Rollohi-ep13-script

 The whisperwood caper

Part 1, the pitch

Umbert has assembled the party. Some of them have been virtually sleepless for two nights – himself, Jack and Xantu specifically! Now, with his judgement perhaps a little impaired by alcohol, female company, and lack of sleep, Umbert rasps out his pitch! 

 

Before we hear from the crude-voice magic user, let's sum up character drives – not the paired OSR solo, the Cairn 2e list: 

 

Eryn the fighter is an advocate type personality. 

Ingle the cleric is a spiritual type. 

Jack the thief is a selfish type 

Umbert himself has a militant disposition 

Pod the halfling has a cautious disposition, but as if in balance, his partner Cied the female halfling has a reckless one. 

Kylie the female elf is so alien in her thinking noone can really make out her disposition. 

Lastly Xantu the dwarf is of a militant disposition. 

 

Umbert explains the possible job and its scope: 

"Silas the scribe is on a quest to transcribe the ancient carvings found in the nearby Whisperwood ruins. He's seeking a bodyguard for the final, most dangerous leg of his journey. He offers a generous sum for protection but warns of the whispering spirits that are said to drive men mad." 

 

Xantu. "Whispering spirits? Hmph. Sounds like a good fight to me. The axe will do the talking."  

Ingle. "Whispering spirits could be more than just a fight. They could be lost souls, in need of peace. A spiritual challenge, perhaps, but one with the potential for great good." 

Jack. "Spirits or not, what's the gold like? A 'generous sum' can mean many things. I'm not risking my neck for a few coppers and a sob story about lost souls." 

"The gold is more than fair," Umbert says,  "Enough to make this worth our time." 

Eryn. "What about Silas? What are his intentions? Is he a scholar, or is he looking for something else in those ruins? We should ensure his quest is a just one before we agree to protect him." 

Cied. "Whispering spirits! Madmen! This sounds like a blast! Let's do it!   What do you say, pet? A little danger to start the day?" 

Pod. "Whispering spirits... driving men mad... Cied, this sounds incredibly dangerous. We should be careful. Maybe we should find out more before we rush in." 

Kylie <faint smile >. "A whisper in the wood is a song on the wind" 

 

The discussion continues in this vein for a time. Xantu and Cied are eager for a fight, Umbert and Jack are focused on the reward, Eryn and Ingle weigh moral and spiritual implications, and Pod's cautious nature clashes with his partner's recklessness. 

Umbert  makes the final call. "The gold is good, and Silas seems a simple scholar. We will take the job. We'll find out more as we go. Those who do not wish to come can stay behind. The rest of us will meet Silas by midday." 

With that, the decision is made. The party will venture into the Whisperwood, for better or for worse. 

 

As a side note, will Jory march back to Hidden Springs no but if the party come back, ask again 

 

Does Jory have ties to the thieves guild no but that was one of his business aims 

Part 2, to the Whisperwood

Is this... North of New Jhay yes 

Is it outside forced march distance no and just near new Jhay  

Does New Jhay's founding have anything to do with this  yes 

Does any of the contacts the party boys just made have any more to offer on this no and Silas is solo. 

 

Lets also roll up the bbeg in Whisperwood  

It's a leafblight dryad, found in BX advance bestiary vol1. 

The fertile land around New Jhay features a waterway (seasonal, wells are relatively important) villages (small and recent) and woodland (extensive but cursed). 

In terms of proximity there's good land and water one watch north then water the Whisperwood then tough terrain. 

 

Day 1 

Moon 2nd day of waning Crescent. 

Weather has cooled. However it is simply that, cooler. The sky is clear and calm. 

Watch 1 

Is there a toll bridge no and it's a Ford so easy at this season they cross dryshod. 

Encounter no 

Watch 2 

Encounter no 

Is this the Whisperwood no it's the water 

Is a bridge needed yes and this is guarded 

 

Part 3, the first encounter with the dryad

Setpiece tollstation 

Is this the local baron's border yes 

Strenhth 4, moderately strong 

Is there a store/sutler/ostler yes and this is a border village 

Is it old Jhay no and it was established after the border. 

The party could choose to ask about the woods, but it's really up to Silas. Is Silas secretive 6 yes and tells them not to explain their business. 

Are the guards there to prevent movement no 

Will adventurers warrants get them across without issue or toll yes 

"I was right to hire you. We could sight the ruins before dusk" - Silas 

The trees over the next watch are thick and the canopy creates dimness. They are almost all deciduous, the mixed beech forest types. But there are signs of oddness. 

 

The leafblight dryad is an Alder type. She can use Dimension Door once a day. 

The wood here is no more extensive than 240 yds deep. The ruins are about 100 yds in from where they are. 

 

Watch 3 encounter yes and 8 on Advanced tome's forest list, which is Unusual, so the leafblight. 

The leafblight dryad’s favorite tactic is to cast confusion upon an individual from hiding, to sow dissent among the party, and then use her entangle ability before closing to infect as many as she can with her diseased touch. 

 

Her  confusion target is Cied. To resist, Cied makes a SV v spells. Her WIS is 09 so her spells SV is a flat 09. With a 19 she easily falls victim. What the dryad needs now is a roll of at least 6 on 2d6. It's a 7. No action. 

Pod will notice in round...(d3) 2. But now Cied's CON bonus comes into play. As a 2+1HD creature she is allowed a SV each round. Her next SV is 14. No good. 

This round Cied's confusion result is 9, and she looses an arrow at Pod. He takes 2 damage. Not ideal for the dryad, she wants everyone clumped up. 

I'm going to need a board set up and to make some random drops to see where everyone is. 

