A solo D&D Campaign- A Phlan for the Dramatic

[SirFozzie]

While waiting for the folks in discord to finish up their characters, I'm running a semi-solo campaign, taking a party of five characters through the Phlan adventurer's league missions: I will be taking suggestions on how the characters should act, improve, etcetera:

Meet the Adventurers:

Ghash: ddb.ac/characters/27422911/3zBrmF

A barbarian from the frozen northern plains of Icewind Dale, Ghash is a bit of a contradiction.. Yes, he is a raging barbarian, but he eschews the simple fur lined trappings of his barbarian tribe. Instead, he ends up spending his money on hardy, but well-tailored outfits. He constantly expresses dismay about the fact they get dirty, and Tribe Forbid, BLOOD on them. But he left his tribe because of their looking askance at his "citified ways". "Your Dad wore a bearskin and a fur-lined loincloth. Why can't you?"

Tom Stoutfoot: ddb.ac/characters/27423516/NUFc7V

A halfling priest of Tymora, Tom is almost as proficient at getting out of trouble as he is at getting IN to trouble. It's rumored that both Tymora and Beshaba (the goddesses of good luck and bad luck) are playing tug of war with Tom's future. Tymora blesses him with Good Luck (for example, the ability to consistently draw to an inside straight and fill), while Beshaba turns it into bad luck (The person he's playing at poker believes he's cheating and starts a brawl). Tom takes it with a grin, mostly..


Yrellia: ddb.ac/characters/27423902/WrY3Y8

Not much is known about this Half-Elf of.. dubious origin. She tends to discourage people prying into her history. (in a couple cases, she made it VERY clear to Tom that she didn't want to talk about where she came from, and once Tom agreed to drop the course of action, stopped dangling him out the third-floor window. Doesn't say much, which means when she actually says something, she usually ends up startling the others.

Redbeard: ddb.ac/characters/27424188/KkzJD0

The group's bruised, I mean bruiser. Well, both actually. He may be the single least agile character I've ever seen. He'll trip over his own two feet, or anyone else's feet.. or over thin air. He left his mountain home after an embarassing incident that involved tripping while at a clan Wedding ceremony that ended up knocking over at least 2/3'ds of his extended family.

Nithyis: ddb.ac/characters/27424670/8iGrgQ

This elf woman thought she'd be a great mage one day. Then she found out how much everything cost. Spell Materials, transcribing spells, and ugh, those arcane reagents! How is she supposed to learn anything if she has to spend all her time sweeping up dusty tomes and casting Identify on everything some stupid adventurers dig up from ancient ruins! She quit her house mage job on the spot and decided to earn some money DIGGING up those damn items. When asked if that made her a "stupid adventurer", she ended up zapping the questioner with a shocking grasp.

[SirFozzie]

The introduction to the campaign. Done in a Star Wars style

[SirFozzie]

Tyranny of Dragons: Phlan

Glossary

CULT OF THE DRAGON: Covert and secretive, the cult was once devoted to the creation and proliferation of dracoliches, but now seeks to free Tiamat from her imprisonment in the Nine Hells. Unfortunately for them, this shift in ideals has created rifts from within.

DRAGON MASKS: Five ancient masks cast in the likeness of each of the five types of chromatic dragons which the Cult of the Dragon believes will grant unto them the power to free Tiamat from her infernal prison.

DRAGONSPINE MOUNTAINS: The peaks of this mountain range to the west is populated by red and white dragons while goblins, orcs and other inhuman creatures dwell in the lowlands and valleys.

KNIGHT COMMANDER ECTOR BRAHMS: Now acting as the Lord Reagent of Phlan, Ector Brahms is an stoic, merciless man who is beginning to show the stresses of the burden of leadership.

KNIGHTS OF THE BLACK FIST: During this period of martial law, the Black Fist act as judge, jury and executioner, but is not above a little bribery, provided Lord Reagent Ector Brahms does not find out.

LABOR GUILDS: The constant construction in Phlan has made the four most powerful guilds of Phlan (the Stonewrights, the Carpenters, the
Ironhanded, and the Merchants) a political force of their own and they desire control over the city’s sizeable coffers.

