Hello, everyone. WaterDragonMaverick with the next chapter of my Owl House D&D fic, "Your Turn To Roll." I hope you're all ready to continue this session because in-universe, it's still just the first day of them playing the game. I do plan on there being some references to the latest episode of The Owl House, "For The Future". So be prepared for anything that might be said.
Last we left off, our heroes were starting their adventure in the port town of Bone River on the island of Kuugaw. After a bar fight that got out of hand, the heroes see that the Alexandrian Empire's forces were decimated in a mutually destructive battle with the ruthless pirate crew known as the Bloodsail Bandits. With no Imperial ship for Caleb Xiloscient to take Philomena back to her family, Carmen Valentina offers to help bring him to the next island and they'll choose their own paths from that point.
And at that point, our heroes will continue playing. But before we do so, I'm sure you're wondering about their stats. I'll be nice enough to share their current details with you before we begin. I'll state here that their HP is at the maximum possible for each of the class levels they take.
Luz Noceda: "Carmen Valentina" - Level 2 Human Fighter/Rogue
Strength - 11 (+0)
Dexterity - 18 (+4)
Constitution - 15 (+2)
Intelligence - 13 (+1)
Wisdom - 12 (+1)
Charisma - 17 (+3)
Weaponry: Cutlass (uses scimitar stats) and Pepperbox (uses pistol stats, but can hold 6 shots before needing to be reloaded)
Armor: None
Amity Blight: "Philomena Yolande" - Level 2 Custom Lineage Elf Wizard (School of Bladesinging)
Strength - 11 (+0)
Dexterity - 15 (+2)
Constitution - 12 (+1)
Intelligence - 19 (+4)
Wisdom - 15 (+2)
Charisma - 14 (+2)
Weaponry: Rapier
Armor: None
Spellcasting Method: Arcane Focus Crystal Amulet
Willow Park: "Sariel Belladonna" - Level 2 Eladrin Druid (Circle of the Moon)
Strength - 16 (+3)
Dexterity - 12 (+1)
Constitution - 15 (+2)
Intelligence - 13 (+1)
Wisdom - 18 (+4)
Charisma - 15 (+2)
Weaponry: Wooden Staff and Wooden Shield
Armor: Leather Armor
Spellcasting Method: Druidic Focus Wooden Staff
Gus Porter: "Wrenn Shadowcloak" - Level 2 Gnome Wizard (School of Illusion)
Strength - 10 (+0)
Dexterity - 17 (+3)
Constitution - 14 (+2)
Intelligence - 19 (+4)
Wisdom - 13 (+1)
Charisma - 12 (+1)
Weaponry: Dagger
Armor: None
Spellcasting Method: Arcane Focus Orb
Hunter Noceda: "Caleb Xiloscient" - Level 2 Half-Elf Paladin
Strength - 16 (+3)
Dexterity - 11 (+0)
Constitution - 14 (+2)
Intelligence - 14 (+2)
Wisdom - 11 (+0)
Charisma - 15 (+2)
Weaponry: Longsword and Shield
Armor: Chain Mail
Spellcasting Method: Holy Symbol on the shield
With each level up, I'll add more info when it's needed. With stats out of the way, I think it's time to start the chapter.
The Owl House is owned by Disney and was created by Dana Terrace
Dungeons and Dragons is published by Wizards of the Coast and was created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
After returning from their break, Luz and her friends were sitting around their table in the basement as Camila stopped by to check on them. "How are you kids doing," she asked.
"Pretty good, Mom. We're just about to continue the game," Luz replied.
"You wanna stick around and see how we continue after the battle we had," Willow asked.
"I'm good. You all have fun while I go watch a documentary upstairs," Camila said.
"Okay, Mom," Luz, Vee, and Hunter all said as they watched Camila return upstairs.
"Now then, let's get back to the game," Vee told everyone. "After everything in the bar fight and witnessing the ship battle, you've decided to spend the night in town and prepare yourselves before you head off tomorrow to reach where Wrenn said there's an archeological dig he came to the island for. It's still not sunset yet, so do you guys want to do anything to pass the time?"
"I think that I'll have Philomena head to where she and the others can buy potions, then head to the library to do research," Amity suggested.
"I'll join her," Gus added.
"I think Carmen would go to sell off the stuff she looted from the bandits," Luz said.
"I'll go with her so that I can talk with the local law office about receiving their payment for dealing with the bandit bounties," Hunter said.
"I guess that means I'll just help out in the tavern and see if we can at least stay the night," Willow remarked.
"Okay then," Vee said before pointing to Willow first. "Because of the help with cleaning up the damages and paying what you all could, the barkeep is allowing the five of you to stay for the night free of charge. As Sariel stays to continue helping them out, Carmen and Caleb head off to a local shop called 'The Iron Ogre' in order to sell the weapons and armor taken from the bandits in the Pearly Skull. When the two of you reach the store, you see all the premade weapons and armor meant for guards and beginning adventurers. Armor placed on mannequins, weapons in barrels and display shelves, and a middle-aged dwarf man hammering away at a breastplate in the back where you see a lit forge meant for making the armor and weapons here. With all this in mind, what do you do?"
"Hello? We'd like to sell some stuff," Luz said as Carmen.
"The hammering stops for a second before you hear the dwarf speak. 'Be right there,' he says with an accent that sounds like this world's version of Scottish," Vee said.
Chuckling to himself, Gus speaks to everyone. "What is it with dwarves always being Scottish?"
"I dunno. Maybe blame Lord of the Rings," Hunter said with a small laugh of his own.
"As the dwarf finishes hammering the breastplate, he sets it aside and approaches the front desk. 'You have things to sell me? I'll only take what's good enough quality,' he says to you as you see his face has a scar on his chin before his beard begins," Vee narrates.
"Carmen will bring out all the weaponry and armor we took off the bandits we dealt with earlier. Everything that isn't damaged, we give him to check," Luz said.
