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A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover

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Abhishek M said:
Read the entire thing. Just want a one time rain for the Ritual Bunker Plan. Besides Azema isnt even evil anymore.
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You talked about Sorcerer's Deep though?

And Holy Water does not care about Azema being neutral. She is still an Outsider with the Evil subtype and thus targeted.
Conversly, the Efreeti may be evil and Outsiders, but they do not have the Evil suptype, they are no fiends, so the water likely won't harm them.
 
Artemis1992 said:
You talked about Sorcerer's Deep though?

And Holy Water does not care about Azema being neutral. She is still an Outsider with the Evil subtype and thus targeted.
Conversly, the Efreeti may be evil and Outsiders, but they do not have the Evil suptype, they are no fiends, so the water likely won't harm them.
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To finish the pun.:oops: Bless the rains down in the Ritual Fortress didnt sound as good. They will probably summon Fiends if they can't come in due the place reflecting all fire subtype creatures.
 
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Duesal said:
@DragonParadox
1. Has Leila made any progress in learning Runecrafting?
2. Would Anu be interested in learning Runecrafting?
3. Do we have any lore on applying Runes to flesh or no? Is Tywin's PFE carved into his skin a rune?
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  1. Have not rolled it yet, but she has good odds of doing so
  2. Yes, he would
  3. You do not, living things take magic differently , you are looking for flesh-smith lore or tatoos in that case.
 
Vote closed.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Dec 19, 2019 at 3:53 AM, finished with 180 posts and 12 votes.
  • [X] Fortress Adjustments
    -[X] Tell Darleth of recently gaining access to the wards that Marid use to guard their cities and fortresses -- to be learnt, but still something you'd like to plan for -- as well as a powerful ritualistic warding used as a barrier against "tainted flame" which is still being further developed for an increased range. You would like to extend plans for the fortress to account for these new tools.
    --[X] If it helps we can introduce him to Benerro so that Darleth is able to get the specifics of the ritual's abilities.
    -[X] Viserys will be able to provide layered anti-teleportation wards at a very high caster level. Click link for mechanical information. Alternatively, if an upgraded Weirdstone can be acquired, it would ward a much larger area and could be defended such that it cannot be targeted with Dispels or Disjunction effects. Total Cost for the Forbiddance plan is 696,000 IM. See proposal for Weirdstone guesstimate.
    -[X] Try to reduce the cost of the alchemical treatment for the stone if possible, but not at the sacrifice of time spent on other components of the defenses, their effectiveness or the effectiveness of the enamel itself. Better to spend more and pay less in lives later on if necessary.
    --[X] Mention our Industrial Alchemy production facilities and their capabilities. If there's anything about this process which could make it cheaper to produce the enamel, you can't think of one more obvious.
    -[X] Vee can utilize a SoPK to apply Greater Glyphs of Warding containing a multitude of Elemental Summons in advance, Water variants to make going or navigating the canals difficult for enemies, Orglashes on the outer defenses activated with command words and the inner defenses activated in the presence of the Efreeti. A Thomil-bearing Glyph could even be activated in that manner as trap from above, crushing enemies inside of a choke-point and under fire.
    -[X] Raise possibility of cannon emplacements with more exotic effects. Perhaps making use of Energy Siege Shot on some of the Steam Cannon platforms.
    --[X] Permanencied Etrophic Shield on the cannon emplacements and inter-spaced throughout the outer defenses, both to the benefit of those manning them as well as to make the wards less apparent.
    -[X] Also, get Darleth's quote on the cost for runecrafting further protecting the chambers with the anti-disintegration spikes.
    -[X] Have Lya's double work on the plans with Darleth and later on likely the runecarving.
    -[X] Layered Greater Signs of Sealing protecting the Spike Structures and other weak points of the fortress complex.
    --[X] Work in the possibility of decoy structures/redoubts, built to look important for infiltration purposes and defended enough (with fallback points that defenders can make a convincing fighting retreat through). When infiltrating assault teams make the final approach to the chamber, large amounts of Alchemical bombs (explosive packs and Liquid Ice bombs) are detonated remotely and non-magically.
    -[X] Brilliant Barrier Projectors (space for and defenses worked into plans).
Click to expand...
 
Crake said:
@Goldfish Landmines, or remote detonated explosive caches buried beneath the approaches to the Fortress?
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I was thinking about those, too. There is no reason not to use them. Not just explosives, either, but poison and Alchemical goodies, too. Sleep Smoke and Fungal Stun Vials could be very useful for this.

