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

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

​

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​

---

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]

((I'm just going to be assumptive and roll for @Nae'blis to get this moved forward before his turn comes up.))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

((I'm just going to be assumptive and roll for @Nae'blis to get this moved forward before his turn comes up.))

((Thanks!))

 

[Dungeon Master]

---

Dungeon Master
(Ben)​

|
View attachment aria2.mp3

Moonsprout is the only one who cannot resist the Harpy's song ((fittingly)). He falls under its spell and his eyes lose focus slightly.

Moonsprout is charmed. He is incapacitated (cannot take actions/reactions) |

---

((@Smacktard While under this charm, every turn, if more than 5ft away from the Harpy, you must move in the most direct path towards it. You can repeat the WIS saving throw at the end of each of your turns. You won't start moving until your next turn.))



((@Nae'blis Nac is up.))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

((Nac probably has bEARd plugs in or something...

How high up is Harpy 2,on top of the ballista? Reachable with melee?))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Nac probably has bEARd plugs in or something...

How high up is Harpy 2,on top of the ballista? Reachable with melee?))

((The ballista is like 7-8 feet long, so big, but not too high that you couldn't attack the Harpy in melee.))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Tha' is some fine singin' lass, but ye should hear me mate Hamish when he gets a few tankards of ale in 'im!

Nac runs up the stairs to the ballista riding Harpy.

When he gets close he jumps up and throws an uppercut towrds the harpy and while still in the air spins and heel kicks it with his bonus attack

 

[Dungeon Master]

Tha' is some fine singin' lass, but ye should hear me mate Hamish when he gets a few tankards of ale in 'im!

Nac runs up the stairs to the ballista riding Harpy.

When he gets close he jumps up and throws an uppercut towrds the harpy and while still in the air spins and heel kicks it with his bonus attack

---

Nac McWeeble
@Nae'blis​

|

You run up to the forecastle and stop just before you bump into Ur'kokk.

You pounce up into the air and manage to just catch the Harpy in the shoulder with your fist.

You deal 4 points of bludgeoning damage to Harpy 2.

Somehow you turn that momentum into a complete flip, bringing your heel down onto the Harpy's wing.

You deal 4 points of bludgeoning damage to Harpy 2. |

---

---

Dungeon Master
(Ben)​

| Harpy 1 struggles against the tether that binds it and manages to slice the rope with its sharp talons.

Harpy 1 is no longer prone.
It rises from the crows nest and flies a little out over the water.

|

---

((@Jawneh))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

((If I looked at the squares right, Aims can just make it to the harpy too with some diagonals.))

The birds are screaming, which makes perfect sense to Aims. They wanted him to scream so now they're screaming as well. What is weird is them suddenly turning hostile after a good scream by Moonsprout. The birds need to be taught a severe lesson.

Okay birdbrains! You cant play nice so neither will I! Leave some of that for me dwarf!

Aims follows Nac up the stairs to plunge his ax into the ribs if the harpy.

TIME FOR SOME TENDER BREAST MEAT!

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

((I forgot reckless attack. Too late for that? No? Maybe? Here's the other roll anyhow. Nice.))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Harpy 1 is no longer prone.
It rises from the crows nest and flies a little out over the water.

((So, Harpy 1 just made itself into a perfect ice knife target? ))

 

[Short Order]

((So, Harpy 1 just made itself into a perfect ice knife target? ))

((Am I able to cast with my ears still plugged? I thought unplugging would cost me my action))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Am I able to cast with my ears still plugged? I thought unplugging would cost me my action))

((You could still cast, but only anything without a somatic component. So, nothing that requires your hands to gesture.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((If I looked at the squares right, Aims can just make it to the harpy too with some diagonals.))

The birds are screaming, which makes perfect sense to Aims. They wanted him to scream so now they're screaming as well. What is weird is them suddenly turning hostile after a good scream by Moonsprout. The birds need to be taught a severe lesson.

Okay birdbrains! You cant play nice so neither will I! Leave some of that for me dwarf!

Aims follows Nac up the stairs to plunge his ax into the ribs if the harpy.

TIME FOR SOME TENDER BREAST MEAT!

---

Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd
@Jawneh​

|

You dart up the stairs to the forecastle, sliding up to the smashed ballista and swinging your axe in a large arc.

The blade whiffs past the Harpy and bites into the wooden frame of the giant siege crossbow.

You miss. |

---

((@An Obligatory Name Change))

 

[Short Order]

((all my spells that would be useful right now have an S. General question: does something like a harpy song affect animals as well?))

 

[Short Order]

((Well I guess for now I'll need to just do something.))

This is going swimmingly.

Short Order unplugs his ears and kicks the door shut so Moonsprout can't mindlessly walk to the harpies under their spell.