LORD PROTECTOR ANIVAR DAORAN The now-deceased grandson of the conqueror of Phlan was a pampered, corrupt ruler whose contempt for his subjects was seconded only by the responsibilities of his rule.

MOONSEA: This region in North Faerûn is a wild frontier, dominated by a large sea and until relatively recently, the Zhentarim.

NOBLE HOUSES: Though few, the remaining noble houses see opportunity in the chaos following the Lord Protector’s death and seek to establish control of the trade routes that once brought riches and influence to the city.

PHLAN: This frontier city has been destroyed and rebuilt more times than can be remembered, but has left its people tough and determined.

POOL OF RADIANCE: An open wound in the Weave, the Pool of Radiance was a powerful, but dangerous, font of raw magic.

QUIVERING FOREST: Planted by elves as protection against the ogres of Thar, the enchanted forest is populated by wild elves and other fey creatures.

RED WIZARDS: Ruled by the lich Szass Tam, this organization of is peopled with wizards, demonologists and slavers.

SORCERER’S ISLE: This small island in the Stojanow River was the home to Yarash, a mad wizard who filled the river with mutated creatures; the detritus of his insane experiments.

WELCOMERS: The city’s thieves’ guild once preyed on visitors and well-to-dos but now lashes out at the Black Fist and any others who might try to eradicate them.


Themes
Each adventure must be attached to one or both of the themes below.

 A Struggle for Peace (Phlan). Control of the city by day is in the hands of the corrupt and merciless Black Fist, but by night, a pitched battle between the establishment and the undesirable elements of society commences. The Harpers wish to clean the corruption from the establishment, the Lords’ Alliance supports stability or finding a compromise amongst the establishment and the criminals, the Emerald Enclave wants a more representative assembly to govern, the Order of the Gauntlet wants to protect the civilians caught in the machinations of the conflict, and the Zhentarim want to bring the Welcomers into their sphere of influence.

 Race for Power (Storyline). The Cult of the Dragon sees the Pool of Radiance as the key to obtaining dominance in the region, believing they can harness the magic of the Pool. First however, they know they must find a way to interact with the Pool without succumbing to its maddening qualities. While they search for those answers, all the factions seek to stop them from attaining this knowledge and accessing the Pool’s gifts.

[SirFozzie]

Phlan

Themes: Corruption, Martial Law

Population: 18,000 (plus 2,000 in outlying farms and homesteads)

The Beginnings
Phlan was founded in 367 DR, about ten years after Northkeep was established. However, whereas Northkeep was destroyed and ultimately sunk into the sea, Phlan was merely leveled. The residents of Phlan simply brushed themselves off and rebuilt. This would be a recurring theme with Phlan. More often than not, new construction would be performed atop old.
This was the unfortunate effect of a number of sinkholes and collapsed structures, but more than one hidden chamber has been discovered in the ruins of Old Phlan; sometimes with buried riches and sometimes with things of a more wicked disposition.

Recent History

In 1306 DR, a dragon invasion known as the Dragon Run swept out of the Moonsea North and fell upon Phlan. Due in part to the Moonsea war, none of the other Moonsea cities came to Phlan’s aid. As a result, Phlan was once again laid to waste. As always, Phlan rebuilt.

Decades prior to this, an entity known as Tyranthraxus corrupted and possessed a bronze dragon named Srossar after convincing it to bathe in a Pool of Radiance buried beneath the ruins of Castle Valjevo. Tyranthraxus would later be discovered and subsequently defeated by a group of adventurers. Tyranthraxus, in his flight, turned the Pool of Radiance into a pool of non-magical water.

After the defeat of Tyranthraxus, work began on rebuilding Phlan. Progress was slow, but steady. Phlan would know over ten years of peace before the Flight of Dragons in 1356 DR. In the ensuing attacks, Phlan was decimated and its ruins occupied by a great wyrm. The wyrm was later slain and the city reclaimed by Zhentil Keep in 1375 DR, and within half a decade, the city’s previous system of rule was replaced by the tyranny of Zhentarim Hatemaster Cvaal Daoran.

