So, halfway through session two, the noble heroes have looted their first dungeon, reached level 3, and headed to a small city with pouches full of gold, ready to re-supply, re-fit with equipment closer to the ideal, drink, and carouse. Upon entering the city, the PCs are informed by the guardsman that weapons may be worn, but if any are wielded it is a breach of the peace and grounds for immediate arrest.
(DM kicks everyone but me from the discussion, and tells them to prepare their shopping lists and entertain themselves as they wish). DM: Presumably you are going to the armorer to get fitted for Studded Leather? Yep. (Armorer is visited without incident) DM: You exit the armorer into the busy street. Make a Perception check. (21) A dark-cloaked man carrying a heavy crossbow steps towards an open window on the 2nd floor of the building opposite you. He carefully levels it towards a richly-dressed man walking in this direction with a small entourage. He can clearly act before you could nock an arrow or give an effective warning shout. What do you do? I throw the dagger in my left wrist sheath at the crossbowman. (Initiative won, attack roll successful). I use Disarming Attack (6 rolled) and without further ado, draw my shortswords, scream "ASSASSIN! MURDERER! CALL OUT THE WATCH!", and charge into the building and up the stairs. DM: You hear a loud yelp of pain, and a large object striking the floor inside the building along with a small metal object clattering on the floor. As you enter the building you see the richly-dressed man in your peripheral vision getting bundled to safety and soldiers running in this direction. Multiple people in the street scream: 'THE SHE-ELF TRIED TO KILL HIM!' I begin to invent multiple original swear words in Elvish. DM: You hear glass breaking when you reach the top of the stairs, see a trail of blood drops, and catch a glimpse of the assassin (absent his crossbow) leaping out of the window into an alley behind it. Do you pursue? "Yes."
(A fruitless chase of the assassin commences, while I am in turn pursued by the local constabulary, until I take a wrong turn and blunder into a full 12 member patrol of the city watch.) DM: 5 swordsmen in chainmail fan out and surround you. 6 wearing studded leather and wielding crossbows level their weapons at you. The Patrol Leader, dressed in half plate, walks towards you without drawing his weapons and says: "Thats enough. Disarm." "THE ASSASSIN IS GETTING AWAY AS WE SPEAK!" DM: (Patrol Leader): "That may be so, but some have identified YOU as the assassin. Disarm." "Sigh". I slowly place the two shortswords on the the ground, followed by by longbow and quiver. DM: The Patrol Leader takes a step towards you. "HOLD! I am not fully disarmed." DM: The Patrol Leader halts. I melodramatically remove the dagger from my left boot and place it on the ground, followed by the dagger from my right boot, and the dagger from my right wrist sheath. I raise my left arm into the air, lower the sleeve, and display the empty left wrist sheath. "The last time I saw my fourth dagger, it was flying through the second floor window of the building opposite the armorer. At minimum, you will find the assassin's weapon there, and the beginning of the blood trail that I was following. I will come quietly." DM: The Patrol Leader motions to one of the swordsmen, and whispers a command in his ear. The swordsman takes off running. (Patrol Leader): "I must bind you hands." The Patrol Leader binds you hands behind your back with a leather cord. You perceive that the bonds were left deliberately loose.
DM: You are escorted through the streets with the patrol leader in the lead followed by the remaining four swordsmen, the crossbowmen at your back, and a crowd in an ugly mood pelting you with rotten vegetables and cursing all Elves. You enter the city jail, where you are led past the common cells filled with drunks, prostitutes, and petty thieves, and taken to a single cell with a solid iron-bound door with a keyhole and a small barred window. The door is closed with a loud slam and you are left alone. What do you do? I slip my bonds. Dexterity check? DM: All you need to do is roll more than a one. (Laughter ensues.) Now what? I carefully examine the cell door, cell walls, cell floor, and cell window, to see if there is any chance of escape. DM: The cell is entirely secure - for anyone with your Strength stat. (More laughter). Anything else? I suppose its time to meditate. DM: An hour passes before you hear footsteps approaching the door and a key turning in the lock. The door opens. A guard peers in, looks with alarm at your unbound hands and draws his sword. "Are you looking for these?" (I throw the bonds at his feet). "If I wanted to harm you, believe me, you would have already been harmed. Now lets end this charade. Take me to whoever is in charge here." DM: The guard sheaths his sword, and leads you out of the cell area to the waiting patrol leader, who eyes you warily. (Patrol Leader) "Would you mind coming with me? There are those who would like to speak with you." "Is this for a voluntary discussion?" DM: The Patrol leader almost manages to smile. "Purely voluntary. But if you choose not to volunteer, your equipment is forfeit. And you can exit the front door into a crowd bent on killing 'the murderess she-elf'. And if you survive, you will be arrested on sight if you ever enter the city again. Put on this greatcloak if you you please. And make sure your ears are covered." You are led from the back door of the jail through several alleys to the back door of what appears to be the city offices. Prying eyes watch you as you climb the stairs to the second floor, where two guards salute the patrol leader, open a double door, and stand aside.
