Bodacious presents: Red Hand of Doom (A5E) (Inactive)

Game Master BodaciousGaming

The Red Hand hobgoblins have their sights set on the Elsir Vale. Spurred on by a charismatic leader and backed by extraplanar allies, heroes are needed to defend the Vale.


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Female Elf Druid 5
Speaker of the Vale wrote:

Hmm.

This one leaves a little bit for interpretation as it applies to things like squads, but I’ll answer each in turn.

I’m certain that it’s one attack roll per creature in the area. Normally spells are a little more clear on whether including creatures in an area of effect is the caster’s choice. This wording isn’t clear, but other parts of it make me lean towards its intent being caster choice for inclusion. It’s got a weird little interaction with squads in that the spell affects an area, but it’s targeted attacks. It’s not clear, and for the sake of making a ruling for now I’ll say that the unarmed strike damage is treated as normal and the thunder damage will be treated as an AOE effect that the squad’s area vulnerability is affected by. They are immune to effects other than the damage from things like this, but the non-squad creatures are subject to the effect as normal.

The last sentence is worded as if all creatures in the area regardless of whether you target them in the attack rolls have to make the save, but I’m inclined to ignore that unless it presents an abuse case, which I’m not suspicious it will with this group.

I'm thinking that since a melee attack can be made to a squad, if Luanna uses this spell and a squad is in the AOE, she rolls the attack against the squad and the damage applies to the squad, as it would (I think) when a melee attack is made on the squad. I'll go with your ruling, in any case.


Female Elf Druid 5

I'm fine with 'botting. It is common practice for players to specify in their profiles 'botting instructions, if they have a preference to what happens in general. Spellcasters sometimes specify situations in which they will cast certain spells.

I'm fine with the practice, so long as at least 24 hours is given. It is also recommended that any player who knows he/she/they may not be able to post for a day to give the narrator a heads up in the discussion section so the game is not delayed waiting for a post that the player is not going to be able to make, such as when people are on vacation or dealing with a surge of work.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

Posting will be a little thinner today than normal for me.

After Stensan posts the following happens mechanically, don’t wait for me to post to start taking y’all’s actions. I’ll post when I can in the gameplay thread after the fact. The two squads in the burning webs have failed their saves to not be restrained. They take twice as much damage from the fire and are unable to get out of it. Disciplined as they are, they don’t have the presence of mind to fire arrows while within the burning webbing. They attempt strength checks to break free, both also failing.

The priest cackles maniacally while he burns. A spectral dragon claw appears next to Valen and slashes down, critically hitting for 10 force damage (7 on the mirror image check). He then casts sacred flame at Kana Kana: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10, which she fails as she is caught unawares. She takes 6 radiant damage. The bladebearer will stand up so Anyone in melee gets an advantaged AOO. Assuming she lives she’ll survey the battlefield of her failed ambush and make three attacks against anyone in melee. Since her survival depends so heavily on how well Kana rolls on sneak attack and whether Stensan is in melee to take his I’ll hold off making the bladebearer attack rolls until I’m able to post.


Female Elf Druid 5

My posting this week will generally be limited to what I can get in while drinking coffee in the morning. I'm a teacher and this is my last week with my current class. This means grading is a priority. Since this term I have a class double the usual size, that will take more time. If it is my turn and I don't post in the AM, go ahead and 'bot Luanna.

Near future, Luanna is considering using her Whirlwind Kick spell to do damage to as many in the area of the webbed squads and the priest. To properly appreciate the moment, try to imagine a grizzly bear jumping in the air, spinning with her legs kicking everyone as she flies overhead. Bruce Lee eat your heart out!

If the situation is not right for that spell, she will probably move to attack the priest with her claws, hoping to grapple her and put an end to her spells. See the Brown Bear stats for the grapple option with a claw attack.

She has a spell she can cast as a reaction to melee damage against her. If the damage is substantial, she will cast Force of Will to reduce the amount of damage taken.

