@Mormont I did want to pick your brain a bit about ironclads. We don't have screw propulsion, but if we magically move the ship a steam (equivalent) paddle frigate is still an amazing increase in capability. With magical propulsion (via construct paddles), that'd eliminate the need for coal bunkers, and with no sails or smokestack or boiler, that'd vastly decrease the needed crew, freeing up room for supplies or passengers, and make it quite difficult to spot.
I was thinking something similar to the HMS Birkenhead, with no masts, and maybe a covering similar to the korean turtle ships (since boarding and archery is still such a big part of naval warfare), though with some ability to board other ships. Is that somewhat on the right track, or am I missing something important?
Magically powered paddle wheels sounds great to me, even better if they also have sails so they could still make it through an anti-magic field or the like. We don't actually want to emulate the turtle ships, they were used as ramming ships to sink the enemy and we don't want that. Just becasue we can raise the ship and repair it doesn't mean we should. Most of our navy is 'reformed' pirates and thus used to boarding actions, I might remind yo uthis is in fact how we generally expand the navy too.
Expanding on this, @Mormont, we were thinking about purchasing copper en mass in the Plane of Earth and using most of it for infrastructure with waterworks and sewage, but the rest of it for giving the ships in our royal navy a copper-plated hull. You're the resident ship expert here. How much of a benefit would there be to that and how do we go about it properly?
Okay copper is good, its better as brass since the mixed zinc will corrode first. In fact we still use this principle in the navy now with whats called a sacrificial anode. The idea is that you know that corrosion will occur so you place something else in with your hull that corrodes first to make the hull last longer. The other method involves lots and lots of paint. Regardless of the method a copper bottom isn't actually a military improvement, or rather its not for armour. Its purpose was actually to increase speed, or more accurately prevent the decrease in speed due to foaling. If we want armour for the ship we should just go to iron as above, but it requires alternate, ie magical, propulsion to maintain speed and lots and lots of paint to stop it from rusting off.
EDIT: I've never liked the flippers idea, but animating paddles wheels, side or stern, would actually be a solid idea. It shouldn't be operated by the captain though, thats not how boats are driven.
speaking about the population increase, i want a couple things.
- make sure all our island have dedicated healers, in fact we should make a healing order, either from Yss acolytes, draconic dragonseeds or whatever, but we need a lot more healers.
- long distance communication, i know we have our braziers, but i want to try for something better, we have: a) dark glass= portal to sothoryos from anywhere in the plane, b) bronze mirror that makes a 3 day portal to MS and c) perfect teleportation to the same place as the glass (same mechanism?), i want to take a study action next turn to see if we can replicate the dark glass to create a portal network between our cities.
Magically powered paddle wheels sounds great to me, even better if they also have sails so they could still make it through an anti-magic field or the like. We don't actually want to emulate the turtle ships, they were used as ramming ships to sink the enemy and we don't want that. Just becasue we can raise the ship and repair it doesn't mean we should. Most of our navy is 'reformed' pirates and thus used to boarding actions, I might remind yo uthis is in fact how we generally expand the navy too.
Okay copper is good, its better as brass since the mixed zinc will corrode first. In fact we still use this principle in the navy now with whats called a sacrificial anode. The idea is that you know that corrosion will occur so you place something else in with your hull that corrodes first to make the hull last longer. The other method involves lots and lots of paint. Regardless of the method a copper bottom isn't actually a military improvement, or rather its not for armour. Its purpose was actually to increase speed, or more accurately prevent the decrease in speed due to foaling. If we want armour for the ship we should just go to iron as above, but it requires alternate, ie magical, propulsion to maintain speed and lots and lots of paint to stop it from rusting off.
EDIT: I've never liked the flippers idea, but animating paddles wheels, side or stern, would actually be a solid idea. It shouldn't be operated by the captain though, thats not how boats are driven.
The idea with the cover would be for it to be sectioned, so it could open up into other ships as they come along side, forming a ready made boarding bridge (like a corvus). While closed it would help protect from arrows and unwanted boarding.
The idea with the cover would be for it to be sectioned, so it could open up into other ships as they come along side, forming a ready made boarding bridge (like a corvus). While closed it would help protect from arrows and unwanted boarding.
@Duesal
Talking about Rhaella, whileI totally agree that she shouldn't have this sword, that attitude to keep her from the frontlines even if he gets PC levels might get problematic.
