((By my reckoning, we're looking at 14 days to portage across and up to Mbala, perhaps as much as 18 if moving through the jungle with canoes is difficult. Paddling back to port and around would put us at about 28 days.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
((yep it's definitely faster if you cut across - although Evo might not be pleased with having to do a lot of the work!))
* 8:30AM, DAY 6.
1. Direction: NW
2. Travel speed: Normal (correct?)
3. Navigator: Ok, now that the party is travelling through the jungle vs. on a river, the navigator role will come into play. Whoever will be the navigator for the day's travel will roll a survival check. There are different DC's for different terrains, and if you travel at a fast speed there will be a penalty to the roll. If the party travels slowly, there will be a bonus to the roll. If the check fails, the party becomes lost which means your desired direction of travel for that day is randomized with the surrounding 6 hexes, and then I remove the red flag from the map and then process the movement, so you don't know where you end up on the map! It gets dicey when that happens when it's time to decide which direction to travel the next day when you don't know exactly where you are. Upon the next day survival roll success, the flag is then revealed. If it fails again, the flag remains hidden.
So - who wants to navigate?
Eku can almost guarantee not getting the party lost due to her flying ability, although it's still possible. For instance. the party might have issues actually following her when she is really high in the air, or she just might not be able to get a good view depending on the landscapes, etc.
Azaka, although well suited in the jungle setting, isn't the best with direction and travelling so much.
((if you guys aren't keen on the navigator/check rules each day, then we can totally scrap them! Let me know.))
((reminder for DM to eventually post lore/info about Mbala that Eku would've explained during the next travelling block, as well as info about Camp Righteous and Camp Vengeance which are on the way to Mbala on the river Soshenstar))
4. Encounter rolls 20 / 19 / 5
Ok, there will be some action today. Let me know who navigates, and make the roll, and then I'll get it started.
He has this Ranger trait, from ‘Natural Explorer’ when in jungle: “Your group can’t become lost except by magical means”. Does this mean he auto-passes the navigator roll? Let me know.
Details...
Natural Explorer
You are particularly familiar with one type of natural environment and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. Choose one type of favored terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or the Underdark. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in.
While traveling for an hour or more in your favored terrain, you gain the following benefits:
Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.
YES! My apologies if I had forgotten about that, Grwobert. That is an awesome feature. As long as the party is in the jungle, there will be no need for survival checks for Phillip the navigator. There are some terrains that aren't jungle though in Chult, so those cases will have to be rolled.
Ok then, over to me for the encounter post (the first one, that is. :) )
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
It is a hot, sunny morning. As usual. The party grabs the canoes and starts heading NW, passing over the river Tiryki and beginning the shortcut through the jungle to get to the river Soshenstar.
You can see from the map that this section of the jungle is a 'lesser undead' section. You can get a sense of that as you travel. The plant life doesn't look as vibrant as it did near the river. Things seem darker. And it smells different.
After a few hours of portaging, maybe just before lunch, Phillip who is the navigator, notices 9 skeletons strewed about on the ground ahead. There are swords and bows around them and they look like they have old armor on.
(if Phillip is the navigator, there will be no survival roll required in the jungle, but he will be always situated at the front of battlemaps if/when combat encounters arise. That will be the kicker with that feature!!)
I will not post a map to the google sheet just yet as it may not be required.
In the meantime, can you give me the marching order in the jungle? Phillip is first. Also, who is carrying the canoes?
If you want to go by the skeletons without getting near them and/or potentially arousing them, I will need stealth checks from everyone. Disadvantage for folks who are helping carrying the canoes.
If you don't care about sneaking by them and want to either inspect them and/or just continue to walk normally, that's cool too, just let me know.
* I will also give you the option of changing direction of travel after seeing the skeletons which will require no stealth check but will obviously send you in a different direction for this day's travel.
((Does it take two people to carry the canoes? If one person can manage it, I'd say Gotur and Azaka for height reasons, Evo and Alton can help with paddles/gear and leading the canoes? If each takes two people, it gets a bit trickier, could have Gotur and Azaka on one, as they are similar height, and have Evo pair up with Eku-dwarf to carry the other?))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
((OOC: I think Phillip would be pretty naive about undead. But, however you look at it, bones in the jungle is worthy of being cautious, to him))
Seeing the skeletons up ahead, Phillip stops... and gestures to the others to hold up for just a second...
