As Daewen's rapier strikes down the drow, her body morphs. You notice a surprised look on King Grol's face as he says, "Just more deception. It matters not. None of you will leave this castle alive."
This room is seems to be makeshift living quarters, with a cot on the floor in the corner and a pile of straw in another corner where a naked dwarf lays unconscious and stable.
* Make some investigation and perception checks. * Tell me what you do with the naked dwarf * You are free to search the entire castle
Since this is the end of Chapter 3. You have some time to shop and return to town. You can RP with Sildar who might want to discuss your findings. You can also talk with Jyin, to see if he wants to continue with the party to Chapter 4. This is the last Chapter in the adventure and it's a large dungeon with many rooms. I'll try to consolidate travel and forking paths and combine a few combats as I see fit. Either way, feel free to take a break and if you have a friend who wants to jump in and take Jyin's place, now's the time.
5 hp restored. Not really wanting to go “hands on” a naked dwarf, he searches for his discarded clothes.
Gundren wakes up and looks at all of you. Under the cot was 120 sp and 160 ep, along with three potions of healing. And a rough drawn map.
Gundren coughs and tries to stand up. Before he can his eyes widen and he grabs at the map in Daewen's hand. "Me map. Thank the gods it hasn't fallen into the wrong hands. Now gimme it. We must protect this map at all costs. The treasure that is protects is the most valuable reward that I've ever known. It's difficult for me to even conceive of what's at stake here."
"Find me some clothes', let's get back to Phandalin. And above all, you must help me protect this map."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Gundren's lunge for the map sent a jolt through Daewen, her hand instinctively tightening around the rough parchment. The memory of the Drow's (? or was it something else?!) dark magic was still fresh, but a flicker of understanding softened her features. This map clearly meant a great deal to the dwarf, and the urgency in his voice hinted at something far more valuable than just gold and gems.
Instead of speaking, Daewen lowered her hand slightly, meeting Gundren's gaze with a level, inquisitive look. Her body language softened, a silent question hanging in the air. Calm yourself, she conveyed with her posture and expression. Why is this map so valuable? she mouthed.
While Gundren explained, Daewen continued her search of the room. Her keen eyes scanned every corner, keeping an eye on the dwarf but also searching for anything else of interest – hidden compartments, secret doors, or any clues that might shed light on the map's significance. There's a chance this map could be the key to a much larger reward than they originally bargained for, and Daewen, ever the pragmatist, wanted to make sure they're prepared for what comes next.
Whilst circling the room, Daewen was so focused on looking around, she tripped on her own feet, and face planted in the pile of straw. An exasperated chuff escaped her lips, followed by a moment of stunned silence. Sheepishly, Daewen disentangled herself from the straw, a single blade of wheat clinging stubbornly to her hair. Clearly, the room's secrets remained stubbornly hidden, at least for now. Perhaps a more subtle approach would be necessary.
Instead of speaking, Daewen lowered her hand slightly, meeting Gundren's gaze with a level, inquisitive look. Her body language softened, a silent question hanging in the air. Calm yourself, she conveyed with her posture and expression. Why is this map so valuable? she mouthed.
I guess it started about 500 years ago. During the Orc Wars. Dwarves were forced to seek out the mythical "Forge of Spells". It was a promise set by the Dwarven gods in ancient times, that the Spell Forge would be revealed in a time of need. Through exploration and dumb luck, my ancestors found the "Wave Echo Cave", named for the underground hot springs that violently crash in waves, deep underground, echoing throughout the cavern.
This location is not only magical, it's a hot spot of planar activity. We know that the material plane intersects both the Shadowfell and the Elemental Plane of Water in parts of the cave. That's why the map is so valuable, it has both the location but also guides you through the intricacies of traveling into a planar hot spot, which requires both concentration and precision to reach. Entering the Wave Echo Cave is no easy matter, and yet, it is full of undead creatures and monsters from... who knows where?
My ancestors believed that the Wave Echo Cave was created to house the "Forge of Spells" a unique forge unlike any other. Not only can you mine Adamantine, Mithril, Platinum, Uranium, but this mine has the largest cache of Chardalyn anywhere on any plane. Chardalyn looks and feels like coal, but more brittle and can break off into shards like glass. Once believed to be worthless, spellcasters can take a fist size chunk and use it to store spells, like a spell storing ring. But that's not even the most incredible property of this exotic material. When you burn Chardalyn in the Spell Forge, it burns a magical green colored fire that can both enchant magic items but also repair them or even enhance them.
When my ancestors found the Spell Forge in the Wave Echo Cave, over 500 years ago, it was the blessing we needed to arm every single Dwarven Warrior with magical weapons, the edge we needed to beat back the orcs to win the war. Somehow, a group of Orcish spies, partnered with Drow, remained after the war, they infiltrated the Mine and exterminated all who knew of the secret entrance. It was me and my brothers who only recently discovered the secret entrance to the Mine, just last month and we fear that the descendants of those same Drow infiltrators have been waiting these few centuries for someone like us to find the entrance.
Your presence here cannot be a coincidence, you and your companions must be sent by the gods to help keep the "Forge of Spells" in the hands of the dwarves. I'm so confident, that my company is willing to give you shares in the mineral rights (not the magical rights, just the mining rights) at a rate of 10% for your entire party, for all future sales of the minerals (not the magical ones), forever and in perpetuity, if you pledge an oath to protect the Mine, clear it out of the monsters, and keep the ownership with my family and the Dwarves. I'll even throw in some enchantments if we can figure out how to get the spell forge up and running again.
Daewen, still sporting a single stubborn blade of wheat in her hair from her faceplant, listened intently to Gundren's explanation. Her eyes widened at the mention of planar activity and the legendary Forge of Spells. This wasn't just about retrieving some stolen goods anymore, this was potentially a mission of epic proportions.
As Gundren finished his impassioned plea, Daewen straightened, a glint of determination in her eyes. She flexed her arm and made a fist, a symbol of strength, followed by a pointing gesture towards her companions. This assured Gundren that her entire party possessed the skills and determination to see this mission through.
With her silent communication complete, she stood ready, her expression a mask of grim focus. The promise of a magical forge and the chance to thwart the plans of the Drow were powerful motivators. This was a quest she wouldn't back down from.
As Daewen's rapier strikes down the drow, her body morphs. You notice a surprised look on King Grol's face as he says, "Just more deception. It matters not. None of you will leave this castle alive."
The doppelganger is dead.
Daewen will inspect the doppelganger, to see what it truly was.
“Of course we’ll help you, Gundren. The forge must not fall into the wrong hands. However, the compensation piece we may need to negotiate further, but that can be talked about on our journey back to Phandalin. Give us a few hours to thoroughly search the castle to retrieve and gather to return any stolen items these thugs have been accumulating.”
(Wilhorn will liberally cast Guidance again and again to augment anyone and everyone’s skill checks until we are confident the time is right to leave.)
Vex contemplates what Gundren has said, "Work for me. Only ask one favor, I need to look into past and see about my old master and what happened. I will follow new family in direction they travel. We head back to town now?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
On your way back from Cragmaw Castle, a War Band of Hobgoblins, lead by one known as Targor Bloodsword, along with two wolves, attempt to avenge the death of King Grol but your party puts them out easily for an additional 500 XP
4x 100 = 400 XP 2x 50 = 100 XP 500/4 = 125 XP each
The hobgoblins have no treasure, but 3 of them carry bloody sacks, each containing a severed elf head. The severed heads are trophies from the hobgoblins' recent victory over an elf hunting party.
You sleep the night in Phandalin. Gundren is reunited with Sildar. A grand plan is devised to head into the Wave Echo Cave in the morning. Team A will be you and the adventuring team while Team B will be on the job for search and rescue. "There are so many dwarves still down there, mining. We need to bring them food water and sharp equipment, so that they can continue working. The rest of the cave is filled with mothers, it's your job to clear them out. If all goes well, you will be shareholders, four of you will own 10% of the mineral rights (non magical) that come out of this mine. We're all going to be very rich."
Sildar says, "As a fellow adventurer, I myself have decided to retire here in Phandalin. When all this is over, we can take some of your earnings and build houses so that we can all live here, together. And if an adventure or two should find us, living our days in Phandalin, then why not use this friendly town as our base of operations."
When the morning comes, all the abled bodied persons gather into wagons with most of the supplied your party helped to recover, and they leave Phandalin together, in a grand caravan, heading East about 15 miles.
