As you come to the trapdoor, and open it, you find the area above you, the den itself, is flooded with blinding smoke. Sounds of growling and panting can be heard from inside the room, sounding like wolves hidden somewhere in the smoke. You recall two stuffed wolves that had previously been in this chamber last time you had been in it and vividly imagine those coming to life and being hidden somewhere in that concealing smoke.
Bernard feels cold sweat on his neck as the wolves awaken. He had managed to avoid a pack earlier on his journey, but now he was stuck blind in a room with them. Instinctively, he abjures an aura of protection around him before grasping around the room, trying to find the exit out.
(Casts Sanctuary with a level 2 spell slot. WIS Save 15 to hurt him.
Perception: 25)
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DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Going by memory, you move towards the exit to the room, and push through into the main hall beyond. The snuffling of the wolves come to your ears, even as you slam the den's door shut behind you. You hear the thunk of heavy bodies hitting that door, but it holds firm.
Moving towards the front of the house, you pass through the doors to the front foyer.
To your horror, you discover that the front doors are slowly becoming bricked up—and behind you, the doors to the Main Hall begin to swing shut. If you wish, you can make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw to hurl yourself into the Main Hall before the doors swing shut.
Bernard tries to quickly hurl himself through the doorway back into Main Hall.
Dex Save: 15
Crashing on the floor, he curses as escape slips away from his grasp. He looks around for a moment, trying to discern if another avenue of exit can be found.
Looking around you quickly realize that the only exits, you can recall, are the balconies on the upper levels. You can attempt to break through the boarded-up windows in the Den, but you know the wolves are in there and that darkness.
Bernard rushes towards the upper floor, climbing the stairwell. A sheen of sweat is on his face, and it's obvious that the old priest hasn't pushed his body like this in a long time.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
You rush up the stairs, moving past the first landing, as you know there were no exits available on that level. Upward you go, to the top of the red stairs.
Balcony As you reach the top landing you see the bathroom door is bulging oddly. Then it crashes open, filthy water rushing towards you.
Athletics can be used to stand one's ground and resist the flood. (Moderate DC) Nature or Survival can be used to call on past experiences or knowledge of flash floods, allowing a character in that split second to take necessary precautions (hang on the other side of the balcony, leap for a nearby door, et cetera). (Moderate DC) Sleight of Hand can be used to snatch at the balcony or the oil lamps mounted on the wall before being swept away. (Easy DC)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Lancelot whines loudly as filthy water engulfs both him and Bernard. Immediately, Bernard flashes back to a similar moment when he was but a young boy living in a fishing village by a river. Torrential rain, his boat overturning, and his hand holding on to a tree branch for dear life...
Instinctively, he grasps the balcony and holds on.
Survival: 24
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Grimly holding on to the banister, the filthy water washes over you, then down the stairs, quickly spreading out and leaving a reeking mess behind. You manage to hold out against it though, and soon are pulling yourself back onto the landing above. as you step forward four suits of armor rattle into motion, moving to bar your path forward.
Athletics can be used by a character wielding a shield or similar protection to charge the ranks, hoping to topple the armors. Acrobatics can be used to leap to the other end of the spiraling staircase. (Moderate DC) Blacksmith's tools or Investigation can be used to ascertain the formation's weaknesses, for without men behind the armor, they have significantly less strength. Characters with the Soldier background have advantage on such a check. (Moderate DC) Or you can simply fight them... Up to you. They seem different than the animated armor you fought previously, less formidable somehow.
These armors do not move as gracefully as the armor you faced earlier in this place, and stumble around as you nimbly roll past them to the door you wish to use. Do you go into the master suite or the other bedroom with a balcony?
The master suite has grown deadly cold: a well-dressed man paces the room while a woman stares at herself in the vanity, her eyes scornful as if to wonder why she wasn't enough for her husband. You recognize the Dursts alive and in the flesh—how or why doesn't matter. The two fall between bouts of silence and explosive rage, arguing over Gustav's infidelity.
You look to the corner of the room, to the balcony, that sweet, sweet balcony, the gate to getting the hell out of this accursed manor—and in the doorway spin rusted scythe-blades. You look back: Elisabeth is glaring at you, and she snarls, "Servant! Get out! Get out! Come back only when the bastard's been born!"
