(IC) Ghost Farm, 6th level 5e module test

[J-H]

As you back away out of range, the ghostly figure stops counting.

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

"Excuse me–sir?" Runa calls out tentatively. "Now that you're not poised to kill us, maybe you could just come over and talk?"

She watches through Wol's eyes to see his reaction–if he has one at all.

[J-H]

He doesn't seem to respond. After a minute or two, he sits in a chair on the porch and fiddles with something.

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

"Interesting," Runa whispers. "He's not responding, but he's sitting down and acting like a living creature. He's more than just some mindless shade–or if he is, he's retained a lot of patterns from life."

[Dr.Samurai]

Ekemon Tiefling Warlock AC: 17 HP: 45/45 THP: 0/0 PP: 10 PIv: 9 PIs: 10 Resistances: Fire Conditions: Devil's Sight 120ft Flames of Phlegethos: Inactive Chagrined, Ekemon says to the others, I don't think we will accomplish much of anything if we keep running away at the first sight of danger. I've an idea, he adds, send in the owl. Might provide some useful information as to what this apparition responds to, and how.

[Matt4]

Mia Popovica Divine Soul Sorcerer HP: 38/38, AC: 16 Conditions: None

"That could work." - Mia says, answering Ekemon's suggestion. - "And personally I agree that we should face him and take him out of the equation, but we don't have to tackle him head on. We could try circle the barn and see if we find another entrance. We could find something useful."

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

"I'm not going to risk him like that," Runa whispers. "One hit with that tube thing and he'd be dead. I mean, I could just resummon him, but I agree with Ekemon. We do need to take some risks ourselves–the right risks."

She points towards the barn. "Let's go hide behind the corner of that, then Ekemon can glamer me. I'll get a proper look about the house and see if there are any clues."

[Dr.Samurai]

Ekemon Tiefling Warlock AC: 17 HP: 45/45 THP: 0/0 PP: 10 PIv: 9 PIs: 10 Resistances: Fire Conditions: Devil's Sight 120ft Flames of Phlegethos: Inactive Spell Slots: 1/2 Ekemon backs out of sight with Runa and incants the words to the spell, This will cover you and Wol in the glamer. You can move about, but if you attack him or anything like that, it will wear off. Good luck, be careful. Spoiler: OOC Show Ekemon casts Invisibility as a 3rd level spell on Runa and Wol.

[Matt4]

Mia Popovica Divine Soul Sorcerer HP: 38/38, AC: 16 Conditions: None

"In case you need a little help... May Selune assists you." - Mia says, right before Runa turns invisible.

Ooc

Casting Guidance on Runa.

[Pyrophilios]

Kynos, Half Elf Vengeance Paladin| AC: 22 HP 56/56 | PP: 13 PIv: 10 PIs: 13 | Spell slots, 1st: 4/4, 2nd: 2/2 | healing touch: 20/30, divine senses 3/5 Conditions: Concentration:

Kynos had nodded along with the conversation. Since he hadn't any better idea, he agreed:

"Alright, be careful - some of those undead can feel creatures without actually seeing. Try to stay hidden by keeping cover between yourself and the undead. May Helm and the Ravenqueen be with you.

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

"Thanks for the spells, everyone," Runa says. "Anyway, if he can actually see me while invisible, that's useful information too."

She snags her hooded lantern and a vial of oil from the pack carried by Kynos, then with Wol perched on her shoulder, she looks through his eyes and creeps toward the house.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Stealth: (1d20+11)[14]

The first thing Runa is going to do is go up to the porch and see if the undead man is still there. What is he doing? Is he holding his weapon? Does he possess any other kind of equipment that looks unusual?

If he is not holding his weapon or if there is anything else unusual around him or in a container he wears or carries, she will cast her invisible Mage Hand and try to steal it (it turns invisible once she has called it to her hands, which she will). There is a moment of blindness as she casts Mage Hand as it takes her action, which she needs to use to look through Wol's eyes, but the next turn she can use it as normal as it only takes her Cunning Action bonus action. Of course, Wol still sees normally during this time and can provide telepathic warnings.

