Episode 295 - The Proverbial Pin in the Beans

When a plan just makes sense, you can’t think about it too hard. You just have to go for it. Making a crime boss eat his own poisoned pin in a bowl of beans is both poetic and a richly deserved fate. In this episode we watch this beautifully concocted plan play out. Nothing goes wrong.

## **Story**

### Long Story

In Toby's cell, he and cellmate Steinar Ulth prepare their potion that will remove the effects of their blood in the magic room that makes them not do magic anymore. He stumbles a little bit during this, but they still do make it. It will, however, have to be set to brew for a while.

Lahni and Bercy Hamhands have become fast friends, and are laying in bed together, telling secrets. Completely non-sexually/romantically of course.

Skud has just entered the room of the dreaded The Baus, with a crazy hand full of beans. Included at no extra cost is one poisoned needle that Skud intends for the Baus to accidentally kill himself by eating. Also present is Rowan, who is waiting in the shadows in case things take a turn for the DnD. The Baus asks Skud if he has killed Stymer Dunkan yet, as he is back much earlier than expected. Skud says that is a work in progress, and produces the beans as an offering. The Baus accepts, so Skud slides the beans across the floor. As Skud sweats a single bead of sweat, The Baus picks up the beans. He begins stirring them with a spoon. He takes a bite. They taste good. Nothing seems to be happening. The Baus points out a map he has sitting on the desk next to him. He says that he can't wait to give it to Skud. Skud is trying to maintain eye contact. This is the longest bowl of beans ever! Eventually, the last scoop is eaten, Skud can even see the needle on the spoon! He takes the last bite, chews, frowns for a second...

Then reaches into his mouth and pulls the needle out. He says, "So, is this your plan, Skud?" He begins to pick his teeth with it. That's not good. Rowan dives into action, and by that I mean she literally dives into The Baus's lap after throwing a smoke bomb into the battlefield. She is nearly stopped by an orc who is apparently serving as a guard for The Baus. Reaching him, she stabs the man in the neck with the poisoned dagger, and does that thing where, if she pulls the dagger out, he would bleed a lot, but she leaves it stabbed in instead. She sees in his eyes a flash of something no one would expect... fear. A fight breaks out. There are more orcs who enter, as well as Jimmy Skaags, who closes and locks the door behind him.

Skud is able to yell something in Primordial to freak Jimmy out, but the The Baus quickly presses a button on his desk which releases a trapdoor underneath Skud. He falls through. Rowan is picked up by an orc guard, and thrown toward the hole. She grabs onto the side, as The Baus, bleeding from the neck, looms above her. He tells her that he has the antidote for the poison, and kicks Rowan's hand. She falls down the dark pit...

In the morning, Toby and Lahni head to breakfast. The potion is coming along, and should be ready by lunch-time. Lahni asks Bercy if he has ever done a kiss, which Bercy is embarrassed about, but doesn't explain. Lahni asks him to join The Tower of Grey. He wants to, but is not convinced that they will ever get out of this inescapable prison. Lahni and Toby (or Brad) notice that Skud and Rowan are not there, and are worried about their well-being. Toby asks his brother Snatch what happens if you eff with the Baus. It's not... great news. Lahni suggests they find Jimmy Skaags, who is there in the cafeteria.

Like a couple of real hooligans, Toby and Lahni head over to him and put the questions on him. Jimmy warns them that their friends moved against The Baus, which puts a big target on their heads. He warns them that they are gonna be next. Lahni scares the beans out of him, so he reveals that Skud and Rowan were dropped into "The Pit", which no one ever comes back from.

Jimmy throws down a Smoke, and sneaks away. Also, he is a Dragonborn.

### Short

Skud and Rowan go confront the Baus, and things don't go so well. They are able to convince him to eat the poisoned beans, but the Baus isn't too worried about it. Rowan stabs him with the poisoned dagger, but The Baus is able to press a button and open a trapdoor underneath Skud. He falls through, and a guard for The Baus lifts Rowan up and throws her into the pit. Before she falls, The Baus tells her that he has the antidote for the poison, so he's going to be okay. Rowan falls through as well.

