[OOC] The Vernable Archer

[Mindsiege]

Originally Posted by jbear

Why is the dragon blocking it off exactly?

I'm imagining that's the treasury, but there might be a deeper meaning.

Originally Posted by Retry

The only reason was the class feat version of polymorph, Wild Shape, explicitly states you keep class features. While polymorph states your abilities are replaced.

For what it's worth, I would agree with this. Whether an ability remains active on the polymorphed creature should hinge on the ability's source. If the source of the ability is the polymorphed creature itself and it loses the ability through the polymorph, the ability should stop being active. For example, a giant ape can't rage, so it falls out of rage once it's polymorphed. Naturally that's different from any of the other examples where the source of the ability is a spell/condition, which should remain active as long as the spell/condition persists. Personally I could see an argument that a polymorphed creature should be allowed to keep its concentrations on spells, but I could also understand that falling subject to the process of being transformed into an entirely different creature should simply break concentration. I don't think that part is settled by the rules however, so it's probably up to the GM to figure out.

@edit:
Mind you, that's just what I figure the rules give us. I don't mind in the least if this one shot ends on a raging, giant beast showing the dragon how scary a barbarian's rage can be with an able body behind it. At the end of the day I'm more interested in the narrative side of things than the grognard aspect of the game.

[Yoshimi]

@Jbear Shear goes before Stew so will you attack once more as Shear (and post before me) or ready action and have Stew go first? Not sure if you're allowed to ready an action for a form you don't have yet but let me know.

[Retry]

Would it make it easier for me to merge lair actions with Tuck's turn? This way we can stick eith block initiative instead so he can act as if he were an ape already?

[Yoshimi]

What's block initiative exactly?

[Mindsiege]

Originally Posted by Retry

Would it make it easier for me to merge lair actions with Tuck's turn? This way we can stick eith block initiative instead so he can act as if he were an ape already?

I won't mind either way. Block initiative simplifies things. I'm not sure how impactful it will be if Tucker were to take all his legendary actions, lair action, and turn on the same initiative slot, but I don't think we have too many healing sources anyways so maybe it doesn't make a big difference how exactly the harmful effects are spread out. If you feel like spreading things out isn't a hassle, I won't mind if we keep it like you've been doing so far.

[Retry]

The legendary actions will continue to continue whenever. Thats the whole point of them.

With block initiative there will be really no noticable change to how things are currently. Its always as such:
- PCs who beat enemy init
- Enemy
- Pcs who lost to enemy init

As opposed to:
- PC 1
- PC 2
- Enemy
- PC 3
- PC 4

So if Stew were to post before Shear or Uzza before Ace, you can treat their move as going first. Opposed to having to think "okay Uzza posted first but Ace is before him so we need to treat Uzza's attack as not happening yet and-"

Again, no noticable change for you guys, really. Just removing the chronological limitations more or less.

[Mindsiege]

As a post scrip to the Polymorph discussion, I actually think allowing class features to persist on the polymorphed creature is simply hilarious. We should have brought a Bladsinger Wizard with our party, then we could have introduced a ballerina dinosaur to the boss battle.

[Yoshimi]

Right so my question stands. For storytelling reasons, I'm wondering if Shear will decide to attack as himself this round, or instead if he will Ready Action: Attack with trigger "Turn into Ape."

If the former, it will be awkward narrative-wise for me to post first. If the latter, it would be awkward narrative-wise for him to post first.

[jbear]

I don't think Shear would know a polymorph spell was coming so he would keep fighting. Ideally, Ace would move into position and then Shear and Ace would go ham, but Shear can get his own CAdv, so I can take Shear's turn first if that gets the ball rolling. I'll get a post up tomorrow or Monday.

[Mindsiege]

Incidentally, we do have telepathy, right? So Stew can just tell Shear to prepare for the polymorph. I don't think that we need to write that out in chronological order, you could just assume that the telepathic communication has already happened by the start of your turn.

[Yoshimi]

If Free Actions don't have to be in initiative order, yes. Or if we minorly retcon that Stew conveyed it as a free action on his last turn.

But it's fine to wait, too.

[ElderOblex]

I can totally sympathize on having mini oblexes getting Polymorphed into giant apes and not being able to post properly (or even sit in front of a laptop)!

[Retry]

Hey team,

I am really behind this week due to a slew of impromptu meetings that were sprung on me this week. Don't worry about getting a post out this week if you're caught up by x/y/z - as I'll likely be delayed myself. I'm very sorry

[Mindsiege]

Okay, that's good to know, if not pleasant news. I am actually scampering to make good on everything myself, so bumping Ace's post down a little will help.

[Retry]

Tucker failed his DEX save and is glowing from Faerie Fire. Advantage to strikes against him.