We bring the supplies into the cave and hide the wagon in some brush with branches, out of sight of the main path. Merai uses Shape Water to dry things or shape the waterfall out of the way to enable things to be brought in.
Pox tells the others about the bears. “Hopefully they are happy with fish” he says. He gives the little squirrel some nuts from his rations.
Merai says a prayer of thanks to Deneir for finding the cave. Once settled, she tells the others “I wonder if anyone from the library knows of this place. You could station a group of guard here- to watch the gate. Or use it as a storehouse!”
“We shouldn’t assume they don’t know,” Ash countered gruffly, but then added in a softer tone, “thank you for finding us a safe place to camp.” She arranged the firewood and looked for any place that would naturally vent the smoke.
“I’m quite warm naturally,” she explained. “I don’t need a fire, but… I was afraid you lot might get cold.”
The Dragonborne sat and began to sharpen her weapons. It was strangely soothing. “If we find a vent I’ll build you a fire.”
She turned to Pox. “Glad you didn’t die little one.”
Pox says “Thanks! Me too. Although it was interesting. I was in a long tunnel with a bright light at the end, and no pain. Just as I reached the light and was starting to see, I woke up. In pain again.”
OOC it's been a hectic week IRL and I missed so much. Going forward feel free to text me and I can quickly reply with an action or you can use Little Iron as you see fit. Also, I am so out of touch with all of the available actions for this version of DnD that I don't know what I can and can't do. With that said please feel free to make suggestions about what Little Iron can/can't do. Reading the last three pages I am baffled at how many actions (bonus? advantage?) can be taken and that at this level there are fighters who can "heal themselves". Plus this dash and disengage option (to which I say boo! boo!) clearly are game changers.
(Heh no problem! it’s a bit overwhelming at first. You will get it. here’s a little summary of the major differences:
Many classes have some way to recover hit points- There’s also no negative hit points in 5e- When you go to zero you are unconscious and dying - death saving throws determine death- even one HP of healing gets you back up.
in 5e there are short rests of 1 hour and long rests of 8 hours .
basically in Combat in 5e in a round (still 6 seconds) you can move up to your speed, interact with one item for free, and take an action. Additionally -sometimes spells or other abilities (like class abilities) allow you to take a bonus action (the spell says casting time 1 BA).
note you can never cast 2 leveled spells in a round- at the most you can cast a bonus action spell and a cantrip.
in 5e you can Draw your weapon, move, attack and move again - all as part of a normal round.
Casting a spell does not normally provoke an aoo- but moving Outside of an enemy’s reach does.
In pathfinder 3.5 there were circumstance bonuses- in 5e most of those are taken over by advantage/disadvantage. (Roll 2 20 and keep high or low)
a key concept in 5e is “bounded accuracy” Bonuses are very limited. For instance - A 20 is always good AC- even for a 20th level character!. Magical enhancements top out at +3.
So unlike in pathfinder where a low level character can’t succeed at all against a high level encounter (like only being able to hit with a natural 20) - in 5e everyone is a bit more of a threat.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
OOC - We can also adjust pace if people get busy, that is part of the charm of PBP. I think we will settle into a groove at some point. Tesservett enabled content sharing - so you can download all the source books - even to your smart phone using the D&D Beyond App. It might be helpful to read through the Player's Handbook to get aquatinted with 5e some more. Also if you click around on your character sheet it outlines various actions Little Iron can take during combat. You can click the different tables to see more info.
Actions in Combat Attack,Cast a Spell,Dash,Disengage,Dodge,Grapple,Help,Hide,Improvise,Ready,Search,Shove,Use an Object
IMPORTANT - Everyone can level up from the bandit fight (Lv 3) - going to do do milestone leveling.
_________________________________
The cavern floor is mostly dry once you cross through the waterfall curtain. A pleasant sand and river rock ladled beach greets you in the dimly lit cavern - the only light being what diffuses through the waterfall as the sun sets.
I am going to make a generic group Investigation Skill Roll with no modifier - 9
and you don't find anything beyond sand and rocks in the cavern.
Ash - you believe you could have a small fire in here with no issue as the ceiling is 30ft high and natural divets in the stone would help contain the smoke - especially with the faint mist from the waterfall clearing the air.
