DMAnd so the party heads off, leaving Phandalin behind for the moment to venture to the abandoned town of Thundertree.
From the map Bern and Luminmorn borrowed from Quelline Alderleaf the Ranger estimates it will be a bit more than 2 days travel, but should be less than 3, weather and events permitting.
The first morning is an easy walk along the trail leading out of Phandalin to it's intersection with the Triboar Trail. The weather is sunny, birds chirp in the trees along the route and it all adds to an uplifting mood. For a few moments you can forget that the life of 3 dwarves, including your employer hang in the balance of your investigations.
You stop for lunch at the intersection of the trail, and Bern is able to catch a brace of conies (which gives the Triboar Trail it's more colloquial nickname, "Cony Trail") allowing you to have an enjoyable cooked meal of fresh meat along with some wild berries and roots found along the way.
After lunch the skies begin to cloud and even those of you not outdoorsmen can feel the dampness growing in the air and know rain cannot be far behind.
Another 8 miles walk and the southern edge of Neverwinter Wood can be seen on the horizon. From your prior plan, you angle a bit to the northwest in order to keep to the fields on the wood's edge.
After another 5 miles or so night begins to fall and you decide to make camp. Sprinkles of rain have been falling for the past 30 minutes or so and so you move into the edge of the forest for cover. Making a rudimentary shelter of boughs and branches you make a fire and huddle beneath the shelter with the fire keeping the suddenly cold night at bay.
No game had appeared in the afternoon so you dig into your trail rations for a cold dinner. The wet and cold making conversation unenjoyable, you settle on watches and get an early night's sleep.
Morning comes with a damp mist and fog. The rain has stopped, but the ground is quite wet and after breaking camp, it makes the early morning travel slower than expected.
However by mid-morning the fog has burned off, the grass has dried, and the travel pace picks back up.
Stopping for a trail lunch, Luminmorn engages a passing robin in conversation and learns of a pond several miles ahead, likely not too far from the end of the day's travel.
Reaching the area, Luminmorn gives the directions to Bern and he sets out to the pond to hunt while the others setup camp. Near sunset a variety of game drift down towards the pond to drink and Bern is able to bag a pheasant, which again makes for an enjoyable dinner's meal.
Once again the evening passes without event, although this evening is warmer and you stay up later talking. You recall that what you know of Thundertree is very little, but the Woodcarver's Wife did tell you, in addition to her offer of the jeweled necklace, that the town had been overrun by undead when she was a little girl, and Quelline told you the druid Reidoth would travel here from time to time to keep an eye on it. Whether undead are still about is unknown, but it should not be a widely inhabited place.
So, come morning you leave for Thundertree. Bern and Luminmorn believe it is only about a dozen miles or so off, so you should reach it by afternoon.
And true to form, an hour or two after stopping for lunch you hear running water from the Neverwinter river, which appear ahead of you. With the woods to your immediate right, you know you need to take a left and head west and after a short walk a small trail appears, which you follow.
The trail gradually leads slightly away from the river in it's westward path and swings around in a large curve until it begins to head back east. Coming over a rise you can see what must be the town before you.
The trail had already become an old and overgrown lane and ahead you can see it wind between dilapidated buildings choked with vines and brush. Ahead of you, in the middle of the settlement, rises a steep hill, upon which stands a stone tower with a partially collapses roof and adjoining cottage.
A dirt road hugs the base of the hill and wends it's way between old stone houses, many of which are roofless ruins with interiors open to the weather. Other buildings appear more or less intact. The whole place is eerily silent.
A wooden sign is nailed to a post nearby. It reads: "DANGER! Plant monsters AND Zombies! Turn back now!"
Note: Feel free to interject any conversations or actions you wish to take during the journey to Thundertree. If they would materially change the current situation I'll edit. Also, I did actually roll for 2.5 days worth of Random Encounters along the way and amazingly you had none.
You are at the yellow star on the map, which is where the signpost is. #7 is the stone tower and the winding path leads up the aforementioned steep hill to it. The ruined buildings with crumbling walls should be easy to pick out in the map image below (#1 & #2 for example). The ones that don't look ruined, are in fact intact (#3 & #4 for example).
From where you are you can only see the portion of the town showing, but there may be more hidden by the hill or by trees to the east:
<Bern>
The taking of the fowl had been the highlight of the day. The weather was deteriorating and he knew that rain was in the offing. The sullen weather seemed to infect the group as well, so he was content to let things remain quiet, bedding down early.
The morning was not much better. The air was almost as heavy with moisture as the ground and it all conspired to slow the group down. But he continued to lead the way. They =had= a destination!
As the weather improved, so did his spirits, at least. And Luminmorn's conversations with a robin yielded useful information leading to a delightful meal in the evening. He dismissed the likelihood of undead in the town. While he did not want to discount the woman's tales out of hand, it seemed unreasonable, based on the timescale, that such would still be of concern.
The remainder of the journey is straight forward ... especially once the sound of the river was there to confirm the direction. The first view of the town is a bit of a disappointment. He had expected a larger settlement based on what he had heard. The sign caused him to pause and survey the area with a bit more intent. It =was= quieter than it should have been.
"What do you think", he asked the group in general.
Ryssa
The message of the sign caused Ryssa to clutch her icon of Lathander and mutter a brief prayer.
"It seems... less than impressive, what I can see from here," she answered Bern and then glanced at the paladin.
"Do you sense any evil, Luminmorn?"
Luminmorn
He had enjoyed the travel, good weather or bad, he was outside. Though he was with people, it was fewer than the many that lived in the settlement, and thus seemed to lighten his spirit further. The cold kept him from commenting too much, but the sun and easy travel gave him the opportunity to talk with a local robin. That was useful and enjoyable.
As he looked over the eerily quiet town he wondered what Ryssa suggested. Offer a prayer to the life given forces of the world, he drew upon his inner strength and concentrated. Was there evil that he could sense?
Balthazar
The lean mage watched their back while the paladin prayed or whatever it was he did to invoke his powers. He glanced over at Ryssa for a moment, giving her a little nod and smile if she looked his way before turning his attention back to their rear.
DMLuminmorn reaches out with his senses, enhanced by his beliefs to be able to detect things that emanate
wrongness.
Turning slightly, in order to check as much as he can to the extent of his ability's range (60').
Looking first to the southwest (#1) he can see in the shadow of an old tree is a crumbled stone cottage with no roof. Weeds are rampant here.
Looking southeast (#2) he sees that these ruined side-by-side cottages look as though they might have been the homes of prosperous shopkeepers or well-off farmers in their time. All that remains are collapsed walls and piles of debris. Several young trees have grown up in the midst of the ruins.
Finally looking east (#3) he sees a weathered signboard by the door of this large building showing the faded image of a workhorse holding a flagon of ale. The building is sagging and dilapidated, but it is more intact than the ruins across the road. Luminmorn's senses detect a
wrongness emanating from this building. One he has come to associate with undead.
Notes on the area: Ruined buildings are empty shells with stone walls 5 to 8 feet high. Their roofs are gone leaving piles of debris inside the walls. The debris is difficult terrain.
Intact buildings are rundown, ramshackle stone cottages that are otherwise still standing. Their wooden doors are swollen and stuck requiring a successful Strength check to open. The windows of any intact building are 2 feet wide and covered by wooden shutters containing 6 inch wide arrow slits. Creatures on one side of an arrow slit gain 3/4 cover against attacks from the other side. Dusty old furnishings such as simple wooden chairs and tables remain in most intact buildings.
Trees average 30 to 40 feet tall and provide cover. Brush consists of large bushes that count as difficult terrain.
Luminmorn
He points to the larger more intact building and says "undead in there." His mouth doesn't offer the ability to frown, but he is displeased. Undead are not natural and should be destroyed in his view.
Ryssa
The cleric of Lathander instinctively clutched her holy icon and nodded, frowning severely.
"Then they must be banished or destroyed," she said and headed toward the building Luminmorn designated.
<Bern>
The presence of 'undead' was not reassuring ... at all! "Agreed Ryssa", he said as he got his bow ready. If they were going to run into more of this sort along the way, he thought, he was going to have to see about getting a heavier blade. The rapier was not the best weapon against such. "They have no place here. Can you tell any more about them Luminmorn? Like how many or what they are?"
Lingo
"Great. We've gotta go kill things that already died. Why can't dead things stay dead?" he asks Ryssa.
He looks at Bern, "Maybe I can sneak up and see if Snake-eyes can't figure it out?"
<Bern>
"Good idea, Lingo, but be careful". he added. "I will cover you with my bow, but that means you have to stay where I can cover you."
Balthazar
Seeing the cleric moving, he moved to support her, watching her back and side.
Lingo
He doesn't need to be told twice and in a moment when the others weren't noticing, he suddenly was gone. He has headed towards the tavern and he'll be listening at the door and peering inside.
Lingo Stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+7 and got 26
DM
Lingo approaches the building and carefully listens at the doors. He hears nothing. He tries to crack open a door to peer inside but finds the doors are swollen and warped shut. They cannot be cracked open. The only way to open them is to pull them wide open using brute strength, which will negate any attempt at Stealth.
(Nep - If you want Lingo to break open a door make a Strength Check for each door you want to open.)
He circles the building and notes there are windows about 4 feet or so off the ground that are shuttered closed. There are arrow slits in the shutters that he could probably peer through, but they are too high for him to see. If he wants to look inside he will have to climb the walls and pulls himself up.
(Nep - If you want Lingo to climb up the wall to look in the window make a Climb check for each window you want to do it with. There are two rooms in this building, so you'd need to do it at least twice to see both sides.)
Ryssa
"Because evil ones insist on bringing them back from where they belong," she said with a brief, humorless smile.
"But, with the help of Lathander, I will put them where they belong."
But Lingo was already gone before she finished her sentence. Ryssa continued toward the building.
Luminmorn
He pulled his new sword and moved after the cleric.
<Bern>
He had his bow at the ready, but Lingo was a difficult fellow to 'cover' since he tended to disappear and then reappear. Still he did what he could ...
Lingo
The halfling returned to the group a bit frustrated. He wasn't really strong and climbing up walls and bashing down doors just wasn't his forte.
"The doors are warped shut. I can't get in quietly so it seems like a muscle job."
Ryssa
The cleric looked at Luminmorn and Bern.
"If you two can gain access for us, I will see to banishing them."
<Bern>
"Lingo, how are you at climbing. The roof looks like it is in bad enough shape that you might get a peek in from there."
Lingo
"It might be easier to throw me than to hope for me to climb there. I can try, but it serves as a reminder for me to do my push-ups."
<Bern>
"So it sounds like force the door and see what we see", he said with a sigh.
"If you are all ready ...", he said has he moved to the door and prepared to 'shoulder' it open.
Lingo
He's going to stealth away again. Hides to the side of the door. Bow and arrows at the ready.
Lingo Stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+7 and got 24
Ryssa
Clutching her icon of Lathander in her left hand, Ryssa began murmuring a prayer to her deity, intensifying her concentration on her innate power of undead banishment.
Luminmorn
"Wouldn't it be easier to keep them trapped and destroy them in there?"
Lingo
"Only if what we seek isn't inside there. Right?"
<Bern>
"Do you have a plan for how to destroy them in there ... one that does not involve the possibility of burning the entire place to the ground", he asked Luminmorn indicating all the remaining buildings here, then expanding to include the forest beyond that.
Balthazar
He keeps to the left, just behind Ryssa and has a firebolt spell ready to fire at any undead that goes for their cleric. She is the difference between life and death for their little group.
Luminmorn
"No I don't have a plan yet. But it occurs to me that when you fight choosing the ground and making it your advantage is always wise. For example when trying to defend and control your foes approach one uses a narrow pass for it. This isn't a defensive position we need all of us to be able to attack, yet we don't want them running loose."
<Bern>
"Well, I thought that was the point of this discussion", he suggested with a wicked grin. "Forcing the door seems to 'address' most of your issues. It limits their ability to attack us if we are there attacking them when they come out."
Lingo
"If you build me a ladder I would climb through the windows but you would be far away. I say break down the door. There's no way we're going in unnoticed with you out in front."
He had started by replying to Bern but he finished by looking over at Luminmorn. The dragonborn paladin was practically glowing amidst these foreboding, rotting structures.
Luminmorn
"Sounds reasonable to me. Who shall we block the door with?" Clearly he thought he would be one of the door breakers. He had javelins but his preferred method was up in your maw, with his sword. He pulled his new blade Talon and prepared for whatever it was the group chose.
<Bern>
"Meleers up front, ranged fighter behind", he suggested. "And I am happy to let you 'open' the door for us, just be sure to stay on this side and give us ranged folk a decent shot. You can have at those that got past us. Sound reasonable", he asked the group.
Lingp
Standing once again to the side of the door, silently, he waits for the others to crash in.
Ryssa
Concentrating intently on the evil ahead, Ryssa nodded curtly and moved up just behind the Paladin.
<Bern>
He took a quarter step back from the door and a bit to the side, took a firm grip on the handle and then threw his weight back ...
DMMikeD - The door opens out
Make a DC 10 Strength check for Bern to pull it open.
[[ well damn <g> Bern open door (str) MikeD rolled d20+2 and got 12. Edited the post above for the door opening direction. ]]
Ryssa
Moving slightly to one side to get a better viewpoint past Bern and Luminmorn, Ryssa prepared to cast out the undead.
DMBern gives a strong yank on the door, and with a loud grating, creaking and scraping sound it groans open. All are aware that any chance of surprise is lost from the noise, and those with sightlines peer anxiously into the room.
Inside you can see what must have been the common room of the inn. Tables and chairs, covered in dust and mold are spread around the room. There is a door on the western wall that is closed. The smell of yeast contesting with the smell of decay wafts out of the room as the door opens.
Slumped against the walls of the room are 6 humanoid figures. Rotting flesh hangs from their bones as they stand up when the door is opened. Maggots drop to the ground from their mouths as they open in a silent snarl of hatred.
Roll for initiative. You see 6 zombies inside the room. Note that the squares are 10x10 rather than the normal 5x5, so up to 4 man sized creatures can fit in one square.Zombies Initiative
Zeim rolled d20-2 and got 2
Balthazar got an 18 for initative (1d20+2 = 18)
Lingo Initiative
Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 16
[[ Bern Init vs undead MikeD rolled d20+3 and got 10 ]]
Ryssa Initiative: 1d20+2 = 17
Luminmorn
17 Init
Luminmorn Init against Zombies
Pandemonium rolled d20-1 and got 17
DM
Balthazar is up first. He can move behind Bern if he wants a better line-of-sight into the room.
Name/Init/HP/Dam/Status
Balthazar/18/25/0/Normal
Ryssa/17/26/0/Normal
Luminmorn/17/31/0/Normal
Lingo/16/22/0/Normal
Bern/10/28/0/Normal
Zombies/2/xx/0/Normal
Balthazar
The wave of stench that flows out over them almost has Balthazar heading for the bushes but he grimaces and moves slightly behind Bern to get a better view of the undead within, sending in a fiery bolt of mystic power at one of them.
Firebolt 1d20+5,1d10 = 22,2
DM
Balthazar's Bolt of fire strikes one of the zombies and damages it.
Next up is Ryssa, followed by Luminmorn.
Luminmorn
He tossed a javelin at the zombie that Balthazar had damaged with his firebolt spell. Then he prepared to defend the doorway.
OOC: Happens after Ryssa's action. Attack 18, Dmg 4
Luminmorn Damage
Pandemonium rolled d6+3 and got 4
2015-12-29 22:02:23
Luminmorn Toss Javelin at Zombie
Pandemonium rolled d20+6 and got 18
Ryssa
Moving a step closer, Ryssa completed her preparation of turning with the last words of her prayer to Lathander and then pointed toward the rough center of the group of undead.
"By the power of the Morninglord, I command you get off the skin of this earth!"
[OOC: Turn Undead]
LingoThe halfling hides behind the biggin's before he emerges for a moment in the doorway to shoot a firebolt at one of the zombies. He has never seen the likes of these things but hopes that his magic would hurt it bad. Unfortunately, the one he pointed at suddenly turned away from Ryssa's priestly thing and the bolt went astray.
Lingo shoots a fire bolt and hides, tohit, dam, stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d10,1d20+7 and got 10, 1, 10
Really bad rolls 
<Bern>
It took him a moment to recover from heaving the door open. Once that was done he had his sword out and ready for any of the undead that attempted to leave through the door.
DMBalthazar's Firebolt hits one of the Zombies and an unusual puff of ash bursts from it for a distance of about 5 feet.
Ryssa then calls upon the power of Lathander to turn the undead abominations and 5 of the 6 turn to flee. Unfortunately there is nowhere for them to run to so they cluster against the far wall.
Almost as soon as they begin to turn away, Luminmorn's javelin strikes one. It too gives off the strange puff of ash. More importantly, as soon as it takes damage it stops trying to flee and turns back towards you.
Lingo acts as Balthazar did, and sends another bolt of fire into the room, though his aim is not as good as the Wizard's and it misses all the zombies.
Bern stands ready at the doorway.
Two of the 6 zombies stagger towards the door, where Bern and Luminmorn wait. Their hands outstretched they ball up their fists and move to strike you.
(OOC - OK. I am reading Bern's post as Readying an Action. As soon as the two Zombies reach the doorway Bern can act first. No one else can go. After Bern the Zombies get to go. Note, only 1 Zombie saved versus the Turn Undead. However once a turned creature takes damage the turn effect ends, so Luminmorn's javelin stopped the turn on one of them.)
Zombies Save vs Turn Undead
Zeim rolled d20-2,d20-2,d20-2,d20-2,d20-2,d20-2 and got 12, 15, 7, 6, 10, 4 Name/Init/HP/Dam/StatusBalthazar/18/25/0/Normal
Ryssa/17/26/0/Normal
Luminmorn/17/31/0/Normal
Lingo/16/22/0/Normal
Bern/10/28/0/Normal
Zombie1/2/xx/6/Turned
Zombie2/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie3/2/xx/0/Normal
Zombie4/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie5/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie6/2/xx/0/Turned
<Bern>
The cloud of ... what ever it was ... that was coming off the zombies was unlike anything he had heard of. "Hold your breath around them, that 'cloud' is probably dangerous", he called as he prepared to meet the first one through the door.
Once it steps into the doorway, he takes a deep breath, holds it and strikes, then takes a step back so he can breath and someone else can step forward. He would take a breath and be ready to replace whoever moved up. If they can keep them bottled up in the building that way, only one at a time can attack.
(OOC - MikeD - need attack and damage rolls.)
[[ OOps ... sorry ... Bern vs undead MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3 and got 16, 4 ]]
Luminmorn
The dragonborn prepared to fight the zombies that approached and step in when Bern stepped out. He also made a note to hold his breath as the ranger suggested.
[OOC: As a note, not that I think it really matters. But I specifically stated Luminmorn attacked the one that Balthazar's firebolt hit. So that we would only have one zombie to deal with at a time.]
DMBern, waiting to see if any of the Zombies approach, strikes at the one who managed to resist Ryssa's Turn. He hits it with his sword, and like the one hit by Balthazar and Luminmorn it gives off a puff of ash.
(Bern and Luminmorn must make DC 10 Constitution Saves. If they fail they have Disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks for 1 minute (10 rounds). If they fail they can repeat the Saving Throw at the end of each of their turns, rolling with Disadvantage of course.)The Zombie that was hit, now swings it's fist at Bern. It slams into him and he takes 4 points of damage.
The remaining Zombies huddle against the far walls trying to stay away from Ryssa.
Zombie Attack Bern
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 23 Once Bern and Luminmorn roll their Saving Throws, we are back to the top of the order with Balthazar.
Name/Init/HP/Dam/StatusBalthazar/18/25/0/Normal
Ryssa/17/26/0/Normal
Luminmorn/17/31/0/Normal
Lingo/16/22/0/Normal
Bern/10/28/4/Normal
Zombie1/2/xx/6/Turned
Zombie2/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie3/2/xx/0/Normal
Zombie4/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie5/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie6/2/xx/0/Turned
Bern con save MikeD rolled d20+2 and got 17
Luminmorn is immune to disease if it matters. 5 for save.
Pandemonium rolled d20+2 and got 5
(Pande - It is closer to poison than disease. Basically you've inhaled a bunch of gritty ash and you are coughing and hacking it up, which distracts your attacks, saves, and abilities for a time. You can save again at the end of your turn, with Disadvantage. All your rolls until you save are at Disadvantage.)
[OOC Got it. I read it that way too. But when you roll such a low one, you grasp at straws.
Disadvantage rolls for a bit.)
Balthazar
He frowned at the attacking zombies, wondering what the ash or dust was that was coming off of them and if it might cause contagion. But that didn't keep him for murmuring a word of power and sending another small bolt of fire dancing from his fingertips to strike the zombie on the ranger.
Firebolt 1d20+5,1d10 = 15,6
Ryssa
Slinging her shield over her back, the cleric pulled her bow, nocked an arrow and fired at the zombie Balthazar had just targeted, but grimaced as the zombie moved and her arrow only hit it in the arm.
Ryssa Hit/Damage Zombie: 1d20+4,1d8+3 = 8,4
<Bern>
The dust in his face at that first hit was disconcerting. That was something to be considered. He knew that he was better at range than up close, so he decided to take a couple of steps back, pulling his bow.
Once he was in place, he let fly with his bow at the head of the zombie that was still in the doorway ...
Bern bow at zombie MikeD rolled d20+7,d8+3 and got 13, 4
For the record, that is 2 attacks in a row where there was a 1 on the damage die <sigh> I hate the die roller <sigh>
(OOC - MikeD - If you move away from the Zombie it gets an opportunity attack on you. Just confirm for me please.)
[[ yup, I know that <sigh> ... was hoping maybe you would forget <chuckle> ]]
Luminmorn
Hacking and coughing the dragonborn steps forward to take the ranger's place and attack when he was able.
[OOC Not sure where we are in the order. If he can attack. I will edit this with the roll at disadvantage. If not it is flavor text.]
DMBalthazar fires another firebolt that strikes the zombie in the chest. A moment later Ryss'a arrow whizzes into its arm it just as it steps forward to take an attack of opportunity on Bern as he steps back to fire his bow. Perhaps Ryssa's arrow distracts it as it misses Bern who then hits with his own arrow.
Zombie Opportunity attack
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 4 - Miss
(OOC - Pande, yes, you're up. Ex - An 8 hits.)
Name/Init/HP/Dam/StatusBalthazar/18/25/0/Normal
Ryssa/17/26/0/Normal
Luminmorn/17/31/0/Normal
Lingo/16/22/0/Normal
Bern/10/28/4/Normal
Zombie1/2/xx/6/Turned
Zombie2/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie3/2/xx/14/Normal
Zombie4/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie5/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie6/2/xx/0/Turned
Luminmorn
He coughed and attacked with Talon.
22 to hit, 5 damage disadvantage on to hit.
Save 16 after disadvantage
Pandemonium rolled d20+2 and got 22
2016-01-10 01:51:32
3 Luminmorn Save
Pandemonium rolled d20+2 and got 16
2016-01-10 01:50:24
3 Luminmorn Disadvantage attack
Pandemonium rolled d20+6 and got 22
2016-01-10 01:49:43
3 Luminmorn Attack, damage
Pandemonium rolled d20+6,d10+4 and got 23, 5
DM
Luminmorn swings his enchanted sword and strikes the zombie across the chest. With a final cough he manages to expel the last of the ash from his lungs.
(OOC - Luminmorn has saved so is no longer at Disadvantage)
Lingo and then Bern are up.
Name/Init/HP/Dam/Status
Balthazar/18/25/0/Normal
Ryssa/17/26/0/Normal
Luminmorn/17/31/0/Normal
Lingo/16/22/0/Normal
Bern/10/28/4/Normal
Zombie1/2/xx/6/Turned
Zombie2/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie3/2/xx/19/Normal
Zombie4/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie5/2/xx/0/Turned
Zombie6/2/xx/0/Turned
<Bern>
**These things were tough to kill**, he thought. They had hit that one quite a few good hits and it was still up! This could be a tough fight!
He took aim and fired again.
Bern cont w/ zombies MikeD rolled d20+7,d8+3 and got 19, 10
Going for 3 if it is still up. Otherwise 1 will be his next target
Lingo
The halfling moves between the bigger folk and fires his arrow at the zombie that Luminmorn swung his blad at.
Lingo Fires arrow Att,BaseDam,SneakDam,Hide
Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3,2d6,1d20+7 and got 23, 5, 8, 15
DMLingo fires his bow, and the Zombie in the doorway crumples to the floor.
Bern then changes his aim from the Zombie in the doorway to one of the Zombies huddled in the rear of the room. He fires, and strikes the Zombie a solid blow to the chest. Interestingly there is no puff of ash from this hit.
Immediately it stops huddling in fright of Ryssa, and with an angry slavering glare it charges the doorway, attacking Luminmorn who is blocking it's way. It's fists strike ineffectually against the Dragonborn's armour.
Balthazar is next, followed by the rest of you. The Zombies have 22 hps so once another 6 points of damage are done to Zombie #1 the next persons needs to tell me if they are still attacking, and which one.
Zombie Attack Luminmorn
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 13Name/Init/HP/Dam/StatusBalthazar/18/25/0/Normal
Ryssa/17/26/0/Normal
Luminmorn/17/31/0/Normal
Lingo/16/22/0/Normal
Bern/10/28/4/Normal
Zombie1/2/22/16/Normal
Zombie2/2/22/0/Turned
Zombie3/2/22/24/Dead
Zombie4/2/22/0/Turned
Zombie5/2/22/0/Turned
Zombie6/2/22/0/Turned
Ryssa
The cleric nocked another arrow and aimed at the zombie which had attacked Luminmorn but, if it fell first, instead she stepped forward and left just enough to attack the zombie farthest to the left along the back wall.
Ryssa Hit/Damage Z1 or Z5: 1d20+4,1d8+3 = 24,11 - What a roll!
Luminmorn
He watched the zombie collapse and pulled a javelin to toss at another zombie. One at a time was just fine with him.
6 to hit, makes the dmg moot.
Luminmorn Attack zombie with javelin
Pandemonium rolled d20+5,d6+3 and got 6, 6
<Bern>
[[ assuming Ryssa took out 1, will shoot at 5. Will adjust if needed ]]
The second zombie falls. That was better, he thought. He shifted his aim and fired at the last one that is a clear target from his current location.
Bern att z5 MikeD rolled d20+7,d8+3 and got 24, 9
Just need Balthazar and Lingo to resolve.
Balthazar
Seeing the last of the activated zombies fall, he paused for a moment.
"We need to concentrate fire now on one at a time, try to take out as many as we can before the turn wears off. The one on the left?"
Firebolt 1d20+5,1d10 = 19,6
<Bern>
"Sounds like a plan", he agreed as he took aim ...
[[ remains to be seen who he will be shooting at <g> ]]
Ken - I need your attack rolls too.
OOC: I added them to my previous post
Lingo
With the zombies backed into the corner, Lingo would shoots a bolt of fire at a zombie - any zombie.
Lingo sends a bolt of fire at Zombie
Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d10,1d20+7 and got 15, 4, 1
[[ just curious Nep ... how do you get '1' from 'd20+7' <weg> ]]
[Man that dice roller really CHEATS]
DMBalthazar's Bolt of Fire destroys the Zombie by the door, and so on an impromptu plan the group decides to focus fire and tackle the remaining ones from left to right.
So, the group fires at #5, and while Luminmorn misses, everyone else hits and with Lingo's final Fire Bolt, it too collapses into a pile of ash.
Only three remain, and all are cowering in the corner so have no action. In order to expedite things, we will presume you can kill them all using this same tactic.
So, all are dead now. What do you do next? You see the common room of an inn, containing tables, chairs, and a bar along the right hand wall. Dust covers everything.
Balthazar 18 25 0 Normal
Ryssa 17 26 0 Normal
Luminmorn 17 31 0 Normal
Lingo 16 22 0 Normal
Bern 10 28 4 Normal
[OOC I don't remember us all being so wounded. Did I miss stuff? Or should we take a minute and heal up?]
I think you're reading the chart wrong. Only Bern is wounded for 4 points.
OOC: Zeim, I prettied up your status. You can copy and paste from there and it should be easier to read.
Lingo
The halfling's antennae go up as he scours the common room in search of pretty things.
Lingo Searches the common room perception
Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 8
<Bern>
He let Lingo go in and search ... he was much better at it than Bern was. Instead, he was looking about outside. There were questions to be answered. Why were the undead in that building? Did someone manage to 'trap' then and then leave? Perhaps there were other problems awaiting them in other buildings. He kept an eye on them as well. Once this have been scoured for things useful, they could decide what was next.
Luminmorn
Now that the first batch of undead were dealt with, the dragonborn said "so if you had zombies wandering around. Wouldn't it be nice if they would go inside of a stone building where you could cause the doors to stick? Anyone else think this might be the work of the druid?"
He watched Lingo work and wandered in to look around as well. He didn't think he was near as clever as the halfling for this kind of a thing. Yet he was curious none the less.
[OOC I did misread, that helped. Thanks. Is there an upstairs, or is this a single story? Heck are all the buildings of similar height?]
<Bern>
"Why would a druid 'lock' them up but not dispose of them", he asked, clearly not seeing the sense of something like that.
Ryssa
"Well, perhaps the druid was... in a hurry and, since a druid lacks a cleric's undead turning ability, maybe he just wanted them out of the way."
<Bern>
"Seems an unlikely answer ... but I suppose a possibility."
Ryssa
The cleric smiled at the ranger and shrugged.
"The likeliest answer is not always the correct one."
GM
1 - Nep - Give Lingo an "Inspiration" point. Thanks for cleaning up the chart. I am in the middle of three different Global Project deployments as well as creating training slides to present on an upcoming business trip to Barcelona for 350+ Project Managers and barely have time to breathe.
2 - Pande - All buildings you can see are a single story, except the tower on top of the hill to the east, which is about 40 feet high. The tower rises another 40 feet above the ground.
3 - Lingo finds nothing other than tables, chairs, empty bottles and pewter and wooden mugs scattered about. All is covered in dust and the smell of yeast still permeates the air. There is a door in the western wall.
Luminmorn
He looks to the opened door and waits for the halfling to check it. He is prepared to defend that door as the last one.
<Bern>
"We should probably check the bodies too", he said as it occurred to him, "The zombies might have useful stuff from before they ... became zombies.
Ryssa
Turning, she looked back through the doorway into the building.
"Lingo did not check the bodies?"
<Bern>
"Don't know. I was watching elsewhere."
Ryssa
Frowning, Ryssa turned and re-entered the building and, distaste evident on her face, began to search the undead and now re-dead corpses.
DM
Ryssa is able to find a few copper pieces on some of the zombies, but nothing of interest. Total 25 coppers.
<Bern>
He sighed. "Thanks Ryssa. But I was hoping for something more like information that would give some indication who these poor souls were, what happened, something like that", he said with a sigh.
Ryssa
She nodded, a sour look on her face as she wiped her hands against her pants.
Lingo
"There are other buildings to investigate. What about that one?"
He points to the small building across the way (#1).
<Bern>
With a shrug, he headed to the building Lingo had selected. "Good as any", he said as he walked.
Lingo
By the time that Bern gets to the door, it has been opened (if not locked). Lingo uses his mage hand to let the ranger in.
Luminmorn
They are looking for clues. He personally wants to destroy the undead as well. Amother building is fine by him. He follows weapons at the ready.
DMAbandoning the ruined Brown Horse Tavern the group moves across the road to examine another structure (#1). This one is completely ruined. It consists of stone walls about 8 feet high but the door is gone and the roof has collapsed into the building leaving lots of debris filling the interior. Weeds are rampant here.
There is no way to tell if anything is inside without entering and digging through some of the debris. Let me know actions.
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 18 25 0 Normal
Ryssa 17 26 0 Normal
Luminmorn 17 31 0 Normal
Lingo 16 22 0 Normal
Bern 10 28 4 Normal
<Bern>
Since there didn't seem to be any undead here, he started looking around for something that might help them ...
(OOC - Please give me specific directions. Looking around where? Which square? Entering the building or looking around outside?)
