[B]a pickling dilemna[/B] [Archive] - Wizards Community

[B]a pickling dilemna[/B] [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Macemaster
09-09-07, 03:58 AM My brother, a third level barbarian, has two severed heads: on of a young adult white dragon, and one of a dragonlike thing with no legs or wings, and my DM says it is a type of wyrm. My brother wants to make both into shoulderguards for a masterwork piece of hide+chainmail armor.

So here are my four questions which our DM cannot answer:

1. how big are the heads?

2. how long is it until they rot?

3. What do you use to preserve such things?

4. Where would we go to get these things that preserve them?

I have already had a few ideas, like pickling them in a barrel of vinegar, or salting them. Would either affect the hardness or quality of the heads? and would this also affect their ability to be parts of armor? please message back on what you think.
Count Arioch the 28th
09-09-07, 04:20 AM I'd say Craft: leatherworking or craft: taxidermy to preserve the heads, then craft: armorsmithing to make them into armor. Alternately, you can have the cleric cast Gentle Repose on the heads on a regular basis.
Macemaster
09-09-07, 10:13 AM gentle repose will have to wait, since I (the cleric) cannot cast level two spells yet (being only level 2), so again, what should we use to preserve them?
KirkBb
09-09-07, 10:45 AM You know... just having their skulls as shoulderguards would be pretty cool too, is it really nesecerry? Also, you could just pay a higher level cleric to cast the spell.
Aberlonian
09-09-07, 11:01 AM expensive, but Gentle Repose + Permanency would work.

If one of my players wanted this, I'd use a craft:leatherworking to tan the skulls. You could also pay a leatherworker to do this.

If the skulls aren't actually adding to the armor class, and just used for flavour, I wouldn't require a craft:armor check since they could be simply tied on to the shoulders.
Seeker95
09-09-07, 03:51 PM 1. how big are the heads?
It is odd that your DM cannot answer this. It is my opinion that *only* your DM could answer this. If it were my campaign, I believe the head of a young adult white dragon would be larger than your own head. A young adult is a large creature, and dragons seem to already have disproportionately large heads.

2. how long is it until they rot?
Same as any other creature. In heat, 3-6 hours will be sufficient for proper bloating, and 24 hours is enough to begin putrefaction. The skulls are less likely to rot than the rest, but even bone can liquefy in the right circumstances. Read up on some of this here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposition#Animal_decomposition).

3. What do you use to preserve such things?
As others have said, gentle repose, if you want magic.

4. Where would we go to get these things that preserve them?
I would also suggest visiting a local taxidermist and or leather worker to see what can be done. They are experts at the preservation and working of the remains of beasts.
TiwazTyrsfist
09-09-07, 04:40 PM So, As a large creature, I'd say the head and skull are about the same size as that of a horse.

As for Mechanic wise how to preserve them, Craft: Leather working, either by the PC, or find an NPC crafter to do it.

As for how to preserve something for the purposes of taxidermy, here you go.
Skin the head, trying to keep the skin in one piece. Scrape all the flesh off the back of the skin, making sure to get all the fat, meat, and veins off. Then, stake out the hide back side up, but don't stretch it, just spread out and secured. Take the brains, mash them, and spread a thin layer on the back side of the skin. Let this sit for around 8 hours, then wash it off, and soak the hide overnight. Use a dull blade or wooden wedge to squeegee the water out of the hide in the morning, and then take a round stone or peg and work the backside of the hide while it's drying. The end result should be a supple leather piece, with the scale still intact.
After removing the brain from the skull, take the whole skull and place it in a large enough pot or cauldron that you can completely cover it in water. Boil the head until the flesh falls off. Take the skull out and rinse it. Now you have a clean skull. Also, if you add some nice veggies, like carrots, onions, and celery, you can probably make some nice dragon soup. Assuming dragon isn't poisonous or something.

