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[PbP] D&D 5E: The Hound of Cabell Manor (Game's done!)
Denada
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
A short adventure for four 3rd level characters.
The Guild of Explorers has many adventuring groups in its employ, offering a wide range of services to the hamlets, villages, towns, and cities that have taken root on the edge of proper society. The Cabell family has enlisted the services of the Guild, which has sent the four of you to the rustic village of Beechburton. There you will take the lonely road to Cabell Manor, meet with the Cabell family, and help them in their hour of need.
It's been a looooong while since I've run a play-by-post game here, but given the current state of the world this seems like a good time to give it another go. This is a short adventure for four level 3 PCs, meaning I don't expect this to last more than maybe a month, if that. If you're interested in playing, read on.
How to Apply
Create a level 3 character on D&D Beyond and post the link along with a brief description of your character. I don't own any D&D Beyond content so I'm not bothering to set up a campaign for this. Just create your character using whatever you have access to. Use whatever official content you'd like, including UA stuff. Note that this is a short adventure that won't be expanded into a longer campaign, so there's no need to go crazy with the backstory. Knock yourself out if that's what you're into, but I'm not asking for much and there's no extra credit. I'll give this a few days, maybe until Friday, and then pick a party (assuming there's enough interest).
Rules and Restrictions
- Use the standard array for attributes (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8)
- No feats.
- No Variant Humans.
- Instead of rolling for your HP, just give yourself the maximum possible result (ie don't roll 1d10, just give yourself 10).
- You all start with Inspiration.
- No loner characters, brooding characters, or assholes. You are a team that gets along well and respects each other.
- Whatever starting loot/money you get from character creation is what you get. I'll roll a treasure parcel or two and dole out additional loot once the party is chosen.
How I Want to Run Things
- Once the game is started, post your OOC (out of character) text in spoilers. Not because of secrets, but just so that the IC (in character) stuff is easier to see.
- You will use the built-in dice roller for rolls, assuming it still works. I will not be using it, because I'm the DM and I'm a special boy.
- I should be able to post pretty frequently as I can't exactly go anywhere, but I'm still working from home so there may be delays now and again. I expect a similar level of involvement from the party.
D&D/d20 Discussion Thread | Bread Space | One Eldritch Summer | I Want to Save the World but I'm Just a Level 1 Skeleton
Denada on
+1
Posts
(Please.)
I'd like to be in.
Will send a character once I get off of work. I'm working from home myself, so I should be able to post fairly regularly.
Mori - Warforged Grave Cleric, watched the graveyard he was built to guard be destroyed while he was in an inactive state, later joined an order of wandering clerics who believe it's their duty to sanctify defiled and forgotten graveyards far from civilization.
https://ddb.ac/characters/26350946/ssMSFt
Hack job photoshoppery...
Put me as a tentative yes for joining, but if the slots fill up I'll be happy to just watch from the sidelines.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/Araqir/characters/26348916
https://gofund.me/fa5990a5
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/Steelhawk691/characters/22140006
Rutherford King grew up a street rat on the wharf, the son of a common prostitute who didn't even bother to name him. Stowing away on the first ship he could, The Penniless Monarch, the young boy spent the next decade learning the ways of the world at the hands of a gang of surprisingly pleasant merchant-sailors. The decade after that however, he was taken as part of a prize as the pirates of the Vengeful Maiden took a shine to the glib and persuasive young man. Now entering his his 30's, the self named Rutherford King survived the sinking of the Maiden and made his way back to dry land, whereupon he sweet talked his way into the Guild, and the profitable and exciting life of the Adventuring Rogue! Handsome, charming and gregarious, he can also be downright terrifying when he wants to be. To Rutherford, his words are just as sharp a weapon as his blades are!
Safe to assume a level 3 character wouldn't have plate?
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
https://ddb.ac/characters/26362334/c7HYBJ
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Yes that's a safe assumption. You might end up getting it in a lucky loot roll but to start, no you wouldn't have it.
Source
Meet Greba Knas.
Greba is a half-orc ranger who has found a second home within the Guild. While use to the mountainous regions of her birth, the Guild has provided access to new and exciting experiences with company that doesn't immediately gawk at her teeth--a mistake few have made uninjured. In some ways, coming out of the wilds has made Greba a bit softer with cooked food and a mug of ale bringing her raucous delight, but the contracts posted by the Guild give her new opportunities to hone her edge.
Hobs was born to hold the sword and his sword was made to fit his hand. He is a Hobgoblin Samurai who fought many battles across the badlands of Goblin territory and gained a great amount of honor to his name. Then his sword was broken and his name taken. When he was given an unethical command he was forced to choose between his internal honor and his external honor. He was ordered to do something that would guarantee victory but would mean the death of the goblins under his command. He choose to save his men and while they still achieved victory he was exiled as a nameless for his disobedience.
The next years were a torrent of self-destruction. The nameless Hobgoblin travelled to the human lands and threw himself into mercenary work while drinking and abusing himself in-between. At his lowest point he was recruited into the guild. Companionship and purpose now lift him up. For the first time Hobs sees a life past what he’s lost in a new search for glory and unwavering support for the friends who led him out of the gutter.
https://gofund.me/fa5990a5
I would hope Denada picks from the total pool of available characters and not just who were lucky enough to get in first!
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Your team's past missions have earned you 1000gp (250 each), a Cloak of Elvenkind, and two (2) Potions of Healing. Webguy20, Balgrom can start with chain mail, and you can buy your way up from there using your funds if you can afford it.
