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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

    Join Date
    Aug 2021
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Gender
    Male

    Default D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Surprise, here's an OOC thread. I'll edit this post with relevant information soon.

    For now, please sign in with your character name, race, class, and atleast one quirk about them that their fellow soldiers would know from drilling for this drop again and again over the past weeks.

    For example, in addition to all the other NPC's...

    I'll be playing Captain Lorana Longsummer. She's a High Elven, Fey Wanderer Ranger and a Virtuosa Gentlewoman, a woman of class from one of the oldest princedoms in the Union. The unconfirmed rumor is that she was being courted by Virtuosa's prince, but severed the relationship when he refused to enlist personally. All through training, she played violin in a string quartet with three other elven officers who call themselves collectively The Contraband. Usually, she's a highly efficient but approachable officer and expects great things from Echo Company.

    1st Squad 2nd Squad 3rd Squad
    Sgt. Nikolai Farley Sgt. Ladaran "Xilo" Xiloscient Sgt. Alston Hillfield
    Cpl. Spade Cpl. John Falcon Cpl. Eugene "Wolf" Vognar
    Pvt Ssassten Monroe Pvt. James O'Hara Jr Pvt. Thaddeus "Doc" Helmholtz
    Pvt. Jason Catchell Pvt. Bruce Gamble Pvt. Salamir "Sal" Malichinni
    Pvt. Deliandi Jukbar (Reserved for a PC) Pvt. K'Ral Burnfaire
    Pvt. Kruz Brassbeard Pvt. Jukebox Pvt. Jenya Moore
    Pvt. Omniel Madan Pvt. Kuzzank Stronghunter Pvt. Lynnova Xenyss
    Pvt. Harvey "Creed" Douglas Pvt. Enshun Xanderthrax Pvt. Brikenya McCleod
    Pvt. Marguerite Curry Pvt. Hector Longfoot Pvt. Tarron Chaegwyn
    Pvt. Gladys Hayden Pvt. Xu Nandreth Pvt. Tristain Ordo
    Lt. Temperance Bathory Spl. Vivienne Pierce


    The LT of the 101st Skyknives, Echo Company, 3rd Platoon, is Lady Temperance Bathory! Her capable Sgts are Ladaran and Alston, along with Sgt. Nikolai Farley, a dependable half-orc rune knight and his warforged corporal Spade. Bold characters, of course, are PC's.

    Spoiler: Your Extra Equipment
    Show
    Standard Starting Kit (in addition to any equipment you’ve taken). This equipment weighs in at about 60 pounds, but your pack and webbing are laced with a minor enchantment that shaves it down to 10lb when properly worn.

    1 pocket knife
    1 set of 101st Skyknives dogtags, finely plated in silver to make them more easily targetable with friendly locating magic.
    1 watch (wrist or pocket), synchronized to the platoon.
    1 personal grooming kit
    1 compass
    2 fragmentation grenades (Thrown up to 30+(5*Strength Bonus)ft. 10ft Radius blast; 3d6 piercing, 3d6 fire damage, Reflex 13 for half and move out of the radius.)
    1 Stick of Silver Putty (can be thrown like a level 1 Ice Knife spell or affixed to a frag grenade to cause it to destroy barbed wire obstacles.)
    1 “Behir” class Anti-Tank mine (5d10 damage to a tank that trips it; 50% chance of reducing immunity to resistance)
    1 “Weasel” class bomb (two point plastic explosive. 5d10 damage; 50% chance of reducing immunity to resistance)
    1 .45 Pistol (Hand Crossbow.)
    1 bayonet
    2 cartons of cigarettes (normal)
    1 black cigarette (‘potion’ of Spare the Dying)
    1 lighter
    1 flashlight (lantern)
    1 first aid kit (5 charges of healer’s kit)
    1 inflatable life jacket
    1 helmet, with the sprayed on stencil of a dagger with angel wings
    1 Skyknives Ring

    Because of the unique nature of your battalion, you are not issued a standard battery of weapons, but individualized ones - the ones you’ve already chosen and reskinned.

    Your Skyknives ring is a magic item that requires attunement. It is a Lesser Spell Storing ring that can hold up to three levels of spells, with cantrips occupying one level. Its stored spells can only target the wearer of the ring. They can be filled by casters normally, or ‘charged’ and stations deployed on the battlefront with spells appropriate for combat conditions. The spellcasting modifier of the ring is +1.

    Before the jump, your ring is filled with the following spells:

    1. Feather Fall
    2. Healing Word
    3. Purify Food and Drink.



    Tomorrow, IC begins.

    Edit: D-Day, Ladies and Gentlemen.

    Spoiler: Posterity: Original Recruitment Post, and the Experimental rules in play.
    Show
    “Alright, Echo Company. Listen up.”

    The room hushes around you, as Captain Lorana Longsummer begins to speak. She’s soft spoken by nature, like many Virtuosans, but you and the rest of Echo Company have come to appreciate her respectful hand with the line soldiers, and the plain diligence with which she does her job preparing the company for war. Standing before the company, there is a quiet resolve in her face that forecasts the words before she speaks them.

