DDAL Jasper DMs Call of the Netherdeep

jasper

Rotten DM
Well the only official guidance which has been posted is see the uiiiiiiiiii (Mr Grey says hello) Critical Role AL guidance. That is similar to the realms but use the Hero Chronicle and ONLY Wildemount gawds. My players have stepped up and created a Private Facebook page. One item I have already declared a story item. I do like the rivals.
Since this is a different campaign, the pcs will not be able to travel to non CR modules. Should start gaming Saturday April 4. Hopefully my new printer will be in by then.
If you have any links which will help me run it Adventure League style please post.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

overgeeked

B/X Known World
If you have any links which will help me run it Adventure League style please post.
I don’t know what that is, but there are a few early choke points to watch out for. Mostly in the Emerald Grotto. It’s your typical “either the PC’s do X or the module derails” stuff.
 


jasper

Rotten DM
Netherdeep Session 1

Pray for Pie

Day1

Fessuran 3

Take 1 level, 100 GP, and 10 downtime days.

PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 3 Monsters Captured 0 Monsters Escaped 0

Start Time 2:14 End Time 6:04

Story Item Jewel of the Three Prayers Dormant State.

I had an average group of five. Poppy Fighter 3. Gaisma Druid 2 Cleric 1. Toz Twilight Cleric1 Monk 2. Jundis Cleric Sorcerer Warlock (good interesting build). Tarsim Cordinger Clockwork 2 Order 1. Sir Olive Untgat barbarian 3.

The morning of Festival has arrived. You up to have seven contests to play in. You could visit the temple of Luxon. But avoid the Helter-Skelter which is Aurora Watch barracks and headquarters and brig. At evening any contest winner and their mates may enter the final contest the Emerald Grotto. Hope you like the taste of gills weed. Those thoughts awoken each adventurer who only vaguely know each other due having to sleep in the 7 to 1 bed room and there wasn’t a bed in the room they rented. They scatter and some decide to go to.

Best Pies in the Jumble. The Unbroken Tusk inn boasts the best meat pies east of the Ashkeeper Peaks. Its owner has offered a prize to the person who can eat the most pies. After fending off a barber name Sweeny they arrived. The contestants are Poppy, Tarsim, Irvan Wasterwalker, Male Drow Extra, Female Halfling Extra. Toz trash talks Irvan lack of beard.

Irvan Wasterwalker is a nineteen-year-old human who just started shaving regularly six months ago. He is rail thin. He could be spell caster or a rogue.

The contest begins. The drow loses on his second pie. The other extra lose it on the third pie which smell nearly causes Irvan to lose in but he chokes it down. On the fourth pie both Irvan and Tarsim nearly blow chucks but continue. On the fifth pie they both blow chucks.

Poppy, “Can I have sixth pie.” She gets the medal of the meat pie. It was sponsored by Ms. Lovett.

While this is happening, Jundis wanders over to the One-Shot Solution. It is maze with 7-foot-high walls. Maggie is slightly mad because she is over the six foot six inches maximum height limit but is teaching Dermont the maze path by fingering on his head.

Maggie, “Stay come and remember the path I am drawing on you head. Relax we got this.”

Jundis, “Brains and Brawn in reverse order and size. I got this.” Maggie and Dermont both glare at him. Jundis quickly glances at the maze and enters. Both Dermont and Jundis successfully run the maze.

Maggie Keeneyes is 12-foot-tall Ogre. Her blues eyes are always tracking like she is on a battle field.

Dermont Wurder is sad Goblin priest who worships the Luxon.

Most of the group gets back together for Ifolon Plunge a simple contest of speed swimming upstream to rusty spear seventy feet away. Ayo Jaber, Poopy, Toz, Male Orc extra, Female human extra, and male goblin extra line up. Omo a goblin blows the whistle and they off. Most of them get maybe half way. But Toz with his monk abilities gets to spear in the first round.

