Yaren looks at his Ankylosaurus. "What should we do about our big companion that I purchased?"
OOC: Where are we on the map Wile_E_Coyote?
Port Nyanzaru, in the harbor at the North end of the peninsula. The expedition Kwalish led predates the founding of the city. It is unclear if they were unaware of the harbor or deterred from using it for some reason.
"Well, now that I think about it, I do have magic that can help with the navigation of this beast across the terrain. We may not need to worry about him until later."
Dorian looks up at the taller folk from where he's inspecting one of the legs of the walking table. "This is a fascinating piece of machinery! I've seen several of these elements used on their own, but not in such a combination..." he interrupts himself. "Ah, there'll be time for that once we're on our way. I did happen to acquire a wondrous boat that could house the lot of us quite easily -- err, though I'm not sure about your beastie outside." He chuckles, a bit of a dry wheeze. He's energetic for a gnome of advanced years, but his age still shows. "Can it swim? Anaxi, I assume you wish us to start at the beginning of the trail, rather than cut through via the river?"He uses prestidigitation to trace a path from Port Nyanzaru down the River Soshenstar.
Shutorn peers at the map and tugs thoughtfully at his forelock which forms most of the hair growing on his head. "Looks to be about a month's journey each way," he says, eyeballing the distance. "I agree with Tel that going by boat as far as Refuge Bay makes the most sense. If that's not possible, however, might I suggest cutting across the peninsula from here to Kitcher's Inlet, and continuing along the coast from there?"
Huarache steps forward. "And what would prevent us from going to Refuge Bay by boat? We'd be sticking to coastline or rivers; there wouldn't be much difficulty with control. And I don't know about the rest of you,"he says, glancing at the others, "but I don't want to hike through the jungle."
"Well, someone had mentioned the port entry fee as a hindrance," Shutorn replies to Huarache, twisting his whispy mustache, "but I'm in agreement with you, my feline friend. With Dorian's wondrous boat at our disposal, we could make much of the journey by sea. I used to build boats myself, but I'm no navigator. Would anyone know how to pilot such a vessel?"
"We need not set sail from the port," Dorian points out. "The boat has both oars and sail, so I'd say 'piloting' might be a bit of a strong term. Remaining near to the coast will help preclude the need for a navigator as well. It's hardly a galley, it's not going to be fast. If the shoreline is open enough, possibly it could be towed like a barge..." Dorian pulls out the parchment with the instructions for the boat and peers at it, trying to determine how fast the boat would probably go. (OOC: the item has no speed stats, but it's about 2x the length of the rowboat in Saltmarsh, if you wanted to use those stats as a starting point.)
"Staying out of the jungle is always a good idea." Leann comments as she listens to the others talking routes. She is wearing her new plate armor. "The coastline is not all that much safer, but we should be able to get to the bay and then head from there."
“If I understand this correctly,” Vernell pipes in after minutes of silence. “We can shortcut this trail, until we reach the mountains, as that’s where the expedition becomes an unknown. We have a guide: a vampire locked in a moving coffin. A vampire of definite disagreeability, and a coffin of unknown security. Anything else?”
"Well there is one thing else." Comes the disgruntled voice from inside the coffin, "You should know that vampires can't tolerate moving water. I can stay in this wretched box, cargo aboard your ship, but even since I saw my last sunrise, river and ocean alike are a source of much anxiety."
Ooc: This is not how I thought this would go. I thought we'd walk around Chult, have a few random encounters then start Kwalish, but it's totally fine to go around the peninsula. I'll tell you now, though: I actually just spent most of the last week in a sea kayak navigating the islands of Maine (that's why my device has been kind of in and out), so I might have a few ideas for random setbacks if you do choose that route, as well. Also, how many of you can comfortably fit on that boat?
Ooc: If you do opt to forego mounts, you can give them back and keep your gold. If you know where your vessel is headed, there's a good chance that you could hire someone in the city to transport them for you. I actually have a list of guides that would be more than willing to do it. The price would be based on how hard it is to access the area by the overland route. As they don't have to go around the NORTHEAST tip of the peninsula, they might even make it there before you. I'd have to count, but you would know before you contract them. That would be a one off though, after that those mounts are yours, nobody would go out into the jungle to pick up your mount and bring it back home, even if you reached them with a sending spell, though the mount might wander back on its own, I wouldn't count on it.
OOC: Yeah, I wasn't sure if there was possibly an in-story reason why we might have to trace the full route that Kwalish was thought to have taken or something. The boat can open up to 24'x8'x6', holding 15 medium creatures comfortably.)