    “Tomorrow’s drop is on. Command says there’s no more cancellations, and we’re looking at calm wind and clear skies. This time tomorrow, you’ll be in the air above occupied Aquiteaux. A few minutes later, when your boots hit the ground, you’ll be standing on the first liberated patch of Aquiteaux since the Vult rolled through two years ago. Follow your sergeants, remember your training, and we’ll be pushing them back across the river Herne, and we’ll be home before Winterfeast."

    It’s an ambitious hope; but you’re burning with ambition now. The drop has been cancelled five times already, and you’ve been running laps and doing combat drills with your squad for so long that you find yourself more than ready to be out there in the hurricane of lead and glory that young soldiers long for.

    An aide flips a switch, and the coastal map of Aquiteaux you have by now committed to memory is flashed up on the screen with the purr of the smoothly running projector. Captain Lorana stands within the projection, casting her shadow like the dark omen of a goddess over the occupation’s bunkers, and troop distributions.

    “At oh-six-hundred hours, our air raiders will start hitting the defensive installations on Naphto beach, and our ships will move into position to start shelling. We expect heavy arcane shielding, so this is as much about confusion and smoke as the chance of doing damage. A hundred and fifty thousand troops are going to be landing on that beach under the cover of that bombardment just thirty minutes later. Our job is to drop behind the bunker lines, and take out the acolytes that we know are funneling mana into the Kreigshielders. No mana means no shields; no shields means our guns hit the enemy; enemy casualties means our boys and girls down on the beach don’t have to die there. There’s no second chance, to this. If we fail to take out those shields, then Operation: Myrmidon can only succeed at the cost of more and more of our soldier’s blood, if at all. Each of you was selected to be part of Echo Company because you have the skills that make you more deadly and capable than the average soldier. That’s why the most critical task falls to you. Take out the Kreigshielders’ acolytes; then dig into cover and prepare to engage enemy reinforcements as they scramble.”

    With this rehashed description of the plan you’ve heard in detail dozens of times now, Captain Longsummer gestures with patience and precision and each site and location of note. Finally, the projector clicks off; and her thoughtful elven eyes sweep their attention slowly across the assembly. She gives a bittersweet smile.

    “Get some good sleep, or low-activity meditation tonight. I’ll see you all in the air. Echo Company dismissed.”


    ----------------------------------

    So I watched Band of Brothers again, and was struck with madness. This game proposal is the result. Bring your camo-robed wizard artillerist, and your elven arcane bolt-action 'archer'; bring your tortle combat engineer and your gallant warforged bard-sergeant. The plan is for a combat heavy game with a distinct You Got Fantasy In My WW2 flavour that has been done before, but not at all done to death. Details below!

    Spoiler: A Moderately Sized 16!
    Show
    1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?

    D&D5E, with some tweaks.

    2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?

    A thinly veiled World War 2 Analogue. How thinly veiled? Omigosh it’s so thinly veiled you guys; but setting a game in “Fantasy world that is basically WW2 Europe” is just a smoother experience to write and run than “WW2 Europe with fantasy tropes”. The world map is roughly as you’d expect it, nations have similar cultures and languages, but it’s not a perfect 1-to-1. The Unified Princedoms of Amcara, for example, is very close to the United States of America, without being precisely the same. The Kreigsvolk, presently under the command of the overbearing and meglomaniacal Vult Accord… Well, that should be pretty straight forward. You get it.

    3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?

    Up to five players. Also, as many ‘drop ins’ as would like are free to show up in battle scenes with compelling one-off characters who are almost certainly fated to die tragically. But five is the number for the core group.

    4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?

    The GitP forums.

    5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?

    Starting at Level 5. Experience will probably come fairly quickly, and I’m expecting there to be some character deaths. Replacement PCs come in one level behind the existing PCs, and level up twice to catch up with them if they survive a mission.

    6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?

    None. You begin with your class’s and your background’s starting gear, plus whatever you want to buy with your starting money - and then your money goes to zero. I encourage you, and will help you, to ‘reskin’ as much of this gear as possible to something that feels WW2 era. Chainmail might be a flak jacket and helmet. A bastard sword might be a serrated Ka-Bar. And if you want to be an orc barbarian from fantasy Kentucky who kills fantasy Nazis with his entrenching tool, then as God is my witness, I will let you take an entrenching tool as a great axe.

    But conversely, this isn’t a hard rule. Maybe your barbarian actually carries a great axe, which makes him distinct in a field of exploding mortar shells and bullets. That’s fine too - but a little give-and-take with the aesthetic wouldn’t hurt to keep it feeling on point.

    7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?

    All the official books are fine, though I’d ask players to use the official races rather than using the TCE custom shop. No homebrew classes or paths for this one, but feel free to extensively reskin the visuals of how an official class looks to make it in theme. I’m completely down with an arcane archer who enchants the rounds she fires as the group sniper; but don’t go looking for “Arcane Rifleman” from dandwiki.com. Any questions or confusion, let me know.

    8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?

