| Be Free (My Cuties) (Campaign 2 - Episode 98) |
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| Information | |
| Release Date: | May 13, 2024 |
| Recording Date: | May 7, 2024 |
| Episode Length: | 1:10:20 |
| Cast & Characters | |
| Michael DiMauro: | Dungeon Master |
| Tim Lanning: | T'Chuck |
| Jennifer Cheek: | Selene von Esper |
| Nika Howard: | R'Oarc |
| Mike Bachmann: | Screech Echo |
| Guide | |
| Previous Episode: | Next Episode: |
| Stealth Mission | Class is in Session |
Now that the bulk of the of bandits are dealt with we now must figure out what to do with the caged beasts. Sure, they look evil, but is an animal really evil? Could we not train them to love and care for the earth? Wait I think that one just threatened me…..
Story[]
Long Story[]
Our heroes have just taken out a band of looters, and now stand in the flaming wreckage of their camp. There's still the matter of the Wargs to take care of (there are 5 in a nearby cage), and also a a large Wyvern is just chillin' at the top of a crudely constructed tower. R'Oarc takes an immediate interest in the Wargs, and feeds some of her sausage rolls to the cutest ones. By the way, can we talk about these sausage rolls for a second? How old are these? They gotta be, like, hella stale by this point, right? Unless she's been making more off-screen. And if so, why hasn't she been selling them? We gotta make a profit, people! This is America!
Anyway, this "cutest Warg" (which the other party members don't see it as) can speak, and tells R'Oarc that it isn't the alpha. The alpha is that one over there, but R'Oarc is still interested in this cute one. She wants to be friends with it, and take it back with her. But the Warg insists that it is, in fact, a beast, and would devour her in a second, if only it wasn't locked in this cage. The rest of the party discuss if they should free the Wargs. On the one hand, it seems cruel to abandon them here, locked in a cage with no owners to feed them. On the other hand, releasing a pack of dangerous Wargs also seems like a bad idea. They could use magic to open the cage once they are a safe distance away, so they can be safe from immediate danger. But, that still leaves the Wargs free to terrorize the country-side, and innocent people could be hurt. This is a pickle.
R'Oarc, however, sees no issue with freeing the Wargs, other than the reprimanding she might receive if she's caught. So, she uses her stealthy dexterous ways to pick the lock of the cage, just enough so as not to be noticed by the others. Her plan is to leave the lock slightly open, so if the Wargs push against the door, it will open for them. That way, once R'Oarc and co. leave, the Wargs won't really be trapped. Unfortunately, the Wargs immediately break through the newly opened gate, and attack the party!
R'Oarc jumps back, and reflexively turns Selene and T'Chuck Invisible. T'Chuck sends out his Spirit Guardians to attack the Wargs, which unfortunately removes his Invisibility. The Wargs all gang up on the newly visible T'Chuck, knocking him to the ground.
Listen, let's talk about Screech. Screech Echo, also known as the Beholder-doodle, formerly known as a plethora of other aliases, is also regarded (mostly by himself) as "The Worlds Greatest Detective". He solves crimes, you see, and uses deductive reasoning to work out the likely culprits behind various misdemeanors, infractions, other words. Let's not forget that time he was named Sleuther's Quarterly's premiere detective. Now, Screech uses that massive brain of his to do a little detective work. He looks around at the Wargs, now all vicious and snarling, and tries to figure out which one R'Oarc thought was the cutest. It takes all of his brain power to... fail to do so. Instead, he just attacks the one R'Oarc was talking to. Which, it turns out, IS the one she thought was the cutest. Sometimes, you win by accident. He's able to kill it, by dropping down on it from the sky. Oh, yeah, did I mention that Screech has been grappling this whole time? I didn't? Because that would make no sense? Take it up with Bachmann.
This maneuver does put Screech right in the middle of the pack of Wargs, though. That might not be so bad, if it weren't for Selene sending a Fireball exploding in the air above them. All of the remaining Wargs are killed. T'Chuck, however, is fine, seeing as he was lying prone on the ground. Screech was hit by the explosion, but it mostly just served to burn away all of the fur from his costume. Which, real talk, I don't even know what that costume would look like without fur? What's it made out of underneath the Beholder-doodle's coat? Just, like, polyester? I dunno.
Alright, well, the Wargs are dealt with. Now, we just gotta deal with R'Oarc. At first, T'Chuck is angry at her for releasing the Wargs, but he's unable to stay mad at his precious angel. R'Oarc, too, isn't mad about the Wargs being killed, because she's already moved on to her new Magical Pan Flute, the one that she feels will summon a swarm of rats. Dope!
