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[pbp] Ruins of Undermountain (D&D 5e) - ADVENTURE OVER!!! Thanks for Playing!

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  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    Barran looks at the chain around this newcomer's leg. Is it trailing off back into the other room? This captive has a lot more space to move about in than most jails Barran's seen, but maybe the goblin army wanted a combination cook/busboy and he needed the mobility.

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    "Umpold?!? Ye know me brother!?" Angus cries, delight lighting up his face. "So 'e's alive then? The durned fool dinnae follow me down inta the depths o' the Mountain did he? 'E's up in the Yawning Portal drowning his sorrows at the loss o' me? Ha! I'll be glad ta give'm a heart attack then when I come back up the well."

    Angus raises his eyebrow at you. "Assuming yer open ta freeing a poor old dwarf like me and not killin' me and eating my liver. If you are the friendly sort, we should get some o' these bodies out of me dining room and down the river. That burnt one especially. Wizards work, that was. Mebbe move some o' them this way and that...make it look like the hairy bastards fought over their dinners, yeah? We can talk more once we get ta the back room. Best be gone afore some more of these bastards come fer their lunch."

    Assuming you trust Angus, someone make a Wisdom check to make the fight scene look likes a battle between the Goblins themselves. Then we can retire to the back room.


    Dungeon Map:
    Lady%20Zarrs%20Territory_zpsiiz8mkps.jpg

    Angus appeared bit into the hallway between rooms 6 and 6A. 6 is the mess hall, 6A is the kitchen. 6B we'll get to in a minute.

  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    "Nay, he still be up in the tavern. Fixture there now, he is." Dural then scratches his head as they converse, "River? What river?"

    We'll see how long this blog lasts
    Currently DMing: None :(
    Characters
    [5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    "Heh," Angus chuckles leading you further back...the long chain wrapped around his ankle dragging behind him. "I was captured by these thrice damned Goblinoids, three fortnights ago mebbe? I was makin' me dinner see. Some nice fish I brought wit' me...the smell attracted 'em while I was hunting for Stirges. Damn things were burrowing their nests an' interfering wit' Waterdeep's sewer system! I had a hunch their nest was close to here...Anyway....they caught me and instead o' killin' and eatin' me they threw me in the kitchens to cook for the whole tribe. I guess I got the dark elfs ta thank fer that. Old Neblin there needed some help." He jerks his head to the left to another room you are passing. His chain originates from there. As you peek in you can see a somewhat organized kitchen. Tables, fire pit, stocked pantry shelves, and wrinkled old Deep Gnome peering out from the kitchens at you,

    Soon after passing the kitchen, you come to the pantry. Another room of similar size. But the first thing that hits you is the moisture in the room as well as the sound of running water. Running water? Various crates of supplies and sundries are piled up here and there but the main feature of the room is one of Halaster's fancies. A flowing "river" 10' wide takes up the back part room. Water enters from a shimmering portal in the north wall into a 5' deep channel and flows south 30' to exit another shimmering portal. The water flows at a steady rate, and in the light from your globe you can see that it is teeming with large-ish fish. Angus cups his hand and takes a gulp of water. "Fresh water, ta boot! Dunno how or why, but here it is!"

    After a moment Angus says to you, "So. Are ya ta spring me now or later?"

  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    At the risk of revealing too much...what I am trying to get at here is that, with some common sense preparation that is 100% up to you, this looks like a good place to rest.

  • Mongrel IdiotMongrel Idiot Registered User regular
    "Spring now," says Philo, sheathing his sword. "But I don't know that we're ready to head back to the Yawning Portal yet. We're hunting dark-elf. Have you heard anything about Lady Zarr?"

  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    Barran drags the dead goblin in from the hallway and cuts the rope around the corpse's wrists before pulling his quarrel free. "This place looks more like a siege than a tavern brawl that happened to get out of hand. ...Not that I've seen too many of those, since I like to be on my way out the door before they get that unpleasant. But at the very least, if we're not dumping the bodies, we can at least make it look like they fought each other instead of all facing off against someone who came barging in through the hall."

    He struggles against the displaced wooden table for a bit before giving up. "Maybe someone could give me a hand with this, please?"