    All official races work here. You’re from the UPA, a big old melting pot of peoples - Humans, Dwarves, Warforged, Tabaxi, all of it. Additionally, it’ll help me if you decide what state your character is from. That means deciding on an American regional stereotype (the not insulting kind), contriving a thin fantasy veil for it, and putting that in your character submission. Eg, if you decided you wanted to be a Tabaxi from with that classic cowboy drawl, you’d start with Texas, rename it… Let’s say, Tezazi. And now you’re a Tezazi Tabaxi. Possibly named Maxi. If you don’t know, or care, about such regional differences of the USA, then you’re from Virtuosa - fantasy Virginia.

    9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?

    Roll 4d6, keep 3. Repeat this process once. Choose the best set, allocate as you wish. Begin with one free feat.

    10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?


    Nothing binding about alignment, but since it interacts with certain spells and whatnots, you might as well choose one. No restriction; just be a team player.

    11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?


    My default position is no multiclassing. But make me an impassioned argument, and I can bend a little.

    12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?

    Standard roll allocations for D&D, excepting that I reserve the right to roll your things if it’s going to spur things along (initiative, or a save if you haven’t responded in a day.)

    13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.

    I considered variant encumbrance, but just don’t make my eyes pop with the amount of stuff you’re carrying and we’ll be okay. But we will be using:

    Inverted Attunement: It takes one action to attune to an item, and a short rest to break that attunement. This way, you can put up a fallen enemy’s or ally’s magic item mid combat and use it almost immediately.

    Feats: Technically this is an optional rule, but we’re using it.

    Variant Human: Come on, man. Do you have to? Play something weird for a change, you feat-stacker. But if you MUST.

    Initiative: We’ll start using normal initiative, but I’ll consider using initiative blocks if it starts feeling too restrictive. If that requires some character adjustment (Refund my initiative bonus feat!) then we’ll handle that at the time.

    Combat Roles: This I’ll have to put together after we have characters, but the vision for this game is very much military themed, so having designated roles that are understood in character works well. Choose a couple of archetypes that might work for your concept - things like sergeant, sniper, shocktrooper, medic, engineer, chaplain, artillerist, and so on. When I’ve selected the characters, we’ll end up with someone leading the group as the sergeant, and everyone else in another role they chose. I’ll brew up a custom feat for each character to facilitate those archetypes, and we’ll workshop them a little together before play starts so everyone is happy. Importantly, this does mean the group dynamic is a little different from the normal democratic kill squad D&D tends to be. You have a leader, they are required to give commands, you are expected to follow them. A good sergeant player will not be overbearingly prescriptive about this. “Jenkins, take out that machine gun nest!” is much better than “Jenkins, you have a third level spell left - use a fireball spell specifically, on that machine gun nest.” Jenkins may decide he doesn’t care to use his third level slot on that machine gun nest, but if he brazenly disobeys his sergeant, he’s looking for a court-martial. If you’re applying for the role of sergeant, come into it prepared to be decisive, but not controlling.

    14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?

    Just a short description of your character, and what their squadmates will know about them from training together.

    15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?

    Lots of combat. Lots of set up to combat. You’re in the army now, kid. But I’m a sucker for RP, so that’ll make its way in.

    The combat is going to be rough. I’ll be pitching encounters at you that are a little higher than the recommended levels, so join the game with a loose grip on your character and an idea of how dramatically, or tragically, they might die in combat. And have a second idea for a character brewing, too.

    16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?

    No homebrew stuff without a truly Devil-And-Daniel-Webster level convincing argument.


    Spoiler: Experimental New Rules: Ranged Engagements, Battle Archetypes, New Conditions
    Show
    New Conditions:

    PINNED - A pinned creature is frightened of the source of their pinning, and falls prone. They cannot stand up until they are no longer pinned, or until they have at least half-cover from the source of the pinning. A creature has advantage to save against any effect that causes pinning once the source of their pinning is no longer SUPPRESSING. A tank that would become pinned is not pinned. Instead, they make a have a 10% chance of becoming BUTTONED for one turn.

    SUPPRESSING - A creature that is SUPPRESSING is maintaining steady, denying fire on a target. A target that is SUPPRESSING has a movement value of zero, and must spend their action doing nothing but maintaining their suppressing fire. They retain their Move and Bonus actions.

    TANK - A tank is immune to damage from weapons and spells that are not specifically listed as Tank-Buster weapons or spells.

    BUTTONED - A tank that is buttoned has closed all its hatches and slots to protect its crew from intense small arms fire. It has disadvantage on all attack rolls.

    These conditions may need tweaking as that becomes obvious; but as it stands, having a rifle means you can attack with it normally, or use it to attempt to suppress a target (a Wisdom save equal to a value attached to the weapon. Probably a 13 for a basic rifle, more than that for heavier weapons.) Targets can break pinning at the end of their turn, with advantage if the one who pinned them isn't maintaining suppression. Tanks don't get pinned, but they can get buttoned.

    As for the Archetypes, I've gone with them having an alternative use for inspiration in Skirmish Engagement, and a listed contribution to Ranged Engagement.
    Rifleman:
    Inspiration Use: Immediately remove any pinned, frightened, and prone conditions you are suffering. Gain your level in temporary hitpoints. Allies within 5ft of you are no longer pinned or frightened.
    In Ranged Engagement: Begin the Engagement with their level in Temporary HP. Add a D6 to the Force’s Damage.

