Esmee moving closer to get a better look at the tracks finds out...
There are 3 types of track you can identify easily. One is wolf, they look the least fresh. One is mountain lion. They look more fresh. The other is rat and they are the most fresh, but much larger than you've ever seen. You'd guess the rats are at least as large as you are.
The others of you who are moving closer making the side of the boat visible can see that the keel has been broken and there is a large split in the bottom of the boat opening it up to the river. The boat rest about 15' away from the bank.
Esmee quickly moves back over to the others near the broken hull, the sense of urgency that's been tickling her insides turning into the imaginary gnawing of giant rats. She tugs on Barmo's sleeve and whispers, "We were right! I found rat signs but not normal rats, they must be as big as we are!" She makes a sort of circle with her hands while she speaks showing the size of the tracks.
Ed asks the group: "What should we do? Wait and see if anything comes out or do you want me to throw a Mote of fire at the hull and see it that drives something out?"
"Well... motes of fire are an idea, but we should be prepared to be overrun by whatever might come out to investigate," Eikis tells the others. "I do have an idea, though." She holds up a few crossbow bolts. "I could temporarily enchant these to smell like really delicious meat. Or make a sound like a roaring owlbear! Something that would make any rats in that ship jump out to investigate or flee. Want to give it a try?"
While they're quietly discussion, Eikis orders Vicious to stand guard near the entrance to the wreck, just to make sure nothing coming out from it will surprise them.
Just hearing the words 'delicious meat' sends Barmo's stomach audibly grumbling. "If you make it smell good I am just as liable to go for it Eikis. Why don't we make a racket and see if we can get some vermin?"
Eikis holds up one crossbow bolt, concentrating on it while scratching something into the shaft. After a moment, it begins to shine with light. Taking the candle out of her headband, she blows it out and replaces it with the bolt. "Well, it's better than having my hair catch on fire if we end up fighting," she tells the others.
Holding up another corssbow bolt, she concentrates, carving a few runes into it with her set of tools. This time when she finishes, the bolt seems to hum with energy. "As soon as I fire this bolt, it's going to sound like a lion roaring continuously from wherever it hits," Eikis tells the others, loading it into her crossbow. "Let me know when you're ready to fire those motes, Ed... we might be able to flush them out of the ship like this."
Esmee pulls an arrow from the quiver on her back and notches it on the string, taking aim at the opening in the hull, prepared for anything to come through. She breathes slowly and deeply while waiting for the other two halflings to rouse whatever is inside the ship.
Barmo shrugs off his heavy bag and dishes out a large plate sized buckler and straps it on to his arm. He opens his pouch and picks out a nicely smoothed rock and drops it in his sling.
"Let's do this," Eikis says with a nod. She crouches behind what cover she can find, and beckons for Vicious to stand sentinel next to whomever is closest to the exit of the wreck. Looking around to make sure everyone has taken their preferred places, then nods. "The word!"she tells Ed, then fires her crossbow into the side of the hull. As it hits, the sound of a loud roaring lion fills the night air.
Eikis, I'll need an attack roll to see how well/far you can get that bolt into the boat.
Everyone else I have readying an action for what, if anything comes out of there so you'll all get advantage on your first attacks if you flush something out.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Following Eikis' crossbow bolt Ed hurls the mote of flame. As soon as it hits the hull he will ready another to help the others see what may be coming forth.
Edit: OOPs sorry DM we posted at same time. I guess Ed will wait to see if anything comes out then, ranged spell attack: 18 damage: 5
(OK, all good Ed. I'm going to roll initiative for everyone just to make it simpler and have an order. On your turn though Ed, roll another attack. You have advantage from the readied action surprise attack)
Eikis lets her bolt fly and it slots itself neatly into the cracked belly of the ship. For a moment there is an eerie silence following the sound of the bolt hitting wood somewhere within the ship. Then there is a whump of flame catching and a terrible animal screeching not dissimilar to a babies wail as several giant rats start climbing over each other to make their way out of the ship and reach land. Each is larger than any of you and only three or four can fit through the hull at a time but they are coming out quickly.
(If-or battle statement: IF something attacks an ally that Vicious is within 5 feet of, Vicious's reaction will impose disadvantage on the attack roll of that creature once per turn.)
(Right on, thank you! I feel like I may need battle maps for more than I'd planned after knowing that :) For now we'll have to just visualize. The rats are 5' so having Vicious in a position to impose disadvantage on more than one enemy would mean a circle kind of configuration with Vicious in the center, you guys ringed around him and the mobs coming from outside the circle.
With that info you are all welcome to set that up in the future but... Nobody said that was getting set-up now so the way I was visualizing the scene was that you had said Vicious was standing guard, so he's more towards the edge of the river with you all in a kind of half circle around him with Eikis in the middle. I'd imagine that you would want to get the disadvantage so would make sure he's within 5' of you when you fired.
So.. once the rats are loose if people want to move before attacking...)
Eikis went for cover, Vicious is out near the front standing next to someone who didn‘t, closest to the ship (so he’ll be among the first to physically intercept the rats). They aren‘t together ;). Sorry if that wasn‘t clear in my post!
Esmee moving closer to get a better look at the tracks finds out...
There are 3 types of track you can identify easily. One is wolf, they look the least fresh. One is mountain lion. They look more fresh. The other is rat and they are the most fresh, but much larger than you've ever seen. You'd guess the rats are at least as large as you are.
