The Road Goes Ever On and On – A Dramedy in Three Acts
The Players
Carlos: Half-Elf LG Storm Sorcerer
Andraste: Wood Elf CG Monk
Thro’Viloanna Hlaendeth AKA Vilya: High Elf NG Wizard (of the Divination School) and her snake, Astraeya
Brynja of the Shadowaxe Clan: Dwarf CG Twilight Cleric
Thack: Dwarf NG Barbarian
Also: Various other villains, townspeople, and merchants
Act I: On the Road – Two Days from Baldur’s Gate
Our weary party of brave champions seek a peaceful night of rest after a deadly interlude for a band of pillaging goblins (deadly for them, not our heroes). The two dwarves are seen dragging goblins off-stage, presumably for the pyre.
Brynja: Thack, that’s it. I’m ready for sleep. (Brynja walks over to bedroll and flops down upon it.)
Andraste: I will take first watch and alert Thack if anything happens.
Group members lay down, take cross-legged position, hang upside down from tree, etc., in various positions of repose. Time passes into the night. All is quiet and uneventful. For awhile…
DM: All of you need to roll a Dex check.
Clattering of dice.
DM: Vilya and Andraste, take 2 points of fire damage. Brynja, Thack, and Carlos, you all take 5 points.
The woods around the party is now alight with raining fire and small explosions all around spatter burning oil onto the group.
DM has Thack roll some kind of ability check, which allows the barbarian to discern many humanoid shapes in the woods, surrounding them, and they have ranged weapons of some kind. GOBLINS!
DM: Let’s roll initiative.
Clattering of dice.
Various character scenarios ensue
1. Andraste runs and punches (in a spectacular flying karate chop manner) at one goblin, knocking one out and missing entirely one another.
2. Carlos moves to the south, and casts Thunderwave. One goblin takes 4 pts of damage and another takes 11 pts and is also pushed backwards ten feet.
3. Brynja peers into the eastern woods, perceives two figures there and casts Faerie Fire. One goblin becomes outlined in a beautiful violet light.
4. Thack moves towards the purple light, swinging his book flail, and administers 13 pts of damage.
Thack: Did I just…close the chapter on him? (snickers self-satisfyingly)
A goblin, larger than the rest, growls and shouts out from the darkness of the wood.
DruLord: You have disturbed the horde of DruLord. You will pay for your trespasses!
Goblin: swings the scimitar and misses (script unclear who the target is).
Goblin: swings scimitar at Carlos and misses.
Goblin: slashes Thack in the back of the neck for 4 pts.
Goblin: fires arrows at Brynja, one whizzes past, one catches her in the leg for 3 pts.
DL: swings and misses Brynja, nicking her armor.
5. Vilya discharges a Fire Bolt at DruLord, singeing him appropriately.
1. Andraste uses her quarterstaff on the other goblin in front of her, knocking him down, before moving to DL to land a kick for 3 pts.
2. Carlos utilizes his Tempestuous Magic feat/skill/superpower to rise above the group and fire a Witch Bolt at DL, which misses.
3. Brynja launches a Guiding Bolt at DL, but it goes awry.
4. Thack “closes another chapter” by bookending another goblin for a fatal 15 pts.
Goblin: Slashes at a descending Carlos for 3 pts of scimitar damage.
Goblin: Attempts to ambush (and fails) Andraste the monk.
Goblin: Slashes Brynja in the leg with 4 pts.
DL: Misses Andraste TWICE with a scimitar.
5. Vilya casts Fear on DruLord, and reminds the party to please not move in closer to DL so as to steer clear of the spell themselves.
1. Andraste disengages from DL and moves towards some other goblins to deliver a jaw-rearranging kick to one of them.
2. Carlos catches a goblin square in the chest with a Fire Bolt.
3. Brynja casts Toll The Dead, pointing it at DruLord, whose skin peels away for 6 pts of necrotic damage.
4. Thack Rages.
Thack: With this belt, I’m gonna leave a welt! (DL pulls a goblin in front of him and Thack swings away, reducing the goblin shield to bloody goblin bits)
DruLord is weary, frightened, bloodied. He swings and misses at a raging Thack, missing twice.