"The dwarf takes a look at all the weapons and armor, humming in thought as he inspects them. After a few minutes of checking everything, he turns to speak to you,' Vee narrated. "Hmm… I'll give you 20 gold total for the armor and the battleaxe, 25 gold for each of the swords, 2 gold for each of the daggers, and 25 gold for the crossbows."
"I'll accept his offer," Luz says.
"That's one set of undamaged armor, 100 gold for the crossbows, about three daggers, the axe, and 125 for the swords. Together, that would all be 251 gold pieces," Hunter remarked as he did the math.
"I toss him the spare piece as a tip for his fast work," Luz says.
"He easily catches it and thanks you for your business as he's got more supplies to sell to adventurers," Vee replies.
"Now that this was handled, let's go and deal with the payment you're owed for helping with those bandits," Hunter says as Caleb.
"Okay. Let's get some extra cash," Luz said as Carmen.
"As you leave The Iron Ogre, you only take about 5 minutes to find the town hall thanks to Caleb asking for directions. When you enter, the first thing you see is a large bulletin board with various notices about potential work. After taking another minute or two, you find the information on the bandits you defeated earlier and take it to speak with the town officials," Vee narrates.
"Caleb would be searching for whoever looks like they'd be the highest authority in the building, then speaks to them about Carmen and the others getting paid," Hunter said.
"Roll me an Intelligence check, please," Vee asked.
Rolling a d20, Hunter saw he got a 13. "That's a 15 total," he said.
"With that, you remember the typical layout of usual buildings associated with the Empire and immediately head up to where the office is. You soon see a mahogany door with intricate carvings and a gold-plated plaque on the front that reads 'Lawspeaker Errol'. You see a human man in his mid-to-late 50s stepping out in official-looking robes and shuffling through some papers in his hands," Vee narrated as she rolled a die behind her DM screen. "As he does, he ends up dropping some loose papers at the bottom and he sighs wearily."
"Carmen would help pick them up for him," Luz said. "Aqui tienes. You dropped these," she says in Carmen's voice.
"Oh, thank you, young lady," Vee said, sounding like a man whose age is catching up with him. "I guess I'm getting to that point in my life where I can't move like I used to. I'm Lawspeaker Errol."
"Excellent, we have some news about those wanted bandits that were sighted around the docks," Hunter said as Caleb. "I was able to fight them, but the battle became bloody and I required the help of this woman and three other adventurers. I'd like to make sure they got paid for their assistance."
"We did get reports about the bodies being received at the morgue. I'll be sure to give you the reward for bringing them in. Just let me drop off these papers to be filed, then I'll help you with the Gold Keeper," Vee stated as Lawspeaker Errol. "After a few minutes, Errol has the two of you follow him to the town hall's treasury where a small lizard-like kobold with light-red scales is counting away at an abacus and setting aside a pile of gold."
"Caleb will step forward and clear his throat to get their attention," Hunter said.
"Oh, excuse me. I was busy working. Gotta keep track of the town's money for rewarding adventurers and setting things aside for repairs needed around town," Vee said in a nasally voice, speaking as the kobold.
"We'd like to get paid for our work on stopping those bandits," Hunter said.
"Go ahead and give them the reward for defeating the ruffians known for lurking around The Pearly Skull," Vee said as Errol.
Switching to the nasally voice, she began to mutter under her breath and count away. "With 6 bandits accounted for, 20 gold a person with the leader being more… you've earned 150 gold for your service," Vee declared as the kobold. "Scooping the counted money into a number of bags, the kobold gives the two of you the gold to distribute to the team when you can," she says.
"Sweet. I think after thanking both of them for their help, Carmen would go off to find the others and give them their share," Luz said.
"Perfect timing as we'll be covering what Wrenn and Philomena are doing," Vee stated. "After you made your plans, you've decided to head to the general store to see if they have any potions for sale. You come across the shop's sign, which reads 'Home and Road General Store'. Entering the building, you hear the bell ringing from the door and step in to see a half-elf woman in her late 30s wiping down a counter. 'May I help you,' she asks," Vee narrates.
"We'd like to buy some healing potions, please," Amity asked as Philomena.
"Heading out to explore the island? I know there are a lot of dangerous things out there. But if you're skilled with that rapier you have, I'm sure a girl like you can handle herself," Vee said as the shopkeeper. "As she's saying this, she ducks behind the counter and pulls out a collection of 6 regular Potions of Healing. As she places them down to see, you watch as the red liquid glimmers in the light of the store until it settles."
"How much," Gus asked as Wrenn.
"Each potion is worth about 50 gold," Vee said as the shopkeeper.
Amity hummed in thought before she said her next lines. "I'm sure that we can talk about it being a lower price since there's so many you have with you at the moment. Wouldn't it be best to offer a small discount if we take all of them?"
"Roll Persuasion against her Insight," Vee said as she picked up a d20 of her own. "Let's see if you can convince her to give you a discounted price."
Amity rolled her d20 and dropped it into her dice tray. "That's a 16 on my die for a modified 20."
"She got a Natural 1," Vee said. "I don't see why not. Okay, you can have all six for 200 gold."
"Thank you very much," Amity says as her character. "And I pay her the money."
"With the potions acquired, you decide to head to the local library to check the books out. When you reach the Bone River Public Library, you see that it's a modest building that isn't very big. When you two decide to step inside, you see that it's a slow day with only the librarian on staff and one other person reading at a table. What do you do now," Vee narrates.
"Well, since I didn't use my Level 1 spells in the fight, I'll start by casting Detect Magic to see if there's any sort of magic tome in the library when I'm in the history section," Gus said.
Vee rolled a die behind her screen to see what the result was and nodded before saying what happened next. "You cast your spell and a light blue glow envelops your eyes, allowing you to see that there are actually a few books that have magical properties. They appear to contain bits and pieces of various schools of magic," Vee announced.
"I'll collect those books and take them over to a table for me and Philomena to read," Gus says.
"I'll go ahead and read the books alongside him and with any of the magic in them, I'll copy them into my spellbook," Amity stated.
"Same," Gus said.
