Gordian Nought

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Thanks y'all, for the considerate corrections! Texting on phones can be difficult and requires just a little extra effort. The Gods know that I too am guilty of such mistakes.

Interrogation time! Will post in the next 12-24 hours.

D&D 5e - The Lost Lands

Stricken by licorice birds of prey, the Templar reigned in repercussions from this untamed world, an arrow exchanged for talons. The Latvian gambit of sorts enthroned the ranger with flanking winged beasts, of mythic stature, not subservient but as mediators of a coup d’êtat, namely of their ensemble. Contending with the beaked giant's onslaught of strikes, the charcoal avian's teammate tackled the masked monster slayer, swarming the man into a feathery quicksand whereupon frantic struggling tightened its reflexive vise. Another separate flightless fowl soon landed on and wrestled the boisterous bard, stamping each tarsus upon the manacled chemise, the chains ringing with every erratic pounce.

Always migrating in packs, the diviner had experienced similar conspiracies of such ravens in her previous lifetime; they were clever to isolate and rapture their quarry to a roost, where progeny awaited a long quartered meal. Once in flight, the fall from cloud kissed heights, or worse, a journey to their famished offspring would meet, almost certainly, with a tortured demise.

As a precaution, the cleric’s aura seemed to penetrate the eerie woods' undomesticated dominion; jugular and pulmonary veins hummed with gory energy, reveling into dual cardiac atria, both ancient and juvenile, never baned with loss or heartbreak. This very core entrusted itself to Aryk, an Archfey who initially presided over the armored female's intermittent dreams, peddling His power, in barter, for vended obedience. To her, He served the Light, aligning their common interests; yet, the deity’s domain bordered insanity, at times, overflowing with hallucinations and delusions, particular in the manipulation of wildlife, stemming from a myriad of existences. The gifted scythe, in hand, was a testimony of this unholy connection. This presence now seethed dimly within the youthful warlock, demanding terror within its proximity; the aerial raptor aboard the pirate ceased its irregular mannerisms, ogling the reborn sage with now taxonomic apprehension, respecting a hierarchy which was not overtly evident before.

A seemingly natural dignity oozed over the crowing behemoth, demanding biological order in its biome.

Wick knew this air of authority would not last indefinite; her actions necessitated swiftness. Grasping an abused salamander’s eye from a belt pouch, she whispered an arcane pox on the titanic buzzard brawling with the veiled Theodore, attempting to hinder its tussle and prevent a goaded takeoff with the bird’s claimed game. Announcing boldly with contempt, she declared expeditiously.

“Ground them! Once aloft with our troupe’s members, only prayers will preserve life and limb!”

Effects

On the map, Wick moves right 15 feet, halting 5 feet away from the Great Raven atop Cesar and adjacent to Thea.

She then utilizes Fey Presence's 10 foot cube including Cesar who remains under Heroism and the Great Raven, to which it fails its Wisdom Saving Throw against the DC of 14. It is now Frightened, which entails disadvantage on Ability Checks and Attack Rolls while the source of its fear is within line of sight. The creature can’t also willingly move closer to the source of its fear. This lasts until the end of Wick’s next turn.

Her free interact object is dedicated to an eye of newt with her shield arm hand.

With her bonus action, Wick casts Hex on the Great Raven grappling Theodore, granting disadvantage on future ability checks made with Strength. This requires concentration.

Wick
HP: 17/17
AC: 17 (Breast Plate (14) + DEX Mod (1) + Shield (2)
Weapon: Sickle (finesse) in dominant hand, quarterstaff in non-dominant hand, daggers (sheathed)

Spell Slots:
Warlock (Level 1) 1/1 used
Full Spell Caster (Level 2) 0/3 used
Globe of Light Limit 0/1 used

Spell Attack/DC:
Cleric: 3/11
Warlock: 6/14
Wizard: 4/12

Arcane Recovery: 1/Day after finishing a short rest
Fey Presence: 1/short rest (used)

@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Zverda

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

The divine aspirant sprinted in; a cleric's knocked arrow followed suit.

Each demonstrating remarkable talent and proficiency, striking the heart of malevolence that undertook Greenest, sunrise’s heralds breaching the dawn’s darkness. The druid, sentient of his own obscurity’s resurrection, prized mutilating the faces of shadows, whenever they rose evil heads. Once consumed with internal depredation, a liberated Torus gingerly slid their captured prey off his shield strapped arm, gently onto the morning dew, adjacent to the tunnel’s entry. Scrimmaging after his allies into the scuffle, the pirate's fang raised high, simulating an executioner’s arc, only to lower it upon the third, unopposed assailant.

As Orchid and Parum loomed over the netted quarry, their choice fell precariously through the air, like a straw twirling its verdict before resting on the hump of a camel. The decision always remained simple to the half-blood. However, the Hin would likewise need to juggle a heavier choice.

Defend? Or destroy?

Mechanics:

Torus runs into the fray, and attempts to strike with his Shillelagh, but likely misses with a 9. In the unlikely event it hits, the damage would be 10.

He is physically next to an unharmed enemy, closest to the tunnel, though, in case they run past, triggering an opportunity of attack.

HP: 8/8
AC: 14 (with shield)
No spell slots available

@Hekazu@Ryonara@Lucius Cypher

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

@Hekazu, is it safe to assume Torus' Shillelagh is still active as he would have likely continuously utilized the cantrip during the trek through the wood?

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

16. roleplayerguild.com/rolls/2688

I would volunteer if it's within Torus' carrying capacity.

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

@Lucius Cypher, Xaron can't wait.