Ultimatly we had the same issue with Dany, who now risks her life constantly anyway.
If she actually happens into a class that makes melee viable, we shouldn't stop her.
NPC don't need artifacts yes, but Rhaella isn't an NPC, she's a future PC, DP has said she can quickly retrain 5 out of her 6 NPC levels, and she can retrain the 6th with enough time, just retraining those 5 levels would mean she would be at max level for an NPC, and she has a rather protective streak, it's rather likely she will want to participate in the adventuring, although it will probably take months before she's even remotely ready.
I would rather bet on Rhaella being enough like her children, that keeping her out of danger long term is an exercise in futility, than on Viserys as a dragon will get much use out of a sword.
We weren't able to keep our 5 year old sister from becoming a PC, I don't think there's much chance of keeping Rhaella from becoming one either, and I personally don't want to keep her from becoming a PC.
NPC don't need artifacts yes, but Rhaella isn't an NPC, she's a future PC, DP has said she can quickly retrain 5 out of her 6 NPC levels, and she can retrain the 6th with enough time, just retraining those 5 levels would mean she would be at max level for an NPC, and she has a rather protective streak, it's rather likely she will want to participate in the adventuring, although it will probably take months before she's even remotely ready.
I would rather bet on Rhaella being enough like her children, that keeping her out of danger long term is an exercise in futility, than on Viserys as a dragon will get much use out of a sword.
We weren't able to keep our 5 year old sister from becoming a PC, I don't think there's much chance of keeping Rhaella from becoming one either, and I personally don't want to keep her from becoming a PC.
I agree with all of that, I just don't want to give her high-level equipment before it actually happened.
Giving her the blade now essentially means letting it rot for months, maybe a year.
And with a small chance that she'll go in some administrative or courtly direction, rather than full combat-PC (unlikely but possible).
If she actually goes full magic we can still give her the sword later, especially once we are a dragon.
@TotallyNotEvil, Thoughts? I am aware it could be more... robust. If anybody wants to weigh in feel free!
As a complete aside, to whom it may concern. I have always been partial to the good side of things, and our resident beholder has been a fantastic example of the lighter side of things. Combining this, and everyone else gets special upgrades... I thought it would be nice to make something for him.
So, OOC beholders reproduce and change into different types of beholder by dreaming. A beholder will dream about undeath, or fire, or ice, and then become a beholder matching those thematic lines.
So, I got to thinking about what kind of creature a beholder who has dreams about... well... GOOD things would become.
Having consciously, and sub consciously integrated praise for virtuous deed. Something he could and would dream of. Then, following beholder... biology? His dreams would shape him into a new kind of creature.
I thought, what has a lot of eyes, is vaguely round shaped, and is good. I struck upon Ophanim as inspiration, a kind of obscure biblical angel. Then ran with that. I tried to keep it close in power level to Xor as he is now, but with a different flavor.
I tweaked his central eye, as well as some of his rays.
OPHANIM
Medium Aberration (Extraplanar, Good)
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 5 ft. (1 square), fly 40 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 16 (+1 Dex, +5 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+3
Attack: Eye rays +4 ranged touch attack and slam +3 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: Eye rays +4 ranged touch attack and slame +3 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Eye rays, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: All-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., flight, planar fast healing, spell turning, spell resistance 12
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +5
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 15
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) +9, Listen +3, Search +13, S
ense Motive +8, Spot +14, Survival +1 (+3 following tracks)
Feats: Alertness, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative
Environment: Elysium
Eye Beams
Eye Rays (Su): Each of a Ophanim's four small eyes can
produce a magical ray once per round as a free action. During
a single round, it can aim only one eye ray at targets in any one 90-degree arc (up, forward, backward, left, right, or down). Each ray has a range of 60 feet and a save DC of 14 (caster level 6th). The save DCs are Charisma-based. The four eye rays include:
Fatigue: The target must make a Fortitude save or become fatigued. A fatigued creature that fails to save against this effect becomes exhausted.
Cure Moderate Wounds: This ray works like the spell, Healing 2d8+6 points of damage (Will half).
Hold Monster: The target must succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by the spell.
Telepathy: An Ophanim can communicate telepathically with its target for the round. As a free action, an Ophanim can use Calm Emotion on any creature it is currently telepathically speaking to.
Flight (Ex): An Ophanim's body is supernaturally buoyant. This buoyancy allows it to fly at a speed of 40 feet.