At breakfast the next day, Toby and Lahni discover that Skud and Rowan are not there, and begin to worry. They decide to question Jimmy Skaags, who tells them that they are in danger since they're friends with The Baus's enemies, and also that the other two were sent down into "The Pit". He then throws a Smoke down and escapes.

## **Trivia**

* Rowan gave Skud her shiv. Go with it
* Skud can speak Primordial
* Bercy has kissed someone in prison
* Jimmy Skaags is a Dragonborn. This was known, but everyone, including me, forgot it
* The three starting episodes are 1, 156, and 253

## **In This Episode...**

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - Toby Treacletart
* Jennifer Cheek - Rowan Grey
* Mike Bachmann - Skud Derringer
* Nika Howard - Lahnik "Lahni" Caplain

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Steinar Ulth
* Bercy Hamhands
* The Baus
* Some Orc guards
* Jimmy Skaags
* Snatch

### **Locations**

* The Shadowfell
	+ Grull

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - Find Pelor
	+ [On Hold] - Find Adira Harper
	+ [Active] - Find and question Josail Longshadow
		- [Active] - Escape from prison!
			* [Active][Toby] - Use the potion to get everyone's magic back!
			* ~~[Abandoned][Skud] - Kill Stymer Dunkan~~
			* [Failed?][Skud] - Kill The Baus
			* [NEW][Active] - Find Rowan and Skud!
* [On Hold] - Find Lannie Caplain
	+ [On Hold] - Investigate Galanthis
* [Optional][Lahni] - Make a friend out of Stymer Dunkan
* [Optional] - Find a way to pay back the Ferrim Pecunia bank of Pelor's Hope
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Great Colosseum in Caer
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Oracle's strange prophecies

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Jennifer - 3
	+ Nika - 4
	+ Tim - ~~6~~ 9
	+ **Bachmann - 10**

* **Toby** rolls an *Arcana* check to make the potion - 25
	+ And also a *Medicine* (using Inspiration) - 18+1

* Contested *Insight* vs *Deception*
	+ Skud's Deception - 3+2
	+ Baus's Insight - ??

* **Skud** rolls *Deception* to get The Baus to eat the poisoned beans - 3+2
	+ The Baus accepts the beans, but I can't imagine Skud passed the check

* **Rowan** rolls *Stealth* to sneak into The Baus's room - 18
	+ She does

* **Skud** rolls *Intimidation* to meet the gaze of The Baus - 7

* **Skud** rolls *Perception* to see the needle in the bean spoon - 18+8
	+ He sees the needle!

* **Rowan** rolls *Athletics* to jump through the smoke and land on The Baus' neck - Nat20
	+ She executes it perfectly, even avoiding a half-orc guard

* **Rowan** makes an attack roll to stab him with the poisoned dagger - 21
	+ HIT - She stabs him and leaves it in - 3 damage

*Combat Begins vs The Baus, 2 Orcs, and Jimmy Skaags*

* **Initiative**
	+ Rowan - 16
	+ Skud - 12
	+ The Baus

*Round One*

* **Skud**
	+ Rolls to *Intimidate* Jimmy Skaags, yelling something in Primordial - 21
		- Jimmy is freaking out, man. It's game over, man. Game over!

* **The Baus**
	+ Presses the "Open Trapdoor under Skud" button, requiring him to make a DEX saving throw - 14
		- Fail - Skud falls through the trapdoor

* **Orc 1**
	+ Tries to lift Rowan, triggering a contested STR roll
		- Rowan - 12
		- Orc 1 - >12
			* Orc 1 wins, lifts Rowan and throws her into the trapdoor

* **Rowan**
	+ Makes an *Acrobatics* or *Athletics* check to avoid falling into the trapdoor - 26
		- She grabs the side of it, hanging from it

*Combat Ends*

* **Lahni** rolls *Intimidate* to get some answers out of Jimmy Skaags - Nat20
	+ Toby assists - 14
		- They do that, he gets scared, tells them about The Pit

* **Lahni** tries to grapple Jimmy Skaags, using *STR* - 15
	+ Fail - he gets away

* **Toby** makes a *DEX* saving throw to grab onto Jimmy and follow him (with disadvantage) - Nat20, 9+2
	+ He does not grab onto him