D&D Game 1 - Session 4

Game 1 - Session 4
continueation of "Lost in the Dark" by Mia Johnson of
Limitless-Adventures.

https://limitless-adventures.com/

Their catalog:

https://limitless-adventures.com/catalog.php

Just to be clear, no, Limitless-Adventures is not sponsoring the play 
of this game.

Here are links to the previous three sessions:

Session 1 - https://elfstones69.blogspot.com/2023/06/d-session-blogging.html
Session 2 - https://elfstones69.blogspot.com/2023/06/d-log-game-1-session-2.html
Session 3 - https://elfstones69.blogspot.com/2023/06/d-log-game-1-session-3.html

This is the character's status after Session 3:

Name: Darby Yardbar    Race: Human  
Class: Fighter         Alignment: Good    Level: 1

Height=6'

Str 17 mod +3 proficiency bonus (+2)
              Athletics proficiency bonus (+2)
Dex 14 mod +2
              Acrobatics proficiency bonus (+2) fighter
              Acrobatics proficiency bonus (+2) peformer
Con 12 mod +1 proficiency bonus (+2)
Int 10 mod 0
Wis 14 mod +2
Cha 16 mod +3
              Performance proficiency bonus (+2) peformer

Hit point : was 7 now 10

Armor Class:  org 10 + 2 Dex mod + 13cm + 2sh + 1 def= 28 (or 18)

background:
  Once was an entertainer.  Now in military as fighter.
  because of this Skill Proficiencies (+2): Acrobatics, Performance

Note:
 next Stealth check will be at advantage.

Fighter Features
  Second Wind: On your turn, you may expend this ability and regain 1d10+1 hit points.
  You regain this ability if you use a recovery room.

  DEFENSE Add +1 bonus to Armor Class when wearing armor.

Weapons:
  (1) Short Fuse Bomb 
    - ranged weapon attack 
    - dex mod. 
    - successful hit deal 3d6 thunder damage.

  (1) LONGSWORD 1d8 damage + Strength bonus to Hit and damage  + Proficiency Bonus to Hit
      - Versatile (Can use two-handed for 1d10 if not using a shield, 
      - or can use one handed for 1d8 with shield).

Armor:
  CHAIN SHIRT (AC 13 + Dexterity Modifier) (Max AC 15) 
  SHIELD Add +2 to AC (Max AC 18)
   - A colorful enameled steel shield emblazoned with a spider.

Inventory:
  amulet
  Fine Tinker's Tools (tool)
  minor crystal fragment
  Forgemaster's Broach (shiny)
  whetstone (not used yet), add +1 to that weapon's damage. 
    - This benefit may only be gained once per weapon.

  Backpack:
   An insignia of rank (private) 
   deck of cards 
   bedroll 
   mess kit 
   tinderbox
   waterskin 
   5 days of rations
   small spade (tool)
   1 torch.


DM: 
As the path is not passable, you have returned to the Hallway.

Darby:
I will enter the double doors on my left. 

DM:
"A passible narrow path, sifted out from beneath the rubble, is all that remains of the
temple refectory. Improvised support beams, crafted from splintering tables and benches
are all that hold immense slabs of stone from crumbling further downward."

You hear a sharp crack as soon as you step through the door. Oh no. Quickly
scanning the room, you identify the source. One of the benches, bowing beneath the
immense pressure of the rubble it holds at back, has began to splinter in the middle.
By the look of the bench, it is mere seconds from folding in half. Pebbles begin to
clatter to the refectory floor. "What am I going to do?"

Darby:
I am going to Grab something to brace the rubble!"

roll d20 STRENGTH (DC 13) ... I roll a 4.. fail

DM:
Your next few moments are nothing but a blur. You snatch up a
nearby bench, and jam it between the shifting rocks, trying to
reinforce the failing support. The first wooden bench snaps quickly
followed by the second, releasing rocks and masonry across the
walkway, burying it entirely. Take 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage from
the heavy rubble. Due to the significant damage, the Collapsed
Refectory is now impassible. Pulling yourself from the rubble, you
return to Western Hall and choose another room to explore.

Darby:
I roll a 5, 2, and 3

DM:
You black out from the heavy bludeoning hits.  A day passes unconscious.  
remove 2 ration after not eat two days as your are starved. 
roll d6 for temp hit points

Darby:
I roll a 4 with a +1 Con Mod for 5 temp hit points.
I follow the hallway to the south

DM:
"The southwestern corner of the temple has collapsed, spilling rock down the southern
hall. With a bit of effort, you are able to scale the rubble without issue. Something
reflective catches your attention at the opposite end of the passage."