 

[Dungeon Master]

((all my spells that would be useful right now have an S. General question: does something like a harpy song affect animals as well?))

((Hmm.... Well it does specify humanoids. If you're not a humanoid, then it wouldn't affect you.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Well I guess for now I'll need to just do something.))

This is going swimmingly.

Short Order unplugs his ears and kicks the door shut so Moonsprout can't mindlessly walk to the harpies under their spell.

((Yessssss. I was literally hoping someone would realize this was a good move and lock Moonsprout in. Everyone else just ran off though, so... nice.

Also, I'll say closing a door can be done as part of your movement/object-interaction for the turn, so you can still take an action action.

If you want to Wild Shape after closing the door, you can do that too.))

 

[Short Order]

Try and hypnotize this you harpy hags!

Short Order becomes a giant badger.

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((Yessssss. I was literally hoping someone would realize this was a good move and lock Moonsprout in. Everyone else just ran off though, so... nice.

((I'm chaotic and last time I didn't stop someone from doing something silly, he shit his pants in the most hilarious of moments that I STILL giggle about mindlessly.

Also, I read that as restricting someone else's character, so I didn't even consider doing it. But Short Order and Moonsprout are kindred spirits, so...))

 

[Short Order]

((I'm chaotic and last time I didn't stop someone from doing something silly, he shit his pants in the most hilarious of moments that I STILL giggle about mindlessly.

Also, I read that as restricting someone else's character, so I didn't even consider doing it. But Short Order and Moonsprout are kindred spirits, so...))

((Short order is trying to become one with nature again so Moonsprout is subconsciously bringing that out in him))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((I'm chaotic and last time I didn't stop someone from doing something silly, he shit his pants in the most hilarious of moments that I STILL giggle about mindlessly.

Also, I read that as restricting someone else's character, so I didn't even consider doing it. But Short Order and Moonsprout are kindred spirits, so...))

((I appreciate that consideration, although I think in this specific instance it plays to the roleplay aspect. And/or, Moonsprout is already not in control of himself, so it's not in and of itself taking that away from him.

Besides, the spirit of the "don't act for other people" rule is more like... You Jon should not be able to write dialog or decide actions that Moonsprout does. That does not preclude you from doing things to someone else's character even if against their will (I wish that didn't sound as skeevy as it does.)

But like, it would be entirely possible for you to try to shoot Moonsprout in the face if you so chose, as you're not making his character do something. Yeah you're imposing an action on them that they likely don't want, but it's an external force, not an internal one.))

Try and hypnotize this you harpy hags!

Short Order becomes a giant badger.

---

Short Order
@An Obligatory Name Change​

|

You become badger. |

---

((

))

---

Moonsprout Beandirt
@Smacktard​

|

You walk to the suddenly closed door, finding it's latched itself. The beautiful aria pulses through the boards of the ship and your heart strains to be closer to it.

You attempt to break down the door. |

---

((Speaking of taking actions for people; since all you (@Smacktard) can do is try to move closer to the harpy, I'll just resolve the necessary rolls to move it forward. ))

 

[Dungeon Master]

---

Moonsprout Beandirt
@Smacktard​

| You pound on the inside of the cabin door, attempting to bust through like you had previously. You slam into the wooden barrier and crumple against it, as it refuses to budge.

You are still enthralled by the Harpy's luring song. |

---

((@Jon))

 

[Short Order]

((We're lucky Moonsprout is so weak))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((We're lucky Moonsprout is so weak))

((This time. If he'd rolled that 20 to bust the door down now instead of with the empty mess hall, he'd have flattened you with the door as it flew off the hinges.

))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((I appreciate that consideration, although I think in this specific instance it plays to the roleplay aspect. And/or, Moonsprout is already not in control of himself, so it's not in and of itself taking that away from him.

Besides, the spirit of the "don't act for other people" rule is more like... You Jon should not be able to write dialog or decide actions that Moonsprout does. That does not preclude you from doing things to someone else's character even if against their will (I wish that didn't sound as skeevy as it does.)

But like, it would be entirely possible for you to try to shoot Moonsprout in the face if you so chose, as you're not making his character do something. Yeah you're imposing an action on them that they likely don't want, but it's an external force, not an internal one.))

((Fair enough. I will bear that in mind. Also, busy day at work, so nothing more fancy than an action right now))

Zesty climbs the nearby stairs, gaining and angle on Harpy 2 and fires his crossbow. Ur'kokk follows with a force strike.

 

[Short Order]

((Ur'kokk is by far the best thing you have going for you))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Fair enough. I will bear that in mind. Also, busy day at work, so nothing more fancy than an action right now))

Zesty climbs the nearby stairs, gaining and angle on Harpy 2 and fires his crossbow. Ur'kokk follows with a force strike.