Omo, “Did I say simple contest. Oops. Let us get Chummy with eat other. And let see if the contestants get chummy with the sharks. Oops I forgot to tell that detail. Hope everyone survives.” Two cannons blow chum over the water, the players and the extras. Sharks versus everyone. Well except the halfling who was only ten feet from the docks due to current and turns around. The combat is mainly between Poppy, (bad rolls Jundis. I had Jundis rolling a d6 to see which shark attacked who), Toz, Ayo, and the human extra who became food. Toz chickens out and leaves the echo knight Poopy to sharks. As he is handing over the spear to Omo to claim the prize, Ayo grabs flings in upstream killing the reef shark which was nearly eating his second breakfast of Poopy. Ayo glares at Toz but give Poopy a good hard handshake.

Ayo Jabe is water Genasi native to Jigow.

Poopy, Toz, and Gaisma head quickly to the church of Luxon where Belana Zolaed heals Poopy. Belana is upset about the lost of life of the unnamed extra and mentions she is still trying to get the contest shut down these pass twelve years. Dermot is seen off in a corner reciting prayer but the adventurers don’t engage him.

All the group gather back together at Call to Arms, this where most of the group and DM find out it is actually Private Poopy of the Aurora Watch who has a two-day pass. With Private Poopy losing to her boss Captain Maryl Bronzefang but Sir Oliver winning the group starts bonding especially over their winnings.

The group breaks down in teams of two at Wetwalks Paddywhack contest. Toz and Tarsim come in third. Poopy and Gaisma come in second. Sir Oliver and Jundis come in first. And we won’t mention the drow team who kept throwing sickle at the party by accident.

Most of group head out for a late lunch but Tarsim and Poppy enter and win the riddle contest.

After lunch Gaisma, Tarsim, and Jundis enter the herding Horizonback contest. Gaisma wins hands down due to sneaky druid tricks. She helps out Tarsim. But all of crowd laughs at Jundis who spends ten minutes with his tortoise running around in circles.

The elders say the minimum team of four for the Emerald Grotto. The BAND is Together. Somewhere in the grotto is mean icky nasty land shark, loan shark, with a glowing green orb. How it tied the orb to its body with only flippers is unknown. Could Team no named yet and Team Ayo please fetch it back. Eat your gill weed and dive in.

Team Band loses a few seconds on what to name themselves so Team Ayo takes the lead. Team Who still have name themselves follow. At the fork in the Grotto, Maggie station in the south passage motioning the group to take the east passage. Only Poppy and Jundis do. The rest flip off the DM and Maggie. But being wise the authors of the section have this covered.

The party splits at the fork and splits again due to a riptide. Poopy and Jundis have to fight landslides and Quippers. The others just have speed pass the octopus and not get lost. And due to MATH and careful notes by Poppy they all arrive at the big fight in the same round. But Team Ayo gets advantage on initiative due being in the lead.

Big shark. Huge shark with a roped tied around it three or four times. Everyone attacks the shark but Gaisma who is going toward the golden light. Suddenly the DMs says forget the movement penalty, I will just let the shark swim double. We will not mention he forgot the movement penalty in the top of the round for Team Ayo. The teams mostly kill the shark. But as Poopy cut the rope and Toz catches the orb, the shark was playing possum. The shark swims south for the winter, eats Gaisma mostly, and crashes into the gold light wall.

Gaisma is burped out the dead shark. She is in an underground but above ground dry chamber with pretty golden light. Pretty trees and flowers. She sees a beautiful crystal orb glowing goldenly. She touches the orb.

CUT SCENE. Team who still have not registered their name have a vision. It for them only so push off readers and Team Ayo. The party wakes up and has to decide who are they going to talk about the vision and green glowing MHI swag necklace. The DM takes a break and walks out the store.

The group tells no one of the vision or necklace. They send Toz ahead to claim the reward. They drag then wake Team Ayo. Ayo salutes the group for good game. (The players toss dollars at the DM feet for good game. Hey this is dream vision.)

Elder Ushru pops the orb back in his staff and rewards the team their winnings.

Ushru, “Come speak with me in the morning.”

The End.

Jewel of the Three Prayers Dormant State. In this state, the Jewel of Three Prayers is a glittering golden disk attached to a fine golden chain. The chain magically resizes to function as a necklace for the creature that wears it.

