Ask Arkanis

[DM Arkanis]

Hi DM A. what is to be know what is kill on sight those tha tuse the epic spell vamp feast and what elses?

Kill on Sight (or KoS) is a really slippery slope in my opinion for just about any situation. Lots of characters could have lots of RP reasons for doing things that might seem questionable in terms of situations.

I would expect, that a LG character witnessing a CE character summon undead, or cast a spell like Vamp Feast would definitely want to engage the character. In my humble opinion, I believe that players should always offer each other an RP-out, and here's why:

1. The "offending" character may not realize that they were doing something sketchy or even against the rules. While I do believe ignorance should not be an excuse not to know the rules, sometimes people need a reminder. Offering an RP out in a situation (much like the BG guards do if you have a drawn weapon) allows the other player to rethink/readjust their characters actions without immediately going for PvP.

2. We do not have a hack-and-slash server. We are a role-playing server primarily, and in my opinion, rushing in without offering something first diminishes our game;

LG knight witnesses CE necromancer cast Vamp Feast:

Knight: Hey, you! What are you doing?
Necromancer: Taking care of a problem that you are ignoring...
Knight: Why you...! *toggles hostile*

At least there was some conversation.

In my opinion, you are going to get a lot further with other players if there is some communication before the proverbial gloves come off and you start bashing each other. The DM team reads and responds to a lot of messages concerning perceived breaches of PvP rules, and really, really, really in my opinion, those with screen shots who show that they at least tried to RP their way around the situation before swords came out have a better chance at making a case, than those who ran in where solar's dared to tread...

For me I'd say that for any PvP have a valid reason other than KoS.

This is not a DM ruling, just my opinion.

Arkanis

[Hoihe]

http://www.candlekeep.com/library/articles/stars.htm

Other than the above source, what else can one find on Astronomy/Astrology in the realms?

My character, Atria, being a nautical navigator and adherent of Sehanine (close enough to Selune), practices observational astronomy rather than astrology herself.


What kinds of tools she might use to ply her scholarly trade? I keep finding conflicting sources - some say telescopes exist, some say they don't. Some say gondites/lantanese have them and only very few else.

Do magic spells to do observational (and maybe predictive!) astronomy exist? If not, would it be possible to petition the DM team to make an RP-only spell whose purpose would be to help observe the sky?

What aspects of the above link and general lore on Realmspace/Sea of Night would a trained & experienced sage know with access to Candlekeep's libraries?

[DM Arkanis]

It is a holiday tradition at my house to watch the Lord of the Rings movies, extended edition with extended family, and this year has been no exception. Had a fantastic discussion yesterday with a very astute 10 year old who has pi memorized to 100 digits (yes, he does), and I thought that I would pose his very intelligent, and well thought-out question to all y'all concerning some semantics of the story: Moria is over-run by goblins/orcs/cave trolls. The Fellowship of the Ring enters through the secret door after "speak friend and enter" to find the halls over-run, and the dwarves dead. For how long? Uncertain. Dwarven bones as corpses would suggest a significant period of time. The Fellowship makes its way into a chamber to learn that the dwarves all perished, and are beset by literally thousands of orcs/goblins. The question my very smart, very annoying 10 year old has...? What have they been eating since the mine was taken over? Dwarves? Certainly for the first little while. Each other? Maybe, considering when you are hungry, any port in a storm... maybe. Lichen? Foraging afar across the land? Have huge stores/stocks of livestock available...? Must say in the absence of firm lore or other apocrypha I have no answer. Therefore, I ask you all to aid me in providing a rationed, reasoned, and lore-specific answer to my 10yr old dill-hole, spawn of Lloth so that I may find some measure of peace before he goes home with his parents and lets me go back to being Old Arkanis.

Ark

[Tsidkenu]

Several points:

1. According to LOTR lore, Khazad-dûm stood empty for close to 500 years whilst the Balrog took residence after it had been disturbed by the dwarven deep-mining.