---

Zesty Zapcrackle
@Jon​

|

You move to where you can fire around your friends.

You raise your crossbow and fire towards the feathered monstrosity.

You miss.

Ur'kokk, still hanging out south of Nac, pitches itself forward and fires another Force Blast at the siren.

Ur'kokk deals 6 points of force damage to Harpy 2. |

---

---

Dungeon Master
(Ben)​

|Harpy 2 slashes towards Nac with its razor sharp talons, taking a chunk out of Nac's shoulder.

Harpy 2 deals 9 points of slashing damage to Nac.

Harpy 2 brings her club around and bonks Aims on the side of the head.

Harpy 2 deals 5 points of bludgeoning damage to Aims. |

---

((@Nae'blis is up.))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((@Ben - two questions. First, Which harpy is it that cast the song? The one that was in the crow's nest, right? And second, is the song across both harpies? Like, if we kill the one that cast the song originally, is the charm broken on Moonsprout?))

 

[Dungeon Master]

((@Ben - two questions. First, Which harpy is it that cast the song? The one that was in the crow's nest, right? And second, is the song across both harpies? Like, if we kill the one that cast the song originally, is the charm broken on Moonsprout?))

((It was Harpy 2 that sang. Harpy 1 just got free and moved.

In so far as the full effect of the song, I think you'll need to roll again if you want that info! We'll do arcana again.))

 

[Short Order]

((I hope you're all ready for the incredibly named Short Giant Badger to do something soon))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((It was Harpy 2 that sang. Harpy 1 just got free and moved.

In so far as the full effect of the song, I think you'll need to roll again if you want that info! We'll do arcana again.))

((Understood! Didn't realize that was check info! Since my turn is passed and I don't want to waste a turn making a check, I guess we'll have to find out! ))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Ow! I need tha' shoulder ta do stuff!

Nac jumps up and uppercuts the Harpy in the chest and on the way down elbows it in the head

 

[Dungeon Master]

((Understood! Didn't realize that was check info! Since my turn is passed and I don't want to waste a turn making a check, I guess we'll have to find out! ))

((I just settled on the "giving you info about how the monsters work shouldn't just be an OOC thing" side of things. If I tell you exactly how things work without your characters knowing it, it's crossing that meta-gaming line of knowing more than you arguably should.))

Ow! I need tha' shoulder ta do stuff!

Nac jumps up and uppercuts the Harpy in the chest and on the way down elbows it in the head

---

Nac McWeeble
@Nae'blis​

|You spring up, twisting like a corkscrew as your fist rises, and you punch the Harpy in the titty.

Harpy 2 takes 10 points of bludgeoning damage. ((Max 1d4 + 3 roll + 3 bonus))

Your elbow comes down and connects with the top of her skull, snapping the beak shut with a crack.

Harpy 2 takes 4 points of bludgeoning damage

Harpy 2 is struggling to stay upright.|

---

---

Dungeon Master
(Ben)​

|

Harpy 1 swoops down to the forecastle and lands lightly on the deck behind Nac and Aims.

Harpy 1 thrusts forward at Aims with it's claws. The wicked black talons bite into the back of the half-orc's shoulder leaving ragged gouges.

Harpy 1 deals 7 points of slashing damage to Aims.

Harpy 1 pivots and swings at Nac with the bone club it wields.

Harpy 1 deals 5 points of bludgeoning damage to Nac. |

---

((@Jawneh))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Stupid birds! You think a little bloodloss would stop me? Hah! Think again!

Aims raises his ax high, determined to cleave harpy 2 in half this time.

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

((.... I got no clue what the heck happened with that rogue third die lol. Fat fingered something for sure. Ignore the 18 there.))

 

[Dungeon Master]

Stupid birds! You think a little bloodloss would stop me? Hah! Think again!

Aims raises his ax high, determined to cleave harpy 2 in half this time.

---

Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd
@Jawneh​

|Your blade glints in the sunlight as you raise it high above your head. Bringing the weight of the axe down like a guillotine, you bear down and drive trough with the strike until your weapon bites into the wood of the ballista.

Harpy 2 takes 12 points of damage.

Harpy 2 stops singing with a startled squawk and freezes. Heartbeats later, two halves of the monster fall away to the deck, cleaved down the middle.

Harpy 2 has been defeated. |

---

---

Moonsprout Beandirt
@Smacktard​

| As the Harpy dies, its song fades and you're no longer charmed by it. |

---

((@An Obligatory Name Change ))

 

[Short Order]

Badger...badger badger. BADGER!!!

Short Giant Badger runs up the stairs and multi attacks harpy 1

 

[Short Order]

((Stupid badger can't hit shit, but certainly hits hard))

 

[Dungeon Master]

Badger...badger badger. BADGER!!!

