[Game Thread] Prologue: Comrades, We Have a Problem

[bananabadger]

An Otherwise Ordinary Meeting It was an otherwise ordinary meeting. The minutes were read and approved. Dorfin Shieldstone objected to the guild's official crest of two ferrets chasing one another's tails. "Why ferrets and why two?" he said, as he had said for each of the past 23 monthly meetings, perhaps thinking that by bringing up this critique without cessation that someone might eventually see his point. "Overruled!" said the presiding guild member, Orwin Bramblewood. "But you haven't even ..." "Overruled! I said." And so the meeting was about to end, when Senior Guild Member Class IV Narlal Yrilty stood to speak. There was a collective gasp. As all guild members knew, Senior Guild Member Class IV Narlal Yrilty rarely spoke. And when she did, it was most often to her tools. Artist: NaleBunny 99 "Brothers, sisters, comrades of Guild 499 ... we have a problem. For many years, our guild has shared the city with three other guilds. As guilds go ... they aren't bad guilds, just not great ones. Well, today I must say, one of them has gone bad. I have been told—though I didn't, couldn't believe it at first—that Guild 372 has been recruiting members in our neighborhoods!" Another collective gasp arose. When Yrilty spoke, she pulled a punch. Really? A rival guild recruiting on another's territory?! This was unprecedented. Yrilty continued to give details of what she learned and how she learned it. Unfortunately, it could not be denied. In effect, Guild 372 had declared war. Presiding guild member Orwin Bramblewood sunk in his seat. The poor halfing felt dogged by the authority of his office when he had to make simple decisions, such as appointing the committee to decide what meats and salads would be prepared for the annual "Welcome New Guild Members!" buffet—this was beyond him. "Does ... does ... anyone ... have ... suggestions?" Bramblewood managed to sputter. And then you rose ... "Yes, yes," Bramblewood says, "the chair recognizes Brother Amari ... this is in regard to the shocking news just shared with us, is it not Brotehr Amari? There will be time to discuss the Harvest Festival Membership Drive at next month's meeting. Not that we do not think the work you do on that is unimportant, not at all, not at all ... it's just we must concentrate on this most unfortunate development. So, Brother Amari?"

[Master of Monsters]

”Maybe if I moved that spring over here, and increased the tension by twenty-percent…” Amari mused to himself. As normal for the scattered brain elf, he was sketching on a piece of scrap parchment. The tinkerer knew that nothing in this meeting was going to pertain to him, or his beloved harvest festival, so after about a minute his mind began to wonder in a hundred different directions. ”Yes, that looks as if it could work. Those pesky rats will no longer eat my parchment!” Amari gave an almost sinister chuckle that drew more than one glance from his neighbors. Completely oblivious to the conversation at hand, (” that Guild 372 has been recruiting members in our neighborhoods!”) especial the sudden gasps, the feykin pulled out several trinkets and parts and began to assemble them. It was clear that the young inventor was trying to create a spring loaded guillotine like device triggered by a pressure plate that was loaded with a treat for the rats. He had almost had the ‘trap’ set, when it misfired (” Does ... does ... anyone ... have ... suggestions?”) and snapped painfully down on to his dexterous fingers, causing the man to jump from his seat in pain. "Yes, yes," Bramblewood says, "the chair recognizes Brother Amari ..." Amari’s stunned expression fluttered to each of the members seated about the room. Luckily for Amari, his expression of surprise, confusion and pain fit quite well the news that was just given, whatever it was. ”Well, isn't it obvious….we should devise a plan to resolve the issue; of course!” the Artificer gave his default answer to any problem. ”I would be glad to make this my top priority! I would just need the minutes from the meeting; you know I work better if I have it in writing, and I will set off on the task at hand immediately!”

[bananabadger]