Deep in the vales of the Sword Mountains, lies Wave Echo Cave. The Wagons parked, and a narrow path carved in the mountains, twist and wind until you find a craggy hole. Stepping into the hole, the temperature drops and the air hangs heavy with moisture and steam. More paths and trails inside the underground cave, have you turned around so that you can no longer see the entrance, from which you came. As you get closer, you first feel the heartbeat of the Waves, with a gentile rumble in your feet that is felt down in your bones. Finally, there is a natural doorway shaped portal, made of stone that seems to come from an entirely different time and place, like a pale sandstone, which marks the entrance to the Wave Echo Cave. "Here it is." Whispers Gundren.
The rhythmic thunder of pounding waves echoes throughout the mine, loud enough to make the stone underfoot shiver. Waves come about two minutes apart, growing louder toward the northeast. Wave Echo Cave is nowhere near the ocean, but a water-filled cavern deep in the mine is connected to an underground hot spring. That spring boils over continuously to produce a surge that slams into a narrow funnel, making a sound like breaking surf. Describe this sound to players on occasion. It will pique their curiosity and lure them toward its source, drawing them deeper into the mine as a consequence
The entrance tunnel leads into 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, you see the body of a dwarf miner, dead for at least 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.
Gundren looks at the dead body and weeps, "Me brother. Tharden, we will avenge ye."
Perception Check DC 15: You see Tharden has a pair of boots of striding and springing. Gundren notices you eyeing the boots and takes them off his dead brother. "He doesn't need these anymore." and he tosses them to you.
Climbing Down the ropes will take an Athletics Check DC 15, so not to fall the 20 feet to the bottom. This can be assisted with magic or others using the Help option. You can also be carried by stronger characters or devise your own way to get down.
Once in the bottom of the pit, there are clearly two tunnels, one to the North and one to the East.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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With 1 hp she's still standing
Daewen attempts to take out Vyerith:
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
As Daewen's rapier strikes down the drow, her body morphs. You notice a surprised look on King Grol's face as he says, "Just more deception. It matters not. None of you will leave this castle alive."
The doppelganger is dead.
Bot-ing Vex, indoors with no disadvantage
Vex says to Dorah, "Bite the Bugear" as a bonus action
Vex fires a bolt from his hand crossbow, Attack: 30 Damage: 20
Dorah bites King Grol, Attack: 18 Damage: 6
Wow. ((6+3)+(3+2))+6, I'm ruling that reactions that add damage to an attack can double on crits, so 20 damage.
King Grol takes 20 damage. King Grol (17/45)
King Grol takes 6 damage. King Grol (11/45)
Jyin against King Grol, Longsword Attack: 21 Damage: 12
Jying against King Grol, Spiritual Weapon Attack: 11 Damage: 6
As King Grol falls, he issues this warning, "You'll never find the map."
50 + 200 + 700 = 950
950/4 = 237 XP
This room is seems to be makeshift living quarters, with a cot on the floor in the corner and a pile of straw in another corner where a naked dwarf lays unconscious and stable.
* Make some investigation and perception checks.
* Tell me what you do with the naked dwarf
* You are free to search the entire castle
Since this is the end of Chapter 3. You have some time to shop and return to town. You can RP with Sildar who might want to discuss your findings. You can also talk with Jyin, to see if he wants to continue with the party to Chapter 4. This is the last Chapter in the adventure and it's a large dungeon with many rooms. I'll try to consolidate travel and forking paths and combine a few combats as I see fit. Either way, feel free to take a break and if you have a friend who wants to jump in and take Jyin's place, now's the time.
OOC: sorry, I’m in a hurry to get to work so a really lame post-
Investigation: 21
Perception: 8
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
Lifting up the cot, you find a stash of gold and jems and a rough map with dwarven writing.
Wilhorn will attend to the unconscious dwarf with Jyin. *Could this be Gundren?* He’s in terrible shape.
He expends a use of his Healing Light to bring him around.
5 hp restored.
Not really wanting to go “hands on” a naked dwarf, he searches for his discarded clothes.
Mana - Verdan Bard - Dragon Heist
Leif Pedersen - Human Druid - Beyond the Ragnarök
”I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” - Douglas Adams
”I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.” - Mark Twain
”I am not young enough to know everything.” - Oscar Wilde
Gundren wakes up and looks at all of you. Under the cot was 120 sp and 160 ep, along with three potions of healing. And a rough drawn map.
Gundren coughs and tries to stand up. Before he can his eyes widen and he grabs at the map in Daewen's hand. "Me map. Thank the gods it hasn't fallen into the wrong hands. Now gimme it. We must protect this map at all costs. The treasure that is protects is the most valuable reward that I've ever known. It's difficult for me to even conceive of what's at stake here."