You notice with mounting frustration that while Elisabeth snarls at you, the scythe-blades spin pick up speed, spinning ever quicker.
Acrobatics or Investigation can be used to make it through the doorway unscathed. (Moderate DC) Insight can be used to gauge Elisabeth or Gustav's emotions, finding the best possible moment to make the leap. (Easy DC) Persuasion can be used to calm the Dursts, even if for a moment. (Moderate DC)
Bernard whispers a prayer (Guidance) as he scrutinizes Elisabeth. At this point, he wasn't even surprised to see them in the flesh- he was immune to the house's trickery.
Insight: 26+2
Holding his sun amulet, he shoots back, "I am no servant of yours." Testing her reaction with his defiance, he leaps through scythe-filled doorway to freedom.
A stunned silence falls as Elisabeth stares at you open-mouthed. It is all the opening you needed, as the spinning blades pause for that moment and you leap through without getting even nicked by a single blade.
Death House has put all its remaining energy to afflict its prey with a powerful phantasmal force spell (no saving throws required). The balcony has grown into a cliff that drops to a thousand feet below (an eerily accurate representation of the Tser Falls of Barovia). Only with courage, skill, or acuity can you conquer the illusory cliff without destroying your mind in the process.
Acrobatics, Athletics or Survival can be combined with tools such as rope or a climbing kit to scale the cliff. (Moderate DC) Arcana can be used to understand the powerful phantasmal force spell at work, that their psyches stand to be torn apart if caution is thrown to the wind; that perhaps the best way to survive is to play along. (Moderate DC) Investigation can be used to shatter the illusion by harnessing the strength of the mind. (Hard DC) Spells that slow or affect flying, such as feather fall; or that would imbue creatures with courage, such as heroism can be used to conquer the illusion; both put the characters' psyches at rest, tricking their subconsciousness believing all will be well. (Automatic Success
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Bernard knows that the secret stairs to the den would be the fastest way to return to the entrance, and so he hustles up the creaking stairs.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
As you come to the trapdoor, and open it, you find the area above you, the den itself, is flooded with blinding smoke. Sounds of growling and panting can be heard from inside the room, sounding like wolves hidden somewhere in the smoke. You recall two stuffed wolves that had previously been in this chamber last time you had been in it and vividly imagine those coming to life and being hidden somewhere in that concealing smoke.
Bernard feels cold sweat on his neck as the wolves awaken. He had managed to avoid a pack earlier on his journey, but now he was stuck blind in a room with them. Instinctively, he abjures an aura of protection around him before grasping around the room, trying to find the exit out.
(Casts Sanctuary with a level 2 spell slot. WIS Save 15 to hurt him.
Perception: 25)
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Going by memory, you move towards the exit to the room, and push through into the main hall beyond. The snuffling of the wolves come to your ears, even as you slam the den's door shut behind you. You hear the thunk of heavy bodies hitting that door, but it holds firm.
Moving towards the front of the house, you pass through the doors to the front foyer.
To your horror, you discover that the front doors are slowly becoming bricked up—and behind you, the doors to the Main Hall begin to swing shut. If you wish, you can make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw to hurl yourself into the Main Hall before the doors swing shut.
Bernard tries to quickly hurl himself through the doorway back into Main Hall.
Dex Save: 15
Crashing on the floor, he curses as escape slips away from his grasp. He looks around for a moment, trying to discern if another avenue of exit can be found.
Perception: 17
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Looking around you quickly realize that the only exits, you can recall, are the balconies on the upper levels. You can attempt to break through the boarded-up windows in the Den, but you know the wolves are in there and that darkness.
Bernard rushes towards the upper floor, climbing the stairwell. A sheen of sweat is on his face, and it's obvious that the old priest hasn't pushed his body like this in a long time.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
You rush up the stairs, moving past the first landing, as you know there were no exits available on that level. Upward you go, to the top of the red stairs.
Balcony
As you reach the top landing you see the bathroom door is bulging oddly. Then it crashes open, filthy water rushing towards you.