"The two of you spend the remaining hours of the library researching to get more spells prepared in your books. About 20 minutes before closing, Carmen and Caleb arrive and give you the gold you've earned from the weapons and bandits," Vee states.
"While there, Carmen will just head over to check if there are any books on magic or stories about monsters," Luz said.
"Roll an Investigation check," Vee told her sister.
Taking her d20, Luz rolled and smiled when she saw her result was a 19. "That's a modified 20."
"You've taken only about 5 minutes to find a book for beginning mages that describes about various cantrips and first-level spells. While some of the details seem strange to you at the start, the information begins to sink in and becomes intriguing," Vee states.
"Huh… Is it true that wizards can summon a creature to command even when just starting out," Luz asked as Carmen.
"It's true. We can summon a familiar in the form of an animal to aid us in our studies and journeys," Gus replied as Wrenn.
"Specter here is one," Amity adds. "And to demonstrate, Philomena will snap her fingers to poof her cat into the pocket dimension she goes into at times, then once again to have her appear around Carmen's shoulders."
"Awww… Carmen will start scratching the kitty's chin to make her purr," Luz says while remembering when Amity first showed her the cat she adopted, Ghost.
"Soon, the library reaches closing time and the four of you leave the building after your study session. The five of you regroup at The Pearly Skull and rest up for the night with the girls in one room and the boys in another. You all decide to keep to yourselves for the night and not much happens. When morning comes around, you all gather together at dawn and talk about what to do next for transport to the next town," Vee narrates.
"Caleb will lead the way into town and use his connections to acquire a cart for us to use," Hunter says.
"As you all head toward the city gates, you find a pair of soldiers keeping watch while a young man is keeping an eye on the stables nearby. Stepping toward them, all three give a salute to Caleb as they recognize his rank," Vee says. "After some discussion, they allow you to take some horses and a small cart to your destination."
"After I thank them, I'll get on the cart and drive it," Hunter states.
"The rest of us will get on, too," Amity adds.
"With that, your journey to the next town begins and you make your way out from the port town of Bone River. When you do, you see the path going through a calm grassland with a forest out to the distance toward the northeast. I'd like to know what you're all doing as at least one person should be a lookout for any potential problems," Vee says.
"During the ride, I'll have Wrenn start doing his own ritual casting for 'Find Familiar' so that we have some extra eyes for later," Gus said.
"I can take the first watch with Luz," Willow voiced. "Sariel's got good Perception and I think it would be good to have our characters talk," she explains.
"Okay then," Vee says. "As Wrenn starts to prepare a brass brazier for his spell's ritual, I'd like Carmen and Sariel to roll Perception."
Willow and Luz rolled their dice and added their bonuses to the results, but both seemed to get an average result. "8 plus my Wisdom and proficiency gives me 14," Willow said.
"10 on my die for 13," Luz stated. "Oh wait! I forgot that I have Expertise in it thanks to being a Rogue," she said while slapping her forehead. "That's actually 15."
After rolling a die for herself, Vee narrated what was seen. "As you pass by some rolling hills with tall grass, you don't see anything by the foliage blowing in the wind. It gives a rather peaceful feeling for a bit as you go by the next hour. As you keep an eye out, what will you two talk about," she said, prompting the role play to begin.
"That's a nice necklace you have," Willow said as Sariel.
"Thanks. It was a gift from my mentor," Luz replied as Carmen. "When I was sailing with her, she gave it to me as a present since I was under her wing for a couple of years. She captained a ship called 'The Strix' and I was mostly a deckhand until she taught me how to fight and I became her first mate."
"Hunter, roll a History check for Caleb as he overhears this," Vee said.
Hunter rolled his d20, then slammed his head onto the table as he saw the result. "Natural 1," he said as he held up an index finger.
"Yeah, you have no idea about anything involving a boat called 'The Strix'. This is the first time you've heard of it," Vee said. "Keep going, girls."
"That's pretty interesting," Willow said for the role of Sariel. "I've been living with a village of druids for most of my life, but I was starting to grow tired of the routines of our days. When I told my parents I wanted to go out on an adventure, they were glad to accommodate and the village elder used his magic to send me close to Bone River about a week ago. I've been helping around town since and hearing what the locals had to share about their travels. There are really interesting places to explore like desert kingdoms, crystal-filled caverns, and even underwater civilizations from the travelers that passed by. I'd love to share my stories back home when I get the chance to return."
"Now that sounds really great," Luz said as Carmen.
"With that talk finished, the hour has passed by and Wrenn's spell is nearing its finish," Vee narrates. "Soon, the herbs, charcoal, and incense in the brazier are all burned and the ashes start to swirl around in arcane energy as you speak in a mystical language from your studies. After the material condenses into a solid shape, you snap your fingers and the current form of your familiar is chosen," she explains.
"I'll have my familiar be a lizard, like the chameleon I adopted before," Gus told everyone. "Her name will be 'Emily' and she'll be a big help later on," he states.
"Carmen immediately starts gushing over the cute lizard familiar," Luz said.
"Okay, after all of that, I'd like to have another Perception check from anybody willing to roll," Vee said.
"That's a 7 for a total of 13," Willow said as she rolled first.
"A 5 for me to make it a 6," Gus voiced after rolling his d20.
"I got a Natural 1. I'm trying to keep an eye out, but Specter is pawing at my face like a regular cat," Amity says as she flavors her bad roll.
"That's an 11 for me," Luz said. "That makes 16 total."
After rolling her own die, Vee looked up at everyone. "Everything is all quiet as the next hour of travel goes by. Nothing really catches your attention and the only things that do are sightings of animals out toward the distance like sparrows and deer."
"This is getting uneventful. But if I know my D&D videos from the internet, the DM is hiding some sort of encounter for us," Luz voiced.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Vee said as she kept a poker face.
"Insight check on the Dungeon Master," Gus joked as he rolled with Hunter and Amity joining him. "17 total."
"8 total for me," Hunter said with a snicker.
I got a total of 14," Amity laughed.
"Wrenn looks up to the sky and sees a smirking face in the clouds. Philomena sees it as well just as it fades away in the wind," Willow voices, adding to the joke as everyone chuckles.
