# 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:** 30
**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, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/581 "2008-05-15T18:13:56Z")
[QUOTE=sachertorte] What does +1 mean? And for that matter, what does +2 mean for the axe? [/QUOTE] In the case of armour, it provides more protection than standard; in the case of a weapon, it is more likely to hit, and it inflicts more severe wounds when it does hit. All in terms of the combat tables, which you don’t necessarily need to know about. Finally, some creatures are not harmed by normal weapons, but are vulnerable to magic weapons if the enchantment (plusses) is high enough. ---
**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, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/582 "2008-05-15T18:28:54Z")
Magic armour is also usually lighter than the mundane equivalent, allowing the wearer to move faster. Go on Bjarni - take the Magic Plate! ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/583 "2008-05-16T02:31:44Z")
Osvald votes yes for the Ghostie Vikings to Search the ship in the middle of the Harbor, if that fails, I suppose we can use the Detect Magic and Detect Evils and that sort of things later. By “unable to grasp” Do you mean i failed for those two spells only and learned everything else? Or that I just failed on those two and that’s my first attempt? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/584 "2008-05-16T07:12:17Z")
[QUOTE=RoOsh] By “unable to grasp” Do you mean i failed for those two spells only and learned everything else? Or that I just failed on those two and that’s my first attempt? [/QUOTE] The former, except that he has not yet attempted the 3rd-level spells. Choosing a time when it will not obstruct traffic too much, Bjarni and the crew of _Black Snake_ paddle her into the middle of the harbour, and while Sorely stands by with his newly-acquired Horn at the ready, Ivar goes over the ship carefully from stem to stern with Detect Magic running. Nothing registers. He casts Detect Evil and proceeds with equal care from stern to stem, and also equal lack of result. At this point a voice that only Osvald hears - and a voice unlike any he has previously heard - says “Gosh, isn’t this exciting? I hope we find something soon!”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/585 "2008-05-16T10:19:06Z")
DM, presumably the mechanical snake **could** have escaped between the time the thralls reported seeing it and when Ivar magically searched the ship? How many thralls saw it? Could Ivar have checked the metal and gems for Magic too? It’s great that Osvald has extra spells he can learn. Can Sorely learn spells from the Book too? Is there anything we can do with spell pages that none of our casters can learn? You can’t take pages out - but can you e.g. copy them? What do most casters do to build up a Book that is 100% useful to them? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/586 "2008-05-16T10:35:52Z")
Is it possible that this snake would not register on a Detect Magic, being entirely clockwork? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/587 "2008-05-16T11:05:17Z")
[QUOTE=glee] DM, presumably the mechanical snake **could** have escaped between the time the thralls reported seeing it and when Ivar magically searched the ship? How many thralls saw it? Could Ivar have checked the metal and gems for Magic too? It’s great that Osvald has extra spells he can learn. Can Sorely learn spells from the Book too? Is there anything we can do with spell pages that none of our casters can learn? You can’t take pages out - but can you e.g. copy them? What do most casters do to build up a Book that is 100% useful to them? [/QUOTE] No thralls reported _seeing_ a snake - only finding a rat that was dead in apparently the same manner as the rabbit you saw earlier. Yes - Ivar reports that the platinum and gems are non-magical. Sorely cannot learn Wizard spells in my system. (His magic works a little differently.) Wizards can, and often do, copy spells into a book of their own, and can then dispose of any surplus tomes in any manner they see fit. To copy a spell they must either (a) understand it or (b) use a [color=blue]Write spell - that’s what it’s for, it works on spells that you either do not or cannot understand and gives you a safe copy of a spell that you want to try to learn when you have more levels or a higher Intelligence.[/color] > [@appleciders](#): > > Is it possible that this snake would not register on a Detect Magic, being entirely clockwork? It’s possible, but you have certainly never heard of anything behaving in a quasi-intelligent manner while being neither alive nor undead nor magical. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/588 "2008-05-16T12:47:52Z")
Aha - so we don’t know if there actually is a snake on the Black Snake! Could any thrall guess how long the rat had been dead?! Osvald, do you have the Write spell? It sounds as if it’s worth you copying all the spells you might want into your books, so we can then sell the other book. Ulf would like to finish helping to make his Bear-Tooth Totem before we go, please! Ulf assumes we have raised 100gp from the sale of the broken automaton, and that it was divided 16gp to Bjarni, Ulf, Jorund, Ivar and Osvald and 8gp to Henrik and Redbeard. Vikings, Ulf may need about 40gp to pay for his Totem - could anyone lend him some? :o ---
