Castle Ravenloft Adventure

Kalleth let out an ungodly noise as he was bitten...an odd mix of a yell, growl, and howl, blood rishing from his nearly detached arm. He looked down, at his arm, not yet woozy, but in incredible pain. He tried to lift his left arm, but could only howl again as his slumped back down at his side.

You filthy mutt, he spat at the thing's feet, a bit surprised to see blood there, lifting his weapon in only his right hand. Someone come flank this beast! Kalleth shouted as he spun his sword in his hand, the blade pointed down the length of his arm. He looked up at the beast and with a heave he leapt into the air, bringing his blade pointed downward at the back of the barghast's neck. He felt his blade hit home and twisted it as he wrenched it from the barghast's flesh, hitting the ground with a thud and looking up to see what he'd done.

Action: Shift to G11. Attack on barghast, taking -4 (lack proficiency one-handed). Land behind the barghast, J11.
Maneuver: Death From Above; make DC 20 Jump check. Leap to any square adjacent to the target within 20 feet. Opponent considered flat-footed.
Jump Check: 27
Attack: 33 vs. flat-footed AC, possible critical (natural 20)
Crit Confirmation: 37 vs. flat-footed AC (Battle Ardor)
Damage: 42 (Battle Cunning)
Damage on Crit: 63 (Battle Cunning)

"Damn." Veraun mumbled. This was supposed to be easy. Scout, find gold and allies for expansion above, this was all that was expected. Not for the first time Veraun cursed the day he met the mercenary leader. His plan now one of self preservation he casted invisiblity and moved, as only a drow could, stealthily behind the barghast.

Having seen kalleth's vicious wound, Falcor roared louder than even the Barghast.

Dropping his hammer Falcor sprints forward jumps over the fire yelling, "Fight someone your own size daemon" Falcor crashes into the Barghast bringing them both to the ground, grappling. Falcor roars again as he works to put his scaly arms around the Barghast's neck digging his claws into the the beats neck for a better hold, while pinning its arms with his legs. He straightens his back trying to move into position to rip the beats head off


Jump check: 25
Grapple check: 38 (natural 20)

Summary
Worgs: Flee
Sylvain: STUNNED
Kalleth: to J11; hit, 63 damage to barghast
Twitch: to F11; hit, 11 damage to barghast (I moved your location-otherwise you'd be in the bonfire)
Veraun: to J15; invisible
Barghast: (Readied Action) 3 hits; 93 damage (5 fire and 68 vile) to Falcor; right rear leg crippled
Falcor: to G13; ongoing 5 fire (Ref 20); prone
Ilsine: to F13; heals Falcor for 8
Ireena: to D11
Vistani: wagon on fire

With advantage lost, the remaining worgs dash into the darkness, yelping in fear. They even ignore Sylvain who must collect his thoughts after the barghast's horrific display of power.

Kalleth deftly leaps over the mighty creature, tearing into its back leg and hobbling it, while Twitch rushes forth and stabs. Both warriors get the sense that their blades aren't as potent against the explanar's tough hide. Veraun shakes off a worg clamped to his foot, turns invisible, and moves into a better position-just in time to see Falcor charge the mighty barghast.

Fight someone your own size daemon!" he yells, leaping through the flames.

"I intend to!" roars the barghast with an evil grin upon its frightening countenance. Only when the last curtain of flame was behind him did Falcor realize his error, the same error as the worg be had vanquished so easily earlier. No mobility.

With no effort at all the waiting barghast lashes out with both its ferocious fore claws and its maw of sickly yellow fangs. The force of the blow is so great that Falcor is pushed back into the flames, having never even reached the monster.

"Cursed Child!" yells Ilsine, rushing forth and using all the strength his old body could muster to pull the giant dragonkin out of the fire and adminstring rudimentry aid. "Hold still, lad. You be no match for that beast now."

Ireena rushes to the side and prepares to charge the mighty creature.

"You puny little things-how easily you die." chuckles the barghast, lifting his right fore paw up as if to swat something. "This is the only mercy you can ever know!"