Oh, hey! J'Michael's here, too! I forgot he came along lol. J'Michael's been learning morality, and this whole "Warg murder" thing is really muddying the waters. It's a complicated situation, but, according to T'Chuck, they all learned a valuable lesson about murder. With a gun to my head, I wouldn't be able to tell you what that lesson is. J'Michael isn't the only vaguely Draconic being around, either. The Wyvern that had attacked them before is watching them from atop his tower. He looks uninterested in them, which is good. Maybe they could go talk to him? Maybe they could send J'Michael up to talk to him? J'Michael suuuuuper doesn't want to, though. According to him, Wyverns are "posers". They're not real dragons, so J'Michael looks down on them. Reluctantly, however, he does agree to go up there and talk to him. And to get up there, he flies! That was something he couldn't do for a while, so, hurray!
After a few second of conversing, J'Michael calls down with what he's learned: The Wyvern is stupid. What the Wyvern actually said was that it will make a deal with the party: They keep him alive, feeding him whatever he wants, and in return, he won't kill them. He even says that they can "do flying with him", whatever that means. T'Chuck climbs up the rickety latter, to join the conversation. Through J'Michael, he offers the Wyvern to come back to the circus with them. He agrees. We also learn that the Wyvern's name is "Vern", although J'Michael tries to claim his name is "Shitbreath".
Up on the Wyvern's tower, T'Chuck finds a few skeletons, which he searches and finds 100 gold pieces worth of gems and other treasures. Vern doesn't seem to mind him taking it. With that, the party leaves, with one new Wyvern in tow. Cool! +1 Wyvern!
They return to the circus, which feels like it's been a lifetime, even though they were last here in Episode 96, two eps ago. They check in with Barnabas Rumbletoes. As Screech is returning to his train car, he is approached by The Oriole, who tells him that something strange is going on...
Short[]
R'Oarc frees the Wargs, and does the surprised Pikachu face when they immediate attack! It's fine, though. They are able to take them out without much fuss. The last order of business at this camp is the Wyvern, whom they send J'Michael up to treat with. This way, they learn that the Wyvern's name is "Vern", and that he's nice, actually. Well, less "nice", and more "not mean". He joins the party, agreeing to come back to the circus with them. Upon their return, Screech is met by The Oriole, who tells him that something strange is going on...
Trivia[]
- R'Oarc casts Animate Dead on the cute Warg, but I don't think this goes anywhere.
- Also, T'Chuck is surprised that R'Oarc is using Necromancy, despite having met Stephanie. Apparently, he just thought that Stephanie was just some random skeleton R'Oarc met.
- In this episode, J'Michael flies. I don't think he's ever really flown before. There was one episode where he, like, jumped a little, with some help from the party, and at that time, he "used his wings a little bit", which was a big deal at the time.
- J'Michael has hands.
- T'Chuck asks J'Michael to be in charge of the stables back at the circus, to fill the void left by Draven Bloodfang. This doesn't come up again.
- The Oriole believes that he should be the hero, and Beholder-doodle should be the sidekick. I feel like this would happen a lot more with real superhero duos.
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
Non-Player Characters[]
- One cute Warg, and 4 less cute Wargs
- J'Michael
- Vern, the Wyvern
- Barnabas Rumbletoes
- "The Oriole" (Dick Goodie)
Locations[]
- Drunkeros
- The Looter's Camp
- The Big Top Traveling Circus and Magnificent Menagerie
Inventory[]
| T'Chuck | Selene von Esper | R'Oarc | Screech Echo | General Inventory | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Quest Board[]
- [Complete] -
Clear out the Looters' Camp - [Active] - Save Selene's family!
