Chapter 8 - Into the Swamp

[GreyWolfVT]

Reywald studies the light, curious what could be causing it

It is currently difficult to pinpoint the source of the glow but it is what you have followed for miles at night to locate the place. Your gut says it is some sort of magic causing it.

[BaltoBruiser]

Kravoud

Will disembark with the rest of the party and begin to explore the walls for breaches and ways to avoid the gatehouse.

[GreyWolfVT]

The Outer Walls
The walls surrounding the keep were once 20 feet high and 3 feet thick. The height of the walls is now less than 10 feet in many damaged places, and only 1 foot or less in the gaps. A round tower 30 feet high and 15 feet in diameter stands at each turn in the wall. If you take the raft you could maybe enter through one of the breaches instead of making your way out to the road and bridges.

The Gatehouse
The gatehouse of the keep was constructed as two rectangular three-story towers. The 20-foot space between the towers is bridged at the second floor. A portcullis, now rusted to
iron scraps, once blocked the roadway, but does so no longer. The gatehouse is intact.

East Watchtower
Is a 30-foot structure. From the third level of the tower, just below the roof, two iron doors give access to the walkway atop the adjoining walls. Three arrow slits with iron shutters face southeast, east, and northeast.

Outbuildings
Three rotted wooden buildings stand at the base of the hill on which the keep is built.

This is just a rough description of the prior map. The 3 rectangular buildings are the 3 outbuildings, the Squared Horseshoe building is the gatehouse, The round tower in the outer wall at the bottom of the map is the East Watchtower. To the north is the East and West bridges & the roadway goes down the bridges. The larger Square building in the middle is the keep on a hill.

I appear to have lost track of if you were going to raft up to a breach in the walls or try the roadway & bridges.

Map:

[tristenc]

Since we are here for less than diplomatic reasons, perhaps we should seek one of the rifts rather than the main entrance. Reywald suggests

[Rex]

Egon

"Makes sense, I am good with that approach Reywald."

[GreyWolfVT]

So examining the map a bit it does look like there is a slight climb up to the ground level of the walls from the water. It's about a fourth of a hex so i would take a guess that it is at least a 10' to 20' climb. Not sure how i missed that on the map initially. But it does make sense as to why there is a moat and bridge.

[Darklin2]

Grimnar follows the party not sure he wants to enter the water in his chainmail and remembering the last thing that came from the water is reluctant. But follows with the rest.

[gurusql]

Del

"How about we take this path. We move on the southern side of the map (note the orientation) around the hill and hit this breach."

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[Rex]

Egon

Egon will lead the way through the breach Del indicates.

[shaidar]

Weston is happy with the suggested route.

[BaltoBruiser]

Kravoud

Can we cross the moat or should we bring the raft?

[Rex]

Egon

"Good idea, lets drag the raft with us. It isn't far,"

[Edeldhur]

Tellurion

Assists with dragging the raft, and follows the others.

[tristenc]

Reywald follows

[GreyWolfVT]

A Plan & A Route Is Made the group goes to dry ground and drags the raft with them the pass a heavily vegetated mound covered in vines, moss and other plant growth but otherwise note nothing else of interest with the area as they pass it and stop at the moat of water. Using their collective minds the group finds that they can use the raft as an impromptu bridge to get across one at a time and then there is the task of climbing up to the breach in the wall. Climbing won't be easy but if using rope and a grapple might make things a bit easier for those not skilled in climbing. The climb is slick wet mossy stones at the base and after the first foot or two turns into a mix of dirt, vegetation and rock. The climb is about 20 feet up to where the wall breach is located.

Crossing the raft requires no check.
If you plan to try using rope or rope and a grappling hook please roll a rope use roll and dex to see if you can throw the grapple and secure it.
For the climb if you have the rogue climbing skill roll that if you don't a Mountaineering roll or a simple dex check works for me.

Map:

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[Rex]

Egon

Climb Walls (95) [1d100]=34

Egon clims up the wall then after looking around to make sure nothing dangerous is there he will help the next person up.

[gurusql]

Del

Assuming that Egon drops a rope, Del will scramble up.

DEX Roll (18): [1d20]=1

[GreyWolfVT]

Egon climbs up and after a few minutes helps Del climb up. posted in private forums as well

A rope is dangled down and tied off to either Egon or something else study topside for others to use to climb up.

[tristenc]

I think btb untrained climbing is 40%, (from table 65 phb) with a rope and grapple adds 55%, and slippery/wet wall reduces by 25 (table 66 phb). No penalty or bonus for his race or dex: 40+55-25=> 70%. If that works for you i'd rather use that since Reywald's Dex is very mediocre. Will roll both, and leave it to you which applies

Reywald tries to climb the offered rope
====

Reywald Dex check (11) or climb(70): [1d20]=10, [1d100]=32
looks like either way is a pass

[Rex]

Egon

As everyone else works there way up.

Whispering, "We have upset the local animals, be alert in case something takes notice and comes to investigate."