Rules Discussion: Movement, Sa'id's Choices
Subject: Re: moving on
Garyth is awed by the child in Cadfael's arms as he steps through the secret door. In some ways, perhaps, the child is much the same as any other newborn. Garyth remembers the births of his younger brothers and sisters, and they were not so different, really. But something about the child, something in his eyes, makes Garyth know just what is at stake, just how much of the future of the whole world is resting on this babe's tiny shoulders, and he knows that he must and will do anything to get the child to safety.
He starts almost imperceptibly at the thudding sound of a ram being applied to the door. It won't hold long; they need to leave. The thought has barely crossed his mind as Farron cries out, then nearly trips over his own feet hurrying down the tunnel. Whatever just happened, the mage has the right idea.
"Let's go," he says, and runs after Farron.
From: Ty
Subject: Re: moving on
Dan and Raja, just you two guys.
*taps foot*
From: Ty
Subject: some information that may be useful
I think the rules on extended rapid movement are germane at this point:
OVERLAND MOVEMENT
Characters covering long distances cross-country use overland movement. Overland movement is measured in miles per hour or miles per day. A day represents 8 hours of actual travel time. For rowed watercraft, a day represents 10 hours of rowing. For a sailing ship, it represents 24 hours.
Walk: A character can walk 8 hours in a day of travel without a problem. Walking for longer than that can wear him or her out (see Forced March, below).
Hustle: A character can hustle for 1 hour without a problem. Hustling for a second hour in between sleep cycles deals 1 point of nonlethal damage, and each additional hour deals twice the damage taken during the previous hour of hustling. A character who takes any nonlethal damage from hustling becomes fatigued.
A fatigued character can't run or charge and takes a penalty of -2 to Strength and Dexterity. Eliminating the nonlethal damage also eliminates the fatigue.
Run: A character can't run for an extended period of time.
Attempts to run and rest in cycles effectively work out to a hustle.
Terrain: The terrain through which a character travels affects how much distance he or she can cover in an hour or a day (see Table: Terrain and Overland Movement). A highway is a straight, major, paved road. A road is typically a dirt track. A trail is like a road, except that it allows only single-file travel and does not benefit a party traveling with vehicles. Trackless terrain is a wild area with no paths.
Forced March: In a day of normal walking, a character walks for 8 hours. The rest of the daylight time is spent making and breaking camp, resting, and eating.
A character can walk for more than 8 hours in a day by making a forced march. For each hour of marching beyond 8 hours, a Constitution check (DC 10, +2 per extra hour) is required. If the check fails, the character takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. A character who takes any nonlethal damage from a forced march becomes fatigued. Eliminating the nonlethal damage also eliminates the fatigue. It's possible for a character to march into unconsciousness by pushing himself too hard.
From: Scott
Subject: Re: some information that may be useful
:-0
What? No teleportation chamber?
From: Ty
Subject: Re: some information that may be useful
Not only that, but no Recall potions!
(Karl, who has played the Baldur's Gate game on PS2, will get that one)
:)
From: Karl
Subject: Re: some information that may be useful
I thought D&D had recall potions, just that they can only be made by a lvl 29 wizard, take 6 years each to make and cost 2/3 your entire exp points plus materials. Consequently, we might be able to purchase one for the entire contents of the burial chamber we passed through, but we'd have to carry all that to Nesalin, which would defeat the purpose.
From: Tom
Subject: Re: some information that may be useful
Amazingly, under the new potion rules, potions of recall CANNOT exist. Actually, potions of full healing can't exist, either. That aside, the Forgotten Realms sourcebook includes a spell -- Word of Recall -- which functions similar to a recall potion. If you were to use a scroll, rod, or staff imbued with Word of Recall, it would teleport you (and only you) back to where it was used when you uttered a word chosen at the time of casting.
Either way, though, it won't help you guys now.
Tom
From: Ty
Subject: Re: some information that may be useful
Hey, Tom is paying attention!
I thought we had lost you, man.
From: Tom
Subject: Re: some information that may be useful
> Hey, Tom is paying attention!
> I thought we had lost you, man.
Nope, I'm still around. Things have been CRAZY at work, so I'm mainly stuck away from my desk (and thus w/o E-mail), but I'm here. :)
Tom
From: Ty
Subject: Re: some information that may be useful
Ah. I actually figured you were on family leave.
People can still get six weeks for that, right?
From: Raja
Subject: Wrestling
Though Sa'id is silent as Promise is born, the child's arrival is like a clarion call in his mind. There are true human powers in this world beyond those of wizards. Human power does not have to pale in comparison to the divine. We can hold true power. Pelor may have wanted to rescue Promise to stop Kor Garesh, but he has inadvertently given the human race a mighty new member, one who will never accept the god himself. Perhaps Pelor doesn't mind that, or perhaps the god views it as a necessary evil -- Sa'id can't help ascribing human motives to the divine.
Sa'id wants to understand this power, wants to understand what Promise is and why. Is the Path of Blood and Stone closed to him? Are its ways kept secret from those who do not tread upon it? And what changes might Promise bring?
The necromancer sees his future branching. The consummate scholar, renowned for his writings on history and philosophy, bringing light where once there was the darkness of ignorance. Teaching children to read and write... and think. Not to be forced into accepting the ideologies of their forebears.
But there is a darker vision, wreathed in flame and death. Sa'id as a mighty general, leading an army of undead all at his command. Serving Kor Garesh? No... supplanting him. Sa'id ibn Shukri, drinker of souls?
As Cadfael brings Promise through the door, this evil vision washes away, to be replaced by a final, crystal clear vision of Sa'id as a monk, a protector of Promise on the Path of Blood and Stone, working to mend the distrust for magic but having sacrificed his own power to do so. Meditating in rock gardens. Tranquility of the soul. Could it be his?
And finally... he sees something, directly, that he can do at just this exact moment, before the undead have breached the rock door. Something that will maybe, just maybe, make all of the difference in the world. Or it will accomplish nothing and he will have thrown his life away needlessly.
He could conjure his protective circle against evil and stand in front of the door while the rest of the group fled with Promise.
He could die so that Promise might live.
It sounds very noble, and Sa'id feels drawn to the idea... it would finally, once and for all, assauge all of his guilts. Atone for the dark thoughts that have plagued him these last days.
But it might not work. Sa'id The army would have to go out the main door and hunt for the passage's exit rather than chasing them along it, yes... but how much time would that buy? Any? Now that Cadfael's ring is gone, are they shielded from Kor Garesh's sight, or is Promise a shining beacon, making them trivial to track?
Too many unanswered questions. Sa'id lays the thought of martyrdom aside and prepares to flee with the rest of the group.
OOC:
I can burn the rope after we climb down if nobody else can. Also, sorry about the delay -- I'm on a sort of vacation and only have sporadic access to my email.