Calling on his fiendish powers and unholy strength, the barghast swipes his paw into the fire and sends it gushing forth-into the right wagon wherein the remaining Vistani reside. The screams of the children and their father pierce the night.

Barghast: 98 damage, rear right leg crippled

Sylvain: 59 HP
Kalleth: 56 HP (30 vile damage), left arm crippled
Veraun: 21 HP, spent spells: 3 Lvl 2 spells, 1 lvl 1 spell, and 2 lvl 3 spell
Falcor: 23 HP, ongoing 5 fire, right arm crippled, prone
Ilsine: 49 HP-out of ranged heal spells
Ireena: fresh
Vistani: 2 rounds till death

According to the Grand High DM, saving one Vistani is a standard action. A full round action saves all three.

Hobbling along, stealthy as can be, Veraun launches himself at the barghast back casting vampiric touch. Beleth flapping lands on his shoulder speaking words of encouragement as only an imp could.

"Drink master! Feast on his life force that we may loot his corpse!!", Beleth cries seeing his master struggle to hold on.


ATK = 21

DMG = 11

Reflex: 26

Falcor manages to pick himself up and walks stiffly toward his hammer, picking it up with one hand and painfully hoisting it over his shoulder he makes his way toward the burning wagon.

Falcor yells, "get away from the door I'm busting it open" Physically in anguish Falcor raises his hammer with what strength he has left brings the hammer crashing down upon the door.

attack: 36
damage: 31

OOC: i only used half my str mod for my attack and damage since i'm only using one hand

Attack: 33/30/29/27/21/28/13/26 natural 20 (confirmation roll 19)
Damage: 9/11/8/7/12/16/10/crit 19(non-crit 11)

The thought had occurred to Twitch at this moment that maybe it wasn't actually Uncle Ed on his back after all, that maybe it was a snail or a pie instead! The thought of a pie stuck on his back made him shiver. His focus shifted back again to the puppy he was playing with, noticing that his friend Kalleth, the happy cake frizzy bubble man, was also playing with the puppy too. So was everyone else as a matter of fact. This make him feel good. What a lucky puppy. Smiling in a sweet kind of way, or what could have been considered sweet under different circumstances, Twitch wiggled with excitement and launched into a new series of attacks, saying as he did so, "Pickle me pink and pull off my nose, I stabby the puppy dog and play with his cake!"

Action: Swift action to regain maneuvers. Shift to I11, attack barghast. Land in F12.
Maneuver: Death From Above; make DC 20 Jump check. Leap to any square adjacent to the target within 20 feet. Opponent considered flat-footed.
Called Shot: Eyes (-4)
Jump Check: 23
Attack: 33 vs. flat-footed AC (possible critical, 18; includes called shot penalties)
Crit Confirmation: 24 vs. flat-footed AC (Battle Ardor; includes called shot penalties)
Damage: 40 damage
Critical Damage: 60 damage on a critical

Kalleth hesitated a moment. Should he save the Vistani? No...the barghast would kill them all if he didn't do something. And the Vistani could get out of the wagon themselves. He hoped, at least. Steeling up his resolve, an idea came to him. Spinning his sword in his hand, he smiled briefly before letting out a yell of pain and effort and leaping into the air again, this time coming down in front of the barghast, swinging as he went, taking a slice at the barghast's eyes with his blade. He landed squarely next to Ilsine, hoping that the holy man would be able to steady him against the wrath of the barghast when it came.

Summary

Barghast: 3 hits, 90 damage (yet another 19!) to Twitch (62 vile), BLOODIED
Twitch: 6 hits,17 damage (factoring in Damage Reduction) to Barghast
Kalleth: to F12; hit, 40 damage to barghast; takes 10 fire, BLINDED
Veraun: to I11; hit, 11 damage to barghast and 11 HP healed; BLINDED, VISIBLE
Falcor: takes 5 fire; hit, rescues 1 Vistani child; no longer on fire
Ilsine: casts Restoration on Twitch, healing his Con damage
Ireena: to F10; miss
Strahd (!): to G12

The barghast casts a slightly confused, unimpressed look at the spindly, gibbering man biting at his ankles. He half wonders if the thing is even worth devouring...then thinks better and unleashes its fury, catching the lad by the leg, then the ribs, and finally biting down on his right shoulder-a critical hit! (welcome to Dungeons and Dragons with Josh, Taylor-now die!)