"Okay, okay, okay. Back to the game," Vee said as she rolled a die and looked at the result. "All of a sudden, an arrow comes flying in and hits Sariel for… ouch, 12 damage since it was a Natural 20 critical," she narrates.
"Oh, thorns! Not again," Willow complained. "I'm already down to 8," she said as she marked down her HP.
"Hearing the commotion, I have Caleb stop the cart," Hunter exclaims.
"After the arrow came flying out and the cart stopped, you all see a group of 5 goblins coming out from the tall grass," Vee narrates. "With all of them appearing, you see them wearing patchwork leather armor and old wooden shields. They're all armed with shortbows and scimitars, ready to attack after using their movement during the surprise round to get closer. Roll initiative."
Grabbing their dice once again, the party and Vee started to figure out the turn order. "Natural 20," exclaimed Amity.
"6 plus Dexterity makes it 9," Gus said.
"12 total," Willow said.
"15 total for me," Luz stated.
"11 for me," Hunter voiced.
"Now for the goblins, here are the numbers. 8, 10, 2, 4, and 18. Plus 2 on their initiatives, that means one will go after Amity does," Vee states. "Amity, Philomena is up first."
"With this all happening, I'll activate my Bladesong and cast Mage Armor on myself to boost my defenses before getting close to the goblin that's up next. Keep him away from the others," Amity says.
"As you prepare for battle, the rapier in your grasp starts to produce a melodious sound while a magical energy wraps around you like armor," Vee narrates. "As you rush up to the goblin, he'll be threatened by you and take a swing with his scimitar." Rolling her die, Vee winced as she looked at the result. "Another Nat 20," she says before seeing the damage results. "But only 4 damage total."
"Gotta love it when that happens," Gus remarks.
"My turn," Luz says as she pantomimed pulling out a weapon. "I'll take aim with my pepperbox and fire a shot at Goblin 2 to give Willow a chance to breathe," she declared before rolling her die. "Oh man, a 4 on my die. No way that's going to hurt it."
"Nope," Vee agreed. "As you fire your pepperbox, you pulled the trigger too quickly and the bullet misses. It impacts into the dirt and kicks up a loose clod," she narrates. "The second goblin will take its turn first because of better Dexterity, so he'll go after Carmen as she tried to shoot him," she declares before rolling. "14 with a plus 4, that'll hit for 4 damage total. After that, it uses its bonus action to hide in the grass again."
"If that's the case, I'll play it smart and cast Entangle to restrain the goblins that are grouped together," Willow says. "It creates a 20-foot square of weeds and vines that wrap around the enemies. They have to make a Strength saving throw to break out from the initial casting or as an action during their turns or they'll stay restrained. My DC is 14 at the moment."
"Oh, that's a perfect move for you, Willow," Luz exclaimed.
Rolling her d20 a few times based on where Willow wanted to have her spell placed, Vee checked to see which goblins saved themselves. "With a spell save DC of 14, the first goblin breaks the vines wrapping around him. Goblin 4 doesn't save himself and neither does the third. With your spell, you cause vines and weeds to grow considerably. They extend and constrict the goblins that are last in the turn order while the first goblin is able to cut himself free with his scimitar."
"As a bonus action, I'll use my Eladrin's Fey Step to teleport up to 30 feet away. With it, I'll teleport behind the cart for a little extra protection," Willow said.
"Teleporting is so cool. Anyways, it's my turn," Hunter declared as he thought of what to do, then rolled his die. "I'll run up to the first goblin and slash at him with my sword. With a 12, that's going to be a total of 17. And as I'm doing this, I'll make this a two-handed strike with it to use the d10 for the damage," he says before rolling his dice. "2 on the die, so 5 damage total."
"With a powerful swing of your sword, you push past its shield and cut into the armor it's wearing. The first goblin glares at you and decides to retaliate by swinging its scimitar," Vee said as she rolled her dice. "With a 17 on the die for a total of 21, that'll hit you for 4 damage," she added as she rolled another die.
Thinking of what to do for his turn, Gus snapped his fingers as he figured out what to do. "Time for a classic. Wrenn will tent together his thumbs and two fingers on each hand, mutter some arcane words, and three glowing darts of magical energy form around his hands. He'll cast Magic Missile at the goblin Caleb attacked and the one hiding in the grass."
"Before you do that, roll a Perception check to see if you did notice that goblin hiding away," Vee said.
Rolling his d20, he got a 12 and added his modifier. "13 to see him," Gus said, then watched Vee shake her head to say that the goblin was hiding away too well. "Darn, then the last two darts will be aimed at the goblin that was attacking Philomena," he said, then rolled his dice for the damage on the spell. "Okay, two of them are both 1, so that's 2 damage on two of them, but the last is a 4 to make 5 damage," he said.
Vee chuckled as she reached for the miniatures. "With three expertly thrown magical darts, they pierce into the neck and head of the goblins targeted and both fall down dead to the surprise of their allies," she says while taking away the two figures.
"Gotta love spellcasting like that," Luz said with a smile.
"The next two goblins will try to break free of their entanglement," Vee said as she rolled for the goblins. "Number 4 can't break free, but the third is able to use his teeth to break away the vines and claw himself to freedom. With his action used up, he'll hide away in the grass as well with his bonus action. Amity, you're up."
"Philomena will try to search for the goblins hiding in the grass," Amity said before rolling her die. "That's a 21 total," she says.
"You watch as the grass is rustling too much for it to be wind and notice the footprints by the roots of the grass. You know exactly where they are now," Vee narrated.
"Then with that check done, I'll go in and strike at the second one with my rapier," Amity declared before rolling her die again. "11 with my bonuses make it a 15."
"That matches," Vee said. "Go ahead and roll the damage on the second goblin raider for Philomena."
Rolling her d8, Amity and the others looked at the result. "7 on the die."
"With a precise and clean thrust, Philomena speeds in and pierces through the mouth of the goblin to deal the damage and easily kill it," Vee explains. "Luz, it's Carmen's turn."