The Minutes from the Meeting are in Real Time Guild Hall 499 During the Voting Interval "The minutes from the meeting, Brother Amari, are ongoing in real time," came the quick and rather haughty reply from Brother Barton, the guild scribe and unclassified oppossum-humanoid. That "unclassified" part is a bit of a sore point with Barton, who has written countless letters to the scribes Volo and Xanathar and even the more dubious Professor Unearth Ed. R. Cainya begging them to officially classify his race into the codex of recognized creatures. But for some reason, none of them had. Perhaps the cruel rumors that Barton was nothing more than a middle-aged clerk with a smelly fur costume were correct after all; or perhaps there simply weren't enough of the creatures to be classified, and Barton simply wasn't remarkable enough to be "legendary" or even "extremely rare." He was, for the most part, simply "pedantic and annoying"--and there wasn't any demand for those sort of creatures. But, to his credit, Barton was a good scribe. And his observation was entirely accurate. The meeting was ongoing, live. Here and now. And the meeting wouldn't have its official minutes read out until it had ended. But for now, it had just begun. "Well, yes," said Chairperson Bramblewood. "Let's hear the ideas!" His words opened up a torrent of response. Before Amari had spoken, the other guild members were reluctant to rise and share their thoughts because they were afraid their ideas might be adopted and that they might be drafted into implementing them. But now that Amari had volunteered to carry out the mission—any mission—without even knowing what the mission was...well, now the guild brothers and sisters were free to float their most outrageous, beautiful and impractical schemes. If you ask a guild hall full of artificers to brainstorm...be prepared to listen. Which is what everyone did. For an hour. Then two. Then five then seven. At the end of all the presentations, most ridiculous, some less so, Barton the scribe looked to Chairperson Bramblewood to direct the guild's next step. So did all the other eyes in the guild hall. Poor Bramblewood. It is hard to snooze when dozens of eyes are upon you. And that is precisely what Bramblewood had been doing. In fact, it would later be realized, Bramblewood had been snoozing for the past 3 to 4 hours. Talk about a scandal. "Excuse me, Chairperson Bramblewood," Barton called loudly across the hall. "Which plan is being adopted?" "Ummm, yes, yes. Well, so many good ones," replied Bramblewood trying to sit up in his chair and failing to convince anyone that he hadn't been napping. He knew it. All the brothers and sisters of the guild knew it. He knew they knew it. Awkward. "Well, this is an important decision. So...I will ask my three esteemed colleagues on the executive committee to each summarize and present a short argument for the plan they most heartily endorse, and then—because any of the three finalist plans will be solid—the guild members may vote from among those three and even include one more if Brother Amari wishes to advance any of the other plans that were presented." Several gasps came from across the guild hall. This response from Chairperson Bramblewood was—how to say it—surprisingly good coming from someone who had irresponsibly abdicated their responsibilities for the past several hours. Or maybe not? Perhaps Chairperson Bramblewood should snooze more often during important meetings? (Had he done so, the guild might have avoided that entire fiasco that had come from Bramblewood's insistence that the guild buy up stock in the old windmill and turn it into a zappo-zappo magic generator dynamo...so many reputations lost on that venture.) Brother Barton picked up his quill as Chairperson Bramblewood looked to his executive committee and called them up for their presentations. "Brother Shieldstone, why don't you go first?" Bramblewood says with a smile and nod to the dwarf seated at his right. "Hmmm. Don't mind if I do. And I'll make it short and solid ... just in case anyone is feeling drowsy". It's possible that Shieldstone said this with a smile under his beard. But, with his beard and with his general disposition, it's hard to tell.   "I like solid facts and solid action. Solid fact number one: Guild 372 is poaching members from our territory. Solid fact number two: This goes against all guild regulations and agreements. Solid fact number three: We know they know we know. Because they probably have a spy among us" (here, some grumbles and agreement break out across the hall) "and they could have sent a messenger at any time during these last 7 hours to make amends. Solid fact number four: They haven't made amends. Solid fact number five: Because of the spies, we can't say exactly what we are going to do. Solid fact number six: But it should be drastic and forceful. Solid Action Number One: We take steps to shut them down. With fire. And blade. See me for details." There was a smattering of applause as he sat down. Mostly from other dwarves in the guild, but also from several members who always favored direct action. "Thank you, Brother Shieldstone. Sister Rolpfer? Would you be ready to present?" Briarwood said, turning to the tortle on his left who was already rising to speak.   "First of all, let's be clear...this talk of spies is bunk and insulting to all the respectable members of our guild. And if there were any unrespectable types...they wouldn't be members of our guild! " Her opening remarks are greeted with loud applause. "We are among brothers and sisters and can speak openly, so I say this to you—openly and with firm conviction. We must punish our wayward guild...punish it by shutting it down before it's sickness spreads. But we must do it without bloodshed. We are better than that. We will simply have our brave volunteer enter into the rival guild's headquarters and leave a certain experimental design which has lately been designated illegal by our new queen...and then happen to let the queen's guard know about its location on the following morning. We, like all other good citizens of the city, will be shocked...shocked...to learn that our rival guild was harboring such a terrible, immoral piece of machinery. And we will join in the calls from all other good citizens to close them down." "Hmmm, I don't remember that plan being presented in quite that manner, but it seems your variation of it has met with widespread approval across the hall," says Chairperson Bramblewood. Ok. "Let's hear from our esteemed Brother Wertz, "he says nodding to the human sitting across from him. The elderly gentleman slowly rises, clears his throat and begins speaking with a muffled voice. The guild members lean in to hear him, it is clear from the silence across the room that Brother Wertz is universally respected among the rank and file.   "The question we must ask ourselves, is why has Guild 372 been successful? Yes, what they are doing is wrong, but how are they able to recruit members from our sections of the city...is it because they are doing something extremely clever, or because we are doing something so wrong we cannot even find members among our neighbors?" This idea was a bit too much self-assessment for the tired guild members. Nobody booed. But nobody applauded. "So, I support the clever idea raised by our clever gnome Brother Pipkno." Upon hearing his name called, an elderly gnome jumps up on a chair and waves to the crowd. There is polite applause. Pipkno, after all, is a good egg. "We must allow the recruitment of one of our members so that they can infiltrate the guild and report back to us." And suddenly Brother Wertz was finished. "So, just a report then, Brother Wertz?" Bramblewood sought to clarify. "Oh, that is only the first step. But essential," answered Wertz. "Well, okay," said Bramblewood, who clearly had been sleeping when the idea was originally presented some 2 hours ago. "So...there we have it, our three ideas. Unless of course, Brother Amari wants to add in his own? If he does, we will hear him out and then adjourn for one hour before voting begins. If he does not, then we adjourn now and will gather again in one hour to commence voting." And Bramblewood looks at Brother Amari to see what it will be...

