The D&D Corner (and other Pen & Paper - or virtual - RPGs!) <3

[Rath Darkblade]

That page is long. Did you sit through that many sessions in one night?

[Tawmis]

That page is long. Did you sit through that many sessions in one night?

No, on that page, there's notes that say "Session ended here."

Since that one is not my own game, not on my campaign world, it's just me, taking notes of the adventures Anita is DMing. So I've been putting it all on one page, rather than being concerned about making multiple pages.

[Rath Darkblade]

Ah, OK. I've read the last session now. Interesting! Nice bluff on the party's behalf to get into the place. But, of course, the goblins would see through it and attack.

By the way, I think there's a typo here: "...Trystan and Barek use the Owlbear’s corpse to use it as a net..."

I think you mean that they "use the Owlbear's corpse as a net". (Sorry, I'm used to speedy proof-reading)

[Tawmis]

Ah, OK. I've read the last session now. Interesting! Nice bluff on the party's behalf to get into the place. But, of course, the goblins would see through it and attack.

By the way, I think there's a typo here: "...Trystan and Barek use the Owlbear’s corpse to use it as a net..."

I think you mean that they "use the Owlbear's corpse as a net". (Sorry, I'm used to speedy proof-reading)

Hah! Nope, you're right. I was typing as we were playing, so there's probably a lot of little things like that in Anita's game. In my game I don't do the notes until after the session, because I have everything planned out - and I just scribble what happens on this massive notebook I've taped together.

So this was from tonight's session, where I DM for what I call "My work people" (this is the Drow storyline that's been going on for awhile)...

This is what I needed tonight. My brain has been tired, sad, my heart broken over all that's been happening. This was a nice escape for me, as I was able to continue my story of D&D for my players who love and appreciate it, and dive right into it with me. This was from tonight's session if anyone's even interested in reading about it.
http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... nturers-20

[Rath Darkblade]

Oh my. Intimidating picture of the Slaver Drow Captain with his 2-hander.

This is cool:

Pren Flintrock without a dagger decides to bite the Drow (Natural 20!) and bites down (Maximum Damage!) and manages to topple the swordsman/archer to the ground who is now screaming in pain, trying to beat the dwarf off his leg

Talk about Berserkergang.

I'm not sure what this means:

Adrian makes fails his Death Save.

Does he make the save or fail it?

The vision of the spider drow lady could be one of two things: either a drider priestess - or Lolth herself. Which one is it, I wonder?

A good session, full of tension. I wonder what comes next?

[Tawmis]

Oh my. Intimidating picture of the Slaver Drow Captain with his 2-hander.
This is cool:

Pren Flintrock without a dagger decides to bite the Drow (Natural 20!) and bites down (Maximum Damage!) and manages to topple the swordsman/archer to the ground who is now screaming in pain, trying to beat the dwarf off his leg

Talk about Berserkergang.
I'm not sure what this means:

Adrian makes fails his Death Save.

Does he make the save or fail it?
The vision of the spider drow lady could be one of two things: either a drider priestess - or Lolth herself. Which one is it, I wonder?
A good session, full of tension. I wonder what comes next?

Ah, so in 5e D&D. So if you drop below 0 hit points, you don't flat out die.
You have what's called a Death Save.
Every turn that passes by, that you're below 0 hit points, you roll a D20.
Anything above a 10 is a Success. Anything below is a fail. A natural 20 counts as 2 successes, a natural 1 counts as two fails.
If no one revives you (say combat is ongoing and no one can get to you), if you end up making 3 successful death saves, you stabilize to 0 hit points (alive, but unconscious).
If you make 3 fails, your characters dies - permanently, soul shuffling off, nothing short of a Reincarnation or Resurrection / True Resurrection will bring them back. Or, technically, a Wish spell too.
As you can see, Reincarnation & Resurrection are pretty expensive(1,000gp each) and True Resurrection & Wish even more so (25,000 gp)
So you could, technically, for example, roll 2 successful death saves, and 3 failed death saves (and then die) or any combo there of - until 3 successes or 3 failures are made, if no one is able to get to you.