Twitch, seemingly oblivious to his situation, continues to giggle and stab. Afterwards he actually stops for a moment to consider his profusely bleeding arm. He witnesses Kalleth leap over the beast again, tearing into its face: somewhere in his fractured mind Twitch assumes his best friend has come to his rescue. He collapses, happy.

It is only as he leaps into the air that Kalleth notices the wounds on the barghast have begun to smolder, fiery embers rustling through its fur-the beast was channeling the power of its own hellish domain. Black smoke pours from the creature's body, blinding all adjacent, and fiery motes erupt from the things body with each strike.

Veraun, encouraged by his servant, sneaks behind the creature and drinks of its life force. Some of his vitality returned, Beleth whispers into his ear

Veraun

Spoiler:

Falcor, pushing past his wounds, tears into the wagon and draws forth a Vistani child as Ilsine rushes to the fallen Twitch, restoring some of his form and allowing him to regain consciousness.

Ireena rushes forward, her blade glinting in the fire light, but misses the creature in its billowing aura.

Insolent brat! it roars, raising its claw to strike her.

Don't you dare! comes a voice from the darkness.

The bonfire roars and ripples, then begins to churn like a vortex. Appearing out of its flames and smoke and the surrounding blackness emerges a noble figure, clad in black. His eyes are points of nothing-unfathomably ancient and evil. Strahd. All are taken aback by the lord's presence.

My apologies, master! the barghast grumbles and lowers its claw calmly. I will devour these interlopers, instead.!

And then the Master of Castle Ravenloft utters the one thing you did not expect.

"Stay your hand, my servant. That won't be necessary."

Summary
Barghast: +68 damage
Twitch: 5 HP, left arm crippled, BLIND
Kalleth: 48 HP, left arm crippled, BLIND
Veraun: 38 HP, BLIND
Falcor: 23 HP, right arm crippled
Ilsine: 60 HP
Ireena: fresh, BLIND
Strahd: fresh

Kalleth landed, hot from the heat of the barghast and his own body heat, not to mention his own warm blood soaking through everything he wore. Confused and disoriented now that he could no longer see, Kalleth's head snapped toward the fire when he heard that now all-too-familiar voice. Strahd. That...that...Kalleth couldn't find a suitable curse in any of the many languages he knew to describe how he felt about Strahd and this barghast. But why would Strahd be here? Why bother coming down at all? Kalleth, Twitch, and Falcor were all utterly useless now, maybe more of them; he couldn't tell now that he couldn't see.

Come here to watch us die? Come to see if we can bring your pet to hell with us? Kalleth asked the air. It occurred to him that Strahd was likely not one to take insolence lightly and that he could easily kill Kalleth at the moment, but what was done was done. He expected to be rebuked if not slain, but as he saw it, he owed Strahd no favors. Kalleth simply wished he were fresher. Wished it wasn't utter folly to pick a fight with a centuries old entity half-dead, with a crippled arm, bleeding your life out, and blind. He wished. But the fact of the matter was that they could not help Barovia if they were dead.

But the question continued to burn Kalleth's brain. Why had Strahd come down here? It was hardly worth his time to finish them off himself when his filthy dog was about to do it for him. His tone lost a little of it's bitter, fighting edge, taking on a note of confusion and curiosity. Strahd wasn't here to kill them. He couldn't be. If that's what he wanted...there would be no point. It was something else...it had to be. What are you here for? he asked simply, to the point. Kalleth had never really been an excellent diplomat, or even a good one, and he was even worse at it than he remembered since returning to adventuring. But he was sure of one thing: they weren't fighting their way out of this camp, and if they tried, they wouldn't see another day.

