Board 8 > Dungeons and Dragons A.I assisted CYOA -- A tiny Pint.

Topic List	Page List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
White_Wing 07/27/25 9:22:55 AM #201:	A, but add a Flurry of Blows for 1 Ki. (I'm probably being overcautious, haha, but I'd prefer to beat him quickly so he doesn't get a chance to draw attention. If this doesn't one-shot him, Vaela should be able to finish.) <cite>White_Wing posted [p:985903516] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>A, but add a Flurry of Blows for 1 Ki.(I'm probably being overcautious, haha, but I'd prefer to beat him quickly so he doesn't get a chance to draw attention. If this doesn't one-shot him, Vaela should be able to finish.)</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MysteriousStan 07/27/25 10:05:52 AM #202:	White_Wing posted... A, but add a Flurry of Blows for 1 Ki. This was my thought as well. With Vaela right after us, good chance this guy may not get an attack off. A + Flurry of Blows <cite>MysteriousStan posted [p:985903790] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>White_Wing posted... </cite><quote>A, but add a Flurry of Blows for 1 Ki.</quote>This was my thought as well. With Vaela right after us, good chance this guy may not get an attack off.A + Flurry of Blows</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 07/27/25 10:32:29 AM #203:	You decide to press the attack with overwhelming speed. With a burst of energy, you sprint forward, your feet splashing through the shallow, glowing water. You cover the ground in a heartbeat, closing the distance to the shocked cultist. As you get within range, you lunge, driving the tip of your gnarled walking stick forward like a viper's fang. At the same time, you channel your inner energy, preparing to follow up with a rapid series of strikes. You have 1 Ki point remaining. `Spear Attack Roll:` `(1d20 + 5 = 17)` `Spear Damage Roll (Piercing):` `(1d6 + 3 = 9)` `Flurry of Blows - Unarmed Strike 1 Attack Roll:` `(1d20 + 5 = 20)` `Unarmed Strike 1 Damage Roll (Bludgeoning):` `(1d4 + 3 = 7)` `Flurry of Blows - Unarmed Strike 2 Attack Roll:` `(1d20 + 5 = 10)` Your spear thrust is true, punching through the cultist's robes and deep into his side. He cries out, more in anger than pain, and tries to bring his scimitar around to block. You're too fast. Before he can react, you twist the spear and follow the motion with a sharp, open-palmed strike to his jaw. The blow cracks loudly, sending his head snapping to the side. You press the advantage, spinning into a low sweep with your foot, but the cultist manages to stumble back, your final attack just glancing off his leg without effect. He is heavily wounded and staggering, but still on his feet. It is now Vaela's turn. The cultist is locked in melee with you. Vaela is about 35 feet away, crossbow in hand. Seeing you lock the cultist in close combat, Vaela doesn't hesitate. She remains at a safe distance, raises her crossbow, and takes careful aim. With you engaging the enemy directly, she has a clear shot and can place it for maximum effect. Since you are within 5 feet of the cultist, Vaela can use her Sneak Attack. `Hand Crossbow Attack Roll:` `(1d20 + 6 = 21)` `Damage Roll (Piercing + Sneak Attack):` `(1d6 + 4 + 1d6 = 2 + 4 + 4 = 10)` The bolt flies true, thudding into the cultist's back, just below his shoulder blade. He lets out a final, gurgling gasp, his scimitar clattering to the stone floor. His eyes, wide with a mixture of hatred and shock, meet yours for a brief second before he crumples to his knees and pitches forward into the muck, landing beside his fallen comrade. The chamber falls silent, the only sound now the rhythmic, sloshing hum and the faint gurgle of the corrupted water flowing over the glowing grate. Combat has ended. The two cultists are dead. The immediate threat is neutralized, but the source of the corruption remains. The grate in the center of the room continues to pulse with a sickly green light. You are standing over the bodies, Pint. Vaela is about 35 feet away, lowering her crossbow. Gideon is still peeking nervously from the tunnel entrance 40 feet behind her, his lantern casting a weak, trembling yellow light that struggles against the dominant green glow. For defeating the two Shadowed Hand Acolytes, the party is awarded 200 Experience Points. This will be split among the three of you. Each character receives 67 XP. Pint's Total XP: 67 Vaela's Total XP: 67 Gideon's Total XP: 67 What do you do? A. Investigate the Grate. You approach the central grate to get a closer look at the source of the light and the ritual. B. Search the Bodies. You check the corpses of the cultists for any clues, notes, or items of interest. C. Regroup and Discuss. You wave Vaela and Gideon forward to discuss your next move together in the chamber. D. Check the Other Tunnels. You peer down the other two tunnels leading out of this chamber to see where they lead and if there are any more immediate threats. E. Anything else. (Gideon is soooooo stealing exp, he's being powerleveled XD) <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985903957] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>You decide to press the attack with overwhelming speed.With a burst of energy, you sprint forward, your feet splashing through the shallow, glowing water. You cover the ground in a heartbeat, closing the distance to the shocked cultist.As you get within range, you lunge, driving the tip of your gnarled walking stick forward like a viper's fang. At the same time, you channel your inner energy, preparing to follow up with a rapid series of strikes.You have 1 Ki point remaining.Spear Attack Roll:(1d20 + 5 = 17)Spear Damage Roll (Piercing):(1d6 + 3 = 9)Flurry of Blows - Unarmed Strike 1 Attack Roll:(1d20 + 5 = 20)Unarmed Strike 1 Damage Roll (Bludgeoning):(1d4 + 3 = 7)Flurry of Blows - Unarmed Strike 2 Attack Roll:(1d20 + 5 = 10)Your spear thrust is true, punching through the cultist's robes and deep into his side. He cries out, more in anger than pain, and tries to bring his scimitar around to block.You're too fast. Before he can react, you twist the spear and follow the motion with a sharp, open-palmed strike to his jaw. The blow cracks loudly, sending his head snapping to the side. You press the advantage, spinning into a low sweep with your foot, but the cultist manages to stumble back, your final attack just glancing off his leg without effect.He is heavily wounded and staggering, but still on his feet.It is now Vaela's turn.The cultist is locked in melee with you. Vaela is about 35 feet away, crossbow in hand.Seeing you lock the cultist in close combat, Vaela doesn't hesitate. She remains at a safe distance, raises her crossbow, and takes careful aim. With you engaging the enemy directly, she has a clear shot and can place it for maximum effect.Since you are within 5 feet of the cultist, Vaela can use her Sneak Attack.Hand Crossbow Attack Roll:(1d20 + 6 = 21)Damage Roll (Piercing + Sneak Attack):(1d6 + 4 + 1d6 = 2 + 4 + 4 = 10)The bolt flies true, thudding into the cultist's back, just below his shoulder blade. He lets out a final, gurgling gasp, his scimitar clattering to the stone floor. His eyes, wide with a mixture of hatred and shock, meet yours for a brief second before he crumples to his knees and pitches forward into the muck, landing beside his fallen comrade.The chamber falls silent, the only sound now the rhythmic, sloshing hum and the faint gurgle of the corrupted water flowing over the glowing grate.Combat has ended.The two cultists are dead. The immediate threat is neutralized, but the source of the corruption remains. The grate in the center of the room continues to pulse with a sickly green light.You are standing over the bodies, Pint. Vaela is about 35 feet away, lowering her crossbow. Gideon is still peeking nervously from the tunnel entrance 40 feet behind her, his lantern casting a weak, trembling yellow light that struggles against the dominant green glow.For defeating the two Shadowed Hand Acolytes, the party is awarded 200 Experience Points. This will be split among the three of you.Each character receives 67 XP.Pint's Total XP: 67Vaela's Total XP: 67Gideon's Total XP: 67What do you do?A. Investigate the Grate. You approach the central grate to get a closer look at the source of the light and the ritual.B. Search the Bodies. You check the corpses of the cultists for any clues, notes, or items of interest.C. Regroup and Discuss. You wave Vaela and Gideon forward to discuss your next move together in the chamber.D. Check the Other Tunnels. You peer down the other two tunnels leading out of this chamber to see where they lead and if there are any more immediate threats.E. Anything else.(Gideon is soooooo stealing exp, he's being powerleveled XD)</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MysteriousStan 07/27/25 11:02:01 AM #204:	B Always check the bodies first. Gideon better be getting ready to take a level in some sort of class and join the party. <cite>MysteriousStan posted [p:985904169] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>BAlways check the bodies first. Gideon better be getting ready to take a level in some sort of class and join the party.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 07/27/25 11:47:47 AM #205:	In the interest of transparancy, I relayed your excellent question to the a.i: That is an excellent question. It's important to track how non-combatant characters grow when they are drawn into the adventuring life. Gideon is currently what we would consider a Level 1 character, even though his "class" is a Commoner. He gains experience points just like you and Vaela do. To get from Level 1 to Level 2, a character needs to accumulate a total of 300 XP. Right now, Gideon has 67 / 300 XP. When he does reach Level 2, he will grow and become more capable. Based on his "Expert" background, he would likely gain the following benefits: Increased Hit Points: He would gain another Hit Die, increasing his maximum HP and making him more survivable. New Abilities: He would likely gain a feature like a Rogue's Cunning Action, allowing him to Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action. This represents him learning to be more nimble and aware in dangerous situations. Essentially, by surviving these encounters with you, Gideon is being forced to learn and adapt, slowly growing from a simple bookbinder into a more seasoned (if still terrified) ally. **** If Gideon survives and grows to a beloved character and we're at a point where it makes sense in the story, I will consider giving him a level in a class. Probably Wizard, Warlock or Artificer. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985904505] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>In the interest of transparancy, I relayed your excellent question to the a.i:That is an excellent question. It's important to track how non-combatant characters grow when they are drawn into the adventuring life.Gideon is currently what we would consider a Level 1 character, even though his "class" is a Commoner. He gains experience points just like you and Vaela do. To get from Level 1 to Level 2, a character needs to accumulate a total of 300 XP.Right now, Gideon has 67 / 300 XP.When he does reach Level 2, he will grow and become more capable. Based on his "Expert" background, he would likely gain the following benefits:Increased Hit Points: He would gain another Hit Die, increasing his maximum HP and making him more survivable.New Abilities: He would likely gain a feature like a Rogue's Cunning Action, allowing him to Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action. This represents him learning to be more nimble and aware in dangerous situations.Essentially, by surviving these encounters with you, Gideon is being forced to learn and adapt, slowly growing from a simple bookbinder into a more seasoned (if still terrified) ally.