She can also use her bonus action to direct the vine to do various things. See the section in her profile under her Treespeaker archetype entries.


Female Dreamborn Burglar Rogue AC 18 +1 TWF | hp 37/43 | STR +1 DEX +9 CON +4 INT +7 WIS +2 CHA +3 | Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 feet; Perception +4

How is drawing a weapon generally handled?
Only two references i found are these:

Dual-Wielding Expert: You are a whirlwind of steel.
Wielding a weapon in each hand grants you a +1 bonus to AC.
You may dual-wield any two weapons without the two-handed quality.
You can sheathe or unsheathe two weapons as part of your movement action.

Ambidextrous
Starting at 9th level, you add your Dexterity modifier
(minimum 1) to damage when making an attack
using two weapon fighting. Additionally, you can use
your Cunning Action to draw and throw, or pick up
and throw, a weapon or improvised weapon.

Liberty's Edge

Male Historian/Curator

sorry for the delay..work and this heat were slowing me down!!


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry
Kana Cherryblossom wrote:

How is drawing a weapon generally handled?

Only two references i found are these:

Dual-Wielding Expert: You are a whirlwind of steel.
Wielding a weapon in each hand grants you a +1 bonus to AC.
You may dual-wield any two weapons without the two-handed quality.
You can sheathe or unsheathe two weapons as part of your movement action.

Ambidextrous
Starting at 9th level, you add your Dexterity modifier
(minimum 1) to damage when making an attack
using two weapon fighting. Additionally, you can use
your Cunning Action to draw and throw, or pick up
and throw, a weapon or improvised weapon.

Without a feat or other feature, you can draw or stow one weapon on your turn as a part of your movement. The feat allows you to draw two as a part of that same movement. Barring the feat or feature, drawing an additional weapon requires an action. Neither can be done as a reaction. Reactions are limited to what you have in hand when you end your turn.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

For Whirlwind kick, we’ll go with the spell as written with the adjustment that for squads, the thunder damage is applied to the group as AOE damage. The unarmed strike damage is applied as normal damage. And since you’re currently in bear form use 1d4 + Wis as your unarmed strike damage. No such spell exists for 5e so it’s taken a couple reads to wrap my head around. Since it’s a melee spell attack, your wisdom modifier applies and it makes sense that since your physical form is a bear that you would use a claw versus 1+Wis as normal for an unarmed melee spell attack.


Female Dreamborn Burglar Rogue AC 18 +1 TWF | hp 37/43 | STR +1 DEX +9 CON +4 INT +7 WIS +2 CHA +3 | Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 feet; Perception +4

I think you need to tell me how much damage i took.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

Sorry I thought I updated the post. It was 6 radiant damage.


Female Dreamborn Burglar Rogue AC 18 +1 TWF | hp 37/43 | STR +1 DEX +9 CON +4 INT +7 WIS +2 CHA +3 | Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 feet; Perception +4

Yes you posted that here in discussion and i already took that. Thought there was yet more.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry
Kana Cherryblossom wrote:
Yes you posted that here in discussion and i already took that. Thought there was yet more.

No I just transcribed it over to the gameplay tab for single thread continuity.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

Xulgag is up


Female Elf Druid 5

My posting time got eaten up spending time with unexpected visitors from out of town this morning. My next chance to post will be this evening or the next morning. 'Bot me if necessary.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

Kana I neglected to include you in that post. You’re up in the same turn order block. So Kana and Xulgag remain followed by Stensan and Valen at the top of the round. Don’t wait to post your actions. I’ll narrate the order of actions out in summary.


