DDAL Jasper DMs Season 3

[jasper]

I been DMing for a new group on Tuesday. I ran DDEX03-01 to start. This was hard module to run. As I have lost track of the number of times I have ran this for D&D on Demand, at cons, and at pickups. DMs should remember now matter how many times they have run an adventure, IT IS THE PCS and PLAYERS FIRST TIME. I will be doing Some more Season 3 modules for the group. But they asked me to do write ups. So.
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DDEX03-05 Session

Bane of the Tradeways
Bane of Sanity

Day 6
Gain a level, 80 GP, 10 downtime days.

Magic Items +1 shield (it duplicates so anyone can have one) Potion of Heroism, Potion of Healing
Story Award Boon of Bitterwood. You have aided the farmers of the Hillsfar region by revealing and putting an end to a slave trade network operated by some corrupt Red Plume soldiers. Anytime you enter a tavern in the Moonsea region, excluding Hillsfar proper, roll a d20. On a roll of 15 or higher you are recognized by someone as a champion of the Hillfarian farmers. You are treated to a drink, Dragon’s Breath Brandy if available, and your heroics are loudly proclaimed.

I had a weak group of five for the Heady Boutique group. InuYasha Bard 2. Father Ted Cleric 1. Those are my two semi-regulars. Reed Lightfeather Bard 1 second or third AL game. Aradell Druid first AL game. Boar Fangi Fighter 2.

Sorry I was not fully prepared. I am working on my travel kit to put in my military rucksack. It should contain PHB, MM, battle grids, markers, eraser, tokens (forgot those), pencils, and other supplies. SKULLY.

Remember in Tier 1 which are levels 1 to 4 you get a free potion of healing from your buddies due to your renown. This is use it during the session or lose it at the end of the night.

History of Skully. I start back playing D&D in May 2016 after a 12 year break. I started DMing AL in 9/9/16 with the Ravenloft which a vampire campaign. As the Dollar Tree had the Halloween supplies out, I bought a plastic skull for atmosphere and as table knocker. Plenty of people in Visions joked about me keeping my kills on. They joked about for so long, I decided to make it real. I am on my third skull and 85 kills are on them. Some of them are my pcs.

Hillsfar is a human only city which practices the slave trade of non-humans. The party with the only human Boar Fangi are skirting the town. They come upon an ambush four elves are fighting with a Red Plume Patrol. One officer is being hung by a tree branch and about to be stabbed by an elf. A three on three fight is centered around a cart.

The party argues about which side to help. Some want to help the elf side. Some don’t care as it not their problem. So just want to watch. (Wish I could do justice to the argument but everyone were in the groove and some comments cracked me up.)

Finally, InuYasha decides to walk down and cast mockery on one the elves. Which ticks off the elves and they look at the lone Tiefling. Looking behind him, InuYasha discovers he is all ALONE.

InuYasha, “Sorry, Sorry, My Mistake.” He runs back up the hill. A few minutes later everyone in the ambush on both sides are dead. (And the whole group is off script. Do I choose help the Red Plumes or do nothing track?)
Boar, “we could loot the bodies.”
Reed, “Too late.” They watch as Lt Needlemire loot the bodies and gathers up a horse. He approaches the party warily.
Needlemire looks at Boar, “Thank you for sending your slave to help. He didn’t help much but what to you expect from slaves.” The LT writes up a pass for Reed and his slaves. He goes to pass to Boar.
Boar decides to attack him. Reed does not want to attack him. Aradell is confused. Father Ted does not care. InuYasha is wants to cast vicious mockery. (The players got into a lively debate over this. When they could not come to one path, I made them roll initiative.)

Lt Needlemire see the slaves start an argument with their owner, he saves against a spell and slowly backs his horse up sixty feet before fleeing.
The party still debates on what to do. (and the dm is trying to get them AGAIN back on track.) Aradell keeps hearing BAD bird whistles. She listens and understands it is a group communicating through the forest.
Aradell, “People we are being spied on, and…”
Half the group, “We kill them.”
Alfred the wood elf, “Hi I am Alfred….”
InuYasha, “Do you have a friend named Bruce?”
Alfred, “Bruce no. But sound like a good name for beggar. We could insert a loyal human into Hillsfar. Never mind. I not coming out unless you promise not to kill me.”
Party, “Okay” Some of them did not seem too happy about this.

Alfred, “It appears you are trying to be against the slavers.” Alfred gets the group calmed down. They discuss how to stop the slavers. Boar thinks dressing as the LT would be a good idea but Reed did want too. Before that argument could restart, Alfred whistled to his people to kill Needlemire and bring his uniform back.

