TOPIC: R1 2020 Was Blades in the Dark, now D&D5e

My brother has decided D&D is not for him and will not be returning to the club. Fortunately, AndyBoyne has stepped up to take his place!

Also, I have had a change of heart and elected to let you ascend to the dizzying heights of second level, so we'll deal with that on Thursday night.

Season One / Session One

The Old Red Flagon in Knightsbridge seeks heroes! An eclectic band of sellswords and vagrants answer the call;
> Tabax, the amnesiac Tabaxi druid (played by Matt)
> Poddlebrim, the wandering Tortle monk (played by Tom)
> Miasma Cunningbitch, cold hearted Half-Elf rogue (played by Jim)
> Enden Took, earnest Halfling paladin (played by Paul)
> Sir Henry, disdainful Human fighter (played by Scott)

Goblins are encroaching on farmland near Weem's Hollow! Farmer Abe Goodsoil suspects they are after the enormous pumpkin he has grown, which he intends to present at the annual harvest festival three days hence!

The heroes travel to Goodsoil Farm and meet Abe, his daughter Rose and the envious farmhand Cory Cowhammer. Farmer Goodsoil unveils his prize vegetable, it is HUGE! A half-dozen goblins encroach shortly before sunset. While the heroes are busy with that group, giant moles undermine the farm and a second group of goblins make off with the pumpkin!

Note: Enden puts the moves on Rose Goodsoil. Cory does not appreciate competition for the young woman's affection.

The heroes follow the tunnel to the goblin lair. It transpires the goblins are colluding with Farmer Soggy Browntrousers, a rival landowner who seeks to end Abe's winning streak by pilfering his prize pumpkin on the eve of the festival! Farmer Browntrousers and his eldest son Lothar are killed in the fighting, leaving the younger son Hamfast in the party's custody. The goblin chief is slain and the tribe routed.

TBC

Season One / Session Two

It is the morn of the harvest festival! Farmer Goodsoil retains the party to escort him and his pumpkin into town. On the road, they encounter a pair of lost travellers;
> Darvin Buckwild, traumatised Human wizard (played by Andy)
> Ezeke Strongtusk, unwashed Half-Orc cleric (played by Doug)
Sir Henry recognises Darvin from his time serving in the King's army, they once fought alongside one another, on the day of that terrible battle....

Note: On the road, Tabax meets a Tabaxi merchant who claims to be his cousin. Tabax leaves the party to rejoin his kin.

The two veterans catch up over a bottle of brandy, while everyone else enjoys the festival. Pretty village girls drape vegetable garlands around their necks. Miasma and Poddlebrim get their faces painted. Ezeke wins a commemorative horseshoe in the anvil toss. After dancing with Rose Goodsoil, Enden is confronted by Cory Cowhamner and his gang of burly youths. Enden knocks his rival prone and steps on his face. A crowd gathers to watch the brawl and someone recognises Enden as the Hero of Little Hamm!

Note: Enden witnessed a human hero save the village of Little Hamm from a rampaging ettin and inadvertently took the credit for slaying the brute.

A lone rider trots into town, slumped in the saddle, wrapped in a bloodstained cloak. Sir Henry identifies the stanger as a member of the King's cavalry. The rider topples from the saddle, a long black arrow jutting from between his shoulder blades. Ezeke heals the soldier, who regains consciousness just long enough to warn everyone that a large orc warband is marching on Knightsbridge, razing every village in their path. The soldier claims they are lead by a towering, two-headed champion called Orock/Knurl. Enden pales when he hears that name, for that is the ettin warlord he saw slain.

While the terrified villagers abandon their homes, Sir Henry and his cohort erect a barricade to slow the orc advance and buy the civilians some time. Farmer Goodsoil's enormous pumpkin - and several other overgrown vegetables - are comandeered for the war effort. As the orcs approach, the giant greens are set on fire and rolled down the hill! Several orcs are crushed, but the majority reach the barricade and are repulsed.

A woman's scream draws the party back into the village. Rose Goodsoil covers her eyes as two brawny orcs kick the shit out of Cory. A one-armed orc warlord astride a pale worg looks on. Enden takes a moment to enjoy Cory's comeuppance, before realising the orcs will kill the boy if nobody intervenes.

The party engage the warlord and his entourage. Miasma slits open the worg's belly as it charges passed, spilling its rider (and its entrails) across the muddy ground. Sir Henry advanes to engage, but the orc commander raises his axe and commands the warrior to KNEEL. To his surprise, Sir Henry drops to his knees before the warlord, who grins savagely and swings the axe at Sir Henry's head! Enden knocks the warlord aside with a smiting blow. The warlord and his cronies are defeated and Enden claims the +1 Battleaxe of Command.

Rose thanks Enden for saving Cory and gives the halfling hero a big kiss. Enden is keen to exploit her gratitude further, but Sir Henry insists there is no time for that and the party must depart for Knightsbridge immediately!

TBC

The truth of Endon Took is that he’s a simple cabbage grower on his allotment in the sleepy village of Little Hamm. One day Endon heard the sounds of violence and creeping behind a hedge to spy on proceedings witnessed a human slaying a pack of wolves. The human then staggered away wounded. Endon came out from hiding and picked up the anonymous human’s fallen sword and looked at it in wonder.

“Endon has saved us!” he heard someone let cry. He turned to see a happy band of fellow Halflings running towards him, shouting with joy. They lifted him high and exalted him. Endon tried to protest his innocence – but before he could speak another loud cry went up, “By the Goddess! He’s slain a giant too! “

“What!?!” thought Endon. How did he not see that lying there? A great two-headed giant was prostrate in the meadow.

“Endon Ettin Slayer!! Endon Ettin Slayer!!” went the sing-song celebration as Endon was paraded shoulder high around the village. “But, but, but”…. stammered Endon. It was no good. Nobody was listening. Feasts were held in his name. The prettiest girls threw themselves at him. It was getting harder and harder to tell the excitable folk of Little Hamm that there’d been a mistake.

Within days, the celebrated folk hero was kitted out in the only chain mail the village possessed and he was ceremoniously handed the bloodied human sword he’d been found with in the meadow and then unceremoniously expelled from the village. He was to go abroad, as their champion, win fame and fortune, and in a year and a day return with that fortune to share with the villagers.

It was an anxious and befuddled Endon that trod the path beyond the village boundary – the furthest he’d ever travelled in his life. He looked to the horizon and thought to himself ‘who is going to water my cabbages while I’m away?

If Endon thought things would improve at the next village – he was wrong. After a party of veterans destroyed an orc warband and saved the village, Endon was keen to see somebody else get the glory this time. But somebody recognised him, somebody shouted his name “ Endon the Ettin Slayer has saved us all”. History began to repeat itself. He was lofted high upon shoulders in great celebration. The village elder blessed Endon and tasked him with defeating the larger warband now ravaging the country. “Blesséd Endon will avenge those who have lost their lives or homes at the hands of the marauders”.

Apparently, Endon Ettin Slayer was now sworn to a sacred Oath of Vengeance. How in Fearûn did that happen?

That is awesome. Inspiration seems a poor and fleeting reward, so Endon (spelling error noted) may choose a Feat!

With apologies - I am not able to attend this week. Going to Chester for a couple of days.

If Ezeke would like use of the +1 axe of Command he's welcome - and I was going to command him to "Wash!" with it. Oh well, opportunity missed.

Don't let Endon save any villages or people or sheep etc

See you next week.