Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[I have updated the entry for Stink of Life on the world site to include the game mechanics. Hopefully that will answer your question about that. With regard to incapacitation, not sure there is anything that Brand can do in the water at this time accept maybe intimidating Rawl into complying.]]

[[ Just a small comment: Recovering 1dN-1 can result i recovering 0; does this mean "no effect"? Is it worth just using one die to recover half a die? Or perhaps 1dN-1, min 1? If it's non-magical, recovering almost a full hit die may be generous, especially since it already allows the cheating of death. ]]

[[Happy to leave this as it is. Hit points are funny things as a character can act normally on 1 hit point and a first level character may be lucky enough to recover all their lost hit points after a short rest. Also the effect is not magical (effectively we are talking about smelling salts), so I am happy for it to have no effect on occasion. Also, having it use a hit dice pre-emptively prevents it from being abused because of their slow recovery.]] 

[[ Can you describe the shore line? Is it shrubby, walled, have any trees etc? I imagine there must be something to protect from the inevitable tides. Is it high-tide, low-tide or other now? How far from waters edge to road/path? ]]

[[The road is five feet above the water level, at the moment, and the occasional king tide does see it flooding though. There are drainage culverts in the bank wall that could be used, but only the occasional tree at the level of the road.]]

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Brand will continue toward the shore, trying for the darkest spot he can reach; if there is a section with wider 'beach' he will go there. eg. drainage culverts etc.

[[It is hard to see anything at this distance because of the darkness and lack of lights of the shore; his Darkvision only has a range of 60']]

Athletics: 8

[[Rawl has made his Death save check, it is Brand's go again.]]

[[ By my estimate he should be 30' from the shore now. He will probably head to a culvert, the noise from the recent rain should reduce his risk of being heard

If 30' is there a culvert that is under a wall and not near a lamp?, ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[ By my estimate he should be 30' from the shore now. He will probably head to a culvert, the noise from the recent rain should reduce his risk of being heard

If 30' is there a culvert that is under a wall and not near a lamp?, ]]

The only streetlight on this entire stretch of road is the one near the guard station (people have been complaining, but the government never does anything about it ;-) ). And Brand can see a suitable drain outlet (hardly a culvert) that he should be able to reach in his next turn, which will give him a place to put Rawl down and provide a place for him also.

Sighting a possible hiding place, Brand makes one last effort to reach the shore, warily looking out for inquisitive passers-by.

Athletics: 3  (see below....or because of bloody failed rolls! 3 rolls all 7 or below. I feel the right to move back to complaining.)

[[ I don't suppose it was getting easier nearer to shore? ]]

[[ Let me know if, due to variations on tide, or river depth etc, he either didn't make it, or didn't have to use his action for movement. That would be convenient.

Would Brand have any chance of stuffing Rawl feet-first into the drainage tunnel this turn? Or is it just a small pipe unsuited to human entry? ]]

Brand is in no danger of drowning because of the Stone of Uplifting, but he doesn't make the riverbank this round (because of the failed roll) and is being swept beyond the drain outlet he was making for. The next drain outlet is further along the shore and it will be two turns before the current will take him close enough. He is currently 10' from the shore and could easily reach the riverbank in his next move, but there is nowhere other than the level of the road he could put Rawl down; there is no beach as such, just a wall. Also, the drain he is being swept towards doesn't look big enough to stuff a human into.

[[Rawl has made his Death saving throw check and it is now Brand's turn.]]

[[ Is this a reasonable interpretation of what happened: Brand failed to swim adequately fast to shore, so by the end of the turn he was opposite the culvert but still 10' out. Next turn, he will be swept another 20'.

My thinking is that Brand can move 30' per turn, the current is 20' per turn, the previous outlet  may be quickest and should still be reachable, since it will be within 30'  (22' in fact). Also, current should be slower at edge of water, so it may be easier for him to move near the wall, then back. Let me know if this is possible.]]

[[Make a Strength (Athletics) check to try to reach the original drain outlet.]]

Athletics: 13

[[ If he makes it(!!) let me know if he has any move or action left!]]

Pushing hard, Brand makes it into the quieter water downstream of the drain outlet and finds that there is narrow ledge about 6 inches under the level of the water where he can prop Rawl up against the wall. [[He has used his Move and his Bonus Action (Dash) and still has his normal Action.]] 

[[ Situation check. Heres my assumptions:

- It's very dark in the drain for a normal person

- Brand and Rawl are crouched in the drain, Rawl leaning against a wall

Also, it would be good to know what's possible.

