Dungeon Level 1

[Direjackalope]

Dire also accepts the wine.

As a priest with a rather singular focus I shall defer to what the rest of you conclude is the appropriate course of action. Though slightly depleted, my resources are in order.

[Monsieur Rose]

Lika

Her eyes pulse as a well is mentioned. "There's a tavern less than a hundred yards away?! No disrespect Baroness, I find your wine most agreeable, but perhaps that should be our next destination."

[Rex]

Unari

"Indeed a tavern sounds like an excellent idea."

[Marullus]

Point of Order: Do we have an inventory of anything/treasure found so far? We've been going for sixteen months and I have no idea anymore.

Baroness Nella considers thoughtfully, then nods in concurrence with Lika and Unari. "Quite so. It will be good to see the inside of the Yawning Portal and have a good night's rest. I will gladly secure a back room table that we can discuss and plan freely, rather than doing so here, if you prefer." Turning to the newly-encountered companions, she adds, "If your enthusiasm is not dampened by only a hundred yards of adventure, we would be glad to add you to our number, should you agree to set out afresh tomorrow. A night of discussion would save save you a fair bit of trouble and I believe our next route will be best-served by a larger group of companions."

If the consensus is indeed to rest in the tavern, what does that mean for the thread, DM?

I would want to...

• Refesh our spellcasters with a long rest. (With 550gp on deposit in Waterdeep, Nella will cover the cost of a night in the inn for anyone who needs it.)
• Identify and divide ownership of any treasure/loot gathered so far to prevent later difficulties as we expand the party
• Double-up on extra water skins based on the now-better understanding of the supply rules we'll be using (after realizing we all had only the single waterskin from our equipment packages). Everyone should re-read the water rules. You need two waterskins per-day of adventuring or risk levels of exhaustion (which are brutal). The house rule that you can't recover hit dice is removed. We haven't found any water sources in Undermountain so far. Water is heavy, so also look at Encumbrance.
• Swap my wine supplies for water rations since it is ruled that wine isn't refreshing (and playing to her flaws for insipiration is deprioritized).

[LordKane77]

Have you all gotten enough gold to buy a bag of holding? It seems like the simple logical solution here.

Alternatively, when the going gets tough, you now have two clerics. While I'm loathe to burn one first level slot and spell per day to "create water", the spell creates 10 gallons, which would be sufficient to our needs.
So that is certainly an option to prolong dungeon exploring.

[dmw71]

Have you all gotten enough gold to buy a bag of holding? It seems like the simple logical solution here.

That would be a logical solution... but thinking one will be available for purchase is a HUGE assumption.

While I'm loathe to burn one first level slot and spell per day to "create water", the spell creates 10 gallons, which would be sufficient to our needs.

Just make sure you have the containers.

Create Water. You create up to 10 gallons of clean water within range in an open container.

Or plan on making multiple trips. If the intention is to dive into the dungeon for one or two days, plan on bringing/carrying only the resources you will need for that length of time.

[LordKane77]

Decker checks out if the fallen bugbears have anything of value.

[dmw71]

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See here: Return to the Surface I

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[Marullus]

"What is now a well was once a tower," replies the Baronness Nella, looking at the 40' diameter and listening to the chatter of the tavern above. "The city grew around and over the ruins below, and earlier explorers developed this tower into means of ingress and egress with the Yawning Portal Tavern, rather famously, at its top. I sipped many a glass of wine pondering the other end of this opening before resolving myself to the study of art and architecture below... the pursuit we are now engaged in of course. Indeed, I... hold a minute..."

She trails off and steps to the north wall where her keen ear discerns footsteps. She feels the walls, looking for secrets or illusions, and inviting the others to assist. "That's the second instance of phantom footfalls, if any can aid in perceiving the invisible, that might be of use... I am uneasy leaving this mystery behind us."

Posting this first, then I'll post the conversation in the tavern after it is resolved.

