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Author Topic: You are a Necromancer! Chapter 2-36 Decisions, Decisions  (Read 684192 times)

lockman766

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #885 on: March 24, 2012, 11:13:01 pm »

oh by the way I may have sated this before, but I'm for night crossing.
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bombzero

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #886 on: March 25, 2012, 01:33:51 am »

@deep waters, your personal text is hilariously accurate.

@bearstraction; im worried about how well rangers can handle a bear, will they calmly shoo it off with magic? or panic and shoot it? (also, id like to point out that these don't seem to be DF elves. re-read the story if you think im wrong.)

@going north, time consuming, chance of running into patrols, but less chance of getting caught or damaging our gear overall

@rangers at crossing/monk; on a scale of 1 to 10, how much do elves frown on deserting? we have a good cause and all. does Omo have any close friends in his unit? perhaps that would happily pretend they didn't see us at request?
furthermore, has Omo really deserted? he could walk right into camp and say he got 'distracted' (aka partied alot) at the festival, only aware of his post days later.

option 1: continuing on this, have Omo walk into the camp with this excuse.
decision 1:
a) have him try to bluff his and our way across.
b) have him make a distraction of some sort while unseen, we sneak across, he actually deserts in the night and follows.
decision 2:
a) what is his full excuse? did he party for days? makes him appear negligent and he will be watched closely.
b) or was he simply uninformed of his new post? making haste their after learning of it. he appears duty-bound but unattentive, making it easier to slip away, but might be a hard lie to get past.

option 2:
go for the crossing together, take the rope, maybe run once on the other side in case we are followed.
decision 1:
a) day, would surprise the guards, especially if we bluster out something about needing to cross in a hurry, by order of the council while running past. they won't actually believe it but it will buy us a few seconds.
b) day, casually walk up and say we were ordered to the other side by the council, reasonable enough, considering they probably have not heard of Nyms idea being rejected or accepted, and might not consider Omo as having deserted.
c) night, try to sneak by, unlikely, may result in us or Omo getting shot in the confusion.

option 3:
it has been confirmed we CAN lead a bear to the camp, and we DO have the means to do so.
decision 1: (after luring bear.)
a) throw honey-comb into middle of camp, startling the rangers as the bear plods after it. will draw a lot of attention, but make human involvement obvious.
b) toss it into the sleeping area, drawing less attention, but it simply appears to be a bear wandering into the camp.
decision 2: (after bear enters camp.)
a) already decided option of running for the rope.
b) run in yelling about a bear and acting like it had been after us for the honeycomb we had been carrying, which we threw out along the way. the guards run towards the bear, we run towards the rope. by the time they realize they have been duped, were crossing.

so yeah, these all depend on the rangers in the camp's opinion of Nym and Omo, and how much they know about whats going on with the council. thoughts?
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Draigh

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #887 on: March 25, 2012, 04:34:07 am »

Going north will indeed take a bit more time, but are we in a race for something? Not that I am aware of at least.
And it is not like we can catch up with the current two necromancers who are already publicly active for months and probably have a year or so in experience at the least. We'll just have to outsmart them. And that we can do, because we are all smart people here working together, right? ;-)

The key isn't to try to figure out a complicated plan that will work if everything goes right and then try to make it go right, but instead to think of a plan that works out for you regardless of what happens. This is one of those plans. Consider: Even if the absolute worst case happens, and we get caught by the rangers, we now have a legit excuse for running towards the river as fast as we can: We're running away from the bear!
I agree, although probably not in the way that you meant it. We need a plan that even when it fails, brings us what we need.