    Sniper:
    Inspiration Use: Choose an enemy within your line of sight. The next time you make an attack against this enemy, a hit will cause a critical hit, and a miss will cause the target to become PINNED until the end of its next turn.
    In Ranged Engagement: Add a D12 to the Force’s Damage.

    Engineer:
    Inspiration Use: You immediately disable any single trap, hazard, door or terrain feature within 30ft; or repair one as you prefer. Doing so has a 50% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.
    In Ranged Engagement: Add a D6 to the Force’s Damage, and add their proficiency bonus to the Force’s attack roll.

    Heavy Support:
    Inspiration Use: You may immediately cause every enemy in a 100ft cone to become PINNED.
    In Ranged Engagement: Add a D12 to the Force’s Damage.

    Shocktrooper:
    Inspiration Use: If you cause a critical hit in melee, or reduce an enemy to zero hit points in melee, you may immediately cause all enemy creatures within 30ft of you to become frightened of you. Doing so has a 50% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.
    In Ranged Engagement: Add a D6 to the Force’s Damage. Always takes the heaviest hit. Adds Proficiency bonus to damage reduction.

    Leader:
    Inspiration Use: You may immediately give Inspiration to two allies. Doing so has a 50% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.
    In Ranged Engagement: Add a D6 to the Force’s Damage. Add their proficiency to the squad’s attack roll and defensive value.

    Medic:
    Inspiration Use: You may immediately spend a use of a Healer’s Kit to cause an ally adjacent to you to recover hit points as if they had benefited from a short rest. Doing so has a 100% chance of Inspiring a random ally who witnesses your work.
    In Ranged Engagement: Add a D6 to the Force’s Damage. Add their proficiency bonus to the squad’s defensive value.

    Mortar Operator:
    Inspiration Use: You may immediately spend inspiration to call in a mortar strike as long as you have access to a radio, a message spell, or a similar communication technique. This mortar strike is provided by another member of the Brotherhood of Steel Rain whose mortar is off the map, and not within minimum range, like yours is. You will, from time to time, be expected to return the favor! Select a target when you spend this Inspiration. At initiative 0 each turn, there is a chance equal to 5* your level that the strike will arrive. A mortar strike has the impact of a Flame Strike spell, except with force damage substituted for the radiant damage.
    In Ranged Engagement: Add a D20 to the Force’s Damage.


    Basically, I plan to use the inspiration mechanic more liberally than it gets used typically!

    I decided to roll Chaplain into Leader, and to drop Grenadier and Tank-Buster entirely, leaving those ideas to be expressed in weapons and spells alone. Kept Mortar Operator though; though because Skirmish combat occurs inside of minimum mortar range, I decided that the UPA army has a warrior lodge called the Brotherhood of Steel Rain, to which all mortar operators belong. They're honor-bound to assist each other in combat by blind firing into the co-ordinates radioed to them by their comrades if they are able. Thus, a mortar man will fire directly when in Ranged Engagement, but in Skirmish Engagement (typical DnD combat) they'll actually be calling in mortar strikes from NPC's off the map, which have an unreliable drop rate to balance the fact that they're a damn flamestrike.

    And here's a rough look at what Ranged Engagement will look like.

    RANGED ENGAGEMENT (Beta, subject to change.):


    At the onset of a ranged engagement, both force’s leaders secretly decide whether they will continue to engage at range, or whether they will close to skirmish range. If both decide to operate at range, they both attack one another using the rules below. If one decided to attack and the other to close, the attacker gets a turn of firing using the rules below before initiative is rolled and Skirmish combat begins. If both decide to close to Skirmish range, then both forces charge at one another and skirmish combat begins immediately! Naturally, an enemy force that is unaware of your approach or attack cannot react to it except to be shot at, and to bleed in protest.

    During a turn of ranged engagement, both forces take a turn making a single abstract attack against an enemy force. The attack roll is 1d20, adding the Leader’s intelligence modifier and proficiency bonus (double the proficiency bonus, if they have an Engineer on staff). The target number is 10+ the enemy’s Wisdom modifier, and proficiency bonus (double the proficiency if they have a medic in the force!).


    It is assumed in any turn of Ranged Engagement that there are numerous flesh wounds, near misses, and manageable exchanges of damage. If a force suffers a hit, they have taken a serious number of significant hits to be expressed in damage dice. The damage a force deals depends on the members of the force.


    Riflemen, Engineers, Leaders, Shocktroopers and Medics each add a D6 damage dice to the hit.


    Snipers and Heavy Support each at a D12 to the hit.


    Mortar Operators add a D20 to the hit.


