
"From my talking to Mund, Salix, Ragnar and Allistair, we think it likely that we may be facing some sort of elemental beings. I know nothing about them and the others do not know much more. We are split on certain things. For example, would a water creature be more or less vulnerable to fire? I would think more but something could be said for the other way. I think we learned from those fire breathing dogs and things that use fire may not be damaged by it. So my question is, how do we want to proceed with these two rooms? Obviously one at a time, but which one first? I know that several of us have ways of protecting people from the effects of fire and heat. Salix, do you know of any way to protect people from the effects of water?" Harp looks at the group, looking for suggestions.
OODM: OK discuss.
From: Porter
Subject Elementary my dear Mund
"OK. I've got some questions."
"Would these "'mentals" be damaged by normal weapons, or only by magic? If I tried to wrassle with one of them, would it burn or drown me?"
From: Karl
Subject Elementary
I just updated my spell list. I'm going to have to ask you to trust me that I wanted to memorize "Water Breathing" and "Endure Elements" before reading the turn below. It's true, seriously.
From: Mark
Subject Elementary
Not a problem. I actually wanted this discussion to take place before spells are memorized/prayers are prayed for. This was Harp's planning meeting on how/what to prepare.
From: Ashley
Subject Elementary
"Any innkeeper's wife can tell you that water makes quick work of fire most times. Using water against a fire creature seems the easiest choice, but I wouldn't put it past a magical creature to not work diffrently. Mund has a point about magical weapons -- those that's got 'em should probably use 'em, and get as much an edge as we can. I didn't get a good look at the layout of the rooms, but you think someone might be able to get invisible like before and sneak around to do damage from behind?"
Surin is mostly throwing ideas out, but if the invisibility idea flies, he'll volunteer in place of the big, noisy, non-sneaky Mund. It might not work in practice because of the invisibility-not-working-if-you-attack-someone thing.
From: Porter
Subject Elementary
OOC: Invisibility works *until* you attack, so you'd probably get one good backstab.
Unless these creatures can see invisible. Which I wouldn't put past them. <_<
From: Mark
Subject Elementary
This is what is called a learning experience. At the school of hard knocks. :)
From: Karl
Subject Elementary
Salix listens to the discussion with interest. Finally he speaks up. "Do we even have any confirmation that there *are* creatures to fight in these rooms? Do we *know* more than that one room is very hot and the other is full of water? Isn't it possible that the test here is to simply get past the water and fire and find the key hidden somewhere in there?
"It would of course be foolish to proceed without being prepared for a fight, but maybe there is a way we can avoid fighting. I have a prayer that will grant the protection of Obad-Hai to one of my choosing who would then be able to endure fire or ice for a day. Perhaps one of us could be blessed in this way and be granted the invisibility that Allistair so remarkably conjures, and search the hot room for the key. If he sees an elemental or other creature, he can retreat and tell us, or perhaps lure it out for us to fight in the common room.
"As for the water room, Obad-Hai can lend the gift of breathing under water. This gift I can grant on any of our numbers or all of us, but the more to whom it is granted, the shorter the duration of the gift. But even if all of us are so blessed, we should have over an hour to search the water room. Granted, invisibility won't help there if we leave a void in the water where we stand."
From: Karl
Subject Elementary
Salix adds "I should mention that the protection from elements is only for environmental protection. If there is another fire-dog, for instance, his breath will still hurt you even with this protect of which I speak."
From: Derek
Subject Elementary
Allistair speaks up again. "If these are indeed elementals, which Salix is prudent to point out has not been entirely established yet, but if they indeed are, I do remember learning a few things about such creatures from other planes in my studies."
"Due to thier extraplanar nature, elementals are generally more difficult to hurt than ordinary creatures. So Mund will want to be careful because there is a strong possibility that his non-magical weapon may not be able to harm them. Also any elemental will be immune to attacks from its own element, so it is safe to say that if there is a fire elemental in the fire room that my fireballs will not effect it. However, a fireball should have full effect on a water elemental."
"Also, elementals often employ some kind of special attack based on thier element. A fire elemental might throw fire around, or a water elemental might try and pull you underwater to drown you, etc."
"From what we saw before, if there are indeed elementals in those rooms, simply opening the door didn't seem to provoke them in any way. Nor did Mund actually stepping in the water room have any effect. After shooting a fireball into the water room and closing it, a huge wave crashed against the door, which could have been the water elemental reacting, or could have just been a wave created by the explosion."
"Based on this, I suggest that we all go into the room, open the water door, and then stand back while I throw fireballs into the open door. If there is a water elemental in the room, and if it then rushes out and attacks us, that is to our advantage, because a water elemental would probably want to stay in the pool of water where it could use the environment to it's greatest advantage. So if it rushes out and attacks us, we fight it and defeat it. If it for some reason cannot or will not leave the room, then I'll use all my fireballs on it first to soften it up before we charge in to destroy it."
"Once the water room is clear, then we can try a similar approach on the fire room, only I won't have any 'water balls' to throw at it. I could just shoot a magic missile in there, or we could throw a bucketful of water from the water room in."
From: Porter
Subject Elementary
"Can anybody magick up my axe so that it can hurt these guys?"
From: Jason
Subject Elementary
You can count on it! Ragnar plans to ask for at least 2 magic weapon blessings tomorrow.
From: Kevin
Subject Elementary
Sorry, long day getting to Boston. Mark, take what liberties you need with Harp. He will pray for what ever prayers will benefit the group the most, and will be VERY willing to be in the front line with his magic sword.
From: Derek
Subject Elementary
OOC: Clarification on the elementals. I misunderstood what 'damage reduction' meant.
IC: Allistair clarifies that normal weapons will also be able to harm an elemental, but any attack must be of sufficient damage or it will just be absorbed without effect.