Kank Nectar - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Kank Nectar

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
talid
Nov 06, 2010 13:53:20 Anyone allowing players to harvest kank nectar like in 2E? I have created a new worker kank, different from the spitter and soldier kanks in the creature catalog. It is more like the 2E riding kanks, and a fair bit weaker than the soldier kank. One provides 1/2 a day's food requirements, though I'm regretting introducing them, as the players are only using half of their survival days. This creates a surplus that is never consumed and ends up serving as a form of currency, which was never really my intent. I'm wondering if other DMs out there have considered bringing back the 2E style kanks at all.
#2
slashdevnull
Nov 06, 2010 16:50:14 I've not run any Dark Sun games yet other than the official game day events, but was consindering allowing the heroes to treat their kanks as "cows", gaining a survival days if they could properly harvest and prepare the kank nectar.

According to the DSCC entry on Kanks, under the Nature (DC 12) check, it states that the Kank Spitter produces nectar, useful for nourishing other kanks, then goes on to say how Kank Soldiers are more built for fighting than food producing. In my games, I may still allow the heroes to harvest from Soldiers, just not anywhere near as often as from Spitters.

So, basically, my take would be:

Spitters: Difficult to transport/maintain/control, not able to be trained as combat mounts, but are a good source of nectar (1 SD/day).

Soldiers: Able to be trained as combat mounts, moderate source of nectar (1 SD/week).

A strightforward but fun adventure might be to have the heroes hired to transport some Spitters to a remote location, then get attacked en-route for their cargo. Any combat encounter in which the Spitters are loosed from their cages could become... "interesting". And tracking down escaped Spitters could lead to even more trouble.
#3
Alphastream
Nov 06, 2010 21:08:18 My rule of thumb is that any kank will produce the globules, but they need to be resting (not traveling that day) to do so. This keeps the pressure on in terms of survival days. The PCs can harvest if they stop somewhere, however.
#4
Ozmodious
Nov 07, 2010 17:24:08 I have left it alone.. the reason why is because I remember everyone in my 2.0 group had at least one kank for honey as well as riding... they were just a had to have thing that I am glad they did away with in 4.0.
#5
fromost_the_grimm_02
Nov 07, 2010 18:29:14 I'm with Alphastream. I can't recall where I read it -- I've scoured back through the DSCG and DSCC but cannae find it -- but I'm sure something, somewhere noted that kanks only produce nectar when they're inactive. Regardless, it's a good fix for any 'Can I Haz Eazy Travils?' ideas your players may have.

You could further rule that Soldiers produce even less, as Slashdevnull has suggested ... maybe they have to feel truly at rest to begin producing nectar, so maybe after 1d4 days without an encounter they enter a less alert/more social state and start making the equivalent of 1 SD/day.
#6
talid
Nov 07, 2010 18:36:10 Well I played with my group last night and decided to 'retcon' the whole kank honey business. It's for the best I think because it preserves the focus on survival days, making these weighty packages essential to travelling any distance possible.

Though I did notice the distances increased in 4E made travelling dangerous again. 8lb of survival gear consumed each day adds up to a lot of weight should a person decide to travel for even a week. This limits the amount one can carry and makes stopovers at merchant forts and client villages essential for resupply. It's great! In my old 2E campaign, once one or two psionic party members reached level four or five (I forget, it's been a while) they'd just wormhole everywhere, completely ignoring the survival element of the campaign setting. So I'm a happy chappy now that I get to throw starving raiders and wild desert beasts at the fully provisioned travellers again.
#7
agi
Nov 19, 2010 22:10:17 "In the region north of the Tablelands, nomadic tribes who use kanks as mounts often harvest honey globes and allow them to sit out under the heat of the crimson sun. This process "dries" the honey into large, solid crystals. Broken apart with a stone, these dried honey bits are much easier to store and carry. It also extends the honey's usefullness, as "dried" honey remains good almost indefinitely.

As for survival, it is a common misconception that one can live for an extended period of time on kank honey alone. As one who can attest from past experience, the fact is that a diet made up entirely of kank honey will eventually lead to severe muscle cramps, headaches, and stomach pains. The amount of water provided by kank honey is also quite small compared to the volume of liquid. So, while one may be able to "survive" on kank honey alone, it is not the best idea and I would certainly advise against it, if at all possible!"

