The Tipsy Owl Tavern - 4AD Actual Play 2

Getting acquainted, getting started.

Our aspiring young adventurers are about to start the most interesting class of their lives. Click here to read the previous session.

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The Tipsy Owl Tavern

“You guys are late,” said Faelith, pocketing her sigilcraft flash cards.

She’d been here for half an hour studying for next month

Garron and Thessa arrived together, flirting shamelessly with one another. The big warrior was popular here at the Owl, and so was the rogue.

Faelith watched with disdain as they made the rounds. Garron chatted with the older warriors while Thessa gave them a playful smile.

Garron and Thessa got their drinks for free. While the SSU all-star entertained his fan club, the young thief relieved them of their coins. Faelith watched in disbelief.

After working the room, the two reached their classmate’s table.

Brother Ithar would have been on time, but he had no idea where the Owl was. He’d never been to a tavern nor tasted a drop of ale.

What he saw disgusted him. He began preaching to the drunks, “…to drink in excess is an affront to the gods. From their high thrones, they see and judge. Drop your drinks and pray for absolution…”

Had Garron not intervened, the locals would have given Ithar a solid thrashing.

So the unlikely four sat and planned.

“Did everyone remember to pack according to the list I sent by raven?” Faelith began.

“Who put you in charge, little wizard?” Garron snapped. “I’ve got everything I need right here.” He leaned by, pointing at his sword. “Better than your stupid tricks.”

Thessa rolled her eyes. “We’re all set – weapons, lanterns, lockpicks, blah, blah, blah. Can’t we just go? There’s nothing in there we can’t handle.”

“I’m ready– I’ve fasted, prayed, and meditated. The gods will see me through, “Brother Ithar added smugly.

“That’s just great, but did you bring your damn weapons? Or should we just let you preach the goblins to death?”

And so the contentious meeting rambled on until they eventually concluded and made their way in silence to the Tomb of Dread. The International Dungeoneer’s Association decided to start coding all the dread tombs and forgotten caverns around the land.

Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, the IDA adopted the ski slope ratings. Green, yellow, red. Easiest to hardest.

The Tomb of Dread was a green. A bunny slope of sorts. None of the party were particularly concerned about trouble…except Faelith, of course, who worried about everything.

Into the Darkness

Room 1

Marching Order

Garron, Brother Ithar (with a lantern), Faelith, and Thessa.

Room Contents – Roll 6 – Vermin – Roll 1 – Rats x 15

Party Action – Fight!

The light from the outside faded at the bottom of the stone steps. As soon as they were inside, they heard the scratching and squeaking. Out of the darkness, they came, scurrying and scampering.

“Ewww…those things are disgusting,” blurted Thessa. Shooing them away had no effect at all.

The four were quickly surrounded. Weapons were drawn, and their first fight together was on.

Rats – Level 1 creatures

Garron – Roll 6+1 – Kill 7 Rats

Brother Ithar – Roll 5 – Kill 5 Rats

Thessa – Roll 5 (-1) = 4 – Kill 4 Rats

Garron slashed and stabbed until he had to push the rats off his blade like a kebab. Brother Ithar scurried around playing “whack-a-mole” with his mace, praying for the soul as he crushed it.

Thessa overcame her disgust by stomping and stabbing the remainder to oblivion. She didn’t even want to touch her dagger after the fight. Faelith stood back and held the lantern, she knew she was needed for greater dangers than rats.

No one had so much as a scratch.

For a moment, their bickering stopped. They all looked at one another with pride – their first victory together. Maybe they could work as a team after all.

A quick search of the room turned up nothing else, so they went west in the corridor.

Room 2

Door – Roll 6 - Unlocked

Room Contents – Roll 7 – Minions – Roll 4 – d6+1 Orcs – Roll 1+1 =2

Treasure – Gem worth 160 gp

Faelith noted in her detailed journal that the hallway turned sharply north and came to a door.

Garron was about to force it open with his shoulder when Thessa smiled and took out her lockpicks. She laid them out like a surgeon on the floor, looking closely at the lock. She wanted the perfect tool.

“Did you guys even try it first?” Faelith quipped.

Garron and Thessa looked at one another with obvious embarrassment as Brother Ithar turned the knob and opened it easily.

The rogue closed her eyes, planted her palm on her head, and quietly repacked her tools.

The four then stepped inside.

None but Garron had ever seen an orc. Two of them sat gambling on the floor as the lantern light fell on the room. Everything stank of wet dogs.

As Faelith and Brother Ithar stood aghast, Garron drew his sword. Thessa had disappeared into the shadows. “Do we have to kill everything we meet?” Ithar shouted.

“Don’t you want them to meet their gods, priest?” the warrior chucked and swung his sword.

Orcs – Level 4 creatures

Garron – Roll 6 +1 – Kill 1 Orc

Thessa – Roll 4+1 (party outnumbers opponents) – Kill 1 Orc

It wasn’t much of a fight. Garrons’s blade felled the first orc within seconds. He was good at this, and he knew it.

As Faelith drew her dagger and Ithar readied his mace, the second orc fell dead from a knife to the back. Thessa stepped out of the darkness with a satisfied smile.

Garron cleaned his blade on the orc’s cloak, about to sheath it when he saw his reflection on the shiny metal. He tilted his head - first left, then right - admiring his profile.

Faelith began writing notes. She’d need them for the final paper. Brother Ithar knelt and prayed for the souls of the fallen monsters.

Thessa stepped back into the shadows and started searching while the others were distracted. The giant gemstone she found went directly into her pocket. No need to mention it.

Two rooms deep, and everyone was perfectly fine.

They had no idea why anyone thought this class was hard…