Reddit Plays 5e: Gameplay Update #9

Preamble

Hey, Reddit. We're switching to a new format for now, truer to a traditional play-by-post. I might keep the pixel art miniatures for battlemat situations; those are pretty popular. I think this format will be easier for new users to understand, and will present less of an obstacle to mobile users.

Also, now that we've started rolling dice, I'd like to introduce you to the Dice Log. I'll be sticking this into a sidebar widget.

Winning Suggestions

Before heading out, the party’s got some follow-up questions for Aris (link).

We’ll be travelling at an average pace (link) and camping at night without a campfire (link). Avryn and Erasen are on lookout, with Gilda navigating and Valariot foraging (link) (link).

Gameplay Update

Curious about a few of the details of Aris’ account, Gilda presses for more information.

“Vaugoldt,” she says. “What was he wearing? Anything distinctive?”

“Half-plate armor,” Aris replies. "A greenish sheen to the metal; they call it greenspar – some mineral the gnomes add to the metals.”

“I see. Thank you, ser wizard. And you say he was… slain. My condolences, of course. You were attacked by who, exactly? Cannibals?”

“Yes,” Aris says. “They weren’t heavily armed; a few had clubs and knives, maybe. It’s a blur. These were feral men and women. No armor. Fought with their teeth and nails, mainly. Deeply unpleasant.”

“How terrible. Thank you, ser Vanegild. I don’t suppose you could guess at their number?”

“No, no. We didn’t truly have a chance to gather information,” Aris answers. “Could be dozens squatting in the ruins. Could be much more than that; much less… I couldn’t say.”

“I understand.” Gilda replies. “One last thing, ser wizard…”

• GM’s Note: Aris Vanegild’s attitude is friendly (DMG, page 244) and we’re only asking for a favor - not attempting to change his attitude - so we don’t need to determine any of his traits, bonds, ideals, or flaws first. Gilda will make a Persuasion check to attempt to convince Aris to allocate supplies. A DC 10 check is sufficient to convince Aris to accept a minor risk or sacrifice (DMG, page 245); a DC 20 for a major risk or sacrifice.

“I wonder if perhaps it would benefit us both more immediately to allocate a portion of our party’s promised reward in advance. Not gold, of course, but perhaps a healing potion or two. Or three.”

[Gilda’s Persuasion check = 13]

Aris considers for a moment. “Yes, I suppose that’s reasonable. I’m carrying two healing potions with me; I think that should suffice. Their value to be subtracted from the promised reward; of course.”

“Of course,” Gilda replies.

[two healing potions have been added to Gilda’s inventory]

Observing quietly, Erasen sizes the wizard up, finding no obvious signs of deception in his story.

[Erasen’s Insight check = 10]

Erasen nods to Gilda.

After thanking Vanegild for the opportunity (and the outfitted advance), Gilda makes preparations to leave. The party follows suit, and soon enough, Avryn, Erasen, Gilda, and Valariot set out toward Rainwold. Accompanying the party is Aris’ nameless draft horse, pulling a small cart containing a gnome-sized casket, buckets for water, and enough horse feed for twenty days.

Valariot forages for food along the way.

[Valariot’s Survival checks = 12, 19, 14; totaling 7 lbs of food and 13 gallons of water]

After three days, signs of civilization are scarce. Inns and farmhouses behind them. The elf’s foraging is fruitful, though roadside inns, taverns, shrines, and wells sate the traveler’s water needs for now. Over the course of three days, the party consumes four lbs of foraged food and twelve rations.

[1 ration each removed from Avryn’s, Erasen’s, and Valariot’s inventories; 2 rations removed from Gilda's inventory]

[13 gallons of water are stored in the draft horse’s cart]

• GM’s Note: Valariot did a good job foraging, but the rolls for how much food she found were low (DMG, page 111); we’ve consumed 5 of our 40 rations in three days. Nothing a dedicated day of hunting can’t fix, Oregon Trail style. Gilda’s navigation check to avoid getting lost is only 5 in grasslands (DMG, page 111), and she has advantage because Erasen’s got a map. We’re making our first check at the three-day mark because that’s when the party is finally leaving roads behind.

Heading into the real wilderness, now, Gilda sets a course for Rainwold and the real adventure begins in earnest. Valariot forages as the party travels, but the party must again supplement their meals with trail rations.

[Gilda’s Survival check /w/ advantage = 6]

[Valariot’s Survival check = 7; totaling 2 lbs of food and 2 gallons of water]

[1 ration each removed from Erasen’s and Gilda’s inventories; 2 gallons of water removed from the draft horse’s cart]

Hawks caw overhead and the summer day’s travel trudges on. Sometime after midday, a small-but-boisterous voice calls out to the party from the road ahead.

“Ho! Travelers, dear flock. Fortune-and-glory seekers.”

Eight figures crest the game trails ahead. Halflings and humans, four each. A male halfling is speaking – to you or about you - or both? He wears the garb and iconography of a priest of Tymora, goddess of luck good fortune.

“Armed, armored, and outfitted. And a horse to haul home their treasures! Adventurers, you see. Beloved by our Lady Luck they are, for they typify the kind who boldly embrace luck and fortune; risk and adventure. Fate! Fame! Exactly the sort who might patronize the shrine we’re building,” says the halfling. A murmur of happy agreement from the small crowd accompanies this. “Come and pray to Tymora, you four, and give her an offering. Your journey will be better for it.”

Behind the throng is indeed a small stone shrine – half finished – clearly dedicated to Lady Luck, the goddess Tymora. Scattered beside it are mason’s and stonecarver’s tools. Two wooden posts are erected behind it, and ropes and folds of canvas litter the ground next to a wooden crate: it seems Tymora’s apparent flock is building an awning over the shrine.

It occurs to Valariot that her foraging has been a tad luckless. Gilda an Erasen exchange a glance as the "flock" closes to conversational distance. The pilgrims appear cheery enough - especially the halflings among their number.

• GM’s Note: The Int (Religion) DC to recognize the holy symbol of a deity as common as Tymora would be about a 5; well below the passive Religion scores of our party members.

Edit

I forgot to add Valariot's +1 Wisdom modifier to the "pounds of food" and "gallons of water" results. Thanks to a helpful Discord user (#TheReal_Decoy) for pointing this out. Gameplay edited to reflect the change.

What's Next?

What's next, Reddit? It's time for your suggestions.

The next update will post sometime on Friday, July 27th, 2018.

Remeber to upvote existing suggestions if you see something you like; don't duplicate existing suggestions.

• Moderator's Note: If you aren't near your books, foraging works like this in 5e: you make a Wis (Survival) check against a DC set by the region you're in, and then - if you succeed - you find 1d6 lbs of food and 1d6 gallons of water. In total, I rolled 8d6 for Valariot's all-successful foraging checks during the first four days of travel (three through outlying civilization and one day into the real wilderness). Of those 8 dice, five of them were 1's. I just... I'm glad I'm keeping a record of the rolls, is all.

Submitted July 25, 2018 at 06:05PM by AbandonedArts https://ift.tt/2AbqWs6