Wrath of the Righteous (D&D 5e) ala Fabian

Game Master Fabian Benavente

knowledge: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
At Eliora's outburst Ky pauses, and then his shriek becomes louder and keener, warbling through several octaves - one of which is above human hearing.

@Kyarel: I think you meant to write Sophie, not Eliora :)

Actions 1:

Eliora sobered at Kyarra's pronouncement and she shared, "There are many who felt I should be cleansed from this world because of my orc blood. Thankfully my father disagreed. Such black and white opinions only lead to hate." Then her eyes brightened, "But you are correct, we need to fight against the infernal who seek to destroy all that is good in life."

Action 2:

As soon as the darkness descended and Eliora realized she couldn't see through it, she was drawing her sword and moving into the dark to help. The fact that any sound from Kyarra or Aravashnial was suddenly cut off was troubling.

longsword,disadvantage: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
longsword,disadvantage: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13 maybe?

Either:

Hearing Kyarra gasp for air as she managed to rip the creature off her head, Eliora followed the sound of the creature being slammed to the ground and she stabbed downwards making contact. Her sword ran the darkmantle through, pinning it to the ground momentarily before she pulled it back out.

damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Or:

Fighting blind was something new for the half-orc and even though she thought she heard where the creature was, all she hit was air as she swung at it.

Turn 022 – Toothy Umbrellas

Read the OOC.

Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?

Game on!

Sophie didn't much fancy the idea of firing blindly. However, as Aravashnial fell silent it didn't feel like she had a choice and the magic just escaped her, as a stream of fire flew towards the darkness.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Would it be a fair use of Tide of Chaos to gain advantage (effectively negating the disadvantage?) In a normal game, it would be fine, but it feels awkwardly meta in a PbP game where I can't help but already know the results of the roll...and that its a crit, lol

Damage: 1d10 ⇒ 10
Crit Damage?: 1d10 ⇒ 8

Kyarra took a deep, thankful breath as she escaped from the suffocating grip of the monster. She immediately had to fight the urge to clap her hands over her ears as her brother assaulted them with his ....whatever that was. "Kyarel! Be silent!"

As his warbling tapered off, Kyarra's keen ears helped her pinpoint the sounds of Eliora, who seemed to be struggling as she just had been. Hoping she wasn't going to skewer the half-orc, she cried, "Paladin! Keep it facing my voice!"

Hoping she'd heard her and been able to comply, Kyarra slashed hard at what she hoped was the monster.

longsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
longsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

@Eliora: whoops! Yes.
When Kyarel heard the body fall he knew it might be too late for Arashnavial. Still - what kind of monster wouldn't at least try? Shortsword in hand he darted to the centre of the globe, feeling with his foot for where the monster might be and ready to stab down no matter the consequences.
A jet of flame - felt rather than seen in the darkness - passes close by and he ducks down and stumbles into the body of Arashnavial. Desperately he stabs down, unsure whether he stabs the elf or the monster in the dark.
shortsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15shortsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 dam: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Muttering a curse in Tien as two more of their number charged into the globes of darkness to help those trapped within. Yet there was little he could do except keep hoping or give up and watch how things unfolded on their own. So the little Tian man conjured another bolt of energy and shot it at what he thought to be the exact center of one of the spheres of darkness, and this time the spell hit something, as it did not re-emerge from the other side.

Shooting blind into darkness where there are more allies than enemies sounds really sketchy... but then again, Shiro is already Disadvantaged, and it can't get any worse than that...

Eldritch Blast: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
Eldritch Blast: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Eldritch Blast, damage: 1d10 ⇒ 1 Bah, the hit rolls got me excited for a moment...

That's what I get for helping. Sheesh! Is the thing just attacking Eliora or did it manage to get onto her head? Just wondering how to react to it. I read it as just attacking her but I wasn't sure if their only way of attacking was going for their prey's head.

Would it be a fair use of Tide of Chaos to gain advantage (effectively negating the disadvantage?) In a normal game, it would be fine, but it feels awkwardly meta in a PbP game where I can't help but already know the results of the roll...and that its a crit, lol

Yeah, this is hard NOT to cheat metagame with. :)

But it is one of your defining characteristics as a player so go ahead and use it.

How about we trigger Wild Magic Surge with the use of the ability?

Thoughts?

That's what I get for helping. Sheesh! Is the thing just attacking Eliora or did it manage to get onto her head? Just wondering how to react to it. I read it as just attacking her but I wasn't sure if their only way of attacking was going for their prey's head.

I am ruling that they can only attach to a head if they drop from above so the thing just attached to your thigh or something like that.

Questions?

