Weekly Gaming Summary #60 (06/05/2021):

A Thank You For Playing today's Dungeons & Dragons 5 th  Edition game of 06/05/2021 - From 10:00 am EDT, until 2:00 pm EDT, and our 70th Gaming Session, goes out to:   Barbarian – Human - Marcuria Violezi -  Connor D. Rogue – High Elf - Roqar -  Roxxifarius War Priest – Human – Juan Denero –  Buddy-D   Wizard (Evocation) – High Elf – Feralda - Chad N. Wizard (Sage/Scribe) – Drow Elf – Rolo - Daniel M. Wizard (War Mage) – High Elf – Dia Xiloscient -  Elizabeth K.     Whom Could Not Make It Today!   Monk – Elf – Farren Nidanas -  Bahrrenn Drakke     Game Summary for Saturday (06/05/2021):   Opening Scene: Day 37 : July 26th, 8:15 am   The party is currently inside the upper bastion of Axeholm fortress which is above the outer gauntlet of the main entrance below, trying to rid the large chamber of ten giant spiders, so thus the fight continues. Combat Round #02: Dia, casts the Ray of Frost spell at Giant Spider #08, dealing 8 cold damage and defeating the creature! Avery, casts the Vicious Mockery spell at Giant Spider #07, dealing 3 psychic damage after a failed saving throw roll of 12 needing ≥ 15! Rolo fires a Cromatic Orb spell at Giant Spider #05, dealing 13 fire damage to the creature and defeating it! Marcuria, holds off attacking right now. Roqar, slashed Giant Spider #07 for 7 damage with the magical +1 Talon long sword! Farren, pounds Giant Spider #07 with the fists (unarmed strike), for 11 damage and defeats the creature! End of Combat! The bastion is still smokey from the fireball blast and roasted giant spiders as the party begins to have a look around. They see 3 arrow slits to either side of the entrance and 3 more at the back of the bastion, 9 in all. There are 3 huge caldrons set just south of three, 18 ft long murder holes. Two huge fireplaces are on either side of the chamber and obviously used to heat the caldrons. Also on each side are stairwells going down. Sunlight streams in from the six north facing arrow slits and a little bit comes in from the three long murder holes. Moving to the only other thick wooden oak iron banded reinforced door on the west side of the bastion, Marcuria checks for traps, she rolls a 26 and no trap was found on the door, so it is opened into darkness. Once tourchlight is brought inside, a fireplace is seen, built into the west wall of this room. Hanging from a hook above its mantelpiece is a steel shield bearing the symbol of Axeholm: a dwarven gauntlet clutching a handaxe. Marcuria, whistles in a catcalling manner, impressed with the shield’s craftsmanship. Roqar looks up the sooty chimney and sees it is exactly like the one they climbed down into the fortress from on the other side of the place, with sunlight streaming down. Juan, searched the room but there is nothing more to be found. Dia casts the Light cantrip on a fist sized rock for Marcuria. Rolo, casts Detect magic and finds the shield and everything else in the room does not radiate any magical auras. The party then moves on, going down the west side stairwell, which enters into the western bulwark, where there are seven ballistas at each arrow slit, each one still equipped with five bolts. Some sunlight streams in from the first four along the main entrance. There is a winch on this side as well which lowers and raises the portcullis. Roqar turns the winch and everyone can hear the gears turn and the huge portcullis squeak as it is raised. Dia looks through the arrow slits to note the four along the east wall opens out to the main entrance. The other three reveal darkness beyond. From there they remove the bar across the door to open into a 45 ft long cobweb filled passage that leads into the west hall area. At the passage end is a door to the west and down the hall 30 ft more is a double door on the east wall. All that remains here are empty stone weapon racks, wooden mannequins, upon which armor once hung, and iron hooks in the walls that once bore shields. The floor here,  is strewn with bits of armor and the gnawed bones of dwarves. Also in the hall are eight dwarven ghouls whom were feasting on the bones! Initiative rolls are made and Combat Round #01 begins: A Ghoul, tries to bite Roqar and missed her! Ghoul #03, tried to claw Roqar and missed her! Ghoul #04, tried to bite Farren and missed him! Ghoul #07, tried to claw Farren and missed him! Farren, swings a fist and missed Ghoul #07! Avery, fires a walloping bolt from a hand crossbow, pegging Ghoul #07 for 6 damage and failing his strength save