Expedition: Earc/Guhra's Tower - 15 July 2021

[Zhym]

If you're handling transactions out of the group total before the split, it looks like:

• 100gp for healing potions
• 600gp to uncurse Olaf from the sword
• 200gp to open the locked Elurian chests

As an option (to make splitting easier) I will allow you to give the 1,000gp gem to Piedmont and he'll broker all the transactions and include two study checks for other items as well.

Can we do this before deciding on the split?

FYI, here's what I have as our magic items now:

• Longsword +3 (blue dragon-scale hilt)
• Longsword +1 (red steel)
• Broadsword +2, cursed (glows)
• Broadsword +1 (blue sheen)
• Shortsword +2
• Heavy flail +1
• Banded mail +2
• Kite shield +2
• Chainmail +3 (7 lbs)
• Heater shield +3 (3 lbs?)
• Rod of Resurrection
• Scrollcase with one wizardly scroll in it
• 2 Elven traveling spellbooks
• Human traveling spellbook
• Ancient and fragile spellbook
• Brilliant-cut black gem (not natural stone) (magical) - ???

These are all created, not imbued, right?

I have Halfpint wanting the short sword. Anyone else want to speak up for something they're interested in? Or say what they aren't interested in? I can do a proposed loot allocation, but only if I know what people want. There are some constraints, of course, but not enough to entirely dictate who gets what.

It'd be even better if people could post the top 3 items they want.

Is Bianca going to tell how the Rod of Resurrection works if someone else gets it?

[Bluehorse]

Bianca would request to keep the chainmail and sword. The shield is awesome, but gets in her way. Her staff is to intrical to her character. She would also request time to study the books and copy them with a promise to bring them back for cashing in if nessicary.

The rod would be best left to ic conversation, but she'd share what she could.

[Zhym]

Which longsword?

I'd personally prefer that all items be as fully functional as possible without having to take anything IC. Especially for the Rod of Resurrection. We need to know if it's usable by anyone (and, if possible, the number of charges or uses per day/week/whatever) before we split the loot, not after.

Also, it would really help if people would rank the items they want in order of preference.

BTW, as a method of ranking relative values, here are the DMG XP values and OSRIC GP values for the items and functions we know about:

Longsword +3 (blue dragon-scale hilt): 1400 / 7000
Longsword +1 (red steel): 400 / 2000
Broadsword +1 (blue sheen): 400 / 2000
Shortsword +2: 800 / 4000
Heavy flail +1: 450 / 2000
Banded mail +2: 1500 / 8000
Kite shield +2: 500 / 5000
Chainmail +3 (7 lbs): 2000 / 10500
Heater shield +3: 800 / 7500
Rod of Resurrection: 10000 / 35000
Scrollcase with one wizardly scroll in it: 300 / 900
Elven traveling spellbook (Gaeron; 3x1; 1x2): 500 / 1500
Elven traveling spellbook (Carchannoi; 3x1, 2x2, 1x3): 1000 / 3000
Human traveling spellbook (Dorath; 3x1, 1x2): 500 / 1500
Ancient and fragile spellbook (Hagaseth; 3x1, 3x2, 2x3, 1x4, 1x5): 2400 / 7200

Note that the +3 shield and chainmail +3 are almost certainly worth more than what's listed above because of the weight factor. Regular +3 chainmail would be worth about 2000 XP or 10,500 GP. +3 chainmail that weighs 7 lbs is worth...more.

[Bluehorse]

The blue dragon scale longsword

[Zhym]

So, to summarize, Bianca wants the +3 ultra-light chainmail, the +3 sword, and spells.

Not asking for much, are you?

Marullus, can you give me some idea of what Funil's and Drunil's preferences would be? Do they want swords, armor, or shields?