"Follow him when he leaves" Veraun imparted to Beleth. Beleth enacted his invisibility and took flight. Meanwhile Veraun tried to shake the blindness from his eyes and fade into his surroundings to better circle the vampire.

with his good arm Falcor continues helping Vistani out of the burning wagon, whether dead or alive all the Vistani are out of the wagon and Falcor fumbles back as it collapses in upon itself becoming nothing more than a mass of charred timbers.

As Twitch came to, he was first aware of the pain in his arm. He was completely unaware of his blindness or what state his body was in. Sitting there, he began to poke his shoulder, each time saying, "Ow. Ow. Ow. Owie... ow..." He continued to poke his shoulder, completely unaware of what was going on around him, and completely forgetting about the big puppy he was playing with.

Eventually he realized that there was a familiar voice in the air... he couldn't place the voice, and sat there for a long moment trying to figure it out. Finally he shouted out, "UNCLE ED!" and began, once more, to struggle trying to grab the thing on his back. He was convinced that Strahd's voice was definitely-- DEFINITELY-- his Uncle Ed. With his good arm, he reached around and did his best to grab his back, rolling around on his bad arm, saying, "Ow! Owie! Uncle Ed, stop hurting me!"

But master, they are so weak!

I said enough. Now return to your sentry duties. This lot has a job to do.

The barghast reluctantly lets out a baleful howl. Darkness and smoke swirl around it in an ebon vortex and instantly it vanishes. Strahd turns his gaze upon the party

“Sentimental fool,” he mutters at the sight of Falcor’s aiding the Vistani. The rest don’t inspire much better. Half dead, all of them. His face lacks the snide arrogance and feigned innocence from you previous encounters-he speaks with the authority of his station.

“You have gravely wronged me. I have allowed you to wander my lands unmolested and this is how I am repaid? You interfere with my pets, you seek out my subjects and turn them against me? And in the same day you free one of my prisoners! Now the people of this land suffer and it is your hand which causes it.”

Strahd scoops up a handful of ash from the fire and says a word of power. The dust swirls in his hand and takes the shape of people fleeing in terror from some unseen attacker.

“Can you hear them? The cries of my people? Even now they are assaulted by a madman, one which I had imprisoned, cursed. And you set him free. Urik the Butcher, leader of the Crimson Reaver brigands, walks once more among the living. In exchange for your lives this night, I task you with putting down that which you allowed out. You have until moonrise tomorrow to solve this problem. Otherwise I will solve it. And you.”

Strahd grabs the edge of his cape and goes to wrap it over him, disappearing in flash of flame and smoke.

The remaining Vistani tremble nervously next to the cart-a father and his young son and daughter.

OOC: Beleth can teleport with Strahd if Veraun so chooses but will not return until tomorrow night.

Falcor collapses and rolls onto his back content with saving the children and their father. He cocks his head and looks at Kalleth, "we must return to town, if what he says is true we must right our folly, but if wrong Urik may be a valuable ally if strahd wants us to kill him"

Falcor looks at the state of his friends and gently inspects his arm, "but first we must attend to ourselves, I am in no means able to continue the Master's justice, Elder Ilsine can you heal us? Or at the very least help us regain some use of our sundered arms?"

Kalleth listened in horror as Strahd spoke, his vision slowly returning. They had what? The first two were true, he was sure of that. He wouldn't deny it, either, but...Urik the Butcher. No. No. Son of a bitch, no! He watched in horror, as the dust and embers formed the images and screams of Barovians. And then Strahd was gone. Despite the things already going through his head, the theatricality Strahd displayed struck Kalleth, suddenly. Stepping from a fire. Disappearing with woosh of cape and swirl of fire and smoke. This was a man truly in love with himself. Strahd gone, the weight of what was happening hitting him anew, Kalleth turned his visage to the sky and let out an enraged, agonized, frustrated yell at the heavens. No good deed goes unpunished. No good deed. Paladin of the Wandering God. How could Kalleth have been so stupid and naive? He should have known better...should have known better.

