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Planning Out an Improvised One-Shot for Tonight!
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<blockquote data-quote="BookTenTiger" data-source="post: 8559941" data-attributes="member: 6685541"><p>We started off with the characters having summoned a water weird at the shore, hoping to find safe passage to the Forbidden Spring. I randomly found stats for a "Polluted Water Weird" so I decided to lean into this.</p><p></p><p>The Water Weird had been polluted by technology brought by a naval party sent by Nightrose's royal family. During the conversation, it was revealed that somehow these invaders were hidden from the spirits of the island.</p><p></p><p>The characters started to try to cure the water weird of its pollution, so I ran the scene as an Exploration Encounter, focusing on skills, tools, and magic. They ultimately failed, which meant they would have a dangerous journey ahead!</p><p></p><p>The characters decided to investigate these invaders which were on the other side of the island. With a natural 20 on a survival check, Typha knew of a shortcut, a gully that would be dry in this season.</p><p></p><p>Because the characters had failed to cure the Water Weird, I had them encounter poisonous plants during the journey. Nightrose collected some of the plants, which would play into a future scene!</p><p></p><p>The characters found a Lieutenant leading a Gnomish Screamer (a Duergar Screamer, but with a gnome who is still alive) up the mountain, cutting a swath through the forest to reach the Forbidden Spring. Nightrose recognized the Lieutenant, and in their conversation the Lieutenant attempted to poison Nightrose. She turned the tables and used the poisonous plants she had collected to poison the Lieutenant!</p><p></p><p>It was revealed that Nightrose's younger sister had sent the naval fleet to collect water from the Forbidden Spring so she could curse her family and take over the noble house.</p><p></p><p>It felt about time for a fight, so I had the poisoned Lieutenant command the Screamer to attack! We had a great little combat with the characters running through the gulch and trees, avoiding the Screamer's buzzsaw and launching spells.</p><p></p><p>With both enemies defeated, the characters saw an encampment of elves on the shore below, and a battleship in the water. They knew smoke from the exploded Screamer would draw scouts, so they decided to set a trap.</p><p></p><p>So far the adventure had been following my plan pretty well, but I could tell there was going to be a pivot ahead. I pulled a classic DM move and called for a bathroom break so I could think through the ending of the adventure.</p><p></p><p>The characters set a trap using Spike Growth, and found out from the captured scouts that their commander had a Gnomish device that kept the naval camp obscured from the island spirits. The characters "convinced" the scouts to bring them back as false prisoners so they could destroy the device.</p><p></p><p>In the commander's tent, the characters found the device. Whereas the Lieutenant had been wheedling and power hungry, I had the Commander be intelligent and aloof, working with the self knowledge that she was just a cog in the machine of the nobility. I felt this would be a good way to push the scene towards a Social Encounter.</p><p></p><p>The characters negotiated and agreed to bring the Commander water from the spring if the elves disabled the cloaking device and retreated to their ship.</p><p></p><p>In front of the elves, Typha summoned back the Water Weird and asked for access to the Spring. With the device disabled, the Water Weird's mind was clearer, and it opened a safe path. It also taught the two characters an intricate ritual to draw the water from the spring, and either Bless it or Curse it.</p><p></p><p>At the Forbidden Spring, the characters rolled very poorly on their Ability Checks to enact the ritual! They still drew water from the spring, but it would be randomly decided if they had blessed or cursed water.</p><p></p><p>We rolled to find the results. The royal navy sailed away with blessed water (though not very powerful). Nightrose returned to her employer with powerfully cursed water. This NPC (Gundran Rockseeker from Lost Mines of Phandelver) launched our campaign, so we decided the curse from the Forbidden Spring led to his capture!</p><p></p><p>All in all it was a very fun and satisfying evening. I had a great time using my DMing muscles again, and the Dragon's Hoard planning sheet definitely helped me create a solid improvised adventure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BookTenTiger, post: 8559941, member: 6685541"] We started off with the characters having summoned a water weird at the shore, hoping to find safe passage to the Forbidden Spring. I randomly found stats for a "Polluted Water Weird" so I decided to lean into this. The Water Weird had been polluted by technology brought by a naval party sent by Nightrose's royal family. During the conversation, it was revealed that somehow these invaders were hidden from the spirits of the island. The characters started to try to cure the water weird of its pollution, so I ran the scene as an Exploration Encounter, focusing on skills, tools, and magic. They ultimately failed, which meant they would have a dangerous journey ahead! The characters decided to investigate these invaders which were on the other side of the island. With a natural 20 on a survival check, Typha knew of a shortcut, a gully that would be dry in this season. Because the characters had failed to cure the Water Weird, I had them encounter poisonous plants during the journey. Nightrose collected some of the plants, which would play into a future scene! The characters found a Lieutenant leading a Gnomish Screamer (a Duergar Screamer, but with a gnome who is still alive) up the mountain, cutting a swath through the forest to reach the Forbidden Spring. Nightrose recognized the Lieutenant, and in their conversation the Lieutenant attempted to poison Nightrose. She turned the tables and used the poisonous plants she had collected to poison the Lieutenant! It was revealed that Nightrose's younger sister had sent the naval fleet to collect water from the Forbidden Spring so she could curse her family and take over the noble house. It felt about time for a fight, so I had the poisoned Lieutenant command the Screamer to attack! We had a great little combat with the characters running through the gulch and trees, avoiding the Screamer's buzzsaw and launching spells. With both enemies defeated, the characters saw an encampment of elves on the shore below, and a battleship in the water. They knew smoke from the exploded Screamer would draw scouts, so they decided to set a trap. So far the adventure had been following my plan pretty well, but I could tell there was going to be a pivot ahead. I pulled a classic DM move and called for a bathroom break so I could think through the ending of the adventure. The characters set a trap using Spike Growth, and found out from the captured scouts that their commander had a Gnomish device that kept the naval camp obscured from the island spirits. The characters "convinced" the scouts to bring them back as false prisoners so they could destroy the device. In the commander's tent, the characters found the device. Whereas the Lieutenant had been wheedling and power hungry, I had the Commander be intelligent and aloof, working with the self knowledge that she was just a cog in the machine of the nobility. I felt this would be a good way to push the scene towards a Social Encounter. The characters negotiated and agreed to bring the Commander water from the spring if the elves disabled the cloaking device and retreated to their ship. In front of the elves, Typha summoned back the Water Weird and asked for access to the Spring. With the device disabled, the Water Weird's mind was clearer, and it opened a safe path. It also taught the two characters an intricate ritual to draw the water from the spring, and either Bless it or Curse it. At the Forbidden Spring, the characters rolled very poorly on their Ability Checks to enact the ritual! They still drew water from the spring, but it would be randomly decided if they had blessed or cursed water. We rolled to find the results. The royal navy sailed away with blessed water (though not very powerful). Nightrose returned to her employer with powerfully cursed water. This NPC (Gundran Rockseeker from Lost Mines of Phandelver) launched our campaign, so we decided the curse from the Forbidden Spring led to his capture! All in all it was a very fun and satisfying evening. I had a great time using my DMing muscles again, and the Dragon's Hoard planning sheet definitely helped me create a solid improvised adventure. [/QUOTE]
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