Daoran’s ascension as the Lord Protector of Phlan may have saved the city, however. During the Shadowbane War of 1383 DR, Daoran’s alliance with fey from the Quivering Forest spared it from the fate of Zhentil Keep; which, along with the nearby Citadel of the Raven, would be ultimately destroyed by the Netherese.

In 1480 DR, barbarian attacks in the north led to an influx of refugees into Phlan. By then, Lord Protector Daoran’s grandson, Anivar Daoran, had inherited the Cinnabar Throne. Lord Protector Anivar Daoran was a cowardly and pampered noble, and a paranoid and ineffective ruler; his concern for the responsibilities of his rule was only slightly less than that for his subjects.

Phlan Today

In 1488 DR, Lord Protector Anivar Daoran died unexpectedly in what, for all intents and purposes seemed nothing more than a construction accident during renovations on Castle Valjevo. The Lord Protector left no heir, so Knight Commander Ector Brahms was declared the Lord Regent of the Cinnabar Throne. The Knight Commander’s grasp on the throne is tenuous at best, however. The Lord Regent still acts as the Knight Commander of the shrinking Black Fist and has declared martial law upon the city.

For now, the citizens are kept in line if by nothing but fear. The chaos is barely contained by the diminishing forces of the Black Watch. Shortly after Daoran’s death, the Lyceum of the Black Lord was looted and burned. A blackened husk remains, and was rededicated and is currently being renovated by an up-and-coming lay cleric of Lathander. She does what she is able to provide a place of solace and refuge from the tumultuous city.

Trade has all but stopped in Phlan. The guilds now vie for control over the city to compensate for their lost incomes. Wages have plummeted, prices of goods and services have skyrocketed, and worst of all—construction has stopped. The Welcomers have shifted their goals, and now lash out against the guilds who, in their greed, have abandoned the citizenry. In turn, they have been declared outlaws by the Black Fist, and any person with a missing ear is imprisoned, tried and hung. Each day, more bodies swing from the Stojanow Gate.

Phlan is a lawless, shabby remnant of what it once stood for. For over a millennium it has endured decimation at the hands of its enemies; it is decidedly ironic that it now stands on the brink of ruin by its own hand.

[SirFozzie]

You were told that Madame Freona’s Tea Kettle was the place where adventurers could find work and avoid the hassle associated with other places in Phlan. So far, that has been true. Madame Freona, a stout and officious halfling who runs the establishment with her five daughters, has proven an excellent hostess.

Although you have had to share a common bunkroom with several other adventurers, the evening meal was excellent and the atmosphere pleasant.

You are preparing to bunk down for the evening when one of Freona’s daughters peeks into the room. She calls the five adventurers out into the hall

"Pardon my interruption,” says the halfling girl named Reece, one of Freona’s five daughters, just shy of adulthood. “A chap just came into the common room downstairs and asked me to fetch you. Something about some coin needing to change hands for an easy job.” She plays with her curly red hair
nervously.

The party looks at each other..An unspoken agreement seems to come over them, it couldn't hurt to hear about a job for easy gold, right? If something needed doing, better them then someone else, as long as it wasn't something that was too much against their code.. such as it was..

 The figure keeps his face obscured by his hood and speaks in a low voice, obviously disguising it. He refuses to provide a name.

 The figure identifies himself as a member of the Harpers, an organization dedicated to fighting evil wherever it hides. He wears a brooch that confirms
his ties to the Harpers.

 He has a mission that the characters are in a unique position to complete. The Harpers have captured a merchant that was going to illegally purchase a red dragon egg. The Harper wants the characters to pose as the merchant and any hirelings, go to the buy site, make the transaction, and place a magical device on one of the sellers so that Harpers can track them back to their place of residence.