Kalleth turned to where he had remembered the barghast being. He wished. Still he wished as he stared at the now empty space. He listened as his brother spoke. This will be no ally, Kalleth replied, voice distant as he gazed longingly at the empty space. If only he'd been better. Suddenly realizing he was no longer thinking only of the barghast, he snapped back to reality and turned to his brother. Strahd is arrogant and he had the upper hand. He had no reason to lie to us. He sighed. It is more likely that we did, indeed, free some sort of madman. In which case, we have work to do. The warrior paused and uttered a short phrase, a mere whisper, seemingly directed at his blood- and fur-caked sword, and the sword he was carrying slowly morphed, shaping smoothly into a battle axe. Kalleth twirled the axe in his hand, looking to the remains of the bonfire as he idly, painfully, used his bad arm to dig out a cloth, itself soaked in his own blood, with which he absently cleaned the blade.

Nine Sons of Ao, make my path clear and my deeds righteous. Work through me, as you yourselves have worked. May the Warrior of Adamant forge me into a strong arm and a steady blade. May the Radiant Vanguard grant my deeds purpose. May the Tyrant God's ambition cloud the judgment of my enemies. May the Grinning Shadow grant me excellence and luck to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. May the Noble Drifter grant my feet speed and my mind cunning. May the Oaken Father grant me wisdom, patience, and focus. May the Great Dragon and the Pale Lover bear my love to eternal union and peace, so that I may not be blinded by hatred. May the Raging God make me a worthy foe, and may the Nine lay their blessings on this righteous path. The words were the only prayer Kalleth ever said with any sort of conviction. Even then, the faith was not really in the gods appealed to, but in the words themselves. The steadiness and purpose they represented. It was Tira's favorite prayer; the Prayer of Deeds. Minus, of course, a single line between the invocation of the Chaos Bringer and the finally plea to the Nine. "May the Lord of Fate intend great things for me, and place the weight of the world on my shoulders."

Kalleth looked mournfully into the sky again before a chill ran down his spine. What a long couple of days. Yes, we should get ourselves patched up. We can talk on the way to...wherever. He cursed in draconic, looking to the three lone surviving Vistani, then back to the road back to Barovia. Finally, he said simply, Lets go. We're burning daylight, before turning and heading back toward Barovia.

With Beleth gone Veraun felt a bit naked... but he would survive it for the information it would bring. He stretched and muttered a minor cantrip which when completed brought together his torn garments and with the exception of a few bruises and a scratch here and there he was clean again.

Look what youve done. Veraun said to Falcor. Youve saved liabilities. Youve put the lives of peasants above the lives of your own! Veraun stalked to the dragonspawn, furious at Falcors actions. Maybe if you had focused on the battle and not these worthless souls the barghast would lay dead!

Veraun stalked past Falcors sitting form and grabbed the old vistani man. This is not worth your life! Dying for this will not save your soul. Veraun cast Vampiric Touch, weakening the man but not killing him, and healing the remaining wounds on his body. Strahd will not think twice about throwing fodder like this before you. Will you then tarry and try to save the damned again while you die at his hands? Are their lives so much more important?

Veraun threw the weakened man down and walk to the edge of the woods. Alert me when our hunt for the lone warrior begins, picking a soft spot underneath a tree he pulled out his grimoire and began memorizing again the spells he would need for the coming hunt of someone who would not see the morrow.

"the Master commands that the strong protect the weak, that justice and balance be preserved and the innocent be shielded from malice and the damned" Falcor puts his good hand over the symbol on his chest and looks toward the heavens, "for these I will gladly die, and I pray join the Master in his fortress"

Twitch was pulled from his task when he realized that Kalleth was on the move. Absentmindedly, he grabbed his swords and leaped up, chasing after friend, though this was done with wobbly steps in his current condition. He didn't seem to notice that he had a hard time walking a straight line, nor did he realize the pain he was in from the vicious assault he'd suffered. The ever-present smile still lingered on his face as he caught up with Kalleth, bumping into him. He looked up a the man, half hunched over and leaning in front of him, "Are we going to go play some more? I'd love to pla more!"