(Now I got the players on track.)
The group discusses how to ambush the next slave convoy. Various ideas are discussed with me shooting down the really bad ones. They decide to drop a tree at a bend in the road. (I quickly redraw the map.) Boar will dress as Lt. Needlemire and halt the convoy. At the command of “Pineapple” the party and two elf thugs will attack. (mostly good idea. I will need a deception against insight on the front wagon which has a mage. The group agrees to the plan and some ready spells.)

Boar bluffs the mage. Two sleep spells go off on the mage. The second one works. Everyone moves to attack except Brother Ted.
Brother Ted, “I thought PINEAPPLE was the go word.”
Boar sighs, “PINEAPPLE PINEAPPLE ON FREAKING PIZZA ALREADY!”
Brother Ted, “What is a pizza?”

The rear guard charges the group. The two other wagons try to go around the ambush. But between surprise, bad rolls of the dm, good animal handling rolls, and straight grappling the drivers the group captures the convey. The rear guard is killed while trying to escape.

Due to time I ended the session. With one small evil dm trick. I told them they had the location of the slave drop off. I then had them close their eyes. Left hand was raise to sell the slaves. Right hand was raised was to kill the slavers. Well you saw the story award.

Remember new players as questions. I been playing for 40 years and have other edition knowledge stuck in my head which may over ride 5E rules.

 

[jasper]

I did discover something last night. Online there is a huge list of arrays for 27 pt buy. Was some confusion. I asked if the two newer players used the standard array or 27 pt buy. They said "Oh we got an array off the net." Some round and round before Reed mention the array was created using 27 pt buy.

 

[jasper]

DDEX03-06 Session

No Foolish Matter

Loving Fools

Day 7-8

Gain a level, 80 GP, 10 downtime days.
3 monsters killed in session
Pc Killed 0 Monsters Killed 27 Villains Captured 0 Villains Escaped 0 (the numbers look off)

Magic Item Pipes of the Sewers.

Story Award Zuse. 5 ways to Leave your Lover. You wooed the Mayor of Hillpicket and left. Boy are you in trouble next time you visit. (Write this on Zuse’s character sheet.)

I had a very weak group of four. John Smith second D&D session, 1st Adventure League session, Fighter 1. InuYasha Bard 3. Tiny (can’t read first name) Barbarian 2. Zuse Rogue 1.

This is maybe the third time running this module and it gets easier to handle the curve balls and fix some of the broken stuff.

Our heroes were getting nasty looks most of the night by the towns people of Hillpicket. They were not the carnival’s front men. They were hearing rumors about a sickness either following Doctor’s Jubal’s Carnival of Curiosities but they put it down to idle gossip. Especially since good woman Aelia was the one chatting up the Tiefling InuYasha. Aelia was 3 masks away from being a Karen. (Old evil gossip yea that a better description.) They group was kind of keeping together and not wanting to break the ice.

(Not really. I have 2 new people. 2 now regulars. And I was not getting the point across of who they could speak to. So I just wrote down the NPCs and asked them to choose. NPCS Hope the Mayor. Chay geese rancher and candy sells person. Mira Town guard. Cherritt apple farmer.)

Zuse hooks with the Mayor and we fade to black. (Not doing that type loving scene.)

Tiny talks to Cherritt and discovers the gnome has lock down the drink concessions for the carnival. The gnome is a business gnome.

John Smith talks with Chay the geese rancher and discovers the reason his candy business is not doing well. You remember the Christmas candy bowl from your ancient auntie. The one that stuck together and had an inch of dust. Chay’s candy is worse.

InuYasha chats up Roper and knows she hates the Red Plumes but is getting half her pay from them. And they have the biggest army.

Around Midnight the barker from the Carnival arrives. He passes out some free tickets. InuYasha begs him to take him to Doctor Jubal for a job interview. Tiny follows quietly. Until he steps on the sleeping cat’s tail. Falls into the Pot and pan isle. And starts the boom box. (Ok he rolled a 1 on stealth giving him a 4.) Tiny is warned off by 3 halfling jesters who herd him back to the tavern. (DM CRACKING WHIP. BACK BACK. NO BREAKING THE MODULE.)

InuYasha gets told to come back at noon this day. (DM CRACKING WHIP. BACK BACK. NO BREAKING THE MODULE.)

The carnival is still going up during the night. But the noise is not loud enough to bother our brave heroes. Zuse wakes up and goes to steal from the mayor’s room. Then remembers the mayor only took him upstairs. She didn’t even leave him a note.

The carnival opens. There are kiddie rides, archery shoot, 3 cup, Dancing Rats show, Madame Darkness fortune teller, Hall of Mirrors closed at the moment, (DM TOTALLY IGNORES PLAYERS COMMENTS), exotic sights, Red Plume puppet show, apple cider vendors, and others. (Again I wrote down on a white board what they could do.) Toward the back is Doctor Jubal’s wagon. The group decides all will visit the Doctor at noon. Zuse will disguise himself as InuYasha’s lawyer. John Smith will be his loyal body guard. Tiny will just be quiet, like he be so all session. (Good idea people.) But the meeting is not at noon.

