A Gimble In The Wabe Session 5.

The Ogre With No Heart Part 3.

We do a lot of resting in the Tugleywood, many a nap is taken, and many a day ends with making camp for the night shortly after lunch. It is an enchanted forest and the air is filled with golden magic and the heady fragrance of faerie. Also, spell slots are precious.

We were short a Druid this game, Bata’s player needed a real nap.

The session started as others have before, with the party making camp inside the crumbling ruin of the temple to which they had tracked the ogre’s heart. They had obtained the heart from an owlbear egg, and bashed a hole in the doors to the inner sanctum of the temple through which they could see a black granite altar, so feeling reasonably secure they rested.

While they slept, Tekka was visited by a sprite named Dustbelly, sent to her by the Archfey (The Faerie Queen) to serve as a familiar. Dustbelly immediately proved to be crass glutton for flesh, ravenously consuming the putrid bits of roebuck Theolis had slain days earlier and then passing out on Tekka’s blanket. Tolbert the Paladin was also visited in the night, having a vision while he slept of Sir Kewish the Thorn Knight for whom he once squired accompanied by the Faerie Queen in the form of dappled golden light. Sir Kewish praised Tolbert for adhering to the rigorous path of the paladin and inducted him into the Order of the Ancients, telling him that he was not yet a Knight, but that he was on the right path.

Most of the party is now level 3, and Tekka the Warlock gained the Pact of the Chain while Tolbert the Paladin joined the Order of the Ancients.

Dustbelly, like nearly all Sprites is a nasty little shit. 

During the night, Theolis heard the signature grumble-hoot of more owlbears in the area, but they seemed to keep their distance. In the morning the party awoke to a rotten ghoul face leering at them from the other side of the hole they had smashed in the temple door.  Tekka wrecked it with an eldritch blast that also enlarged the crack in the door. The Ghoul shimmed through only to be hacked to bits by the party. They could see several more inside the temple milling about a black statue of a goddess.  The ghouls seemed mostly interested in trying to croak prayers, so the hero’s started picking them off one by one. Frustrated that they couldn’t open the door further Tolbert put his mighty thews to the task and broke the massive granite door from its hinges smashing a ghoul in the process.

After defeating the pious ghouls the party stood before the twenty foot tall black granite statue of the goddess, the sanctum was also of black granite with an arched ceiling strewn with diamonds in the patterns of constellations. The wizard, Mysterios IX explained that he had read about the ancient Club Men venerating two gods, the Sun Goddess and the Night Mother. As they tried to determine how they could pry diamonds from the twenty foot high ceiling the door to the inner sanctum opened and the ghost of a Priestess emerged bearing a black blade.

The Priestess praised the Night Mother and asked if they sought the power of the King of Clubs in the name of the Red Queen, and after some murmuring the party decided they did not serve the Red Queen. The Priestess then asked if they would willingly take the black blade and use it to slay the foes of false darkness.

Tolbert affirmed they would and took the blade. The Priestess’s ghost merged with it and she was relieved to “once again see the stars and taste the blood of her foes.”

All Hail Brom! 

The Sanctum had another door, bearing a mural of the Night Mother and an inscription in the ancient tongue of the Club Men. Pooling their collective and limited knowledge of the language the party determined it said something along the lines of: devotion would open the way. Several attempts were made to show devotion until Pasco alighted on the idea of kissing the door, which opened it. On the other side was the entrance to the temple housing a multi-breasted statue of the Sun Goddess and an owlbear nest with a mewling owlbear chick in it. Theolis again heard the grumble-hoot of the chicks parents. The party wasted almost no time in deciding a live owlbear chick was worth facing two adult owlbears and rather than just close the door they prepared to fight. Pasco viciously mocked a mama owlbear, Tolbert called on the primeval powers of nature to root one in place with vines, and Tekka mercifully put the chick to sleep so that it would not witness the death of its parents. The male owlbear moved in and scooped up the chick however, and made good its escape, saving its innocent brood from the clutches of adventurers.

