Campaign Stormwreck Isle; Curse of Compass Rose (1-3)

Part 3 - Curse of the Compass Rose
View attachment 357_Promontory.mp3

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MAP:

Maps - D&D Beyond

www.dndbeyond.com

THE STORY SO FAR:

Stormwreck Isle: Journey to Stormwreck Isle (1-P)
Stormwreck Isle: Welcome to Dragon's Rest (1-1)
Stormwreck Isle: Spores of Seagrow Cave (1-2)​

---

THE QUEST:

• The party seeks the wreck of the Compass Rose, a ship that went down decades ago and may be linked to the undead incursion.

---

​

THE LOCATION:

​

Local Party Map​

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THE PARTY:

ITEM GLOSSARY:

Image	Name	Value (per)	Weight (per)	Description
	Wind Spore Mushrooms​	30	0.06 lbs	A rare fungus with a unique magical property. When a creature squeezes a wind spore mushroom's cap, it releases a small cloud of spores. For 1 hour, the creature doesn't need to breathe, as the spores provide it with oxygen.
	Obsidian Chunk​	10	1 lb	An uncut opaque black gemstone.
	Heart Cap Mushrooms​	30	0.2 lbs	These mushrooms bear an unsettling resemblance to human hearts.
	Potion of Healing​	50	0.5 lbs	This potion's red liquid glimmers when agitated. You regain 2d4+2 hit points when you drink this potion.
	A Fine Lute
	Boots of Elvenkind			While you wear these boots, your steps make no sound, regardless of the surface you are moving across. You also have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks that rely on moving silently.
	Spell Scroll of Command

---

THE STORY CONTINUES:

Having departed from Dragon's Rest for the second time, your band of adventurers slowly make their way down the mountain paths towards the shore where you first landed. The journey is uneventful and peaceful, a welcome contrast to the carnage the party has faced since arriving on the island. Songbirds flutter across the path ahead of you as they dart back and forth between bushes, hunting the insects they harbor. Your walk down to the water does not take more than a half hour however, so the ramble through nature is fleeting.

Returning to the beach where you had fought the zombies, the party find the scene just as you left it. The battered corpses of the drowned sailors lay immobile where they were slain, the putrid grey flesh not appealing to any scavengers and having been left untouched. Your group moves cautiously past the bodies, one by one each battling the anxiety that the monsters will spring up again and attack.

The five of you convene on the short wooden dock. There is an old fishing net dangling over the edge and trailing in the water, where it appears to be tangled within a clump of seaweed. Several short lengths of aging rope are knotted here and there around the thick posts, some having been cut free in haste rather than untied. A rowboat not dissimilar to the one you arrived in is tethered to the dock, and you see a pair of oars laying across the seats. The boat appears big enough for 4 medium sized passengers.

North of your position, you can see a long spur of sharp rocks jutting from the ocean waves, extending several miles out.​

---

INITIATIVE:
https://improvedinitiative.app/p/e88bk48y

 

[Dungeon Master]

((But then I go and roll well for him and don't get to paralyze Zesty. ))

---

Zesty Zapcrackle
@Jon​

| You feel the sensation in your limbs being pulled away from you, but you refuse to be overcome and manage to fight it off. |

---

((@Nae'blis))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((Missed it by 10 minutes! Thanks, Ben! You're luck is better than mine, so I'll take it!

This ghoul... can't move away or it hits me, so I gotta keep healing to try and save myself. What a jerk. Lol))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Missed it by 10 minutes! Thanks, Ben! You're luck is better than mine, so I'll take it!

This ghoul... can't move away or it hits me, so I gotta keep healing to try and save myself. What a jerk. Lol))

((Not entirely so! You could disengage during your turn, which lets you move without invoking an attack of opportunity. You get your full movement speed in the same turn, so you can move on top of disengaging, though be aware you're still in difficult terrain.

