[5e] Lost Tamoachan [Completed!] (Inactive)

Game Master mishima

The ancient ruined city of Tamoachan is familiar to a select few scholars and fortune seekers, who know of it but not always exactly where it is. Even more secluded, lying somewhere within or beneath the ruins, is a hidden shrine said to be dedicated to Zotzilaha, the vampire god of the underworld...

Originally written in 1979, this is a 5E conversion from WotC's Tales of the Yawning Portal. It is an Aztec themed dungeon, and definitely old-school style exploration.

I would love to get some strong intra-party RP going on, but am not expecting us to write a novel or anything here. It's what you might expect, some creative encounters and traps in a huge sprawling layout.

I'm thinking it will take 8 months to a year to complete. It looks just a tad bigger than Crypt of the Everflame. Id like 4 players, but if more want to play I'll probably take you.

Stuff
Level: 5th
Setting/Pantheon: Faerun (Maztica)
Stats: 4d6 drop lowest, reroll if 2 or more stats are below 8
Wealth: 500 gp plus 1d1O x 25 gp, one uncommon magic item, +normal starting equipment/background
No Unearthed Arcana, all other official sources ok.
Few sentences character idea.
Most of the optional rules are ok, but check.
1 post per day at least

If it fills fast, we'll start fast. Otherwise I'll leave recruiting open 2 weeks.

Aww, not set in Greyhawk? ;)

If enough want to we can, I just don't remember anything about Greyhawk. :P Honestly there isn't anything in it setting specific, just mentioned for PC gods.

Looks interesting. As for setting I think it best to stick to what the GM knows.

Let's kick this off!

4d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 6, 2) = 18
4d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 1, 6) = 15
4d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 1, 6) = 18
4d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 5, 2) = 16
4d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 5, 3) = 16
4d6 ⇒ (2, 4, 5, 2) = 13

17/16/14/14/14/11

Alright.

Gold: 1d10 ⇒ 8

Is it straight 4d6 drop the lowest, or arrange to taste?

Roll 1: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 6, 1) = 14
Roll 2: 4d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 3, 1) = 14
Roll 3: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 2, 5) = 15
Roll 4: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 5, 3) = 15
Roll 5: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 1, 6) = 15
Roll 6: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 4, 3, 6) = 15

Wealth: 1d10 ⇒ 8 x 25 = 200gp

13/13/13/13/14/13

I've been wanting to try out the Warlock, but with these rolls I could play anything :)

Arrange to taste. Some nice arrays there.

I have played few old school adventures. Is it mostly fighting and puzzles/traps, or are there chances to interact with creatures/people too?

I guess my question is largely moot, with Captain 13! :)

I'll build up a warlock tonight and attach it to this profile.

Thanks GM Infinity!

Heck ya!!! Only played that one once, way long time ago!! Remember noting but having a good time with it!

Roll 1: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 4, 2) = 16 = 14
Roll 2: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 2, 1) = 11 = 10
Roll 3: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 3, 1) = 9 = 8
Roll 4: 4d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 6, 5) = 18 = 17
Roll 5: 4d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 3, 6) = 14 = 13
Roll 6: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 5, 6) = 17 = 15

Wealth: 500+1d10 ⇒ 10x25 = 750gp

Ok, might go for a monk/rogue (3/2) character....

4d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 6, 5) = 22 = 17! :)
4d6 ⇒ (4, 2, 5, 2) = 13 = 11
4d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 3, 3) = 10 = 8
4d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 5, 1) = 13 = 12
4d6 ⇒ (5, 4, 2, 3) = 14 = 12
4d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 6, 4) = 15 = 13

1d10 ⇒ 6 = 650 gp

With Maztica, I'm debating either an Eagle Warrior (Devotion Paladin or maybe Light Cleric, half-orc??) or Jaguar Warrior (Tabaxi Fighter or Ranger). Hmm...

Also, are you ok with re-flavoring weapons? For example, having a macuahuitl (Aztec wooden sword with obsidian pieces along the edge) but just stats of short or longsword depending on length?

The Pale King, there are social solutions to many encounters, but there isn't really a story arc beyond exploring/whatever we create. Ill come up with a little something to get us from bar to dungeon.

Ken, totally cool with re-flavoring of that sort. That particular thing I hadn't heard of, and sounds badass.

Thanks! Yeah, macuahuitl are pretty amazing and, from what I understand, rather devastating. Here's a simple one, and a more ornate one.

