You fight and Loot [IC]

[Jyps]

The six of you are huddled in front of the drawbridge that leads to Castle Grimace.

Now, “Castle” is a generous term here.

More accurate words could be used to describe it, such as wreckage, ruins, or simply... dump.
In fact, the building appears to have survived its own demolition.
For starters, the drawbridge is in shambles!
It is lowered down, sure, but the end point has collapsed! And the whole thing really doesn’t bring the word “sturdy” to mind.

With the collapsed part, there is a 10-ft gap between you and the remaining part of the bridge.
Of course, there is a mote below. And the water must be freezing cold.
Besides the cold, you think you saw a couple of nasty leeches swimming there… Some leeches have medicinal benefits, others are a fine delicacy. Not these ones, though. They're the bad type.

Spoiler: Swim or Jump

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You can swim across the mote, no skill check is necessary.
But you'll suffer 1 point of cold damage and deal with the leech.

Jumping across would be an automatic success if the landing area was ok.
But it is falling apart, so you'll need to pass an acrobatic check, DC 10, to land safely.
A failure equals a big splash into the water, suffering 2 points of cold damage.

Note: I wrote this beforehand and didn't take into account someone bringing a Harengon to the game.
I'm not familiar with their jumping power, please talk me through it.

On the plus side, you got a donkey and a cart!
This will prove useful to haul treasure (granted you find any).
On the road, a nice old man gave you the cart and donkey.
Although.. Maybe he didn’t really mean to?
Ok, what happened was.. This nice old man was traveling on the road, then he saw your party. With a loud scream, he dropped everything and bolted running away as far as he could.
In these strange lands, people have unusual ways… Maybe this is how people offer gifts? Just scream, run, and leave behind a nice cart and donkey.
Or maybe the old timer was afraid of goblins.
In any case, you can always return the cart afterwards, right? No harm, no foul.

Spoiler: time and weather

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It is late afternoon, the day is cold and cloudy. A light drizzle is falling.
The donkey looks happy and well-fed.

[Talivan]

Gobbert look at the bridge remains and with a smile he tell the group C'mon Gobs we should be fine, I bet you 1 gold who can jump fartest, and proceeds to jump over the bridge:

Spoiler: Acrobatics Check

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(1d20+3)[12]

Gobbert Pass the bridge remains with an acrobatic jump with some effort, but he did the recovery and landed in one foot with wide open arms: "Tadaaa!!", That was close...

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Spoiler: jumping power

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Rabbit Hop. As a bonus action, you can jump a number of feet equal to five times your proficiency bonus, without provoking opportunity attacks. You can use this trait only if your speed is greater than 0. You can use it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

The Commodore looks at the gap, mentally measuring it and nods.

"I've got pew, and will help pick off leeches of who ever will bring the donkey through the moat."


The medium sized harengon picks up the small goblin cleric, allowing them to attach themselves to his back pack.

"Just like old time eh?"

He then does several practice thumps with his left foot before springing across the gap and landing without effort, and setting the cleric down.

[JNAProductions]

Lilith incants a quick spell, aiding her leap. And, with as much prep as she can reasonably do done, she leaps!

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d20+1)[3] Acrobatics
(1d4)[2] Guidance

She makes it! And immediately tumbles backwards, dropping into the frigid water. Her teeth chatter and she splashes for the shore, dragging herself up. "I do NOT recommend that! It's cold!"

[AvatarVecna]

Miik goes for a careful jump and...

Spoiler

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Acrobatics: (1d20+2)[6]

...plunges into the freezing waters, much to his embarrassment!

"No worries. Ain't my first dunk in the drink, won't be my last." He cackles quietly to himself as he follows Lilith onto dry land.

[agignac]

Pew holds tight to the Commodore, and cries out, "Wheeee!" as they sail effortlessly over the gap. They scramble off and go to help their less fortunate cousins out of the moat. "Come on, you can do it, here, take my hand!"

That left Trazz on the other side. "Give that donkey a whack, Trazz!" Pew stands on the other side, grinning in what they thought was a welcoming manner, and called out, "Here, donkey donkey donkey!"

animal handling - (1d20+3)[19]

[Infernally Clay]

Trazz Goblin Ranger 1 AC: 16 | HP: 12/12 | Initiative: +3 Passive Perception: 16 Active Effects: None Conditions: None

"Time to go," Trazz says to the donkey before attempting to leap over the moat.

Spoiler

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Acrobatics check: (1d20+5)[19]

[Jyps]

Against his better judgement, the donkey jumps over.

You find a nice little spot to tie him up, safe from the rain that might come. And you find a bunch of hay straw at the cart, that he gladly eats.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now the party moves over to the doors of the castle.

