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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 9704087" data-attributes="member: 3285">Day 5 began beautifully for us. I, along with another adult leader, awoke early just to enjoy the gorgeous sunrise. The wind had whipped our tents quite a bit that night, but blessedly, there was no rain. Instead, warm gusts of wind kept blowing through our campsite, a truly welcome reprieve from the frigid cold of previous storms. This was the best day yet (because it was dry!) and it was the first camp site we were sorry to leave. Our journey that day took us 5.0 miles from Aguila to Urraca, a hike that involved a moderate gain of +985 feet followed by a substantial descent of -1,276 feet. This meant we'd be dropping into a valley, and we knew from experience that such descents could be tough on the knees.Along the way, we hit a small snag. One of my liters of water, stored in a dromedary (a plastic bag designed to carry water outside my pack), was speared clean through by a branch. Precious water leaked everywhere, and just like that, I was one liter down. It was a stark reminder of how quickly things can go sideways on the trail. Despite that, we soon arrived at Urraca.[ATTACH=full]411188[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]411189[/ATTACH]We settled into camp and ate lunch, then prepared for the Low COPE (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) Program. The COPE is positioned as a haunted house the Scouts are trapped in and they have to work together to escape.The Scouts engaged in three distinct challenges: first, trying to keep a balance board steady with all their weight on it; second, balancing across a rope bridge with only two ropes for guidance at intervals; and finally, climbing a sheer wall with no climbing equipment or apparent handholds. It was incredibly rewarding to watch them; they overcame all three beautifully, showcasing impressive teamwork.The three challenges can be replicated in Dungeons & Dragons. The idea is that it should involve teamwork, so no roll is in isolation, and PCs affect each other by their success (and can potentially harm each other by their failure). That said, The Gaping Maw House may have magical suppression to prevent flight/teleportation as it's a curse of the mountains meant to test the characters:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Tilting Pit: Three Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to to not upend the fulcrum, with each character having to make a DC 10 check and, if failing, one of the balancing characters making an opposed check to right the pit cover before the whole thing falls in. Falling damage varies depending on the level of the party but could easily be down the piercing rocks below (10d6 Piercing damage).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rope Bridge: Three Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks of increasing difficulty (DC 10, 12, 15). If a character fails he can make a Dexterity saving throw (same DCs) to grab onto the rope to stop himself from falling. Damage for failing could easily be down the crevasse of over 100 feet (10d6 Bludgeoning damage).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sheer Wall: Three Strength (Athletics) checks (DCs 10, 12, and 15), with Advantage imposed for those who succeed on the next character climbing above them, and Disadvantage on those who fail.</li> </ul> [ATTACH=full]411190[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]411191[/ATTACH]We concluded the day with a fun campfire program that had a Ghostbusters theme. The camp counselors put on quite a show, and then, in a playful twist, asked for volunteers to "sell their soul" to appease the spirits of the camp. My son, of course, bravely (and humorously) traded his soul for some chicken nuggets. He got Pop-Tarts instead.In D&D terms, the camp host is Vitvag, an archfey warlock who is happy to barter with PCs in exchange for helpful spells. That said, she considers it critical that the Gaping Maw House be "fed" -- it's kind of a necessary evil according to her mysterious patron -- and thus any PC who gives up some of their soul suffers 1d10 Necrotic damage per level of the spell she provides (she's very apologetic about this).[ATTACH=full]411192[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]411193[/ATTACH]We were the only crew that agreed to the extra challenge of waking at dawn the next day to scramble up the cliffs to see the sunrise, accompanied by a crew member dressed in wizard robes. We thought that would be a highlight, but we had no idea that it would just be the beginning of a very challenging day.<h3>Philmont Adventure Log</h3>For the full journey, see the rest of the series:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-philmont-adventures-day-0.714308/" target="_blank">Day 0</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-philmont-adventures-day-1.714309/" target="_blank">Day 1</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-philmont-adventures-day-2.714312/" target="_blank">Day 2</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-philmont-adventures-day-3.714313/" target="_blank">Day 3</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-philmont-adventures-day-4.714314/" target="_blank">Day 4</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-philmont-adventures-day-5.714319/" target="_blank">Day 5</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-philmont-adventures-day-6.714320/" target="_blank">Day 6</a></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpg-evolution-philmont-adventures-day-7.714321/" target="_blank">Day 7</a></li> </ul></blockquote>

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