Finally, you take the skull, the tanned face, some wax, and two glass eyes. This takes some skill, but basically you layer wax onto the skull in the shape of the flesh you took off before, the fit the face back on, sow the ends back together, pop in the glass eyes, and you have a taxidermied dragon head. Suitable for mounting over fireplaces in finer quality inns, or putting on the shoulder guards of heavy armor, if you want to really tick off dragons.
camthalion
09-09-07, 04:50 PM Hehehe ... If I was your DM I'd make sure my next dungeon had some very narrow passages a guy with giant, dragon skull covered shoulders couldn't squeeze through. But, then again, I'm a real *****.

:D
Aberlonian
09-09-07, 04:57 PM Hehehe ... If I was your DM I'd make sure my next dungeon had some very narrow passages a guy with giant, dragon skull covered shoulders couldn't squeeze through. But, then again, I'm a real *****.

:D

Why would you do that? If a player likes to have some cool looking armour for flavour, and that's how they enjoy the game, why ruin it for them intentionally?
Seeker95
09-09-07, 06:38 PM Why would you do that?He said why.
camthalion
09-09-07, 08:43 PM Why would you do that? If a player likes to have some cool looking armour for flavour, and that's how they enjoy the game, why ruin it for them intentionally?

Didn't I add a smiling emoticon? Oh, yes, I did. Choices are a part of the game. Traps are a part of the game. Dilemnas are a part of the game. ... I could have said that I would allow them to be shattered by the first battle axe that comes along but THAT would ruin it for everyone.

In any case, having really cool looking armour could have in-game effects: bonuses to intimidation checks, rogues seek out your purse, women swoon (?), dragons take offense ...

I'd love one of my players to have dragon-heads shoulderguards but there would be effects.

:D
_Jayne_Cobb_
09-10-07, 02:11 PM Hehehe ... If I was your DM I'd make sure my next dungeon had some very narrow passages a guy with giant, dragon skull covered shoulders couldn't squeeze through.

Writing this…

But, then again, I'm a real *****.

…made this redundant.
camthalion
09-11-07, 01:25 PM Writing this…

…made this redundant.

:D

Yes, because God forbid that the armour you choose should have an effect on game play ... you know like an armour check or a bonus to armour class or encumberance or something like that.
:D :D :D