Game on!

Eliora growled as pain emanated from her thigh. To help Kyarra position her own attack, the half-orc directed, "It's on my leg." She slashed downwards towards where the pain was coming from knowing that her blade would find the creature responsible.

longsword,disadvantage: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
longsword,disadvantage: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

She felt a slight resistance before her blade cut deeply into flesh. She then knew she had mortally wounded it as it released its hold on her and moved no more.

damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Turn 023 – Wild Magic

Read the OOC.

Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?

Game on!

Kyarra blinked in the light as the darkness disappeared. She took a quick inventory of the situation, and saw that one of their number was down. "Eliora, Shiro - check on Aravashnial. Is he alive?"

She then pushed one of the monsters around with the point of her sword, to see what she could learn about them.

Action 2

"Wait here a moment," Kyarra whispered, then she moved softly forward, hoping to catch a glimpse of, or better overhear, whoever was moving ahead.

stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Action 1:

Eliora winced as she made her way over to the fallen elf. Leaving a trail of her own blood behind her, the half-orc stooped down to check for a pulse.

Is Aravashnial alive?

Action 2:

Hearing noise coming from the other cavern, she glanced at Kyarra's wounds and felt her own. They were in no condition to protect the rest. Eliora strode over and towered over Gwerm. She held out her hand expectantly and said, "Kyarra needs the healing tonic that you carry." The half-orc did not give the man the choice to argue. The look on her face spoke volumes. If he didn't hand it over, it would be taken from him.

The half-orc handed the potion over to the ranger. "You need to care for yourself so that you can protect others."

Eliora will also take the cure potion she's carrying since no other healing is available.

Take a look at this table... not quite 5ed compatible because of a few spell effects thayt may not exist here (yet) but it was made with the intention of pruning the most lethal effects from 3.5ed Wild magic table

Also, there is Shiro's Cure Wounds available, since at last rest people used those HD heals of theirs, so we might want to metagame this to use than on the person who's got hurt the worst... but before that, let's hear from Fabian whether Aravashnial is still alive or already beyond the need of such meager spells...

And proper post coming later, when I have more than 5 mins of time ;^)

The blind elf had three deep gashes in his neck. One of them hooked under his chin and pierced all the way through his mouth. The blood on the floor pooled around a severed artery. he's dead

Eliora's head sank a little lower as a sign of defeat. She had failed to protect the most vulnerable of their group. She placed her hand over where his eyes would have been and said, "May you find peace in the afterlife, eternal rest after a life long-lived."

Standing upright with some effort she said to the others, "We should build a pyre. It would be too difficult to take his body with us but we can't leave him or bury him here."

Action 1

Standing upright with some effort she said to the others, "We should build a pyre. It would be too difficult to take his body with us but we can't leave him or bury him here."

"The light fades... may your soul find true death and peace," the Tian man whispered, head bowed in prayer. "A pyre. Yes. This is good. Digging graves, difficult here. But a bonfire to purify remains, unattach him from this life... yes. But not right now. Now, care for living, not for dead. This humble monk was regained one blessing of healing. You, Lady Eliora, in greatest need for it, yes?"

Action 2

"Wait here a moment," Kyarra whispered.

Shiro blinked in surprise, but now that the warning hiss and the elven archer's gesture drew his attention to the tunnel ahead, he could imagine he head some noises from within. Doing as he was told, Shiro froze in place, straining his ears.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 Shiro won't be getting too close since he is carrying a light, but he can listen... although I assume Kyarra will find out all he could ever hear and more when she sneaks ahead.

BTW... did you use those scales to prevent damage on Eliora and Kyarra, Fabian, or were those charges used already?

"What do you mean a pyre?" Sophie asked, for a moment not comprehending that the man was dead. "He...he's gone?" She bowed her head. She was torn on the suggestion of a pyre though. She'd seen what fire could do in a kitchen, she wasn't confident about ventilation in a cave. "Do you think a fire will be safe?" she asked hesitantly.

@Fabian: I would be fine with pulling the two options that you are concerned with along with from the chart, along with two options you think are overly strong. If the missing results come up, either I can toss in a non-game affecting fluff description or you could add something more game affecting if you felt it was appropriate. Would that work? I would rather not get rid of the whole thing or go with an entirely different ruleset, if compromise is possible. It's also worth mentioning that even as per the rules you are give full fiat as to when I should roll (though it is usually after casting a non-cantrip spell or any time after I have used Tides of Chaos - which causes me to regain the ability, so you might not want to make we roll every time I use it, just at some point after if the moment feels right). Also, even then there is only a 5% chance of something actually happening. Then a low chance of any specific result, most of which fall into the confusing or mildly inconvenient category. That's why I'm trying to play up her magic as unpredictable via fluff, as the actual mechanics make true Wild Magic pretty rare.

