PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Eddrikk attempts to hit his manacles with his shortsword (best bet) but can't manage to get his blade to connect solidly with the iron (AC 19). He grabs a short sword and heads through the gate.
The swaying catwalk heading to the guard tower lies in front of him (difficult terrain for non-Drow) while the walkway to the right leads to the Quaggoth den. The strange creatures are shrieking and droning everywhere while the Drow are shouting to each other in Undercommon. Off the edge of the walkway, the pool lies glistening below the giant spider webs.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Bummer. You guys can also attempt smashing the manacles but it's MUCH louder to try that. Also, I think you have +3 on dex checks, not +5. You can't add a proficiency modifier to a straight ability check unless you're a bard, then you can add half-proficiency from jack of all trades.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Inspiration for Galinndan! This might seem funny but it's really important to have players involved on the book-keeping end. The inspiration for these activities will be maintained throughout the campaign but might be a bit less frequent after a while. After all, we want inspiration to be special and reward good RP too.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Galinndan Siannodel wrote:
Is there a good outcrop of stone to tie the rope to? Descend that way?
Galinndan will try again to slip his bonds.
[dice=Dex]1d20 + 5
Galinndan doesn't make it out of his bonds. There aren't any particularly prominent rock outcroppings but there are the structures of the outpost itself, such as the gate set in the rock. A rope tied to one of these could probably hold 4 people at a time.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Galenus breaks his manacles!
25 xp for escaping your own manacles and new inspiration for updating party loot.
Just as the guard is being changed and the next work crew is about to be brought out, a horrible droning noise is heard, followed by insane screeching noises. Those at the gate to the slave pen see two hideous, vulture-like creatures soar rapidly into the cavern. They are followed quickly by four creatures that look like giant flies.
Images on the third slide of the map link.
The Drow guards blow their horns in sharp blasts to alert the entire outpost. Soldiers rush to their stations, as do two females garbed as priestesses (you recognize the leader, Ilvara). The strange creatures seem to pay them no mind, slamming into each other in the air and emitting horrible noises. Several of the Drow in the guard tower fall unconscious, apparently from the noises.
Jorlan rushes to the slave pen and unlocks it. In a hushed whisper, he says
Undercommon:
This is not my doing but there could be no better distraction. GO!
He returns hurriedly to the defense of the outpost, the gate unlocked.
What do you do? The only way down out of the outpost most of you are aware of is climbing down the steep walls or jumping into the pool. You might be able to leap through the gap between the wall and the web, landing directly in the pool (DC 8 acrobatics).
Eddrikk:
You are the most aware of the ways down from this hanging outpost. They are jumping into the pool, taking the lift on the far side of the outpost, or trying to climb down the steep walls. It's far too high to jump directly down to the cavern floor.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Yes passive checks are a new thing. I kind of like them for some things, not for others. I'll use passive checks when I feel they make sense (e.g. passive insight if someone is lying badly to you).
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
A belated 50 xp to Cyrus for pick-pocketing a guard. 50 xp to Eddrikk for getting a makeshift set of thieve's tools together (-1 on the skill check but still). Time to push things along.
After Eddrikk's shift, he and the others are taken back to the slave pen. Under the pretense of bringing all the slaves their food, Jorlan speaks through the gate.
Undercommon and DC 12 passive perception for those other than Eddrikk:
You speak of interesitng things Dwarf. I will leave this gate unlocked and distract the other guards. You lot will slip out, jump into the webs, and then down into the pool to escape. First, give me a few of the female's hairs so I may plant them in Shoor's room. It will seem he did this.
Jorlan's hideous face twists in a self-satisfied smile.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Ah thanks for filling us in. It seemed unusual as he is typically a very consistent poster. I would normally have botted him by now but this isn't a normal campaign so I didn't feel the same policy would apply. I hope he's doing ok!
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Ront is currently on the work crew. I'll update the slave pen to make this easier to track. Also, you haven't necessarily been conspicuous with the telepathy. For all they can see, you've been sitting quietly resting with the occasional odd facial expression.
Slave pen:
The others don't respond but when Galenus calls out to them, the twin gnomes saunter over, as does the Kua-toa, wondering what you want. The female deep gnome smiles at the invitation to join in while the male mutters under his breath.
