When everyone arrives at the mercenary camp, Elaric has made arrangements to be notified by the guards, will meet the party, and plans to brief them on his findings about the forest and possible threats.
As Gong has recovered his ki points and attuned his Boots of Striding and Springing, he will attempt to locate a spell component pouch for purchase to aid in his divine casting.
Investigation: 3
Perception: 14
He will then prepare his spells for the adventure (I'll decide which spells before we get started).
As Gong has recovered his ki points and attuned his Boots of Striding and Springing, he will attempt to locate a spell component pouch for purchase to aid in his divine casting.
Investigation: 3
Perception: 14
He will then prepare his spells for the adventure (I'll decide which spells before we get started).
While not a component pouch per se, there is a very finely stitched waxed leather pouch for sale at a merchant stall for 10 GP. scrounging around town and asking for assistance, Gong will be able to secure all the components for spells up to 2nd level. The additional components can be purchased later for 15 GP in a larger town, or can be scrounged as time permits.
As Gong has recovered his ki points and attuned his Boots of Striding and Springing, he will attempt to locate a spell component pouch for purchase to aid in his divine casting.
Investigation: 3
Perception: 14
He will then prepare his spells for the adventure (I'll decide which spells before we get started).
While not a component pouch per se, there is a very finely stitched waxed leather pouch for sale at a merchant stall for 10 GP. scrounging around town and asking for assistance, Gong will be able to secure all the components for spells up to 2nd level. The additional components can be purchased later for 15 GP in a larger town, or can be scrounged as time permits.
Gong will pay the 10GP for the pouch and scrounge for spell components.
Once the party has arrived at the ruins, Elaric reiterates the details of his discovery of the forest and fills everyone in on what details he recalls regarding Ettercaps. [OOC: I'm copy/pasting all of the details supplied by Andy (in blue) and my replies (in green). In character, Elaric would summarize all of this. Regarding the forest:
The first thing Elaric notices as he traces a path down the newly discovered tunnel is a breeze. The cool, moist wind carries the scent of earth, mushrooms, and a strangely vegetal smell. 20 minutes down the tunnel, the path opens up and he sees why.
Large ferns and holly bushes line a rough, overgrown path which winds its way through several... yes those are definitely trees. Oak, Birch, and Yew grow thick enough to obscure the far end of the cavern. The air is humid and chilly, as though it were early Autumn.
Mist drifts through the forest, thick and cool enough to darken and diminish Elaric's elven infravision to only a few feet in front of him.
As he takes in the sight, the wizard hears a rustling off in the woods.
Elaric would not go (have gone) too far alone - too many learning experiences as a junior researcher. Assuming he has at least two mercs with him, he would stay long enough for any details to sink in.
One of the mercs with you mutters, "That's not the moon, is it?"
Switching from infravision to the visible spectrum, you now perceive the forest to be bathed in a silvery light. In fact, it's now easier to see in the normal spectrum than it was reading heat signatures. Looking up, it certainly looks like that is indeed the moon, winter-bright and massive. This is odd for a few reasons. First and foremost, you're very definitely underground. Secondly, the surface world is just coming off of summer now. You can't be sure if what you are seeing is illusion or the result of some spell.
Secondly, you're pretty sure you now know why a magical formula based on Ettercaps is in the tome you found. The silvery light glints off of thick strands too large to be constructed by natural spiders. A rustle in the underbrush about 50 paces away is all the encouragement your party needs to start a cautious retreat. You are not pursued.
While awaiting aid from his companions, Elaric will devote some of his time to studying tomes found in the ruins with the goal of learning anything he may about the underground forest (tales, histories, notes, maps, journals, etc). Additionally, he searches his own memories for past literary encounters.
Elaric finds only one direct mention in the library,
After the back wall fell and the passage came to light, Torm has taken to calling our stronghold the "Inverted Tower." I quite like the name, feel it gives the place something of a mythic quality. And, at this point, it's certainly accurate.
I don't know what spells old Archmage Rathus invoked, but we've still not reached the "top" of the structure. We've set up a second based camp about a week's journey down. Travel is easy enough between the two camps; the path curves down at such a shallow incline that it often feels like we're walking in a straight line. In truth, as near as I can tell, the tower is a single massive spiral, with branching side rooms that can range up to two thousand feet across.
First outpost is a little past the Moonlit Garden (Torm's idea again, man has a gift). From there, it's a week on to the first main camp. Torm's just come back so I'm gearing up to head down now. I'll have to remind all the new hirelings to stay on the path in the garden. If they step off, as long as they follow our instructions we shouldn't have any more incidents.
