General OoC discussion

How does Olpert want to addressed? Master Razorsson? Lord Olpert?

No one has asked him that until now. He's probably prefer "boss" or "chief," rather than something grander than what he's earned, like Master, or masquerading as someone of higher social status, like Lord.

Thanks. In my mind, Dwarves would use a person’s title as a sign of respect and expect the same.

I have to admit that I enjoy the shtick that the PCs keep referring to Olpert with grand titles that he finds embarrassing. Keep it up!

I was expecting that I would do a lot more with the PCs-turned-NPCs, but I think that would just prolong this build-up. Instead, for now I'll leave them in the background unless/until a PC explicitly interacts with them.

So Rufus is the wainwright? Is his last name Loudonson?

This may be the first time that one of my players has commented on one of the joke NPC names. Or maybe the second? It's been more than ten years, so I'm not sure now.

@spaceseeker19 How long is a "watch" during the night so we know how to divide the group?

How long the watch shifts are is up to the PCs, but the "night" (when it becomes dark enough that humans need light to see) in the Dim Forest is long - 12 hours. This is the first time this group is camping together, so they're figuring it out. Each PC only needs eight hours to long rest (and six of those hours to sleep, except for Amnestria, who only needs 4 of those hours to trance), so you don't need to take the whole 12 hours camping, as long as you can light the way for PCs without darkvision and split up a shorter amount of time so each PC gets their rest.

Hello there everybody,

It's been fifteen days since I last posted. Not for lack of wanting, I assure you, but because what appeared like a temporary increase in work and family duties turned out a lot rougher, and longer, than expected. My sincerest apologies to all of you, and in particular @spaceseeker19.

I'm catching up with the threads, and preparing a post. But I am also wondering if it would be preferable to bow out now, or if you are — an in particular if the DM is — ok with my returning after such a hiatus. Berthold is supposed to be an extroverted , social character; his total absence in the last scenes is most uncharacteristic of him IC. We can obviously hand-wave my absence as him being busy in the background with unimportant, secondary things, but I don't want to presume you're all okay with this, or that he can just be reintegrated into the plot without further ado.

As a practical matter, @spaceseeker19, if I am to post as Berthold should I assume that his retinue is coming along with the party or that they are left behind in Orlane ? We can easily find reasons to narratively sideline three NPCs, if needed. But I would have though that the Baronet goes everywhere with them, and that they can be useful while we adventure (keeping watch, setting up camp, fetching would, tending to the animals, cooking, etc.).

While the Side Conversation thread held a few planning points for our arrival into Orlane, in my imagination I'm almost certain that Berthold filled the remainder of the journey with a variety of benign topics. My question would be if he's the type to coax true feelings and goals from strangers during his chats with others, because I'm happy to reveal some of Amnestria's history or personal plans if that's the case. I assume he's not incessantly persistent in personal questions, which would instead make people close off, but more the type of social butterfly that seems to naturally make friends with everybody or at least get people to open up.

Oh, he would definitely be interested in learning more from each of his travelling companions, but would have a particular interest in Amnestria, for more reasons than one. First because she is an elf, and though Berthold will not speak of it easily, he is deeply in love with an elven noblewoman from 'back home' and is very curious about their language, customs, values, and so forth. Second, because she is a scholar, and though Berthold's education was quite middling for a nobleman, he has great curiosity and interest in the wisdom of sages and learned people everywhere. Third, because she seems a bit out of her element in this 'adventuring life', pretty much as Berthold feels right now.

He would not be persistent or intrusive: he is nothing if not courteous in manner and in speech, used to the social conventions of nobility, and quite at ease with dialogue that is allusive or indirect. He would take any cues regarding subjects as off-limits very strictly; it is something his knightly background would demand of him.

I have no problem with your continuing, particularly as the intervening time has been travel and conversation: nothing critical that Berthold was needed for to make active choices or uses of his abilities, and there's been no threats to the party so far that Berthold has neglected.
They have not been left behind, and are explicitly tending Berthold unless you narrate otherwise.

Welcome back @matmaisan, family and RL always comes first.

We are happy to have the Noble Knight back with us 😁

@matmaisan The more the merrier (and safer)!

@spaceseeker19 May I spend the 2 GP for traveler's clothes for Kazzak? I just checked the description for common clothes and it is, well, too common.

Yes, that's fine (and if you want to lean into the idea that Kazzak is "something of a clothes horse," that's fun, too. Or not; your choice, of course).

From the adventure thread:
"I gotta admit," a masculine voice comes from behind the trees, "You guys were right. I thought for sure he was heading back to town and we'd never see him again." This person - Hider One - sighs, and the party members can pinpoint his location by his voice and by a half-glimpsed shape behind a tree.

I almost missed this. I believe Hider One thinks Dell is Chase.

I believe you might be right

Can we assume that friendly NPCs are subject to the same death rules as PCs? Berthold can either try to catch #4 or try to stabilize Olyena next round. If I could presume she has at least two rounds of death saves ahead of her, Berthold will try to dispatch the opposition. If he isn’t sure, he’ll head back and try to save his servant.

Yes. For future reference, as a general rule, if I list a character as "dying," that means that they are using the dying mechanics at 0 HP. Otherwise I'd say they are dead.