Ok, so you move 15' feet away and the zombie advances 40' (using it's move and its action). There is 5' of space between you and it (note that casting a ranged attack spell at close range is done at disadvantage, but that doesn't apply to you).

When you had cast the fire bolt the previous round, you saw the rotting form of what looked to be a farmer, or other peasant. His clothes were somewhat torn and worse for wear, but otherwise ok. The skin on his face looks stretched and gaunt.

Now that he is close, and the light source behind him, all you see is a shambling silhouette, but you smell the stench of putrid flesh.

You release another fire bolt that anyone of even marginal dexterity would be able to dodge, but the zombie seems to almost lean into it, through it doesn't appear too phased by it. It does, however, re-illuminate the situation, leaving his coat smoldering with small orange flames.

(You can still move and take any other legal actions this turn).

Ah, I didn't realize expeditious retreat was a bonus action to cast, I was thinking it was a reaction, confused with shield<i> I guess.  That would have been nice to think of, because I was really hoping to stay out of its range.  Also I forgot I had to get up and lose half my movement. Now I feel in a bit of trouble.

Why doesn't disadvantage at close range apply?

Saran still hopes that he can manage to stay out of range of this shambling monster and whittle it down with <i>firebolts.  He casts expeditious retreat to move and stay well out of range hoping that the likely opportunity of attack will miss or at least won't inflict a death blow...

My intention was that there was still and open square between you.

You cast expeditious retreat and dash away and move.

I need you to roll a DC 15 perception check (with advantage for alert). If you fail, roll a DC 10 dexterity saving throw with advantage. This is to notice tripping hazards and branches in the (mostly) dark woods.

I haven't found particular rules for this, just shooting from the hip.

Perception check:18

Ok, you're good, you move back (up to 60').

The zombie follows you mindlessly up another 40'. It can be up to 25' away from you. The small bit of flames have gone out on its coat, but you can still track a bit of embers where the cloth was singed.

Note: It doesn't have to make a perception/tripping check because it has darkvision.

Saran continues his tactic of shooting, an moving to stay away from the zombie.

Attack firebolt: 23
Damage: 8

move and bonus dash.  Not moving in a straight line, but kind of circling and staying better than 45' away.

16:29, Today: GM rolled 5 using 1d20+3.  zombie save v 14.
16:28, Today: GM, on behalf of Saran Helder, rolled 9 using 1d10.  firebolt dam.
16:28, Today: GM, on behalf of Saran Helder, rolled 23 using 1d20+5.  Firebolt vs zom.
16:28, Today: GM, on behalf of Saran Helder, rolled 6 using 1d10.  firebolt dam.
16:27, Today: GM, on behalf of Saran Helder, rolled 11 using 1d20+5.  Firebolt vs zom.
16:27, Today: GM, on behalf of Saran Helder, rolled 2 using 1d10.  firebolt dam.
16:27, Today: GM, on behalf of Saran Helder, rolled 20 using 1d20+5.  Firebolt vs zom.

Ok, you continue to circle. Your speed is sufficient to be careful with your steps and as the encounter goes on, you become more familiar with the area, and the zombie itself becomes more of a light source.

It eventually crumples in a heap of burning clothes and charred bone. Spot has settled down on a nearby branch.

Sorry to take over. In retrospect I should have forced more checks and saves, but I am terrified of killing you.

Well, even if Saran tripped on a turn, he'd still have 45' of movement, and could probably stay out of reach, right?  And while he could have been killed in one hit, it would be more likely he could survive at least one hit.

Saran wonders if he will be able to get back to sleep after this ordeal. He wonders what time it is, and if zombies typically carry magic items.  Can't hurt to cast detect magic as a ritual, and at least finish a short rest (new day so arcane recovery comes back into play).

You sense the faint recent passing of necromancy magic on the zombie, and something else. Hanging from the zombie's belt is a small tack hammer that is radiating transmutation magic.

(I was not going to have a magic item, but I rolled a luck check for you for him to have something and you rolled an 18 and then I rolled for individual treasure and you got 4pp, so I made it into a magic item)

The air is filled with the stink of decay, acrid smoke, and the sweet smell of cooked meat.

During your short rest, you ascertain that the hammer can morph into any common hand tool of about the same size. I will say it has a specific repetoire just so I can reserve the right to veto certain things. Just common tools, like: hammer, screw driver, chisel, knife, sickle, small crowbar, etc. No attunement required. Just a command word which is "Whack".

Your short rest turns into a long rest as you become convinced that the night is still early and you are beat from the day's rigors. You wake up amidst a hot, late morning.

OK, I'm going to request then that the arcane recovery is not used up for the day.  And then get back to the road.

Spot flies up ahead a bit to alert Saran of anything fishy.

Request granted.


Spots spots three fish in a tree.

You do not see anything out of the ordinary. There is the road ahead, the road behind. Sparse forests. A farmer a ways of the road. Up ahead you see a slightly worn path in the wild grass that probably lead to the farm. Up ahead the road curves slightly, the continues straight north.

Saran drinks some water out of the magic cup, then continues on to the location directed by Francis.

Oh, I guess I should have said, "Fish in a tree, how can that be?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:27, Thu 05 Oct 2017.

By the way, you gain:

50xp

After half of a day, you get to about where you think you should strike into the woods.

