D&D 5E [5e] Witcher: Mother of Monsters

[Quickleaf]

Sorry for my absence! Had a week-long training that ate up my time and energy, but I'm back now

Sounds we're losing [MENTION=15132]Steve Gorak[/MENTION] (Ethian the druid) & [MENTION=6787159]Skarsgard[/MENTION] (Darius the ranger), and gaining [MENTION=8243]doghead[/MENTION] (Rael the wood elf cleric/rogue).

So it looks like the new party is going to be...
[MENTION=8243]doghead[/MENTION] Rael (wood elf, cleric/rogue) [MENTION=93196]Axel[/MENTION] Kynee (human, witcher - cat) [MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION] Fergus Llew Gawan (human, witcher - griffon) [MENTION=8058]Queenie[/MENTION] Elora Vasesso (half-elf, source - wise lineage / Elder Blood) [MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] Talashia (human, source - storm)

So, to Rael.

The original plan for L3 was a second level of cleric. Given her domain (life) that largely means more healing. I could take a second level of rogue, but the Turning and extra spell are nice to have. Open to suggestions on this.

Go with what you like! The party could use more roguery as well as healing. The current adventure (3rd level) hardly has undead in it. But the next one (4th level) may be undead heavy...depending on the route you all choose. To give away some GM secrets

On another note, does the "Uncommon wondrous magic item" include weapons. Given the setting, a magic weapon seems like a really good idea. But one the other hand, you seem to have covered off on the weapon option with the "Masterwork Weapon" option. If weapons is not an option, I was thinking a cloak of elven kind which goes nicely to her skill set.

Yeah, I said "wondrous magic item" to specifically exclude weapons. Limiting magic weapons allows witcher silver swords to be a big deal against monsters, like they are in the books/games.

Cloak of elven kind is good.

I have drafted a quick updated background. Essentially it is along the lines as suggested, but I have chosen The Skellige Islands as her birthplace vice the Blue Mountain as a sort of nod to her origins in a dark ages Britain game. Fergus is also from Skellige Islands I think, which seemed potentially handy connection. Its not critical, if you have a reason for suggesting the Blue Mountains I can change it.

Nice, I like that there could be a passing connection between [MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION] 's PC Fergus and Rael!

Background - Quick Outline

Rael was born on the Skellige Islands to a small clan of wood elves. They largely kept to themselves being outsides not only by race, but also belief. Rael's restless nature lead her to leave the islands. Eventually she arrived at Dol B. There she paid her respects to the Queen, as was proper. But the politics and protocol of the court were alien to her, and so she spent most of her time away from it preferring to use her skills as a scout and hunter along the boarders of the Dol B. On day she is summoned back to the court, and task with meeting a small group of travellers escorting a young woman to the Court. Uncertain as to why she was selected, but unable to refuse, she sets forth.

That works well! It sets Rael up as a sort of go-between between the party and the elven court of Enid an Gleanna / Francesca Findabair. I like that it allows me to preserve some of that mystery of the inner workings of the elves in Dol Blathanna & the Free Elves of the Blue Mountains.

I have two questions [MENTION=8243]doghead[/MENTION] to better tie Rael to the overarching story...

1.

First, I'd like to give Rael a reason to travel to Dol Blathanna & a connection to "Falka's Tower" ("Tor Gvalch'ca" / "Tower of the She-Falcon" in elven Elder Speech) located on Skellige, and I want to run it by you...

Since the "Second Conjunction" (from events in the Witcher 3 video game), monsters have overrun Falka's Tower and surrounding areas. The wood elven elders of Skellige had visions that the worst was yet to come, and sent Rael to Dol Blathanna to seek guidance from the greatest of living elven mages - Francesca Findabair.

Does that work for you?

[SBLOCK=Falka's Tower]

[/SBLOCK]

2.

 

[doghead]

[snip]

Does that work for you?

I really like it. Unfortunately.

I am transferring to a new job starting early next year. And as a result I think that there are going to be some fairly long periods, weeks possibly a month at a time, when I will not be able to log in and post. I don't think that it would be fair to jump into a game when I cannot commit to posting with any sort of reliability. Which really sucks because I was looking forward to playing this, even more so in light of the ideas above. It is always more interesting having characters tied into the setting and given purpose.

