Be Excellent To Each Other

Ivo stands ready!

Yeah all good.

SO.
PISSED.
OFF.

Nailed it.

I'd just like to say that if Ivo hadn't run after Zardoth, Staff of Defence in his sweaty mitt, we might have had a very different ending to the night then!

Er, where was the dwarf we rescued in that last fight?

I think the DM has something against us.

He was still in that room, desperately shouting "Watch out for bugbears!"

The Nat 20’s were flowing tonight.

Never change.

It broke my heart to have that bugbear attack you when you were down and rolling death saves but I couldn’t justify him doing anything else. If I didn’t need to be on top of combat I’d have been watching through my fingers.

I need to see a thin massive deadly multi-ihitting creature to help out in future situations.

Zarjesus.

That was awesome. I think the idea that even a fight we would win easily normally can go horribly wrong if we get split up or make the wrong choices reallt adds to the tension.

I know I took everyone into another heroic situation (as I followed Ivo) but jeeeeeeeeeez my dice rolls were awful tonight.

Looking forward to next week x

I think Ermintrude and Shuu took hits that would have floored both Myptic and Ivo, but kept on fighting. Good work, tanky bashing types!

*places small ad in the Harper’s Gazette for Cleric*

Another long rest in the Cowardly Dwarfs room then off we go again.

Didn't Nundran say something about Ghouls? We should all watch out for Ghouls.

Those Nat 20’s were brutal. Thank goodness they weren’t in the surprise round!

I think he mentioned they’d got rid of a lot of them?

He did say they'd been killed.

But I suggest_very_stealthy escaping.

I’ll be quiet as a large animal from now on x

'kin steamin.

He said _some_ had been killed. But that may've referred to the bugbears that were sent. Otherwise they would've just pushed on to the forge.

Still steamin.

Yeah, that cowardly Dwarf has got some explaining to do next week.

I'm wondering how much of all that was our fault *glares at Zardoz* and how much was Gill's current, erm, "condition" that punished us. I can just see her with some tea and hot water bottle thinking "That mingin' wee da-warrrrrf wha mocks mah accent wull git it richt in th' breeks th' nicht! Ahm no sterrrrrrrrreotype." *munches on salted shortbread*

You’re dead next week now.

Why? Where are you rampaging next week?

Gill, what would've happened if I hadn't restrained That Fucking Druid from prising out the eyes of the statue?

Och! Glad I did it then. Damn dwarf despoiling druids.

I've been working on encounter balancing and increasing the challenge because as a party, your tactics and abilities are on point and you compliment each other really well. As @Squirt said though, it's interesting how an encounter that could be run of the mill normally can turn deadly very quickly. When you decided to take a four hour rest, the likelihood of the bugbears coming up to the temple increased. When you rolled low on the perception check, you missed hearing them exclaiming when they arrived there and saw the dead bodies. They rolled high on an intelligence check to realise the southern door was your most likely route because you hadn't encountered them yet so had likely come from the other direction. Then two of the party moving ahead had meant the bugbears could focus their attacks, and their two special features mean when they hit they hit hard. Even with all of that, it should still only have been a medium difficulty encounter but Nat 20's suddenly make it very very bad.
It was stressful at the time but those are the D&D moments that stick in your head. The whole mood shifted so suddenly from the usual jokey chat to very serious reading of character sheets and abilities, and discussing options, and thinking a few moves ahead. That was a brilliant session and I'm so glad we ended with five PCs

So it WAS his fault entirely. I apologise for questioning your scotch honour, your honour.

I wanted to go the other way, and round probably through the fungus, or maybe through the path south of the bellows but was outvoted by a quick footed druid trying to get us all killed.

"WOW! THOSE ARE SOME REALLY NICE BUGBEARS!"

I do like the mental image now of Rummage Inc all heading back to the pub when this is done, and Ermintrude getting out his PLATINUM PIPE and ELECTRUM ALE MUG, both of which are worth more than half the patrons make in a year, and just placing them on the table like it's no big deal.

And Dwarven Brandy.

Cor!

YES WOULDN'T IT?!! Our assigned scout got mad with power once he found out he could shift into beasts and thereby got another health bar.

I didn't get the chance to say anything, I went for a piss!

I was giving Myptik a chance to bask in scouting glory (with 'Gary')!

If it pleases the group I will take up the scouting responsibilities once more. I know Mother Nature has my back now anyway so no need to test her loyalties again... for a bit.

Question: Has anyone either tried to unpuzzle the puzzle box or identify it? We've been carrying it around for weeks.

Remember when there wasn't a key and then there was a key? Crackers.

We've looked at it and then put it away again.

Also, do any of us know what the stuff in the letter means? House Xorlarirn and Maegara and Gauntlgrym?

It means we need to pretend to be a Drow go to a meeting, talk to 'them people', kill them, then KILL GIANTS!

The names are all new to us but maybe someone back in town or Cowardly Dwarf may recognise them?

Would be handy to soothe a Banshee again.

Spider hide armour will be nice *flutters badly scarred eyelids*.

It does not please the group. It would please the group for you to FUCKING WAIT A GODDAMN MINUTE while we decide how to proceed, not run around the dungeon like a kid who’s been given too many sweets