You stand in front of gigantic wooden doors built into a stone frame shaped like a mouth with sharp teeth.
Above the doors, there is an ugly sculped stone nose and, higher up, two arrow slits shaped in a way to resemble a pair of menacing eyes.

The doors are unlocked, and it is easy to enter.

The first room is a rather small dusty vestibule with no remarkable features.
Except, of course, for the skeletal remains of somebody lying in the center of the room.

The skeleton has a bag, and the bony hands wear an interesting ring.

Spoiler: Gobbert

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Watch out! You notice there is a pressure plate on the floor, where the skeleton lies.
At the walls, you notice two opposing slits from which you imagine something could slide violently.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

The Commodore looks at the skeleton and begins looking around the room for possible traps that could have killed this individual. And works towards possibly disarming any traps.

"I dont like the look of this"

(1d20+3)[13] Perception [14 with +1 from Guidance]
(1d20+7)[25] Thieves Tools

[agignac]

Pew slaps the Commodore on the back, saying, "Hoar help you!" They then hurry over to the skeleton, wondering how it died. They examine the body carefully, hoping to gain some clues about their current situation. Pew also says, "Hoar old buddy, any magic in here?"

Spoiler

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Casting guidance on Commodore, and then detect magic
medicine - (1d20+5)[19]

[Talivan]

Watch out gobs, don't step on the skeleton's plate!!!, he shout to the two rushing for the sheleton.

[JNAProductions]

"What plate?" Lilith asks, but does stand back. She trusts her family.

[Jyps]

With magical aid from Pew, it’s easy for Commodore to remove the pressure plate and cut the wires. With a loud clunking sound, two sharp blades appear harmlessly from the slits on the wall.

The vestibule is now safe to walk around. Across the room, opposite from the entrance, there are stairs leading down to a dark corridor. It’s pitch black down there!

You don’t find any other set of stairs or passages leading upwards.

Spoiler: Pew

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Pew
It seems to be the skeleton of a halfling. Good chance they didn’t die of natural causes!
They have a normal, regular, mundane bag. And the ring has a strong magical aura.

[agignac]

Pew takes the bag and tosses it to Miik. "Miik! Possible loot! Shouldn't be dangerous."

They carefully remove the ring and examine it more closely, trying to tell what type of magic it contains.

[Jyps]

In the bag, Miik finds a fancy envelope containing a letter.
Nothing else of value.

The letter:

“Dear Lord Grimace,

With great pleasure, we announce our daughter, Dryhza, will be married this Summer. It would honor us deeply if your lordship could attend the ceremony.
It has been far too long since we last enjoyed your company and we crave to hear more of your scientific experiments.

Your loyal friend,
Lord Ruzmull

P.S. The egg you sent us didn’t hatch. What should we do?”

Spoiler: Pew and the ring

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Pew will need to fidget with the ring longer to understand its properties.
Please let me know if you wear it.

[Infernally Clay]

Trazz Goblin Ranger 1 AC: 16 | HP: 12/12 | Initiative: +3 Passive Perception: 16 Active Effects: None Conditions: None

"Just don't wear it until you figure out what it does," Trazz warns, pulling her bow ready in case of further danger before searching the room for a way forward.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

The Commodore looks around nervously as the trap is successfully disarmed and the skeleton is looted.

"As it gets darker, I will need help seeing in the dark..."

Hoppington begins looking through his burgurlers kit for any torches

[AvatarVecna]

In the bag, Miik finds a fancy envelope containing a letter.
Nothing else of value.

The letter:

“Dear Lord Grimace,

With great pleasure, we announce our daughter, Dryhza, will be married this Summer. It would honor us deeply if your lordship could attend the ceremony.
It has been far too long since we last enjoyed your company and we crave to hear more of your scientific experiments.

Your loyal friend,
Lord Ruzmull

P.S. The egg you sent us didn’t hatch. What should we do?”

Spoiler: Pew and the ring

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Pew will need to fidget with the ring longer to understand its properties.
Please let me know if you wear it.

Miik pockets the ring; he's already wearing one ring, a second would just be gaudy.

[agignac]

"Hey! I'm not done with that!" Pew grabs the ring out of Miik's pocket. They want to examine it more closely next time they have a sit down.

Picking up a fingerbone from the halfling's skeleton, Pew waves it around saying, "Glowstick!" The bone starts to glow like a torch. They hand it to the harengon, saying, "I'll glow it up again when it goes dark. Now, scope out that spooky staircase, will ya?"

[Darius Vibrtrar]

The Commodore visibly trembles as he takes the fingerbone, glowing in his hand. He slowly approached the stairs and gathered up some dust and cast it towards the stares, observing for anything that may give a clue to any traps or trips.