Trying to maintain is position while walking, though, proved more difficult than he could handle, as he tripped and tumbled a couple of time. He sat on he ground, dazed and confused and wondering if Uncle Ed had been the one that tripped him. He didn't start trying to reach around to scold his invisible Uncle this time though, but said instead, I want to play more, but its hard with everything spinning!" There was a short pause before his face lit up as he was struck by a brilliant idea. If the world was spinning around him in one direction, all he had to do to keep it straight was spin fast enough in that direction to keep up with it! Standing quickly, he began to spin as fast as he could in a circle, but was disappointed to find that it only made everything spin around him even faster. Again he ended up flat on his back.

Ilsine tends to what he can of the party's wounds-much of the damage is steeped in evil and hate, refusing to mend under natural or magical means.

"We will need to find some holy ground before these wounds can properly be tended."
Ilsine approaches the Vistani, hoping to alleviate their burns and injuries, but they draw back at his approach. The father cradles his children and hides them from sight of the party, uttering only a single word "Vashik"

"It is the Vistani tongue, as old as Barovia," Ireena explains. "It means cursed."

The father looks out over the whole party. "Vashik"

Ilsine shakes his head and uses his magic to restart the campfire.

"No point in clambering through the dark woods in our condition. Let us rest and deal with Urik come the morrow."

Veraun

Spoiler:

Vile Damage: The result of sources so evil and powerful that the wounds they inflict undermine creation itself, vile damage is beyond the capabilities of the natural and magical healing to repair. In order to remove vile damage you must have a Remove Curse spell cast within holy ground placed upon you. Only then can the wounds be healed via magical means. Even if the damage is healed, vile damage leaves a permanent scar or sign on the victim. Falcor and Kalleth can determine the nature of this scarring. Twitch will bear 6 jagged scars on his back for the rest of his life.

Holy ground does not exist in Barovia. However, some sites do retain a fraction of their former divine power and if Consecrated can be temporarily used as holy ground. A complicated ritual requiring over a day of preperation can be used to turn one of these sights holy again.

Veraun, silence! Kalleth roared at the drow, sending his axe flying into the corpse of a worg. His eyes burned with anger as he leveled them on the drow. The head of the worg rolled off. Turning from Veraun he wrenched his blade out of the ground he continued, more calmly. He was no longer a match for the barghast, and neither were any of us. And Falcor, the sooner you realize that the drow is right about one thing, the better. The evil will throw the innocent before you, and you cannot save all of them. It is better to save those you can, and leave those you can't, so that you might rid the world of evil another day. Do you hear me Falcor? You can't save all of them.

We're going to play Twitch, Kalleth said aggrivated as the imbecile came up to him. We're meeting a new friend tomorrow.

Holy ground. Shit. They didn't have time to heal this. Turning to the Vistani who had turned away Ilsine's help, he hissed with rage, The Vashik just saved your ass. They deserve your respect. Hide one curse, gain another. Fun, fun. He cleaned his sword again, sauntering off on his own. To the first person who asked where he was going, Kalleth growled back, To practice!

looking at Kalleth with obvious pity, Falcor stands. "Do you hear yourself brother? What has become of the brother I grew up admiring? Innocent are innocent, all deserving life and I will always sacrifice mine own to save them!" Flexing his bad arm with visible pain, "I took an oath, as you did long ago to protect the weak and innocent from oppressing evil, we by the nature of our oath are not worth the life of an innocent, it is against everything we stand for AS A CLAN to let others die so that we may live. I will continue to save everyone I can no matter the personal cost. I used to see some glimpse of what you once were but you have obviously become someone else now, someone I don't know nor like."

Falcor turns away from the party and heads down the road alone toward town, hoping that Urik may still be an ally.

The night passes uneventfully, Falcor resting away from the party, away from his brother. Morning brings another gray dawn and another day of travel ahead.