She was torn on the suggestion of a pyre though. She'd seen what fire could do in a kitchen, she wasn't confident about ventilation in a cave. "Do you think a fire will be safe?" she asked hesitantly.

"The body, decomposing. Smelling. Attracts scavengers. Perhaps not satisfied with one meal, yes," Shiro answered. "But... for pyre, need wood to burn. So, perhaps, choice left for later, if we find any," he went on. Besides, if they did find firewood in these forgotten tunnels, they might need it for themselves - to cook food, to warm their bodies, to ward away predators while they slept. Having enough to build a pyre for the dead might be a luxury they could not afford.

You, Lady Eliora, in greatest need for it, yes?

Eliora paused as she was obviously thinking about her response. Finally she spoke, "I would say it's just a scratch, that I'm fine, but lying for the sake of my pride is frowned at. So yes, healing would be welcomed."

If Eliora gets healing from Shiro then she won't take the healing potion she carries. She'll continue to save that for whoever needs it but Kyarra should still take the one that Gwerm carries.

"But... for pyre, need wood to burn. So, perhaps, choice left for later, if we find any,"

The half-orc nods, "Then I have no choice, I will carry his body until we can put him to rest."

Cure Wounds: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10 Let's get the healing done... could be more monsters just ahead

"Before that, this humble monk would heal you," Shiro said, having determined the armored half-blood was in most urgent need of healing. He took the metal wire effigy from a pocket and cocked his head, waiting for Eliora's permission before touching her shoulder and murmuring an invocation to his otherworldly patron. A request for the healing warmth of the First Flame his patron kept alight by offering it his own everlasting soul as kindling.

@Fabian: I would be fine with pulling the two options that you are concerned with along with from the chart, along with two options you think are overly strong. If the missing results come up, either I can toss in a non-game affecting fluff description or you could add something more game affecting if you felt it was appropriate. Would that work? I would rather not get rid of the whole thing or go with an entirely different ruleset, if compromise is possible. It's also worth mentioning that even as per the rules you are give full fiat as to when I should roll (though it is usually after casting a non-cantrip spell or any time after I have used Tides of Chaos - which causes me to regain the ability, so you might not want to make we roll every time I use it, just at some point after if the moment feels right). Also, even then there is only a 5% chance of something actually happening. Then a low chance of any specific result, most of which fall into the confusing or mildly inconvenient category. That's why I'm trying to play up her magic as unpredictable via fluff, as the actual mechanics make true Wild Magic pretty rare.

The way I read it is that I can have you roll a d20 after you cast a spell of 1st level or higher. If you roll a 1 (5% chance) then you roll on the Wild Magic Surge table.

However, once you use the Tides of Chaos ability then you have to roll on the Wild Magic Surge table (100% chance) after you cast a spell of 1st level or higher.

You won't casting too many 1st level spells of higher at 1st level but you certainly will as you gain levels and that 5% chance adds up.

Since you want to keep it then let's remove the following:

07-08 You cast fireball as a 3rd-level spell centered on yourself.
13-14 You cast confusion centered on yourself.
15-16 For the next minute, you regain 5 hit points at the start of each of your turns.
99-00 You regain all expended sorcery points.

If you roll these then just reroll.

If you're Ok with that then I'll post on the campaign tab so we won't forget.

Questions?

Game on!

Action 1:
"He's... dead?" Kyarel asked in disbelief. "He was only there for a second! Can't we do something?"
After this Action Kyarel - confronted with the truth of his own mortality via a proxy wizard - will cast False Life.
"We should carry him - or at least some... part of him!" he demands "There's magics that can bring him back, if we're fast enough, and we have some of his body. I remember Amme talking about it once."

Action 2:
Still shocked by the recent death Kyarrel does as he is bid, though he viciously cuts apart a Darkmantle rather than wait patiently.

Turn 024 – A Pyre

Read the OOC.

Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?

Game on!

Action 1:

“I’m going to search him to see if he had anything of value to contribute to the safety of us, the survivors.”

Eliora moved protectively in front of the dead elf. She growled a warning, "We are not leaving him behind. Show a little respect for the dead instead of stripping him of his possessions. His body isn't even cold yet."

Action 2:

The rest of us aren't with Kyarra, right?

Hard to say without a map, but could be Kyarra is still in the same room... kinda depends on how much of a corridor there is between this room and the next. Anyway, waiting for Kyarra to come tell us what she hears or react in a way we can see.