DM: The Patrol Leader leads you into a small office. The richly-dressed man who was the assassin's target is staring out the window, apparently deep in thought. Next to him is a wooden table with a piece of cloth covering the unmistakeable shape of a crossbow. Next to it on another table, your equipment is neatly stacked. A well-dressed man, apparently a city official of some sort, looks up from his desk and addresses the Patrol Leader. "Lieutenant Solberg. Good to see you. And who is our guest?" "Alaysha of the Wood Elves. Daughter of the Lady Alina. Daughter of the Princess Faehana. Daughter of King Adwarin the Great. And who is my host?" DM: Solberg and the man at the desk exchange alarmed glances, and the man at the window turns towards you and examines you with great interest. The man at the desk states: "I am Mayor Bragrem." He points to the man at the window. "And this is the Baron von Sturben. To business. von Sturben, is it not correct that, as Mayor, I carry the powers of a city magistrate, and that, as a Lieutenant of the guard, Solberg may serve as prosecutor?" "Yes Bragrem, that is correct." "Solberg, what charges must you bring against our visitor?" "One count of disturbing the peace, for drawing a dagger in city limits. Two counts of disturbing the peace, for drawing a shortsword in city limits. One count of disturbing the peace, for failing to immediately disarm upon order by a member of the city watch in city limits. One count of aggravated assault, for drawing blood with an edged weapon in city limits." "What evidence do you have?" "First, my own testimony." "That is sufficient for the charges of disturbing the peace. Do you have any physical evidence for the assault?" Solberg walks over the to cloth-draped table and rolls over several inches of the cloth, revealing a bloody dagger. "This dagger was found on the second floor of the building opposite the armorer. By her own admission the accused threw it through the window." (Bragrem): "Do you have any response to these charges?" "No." "Do you wish to enter a plea to the court?" "Guilty, on all charges." "You are found guilty of 4 counts of disturbing the peace and one count of aggravated assault. Solberg, what is the maximum penalty?" "One year of hard labor for each of the counts of disturbing the peace. 5 years of hard labor and forfeiture of all property for the count of aggravated assault." "Thank you, Solberg. Alaysha, do you wish to beg the mercy of the court?" "No. And can we bring this ridiculous farce in the name of upholding the Law to a close? It has been most tiresome." DM: All the men stifle laughter. (Bragrem, grinning): "Alaysha of the Wood Elves, you are sentenced to time served in the city jail. Your dagger is forfeit as evidence of a felonious assault. You may retrieve the rest of your equipment. With our deepest apologies." He stands up and bows to you, as does Solberg. (Baron von Sturben): "Is it correct that I carry the power of the King's Pardon in this city?" (Bragrem, still grinning): "That is correct." (Baron von Sturben): "By the power vested in me as the King's agent, I hereby pardon you for your crimes." He bows to you. "And if I might say so, you threw the best of four very crappy daggers." "I picked them up, here and there, and it looks like I now need a trip to the weapons shop. . ." (Baron von Sturben): "That will not be necessary." He lays out an oiled cloth on the table, and reveals four flawless, perfectly balanced, throwing daggers. "Please take these as a gift. You may have saved me from a nasty wound. And you were wise enough to ensure that your arrest did not turn into a diplomatic incident. Now, I have a proposition for you." "Any proposition to ME, can wait until you choose to make the same proposition to my comrades. We had not planned to meet again for several days." (Baron von Sturben): "As I thought. Can you provide their descriptions so we can call them here?" "Of course, but there is no chance of you locating all of them today. And the chances of them coming here quietly are slim to none. Unless. . .do you have some white ribbon?" Bragrem rummages around at his desk, and hands you some. I tie a piece of white ribbon to four of my arrows. To Solberg: "Find them, and present each of them with one of these arrows. It is a code. They will be unhappy. They will make the ears of your guardsmen ring through both mundane and magical means. But they will come." (Bragrem): "Excellent. You are my guest. I will have a room prepared for you, and you may dine with me if you wish. Solberg will avail you of training facilities if you wish." (Baron von Sturben): "Until tomorrow then."