    Barran will try the ol' "staging the scene to look like an innocent melee not involving me, heavens no, officer" approach.
    Geth, roll 1d20+1 for Wisdom

    Wisdom:
    1d20+1 14 [1d20=13]

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    Angus spits on the floor "Zarr? I know some...and none of it good. I don't understand elf-speak. An' I sure as the stone below don't understand dark-elf-speak. But I do speak a little Goblin, been gettin' better these past days too. And these here Gob's ain't got no love for Lady Zarr. Enslaved them, she did. Which I gather is a thing that these Drow elves are good at. I guess she comes up from the Underdark wit' a few o' her warriors and they enslave this tribe of Hobs and Gobs.

    "They don't have many Drow up here, but enough to keep 'em in line. And she uses Imp's to keep an eye on the Hobs. They have some sort of deal with some o' the more evil-ish bastards up in the city. Been snatchin' a lot o' kids from the streets. Some older, some younger. Even a few o' the merchant class. Gather up 10-20 of 'em and send them off somewhere in a caravan o' sorts. Down I suppose. Most of the Drow warriors and Hob soldiers go wit' 'em. Can't imagine that trip be all that safe.

    "Yer lucky, actually. A group just left a few days ago. Otherwise you'd be bunghole deep in Goblinoids by now. The slave pens'll be empty too."

  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    "What about whatshisname in the kitchen? Is he a prisoner to the Drow like you, or another loose end?"

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    "Neblin?" Angus says, "Nice enough chap, m'suppose. Short fer smurfneblin, see. That's what 'e calls himself. Don't really know 'is real name. We don't talk much as we can't speak the same language. The Drow brought him along from below, I think. He cooks for the elfs...weird stuff like glowing moss, some kinda albino worm and some glorious mushrooms I ain't ever seen afore. I'm ta cook for the Hobs. Sometimes they ain't so grateful...the hairy bastards. Anyway, Neblin...I dunno if'n he's a slave like me or like, an employee or something."

  • Mongrel IdiotMongrel Idiot Registered User regular
    "First thing will be to get your shackles off," says Philo. "Think your hammer will break the chain, Dural?"

  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    edited March 2017
    Does anyone want to try to help Barran with his task?

    I don't know what your plans for the immediate future are...but someone poking their noses into the back rooms of the kitchen probably won't help you guys any.

    Steelhawk on
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    Don't mind me. Just keeping the stat block handy so I don't have to keep jumping pages looking for it.

    Stats:
    Ay - AC:16+2, HP: 29+6/31, Ki: 0/4, HD: 2/4,
    Salazar - AC:15, HP: 23/30, Spells: -/2/0, SP: 0
    Dural - AC:18, HP:33/40, Spells:-/1, LoH:20/20
    Philo - AC:19, HP:38+2/38, 4 Sup. Dice,
    Barran- AC:16, HP: 19/27, Spells:-/2


  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    "Don't see why not," the dwarf offers to Philo's suggestion, raising the hammer up and steadying it above the chain. "Dun move," he then quickly adds, lining up the strike and gauging the chain for any easy to hit stretch of metal. A few moments later and he quickly strikes down hoping to effortlessly smash the hunk of metal, and failing that, will continue smashing a few more times for good measure.

    Don't know if you want a Strength check or an Attack roll, so here's them both:

    minion, roll 1d20+2 for Strength
    minion, roll 1d20+4 for Attack
    minion, roll 1d8+2 for Damage

    Strength:
    1d20+2 18 [1d20=16]
    Attack:
    1d20+4 18 [1d20=14]
    Damage:
    1d8+2 9 [1d8=7]

    We'll see how long this blog lasts
    Currently DMing: None :(
    Characters
    [5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    The chains and manacle around Angus' leg shatter. He reaches down to massage his limb and grunts with pleasure. "Thanks, lads. We ain't outta the fire yet, but being out o' these chains is a relief for sure..."

    "What's yer plan, then?"

  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2017
    "Speaking of fire..." Barran tips a bowl of stewed mushrooms on the floor and smears it around to obscure the suspiciously localized scorch marks from Salazar's bonfire.

    "Would you know if Zarr is after anything in particular this high up, or would magical trinkets in general catch her attention?"