[[ Well, lets see ... he entered the building, not much likelihood of finding anything useful outside <g> There are 4 'squares' so starting with the one where the door (and the #1 on it), work counter clockwise ... since there aren't any 'coordinates' on the map <weg> ]]
Ryssa
Shield slung over her back and nocked arrow held in her bow, the cleric followed Bern into the building.
Balthazar
The wizard stayed outside of the building and kept an eye open for any trouble from without as several of his companions examined the interior.
Lingo
Once the door was open and there was no explosion or other obvious hazard, the brave halfling marched right into the building and started looking around carefully.
Lingo searches building #1
Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 6
OK, too busy on my business trip to set this up, but suffice to say you are going to have an encounter here so everyone can roll for initiative and I will move it along after I get back, probably this weekend.
<heh heh heh> don-cha hate when life gets in the way of fun <sigh>
Luminmorn
Though he is standing guard, he seems to be less attentive than he should be.
5 Initative
Luminmorn Init
Pandemonium rolled d20-1 and got 5
Ryssa
The cleric closed her eyes and murmured a quiet prayer to her deity.
Initiative Roll: 1d20+2 = 3
Apparently when she closed her eyes, she went to sleep
Bern Oops. init! MikeD rolled d20+3 and got 13
Balthazar
Standing outside, he is watching for trouble coming from the surrounding buildings and woods.
OOC: Initative 1d20+2 = 15
Lingo Initiative
Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 9
DMBern, Ryssa, and Lingo enter the ruined cottage and begin to look around. Balthazar and Luminmorn stay outside on guard.
The cottage they enter, as well as the ones behind them, are all ruined. Crumbled stone walls with no roofs. The insides are overgrown with green and brown brush. As the three inside poke around, Balthazar steps on a small bush adjacent to building #2. To his surprise, the bush moves! A moment later several brown plants that had seemed to be nothing more than dead bushes likewise move!
As that happens outside the building, inside building #1 three more of the dead looking bushes spring to life.
Balthazar has initiative.
Twig Blights Initiative
Zeim rolled d20+1 and got 14
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 15 25 0 Normal
T1 14 4 0 Normal
T2 14 4 0 Normal
T3 14 4 0 Normal
T4 14 4 0 Normal
T5 14 4 0 Normal
T6 14 4 0 Normal
T7 14 4 0 Normal
T8 14 4 0 Normal
T9 14 4 0 Normal
T10 14 4 0 Normal
T11 14 4 0 Normal
Bern 13 28 4 Normal
Lingo 9 22 0 Normal
Luminmorn 5 31 0 Normal
Ryssa 3 26 0 Normal
Balthazar
"We have enemies out here!" he called out to warm the others inside, then kove to the doorway and cast a firebolt at the closest thing.
Firebolt 1d20+5, 1d10 = 6,4
DMBalthazar's Firebolt flies wide and the plant creatures attack. What previsouly seemed to be nothing more than dead brush springs legs, teeth, and claws and move in.
Inside the room 2 of them attack Lingo and one attacks Ryssa, but all three of them miss.
Outside, 4 of them gang up on Balthazar while a single one attacks the dragonborn. Of the 4 on Balthazar, two of them hit with their sharp claws doing 6 points of damage. The one on Luminmorn misses.
Twig Blights Attack Luminmorn
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 9
Twig Blights attack Balthazar
Zeim rolled d20+3,d20+3,d20+3,d20+3 and got 17, 14, 17, 5
Twig Blights attack Ryssa
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 12
Twig Blights attack Lingo
Zeim rolled d20+3,d20+3 and got 11, 4Everyone else can go, and then once you have gone, Balthazar can go again to start the next round.
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 15 25 6 Normal
T1 14 4 0 Normal
T2 14 4 0 Normal
T3 14 4 0 Normal
T4 14 4 0 Normal
T5 14 4 0 Normal
T6 14 4 0 Normal
T7 14 4 0 Normal
T8 14 4 0 Normal
T9 14 4 0 Normal
T10 14 4 0 Normal
T11 14 4 0 Normal
Bern 13 28 4 Normal
Lingo 9 22 0 Normal
Luminmorn 5 31 0 Normal
Ryssa 3 26 0 Normal
<Bern>
**damn**, he thought as the weeds started moving and attacking. It sounded like there were a lot more of the things moving outside and only Luminmorn and Balthazar out there. "If you guys need help, call out. I am going to help the others." If things got too nasty out there, he could haul the two out there in and they could use the door to limit access ... at least that was the hope.
He stepped out of the doorway, pulling his rapier, and attacked ...
[[ Bern attack plant thing #10 MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3 and got 10, 7 ]]
(OOC - Note MikeD - There is no door. This is a ruined cottage. Even the walls are crumbling. You can walk directly thru a wall as difficult terrain.)
Ryssa
Ryssa had never seen plants attack like this, but she hesitates only a second. Her bow quickly slid over her shoulder, she moved forward covered by shield and attacking the nearest plant foe with her dagger.
Ryssa Attack/Hit W/Dagger: 1d20+4, 1d4+1 = 17,5
[[ thanks. wasn't too sure how 'dilapidated' the buildings were <g> ]]
Luminmorn
He moved so that he could line up some of the creatures and released his breath. The intention had been to fry four of them with electricity. But he misses horrendously.
2 to hit, 5 dmg What a waste. The intention had been to moved and hit 6,5,8, and maybe the other one #4 in front of Balthazar.
Luminmorn Attack with breath weapon
Pandemonium rolled d20,2d6 and got 2, 5
Lingo
This was the first time that a plant had ever attacked him. Lingo struck the one between him and Ryssa. She might think he was helping her out, but it was purely strategic. He had learned how to take advantage of the slightest blink of an eye and would stick the stick with his pointy sword when it was focused on Ryssa. That instant made his attacks all the more potent. And after he attacked he then hid around the larger warrior woman. It was time to play hack and hide.
Lingo Attack Twiggy-1(Hit,Dam,Sneakdice,Stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3,1d6,1d20+7 and got 21, 4, 3, 21
(OOC - Pande - That's not how your Breath Weapon works. Just like a Fireball spell you don't need to roll to-hit. You automatically hit every creature in the AOE. Each creature in the AOE has to make a save. DC = 8 + your Con modifier + your Proficiency bonus (can you tell me that number please?). If they save they take 1/2 damage.)
[OOC Ty for the correction. Con mod is +2. Not sure of proficiency. Cha which is what he uses for most things is +3, and or level 3. Anyone who can give a hint, and I will look for that too.]
[[ Prof bonus is probably +2. You don't get to +3 until 4th or 5th level in most classes. ]]
[OOC: Thanks, didn't remember that. So +4 to 8 = DC 12]
(OOC - Just waiting for Balthazar)
Balthazar
The slim wizard was surrounded and that was never a good thing for an unarmored mage. He chanted a spell as a mist swarmed up around him.
OOC: Misty step, 2nd level spell. Casting Defensively if that is still done. He will move to the T intersection to the north, about 15 feet away.
DMThe party retaliates against the Twig Blights. Bern tried to stab one with his rapier, but his blow misses wide as the bush displays more dexterity than one might expect and ducks.
Ryssa attack #3 and her blow strikes true, the bush exploding into a cloud of twigs and sticks.
Luminmorn moves away from the surrounded Balthazar, but before panic can set in, the Dragonborn open his mouth and a line of Lightening erupts from him, engulfing three of the Twig Blights surrounding the mage. Two of them blacken, shrivel, and die. The third loses about half it's limbs but still stands.
Lingo steps up to the Twig Blight near Ryssa and slices it in half. The two pieces fall to the floor and stop moving.
Balthazar decides it'd be better for him to not be in hand-to-hand combat, and so with a quick word mists swirl around him and he disappears, only to reappear 30 feet away.
(OOC - Ken - Misty Step is a Bonus Action, that is it's best feature. You still get a normal action. Since we're at the top of the round please take it now. Also, the squares on this map are 10 feet so it's actually 30 feet to where you wanted to go, which is not a problem as that's still within the spells range.)
Balthazar acts and then the enemy go.
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 15 25 6 Normal
T2 14 4 0 Normal
T4 14 4 2 Normal
T7 14 4 0 Normal
T8 14 4 0 Normal
T9 14 4 0 Normal
T10 14 4 0 Normal
T11 14 4 0 Normal
Bern 13 28 4 Normal
Lingo 9 22 0 Normal
Luminmorn 5 31 0 Normal
Ryssa 3 26 0 Normal
Balthazar
Arriving at his destination, he turns and lets loose with another firebolt, praying that this one flies true!
OOC: Attack 1d20+5 and got a 21. Damage is 1d10 and got a 4
DMBalthazar's Firebolt sets Twig Blight #4 ablaze and it quickly burns to ash.
The ones that remain close in on the group. The one near Lingo cannot make out the Halfling and so it moves towards the Ranger and slashes at him, but misses.
Twig Blight #2 Attack Bern
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 12Most of the other Blights rush forwards, but can't quite reach the group, except one (#10) which moves up to the opening to the ruined building and slices at Ryssa, but also misses.
Twig Blight #10 Attack Ryssa
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 5(OOC - Everyone can go now. In order, starting with Bern.)
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 15 25 6 Normal
T2 14 4 0 Normal
T7 14 4 0 Normal
T8 14 4 0 Normal
T9 14 4 0 Normal
T10 14 4 0 Normal
T11 14 4 0 Normal
Bern 13 28 4 Normal
Lingo 9 22 0 Normal
Luminmorn 5 31 0 Normal
Ryssa 3 26 0 Normal
Ryssa
The plant approached her and slashed, but she was able to block the blow with the edge of her shield. "Lathander, help me," she called out as she slashed at it with her dagger.
Ryssa Hit/Dam B10: 1d20+4,1d4+1 = 8,4
Luminmorn moved forward and swung at one of the stick things.
14 to hit, 10 damage. Move 5 feet to attack #8
3 Luminmorn Attack 8
Pandemonium rolled d20+6,d10+4 and got 14, 10
<Bern>
Well there was one up in his space, he attacked that one with renewed enthusiasm ...
Bern plant thing #2 MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3 and got 7, 10
(OOC - Need Lingo and Balthazar)
Balthazar
Safe at his distance, he does what wizards do best and attack from a distance with another firebolt, his go to spell. Unfortunately it goes wide of his target.
Firebolt 1d20+5, 1d10 = 6,6
Lingo
There was one twig-man still in the cottage. Lingo came out of hiding for a moment to try and cut it down.
Lingo Attack Twiggy-2 (att, dam, sneak dam, stealth)
Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3,1d6,1d20+7 and got 15, 4, 2, 25
DMRyssa attacks the one in the doorway, but misses. Luminmorn steps forward and cuts down Twig Blight #8. In the meantime both Balthazar and Bern miss while Lingo steps out of hiding and cuts #2 in half.
The remaining Twig Blights continue to slash at the group. Three of them (7, 9, & 11) move up and attack Luminmorn while the one in the doorway strikes at Ryssa. Only one of the hits the Dragonborn for 3 points of damage.
Twig Blights Attack Ryssa, Luminmorn (x3)
Zeim rolled d20+3,d20+3,d20+3,d20+3 and got 7, 5, 19, 7
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 15 25 6 Normal
T7 14 4 0 Normal
T9 14 4 0 Normal
T10 14 4 0 Normal
T11 14 4 0 Normal
Bern 13 28 4 Normal
Lingo 9 22 0 Normal
Luminmorn 5 31 3 Normal
Ryssa 3 26 0 Normal
<Bern>
All the creatures in the building with him seem to be 'done', so he steps out past Ryssa and goes after one of the things attacking Luminmorn.
Bern lets finish this MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3 and got 23, 7
Luminmorn
The dragonborn attacked the one that had stuck him. A deft strike with Talon.
23 to hit, 7 dmg
Luminmorn Attack stick thing
Pandemonium rolled d20+6,d10+4 and got 23, 7
Balthazar
He sent another firebolt at the one behind the dragonborn and this time the bolt hit him square.
Firebolt - 1d20+5,1d10 = 24,2
Ryssa
Following the ranger outside, she moved slightly to the right and attacked the twig blight there.
Ryssa Hit/Damage Twig Blight: 1d20+4, 1d4+1 = 20,5
DMAnd with a series of well placed blows the last of the plant creatures perishes. You can see now that whoever placed the sign at the entrance to the town was telling the truth.
Having looked around ruined building #1 you had seen nothing of note. Behind you, from where more of the Twig Blight had emerged, two side-by-side cottages (#2) look as though they might have been the homes of prosperous shopkeepers or well-off farmers in their time. All that remains are collapsed walls and piles of debris. Several young trees grow up in the midst of the ruins.
Just beyond the pair of ruined building, you can now see another small house (#4). This one seems to be in better shape and still has it's roof in it's proper place. above and not on the floor.
Further away, on top of the hill you can still make out the round tower with a small cottage attached.
The rest of the town remains hidden by thick trees and brush.
Where to next?
Luminmorn
He looked about expecting another attack. When it didn't materialize he relaxed. "The double broken down one and on to that one?" He pointed with his blade to the one that still mostly intact.
<Bern>
"We should check them all, but the order is not important to me", he said with a shrug, prepared to follow whoever wanted to 'take charge'.
Lingo
While the others debate where to go, Lingo is searching. It's his standard procedure. The halfling is keeping his eyes open and his nose close to the ground.
Lingo Perception
Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 8
Ryssa
Seeing Lingo begin to search the area, the cleric of Lathander moves to assist him in his search while the others decided where to next.
Ryssa Perception: 1d20+5 = 24
<Bern>
Considering the string of attacks, he decided that he would be of more use keeping an eye out for ... the next 'problem'. Hopefully they might get a bit of a warning =before= the trouble hits.
DMLingo finds nothing of interest in the area inside #1 or outside #1 and #2. Ryssa assists him and sees nothing out of the ordinary.
After a time, the two of them begin to look inside the double homes. Lingo searches among the debris, but it is Ryssa who notices among the roots of a tree growing up inside the shell of the eastern building a loose flagstone, partially dislodged by a tree root. She can see it exposes the edge of a hole of some sort.
Glancing outside the ruined walls from the eastern home reveals more of the village. The road branches to the east and then at the base of the hill a branch of it leads in a zig zag fashion up the hillside towards the tower (7). Opposite that is a cluster of buildings (5, 6, 8), both ruined and not.
Lingo
"I can't find anything, Ryssa. What's about you? See anything interesting?"
Ryssa
"Perhaps," she told the rogue. "Look at this," she said as she kneeled alongside the loose flagstone and attempted to lift it.
"Looks like a hole here."
Luminmorn
"Snakes live in holes," he cautions. But to him it looked like a bolt hole where someone would put something they wanted to hide.
<Bern>
"Yeah, but snakes are not the only ones", he said with a grin. "Anyone else wanna go down there? I am willing to be first down there."
Balthazar
He comes over to see what is going on and notices the hole and the discussion about going in.
"Perhaps a light might help decide." he said, taking out a copper coin and casting light on it and handing it to one of them.
"Toss it down and then you can see before you leap."
Lingo
"Thanks!" he says as the glowing coin lifts off of Balthazar's hand and starts floating down the hole.
"Don't worry, I'll give it back," he says. It's probably not what the greedy little thief would want to do, but he thought it was the right thing to say.
As the coin floated down, Lingo stayed outside but looked down the hole, his dagger in his hand.
Mage Hand
Ryssa
Ryssa stood to one side of Lingo, protecting his flank, her dagger at the ready.
DM
Moving the tile and lowering the glowing coin reveals that the hole is not terribly deep, perhaps 2 feet. It also reveals that it is not empty. A small metal chest, green and red with age and rust sits inside the hole.
Lingo
He had his mage hand move around the chest with the light to see if he could spot a trap. He focused on the lock itself. Then, if he found a trap, he had the hand try and disarm it. Otherwise he put down the glowing coin and then he had the hand start to pick the lock.
Lingo Perception, Disarm trap (if there), pick lock
Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d20+4,1d20+4 and got 7, 14, 5
DM
Lingo struggles with the chest, unable to open the lock. He twists and turns his Mage Hand back and forth, up and down, and still there is no satisfying "click" sound. After several minutes his frustration catches up with him and he kicks the chest with his foot, whereupon the lid simply flops open.
Inside he and Ryssa can see numerous coins, mostly of copper but some silver and a few gold peek through.
Ryssa
"Well now, that is interesting," she said with a smile.
"Is it safe, do you think, Lingo, to pull the chest out into the open and check underneath the coins?"
Lingo
"Only one way to find out" he says as he steps back to avoid any kind of blast. His spectral hand remains and starts to pull the chest out.
DM
Chest is easily pulled out, as long as Lingo's strength score is good enough to lift it. With Ryssa's help it should not be a problem. Let me know if you are going to count the coins.
Ryssa
She lent her strength to the Halfling and then looked down into the chest. She reached in and moved the coins back and forth to see if they hid anything underneath.
"Should we count them?"
DM
It takes some time, but with both of them counting they reach a tally of 700cp, 160sp, and 90gp.
[OOC: Was anything else in the chest?]
Luminmorn
He doubted they would agree to the effort but he did venture "I don't suppose we should try and find living kin that the chest might belong to? I know the answer but I felt obligated to ask. Money is necessary for our adventures."
Ryssa
The cleric of Lathander frowned for a moment, then shrugged and smiled at the paladin, understanding his motivation.
"Where would you suggest we look, Luminmorn?"
Balthazar
"It is unlikely that we could ever find them, if they still exist. I am afraid that this is what is referred to as the spoils of war."
<Bern>
"I appreciate the sentiment", he said to Luminmorn. "But more to the point", he said looking at the others to include them, "how would we determine =who= the rightful owner is?"
Lingo
"What money?"
He's already trying to pawn the gold pieces. It's obvious that he abides by the rule of "finder's keepers" whether he finds it in a chest or another person's pocket.
[[ just curious ... how do you 'pawn' money?? <weg> ]]
(It's kind of like dehydrated water....., just add water.
)
[ooc: that's what you get when you try to post while in the middle of a class on translation of inter-company transactions using currency triangulation
]
I think I fell asleep before I finished that sentence........
<heh heh heh> My job here is done <weg>
I fell asleep learning (feigned) all that crap.
Lingo
"Nothin here but money. We can grab the chest later."
A few of the gold coins are furtively palmed and pocketed as he pushed the chest aside.
"Let's move on to the next thing. What about we just head to the tower? It seems like the place we'll find the best treasures."
Yes, the halfling clearly has his priorities in order.
<Bern>
"I would vote for a more 'studied' course of action. Charging in can too often be a disaster. Of course, if you want to head there on your own ...", he said with a grin.
Luminmorn
"Let us take it with us," the dragonborn suuggested. He nodded in agreement with the ranger's words.
"We could look in those last few buildings and scout the tower."
DMTaking the coins with you, you decide to check out the nearby buildings first, before heading towards the tower.
The path heads south from the pair of ruined buildings you just explored. A branch of the path heads east towards a group of other buildings (#6 & #8) and the southern branch passes by two buildings.
The furthest one (#5) looks like it might once have been a farmhouse. It is now half swallowed by a dense thicket, with trees growing up through it's ruined foundations. The lane continues south, past it, and out of the village a short distance before running straight into an overgrown field.
The nearer building (#4) appears to be in better condition than the other ruined and dilapidated structures nearby. The doors to this building are reinforced with heavy iron bands, and thick, closed, shutters protect the windows.
Ryssa
"It looks like that one had something someone thought was worth protecting," the cleric said, pointing toward the nearer building (#4).
<Bern>
"I would prefer to get those other buildings", points to 5, 6 & 8, "done first. They should be quick to check. Then we can come back and check this one."
Balthazar
"I will be watching outside so it is your decision on which to enter."
Luminmorn
He nods hus agreement with the ranger's assessment. Then he makes ready to move to them.
Lingo
"Just point me in the right direction and I'll check the place out for traps and stuff."
OOC: Sorry about my near absence right now. Just 3 more days of cramming before the big day....
[[ RL is what it is. No worries <g> ]]
DM
Deciding to delay exploring the nearby house (#4), the group looks first at the house directly across the road (#5).
This ruin looks like it might have once been a farmhouse. It is now half-swallowed by a dense thicket with trees growing up through it's ruined foundations. The lane continues a short distance past the ruin to the south before ending in an overgrown field.
Looking into the ruin from the outside, all you can see is rubble, ruined furniture, and brush and trees growing.
What do you choose to do? Enter and rummage around, or bypass and move on?
Lingo
The halfling struggles to peer over the window sill and decides that it's easier to walk in through the door, so he does so...carefully.
Lingo Perception, Stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d20+7 and got 7, 25
Ryssa
The cleric moved up behind the diminutive rogue and stopped in the doorway, extending her senses as she looked around the rubble-strewn interior.
Ryssa Perception Check: 1d20+5 = 25
[OOC: Why can't the dice roller cooperate like this when it's some important roll?]
<Bern>
It was his idea, so he was watching Lingo to make sure nothing happened to him as he entered the building.
Luminmorn
He stands guard outside.
DM
Neither Lingo, who is currently oblivious, nor Ryssa, who currently is sharp as a tack, detect anything in the room of interest. It appears filled with rubble, brush, and bits of broken furniture.
If you want to give it a thorough search you would need to start rummaging around and digging beneath the debris. At the moment there is nothing specifically pointing towards your finding anything if you do so.
Lingo
When he doesn't spot any trouble, he begins to forage for loot.
Ryssa
"There's nothing in here," she called out.
"What's next?"
<Bern>
"Oh kay. Lets check the next building", he said pointing to #5,
DMOOC - MikeD - Note you are currently exploring #5.
As the others start to look around for another building to move to, Lingo start rooting around in the rubble. Suddenly the bushes around the building erupt in a flurry of movement and numerous Twig Blights appear and attack!
Roll for initiative.
Twig Blight Initiative
Zeim rolled d20+1 and got 7Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 25 6 Normal
T1 7 4 0 Normal
T2 7 4 0 Normal
T3 7 4 0 Normal
T4 7 4 0 Normal
T5 7 4 0 Normal
T6 7 4 0 Normal
T7 7 4 0 Normal
T8 7 4 0 Normal
T9 7 4 0 Normal
T10 7 4 0 Normal
Bern 28 4 Normal
Lingo 22 0 Normal
Luminmorn 31 3 Normal
Ryssa 26 0 Normal
4
Luminmorn Init
Pandemonium rolled d20-1 and got 4
Balthazar - Initative 1d20+2 = 20
Bern Init again MikeD rolled d20+3 and got 14
Lingo
Lingo the trouble maker initiative because he can't leave well enough alone
Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 13
Ryssa
Initiative Roll: 1d20+5 = 17
DMEveryone can go except Luminmorn (who went already
). (Pande - Once we get to Luminmorn's turn I'll apply his move)
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 20 25 6 Normal
Ryssa 17 26 0 Normal
Bern 14 28 4 Normal
Lingo 13 22 0 Normal
T1 7 4 0 Normal
T2 7 4 0 Normal
T3 7 4 0 Normal
T4 7 4 0 Normal
T5 7 4 0 Normal
T6 7 4 0 Normal
T7 7 4 0 Normal
T8 7 4 0 Normal
T9 7 4 0 Normal
T10 7 4 0 Normal
Luminmorn 4 31 3 Normal
Horde Breaker - 2nd attack vs diffreent foe w/in 5'
Bern Att T1 & T4
MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3,d20+5,d8+3 and got 19, 10, 12, 8
Ryssa
Muttering a prayer to Lathander, Ryssa slashed at the nearest foe.
Ryssa Attack T9: 1d20+5,1d4+1 = 25,2
Balthazar
He took a five foot step back and cast his web spell on those creatures within the woods north of the house, hopefully freeing Bern and Luminmore to help deal with the rest.
(OOC - Just need Lingo's action)
Lingo
The halfling's short sword slashes one of the twig-men and then ducks around it to hide.
Lingo Attacks with short sword, dam, stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3,1d20+7 and got 19, 7, 27
DMBalthazar spreads his fingers and a 20 foot cube fills with sticky webs. the webs cover three of the Twig Blights.
Ryssa strikes the one in front of her and her attack hits and damages the creature.
Bern strikes at two of the blight and kills the one outside the webs.
Lingo strikes with his short sword and kills one of the creatures. He then steps back and hides near Ryssa.
The three Twig Blight inside the webs attempt to break free, but all of the fail and are stuck.
Twig Blights Save versus Webs
Zeim rolled d20-2,d20-2,d20-2 and got -1, 7, 10One of the Twig Blight charges at Luminmorn and hits him with a slashing strike. The rest swarm Ryssa and slash at her from all sides. Only one of them gets past her defenses however.
Twig Blights Attack Ryssa (4) Luminmorn (1)
Zeim rolled d20+3,d20+3,d20+3,d20+3,d20+3 and got 15, 21, 8, 5, 17Luminmorn can now go.
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 20 25 6 Ward = 9
Ryssa 17 26 3 Normal
Bern 14 28 4 Normal
Lingo 13 22 0 Normal
T1 7 4 0 Immobilized
T2 7 4 0 Immobilized
T3 7 4 0 Immobilized
T4 7 4 4 Dead
T5 7 4 0 Normal
T6 7 4 4 Dead
T7 7 4 2 Normal
T8 7 4 0 Normal
T9 7 4 0 Normal
T10 7 4 0 Normal
Luminmorn 4 31 6 Normal
Luminmorn
The dragonborn looked about as the area erupted in the nasty little stick creatures, again. He brought Talon around in a deft strike.
16 to hit, 14 damage
Luminmorn Att #5
Pandemonium rolled d20+6,d10+4 and got 16, 14
Lingo
The halfling sneaks around Ryssa and slashes a twigman with his sword while quickly ducking around Ryssa again.
Lingo Attacks #7 with short sword, dam, sneak damage, stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3,2d6,1d20+7 and got 14, 5, 9, 12
DMLuminmorn slices the one Twig Blight outside the building that is not entangles in the webs and Lingo backstabs one of the ones facing Ryssa.
Balthazar, Bern, and Ryssa can go.
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 20 25 6 Ward = 9
Ryssa 17 26 3 Normal
Bern 14 28 4 Normal
Lingo 13 22 0 Normal
T1 7 4 0 Immobilized
T2 7 4 0 Immobilized
T3 7 4 0 Immobilized
T4 7 4 4 Dead
T5 7 4 4 Dead
T6 7 4 4 Dead
T7 7 4 2 Normal
T8 7 4 0 Normal
T9 7 4 0 Normal
T10 7 4 0 Normal
Luminmorn 4 31 6 Normal
<Bern>
The plant things caught up in the spell were not an immediate concern. His companions, though, the ones in the other building, they needed some help. He scrambled across to the other building and swung on the nearest plant things.
Bern attack plant thing 8 then 9 MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3,d20+5,d8+3 and got 9, 4, 16, 9
Ryssa
Grunting in pain when the sharp-clawed twig wounded her, Ryssa called out to Lathander for help and slashed at another of the twig blights before her.
Ryssa Attack/Damage T10: 1d20+5,1d4+1 = 8,5
Balthazar
He takes a step back to keep further out of range and tries to fire a firebolt at the nearest monster, only to have it miss badly.
Firebolt. 1d20+5,1d10 = 6,1
[[ Ooooo ... two ones in a single roll ... that has got to be a new low even for =our= roller <sigh> ]]
DMBalthazar takes a step back, putting his back up against the better maintained building across the road. He fires a Bolt of Fire at one of the Plant Monsters, but misses. His Fire Bolt lands a midst the webs and quickly burns away a section of them.
(Ken - Please make a Perception check for Balthazar)Bern moves towards Ryssa, drawing his rapier, and slashes at two of the plant monsters, striking and killing one of them.
Ryssa tries to strike at one of the one stiff slashing at her, but she misses them.
Lingo steps out from behind Ryssa and stabs one of the creatures (#7), and it crumbles to the ground. He quickly steps back behind the cleric to hide.
Two of the Twig Blights still struggling in the Webs manage to break free. One charges at Balthazar and the other moves towards Luminmorn.
Twig Blights Save versus Web
Zeim rolled d20-2,d20-2,d20-2 and got 18, 7, 15Inside the cottage, the two other Twig Blight both attack Ryssa once more, however both of their strikes miss.
Twig Blights Attack Ryssa
Zeim rolled d20+3,d20+3 and got 9, 8Luminmorn goes and then we are back to the top of the order.
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 20 25 6 Ward = 9
Ryssa 17 26 3 Normal
Bern 14 28 4 Normal
Lingo 13 22 0 Normal
T1 7 4 0 Normal
T2 7 4 0 Immobilized
T3 7 4 0 Normal
T4 7 4 4 Dead
T5 7 4 4 Dead
T6 7 4 4 Dead
T7 7 4 2 Dead
T8 7 4 0 Normal
T9 7 4 4 Dead
T10 7 4 0 Normal
Luminmorn 4 31 6 Normal
<Bern>
They were falling quickly, he looked for the nearest one still moving and attacked ...
Bern another attack MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3 and got 23, 9. (If there is a different foe w/in 5' get 2nd attack MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3 and got 25, 5)
Luminmorn
The dragonborn slashes at the approaching creature.
21 to hit, 6 damage
Pandemonium rolled d20+6,d10+4 and got 21, 6
Lingo
The halfling attacks the last twig blight in the building but misses badly.
Lingo Attacks with short sword, dam, sneak damage, stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3,2d6,1d20+7 and got 6, 4, 7, 22
(OOC - Still need Ryssa and Balthazar and need Balthazar's Perception roll from last turn)
Balthazar
He quickly fires off another firebolt at the twig creature charging him and misses again.
Perception - d20+2 = 16
Firebolt - 1d20+5,1d10 = 6,1 (Exact same numbers as last time?)
DM
As Balthazar puts his back to the building behind him (#4) and fires at the Twig Blight attacking him, he hears a sound from inside the building. It sounds like a chair scraping on a wooden floor.
[[ since it seems like 1 & 3 are still up, that is where Bern would head ]]
Ryssa
The cleric looked around and, seeing two plant enemies still on their... feet? Anyway, she moved northward and attacked the closest one still alive.
Ryssa Hit/Damage Twig Blight: 1d20+5,1d4+1 = 14,4
DMSeveral more of the Twig Blights die from attacks by Bern, Ryssa, and Luminmorn. However Lingo and Balthazar both miss and two still remain.
The one enmeshed in the Web struggles but cannot break free.
Twig Blights Save versus Web
Zeim rolled d20-1 and got 7
The other charges at Balthazar, slicing with it's thorny branches, but it's wild swings miss the wizard.
Twig Blights attack Balthazar
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 11Luminmorn goes. 2 Foes remain.
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 20 25 6 Ward = 9
Ryssa 17 26 3 Normal
Bern 14 28 4 Normal
Lingo 13 22 0 Normal
T1 7 4 0 Normal
T2 7 4 0 Immobilized
T3 7 4 4 Dead
T4 7 4 4 Dead
T5 7 4 4 Dead
T6 7 4 4 Dead
T7 7 4 4 Dead
T8 7 4 4 Dead
T9 7 4 4 Dead
T10 7 4 4 Dead
Luminmorn 4 31 6 Normal
Balthazar
He takes a five foot step back and casts another firebolt at the creature, calling out as well.
"I heard something move in the building behind me!"
Firebolt 1d20+5,1d10 = 9,10
(OOC - Ken - There is no 5 foot step in 5e. If you move away from a creature you have two choices:
1 - Accept an Opportunity Attack or
2 - Use the "Disengage" action and give up your attack Action)
Lingo
He emerges from the structure and sees one last blight and tries to finish it off with an arrow.
Lingo Attacks the last blight. Hit, Dam, Sneak Dam. No need for stealth now
Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3,2d6 and got 21, 5, 3
(OOC - Just a reminder that there is still one in the Webs.)
[[ I was just waiting to see what happens on Ryssa's action ... if she doesn't get the last twig, I will go for it. Otherwise I will see if I can get a glimpse of what ever was making noise in #4 ]]
DM
Balthazar misses. Lingo steps out of the building and kills one of the two blights left.
(OOC -Luminmorn gets first crack at the last one, then Bern and Ryssa.