Aha, awesome. Can definitely see that thing hacking through jungles and jaguars. Like a stone machete.

Grumbaki here. So I've got a 17/16/14/14/14/11. Going to go with...

Winged Tiefling Hexblade Warlock with pact of the Blade.

Str (14) Dex (14) Con (17+1) Int (12) Wis (14) Cha (18)
Lvl4: Resilient (+1 Con and Con saves)
* Agonizing Blast (Eldrich Blast adds Cha to damage)
* Thirsting Blade (2x attacks in close combat)
* Hexblade (can summon a melee weapon. Cha for hit and damage)
* Breastplate, Shield, Longsword

Ranged and close combat damage dealer. AC 18 and Con 18 will make him fairly survivable.

Will write background and fill in all of the details soon

Background

"We should turn back."

Lidras didn't pay his second any heed. They had come too far and had lost too much to make it to this place. Of the six elves who had left, they were the last. Their mission had seemed simple enough, to journey to Maztica and to locate the lost tomb of Tor Elthos. Lidras was the leader of the expedition, as was his right as High Born. He was descended from a long and illustrative line of mage and sorceror alike. And it was cruelly whispered, warlock. While he, admittedly, did not have the raw talent of his forefathers when it came to the magical arts, he had the family connections and the guile to take command, and the strength to overpower most of his kin. However, inexperience and overconfidence did not make for the best leaders.

The first had been Sylvae. A half-elf, he had sent her into one of the human villages to learn rumors about the ancient elven ruins. She was young, inexperienced, and not cautious enough. She had been found out, and the first sign that Lidras and his band knew of her peril was the sound of her screams. For the villagers had deemed the ruins to be haunted, and were of the opinion that to allow outsiders to creep in would release the spirits of the dead and the damned onto them.

The second of his company to die was Althas. For Lidras refused to allow any within his charge to be murdered by beastly humans, and he had ordered an immediate assault on the village. And while human villagers were ill equipped to fight against elite foresters, that did not save Althas from the arrow of a human hunter, who fought to defend his home.

When the two bodies were recovered, Lidras had his second interrogate the few humans they captured, for the rest were either killed or driven off. When they had found the information that they wanted, he had the village put to the torch as a funeral pyre for his dead comrades.

The third casualty came when they entered the ruins itself. Out of fear that the human survivors would call upon their lord to raise a host, he ordered his remaining men to enter the ruins without the customary intelligence gathering. Telthalas died to the magical wards left by his own distant ancestors.

And this left just Lidras and Elthaeriel. She was older than he, and more experienced. She had cautioned him to leave the village be, but he had not listened. And Althas had died. She had told him to abandon their quest, and to come back in a few years time when the humans had settled down. He refused to listen, and Telthalas had died. She now told him to leave the ruins be, and he refused to listen. She was not going to be the fourth.

And so it was that she abandoned him, vowing to bring news of his failure back to the council. That he would never lead an expedition again, and that his name would be a stain on the honor of his family.

Words were said that could never be unsaid. Blades were drawn in anger. Accusations were thrown, and soon were spells. To his dying day Lidras would swear to himself that she drew her blade first, though in his private moments he would be forced to admit that it was his harsh words which had caused her to do so. To his dying day he would ponder as to how much fault lay on his shoulders for this kinslaying. But regardless, she was the fifth and final loss. For as experienced as she was, she could not stand against the strength behind his blows, nor could she outlast him.

Wounded, and driven to the point of obsession, Lidras pushed forward into the ruins. He had lost so much on this quest. He had lost his friends. His charges. His innocence. With every step he took he thought he could hear the steps of human pursuers. He could hear their battle cries. He could hear...the clash of steel. He could hear his friends dying. He could hear his sanity breaking.

He stumbled through the ruins, unsure of himself. Unsure of where he was going. He saw an elven mage rush up to him, his entrails spilling out of his hands. The mage had fear and pain written clearly on his face. He was babbling about getting the women and children under ground, into the catacombs. He begged Lidras to take them.

All around him Lidras could see the signs of conflict. This was but an outpost, the trading town of Tor Elthos. They had always been on peaceful terms with the humans. The humans were their trading partners. The humans were their reason for being here. So why were they attacking? The humans attacked with fury and terror in their eyes. But why? Lidras could see Tor Elthos burning. The flames licked up into the sky as humans with axes and leather armor slaughtered the few defenders that the elven merchants could muster. Rushing to the women and children, Lidras screamed at them to follow him into the catacombs. There they could wait out the assault. There he could defend them.