- [Active] - Go to Brunnell
- [Active] - Go to Brookwillow
- [On-Hold] - Recruit the help of Hortentia Calamore
- [On-Hold] - Travel to Vhur'endal
- [On-Hold] - Recruit the help of House Bartell
- [On-Hold] - Travel to Anchordowns
- [Active] - Go to Brunnell
- [On-Hold] - Find a cure for Thaldin Emberbrew
- [On-Hold] - Go to the nearby Drow city, probably Vhur'endal
- [On-hold] - Investigate "Bill, the Necromancer", in the far off city by the coast
- [On-hold] - Take the disembodied lips to the oceanfront, for a burial at sea
Quotes[]
- "I feel like you could call R'Oarc a dumb bitch, in that moment." ~ Nika Howard
- "So, Nika, should we break from the party, and join these Wargs? What's your thought here? Why'd you do this?" ~ Tim Lanning
- "A spell laid is a spell plaid!" ~ Nika Howard
- "I was grappling up above. Because I'm always grap-- Unless I say otherwise, I'm always grappling." ~ Mike Bachmann
- "I was gonna eat your bones!" ~ The Dying Words of the Cute Warg
- "Did you say that 'Flind-sight is 20/20'?" ~ Michael DiMauro ("Flind" is like a Gnoll, just fyi)
- "We've addressed every creature that's here, by either killing it, or bringing it with us, so... I feel like our job here is done." ~ Jennifer Cheek
Rolls[]
- T'Chuck rolls Nature to see if the Wargs are super evil - 13
- They understood to be bad and will bite, but T'Chuck feels like it's all in the way they are raised. And these Wargs were probably raised by bad guys
- R'Oarc rolls ' to see if she can find out which Warg is the alpha - 12 + 2
- She can't really even tell the Wargs apart
- R'Oarc casts Suggestion on a Warg, requiring it to make a DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw - <15
- Fails - It is suggested to be friendly
- T'Chuck rolls Survival to see if the Wargs are bad for the local ecosystem - 24
- They are an invasive species, and an "unnatural blight on the land"
- R'Oarc rolls Sleight of Hand roll to sneakily open the gate for the cute Warg - 18
- Against T'Chuck's Passive Perception of 18
- It meets, so it beats - T'Chuck doesn't know she opens the gate
- Against T'Chuck's Passive Perception of 18
Combat Begins vs 5 Wargs
- Initiative
- R'Oarc - Nat 20 + 3
- T'Chuck - 19
- Screech - 18
- Selene - 12
Round One
- R'Oarc
- Casts Invisibility on Selene and T'Chuck
- Also, moves away from the Warg cage
- T'Chuck
- Yells at Selene
- Casts Spirit Guardians near the Wargs, requiring them to make DC 16 Wisdom Saving Throws (he's no longer invisible)
- Warg 1 (the cute one) - 19
- Success - No damage
- Warg 2 - 15
- Fail - 11 Radiant damage
- Warg 3 - <16
- Fail - 11 Radiant damage
- Warg 4 - <16
- Fail - 11 Radiant damage
- Warg 5 - <16
- Fail - 11 Radiant damage
- Warg 1 (the cute one) - 19
- Casts Sanctuary on
himselfR'Oarc
- Warg 1
- Melee Attack (Bite) vs T'Chuck - 20
- Hit - 10 Piercing damage, and must make a Strength Saving Throw - 8
- Fail - He is knocked prone
- Hit - 10 Piercing damage, and must make a Strength Saving Throw - 8
- Melee Attack (Bite) vs T'Chuck - 20
- Warg 2
- Melee Attack (Bite) vs T'Chuck - 17
- Miss
- Melee Attack (Bite) vs T'Chuck - 17
- Warg 3
- Melee Attack (Bite) vs T'Chuck - <17
- Miss
- Melee Attack (Bite) vs T'Chuck - <17
- Warg 4
- Melee Attack (Bite) vs T'Chuck - <17
- Miss
- Melee Attack (Bite) vs T'Chuck - <17
- Warg 5
- Melee Attack (Bite) vs T'Chuck - <17
- Miss
- Melee Attack (Bite) vs T'Chuck - <17
- Screech
- Rolls Insight on R'Oarc, to see if he can tell which Warg she thinks is the cute one - 15
- Against R'Oarc's Deception - 25
- He's not sure, so he just goes for the one that talked. Which is the cute one
- Against R'Oarc's Deception - 25
- Melee Attack vs Warg 1 {x2} - 23, 23
- Hit, Hit - 18 + 9 damage - Kills It
- Rolls Insight on R'Oarc, to see if he can tell which Warg she thinks is the cute one - 15
- Selene
- Casts Fireball above the Wargs, so as not to hit T'Chuck, requiring them (and Screech) to make a Dexterity Saving Throw
- Screech - 19
- Success -
1531 Fire damage
- Success -
- Warg 2 - 1
- Fail - 31 Fire damage - Kills It
- Warg 3 - 3
- Fail - 31 Fire damage - Kills It
- Warg 4 - 4
- Fail - 31 Fire damage - Kills It
- Warg 5 - 4
- Fail - 31 Fire damage - Kills It
- Screech - 19
- Casts Fireball above the Wargs, so as not to hit T'Chuck, requiring them (and Screech) to make a Dexterity Saving Throw
Combat Ends