Another thing I was thinking about last night was using the Suspension spell. At only 4th level, if we make a Suspension PoSK, we would have enough people to cast it hundreds of times in the days and weeks prior to the ritual. It lasts 1d4 days +1 day per caster level, so we could start preparing well ahead of time. If we surround the air space of the fortress with multi-ton masses of stone, we would seriously hamper the ability for Efreeti ships to be able to maneuver without first destroying the stones or Dispelling the Suspension effect. At worst they would serve as nuisances which would slow the Efreeti while buying us more time to complete the ritual.

Stone Trap is similar, but much less passive. We have fewer people able to use this one, but we can have Lya and Anu scribe scrolls once they learn it, and a PoSK would let Viserys and our other spontaneous casters use it. Invisible 2600+ pound slabs of stone which fall when a preset trigger condition is met have a lot of potential uses. Not only could we have them fall on enemies, but they could also support other traps, such as bombs or Glyph wards which could be triggered when the stone falls.
 
Inserted tally
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Dec 19, 2019 at 3:53 AM, finished with 180 posts and 12 votes.
  • [X] Fortress Adjustments
    -[X] Tell Darleth of recently gaining access to the wards that Marid use to guard their cities and fortresses -- to be learnt, but still something you'd like to plan for -- as well as a powerful ritualistic warding used as a barrier against "tainted flame" which is still being further developed for an increased range. You would like to extend plans for the fortress to account for these new tools.
    --[X] If it helps we can introduce him to Benerro so that Darleth is able to get the specifics of the ritual's abilities.
    -[X] Viserys will be able to provide layered anti-teleportation wards at a very high caster level. Click link for mechanical information. Alternatively, if an upgraded Weirdstone can be acquired, it would ward a much larger area and could be defended such that it cannot be targeted with Dispels or Disjunction effects. Total Cost for the Forbiddance plan is 696,000 IM. See proposal for Weirdstone guesstimate.
    -[X] Try to reduce the cost of the alchemical treatment for the stone if possible, but not at the sacrifice of time spent on other components of the defenses, their effectiveness or the effectiveness of the enamel itself. Better to spend more and pay less in lives later on if necessary.
    --[X] Mention our Industrial Alchemy production facilities and their capabilities. If there's anything about this process which could make it cheaper to produce the enamel, you can't think of one more obvious.
    -[X] Vee can utilize a SoPK to apply Greater Glyphs of Warding containing a multitude of Elemental Summons in advance, Water variants to make going or navigating the canals difficult for enemies, Orglashes on the outer defenses activated with command words and the inner defenses activated in the presence of the Efreeti. A Thomil-bearing Glyph could even be activated in that manner as trap from above, crushing enemies inside of a choke-point and under fire.
    -[X] Raise possibility of cannon emplacements with more exotic effects. Perhaps making use of Energy Siege Shot on some of the Steam Cannon platforms.
    --[X] Permanencied Etrophic Shield on the cannon emplacements and inter-spaced throughout the outer defenses, both to the benefit of those manning them as well as to make the wards less apparent.
    -[X] Also, get Darleth's quote on the cost for runecrafting further protecting the chambers with the anti-disintegration spikes.
    -[X] Have Lya's double work on the plans with Darleth and later on likely the runecarving.
    -[X] Layered Greater Signs of Sealing protecting the Spike Structures and other weak points of the fortress complex.
    --[X] Work in the possibility of decoy structures/redoubts, built to look important for infiltration purposes and defended enough (with fallback points that defenders can make a convincing fighting retreat through). When infiltrating assault teams make the final approach to the chamber, large amounts of Alchemical bombs (explosive packs and Liquid Ice bombs) are detonated remotely and non-magically.
    -[X] Brilliant Barrier Projectors (space for and defenses worked into plans).
Click to expand...
 
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Part MMMCCXL: Vigilance High and Low
  • Threadmarks
    • Vigilance High and Low ​

    Twenty Sixth Day of the Eleventh Month 293 AC

    Several hours pass in complex but pleasant discussion regarding possible improvements to the fortress. Darleth proves as open to suggestions of his projects as you might expect, from looking over the wards you had just acquired from the marid to outright fascination with the idea of runecraft ever since he had seen the Wall and you suspect other rune-guarded keeps of Westeros. However, he has the usual draconic distrust in divine magic and rituals when you mention the ritual against tainted flame the Volantene had conceived and which you hope to expand. Probably best to have a Mysterium mage present the finished ritual rather than Benerro, you conclude.