****If Gideon survives and grows to a beloved character and we're at a point where it makes sense in the story, I will consider giving him a level in a class. Probably Wizard, Warlock or Artificer.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/27/25 4:58:06 PM #206:	Gideon gonna evolve into Gyarados. A+B --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985906845] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Gideon gonna evolve into Gyarados.A+B</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Bitto 07/27/25 6:25:10 PM #207:	A+B --- https://i.imgur.com/9sOWQAf.jpeg <cite>Bitto posted [p:985907678] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>A+B</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 07/28/25 9:31:54 AM #208:	You decide to check the cultists for anything useful before turning your attention to the ominous grate. You kneel beside the first body, the one you struck down with your flurry of blows, and begin to search it. The grey robe is coarse and simple. Vaela moves to the second body, the one she felled with her crossbow, and does the same. You find the following on the bodies: Beneath his robes, each cultist wears simple black trousers and a tunic. One cultist has a small, waterskin-like pouch at his belt. It's empty and smells faintly of the black, viscous liquid you saw them pouring into the stream. The other cultist has a small, featureless stone whetstone for sharpening his scimitar. Neither of them has any coins, identification, or notes of any kind. They are as anonymous in death as the Faceless were. Vaela stands up, wiping her hands on her trousers. "Nothing," she states flatly. "They travel light. No identity. Just the mission." Having found nothing of value on the bodies, you now turn your attention to the central grate. You approach the source of the unnatural light and sound. The iron grate is about five feet in diameter, set into the stone floor of the chamber. The green light pulses from beneath it, casting your shadow long and distorted against the far wall. The low hum seems to vibrate right through your bones. The water flowing over it is tainted with shimmering, oily green streaks. Peering through the thick iron bars, you can see a chamber about ten feet below. In the center of that lower chamber, resting on a stone pedestal, is a jagged, fist-sized crystal of green stone. The black liquid you saw them pour into the water is being drawn to it, absorbed by the crystal with every pulse of light and sound. The grate itself is heavy and appears to be set firmly in place, but you can see no obvious lock on it. What do you do? A. Attempt to lift the grate. It looks heavy, but you could try to pry it open with your combined strength. B. Ask Gideon for insight. Perhaps his knowledge of history or arcana can shed some light on the crystal or this ritual. You'll need to call him over. C. Use your Minor Illusion. You could try to create an illusion to see if the crystal reacts to sound or visual stimuli in any way. D. Leave it. The cultists are dead. Perhaps the ritual is stopped and it's best not to meddle with strange magical artifacts. E. Anything else. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985912504] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>You decide to check the cultists for anything useful before turning your attention to the ominous grate.You kneel beside the first body, the one you struck down with your flurry of blows, and begin to search it. The grey robe is coarse and simple. Vaela moves to the second body, the one she felled with her crossbow, and does the same.You find the following on the bodies:Beneath his robes, each cultist wears simple black trousers and a tunic.One cultist has a small, waterskin-like pouch at his belt. It's empty and smells faintly of the black, viscous liquid you saw them pouring into the stream.The other cultist has a small, featureless stone whetstone for sharpening his scimitar.Neither of them has any coins, identification, or notes of any kind. They are as anonymous in death as the Faceless were.Vaela stands up, wiping her hands on her trousers. "Nothing," she states flatly. "They travel light. No identity. Just the mission."Having found nothing of value on the bodies, you now turn your attention to the central grate.You approach the source of the unnatural light and sound. The iron grate is about five feet in diameter, set into the stone floor of the chamber. The green light pulses from beneath it, casting your shadow long and distorted against the far wall. The low hum seems to vibrate right through your bones. The water flowing over it is tainted with shimmering, oily green streaks.Peering through the thick iron bars, you can see a chamber about ten feet below. In the center of that lower chamber, resting on a stone pedestal, is a jagged, fist-sized crystal of green stone. The black liquid you saw them pour into the water is being drawn to it, absorbed by the crystal with every pulse of light and sound.The grate itself is heavy and appears to be set firmly in place, but you can see no obvious lock on it.What do you do?A. Attempt to lift the grate. It looks heavy, but you could try to pry it open with your combined strength.B. Ask Gideon for insight. Perhaps his knowledge of history or arcana can shed some light on the crystal or this ritual. You'll need to call him over.C. Use your Minor Illusion. You could try to create an illusion to see if the crystal reacts to sound or visual stimuli in any way.D. Leave it. The cultists are dead. Perhaps the ritual is stopped and it's best not to meddle with strange magical artifacts.E. Anything else.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/28/25 11:58:42 AM #209:	B. Also, I want to know if it looks like it could be shattered by a crossbow bolt. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985913718] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>B. Also, I want to know if it looks like it could be shattered by a crossbow bolt.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MysteriousStan 07/28/25 1:00:03 PM #210:	B <cite>MysteriousStan posted [p:985914290] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>B</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 07/28/25 2:56:59 PM #211:	You decide it's time to consult the expert. You also take a moment to assess the potential target below. You turn your head back towards the tunnel entrance. "Gideon!" you call out, your voice sharp but not overly loud. "It's clear. We need your eyes on this." From the shadows, Gideon flinches. He takes a hesitant step forward, his gaze darting between the two corpses slumped in the water and the ominous green glow. Vaela, noticing his hesitation, lets out an impatient sigh. "The threat is neutralized, bookbinder," she says, her tone crisp. "The danger is that grate. Now, move." Spurred by her sharp command, Gideon scurries forward, carefully picking his way around the bodies, his eyes averted. He joins you at the edge of the grate, his breathing shallow. "By the gods..." he whispers, staring down at the pulsing crystal. "What is that?" "That's what we need you to tell us," you say, looking down at the crystal yourself. From this angle, you can see its facets and texture more clearly. It's definitely stone, not glass. You wonder if a well-placed shot could shatter it. I will make two checks. First, an Intelligence (Arcana) check for Gideon to identify the ritual. Second, an Intelligence (Investigation) check for you, Pint, to assess the crystal's durability. Gideon's Intelligence (Arcana) Check: `(1d20 + 4 = 18)` Pint's Intelligence (Investigation) Check: `(1d20 + 1 = 15)` Gideon stares intently, his fear momentarily replaced by a scholar's focus. He murmurs to himself, piecing it together. "It's a... a resonance ritual," he says, his voice gaining a little confidence. "But it's incomplete. This crystal, it's a 'Ritual Focus.' It's not the source of the power, it's an amplifier. The acolytes were feeding it corrupted reagents to make it resonate with a specific magical frequency." He points a trembling finger. "It's designed to locate and attune to other, similar magical sources. Think of it like a tuning fork, sending out a vibration to find matching forks. They aren't trying to poison the water; they're using the water as a medium to send a signal through the Undercity. They're searching for something." Meanwhile, your own keen eyes analyze the crystal from a more practical standpoint. Your Investigation check tells you a few things. The crystal is solid, crystalline rock, not glass. While a direct, powerful blow from a bludgeoning weapon might crack it, a piercing projectile like a crossbow bolt would have a high chance of simply ricocheting off one of its angled faces. It's a durable object, and shattering it with a single ranged attack seems highly unlikely. You now have crucial information. The crystal isn't the primary goal, it's a tool for finding something else. And simply shooting it probably won't work. What do you do? A. Attempt to lift the grate. Get down there and try to stop the ritual at its source by removing or destroying the crystal up close. B. Disrupt the flow. Ask Gideon if stopping the flow of water into the grate would interrupt the ritual's signal. C. Follow the signal. The crystal is searching for something. Perhaps you can use this. You could try to discern the direction the energy is flowing towards. D. Smash and Grab. You could spend a Ki point on Step of the Wind to jump down into the lower chamber, grab the crystal, and jump back out before anything can react. E. Anything else. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985915545] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>You decide it's time to consult the expert. You also take a moment to assess the potential target below.You turn your head back towards the tunnel entrance. "Gideon!" you call out, your voice sharp but not overly loud. "It's clear. We need your eyes on this."From the shadows, Gideon flinches. He takes a hesitant step forward, his gaze darting between the two corpses slumped in the water and the ominous green glow. Vaela, noticing his hesitation, lets out an impatient sigh. "The threat is neutralized, bookbinder," she says, her tone crisp. "The danger is that grate. Now, move."Spurred by her sharp command, Gideon scurries forward, carefully picking his way around the bodies, his eyes averted. He joins you at the edge of the grate, his breathing shallow. "By the gods..." he whispers, staring down at the pulsing crystal. "What is that?""That's what we need you to tell us," you say, looking down at the crystal yourself. From this angle, you can see its facets and texture more clearly. It's definitely stone, not glass. You wonder if a well-placed shot could shatter it.I will make two checks. First, an Intelligence (Arcana) check for Gideon to identify the ritual. Second, an Intelligence (Investigation) check for you, Pint, to assess the crystal's durability.Gideon's Intelligence (Arcana) Check:(1d20 + 4 = 18)Pint's Intelligence (Investigation) Check:(1d20 + 1 = 15)Gideon stares intently, his fear momentarily replaced by a scholar's focus. He murmurs to himself, piecing it together."It's a... a resonance ritual," he says, his voice gaining a little confidence. "But it's incomplete. This crystal, it's a 'Ritual Focus.' It's not the source of the power, it's an amplifier. The acolytes were feeding it corrupted reagents to make it resonate with a specific magical frequency." He points a trembling finger. "It's designed to locate and attune to other, similar magical sources. Think of it like a tuning fork, sending out a vibration to find matching forks. They aren't trying to poison the water; they're using the water as a medium to send a signal through the Undercity. They're searching for something."Meanwhile, your own keen eyes analyze the crystal from a more practical standpoint. Your Investigation check tells you a few things.The crystal is solid, crystalline rock, not glass. While a direct, powerful blow from a bludgeoning weapon might crack it, a piercing projectile like a crossbow bolt would have a high chance of simply ricocheting off one of its angled faces. It's a durable object, and shattering it with a single ranged attack seems highly unlikely.You now have crucial information. The crystal isn't the primary goal, it's a tool for finding something else. And simply shooting it probably won't work.What do you do?A. Attempt to lift the grate. Get down there and try to stop the ritual at its source by removing or destroying the crystal up close.B. Disrupt the flow. Ask Gideon if stopping the flow of water into the grate would interrupt the ritual's signal.C. Follow the signal. The crystal is searching for something. Perhaps you can use this. You could try to discern the direction the energy is flowing towards.D. Smash and Grab. You could spend a Ki point on Step of the Wind to jump down into the lower chamber, grab the crystal, and jump back out before anything can react.E. Anything else.