 One of the characters (Nithyis) bears enough of a resemblance to the captured merchant that the sellers (who have never seen the merchant) can be easily fooled. The rest of the characters can act the roles of bodyguards, assistants, porters, etc.
 The Harper provides a small sack of fake diamonds that the characters should use to buy the egg. The “diamonds” are basically worthless, but good enough to pass a cursory inspection.
 At some point during the exchange, one of the characters must place a small silver pin infused with magic on the seller or one of the crew. Once that is done, the Harpers can more easily scry on the sellers and learn more about their operation No real names are used in these transactions, so the two parties will refer to each other as “the buyer” and “the seller.”
 Once the transaction is complete, the characters are to bring the egg back to the stables behind the Tea Kettle, where the Harper will meet them and take possession of it.
 Under no circumstances should the characters fight the sellers or harm the egg. The point is to track the sellers, so killing or capturing them is counterproductive.
 For completing the task successfully and as instructed, the Harper offers the group 200 gp. The sum will be paid upon delivery of the egg.

As if reading the group's larcenous aims, he reminds them that they shouldn't attempt to sell the egg elsewhere. Dragons do not take kindly to thieves of their eggs, and they have no qualms about applying the term thieves to anyone who might possess their egg. After retrieving it, the Harpers hope to find the Egg's parents, and return it as a show of good faith.

The meeting place is about a 20 minute walk from here, in an old abandoned barn.

So, How is our intrepid band of adventurers going to attend to this? Are they going to follow the suggestions? Or beat them up and take the egg back? (dropping the pin on one of their unconscious/dead bodies).

Well, that's where you come in. If there's a clear consensus here, I will do that as their option (note, they are mostly Good. Well, Good-ish.). But, 200 gold? (40 gold each?) For a mere twenty minute walk and doing a trade? Sounds easy.

[ntndeacon]

I think to start, play it straight. This is a group that our band wants to be in the good graces of. Plus they are paying! Be ready for him not being a member of the Harpers though. I can certainly see a conterfeit brooch. And if it is , then screw them.

[Abe Sargent]

In!

[SirFozzie]

Conversation on the way over to the meetup

Redbeard: (He of the dexterity 4) "I don't understand why you guys don't want me to carry it, I mean, I can carry the most, so carrying an egg can't be too bad, right?"

Nethyis: It's not that we don't trust you, Red.. it's that we don't trust you. Not purposely, but I can just see us trying to explain to Momma Dragon. "Hi, sorry about your kid hatching with shaken dragon syndrome, our Dwarf is a bit clumsy and dropped the egg eighteen times!

Redbeard: I am not a bit clumsy!

Tom: He's right.

Redbeard: See?

Tom: You're a LOT clumsy.

Redbeard: *sulks*

Yrellia (somehow sneaking up out of nowhere, despite walking along with the party): There's the barn up ahead.

Redbeard jumps in alarm, falls over with a clatter. Thankfully the road this far out is dirt, not cobblestone. Therefore he only makes as much noise as an enraged elephant. And not, say, as much noise as a enraged elephant covered in braying dogs.

Redbeard: Damnit, woman! Would ya stop sneaking up on me!

Tom: It's amazing how she does that.

[SirFozzie]

(The DM Speaks)
It is a 20-minute walk to the meeting place. When the characters arrive, the sellers are already waiting at the abandoned barn.

The barn itself is a simple, open structure, 30 feet wide and 80 feet long. A ladder at the end of the barn opposite the open doorway leads to a hay loft 10 feet above the barn floor. The loft is 40 feet long and the entire width of the barn, directly above the end of the barn opposite the door. Rusted farm implements lean against the barn walls.

The seller is an elf who waits with three human guards. They have no reason to expect trouble during the sale, but they are wary nonetheless.

When the characters enter the barn, the seller calls for the characters to halt when they get within 20 feet of her.

A sinewy elf in gray clothes smiles at three humans behind her.

“I told you they would come. A dragon egg is much too valuable to pass up.”

The elf turns back to you. “Now, let’s do this quickly. Here is what you asked for.” She holds a very large hide backpack toward you. “You throw the payment over to me, and we will leave the egg here. We will exit the barn, and then you can leave after five minutes have passed. No fuss, no muss.” She pauses and looks at you more closely. “Hold on. Something is not right here. Antonio, I thought you said the merchant had short hair...."