So you can move away without getting hit, but can't attack, cast, etc. in the same round.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Alternately, there's also the dodge action, which gives you advantage on any dexterity based saving throws and gives attacks against you disadvantage. Same deal though, it consumes your action for the turn so no attacking/casting too. You could move still, but you'd invoke the attack of opportunity and would have to try to actually dodge it. I believe dodge is more for a "hold your position and be more defensive" kind of play though, if you're trying to hold your ground.))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((Alternately, there's also the dodge action, which gives you advantage on any dexterity based saving throws and gives attacks against you disadvantage. Same deal though, it consumes your action for the turn so no attacking/casting too. You could move still, but you'd invoke the attack of opportunity and would have to try to actually dodge it. I believe dodge is more for a "hold your position and be more defensive" kind of play though, if you're trying to hold your ground.))

((Hmm, wish I had known that last turn when I had more HP. Would have disengaged then to move away. But I was hoping for a larger heal... stupid low roll. I am in between deciding to disengage or use my healing potion to ensure safety at this point. Can't rely on saving throws the way I've been rolling.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Hmm, wish I had known that last turn when I had more HP. Would have disengaged then to move away. But I was hoping for a larger heal... stupid low roll. I am in between deciding to disengage or use my healing potion to ensure safety at this point. Can't rely on saving throws the way I've been rolling.))

((Fair. I don't know if all of you noticed but you do have access to the Player's Handbook through my campaign on D&D Beyond.

Player’s Handbook

Player’s Handbook Everything a player needs to create heroic characters for the world’s greatest roleplaying game. View Cover Art ...

www.dndbeyond.com

That'll let you review the rules yourselves, if you so choose. There are some other ones I've got shared, too. Mostly bonus sourcebooks that add in the additional race options, etc. I don't think I shared any of the adventure manuals, just so you don't learn them.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Oh, @An Obligatory Name Change, I realize it'd probably help you to use Wild Shape.

So at level 2 druids get access to stuff that isn't swimming or flying, and doesn't have a combat rating (CR) of over 1/4. A wolf is 1/4, so that's kind of the yardstick for the max of what you can turn into right now.

When you change into something, you assume that creature's stats entirely, including their HP. When you're reduced to 0 HP in a Wild Shape, you turn back into your druid form with the HP you had before you shifted. Unless you take enough extra damage beyond just hitting 0 HP, equal to remaining druid HP, then your character is dying too.

Example creatures you can turn into now;
Wolf (CR 1/4), Giant Badger (CR 1/4), Giant Centipede (CR 1/4), Mastiff (CR 1/8), Rat (CR 0), Spider (CR 0)












Just bookmark this post so you can come back to it for the animals, I guess.))

 

[Short Order]

((If I cast wild shape I need to wait a turn to attack? I'm assuming that's accurate))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

((If I cast wild shape I need to wait a turn to attack? I'm assuming that's accurate))

((Yaas.))

 

[Short Order]

((Could I have cast it on the way to the stairs before we joined the combat, as a response to hearing the shouts from below?))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

((Could I have cast it on the way to the stairs before we joined the combat, as a response to hearing the shouts from below?))

((It'll probably be a no as you've already added into the combat order. But otherwise you could've before that. Up to Ben though if he gives the wiggle room still.))

 

[Short Order]

((I wasn't trying to retcon this in, just curious if in the future I could respond to the call by changing shape and running over before joining combat since I'd miss a round or two anyway))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

((I wasn't trying to retcon this in, just curious if in the future I could respond to the call by changing shape and running over before joining combat since I'd miss a round or two anyway))

((Yeah definitely. The shift lasts for an hour, so if you think we're going to get into a fight, or in cases where we don't get spotted by the enemies, you can 100% shapeshift first.

Though, running into a fight afterwards would probably also mean you were a considerable distance away, meaning you got to dash and losing your action anyhow. But it's all in your toolkit. The doggies do run further. ))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Seeing the zombie painfully rip out a part of his magnificent beard, Nac bellows with pain. Both physical and psychological.

YE DON'T! MESS! WITH! THE! BEARD!

