Turn 19 - Reveal of how Crafting Works
"Shame it's more herbs than seaweeds round here... we need to look at that wound, Karlan, or it's going to get poisonous or infected. Perhaps we should get deeper in, or perhaps higher up, so we can be a bit more secure for the night? We're not in tremendous shape, are we..."
Have a look around inside the clearing for any possible healing herbs - I don't expect Yanethi's actually got anything useful on him, I can't remember. Then if Karlan agrees and no one else is more appropriate, try to clean up his wound, with great caution not to get anything bad looking on me. Then we need to get to a spot for the night.
Takashi hides their mouth When Karlan is hot but they are also clearly more alert now at the very least these weren't bandits and as such they were actually dangerous of course maybe not to her with the secondary head and all?
"So it appears were dealing with some darn poison surprisingly...we should probably take cover though if I had to guess heading inside would be bad it's probably their Damn nest or something you feeling me?"
"Whatever is in the clearing has nothing to do with the creatures outside. They fear it.
We should too..."
Arienne sits down, massaging her leg, and investigates Karlan's wound.
Karlan yanks the quills out if they're still in his legs, taking care not to squeeze any sacs of venom. While someone sees to his wound, he listens to the forest and the ruins, trying to work out if anything sounds particularly unusual or significant.
Karlan and Arienne both take a closer look at the wounds on Karlan's leg. [6] Luckily it appears that the quills only scratched him though the venom still has made it into the wound. [3] With the numbness that is setting into Karlan's leg they both decide it must have been a paralysis venom. Unluckily for the group this means that there are now 2 people who have temporarily lost the use of one of their legs.
To help with this situation Yanethi observes the venom with his magic. He then checks the area around them for any healing herbs he might recognize [6] and actually manages to find exactly what he needs. The herb he finds is by the base of the few trees that are clearly in the clearing. It is a short broad leafed plant with lobed leaves. Taking only 1 in 3 to preserve the balance of the are he manages to harvest [5] a good 53 leaves of which he only needs a few to take care of Karlan's leg. All he needs to do is combine it with a few common medical herbs he carries with him ((No roll needed for common as his description portrays him as a druid/ranger type of person and would have them on him)). Now he just needs to make the poultice ((See below and inform me how you want to craft it, the crafting will happen before the next turn so everyone knows if it works)).
Though before that he gets to inform the group about one little important thing about the herb he found. It only grows in areas with ambient magic levels at least twice the norm. The glow or maybe this whole ruin are the work of magic so strong that it is affecting even the area around it. The fact that he was able to harvest 53 mature leaves of a moderately rare and expansive herb is troubling. Generally you would have to strip a normal forest to get that many. Whatever is going down here is seriously magical in nature.
((First of all as a reminder your backpacks are special MC brand Schrodinger specials were if you are half likely to have something it could be there until you actually look and a roll or a decision that it doesn't even need a roll happens. So yeah if you want something specific make sure you mention buying it or you will have to roll for it unless you would clearly have it such as a druid type guy having some common healing herbs on him.
Secondly we have the first instance of crafting that is about to happen and thus you all get knowledge of how crafting works. More specifically your options for it as there are 3 of them. They vary in the amount of detail and rolls needed as well as what kind of result you can end up with. Below I will go over what your options are along with some of the benefits and disadvantages they pose (though definitely not all of them)
Option 1: A single roll
Description: One roll will decided if it works and for the most part is a straight pass or fail
Advantages: This method makes both crafting a lot of something simple (like an arrow) or crafting something quickly possible. When making a lot of something the dice roll for this method is simply a modifier on how many you make. In fact if you are trying to make enough of something even a [1] would just mean making a lot fewer than desired rather than failure (though of course keep in mind this is only for simple things, no mass producing clocks or what have you). The other side of this is option of course instead of making a lot of something instead making one of something but quickly. This works similar to making many but instead of the roll determining quantity it determines time to create.
Disadvantages: This option does not allow for you to make anything but average or below goods. Rolled a six while forging a dagger? Its a dagger end of story. No bonuses or extras on it. If you want quality goods this is not what you are looking for. You can think of it as the fast food option. The other down side I will mention is that because you are 'doing everything at once' if you fail all the materials unless it would not make sense are used up. Failed to craft an arrow? The feathers are mangled, arrow head shattered, and wood cracked.
Option 2: Roll per a step
Description: By breaking the crafting process down into parts one failure does not completely derail the crafting process.
Advantages: This and the next options are were you can finally get higher quality goods even without magic. Though in the end the biggest advantage of this middle child is it isn't the other two options. Do you want to make a good dagger withing an average amount of time? Then this is the option for you. No obsessively detailed descriptions of you lovingly banging away at its hard unyielding surface and a single [1] doesn't mean you instantly fail. On that last bit I guess I should mention that because the steps are broken down into parts if you fail one depending on the step you might just need to redo that step. That dagger you made might have turned out well except when wrapping the grip. In that case you might have only wrapped it wrong or at worst broken the leather you were using so just redo that.
Disadvantages: It isn't the first or last option? If this option was a race in an rpg it would be human. No real strong points but no real bad ones either. This is the default option and most people in the world 'use' this option for basically everything and if you don't specifically say anything otherwise this will be your default method of crafting as well. I guess the fact that you can't make the highest level of gear with this option should be mentioned and baring you specifically trying to add it, magical effects won't appear.
Option 3: You get a roll, and you get a roll, and you get a roll, everything gets a roll!
Description: I describe the crafting process to some detail and any point that involves skill or chance gets a roll
Advantages: Because there are so many rolls a number of things happen. First the effect of your skill and tools on the crafting process are magnified. Next is that a couple of bad rolls have a lot less of an effect on the final product. Last for this is that because the rolls are part of one process instead of discrete steps previous success can give bonuses to the following actions. Now the last advantage I will mention is the fact that this option with a great deal of luck and skill can create the most powerful results. There is even the possibility of magical (or any other extra normal power source) results.
Disadvantages: For the most part take the advantages and flip them. Bad conditions or skill will destroy you, one lucky roll does little to nothing, and while bad results don't chain they do break the chain so more rolls can end a good streak. Finally just as you can get good weapons with positive extra-normal results the reverse is true (this is how normal cursed items happen). Also as one final kicker because of how broken down the rolls are while one bad roll might not ruin the item it might introduce a flaw into it which is hidden such having a weak spot in a sword which gives it a chance to just break.
Though as a final note to these crafting options. While I do say things like option 1 only being able make average items and option 2 not allowing for extra magical effects these are lies. In the end if you describe what you are doing in detail and include things like using special woods, infusing it with potions, focusing on specific emotions, or pouring your power into it anything can happen. If you remember the magic staff we got and all the details I put into the materials and such that is a good example of a high class item. Intent and the material are highly important to crafting in this world. Quickly making a sword while focused on getting revenge on the murder of your loved ones with all your heart and mind could end up with a sword that burns with ghostly flames or maybe seems normal until you kill the murderer where upon it absorbs his soul and then starts burning with ghostly flames. Though of course I won't let you just always say stuff about being completely focused on the concept of piercing when crafting arrows, there will be rolls. As a final little tidbit that is somewhat unrelated if you ever read any cultivation light novels then you will understand when I tell you cultivation of the Dao of sword is possible and would be quite a good thing to focus on when forging one.))