The others of you who are moving closer making the side of the boat visible can see that the keel has been broken and there is a large split in the bottom of the boat opening it up to the river. The boat rest about 15' away from the bank.
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules
Esmee quickly moves back over to the others near the broken hull, the sense of urgency that's been tickling her insides turning into the imaginary gnawing of giant rats. She tugs on Barmo's sleeve and whispers, "We were right! I found rat signs but not normal rats, they must be as big as we are!" She makes a sort of circle with her hands while she speaks showing the size of the tracks.
Ed asks the group: "What should we do? Wait and see if anything comes out or do you want me to throw a Mote of fire at the hull and see it that drives something out?"
"Well... motes of fire are an idea, but we should be prepared to be overrun by whatever might come out to investigate," Eikis tells the others. "I do have an idea, though." She holds up a few crossbow bolts. "I could temporarily enchant these to smell like really delicious meat. Or make a sound like a roaring owlbear! Something that would make any rats in that ship jump out to investigate or flee. Want to give it a try?"
While they're quietly discussion, Eikis orders Vicious to stand guard near the entrance to the wreck, just to make sure nothing coming out from it will surprise them.
Just hearing the words 'delicious meat' sends Barmo's stomach audibly grumbling. "If you make it smell good I am just as liable to go for it Eikis. Why don't we make a racket and see if we can get some vermin?"
Eikis holds up one crossbow bolt, concentrating on it while scratching something into the shaft. After a moment, it begins to shine with light. Taking the candle out of her headband, she blows it out and replaces it with the bolt. "Well, it's better than having my hair catch on fire if we end up fighting," she tells the others.
Holding up another corssbow bolt, she concentrates, carving a few runes into it with her set of tools. This time when she finishes, the bolt seems to hum with energy. "As soon as I fire this bolt, it's going to sound like a lion roaring continuously from wherever it hits," Eikis tells the others, loading it into her crossbow. "Let me know when you're ready to fire those motes, Ed... we might be able to flush them out of the ship like this."
Magical Tinkering: 2/3
Ed replies: "Anytime. Just say the word."
Ed readies to throw the mote of flame produce flame that he already has up.
Esmee pulls an arrow from the quiver on her back and notches it on the string, taking aim at the opening in the hull, prepared for anything to come through. She breathes slowly and deeply while waiting for the other two halflings to rouse whatever is inside the ship.
Barmo shrugs off his heavy bag and dishes out a large plate sized buckler and straps it on to his arm. He opens his pouch and picks out a nicely smoothed rock and drops it in his sling.
"Send it out little friend. I am ready."
"Let's do this," Eikis says with a nod. She crouches behind what cover she can find, and beckons for Vicious to stand sentinel next to whomever is closest to the exit of the wreck. Looking around to make sure everyone has taken their preferred places, then nods. "The word!" she tells Ed, then fires her crossbow into the side of the hull. As it hits, the sound of a loud roaring lion fills the night air.
Sounds like a plan!
Eikis, I'll need an attack roll to see how well/far you can get that bolt into the boat.
Everyone else I have readying an action for what, if anything comes out of there so you'll all get advantage on your first attacks if you flush something out.
11
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules
Following Eikis' crossbow bolt Ed hurls the mote of flame. As soon as it hits the hull he will ready another to help the others see what may be coming forth.
Edit: OOPs sorry DM we posted at same time. I guess Ed will wait to see if anything comes out then, ranged spell attack: 18 damage: 5
Extra attack(advantage) 20
Eikis' aim! 19
(OK, all good Ed. I'm going to roll initiative for everyone just to make it simpler and have an order. On your turn though Ed, roll another attack. You have advantage from the readied action surprise attack)
Eikis lets her bolt fly and it slots itself neatly into the cracked belly of the ship. For a moment there is an eerie silence following the sound of the bolt hitting wood somewhere within the ship. Then there is a whump of flame catching and a terrible animal screeching not dissimilar to a babies wail as several giant rats start climbing over each other to make their way out of the ship and reach land. Each is larger than any of you and only three or four can fit through the hull at a time but they are coming out quickly.
Esmee 13
Barmo 23
Ed 19
Eikis 7
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules
13
So that puts the action On Barmo with initaitive order of...
Barmo, Ed, Esmee, Eikis, Rats
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules
(If-or battle statement: IF something attacks an ally that Vicious is within 5 feet of, Vicious's reaction will impose disadvantage on the attack roll of that creature once per turn.)
(Right on, thank you! I feel like I may need battle maps for more than I'd planned after knowing that :) For now we'll have to just visualize. The rats are 5' so having Vicious in a position to impose disadvantage on more than one enemy would mean a circle kind of configuration with Vicious in the center, you guys ringed around him and the mobs coming from outside the circle.
With that info you are all welcome to set that up in the future but... Nobody said that was getting set-up now so the way I was visualizing the scene was that you had said Vicious was standing guard, so he's more towards the edge of the river with you all in a kind of half circle around him with Eikis in the middle. I'd imagine that you would want to get the disadvantage so would make sure he's within 5' of you when you fired.
So.. once the rats are loose if people want to move before attacking...)
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules
Eikis went for cover, Vicious is out near the front standing next to someone who didn‘t, closest to the ship (so he’ll be among the first to physically intercept the rats). They aren‘t together ;). Sorry if that wasn‘t clear in my post!
Gotcha, I see that. It was clear. I just missed it. Thanks for the heads up.
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules
Just a reminder because the post is up a bit now, Barmo you're up
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules