Another night of D&D this week, this time with my friend Stephan playing as Mika, a fae-loving cleric (I think). We met in the Green Griffin Inn (franchise pending), and decided to travel together so he could learn skills to help his home area, and I could learn tales to recite as a bard. We set off on our quest towards a mine that was marked on a map that I got last week from the dead goblins.
Along the way, we found a pit with a dead mule that was an obvious trap that had been sprung. Mika and I, Torinn, the silver dragonborn Bard, avoided any issues with the trap but upon investigation, found human tracks mixed with prints of goblins and wolves heading off into the woods. Now, here was a dilemma. We are low-level characters with little power and easily killed. Our compatriots (2 other players) were absent on this night, so we could either risk all to save a human or go to the village and try to bring people back to help. We opted to save the human, which ended up as a small battle with a wolf. A larger wolf had run off, with the goblins gone before that, so we saved a villager. I healed him and we got to the village next to the mine relatively easily after that…we named the mine/village area Stonehaven.
Upon arrival, we discovered a house was on fire from a goblin attack, so we helped put it out and then I regaled the townsfolk with an impromptu tale of our mighty battle near mule pit. I might have embellished a little, but nevertheless, all the villagers were more interested in us two strangers than they were in the house fire we helped to extinguish. Nice, more interesting than a house fire. It should be on the Yelp reviews of my performance.
We spent the night at the human’s home, entertained the family, Mika helped improve their marriage, everyone loved us. We got some better weapons and lots of information about the mine, some nearby ruins, a village elder, etc. And some rations. We went off to explore the ruins while everyone else went to the mine to dig. The ruins turned out to be magical, with evidence that dwarves and goblins used to live there together, which is odd for mortal enemies. We found an evil altar in a basement, found some magic was active, collected some artefacts, and tried to leave. The two goblins and the wolf were not fond of us being in their basement altar and attacked when we left. A short battle later, and the wolf was dead, with the two goblins trussed up and ready for transport. We ended the night by deciding to haul the goblins to the fae and let them decide what to do with them.
Surprising gameplay elements
I thought most of the story would be created/run by the DM, and most things would unfold as turns. Not so much. For example, as we approached the pit with the mule, we knew it had been a trap but weren’t sure if it was an ambush, too. Mika led the way with us using our stealth to sneak through the adjoining underbrush to get to the pit without being detected. I would never even have thought of it. I just assumed we’d walk over and be presented with several options, some rolls, and then the story would continue.
Even when we started the night, at the Green Griffin Inn (franchise pending still), we did a small role-play where Mika and Torinn met each other and agreed to travel together. It’s all backstory of course, but I wasn’t really expecting that aspect as much. Then later, when we were at the house fire, Mika had some spells to help put out the fire. I had nothing that would help, but the DM asked me what I was doing…umm, I don’t know. What am I supposed to be doing? Oh, I can pretend I’m part of the bucket and sand brigade. Okaaaay. And when it was over, I performed for the crowd with our tale (not really, just said I did…I didn’t act it out or anything). But we were improvising our story more than I expected.
And then later, when we were at the villager’s house, Mika and Torinn were talking about other weapons and Mika decided that Torinn should have a short bow and 40 arrows. So out of nowhere, he just asked Deganar if he knew someone who could make them for us. Apparently, he knows a Fletcher, and thus he arranged it for us for free. Of course, we had saved his live, a friend’s house, and his marriage, while also entertaining his kids AND deciding to buy him a new mule. (Don’t ask; I only helped pay for it, I thought it was a bit over the top, but it sure convinced him to help us for life. I hope he doesn’t get unalived helping us, seems like a good bloke). We had another dilemma after the night’s last battle, which was the goblins were asleep and I wanted to kill them. But Mika doesn’t like to kill sentient beings unless he has to when they’re attacking us. Wuss. 🙂 I wanted to notch an arrow between their eyes. I didn’t even get to use my Thunderwave for the night.
But I did use my new blue dice that are easy to read with my tired eyes. I just need to find a good figurine to be my silver dragon bard. 🙂 With a horn and a lute, and a lyre and a flute!
Sorry, can’t stop to chat right now, we’re off to give the tied up goblins to the fae. Cheerio!
