[D&D-5e] One in the Bullseye

[GleefulNihilism]

Admittedly, this is just as much just to get this idea written down as anything but if we get interest this could be fun as well.

Steak and Ale "Oh, I don't know how that happened. Just a lucky shot, I think. If we go 2 out of 3 I'm sure you'll get it. I don't suppose you want to raise the stakes a little? Get your money back and a little more?" Info Name: Jayce Wintersnow Race/Class: Human Fighter (Arcane Archer) Let's be real here. The odds of at least one of the Wintersnow kids not becoming an adventurer were pretty remote just from all the exposure they got. One of the younger sons of Herbertus Wintersnow, the owner and propriater of The Lucky Scroll Inn and Tavern, he remembers when that old Netheril temple complex was discovered surprisingly close. Close enough that the Lucky Scroll went from being in the middle of nowhere to one of the hot spots for adventurers to stay, especually when they want to try their luck at cracking the ancient secrets. That Herbertus offers a great steak on his menu also helps, naturally. So obviously the vast majority of the family helps out. Even Grandma will occasionally give some quick tutoring to the magically inclined young adventurer getting their start. Hence the name of the Tavern. Jayce, well - he's not the best cook or the best clearner or anything like that, and he's arguably the laziest of all of his siblings. He is, however, an excellent Archer. He doesn't have the wilderness survival skills of a full Ranger, but he can go out hunting with them for a day. Mostly, however, he uses his archery skills to grift wanna-be adventurers out of their gold. What? A little competition is good for practice! And it's not like these are people known for their good desicion-making skills. Except this is stating to backfire as adventuring crews are starting to figure out that he's actually really good with a bow. Good enough that some are willing to counter his sharking with job offers...

[ClassicConundrum]

Hello Gleeful,

Would you be interested in a solo game in D&D3.5 or D&D5e? I recently made a post in the Solo Baazar, linked below, that outlined a couple of adventure ideas and your post sparked a bit of interest in modifying one of them.

The idea for the adventure would be that Jayce decided to dip his toes into the adventuring business' by taking a job to "mind the horses" for a group of three experienced adventurers he tricked out of some gold. They recently discovered a tertiary site a decent distance from the temple complex and they want someone to sit with their pack horses and guard their tent while they explore, and hopefully loot, the site.

Your agreement with them would be a share of the treasure if any, a small pittance if none, and if they all die in the site you get to keep their stuff. If you steal their stuff, well they know where your family is so they know you wouldn't do that (said in a threatening tone).

The adventure would begin in the afternoon of the third day where they didn't return to camp, with Jayce observing a large group of monsters exiting from the site and claiming the camp... then a group of them would head off in the direction of a small settlement you passed through on your way. A settlement with kids and pregnant women in it. The adventure would begin as a race against the clock to get to the settlement before the monsters, and then to either evacuate its people or defend it... or a third option.

It could make for a neat "awakening" of a lazy kid discovering that he likes helping people, that he thirsts for excitement, and that maybe he doesn't want to be so lazy after all.

Thoughts?


https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...24#post9705824

[GleefulNihilism]

Hey CC. You caught me just as I was sacking out so I can't give you a big and proper response right now but I do like this idea. Let's talk this one, see what happens. Could be fun.

[ClassicConundrum]

Cool, I am having fun with insomnia at the moment. So I will put together a little outline in this post. Everything is negotiable and presented for discussion.

Character Creation details (assumes 5e):

• Level: I am thinking 7, it allows you to use curving shot which fits nicely with the idea that he hustles trick shots in a bar. It also makes his arrows magic and he has an additional arcane shot to select
• Abilities: We can go with random, or with a set array [16,16,14,12,10,10]. I like the idea of Jayce being a natural at most everything, and not really bad at anything. He has just never applied himself to much besides the inn and archery
• Race: If you use the array I would recommend using the optional human trait, you only increase 2 ability scores by 1 rather than all and get a bonus feat and a bonus skill proficiency
• Equipment: Given his background, it doesn't make sense for Jayce to have a bunch of adventuring equipment. I would suggest you select some miscellaneous adventuring gear taken from those that hired you of your choosing as well as a set of non-magical light armor, a light melee weapon like a dagger or shortsword, two common healing potions, and two custom magic items, see below. The potions and one of the magic items were won in bets, while the other should be part of your backstory...