No one can resist this. 

After having spent a hectic morning putting an end to the undying devotion of penitent ghouls and attempting to abduct an owlbear chick the party was understandably tuckered out. They took shelter in the sanctum of the temple and prepared camp, eating up the last of their trail-rations in the process. While they slept they were subject to disturbing visions of the empty/death/winter aspect of goddesshood. Most of the heroes were able to come to some unconscious understanding that there is no light without darkness, but Theolis and Pasco did not rest well.

We had some grumbling about my ruling that the rations were used up, but at least a few weeks had passed since the start of the game. You cannot really “buy” rations in the Tulgeywood and I want the players to care about food and eating so I decided this was the last of the rations they came out of character creation with. I think that having characters eat and drink as well as hunt for food helps to define the setting by forcing decisions on flora, fauna, and cuisine. I also enjoy the “realism” of the characters being hungry sometimes and caring about something other than XP. Generally I will not allow a long rest without food and water. This quibble also produced the memorable line from Tolbert's player:"Don't I have some kinda Paladin crackers?"

With the monstrous heart in hand, the party set off the next morning to return to the Hag’s house in order to put the organ back into the Ogre.  As they approached the pond that surrounds the house the bloated and swampy Ogre erupted from under the surface of the water, the Hag now in her true (and hideous) form riding on its shoulders. The Ogre still had a hole in its chest where the heart was removed, only now it was filled with an owl bone charm that the Hag seemed to be using to control the creature.

Of course she knew they were coming back. 

Pasco was nearly crushed by the cypress stump the Ogre wielded as a club. Tekka and Mysterios IX wisely backed up from melee, while Theolis and Tolbert bravely charged. Mysterios hit the Hag with a Witch Bolt, and while the fight raged an arc of lightning connected the wizard to the evil fey witch. The Hag mocked the party, threatening to use the heart to again seduce a satyr and make more swamp daughters. Tolbert tried to put the heart back in the ogre during the melee but failed. After a few rounds of being zapped by the Witch Bolt the Hag fired a necrotic Ray of Sickness at Mysterios IX who was rendered unconscious only to be saved by the always timely intervention of Pasco. Realizing that the combined threat of the Ogre and Hag were deadly, the heroes decided to try and restore the heart again. Tolbert handed the organ to the greasy sprite Dustbelly, who Tekka commanded to become invisible. The warlocks will kept the sprite from the temptation to eat the heart and the Sprite easily placed it back into the Ogre’s chest.  Restored, the Ogre was released from the Hags charm. It threw her off it's back and with a furious roar went after her, seeking vengeance. The party wisely stood back and let the monsters fight. The Hag however, was no fool and disappeared into the ether.

Night Hags have well over 100 HP and are not stupid. She was not going to die to a party of 3rd level adventurers. Frankly I’m kinda surprised she only knocked one of them down to 0 HP.

All I want to do with my life is grow bloat-fruit. 

The ogre thanked the party, and vowed to return to the Goblin Wood and do no harm along the way. It promised to live the rest of his life as a farmer. Tekka who has a magical connection with her Sprite familiar knew that the Ogre spoke the truth since Dustbelly was able to read the heart while it was in his hands. The party weighed the merits of letting it go versus killing it as were their orders from Lady Haldora. The eventually voted, and let the creature go free. It gratitude the Ogre agreed to give them the treasure that it had stashed near the river bank. They followed the creature cautiously and were awarded with a sack of chalices and golden vestments.

I wonder if Bata would have swayed the vote. I suspect he would not have let the Ogre live…

Odolotino the titmouse returned to check on their progress for the Lady Haldora, and was incredulous that they had allowed the monster to live. The titmouse told them of an Utari village to the south and suggested they rest there while he delivered the tidings to the Thorn Knight and received new commands for the recruits. They marched south, leaving the cyprus bogs of the northern Maze Marsh and entered the reed beds of the true marsh where they found an empty crannog and two Utari houses on the shore of a small lake. Here we called it a night.