Veraun

Spoiler:

Twitch

Spoiler:

Ireena knows many old game trails which will reduce travel time by a few hours, bringing you to Barovia at around 4:00 pm. However, the going is tough and much of the party is injured.

Falcor, Kalleth, and Twitch: MAKE CONSTITUTION CHECKS

Less than 10

Spoiler:

Less than 13

Spoiler:

Post your condition at the top of your next post.

The situation in town is grim indeed. Blood spatters cover the walls of shops and homes, the smell of rot lingers in the air, and crows hop through the streets, picking at tiny scraps of flesh. The handful of people you see in the shops windows huddle away at the sight of you, while others simply glare. On the side of the road you see a gray-beared old man, sitting on a blanket. With him is a faded wicker basket filled with cheeses and vegatables and a bottle of liquor. He wobbles slightly, sloshing his mug of drink about. Ireena says he is Jhonid Igornich, the town drunk and simpleton all in one.

"I told them he would return. Come back from the dead, if dead he were. BUT DID THEY LISTEN? no. Just shook their HEADS or laughed at me. One minute you're just HAVIN a drink and the next your GETTING SLICED IN THE FACE by ole Urik. Urik the Butcher, they ca' em. Went all wrong, they says, poking around somethi didn hav NO bisses in! Damn swamp lights, says I!"

Party Status

Falcor: 37 HP
Kalleth: 90 HP
Twitch: 33 HP
Veraun: fresh
Ilsine: fresh
Sylvain: fresh
Ireena: fresh

How a skill challenge works: Skill challenges reflect complicated, connected uses of skills. Party members make skill checks, posting the skill they want to use and their result at the top of the post.

Describe how you use the skill and how you either pass or fail. Do you miss a critical clue because you sneeze? Do you use a farmhand’s stuttering to your advantage? Stuff like that.

Skills will be resolved in the order posted, so you can play off one another’s checks if you so desire.

If you feel another skill of some kind might be useful in the challenge and make a decent argument as to why it is relevant, you may use it.

DM Note: These DCs are subject to change as per my whim, depending on how easily you are passing them. For the sake of my own sanity, Ilsine and Ireena will not be making checks-the old man needs his medication and a pretty nurse to administer it I suppose.

Tracking Urik
6 Successes before 3 Failures

Skills
• Bluff (DC 22): You trick a reluctant witness into revealing more

• Diplomacy (DC 20): You convince a witness to tell more

• Intimidate (DC 19): You frighten a witness into telling more. If used successfully against the gravedigger, it can open up the Arcana Knowledge and Heal skills (see below). You can get up to 2 successes with this skill.

• Gather Information (DC 13): You learn who about town saw the attack and what skills might be best to use with them. You do not gain a success but you do get a +2 bonus on your next check in the skill challenge. This allows the use of the Sleight of Hand skill in this challenge

o Sleight of Hand (DC 25): This grants you 2 successes.

• Listen (DC 20): You can get up to 1 success with this skill.

• Local Knowledge (DC 24): You know the winding roads of Barovia better than most and can figure out how Urik could get about. This opens up the Sense Motive skill

o Sense Motive (DC 18): You try to contemplate how Urik thinks and base your search on that. All of your checks gain a +2 bonus for the rest of the challenge.

• Religion Knowledge (DC 19): You convince the gravedigger to let you exhume the bodies and examine their wounds. This does not grant a success but it does open up the Heal skill.

o Heal (DC 20): You can get an estimate on Urik’s abilities and power from the damage he inflicts. The party gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls against him.

o Arcana Knowledge (DC 25): You recognize the use of certain magical items or spells. The Detect Magic spell gives you a +2 bonus to this check. The party gains a +1 bonus to damage rolls and saves against Urik.

• Spot (DC 19): You notice a physical tell of Urik’s movements and actions. This allows you to use the Nature Knowledge skill. You can only get 1 success with this skill.

o Nature Knowledge (DC 28): You follow the tracks, honing in on Urik’s whereabouts. The party gains a +2 bonus to all further checks.

Success: You find Urik
Failure: Urik finds you.