As for the crossing ideas, being the devil's advocate:
1) Walking into the camp and bluffing -> Elves might not be used to other elves running away. That does not make them stupid and I seriously doubt that these elves will even consider Omo's bluff. They'll probably just tie him up and drag his ass to the capitol for punishment for deserting. Even if they do believe his excuses there (about partying and all) during the trial, we'll be losing much more time and/or an ally this way.
2) Buying a few seconds time will not be nearly enough to be able to cross. Nym is not trained, the rangers are. Meaning that the rangers are going to be faster than Nym and those seconds will be caught up pretty fast. As for bluffing, again, these Elves are not stupid. They might be blissfully unaware of the necromancer-elf, but that has more to do with our careful moves than their unawareness and stupidity.
3) I seriously doubt ALL the elven rangers are going to leave ALL their posts, including the most important point of crossing, to scare away ONE bear that might be after some food. Remember that there are several ranger patrols in this area, more than usual. The rangers in the camp can handle that one bear just fine without the other rangers needing to worry.
Now.. if we could get a whole group of animals to simultaneously go ravage that camp.. that would be a distraction. Too bad that we have a talent for Death magic and not Life magic...

Best case scenario: Elves are gullible fools that believe anything -> plan works like a charm.
Worst case scenario: Elves are nasty, especially after rumors of necromancers -> They shoot to kill, we end up dead.

I remain of the opinion that crossing at that point is foolish, as it currently is pretty much the most guarded spot in the elven lands. It is also the place where they will check first for tracks when they notice we're gone because it is the most likely place we would try to cross (which is also why it is so guarded, because it is the most likely place to cross).
Think outside of the box and go somewhere else for crossing. After all, we are working with Death magic and not Life magic. We should start getting used to thinking outside of the box and letting go of familiar territory. And I have seen you guys do just that several times already, with good results.


As for Monk, our gamemaster... anyone here that is able to poke him personally?
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NoahTophatz

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #888 on: March 25, 2012, 04:49:18 am »

Use the honey to get the bear to move towards the rope while we hide behind the bear
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Ehndras

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #889 on: March 25, 2012, 04:49:52 am »

Jesus christ, I'm starting to lose track of this game and all of its massive discussions. This is looking more and more daunting each passing day. >_>


Also,


*pokes Monk*
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NoahTophatz

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #890 on: March 25, 2012, 04:52:40 am »

use the fishing equipment to move the honey with the bear
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bombzero

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #891 on: March 25, 2012, 05:32:41 am »

or go north, im actually not sure why there IS resistance against that option, i was suggesting more thought out theories for what everyone else was going on about.

on a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a fucking freakout would an undead bear cause at the ranger camp? possibly one controlled by Nym? i mean Omo doesn't even have to be told WHAT the distraction is. this is probably a horrible idea but it just popped into my head.
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Ehndras

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #892 on: March 25, 2012, 05:53:25 am »

or go north, im actually not sure why there IS resistance against that option, i was suggesting more thought out theories for what everyone else was going on about.

on a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a fucking freakout would an undead bear cause at the ranger camp? possibly one controlled by Nym? i mean Omo doesn't even have to be told WHAT the distraction is. this is probably a horrible idea but it just popped into my head.

That is assuming we can kill the bear first. >_>
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RAM

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #893 on: March 25, 2012, 07:45:46 am »

You will have a difficult time getting a consensus on killing the bear just to serve as a distraction, we like bears, I hope...

The thing about crossing, is that once we are over the river, we should be fine, provided that it is daytime. At night, shoot-to-kill becomes a possibility, because they won't necessarily know that we are elves. But during daytime it should be safe to assume that they won't risk a scuffle that would likely result in someone falling into the river. But even reaching the rope seems a tad unlikely to me, but Omo thinks that it is the best option... As for night-time, well, killing something that is trying to leave doesn't seem like the best option, but you don't want criminals, smugglers, and spies thinking that they can come-and-go as they please...

But as I see it...
North: more chance of being spotted by patrols, no formal crossing.
Day: Less chance of reaching the rope, better chance of survival once it is reached.
Night: Higher chance of both success and death.
Bear: Fewer guards, more alertness.
South: more chance of being spotted by patrols, decent chance of another crossing.