Nac throws a punch like a meteor towards the smug looking undead face of Zombie 1 and with the momentum spins and drives an uppercut to it's chin, shoryuken style

 

[Dungeon Master]

((If I cast wild shape I need to wait a turn to attack? I'm assuming that's accurate))

((It does count as your action, so you can't shift and attack on the same turn.

I will, however, allow the reversal of time to assume you changed on your way down the stairs. I'm not going to stick on that and make you not be able to use the thing I just suggested you use.

What're you picking? I assume wolf, but it's situational so you might see some other use for the other creature abilities. I'll adjust the stats on the initiative, etc. then.))

Seeing the zombie painfully rip out a part of his magnificent beard, Nac bellows with pain. Both physical and psychological.

YE DON'T! MESS! WITH! THE! BEARD!

Nac throws a punch like a meteor towards the smug looking undead face of Zombie 1 and with the momentum spins and drives an uppercut to it's chin, shoryuken style

---

Nac McWeeble
@Nae'blis​

|You pound the Zombie in the kisser, spinning it around 360° with the impact. The grave-tardy figure slumps as its bones begin to break.

You deal 7 points of bludgeoning damage to Zombie 1.

It stays upright, wavering back and forth

It refuses to perish.

You pivot around and push your weight up off the waterlogged deck, rising like a dragon and hammering the foe under the chin.

You deal 4 bludgeoning damage to Zombie 1.

It rocks back on it's heels, eyes reeling in its festering skull. It slowly lowers its gaze back to you.

And collapses.

Zombie 1 has been defeated |

---

((@Smacktard is up.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((@An Obligatory Name Change

Unsurprisingly, you can actually track all the Wild Shape stuff on DDB. I added the below creatures into your extras, so you can find them there. There are quite a number of other >1/4 CR beasts, which you need to have seen before you can use them, so I just went down and added all the ones I'd say you've arguably seen before. Anything else, you'll have to go on an expedition with Sir Moonsprout Attenborough to research.


))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

((Can bardic inspiration be used on spells, like Zesty's healing spell on himself?))

 

[Short Order]

What're you picking? I assume wolf, but it's situational so you might see some other use for the other creature abilities. I'll adjust the stats on the initiative, etc. then.))

((I was thinking the giant badger because of the multi-attack and couple extra hit points in this instance...but does the Pack Tactics mean I'll always have advantage if I'm near one of the other party members? If so I think I might go with wolf))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((Can bardic inspiration be used on spells, like Zesty's healing spell on himself?))

((Ben will give the official answer, but I don't think so. I think I could use it for another con saving throw if needed though. But I don't want to use my second spell slot to heal again, so I probably wouldn't use it for that even if I could. May just disengage to try and get distance. Or if you do cast it, I use my healing pot and stand in there and use the bardic inspiration to try and avoid the inevitable attack Ben is determined to kill me with lol))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Can bardic inspiration be used on spells, like Zesty's healing spell on himself?))

((It cannot. It's only applicable to ability checks, attack rolls and saving throws. So it could help him out, but not with the healing.))

((I was thinking the giant badger because of the multi-attack and couple extra hit points in this instance...but does the Pack Tactics mean I'll always have advantage if I'm near one of the other party members? If so I think I might go with wolf))

((I'd count the others in the party as allies for the sake of Pack Tactics, so yes you'd get advantage on attack rolls if someone is within 5ft of the creature you're attacking (not within 5ft of you specifically).))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

Yeesh, can you guys go ANYWHERE without picking a fight with a bunch of dead bodies? Chin up, Aims, you're not going to let a heap of decaying flesh get the better of you, are you? You're looking more porous than that ghoul over there.

Moonsprout gives Bardic Inspiration to Aims.

Whew, you sure are a foul lot, Moonsprout says, addressing the battling cadavers. You really need to work on your skin routine. Wanna borrow my pumice stone?

Moonsprout's piercing insults rattle the enemies.

Moonsprout casts Bane on the remaining zombie and the ghoul.