Let me know how everyone continues to set up camp.
Merai sits where she can see out the waterfall door, and is working diligently in her spellbook. She’s lit a torch and put it in a corner of the room, where it and the fire casts enough light to work by, but the light won’t be visible from outside. As an elf she doesn’t need to sleep, but overnight she does seem to go into a trance for a while. alarm is cast and her owl also keeps watech.
Pox double checks that the light from campfire and torches is not visible from outside, once satisfied, he finds a little nook to sleep in, where he will be out of sight in an ambush he takes a watch as well
"Stupid, stupid me," the man mutters to himself as he trudges through the thicket. A rope slung over his shoulder with several freshly caught rabbits tied together by their feet. "A great survivalist I am, can't even make me way through these forests, the air is so dense."
As he makes his way through, he stops briefly to take a swig of wine from his water skin as he notices a curious sight; a human corpse slumped by the roadside. "And what do we have here?"
He approaches the body and inspects the wounds, he takes a single finger and brushes it through one of the deeper cuts on the body, "Still fresh, whoever did this isn't far." The man stand back up and draws his hand axe as he begins scanning for footprints. He finds the prints of a wagon, a horse and four humanoid figures; deciding the follow the tracks he lights a torch and fixes the sling of rabbits to his backpack. Making his way along the road, following the tracks he comes to a sight that has become familiar during his time in these woods, two massive ivory figures. What is not familiar, however, is the dancing glint of firelight from just behind a rushing curtain of water where the tracks end.
The man sighs, his curiosity requiring satiation and moves through the waterfall to find those who killed the poor soul on the road.
Standing slightly taller than a standard human, this boorish man has a cascade of unkempt, copper hair and a greasy, red beard. His skin is fair, but muddied by what appears to be mud and the dried gore of an old kill. The scent of salty air, stale alcohol, rancid meat and freshly churned earth wafts from his very being. Perhaps the only feature that doesn't represent his squalid nature are his eyes; set in his skull like two well polished emeralds with a lively glow behind them. In one hand he wields a hand axe of foreign craftsmanship and under the opposite arm; the windbag of a bizarre instrument. On his face is a curious tattoo which appears to span beneath the red mop on his head.
Alerted by her alarm spell, Merai sighs as she sees the man approaching. “I guess our firelight was too bright after all, after the sun went down” she says, to no one in particular. She wakes up Pox and says to the group “We’ve got company- one man, with an axe.” as the man starts coming into the passage, and she steps back.
Pox wakes up quickly, and suddenly a large 5’ Boulder, matching the stone of the cave, is where he was, in easy striking distance of the doorway. (Minor Illusion)
As the man enters, Merai is standing in the cave looking at him. She is a stunningly beautiful high elf girl, with blonde hair, fair skin and purple eyes, clad in blued scale mail, purple scholarly robes and carrying a staff and shield. She has a stern expression, whisps of fire are coursing around her staff. She says, coldly “Welcome to our camp. What is your business here? I hope it is peaceful, for your sake. We have no desire to hurt you. I am Merai, of the Edificant Library. ”
Lowering his weapon; he grins nervously, revealing yellowed and uneven teeth, "No ma'am, no harm meant. Just a hunter of sorts; found meself looking in the eyes of a dead man on the road, and followed the tracks from his body here. More or less letting my curiosity get the best of me."
His voice is calm, and heavily accented with the dialect of the North Men, "But where are me manners? My name is Pendergast McEllwin, of the clan McEllwin far to the north; a family of proud trappers and hunters. What is a lovely lady like you doing camping in a cave? Surely you're more comfortable on a cot than a bedroll and some rocks?"
Pendergast seems to pay no notice to anyone else in the room aside from Merai as he sheaths his axe and unslings the rabbits from his pack. He gestures to the animal carcasses almost as to offer them as a sign of goodwill, "If you wouldn't mind me company for the night, I would gladly share the day's catch with you."
