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 Post Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 2:27 pm 
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Even a domesticated (ha!) hive is still always a risk. The Queen's generally kept on a leash (by making the hive entrances too small for a Queen to get out) but the workers are free to head out and gather pollen from flowers and so forth. And then there's always the possibility that someone does something stupid to consider. The only way to be 100% sure that these blood bees cannot ever attack a colonist is to eliminate the hives entirely.

Of course, the odds of an attack can be dramatically reduced by taking proper care of the hives, keeping them a long way from the main body of the colonists, and putting up warning signs and taking appropriate care. (This way, the honey is also available, and they can form somewhat of a defense against roving wild beasts or other attackers, and all the other benefits of the colony having a blood bee hive can accrue).

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 Post Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 6:29 pm 
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In passing, Blood Bees would be something that could be tagged for a significant social bonus with folks like Zalasbra. He was practically salivating at the thought of someone actually studying the little pests, and succeeding at it could well help convince him to consider a Terran as an apprentice.

Beyond that it might be useful to show that the Terrans can use their technology to cultivate and/or domesticate; we've already shown we can use it to kill.

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 Post Posted: Wed May 10, 2017 7:00 pm 
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Alright, we'll go with Arkady's plan then.

So long as we have a dedicated beekeeper that isn't an idiot and make sure that only the beekeepers go into that area, then it should be safe. I wonder if studying them long enough will let us produce pheromones that mark us and the ship as friendly?

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 Post Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 3:45 am 
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Okay then, keeping a tame Hive it is.

Kajin wrote:
I wonder if studying them long enough will let us produce pheromones that mark us and the ship as friendly?


Science roll, if anything. Really difficult Science roll, along the lines of 'impossible unless you really pile on the bonuses'.

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 Post Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 11:23 am 
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Nathan wanted to try and find the insecticidal herbs that Zalasbra described while we traveled here, I think. He probably could have tried to find some yesterday, too, while we worked.

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 Post Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 8:35 pm 
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Do we have the level up attributes yet?

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 Post Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 3:04 am 
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You've got the herbs. (If you couldn't find them, Zalasbra would have been happy to provide you with a few dried samples from his pouch). They're harmless unless burned or eaten, so don't swallow them.

Everyone who has told me what they want to do to level up has had their levelling up.

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 Post Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 3:49 am 
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Oh, uhh.... *Mad shuffling of papers* I was hoping to swap out my Academics skill for Drive.

I don't know if I mentioned that.

I thought I did.

I might have been hallucinating.

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 Post Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 10:14 am 
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Our sheets haven't been ported over yet. That'd make it easier to remember what changes we made.

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 Post Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 2:17 pm 
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Would beekeeping be a survival roll? I know it's used when dealing with wild animals and training them and riding them, but beekeeping isn't covered in the original rules.

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 Post Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 3:10 pm 
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I don't think they expected it to need to be covered. My best guess would be a survival roll, I think.

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 Post Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 1:30 pm 
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We're probably going to have to be sure the beekeeper is armed; apparently the bees draw timber wolves and earth worms. So long as the worms made of dirt are small or not hostile, fine; but the wolves might be a problem. It also occurs to me that we're going to have to install sensors in and around the new hive to speed up the science benefits.

Seems a bit odd that farming is a survival roll, but if changing a tire is the same skill as building a starship then what the heck.

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 Post Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 4:25 am 
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Will put up the adjusted character sheets in a few hours.

Weremensh wrote:
Seems a bit odd that farming is a survival roll, but if changing a tire is the same skill as building a starship then what the heck.


It gets worse; inventing a new mathematical theorem and analysing an unknown chemical concoction is the same skill as splinting a broken leg.

--------------

As to the space suits, they confer a few disadvantages; the thick gloves give you a -2 to anything requiring a delicate touch or speedy work (that includes pretty near all direct combat rolls) and mean you will pretty near automatically fail any roll to do with speed (you can't run in the thing). Also, you do not want to let the suit catch alight, trust me on this. At the same time, though, they do provide total immunity to the blood bees' attack - unless they turn out to be able to shred the material, in which case you're in trouble. (The material in question is a tough but flammable plastic; earthly bees wouldn't stand a chance, and if you stopped to ask Zalasbra on the way past, he'd give the opinion that the blood bees shouldn't be able to bite through the stuff).

Also, you really don't want to get into a fight against someone wielding a club or a mace or similar while in these suits. Since blood bees do not generally carry tiny clubs, though, you're probably okay.

Beekeeping will be a survival roll, yes. Usually. (For NPCs, I might introduce a 'Beekeeping' skill).

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 Post Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 10:40 am 
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Why are they flammable?! I know they're meant to be used in airless environments, but that doesn't change the fact that they're probably going to be stored in environments with air and the possibility of fire. This is either a serious design oversight or the end result of what happens when you outsource certain things to reduce cost.

We'll need to make better suits than this in the future.

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 Post Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 2:09 pm 
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I'd wager its the result of a lowest bidder type thing.

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