Session Three Recap 16JUL2016

With this session I introduced the party to our first dungeon crawl, albeit in a hedge maze deep in a swamp where the walls are not shrubbery but instead made of mud, peat, reeds and dead vegetation. It's quite extensive and might occupy a few sessions.

What? No shrubbery? I don't believe it!

To be fair, we didn't hop into the adventure right away because we were still recapping last week and there were questions about the magic items recovered in the first two sessions. Using my clarification and amplification of the rules for identifying magic items, the party successfully determined the identity and functions of these items:

• The ring made of copper wire found during the first session is a Ring of Translation. Once imprinted with a language, the ring gives its wearer the ability to converse fluently in that language.
• The cloth cap recovered from the pyromaniacal goblins is a variation on the Hat of Disguise (DMG page 173).  This magic item does not require attunement. Wearing the cap immediately covers the wearer in an illusion of an average looking human dressed in the uniform of the City Guard. The illusion is the same height regardless of height of the wearer. 
• Upon helping the Guy retrieve his favourite rug, he handed the party what he deemed "glass junk" in an old, dirty sack. That sack is really a Bag of Holding (DMG page 153).
• The "glass junk" turned out to be several consumables and one Driftglobe (DMG page 166). The command words for the orb are "Enlighten me" (cast light) "Enlighten us" (cast daylight) "Hang out" (hover/follow) and "Peace" (stops all effects).
• The various liquids from the Guy's bag are four (4) Potions of Healing (2d4+2), one (1) Potion of Greater Healing (4d4+4), three (3) Oils of Magic Weapon, three (3) Potions of Darkvision, three (3) Alchemist's Fire, four (4) Potions of Cure Disease and three (3) Potions of Cure Poison.

I learned that while this method gleaning the magical properties of various curiosities allows me the chance to provide richer description of the items (possibly weaving in plot clues) but it is more time-consuming, occupying as much of the evening as a full encounter might. Therefore I am counting this session and future occasions of identyfying magic items as a full encounter and awarding XP.

So armed with a chocolate covered gem, the party bid farewell to the city and entered the Shady Marshes. The group chose to carefully pick out a path through the treacherous terrain, rather than travelling in the direction indicated by the chocolate syrup, trading speed for safety.

After a few hours, the party enountered a strange stone structure jutting out of the muck, guarded by some kobolds. The kobolds outside the crypt seemed ordinary and were quickly dispatched. However, the building opened onto stairs leading down into some ancient temple, where the air became arid and the stonework was completely dry and free of moss, despite being below ground level in a swamp. Underground the party found several gaunt kobolds under the command of a robed kobold. More "regular" kobolds were huddled in a corner, guarded by their emaciated compatriots. A wailing kobold is being dragged by two scrawny kobolds towards a well brimming with water at the far end of the chamber.

Sensing that the well was the implement of some dangerous ritual, the party sprang into action to save the helpless victim and prevent harm to the other trapped kobolds. The cadaverous kobolds, when injured enough, dissipated in a cloud of pale dust, all gear falling to the ground in a heap.

True to form, the party spared the unchanged kobolds, who fled at the first opportunity. Once all the afflicted kobolds were destroyed, the party examined the well.

By which I mean Nimblethorn ran up and plunged his hand into the water, disturbing a strange serpentine creature formed from the liquid in the well. Fighting the creature seemed to have little effect, so the party needed a more efficient strategy. An examination of the well revealed that it was not attached to the floor but merely rested on it. To defeat the creature, the party tipped over the well, pouring the water across the chamber and depriving the aqueous snake of a sufficient volume of liquid from which to emerge.

The "well" turned out to be a cylinder, about six feet across and open on one end. The metal was uniform in color, similar to steel, unmarred by scratches or dents yet without any seams or joints. Despite its abnormal behavior, the metal tub radiates no magic. On the outside of the well, inscribed in minute draconic characters (but not similar to any modern draconic vocabulary) was the phrase "uncontrol desiccate receptacle" or some text along those lines. Some experimentation indicates the well collects water from the ambient air, supposedly creating the strange creature once full. Turned on its side, the metal bucket cannot accumulate enough liquid to allow the watery creature to manifest. Certain of their safety, the adventurers used the subterranean temple as shelter to rest awhile before resuming their trek.

Right before sunset, the chocolate pseudo-compass* finally guided the investigators towards an earthen hovel that looks more like a pile of wet clippings than a functional dwelling. Outside the house, stooped over a boiling cauldron, was a weathered crone. She beckons the group and inquires as to what brings them so far into the perilous marshes. Upon recognizing the gemstone, she claps her hands to send out a vertigo-inducing wave of discomfort that pushes the group away magically.

The party shakes off the disorientation and looks around to find giant walls of mud and vegetation surround them. Gaps in the walls lead to different passages that head further into this strange place. The party moves cautiously to find another room where a frog-like humanoid is arguing with a shambling mound. The debate centers on the mound's "garden" - specifically five plants that can be moved to different location around the clearing. The bullywug explains that the shambling mound is unhappy because the plants are in the wrong places, and none should be in a line with any of the others. The party figured out a placement that satisfied the garden's resident. With the shambling mound now able to seek inner piece, we paused for the week. No treasure has been recovered yet, but the party members earned 314 XP each.

~ Tidwin

07/19/16

*As opposed to a pseudo-chocolate compass, which would be a compass made entirely out of white chocolate.

Light vs. Finesse

I keep confusing the rules for light and finesse weapons. I should be more familiar with these term for two reasons. First, there are several DEX-based characters in the party so knowing which weapons benefit them is important. Additionally, dual wielding is available to everyone, not just rangers, monks or those with specific feats. So here's the breakdown:

This chart shows all melee weapons listed in the table on page 149 of the Player's Handbook.

A finesse weapon allows a character to apply a DEX modifier to attack rolls and damage instead of STR. Regardless of the choice, the same ability modifier must be applied to both the attack roll and the damage roll. (PHB 147)

Both weapons must be light in order to dual wield. When using two light weapons, a character takes an action and makes the first attack roll as normal, including appropriate modifiers. If the character has a light weapon in the other hand, the character can take a bonus action to attack with that second weapon. The ability modifier still affects the second attack roll, but that same modifier is not added to the damage roll, unless that modifier is negative. (PHB 195)

So if the two weapons held are both finesse and light, a character can make a second attack with the bonus action and choose to apply the DEX modifier to both attack rolls and the first damage roll.

The fighting style "Two-Weapon Fighting" (PHB 72) is available to fighters at 1st level. The only modification to the rules above is the ability to add your ability modifier to the second attack's damage roll. The weapons available remain the same, although fighters automatically gain martial weapon proficiency.

The feat "Dual Wielder" (PHB 165) gives three benefits, the first granting a +1 to AC and another letting you draw two weapons at once. The remaining benefit changes the rules for what weapons a character can wield and still attack twice. With this feat, a character can make two attacks with a one-handed weapon in each hand, even if the weapons are not light. The modifiers to attack rolls and damage are unaffected. This ability jumps right past the pirate brandishing a cutlass in one hand and a dagger in the other, landing squarely on the potential of swinging two long swords in an augmented dervish of destruction.

When putting this Venn diagram together, I noticed a few interesting features:

• No simple weapon is finesse but not light.
• No martial weapon is light but not finesse.
• The only simple weapon that is light and finesse is the dagger.
• The scimitar and shortsword are the only martial weapons that are both light and finesse.
• Five simple weapons and thirteen martial weapons are neither light nor finesse.

So Fifth Edition has banished the swashbuckler darting around with a rapier and dagger, at least for the time being. But where 5e taketh away, so does it giveth; any player who wants to can now run around with two daggers and poke mercilessly at any assailant that gets in the way.

Come out swinging!

~ Tidwin

Physician, Heal Thyself!

One major goal of player characters is to not die. (Think of that as every mortal's penultimate Bucket List entry.) In game terms, death usually only enters the conversation when HP are gone, so a recurring question is "How can my character get healed?"

Spells

Cure wounds is a 1st level touch spell that can be cast using a higher spell slot. The spell heals damage based on the level of the spell slot used as follows:

1. 1d8 + spellcasting ability modifier
2. 2d8 + spellcasting ability modifier
3. 3d8 + spellcasting ability modifier
4. 4d8 + spellcasting ability modifier
5. 5d8 + spellcasting ability modifier
6. 6d8 + spellcasting ability modifier
7. 7d8 + spellcasting ability modifier
8. 8d8 + spellcasting ability modifier
9. 9d8 + spellcasting ability modifier

This covers bards, druids, paladins, rangers and most clerics. Clerics of the Life domain get an extra kick in healing of (2 + spell level) hit points regained. Which raises a new question: does "spell level" refer to the level of the spell itself or the level of the spell slot used to cast the spell? Until I learn otherwise, I will allow the second interpretation, meaning that Life Clerics replenish hit points with cure wounds thusly:

1. 1d8 + 3 + spellcasting ability modifier
2. 2d8 + 4 + spellcasting ability modifier
3. 3d8 + 5 + spellcasting ability modifier
4. 4d8 + 6 + spellcasting ability modifier
5. 5d8 + 7 + spellcasting ability modifier
6. 6d8 + 8 + spellcasting ability modifier
7. 7d8 + 9 + spellcasting ability modifier
8. 8d8 + 10 + spellcasting ability modifier
9. 9d8 + 11 + spellcasting ability modifier

Healing word is another spell available to bards, clerics and druids. While the spell heals fewer points on average, it can be cast from up to 60 feet away as a bonus action! This magic also benefits from the use of highers spell slots:

1. 1d4 + spellcasting ability modifier
2. 2d4 + spellcasting ability modifier
3. 3d4 + spellcasting ability modifier
4. 4d4 + spellcasting ability modifier
5. 5d4 + spellcasting ability modifier
6. 6d4 + spellcasting ability modifier
7. 7d4 + spellcasting ability modifier
8. 8d4 + spellcasting ability modifier
9. 9d4 + spellcasting ability modifier

For Life clerics, use these numbers instead:

1. 1d4 + 3 + spellcasting ability modifier
2. 2d4 + 4 + spellcasting ability modifier
3. 3d4 + 5 + spellcasting ability modifier
4. 4d4 + 6 + spellcasting ability modifier
5. 5d4 + 7 + spellcasting ability modifier
6. 6d4 + 8 + spellcasting ability modifier
7. 7d4 + 9 + spellcasting ability modifier
8. 8d4 + 10 + spellcasting ability modifier
9. 9d4 + 11 + spellcasting ability modifier

Class Abilities

Fighters, paladins and clerics of the life domain all receive the ability to heal, but in different ways.

