(OOC) Somewhere else, 6th level 5e module test

[J-H]

Discord link here: https://discord.gg/KHCK2xbF
IC thread (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?658155-(IC)-Somewhere-else-6th-level-5e-module-test)
Please post character sheet links here. If you have an image or token to use for your character, I'd like that as well. I'm trying something a bit different with the map this time, in the interest of having a prettier map for publishing. Not sure how it'll work out.

I'll put up the first intro post to get things rolling pretty fast.

[Matt4]

Yay! Super glad to have been chosen and stoked about the game.

Here's the character's sheet: Mia Popovica (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2814686)

Here's Mia's token: https://i.imgur.com/7qxiNdp.png

She will speak in this slightly darker yellow.

And also, I still have a question pending from the recruitment thread:



I have another question (sorry!): I was thinking of taking the Ritual Caster feat as my 4th level ASI, since I'd assume a bit of adventuring happened between 4th and 6th level (where we'd start the game), could I add a few more spells to the book? And if yes, how many?

(I didn't want to insist before I even knew if I would have actually be chosen or not).

[Dr.Samurai]

Hey everyone!

Ekemon Sajin's character sheet. (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2815686)

Token here:

https://i.imgur.com/cduRdQl.png

And I'll try something different here and speak in this color.

[Pyrophilios]

Hi,

Kynos (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2421379) will speek in brick red

[J-H]

And also, I still have a question pending from the recruitment thread:



(I didn't want to insist before I even knew if I would have actually be chosen or not).

Sure, let's say 3.

[Pyrophilios]

And here is my token

https://pyrophilios.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/bild_2023-07-26_175429024.png

[Matt4]

Sure, let's say 3.

Thank you!

I'll think about it and edit my sheet tomorrow.

[Matt4]

Okay, I added Unseen Servant, Leomond's Tiny Hut, and Water Breathing.

[NontheistCleric]

Hello, everyone! It's nice to be here.

Runa's sheet. (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/?id=2816989)

Runa's token: https://i.ibb.co/3s5DKgB/Runatoken-II.png

[J-H]

Initiative
Kynos [roll0]
Runa [roll1]
Ekemon [roll2]
Mia [roll3]
All of them [roll4]

[J-H]

Chicken curiousity
Investigation checks at -3
[roll0]

[NontheistCleric]

Forgot to roll the 1d4 for the Guidance Mia gave to Runa. She adds it to the Stealth check sneaking up to the house.

Guidance: [roll0]

[J-H]

Init
Runa [roll0]+5
Beast [roll1]+0
Decided to switch from telling people we're in initiative to just following it until hostilities are confirmed

[J-H]

Init
B [roll0]
K [roll1]
E [roll2]
R [roll3]
M [roll4]

[NontheistCleric]

Runa's Religion check: [roll0]

[Dr.Samurai]

Ekemon Arcana check for Ooze resistance [roll0]

Hellish Rebuke damage (since he's likely to fail that check lol) - [roll1] fire damage

[NontheistCleric]

Healing potion roll: [roll0]

[Matt4]

I think it's a miss, but still: here's the correct roll for Spiritual Weapon's damage

[roll0]

[Dr.Samurai]

Attack roll vs second fishing line [roll0]

[NontheistCleric]

Runa will expend as many Hit Dice as needed on the short rest to get her as near to full as possible without potentially wasting any of her Hit Dice.

I assume the psychic damage takes effect after the HP restoral from expending Hit Dice, since it is tied to a longer period.

Rolling all six dice here. If some would be wasted, save the results for Runa's next Hit Dice expenditure.

[roll0]

So that brings her up to 36, not counting the last one yet, since there's a chance it might be wasted. Then she goes down to 24 from the psychic damage. Considering her sleep takes 6 hours, is there time for a second short rest within the long rest?

[NontheistCleric]

Second short rest taken, using Runa's last Hit Die to push HP to 34.

Helm of Teleportation recharge: [roll0]

[NontheistCleric]

Stealth up to the house for the second time...

[roll0]

[J-H]

Those kind of stealth rolls make me roll init.

GF [roll0]
R [roll1]
E [roll2]
K [roll3]
M [roll4]

[Dr.Samurai]

Hellish Rebuke vs Ghost Farmer - [roll0]

[J-H]

I wasn't going to do initiative, then I mapped where the oozes would be and realized that they are awfully close.
Init
O [roll0]-2=17
R [roll1]+5=21
K [roll2]+2=22
E [roll3]+2=16
M [roll4]+3=22

Wow, high numbers.
Mia
Kynos
Runa
Oozes
Ekemon

[J-H]

GF new init [roll0]

[J-H]

R Init [roll0]
GF [roll1]
Kynos [roll2]
Ekemon [roll3]
Mia [roll4]

R Nature [roll5]

[Matt4]

Acrobatic check: [roll0]

[Matt4]

flopped the dmg roll for spiritual weapon, here it is: [roll0]

[J-H]