The DM ends my sidebar, and starts them with my fellow PCs. The guardsmen locate them, and in the process of presenting the arrows interrupt them respectively studying in a library, praying in a temple, drinking their 12th pint of ale, and en flagrante delicto with one of the local prostitutes. The following morning the PCs are ushered into the Mayor's office, where Bragrem, Solberg, Baron von Sturben, and a leather-clad human are present. My fellow PCs (Faeceli the Gnome Wizard; Vincenz the Human Paladin; Krummgrumm the Mountain Dwarf Barbarian; Marfaelor the Half-Elf Rogue) make their annoyed introductions. Bragrem introduces Solberg and Baron von Sturben, and then says, pointing to the mystery human.
"And this is Tavarious, a local, ah, purveyor of information." (I make a Perception check that reveals that he and Marfaelor are communicating in Cant). Bragrem continues: "As you may or may not be aware, Ayasha came close to causing a riot yesterday. Tell us all what happened, in your own words." I watch my comrades carefully throughout the story, and while there were several involuntary movements of hands to weapons, and hard glances towards Solberg, they were all laughing and giving me verbal abuse by the end of the story. Faeceli: "May I examine the daggers?" I hand them over. Faeceli casts a spell. "These are not merely finely made. They will strike true against even magical creatures." (To Baron von Sturben) "Did you know?" Baron von Sturben: "I suspected. They are a family heirloom. That were useless as a museum item. That brings us to why we are here. I have a proposal for you, but first, lets have a look at a few other things. Solberg?" Solberg walks over to the cloth-draped table as he had during the trial the day before and reveals the bloody dagger. "There is nothing remarkable about this dagger except the skill with which it was thrown." He rolls over all but a small bit of the cloth, and reveals the assassin's crossbow. "What do you make of this?" (A flurry of ability checks ensues). Marfaelor: "The crossbow is well made but mundane. The bolt, however, is clearly poisoned." Tavarious: "Absent immediate attention from a priest, any wound have surely been fatal." Solberg: "As we suspected. Now what do you make of this?" He completely removed the cloth from the table. A bloody ring finger lay there, with a black-gem ring on the finger. (All the PCs including me gasped in shock). Looking straight at me he says: "No wonder now that the assassin dropped the crossbow." "Faeceli, the ring!" Faeceli: "I don't get it. . .it has absolutely no magical properties." (Another flurry of ability checks). Marfaelor: "It is a suicide ring." Everyone else: "WHAT?" Marfaelor: "A suicide ring, or an assassination ring if used for that purpose. The gem is not a gem. It is a small glass crystal. When surreptitiously crumbled into a glass of wine, it poisons the drinker. Or, in the event of capture, biting down on the gem will kill in a matter of moments." Bragrem: "Tavarious - has it come to pass that murder is once again good for business?" Tavarious: "Never. A high profile murder would cause great discomfort to my. . .errr. . .associates." He turns to Baron von Sturben. "It is clear that not only did someone want you dead, but that the assassin was more than willing to die in the attempt. But why?" Baron von Sturben: "It is clear that this is more serious that we had anticipated. Who wants me dead? A landless cousin? A political rival? Or is this but a piece of some larger plot?" He turns to the PCs. "This is where you come in. You reputation proceeds you. I wish you to be my investigators. You have my patronage if you wish it." Bragrem: "Tavarious - you will provide the knowledge of your network?" (It was not a question. He reluctantly nods). "It appears that the first step of our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to locate a nine-fingered assassin getting simultaneously hunted by the Thieves Guild for drawing unwanted attention, the City Guard for the assassination attempt, and the Assassin's guild itself for both failing in the mission and failing to commit suicide. We need to discuss this amongst ourselves before we make our decision."
