Turn, getting the chalice
Subject Munchkin
Munchkins is a game created by Steve Jackson. It played on the term Munchkin which, according to Wiki,
"The term was applied originally to young gamers by older players, presumably because the connotation of being short and ridiculous (like the Munchkins in the book and film The Wizard of Oz) made it an apt label for the childish gamers it was applied to. However, before long it came to refer to anyone who engaged in a juvenile gaming style no matter their height, age or experience. Suggestions that the term appeared first on BBS and Internet forums in the late 1980s as "muchkin," to describe someone who wanted his character to have as much of everything as possible, and that it subsequently gained an additional N via misreadings and mistypings [1], can be discounted, since the term was already in use and needing no explanation on usenet groups by 1984.
Munchkins are infamous for various degrees of cheating, willfully misinterpreting rules that work against them while loudly proclaiming ones that work in their favor. As a matter of course they selectively obey the letter of rules while perverting the spirit blatantly. The worst munchkins will cheat shamelessly, ignoring inconvenient numerical modifiers and fouling dice throws till they get the result they want. During character creation, munchkins engage in vicious min-maxing, leading to exceptionally unrealistic or unusual characters who make no sense except in terms of raw power.
Munchkins are often accused of roll-playing, a pun on 'role' that notes how munchkins are often more concerned with the numbers and die rolls than with the roles that they play."
It is a joke we use with Corey since he has all the neatest toys you have seen for gaming.
From: Kevin
Subject Munchkin
I second that comment about Corey having the best stuff. I mean, everyone has many types of dice, but Corey had a ranger figure with a removable animal companion. He has a dry erase, magnetic initiative counter. Our DM should be so well prepared.
From: Mark
Subject Turn
I was all set to write up a turn and 5 requests for quote came in in a 15 minute period.
Kevin, I am going to make it a ranged attack, not a touch attack. The AC of the chalice is modified by the lack of any DEX, but it does get its size modifier.
I will try and get something out this afternoon.
From: Kevin
Subject Turn
Remember, Surin is small, not medium, if that makes a difference
From: Mark
Subject Getting the chalice
As Salix looks at the heads mounted on the wall, Harp and Surin discuss how to get the chalice without setting off any traps. The 1/2 orc suggests tying a rope to the halfling so that if a pit or something opened, then Harp would be able to keep Surin from falling in. Surin thinks for a moment and then replies. "Close, but no cigar, tall, dark and toothsome. Rope is going to be involved however." The halfling quickly pulls off his backpack and rummages through it for a few seconds and come out with some fine silk rope. "Ever play rope the steer?" Harp frowns a bit and watches as Surin makes a slip knot and then turns to face the small alter from across the room.
As he is sizing up the target he realizes a small problem. He doesn't have a very good angle from down where he is. "Make yourself useful Harp" he says to the 1/2 orc "but watch where you put your hands. I need some clear area if this is going to work right." With a few instructions from Surin, Harp picks up the halfling and holds him above his head and a bit our in front. "There, that's about as good as it's going to get" says Surin. Harp can hear the halfling start to twirl the rope and give grunt as he tosses it at the chalice. The first throw is just a bit short and Surin pulls the lasso back in. The second throw is right on target and Surin has to stifle a yelp.
He pulls the rope tight, until it is snug against the neck of the chalice. "Ok big guy, back up into the hallway. As Harp moves back, Salix and Mund besides him, Surin plays out the rope until they have about 20 feet. "Ok that should be enough. If there is a trap and it is a pit trap, this should be good. Of course, if it's something else, we may all be dead." With a flick of the wrist, Surin pulls the chalice off of the small metal alter and it flies 10 feet in the air before it clangs to the ground. All four of them wait, expecting the worst. When nothing happens, Surin pulls the chalice the rest of the way to them.
OODM: Now what? Salix, Harp, Mund and Surin are in the hallway to the smaller alter area and the chalice is on the floor, rope still attached.
From: Derek
Subject Getting the chalice
Allistair speaks up. "We could just drop it into my bag here, only picking it up by the rope if you want to be careful."
From: Kevin
Subject Getting the chalice
Harp says "I agree. With our luck, it will have some type of alarm spell on it or something. Lets just lower it into the bad can cut the rope."
From: Porter
Subject Getting the chalice
"Mund raises an eyebrow and watches with an amused expression.
From: Derek
Subject Getting the chalice
This irrelevant, but I was reading the description of a bag of holding. At the end it says this:
If a portable hole is placed within a bag of holding, it opens a gate to the Astral Plane: The hole, the bag, and any creatures within a 10-foot radius are drawn there, destroying the portable hole and bag of holding in the process.
Has anyone every made a trap using this idea? That would be a particularly nasty one.
From: Porter
Subject Getting the chalice
"Wait a second. Y'all don't want nobody touching the cup, right? Well, that will be a problem if we have to get that dagger out in a hurry."
"I can stick the dagger in my other boot no problem, but then it's not protected from magickal spying."
"Which do y'all think is a bigger danger -- the cup or the dagger?"
From: Derek
Subject Getting the chalice
"I don't really think we will need either of them tonight. I just want to make sure Faldor and his followers don't have them. After we get away with Acer, we can decide what to do with them. Despite the cruel imagery on both of them, they may be nothing more than magically enhanced damage weapons. I doubt that is the case though, as they probably have some sort of necromantic or other negative-energy magic on them, so we may find using them ourselves more than a little distasteful. Still, keeping them out of Faldor's hands is certainly justifiable, and even if we do nothing but destroy them later, that alone would infuriate Nerul, which kind of makes me want to do it." Allistair smiles mischeviously, and looks over at Ragnar and Salix for an approving nod.
From: Kevin
Subject Getting the chalice
Surin sighs at all these folks trying to be sneaky like. It was not that hard to think ahead. "Harp, take one of th tabards we took off the guards, put it on the ground, and I'll lift the chalice and put it on the tabard. We roll it up and tie it up in the material, then we can lift it up and put it in the bag."
From: Porter
Subject Getting the chalice
"OK, but don't destroy that dagger without talking to me first. I wouldn't mind me a new knife."
From: Josh
Subject Getting the chalice
"I think it's best to just put them both in the bag and be done with it. We've spent enough time on this already."
From: Porter
Subject Getting the chalice
"Yup. Let's go."
From: Mark
Subject Turn
I will write up more tonight after Survivor.