The Third Adventure

[mushgnome]

Turn 12

Our heroes bypass the rats nest and continue to the west. The ground here is scorched and the newcomers might wonder, geez, do these guys solve all their problems with fire? The Hobbets soon find themselves at a major Y intersection in the dungeon geography: To the north is a downhill slope to a larger cavern that yawns into darkness beyond the flickering lamp-light. It's a rock-strewn scramble (5-in-6 climbing success, auto-success with a rope, auto success for a thief). To the southwest is a standard dungeon tunnel leading into the unknown.

Which way?



Full size image: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Jz8Ju1WUz2YhzXF66

[acodispo]

Willie: "Anybody up for some climbing? The cavern looks big & open, maybe preferable to those rat tunnels."

[mushgnome]

Willie thinks the slope would be child's play with his thief skills. And it's only a 30' drop, so even a non-thief who failed their climbing check (5-in-6 odds of success, or auto-success with a rope) wouldn't be injured, they would just make a lot of noise tumbling down the loose rocks.

Who wants to go first? assuming the party is in agreement. Willie has the only rope.

OOC: I realize I am slightly contradicting the climbing odds-of-success I mentioned earlier, when the party first explored this area in the 1st Adventure, but I want to playtest a new climbing rule.

[mushgnome]

Willie is the only one with rope, according to my notes. Shall we set a 'standard operating procedure' for easy down-climbs, that everyone else goes down the rope, Willie unties the top end, and comes down last, coiling his rope as he goes?

And if we're doing this thing, who's going first?

[mushgnome]

Carc the raven felt a little claustrophobic in the corkscrew tunnel, so he takes this opportunity to stretch his wings. He swoops and soars around the cavern, pushing the envelope but never straying too far from the beacon of the lamp light. Carc is seemingly at ease in the large, shadowy cavern, as his low-light vision is many times better than his Hobbet master's.

[mgtremaine]

Kiplyn would eye the slope and nod his head a few times. "I've climbed worse, though not in the dark with beasties and rats.. Ok maybe I haven't still I'm game."

[kipper]

"Carc seems pretty relaxed, I don't think there's any immediate danger," Dame Simonetta says."As with most hills, however, the trouble is not getting down, it's getting back up."

I'd rather continue past the slope and try exploring southwards, but if it's the party consensus to head down the slope, Dame Simonetta will not be hesitant about leading the way.

[mushgnome]

Dougal, Tet, and Willie (along with Potty, NPC and Chegs, RIP) have in fact previously explored the south/southwest tunnel, on their First Adventure. It's up to them how much they remember and whether to give the newcomers any hints/spoilers.

[acodispo]

Willie takes another look at the south passage, trying to remember where it leads.

"I don't think we want to go there just yet, it's a whole 'nother level of excitement, if you catch my meaning. Carc seems to like this cavern -- I'm in favour of following his lead! Let's use my rope -- you can all climb down, then I'll untie the rope & follow you. I'm a pretty good climber!"

[mgtremaine]

"You could also leave it tied up encase we need to make quick escape." Kiplyn adds as he moves towards the slope.