D&D 5e - High Seas and Tall Tales

The harlequin clicked her heels. No place like home.

“Shivs! Lalalalala!!!”

The trill of the drow’s diamond stud reverberated off the icy heaven above, signaling to both foe and specifically their absent, vampiric crew member below the hull, of the storming monsters flanking Jill’s beloved ship. She understood the need for beauty rest, but her fellow warlock’s pale skin was beyond repair.

Geez!

Her ululation persisted its tone, oscillating with varying doppler shifts as she reflectively leaped into the sail behind her, mechanically enveloping and finally skirting her scarred physique to the second tier of the Mizzen. Twirling, the jester’s war cry continued as she pranced delicately along the shrouds rigged to the mast, with athletic ease onto the deck, all the whilst parodying a mime tipotoeing, as she parodoxically desired all eyes tensely fixated upon her physical puppetry and ironic shenanigans.

Koan thrived on this attention; the Bard wanted to perform, with a smile.

Tumbling between her captain, the Beholder, and the Tabaxi, the clown popped and locked her appendages but vacillated into motion, similar to the waves of the ocean to which they all were partial. A breakdance commenced, offering Heroism to the quartet, as she whirled and coagulated rhythm to yodel, eventually dropping the last beat to speak.

Toying a sneer, she bellowed, “Time to…”

Her gray skin began to glimmer with wild magic, surging with visible, viscous scales, and a shark fin to match. Flipping over the flailing tentacles of the patched, but still many-eyed pirate, Dyn, she raced vertically back up to her previous perch, as if gravity no longer bore restraint on the clown, shouting again, once halfway up the mast, but atop her circus.

Her ichthyotic cap jingled with bells, she howled the alarm,

“Party, Shivs!”

Mechanics:

Like Dyn, Koan routinely casts Mage Armor every 8 hours, but with a Warlock Slot, which recovers from each short rest.

Koan also possesses a Ring of Water Walking, allowing movement on ice/water as solid ground and not as difficult terrain.

The aforementioned movements are under the pretense of Koan’s passive Athletics 18, passive Acrobatics 22 and passive Performance 18.

1. Bonus Action. Activate Boots of Speed; any creature that makes an opportunity attack against Koan has disadvantage on the attack roll. Tumbling Fool also allows Climbing speed to equate walking speed; hence a base 60 feet without Dash.
2. Climb down Mast to stand in the center of the triangle Dyn, Jill, and Nemeia.
3. Using Breakdancing moves just for flava, Koan touched all 3 of them (including herself) and cast a Level 4 Heroism spell, which will net 4 temp HP at the start of each of their respective turns and they are currently immune to being Frightened.
4. Koan must now roll a 1d20 for a possible Wild Mage Surge effect, with DC 4 or less as the spell cast was Level 4. Koan rolls a 4, which triggers a 1d100 roll on the Wild Mage Surge table.
5. She rolls a 39 and regains 2d10 hit points at 16, in the form of a shark's scales and fin, but this serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever. Just flava flav.
6. Then she rushes up HALFWAY back the Mizzen with the rest of her 60 feet movement.

HP: 43/43
AC (20): Mage Armor (13) + Cloak of Protection (1) + DEX Mod (+4) + Shield (+2)
Movement: 60 feet climbing and walking under Boots of Speed (9:54 seconds left; 6 seconds/turn)
Weapon: None

Sorcerer Points (0/4 used)

Slots:
Warlock First Level (0/2 used)

Spell Caster Level = Sorcerer (4) + Bard (3) + Rogue (0) = Seventh Level
First Level (0/4 used)
Second Level (0/3 used)
Third Level (0/3 used)
Fourth Level (1/1 used)

@JBRam2002@Ms Ravenwinter@Lauder@Hekazu@Big Dread@Zverda@Cu Chulainn

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

Great, @Norschtalen. I will be posting on the morrow. Need to catch up on two more RPs tonight and one last collab.

To @The Harbinger of Ferocity's and @Hekazu's mentions, I feel we should limit, but I do endorse the candor of relinquishing the inspiration to the players as long as you retained veto power, to dissuade abuse, of course.

D&D 5e - The Lost Lands

“Disrobing? The larks of a cherished trickster has vested my gear with pandemonium.” She glanced and motioned her fretful pupils over the distraught apparel, speckled with dirt, sap, and moisture.

Waving her hands to magnify the sieved disarray, she trusted the Abjurer would bear witness and magically cleanse her of this murky plight, but recognized his Eladrin appreciation for this levity. Her almost decade young Aasimar existence possessed not the hereditary predispositions to patience and abstinence the once librarian’s demeanor retained centuries prior, within her coveted candle kept walls. Sinful collusion now encroached internally and intermittently, with ever more so frequency, attributing to the wares of a more meager lifespan. Jealousy over Haemar’s unruffled composure slightly punctured her emotional hide. A stunted pant of exasperation climaxed in the interim. The envy eventually spurned, observing a short-lived animation, betraying no longer any trace of contempt or derision in the visage of the Celestial.

She calmly then answered the mage’s original inquiry, once again, in their own Elvish tongue.

“Devils have their hypocrisy, while virtuosity guards my bed and thoughts. It remains not the kissing, but the telling that sprouts insecurity at times.”

Mechanics:

Betting on Haemar's Prestidigitation before the next encounter.

Wick's Initiative is 20.

@Big Dread@The Harbinger of Ferocity

D&D 5e - Hoard of the Dragon Queen

@Hekazu

May I perform a Medicine Check to stabilize her? Torus possesses proficiency with a Healer's Kit as a Druid.