A single brass pipeline, around two feet in diameter, runs along the apex of the
vaulted ceiling, running parallel with the southern hall. Small hatches, sealed with an
aperture locking mechanism, are staged at the center and ends of the southern hall.
During your investigation of the rest of the passage, you hear faint skittering and
scratching noises coming from the pipe above. "I really hope it's rats."
The toppled masonry is covered in a fine layer of powdered glass, shimmering in the
dim-light. The shattered remains of a gilded mirror lay buried among the rubble. A
thin copper wire has been wrapped a dozen times around the broken mirror's backing,
twisting together into one braided lump. Above, you notice a bent hay hook connected
to a short section of chain wrapped around the brass pipeline.

Darby:
I'm going to try to reflect the light with the shiny broach.

roll d20 SLEIGHT OF HAND (DC 13) Dex mod +2... I roll a 13. success.

DM:
You use a piece of the copper wire to bind a shiny item to the hay
hook. The Bright Path is now active in the Southern Hall.

Darby:
OK..... so I Enter the first door on the right, then.
 
DM:
"A gnomish goddess is depicted in fresco paintings across all six panels of the domed
ceiling, ensnares avian-like creatures of immense size in metallic white thread. Resting
in the center of the room is a circular table, surrounded with cushioned benches."

A woody and sweet, almost citrusy, scent lingers in the chapter house air. The stone
walls are softened by hanging decorative tapestries. Each one a masterpiece.
Handsewn colorful cushions, arranged in small circles on the floor, are surrounded by
religious texts, papers and the occasional ink pot and quill. Brass incense burners,
hanging from the ceiling, dust the ground below them with fallen ash.

Darby:
"I'll look to see if anything useful was left behind."
I roll d20 PERCEPTION (DC 13) Wis mod +2.. 11 total fail.

DM:
You circle the room, looking for anything useful. The books would be too
cumbersome to take with you. "What's this?" You retrieve a folded scrap
of parchment from beneath the round table. The parchment is blank,
but has doodles of rude pictures in the margins. They are quite well
done. Add one parchment, quill and ink to your inventory. you exit back
to the hallway.

Darby:
I enter the second door on the right

DM:
Barely larger than an broom closet, the sacristy is packed with an oak wardrobe,
vestments, and a small collection of well crafted stringed instruments ahead of you. To
your left is a small wooden door, standing only three feet high. Where does this lead?"

Rattling the wardrobe's carved wooden handles, you determine the cabinet is locked.
A three pronged keyhole set into a small metal plate, just above the wardrobe's left
handle. Scanning the rest of the sacristy, Golden vestments, embroidered in white
thread, are laid out with care on a low dresser against the right-hand wall. Stringed
instruments, held in place by small stands, sing out in dulcet tones when plucked.

Darby:
with PERCEPTION (DC 13) "What's through that door?"

roll d20 Wis +2 mod..  I rull a 17. success!

DM:
you determine that the vestments laid out before you are much too small 
to wear. The only other items left in this room are the stringed instruments. 
If you wish to keep one of the instruments, add either one masterwork lyre
or one masterwork lute to your inventory. While using either of these
instruments gain advantage on all Performance checks.

Darby:
I will take the masterwork lute and leave.
Enter the side chapel door 

DM:
"Flecks of pigmented plaster cover the chapel floor. Squinting your eyes, you can barely
make out the crumbling panels of fresco paintings decorating the vaulted ceiling."

The masterful paint strokes of yellows and oranges blend into a sweeping vortex.
Fiends of all kinds, hooved and winged, are engulfed in lashing white threads,
coalescing into a braided mithril archway behind Yfanti's statue at the main altar. The
statue, carved from white marble and clothed in layers of leather, silk, and woven
metal armor, wields a light metal hammer and buckler in a defensive stance.
Hardened candlewax pours from the base of Yfanti's statue, cascading down the sides
of the alter, spilling across the floor into a great congealed pool. Your eyes follow the
spill of candlewax towards the nave. What remains of the wooden benches has been
cleared from the floor, strewn across heaps of rubble collecting against the walls.
"Is that light?" At the far end of the chapel, the smallest beam of light collides with
stained glass on the floor, erupting into a twinkling starburst of color across the nave.

Darby:
I ask "I'm sorry to ask, but could you help me?" 
and offer the shiny Forgemaster's Broach (shiny)

DM:
Remove one shiny, tool, or weapon from your inventory to leave on
the altar. You feel as if your offering has been accepted. Add 1d4
temporary hitpoints to your character sheet.

Darby:
I rolled 1d4 with a 2.

PERCEPTION (DC 15) "I'll take a quick look around. +2 mod  

I roll a 7.. fail

DM:
You spend some time searching the chapel. Small offering bowls
of rotten fruit and woven trinkets are stuck in the melted
candlewax on the altar. Not finding anything particularly
interesting, you feel sure that there is nothing useful here.

Darby:
"I'll take a closer look at the construct." 

DM:
A temple defender, just like the one you saw in the eastern hall, has been modified for
excavation. The construct's arm has been replaced with a mattock head attachment,
easily the size of your torso, frozen mid swing against the loose rock."

