JBRam2002

Beginner's DnD 5e Game - Group 2

Combat Begins!

@corneredbliss - Ary hears Yvah's loud shouting and runs to rejoin the group, and upon seeing the big gelatin thing, remembers hearing stories about this creature before. "What the - Don't get near it! Don't let it touch you! It will literally swallow you alive if you get too close!" She frantically waves for Yvah to get back over to them, then uses Dissonant Whispers aimed toward the blob, dealing 9 psychic damage! However, there is nowhere for the ooze to move.

@Oraculum There's not much a lone octopus can do at that distance. Hearing the commotion, Ulor sends our tentacled friend to see what the matter is, keeping at 15 feet's distance from the blob-thing.

@Ms Ravenwinter - She may not know exactly what this thing is capable of, but she's seen it before. One of her friends lost an arm to something like this. In immediate terror, Yvah slinked down on her paws and scuttled backward in withdrawal. Once she backed out to the corner of the hall, she turned and darted full speed away from the monstrous cuboid slime.

Gelatinous Cube - The cube meandered forward, splorping and sloshing across the floor. The octopus deftly blurbled out of the path of the oncoming cube with ease, and the ooze was only slightly slowed down as it rounded the corner, squeezing through the narrow passage and pressing up against Daisy and Ceria, sucking them towards its slimy interior. Daisy and Ceria must make Dex Saves!

Ceria passes with ease, backflipping away from the oncoming danger, but Daisy was blindsided as the ooze rounded the corner, becoming engulfed by the ooze and taking 13 damage! (Edit: Forgot temp HP. Daisy is alive.)

@Ermine - Despite being engulfed by the cube, Daisy begins the gestures and song necessary for a Witch Bolt (9 to hit, 7 damage), her wand in hand. The electricity courses through the enemy, also dealing 7 damage to Daisy. She falls unconscious, sparkling ever so slightly with arcane energy.

@Turbowraith - Hearing the sounds of fighting on the other side of the stairwell, Lex rounded the corner, maul in hand. Placing a mark of vengeance on the Cube, Lex summoned the divine fury inside him, driving his maul through the ooze and dealing 25 damage. (Concentrating on Hunter's Mark, used lvl 1 Divine Smite).

@Mistiel - Ceria sees Daisy's struggles lessening within the slime and cries forth an elvish exclamation, "Leith- nin mellon!" (Release my friend!) She backed up a few steps to try and avoid the cube's retaliation for what she was about to do. Nocking an arrow, she let it fly in the cube's direction, carefully aiming to miss Daisy (Atk: 21 for 17 damage). The chances that the slimy cube could understand her were pretty slim, but it seemed natural to say. Funny how she never thought she'd say that about anyone other than Arthera.

As Ceria stepped away, the cube grew a pseudopod and thwacked Ceria, dealing 10 acid damage!

@Oraculum - Seeing the creature is dangerous, but slow and and a large target, Ulor withdraws into the northward corridor, and begins to cast his spells on the cube. Hex was placed on the cube, but the arcane blast was rushed, missing terribly and going straight bast Yvah's nose as it crashed into the wall behind her.

Eilina stepped forward, pointing a finger towards the Cube. The sound of a bell tolling could be heard, but the ooze seemed unaffected. "Crap," the gnome muttered.

@LovelyAnastasia - Solglia grunted, hearing the scuffle and waiting to make sure nothing came up behind them. Well, that and it is a bit of a slow time for she-dwarves in heavy armor. Often others do not take well to someone clanking about ahead of them. But she moved ahead, standing in front of the magic flinger and his girlfriend, peeking around the corner at the jiggling creature. Frowning, not willing to waste her weapon on this thing, considering any weapons might be swallowed up, the war cleric put on hand on her holy relic pendant and the her other hand out toward the gloopy menace. With a chant in her guttural outlandish dwarven, a blot guided and struck the mass of slobbering slime. Energy from the hit made it glitter a bit. (Attack: 11 for 13 radiant damage)

@corneredbliss - Ary watches with horror as Daisy gets sucked into the blob, but is quickly filled with a renewed inspiration as her teammates land their blows. Knowing her own damage wouldn't do as much the others', she reaches out to Ceria after the girl gets thwacked and grabs her upper arm, casting Cure Wounds on her (+6 HP for Ceria). She then uses Bardic Inspiration on the full-blood: "Tha' was a good first shot, girl - les see if you can outdo yerself!"

