Ash: with the dexterity of your hands, what would have been challenging for some came easy to you. You slip the rings and wand away from the hand while still gripping your shortsword in your off hand. You swim up with everything and gasp for air at the rock.
Badger: luckily the check is unnecessary. You recognize that it is not a wizard's wand that would be of no use to you, but is instead a spell wand that contains charges that, when used, casts a wizard's spell. It is a wand of magic missiles.
Badger hands the wand back to Ash. "This is a magic missiles wand. I was already gifted this magic battleaxe and cannot in good conscience take another magic item. Here."
Ash brushes it off. "I prefer my swords."
Kristofferson also shakes his head, tapping his quarterstaff.
Badger: "I thank you both and hope to use it well. Perhaps with this I'll be a better fighter in battle."
Kristofferson: "You've been great in battle, Badger. How many times have you literally saved our lives with your healing magic? Now come, let's head up these stairs and go north."
You move up the stairs and north. You find another passage moving east-west. To the east is a large cavern, from which you hear the occasional sound of pickaxe on rock.
Ash: A wide rift fills the eastern half of this cavern. A stream pours out of the west wall, then tumbles down into the rift and flows out again to the north. Several ropes are secured to iron stakes along on the western edge of the rift, leading down to the chasm floor. Three bugbears are stationed here. Two of them are clearing rock on the rift floor while one more stands guard in the western half of the cavern along side a male elf.
Ash slinks back to the others. "Three bugbears and an elf."
Badger: "Do we head west and risk that they flank us? Or take them out now, by surprise, and risk revealing our presence to others?"
K: "My vote is to moving forward. We don't know who these bugbears are. Perhaps the two workers are innocent. Perhaps they're all on the side of the Rockseekers. Let's just leave them be until we know."
Ash is quiet a moment, then says, "Bogus. We know this black spider fella employs bugbears as brutes and bullies. We walk into that cavern and confront them. If they're so innocent, they can help us. If not, we take them out."
K shrugs. "If we wait for aggression, then I'm fine with that."
Badger nods. "Okay. Let me do the talking." He winks at Ash. He then leads them into the cavern and waves to get the elf and bugbear guard's attention. "Excuse me! Could you lot help us find our way?"
The elf and bugbear guard look up at the three of you, look at each other, then back at you. The bugbear shouts to the other two in goblin. Ash hears "Get up here and get them!" He pulls out a hand crossbow and aims it at you.
Badger steps forward, moving north-east to the stream (so 10' east and 15' north), and he pulls out his new wand and targets the elf—if he looks to be a person in charge, else the bugbear guard: (all 1s! 6 force damage).
The elf looks at Badger and snarls, an unnatural sound for an elf to make, a flint of recognition in his eyes. He rushes at Badger, jumping over the stream and landing just to the east of Badger, and attacks with his hands (9 & 23 to hit, 8 bludgeoning).
K will rush to Badger's side. He focuses on his Ki and pushes his fist forward, creating a blast of air by using his Fist of Unbroken Air. (STR save, 12 bludgeoning and is pushed into the rift and knocked prone, half damage and not pushed on success)
Elf strength save: 18. The elf takes half of the force of the unbroken air and is not pushed nor prone. He snarls at you, clear anger and vengeance in his eyes.
The elf focuses on withstanding K's unbroken air, leaving him vulnerable to Ash's slashing attacks.
Bugbear 1 fires his hand crossbow at Badger (15 to hit), but the bolt ricochets off his armor.
Bugbears 2&3 climb rope anchored into the floor to get out of the rift. Bugbear 3 struggles to get up and is left climbing while the other joins the fray, throwing a javelin at Badger (14 to hit), but it misses.
The elf hisses, in awkward Common, "You my sister killed!" He slams Ash once (23 to hit, 8 bludgeoning), then tries to push him into the rift. (Arhletics 15 to shove; Ash make an Athletics or Acrobatics check to contest the shove)
Ash: with the dexterity of your hands, what would have been challenging for some came easy to you. You slip the rings and wand away from the hand while still gripping your shortsword in your off hand. You swim up with everything and gasp for air at the rock.
Ash paddles back to shore. He hands all items to Badger. "Can you use this wand?" He tries to dry himself the best he can.
Badger pulls a blanket from his pack that Ash can use as a towel. He inspects the wand. Is it useful to him? Arcana: 5 (nat 1!)