 

Ok, the dryad is 80'  from Cied who is about 60' from Silas and off to the flank. Eryn is van, Xantu and Jack are rearguard, and Kylie is opposite flank to CiedPod.  

So she has to move aopx 50' towards Silas. 

Inits: charactersv5, dryadv6. 

Th dryad moves 40' and gets to casting range of Eryn. She holds her casting action, too few enemy are in the zone. 

Character init 

Next, reactions to pods squeal. A 1 is stay away to gain cover, a 6 is run to pod. 

Eryn - ducks to cover 

Silas - moves cautiously towards Pod  

Umbert - moves away slightly 

Ingle - moves towards CiedPod  

Jack - goes to cover but closer to Umbert  

Xantu- ditto  

Kylie (with advantage) away slightly  

 

This is not exactly what the dryad wants! Her tangle spell - here I am relying on OSRIC 1st edition, because I don't seem to have OSE druid spells - has a radius of 20' and the targets have scattered  

 

Cied makes her Spell SV, and attempts to warn Pod and scatter back on Ingle  

Spotting the dryad is near impossible. 

But Kylie makes a nat 1. She plies her longbow. 7! It shows the others where to look though it glances off the armor like covering. 

 

Round 3 both sides roll 4 on init. 

The dryad needs to leave. She operates her Dimension Door. 

Her entangle: 80' range 20' radius 

Each target gets a SV v spells. If they make it they can move at half speed. If they fail, they are really stuck. 

 

At the same time those with bows unleash! Jack hits and Pod hits  but both for 1 

Kylie hits for 1 

 

They are able to reach the ruins and make a camp so that Silas can study the stone he wanted 

Part 4, the dryad means business this time

I'm resisting using a module. After all our heroes want to cull monsters and sell their parts. The money Silas is paying is their first gig as adventurers for hire.  

 

 

It's watch 4 but now they understand the "whisperer" they can't stop. Find your inscription read it or trace it and let's pull out! 

 

Can Silas read it? Yes but it will take hours 

Can he take a rubbing? Yes but it will take hours 

Can Umbet help yes 

"We shall exhaust our selves trying to guard. How about break  into shifts " - Ingle 

The others look at the feeble cleric as though he has ideas above his capabilities  

Eryn Cied and Pod one shift, Kylie Jack Xantu the other? Yes but reluctantly Pod and Kylie switch. For tge next watch everyone prepares defenses as though they were surrounded by savages! 

Who takes 1st night watch the lads 

Encounters 

Watch 4 no and 

Night Watch 1 yes and... she wants revenge 

Is Umbert and Silas all done no but an hour more will do 

Surprise very much depends on Xantu. He rolls a 13 on WIS - a near miss! and the dryad gets surprise. Range 40' and will she just Crack off entangle 5 yes 

Sv v spells (all resting fail) 

Silas fail Umbert fail. 

Ingle Jack and Pod all roll 03 

Xantu , 11, miss 

 

Round 1 the dryad wins init. Her MV is 30, she will move close while attempting Confusion or Glamour.  Since I rolled a centaur as an alternative encounter, she is glamoured as a centaur. This gives her some defense vs missiles. Then she throws Confusion at Pod. But hee maks an 06 on sv v Spells! 

Missiles and Magic: Ingle has no spell, his sling maxes off 

Jack's arrow is foiled by the centaur shape. He is moving half pace out of the tangle. 

Pod maxes off, he too moves away. 

Ingke will yry to free Kylie, the most effective fighter 

 

Round 2  characters win init 

Ingle rolls 02 on str, ripping Kylie free 

She hits the dryad with MM. 7dmg! 

 

Both Jack and pod manage to compensate for the lack of definite shape and hit for 3 and 2 respectively.  

The dryad had 21hp and lost 3. But now she has lost 12 more! It would be crazy to slot her attack home!  But she is really close! 

She moves 10 and touches Silas. He makes his SV 

[ 

How do "touch" attacks work? Essentially they always work, unless armor and clothing protects the victim. 

As a 5HD monster she needs to roll under 13 (leather) using 3HD to achieve push. Or, since player focus is good, her victim gets to SV v paralysis.  

Is Silas her real target? Yes and! No wonder she pushed her attack again. 

Silas has AC9, she rolls 15 which is just on, not under, her TN.] 

 

Round 3 characters win init 

Ingle will strike with baton. Kylie will wield longbow. Pod and Jack use bows. The former two max off but Jack scores 1 and Pod scores 3. The dryad has 2hp left. 

She attempts to infect, Silas SV with advantage again. He rolls an 06. 

 

Round 4 characters win init. 

Same again. Kylie uses her lb as a club. That does not work! But Ingle Jack and Pod all score hits and she is down. 

 

Painful disentangle progresses. 

 

Treasure: wis checks for examining groves. 

As usual Cied and Pod are really useful for this. Type D treasure. Gold coins spill out, 2000 of them! 

 

Watch 3 of Night completes this and translation. 

 

Day: 3rd day of waning crescent 

Weather much worse. Fog rolls up. 

Chance of getting lost no and their tracks are still readable. They reach the border, cross and collect their mounts. 60sp. 

Should we just stay here a day? Yes but the weather might be worse soon let's just have a good breakfast. 

Encounter no but curious glances. 

Silas discharges them with 80 gold and thanks, and nothing more. Jack looks accusing at Umbert. 

 

"Ya happy? Yeah?" 

 

"If we do decide to probe ruins, we have the route" - Ingle 

 

Is it time for final purchase and hunting?  No but one more use of Intel gained in New Jhay will be enough. And they finish the day agreeing on stabling and lodging in the same inn they quartered in before (its a small market town!)