If necessary, a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check prevents him from realizing this has happened: (1d20+11)[30]

If necessary, Perception to see anything that can be stolen: (1d20+3)[20] (using Wol's senses. Normally has advantage from his special ability but this is canceled out by disadvantage from dim light, which is what darkvision turns darkness into)

If Runa successfully steals something, she will take it back to the party for safekeeping and so everyone can get a look at it.

If there is nothing on the porch she can steal, Runa attempts to enter the house. She uses the front door if it is open wide enough for her to slip into (or if the man is no longer guarding the porch), but if not she circles the house and tries to find an unlocked window. If there is no unlocked window, she will try to pick one with her thieves' tools. Due to her slippers she can enter without a problem even if the window is above ground level.

Thieves' tools to unlock window (or door) if needed: (1d20+8)[28] (assuming this uses Dex)

If she gets into the house, she looks for anything that could be a clue to what has happened here, and the exact activities of the undead man. Does it still look like he makes use of the house like a living person? Are there any other strange objects or documents that might be relevant to what happened?

Once in the house and out of sight of the man on the porch, she will light her hooded lantern so she can search and investigate with her own eyes. She hoods it so it only spreads dim light in a 5 foot radius. I'll roll separate Perception and Investigation since I think both might be needed, but the DM can disregard one or the other as necessary.

Perception: (1d20+7)[10] (would be disadvantage from dim light, but Wol can help to cancel it out)

Investigation: (1d20+7)[23]

Again, if she finds anything relevant, she will bring it back for the party to see.

[J-H]

Runa and Wol walk across the grass, and slowly make their way up the front steps. Although every step makes the grass crunch a bit in the windless silence, she's light-footed enough that the ghostly figure sitting in a rocking chair on the porch doesn't respond. He sits, staring ahead, both hands on the weapon laid across his lap. The hilt of a black sword, and a few inches of blade, project out of his chest. This doesn't seem to bother him at all.

The porch has a couple of well-worn wooden rocking chairs on it, and a side table. The table has a round, flat tray a few inches across on it next to a rectangular package of paper-board and a half-open box of matches.

The front door is shut; it appears to be a double door - an outer one with a fine mesh on it, and a more solid inner door.

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

Seeing that the door is shut, Runa attempts to find a window in some other part of the house to enter through.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Actions for entering the house already detailed in last post's OOC.

[J-H]

Runa moves cautiously off the porch, down the steps, and around to the side of the house facing the metal building full of zombie chickens. She notes that the gravel path moving between these two structures seems to end or turn behind the house at the edge of Wol's vision.

There are two windows on that side, and she goes for the first one she reaches. The windows are made of high-quality glass and framed in, of all things, metal... but the metal is thin and flexible, and it doesn't take very long for Runa to figure out how to slip a thin pick in and trip a latch, allowing her to slide the window open. She enters the room and lights her lantern.

Runa appears to be in a bedroom. It has sturdy but artless furniture made for function but without adornment, including a bed, a chest of drawers, and a small desk. A small closet stands open, as do several drawers, all part-empty. It appears someone left in a hurry. The door is half-open, revealing a narrow passage beyond; both the room and the passageway are covered in a wall-to-wall rug. On the floor near the door is a flute, half-covered by a sock.

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

Runa rummages around the closet and half-empty drawers, prodding the remains with her telekinesis before touching with her hands, just in case there are ghoulish bugs hiding in them. She checks the desk to see if there is anything on it, and under the bed as well, all the while trying to note the amount of dust that has built up, to get an estimate of whether this place has gone long untouched.

Finally, she heads for the door and picks up the flute to inspect it.

She will take anything noteworthy with her before stepping out into the corridor.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Tell me if/when any more checks are needed.

[J-H]

Runa finds no bugs, and not a lot of built-up dust, except in some corners and a few other areas that it might be expected if someone wasn't cleaning well. Definitely no ghoul insects.

