Ruins of chult campaign

Session 9 – Firefinger

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, jeux de rôles , ,

This location, the Firefinger, is from Tomb of Annihilation. I used it (almost) as is. It’s one of the few good locations in the module IMO.

Characters

  • Flyzus, Wood Elf Ranger (hunter), Outlander; sole survivor of his tribe after an orc invasion
  • Varis, Drow Rogue (thief), Far traveller; exiled scion of a noble family on the losing side of a feud  (1)
  • Droidoc, Halfling Druid (circle of the moon), Outlander; was there when Camp Righteous fell, now he’s a cannibalistic loony

Inside a dead explorer’s backpack the PCs had found a map with scribbled notes about some sort of signal tower . They had decided to look for this « Firefinger » as it wasn’t very far from their destination.

The Firefinger

Cautiously approaching the impressive structure (it didn’t look man-made), they could see two holes, entrances really, on one of its square side, with the lower one a good 60′ above ground and the other almost as high as the canopy. A flimsy rope & wood ladder dangled from a ledge, not exactly confidence-inspiring, up to the lower entrance.

A pile of corpses and a crude net-trap indicated that the place was inhabited by more than critters.

Droidoc shapeshifted into a Giant Badass Spider and rapidly climbed to the first ledge.

Varis tried the rope but fell and almost killed himself in the process (2). Hands shaking, he drank a potion of healing and hid, whimpering amidst the ferns, as a pterafolk flew over him.

The second attempt was more fortunate for Varis and he was joined by Flyzus on the precarious ledge soon after. Meanwhile Spider-Droidoc bullied his way through the webs of giant spiders (albeit a lot smaller than him) and found a dead explorer wrapped in a cocoon.

The PCs cleansed the level of its critters and got to the next climbing up a chimney. 9 dead stirges and another duly searched corpse later, the PCs continued their ascension.

No pity for the elderly

Level 3, above the trees, was home to 4 old pterafolks, 2 of them cooking with a fire under a large cauldron, one (badly) sculpting a piece of wood and a fourth poking something in a small makeshift cage with a stick. The whole lot noisily bickering, as the elderly are wont to do.

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The PCs attacked the frail pterafolks but that soon attracted the healthier ones from above. Two pterafolks, started flinging javelins at them from the outside. Another, the apparent leader, big and scarred, clutched a magic wand.

With half the pterafolks dead (3), the combat was fierce but the PCs were mostly in  control despite magic missiles hurled at them many times.

And that’s when disaster struck.

A pterafolk inside the tower saw the opportunity to shove one of the wingless invader out to let him fall to his doom. Varis, the would-be victim, saw it coming but attempted a risky manoeuver, hoping that it would turn to his advantage. He failed miserably and, indeed, fell to the ground, 200′ below (4).

He died, the outlander, far, far from home.

Bittersweet victory

The wand-enthusiast leader (5)  and one of his underling, both severely wounded, fled to safer skies. Flyzus and Droidoc looted the place and also looted the body of their fallen comrade.

Cannibal Droidoc may have eaten part of him and he may, have kept some for later.

They found an half-orc prisoner on the highest level of the Firefinger. They also found a sad, badly malnourished pseudodragon in the makeshift cage.

DM’s notes

  1. First casualty of the Ruins of Chult campaign, I’m definitely a Lenient Dm… That and also, the « pop tart effect » of 5e is very forgiving
  2. The whole climbing and falling off a ladder thing was sooo unheroic. Would have been better skipping the checks, I think.
  3. even the elder with the pestle
  4. A last dex check as he fell through tree branches resulted in a 1…
  5. I wanted it to be more like Clark Ashton Smith’s magic-prone Pterosaurs or some such but I can’t say that I managed to pull it off…

Session 7b- Tiryki River – day 2 & 3

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew, Roleplaying Game, RPG, Ruins of chult campaign , , ,

Characters

  • Flyzus, Wood Elf Ranger (hunter), Outlander; sole survivor of his tribe after an orc invasion
  • Varis, Drow Rogue (thief), Far traveller; exiled scion of a noble family on the losing side of a feud
  • Droidoc, Halfling Druid (circle of the moon), Outlander; was there when Camp Righteous fell, now he’s a cannibalistic loony

Day 2

A lot of meat

Ambiance

After slaying (most of) the gnolls, the victorious PCs entered the river and a few hours later come upon a grisly scene: an entire herd of hadrosaurs had been decimated. It wasn’t hard to guess that the gnolls had killed the beasts, taking meat and leaving most  to rot.