Male Human Warlock AC 16 | Mana Points 10/10 | hp 57/57 | STR +0 DEX +2 CON +3 INT +0 WIS +7 CHA +0 | Init +2; Perception +7

Currently feeling a bit under the weather, a lot of head fog. Will probably post sometime tomorrow at the earliest Friday at the latest. Sorry for the delay. Assume Valen continues the fighting retreat.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

This is probably a great spot to remind everyone of the house rule I use wherein anyone proficient with medicine and has a healer’s kit/satchel can spend 1 minute and a use of said satchel to perform non-magical healing on someone. The target can then expend a number of hit die equal to their proficiency bonus (+3) as if they had completed a short rest. You can only benefit from this once per short rest, but the person performing the healing is limited only by their available uses of their satchel. This does not overlap the ability to use the healers satchel as part of the feat that Stensan has. He is still free to use the satchel as an action to apply healing as per the feat instead of the 1 minute my house rule takes.

I implemented this a few campaigns ago because I hated groups always feeling like they just HAD to fill a party role for dedicated magical healer and hit dice were such an underutilized resource in 5e. A5E has more uses for it with being able to expend them to regain exertion points, but I still felt like it was a warranted addition to the game.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

It’s also a good opportunity for me to ask you all how you feel about your first combat? I don’t intend on this campaign to be entirely combat, but it will be a strong 60-70% by my best guess, as befits a campaign of this theme.

How is everyone feeling about pacing of posts? Any feedback for me on things you just really hated or loved? Rules interactions that just bugged you? Things of that nature. I always welcome feedback either public or private, but after that first combat it’s a good time to talk about it while it’s fresh on everyone’s mind.

Additionally it’s a decent time to say that if there was a feature of your character that you really didn’t like you’re more than welcome to make some alterations at this point. After another combat or two I’ll be asking everyone to kind of lock in their selections for these characters, although I’m a big believer in retiring characters when the player feels like they are ready to move on to something else. Narratively it doesn’t mean a character isn’t a part of the story any longer, but we can work together to make sure everyone is playing the characters they want to play and are satisfied with the experience.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

I’ll be wrapped up in home improvement projects this weekend. If I have a chance I’ll narrate us on to Drellin’s ferry. It might not be until early Monday I have a chance though.


Male Human Warlock AC 16 | Mana Points 10/10 | hp 57/57 | STR +0 DEX +2 CON +3 INT +0 WIS +7 CHA +0 | Init +2; Perception +7

Sorry was sick longer than expected. Got busy yesterday as well.

Overall it went well I thought it was quick and despite the complextity with a good pace of movement.


Female Elf Druid 5

I'm still learning the system. So far, other than a few early concerns about battlefield details, no issues with narration.

I think D&D (lke similar systems) is primarily a combat system. Non-combat RP is vital as well, but I'm in another game now where it seems there is a lot of conversation, and I'm finding myself getting impatient for something to fight or at least explore. I think it's kind of like a good action/adventure movie where exposition typically gets peppered into the more interesting combat and hazard challenges.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a good example. It starts out with action, then some exposition where Indy learns the Nazis are looking for the Ark and a transition to Nepal. Conversation is interrupted with a fight. Off to Egypt where they locate the ark. That recovery effort is interrupted by the many snakes and capture by the Nazis. Some more exposition, then a chase scene. So it goes.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

I appreciate the feedback. Sorry for the delays in posting. I was hemmed up all weekend in a house painting project. Should be back to regular posting intervals. I’ve carried us on to Drellin’s Ferry in the gameplay thread.


Female Elf Druid 5

I am curious how often the benefits of destiny will manifest. Luanna's relates to slaying hobgoblins. The text says, "You gain Inspiration whenever you strike a blow against an especially powerful creature related to your destiny (but not necessarily your specific destined foe).

Force the powerful enemy’s retreat, obtain an item important to their defeat, gain a significant insight into their location or intentions, defeat one of their trusted lieutenants."

Did the fight we just fought count as giving her inspiration?

It sounds like the inspiration feature is a one-shot and will only return when the character again fulfills the requirement to gain inspiration.

The other aspect of destiny seems more long term and up to the GM to determine.

"You fulfill your destiny as a Slayer when you defeat a specific and powerful creature connected to your fate."

Assuming Luanna eventually fulfils her destiny in this manner, how long does the Fulfillment feature last?