[roll0]

[roll1]

[Pyrophilios]

Spending hd until I've got 30 HP back

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

Gaining 34 HP by spending 4 hd

[J-H]

Statblocks:


Ghost Farmer
You see a slightly translucent figure of a tall man with broad shoulders, a dirty white shirt with rolled up sleeves, tan overalls, black boots, a strange tubular contraption in his hands, and a black shadowy sword sticking out of his chest.
Medium Undead
Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 90
Speed 30 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
12(+1) 14(+2) 12(+1) 10(0) 9(-1) 8(-1)
Damage Resistances Acid, Fire, Lightning, Thunder, Non-Magic B/P/S
Damage Immunities Cold, Necrotic, Poison
Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned
Senses Darkvision 60’, Passive Perception 11
CR 5 (PB+3)
Embedded Sword. A character with an empty hand may make a proficient attack roll against AC 15 to grab the sword in the Farmer’s chest and withdraw it. On a success, the ghost dissipates into dust.
Actions
Multiattack. The Ghost Farmer fires his pump shotgun twice. After firing a total of 6 shots, he will need to take one round to reload. Ammunition types can be switched at will.
Pump Shotgun. The shotgun fires a narrow cone of shot affecting a 5’ x 90’ line. The first target in the line takes full damage. Subsequent targets can make a DC 13 Dexterity save to take half damage.
Buckshot. 5d4+20 piercing damage, reduced by the target’s AC. Used against serious threats.
#4 shot. 2d4+20 piercing damage, reduced by the target’s AC. Typically used for warning shots.
Rock Salt. 2 points of piercing damage, 1 point to targets wearing heavy armor. The target suffers a -1 on attack rolls and ability checks until magical healing is applied. Alternatively, 10 minutes and a DC 12 Medicine check is sufficient to remove the chunks of salt from the flesh wounds caused by this deterrent ammunition.


A shotgun without a choke fires a pattern of shot that spreads at a rate of approximately 1” per 3’, meaning that at 90’, the shot pellets are all within a cluster about 30” wide.

The DMG shotgun is an all-or-nothing weapon no different from a bow, is not a memorable or substantially threatening weapon to encounter, and can technically be deflected by the monk’s Deflect Arrows feature. Treating the shotgun like a spell means that it will always do damage to targets without Evasion. Reducing damage by an amount equal to the target’s AC also reflects the superior protection from relatively soft, slow-moving lead BBs provided by armor plates versus light armor.



Chicken Ghouls
A flock of grey-feathered chickens with jagged beaks and red eyes trot, flutter, and hop towards you with murderous intent.
Note: These are intended to be used in large quantities.
Medium undead swarm
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 13 (3d8)
Speed 25 ft., Fly 10 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
2(-4) 12(+1) 10(0) 4(-3) 10(0) 6(-2)
Damage Vulnerabilities AOE damage, Radiant
Damage Resistances Necrotic, Poison
Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Poisoned
Senses Darkvision 60’, Passive Perception 10
CR 1 (PB +2)
Mob. The mob is not a valid target for single-target effects such as Command, grapple, shove, or Telekinesis. The mob can move into and occupy the space of other creatures. It automatically fails saving throws against area of effect abilities.
Surround. Chicken ghoul mobs can be moved through by any creature, but count as difficult terrain and may be subject to Opportunity Attacks.
Actions
Mob Multiattack. The chicken ghoul mob makes two attacks against each target within or adjacent to its space. Attacks on targets within the mob’s space are made with advantage.
Peck. Melee Weapon Attack, +1 to hit, 5’, 2 piercing damage. The target must succeed on a Constitution save or be paralyzed until the end of its next turn. The DC of the save starts at 8 and increases by 1 for each successful Peck attack made since the end of the target’s last turn.

Fishing Pole
This wooden pole is fastened to the ground and extends over the water. When it moves, it whips around springily.
Small Construct
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 22
Speed 0 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
10(0) 16(+3) 10(0) 4(-3) 10(0) 6(-2)
Damage Immunities Poison, Psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, prone, unconscious
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
CR 1 (PB+2)
Actions
Hook. Melee Weapon Attack, 30’, +5 to hit, 4 damage. The target is Hooked. Movement within a 30’ radius of the fishing pole does not break the line. Moving more than 30’ from the pole breaks the line, but the Hooked target takes 4 damage. A creature may use its action to make a DC 13 Sleight of Hand check to remove the hook, or it may take the Attack action and roll against AC 10 to cut a line using a slashing or piercing weapon.
Drag. The Fishing Pole attempts to drag a previously Hooked target 20’ towards or deeper into the water. The Hooked target takes 4 damage, and must succeed on a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check to resist being dragged.