"Taking aim with her pepperbox again, Carmen will aim at the hiding goblin and fire," Luz told the DM.
"Roll a Perception check of your own."
"Good thing I'm proficient in that," Luz said after Vee gave the instruction. Rolling her d20, Luz looked at the result. "That's a 9 for a total of 14."
"Because of Philomena's attack, the DC for that was lowered quite a bit and you see the blood from the slain goblin pooling at the other's feet. You can see where he is and have a better chance at aiming at it," Vee explained.
Smiling before she rolled he die again, Luz was ready for an attack. "14 plus everything gives me a total of 20," she said before grabbing her d10 and rolling it. "5 on my die, so that's 9 damage," she said.
"With the echoing blast of the gun, the bullet goes flying into the goblin's stomach and puts a hole in it, leaving it dead in the grass," Vee narrates. "This leaves Willow ready to deal with the final goblin."
"I'll have Sariel use Fey Step to appear right in front of him and use an Ice Knife spell on him," Willow said. "And with the goblin restrained, I have advantage on this attack roll," she said before rolling her d20 twice. "15 and 16 on the die, so that's a hit either way with my bonuses. Now for the damage because Ice Knife explodes into a spray of shards after being thrown," she explained before rolling her dice. "6 piercing, 6 cold damage," she said.
"How do you want to do this," Vee asked, making the party cheer.
"I'll have the knife form into a rose-like shape with thorns sticking out of the stem-like blade and when it hits, the shards cause a wound that looks like a blooming rose to freeze into his body," Willow described.
"That sounds so beautiful and so deadly, just like you if you went full Poison Ivy," Luz complimented. "All shall fear Poison Willow! They'll bow before her immense power and great looks."
"Hunter already does," Vee jokes, making her brother blush and hide his face while Flapjack chirped.
"Guys, stop it," Willow said with a blush, not wanting to embarrass Hunter. However, she couldn't help but think about herself in an outfit similar to one of the various takes of Poison Ivy from Batman. 'Would Hunter like it if I cosplayed as her,' she thought to herself.
"With the Ice Knife impacting into the goblin and leaving frozen petal-shaped scars inside, the battle is over and you can all take a breather," Vee narrated. "What would you like to do now?"
"We might as well see if these raiders had anything on them," Hunter said.
"Time to check if these five had anything on them," Gus agreed. "I'll roll the Investigation check," he said before rolling a d20. "That's a 13 plus my modifiers and proficiency… 19."
Rolling her dice a few times, Vee calculated how much money the goblins had on them. "Going through all their pockets and pouches, you find the goblins had 21 copper pieces on hand."
"Might as well collect their weapons too. Can sell more of their gear for extra cash," Hunter said.
"I'll help him out with that," Luz added.
"After taking the time to take their weapons and shields, you return to the cart and head off toward the next town," Vee narrated. "After the rest of the hour passes, it starts reaching noon when you come across a sign that says 'Welcome to Woodpine Village' and you can see a quaint village in the distance that looks like a typical village in a fantasy world with simple buildings that have thatch rooftops and stone walls. You see more houses that basically are log cabins of varying sizes off in the distance, closer to the forest. However, I'd like Luz to use her spyglass for a Perception check."
"Matt Mercer, give me strength," Luz said as she rolled her dice. "That's a 16 on my die for 21."
"As you use your spyglass to get a better look, you see that the hills a bit further past town have an assortment of tents and you can see the ruins of buildings. With what Wrenn said earlier, you can probably piece together that the dig site is over there," Vee explained.
"Here we are, guys. Woodpine Village is where the archeological site is located," Gus said as his character, Wrenn Shadowcloak. "We can rest up here and go help them in the afternoon."
"Great! I'm hungry. Let's find someplace to eat," Luz said as Carmen.
"With everyone reaching the village, it takes you only about 15 minutes to find and reach an inn that will take care of your horse and cart before you eat up," Vee narrated. "When you get there and have a seat at a table, a human woman in her 40s comes up and asks if you want anything to eat."
"I'll try and make it so we have better service by showing Philomena's signet ring to the waitress," Amity says.
"With the Yolande Family emblem shown to her, she humbly bows her head and agrees to get you all the best meal they can offer your group," Vee said.
"I'll take the time to actually talk to her about her ring," Willow voices before roleplaying as Sariel. "So, why is it that you've decided to use your privilege here? I thought that because of what Caleb wanted you for, you'd try to avoid notice."
"That was because I didn't want the guards to find out about me in Bone River. There doesn't seem to be that many in this place," Amity remarked as Philomena.
"Just who is your family anyways? Are they famous," Willow asked as Sariel.
"My family name is Yolande," Amity said for her character.
"Everyone but Amity, roll a History check," Vee instructed.
Doing as told, the party members started to see if they knew of Philomena's family in the game. "I got a 15 to make 16," Luz said.
"4. That's an 8 for me," Gus muttered.
"14 for 15 total," Willow said.
"I got a 13, so that's a 17 total with my modifier and proficiency in History," Hunter bragged. "Thank you, half-elves. Bonus skills come in handy."
"Now then, Carmen's travels at sea, Sariel's hometown, and Caleb's involvement with the Empire are all the reasons why you three know of the Yolande Family. They're known for being skilled magical nobles with various specialties of arcane study or even magical innovation," Vee narrated. "They've been influential within the Empire as providers of armaments for the military and magical defenses for a number of important locations thanks to the mind and skill of Lord Aramus Yolande. However, there are also rumors surrounding the matriarch of the family, Lady Medea Yolande. People have heard stories from their castle of her being a strict and controlling woman, keeping an iron grip on her family while doing anything it takes to stay in power."
"I wonder why that sounds familiar," Willow and Luz both remarked as they looked at Amity.