And the vision is of a Drow Priestess (who they briefly met once already), ascending as Lolth (a goddess unknown to the general population of the world; not even the Mountain Dwarves who have warred with the Drow for thousands of years know of her; suggesting that she may be a newly discovered goddess).

[Rath Darkblade]

Oh! Thank you for explaining what a Death Save is. I think they've existed since 3.5e, haven't they? At least, I saw them being used in NWN1.

How are characters "revived" - do you mean with healing potions or bandages? Is there any other way to heal someone?

Hmm. Maybe it's because I've played Hordes of the Underdark so many times - I just thought Lolth should be better known (and feared).

[Tawmis]

Oh! Thank you for explaining what a Death Save is. I think they've existed since 3.5e, haven't they? At least, I saw them being used in NWN1.
How are characters "revived" - do you mean with healing potions or bandages? Is there any other way to heal someone?
Hmm. Maybe it's because I've played Hordes of the Underdark so many times - I just thought Lolth should be better known (and feared).

There are several ways to revive someone who has fallen below 0 hit points.
Dungeon Master's all do it a little different.
There's a cantrip (spell) called "Spare the Dying" which will do it. (Requires touching the target). Essentially stabalizes them so they're not losing blood and thus no longer need to do a Death Save.
Someone can do a Medicine check (although if still near or in combat, done at Disadvantage meaning you roll twice and take the lower roll, because combat is distracting you).
You can cast a healing spell, but it only takes them to 0. So for example, if someone is at -3. And a Healer casts a healing spell and heals for 8. The target only gets 3, which puts them at 0 and the other 5 is "wasted."
Once at 0, then the target can benefit from a healing spell. So if the healer casts again, and heals for 5 points, the target gets the full benefit of those 5 healing points, bring them back to their feet.
Healing potions would work the same way, only bringing the target to 0 (if it meets or exceeds the amount they're below 0), then another potion (or a healing spell) would take full benefit once the target is at 0.

As for Lolth, in my world, the Drow are so secretive (they would rather die, by consuming the equivalent of cyanide pills in their mouth) than be captured, that virtually ZERO information is known about the Drow culture.

What the party is uncovering is essentially ground breaking information about the Drow.

Which the Drow will kill and murder to keep a secret.

So things are going to be increasingly more difficult.

The Priestess has touched the minds of everyone who picked up that sword in the last session. She now knows her Captain has been killed. And roughly, where.

A storm is coming and it has Drow all over it.

[Rath Darkblade]

Uh-oh ...! Yikes. But of course, the heroes don't know what's coming. D'oh!

So the events of HotU (Hordes of the Underdark) are incredibly inaccurate? I refer to this: the hero is prophesied the only one who can defeat the Valsharess, leader of a drow house who worships Lolth, so another drow house who worships Elistraee allies with you, reveals who Lolth is, help you fight through the Underdark, heals you etc.?[/url]

[Tawmis]

So the events of HotU (Hordes of the Underdark) are incredibly inaccurate? I refer to this: the hero is prophesied the only one who can defeat the Valsharess, leader of a drow house who worships Lolth, so another drow house who worships Elistraee allies with you, reveals who Lolth is, help you fight through the Underdark, heals you etc.?[/url]

No, for Neverwinter Nights, that's what they wanted as the story. Neverwinter Nights is based on "Forgotten Realms."
My campaign is my own world called "Kne'urth" (pronounced "New Earth").

I've always enjoyed building my own world. Not only because I don't have to follow what's "predefined" in Forgotten Realms, but also the joy of creativity. Creating new worlds, new deities, new lore, etc.

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmm, OK. By the way, Neverwinter Nights seems to be much easier than playing any dice-and-paper system (e.g. Forgotten Realms, or Ravenloft, or what have you). For instance, the Weapon Master character in HotU seems to have feats that, outside NWN, he wouldn't have access to.

Was NWN deliberately made easier, do you think?

[Tawmis]

Hmm, OK. By the way, Neverwinter Nights seems to be much easier than playing any dice-and-paper system (e.g. Forgotten Realms, or Ravenloft, or what have you). For instance, the Weapon Master character in HotU seems to have feats that, outside NWN, he wouldn't have access to.

Was NWN deliberately made easier, do you think?