    You are also able to reduce the cost of the teleportation wards to slightly under seven-hundred-thousand marks by using lessons you learned when making the Snare, though working in the various symbols of summoning into it to allow for conjured elementals to defend the canals and choke-points, such elementals could even serve as a literal avalanche. Additionally, signs of sealing could be used to guard the spikes and and other vulnerable positions while also using magic to enhance at least some steam cannons as well as warding them from return fire. Finally, projectors for purely arcane barriers should go a long way to hardening fall-back positions against all but a determined attack by skilled enemy mages. Though Darleth cannot give you a full cost estimation at this point he assures you that he will have plans finalized and construction well underway by the middle of next month as none of these improvements affect the fire-bane rune which must be laid down first.

    Thus clearing the desk of one set of maps you move on to the second matter you had asked him to ponder. "How do I guard my cities against the Deep Ones, cousin?"

    "I suppose getting rid of all the mortals they will use as cover is out of the question?" he jests.

    "Quite so, yes," you answer dryly.

    Sensing that he might have struck more of a nerve than he intended, Darleth relents. "They do tend to grow on one once you get used to the noise, don't they?"

    "I must confess to having never experienced the sort of silence you speak of," you explain. "Here I was born before magic even returned to the world and to tell the full truth I could not imagine myself raised otherwise." The words are nothing less than the full truth, though you consider yourself as much dragon as man the loneliness of usual draconic childhood, as Relath had described his own, feels wholly alien and not a little repugnant. Likely as not it has more to do with tradition than any natural yearning of the soul. Ysandryx certainly seems to be doing well in the company of Dany and her friends.

    Darleth nods thoughtfully. "In any case your cities have two major infiltration avenues and one secondary avenue. In order of vulnerability these are the sewage and aquifer passages, the harbors and overland gates. I would suggest making use of warning pearls, cerulean glyphs and flesh-forged guardians to guard the sewers and other waterways. Such places are not healthy to humans and in any case they are prone to subversion. Fungal guards on the other hand could thrive in moist dark conditions, wholly untroubled by narrow passages if they are crafted right."

    You motion to your assistant to jot down the suggested, impressed that he had thought to make use of the Forge in Lys and that he had heard of the watchful pearls already.

    "The docks and to an extent the overland gates present a different challenge," Darleth continues. "You need to keep the flow of goods running as smoothly as possible while preventing glamoured or disguised foes from slipping through. The pearls, of course, will help, as might the marid wards, but you will also need patrols able to see through at least simple glamours available for rapid reaction. Towers or other high vantage points to anchor the patrols and provide wide lines of sight across the whole harbor would achieve this. The glass of the tower itself might be treated to allow the watchers inside to see through most common illusion." He pauses before reluctantly adding. "There is little that can be done against a truly determined and skilled infiltrator. A mage of the Sixth Circle or higher could bypass any wards and observers that could be economically deployed, but they could only pass limited numbers through and catching such is the task of those who bear book and blade, the Inquisition. They are certainly enthusiastic enough." It seems Darleth has noticed all the attention he has been getting.

    "This has been a most enlightening conversation, cousin, I shall let you get back to your task that we might meet again in a fortnight with the finished plans," you bid farewell to the ancient architect and turn to your next task.

    What do you do next?

    [] Look over the marriage and inheritance laws of the Empire

    [] Offer a sacrifice to the Old Gods to empower the Well of Souls

    [] Have a personal meeting with the Chosen of Smith

    [] Speak to the Mallery brothers and see if you can contact Mother Earth through the younger of the two

    [] Find and deal with the wisps that caused you headaches in the Braavosi swamps

    [] Visit the so called Orange Emperor in Trader Town, he can't be enjoying the encroaching presence of the Golden Company

    [] Write in

    OOC: And here we are, a silver bullet against Deep One infiltrators, but a lot of places you can improve.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • The fortress would also be a good place to use Enhanced Launchers. The standard variety cost 180 IM and have a range of 440 feet, which is really good for most purposes. If we have them made using the Enlarge Metamagic effect, however, the cost would increase to 1,080 IM but the range would increase to 1,040 feet, which is the equivalent of a Long-range spell being used at 16th caster level. That's more range than the vast majority of spellcasters ever have.