(The DM calls for Nithyis to make a DC 10 Charisma (Deception) Check. This isn't her specialty, so she's going to have to rely on her natural charisma (+2).)

Charisma Check: 1d20+2 22

Nithyis puts on her best "I am merchant, you are a mere customer." sneer. "Did you really think I would walk around Phlan after hours without disguising myself? After all, if someone wondered what I would be doing out after hours, they could make it their business to find out what's so important that I would be out at this time of night. That would have made our.. transaction... more difficult...."

This seems to put the people at ease. The leader nods, and waves Tom, who's carrying the pouch with the fake diamonds forward. Tom sees an opportunity and uses slight of hand to try to sneak the brooch into a pouch on the strap of the bag so it isn't noticeable..

DC 10 Slight of Hand Check

Slight of Hand Check: 1d20+3 17

The Elf looks over the fake diamonds, and in the poor light seems convinced they're real. "Pleasure doin business with ya. Remember, five minutes. Don't want the city guard thinking we're meeting up for criminal ends, too many bodies hangin over the Stojanow river for my tastes.."

The other party backs away out a secret exit. Tom and Redbeard move forward, and the package appears to have a leathery egg in there. Redbeard has the best Nature check to determine the authenticity of the egg, but well, not many people have dealt with dragon eggs in the wild.

The DM Calls for a DC 20 Nature Check.

Nature Check to determine authenticity of Egg: 1d20+3 16

So, it looks like an egg for as much as Redbeard can tell.

As they're looking over the egg, waiting for the five minutes...

A voice interrupts you, and a tough-looking half-orc male brandishing a mace appears in the doorway of the barn. “The toll for passage out of this barn is that egg. I’m sure you will hand it over peacefully so I don’t have to take your lives instead.”

So, the party has three options.

One) Hand over the egg
Two) Negotiate some how.
Three) Well, you can't protect an egg without scrambling some thugs. ATTACK!

[SirFozzie]

Of course, the party takes option one.

KIDDING.

Nope, they take action 3. While the timing was suspicious, it appears we're dealing with two separate criminal groups (why would one group leave after the transaction, while the other group attacks?). The party draws their weapons, prepared for a 5-1 beatdown, when the odds change in two ways.

Two bandits, one from either side of the doorway appear.

And apparently two more had scurried up to the loft, as they attempt to entangle the folks down below, dropping a net!

(ENTER Combat)

[SirFozzie]

Here's the stat blocks for the bad guys:

Bandit: INIT +1, HP: 11, AC: 12

Actions: Scimitar (Simple) +3 to hit, 4 Slashing Damage
Light Crossbow: +3 to hit, 80/320 range, 5 Piercing Damage

Thug, Init: +0, HP 32, AC 11

Actions: Multiattack (2 Melee attacks), Pack Tactics (Gains advantage, if thug's allies are within 5 feet of target and not incapacitated

Mace: +4 to hit, 5 Damage
Heavy Crossbow +2 to hit, 5 damage


Rolls for initiative:
Rolling in the following order: Thug, Bandit (x4), Ghash, Nithyis, Redbeard, Tom, Yrellia: 10#1d20 6 14 5 12 9 6 20 8 6 1

Thug 6+0) 6
Doorway Bandit (Left) 15 (14+1)
Doorway Bandit (Right) 6 (5+1)
Net Bandit Loft 1: 13 (12+1)
Net Bandit Loft 2: 10 (9+1)


Ghash 6 -1 (5)
Nithyis 20 +1 (21)
Redbeard 8-3 (5)
Tom 6+3 (9)
Yrellia 1+2 (3)

Things look bad for our heroes: The baddies have 76 HP between them, and the goodies have 45. But I think that the top of the lineup will change things!

[SirFozzie]

First to act is: Nithyis (21).

She casts BURNING HANDS at the Thug and the two bandits she can see (the others are hidden until their turn and the net drops)
As you hold your hands with thumbs touching and fingers spread, a thin sheet of flames shoots forth from your outstretched fingertips. Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The fire ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried.

