TG307

Lockpicking in the Aquarium

Episode Number: (TG307)
Original Airdate: 9/2001

The party defeats the skeletal party in a nasty battle in which everyone in the party except Tim is down at some point. Tim's shocking grasp spells are by far the most powerful effectors, taking out three of the skeletons, including the Tank, who had just taken down Leny, Sendant, Gryff, and one of Tierney's mirror images in one round of combat. After a day of rest, the party goes searching for a secret room, which they find, and end up accidentally triggering a trap that brings down a force cube around Leny, Tim, and Arlemis, and then fills with water. Tim turns Warthos back into a toad, Leny into a fish and, eventually, Arlemis into an octopus, while Arly (even in octopus form) frantically tries to disable the trap and the other party members try to break in from the outside. When the trap is finally disabled and Leny and Arly defished, they find a nice amount of loot.

Watch For:

• Editing errors, as Arlemis walks over to attack someone, then gets hit by a spell while standing where he was before he started walking, and then attacks the person in his new location.
• Tierney sneaking those boots that improve Tumbling and AC away from Arlemis.

Treasure Watch:

• People have to mail me. There's too much stuff.
• Arlemis is using the TopazBlades and the CentaurBow
• Arlemis is wearing the GildedBuckler and the DuelistsArmor
• Gryff is using the StoneHammer and the HorsemansBow
• Gryff is wearing the MilitiaShield
• Leny is using the WrathfulSmiter
• Leny is wearing the ArmorOfTheHedge
• Sendant is wearing the PriestsPlate
• Tierney is wearing the LaughingBracers, the QuicksteppingBoots, and carrying the XenoformArmor
• Aldamar is wearing the CowardsShield
• Tierney is using the HeartToucher

Plot Points:

• The skeletal party put a huge dent in the party's resources. However, the party is now a great deal more powerful, now that they have the equipment.
• The party has a finite supply of food. They were given five days' worth of rations, and have currently used two days' worth.
• The Tasan is a prickly little thing. Just being soaked in water and jostled around was enough to set it to bleeping. If Tim ever gets hit for damage, wackiness could ensue.
• The skeletal party appears to be a BlackPillar party sent by Simon that failed in their mission. After they died, they were raised as sentient undead. Certain party members have expressed apprehension about that. They also found a note, which, if it was being carried by Timus, is now in need of a mending spell in order to desoak it.
• Any scrolls Timus was carrying are most likely toast. Or, to be more accurate, pulp.

Unanswered Questions:

• How is the party going to split the loot?
• What's their next move? The fire chamber, or the eastward rooms?
• What are they going to do foodwise? So far the only thing they've run into that they could conceivably have eaten is the basilisk. And nobody really likes that option.

Analysis:

When you look at the picture of a fish, an octopus with a set of lockpicks, and Tim resting peacefully in the force-cube tank, it kind of looks like an aqarium. And in this case, it even had a little treasure chest.

This is the first time in awhile that there's been a real question of how items are distributed. There was a lot of pretty decent equipment floating around there, and everyone has gotten something.

DMP Speaks:

Whole lot of fun in the most recent episode. The decision to air it Wednesday night instead of Monday really avoided two weeks going by, which would have ruined a lot of suspense. Plus, Leny gets turned into a fish. This is transformation number two for her in this dungeon. She's exploring the nonmammalian world one species at a time.

How come Arlemis got so much stuff?

Well, because he's talking about it. You don't see Tierney making a big deal out of the stuff he gets. Plus, Arly's in a tough position. He's still trying to decide whether he's a front line fighter -- who'd need all the AC bonuses he can get, as well as the most damaging equipment -- or a back-row tactician, in which case he'd need the best sneaking equipment and only light armor. It's a tough decision to make, because at any given time the party might need either skill.

The BloodstoneBrooch is evil.

Oh, hell, yeah it is! But somehow I imagine that at points in the game, it's going to be a price worth paying. As in, well, I could either get the shit knocked out of me by that monster, or I could take 1d12 damage right off the bat and then have a chance against it. It's a nasty little piece of work, but if you give it a bit of blood, it's got your back...

Devon adds: Of course, when the druid has it, mostly needs it for low AC animal forms, and he regains almost the entire potential hit point loss just transforming, it all sort of works out in the end, doesn't it? Glad no one else wanted this one. It should be a life saver for Aldy, not to mention making him much more lethal in physical combat with non-attribute draining semi-ethereal monsters. (See Shadow of my Former Self)

Notable Quotes

Devon: It would be really cool if I could polymorph into a primate.
Patrick: I could give you Dire Squirrel. Raccoon with a hyperactive thyroid.

(The force-cube trap is deactivated, and the column of water collapses. Gryffid looks about, attempting to make sense of the situation.)
Gryffid: So I'm in a room with a wet sorceror, a trout, an octopus, a polar bear, and a bard.

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