Zaius doesn't find anything in the chamber and heads back to assist the others. With everyone helping you have no trouble completing the ladder to the command deck.
[At this point I need to be fairly clear where everyone is. Do you bring the helm down immediately on finishing the ladder, or will you explore the command deck first? Are you all on the command deck, or did anyone stay on the cargo deck? If you proceed down the corridor, who's in the lead (presumably carrying the lantern), who's bringing up the rear, etc. Feel free to decide where Veena is as well.]
(She’s our Red Shirt and goes first into any unexplored room) 🤣🤣🤣
Zaius and Veena lead the way to the end of the corridor, which opens into a spherical space, with the floor sloping down in a bowl shape with a circular hole at the very bottom. Directly opposite you and to either side, three wider passages lead to other chambers, and between them two more narrow corridors like the one you just came from lead to the other access shafts.
[The floor here is traversable but counts as difficult terrain; you can tell the helm would need to be installed on a flat floor, though.]
(OOC I'm curious how it is that we started out in the cargo deck. It seems like the only way to get there is to enter through the hole in the floor of the command deck and then go "down" the access shafts. Did we teleport in somehow?)
(OOC I'm curious how it is that we started out in the cargo deck. It seems like the only way to get there is to enter through the hole in the floor of the command deck and then go "down" the access shafts. Did we teleport in somehow?)
[You know, I was kinda hoping no one would notice that. I suspect the "real" answer is that due to publishing schedules, the person writing the adventure and the person making the ship map didn't have a chance to see each other's work before it had to go to print. But I figure the crew must have some way of moving cargo in and out without going via the bridge every time, so let's assume there are some, like, cargo bay doors or something leading into one or more of the cargo deck chambers from the outside of the ship, and they're just not marked on the map for some reason.]
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
“Aye, Captain. Sounds like a good plan. Let’s go check out the command deck, Veena” Before he goes, Zaius explains what he has learned from studying the horn to the others and tells Rel to listen for it if things go wrong. Zaius scrambles along the rope ladder with ease, leading the way onto the command deck, waiting and watching as the others make the climb. “Not much to see here, but the helm will never work on this floor, let’s check out one of the other rooms.” Zaius leads the way to the room on their right with Veena at his side.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Roy follows Zaius and Veena, praying to any gods that would hear him that they not run into a Beholder and that if they did, that the Beholder would be reasonable and be content with a live and let live policy for the duration of their voyage. All while keeping an eye and ear out for any indication of one.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Moving through this deck, Roy is pretty confident that there have been no beholders living here for a very long time; in fact it seems like there might have been nothing organic at all for decades, maybe centuries.
The moment Zaius and Veena step into the chamber, a grating noise blares out throughout the deck, and a series of small sections of wall around head height, flanking each of the chamber and passage entries, light up with a jumble of complex symbols and flashing red pictograms. The ship shudders, and begins to tilt, spinning rapidly end over end!
[Initiative! In the interest of time, I'll roll everyone's initiative up front: Erma: 3 Gloix: 18 Rel: 6 Roy: 17 Zaius: 4 Veena: 15]
Before any of you can react, the ship tumbles, threatening to knock you off your feet!
[Everyone make a DC 15 Dexterity save; on a failure you take 11 bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone, or on success you take 5 bludgeoning damage and are not prone.]
Zaius sways with the spinning ship, bouncing his head off of one of the flashing red symbols along the wall but staying on his feet “What in the nine hells? I thought this rock was parked.” He rubs his head and looks around at the flashing lights, trying to identify any patterns or symbols. Perception: 18.
Zaius isn't able to make any sense of the symbols, but from the fact it reacts slightly to his head hitting it, he does get the impression that they're intended to be interacted with [think touchscreen interface*], and someone more magically inclined could possibly figure it out. [As an action, someone can make a fairly hard Arcana check to decipher the controls.]
[You both still have your action to take for this round; if you've nothing else you want to do you could try to brace yourself for the next roll (Athletics check) or try to roll with it (Acrobatics).]
[(* I almost wrote "fancy scifi touchscreen", but then I remembered we live in the future and just… have those now. There are at least three in the room I'm in right now)]
With his artificer's eye for interface design, Roy is able to spend a few seconds deciphering the control panel [and will be able to interact with it on your next turn].
[I'll roll Gloix's dex save: 9. I also forgot to roll Veena's: 16.]
[Everyone else is up now, and we probably don't need to worry too much about the exact order.]
(She’s our Red Shirt and goes first into any unexplored room) 🤣🤣🤣
Oriovar - Wood Elf Cleric (1) - Sword Coast Campaign
Roy Quigley - Human Artificer (1) - Karrion's Spelljammer Academy Starboard
Zaius and Veena lead the way to the end of the corridor, which opens into a spherical space, with the floor sloping down in a bowl shape with a circular hole at the very bottom. Directly opposite you and to either side, three wider passages lead to other chambers, and between them two more narrow corridors like the one you just came from lead to the other access shafts.