South seems silly, it stands to reason that all the crossings will be similarly guarded and the river will just get worse.
Night doesn't seem to be worth it to me. There is no safety until being amidst the trees on the far side and no capacity to dodge on the rope. the only real chance of success it to completely evade detection. A desirable goal to be sure, but not one that seems likely to me.
Day seem plausible, but relies on surprise and confusion... What are the odds that one of those "handful of simple illusions" could be used to further confuse the rangers, make it appear that we are injured or ghosts or diseased or something?
Bearstraction seems like a good bit of ingenuity, but I think that we would be better off with lots of bored guards than a few excited ones...
North is my personal favourite, it is just more of the same that we have been doing previously, but it may be a long time before the river calms enough to be crossed and patrols along the river are likely to be heavier...

To be fair, this may be the northern-most crossing in elven territory, and may have an inordinate amount of security because it is distant from any reinforcements. heading south may get us a less heavily guarded crossing with guards that won't recognise us...
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Grek

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #894 on: March 25, 2012, 09:23:29 am »

Yeah, there's a reason why nobody's suggested using undead as a distraction. It's A] wrong to kill poor defenseless animals like that, B] will start a way huger panic than we want, and C] will make Omo think we're evil.
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Deep Waters

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #895 on: March 25, 2012, 12:56:16 pm »

@deep waters, your personal text is hilariously accurate.

Now, bombzero, what could you possibly mean by that? ;D

No, seriously. What do you mean by that?  ???




Alright, for things that are game related, here is what we officially know about our situation. Everything is almost directly copied from Monk, whether through Omo's mouth or directly from the man himself.

The Problem:
-There's a lot of Rangers here, and I'm not sure we can slip past them.
-[There's] [e]nough to repulse an attack from the river, and more than enough to catch us if we aren't careful.
-It looks like this is a local staging point for the Rangers, protecting the ferry at Larathor.
-From what I can tell, there's a picket watching the ferry at all times, and lots of Rangers in the treeline up and down the Great River.
-[They're] too busy looking out to keep more than a cursory eye on the Walled Jungle behind them.

The Options:
-[W]e could try to make it to the ferry. We'd almost certainly be spotted, but if we can get across the guiderope before the sentries catch up we should be alright. [The guiderope is] a rope that runs from one bank of the river to the other. The ferry almost certainly won't be on our side of the river, and we can't wait for it to come to us, so we'll have to do it the old fashioned way. Hand over hand.
--We could try it under the cover of darkness, which would be much more dangerous but might let us make it unseen.
-[G]o around[.] Either option would take us days out of our way, and we'd still have to worry about Ranger patrols while we're traveling.
--[W]e could go north and try to find a spot we can swim across or ford[.]
--[W]e could go south and try to wave down a boat[.]
--[I]f we go south far enough we'll hit another town sooner or later.

Extra Information:
The River- Call it 800 feet wide, 15 feet at its deepest- maybe a bit more due to spring flooding. Normally the current isn't too fast, but it's still not easy to swim against if you have to, and it'd suck if you happen to hit a branch on the way across. If we cross here, we shouldn't have to worry about whirlpools or other dangers though.
The Rangers- I'm pretty sure my old unit is the band stationed here[.] They probably already know I deserted, since I should already be with them, and if we run into any officers they'll probably know I'm not assigned to any other duties. [T]here'll be too many trained Rangers to account for [to win in a fight]. About the only thing in our favor there is that they won't use lethal force, so they're not going to riddle us with arrows mid-river.
Your Swimming Skill- You are not actually a trained swimmer. Your fishing experience has made you comfortable wading in deep water, and you can doggy paddle well enough, but if something happens in open water you have less-than-good odds of being able to swim your way out of it. Not that you'd expect something terrible to happen, and the Great River is not known for its deadly schools of carp or anything, but it is a risk to be aware of.
The Other Side- [T]he town on the other side is Larathor- it isn't exactly The Big City, but it's a prosperous trading town on the Caravan Route from west to east, and also handles some trade north to south along the river.
Waterproofing- One [is] a minor water-repelling spell intended for raincloaks; you think you can adapt it for your purposes, though you aren't sure if it is potent enough to stand up to complete submersion. It seems to be fairly easy to learn- a few hours of study, and you should have it figured out no later than noon tomorrow. The other spell is described as a way to make writing permanent, allowing it to survive any number of indignities. It looks a lot more complicated to learn, however, and the complexity means you can't really assess how versatile or potent it is. It could easily take you a couple of days to get working.
Tiredness- [W]hile weary, you are not so tired that it will significantly affect your skill checks should the worst happen.
Bear- [T]he bear was probably a solid hour's hike back up the trail- judicious application of honeycomb and Calm Animal should be enough to lure the bear to the Ranger camp, but you wouldn't get back until after dark, if that affects your plan.
Items- Elven Cloak <- If you mouse over this, it says "Mostly waterproof". Take from that what you will. ;D
Omo Says- I say we just make a run for it.
You Say- Omo seems confident in his ability to outrun the Rangers, but you are somewhat less sure.

