[5e] Descent into Avernus (Inactive)

Game Master mishima

I had a few days of food poisoning. Still not good.

Should be back tomorrow.

Sorry, know how that goes. Hope you feel better soon.

Get some rest, Helaman!

I would like to apologize to you all for my absence. I don't like talking about it, as usually I can deal with it, however I have, slightly random swings of burnout and apathy over the course of the year where I lose all interest in almost everything. Where even things I normally greatly enjoy feel like a chore to do at best. Normally, I can push through, continue on and eventually the "burnout" as I've called it leaves. However I've hit a particularly rough patch this time around. That coupled with doubling my work time due to the holidays has left me with the desire to do nothing. However, that doesn't excuse my radio silence in this, and my other games. So again, I would like to apologize for that.

I think I'm on the upswing, and, if you would still have me I will happily rejoin the game properly in hopefully a few days time.

Don't mean to armchair diagnose but sounds a lot like depression, there's some pharmaceutical options out there that can really turn things around (if you haven't explored those options already). Some of my close family have been through similar.

But anyways, hope you feel better. Game will still be here for you.

Agreed! We are always ready to welcome you back!

Always ready to have you back...

Can anyone loan Mal some more daggers? He's out

I think can use object to take it from another character and throw it, right?

Sure, you can use your free Use an Object for that, like drawing from a sheathe.

Donal has one you could use. It could also be common practice for him to pre-authorize you to use it...

Anyone else can loan Mal a dagger for next round?

cheers

The women upstairs all had daggers, I believe Gorn was looting all the mundane equipment.

And bleh, haven't updated loot list in quite a while. Will hit that today at some point.

Loot tab updated in the sheet. As far as ranged stuff goes, in addition to the 4 daggers collected upstairs, you've also gotten 2 heavy crossbows and 8 quarrels. Also an oil flask and flint/steel.

Haven't updated gold/values but items are there anyways.

Team

I’m starting a business trip working 14 hour days. Bot me until Saturday.

Thanks

Had a discussion with a friend about saving throws and spells. Largely regarding the fact that Spells like Dominate person etc should be Charisma saves, sense the magic is trying to force down "you", and your force of personality is what would resist such a thing.

Wondered what everyone's thought on it was.

Agreed

Here's what I use

Saving Throw by Attribute

-Strength: Resist any effect that forcefully moves, restrains, or paralyzes you.

Strong creatures are hard to physically control! You don't cast Hold Person on an Ogre because it's probably too strong to be held by your magic. The invisible magical restraints of the spell are easily overcome by the Ogre's brute strength.

• Monsters with effects that cause physical paralysis (Carrion Crawler, Ghoul, etc.)

• Spells: Hold Person; Imprisonment; Levitate (against an unwilling creature); Thunderwave; Web

Note: When a spell allows a saving throw at the start of every turn, this STR save attempt does not automatically fail from your Paralyzed Condition. This is the exception to the general rule.

Failing your STR save vs Hold Person gives you the Paralyzed Condition, which means you automatically fail STR and DEX saving throws. Now, the Hold Person spell also says that you can attempt a new saving throw at the end of each of your turns. This has the unfortunate side of meaning you can never end the spell early because you would automatically fail your Strength Save. This problem doesn't exist in the RAW because the spell calls for a WIS save, not my proposed STR save. How do we solve this? Solution: The most simple solution is to say that you can attempt to make a new STR save to end the spell effect early, but this STR save does not automatically fail from your Paralyzed Condition. This is a perfect example of Specific Beats General. I know it seems like a clunky fix, but that's what happens when you try to modify an existing system. You might want to use this same "fix" when an effect would give you the Stunned Condition as well.

-Dexterity: Avoid area effects, to dodge projectiles or rays; to maintain your balance.

• Monsters: Certain eye rays of a Beholder, Dragon Breath

• Situations: Avoiding ball bearings, caltrops, hunting traps, stay on bucking mount.

• Spells: Blade Barrier; Burning Hands; Chain Lightning; Delayed Blast Fireball; Disintegrate; Earthquake (maintain balance and avoid holes); Faerie Fire; Fireball; Firestorm; Flame Strike; Flaming Sphere; Guardian of Faith; Light; Lightning Bolt; Meteor Swarm; Sacred Flame; Wall of Stone

-Constitution: Resist effects that target your Health or Body; to resist Cold effects; to maintain your Concentration, resist death effect spells.

• Monsters: Resist Spider Poison, Mummy Rot Disease, A Wraiths Necrotic damage and Energy Drain, Radiant Damage

• Situation: Forced March, Resist starvation or thirst, Maintain your Concentration on a spell when you take damage

• Spells: Cone of Cold; Finger of Death; Harm; Holy Aura; Ice Storm; Spirit Guardian; Sunburst;

-Intelligence: to see through illusions; to avoid being tricked or confused, Resist Psychic damage.

• Monsters: Mind Flayer mind blast,

• Spells: Dream, Feeblemind, Phantasmal Killer
Weird (even though is an Enchantment, it does psychic damage). Power Word Stun; all Illusion spells now require making an Intelligence Saving Throw instead of making an Intelligence (Investigation) check to disbelieve.

-Wisdom: Resist Fear effects, direct attempts to compel and dominate.

• Monsters: Dragons and their Dragon Fear ability.

• Situation: Monsters resisting your Turn Undead Channel Divinity ability

• Spells: Banishment, Command, Compelled Duel, Dominate Person, Sanctuary; Cause Fear.

-Charisma: Resist Charms and Enchantments, attempt to stay connected to your Plane.