The party have a chance put the boats down, and take the weight off if they want to. And anyone who wants to catch up to the front, can.
While this is happening, Phillip will riffle through his jungle-knowledge, about what could cause skeletons to be laid out the way they are here.
Does it look like they have naturally fallen prey of some predators or killer insects, and been there long enough to be eaten down to bones? Or does it all seem potentially un-natural? Does he see any potential causes of a scene like this, or threats? Like insect nests, mushroom clouds, blood, etc?
Good question about the canoes. I personally don't have life experience with this, but from my understanding, one person can do it but it's always better with two. We can assume that the party cycles through Gotur and Azaka taking them by themselves, and when they get tired, Alton and Evo help out to ensure no one is carrying a canoe by themselves for an entire day. Phillip would be navigating, and Eku would be flying getting a better view on things.
Ok, Phillip stops the group while Evo seems enthusiastic about inspecting the skeletons, and from a distance you're able to get this information:
The skeletons are mostly full skeletons, and they have broken armor with swords and bows scattered around them. Some of them are kind of half-buried in surface dirt, and some have leaves strewn over them, but you can all tell that there are 15 distinct skeletons on the ground.
Phillip, this seems to be unnatural in that they don't look like they were just some former people/adventurers/travelers/thrill seekers who just have died and decomposed. They actually look like they belong together or as part of a group since they all seem to have the same type of armor on. The weapons look the same, too. You recall Syn or perhaps it was the merchant prince Wakanga back in Port Nyanzaru who said that the jungle is overrun by skeletons, zombies, ghouls, and other types of undead. An army of undead, she said. The party doesn't know the core reason for this, nor did Syn or the princes. Something likely to do with the Soulmonger, they would've said.
Phillip, perhaps these skeletons could be part of that army?
I have added a map to our google sheet so you can get a better idea of the setup and where the skeletons are. Just scroll down a bit...
The party drops the canoes, and then Evo would be heading towards the skeletons. Let me know if the setup makes sense given Evo going to check the skeletons, Phillip cautiously staying back, with Gotur, Alton and Azaka putting down the canoes. Eku is flying 15ft overhead.
Also, please roll for initiative. If Evo would've not went close to the skeletons after Phillip explained his recollections, we will ignore initiative request, but then let me know what the party would want to do. (either go a different direction, or try and sneak by them)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Philip’sinitiative (if/when needed): 24
Stealth for now: 12
Phillip sees Evo move a little forward. He draws his bow and moves up to around 5ft behind him, keeping low to the ground and sneaking slowly through the undergrowth.
Gotursets the canoe down with a groan, knuckling the small of his back before pulling out a handkerchief to mop the sweat running down his face. He rolls it up and ties it across his brow.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM:Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The skeletons seem to animate and become agitated as Evo and Phillip get closer.
Please forgive some Klein retcon here. I think Eku and Azaka and likely Syn and the merchant prince would've told you this previously about the undead in the jungle, and also now that Evo is looking more closely at the skeletons and any specific markings, Eku would once again bring up the origins of the undead as Evo relayed what he sees to her and she hovers over the skeletons herself.
Lurking somewhere in Chult is Ras Nsi, a mythic, villainous figure among Chultans. Ras Nsi was a human paladin and a sworn protector of the city of Mezro. He betrayed his oaths and was banished. Rather than redeem himself, he raised an undead army to conquer Mezro. The would-be tyrant was defeated and banished once more. Mezro was later destroyed, during which Ras Nsi lost his power to create and command undead. He withdrew into the vast jungle, leaving the vestiges of his undead army to roam unchecked throughout the jungle.
That is all the guides know about Ras Nsi and the origins of the undead in the jungle.
Eku confirms that these stragglers must be some of that vast undead army, and they've probably been here for who knows how long, laying here undisturbed and unagitated. Until now.
Phillip, you will be unseen during round 1 as you're successfully slinking down in the undergrowth.
Azaka would've said to Gotur as she also sets a canoe down "You ok? That was harder than I thought it would be! But much better than climbing 300ft towers, let me tell you."
Alton takes out his crossbow and stays back with sharp eyes waiting for action.
Eku says telepathically to Evo as she sees the skeletons start to rise. best us stumbling on these instead of innocent unprepared travelers. let us banish this evil.
P.S. I'll add numbers to the enemies if needed or if it gets confusing, but I'd prefer not to. I can easily keep track of each of their HP on my end if you guys are cool with just explaining which one(s) you're attacking.
