# D&D Game 3: Vikings! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 28, 2008, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033 "2008-03-28T11:37:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 29
**Author:** ![duncfoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@duncfoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duncfoo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/561 "2008-05-13T05:58:31Z")
Sorely will grin “Hnefetafl, I’ve a game or two in my past. I’ll surely not tell you my winning strategy, but I’ll try and demonstrate them. As to the Tea and Automons, I’ll know more when I encounter them… Much the same the maidens,” Sorely will finish with a blush on his face. “I’ve all my stuff for the _Black Snake_ on me. Traveling light leaves room for the adventure, so my father Thorn was known to say.” ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/562 "2008-05-13T14:47:18Z")
“Huh . . . Me think we have new person to fight with . . . You like mead? Need deal with poison stabbie thing on boat but then we drink mead and you tell us stories. If you drink and tell stories much good me like if not we see if you can swim.” Jorund gives Sorely a large smile and a pat on the back that nearly brings him to his knees. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/563 "2008-05-13T17:45:30Z")
[QUOTE=Oredigger77] " Need deal with poison stabbie thing on boat but then we drink mead and you tell us stories. [/QUOTE] At then mention of that, Osvald’s face falls. “Oh yes. The Poison stabbie thingie on the boat. I forgot about that…” He sighs. “This day will be delightful… can’t really use my fire spells on such a thing like that- not if we still WANT to have a boat to come back to… Hmmm… But at least we may have Viking Brothers to search it out for us!” ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/564 "2008-05-13T20:49:56Z")
Fast-forwarding a little, you manage to ascertain that the book is safe to open. You will need a Read Magic or two to decipher it, but at the moment you are in a safe enough place and can spare the time to check it out. It contains the following wizard spells: Burning Hands (alt) Feather Fall (alt) Shield (evo) Ventriloquism (ill) Detect Evil (div) Detect Invisibility (div) Forget (ench) Pyrotechnics (alt) Fireball (evo) Protection from Normal Missiles (abj) Confusion (ench) Remember that **conj** urations and **ench** antments are no use to Osvald; the other spells that are not **evo** cations he can try to learn (well, up to 2nd level at the moment) but is less likely to manage. Books are not scrolls; the spells cannot be cast from them directly, but must be learned and prepared. Individual pages can’t be removed and sold. Yacub gives the gems and platinum the once-over and, in view of your other trades, will exchange the _plate mail_ for them if you so wish. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/565 "2008-05-13T21:14:38Z")
I have a terrible sense of economy, I have no idea if the trades are good or not. What are the chances that the gems are valuable beyond the diamond variety? Is it plausible that the gems contain magical properties? Is there a way to check? I’m fine trading more stuff to get the plate armor. Presumably, the value will be retained to some extent and we can trade it for something else later. Metal bars have no utility beyond financial value. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/566 "2008-05-14T05:12:47Z")
Just as a Handy Guide for myself: Burning Hands (alt) Feather Fall (alt) Shield (evo) Already Have Ventriloquism (ill) Detect Evil (div) Detect Invisibility (div) Forget (ench) No Use Pyrotechnics (alt) _Fireball (evo)_ Easier Time to learn! Protection from Normal Missiles (abj) Confusion (ench) No Use The Regular sized spells are the ones I can try to learn- ooh and what a list! Any suggestions on how to go about this? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/567 "2008-05-14T05:35:36Z")
I don’t think you have to do anything in particular to learn them- the spellbook is enough. +1 Plate mail for all five bars of platinum _and_ the gems? No way, that’s too steep. We’ll pass. ---
**Author:** ![duncfoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@duncfoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duncfoo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/568 "2008-05-14T07:04:21Z")
Indeed. Keep the book around. Gives you more options for when you need them. I advice just keeping which ever spells fit Oswald’s personality. So, pretty explody and interesting. Yay Fireball!! Sorely will follow the party to the boat telling stories of the strength of his father to Jorund. “A man of your strength, to hear it told. Say did I hear you have something poisonious on the boat?” Sorely will pale very noticeably and begun to swear under his breath. Sorely has a large fear of diseases and poisons. Useful Link for Everyone: [2ned Searchable Spell List](http://http://www.wizardmark.com/spellinv/spells.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/569 "2008-05-14T07:27:08Z")