I'll start with options that are not crossing now.

First off, I'll omit the Ranger patrol concerns because it's far more likely we'll be caught by crossing now anyways. The only comment I'll make about that is that the extra days will probably see patrols thickening as more Rangers pour in from the heart of Elfland.

It appears that if we attempt to cross at a more northerly area, we may run into whirlpools and other water hazards. Not really surprising, now that I think of it; IIRC rivers that come from mountains tend to widen after their source, attaining slower currents becoming easier to cross. That's problematic enough, but if the angle of the land is too steep the river might become whitewater rapids further north, especially with the spring flooding- there's no way we could cross safely then. If we do go north, hopefully we'll be able to find a place to cross long before we get into any rapid areas.  :-\

Going south, then, would be more viable from a cross-the-river standpoint. It's also closer to the route after the river that the majority of us seem to want to take- at least the majority that has stated an opinion- but it's also likely to be more heavily guarded than the north- for good reason, but still. Also, Omo didn't suggest attempting to cross/ford the river if we go south, so there's probably something he knows about the river's southerly route that he thinks will prevent us from being able to cross it- probably something on the order of "it gets much wider" or "the Ranger patrols will be able to stop us too easily" or something.

Waving down a boat sounds as if it might be difficult. How likely is it that a boat will see us and, if seen, how likely is it that the boat will be willing transport two dirty, shifty-looking vagabonds off the side of a river- vagabonds that for some reason didn't decide to take the easier and more obvious route of riding the ferry- any ferry? Even if they are, they'll probably want something- what will we give them in return? The only things of any value we have on us are our coin, the mana potion, the one crystal, and possibly Omo's staff.

Going further south to another town has the one advantage of maybe being able to bluff our way across without running afoul of Omo's former mates. Of course, if our mother has any sort of pull and has any sort of overbearing maternal instincts, that also makes it more likely that any Rangers we run into town (and probably other individuals as well) will know who we are. We'd have to get some sort of disguise then, and what kind of disguise can we cobble together from what we have right now?

Crossing the river now has several advantages and one big disadvantage. It's the one point in which we can reveal ourselves voluntarily and create a plausible reason for us being there- I doubt we'd be able to explain to Ranger #5 why we as law-abiding elf citizens were trying to dodge his/her patrol, and it's also the one point where the river crossing itself is guaranteed- we know there's a crossing there; we just have an lot of obstacles between us and it. If we use the guiderope, it'll help keep our gear dry (dryer than the majority of the other options, anyways) and if we accidentally fall into the river or something we'll at least be near plenty of Rangers to rescue us from drowning. However, being ostensibly the most guarded point along the Great River, it's the point where we're most likely to be caught. If we make one mistake, it's game over- we'll be too closely watched to be able to sneak out again, and I doubt we'll be able to influence the Council to do anything like actually interact with the outside world afterwards- we'd be lucky if they even granted us audience.