Once inside the catacombs, the doors to the surface were sealed and they waited. Lidras stood there with his bow at the ready. His head was swimming. The faces of the crying children were so familiar, but he couldn't place any names to the faces. He tried to talk, but his tongue felt like it was made out of lead. How long had he been in there? How long...how long?

It was then that water started coming through the doors. He rushed up to open the doors, but they were barred shut from the surface. This was no way for a highborn to die! He had been promised glory. He had been promised prestige! He had been promised by his...his parents? Who were his parents? He looked down at the women and children and saw that the water was already up to their knees. How did it rise so fast? In desperation he banged on the door. He screamed wordlessly. The water rose. There were corpses in the water. Corpses of the innocent. He could hear laughter from outside. The water was pouring in. He screamed until the water filled his lungs. He pushed with all his might against the doors...and that is when he saw the blade. Golden, shining, it called to him. He was drowning, but he knew that if he but picked it up it would save him. With trembling fingers he reached out...

...he touched the blade and a bolt of electricity shot through him. The vision changed. He saw something. A creature that walked among the elves of old. It was winged, and it looked at Lidras with eyes that were old when the elves first learned the secrets of making fire. It looked into his soul. She was as beautiful as she was terrible. And it smiled. Lidras tried to scream as his form was wracked with chance. The color was sucked out of his golden hair and his skin, leaving him as pale as the moon. White wings, like that of a dove, painfully erupted from his back. And the sword, it burnt inself into his soul. Lidras screamed for what felt like an eternity...

...and he woke. He was in the cellar, but ti was empty. Ransacked. The doors were open, and his hand was upon them. It burned with a pain that he could not describe. Sluggishly he walked down the stairs into the cellar.

He could not describe it, but there was a presence in his head. Something that he could not explain. He looked around at the ruins, and he thought back to the dream like visions which had assailed him. Tears rolled down his face and he forced back a sob, as emotions which weren't his threatened to tear him apart. Sadness, fear, desperation, confusion...anger.

That is when he heard it. The voices of humans trying to be stealthy. He could just make out what they were saying. It sounded like 'murderous elves' and 'haunted.' He smiled like a wolf. He took up position to ambush his pursuers, he felt a power flow through him that he did not understand. Without thinking he raised his hand and a bolt of fire flew forth. It hit the first human square in the chest. The humans yelled in confusion. One of them was yelling orders, but Lidras was already moving. The chieftain was the second to die. Arrows flew at him, and in that moment Lidras could see his death. In his mind's eye he saw one of the arrows fly unerringly towards him. He could see it hit him in the back, and he knew that there was no way to dodge it. Instead he willed it to change course, and by some dark miracle it did. And that was when he was among them.

Lidras sat among the carnage, and in that moment he knew that he could not return home. Not like this. The sword was gone, but he knew that it was now part of him. Just thinking of it made a faint outline of the blade form in his hand. Looking into the dim light, Lidras rose to his feet and slowly began walking towards Helmsport. He had nowhere else to go.

Let us see what we got here and see what comes to mind...

4d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 6, 4) = 18 = 16
4d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 2, 5) = 11 = 10
4d6 ⇒ (5, 6, 1, 6) = 18 = 17
4d6 ⇒ (5, 6, 1, 6) = 18 = 17
4d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 6, 5) = 21 = 17
4d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 2, 2) = 8 = 6

Alrighty, I have a savant of some kind to ponder...

Let us see what we got here and see what comes to mind...

4d6 = 16
4d6 = 10
4d6 = 17
4d6 = 17
4d6 = 17
4d6 = 6

Alrighty, I have a savant of some kind to ponder...

17/17/17/16/10/6?

Now that is some amazing rolling! Look forward to seeing what you make with such numbers.

GM questions:

"Wealth: 500 gp plus 1d1O x 25 gp, one uncommon magic item, +normal starting equipment/background"

(1) For my magic item, can I make my armor work with pact blade? So as an action I can summon my sword+armor and can dismiss them? It would feel more appropriate than a +1 something.
(2) We start with a fair bit of gold. Can we buy another uncommon magic item with the 500gold? If so I'll have a weapon of warning. Which again just feels thematically appropriate.