[Rusty Tincanne]

Winnie's Preferences:
1. A spell book, preferred order

• a. Ancient and fragile spellbook (Hagaseth; 3x1, 3x2, 2x3, 1x4, 1x5): 2400 / 7200
  b. Elven traveling spellbook (Gaeron; 3x1; 1x2): 500 / 1500
  c. Elven traveling spellbook (Carchannoi; 3x1, 2x2, 1x3): 1000 / 3000

2. The scrollcase with one wizardly scroll in it: 300 / 900
3. Extra inks and/or money in lieu of anything else
4. She would take a magical weapon or armor with the hope of finding another PC that would trade for it. (Who got that ring of protection a while back?)

This is pending what we find in those ellurian chests, though. There might be something awesomesauce in them.

[Alethan]

The two chests should be opened prior to final distribution decisions. If nobody disagrees, Earc will take the 1,000 gp item to Pierpont to handle the curse removal, healing potion recovery, and chest opening fees.

If we cannot quickly settle magical item distribution in full agreement, then we should settle the magic item distribution as a round robin selection; this allows people to make their most desired selection first and then continue with second choice and so on.

If we try and stick with everyone picking their top three choices and we all come to agreement, then I'm not exactly sure how we would decide situations where two people want the same thing.

In order to keep the spell books as valuable items, I don't think anyone should be allowed to copy any spells down into their own spellbooks prior to distribution. If someone has a spell you would like and you didn't pick that spellbook, then you would have to negotiate copying that spell with that character. Otherwise, the spellbooks completely lose their value to all non-wizards in the party and the wizards/elves in the party effectively get a huge treasure bonus on top of normal loot distribution.

So if the party leader has any say in distribution, then all spellbooks are included in magic item distribution and each counts as a separate item and no spells are copied prior to distribution.

Earc's number one personal reason for the venture was to recover spellbooks for his own personal library.

That said, and if the chests don't contain magical items, then here are his initial top 3 choices:
1. Ancient Spellbook
2. Brilliant Cut Black Gemstone
3. Elven Spellbook of Gaeron

Also, he does expect his sword back.

[Zhym]

f we cannot quickly settle magical item distribution in full agreement, then we should settle the magic item distribution as a round robin selection; this allows people to make their most desired selection first and then continue with second choice and so on.

If we try and stick with everyone picking their top three choices and we all come to agreement, then I'm not exactly sure how we would decide situations where two people want the same thing.

My plan is to see if there's a quick distribution that everyone can agree to. If not, we can go round-robin, but I'm leery of gaming (of the game theory sense, not RPG) in such a scenario.

What do people think of donating the Rod of Resurrection to the temple of Moradin as a tribute for (hopefully lots of) XP? It's what Olaf will probably do it he gets it anyway.

[Alethan]

I think that's a good way to take such a powerful magic item out of play and get the party some good do in the process.

[Marullus]

Funil and Drunil have the shields as their first preference.

XP from an item donation is capped at 8,000: which the rod would be (for a person or the group, whichever donated it).

Earc donates the 1000gp gem. Olaf relinqushes the sword and the boxes are opened by the Curiosity Shop. Inside the boxes is a padded and form-fitted case insert carefully protecting eight flasks, four flasks each. Each flask is a different potion.

Pierpont asks what two things you'd like to know about. He can identify the charges on the rod and one other thing. He will identify the potions as an option instead.

If going round robin, you need a fair way to determine picking order, first. (Rolling to 'draw straws' for example.)

[Zhym]

Pending info on the gem and rod and the preferences of Halfpint and Isaachar, here is a potential distribution of the magical loot (OSRIC item values in parentheses; total values in brackets):

Earc (MU): Ancient spellbook (7,200), 1 box of ink (200) [7,400]
Winnie (MU): 3 other spellbooks (1,500, 3,000, 1,500), scroll (900), 2 boxes of ink (400) [7,300]
Bianca (Elf): Chainmail +3 (≥10,500), 2 boxes of ink (400) [10,900+]
Olaf (dwarf): Longsword +3 [7,500]
Isaachar (cleric): Banded mail +2 (8000); Flail +1 (2500) [10,500]
Halfpint (hobbit): Shortsword +2 (4000), Magic black gem (????) [4000 + ????]
Funil: Shield +3 (7,500), Longsword +1 (2000) [9,500]
Drunil: Shield +2 (5,000), Bastard sword +1 (2000) [7,500]