5. Vilya rolls a CRITICAL FUMBLE on her Chill Touch spell. DM decrees everyone takes 1 pt of necrotic, skin-peel damage.
1. Andraste administers the kill shot to DruLord.
2. Brynja casts Cure Wounds on Carlos (10 pts).
3. Thack runs around the group in manic circles, waiting for his Rage to subside.
Group opts for a short rest to regain some hit points back.
End scene.
Act II: The Next Morning: Side Trip to Goblin Cave
Morning dawns, bright and clear, on our brave heroes, who are trying to recover from the previous night of slaughter. Bloody, decimated goblin bodies litter the ground. Vilya searches the goblin corpses and pockets 35 silver and 2 gold pieces. Carlos takes DruLord’s scimitar. The group decides to head west to find the cave where the goblins came from.
Thack: I roll a 20 on a Survival Check! Haaaaaaa! Nature!
Party approaches the mouth of a cave, where there is also a creek and outcrop that shelters a 4-ft tall entrance.
Brynja: I’m 4’1”. I’ll scout it out.
Thack: I’m short, I’ll go too.
Andraste: I’ll duck and I’ll go too.
About 10 feet into the darkened cave, the path turns away and downward.
DM: Can you guys roll a Perception check?
The three investigators roll poorly and…
DM: It’s a trap and now rocks are falling onto your head. Thack, you get thwacked by a huge boulder for 8 pts. Andraste and Brynja, because you were paying attention a little more closely, you only take 4 pts of damage. And setting off the trap has caused some rocks to partially obstruct the path forward.
Andraste struggles to clear the rocks in the path. Injured Thack rolls a natural 20 and heaves the boulders away easily.
Brynja: I have Stonecunning, do I notice anything extraordinary about these rocks?
DM: They are covered in drool.
About 45 minutes later, the three have cleared the path and continue on. The tunnel curves around a bend into an approximately 20 square foot rounded chamber, which appears to be a sleeping and cooking area for the now-dead goblins. The three rummage through the various detritus of the room and turn up 175 silver pieces and 27 gold pieces, a small shield, and a small opaque glass orb.
Thack: I do one last check of walls. Roll good Investigate.
DM: You find a crevice in one of the walls…which leads to nowhere.
Brynja offers to carry the orb. Upon returning to the outside, Brynja hands the glass to Vilya, who looks at it. The group watches and sees a light flash within it before returning to its opaqueness. It is unclear what the orb is/does and as such, Vilya will carry the ball for now.
End scene.
Act III: On the Road Again – One Day from Baldur’s Gate
It is mid-morning when our noble knights emerge from their goblin cave explorations. There is but one thing left to do: continue on to Baldur’s Gate. However, the questers are not the only ones on the road. Many travelers litter the thoroughfare.
Andraste (Cheerily): Hello, travelers!
A group of merchant-looking dudes turn at the greeting and appear to be interested in conversing.
Andraste: What do you sell?
Merchants: Hodge podge. Candle wax, honey, books, etc.
Thack: Want to give us some money?
Merchants (Warily): Why?
Thack: To help us resurrect a guy. (snickers self-satisfyingly)
Brynja (Exasperated): Am I the only one who remembers who we’re actually doing this for?
Under her breath, Brynja can be heard muttering about saving pennies and nickels to save a man (Matreous) whose purpose for being resurrected has been long forgotten.
Brynja (To merchants): What have you for healing potions?
Merchants: We have them, but they are expensive.
Brynja: How much would you give me for this moonlight sword?
The question began perhaps a little tongue-in-cheek, but as the merchants’ questions grow impertinent, Brynja becomes petulant and rescinds her original query.
Thack: Let’s go.
The group bids farewell to the merchants and continue on. They soon come upon an old willow tree that seems it will provide an adequate place to camp for the night. The party sets up their bivouac in the tree’s growing shadow. Vilya takes first watch and is accompanied only by the sounds of frogs and crickets in the night.
The night passes uneventfully. Everyone rises with the morning’s first light feeling well rested and capable. The great metropolis of Baldur’s Gate is less than a day ahead of them. Perhaps all the answers to all the questions lie there.
The End.