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A dozen velociraptors were doing the best they could before something bigger got there. The PCs didn’t stay to see what it would be…

Friendly Frogs- Portage

Combat>>defused

The party had to get out of the water for a portage, unfortunately 2 giant frogs were in the way. Unfazed, the Halfling druid cast the animal friendship spell and the two dangerous beasts let them pass without harm.

Uneventful first night as they slept on a small island in the middle of the river,  indicated by a fisherman earlier

Day 3

In Shallow Territory

Social (1)

Eblis

Paddling for a few hours in the morning, the PCs were met by an eblis who advised to take a side affluent, saying that it would be impossible to go further on the main river. He asked for « shiny things » for his well-timed advice.

After a moment of hesitation, the PCs did choose to follow the eblis’ advice and got on shallow waters full of reeds. Not much further, another eblis proposed to sell them « beautiful and magical feathers » and Varis fell for it.

Deeper in marsh terrain, a third eblis whispered an offer to raid a nearby nest while he did a diversion and split the content between them. The PCs declined and forged ahead.

By then, Droidoc had had enough of the shady eblis and when yet another one approached, he threw a javelin at it! (2)

Combat: 1 eblis

The eblis cast a Hypnotic Pattern spell, it briefly affected Flyzus. It then attempted to fly away but was instead shot down. The PCs then cut through the dense vegetation to get back on the main river and away from those damn lying birds!

Octopus vs Plesiosaur!

Combat: 1 plesiosaur

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A river plesiosaur broke the surface of the water and savagely mauled the surprised Varis. Droidoc shapeshifted once more into a giant octopus and grappled the marine reptile while the elves slashed at it with swords. The severely wounded beast tried to get away but the octopus did not let go until it was dead.

Uneventful night on the pebble river bank

DM’s notes.

  1.  My eblis were more akin to peddlers. Neutral evil peddlers.
  2. Sometimes violence is indeed the solution!
  3. The fisherman’s tip and the animal friendship both removed a combat situation and that’s perfectly okay, the PCs got xp for it.

Chultan Armors

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew ,

Scuta Leather Armor

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Best leather armor comes from Chult. Because dinosaurs!

  • 135 gp
  • Armor class: 13 + dex modifier
  • Weight: 17 lb

Zorbo Hide Armor

Zorbo

The bad-tempered Koala-like Zorbo possesses the peculiar ability to transform his skin into whatever he’s standing on. Some clever leatherworker have figured out a way to craft an armor that keeps this amazing power.

  • As leather armor but if you attach (bonus action) a special pin (comes with armor) it transforms into a (metal) breastplate.
  • 600 gp
  • you can buy an adamantine pin for 300 gp more (protection vs critical hits)
  • Weight: 10 lb

Ankylo Breastplate

Astutely assembled from ridges, crests and bone-plates, this heavy apparel has the distinct advantage of being a lot less heat-inducing than its metal equivalent.

  • 350 gp

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And here’s something interesting: https://nhm.org/alternative-armor

Magic Items – Chult

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew ,

Homebrewed magic items for my Ruins of Chult setting:

Amulet of Power

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Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

Choose a spell you know, when you cast this spell you cast it at one higher spell slot than the one you spend. You can change the spell only after a long rest.

Headrest of Tranquility

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Wondrous item, uncommon

Using the Headrest of Tranquility while you sleep, you can recover from one additional level of exhaustion with a long rest. Additionally, you are immune to the Dream spell until next dawn.

Ivory Armband of Ferocity

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Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

When you hit with a melee attack, you inflict +1 damage

Ivory Cup of Purity

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Wondrous item, common

Anything you drink with the Ivory Cup of Purity is under the effect of a Purify food and drink.

Matteba Leaf Garment

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Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement)

This garment is the Chult equivalent of a Cloak of Elvenkind.

Sahuagin Shark Tooth Sword

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Weapon (any sword that deals slashing damage), uncommon

When you attack a creature with this weapon and roll a 20 on the attack roll, that target takes an extra 7 slashing damage.

Velociraptor Feather Cloak

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Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

While wearing this cloak, you add 5′ to your base speed.

Mask of the Oracle

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Carved from the mythic Gboga Tree.

Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)

While wearing this mask, you can use an action to cast the scrying spell. You can’t use this mask’s ability again until next dawn.

Ikakalaka Sword +1

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Weapon (short or longsword), uncommon

Bonehead Helmet

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Wondrous Item (requires attunement)

While wearing this helmet, you cannot be stunned. Additionnally, you have advantage on your check when you attempt to shove a creature.

Wand of the Su-Monster

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Wand, rare (requires attunement)

The wand has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 charge to inflict 5d6 psychic damage on 1 target, 30′ range, stunned for 1 round (Wisdom saving throw DC  15).

The wand regains 1d6+1 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the wand’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into ash and is destroyed.

Shotel Sword +1

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Weapon (scimitar), uncommon

A shotel sword can bypass an opponent’s shield (ignore AC from shield).

Mu-Ngyengyue Bracelet

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Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

While wearing this bracelet, you have advantage on saving throw to resist  entangle and ensnaring strike spells

Ubtao’s Maze Earrings

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Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)

While wearing the maze earrings, you have advantage on Intelligence (Religion) skill checks.

 

Want more? Magic Items – Chult II!

A note on Jungle Dwarves

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy , ,

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I’m going against the Tomb of Annihilation lore, again.

The only Jungle/Albino Dwarf NPC in ToA is Musharib, a guide who will forgo his pay if the PCs help him reclaim the dwarven forge of Hrakhamar.

A forge.

I mean,  come on Musharib, what will you do with the damn place? That’s not who you are anymore!

Here we have Dwarves radically different than the usual tolkienesque cliché. What’s the point to sorta get them back on track? That’s lame. In my campaign, the Albino Dwarves don’t want anything to do with their (distant) past. Indeed, it’s taboo for them.

The Earth Shook and Spat Fire

The ancient way of life led to apocalyptic disaster (many generations ago). Better forget about it. And better make sure nobody sneak around  and mess with the sites and artefacts of the ancient ones!

So yeah, the PCs will have to deal with that particular prejudice…

Also, in my campaign, there’s no wild dwarves or gold dwarves (as per 2e lore), just albino dwarves (and foreign typical dwarves).

Session 6 – To Catch a Stirge

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew, Roleplaying Game, RPG , ,

Back to the adventure… Who wants to fight pirates?!

Characters (Seven Associates) (Well, five actually O_o)

  • Flyzus, Wood Elf Ranger (Hunter), Outlander; sole survivor of his tribe after an orc invasion
  • Varis, Drow Elf Rogue (Thief), Far traveller; exiled scion of a noble family on the losing side of a feud
  • Lucky, Half-Elf Cleric of Tymora (Trickery), Street Urchin; the lowly will be exalted
  • Shin, Tabaxi Fighter (Arcane Archer), Outlander; big-game hunter, has no patience for weakness
  • Pocor, Human Druid (Circle of Spores), Outlander; member of Chultan Diaspora, returned to his roots, literally

Against the Pirates

Both Zhanti and her son Shago had a strong interest in defeating the pirates that scourged the Savage Seas around Port Nyanzaru which after all, you have to remember is a MARITIME city. They had a plan to inflict a first blow to the pirates and, of course, it involved using the Seven Associates. The PCs would accompany a selected force on board of a seemingly vulnerable merchant ship.

Hidden in the cargo hold, they waited for the pirates to find them, cramped quarters being the main foe in the meantime.

Goals

  • Capture at least a few pirates
  • Capture the Captain
  • Capture the pirate ship

Capturing a Stirge

The pirates did showed up (how boring would it have been otherwise!). The pirate ship had a kind of giant mosquito on its flag revealing that they were prey to The Stirge!