• Monsters: Astral Dreadnoughts (MToF) and their 'Donjon Visit' ability (teleporting you to its plane), Dryads Charm, Satyr Pipes 'Charming Melody' and 'Gentle Lullaby'. Note that the Satyr Pipes 'Frightening Strain' generates a fear effect and so would use the Wisdom Saving Throw.

• Situation: Resist a college of Glamour bards Enthralling Performance.

• Spells: Charm Person, Friends, Mass Suggestion; Otto's Irresistible Dance; Suggestion, resisting Banishment spell.

Notes: Implications of these changes to saving throws:

• The saving throws are now more spread out over the six ability scores

• Effects that call for a saving throw now better follow the definitions of each ability score.

• Wisdom isn't the generic catch-all for "mental things".

• Strength and Constitution are finally differentiated.

• There are no "bad saving throws" anymore!!!! Each type of Saving Throw has a unique niche in the game mechanics.

• CHARISMA IS NO LONGER A LEGITIMATE DUMP SCORE!!! EVEN FOR COMBAT!!!! VICTORY!!!!

• Clerics are good at resisting Fear and Charm effects (but not necessarily Illusions)

• Fighters are actually good at resisting Stuns, Restraints, Paralysis, Poison, Energy Drain, Cold, and other endurance targeting effects. This makes a Fighter HARD to shutdown with physical effects…just like it should be!

• Rogues are good at dodging things and hard to be tricked by illusions! Makes perfect sense to me.

• Wizards are good at resisting tricks, Illusions, and Fear (but not necessarily charms)

That said, spells like charm and suggestion would remain wisdom, as I argued they are more about tricking you than actually suppressing you. I like the list mostly though. Though I'd still argue that any AoE damage/elemental spell should remain Dex. As then you get into the can of worms that "well you can resist heat effects with your body too right?"

I'm personally not open to changing spell saves in this game, for what its worth.

no no, I was merely curious to peoples thoughts. Changing spell saves would be more work on me, and I'm, well, rather lazy.

Yeah, its the 'more work' aspect for me mainly. I just want to look stuff up instantly on dndbeyond and not have to cross reference with a bunch of house rules.

Hi Team

I’m starting another business trip Monday working 14 hour days returning Friday. Bot me as necessary. Sorry. My travels should calm down after this trip.

Thanks

Be on in a few hours hopefully

Empty room and zombie bodies. Cultist has a potion and another crossbow and 4 quarrels, and 2 daggers. Closest exit is to the east, but there is also a large unexplored swath of dungeon back to the west.

If any of you magic types want a crack at this potion, let me know. I'll keep it in my loot log, but don't forget about it.

@DM: I know you said the zombie room was empty, but there's a sarcophagus on the map. Is that actually there or just a printing error?
I'd feel real bad if I left a sarcophagus un-smashed. =}

I'm back. Sort of. 25th Anniversary dinner tomorrow, so Friday to post.

cheers

Smash away, but spoiler alert its empty. Was just trying to save time.

Also reminder you can ID potions with a little roll-less taste test in 5e. Just a small chance its pure, lethal, contact poison of course.

Lol

I'll be out for holiday travel 24, 25, 26 of this week.

Sweeeeeet.

I'll be gone Thursday/Friday too.

I’m sorry guys. I posted on Saturday which evidently got eaten. At work now, I’ll post tonight

No worries, hate when that happens.

I just am coming online after 2 days off line

Back and catching up.

Cool

Back

Sorry, will get an update later today.

Shroud Self ability, she's invisible but the bloody tracks make her targetable at disadvantage.

Does Mal lose his sneak attack damage against her? Can he still target her with a spell?

Shroud Self ability, she's invisible but the bloody tracks make her targetable at disadvantage.

Does Mal lose his sneak attack damage against her? Can he still target her with a spell?

thanks

In general, sneak attack is foiled by stuff like this that imposes disadvantage. In this specific case, to get around it, you would need an ally closeby (easy) and a way to remove disadvantage.

For spells, you have to read the text of every spell. Some specifically require a target to be seen, others don't. For example Mind Sliver explicitly requires it:

You drive a disorienting spike of psychic energy into the mind of one creature you can see within range.

One generality though is that a spell with an attack roll can be cast on an invisible target (with disadvantage). Also spells that target points in space instead of creatures directly can of course be used, if you have any.

My idea is that all the blood paints her legs so that she becomes much easier to see.

(And blood sticks to stuff really well. Srsly, you ever try to wash out a blood stain? Not easy, my friend. You could bleach it and set it on fire and the only thing left would be that frickin blood stain.)

What hurts my brain a bit is that she was under a Disguise Self spell, so if you had splashed her while visible, you wouldn't have seen her get coated in blood. Also, she was already completely covered in blood. XD

But yes that will work, will post up after work. If you guys (sans Gorn) want to go ahead and roll for Round 2 (without disadvantage now) feel free.

Short rest in barracks?

Yeppers

Confirmed.

Short rest: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 71d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

HP = 2 +7 +6 = 14 HP

As part of mah Chef awesomesauce, anyone who gains hp from a short rest, and eats mah snacks, gains another d8. (Hint: it's jello!)

Short rest? Narratively welcome... but about as much use

Yeah Grim, not ignoring the fact that its been like 3-4 months (real time) since you have had any abilities and such to play with. You definitely win the endurance trophy...and sorry.

Nom noms took me to full. Thanks to Gorn, our irreverent cooking monster!

I tried to get us out of here, but the rest of the party kept saying we can go further. As a fighter, I can go with short rests the whole way, until I am out of HD (I got 1 left), but I think soon we will HAVE to leave it for later... I could certain use the level up... ;)