Out of Character: A team of 4 heavy warhorses could pull a 3 ton (6000 lbs) cart at 50 ft/round (Normal pace for them). So I think we could make that work. The black bear only has 40 feet per round, so we could even go up to medium load and do 2 horses pulling the same 3 ton cart at 35 ft/round (Medium load at 50 ft/round).
Out of Character: Here is my take on the matter. We're getting to a point where our gear alone attracts unwanted attention, word of the windfall we just landed will attract even more. We're also liable to accumulate even more in the way of just stuff, which slows us down whether or not we have a wagon of any sort. This problem is liable to only get worse if we start prepping for journeys that last more than a few weeks. To top it all off, we just had a warning on what kind of problems we face if we don't have a way to haul off loot we find.
We could handle this in a few ways:
1. Keep going as we have been, leave things we don't immediately need (Like the heavy pouches of gold…) behind and unsecured whenever we rush off to fight. Hope we don't get robbed.
2. Find a bank or some other secure locale, and deposit the cash along with anything else liable to get stolen. This could work, but also limits us on what we can actually carry with us, and it ties us to a location.
3. Use the war wagon and chests, leave our personal mounts unburdened, stop worrying about inventory space almost entirely, get to go wherever, and as a bonus we get a chance to go all Mad Max on people trying to waylay us on the road. If we need to move light and fast for a bit, we lock the wagon up, lock the wheels, and leave it behind for a little while.
Frankly I am inclined to think 3 is worth a little hassle. It would not even be slowing us down given a good pull team. Also, I don't know about anyone else, but I rather like the idea of having something of a mobile HQ, at least up to the point that the group is powerful enough that establishing a proper base somewhere is reasonable.
Edited: daishain on 10th Mar, 2017 - 10:45pm
Out of Character: Sorry for my list getting jumbled to the end. If you don't start a new line with a capital or number, the forum fairies gobble it up.
I had a thought: If the chests are a rectangular prism, rather than a square prism, and the opening can accommodate another chest on its side, we could nest chests! The items in the inner chest are inaccessible until it's pulled out. Only one chest to deal with. Now you're thinking with portals!
I feel like Avan is getting sold short a bit. What's the worst the Wand of Wonder can do? Oh, and I might as well grab the Potion of Poison - for reasons.
I think we should take option 3 too. Avan shares his plan of assaulting a fort carved into a mountain that the party has come across. They are equipped with a ballista, so definitely going at night. The undistributed potions of fly and gaseous form would be super useful. I would test in the Rod in ladder form can support Bastion's weight.
Out of Character: If you wish, I agree Avan has been a bit shorted this time. Kn said the Wand shared some of the Rod of Wonder's effects, with a few other random spells.
Source 2h
Just please give us a chance to vacate the probable area of effect before firing it off. I've already lost one character from being blindsided by a nuke. I'd rather not lose another due to friendly fire.
As an alternative, might I suggest looking at trading it for a magic item for Avan that is less likely to backfire?
If you want to improve your animal summoning stuffs, A Tan Bag of Tricks (6,300 GP, SRD) for instance would let you pull out powerful animal allies even when your spells are all spent. Grab a Ring of the Beast (8,000 GP, Complete Champion page 141) on the other hand, and it will auto upgrade all of your castings of Summon Natures Ally up by one, up to the highest level you can manage (So, any SNA1's you cast grant the result of a SNA2, and when you hit 5th level, any SNA2's you cast work like SNA3).
As to the Rod of Wonder. Its Climbing pole function is explicitly listed as being able to bear up to 4,000 pounds. It could hold the entire party at once, and have room left over for one or two of our horses to climb up with us were they somehow capable.
Edit, dang autocorrect keeps messing with my Roman numerals…
Edited: daishain on 11th Mar, 2017 - 3:23pm
Out of Character: So I updated my character, got more of my insane arrows and focused on how to fight with my long sword. Now Krusten just waits for her share of the loot.
In Character: Bastion regroups with the others, with a fierce looking gelding in tow. Bay with white stockings, Arion is a big animal, nearly eighteen hands at the shoulder, and looks well suited to carrying the warforged into combat.
He pulls out a vial of viscous oil and shows it to his companions, a simple strip of grey cloth has been tied around for easy identification. "If I am incapacitated, please pour a vial or two of these on the damaged area. It will work more efficiently than the potions and spells you use for yourselves."
"I do suggest refraining from imbibing one of these. I do not think it would cause much in the way of lasting harm, but I doubt the sensation would be pleasant, and it certainly would not help with any wounds you bear."
Out of Character: Aside from Avan claiming the Wand of Wonder, no one seems to be disputing the current loot distribution. So…
In addition to the sword and armor, if I have my math right, Krusten (Along with everyone else) will be getting 4,000 gp in trade credit, and an additional 5,792 in actual coinage.
With that said, I would like to once again suggest that we all pitch in to snag a wand of Cure Light Wounds for party use. Heck two of them wouldn't be a horrible idea Partly so our druids can focus on things other than healing, and as a less expensive alternate to the potions (15 gold a pop compared to 50, its a massive discount). Other items would be worth investing in as party resources as well. But I must admit to having a bias towards being highly prepared.
Edited: daishain on 14th Mar, 2017 - 3:38am
Better to be prepared than not. Fair points about the Wand of Wonder. The wand's effects don't even do a useful attack a majority of the time.
How about I hold on to the potions of Fly and Gaseous Form for now, planning to distribute them later if we attack the fort. I think after the incident, buying an Amulet of Health is high on Avan's priorities. I just checked and apparently using Wild Shape I retain my HP.
And sorry for not posting sooner. I had given myself two days to do a week's worth of thesis work.