    Then we supply a bunch of these for each Enhanced Launcher emplacement;
    Goldfish said:
    Explosive:
    • Launcher Munition / Bomb #1 (10 pounds / 4.5 kg):8d6 Piercing & Bludgeoning damage in a 15 foot blast radius (DC 20 Reflex save for half damage), 2d6 Piercing damage (DC 15 Reflex save for half damage) in an area between 15 (4.5 m) and 30 feet (9 m) from the blast.
      • Material Requirements: Four 2-pound (0.9 kg) of Explosive Packs, one pound (0.45 kg) steel casing, one pound (0.45 kg) of steel shot
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    The 10 pound Explosive Launcher Munition is already in standard use with our Wyverns and are fairly cheap in materials. While the Steam Cannon batteries hit harder and further, they're strictly single target weapons. Enhanced Launchers firing Explosive Munitions could fill the long-range Anti-Air defense role really well, while also doing enough damage that they would be useful against regular troops.
     
    Let it never be said that dragons arent ready to think outside the box when confronting difficult problems.

    "How do I keep my subjects from getting mindcontrolled by mindflayers?"

    'Well, have you considered getting rid of all of your subjects?"
     
    Goldfish said:
    The fortress would also be a good place to use Enhanced Launchers. The standard variety cost 180 IM and have a range of 440 feet, which is really good for most purposes. If we have them made using the Enlarge Metamagic effect, however, the cost would increase to 1,080 IM but the range would increase to 1,040 feet, which is the equivalent of a Long-range spell being used at 16th caster level. That's more range than the vast majority of spellcasters ever have.

    Then we supply a bunch of these for each Enhanced Launcher emplacement;

    The 10 pound Explosive Launcher Munition is already in standard use with our Wyverns and are fairly cheap in materials. While the Steam Cannon batteries hit harder and further, they're strictly single target weapons. Enhanced Launchers firing Explosive Munitions could fill the long-range Anti-Air defense role really well, while also doing enough damage that they would be useful against regular troops.
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    Done forget to double the damage and duration of any of our alchemical based explosives after we cultivate some of the seeds we have.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Vigilance High and Low ​

    Twenty Sixth Day of the Eleventh Month 293 AC

    Several hours pass in complex but pleasant discussion of possible improvements to the fortress. Darleth proves as open to suggestions on his projects as you might expect, from looking over the wards you had just acquired from the Marid to outright fascination with the idea of runecraft ever since he had seen the Wall, and you suspect other rune-guarded keeps of Westeros. He has the usual draconic distrust in divine magic and rituals, however, when you mention the ritual against tainted flame the Volantines had conceived and which you hope to expand. Probably best to have a Mysterium mage present the finished ritual than Benero, you conclude.

    You are also able to reduce the cost of the teleportation wards to slightly under seven hundred thousand marks by using lessons you learned when making the Snare, though you have no doubt working the various symbols of summoning into it will prove challenging, if worthwhile, in order to allow for conjured elemental to defend the canals and choke-points, possibly even serving as literal avalanches in some cases. Additionally, Signs of Sealing could be used to guard the spikes which comprise the anti-Disintegration wards and and other vulnerable positions, while using magic to enhance at least some steam canon as well as warding them from return fire. Finally, projectors for purely arcane barriers should go a long way to hardening fall-back positions against all but a determined attack by skilled enemy mages. Although Darleth cannot give you a full cost estimation at this point, he assures you that he will have plans finalized and construction well underway by the middle of next month, as none of these improvements affect the fire-bane rune which must be laid down first.

    Thus clearing the desk of one set of maps you move on to the second matter you had asked him to ponder. "How do I guard my cities against the Deep Ones, cousin?"

    "I suppose getting rid of all the mortals they will use as cover is out of the question?" he jests.

    "Quite so, yes," you answer dryly.

    Sensing that he might have struck more of a nerve than he intended, Darleth relents. "They do tend to grow on yoy once you get used to the noise, don't they?"

    "I must confess to having never experiencing the sort of silence you speak of," you explain. "Here I was born, before magic even returned to the world, and to tell the full truth I could not imagine myself raised otherwise." The words are nothing less than the full truth, though you consider yourself as much dragon as man, the loneliness of typical draconic childhood as Relath had described his own feels wholly alien and not a little repugnant. Likely as not, it has more to do with tradition than any natural yearning of the soul. Ysandryx certainly seems to be doing well in the company of Dany and her friends.