Athletics can be used to stand one's ground and resist the flood. (Moderate DC)
Nature or Survival can be used to call on past experiences or knowledge of flash floods, allowing a character in that split second to take necessary precautions (hang on the other side of the balcony, leap for a nearby door, et cetera). (Moderate DC)
Sleight of Hand can be used to snatch at the balcony or the oil lamps mounted on the wall before being swept away. (Easy DC)
Lancelot whines loudly as filthy water engulfs both him and Bernard. Immediately, Bernard flashes back to a similar moment when he was but a young boy living in a fishing village by a river. Torrential rain, his boat overturning, and his hand holding on to a tree branch for dear life...
Instinctively, he grasps the balcony and holds on.
Survival: 24
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Grimly holding on to the banister, the filthy water washes over you, then down the stairs, quickly spreading out and leaving a reeking mess behind. You manage to hold out against it though, and soon are pulling yourself back onto the landing above. as you step forward four suits of armor rattle into motion, moving to bar your path forward.
Athletics can be used by a character wielding a shield or similar protection to charge the ranks, hoping to topple the armors.
Acrobatics can be used to leap to the other end of the spiraling staircase. (Moderate DC)
Blacksmith's tools or Investigation can be used to ascertain the formation's weaknesses, for without men behind the armor, they have significantly less strength. Characters with the Soldier background have advantage on such a check. (Moderate DC)
Or you can simply fight them... Up to you. They seem different than the animated armor you fought previously, less formidable somehow.
Bernard doesn't have the brawn of his youth to charge the armor. He decides to leap around, relying on agility instead of strength.
Acrobatics: 21
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
These armors do not move as gracefully as the armor you faced earlier in this place, and stumble around as you nimbly roll past them to the door you wish to use. Do you go into the master suite or the other bedroom with a balcony?
Bernard decides to head inside the master suite first, hoping to find an exit to the outdoor.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
The master suite has grown deadly cold: a well-dressed man paces the room while a woman stares at herself in the vanity, her eyes scornful as if to wonder why she wasn't enough for her husband. You recognize the Dursts alive and in the flesh—how or why doesn't matter. The two fall between bouts of silence and explosive rage, arguing over Gustav's infidelity.
You look to the corner of the room, to the balcony, that sweet, sweet balcony, the gate to getting the hell out of this accursed manor—and in the doorway spin rusted scythe-blades. You look back: Elisabeth is glaring at you, and she snarls, "Servant! Get out! Get out! Come back only when the bastard's been born!"
You notice with mounting frustration that while Elisabeth snarls at you, the scythe-blades spin pick up speed, spinning ever quicker.
Acrobatics or Investigation can be used to make it through the doorway unscathed. (Moderate DC)
Insight can be used to gauge Elisabeth or Gustav's emotions, finding the best possible moment to make the leap. (Easy DC)
Persuasion can be used to calm the Dursts, even if for a moment. (Moderate DC)
Bernard whispers a prayer (Guidance) as he scrutinizes Elisabeth. At this point, he wasn't even surprised to see them in the flesh- he was immune to the house's trickery.
Insight: 26+2
Holding his sun amulet, he shoots back, "I am no servant of yours." Testing her reaction with his defiance, he leaps through scythe-filled doorway to freedom.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
A stunned silence falls as Elisabeth stares at you open-mouthed. It is all the opening you needed, as the spinning blades pause for that moment and you leap through without getting even nicked by a single blade.
Death House has put all its remaining energy to afflict its prey with a powerful phantasmal force spell (no saving throws required). The balcony has grown into a cliff that drops to a thousand feet below (an eerily accurate representation of the Tser Falls of Barovia). Only with courage, skill, or acuity can you conquer the illusory cliff without destroying your mind in the process.
Acrobatics, Athletics or Survival can be combined with tools such as rope or a climbing kit to scale the cliff. (Moderate DC)
Arcana can be used to understand the powerful phantasmal force spell at work, that their psyches stand to be torn apart if caution is thrown to the wind; that perhaps the best way to survive is to play along. (Moderate DC)
Investigation can be used to shatter the illusion by harnessing the strength of the mind. (Hard DC)
Spells that slow or affect flying, such as feather fall; or that would imbue creatures with courage, such as heroism can be used to conquer the illusion; both put the characters' psyches at rest, tricking their subconsciousness believing all will be well. (Automatic Success