Hard to say without a map, but could be Kyarra is still in the same room... kinda depends on how much of a corridor there is between this room and the next. Anyway, waiting for Kyarra to come tell us what she hears or react in a way we can see.

I'm assuming Kyarra went by herself.

She hasn't sen anyone and was not seen by anyone.

Questions?

Game on!

ACtion 1

As a BriarWarden, and as an elf living near the Tanglebriar, Kyarra had seen plenty of death. She realized that might be unusual for somebody of her age as she witnessed the other's reactions to Aravashnial's death.

Moving to her brother, she put a hand on his arm. "Mei-Ky, stop. He's gone. He's been released from this life. If Aravashnial followed the Brightness, then he shall return again. Perhaps a hawk, sharp-eyed and free in the sky. We must care now for the living."

Turning to the others, she said, "We must make our peace with his loss. His body is empty now, and the spirit of Aravashnial would not have us risk our lives to protect this shell. If we are to survive this, we must be practical. We will take what we can use, and we will leave him here. And we will honour him by remembering."

Action 2
Kyarra moved softly back to the others. "There are others there, at least two, and they are aware of us. They are frightened, and may attack. If we are wise, and perhaps lucky, we can avoid a fight by talking to them. But we should prepare to defend ourselves." Turning to Sophie, she said, "You are kind and friendly, and people react well to you. Can you call out to them, and tell them we mean them no harm?"

@Fabian: I'm fine with those rules for Wild Magic.

Action 1:
Sophie nodded in agreement with Eliora. "We can't just leave him behind! What about his family?" She turned to Eliora, "I'm sorry, I wish I could help you with the body. But I doubt I could lift him...

Action 2:
Sophie gave Kyarra a horrified look. "Me?" But the others had kept her safe and asked for so little of her. She couldn't lift things or bandage a wound. She wasn't a great fighter. I suppose this I can do.. "Um...okay..."

She took a step forward and summoned all her courage. "Hello?" she called out. "Are you other survivors? We fell down here and are looking for a way out." She waited nervously, "If you're hurt, maybe we can help."

Persuation: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

Action 2:

Sophie gave Kyarra a horrified look. "Me?" But the others had kept her safe and asked for so little of her. She couldn't lift things or bandage a wound. She wasn't a great fighter. I suppose this I can do.. "Um...okay..."

She took a step forward and summoned all her courage. "Hello?" she called out. "Are you other survivors? We fell down here and are looking for a way out." She waited nervously, "If you're hurt, maybe we can help."

A tentative voice answered from the darkness of the cavern, "Who are you?"

It addressed the other person, "See they want to help..."

A gruff voice echoed out, "No they don't! They are lying to us. They are with the crusade and want to kill us for our crimes!"

It yelled back, "Get out of there or I'll have to kill you. I will not be taken alive!"

Action 1:

If we are to survive this, we must be practical. We will take what we can use, and we will leave him here. And we will honour him by remembering."

Eliora's frown lessened somewhat at Kyarra's words, "Practical, yes, but we also need to be respectful. We can't leave him vulnerable in this place where evil may lurk. You are right, he is now a shell and I don't want evil using that shell for their purposes. It is my choice to carry him so it shouldn't be a problem for the rest of you. However, making him lighter by someone else carrying his belongings does make sense."

Action 2:

Eliora hollered back, "We are not with the crusade." No matter how much I begged to be. "What crimes have you committed that you think deserve death?"

Eliora hollered back, "We are not with the crusade." No matter how much I begged to be. "What crimes have you committed that you think deserve death?"

Oh. My. God. I'm dying laughing. This is NOT how you convince dangerous strangers to let you through their territory!!

Action 1.

Kyarra sized up the half-orc, then shrugged. This was not the place to get into an argument. If the paladin choose to weary herself for nothing, Kyarra would not argue. But she would not count on her strength, or her judgement, either.

Action 2

Shocked at Eliora's question, Kyarra quickly added, "No! Forgive her, she didn't mean it to sound like that. We are not with the crusade, nor are we looking to "take" anybody, alive or otherwise. We fell from above, and are simply looking for a way back to the surface. This is the only path, and we need to pass. May we do so without violence?"

She didn't add that they would respond with violence if necessary; no need to throw oil on the fire.

I don't think more pleas from strangers are going to add to our diplomatic efforts at the time... so best wait and see how the people react first.

I'm traveling today so may not get to this until later tonight.

What's the plan if no one comes out?

Well... this is the only way forward for us, right? No other unexplored forks? So we certainly can't go back, unless we fancy starving.