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Bitto 07/28/25 6:12:16 PM #212:	A, prefer to remove than destroy --- https://i.imgur.com/9sOWQAf.jpeg <cite>Bitto posted [p:985917600] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>A, prefer to remove than destroy</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/28/25 9:24:22 PM #213:	I'm assuming the grate is going to be stupid heavy. C is tempting, but it's possible what they're searching for might be in Vaela's backpack. OTOH, if we can discern that, it might be good to know the scope to which The Hand is pursuing the box. Could I get a better description of the chamber below? --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985919792] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>I'm assuming the grate is going to be stupid heavy. C is tempting, but it's possible what they're searching for might be in Vaela's backpack. OTOH, if we can discern that, it might be good to know the scope to which The Hand is pursuing the box.Could I get a better description of the chamber below?</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 07/29/25 12:13:17 AM #214:	Of course. It's wise to get a full picture before acting. You press your face closer to the iron bars of the grate, letting your eyes adjust to the pulsing green light and trying to absorb every detail of the chamber below. The room is a perfect circle, about fifteen feet in diameter. Unlike the rough-hewn brick and stone of the sewer tunnel you're in, the walls of this small chamber are made of smooth, black, seamless stone. It looks ancient and intentionally crafted, not part of the city's original sewer system. There are no other visible doors or grates leading out of it; it appears to be a sealed space accessible only from above. The floor is made of the same black stone and is completely dry, a stark contrast to the muck just a few feet above. It's also remarkably clean, free of the slime and grime that covers everything else down here. In the exact center of the room sits a short, cylindrical pedestal of the same black stone, about two feet high. The fist-sized, jagged green crystal rests on top of this pedestal. With every pulse of light, you can see faint, almost invisible runes on the surface of the pedestal glow with the same green energy before fading again. The only thing entering the room is the steady trickle of corrupted sewer water from the grate above. It drips directly down onto the crystal. The crystal doesn't seem to get wet; instead, the liquid turns into a shimmering green mist upon contact, which is then absorbed into the stone with each pulse. The atmosphere in the room feels sterile and strangely silent, despite the hum that you can feel through the floor. It's a place of deliberate, ancient magic, temporarily co-opted for this new purpose. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985921345] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Of course. It's wise to get a full picture before acting.You press your face closer to the iron bars of the grate, letting your eyes adjust to the pulsing green light and trying to absorb every detail of the chamber below.The room is a perfect circle, about fifteen feet in diameter. Unlike the rough-hewn brick and stone of the sewer tunnel you're in, the walls of this small chamber are made of smooth, black, seamless stone. It looks ancient and intentionally crafted, not part of the city's original sewer system. There are no other visible doors or grates leading out of it; it appears to be a sealed space accessible only from above.The floor is made of the same black stone and is completely dry, a stark contrast to the muck just a few feet above. It's also remarkably clean, free of the slime and grime that covers everything else down here.In the exact center of the room sits a short, cylindrical pedestal of the same black stone, about two feet high. The fist-sized, jagged green crystal rests on top of this pedestal. With every pulse of light, you can see faint, almost invisible runes on the surface of the pedestal glow with the same green energy before fading again.The only thing entering the room is the steady trickle of corrupted sewer water from the grate above. It drips directly down onto the crystal. The crystal doesn't seem to get wet; instead, the liquid turns into a shimmering green mist upon contact, which is then absorbed into the stone with each pulse.The atmosphere in the room feels sterile and strangely silent, despite the hum that you can feel through the floor. It's a place of deliberate, ancient magic, temporarily co-opted for this new purpose.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/29/25 6:51:31 AM #215:	Well, if there's no other way into the room, A. I assumed there would be other access points, and that the grate would be unfathomably heavy. But seeing as it's the only way in, the cultists must have opened it themselves. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985922728] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Well, if there's no other way into the room, A. I assumed there would be other access points, and that the grate would be unfathomably heavy. But seeing as it's the only way in, the cultists must have opened it themselves.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
White_Wing 07/29/25 2:49:39 PM #216:	A (I wonder how that crystal'd react if we pour a bit from the bottle on it, or into the water. It might dilute it, at least.) <cite>White_Wing posted [p:985926505] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>A(I wonder how that crystal'd react if we pour a bit from the bottle on it, or into the water. It might dilute it, at least.)</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 07/29/25 6:46:44 PM #217:	The time for observation is over. The source of this corruption lies below, and every moment its sickly green heart continues to beat is a victory for the fanatics who served it. "We're opening it," you state, the words cutting through the low hum. Its not a question. Vaela gives a sharp, feral nod. She holsters her crossbow with an economy of motion that speaks to countless such moments and takes her position opposite you. You both dig your fingers into the freezing, rusted iron of the grate, finding what purchase you can on the slick bars. Gideon, his face ashen in the green glare, wisely retreats several paces. You and Vaela lock eyes for a brief secondan unspoken acknowledgmentand then you both heave. I will make the Strength (Athletics) check with advantage, showing both dice as requested. Advantage Strength (Athletics) Check: `Higher Roll: 19 from (19, 5)` `Final Calculation: 19 - 1 (Pint's STR mod) = 18` For a moment, there is only the straining of sinew and the grinding of teeth. Then, a percussive crack echoes in the chamber as the grate's rusted seal breaks. A shriek of tortured metal tears through the air as you and Vaela drag the immense iron plate across the stone floor, the sound grating on the nerves. Flakes of ancient rust and dried slime rain into the chamber below. The way is open. A ten-foot drop into a void of perfect, black stone. A current of cool, sterile air breathes up from the darkness, a stark contrast to the fetid dampness of the sewer. The crystal's steady hum sharpens, rising in pitch to a piercing, resonant keen, as if a nerve has been struck. The light no longer simply pulses; it bleeds more intensely from the jagged stone, staining the air a deeper, more virulent shade of green. The runes on the pedestal now glow with a constant, angry light. The chamber is aware of you. You stand at the precipice, muscles burning from the effort. Vaela recovers quickly, wiping grime from her hands onto her trousers, her gaze already sweeping the chamber below, calculating angles, exits, and risks. Gideon has edged closer, drawn by a scholar's horrified fascination, his knuckles bone-white where he clutches his heavy tome. The chasm awaits your decision. What do you do? A. Leap into the chamber. Your monastic training has prepared you for such things. A calculated, ten-foot drop is the fastest way to confront the artifact directly. B. Secure a line. The methodical approach. Anchoring your rope ensures a controlled descent and, more importantly, a reliable path of retreat. C. A brutal calculus suggests itself. The cultists' corpses are a resource. You could shove one into the opening below to probe for traps or other defenses without risking the living. D. Deploy your asset. Vaela is agile and lethal. You could anchor the rope and lower her down, providing cover from above as she investigates. E. Propose another course of action. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985928963] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>The time for observation is over. The source of this corruption lies below, and every moment its sickly green heart continues to beat is a victory for the fanatics who served it."We're opening it," you state, the words cutting through the low hum. Its not a question.Vaela gives a sharp, feral nod. She holsters her crossbow with an economy of motion that speaks to countless such moments and takes her position opposite you. You both dig your fingers into the freezing, rusted iron of the grate, finding what purchase you can on the slick bars. Gideon, his face ashen in the green glare, wisely retreats several paces.You and Vaela lock eyes for a brief secondan unspoken acknowledgmentand then you both heave.I will make the Strength (Athletics) check with advantage, showing both dice as requested.Advantage Strength (Athletics) Check:Higher Roll: 19 from (19, 5)Final Calculation: 19 - 1 (Pint's STR mod) = 18For a moment, there is only the straining of sinew and the grinding of teeth. Then, a percussive crack echoes in the chamber as the grate's rusted seal breaks. A shriek of tortured metal tears through the air as you and Vaela drag the immense iron plate across the stone floor, the sound grating on the nerves. Flakes of ancient rust and dried slime rain into the chamber below.The way is open. A ten-foot drop into a void of perfect, black stone.A current of cool, sterile air breathes up from the darkness, a stark contrast to the fetid dampness of the sewer. The crystal's steady hum sharpens, rising in pitch to a piercing, resonant keen, as if a nerve has been struck. The light no longer simply pulses; it bleeds more intensely from the jagged stone, staining the air a deeper, more virulent shade of green. The runes on the pedestal now glow with a constant, angry light. The chamber is aware of you.You stand at the precipice, muscles burning from the effort. Vaela recovers quickly, wiping grime from her hands onto her trousers, her gaze already sweeping the chamber below, calculating angles, exits, and risks. Gideon has edged closer, drawn by a scholar's horrified fascination, his knuckles bone-white where he clutches his heavy tome.The chasm awaits your decision. What do you do?A. Leap into the chamber. Your monastic training has prepared you for such things. A calculated, ten-foot drop is the fastest way to confront the artifact directly.B. Secure a line. The methodical approach. Anchoring your rope ensures a controlled descent and, more importantly, a reliable path of retreat.C. A brutal calculus suggests itself. The cultists' corpses are a resource. You could shove one into the opening below to probe for traps or other defenses without risking the living.D. Deploy your asset. Vaela is agile and lethal. You could anchor the rope and lower her down, providing cover from above as she investigates.E. Propose another course of action.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/29/25 7:48:08 PM #218:	One has to wonder, if it was rusted and difficult to open, what the cultists did. Was the crystal simply always down there and they just activated it? C, then D (or B). --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985929635] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>One has to wonder, if it was rusted and difficult to open, what the cultists did. Was the crystal simply always down there and they just activated it?C, then D (or B).</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