1) Gut is going with no, that's getting both offense and defense in one action...can't think offhand of something similar that exists. I guess I'd be ok with it if it didn't automatically don the armor for you.

2) Sorry again, no on the buying magic items, I should have been more clear on that one. I know it feels weird to have huge amounts of coin, but there are uses for it in game so don't feel like you need to burn it all on equipment (probably isn't even possible, unless you start a farm or something).

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

So, that's five players. :D I'll open the discussion thread.

If a sixth comes along that's fine, but no more than 6 please.

Alright then. Thanks for the answers.

So to finish up my character then....

Uncommon Magic Item Longsword Weapon of Warding "This magic weapon warns you of danger. While the weapon is on your person, you have Adv on initiative rolls. In addition, you and any of your companions within 30 ft of you can’t be surprised, except when incapacitated by something other than nonmagical sleep. The weapon magically awakens you and your companions within range if any of you are sleeping naturally when combat begins."

Gold Expenditure

* Starting Gold: 500 + 8x25 + 25 (background) = 725
* Breastplate: AC 14 + Dex (max 2) = 400 spent
* Shield: +2 AC = 10 spent
* Longsword: 15 spent (I am assuming we get the enchantment free, and not the item? Otherwise players could start with mithril full-plate...)
* 300 gold left over

Class Equipment
* Two Daggers
* Light Hammer
* Hand Axe
* Arcane Focus (ring)
* Dungeoneer's Pack (• a Backpack • a Crowbar • a Hammer • 10 pitons • 10 torches • a Tinderbox • 10 days of Rations • a Waterskin • 50 feet of Hempen rope)

Custom Background Former Noble
* Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Persuasion
* Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set (games of dice)
* Languages: Elven
* Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, a scroll of pedigree, and a purse containing 25 gp
* Feature: Former Noble (Your knowledge of how bureaucracies function lets you gain access to the records and inner workings of any noble court or government you encounter. You know who the movers and shakers are, whom to go to for the favors you seek, and what the current intrigues of interest in the group are.)

The Background is a combination of courtier and noble, with the adjustments made to fit the character concept.

Cool background, both the writeup and Former Noble. I'll try to work your feature in somehow.

Ok, here is my basic crunch for your examination. Hope he is ok!

Pisco
Tabaxi Monk 4/Rogue 1
Medium , neutral
--------------------
Armor Class 16
Hit Points 38 (5d8+10)
Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
--------------------
STR 10 (+0), DEX 17 (+3), CON 14 (+2), INT 13 (+1), WIS 17 (+3), CHA 9 (-1)
--------------------

Feats Lucky
Saving Throws Str +3, Dex +6
Skills Acrobatics +6, Athletics +3, Deception +2, History +4, Perception +6, Stealth +9, Survival +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Custom Language, Common

Actions
--------------------

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d4+3 slashing damage.

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 1d4+3 bludgeoning damage.

A monk/rogue? Interesting. Especially as tabaxi with the unarmed and claws.

I'd recommend replacing Lucky with +1 Dex and +1 Wis.

3 re-rolls a day, vs;
----
+2 AC
+1 Dex and Wis saves
+1 hit and +1 damage
+1 perception +1 survival +1 acrobatics +1 stealth

Looks good to me. Lucky might be more fun to play than some static bonuses. Then again I revel in death. ;) And granted 2AC is pretty huge in 5e.

What gender for Pisco?

Also I assume you are doing thieve's tools for your second choice with Expertise? What monk archetype?

Hmmm...that is a very interesting idea...I took Lucky to give him that "7-lives" feel. Pisco took the Shadow archetype and yes I took thieve's tools as my expertise.
Will have to give this some thought...I can always take the +1/+1 in 3 levels and keep the Lucky for now. I was looking more as a thematic feat as opposed to a crunch tweek...will have to think about this..lol

Just mentioning again that discussion is open and gameplay now dotable. If you rolled stats you are welcome to come. We also could take one more at most.

Assuming you don't have a 6th yet, I'll drop a character in.

4d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 6, 5) = 15 13
4d6 ⇒ (3, 2, 4, 5) = 14 12
4d6 ⇒ (3, 2, 2, 3) = 10 8
4d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 6, 1) = 17 16
4d6 ⇒ (3, 3, 1, 3) = 10 9
4d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 4, 5) = 18 15

Nope, no 6th yet, you are welcome. I'll be getting gameplay up tonight, which is about 12 hours from now.