  • You gain a +1 bonus to AC while wearing the jewel.
  • While wearing or holding the jewel, you can use an action to cause it to shed bright light in a 15-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet. The light lasts until you extinguish it (no action required).
  • The jewel has 3 charges and regains all its expended charges daily at dawn. While holding the jewel, you can expend 1 charge from it to cast the invisibility spell.
I will take each person’s rivals and allies and put in a pile. Occasionally I will pull from the pile and that person will show up. If you background will give your information of a location etc. Roll with advantage if we are in that place. I still learning about Wildemount so you people can help me by studying it too.

Galsariad Ardyth, a drow in his two-hundredth year of life. He’s recently taken up the study of arcane magic, and he’s pursuing the life of an adventurer in hopes of improving his reputation within the Kryn Dynasty.
 

Nebulous

Legend
I've prepped it, but I'm starting it at 1st level with the Wildemont adventure in the marsh. It's actually too difficult for 1st and 2nd level PCs, so I will have to make it easier. It seems like the adventure wants the PCs to infiltrate a fort full of hostile soldiers, which is nearly impossible given their abilities.

And there is a demon possessed goblin potentially at the end, but as written, this monster has killed everyone in the fort if they arrive too late, but looking at the stat block, that is impossible for a CR 3 demon to wipe out 20+ soldiers and a captain. The adventure is written such that the PCs arrive in time to save the possessed person (by fighting a whole fort at 2nd level?) or the demon has somehow slaughtered every single last person, and either the PCs have to deal with this monster, or it goes back to town and slaughters people there. But again, it is CR 3 and not the huge threat the adventure makes it out to be.

Netherdeep looks fun. The challenge will be making in NOT seem like a railroad though. The illusion of free choice!
 

I am looking at running the Sunless Citadel as a prelude.

Alternatively, I might start them at level 2 and level up during the 1st session, they don't need to be level 3 until the grotto.
 
Last edited:

jasper

Rotten DM
The group surprised me by blowing through the first chapter in under four hours. The writers are saying six to eight hours each. I have created a chart with the rivals vertical and party across. I am using + and - to show how the rivals will react to the pcs.
We have private facebook page for the write ups and mostly official information. The group is using a messenger chat to drop pc info and plan against the dm. It also keeps the minor bs in one location.
 

I'll keep my eyes on this thread because I'm planning to run this eventually (and hopefully by then official minis for it will be out).
 


jasper

Rotten DM
Netherdeep Session 2

Rising Pots Floats PC Plans

Fessuran 4 Sunrise to Fessuran 20 0900

Pc Killed 0 Monsters Killed 10 Villains Captured 0 Villains Escaped 0

Take a Level. 10 Downtime days. And 100 GP.

Magic Item +1 Battle Ax which duplicates

I had a strong group. Poopy Echo Knight 4. Gaisma Moon Druid 3 Cleric 1. Toz Twilight Cleric Monk 3. Jundis Cleric 1, Sorcerer 1, Warlock 2. Sir Oliver Untgat Barbarian 4.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK the door flies open

Elder Ushru cheerfully and loud, “GOOD MORNING. Come have breakfast with me. We must talk.” He claps his hands three times and various kitchen crew starts setting up a four-course breakfast. “Yes. Yes, sleepy heads you had a good adventure yesterday but the festival is over. Thank you, crew. I will call if we need anything else.” Team Mayhew is still trying to wake up as the smell of freshly roasted coffee, bunches of bacon, orange juice and waffles with maple syrup hit their noses.

Elder Ushru, “I had a vision last night. Which woke me up and had me talking with Priest Belana Zolaed. Let me talk about MY vision.” He describes his visions and askes if means anything to the group. Looking at each other they come clean and describe their vision. “Good. You have been chosen by the Gawds for a mission….”

A rapid three knocks sound on the closed door. “Corporal Radar coming in.” Corporal Radar of the Aurora Watch has a new and full issued back pack on his back. Two bags in one hand. He shoves a clipboard into Poppy’s face.