 

Ok, Brother Amari can choose to present a plan. If he does, you will need to outline at least a vague approach, including goals, procedures and any resources required from the guild.

Then...I need you to roll for effectiveness of the presentation.

Your roll will be a d20 plus charisma modifier
If you wish to remind the guild members about your roll as the Fall Harvest Festival chair, then you can roll a d6. On a 1 or 2, you reduce this number from your total (meaning the festival was a flop, and the other guild members resent you for it even if you don't realize it). If you roll a 3-6, then you can add that number to your total d20+charisma roll.

You will also then make a roll for the three other presentations.
Make 3d20 rolls. Each roll represents one of the results of one of the presentations. You get to choose which presentation gets which roll. Then you add the following modifications.
Shieldstone -1
Rolfper +3
Wertz +1
ALTERNATIVELY, you can use your entire speech NOT to present another plan, but to support or argue against one of the three already presented. If that is the case, then add (or subtract if you are arguing against) your charisma modifier and the result of your Harvest modifier (if you choose to use it) onto whichever plan you support/oppose. I will also add a modifier based on your presentation, good or bad!

What are all these rolls for? Well, they will be used as modifiers for the vote tally. And the voting procedures will begin after the next GM post which comes on Wednesday and will cover the hour interval between the presentations and the voting.

If Brother Amari does not wish to present a plan, then the interval will begin right away with your post. You can use the time to start trying to influence the vote (talking to Bramblewood might be a good idea? ... Brother Barton will be counting the votes, that might be important), preparing for your mission, looking to recruit guild members to join you, fleeing the guild hall because you have realized you are in over your head ... or something else entirely).

Your move, Brother!

[Master of Monsters]

Amari listen carefully for about three-quarters of an hour, and then again the young inventor again fell pray to his short attention span. After a long day of ideas and arguments, the elf was ready to just be done with the meeting. Upon being called upon, Amari stood once again ”I have nothing further to add, aside from to say that I would like to second Brother Wertz’s suggested plan of actions. It seems the most reasonable!” With his piece said, the young man sat back down, pulling a snack from his pocket his pocket; completely forgetting he has been scolded a dozen or more times for snacking during the meeting. Looking about the room, Amari asked the question he was sure everyone else was thinking "Is that all, can we go now?"