The construct's eyes, made from concave mirror glass, shimmer in the dark. Circling
around to look at the construct's back, you find the back plate has been removed,
exposing its core and other internal mechanisms. The core is made of a round metal
frame with three broken crystals. On closer inspection, you determine you could
replace them. As you circle around the Temple Defender, something catches your eye.
Around the base of the construct's two mining implements, a band of arcane glyphs
has been carved into its metal forearms.
If you have a lantern, torch, or other light source: As the light catches the mirrored
lenses in the temple defender's eyes, the construct takes a lurching strike towards
you. Narrowly dodging the attack, you fall backwards against the rocks. The defender,
having used the last of its power, slumps forward before going still. "Looks like I'll
have to use a light to direct this thing."

Darby:
ARCANA (DC 17) "I wonder if there is a way to improve this construct."
Requires Tool. Roll with advantage if you have Tinker's Tools

Don't need to roll with advantage. first roll is 19.

DM:
A memory returns to you. When it came time for you to learn about
arcane glyphs, both Tinker Erland and Lord Berit offered to teach.
The two argued for hours on whose methods of application were
correct. The lesson ended in foul curses and slammed doors. A vase
or two may have been smashed in their heated debate. You managed
to gleam some knowledge from the conflict. You quickly locate the
string of glyphs on the construct's forearm. Using what equipment
you have available, you take your time as you correct the engraving.
The glyphs hum in unison as their string is completed. Add the
Enchanted Temple Defender to your notes. While in combat, the
Temple Defender will gain a +2 bonus to all attack and damage rolls


Darby:
I Climb over a fallen column. 

DM:
You climb over a fallen column to get into the nave, landing on the broken remains of a
marble statue. Your heart breaks on seeing the entrance of the temple, a set of gilded
brass doors, buried under stone. 'Have I come all this way for nothing?'"

A sliver of light slips between the temple doors like a thin white thread, reflecting off
shards of stained glass in a prismatic burst of colors. The glass, shifting beneath your
feet, creates a new spectacle of light with every step. Dancing hues of yellow and green
reveal the missing temple defender from the eastern hall. The construct, frozen mid-strike, 
has been significantly modified to wield mining implements.

Darby:
 "I'll take a quick look around before I do anything else."
PERCEPTION (DC 13)  roll 11 success.

DM:
Taking a quick look around the nave, your eyes are drawn to a small
spherical object, resting on top of the piled rubble. Add one Short
Fuse Bomb to your inventory. When using the short fuse bomb in
combat, make a ranged weapon attack, adding your dexterity
modifier. On a successful hit deal 3d6 thunder damage.

Darby:
I use a bomb to blast through

DM:
You take cover behind the fallen column, watching as the temple
defender's core flickers to life, illuminating the nave in green light. The
inner mechanisms stutter and shriek. The construct's head swivels
towards the light source, crushing the fallen masonry beneath its
mining implements. Sunlight bursts into the nave. The temple
defender charges out of the temple's shadow, swinging its arms
erratically. you are ready to leave the temple.

"You take your first step out from the temple's shadow. The afternoon's heat 
greets you, rushing towards you like an old friend, pulling you into an 
embrace. You fall to your knees in a warm patch of grass and wildflowers, 
drinking in the sun's brilliant rays."

It takes a few minutes for your eyes to adjust to the light. A single thrush 
darts across the bright blue sky, carrying a few glinting golden fibers in its 
beak. 

The temple grounds have been torn to shreds, littered with the remains of 
fallen gnomish clerics.

Their flesh has been picked away by birds. You feel a slight sense of relief, 
looking across the gore-ridden grass, not recognizing any of the fallen.

A cobbled road runs across the temple grounds towards the horizon. 

Jagged mountains peek out from behind a dense cloud of fog near the edge of 
the valley. A faint green light radiates from within it. Wind rushes down the 
mountain carrying fallen flower petals up into the sky, the fog cloud remains 
unaffected by the breeze.

Looking to your left, you see a natural rock shelter, shielding a path of carved 
stone steps from the sun. Echoes of a waterfall carry across the stone. The wind 
swells, this time coming from terraced fields of grains to your right. Steps cut 
into the dirt lead up to a weathered barn at the top. You swear you hear the 
faint clucking of a hen.

The Temple Defender charges across the temple grounds, swinging wildly at the
afternoon sun. "Where are you going? Come back!" You watch as the construct
stumbles further down the sloped path, disappearing into the rolling fog.

If you hear the Amulet, guidance is available. it says
"You would do well to go unnoticed here."

Darby:
Use STEALTH (DC 13) "That thing might still be around here." 
I have stealth advantage still.  simple +2 dex mod.
roll 2 and 3... FAIL big time with advantage!!

DM:
You fasten down your equipment as best you can. Sticking to the
taller grass, you feel as if your presence will go unnoticed.