I still support going north, by the way. Just listing the facts.

TL; DR: No. You read it NOW! >:O

But seriously. It's hard to summarize it all. Um... north- water hazards, south- heavily guarded/other possible dangers, crossing now- most likely get caught?
« Last Edit: March 25, 2012, 05:39:11 pm by Deep Waters »
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[23:14:34] <GameMaster> And so (...) a one-armed dwarf and a mage wearing a blanket walk into a tomb.
[23:14:42] <GameMaster> Sadly, that isn't a joke.

[20:42:03] <HailFire> our wizard tower just got smoked by projectile cats from space

RAM

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #896 on: March 25, 2012, 05:10:38 pm »

I would just assume that the further south you go the more water there will be in the river as it joins up with however many minor water-sources, and it is already too significant to just wade across, I think... North may split it up into several smaller rivers that can be crossed without assistance, although that would likely take a long time. If there is a place far enough north that the rangers would not patrol it then more time would be available to construct a fording device of some sort...
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Deep Waters

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #897 on: March 25, 2012, 05:32:56 pm »

I would just assume that the (1) further south you go the more water there will be in the river as it joins up with however many minor water-sources, and it is already too significant to just wade across, I think... (2) North may split it up into several smaller rivers that can be crossed without assistance, although that would likely take a long time. If there is a place far enough north that the rangers would not patrol it then more time would be available to construct a fording device of some sort...

(1) That's basically what I said, just with a little more detail.

(2) That or the rapids idea. It would depend on how far up the river you go. The "smaller rivers" idea is more likely higher up the river, while the "rapids" idea is more likely a little lower down, though only in places with steep-angled hills or whatever.

(3) I think the further north we go, the less likely we are to encounter rangers, and as time goes by I bet they'll end up clustering near centers of trade (i.e. the best places to cross the river, as centers of trade tend to grow up around those places), though I doubt the patrols will stop entirely unless we go far enough north that we leave Elfland without even crossing the river. But- and I've brought this up before- could we survive that far north, even for a few days? We aren't exactly bundled up for the cold, and Omo might not have cold weather training. It's the spring going on summer, but that just means that things are warming up, not that they're warm enough for us- hypothermia is still possible, especially way up north and during the night (though we may be able to find a spell that could protect against it). If we go too far north, that also means the danger of getting caught in an avalanche is higher (though I don't think there's any need to go that far north). If we plan on heading south after crossing the river, it would also mean that much more time before we can attempt to learn more information about necromancy through Thrimesdur's libraries- time the other necromancers could use to grow their power bases even further.

So, going north would depend a lot on our luck, I think. In fact, everything depends a lot on luck. Y'know, if Omo had paid attention to where his unit would be stationed next, he could've just gone with them and met up with us later. Would've saved us a lot of trouble. <<; In fact, Nym, you should scold Omo for not knowing his unit would be stationed here. Do it gently, but scold him. Shame on you, Omo!  >:(

Also, going to add a bit more info to my former post.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2012, 06:33:49 pm by Deep Waters »
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[23:14:34] <GameMaster> And so (...) a one-armed dwarf and a mage wearing a blanket walk into a tomb.
[23:14:42] <GameMaster> Sadly, that isn't a joke.

[20:42:03] <HailFire> our wizard tower just got smoked by projectile cats from space

racnor

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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #898 on: March 25, 2012, 09:51:18 pm »

If we did go north, could we evade the ranger patrols by messing with the trailsign? Omo would know how.

on a totally different subject, in some later update (not this one, there's too much going on already) could you list the spells we can learn from the book? right now it's just solid deus ex machina
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Re: You are a Necromancer! Part 25
« Reply #899 on: March 25, 2012, 10:03:17 pm »

I'm pretty sure that's the point of the book - to allow Monk to introduce small cantrips that he hadn't thought of beforehand into our repertoire as the plot demands it. Listing what's actually in there would defeat the purpose.
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