Adventure: Hey! That's Not Wayne's Basement! (DM: H.M.Gimlord, Judge: Ozymandias79)

[H.M.Gimlord]

[sblock=Fenwick] As you look down into the cellar, you see nothing terribly out of the ordinary. The cellar door appears to be normal. The stairs are lined with a large keg ramp, both leading down into a deep cellar. Barrels and crates stand at the sides of the keg ramp and in various places on the floor. Directly at the foot of the ramp is a large table on which stands a lit lamp. Besides the lamp, there appears to be a book, a quill and inkwell, as well as a small cashbox. Despite what Varquat said, the cellar appears empty now. [/sblock]

[sblock=Riardon, Talon, Jin]

Passive Insight = Nat14, DC15.

Keep in mind. Fenwick is the guy who only recently discovered beer. It's not likely he knows what a brewery cellar is supposed to look like, even if he has milked a she-bear.
[/sblock]

 

[Theroc]

Rujah looks inside, not noticing anything particularly amiss. "Well, nothing seems obviously amiss, but I don't know this cellar like you do, Master Varquat, and so I shall go inside and see what we will see."

The scaled hulk was not so much taking charge as figuring whether they follow or not, he still had to investigate, and that hopefully he'd prove triumphant should there be an altercation.

"I suppose you wish to wait here?" he asked Varquat, hammer and shield in hand as he slowly moved to descend the staircase, attempting to remain alert should anything come at him.

 

[Phoenix8008]

Talon and Dayna will fall in behind Rujah to start going down into the basement to check it out. Talon sniffs loudly and slowly, trying to take in all possible scents in his search for anything dangerous.

[sblock=OOC]Talon Perception check (1d20+8=24)[/sblock]

 

[Tenchuu]

Jin followed close to Rujah, but was cut off Talon and Dayna, creatures he did not trust. "Watch your step," he said, not completely hiding the venom in his voice.

[sblock=OOC, Talon, HM]
Nothing Personal, Talon. My background is just untrusting and paranoid. Jin developed an attachment to Rujah at the bar, and will try to stay close to him the entire adventure.

If Talon makes any comment, Jin will give him an annoyed, angsty teen look of "What?!?", as if he said nothing wrong, but make no further comment. That is, unless it turns really nasty, which I hope it won't.
[/sblock]

Jin follows behind, and once inside maneuvers around the two to get to Rujah's side. "Be careful not to get too far ahead," Jin advises. "We know not what lurks ahead." He draws one of his blades, and considers using a sunrod.

[sblock=OOC, HM]
Perception Check.

Also, what's the lighting like down here? If it's dark enough, I'll activate a sunrod.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Jin mini-stats]
Ashikaga Jin'emon (Jin) - Human Ranger 1

Initiative: +3, Passive perception: 19, Passive Insight: 13
(Does not grant enemies combat advantage on surprise)

Defenses:
AC: 15, For: 15, Ref: 15, Will: 13

Vitality:
HP: 27, Bloodied:13, Surge Value:6, Surges: 6 AP: 1

Languages:
Common, Elven

Basic Attacks:
Melee: +6 vs AC, 1D10+3
No Ranged Weapons

Powers:
Hunter's Quarry, Twin Strike, Shield of Blades, Hit&Run
Off-Hand Strike
Jaws of the wolf

Weapons:
2 Katanas (Bastard Sword stats)

[/sblock]

 

[Ozymandias79]

OOP: I can judge this as I follow it already and Tenchuu, you have 2 sunrods in your SAK(Standard Adventurers Kit)

 

[BenBrown]

Fenwick shrugs, and follows the others into the basement. "Hey wolf guy," he says to Talon "you smell anything?"

 

[H.M.Gimlord]

"I suppose you wish to wait here?"

Varquat give’s the Dragonborn a bewildered look, as if to say, ‘What? Are you crazy?’

“Aye. Oi thinks Oi’ll stay ou’ ‘ere. Oi’m no’ mucha a foiter. No’ me. Oi jus’ needs moi woifee’s necklace an’ me ole brewry cellar back, sos Oi c'n do me bisness noice an' peacful loik.”

With that, the five of you descend the stairs.

As you enter the basement, you begin to hear the laughter and loud commotion of an inn’s common room filtering down between the floorboards above. The stairway to the floor is long, and the cellar is extremely large. The ceiling is almost 2 stories high, and copious foodstuffs are piled everywhere. The area, however, is well lit with lanterns ensconced along the walls. They give off no smoke, and seem to emanate a magical glow in geometric patterns that splay out on the walls, casting bright light in all directions.

A bookshelf stands to the right of the large table you saw from outside, behind which an expansive wine cellar system winds its way along the walls. Behind the table stand two rows of large beer kegs, ten in each row, stacked triangularly to a height of roughly 15 feet. Stairs at the far end of the cellar, off to the right appear to lead to the floor above.

All this, however, is dwarfed by the cellar’s most prominent feature. Along the walls to the left and the back of the room run a series of wine casks the size of livery coaches. Each stands at least 12 feet in diameter reaching almost to the ceiling of the cellar.