The group knew that Amity's own mother, Odalia Blight, was a control freak that barely let her do what she wanted. Luckily for Amity and her siblings, her father, Alador began to go through the paperwork to divorce Odalia. The details were still being handled, but all three Blight children were adamant about staying with their father and never wanting anything to do with Odalia. Amity made this very clear the last time she saw her mom after a few too many remarks about Luz's previous incidents at school and an attempt to expel her. This confrontation caught the attention of both Camila Noceda and Eda Clawthorne, who teamed up to nearly rip Odalia apart. Thankfully, things were fixed before the police had to get involved.
"I just thought it made sense to use that for Philomena's mom," Amity explained.
"Moving on," Luz said before clearing her throat and doing Carmen's accented voice. "Yolande? As in those magic nobles that give the Empire more power to lord over people? No wonder you decided to leave. Your mother must be a real witch."
"One letter off," Amity replied as Philomena.
"Well, why is it that you've decided to run away," Hunter questioned as Caleb.
"My mother might be a famed Divination Wizard, but she isn't the most caring woman," Amity explained as Philomena.
"What about the rest of your family," asked Willow as Sariel.
"My father's mostly wrapped up in his work with magical inventions, so I don't know how he feels about everything. But I'm part of a family of six children. My older siblings managed to help me get away from my mother since they know just how bad she can be," Amity explained as Philomena.
"Six? What are all their names," Gus asked as Wrenn.
"There's my elder brother and sister, Korvus and Claudia. They're twins," Amity said as Philomena, getting knowing smirks out of everyone as they knew who those characters could be based on. "I was born after them. Then there's my middle brother, Orpheus. My youngest brother, Remus. And my little sister, Octavia."
"Definitely a big family," Luz remarks as Carmen.
"By now, your food has arrived and you enjoy a nice meal that helps you recover some of your hit points," Vee narrated. "After paying for your meal and tipping the waitress with the copper you've gotten from the goblins you fought earlier, what do you do?"
"Speaking of them, I'll actually talk to the waitress about that," Hunter said before voicing Caleb. "Excuse me. Have you had any problems with goblins around town? We fought a couple on our way here," he says.
"Oh, we've had plenty of problems for the last couple of days," Vee said as she spoke as the waitress. "That dig site was taken over before any real work could be done."
"That's terrible," Willow voiced as Sariel.
"If you want to know more, there's somebody that escaped the goblins over by the magic shop," Vee said in character.
"I'll finish my drink and immediately start looking," Gus declared.
"Same here," Luz agreed.
"We might as well check too," Amity says with Willow and Hunter nodding in agreement.
"Getting out of the tavern, you head off to find the magic shop in town. It takes you about 10 minutes of asking around before you're shown to a small tent-like building called 'The Ethereal Aspect'. When you step in, you see a robed man of elven heritage speaking to a disheveled halfling man," Vee stated.
"Wrenn will go up and ask the halfling if he knows about the goblin camp," Gus said.
"As you walk up to him, you see that he's got tanned skin and messy hair that's sticking up in places. He's dressed in common clothes covered in dirt and what looks like dried blood. He's speaking to the elven man and here's what he's saying as you approach," Vee narrates before clearing her throat and preparing to do the voice for the halfling. "If you have anything to spare, please help me save everyone."
"Hearing that, Wrenn will speak with him," Gus said. "Excuse me, what do you mean?"
"Who are you," Vee asked as the halfling.
"I'm Wrenn Shadowcloak. I'm an anthropologist that was coming to the dig site to help with any of the writing discovered," Gus introduced as his character. "We heard about the goblin camp and that you managed to escape them."
"It was way too close. When they tried to feed me to their mounts, I made a break for it," Vee says as the halfling. "Roll a Nature or Survival check to see what he means by what a goblin uses as a mount," she tells everyone.
Rolling their dice, everyone checked the results and said what they were. "I've got a 6, so that's a 10 for me," Amity says.
"Modified 20," Gus said.
"10 on the die, so I'll use Survival for a total of 16," Willow declared.
"MIERDA! That's a natural 1," Luz exclaimed.
"What a natural wonder," Hunter joked, earning a pinch from his sister. "OW! That hurt," he said before rolling his die. "That's a 12, so a total of 14."
"Everyone that got 11 or higher would know that goblins like to ride wolves or creatures known as worgs into battle," Vee narrated.
"You nearly got fed to a worg? That would have been horrible," Willow said as Sariel.
"Yeah. But luckily, I've been in my fair share of scraps. Eddie Fastfoot's my name for more than just family," Vee says, giving the party the name of their new acquaintance. "The real problem was the fact that when I was leaving, I nearly got hit by some kind of magic. That's why I'm here looking for something to help deal with those goblins. If I had something to protect me from magic, I'd be able to try and sneak in to save the rest of the dig crew."
"I've got a better idea," Amity said as Philomena. "Allow us to go and rescue everyone and in exchange, we keep whatever we find that the goblins have taken we believe we would have use for in our travels."
"Roll a Persuasion check for Philomena," Vee said.
"I'll assist," Luz declared. "After all, I'm sure that you'd want to save some money while the goblins have a bit of coin of their own. You won't have to pay us and I'm sure you would want some rest after that ordeal you went through."
"Roll with advantage, Amity," Vee told the girl.
"Okay, then. The first is… a 4 on the die. Let's try again," Amity said as she tossed her die, then rerolled it. "An 18! That makes it 22."
"Eddie is thoroughly convinced and allows you to head out to the goblin camp he escaped from. It's at this point that the elven shopkeeper speaks up," Vee narrated before changing what voice to use. "If you're seeking to aid in liberating the people captured by the goblins, I think I have something that might be of use to you," she says in a smooth masculine voice. "He reaches underneath the counter he set up and pulls out a box of scrolls."
"What are these," Luz asked as Carmen.
"For about 75 gold each, I can let you have a scroll that contains enough magic to use a spell of its level once. These are some beginner spells that could be useful if you choose to purchase them. I have associates that help write these scrolls down, so there's plenty of options," Vee says as the shopkeeper. "Basically, these are all Level 1 spells that you could use. If you want to copy them down into your spellbooks, you could do a check to see if it can work."
"Depends on what we have," Gus remarked.
"Do you take trade? We beat some goblins on our way into town and wanted to sell their weapons," Luz said as Carmen.
