DDEP 10-01: Terror in Ten Towns (Inactive)

Game Master Aeshuura

Jarthra raises an eyebrow, looking from Baldrick to Netzer and then to Khitt and says, Are you now? I'd offer to take you out there, for a modest fee, but it seems you have yourself a capable scout. I doubt the goats will be alive by the time you find them, my friends, but stopping the thieves is good enough for me.

Anything else, you care to do before you head out? Trovus can take you far enough out that you may be able to pick up a trail...

Does Jartha want to tell us about the pearls they lost or has he just considered them to be a lost cause?

Oop, I have been juggling so many things, I forgot!

Look, Jarthra says, IF you find these thieves, and happen to find a bag of pearls carved into decorative beads, I'll pay you a sum of 50 golds to split amongst you, AND I'll give you a lifetime 25% off anything in the store. It's their sentimental value... they belonged to my mother's mother.

Asking the guide "So how long do you think we will be away for? I am think of getting the sled and dog team but I only have enough for a few days at most."

Speaking to the shop keeper. "Other than your normal cold gear, do you have any 'special' items that you might have for sale?"

Oop, I have been juggling so many things, I forgot!

No worries! I was being a bit roundabout with Baldrick's question, partly because I initially forgot and I figured, if I forgot, then Baldrick definitely would have!

Trovus speaks, his voice starting as a rumble deep in his chest, We are not certain, but if it is near the base of the Cairn as you suspect I am assuming that you had mentioned something of the sort it is only a few hours, though if we cannot find any tracks, it may take days of searching. We can always come back to town in between treks.

Let's try on foot first, see how far we get. We're a capable group of dwarves! He pauses a moment and adds, And dwarven friends, heh.

Khitt looks around the shop with curiosity. His adopted father taught him to keep an open mind and always look for a better way to do things. So as he perused the shop, he did so with an eye toward gadgets and doodads to make life a little easier out in the cold. Expectedly, the stock the store, this far north, has its limitations and kit settles for a better set of crampons that simply are easier to take off and put on through a different time of clasping mechanism than the ones he currently uses.

Knowing the party would be leaving shortly and having a better feel for the town, Khitt let’s put a loud whistle. After a few moments Khat appears from the ruins of the old keep nearby where she had found shelter. ”Not to worry Trovus, she is with us”

Taking point, Khitt prepares to lead the party north, following the map’s indicated location. ”I agree, dogs tend to be noisy and if we need to head into the mountains, they’ll be more of a pain in the bum than their worth. “

Khatt seems to understand her companions disparaging sentiment toward sled dogs and she seems to move ahead with an undeniably proud look about her.

Trovus starts at the snow leopard, giving a wary glance at the goblin, but chooses to stay his hand and see what happens...

Good to go?

Baldrick grabs up his pack and stands near the door: "Ready to head out, friends?"

I think Rodney was hoping to find some magic items, or maybe just something interesting. Otherwise, I think we might be ready to go.

Sorry, Rodney, it's not that kind of store. ;) This is merely a stop to cover yourselves for environmental hazards...

Netz puts on the better cold weather gear and smiles for the first time as he is crunching with the new fitted boot calipers as he trudges along with his axe on his shoulder

He is ready.

Hearing that they are walking again, Rodney gives a sigh. He checks his gear and gets ready to go.

The trip tests your endurance as you leave town. The wind whips down the mountain and runs right into you, tearing at your skin!

Please make Constitution saving throws, DC 15. If you have cold weather gear, you make the saving throw at advantage.

Many of us have those Bracers of Archery that also protect from weather extremes -- I assume that's the same.

CON save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
CON save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Also, I was thinking of this earlier but I don't know if it'll work. One of the effects of Prestidigitation is "Warm up to 1 cubic foot of non-living material for 1 hour." If anyone (or, maybe any three? -- Prestidigitation can have 3 concurrent castings) seems to be really suffering from the cold, Baldrick will try to comfort them by giving them a pat on the back, casting this spell on their clothing.

I would say that the use of prestidigitation would be a nice way to use the help action for a save. Sadly, it will not help those already with advantage. If anyone was stubborn enough to not get cold weather gear, you could help them.