 

[Short Order]

((It cannot. It's only applicable to ability checks, attack rolls and saving throws. So it could help him out, but not with the healing.))

((I'd count the others in the party as allies for the sake of Pack Tactics, so yes you'd get advantage on attack rolls if someone is within 5ft of the creature you're attacking (not within 5ft of you specifically).))

Before joining the fight Short Order uses wild shape to AWOOO the shit out of it and become a wolf

 

[Dungeon Master]

Yeesh, can you guys go ANYWHERE without picking a fight with a bunch of dead bodies? Chin up, Aims, you're not going to let a heap of decaying flesh get the better of you, are you? You're looking more porous than that ghoul over there.

Moonsprout gives Bardic Inspiration to Aims.

Whew, you sure are a foul lot, Moonsprout says, addressing the battling cadavers. You really need to work on your skin routine. Wanna borrow my pumice stone?

Moonsprout's piercing insults rattle the enemies.

Moonsprout casts Bane on the remaining zombie and the ghoul.

---

Moonsprout Beandirt
@Smacktard​

|Aims feels bolstered by your light-hearted ribbing. He then feels sad because he remembers his missing rib.

Aims has bardic inspiration

You prick your finger and curse the undead, but find the spell impotent. Both monsters manage to shrug off the negative vibes you're pushing their way.|

---

(( ))



((@Jon))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

You prick your finger and curse the undead, but find the spell impotent. Both monsters manage to shrug off the negative vibes you're pushing their way

((What? How does this work? I thought they had to do a charisma check every time they went to attack?))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((What? How does this work? I thought they had to do a charisma check every time they went to attack?))

((That's not how I read it as working.

• You cast the spell, and as a result your targets have to make their CHA saving throws. This is where they both rolled higher than 12.
• Then, whenever a target that failed the CHA save makes an attack or saving throw, they subtract 1d4 from their roll.

They're not having to make a CHA save every time they attack. If they fail that one initial CHA save, they have to subtract the 1d4 every attack/save until you stop casting.

))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

Zesty gently falls to one knee. He's feeling the ill effects of the repeated blows from the ghoul and knows he's at the end of his rope if he can't gain any distance. He takes a deep, strained breath, and gets to his feet and moving ad far away from the ghoul as he can muster.

Zesty disengages and moves 15 feet east, away from the ghoul, being cautious of anything under his feet as he moves.

((I'm not sure where everyone is currently, so take the "zombie" in the next move to be whatever enemy is closest. Feel free to move Ur'kokk if needed, but I think he's within 30 feet of everything.))

Meanwhile, Ur'kokk lines up a Splooge Shot (Force Strike) on the nearest zombie, giving it a forceful facial.

 

[Dungeon Master]

Zesty gently falls to one knee. He's feeling the ill effects of the repeated blows from the ghoul and knows he's at the end of his rope if he can't gain any distance. He takes a deep, strained breath, and gets to his feet and moving ad far away from the ghoul as he can muster.

Zesty disengages and moves 15 feet east, away from the ghoul, being cautious of anything under his feet as he moves.

((I'm not sure where everyone is currently, so take the "zombie" in the next move to be whatever enemy is closest. Feel free to move Ur'kokk if needed, but I think he's within 30 feet of everything.))

Meanwhile, Ur'kokk lines up a Splooge Shot (Force Strike) on the nearest zombie, giving it a forceful facial.

---

Zesty Zapcrackle
@Jon​

|

You move as far as you can away from the ghoul, wading through the water and falling against some crates to steady yourself.

Ur'kokk deals 3 points of force damage to Zombie 3. |

---

((@Jawneh))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

((That's not how I read it as working.

• You cast the spell, and as a result your targets have to make their CHA saving throws. This is where they both rolled higher than 12.
• Then, whenever a target that failed the CHA save makes an attack or saving throw, they subtract 1d4 from their roll.

They're not having to make a CHA save every time they attack. If they fail that one initial CHA save, they have to subtract the 1d4 every attack/save until you stop casting.