[bananabadger]

'Ficer Like a Dwarf! Could they go now? Well, on most nights, yes. And, perhaps, if Brother Wertz and Brother Amari had struck a better chord with their fellow brothers and sisters, then maybe the guild could have voted to adjourn and come back the next day with a more reasonable and well-thought plan. But the crowd wanted to vote. And, in the end, the vote wasn't even close. One might think that artificers are generally a group inclined to the "hey, let's plan this out and make sure everything is in place and wound up properly before we go marching in" or "let's do it...but do it clever-like" approach to things. And, generally, they are. At least the artificers of Guild 499 are certainly that way. Call them the nerds of the adventuring world, if you like ... but just because they tend to shy from direct confrontation doesn't mean they can't rise to the occasion. All they need, apparently, is a dwarf with bloodlust and a cask of beer. "Come on, Pipkno! You know we don't have time for Brother Wertz' sneaky double-agent approach. Are you a gnome, or are you a gnome! Are you a brother, or are you a brother! Do you have honor or do you have honor?" says Shieldstone as he pours the gnome a stein about as tall as...well, a gnome. And Pipkno is buying it. Pipko! The only artificer more mild-mannered and easy-going than Brother Wertz. Apparently Shieldstone's blunt and direct approach did the job. Because, boy is Pipkno loaded for bear—any bear will do. "It's time to act!" He shouts in slurs. "Guild 372 must be brought down!" Brother Wertz looks on, head in his hands, horrified at the blood lust that has been unleashed. Brother Barton feels it, too. The possum-person had hoped that perhaps a few gold coins might have been slipped his way to ensure a "fair" count ... but, no, no amount of gold coins could tip the balance. Even Sister Rolfper realizes it's a lost cause. She casts her vote, and leaves with one or two like-minded artificers: "I'm washing my claws of this," she announces as she pulls her head into her shell and closes the guild door behind her. "I don't want to know what we are going to do. But I'll be here to pick up the pieces, I guess." When the final vote is announced, there is a roar from the crowd—and not just dwarvish voices. The Brothers and Sisters of Guild 499 have spoken. Even Bramblewood... And—wait, what's this?!—Bramblewood—mild-mannered milquetoast Bramblewood—is in on the action. He is standing on the top of the committee table, a short sword in either hand, sleeves rolled up to reveal some rather unwise tattoos of his more youthful days. "Strike hard! Strike soon! Strike ..." he pauses trying to think how to finish up his cheer, not having done the blood and guts speech much in his past... "Strike stupendously!" he finishes. It isn't a great speech, but for this crowd, it will do. "Amari! Amari! Amari!" they chant. They pick up their new hero, place him on their shoulders, and carry him through the streets, navigating winding alleys, past the tanneries and beyond the chairmakers' lane, right up to the confectionery shop, the very edge of Guild 499 territory. "There you are, brother!" Shieldstone says approvingly. "And let me say, on behalf of all of us, but also on the other half which is me ... I approve that an elf is the one to carry out this mission. Go forth and destroy!" Here, at the edge of enemy territory, nobody will give too loud of cheer...but they do encouragingly prod Amari forward. Gentle pushes. Firm pushes. Hearty pushes. All in the direction of Guildhall 372, two blocks to the south, and one block east. They don't seem like they will move until they have seen Amari head that way. "I was there! I was there when we sent them off!" each brother and sister seems to want to be able to say for years and years to come.

 

Not sure if you didn't see the OOC from the previous post, so I went ahead and made the speech rolls so that we kept on track.

It wasn't the outcome I was expecting...

With Amari not tilting the scales very much, the rolls decided our fate...and Shieldstone was on fire. Instead of a covert double-agent scenario, we're into a full-blown kick-artificer-arse and take names scenario.

Or, are we?

Amari is literally at the crossroads of the town. He can go forward with the plan, he can sneak away to get out of sight of his guild brothers and sisters and pursue his own course...or something else entirely.

Either way, I will need 3 dex checks, 2 perception checks and 2 investigation checks which all might or might not be used depending on the route you take.

Go ahead and describe your approach...and what you are approaching. For example, if you are going straight to the rival guildhall, bring us there and throw in any reasonable actions (you can assume it has a door, perhaps a window, perhaps a second-floor) and direct rolls. If you double-back and head off to Amari's favorite coffee shop instead, then give me a Stealth roll and a Deception roll and describe what you are doing...we'll see how it holds up against Guild member counter rolls to observe you don't carry out the plan. In short, go as far with the narrative as you like and do what you need and want to get you to the point where you're at the next unknown juncture. I'll plan to make my next response post on Friday!