Tractor with Sickle Bar Mower
Out of the darkness, you hear a roar, then a steady rumbling growl, as though from some great beast. Two close-set white eyes glow about 5’ above the ground. Whatever the beast is, it’s coming closer.
As it comes into the range of your lights, you see a grey rectangular face shielded by orange bars beneath the lights, and two arms holding up a great rectangular shovel-blade as though it’s a hammer. It moves on large black wheels. On the back there is a seat near some levers and a circular device of some sort, and hooked to the back, two long blades stick out to the sides, slicing just above the ground.
Huge Construct
Armor Class 16
Hit Points 225
Speed 50 ft.; turning restricted
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
24(+7) 10(0) 18(+4) 8(-1) 10(0) 12(+1)
Saves Str +11
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic
Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, disease, exhaustion, poisoned, unconscious
Senses Darkvision 120’, Passive Perception 14;
Skills Athletics +11, Perception +4
CR 12 (PB +4)
Animate Construct. The tractor’s controls do not respond to attempts to operate them. Instead, anyone sitting in the operator’s chair will automatically be Restrained by the seatbelt (DC 16 to break free).
Headlights. The tractor projects bright light in a 45’ cone in front of it, and dim light for an additional 90’.
Run-Flat Tires. Tires may be attacked (with disadvantage); each tire has 15 hit points and shares the tractor’s AC and resistances. Each tire damaged reduces the tractor’s speed by 5’.
Sickle Bars. Anyone within 10’ of either side of the tractor as it passes must make a DC 19 Dexterity save to leap over the sickle bars. On a failed save, take 3d6+7 slashing damage, and they must make a DC 19 Strength save or be knocked prone.
Trample. Anyone run over by the tractor takes 5d8 bludgeoning damage, with a DC 19 Dexterity save to roll towards the middle for half damage.
Turning Radius. The tractor must use 15’ of forward movement for every 90* change in direction.
Actions
Bucket Bash. Melee Weapon Attack, +11 to hit, 5’, against two adjacent targets in front of the tractor, 3d6+7 bludgeoning damage. On a successful hit, the targets must make a DC 19 Strength save or be knocked prone.




Farm Truck
This boxy construct makes a rattly, rumbling noise. Two rectangular eyes project light out of a rectangular front, with a strange flat nose of horizontal strips between them. Behind the front is a taller area with glass, and then a rectangular rear that appears to be for carrying things. Off-white with raised metal adornment down both sides, there is rust visible in numerous places.
Huge Construct
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 150
Speed 80 ft.; turning restricted
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
20(+5) 10(0) 16(+3) 8(-1) 10(0) 12(+1)
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic
Damage Immunities poison, psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, disease, exhaustion, poisoned, unconscious
Senses Darkvision 120’, Passive Perception 113;
Skills Athletics +8, Perception +3
CR 9 (PB +3)
Animate Construct. The truck’s controls do not respond to attempts to operate them. Instead, anyone sitting in the operator’s chair will automatically be Restrained by the seatbelt (DC 16 to break free) and a locked door.
Headlights. The truck projects bright light in a 45’ cone in front of it, and dim light for an additional 90’.
Pneumatic Tires. Tires may be attacked (with disadvantage); each tire has 15 hit points and shares the truck’s AC and resistances. Each tire damaged reduces the truck’s speed by 15’.
Trample. Anyone run over by the truck takes 4d8 bludgeoning damage, with a DC 16 Dexterity save to roll towards the middle for half damage.
Turning Radius. The truck must use 25’ of forward movement for every 90* change in direction.
Actions
Ram. The truck attempts to ram targets in its path, dealing 3d6+5 bludgeoning damage on hit, and forcing targets to make a DC 16 Strength save or be knocked prone, and likely Trampled. Targets may make a DC 16 Dexterity save to use their reaction to move out of the way, with the DC reduced by 1 for each tire damaged on the truck.



The entire farm is surrounded by a seemingly infinite cornfield. In reality, it warps around, so someone keeping a straight line will travel perhaps half an hour through the cornfield before eventually arriving on the far side of the farm.
The ears of corn are just shy of ripe; eating them does not provide sufficient sustenance for life. The top tassels are 15’ off the ground. All cornfield terrain is Difficult terrain, requiring movement at ½ speed, and visibility beyond a distance of 5’ is impossible. They also dampen sound, such that speech does not travel more than 30’, and loud noises such as yelling, screaming, and the sound of exploding Fireballs does not travel more than 100’.
Clearing a 5’x5’ square of corn takes 5 rounds by hand, or 20 points of AOE fire damage, and will draw extra attention from the cornfields’ inhabitants. Cleared squares regrow after 1d6 hours.

Due to the difficulty of the terrain, traveling in a straight line for more than 100’ requires a DC 12 Survival check, repeated every 100’.

The cornfield is populated by a few scarecrows that existed on the farm beforehand, and by other scarecrows – the remains of adventurers or unlucky souls who were caught here and died, and now guard the edges of the farm. Scarecrows will use the concealment of the cornfield to approach stealthily, and will always seek to maximize the number of targets afraid of them or paralyzed. They will also pursue targets relentlessly, but only to the edge of the cornfield. They will stop just before the edge, so that they cannot be seen from the farm.

