Episode 139 - The Crystal Getters

Having bested the Slaadi force with… mostly impressive battle tactics the gang got to the task at hand – harvesting those crystals! For most of the encounter Thom was continuing to lock lips with his new Slaad friend in some sort of long con. Without spoiling too much, Harper and Jaela did work with the crystal harvesting and Aludra was also there. Once Thom emerged from his smooch fest it was time to return to the dreaded Pyre…oh gosh!

## **Story**

### Long Story

Aludra, Harper, Jaela, and Thom/Steve have just knocked out some Slaadi. Other Slaadi are either making out with Thom, standing on their head, eating a sandwich, singing, or hiding. They need four of them. To get them, they must perform a *Skill Challenge*!

Harper turns to the Slaad that joined their side, and attempts to Persuade him to show him another Slaad's crystal, but he, (who's name is Slaad), tells Harper those are just a myth. He is able to convince him that he is a doctor, and needs his help removing one, and this works. Jaela sees this happen and replicates it perfectly on another Slaad. Harper fills the Slaad that is making out with Thom with love, so that he has no room for the crystal, and this also works. Jaela uses her strong connection with Erathis to compel one of the Slaadi to remove its crystal and they finally have four crystals!

Then Thom stops making out with the Slaad. He decides he also wants his own Slaad, so he performs a cheap parlor trick where he has a Slaad mark a crystal, then he shuffles a bunch of them around and asks if *this* is his crystal, and reaches behind him and pulls out the crystal of the Slaad volunteer. It is not marked, because magic's not real. Harper, on a whim, takes the crystal from their new friend, Slaad the Slaad, and he destroys it. Fortunately, instead of killing him, it does free him! Suddenly, from the bushes, Pyre's assistant from before emerges, and offers to take the now docile Slaadi back to Mastwick for them. For some reason, Harper is reluctant to do this, so they all head back and drop off the Slaadi. The assistant then points in two directions, and tells them that their next two goals, the Barony of New Stigia where Harper's sister is and the Army of Bahamut are those ways, an equal distance apart from each other. After putting Adira aside for so long, they all agree that she should be the next priority. They set free Slaad the Slaad, who has free will now.

### Short

The gang retrieves five Slaad Crystals, and make it back to Mastwick to deliver them. But they also make a new friend! Slaad the Slaad, whom Harper freed by destroying his brain crystal.

## **Trivia**

* They began recording this episode without knowing where Mike Bachmann was, he just didn't show up for the stream until late.
	+ It's later revealed that he was watching *Army Wives* with Kerry.

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - Lord Titus Harper
* Jennifer Cheek - Aludra Wyrmsbane
* Mike Bachmann - Thom Vidalis / Steve Meloncamp
* Nika Howard - Jaela

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Pyre's assistant
* Slaad the Slaad

### **Locations**

* Slaadi Den
* Mastwick

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [On-hold] - End the Demon Apocalypse / Kill Fennekin
	+ [On-hold] - Destroy the Demon Portal device with the Hammer of Sundering
* [Active] - Rescue Adira Harper
	+ [Active] - Investigate Baron von Du in the Barony of New Stigia
	+ [On-hold] - Investigate the Army of Bahamut
		- [On-hold] - Get to New Newfoundland Land
			* ~~[Complete] - Get out of Mastwick~~
				+ ~~[Complete] - Retrieve four (4) living Red Slaadi for Pyre~~
* [Optional] - Clean up Drunkeros
	+ [Optional] - Investigate the Mind Flayers in the Swamps of Ichtaka
	+ [Active] - Investigate the Church of Bahamut's army
	+ [Optional] - Recruit the assistance of the Dwarves in Deephome
	+ [Optional] - Recruit the assistance of the Elves in Galanthis
* [Backburner] - Find a way to get Steve Meloncamp out of Thom's head

### **Quotes**

**"I call upon the power of love, the most powerful magics in the world."** ~ *Titus Harper*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Nika - 9
	+ Tim - Nat20
	+ Jennifer - 5
	+ Michael - Bapped

* *It's Skill Challenge Time, y'all*
	+ The mission: *To extract 4 crystals from the heads of the Slaadi*
		- They will need 4 successes to win
		- They can only get 6 failures

* **Initiative**
	+ Harper - 11
	+ Jaela - 5
	+ Aludra - 5

*Round One*

* **Harper**
	+ Tries to *Persuade* Slaad the Slaad to get the crystal from the head of another Slaad - 13
		- Fail *(1)*

* **Jaela**
	+ Does a *Perception* check to look at the Slaadi that are hurt - 15
		- Fail *(2)*

* **Aludra**
	+ Uses *Medicine* (with advantage) - 7, 3 - 13
		- Fail *(3)*

*Round 2*

* **Harper**
	+ Uses *Deception* to trick Slaad the Slaad into helping him get a crystal - 16
		- Success '*(1)*

* **Jaela**
	+ Uses *Insight* to see if she can replicate what Slaad the Slaad did - 22
		- Success *(2)*

* **Aludra**
	+ Uses *Performance* to impress the Slaad singing *The Rainbow Connection* - 8
		- ~~Fail *(4)*~~
	+ She can re-roll after she sings - 14
		- Fail *(4)*

*Round Three*

* **Harper**
	+ Does an *Arcana* check to fill the Slaad kissing Thom with love (with advantage) - 18
		- Success *(3)*

* **Jaela**
	+ Uses *Religion* on the sandwich Slaad - 19
		- Success *(4)*

*Skill Challenge Ends*

*Skill Challenge Begins for Thom to take a turn*

* **Thom**
	+ Rolls *Sleight of Hand* to do a simple magicians parlor trick - 17
		- Success *(5)*

*Skill Challenge Ends*

* **Harper** rolls *Persuasion* to get their Slaad friend, Slaad, to trust them - 18
	+ Success - he trusts him