"Find me some clothes', let's get back to Phandalin. And above all, you must help me protect this map."
Gundren's lunge for the map sent a jolt through Daewen, her hand instinctively tightening around the rough parchment. The memory of the Drow's (? or was it something else?!) dark magic was still fresh, but a flicker of understanding softened her features. This map clearly meant a great deal to the dwarf, and the urgency in his voice hinted at something far more valuable than just gold and gems.
Instead of speaking, Daewen lowered her hand slightly, meeting Gundren's gaze with a level, inquisitive look. Her body language softened, a silent question hanging in the air. Calm yourself, she conveyed with her posture and expression. Why is this map so valuable? she mouthed.
While Gundren explained, Daewen continued her search of the room. Her keen eyes scanned every corner, keeping an eye on the dwarf but also searching for anything else of interest – hidden compartments, secret doors, or any clues that might shed light on the map's significance. There's a chance this map could be the key to a much larger reward than they originally bargained for, and Daewen, ever the pragmatist, wanted to make sure they're prepared for what comes next.
Investigation: 16
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
Whilst circling the room, Daewen was so focused on looking around, she tripped on her own feet, and face planted in the pile of straw. An exasperated chuff escaped her lips, followed by a moment of stunned silence. Sheepishly, Daewen disentangled herself from the straw, a single blade of wheat clinging stubbornly to her hair. Clearly, the room's secrets remained stubbornly hidden, at least for now. Perhaps a more subtle approach would be necessary.
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
I guess it started about 500 years ago. During the Orc Wars. Dwarves were forced to seek out the mythical "Forge of Spells". It was a promise set by the Dwarven gods in ancient times, that the Spell Forge would be revealed in a time of need. Through exploration and dumb luck, my ancestors found the "Wave Echo Cave", named for the underground hot springs that violently crash in waves, deep underground, echoing throughout the cavern.
This location is not only magical, it's a hot spot of planar activity. We know that the material plane intersects both the Shadowfell and the Elemental Plane of Water in parts of the cave. That's why the map is so valuable, it has both the location but also guides you through the intricacies of traveling into a planar hot spot, which requires both concentration and precision to reach. Entering the Wave Echo Cave is no easy matter, and yet, it is full of undead creatures and monsters from... who knows where?
My ancestors believed that the Wave Echo Cave was created to house the "Forge of Spells" a unique forge unlike any other. Not only can you mine Adamantine, Mithril, Platinum, Uranium, but this mine has the largest cache of Chardalyn anywhere on any plane. Chardalyn looks and feels like coal, but more brittle and can break off into shards like glass. Once believed to be worthless, spellcasters can take a fist size chunk and use it to store spells, like a spell storing ring. But that's not even the most incredible property of this exotic material. When you burn Chardalyn in the Spell Forge, it burns a magical green colored fire that can both enchant magic items but also repair them or even enhance them.
When my ancestors found the Spell Forge in the Wave Echo Cave, over 500 years ago, it was the blessing we needed to arm every single Dwarven Warrior with magical weapons, the edge we needed to beat back the orcs to win the war. Somehow, a group of Orcish spies, partnered with Drow, remained after the war, they infiltrated the Mine and exterminated all who knew of the secret entrance. It was me and my brothers who only recently discovered the secret entrance to the Mine, just last month and we fear that the descendants of those same Drow infiltrators have been waiting these few centuries for someone like us to find the entrance.
Your presence here cannot be a coincidence, you and your companions must be sent by the gods to help keep the "Forge of Spells" in the hands of the dwarves. I'm so confident, that my company is willing to give you shares in the mineral rights (not the magical rights, just the mining rights) at a rate of 10% for your entire party, for all future sales of the minerals (not the magical ones), forever and in perpetuity, if you pledge an oath to protect the Mine, clear it out of the monsters, and keep the ownership with my family and the Dwarves. I'll even throw in some enchantments if we can figure out how to get the spell forge up and running again.
What say you?
Daewen, still sporting a single stubborn blade of wheat in her hair from her faceplant, listened intently to Gundren's explanation. Her eyes widened at the mention of planar activity and the legendary Forge of Spells. This wasn't just about retrieving some stolen goods anymore, this was potentially a mission of epic proportions.
As Gundren finished his impassioned plea, Daewen straightened, a glint of determination in her eyes. She flexed her arm and made a fist, a symbol of strength, followed by a pointing gesture towards her companions. This assured Gundren that her entire party possessed the skills and determination to see this mission through.