The scene: the search for the nine-fingered assassin has been the MacGuffin for the last few sessions. . .and Alaysha needing to shoot something out of someone’s hand has become a campaign meme. We leveled up to six towards the end of the latest session, which found us having caught up to the assassin, who had been foolish enough to get captured by some sort of homebrew Ogre Magi-like creature who is about to sacrifice him in some dark ritual on an outdoors altar. A pack of 20 Orcs was providing cover for the ritual.
Marfaelor (Half-Elf Rogue) successfully scouted the situation. . .
Marfaelor: Its no good. There is no cover close to the altar, and there is the whole pack of Orcs to wade through. We are more than a match for the Orcs, but the assassin will be long dead before we even get to grips with that. . .Thing.
Vincenz (Human Paladin): So. . .Marfaelor and Faeceli (Gnome Wizard) hammer the. . .Thing with ranged weapons and spells, Krummgrumm (Mountain Dwarf Barbarian) and I charge forward and keep the orcs occupied, and Alaysha shoots the weapon out of the. . .Thing’s hands.
Alaysha: Too risky. Even if the trick shot succeeds I have to repeat the trick until we actually close the distance.
Faeceli: And there is every chance that even if we focus the. . .Thing. . .it will survive long enough to fry us.
Alaysha: Is there good cover on either flank? Marfaelor: Yes – on the left flank there is a gully from the treeline that should conceal you until you reach a large bush about 120 feet out from the orcs.
Alaysha: Beyond Javelin range? Marfaelor: For most of them. What are you thinking? Alaysha: Those Orcs have to be mercenaries – they have little love for their employer, and they will absolutely DESPISE me. Hows this: I will circle around to the cover. The signal will be the Orcs on the RIGHT flank sprouting arrows in their faces and me shouting to get as much attention as possible. Faeceli - hammer the. . .Thing. . .with your best offensive spells. Marfaelor – charge the right flank and either get to grips with the. . .Thing. . .as soon as you can. . .and get between it and the altar if possible. Krummgrumm – cover Marfaelor’s left flank, charge, and bash.
Krummgrumm: KRUMMGRUMM BASH!
Faeceli: Yes Krummgrumm. . .Bash. . .
Alaysha: Vincenz – cover their backs but try to close with the. . .Thing. . .as soon as you can.
Vincenz: But if your plan works, the entire pack of Orcs will be at your heels.
Alaysha: Precisely. . .well, minus the ones I kill at the get go.
Vincenz: Ummmm. . .is that wise?.
Krummgrumm: ORCS MIGHT SPIT ALAYSHA! ME NO LIKE ELVES, BUT LIKE ALAYSHA! KRUMMGRUMM WORRIED!
Alaysha: It is certainly not wise, but it is a workable plan, No? (Grumbles of assent). And in any case, Elves are adept at leading Orcs on a merry chase, and killing the ones who are most stupid. Elves would have long ago exterminated the Orcs if they did not breed like rabbits – or if we did not have more important things to deal with. Is it settled?
Vincenz: Yes. But don’t get cocky. I suppose I do not have to remind you to be careful?
Alaysha: It does not hurt. . .
“I circle around as planned.”
DM: Make a Stealth Check. (14) You reach the bush without incident, but dislodge a loose rock and spoil the opportunity for surprise. Initiative rolls everyone. (I roll an 18).
“I am using the Ambush maneuver to add to my Initiative roll. (4 rolled)”
DM: Alaysha acts first.
“I will action surge and fire arrows at the four orcs farthest out on the right flank – and elect to take the Sharpshooter attack penalty in favor of +10 damage.”
I shout in perfect Orcish: “Thats courtesy of the House of Adwarin! Over here you sons of Goblin whores!” I begin to run towards the treeline.
DM: Perhaps you overdid that. . .make a Charisma (Persuasion) check.
“Oh damn.” (Natural 20 rolled). “OH ****!”
(More general laughter).
DM: The remaining 16 Orcs collectively lose their ****, launch their Javelins at you, and charge after you, ignoring their employer and the rest of your party. Resolution of the Javelin Hail, actions of the rest of the party, and the “Thing” will wait until the beginning of the next session. . .
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Character build here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/class-forums/fighter/140270-elvish-archer-build-tips?page=2#c23 (With handaxes discarded and 4 daggers found along the way).
So, halfway through session two, the noble heroes have looted their first dungeon, reached level 3, and headed to a small city with pouches full of gold, ready to re-supply, re-fit with equipment closer to the ideal, drink, and carouse. Upon entering the city, the PCs are informed by the guardsman that weapons may be worn, but if any are wielded it is a breach of the peace and grounds for immediate arrest.
(DM kicks everyone but me from the discussion, and tells them to prepare their shopping lists and entertain themselves as they wish).
DM: Presumably you are going to the armorer to get fitted for Studded Leather?
Yep. (Armorer is visited without incident)
DM: You exit the armorer into the busy street. Make a Perception check. (21) A dark-cloaked man carrying a heavy crossbow steps towards an open window on the 2nd floor of the building opposite you. He carefully levels it towards a richly-dressed man walking in this direction with a small entourage. He can clearly act before you could nock an arrow or give an effective warning shout. What do you do?
I throw the dagger in my left wrist sheath at the crossbowman. (Initiative won, attack roll successful).
I use Disarming Attack (6 rolled) and without further ado, draw my shortswords, scream "ASSASSIN! MURDERER! CALL OUT THE WATCH!", and charge into the building and up the stairs.
DM: You hear a loud yelp of pain, and a large object striking the floor inside the building along with a small metal object clattering on the floor. As you enter the building you see the richly-dressed man in your peripheral vision getting bundled to safety and soldiers running in this direction. Multiple people in the street scream: 'THE SHE-ELF TRIED TO KILL HIM!'
I begin to invent multiple original swear words in Elvish.
DM: You hear glass breaking when you reach the top of the stairs, see a trail of blood drops, and catch a glimpse of the assassin (absent his crossbow) leaping out of the window into an alley behind it. Do you pursue?
"Yes."
(A fruitless chase of the assassin commences, while I am in turn pursued by the local constabulary, until I take a wrong turn and blunder into a full 12 member patrol of the city watch.)
DM: 5 swordsmen in chainmail fan out and surround you. 6 wearing studded leather and wielding crossbows level their weapons at you. The Patrol Leader, dressed in half plate, walks towards you without drawing his weapons and says: "Thats enough. Disarm."
"THE ASSASSIN IS GETTING AWAY AS WE SPEAK!"
DM: (Patrol Leader): "That may be so, but some have identified YOU as the assassin. Disarm."
"Sigh". I slowly place the two shortswords on the the ground, followed by by longbow and quiver.
DM: The Patrol Leader takes a step towards you.
"HOLD! I am not fully disarmed."
DM: The Patrol Leader halts.
I melodramatically remove the dagger from my left boot and place it on the ground, followed by the dagger from my right boot, and the dagger from my right wrist sheath. I raise my left arm into the air, lower the sleeve, and display the empty left wrist sheath.
"The last time I saw my fourth dagger, it was flying through the second floor window of the building opposite the armorer. At minimum, you will find the assassin's weapon there, and the beginning of the blood trail that I was following. I will come quietly."
DM: The Patrol Leader motions to one of the swordsmen, and whispers a command in his ear. The swordsman takes off running. (Patrol Leader): "I must bind you hands." The Patrol Leader binds you hands behind your back with a leather cord. You perceive that the bonds were left deliberately loose.
DM: You are escorted through the streets with the patrol leader in the lead followed by the remaining four swordsmen, the crossbowmen at your back, and a crowd in an ugly mood pelting you with rotten vegetables and cursing all Elves. You enter the city jail, where you are led past the common cells filled with drunks, prostitutes, and petty thieves, and taken to a single cell with a solid iron-bound door with a keyhole and a small barred window. The door is closed with a loud slam and you are left alone. What do you do?
I slip my bonds. Dexterity check?
DM: All you need to do is roll more than a one. (Laughter ensues.) Now what?
I carefully examine the cell door, cell walls, cell floor, and cell window, to see if there is any chance of escape.
DM: The cell is entirely secure - for anyone with your Strength stat. (More laughter). Anything else?
I suppose its time to meditate.
DM: An hour passes before you hear footsteps approaching the door and a key turning in the lock. The door opens. A guard peers in, looks with alarm at your unbound hands and draws his sword.
"Are you looking for these?" (I throw the bonds at his feet). "If I wanted to harm you, believe me, you would have already been harmed. Now lets end this charade. Take me to whoever is in charge here."
DM: The guard sheaths his sword, and leads you out of the cell area to the waiting patrol leader, who eyes you warily. (Patrol Leader) "Would you mind coming with me? There are those who would like to speak with you."