I'll post the start of the game in a little bit.
Arrgh. I can't play till Tuesday. My net died at home. Feel free to pick someone else.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
In that case, welcome to the party @nightmarenny!
So two fighters, a cleric and a swashbuckler rogue, eh? Did I get that right?
So I guess it makes sense that the fighters get the potions and I get the cloak?
Clouds float lazily above your heads as you arrive in the small village of Beechburton. Although the sight of adventurers is fairly common in bigger cities, the four of you draw a lot of attention as you make your way toward the village square. No one here is bristling with weapons or armor. Even the few village guards that you can see wear little more than leather aprons and simple spears. Based on who you can see milling about the village's dirt roads, Beechburton appears to be majority human.
Idyllic scenery and sleepy villagers are all well and good, but you're here to do a job. The Cabell family has asked for your help. How would you like to proceed?
Given his impressive stature, subtlety has never been his strong point. The graveyards he tends, and those who occupy them, generally don't care much one way or the other.
"We have been summoned by the Cabell family for assistance with undefined task. What can you tell me of the Cabell family?"
Is there any additional information regarding the Cabell family that could be pertinent to dealing with undefined task?
Rumors of dark pacts? Dealing with demons or entities? Desecrated churches or graveyards under their watch?
“We’re not for knowing why they called us lad, just that we were called. Now, thank ya for pointing us in the right direction. We’ll be on our way.”
I thought my attempt at conversation was going well. Where was my miscalculation?
Mori turns and waves farewell at the guard before continuing to the Old Mine Road.
At the conversation with the guard, Rutherford catches the young man as he stopped himself. "Hey now, what was that at again? Lege-what? Legend? You were about to say legend, weren't you? I love legends. Come on. Spill. I want to hear this..."
He clears his throat again and speaks in a slightly hushed tone. "They say that hundreds of years ago - way back when the village was barely more than a couple families trying to make a go of it out in the wilds - the first Cabells that came to this place built their big manor house out on the moors. Old Richard Cabell poured everything he had into building that manor. Nearly bankrupted him. Well just as he was about to lose the house and his fortune and all, along comes a mysterious stranger with an offer. A real dark type, you know like a wizard or something. Anyway this stranger makes a deal with Richard Cabell, that he'll make sure the family never loses their house and they'll always prosper out here. But in exchange, every hundred years, a Cabell has to be sacrificed."
Satisfied with this retelling, the guard straightens up and waves his hand dismissively. "Of course no one really believes that stuff. I mean sure the Cabells are a little strange, but aren't all rich folk? Like I said they've never hurt anyone. Good story though. And hey, you never know, you know?"
Hobs sped up to catch Mori and Laen. “We seek out the Cabells then”?
https://gofund.me/fa5990a5
"Every hundred years one of the family is sacrificed?! That's quite the price. Clearly, the family has prospered, yes? So are you missing any members over the generations? A daughter of the family your grandpa had the sweets for goes missing? Leaves town with no warning? That kind of thing. More importantly... has any current member of family been acting out of sorts? Maybe worried about their impending doom?"
With another pat, King takes his leave of the guardsman and rejoins his team as they head towards the moors.
You walk along a well-worn road for several miles, slowly climbing up into the moorland overlooking Beechburton. Even though the mid-afternoon sun is still shining overhead, wisps of mist still drift among the bushes and sparse trees. In places you can start to see the reeds and tufts of grass that show where the land gives way to bog.
The farther north you go, the fewer of the village's namesake trees there are, and soon you see the imposing, slate-grey figure of Cabell Manor in the distance. It juts up from the land not unlike a massive gravestone, sharing the landscape with only one other building, a squat, stone structure a half-mile or so away from the manor.
Cabell Manor's grand design and well-manicured grounds come into better view as you draw closer, though the more sharp-eyed among you notice that the windows on the ground floor all appear to be covered up with heavy boards. The tall iron fence that surrounds the manor is in good condition, however the main gate that crosses the road has been torn open, hanging precariously on its badly twisted hinges. The gate and this particular patch of road appear scorched in places.
The large front doors of Cabell Manor wait about a hundred feet ahead of you, and even from this distance you can see that they too are scorched and damaged. The doors and the heavy boards on the windows around them are covered in burn marks and deep scratches.
You don't see anyone around outside. Smoke rising from a few of the manor's chimneys indicates that people are home.
Geth roll 1d20+1 for Arcana check
https://gofund.me/fa5990a5
Mori - https://www.dndbeyond.com/profile/SierraEcho/characters/26350946
Laen - https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/26348916
Rutherford King - https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/22140006
Hobs - https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/26371433
There, now I won't have to track down character sheets.
Hobs: Your own analysis confirms that this damage is the result of an attack. The gate is broken from the outside in, meaning something busted its way through the gate to get to the manor.
Between the two of you, you're able to determine that some kind of creature broke through the gate to get to the manor, and attacked the front doors - along with a few seemingly random spots around the perimeter of the first floor - with fire and large, powerful claws. It seems like these attacks have happened more than once. The assailant could easily have done more damage to the manor than some scratches and minor burns, but for some reason has not.
"Well, it doesn't seem to be here now. So let's introduce ourselves to the client and earn our pay."
Unless there are objections, King leads the way and knocks on the front door.
Edit: Keeping his eyes open for hidden threats of course.
Geth, roll 1d20+1 for perception