With her silent communication complete, she stood ready, her expression a mask of grim focus. The promise of a magical forge and the chance to thwart the plans of the Drow were powerful motivators. This was a quest she wouldn't back down from.
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
Daewen will inspect the doppelganger, to see what it truly was.
Investigation: 19
Last to know and first to be blamed...
As a free action, can I regret my life choices?
“Of course we’ll help you, Gundren. The forge must not fall into the wrong hands. However, the compensation piece we may need to negotiate further, but that can be talked about on our journey back to Phandalin. Give us a few hours to thoroughly search the castle to retrieve and gather to return any stolen items these thugs have been accumulating.”
(Wilhorn will liberally cast Guidance again and again to augment anyone and everyone’s skill checks until we are confident the time is right to leave.)
Mana - Verdan Bard - Dragon Heist
Leif Pedersen - Human Druid - Beyond the Ragnarök
”I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” - Douglas Adams
”I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.” - Mark Twain
”I am not young enough to know everything.” - Oscar Wilde
Vex contemplates what Gundren has said, "Work for me. Only ask one favor, I need to look into past and see about my old master and what happened. I will follow new family in direction they travel. We head back to town now?"
On your way back from Cragmaw Castle, a War Band of Hobgoblins, lead by one known as Targor Bloodsword, along with two wolves, attempt to avenge the death of King Grol but your party puts them out easily for an additional 500 XP
4x 100 = 400 XP
2x 50 = 100 XP
500/4 = 125 XP each
The hobgoblins have no treasure, but 3 of them carry bloody sacks, each containing a severed elf head. The severed heads are trophies from the hobgoblins' recent victory over an elf hunting party.
You sleep the night in Phandalin. Gundren is reunited with Sildar. A grand plan is devised to head into the Wave Echo Cave in the morning. Team A will be you and the adventuring team while Team B will be on the job for search and rescue. "There are so many dwarves still down there, mining. We need to bring them food water and sharp equipment, so that they can continue working. The rest of the cave is filled with mothers, it's your job to clear them out. If all goes well, you will be shareholders, four of you will own 10% of the mineral rights (non magical) that come out of this mine. We're all going to be very rich."
Sildar says, "As a fellow adventurer, I myself have decided to retire here in Phandalin. When all this is over, we can take some of your earnings and build houses so that we can all live here, together. And if an adventure or two should find us, living our days in Phandalin, then why not use this friendly town as our base of operations."
When the morning comes, all the abled bodied persons gather into wagons with most of the supplied your party helped to recover, and they leave Phandalin together, in a grand caravan, heading East about 15 miles.
Deep in the vales of the Sword Mountains, lies Wave Echo Cave. The Wagons parked, and a narrow path carved in the mountains, twist and wind until you find a craggy hole. Stepping into the hole, the temperature drops and the air hangs heavy with moisture and steam. More paths and trails inside the underground cave, have you turned around so that you can no longer see the entrance, from which you came. As you get closer, you first feel the heartbeat of the Waves, with a gentile rumble in your feet that is felt down in your bones. Finally, there is a natural doorway shaped portal, made of stone that seems to come from an entirely different time and place, like a pale sandstone, which marks the entrance to the Wave Echo Cave. "Here it is." Whispers Gundren.
The rhythmic thunder of pounding waves echoes throughout the mine, loud enough to make the stone underfoot shiver. Waves come about two minutes apart, growing louder toward the northeast. Wave Echo Cave is nowhere near the ocean, but a water-filled cavern deep in the mine is connected to an underground hot spring. That spring boils over continuously to produce a surge that slams into a narrow funnel, making a sound like breaking surf. Describe this sound to players on occasion. It will pique their curiosity and lure them toward its source, drawing them deeper into the mine as a consequence
The entrance tunnel leads into 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, you see the body of a dwarf miner, dead for at least 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.
Gundren looks at the dead body and weeps, "Me brother. Tharden, we will avenge ye."
Perception Check DC 15: You see Tharden has a pair of boots of striding and springing. Gundren notices you eyeing the boots and takes them off his dead brother. "He doesn't need these anymore." and he tosses them to you.
Climbing Down the ropes will take an Athletics Check DC 15, so not to fall the 20 feet to the bottom. This can be assisted with magic or others using the Help option. You can also be carried by stronger characters or devise your own way to get down.
Once in the bottom of the pit, there are clearly two tunnels, one to the North and one to the East.