Barty's "Lost Mine of Phandelver"

OOC: You can interchange weapons during combat, right? On one turn, if you have advantage, you can use rapier and sneak attack. On the next turn, if you lose advantage, you can draw the longsword and swing it with the strength of an ogre. 

OOC: I believe it takes an action to equip a new weapon. Sometimes I have Nemean switch from ranged to melee mud combat, and that can be effective, but there is a cost to it. There is a feat that negates this I think.

OOC: Yeah, you might be right. I think you can draw OR stow a weapon, but interacting with a second object takes an action. The feat is Dual Wielder which lets you draw or stow two weapons instead of one. But stowing one and drawing another would take an action.

Tochi observes his companions looking intently at their weapons, as if they are contemplating something. He is slightly confused, as this has been going on for some time, but says nothing. Instead, not to feel left out, he takes out his brand new staff and starts staring at it as well.

Thulgrim starts whispering sweet nothings to his large axe, and stroking it like a puppy.

All looked normal to Finna - that said, what is not normal on the road? Anyway, looked like everyone and everything was ready to continue their journey.

OOC: Inventories have been updated.

All correct on the interactions. Do keep in mind that it's only stowing or drawing a weapon that counts as an interaction with an object. There is always the option to simply drop a weapon, which costs nothing (but obviously puts that weapon on the ground and available for anyone to pick up).

There's still certainly a use for a magic weapon, even if it's not as effective for a class.

DM Screen:

Droop gathers his weapons and follows you to the stables, where your horses and wagon lay in wait. A couple of the folk about town shy away from the appearance of the goblin, but it is apparent that some of them also recognize him, looking on in curiosity.

The pleasant weather continues through the afternoon. The ride is bumpy as the wagon rolls through the foothills east of Phandalin, but in a few short hours you find yourself in front of a narrow passageway, hidden from view in the folds of a mountain.

You have returned to Wave Echo Cave.

OOC: Your knowledge of the mine from your first venture:

Upon returning to Wave Echo Cave, Nemean hops off his horse and soothes her gently as he hands the reins over to Droop. “Take care of her while we explore the cave Droop, do your best to make sure they don’t wander off, and protect them and yourself if it comes to it.” He places a hand on Droops shoulder to reassure him as he speaks.

Next he turns and speaks quietly to the group but looks directly at Tulgrim, “We should first go to the corpse of the Dwarf we found. I hope he is not your kin, but I fear it may be Tharden or Nundro. We can load them onto the wagon so we can give a proper burial when we return. 

“Next we should also recover Nimble’s remains, and take him back to the wagon. We can recover the boots, and any other useful items he would have wanted us to have.”

“Once we have recovered the fallen we can return to the Black Spider’s Lair and pick up where we left off exploring this place. We can explore to the south and east of where he fought him.”

He nods to Finna “If we see any of his goons, particularly the BugBears, we should show them his staff, they may not be willing to fight and die for a lost cause if they know we vanquished their leader.”

"Let's hope we run into smart enough to understand that", agreed Finna, "By the way - do they have spiders in that cave? Not my favourite form but looks the most appropriate for scouting here".

OOC: Are we the star or the red dot on the picture?

Thulgrim grips his axe and grits his teeth, fearful for the well-being of his kinsman but eager to see the mine and to do battle with its denizens.

Suit yerself, but I 'ope them bugbears ain't that smart. If'n me clansmen ain't 'ere in good 'ealth, then I ain't allowin' no bugbears t' leave 'ere any better off.

Quote from BlueBayou >>

OOC: Are we the star or the red dot? on the picture?

 We start in the bottom-left corner

OOC: got it, thanks (never played that campaign before :) ).

Roland draws out his hooden lantern. "I don't suppose any has a hand free to hold this again?"

OOC: Thulgrim can take the lead if you like. He'd probably be eager. 

Aye lad, I can 'andle that fer ye, tho I'll put it down if'n it comes t' fightin'. I'll lead the way if'n ye don' mind, so's I'm firs' t' the fight!

"I can run ahead to check the areas you cleared out - just to see if no one moved in again. If you wish so, of course". "Do not need light for that either".

Tochi leaves his horse with Droop as well, and prepares himself to enter the horrid cavern once again. 

"As it has been said times before, one should not wade into the same river twice. However, we do not currently have the luxury of listening to old adages. So, let us proceed and, hopefully, make sure we do not have to return a third time".

Then, listening to the conversation, involves himself as well:

"I can also help with the lantern, as I am all but blind without it inside".

OOC: Yes, sorry for any confusion. The red dot typically depicts the location of the party, but that's in there as a holdover from the party's last visit to the mine. The current location is the tunnel in the bottom left corner.

Assuming Thulgrim is holding the lantern unless someone confirms that is not the case. Removed a flask of oil from Roland's inventory to light it.

Light flares against the walls of the cavern. The entrance tunnel leads to a large cavern supported by a natural pillar of rock and containing three stalagmites. In the western part of the cave, behind the column of rock, are three bedrolls and a heap of ordinary supplies--sacks of flour, bags of salt, casks of salted meat, lanterns, flasks of lamp oil, pickaxes, shovels, and other gear. Amid the supplies is the body of a  dwarf miner, dead for well over a week.

The northeastern section of the cavern has collapsed, forming a ten-foot-wide, twenty-foot-deep pit. A sturdy hemp rope is tied off around a nearby stalagmite and dangles down the side of the pit, at the bottom of which is a rough-hewn tunnel heading northwest and east.

For Thulgrim:

OOC: Ready to advance once the next action is determined.

Tochi approaches the dwarves, both alive and dead:

"We paid our respects, but were unable to do much more than that. Whoever he may be, he deserves his last rites to be performed in accordance to his custom. So, my friend Thulgrim, how should we do it? I am, unfortunately, entirely unfamiliar with Dwarven last rites".

(OOC: Sorry, for some reason I didn't see this had updated ...)

Thulgrim runs over to the body, but within moments realises that it is indeed, as he feared, his kinsman Tharden. He half-drops the lantern and lets out an almighty howl (you might say a 'barbaric yawp' - sorry stealth characters) and kneels down beside the body. Silently weeping, he takes off his fur garment and lays it over Tharden's head and upper body. Then, at Tochi's condolence he wipes the tears from his face and replies:

Aye, it be me kinsman. Tharden's 'is name. It'll be me 'eavy burden to carry th' news t' Gundren, but better that 'e wasn't 'ere to find 'im thus. I thank ye all fer whate'er ye did, but there be nuthin' fer it now 'cept to ask Dumathoin to claim 'is soul. We'll do 'is rites and bury 'im proper once we've cleansed th' mine, then 'ave a proper send-off fer 'im once me clan arrives.

Thulgrim then stands and, while chanting in Dwarvish, draws his dagger and makes a slow cut on his bare left-side pectoral, just below several similar-sized scars. He collects the blood from the blade with one thumb and wipes it down the left side of his face so that it forms a thick line passing vertically from his forehead, across his eye, down his cheek to his beard. He picks up his greataxe and with teeth grit and eyes afire he says:

Let's be off then. I'll nae eat nor drink 'till I've taken blood for blood.

And without so much as a glance backward he walks forward to the edge of the pit.

(OOC: Left the lantern behind too - you can tell him if you want to, but I wouldn't)