Fingolfin's Folly
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Sleeping whilst Making Camp

Wed 29 Sep 2021, 23:17

Hello Folks,

Can you sleep on the bare ground whilst making the camp in the Bitter Reach?

The below seems to preclude this.

"If you try to rough it and sleep on the bare ground in the Bitter Reach you will freeze to death. To survive, you must make a camp. It doesn’t have to be fit for royalty, but it must protect you from the brunt of the cold and the wind. A simple cave in the snow might suffice if you have sleeping bags or furs to keep you warm."

I am thinking of this from the point of view for preparing someone to take watch whilst other sleep.If this is not possible my understanding is you can only travel one quarter per day, have two sleep quarters per day or someone will have to have a tired condition each and every day.

Common sense would seem to be that a person can sleep whilst the camp is being prepared because the fire is lit first?
 
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Fenhorn
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Re: Sleeping whilst Making Camp

Wed 29 Sep 2021, 23:48

It is not only the cold, it is wind and snow and there are no trees that you can use for protection, so most of the time I don't really think it is possible. It is better to help the one that are making the camp. But perhaps in some regions (on the coast for example).
“Thanks for noticin' me.” - Eeyore
 
shane18
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Re: Sleeping whilst Making Camp

Wed 05 Jan 2022, 01:21

Hello Folks,

Can you sleep on the bare ground whilst making the camp in the Bitter Reach?

The below seems to preclude this.

"If you try to rough it and sleep on the bare ground in the Bitter Reach you will freeze to death. To survive, you must make a camp. It doesn’t have to be fit for royalty, but it must protect you from the brunt of the cold and the wind. A simple cave in the snow might suffice if you have sleeping bags or furs to keep you warm."

I am thinking of this from the point of view for preparing someone to take watch whilst other sleep.If this is not possible my understanding is you can only travel one quarter per day, have two sleep quarters per day or someone will have to have a tired condition each and every day.

Common sense would seem to be that a person can sleep whilst the camp is being prepared because the fire is lit first?
This was one of our first house rules. If someone makes camp, another player keeps watch, and a third sleeps, we allow the camp maker to set the area for the sleeper first. That allows the sleeper to benefit from good sleep. Then, next quarter (presumably night), the other two can sleep whilst the rested player keeps watch. (This really helps out our 3 person party)… We are about to purchase a guard dog though… ;-)
 
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BlissRage
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Re: Sleeping whilst Making Camp

Mon 10 Jan 2022, 20:19

Question: since the rules say GM rolls for encounter when new hex is entered . . . is it just a matter of if/whether GM "schedules" rolled encounter to be at night that keeping watch at night helps?

Also, in spring there are two quarters with light and two without . . .does this mean Make Camp needs to be done in the 2nd quarter of light (i.e. 12-6pm) so it's "done" before dark quarter (i.e. 6-12am)? Or, can Make Camp be done at beginning of the first dark quarter (i.e. 6pm-12am)? That doesn't make sense to me because you can't Forage/Hunt/Fish in dark effectively. But if I am correct it means that in Spring for example, if the party does need to forage/hunt/fish at all, they will effectively go only one new hex each day on foot in open terrain rather than the two that are possible because of need to find food . . . is that correct?
 
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Konungr
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Re: Sleeping whilst Making Camp

Mon 10 Jan 2022, 23:40

In terms of the hunting/fishing. The general idea is that in seasons where hunting/foraging etc would become harder is that you would basically need to take a day and resupply. This is why the cooking talent is very valuable. You're not getting units of meat/vegetables whatever. Your taking the time to cook it into rations which become a resource dice which last significantly longer so long as you don't have some unlucky rolls.

As far as making camp, especially in something like winter where it's mostly dark, you need to make tough choices A day of travel, a day of camp. A day of travel, a day of camp. Want to travel faster? You need mounts and sleds or carts or whatever. If you can get a covered wagon people can sleep in the back and take turns driving. It's just the reality of over land on foot travel. You either handle stuff in low light/dark or you need to take more time at camp and slow your travel to a crawl.
 
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BlissRage
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Re: Sleeping whilst Making Camp

Tue 11 Jan 2022, 03:47

Ok I think what you're saying is "yes" that I am correct :)

I love your description of the how and why of things. I am doing JOURNEY stuff with test party to test mechanics, encounter table weight "feel" and tweak Foundry stuff as it comes up.

But yeah, so this means in winter with only one light quarter day that making camp or something will be done in a dark quarter and having wagons etc. would be critical.
 
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Konungr
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Re: Sleeping whilst Making Camp

Tue 11 Jan 2022, 04:29

Yeah.

Try to keep in mind real world overland expeditions. In the USA the travel from the east to California with the Oregon trail. There were critical months when the road was "relatively safe". You HAD to leave by a certain month or the fall/winter would almost be sure to deplete your resources, force you to hunker down until the spring, and hope for the best. There are historic stories of groups that left too late, got stuck in the mountains and either ended up relying on cannibalism to survive or completely being wiped out.

Long Journeys are not easy and incredibly dangerous if not planned and prepared for.
 
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Konungr
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Re: Sleeping whilst Making Camp

Tue 11 Jan 2022, 04:36

Oh yeah, and as for the GM rolling for encounters. The general rule in the book is 1) when entering a new hex or 2) at least once a day or 3) If the GM feels like it might be a good time to shake things up.

BUT keep in mind that half of all results on the encounter table in Raven Land are no encounter. Something could happen at any time, but 50% of the time nothing happens at all.
 
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Addramyr
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Re: Sleeping whilst Making Camp

Fri 14 Jan 2022, 21:44

Coming from military background, setting a tent in winter can be done under 15 minutes (my section have done it under 4min30 during competitions, and you must have boiling water for the timer to stop).

So I'd say if the group is carrying a tent and the character has a sleeping bag, I'd allow the character to sleep during the quarter it takes for the other adventurers to Make Camp, although I'd have him roll ENDURANCE or gain Cold. It barely matters as he would get rid of it the following quarter, unless they have failed the Make Camp roll.

Now if they don't have a tent, that's another story. It takes a lot of time to build a suitable shelter and I can't see a character getting much sleep laying down in a sleeping bag right there on the ground, at the mercy of bitter winds. Maybe I'd allow if if they have a sled and pelts or tarps to make a quick improvised 1-man shelter. Then same as above : yes, and roll ENDURANCE or get the Cold condition.

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