"Is this for a voluntary discussion?"
DM: The Patrol leader almost manages to smile. "Purely voluntary. But if you choose not to volunteer, your equipment is forfeit. And you can exit the front door into a crowd bent on killing 'the murderess she-elf'. And if you survive, you will be arrested on sight if you ever enter the city again. Put on this greatcloak if you you please. And make sure your ears are covered." You are led from the back door of the jail through several alleys to the back door of what appears to be the city offices. Prying eyes watch you as you climb the stairs to the second floor, where two guards salute the patrol leader, open a double door, and stand aside.
DM: The Patrol Leader leads you into a small office. The richly-dressed man who was the assassin's target is staring out the window, apparently deep in thought. Next to him is a wooden table with a piece of cloth covering the unmistakeable shape of a crossbow. Next to it on another table, your equipment is neatly stacked. A well-dressed man, apparently a city official of some sort, looks up from his desk and addresses the Patrol Leader. "Lieutenant Solberg. Good to see you. And who is our guest?"
"Alaysha of the Wood Elves. Daughter of the Lady Alina. Daughter of the Princess Faehana. Daughter of King Adwarin the Great. And who is my host?"
DM: Solberg and the man at the desk exchange alarmed glances, and the man at the window turns towards you and examines you with great interest. The man at the desk states: "I am Mayor Bragrem." He points to the man at the window. "And this is the Baron von Sturben. To business. von Sturben, is it not correct that, as Mayor, I carry the powers of a city magistrate, and that, as a Lieutenant of the guard, Solberg may serve as prosecutor?"
"Yes Bragrem, that is correct."
"Solberg, what charges must you bring against our visitor?"
"One count of disturbing the peace, for drawing a dagger in city limits. Two counts of disturbing the peace, for drawing a shortsword in city limits. One count of disturbing the peace, for failing to immediately disarm upon order by a member of the city watch in city limits. One count of aggravated assault, for drawing blood with an edged weapon in city limits."
"What evidence do you have?"
"First, my own testimony."
"That is sufficient for the charges of disturbing the peace. Do you have any physical evidence for the assault?" Solberg walks over the to cloth-draped table and rolls over several inches of the cloth, revealing a bloody dagger. "This dagger was found on the second floor of the building opposite the armorer. By her own admission the accused threw it through the window."
(Bragrem): "Do you have any response to these charges?"
"No."
"Do you wish to enter a plea to the court?"
"Guilty, on all charges."
"You are found guilty of 4 counts of disturbing the peace and one count of aggravated assault. Solberg, what is the maximum penalty?"
"One year of hard labor for each of the counts of disturbing the peace. 5 years of hard labor and forfeiture of all property for the count of aggravated assault."
"Thank you, Solberg. Alaysha, do you wish to beg the mercy of the court?"
"No. And can we bring this ridiculous farce in the name of upholding the Law to a close? It has been most tiresome."
DM: All the men stifle laughter.
(Bragrem, grinning): "Alaysha of the Wood Elves, you are sentenced to time served in the city jail. Your dagger is forfeit as evidence of a felonious assault. You may retrieve the rest of your equipment. With our deepest apologies." He stands up and bows to you, as does Solberg.
(Baron von Sturben): "Is it correct that I carry the power of the King's Pardon in this city?"
(Bragrem, still grinning): "That is correct."
(Baron von Sturben): "By the power vested in me as the King's agent, I hereby pardon you for your crimes." He bows to you. "And if I might say so, you threw the best of four very crappy daggers."
"I picked them up, here and there, and it looks like I now need a trip to the weapons shop. . ."
(Baron von Sturben): "That will not be necessary." He lays out an oiled cloth on the table, and reveals four flawless, perfectly balanced, throwing daggers. "Please take these as a gift. You may have saved me from a nasty wound. And you were wise enough to ensure that your arrest did not turn into a diplomatic incident. Now, I have a proposition for you."
"Any proposition to ME, can wait until you choose to make the same proposition to my comrades. We had not planned to meet again for several days."
(Baron von Sturben): "As I thought. Can you provide their descriptions so we can call them here?"
"Of course, but there is no chance of you locating all of them today. And the chances of them coming here quietly are slim to none. Unless. . .do you have some white ribbon?" Bragrem rummages around at his desk, and hands you some.