Well, NWN is based off of ... either 3.0 or 3.5 rules. D&D has always favored players.

But I think it followed close to the actual game rules.

But like any D&D game, some monster stats were (it seems) changed.

For example the Intellect Devourer (one of the first missions you get in the campaign when the ... whatever get free) - the thing that jumps between bodies.

In D&D - that thing is normally way more lethal. But even in my own campaign the party (at level 2? 3?) encountered an Intellect Devourer, and other than one character getting his intelligence reduced for 24 hours, they survived, because I made a custom version of the Intellect Devourer that was basically the pre-cursor to the "Shadow Vale" (my world's version of the Underdark). It's not super tough (not a lot of HP or AC), but using the Body Thief thing can make it very difficult.
https://media.wizards.com/2014/download ... vourer.pdf

[Rath Darkblade]

Yes, you're thinking of the "Waterdhavian (sp?) Creatures". I never enjoyed the original NWN campaign.

As for the Intellect Devourer? Oh $deity$ ... that thing sounds seriously evil. Magically eating a PC's brain and using the PC's body as a host? That's what parasites do (well, except for the brain-eating thing).

I'm pretty sure the HotU campaign was also made easier - in some cases, much easier. IIRC, at one point while your character roams around the Underdark, he/she is confronted by two Umber Hulks. (Then again, towards the end of the original NWN campaign, your party has to fight Umber Hulks left, right and centre).

The first time I saw one of those things, I thought "Oh crap, I'm dead." I mean - Umber Hulks? Aren't those things supposed to be the indestructible kings of the Underdark? But in NWN, those things are wimps (especially in the HotU campaign, where your character is pushing Level 20).

Oh, and then there's this girl:



(She's not usually this cute or friendly).

[Tawmis]

Yes, you're thinking of the "Waterdhavian (sp?) Creatures". I never enjoyed the original NWN campaign.
As for the Intellect Devourer? Oh $deity$ ... that thing sounds seriously evil. Magically eating a PC's brain and using the PC's body as a host? That's what parasites do (well, except for the brain-eating thing).
I'm pretty sure the HotU campaign was also made easier - in some cases, much easier. IIRC, at one point while your character roams around the Underdark, he/she is confronted by two Umber Hulks. (Then again, towards the end of the original NWN campaign, your party has to fight Umber Hulks left, right and centre).
The first time I saw one of those things, I thought "Oh crap, I'm dead." I mean - Umber Hulks? Aren't those things supposed to be the indestructible kings of the Underdark? But in NWN, those things are wimps (especially in the HotU campaign, where your character is pushing Level 20).

Umber Hulks aren't super powerful; they just have an effect where if you look at them directly, it causes confusion (because of their features).

I mean, in standard 5e D&D - they're like Level 5 or 6 monsters.
https://www.aidedd.org/dnd/monstres.php?vo=umber-hulk

So yeah, Level 20 is going to mow through them.

And I can't remember if NWN even applied their gaze effect or not.

Umber Hulks are another monster, where I prefer how they looked originally...

[Rath Darkblade]

Yes, the NWN Umber Hulks certainly did have their gaze attacks. Towards the end of the original NWN campaign, you and a henchmen are about level 13, and you're running around a city under siege and trying to destroy invading catapults and wizards etc. IIRC, the wizards are protected by at least 3 or 4 Umber Hulks, with gaze attacks, as well as soldiers, archers etc.

For two level-13 characters, that's a tough fight. But I agree - by the time of HotU, you have 2 henchmen, and you're all about level 18-19 -- maybe 20? In a case like that, two Umber Hulks are a pushover.

Also -- whoops! I figured out where I went wrong. *blush* When I said "indestructible kings of the Underdark", I was thinking of a Tarrasque, not an Umber Hulk. Whoops! Yes, even a single Tarrasque would be a challenge for three level-20 PCs -- maybe even a challenge they wouldn't survive, hmm?

I've heard (from reading the Monster Manual, extensive reading of "Knights of the Dinner Table" etc.) that if a DM releases a Tarrasque, his players call him "a sadist", etc. Is that true? From what I've seen, a Tarrasque is basically an armor-plated tank in a world of arrows and swords.