So they decide to play some games. They lose. (I do like the suggested rules for the games.) They visit Madame Darkness a sun elf who foretells their future. (Ignore the suggestion. If you know the players use your knowledge to tell a possible future.) Look back occasionally the group notices four white masked jesters are mocking them. The masks are similar to the ones Tiny and InuYasha saw last night. The bard ticks off the rat show entertainer. What started out as some dancing rats becomes a battle of bards. Pan Flute vs. Pan Flute. The bard does notice the entertainer is missing some notes but the rats still dance.

Noon arrives. The jesters are still following the party. InuYasha casts an illusion to duplicate himself. The jesters are not impressed. The hall of Mirrors is now open. The group arrives at the Doctor’s office. Jubal shoos away the fools. (The Carnival’s fools Zuse.) Jubal is not impressed by InuYasha audition but is impress by Zuse’s disguised. (I think we all fun acting this out.) Jubal does not hire any of them.

As they leave the office, they hear Good woman Aelia screaming madly. They go to investigate. A Thug mugs Aelia and flees toward the hall of mirrors. A giant rat and swarm of rats attack the party. Multiple rounds later. (Yea I getting high initiative. Boo not hitting anything. Neither is the group.) The rats are dead and Aelia gives them clues about the hall of mirrors. Off to the hall of mirrors. (As soon as I draw it out as they don’t give me a map. But it gives time for the players to discuss tactics.)

They enter the hall of mirrors and smash some. Tiny and John Smith gain some madness from this. (But it does not matter as the module does not have short term madness chart and D&D Beyond is not pulling up the madness chart.) They see parts of the floor boards are well worn and follow the path. (INSERT EVIL DM GIGGLE). They come to a big room with six mirrors, four tied up town folks (Zuse get your mind out of the gutter), and the Doctor Jubal. Doctor Jubal will hire them if they ignore him doing the occasionally murder.

That is a big no. The party starts smashing mirrors and attacking the bad doctor. After about seven rounds, the doctor is dead. Game over. (Yes. We all had trouble hitting each other.)

DM Notes. The Hall of Mirrors is the main attraction for the Carnival. But the module is kind of linear. Keep it closed until the climax. I had a group once skip half the module by going straight to it. Also the group never did bite on the sickness hook. But InuYasha job hunting allowed me to pull them onward.

 

[jasper]

I am putting ( some notes) in the write up because Zuse said he wants to dm. So after the game, I ask for feedback and give feedback. Most of my feedback is not sweat the small stuff but read up on your pc class.

 

[jasper]

DDEX03-12 Session

Hillsfar Reclaimed

Days 9-10

Gain a level. 10 Downtime Days. 80 GP

PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 14 Villains Captured 0 Villains Escaped 2

Start Time 7:20. End Time 8:40. Run Time 80 minutes.

Magic Items. Eyes of Minute Seeing, Scroll of Disguise Self

This is another module I have ran a few times, so I started off script. And…. Well you see.

I had a very weak group of three. Nirvana Cleric 1 pacifist. Orgoth the Tiny Barbarian 3. Zuse Rogue 2.

The player running the pacifist cleric scared me a bit. But he said he was going for control, bluffs, and rebuffs.

The heroes were contacted by the Harper Insane Ro (Hey that was on the Trek Next Gen this afternoon). They are to smuggle themselves into the Hillsfar. Problem one they all non-human. Solution. Go to the big oak tree what was knock down by that hurricane two years ago and enter by the sewers.

They enter the sewers and Zuse get sicken (Poisoned) by the smell. They move on only being slightly bothered by a swarm of rats. (Yea right critical from Orgoth left it 6 HP). Coming to an intersection they discover a body. One the body has been here for a few weeks nibbled on by rats. It has arm patch which denotes the person was a member of the High Court of Lord Torin Nomerthal. Three, most of the bones were broke, joints dislocated, claw wounds, and fell from a greater height than the outhouse it was stuffed down from.

Nirvana takes the body with him to the contact point. (DM What. Eww. Okay.) Insane Ro is slightly upset about the thirty-day old corpse but with the face mostly gone, no more facts can be found.

Insane Ro briefs the group. Agents from Maerimydra one of the 666 planes of the Abyss have been influencing Lord Torin. The agents need to be discovered. (Script HEY YOU. HEY DM Maerimydra is not part of the Abyss. DM Shut it. I don’t keep Realms lord in my head. You off script. This is not going to end well. DM What do you know. Shut it.) Torin is planning a grand tour through country next month to meet with leaders of Damaran leaders of succotash. (SCRIPT that is Yulash. DM you can’t ever get the û right. Script You had to google that. DM You should not be using that.)