Shocked at Eliora's question, Kyarra quickly added, "No! Forgive her, she didn't mean it to sound like that. We are not with the crusade, nor are we looking to "take" anybody, alive or otherwise. We fell from above, and are simply looking for a way back to the surface. This is the only path, and we need to pass. May we do so without violence?"

"The city above... swallowed by darkness. Demons walking the streets, killing, burning," Shiro added his voice to the pleas for peace. "For us, no turning back. Must seek a way out of here, or starve. Behind, nothing but empty tunnels and ruins. Ahead, we must move. Towards you."

"Perhaps, a deal could be struck? This humble monk, blessed with healing by the great kami. Give us shelter and some food, this monk can share the gift with you," he said, deciding the situation was dire enough to try for some bargaining... and they had precious little to offer in trade. But as he had said, there was no going back for them.

Sophie stood next to Shiro, "What if a few of us came forward first...unarmed...then you can see that we mean no harm," Sophie spoke as earnestly as she could. "We really are just trying to find a way out of here."

Turn 025 – Only Way Forward

Read the OOC.

Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?

Game on!

Kyarra was far from confidant that voices had no secret violence intended. She whispered to the others, "I think I should go first. If it seems safe, then you can follow. If I am attacked, then rally your arms, and come in fighting."

The elf then moved forward, her bow strung and in hand, but the other hand empty and held palm up. She knew she could grab an arrow quickly if she needed to. "I am Kyarra, and I will enter first." She moved forward carefully, watching for an ambush.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Eliora did not like going last but Kyarra hadn't given her any choice. If she wasn't going first then it made the most sense that she acted as the rear guard. Although the half-orc was still concerned about the crimes these two supposedly had committed. She figured she'd know when she saw them.

Not the best possible outcome, but clearly preferrable to having to fight for their lives - again. Carrying his candle, Shiro took his place in the line, curious what they would see in the next chamber.

I'll go next, I guess..." Sophie said. "I've been told I have a non-threatening demeanor." She moved after Kyarra, peeking through to the next area. "Hello. Thanks again for letting us through....we really are in quite a fix..."

The cavern was just as spacious as the one where the blind mage had succumbed to the darkmantle.

A small campfire and a well-used bedroll, along with a few utensils and tools, were on one side of this cavern.

The occupant, a red-haired dwarf, was arguing with... himself.

The two distinct voices they had heard while outside were coming from the same person. Not only that but the change in voice came accompanied by a change in posture and demeanor.

It was clear that there was an ensuing argument going on which the high-pitched voice that allowed them entry was 'winning' at the moment.

The deeper voice yelled, "They have seen our faces and know where we are. They will tell the crusaders..."

Sophie had seen some strange things as a waitress and had long learned that sometimes it was better to pretend like nothing was wrong. Pretending like he was just a drunkard, she said reassuringly, "We're just passing through...We won't tell anyone..." I think the crusaders have bigger issues right now...

Kyarra relaxed a little when she saw they were dealing with one mad dwarf, and not a crowd of angry demonspawn. She considered offering him to join with them, but figured he would take it for a threat, and possibly attack. Instead, she kept her mouth shut, and keeping well away from the dwarf's camp, she moved towards the exit.

Kyarel, still withdrawn, follows sullenly through. Despite himself he finds a spark of interest at the sight of the arguing dwarf. He'd never talked to a dwarf before - though he had gotten in trouble for staring at one when they first got to Kenabres, and there'd been the dead one in Torag's shrine.

"Don't worry, dwarf." Kyarel said reassuringly "You all look alike to me. Just don't give me a name, and I couldn't tell the crusaders if I wanted to."

Shiro was utterly fascinated with the twin-souled dwarf, but felt the time was most ill-suited for trying to engage the lone survivor of the tunnels in conversation, to hear his story. Thus he settled to bowing his head in respect as he passed the campsite.

Eagerly awaiting to see how the noble will turn this peaceful crossing into a bloodbath :-)

The entourage passed through the cavern, the half-orc carrying the dead elf while Anevia struggled with her make-shift crutch.

It was Anevia that recognized the dwarf but said nothing. However, Horgus caught her look and peered into the edge of darkness provided by their illumination.

He then recognized the dwarf and told the others, "That's Millorn, a fugitive from the crusaders. He supposedly experiments with abyssal energies to mutate things, plants, animals, some even say people."

He added, "There's a bounty on his head..."

There was a pause in the argument of the 'two' dwarves. Millorn looked at the party but quickly looked down at his feet...

tag?

-------------
OOC: It will probably take 2-3 more turns to get through the cavern at your current rate.

Perception DC 15 to see Millorn's wicked smile as he put his hand in his pocket.