Each group of characters out of sight of each other (ending more than two turns not adjacent to another member of the same group) should be treated as a separate group for the purposes of scarecrow encounters.

When a group enters the cornfield, roll 1d6 at the 1, 5, and 10 minute mark, and then every 10 minutes afterward, roll 1d6. On a 1-3, a scarecrow encounter begins. Use the following table for scarecrow encounters:
1 1 scarecrow
2 2 scarecrows arriving one round apart.
3 2 scarecrows + 2 more arriving one round later.
4 1 scarecrow + 1 Fell scarecrow
5 3 scarecrows + 1 Fell scarecrow
6 2 scarecrows + 2 Fell scarecrows

Fell scarecrows used to be adventurers. Choose or roll randomly to see what equipment has stayed with them as they have been transformed into undead constructs.
1 Ring of X-ray vision
2 Necklace of Prayer Beads (Bless, Curing, Smiting, Wind Walking)
3 Breastplate +1 (Fell Scarecrow AC increases to 19)
4 Cap of Water Breathing
5 Dust of Dryness
6 Periapt of Wound Closure

Scarecrow
This looks like a normal scarecrow, made of wood and straw. When it animates, its eyes glow faintly, and an evil-looking grin appears on its face as its claws reach for you.
Medium Construct
Armor Class 11
Hit Points 36
Speed 30 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
11(0) 13(+1) 11(0) 10(0) 10(0) 13(+1)
Vulnerabilities Fire
Resistances Non-magical B/P/S
Immunities Poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, unconscious
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
CR 1
False Appearance. While the scarecrow remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary, inanimate scarecrow.
Actions
Multiattack. The scarecrow makes two claw attacks or uses Terrifying Glare.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack, +3 to hit, 5 ft., 2d4+1 slashing damage. The target must make a DC11 Wisdom save, or be frightened until the end of the scarecrow’s next turn.
Terrifying Glare. The scarecrow targets one creature it can see within 30’ of it. If the target can see the scarecrow, the target must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw, or be Paralyzed with fright until the end of the scarecrow’s next turn.


Scarecrow, Fell
This looks just like any other scarecrow. You can’t tell them apart.
Medium Construct (Undead)
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 72
Speed 40 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
11(0) 16(+3) 13(+1) 10(0) 10(0) 15(+2)
Vulnerabilities Fire, Radiant
Resistances Non-magical B/P/S
Immunities Poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, unconscious
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
CR 4
Dream. The Fell Scarecrow may cast Dream once per week, targeting a creature which it has seen by it or described to it by another Fell or Nightmare scarecrow.
False Appearance. While the scarecrow remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary, inanimate scarecrow.
Undead. The Fell scarecrow used to be living, and is vulnerable to radiant damage and Turn Undead effects.
Unnaturally Tough. The Fell scarecrow adds its Charisma modifier to its Armor Class.
Actions
Multiattack. The scarecrow uses Terrifying Glare and makes two claw attacks.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack, +6 to hit, 5 ft., 2d4+3 slashing damage plus 1d6 psychic damage. The target must make a DC13 Wisdom save, or be frightened until the end of the scarecrow’s next turn.
Terrifying Glare. The scarecrow targets one creature it can see within 30’ of it. If the target can see the scarecrow, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw, or be Paralyzed with fright until the end of the scarecrow’s next turn.

[J-H]

This was a lot of fun to run! Thank you everyone.

1. Did this have a good and consistent mood?

2. Was the exploration interesting and fun?

3. At exactly what point did each of you figure out that you were dealing with a modern industrial farm?

4. What was your favorite part?

5. What was your least favorite part?

6. Was the combat adequately challenging? Note: The vehicles, the well, and the ghost on the dock are "supposed" to be separate challenges. They ended
up mashing together to make something pretty hard.

7. Did each of the ghost farmer fights feel sufficiently different? Were they too easy?

8. Thoughts on the farmer shotgun mechanics?

9. Thoughts on the tractor and truck mechanics?

10. Are there any areas that needed more or better descriptions?

After I make edits and get a cover done, I'll be putting this up on the DM's Guild. Please send me your e-mail address so I can send you a review copy to rate/review! It's extremely hard to get reviews and ratings.

[Pyrophilios]

This was a lot of fun to run! Thank you everyone.

1. Did this have a good and consistent mood?

2. Was the exploration interesting and fun?

3. At exactly what point did each of you figure out that you were dealing with a modern industrial farm?

4. What was your favorite part?

5. What was your least favorite part?

6. Was the combat adequately challenging? Note: The vehicles, the well, and the ghost on the dock are "supposed" to be separate challenges. They ended
up mashing together to make something pretty hard.