Insane Ro, “Are you boys finished?”

Insane Ro continues the briefing. The harpers need a copy of the final schedule which can be gotten either from bribing his chancellor, you know his executive secretary Garos Dauger the just. Or stealing it from the secretary’s office. We can get you either by you being servants but you have to interview the Seneschal Torgrave Needlebaum. A seneschal is basically head servant. Or we have score an invitation for a party of two. (Script HAVE YOU READ ME. YOU MOTHER. DM. Language. SCRIPT IT IS THE LAST BULLET POINT! DM. How many times have I run this? Don’t worry I got this. SCRIPT YOU BETTER HAVE GOT IT!).

Insane Ro, “AS I WAS SAYING!” We have an invitation for two, which is good and bad. Good. It a masked ball. Bad because we are going have to disguise the halfling and half-elf. As Demi-humans.

Blank looks from the full party of demi-humans.

Insane Ro proceeds to tell the group that Hillsfar is super racist. And the costumes ordered for the ball are making fun of non-humans. But Nirvana will have to go interview with Torgrave.

Nirvana disguises himself as human and interviews with Torgrave. He will be paid 2 GP for the night. He will be allowed to take home a small doggy bag of food and treats. He will require to wear a costume. The head server of the night will give additional instructions. Bob will give Nirvana a number seven costume. A number seven costume is a bad Dollar Tree costume of hill dwarf.

(DM. Really? Script pulling a knife. I WILL CUT YOU!).

Insane Ro, “I remind you be nice. Don’t get caught. We will disavow you if you get caught. Simply put. Get caught, I don’t know you.”

The group gets a long rest. Nirvana reports to the ball two hours early. The ball is filled with humans dressed as demi-humans. Some are Dollar Treat super cheap costumes. Others are Hollywood award winning makeup. Zuse and his son Orgoth are stopped at cloak room. Orgoth is given a ticket for his too real battle axe. And holsters for his throwing axes. He is told not barbarian out in the hall. Zuse finds a scummy server and pays for some knockout drops. (DM He could have gone to table 7. Script. THERE IS NO TABLE SEVEN!) Zuse is planning on knocking out the first lord and stealing the plans. (DM I need to know that. Other players, we need to know that.) Zuse look at crowd and the numbers of extra guards decide, that is a bad idea. But Executive Secretary (I DON’T KNOW IF HE SHAVES HIS LEGS ZUSE) Garos Dauger the just (Garos Hey dude that is Just. Big “J”). Garos does have his office keys on him. A quick hand motion and pass off to Nirvana and the keys are on the way.

Nirvana has no problem sneaking into the office and stealing the official schedule. (PUT THE WEDDING PHOTOS BACK NIRVANA.) He returns to the ball just in time for the big announcement.

The First Lord starts to speak, “Thank you everyone form joining me in celebrating the Midsummer. Your support throughout the year has remade Hillsfar into the great city it once was. Free from the vermin that were allowed to live among us, our city grows its trading power by the day. Hail Hillsfar!”

As the cheers go up. A guest rips of its mask revealing it is a slender male elf. The elf draws a dagger and throws it at the first lord. There is a flurry of activity, and a heartbeat later, the First Lord is on his knees cradling the still body of Thessaly, his current squeeze.

Nirvana, “SPARE THE DYING!”

DM, “WAIT. WHAT!”

SCRIPT, “WAIT WHAT! DID HE SAY SPARE THE DYING? WHILE YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF BOX TEXT!”

Nirvana, “Yes, spare the dying.”

SCRIPT, “He is off script.”

DM, “Players are always off script, SCRIPT. Now shut it. And let me reread this portion.” (OKAY NO ONE has done this before when I been DMing this module.)

Nirvana finishes casting spare the dying. But catches a blow from her brother Lord Davon. Strangely his fists feel like claws. Nirvana casts detect good vs evil. The mostly not dead body of Thessaly and her brother Devon are fiends.

As the Red Plumes try to separate Lord Devon from the servant, try to establish order; they group fades into the wood work and leaves. Quickly.

The End. Next week will DDEX03-14 another 2-hour module. Then we continue with various season three modules. If they are four hour modules we finish them in two sessions.

DM Notes. Language problem during the night with me having to explain some terms. Age problem too. Some people did not know Mission Impossible, or other movies which I tried to use as an example.

 

[jasper]

DDEX03-14 Session

Death on the Wall

Days 11-12

Gain a level. 10 Downtime Days. 20 GP

PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 17 Villains Captured 0 Villains Escaped 2 PC Captured 3

Start Time 7:23. End Time 8:47. Run Time 84 minutes. Hey 84 minutes this could be a national release movie.