So the Thug and the two bandits have to make dexterity saving throws against DC13: Succeed and take half damage, fail and take full damage.

Saving throw against burning hands spell (the thug adds +0, the Bandits add +1): 3d20 20, 3, 1

The Thug succeeds, and the bandits both fail. The Thug will take half damage, the bandits full damage.

Burning Hands damage: 3d6 15

Oh wow! now, the average roll on 3d6 was 10.5, so it was 50/50 if it would take out the bandits if they failed, but the triple 5's on the roll mean that two Bandits are blown back, their screams quickly end as the fire licks hungrily over their skin. The thug takes 8 damage.

HP:

Thug: 24
Doorway Bandit 1: DEAD
Doorway Bandit 2: DEAD
Net Bandit 1: 11
Net Bandit 2: 11

Nithyis 7
Redbeard 10
Yrellia 7
Tom: 8
Ghash: 13

Next up would be Doorway Bandit 1 (15): But he's currently going from alive to extra crispy, so he's gone.

Net Bandit 1 drops his net on Ghash! Ghash has to make a DC 10 Dexterity Saving throw:

Saving throw against Net: -1 DEX: 1d20-1 15

Net Bandit 2 drops his net on Yrellia! Yrellia has to make a DC 10 Saving throw

Saving throw against Net: +4 (Dex, class ability): 1d20+4 15

Not good times for the nets! Brooklyn or Bandit Nets!

[SirFozzie]

Tom is up at 9, next then the Thug at 6, Ghash and Redbeard at 5, and Yrellia at 3. The other doorway bandit would go at 6, but he's dead, ya know?

Tom levels his crossbow and takes a shot at the thug.

+5 Attack vs Thug AC of 11: 1d20+5 22

a Hit!

Light Crossbow damage: 1d8+3 11

Now, if they were using real dice, as DM I would comment something like "Geez, save some of the hot dice for me!". The Crossbow bolt thwacks into the Thug for 11 damage! This brings the Thug down to 13 HP, and between being roasted by the burning hands and thwacked with a crossbow bolt, is starting to feel like a shishkabob. Worse yet, the best plan for him (to let his compadres in the doorway engage first, and then attack with advantage due to his special ability) is blown all to pieces, because, well, his compadres have been blown all to pieces as well!

He moves forward towards Redbeard (who was the closest, next to the egg), and attacks

2 attacks at +4 vs AC17: 2#1d20+4 11 6

... Well. Apparently he is just not having a good day at all. Two misses, and now he's locked in combat with Redbeard, and that's not going to be a good thing by the end of the round, most likely.

[SirFozzie]

Ghash thought about raging, but with two melee focused folks left, he decides that he's better off attacking the netters above him.

+3 Thrown Handaxe vs AC 12: 1d20+3 19

1d6+1 Handaxe damage: 1d6+1 5

[SirFozzie]

Redbeard Raises his Maul and intends to pound that Thug like it was a nail.

+2 Maul vs Thug AC11: 1d20+2 18

2d6 Damage for Maul: 2d6 5

The thug's down to 8 HP, and there's worse to come. You see Yrellia has the SNEAK ATTACK ability. because the thug is engaged with Redbeard. Normally, Yrellia would need to flank the opponent (be on the opposite side of someone already attacking, and she doesn't have the move to do that without eating an attack of opportunity) and have advantage to apply the bonus, but the ability states: "You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 ft. of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll."

+4 Shortsword vs AC 11 Thug: 1d20+4 23

Ok, this is seriously getting out of hand here

1d6+2 normal damage + sneak attack damage of 1d6: 2d6+2 7

Well, the thug's down to 1 HP, his two net buddies up top are looking to see if there's a barn window they can jump out of, and our heroes are looking mighty triumphant so far.