A Gimble In The Wabe Session 4

A Gimble in the Wabe Session 4

The Ogre With No Heart part 2

The game began with the intrepid heroes gathered around the campfire attempting to rest after a middle of the night ambush by lizardfolk. While Bata stood watch he noticed an owl observing the party’s camp. When confronted the owl hooted and flew into the night. The next morning Odolotino the titmouse arrived with a Northron human wizard. Mysterios had been in service of the Chieftain of Jarlberg until last King’s Day when he discovered a golden acorn in his Queen’s cake and simultaneously realized he controlled arcane powers. Lady Haldora evaluated him and sent him on his way to be proven with the other Thorn Knight recruits. The party was somewhat wary (Tekka has never really trusted the titmouse) but after parlay decided Mysterios intentions were good and welcomed him into their band.

After a game of Feeboo between Theolis’s Manes and Tekka’s Bloodhawk resulted in a dead bloodhawk and the Manes transforming into a swarm of rats, Bata heard cries of help in the distance. Setting off to investigate they found a Fey female caught in an Utari hunter's snare. After rescuing her, she explained that she was gathering herbs for her love who lays sick at her hut. Wounded, she requested that they carry her to her home, and that she would repay them with Gnome Ale. The party warily did so, and their suspicions were confirmed when the hut turned out to be the very house in the swamp where they had tracked the ogre. The Fey whistled a tune to make a stone path appear over the crocodile infested bog and the hero’s carried her into the house.

Inside they found a wan satyr, lying pallidly in a bed beneath an owl bone charm. It was immediately obvious to the parties spell casters that some enchantment was being worked on the satyr. The Fey told them to help themselves to the Gnome ale in a cask on the mantle. Pasco and Bata headed for the drinking horns while everyone else was cautious. The floor of the hut before the mantle was an illusion and the Druid and Bard fell into the swamp below. The fey dropped her false appearance and proved to be a hideous hag. She warned them to flee or die. The party decided to be heroes.

The hag offered to make a deal, she would reveal the location of the ogre’s heart if the party could convince the satyr to love her. The satyr begged for help and they hero’s scoffed at the deal. A furious combat ensued, Mysterios proving his worth by flinging scorching firebolts and Theolis once again ensnared  his foe with magic vines. The hag’s claws were fierce and sharp; Tekka was rendered unconscious and Tolbert the Paladin nearly slain. Outside the hut, Bata and Pasco deftly clambered up the houses stilts and onto the roof. They dropped through the thatched ceiling just in time for Pasco to revive Tekka and Bata to replace Tolbert in the melee. The hag put Theolis to sleep escaping the vines, but was being brutalized by the combined firebolts, eldritch blast, and melee attacks of the party. She offered again to reveal the location of the ogres’ heart if they would surrender, they party refused and she disappeared into the ether. Fortunately the satyr mumbled that he knew where the damn heart was…

Trusting that the hag had been bested for the moment, the party decided to catch their breath in her hut. Rummaging through her assorted witchy paraphernalia they discovered four magic items and thinking they may be useful took the time to allow the Wizard to identify them. A cruel looking and notched longsword of vengeance, a twisted black rod of the pact keeper, a wood and leather sentinel shield with living eyes around the rim, and a ring of jumping.  The party’s assumption that the hag would not harass them was correct, and they recuperated in the hut before setting off to find the temple.

We rolled treasure randomly using the horde table for a CR 5 creature. I had Mysterios player roll, and they got very lucky, acquiring four items from magic item table F.