Azaka perks up once she realizes what is going on, and immediately bolts to the south group of skeletons. She was in hybrid form (the way she prefers) when combat started, so she stays that way as she dashes towards the skeletons, teeth bared and growling. She reaches the group, but doesn't have any more action left.
Alton is up! I think Evo and Phillip and everyone else for that matter could queue their desired turns if they want.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Goturwill amble forward to wherever he can get aim on a skeleton with the most hostiles surrounding it before raising his staff and muttering. The end of his staff is covered with a sheen of white as the surrounding air grows drier and warmer as ice forms a jagged shard around the end of his staff. He thrusts it forward, the shard arcing towards his target before detonating in a spray of icy splinters.
Icicle Attack: 7 Damage: 6 piercing to target
DC 14 DEX Save or: 6 cold damage to target and each within 5 ft, no damage on a save
((By my reckoning, we're looking at 14 days to portage across and up to Mbala, perhaps as much as 18 if moving through the jungle with canoes is difficult. Paddling back to port and around would put us at about 28 days.))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((Portage it is!))
((yep it's definitely faster if you cut across - although Evo might not be pleased with having to do a lot of the work!))
* 8:30AM, DAY 6.
1. Direction: NW
2. Travel speed: Normal (correct?)
3. Navigator: Ok, now that the party is travelling through the jungle vs. on a river, the navigator role will come into play. Whoever will be the navigator for the day's travel will roll a survival check. There are different DC's for different terrains, and if you travel at a fast speed there will be a penalty to the roll. If the party travels slowly, there will be a bonus to the roll. If the check fails, the party becomes lost which means your desired direction of travel for that day is randomized with the surrounding 6 hexes, and then I remove the red flag from the map and then process the movement, so you don't know where you end up on the map! It gets dicey when that happens when it's time to decide which direction to travel the next day when you don't know exactly where you are. Upon the next day survival roll success, the flag is then revealed. If it fails again, the flag remains hidden.
So - who wants to navigate?
Eku can almost guarantee not getting the party lost due to her flying ability, although it's still possible. For instance. the party might have issues actually following her when she is really high in the air, or she just might not be able to get a good view depending on the landscapes, etc.
Azaka, although well suited in the jungle setting, isn't the best with direction and travelling so much.
((if you guys aren't keen on the navigator/check rules each day, then we can totally scrap them! Let me know.))
((reminder for DM to eventually post lore/info about Mbala that Eku would've explained during the next travelling block, as well as info about Camp Righteous and Camp Vengeance which are on the way to Mbala on the river Soshenstar))
4. Encounter rolls 20 / 19 / 5
Ok, there will be some action today. Let me know who navigates, and make the roll, and then I'll get it started.
Philip can navigate...
He has this Ranger trait, from ‘Natural Explorer’ when in jungle: “Your group can’t become lost except by magical means”. Does this mean he auto-passes the navigator roll? Let me know.
Details...
Natural Explorer
You are particularly familiar with one type of natural environment and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. Choose one type of favored terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or the Underdark. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in.
While traveling for an hour or more in your favored terrain, you gain the following benefits:
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
YES! My apologies if I had forgotten about that, Grwobert. That is an awesome feature. As long as the party is in the jungle, there will be no need for survival checks for Phillip the navigator. There are some terrains that aren't jungle though in Chult, so those cases will have to be rolled.
Ok then, over to me for the encounter post (the first one, that is. :) )
Stay tuned.
(swamps, wastelands, mountains, etc. will need a roll)
This is Azaka's mask, I forgot to post it for flavor as I think it's pretty cool!
She isn't wearing it; she has it packed away. Azaka's family heirloom
It is a hot, sunny morning. As usual. The party grabs the canoes and starts heading NW, passing over the river Tiryki and beginning the shortcut through the jungle to get to the river Soshenstar.
You can see from the map that this section of the jungle is a 'lesser undead' section. You can get a sense of that as you travel. The plant life doesn't look as vibrant as it did near the river. Things seem darker. And it smells different.
After a few hours of portaging, maybe just before lunch, Phillip who is the navigator, notices 9 skeletons strewed about on the ground ahead. There are swords and bows around them and they look like they have old armor on.
(if Phillip is the navigator, there will be no survival roll required in the jungle, but he will be always situated at the front of battlemaps if/when combat encounters arise. That will be the kicker with that feature!!)