"I do some light enchantments from time to time, so I can accept traded weaponry," Vee said as the shopkeeper.
"We show him all the weapons and shields we took from the goblins that attacked us," Hunter says.
"Hmm… five scimitars, five shortbows, and five shields. This could give you four of these scrolls," Vee says in the voice of the magic shop owner before handing over a list. "Here's the scrolls you guys can choose from."
Looking over everything the group began to discuss which Level 1 spell scrolls would be best for them. "Any first-level spells, huh? Armor of Agathys is pretty cool," Luz says. "I should actually get my character some leather armor."
"I thought you'd want to go Eldritch Knight so you could use Mage Armor," Amity questioned.
"I thought so too, but I was looking up things and I'd rather get more powerful spells as a caster for another character," Luz explained. "I'll go Battle Master for my pirate. I can always get the Magic Initiate feat for getting my own Find Familiar anyways."
"Fair enough," Hunter said as he looked through the list. "Disguise Self to make us look like goblins?"
"I've got that in my spellbook already," Gus remarked. "I can at least use it on myself to help scout the camp, but we're probably going to be in for a fight."
"I could use my Wild Shape to look around the camp and even fight them," Willow said.
"As for spell scrolls, Chromatic Orb might be useful. So could an extra Entangle," Luz noted.
"It could help me out with figuring out my spells for the next day," Willow agreed.
"We could always use a spare Magic Missile. Oh, and Grease is useful, but I've got that in my spell list anyways," Amity added.
"Okay, let's think this through. What will we need for attacking a goblin camp at our level," Hunter said, trying to figure out the best option.
"If they've got some sort of mage or magic item, then we'll absolutely need defenses," Luz remarked. "Best to get Armor of Agathys and Shield. Maybe go the stealth route too with at least one Disguise Self."
"Sounds like a plan," Gus said. "I can take the form of a goblin, Willow could turn into an animal, and we'd have at least one of you playing the role of a prisoner to be brought back. But before that, we should really scout it out with our Druid and familiars."
"Yeah. See how many there are in total," Amity agreed.
"Okay. I'll help out with the scouting," Willow said. "Not like a goblin's going to attack a bird."
"Depends on if they like chicken or not," Luz joked.
"In any case, let's at least get those scrolls," Hunter told the others.
"So you'll at least get the three scrolls," Vee asked.
"Yeah. In fact, I'll have Carmen talk to the shopkeep," Luz said before voicing her character. "Is it possible to get some new armor for myself instead of a fourth scroll?"
"Well, I'm not much of an armorer, but you can find somebody that can sell custom armor across town in The Tanned Ox," Vee says as the shopkeep. "They'd sell you some armor that could have emblems of your choice for about an extra 5 gold or more based on what sort of armor you'd want."
"Thank you. We'll take these three scrolls, then," Luz says back. "And we'll take those three we talked about."
"The shopkeeper gives you three 1st-level spell scrolls. Armor of Agathys, Shield, and Disguise Self," Vee tells the others.
"I give Carmen the Armor of Agathys scroll, but keep Shield with me so that I can try to copy it down into my spellbook while she goes to get her armor," Amity declares.
"I'll go ahead and do that while they head back to the inn to regroup," Luz says.
"Okay, if that's the case, all the magic users go back to the inn and Philomena will copy down the spell scroll's contents into her spellbook. I need you to roll an Arcana check for me, please," Vee said.
Rolling her d20, Amity took a breath and let her die's result be seen. "An 11, so that makes it 17 total," she says.
"With that, you're able to copy the spell down and the scroll is still able to be used later," Vee narrated.
"I'll do the same," Gus said as he rolled his die. "That's a 16 for me."
"You're also able to copy the spell down into your book and you can now prepare it when needed," Vee declared. "As for Carmen, she makes her way to The Tanned Ox and finds a small armorer that focuses on leather and animal hide for the materials. It's a little cramped, but you do see a good selection with various designs, colors, and materials all around the place. Is there anything specific you're searching for?"
"I feel like Carmen would want to at least get something that reminds her of her old crew, so she'd look for something with an owl motif or maybe something like a snake design," Luz said.
"Roll an Investigation check if you'd like to do that," Vee told her.
Giving her d20 a toss, Luz looked at the result and sighed. "That's a 4, so 5 total. It was mostly for flavor anyways, so I'll just go with the first set that looks sturdy, but flexible," she said.
"Because of the amount of armor there is, you give up finding a specific design and just go with some armor that fits over your outfit," Vee narrates. "After getting a set that fits you, you pay the 10 gold needed and head out to meet up with the others. By the time you regroup, it's about 2 hours into the afternoon and you could possibly spend time going to scout out the camp like you want to," she says.
"Yeah, I think that should help us out a bit," Willow said. "Let's go scout the camp."
"Right," everyone else agreed.
"It takes you a good 30 minutes of walking to reach the dig site that was turned into a camp by goblins, but you make it to the outskirts of it. Do you wish to move forward," Vee narrated before asking for their next move.
"I'll play it smart and send out Specter to scout around. If she moves out of my telepathic range of 100 feet, I have instructed her to be careful while she scouts what she can, then return to my range," Amity says. "When she heads out, I'll let my senses be linked to her while I sit in a meditation stance."
"I'll do the same with my lizard, Emily," Gus said.
"As for me, I'll be more direct," Willow states. "I'll use Wild Shape to turn myself into an owl and take flight into the trees. I'll be as stealthy as possible thanks to this form."
"You all watch as Sariel starts to change her form, shrinking in on herself as she becomes smaller and rounder with feathers that look like leaves and bark," Vee narrates. "What was once a nature-themed elf is now a round and adorable owl that looks like it was made from the living branches of a tree."
"She's a Rowlet," Luz exclaimed, making the table laugh.
"You know I love Grass-type Pokemon. And Rowlet's definitely one of the most adorable," Willow said with a smile.
"Back to the game, we have the three of you scouting around the camp. Make a Stealth check for a cat, lizard, and owl," Vee instructed.