Magic Items:

Darrows Magic Pincushion This small brown cloth ball is filled with a mysterious substance that feels like sand, however to cut open the ball would destroy it. Inserted into the ball are four metal pins approximately half an inch long with a flat head. A user may remove a pin and uses it to cause a magical effect from the table below. After a pin is used it disappears. At dawn any used pins reappear inserted into the bag. Any non-associated pins inserted into the bag will vanish the moment no thinking being is observing them. They do not gain magical properties by being inserted. create a minor illusion: The user inserts the pin into a suitable surface or object to create an illusion as the minor illusion spell centered on the pin with a 5 minute duration as opposed to a 1 minute duration. DC 14. Can only be dismissed by removing the pin from the surface or object which causes the pin to dissolve into dust. make an object invisible: The user inserts the pin into an inanimate object that can fit within a 5ft cube. This object becomes invisible for 5 minutes or until the pin is removed. If something or someone is inside of an object, and occluded by that object by at least 80% then that object or creature also becomes invisible for the duration. This effect can be dismissed by removing the pin, however the pin and object will be invisible making this difficult. increase or decrease an objects size: The user inserts a pin into an object that would fit within a 5 ft cube. The object either increases or decreases in size by doubling or halving its external dimensions for a duration of 5 minutes. This can have odd effects depending on the shape and material of the object, with larger objects becoming brittle and smaller objects getting harder than expected. An object whose configuration is manipulated may react unpredictably, for example enlarging a folded up table may cause the table to bend or shatter when unfolded while shrinking scissors may cause them to cease to function. This effect does not work on creatures. This effect cannot be dismissed early and the pin cannot be found after use Animate objects: The user can insert two pins simultaneously into an object of medium size or smaller to animate it as the spell animate objects for a duration of 5 minutes. This duration may not be dismissed early, the pins vanish when used.

Wilder Bow This bow appears to be constructed of white oak and it is unstrung. A series small dimples run down the center of the outer face, and they seem to catch the light and reflect it back in a charming manner. The bow has been steeped in wild and untamed magic giving it unique properties. When an attuned user lifts the bow a string of pale yellow light appears that functions as a normal bowstring. If a normal bowstring is strung onto the bow all of its magical effects will not function. To attune to the Wilder Bow requires an individual to be an arcane archer of lvl 3 or higher and to have won a test of skill in archery deemed sufficient by the bow. If a wielder loses two tests of skill in archery in a row they will lose attunement and cannot reattune for at least 3 days. An arcane archer gains two additional uses of arcane shot between rests. The Wilder Bow has three abilities: Change Shape: The Wilder Bow can change its size at will, shifting between a shortbow and a longbow. This transformation take one round. Called Shot: The wielder of the Wilder Bow may select a single target within range at any time. The wielder gains advantage on shots taken against this target until the target is struck. The wielder has disadvantage against any other target. If a target leaves the range of the bow the wielder may expend an additional use of this ability to remove their selection, otherwise the disadvantage remains until a short or long rest. This ability may be used up to three times and refreshes on a short or long rest. Gambling Man: The wielder of the Wilder Bow may select a single target within range at any time. The wielder gains disadvantage against this target until he hits this target. The Wilder Bow will not fire on another target until the chosen target is struck. On a successful hit the wielder deals triple damage, which will stack with a critical hit. Bonus damage from other sources does not triple. This ability may be used up to three times and refreshes on a long rest. Once activated the effect cannot be removed until the wielder takes a long rest.

I would plan to start the adventure with Jayce sitting in a small camp set for four people. In the initial post he would hear the sounds of something frightening coming from the entrance to the mostly buried ruins. You would know that the adventurers who hired you had not come out for 2 full days, and that per your agreement if they didn't emerge during the current day you were to pack their belongings, return to the Lucky Scroll, and inform those in charge at the temple complex of what happened. You were not expected to enter the ruins, but you didn't discuss what to do if something nasty came out... so I would expect Jayce to move away and prepare to fight with his bow. What would emerge would definitely not be something he would want to shoot at... and the game would go from there.

Jayce would also know that a 2-3 hour jog/run would take him to a small "settlement", basically 4 log cabins owned by two extended families by a creek. He would know the last names of those families, and that there were children and pregnant women present from passing through on the way to the ruins. He would also know that those families had found the ruins, and made a very rough trail out to them while the entrance was dug up by them.

I look forward to your thoughts.

[GleefulNihilism]

Oooo! Took me a second to process how someone could be level 7 and not a Hero-of-the-Realm level famous character. I chuckle at the idea that *he is*. He's reached the point where this grifting *is the Quest* for an Adventurer. Everyone knows he does it, they keep coming anyway because *knocking Jayce down a peg is the goal*. [And I Love the Bow. Maybe for the more seriously minded, because if he loses two contests in a row then traditionally those two victors have another duel to determine the Wilder Bow's new owner.]

I even like the adventure idea. I'm thinking it fits more natural if he was hired as a quick guide. Just get them to the entrance efficiently, check on them every couple days or so. And ****'s going down. Fortunately, turns out he's not so much cowardly or selfish so much as just Lazy. Hijinks Ensue.

Haven't made a sheet yet but I'm diggin'.