To help you figure out what your doing, I'm pasting the mechanic from ToA for overland travel below (just the relevant bits). This all refers to the map from earlier.
"On the map of ChuIt, each hex measures 10 miles across. Characters moving at a normal pace can travel 1 hex per day on foot through coastal, jungle, mountain, swamp, or wasteland terrain. They can travel 2 hexes per day if they're traveling by canoe on a river or lake. The rate of travel up or down river is the same; the riv- ers are so sluggish that current is almost imperceptible. Without canoes, the normal rate of travel along a river is the same as through the surrounding terrain. Canoes move 1 hex per day through swamp"
"Have the players designate one party member as the navigator. The navigator might be an NPC, such as a guide, and the party can switch its navigator day to day. At the start of each new travel day, the DM makes a Wisdom (Survival) check on behalf of the navigator."
Ooc: The most in story reason for selecting this point is that the Cartophile who contracts you and furnishes you with an NPC would most likely be in Nyanzaru, which also happens to be a place you can get any gear (in theory) you might be looking for and allows for some Chult based random encounters. Some characters in the party seem like they would fit thematically in a jungle full of undead and other things, but there's always the return trip if they survive the Barrier Peaks. I really am leaving it up to you guys though, This is as far from railroad as you can get. The peninsula is yours, an open world, fleshed out with places you can actually explore and things to discover. but you do have a destination which is a pretty self contained module and indeed the one you are playing. This is also why you are leveling by xp rather than milestone, I have no idea how exactly your story will unfurl, but know that overcoming obstacles doesn't mean you have to hack and slash everything you see.
Anyway, that's enough 4th wall breaking. I'll try to be way less pedantic from here out. Just take a vote or turn it over to an NPC or roll dice or whatever else and we'll get you moving, or roleplay it out to your heart's content; take an extra day in the city, if you like. It's your game, enjoy it.
I asked about the number of people on the boat thinking you would consider the river with 2x speed, but then I realized most of you probably don't know the overland movement mechanic so I posted it.
Quote from pocketmouse >>
OOC: Yeah, I wasn't sure if there was possibly an in-story reason why we might have to trace the full route that Kwalish was thought to have taken or something. The boat can open up to 24'x8'x6', holding 15 medium creatures comfortably.)
Yaren looks at his Ankylosaurus. "What should we do about our big companion that I purchased?"
OOC: Where are we on the map Wile_E_Coyote?
The three teachings of Tyre:
Nothing is forbidden.
Nothing is sacred.
Nothing is impossible.
Also I stan Tomoe for life
I must have missed this one.
+1 shield: 785.71428571428571428571428571 gp
Does this wrap up all the starting gear / magic item stuff? If we missed anything PM me.
Port Nyanzaru, in the harbor at the North end of the peninsula. The expedition Kwalish led predates the founding of the city. It is unclear if they were unaware of the harbor or deterred from using it for some reason.
"Well, now that I think about it, I do have magic that can help with the navigation of this beast across the terrain. We may not need to worry about him until later."
The three teachings of Tyre:
Nothing is forbidden.
Nothing is sacred.
Nothing is impossible.
Also I stan Tomoe for life
Dorian looks up at the taller folk from where he's inspecting one of the legs of the walking table. "This is a fascinating piece of machinery! I've seen several of these elements used on their own, but not in such a combination..." he interrupts himself. "Ah, there'll be time for that once we're on our way. I did happen to acquire a wondrous boat that could house the lot of us quite easily -- err, though I'm not sure about your beastie outside." He chuckles, a bit of a dry wheeze. He's energetic for a gnome of advanced years, but his age still shows. "Can it swim? Anaxi, I assume you wish us to start at the beginning of the trail, rather than cut through via the river?" He uses prestidigitation to trace a path from Port Nyanzaru down the River Soshenstar.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
"I can make it fly very fast, but only for a short time. My lute's magic must recharge afterwards."
The three teachings of Tyre:
Nothing is forbidden.
Nothing is sacred.
Nothing is impossible.
Also I stan Tomoe for life
Shutorn peers at the map and tugs thoughtfully at his forelock which forms most of the hair growing on his head. "Looks to be about a month's journey each way," he says, eyeballing the distance. "I agree with Tel that going by boat as far as Refuge Bay makes the most sense. If that's not possible, however, might I suggest cutting across the peninsula from here to Kitcher's Inlet, and continuing along the coast from there?"