Magic Items None. Assassin Blood poison, Serpent venom poison, potion of poison.

I had a very weak group of three. InuYasha Bard 4. Orgoth the Tiny Barbarian 4. Nimrod Druid 1.

This is sneaky sneak module.

Lord Torin is going on his grand parade through the kingdom and surrounding area to meet and great allies. The group has been task to spy on the First Lord while he is at the Waydown. Waydown is a fort build around a huge hole to the Underdark. The Underdark has been trying to invade Hillsfar lands.

They are resting at the Plodding Plow before they move on to the Waydown. From out the back kitchen yelling is heard. Elanil Elassidil a famous elven bard jumps the bar and slides across the floor.

Elanil, “Beep. They not here. BEEP. Well I guess, this crew will have to do. The Plumes have seen me. You are it.” She slides her backpack off her back, and drops kicks it underneath the crew’s table. She dashes out the front door and steals a horse riding off to the north.

Reyill Werned, “Um. She just stole my horse. Who going to pay for that?’

InuYasha, “The Lord’s Alliance will pay for the horse.”

Before the conversion can get worse. Five Red Plumes wearing chain and shield burst out of kitchen demanding to know where the elf went.

InuYasha casts a minor illusion of her and horse fleeing south, “She went south. See.”

Reyill Werned, “Yes and she stole my horse. She STOLE the ONLY Horse, which belong to a Human. What are you going to do about it Plumes?”

Red Plume Barney, “Here citizen take this chit and you get paid.” Barney and his deputies dash out the front door and to the south.

Reyill, “Cool. I getting paid twice.”

The group explores the backpack. Some flasks of oil. Rope. Crowbar. Handcuffs. (Not Fuzz Handcuffs Nimrod.) Some poison. A note. The note explains the First lord is changing is route to Yulash. The attack on Waydown is still a suicide mission.

The group takes backpack with them and continues to the Waydown. New mission kill the first lord. But how? The group hides on top of hill overlooking the fort. And gets bored spying on the fort. And they start to make plans.

During the first hour they notice the watch towers with ballista are facing toward the hole in the ground. Three patrols are on the outer rim of the area going clockwise. A patrol of a dog and guards are randomly searching inside the perimeter of the area.

InuYasha, “I could use mage hand to pour the poison over the First Lord’s head.”

Tiny, “So no one will notice a mage hand just floating along into the big huge rich dude’s tent?”

During the second hour, Nimrod feels the weather is going to change. Around six AM in the morning, a snowstorm will come in. The supplies are near the fort. Three piles of them. The two kennels contain four dogs each. (How did I get two kennels? Bad map).

InuYasha, “I could use Mage Hand to pour oil over the supplies. Light the oil with this tinderbox. And during the confusion, I could use mage hand to pour the poison over the First Lord’s head.”

Orgoth the Tiny, “Doesn’t mage hand only carry one thing. And two of these poisons are ingestion. “

During the third hour getting close to midnight, the group discovers the stables are not well guarded. The barracks will not support the number of guards present. Most of the guards are in pup tents. Only during bad weather will the guards be brought inside. (SAY like a snowstorm which is going to hit around six AM.)

InuYasha, “We could sneak in, disguise ourselves as cooks. And when we serve the High Lord I could use Mage Hand to pour the poison in his drink.”

Tiny, “Is that the vessel with pestle, or the Chalice with the malice…”

Nimrod, “What are you talking about? And do you see any demi-humans in camp?”

During the fourth hour after midnight, they see the temple of Tempus close down. They have a plan. They sneak pass the outer patrol. They sneak pass the dog patrol. They sneak into the Temple of Tempus. They sneak pass the altar. They sneak into the priestess room. (Very good rolls on group sneaks.) Nimrod and InuYasha cast minor illusion.

“Priestess This your gawd Tempus. “

The old lady rolls over mumbles, “Yea. Right.”

“Priestess Lorhanna. The First Lord has angered me. You will Kill him…”

The old lady rolls over. “Let me get my boots on.” She laces up one boot.

“This is your gawd Tempus you will poison the First Lord!”

Lorhanna, “Yea Right” And she tosses her right boot at the gnome (Nimrod) head. “Kids when you try to be a gawd. Do some research first. Now hand over that poison!” She grabs a yard stick and waves at the two.

Nimrod, “But…”

Lorhanna, “Now!”

Nimrod, “Okay. But how will we kill the First Lord, if we can’t poison him?” He digs his shoe into the floor.

Lorhanna, “Not with poison. I don’t like him. If you bump him off I will support the Chancellor Garos to replace them. Now give me back my boot and let me get my beauty sleep.” She does give them some other people who hate the first lord.

The group walk back into the worship center.