Oh no worries -- I was thinking about it before I knew we would be making saves. I just wasn't sure if that was a possible application for the spell.

I was just picturing Baldrick seeing his friend being cold and like giving him a sympathetic rub or pat on the arm or back, and then the warmth spreading out from there. Especially if it's Netzer and Rodney, who complained about the cold on the way into town.

con save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

adv: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Netz stands there in the blistering whipping winds with snow pelting and swirling at him from every direction and starts laughing and says boy these fur lined shorts were especially a good purchase.

This character's CON save is soooo much higher than my other one's, lol.

Warm Weather gear FTW: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Warm Weather gear FTW: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Umikh nods his head at Netz. SO much better now. I could march all day in this! he laughs, looking around to see if everyone is doing as well as they are.

Con saves 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

advantage from bracers.

Waiting on Rodney, Lumen, and Khitt.

As they start out Rodney starts to give a speech on how we brave few will boldly go out into the tundra for fame and glory. he keeps talking for the next 10 minutes.
Inspiring Leader: giving 8 Temp hit points to the party

Con save: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (3) + 0 = 3
Advantage Con Save: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (18) + 0 = 18
After a while the cold start to bite at his face, as the cold wind cuts like a knife right to his bones.
Rodney sinks deeper into his fur lined coat. Desperate to keep the cold out.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother... ^_^

Con saves 1d20+4

1d20+4

advantage from bracers.

This slipped past me, but how did you get a +4 to your Con save? According to D&D Beyond, you should have a +0, in which you still make it. Just want to see where you are getting your bonus.

Khitt Con +2 w Adv: 2d20 ⇒ (7, 8) = 15
Khat Con +5 w Adv: 2d20 ⇒ (12, 15) = 27
I hate when something your character is supposed to be good at gets flubbed by dice rolls

Maybe Khitt had gotten used to the warm dwarven tunnels or maybe Auirl's Curse had given the Dale's weather an especially piercing bite, but for some reason, the ranger cannot seem to manage the weather well today. He stoically says nothing and trudges on but those with a keen eye notice the ranger is off his game today.

Khitt, you have one level of exhaustion... I feel you on the dice though... I have been bitten by that one on more than one occasion!

Rodalas Windrace wrote:

Con saves 1d20+4

1d20+4

advantage from bracers.

This slipped past me, but how did you get a +4 to your Con save? According to D&D Beyond, you should have a +0, in which you still make it. Just want to see where you are getting your bonus.

I was using my survival skill IIRC

Ah, no this was a simple Con save, with advantage for the Cold Weather Gear.

Think we did lose Lumen. Maybe it was too cold for him lol...

Okay, I will move on in a bit.

The trek to the base of the mountain is hard as a biting wind that seems to cut through your cold weather gear runs the length of Kelvin's Cairn. Though stoic through it all, your goblin scout seems to be weathering it worse than any of you. It may be due to the fact that he leads the way, and most of you have a large dragonborn windbreak before you, but that is neither here, nor there.

As you crest a rise, Khitt suddenly pulls to a stop! Tracks, and big ones leading up ahead. Even exhausted, Khitt can tell that these belong to some kind of giant-kin and it seems to be pulling some kind of sled.

Khitt, you can make your Survival check to follow the tracks. If anyone else is trained in Survival, it can cancel out your disadvantage.

I assume when you say "trained" is the same as being proficient in that skill? I am proficent in survival, but I all so have the jack of trades ability as well if that works.
Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"Hmmm, they look like a creature that I have seen before...."

@Rodney, yes, trained = proficient. I think Jack of all Trades would work in that circumstance if you hadn't been trained. That will come in handy down the road. It's an ogre, definitely, but there is something wrong with its gait... like it is dragging its back leg... maybe lame?

Rodney spells Khitt of the responsibility by stepping up and calling upon his survivalist training back at the College of the Many Voices, or as the students used to joke, the College of Many Vices...

After another mile through the snows and up the base of the Cairn, the town of Caer-Konig below them, the party finds that the winds have blown the tracks clear... but Rodney's sharp eye spots slight indentations, for the winds could not completely wipe away the heavy tracks of the ogre...