(1d20+3)[8] perception
(1d20+7)[12] thieves tools to disarm

[Jyps]

At the end of this long and dark corridor, you find a small humanoid figure sitting on a chair, arms crossed at chest height and the head leaning back, snoring in deep slumber.

The creature has scaly skin and a tail. Its head has two small horns and a crocodile-like jaw.
It wears a belt with a key ring and a tiny bell. Near it, at the wall, there is a spear. (His weapon of choice, probably).

Besides the creature, there is a closed door, leading to the next room.

[Infernally Clay]

Trazz Goblin Ranger 1 AC: 16 | HP: 12/12 | Initiative: +3 Passive Perception: 16 Active Effects: None Conditions: None

"Don’t fret Mr. Rabbit,” Trazz says, “We’ll check it out together an’ if I see anything I’ll tell you.”

Spoiler

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Perception check: (1d20+6)[18]

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Filled with dread, the prey like mentality causes adrenaline to rush through the Commodores blood stream as he puts a finger up to his lips. He will attempt to sneak down the hallway, and steal the spear of the guard to disarm him before the goblyns can engage him.

(1d20+7)[23] stealth
(1d20+5)[14] slieght of hand

[JNAProductions]

Lilith brings up the rear.

[Jyps]

With one swift motion, Commodore grabs the weapon.

The kobold guard remains fast asleep in his chair.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Moving back to the group the Commodore motions to the goblins that he is leaving the next part up to them.

"Unless he's got a scorpion on the end of a fishing pole, I think you guys can take him. Could even trade his life for those keys.

[Infernally Clay]

Trazz Goblin Ranger 1 AC: 16 | HP: 12/12 | Initiative: +3 Passive Perception: 16 Active Effects: None Conditions: None

Trazz quietly pulls out the rope from her backpack and gently ties the kobold (she thinks she’s heard of these and that’s what they’re called) to the chair so it can’t move. Once she has done this, she’ll hold the kobold’s maw shut and wake it up.

She will whisper quietly enough that the others can’t hear her: “You are only alive because they would not like to see what I do to captured prey, so play nice or I’ll show them.”

Spoiler

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If you need it, a dexterity / sleight of hand check: (1d20+3)[6]

[Jyps]

The tied-up Kobold squirms and struggles to no avail.

The tiny bell on his belt rings ever so softly, did anyone hear?

With his maw held shut, he stares at you with angry eyes.

Spoiler: What's going on?

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You are exploring Castle Grimace (a dungeon) looking for treasure.
In the first room, you found skeletal remains of a halfling, found and disarmed a trap.
Found a letter to Lord Grimace and a magic ring.
From there, you went down a long corridor and found a sleeping guard.
Trazz tied him up.

What else is in this room? A closed door.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

With the kobold tied up, the Commodore will take the ring of keys and look them over for one that will match the door.

"I assume one of these will work, but we don't want to alert anyone on the other side that we don't know which key is which by randomly trying, sometimes keys are made with the same batch of metal as the lock, so you can guess which key will fit witch lock by metal colors.... let's see... hrm....

The Commodore will take his best guess at which key looks the most similar to the lock and try to open the door quietly.

(1d20+7)[16] stealth

[Jyps]

The dexterous Harengon finds the correct key with ease.

You walk into a room that seems to function as a mess hall.
There are tables, chairs, cabinets filled with assorted pots and pans.
In the far corner, a small brazier server as a stove.

Sitting at a table, there are four Kobolds! They were playing some sort of card game.
Copper pieces, cards, food and drink are scattered at the table.


When you arrive, they screech, ready to fight!

Spoiler: The Kobolds

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These are the Kobolds:
One of them wears a nice pair of boots!
One of them has slimy green scales.
One of them is wearing a kitchen apron.
One of them is short and chubby.

Spoiler: Initiative rolls:

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Nice boots Kobold: (1d20+2)[6]
Green and slimy Kobold: (1d20+2)[14]
Kitchen apron Kobold: (1d20+2)[18]
Chubby Kobold: (1d20+2)[16]
Gobbert: (1d20+3)[22]
Trazz: (1d20+3)[17]
Pew: (1d20+2)[12]
Lilth: (1d20+1)[4]
Miik: (1d20+2)[4]
Commodore: (1d20+5)[19]

Spoiler: Where are we, What's going on?

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You are exploring Castle Grimace (a dungeon) looking for treasure.
In the first room, you found skeletal remains of a halfling, found and disarmed a trap.
Found a letter to Lord Grimace and a magic ring.
From there, you went down a long corridor and found a sleeping guard.
Trazz tied him up.
You went into the Mess Hall where there are enemy Kobolds.
What else is in this room? A small green door to the left. A large blue door straight ahead.