    Bursar on
    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    "That, I dunno. I suppose anyone likes treasures, eh? The more the better, right? But I do know that fer the past tenday now whatever Hobs have been coming in have been complaining of the Bone Throne and how they keep getting poisoned. The ones who were selected to make the trek into the Underdark were almost giddy at the prospect of not gettin' bit by snakes. A couple of the Hob Captains were talkin' the other day about some floating prison ball and how Zarr wanted to get her hands on it." He stops and notices the globe following Barran and how its twice as big as the one following Philo.

    "Now ain't that something. That's it ain't it? What's in it?"

  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    Barran chuckles humorlessly.

    "I wanted to find out, but cooler heads prevailed. We're more concerned about whatever's in there getting free right now. If Zarr wants that ball, it's probably because there's something or someone inside that she thinks will help her. So keeping the thing out of her hands seems like the best course for the moment."

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
  • am0nam0n Registered User regular
    edited March 2017
    Steelhawk wrote: »
    Does anyone want to try to help Barran with his task?

    I don't know what your plans for the immediate future are...but someone poking their noses into the back rooms of the kitchen probably won't help you guys any.

    You just want to get us killed, don't you? Teasing us like that...

    Ay makes himself busy helping the halfling, after all, he's been part of a tavern brawl or two in his days. "I've had my fair share of fisticuffs, so this should be easy," he says, turning to the room. He works with Barran, trying to overturn the tables and position the corpses of the goblins and hobgoblins. Turns out, though, he didn't usually survey the scene afterwards. He just partook in them. So he isn't actually sure whether the scene looks any more convincing then it was.

    Overhearing the others chat as he is going between the mess hall and the kitchen, Ay notices a hallway that goes further. Pausing during one of his trips, he asks the new dwarf, "What's further back there?"


    Geth, roll 1d20+5 for Wisdom Assist

    Edit: Heh, was trying to play off my personality thing, but looks like I spent too much time in the arena and not enough time in tavern brawls!

    Wisdom Assist:
    1d20+5 8 [1d20=3]

    am0n on
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    edited March 2017
    Kill you? Nah.... I just want to convey the proper danger that Undermountain presents. Its not a static dungeon that can be "cleared" and there is always some sort of nastiness around the corner and if another random monster doesn't take up residence in a particular area then Halaster will make sure something unpleasant (or just amusing to him) takes its place.

    If adventurers don't take the basic precautions as they explore....something bad will happen to them.

    I'm just trying to provide proper warning, that's all. Trust me. The DM is your friend! :evil:

    Steelhawk on
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    So...

    You have freed a kitchen slave and have yet to deal with the witness.

    You now that the majority of the goblinoid tribe is not home right now.

    You know that the numbers of Drow are also low.

    You know that Lady Zara and her evil child enslaving ways have got to stop.

    What's next?

  • Mongrel IdiotMongrel Idiot Registered User regular
    edited March 2017
    "I think we can afford a short rest," says Philo, surveying the area. "But we should be away quickly after that. If what Angus says is still true, we may not have a better opportunity to strike at Zarr than we do now." He frowns. "How sturdy are you in a fight, Angus? And your gnome friend? I don't think we'll be heading back to the surface right away."

    Mongrel Idiot on
  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    After having smashed the chain to bits, Dural doublechecks his waterskin before making his way towards the river, refilling what he can. Every so often he raises his head, glaring up and down the stream, as if expecting an underwater ambush at any moment, before returning to the task at hand of making sure he's well stocked for the road ahead. He then hobbles back to the party, resting his foot on a stool (or a broken piece of table, the dwarf's not picky), "Already been down an' up an' down that thing too much recently. Oh, anybody with any nicks or bruises from the last bit of fightin'?"

    We'll see how long this blog lasts
    Currently DMing: None :(
    Characters
    [5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    "I'm a fair hand wit' an axe, m'suppose." Angus replies, nodding to Dural as if to acknowledge that at some point in their youth all dwarves are taught how to brain an Orc here and there. "But to be honest, I'm more of a mason. I don't delve dungeons lookin' fer treasures...I fix sewers and aqueducts and can defend meself when critters come calling. As fer Neblin...I guess we should go and ask him..."