7. Did each of the ghost farmer fights feel sufficiently different? Were they too easy?

8. Thoughts on the farmer shotgun mechanics?

9. Thoughts on the tractor and truck mechanics?

10. Are there any areas that needed more or better descriptions?

After I make edits and get a cover done, I'll be putting this up on the DM's Guild. Please send me your e-mail address so I can send you a review copy to rate/review! It's extremely hard to get reviews and ratings.

1. Definitely - very Jeepers Creepers
2. Yes, though a few more clues to the nature of the backstory of the pocket dimension would be nice (Names of the ghosts, etc.)
3. Basically, as soon as large, uniform cornfields were mentioned - though I was expecting more a 1920s environment
4. I really liked the first abyssal chicken encounter
5. The frustrating autohit shotguns
6. Yeah, we went through all our ressources to survive
7. I can't say, that they are distinctive in my memories. I would have to reread to tell them apart - having info on them within the house would help (named opponents are always more memorable)
8. It should be either a dex save based attack (half damage at save) or also incorporate range (if the pellets autohit, you are dealing with a very wide spread - so damage should pretty quickly reduce with distance). As is, the only way to take them down without resorting to specific magic was dog piling (or going for a 15 minute adventuring day by burning all smites)
9. Those were fine, though I'd have loved an opportunity to jump on them and use the optional climbing on huge enemies rule
10. The silo should be a bit more prominent in the description

You should still have my email, I'll be happy to leave a review again.

[NontheistCleric]

This was a lot of fun to run! Thank you everyone.
Thank you for running it for us! It was my first time actually completing a play-by-post game.


1. Did this have a good and consistent mood?
Yes. The atmosphere was very spooky and dangerous, and stayed that way. Part of me feels the note at the start was a bit out of place, because it felt like it was leading up to some kind of resolution where we confronted the being that made the place that way, or found some more clues regarding what exactly happened in the past, but on the other hand, not everything needs to be tied up so neatly, and maybe it's partly my fault, because I think I cut the adventure prematurely short by accident.


2. Was the exploration interesting and fun?
Firstly, I think it's only fair to say that exploration in TTRPGS, especially in play-by-post, is not something that particularly engages me. I much prefer the combat and roleplay elements. That said, to the extent that I could put myself in my character's shoes, seeing things that were all new to her, I did find myself moderately interested, if not enthused by the exploration, so I think you succeeded in this area.


3. At exactly what point did each of you figure out that you were dealing with a modern industrial farm?
I began to guess when we saw the first barn, but it was only confirmed once we saw the inside of it.


4. What was your favorite part?
Probably the encounter with the chicken ghouls. Well, I have to admit that I loved every time Runa got to pull out some magic and solve a problem, not least the part where she managed to (I think) skip a final boss fight with a well-placed teleport, but it was with the second barn where I feel the environmental design played into an efficient resolution—namely, the door which we could simply close to prevent most of the chickens from coming out.


5. What was your least favorite part?
The first barn. It seemed boring by design to me, though, so I don't think that was really a problem.


6. Was the combat adequately challenging? Note: The vehicles, the well, and the ghost on the dock are "supposed" to be separate challenges. They ended
up mashing together to make something pretty hard.
I think the combined fight was sufficiently challenging, enough that it convinced me that we needed to retreat when in hindsight it might have been possible to take the dock farmer down then and there. I will give my opinions on the other fights in the next question.

Regarding the combined fight, I think the three elements meshed together excellently. I was actually surprised that they were intended to be separate. If you wanted them to be separate, I think it would have made more sense to place them further apart, because in my opinion the range that we covered during the fight would be quite natural for any party in a fight and thus trigger all three encounters anyway (for example, it's hard to see there was any way of approaching the well without also activating the tractor, Kynos's attempted use of the well as cover was quite sensible before Ekemon figured out the oozes were on a proximity dispenser, and Ekemon moving near the pond would not be unusual for a ranged fighter), but equally I feel that there is no need to change it, since it functioned so well as it was.


7. Did each of the ghost farmer fights feel sufficiently different? Were they too easy?
The fight in the silo felt distinctive, mostly because of the terrain involved. However, that one probably was too easy, as Kynos essentially took it down solo, albeit burning the last of his resources.

The ghost on the dock didn't feel particularly special, but in the combined fight he presented an effective auxiliary threat. As noted before, I actually think those three separate encounters worked really well as a single one.

The ghost on the porch was very easy to defeat as well, although I can see now that he was probably intended as the first major enemy of the module and just to establish the theme and shotgun mechanics, so I wouldn't say he was necessarily too easy.


8. Thoughts on the farmer shotgun mechanics?
Considering the overall encounter design and atmosphere of hazard, I think it was a valid choice to have an enemy with a very high-powered weapon, who either had to be taken out fast if in sight or maneuvered around more carefully. Like Pyrophilios says, this does encourage burning resources quickly, but as long as a DM can take into account that that will happen once players encounter the shotgun, I wouldn't necessarily call that a problem.