InuYasha, “I have a plan. Tiny follow me.”

Nimrod, “I have a plan. Orgoth follow me.”

Orgoth the Tiny chews his battle axe and follows Nimrod.

InuYasha sneaks into the mess tent. Finding Bob the Baker asleep next to the NINE other cooks, he wakes him.

InuYasha, “Bob Baker, I have plan. Just keep quiet. And I tell you my plan.”

Head Cook, “Um what is a Tiefling doing here in the dark talking about dark plans in the dark.”

Alarm one is raised.

Nimrod the druid has snuck into full kennel, with FOUR dogs and the kennel master Miss Coralynn Winsail. “Hey doggies. I have plan. You eat the face off the first lord.”

Doggie, “Who is first lord?”

Doggie 2, “Why eat the first lord?”

Nimrod, “The first lord treats you badly and treats demi-humans badly,”

Doggie, “What is a demi-human?”

Doggie 2, “You smell like the rest.”

Coralynn, “Why are you interrupting my beauty sleep?”

Nimrod, “Lady, you really need it.”

Alarm two is raised.

Alarm one. InuYasha casts sleep twice taking out all the cooks with only light damage. He runs out into the middle of the first dog patrol. He surrenders.

Alarm two.

Coralynn, “Sick them. Eat them up.” Tiny kills Coralynn. Nimrod gets bitten. Tiny gets bitten. Tiny kills a dog. Nimrod gets bitten and goes down. Tiny kills a dog and gets bitten. Tiny dashes into the arms of the second dog patrol.

TPC. TPC. TPC. Total Party Captured. Nimrod is given his potion of healing.

InuYasha, “I have a plan what if I use Mage Hand to.”

Guard, “SHUT UP.”

They are shipped back to Hillsfar to face judgement in the arena. Luckily the real assassin team does it job. Elanil Elassidil is able to sign their Red Plume Patrol asleep and release them.

The End.

OOPS. DID you see what I did wrong? (Forgot to adjust the cook and kennel encounter downward.)

Next week should be DDEX03-3 A Tier 2 module. This is a four hour module. I will break it up over two sessions. Remind me to bring the Tier 2 pregens for the group just in case they are needed.

 

[jasper]

Problems. One even when I read the module ahead of time, I seem to get stupid and miss things in the module on Tuesday nights. Two. The group was not getting the hint for every hour they were on over look, I would give them more information. Three I am still having trouble remembering to adjust downward the encounters.

 

[jasper]

DDEX03-03 Session 1

The Occupation of Szith Morcane Part 1

Day 13-14

If you won your bet gain 60 GP if you lost gain 30 GP.

PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 18 Villains Captured 0 Villains Escaped 2

I had a weak group of five Bilbo Cage Rogue 8. Youngblood Barbarian 8. Giants Bain Bard 5. Kaskin Wizard 5. Andrew fighter 5. Kaskin and Andrew are new to AL and I gain them pregens.

Start time 7:25 PM. End Time 9:14.

This is part 1 of the module. The module generally runs 4 hours.

The group is wandering toward Elventree to pick up a job about an underground city. Rounding a bend, they see a dead horse and dead drow. Except the drow is only mostly a sleep with a hand crossbow bolt in his shoulder. As Bain is trying to wake the drow up Elanil Elassidil comes out the woods and tosses him a rope and demands he tie up the elf. Giants Bain starts some back talk.

Elanil, “Aren’t you the one who used 300 rolls of toilet paper on the violin tower during your Freshmen year at the academy.”

Bain remembers actively avoiding taking any classes taught by Elanil. And still thanks the gawds, Elanil was on a Harper mission when the discipline committee sat on his case. He still has to ship the school a big bundle of Charmin each month. And they will not release his records until all 3000 rolls are paid. Elanil serious hopes this is not the group but gathers them up like a mother chicken with her chicks and takes them to Elventree.

Elventree is built around a land lock lighthouse. About five years ago, a huge earthquake pushed the shoreline out about a mile. Elventree and the surrounding countryside have been recently attack by drow. The drow are coming up from the Waydown. A sinkhole which has formed in the last three months. The First Lord Torin of Hillsfar has send his Red Plumes to build a fortress around the Waydown. The good news is with humans in the party, the group will be able to get into the Waydown. The bad news is Zern a halfling wrestler will only give out the password if someone beats him in the ring. Two out of three pins. Also Seranolla wants a drow mage names Solom Ned’razak rescued and brought back for question. (DM, I threw out the factions send the group idea.)

Zern also bets a potion of antitoxin against the PCs potion of greater healing. (DM Note. Tier 1 Potion of Healing, Tier 2 Greater Healing, Tier 3 Superior Healing, Tier 4 Supreme healing. One per pc. Please remind me before next session to pack my renown cards.) Bilbo loses quickly. But Andrew Pile drives Zern so hard the potion of greater healing pops out his pouch and rolls toward Bilbo’s feet. Bilbo quickly reclaims his potion.