Eddrikk:
Jorlan turns to you with a sneer on his scarred face and prepares to backhand you. But his hand stops when you mention the tryst between Irdril and Shoor. He listens quietly without speaking. He replies in a deadly whisper
What is this of a joining between Shoor and a slave?
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Glad you guys are enjoying them. The NPCs are basically straight out of the book.
Kanzen, you know that the normal Drow guards are probably a decent match for you guys one-on-one given equal equipment/condition. The Drow with silver spiders on their chests are elite warriors and are significantly stronger, though you've never fought against one so you're unsure how much stronger.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
You find Galenus' advice reasonable and pile the weapons against the wall and sit in a bunch. Not too soon, either, as two guards and one with a silver spider on his chest approach the pen. This elite guard is not Shoor but instead a Drow who looks terribly deformed from acid scars. They pick out Eddrikk, Buppido, Ront, and Eldeth and take them along the catwalk toward the guard tower.
Eddrikk is still able to communicate with you mentally until he reaches the guard tower about 30 ft away, at which point all communication with him ceases.
Eddrikk:
The four of you are taken to the southwest end of the outpost where a great winch lowers a cage to the cave floor far below this suspended camp. You are all set to work scraping the rust out of the winch with small wire brushes.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Anyone who wishes to may attempt a dex check or str check to get out of their manacles. You can only attempt this once per day and the DC is pretty high.
Comparing notes, you begin determining the layout of the outpost. Cyrus and Galinndan attempt to free themselves from their manacles but can't manage it.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Irdril:
You would add your charisma to that so a total of 21.
Shoor's mind seems a bit blown. Drow men are used to being servants in passion, rather than lords. He lies back, somewhat glassy-eyed. He looks at you as you speak to him and responds in common.
You will return to the slave pen but perhaps there will be repeats of this.
He gives you some meat that is a much higher quality than the mushroom broth you've been served here and leads you back to the slave pen. He pushes you inside unceremoniously and leaves without a word.
Eddrikk attempts to remove his own manacles but can't quite manage it. He stops abruptly when the Drow returns, shoving Irdril into the slave pen and leaving without a word.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Great question, Eddrikk. Funny thing about the Underdark is, you don't know. You only know when you sleep. The Drow are taking shifts and so have you guys been. Your shift is about to begin again. Each shift is roughly eight hours but I've been fast-forwarding through most of the "you sweep for 6 hours" kind of stuff.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
This is a good opportunity for me to mention that I'll typically fade to black on sex scenes, for multiple reasons the foremost of which being keeping all players and myself feeling comfortable and welcome in the game. I didn't expect it to come up so quickly but Irdril's been rolling quite nicely with that charisma. XD
Nice work by Galinndan as well. Gotta just shake my head when a penalty beats a bonus (deception against Shoor's insight). Reminds me too much of my last session of CoS when my wife (GM) crit me with disadvantage and rolled 88th percentile damage too.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Insight:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
The Drow shrugs and accepts Galinndan's answer, largely because he is pretty distracted. He turns to his underlings.
Undercommon:
Return these others to the pen. I'll speak to this one in private and teach her to be more respectful of her betters.
They begin herding the clump of prisoners toward the slave pen.
On a 21 or above, the sack can be carried quietly:1d100 ⇒ 49
One of the guards laughs about the antics and Irdril's suggestion while the other, a mark on his cheek where he was struck, walks the slave silently back to the pen and thrusts them inside. You expect it will be a few minutes before guards come for the next work shift again.
Irdril:
Shoor leads you out the other exit from this guardroom across another crosswalk to the bottom chamber of a separate stalactite. He keeps an eye on his surroundings as he walks. The chamber contains cushions laid out across floor mats, a small carved table with two chairs, and a sturdy zurkhwood chest. The table holds a pewter pitcher and a pair of matched goblets. He seems to relax when he brings you into the room.
We can fade to black here and you can make a single perform check unless there's something specific and different from what you suggested to him that you'd like to attempt.
DC 12 insight for Irdril:
Shoor is nervous he'll be caught taking you to his quarters.