As a minor point of procedure, Osvald cannot yet learn [color=blue]Fireball or “Prot Normal”, as he can’t cast 3rd-level spells.[/color] Where next, Vikings? As Sorely has alluded, the “Vectis” mentioned in the fragment in the wizard’s journal is an island a little to the south of here; at any rate, that was the Roman name for it, and of course Latin words and placenames are still sometimes used by scholars all over the known world. On studying the spellbook, Osvald finds himself unable to grasp Burning Hands or Feather Fall. If he keeps the book and somehow manages to increase his Intelligence, he can try again later. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/570 "2008-05-14T12:54:36Z")
OK, we all agreed on the **Horn** and \*\*Battle Axe \*\* trade. Ulf thanks the party for the \*\*(+2) Battle Axe \*\* and states that all the other party members must take priority in future magic deals. He suggests that Sorely takes the **Valhalla Horn** : - it may work better in the hands of a Skald - the other casters have good spells to cast He also thinks the party should take the deal for the Magic Plate - the tougher we are, the more monsters we defeat! ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/571 "2008-05-14T13:50:48Z")
“Me happy we no get steel so make us fight like men. . . Me think Sorely tell good story of Vectis and burned book tell us big weapon hide there we should go. To stop follows maybe we sail into ocean then search ship that way no escape and no coming back if boat empty. . . Sorely you tell good tale but I still no sure of you we need see if you can drink.” ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/572 "2008-05-15T09:50:40Z")
Do you now wish to move on? ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/573 "2008-05-15T14:14:32Z")
I thought we were going mechanical snake hunting. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/574 "2008-05-15T15:22:41Z")
How would you like to do that? ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/575 "2008-05-15T15:40:23Z")
If we are hang out in Town for some time, we could send the ghost vikings in to search the ship. I’m guessing poison doesn’t work on ghosts. Or we could have the spellcasters do their magical sleuthing. Or we could just, you know, search the ship. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/576 "2008-05-15T15:55:37Z")
“If we search ship and poison stabby thing escape ship we no find it but it could sneaky on after we search. If we sail boat out into water there no way to run or if already run no way to get back . . . Ummmm, me think?” ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/577 "2008-05-15T17:06:06Z")
[QUOTE=Oredigger77] “If we search ship and poison stabby thing escape ship we no find it but it could sneaky on after we search. If we sail boat out into water there no way to run or if already run no way to get back . . . Ummmm, me think?” [/QUOTE] This is a good point- we could ensure that the whole place gets searched if we can do it while out in the middle of the harbor. ---
**Author:** ![duncfoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@duncfoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duncfoo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/578 "2008-05-15T17:55:22Z")
Either way we will be leaving on the boat. So lets handle this after we get on the water and start moving towards the next destination. Are we looking at going south to the Island of Vectis? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/579 "2008-05-15T18:08:00Z")
Ulf likes all of these: - using Detect Magic and Dispel Magic to search for the mechanical snake - doing it in the middle of the harbour - having the summoned Vikings involved If we do catch the thing undamaged, we get more money for it (which does suggest the spells are best). Also we already have a buyer for the snake in Harwic, so Ulf suggests we don’t sail for Vectis just yet. Maybe the snake will get us the Magic Plate?! Otherwise Ulf realises he’s not getting much support for buying the (+1) Plate with all our precious metals + gems, but it really seems like a great deal to him: - we get an item we can use (Bjarni or Ivar) - we don’t have to lug the metals around, or risk leaving them on the boat (‘ **the best treasure is that which you both carry and use!** ’) - we protect either our leader or our Cleric ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/580 "2008-05-15T18:10:35Z")
What does +1 mean? And for that matter, what does +2 mean for the axe? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033.md?page=28) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033.md?page=30)