While they rested Pasco and Bata played Feeboo and Pasco’s wolf ate Bata’s monodrone. After they had recuperated, Pasco tried to perform the the tune to make the stone path appear over the swamp but failed, fortunately Mysterios remembered. After crossing the crocodile bog the Satyr lead them to an ancient Club Man temple, where he could sense the heart hidden in an owlbear egg. Deciding against the front entrance, they came around the side and found a collapsed wall that led directly into the den of the owlbears. The creatures were fierce but after a sharp melee were slain by the hero’s. They discovered the ogre’s heart in the owlbear nest. They also found a black stone door leading further into the temple. Unable to open it Tolbert took his maul to it, and with help bashed a hole in the stone. Peering through the hole into the darkness within, they could see some sort of ancient Club Man altar. At this point we called it a night.

Now that our heroes have the heart, how will they defeat the ogre who lies at the bottom of the swamp? Where did the hag go? What treasure might be hidden further inside the old temple? We will find out in the next session of A Gimble In The Wabe…

A Gimble in the Wabe Session 3

A Gimble in the Wabe

Session 3

The Ogre Who Had No Heart.

We had another player join the game, and we created his character in the following order: Roll ability scores, pick race, pick background, and pick class. Creation only took a few minutes, yay!

Odolotino the Titmouse. Like many of my NPC's he is kind of a douche. 

The game began with the party resting around the campfire, and receiving a visit from Odolotino a titmouse messenger from Lady Haldora. The Thorn Knight sent the bird to learn what they had found in the ruins under Snoggle’s turnip patch. After telling the titmouse about the Wight they were asked to await further instruction and Odolotino flew back to Lady Haldora. While they waited Tekka and Pasco played Feeboo.

Tekka summoned a giant rat with her card, and Pasco a pony. The Pony survived a rat bite then smashed the rodent’s brains out with her hoof. Pasco won and the Pony absorbed the power of its defeated opponent transforming into a Wolf.

Of course derpy hooves won. 

Feeboo was fun. Everyone likes “safe” pvp and I also like having games within the game to help pass downtimes when someone is away from the table. I rolled randomly on a list of monsters by CR from the fantastic website: http://donjon.bin.sh/ to determine what the cards would summon.

Odolotino returned the next day accompanied by a Northron Human, a Paladin named Tolbert who served as a squire to Sir Kewish the Thorn Knight and had been released from service to find his own path to Knighthood.

Tolbert the Paladin. Deer horns are a sign of loyalty to the Faerie Queen. 

The party welcomed the able bodied warrior into their ranks. Odolotino warbled a mission from Lady Haldora:

“-chirp- The Lady Knight commands you to track down an ogre -squawk- that escaped the River Wardens. -chirp- They claim it arose after being slain -chirp- find out if it did , and slay it if it still walks. -squawk-”

Wanting to find favor with the Lady and gain acceptance into the honored circle of the Thorn Knights, the party accepted the task and set off behind the titmouse to the last known location of the Ogre near the river.

Reaching the banks of the western branch of the Sweetail River they heard sounds of battle and came to the aid of two Elfin River Wardens whose boat had been smashed by a voracious and overly large river trout. One of the Elfs was floundering in the water trying to fight off the attacks of the fish, and Bata the Druid bravely waded in to help. Hoping to befriend the creature with Druid magic, Bata cast his spell but it was resisted. The rest of the party stood on the banks firing arrows and flinging cantrips at the trout. Bata tried the magic again, casting while swimming in the swift river and again the trout resisted. The fish then turned its attention from the Elf to the Druid and grabbed Bata in its mouth thrashing him into unconsciousness. Pasco the Bard saved Bata’s life with the quick use of a magic healing word and the druid did not drown. Tolbert the Paladin cut himself and trailed blood in the water in an effort to draw the fish away from the now gravely wounded Bata. It worked and the Paladin who had removed his chainmail to enter the river was also mouthed to unconsciousness. After dragging the Paladin from the water, Pasco successfully put the ravenous and deadly trout to sleep with a spell and the Elf Wardens were saved.

