OOC 2 - More Rambling, Ranting, and Such

[Hoondatha]

Hedge, since you didn't say anything about the dragon idea, I'm going to assume that's a no.

Anyway, here's my roll: [1d100] = 31 Looks like it's a black bear. 3 HD... can I get two? That would cover my max hit points. And it would impress the barbarians...

[hedgeknight]

One bear is enough bear for anybody!
Besides, I thought you wanted a birdy too...no?

[hedgeknight]

Can he carry Greystone's spare one, as well?

Or one of the quadruplets?

He won't and they won't volunteer...sorry.

[Alethan]

Can he carry Greystone's spare one, as well?

Or one of the quadruplets?

He won't and they won't volunteer...sorry.

OK, I'll drop inventory down to two full quivers.

Thanks.

[Alethan]

Yeah, it's surprising how many people overlook that spell. Duration permanent, max animal hit dice I can affect is 2x level, so I've got 6 HD of animals to work with. I can even train them. So... any cave bears in the vicinity?

Ended up having to look this spell up for another game. Well, actually, I was looking up Speak With Animals and I wanted to see what the difference was between the two.

It isn't a BAD spell, but... It's not like you're going to have a fully-trained battle bear from the get go. Simple tricks take one week each to teach and one would assume that isn't easily done while adventuring.

The other thing to note is that it only affects neutrally-aligned creatures of animal or semi-intelligent rating. As this relates to possibly befriending a dragon, there aren't that many neutral dragons, and the ones that are all have exceptional or genius intelligence. So... there is that, as well.

[Hoondatha]

Well, yeah, that's why I made the joke about the dragon when Hedge suggested it.

Anyway, aside from the fact that I can cast Speak with Animals and ask the bear to help out, I don't need it to be fully trained to be helpful. It is my friend. Friends, especially those who are large with the capacity for violence anyway, defend each other. He or she isn't going to be leading any charges without some training and some magic, but I don't doubt that anyone who gets near me waving a weapon will get clawed.

[hedgeknight]

Early Friday morning, fellers!
Up and having a glass (or 3) of good whiskey and trying to catch up on my posts. My goal is to post every other day (if not every day) and keep this game moving. Next week is state testing at school, so I'm probably going to be slammed all week (meaning no posting while at work). But, I will try my best to keep the game going either with early morning or late night posts. I appreciate your patience.

Hoon > you 'bout ready to call for your bear? As of right now, you don't have one.

[AQuebman]

Sounds good Hedge our time ebbs and flows as im sure you've seen by my posting in my campaign it really just depends on the day if I can post or not.

[rtdersch]

Ditto here. We're moving our datacenter next week (I'm in IT) so my posting will be sporadic as well. No worries Hedge, get to us when you can. Kids come first.

[Hoondatha]

Gah, sorry for disappearing; busy couple of days.

Hedge, Gundar said they were leaving two days after his big victory speech. I figured that would give me plenty of time to find a bear and cast the spell, so that I would have the bear from the start of the Into The Woods adventure.

And, in case I didn't make my intentions clear, my goal was to get the maximum amount of muscle as possible. The idea of a bird scout was only to fill in the HD gaps that were too small to be filled with bears. Since I rolled for black bears, I'd prefer to get two (ie: a mated pair?). If that's not possible, I'll fill the other 3 HD with a wolverine. And my goal is to have all animals befriended before entering the woods, so the spells get cast during those two "rest days."

[hedgeknight]

And, in case I didn't make my intentions clear, my goal was to get the maximum amount of muscle as possible. The idea of a bird scout was only to fill in the HD gaps that were too small to be filled with bears. Since I rolled for black bears, I'd prefer to get two (ie: a mated pair?). If that's not possible, I'll fill the other 3 HD with a wolverine. And my goal is to have all animals befriended before entering the woods, so the spells get cast during those two "rest days."

Dude, just because you WANT a bear and a wolverine, doesn't mean you're gonna find one. I'll roll for it and see what happens. Also, what Greystone said a few days ago is valid:

It isn't a BAD spell, but... It's not like you're going to have a fully-trained battle bear from the get go. Simple tricks take one week each to teach and one would assume that isn't easily done while adventuring.

Also you said:

Anyway, aside from the fact that I can cast Speak with Animals and ask the bear to help out, I don't need it to be fully trained to be helpful. It is my friend. Friends, especially those who are large with the capacity for violence anyway, defend each other. He or she isn't going to be leading any charges without some training and some magic, but I don't doubt that anyone who gets near me waving a weapon will get clawed.

You're making an assumption that this animal will act like you want it to - that's not necessarily the case. It may defend you, it may run. Depends on if it is attacked, injured, etc. The Animal Friendship spell is not like the Animal Companion a Druid has. I know the spell description says it will follow you around and that the duration is permanent (which is crazy IMO), but just because you're feeding it - and a bear eats A LOT - doesn't mean it's gonna protect you when you're in danger. So, don't work off that assumption, okay?

You have a black bear - update your sheet and I'll make a note to add it to the next group post - got a name for the critter?
I'll roll a % chance for the wolverine, but it ain't gonna be high. Still, sometimes the dice gods are good.

[hedgeknight]

10% chance to find a wolverine > meaning 1-10 = wolverine sighting!
Here is the roll: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4055983/

So, no wolverine - and I'm not trying to be a hard ass about all this, but you can't just say, "Oh, I want a..." and expect to get it. I gave you the bear w/o thinking about it first when you first mentioned this idea a week or so ago. But to use this spell properly, you have to go out and FIND the animal you want to befriend, then cast your spell, and hope it works. So, I gave you the benefit of the doubt with the bear, assuming you could find one in the woods - when it actuality would have been quite difficult (been a hunter all my life and it's damn hard to find a bear).