Badger: luckily the check is unnecessary. You recognize that it is not a wizard's wand that would be of no use to you, but is instead a spell wand that contains charges that, when used, casts a wizard's spell. It is a wand of magic missiles.
Badger hands the wand back to Ash. "This is a magic missiles wand. I was already gifted this magic battleaxe and cannot in good conscience take another magic item. Here."
Ash brushes it off. "I prefer my swords."
Kristofferson also shakes his head, tapping his quarterstaff.
Badger: "I thank you both and hope to use it well. Perhaps with this I'll be a better fighter in battle."
Kristofferson: "You've been great in battle, Badger. How many times have you literally saved our lives with your healing magic? Now come, let's head up these stairs and go north."
You move up the stairs and north. You find another passage moving east-west. To the east is a large cavern, from which you hear the occasional sound of pickaxe on rock.
Map:
Badger whispers, "Ash, take a peek in the cavern. Is it the Rockseekers mining?"
Ash creeps forward to see what is in the cavern. Stealth: nat 1; halfling luck reroll; 22
Ash: A wide rift fills the eastern half of this cavern. A stream pours out of the west wall, then tumbles down into the rift and flows out again to the north. Several ropes are secured to iron stakes along on the western edge of the rift, leading down to the chasm floor. Three bugbears are stationed here. Two of them are clearing rock on the rift floor while one more stands guard in the western half of the cavern along side a male elf.
Map:
Ash slinks back to the others. "Three bugbears and an elf."
Badger: "Do we head west and risk that they flank us? Or take them out now, by surprise, and risk revealing our presence to others?"
K: "My vote is to moving forward. We don't know who these bugbears are. Perhaps the two workers are innocent. Perhaps they're all on the side of the Rockseekers. Let's just leave them be until we know."
Ash is quiet a moment, then says, "Bogus. We know this black spider fella employs bugbears as brutes and bullies. We walk into that cavern and confront them. If they're so innocent, they can help us. If not, we take them out."
K shrugs. "If we wait for aggression, then I'm fine with that."
Badger nods. "Okay. Let me do the talking." He winks at Ash. He then leads them into the cavern and waves to get the elf and bugbear guard's attention. "Excuse me! Could you lot help us find our way?"
The elf and bugbear guard look up at the three of you, look at each other, then back at you. The bugbear shouts to the other two in goblin. Ash hears "Get up here and get them!" He pulls out a hand crossbow and aims it at you.
Initiative:
Map:
Badger steps forward, moving north-east to the stream (so 10' east and 15' north), and he pulls out his new wand and targets the elf—if he looks to be a person in charge, else the bugbear guard: (all 1s! 6 force damage).
The elf looks at Badger and snarls, an unnatural sound for an elf to make, a flint of recognition in his eyes. He rushes at Badger, jumping over the stream and landing just to the east of Badger, and attacks with his hands (9 & 23 to hit, 8 bludgeoning).
K will rush to Badger's side. He focuses on his Ki and pushes his fist forward, creating a blast of air by using his Fist of Unbroken Air. (STR save, 12 bludgeoning and is pushed into the rift and knocked prone, half damage and not pushed on success)
Elf strength save: 18. The elf takes half of the force of the unbroken air and is not pushed nor prone. He snarls at you, clear anger and vengeance in his eyes.
Ash moves to the edge of the rift to flank the elf with Badger, he slices twice with his shortswords (24 & 13 to hit, 21 slashing (+sneak))
The elf focuses on withstanding K's unbroken air, leaving him vulnerable to Ash's slashing attacks.
Bugbear 1 fires his hand crossbow at Badger (15 to hit), but the bolt ricochets off his armor.
Bugbears 2&3 climb rope anchored into the floor to get out of the rift. Bugbear 3 struggles to get up and is left climbing while the other joins the fray, throwing a javelin at Badger (14 to hit), but it misses.
Map:
Badger pulls out his magic battleaxe and swings it at the elf (12 to hit (+flank), 8 slashing). "Why have you joined these evil forces, elf?"
The elf hisses, in awkward Common, "You my sister killed!" He slams Ash once (23 to hit, 8 bludgeoning), then tries to push him into the rift. (Arhletics 15 to shove; Ash make an Athletics or Acrobatics check to contest the shove)
Ash acrobatics: 17
Ash avoids being pushed into the rift, dodging the shove.
K swings his quarterstaff at the elf (12 to hit, 10 bludgeoning) then kicks him (24 to hit, 4 bludgeoning)