Rolling their dice, the three scouts for the party listened to the clattering of their tosses before looking at the results. "That's a 14 plus 4, so 18 for Specter," Amity says.
"15 plus 3, so 18 for me as well," Willow adds.
"Ugh, that's a 3 for Emily," Gus groaned.
"While Specter and Willow stick to the shadows and stay in the air, Emily is slowly crawling as you enter the camp. Numerous patch-covered tents are set up, sharpened logs are set up as barricades, and a pair of goblins are patrolling right where Emily is crawling up toward," Vee narrated before rolling for the goblin guards. "They don't see the cat or owl, but do see the lizard looking up at them. They choose to ignore the small reptile and pass it off as part of the local wildlife."
"That's a relief," Gus sighed. "Okay, with that done, let's explore the camp and see what there is."
"All of you give me a Perception check with your animals," Vee says.
"Actually, Wild Shape lets me keep my mental stats," Willow clarifies while rolling her die. "I still have my own bonuses while an owl's advantage on sight and hearing checks lets me roll again. Which means that I have a total of 22 for Perception because of my 16."
"I got the same roll, so that's 19 for Specter," Amity says.
"That's a 6 for me, so Emily's probably trying to climb around and find the right spot," Gus remarked after seeing his roll.
"Willow and Amity, you two explore the camp and see a number of goblins within the area. You see nearly 15 goblins total alongside a couple of wolves and even a worg. While seeing all of this, you notice a goblin with notches in his ear and earrings. He's a bit larger than the other goblins and is wearing a cloak with interesting feathers. Roll a Nature or Survival check to see what it's made from," Vee narrates.
"Natural 20," Amity exclaimed as she looked at her roll.
Tossing her own die, Willow looked at her result. "12 for a total of 18 for me."
"Both of you recognize that this is made from the feathers of an owlbear, which are very threatening creatures and if goblins wear cloaks made from them, they're a symbol of status among their tribe," Vee narrates.
"I relay this information to the others while Specter is looking at them," Amity says.
"Carmen hears the whole owlbear cloak thing and immediately wants that leader's cloak for herself," Luz says.
"Why do you get it," Hunter asked.
"Because I call dibs. Plus, my girlfriend got a nat 20 and I love her so much," Luz declared as she leaned her head onto Amity's shoulder, making the girl blush.
"Curse the International Dibs Protocol," Hunter exclaimed, making everyone laugh again.
"Don't worry, we can get you a cloak of some kind later," Willow said reassuringly. This made Hunter's cheeks turn pink.
"What else do we see," Amity asked as she wanted to return to the scouting mission.
"Give me another Perception check, all of you," Vee requested.
Rolling their dice, the scouts for the party hoped they got good rolls. "I've got a natural 19, so that's 22," Amity declared with a smile.
"Sweet! I got the same," Gus exclaimed. "Natural 19."
"16 on my die, so that's 22 for me as well," Willow said.
"Willow is able to spot this from the air while Specter and Emily manage to notice it from climbing nearby trees. The three manage to see that the goblins have put up cages around the area and one of the excavation pits has been turned into an area to throw any prisoners to the worgs and wolves," Vee stated. "Not only that, but you spot another goblin that seems to be wearing a ring on his finger that you get a strange feeling from. Roll me some Arcana checks, you three."
Picking up their dice once again, the three began to roll. "That's a 13 on my die for a total of 19," Gus told Vee.
"I got an 18 on my die, so that's 24," Amity declared.
"That's the same for me. An 18 on the die. Modified 19," Willow says.
"All three of you immediately realize that this ring on the goblin wearing another owlbear feather cloak is magic. But thanks to those rolls you got, you note that it seems like it could be far stronger than it truly is. The magic aura emanating from it seems like it's much weaker than it normally is," Vee stated.
"If that's everything, then we should regroup and rest up for later. We'll sneak in again tomorrow and take out whatever enemies we can before freeing everyone," Willow voiced.
"Agreed," Amity said.
"I'll have Wrenn snap his fingers and immediately recall Emily to his side," Gus says.
"Same with me and Specter," Amity added.
"Let's get going then. We have a plan to make," Hunter declared.
"With all of you returning to the inn for a night of rest, let's end it here and continue tomorrow," Vee declared as she wrote down some notes. "I'm getting tired."
"Same here," Willow yawned before she and the others wrote down what they heard from Vee's narrations.
"Well, let's put everything away and continue later," Luz said.
"Sounds good to me. Especially since Flapjack looks like he wants to be by my side," Hunter says before opening the birdcage and letting the cardinal fly onto his shoulder.
"I need to get the beds ready for our sleepover anyways," Luz adds.
"I know I need a spare one all to myself anyways with how my dads say I sleep," Willow remarks.
"I remember. You're all spread out with your arms and legs hanging over the edge," Amity chuckles.
"Well, let's continue tomorrow," Gus said, ready to play more later.
"Agreed," replied everyone before they put away their character sheets and dice. The next time they played, they were going to be seeing how the raid on the goblin camp would go.
And with this, the second chapter of "Your Turn To Roll" is complete! Hope you all liked the battle with the goblins on the road and some of the story details I added for their characters. I especially love how I flavored Willow's finishing blow. And with the plot of the next chapter set up, we'll continue this later. How will our heroes handle themselves in a goblin camp? Can they defeat the invaders and save the dig crew? Will they be assaulted by beasts and magic? Will Luz and Hunter get those sweet cloaks from those goblins? You'll have to stick around and find out as when the raid is finished, we'll see if our heroes reach Level 3.
Now, quick note. I originally planned on Luz being an Eldritch Knight Fighter and Swashbuckler Rogue combo, but I think that Eldritch Knight only works more if you focus on levels for that. Luz will be leaning into the pirate aspect of her character more, so her magic will come from items she gets in the campaign rather than learning it for this character. As such, Battle Master with maneuvers fitting for her pirate will be her focus later on. But that'll still be a bit away as she's multiclassing.
The journey will continue later. Until next time, WaterDragonMaverick signing out!