MikeD - The building is closed up tight. Door is closed and windows are shuttered. It is well maintained so not a crumbling shell like many of the other buildings, so no way to see in from the outside.)
The dragonborn brought his new weapon down upon his target. Hoping to end this fight.
To hit 24, 7 damage.
3
Luminmorn attack, damage
Pandemonium rolled d20+6,d10+4 and got 24, 7
<Bern>
With the last of the twitchy plants taken out, his main concern was the 'noise' that Balthazar had heard in the building.
A quick look and it was clear that someone ... or some =thing= had gone to some trouble to close up the building. And that implied a someone to him. He moved to the door, gave a knock. "Anyone in there", he called, then tried to open the door.
[[ I understand if that takes more than 'this round' to accomplish <g> ]]
OOC: Is there still one in the webs?
No. Luminmorn killed the one by Balthazar and we'll say Lingo's arrow killed the webbed one.
So all the Twig Blights are dead. You can't see into the building (#4) from outside. What are you doing? Moving on or examining #4?
Luminmorn
He looks at the others. Once he gets the hint that there might be something going on at #4. He nods towards it as if they should investigate. He keeps his weapon out though. This area has been less than friendly.
[[ was there any response to Bern's knock and call at the door? ]]
Balthazar
"Obviously it is another of those twig creatures Bern. I will set fire to the place. Best not to risk another fight. Let it burn up with the house." he said, winking at his companions and waiting as he starts to loudly chant a nonsensical phrase in elvish.
Ryssa
Relieved that the last of the twig blights had succumbed to her friends' attacks, the cleric of Lathander turned her attention to the building with the possible inhabitant.
Extending her senses and clutching her holy icon in her left hand, Ryssa reached toward the building and murmured a short prayer as she tried to determine if there was any evidence of magic surrounding it.
Lingo
With little concern about anyone else, the halfling opens the door to the nearby shack (#4) remotely with an invisible hand he materializes. If there's no explosion, he sneaks in.
Lingo Stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+7 and got 9
DM
Lingo opens the door, but his attempt at stealth is less successful than he likely hoped as the occupant of the room's head turn to follow him as he moves further into the structure.
Lingo and anyone near the door who can see into the house can see it is clean with very simple furniture. A bed made of a rough wooden frame and tightly woven ropes with a straw filled mattress is in one corner while a table and a single chair made of lashed natural wood occupy the center of the room. A canvas pack sits against one wall with a staff leaning next to it. A small kitchen worktable and sink are against the far wall and you can smell the herbs and vegetables lying atop the cutting board.
In the chair sits a gaunt, white bearded human. He is drinking from a carved wooden mug. Steam can be seen drifting from the top of the mug.
As Lingo enters he grunts and nods. "Hello."
<Bern>
He is about to point out that burning the ... possibly inhabited by scared people ... building out of hand was probably a bad idea when Lingo solves the problem by opening the door. The 'human' sounding 'greeting' confirms his instincts. That might be a good discussion for a night around the camp fire, but not for now.
He follows Lingo in ... just in =case= the occupant had more in common with Balthazar
"Good day sir. Are you passing through", he asks seeing pack, "or do you live here?"
Luminmorn
He stays outside and listens. He suspects silently that they have found the druid that supposedly came here but time would tell. For now he didn't want to alarm the human with his appearance. Yet he was sure that they had a lot more in common than many of the others in their intrepid band.
After a moment he considers and turns towards the building to see if he can sense any evil.
(OOC - Just waiting to give the rest time to say or do something. Luminmorn detects no evil.)
Lingo"Hail and well met!"
Obviously he was obvious so he made the most of it with an overly flamboyant bow as he stated his greeting.
"My apology for intruding. We didn't expect nobody here, but there you are! I'm Lingo and these are my pals. And who might you be?"
I might as well give you this roll right off the bat
Lingo Insight
Neptune rolled 1d20+2 and got 15
[OOC: I'm assuming Ryssa's spell detected nothing useful?]
(OOC - sorry. Ryssa does detect magic, but not on the structure itself, rather from inside. Once the door opens she can see the magic emanates from the man inside as well as some of his equipment.)
DM
Glancing at Bern, the man offers a small smile. "Yes", he answers simply.
Turning back to Lingo as the halfling speaks, he says. "Reidoth."
He takes a sip of his drink and adds, "I see you ignored my signs."
(OOC - To Lingo's best guess the man gives every indication of being a druid.)
<Bern>
Well that wasn't very helpful, he thought at the man's ambiguous answer. His last statement suggesting he had no intention of being helpful.
"So then are you the source of the trouble that has been destroying this town?"
DM
He turns to look at Bern with an angry frown. "No. Are you? I warned away everyone to protect them. Why are you here?"
<Bern>
"We came here to try and ... 'resolve' the problems here. Are you willing to help us do that", he asked.
DM
He shrugs. "Not my place. I am simply keeping an eye on things to make sure it doesn't spread elsewhere, and warning folks away."
(OOC - BTW, as noble sounding as that is, MikeD, that is not why you came here. Just a reminder. Perhaps it's a 'negotiating tactic'? See the "Z- News, Quests, Rumours, Leads, Persons & Items of Interest" thread for Quelline Alderleaf.)
Ryssa
She let Bern take the lead in dealing with what she could only assume to be a druid. In the meantime, she watched the man closely, trying to determine the truthfulness of his statements and whether he offered them any harm.
[[ it is all about the presentation ... or ... maybe about how you 'rationalize' it in your own mind <chuckle> ]]
<Bern>
"So are you willing to share what you know about ... what ever it is that is affecting these folk? We would like to free the folk from the ... what ever it is."
Luminmorn
He listened to the banter inside. Why was it humans didn't know how to talk to each other? They never said what they actually meant, nor what they were thinking.
Giving up he made his way to the door of the small hut. "Forgive my insolent friends here. They don't understand so much. What is your name? Does the name Quelline Alderleaf ring a bell?" His mouth was held in a tight toothed grin when finished. This was not something he wanted to do. He disliked having to even butt his long snout into the conversation. But they were still hunting for Gundren, and the longer it took, the less he thought of their chances of success.
<Bern>
Since Luminmorn seemed to be interested in taking charge, he was happy to step back and let him.
DM
His eyebrow rises at Bern's comment. "There are no people here. Just monsters. People left ages ago."
After a moment, he adds, with a frown. "Not exactly true. I've seen folks in black masks and cloaks on the eastern end of town, but they're not residents. There are no residents."
As Luminmorn enters, his other eyebrow rises. "Reidoth. I said that before."
He shakes his head. "Yes, I know Quelline. Lives down in Phandalin as I recall."
He turns his head to take in the whole group. "Look. Besides the Ash Zombies and Twig Blights I am sure you've seen, and those new strangers, there are dangerous spiders lurking in the ruins near the hill and a Green Dragon has moved into the Tower since the last time I was here. I ask again, why are you here? I suggest you leave before you get yourselves killed."
You get the feeling that was the longest string of words he's put together in years.
Luminmorn
"We were sent by Queline. She said that you had come here. We are in search of a friend that has gone missing. His name is Gundren. We were hoping you could tell us of the area, and possibly give us an idea of where to look for him. He was in charge of a caravan that was ambushed by goblins. We followed their trail to a castle. There we captured a mage who worked for someone known as the Spider. We do not know if they are connected, but Gundren had been taken from there before we did." Like the druid, this was one of the longest sets of lines that the taciturn dragonborn had spoken in a long time.
Lingo
The big folk decided to do some talking. None of that interested the halfling. His eyes focused on the stuff in the cottage. He was looking for some goodies to acquire - as always. Making friends and allies was best left to the others. But then he heard about a dragon. A DRAGON! Dragons had lots of good loot. Rumors were that they slept on piles of gold and gems. He suddenly lost interest in the druid's stuff. What use is a tree branch or a nice plant when there was gold to be had?
"A dragon? In the tower? Do you know where in the tower is his lair? Is it up or down? I ain't never seen a dragon! Is a green dragon good or bad? Do they breath fire or what? Is he old or young or is he a she? Does it have a name?" he rapid-fire asked the druid.
He couldn't control his excitement. The only thing in his head was a vision of a pile of treasure.
<Bern>
He placed his hand on Lingo's shoulder hoping to get the little guy to curb his enthusiasm.
DM
He listens to Luminmorn closely, shrugging at the names 'Gundren' and 'Spider' as he doesn't know them.
"Area is pretty vague." He replies. "I travel a lot. Any specific places you have clues to?"
He glances at Lingo and an expression of consideration crosses his face.
Luminmorn
"Does Cragmaw castle sounds familiar? That is where we believe Gundren was taken." He watched the druid for any sign of his feelings. The dragon sounded like something that could get them killed, and not directly lead to Gundren. He was not driven by gold so it wasn't his first choice, but he could say that later.
Lingo
He made a scrunchy face when he felt Bern's hand on his shoulder. He did not want to be shushed but he took a deep breath and calmly asked again, "So, about this dragon....."
For the moment Grunden wasn't at the top of his priority list. Gold always came first.
<Bern>
"You can wait a bit to get that info", he said quietly to Lingo. "Of course, you =would= be going after the dragon on your own", he added with a wicked grin.
DM
After a moment he shakes his head affirmatively. "Yes. I know where Cragmaw is. Any place else you have clues to?"
Ryssa
She closed her eyes and searched her memory before attempting an answer.
" A Sister Garaele asked us to go to the lair of a Banshee and ask her for information about a Spellbook belonging to a legendary mage named Bowgentle," she said, ticking off the things she brought up on her fingers.
" TheTownmaster has asked us to take care of Orc Raiders near Wyvern Tor."
"And then there was something about the Old Owl Tree."
DM
"Old Owl Well", he says with a small smile. "Yes, I know where it is, as well as Wyvern Tor. The Banshee", he shrugs, "sorry."
He glances around the group. Why do you search for this dwarf, Gundren anyway?"
Gundren
"He hired us and then went missing. His caravan was ambushed by goblins. Though we are beginning to suspect a larger conspiracy, given the fact he was spirited away." He had other suspicions but he was unwilling to voice them to one so unknown to them, even if he did love nature as much as the Green Paladin did.
[[ ooc: Is that Gundren's spirit talking? ]]
Lingo
The halfling was bothered by the fact that his treasure was being ignored...well, the dragon's treasure for now. But he remembered Bern's hand on his shoulder. It was a reminder to stay focused on other things. It was tough. Treasure was everything. So he thought about it a moment and he thought back to other stories of treasure and wealth that was tied to this Gundren fellow and remembered something.
"Hey, did you ever hear about the Wave Echo Cave? We were told you can make magic things there and that Gundren knew about it."
DMA considering light comes into Reidoth's eyes and he pauses a moment, stroking his beard.
"I can give you directions to Cragmaw", and he takes a writing stick and draws on the stone floor. "It is here, near the southwest corner of the woods."
He looks again at Lingo. "I know where Wave Echo Cave is as well. I will offer you a trade. If you chase off the Green Dragon from the tower for me, I will take you there whenever you are ready to go."
He looks over to Luminmorn. "I presume you would want to go to Cragmaw first to rescue this Gundren? I will be heading to Phandalin shortly to visit Quelline and her boy. You can meet me there and I will show you the way."
Luminmorn
His lips tighten against his teeth when Lingo lets out the one piece of information the dragonborn was trying not to say. Yet they hadn't discussed it, and the druid knew about the cave, which was useful. Seemed odd that so many people were searching for it, yet so many knew about it too. Many more questions than answers, to be considered by the paladin.
"I must confer with my companions. But that would be the order I would prefer, yes," he agreed.
Lingo
He was just to jump up and answer YES when Lumi stepped in and wanted a conference. So, instead of letting out his blurt, the halfling took a deep breath and turned to look up to the giant lizard. "Sounds like a good deal to me..." he muttered under his breath.
<Bern>
"I agree that Grunden should be our first priority."
(Be good to have input here from Balthazar and Ryssa, followed by a decision regarding the Druid's offer)
Ryssa
"Our priority should still be to locate Gundren," she said after a moment's consideration.
Ryssa looked down at Lingo and grinned.
"The dragon can wait."
Balthazar
"I agree. The rescue should come first. Time is a priority in that case." the lean mage nodded in agreement.
(OOC - Just to clarify, since the Druid will be leaving here soon he wants you to chase off the Green Dragon now, before he leaves for Phandalin. Then he presumes you would want to go to Cragmaw to look for Gundren, and then meet him in Phandalin so he can show you to Wave Echo, presuming you agreed to chase off the Dragon before you left.)
Lingo
"Yeah. I'm good with that. We get rid of the dragon, you give us the info, we march off to save Grunden and have directions to the Wave Echo Cave for later. Sounds like a fair deal. Are we all in agreement?"
Ryssa
The cleric frowned and looked around at the others, displaying her concern in her expression.
"Do you think we could... get rid of a dragon in such short order? A dragon?"
<Bern>
"It sounds like we have a plan then", he said with a smile.
DM
The druid smiles at Ryssa and replies, "It's a young one. It'll probably run if you hurt it enough."
Luminmorn
"If that is what it takes to learn what we need to, then so be it." The dragonborn agreed.
Ryssa
"Young one, uh-huh," she said, nodding slowly, slightly mollified but not yet eager.
"I guess we could try."
<Bern>
He wasn't particularly enamored by the idea of confronting a dragon, even a young one. But it seemed like the best way to get what they wanted from the druid. He nodded, accepting the consensus of the group.
DMThe group has decided to try to drive off the green dragon as the druid has asked, in exchange for his information about Wave Echo Cave.
He bids you good luck as you take your leave of the house and head back into the town.
(OOC - Where to next?)
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 20 25 6 Normal
Ryssa 17 26 3 Normal
Bern 14 28 4 Normal
Lingo 13 22 0 Normal
Luminmorn 4 31 6 Normal
[[ we're off to kill the dragon the evil green dragon of echo cave <g> ]]
(OOC - Dragon is here in the town, in the tower. Also you were told there are strange robed figures and giant spiders about. Just need a direction.)
Lingo
He bows to the druid and starts heading back to town glancing back on occasion to see if his companions are joining him. If they do, he let's them take the lead and will move ahead stealthily.
Lingo stealth rolls on the way to the tower
Neptune rolled 1d20+7 and got 23
I'll provide more as you need them.
Luminmorn
He asks the druid before they depart "anything else we should avoid in this place? We were exploring it, but since you seem to know the place?"
[[ is 'the tower' #7? ]]
<Bern>
He wasn't really expecting much, but since Luminmorn had asked the question, he was willing to wait and see if there was anything useful the druid was willing to add.
DM
"Well, as I mentioned, there are lots of Ash Zombies and Twig Blights scattered about. In addition there are the robed strangers on the east side of town I have seen lurking about. No idea what they're up to. Also there are dangerous spiders lurking in the ruins near the hill."
He shrugs. "Is that enough?"
Luminmorn
He watched the curious human gesture of shrugging and just stepped out of view. It was enough for him. It remained to be seen if it worked for his companions. He waited to see where they wanted to go next.
DMHaving agreed to move on and see about the dragon, the group moves down the road, trying to keep a look out for trouble and especially keeping an eye on the tower on the hill for signs of the dragon.
Turning the corner of the path you reach an intersection. At the intersection there is a narrow lane that winds up the steep hillside to the north.
Directly to the south is a ruined building that might have been a store or workshop. Webs stretch across the lane from the building to the trees on the north side of the road.
The north side of the road is thick with trees and bushes making it impassable except for the trail.
From here you can make out the rest of the town. Several building clustered along the road. The tower to the north stands silent, like a sentinel watching over the ruined town and the ground falls away to the east and south with several other buildings in the area.
Nothing moves. Your options are to go thru the webs or to go around them between the buildings on the south side of the road. You can also pass through the shop directly to your south as it is ruined and has holes in several places where the walls have crumbled. You cannot head directly north thru the brambles and to take the road to the tower you would need to pass around the webs to the south or pass through them.
(OOC - So, immediate question is do you push thru the webs or go south? If south, which way? I need a specific path. Then, after that, what is your overall plan? Explore the rest of the town and hold the tower for last, or go directly to the tower?)
<Bern>
"Well I suspect that we have found the spiders. Do we avoid them for now or avoid this for now?"
Ryssa
Her shield slung over her back, the cleric wielded her short bow and carefully looked all around.
As usual with her, she allowed the fighter types to make the tactical decisions, but she was not overly fond of spiders.
"I don't like spiders much."
Luminmorn
"I think it is a question of resources and how we use them. Do we take out the spiders so that they don't complicate the dragon fight? Or skip them and try for the dragon and then go back for the spiders? Rest might be needed in either case, just trying to consider our options." He looked to the others for their thoughts. He knew Lingo's greed would lead him to only one conclusion.
ooc: Just in case you missed it, Lingo has gone wandering off. He's not visible at this time and as Luminmorn stated, he has a one-track mind 
(OOC - If you are heading off on your own I need a specific path. Lingo finds the same situation as the others. Impassable to the north, webs to the east, enter the building directly south of the road or cut behind it.)
[[ stupid is as stupid does <g> And Lingo is =always= ... wandering off <g> ]]
[[ LOL. Hey, gotta be true to the character
PM sent ]]
[[ maybe you should start working on a new ... smarter character <gd&r lmao>
(OOC - Luminmorn asked a question. Anyone want to answer so you can get moving?)
<Bern>
"I guess we should vote since no one seems to have an 'argument' to present for either path. I am not a fan of leaving an enemy at my back, so I suggest we deal with the spiders first. I don't think the dragon is going anywhere if we take the time for that."
Luminmorn
The dragonborn gave a human gesture of a nod, so that they all knew how he agreed with that suggestion.
Ryssa
"So... which one of you volunteers to scare them out into the open," she said, holding up her bow."
"So I can get a shot at them from a safe distance."
<Bern>
He lit a torch. "Lets see what happens when we torch their webs", he said setting words to actions.
Lingo
The stealthy little halfling studies the web and if he sees a spider, that'll be his target. If not, the webs will do just fine. He moves up behind Bern and shoots a bolt of fire between the big fella's legs at his target. Then he scurries to cover, this time hiding behind Kriv.
Lingo Perception,Att w/Fire Bolt,fire dam,Stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d20+3,1d10,1d20+7 and got 14, 18, 8, 11 - (That bad stealth roll is why I specified that Lingo was trying to hide behind Luminmorn.)
Lingo Sneak damage if he targeted a spider
Neptune rolled 2d6 and got 5
[OOC: So bad you had to hide in behind a dragonborn in a different game? lol]
Yeah, at least I haven't yet call my wife "Tricia". (Tricia's the person that nags me at work). That'll be the epic fail of all time. I have called my wife "Mom" which didn't sit too well with her DMBern sets fire to the webs blocking the path with a torch, as well as a bolt of fire that shoots from between his legs into the webbing. He can feel the heat in a sensitive area as it passes.
The webs shrivel and burn. As they do, three Giant Spiders climb out of the ruined building behind to the south of you and attack with surprise. Two attack Luminmorn and both hit, while a third scuttles around to the rear to attack Balthazar but misses.
Giant Spiders Attack Lu, Lu, Ba
Zeim rolled d20+5,d20+5,d20+5 and got 18, 18, 10 Two hits on Luminmorn for 14 points of damage, plus Luminmorn needs to make 2 DC 11 Constitution Saves versus Poison. He takes 9 points for each failed save and 4 for each successful one.Everyone also needs to roll initiative. Note that only the single square inside the doorway to building 6 (the square with the #6 in it) still contains webs.Giant Spiders InitiativeZeim rolled d20+3 and got 11
Name Init HP Dam Status
Balthazar 25 6 Normal
Ryssa 26 3 Normal
Bern 28 4 Normal
Lingo 22 0 Normal
Luminmorn 31 20 Normal
Spider1 11 26 0 Normal
Spider2 11 26 0 Normal
Spider3 11 26 0 Normal
[[ not sure how Lingo is able to shoot at the spiders ... between Bern's legs based on that ... nor am I clear on how two spiders get an attack on Luminmorn (unless you put Luminmorn where Lingo is and Bern where Luminmorn was and Lingo where Bern was. But that is just me wanting to be rational in a FRPG <wink> ]]
<Bern>
He jumped and droped his torch when the fire 'warmed' his private parts. He pulled his rapier and attacked the nearest spider.
Bern init vs spiders MikeD rolled d20+3 and got 20
Bern Att spiders MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3 and got 8, 8
LuminmornInit 2, Saves 10 and 3, so he takes 18 more damage if he is the right character which means I didn't need to roll that awesome 2 on my initative.
Now we get to see how the death/recovery rules work. Nice. Or if I am out or if I have to make up his twin brother...
Luminmorn Init, save, save
Pandemonium rolled d20-1,d20+2,d20+2 and got 2, 10, 3 Ryssa Initiative: 1d20+5 = 10
OOC: Just a bit of theatrics with the between the legs thing.
Initiative, Lingo's action (sleep) and stealth. I may be busy.
Lingo Init Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 14
Lingo Sleep Neptune rolled 5d8 and got 16
Lingo Stealth Neptune rolled 1d20+7 and got 10
Lingo - Full move away
LingoWhen the spider attacked Luminmorn and the big guy fell down, his first thought was about the Dragonborn. Then he recovered from his momentary lapse of judgement and pulled out some sand from his pocket and blew the enchantment towards the spider, trying to put it to sleep. Failure after failure. He moves quickly to get away from the spiders. He's better off safe, than dead. Hopefully Luminmorn would hang on while they got rid of the spiders.
He was starting to reconsider going after the dragon.
(OOC - Need Balthazar's Init and action. MikeD, added lines on the map to show how those attacks all happened. Remember, the building is crumbling and you can attack thru the fallen down walls.
Pande - Death works like so: Instant death occurs if you take enough damage in a
single attack to not only put you below zero but to put you below zero by as many points as you would normally have at full hp. So, for example, if you have 26 hp when fully healthy and you currently have 2 hp left and are hit by an attack, if that attack did 28+ hp in damage then you'd be permanently dead.
It is important to note that those "negative hp" do not remain. They are merely for calculating whether you took enough 'massive damage' to be killed in a single blow. When you are healed, or you take damage from another attack, you always start from 0.
While you are at 0 hp and unconscious you are considered to be 'Dying' and must make a Death Saving Throw on your turn. That is a DC10 Save with very few modifiers available. You keep track of how many of those you succeed at or fail. If you fail 3 before you succeed at 3, you die. Once you succeed at 3 you stabilize and are merely unconscious until healed or you get a full rest.
Another pc can also use magic to heal you or can use the First Aid Skill (a DC10 Medicine Check) to stabilize you and stop you from having to make Death Saves. You are still unconscious, but no longer 'Dying'.
If you are attacked and hit while unconscious the damage rolled against you is only used to see if it is enough to kill you in a single blow (i.e. massive damage noted above). Otherwise all it does is cause you to have 1 automatic Death Save failure counted against you. If that attack is a Critical Hit, it counts as 2 Death Save failures.
So, for now, to simplify,
Luminmorn did not take enough damage to count as Massive Damage so he is at 0 hp and must make a DC10 Death Save on his turn.)
[[ Just a thought based on what I saw on the map and read in the posts <g> And Nep, I loved the idea ... even if Bern did not <wink> ]]
[OOC: Thanks for the clarification. That helps. Nep, trust me, calling your wife mom, not the best. I have done it too many times and I get in trouble for just thinking it. :)]
[ooc: Just a note, Zeim, remember that the map above is not tactical. It's 10' squares. And Lingo would never be up-front anywhere.]
Lingo is not up front. He is in the second rank where he could shoot between Bern's legs at the webs.
[[ I don't know pande ... it worked pretty well for Powell in the Thin Man series ... well OK ... he said 'mommie' not 'mom' ... but still <chuckle>
Nep, that was part of what I was thinking when I suggested the 'rearrangement', but I am happy to work with out =WONDERFUL= GM in any way I can <weg> ]]
DMOK, rolling initiative for Ken....
Balthazar Initiative
Zeim rolled d20+2 and got 20Reacting to the surprise attack by the Spiders, Bern pivots and strikes at two of them but his swings miss.
(OOC - Balthazar is up. Need actions from Ken before I can resolve Lingo's action.....)
Name Init HP Dam Status
Bern 20 28 4 Normal
Balthazar 20 25 6 Normal
Lingo 14 22 0 Normal
Spider1 11 26 0 Normal
Spider2 11 26 0 Normal
Spider3 11 26 0 Normal
Ryssa 10 26 3 Normal
Luminmorn 2 31 31 Dying
[[ to be clear, that was just =1= attack w/ damage ... not two misses. I just couldn't miss =TWICE=!!! <wink> ]]
(OOC - OK. I thought you had a power to attack multiple foes if they were within 5 feet of each other.)
Hmmm ... not that =I= have on my sheet, but if you like ... I could roll another attack. You =are= the GM after all <g> ]]
From your pc sheet:
[[ OK, but I didn't think I got that on the 'surprise' round. If that is the case ... bern xtra attack MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3 and got 21, 8 ]]
Mike, I think you confused 4e and 5e.
In 5e:
If you're surprised, you can't move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can't take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren't.
In 4e:
Limited Action: If you get to act in the surprise round, you can take a standard action, a move action, or a minor action (see “Action Types”). You can also take free actions, but you can’t spend action points. After every nonsurprised combatant has acted, the surprise round ends, and you can act normally in subsequent rounds.
Balthazar
He leapt back five feet and cast a quick firebolt to try and wound the spider before running at his first opportunity. Creatures keep getting too close to him!
Firebolt - 17,10
[[ Ahhhm thanks Nep ... all the versions are smushed together in my poor decaying brain these days <g> ]]
DM(OOC - Nep - Right. The Spiders all had "Surprise" so they went first, then we rolled initiative. Most of you had initiative so you are acting now on normal combat rounds.)
Bern fires a second arrow at the Spider that dropped Luminmorn and hits it. Balthazar, not liking his recent hand-to-hand experiences fires a Fire Bolt at the Spider in front of him and it hits.
Lingo, also not liking being in hand-to-hand range casts a Sleep spell on the whole area and the Spider in front of Balthazar collapses to it's belly. He then tries to Hide, but steps on a branch with a loud "crack", drawing the Spiders attention.
Nep - You used your 'Cunning Action' to try to Hide and your Regular Action to cast Sleep. So you can't Disengage. If you now move both remaining Spiders will get Opportunity Attacks on you. Let me know if you still want to flee and I can continue resolving.
(Pande - Note: From the monster description: "If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but Poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit points, and is Paralyzed while Poisoned in this way."
So Luminmorn does not need to make any Death Saves, he is stable. However he is under the "Poisoned" Condition for 1 hour and Paralyzed during that time, even if healed.
Poisoned: A poisoned creature has disadvantage on Attack rolls and Ability Checks.
Paralyzed: A paralyzed creature is incapacitated (An incapacitated creature can’t take actions or reactions) and can’t move or speak. The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage. Any Attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.)Name Init HP Dam Status
Bern 20 28 4 Normal
Balthazar 20 25 6 Normal
Lingo 14 22 0 Normal
Spider1 11 26 10 Asleep
Spider2 11 26 0 Normal
Spider3 11 26 8 Normal
Ryssa 10 26 3 Normal
Luminmorn 2 31 31 Poisoned/Paralyzed/Incapacitated
Lingo
Damn twigs!
The halfling knows that surviving is the key to everything so he disengages from the spiders and moves away from them as expeditiously as he can. Once he's out of their range, the halfling bravely hides behind Bern, taking cover behind the larger man. As he does so, he takes out his short bow and will fire as soon as he can.
OOC: I am using my cunning action FIRST this round to disengage. There's no rule stating when he may use his bonus action. He moves away (in a NE direction through Bern). So no attack this round, just stealth.
Lingo Stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+7 and got 13 (I think that beats their passive perception).
Nep - You already went for round one. You cast Sleep (Action) and tried to Hide (Bonus Action). You get no more actions except a Move Action, which cannot be Disengage (that's a regular action, which you already used). If you move away you offer OAs. Do you wish to offer OAs or will you stay put? That's the only question I nee an answer to. You can Disengage next round.
No move. This is his next round action. I thought you resolved the surprise round already.
Yes. Everyone was surprised so no one got to act in round 1. This is the second round. Lingo had initiative and cast sleep and tried to hide. He is not moving so the spiders now go. Repost your round 3 action when we get there as things might change.
DMThe two Spiders turn towards the sound of the snapping twig. With the big fighter down the diminutive halfling in front of them is their closest target.
Giant Spiders Attack Lingo
Zeim rolled d20+5,d20+5 and got 13, 22One of the spider's bite attacks hits Lingo (he takes 7 points of damage and must now make a DC11 Con Save taking either 9 or 4 added points depending on whether he saves or not).
Ryssa is up next, then we're back to the top and Bern, Balthazar, and Lingo can go.
Name Init HP Dam Status
Bern 20 28 4 Normal
Balthazar 20 25 6 Normal
Lingo 14 22 7 Normal
Spider1 11 26 10 Asleep
Spider2 11 26 0 Normal
Spider3 11 26 8 Normal
Ryssa 10 26 3 Normal
Luminmorn 2 31 31 Poisoned/Paralyzed/Incapacitated
Ryssa
Seeing the paladin fall, grievously wounded, but not yet realizing that he had been also poisoned, the cleric of Lathander moved to his side and knelt beside him. She held her icon in her left hand, stretched out a hand to Luminmorn and murmured a prayer of healing for the dragonborn.
A soft blue glow appeared suffusing the area of her friend's wounds.
Ryssa Casts Level 2 Cure Wounds: 2d8+6=20
(OOC - Luminmorn is healed for 20 points of damage, but cannot move or speak for 1 hour unless a Protection from Poison spell is cast on him or a potion of Anti-venom is given. Ryssa should notice that her healing worked, i.e. the wounds closed, but Luminmorn is not reactive.
Bern, Blathazar, and Lingo can go.)
Balthazar
He will move to find a location where he can cast his spell but still stay out of reach.
Firebolt - 6 to hit, 3 damage.
<Bern>
He was really =not= liking these spiders.
Bern vs Spiders MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3,d20+5,d8+3 and got ... vs S3: 20, 8. Assuming the two are still close enough together for Horde breaker, vs S2: 18, 4.
DMRyssa heals Luminmorn, but while the Dragonborn's wounds heal he remains motionless on the ground at Ryssa's feet.
Bern continues to fire arrows at the spiders and both of his strikes hit.
Balthazar steps back, away from the sleeping spider next to him, and further back on the path. he fires another Firebolt, but this one misses.
Lingo also steps back, running past Bern and trying to hide behind him. He turns once he is behind the Ranger and fires his own bow....
(Need Lingo's attack here).
Name Init HP Dam Status
Bern 20 28 4 Normal
Balthazar 20 25 6 Normal
Lingo 14 22 7 Normal
Spider1 11 26 10 Asleep
Spider2 11 26 8 Normal
Spider3 11 26 12 Normal
Ryssa 10 26 3 Normal
Luminmorn 2 31 31 Poisoned/Paralyzed/Incapacitated
LingoNow away from the spiders, Lingo pulls out his bow and fires an arrow at the spider in the doorway (S2). He then ducks into the bushes to hide.
Lingo Con Save
Neptune rolled 1d20+1 and got 19
Lingo Attack with shortbow - sadly, no sneak dice . Hit,Dam,Stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3,1d20+7 and got 15, 4, 19
DMLingo steps back and fires an arrows which its the spider nearest to Ryssa.
Both spiders now move up, one swinging around to attack Ryssa while the other steps forward and bites at Bern. Ryssa manages to barely deflect the poison dripping fangs with her shield, while Bern is struck (
he takes 7 points of damage and must now make a DC11 Con Save taking either 9 or 4 added points depending on whether he saves or not).Spiders attack Ryssa, Bern
Zeim rolled d20+5,d20+5 and got 17, 22Ryssa now goes, then Bern, Balthazar, and Lingo.
Name Init HP Dam Status
Bern 20 28 11 Normal
Balthazar 20 25 6 Normal
Lingo 14 22 11 Normal
Spider1 11 26 10 Asleep
Spider2 11 26 12 Normal
Spider3 11 26 12 Normal
Ryssa 10 26 3 Normal
Luminmorn 2 31 11 Poisoned/Paralyzed/Incapacitated
Lingo
Now lost in the shuffle, the halfling lets loose with an arrow at the spiders and hides again.
