mikeawmids1
Explorer
This story hour is based on an ongoing campaign, using the D&D5e roleplaying system and the series of adventures produced by Midnight Tower at
midnight-tower.com
Adventure #0: Adventures in the Night
Introducing our four heroes;
Enost Stormbraid (Dwarf Wizard 1)
Lone Song (Tabaxi Bard 1)
Addan Dawnmane (Elf Ranger 1)
Shenk (Dragonborn Fighter 1)
The party are on the road to Buckbridge, having heard the village seeks heroes to deal with an incursion of vicious gnolls. Dusk has settled over the forest and the heroes make camp for the night, expecting to complete their journey the following day. Wary that their may be monsters abroad, the heroes take turns watching over their sleeping companions.
Shortly after midnight, Addan hears something creeping around the edge of the camp. A young, half-elven boy with bare-feet and unruly hair emerges from the undergrowth, hands raised to show he is unarmed. Addan rouses the camp. The boy's name is Mans and he needs the heroes' help; goblins have kidnapped his sister Luna and are holding her captive in a nearby cave. Song accepts this story at face value and immediately agrees to help, whereas Enost and Addan are more sceptical. Shenk doesn't care either way and tries to go back to sleep.
Enost and Addan roll Insight, both roll under 10.
Mans seems genuinely concerned for the well-being of his sister. The party quickly break down their camp and follow the boy into the dark forest. Soon, they reach the edge of a moonlit glade occupied by a circle of overgrown statues. Mans clings to the edge of the clearing, urging the heroes to hurry. Addan suspects this was once a druidic enclave, although the site appears long neglected.
Suddenly, a huge bundle of hairy legs and venom-dripping mandibles leaps out of the shadows! The party are surprised! The giant wolf spider bites Song (nat 20!!!) and she collapses under the spider's weight, poison coursing through her veins!
Initiative: Addan > Spider > Shenk > Song > Enost
Addan draws his twinned shortswords and lays into the monstrous spider scrabbling over Song's prone form (8 dmg). The spider turns on the ranger and sinks its venemous fangs into Addan's leg. Addan is hurt and poisoned. Shenk swings his flail at the skittering fiend and it pops like a hairy balloon full of spider goo! Addan stabilizes Song, but she shows no sign of regaining conciousness anytime soon.
The only party member with any healing spells is Song.
Mans is insistant that his sister cannot wait. Shenk and Addan go ahead with the boy, while Enost waits with Song, promising to catch up as soon as she wakes.
The reduced party continues, deeper into the wood. Soon, they spy firelight flickering from the mouth of a cave. Mans stops and explains he can approach no closer, due to an unholy effigy the orc shaman has erected inside the cave. Hold on, nobody said anything about an orc shaman!! Shenk and Addan glower at the boy distrustfully, but he pleads with them to defeat the goblins (and the orc shaman), destroy the effigy and save his sister.
Addan is down to 4hp, so he plans to hang back and provide ranged cover from the treeline, while Shenk wades into melee. This is fine with Shenk. There are two goblin sentries guarding the cave mouth. They are not particularly vigilant and somehow fail to notice the hulking dragonborn fighter edging closer, until his flail comes crashing down atop the nearest goblin's skull. Addan takes a shot from the bushes and the second goblin collapses, an arrow piercing his neck.
Shenk is about to charge into the cave, when he remembers the plan is to draw the remaining goblins outside. He starts yelling some pretty choice gobbophobic slurs into the cave, earning immediate aggro from the remaining hostiles.
The half-orc shaman emerges, along with another two goblins.
Initiative: Shenk > Shaman > Addan > Goblins
The two goblins charge toward Shenk, who spins his trusty flail around his head and takes out the foremost goblin in a spray of bone shards. The shaman casts Burning Hands, not realising that Shenk is resistant to fire damage. Addan takes a shot at the shaman, but misses - alerting the bad guys to his presence. The one remaining goblin grits his teeth and swings for Shenk - he beats the Dragonborn's AC and rolls max damage with his scimitar!
Shenk is not impressed and grudgingly expends his Second Wind ability to recover 5hp. The shaman casts Burning Hands into the bushes Addan is hiding behind. He makes the Dex save, but even half damage is enough to take him out. The ranger bursts from the flaming foliage, beating at his burning britches, before collapsing in a smoldering heap.
