Also, I don't remember if I mentioned this or not, but the Sprite does not have wings, though it does have slits in its clothes as if to accommodate wings.

Saran casts detect magic as a ritual to see if anything emits a magic aura.  He thinks that unfortunately back in the underground chamber seems a better place for the scrying coin.

You do not detect anything magical.

Saran wonders if he could just put the scrying coin near the bat hole and leave it at that.  Then he thinks the better of it and decides it's probably safer to spend the night in the chamber below ground anyway. Having climbed the well a number of times now, he feels pretty confident that he won't slip again...

He has a close call (rolled 6), but makes it back down to the chamber (assuming it's the same DC 5).  He then finds a good place, not too conspicuous, to place the arcane mark for the scrying coin.  He sits to study his spells, identify anything he hasn't already (I'll have go through this, I've lost track), and bed down for the night, hoping for an early start back to Neverwinter in the morning.

He also thinks the better of the wand and pockets it.

He also cast alarm around his sleeping spot.

Do you choose one of the dorms? Which one?

Off the top of my head, there is still the Earring/Nail.

Yes, sleep in one of the dorms, the cleanest one, that did not contain fungi monster or has a corpse in it.

Ok, assuming you identify the earring/nail this is what you come up with:

Necronominail (Requires Atunement; Must be worn as piercing)

Grants you the ability to cast False Life at will.
The item also automatically casts Spare the Dying and Feign Death when you drop to 0 hit points.
You then gain 1 hit point after one hour.

Saran thinks he'll have to get his ears pierced. He goes back to check on the corpse that he got the earring from to make sure it's still dead. He shakes the idea that this place could be cursed, and thinks the detect magic spells would have caught that.

Assuming the night passes without incident...

Saran dreams a strange dream... He sees a butterfly dancing in a gentle breeze, at first the butterfly's movements seem random, but as he watches it, he seems to know which way it will go...
(portent rolls 15 and 6)

ooc: I was thinking maybe something happens to the well opening overnight and a skill challenge to get out. Or I could just roll to climb out again. Or if you have something else in mind.

Let's just go with a straight roll for climbing. If you can think of something to mitigate it, you can bring that to bear. If you are worried about it, you can even use that 6 from your Portent ability. Seems tailor-made for this situation...

You also have a scroll of misty step, but that would be a waste, imo.

Do you place any more coins? I think you were given several. One in the main room covers most everything of interest, but the larger rooms and the hidden lab might be candidates as well.

In reply to GM (msg # 246):

Oh, yes, I thought there was only one coin.  Saran puts a coin in the larger rooms, in the secret lab, and will put one somewhere inconspicuous above ground in the ruins as well.

After placing the coins below Saran climbs out of the well pretty easily, getting used to this climb by now (athletics check: 9).  He spends a few minutes finding a good spot for a coin within the ruins above ground, and makes another arcane mark for a coin.

With Spot scouting up ahead he starts towards the trail back to Neverwinter.

OK, you climb out without incident after placing the coins. That seemed less skill challengy to me because it was a discrete obstacle that you have overcome before. But you could have potentially done something like thrown bed mattresses down the well to mitigate failure, or tried to jam some furniture in the well to stand on or tied bed sheets or curtains to make a rope, though there may have been some rippage.

Anyway, onward.

You scout about with spot. All seems pretty quiet and you head back. I lost track of time, but I think there is enough fungibility between all the rests and rituals and coin placing that let's just say it can be anything I say. So, I will say that it is still morning. You get to the trail and head down the road south. Up ahead on the road about 300' you see a woman stumbling toward you with her head down.

I wasn't concerned with being able to climb out, the DC was pretty low.  I was more just thinking it might be fun to say something like, "You wake up to discover that somehow well has been sealed shut." Then do a skill challenge to figure some way out other than climbing out the well.  Maybe it's a magical elevetor that Saran has to figure out, or figure some way out the top or the stairs, or something.  Anwyay...

Saran lets the woman approach with some caution.  Does she appear injured, distraught, drunk, or hostile as she approaches?  Does she have weapons?  Does she look like a peasant, farmer or commoner type, or more like an adventurer?  Saran holds his staff in one hand and palms his scale in the other.  Assuming she doesn't look very dangerous, once she gets within about 40' he would address her, "Hello there madam, fine morning."

She looks maybe injured. She is kind of shuffling and limping, not really looking ahead. She is either powering through or in some kind of daze. She does not appear to have any weapons. You can not determine if she is injured.


She looks like a peasant/farmer. Her clothes are dirty and torn.

When you hail her, she looks up and you see the dead, yet ravenous stare of a zombie. She reaches out her hands and hisses, beginning to lunge forward.

Roll initiative. She rolled a 17.

rolled 14 on initiative

Ok, she lurches forward moving and dashing toward you. Her breath has the fwt8d stench of rotted flesh. She is adjacent to you.

Saran groans, but is grateful that this is occurring in the daylight this time.  He wonders how close he is to the spot where he encountered the other zombie.  He sees the image of the butterfly and knows that if the zombie takes an attack of opportunity it will miss (use portent 6 roll for zombies AoO if it takes it).

He casts expeditious retreat (bonus action) to put some distance (50') between himself and the zombie, then blasts a firebolt into the zombie (atk 20, dmg 9).

Excellent turn. The zonie follows you and it basically at your mercy go ahead an roll a couple attacks. Because of speed action.

Saran keeps his distance from the zombie and burninates.

firebolt 1: 25 (nat 20)
dmg 1: 12 (crit)
firebolt 2: 16
dmg 2: 6

I think that does it for the zombie, but she has a save to roll.

does this mean I need to make 3 more rolls, or that you did it for me and it took three more rolls?

I have not rolled for you. It is pretty much a foregone conclusion, but if you need more rounds than your spell lasts, then it might matter. You need 3 hits, not 3 rolls.

Saran continues to streak bolts of fire at the zombie as it seems to cling to... un-life.

atk 1: 10
atk 2: 12
atk 3: 16
dmg 1: 5
dmg 2: 9
dmg 3: 1

Kind of funny that the last attack was minimum damage, but that she rolled a crit fail.

She dies (all the way).

Saran searches the smoldering remains and casts the detective magic as a rich yule.

Saran does not find anything of value on the woman, but does see that she has several superficial cuts on her face, neck, hands, and arms.

The cuts are symmetrical from one side to the other, like some kind of pattern of runes. At least, that is how your wizard brain interprets it. It could be artistic in nature, or something else, but it was definitely done with effort and care.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:00, Fri 15 Dec 2017.

Can I tell how recently dead the body seems (perception check 16).  Saran tries to interpret the markings with an Arcana check (7).  He sends Spot out to within a 100’ radius to see if there is anything suspicious nearby.  Saran uses the remaining time on detect magic to search the nearby vicinity for anything emitting a faint aura.  He makes a mental note of the location and marks is down.  Does he have a map?  Are there any nearby towns or villages marked on the map?
This message was last edited by the player at 04:12, Sat 16 Dec 2017.