Lingo Shortbow ToHit,Dam,SneakDam,Stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3,2d6,1d20+7 and got 21, 8, 7, 26
He'll target Spider#2 unless it drops. Second choice is Spider#3. If both dropped previously, he goes after Sleepy Spider#1
Ryssa
She could have prepared a spell against poison, it would have been easy. Ryssa berated herself for her lack of preparation, although she'd had no idea they'd be confronted by giant spiders.
All she could do now was stand over Luminmorn and protect him and herself. Even as she thought that, a spider attacked the cleric and she barely deflected the dripping fangs with her shield.
Ryssa attacked the spider with her dagger, murmuring a prayer to Lathander to steady her hand and guide her thrust.
Ryssa Hit/Damage Spider: 1d20+5,1d4+1 = 16,5
Bern con save MikeD rolled d20+2 and got 16
<Bern>
"Damn", he said when the spider managed to sink its fangs into him. But that only make him all the more determined to take these things out. He fired two more arrows ...
Bern spiders again MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3 and got 8, 11 vs S3 and d20+5,d8+3 and got 13, 8 vs S2
DMRyssa stands protectively over Luminmorn and hits one of the spiders with her dagger.
Bern manages to avoid most of the poison damage from the bite that struck him and hits one of the spiders in return.
(OOC - Need Balthazar's action before I can adjudicate Lingo's. If Balthazar hits #2 then his attack will kill it and Lingo's will kill #3.)
Name Init HP Dam Status
Bern 20 28 15 Normal
Balthazar 20 25 6 Normal
Lingo 14 22 11 Normal
Spider1 11 26 10 Asleep
Spider2 11 26 25 Normal
Spider3 11 26 12 Normal
Ryssa 10 26 3 Normal
Luminmorn 2 31 11 Poisoned/Paralyzed/Incapacitated
(OOC - Ghosting for Ken.)
DMBalthazar shoots another bolt of fire that hits and kills the most wounded spider and Lingo's attack kills the last awake one. You easily dispatch the last sleeping one.
Balthazar Firebolt
Zeim rolled d20+5,d10 and got 22, 2The spiders are all dead. Several of you have taken damage and Luminmorn is still unresponsive, though breathing normally.
The door way to the building the spiders came from is still webbed, but a torch or sword will dispose of that without too much trouble.
You have not explored that building (#6). Is it a possible place to hole up and tend to Luminmorn?
Name Init HP Dam Status
Bern 20 28 15 Normal
Balthazar 20 25 6 Normal
Lingo 14 22 11 Normal
Ryssa 10 26 3 Normal
Luminmorn 2 31 11 Poisoned/Paralyzed/Incapacitated
<Bern>
He took a torch and started burning away more of the webs ... including the entrance to the building the spiders came from. "We should check the place out. If there are eggs we will want to take care of them. And it is defensible, so might be a good place four Ryssa to check out Luminmorn and the rest of us."
Ryssa
The spiders having been all killed, Ryssa dropped back to her knees beside the paralyzed paladin, arranging his limbs into a more comfortable - she thought - position and checking his condition.
"Check out that building," she said, pointing to the closest one (#6). "Luminmorn needs recovery time."
She looked around at the others.
"And when we have time for a night's rest, I think I will rethink my choice of available spells."
DM
The ruined building from whence the spiders attacked is a ruin. Lingo explores it, with Bern watching from the doorway while Ryssa and Balthazar watch over Luminmorn.
Inside you see what was once a general store. There are two rooms, one the front of the shop, the other store room. The furniture is broken and rotted from being exposed to the elements as the roof collapsed some time ago.
Lingo does indeed find spider eggs, and burns them with a torch. He also finds, inside a thick cocoon of webs, what appears to be a body. Webs would need to be cut away to expose more details.
This looks like a safe place to rest. While it is not a solid building, it seems to be well established as a lair of spiders so likely any creatures in the area give it a wide berth.
Looking out of the broken wall to the south, Lingo can see another building that looks more whole, but he notes that so far most of the whole buildings have had zombies in them.
(OOC - So, questions: Rest here or explore more? Cut away the webbing on the body or leave it be?)
<Bern>
"Check that body Lingo! Some spiders keep their captured prey alive so they can feed on it later."
Lingo
The halfling checked on the big dragonborn with concern beforer turning his attention back to the lair of the dead spiders. He scoured the area for anything that might have value. Instead of finding gold, he finds a body in webs. He begins to carefully cut the body out with a dagger.
DM
Lingo begins to cut carefully, but after a few minutes it is clear that the body cocooned in spider silk is quite dead. It is a husk, shriveled up and sucked dry by the spiders.
Finishing cutting it free, Lingo and Bern can see it appears to have been a male elf. It wears studded leather armour and carries a short sword in a scabbard at it's hip.
With a final cut, the body drops to the floor of the room with a thud.
No other dangers appear in this space. Ryssa and Balthazar remain outside with Luminmorn for now.
Ryssa
The cleric called out to the others.
"Have you found a safe place for Luminmorn until he recovers?"
<Bern>
There was a sigh when it was clear that the body was no longer alive.
"This place looks safe enough", he told Ryssa as he moves over to the body. He checked to see if he could find anything to identify the elf's family.
Ryssa
"All right, then. Somebody help me move him inside."
Lingo
He looks at the short sword more carefully and the armor as well. He then helps Ryssa drag Luminmorn's limp body.
<Bern>
He sighed. But there would be plenty of time to see if he could find any links for the elf's lineage. The living were the more immediate problem.
He stood and moved over to help get Luminmorn safely moved into their makeshift shelter.
Ryssa
Once the paladin was moved into the building and Ryssa had made sure the dragonborn was stretched out in what appeared to be a comfortable position, she looked around.
"The body... is there anything on or in its pockets that might identify it?"
Lingo
"I ain't found nothin on him. How's Lumi?"
Ryssa
"He appears to be stable... in no immediate danger, but it will require most of an hour for him to start recovering from the results of the poison."
DM
Lingo examines the man's weapons and armour and finds they show no rust, and show signs of being well cared for. This elf was no wandering town's person. Most likely an adventurer of some sort who came to explore the town and fell afoul of the spiders nest.
Lingo goes to help Ryssa with Luminmorn and Bern checks the clothing and pockets of the corpse to see if he can find any sort of identification.
Rummaging thru the mans' clothes, Bern finds a belt pouch that contains 23 gp, 35 sp, and a Potion bottle. However he finds nothing that would identify who this elf was.
In the meantime, Ryssa, Lingo, and Balthazar manage to drag Luminmorn inside the building and prop him up against the wall more comfortably.
(OOC - Everyone can rest while waiting for Luminmorn to recover. Per rule, you can use your Healing Dice to recover hit points during a short rest. Everyone has 1 healing die per level and they can be used singly or in any combination. You get to add your Con modifier to your roll, per die used. You are limited to the total number of dice you can use at 1 die/level/day. So a 3rd level pc has 3 dice he can use. The dice match your hp dice, so if your hit points were rolled with a d10 you can roll d10s for healing. If they were rolled with d8s, then you use d8s.
If you want to use them to heal, keep track of how many you used and make your rolls, adding your con modifier. Luminmorn can do this roll too since he is "resting".
We can then fast forward to 1 hour having past and Luminmorn is back to normal. No encounters occur while you are here.)
[[ can we roll the recovery dice one at a time stopping when we want? ]]
Lingo
"Wanna let me figure out what potion is? Maybe it'll get Lumi back on his feet".
If given the opportunity, he'll take the proverbial sip.
(OOC - Without waiting for the agreement it is a Potion of Healing. It would help heal Luminmorn's physical damage but won't do anything for the Paralysis from the poison. That said someone needs to either take it or add it to their pc sheet.)
Bern Recovery 1 MikeD rolled d20+2 and got 6
Bern Recovery 2 MikeD rolled d20+2 and got 16
Wish I could have gotten the second roll first <sigh>
Well you will need to reroll since you rolled incorrect dice. I doubt your class gets d20's for it's hit dice <g>, so maybe it'll work out better this time?
[[ OOops ... I am so used to d20 rolls <sigh>
Bern recovery 1 MikeD rolled d10+2 and got 7
Bern recovery 2 MikeD rolled d10+2 and got 10
Well it is still 2 dice to get to full <wink> ]]
Ryssa Recovery: 1d8+2=4
Good thing she was only down 3 HP.
The incapacitated paladin sits there, yet his body recovers.
7, and 11, so like Bern had to burn two dice to heal completely.
2016-07-09 18:32:30
2 Luminmorn Healing die
Pandemonium rolled d10+2 and got 11
2016-07-09 18:32:20
1 Luminmorn Healing die
Pandemonium rolled d10+2 and got 7
DM(OOC - As I mentioned above, the hour has passed. Luminmorn has recovered. This is the last chance for Lingo and Balthazar to use their healing dice. Else we move ahead with both of them partly damaged. If you decide to move on now, please make sure to note how many healing dice you have left for today and how many spells you've used.)
Name Init HP Dam Status
Bern 20 28 0 Normal
Balthazar 20 25 6 Normal
Lingo 14 22 11 Normal
Ryssa 10 26 0 Normal
Luminmorn 2 31 0 Normal
[[ assuming I got it right ... 3rd lvl - 2 used = 1 left ]]
<Bern>
He made sure that he collected what he could from the dead elf. He would let the others worry about the 'spoils'. He was interested in anything that might be helpful in identification ... the sword, dagger and any identifiable jewelry. He hoped, against all odds, that he might be able to find his clan and let them know. Then he worked to build a cairn over the body to keep it ... in case.
"Are we ready", he asked his companions.
Luminmorn
"Well I feel better now." A human might have apologized for being less than helpful in the last battle, but he wasn't human. Being a dragonborn, what happened, happened. The long dragon memory offered a perspective of things that most didn't understand. Individuals came and went, but The Great Dragon lived on. One did what one could. It was that way in the Green world as well.
<Bern>
"Glad to hear it. You had us worried", he said with a grin.
[OOC: I think Ryssa has 3 First Level and 1 Second Level spell left for the day.]
Lingo
The halfling takes a moment to bind his wounds and stop the bleeding. After this little battle he's not sure if they should continue on and go after the dragon. It's not smart to do so in a less than perfect conditions.
Lingo healing dice
Neptune rolled 2d8+2 and got 11
(that's what I call a perfect roll!)
Balthazar
He has been resting and studying his spell book while he waits for the fighter to heal and recover, glancing over occasionally at the others.
OOC: No idea what he has left but I have mostly been using the 0 level firebolt.
Lingo
He sees Balthazar glance towards him and the halfling first smiles and then, without a hint of shyness or decorum walks over to the mage and says, "Hey wiz, so whatcha know about dragons? We're gonna go after one now and I ain't never seen one. I think we better put our heads together and figure out how to kill it before it kills us. I was thinking, if you blast some sort of spell at it, I don't want to be caught in your fireworks display. Can we come up with a plan?"
[[ Ken, the other question is: are you using any of your recovery dice to heal damage (it looks like you are currently down 6) before we move on ... and regardless, how many recovery dice do you have left (1 die per level ... you can use up to that many per day) ]]
(OOC - Ken - you used a Web spell versus the last set of Twig Blights as well.)
(OOC - Ken, I reviewed the thread and you have used Misty Step and Web here, in addition to numerous Firebolts. So according to my calculations you still have 4 1st level spells but 0 2nd level spells left for today.
Now, the group needs to decide how to proceed. Lingo asked a pertinent question.)
<Bern>
"Well I thought the plan was to check out that main building to the north."
He pauses as he glances up at the sun ...
[[ so what time of day is it?? <g> ]]
Balthazar
The young mage looks up from his book with a slightly startled expression as he had been deep in his study.
"Dragons? Oh, I know a fair amount. Mostly that they should be avoided. They have the ability to breath on you with varied affects. Fire, poison, cold, lightning and so on. They also have sharp claws and fangs and their natural armor is quite good. Frankly I am not very confident that my spells will be effective against it but I will do what I can of course." he said with a shrug.
(OOC - MikeD - Late afternoon/dinnertime, say 6pm)
<Bern>
"Why are we talking about dragons? I thought that the question of the moment was ... do we relax and enjoy the evening here or do we continue on and see it we can persevere or die before the morrow."
[[thanks Zeim]]
Luminmorn
"Though dying is the natural order of things, I would prefer to put it off for a long while, if given the choice."
Balathazar
"I would prefer to wait until the morning and refresh my spells based on our plans for tomorrow." he said.
Ryssa
"A full night's rest would be welcome to me."
Lingo
He folds his arms across his chest and it's obvious that he's shocked by the conversation.
"Huh? We were on the way to kill the dragon for the druid. Are you all getting old and forgetful? We made a deal with the druid. We chase off the dragon and he tells us how to get to the Wave Echo cave. That's why we're here, isn't it? And dragons have gold. GOLD! What's wrong with you all?"
After a moment he sighs and adds, "We can do that tomorrow I guess. Let's get a good rest and be ready for it. Maybe I'll scout out the area by my sneaky self and we can come up with a good plan of attack for tomorrow.
<Bern>
"OK so it sounds like we are all in agreement. We will rest for the night ... while Ling goes off to kill the dragon", he said all serious, then grinning as he gave Luminmorn and Balthazar a wink.
Lingo
"Where should we meet after I get back from scouting?" he asks, seriously.
<Bern>
"We are all going to be right here", he said. "And, just to be clear, if you get yourself killed, I will =not= be happy with you", he said sounding deadly serious.
Ryssa
The cleric frowned at her little friend.
"Despite Lathander's blessings to me, Lingo, I am not a proficient enough cleric to resurrect you."
Lingo
He thanks the others for their concern and then disappears into the brush. He sneaks forward towards the tower, careful that his footsteps and staying out of any buildings.
How many stealth rolls do you want? Here are 3:
Lingo Stealthy
Neptune rolled 1d20+7,1d20+7,1d20+7 and got 27, 17, 24
(OOC - Give me an initial destination. Are you planning to move right up next to the tower, presuming nothing happens and you don't see anything beforehand? I know you said "towards" the tower, but if nothing interferes, how close?)
Balthazar
He is not happy with the Halfling going off on his own but he needs to study and rest to get his more powerful spells back so he finds a place to prompt up his back and gets out his tome to peruse.
OOC: So he's going to move along the path of the red line. He'll stop there and should be able to see the door. Staying stealthy, he'll use his mage hand to open the door from afar. What does he see? if you need a perception roll....
Lingo perception
Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 20 
DMWhile everyone else settles in for some rest Lingo heads off into the twilight to explore the tower.
Heading up the road he notes it is unusually quiet. Even the insects make no noise. He moves from tree to tree, trying to be as stealthy as possible. Unfortunately he cannot cut through the woods as he wanted as it is an impassable brier, so he has to follow the road. Still, he stays to the side as much as he can.
Nothing jumps out at him as he moves, though he half-expects something to do exactly that.
At the top of the hill stands a round tower with a cottage attached. Both are in good shape, although half of the tower's roof is gone. A closed door leads into the cottage and several arrow slit windows are visible in the tower, in a circling pattern going up to the top.
Lingo can't help but notice a strange, acrid smell in the air, in addition to the unnatural quiet.
The corpses of 2 hideous giant spiders are sprawled near the edge of the pathway, apparently dragged there. Their bloated bodies are puckered and blistered and appear to have been mauled by a large animal.
From the top of the hill, Lingo has a good view of the rest of the town. He can see on the east side of town the lane opens up to form a small square. Several ruined buildings surround the south side of the square, but a larger, intact structure to the north looks like a barracks.
One lane leads southeast, another heads southwest around the hill upon which Lingo stands, while a third meanders north.
In the middle of the square, leaning to one side ever so slightly, is a weathered wooden statue of a warrior clutching a spear and shield.
At the southeastern edge of the town is a small farmhouse that appears to be intact and in good shape.
OOC - Lingo - Make an Intelligence (Investigation) check. It has been roughly 15 minutes so far.
Name HP Dam Status
Bern 28 0 Normal
Balthazar 25 6 Normal
Lingo 22 0 Normal
Ryssa 26 0 Normal
Luminmorn 31 0 Normal
Lingo Int check
Neptune rolled 1d20+2 and got 10
(OOC - Lingo notices nothing else at this time.)
<Bern>
A few minutes after Lingo 'wanders off', Bern gets up and moves outside their 'abode' for the evening. Standing to the east of the door, he watched and listened. It the little bugger got into trouble, hopefully he would be able to hear something at least.
[[ lemme know if/when you need any rolls <g> ]]
Ryssa
Ryssa frowned at Lingo when the little one left the group and sat back against the wall of the building they were in, closed her eyes and studied over her prayers and potential spells for the following day.
She heard movement and got to her feet when she saw the ranger move outside. Ryssa stood and followed him. She stood beside Bern and stared out into the darkness, her senses reaching for any sound or movement.
"I hope the little one is all right."
<Bern>
He heard the movement within, so was not surprised when Ryssa joined him.
"Hopefully he will make enough noise that we will be able to hear if he gets in over his head. And while I am not happy that he went off on his own, it seemed like it was something he needed to do", he said with a shrug.
Ryssa
The cleric smiled wryly causing the scar on her cheek to twist the expression somewhat.
"Occasionally, his... confidence seems to be..." she paused and fluttered one hand as if looking for a word.
"Perhaps excessive."
LingoHaving seen nothing from his hidden perch, the halfling continues to scout the tower, never once stepping out of the thickets into the open. He avoids the spiders. He circles the building, looking for any sign of the dragon. When he sees a door, he opens it from afar with his spectral hand, to see if anything rushes out. He keeps all the doors wide open.
OOC: Lingo did not step in the open as the DM map indicates. He doesn't get closer than 15 feet of a door at any time. Let me know what rolls to make. Sorry, but the path indicated is impossible. The woods are thick briers and are an impassable boundary. Lingo has no choice but to skirt the edge of the woods, near to the path, as the DM map indicates. If you choose to not explore unless he can sneak through the woods we will assume he stayed back with the others in the building once he saw he could not pass through the woods. 
<Bern>
He chuckled quietly as he continued to watch and listen for possible 'trouble'. "An understatement, if ever I have heard one", he replied.
Luminmorn
He sat and mended small tears in his clothing, content to be patient and wait. He had just had an ordeal after all, the poison might be out of his system, but he still imagined he was sluggish.
DM
Nep - As noted above, the path you indicated for Lingo is impossible. The woods are thick briers and are an impassable boundary. Lingo has no choice but to skirt the edge of the woods, near to the path, as the DM map indicates. Presuming that happens, he is with his back to the woods, at the edge of the path the whole time. Still, nothing appears so far.
If he is trying to open the doors with his Mage Hand I need a Stealth Check for both doors to see if he can do so without making a lot of noise.
Sorry, I missed the OOC post.
Sure, he'll skirt it but remember that he's 30' away when he opens the doors - no less!
Lingo Stealth Door#1,Door#2
Neptune rolled 1d20+7,1d20+7 and got 11, 11
(Not great rolls).
DM
Both doors resist opening by Lingo's Mage Hand and he realizes that in order to open them he'd have to force them open, which is certain to make plenty of noise.
(OOC - So, do you want to wrench them open, try to climb the tower, or move on to other areas of the town? He doesn't see a dragon, though something big killed those two giant spiders outside the front door. It has been about an hour.)
ooc: he returns to the others and reports his findings
Lingo will see Bern and Ryssa standing just outside the door of the spider building.
DMThe party sees Lingo (only if he wants them to
) return after about an hour away. Feel free to discuss.
I need to know a couple of things, i.e. are you laying low in this building until morning, and if so are you posting a guard (outside or inside) during the night, OR are you doing anything during the darkness?
Then, if you choose to rest, I need you to all recover your hit points back to full and to re-memorize your spells. PLEASE update the
"All Spellcasters" Thread with your new spell lists, and try to keep it up to date so we all know what each spellcasters status is.
Remember, the list you choose is simply the sub-list of spells from which you may choose to use your spell slots on during the day. You can choose any spell from among that list until your spell slots are expired.
I ... I mean Bern ... thinks we need to rest. And we will certainly be setting up a watch rotation. I think that inside the building is best. I ... errr, Bern ... thinks that, considering the recent occupants, the 'local wildlife' would most likely avoid this place ... it we are not advertising 'free meals' <g>
Lingo
He shows up, about an hour after he left and approaches Bern and Ryssa. He tells them all about the dead spiders and the locked doors on the tower as well as everything else he saw.
(OOC - One correction. Not locked. He chose not to open them when he realized he would make noise in doing so.)
Luminmorn
"Should we decide to spend the night and rest, I would suggest we do our best to appear as the most recent occupants of this building. We should also do our best not to make any noise that could betray us. We do not know if the dragon comes out. I suppose we could ask the druid what he knows of this area at night." He looked to the others to see their thoughts. A normal human might have shrugged in that instance, but he was not human, and didn't.
[[ one man's 'stuck' door is another halfling's locked door <gd&r lmao> ]]
<Bern>
"Confronting =anything=, but especially a possible dragon, in our current condition would be foolish", he said, offering Lingo an especially intense stare. "So holding here seems the smartest course. And I agree that not drawing attention to our presence here ... letting any locals believe the previous residents are still here ... is a good idea", he said with a nod to Luminmorn.
Ryssa
The cleric of Lathander frowned and chewed lightly at her lower lip as she considered what Bern and Lingo said, the movement of her jaw causing the scar on her cheek to twitch slightly.
"It is always better to know than not know, but it is a little late to be out and about, asking questions of the druid, don't you think?"
Even though the spiders seemed to be all dead, she decided to include her poison protection spell in her prepared spells for the morrow instead of the Hold Person spell, which would not be effective against a great wyrm anyway.
Lingo
"Hey, did I get into trouble? I'm back, right? Look, I don't tell youz how to swing your big swords or the words to those prayers things you do. This is what I do and believe me, I ain't looking to become a dragon-snack.
We can shack up anywhere you like. A nice comfy bed would be nice. About locals, I don't think there are any. That druid seems to be it."
<Bern>
"No one sets out to be a dragon snack", he replied, "snd yet dragons don't seem to be starving. But it is your life and if you are determined to push your luck, there isn't much we can do ... as long as it isn't done in a way that unduly endangers us as well."
(OOC - Remember, the Druid told you there was a new group of humans who had been seen on the East side of town. Lingo did not head that way in his explorations.)
[[ all the more reason to keep ourselves out of sight as much as possible <g> ]]
DM
The explorations done for now, the group settles in to try to get some rest and recover their powers for the morning. Will they continue to explore the town or challenge the dragon?
The night proceeds, 2 pcs keeping awake on watch while the others sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, while Ryssa and Bern are on watch, soft voices are heard from outside the building you are resting in.
Ryssa and Bern need to make perception checks to see if you can make out more details.
Ryssa
Relaxing and tending to her weapons, the cleric cocked her head to one side as she heard something. She stood and made her way to the door or window closest to the direction she thought the sounds originated from.
Perception Check: 1d20+5 = 24
<Bern>
He raised his finger to his lips when he heard voices outside, but it was not needed. He moved for a better place to listen as well, but couldn't find a good spot.
Bern perception MikeD rolled d20+3 and got 14
DMBern can't quite make out the voices, but Ryssa finds a spot where they carry through the window.
She can tell they are passing by, as opposed to approaching your building. She can make out two voices, both male.
Voice 1: 'Why the heck do we need to be walking across town at night? It's spooky here. Damn Twig Blights are everywhere.'
Voice 2: 'Oh shut up. Favric ordered us to keep a look out so that's what we're doing. Have you seen a Twig Blight lately?'
Voice 1 (Grumbling): 'No. But we did before!'
Voice 2 (Getting faint as they move past): 'They're all on the North side of town. Spiders here, so keep watch.'
Voice 1 (Just at the edge of hearing): '....dragon......'Peering out the window carefully, between the boards, Ryssa makes out two men moving away dressed in cloaks and wearing masks. The cloaks float out and give the appearance of wings and the masks have horns on them.
Ryssa
Her eyes widened and she made a cautioning gesture toward the ranger as she listened to the two males as they passed. Once they had moved beyond sight and hearing distance, Ryssa moved up close to Bern, stood on tiptoes and whispered into his ear, describing what she'd seen and heard.
<Bern>
He hated that he wasn't having any luck hearing or seeing anything useful. When ii was clear that the voices were moving off, he gave up with a soft sigh of frustration.
He nodded when Ryssa finished her explanation of what she heard and saw. "Lets wait for morning", he whispered back. "I don't think they will come in here, but we have some decisions that we need to make before we leave here."
DM
(OOC - Not important, but note Lingo is unaware of what transpired as no one woke him and Ryssa and Bern were whispering.)
Morning arrives without disturbance. Everyone is at full strength (full HPS, all Recovery Dice back, and a fresh spell list, but please memorize and post your list in the thread for that).
It is time to make some decisions. Lingo explored the dragon's tower, though he did not venture inside and did not see the dragon itself. The Eastern half of the town is still unexplored, and there are the newcomers that the Druid mentioned, most likely the same ones that Ryssa and Bern heard during the night (but have not yet mentioned to anyone else). What could they be doing here?
Time to talk and decide.
Luminmorn
He rolls over and stretches his supple golden green scales shifting in the early morning light. Rising he dons his armor and prepares for the day. He felt much better after the rest and looked forward to learning more about how the wild has taken over this town. He nodded to those who rose with him refraining from speaking as not everyone was up yet.
Lingo
He's the last to rise. Halflings like to rest and Lingo is no different. When he does rise, he digs into his rations and after he's done eating, he's eager to get going.
"So, where to first? Dragon or explore the town?"
<Bern>
"Have you heard of a group that dresses like that, Ryssa?"
(OOC - Note no one mentioned the label "Cultist". In fact other than Ryssa and Bern no one knows of what transpired during the night. I am editing/deleting some posts above to adjust for player knowledge. Please continue with the following assumptions:
1 - No one is aware of what happened last night except Ryssa and Bern
2 - No one knows what a Cultist is or whether the people Ryssa saw might be such.
Bern's question is valid, but need a bit of explanation for the group.)
Ryssa
She frowned for a moment and then shook her head.
"No, I have heard of no such group, Bern."
Ryssa turned to the others.
"I need to tell you what passed here during the night... during Bern's and my watch."
The cleric told the group what she'd seen and heard.
[[ sorry .. in the interest of moving forward ... I neglected to explicitly mention what happened IC <sigh> Sorry if that caused problems. ]]
No issues MikeD. It started with a simple comment by Lingo that Nep as DM knows, but his pc really wouldn't, yet, and then steamrolled a bit. I wanted to head it off before it ran off.
Balthazar
He awoke from his slumber and stretched, glancing around the camp and smiling at his companions that were awake. He stumbled off into the bushes for a few moments, coming back to wash his hands and face before turning to the conversation and eating some rations.
"Did you see where they were headed? I don't fancy going after a dragon with unknown people at our backs."
[ooc: My apologies. Too many games in my head. My mistake. Except that the word "Cultist" is in the image posted
]
Yeah, I know. Couldn't be helped. Ryssa
The cleric pointed.
"They went that way."
<Bern>
"Yes, but from what you told me of their chatter, their 'camp' is =that= way", he said with a grin. "So the question still is ... do we want to leave them to attack us from behind while we explore the dragon issue."
Balthazar
"It doesn't sound like a very sound strategy to me, but then I am not a warrior but a scholar and mage." he said, shrugging with a faint smile.
<Bern>
"It would not be my choice either, Balthazar. But I am willing to listen if someone has a reason to suggest another plan", he admitted. He had never been a fan of 'leaders' who would not listen to what others thought. "We are all in this together, so everyone should have a chance to contribute their input."
Ryssa
"I have no experience as a... tactician," Ryssa said slowly, "but I do not much like the idea of a dragon ahead and other enemies behind."
Luminmorn
"I would suggest that we take on the mansized targets first. We can always deal with the dragon later. We were not given a deadline so let us do what is safest for our interests first. The people you over heard may also be part of what we dealt with earlier. We are still trying to find the answers to a mystery."
<Bern>
He looked over at Lingo.
DMThe group has decided to investigate the newcomers that the Druid told them about, and who they heard last night, before tackling the dragon. Based on what Ryssa heard last night, your best guess is they came from somewhere on the east side of town, but where? One comment they made, about the Twig Blights being on the 'North' side of town might be a clue. Surely they didn't like them.
Leaving the ruined building that used to be a Spider Lair, and passing by the trail to the north, that leads up the hill towards the Dragon's Tower, you quickly come to a fork in the road.
One path turns south. Directly across the road is a ruined building (#9) (everyone except Lingo make a DC12 Investigation check).....
Past that building is a reasonably intact structure (#8). A wide chimney and rotted piles of firewood are jumbled outside the walls of this place suggesting it might have been a smithy once. The path turns east just past the Smithy.
The northern branching of the path heads towards several ruined buildings clustered around a small open square. You can just make out a status in the square (#10).
Where to?
Name HP Dam Status
Bern 28 0 Normal
Balthazar 25 0 Normal
Lingo 22 0 Normal
Ryssa 26 0 Normal
Luminmorn 31 0 Normal
Ryssa Investigation Check: 1d20+2 - 8
17 Investigation Check
2016-08-19 04:12:56
1 Luminmorn Investigation Check
Pandemonium rolled 1d20 and got 17
Bern investigation MikeD rolled d20 and got 10
Balthazar Investigation Roll
1d20+3 = 6 (LOL)
DMAs you pause to decide which direction to head in, something tickles Luminmonrn's memory. The building just ahead (#9), resembles the description given to the group by the woman you freed from Tresendar Manor (the Redbrand's Hideout) back in Phandalin.
See Quests #6 Luminmorn
"Something about that building," he pointed with a taloned finger. "I can't remember exactly what, but a woman we friend in the base of the manor said something that makes he think of that," his voice trailed off.
As if to punctuate his decision he pulls his sword, Talon.
Ryssa
Frowning, the cleric pulled her bow and nocked an arrow as she turned to look at the building the paladin had indicated.
<Bern>
"Well we can go ahead and check it out", he said to Luminmorn's recollection. "We probably should at least be sure that we are not leaving a potential ... 'problem' behind us." He considered his bow, but inside a building ... he decided to pull his rapier instead. He moved toward the building.
Lingo
"Shall I try and peek in first?"
The others seemed squeamish about him doing what came natural to the halfling. It was odd to ask permission. In his mind it was like asking for permission to breathe. But he realized it would make the big folk feel better about things.
Ryssa
Ryssa looked slightly downward and smiled at their short friend.
"Why not? You're the best peeker we have."
<Bern>
He nodded. It =was= a good idea to see if they could gain some information. But if they were going to hang back while Lingo approached, he decided to switch to his bow so he could better cover his investigations.
Luminmorn
A human might have shrugged, but the big dragon born just slipped his sword into his off hand, and pulled a javelin with his other.
Balthazar
The human mage turned his attention to their sides and back, watching out for any danger from those directions while the more combat capable kept their attention fixed on the objective.
Lingo
Given the nod to do some scouting, the halfling moved towards the building and tried to find a place to peer inside.
Lingo Stealth,Perception
Neptune rolled 1d20+7,1d20+3 and got 8, 11
Lingo Lingo is lucky...Reroll stealth
Neptune rolled 1d20+7 and got 22
(You'll need to tell me if I need to do something extra)
DMBeing a ruined building, there are plenty of holes in the crumbling walls that Lingo can peer thru.
This ruined shop is cluttered with sagging storage shelves and broken furniture. Shards of glass and pieces of pottery glint in the weeds and rubble next to rotted books and casks.
With Luminmorn's reminder, Lingo can remember where in the shop the woman, Mirna, said there would be a hidden compartment containing her family heirloom.
As a reminder, see Quest #6
[[ well I can certainly see why Lingo would be all over =this= 'mission' .. which meant nothing to Bern <chuckle> ]]
Lingo
With everyone giving him the opportunity, and with no apparent dangers around, Lingo enters and goes where they were directed to go. He checks for secret compartments and any traps that might be around.