[The floor here is traversable but counts as difficult terrain; you can tell the helm would need to be installed on a flat floor, though.]
(OOC I'm curious how it is that we started out in the cargo deck. It seems like the only way to get there is to enter through the hole in the floor of the command deck and then go "down" the access shafts. Did we teleport in somehow?)
[You know, I was kinda hoping no one would notice that. I suspect the "real" answer is that due to publishing schedules, the person writing the adventure and the person making the ship map didn't have a chance to see each other's work before it had to go to print. But I figure the crew must have some way of moving cargo in and out without going via the bridge every time, so let's assume there are some, like, cargo bay doors or something leading into one or more of the cargo deck chambers from the outside of the ship, and they're just not marked on the map for some reason.]
(Got it :) Nothing to see here. Moving on.)
[So Zaius, which chamber or passage do you check first?]
“Aye, Captain. Sounds like a good plan. Let’s go check out the command deck, Veena” Before he goes, Zaius explains what he has learned from studying the horn to the others and tells Rel to listen for it if things go wrong. Zaius scrambles along the rope ladder with ease, leading the way onto the command deck, waiting and watching as the others make the climb. “Not much to see here, but the helm will never work on this floor, let’s check out one of the other rooms.” Zaius leads the way to the room on their right with Veena at his side.
Perception: 10.
.
Roy follows Zaius and Veena, praying to any gods that would hear him that they not run into a Beholder and that if they did, that the Beholder would be reasonable and be content with a live and let live policy for the duration of their voyage. All while keeping an eye and ear out for any indication of one.
Perception: 6
Investigation: 8
Oriovar - Wood Elf Cleric (1) - Sword Coast Campaign
Roy Quigley - Human Artificer (1) - Karrion's Spelljammer Academy Starboard
Moving through this deck, Roy is pretty confident that there have been no beholders living here for a very long time; in fact it seems like there might have been nothing organic at all for decades, maybe centuries.
The moment Zaius and Veena step into the chamber, a grating noise blares out throughout the deck, and a series of small sections of wall around head height, flanking each of the chamber and passage entries, light up with a jumble of complex symbols and flashing red pictograms. The ship shudders, and begins to tilt, spinning rapidly end over end!
[Initiative! In the interest of time, I'll roll everyone's initiative up front:
Erma: 3
Gloix: 18
Rel: 6
Roy: 17
Zaius: 4
Veena: 15]
Before any of you can react, the ship tumbles, threatening to knock you off your feet!
[Everyone make a DC 15 Dexterity save; on a failure you take 11 bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone, or on success you take 5 bludgeoning damage and are not prone.]
[Roy and Zaius are first to act.]
Rel DEX save 14 (game log)
Dex: 14
Oriovar - Wood Elf Cleric (1) - Sword Coast Campaign
Roy Quigley - Human Artificer (1) - Karrion's Spelljammer Academy Starboard
Roy falls flat, hitting the “ground” hard knocking the wind out of him in the process.
Oriovar - Wood Elf Cleric (1) - Sword Coast Campaign
Roy Quigley - Human Artificer (1) - Karrion's Spelljammer Academy Starboard
Zaius Dex Save: 17.
.
Zaius sways with the spinning ship, bouncing his head off of one of the flashing red symbols along the wall but staying on his feet “What in the nine hells? I thought this rock was parked.” He rubs his head and looks around at the flashing lights, trying to identify any patterns or symbols. Perception: 18.
.
Zaius isn't able to make any sense of the symbols, but from the fact it reacts slightly to his head hitting it, he does get the impression that they're intended to be interacted with [think touchscreen interface*], and someone more magically inclined could possibly figure it out. [As an action, someone can make a fairly hard Arcana check to decipher the controls.]
[You both still have your action to take for this round; if you've nothing else you want to do you could try to brace yourself for the next roll (Athletics check) or try to roll with it (Acrobatics).]
[(* I almost wrote "fancy scifi touchscreen", but then I remembered we live in the future and just… have those now. There are at least three in the room I'm in right now)]
Erma dex save: 4
After recovering his breath, Roy attention is captured by the flashing symbols.
Arcana: 21
Oriovar - Wood Elf Cleric (1) - Sword Coast Campaign
Roy Quigley - Human Artificer (1) - Karrion's Spelljammer Academy Starboard
With his artificer's eye for interface design, Roy is able to spend a few seconds deciphering the control panel [and will be able to interact with it on your next turn].
[I'll roll Gloix's dex save: 9. I also forgot to roll Veena's: 16.]
[Everyone else is up now, and we probably don't need to worry too much about the exact order.]
Veena's skull makes a loud thunk as she's thrown from her feet and lands headfirst on the deck, where she stays, unconscious [but stable].