D&D 5E Spell & Crossbones

[Quickleaf]

The acrid smell of the burning slime assails your nostrils as Old Zef's thorough application of fire bolt incinerates the scalding viscous algae. It takes about a minute until you're able to pass safely through the fissure with an arm before your faces, entering the chamber ahead. Shadows loom in the roughly 20' x 20' cavern, rocking slightly from the movement of the light-enchanted stone in Blaise's hand.

Several rusty cannons are placed haphazardly about the room - four rusty demi-culverins and a rusty swivel gun - and in the center of the room is a weathered chest with dark stains on its lid and the carrying handles on the side. The filigree around the brass lock is of French design. A heavy chain is wrapped thrice about the chest and secured to an anchor bolt on the floor.

Could this be the treasure of Francois L'Olonnais that Blackbeard asked you to find?

 

[Fenris]

Old Zef growls "Hang on, let me take a look first, afore you blunder in" Zef carefully creeps forward, looking on the floor, and around the guns. Kat uses her knowledge of where traps may be to help direct him as he looks. Zef is a natural here so that despite the dim light from the stone, his dwarven eyes could see things in the dark the humans couldn't.

OOC: perception to find traps (kat will disarm them once Zef finds them. Kat will provide assistance to give advantage on the check Perception: 1D20+5 = [12]+5 = 17 1D20+5 = [19]+5 = 24

 

[Quickleaf]

GM: Let's use Investigation for searching for traps. I think Old Zef has +5 Investigation, so same same. Just wanted to be clear.

Beyond the anchor bolt worked into the cave floor itself, there are no signs of any mechanical springs, tripwires, switches, or other mechanisms that might be used to trigger a physical trap. The walls of the cave are worn smooth by a thin sheen of water dripping along the northern wall. It looks like at one point, likely during a storm, the tide line may have come up to present-day knee level in the room judging from a thin line of white calcite residue which may once have had barnacles attached to it.

The chain about the chest seems well-crafted, probably of gnomish Prussian origin, with a tight seam of metal where the thick metal chain links were finished. It would take a giant or something equally strong to tear apart the chain. However, while it once may have been wound tightly about the chest, it has since become immovable due to the swelling of the wooden chest over time in the damp conditions of the cave.

The chest itself appears of sturdy construction with reinforced hinges - a sign the chest's owner was savvy to thieves circumventing the lock to strike a chest's typically weaker points of construction - and a rusted steel padlock with swirling silver filigree in the French style. From the corner of Old Zef's eye the chest's surface seems to swirl, but it must be the sea caves playing a trick on him. Only Katerina's confirmation that she noticed it too brings it fully to his intention. Indeed, faint amoebic magical glyphs are overlaid on top of the chest, like a barely perceptible double image; they are akin to the unintelligible tentacular inscriptions seen by Nia Steeleyes while descending the cliff face down to the sea caves.

The demi-culverins are upright, but their wooden bases are badly eroded and any gunner would be ashamed at the rust they have accumulated. Likewise, the swivel gun is in disrepair, with several pins and bolts corroded to the point of needing replacement; fortunately, the vice (which would be used to attach the swivel gun to the railing on a ship) is intact. All the cannons are free of both shot and powder, and there are no visible fuses running from them along the ground anywhere.

 

[Matthan]

OOC: Would Blaise be able to use Libeté’s Touch (from his magical buckler) to sunder the chains on the chest?

 

[peterka99]

OOC: Etienne can use mage hand from a distance. But the trap may explode and damage the chest...

 

[Quickleaf]

GM: Hmm, [MENTION=20005]Matthan[/MENTION] I think Libeté's Touch isn't so much a magical "you break chains" but a spiritual "you sunder chains of slaves." At least that was my intent! Since the cannons are not slaves, I'd rule no.

 

[Matthan]

OOC: I figured, but it was worth the ask.

 

[Queenie]

OOC: I am pretty sure this is a Katerina thing... but just a leeettttllleeee nervous as I don't want to kill everyone and not only have I not disarmed a magical trap in 5e, I haven't disarmed a normal trap in 5e. So, [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION], how does this work?


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[Queenie]

OOC: I am pretty sure this is a Katerina thing... but just a leeettttllleeee nervous as I don't want to kill everyone and not only have I not disarmed a magical trap in 5e, I haven't disarmed a normal trap in 5e. So, [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION], how does this work?

Edit: So I should have +8 in my Thieves Tools, if my sheet is not clear. I will have @Fenris come and explain if necessary but I took Proficiency in TT + expertise in Thieves Tools.


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Sent from my iPad using EN World mobile app

 

[Quickleaf]

GM: Happy to clear it up [MENTION=8058]Queenie[/MENTION]. So, magical traps come in two varieties. There are certain spells that create what might be described as a "magical trap" – those can't be disarmed with thieves' tools. Really, they're ongoing spell effects, not traps. Then there are magical traps like a flame-breathing statue that may or may not have a clear mechanism that can be disarmed with thieves' tools, depending on the trap. I've dropped clues in my last post about which one this is. Now, about what bonus would a thieves' tools check be for Katerina... It would be a Dexterity (thieves' tools) check. For you that would be Dex +4, Proficiency +2 (x2 for expertise), which equals +8 total.