I agree. I thought the plan was to get some XP, to try to level up before the big fight. If this isn't the plan, then what do we want to do instead?
If people want to fight in the passageway, to bottle up the attackers, that is fine, but you can always do a damage cantrip for your Action, before moving further back. (One of the few benefits for this ranger subclass is the extra attack on the first round of combat, so waiting a round means giving up that attack. As a player I don't like rushing in, but the character almost has to.)
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Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
I think Rodolfo understands what I was alluding to in some previous posts. You should all have a discussion and clear it all up.
As for XP, didn't I switch to Milestone leveling? You'll level up when the battle of Blingdenstone starts. I'm pretty sure I explained that when you were all trying to figure out how to deal with Ogremoch's Bane.
As for XP, didn't I switch to Milestone leveling? You'll level up when the battle of Blingdenstone starts. I'm pretty sure I explained that when you were all trying to figure out how to deal with Ogremoch's Bane.
I figured you would want a few encounters to justify the milestone level-up, rather than it happening when convenient. My bad.
I've already said that I'd like more resources (armor / weapons / magic items), but the only way I know to do that is to fight to areas that we haven't searched yet. Which is why I thought we were bashing these statues... to check for any hidden stashes in this area.
I'm fine doing something else, but like Kerrec said, I don't know what alternatives are being considered.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
The course this scenario has taken has been interesting. In the module (in the OotA book/campaign), the story sets up the Battle of Blingdenstone where the whole city made up of plain citizens go on the offensive to reclaim their ancestral home with a focused attack on the leader, aka The Pudding King. In the module, it is just assumed that the player party would jump all over the opportunity and volunteer to take point.
However, as has been pointed out, it is not your fight. And as an observer, I can't fault your point of view and your decision(s). They were barely neutral towards your party. They refuse to free up any help to get you back to the surface. They can barely help themselves. I just can't make myself railroad you all into that fight.
When the party is assumed to take the point on the attack against The Pudding King, the module offers ways to improve the outcome. Going to Neverlight Grove to get mushrooms, going to Gracklstugh to get crossbows and bolts among the two that would take the most time. Travelling to Gracklstugh from Blingdenstone, and back would take months. You all chose to find Entremoch's Boon, and help with Ogremoch's Bane during the battle. Entremoch's Boon is only 3 days from Blingdenstone, so even going slow, you got back weeks before the assault should be happening.
I have offered the option to fast forward to the attack. But I also offered the option for you all to do things you can think of to do. Because players can come up with ingenious things that make a difference, and I don't want to take the opportunity away.
If you all feel that you have been floundering lately, you can fast forward to the battle. We'll level up and I'll do my best to portray a vital battle happening on several fronts, one of which is yours, without yours being the 'critical one'. But it is still important to the final outcome.
Entremoch's Boon was a force multiplier for the battle, which hasn't happened yet. However, that force multiplier is a double bladed sword if Ogremoch's Bane isn't dealt with.
At this point, I don't think you're going to about face and decide to do something else, so here's a peak at what the module says:
The success of any plan to rid Blingdenstone of the Pudding King and his minions is more likely if the characters complete the following tasks:
Convince Dorbo Diggermattock that the Goldwhisker clan deserves to live in Blingdenstone.
Find Entémoch’s Boon.
Cleanse the Steadfast Stone (area 22).
Travel to Neverlight Grove and harvest a wagon load of ingredients among its fungal pools and fields.
Escort a salt shipment to Gracklstugh to trade for duergar-made weapons.
Complete one or both tasks set forth by the ghost of Burrow Warden Jadger (see area 8).
Let the players come up with other ideas that might help, such as asking for aid from the stone giants of Gracklstugh or stealing magic weapons from the drow. Some quests might take time to complete, since they require travel through the Underdark.
See the “Benefits for Completing Tasks” sidebar for benefits that the characters gain during the Battle of Blingdenstone if they complete certain tasks.
AND
BENEFITS FOR COMPLETING TASKS
Completing certain tasks in Blingdenstone can provide the characters with benefits and allies in the final battle.
If the characters find Entémoch’s Boon and share its location with the svirfneblin, or if they cleanse the temple of Callardurran Smoothhands (area 22), an earth elemental aids them. If the characters completed both tasks, the elemental has 15 additional hit points.
If the characters fetch the ingredients from Neverlight Grove, their metal equipment is immune to the corrosive effects of oozes.
If the characters procure weapons in Gracklstugh, they can call for ranged artillery support during the Battle of Blingdenstone. Each character deals 2 extra damage with each attack during the “Cry Havoc!” encounters, representing covering fire from svirfneblin using duergar-made crossbows.
