The Eye of Anubis: OOC Thread

[NeoTiamat]

Also, XP awards for Book Two:

2000 XP across the board. I've been better about awarding posting XP (and you guys have been helpful in that respect with your nominations)

So I believe that jumps everyone up nicely, and I am going to log it all shortly.

[Kaitou Kage]

In light of Kuzan's new feat, I've built a little script here to show what he can make within a semi-reasonable price range. The list is going to be fairly large, but it's sortable by item name, item price, and body slot.

There're several items that I think various people will possibly be quite interested in (Arcanist Gloves, for example, are incredibly handy)

The List!

There're a few symbols on there, and I think I goofed in them, so if it has a + or a * that denotes a spell I either can't cast yet or need a wizard to cast for me.

If an item requires a spell that a wizard can cast, but none of our wizards presently have, then the buyer is responsible for the cost of the scroll and scribing

Any questions, let me know.

[lostboy]

Dude, top work!

BUT I think you ahve aproblem with the code on your site, the list gets cut off after Items starting with a B....

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Yeah, where are the Cufflinks of Savage Doom?

[Kaitou Kage]

Dude, top work!

BUT I think you ahve aproblem with the code on your site, the list gets cut off after Items starting with a B....

Oh, I forgot to mention, I am not finished putting things into it yet.

Also, if there's anything that you might think is a little helpful (I'm thinking of including classes the item's good for or something), feel free to mention

[DocBeard]

'Reccomended Classes' would be great, yeah.

[Kaitou Kage]

I'll add it in, then. Won't be too hard since I haven't put many entries in.

I'd like to be able to just put in a search but I am not quite THAT proficient in PHP yet.

EDIT: It will probably be straight warrior, cleric, mage, thief for the classes, and if it's good for more than one class, I'll either have it listed multiple times or else it'll be listed as, say, "cleric, mage"

[steveflam]

Question here.

The night of the big ruckus on campus, Cavendish met with Allikhain & Ulsaon in Dementlieu. Let us presume for a moment that Cavendish left that same night. We left perhaps the day after or the day after that, right?

Okay my point is this:

How did Dmitry/Cavendish get there a month before we did - Wasn't it said by a villager that Dmitry had been in the village for a month?

How come it took us over a month to get there, yet he took very little time? RL magical travel is tricky at best, no? Am I th eonly one who finds this odd?

[Kaitou Kage]

Chart is updated a little bit to show recommended classes. Options are as follows:

"any" -- Good for just about any class
"warrior" -- Good for fighter types (fighter, ranger, paladin)
"rogue" -- Good for rogues or skill-monkeys (rogue, ranger, bard, scout)
"wizard" -- Good for arcane casters (wizards, sorcerers)
"cleric" -- Good for divine casters (clerics, druids, paladins)

If something's good for more than one class, but not all types, it'll be listed once for each class. And this is all my personal discretion. Check things outside your class. You may find something useful for your class (or you in general) that I have categorized in an unexpected place.

EDIT: I'll also make it prettier once I finish putting everything in.

[NeoTiamat]

And that's a wrap folks, Book Three begins tomorrow, soon as I have enough time between classes to post it.

[Kaitou Kage]

Chart has been updated. I still have several things to put in but I've added a fair bit. Remember, everything on there is in addition to anything in the SRD/DMG.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Ulsaon: Magical travel in Ravenloft is only tricky if there are closed domain borders in the way, I think. Also if you're careless about moving through the ethereal plane. A few teleport without errors would probably see you right, provided the domain lords aren't being private.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

From the notes of Lia Mourneswaithe.

Entry 1: Subject: Sand cleric

Name: Unknown.

Species: Unknown.

Gender: Unknown.

Threat level: High.

Abilities & Powers: Clerical spellcaster. Most likely minimally 6th level, probably higher. Soundless spellcasting - Silent spell? But then how did it manage to cast all its spells soundlessly?
If the same individual who bestowed Nondetection on bard D. is the sand cleric, then he has access to the Trickery domain. (Other alternatives include a powerful Ranger or a Wizard of at least my own level of expertise.) This meshes with sand cleric's invisibility, back on Guignol Hall, until it actually attacked.
Additional dangers: ability to assume disguises (Disguise self), possibly power to befuddle the minds of victims (Confusion) -- this meshes with expedition members attacking each other.
Other secialized domains and abilities remain unknown. However, a Trickster cleric would be an accomplished liar, capable of disguising and hiding with greater aptitude than most.
One upside: Trickery does not seem to be in the nature of Anubis. The possibility that this is a real cleric of the Weigher of the Dead therefore becomes negligible, which gives me hope that we will not be attacked by hordes of that deity's clergy as soon as we arrive in the Amber Wastes.

End exerpt.
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Entry 2: Subject: Sand cleric

Name: John Lancaster Cavendish? Assumed name? Is this creature arrogant enough to use its true name when addressing enemies?

Species: Unknown. Appearance suggests Vampiric? Sunlight paradox.

Gender: Presumably male.

Threat level: Extreme.

Abilities & Powers: Clerical spellcaster. Most likely minimally 11th level, probably higher. Soundless spellcasting - Silent spell? But then how did it manage to cast all its spells soundlessly? Including spells that seem to be Bardic in origin? (Disguise spell, perhaps, combined with Perform (oratory)? But this does not explain his ability to cast Cleric spells in the same manner ...)
Addendum: Bardic spellcaster? If so, minimally 4th level caster. If wizard - minimum of 3rd level.

Mystic Theurge? Bard or Wizard / Cleric? Strong supportive evidence for bardic, which would mean something along the lines of Bard 4/Cleric3/Mystic Theurge 8 ... Drat.