Lingo Perception (searching)
Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 19
DM
With the directions provided by Mirna, Lingo easily finds a hidden compartment beneath the storage shelves. it is untrapped and opens easily revealing a small wooden case. This too is untrapped and opens to reveal the gold necklace family heirloom set with a fine emerald pendant that Mirna told you about. Lingo guesses it to be worth about 200gp.
Lingo
What to do? What to do? It's a nice SHINY necklace, very pretty! But the other know it's here. But now was not the time to be greedy. There will be other opportunities. He exits the structure, necklace in hand.
"She was right! Look what I found. It's an emerald necklace and emeralds are expensive. Very nice."
<Bern>
"She who", he asked when Lingo came out showing what he found. It made him wonder what the little fellow had hidden away.
Lingo
"Why Mirna, of course!"
<Bern>
"And =who= is Mirna", he asked.
(OOC - Did you read Quest 6 in the link I posted here on August 25th?)
Ryssa
The cleric's eyes widened as a memory flooded back to her.
"Mirna... the lady we rescued along with her children!"
[[ I did ... not sure Bern paid any attention, though <weg> ]]
<Bern>
He scratched his head as he tried to recall ... then Ryssa's comment jogged his memory. "So", he said, looking at Lingo, "I guess you will be her hero when you give it back to her", he said with a grin.
Lingo
"You are getting forgetful in your old age. It must be a human thing. This is for us to keep. We rescued her from the Redbrands who killed her husband. Remember? She offered this to us as a reward."
<Bern>
"Personally, I think she could use it more then you, but if you can sleep with that, go ahead and keep it."
Luminmorn
He watched the interplay and waited. They still had cultists to deal with.
DM(Lingo keeps the necklace or agrees to give it back to Mirna, we'll let Neptune decide when he returns.)
With the necklace recovered, the party stands at a literal crossroads. To the south is the ruins of a smithy (#8) while to the north is the town square. There are buildings around the square, mostly ruined, although one in better shape (#11) is at the extreme NE of the town. Lingo noted one other fairly intact building in the SE of the town (#13) when he was in Mirna's Herbalist shop, but it was obscured by trees and he couldn't get a good look. The Dragon's Tower (#7) is on top of the hill to the NW.
The only other clue you had was a comment by one of the men who passed by last night that the "damned Twig Blights were mostly in the northern end of the village."
Where to?
<Bern>
"OK ... so now that that is taken care of, do we have a plan for the cultists? We could split up and send one group that way", he said pointing east, "and the others would go that way", he said then pointing west. "That would let us come at them from two directions."
"Lingo, you and I should go is different groups so that each group has someone to 'scout'. Anyone else have a preference?"
(OOC - Just a clarification. You do not know they are cultists. You have never heard of cultists. You do not know what a cultist is or whether they are friend or foe. This was caused by some inadvertent Meta-gaming conversation. All you know is two men passed in the night, how they were dressed, and what they said (see earlier post #858173 in this thread)).
Ryssa
The cleric frowned, her lower lip protruding slightly in thought.
"I am not sure I like the idea of splitting up unless we know where exactly our opponents are... holed up."
[[ sorry but ... if it walks like a cultist ... dresses like a cultist ... talks like a cultist ... it must be a cultist!!! I mean ... I have never 'seen' a 'bigot', but I am sure I would recognize one if I saw/hear one talking!! <chuckle> ]]
<Bern>
"I don't like the idea either. But it seems the best way for us to put them down. Unless you have a better plan."
Balthazar
"Splitting our forces when we have no idea of the size of our enemy is not a wise plan. We should all go together in one direction or the other."
<Bern>
"On the other hand, coming in as one group would allow them to attack us from multiple directions."
He was silent for a moment.
"Perhaps our 'scout' can do a bit of scouting to see if we can get some of that information on how many and how they are deployed", he said looking at Lingo. "It's dangerous, but probably less so that stalking a dragon. They apparently have keener senses than we do."
Lingo - ghosted for Neptune
"Sure. Which way to you want me to go?" He points NE and then SE.
Luminmorn
[OOC: I am not sure the conversation was ever related fully. If it was... If not, ignore this post.]
"I would suggest the second direction."
[[ It was not actually typed out ... But I do remember a post saying that the events were relayed to the group. ]]
DM (ghosting for Neptune)
Lingo nods and heads off, quickly disappearing into the trees and bushes. After about 20 minutes you see him appear from the brush nearby, though you never heard him approach. He is whistling a catchy tune under his breath and spinning a rusty set of tongs around one finger.
"Isn't this neat? If I clean the rust off it I can use it to pick up stuff."
Ryssa
"It might be neat once you clean the rust from it," she said with a small for her little friend.
"But what else did you find?"
Lingo - ghosted for Neptune
"Hmm? Oh, that. Well the Smithy is a crumbling ruin. I picked this up in the weeds outside. Peeked in the window and there's a few of those zombie things lying on the floor. Like the ones we fought before? Remember?"
"Anyway, I went over to the big building across from the smithy. The one that looks in better shape. It was locked up tight as a drum. Door was bolted and every window was shuttered and bolted closed. I'd have to break it open with my bare hands."
He flexes a halfling sized bicep.
"Didn't want to ruin your fun, Lumie, so I left it for you."
"Oh, I did listen for a while. I heard voices and movement from inside, but I couldn't make it out."
Ryssa
Her eyes widened at the information, but she did giggle a little at Lingo's bicep flexing. Putting a hand over her mouth, she looked at Bern and Luminmorn to see what kind of tactical move they'd recommend.
<Bern>
"OK, so based on my understanding of your 'recon report', our foes seem to be hole up in that building. Does that sound right", he asked Lingo.
Lingo - (ghosted for Neptune)
He gives Bern a 'put upon' expression. "Didn't I just say that?"
He looks at Ryssa and rolls his eyes.
Ha pauses a minute. "But I thought the dragon was our foe? When did these strangers become our foe? Did they attack you while I was gone?"
Ryssa
The cleric didn't quite laugh, but she did cock one eyebrow in response to Lingo's eye-roll.
"They didn't sound friendly... that much I can say for sure."
Ryssa paused a moment and then continued.
"And I don't much like the idea of having a dragon in front of me and unfriendlies - at least unfriendly sounding - ones behind."
<Bern>
"Just making sure I understood you", he said with a shrug.
He nodded his agreement with Ryssa's assessment. He considered adding a quip about Lingo taking care of both dragon and cultists for them, but decided to back off since the little guy seemed to be getting worked up. He was going to have to think about finding another way to 'educate' him on how groups work.
Lingo
"I ain't never gonna be the one making choices for us, but if you're worried about those other people, we gotta find a way to find out who they are. I think they're just here to steal my treasure ... ummmm, the dragon's treasure. But maybe I'm wrong. So how do we do that? Can we capture one?"
<Bern>
"That's not a bid idea Lingo", he said nodding. "So I guess we wait for their next 'recon' and see what they have to say."
Luminmorn
He considered before speaking. "So wait till they do a patrol at night and hope that they pass by again? Or set some kind of an ambush?" He personally would have just gone up and knocked, but they would likely have to do more harm than he would choose.
<Bern>
"Hopefully they are a bit more proactive and will send a patrol out sooner rather than later", he said with a grin.
Lingo
"Or we can lure them out."
<Bern>
"I would rather that we not get them 'worked up' any sooner than needed. Ambushing a patrol they sent out reduces their number with out alerting them. They may even send out another patrol when the first fails to return."
Lingo
"We have no idea who they are. They might be good people. I could probably put one to sleep with my magic."
Luminmorn
The dragonborn nodded. "That seems much more reasonable. Not everything needs to die." He commented simply.
<Bern>
He shrugged. From the description, he didn't buy it. But maybe they had to learn. "If that is hoe you want to proceed."
Ryssa
Ryssa closed her eyes for a moment, going over what she remembered of what the men had said.
"Have any of you heard the name Favric before?"
[[ help me here ... have I?? ]]
[OOC: I don't know... the cultists intimated that Favric was their boss and was the one who ordered the nightly patrols of the area.]
Balthazar
"If we are going to try and take a prisoner, I should relearn my own sleep spell as well." he offered.
(OOC - Ken - I corrected your list in the "Spellcasters" thread. You had Magic Missile memorized twice, but in v5 Spells do not work like that anymore. You pick the list of spells for the day from which you "may" cast. You can then cast any spells from that list as often as you have slots, meaning you could cast the same 1st level spell 4 times and never cast the others. Therefore you never want to choose the same spell more than once on your "may" cast list. I swapped the second MM out for Sleep.)
Lingo
"What I was thinking is that I could hide and use my mage hand to haunt them with strange noises like knocks on the door. Maybe they'll send someone out to check on the noise. I'll lure them away from the others and then we can sleep him."
<Bern>
"If you want to give it a try ... but I don't think any of the rest of us are stealthy enough to get as close as you. So you will be on your own for most of the most dangerous part."
(OOC -OK, so give me some actions.)
[[ Nep's been a bit 'overwhelmed' ... give him a day or so to get here <g> ]]
Lingo
"I don't want to go off on my own. I can do something to lure them out ... maybe, if they fall for my tricks. But we gotta do a team thing. We're a team, right?"
Ryssa
"We are a team, yes, my friend," she said to the little one.
"Perhaps we can all assume positions close to their lair and then be prepared while you trick them out into the open?"
<Bern>
"I agree with Ryssa. But the question remains, can we all be quiet enough to get as close as needed without being heard. I know I can be quiet, but not as quite as you Lingo and I am not the noisiest in the group", he said with a shrug.
"I can probably get into a position where I could cover you with my bow, but if that is needed, I think we are probably going to get their whole group coming at us pretty quickly."
He let the others think on that for a moment, hoping someone had a better idea than he did.
Lingo
"The only thing we can do is try. Even I can step on a twig with my fuzzy feet and make a noise. If we fail, and they are alerted and become hostile, we just have to deal with it. It probably benefits them more than us for them not to notice us. We'll all stay hidden. I'll use my mage hand to open or jiggle the door handle. If they don't venture out, I'll make a run for it, so that they can see me and then, hopefully, one of them tries to catch me. Sound like a plan?"
Luminmorn
"Quiet is not as necessary, I would offer. Let some of you be in a place for an ambush, Lingo closer, doing his tricks. Myself farther away, yet in view. I run, they chase, right into the ambush. Though we might get more of them, than just one or two to investigate a small disturbance.
"We also can set the ambush in such a way as to not have to sneak so close, but that depends upon your choices."
<Bern>
"Unless someone has a better plan that 'waiting' for them to come to us ... personally I don't see the need to rush into this ... and we have to do this now, I guess you are leading this expedition Lingo."
Ryssa
The cleric did not think this was the best of possible plans but, since it was more than she had thought of and the others seemed to be coming to agreement, she frowned and nodded her reluctant agreement.
Lingo
The decision having been made, he leads the others towards the building and helps position them somewhere that they can see the building but not be seen.
OOC: Zeim, I'll let you set up a combat config. Do you want to do a roll20 thingy so that we can move our tokens?
(OOC - No need, unless you plan to charge into the building and slaughter them?)
DMThe party hides from view. All except for Luminmorn who stands a few yards away, but in view of anyone inside the building. Lingo, from hiding, uses his
Mage Hand to knock on the door.
After a moment, the door cracks open slightly.
Actions?
Luminmorn
He acts like he is moving quietly and is unaware of being spotted. He then moves away out of sight, without too much speed, as he is the bait for the hunt.
Lingo
With the door cracked open the halfling directs the hand to fling the door wide open.
<Bern>
He has his bow ready ... he doesn't want to 'assassinate' anyone out of hand without some provocation, but he does plan to cover Luminmorn ... if the plan plays out.
Ryssa
Arrow nocked and aimed, Ryssa prepares to fire if necessary.
Balthazar
He has already flexed his fingers, loosening them for his spellcraft and has his materials at hand. Hopefully he will be able to sleep them and not have to draw blood.
DMAs the door cracks open there is a slight tug on it that startles the man holding it, but does not pull it from his grasp (Mage Hand can only can exert 10 pounds of force).
His startlement is short lived, however, as he sees Luminmorn. He turns and seemingly calls something back to others inside and after a brief moment he leaves the building and begins to trot in the direction he saw Luminmorn go. The door closes behind him and one of the window shutters cracks open.
Actions?
[[ has the man drawn a weapon?? ]]
No. And he begins to call out; "Hey, you there! Stop a minute!"
<Bern>
With no weapon in sight at the moment, he is willing to hold fire, but continues to cover the man. "Someone should continue watching the door", he whispered.
Balthazar
He stands in the shadows, watching the man that came out. He really needs to save his sleep spell for a larger group of opponents and not a single man and so he waits, trusting in his friends to deal with the lone man.
DMLuminmorn continues to lead the man towards where the group is hiding. Those watching the building see no one else emerging, although it appears someone is watching thru the shuttered windows.
"You there! Stop! I want to talk to you!" The man shouts as he begins to sprint to try to catch the Dragonborn.
Turning the corner, the man suddenly catches sight of the party hiding behind a building and some bushes and he comes to a skidding halt, eyes opening in surprise.
"Hey! What the heck!"
Luminmorn
He stops running and turns "what is it I can do for you?" He offers in a low pitched voice. "Oh and I have a couple of questions for you as well." His weapons are not out, nor is has he put his claws on them. He is trying to appear friendly and less threatening. However he will act if necessary.
[[ Just to be clear, the fellow came from and his watching friend is in 13, right? ]]
<Bern>
He steps forward and pulls the man to the group. "We just have a few questions", he said with a not so reassuring looking smile.
DM
(Yes.)
The man's hands come up defensively. While he wears a sword he isn't reaching for it, perhaps because he can see how outnumbered he is.
He begins backing up, though he hasn't turned to run. "What are you doing here?"
<Bern>
"You should stop", he said calmly. "I would rather not shoot you", he added, wiggling his bow. "And we would ask the same question of you."
Ryssa
The cleric of Lathander moved to a position where she could cover both the man talking to Bern and Luminmorn and the building where the others were.
DM
The man stops still as the bow swings to point at him. He gulps, saying, "We're here to treat with the Dragon". And as if making that statement gives him more courage he stands a bit straighter.
"Why are you here?"
Luminmorn
That comment made him reach for the pommel of his weapon, Talon. He rested one clawed hand there, not pulling it yet. But any one dealing with an evil dragon, that would be trouble.
Balthazar
While some of the others are focused on the lone man, Balthazar keeps his attention on the building that the man came from for any signs of them leaving and swinging around to try and trap them.
<Bern>
"Let me get this straight ... you are here to 'negotiate' with a dragon?"
Lingo
He could negotiate, but Lumi was taking charge and who was the halfling to argue with a dragonborn? His eyes turned to the shutters above. Then he moved his mage hand up to one that was open, and then he shut it.
DM
The shutter closes, but after a moment it reopens.
The man looks at Bern, "Not me. Nope. I am just here to lug things from place to place. No, that's what Favric wants." His eyes unconsciously flick back towards the building from which he emerged.
"Are you here to bargain with it too? Favric might want to talk to you."
Luminmorn
This had gone better than he had hoped, by learning things rather than killing the man. However he didn't like where the discussion was leading. Yet he wasn't the spokesbeing for the group. So he remained silent letting the others decide what they wanted to do next. No matter the choice, their being here hidden had been exposed.
<Bern>
"Apparently Lingo has some competition", he said to the others with a sigh.
He turned back to their 'guest'. "So, care to tell us a bit about this Favric and how you happened to be here."
DM
"Favric? He's our leader. I'm here because this is where he was headed. I just lug stuff and keep watch. He's observing. Says he doesn't want to rush into meeting the dragon until he has a better idea of what it's like. Me? I'm in no rush."
He turns back towards the building he emerged from.
"Come. He'll want to meet you. I am sure he can tell you whatever it is you want to know."
He waves back towards the cracked shutters.
<Bern>
He looked at the others. "What do you think", he asked.
Ryssa
She frowned and chewed lightly on her lower lip for a moment as she considered the situation.
"I think we should meet this Favric."
<Bern>
Based on the lack of belligerence from their ... new friend, it =did= seem a plan worth following.
"Any dissents", he asked. "... except Lingo's of course", he added with a grin.
Luminmorn
He gave one flick of his tongue, which to his associates meant the same as a nod. He was willing. Besides if it came to a fight, having all of them in a tight space could be much easier.
Lingo
He scrunched his lips at the barb but kept them sealed. He was all for learning what he could before charging forward. This, in fact, could present him with opportunities later. When he grumbled, "alright", it was difficult to tell what he was thinking. That suited him fine.
[[ Ummmm ... are we ghosting for KenSeg? I know he was 'unavailable' recently, but not sure if that is still the case. ]]
DM(OOC - We'll move ahead. Hopefully all is fine with Ken.)
Having decided to see who this Favric person is and what he wants the group follows the man as he heads back to the building he emerged from.
Reaching the door, he opens it and gestures for the party to go in.
Entering the building, the man enters behind you and closes the door. (Nep - I need to know if Lingo came out of hiding and joined the group or if he is remaining outside. He cannot sneak in unobserved. For now I am assuming he is hiding outside.)
Inside you can see this is one of the more intact buildings. It used to be a 2 room farmhouse. It is dusty and strung with cobwebs. In the entry room is a small stove, a table and 4 chairs. There is a door in the south wall that opens as you look at it and reveals a larger room with a bed and several bedrolls on the floor.
In the entry room there are several armed men with more in the room beyond. All are dressed in rough clothing except for one who seems to be wearing a bit more refined apparel.
On a board with several pegs on one wall hang a number of cloaks similar to the ones you saw the men wearing last night.
The better dressed man steps forward and looks you all up and down. "What have you brought us Olwyn?
"These people were in the town, Favric. I don't know what they're doing here, but when I told them why we're here they agreed to talk to you."
"You told them why we're here?"
"Ummm......., yes? Was I not supposed to?"
"Did you tell Venomfang too while you were at it?" The man Favric replies, clearly annoyed.
He then turns to you. "I'd say well met, but I did not expect to find anyone here. Not alive anyway. Might I ask your business?"
Luminmorn
A bigger group than he had expected. This could be a challenging fight if it came down to that. Good, he liked a challenge. The dragon born remained silent though, letting the more eloquent speak for them as a group.
[[ FWIW, being a bit suspicious of this group, Bern would have shaken his head in the 'negative' if he notices Lingo headed to join, hoping he will get the idea and remain as their 'ace in the hole' ... if needed. ]]
<Bern>
He watched the interchange between the fellow that was apparently 'Faveric' and their guide, 'Olwyn' with some interest. It was clear that Faveric was ... uncomfortable. But based on when he knew of their 'mission', that was understandable.
He stepped forward. "We had been 'passing through', but we ran into a gentleman who expressed concern about some 'nasties' in the area. We ... dealt with the arachnid infestation and were wondering if we should tackle the 'reptile' problem as well. Now, I would ask you the same", he said conversationally.
Balthazar
He put his back against the wall and kept his eyes open any sign of a double cross.
Ryssa
Her arrow still nocked, Ryssa loosened the strain on her bowstring and angled the bow and arrow toward the floor as she moved to stand alongside Balthazar against the wall, allowing Bern and Luminmorn to form the lead against their potential opponents.
FWIW, tiny Lingo can hide behind his allies so he could have gone in unobserved if he rolls well enough. Also, this stuff about him keeping the door open depends on the kind of door. It might be something to disarm the latch or closing mechanism. I will give you a roll (slight of hand) to do so.
Lingo Sleight of hand (keep the door open)
Neptune rolled 1d20+4 and got 18
Lingo
He stays outside, the party's contingency plan, but uses his mage hand to open the door a crack so he can see what's going on. Once it's slightly ajar, he uses his mage hand to find a stone or small branch to wedge between the door and it's hinge to keep it open.
(OOC - Will give it to you, but for future reference note that the Mage Hand has a force limit of 10 pounds so in most cases he cannot pull something, like a door or a window shutter, out of the hands of someone who is holding it. Not only does it not generate enough force for that, that could also be interpreted as an 'Attack'.)
Here's a reasonable explanation for Mage Hand Legerdemain from 'Role Playing Games Stack Exchange' Q&A Site:
Mage Hand Legerdemain
Starting at 3rd level, when you cast mage hand, you can make the spectral hand invisible, and you can perform the following additional tasks with it:
• You can stow one object the hand is holding in a container w orn or carried by another creature.
• You can retrieve an object in a container worn or carried by another creature.
• You can use thieves’ tools to pick locks and disarm traps at range.
You can perform one of these tasks without being noticed by a creature if you succeed on a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by the creature’s Wisdom (Perception) check.
In addition, you can use the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to control the hand.
"But how does the rogue know its limits?"
The mage hand spell and the Mage Hand Ledgerdemain description give the general idea. Past that, the player describes what he or she wants to do, and the the DM narrates the results.
"Do they mentally KNOW it's location?"
That is not specified in the rules, so up the the DM. I rule it that the rogue just knows where it is.
Another interpretation might be the rogue can "see" an outline, like an invisible item in a cartoon is sometimes depicted.
"Can they feel through it?"
There's nothing in the rules that explicitly says they can feel through it, but the rules imply there is enough sensory feedback to accomplish the tasks listed in the description. I allow the rogue enough sensory feedback to accomplish the task, but not enough sensory feedback to accomplish something very different from the tasks listed.
"If so, does it extend to all senses of touch like temperature, pressure, texture?"
Same for these.
"I know it can't pass through objects but could they send it through a window or chimney and open a door locked on the other side?"
Maybe, depending on the situation and the DM's interpretation. It would be reasonable for the DM to give a significant additional difficulty rating or to make it several separate tasks and checks.
"Pick someones pocket from the opposite side of a busy room?"
Yes. Or rather, the rogue can try. Increased DC or disadvantage might apply, especially if vision is obscured. Or maybe it is several different checks. Maybe one to even find the pocket. Maybe the rogue gets the wrong item. It shouldn't be really easy to pick a pocket that you can't even see, but maybe not impossible. The risk of the target catching on that something is going on should be significant.
"Can they disarm people since a weapon isn't in a container?"
No, that's an attack.
"Steal a ring of keys?"
As in pick it up and carry it? Yes. As in remove them from a container? Yes. Those are all within the description.
In general, it is easy to interpret MHL very broadly, and there is nothing wrong with that. The DM has to decide where the limit is, based on what sort of campaign you and your players want. The rule of fun is always a good one. But it is also worthwhile to keep balance in mind. The Arcane Trickster has lots of other features besides MHL.
Imagine this scenario. The rogue is in a jail cell. The rogue knows the guard is sleeping around the corner and saw that the keys are on the guard's belt and earlier saw where the chair was and what the belt and keys looked like. "I use my MHL to get the keys!" "You can't even see the guard, you use MHL to feel around. Roll a perception check." "16!" "It takes you quite a while to feel where the keys are, but you also hear the guard moving in his sleep. Maybe you're tickling him. You try to remove the keys. Make a sleight of hand roll with disadvantage." "Rats, 12!" "That won't do it. You can't get the keys off. You've used up 8 rounds, you've got two tries left." "Arrgh! 8!" "Not even close. Suddenly the guard isn't making any more noise." "Did he wake up?" "How would you know?" "Try again or not, the spell's about to lapse." "21!" "Seriously, that was with disadvantage?" "Oh, right. Oh baby, yes! 20!" "You feel the keys lift off the guard's belt, and they come floating around the corner. They're within two feet of the jail cell, and the spell ends, and the keys fall to the floor. It sounds really loud. The guard yells what the!" "I reach out and grab the keys and hide them!"
To me this makes it fun. The guard is sleeping, but the rogue can't see the keys. The MHL isn't an auto-win, but the rogue gets to use it. PCs are hard to keep in jail, after all.
DM
Favric looks at you appraisingly. "It depends on what you mean by deal with? Did you have some sort of bargain you wanted to strike with Venomfang? Perhaps we can work together then?"
<Bern>
"It was presented to us as a 'pest control' problem to be 'solved'. What are you planning", he asked in return.
DM
"Pest?" Favric sputters. "Dragons are not pests! They are noble creatures."
He calms down, and a sugary sweetness enters to his voice.
"But perhaps we can help each other? I am here to talk to Venomfang. After I finish talking to him, you can do what you wish. We can help." He gestures to himself and his men.
"Besides, at least he'll be out in the open where you can see him in order for him to talk to me."
ooc: It doesn't change the fact that Lingo attempts to open the door a crack. Is someone still holding it? It wasn't clear from the last GM post. If he is, he might have felt the hand yank on the door.
Yes, I said I'd give it to you. Door is open a slight crack.
Luminmorn
His eyes rove the group to count numbers and arms. To his mind, even though he believes in life, these men might have to be put down to avoid future death. Of course if they could be used to set up the dragon? That might work out, though the dragon born didn't trust the man who's tone changed so easily.
Ryssa
Ryssa did not like the man's tone and did not trust his intentions. She caught Luminmorn glancing from man to man and she nodded mentally. A good idea...
The cleric's gaze moved to the other members of her party, wondering how they were gauging the man's offer, her eyes ending back on Favric.
"Just what do you intend to discuss with... Venomfang?"
DM
"I intend to ask him what he is doing here and what he wants. Perhaps we can work together. Perhaps not." He shrugs. "No way to tell without talking."
<Bern>
He was wondering how to reply to Favric. Apparently this group worshiped dragons. He had heard of such things, but had never actually run into them before. He was trying to decide how to approach the discussion when Ryssa decided to address the situation. He was willing to let her take the lead in the discussion for now. He would rather assess the tactical situation in case things went awry.
Ryssa
She still did not believe him, definitely did not trust him.
"Work together to accomplish what?"
DM
"Well, that is sort of my business, but in collaboration with a dragon, what could not be accomplished? However, I cannot know what Venomfang wants until I talk to him."
<Bern>
Apparently he =had= been right ... a 'cult' ... a bunch of dragon worshipers ... or maybe dragon 'toadies', from the sound of it.
But Ryssa seemed to be keeping them talking, so he kept his mouth shut.
Ryssa
Ryssa was not used to being the spokesperson for the group and definitely not accustomed to making tactical decisions, but the man was talking so, after glancing at the other members of her party, she turned back to Favric.
Just in case her appearance gave her an edge in dealing with the man, she kept her face turned slightly so the unscarred cheek was toward Favric.
"If we decide to cooperate with you in dealing with the dragon, what would you like for us to do?"
DM
He smiles. "Just back us up. Dragons respect strength. Strength in numbers would go a long way with us being able to treat with Venomfang. Unless you have your own requests for him, all you'd need to do is stand there I think."
Ryssa
She did not know where to go from here, so she turned toward the other members of her party and gave a slight shrug.
<Bern>
It seemed like Ryssa was now at as much of a loss as he was. He returned his shrug and then looked to see if Luminmorn had any insights.
Luminmorn
Seeing the others look around for suggestions he asked "so your intention is to treat with this dragon, and you want us all to group together to make it easier on the creature to use its breath on us? If we set up differently than we may be perceived as not trusting and thus ambushing the creature. Neither path seems like the best plan.
"It would help us to know what you want from the dragon as it might help us figure out the best method to handle it. I understand your not wishing to tell us anything. That is your choice. Though I can't guarantee that our own interests won't conflict with yours, should you choose not to tell us." He flicked his tongue across his sharp teeth.
Lingo
He remains hidden outside but with an ear and an eye on the conversation inside. He was a secret weapon and enjoyed the idea. If there would be trouble, he would be ready. And trouble could come from anywhere, inside and out. So he kept his eyes open.
DM
Favric turns to Luminmorn to answer. "I already told you. I want to work with him. There is no way for me to know what that will entail until I speak to him."
"So, do you want to come along or not?"
Luminmorn
He had heard the man's hollow words and complete lack of further information and found it irritating. It was not the dragon born's place to make a choice for the group, but to him, trusting this man, was not something he was willing to do.
He looked to the others for their comments. Maybe letting the dragon eat these fools would serve their problems. Of course if they made a deal it might be that much more difficult.
DM
With no one voicing objections, even though many are uncertain, the group has the decision made for them. Favric grabs his cloak, and with the others in his party in tow he heads out the door and heads for the road to the tower on the hill.
"Come along if you want. I think it would be best for both of our groups as a show of strength", Favric calls back over his shoulder.
(OOC - For the high level plan of joining the parties, it works better if you let me do a slight railroad here and you follow along. If anyone has strenuous objections, let me know.)
[[ =I= don't have any objections to a bit of 'fast forward', but Bern =might= express his opinion that he would rather =not= 'align' with these shady characters. But he is only one vote <wink> ]]
[OOC: Ryssa would tentatively agree, but she would not want to let them get too far out of their sight, either.]
(OOC - MikeD - Following along does not require joining.
)
[[ Isn't that what our group has to decide ... as a group? <g> ]]
(OOC - Yes, indeed. But it seems no one wants to make a firm decision. Favric has an appointment and can't wait any longer. You can walk with his group or not. I was pointing out that walking there with his group doesn't mean you are allying with him. Of course you can do that too. But in the meantime he is walking off.)
[[ Well if Lingo was to suggest that they follow ... clandestine ... at a distance ... to see what Favic and the dragon have to say to each other ... <g> ]]
[OOC: Works for me. Luminmorn wants to do them all in and the dragon too.
]
[OOC: Ryssa is ambivalent or dichotomous or one of those divided mind words... she does not like the idea of joining up with Favric, and doesn't even really like the idea of going with him and his men, but she also doesn't like the idea of letting them go alone and make a deal with Venomfang.]
[[ so it sounds like the 'let Lingo lead them so spy on the meeting' plan is the way ta go <g> We can always decide to intervene if we need to <weg> ]]
DMThe group heads out the door, larger by far than it had been for the party in their previous explorations of the town. All told there are over a dozen people now walking along the path.
Favric heads towards the left, and the path towards the tower, and the party, being a bit hesitant about Favric's motives tends to follow towards the rear. Lingo, still oberving from hiding follows along on the outskirts of the group.
Luminmorn
He trailed with his companions watching and trying to be alert. He would do what he had to, to deal with the dragon and the men. Neither of them seemed the sort that should be allowed to continue to conspire.
<Bern>
He wasn't convinced this was the better plan, but was willing to follow along with the will of the majority.
He followed, but he was ready to intervene if it seemed ... appropriate.
Lingo
Still out of sight, the wildcard followed the crowd.
Ryssa
Holding her short bow, arrow nocked but bowstring relaxed in her left hand, the cleric of Lathander touched her holy icon with her right hand and murmured a non-specific prayer to her deity.
DMThe odd looking group proceeds up the path towards the tower, Favrice perhaps being the only one who seems truly happy and excited.
The party follows behind, not completely trusting this man and his followers, nor his goals.
Upon reaching the base of the tower, Favric reaches into his belt pouch and pulls out three medium sized, clear coloured gems. The diamonds sparkle in the light of the morning sun.
"Oh most mighty Venomfang!" He cries aloud. "I, Favric, have come to treat with you! Grace us with your presence! We are not worthy, but we offer to you this tribute!" He holds the gems aloft, the sun sparkling off their faceted surfaces casts a rainbow of colours against the walls of the tower.
For a moment there is silence, then there is the sound of claws on stone coming from inside the tower. A moment later, a green reptilian head appears, followed by a long sinuous body as the aforementioned Venomfang clambers on top of the battlements, 40 feet up, and glares down at you.
<Bern>
The closer they got to the tower, the further back in the group he got. When the other group's leader called the dragon, he got his bow ready. He didn't expect it would be much good against a dragon, but it might be able to provide enough of a distraction that they could disperse ... if things came to that.
LingoThis was exciting! A dragon, a real dragon! The halfling moved towards the tower and there he saw the great green wyrm. What that meant to the halfling was that the dragon's treasure was unguarded. He moved cautiously towards the cottage and thought to himself that maybe there was a back entrance. So he circled around back.
ooc: Moving in for the kill and just in case you all need a reminder, you can start planning Lingo's funeral
[[ we will be celebra ... err ... I mean lamenting Lingo's passing just as soon as we get to a town with a decent tavern <weg> ]]
Ryssa
The cleric eased back, also, moving alongside the ranger, her bow and arrow ready.