White_Wing 07/30/25 2:30:43 PM #219:	C, then B (C + D is fine too, though.) <cite>White_Wing posted [p:985937395] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>C, then B(C + D is fine too, though.)</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Bitto 07/30/25 2:54:07 PM #220:	C, then B --- https://i.imgur.com/9sOWQAf.jpeg <cite>Bitto posted [p:985937654] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>C, then B</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 07/30/25 10:40:04 PM #221:	A grim thought takes root, pragmatic and cold. You look from the yawning black hole to the pale, still form of the dead cultist. A resource. You don't need to speak the words. You glance at Vaela and jerk your chin towards the corpse. Her eyes, hard as flint in the green light, show no surprise, only a flicker of cold comprehension. She gives you a single, sharp nod. This is a language she understands perfectly. "What are you" Gideon begins, his voice trembling, but the question dies in his throat as you and Vaela each take one of the cultist's arms. The body is a dead weight, the robes soaked with foul water. With a shared, unceremonious heave, you swing the corpse out over the precipice. It tumbles end over end into the darkness, a grotesque marionette. You all watch, waiting for the wet, solid thud of its impact. The thud never comes. The body hits the floor in absolute, stomach-turning silence. There is no sound of impact, no slap of wet cloth on stone. One moment it is falling, the next it is still. As your eyes adjust, you see a faint, shimmering distortion in the air around the corpse. A dry, rasping whisper, like sand scouring bone, replaces the expected sound. The corpse's pale flesh darkens and tightens, the robes seeming to desiccate and crumble, as if decades of natural decay are occurring in mere seconds. Gideon lets out a choked gasp, stumbling back. "The floor," he whispers, horrified. "It's warded. A silence field... but worse. It... it unmakes things. Slowly." Vaela's lips are a thin, hard line. "A negation field," she confirms, her voice low. "Mogaunese work. Anything that enters uninvited is slowly erased. Good instinct, Pint." The calculus is now chillingly clear. Leaping down would be suicide, just a slower one than anticipated. The rope is not a choice; it is a necessity. You unshoulder your pack and retrieve the 50 feet of hempen rope. You find a sturdy-looking iron strut supporting a nearby sewer conduit and, with Vaela's help, securely anchor the line. You let the coil drop. It snakes down into the chamber, its end pooling on the silent, deadly floor, a few feet away from the rapidly decaying corpse. The rope hangs taut, a lonely lifeline into a chamber of silent decay. The crystal on its pedestal continues its keening hum, seemingly indifferent to the fate of the cultist. The way is ready, but now fraught with a new, insidious peril. What do you do? A. Descend the rope yourself. You will have to be careful not to touch the floor, perhaps planning to land on the pedestal itself. B. Have Vaela descend. She is also agile. You could provide cover from above while she attempts to disable the artifact. C. Attempt to use a tool from above. You could try to use your spear to reach the crystal, or perhaps try to snag it with a grappling hook made from the rope, though the distance and angle would be difficult. D. Question Gideon further. Now that he's seen the ward in action, does he know of any way to disable it? Is there a counter-rune or a command word? E. Propose another course of action. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985942275] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>A grim thought takes root, pragmatic and cold. You look from the yawning black hole to the pale, still form of the dead cultist. A resource.You don't need to speak the words. You glance at Vaela and jerk your chin towards the corpse. Her eyes, hard as flint in the green light, show no surprise, only a flicker of cold comprehension. She gives you a single, sharp nod. This is a language she understands perfectly."What are you" Gideon begins, his voice trembling, but the question dies in his throat as you and Vaela each take one of the cultist's arms. The body is a dead weight, the robes soaked with foul water. With a shared, unceremonious heave, you swing the corpse out over the precipice.It tumbles end over end into the darkness, a grotesque marionette. You all watch, waiting for the wet, solid thud of its impact.The thud never comes.The body hits the floor in absolute, stomach-turning silence. There is no sound of impact, no slap of wet cloth on stone. One moment it is falling, the next it is still. As your eyes adjust, you see a faint, shimmering distortion in the air around the corpse. A dry, rasping whisper, like sand scouring bone, replaces the expected sound. The corpse's pale flesh darkens and tightens, the robes seeming to desiccate and crumble, as if decades of natural decay are occurring in mere seconds.Gideon lets out a choked gasp, stumbling back. "The floor," he whispers, horrified. "It's warded. A silence field... but worse. It... it unmakes things. Slowly."Vaela's lips are a thin, hard line. "A negation field," she confirms, her voice low. "Mogaunese work. Anything that enters uninvited is slowly erased. Good instinct, Pint."The calculus is now chillingly clear. Leaping down would be suicide, just a slower one than anticipated. The rope is not a choice; it is a necessity.You unshoulder your pack and retrieve the 50 feet of hempen rope. You find a sturdy-looking iron strut supporting a nearby sewer conduit and, with Vaela's help, securely anchor the line. You let the coil drop. It snakes down into the chamber, its end pooling on the silent, deadly floor, a few feet away from the rapidly decaying corpse.The rope hangs taut, a lonely lifeline into a chamber of silent decay. The crystal on its pedestal continues its keening hum, seemingly indifferent to the fate of the cultist. The way is ready, but now fraught with a new, insidious peril.What do you do?A. Descend the rope yourself. You will have to be careful not to touch the floor, perhaps planning to land on the pedestal itself.B. Have Vaela descend. She is also agile. You could provide cover from above while she attempts to disable the artifact.C. Attempt to use a tool from above. You could try to use your spear to reach the crystal, or perhaps try to snag it with a grappling hook made from the rope, though the distance and angle would be difficult.D. Question Gideon further. Now that he's seen the ward in action, does he know of any way to disable it? Is there a counter-rune or a command word?E. Propose another course of action.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/31/25 11:52:08 AM #222:	C/E. Shoot it with the crossbow. It won't break it, but it's as likely to unseat the crystal as going down there personally will, and if the crystal falls on the floor of unmaking, that's probably just as good an outcome as any. Somehow I don't think retrieving the crystal necessarily achieves much, and might just lead to the group being tracked. If the crystal nullifies the negation field, then so be it. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985947268] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>C/E. Shoot it with the crossbow. It won't break it, but it's as likely to unseat the crystal as going down there personally will, and if the crystal falls on the floor of unmaking, that's probably just as good an outcome as any. Somehow I don't think retrieving the crystal necessarily achieves much, and might just lead to the group being tracked.If the crystal nullifies the negation field, then so be it.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Bitto 07/31/25 12:16:52 PM #223:	C, crossbow I was hoping to retrieve the crystal to analyze it and maybe have it as a back-up, but yeah, I dont think its worth it. --- https://i.imgur.com/9sOWQAf.jpeg <cite>Bitto posted [p:985947549] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>C, crossbowI was hoping to retrieve the crystal to analyze it and maybe have it as a back-up, but yeah, I dont think its worth it.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MysteriousStan 07/31/25 12:21:26 PM #224:	That works for me <cite>MysteriousStan posted [p:985947587] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>That works for me</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 07/31/25 2:53:48 PM #225:	You look down at the crystal, then at the rope, then back at the crystal. Direct intervention is too risky. It's time to try something else. "Vaela," you say, your voice low and steady. "Your crossbow. You're the better shot." She looks at you, then down at the crystal, her eyes narrowing in calculation. She understands immediately. Not to destroy ityou've already determined that's unlikelybut to dislodge it. To knock it from its pedestal and, perhaps, disrupt the ritual. "It's a long shot," she murmurs, more to herself than to you. "The bolt could ricochet. But it's better than setting foot on that floor." She kneels at the edge of the pit, finding a stable position. She props her left arm on her bent knee to create a solid platform, laying the stock of her hand crossbow across her wrist. The posture is that of a master marksman, steady and sure. The green light glints off the polished wood and steel of her weapon. She takes a slow, deliberate breath, and for a moment, the only thing in the universe is her, the crossbow, and the pulsing green target below. She exhales, and the crossbow gives a sharp thwack. The bolt is a blur. This is a difficult shot. I'm making an attack roll for Vaela, but the target is small and angled. The Difficulty Class (DC) to hit it is high. Hand Crossbow Attack Roll: `(1d20 + 6 = 11)` The bolt flies true for the first few feet, a perfect black line slicing through the eerie green glow. But at the last second, a pulse of energy from the crystal seems to warp the air around it. The bolt's trajectory shifts ever so slightly. Instead