Regarding the information about Ettercaps, Elaric was able to recall many details (thanks to a nat 20):
Ettercaps are primitive, hunting aberrations that had an affinity with spiders. Like spiders, they used webs as traps to capture prey, which was then injected with paralytic venom from the ettercap’s bite. Much like spiders, ettercaps tended to be solitary creatures, only gathering to mate. When ettercaps do socialize, it is with monstrous spiders, which they keep as pets and guards.
An adult ettercap stands 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds on average. Ettercaps resemble hunched, grey-purplish humanoids with distended white underbellies, spider-like faces (fangs and eyes and such), and two sharp, black chitinous claws instead of hands and feet. They are not particularly intelligent. Ettercaps possess the capability to shoot sticky webs. They are ambush predators, and what they lack in intelligence they make up for with a natural affinity for creating traps.
While in contact with a web, an ettercap knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
Additionally, Elaric scoured more books and journals found in the ruins' library and discovered another tidbit:
In addition to notes confirming what you recall, you find a journal entry that hints to a merchant with some fairly valuable equipment disappearing while in the garden. Evidently, this ancient research group needed constant resupply.
This concludes the OOC portion of this post.]
Looking about the assembled group, the Elven scholar concludes, "Beyond that, I really have no idea what to expect down there. If the forest is indeed the creation of an archmage, it could contain anything. It could also be exceptionally dangerous. I recommend that we do not explore too far without very good cause. Your thoughts?"
For your victory over the Ettercap and its two pets, each member of the party receives 1500 XP. [I can tack on a bit if anybody's just short of Level 5.]
To safely transport your catch back to the surface, I'm going to ask Skoth to make one more Animal Handling check.
Any character may make an Investigation check (or straight Wis) if they wish to explore the garden and discover anything further.
For your victory over the Ettercap and its two pets, each member of the party receives 1500 XP. [I can tack on a bit if anybody's just short of Level 5.]
To safely transport your catch back to the surface, I'm going to ask Skoth to make one more Animal Handling check.
Any character may make an Investigation check (or straight Wis) if they wish to explore the garden and discover anything further.
That puts Balasar at 6,250 XP, which is 250 XP shy of the 6,500 needed for level 5.
Balasar will make a wisdom check for exploration/further discovery: 19
[For future reference, what does it take to brew more such potions? Are we using XGtE rules?]
[We are!]
It's a common.
Added.
When everyone arrives at the mercenary camp, Elaric has made arrangements to be notified by the guards, will meet the party, and plans to brief them on his findings about the forest and possible threats.
As Gong has recovered his ki points and attuned his Boots of Striding and Springing, he will attempt to locate a spell component pouch for purchase to aid in his divine casting.
Investigation: 3
Perception: 14
He will then prepare his spells for the adventure (I'll decide which spells before we get started).
Back-up character 1: Kebbers the Kobald Bard
1) 15
2) 14
3) 13
4) 12
5) 9
6) 6
Back-up character 2: R-N13 the Warforged Fighter
1) 15
2) 16
3) 12
4) 15
5) 16
6) 9
Back-up character 3: Doran the Tabaxi Rogue
1) 10
2) 12
3) 14
4) 12
5) 12
6) 11
Back-up character 4: Unnamed Kobald Sorcerer
1) 4
2) 12
3) 17
4) 11
5) 13
6) 18
While not a component pouch per se, there is a very finely stitched waxed leather pouch for sale at a merchant stall for 10 GP. scrounging around town and asking for assistance, Gong will be able to secure all the components for spells up to 2nd level. The additional components can be purchased later for 15 GP in a larger town, or can be scrounged as time permits.
I may also make R-N13 a paladin, depending on the party's composition (assuming I need to change characters).
Gong will pay the 10GP for the pouch and scrounge for spell components.
Once the party has arrived at the ruins, Elaric reiterates the details of his discovery of the forest and fills everyone in on what details he recalls regarding Ettercaps. [OOC: I'm copy/pasting all of the details supplied by Andy (in blue) and my replies (in green). In character, Elaric would summarize all of this. Regarding the forest:
The first thing Elaric notices as he traces a path down the newly discovered tunnel is a breeze. The cool, moist wind carries the scent of earth, mushrooms, and a strangely vegetal smell. 20 minutes down the tunnel, the path opens up and he sees why.
Large ferns and holly bushes line a rough, overgrown path which winds its way through several... yes those are definitely trees. Oak, Birch, and Yew grow thick enough to obscure the far end of the cavern. The air is humid and chilly, as though it were early Autumn.