If the characetrs complete the tasks set before them by Burrow Warden Jadger, each character can reroll one attack roll or saving throw during the Battle of Blingdentone as a ghost emerges from the ground to distract foes.
If the characters befriended Glabbagool and brought it to Blingdenstone, the intelligent gelatinous cube joins the battle as their ally. If Glabbagool left the party previously, it can reappear as a surprise ally during the battle.
Nor could we impact the sea of slimes, ogremach’s bane, or much anything else.
It just doesn’t seem like there was a point, we may as well have just started with the battle
The encounters you all had exploring were not pointless. I made sure to divulge information that would be beneficial for the planning and during the attack, or for much later in the campaign:
Ogremoch's Bane is not confined to the Rockblight. He accosted your party via the petrified drow in the northern portion of old blingdenstone. So you have to take care of it, or at the very least keep it busy during the final battle. Else the earth elementals are going to turn on the Svirfneblin.
Whittling down the oozes won't work, because as soon as one is alarmed, they all trigger and go 'berserk'. There is also foreshadowing about later chapters.
There are slimes all over the ceiling in the areas controlled by The Pudding King. Slimes that are known to drop on creatures below them. But you found many of them, all dormant.
You found Glabagool (or he found you). And he went off on a fact finding mission for you. But how to get that information? And how is Glabagool going to survive the battle? And what happens to Glabagool if his 'King' dies?
My idea (Rodolfos idea) happened to be somewhat outside of any of the things Kerrec just posted. If we have time and timing then we can "distract" the Bane by fighting the same drow we were just at - so that it occupies a bunch of petrified drow and doesn't go for the earth elementals that the gnomes will be using.
But I also forgot if we actually had an active role in the whole battle or not.. was it to help with the BOOM part of the map? Which is like one room away anyways from the drow.
And I don't mind doing a fast-forward at all. I just hope that the "at level 7 you can deal with the Bane" isn't dependent on Rodolfo picking the exact right spell to learn...
No, the Svirneblin will open up that passageway on their own, with their own explosives. Your characters would be privy to this planning, so I'm not divulging anything your characters don't already know about the attack.
As for Ogremoch's Bane, I am still trying to figure out exactly what I'm going to do. My first instinct is to say you need to keep it busy for X rounds. But PBP is so slow.... that might take weeks or months. I thought about asking you all to humor me and have the measure of your success at how long you can keep it busy depend on how FAST you can dispatch all those statues (which is more bearable in a PBP game) even though it is the opposite of what you are being asked to do.
And no, nothing is dependent on picking the right spells. You will have the option above to just keep it busy. Or you will have the option to finally be rid of it, depending on what you all do at level 7.
I believe I have already established (among the other characters) that this creature doesn't belong on this plane.
I don't remember if Rodolfo has tried to cast spells at this creature. If he did, he would have learned that this creature doesn't have a corporeal form that can take any damage. That being said, any spells that don't rely on a corporeal form may still work?
Or, what happens when the creature is possessing a corporeal form? You all know the form takes damage from spells...
So seems like we could easily figure out a spell like banishment might get rid of it. That explains why we need to be 7th level I guess! (Except paladins don’t get that spell till much higher level).
thurnir thinks that maybe getting the intel from the gelatinous cube is our best plan- and then decide what to do next from that.
Entremoch's Boon was a force multiplier for the battle, which hasn't happened yet. However, that force multiplier is a double bladed sword if Ogremoch's Bane isn't dealt with.
At this point, I don't think you're going to about face and decide to do something else, so here's a peak at what the module says:
The success of any plan to rid Blingdenstone of the Pudding King and his minions is more likely if the characters complete the following tasks:
Convince Dorbo Diggermattock that the Goldwhisker clan deserves to live in Blingdenstone.
Find Entémoch’s Boon.
Cleanse the Steadfast Stone (area 22).
Travel to Neverlight Grove and harvest a wagon load of ingredients among its fungal pools and fields.
Escort a salt shipment to Gracklstugh to trade for duergar-made weapons.
Complete one or both tasks set forth by the ghost of Burrow Warden Jadger (see area 8).
Let the players come up with other ideas that might help, such as asking for aid from the stone giants of Gracklstugh or stealing magic weapons from the drow. Some quests might take time to complete, since they require travel through the Underdark.
See the “Benefits for Completing Tasks” sidebar for benefits that the characters gain during the Battle of Blingdenstone if they complete certain tasks.
AND
BENEFITS FOR COMPLETING TASKS
Completing certain tasks in Blingdenstone can provide the characters with benefits and allies in the final battle.
If the characters find Entémoch’s Boon and share its location with the svirfneblin, or if they cleanse the temple of Callardurran Smoothhands (area 22), an earth elemental aids them. If the characters completed both tasks, the elemental has 15 additional hit points.
If the characters fetch the ingredients from Neverlight Grove, their metal equipment is immune to the corrosive effects of oozes.
If the characters procure weapons in Gracklstugh, they can call for ranged artillery support during the Battle of Blingdenstone. Each character deals 2 extra damage with each attack during the “Cry Havoc!” encounters, representing covering fire from svirfneblin using duergar-made crossbows.
If the characetrs complete the tasks set before them by Burrow Warden Jadger, each character can reroll one attack roll or saving throw during the Battle of Blingdentone as a ghost emerges from the ground to distract foes.
If the characters befriended Glabbagool and brought it to Blingdenstone, the intelligent gelatinous cube joins the battle as their ally. If Glabbagool left the party previously, it can reappear as a surprise ally during the battle.
I think I may just be frustrated at playing a table game in pbp. I have no recollection of stone giants or whatever the steadfast stone is. I don’t even know if we did anything finding entremoch’s boon. Everything has seemed so “bleh” about whether or not we accomplished, explored, or even acknowledged anything. I can’t tell if we messed it up, even. It just seems like nothing has changed.
We didn't encounter stone giants, those would be in some other settlement by my understanding.
Anyways, my vote is to pull out of the drow fight and fast forward to the final battle with Pudding King, hopefully keeping an eye out for Globbagool on the way.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM) Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy) DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
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(I think we’re leaving!)
I agree.
I thought the plan was to get some XP, to try to level up before the big fight.
If this isn't the plan, then what do we want to do instead?
If people want to fight in the passageway, to bottle up the attackers, that is fine, but you can always do a damage cantrip for your Action, before moving further back.
(One of the few benefits for this ranger subclass is the extra attack on the first round of combat, so waiting a round means giving up that attack. As a player I don't like rushing in, but the character almost has to.)
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
I think Rodolfo understands what I was alluding to in some previous posts. You should all have a discussion and clear it all up.
As for XP, didn't I switch to Milestone leveling? You'll level up when the battle of Blingdenstone starts. I'm pretty sure I explained that when you were all trying to figure out how to deal with Ogremoch's Bane.
I figured you would want a few encounters to justify the milestone level-up, rather than it happening when convenient. My bad.
I've already said that I'd like more resources (armor / weapons / magic items), but the only way I know to do that is to fight to areas that we haven't searched yet.
Which is why I thought we were bashing these statues... to check for any hidden stashes in this area.
I'm fine doing something else, but like Kerrec said, I don't know what alternatives are being considered.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)
I’m right there with you. I’m not sure we’ve done anything of value in a long while.
Paladin - warforged - orange
The course this scenario has taken has been interesting. In the module (in the OotA book/campaign), the story sets up the Battle of Blingdenstone where the whole city made up of plain citizens go on the offensive to reclaim their ancestral home with a focused attack on the leader, aka The Pudding King. In the module, it is just assumed that the player party would jump all over the opportunity and volunteer to take point.
However, as has been pointed out, it is not your fight. And as an observer, I can't fault your point of view and your decision(s). They were barely neutral towards your party. They refuse to free up any help to get you back to the surface. They can barely help themselves. I just can't make myself railroad you all into that fight.
When the party is assumed to take the point on the attack against The Pudding King, the module offers ways to improve the outcome. Going to Neverlight Grove to get mushrooms, going to Gracklstugh to get crossbows and bolts among the two that would take the most time. Travelling to Gracklstugh from Blingdenstone, and back would take months. You all chose to find Entremoch's Boon, and help with Ogremoch's Bane during the battle. Entremoch's Boon is only 3 days from Blingdenstone, so even going slow, you got back weeks before the assault should be happening.
I have offered the option to fast forward to the attack. But I also offered the option for you all to do things you can think of to do. Because players can come up with ingenious things that make a difference, and I don't want to take the opportunity away.
If you all feel that you have been floundering lately, you can fast forward to the battle. We'll level up and I'll do my best to portray a vital battle happening on several fronts, one of which is yours, without yours being the 'critical one'. But it is still important to the final outcome.
Yeah, but Entremoch’s boon didn’t do anything for us at all…
Paladin - warforged - orange
Nor could we impact the sea of slimes, ogremach’s bane, or much anything else.
It just doesn’t seem like there was a point, we may as well have just started with the battle
Paladin - warforged - orange
Entremoch's Boon was a force multiplier for the battle, which hasn't happened yet. However, that force multiplier is a double bladed sword if Ogremoch's Bane isn't dealt with.
At this point, I don't think you're going to about face and decide to do something else, so here's a peak at what the module says:
The success of any plan to rid Blingdenstone of the Pudding King and his minions is more likely if the characters complete the following tasks:
Let the players come up with other ideas that might help, such as asking for aid from the stone giants of Gracklstugh or stealing magic weapons from the drow. Some quests might take time to complete, since they require travel through the Underdark.
See the “Benefits for Completing Tasks” sidebar for benefits that the characters gain during the Battle of Blingdenstone if they complete certain tasks.
AND
BENEFITS FOR COMPLETING TASKS
Completing certain tasks in Blingdenstone can provide the characters with benefits and allies in the final battle.
The encounters you all had exploring were not pointless. I made sure to divulge information that would be beneficial for the planning and during the attack, or for much later in the campaign:
Thank you for the writeup.
My idea (Rodolfos idea) happened to be somewhat outside of any of the things Kerrec just posted. If we have time and timing then we can "distract" the Bane by fighting the same drow we were just at - so that it occupies a bunch of petrified drow and doesn't go for the earth elementals that the gnomes will be using.
But I also forgot if we actually had an active role in the whole battle or not.. was it to help with the BOOM part of the map? Which is like one room away anyways from the drow.
And I don't mind doing a fast-forward at all. I just hope that the "at level 7 you can deal with the Bane" isn't dependent on Rodolfo picking the exact right spell to learn...
No, the Svirneblin will open up that passageway on their own, with their own explosives. Your characters would be privy to this planning, so I'm not divulging anything your characters don't already know about the attack.
As for Ogremoch's Bane, I am still trying to figure out exactly what I'm going to do. My first instinct is to say you need to keep it busy for X rounds. But PBP is so slow.... that might take weeks or months. I thought about asking you all to humor me and have the measure of your success at how long you can keep it busy depend on how FAST you can dispatch all those statues (which is more bearable in a PBP game) even though it is the opposite of what you are being asked to do.
And no, nothing is dependent on picking the right spells. You will have the option above to just keep it busy. Or you will have the option to finally be rid of it, depending on what you all do at level 7.
Cool, thanks.
For keeping it busy - if it's planned and Rodolfo can use the Wand (and actually hit) then we could keep it busy for a very long time.
Thurnir doesn’t have an opinion on much of anything- just tell him what to kill.
But is it possible for us to make an arcana check or something to figure out how to banish the bane?
I believe I have already established (among the other characters) that this creature doesn't belong on this plane.
I don't remember if Rodolfo has tried to cast spells at this creature. If he did, he would have learned that this creature doesn't have a corporeal form that can take any damage. That being said, any spells that don't rely on a corporeal form may still work?
Or, what happens when the creature is possessing a corporeal form? You all know the form takes damage from spells...
So seems like we could easily figure out a spell like banishment might get rid of it. That explains why we need to be 7th level I guess! (Except paladins don’t get that spell till much higher level).
thurnir thinks that maybe getting the intel from the gelatinous cube is our best plan- and then decide what to do next from that.
I think I may just be frustrated at playing a table game in pbp. I have no recollection of stone giants or whatever the steadfast stone is. I don’t even know if we did anything finding entremoch’s boon. Everything has seemed so “bleh” about whether or not we accomplished, explored, or even acknowledged anything. I can’t tell if we messed it up, even. It just seems like nothing has changed.
Paladin - warforged - orange
We didn't encounter stone giants, those would be in some other settlement by my understanding.
Anyways, my vote is to pull out of the drow fight and fast forward to the final battle with Pudding King, hopefully keeping an eye out for Globbagool on the way.
Yeah I'm kinda done with spinning my wheels - let's just deal with the boss
Skameros - Bugbear Barbarian - Out of the Abyss - By Kerrec
Follow your Arrow where it Points - Tabaxi Monk - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
Citron Pumpkinfoam - Fairy Monk - Project Point: Team Longsword
I'm okay with that.
Beegred Thornpost - Lvl 8 Halfling Ranger - Out of the Abyss by Kerrec
Drusk - Lvl 8 Half-Orc Life Cleric - The Long Road: Dragon Heist by Mingofaust (player & current DM)
Hunferho Aelorothi - Lvl 5 Half-Elf Bard/Rogue - Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus (by Pokepaladdy)
DM - Frontier City of Nunkreet (ended)