As Needed Roll [1d20]=5[1d20]=10

[Monsieur Rose]

Lika

Lika is just about to spread her wings and ascend when Nella points out a curiosity. "Footsteps? That way? A false wall, then."

He does his best to search for a hidden passage or something out of place. Perception: [1d20]=12+2=14

If Needed: [1d20]=4

[dmw71]

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Noise

---

Nella, sharing the breadth of knowledge she has on the history of the well and dungeon entrance, trails off and steps to the north wall where her keen ear discerns footsteps.

She feels the walls, looking for secrets or illusions, and inviting the others to assist.

"That's the second instance of phantom footfalls, if any can aid in perceiving the invisible, that might be of use... I am uneasy leaving this mystery behind us."

---

Secret Door

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Aided by her auditory senses, the baroness, and others, are able to make out a very faint outline in the northern wall. This outline shares the height and width measurements of a door.

But there is no handle or obvious means of opening this suspected secret doorway.

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Hole

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Anyone tall enough that investigates the door notices a 1-inch-diameter hole bored through this previously hidden door at a height of 5 feet.

Hole.jpg (84.61 KiB) Viewed 626 times

Essentially no details of the darkened area on the other end of this apparent peephole can be made out from this entry area.

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Actions?

[Rex]

Unari

Unari will examine the door and see if she can figure out how to open it.

As needed roll [1d20]=7

[Marullus]

Allowing time for others to post about trying to do something with the door.

Nella considers, quietly.

After a few minutes, she asks the small armored gnome, "Master Zanbin... as you seem to have an inventive mind. If we cannot open this door to discern what or whom is beyond, how can we tinker it to our advantage for when we return on the morrow? Can you place a warning or alarm that we know if the door is opened from the other side? Can we obscure the peephole? Can we secure the bottom of this well that we can be assured that an ambush is not laid?"

[Monsieur Rose]

Lika

"Interesting. It would appear that someone is watching who comes down the well. A rather tall someone, or two goblins on top of each other." He takes a copper piece, casts Light on it, and pushes it through the opening to fall on the other side. "Maybe that will illuminate the situation."

She looks through again, trying to get some details.

[dmw71]

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Lit Coin

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"Interesting. It would appear that someone is watching who comes down the well. A rather tall someone, or two goblins on top of each other." Lika offers. The half-bird fishes for a small copper piece, casts Light on it, and pushes it through the opening to fall on the other side. "Maybe that will illuminate the situation."

Sure enough, the previously inconspicuous hole now shines brightly, reflecting the lit condition of the area on the opposite side of the wall.

Pressing his eye against the hole, the warlock peers through the opening:

Coin.png (175.29 KiB) Viewed 604 times

The now-illuminated area beyond now reveals itself to be another passage, which turns sharply to the left after maybe 10-feet.

In the right-hand wall of this newly exposed side passage is another hallway.


A closed door, maybe 15-feet down on the left-hand side, is spotted.

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Actions?

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P.S.

I will work on getting the footer information, with the details of the new party members, updated soon.

[LordKane77]

"Look what the wind has revealed."

Decker holds action and watches as they work on the door, but turns to watch the other passageway, just in case.

[Scott308]

Gruuthuk

The bugbear kneels down so that he may peek through the hole in the "door." Still have clean dungeon. Maybe this lead to sweeper? Can go back and check.

Just in case: [1d20]=19

[Marullus]

"Not as clean as where we are bound next," Nella chuckles at Gruuthuk.

"It is spacious - and so likely connects to the last northern passage from the previous room. Would you like to pursuit now, or rest first? It would give us a bit more... completeness."

[dmw71]

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Door

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Despite the best efforts of anyone that makes an attempt, the group remains unable to open this once-hidden portal from this entry area.

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Next

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The group must now decide between literally backtracking to return to the dungeon down the same path they've already followed, or returning to the surface.

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Actions?

[LordKane77]

"May as well get you all rested before we find anymore trouble."