1. Rawl previously drew his dagger from inside his clothes/armour. Is he wearing other weapons?

2. Could Brand find that dagger, put it under Rawls chin and use Stink of Life on Rawl this turn?]]

[[Sorry. Family has arrived for Christmas Eve dinner, more later tonight—possibly.]]

[[ And because I always add more...is there any sign Rawl is still breathing? Rattling/rasping breath etc?]]

Quote from phillberrie >>

[[Sorry. Family has arrived for Christmas Eve dinner, more later tonight—possibly.]]

 [[ No worries. It is that time of year. Happy Christmas.

We're still trying to decide which Christmas movie to watch: Anna and the Apocalypse or Die Hard. Hope you have a chance to properly relax. ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[ Situation check. Heres my assumptions:

- It's very dark in the drain for a normal person

[[Correct.]]

- Brand and Rawl are crouched in the drain, Rawl leaning against a wall

[[The drain is far too small to fit a person. You are on a ledge that seems to run along the wall below the level of the drain outlet, which is currently about 6' underwater. The ledge is about 18" wide.]]

Also, it would be good to know what's possible.

1. Rawl previously drew his dagger from inside his clothes/armour. Is he wearing other weapons?

[[An examination of Rawl reveals that he has no other weapons apart from a belt knife with a small blade that he would use for eating.]]

2. Could Brand find that dagger, put it under Rawls chin and use Stink of Life on Rawl this turn?]]

[[Brand's examination does not find the dagger he saw Rawl using previously, neither does it find a sheathe that would have accommodated a curved dagger like Brand saw.]]

[[ And because I always add more...is there any sign Rawl is still breathing? Rattling/rasping breath etc?]]

[[Make a Wisdom (Medicine) check against a DC of 5]]

Wisdom (med): 14

2. Could Brand find that dagger, put it under Rawls chin and use Stink of Life on Rawl this turn?]]

[[Brand's examination does not find the dagger he saw Rawl using previously, neither does it find a sheathe that would have accommodated a curved dagger like Brand saw.]]

[[ Based on the previous views, did it look like a magical dagger, or a dagger composed entirely of magic? ]]

Could Brand put one of his own daggers under Rawls chin and use Stink of Life on Rawl this turn?]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

Wisdom (med): 14

[[It is not immediately obvious, but Rawl is still breathing.]]

[[Goodnight, and Merry Christmas.]]

[[ Could Brand tell from that if Rawl is out of danger, or may yet die? ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[ Could Brand tell from that if Rawl is out of danger, or may yet die? ]]

[[He seems to be stable; he's a tough bugger.]]

[[ Based on the previous views, did it look like a magical dagger, or a dagger composed entirely of magic? ]]

[[Brand didn't get a good look at the dagger, but it did seem to be a physical thing.]]

Could Brand put one of his own daggers under Rawls chin and use Stink of Life on Rawl this turn?]]

[[Not this turn, but I'm happy to go out of combat now. Rawl is stable and, unless Brand intervenes, he will stay unconscious for at least an hour. Mind you, the ledge is narrow, and the river off the side of the ledge is deep, so this may not be the best place to wake him up.]]

 

[[ Not having to wake Rawl is an excellent Christmas present!]]

Brand once more uses the Stone of Unseeing and searches Rawl a little more slowly and carefully.

He will also turn back to Tinkerbell and ask, "Did Rima survive? Up and down for yes, left to right for no and back and forth for unknown."

[[ Does Brand know about warlock pacts, specifically Blade? Did Rawl ever have an aura, eg. Back at the residence? ]]

Quote from AlaricBrand >>

[[ Not having to wake Rawl is an excellent Christmas present!]]

Brand once more uses the Stone of Unseeing and searches Rawl a little more slowly and carefully.

[[Brand finds that Rawl is wearing studded leather under his lined coat and while he has a sheathe at his side, there is no sword in it; though Brand remembers that he did have one earlier in the night. Brand cannot see any sight of the dagger or any concentrations of magick beyond the normal background level. For anything more, you will need to make a Perception check.]]

He will also turn back to Tinkerbell and ask, "Did Rima survive? Up and down for yes, left to right for no and back and forth for unknown."

[[After a moment, the glowing ball moves backwards and forwards.]]

[[ Does Brand know about warlock pacts, specifically Blade? Did Rawl ever have an aura, eg. Back at the residence? ]]

[[I've been mindful of this and Brand hasn't actually been close enough to Rawl while using the Stone of Unseeing until the fight on the road when he saw the glow on the dagger. And at that time, Rawl himself didn't have an aura; I would have mentioned it if he had. Regarding warlock pacts, Make an Arcana check.]]