However, I will say that the auto-hit nature of the mechanic felt very bad to be on the receiving end of. Of course, it was reduced by armor, but I think there is a duality between attack and saving throw mechanics that helps players feel satisfied because their armor choices either negate an attack outright, or they get to feel like they have actively done something to negate damage by succeeding on a saving throw. With the new shotgun mechanic, both elements are taken away, making players feel more helpless.

For example, Kynos's armor made a big difference against the oozes and chickens, which simply could not touch him, but the shotgun's big shot damaged him badly no matter what he did, and on the other hand, Runa took more damage due to low AC but couldn't negate some of it with a Dex save, even when she was further away from the gun where it would be reasonable for not all the shot to hit her especially if she dodged in the right way.

Moreover, I found it a little disappointing to find out that the higher-powered shot was simply a choice, instead of a difference between short and long range, as I initially thought when comparing the damage to Runa further away from and Kynos adjacent to the dock farmer in our first encounter with the shotguns. It makes more sense to me that a shotgun blast from further away would cause fewer pellets to hit the target. If this were the case, it would also provide some tactical depth to the encounter, as the players would have a good reason to stay further away, but also, at least with some party compositions (and equipment combinations), have to get close to eliminate the threat.

As it is, learning about the mechanics after the fact, I feel silly that Runa tried to keep her distance and find cover, when in fact the only reason the farmer wasn't shredding her with 5d4+20 was because he didn't want to.

In light of all that, I feel that the hit mechanic should be modified to perhaps reduce the guaranteed damage at longer range. Maybe a base of 8 plus some higher dice (2d12?) at long range, to reflect that even with the 'default' of 10 AC, there's a chance you might not be hit, but it would still be pretty stupid to stand in the path unarmored, then as distance gets closer, the guaranteed damage goes higher, although maybe not to 20, which I feel was a bit much. Also, the dice part of the damage should be fewer but larger at longer ranges, to reflect higher variance in the amount of shot that will hit at such ranges, and more numerous and smaller at short ranges, more numerous to reflect the higher chances of most of the shot hitting the target at close range, but smaller because the guaranteed damage would also be higher.

Also, take all of that with a grain of salt. Due to my country's weapons laws, I've only ever touched a gun once in my life, and that was a pistol. Everything I say here is mostly from the perspective of someone playing a fantasy game, not someone who really knows anything about firearms.


9. Thoughts on the tractor and truck mechanics?
What really stood out to me here was the limited turning. I think it produced some great moments like Mia figuring out that she could run towards the truck to evade it. Nothing bad to say here.


10. Are there any areas that needed more or better descriptions?
No, I personally found that I was able to imagine everything you described very well.

[J-H]

Thanks! A few notes so far to clarify and ask more questions:

The Farmer
The three Ghost Farmers are all the same farmer. The hags (or whatever) split up the ghosts to make it really hard to pull the plug. Also, did anyone notice the line in the statblock about yanking the sword out of his chest?
It sounds like I got the farmer encounters about right, although the Quasit in the silo was totally useless. It was fun trying to take the same enemy and create three different encounters around it where the terrain was different enough to make each one play out differently. The fishing poles are fixed, so they're half-terrain/half-creatures I suppose.
As-written, the Quasit is there mostly for "If the party is wasting tons of time, it gets bored and go wakes up the tractor or does something else to provoke an encounter," or to tell the ghost where to go and shoot when it's behind the mounded up grain. Any suggestions for another threat to include in the grain silo?

The shotgun mechanic was experimental, and sometimes experiments don't work out. I'll keep working on it. I think Runa is on the right track with a range variable, although as I noted in the explanation block, at 90' the spread of shot is only 30", or half a 5' square.
The idea with the different shot types was that the farmer would pick based on his perceived threat level... so at first you get "go away" Rock Salt, then his twisted perception of "you're some of the unnatural creatures here to do harm" at which point he switches to more lethal ammo.

In terms of story/setting:
Did anyone get an impression of a somewhat hasty evacuation of the wife and son from the house, and the magical flute having been dropped and left behind by mistake? That was my intent.

What do you think the farmer was supposed to "pay" that he tried to get out of?

Vehicles
Climbing on the tractor or truck would have been viable and would have taken away their ability to harm you. Also check the statblocks for them, as there was provision for "what if someone tries to drive them?"

The tractor, as-written, can start in different places on the map depending on where the party goes. Specifically, I don't want the party being 10' from the house when they encounter it, as everyone can then run inside and snipe at it. It's possible to run for shelter from it, but I wanted there to always be a bit of time where it was a threat rather than being able to instantly hide from it. The farm truck always stays parked and doesn't act until the tractor gets within a certain distance, which "wakes it up."
Also, if the tractor is "awake" and the party does go to the house, it'll drive around and shine its lights in the house, etc., looking for them.

Misc
I intended for this to be a "no long rest" module, but when everyone was beat up and retreating, I wrote in the part about long resting being possible, but risky. How'd that go?

Do I need to give some more description to the compound bow to make it more noticeable?