After the matches, Seranolla does the briefing. (Sorry guys I forgot to do this in game.) One Szith Morcane a drow outpost about 22 days down river of the Waydown has been taken over by Fire Giants from Maerimydra led by Hledh Hellspawn. Solom a possible ally has been taken by Hledh. The drow prisoner and some other drow using the Waydown have been effect by madness. A colony of magic mushrooms (NOT THAT TYPE BAIN) live near an underground lake about half day down river from the Waydown. The Myconid colony maybe friendly. The madness occasionally occurs due to the Faerzress. The Faerzress is noticeable due to dim light appears from everywhere. DON’T go into the light. (Remember to pack the madness chart next week.)

The group sleeps over at Elventree before heading to Waydown. Andrew is the contact with Lt. Vuhm Yestral. Vuhm is a secret ally to Elventree. He verbally gives the group some grief before sending them down the elevator. Okay it just a badly made supply bucket. So what if the party is bruised on the way down. As the group is waiting for the supply bucket to come back down with their rafting supplies a small problem occurs. A black pudding has somehow gotten into the bucket and eaten the ropes. CRASH. And a ticked off hungry Black Pudding is now in their mist. (Remember if you attacked the pudding and hit it -1 damage to your weapon. If you were hit and wearing armour that has a -1 to AC. Also you can go shopping between sessions in Adventure League.) The group kills the pudding with both Andrew and Kaskin going to zeros due to two critics.

After a short rest, the group builds a raft. They get into the raft and push off. About an hour later in a fit of madness Bilbo decides to go swimming. Which gets the attention of the Kuo-toa patrol. Kaskin uses gust of wind to move the raft away from the patrol. Bilbo decides he is not mad but not fish food and swims quickly to the raft. Gaining a foot hold on the raft, Bilbo casts Leomund’s Tiny hut to hide from the patrol. Somehow the raft stays with the hut.

DM Note, found a way to give the party some gold before they finished the module by them betting on the wrestling match. We will pick up the module on page 15 at the next session.

 

[jasper]

Ouch having a hard two hour to two half hour limit is difficult. I have to give out the hook but push the game forward. A lot of background is being missed and only made up due to the wrtie up. Last night was the first of many modules which are going to be divided up.

 

[jasper]

DDEX03-03 Session 2

The Occupation of Szith Morcane Part 2

Rule of Cool BURNS.

Day 15

PC Killed 0 Monsters Killed 22 Villains Captured 0 Villains Escaped 2

If you were running a pregen, bump your Tier 1 (most of you that will be your Level 1) pc up a level, 10 downtime days, and 80 GP.

If you were running your Tier 2 PC. Gain A level, 20 downtime days. 180 GP if you won last week’s bet. 150 GP is you lost last week’s bet.

Magic Item Staff of Swarming. (See DM NOTE 1.)

Begin time 7:14. End Time 9:30 the hard limit.

Everyone remember you can go shopping in the player’s handbook between sessions.

I had an average group of six. Three regulars. Three brand new. Bilbo Case Rogue 8. Tristen Rogue 5 first time player in AL, D&D, And RPG. Youngblood Barbarian 8. Kaskin Wizard 5. Andrew Fighter 5. Giants Bain Bard 5. (The three new people are running pregens. Hint Giants Bain will be called Dice Bain. If you need a dice tray, Bain I bring you one.)

When we last we left our five um six adventurers, they were hiding in Leomund’s Tiny Hut and Youngblood was complaining about lack to internet access. The Kuo-toa got bore and left them alone. They get back on their raft and continue down the mighty dark Mississippi River. A few hours pass and the river slows. It widens out to a small lake. Dim light is all around to various fungus among us. The fungus all glow in the dark. Well except for the running one. Being chased by four (No Ten. No four and the DM should highlight the encounter) Derro. Being within thirty feet of the shore, Bilbo tells everyone to fight on the evil Underdark halflings.

Bilbo, “Tristen hold my Beer!”

Tristen, “What? Aren’t you too young to drink?”

Bilbo, “Player is but not the halfling.” Bilbo hands his Pabst Forgotten Realms into Tristen hands. “Hey DADDY. Um Barbarian. I have an idea. FAST BALL SPECIAL!”

Youngblood yeets the halfling off the raft and into Derro number three. Both take four points of damage. The surviving three Derro surround the prone Bilbo.

Bilbo, “I smash two of my alchemist fire flasks together.”

DM takes off his glasses. “I heard you say. I smash two of my alchemist fire flasks together. Correct?” Open books. Goes with rule of cool and old 1E spread damage. It is a range attack with improvised weapon doing a d4 fire damage. Use a Dex 10 CHECK to put out. Hmm no rounds limit given.