(Thanks very much, I am also relatively unfamiliar with 5e, so I look forward to playing and learning)
“Well met then, Pendergast McEllwin. We were ambushed by bandits who were using magic on the road here. We killed the one you found, but two of them escaped- including a dangerous young wizard girl. We were In a hurry to get here and afraid of more bandits returning, so we left the body. You are welcome to join us. Two of our number had to return to the library as one was poisoned by the bandits- the clerics at the library we hope can cure it. We’re an escort party meeting a group of Library visitors here at the gate.”
she gives a cautious smile and the flames die away from her staff (prestidigitation).
A small young gnome pops out from inside a Boulder (minor illusion) behind Pendergast, with a big smile and says in a rapid voice-. “Hi I am Pox! Happy to meet you Pendergast! Isn’t this cave neat! I guess we made it too bright in here. Should make it darker so we don’t have mean visitors. Wow -you must be a good hunter!!”
He wears leather armor and garishly mismatched brightly colored clothes and a hat,, bloodstained in many places. He gives a little bow and a mischievous grin.
(I still play pathfinder as well, but 5e is fun and different while I find recapturing the “ flavor” of the classic D&D. While I love pathfinder- something was lost when the game went towards filling every spot on your character’s body with magic items, and layering spells on top of one another to get Acs and attack and skill modifiers in the high 30’s, etc. 5e did an interesting job of fixing that. I’d love to hear the thoughts of those who are learning once you have the hang of it.
Play by post is fun for busy people who can’t get in a regular game- and I love the collective storytelling of it!).
(By the way- if you look at the campaign tab- you can look at the character sheets for Merai and Pox. Pictures are there too.
I remember being confused on feats when I started in 5e. Normally characters don’t get feats unless they forgo the ability score increases at levels (usually 4, 8, 12). Human (variant) race gets 1 feat at the start. Feats in 5e are pretty powerful.)
Feeling somewhat relieved that hostilities have died down, Pendergast relaxes, he nervous grin becoming a strange, but warm smile. "It is a pleasure to meet both of you, it's not often that you are met with friendly company in the woods at night."
He eyes the gnome scrupulously and with curiosity, "What are you? Where I am from no one looks like you," as he says that his gaze turns to the other two in the cave, "And who are they?"
As he asks these questions, he begins undoing his pack and builds a small fire over which he begins cooking the rabbit. He pulls a small bundle from his bag and sprinkles odd flakes over the roasting rodents. Pendergast then procures his water skin filled with wine and takes a hearty swig and offers it to his newfound company, "I don't know if the lady or Pox would like some wine with the meat, but you are free to partake."
He sits by his small fire continuing his attention on his new companions and his cooking hoping that they will join him in his nightly ritual.
(Thank you for the input, there are a lot of elements I will have to learn in this, I'm most familiar with Pathfinder and 3.5. I did however recently start playing a Starfinder game which seems a little closer to 5e mechanically.)
OOC - Welcome Pendergast McEllwin! No worries getting acquainted with 5e - I know it's pretty different from earlier editions, but it is pretty streamlined. I have never DM'ed a Play by Post and just was introduced to them so it's a learning experience on all fronts.
__________________
Merai - Do you recast alarm on near the Gates?
Pendergast McEllwin has joined you in your waterfall Cave Camp it would seem for the evening. The partie's trudge uphill through the thick mud, with a horse non the less - leaving an obvious trail for the skilled tracker.
Everything is difficult terrain - boulders - forests - water /waterfall - EXCEPTthe tan forest paths. Difficult terrain means movement costs double.
The elevation runs up from South to North on the Map - from the cave entrance you are eye-level with the tops of the 30 ft statues heads - peaking out from the trees.
I will give everyone a beat to Role Play their first night in camp - everyone let me know when they feel ready to continue :)
Well maybe this makes a difference-just hadn’t had a chance to post..
Realizing how vulnerable the group was after the ranger just walked right up to them - before she goes back to meditation, Merai spends a few minutes with shape water washing away the trails up to the cave, and then she sets up a opaque ice “door” for the cave, which she refreshes every hour, to block the firelight.
She walks out with her owl and looks back at the cave (passive perception 14) to ensure it’s not obvious where we are camped.
We bring the supplies into the cave and hide the wagon in some brush with branches, out of sight of the main path. Merai uses Shape Water to dry things or shape the waterfall out of the way to enable things to be brought in.