Attacking a dragon was more than she had really bargained for and she decided not to cast any spells as of yet as she thought there would be a good chance she'd need a full complement of healing spells before this confrontation was over.
She just hoped she'd have enough healing to cover what was needed.
DM
Lingo slides around the back of the tower and finds a window he can squeeze into. Of course no one notices him do this.
In front of the tower the encounter with the dragon, now revealed as a green variety, continues.....
Venomfang: "Why should I deal with you, puny human? I can just kill you and take your baubles." The great reptilian head swivels all around, and each one of you can feel it looking into your eyes, evaluating and considering.
Favric: "Why, of course you could, mighty Venomfang. But how much better would it be for you if we worked together? If you had others to guard your lair when you hunted, or who could find mighty treasures for you to add to your hoard?"
(OOC - Any replies or comments to this activity please post. I will be moving things along by the weekend.)
[[ sorry ... I don't see anything in that post would elicit any sort of 'response' ]]
Luminmorn
The dragonborn looked at the more exalted of his kin, and his mouth opened slightly with his tongue flickering in and out. He was uncertain of a great many things in this moment. Not the least of which the evil dragon above them. Yet he continued to play his part and remain silent.
(OOC - MikeD - Posting as Pande did to display thoughts and such or taking the opportunity to speak to a dragon are potential responses here. But nothing is required. Just didn't want to move ahead and circumvent someone.)
[[ I get that, thanks. Just letting you know I had pretty much 'thought' everything there was to think ... so far <wink> ]]
Ryssa
One look at the giant wyrm caused Ryssa's eyes to widen and her mouth to murmur a brief prayer to Lathander.
Lingo
The halfling moves into the tower, greed on his mind. He figures that the dragon is sleeping. Dragons have great treasure and there's no way that he's going to let someone else have first (or second or third) pick of the loot. He continues onward until he sees what he's looking for.
Lingo Stealth,Perception
Neptune rolled 1d20+7,1d20+3 and got 15, 4
Lingo Perception reroll, lucky
Neptune rolled 1d20+3 and got 4
I SWEAR that's what I rolled!!!!! <crosses fingers>
[OOC: Ryssa - Been nice knowing you, Lingo.
]
[[ Yup, Lingo silently bumps into the dragon that didn't hear him at all <chuckle> ]]
[OOC: If it were a Red we could say FABOOM! But with a green, hmm PSSSTBFTT. Sound of a very SBDeadly.
]
DMVenomfang pauses a moment in consideration of Favric's offer. Suddenly it's head whips around and bends down, staring behind it into the interior of the tower.
It turns back and stares at Favric, and all of you with anger.
"So, that was you plan! Distract me with offers of cooperation while you sent a sneak-thief to steal my treasure! Well, I will show you what happens to thieves!"
With a sinuous motion it dives off the top of the tower and disappears back inside and out of view.
Favric is left open-mouthed, calling after Venomfang loudly. "No! It was not me! I had nothing to do with this!"
He turns around, pointing angrily at your group.
"This is your doing! You sent someone inside! I knew not to trust you! Kill them!" He shouts to his followers. "We can still show Venomfang we are his allies!" His men start to spread out and draw their weapons.
(OOC - Everyone please roll initiative.)
[Chandan gets 14 total for Initiative.
What sort of range are Group-N at?]
(OOC - There is a scale on the map in the upper left. 1 square = 10 feet)
Ryssa
The cleric winced, wondering what had happened to Lingo, normally the most stealthy of their group by far. She turned to aim her bow at the closest of Favric's men.
Ryssa Initiative Roll: 1d20+2=14
<Bern>
It took him a moment to 'guess' at the problem. Poor, greedy Lingo had been unable to resist the temptation, he thought with a sigh. Favic was clearly and his bow =was= ready ...
Bern init MikeD rolled d20+3 and got 15
[[ any chance of a 'surprise round' shot? Bern =did= get his bow out near the top of this page <g> ]]
Kriv
Kriv initiative
AJ rolled 1d20+1 and got 16
Jaliera
She is not quite sure which side they are on but the dragon seems to hold the man at the front responsible and maybe the way to gain the dragon's confidence is to help the group at the back?
She draws her bow, readies an arrow and fires at the man at the front.
Jaliera Initiative
Gypsy rolled 1d20+3 and got 20
Jaliera Arrow
Gypsy rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3 and got 18, 9
[OOC: MikeD, so did Ryssa.
]
[[ Snot my call <wink> ]]
(OOC 1 - No. Conditions don't meet the criteria for a surprise attack. The other side would have to have not known you were here.
OOC 2 - Gypsy - The range for Jaliera is 150+ feet. With a Shortbow you are at Long Range. That means you attack with Disadavantage, so please make a second d20 roll.
OOC 3 - In general, you can wait until your initiative turn to attack as the situation may have changed from actions or movement of those who went before you. I will compile the Initiative rolls into order and then we'll start at the top.
OOC 4 - Those on the "N" party are too far away to hear talking of those up on the hill. Additionally, the brush is far too thick to penetrate from below so the only means of approach is along the road.
OOC 5 - The brush is also too thick to target those further down on the hill with missiles. Favric, being in the clearing and at the highest point is visible and targetable, but everyone else can only be seen as glimpses thru thick bushes and trees.
I have drawn the only possible approach on the ground in yellow on the attached map.)
Luminmorn
He didn't know why the dragon had chosen to do what it did, though he suspect the halfling might have been part of the reason. Regardless, having the evil men attack first satisfied his need to act.
9 Init
Luminmorn Initative
Pandemonium rolled 1d20-1 and got 9
[OOC No disadvantage. Made the same roll!
Gypsy Arrow 2nd roll
Gypsy rolled 1d20+5 and got 18 Chandan
Such is his headache, that the old monk isn't paying close attention to how forward his ass walks, just that it's walking.
Around the twisting lanes it clip-clops, heading into more trouble than Chandan is in any mood to face.
DM(OOC - Need Davroar's Initiative roll to begin the melee)
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 0 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 0 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C1 19 14 12 0 Normal
C2 18 14 12 0 Normal
C3 17 14 12 0 Normal
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 0 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 16 26 0 Normal
C4 13 14 12 0 Normal
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
C6 11 14 12 0 Normal
C7 10 14 12 0 Normal
Luminmorn 09 17 31 0 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Normal
Balthazar 07 13 25 0 Normal
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Lingo 05 14 22 0 Normal
Kallista 04 16 25 0 Normal
[ooc: Sorry for the delay ]
Davroar Initiative
Dugan rolled 1d20 and got 6
DMThere is a roar from inside the tower that can be heard by all, even those far off. A moment later Lingo's body flies through the air and lands on the ground outside the tower. At least you assume from the size that it is Lingo's body as it is in several pieces. Barely seconds later the dragon reappears on top of the battlements.
Favric sees Venomfang reappear and shouts, "It was them! We are with you!" He then turns and pulling out a hand-crossbow he fires at Balthazar.
Favric Attack Balthazar
Zeim rolled d20+3,d6 and got 20, 5A moment later an arrow comes arching over the canopy of trees, descending and striking Favric in the leg.
The Dragon Cultists surround the party and attack with their short swords, attacking Ryssa, Balthazar, and Bern. Two of them miss, but Balthazar is struck again (5 pts).
C1, C2, C3 Attack Ryssa, Balthazar, Bern
Zeim rolled d20+3,d20+3,d20+3 and got 8, 22, 6(OOC - We are up to Kriv, Bern, CHandan and Ryssa.
Notes:
1) if Ryssa drops her bow and uses her shield I will edit her AC by +2
2) Jaliera gets to move. Since she attacked she can only move 30, just tell me where she wants to go.
3) Chandan's ass panics at the roar from the dragon. It begins to buck and run. Chandan must make a Dex check to not be tossed to the ground and start the round prone. If you succeed at the Dex check, Nemarsden, you can tell me if you choose to slide off the ass or hold on and have it take you wherever it runs off to.)
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 0 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C1 19 14 12 0 Normal
C2 18 14 12 0 Normal
C3 17 14 12 0 Normal
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 0 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 16 26 0 Normal
C4 13 14 12 0 Normal
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
C6 11 14 12 0 Normal
C7 10 14 12 0 Normal
Luminmorn 09 17 31 0 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Normal
Balthazar 07 13 25 10 Normal
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
Kallista 04 16 25 0 Normal
Kriv
He kept pace with Jaliera and growled,
"For the sake of unity, I held back when the V- when Chandan killed a surrendered prisoner. Before you so much as dare nock another arrow to your bow, answer me this: who, exactly, did you shoot, and why, exactly, did you shoot them!? Do you have any idea who anyone is in that fight, let alone what cause they stand for?"
[Chandan rolled 11, +3 if Dex is added.]
(OOC - Neamarsden - A 14 succeeds. Your choice to slide off or not.)
Chandan
Butch goes crazy-ass, braying and charging flat-out along the narrow dirt path. ('Flat-out' would perhaps be more accurate for a palfrey than a donkey, but Butch almost certainly thought he was going pretty fast.)
Chandan's shaken around on the back, his sore head feeling like some Rakshasha devised torture.
Wailing and losing his grip, the ragged monk rolls off the back of the ass, some how flipping in midair and landing on his feet, unsteady, confused, but happy that the jouncing has stopped.
Chandan looks around. Where is he?
(OOC - Spin a d8. North is 1, NE 2, E 3, SE 4, S 5, SW 6, W 7, NW 8. You dropped off after Butch moved 30 feet in whichever direction you roll. I'll account for buildings when I place you on the map. You can then act.)
Lingo
Suddenly he's walking on air ... no, he's floating.
"Where's the dragon?!?!?" he yells but he hears nothing. He's no longer there with the others. Off in the distance he sees a light, he walks towards it, never to return.
[fade to black....]
<Bern>
It was the sort of situation that he never liked. He idly wished he had been more forceful ... or that the others had listened harder ... in any event it was, again, do or die time.
His bow was out so, taking a step back, he fired twice.
using 'Horde Breaker' he fires at 4 & 7
Bern Att 4 & 7 - MikeD rolled d20+7,d8+3,d20+7,d8+3 and got 27, 5, 23, 7
[Rolled a 1. Good time for it actually. Btw, I'm still using N-roller, should we start using Z-roller?]
Not a big deal, but yes. New Map. You can act from where it shows Chandan to be.
Ryssa
Suddenly all of Favric's men turned and attacked them. They were too close for her to use her bow, so she dropped it, pulled her shield around from her back and drew a dagger with which she attacked the nearest foe.
Ryssa Attack/Damage #3: 1d20+4,1d4+1 = 16,4
(OOC - Ex - I was intrigued that Ryssa only had a dagger for HTH (instead of a Mace, for example, which does 1d6 Damage instead of 1d4), and I presumed it was because Dagger is a "Finesse" weapon which allows her to use her Dex instead of her strength and gives her an extra +1 to hit (+2 for Dex of 14 instead of +1 for Str of 12). Note that Finesse weapons also use Dex for the Damage roll, so she should be rolling 1d4+2 not 1d4+1, so we will add 1 extra point of damage here.
However, her short bow also uses Dex and on her sheet you had the bow listed as 1d20+4 to hit (which is correct, +2 for Dex and +2 for Proficiency), but you had the damage listed as 1d6+3? Do you have something else that gives you an extra +1 to damage? I can only see a +2 to damage for Dex.)
Jaliera
"But I thought we were trying to get on the dragon's good side.. if it has one which I doubt. The man at the front was talking to the dragon who then got angry. So I figured he must be the negotiator we were told about and he screwed up. Besides I didn't like the idea of those cultists outnumbering the others."
She shrugs.
"It was only one arrow and it might give everyone pause for thought which wouldn't be a bad thing."
She is not defiant but she doesn't seem to be intimidated either.
"Best we get closer." And she starts to move.
DM(OOC - OK, Jaliera can only move 30, and if Kriv is pacing her then it means he only moves 30, instead of a possible 60 as well. I have updated the map. Chandan needs to tell me his move, but I will go for C4-C7 so Luminmorn can act. I will also go for Kallista since she is just going to run forwards. After Luminmorn I need to go for C8 and then I will go for Balthazar and Davroar can act.)
Bern fires his bow at two of the enemies approaching Ryssa and Luminmorn, hitting both of them.
Ryssa drops her bow and swings her shield onto her arm. Drawing her dagger, she slices at Cultist #3 and strikes him across his chest.
Another group of cloaked enemies attack, while Favric shouts about new foes appearing at the edge of town. Two of them attack Bern and two attack Luminmorn. Of the 4 attacks, each hero is struck once.
C4-C7 Attack Bern, Bern, Luminmorn, Luminmorn
Zeim rolled d20+3,d20+3,d20+3,d20+3 and got 17, 14, 20, 5Being out of range of most of her spells, Kallista runs to get closer (double move). As she passes Jaliera and Kriv she overhears the discussion. She has heard Kriv voice his desire on the road here to negotiate with the Dragon, but she has never held out much hope for that. Especially now that she can see the dragon itself. Her knowledge of Dragons tells her that Green Dragons are completely and thoroughly evil and untrustworthy.
"I don't know anyone in that fight, Kriv, but that's a Green Dragon. We can't hope to trust it, or anyone who is trying to align with it. I don't know who that is right now, but I don't like the look of those costumes." She calls as she runs by. She wants to get closer to decide on whose side to intervene, although Jaliera may have made that decision already.
(OOC - Need Chandan's move, Bern's second set of attacks, and Luminmorn's action, I will then go for Balthazar.)
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 0 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C1 19 14 12 0 Normal
C2 18 14 12 0 Normal
C3 17 14 12 5 Normal
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 5 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 0 Normal
C4 13 14 12 5 Normal
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
C6 11 14 12 0 Normal
C7 10 14 12 7 Normal
Luminmorn 09 17 31 5 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Normal
Balthazar 07 13 25 10 Normal
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
Kallista 04 16 25 0 Normal
[[ I did mentioning stepping back in that post ... but, to be honest, I did mentioned ... more than once ... in previous posts that I was 'hanging back' ... not standing 'up close and personal' with our potential foes.
In particular on Nov 30th
The closer they got to the tower, the further back in the group he got. When the other group's leader called the dragon, he got his bow ready.
]]
Yes, you did. I edited the map and the post.
[[ No worries ... I had to go back and make sure =I= wasn't remembering things incorrectly <wink> ]]
Chandan
Chandan hears fighting. He wishes he didn't, but he does. And that means he has to intervene. He swore that he would never let evil befall the innocent again, that he would fight and die if necessary to protect those unable to protect themselves.
And memory swam into his mind's eye. An infant's face, older than when he'd found her. But his mind claps shut like a thick book, and he groggily lifts his spear and picks up speed, running toward the fray along the path.
GMMap updated. Luminmorn is up.
[ooc: don't forget to loot Lingo!]
Luminmorn
The dragon born reacted as expected with a roar. It was a minor wound, but being hit, was part of the battle field. He swung at the cultist that hit him. Tit for tat as the humans like to say.
19 to hit, 9 damage
Luminmorn Attack cultist, damage
Pandemonium rolled 1d20+6,1d10+4 and got 19, 9
[OOC: Zeim, I thought she would get the +2 to hit from the finesse edge but would only get a +1 damage from strength. If the Dex adds to damage as well as to hit, then yes, I'll make that change. Not sure where I got the +3 on the short bow. I'll see if I can figure that out.]
DMLuminmorn attacks the wounded cultist (C7) with his sword and the first of the cultists to die, falls to the ground, blood streaming from the fatal gash in his side. One of the other cultists (C8) steps forward towards Ryssa and attacks Ryssa with his scimitar and a warm trickle of blood starts to flow from the wound he caused her. Balthazar then blows a pinch of sand in the direction of the cultist that attacked Ryssa and utters some arcane words. Instantly three of the cultists fall to the ground asleep (C3, C4, C8).
C8 attack Ryssa with Scimitar (att,dam)
Neptune rolled 1d20+3,1d6+1 and got 18, 3
Balthazar Casts sleep
Neptune rolled 5d8 and got 27
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 0 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C1 19 14 12 0 Normal
C2 18 14 12 0 Normal
C3 17 14 12 5 Asleep
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 5 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 0 Normal
C4 13 14 12 5 Asleep
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
C6 11 14 12 0 Normal
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
Luminmorn 09 17 31 5 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Asleep
Balthazar 07 13 25 10 Normal
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
Kallista 04 16 25 0 Normal
Davroar is up.
And in case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm taking over temporarily while Zeim makes his way north.
Davroar will move along the path up to the first T intersection stopping beside Kalista.
DM(OOC - OK, first thing, after MikeD pointed out that Bern was not up front I moved him to the back but I needed to remove the two attacks, and one hit, that happened to him and redistribute them to others up front, so one of those rolls was on Ryssa and one on Luminmorn. The one on Ryssa was the one that had hit Bern, but Ryssa's AC using her shield makes it a miss. So I just removed the 5 points from Bern. And we're back to the top.)
The Dragon looks over the situation sizing it up and evaluating it's options. It glares at Favric and roars loudly enough for all to hear, "If you prove yourself worthy, by killing all these vermin, I will consider your offer." It clearly is including everyone not wearing Cultist robes in it's 'Vermin' category.
It take off from the tower and flies overhead to the west. Swinging wide of the fighting, it makes a tight turn back east, lines itself up and opens it's jaws wide. A cloud of noxious green gas erupts from it's mouth, engulfing Balthazar and Bern. Balthazar's hands go to his face, clawing at his throat, and his face turns black as he topples to the ground, his swollen and blackened tongue lolling from his lips.
(OOC - Balthazar and Bern must make DC 16 Constitution Saves)
Balthazar Save versus Breath
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 6
Venomfang Recover Breath Weapon
Zeim rolled d6 and got 4 (Fails!)Favric grins a happy smile, and runs forward, kicking one of his sleeping henchmen awake (C8). "Wake those others!" He shouts to the rest. The Cultist Favric kicked is awake, but prone. C3 & C4 are still asleep, and also prone.
We are up to Jaliera, but probably need Bern's Con Save first.
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 0 Normal (Flying, 30' high)
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C1 19 14 12 0 Normal
C2 18 14 12 0 Normal
C3 17 14 12 5 Asleep
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 21 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 0 Normal
C4 13 14 12 5 Asleep
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
C6 11 14 12 0 Normal
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
Luminmorn 09 17 31 5 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Prone
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
Kallista 04 16 25 0 Normal
Bern save vs breath MikeD rolled d20+2 and got 17
(OOC - Bern saves and only takes 21 points of Poison Damage. Jaliera can go.)
[[ wtf?? A save is 'only' 21 damage?? <ouch> So that means a fail would kill =any= of us!! Gettin' real now <chuckle> ]]
Yes. Balthazar failed his save and took 42. Based on the 'Massive Damage' rule he is permanently dead.
As we're in a playtest, it might be a good time to talk about that rule. Basically when you drop below zero you actually stay at zero and start making "Death" Saves until you succeed or fail at 3 of them. Fail three and you die, succeed at three and you are only unconscious at zero hp.
However, if you take enough damage in a single blow/attack to where you would be at a negative hp total that exceeds your normal full hps, then it is considered as "Massive Damage" and you are permanently dead.
Balthazar had a full hp total of 25. His current hps were 15 due to 10 pts of earlier damage. Taking 42 hps in damage in a single blow put him at -27, which exceeds being his full hp below zero (-25).
I am reminded of the scene in ... I think it was the movie 'Congo' where they are talking about where the 'natives' had 'several lever of dead' <chuckle>
And FWIW, that is ... similar ... to previous D&D versions in that when you got to minus your normal HPs you were 'really' dead <g>
Jaliera
As she can only run so far having taken time to fire, she needs to get closer for a line of sight to fire again or cast magic. Hearing the dragon's roar though she calls out.
"We need to take out those cultists."
Then, having seen the dragon join the melee, she sends Whisper deep into the woods to hide, saying she will call for her once the fight is over.
If of course she is still alive.. but she doesn't communicate that part.
Chandan
He feels the downdraft of the dragon's wings as it lands, even from where he is.
If only he had saved one flask, just a sip of something refreshing like a small beer....
But he hadn't. Grumbling, he sincerely hopes that by the time he reaches the fray there is still someone to save or aid. If it's just the dragon cleaning itself after a fresh meal, he might offer himself up as dessert!
Ryssa
The cleric of Lathander saw Balthazar fall in a heap and feared the wizard was dead from the boneless way in which he hit the ground. Bern also was badly hurt, but still moving.
Determined to get close to the ranger to help heal her friend, Ryssa prepared to attack the cultist diagonally to her left (2) and then dash to Bern's side.
[OOC: Not her turn yet...]
DMJaliera runs ahead, trying to close the distance between herself and the fighting. She reaches where Chandan is, and should be able to get a shot into the melee on her next turn.
Cultist C1, acting on Favric's orders, turns and kicks Cultist C3 awake. he is alert, but Prone. Cultist C2 moves forward to engage Bern before he can fire more arrows.
C2 Attack bern
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 15. Hit for 5 damage.
(OOC - We're up to Kriv, Bern, Chandan, and Ryssa. Situation is:
- C4 is still asleep. Being prone any attack on him is with advantage. Any hit on him is a Crit, meaning you roll an extra die of damage.
- C3 and C8 are prone, but awake. So all attacks against them are with advantage, but no automatic Crits if you hit.
- The other Cultists are normal.
- The Dragon is flying 30 feet off the ground so only spells or missiles can be used against him, although everyone has line of sight to the dragon.
- Chandan is 40 feet from C2, so he can't attack HTH unless he can move 40 feet normally.
- Bern is badly hurt and Luminmorn has a minor wound.)
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 0 Normal (Flying, 30' high)
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C1 19 14 12 0 Normal
C2 18 14 12 0 Normal
C3 17 14 12 5 Normal/Prone
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 26 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 0 Normal
C4 13 14 12 5 Asleep
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
C6 11 14 12 0 Normal
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
Luminmorn 09 17 31 5 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Normal/Prone
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
Kallista 04 16 25 0 Normal
Ryssa
Seeing that Bern was now not immediately threatened since he had dropped one opponent and an older, almost ragged looking man who had appeared from nowhere had dropped the cultist she had targeted, Ryssa changed her aim and thrust with her dagger at an alternate (C1) foe.
Ryssa Attack/Damage C1: 1d20+4,1d4+2 = 12,3
Kriv
Shaking his head, he advanced at speed to see if there was any way of telling if their enemies had sent the ones in uniform or the ragtag band. This was not their fight, and he certainly didn't wish to make an extra enemy out of an exploitable asset.
Chandan
The old monk squints, assessing the skirmish ahead. The bearded man being attacked by the masked men looks familiar to Chandan. Hadn't he seen him sharing a table in the Driftwood Inn with Lingo?
His memory of the inn is hazy, but he wouldn't forget the halfling in a hurry. Lingo had generously bought Chandan a drink when he'd first arrived in the Neverwinter.
A friend of Lingo's is a friend of Chandan's then.
The monk dashes along the path, ragged robes, scrawny limbs and too much grey hair. He swings the butt of his spear from the right, aiming to knock the masked malefactor into a left-legged roundhouse.
[Chandan attacks C2 twice, 23, 22 to hit. 8, 5 damage, total of 13 damage.]
<Bern>
He would have preferred to continue with his bow, but the fellow charging at him made that seem like a bad choice. He dropped his bow and pulled his rapier to meet the cultist with a deceptive thrust.
Bern Attack C2 MikeD rolled d20+5,d8+3 and got 18, 11
(OOC - Exeter - OK, I need Ryssa to redo her action. By the time she goes, C2 is dead from Bern's and Chandan's attacks. If Ryssa wants to move adjacent to Bern to heal him she will give an OA to C3. If she has a spell that can heal at range, she could do that, or if you want you can keep your rolls and attack C1 or C3 instead. Just let me know and I'll update the map and move ahead.)
DMBern drops his bow, pulls out his Rapier and stabs the Cultist advancing on him in the gut. As the man clutches his belly, Bern unexpectedly receives re-enforcement. An older, bearded man, dressed in ragged clothes rushes up beside him and with a staff smashes the Cultist across the forehead. The man drops like a stone.
(Note: Neal - The Cultist dropped on Chandan's first attack. He still has his second attack available, and normally he could move forward and use it on another foe, but I believe he had to use all his movement to reach where he is now, so his only option would be to drop his staff and use a missile weapon. If you want to do that let me know and we can use your second attack/damage rolls for it. Otherwise you can end Chandan's turn. Just let me know.)
Ryssa is up, but needs to redo her action (see above) as the situation has changed. New map pending Ryssa's turn attached.
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 0 Normal (Flying, 30' high)
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C1 19 14 12 0 Normal
C2 18 14 12 19 Dead
C3 17 14 12 5 Normal/Prone
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 26 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 0 Normal
C4 13 14 12 5 Asleep
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
C6 11 14 12 0 Normal
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
Luminmorn 09 17 31 5 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Normal/Prone
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
Kallista 04 16 25 0 Normal
[Would that it were so simple!
The monk bonus attack is unarmed only. On the plus side, researching this I did realise I haven't been using 1d8 for spear damage, which I probably should.]
OK - So Ryssa is up. Then C5 & C6.
[[ Just to be clear ... a 5' step provokes now?
Hmmmm ... and thinking ahead ... would dropping rapier and picking up my bow be a move action or a full round action? ]]
Chandan
He swishes his saffron scarf over his shoulder and smiles amiably at Bern.
"Hello. You friend with Lingo, are you not? You in spot of bother!" He says.
<Bern>
"We can talk 'friends' =after= we are done with folks trying to kill us", he said as he looked for the next foe.
But at least this fellow was not a foe, and that was good to know.
(IOC- miked - ANY movement that takes you away from a foe who is adjacent to you provokes an OA. Next, changing/drawing weapons is a free action.)
[[ No worries ... just checking <wink> ]]
Chandan
He steps over the inert, possibly lifeless body of the masked man, and looks over the scene. A scaly green dragon hovering overhead, that's what's kicking up all the dirt and leaves. More of the masked miscreants.... What could the mask symbolise? Is it meant to be a dragon's visage, a totem perhaps? Chandan sees another dragonborn, much like Kriv, fighting the masked men.
"This whole thing... very draconic." He says to Bern, before hefting his spear and attacking whoever's asking for it.
DMRyssa glances over at Bern, but before she can move to help him, he and a newcomer dispatch the enemy in front of him, so she turns to deal with those next to her, but her dagger slash misses the nearest foe.
The two Cultists nearest to Luminmorn now act, one of them (C6) turns and kicks the sleeping C4, waking him up. The other one continues to fight Luminmorn, slashing at him with it's sword and scoring a hit.
C5 attack Luminmorn
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 22Luminmorn now goes, followed by C8.
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 0 Normal (Flying, 30' high)
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C1 19 14 12 0 Normal
C2 18 14 12 19 Dead
C3 17 14 12 5 Normal/Prone
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 26 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 0 Normal
C4 13 14 12 5 Normal/Prone
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
C6 11 14 12 0 Normal
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
Luminmorn 09 17 31 10 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Normal/Prone
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
Kallista 04 16 25 0 Normal
(OOC - Will give Pande until tomorrow and then will ghost.)
Luminmorn
The dragonborn growled and swung Talon with extra force. He would chop the cultist down.
24 to hit, 13 damage
Luminmorn Attack Cultist C6
Pandemonium rolled 1d20+6,1d10+4 and got 24, 13
DMLuminmorn turns and strikes one of the cultists near him with a mighty swing of his enchanted sword. The blade cuts deeply into the midsection of the Cultist, almost shearing him in half. He drops like a stone.
The Cultist who was kicked awake (C8), stands up and take out a hand crossbow. Aiming at the ragged newcommer he fires a bolt at Chandan.
The bolt flies right between Chandan and Bern, sticking into a tree across the path.
C8 Attack Chandan
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 8Kallista continues running forward, but pauses at the end of her movement to cast a spell. She can't see the combat occurring on the wooded hill, but she can see the dragon flying overhead.
Murmuring words of magic, she waves her hand at the dragon and it, and the air around it, are suddenly filled with sticky spiderwebs. The dragon, flapping it's wings to stay aloft, suddenly can no longer do so and crashes to the ground. The webbing, having not been anchored to anything dissolves, however the dragon is bruised and on the ground.
Not waiting, Kallista uses her innate abilities to Quicken a spell, and again being unable to see the ground, she instead targets the point in the air above where the dragon fell. A shrieking, crashing, cacophony of noise erupts from that spot, encompassing the fallen dragon as well as one of the Cultists (C1).
Dragon Dex Save vs Web DC-13
Zeim rolled d20+1 and got 10
Dragon Falling Damage
Zeim rolled 3d6 and got 12
Kallista Shatter Spell
Zeim rolled 3d8 and got 19
Dragon Con Save vs Shatter DC-13
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 9
C1 Save vs Shatter DC-13
Zeim rolled d20+1 and got 19Davroar is up, followed by the dragon. Yes, I went for Kallista ahead of Davroar, so Dugan, if that matters to you let me know and I'll retract and redo her action after Davroar goes.
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 31 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C1 19 14 12 9 Normal
C2 18 14 12 19 Dead
C3 17 14 12 5 Normal/Prone
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 26 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 0 Normal
C4 13 14 12 5 Normal/Prone
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
C6 11 14 12 13 Dead
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
Luminmorn 09 17 31 10 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Normal
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
Kallista 04 16 25 0 Normal
Chandan
Thunk! He ducks and looks around, muttering curses in his native tongue. He points to the crossbowman, and shouts to Bern.
"Hey, I think he shooting at you!!"
<Bern>
"Not surprising", he replied, "I was doing the same to =them= a moment ago and plan to be dooming it again in a moment", he said as he impaled the ground with his rapier and reached down for his bow.
[[ move action for next round <g> ]]
(OOC - Will give Dugan until tomorrow and then will ghost.)
DM(Ghosted for Davroar, and occurs prior to Kallista's action) Davroar continues to run ahead, but pauses for a moment. He knows of Green Dragons from his mentor and training. He knows they are thoroughly evil and subvert the natural order. They are the enemies of Druids everywhere. He could change shape, but while the Dragon flies his best form, a bear, is not of much use. Still, he has to help the group somehow, so he points his finger and spreads his hand in a fan shape.
The hovering Dragon is suddenly outlined in bright Blue light, making it easier to see (everyone gets Advantage on their attack rolls versus Venomfang).
(OOC - Dugan - I looked at the spell list and I don't see which Cantrips you've chosen to know. While you can cast Cantrips as often as you like, unlike spells of 1st lvl+ you have to select which Cantrips you know and can only cast those. At 3rd level you get 2. Please pick two and add them to your spell list in the Spells Thread.)
Dragon Save vs Faerie Fire
Zeim rolled d20+1 and got 12Outlined in Blue, wings webbed together and ears ringing from Kallista's spell, Venomfang plummets to the ground. It roars in unreasoned anger.
These vermin had hurt it! Him!The webs dissolving from his wings, the dragon crashes through the brush searching for the one who harmed it. Coming out on the path, spittle flying from it's mouth, it sees the Tiefling and bites and slashes at her ferociously. It's bite misses, but it hits the Sorceror solidly with both of it's claws.
Venomfang Attack Kallista
Zeim rolled d20+7,d20+7,d20+7 and got 20, 14, 27Venomfang Recover Breathweapon
Zeim rolled d6 and got 2 - Fails!As soon as it strikes the Tiefling, Kallista points her finger at Venomfang and the dragon is engulfed in raging flames, it roars in agony.
Kallista Hellish Rebuke (Racial Reaction)
Zeim rolled 3d10 and got 19
Venomfang Save for 1/2 vs Hellish Rebuke DC13
Zeim rolled d20+1 and got 17Favric, seeing a need to inspire his men, who don't look particularly happy with how things are going, draws a scimitar and charges at Luminmorn. His attack glaces off the dragonborn's armour, just missing his neck.
Favric attack Luminmorn
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 16(OOC - Jaliera goes.)
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 40 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C1 19 14 12 9 Normal
C2 18 14 12 19 Dead
C3 17 14 12 5 Normal/Prone
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 26 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 0 Normal
C4 13 14 12 5 Normal/Prone
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
C6 11 14 12 13 Dead
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
Luminmorn 09 17 31 10 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Normal
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
Kallista 04 16 25 22 Normal
Jaliera
She needs a line of sight to use magic or her bow, so she needs to get closer. However no need to to wave a 'here I am' by running up the path right into the fray, so she hurries up the left side of the path, having sent Whisper over to the right before, and then she scoots into the tree line for some cover as she looks for a target.
[OOC Not sure she can do more than this?]
(OOC - 2 main options. By cutting corners as you move you could manage to get a shot at C1, or, of course, the dragon is 10 feet away from you when you start, you could attack it and then move.)
[OOC Move first, then C1 I think]
Jaliera Arrow
Gypsy rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3 and got 13, 5
DMJaliera runs ahead, leaving Kallista, Kriv, and Davroar to fight the dragon. Turning the corner, she heads up the trail towards the tower. As she finishes her turn she can see the combat occurring. Several cloaked and masked men on one side versus a rag-tag group of people on the other. She can see Chandan standing shoulder to shoulder with a leather armoured archer while further up the path she can hear more fighting. She aims at one of the cloaked men and her arrow flies true, piercing the man's chest. He drops to the ground unmoving.
The cloaked enemy next to Ryssa stands back up and strikes at her with his sword, thrusting his short sword it gets past Ryssa's shield and strikes deeply into her side.
C3 attack Ryssa
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 23 Crit! Dam=10(OOC - Kriv, then Bern, then Chandan, then Ryssa go.
Note: I've moved all the dead combatants in the list below to the bottom to make it less cluttered and easier to read.)
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 40 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C3 17 14 12 5 Normal
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 26 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 10 Normal
C4 13 14 12 5 Normal/Prone
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
Luminmorn 09 17 31 10 Normal
C8 08 14 12 0 Normal
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Kallista 04 16 25 22 Normal
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
C1 19 14 12 14 Dead
C2 18 14 12 19 Dead
C6 11 14 12 13 Dead
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
Ryssa
The cleric gasped as the sword wounded her deeply. Now both she and Bern were badly hurt so, defending herself rather than attacking, Ryssa held her shield before her and backed toward Bern, determined at least to heal her ranger friend.
Once close enough, she lifted her shield chest high so she could touch her holy icon of Lathander, reached back to touch Bern and murmured a prayer of healing. She would rather cast an area healing spell, but was afraid it would take too long to take effect.
Ryssa Heal Bern: 1d8+6 = 9
Kriv
Radiating high dudgeon, the Dragonborn noble moved towards the downed dragon, angrily snarling to the wounded Tiefling,
"I wasn't planning on appealing to its better nature! The fools from Cragmaw Keep have been boasting about recruiting it so widely that even that stinking hobgoblin had a note about it several days' travel distant! But no. We have instead proven our own untrustworthiness through blindly attacking, and thus need to write off this asset altogether before it kills us. I do wish people would think before dragging us into needless battles!"
He punctuated his diatribe with vicious swings of his maul, aimed at the nearest joints of the massive creature.
Kriv Mauling the dragon
AJ rolled 1d20+5 and got 24
Kriv damage reroll 1 or 2
AJ rolled 1d6,1d6 and got 4, 3
10 damage total.
Kriv Action surge more mauling
AJ rolled 1d20+5 and got 8
(OOC - Ex - OK, we need to clarify.
First, Ryssa cannot "back up" without offering Opportunity Attacks to 3 of the Cultists. Same issue Bern had trying to back up to use his bow and Luminmorn had trying to move to use his breath weapon.
Second, you have 3 Healing spells available, Healing Word (1st), Prayer of Healing (2nd), and Cure Wounds (Domain). Of those, Prayer of Healing takes 10 minutes to cast so it leaves the other two.
I am presuming from your roll you chose Cure Wounds (which is a touch spell). However that spell does 1d8 + your spellcasting modifier, which is +5 (+3 for Wis and +2 for Prof), not +6.
Healing Word can be cast at range, and would not require Ryssa to move and offer OAs. It has a range of 60 feet. However it only does 1d4+5 instead of 1d8+5.
You can, of course, use a 2nd level spell slot to cast a 1st level spell. When you do that for Healing Word you gain an additional 1d4 per spell level > 1st. So your options are:
1 - Your stated action: Step back and use Cure Wounds (as 1d8+5 not 1d8+6) but you offer 3 OAs
2 - Stay where you are and cast Healing Word as 1d4+5
3 - Stay where you are and cast Healing Word as a 2nd level spell and get 2d4+5)
Note, also, that Healing Word is a "Bonus" Action. That means you can still do something else on your turn, such as attack the foe next to you.
Which do you want to do?)
[OOC: Ah... so many options I did not know I had.
I had forgotten about the Proficiency +2 but I was counting on:
Disciple of Life Bonus: Whenever using a spell 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature, the creature regains additional hit points equal to 2 + the spell’s level.
So, wouldn't that give the Healing Word spell a total of 1d4+8 instead of 1d4+5? That's almost certainly what she will do since there is no way she can disengage from the 3 foes w/o committing suicide. She'd like to use the Prayer of Healing (which I mentioned in my post above, but it takes too long.]
[[ you also forget that Bern goes before Ryssa <wink> His movement puts him next to her <g> ]]
<Bern>
Ryssa, with three opponents was clearly in most need ... especially when he saw the blow she took. He took a step (diagonal next to 'C') and fired at two of the cultists next to Ryssa.
Bern using 'Horde breaker' against 3 & 8 MikeD rolled d20+7,d8+3,d20+7,d8+3 and got 12, 10, 12, 5
[I'll carry over my second roll from prev round if that's OK? It went unused.]
Chandan
Unexpectedly, the archer runs into the fray to defend a blonde woman in white steel armour, leaving Chandan momentarily at a loose end.
The dragonman fighting steadfastly against two of the masked foes, but without Lingo's friend at his side, there's the chance Chandan would be mistaken as a foe by all three combatants.
So the wizened old monk decides to stay close to the archer until these strangers know whose side Chandan's on.
He charges in with his spear, reeking of alcohol, planting the tip in one of the cultist's feet then jumping into a back kick.
[17, 22 to hit C3. 4, 5 damage for 9 damage in total.]
Ryssa
Pleased to see Bern move up alongside her, she stabbed at the cultist the ranger did not target and then cast a spell of healing which, she thought, should affect her, Bern, Luminmorn and the new one (Kallista) who seemed to be on their side.
Ryssa Hit/Damage C4: 1d20+4,1d4+2 = 24,3
Ryssa Cast Healing Word: 1d4+8 = 12
(OOC - Ex - OK, yes, you are correct about the Disciple of Life, so it is +8 not +6, however Healing Word can only be targeted on a single creature. I will presume you still choose Bern. Kallista is out of sight for you at the moment in any case.
Now we have a second item, though. Ryssa's attack roll is a Crit, so please roll another d4 for damage. No plusses, just a second d4.)
DM(OOC - OK, a few minor issues of people attacking enemies who were killed by those who went before them but posted after them. I will adjust. Also need Ryssa's additional d4 damage roll.)
Kriv steps forward, growling some frustration at the group's choice to fight the dragon, but supporting his comrades. He strikes hard at Venomfang with his maul, and hits the dragon a solid blow on it's snout.
Bern, seeing Ryssa take a serious blow, steps closer to her and fires several arrows at those enemies she is fighting, killing one and wounding another.
Chandan decides that the safest place for him, to not take "friendly fire", is to stick close to the Ranger. He intended to attack the foe closest to him, but a well placed arrow by the Ranger takes that enemy down. So the old monk steps forward, striking then next enemy in line with his spear, dropping that enemy to the ground, and then moves back to be close to Lingo's friend.
As Ryssa moves to attack, the situation to her front has changed dramatically. Where a moment ago she was fighting 3 enemies on her own, and had just taken a deep wound, now there is only 1 enemy, and that enemy is prone. Not letting that advantage pass her by, she strikes at the remaining foes near her, and returns a blow just as deep as the one she recently took herself. At the same time she offers a prayer and speaks a word of Healing, directing the effect to the badly hurt Bern
(need an additional d4 roll for the Crit damage to add to the 3 you already rolled. I applied the 3. If you roll a 4 on the extra d4 this one dies).
(OOC - As soon as Ryssa resolves the extra die, C4 & C5 go)
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 50 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
C3 17 14 12 15 Dead
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 14 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 10 Normal
C4 13 14 12 11 Normal/Prone
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
Luminmorn 09 17 31 10 Normal
C8 08 14 12 14 Dead
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Kallista 04 16 25 22 Normal
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
C1 19 14 12 14 Dead
C2 18 14 12 19 Dead
C6 11 14 12 13 Dead
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
[OOC: Sorry, Zeim, I overlooked that one. I rolled the d4 and got a 3]
(OOC - OK, edited the main post. Will act for the Cultists tomorrow.)
Damn Zeim, it is a year later and still no post <gd&r lmao>
HNY all <g>
DM(OOC - AJ - Note before finishing the round that the Dragon is surrounded by a Faerie Fire spell which means Kriv's attacks are with Advantage. You hit on your first attack, but you can roll another d20 to see if you can get a crit. You missed on your second attack, but again you get another roll to see if you can hit. So please roll 2 more attack rolls, 1 for each attack, and we'll see if we need to adjust things.)
The two remaining cultists hesitate after seeing several of their comrades die all at once, but Favric shouts at them, "Fight you lousy bums or I'll feed you to Venomfang!"
The two steady, and attack with renewed purpose. The one that Ryssa struck so hard, strikes back at her while the other one stabs at Luminmorn.
C4, C5 Attack Ryssa, Luminmorn
Zeim rolled d20+3,d20+3 and got 10, 19The one on Ryssa misses, but the one on Luminmorn hits him.
(OOC - Luminmorn goes, then Davroar, then Kallista)
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 60 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 14 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 10 Normal
C4 13 14 12 11 Normal
C5 12 14 12 0 Normal
Luminmorn 09 17 31 15 Normal
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Kallista 04 16 25 22 Normal
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
C1 19 14 12 14 Dead
C2 18 14 12 19 Dead
C3 17 14 12 15 Dead
C6 11 14 12 13 Dead
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
C8 08 14 12 14 Dead
Kriv Advantage attacks 1, 2
AJ rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5 and got 19, 23
Kriv damage reroll 1 or 2
AJ rolled 1d6,1d6 and got 6, 2
Kriv Great weapon fighting reroll
AJ rolled 1d6 and got 1
10 damage.
(OOC - OK, added the 10 damage for a hit on the second attack and edited message above. Luminmorn goes.)
Luminmorn
The dragon born growls at the pain from the wound he takes. He calls upon the Great Dragon and channels that power into the strike at his foe. Golden light radiates from Talon's blade as it cuts into his foe.
23 to hit, 7+8=15 damage
Luminmorn Attack C5, dmg, Smite
Pandemonium rolled 1d20+6,1d10+4,2d8 and got 23, 7, 8
DMLuminmorn's call to his deity is answered as his strike cuts the man in front of him in half, his blade leaving a glowing trail thru the air.
(OOC - Davroar is up.)
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 60 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 14 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 10 Normal
C4 13 14 12 11 Normal
Luminmorn 09 17 31 15 Normal
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Kallista 04 16 25 22 Normal
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
C1 19 14 12 14 Dead
C2 18 14 12 19 Dead
C3 17 14 12 15 Dead
C5 12 14 12 15 Dead
C6 11 14 12 13 Dead
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
C8 08 14 12 14 Dead
Davroar
This is not where he wants to be, standing less than twenty feet away from an angry green dragon. Yet, with Kalista looking badly injured, Davroar decides to shape change into the largest brown bear he can manage to gain the dragons attention as he lets out a large roar and then rushes in to attack.
Davroar Bite attack with advantage
Dugan rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5 and got 19, 11
Davroar Bite damage
Dugan rolled 1d8+4 and got 10
Davroar Claw attack with advantage
Dugan rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5 and got 11, 16
DMDavroar charges forward, changing form. A large brown bear swings heavy paws and bites at the glowing dragon. It's claws slide off the heavy green scales, but the sharp teeth penetrate into the dragon's foreleg.
Standing her ground, even though she is badly wounded, the Tiefling Sorceror spits out a word of magic and 3 blue bolts of magical force lash out, striking the dragon in quick succession.
Kallista Magic Missile
Zeim rolled 3d4+3 and got 9The dragon rears back, and angrily finishes what it started by slashing and biting at Kallista. It's first claw just grazes the Tiefling, but the second claw strikes true and draws her into its gaping maw as the bite crushes her. The dragon shakes it's head and Kallista's body drops to the ground in two separate pieces.
Venomfang Attack Kallista
Zeim rolled d20+7,d20+7,d20+7 and got 15, 25, 27 (Crit!)
Venomfang Recover Breath Weapon
Zeim rolled d6 and got 4
Venomfang takes a deep breath, but growls in frustration. Looking at the situation in front of it, it snarls, "Scum! You have not heard the last of me!"
It then springs up into the air and takes flight.
(OOC - Kriv and Davroar can take an Opportunity Attack. That is one single attack roll. If you get multiple attacks you can choose which one to use. After the OAs are resolved, Favric will go.)
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 79 Normal
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 14 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 10 Normal
C4 13 14 12 11 Normal
Luminmorn 09 17 31 15 Normal
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Kallista 04 16 25 63 Dead
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
C1 19 14 12 14 Dead
C2 18 14 12 19 Dead
C3 17 14 12 15 Dead
C5 12 14 12 15 Dead
C6 11 14 12 13 Dead
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
C8 08 14 12 14 Dead
Kriv
So died Kallista: Of all of them, her pragmatism had usually appealed more than did the idealism of the humans, barring this last aberration which had drawn them into this battle. Still, there was an opportunity for both vengeance, spite and perhaps a little manipulation as well, taking an enemy's name in vain. As he swung his maul at the retreating monster, he proclaimed,
"In the name of the Spider, we'll see you suffer first!"
Kriv Opportunity attack with advantage
AJ rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5 and got 11, 18
Kriv damage reroll 1 or 2
AJ rolled 1d6,1d6 and got 4, 1
Kriv GWF reroll
AJ rolled 1d6 and got 6
13 damage
DavroarHis heart seems to stop as he watches Kallista fall under the dragons attack. He failed her as he thought he could get the dragons attention away from her. The fight in him leaves quickly as his last attempt to claw at the dragon is a feeble one, missing it completely.
Davroar OA claw attack on retreating dragon
Dugan rolled 1d20+5,1d20+5 and got 6, 7 - really dice roller! 
DMKriv's maul smashes the Dragon's leg as it lifts off the ground, but Davroar's swipes with his bear's claws miss. The dragon gains altitude and swings off to the east.
Favric shouts, "No! Come back! Don't leave! We can still win!" He turns back to Luminmorn and slashes at the Dragonborn again, but his desperate attack misses.
Favric Attack Luminmorn
Zeim rolled d20+3 and got 10Jaliera's turn.
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Venomfang 22 18 136 92 Normal(Flying - altitude 60 feet)
Favric 21 16 33 9 Normal
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 14 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 10 Normal
C4 13 14 12 11 Normal
Luminmorn 09 17 31 15 Normal
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
Kallista 04 16 25 63 Dead
Balthazar 07 13 25 52 Dead
Lingo 05 14 22 50 Dead
C1 19 14 12 14 Dead
C2 18 14 12 19 Dead
C3 17 14 12 15 Dead
C5 12 14 12 15 Dead
C6 11 14 12 13 Dead
C7 10 14 12 16 Dead
C8 08 14 12 14 Dead
<Bern>
He was =not= going to let that damned dragon get away for free! While he might have been mad at Lingo more often than not, he was a friend and part of their group! He fired at the dragon ...
Bern fire at dragon MikeD rolled d20+7,d8+3 and got 26, 5
[[ lets see ... does a 19 crit on the bow? ]]
Chandan
The dragon is out of his range and he watches the archer's arrow fly, half expecting it to hit the monsterous reptile in the eye and it plummet from the sky.
He doesn't know what Venomfang has done to Kallista or even Lingo, but Chandan won't stand idly by whilst evil is done or escapes. And the cultist leader seems to be in league with it, inciting it to more mayhem!
It is clear to the monk,, in his own pidgin vernacular, that Favric is a 'bad guy'.
He thrusts his spear at the lesser cultist, then punches a fist at Favric, shouting "Pummelling water whip!"
[Chandan rolls 23 to hit C4, doing 5 damage.
Chandan does 23 damage vs Favric. Favric can Dex save for half damage and avoid being knocked prone]
Jaliera
There is really only one target for her bow and she aims at Favric. The bow string twangs but her disappointment shows as the arrow misses.
Jaliera Arrow
Gypsy rolled 1d20+5,1d6+3 and got 10, 4
Kriv
Peering through the dense undergrowth, he saw that the uniformed group consisted of two badly wounded, surrounded and massively outnumbered individuals. Getting off a clear shot would be difficult, and his participation had been half-hearted at best, save when those with whom he travelled had been engaged directly. So, with the matter seemingly in hand, he headed over to the upper half of Kallista, to see if any faint spark of life temporarily remained, and to ensure her remains were treated respectfully.
(OOC - Ryssa, Luminmorn and Davroar can act. C4 is dead. Favric is barely up. The Dragon was hit by Bern's arrow but continues to fly away and will be out of range after this round. MikeD, there are Abilities/Powers/Feats that can grant a Crit on a 19, but I don't believe Bern has any of those.)
Ryssa
Lingo and Balthazar had been her friends and the cleric lunged toward the leader of those responsible for their deaths, stabbing with her dagger.
Ryssa Hit/Damage Favric: 1d20+4,1d4+2 = 19,5
DMWith Ryssa's dagger blow, Favric drops to the ground, dead.
All the enemies have been killed or fled. The hilltop and surroundings are littered with bodies, including those of your companions.
Balthazar's body lies on the trail half-way up the hill. Kallista lies on the road at the bottom of the hill, and Lingo lies at the base of the tower. Kallista's and Lingo's bodies lie in multiple pieces. Balthazar's is in one piece, but is blackened all over by the poison that killed him.
The two groups have a moment now, as combat ends, to examine, and perhaps question each other.
In addition to deciding what to do with your friends and their equipment, there are other bodies to search and the Dragon's lair to examine.
Name Init AC HP Dam Status
Jaliera 20 14 18 0 Normal
Kriv 16 16 21 0 Normal
Bern 15 15 28 14 Normal
Chandan 14 16 24 0 Normal
Ryssa 14 18 26 10 Normal
Luminmorn 09 17 31 15 Normal
Davroar 06 12 20 0 Normal
<Bern>
He sat down heavily as the object of his ire flew out of range.
He hurt ... well everywhere! At least it felt that way.
"Ow."
He was running through events in his mind trying to make sense of them.
Kriv
With perhaps surprising delicacy and care, the Dragonborn retrieved the lower half of the Tiefling, and placed it with the upper. He closed her eyes for the final time, and looked around for something suitable with which to cover her.
DM
Kriv quickly discovers Kallista is beyond help. Her body is not only in two pieces, but the dagger-like teeth of the dragon ripped it apart. Her backpack it torn and it's contents strewn near where the upper half of her body lies, along with the rest of her equipment.
Ryssa
Breathing heavily, the cleric sat down beside the wounded ranger.
"It was a... costly victory," she said softly, feeling her own wounds.
"Lingo and Balthazar had become... fast friends, good companions."
She smiled at Bern, but there was sadness in her eyes.
"I want to rest here for just a minute. Then we should attend to the remains of our friends and see to our hurts and, I suppose, search the dragon's lair."
Ryssa chuckled mirthlessly.
"Lingo would never forgive us if we didn't."
Then something else occurred to her.
"Those others... who fought at our side. Where did they come from?"
Luminmorn
He watched the leader Favric fall with the last of them. He looked to the sky to make sure that the green dragon wouldn't be an immediate threat. He knew at some point they would have to deal with it. Dragons had a long memory.
Seeing his friends had been harmed by the combat, he moved to Ryssa's side and said "I can offer some healing," which might come as odd since he had a massive bloody rent in his armor as well. He looked about to see if any of the fallen could be saved, for now though Luminmorn was more worried about the living.
Ryssa
She looked up at the dragonborn paladin and smiled, nodding her acknowledgement of his offer.
"It could well be needed," she said. "Do you know where the..." she gestured toward the ones she could see who had come to their defense in the just completed fight. Her eyes widened.
"All of us who are wounded need to gather within 30 feet of me for this to work... One of you let those strangers know to gather here."
"That one also looks dragonborn. Do you know him?"
She started concentrating on the area spell of healing which she hadn't had time to use during the bloody fracas.
Davroar
With a loud growl of frustration at the retreating dragon, he sniffs the air to find Jaliera's scent since she is currently not in sight. Then without delay he runs cutting through the corners underbrush fairly easy in his bear form to find her standing in the pathway looking unharmed.
With a huff of relief, he shifts back to human form and says, "Jaliera! You're ok."
He looks for Chandan too, before choking on his words in trying to finish his sentence, "Kallista, she didn't..."
Chandan
Weary and thirsty, he ambles back along the path, meeting up with Jaliera, then Davroar.
He's dismayed to hear about Kallista though. Level-headed and steadfast, she never wavered in the party's quest to rescue Gundren and defend the innocent from the forces of darkness.
There are many fallen bodies lying around, but Chandan isn't squeamish. Before leaving his monastry in the mountains, far to the east, he'd spent many years preparing bodies for sky burial. Chopping them up and feeding them to the birds. Once the soul is gone, all that remains is carrion.
He pats Jaliera and Davroar on the shoulders, and starts singing a dirge under his breath as he looks around for Kriv. Seeing him, he nods.
"I can prepare Kallista's body to return to the elements." Chandan says.
Watching the other survivors, he says to his own party, "I think our allies from the battle are friends of Lingo. He a halfling I met in Neverwinter. You know him? Nice little man; bought me a drink."
Jaliera
She swings around when she hears movement behind her but recognises the bear and as he changes to human form she gives him first a big smile and then a big hug.
Her smile fades rapidly at his words though and she steps back searching his face.
"Kallista.. dead?"
She cannot believe it. The girl was so confident and so full of ability and life, it doesn't seem possible. From the beginning Kallista had offered words of advice and guidance in her own way. Jaliera would miss her a lot.
Her eyes damp with unshed tears, she asks Davroar.
"How? What happened?"
<Bern>
He takes a moment to catch his breath before doing a bit of curing on himself
[[ do you roll that ... or should I? ]]
Kriv
He looks at Chandan as if to reel off something biting or spiteful, but nothing seems to come to mind, not at this time, not now. Instead, he merely nods his assent, and steps away from the broken body to allow the v- the tender of the dead to work.
Hearing the question, he reported, tonelessly,
"She chose to attack the dragon. Pulled it out of the sky, hit it with all she had. It tore her apart, mauled her, then fled, badly wounded."
(OOC - MikeD - You roll your own healing, whether by spell of if you are using Healing Dice. You have the option now to take a Short Rest and in addition to Ryssa's AOE Healing spell everyone can also use their Healing dice.)
[[ one of his spells is cure wounds. That's a d8 ... right? any 'bonuses'? ]]
Bern cure wounds MikeD rolled d8 and got 5
OK .. just to be sure ... so I can only cast 1st level, that's my caster level ... right? And my sheet shows +3 as my 'attack bonus' ... is that what gets added to the d8?
It is your "Spellcasting" bonus, which is based on your Proficiency Bonus (which is +2) plus your Spellcasting Stat Bonus (I believe it is Wisdom for a Ranger). If your Wisdom is 12, then +3 would be correct.
Chandan
The old monk nods solemnly at Kriv's words, as if they're a eulogy.
"She fought dragons and inner demons, demons that now must meet her face-to-face." He ponders aloud.
Once the others have moved away, Chandan will carry Kallista's remains into the undergrowth.
Thundertree is a verdant place, and with the green dragon gone, nature will pour into the gap it leaves. Kallista's remains will nourish new life, as they commute into the Five Elementals.
Finding a knoll that will catch the best of the afternoon sun, but has a lazy, shady morning, Chandan prepares Kallista's body with expertise honed over decades. Afterwards he washes his hands and arms in a nearby stream, and returns Kallista's belongings neatly folded and stacked to the rest of the party.
[OOC: The Cure Light spell modifier is based off of Wisdom I believe, unless your type of character specifies something else, like in Luminmorn's case, CHA is his modifier.]
Luminmorn
For a moment he takes offense that Ryssa would think all Dragon Born knew each other. Yet he supposed in some ways that would be true compared to the plethora of humanity. He looked over before making any kind of a comment to see if he did recognize the other creature. He also remained close enough to benefit from her healing magic.
Ryssa
Making sure that all six persons - her remaining friends plus the three strangers who had backed them in their costly battle - were in range of her group spell of healing, Ryssa clutched her holy icon, murmured an intense prayer to Lathander the Even Handed and, one arm extended, turned slowly, pointing to each person in turn.
A soft blue glow extended for thirty feet around her.
Prayer of Healing: 2d8+7 = 19 HPs recovered by each party member
Davroar
He nods in agreement to Kriv's answer to Jaliera and hangs his head in sadness as he holds her hand for a brief reassuring moment.
"Kallista was fearless against it. I wish I could have done more."
He watches solemnly as Chandan deals with Kallista's body, and when he returns he says to him, "Thank you Chandan. I feel though you may have more to deal with."
Davroar looks around at the dead bodies lying about wondering how many more were innocents or comrades of the living people that he does not have names to. He looks over to the three survivors, a man a woman,and another Dragonborn. "Chandan. Do you know these friends of Lingo, names?"
Chandan
Scratching his head, Chandan thinks back to the battle and what he'd heard.
"Hmm, no I do not know their names. But I saw the archer drinking with Lingo at the Driftwood Inn." He answers Davroar.
He might have heard the cultists call them some names, but he doubts they were the names given by their mothers. (Though some mothers could be cruel.)
He smiles warmly at the prospect of making new friends, a slither of a silver lining to the cloud of death hanging over them.
"We should go say hello!" He says, turning to Kriv, the most eloquent of their party, "What do you think, Kriv Norixius?"
Jaliera
She moves back to say her goodbyes to Kallista, a few tears falling for the loss of a friend. Then with the others they start to gather with those others that had been fighting the dragon.
She reaches out and takes Davroar's hand, needing that bit of extra support right now as she turns to face those she does not know but aware that they had been included in the healing.
"I'm Jaliera."
She manages a small smile, waiting for the others to introduce themselves.
(OOC - Everyone is fully healed by Ryssa's spell. MikeD, you can save Bern's Cure Wounds if you desire to.
Upon gathering Kallista's equipment you have the following list:
3 Daggers
1 Light Crossbow w/20 bolts
Gold: 251 gp
50' Silk Rope
Belaying Pin
Brass Orb etched with Strange Runes
Extra set of Clothes
blanket
mess kit
10 pitons
hammer
10 torches
tinderbox
10 days rations
1 waterskin
Magic Items:
Staff of Defense (+1 AC) - Charges: (10) Recharge: (1d6+4/day)
- Shield (Reaction - 2 Chgs)
- Mage Armour (Action - 1 Chg)
Potion of Healing (2)
Scroll of Augury
Once you search Balthazar, Lingo, and others I'll add to this list.)
The brass orb? Is that one we found or did Kallista have it from the beginning?
<Bern>
"Bern", he said with a smile and an offered hand. "Thanks for the timely assist. Sorry for your loss."
(OOC - The Brass Orb was Kallista's "Spell Focus". You saw her use it to cast spells from time to time. A "Spell Focus" can be used by a spellcaster to replace any, otherwise required, material components for a spell, thus obviating the need to obtain and carry material components around.)
Ryssa
For the first time in a what seemed like weeks, Ryssa was self-conscious about the disfiguring scar on her left cheek and she lifted her left hand to cover her cheek, angling her head to present more of her right profile as she stepped toward the three strangers, smiling and lifting her right hand in greeting.
"I am Ryssa Noman, cleric of Lathander the Even-Handed, and I greet you. It seems we both have lost companions."
"I must see to my friends who have departed this earth."
The cleric moved to first Lingo and then Balthazar, straightening their arms and limbs and, smiling crookedly as she thought of Lingo, gathered their personal belongings.
"We should search the dragon's lair... for Lingo's sake."
<Bern>
"Maybe the 'ransacking' that cost Lingo his life can wait until we have laid our friends to rest", he said, including the newcomers.
(OOC - Moving Balthazar and Lingo in preparation for laying them to rest reveals the following additional items (am including Kallista's again here so there is a single list for all three pcs.):
Kallista
3 Daggers
1 Light Crossbow w/20 bolts
Gold: 251 gp
50' Silk Rope
Belaying Pin
Brass Orb etched with Strange Runes
Extra set of Clothes
blanket
mess kit
10 pitons
hammer
10 torches
tinderbox
10 days rations
1 waterskin
Magic Items:
Staff of Defense (+1 AC) - Charges: (10) Recharge: (1d6+4/day)
- Shield (Reaction - 2 Chgs)
- Mage Armour (Action - 1 Chg)
Potion of Healing (2)
Scroll of Augury
Balthazar
Spell Book - Spells: Cantrips - Fire bolt, light, Prestidigitation, Mage hand, Shocking grasp.
1st Level Spells (4) - Witch bolt, Charm person, sleep, Magic Missle, Detect Magic, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Chromatic Orb, Mage Armor.
2nd Level Spells (2) - Invisibility, Web, Hold person, Misty Step
Dagger
Scholar Pack
Arcane Focus - Staff
Bedroll
Common set of clothes
Soap
Rations - 9 days
Waterskin
Gold: 189
Lingo
Short sword
Short bow
quiver
20 arrows
Burgler Pack: (Backpack, Ball bearings, 10 ft string, a bell, 5 candles, crowbar, hammer, 10 pitons, hooded lantern, 2 flasks oil, 5 days rations, tinderbox, waterskin, 50ft hempen rope)
Dagger
Thieves tools
Shield
Gaming set, dice
Set of dark clothes
Gold: 60gp
2 malachite gems 15gp each
1 potion of healing
gold frog trinket 40gp
Kriv
Though hardly a time for levity, the monk did indeed have the right of it once more.
"Kriv Norixius, of Norixius Keep. Would that these were better circumstances."
He briefly consulted his notes, then looked across at both the survivors and fallen.
"I don't suppose there's one named Favric amongst you, is there?"
How ironic would it be if the... enthusiastic members of their group had ended up siding with the enemy they had made such haste to get here for?
Ryssa
The cleric's eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion.
She slowly shook her head, turned and pointed at the corpse of Favric.
"That was Favric. Why, were you looking for him?"
Kriv
"We had information that he was trying to recruit the dragon to the service of those we currently oppose."
He looked at the state of the body, and mused drily,
"It seems there is no love lost there either. I suspect we may have common cause, or at least a common foe."
Luminmorn
He listens and watches "we had been here and were dealing with other things when we saw those men walking through the remains of this settlement. We followed them to see what was going on. That man Favric approached us with his proposition. We didn't dissuade him because we felt that it might be easier to take both the dragon and the men at the same time. As it turned out, it wasn't easier, nor did it go as planned. We regret our losses and I offer my condolences for your losses. I do not shed any tears for the man Favric and his evil associates." He didn't add that he was of mixed feelings for the dragon, but he didn't know the new comers well enough. It was true they had a similar goal, Favric had to die and be prevented from making an ally of the evil dragon.
"I am called Luminmorn. I agree we have had a common cause. The question we might address once we have taken care of our friends, is if we have a future causes that align well. I for one would be willing to discuss it."
It is clear the dragon born feels a lot better after his wounds having been completely healed by Ryssa. To that end he says "thank you for the healing," to her, in a soft voice.
Davroar
He introduces himself alongside Jaliera to say, "Hello, I'm Davroar.",
Looking at the bodies of Favric and his gang, he will start looking for rocks for either burial cairns or for a fire pit if the decision is to burn the bodies after they are searched.
Jaliera
"That is an interesting thought, joining forces. We are now down two since we left Neverwinter. Our cleric left some time ago and.."
