Session 1: Dragon Keep

[C. Steven Ross]

I think a good goal would be recovering all of the heads. You won't likely get them all in a session, but will likely make progress, and that gets you some easy Fate. To level up, you'll need to both Fate and Persona.

[Enoch]

"I will recover the missing statue heads" it is, then!

[thesniperknight1]

Thank you for the award, I would like to thank- 'music plays' ummmm thanks

[Enoch]

As much as I appreciate the opportunity to do the prologue, I may pass and take the option to permanently reduce my Nature by 1 and bring it back to its full value. Since this is such a tactical game, and because we're all new here, I'll explain my thought process--both for everyone's edification and so people can scream and wave their arms wildly if it looks like it's a really stupid decision.

Nature, like pretty much everything in this game, is a resource to be used, and there are upsides and downsides to how you use it. A high Nature is great when you're using it to test, especially at the beginning of a campaign when you haven't advanced skills or opened new ones. Norgrim started with a relatively high Nature (5). On the other hand, the campaign start is also when you want it low, because it determines when you open new skills and abilities (such as Resources, I assume?). So, you can use Nature as a resource to be used up and expended, taking the benefit and getting an additional benefit from lowering your Nature by allowing you to open skills/abilities sooner. The downside to that, of course, is that you then end up with a low Nature.

So, my plan right now is to take the hit to Nature, dropping my max to 4, and use Nature whenever it would be useful. Continue trying to pick up some Beginner's Luck tests to take advantage of low Nature, open some new skills (and Resources), and then slowly, painfully, raise my Nature back up.

Thematically, this makes sense: Nature is how Human/Dwarfish/Elven/Halfling you are--how set you are in your ways. At low levels you're unmolded clay; at high levels I'm the dwarfiest dwarf I can be.

[C. Steven Ross]

I love your level of tactics and strategy!

Full disclosure - if you burn out Injured or Sick and have Nature 1, I will drop you to Nature 0 and kill your character no questions asked.

EDIT: Oh you said reduce *by* 1. I thought you were going to reduce Nature *to* 1. Nevermind!

Resources starts at 0 for everyone and advances to Resources 1 on your first successful test, which is significantly harder than you might think.

[Enoch]

Oh, good--I missed that section. I thought it worked like opening a skill--tests (successful or failed) equal to Nature. Still, it'll take loot to get that successful test. So the question becomes, which do I want more: a high Nature, or to open some skills? I'll have to think on that a little. Right now I've only got 1 BL test, so maybe for now I should keep my Nature up. I'll take that Prologue if you all still like.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Your Nature Value is 5. You taxed it by 2. Can you drop it by 1 and do the prologue to bring it up to 4/4?

My thinking is that it just doesn't make much sense for me to do the Prologue at all. My lowest condition is Afraid, which is a Will test. I have a Will 5, so I am not too worried about passing that test. But, per mu understanding, I need to spend checks for conditions during the Camp phase, which is after the Prologue.

So if not Enoch, then SK in my opinion. Unless there is a flaw in my logic. Because I'd love a free escape from Exhausted or Injured!!!

[C. Steven Ross]

Just a quick clarification on rules.

Dropping Nature willingly essentially clears out the tax. So dropping Nature by 1 would get Norgrim to 4 / 4.

And Prologue can't heal injured (or sick).

[Enoch]

Assuming I'm doing the prologue:

The crew arrives at the Dragon Keep only to be caught in a snowstorm. They find a hidden cave, dodge lava, and discover a statue of Tiamat.

[C. Steven Ross]

Huzzah! Norgrim's Nature is restored to 5/5. Telling tales around the campfires brings peace to his heart and heals his soul.

We'll be waiting until end of next weekend, methinks, to get you guys a fourth member of the expedition. If none show up then we'll continue with three.

[C. Steven Ross]

Brief update for you guys, we have someone coming in to fill in the fourth spot! I'll share more details as I get them.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Welcome marullus!

A second cleric, eh? Should I be worried? j/k it'll be nice having some assists on theologian, ritualistic and scholar tests.

Should we have different goals though?

[thesniperknight1]

Welcome marullus, hope you enjoy our adventure

[C. Steven Ross]

UPDATE: I mispoke to Enoch. Doing the Prologue only restores 1 pont of Nature tax, so he is at 4 / 5 now. Nature tax is a pain to get back! You can also get some more tax removed by going to a Town and successfully paying all your bills like a productive member of society and not the wandering band of unemployable, disreputable vagabonds that you actually are.

SESSION 2 POSTED - viewtopic.php?f=190&t=4061