    Darleth nods thoughtfully. "In any case, your cities have two major infiltration avenues and one secondary avenue. In order of vulnerability, these are the sewage and aquifer passages, the harbors, and overland gates. I would suggest making use of warning pearls, cerulean glyphs, and flesh forged guardians to guard the sewers and other waterways. Such places are not healthy to humans and in any case they are prone to subversion. Fungal guards, on the other hand, could thrive in moist dark conditions wholly untroubled by narrow passages if they are crafted aright."

    You motion to your assistant to jot down the suggestions, impressed that he had thought to make use of the forge in Lys already and that he had heard of the watchful pearls and incorporated them into his plans so quickly.

    "The docks, and to an extent the overland gates, present a different challenge," Darleth continues. "You need to keep the flow of goods running as smoothly as possible while preventing glamored or disguised foes from slipping through. The pearls will help, of course, as might the Marid wards, but you will also need patrols able to see though at least simple glamors available for rapid reaction. Towers or other high vantage points to anchor the patrols and provide wide lines of sight across the whole harbor would be advantageous. The glass of the tower itself might be treated to allow the watchers inside to see though most common illusion." He pauses before reluctantly adding. "There is little that can be done against a truly determined and skilled infiltrator. A mage of the sixth circle or higher could bypass any wards and observers that could be economically deployed, but they could only pass limited numbers through, and catching such is the task of those who bear book and blade, the inquisition. They are certainly enthusiastic." It seems Darleth has noticed all the attention he has received from them.

    "This has been a most enlightening conversation, cousin. I shall let you get back to your task that we might meet again in a fortnight with the finished plans," you bid farewell to the ancient architect and turn to your next task.

    What do you do next?

    [] Look over the marriage and inheritance laws of the Empire

    [] Offer a sacrifice to the Old Gods to empower the Well of Souls

    [] Have a personal meeting with the Chosen of Smith

    [] Speak to the Mallery brothers and see if you can contact Mother Earth through the younger of the two

    [] Find and deal with the wisps that caused you headaches in the Braavosi swamps

    [] Visit the so called Orange Emperor in Trader Town, he can't be enjoying the encroaching presence of the Golden Company

    [] Write in

    OOC: And here we are, no silver bullet against Deep One infiltrators, but a lot of places you can improve. Not yet edited.
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    Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.

    You didn't mention the possibility of using our Industrial Alchemy facilities to produce the acid-resistant enamel in large quantities for cheaper than is normally possible. What were Darleth's thoughts on that?
     
    Trek said:
    Done forget to double the damage and duration of any of our alchemical based explosives after we cultivate some of the seeds we have.
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    Flame Clove won't do our Explosive Packs any good, unfortunately, and enhanced Alchemist's Fire is worse than useless against the Efreeti.

    I do want us to start cultivating the stuff in large quantities as soon as possible, though. While the enchanced Alchemist's Fire isn't helpful against Efreeti, it would be great for dealing with the Others and their forces. The sooner we start stockpiling the stuff, the better.
     
    I hope we can put off hashing out marriage and inheritance laws for at least another couple days IRL so that I'll be on vacation and able to devote more time and effort to helping keep that whole mess from going sour without being distracted by work crap. So with that in mind...

    [X] Visit the so called Orange Emperor in Trader Town, he can't be enjoying the encroaching presence of the Golden Company
     
    Goldfish said:
    Flame Clove won't do our Explosive Packs any good, unfortunately, and enhanced Alchemist's Fire is worse than useless against the Efreeti.

    I do want us to start cultivating the stuff in large quantities as soon as possible, though. While the enchanced Alchemist's Fire isn't helpful against Efreeti, it would be great for dealing with the Others and their forces. The sooner we start stockpiling the stuff, the better.
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    I thought explosive packs were made from alchemist fire?
     
    Trek said:
    I thought explosive packs were made from alchemist fire?
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    Nope, Explosive Packs are a separate Alchemical item.
    Explosive Packs [1d6 Slashing & Bludgeoning damage (DC 15 Reflex save for half damage) per pack (up to 10 packs can be stacked to create larger explosions), with every three packs increasing the blast radius by 5' and save DC by +1. 2 pounds per pack.]
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    We further modify the damage and effects using engineered casings to add shrapnel and other goodies, like the Liquid Ice bombs which use a single Explosive Pack for dispersal purposes.
     
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