I used the stats for a killer whale for the river trout. A CR 3 creature that can bite for 5d6+4 damage, the damn fish landed a crit on poor Bata. (14-64 damage). I never plan to intentionally kill anyone but I didn’t expect them to actually get in the water with the beast either…The damage hit the massive damage threshold on the nose for the Druid and I gave him a death save to stay alive.

In gratitude the wardens offered the party some feeboo cards. The Elfs pointed out the place where they claimed to have slain the ogre and gave them an owl skull charm they had found on its body.  Theolis the Ranger examined the sight of the battle and easily found the ogre tracks leading south towards the Maze Marsh. The party decided they could afford to rest or rather couldn’t afford not to rest with two members nearly slain by the fish.

The next day, Theolis led the party into the Maze Marsh tracking the path of the Ogre.  Late in the day they heard the cry of the Grey Bear but decided not to investigate. Towards evening they came across a dead Satyr, it’s head pulped by blunt trauma. Shortly thereafter they spied the Ogre. Theolis snuck forward and surprised his quarry and the rest of party followed up the assault. Surviving the initial ambush the ogre defended himself with a massive club. As they faced the creature they realized it had a gaping hole in its chest where its heart should have been. Ignoring the Ogres plea to leave it alone and weathering the furious blows of the monstrous club the adventures eventually slew the creature.

Just leave.. me.. alone! 

It then stood back up.

Crying again that it wanted to be left alone the reanimated Ogre dashed into the swamp. Instinctively the party chased it in order to attack again, and then they thought better. Rather than fight the obviously enchanted beast they followed it through the marsh. It led them to a lonesome hut standing in a weed choked pond full of crocodiles. The ogre plunged into the pond and promptly sank to the bottom with the crocodiles swarming over it. As a blood pool rose to the surface of the dark water, the party decided they could rest again before venturing to the hut. 

Placing Pasco on first watch they attempted to rest but the Bard’s vigilance was not enough to spot Lizardfolk. A volley of javelins awoke the party and their rest was interrupted by a furious assault by the reptiles. After a brief but fierce melee the lizardmen were defeated and we quit while the party considered it options. 

Continue to camp in the swamp  and risk more ambushes or press on to hut in the hopes of discovering what magics are sustaining the ogre?

A Gimble in the Wabe Session 2

A Gimble in the Wabe Session 2. 

The Giant Turnip

I had another player join, and he created Theolis a human ranger from the Southern Utari Tribe. We decided he was the blood brother of the other players father, and pledged to follow and defend his brothers children.

The party is now:

Tekka the Half Elf Warlock

Her Twin Brother Pasco the Half Elf Bard

Their Half Brother, the Man-Fey Bata the Druid

And their human “Uncle” Theolis the Ranger

After having been chosen to serve the Queen by finding golden acorns in their slices of Queen’s Cake at the King’s Day moot, the party headed north from the edges of the Maze-Marsh towards The Glade, where the Faerie Queen holds court.

On their second day of travel they came across severed rabbit heads tied to a tree, and while investigating the gruesome scene Theolis who is wood-wise and perceptive heard the oncoming attack of Kobold Scouts. He warned the others and they party engaged the vile servants of the Jabberwock. Kobolds are the lesser of the Goblins that serve the pale green worm of the dark woods, but they are cruel and employ sly tricks and poisons. The scouts that the party faced were decapitating captured bunnies and stuffing the heads with poison spiders to be used as sling shot. Two of them advanced with wicked blades and hacked into brave Theolis wounding him. Tekka and Pasco hung back and used the magics of The Archfey and the Song to attack the Kobolds. A psychically charged insult from the Bard, a blast of eldritch magic from the Warlock, and the swirling dual short swords of the Ranger made quick work of the blade wielding kobolds while the others rained poison bunny heads down on them. Tekka moved to a better position from which to attack the slingers while Theolis engaged another charging foe. With one goblin left, Tekka heard the cries of a wounded bunny but decided to  make another attack to finish of the foes. AFter defeatng the kobolds, the Warlock came to the aid of the wounded rabbit just in time. The party earned the gratitude of Count Roarandux servant of Prince Gultharion third of his name, Lord of Bunnies, Rabbits, Hares, and Keeper of the Great Warren.