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The false merchant ship did try a token escape tentative so it wouldn’t look too suspicious. The pirates boarded as the crew on deck seemingly surrendered. Half a dozen pirates were sent below to take a look on the merchandises. But the Cleric of Tymora had prepared a nice trick for them: a Zone of silence, so that when the hidden ambushers jumped on the surprised pirates it did not alert their comrades above. Next, the pirates’ second in command, a burly Orc, went below to see what the heck took so long. He had time to swing his large cleaver at Flyzus once, wounding the Wood Elf, before he was cut down too.

The already suspicious pirate captain, still oblivious to what happened, decided then to listen to his instincts and called a retreat, dashing back to his own ship. The PCs and their allies rushed out at once, throwing more grappling hooks as simultaneously the pirates tried to cut free. Two planks were still in place and fierce fighting ensued. The pirates were now outnumbered but a priest of Umberlee amongst them managed to summon a water elemental in the hope of turning the tide (!).

With the Tabaxi firing arrows after arrows from the crow’s nest and the battle for the planks going in favor of his opponents, despite the water elemental wreaking havoc, the pirate captain decided to surrender.

As for the priest of Umberlee, he jumped into the water, disappearing under the waves, never to be seen again. No, really, he won’t be seen again. I’m telling you!

DM’s notes

  • The Stirge and its crew comes from ToA
  • The PCs found some valuables, including an old Omuan tapestry, a first inkling of things to come
  • reward: 2000 gp or a first payment if the PCs want to keep the ship

Session 4 – Extraction in Malar’s Throat

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Homebrew, Roleplaying Game, RPG

I was more than happy to make a special session to my friend and his son who managed to be there again, despite the distance (300+ miles!).

After a bit of survey of Flyzus’ new abilities (young Félix is fairly new to D&D after all), I had them choose a side quest among some they could  hope to achieve with only the two  of them.

Characters

  • Flyzus, Wood Elf Ranger (hunter), Outlander; sole survivor of his tribe after an orc invasion
  • Varis, Drow Rogue (scout), Far traveller; exiled scion of a noble family on the losing side of a feud

Rescue Mission

They opted for an extraction mission given by Captain Soshen (with the backing of City Councilor Ekene-Afa). They had to bring back an informant whose task had been to spy on underworld boss Jobal’s activities. The informant had been captured by the Bridgerunners (a gang of thugs in Malar’s Throat). Unfortunately for the adventuring Drow, who would have liked to do it at night, time was of the essence as they were informed that it was quite possible that the gang would soon give over their captive to the fiercer Sons of Malar.

They had basically two ways to get to the thugs’ den on the cliff side. The first was by simply crossing the suspended bridge but that would surely get the attention of the thugs. The second was by climbing down on the west side of the canyon to get on the precarious ledge beside the wooden shack. They choose the latter and managed to accomplish the feat without being seen. The two Elves then waited for the right time and it came when the thugs got together to eat a meal, leaving the target tied upside down nearby.

The PCs quickly seized their chance, approached the prisonner with discretion, untied him and made a diversion with a good ol’fashionned oil fire. They killed two thugs efficiently. The swiftness of it meant that they had time to flee before more Bridgerunners could do anything about it.

They escaped by exiting Malar’s Throat at the edge of the city.

The Old Man’s Pet

A little Arena fun was now in order to call it a night.

Cockatrice-5e

They had to defeat an innocuous looking old man holding a cloth covered cage. The fight was on and the old man let go of his caged pet: a cockatrice! Varis got bit once and shook off in extremis the incoming petrification. A few sword slashes sufficed to slay the small beast, despite its master doing his best to heal it with magic in the fight.

The Merchant Princes of Port Nyanzaru (revamped)

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy ,

Even in my Chult campaign, exploration-oriented as it is, I want politics and intrigue to play a part. At the very least, even if  my players decide not to care, it will provide some interesting side-quests. The main quest-givers, the  « Merchant Princes », as described in Tomb of Annihilation, are more like simple shopkeepers than powerful merchant rulers.

They all are filthy rich and apparently, in Port Nyanzaru, it’s all it takes. How they managed to obtain so much wealth, despite their city being under Amnian (fantasy spanish) control only nine years ago is superfluous I guess. What we know is that they each have a monopoly on something that is supposed to bring them a really high income.

So let’s see how fares Port Nyanzaru’s economy as decribed in ToA (of course we can homebrew away any of this!):

  • Port Nyanzaru is a small city.
  • There’s a Dragon Turtle demanding a « tax » from passing boats
  • Pirates plague the Seas
  • There’s virtually no one in Chult to trade with
  • And, you know, undead and dinosaurs aplenty

As for the monopolies of the Merchant Princes:

  • Ex-gladiator Ekene-Afa got very rich, we’re to believe, selling spears, leather shields and travelling gears. That’s shopkeeper level, really.
  • Ifan Talro’a deals in dinosaurs and dinosaur training. Okay, why not.
  • Jessamine deals in plants, poison and assassination. And she got rich, somehow.
  • Jobal deals in (lousy) guides and (deathwishing) sellswords. We do know he came out of the jungle alone with treasure, so there’s that (that’s actually interesting, I can work with that).
  • Kwayothé sells fruits, wine, tej, ale, perfume and insect repellent (!). 
  • Wakanga deals in magic and, uh, lore? Yeah… A magic shop, how cute…
  • Zhanti deals in gems, jewelry, clothes and armors. I mean, gems and jewelry, that’s fine. Clothes and armors? Less so.

The whole concept of richest guys in town are ruling doesn’t hold water. Why would the people tolerate the monopolies of the Merchant Princes? This would have to be by strength of arms but they don’t seem to have any. In fact, we know they can’t even chase a few dozens unimpressive Flaming Fist mercenaries that are encroaching in Chultan territory.

Okay, let’s reframe this a little with realpolitik in mind:

As I see it, the Merchant Princes achieved preeminence because they played a major role, together, each contributing their own assets, in overthrowing the Amnians. They did not relinquish their position of power in the aftermath, some because they aspired to it in the first place, some for fear of what would happen if they stepped away.

Each have a sphere of influence and none, at the moment, can hope to rule without cooperating with some of the others. They exchange favors all the time in order to have the votes of their peers when it counts.

Ekene-Afa

Already popular when she was a gladiator, she became the de facto leader of the rebels when Port Nyanzaru  shook off the Amnians. She would have the support of the people if she made a bid to rule the city by herself, but she doesn’t have that kind of ambition.

Commercial Assets:

  • taxes from Inner City’s merchants, in exchange her labor force clear the rivers’ channels
  • fishing trade, she had another life before becoming gladiator and rebel leader

Political Influence:

  • city watch (captain Soshen is her son)
  • beloved by the people

Goals:

  • Prevent Tyranny
  • Extend safety to all parts of Port Nyanzaru, not only Walled City

Ifan Talro’a

Once a mere supervisor Talro’a betrayed his Amnian masters, and profited greatly from it. He now has some kind of alliance with the Flaming Fist mercenaries. A man of great ambition, a populist too, he won’t stop at anything to amass more power.

Commercial Assets:

  • meat market
  • dinosaur herding
  • ivory trade

Political Influence:

  • allied with Flaming Fist for a split of the profit they do exploiting the ressources of Chult
  • his personal guard, the Redhooks (butchers turned enforcers)
  • took over the Grand Coliseum games (plenty of spectacles where crowd-pleasing adventurers can earn some gold)

Goals:

  • Become King of Chult

Jessamine

The least avant-scène of the Princes, Jessamine’s influence is felt more in hushed tones than in clamorous displays. Her extensive spy network ensures that she doesn’t miss much in Port Nyanzaru.

Commercial Assets:

  • pottery trade, valuable, handmade craft by the gripplis/grungs
  • dye trade
  • spice trade
  • kola nuts

Political Influence:

  • The Purple Hand (dye-workers turned assassins)
  • Spy Network

Goals:

  • Prevent strong rule from happening in Port Nyanzaru
  • Eliminate underworld rival Jobal

Jobal

Since he got out of the jungle alone, with  considerable treasure in his possession, Jobal proceeded to buy the allegiance of one of Old City’s gang of thugs. He soon ruled over almost all the other gangs of Old City and Malar’s Throat.