    I haven't statted him up yet, but Angus could be considered a level 2 character...maybe 3. I'll have to bone up on the NPC options in the DMG rather than make a character from scratch. Is there such a thing as commoner NPC stats like there was for 3.5e? He's more like a mid level commoner than a proper PC class. I'll figure it out.

  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    @evilthecat - Anything to add? Anything you want to do? You've been quiet since the fight ended...

  • evilthecatevilthecat Registered User regular
    // letting the others do the talking xD although..

    After listening to the others for a while, Salazar balks at the idea of going up against a group of drow after having spent so much of his might.

    "I don't want to be the ruiner of fun and jovial self-termination... but I'm down to party gimmicks and I'm pretty sure Zarr won't stop what she's doing because I pulled a dove out of her ear..."

    He pauses for a moment.

    "Say Angus, is Zarr recruiting? Maybe we can get someone in on the inside to blindside her... "

    tip.. tip.. TALLY.. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    Barran snags a couple beaten tin mugs of cool, clear, mountain river water from the torrent in the other room and heads into the kitchen, looking for this "Neblin" fellow. He hops up on a table in a hopeful picture of nonchalance and sets one mug off to the side invitingly, taking a drink from the other.

    "Hopefully you understand more Common than the goblins did, or I'm about to waste a whole lot of breath, old boy," he begins. "I wanted to get a chance to talk to you before the biggers do, because I don't want it to sound like we're forcing you into anything, but right now you're something of an unknown to us. See, we've just been in a tough scrape and we'd really like to spend some time with our heads down while we figure out our next move and maybe get a little shut-eye. Angus is someone we've at least heard about, because his brother's been asking about him and he'll be happy to get out of here.

    "But you--" he waggles his mug, "I don't think any of us have ever encountered your kind before, but so far the people in Zarr's employ haven't been the most respectable kinds of people--Not that I consider us all 'respectable,' of course, but at least we're not feedin' kids to snake-chairs." He shivers, then collects himself. "We don't even know if you're a prisoner or what. Anyway, Angus is sayin' that you're pretty tight-lipped, but I'm suggesting that maybe you might want to open up to us a little about your situation, at least enough that we don't think you're gonna go running off to flag down the nearest hob, gob, or blob and tell 'em about us the moment our backs are turned. Friendly advice, and all that."

    Barran drains the mug and wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve, then hops off the table and leaves the room, leaving the deep gnome to his thoughts. He returns to the room with the others, but makes sure to keep one eye on the door back the the kitchen in case Neblin tries to make a run for it...

    Here's a Charisma roll, because this seems like the sort of attempt to get Smurfy to cooperate that might require one.
    Geth, roll 1d20 for random Charisma

    random Charisma:
    1d20 18 [1d20=18]

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
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  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    evilthecat wrote: »
    He pauses for a moment.

    "Say Angus, is Zarr recruiting? Maybe we can get someone in on the inside to blindside her... "


    Angus looks at you like you've grown a third horn out of your nose. "Ye heard the part about how the Drow enslave, an' not employ, yeah?"

  • Mongrel IdiotMongrel Idiot Registered User regular
    "Don't mind Sal; he has an incurable wit," says Philo to Angus. "But he's the man to have at your back in a fight." Turning to Sal, he continues "How long do you need to be back at full strength? And Angus, can you make any kind of guess as to how long we have before Zarr's troops return?"

  • evilthecatevilthecat Registered User regular
    Steelhawk wrote: »
    evilthecat wrote: »
    He pauses for a moment.

    "Say Angus, is Zarr recruiting? Maybe we can get someone in on the inside to blindside her... "


    Angus looks at you like you've grown a third horn out of your nose. "Ye heard the part about how the Drow enslave, an' not employ, yeah?"

    "And slaves can get rather close to people of interest. Unless you know of a shortcut to Zarr's chambers I'm not sure how we're to remedy this situation without getting murdered by minions."

    tip.. tip.. TALLY.. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    edited March 2017
    @Bursar - I'll get to your post when I have a bit more time...busy days...

    Edit: Ooo! Just had an idea to inject some drama and tension into Neblin's response. Bear with me.