Pox tells the others about the bears. “Hopefully they are happy with fish” he says. He gives the little squirrel some nuts from his rations.
Merai says a prayer of thanks to Deneir for finding the cave. Once settled, she tells the others “I wonder if anyone from the library knows of this place. You could station a group of guard here- to watch the gate. Or use it as a storehouse!”
“We shouldn’t assume they don’t know,” Ash countered gruffly, but then added in a softer tone, “thank you for finding us a safe place to camp.” She arranged the firewood and looked for any place that would naturally vent the smoke.
“I’m quite warm naturally,” she explained. “I don’t need a fire, but… I was afraid you lot might get cold.”
The Dragonborne sat and began to sharpen her weapons. It was strangely soothing. “If we find a vent I’ll build you a fire.”
She turned to Pox. “Glad you didn’t die little one.”
Pox says “Thanks! Me too. Although it was interesting. I was in a long tunnel with a bright light at the end, and no pain. Just as I reached the light and was starting to see, I woke up. In pain again.”
OOC it's been a hectic week IRL and I missed so much. Going forward feel free to text me and I can quickly reply with an action or you can use Little Iron as you see fit. Also, I am so out of touch with all of the available actions for this version of DnD that I don't know what I can and can't do. With that said please feel free to make suggestions about what Little Iron can/can't do. Reading the last three pages I am baffled at how many actions (bonus? advantage?) can be taken and that at this level there are fighters who can "heal themselves". Plus this dash and disengage option (to which I say boo! boo!) clearly are game changers.
(Heh no problem! it’s a bit overwhelming at first. You will get it. here’s a little summary of the major differences:
Many classes have some way to recover hit points- There’s also no negative hit points in 5e- When you go to zero you are unconscious and dying - death saving throws determine death- even one HP of healing gets you back up.
in 5e there are short rests of 1 hour and long rests of 8 hours .
basically in Combat in 5e in a round (still 6 seconds) you can move up to your speed, interact with one item for free, and take an action. Additionally -sometimes spells or other abilities (like class abilities) allow you to take a bonus action (the spell says casting time 1 BA).
note you can never cast 2 leveled spells in a round- at the most you can cast a bonus action spell and a cantrip.
in 5e you can Draw your weapon, move, attack and move again - all as part of a normal round.
Casting a spell does not normally provoke an aoo- but moving Outside of an enemy’s reach does.
In pathfinder 3.5 there were circumstance bonuses- in 5e most of those are taken over by advantage/disadvantage. (Roll 2 20 and keep high or low)
a key concept in 5e is “bounded accuracy” Bonuses are very limited. For instance - A 20 is always good AC- even for a 20th level character!. Magical enhancements top out at +3.
So unlike in pathfinder where a low level character can’t succeed at all against a high level encounter (like only being able to hit with a natural 20) - in 5e everyone is a bit more of a threat.
But anyway no issues with being busy. I usually post on my phone and have a flexible schedule so it’s easy for me.
OOC - We can also adjust pace if people get busy, that is part of the charm of PBP. I think we will settle into a groove at some point. Tesservett enabled content sharing - so you can download all the source books - even to your smart phone using the D&D Beyond App. It might be helpful to read through the Player's Handbook to get aquatinted with 5e some more. Also if you click around on your character sheet it outlines various actions Little Iron can take during combat. You can click the different tables to see more info.
Attack,Cast a Spell,Dash,Disengage,Dodge,Grapple,Help,Hide,Improvise,Ready,Search,Shove,Use an Object
_________________________________
The cavern floor is mostly dry once you cross through the waterfall curtain. A pleasant sand and river rock ladled beach greets you in the dimly lit cavern - the only light being what diffuses through the waterfall as the sun sets.
I am going to make a generic group Investigation Skill Roll with no modifier - 9
and you don't find anything beyond sand and rocks in the cavern.
Ash - you believe you could have a small fire in here with no issue as the ceiling is 30ft high and natural divets in the stone would help contain the smoke - especially with the faint mist from the waterfall clearing the air.
Let me know how everyone continues to set up camp.
Merai sits where she can see out the waterfall door, and is working diligently in her spellbook. She’s lit a torch and put it in a corner of the room, where it and the fire casts enough light to work by, but the light won’t be visible from outside. As an elf she doesn’t need to sleep, but overnight she does seem to go into a trance for a while. alarm is cast and her owl also keeps watech.
