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Wenin
Senior Scribe
585 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Jul 2006 : 18:48:38
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With the ford at Ashabenford being so crossible that the town hasn't bothered with a bridge, it would seem that at least the river north of this town isn't accessible to boats coming from Scardale.
Any Lore detail this portion of the Realms?
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Session Reports posted at RPG Geek.
Stem the Tide Takes place in Mistledale.
Dark Curtains - Takes place in the Savage North, starting in Nesmé. I wrapped my campaign into the Hoard of the Dragon Queen, but it takes place in 1372 DR. |
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
729 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jul 2006 : 06:24:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Wenin
With the ford at Ashabenford being so crossible that the town hasn't bothered with a bridge, it would seem that at least the river north of this town isn't accessible to boats coming from Scardale.
Any Lore detail this portion of the Realms?
In "Tantras", the second part of the Avatar trilogy (the modules, for certain, the novels also, I guess, but it has been too long since I read it), the main characters use a boat after they escape from the Twisted Tower, and sail all the way to Blackfeather Bridge. According to the 2nd edition module "Tantras" (written by Big Ed himself), "The River Ashaba tends to be shallow (about 8#146; deep) and rocky-bottomed." (p. 10) In the same chapter, the boat (a 12-foot, flat-bottomed boat, apparently) is attacked as it crosses Ashabenford. The module notes that when approaching the ford, the river is even shallower - the boat strikes the bottom. The ford itself is sufficiently shallow for three Mistledale Riders and a dozen citizens to stand in the stream and attack the boat as it passes (but it manages to pass).
So I'd guess that nothing except a shallow-bottomed boat or a raft can pass north of Ashabenford, and that the river is navigable only for low-draft vessels along all of its length. I'm still stuck in 2nd edition, so I cannot tell about the statistics for 3rd edition ships for, for instance, "Of Ships and the Sea", lists a (viking) longship as having a 5' draft. So a longship, or similar vessel could probably sail up to Ashabenford. |
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Wenin
Senior Scribe
585 Posts |
Posted - 05 Jul 2006 : 11:05:15
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Thank you! I'll review that module.
I think that story of the trip down the river from so long ago got me started with my fascination with this question. The conflict with the idea that by the look of maps the river appears navigable all the way up to Shadowdale, but there is a ford so easy to cross at Ashabenford. Just today I saw a picture of Ashabenford in Dungeon #100. It depicted the ford to have a series of flat rocks that stick out of the river, on the down stream side, next to the trail ridden by wagon and horse. To be used as a walking path I'd guess that the rocks can't be more than a few feet apart. |
Session Reports posted at RPG Geek.
Stem the Tide Takes place in Mistledale.
Dark Curtains - Takes place in the Savage North, starting in Nesmé. I wrapped my campaign into the Hoard of the Dragon Queen, but it takes place in 1372 DR. |
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How navigable is the Ashaba River?