Huarache steps forward. "And what would prevent us from going to Refuge Bay by boat? We'd be sticking to coastline or rivers; there wouldn't be much difficulty with control. And I don't know about the rest of you," he says, glancing at the others, "but I don't want to hike through the jungle."
Shonisaurus, Artificer Enthusiast
OOC: If we really won't be able to use the Ankylosaurus can I just get a refund for it?
The three teachings of Tyre:
Nothing is forbidden.
Nothing is sacred.
Nothing is impossible.
Also I stan Tomoe for life
"Well, someone had mentioned the port entry fee as a hindrance," Shutorn replies to Huarache, twisting his whispy mustache, "but I'm in agreement with you, my feline friend. With Dorian's wondrous boat at our disposal, we could make much of the journey by sea. I used to build boats myself, but I'm no navigator. Would anyone know how to pilot such a vessel?"
"We need not set sail from the port," Dorian points out. "The boat has both oars and sail, so I'd say 'piloting' might be a bit of a strong term. Remaining near to the coast will help preclude the need for a navigator as well. It's hardly a galley, it's not going to be fast. If the shoreline is open enough, possibly it could be towed like a barge..." Dorian pulls out the parchment with the instructions for the boat and peers at it, trying to determine how fast the boat would probably go. (OOC: the item has no speed stats, but it's about 2x the length of the rowboat in Saltmarsh, if you wanted to use those stats as a starting point.)
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
"Staying out of the jungle is always a good idea." Leann comments as she listens to the others talking routes. She is wearing her new plate armor. "The coastline is not all that much safer, but we should be able to get to the bay and then head from there."
“If I understand this correctly,” Vernell pipes in after minutes of silence. “We can shortcut this trail, until we reach the mountains, as that’s where the expedition becomes an unknown. We have a guide: a vampire locked in a moving coffin. A vampire of definite disagreeability, and a coffin of unknown security. Anything else?”
Paladin - warforged - orange
"Well there is one thing else." Comes the disgruntled voice from inside the coffin, "You should know that vampires can't tolerate moving water. I can stay in this wretched box, cargo aboard your ship, but even since I saw my last sunrise, river and ocean alike are a source of much anxiety."
Ooc: This is not how I thought this would go. I thought we'd walk around Chult, have a few random encounters then start Kwalish, but it's totally fine to go around the peninsula. I'll tell you now, though: I actually just spent most of the last week in a sea kayak navigating the islands of Maine (that's why my device has been kind of in and out), so I might have a few ideas for random setbacks if you do choose that route, as well. Also, how many of you can comfortably fit on that boat?
(Ooc: plus no mounts are getting on the boat, there simply won't be room...)
Ooc: If you do opt to forego mounts, you can give them back and keep your gold. If you know where your vessel is headed, there's a good chance that you could hire someone in the city to transport them for you. I actually have a list of guides that would be more than willing to do it. The price would be based on how hard it is to access the area by the overland route. As they don't have to go around the NORTHEAST tip of the peninsula, they might even make it there before you. I'd have to count, but you would know before you contract them. That would be a one off though, after that those mounts are yours, nobody would go out into the jungle to pick up your mount and bring it back home, even if you reached them with a sending spell, though the mount might wander back on its own, I wouldn't count on it.
OOC: Yeah, I wasn't sure if there was possibly an in-story reason why we might have to trace the full route that Kwalish was thought to have taken or something. The boat can open up to 24'x8'x6', holding 15 medium creatures comfortably.)
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
To help you figure out what your doing, I'm pasting the mechanic from ToA for overland travel below (just the relevant bits). This all refers to the map from earlier.
"On the map of ChuIt, each hex measures 10 miles across. Characters moving at a normal pace can travel 1 hex per day on foot through coastal, jungle, mountain, swamp, or wasteland terrain. They can travel 2 hexes per day if they're traveling by canoe on a river or lake. The rate of travel up or down river is the same; the riv- ers are so sluggish that current is almost imperceptible. Without canoes, the normal rate of travel along a river is the same as through the surrounding terrain. Canoes move 1 hex per day through swamp"
"Have the players designate one party member as the navigator. The navigator might be an NPC, such as a guide, and the party can switch its navigator day to day. At the start of each new travel day, the DM makes a Wisdom (Survival) check on behalf of the navigator."
"At this rate," Huarache says, "we'll figure out a course by next year at the earliest. Let Xephries pick, and we'll go with that."
Shonisaurus, Artificer Enthusiast