Second wind

From the very beginning, fighters gain the ability second wind. (PHB 72) This feature allows any fighter to use a bonus action to heal (1d10+fighter level) hit points. A fighter can use this ability in addition to taking a full complement of attacks and moves and actions. However, this ability only replenishes after a rest (long or short). Even at higher levels, a fighter can rely on this inner reserve of healing just once during a combat, regardless of their level.

Lay on hands

Paladins also gain a healing power at 1st level. (PHB 84) This ability requires the character to use an action, but a paladin can restore a total of (5 x paladin level) hit points. The paladin can divide this recovery several different times so long as all the available hit points have not yet been distributed. It takes a long rest to reset this power.

Additionally, this power can be used to cure a target from either disease or poison. This action uses up 5 hit points of available healing but does not provide healing other than removing the poison or disease.

Channel divinity

Finally, clerics within the Life domain can also provide healing up to (5 x cleric level), but only on the severely injured. (PHB 60) By taking an action to present a holy symbol, the cleric can restore hit points to any selected non-undead/non-construct within 30 feet. However, this healing can only bring each target up to half its maximum hit points. (Or "bloodied" for those still hungover from 4e.) This ability manifests at 2nd level and can be used once between any rest (long or short). (PHB 58-59) Starting at 6th level, a cleric can employ channel divinity twice between rests, and eventually gains a third usage at 18th level. So these are the total hit points that a life cleric can heal at each cleric level if channel divinity is used only to restore health:

1. ability not available yet
2. 10 total hit points
3. 15 total hit points
4. 20 total hit points
5. 25 total hit points
6. 60 total hit points
7. 70 total hit points
8. 80 total hit points
9. 90 total hit points
10. 100 total hit points
11. 110 total hit points
12. 120 total hit points
13. 130 total hit points
14. 140 total hit points
15. 150 total hit points
16. 160 total hit points
17. 170 total hit points
18. 270 total hit points
19. 285 total hit points
20. 300 total hit points

Potions of Healing

Potions of healing are listed in the Treasure section of the Dungeon Master's Guide on pages 187 & 188. These potions come in different potencies (and increasing recovery) as shown below:

The most common healing potion costs 50gp and weighs half a pound. (PHB 150 & 153)  The prices for superior healing and supreme healing are not canon but instead extrapolated based on the healing provided. All healing potions, regardless or strength, weigh 1/2 lb.

Healing potions are always available for sale.  Players with proficiency in herbalism kits and sufficient downtime days can make these potions as well. (PHB 154 & 187)

House Rule: If the players seek to purchase any of the other healing potions, roll randomly to see how many bottles are available from vendors that week. If the result is 0 or less, that particular potion is not available for the week. A new roll can be made next week.

• Greater healing: 1d10-3 bottles available
• Superior healing: 1d8-3 bottles available
• Supreme healing: 1d6-3 bottles available

Only one roll is made per week, and it doesn't matter how far into the week the adventure is when the original query is made. For consistency's sake, pick a day for the roll and don't change it. If the party goes a whole week without trying to obtain potions, then they don't get two or more rolls when they finally begin shopping. That week's opportunity is lost.

During rests

In addition to healing available during combat, characters also regain health during periods of inactivity. During a short rest, a player can choose to expend one or more hit dice to regain health. (PHB 186)For each hit die expended temporarily, the player rolls the hit die for their character's class and add the Constitution modifier. A barbarian with CON 16 would regain (1d12+3) hit points per spent die. A wizard with CON 9 that used a hit die in this manner would regain (1d6-1) hit points.

By taking a long rest, where the characters spend eight hours avoiding strenuous activity, a character regains all lost hit points, even if hit die have been expended. (PHB 186) Spent hit dice also return after a long rest; a character gains up to half their total hit die, with a minimum of one recovered. After a long rest, for example, a 11th level fighter would recover up to 5 hit dice. (11/2 = 5.5 which rounds down to 5 (PHB 7))

Note that while they can take essentially an unlimited number of short rests, a party can only benefit from one long rest every 24 hours. (The presumption being that similar to Earth, days on fantasy worlds last roughly 24 hours.) This rules contradicts what has been occurring in the swampy hedge maze, so for the remainder of the hedge maze, just say to yourself, "The old hag did it."

Hopefully this explanation gives you an idea of the most common forms of healing available to injured characters. There are lots more methods out there (vampiric weapons, regeneration rings, etc.) but we'll burn that bridge when we get to it.

Stay well!

~ Tidwin