In return for saving his life, Count Rorarandux led the party to a Elfin tree village called a gwel, and let them know that he would tell his liege of their deed and welcome them to the Great Warren should they ever venture there.

Standing at the base of the Elfin gwel with night falling, they sought shelter. Ruan the Elfin Moon Wizard agreed to welcome them and award them up to three Feeboo cards if the guessed three riddles. The Elfs love riddles and games, and without much deliberation the party agreed to play along. The riddles were answered and the weary travelers gained shelter and three magic cards.

Feeboo is a game of the Tulgeywood, players are bound to magic cards that summon tiny monsters and fight each other. The winners monster grows more powerful and it’s owner earns a bit of XP.

While the party was partaking of Elfin cheese, pears, and dandelion wine, Ruan The Moon Wizard introduced a gruff and seasoned Northron woman. The warrior proved to be Lady Haldora, one of the Queen’s Knight’s of the Thorn and sacred protectors of the wood. Lady Haldora told them she had been sent to evaluate those younglings who found golden acorns and to get some rest for they would soon face their first test. During the night, Pasco the Bard sang a song of the Southrons for the Elfs, and in return they let him read an Elfin scroll that told the story of the ancient Wizards on the Moon who used their power to become silver towers.

Lady Haldora kicked the party awake in the morning and told them of their task, a Fey farmer named Snoggle had grown an enormous turnip that he could not pull from his garden. They were to go help the faerie harvest the tuber.

“And be careful, the last lot of recruits were killed by a troll. Hopefully you will do better.” She added.

On the way to Snoggles farm, they found Bata the Druid who had been separated from them. While lost in the woods, Bata had undertaken a quest on behalf of a shrubbery. While they headed west towards the farm, they came across a porcupine requesting help from a cougar who was asking for help to remove quills from it’s maw. The party decided to help both on the condition that the cougar not eat the porcupine and that the porcupine lead them to Snoggles farm.

Upon their arrival at the dell where Snoggles farm stood, they found the fey farmer drinking yeasty beer from an earthen jug in the company of a mouse. He threatened to sick his grandmammy on them until they revealed they had been sent by a Knight of the Thorn and he became gracious.

The turnip did indeed prove to enormous, and after trying brute force, clever tricks, and magic spells it would not budge. The mouse derided their efforts. Finally they recruited Snoggle and all his family including the ferocious grandmammy and it almost came out of the loam. The mouse continued to laugh and Bata threatened it until it too agreed to help. With all the party, the farmer, his wife and daughter, the grandmammy and the mouse pulling, the turnip finally came free.

Apparently the players had never read this story… which is OK because I added a twist.

Holding onto the bottom of the inappropriately large root vegetable was an angry scarecrow who stared at them malevolently and then slashed at them with wicked claws. Farmer Snoogle cried “that he’d a known that scarecrow weren't buried deep enough!” Tekka having used up her spells trying to free the turnip took to cover and began blasting it with her cantrips. Theolis bravely charged with swords, though they seemed to do little damage to the creature. Pasco inspired his half brother Bata with Bardic song. And Bata used his Druidic powers to make his club a magic shillelagh and proceeded to beat the animated scarecrow back to dust and straw.

After defeating the scarecrow, they spied a hole in the turnip patch that appeared to lead down into an underground structure. Tekka immediately jumped in and the party followed after securing a rope to the turnip for a route back to the surface. Once In the darkness they realized they were in fact inside a buried stone structure, and finding a locked door wisely decided to rest for a bit before proceeding. It had been a long day after all. A grateful farmer Snoogle welcomed them into his diminutive home and they passed the night eating and drinking in comfort. In gratitude for helping him with the turnip and defeating the scarecrow Snoggle presented them with an ancient and pitted silver dagger he had unearthed in his field.

