“Let’s Rock”

Who Played

B-Team (no guests).

Session Summary

The party picked up the fight inside the former Bear Sisters’ cave, with the chamber lit by Dancing Lights and a couple of lanterns. The battlefield featured two cave entrances, a deep ravine spanned by planks, and a dark, oily pool (earlier slicked with oil). Early on, a svart slipped from a slick plank into the pool and was dragged under by small blue piranha-like creatures.

Xvarts pressed with a surround tactic, dropping a PC to 0 HP (a 15-damage hit) before the team stabilized around a Healing Spirit—quickly dubbed the “healing muffin.” Sanctuary on Shadow (via an amulet of Pauline’s Mercy) complicated enemy targeting and bought time. The group debated and then deployed Tidal Wave (DEX DC 16, 4d8, prone on fail) into clustered foes; later, another Tidal Wave smashed an ice-set Moorstone (“Lefty”), shattering it.

With Xvarts thinning, the party turned fully to the stone horrors: Moorstones—tri-split mouths grinding rock like a chipper, with veins/tendrils linked to a dark central rock. Dissonant Whispers pinged the “daddy rock” (save made; 6 half-damage), and a Mantle-style burst of temporary HP + reaction movement let the team re-form their line without provoking. The last Xvart was Shillelagh-smashed and the Xvart nest was burned, destroying the spawn within.

Crucially, the team confirmed that Tidal Wave had neutralized the infectious water property on the central rock (stopping new spawn), though ground tendrils still writhed. After defeating the denizens of the cave, they found Mother Bear and rescued her from being stuck on a ledge overlooking a percipitous drop by using Thunderstep. Grateful, she showed them a half caved in tunnel, accessible through the torched nursery.

The tunnel ended at a cavern’s edge, where they found a sheer underground cliff with a metal ladder dropping several hundred feet into mist. Faint iridescent blue/purple/red lights glowed far below, with no horizontal egress visible—just down. A nearby expedition camp for four (led by a dwarf) lay abandoned with four bodies, gear, and a journal indicating a failed descent into the Underdark. A large undead Clydesdale swayed nearby, still hitched to the doomed expedition's wagon.

Choosing caution, the party spent ~1 hour walling off the nursery-to-descent entrance with loose rock (purely physical, not magical), looted what they could, and planned to long rest and return to town to liquidate goods and prepare a rescue mission. Noted for the future: Moorstones can climb even without a ladder; .

Character Highlights & Giggles

Healing Engine: The Healing Spirit (“healing muffin”) kept everyone upright; frequent cries of “Run through the muffin!”
Sanctuary on Shadow: Turned off enemy focus at clutch moments.
Big Splash Plays: Tidal Wave used smartly—both for damage/prone and to cleanse infectious water on the core rock; later used to shatter Lefty.
Control Stack: Entangle (restrained) and Sacred Flame save-pressure guided the fight’s tempo.
Bardic Tempo: Dissonant Whispers chip damage, plus a Mantle-style burst of temp HP + reaction movement to reset the front.
Table Humor: “Healing muffin,” “laser beans,” “Oh, my liver!”, minis/onesie/Professor Peppercorn bits, and the Box of Colding = mini-fridge jokes (with “don’t put a box of colding in a box of holding” and Happy Fun Ball warnings).

Enemies Encountered

Xvarts — drummers/chanters/adds; ultimately wiped; Xvart nest burned and spawn destroyed.
Moorstones — grinding tri-mouth rock creatures connected by veins/tendrils to a dark core rock. Lefty shattered via Tidal Wave; the remaining threat managed with control and spacing.
Environmental Hazard — Dark pool harboring a squid or octupus like creature; slick plank mishaps were a real risk.

NPCs Met

None this session in dialogue. Off-screen context carried over from Bear Island, and the four-person expedition was found deceased (leader a dwarf), with a journal recovered.

Treasure & Notable Loot

Coins: 800 gp in pay found for an 8-way split (100 gp each).
Trade Goods: 2,000 gp in gems, spices, and fresh fruit in a Box of Colding (aka the mini-fridge).
Gear: Chain shirt, 2× short swords, ropes, pulleys, block & tackle for future descent ops.
Magic: Scroll of Earthglide; Potions: 3× Feather Fall, 1× Flying, 2× Greater Healing; an amulet was claimed (type uncertain - appears to be the source of necromantic magic that keeps the horse "Mr. Dead" animated).
Documents: Journal of the dwarven expedition leader showed them to have originated in the compound of The Eternal

Key Tactical Moments

Oil + Pool Hazard: Early environmental prep kept danger zones dangerous—to enemies.
Sanctuary + Healing Muffin: A potent survivability core when the line got swarmed.
Tidal Wave Synergy: Damage/prone + decontaminate the core rock’s water; later shattered a Moorstone.
Lighting Control: Dancing Lights/lanterns ensured tendrils couldn’t ambush.
Area Denial: Entangle and chokepoints near the ravine/planks narrowed enemy options.

Cliffhanger / Next Steps

The Long Ladder Down: A vertical route into the Underdark with eerie lights below and no side exits in sight.
Fortification Complete: Rock wall built at the nursery-to-descent entrance.
Plan: Return to town, sell trade goods, restock, and prepare the rescue mission for the OG Party from The Eternal's Compound

The cave is quieter… but the Underdark is calling.

Episode 38