2. The orcs came from the North, occupying what was then called Moria about 100 years before the Fellowship of the Ring entered it, and about 50 years before Gandalf entered it for the first time on a seperate occasion. At this time it seems likely they had food sources external to the underground fort itself.

3. The population of the orcs in Moria were significantly culled during the Battle of Azanulbizar.

4. Therefore I surmise that the utilised both underground food sources, especially perhaps cave fish, in addition to outside food sources plundered from nearby lands. The orcs and trolls that took up residence at this time worshipped the Balrog as their god.

[DM Arkanis]

Tsidkenu, you are the best. Round of applause from my guests when I read your answer out to them, and then a lot of, "Hey bro, why didn't YOU know that...?"

Ark

[Darker_Thought]

Another UD Question for the Loremaster; ^^

Is there any known Drow Position for "Bodyguards of Yath" ?

[DM Arkanis]

Another UD Question for the Loremaster; ^^

Is there any known Drow Position for "Bodyguards of Yath" ?

Drow temples, or "Yath" (Philip Athans (2008). A Reader's Guide to R. A. Salvatore's the Legend of Drizzt. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 164–165. ISBN 0-7869-4915-5.) would certainly all have some measure of bodyguards depending on the deity worshiped therein who would be the caretakers of the yath when not in use, as well as provide a modicum of protection to worshipers from potentially hostile threats for both within and without the yath.

In a Llothite church, for example, lower-ranked acolytes and priestesses would be assigned various guard duties, whereas in Eilistraeen church ,"Outside of the clergy, male and female worshipers usually had the same duties and roles, as guardians, warriors, experts, artisans and artists, and in gathering food and other general work." ( Ed Greenwood/The Hooded One (2006-11-06). Questions for Ed Greenwood (2006). Candlekeep Forum.)

Specific roles for bodyguard could be assigned to specific household members, again depending on the god worshiped. Jeggred Baenre for example, "was a draegloth, the offspring of Matron Mother Triel Baenre's union with the demon Belshazu. He followed her every command, and served as her personal bodyguard. He was viewed by the drow as a sign of Lolth's favor upon Triel."(Richard Lee Byers (August 2003). Dissolution. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 46 & 168. ISBN 0-7869-2944-8.) Here a specific member of the clergy is given a bodyguard, although his duties were not to the temple, due to the nature of the person he was guarding it could be rationalized that he was a bodyguard defending a person rather than the place.

In my opinion, those temples located within residences would be guarded/defended by the household guard itself, unless there were ceremonial duties to be performed, then that would fall to the god's clergy. Temples located in public areas would also have a vested interest in having some sort of guardians, either paid or part of the faith community.

I can find no specific reference to an organized, Drow bodyguard "position" per se although there is lots of apocrypha surrounding various characters acting or performing bodyguard duties.

Arkanis

[BraveLittleCrayfish]

What is an average lifespan of druid/ranger animal companions (at least those represented in-game)? Also, when an animal companion dies of old age - what does ranger/druid do, simply finds a new companion or remains alone? Thanks in advance!

[DM Arkanis]

What is an average lifespan of druid/ranger animal companions (at least those represented in-game)? Also, when an animal companion dies of old age - what does ranger/druid do, simply finds a new companion or remains alone? Thanks in advance!

We are constrained by the limitations of the game when it comes to some finer-point aspects of things. This is my interpretation/opinion only and should be taken as such and not a DM ruling on the subject. If you have a specific question relating to in-game mechanics of how animal companion works, please PM the DM team. It has been my experience that role-playing your animal companion with your Druid/Ranger can be the best way to flesh-out their relationship.