    For example, a squad containing one of each of these archetypes is attacking an identical force. Both would, if their commanders scored hits, be dealing 5d6+2d12+1d20 damage. Damage dice are divided into a number of pools equal to half the number of the target force - in this example, 4 pools - more or less evenly. These are attributed to random members in the squad, who gods willing are not hit more than once, then the damage is rolled normally - with the only exception to this random attribution being that the hit with the highest dice pool must strike a Shocktrooper if possible. Every squad member may reduce the damage they take by their leader’s Charisma modifier, as they are bolstered and encouraged through the storm of war. While the highest rank soldier contributes their INT and WIS bonuses to attack and defence of the force, any Leader with a rank - most often a squad sergeant - can offer his or her CHA bonus as damage reduction to any soldier under his authority. Imagine the Platoon's Lt. has a Charisma Bonus of +1, and the sergeants of 1st and 2nd squad have CHA bonuses of +0 and +4 respectively. All three have taken the Leader archetype, so they are able to leverage that Archetype to contribute in Ranged Engagement. When 1st squad takes a hit, they are entitled to reduce the value of that hit by their sergeant's +4, which is much better than the +1 available from the Lt. First squad isn't so lucky - their sergeant is a leader of men in skirmish action and maybe angling for field commission to use his INT and WIS down the track... but he's not the warm and encouraging type. First squad will have to make do with the 1 point of reduction available from the Lt, as distant and busy a figure as they are!

    In this example, there would be four pools of dice - (1d6+1d6), (1d6+1d12), (1d6+1d12), and (1d6+1d20). There are four of these pools because there are eight squaddies, and four is half of eight. They’re randomly assigned to squad members - let’s say the second and third pools hit individual soldiers, but in a stroke of bad luck, the first and fourth strike the same squaddie for a thumping (3d6+1d20) damage. Luckily the squad has a shocktrooper, who is best prepared to take the damage on the chin. The damage from all the hits is rolled, reduced by the charisma modifier of the squad’s leader, and inflicted on the soldiers.


    Contributing to the Ranged Engagement meaningfully is an action. This means that soldiers may freely take bonus actions they deem helpful (casting spells to heal their team mates, or raging to prepare for a big hit). If a soldier uses their action to do anything other than contribute to the ranged combat, the force does not benefit from their damage die, or any other bonuses they provide - though they are still liable to be randomly struck by a damage pool from the enemy’s attack.
    If that looks a little crunchy for your taste, don't worry about it - most of the math happens on my side. The idea is that Ranged Engagement will go on for one or two rounds of softening-up fire before one side decides they ought to try their luck at getting closer!


    Spoiler: Healing Limitations - "The Golden Hour"
    Show
    The Golden Hour is the hour after bodily trauma has been received in which it is responsive to healing magic. Each additional hour or part thereof after a specific injury is received requires a healing spell of one level higher to be effective. For example, imagine a driver stumbling out of the darkness to into the medical tent, having just had to walk for just under five hours after being in a jeep accident. He'd better hope there's a level 9 cleric in the house, because his injuries won't respond to less than a 5th level spell slot. A soldier who gets shot in the first hour of a 10 hour operation, however, is beyond even the reaches of the most powerful healing magic available. Largely, this means that most recovery from injury happens over long recovery breaks in medical tents and makeshift hospitals, under the care of trained physicians and nurses rather than chugging at the faucet of celestial pact warlock heals. For supernatural healing abilities that are not spells (lay on hands, or the Aasimar healing hands ability for example), the functional level of the heal is equal to half the healer's level or CR, rounding up. A successful Medicine check (usually at DC 10) will give an observer a good idea of how many hours old an injury is.

    As PCs, the primary way you heal is by spending hit dice on a short rest and regaining all HP on a long rest. This is a game of heroism and teamwork, and it wouldn't be any good if characters were made to sit out for months at a time as the recovered. Therefore, you should treat healing from short and long rests not so much as becoming fully healed, but as your character receiving enough medical attention to muscle through the pain, hiding their injuries to not let their comrades down, or sneaking out of the medical tent to join their squad against flabbergasted doctor's orders.


    Spoiler: Additional Languages
    Show
    There are a bunch of regional languages. Common is spoken in Albinon and Amcara. The Kreigvolk speak Kreigspiel. The Aquiteauxans speak l'aquitaire. Far on the other side of the war, the Vuskarran People's Panoply speaks Vusk, and demands all who live under its authority speak it too. The other major members of the Nexus powers include Hito-Mori, in which Mori is spoken; and Vicio Ascendio, the newly reborn nation of Vicio out of almost a thousand years of petty bickering and backstabbing amongst its member states. They speak Vicioni.

    So especially relevant languages are Kreigspiel, L'Aquitaire, Vusk, Mori,and Vicioni. Along with any you care to make up. These regional languages we'll do a little different from the core languages.

    You're welcome for your character to know one of these languages if you're entitled to learn one from a background or trait from somewhere. Additionally, for every point of Intelligence Bonus you have, you know one of these languages at a lesser level, but enough to navigate through any non-technical conversation. Obviously this campaign takes place in with mostly Kreigsprechers and L'Aquitiare parlants, so they're the most immediately useful. But if you pick something else, or make one up, I'll try to feature it every now and then.

    Anyone who doesn't know Kreigspiel has been given a Kriegspiel primer, and you know the terms "Surrender", "Disarm", "Kneel", "Stop", and "Move". You've been trained in a little more than that, but once you go beyond those 5 terms, you're going to need to make Intelligence tests to make yourself understood. Difficulty of such a test, presuming a simple message (E.G. "Where is the hospital?") is typically going to be 30 minus the target's Intelligence score.