After another half-hour, a blocky stronghold bereft of warmth or charm jutting out of a hillside in a rough crescent shape comes into view. Only part of its construction is visible; the rest is buried in the stone.

A large double door of stone serves as the main entrance. The terrain leading to it is a gently upward-sloping plain covered with fresh snow. A stream used to flow out of a barred culvert northeast of the main entrance, but the waterway has frozen. Two other barred openings can be seen along the stronghold’s northern wall. Anyone positioned behind these openings would have an unobstructed view of the hillside.

Closer to you, separated from the rest of the stronghold, is a snow-covered stone bunker perforated by arrow slits.

Quick question, what are you doing for light? Remember that even during the day, it is dark, about the same as dusk for us...

I think everyone except Rodney and the dragonborn has Darkvision. A couple of people have torches or lanterns, though Baldrick would remind them that he has a magic rock that sheds light (i.e., a Light spell cast on a small stone).

We might still be too far away from either structure, but I'll roll for stonework now in case I forget later:

History: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

"Who did this? And how did anyone build these structures without the dwarves of the Cairn noticing??"

Do we want to stand around while someone sneaks closer to the bunker?

When you get closer, it almost looks dwarvish in craftsmanship, but something seems off...

Netz takes a look at the foreboding structure and says if that ogre went in there then this is a forward strike point like the Romans would build. A fortress from which these things can attack and retreat to and defend from as well. The people here are in considerable danger if that is what this is.

He is going to use his boots to make his tracks look like a saytr's.

As he gets closer, Umikh, too, checks out the stone work. Stonecunning: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25...

Regardless of actual sneaking, he would be trying to be quiet, so stealth: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18, armor is noisy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

Umikh, assuming you share this out loud to your compatriots, this structure is designed architecturally with only function in mind with little regard for beauty. The works of the mountain folk have much more regard for the surrounding beauty of the mountain. This is the work of the Duergar, forcing nature to suit them and bending it to their will.

just out of curiosity Surv dadv: 2d20 ⇒ (1, 19) = 20

Rodney stepping up and making such an assured call on the type of tracks has Khitt on his heels. He thought maybe a wandering yeti but the drag to the tracks definitely had him confused. Khitt was more than happy to let Rodney make the call on this one as he was feeling terrible from the harsh journey up to this point.

Khitt is impressed with the bard’s skill as he follows along to the fortress. Now that they have found the destination of their quarry, Khitt feels a bit more responsible, and has an urge step up and say something. ”Shit!” was about all he could muster at this point.

Huddled with the others, Baldrick scratches at his temple with his new warhammer: "Think it was the duergar, eh? I thought it looked strange. Hmumph - well, then" sweeping his 'hammer down and out, pointing it at the structure "let's go see who's inside!"

And, so saying, will begin to tramp off in the direction of the bunker.

In a sharp whisper ”Baldrick, wait! We need a plan. It would take a small army to attack that fortress head on. ”

Baldrick stops, mid-turn, eyes opening wide as he turns back to Khitt: "Oh! ... Let's find another way in." Frowning, he looks from one person to another: "Say - who's good sneaking?"

I have the sneak of a large dragon roasting bullocks so there is that Niversal says

Quietly but still out loud Bwahahaha!, Umikh slaps Netz on the shoulder. Not very sneaky us.

Khitt shakes his head putting the palm of his hand in front of his face.

is there a skill roll that one of us could attempt in order to locate the best point of entry? If only we were 6th Lhitt would have a climb speed lol.

Rodalas hasn't chimed in yet, but I think he's got a good Stealth check. If he doesn't (or isn't interested in scouting), do Khitt or Rodney want to give it a shot? As mentioned, I don't think any of the dwarves are very sneaky...

is there a skill roll that one of us could attempt in order to locate the best point of entry? If only we were 6th Khitt would have a climb speed lol.

If you got closer, you could possibly. From the distance that you are at, you and maybe Rodalas could get in through the arrow ports on the watchtower... But aside from the main doors, you can't see another entrance.

We could rub soot on our faces and pretend to be duergar he muses, seeing no other way in