**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 16, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/589 "2008-05-16T14:27:43Z")
“We no find nothing maybe Kim just be have fun with us. . . Ulf I lend much I can I no need now. While Ulf play with teeth me stay here and drink with Sorely, he tell good tales.” ---
**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 16, 2008, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/590 "2008-05-16T14:47:22Z")
well if the creature is not on the boat then it may be back at woolverton. Poor town. Owlbears now this. I think 40gp is a small price. I have no problem funding the totem from my funds or group funds. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/591 "2008-05-16T17:09:44Z")
[QUOTE=sachertorte] I think 40gp is a small price. I have no problem funding the totem from my funds or group funds. [/QUOTE] Much appreciated. Last call for buying you Magic Plate! ---
**Author:** ![duncfoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a587f6/32.png) [@duncfoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duncfoo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/592 "2008-05-16T18:47:25Z")
“Let us just be weary when at sea then. If this mechanical snake is following us, then surely we will see it once it emerges, only to lose its head.” Lets do a normal search of the boat with the horn out and ready. We might not find the damm thing. “Sorry Ulf but it looks to be that this snake truly is a sneak.” Sorely will shrug and examine the horn, trying to determine any LEGEND LORE about it. “There might be a story of this…” Lets go forward with the Plate. Well protected is well lived. I think we should be mostly done in town, except the totems. The winds call us towards the violence and passion of Adventure! ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/593 "2008-05-16T18:55:08Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Osvald, do you have the Write spell? :o [/QUOTE] No sadly, I don’t believe I do. I’ll have to lug the book around in the meanwhiles. [QUOTE=Malacandra] At this point a voice that only Osvald hears - and a voice unlike any he has previously heard - says “Gosh, isn’t this exciting? I hope we find something soon!”. 🙂 [/QUOTE] “Oh I know! I hope it’s friendly- I would love to see another Auto-Ma-Ton!” says Osvald absentmindedly aloud. “Say… you don’t sound like Kim. You should meet him sometime while you’re up there. But I’m Osvald by the way. Fancy a Cup of Tea after all this snake business is settled?” ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/594 "2008-05-16T19:00:52Z")
“Say, maybe we should buy some rabbits, and release them onto the Ship? That way we won’t have fear of the snake in the future for some time, as it will be able to just feed on the rabbits? And if we have no snakes on board, well then we won’t need to worry! We’ll just have a minor Rabbit infestation- we’ll certainly eat well then! That sounds like a lovely idea, don’t you think? Of course, I suppose if the Auto-Ma-ton snake doesn’t NEED to eat, then it’s all moot, right? But maybe we’d find some dead rabbits that he’d have bitten by accident?” interjects Osvald to the others searching the ship, trying to be helpful. ---
**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 16, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/595 "2008-05-16T19:20:35Z")
“First Bearowlies now rabbits me think Osvald want to be farmer not viking me hope we no find baby giant on travel he want to make it pet.” Jorund goes and gets another mead shaking his head ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/596 "2008-05-16T20:22:23Z")
Before we leave then: - Ulf wants to help finish (and pay for) his Bear Tooth Totem necklace - Osvald could ask around for a Write spell - Bjarni makes the decision on Magic Plate - we decide whether to search the ship by hand ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/597 "2008-05-16T22:00:30Z")
In the time it takes to get your necklace made, you have no success finding anyone willing to teach Write. You will still need to figure out an appropriate time, place and means to sanctify it. The other two decisions are entirely up to you Vikings. ---
**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 16, 2008, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/598 "2008-05-16T22:02:00Z")
“We no need to search again . . . We find more poison stabbied rats maybe we look again . . . Lets go look at island” ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/599 "2008-05-16T22:24:02Z")
Ulf has 66 gp, so with the kind assistance of Bjarni’s 40 gp, he pays Hairybreeks 100gp for the Bear-Tooth necklace Totem and has 6 gp left. Ulf will ask Sorely the Skald for any tips on how Ulf’s Totem might be sanctified. Combat? Ritual? Sacrifice? ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2008, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033/600 "2008-05-17T04:16:34Z")
Hmm… any Chance Osvald can find some rabbits in tow? He’ll look around to find 2-3 Rabbits and see if he can sneak them onto the Ship while the others deal with Plate Armor and the like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033.md?page=29) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/d-d-game-3-vikings/443033.md?page=31)