of striking the crystal dead-on, the bolt glances off the edge of the stone pedestal with a sharp TINK and a spray of bright orange sparks. It ricochets wildly, tumbling into the far side of the chamber where it, too, lands in absolute silence and begins to slowly decay. The crystal, however, reacts violently to the impact on its pedestal. The keen hum explodes into a deafening, discordant shriek. The light flares, temporarily blinding you with its intensity. The runes on the pedestal blaze with the light of a green sun. From the crystal, a visible wave of concussive force erupts outwards. You and everyone at the edge of the pit need to make a Constitution Saving Throw to resist being thrown back by the blast. The DC is 13. Pint's CON Save: `(1d20 + 2 = 20)` Vaela's CON Save: `(1d20 + 2 = 14)` Gideon's CON Save: `(1d20 + 0 = 3)` You and Vaela, being warriors, dig in your heels and brace against the wave of force. It hits you like a physical blow, staggering you, but you both manage to hold your ground at the edge of the pit. Gideon is not so fortunate. The blast catches him square in the chest. He lets out a cry of alarm as he is lifted from his feet and thrown backwards, landing in a heap ten feet away with a pained groan. His lantern skitters across the floor and extinguishes, plunging the back of the tunnel into darkness. The crystal's shriek subsides, returning to its high-pitched keen, but it now pulses faster, more erratically. The ward on the floor seems to shimmer with greater intensity. The failed attempt has made things worse. Gideon is down. The crystal is agitated. The path below is still deadly. What do you do? A. Rush to Gideon's aid. Your friend is hurt. You can check on his condition and help him up. B. Press the attack. The crystal is agitated, but maybe it's also more vulnerable. You could try another crossbow shot, or attempt to use your spear to dislodge it. C. Re-evaluate the rope. The floor is deadly, but what about the pedestal? You could try to descend and land directly on the stone dais, avoiding the floor entirely. D. Flee. This is getting too dangerous. The ritual is beyond your ability to stop. It's time to retreat and report what you've found to the Magpie. E. Propose another course of action. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985949311] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>You look down at the crystal, then at the rope, then back at the crystal. Direct intervention is too risky. It's time to try something else."Vaela," you say, your voice low and steady. "Your crossbow. You're the better shot."She looks at you, then down at the crystal, her eyes narrowing in calculation. She understands immediately. Not to destroy ityou've already determined that's unlikelybut to dislodge it. To knock it from its pedestal and, perhaps, disrupt the ritual."It's a long shot," she murmurs, more to herself than to you. "The bolt could ricochet. But it's better than setting foot on that floor."She kneels at the edge of the pit, finding a stable position. She props her left arm on her bent knee to create a solid platform, laying the stock of her hand crossbow across her wrist. The posture is that of a master marksman, steady and sure. The green light glints off the polished wood and steel of her weapon. She takes a slow, deliberate breath, and for a moment, the only thing in the universe is her, the crossbow, and the pulsing green target below.She exhales, and the crossbow gives a sharp thwack.The bolt is a blur.This is a difficult shot. I'm making an attack roll for Vaela, but the target is small and angled. The Difficulty Class (DC) to hit it is high.Hand Crossbow Attack Roll:(1d20 + 6 = 11)The bolt flies true for the first few feet, a perfect black line slicing through the eerie green glow. But at the last second, a pulse of energy from the crystal seems to warp the air around it. The bolt's trajectory shifts ever so slightly.Instead of striking the crystal dead-on, the bolt glances off the edge of the stone pedestal with a sharp TINK and a spray of bright orange sparks. It ricochets wildly, tumbling into the far side of the chamber where it, too, lands in absolute silence and begins to slowly decay.The crystal, however, reacts violently to the impact on its pedestal.The keen hum explodes into a deafening, discordant shriek. The light flares, temporarily blinding you with its intensity. The runes on the pedestal blaze with the light of a green sun. From the crystal, a visible wave of concussive force erupts outwards.You and everyone at the edge of the pit need to make a Constitution Saving Throw to resist being thrown back by the blast. The DC is 13.Pint's CON Save:(1d20 + 2 = 20)Vaela's CON Save:(1d20 + 2 = 14)Gideon's CON Save:(1d20 + 0 = 3)You and Vaela, being warriors, dig in your heels and brace against the wave of force. It hits you like a physical blow, staggering you, but you both manage to hold your ground at the edge of the pit.Gideon is not so fortunate. The blast catches him square in the chest. He lets out a cry of alarm as he is lifted from his feet and thrown backwards, landing in a heap ten feet away with a pained groan. His lantern skitters across the floor and extinguishes, plunging the back of the tunnel into darkness.The crystal's shriek subsides, returning to its high-pitched keen, but it now pulses faster, more erratically. The ward on the floor seems to shimmer with greater intensity. The failed attempt has made things worse.Gideon is down. The crystal is agitated. The path below is still deadly.What do you do?A. Rush to Gideon's aid. Your friend is hurt. You can check on his condition and help him up.B. Press the attack. The crystal is agitated, but maybe it's also more vulnerable. You could try another crossbow shot, or attempt to use your spear to dislodge it.C. Re-evaluate the rope. The floor is deadly, but what about the pedestal? You could try to descend and land directly on the stone dais, avoiding the floor entirely.D. Flee. This is getting too dangerous. The ritual is beyond your ability to stop. It's time to retreat and report what you've found to the Magpie.E. Propose another course of action.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 07/31/25 3:16:38 PM #226:	Well okay...let's drop the other cultist body on it. E. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985949576] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Well okay...let's drop the other cultist body on it.E.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
White_Wing 07/31/25 4:41:56 PM #227:	A, then E (drop the second body on it). <cite>White_Wing posted [p:985950360] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>A, then E (drop the second body on it).</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Bitto 08/01/25 4:09:36 PM #228:	White_Wing posted... A, then E (drop the second body on it). --- https://i.imgur.com/9sOWQAf.jpeg <cite>Bitto posted [p:985961801] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>White_Wing posted... </cite><quote>A, then E (drop the second body on it).</quote></quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 08/02/25 3:03:45 AM #229:	Instinct takes over. The complex problem of the crystal can wait; your friend cannot. "Gideon!" you shout, spinning away from the precipice. You rush to his side. He's groaning, curled up on the grimy floor where the blast threw him. His heavy book lies a few feet away. You quickly run your hands over him, checking for serious injuries. I will make a Wisdom (Medicine) check for you. `(1d20 + 2 = 14)` Your check reveals no broken bones or bleeding wounds. He's badly bruised and the wind was knocked out of him, but he appears to be physically intact, if thoroughly terrified. "I... I'm alright," he rasps, pushing himself up into a sitting position with your help. "The book... it cushioned the blow." He gestures to where the massive tome landed. Vaela, ever practical, retrieves the lantern, and with a few deft movements of her tinderbox, relights the wick, restoring a small pool of warm, normal light to your corner of the chamber. She gives Gideon a quick, appraising glance. "He'll live," she says, her tone dismissive of his panic but acknowledging his survival. With Gideon safe for the moment, your mind immediately returns to the problem below. The direct approach failed. The crystal is agitated. Logic, a grim and brutal logic, presents another option. You look at the remaining cultist's body, then at Vaela. A silent, dark understanding passes between you once more. She nods, already moving to grab the corpse's legs while you take the arms. Gideon watches, his eyes wide with horror. "Whatwhat are you doing now?" "Improvising," Vaela grunts. You don't waste time with a swing. You position yourselves directly over the opening and simply let go. The second body plummets straight down, aimed directly at the pedestal. It strikes the crystal with a sickening, silent crunch. The effect is immediate and catastrophic. The crystal does not want to be touched. As the body makes impact, the artifact unleashes all its stored energy in a single, silent, violent pulse. The green light doesn't just flare; it detonates. The corpse is not just decayed; it is instantly obliterated, turning to a cloud of fine, black dust that is itself unmade before it can even disperse. The crystal itself cracks, a spiderweb of black fractures spreading across its surface. The keening hum cuts off abruptly, replaced by a deep, groaning sound, like the world's last breath being drawn. Then, with a final, echoing snap, the crystal shatters into a thousand pieces of dull, black, glassy stone that scatter across the pedestal and the warded floor. The silence that descends is heavier than any sound, a profound and sudden void that presses in on all sides. The oppressive green glare is gone, replaced by the frail, dancing flame of Gideons lantern, which throws your towering, distorted shadows against the damp brick walls. The air, stripped of the hum, feels dead. For a long moment, no one moves. You, Vaela, and Gideon are frozen at the edge of the pit, three figures held in a tableau of shared shock. The brutal, desperate gambit worked. The ritual is broken. Slowly, you let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. Your gaze drops into the chamber below. It is now just a dark, circular room, the floor littered with the dull, black shards of the shattered crystal. The ominous power that saturated the area has vanished completely. Vaela is the first to stir, a hunter's instinct overriding her shock. She kneels, peering intently into the darkness, her hand never straying far from her weapon. Gideon remains on the floor, propped up on one arm, his face pale and slick with a mixture of sewer damp and cold sweat. You have succeeded, but the suddenness of the event leaves a lingering sense of unease. The quiet feels unnatural, a vacuum waiting to be filled. What do you do? A. Descend into the chamber.The immediate threat appears to be gone. Now is the time to investigate the aftermath, to examine the pedestal and the fragments of the crystal for any clues. B. Remain vigilant.You hold your position for a minute, scanning the darkness of the intersecting tunnels, listening to the sudden silence, ensuring that the ritual's violent end has not drawn any unwanted attention. C. See to your scholar.The psychic backlash was immense. You turn your full attention back to Gideon, making sure the shock of the event hasn't done more harm than the physical blast. D. Execute a tactical withdrawal.The mission is complete. You have neutralized the threat. The logical, professional move is to vacate the sewers and return to the surface before a new complication arises. E. Propose another course of action. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985967249] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Instinct takes over. The complex problem of the crystal can wait; your friend cannot."Gideon!" you shout, spinning away from the precipice.You rush to his side. He's groaning, curled up on the grimy floor where the blast threw him. His heavy book lies a few feet away. You quickly run your hands over him, checking for serious injuries.I will make a Wisdom (Medicine) check for you.(1d20 + 2 = 14)Your check reveals no broken bones or bleeding wounds. He's badly bruised and the wind was knocked out of him, but he appears to be physically intact, if thoroughly terrified."I... I'm alright," he rasps, pushing himself up into a sitting position with your help. "The book... it cushioned the blow." He gestures to where the massive tome landed.Vaela, ever practical, retrieves the lantern, and with a few deft movements of her tinderbox, relights the wick, restoring a small pool of warm, normal light to your corner of the chamber. She gives Gideon a quick, appraising glance. "He'll live," she says, her tone dismissive of his panic but acknowledging his survival.With Gideon safe for the moment, your mind immediately returns to the problem below. The direct approach failed. The crystal is agitated. Logic, a grim and brutal logic, presents another option.You look at the remaining cultist's body, then at Vaela. A silent, dark understanding passes between you once more. She nods, already moving to grab the corpse's legs while you take the arms.Gideon watches, his eyes wide with horror. "Whatwhat are you doing now?""Improvising," Vaela grunts.You don't waste time with a swing. You position yourselves directly over the opening and simply let go.The second body plummets straight down, aimed directly at the pedestal. It strikes the crystal with a sickening, silent crunch.The effect is immediate and catastrophic.The crystal does not want to be touched. As the body makes impact, the artifact unleashes all its stored energy in a single, silent, violent pulse. The green light doesn't just flare; it detonates. The corpse is not just decayed; it is instantly obliterated, turning to a cloud of fine, black dust that is itself unmade before it can even disperse.The crystal itself cracks, a spiderweb of black fractures spreading across its surface. The keening hum cuts off abruptly, replaced by a deep, groaning sound, like the world's last breath being drawn. Then, with a final, echoing snap, the crystal shatters into a thousand pieces of dull, black, glassy stone that scatter across the pedestal and the warded floor.The silence that descends is heavier than any sound, a profound and sudden void that presses in on all sides. The oppressive green glare is gone, replaced by the frail, dancing flame of Gideons lantern, which throws your towering, distorted shadows against the damp brick walls. The air, stripped of the hum, feels dead.For a long moment, no one moves. You, Vaela, and Gideon are frozen at the edge of the pit, three figures held in a tableau of shared shock. The brutal, desperate gambit worked. The ritual is broken.Slowly, you let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. Your gaze drops into the chamber below. It is now just a dark, circular room, the floor littered with the dull, black shards of the shattered crystal. The ominous power that saturated the area has vanished completely.Vaela is the first to stir, a hunter's instinct overriding her shock. She kneels, peering intently into the darkness, her hand never straying far from her weapon. Gideon remains on the floor, propped up on one arm, his face pale and slick with a mixture of sewer damp and cold sweat.You have succeeded, but the suddenness of the event leaves a lingering sense of unease. The quiet feels unnatural, a vacuum waiting to be filled.What do you do?A. Descend into the chamber.The immediate threat appears to be gone. Now is the time to investigate the aftermath, to examine the pedestal and the fragments of the crystal for any clues.B. Remain vigilant.You hold your position for a minute, scanning the darkness of the intersecting tunnels, listening to the sudden silence, ensuring that the ritual's violent end has not drawn any unwanted attention.C. See to your scholar.The psychic backlash was immense. You turn your full attention back to Gideon, making sure the shock of the event hasn't done more harm than the physical blast.D. Execute a tactical withdrawal.The mission is complete. You have neutralized the threat. The logical, professional move is to vacate the sewers and return to the surface before a new complication arises.E. Propose another course of action.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Bitto 08/02/25 7:46:32 AM #230:	D --- https://i.imgur.com/9sOWQAf.jpeg <cite>Bitto posted [p:985968203] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>D</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 08/02/25 9:26:38 AM #231:	Time to go. D. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985968707] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Time to go. D.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 08/02/25 9:45:06 AM #232:	The silence in the chamber stretches, thick and heavy. Youve won. The unnatural energy is gone. But victory in the depths below Oakhaven feels less like triumph and more like a temporary reprieve. Lingering here feels wrong, like waiting for the other claw to drop. You meet Vaelas gaze across the pit. Her expression mirrors your own thoughts: the job is done, and this is no place to celebrate. She gives a subtle, almost imperceptible shake of her head. Its time to go. "Gideon," you say, your voice resonating in the sudden quiet. "Can you walk?" He nods, still shaken, and you help him to his feet. He leans heavily on a nearby wall for a moment, collecting himself. Vaela, efficient as ever, moves to the anchor point and begins hauling up the rope, coiling it expertly as it comes. "Which way?" Vaela asks, her voice low and direct, addressed to Gideon. "The fastest way out of this filth." Gideon, drawing on his role as a Keeper, points a trembling finger down one of the tunnels they had seen earlier, one that was not the path they came from. "This way," he says, his voice regaining a sliver of confidence now that he is on familiar ground. "It's a more direct route. It will take us closer to the bindery." With a final, lingering look at the dark, silent chamber of the vanquished ritual, you turn your back on it. You take up a position at the front, your spear held ready, while Vaela guards the rear. Gideon, flanked between you, holds his lantern high, its warm, familiar glow a small pocket of comfort in the oppressive dark. The journey back is tense. Every drip of water, every skittering rat in the shadows, sounds unnaturally loud in the absence of the crystal's hum. You move with grim purpose through the labyrinthine tunnels, following Gideon's confident directions. He proves his worth, navigating the maze of sewer lines and forgotten maintenance passages with an unerring sense of direction. After what feels like an eternity, but is likely no more than twenty minutes, Gideon stops before a section of rough brick wall. He runs his hands over it, finds a particular brick, and pushes. With a low grind of stone on stone, a section of the wall recedes, revealing a set of steep, narrow stone steps leading up into utter blackness. "We're here," he breathes, a wave of relief washing over him. You ascend the stairs and emerge into the cool, dusty air of Gideon's cellar. Vaela pushes the secret door shut behind you, the heavy 'thud' of its closing seeming to seal away the horrors of the sewers below. You are back in the relative safety of the bindery. The smell of old paper and ink is a welcome replacement for the stench of the Undercity. For successfully navigating the Mogaunese trap and destroying the ritual focus, the party is awarded Each character receives 50 XP. Pint's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117 Vaela's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117 Gideon's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117 You stand in the dim light of the cellar. The main door to the shop above is still a wreck from the assassins' attack. The immediate danger is past, but you are fugitives in your own city, marked by a deadly cult, and in possession of a powerful, dangerous artifact. What do you do? A. Secure the location. You need to barricade the broken door upstairs and ensure the shop is as safe as it can be for the night. B. Examine the artifact. Now that you have a moment of peace, it's time to take a proper look at the Whisper-box that started all of this. C. Interrogate Gideon. He's a Keeper for the Magpie. It's time he told you everything he knows about the network, the Shadowed Hand, and what your next move should be. D. Tend to your wounds and rest. You and Vaela are both injured from the earlier fights. Taking a Short Rest would allow you to spend Hit Dice to recover and gather your strength. E. Propose another course of action. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985968852] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>The silence in the chamber stretches, thick and heavy. Youve won. The unnatural energy is gone. But victory in the depths below Oakhaven feels less like triumph and more like a temporary reprieve. Lingering here feels wrong, like waiting for the other claw to drop.You meet Vaelas gaze across the pit. Her expression mirrors your own thoughts: the job is done, and this is no place to celebrate. She gives a subtle, almost imperceptible shake of her head. Its time to go."Gideon," you say, your voice resonating in the sudden quiet. "Can you walk?"He nods, still shaken, and you help him to his feet. He leans heavily on a nearby wall for a moment, collecting himself. Vaela, efficient as ever, moves to the anchor point and begins hauling up the rope, coiling it expertly as it comes."Which way?" Vaela asks, her voice low and direct, addressed to Gideon. "The fastest way out of this filth."Gideon, drawing on his role as a Keeper, points a trembling finger down one of the tunnels they had seen earlier, one that was not the path they came from. "This way," he says, his voice regaining a sliver of confidence now that he is on familiar ground. "It's a more direct route. It will take us closer to the bindery."With a final, lingering look at the dark, silent chamber of the vanquished ritual, you turn your back on it. You take up a position at the front, your spear held ready, while Vaela guards the rear. Gideon, flanked between you, holds his lantern high, its warm, familiar glow a small pocket of comfort in the oppressive dark.The journey back is tense. Every drip of water, every skittering rat in the shadows, sounds unnaturally loud in the absence of the crystal's hum. You move with grim purpose through the labyrinthine tunnels, following Gideon's confident directions. He proves his worth, navigating the maze of sewer lines and forgotten maintenance passages with an unerring sense of direction.After what feels like an eternity, but is likely no more than twenty minutes, Gideon stops before a section of rough brick wall. He runs his hands over it, finds a particular brick, and pushes. With a low grind of stone on stone, a section of the wall recedes, revealing a set of steep, narrow stone steps leading up into utter blackness."We're here," he breathes, a wave of relief washing over him.You ascend the stairs and emerge into the cool, dusty air of Gideon's cellar. Vaela pushes the secret door shut behind you, the heavy 'thud' of its closing seeming to seal away the horrors of the sewers below. You are back in the relative safety of the bindery. The smell of old paper and ink is a welcome replacement for the stench of the Undercity.For successfully navigating the Mogaunese trap and destroying the ritual focus, the party is awarded Each character receives 50 XP.Pint's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117Vaela's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117Gideon's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117You stand in the dim light of the cellar. The main door to the shop above is still a wreck from the assassins' attack. The immediate danger is past, but you are fugitives in your own city, marked by a deadly cult, and in possession of a powerful, dangerous artifact.What do you do?A. Secure the location. You need to barricade the broken door upstairs and ensure the shop is as safe as it can be for the night.B. Examine the artifact. Now that you have a moment of peace, it's time to take a proper look at the Whisper-box that started all of this.C. Interrogate Gideon. He's a Keeper for the Magpie. It's time he told you everything he knows about the network, the Shadowed Hand, and what your next move should be.D. Tend to your wounds and rest. You and Vaela are both injured from the earlier fights. Taking a Short Rest would allow you to spend Hit Dice to recover and gather your strength.E. Propose another course of action.