I will not post a map to the google sheet just yet as it may not be required.
In the meantime, can you give me the marching order in the jungle? Phillip is first. Also, who is carrying the canoes?
If you want to go by the skeletons without getting near them and/or potentially arousing them, I will need stealth checks from everyone. Disadvantage for folks who are helping carrying the canoes.
If you don't care about sneaking by them and want to either inspect them and/or just continue to walk normally, that's cool too, just let me know.
* I will also give you the option of changing direction of travel after seeing the skeletons which will require no stealth check but will obviously send you in a different direction for this day's travel.
Eku requires no roll, of course.
((Does it take two people to carry the canoes? If one person can manage it, I'd say Gotur and Azaka for height reasons, Evo and Alton can help with paddles/gear and leading the canoes? If each takes two people, it gets a bit trickier, could have Gotur and Azaka on one, as they are similar height, and have Evo pair up with Eku-dwarf to carry the other?))
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
((Evo would be interested in inspecting the skeletons if no one tells him that is a bad idea.
He'd carry as needed, wherever that puts him in the marching order.))
((OOC: I think Phillip would be pretty naive about undead. But, however you look at it, bones in the jungle is worthy of being cautious, to him))
Seeing the skeletons up ahead, Phillip stops... and gestures to the others to hold up for just a second...
The party have a chance put the boats down, and take the weight off if they want to. And anyone who wants to catch up to the front, can.
While this is happening, Phillip will riffle through his jungle-knowledge, about what could cause skeletons to be laid out the way they are here.
Does it look like they have naturally fallen prey of some predators or killer insects, and been there long enough to be eaten down to bones? Or does it all seem potentially un-natural? Does he see any potential causes of a scene like this, or threats? Like insect nests, mushroom clouds, blood, etc?
Perception/survival check (both +8): 17
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Good question about the canoes. I personally don't have life experience with this, but from my understanding, one person can do it but it's always better with two. We can assume that the party cycles through Gotur and Azaka taking them by themselves, and when they get tired, Alton and Evo help out to ensure no one is carrying a canoe by themselves for an entire day. Phillip would be navigating, and Eku would be flying getting a better view on things.
Ok, Phillip stops the group while Evo seems enthusiastic about inspecting the skeletons, and from a distance you're able to get this information:
The skeletons are mostly full skeletons, and they have broken armor with swords and bows scattered around them. Some of them are kind of half-buried in surface dirt, and some have leaves strewn over them, but you can all tell that there are 15 distinct skeletons on the ground.
Phillip, this seems to be unnatural in that they don't look like they were just some former people/adventurers/travelers/thrill seekers who just have died and decomposed. They actually look like they belong together or as part of a group since they all seem to have the same type of armor on. The weapons look the same, too. You recall Syn or perhaps it was the merchant prince Wakanga back in Port Nyanzaru who said that the jungle is overrun by skeletons, zombies, ghouls, and other types of undead. An army of undead, she said. The party doesn't know the core reason for this, nor did Syn or the princes. Something likely to do with the Soulmonger, they would've said.
Phillip, perhaps these skeletons could be part of that army?
I have added a map to our google sheet so you can get a better idea of the setup and where the skeletons are. Just scroll down a bit...
The party drops the canoes, and then Evo would be heading towards the skeletons. Let me know if the setup makes sense given Evo going to check the skeletons, Phillip cautiously staying back, with Gotur, Alton and Azaka putting down the canoes. Eku is flying 15ft overhead.
Also, please roll for initiative. If Evo would've not went close to the skeletons after Phillip explained his recollections, we will ignore initiative request, but then let me know what the party would want to do. (either go a different direction, or try and sneak by them)
3
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BN23DQDrAKvzNLFcDh7dpnv_CiDfSJ_TloAK9-2VpfY/edit#gid=1632671945
(That is perfect initiative roll should we need it since those skeletons are somewhat buried in dirt and leaves, and laying down!)
"Best we try and figure out why the dead are being restless. These ones look pretty sedate, seems like a good opportunity to check!"
Evo walks to where he is pictured in the map and looks at the skeletons for markings he might recognize.
Initiative: 16
Philip’s initiative (if/when needed): 24
Stealth for now: 12
Phillip sees Evo move a little forward. He draws his bow and moves up to around 5ft behind him, keeping low to the ground and sneaking slowly through the undergrowth.