    Of course, ask me anything about the game and I'll answer. I hope there's at least a few players who are as keen for this particular genre mashup as I am.
    Last edited by MrAbdiel; 2021-11-20 at 07:47 AM.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    HalfOrcPirate

    Join Date
    Jun 2011

    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Private Bruce Gamble. A goliath of a man from the foot hills of Greater Carolean. A brutish barbarian of a man, obviously not from the most civilized regions. He is always looking at way to make money, even if they are not exactly legal. He is a big fan of stickball, and will often try to get others to play.

    https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538118
    www.eldeberon.com

    Mail Code V2.0 T6.2 R5.6 Eo.p Fbyz MFe.s W$ C$ G0.3-1.6 I1.6-7.9 N19.16 Pc Dacdejtw Xg.2 S01

    Yuri

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    DruidGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    UK
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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Salamir "Sal" Malichinni

    Salamir is a tiefling artillerist artificer, an expierienced machinist and mechanic he worked on the arcane rail engines and then the tank factories, there he could have been excempt from service as essential to the war effort but volunteered anyway with some other lads from the city, they ended up scattered across a dozen fronts but still keep in contact. Salamir's always tinkering with his kit especially when nervous about stuff like the upcoming drop.
    Last edited by JbeJ275; 2021-11-03 at 07:47 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by RadarMonkey1 View Post
    I suddenly feel that my character is not as optimized as it could be...

    Oh well, it should still be fun.

  4. - Top - End - #4
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    Planetar

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    James O'hara jr., reporting for duty!

    A tortle chaplain who grew up between military camps, raised by the soldiers around him and educated by his elderly father, a chaplain who fought in the last war.
    He tends to curse out almost anything - enemies, allies, inanimate objects - but since he IS a clergy man, he doesn't use swear words - but instead makes creative use of words and expressions from the scripture to the best of his (pretty impressive) ability.

    https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2538557

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    Awful's Avatar

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Lt Temperence Bathory.

    The Lady isn't just for show, she's technically a Countess. Not that that matters in the army, though. Very smart - in her own fields, at least, she's inexperienced in actually commanding men in battle. She's capable of both magical support, counterspelling, and raising the dead to act as meatshields. She habitually plays with a cigerette if she can't smoke one, reads romance novels despite outwardly decrying them as a waste of time, and actually cares about her soldiers far more than she pretends.

    (I'll draw something suitable at a later date)
    And the far stars cried, and the planets yearned;
    But no man may know, for she'll ne'er return.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Sgt. Ladaran "Xilo" Xiloscient may be a wood elf from the mountains of northeast UPA, but he is noble born, tall, and among the strongest in the unit. All that on top of being the best shot in the squad. He grew up with tough training on many weapons both ancient and modern as well as the basics for his far future as a noble which included an introduction into magics and leading others. A student of war history he enjoys tactics and strategy to win battles whether on the real battlefield or a dragonchess board. He is exacting in the training of himself and others but expecting that same level of training from others is a weakness for him. He may not be the brightest or best leader in the army but he's working on it, often inspiring his troops to eek out every bit of themselves in a real fight.
    Spoiler: Games
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    Keston Tornok for GF's AoW
    Loradralsornux for GF's Savage Tide
    Avakuss for kinem's Planescape: Center of All
    Sgt Ladaran Xiloscient for MrAbdiel's D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (WW2 with D&D Rules)
    Ganzak for Toliudar's Coming Unstuck

    Extended Signature - More detailed game/character notes

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    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Pvt. K’ral Burnfaire reporting as ordered! Unfortunately it’s getting late so I’ll add some backstory here some time tomorrow.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Pvt. Thaddeus "Doc" Helmholz is a halfling from the Upper Occidental Side of Neu Titansberg. He is a gifted surgeon and was a keen sportsman in his college days, including captaining the wrestling team amongst other extracurriculars. He can patch anyone up in the blink of an eye and use his knowledge of anatomy to devastating effect if completely necessary (Thief Rogue).

    He isn't much keen on this whole killing people business or pesky things like rank and chain of command. He was busted down to private and his skills were put to use as a battlefield medic after insubordination to the wrong "worried well" senior officer.

    He is a big fan of watching stickball (Golems for life!) and is never without his 'lucky' signed Babau Ruth card. He claims to be able to make a hangover cure out of anything given enough time and seems to get rather a lot of practice at it. The squad has even seen it work on a few occasions. He isn't always polite but he'll always help those he sees suffering.

    @ JbeJ275 - would you rather Doc and Sal felt some kinship as they're both from the Big Bronze or should they start out a little antagonistic (supporting different teams, disagreeing on the best food joints in Neu Titansberg etc)?

    Edit: I might fluff his existing shortlist and his .45 as holding/aiming his pistol with one or two hands so that he isn't laden down with lots of guns if that's okay?
    Last edited by Waistcoatwill; 2021-11-04 at 04:23 AM.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Anyone who has posted their sheet is encouraged to join in the IC Thread here!