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MysteriousStan 08/02/25 11:26:33 AM #233:	A I believe we're at full health after the level up. Vaela is injured yeah. I'm really okay with any of these except maybe C at this point. <cite>MysteriousStan posted [p:985969579] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>AI believe we're at full health after the level up. Vaela is injured yeah. I'm really okay with any of these except maybe C at this point.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 08/02/25 11:53:04 AM #234:	Stupid question: why are we in the bindery? Isn't that where we left? I thought we were on a mission to leave the city. Is there a reason we looped back? A seems logical if they're staying here. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985969789] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Stupid question: why are we in the bindery? Isn't that where we left? I thought we were on a mission to leave the city. Is there a reason we looped back?A seems logical if they're staying here.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 08/03/25 8:31:02 AM #235:	Good question: if you guys want to move on from this town, I can retcon this. 2 will have to agree though. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985979409] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Good question: if you guys want to move on from this town, I can retcon this. 2 will have to agree though.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 08/03/25 3:22:54 PM #236:	I don't care if they're back in the bindery so long as I know why they're back. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985982538] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>I don't care if they're back in the bindery so long as I know why they're back.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 08/03/25 3:29:38 PM #237:	I guess with tactical withdrawal it meant retreat and short rest/discuss in a secure location before continuing.I can see how that was not the intent of the voters, so if you guys want to redo the last choice and continue on instead I will retcon. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985982606] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>I guess with tactical withdrawal it meant retreat and short rest/discuss in a secure location before continuing.I can see how that was not the intent of the voters, so if you guys want to redo the last choice and continue on instead I will retcon. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Bitto 08/03/25 3:35:26 PM #238:	Oh yes, with D, I wasn't implying that we go back to where we came, but to move on from this part of the sewers. It sounded like Gideon had a destination in mind that we haven't reached yet. --- https://i.imgur.com/9sOWQAf.jpeg <cite>Bitto posted [p:985982662] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Oh yes, with D, I wasn't implying that we go back to where we came, but to move on from this part of the sewers. It sounded like Gideon had a destination in mind that we haven't reached yet.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 08/03/25 6:20:57 PM #239:	What Bitto said. Even if Pint decided to fall back to a past location, I don't think Gideon or Vaela would support returning here unless they think it's already been scoured and abandoned...and with the implication that the Hand will have bloodhounds on the party's tracks, that doesn't seem wise. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985984449] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>What Bitto said. Even if Pint decided to fall back to a past location, I don't think Gideon or Vaela would support returning here unless they think it's already been scoured and abandoned...and with the implication that the Hand will have bloodhounds on the party's tracks, that doesn't seem wise.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
White_Wing 08/03/25 6:47:17 PM #240:	Same here, looks like the AI got confused and mistook our retreat for an investigation on Magpie's behalf. Looking back, we actually escaped into the sewers on Vaela's own orders, back in post 151. <cite>White_Wing posted [p:985984853] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Same here, looks like the AI got confused and mistook our retreat for an investigation on Magpie's behalf.Looking back, we actually escaped into the sewers on Vaela's own orders, back in post 151.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 08/04/25 12:34:05 AM #241:	My sincerest apologies. You are correct. My interpretation of "withdrawal" was too narrow, leading me to incorrectly steer you back to the compromised bindery. Thank you for the correction. Let us rewind and proceed with the proper intent of your action: to leave the immediate danger behind and continue your escape through the subterranean darkness. The silence in the chamber stretches, thick and heavy. Youve won. The unnatural energy is gone. But victory in the depths below Oakhaven feels less like triumph and more like a temporary reprieve. Lingering here feels wrong, like waiting for the other claw to drop. You meet Vaelas gaze across the pit. Her expression mirrors your own thoughts: the job is done, and this is no place to celebrate. She gives a subtle, almost imperceptible shake of her head. Its time to go. "Gideon," you say, your voice resonating in the sudden quiet. "Can you walk?" He nods, still shaken, and you help him to his feet. He leans heavily on a nearby wall for a moment, collecting himself. Vaela, efficient as ever, moves to the anchor point and begins hauling up the rope, coiling it expertly as it comes. "Which way?" Vaela asks, her voice low and direct, addressed to Gideon. "Not back the way we came. The Watch will have the Quill District sealed tight by now." Gideon, drawing on his role as a Keeper, takes a moment to get his bearings. He points a trembling finger down one of the other tunnels leading from the chamber. "That way," he says, his voice gaining a sliver of confidence. "There's an egress grate that opens into an alley in the Old Market sector. It's a chaotic place, even at this hour. We'll be harder to track there." With a final, lingering look at the dark, silent chamber of the vanquished ritual, you turn your back on it. You take up a point position, your walking stick held at the ready. Vaela falls in at the rear, a shadow guarding your retreat. Flanked between you, Gideon holds his lantern high, its warm glow a small pocket of defiant comfort in the oppressive dark. The journey is long and taxing. You navigate a new series of tunnels, the path marked by strange chalk symbols only Gideon seems to understand. The relief of surviving the ritual slowly gives way to bone-deep exhaustion. The adrenaline fades, leaving behind the ache of bruises and the sting of wounds. Finally, Gideon stops at the base of a rusted iron ladder that ascends into blackness. "This is it," he whispers. You climb, emerging one by one through a heavy, dislodged grate into a narrow alleyway. The air that hits you is a blessedly cool night air, thick with the scents of rain-slick cobblestone, wet wool, and distant woodsmoke. You have surfaced. The Old Market is a warren of tightly packed shops and tenement buildings, their upper stories leaning so far they nearly touch. At this late hour, it is mostly deserted, the stalls covered in tarps, the streets slick with a recent drizzle. The moon is hidden by a thick blanket of clouds, lending a deep, shadowy quality to the entire district. For successfully navigating the Mogaunese trap and escaping the sewers, the party is awarded *Each character receives 50 XP.* Pint's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117 Vaela's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117 Gideon's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117 You are hidden in the mouth of a dark alley, the sounds of the city muted around you. You are exhausted, wounded, and far from your original objective, but you are alive and out of the sewers. For the first time since the bindery was breached, you have a moment to think. What do you do? A. Find shelter for the night. You need to get off the street. You could try to find a discreet inn or a cheap flophouse where you can rest without drawing attention. B. Tend to your wounds immediately. Find a secure corner in the alley. You and Vaela can take a Short Rest to spend your Hit Dice and recover your strength before moving on. C. Examine the Whisper-box. Here, in the relative calm of the surface world, you can finally take a proper look at the Mogaunese artifact that started this entire shadow war. D. Formulate a plan. You need to decide on your next move. You press Gideon and Vaela for information: where can you go? Who can you trust? What is the Magpie's plan now? E. Propose another course of action. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985989134] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>My sincerest apologies. You are correct. My interpretation of "withdrawal" was too narrow, leading me to incorrectly steer you back to the compromised bindery. Thank you for the correction. Let us rewind and proceed with the proper intent of your action: to leave the immediate danger behind and continue your escape through the subterranean darkness.The silence in the chamber stretches, thick and heavy. Youve won. The unnatural energy is gone. But victory in the depths below Oakhaven feels less like triumph and more like a temporary reprieve. Lingering here feels wrong, like waiting for the other claw to drop.You meet Vaelas gaze across the pit. Her expression mirrors your own thoughts: the job is done, and this is no place to celebrate. She gives a subtle, almost imperceptible shake of her head. Its time to go."Gideon," you say, your voice resonating in the sudden quiet. "Can you walk?"He nods, still shaken, and you help him to his feet. He leans heavily on a nearby wall for a moment, collecting himself. Vaela, efficient as ever, moves to the anchor point and begins hauling up the rope, coiling it expertly as it comes."Which way?" Vaela asks, her voice low and direct, addressed to Gideon. "Not back the way we came. The Watch will have the Quill District sealed tight by now."Gideon, drawing on his role as a Keeper, takes a moment to get his bearings. He points a trembling finger down one of the other tunnels leading from the chamber. "That way," he says, his voice gaining a sliver of confidence. "There's an egress grate that opens into an alley in the Old Market sector. It's a chaotic place, even at this hour. We'll be harder to track there."With a final, lingering look at the dark, silent chamber of the vanquished ritual, you turn your back on it. You take up a point position, your walking stick held at the ready. Vaela falls in at the rear, a shadow guarding your retreat. Flanked between you, Gideon holds his lantern high, its warm glow a small pocket of defiant comfort in the oppressive dark.The journey is long and taxing. You navigate a new series of tunnels, the path marked by strange chalk symbols only Gideon seems to understand. The relief of surviving the ritual slowly gives way to bone-deep exhaustion. The adrenaline fades, leaving behind the ache of bruises and the sting of wounds.Finally, Gideon stops at the base of a rusted iron ladder that ascends into blackness. "This is it," he whispers. You climb, emerging one by one through a heavy, dislodged grate into a narrow alleyway. The air that hits you is a blessedly cool night air, thick with the scents of rain-slick cobblestone, wet wool, and distant woodsmoke. You have surfaced.The Old Market is a warren of tightly packed shops and tenement buildings, their upper stories leaning so far they nearly touch. At this late hour, it is mostly deserted, the stalls covered in tarps, the streets slick with a recent drizzle. The moon is hidden by a thick blanket of clouds, lending a deep, shadowy quality to the entire district.For successfully navigating the Mogaunese trap and escaping the sewers, the party is awarded Each character receives 50 XP.Pint's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117Vaela's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117Gideon's Total XP: 67 + 50 = 117You are hidden in the mouth of a dark alley, the sounds of the city muted around you. You are exhausted, wounded, and far from your original objective, but you are alive and out of the sewers. For the first time since the bindery was breached, you have a moment to think.What do you do?A. Find shelter for the night. You need to get off the street. You could try to find a discreet inn or a cheap flophouse where you can rest without drawing attention.B. Tend to your wounds immediately. Find a secure corner in the alley. You and Vaela can take a Short Rest to spend your Hit Dice and recover your strength before moving on.C. Examine the Whisper-box. Here, in the relative calm of the surface world, you can finally take a proper look at the Mogaunese artifact that started this entire shadow war.D. Formulate a plan. You need to decide on your next move. You press Gideon and Vaela for information: where can you go? Who can you trust? What is the Magpie's plan now?E. Propose another course of action.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MysteriousStan 08/04/25 10:03:34 AM #242:	D A is also good too i think. <cite>MysteriousStan posted [p:985991744] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>DA is also good too i think. </quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 08/04/25 1:26:56 PM #243:	D, once a more secure location can be found. ShakeShakeShake posted... to spend your Hit Dice Can someone with 5e experience explain what this means? In my brain, this implies that we're going to de-level. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985993733] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>D, once a more secure location can be found.ShakeShakeShake posted... </cite><quote>to spend your Hit Dice</quote>Can someone with 5e experience explain what this means? In my brain, this implies that we're going to de-level.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
ShakeShakeShake 08/04/25 1:54:51 PM #244:	Short Rest A short rest is a period of downtime, at least 1 hour long, during which a character does nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds. A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, up to the characters maximum number of Hit Dice, which is equal to the characters level. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the characters Constitution modifier to it. The character regains hit points equal to the total. The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll. A character regains some spent Hit Dice upon finishing a long rest, as explained below. So you can heal is the gist of it. It doesn't increase your maximum hit point capacity. So because Pint's class is monk his hit die is a d8. His constitution modifier is +2. So when he takes a short rest he can heal 1d8+2, or 2d8+2 because he is at second level. When he gets to third he can heal up do 3d8+2. You can also space them out over multiple short rests. If we ever play a proper adventure where 4 gamesfaqs board members each play a character, you will be among the first I invite, azuarc. I will help you with all the rules, you merely need to ask, it is no bother at all. It will be more challenging because I will be removing the a,b,c,d,e choice format and instead you can type out exactly what you want to do. <cite>ShakeShakeShake posted [p:985994037] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Short RestA short rest is a period of downtime, at least 1 hour long, during which a character does nothing more strenuous than eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds.A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, up to the characters maximum number of Hit Dice, which is equal to the characters level. For each Hit Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the characters Constitution modifier to it. The character regains hit points equal to the total. The player can decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll. A character regains some spent Hit Dice upon finishing a long rest, as explained below.So you can heal is the gist of it. It doesn't increase your maximum hit point capacity. So because Pint's class is monk his hit die is a d8. His constitution modifier is +2. So when he takes a short rest he can heal 1d8+2, or 2d8+2 because he is at second level. When he gets to third he can heal up do 3d8+2. You can also space them out over multiple short rests.If we ever play a proper adventure where 4 gamesfaqs board members each play a character, you will be among the first I invite, azuarc. I will help you with all the rules, you merely need to ask, it is no bother at all. It will be more challenging because I will be removing the a,b,c,d,e choice format and instead you can type out exactly what you want to do.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 08/04/25 4:17:36 PM #245:	I was more confused by the term "spend hit dice." Do we have hit dice to spend? ShakeShakeShake posted... If we ever play a proper adventure where 4 gamesfaqs board members each play a character, you will be among the first I invite, azuarc. daww --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985995525] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>I was more confused by the term "spend hit dice." Do we have hit dice to spend?ShakeShakeShake posted... </cite><quote>If we ever play a proper adventure where 4 gamesfaqs board members each play a character, you will be among the first I invite, azuarc.</quote>daww</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MysteriousStan 08/04/25 4:38:26 PM #246:	Yes, we have 2 hit dice we can use due to our level and we haven't used any yet. Hit dice replenish during a long rest. <cite>MysteriousStan posted [p:985995759] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Yes, we have 2 hit dice we can use due to our level and we haven't used any yet. Hit dice replenish during a long rest.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
White_Wing 08/04/25 4:46:51 PM #247:	D (To add to what others said, it helps to visualize if you think of Hit Dice as how much stamina a body has. It makes up your HP (for Pint before level up, 1d8+2 = 10), and it's how much you can heal naturally (1d8+2). <cite>White_Wing posted [p:985995853] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>D(To add to what others said, it helps to visualize if you think of Hit Dice as how much stamina a body has. It makes up your HP (for Pint before level up, 1d8+2 = 10), and it's how much you can heal naturally (1d8+2).</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 08/04/25 6:39:56 PM #248:	Can those dice be spent on anything else, or just on health recovery? Even if not, that's wild. A lack of non-magical health recovery has always been one of the more challenging parts of D&D. I remember the 3E rules state that you basically recover like 1 HP per week of rest. If we assume natural healing from a legitimate wound, this makes sense since if you get gashed from 10 HP to 2, that's a wound that will naturally take like a month to recover from. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985996950] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Can those dice be spent on anything else, or just on health recovery? Even if not, that's wild. A lack of non-magical health recovery has always been one of the more challenging parts of D&D. I remember the 3E rules state that you basically recover like 1 HP per week of rest. If we assume natural healing from a legitimate wound, this makes sense since if you get gashed from 10 HP to 2, that's a wound that will naturally take like a month to recover from.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MysteriousStan 08/04/25 7:45:50 PM #249:	Just health recovery. Oh and if you weren't aware, a long rest is basically a sleep of at least 8 hours. It fully recovers your health and all your skills. Only certain skills can be recovered during a short rest but long rest recovers everything. Dang yeah that's wild. That's how some systems operate, I think Call of Cthulhu works like that. Recovering health is really difficult in that. 5E is very liberal with health recovery. <cite>MysteriousStan posted [p:985997588] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>Just health recovery. Oh and if you weren't aware, a long rest is basically a sleep of at least 8 hours. It fully recovers your health and all your skills. Only certain skills can be recovered during a short rest but long rest recovers everything.Dang yeah that's wild. That's how some systems operate, I think Call of Cthulhu works like that. Recovering health is really difficult in that. 5E is very liberal with health recovery.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
azuarc 08/04/25 9:37:51 PM #250:	MysteriousStan posted... 5E is very liberal with health recovery. Considering health recovery is one of the most tedious parts of the game, where "good" play basically rewards never putting yourself at risk because at any point you could be subjected to very unfortunate die rolls, taking some of that sting away is a good thing for gameplay. I understand that realism takes a hit, but we're talking about a fictional world with magic and monsters, so we already kinda need to follow video game logic. --- Only the exceptions can be exceptional. <cite>azuarc posted [p:985998808] in Dungeons a... [t:81005995]...</cite> <quote>MysteriousStan posted... </cite><quote>5E is very liberal with health recovery.</quote>Considering health recovery is one of the most tedious parts of the game, where "good" play basically rewards never putting yourself at risk because at any point you could be subjected to very unfortunate die rolls, taking some of that sting away is a good thing for gameplay. I understand that realism takes a hit, but we're talking about a fictional world with magic and monsters, so we already kinda need to follow video game logic.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Board 8 > Dungeons and Dragons A.I assisted CYOA -- A tiny Pint. (+) Yeah! (+)

Board 8 > Dungeons and Dragons A.I assisted CYOA -- A tiny Pint.