Nerdy Gamers first D&D adventure

 It had been a long while since we had played any Dungeons and Dragons, with lockdown keeping us all separate. I had been playing a few different games every couple of weeks or so with a few friends calling ourselves the Nerdy Gamers, and I remembered a conversation with another mate who had wanted to try D&D for ages. So I figured, why not set something up over videoconference - I've got plenty of models, I can set the scene and describe to the guys what is going on, and we can give it a bash! 

Webcam, laptops, models, cobbled streets - ready for an adventure!

It went really well. I'm lucky that my wife enjoys playing (some!) of the games that I like to play, D&D being one of them, so she's happy for the dining table to be taken over and joins in as well! I got a few notes from the guys for next time - bringing the camera in a little closer (I was trying to position it to see me as well as the models), and use something more plain than the lovely cobbles to make it easier to see the models. I recorded the evening's adventure below. I have a plan for the next session (there were a couple of hooks in this one for them to explore), and a neat plan to connect this session into one of the pre-made adventures - they seem really well put together and it will save me a huge amount of planning time to use them. 

Three of the party were new to D&D (or at least they hadn't looked at it since they were kids), but they all picked it up quickly. Hope you enjoy! 

Adventures of the Nerdy Gamers

29 November 2020

The party

·         Bran Hornraven – Human Wizard 

·         Barendil Dawnwood – Elf Ranger 

·         Guillerme don d’Lyonne – Human Paladin 

·         Friar Buck Norris – Human Cleric 

·         Nobby Nobbs – Human (probably) Rogue 

 

The meeting

The adventure began in a comfortable tavern, The Golden Hind, in the small town of Chestnut Hollow. In addition to the regular locals, the tavern was populated by a group of raucous young dwarfs and another group of miserable, ashen-faced farmhands. There were also several well-armed individuals that had all happened to turn up at the tavern on this sunny day – was that coincidence or fate? Either way, these individuals naturally gravitated toward one another, sharing a round of beers and getting to know one another. Their shared desire for adventure and need to earn coin led them to join together and seek employment as a group.  

Talking to the farmhands was an uphill struggle, even for ‘man of the people’ Friar Buck. They weren’t very communicative, clamming up even more when Hornraven stalked over and started showing off his intelligence. Giving up on the farm workers, the party went to talk to the tavern landlord, Bertram. He told them that he was having problems with pests eating his food stores in the cellar – if the adventurers dealt with the pest problem then he would wipe their tab clean for the evening.

And so the group descended the stairs into the tavern cellar. They could hear scurrying noises in the shadows behind the crates and barrels, and Barendil’s sharp elf eyes were able to spot several Giant Rats skittering back and forth. He swiftly loosed an arrow that pierced one of the rats through the eye, killing it instantly. The remaining two rats set upon his compatriots, viciously nipping at their legs. As Friar Buck was bitten, he let out a curse to Kord that reflected lightning damage on the rodent. However, neither this, nor the efforts of the others were able to bring either of the remaining rats down until Barendil loosed another perfectly aimed arrow to add a second kill to his tally. Meanwhile, Guillerme  wildly swung his glaive, completely missing the final rodent and instead smashing apart some barrels of ale, causing the contents to spill onto the floor; Friar Buck looked longingly at the beer being wasted, but resisted the temptation to get his tankard out to instead wield his warhammer and splat the rat into a bloody pulp.

Being familiar with their penchant for eating them, Nobby took the rat carcasses to sell to the dwarfs while removing the tails to provide proof to Bertram that the deed was done.

Bertram was grateful that his stocks were safe from the pests, but became less pleased when he realised that Friar Buck’s tale of the rodents spilling ale was nothing but a load of horse manure – the experienced barman could easily see through the cleric’s genial face as he attempted to conceal the damage Guillerme had done in the cellar. In gratitude for the service, Bertram provided the party with some healing salves and bandages for their wounds, but as restitution for trying to deceive him he did not wipe their bar tab clean. He explained that he would have forgiven them accidentally smashing things during the rodent cleansing, but he didn’t appreciate being taken for a fool.

The dwarfs, meanwhile, were incredibly grateful to Nobby for the rats and poured him generous measures of ale, inviting him to join them in their celebrations. He learned that they were celebrating the opening of their own mine, having been given permission from their clan elders to do so and seek out new seams nearby. While listening, it became clear that the dwarfs were not entirely sure whether they had locked their new mine or not… this ignited the fire of greed in Nobby’s belly, wondering what riches the dwarfs might have been mining for and thinking about how sad it would be if anyone, other than him, were to slip into the unguarded mine and take the contents. The noble elf, Barendil, saw the glint in the rogue’s eyes and spoke up to say that he could not condone stealing from these inebriated dwarfs. Friar Buck, still feeling remorseful after his attempt to deceive the barman, agreed that the adventurers should have no part in stealing. After a short discussion, the party agreed that the best thing they could do would be to head to the mine themselves and secure it against any potential bandits or monsters in the region, as it was clear the dwarfs were in no state to do it themselves – perhaps there would be glory or reward to be had from such an undertaking but, at the heart of it, they agreed that it was the right thing to do.  