The Ending
Pulling the sword was always the intended end for the adventure, as it releases the farmer and his farm from the pocket plane they are stuck in. The unexpected part was teleporting the sword into the house instead of pulling it out :)

I noticed a couple of reactions of "Oh, that was sudden!" in Discord. Was "pull the sword to escape / end curse / free something" not what you were expecting?

I don't feel like every adventure has to have a final climatic boss battle... if anything, the deadly CR 13 tractor would be the "boss." I would call the sword more of a puzzle solution/ending, although not a particularly difficult one. Did there need to be a boss battle? Was the ending disappointing?

[Pyrophilios]

The Farmer

I think you need to give a few more hints that it's a split person and not just a triplet of cursed brothers
Puling the sword out was no option any more after the skeleton showed it was ephemeral.

The quasit didn't fit the mood at all. Streamen digging themselves out of the grain would have been much more in tone.

Setting
No, I totally missed that piece of the story - I expected to find various undead mockeries of the different inhabitants (including a scarecrow or children of the corn)

Vehicles
Interesting - so basically we unintentionally made a sequence break by scouting successfully. I think you could up the suspense by having the group stalked as soon as they have their first interaction with the ghost. Hearing the rumbling sound of the engine getting ever closer would work for example.

Misc

No long rest scenarios need some form of deadline, so players are aware of the stakes.

The short bow was simply of no interest to me as it wasn't hinted to be magic. Just sounded like a mundane but modern artifact

The Ending
It was surprising that the conflict could be solved by pulling the sword, when the curse came from a contract. Either you need to give a hint to that during exploration or introduce the one who stabbed the farmer. That would give this resolution more satisfaction and feel less accidental

[J-H]

Thoughts on just changing the shotgun to a Dex save for half all the way down, maybe with disadvantage, plus the armor damage reduction?

Also, I think the intermediate (#4 buck) option can just go away.

[NontheistCleric]

The Farmer
The three Ghost Farmers are all the same farmer. The hags (or whatever) split up the ghosts to make it really hard to pull the plug. Also, did anyone notice the line in the statblock about yanking the sword out of his chest?
I think the availability of nonstandard attack avenues like this needs to be more strongly telegraphed somehow, even if it's just something like 'You feel your hand drawn to the hilt sticking out of his chest' (and maybe make clear that a straight attack roll is needed, instead of, say, a grapple attempt). People might be coming from more standard D&D play where it's generally not an option to wrench parts out of monsters, and so they won't automatically leap to that being a viable tactic, just like we didn't.

I didn't pick up on the farmers all being the same person. Like Pyrophilios, I thought the farm was run by three brothers, or something like that. Not that it actually makes a difference to the adventure, as far as I can see.


In terms of story/setting:
Did anyone get an impression of a somewhat hasty evacuation of the wife and son from the house, and the magical flute having been dropped and left behind by mistake? That was my intent.
Yes, but I have to say that it didn't seem very significant at the time, insofar as it would be natural for anyone to get their spouse and child away if some kind of magical disaster were imminent.


What do you think the farmer was supposed to "pay" that he tried to get out of?
I suppose the implication is that it was his firstborn child, or something like that? I don't know. Honestly, there wasn't a lot of reason to come to any particular conclusion on that, and we never seemed to get to a point where it was particularly important.


Vehicles
Climbing on the tractor or truck would have been viable and would have taken away their ability to harm you. Also check the statblocks for them, as there was provision for "what if someone tries to drive them?"
As with the swords in the ghosts, I think the fact that nonstandard tactics for engaging the enemies were available needed to be telegraphed a bit more. In-character, I can't really see that anyone coming from a generic pseudo-medieval D&D setting would easily jump to trying to drive the strange constructs manually, even leaving aside that climbing larger enemies is usually an optional rule.


Misc
I intended for this to be a "no long rest" module, but when everyone was beat up and retreating, I wrote in the part about long resting being possible, but risky. How'd that go?
Fairly okay, but like Pyrophilios said, it would help to have some sense of urgency. It would also help if the 'win condition' was more easily discernible (more on this below), since as it was, we didn't really get an idea of how long our characters might have to spend in the nightmare plane, which resulted some of us turning to thinking of ways to make long rests safer instead of being discouraged from long resting in and of itself.


Do I need to give some more description to the compound bow to make it more noticeable?
This is where I have to bring up my general ignorance of weapons again. I knew vaguely that compound bows are some kind of improvement over the pre-modern kind, but because I don't spend a lot of my time thinking about it, it just didn't pop into my head when reading that description that 'This is definitely an upgrade', and funnily enough, this also largely accords with what Runa would think, as she's never seen a compound bow before. To both player and character, it was just an interesting bit of scenery.

I think it might be worth it to add in that someone with bow proficiency can recognize that this bow might be an improvement over a traditional bow, if you want this to be a reward that shortbow users will consistently go for.