View attachment 12250))

((I get it now, thanks. And damn, them's so charismatic waterlogged rotting corpses, I guess))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Zombie 3? More like zombie deeeee-.....ad! Raaahhhh!

Aims goes in to murderate zomb3 with the ax of murderating. No bs. Just murder.

 

[Dungeon Master]

((I get it now, thanks. And damn, them's so charismatic waterlogged rotting corpses, I guess))

((

Spoiler

Except the ghoul is actually be more like this:

))

Zombie 3? More like zombie deeeee-.....ad! Raaahhhh!

Aims goes in to murderate zomb3 with the ax of murderating. No bs. Just murder.

---

Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd
@Jawneh​

|You swing your axe laterally with both hands, catching Zombie 3 in the stomach and forcing it back against the wooden pole of the mast. Your blade digs in hard, cleaving through and biting into the wood behind the rotting corpse.

You deal 14 points of slashing damage to Zombie 3.

The top half of the zombie thrashes for a moment, toppling itself from the blade and falling into the water. After another few moments of slashing, it stops moving entirely.

Zombie 3 is defeated |

---

((Damn. That big damage was hard to save against.



Zombie 3 now gets no turn, so @An Obligatory Name Change, Wolf Order is up.

))

 

[Short Order]

Grrr. Growl growl.

Wolf Order lunges at the Ghoul and bites the shit out of it

((is Moonsprout close enough that I have advantage?))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aims gasps out of excitement!

When did we get a puppy?! This is amazing! Now we dont have to just pet Ur'kokk all day!

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

Ur'kokk growls.

One does not simply pet Ur'kokk. You stroke Ur'kokk. Gently and with purpose until Ur'kokk tell you when to stop.

 

[Dungeon Master]

Grrr. Growl growl.

Wolf Order lunges at the Ghoul and bites the shit out of it

((is Moonsprout close enough that I have advantage?))

((He's within 5ft of the Ghoul, yes. You do have advantage. However, not really necessary.))

---

Wolf Order
@An Obligatory Name Change​

|You latch onto the Ghoul's forearm and tug like a good boy.

You deal 5 points of piercing damage to the Ghoul and knock it prone. |

---

---

Dungeon Master
@Ben​

|The Ghoul struggles back to it's feet from prone ((this just costs 1/2 your move speed for the turn)), water streaming from it's pallid body.

It snarls at the suddenly appearing beast, but flesh is flesh, and it claws for your canid throat.

Wolf Order takes 5 points of slashing damage from the Ghoul.

((@An Obligatory Name Change Gimme a CON save.)) |

---

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Because I added in a wolf creature to initiative technically as an enemy, it's not showing the actual health value and just "Hurt". I'm going to stick the actual health in as a tag, so you'll be able to tell where you're at exactly.))

 

[Short Order]

 

[Dungeon Master]

---

Dungeon Master
(Ben)​

| As the ghoul's claws rake through your furry neck, you feel overcome by the paralyzing effects and your body stiffens.

You have been paralyzed by the Ghoul's claw attack. |

---

((Do keep a stiff pupper lip, Alu. I really was trying to paralyze and eat Jon though, not dogmeat.

Paralysis means;

• You are incapacitated and can't move or speak.
  • Being incapacitated, you can't take actions or reactions.
• You automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against you have advantage.
• Any attack that hits you is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of you.

You can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on yourself on a success.))



((@Nae'blis ))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((To give a map update. You can move through/over the dead zombies without issue. You can move through the same space as a friendly creature without problem, but you cannot stop in a square already occupied. So you (and Aims) can move into these spots to be within 5ft of the Ghoul.

))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((Do keep a stiff pupper lip, Alu. I really was trying to paralyze and eat Jon though, not dogmeat.

((I feel targeted...))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Ur'kokk growls.

One does not simply pet Ur'kokk. You stroke Ur'kokk. Gently and with purpose until Ur'kokk tell you when to stop.

Ur'kokk sounds like a clingy stuckup. Hmph.