I was extremely proud of my characters for literally jumping at what they took to be a dungeon entrance. Perhaps a bit of the old school is rubbing off… they even exercised caution once inside.

The next morning, Lady Haldora arrived with a wagon to take the gigantic turnip to the Queen. After hearing of the scarecrow from the farmer she asked the party to explore underground and try and determine from where it came. They descended into the earth again. The underground structure proved to be the crumbling  basement of an ancient and tumbled tower of the Kingdom of Clubs. The first men to live in the Tulgeywood. Bata opened the locked door with thieves tools, he had been raised a sneak and the dilapidated mechanism proved no match. Inside, were three more doors one of which was guarded by skeleton sentries wearing the armor of the first men. The skeletons seemed oblivious so the party tried a different door inside of which they found a similar room to the first, partially collapsed and covered in earth and rock. Examining the collapsed rubble Tekka poked a grey ooze with her spear. Everyone backed off except Bata, who shillelagh’d  it into little gelatinous bits until it was no more. Inside the ooze they found a key. They used this key to open the remaining unguarded door. In this room stood a wight, an old Club warrior somehow animated by evil.

Theolis the Ranger fearlessly jumped into the pit with the Wight and attacked it with swords that did nothing… The Wight drew a black longbow and felled Tekka with a single shot. Pasco inspired Bata who jumped into the pit swinging his magic shillelagh. Theolis changed his tactics and attacked with the silver dagger gifted by Snoggle. The Wight, consumed with hatred for life and wary of the dagger reached out with malice and drained the Ranger who was wounded and reduced in vitality. Pasco then revived Tekka with a Cure Wounds spell, and Tekka blasted the Wight with Witchbolt. An arc of blue lightning running from her to the creature. Between the shillelagh and the witch bolt, the Wight was destroyed before it could successfully drain someone else. The party took its evil weapons and decided they needed to rest before opening the last door.

I was a little nervous about the Wight but between three spell casters reliably doing damage every round and a Ranger to soak some damage it went well. The Wights Life Drain is a nasty attack and good alternative to level drain. Tekka was reduced to -2 HP, a condition which in any of my other D&D games would have required a save vs death at -2 but alas this is 5e and she was easily brought back into the fight with a cure spell. Had she not been saved, she still would have had to fail three saving throws... I'm very much on the fence about this level of "carebearness" in 5e.

Farmer Snoogle’s hospitality was uncertain until Pasco entertained him and his family with a song. They spent another night with the Fey farmers, and on the morn descended into the ruined tower again. The remaining door was flanked by skeletal guards who seemed to just watch them passively. After discussing the possibility of ignoring them, Bata suggested that no animated skeleton was friendly and the party decided to attack. Quickly smashing the guards the door was opened to reveal more skeletal sentries , now hostile and guarding a treasure. Pasco took an unlucky stab in the melee, but the animated club soldiers proved no match for Theolis’ swords and Bata’s shillelagh.

The players who are veterans of many dungeons tactfully used a doorway and quickly figured out that the ready action could be used to pulverize any skeletons that came through.

The chest was dutifully plundered revealing a modest clutch of moonstones, two scrolls and a potion. The party returned to the surface having cleared the remains of the old cellar of any reanimated evil. Something had caused farmers Snoggles scarecrow to come to life, and possessed the decaying remains of the club men, but what? Some darkness seems to have invaded the Tulgeywood, can our brave hero's discover the source and stop it? Will they get more cheese along the way?

Tossing The Weasel

The faerie folk of the Tulgeywood are fond of games and take the outcomes of contest very seriously. Magic treasures, homes, even children are commonly wagered between the Fey. It is considered to be good form to make up a game on the spot, but there are a handful of games that the faerie folk often play.