I tie a piece of white ribbon to four of my arrows.
To Solberg: "Find them, and present each of them with one of these arrows. It is a code. They will be unhappy. They will make the ears of your guardsmen ring through both mundane and magical means. But they will come."
(Bragrem): "Excellent. You are my guest. I will have a room prepared for you, and you may dine with me if you wish. Solberg will avail you of training facilities if you wish."
(Baron von Sturben): "Until tomorrow then."
The DM ends my sidebar, and starts them with my fellow PCs. The guardsmen locate them, and in the process of presenting the arrows interrupt them respectively studying in a library, praying in a temple, drinking their 12th pint of ale, and en flagrante delicto with one of the local prostitutes. The following morning the PCs are ushered into the Mayor's office, where Bragrem, Solberg, Baron von Sturben, and a leather-clad human are present. My fellow PCs (Faeceli the Gnome Wizard; Vincenz the Human Paladin; Krummgrumm the Mountain Dwarf Barbarian; Marfaelor the Half-Elf Rogue) make their annoyed introductions. Bragrem introduces Solberg and Baron von Sturben, and then says, pointing to the mystery human.
"And this is Tavarious, a local, ah, purveyor of information." (I make a Perception check that reveals that he and Marfaelor are communicating in Cant).
Bragrem continues: "As you may or may not be aware, Ayasha came close to causing a riot yesterday. Tell us all what happened, in your own words."
I watch my comrades carefully throughout the story, and while there were several involuntary movements of hands to weapons, and hard glances towards Solberg, they were all laughing and giving me verbal abuse by the end of the story.
Faeceli: "May I examine the daggers?" I hand them over. Faeceli casts a spell. "These are not merely finely made. They will strike true against even magical creatures." (To Baron von Sturben) "Did you know?"
Baron von Sturben: "I suspected. They are a family heirloom. That were useless as a museum item. That brings us to why we are here. I have a proposal for you, but first, lets have a look at a few other things. Solberg?"
Solberg walks over to the cloth-draped table as he had during the trial the day before and reveals the bloody dagger. "There is nothing remarkable about this dagger except the skill with which it was thrown."
He rolls over all but a small bit of the cloth, and reveals the assassin's crossbow. "What do you make of this?" (A flurry of ability checks ensues).
Marfaelor: "The crossbow is well made but mundane. The bolt, however, is clearly poisoned."
Tavarious: "Absent immediate attention from a priest, any wound have surely been fatal."
Solberg: "As we suspected. Now what do you make of this?" He completely removed the cloth from the table. A bloody ring finger lay there, with a black-gem ring on the finger. (All the PCs including me gasped in shock). Looking straight at me he says: "No wonder now that the assassin dropped the crossbow."
"Faeceli, the ring!"
Faeceli: "I don't get it. . .it has absolutely no magical properties." (Another flurry of ability checks).
Marfaelor: "It is a suicide ring."
Everyone else: "WHAT?"
Marfaelor: "A suicide ring, or an assassination ring if used for that purpose. The gem is not a gem. It is a small glass crystal. When surreptitiously crumbled into a glass of wine, it poisons the drinker. Or, in the event of capture, biting down on the gem will kill in a matter of moments."
Bragrem: "Tavarious - has it come to pass that murder is once again good for business?"
Tavarious: "Never. A high profile murder would cause great discomfort to my. . .errr. . .associates." He turns to Baron von Sturben. "It is clear that not only did someone want you dead, but that the assassin was more than willing to die in the attempt. But why?"
Baron von Sturben: "It is clear that this is more serious that we had anticipated. Who wants me dead? A landless cousin? A political rival? Or is this but a piece of some larger plot?" He turns to the PCs. "This is where you come in. You reputation proceeds you. I wish you to be my investigators. You have my patronage if you wish it."
Bragrem: "Tavarious - you will provide the knowledge of your network?" (It was not a question. He reluctantly nods).
"It appears that the first step of our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to locate a nine-fingered assassin getting simultaneously hunted by the Thieves Guild for drawing unwanted attention, the City Guard for the assassination attempt, and the Assassin's guild itself for both failing in the mission and failing to commit suicide. We need to discuss this amongst ourselves before we make our decision."