Commercial Assets:

  • local extortion
  • moneylending

Influence:

  • The Gauntlet (informal justice)
  • Gangs (Malar’s Throat and Old City): Sons of Malar, Bridgerunners, the Dirty Talons

Goals:

  • Advance the agenda of his hidden benefactors (he did not get out of the jungles with treasure so much as he we was « released » under specific conditions…)

Kwayoté

Kwayothé was barely a teen when she catched the eye of a rich foreigner. She endured many humiliations before she finally freed herself of her master’s yoke.  Now a rich merchant herself (having taken much of her former master’s wealth for herself), she strives so that nobody would gain dominance over her ever again.

Commercial Assets:

  • gems mining around Port Nyanzaru, to expand she would be in direct competition with Baldur’s Gate Flaming Fist (I see them as East Indian Company-type, ruthless beyond belief)
  • metalcasting

Political Influence:

  • She’s a higher-up of the Temple of Kossuth the Everburning (associated with artisanal metalcasting, volcanoes, rebirth, made stronger with pain, fire rituals of purification, etc), a religion persecuted under the Amian but now on the ascent in Port Nyanzaru in my version

Goals:

  • Topple Chultan aristocracy (she’s no friend with Zhanti)
  • Diminish the presence of foreign, continental religion
  • Drive away or kill the Flaming Fist mercenaries
  • Chase off other encroaching northerners (like the greedy Dwarves of the Pick&Axe co or meddling adventurers perhaps)

Wakanga O’tamu

A moderate in all things, except maybe in his passion for women, Wakanga helped the rebellion only because  Amn persecuted magic-users such as him. A powerful wizard, he comes from a long tradition that teaches that magic must be restricted to a few who pledged to use it with strict rules.

Commercial Assets:

  • cloth manufacturing (the bright clothes of Port Nyanzaru are renowned worldwide)

Political Influence:

  • He’s well-travelled and a wise (if a bit fickle) and powerful wizard, many seek his counsel

Goals:

  • Prevent Tyranny.
  • He wants to know what his the source of the strange magic afoot in the Old City. Dark and ancient, yet hidden from his scrying attempts.

Zhanti

A rich merchant with royal blood, Zhanti is the consummate diplomat. Her long-term plans are ambitious but she knows she’s not getting any younger.

Commercial Assets:

  • salt making
  • leatherworking

Political Influence:

  • Harbor, extensive commerce abroad
  • Prestigious family
  • contacts within foreign interests

Goals:

  • Civilize a large chunk of Chult
  • Put her son Shago as single ruler of Port Nyanzaru (Shago is captain of a ship in my version, not a flaming fist flunky) 
  • Help bring back the Chultan diaspora
  • Transform the city into true regional power

Session 2- Gambling & Fighting in P-N

David Skelector D&D 5e, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy, Ruins of chult campaign , , , ,

The ToA’s sidequests are all pretty much pointless and boring so I had to invent  my own (except chasing pirates, that’s perfectly fine to me). Not only that but if you’re actually following the main plot of ToA (unlike me), doing the sidequests is actually detrimental to accomplishing the main quest! Talk about bad design… I did run the dinosaur race (but that was already an idea in the Jungles of Chult supplement (1993)). 

Characters:

  • Shin, Tabaxi Fighter, Outlander; Big-game hunter
  • Lucky, Half-Elf Cleric of Tymora, Street Urchin; the lowly will be exalted
  • Pocor, Human Druid, Outlander; Traveller of chultan descent
  • Phileas, Half-Elf Bard, Archeologist; “it’s not tomb-robbing if you do it respectfully”
  • Corpos, Forest Gnome Wizard, Archeologist; antiquary, strange fixation on the undead

Port_Nyanzaru
Tomb of Annihilation, WoTC, really nice art!

And now what’s the plan?

The PCs disembarked in Port Nyanzaru at dusk and their first move was, unsurprisingly, to find shelter for the night. They opted for Kaya’s House of Repose, a cozy inn located inside the walls feeling confident that their meagre funds would soon be replenished. Puzzled by the lack of other customers they asked around and learned that everybody (except the staff) went to see an unusual sight: a Halruaan airship had landed in town! Joining the crowd in the plaza, the soon-to-be explorers could only marvel at this efficient way of locomotion. Young Lucky, accustomed to city life, quickly became aware that wily pickpockets were taking full advantage of the diversion. Fortunately, targeted Pocor was vigilant enough to evade theft.

