Topic: Xa-ar issues (spoilers! Players should back of this thread)

[DangerMan]

Am I the only one GMing Xa-ar? I'm having trouble from time to time and would love to discuss ceratin issues with other GMs.

First question concerns the tree plattform in the sphere caves. Did anyone go throught the trouble of mapping this place out? If so I would love to get a copy. Might be my lack of ranks in English written, but I dont quite understand the anti-magic field - where exactly is it placed. The following sentence is giving me a headache:

There is a 350´ diameter ring of eighteen, 20´ tall black eog pillars, which creates an anti-magic torus extending fifty feet from the edge of the platform on the outside and on the inside beyond a clear area in the center about 100´ across, and up to 100´ high.

Beyond a clear area!?

[egdcltd]

I think it goes like this. The platform is a circle 700 feet in diameter. The platform is covered by an anti-magic field that extends 50 feet beyond the edge of the platform, i.e. 800 feet in diameter, and 100 feet in the air above the platform floor. This field covers the entire platform except in the absolute centre where there is a circle of 100 feet in diameter which it doesn't cover. So, travelling in to the centre from the outside at 400 feet from the centre you will reach the edge of the anti-magic field; at 350 feet you will reach the edge of the platform itself, at 175 feet the ring of eog pillars and at 50 feet you will reach the end of the anti-magic field.

[Voriig Kye]

Just so you know, I am GMing this module. After a year long (real time) campaign the players have finally arrived to the spherical caves last session. In one or two sessions I expect them to reach the platform. The description from egdcltd seems valid to me. If you need to discuss any other aspect of the campaign, let me know here or via PM.

[markc]

 I agree with egdcltd and his description. I guess you could say it is a round donut if that shape helps you out any.
MDC

[Terry K. Amthor]

Thanks for helping out guys. I guess I was a little too technical with the term 'torus' but yes it is essentially a donut-shaped field.

[DangerMan]

Okay. So it covers almost everything, except the inner part. Thanks guys. I guess there will be no flying spells to get to the plattform and players will ahve to figure out the jumping stone thingy...

We've been playing for about a year, thirty session or so, and have just reached the sphere caves as well. Those Ice demons proved a tough match and had them running on the first encounter. Probably gonna have a TPK when the shards wake up...

Voriig Kye: I'm gonna take you up on that!

[egdcltd]

I think you could reach the platform by flying. The anti-magic field doesn't cancel out magical items, so if one conferred the ability to fly, that would work. Also, the field only extends 100 feet above the platform and the cavern roof is over 2000 feet at its highest. You would have to fly up over the field, and then down into the centre though, which is something fairly unlikely to be realised the first time. It's more likely that a player would fly straight out, hit the field, then fall downwards whilst desperately trying to recast a spell.

[markc]

 Is there a spell that will let you see magic fields? I seem to remember one somewhere.
MDC

[DangerMan]

What about an arcane user entering the Isle of Lost Magic? Would he be able to learn spells from all three realms form the element books?

[Terry K. Amthor]

Is there a spell that will let you see magic fields? I seem to remember one somewhere.
MDC

I would think that the spell 'Perceive Power' or even the skill 'Power Perception' could potentially be used in this case to see the void in ambient Essence.

[Melkor723]

My party is heading towards the Bridge Caves, too.  My biggest concern right now is the shards.  I'm not sure of their battle tactics, and I'm afraid I might let them go down too easily.  Anyone have any ideas?

[Voriig Kye]

The shards should be easy enough if they have the Mah'Ilari maces (my group has collected 2 of them).
They previously encountered them in the Dir Forest, but the Shards merely played with them (they were low level at the time) and the party got away (lots of heavy cover, then headed for the the shrine). "Got Away" = burned all of their fate points escaping and the next fight they got into almost resulted in a TPK because of that.

[DangerMan]

The Shards are going to be tough, no doubt. Tough on the PC's and tough on the GM. I have never GM'ed shards before and I'm not looking forward to figuring out the battle tactics either.

My players did find one of those anti-missile Mah-ilari items, but Im afraid it is stashed away at their keep. They are hoarding loot and not keeping a very good inventory  However, will those items work in the anti magic field?

It seems to me the only place in which the shards will go AND in which PC's magic will work is the 70' perimiter just outside the hoen trees.

We have four players (three spell users) and most of the time only three out of four show up at sessions. Oh, and there is but a few faith points between them. I think I will reduce the numbers of shards, but still I fear a TPK.

I did actually start them out with a map of the bridge caves, the one with the notes, saying "shards in the forrest". If they could be bothered to actually study this map and manage a succesful demon lore manuever they could learn about the shards and make some plans. The way I read the shards desciption the only safe way would be to mask both vision and smell, i.e. going invisible and scentless. The mythic in out group has a spell called "no sense" which does this. That way they could get to the tree unseen.

[DangerMan]

My party is heading towards the Bridge Caves, too.  My biggest concern right now is the shards.  I'm not sure of their battle tactics, and I'm afraid I might let them go down too easily.  Anyone have any ideas?

Oh, and welcome to the forums, Melkor! 

[markc]

From Terry Amthor Message #9





Quote from: markc on February 20, 2013, 11:45:08 AMIs there a spell that will let you see magic fields? I seem to remember one somewhere.
MDC



I would think that the spell 'Perceive Power' or even the skill 'Power Perception' could potentially be used in this case to see the void in ambient Essence.




Thanks for the info, I was also thinking of a spell on the Essence List of the Mana Molder that let you see "some type of magic" fields. I probably should look it up but I am in a bit of a hurry today.


Thanks Again
MDC

[DangerMan]

Any thoughts on how to describe the the nest in the bridge caves? I've never seen a dragons nest and I think it is safe to assume it is not anything like a birds nest? What comes to my mind is massive amounts of loot, but that hardly feels right here.

[egdcltd]

A huge hollow in the floor partially filled with sand? The sand would add comfort and keep scales polished.

[Voriig Kye]

My players figured out quite fast that it was a dragon's nest, because they had Elor's map with the "nest" comment, and being so large a cave just said "this must belong to a dragon!"
Anyway, remember it hasn't been used in a while, so no loot here I guess.

We are one adventure away from completing the campaign (though I left most of the Orb of Unlife plot out because of time restrictions, two years playing three times a month seemed like enough for me).

The shards were not a problem in the end. The party knew that the Dir platform was going to be dangerous, so they spent some time buffing themselves. Then they jumped using the small columns, and as soon as they reached the platform saw all of their efforts turning off, they screamed "go back go back!" and regrouped some columns behind. Then, in a surprisingly knowing way, decided to "test the size of the anti magic field" by going up and shooting crossbow bolts with light spells on them, and with this they understood the height, used some flying and levitation spells, and landed right near the tree. They even said "I wanna do some locate hidden under this pool" and found the helm!

Next week after we do the closing scenes and final battle I'll come back and tell you how it went.

[DangerMan]

Next week after we do the closing scenes and final battle I'll come back and tell you how it went.

Please do!

We are still in the bridge caves, one or two sessions away from the dreaded shards..

[DangerMan]

A huge hollow in the floor partially filled with sand? The sand would add comfort and keep scales polished.

Works for me. Thanks! :-)