Mist drifts through the forest, thick and cool enough to darken and diminish Elaric's elven infravision to only a few feet in front of him.
As he takes in the sight, the wizard hears a rustling off in the woods.
Elaric would not go (have gone) too far alone - too many learning experiences as a junior researcher. Assuming he has at least two mercs with him, he would stay long enough for any details to sink in.
One of the mercs with you mutters, "That's not the moon, is it?"
Switching from infravision to the visible spectrum, you now perceive the forest to be bathed in a silvery light. In fact, it's now easier to see in the normal spectrum than it was reading heat signatures. Looking up, it certainly looks like that is indeed the moon, winter-bright and massive. This is odd for a few reasons. First and foremost, you're very definitely underground. Secondly, the surface world is just coming off of summer now. You can't be sure if what you are seeing is illusion or the result of some spell.
Secondly, you're pretty sure you now know why a magical formula based on Ettercaps is in the tome you found. The silvery light glints off of thick strands too large to be constructed by natural spiders. A rustle in the underbrush about 50 paces away is all the encouragement your party needs to start a cautious retreat. You are not pursued.
While awaiting aid from his companions, Elaric will devote some of his time to studying tomes found in the ruins with the goal of learning anything he may about the underground forest (tales, histories, notes, maps, journals, etc). Additionally, he searches his own memories for past literary encounters.
Elaric finds only one direct mention in the library,
After the back wall fell and the passage came to light, Torm has taken to calling our stronghold the "Inverted Tower." I quite like the name, feel it gives the place something of a mythic quality. And, at this point, it's certainly accurate.
I don't know what spells old Archmage Rathus invoked, but we've still not reached the "top" of the structure. We've set up a second based camp about a week's journey down. Travel is easy enough between the two camps; the path curves down at such a shallow incline that it often feels like we're walking in a straight line. In truth, as near as I can tell, the tower is a single massive spiral, with branching side rooms that can range up to two thousand feet across.
First outpost is a little past the Moonlit Garden (Torm's idea again, man has a gift). From there, it's a week on to the first main camp. Torm's just come back so I'm gearing up to head down now. I'll have to remind all the new hirelings to stay on the path in the garden. If they step off, as long as they follow our instructions we shouldn't have any more incidents.
Regarding the information about Ettercaps, Elaric was able to recall many details (thanks to a nat 20):
Ettercaps are primitive, hunting aberrations that had an affinity with spiders. Like spiders, they used webs as traps to capture prey, which was then injected with paralytic venom from the ettercap’s bite. Much like spiders, ettercaps tended to be solitary creatures, only gathering to mate. When ettercaps do socialize, it is with monstrous spiders, which they keep as pets and guards.
An adult ettercap stands 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds on average. Ettercaps resemble hunched, grey-purplish humanoids with distended white underbellies, spider-like faces (fangs and eyes and such), and two sharp, black chitinous claws instead of hands and feet. They are not particularly intelligent. Ettercaps possess the capability to shoot sticky webs. They are ambush predators, and what they lack in intelligence they make up for with a natural affinity for creating traps.
While in contact with a web, an ettercap knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.
Additionally, Elaric scoured more books and journals found in the ruins' library and discovered another tidbit:
In addition to notes confirming what you recall, you find a journal entry that hints to a merchant with some fairly valuable equipment disappearing while in the garden. Evidently, this ancient research group needed constant resupply.
This concludes the OOC portion of this post.]
Looking about the assembled group, the Elven scholar concludes, "Beyond that, I really have no idea what to expect down there. If the forest is indeed the creation of an archmage, it could contain anything. It could also be exceptionally dangerous. I recommend that we do not explore too far without very good cause. Your thoughts?"
Group acquired a 1/2 spool of giant spider silk from latest excursion.
For your victory over the Ettercap and its two pets, each member of the party receives 1500 XP. [I can tack on a bit if anybody's just short of Level 5.]
To safely transport your catch back to the surface, I'm going to ask Skoth to make one more Animal Handling check.
Any character may make an Investigation check (or straight Wis) if they wish to explore the garden and discover anything further.
That puts Balasar at 6,250 XP, which is 250 XP shy of the 6,500 needed for level 5.
Balasar will make a wisdom check for exploration/further discovery: 19
Gong now has 6790xp, which puts him at 5th level.
HP increase: 9
New backup character: unnamed Lizardfolk Cleric
10
12
13
11
15
12
Let's try for something a little more balanced.
16
17
13
10
13
10