HP:

Thug: 1
Doorway Bandit 1: DEAD
Doorway Bandit 2: DEAD
Net Bandit 1: 6
Net Bandit 2: 11

Nithyis 7
Redbeard 10
Yrellia 7
Tom: 8
Ghash: 13

(end of combat round 1)

[SirFozzie]

The modified lineup for Round 2:

Thug 6
Doorway Bandit (Left) DEAD
Doorway Bandit (Right) DEAD
Net Bandit Loft 1: 13
Net Bandit Loft 2: 10


Ghash (5)
Nithyis (21)
Redbeard (5)
Tom (9)
Yrellia (3)


Nithyis goes first, and she's going to finish off the Thug AND do some damage to the hurt Netter. She casts the OTHER 1st level spell she has available: MAGIC MISSILE. She'll only have cantrips afterwards, but it's more lkely than not that even the low damage of Acid Splash and Ray of Frost will take care of any further encounters

You create three glowing darts of magical force. Each dart hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range. A dart deals 1d4 + 1 force damage to its target. The darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or several.

Since she knows that the Thug only has 1 HP (Although she shouldn't, going forward I will use the standard "you don't tell the players the current HP of creatures" rules), she will send 1 dart at the Thug, and the other 2 at the wounded Net Bandit.

3 1d4+1 darts, 1st attacking thug, 2nd and 3rd attacking Net Bandit 1: 3#1d4+1 2 3 3

Well, not great rolls (for once, all three dice were below average (3.5 damage would be average per dart on 1d4+1), but it's enough to take out two foes.

I'm going to say Net Bandit 2 tries to escape.. there's no upper level window to jump out of the hay loft, so he has to get past Redbeard and Ghash's AOO to escape.

Ghash:

AOO vs Bandit AC12: 1d20+3 17

Greataxe damage 1d12+1: 1d12+1 6

Redbeard:

AOO vs Bandit AC12: 1d20+2 11

The final bandit gets away, clutching his side (where a pretty good sized gash has been cut into it), and the Party is victorious!


Final Fantasy VII - Victory Fanfare [HQ] - YouTube

[SirFozzie]

The party makes its way back to Phlan, keeping a look out for further problems (after some discussion, Tom carries the backpack with the egg). No further problems occur, and they meet up with their Harper (?) contact in the stables behind Madame Freona's Tea Kettle Inn.

He looks over the egg, and grimaces, apparently finding it fake. "A clever enough fake, but we had to be sure. You don't mess around with dragon eggs, especially with everything going on. I don't feel bad paying them fake diamonds for a fake egg."

"Here's the money that you were promised, and we're already picking up eminations from the brooch pin, so it looks like you planted the pin well enough. For a job well done, I have a bit of a bonus for you."


He gives the party 200 GP (the promised reward), as well as a POTION OF HEALING, and the party each earns 100 XP.

The Harper (?) warns you to be careful: “We have seen an increased interest in all things related to dragons. We have also heard of more dragon sightings in the Moonsea region—and elsewhere. Keep your eyes and ears open for further information on dragons. It might save your life.”

[SirFozzie]

Now, in the real world, these are mini-adventurers (this part of the Adventurer's League has 5 mini-adventures, with each expected to take about an hour)

Some notes:

I was getting used to using Orkos for dice rolling, and screwed up the syntax a couple times.

After I had typed this all out, someone let me know that the big MVP move of the game (Nithyis's Burning Hands) would have come out somewhat different, as it's 15 foot cone from SELF.. Either she would have had to move forward (making her self the closest target to the Thug), or wait for the Thug and Bandits to move forward. Mistake made (hadn't GM'd for a while)

Also, I have to do a better job of seperating Player Knowledge from Real-World Knowledge. For example, Nithyis's Magic Missile could not have taken 2 enemies down unless she KNEW how many HP the Thug started with (and thus, had remaining). It allowed her to Min-Max the ability.

Several of these characters were generated using the one-click "Create a character" button, and as such, are no where near optimized (seriously, a fighter with DEX 4?????) I'm going to make some changes to the sheet (keep them legal under AL rules, but much more.. useful).

We still have four mini-adventures of this part 1 to go through (and the party is 1/3d of the way to Level 2)

[SirFozzie]

Oh, and some good news, a friend of mine is going to do mini portraits for them, so you can see them in D&D Beyond and anywhere else I do this

[SirFozzie]

Was waiting for this


Here's a gallery for our intrepid heroes: