Adrasteia changes her focus from the magical candle to the winged snake symbol, having to move closer to the fence to do so. The first thing she notices is that it is the same design as the one that adorns Yagra's neck. Putting that information together with what you have learned over the last couple of days, it can only mean this symbol represents a certain association of mercenaries: The Zhentarim.
Mokiakia interrupts her performance somewhat abruptly to magically deliver a hair pin to Sim. Mokiakia has seen Sim use her own set of Thieves' Tools in the past so, Sim gathers, this must surely be one of Mokiakia little jokes. Sim ignores the jest for now and looks around, this time more attentively. She does not see anyone looking through the windows and deduces they have not been spotted. She also notices that the gate on the fence isn’t locked, and beyond it, the building has three possible points of entry — a front door straight ahead, a large warehouse loading door right next to it, and a painted-over window to the far left. The front door has a sliding peephole that can be opened from the inside, but it is currently closed.
LORE BOX (A WONDROUS PEOPLE - A LOVE LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF WATERDEEP BY VOLO)
To the wondrous people of the City of Splendors:
Whenever you find yourself in a bustling city, you’re likely to spot a wonderful variety of folk. You hear words in languages utterly foreign to you, and you smell dishes both delectable and strange. Waterdeep is the ultimate city of such delights, and before long, the alien thing becomes familiar to you, and the stranger becomes your friend.
The people of Waterdeep are among the greatest of its splendors. Fashion, comportment, love — these things are practiced with an art and a zest in the city uncommon elsewhere. Visit a festhall or festival and see for yourself! And don’t miss the cross-dressing performers who regale audiences with humor and song. Fabulous — that word doesn’t begin to describe it, especially when they enhance the merriment with magic.
The city is also a haven for those who define for themselves what it means to be a man or a woman, those who transcend gender as the gods do, and those who redefine entirely who they are. What confidence! I never tire of witnessing it. I have seen folk in Waterdeep whose lives are more magical than the marvels possible with spells.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Seeing that we are still undetected, I want to do a Stealth check move halfway closer to where Sim is working. 3 (Where on my character sheet do I see what my armor's disadvantage is listed? I only see that I have a disadvantage but not what it's value is.)
I am fearful that Sim is largely alone, so that I why I want to move forward.
(@Adrasteia: Normally, when you roll a skill check, you just roll 1d20 and add the appropriate modifier. That is called a straight roll. When you have disadvantage on that skill check, you instead roll two separate d20s, pick the lowest, and add your modifier to that. Conversely, a skill check with advantage means you'd pick the highest of those two d20s and add your modifier to it. In your case, because of the heavy armor, you always roll stealth at disadvantage. So, disadvantage is not a specific negative bonus, but a roll-twice-pick-the-lowest mechanic. However, you do not need to roll two d20s separately when using the dice roller here in the forum because you can pick the "disadvantage" option from the drop down menu in the field "Advantage or drop dice?".)
(@Mokiakia & @Sim: OK, so it wasn't a joke by an assist. It thus counts as a help action, which gives Sim advantage on an eventual Thieves' Tools roll to pick a lock, which would be a 1d20+DEX+proficiency bonus for Sim if it were a straight roll.)
Back to the story: Adrasteia moves in closer to Sim as she examines the fence. The noisy heavy armor makes it hard for the cleric to move quietly but no immediate reactions are noticed in their surroundings. Meanwhile, Mokiakia remains in the rear, keeping an eye out while impersonating a beggar. Her floating Mage Hand is next to Sim, though, ready to help if necessary. Nonetheless, Sim has already gathered that the fence door is unlocked. The three other points of potential entry beyond the fence have yet to be examined.
To the best of her abilities, Adrasteia can not see any signs that would reveal that the group has been spotted. There aren't many windows in this building, and the only one at ground level has been painted over. This ground-level windows is one of three potential points of entry into the building, once the group has made it past the fence, that is. The other two potential points of entry are a front door a few steps away from the door on the fence, and a large warehouse loading door right next to it. The door on the fence is unlocked but shut.
Mokiakia notices nothing new in her surroundings. Everything seems pretty quiet.
LORE BOX (NOBILITY)
While you might encounter dwarf diplomats from Gauntlgrym, satraps of Amn, duchesses of Tethyr, or thanes of the Northlanders in Waterdeep, the nobles you really need to know about are the city’s own. Seventy-eight noble family lines are found here, many of which can trace their lineage back to the city’s founding. Books have been written about individual families — histories of their accomplishments and how they fit into the webs of wealth and patronage that govern nobles’ activities.
Mostly all Waterdhavian noble houses have some degree of wealth that would put others to shame, and the largest houses pair that wealth along with different degrees of power in the city's political arena. On the other end of the spectrum, most of the minor, smaller houses live off of a specific trade or two, and have wealth comparable to well-to-do merchants. Nonetheless, if aspiring to be someone in this city, one needs to equip themselves with the tools to recognize nobility and to interact with the higher class.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
I quickly perform our secret handshake with the mage hand to thank Mokiakia for having my back. With a quick nod to Mokiakia and Adrasteia, I ease the gate open and step into the yard. I decide to sneak (19) towards the loading dock and peer around the corner (21), then signal to the others if it looks like we can enter that way. I slide a dagger up my sleeve for easy access if there's any trouble.
I quickly perform our secret handshake with the mage hand to thank Mokiakia for having my back.
HAHA! That is hilarious!
The gate on the fence swings open easily but with an audible squeak. Sim moves slowly towards the loading dock and tests the sliding door. A large padlock prevents the door from sliding open, and Sim guesses that even if picked open, the large door will not slide silently.
Mokiakia then uses her Mage Hand to try and force the window open. A smaller padlock keeps that potential entry point locked shut as well.
The three of you are now all in the patio, really close to each other. Adrasteia movements are still on the loud side of things, but no one has been alerted, it seems.
LORE BOX (SPOTTING A NOBLE - PART 1 OF 2 AS WRITTEN BY VOLO)
Nobility in Waterdeep are granted the right to bear arms. In the legal code of the city, this means not merely the ability to carry a weapon, but the right to retain up to seventy equipped soldiers. These soldiers always wear a house’s colors and the house’s “arms of grace” — a heraldic device often borne on a shield, worn as a cloak pin, or affixed to a helmet. Others throughout the city, even foreign dignitaries, are permitted to retain only up to sixteen armed warriors, and laws against impersonating those in the employ of the nobility mean that other mercenaries and bodyguards most often dress plainly, so as not to be mistaken for the retinue of a noble. So the first clue that you might be in the company of a noble is the sight of a large number of armed and uniformed soldiers.
Nonetheless, only about three-quarters of noble houses take full advantage of this benefit. Some prefer to keep their defenses to the trustworthy work of the City Watch like any other citizen would, while others, such as minor houses, simply do not have the means to maintain a small military force on their own despite being wealthy when compared to the overall populace. Many nobles, particularly younger ones seeking entertainment, travel without an entourage of guards or only in the company of other nobles. In this case, you’ll know you’re in the presence of nobility because of the deference others give them. Follow suit, and you should be fine. Large, prominent houses however, still take full advantage of this benefit, so it is advisable to be on the lookout.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Does anybody have oil to put on hinges and prevent noise? I have a tinderbox with and oily rag but I am unsure that would work to prevent noise as that door is also noisy due to its weight.
Sim could go pick the padlock on the window and once inside let us in. My Mage Hand can let me in through the other door too. Meanwhile, I gesture to the group that I will go the other way and investigate the other door, since there are 2. Investigation22 I hope it is not as big or noisy.
(@Adrasteia: No need to roll for whispering. Also, when rolling with advantage or disadvantage, make sure you input only 1d20 in the dice roller and the second one will be rolled for you automatically. If you input 2d20 and select (dis)advantage, the dice roller will roll 4d20 instead.)
Adrasteia makes her choice of entryway known to the rest of the group while Mokiakia discloses her plan, which relies on the use of oil (flask). (The oily rag could work if you apply it to the right places. A survival check would determine whether you can find the right spots.)
Examining the normal door (as opposed to the large loading dock sliding door), Mokiakia judges it to be just a regular door. It is less likely to make noise but it seems to be locked from the inside.
(@Mokiakia: Unlike Sim, you are not proficient with Thieves' Tools. This means that you would have disadvantage at trying to pick a lock, especially if doing so with a hair pin. You are still welcome to try, of course.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Okay, if you want to try to normal door, I can give it a go with my thieve's tools. (Am I using the right number for Dex (3) + proficiency bonus (2), with advantage thanks Mo's mage hand?) 18
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I want to run a history check on the sign of the black-winged snake near the door to see I I can discern anything about it. 9
I cast my Mage Hand and give it one of my hairpins to open the fence door. Sleight of Hand12
I step up to the fence to examine the gate and peer through curiously, looking to see if anyone is around or looking out any windows. Investigation: 6
Adrasteia changes her focus from the magical candle to the winged snake symbol, having to move closer to the fence to do so. The first thing she notices is that it is the same design as the one that adorns Yagra's neck. Putting that information together with what you have learned over the last couple of days, it can only mean this symbol represents a certain association of mercenaries: The Zhentarim.
Mokiakia interrupts her performance somewhat abruptly to magically deliver a hair pin to Sim. Mokiakia has seen Sim use her own set of Thieves' Tools in the past so, Sim gathers, this must surely be one of Mokiakia little jokes. Sim ignores the jest for now and looks around, this time more attentively. She does not see anyone looking through the windows and deduces they have not been spotted. She also notices that the gate on the fence isn’t locked, and beyond it, the building has three possible points of entry — a front door straight ahead, a large warehouse loading door right next to it, and a painted-over window to the far left. The front door has a sliding peephole that can be opened from the inside, but it is currently closed.
LORE BOX (A WONDROUS PEOPLE - A LOVE LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF WATERDEEP BY VOLO)
To the wondrous people of the City of Splendors:
Whenever you find yourself in a bustling city, you’re likely to spot a wonderful variety of folk. You hear words in languages utterly foreign to you, and you smell dishes both delectable and strange. Waterdeep is the ultimate city of such delights, and before long, the alien thing becomes familiar to you, and the stranger becomes your friend.
The people of Waterdeep are among the greatest of its splendors. Fashion, comportment, love — these things are practiced with an art and a zest in the city uncommon elsewhere. Visit a festhall or festival and see for yourself! And don’t miss the cross-dressing performers who regale audiences with humor and song. Fabulous — that word doesn’t begin to describe it, especially when they enhance the merriment with magic.
The city is also a haven for those who define for themselves what it means to be a man or a woman, those who transcend gender as the gods do, and those who redefine entirely who they are. What confidence! I never tire of witnessing it. I have seen folk in Waterdeep whose lives are more magical than the marvels possible with spells.
Your eternal admirer,
Volothamp Geddarm
Seeing that we are still undetected, I want to do a Stealth check move halfway closer to where Sim is working. 3 (Where on my character sheet do I see what my armor's disadvantage is listed? I only see that I have a disadvantage but not what it's value is.)
I am fearful that Sim is largely alone, so that I why I want to move forward.
I want to clarify that my Mage hand was supposed to open to door and help Sim, not joke.
(@Adrasteia: Normally, when you roll a skill check, you just roll 1d20 and add the appropriate modifier. That is called a straight roll. When you have disadvantage on that skill check, you instead roll two separate d20s, pick the lowest, and add your modifier to that. Conversely, a skill check with advantage means you'd pick the highest of those two d20s and add your modifier to it. In your case, because of the heavy armor, you always roll stealth at disadvantage. So, disadvantage is not a specific negative bonus, but a roll-twice-pick-the-lowest mechanic. However, you do not need to roll two d20s separately when using the dice roller here in the forum because you can pick the "disadvantage" option from the drop down menu in the field "Advantage or drop dice?".)
(@Mokiakia & @Sim: OK, so it wasn't a joke by an assist. It thus counts as a help action, which gives Sim advantage on an eventual Thieves' Tools roll to pick a lock, which would be a 1d20+DEX+proficiency bonus for Sim if it were a straight roll.)
Back to the story: Adrasteia moves in closer to Sim as she examines the fence. The noisy heavy armor makes it hard for the cleric to move quietly but no immediate reactions are noticed in their surroundings. Meanwhile, Mokiakia remains in the rear, keeping an eye out while impersonating a beggar. Her floating Mage Hand is next to Sim, though, ready to help if necessary. Nonetheless, Sim has already gathered that the fence door is unlocked. The three other points of potential entry beyond the fence have yet to be examined.
I gesture to Sim to try to peek through the fence to see what she can see.
I also want to run a Perception check to see if we have been detected. 7
I keep a lookout while Sim is working her skills.
To the best of her abilities, Adrasteia can not see any signs that would reveal that the group has been spotted. There aren't many windows in this building, and the only one at ground level has been painted over. This ground-level windows is one of three potential points of entry into the building, once the group has made it past the fence, that is. The other two potential points of entry are a front door a few steps away from the door on the fence, and a large warehouse loading door right next to it. The door on the fence is unlocked but shut.
Mokiakia notices nothing new in her surroundings. Everything seems pretty quiet.
LORE BOX (NOBILITY)
While you might encounter dwarf diplomats from Gauntlgrym, satraps of Amn, duchesses of Tethyr, or thanes of the Northlanders in Waterdeep, the nobles you really need to know about are the city’s own. Seventy-eight noble family lines are found here, many of which can trace their lineage back to the city’s founding. Books have been written about individual families — histories of their accomplishments and how they fit into the webs of wealth and patronage that govern nobles’ activities.
Mostly all Waterdhavian noble houses have some degree of wealth that would put others to shame, and the largest houses pair that wealth along with different degrees of power in the city's political arena. On the other end of the spectrum, most of the minor, smaller houses live off of a specific trade or two, and have wealth comparable to well-to-do merchants. Nonetheless, if aspiring to be someone in this city, one needs to equip themselves with the tools to recognize nobility and to interact with the higher class.
I quickly perform our secret handshake with the mage hand to thank Mokiakia for having my back. With a quick nod to Mokiakia and Adrasteia, I ease the gate open and step into the yard. I decide to sneak (19) towards the loading dock and peer around the corner (21), then signal to the others if it looks like we can enter that way. I slide a dagger up my sleeve for easy access if there's any trouble.
I want to do yet another Stealth check to move up to the gate Sim has just entered. 5 disadvantage 3
I am fearful that she may run into trouble.
Bringing up the rear, I get up and walk to catch up with Sim. I also direct my mage hand to push the window ajar.
HAHA! That is hilarious!
The gate on the fence swings open easily but with an audible squeak. Sim moves slowly towards the loading dock and tests the sliding door. A large padlock prevents the door from sliding open, and Sim guesses that even if picked open, the large door will not slide silently.
Mokiakia then uses her Mage Hand to try and force the window open. A smaller padlock keeps that potential entry point locked shut as well.
The three of you are now all in the patio, really close to each other. Adrasteia movements are still on the loud side of things, but no one has been alerted, it seems.
LORE BOX (SPOTTING A NOBLE - PART 1 OF 2 AS WRITTEN BY VOLO)
Nobility in Waterdeep are granted the right to bear arms. In the legal code of the city, this means not merely the ability to carry a weapon, but the right to retain up to seventy equipped soldiers. These soldiers always wear a house’s colors and the house’s “arms of grace” — a heraldic device often borne on a shield, worn as a cloak pin, or affixed to a helmet. Others throughout the city, even foreign dignitaries, are permitted to retain only up to sixteen armed warriors, and laws against impersonating those in the employ of the nobility mean that other mercenaries and bodyguards most often dress plainly, so as not to be mistaken for the retinue of a noble. So the first clue that you might be in the company of a noble is the sight of a large number of armed and uniformed soldiers.
Nonetheless, only about three-quarters of noble houses take full advantage of this benefit. Some prefer to keep their defenses to the trustworthy work of the City Watch like any other citizen would, while others, such as minor houses, simply do not have the means to maintain a small military force on their own despite being wealthy when compared to the overall populace. Many nobles, particularly younger ones seeking entertainment, travel without an entourage of guards or only in the company of other nobles. In this case, you’ll know you’re in the presence of nobility because of the deference others give them. Follow suit, and you should be fine. Large, prominent houses however, still take full advantage of this benefit, so it is advisable to be on the lookout.
I whisper to my companions, "I believe we should attempt the window first. Sim, I can give you a boost if need be." Stealth check for whispering? 14
Does anybody have oil to put on hinges and prevent noise? I have a tinderbox with and oily rag but I am unsure that would work to prevent noise as that door is also noisy due to its weight.
Sim could go pick the padlock on the window and once inside let us in. My Mage Hand can let me in through the other door too. Meanwhile, I gesture to the group that I will go the other way and investigate the other door, since there are 2. Investigation 22 I hope it is not as big or noisy.
(@Adrasteia: No need to roll for whispering. Also, when rolling with advantage or disadvantage, make sure you input only 1d20 in the dice roller and the second one will be rolled for you automatically. If you input 2d20 and select (dis)advantage, the dice roller will roll 4d20 instead.)
Adrasteia makes her choice of entryway known to the rest of the group while Mokiakia discloses her plan, which relies on the use of oil (flask). (The oily rag could work if you apply it to the right places. A survival check would determine whether you can find the right spots.)
Examining the normal door (as opposed to the large loading dock sliding door), Mokiakia judges it to be just a regular door. It is less likely to make noise but it seems to be locked from the inside.
(@Mokiakia: Unlike Sim, you are not proficient with Thieves' Tools. This means that you would have disadvantage at trying to pick a lock, especially if doing so with a hair pin. You are still welcome to try, of course.)
I don't have any skill lockpicking--despite being well-read--so I leave the breaking and entering to my companions.
I quietly wait for Sim and my hand to let us in from the inside. I do want to enter from a different door to hedge our bets.
Okay, if you want to try to normal door, I can give it a go with my thieve's tools. (Am I using the right number for Dex (3) + proficiency bonus (2), with advantage thanks Mo's mage hand?) 18