Episode 168 - Fish, Foe or Friend

## **Story**

The party tries to sneak up on the creature by the subterranean lake, however when parts of Aludra's armor clang against each other, the fish-like creature spots them and runs. Nyx is able to sprint and tackle it to the ground after King Titus Harper casts Haste on her. Jaela tries to intimidate it, but it only hisses in response, so Harper tries to be the Good Guard in a Good Guard, Bad Guard situation and offers it some of his honey oat cakes.

Small figure by the water. They can see the penis is the silhouette. Nyx goes to take a look at the creature. And everyone. They try to sneak but it hears them and hisses and runs. Harper casts Haste on Nyx and Jaela. Nyx tackles it. Jaela intimidates and then pricks it. He hisses. Good Guard, Bad Guard Harper and Jaela. Harper plays good. Harper offers some honey oat cake to fish creature, but it doesn't seem too appealing to him.

Jett Razor casts *Suggestion* to make him more cooperative. They learn that the creature's name is Kipper and get enough proof to believe he's not the murderer, however he does claim to have seen what appeared to be a rat man that came through the tunnels they traveled through. During the conversation, both Nyx and Kipper did become concerned about some skittering sounds up above, so Jaela used Daylight to illuminate the cave, and all sorts of creatures were up above that ran away from the source of light. When asked if Kipper knows a place of safety where they could rest, Kipper tells them that the other kuo toa would not be happy to see strangers come to their village. The masters wouldn't be happy as well.

When Kipper reveals that the rat man has a distinct smell, the party asks him to help track it down and he becomes very excited to help. The excitement is a bit suspicious and Harper speaks to Kipper in undercommon and warns him against leading them into a trap. As he leads them further down, the bioluminescence that was present in the cave has receded enough that Jaela casts Light on Harper's staff so the humans and Jett aren't walking blind. And then they walk a bit further and what at first glance looked like stalactites and stalagmites attack the party.

The party fights back against the creatures that are falling on them from the ceiling and trying to grasp at them with tentacles on the ground. Harper blows two of them into chunks after using Lightning Bolt, and after Aludra completely incapacitates the final one by casting Entangle and followed by the use of *Nature's Vigil* the party is able to easily finish it off.

## **Trivia**

* Tim Lanning got Inspiration for correcting Nika Howard about having Disadvantage for wearing plate.
* The Stalactite Tentacle Creature is a Roper.
* Bachmann had forgotten to choose which languages Jett speaks, and ends up choosing primordial and celestial.

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Nika Howard - Jaela
* Mike Bachmann - Jett Razor
* Jennifer Cheek - Aludra Wyrmsbane / Nyx
* Timothy Lanning - King Titus Harper

## **Creatures**

* Stalactite/Stalagmite Creatures (Ropers)

### **Inventory Updates**

* -1 Skull cap
* -1 drug

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [NEW] [Active] - Kipper, Foe or Friend?
* [Active] - Prevent the impending dwarven civil war
	+ [Active] - Clear Jaela's name
	+ [Active] - Find Balder's murderer
	+ [Active] - What are birds?

### **Quotes**

**"All of the Underdark is a trap."** ~ *Kipper*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Jennifer - Nat20
	+ Bachmann - 14
	+ Nika - 11
	+ Tim - 7 - Bapped

* **Perception Check** to take a look at the figure at the edge of the lake
	+ Aludra - 12 - It looks like a small creature
	+ Jaela - 16 - It looks like a small creature, and it might be fishing
	+ Harper - 15 - It looks like a small creature

* **Stealth Check** to sneak up on the creature
	+ Nyx - 17
	+ Harper - 16
	+ Jaela - 20 & 13 (Disadvantage for wearing plate)
	+ Aludra - 10
		- One of Aludra's vambraces bangs into her gorget and makes a clanking noise, the creature turns and hisses

* Nyx - **Acrobatics Check** (with Advantage because of Haste)
	+ 21 - Tackles the fish person and it is in her grasp

* DM - **Odds or Evens** to know what happens to Nyx's skull cap
	+ Jennifer chooses Even - Odd - It goes rolling off her head and goes bloop! into the lake. "My skull."

* Jaela - **Intimidation Check** against the fish creature
	+ 3+3 - It glares and says, "Go ahead and kill me!"

* Harper - **Persuasion Check** while offering the fish creature some honey oat cake
	+ 12 - It hisses and doesn't like the food.

* **Jett** vs Kipper
	+ *Suggestion* with a 17 Wisdom DC
		- (?) - I do not know you, but I am called Kipper

* **Perception Check** to take a look at the figure at the edge of the lake
	+ Nyx - 26
	+ Aludra - 16
	+ Jaela - 11
	+ Jett - 10
	+ Harper - 2
		- Both Nyx and Kipper hear a scritchy, scratchy noise and look upward, but can't see anything due to the darkness.

* DM - **Unknown Check**
	+ (?) - Kipper tells Harper that he saw a Rat Man come through the tunnel that went deeper into the Underdark.

* **History Check** into knowledge of rat men
	+ Harper - 13
	+ Aludra - 6
		- There are wererats and stuff like that. But nothing about any wererat activity.

* Jaela - **Insight Check** into why Kipper looks so excited to lead them
	+ Nat20 - He's probably not telling them everything

* **Perception Check** asked by DM
	+ Nyx - 23
	+ Jaela - 22
	+ Harper - 17
	+ Aludra - 16
	+ Jett - 8
		- Jaela gets tugged super hard, and sees a tentacle trying to wrap itself around her.

*Combat Begins*

* **Initiative** vs Stalagmite Tentacle Creature and Stalactite Crab Creatures
	+ Tentacle creature - 18+
	+ Nyx - 18 - (20 Dex)
	+ Jett - 18 - (14 Dex)
	+ Aludra - 15
	+ Harper - 12
	+ Jaela - Nat1+1

*Round 1*

* **Stalactite Creature** vs Harper
	+ Attack - 19
		- Hit - 16 damage - Stalactite looking thing with crab-like legs drops from the ceiling then scurries back up the wall

* **Stalactite Creature** vs Harper
	+ Attack - (?)
		- Misses - Pings harmlessly off of Aludra's shoulder armor

* **Nyx** vs Stalagmite Creature
	+ *Flurry of Blows* - 18 Staff, 20 Staff, 11 Unarmed, 16
		- Miss, Hits, Miss, Miss - 8 damage (bludgeoning)

* **Jett** vs Stalagmite Creature
	+ Crossbow - 24
		- Hits - 4 damage (piercing)
	+ Rapier - 17
		- Miss

* **Aludra** vs Stalagmite Creature
	+ Entangle to Restrain it

* **Harper** vs Stalactite Creature on the wall
	+ Staff attack - 13
		- Miss
	+ Lightning Bolt Dex 17 DC
		- Hits both Stalagmite Creatures - 27 damage (lightning) - Both burst into chunks
	+ Moves away from the Stalactite Tentacle Creature

* **Stalagmite Tentacle Creature** vs everyone but Harper
	+ Shoots tentacles out at: Jaela, Aludra, Jett, & Nyx -
		- Jaela - 16+3 and Nat20+3 (with Disadvantage - Jaela is grappled (restrained and disadvantage on Strength saving throws)
		- Jett - 18 - (Tie loses to Stalactite) - Grappled
		- Nyx - 13 - Misses
		- Aludra - 25
			* *Nature's Vigil* reaction to gain more AC
				+ 3 + 22 = 25 AC
					- Creature must make Spell Save DC
						* (?) - It's double Restrained - It's covered in so many vines it breaks tentacles grasp. It can barely move.

*Combat Ends*