DC 15 perception for Irdril:
You notice a wand that Shoor keeps in a loop on his belt.
50 xp each for Galinndan and Irdril for pulling that off. I didn't think it would work but Irdril's massive charisma gave Galinndan a shot at that and the dice pulled through. 25 xp for Galenus and Kanzen as well.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Care to move yourself on the map to the back of the group, Galinndan? You should be able to.
When Shoor sees Irdril's lack of comprehension, he repeats himself in common. The guards then talk animatedly among themselves, trying to figure out what to do with the missing prisoner, Irdril's proposition, and Kanzen's insult before spotting Galinndan at the back of the group. One shouts to him
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
The guard's face turns pale with rage at Kanzen's remark. He begins drawing his shortsword when his superior puts a firm hand on his arm, intrigued by Irdril's remark.
Undercommon:
The guards have just started wondering where the last prisoner is. At the interruption, Shoor says to Irdril
An interesting proposition, slave. Perhaps later, after we have sorted out this situation.
Galinndan thinks his odds of sneaking back to the slave pen are somewhat slim but not impossible. The equipment in his sack might clank together as he moves and the guards are currently directly in the way of his path back to the slave pen.
Those in the slave pen:
The goblin begins reacting hysterically to the release of the spores. What do you do?
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Ok I've added a slide to current maps to show the situation in the guard tower. The brown squares are zurkhwood tables.
Galinndan slinks down out of the armory with a bag full of weapons. He sees the guards and prisoners assembled near the exit back to the slave pen with their backs turned counting the prisoners and starting to speak with some agitation.
None of the rest of you notice Galinndan yet as he is being very stealthy. What do you do?
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
A guard comes over to Galenus and strikes him across the back of the head.
Damage:1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Galinndan disappears up the ladder.
Galinndan:
You find yourself in the armory. Hanging on the walls around you, you see
6 chain shirts
6 suits of studded leather armor
6 shields
6 hand crossbows
20 cases of hand crossbow bolts, each case containing 20 bolts
6 shortswords and 10 daggers
6 bags of caltrops (20 caltrops per bag)
4 100-foot-long coils of silk rope
2 building hammers (not usable as weapons)
2 bags of iron spikes (10 spikes per bag)
You realize that much of this would be extremely difficult to conceal. What do you do?
25 xp each to Galinndan and Galenus for their accomplishments of teamwork.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Galinndan thinks that a stealthy person may be able to make it up the ladder without the gambling guards noticing if they eased their way over to the base of the ladder.
Mechanically, a successful stealth check is all what's required, the gambling distraction making a stealth check possible. Further distraction may grant advantage.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Sure. It was somewhat subtle since most of those involved in the action had darkvision (so it just made it a bit harder for them to see). I think you were going for the fire effect and I hadn't yet described that they're not burning torches but you didn't lose anything by doing it.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Galinndan manages to grab a pair of spoons and hide them under his spare garment. No more promising weapons present themselves in this room though and exceptionally bold slave might attempt to climb into the chamber above without being noticed. Shoor glares at the guard, who holds his hands up submissively, and comes to the door to see what is going on. He snarls at Galenus and shoves him back into the center of the chamber.
Undercommon:
Shoor asks the guard outside the slave pen what happened then laughs and also spits into the spider webs toward the body of the Drow slave.
Shoor then returns to his dice game with the other guards but none of them seem to be enjoying it as much.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Eddrikk snatches up the wire right before the torch on the wall, lit by phosphorescent fungi, falls into the spider webs. Eddrikk can still see but not quite as well.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
Yes, for sure. The format definitely imposes unique constraints while it also provides unique abilities, e.g. everyone has time to revise their dialogue, I have time to look up cool pictures of monsters to share, etc.
PM me if you have an idea of something I can be doing better!
On the walls hang some large serving spoons, frying pans, pots, forks, and brooms. There are other things as well but those are the most dangerous-looking ones.
Tiberius:
Stool shuffles toward the Quaggoth and puffs out a small cloud of spores. Soon, you hear a new, deeper voice in your mind. This language barrier is most unfortunate but I am glad to meet you. I am Prince Derendil.