    Steelhawk on
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    edited March 2017
    Deep-Gnome.png

    Neblin frowns and looks up from where he is sautéing some mushrooms and what looks like beef jerky (what kind of beef is purple?) as Bursar enters the room and hops up onto the prep table. He politely listens to Bursar's speech, not really showing any comprehension of the halfling's words but seems to appreciate the effort. He nods once to Bursar and goes about plating his dishes and arranging them on a serving tray. As soon as Bursar hops off the table though to head back into the back room with the others, something terrible happens....The Dark Elves come in to get their lunch!

    drow_by_helmuttt-d3its65.jpg

    A pair of Drow warriors enters the mess hall let out shout of dismay and frustration as they see the carnage the brawl left in the room. Tables turned over and strewn about. Blood drying in pools on the floor and bodies strewn all over. One of them starts poking around at the bodies with his boot, while the other shouts out towards the kitchen and starts heading back towards you, speaking in the dark elf language. Bursar realizes he has no time to run back out into the hallway and back towards the "river" without being spotted

    What do you do?

    Geth, roll 2#1d20l1+4 for Perception (with Disadvantage since the Drow don't actually care all that much what happened to the Hobs)

    Edit: Ooooo... You should thank Geth for Disadvantage. Lets see what happens when the Drow enters the kitchens. :)

    Perception (with Disadvantage since the Drow:
    2#1d20l1+4 2 # 6 [1d20l1=[2]] 17 [1d20l1=[13]]

    Steelhawk on
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    We're not counting rounds as in combat at the moment, but Barran has what amounts to one round to figure out what to do before the Drow comes into the kitchen.

    The rest of you are in the back pantry room with the "river" when you hear the shout from the Drow warriors. Something is going on back out in mess hall. The halls are all unlit, remember, so you can only see as far as your light sources allow (pretty much 20', iirc).


  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    Dural, previously resting and testing his joints around one of the tables, twitches his nose and is otherwise following it around to the scent of cooking that had been going on.

    We'll see how long this blog lasts
    Currently DMing: None :(
    Characters
    [5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    edited March 2017
    Aegis wrote: »
    Dural, previously resting and testing his joints around one of the tables, twitches his nose and is otherwise following it around to the scent of cooking that had been going on.

    please clarify: Is Dural actually getting up and walking towards the food? Or just moving his nose around sniffing the air?

    Steelhawk on
  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2017
    Carp notwithstanding, the food smells good, so he'll be meandering his way over to check on the grub.

    Edit: Unless I notice the new arrivals yelling, but I figured I'd be sniffing out food before they started beating up a ruckus.

    Aegis on
    We'll see how long this blog lasts
    Currently DMing: None :(
    Characters
    [5e] Dural Melairkyn - AC 18 | HP 40 | Melee +5/1d8+3 | Spell +4/DC 12
  • evilthecatevilthecat Registered User regular
    But... We have dorkvision!

    tip.. tip.. TALLY.. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    Ugh... I wasn't on board with this "pretend to be a slave" idea, but then comes drama.

    Barran shucks his pack and sword, dropping them behind a table where they won't be easily seen from the door to the kitchen. He then grabs the tray of food that Neblin had been arranging and hurries out to the hallway, muttering a steady patter of "okay yes coming stop yelling here it is sorry," trying to lead the drow away from the kitchen and into the dining room.

    (assuming he lives long enough to get into the other room without a fight breaking out) Barran sets the tray on a table and gestures at the bodies, then turns to the drow with an exasperated shrug. "Hobgoblins, right?"

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    edited March 2017
    evilthecat wrote: »
    But... We have dorkvision!

    I'm perfectly OK to be to be swayed, and I think we've already had this conversation, but I still of the mind that light sources spoil darkvision. Regardless, there is still the 60' range to be taken into consideration. Also, the fact that the party still has light sources active in the first place is, as of right now, of great concern.

    Also....I'm not gonna lie...I really thought the Halfling rogue would have went with HIDE as the number one option, as opposed to bald faced lies in the face of an enemy who probably is very aware of who cooks his food.


    Steelhawk on
  • BursarBursar Hee Noooo! PDX areaRegistered User regular
    Well, you know players. You can't trust them to do anything you want them to.

    GNU Terry Pratchett
    PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
    Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
    egc6gp2emz1v.png
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