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Nac moves down to stand between the ghoul and Zesty, seeing the paralyzed Wolf Order.

Oi! We don't take kindly to animal cruelty here!

Nac kicks the ghoul in the chest, and then his body begins to glow with a blue light, activating Flurry of Blows, punching the ghoul twice in it's undead gut

((Rolled the punches in one roll, so I dont have to make another post for that.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

Nac moves down to stand between the ghoul and Zesty, seeing the paralyzed Wolf Order.

Oi! We don't take kindly to animal cruelty here!

Nac kicks the ghoul in the chest, and then his body begins to glow with a blue light, activating Flurry of Blows, punching the ghoul twice in it's undead gut

((Rolled the punches in one roll, so I dont have to make another post for that.))

---

Nac McWeeble
@Nae'blis​

|

You splash nimbly through the wet, getting between the Ghoul and the battered artificer.

The water swirls around you as you spin on your toes and bring your foot around at the greater undead. You impact it squarely in the chest.

The Ghoul takes 5 points of bludgeoning damage.

Intangible blue flames flicker across your skin as you channel your energy and pound your knuckles into the Ghoul.

The Ghoul takes 4 points of bludgeoning damage from punch 1.

The Ghoul takes 4 points of bludgeoning damage from punch 2.

The ghoul is struggling, showing signs of the damage it's taken. |

---

((@Smacktard As I said, you can certainly Bardic Inspiration Short if you so choose, which would help pupper try to get unstiff. Or whatever else you want to do.))

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

Moonsprout sees Wolfy go stiff and then keep over. Seeing such a beautiful, majestic creature rendered so helpless shocks and saddens Moonsprout, and he lets out a cry:

NO! WOLFY!!

Moonsprout approaches Short Order impulsively, and grabs ahold of his fallen furry friend and starts dragging the canid out of the fight and up the stairs.

Moonsprout drags SO away from the fight.

This act of companionship fills Zesty with determination.

Zesty gets bardic inspiration

 

[Dungeon Master]

Moonsprout sees Wolfy go stiff and then keep over. Seeing such a beautiful, majestic creature rendered so helpless shocks and saddens Moonsprout, and he lets out a cry:

NO! WOLFY!!

Moonsprout approaches Short Order impulsively, and grabs ahold of his fallen furry friend and starts dragging the canid out of the fight and up the stairs.

Moonsprout drags SO away from the fight.

This act of companionship fills Zesty with determination.

Zesty gets bardic inspiration

((Roll me a STR-Athletics check.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Just gonna...

...for you.)

 

[Dungeon Master]

---

Moonsprout Beandirt
@Smacktard​

|Your determination to preserve nature overcomes you, even if the nature you're preserving is an angry little gnome with an identity complex.

Your small hands grab the wolf by the scruff of its neck and heave with everything you have.





((Dragging someone is 1/2 movement speed.))

You drag the furry boy up the ships steps one by one, back onto the main deck of the ship. You let go of the wet druid and fall back against the wall behind you, exhausted. |

---

((Pretty hard to get that as a good image... So not canon, but have this.

Spoiler

))



((@Jon))

 

[Short Order]

((I like that I'm being rescued by a character from Zelda and that there's a boat inside the flooded boat))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

If I die, Aims’, I want you to care for Ur’kokk. He’ll need someone.

Zesty moves north slightly to get a better angle on the dirty rotten ghoul that has tried so hard to kill him; almost as if possessed by a higher power. He raises his crossbow and takes aim at the ghoul.

Zesty moves 5 feet north (or 10 if you think he needs it) and attempts to hit ghoul with his crossbow.

Ur’kokk moves as needed and tries to hit ghoul with a force strike.

((@Ben - I assume because Ur’kokk is flying he’s not subjected to the rough terrain?))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((Lol my d4 rolls for Ur’kokk have been terrible))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Aims watches as Moonsprout drags away the new pupper up to a more safe place. He's very impressed by thr small halfling being able to do this.

Wow. I wouldnt have been able guess grabbing a stiffy got the halfling so excited.