@Oraculum - Having avoided the creature as it swept through the corridor, the octopus hovered in a recess for some moments. Then, as if reched by an inaudible command, it floated towards the corner behind which the cube had crawled, rising to reach the ceiling as it did. It swept over Lex, and, remaining suspended over him, aimed a small, but (mostly) well-directed spurt of ink at the ooze. If nothing else, the dubious taste of the black substance might have served to distract the entity for an instant. (Action: Help Ulor on his next Attack)

@Ms Ravenwinter - Yvah steps back as the mass of hungry gelatin barrels through her friend and narrowly missing the Elf. She couldn't risk punching the monstrosity for fear of it simply consuming her hand. Her throwing axes jangled together, strapped to her thigh. Pulling one free, she let it loose into the air and watched as the blade cleaved off the shimmering, unnatural flesh of the creature. Yvah continued to distance herself then, backing up until she was pressed against the edge of the next doorway.

Gelatinous Cube - The acid inside the ooze was potent, and already the skin on Daisy's body could be seen melting away. Its pseudopod reached out towards Lex and thwacked uselessly against the paladin's shield.

@Ermine - Daisy takes 31 damage from the ooze, which exceeds her maximum HP. Daisy is dead.

@Turbowraith - Lex attacks the ooze, dealing 12 damage and killing it... but not before it killed Daisy.

Combat is complete. All characters gain 200 exp.

5e D&D - Mines of Phandelver

Kiki Milaan

---

With the likelihood of allowing this goblin a chance to surrender quickly fading, Kiki summoned up her courage and rushed towards the final goblin. The poor little green thing was holding its head, wracked with mental anguish as Bar had rushed it, and now it also cowered in the shadow of the barbarian's hulking might, its small mind unable to comprehend the totality of what had just happened, nor why this half-orc had just thanked him. Kiki's blow came swiftly as the goblin had no time to react, the rapier darting out and skewering the goblin through the eye socket as the shortsword whipped around and severed the head from the body. Kiki staggered back from the blood spurting, her own wounds quite evident as she held the goblin's head out towards Bar, still stuck on the end of her rapier like a small green kebab.

"Is... is this what you wanted?" she asked, panting heavily from exertion. All of the goblins were dead, two by her own hand. Kiki dropped her shortsword on the ground, and her knees buckled under her soon after, even as she still struggled to hold the rapier up towards Bar. "I'm... sorry you didn't get to show me... whatever it was," she said softly before turning her head towards Cas. "I think I require healing."

Battle Complete!

5e D&D - Mines of Phandelver

((OOC: Post written by @The Grey Dust))

A Whisper.

Hissed into the mind.
Pain... Felt.
No, not felt, wool.
Wool from lambs.

Lambs ripped apart.
Heads torn off.
Guttural Spray.
Bleeding stumps.

Beating Blood.
Bleating, the bleating.
Screams.
Brains.

Death.

The river traversed now, wet and soaked from the waist down. It made it difficult to run as the waters clung to the cloth. And yet land was far more forgiving than stream. Finding a footing and rushing towards the thicket where the action was. There would be no surrender, not while the green orc had his way, slaying goblins left and right today. At least Kiki had restraint, but she looked far too injured to continue as the psion looked at the morphed tiefling changeling and the dual-wielding warrior. A nod given to acknowledge their efforts, and a single hand motion made towards Kiki. Hopefully the tief-changeling who was busy being a rather bit of a distraction for the female eye can assist with. In whatever manner was possible as the rest of the boys hunted down the last remaining bugger. Yes, even for the foppish nature of the wizard, he was one of the boys. Frankly the Goliath and Orc added more testosterone than this group needed, and it seemed all the women vanished from their group. Maybe it was the smell? The psion would have to wash himself well after they reach Plan- actually wherever this little job took them now.

Thoughts of hygiene aside, the psion turned his gaze at the last goblin. Arms surrendered with arms in surrender. Unacceptable, they had just nearly killed one of their group members.

One he liked for her less abrasive personality and less malodorous nature, although he had no stroog feelinsg about the crow. But to fire an arrow at Kiki? That particular goblin was punished as the mute tore into its feeble mind with terrors to render it truly horrified. For a moment the goblins eyes would widen, insights unrolled as a terrible headache filled its empty head. Screaming in agony as its psyche began to meltdown to the psychic assault. Senses fired from the nerves like deadly popcorn, thousands of neurons firing in tandem to experience glimpses of what death felt like to be beheaded like the other two goblins. Breaking the will and shattering the grasp of knowledge. And then nothing.

The grip relaxed, and the whisper receded, but the memory of the experience was still imprinted upon the Goblin's poor mind.

Mechanics

Mind Thrust, DC 13 INT or 5 psychic dmg. Gobbo fails.

((OOC: Post by @Regitnui))
Hymn put a protective arm around Kiki's waist, taking the opportunity to steal a kiss on the cheek. "Tough and gorgeous," he complimented her as the silent party member did... something to the last goblin. He switched to Infernal, lacing the words with magic as he shouted to the goblin, "And you're only going to die here!"