[sblock=Talon] Skill Challenge Success: At first, you almost gag because you are breathing in the sooty air of downtown Daunton, and it disgusts you, but just as you are about to stop inhaling something changes. The smell of the street outside Varquat’s brewery vanishes completely. The only clear trace of it that remains is on your fur and that of Dyana. You can barely make it out as it radiates from Rujah, but it certainly isn’t in the air or on anything in the cellar. Not even near the door. Instead, you smell aged beer, stale wine, carrots, celery, apples, wheat flour, and a trace of mildew. The air is also instantly warmer and more humid even though you seem through an open cellar door.[/sblock]

[sblock=Jin] Skill Challenge Success: As you descend the staircase, you notice that something is wrong with the shadows being cast by your body. At first you dismiss this as a trick of the eye, but then you notice what's going on. The midday light is bright, but casts few shadows. Your feet, however, are casting harsh shadows behind you even ass your foot touches the first step, as if there is no daylight reaching the stairs to compete with lamplight coming from within the basement, even though the cellar doors are wide open.

When your head passes through the plane of the door, you turn around and notice that, behind you, the cellar door is shut and barred. You are certain that you did not hear the doors close, and no one could have slipped past you to bar the door.[/sblock]



[sblock=Encounter #1]
OK. This is a skill challenge.

Room illumination: bright light

Possible goals:

• Find out where you are
• Find out where the necklace went
• Find out where the fat man went

Complexity 2: 6 successes before 3 failures

Primary Skills: Perception, History, Arcana, Dungeoneering, Nature

• Primary DC: 12
• Secondary DC: 20

House Rules:

1. You have to specify the feature of the room you are investigating. If you don’t it will not count toward the skill challenge, though I will try to make the fluff in the answer as fascinating and realistic as possible. As an exception to this, you can also simply specify a location on the map(i.e.: J1 will get you info with respect to the wine racks)
   
2. Each character can only use a primary skill once. For example: Jin and Talon have each expended Perception (BTW you are starting with 2 successes thanks to them). They must use different skills next time. Rujah, Riardon and Fenwick, however may still use Perception if they wish. Of course (as stated in DMG1), secondary (i.e.: non-primary) skills can only be used once collectively during the challenge.
3. At least 1 success must come from a skill in which the character making the check is not trained.
4. Each character gets one check per round. To be fair, Jin and Talon have already used their turn this round.

[/sblock]
[sblock=status]
2 successes
0 failures

Primary Skills Used

• Talon: Perception
• Jin: Perception

Secondary Skills Used

• None

Waiting on:

• Rujah
• Riardon
• Fenwick

[/sblock]

 

[H.M.Gimlord]

[sblock=OOC: Walking Dad] I know that you were unable to post this weekend, but I assumed that you would follow the others into the basement if not lead the way. If you wish to stay outside and talk to Varquat some more, that is also your prerogative. I'll play it by ear when you post.[/sblock]

 

[Tenchuu]

"Looks like a wine cellar to me," Jin muttered as he descended the stairs, but was distracted by his shadow. Odd it should be so strong, he looked up again and saw the door. "The door is closed. But I certainly didn't hear it close. Did any of you? Perhaps it is some kind of magic?"

Jin considered trying to explain what he saw with his shadow, but didn't know how to explain it now that the natural light source was gone. Not wanting to sound stupid in front of his new companions, he kept quiet about it for now.

[sblock=OOC, HM]
DM: Can the players discuss strategies for who should do what for the skills challenge?
[/sblock]

[sblock=Jin mini-stats]
Ashikaga Jin'emon (Jin) - Human Ranger 1

Initiative: +3, Passive perception: 19, Passive Insight: 13
(Does not grant enemies combat advantage on surprise)

Defenses:
AC: 15, For: 15, Ref: 15, Will: 13

Vitality:
HP: 27, Bloodied:13, Surge Value:6, Surges: 6 AP: 1

Languages:
Common, Elven

Basic Attacks:
Melee: +6 vs AC, 1D10+3
No Ranged Weapons

Powers:
Hunter's Quarry, Twin Strike, Shield of Blades, Hit&Run
Off-Hand Strike
Jaws of the wolf

Weapons:
2 Katanas (Bastard Sword stats)

[/sblock]

 

[H.M.Gimlord]

[sblock=OOC]Thanks for asking. I like the fact that you're conscious about realism. This is, however, D&D, so feel free to discuss strategies in OOC spoilers, both for skill challenges and for combat. Having resolved your strategies, however, I suggest trying to find ways to RP how your characters arrived at the strategy.

For example: You decide to play to your strengths. Out of character you discuss who will try what skill and what question they would ask. As it turns out let's say Player 1 has a really good idea to see if the trees in a clearing are magical or natural, but his character is a fighter and lacks the necessary skills. Player 2 is a druid and she agrees that she'll have her character take a look. Once the OOC discussion is concluded, Player 1 and Player 2 RP their characters...

Fighter trips over the root of a tree in the clearing. Druid rushes over to see if he's OK. Upon finding that the Fighter has hurt nothing but his pride, the Druid turns her attention to the tree that caused the mishap.

OK. I know it's a lame example, but you get the idea.

In any case, thanks for asking and good luck. [/sblock]