Thoughts? Comments from the rest of the group?

[Computer +1]

I think you have been more then fair with your interpretation of the spell and how it would work. We could have spent a week looking for one and befriending it.

On another note I am not thrilled with the idea of hanging out with a wild bear.

[Alethan]

In my experience, mostly as an observing player, sometimes as an offending player, and occasionally as a DM, characters who become too powerful for their level suddenly find themselves with a case of "Higher Level Monstritus"; things that turn you to stone and/or drain levels suddenly appear. Or they get a notch taken out of their posts.

Case in point, many many years ago, a party of low levels I was in heard about a white dragon horde. We thought we were oh, so clever when we secretly planned how to kill the dragon and get the lootz during a break between sessions.

Fortune fell our way, and we slayed a dragon with a lot of luck, some great rolls, and a ton of planning.

What we didn't plan on was the DM giving us our loot mostly in coppers and silvers that we suddenly had to figure out how to transport. Or that buying the nearby town out of large and small sacks and a few wagons would attract the attention of 50+ villagers and militia.

We ended up stripped of Armour and gear, gagged and blind folded and tied to a cart drawn by a nag.

Seven turns later, one of us FINALLY made a role to get free of our bonds. We found ourselves in a dark, unattractive part of an ancient woods. Just as the last person was freed, a wandering monster check went poorly (the DM always rolled those in front of us so he couldn't be accused of anything underhanded (which, funny enough, I don't agree with now; if you don't trust your DM to be fair, then you are in the wrong gaming group).

We were set upon by a pair of carrion crawlers who quickly paralyzed the lot of us and ate us. Slowly.

[Hoondatha]

This game has been over-powered from the get-go. Let's not forget that the very first encounter four 1st level (I'm assuming; I don't know what level the two elves were) characters had was an owlbear; a creature woefully out of our power level. If it wasn't for a random wild surge essentially taking it out in one hit, which no one could have expected or counted on, the owlbear could have easily TPK'ed that entire section of the group.

Using Animal Friendship to the utmost isn't powergaming. It's self-preservation.

Now, I don't exactly have a problem with the game throwing things more powerful than we can technically handle at us; it's more realistic to some extent. However, you should then expect our characters to react appropriately. In this case: "I'm heading somewhere I should be running in the other direction in terror; time to do everything I can to survive!"

As for the bear; I don't think I'm jumping to any conclusions at all. I am the bear's "friend." Bears, especially female bears, are notorious for taking on anything that gets in their space or threatens their friends. There's a reason the term "mama bear" exists. I don't expect it to go charging the enemy, but if I'm menaced, I absolutely expect it to come to my defense.

I'm happy to debate this further, but it's going to have to be later today. I'm going to be out until evening.

[rtdersch]

Personally, I'd have gone for a Tribble.

Just sayin'

[AQuebman]

Im up for whatever Hedge decides I think opinions are valid on both sides. Power is unique and always able to be countered in D&D. That's why I take Oggle's combat ability with a grain of salt he will get his just dues soon enough im sure. Heck the Trolls were within a hit or two of having me for lunch. I think it depends on what the DM is willing or able to handle and what they want the campaign to be like. I play on Sundays a regular Pathfinder group where my DM prefers more power so we lean heavily in that fashion. I've also played in games where I feel like a Call of Cthulhu explorer where the next monster may rip my head clean off.

I trust Hedge to give us our just dues while also presenting us with fun maybe even powerful opportunities. In some ways being a DM is an experiment as well. I'm sure hindsight being 20/20 Hedge wouldn't have given me an Oil of Speed potion for instance.

[hedgeknight]

Very good posts all around fellers. I'll post more later today/tonight with updates for the two threads. I'm pretty much an easy going DM. I allow a lot of things in my games because I think they will be fun and challenging. I have no problem at all with Tarrin having an animal companion-type with him. None at all. But one is enough for now and when time allows, maybe he'll find something else.
Hoon > you got a black bear (male or female, your choice); need stats and a name on your sheet. I like the name Smokey...but that's just me.

Gotta get ready for work - state testing all week - already tired just thinking about it.

[hedgeknight]

Day one of state testing...done! Hating it already...

Updated both threads and waiting on your replies - 50 xp to the first player to identify the "creature" in the Into the Woods thread - and you're on your honor not to look it up online!!
I haven't really had time to think about the game at all today beyond what I already had planned for the posts. As for the animal companion and animal friendship spell and having a bear in the group...I'm good with it. It's going to be fun for Hoon (I hope) and for me.
Like I said this morning, I'm easy going and like to give things a try in gaming. You've already faced some tough opponents for your level, but I'm not apologizing for that. It's fun, ain't it? Wouldn't you rather face an owlbear or a pack of gnolls or two trolls with the chance of "Oh shit! We might die!" than face eight Orcs or a dozen kobolds which you'll go through like butter?
I know I would, so that's what I'm giving you and what I'm going to keep on giving you. Hopefully, no one will get killed off - I love all of these characters and look forward to helping you tell their stories. But sometimes a good death scene is just freaking awesome!

[Computer +1]

Death scenes can be awesome! And depending on the DM paying the price for resurrection can often lead to even more fun adventures!