[OOC] Noble Hubris

[secretID]

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

other wizard-multiclassers are going to run into this topic too and I can't do it differently than the other GMs would.

Actually I just had an exchange this morning with a player who wants to multiclass into wizard, and will pay the 50.

[Mindsiege]

Originally Posted by secretID

Actually I just had an exchange this morning with a player who wants to multiclass into wizard, and will pay the 50.

I'll not act like I am clairvoyant, but I will say that I know exactly who you are talking about.

[LeDragon]

Wait, we can buy elephants in Westhaven? Why did no-one tell me this before???? How much is one?

[Mindsiege]

Originally Posted by LeDragon

Wait, we can buy elephants in Westhaven? Why did no-one tell me this before???? How much is one?

It's an option straight from the PHB and we've never put any limits on those. You can buy one for 200gp. Maybe that hasn't been relevant for you yet or you hadn't yet read the chapter on equipment completely? Either way, it certainly requires some GM support and not every mount can go on every adventure. And then there's also to consider what to do with your mount once you unexpectedly can't continue bringing them with you during the adventure. Personally, I wouldn't really take any animals adventuring without bringing some hirelings along to take care of them in the worst case. Having an expensive mount die on you during the adventure or simply having it get lost would be pretty unfortunate. Truthfully, I wouldn't really buy any kind of animals to take adventuring while they fall outside of the range of spending money. I think you'll have to level up quite a few more levels before 200gp feels cheap.

@edit:
I will say however that I'm playing a character in a one-shot where I did have that spending money and was able to just take an elephant mount along as a bonus. It made for some pretty fun RP (and still might), though I must say that my character (as well as me the player) got pretty attached to that elephant, so it definitely came with a bit of an opportunity cost to bring the animal along. Still fun though.

[secretID]

I think mounts in general are underappreciated. The ability to disengage without triggering an opportunity attack is often more valuable than the extra movement. Elephants are of course spectacular at lower levels.

RP aside, the main problem with mounts is their size. Elephants are 3x3 map squares, 15’ wide, and even a horse is 2x2, a problem for dungeons and similar. Small PCs are great because they can ride donkeys, which are only Medium, so you can go anywhere.

I had a polearm fighter use an elephant (and a backup) for a while, and learned a lot. One interesting question is the rider’s location on the mount, for map/fighting purposes. Crawford’s ruling is that you pick a space on the mount to locate the rider, and we went with that ruling. That meant that my fighter was moving around on a 3x3 platform, which he could also cause to move. In game terms, even while on a horse the rider can move around on the 2x2 horse’s back.

[Mindsiege]

@LeDragon:
Could I get you to make a Perception check for Namfoodle and let me know the result after you added it to your IC post? Thanks!

[LeDragon]

13

@secretID: better prepare a good excuse for listening at other people's doors.

[Mindsiege]

I'm tallying up the votes and considering that the herbalist is definitely the closer one, we're ending up with:

2 - mahout (Namfoodle, Punxl)
2 - neutral (Derek, Aurora)
1 - herbalist (Oguun)

So if Baxan still prefers starting at the herbalist, we would be dead even. I think, a fun way to resolve this scene would be a Persuasion contest between Namfoodle and Baxan, who seem to be the most fervent characters for either option. I generally don't allow CHA checks to influence PCs and expect arguments like this to be settled in RP, but in moments like this where there are no apparent stakes and it wouldn't really add to the adventure to spend another lap of posts on arguing more, I think a Persuasion contest could bring about a respectable conclusion. No character would need to change their thinking and be literally persuaded, we'd only use the roll for me to decide where the party goes next.

Let me know if that kind of social PvP would be fun for you (it's really nothing I commonly support), or if you would prefer to settle this argument OOC. If Baxan agrees to go to the elephants first, then the vote is decided in that direction anyways. As the GM I'm not invested in the result of your discussion. If as a player you don't like the idea of deciding a split vote via a Persuasion contest, then we won't do it. It would have to be a unanimous preference of the group for me to allow it and it would be a one-time deal. If one of the players decides against a contest and the group can't find a decision before my next GM update, then I will resolve the party's decision via coinflip.

@edit:
To the point of Phil's contribution to the discussion, it is entirely correct that the elephant trainers would be a pretty small social circle.

[Mindsiege]

Just to keep you looped in, I'm planning to write my update on the weekend at the latest.

[Mindsiege]

Hmm, I want to add to the IC update that there are still plenty of Westhaven citizens around who went unmentioned because they're either avoiding you, ignoring you, or simply not blatantly observing you. This isn't one of Westhaven's busiest streets, but there's still a reasonable amount of traffic as people go about their morning. Only the plaza is deserted.

@edit:
As of now I've edited that information into the GM instructions of the last update, if you're wondering about reading this double.

@2nd edit:
Also, just to clarify the term 'hawk' was only used to figuratively describe the old woman, not literally. She's very much human and lacks a beak. I just wanted to clarify in case something got lost in translation.

[Mindsiege]

I forgot to mention in my last post that the window which the old woman is standing by and watching you from is actually open. So by approaching her you may address and talk to her directly.

@Noquarter:
If you want to edit your dialogue in the last paragraph accordingly, you may do so. If you won't find the time, that's no problem. I can reinterpret Baxan's approach with my next GM post to fit with it the information that I forgot to share. Also, sorry!

[Noquarter19]

Tweak incoming. No worries.

[Mindsiege]

@BarrowB:
I wasn't sure if it came across correctly, but you're really still a step away from crossing into the enclave proper. The enclave makes up a pretty large area, and it's all pretty lush with vegetation. My intent was to convey that the plaza here at the entrance is not part of the day-to-day business and that the action is a bit further in, certainly a bit removed from the roadside traffic and day-to-day bustling of the city. But Aurora would be aware that there's some activity in the campgrounds ahead, so if she looks out for it and gets a good Perception check she just might catch a glimpse of an elephant even from her current position. Below, I drew a small sketch to vaguely depict your current situation. You're right at the edge of the plaza where the street is crossing into something like a bent T. I also drew in the plaza, the dirt path, the slope, the sign, the old woman's home, and the vegetation.

Disclaimer: The sketch is not at all to any scale!

 

[BarrowB]

Originally Posted by Mindsiege

But Aurora would be aware that there's some activity in the campgrounds ahead, so if she looks out for it and gets a good Perception check she just might catch a glimpse of an elephant even from her current position.

Oooooh, okay.
Removed the part about seeing no elephants.

[Togot]

i'll get a post up tomorrow