Episode 23

Jan 24

Summary

Overview: The session begins with the Original Party imprisoned at Swamp Camp 13, a ramshackle bandit-run facility masquerading as a military outpost. Surrounded by dangerous swamps, the camp presents significant challenges for escape. Over the course of the session, the group gathers intelligence, strengthens their teamwork, and devises a detailed plan to break free, culminating in a daring heist to retrieve the key to their escape: the shell phone.

Players and Characters

The Original Party joined by a few new faces and is composed of the following players and characters:

Bevin: Deux ("Two"), a Celestial female warlock with multiple personalities and severe PTSD.
Jeremy: Garvey, a grizzled male Tabaxi cleric with an eyepatch and a grumpy demeanor.
Chris with a beard: Bismark, a male Lizardfolk fighter known for snacking on enemies.
Chris without a beard: Thadia, a clever female elf rogue.
Molly: Moggy, a halfling rogue who loves gardening and has a penchant for outrageous antics.
Bill: Stony Sparks, a human Dhampir warlock.
Bob: Good Hair, a goblin ranger with swamp survival expertise.
Karissa: Sergeant Mann, a female human barbarian who acts as the group’s handler in the camp.

The Camp and Key NPCs

The party learns the structure and dynamics of the camp, including:

Commandant Clot: A half-orc with a pompous demeanor, commanding the camp with insecurity and paranoia.
Sergeant Gloop: A kobold who oversees daily operations with nervous energy and clumsy antics.
Snick and Snock: Bickering goblin guards stationed in the watchtower, notable for their sibling rivalry and disorganized behavior.
Grub: A bugbear patrolling the camp with minimal competence.
Chef Bonk: The goblin cook, whose meals are functional but far from appetizing.

The camp’s layout includes barracks, a supply shed, a mess hall, a watchtower, and the Commandant’s office. Additionally, there are boar pens and a storage pit, both identified as critical locations in the party’s plans.

Key Developments

Initial Observations and Scouting

Thadia and Good Hair use food delivery duties to scout the guard tower and Commandant’s office:
- In the guard tower, they find a locked trunk large enough to hold their belongings, including the shell phone.
- In the Commandant’s office, they observe a large combination safe, which likely holds valuable items or gear.
The storage pit, near the boar pens, is identified as another potential storage location but remains heavily guarded.

Tunnel System

The party works on expanding a tunnel system connecting the prisoner barracks, well, and storage pit. They also uncover a hidden escape hole behind the barracks, which Good Hair used to infiltrate the camp. This hole is repurposed as a potential escape route.

Anti-Magic Field

The group discovers an anti-magic field or hallow effect suppressing all spells within the camp. They theorize it might be tied to an enchanted object, likely in the Commandant’s office, further complicating their plans.

The Barracks Confrontation and Sergeant Mann's Defection

In the barracks, Garvey confronts Sergeant Mann in an intense moment that nearly escalates into a full-blown conflict. Frustrated with the lack of freedom and the looming threat of transfer to the main fortress, Garvey challenges Mann's loyalty and questions her commitment to the oppressive regime running the camp.
Using his natural charisma and tactical insight, Garvey lays out the grim reality of staying in the camp and the potential for liberation if Mann cooperates. His argument centers on the group’s possession of the shell phone and their plans to contact Longmorn for reinforcements, emphasizing that everyone—including Mann—stands to gain from their escape plan.
Although initially defensive, Mann ultimately yields under the weight of Garvey’s persuasion. With a decisive roll of the dice, Mann is swayed to the party’s side and agrees to assist them in their escape. However, she remains discreet, avoiding any overt display of allegiance to ensure she isn’t implicated before the plan unfolds you’d like this integrated into the main summary or presented differently!

The Skill Challenge – Dinner Mayhem

During dinner in the mess hall, the party participates in a skill challenge to pocket useful items like silverware and pepper shakers while avoiding detection.
Round 1 Highlights (Success!):
- Garvey uses perception to time a moment when the guards aren’t looking and discreetly passes silverware to another party member.
- Moggy attempts to pocket silverware but accidentally drops it, causing a minor clatter that arouses some suspicion.
Round 2 Highlights (Failed Round!):
- Stony Sparks convincingly fakes an outburst, claiming, “What am I supposed to eat with?” while securing a fork. His deception (23) successfully deflects attention from other party members.
- Sergeant Mann engages Grub in an arm-wrestling contest, drawing attention from Chef Bonk, the guards, and other prisoners. This allows other characters to act more freely.
Round 3 Highlights (Redemption Round):
- Good Hair sneaks behind distracted guards and nabs a pepper shaker with impressive stealth.
- Moggy delivers a legendary distraction: she leaps onto a table, pulls down her pants, exposes a “Halfling full moon,” and farts loudly. Chef Bonk interprets this display as an elaborate goblin cultural compliment, buying valuable time for the rest of the group to act.
Outcome: Despite some mishaps, the group successfully gathers enough silverware and small items to potentially fashion makeshift tools for their escape.

The Shell Phone Heist

The party learns that Commandant Clot is aware of the shell phone’s importance but doesn’t know what it looks like. They devise a plan to create a convincing fake to replace the real phone, ensuring the Commandant remains unaware of the theft.
The shell phone is described as a small box-like device with glowing symbols on its surface.
Gathering Materials: The group scavenges items like wire, springs, bones, and false teeth to craft the decoy. They work in pairs to assemble a replica matching the real phone’s size, weight, and appearance.
The Heist: Under the cover of darkness, Thadia and Moggy infiltrate the guard tower. Using stealth and lockpicking expertise, they successfully open the trunk, retrieve the real phone, and replace it with the fake. The trunk is resealed to avoid suspicion.
Handoff: The real shell phone is handed off to Good Hair, who prepares to sneak out of the camp through the escape tunnel to make contact with reinforcements.

Escape Plan

The group finalizes their plan:
- Retrieve the shell phone and use it to call for reinforcements.
- Good Hair, the best swamp navigator, will sneak out with the phone to a location with signal coverage.
- The rest of the party will create distractions and prepare for a coordinated escape when reinforcements arrive.
The boar pens are highlighted as a source of potential chaos, as the group has trained some boars to follow their commands.

Session Conclusion

The session ends with the party successfully executing the fake shell phone heist and preparing for nighttime action. With the shell phone secured and their plans in place, tensions remain high as the party faces the final steps of their escape.

Petr Klapka