Female Elf Druid 5

To the other PCs, I'm hoping the next segment of the game will provide a good opportunity to learn more about each PC's nature and background. I have a good idea about Sten, but know little of Xulgug, Valen, or Kana.

I'm particularly mystified about Kana. As a player I have no knowledge of the Dreamer heritage, and what I've been able to find and read in the source material suggests there is a wide range of ways the Dreaming manifests. I'm not really even sure of the basics, like what is the character's relationship to dreams. Did the character originate as someone else's dream and then attain a kind of independent existence and enter the material realm? Or is the character one who has visited the dreaming realm and come away changed by the experience?

At the very least, I'd like to know what the average inhabitant of the area would know and think of people like Kana. Would she be instantly identifiable, like people can instantly tell elves and dwarves when they see them? Or is it more subtle and difficult to recognize? How common are such people? What kind of reputation do they have?

I'm not even sure what Kana looks like. The recent reference to halflings makes me think she would look something like a halfling, except for the height indication of 5'6". Not sure of hair color, apparel, or other physical features.

I have similar questions for Valen and Xulgug. Valen has no profile information, and Xulgug gives nothing about background or appearance. Please try to work answers to these questions into posts, particularly when we are not in battle and have time to talk.

Like Kana, I'd like to know what the peopole of the area would think of an orc in their midst. Are orcs normally aggressive and dangerous, assumed to be up to no good? Or have enough orcs joined the more human societies that they are treated as individuals who may be good or evil?

When the opportunity arises, Luanna will ask questions of the PCs, although for now she is focused on her grandson and finding the family of his fiancé.


Male Human Warlock AC 16 | Mana Points 10/10 | hp 57/57 | STR +0 DEX +2 CON +3 INT +0 WIS +7 CHA +0 | Init +2; Perception +7

I’ll add some to his profile eventually. Been on mobile for an extended period. Hoping to get the time and access to internet with my laptop to get his profile up. I’ve worked in some bits of information in posts, and plan to put some more in future posts.


Female Dreamborn Burglar Rogue AC 18 +1 TWF | hp 37/43 | STR +1 DEX +9 CON +4 INT +7 WIS +2 CHA +3 | Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 feet; Perception +4

To be honest, i was watching "Sandman" lately and took a bit of inspiration from there.
Of course i have to actually add the backstory yet.
I did not imagine her as a halfling really and you probably couldn't tell whether she is a human or an elf or half-elf, but she would seem kind of weird and have some unusual features.
Maybe like the slightly longer pointed ears, a bit unusual eyes, things slightly marking her as a fey being.
"The dreaming" also refers to a fey realm i believe, so she is kind of a fey. I take it is the translation of the faery race from D&D5.
Compare it to that.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

If I’m honest, I actually am not the biggest fan of the destiny mechanic in A5E. 5e was a little too broad in just saying, “Just give inspiration for good roleplaying….or something”

A5E seems like it’s kind of built that really specifically into a corner and I’m worried that it might not feature as prominently in this adventure as it would in something a lot more open ended. I’m going to do my best to work in everyone’s destiny features and give them a chance to fulfill them. This campaign has a pretty quick pace and takes place over a fairly short time frame compared to other campaigns or something homebrew. What I am going to do is be adding inspiration as 5e would encourage in the form of good roleplaying or doing something mechanically disincentivized because it’s what the character would do. Engaging in the world and pushing the shiny buttons is also likely to draw an inspiration award.

With regards to your destiny feature, this group was tougher with the guards than I expected, but it’s kind of written to be a early slap to the characters that well trained legions of hobgoblins are dangerous, and that they aren’t quite yet the plane altering gods that they might be at later levels. There will be plenty of places where Luanna’s specific destiny feature will play out, but this fight isn’t one of them.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

I don’t know how everyone is accustomed to handling loot, but in the games I’ve run in the past I’ve always tasked players with managing their loot. Y’all divvy up the spoils of the last battle amongst yourselves and if any disagreements come of who gets what we’ll handle it in a classic d20 roll off. I don’t care who or if anyone takes the lead with tracking it or the method.


