D&D 5E [OOC] Uller's Out of the Abyss

[Uller]

I have the 'cohorts' updated and will be posting them into the first post of the RG thread in a moment. I will also update the PC table. I am going to put 6 characters in there total: 3 PCs, 2 cohorts of your choosing and one NPC. For combat encounters and the like, these will be the "active" characters. You can swap them in and out at times that make sense. I'm not going to track the other characters too much...they're just sort of along for the ride.

Once I have them posted, please choose two from Bertram, Orsik and Klep and one of the NPCs. Everyone else will just sort of go into lurk mode during combat encounters. Maybe if a character or two drops I'll pick one at random to jump in...maybe...I don't want our plethora of NPCs to make the adventure too easy.

Note: Bertram has pass without trace now.. Using this at least once per day can give you advantage on covering your tracks. You can still use him as a lookout...the characters near him just aren't leaving any tracks.

Sometime today I will post in the IC thread the beginning of "Chapter Two". At that point you can make whatever final adjustments to your plans and then we'll start resolving the action of your journey.

Edit: If you don't want to use the cohorts and NPCs in combat encounters, that is okay too. Just let me know. I have no preference.

 

[DMAesh]

[MENTION=6801671]itcomeswithamap[/MENTION]'s breakdown sounds good!

 

[Uller]

Haha, I guess we will try to get you some magic item that can give you darkvision!

I somehow missed TWO PAGES of OOC conversation. Is there maybe something weird going on with the boards? I haven't received a tapatalk notification since at least Thursday...

Anyway...without having seen this post, I chose darkvision as one of Bertram's spells (along with pass without trace). He can cast it on another creature and it lasts 8 hours (no concentration). As you move you will find that about half the underdark is dimly lit by phosphorescent lichens and fungi (and regions of a strange luminescent stone that we'll get into later). The other half of the time it is completely dark.

Okay...back to getting caught up on the thread. Let me know if you want Bertram to use either of his two spells.

 

[Uller]

Did we house-rule that people have to be proficient in skills to attempt them? Normally anyone can attempt any skill check (barring those that need training with a specific set of tools). Someone untrained in Survival would just get their wisdom modifier added to the roll, no proficiency bonus.

If we are playing that way, maybe one of the NPCs is proficient? Topsy? Eldeth?

No, we did not house-rule that. You can attempt skills you are not proficient in most of the time. There may be some times I rule that specialized training is required...for instance maybe someone uses perception or investigation to discover a glyph of warding. But only someone with training in Arcana can determine exactly what the glyph means or will do if triggered (maybe...just thinking off the top of my head here).

 

[SunGold]

Is there maybe something weird going on with the boards? I haven't received a tapatalk notification since at least Thursday...

I've been getting email notifications, but there have definitely been periods since I've joined where they just stop coming for a few days and then all pile in at once.

Bertram's spell is going to be super helpful on slower days, but if we're moving entirely without stealth (as we have to on "fast" days), does the torch even make any difference?

 

[Uller]

I've been getting email notifications, but there have definitely been periods since I've joined where they just stop coming for a few days and then all pile in at once.

Bertram's spell is going to be super helpful on slower days, but if we're moving entirely without stealth (as we have to on "fast" days), does the torch even make any difference?

No. No it doesn't. The amount of noise you will be making will attract attention as well as any light.

 

[Uller]

I'm assembling the technical portion of the journey now (marching order, skills being used, etc).

A couple of things:

Inventory: I am tracking not individual inventory. Not for supplies, not for ammo, not for wealth. That's up to you all. I will track the party supply of food and water just because I think that is easier. If you start getting low, how you ration will be up to you. As far as ammo goes, after any individual fight, assuming you have a moment afterwards, you can assume you recover half the ammo you used and/or loot ammo off dead enemies that use similar weapons. Thrown weapons can always be recovered if they hit, half of misses can be found easily. You don't have to ask me, you don't have to post about it. If you want to use investigation/perception after a fight to get more then let me know. (really I find tracking ammo to be pretty dull but maybe while wandering the underdark it is important). Same goes with treasure found. I will post what you find. How you divide it up is up to you.

What are you using for light sources. Orsik has light he can cast. So he can keep a single casting of that going if you like. I just need to know for tracking consumption of light sources.

 

[Uller]

Okay...here is my understanding of your plan for the day (don't worry...once we get the hang of this we'll move a lot faster from day to day...). Let me know if it looks good. I specified the skills I think you are using from what you said, but if you have another idea, let me know.

Also [MENTION=6801331]DMAesh[/MENTION], I know you were asking about koatoa. I'll answer that in a bit.

Day one travel:

Pace: Fast
8 miles per day
Foraging: disadvantage and result is half
Stealth: impossible
Navigation: disadvantage
Perception: disadvantage
Pursuit: Lose 1 level

Guarding:
Erevan (Persuasion +6 vs Insight)
Orsik (Insight +3 vs Deception)
Klep (Insight +2, Persuasion +4)

Lookouts:
Bertram (front) (Perception +6)
Ezraen (rear) (Perception +2)
Sarith (rear) (Perception +2)

Navigation:
Surana (Survival +2)
Shuushar (Survival +4)

Foraging:
Derendil (Survival +1)
Topsy (Survival +0)
Turvy (Survival +0)
Bupido (Survival +0)

Covering Tracks:
Eldeth (Survival +5)

Mapping
Jimjar (No check)

Spacing: ?
Marching order (inferred from tasking)

Front Rank:
Bertram
Surana
Shuushar

Middle/Main body:
Derendil
Topsy
Turvy
Bupido
Jimjar
Erevan
Orsik
Klep
Drum?

Rear:
Ezraen
Sarith
Eldith

Supplies consumed:
15.5 pounds of food
17 gallons of water
0 Torches/Candles


[MENTION=6776182]JustinCase[/MENTION], [MENTION=6801671]itcomeswithamap[/MENTION], [MENTION=6801331]DMAesh[/MENTION], give me a thumbs up if you are good with this. Feel free to throw out an IC post to cover the "fluff" of this.

EDIT: Fixed marching order. No torches used. You will have to tell me when you want Bertram to use goodberry and how you distribute the berries (in the underdark they appear as little nourishing 'shrooms)

 

[DMAesh]

Thumbs up from me! I think we should use our torches sparingly, since Orsik is able to cast light. We don't know how long we will be down here or when we might even be able to get more. As [MENTION=6801671]itcomeswithamap[/MENTION] said, the light spell will likely light up most of the party. Though the crew up from might want to use one torch since the guys up front aren't going to have darkvision (except maybe Shuushar, not sure on Kuo-toa).

As for darkvision and pass without trace spells, Bertram won't get those until 4th lvl.

 

[SunGold]

Looks good to me. Few things:

I don't see those on "Guarding" duty in the marching order; I take it they'll be meandering among everyone?

Let's have Orsik cast light on an unlit torch, so it won't be consumed but will still be easy to carry around.

Can you tell me how many hand crossbow bolts I have? I'll track it from there. I grabbed two cases in the tower. They were supposed to have 20 each, but you said some were open, missing bolts, etc.

And whoops, DMAesh is right about Bertram's spells. Goodberry is 1st-level, though. My kingdom for Bertram to learn Goodberry.