“Sign here for your orders” Flip. “Sign here for your supplies.” Flip. “Sign here for you three weeks advance pay of 21 SP. Best I can do.” Corporal Radar looks over Poopy and asks, “Noble or Commoner clothing?”

Poopy confused, “Noble?” Corporal Radar opens one bag of clothing and presents her with low ranking noble clothing which is an exact fit. “You may want to change and put your uniform in the empty bag. And then put the bag in your footlocker before you leave. I don’t know what is in your orders. Read those after I leave.” He picks up the other bag, checks the signatures on the paperwork and exits.

Poopy orders release her from her post at Jigow for temporary duty. It could last a month or a year. (Orders posted later as they are on another machine.) The Elder has arranged things and mentions they should visit Bazzoxan soon. Bazzoxan is a small city to the south east which deals with demonic raids regularly but his vision points in that direction. He blesses the group and leaves reminding them the wastes have little to no water.

The group tries to buy equipment, horses, and waterskins. But Captain Bronzefang took all the free horse on patrol. Team Ayo bought the rest of the waterskins. So, they will be entering the wastes with no horses and limited water supplies.

Druid Gaisma, “Wait a minute. What about mules? And I need a ten-gallon pot.”

DM, “What.”

Poopy Pie Eater approaches Agathe Silverspoon about more pies and the loan of a ten-gallon pot. (This and other smart out of the box thinking murders the DMs plans of them being in the wastes. Grumble Grumble Whimper Whimper.)

Team Mayhem enters the wastes with three goats, one pack mule, and a ten-gallon pot. The trip to Emerald Loop Caravan Stop should only take them eight days is the monsters and wildlife don’t eat them. Which they don’t. However, they do occasionally get into fights or find the results of fights. At one battle field they find a ring belonging to Irvan Wastewalker. At another battle field they find an engrave dagger with the name of Kierchaly Wastewalker. The ILL Omen moon curses them for a few days but they get over it.

They rescue an Aurora Watch Patrol which was fighting a Hezrou. But due a Moonbeam spell landing on Toz secrets come out. And the patrol freaks out as Toz morphs into a weretiger. After the battle and camp is made some serious discussions which last to pass midnight happen. So, no long rest for the group just a short rest. (Hate when the players give me a logical rest not to mess them over. Always next game.) Some of the secrets war Toz is a weretiger naturally born. So, the group needs to slow down so he can get tied up during the full moon. Jundis also confesses to hearing snake voices in his dreams. Jundis also tells the group the night of vision, he prayed with Dermot and told him about the vision.

Arriving around midday on the fifteen they meet Team Ayo. And words are exchange. Insults are exchange and suddenly a fight does not break out. Team Mayhem returns the ring and breaks bread with their rivals. Irvan and Toz are not going to get along but the rest of each group do have a good feeling about each other. Jundis finds the daughter of Kierchaly return the dagger. She surprises him with a magical battle axe her dad won in a poker game.

Tales are told around the camp fire. The Aurora Watch outpost is updated by Poppy. The team tells no one why they are carrying a ten-gallon pot, it is a close guarded Jigow secret. In the morning Ayo speaks with Den Mother Gaisma about travelling together. She agrees.

Team Mayhem and Team Ayo arrive at Bazzoxan on Fessuran 20 at 0900. “Halt who are you,” yells a guard.

In the distance an alarm rings.

NOTES. Due to feedback, passives go away except in combat. You are experience gamers. So, if you don’t tell me what your doing, I not going to do an automatic call for a die roll. Thanks for tracking hit points for the monsters Sir Oliver. If you think I am pushing the chapter and it is interfering with role play, say something. Thanks for the use of the minis, they have their own special coffin.

The laptop worked okayed. The data usage was maybe 100 MB. Battery usage on both phone and laptop was under 20%. See an old fart Cobol can do modern electronics. But suggestions for a good shoulder bag, laptop bag, body bag, carrying bag are welcome. When I get more comfortable with the laptop, the big red suitcase will get a lot emptier. Name for laptop is needed.
 

Remove ads

Top