el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
You are a party of four 5th level PCs.
So far, you on your way into the dungeon you have fought off a pair of giant toads, battled a huge group of zombies led by a wight, and encountered an angry swarm of bats.
Down in the lower levels you have eviscerated a poor lonely ogre, and destroyed a group of gnolls + their leader (paladin went down in the process). Afterwards you took a short rest using rope trick and then encountered some bugbears and goblins who discovered the gnoll carnage, had a running fight into an area with literally dozens of goblins - killed some, parleyed with some, ended up having to fight a contingent led by a tough bugbear and too loyal to "the Master" to be convinced to leave, and barely won, with the paladin dropping twice (getting back to positive HPs during the fight before dropping again) and the druid dropping once near the end.
Everyone is conscious and stable now.
They know (from parleying) the remaining dungeon includes a fork to choose between going to where "the master" is (or should be), some mysterious ice caves that are an "elemental node" (whatever that means) where the master also spends time, and "the crypts." Their goal is killing the master, and if possible destroying or blocking off the node.
They want a long rest, but are deep in the dungeon and are deciding what is the best course of action.
Some options the players considered:
They have dismissed trying for a long rest in the dungeon, as they figure it is only a matter of time until someone discovers the carnage or comes looking for somebody who is now dead. They are split on the safety of a short rest. And worry about what kind of ambush would lay in wait for them, should they leave and come back.
They know where all the passageways and doors in their immediate area go, and are pretty certain enemies can only come from one way (which is also the way out). Beyond that there are two ways out (a secret but long and somewhat physically treacherous way that you took down here) or the main route, which is quick but the one the ruins/dungeon occupants use.
* they spent a whole day before approaching the adventure site, finding/making (and using) a hidden campsite within 2 hours march of the surface ruins before heading in, so feel confident about its safety if they can make it there.
The party consists of:
a human vengeance paladin. He's got an AC of 19 (with chainmail +1 it also grants +1 on saves vs. magic + shield), a long sword +1 (he can spend a HD to deal bonus cold damage or heal that many hps), and is down to 1 hit point out of 48 and has no hit dice left. He's out of spell slots and used his channel divinity already.
a multiclassed human swashbuckler rogue / fighter. He's got an AC of 17 (using a magic buckler), and a short sword +1 (deals an additional +1d6 damage when used in shadowy illumination, in complete darkness, or while invisible). He is down to 3 out of 46 hps and has 2d10 and 1d8 hit dice left. He has a single potion of greater healing.
a halfling gloomstalker ranger, no spell slots left, AC of 15. and has a +1 magic bow that lets him take an extra shot as a bonus action PB times per day (and crits on a 19 or 20), grows goodberries 1/day, and allows casting pass without trace by spending a HD, but only in natural/wilderness environments. He is at 43 of 48 hps and has 3 HD left. He has no spell slots left. He has 7 goodberries on him. He is the only character with darkvision.
a tabaxi circle of the stars druid. She has an AC of 14 and has a dagger +2, that crits on a 19 or 20 and deals an additional 1d4 exploding necrotic damage on a crit. She has 1 of 42 hps left, and 2 HD. She has not used any wild shapes and has 2 3rd level slots left, but has no 3rd level spells prepared. Instead of darkvision, tabaxi's in my game get advantage on saves/checks dealing with falling or being knocked prone, and low-light vision (grandfathered from 3E)
there is also a 5th level NPC human diviner wizard, who is a little bumbling and not really into being told what to do or telling others what he can do. He has an AC of 10 and is at 28 of 35 hps and has all his HD. He is good at "watching the back" and switching out a bad/too good d20 roll when the DM remembers and is feeling generous with his 2 dice per day. The PCs don't know how many slots he has left. HE usually only acts when conditions are exactly right for maximum success and finds this standard is rarely reached.
Tell me, what would you do? Or ask the DM in trying to figure out what to do?
So far, you on your way into the dungeon you have fought off a pair of giant toads, battled a huge group of zombies led by a wight, and encountered an angry swarm of bats.