Pox double checks that the light from campfire and torches is not visible from outside, once satisfied, he finds a little nook to sleep in, where he will be out of sight in an ambush he takes a watch as well
"Stupid, stupid me," the man mutters to himself as he trudges through the thicket. A rope slung over his shoulder with several freshly caught rabbits tied together by their feet. "A great survivalist I am, can't even make me way through these forests, the air is so dense."
As he makes his way through, he stops briefly to take a swig of wine from his water skin as he notices a curious sight; a human corpse slumped by the roadside. "And what do we have here?"
He approaches the body and inspects the wounds, he takes a single finger and brushes it through one of the deeper cuts on the body, "Still fresh, whoever did this isn't far." The man stand back up and draws his hand axe as he begins scanning for footprints. He finds the prints of a wagon, a horse and four humanoid figures; deciding the follow the tracks he lights a torch and fixes the sling of rabbits to his backpack. Making his way along the road, following the tracks he comes to a sight that has become familiar during his time in these woods, two massive ivory figures. What is not familiar, however, is the dancing glint of firelight from just behind a rushing curtain of water where the tracks end.
The man sighs, his curiosity requiring satiation and moves through the waterfall to find those who killed the poor soul on the road.
Standing slightly taller than a standard human, this boorish man has a cascade of unkempt, copper hair and a greasy, red beard. His skin is fair, but muddied by what appears to be mud and the dried gore of an old kill. The scent of salty air, stale alcohol, rancid meat and freshly churned earth wafts from his very being. Perhaps the only feature that doesn't represent his squalid nature are his eyes; set in his skull like two well polished emeralds with a lively glow behind them. In one hand he wields a hand axe of foreign craftsmanship and under the opposite arm; the windbag of a bizarre instrument. On his face is a curious tattoo which appears to span beneath the red mop on his head.
(I believe my action would trigger Merai's alarm spell)
Alerted by her alarm spell, Merai sighs as she sees the man approaching. “I guess our firelight was too bright after all, after the sun went down” she says, to no one in particular. She wakes up Pox and says to the group “We’ve got company- one man, with an axe.” as the man starts coming into the passage, and she steps back.
Pox wakes up quickly, and suddenly a large 5’ Boulder, matching the stone of the cave, is where he was, in easy striking distance of the doorway. (Minor Illusion)
As the man enters, Merai is standing in the cave looking at him. She is a stunningly beautiful high elf girl, with blonde hair, fair skin and purple eyes, clad in blued scale mail, purple scholarly robes and carrying a staff and shield. She has a stern expression, whisps of fire are coursing around her staff. She says, coldly “Welcome to our camp. What is your business here? I hope it is peaceful, for your sake. We have no desire to hurt you. I am Merai, of the Edificant Library. ”
(Welcome to the game and group, by the way!)
Lowering his weapon; he grins nervously, revealing yellowed and uneven teeth, "No ma'am, no harm meant. Just a hunter of sorts; found meself looking in the eyes of a dead man on the road, and followed the tracks from his body here. More or less letting my curiosity get the best of me."
His voice is calm, and heavily accented with the dialect of the North Men, "But where are me manners? My name is Pendergast McEllwin, of the clan McEllwin far to the north; a family of proud trappers and hunters. What is a lovely lady like you doing camping in a cave? Surely you're more comfortable on a cot than a bedroll and some rocks?"
Pendergast seems to pay no notice to anyone else in the room aside from Merai as he sheaths his axe and unslings the rabbits from his pack. He gestures to the animal carcasses almost as to offer them as a sign of goodwill, "If you wouldn't mind me company for the night, I would gladly share the day's catch with you."
(Thanks very much, I am also relatively unfamiliar with 5e, so I look forward to playing and learning)
“Well met then, Pendergast McEllwin. We were ambushed by bandits who were using magic on the road here. We killed the one you found, but two of them escaped- including a dangerous young wizard girl. We were In a hurry to get here and afraid of more bandits returning, so we left the body. You are welcome to join us. Two of our number had to return to the library as one was poisoned by the bandits- the clerics at the library we hope can cure it. We’re an escort party meeting a group of Library visitors here at the gate.”
she gives a cautious smile and the flames die away from her staff (prestidigitation).