~ Agi, Athasian Wanderer

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 talid Nov 06, 2010 13:53:20	Anyone allowing players to harvest kank nectar like in 2E? I have created a new worker kank, different from the spitter and soldier kanks in the creature catalog. It is more like the 2E riding kanks, and a fair bit weaker than the soldier kank. One provides 1/2 a day's food requirements, though I'm regretting introducing them, as the players are only using half of their survival days. This creates a surplus that is never consumed and ends up serving as a form of currency, which was never really my intent. I'm wondering if other DMs out there have considered bringing back the 2E style kanks at all.
#2 slashdevnull Nov 06, 2010 16:50:14	I've not run any Dark Sun games yet other than the official game day events, but was consindering allowing the heroes to treat their kanks as "cows", gaining a survival days if they could properly harvest and prepare the kank nectar. According to the DSCC entry on Kanks, under the Nature (DC 12) check, it states that the Kank Spitter produces nectar, useful for nourishing other kanks, then goes on to say how Kank Soldiers are more built for fighting than food producing. In my games, I may still allow the heroes to harvest from Soldiers, just not anywhere near as often as from Spitters. So, basically, my take would be: Spitters: Difficult to transport/maintain/control, not able to be trained as combat mounts, but are a good source of nectar (1 SD/day). Soldiers: Able to be trained as combat mounts, moderate source of nectar (1 SD/week). A strightforward but fun adventure might be to have the heroes hired to transport some Spitters to a remote location, then get attacked en-route for their cargo. Any combat encounter in which the Spitters are loosed from their cages could become... "interesting". And tracking down escaped Spitters could lead to even more trouble.
#3 Alphastream Nov 06, 2010 21:08:18	My rule of thumb is that any kank will produce the globules, but they need to be resting (not traveling that day) to do so. This keeps the pressure on in terms of survival days. The PCs can harvest if they stop somewhere, however.
#4 Ozmodious Nov 07, 2010 17:24:08	I have left it alone.. the reason why is because I remember everyone in my 2.0 group had at least one kank for honey as well as riding... they were just a had to have thing that I am glad they did away with in 4.0.
#5 fromost_the_grimm_02 Nov 07, 2010 18:29:14	I'm with Alphastream. I can't recall where I read it -- I've scoured back through the DSCG and DSCC but cannae find it -- but I'm sure something, somewhere noted that kanks only produce nectar when they're inactive. Regardless, it's a good fix for any 'Can I Haz Eazy Travils?' ideas your players may have. You could further rule that Soldiers produce even less, as Slashdevnull has suggested ... maybe they have to feel truly at rest to begin producing nectar, so maybe after 1d4 days without an encounter they enter a less alert/more social state and start making the equivalent of 1 SD/day.
#6 talid Nov 07, 2010 18:36:10	Well I played with my group last night and decided to 'retcon' the whole kank honey business. It's for the best I think because it preserves the focus on survival days, making these weighty packages essential to travelling any distance possible. Though I did notice the distances increased in 4E made travelling dangerous again. 8lb of survival gear consumed each day adds up to a lot of weight should a person decide to travel for even a week. This limits the amount one can carry and makes stopovers at merchant forts and client villages essential for resupply. It's great! In my old 2E campaign, once one or two psionic party members reached level four or five (I forget, it's been a while) they'd just wormhole everywhere, completely ignoring the survival element of the campaign setting. So I'm a happy chappy now that I get to throw starving raiders and wild desert beasts at the fully provisioned travellers again.
#7 agi Nov 19, 2010 22:10:17	"In the region north of the Tablelands, nomadic tribes who use kanks as mounts often harvest honey globes and allow them to sit out under the heat of the crimson sun. This process "dries" the honey into large, solid crystals. Broken apart with a stone, these dried honey bits are much easier to store and carry. It also extends the honey's usefullness, as "dried" honey remains good almost indefinitely. As for survival, it is a common misconception that one can live for an extended period of time on kank honey alone. As one who can attest from past experience, the fact is that a diet made up entirely of kank honey will eventually lead to severe muscle cramps, headaches, and stomach pains. The amount of water provided by kank honey is also quite small compared to the volume of liquid. So, while one may be able to "survive" on kank honey alone, it is not the best idea and I would certainly advise against it, if at all possible!" ~ Agi, Athasian Wanderer