Down in the lower levels you have eviscerated a poor lonely ogre, and destroyed a group of gnolls + their leader (paladin went down in the process). Afterwards you took a short rest using rope trick and then encountered some bugbears and goblins who discovered the gnoll carnage, had a running fight into an area with literally dozens of goblins - killed some, parleyed with some, ended up having to fight a contingent led by a tough bugbear and too loyal to "the Master" to be convinced to leave, and barely won, with the paladin dropping twice (getting back to positive HPs during the fight before dropping again) and the druid dropping once near the end.
Everyone is conscious and stable now.
They know (from parleying) the remaining dungeon includes a fork to choose between going to where "the master" is (or should be), some mysterious ice caves that are an "elemental node" (whatever that means) where the master also spends time, and "the crypts." Their goal is killing the master, and if possible destroying or blocking off the node.
They want a long rest, but are deep in the dungeon and are deciding what is the best course of action.
Some options the players considered:
- try to take a short rest and push on after the master
- find a room to hole up in and try for a long rest (perhaps the crypts?)
- try and take a short rest and then flee the dungeon and go back to a camp in the wilderness* to try for a long rest there.
- just flee the dungeon and go back to a camp in the wilderness* to try for a long rest there. (no short rest first)
They have dismissed trying for a long rest in the dungeon, as they figure it is only a matter of time until someone discovers the carnage or comes looking for somebody who is now dead. They are split on the safety of a short rest. And worry about what kind of ambush would lay in wait for them, should they leave and come back.
They know where all the passageways and doors in their immediate area go, and are pretty certain enemies can only come from one way (which is also the way out). Beyond that there are two ways out (a secret but long and somewhat physically treacherous way that you took down here) or the main route, which is quick but the one the ruins/dungeon occupants use.
* they spent a whole day before approaching the adventure site, finding/making (and using) a hidden campsite within 2 hours march of the surface ruins before heading in, so feel confident about its safety if they can make it there.
The party consists of:
a human vengeance paladin. He's got an AC of 19 (with chainmail +1 it also grants +1 on saves vs. magic + shield), a long sword +1 (he can spend a HD to deal bonus cold damage or heal that many hps), and is down to 1 hit point out of 48 and has no hit dice left. He's out of spell slots and used his channel divinity already.
a multiclassed human swashbuckler rogue / fighter. He's got an AC of 17 (using a magic buckler), and a short sword +1 (deals an additional +1d6 damage when used in shadowy illumination, in complete darkness, or while invisible). He is down to 3 out of 46 hps and has 2d10 and 1d8 hit dice left. He has a single potion of greater healing.
a halfling gloomstalker ranger, no spell slots left, AC of 15. and has a +1 magic bow that lets him take an extra shot as a bonus action PB times per day (and crits on a 19 or 20), grows goodberries 1/day, and allows casting pass without trace by spending a HD, but only in natural/wilderness environments. He is at 43 of 48 hps and has 3 HD left. He has no spell slots left. He has 7 goodberries on him. He is the only character with darkvision.
a tabaxi circle of the stars druid. She has an AC of 14 and has a dagger +2, that crits on a 19 or 20 and deals an additional 1d4 exploding necrotic damage on a crit. She has 1 of 42 hps left, and 2 HD. She has not used any wild shapes and has 2 3rd level slots left, but has no 3rd level spells prepared. Instead of darkvision, tabaxi's in my game get advantage on saves/checks dealing with falling or being knocked prone, and low-light vision (grandfathered from 3E)
there is also a 5th level NPC human diviner wizard, who is a little bumbling and not really into being told what to do or telling others what he can do. He has an AC of 10 and is at 28 of 35 hps and has all his HD. He is good at "watching the back" and switching out a bad/too good d20 roll when the DM remembers and is feeling generous with his 2 dice per day. The PCs don't know how many slots he has left. HE usually only acts when conditions are exactly right for maximum success and finds this standard is rarely reached.
Tell me, what would you do? Or ask the DM in trying to figure out what to do?