The two flasks crash together doing nine points of damage to everyone within five feet of no beer halfling. The rest of the party finishes off the Derro. (Why are Derro evil Underdark dwarves instead of halflings?)

Shiitake blows spores into Bilbo’s face. “Thank you burning one. Let me take you to a safe place.” The group grounds the raft and follows Shiitake home to his wife and kids.

Shiitake, “This is my wife Crimini, my kids Portobello, Enoki, Chanterelle, Porcini, Shimeji, and Truffle.” His wife serves some nice flat bread, covered in red sauce, and little fish to the group. The group is trying to get to Szith Morcane, which is twenty-one days down the mighty Mississippi river. Shiitake offers them a Hummer.

No. Really. Shiitake is taking them to a guy name Huum. Huum is a mind flayer who has a teleportation circle which beams the group to just outside of Szith Morcane. Small problem. The cave it teleports too is occupied. By two dead drow. In fact, Morcane is not dark. Fire giants have set up smoky, braziers of burning very cheap coal. The smell of death, sulfur, and EPA violations hang in the air. The cave is also on the wrong side of Szith. They need to cross the bridge. Which is down halfway down the chasm, being supported by huge spider webs. The bard casts Mage Hand and plays the G chord distracting the spiders guarding their web. They cross and find a bad drawn map of the city. Using the map, the bard hands Tristen his beer.

Giants Bain, “Hold my Beer. I have an idea.”

Kaskin, “I turn invisible.”

Tristen, “I hide behind Andrew!”

Andrew, “I back up ten feet!”

Giants Bain, “I have this. We are going to bluff the Fire Giants at guard post three.”

Bilbo, “Cool I will help.”

Bilbo, Giants Bain, and the invisible Kaskin enter guard post three.

Giants Bain, “Hey Fire. We here to film a documentary for the Academy Awards.”

Fire Giant, “Okay.” (DM. Hears Bain’s roll. No way to beat with insight)

Fire Giant after more talk to the group. “Go through the temple. Hang a left. Look for the Quartermaster to get your pass. “

The group does not believe the giant. They split the party after copying the map. The invisible Kaskin and Tristen the hiding thief will back track to guard post two and circle back to the temple. The rest will wait a few then go to temple. The Fire Giant is just watching them.

The hiding duo finds out guard post two is empty, well except for the dead drow and broken stuff.

Bilbo enters the temple. He sees two drow veterans and a Hezrou which is frog like demon.

Bilbo, “Sergeant Schultz, do you mind if we interview Froggy? We are filming a documentary for the Academy Awards.”

Schultz smiles, “Go right ahead.” He and the private take a few steps away from Hezrou.

Bilbo sticking a microphone into the Hezrou’s face. “Hey Froggy. How do you feel about the evil occupation of the Fire Giants to your Home town of Szith Morcane?”

Froggy eats the microphone, and most of Bilbo. Just as Bilbo is about to be swallowed, Youngblood and Andrew attack. Bilbo is spitted out toward a corner to be eaten as snackage later. Youngblood goes left. Andrew goes right. Bain slowly walks toward the center.

After two rounds of not hitting nothing. Kaskin shows up and drops two fireballs on Froggy, Youngblood, and Andrew. (Note must remind new players about spell placement.) Bain casts Healing Word on lunch. I mean Bilbo. Bilbo wakes up and tosses ball bearing under Froggy. Froggy ignores the ball bearings but is pushed over by Andrew. Froggy chews on both Andrew and Youngblood. Until Tristen finds his magic bow on his character sheet. A natural twenty, and two good rolls later, Tristen the new guy saves the day.

The film makes are able to bluff Fydor the Fire Giant into believing they are a film crew. They bluff so good, Fydor releases Solom Ned’razak into their care. This so they can reshoot the action scenes of the fall of Szith Morcane. Hopefully Captain Hledh Hellspawn will not be mad. After the action scenes are shot, Solom teleports the group up to Dordrien Crypts just outside of Daggardale where they take an Uber to Elventree.

Story Award Ally of Solom Ned’razak.

DM NOTE 1. People especially the two very established players. Tier 2 (level 5 to 10) your renown lets you choose up to 3 magic items for free. Season 10 Renown item at tier 2 is your choice of +1 weapon, +1 shield, +1 rod of pact keeper, +1 wand of war mage or Bag of holding.

Tier 1 Renown gives you a potion of healing and inspiration. Yes, I know the cheat cards are wrong. Tier 2 potion of Greater Healing (4d4 + 4) or 10 silver Ammo.

DM NOTE 2. Remind me to print off maps, pregens, handouts, and other stuff during the message chats. Pack the madness charts.