The flute appears to be made of silver and is well taken-care of. The hall is narrow, only 4-5 feet across. There's another door, closed, opposite the one she steps out of, as well as another one on her left as she faces towards the rest of the house.

At the end of the hall, she can see some tables and what appears to be a larger room.

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

Runa goes into the room opposite her.

[J-H]

The door leads to another bedroom. This one has a larger bed, two pieces of furniture with clothing, and a narrow, tall cabinet with a glass front that stands open and empty. A door in the left-hand wall of the room leads to a bath room with a soaking tub, a sink, a large mirror, and extensive storage cabinets that contain clothing, sheets, and towels. There is more clothing and fabrics in this house than in a typical artisan’s or merchant’s home, and they had indoor plumbing. Whoever this belonged to may have been wealthy.

Runa doesn't find anything that appears to be magical or particularly noteworthy aside from some gaps in the storage areas that appeared to contain a woman's clothing, and some strange tubes and powders near the sink.

The other door in the hall opens into a similar, but smaller, bath room with a gleaming white bathtub and sink, plus more cabinetry and some pipes.

The has several extremely realistic paintings hanging in some of the empty spaces on the wall. Most of them depict a man very similar to the ghost-like figure you encountered, along with a woman around his age and a boy who resembles them both.

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

Runa holds her lantern up to the painting and looks through Wol's eyes again. To his keen vision, the dim glow illuminates as well as sunlight, and she tries to sear the image of the people into her mind. Just in case. Who knows when you might have to stop a ghost using his wife's face?

She proceeds to the larger room.

[J-H]

Runa emerges into a large room, onto which the front and rear doors both open. The front part of the room is tiled, with a set of double doors on the right, and a dining area on the left.

The rear half of the room is covered in some sort of full-room rug, very soft and plush. It contains several large chairs, a table with an odd-looking lamp, and a large bookshelf that has, as its central feature, an odd rectangle of black glass. A display rack along the back wall, underneath the preserved head of a deer with large antlers, holds a strange-looking shortbow with wheels on both ends.

The rear door has a glass window, but nothing can be seen through it except more darkness.

The dining area contains some wooden chairs and a table that are sturdy and made well, but not with much artistry aside from being remarkably similar to each other.

The dining area in turn opens into a kitchen, which has white countertops made of something that doesn’t appear to be wood, as well as numerous cabinets with hinged doors, a metal sink, and several metal boxes of various sizes that don’t have an immediately apparent function.

The double doors near the front door open to a large closet full of clothing. Whoever owns this house must be rich, as there are over a dozen different coats in the closet, as well as a pair of some sort of slick pant-overall-boot combination.

[Dr.Samurai]

Ekemon Tiefling Warlock AC: 17 HP: 45/45 THP: 0/0 PP: 10 PIv: 9 PIs: 10 Resistances: Fire Conditions: Devil's Sight 120ft Flames of Phlegethos: Inactive Ekemon moves back to where they originally were standing when they backed away from the spirit's wrath. He looks to the porch to see if the apparition is still there.

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

Runa inspects the clothes in the closet first. People are always leaving the most interesting things in pockets. She looks at the boots, too. Do they look like they fit the man outside? Are there shoes that would fit anyone else still around? That might tell if his wife and child really did leave in a hurry.

Next she goes to the bookshelf. Books are written in. Sometimes they're diaries with a whole life story, but even a simple, scrawled name on a cover can be worth something. Again she uses Wol's eyes as she pages through them. His won't be strained trying to read in the dim lantern-light. Maybe she won't even understand the language, but at any rate, she tries to look for something handwritten. She can always bring it back for Mia to translate.

[J-H]

Ekemon can still see him sitting in the rocking chair on the porch.

Runa checks the clothes, and comes up with some metal coins she's never seen before. There do appear to be clothes and shoes for two adults and a child in the closet.

Unfortunately, the books on the shelf are filled with gibberish and blank pages rather than recognizable words.

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

Runa takes a coin and a book, then opens the rear door and goes out.