Female Elf Druid 5

I am reminded of a bit of shtick from when I was first playing D&D with Jeff Grubb. He liked to tell of a halfling character he named Highroll. The first time several PCs wanted a bit of loot, Jeff's PC said, "High roll gets it?" When the players agreed, he picked up the item, saying, "All right, Highroll gets it." It only worked once, but it was funny.

Most groups I've played in have been mature enough that useful items go to the PC that can make best use of it or needs it the most. Everything else gets sold and the proceeds divided evenly. A more formal system is to figure out the worth of everything if sold and each PC gets an even share of it. If someone wants to claim a particular item, ze subtracts the worth of the item from zir share. It's a little more complicated, but as fair as possible.

I think the loot we got here were just weapons and armor. Luanna doesn't need any weapons or armor and she's morally inclined to donate her share of the goods to the town.

Regarding foraging for medicinal plants or poisons, I'm wondering if her Treespeaker ability Treespeak would give her advantage when foraging for medicinal herbs or poisons? It allows her to communicate with plants (and another druid ability allows her to communicate with beasts) so I'm thinking that might help her locate herbs and poisons.

Also, she has a feature from her Druid "Secrets of Nature," Master Forager, which gives her advantage when foraging for edibles in nature. Would that same knowledge help when foraging for herbs or poisons?


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

The loot from the encounter was 600 gp in coins as well as two potions of greater healing. Kana RP’d picking them up.

As far as gathering herbs, I don’t think it’s so broken that we can’t apply a single collective expertise die for all of the features that you have to that kind of roll. Advantage seems a bit much since it’s not as much a feature of a situational boon as much as your natural tools to find these things. If a situation dictates an especially advantageous environment for finding these things, I’ll note the advantage. For now let’s call it a 1d4 expertise die to the roll. Master forager seems to be geared towards Supply rather than medicinals.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

Since we’re shifting modes a bit, I’m leveraging one of PBP’s advantages of running diverging simultaneous events to keep individual players engaged until we come back together. Exploring a town seems like a fine time to safely split the party if desired, so I’ll be running everyone’s individual responses in spoilers to minimize the scrolling needed. There’s nothing overly spoilery about other players reading these side encounters, the spoilers are just there to keep it concise and organized.


Female Elf Druid 5
Speaker of the Vale wrote:

The loot from the encounter was 600 gp in coins as well as two potions of greater healing. Kana RP’d picking them up.

As far as gathering herbs, I don’t think it’s so broken that we can’t apply a single collective expertise die for all of the features that you have to that kind of roll. Advantage seems a bit much since it’s not as much a feature of a situational boon as much as your natural tools to find these things. If a situation dictates an especially advantageous environment for finding these things, I’ll note the advantage. For now let’s call it a 1d4 expertise die to the roll. Master forager seems to be geared towards Supply rather than medicinals.

Sounds good. Thanks.


Female Elf Druid 5

I have found what I assume is a typo or misprint in the spell Venomous Succor. I checked the Adventurer's Guide text and it reads the same.

It is listed as a 3rd level spell, but in the section on effects from casting at higher levels, it says for each level above 2nd, it adds to the healing. Either this was supposed to be a 2nd level spell or the higher level should be for each level above 3rd.

What do you think is correct? Or am I missing something.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

It’s absolutely a typo. It appears as a third level spell in each instance of its printing, so the typo is in the upcasting section. It should read for each level above 3rd. Might have been something that was originally second level and that section was missed in the iterative process.


Female Elf Druid 5

Check.


Male Human Warlock AC 16 | Mana Points 10/10 | hp 57/57 | STR +0 DEX +2 CON +3 INT +0 WIS +7 CHA +0 | Init +2; Perception +7

Sorry was with family for the weekend, was busier than expected. Traveling again today so updates should be coming later today.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

Look forward to it Valen. It’s Labor Day weekend here in the states so I expect most people have family obligations to attend to.