Would a druidic spell or something not be needed to harden the bones so that they don't shatter in combat or is this suit going to be purely ceremonial?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Macemaster 09-09-07, 03:58 AM	My brother, a third level barbarian, has two severed heads: on of a young adult white dragon, and one of a dragonlike thing with no legs or wings, and my DM says it is a type of wyrm. My brother wants to make both into shoulderguards for a masterwork piece of hide+chainmail armor. So here are my four questions which our DM cannot answer: 1. how big are the heads? 2. how long is it until they rot? 3. What do you use to preserve such things? 4. Where would we go to get these things that preserve them? I have already had a few ideas, like pickling them in a barrel of vinegar, or salting them. Would either affect the hardness or quality of the heads? and would this also affect their ability to be parts of armor? please message back on what you think.
Count Arioch the 28th 09-09-07, 04:20 AM	I'd say Craft: leatherworking or craft: taxidermy to preserve the heads, then craft: armorsmithing to make them into armor. Alternately, you can have the cleric cast Gentle Repose on the heads on a regular basis.
Macemaster 09-09-07, 10:13 AM	gentle repose will have to wait, since I (the cleric) cannot cast level two spells yet (being only level 2), so again, what should we use to preserve them?
KirkBb 09-09-07, 10:45 AM	You know... just having their skulls as shoulderguards would be pretty cool too, is it really nesecerry? Also, you could just pay a higher level cleric to cast the spell.
Aberlonian 09-09-07, 11:01 AM	expensive, but Gentle Repose + Permanency would work. If one of my players wanted this, I'd use a craft:leatherworking to tan the skulls. You could also pay a leatherworker to do this. If the skulls aren't actually adding to the armor class, and just used for flavour, I wouldn't require a craft:armor check since they could be simply tied on to the shoulders.
Seeker95 09-09-07, 03:51 PM	1. how big are the heads? It is odd that your DM cannot answer this. It is my opinion that only your DM could answer this. If it were my campaign, I believe the head of a young adult white dragon would be larger than your own head. A young adult is a large creature, and dragons seem to already have disproportionately large heads. 2. how long is it until they rot? Same as any other creature. In heat, 3-6 hours will be sufficient for proper bloating, and 24 hours is enough to begin putrefaction. The skulls are less likely to rot than the rest, but even bone can liquefy in the right circumstances. Read up on some of this here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposition#Animal_decomposition). 3. What do you use to preserve such things? As others have said, gentle repose, if you want magic. 4. Where would we go to get these things that preserve them? I would also suggest visiting a local taxidermist and or leather worker to see what can be done. They are experts at the preservation and working of the remains of beasts.
TiwazTyrsfist 09-09-07, 04:40 PM	So, As a large creature, I'd say the head and skull are about the same size as that of a horse. As for Mechanic wise how to preserve them, Craft: Leather working, either by the PC, or find an NPC crafter to do it. As for how to preserve something for the purposes of taxidermy, here you go. Skin the head, trying to keep the skin in one piece. Scrape all the flesh off the back of the skin, making sure to get all the fat, meat, and veins off. Then, stake out the hide back side up, but don't stretch it, just spread out and secured. Take the brains, mash them, and spread a thin layer on the back side of the skin. Let this sit for around 8 hours, then wash it off, and soak the hide overnight. Use a dull blade or wooden wedge to squeegee the water out of the hide in the morning, and then take a round stone or peg and work the backside of the hide while it's drying. The end result should be a supple leather piece, with the scale still intact. After removing the brain from the skull, take the whole skull and place it in a large enough pot or cauldron that you can completely cover it in water. Boil the head until the flesh falls off. Take the skull out and rinse it. Now you have a clean skull. Also, if you add some nice veggies, like carrots, onions, and celery, you can probably make some nice dragon soup. Assuming dragon isn't poisonous or something. Finally, you take the skull, the tanned face, some wax, and two glass eyes. This takes some skill, but basically you layer wax onto the skull in the shape of the flesh you took off before, the fit the face back on, sow the ends back together, pop in the glass eyes, and you have a taxidermied dragon head. Suitable for mounting over fireplaces in finer quality inns, or putting on the shoulder guards of heavy armor, if you want to really tick off dragons.
camthalion 09-09-07, 04:50 PM	Hehehe ... If I was your DM I'd make sure my next dungeon had some very narrow passages a guy with giant, dragon skull covered shoulders couldn't squeeze through. But, then again, I'm a real *****. :D
Aberlonian 09-09-07, 04:57 PM	Hehehe ... If I was your DM I'd make sure my next dungeon had some very narrow passages a guy with giant, dragon skull covered shoulders couldn't squeeze through. But, then again, I'm a real *****. :D Why would you do that? If a player likes to have some cool looking armour for flavour, and that's how they enjoy the game, why ruin it for them intentionally?
Seeker95 09-09-07, 06:38 PM	Why would you do that?He said why.
camthalion 09-09-07, 08:43 PM	Why would you do that? If a player likes to have some cool looking armour for flavour, and that's how they enjoy the game, why ruin it for them intentionally? Didn't I add a smiling emoticon? Oh, yes, I did. Choices are a part of the game. Traps are a part of the game. Dilemnas are a part of the game. ... I could have said that I would allow them to be shattered by the first battle axe that comes along but THAT would ruin it for everyone. In any case, having really cool looking armour could have in-game effects: bonuses to intimidation checks, rogues seek out your purse, women swoon (?), dragons take offense ... I'd love one of my players to have dragon-heads shoulderguards but there would be effects. :D
_Jayne_Cobb_ 09-10-07, 02:11 PM	Hehehe ... If I was your DM I'd make sure my next dungeon had some very narrow passages a guy with giant, dragon skull covered shoulders couldn't squeeze through. Writing this… But, then again, I'm a real *****. …made this redundant.
camthalion 09-11-07, 01:25 PM	Writing this… …made this redundant. :D Yes, because God forbid that the armour you choose should have an effect on game play ... you know like an armour check or a bonus to armour class or encumberance or something like that. :D :D :D Would a druidic spell or something not be needed to harden the bones so that they don't shatter in combat or is this suit going to be purely ceremonial?