[J-H]

Runa opens the door, then another outer door that's made mostly of wire mesh, which squeaks a bit as she opens it. As she goes outside, the outer door slams with a loud bang.

A small set of well-made wooden steps lead out the back door of the house to a path made of very fine compressed gravel. The path leads to the right, where it ends in a large area paved with a single slab of flat stone. This paved area is covered by a large and nearly flat metal roof held up by three pairs of metal beams with an I-shaped profile. A thing the size of a wagon is sitting there, and you think it has wheels, but the rest of it looks unfamiliar.

Ahead, Wol's long-ranged darkvision sees a well with what looks like a skeleton on the ground in front of it.

To the left, is a cylindrical building is built of bricks. It's big - about 80 feet high and between fifty and sixty feet across. The ground around it is bare, and appears to be a single slab of some type of rock.

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: - Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: -

Runa winces as the door bangs shut and hurriedly extinguishes her lantern, then picks her way down the path to the skeleton. She looks the bones over. Are they still wearing anything? Is there a visible cause of death? Is any flesh still left on them–and what does it look like if so? Then she peers into the well.

[Pyrophilios]

Kynos, Half Elf Vengeance Paladin| AC: 22 HP 56/56 | PP: 13 PIv: 10 PIs: 13 | Spell slots, 1st: 4/4, 2nd: 2/2 | healing touch: 20/30, divine senses 3/5 Conditions: Concentration:

While Runa was away, Kynos whispered to his comrades:
"If this goes sideways, I can try to abjure the undead. It will be routed to the spot for about a minute - and frightened enough to be a pretty bad shot. We might try to pull the black blade from its body and see if that lifts the curse or at least ends its unlife. As soon as we do harm to it, my divine abjuration ends."

[J-H]

Spoiler: Forgot Runa is Invisible

Show

Runa begins crossing the grassy area to get close to the well and the skeleton. When she's about halfway there, she hears a roar, then a steady rumbling growl, as though from some great beast. Two close-set white eyes glow about 5’ above the ground near the north side of the large round building, near the edge of her darkvision. They're bright enough that she can't make out any details behind them.

What does Runa do?

Behind the house, near the old well, lies a skeleton, spread-eagled face-up, impaled to the ground with a shadowy sword driven to the hilt through the breastbone. Up close, Runa can tell that scraps of clothing and bootsoles match the garments worn by the ghost.

The old well nearby is made up of two components – a recognizable old-style well with a circular stone structure and cover which has been mortared shut, and a metal hand pump with a large arm and spout. It looks sort of like this:

[NontheistCleric]

Runa Arcane Trickster AC: 16 | HP: 45/45 | THP: 0/0 PP: 17 | PIv: 17 | PIs: 14 Conditions: Invisible Level One Spells: 2 Concentration: -

Wol Owl Familiar (Fey) AC: 11 | HP: 1/1 | THP: 0/0 PP: 13 (hearing/sight adv [+5]) | PIv: 6 | PIs: 13 Conditions: Invisible

Runa shuffles to the side, still keeping an eye (or Wol's eye, really) on the back door. She positions herself about thirty feet away from the skeleton, between it and the wheeled object.

Then she tries to telekinetically pull the sword out.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Casting invisible Mage Hand, then using it to pull the sword out. It can go up to 30 feet in the air, so she will raise it that high.

Spoiler: Stuff that didn't happen

Show

Runa severs her visual link to Wol, then stows the lantern and pulls out her sword. She hurries toward the wheeled object.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Assuming Runa has about a round's worth of actions here. Tell me if there is more.

Runa uses her object interaction to put the lantern away, action to draw her sword, bonus action to Dash 30 feet towards the wheeled object, and movement to go another 30 feet in that direction. She will try to put the object between her and the beast if possible.

[J-H]

The sword doesn't move. The arm on the nearby well pump swings up and down once, and something liquid-like streams out and plops to the ground in a heap indicating that it's definitely not a liquid. It starts to move towards Runa.