((Vicious Mockery, Wis save 13, 3 psychic damage. No movement. The goblin passes its Save for no effect!))

Modular Pathfinder

As Rusalka delved deeper into the cave, there were a few things that soon became quite evident. First: the caves were now uninhabited. Second: the previous inhabitants were likely a large number of individuals who cared little for cleanliness. Third: they left in what appeared to be a well-thought-out manner. Although much was left behind, the items that remained were neither valuable nor useful, as if anything that would be required was packed up. There were several crude sketches that one would hesitate to call artwork in one of the "rooms" of the cave system; another held worn out clothing and pieces of cheap leather armor that appeared to have been ruined beyond repair.

In the main living area of the cave was a large blood-stained chair, apparently used as a sort of throne, and a rug laid out in front of it. Rusalka quickly noticed that the rug held the same emblem of the mailed fist holding arrows that Gavirk had showed them. In addition, she could tell once she approached that the chair's stains were intended to be decorational, not the result of someone's untimely death (or at least, not while they were in the chair). Finally, hidden by a minuscule bump in the rug, she noticed what appeared to be hinges in the floor, and carefully putting weight on the carpeted section revealed a deadfall trap of some sort.

Beginner's DnD 5e Game - Group 2

Initiative is required from @Mistiel & @Turbowraith. If I don't get a roll tonight, I'll roll for you.

5e D&D - Mines of Phandelver

The goblin next to Kiki slashes at her, barely giving Kiki enough time to duck under a blow meant for her head.

Kiki Milaan

---

Kiki was perfectly fine with letting the barbarian get all the glory for this fight, but she was already entangled with this goblin and she could see an opening. She took her shot, praying to whatever deity was listening that it would land true. Out of some spur of luck (or was it divine intervention?), Kiki's blade found its mark, separating goblin head from goblin body. Kiki scooped up the skull and backed away, tossing it towards Bar before hiding behind Cas.

Mechanics

Rapier Attack: 21, hits for 6 piercing damage.

---

The final goblin fires an arrow towards Kiki's newfound cover, but the sight of his headless buddy crumpling to the ground caused the arrow to fly well away from its target. The goblin then tosses the bow to the ground, holding his arms up as if to surrender.

Beginner's DnD 5e Game - Group 2

It took Eilina somewhat longer to convince herself to follow Solglia through the rubble, but the need for her gear eventually overtook her. Once the gnome had safely crawled through, she tumbled down the mound to the other side, looking around impatiently for her items. Upon spying her bag, she pushed her way through the now semi-crowded room, tore open the backpack with unfettered haste, and withdrew a leather-bound tome, which she immediately embraced. "Thank whatever god the dwarf follows that it's safe," Eilina muttered before searching for her other items. A light-brown blouse and vest was quickly donned, followed by a pair of sturdy pants and boots, and a few casts of prestidigitation and a hairband later, one would never guess that she had spent nearly an entire day in a water tank. An offer was also extended to the dwarf for some cleansing magic, should she decide to accept.

With the changing complete (which took far less time than the armor-clad paladin), Eilina glanced throughout the room. "Some of these items are quite impressive," she muttered quietly. "That statue you almost broke, half-elf, looks quite valuable..." Her voice trailed off when she realized the implications of Ary's suggestion. "You aren't suggesting that I go in there, are you? No thanks, nuh-uh. I plan to spend at least a few more hours not stuck in a tiny enclised space, thank you. But perhaps..." She turned her gaze to the octopus subtly floating along and watching the dwarf change into her armor.

"Let's rejoin the others first," Eilina suggested. "We can always come back here. I'll take this statue as well, as I suspect it may be magical." Without another word, she climbed the pile of rubble again, sighed heavily, and darted through the narrow opening. As she arrived on the other side, she pointed south. "Looks like another of those openings. Which should we check first?"

5e D&D - Mines of Phandelver

Goblin A drops his bow and attempts to attack Bar and misses horribly, evidently a tad intimidated by the barbarian's... codpiece.

@Samdragonx is up next!

Modular Pathfinder

Camp of the Nirmathi Rangers

---

As the group questioned Gavirk, he ordered one of his men to hand out the down payment of their services. "The river Marideth runs within sight of the Keep. If the Molthuni soldier is smart, he likely has a watch stationed overlooking the water." The accidental display seemed to barely phase Gavirk, as he quickly shifted his attention to the next question. "When Nirmathas claimed her independence from Molthune, they built Fangwood Keep as a sort of border fort: an aggressive posture towards the Nirmathi. We have conquered and lost the Keep many times over the years, the latest of such excursions being nigh a decade ago when we took it back. Since then, we've been in talks of peace with Molthune, and this rogue soldier is endangering those efforts. That's why we are sending you instead of going ourselves; if Nirmathas took the fort back, it would signal another step in the ongoing war. If Molthune stormed the Keep, it could be seen as a sign of weakness, and elements of our army may try to take advantage. This is a delicate situation, and I trust you will keep the details to yourself?"