Assuming for now that the sand cleric and John Lancaster Cavendish are one and the same person.
Displayed spells: Air walk - Blindness/Deafness - Confusion - Desecrate - Greater Dispel Magic - Mislead - Nondetection - Sound lance - Suggestion (Teleport? Travel domain?), as well as magical disguises (Disguise self most likely).
Most of these (Suggestion excluded) are spells available to a Cleric, several being part of the Trickery domain. This meshes with sand cleric's invisibility, back on Guignol Hall, until it actually attacked and possibly its befuddling of the minds of the expedition members at Guignol Hall, causing them to attack each other.

Other psecialized domains and abilities: Inhuman strength, agility, capacity to withstand physical punishment. Further qualities remain unknown. However: 1) Subject constantly wears dark glasses. Eyes vulnerable to bright light? 2) Trickster cleric would be an accomplished liar, capable of disguising and hiding with greater aptitude than most. 3) John Lancaster Cavendish is a skilled manipulator of people, a consummate actor and orator. He displays considerably artistic talent in song, which seems to support the Bard/Cleric combination theory, rare choice as this would be. Use of the Sound lance spell seems to support this theory, also: this is an individual well familiar with the destructive properties of sound. If he does have Bardic training, the ability to trick, lie and persuade is available to him from both facets of his training.
This is very bad ...

One upside: Trickery does not seem to be in the nature of Anubis. The possibility that this is a real cleric of the Weigher of the Dead therefore becomes negligible, which gives me hope that we will not be attacked by hordes of that deity's clergy as soon as we arrive in the Amber Wastes. Additionally, John Lancaster Cavendish has stated that he torments us because he is bored. A true follower of Anubis would have a better motivation for pursuing us, I am sure. Not to mention the fact that he seems to be a contender for the Eye of Anubis, rather than wanting to stop us from reaching it. (!)

To date, Cavendish has tried a direct assault (Guignol Hall) coupled with intimidation, then tried to set armies of the Charmed or Dominated living and the undead against us, coupled with his own brute magical force. Next tactic ... Since he can travel ahead of us through magic, he could try and set more pitfalls in our way. Twice he has faced us, twice he ran when he felt he was outnumbered and outgunned. Boredom or not, he might try for greater subtlety next time.

End exerpt.
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Entry 3: The Eye of Anubis.

Gemstone, attributed with the power to grant eternal life, also large size.
Monetary value apparently considerable. Exact historic value unknown, but by dint of being part of the Menetnashte collection, would seem to be extremely high.
If power of eternal life is genuine, value increases astronomically, to the right customer.

Question: Immortality in current state of user / rejuvenation to ideal age before immortality is bestowed / undeath? - yuck. Instant clerical lich? Instant ancient dead?
If someone evil gets his hands on the stone and it really has the power, the results would be catastrophic, regardless of how it bestows immortality.
Conclusion: Threat level high. Consider countermeasures.

Deactivation: An elegant solution. If its power could be suppressed, it becomes merely a large gemstone, with only historic and monetary value. Still a great loss if it should fall in the wrong hands, but these can be overcome. Less bad than if some thug like John Lancaster Cavendish gets his hands on it -- or some of the staff members of the University. Lrd. Ramsey? -- and its powers really work. However, this is a divine artifact. Suppressing its powers would be monstrously difficult.

Destruction: A gemstone is a gemstone. A few Shatter spells or a sound beating with a metal object should be capable of destroying even a large gemstone, or at least shattering it to the point that it can no longer hold a magical power. Then again, this is an artifact. If it comes time to destroy the Eye, extreme force might be necessary to overcome its magical nature. Gunpowder? Stronger spells? Query Kuzan on nature of divine artifacts, review previous notes on same. Perhaps speak to Andre; knowledgeable individual.

Safekeeping: Difficult. High level of temptation, long way back from the Amber Wastes to Dementlieu. And who says the stone will be safe from abuse back in Dementlieu?

Theft: Ridiculous. What would I do with the thing? Spend the rest of my life on the run, lugging the wretched thing with me? Bury or store it somewhere in hopes that no one will seek it, or spend the rest of my life guarding it, like some wretched barrow wight? Unacceptable as well as ridiculous. Others might be of a different opinion, however.

Further consideration required.
_____________________________________________________________

Entry 4: Werejackal? Jackalwere?

Speculative. A jackal-shaped creature was reported at Guignol Hall, and may or may not have incapacitated two of the Professors, taking some of their blood for purposes unknown. Scrying focus? Curse focus? Charm or Domination focus? Sympathetic Spell-related?

Whatever the nature of this creature, it has not put in an appearance since departure from Dementlieu - to my knowledge. This bears watching. Suggested course of action: Get my hands on the spell Detect Scrying somehow.

End exerpt.
_____________________________________________________________

Entry 5: Shopping list.

Spells I need to somehow acquire in the foreseeable future:

Detect Thoughts - Lesser Orb of Electricity - Major Image - Shadow Mask - Shatter - Silence.

Difficulty: Money, availability.
Danger: Detect Thoughts could open the door to any number of mental problems if used unwisely.
Option: Suggest usefulness to group, elicit financial support.

End exerpt.

[steveflam]

Ulsaon: Magical travel in Ravenloft is only tricky if there are closed domain borders in the way, I think. Also if you're careless about moving through the ethereal plane. A few teleport without errors would probably see you right, provided the domain lords aren't being private.

I am thinking that Strahd can be fussy. Anyways my point is how did he get there a month before we did ... ok me ranting.

[NeoTiamat]

Book Three is up, Mods, you may close Book Two.

Also, map of the Elazig District is up in the Administration thread (I think I'll call it that from now on).

Side note for Crafters: There were four free days in Ravnika, and a further twelve days on the road.