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    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Quote Originally Posted by Waistcoatwill View Post
    @ JbeJ275 - would you rather Doc and Sal felt some kinship as they're both from the Big Bronze or should they start out a little antagonistic (supporting different teams, disagreeing on the best food joints in Neu Titansberg etc)?
    I think a good natured rivalry probably fits best, endlessly ribbing each other for being wrong in their opinion about everything in the city that counts but reluctantly fond of the similarities that exist and unwilling to hear anyone else take shots at the other's neighbourhood. Salamir being quietly and fondly jealous of your lucky card (great fluff btw, if I knew another appropriate athlete from the era I'd refluff my Mind Sharpener infusion). That all work with you?
    Quote Originally Posted by RadarMonkey1 View Post
    I suddenly feel that my character is not as optimized as it could be...

    Oh well, it should still be fun.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Quote Originally Posted by Waistcoatwill View Post
    Edit: I might fluff his existing shortlist and his .45 as holding/aiming his pistol with one or two hands so that he isn't laden down with lots of guns if that's okay?
    I agree to this only if you have your character lose his rifle in an interesting way in the jump. :)

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Quote Originally Posted by JbeJ275 View Post
    I think a good natured rivalry probably fits best, endlessly ribbing each other for being wrong in their opinion about everything in the city that counts but reluctantly fond of the similarities that exist and unwilling to hear anyone else take shots at the other's neighbourhood. Salamir being quietly and fondly jealous of your lucky card (great fluff btw, if I knew another appropriate athlete from the era I'd refluff my Mind Sharpener infusion). That all work with you?
    That sounds excellent! Heaven help anyone from New Guernsey we run across who starts taking jabs at us.


    @ MrAbdiel- I'll do my best!

    Edit: Thanks for the AC boost, our medic is a wee bit squishy!
    Last edited by Waistcoatwill; 2021-11-05 at 12:57 PM.

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    So is that everyone from the original thread? Or are there more people we're still waiting on to show up? And in game are we gonna have some sort of turn times for combat stuff?
    Quote Originally Posted by RadarMonkey1 View Post
    I suddenly feel that my character is not as optimized as it could be...

    Oh well, it should still be fun.

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    It’s most of the folks from the original thread. I’m going to give another day or two for people to check in IC on the plane before moving things along.

    As far as combat goes, to save on migraines, I’ll take an initiative check from the senior officers in a scene and we’ll do initiative by squad. If the thread looks like it’s stalling because one or two members in a squad are delayed because life is a real thing and a constant vexation to our fantasy worlds, I’ll default those characters to the most sensible action I can consider for them (usually dodge or aid another in combat).

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    P.S., when I mark a spoiler as 'fluff' that means I explicitly don't mind players for whom it is not marked reading it. You might as well, we're here to write and read and have fun in a story. But if you're not the intended recipient, do be aware that it's player knowledge for you, and not character knowledge!


    Also, pursuant to a question I did not answer earlier, some extra equipment on a per-squad basis:

    1 set of binoculars
    1 squad radio (a backpack unit with a mechanical radio, and a breakable compartment containing two wooden dowels, which can be broken to cast Sending.
    Enough ammo shared out among the squad that it's not an issue to track unless I introduce it specifically as a plot complication
    1 detailed map of the area around Naphto beach (not marked with troop movements, which are memorized).
    1 signal whistle (Horn of Silent Alarm)

    All these items are in the possession of a squad's corporal, unless he or the Sgt divvies them out otherwise in the field. The exception is the radio, which is always with the squad's designated radioman or radiowoman, who is the last entry on the roster in this thread for each squad. So for 2nd Squad, it's Pvt Xu Nandreth, a sharp eyed drow lad. For 3rd squad, it's Pvt Tristain Ordo, a shaved-headed human chap with a whole bunch of small talismans looped onto the chain with his dogtags.

  16. - Top - End - #16
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    SamuraiGuy

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Hey all, sorry Corporal Eugene "Wolf" Vognar is late to the party. I was traveling, and didn't see the third column on the squad list on my phone. I have retooled him a bit, focusing on crossbows and extra attacks. He is Heavy Support for the squad.

    Wolf is from a farm outside a small town in northern Wiscanland. His time spent as the star thrower of his high school tackleball team has translated well here in the Army, even if book-learnin' and technical equipment are beyond him. A good soldier and team player, he was elevated to Corporal quickly. Wolf spends his spare time playing cards with anyone who will join him, and trying to organize tackleball games (he will play stickball if necessary, but doesn't like it as much). He goes out of his way to talk and listen to every member of his squad; team camaraderie is very important to him. He has taken to the Army very well, but does complain about the lack of cheese in army food.

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Great! I think that’s everyone with a character sheet now, with one spot of AvatarVecna shows up soon or else for another recruit later. Get ye all to the IC thread, strapped in and ready to make history, and don’t delay - It’ll all be over by Winter Feast!

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Maybe we drop back down to 1 squad for now?
    Spoiler: Games
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    Keston Tornok for GF's AoW
    Loradralsornux for GF's Savage Tide
    Avakuss for kinem's Planescape: Center of All
    Sgt Ladaran Xiloscient for MrAbdiel's D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (WW2 with D&D Rules)
    Ganzak for Toliudar's Coming Unstuck

    Extended Signature - More detailed game/character notes

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Quote Originally Posted by Cavir View Post
    Maybe we drop back down to 1 squad for now?
    Oh, I wouldn’t worry. I have plans that will level that out. Expect a post tomorrow night to move things along.