GILLAIN OF ATHKATLA - Human Paladin - Into the Mists PHILLIP THE GRUNG - Grung Eldritch Knight - Tomb of Annihilation
ROBWIN WINDROBE - High Elf Wizard - Dragon of Icespire Peak EVE DARKSHORE - Tiefling Warlock - Rime of the Frost Maiden
ASH OF THE FIRE - Tabaxi Rogue - Ghosts of Marshswamp LIA STARBORN - Aasimar Bard - Out of the Abyss
Initiative: 10
Gotur sets the canoe down with a groan, knuckling the small of his back before pulling out a handkerchief to mop the sweat running down his face. He rolls it up and ties it across his brow.
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock
Alton pulls out his crossbow as he warily stays back, watching for any sign of hostility or movement from the skeletons.
Initiative: 18
Alton Thorngage- (Klein’s One Shot String Adventure)
Holden Stonefist-(A Tale of Mercenaries)
Fenrick Wolfsbane- (Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden)
DMing-Ctleath13’s Lost Mines of Phandelver and Ctleath13’s Out of the Abyss
The skeletons seem to animate and become agitated as Evo and Phillip get closer.
Please forgive some Klein retcon here. I think Eku and Azaka and likely Syn and the merchant prince would've told you this previously about the undead in the jungle, and also now that Evo is looking more closely at the skeletons and any specific markings, Eku would once again bring up the origins of the undead as Evo relayed what he sees to her and she hovers over the skeletons herself.
Lurking somewhere in Chult is Ras Nsi, a mythic, villainous figure among Chultans. Ras Nsi was a human paladin and a sworn protector of the city of Mezro. He betrayed his oaths and was banished. Rather than redeem himself, he raised an undead army to conquer Mezro. The would-be tyrant was defeated and banished once more. Mezro was later destroyed, during which Ras Nsi lost his power to create and command undead. He withdrew into the vast jungle, leaving the vestiges of his undead army to roam unchecked throughout the jungle.
That is all the guides know about Ras Nsi and the origins of the undead in the jungle.
Eku confirms that these stragglers must be some of that vast undead army, and they've probably been here for who knows how long, laying here undisturbed and unagitated. Until now.
Phillip, you will be unseen during round 1 as you're successfully slinking down in the undergrowth.
Azaka would've said to Gotur as she also sets a canoe down "You ok? That was harder than I thought it would be! But much better than climbing 300ft towers, let me tell you."
Alton takes out his crossbow and stays back with sharp eyes waiting for action.
Eku says telepathically to Evo as she sees the skeletons start to rise. best us stumbling on these instead of innocent unprepared travelers. let us banish this evil.
Azaka initiative: 21
Eku initiative: 14
Round 1: Azaka, Alton, Evo, Phillip, Gotur, Eku, Skeletons
Azaka is up! (will make a new post)
P.S. I'll add numbers to the enemies if needed or if it gets confusing, but I'd prefer not to. I can easily keep track of each of their HP on my end if you guys are cool with just explaining which one(s) you're attacking.
Azaka perks up once she realizes what is going on, and immediately bolts to the south group of skeletons. She was in hybrid form (the way she prefers) when combat started, so she stays that way as she dashes towards the skeletons, teeth bared and growling. She reaches the group, but doesn't have any more action left.
Alton is up! I think Evo and Phillip and everyone else for that matter could queue their desired turns if they want.
Map is updated.
Azaka, Alton, Evo, Phillip, Gotur, Eku, Skeletons
Gotur will amble forward to wherever he can get aim on a skeleton with the most hostiles surrounding it before raising his staff and muttering. The end of his staff is covered with a sheen of white as the surrounding air grows drier and warmer as ice forms a jagged shard around the end of his staff. He thrusts it forward, the shard arcing towards his target before detonating in a spray of icy splinters.
Icicle Attack: 7 Damage: 6 piercing to target
DC 14 DEX Save or: 6 cold damage to target and each within 5 ft, no damage on a save
DM: Forged in Chaos, Spiders of the Abyss, The Sundered Way, Champions of the Citadel
Active Characters:
Breldo, Halfling Ranger | Kathryn, Wood Elf Rogue/Ranger | Kroshav, Dragonborn Paladin | T'laren Farsiel, Wood Elf Fighter | Trill, Kenku Bard | Val "Janellae", Mark of Shadow Elf Warlock