Druids animal companions (for the most part) represent creatures found in the geographic area that the druid inhabits/protects. The animals typically live a "normal" lifespan for their species and if not killed in conflict, die of old age as other animals do. The tend to be superior to others of their species, and some can share abilities with their Druid friend. (evasion, devotion, etc. and can be trained depending on their intelligence)

In the pen and paper game, Druids can have more than one companion at a time, and all of their companions don't have to be with them all of the time (I read an interesting article on this once - Druid in the city with a menagerie of animals in tow - very funny.) When one of their companions die, they can call another - the bond between Druid and creature is strong, but from my research there is no life-altering event that happens for the Druid when a companion dies - they might be sad to lose a friend, but they can call other companions, or even raise them from a baby.

It is important to note that an animal companion is NOT a familiar.

Here is a link I found that has lots of information but may not be lore - good read.

https://realmshelps.net/charbuild/class ... nion.shtml

Arkanis

[Lockonnow]

Big Question who made melchior harpell he was in Spellfire but iam not sure it was ed greenwood

[DM Arkanis]

Big Question who made melchior harpell he was in Spellfire but iam not sure it was ed greenwood

I believe he is a creation of RA Salvatore as the character Malchor Harpell first appears in, "The Halflings Gem" published in January 1990.

The character also appears or is mentioned in:
The Shadowstaff - RA Salvatore November 2009
The Sentinels - RA Salvatore November 2010
Blackstaff (mentioned) - S.E.Schend July 2006
Blackstaff Tower (mentioned) - S.E. Schend September 2008
Spellstorm - Ed Greenwood June 2015

Arkanis

[Lockonnow]

Spellfire is from 1987 so it most be Ed Greenwood

[DM Arkanis]

Spellfire is from 1987 so it most be Ed Greenwood

I cannot find any reference of Malchor Harpell in, "Spellfire" only in. "Spellstorm."

Ark

[DM Arkanis]

As promised, here are the words to, "The Ode to Crashing"
by Arkanis

When the server goes down, as it sometimes will
You may get a chance to save and still
It catches you by surprise when it’s not planned
And if you relog too soon it’ll get you banned

I spent six hours grinding with my toon
In the Fields of the Dead underneath the moon
Killin mages, and priests, and undead adventurers all
When wouldn’t you know it I got a call

So I went afk for a minute or so
And when I got back well wouldn’t you know
The screen was frozen and my toon stood still
Right there by the transition next to the hill

Surrounded by skeles both regular and giant
You’d thing I’d have been real AC compliant
Shut my PC down and then I rebooted
Just to find my hard earned XP had been looted

By Myrkul the dead guy hangin’ by the portal
You know I’d complain but the DM’s would chortle
Should have rested they’d say you’re an old veteran player
Get the heck out of Fugue Plane and we'll smell ya later

The moral of my tale isn’t so long
I’d have earned more RP XP talking at the Elfsong
So, remember to save, and do it often too
If you take heed my warning it won’t happen to you

[LISA100595]

HAHA !! EPIC - Now lets hear your guitar solo!

As promised, here are the words to, "The Ode to Crashing"
by Arkanis

When the server goes down, as it sometimes will
You may get a chance to save and still
It catches you by surprise when it’s not planned
And if you relog too soon it’ll get you banned

I spent six hours grinding with my toon
In the Fields of the Dead underneath the moon
Killin mages, and priests, and undead adventurers all
When wouldn’t you know it I got a call

So I went afk for a minute or so
And when I got back well wouldn’t you know
The screen was frozen and my toon stood still
Right there by the transition next to the hill

Surrounded by skeles both regular and giant
You’d think I’d have been real AC compliant
Shut my PC down and then I rebooted
Just to find my hard earned XP had been looted

By Myrkul the dead guy hangin’ by the portal
You know I’d complain but the DM’s would chortle
Should have rested they’d say you’re an old veteran player
Get the heck out of Fugue Plane and we'll smell ya later

The moral of my tale isn’t so long
I’d have earned more RP XP talking at the Elfsong
So, remember to save, and do it often too
If you take heed my warning it won’t happen to you