rolling a 2 needing ≥ 10, he falls to the ground backwards and prone! Rolo, fires a Fire Bolt cantrip at Ghoul #03, hitting for 5+4=9  fire damage! Ghoul #06, tries to bite Roqar, missing her! Dia, casts the Thunderstep spell, after running over near some ghouls, which then teleported her up to 90 ft away and creates a loud 160 decibel thunder clap, which reverberates throughout the fortress! Five Ghouls within the immediate 10 ft of the space Dia left, need to make a constitution saving throw with a challenge level of 15 or take the full 3d10=20 thunder damage! [Note: With Thunder being that loud and you all in a confined space it’s naturally going to affect more than a 10 ft area, but whatever.] Two of the five make the save and take half damage of 10! Juan, clobbered Ghoul #07 with the magically glowing +1 Lightbringer mace dealing 8 + 2 radiant damage and defeating the undead dwarf! Feralda, fires off a Scorching Ray spell at Ghoul #06, for 9 fire damage! Ghoul #08, tries to claw Juan but missed him! Roqar, slashed Ghoul #04 for 13 damage with the +1 Talon long sword, defeating the creature! Marcuria, engages her Rage ability then uses her form of the beast ability to grow a tail and moves to attack Ghoul #08, striking him for 9 damage! Ghoul #02, tries to claw Farren but missed him! Ghoul #05, moves towards the party to attack and try to eat!   2 nd Attacks for Round #01: Farren, pounds Ghoul #08 for 12 bludgeoning damage with the fist (unarmed strike), defeating him!   Combat Round #02: A Ghoul tries to bite Juan and missed him! Ghoul #03, stays back for now. Farren, swings a fist at Ghoul #02 and missed! Avery, casts the Vicious Mockery spell at Ghoul #01, but his rolled wisdom save is a 18 needing ≥ 15 so it has no effect on him! Rolo, sends one Magic Missiles into Ghoul #01, for 5 force damage, defeating him, the other two strike Ghoul #02 for 5 total force damage! Ghoul #06, claws Juan for 4+5 critical hit slashing damage! Juan makes his constitution saving rolling a 13 needing ≥ 10 so is not paralyzied! Dia, casts Tasha’s Hideous Laughter upon Ghoul #06, failing his wisdom saving throw rolling a 12 needing ≥ 15 he falls to the ground laughing his ass off!

Juan, slashed Ghoul #06 with the magical two-handed Dragonbane great sword dealing 15 damage and defeating the creature! Feralda, casts a Fire Bolt Cantrip at Ghoul #02, dealing 5 fire damage! Roqar, slashed Ghoul #02 with the +1 Talon long sword, for 6 damage, defeating him! Marcuria, hits Ghoul #05 with a tail lash, dealing 16 damage to him! Ghoul #05, tries to claw Marcuria and she is able to block the attack with her tail by rolling a d10=7 + 17 AC = 24 AC blocked the ghoul only hits 17 armor class!   2 nd Attacks for Round #02: Farren, pounds Ghoul #05, with the fist (unarmed strike), for 13 bludgeoning damage, defeating him!   Combat Round #03: Ghoul #03, claws Murcuria, her rage reducing the damage to 5 hit points and rolling a constitution saving throw of 12 needing ≥ 10, she is not paralyzed! Farren, pounds Ghoul #03 with the fist (unarmed strike), for 8 bludgeoning damage! Avery, fires a regular bolt with the hand crossbow, hitting Ghoul #03 for 4 damage! Rolo, fires off 3 Magic Missiles into Ghoul #03, dealing 9 total force damage! Dia, is waiting for a clean shot! Juan, slashed Ghoul #03 with the Dragonbane greatsword for 10 damage, defeating the creature! End of Combat! Finding nothing of any value upon the dead dwarf ghouls, the party moves to the north door in the main part of the west hall and opens it to see: Dozens of meager cots lie scattered about the floor. A pair of fireplaces stand cold and dark, and rubble-choked . The ceiling here is 15 ft high and covered in cobwebs. This is a barracks area.  Nothing of value is to be casually seen in the room. Next, the party opens a door on the west wall of the west hall, and see three tattered wool curtains, moving a couple curtains aside reveal that this room is a privy area. Moving on to the south door of the west hall the door is opened to reveal: Standing before two blackened hearths are a pair of rusty anvils. This is a smithy area. A fluttering sound is heard coming from the southernmost fireplace. Roqar, has a look up the sooty chimney here, and even though there is some sunlight streaming down the at least 120 ft chimney, she sees nothing moving. Rolling a Perception check of 21, she continues to keep watching up chimney when she then spots a small shadowy figure moving, along with the fluttering sound from before! Feralda casts a Bonfire spell into the fireplace, sending smoke and heat up the shaft and again more fluttering is heard then silence. Once Feralda dismissed the spell and the smoke clears, she has another look up the chimney and does not spot any more movement or hear fluttering sounds. The adventurers move to the south east door of the smithy and open it to see: Dwarven armorsmiths and weaponsmiths stored their tools here, which still hang from hooks along the walls. Though a bit rusty, the tools are in serviceable shape. They leave the tools here in case the citizens of Phandalin need to come here to hide from the green or white dragons. Back in the west hall the adventurers now open the east double doors, after removing a log barring it to reveal: This great [mustering] hall has a 40-foot-high ceiling supported by four thick stone pillars. A thick layer of dust covers the flagstone floor. In the middle of each wall past the entrance is a double door. Arrow slits are set high up in the north and south walls, and a small stone balcony protrudes from the wall above the east exit, 20 feet above the floor. The adventurers decide to head back up to the upper halls on the east side of Axeholm, east barracks room where they saw the wrecked cots, chairs, tables and other furnishings. The they go down the cramped, rubble strewn, spiraling tunnel that has been dug out here, which the open out to a similar 45 ft long hallway like on the west side. When Rolo goes south he can see the east hall now and the barred double doors that open out into the great hall. Marcuria tries the north door on the west wall at the other end of the passage and it does not open. It is likely barred from the inside like the similar door on the west side was. Roqar, wanting to clear this floor first goes to the south door in the east hall and opens it to see: A 15 ft square room, that was apparently cleaned out by the dwarves before they evacuated Axeholm. Only dust remains. The eastern side of the east hall has a collapsed ceiling, leaving it shrewn with debris. The stench of death is heavy here. Before braving the tunnels dug into the eastern side of the east hall, Avery heads back up the spiraling tunnel to then go down the east stairs of the upper bastion to see it goes down into the east side bulwark area with the seven ballistas and five bolts on each one. The bulwark currently seems to be unoccupied by anything. Avery rolls a perception check, searching for anything more but does not find anything. Once Avery returns and reports their findings they go back out to the north double doors after unbarring the double doors on the east hall side.  Avery sings an encouraging tune as the party, with some effort,  lifts the two heavy logs off the main double doors to unbar them. The north double doors are the only ones in the great hall with the logs on this side of the great hall. Marcuria, swings the main doors open, which lets in a rush of fresh air and some sunlight. This leaves the south double doors as the only ones left off the great hall to get open. The party needing to find their way to get over to the other side. The party now head back to the damaged east hall to navigate through the tunnels dug out there. The stench of death grows stronger as they make their way down the south going passage, (there is one going north as well) and now as they approach a wider opening, with another passage to the south, the party hears hissing and snarling sounds coming from the south opening! When Roqar walks over to the south opening she spots a smashed open door and several ghouls in the room beyond!   And this ends the gaming session for the day, until next time!   It is now July 26 th (Day 37) at 7:00 am.   The Adventurers’ Experience Points Earned This Session:   Giant Spiders (4; forgot one from last session): Challenge Level 1 : 200*4 = 800 XP   Undead Dwarven Ghouls (8): Challenge Level 1 : 200 * 8 = 1,600 XP   Unknown Creature: Challenge Level 1/8:  25 XP     Total: 2,425  XP 2,400 / 7 = 346.42 XP per Adventurer   ----------   Grand Total Experience Points:   Everyone is at 9,740.78 XP    Level 6 now reached at 14,000 XP     Loot Found This Session: (all left where they were found):   A steel shield bearing the symbol of Axeholm: a dwarven gauntlet clutching a handaxe.   Rusty Dwarven armorsmiths and weaponsmiths tools.   Number of Sessions for current Adventure Module: 70 th Session for “Lost Mines of Phandelver / Dragon of Icespire Peak” 06/05/2021   [1st Session start was 08/15/2019]