C2 E43

We must be pretty smart AND capable because we have a plan to trap a few evil villains and bring them to justice before they can hurt our friend Screech. Who knows why they are here… who knows if Screech deserves it… but will our collective will be enough??!?

## **Story**

### Long Story

Screech enters The Goblin Pit, to meet up with the others who led him here. They explain to him that the various characters from the circus are coming for him, though they don't know why. After a brief discussion on Screech's enemies, they try to think of how they should handle this. Screech is, obviously, not much of a fighter, so he's not going to be a lot of help. Instead, his input is to make a boy made out of hay, a Hay-boy, to put in the bed instead of Screech. He then takes his leave, back to his old room in the Goblin Pit, despite Ratma Ritmo's insistence that Screech is banned. There's the sound of broken glass, and Screech is gone. There is, however, a Hay-boy in his bed.

Alright, well that figures. But, in any event, the rest of the plan should remain the same: T'Chuck will lead the circus performers into the Keep, and into Screech's room. There, they will attack what they think is Screech, but will really be a Hay-boy. Then, the party will lay the proverbial smack-down upon the Menagerie. But if only they had one extra person to fight alongside them...

Another window is shattered! In bursts everyone's favorite dog/beholder-themed vigilante, Beholder-doodle! Hurray! After bringing him up to speed, everyone decides to collect a series of objects to set up Home Alone-style traps for the bad guys:

* T'Chuck brings rope, a bucket, some fish heads, eggs, and broken glass.
* Selene brings broken glass, oil, a candle, a sheet, and a bunch of cans.
* R'Oarc brings sausage rolls, a 10-gallon bucket of "trap grease", Ratma's toe-nail clippings, R'Oarc's chewed gumball, and a poster of a band called "The Necro-dancers".
* Beholder-doodle brings caltrops, a BIG box, a stick (the ogre finger) with some string, and Screech's wallet with family photos.

And they get to work, setting up the traps. It's all very slap-stick, and extremely dubious, but it's essentially pretty harmless. Beholder-doodle's box is set up above the bed, hidden behind R'Oarc's poster. They also have a string tied to a stick, holding up the box, so when the baddies go to snatch Screech, the box will fall onto them. This does require an invisible R'Oarc to be hiding in the room, a last minute change that Michael, for some reason, allows.

And, with everything set up and ready to go, T'Chuck goes to meet Luthor. The bald man is pleased with T'Chuck's work, and pays him the remaining 5 gold for the job. Also present are three other circus-folk: There's the strongman with a mask, who's called both Edwardo and Boon. There's the Druidic plant lady with red hair, named Pamela or Poison Oak. And there's a new guy: a tall hooded figure with a scaly muzzle, and a deep gravelly voice. He calls himself Waylon, and is later revealed to be a kind of alligator. A dangerous alligator. Perhaps a killer? Not a croc, but... you get it.

Anyway, T'Chuck leads this ragtag crew across the bridge and into the Keep. He's nervous, but doesn't let it show. Finally, he points out Screech's room, and is awarded another gold piece, for his trouble. And then T'Chuck books it to the atrium, where his friends are waiting.

Inside the room, R'Oarc hears the villains enter. They draw their swords, and bare their teeth. Slowly, sneakily, they approach the bed. Waylon opens his mouth, revealing a series of sharp, shiny teeth. And... he snaps his jaw down around the Hay-boy's head! Now's R'Oarc's chance. She yanks the string, which brings the box down. Quick as a half-elf monk from Arkensaw, she bolts out of the room. And speaking of bolts, Selene runs up to the room, and DOESN'T shoot *Fire Bolts* in. Instead, she shoots some *Fireballs*. No, not a good transition at all, but I'd like to see you do better.

The foes are all lit up. Selene, currently disguised as Screech, calls out to them, and then runs back down the hallway. Following close behind her is Waylon, who finds that the hallway has been trapped! Oil keeps him from finding his footing, and the large alligator man slips and falls onto a bed of caltrops, broken glass, and Ratma Ritmo's fingernails. Ouch! Edwardo, also called Boon, also bursts out of the room. He and Waylon are again blasted with another of Selene's *Fireballs*. Double-ouch!