Short Giant Badger runs up the stairs and multi attacks harpy 1

---

Short Order
@An Obligatory Name Change​

|

You hurry up the steps to the forecastle and incessantly badger the Harpy.

You attempt to bite the rear of her calf.

You miss.

You rear up and strike downwards with your claws towards her wings.

You miss. |

---

((@Smacktard))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

| As the Harpy dies, its song fades and you're no longer charmed by it. |

((I see said the blind man speaking to the deaf man over the phone...))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

Holy, yo what the fuck?!

Aims gets freaking spooked. Not enough to shit himself, as he's gone through rigorous sphincter training recently. But enough to have him do a double take even in the middle of a bloodbath.

Where the hell did this badger come from?! ... no. Hapries, you assholes! How DARE you charm animals and get them onto a boat in the middle of the ocean?! That poor bastard can't even dig around here! Oh, you're so fucking dead now!

 

[Dungeon Master]

Holy, yo what the fuck?!

Aims gets freaking spooked. Not enough to shit himself, as he's gone through rigorous sphincter training recently. But enough to have him do a double take even in the middle of a bloodbath.

Where the hell did this badger come from?! ... no. Hapries, you assholes! How DARE you charm animals and get them onto a boat in the middle of the ocean?! That poor bastard can't even dig around here! Oh, you're so fucking dead now!

((I love it. I realized while staring at the stat blocks just how dumb Aims is with that 6 intelligence.

Like... The ghoul was smarter than Aims. He's definitely on the orc end of the spectrum.))

 

[Aims'Orreh Mwuh'Bwadd]

((I love it. I realized while staring at the stat blocks just how dumb Aims is with that 6 intelligence.

Like... The ghoul was smarter than Aims. He's definitely on the orc end of the spectrum.))

((I imagine his wisdom is the only thing keeping him alive. It was easy as a stupid grunt in the military where you do what you're told, but that also did teach him how to survive, how to read situations, and all things similar to that.

... but he's just dumb. Mai'cokk was smarter than Aims as well.))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

((I imagine his wisdom is the only thing keeping him alive. It was easy as a stupid grunt in the military where you do what you're told, but that also did teach him how to survive, how to read situations, and all things similar to that.

... but he's just dumb. Mai'cokk was smarter than Aims as well.))

(())

 

[Moonsprout Beandirt]

Moonsprout snaps to his senses. He feels completely overwhelmed with emotions -- distraught that the most beautiful sounds he's ever heard have ended, but relieved that he's still breathing, but jealous that he's not able to become the Harpy's understudy, assuming the orc has killed it by now, but... but... but...

It's all too much for the tiny bard, and he throws himself face-down on the bed, wailing and blubbering.

WHY? WHY MUST SUCH WICKED CREATURES POSSES SUCH BEAUTIFUL VOICES? WHY CAN SUCH BEAUTY SWEEP INTO MY LIFE AND THEN BE GONE THE NEXT SECOND? WHY? WHY?

 

[Dungeon Master]

Moonsprout snaps to his senses. He feels completely overwhelmed with emotions -- distraught that the most beautiful sounds he's ever heard have ended, but relieved that he's still breathing, but jealous that he's not able to become the Harpy's understudy, assuming the orc has killed it by now, but... but... but...

It's all too much for the tiny bard, and he throws himself face-down on the bed, wailing and blubbering.

WHY? WHY MUST SUCH WICKED CREATURES POSSES SUCH BEAUTIFUL VOICES? WHY CAN SUCH BEAUTY SWEEP INTO MY LIFE AND THEN BE GONE THE NEXT SECOND? WHY? WHY?

---

Moonsprout Beandirt
@Smacktard​

||

---

((u sad, bro?))



((@Jon))

 

[Zesty Zapcrackle]

Zesty attempts to hit harpy 1 with his crossbow. Ur’kokk moves to get an angle and tries to hit with force shot on harpy 1.

 

[Short Order]

((What's this? You hit with yourself for a shit ton of damage? Are we in a different story?))

 

[Dungeon Master]

Zesty attempts to hit harpy 1 with his crossbow. Ur’kokk moves to get an angle and tries to hit with force shot on harpy 1.

---

Zesty Zapcrackle
@Jon​

| You carefully aim and fire off your crossbow, nailing the Harpy in the left arm.

Harpy 1 takes 11 points of piercing damage.

Ur'kokk moves to the North West and attempts to Force Blast the Harpy.

Ur'kokk misses.

|

---

((@Nae'blis))

 

[Nac McWeeble]

Nac whirls around and punches the remaining harpy in the throat and then goes into Patient Defense (spending a ki point)