A small young gnome pops out from inside a Boulder (minor illusion) behind Pendergast, with a big smile and says in a rapid voice-. “Hi I am Pox! Happy to meet you Pendergast! Isn’t this cave neat! I guess we made it too bright in here. Should make it darker so we don’t have mean visitors. Wow -you must be a good hunter!!”
He wears leather armor and garishly mismatched brightly colored clothes and a hat,, bloodstained in many places. He gives a little bow and a mischievous grin.
(I still play pathfinder as well, but 5e is fun and different while I find recapturing the “ flavor” of the classic D&D. While I love pathfinder- something was lost when the game went towards filling every spot on your character’s body with magic items, and layering spells on top of one another to get Acs and attack and skill modifiers in the high 30’s, etc. 5e did an interesting job of fixing that. I’d love to hear the thoughts of those who are learning once you have the hang of it.
Play by post is fun for busy people who can’t get in a regular game- and I love the collective storytelling of it!).
(By the way- if you look at the campaign tab- you can look at the character sheets for Merai and Pox. Pictures are there too.
I remember being confused on feats when I started in 5e. Normally characters don’t get feats unless they forgo the ability score increases at levels (usually 4, 8, 12). Human (variant) race gets 1 feat at the start. Feats in 5e are pretty powerful.)
Feeling somewhat relieved that hostilities have died down, Pendergast relaxes, he nervous grin becoming a strange, but warm smile. "It is a pleasure to meet both of you, it's not often that you are met with friendly company in the woods at night."
He eyes the gnome scrupulously and with curiosity, "What are you? Where I am from no one looks like you," as he says that his gaze turns to the other two in the cave, "And who are they?"
As he asks these questions, he begins undoing his pack and builds a small fire over which he begins cooking the rabbit. He pulls a small bundle from his bag and sprinkles odd flakes over the roasting rodents. Pendergast then procures his water skin filled with wine and takes a hearty swig and offers it to his newfound company, "I don't know if the lady or Pox would like some wine with the meat, but you are free to partake."
He sits by his small fire continuing his attention on his new companions and his cooking hoping that they will join him in his nightly ritual.
(Thank you for the input, there are a lot of elements I will have to learn in this, I'm most familiar with Pathfinder and 3.5. I did however recently start playing a Starfinder game which seems a little closer to 5e mechanically.)
OOC - Welcome Pendergast McEllwin!
No worries getting acquainted with 5e - I know it's pretty different from earlier editions, but it is pretty streamlined. I have never DM'ed a Play by Post and just was introduced to them so it's a learning experience on all fronts.
__________________
Merai - Do you recast alarm on near the Gates?
Pendergast McEllwin has joined you in your waterfall Cave Camp it would seem for the evening. The partie's trudge uphill through the thick mud, with a horse non the less - leaving an obvious trail for the skilled tracker.
Rolling a D20 for Pendergast
10
................ and nothing happens
Yes Merai will ritual cast alarm again.
Copy that - Merai cast alarm again.
OOC - Here is the updated battle / location map.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Nscegp4TRPUSJk8Cnpbi9pMTzVrGZ2sl3kxKONy_UH4/edit?usp=sharing
Everything is difficult terrain - boulders - forests - water /waterfall - EXCEPT the tan forest paths. Difficult terrain means movement costs double.
The elevation runs up from South to North on the Map - from the cave entrance you are eye-level with the tops of the 30 ft statues heads - peaking out from the trees.
I will give everyone a beat to Role Play their first night in camp - everyone let me know when they feel ready to continue :)
Uhoh- looks like battle.
Well maybe this makes a difference-just hadn’t had a chance to post..
Realizing how vulnerable the group was after the ranger just walked right up to them - before she goes back to meditation, Merai spends a few minutes with shape water washing away the trails up to the cave, and then she sets up a opaque ice “door” for the cave, which she refreshes every hour, to block the firelight.
She walks out with her owl and looks back at the cave (passive perception 14) to ensure it’s not obvious where we are camped.
. Question- do we get our long rest finish?