Without bothering to await an answer, almost as if he implicitly trusted the paladin in the group, Gavirk turned his attention to the next question. "The woods hold the standard dangers. Not much in the way of quicksand, and the brambles typically don't hunt you if you leave them alone." His response was deadpan, and not even a hint of a smile showed on his face. "There's been reports of hobgoblins along the path, and there's a troll that has a cave not too far from the Keep. He's never bothered us, so we haven't tried to root him out. Other than that, not abnormal dangers to speak of. The woods are fairly quiet." With his answers delivered, he turned to check on some of his men. "If you excuse me, I must see to the training of some new recruits. Please do not delay."

With Gavirk busy, the group purchased their requisite supplies at the quartermaster, spending some of their newly-earned gold before making their plans. A makeshift tavern was an ideal location to plan. The "structure" was little more than a large tent with a plank set upon two barrels serving as the bar, but there were several soldiers mulling about the area. Someone had embedded a pamphlet into a nearby tree via use of an arrow, and the pamphlet had a crudely drawn image of a troll on it. "Bounty: 1000 gold to whomever brings me the head of Sigurx. I'll be at Fort Ramgate -- Signed, Arther Cossack."

It was decided after a short time that the best option would be to begin their adventure immediately, push as far as they could in the remaining light of the day, and break camp along the trail. The journey for the first day was uneventful, and the night's watch equally so. They had traveled for a few hours the following day when they stumbled upon a cavern system. The area outside the caves seemed bare, although the grass was worn within several feet of the cave entrance as if a makeshift path had seen the pounding of thousands of footsteps.

Modular Pathfinder

The fighting on the border between Molthune and Nirmathas has lasted for generations. Officially the war ended in '55, but that was just a paper peace. The fighting has never stopped -- it just holds its breath every once in a while.

Both sides have informants strewn throughout enemy territory. A barmaid at the Gorged Gorgon overheard a Molthuni sergeant talking in his cups: "Every bleedin' acre south of the Marideth has been fought over so many times that the people living there hardly care who's in charge anymore. Lucky for them, most of the borderlands that haven't been razed to the ground are too heavily wooded to be much use to either side. Still, even small companies of soldiers with nothing to lose can cause an awful lot of trouble..." The sergeant went on to describe one such company, and the informant brought the tale to the Nirmathi rangers. Nirmathas brought the request to the Pathfinder Society, who has sent your group to investigate and assist.

Your group met their contact in the city of Tamran at the mouth of the Marideth River. Forest Marshal Weslen Gavirk heard of the Molthuni incursion against Fangwood Keep through his Chernasardo scouts, and is looking for a small group to fix the problem before it gets out of hand. Much blood has already been spilled over Fangwood Keep, and Gavirk hopes that by sending a neutral party to reclaim the castle, he can stem further violence surrounding the fortification.

Gavirk has learned that a rogue Molthuni commander has taken Fangwood Keep and slain numerous Nirmathi soldiers in the raid. He informs the group that the Molthuni soldiers bore the sign of a mailed fist grasping a broken arrow, but otherwise possesses no clues as to the troops' specific station within the Molthuni military. His scouts report that the force was about 30 strong, and that its apparent commander is frequently seen alongside a changeling spellcaster of some sort. He advises them to use stealth during their mission, since taking on the entire Molthuni force all at once would almost certainly result in defeat.

Though he cannot provide a detailed map of the fortress, Gavirk does inform the group of a secret entrance on the keep's northern side, and tells them to look for a stone engraved with four interwoven circles as a marker for one of the secret entrances. Once the group eliminates the Molthuni force occupying Fangwood Keep, Gavirk gives them orders to hold the fort for several days while he and the other Nirmathi leaders organize a larger force to garrison the base. Gavirk then gives them an initial payment of 250 gp, and promises an additional 750 gp to be paid upon completion of the mission. This figure is nonnegotiable. In addition, their employer provides the PCs with two elixirs of hiding, a scroll of knock, and a scroll of hold portal, and allows them to purchase additional supplies from the quartermaster before embarking upon their quest. The quartermaster's supplies are fairly limited, only holding basic nonmagical gear and simple potions, but you are free to purchase what you need.

Once the group is ready and has had a chance to ask any questions, they are free to embark at their earliest convenience.