The Ending
Pulling the sword was always the intended end for the adventure, as it releases the farmer and his farm from the pocket plane they are stuck in. The unexpected part was teleporting the sword into the house instead of pulling it out :)

I noticed a couple of reactions of "Oh, that was sudden!" in Discord. Was "pull the sword to escape / end curse / free something" not what you were expecting?

I don't feel like every adventure has to have a final climatic boss battle... if anything, the deadly CR 13 tractor would be the "boss." I would call the sword more of a puzzle solution/ending, although not a particularly difficult one. Did there need to be a boss battle? Was the ending disappointing?
I wouldn't say it was disappointing, but it did feel jarring that the adventure was able to end so abruptly, without the characters ever really understanding what was going on. Boss fights, for all that they are a bit of a cliche, at least do tend to give a more tangible sense of closure. For example, if the hag who made the nightmare plane had showed up and we shut the place down by vanquishing her, things would have been quite nicely tied up.

If we had somehow been able to figure out more concretely that removing the sword would somehow remove us from the nightmare scenario, I think it would have been more satisfying. As it was, the characters were basically just guessing, and Runa only teleported the sword at all because she thought putting it together was about to release some kind of super-ooze from the pump, so we essentially solved the problem by accident (which, on balance, I still feel pretty good about, but I think doing it on purpose is even better).


Thoughts on just changing the shotgun to a Dex save for half all the way down, maybe with disadvantage, plus the armor damage reduction?

Also, I think the intermediate (#4 buck) option can just go away.
That sounds better, although it's a little strange to have disadvantage by default, in my opinion. Why not just make the DC a few points higher?

[J-H]

Here are the changes I've made. Does everyone think these improve clarity, gameplay, etc.?


Changed farmer death description to emphasize sword. Changed how sword snaps together:
Each time he is “killed,” the sword falls out of the ghost’s chest, the ghost smiles, and then the ghost vanishes in a poof of dust, leaving a portion of the sword clatters to the ground. The tip, hilt, and mid-portion of the blade may be given in any order. Each is obviously incomplete and part of a greater whole. They feel unusually light, almost insubstantial. When placed near each other, the parts instantly fuse. Once all three are together, the sword may be drawn from the skeleton’s chest, which releases the farmer and party and destroys the pocket plane.

Added note on farmer description
Be sure to describe the sword sticking out of the farmer as seeming slightly more real than the rest of him, and note that each Ghost Farmer appears to be a different instance of the exact same person.

Changed verbiage to include DM helping appropriate characters note the compound bow:
Characters specialized in bow use, or with a background that has exposed them to the use of ropes, pulleys, and similar devices, will note at once that this bow seems to be constructed to give extra power to arrows shot from it. Examples of appropriate backgrounds include but are not limited to Archaeologist, Clan Crafter, Far Traveler, Fisher, Folk Hero, Marine, Sage, and Sailor.

Shotgun
Deleted #4 buck ammo option.
Shotgun damage can now be halved with a Dexterity save for all targets within the line. Increased shotgun Dexterity save to DC 18, with a note that the DC is based on that of the caster who created the plane. 5e doesn’t have a ton of math like 3.5, so I like to keep it consistent.

Long Rest
Increased Dream DC to 18 to match shotgun.

Added note:
Not all characters will awaken at the same time. Characters who save successfully should wake up first, in case those who save unsuccessfully are reduced to 0hp.

Vehicles
Added new property:
Heavy. Advantage on saves and ability checks related to forced movement or being knocked prone.
Added: When the party completes assembly of the sword, both vehicles will “wake up,” starting their engines, turning on their headlights, and moving to attack the party.

Added in DM notes: The weakest point of both vehicles is that they cannot turn on the spot, requiring forward (or backwards) movement to curve.

Grain silo
Deleted the quasit. Increased grain entrapment from 1d6 to 1d4, and included a “start your turn” provision to make even teleporters be at risk. The terrain should now definitely be more hazardous than the farmer. Note that Small creatures are immune to collapse, giving light-footed Halflings a chance to shine.

Descriptions
Added to the master bedroom/bathroom description:
Again, some of the cabinets and drawers stand open with items spilled out, showing evidence of a hasty departure.

Added to the sword in the skeleton to help hint that it can’t be successfully interacted with immediately:
The sword appears translucent and only half-real.

Revised handout poem: Does this make the sword in the heart more clear?

Bargained we he
Blessed the soil and water.
Crops grew healthy
Through drought without spoil or falter.

When came to collect found we
No faith in his deal.
A trick played by he
Sent our due too far to steal

Angry did we be
He thought the deal winned.
On his farm be
His heart forever pinned.

Without hope of release,
Forever guarding without case,
His home now grows misery,
A trap for the bold and unwary.

Like you.

[Pyrophilios]

Looks good, that should be workable now.

[NontheistCleric]

Yes, I think that makes most things clearer. Honestly, I think I might still have trouble piecing together that it was the child the evil force wanted, specifically, but that's maybe more on me than the writing. Plus, the key thing is really pulling out the sword, which I think is emphasized enough.