Addan immediately rolls a Nat 20 on his first death save, recovers 1hp and jumps to his feet!
The shaman stares at the still-smoldering ranger in disbelief (not a million miles from my own expression as the GM).
Addan grabs his bow and shoots the shaman in the leg (4 dmg).
Shenk deflects the goblin's second attack with his shield and caves in the little bugger's skull with his flail. Realising she is in trouble, the shaman wastes her action casting Mage Armour on herself, then starts limping away from the danger. Addan smirks, lines up his shot - and misses. By, like, miles. It was kinda' embarrasing. The shaman casts one last, hateful glance over her shoulder, before melting into the dark forest. Shenk shakes his head in disappointment and goes back to looting the dead goblins.
Yzork (the shaman) may yet return as a recurring villain with a massive hate boner for the party....
Addan and Shenk explore the cave. They find and destroy the orcish effigy of Gruumsh. They also find a caged she-wolf, but their is no sign of Mans' sister. Shenk begins poking through the firepit for human bones, but he doesn't find any. Soon thereafter, they are joined by Mans, Enost and Song (still looking a little worse for wear after her near-death experience). Mans thanks the party for saving Luna. The party stare back at the boy in confusion. Mans claims that the she-wolf is his sister! Shenk narrows his eyes and reaches for his flail. Mans hastily explains that he was cursed with lycanthropy at a young age, but his gran gave him a charm to help him control his bestial urges. When gran died, he went to live with a family of wolves.
To thank the party properly, Mans offers them the witchcharm from around his neck - he doesn't need it anymore. The charm grants +1 to all Strength, Dexterity and Constitution saving throws and allows the wearer to cast Animal Friendship once per day as a 1st level spell. Addon takes the witchcharm and hangs it round his neck.
After releasing Luna from the cage, Mans shifts into his lupine form and the two young wolves lope off into the night together. The party hear grateful howling in the distance. The heroes decide to rest in the cave and continue on to Buckbridge come the dawn.
Party Plunder from the goblin cave: 5gp, a silver comb worth 2gp and a barrel of mead, which Shenk immediately cracks open.
The heroes all gain half a level.
TBC...!
Midnight Tower – Creating Dungeons and Dragons stuff after midnight.

Adventure #0: Adventures in the Night
Introducing our four heroes;
Enost Stormbraid (Dwarf Wizard 1)
Lone Song (Tabaxi Bard 1)
Addan Dawnmane (Elf Ranger 1)
Shenk (Dragonborn Fighter 1)
The party are on the road to Buckbridge, having heard the village seeks heroes to deal with an incursion of vicious gnolls. Dusk has settled over the forest and the heroes make camp for the night, expecting to complete their journey the following day. Wary that their may be monsters abroad, the heroes take turns watching over their sleeping companions.
Shortly after midnight, Addan hears something creeping around the edge of the camp. A young, half-elven boy with bare-feet and unruly hair emerges from the undergrowth, hands raised to show he is unarmed. Addan rouses the camp. The boy's name is Mans and he needs the heroes' help; goblins have kidnapped his sister Luna and are holding her captive in a nearby cave. Song accepts this story at face value and immediately agrees to help, whereas Enost and Addan are more sceptical. Shenk doesn't care either way and tries to go back to sleep.
Enost and Addan roll Insight, both roll under 10.
Mans seems genuinely concerned for the well-being of his sister. The party quickly break down their camp and follow the boy into the dark forest. Soon, they reach the edge of a moonlit glade occupied by a circle of overgrown statues. Mans clings to the edge of the clearing, urging the heroes to hurry. Addan suspects this was once a druidic enclave, although the site appears long neglected.
Suddenly, a huge bundle of hairy legs and venom-dripping mandibles leaps out of the shadows! The party are surprised! The giant wolf spider bites Song (nat 20!!!) and she collapses under the spider's weight, poison coursing through her veins!
Initiative: Addan > Spider > Shenk > Song > Enost
Addan draws his twinned shortswords and lays into the monstrous spider scrabbling over Song's prone form (8 dmg). The spider turns on the ranger and sinks its venemous fangs into Addan's leg. Addan is hurt and poisoned. Shenk swings his flail at the skittering fiend and it pops like a hairy balloon full of spider goo! Addan stabilizes Song, but she shows no sign of regaining conciousness anytime soon.