  20. - Top - End - #20
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    My apologies, gang; I thought I'd have more free time today than I did, and now it's 11:21PM and I ought to line up a good amount of sleep, what with real world job and all. I'll make good on that post tomorrow.

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Did you guys know that, of the 439th Operations Group that carried a non-trivial chunk of the 101st Airborne into Normandy, of the 81 aircraft used in their operation, 3 were destroyed utterly in the assault and 7 more were damaged significantly?

    Unrelatedly, hey @Cavir ! I'm giving you the honor of rolling me a D81, if you would be so kind. Try to roll above a 10.

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    HalfOrcPirate

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    son of a...
    www.eldeberon.com

    Mail Code V2.0 T6.2 R5.6 Eo.p Fbyz MFe.s W$ C$ G0.3-1.6 I1.6-7.9 N19.16 Pc Dacdejtw Xg.2 S01

    Yuri

  23. - Top - End - #23
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Nope, interesting tidbit. Last night on YT saw a vid from the German perspective south of the Bulge where 1 soldier plus 2 Panthers took out 9 Shermans, captured 12 more and 60 soldiers. Ah, here it is.

    Above a 10 eh? Not aiming to be #1....

    (1d71+10)[12] (just kidding)
    (1d81)[54]

    Don't worry about the RL delay, we're all infected with it.
    Last edited by Cavir; 2021-11-09 at 08:55 AM. Reason: Wrong German tank
    Spoiler: Games
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    Keston Tornok for GF's AoW
    Loradralsornux for GF's Savage Tide
    Avakuss for kinem's Planescape: Center of All
    Sgt Ladaran Xiloscient for MrAbdiel's D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (WW2 with D&D Rules)
    Ganzak for Toliudar's Coming Unstuck

    Extended Signature - More detailed game/character notes

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    SamuraiGuy

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Woo hoo! (I hope)

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Quote Originally Posted by Cavir View Post
    Nope, interesting tidbit. Last night on YT saw a vid from the German perspective south of the Bulge where 1 soldier plus 2 Panthers took out 9 Shermans, captured 12 more and 60 soldiers. Ah, here it is.

    Above a 10 eh? Not aiming to be #1....

    [roll0] (just kidding)
    [roll1]

    Don't worry about the RL delay, we're all infected with it.
    … that joke roll just saved you from a natural 2.

  26. - Top - End - #26
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Quote Originally Posted by MrAbdiel View Post
    … that joke roll just saved you from a natural 2.
    We'd all be dead and fighting at Valhalla's version of Naphto Beach.
    Then again, maybe #54 was one of the ones shot down and we are now part of the big battle in the sky...
    Spoiler: Games
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    Keston Tornok for GF's AoW
    Loradralsornux for GF's Savage Tide
    Avakuss for kinem's Planescape: Center of All
    Sgt Ladaran Xiloscient for MrAbdiel's D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (WW2 with D&D Rules)
    Ganzak for Toliudar's Coming Unstuck

    Extended Signature - More detailed game/character notes

  27. - Top - End - #27
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Devil

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    I have posted, and the rolls begin now.

    Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of the various D&D gods or if you prefer a setting-specific fantasy version of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

    Spoiler: Housekeeping
    Show
    AvatarVecna hasn't produced a character at this point, so I'm going to remove them from the list for the game with no malice or grudge. The forums are full of folks putting their hand up for games they soon discover they can't contribute to for one reason or another. I've messaged Novabomb who just missed the cut off to see if they want to jump in.
    Last edited by MrAbdiel; 2021-11-10 at 06:04 AM.

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Firbolg in the Playground
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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    1) CON Save DC 10 (1d20+7)[12]
    2) WIS Save DC 10 (1d20+1)[14]
    3) DEX Save DC 10 (1d20+5)[21]
    4) Equipment malfunction (1d316)[73]
    5) Randomness (1d1000)[950]

    Take (1d10)[8] slashing and (1d10)[10] lightning on a failure; or half on a successful save.
    So much for flak jackets LOL
    Spoiler: Games
    Show
    Keston Tornok for GF's AoW
    Loradralsornux for GF's Savage Tide
    Avakuss for kinem's Planescape: Center of All
    Sgt Ladaran Xiloscient for MrAbdiel's D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (WW2 with D&D Rules)
    Ganzak for Toliudar's Coming Unstuck

    Extended Signature - More detailed game/character notes

  29. - Top - End - #29
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    AssassinGuy

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    CON Save: (1d20+2)[9]
    WIS Save: (1d20+3)[19]
    DEX Save: (1d20+7)[21]
    Equipment Failure: (1d316)[197]
    Randomness: (1d1000)[142]

  30. - Top - End - #30
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    SamuraiGuy

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    Default Re: D&D-Day: The Ballad of Echo Company (OOC)

    Con save: (1d20+7)[8]
    WIS save: (1d20+2)[7]

    DEX save: (1d20+4)[16]
    Equipment: (1d316)[84]
    Randomness: (1d1000)[164]

    Edit: Damn. Re-rolling the Dex save because of disadvantage from the fear effect?

    Dex save: [roll]1d20+4[/roll]
    Last edited by Continental Op; 2021-11-10 at 09:01 AM.

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