Rod of Resurrection: Donated to the Dwarves at Imdi d'dum in the service of Moradin (+1,000 XP per PC).
Potions: TBD

I allocated the ancient spellbook to Earc as mission leader's privilege. It has 24 total spell levels. The other three spellbooks and the scroll have a combined 23 spell levels. I allocated the chainmail to Bianca, who expressed more interest in armaments than spellbooks. The chainmail is at least as valuable as the combined haul any other PC will get. She does get two boxes of ink, however, to assist in copying spells from others.

No one has expressed interest in the cursed +2 sword, so Olaf will try to put it on consignment for some sucker risk-taker who doesn't mind the downsides of the sword. (Marullus, that sword might have more takers if it didn't have that 600 gp fee to get rid of it. Do we have any way at all of permanently ridding the sword of that problem?)

We'd still have to decide whether to ID the potions or the gem. It might be a little easier to finalize loot distribution if we ID the potions. OTOH, potions are usually pretty easy to identify, especially if you have a way to neutralize poison handy. And we have a pretty good idea of what potions may do; the gem is more of a mystery. So I guess I'd recommend asking Pierpont to ID the gem, and we can figure out the potions on our own.

That's just a draft, but what does everyone think so far?

Note:: The above distribution is slightly different than the one I first posted. I had initially allocated one of the +1 swords to Bianca, but when I added OSRIC values to the list it was clear that Bianca was doing pretty darn well with the chainmail alone, especially when Halfpint may be getting the short end of the distribution (that's not a hobbit joke; not with three dwarves in the group. I guess it could be a shortsword joke. Erm). I allocated the sword to Funil instead, which should help us on the next outing.

[Marullus]

Note: Bastard swords, not broadswords.

The cost to detach oneself from the "cursed" swordis irrelevant if someone is choosing it willingly... It has a lot to offer and the cost is only an issue if you want to back out of the union later.

[Zhym]

Noted (and edited, though I don't know that it makes a difference).

And sure, the cursed sword's cursedness only matters when you try to be rid of it, but it's also a weapon that comes with a 600 gp golden handcuff attached to it. But I guess the free market can decide that. So far, it's been pretty quiet as to the value of the sword.

[Marullus]

It makes a difference because Funil and Drunil aren't interested in two-handed weapons like bastard swords. They can only kinda-use it, so would rather keep to the axes of their fathers.

[Stirling]

Issachar

I have no preference as most of the treasure I cannot use. So the armour and flail is about it. The potions are single use items unlike the spells which should reflect on their inherent value. Identify and share out.

OOC: from Feb to late April I am going on a Silk Road trek from Istanbul to Xian, hence few postings and retiring Izzy to town life until I return.

[Zhym]

Can't dwarves use bastard swords one-handed? They should be no worse than a longsword, right?

Does that mean Drunil and Funil don't want the swords at all? That will make loot distribution messy if so, because there are only so many characters in this party who can use a sword, and Drunil and Funil are two of them.

[Marullus]

They don't want them, but they're basically at the bottom of the round robin, so take them as the leftover items if those are the ones you want to pass to NPC hands...

What items do you want Pierpont to investigate?

[Zhym]

I guess if we're donating the rod, we could have Pierpont investigate the potions and the gem, just to make things easy.

I don't know if we have consensus on donating the rod. But it gets everyone 1,000 XP and sets up an NPC church that can do a limited number of resurrections, so I'll be surprised if anyone objects. It's probably okay to ID the potions and gem to expedite things.

[Bluehorse]

Can bianca arm wrestle Olaf for the sword?

[Zhym]

Bianca seems awfully greedy for someone who didn't want to do any fighting.

And who took one charge of use out of the Rod of Resurrection to bring back a 1st-level character.

If I were Bianca, I wouldn't be pushing my luck, is what I'm saying.