As tempting as it is to hang in there and hope I can wing it, I think that the right thing to do is withdraw now rather than become the problem child down the track.

Apologies. And thanks for everything.

thotd

 

[Queenie]

That's too bad. [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION] is usually really good at working with people when they have to disappear for times - just a thought.

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=8243]doghead[/MENTION] Ah, I see, no worries.

[MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] [MENTION=8058]Queenie[/MENTION] [MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION] [MENTION=93196]Axel[/MENTION] So, let's play with four for now? Everyone good with that? I can leave it open to add one more player down the line?

I'm a bit stuck on how to proceed with the "vanishing" of Ethian & Darius. Any suggestions?

We left it off at exploring Old Nan's overgrown cottage and then something triggering a wild surge for Elora (do you remember what caused it [MENTION=8058]Queenie[/MENTION]?) and that manifested as a localized blood moon which drew out drowners to attack. We were right in the midst of the drowner attack... I think I can recreate the scene pretty accurately...

Does that sound like a good place to pick it back up?

 

[Axel]

Four it is.

If I recall, wasn't Darius left behind at th accommodation prior to the encounter at the witch's but?

Ethan was on sentry in the encounter. He can always lose his nerve against real monsters the first time and elect to opt out of further association with Wichers.

 

[Shayuri]

S'good to go, yar. We can perhaps pick someone else up as we go, or just proceed with four for awhile.

As for what happens to them, they could be NPCed for a bit (since this encounter was balanced for that many PCs) and then just have them part ways. Or something bad could happen in the battle to 'em.

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=4936]Shayuri[/MENTION] [MENTION=93196]Axel[/MENTION] [MENTION=8058]Queenie[/MENTION] [MENTION=2820]Fenris[/MENTION]
Does this look like a pretty good approximation of the map of the encounter? Let me know any tweaks you'd like me to make or if you remember differently? It's hard recreating this from memory, so I'm going for "good enough", not "perfect."

Arel River would be to the northeast (upper right) and the Sojourner Plough inn would be to the southwest (bottom left) on this map.

Also, anyone remember our initiative order? I'm thinking all PCs go, then all drowners go, and it was the PCs' turn? This makes sense since lowest passive initiative in your group is 13 (Elora & Kynee), and if I was using passive initiative for monsters the drowners would be 12. Though normally, I'd roll to modify monsters to make things more unpredictable (and I think I did, but can't remember values now, so just defaulting to passive).

Also, I forget the status of the drowners' HP and your characters' HP... Anyone remember if they'd killed or damage drowners already? I seem to think Kynee and possibly Talashia had?

EDIT: The OP has map of Lower Posada to orient yourselves.

 

[Axel]

[5e] Witcher: Mother of Monsters (FULL)

If I recall correctly (verify, don't trust, I just don't have time at the moment...) Kynee was heading towards the river, trying to lead the drowners away from the inn where Odvaria was (is?) sleeping. She'd also killed one (of the two in combat with her) through some fluky high damage rolls.

Can't remember damage taken. Low / not a concern yet.

The map looks spanking.

Edit: initiative was definitely split PC / Monsters. Order for the PCs was determined by posting order and common sense, rather than splitting up 6 second rounds into milliseconds for action staggering

 

[doghead]

That's too bad. [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION] is usually really good at working with people when they have to disappear for times - just a thought.

The thought did cross my mind. A few times.

[MENTION=8243]doghead[/MENTION] Ah, I see, no worries.

Cheers, and apologies once more.

Best of luck to everyone.

thotd

 

[Queenie]

I'm wracking my brain trying to remember what set off the blood moon. I think Elora touched something inside Nan's cottage. She was drawn to the source of the power - the table? The mortar and pestle? I don't recall her having the big discussion with the others about her also being a Source - I don't know if Witcher's automatically know that sort of thing and she wasn't exactly hiding it - but they hadn't talked about it. I think she was still inside the cottage because she was rather embarrassed that she set off the blood moon herself and still in the "whoops" stage.

But a LOT has happened since then so I could totally be misremembering lol.