The Wildemount Irregulars (2020)

Silent shrugs. Never been much good at planning, Gran. Usually I just run in and, here Silent mimes swinging a sword, try to make things quick and painless. You think a head-on attack will work? 

If you can take a fair bit of damage, maybe.  I knew people who could, used magic to do it.  What have you got?

I'm heavily armored in addition to possessing a series of defensive screens that can absorb damage and deflect some attacks.  I'm capable of healing, to an extent, and hitting targets at range and up close.  Though my attacks are weak compared to Silent's.

Silent gestures to his sword and says I should be able to give as good as I'll get in a close-range fight and my stamina ain't bad. Almost gotten killed in a fair few scraps recently, though, so maybe I should be rethinking that strategy...

Sure.  Nice sword.  Well, let's be off.  I reckon the lair's about an hour deep into the forest.  Not sure of the exact location - I might need you boys to help.  You don't mind helping an old lady find her way?  Gran snorts with laughter, and even Emi can't resist a smile.

You set off.  Can you give me a marching order?  Are you going to assist Gran in tracking the owlbear, or would you prefer that she assists you (i.e. gives you advantage)?

Magnum will happily assist Gran as he feels she knows the area better. Also magnum will travel near the back.

Silent will also assist Gran in the tracking of the owlbear, but will walk at the front if she doesn't object. 

As we prepare to leave, Magnum pauses to talk to Silent briefly.  You were saying earlier that you were rethinking your run in first strategy.  Well, what if I run in first. My armor is stronger and my gauntlets generate this pulse that make it harder for my foes to hit targets other than me.

Go for it. I'll also be right there to back you up, planning on sending my Echo in to soften 'em up first. Whenever you start takin' a beating I'll jump in myself and we can tag-team it. 

It’s also dependent on me being able to hit them. So flanking might be useful.

I reckon Gran might be able to help with that... she don't strike me as a wizarding type, more of a...uh... punchy type.  That right, Gran? Silent raises his voice at the end to catch Gran's attention. 

Something like that, the old woman says.  Now shush, and let me concentrate.

Gran leads you from the village and into the woods, and then deep into the woods.  In the beginning she seems sure of her path, but very soon the forest becomes denser and it's clear that no-one passes through here on a regular basis; the trail you are following is more likely made by animals and you see no sign of humanoids anywhere.

Gran's Survival 14

Gran is no expert tracker, but she does well enough, and with your aid you manage to follow a trail until Gran calls a halt.  She points up ahead and whispers.  Fresh tracks.  

It's a little before noon.  Gran pulls you back along the path a little so you can talk.  So, what now?  Rush in?  Sneak in and try to catch it sleeping?  Set a trap and try to bait it out?  It's your show, boys.

Hang on... Magnum, on the bear hunt, you threw some magick trap down in front o' the cave, right? Think it'll work here? 

Sure.  It'll use up the last of my rope, but it's worth a shot.  Magnum casts Snare in front of the cave.  It takes a minute to cast. 

Which cave would that be?

(To clarify, you are standing on a very faint forest trail some way away from what Gran suspects to be the lair of the owlbear, which none of you have really tracked down yet.  Gran's question is about what you plan to do when you reach the lair, given that you probably won't be able to talk safely.)

(OOC: In that case I assume Magnum wants cast Snare when we approach the lair and find some sort of entryway?)

Silent will ask Gran, D'you wanna keep an eye out for some game in the area? Like, I dunno, deer or somethin'? We can slaughter one and use it as bait, draw the ol' bugger out of its hidey-hole with blood. 

Not much game around here, not any more I reckon, Gran says, it's cleared this area out.  Still, I did bring some meat with me, with that kind of thing in mind - she packs her backpack.  Something fresh would be better of course, but we'd have to backtrack a ways, and then spend time on the hunt.  It's up to you.

Then let's get closer to the thing's lair, set this trap, and see if we can goad it out.  

Yep, no turning back now. 

You sneak forward.  Please each make a Stealth check and a Perception check.