This buoyancy also grants it a permanent feather fall effect (as the spell) with personal range.
Central Eye
An Ophanims Central Eye has two effects. It may change which effect it is using as free action.
Dispel Evil: An Ophanim's central eye produces a 90-foot cone that dispels any spell cast by an evil creature. This functions like dispel magic (caster level 6th), but has a +4 caster level bonus against spells cast by evil creatures. Only one spell can be dispelled per round.
Chariot of heaven: an Ophanim can use haste on one creature at a time (in any direction) so long as they are within thirty feet. They also gain flight indentical to the Ophanims. An Ophanim also plane shifts with the creature it is buffing.
Example of Ophanim:
@DragonParadox I was personally hoping that Xor could have a transformative dream that makes him better reflect his new found nature. Perhaps with the aid of the Nimbus of Light feat.
I agree with all of that, I just don't want to give her high-level equipment before it actually happened.
Giving her the blade now essentially means letting it rot for months, maybe a year.
And with a small chance that she'll go in some administrative or courtly direction, rather than full combat-PC (unlikely but possible).
If she actually goes full magic we can still give her the sword later, especially once we are a dragon.
Are you sure the bond can be broken like that, from how I read the sword, it sound rather likely that it bonds for life, so it will only be able to bond with Rhaella if Viserys dies.
I think we should ask DP about that before deciding, because if you are right and we can just hand it down to Rhaella when Viserys is a dragon, then giving it to Viserys is a good idea, but if it bonds for life, well I would rather have Rhaella getting an artifact early, than I would have Viserys get an artifact he can use for one level, and then leave to gather dust forever.
I would rather let the blade rot for upwards of a year now, than I would let it rot for many years after using it for a few months, because if it takes a major quest to break the bond, then that's going to be pushed back for a long time.
Very true. :/ We need to bring Yss another big sacrifice so he can get strong enough to hold his own against other gods. And I wish we could have a cleric of the Merling King soon.
In any case, let's have Dany fire a Divination at the situation in general?
That aside, thank god we have at least two of those Greater Ribbons already crafted. Those make this mission a hell of a lot easier.
Are you sure the bond can be broken like that, from how I read the sword, it sound rather likely that it bonds for life, so it will only be able to bond with Rhaella if Viserys dies.
Yes but not more often than Rhaella could use the sword, sure it would mean waiting some time, but isn't waiting for some months, so it will be actually used for many years a better idea?
Viserys doesn't need it.
Danys effect is overspecialized.
Rhaella is an Aristocrat 6 and by the time she retrained five of those, the sword is pretty useless to her.
The Fourteen have High Valyrian names, rather than Draconic (or Primordial) ones. This is because each of the Fourteen are actually Dragonblooded Sorcerers who ascended into True Dragons, who then proceeded to ascend into actual Deities.
This makes more sense linguistically because the Valyrian deity names actually seem a little more archaic than the names the Targaryens often leaned on. Syrax vs Daenor, Balerion vs Aenys, Meraxes vs Aenar.
Sub-theory: The Fourteen Volcanos were the center of powerful leylines or other magical nexuses. Much like how the Wall is such a concentrated source of magical power that people living right next to it are more likely to become empowered or be born empowered, or have their inherent bloodline awakened, the Valyrians were noted as having more sorcery in their society, especially in the Heartland, because they lived right next to something like the Wall.
Viserys doesn't need it.
Danys effect is overspecialized.
Rhaella is an Aristocrat 6 and by the time she retrained five of those, the sword is pretty useless to her.
Isn't he going to get the Mormont sword? I'd much rather we enchant that one for him rather than giving him dark sister, a Targaryen sword. Besides, the last two time a bastard got his hands on a Targaryen sword, civil wars broke out, giving it to Jon would just make everyone nervous and paranoid.
Oh and we also don't know if Jon even wants the secret of his birth to get out.
Viserys doesn't need it.
Danys effect is overspecialized.
Rhaella is an Aristocrat 6 and by the time she retrained five of those, the sword is pretty useless to her.
Azel just brought up leaving it to Jon Snow, and some people might have voted in the expectation, that we could pass it of to another wielder once we became a dragon, so could we get an interlude so we have more time for voting?
Actually shouldn't Tyene be a potential wielder, they Martells have Targaryan blood.
You help do away with a lot of our speculation.