Hide and Seek – A point is selected for a base, here the seeker closes their eyes and counts to 60 (ten rounds) during this time the hiders conceal themselves. The seeker then attempts to find the hiders who may either stay hidden (passive perception versus passive hiding) or attempt to sneak to the base (active sneak versus active perception).  The number of rounds away from the base (1-6) that a hider has concealed themselves adds to their hiding rolls, but also indicates how many sneak checks must be made to reach the base. If a hider can reach the base before the seeker finds one hider, then the hiders win. If the seeker finds a hider before one reaches the base then the seeker wins.

Toss the Weasel – Two baskets are stuffed with five weasels that have been drugged with the pollen of the drowsyflowsy and one that has been insulted to the point of indignation. Each player straps a basket to their head. Players take turn reaching into their own basket and tossing a weasel into the other player’s basket. The first player to miss the toss or grab the irate weasel loses the game. 1 in 6 chance of grabbing the irate weasel, decreasing in odds as sleepy weasels are tossed. The others players basket has an AC equal to 10 plus the others players DEX modifier +1.

The Name Game – Two player’s trade insults until one of them is genuinely offended. A player can absorb a number of insults equal to their WIS modifier. Insults after this point require a WIS save vs DC 8 plus the opponents CHA and proficiency bonus. A failed save indicates the insulted takes offense and loses the game.

Feeboo –Prince Doog is the Fey Lord of Toys, he crafts tiny magical monster cards called Feeboo. Any Fey worth its sparkle will have one. Feeboo players pit their monsters against each other. The winning monster will absorb strength from the loser and become more powerful. Feeboo players are magically bound to their cards, and a successful monster shares some of its power with its owner. The current Feeboo champion is Sir Kewish the Thorn Knight, and his Tanari Feeboo Warble.

Feeboo cannot be purchased or bartered for; they can only be given as gifts. Once given a Feeboo is bound to its owner and will not function outside of their presence. They take the form of a small golden placard until they are played and then the placard transforms into a tiny and adorable monster.

New Feeboo transform into a random CR 1/8 monster from the Monster Manual. Play involves combat within a 100 ft circle (scaled to the size of the tiny monsters of course). The winner absorbs the CR rating of the loser, adding to its own rating and subtracting from the loser. If this allows it to advance a step (from 1/8 to ¼ to ½ to 1 to 2 etc…) then the Feeboo transforms into a random monster with a matching CR. The loser also transforms randomly into a lesser CR monster. If the losing Feeboo is CR 1/8 and goes to 0 it is permanently destroyed.

The winning player of a Feebo match earns 1/10th of the XP that would be gained from defeating the opposing monster.

Players that have lost a monster do not lose the card. They may use it to summon a new monster but it is hesitant to fight. In the first round it loses initiative, and makes attack rolls at a disadvantage. After the first round it fights normally.

Goat Jousting – The knights and nobles of the Queen's court relish in the joust. Wargoats are bred and trained just for the purpose of carrying armored knights in the tilts. Jousting uses the rules found in Chainmail.

Wrestling – Though not a common among the Fey, the animal denizens of the wood love to wrestle and everyone wrestles on King’s Day in honor of the fallen Beast King. Wrestling uses the grapple rules, once an opponent is grappled the use of the throw maneuver will pin them. Weapons are not allowed in wrestling matches, but biting, kicking, and clawing are all acceptable maneuvers for the contestant that might be grappled. (Rather than trying to escape the grapple via another grapple check.)

Smashy-Face – The Northrons play a game of sorts. Two contestants are stripped naked and have their favored arm tied together with their opponents. They are then given padded clubs that do 1d6 subdual damage. Each contestant attacks at a disadvantage and gets no AC benefit from dexterity. Whoever knocks their opponent to unconsciousness first is the winner.

Swamp Hen - The Southrons play a game of contesting willpower. Two players face each other ten feet apart armed with spear and shield. They throw spears at each other until one player surrenders. The loser is taunted as a swamp hen.