(End of session)
The scene: the search for the nine-fingered assassin has been the MacGuffin for the last few sessions. . .and Alaysha needing to shoot something out of someone’s hand has become a campaign meme. We leveled up to six towards the end of the latest session, which found us having caught up to the assassin, who had been foolish enough to get captured by some sort of homebrew Ogre Magi-like creature who is about to sacrifice him in some dark ritual on an outdoors altar. A pack of 20 Orcs was providing cover for the ritual.
Marfaelor (Half-Elf Rogue) successfully scouted the situation. . .
Marfaelor: Its no good. There is no cover close to the altar, and there is the whole pack of Orcs to wade through. We are more than a match for the Orcs, but the assassin will be long dead before we even get to grips with that. . .Thing.
Vincenz (Human Paladin): So. . .Marfaelor and Faeceli (Gnome Wizard) hammer the. . .Thing with ranged weapons and spells, Krummgrumm (Mountain Dwarf Barbarian) and I charge forward and keep the orcs occupied, and Alaysha shoots the weapon out of the. . .Thing’s hands.
Alaysha: Too risky. Even if the trick shot succeeds I have to repeat the trick until we actually close the distance.
Faeceli: And there is every chance that even if we focus the. . .Thing. . .it will survive long enough to fry us.
Alaysha: Is there good cover on either flank?
Marfaelor: Yes – on the left flank there is a gully from the treeline that should conceal you until you reach a large bush about 120 feet out from the orcs.
Alaysha: Beyond Javelin range?
Marfaelor: For most of them. What are you thinking?
Alaysha: Those Orcs have to be mercenaries – they have little love for their employer, and they will absolutely DESPISE me. Hows this: I will circle around to the cover. The signal will be the Orcs on the RIGHT flank sprouting arrows in their faces and me shouting to get as much attention as possible. Faeceli - hammer the. . .Thing. . .with your best offensive spells. Marfaelor – charge the right flank and either get to grips with the. . .Thing. . .as soon as you can. . .and get between it and the altar if possible. Krummgrumm – cover Marfaelor’s left flank, charge, and bash.
Krummgrumm: KRUMMGRUMM BASH!
Faeceli: Yes Krummgrumm. . .Bash. . .
Alaysha: Vincenz – cover their backs but try to close with the. . .Thing. . .as soon as you can.
Vincenz: But if your plan works, the entire pack of Orcs will be at your heels.
Alaysha: Precisely. . .well, minus the ones I kill at the get go.
Vincenz: Ummmm. . .is that wise?.
Krummgrumm: ORCS MIGHT SPIT ALAYSHA! ME NO LIKE ELVES, BUT LIKE ALAYSHA! KRUMMGRUMM WORRIED!
Alaysha: It is certainly not wise, but it is a workable plan, No? (Grumbles of assent). And in any case, Elves are adept at leading Orcs on a merry chase, and killing the ones who are most stupid. Elves would have long ago exterminated the Orcs if they did not breed like rabbits – or if we did not have more important things to deal with. Is it settled?
Vincenz: Yes. But don’t get cocky. I suppose I do not have to remind you to be careful?
Alaysha: It does not hurt. . .
“I circle around as planned.”
DM: Make a Stealth Check. (14) You reach the bush without incident, but dislodge a loose rock and spoil the opportunity for surprise. Initiative rolls everyone. (I roll an 18).
“I am using the Ambush maneuver to add to my Initiative roll. (4 rolled)”
DM: Alaysha acts first.
“I will action surge and fire arrows at the four orcs farthest out on the right flank – and elect to take the Sharpshooter attack penalty in favor of +10 damage.”
DM: So your hit adjustment is. . .
“Still +4” (General laughter). (14, 15, 13, 21 rolled).
“HEAD SHOT!
HEAD SHOT!
HEAD SHOT!
HEAD SHOT!”
I shout in perfect Orcish: “Thats courtesy of the House of Adwarin! Over here you sons of Goblin whores!” I begin to run towards the treeline.
DM: Perhaps you overdid that. . .make a Charisma (Persuasion) check.
“Oh damn.” (Natural 20 rolled). “OH ****!”
(More general laughter).
DM: The remaining 16 Orcs collectively lose their ****, launch their Javelins at you, and charge after you, ignoring their employer and the rest of your party. Resolution of the Javelin Hail, actions of the rest of the party, and the “Thing” will wait until the beginning of the next session. . .