Ok, I want to do something that I have heard on one of the podcasts I listen to called a skill challenge. Here is how it will work. Describe a scene that describes something you do to find the location you are looking for. You have a lot of leeway here to define world elements, like, "I find a river...". The idea is that you use one of your skills to help along your way, so it doesn't necessarily have to be directly related to putting eyes on whatever you are looking for. Maybe it is just to stay safe, sheltered, fed, or to keep from getting lost. So, if you wanted to use athletics, you might say, "I find a very tall tree and climb it to get a better look at the surrounding area to see if I can spot the ruins, or at least to find landmarks to keep from getting lost. Then you roll an athletics check.

I know this goes a little bit against the fast play mindset I pitched, but feel free to add some flavor, like, "So, the day starts to get hot, like really hot despite being in shaded areas. There is a lot of green, wet growth and some low-lying wetlands, so it starts to get humid. In an effort to not get overheated and to cool down I look for some higher ground where there is a breeze and take a rest." Then you roll a survival check.

The DC or any check is 15. If you cast a first level spell, or use some other limited resource (like goodberry), you can have advantage on the roll. You need three successes. If you roll and succeed, go ahead and do another one (go ahead and post the scene and success though so I have the chance to add detail, or whatever).

If you fail, post it and wait and I will give you consequences.

Do whatever you want, but feel free to use skills that you are best at. If you feel like a skill couldn't really apply, just make it work by taking liberties, like, "I remember that Francis mentioned that there were magical ley lines in this area on the map so I look for signs and try to sense the ley lines to better get my bearings and locate the correct place." Arcana check.

I guess the idea is that it is an different game mechanic than combat, and let's you use skills more, and tells us something about how your character uses his strengths to overcome challenges.

Does that make sense?
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:29, Fri 06 Oct 2017.

I think so.  Does casting a ritual spell give advantage, or is the idea that is has to use a limited resource, or does the extra 10 minutes count as using a limited resource?

More of a limited resource thing. Let's say you can do that once.

OK, I think that makes sense.  Saran’s best skills are Arcana (+5), History (+5), Investigation (+5), Religion (+5), Medicine (+3), and Nature (+3).

Saran comes to a bend in the path that seems like a good marker to strike off to the location Francis marked on the map.  Saran borrows Spot’s keen eyes as he flies up into a tree, but the forest is fairly dense here, so there isn’t much to see but more tree tops.

Saran thinks back to the discussion with Francis while stepping cautiously off of the path, looking for signs or clues.  He suggests Spot fly around a bit and make some noise should he see anything.

Francis said the locations were former temples, historical sites, or homes of followers related to Boccob.  The ruins of a temple seem like they’d be fairly easy to spot even in a forest as dense as this one.  A historical site could be anything.  A home could be anything from an overgrown hovel to a large estate.

Boccob’s followers are mostly magic users.  A detect magic spell could be in order.  As Saran finishes the ritual he senses the faint glow of transmutation magic like a haze throughout the woods.  The glow is brightest in the forest canopy.

As Saran gazes into the tree tops the sun comes out from behind a passing cloud.  Saran instinctively looks down to avert his eyes from the sudden brightness when he notices something strange in the shadows cast by the tree tops.  There are symbols or runes of some kind in the shadows.  The transmutation is molding the tree tops and shaping the shadows cast on the forest floor.  Saran tries quickly to decipher the symbols before a cloud blocks the sun again.

Arcana check:16

OOC: Like that?  Do you want me to wait for you, or keep going?

Nice. Yeah, just like that.

Proceed.

Let's just do the one then ;)

Ok, Saran divines through his ritual that he is on the right track and continues on in the direction of the arcane telling. Periodically he sends Spot to scout about.

Looking through Spots keen eyes, Saran eventually sees what appears to be a ruined temple, overgrown by foliage. It looks to be almost completely crumbled from Spot's aerial vantage. Though the underbrush is thick, from can make from the relative flatness and geometry, the outline of a courtyard area in front of the ruins.

Saran proceeds with caution to the courtyard (not how long it took/if detect magic is still active).

You see the ruins you saw from Spot's vantage. You don't see any apparent entrenches, but you see where you think an entrance used to be, but it is pretty crumbled. It is all very overgrown. There are some walls intact, but you can't/couldn't tell if there are roofs, or simply foliage creating a roof.

You do not sense anything magical in the vicinity from where you are standing at the edge of the courtyard.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:46, Tue 10 Oct 2017.

get close and investigate ruins.  Look for a good place to put the scrying coin.

Ok, you approach the ruins, looking at them intently. So, intently that you don't notice that some of the undergrowth was place to cover a hole in the middle of the courtyard, by something that is particularly skilled at setting such traps.

You fall, like a cartoon character dropping into a manhole, down into the ground. Your staff, spanning the hole, caught on the surface and you were almost able to catch yourself from falling with it, but you failed to get a good enough grip and it rolls out of your hand, then flings into the air to land somewhere away from the hole.

You brace yourself for a hard landing, or something worse, like spikes, but you are pleasantly surprised to find that your descent is gently arrested. Then you realize that this is due to the fact that you are held up all around with large, sticky webs.

You see the light from the open hole above you become somewhat obscure by something about as big as a person, but with eight hairy legs. You judge it to be about 20' away.

You are considered grappled (movement 0), but not restrained.

Go ahead and go, you won initiative.

What's below me? Any chance of burning or cutting myself free to go further down?