Dwarf mine

Leaving the tavern, the group proceeded along a sun-dappled country lane, with rolling hills and lush countryside around them. It wasn’t far to the mine entrance, which fortunately the dwarfs had described just well enough for the adventurers to find it with little trouble. They saw, as expected, that the large wooden door was hanging open, gently moving back and forth in the breeze. Barendil used his perception to examine the entranceway, noting a number of iron-shod dwarf boot prints going in and out of the mine, but in addition some smaller footprints heading into the mine – but not out. There were some larger holes in the mud that seemed to have been caused by something bigger, and heavier.

Looking in through the open door, the elf saw a well-constructed mine shaft heading straight forwards as far as his darkvision could see, with tracks on the ground for mine carts to be moved on. Nothing seemed to be amiss, so he beckoned his fellows forwards. They proceeded in through the door and were able to comfortably walk two-abreast, picking their way forward with caution – both Friar Buck and Hornraven the mage illuminated their weapons with the Light cantrip, one at the front of the column and the other at the rear.

All party members paid careful attention to the layout of the mine, some sketching maps of the routes they took. At one stage, Barendil decided to quickly double back and retrace their steps to investigate whether an alternative route connected with the one they were on – he told the others to stay put as he had the lightest feet and could move all but unseen, though as soon as he turned around he stumbled and kicked some pebbles that rattled and echoed in the gloom. Not wanting to turn back and be ridiculed, the elf strode off anyway, and quickly found his way round and back to the rest of the party.

Goblin attack!

Moving on again, they came to an underground stream crossed by a wooden bridge. Once safely across, they could hear chattering noises and the chinking of coins from up ahead. Again, Barendil decided to scout forwards, but this time took Nobby Nobbs with him. Nobby held onto the elf’s coat tails, as his eyesight was poor in the dark, but yet again the elf knocked some debris on the floor and made noise that disturbed whoever was up ahead. Shaking his head, he watched as four Goblins leaped out from a side chamber up ahead and started hollering a warcry.

Friar Buck acted quickly to cast Fog on the bow-armed goblins at the rear, preventing the rest of the party from targeting them directly but also forcing the goblins to move out of the fog and into closer range to shoot their bows, making it easier for Guillame to close in and swing his glaive at them. Nobby hid behind a mine cart like a coward, ineffectually shooting his bow in the general direction of the enemy.

Screaming Elvish curses at the goblins, Barendil dropped his bow and charged in with his sword, slashing at the diminutive greenskins with a surprising frenzy for the normally calm ranger. Between his frenzied attacks and magic missiles sent by Hornraven that sizzled through the air and punched holes in the goblins torsos, the group whittled down their attackers until just one remained, quaking in his boots until he was also dispatched.

The group decided to take goblin ears as proof of the deed to show the dwarfs back at the tavern. They checked the treasure chest that the goblins had been rifling through, assuming that the dwarfs must have left it in the mine. All agreed to leave the coin where it was for its owners to find when they returned – all except for Nobby, who pilfered three of the gold pieces for himself without anyone else in the party noticing. Friar Buck even congratulated Nobby on his restraint for leaving the coins alone, expecting that the dwarfs would be especially pleased to find that their wealth was intact and the mine cleared of greenskins.

They have an ogre…

As the group walked back out of the treasure room, they heard a stomping noise from an adjacent chamber. Again, Barendil attempted to stealthily investigate, and again the elf managed to kick some stones that gave away his position. With a grunt, a huge Ogre appeared from out of a nearby passage, brandishing a huge club and holding a table over his head ready to smash down on whoever had made the noise.

The adventurers worked together with highly efficient teamwork to take the ogre down. Nobby waited patiently, biding his time to sneak in behind the ogre and jump on its back to stab it with a sneak attack. His fellows lunged at the beast with their weapons, driving the ogre back and causing it to stagger due to its injuries.  

Bran Hornraven muttered one of the incantations he had learned in his years of study, drawing magical power into himself and shaping it with his hands before reaching out and blasting a Ray of Frost straight at the ogre’s head, surrounding it with a nimbus of cold blue light. With a confused look on its face, the ogre’s head began to freeze from the neck up before shattering into a thousand pieces. The headless body toppled over like a felled tree, landing with a thud on the ground.

The adventurers took a breath, surprised at their success against the lumbering brute. Friar Buck picked up the ogre’s massive club, which looked more like a maul, and hefted it in his hands. Nobby, meanwhile, cut off the beasts thumbs as more proof of their heroics to show the dwarfs when they returned to the tavern.

And with that, the adventurers departed the mine. By this time, the sun had begun to settle over the horizon and so they were met with the coolness of twilight as they stepped out through the wooden door at the entrance. They made sure to lock the door behind them and began to walk back towards Chestnut Hollow and the cosy fireplace within the Golden Hind tavern.   

Next - Session 2 ⏩