D&D Adventure #5: Oakgate Complex

[Dog Pants]

'On our books for this journey.' Am I to assume we'll not be alone in our endeavour?

By the way, bear with the speech patterns. I'm trying to hit somewhere between Ripper Street and Gene Hunt.

[Grimmie]

Quite so, the University thought it better to be over-prepared than under.

[Dog Pants]

Misery loves company, eh Miss? Well, we should go and attend to our business before we depart.

Beetly bugs and spiders and slimes. Oh my. Before we set off I'm going to go out and buy some silk rope if I haven't already (and assuming I can afford it) and visit a few potion brewers to see if I can find something to negate venom. Maybe grab some Greek fire for good measure, and price up a couple of healing things (potions or a cheap item). Anyone fancy bringing a ten foot pole?

[Grimmie]

Beetly bugs and spiders and slimes. Oh my. Before we set off I'm going to go out and buy some silk rope if I haven't already (and assuming I can afford it) and visit a few potion brewers to see if I can find something to negate venom. Maybe grab some Greek fire for good measure, and price up a couple of healing things (potions or a cheap item). Anyone fancy bringing a ten foot pole?

Good call on the "or a cheap item". Wands are more expensive, but cost effective. You get 2,500gp's worth of potion healing for 750gp. There are plenty of shops along the Magic Mile that sell these items. Let me know your wishlists and I'll price things up for you, then deduct gold from your character sheets when you're happy with your choice. Shada, Mr J, you can shop around now too if you want.

Silk rope: 10gp/50ft
Antitoxin: 50gp/1hour +5 to Fort saves
Alchemist's Fire: 20gp/flask
10ft Pole: 2sp

Potion of cure light wounds: 50gp/use
Wand of cure light wounds: 750gp/50 uses

[Roman Totale]

Talking of which, is there a roll anyone can do for "monsters likely to be encountered"? I also need to sort my baggage out as I'm carrying too much.

[Mr. Johnson]

Do they have armour for dogs?

[Dog Pants]

Please tell me you're playing a Basset Hound paladin.

[Mr. Johnson]

No but holy shit I wish I'd thought of that.

[Grimmie]

Talking of which, is there a roll anyone can do for "monsters likely to be encountered"? I also need to sort my baggage out as I'm carrying too much.

Knowledge: Dungeoneering, but Surael mentioned a few that they detected already.
I also put some of your heavier stuff in Sweetlips' saddlebags, so you're at Light Encumbrance now, I'll send out char sheets in a moment.

Do they have armour for dogs?

There's barding for Medium and Large animals, but dogs are classed as Small. If you want though, we can figure a price for a custom set of doggy armour. Let me know.

I've been a bit lazy with people using animals in battle in the past, so I've been swotting up a bit.

Mules are generally the only medium/large creature that'll accompany you in to a dungeon, dogs I imagine would be fine.
Your pets should also only be able to follow the commands from the Handle Animal skill, but some come pre-trained.
Sweetlips is a riding dog, so he gets the Riding package, and knows the tricks come, heel, and stay, Barin (Mr J's horse) gets this too.
Flash (spoilers, Mr J's dog) is a guard dog and gets the Guard package, so he knows the tricks attack, defend, down, and guard
Camilla is a pack animal, and probably gets the Labour package, so knows come and work
Grizelle's a circus bear and gets the Performance package, with the tricks come, fetch, heel, perform, and stay
Humbug is a warzorse and trained in Combat Riding, so knows attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel, Wincerslash gets these too.

Getting your animal to perform a trick it knows is DC10 on Handle animal, DC12 if it's injured. (move action, free for druids and rangers)
Getting it to perform a trick it doesn't know is DC25, or DC27 if it's injured. (full action, move for druids and rangers)

I'll put all of this on your animal's character sheets

Also, Mr J, you've not told me your Guard Dog's breed.. So there's still time :D

[Roman Totale]

Does this mean that Sweetlips may no longer be the killing machine that he was before?

[Grimmie]

Does this mean that Sweetlips may no longer be the killing machine that he was before?

Alas, that is the case. Fortunately he can be trained to become one. Dogs and Horses (animals with 2 INT) can learn up to six tricks. You, someone in your party, or a professional trainer can use Handle Animal to do so.

[Dog Pants]

I bet Glibberig knows how to handle an animal just fine.

[Roman Totale]

Hmm, now I need to find a reason that Sweetlips is no longer as effective in combat as he once was.

Glib clears his throat and pitches a sombre baritone and plucks some dirge like chords:

He wasn't really broken
But I got my dog fixed
The wind now howls and barrels
Like a fearsome demon twixt
His sturdy, furry legs. He looks at me appalled
It saddens me to say;
My
Dog's
Got
No
Baaaaaaaaaaaalls

[the tempo of the music picks up]

They used to hang and sway
Like a fig upon the vine
A source of fearsome power
For this warrior canine.

His jewels were like no other
More precious than any stone
But so mighty was their vigour
He couldn't be left alone.

He'd hump and hump and hump and hump
And hump around all day
There was only one course of action;
To take the damn things away!

[the tempo slows again]

So listen to me good folk
For it pains me to say
Sweetlips was a wild one
So I took his bits away.
If you should do the same then you shall reap your rewaaaaaaard
And the villagers will cry;
That
Man's
Got
No
Baaaaaaaaaaaaalls

[Mr. Johnson]

Beautiful.

[Grimmie]

Any other shopping lists? If there's anything you want to get hush-hush, grab me on Steam or via PM.

[Dog Pants]

That's beautiful, Roman. You should sing them and put them on Youtube.

My shopping is ongoing, I'm not ignoring the adventure.

[Grimmie]

Sweet. Moving on then.

Sounds like everyone wants to bring their pets along. Following the neatly inked map to main gates and through the camps, the party find themselves in the caravan district. Off to one side are a row of caravan drivers and their carts and some are flying flags designating who they travel for. A particularly large covered wagon flies the crest of the University of Fine Arts and is already loaded up with a host of students in blue and yellow robes. Two separate wooden trailers pulled by ponies carry most of their supplies.

At the helm is Bill Brassknuckles, the Dwarf whose acquaintance you made while travelling with Errol to Siriath. He steps off the drivers seat and waddles over with a big grin.

Oh, hello boys! Fancy seeing you lot again. Sounds like yer' all due a return trip down south an' I'll be taking you there. Make yourselves comfy and we'll be setting off in a few minutes.

Two other figures look as though they're not part of the student crowd. There's a stout Dwarven looking fellow in chainmail with a huge black beard, the image of a foaming tankard printed on the face of his steel shield. At his side is a faithful, black furred hunting dog. Next to him stands a tall human boy in iron breastplate and clothes from the southern islands, carrying a wooden shield.

If you'd like to introduce your characters to one another, please

[Mr. Johnson]

Greetings gentlemen!

I am Thoon Vultan of the Gold Hammer clan and this is my dog Flash, would anyone care for a drink?

[Shada]

Threader stops leaning against a caravan trying to look cool, does his best manly adventurer stance (a feeble hands-on-hips pose that would impress no-one) and nods towards Thoon Vultan.

I'll take you up on that offer, friend. Call me Threader. You one of those drunken fightin' dwarfs?

[Dog Pants]

Shankley, for anyone who might not have seen a description before, is a slender and rather shifty looking half-elf in worn leather armour. He doesn't seem to have inherited the best traits from either race, which gives him something of an air of uncanny valley. He's currently riding a large brown and white striped horse.

I hope we won't be doing any fighting for a few days yet. It's good to see a couple of gentlemen prepared for some physical confrontation though. My name's Shankley, I'd be glad to join you in a drink.