Male Human Warlock AC 16 | Mana Points 10/10 | hp 57/57 | STR +0 DEX +2 CON +3 INT +0 WIS +7 CHA +0 | Init +2; Perception +7

Had a pass while on orders, so ended up getting very little done unfortunately. But back into the rythem now that it’s over.

Also if it is unclear I cast Augury with the second part of the post. Init is from the mirror mirror secret of arcana.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

So I took a look at augury. It had been a while and I needed to refresh myself. It’s always been one of those really fiat-y spells that leaves a lot to be predicted that may not come true. I think the best way to handle it going forward is when you cast it to maybe drop an ooc note about the specific course of action you’re looking to do so I can give you the best mileage out of the spell possible. Good, bad, both, or none is really loose, so just know your mileage may vary depending on what you’re looking to do.


Female Dreamborn Burglar Rogue AC 18 +1 TWF | hp 37/43 | STR +1 DEX +9 CON +4 INT +7 WIS +2 CHA +3 | Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 feet; Perception +4

I'm a but busy this week, hope to do an indepth post towards the weekend.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry
Kana Cherryblossom wrote:
I'm a but busy this week, hope to do an indepth post towards the weekend.

Understood. I’ll move things along and assume Kana follows along. Whatever she does in town we can assume happens during this afternoon of the day of arrival.


Male Human Warlock AC 16 | Mana Points 10/10 | hp 57/57 | STR +0 DEX +2 CON +3 INT +0 WIS +7 CHA +0 | Init +2; Perception +7

That’s fine with me, I like the flavor of the whole ability more than an anything so not particularly worried about it to much.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

Be a day or so getting a post up. Discovered some termite and water damage under under my door and have been working on replacing structural framing and flooring in my house.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

Got most of the home repairs knocked out so I made a post to keep the story going. The timeline has gotten a little loose with the individual threads kind of diverging in town, which I consider perfectly fine and actually a boon for PBP format. I'll leave the scene with Norro and Soranna open for folks to engage with when they feel like their business in town has been completed. Tomorrow afternoon US CST I'll be starting to push that scene further along and consider everyone's in town business mostly concluded.


Female Elf Druid 5

The next three days are going to busy with a variety of tasks that will interrupt my usual posting times. I'm getting a new computer and remodeling the room where I keep the computer. In addition to my school duties, I have a dentists appointment Thursday. I'll try to post sometime in the next few days, but it will not likely be every day.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry

I don’t know if everyone’s schedules suddenly got very busy this week, but I’m curious who all is still intending on continuing with the campaign. It seems like Luanna, Stensan, and Valen are the only ones posting any the past week and a half.


Female Elf Druid 5

I was checking other aliases of the players who haven't posted recently.

Xulgug: This is his/her/their first PBP alias, so no telling. May have just decided to quit without telling us.

Kana: a different alias post last Thursday explained the player was getting over a bout of flu. So Kana may be back.


Male Human Warlock AC 16 | Mana Points 10/10 | hp 57/57 | STR +0 DEX +2 CON +3 INT +0 WIS +7 CHA +0 | Init +2; Perception +7

Sorry was flying and getting settled in whole deployed. I should start to have a more predicable schedule from now on


Female Elf Druid 5

Is this campaign dead or just on hold? I hope it can continue.


Elsir Vale Map Drellin's Ferry
Luanna Raumolossë wrote:
Is this campaign dead or just on hold? I hope it can continue.

I was hoping to continue it but it doesn’t seem like there’s much interest outside of yourself and Valen. I had hopes for it to continue but I’m not sure I’m looking to do a big revolving door of players after every combat. Maybe it’s just the discouragement talking, but I’m also a little frustrated with Paizo as a forum. It’s not the most user friendly and it has been a frustrating thorn in my side that I’ve been quietly dealing with.

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