With so much people around, the PCs  heard some interesting rumors they could benefit from.

Let’s talk money

In their first couple of days in Chult, the PCs have found out of a few ways to earn some gps before leaving Port Nyanzaru for their dangerous jungle expeditions:

  • Arena Fun: The Mercenaries vs the Velociraptors
  • Arena Fun: The Mercenaries vs the Skeletal Horde!
  • Middleman Mboka have a job: Cleaning a Mine from critters (coast, two days away)
  • Captain Shago have a job: find a certain M’panzu thought to be in league with the pirates  and bring him to the captain.

Arena Fun

Shin, Corpos and Phileas happily enlisted, whilst Pocor and Lucky had some mischievous plans of their own.

Mercenaries VS Velociraptors!

From his spectator seat, Pocor cast an entangle spell at one of the two porticullis where were kept the raptors, effectively blocking it.  Two raptors entered the arena from the other side and advanced rapidly to the center of the arena, where Phileas and Corpos were ready for action. As for the Tabaxi, he climbed with celerity on one of the spike jutting from the encircling wall, intent on using his bow on the beasts.

Corpos’ mage hand threw sand in the eyes of one raptor and Phileas attempted to skewer the other with a fancy move of his rapier but only lightly wounded it. The savage bite and claw attack against him nearly put an end to his barely-started adventuring career, but for the help of Pocor’s healing powers.

As Corpos, Phileas and Shin finished the two raptors, yet another magical intervention from Pocor triggered an angry reaction from two young hooligans seated nearby. If he was so intent on helping the « mercenaries » they told him, he might as well join them in the arena below! A short scuffle ensued and Pocor got the upper hand (but not without losing his concentration on his entangle spell).

Below the two remaining raptors were finally free and Phileas, quite the crowd-pleaser, made a loud cracking noise with his whip that sent a magical Thunderwave, killing one raptor and wounding the other. A flame bolt from Corpos finished the poor beast.

(Shin’s player wasn’t too lucky with his dice throughout the combat. I think he hit once with an arrow?)

Meanwhile, Lucky tried to gain money another way. Feigning intoxication, he attempted to pickpocket a richly attired Chultan but got his greedy hand stung and was poisoned. He felt ill for an hour or so for his troubles. The locals aren’t the easiest of targets it seems.

Dinosaur Racing!

dinoracing

A dinosaur race was announced for the evening. Two contenders: the ill-tempered allosaurus Bonecruncher was a 2:1 betting favorite against the young ankylosaurus Grung Stomper!

Of course it occurred almost immediately to Phileas to mess with the race and try to win against the odds! Corpos and Lucky were both convinced by the bard’s greedy enthusiasm and put a sum on Grung Stomper.

Phileas’ plan was to wait somewhere further on the circuit and play tricks on the allosaurus’ mind with a well placed Dissonant Whisper spell. And oh my! How it worked! The ill-tempered Bonecruncher failed spectacularly  (rolled a 1! botches do count in my game) to resist the mind intrusion and went berzerk, losing precious time before his handler managed to steer him back on track. The race was still close but it was enough so Grung Stomper won!

DM notes:

  • With Pocor’s player agreement, I’ve decided that his character’s ancestors were from Chult.
  • I did some foreshadowing for the Halruaan airship before it become, huh, a jungle location?
  • This session was rather short with 3 hours of play. I had thought that a lot more would be accomplished but it’s ok, the players have learned a lot of stuff about the setting and had some ideas how to tackle it.
  • Last campaign finished with lvl 20 characters, beginning anew at lvl 1 is so different!
  • Phileas’ player loves when his PC shines and has fame! That’s certainly a good way to keep his interest in the campaign.
  • Both in the Arena and dinosaurs race, the players cheated their way to victory. That was a lot of fun. But hey, they are not the only crooks in town! I have to keep this in mind…