But where's Beholder-doodle during all of this? He's outside, of course! Grappling his way from vantage point to vantage point, the crime-fighter waits for his moment to strike. Now's that moment, so he bursts through the third window of the night and crashes into Waylon. He is, however, unable to knock him over, since the dude's just so big. But, this does put Beholder-doodle right in biting distance of the monster. And bite he does...

Waylon grins, and growls to his victim, "Welcome to the club..."

### Short

The party prepares for the circus arriving to kill Screech. They are able to set up a series of traps, which are executed FLAWLESSLY. T'Chuck escorts Luthor, Pamela, Edwardo, and an alligator man named Waylon, into the Keep, where they are fooled by a Hay-boy! Selene blasts them with *Fireballs*, and Beholder-doodle crashes in, to join the fight. Instead, Waylon bites him, and tells him "Welcome to the club..." That can't be good, I think.

## **Trivia**

* Day 13 of the campaign.
* Target is the main competitor to Screech's company, Reverb Mining and Logistics
* They did not tell Rex Yalos that they were going to be having this fight in the Keep
* This might be the most generous Michael has ever been as a DM. Or anyone has ever been as a DM.

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

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - T'Chuck
* Jennifer Cheek - Selene von Esper
* Nika Howard - R'Oarc
* Mike Bachmann - Screech Echo / Beholder-doodle (Screech)

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Ratma Ritmo
* Luthor
* Edwardo
* Pamela
* Waylon

### **Locations**

* Drunkeros
	+ Whispering Peaks
		- Rimeford
			* The Goblin Pit
			* Ridgewood Keep

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [On-Hold] - Stop The Cult of Ugnos
	+ [On-Hold] - Investigate Thistledown
* [On-Hold] - Protect the dragon
	+ [On-Hold] - Keep the dragon hidden from the Order
		- [On-Hold] - Eliminate the Hook Horrors from the tunnels beneath Rimeford
* [Failed?] - Stop Copperpot's Amazing Menagerie from kidnapping? killing? Screech
* [R'Oarc] - Help Lucee move from the White Spire to the crypts in the graveyard

### **Quotes**

* **"I gotta be honest, I'm not rich enough to remember what we're talking about here."** ~ *Screech Echo*

* **"This is a Two-Hay-Boy situation?!?!"** ~ *Tim Lanning*

## **Rolls**

* Some of the party members roll *Perception* as the circus performers sneak into Screech's room
	+ **R'Oarc** - 22
		- She hears them draw their swords as they enter the room.
	+ **Screech** - 8
	+ **Selene** - 7

* **Selene** casts *Fireball* on all the performers, requiring Dexterity Saving Throws
	+ Edwardo - 2
		- Fail - 26 Fire damage
	+ Pamela - 5
		- Fail - 26 Fire damage
	+ Luthor - 5
		- Fail - 26 Fire damage
	+ Waylon - 6
		- Fail - 26 Fire damage

*Combat Begins vs the Menagerie*

* Initiative
	+ **T'Chuck** - 15
	+ **Selene** - 14
	+ **Beholder-doodle** - Nat 1 + 10
	+ Waylon
	+ **R'Oarc** - 5

*Round One*

* **T'Chuck**
	+ Runs forward 60 ft

* **Selene**
	+ Uses a Sorcery Point to cast *Fire Bolt* as a *Twinned* spell on both Waylon and Edwardo
		- Waylon - 20
			* Hit - 5 Fire damage
		- Edwardo - 20
			* Hit - 13 Fire damage
	+ Uses a Bonus Action to *Telekinetic Shove* Waylon, requiring a Strength Saving Throw - 21
		- Success - Not shoved

* **Beholder-doodle**
	+ Swings into the room
	+ Melee Attack vs Waylon (Sneak Attack) - 23
		- Hit - 12 damage
	+ Uses a Strength Check to *Manually Shove* Waylon - 15
		- Against Waylon's Strength Saving Throw - 20
			* Not Shoved

* **Waylon**
	+ Melee Attack (Bite) vs Screech - 22
		- Hit - 10 Piercing damage, and Screech must make a Constitution Saving Throw - 9
			* Fail - Something bad seems to happen...

*Episode Ends Mid-Combat*