She doesn't finish the sentence, the loss is too raw.
"You have lost two also. I am sorry for your loss. Perhaps we can sit down and talk in a little while? Maybe explore the tower together?"
It would be a way of finding out more about them too. She turns to her companions.
"We should look to Kallista's belongings."
<Bern>
There were no words, so he started working on laying their friends to rest. There didn't seem to be enough stone for a proper cairn, so he started to make a shallow grave. Then they could lay them to rest and cover them with the few stones that were available.
Ryssa
"You are welcome," she said to Luminmorn, "but you do not have to thank me. I just... extend the blessings of Lathander."
She smiled at her friend.
"It is just... what I do."
Ryssa moved to Bern's side and, as he worked to inter their friends, she prayed for them to have a peaceful transition to the next world.
GM
Balthazar, Lingo, and Kallista are put to rest after an hour or two of work. Their equipment is put into a single pile.
Next steps:
- Divide up their equipment. I need to know who is taking what, especially the magic items, and then you need to update your sheets.
- It seems you've agreed to join forces, though I don't think anyone has specifically talked about the missions each group is engaged in. A bit of beating around the bush, but no details. Could use more talking.
- Search the Dragon's Tower
- Agree to where to go next
- Everyone can level up to 4th level! According to the rules, this is your last chance to move around your stats, change classes, races, or other fundamentals about your pcs, so if you think a change would be better for you send me a PM and we can chat about it. Keep in mind you can always add a second class when you go up levels (so you would be a 3rd level whatever you currently are and a 1st level in your new class), that doesn't require changes. It would only be a complete change, like "I want to stop being a 3rd level fighter and become a 3rd level Barbarian, and then level up to 4th level Barbarian, or some such thing.
[Suggested divvy of valuables:
Bern, Ryssa, Luminorm: 83 gp each (from fallen comrades)
Bern: Malachite gems worth 30 gp (from Lingo)
Ryssa: Gold frog trinket worth 40 gp (Lingo)
Luminorm: Healing potion (Lingo), spellbook (Balth)
Jaliera, Davroar, Kriv: 82 gp each (from Kallista)
Davroar: Staff of defence, healing potion
Kriv: Scroll of Augury
Jaliera: Healing potion
Chandan: Silk rope
]
(OOC - Thanks, Neal. Only change I'd suggest is that the Staff of Defense is most useful for someone who can cast Mage Armor and Shield. In order to be able to cast those spells out of the Staff you have to have them in your Class' spell list (not your personal list, but available to your class). Otherwise all it will do is provide a +1 bonus to AC, and only while holding it in hand.
The only person in the party, currently, who could use it to it's full potential would be Kriv. As an Eldritch Knight he has access to those spells so could use them from the staff. However he'd have to be holding it, which realistically means he'd have to choose to use it as his primary weapon instead of his Maul, which would be a reduction in damage for him from 2d6 for the Maul to either 1d6 (using the quarterstaff one handed), or 1d8 using it 2-handed (although using it one handed would also allow using a shield, so Kriv could increase his AC by 3 that way (+2 for a shield and +1 for the Staff 1-handed, accepting the reduced damage).
The other alternative is somebody chooses to become dual-class and picks a mage type class that gets those spells. Then they could use it.
Otherwise, Davroar is fine, or even Ryssa or Chandan, but they would only get the +1 AC and not the spells.)
(OOC: A third alternative: Kriv uses the staff to provide Mage Armor as a breakfast buff each day, topping up as required, to whoever would benefit from it, then uses it as a walking staff, dropping or stowing it when he needs to maul something.
A fourth alternative: Kriv uses it each morning to buff whoever benefits then hands it off to someone else for the additional defensive benefit of carrying it. Thoughts?)
I hate to see such a large group without a mage type, but I really don't want to change Ryssa from cleric to an arcane caster (I've gotten pretty much used to that).
So we have:
Human Cleric
Dragon Born Paladin
Dragon Born Fighter
Human Monk
Human Druid
Human Ranger
Human Rogue
I'm willing to go with the consensus as far as dividing the loot.
Let me think about this...
AJ - Not a bad idea. Only problem is that to use the Staff you have to be "attuned" to it, which takes time spent in meditation with it, so it is not easy to just pass it around from person to person. But Kriv could, at least, use the Mage Armour from it on somebody every morning and then stow it away if he didn't want to use it as his weapon.
Ex - Keep in mind that Kriv is an Eldritch Knight so does get some Mage spells, but yes, we talked a little while ago about the lack of a mage once Balthazar and Kallista left/died. If no one wants to change classes, or add 1 level of Mage/Sorceror/Warlock at this time, then it is not optimum, but you do have a variety of spellcasters (in fact everyone in the group has some sort of magical ability). You may just need to be creative.
(Eldritch Knights also get the ability to bond with up to two weapons and teleport them to hand as a bonus action from anywhere on the plane, which makes switching between maul and staff easier. The extra AC and possibility of a reaction shield makes the staff great for carrying around by default. Who can benefit from Mage Armor? I presume Chandan, anyone else?)
[I was considering taking the 4th level as an arcane caster, probably a Warlock, though a Sorceror with Wild Magic might fit the bill as well. Just not a Wizard. I want to take advantage of Cha as a stat.]
[Makes sense to me to give the staff to Kriv that can utilize it to its full potential. Davroar could use an AC bonus from time to time since he is limited to medium non-metal armour AC12. In lieu of the staff Davroar will take the daggers if no one else wants them. ]
[Ah cool, I thought it was a +1 Staff on top of everything else, in which case it would've been a decent weapon for Davroar and given him an AC boost.
Chandan can benefit from receiving Mage Armour in the morning certainly.]
(OOC - Apologies, but I forgot to add tha Jaliera, as an Arcane Trickdtet, can also fully use the Staff.)
[OOC If Kriv is taking the staff (best idea) then could Jaliera take the scroll? She would also like the spell focus. Otherwise happy with the split. As Jaliera is an Arcane Trickster, she also has some wizrd spells.
]
Zeim, have mae Jaliera level changes to her sheet and summarised them in a post under the sheet.
Added 83 gp to my sheet ... thanks Lingo! <g>
[Jaliera usually has a bow in hand, so Kriv might be a better user for his hot swapping ability. Shall we say:
Jaliera, Davroar, Kriv: 82 gp each (from Kallista)
Davroar: Healing potion
Kriv: Staff of defence
Jaliera: Scroll of Augury, healing potion
Chandan: Silk rope
And help yourself to leftovers.]
(Looks good, seems reasonable.)
[OOC Excellent. And Jaliera would like the orb.. and one of the daggers if Davroar is OK with that? Otherwise she is OK with the general stuff, thanks!]
Chandan
He nods amiably in greeting to their new friends, almost forgetting to introduce himself since he's rather accustomed to being solitary or ancillary, one or the other.
"My name is Chandan from the Katakoro Shan, humble student of the Way of the Five Elemental Fists." He says.
Encouraged to see his party's numbers growing after losing Kallista, he feels as though a toast is in order. Unfortunately he drank all of his beverages on the road to Thundertree; he can barely remember the journey north.
This does remind him of their purpose.
"Tell me, you are friends of Lingo. I met him in the Driftwood Inn and he bought me drink. You see, by fortune's chance, we both knew Gundren Rockseeker. Do you?"
Davroar
He takes two of the daggers, leaving one for Jaliera, and the healing potion. The gold is split evenly enough, taking his share even though he might just give it to someone more in need the next time he is in a town since he can live off the land most of the time.
Davroar suggests that they split Kallista's rations as well to replenish what they have already consumed in getting here.
Ryssa
The cleric nodded in response to the monk's question.
"Yes, we knew Gundren Rockseeker and have been searching for him for quite some time now."
Then Ryssa frowned as she remembered something Kriv had said. She looked toward the newly met dragonborn.
"If you do not mind telling us, just who is it that you oppose?"
(OOC - Posting this here as well: After searching the Cultists, you find normal equipment (Short Swords and Leather armour). Favric has a hand crossbow, a Short Sword, Studded Leather, and a Potion bottle (untested). They have a total of 90 gp among them.)
[Everyone gets 15 gp extra then. Chandan will taste the potion to identify, since he is in need of a drink.
]
Jaliera
"Good idea on the rations Davroar."
She smiles at him. Then hears what the female cleric says.
"We are looking for Gundren too. He hired us for a job but has gone missing. We think we know where he is being held and are intending to head that way."
(OOC - Taking a sip of the Potion Chandan can identify it as a Potion of Flying.)
[[ just curious ... how many 'identifying sips' can ya take from a potion before you don't have enough for it to work?? <weg> ]]
<Bern>
Satisfied that he had done the best he could for his fallen friends here, he turned to the others. "So now, in 'celebration' of Lingo, shall we see the dragon left behind?"
[I'd say it works on your last sip, MikeD. Magic is uncanny that way! Chandan will give the Potion of Flying to Bern. He has the biggest bow.
]
ChandanWaste not want not. He takes the rations from Davroar with thanks, and a prayer for Kallista.
Ryssa looks like a fine young lady with a vocation to do the right thing. Chandan's pleased they all seem to working towards the same goal, and treading the same path to get there.
"We have learned that Gundren is captive in Cragmaw Castle, on orders of the one known as Black Spider." He explains, before stratching his matted grey bonnet. "We would rescue him if only we knew where Cragmaw Castle was."
[[ well then ... doesn't every sip work?? <weg> ]]
<Bern>
"We may be able to help there. I think we have some come across some information that will help us find him."
[[ if that =isn't= true ... lemme know and I will edit <g> ]]
Kriv
"No need. We actually do have the location ourselves, and were headed there before we found the information about the dragon. Sometimes our colleague here can be... forgetful."
Perhaps a far nicer way of putting it than he would have before the malodorous human had tended to the fallen with obvious expertise, but he had no doubt that once the drunkard got a chance to restock his beverages, the undertone to that description would become clearer.
He unfurled his notes, revealing the information they had obtained from the Thayvian as to their destination and showing it to the newcomers.
Chandan
For a moment there's a vague recollection... a house in a tree, the eleven banshee, then Old Owl Well--- No, an ogre? So he doesn't remember, but he does remember the white cider he bought for the trip from Phandelin. That was good stuff!!
Chandan smiles cheerily anyway. Despite sad losses, they have bolstered their strength and know where to seek Cragmaw Castle.
Meanwhile, since they are re-equiping, Bern's suggestion to search the dragon's lair seems very pertinent, so the monk ambles off to have a look.
He comes walking back soon after. "Where is the dragon's lair?" He asks Bern.
Jaliera
She smiles at Chandan.
"Well I for one would like to do this before the dragon finds a way to heal and return. I assume the tower is the most likely place?"
The dragon was perched on it and not likely to be far from its hoard.
<Bern>
"That, and the fact that the dragon =did= take it badly when Lingo went in, uninvited, looking for souvenirs", he said with a melancholy smile.
"But I agree that we should not expect the creature to stay away for long. If we are to explore the place we should be about it quickly."
Jaliera
"Perhaps as we go we should introduce ourselves more fully?"
She starts towards the tower.
"I am.. or hope to be.. an explorer and investigator of ruins and such places. I work for my mentor, a mage and a sage. I am good with a bow, have developed some magic ability and am very good at sneaking around, getting in and out of places."
GM
The tower is nearby, at the top of the hill, so is quickly reached. You can see it is a round tower with a cottage attached. Both are in good condition, although half of the tower's roof is gone. A door leads into the cottage and several arrow slits are visible in thew tower. The door is currently closed,. and the last time Lingo tried it, it was stuck and needed to be yanked open by hand. Lingo was not strong enough. You know Lingo went around back to get inside.
<Bern>
He headed around back since that is where Lingo gained entry.
Ryssa
Ryssa followed her ranger friend around to the rear of the tower.
Davroar
He follows along with Jaliera up the hill to the tower.
"Should be careful still. The dragon might have traps to protect its treasures?"
Luminmorn
He followed them, though his thought was there were places the little Lingo could go that they might not. Yet they could try the door later, if they lived that long.
"I am called Luminmorn. I am a warrior of the Great Dragon."
Jaliera"Good point Davroar."
She considers her own skill set as to how much she can offer.
"Well met Luminmorn."
[OOC Zeim, I looked at the book but can't work out what skill covers traps. Think you might have told me this before
]
(OOC - Gypsy - Your Thieves Tools skill is used for Traps and Locks.)
GM
Moving around the back you can see a second door, smaller than the main door, and it is cracked open. It appears dark beyond.
Jaliera detects no traps around the door.
[OOC Great I can do that in spades!
]
Jaliera"Don't see any traps on the door. Do you guys want me to go in front to check things out?"
She is not as confident with this group as she is with those she has been travelling with.
<Bern>
"Hopefully Lingo left any traps he encountered disabled, at least as far as he managed to get before he was caught. Still, caution would still be prudent."
"And =I= think it is safer if we all stick together as much as possible. But I won't presume to try and tell you what to do."
Luminmorn
He just watched. A human might have shrugged, but for him this was almost the same thing.
Ryssa
She smiled at what she hoped would turn out to be her new friend.
"Just be careful."
Chandan
Luminmorn, Ryssa, and the archer is Bern. It's an uplifting feeling to make new friends, something Chandan doesn't do often, moving from the life of a hermit to one of a vagrant.
He's glad to have these good people on his side, and wonders how Kriv will adjust to the company of another of his kind. Are dragonborn known as a gregarious race? Dragons certainly aren't. Alas, Chandan knows more about giants than dragons.
He follows the others, poking at suspicious objects with the tip of his spear.
Davroar
He hangs back a bit to let Jaliera check for traps. While she is doing that he will look at their new Dragonborn companion when he introduces himself and asks, "Glad to see you Luminmorn. From where do you and your friends call home?"
Jaliera
They seem happy for her to go first. And seem to be a nice bunch of people but it is early days. She is not going to assume anything about traps already having been disabled, just in case. She wonders whether she is likely to be working in the dark. In which case she might call Whisper.. but she is safer where she is if not.
She moves forward.
DM
Stepping thru the door into the darkness of the interior, Jaliera can see it is quite dusty, as if no one has been inside the cottage in quite some time. It is also dimly lit, the only light that which comes in thru the open door behind her.
The cottage is 20x20, and contains nothing but dusty furniture. It appears to have been a combination kitchen and dining room with a table, chairs, and a hearth. Besides the two exterior doors, there is a third door that clearly leads into the tower. That door is slightly ajar.
Small footprints lead thru the dust. They wander around the room and eventually lead to the door to the tower.
Kriv
Squinting into the gloom as he watched Jaliera enter, he muttered a few words in Draconic, causing the glass staff to light up brightly. He angled it towards the door to give his colleague some more light.
He moved slowly behind Jaliera. He didn't like the idea of her moving about in there without some 'protection'.
Ryssa
In turn, Ryssa followed Bern, making a small, flickering motion with her hand and muttering some words.
A small light appeared, making it much easier to see around the room.
[OOC: Light Cantrip]
<Bern>
He made a mental note, the new group was going to need to sit down and compare notes. While understandable at this point, it just wasn't efficient to have two people using the same scarce resources for the same task at the same side.
He continued to watch for 'problems' while the others, better at that sort of thing than he was, do the exploring.
Luminmorn
He answered the druid's questions. "I come from the Iron Hills. My clan was far up in the peaks where they were not bothering anyone, and they were all slaughtered while I was away hunting. When I returned I prayed to the Great Dragon for guidance. I was granted a vision of my future. I am to make sure that my clan is remembered. Being the last I must succeed."
He kept guard and waited since some were going in. Mostly he kept his eyes on the skies, and listened. He would follow when there was room.
Davroar
To lose almost all of your family clan is not unheard of from listening to the battle stories of old from his elders. In his barbaric upbringing, survivors of such encounters either died from the elements shortly thereafter or are taken in servitude. Going by what little he knows of the Dragonborn thru Kriv, all he can say is, "I'm sure you will Luminmorn."
Davroar will make his way inside at his earliest chance without trying to look overly concerned when Jaliera disappears from view once she is inside the room.
Jaliera
As the light fills the room from behind her she turns to find several providing both light and backup. That is a good feeling and means she can leave Whisper safe for the moment. She smiles at them.
"I will head into the tower.
She speaks softly and follows the footprints, using them as a guide. If they cease or there is signs of something happening, she will check before moving forward. Still she takes care, her eyes everything as she ventures farther in.
DM
Pushing open the door a bit wider so she can slip thru, Jaliera can feel it bump against something and she has to push harder to make enough space.
Passing inside, the space is relatively dark. Light comes in from 40 feet above, where a large part of the ceiling has collapsed into the tower and fills the floor with debris.
The tower itself is a single room. A 5-foot wide staircase circles the interior wall, winding it's way up to the now opened rooftop that granted the dragon ingress and egress.
Heavy wooden beams and stair supports crisscross the tower's interior at various levels.
Inside, the place is a mess. Clearly Venomfang did not place a premium on neatness or organization. From the bits and pieces of rubble and debris lying in piles of varying size across the floor, this appears to have been a Wizard's tower, or perhaps an alchemist.
Jaliera can see broken beakers and vials on the floor and the remains of worktables, chairs, and other equipment lies everywhere.
In the exact center of the room is a smaller pile with a ring of cleared space around it.
The small footprints from the other room enter here, circle around the outside wall, and then move to the pile in the center. There are large splatters of blood across the central pile.
Chandan
It looks like Jaliera, Davroar, Kriv and Ryssa are exploring, while Bern stands guard at the threshold and Luminmorn outside.
With no interest in treasure (he's never really thought about it), and no expertise in traps or appraisal, Chandan decides he is best employed in wandering around outside, nearby and never out of sight of Luminmorm. He enjoys the tranquility of the ruins and looks out for new dangers.
Jaliera
In studying the room, she sees little point in circling the edges. It would appear they were not trapped by the footprints. But she is not sure how the other adventurer was killed.
"Was you friend killed by the dragon or by some means you are unaware of?"
She takes a moment to think. It is easy to visualise the dragon reaching its long neck down into the room.. but there still might be a trap, although there is no evidence of one.. just the blood.
Her intention is to move to the middle but to check for traps as this is untested territory.
<Bern>
Moving to keep an eye on Jalera, he steps into the tower as she is checking things out. "This looks to be where Lingo was when he attracted the dragon's attention", he said. "Be careful, there may be something he wasn't able to detect or disarm here."
Davroar
He will continue to hang back until Jaliera says its ok, and hopes the tower is stable enough that nothing will come crashing down on them.
Chandan
He thwacks a bush.
There is nothing in it.
DM
(OOC - Gypsy - need a Thieves Tools Skill Check roll to check for traps.)
[ooc: You use perception (Wisdom) to "find" traps. If it's a magic trap, use Arcana (Intelligence). If the trap DC is less than Jaliera's passive perception, she finds it automatically. Otherwise, she gets to make a perception roll (DMG p120).
And at this level, Arcane Tricksters can use the mage hand to disarm a trap. If you don't "detect" a trap but suspect one, you can try and open remotely too.]
Thanks, Nep, for the correction.....
Gypsy, Jaliera finds no traps.
[OOC Thanks guys. Had noted the Mage hand previously - nice!
]
JalieraWell it seems safe as far as she can tell. She hopes she is remembering those early lessons correctly.
It is her risk, even though she suspects Davroar might not agree and she reaches out a hand to touch the pile in the centre of the room.
If nothing happens, she will beckon the others in whilst starting to sort out what is there, setting things in neat piles.
OOC: The mage hand is the single most annoying thing to a DM (which makes it Uber-fun for the player )
At higher levels you can use it to distract an opponent at range. That gives you advantage on your range/bow attacks. That give you your sneak damage. You can pick locks and remove traps at a distance which means that if you fail, you do so out of range of the trap. Would you like to pick pockets? Sure, go ahead. Let's say you're in a jail cell. The guard falls asleep. Moments later the key is in your hands. Go ahead and abuse the cantrip. Take your DM to the edge. Let's see how much you get away with ... legally. DM
Sorting through the pile, Jaliera finds, beneath the rubble covering, a large chest. It is made of wood, banded with metal, and while it has a latch for a padlock, there currently doesn't seem to be one.
She doesn't detect any traps present.
Ryssa
Deciding to trust the gesture of the newfound companion, Ryssa moves through the door and up close to Jaliera.
"What have you found? Oh... a chest!"
<Bern>
While he wondered what might be inside the chest, he kept his attention ... and his bow ... mostly up, in case the owner of the chest decided to return.
Chandan
With the nearby bushes subdued, Chandan wanders back along the dirt path. He nods genially to Luminmorn and notices that the archer, Bern, has gone inside.
The old monk has confidence in Davroar, Jaliera and Kriv and doesn't suspect their new companions of any mischief. It's fortuitous that the two parties found each other, but perhaps inevitable if they're both seeking the same thing, the rescue of Gundren the Dwarf.
It's been a long time since Chandan's conducted sky burial rites, not since he left his mountain and his old self behind. It reminds him the great calm and inner peace that he once had, and how he has lost it.
Now, only two things bring him that same feeling. The miraculous beverages brewed, distilled and fermented by the good peoples of Faerûn, and standing in harm's way to protect the innocent.
But he does miss his mountain, and the vista of mountains. The Yehimals, the World Pillars, vast, magnificent and mysterious. He misses the soaring vultures, and the giants of stone, fire, cloud and storm. But the raw elements of nature he cannot miss, they're around him always.
Breathing deeply, Chandan plants his spear in the ground and stands on one leg, resting his other foot on the inside of his thigh. The tree stance.
He meditates on the rustling of leaves, the dripping of water and the touch of the sun on his skin.
Jaliera
A nice chest. Maybe her mentor would like it? But carrying it might be a problem. Anyway the contents are likely to be of most interest to her companions, so after checking it, she gently raises the lid.
DM
Opening the chest reveals a number of different items embedded in a large pile of mixed coins. Detecting no traps. Jaliera is able to remove the items by digging thru the coinage and make a rough count of the coins as she does so.
For simplicity, here is the list of loot:
800sp
150gp
4 Silver Goblets set with moonstones (60gp each)
2 Scrolls (#1-Misty Step, #2-Lightning Bolt)
An old, rusty looking Battleaxe
Davroar
Standing a few paces away still, he lets out a silent sigh of relief when nothing bad happens as Jaliera opens the chest.
"Strange that a large dragon would keep its treasure in a single chest, but at least it makes it easier to carry it out. Probably stolen from somewhere else."
Looking around and seeing no more chests he adds, "Let's take it and get out of here..."
Jaliera
As always she warms when she hears Davroar's voice and she turns to him with a smile.
"Maybe this is only a small part of its hoard. If I could fly long distances, I might hide my treasures in more than one place. But yes, let's get this out of here."
She places the items gently back on top and closes the lid, ready to help Davroar carry it outside.
<Bern>
He is not ready to give up his role as lookout/guard ... now is the most dangerous time. The others wold be busy with 'punishing' the dragon by taking what it most cherished.
Ryssa
"That is a possibility," Ryssa mused as she looked around the circular room.
"It doesn't seem all that much of a treasure hoard for a dragon."
She shrugged.
"Maybe it was a young dragon."
Davroar
"Good points. It probably flew off to recover its wounds at another lair."
Quickly he grabs one end of the chest to help carry it out.
Ryssa
Ryssa slung her bow and her shield on her back and moved to take the other end of the chest.
"Let's lift together now. I'm not the strongest cleric in the world, but I can handle my share of the load."
Jaliera
She smiles at the cleric as she moves to share the load.
"There is another possibility. Maybe we are meant to think this is all there is. There could be more hidden or invisible. Let's get this outside and then I'll pop back and do a proper search."
Wouldn't take too long and best to be thorough.
DM
The chest is easily carried outside with all the people available to help. Jaliera goes back inside and spends some time searching but finds nothing else other than the remains of what seems to be a former Wizard's Tower, i.e. bedroom and living room furniture, lab equipment, and so forth, all broken and demolished.
Perhaps it was a young green dragon, either just starting a new lair or setting up multiple lairs? After all, you drove it off fairly easily and the Druid, Reidoth, did tell Luminmorn, Ryssa, and Bern that it had only recently taken up residence in the tower.
Speaking of which, having driven off Venomfang means that Luminmorn, Ryssa, and Bern have completed their agreement with the Druid Reidoth. He had already provided the location of Cragmaw Castle (and Kriv, Chandan, Jaliera, and Davroar got the same information from the Red Wizard near the Old Owl Well), but he had also agreed to guide you to Wave Echo Cave if you drove away the dragon. He should be waiting for you back near Phandalin.
So, at this point it is time to split up the newfound treasure, and for the group to make a decision. While you have not completely compared notes, between the two groups you have completed all of the requests/missions that were provided to you by people you met in Phandalin. However the main mission, finding Gundren, finding Wave Echo Cave, and stopping the Spider remain.
All of your information indicates Gundren may be at Cragmaw Castle...........
(OOC - Please give me a thumbs up if you have completed the leveling up process or need to PM me with questions before we proceed)
[OOC: I think I leveled Luminmorn. Please double check.]
[Levelled like a boss.
And how's this for a split?
Bern, Dav, Ryssa: 266 sp, 50 gp
Bern, Dav, Chan, Ryssa: 1 jewelled silver goblet worth 60 gp
Kriv: Rusty Axe of Special Value to Dragon
Jaliera: Lightning Bolt Scroll, plus Staff of Defence (reallocated from Kriv)?
Luminmorn: Misty Step Scroll
AJ, don't know how you feel about passing on the staff. Might keep things simple, and then iirc Jal, Kriv and Lu will have a magic melee weapon?
]
(OOC - Are you doing anything with the "Rusty Axe of special value to the dragon?")
[OOC: I think Ryssa is leveled up, but I'd appreciate you looking over her sheet.]
[Zeim, in 5e, assuming we're about to have a short rest, doesn't the new owner get to identify it just by fondling it and saying "Phwoar!" like Sid James?]
Yes, however that uses up your short rest, so you can't also use it for regaining hps.
[Groovy. Kriv could identify it himself then. He has full hp.]
(OOC - We'll assume he did then:
The rust on the Battleaxe belies it's true nature. It is actually a +1 Battleaxe and has dwarven runes engraved on the blade (let me know if anyone reads dwarven). This Battles axe does maximum damage against plant creatures or anything made of wood. Kriv (or whoever spends the time identifying it) feels uneasy when they stand next to the heavily wooded hilltop.)
[ooc: Leveled Davroar to level 4, made minor change to cantrips known. ]
[Perfect, Kriv can read Dwarven!]
Kriv
"Fascinating. This axe is ensorcelled to be exceedingly effective against all manner of plants and plant creatures. Let me just translate this rune, then we'll see who wants it."
(Kriv passes on the axe, and will stick with his maul, having gone for the feat which works with it but not this axe. Perhaps Jaliera, with Kriv retaining the staff?)
[OOC: Can Jaliera use an axe? And she speaks Dwarven too
]
(OOC - AJ - Make a history check. with advantage. DC 12.)
Kriv History with advantage
AJ rolled 1d20+4,1d20+4 and got 5, 19
[OOC: Can Jaliera use an axe? And she speaks Dwarven too
]
Checking the
D&D 5e SRD, it appears that rogues are not proficient in axes (martial weapons). In fact, we're a little light of PCs with martial weapon proficiency. Afaik, they are:
Bern
Kriv
Luminmorm
Bern could use the axe, but he's focused in archery, so probably won't. He could always break it out if we get attacked by a treant or particularly stupid ogre, or if we need the +1 magic to beat damage reduction.
I have to say that Bern would see =that= weapon as sort of 'evil' since it was focused on destroying 'plants'. But he would be tempered by the knowledge that even plants have been co-opted by evil on occasion :-/
(OOC - To add to Neil's comment, there are two other rules involved. First, you can attack with a weapon with which you are not proficient, however if you do so you do not get to add your Proficiency Bonus to the attack roll. Second, there are some Feats you can take that will give you additional weapon proficiencies. Otherwise, it does come down to Bern, Luminmorn, or Kriv, and Bern, being an archer, is unlikely to use it often. Also, Luminmorn has Talon, a +1 Long Sword. So it would most likely be Kriv, if he wants another option than the Maul.)
DM
Kriv studies the rune and translates it into the word Hew. That name tickles a memory and he recalls an old story about a dwarven smith who had a running feud with some Dryads of a forest where he cut firewood for his forge and who made a special axe to assist him.
(OOC: Can Rogues use long swords? We could have a round of musical weapons if so, Luminmorn upgrading to the axe, Jaliera getting the enchanted blade.
)
KrivEver the scholar, Kriv relayed the half-remembered snippet of lore.
"Ah, yes. The rune translates to
Hew, eminently sensible all things considered. I suspect this was the work of a dryad-hating Dwarven smith, reputed to have made such a weapon as this to press his side of a feud with the tree-kin, as he cut their wood for his forge. Any of us favour axes? I much prefer weapons designed to use the strength of both arms."
He looked across at those he did not yet know.
Ryssa
The cleric of Lathander smiled faintly but shook her head in response to the newly met dragonborn.
"Afraid not."
[OOC: If we want to trade the sword to the rogue and the axe to Luminmorn, that is fine by me.]
(OOC - Rogues are Proficient in Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbows (which, by the way, Favric had if Jaliera wants it), Longswords, Rapiers, and Shortswords. So yes, Jaliera could use Talon. However I think she is much like Bern, preferring missiles. Still, might be the best way to use everything, unless Bern wants it for those times he is forced to fight HTH.)
[[ Well Bern would rather someone who would be using it on regular basis get it, but if no one else can use it, he will take it ... he =does= get 'up close and personal' from time to time <wink> ]]
[OOC Jaliera would happily accept an upgrade on her longsword, which she does (and has) used. Great way to cement bonds in the new party too!
]
Well, work it out in character then.......and don't forget about the Hand Crossbow, unless you don't want it.
[OOC Too used to her bow to change. And I figure Jaliera isn't present yet as she was searching the tower
]
I believe almost anyone can use a crossbow. That is why they were so popular 'in the day' <g>
A "Light Crossbow", yes. This is a "Hand Crossbow" and requires the "Martial Ranged Weapons" proficiency or to be a Rogue.
Ahh ... thanks for the correction.
Davroar
His disgust is easily seen by any looking at him when he hears that the hatred for all trees is bound into the single rune on the axe Kriv so easily offers to any that want to use it.
Turning away, he will not begrudge the one that will take ownership of the axe, but for Davroar it is a vile weapon that should be cast back into the forge that it came from.
Walking away from the group he uses his druidcraft to see what the weather may hold for them. When the dragon comes back, rain might be the only way to cover their scent, and if there is none then he will suggest that they leave as soon as possible to get as far away as possible from here.
Chandan
Having been related the story of the axe, Chandan comments that it must have been created by an avid dwarven gardener. Certainly it would be superb for pruning apple trees!
With the weaponary redistributed, the newly formed party of seven are surely ready for the next leg of their journey.
Direct to Cragmaw Castle seems to be the wisest choice, since Phandalin is far out of their way and can offer little more support in their quest. Should the party need resupply, the great city of Neverwinter is much closer.
Once they have cover from the forest canopy, they can take a short rest and decide, and it's then that the wizened monk suggests, "We go Cragmaw Castle then, save Gundren the Dwarf?"
Ryssa
The cleric smiled and nodded to the elderly looking monk.
"That would serve our ultimate goal best, I think, sir monk."
Jaliera
She rejoins their new group, pleased to see that all are still together. She is sad Kallista is not there to see this. She would have enjoyed new people to converse with.
"Nothing else in the tower. Have you had the discussion about the treasure we found? Oh and I should mention that I have a familiar - Whisper. She's an owl. I'll call her in now."
She sends out a mental summons for Whisper to join her.
<Bern>
"Seems the right thing to me", he said simply.
Kriv
It had been his hope to steal a march on their enemies and claim the service of the dragon for themselves, but instead Kallista had paid for this detour from their vital mission with her life. On the other hand, they had gained two humans and a Dragonborn, all of whom seemed competent and effective.
On the whole, that was enough to have made this a profitable and useful sojourn.
"Straight to Cragmaw Castle it shall be. We can trade information about what we have learned of our mutual foe as we go."