The only party member with any healing spells is Song.
Mans is insistant that his sister cannot wait. Shenk and Addan go ahead with the boy, while Enost waits with Song, promising to catch up as soon as she wakes.
The reduced party continues, deeper into the wood. Soon, they spy firelight flickering from the mouth of a cave. Mans stops and explains he can approach no closer, due to an unholy effigy the orc shaman has erected inside the cave. Hold on, nobody said anything about an orc shaman!! Shenk and Addan glower at the boy distrustfully, but he pleads with them to defeat the goblins (and the orc shaman), destroy the effigy and save his sister.
Addan is down to 4hp, so he plans to hang back and provide ranged cover from the treeline, while Shenk wades into melee. This is fine with Shenk. There are two goblin sentries guarding the cave mouth. They are not particularly vigilant and somehow fail to notice the hulking dragonborn fighter edging closer, until his flail comes crashing down atop the nearest goblin's skull. Addan takes a shot from the bushes and the second goblin collapses, an arrow piercing his neck.
Shenk is about to charge into the cave, when he remembers the plan is to draw the remaining goblins outside. He starts yelling some pretty choice gobbophobic slurs into the cave, earning immediate aggro from the remaining hostiles.
The half-orc shaman emerges, along with another two goblins.
Initiative: Shenk > Shaman > Addan > Goblins
The two goblins charge toward Shenk, who spins his trusty flail around his head and takes out the foremost goblin in a spray of bone shards. The shaman casts Burning Hands, not realising that Shenk is resistant to fire damage. Addan takes a shot at the shaman, but misses - alerting the bad guys to his presence. The one remaining goblin grits his teeth and swings for Shenk - he beats the Dragonborn's AC and rolls max damage with his scimitar!
Shenk is not impressed and grudgingly expends his Second Wind ability to recover 5hp. The shaman casts Burning Hands into the bushes Addan is hiding behind. He makes the Dex save, but even half damage is enough to take him out. The ranger bursts from the flaming foliage, beating at his burning britches, before collapsing in a smoldering heap.
Addan immediately rolls a Nat 20 on his first death save, recovers 1hp and jumps to his feet!
The shaman stares at the still-smoldering ranger in disbelief (not a million miles from my own expression as the GM).
Addan grabs his bow and shoots the shaman in the leg (4 dmg).
Shenk deflects the goblin's second attack with his shield and caves in the little bugger's skull with his flail. Realising she is in trouble, the shaman wastes her action casting Mage Armour on herself, then starts limping away from the danger. Addan smirks, lines up his shot - and misses. By, like, miles. It was kinda' embarrasing. The shaman casts one last, hateful glance over her shoulder, before melting into the dark forest. Shenk shakes his head in disappointment and goes back to looting the dead goblins.
Yzork (the shaman) may yet return as a recurring villain with a massive hate boner for the party....
Addan and Shenk explore the cave. They find and destroy the orcish effigy of Gruumsh. They also find a caged she-wolf, but their is no sign of Mans' sister. Shenk begins poking through the firepit for human bones, but he doesn't find any. Soon thereafter, they are joined by Mans, Enost and Song (still looking a little worse for wear after her near-death experience). Mans thanks the party for saving Luna. The party stare back at the boy in confusion. Mans claims that the she-wolf is his sister! Shenk narrows his eyes and reaches for his flail. Mans hastily explains that he was cursed with lycanthropy at a young age, but his gran gave him a charm to help him control his bestial urges. When gran died, he went to live with a family of wolves.
To thank the party properly, Mans offers them the witchcharm from around his neck - he doesn't need it anymore. The charm grants +1 to all Strength, Dexterity and Constitution saving throws and allows the wearer to cast Animal Friendship once per day as a 1st level spell. Addon takes the witchcharm and hangs it round his neck.
After releasing Luna from the cage, Mans shifts into his lupine form and the two young wolves lope off into the night together. The party hear grateful howling in the distance. The heroes decide to rest in the cave and continue on to Buckbridge come the dawn.
Party Plunder from the goblin cave: 5gp, a silver comb worth 2gp and a barrel of mead, which Shenk immediately cracks open.
The heroes all gain half a level.
TBC...!
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