[Master of Monsters]

”Whoa! Whoa what….what are you doing?!” Amari blurted as the others scooped him up. ”I am not ready to go now…I need my….oh Onatar are you not listening?” he continued, along with many other curses and expletives that flowed from his mouth over the course of what felt like an eternity. ”Great! Look what you have done, now what am I supposed to do with out my stuff…” Amari began, and as if the question was expected, his pack with weapons and all flew over the heads of the front few rows to land at his feet. ”There ya go. Any more excuses?” a voice Amari did not recognize over the din replied. ”No I suppose not” the elf mumbled to himself before turning trot down the streets. The tinker went a block south then a block to the east, stopping on that corner to give himself a moment to think. ”It was obvious that the guild would be swarming around the territory border, excited to see what might happen. It’ll take some time before they get bored and return to the hall.” While thinking things through, Amari noticed some lose stones on the ground, and gathered a few he felt to be the correct size. With the items in place, he pulled out his scroll case, and removed the cover. Methodically the artificer compared the opening of the tube with the rocks, until he found one that fit exactly. Pulling out the tiny drills from his thieves’ tools, Amari began to drill several holes into the rock, which he then filled with his magical energy; causing the rock to Using Magical Tinkering to cause the rock to shed light.glow. Once satisfied with the stone, he slid it snugly into the end of the scroll case and snapped the I just created a flashlight for a character with darkvision. Who knows why!! ^_^lid back in place. Done tinkering with his news invention, the light tube, Amari decided to scout out the area around guildhall 372 and see what kind of security they have about the building.

 

WIP

[bananabadger]

Ladies and Gentlemen, if you look just up ahead you will see ... the remains of Guild Hall 372 Who knows what a rock-glow might prove useful for? Certainly, you could toss it into a rat hole and expose rats hiding there. Or, you could toss it into a lake and watch the illumination sink to the bottom. It would be beautiful and the carp at the depths could make of it what they will. But who really expected that creating a rock-glow would lead to these effects? And perhaps these effects were not connected to the glow-rock, but they came right after it first shone...so, really, the burden on a great scientific mind would be to prove that they are not connected. And here's what happened ... Just as Amari placed the glow-rock in the tube and sealed it, these things occurred at almost the same time. Guild Hall 372 erupted with a great explosion, its limestone foundation, its wood timbering, its stone brims all spewed into the sky and landed like mortar around the streets. There were screams of pain from what had been dark crevices along the narrow pathway, but now exposed by the light of the flames and incendiary flashes. A half-orc screamed in pain as fragments of rock tore into him and then collapsed, his body slumped against the alleyway. A dwarf cowered in fear nearby, trying valiantly but ineffectually to cover the half-orc's larger body with his own dwarvish proportions. Inexplicably, the debris fell around Amari, honoring your first Dex crit rollwho managed to dodge the larger pieces and emerge entirely unscathed, and certainly unharmed by the smoldering piece of parchment that had been taken in the updrafts and lazily fell to the ground before him...a map of a guild hall. This happened immediately around Amari. At the same time, just ahead of Amari, Guild Hall 372 continued to simultaneously erupt and collapse. The rocks and materials that did not fly skyward, fell into themselves collapsing with a sudden finality that surely surprised the spirits of these steadfast materials. As a particularly large oaken crossbeam discarded itself from the roof, it gouged a gaping hole in the guild hall floor room and exposed a stairway, a cellar perhaps, that had Honoring your 19 perception rollbeen covered by a secret door. Amari would recognize this as the guild hall's inner sanctum, a hiding spot that every guild had (and some had several) for their most secretive inventions-in-progress, or their gold, or their most illicit experimental projects. This all happened a mere 50 to 100 feet in front of Amari. At the same time, just behind Amari, the unmistakable sound of crossbow bolts went off. The bolts flew true and fast, but the target—Amari—had at the same moment already began ducking the first chunk of debris coming his way, and so by mere chance, Honoring your second Crit roll on Dexhe also ducked the bolts. Instead, two of the bolts twirled harmlessly to the ground after being deflected by the debris as it fell to the ground, and one bolt continued its course past Amari and into the thigh of the dwarf cowering in the alleyway. The dwarf cries out in pain, and now both the half-orc and the dwarf begin to comfort one another as debris continues to rain. This happened immediately behind and in front of Amari. Other things happened at the same time ... though they certainly were not caused by the tubular glow-rock...were they? But they are significant, so some small part of Amari's brain registers them. Some of his guild brothers and sisters are, it seems, up above on a nearby roof watching. And some figures are valiantly rushing toward Guild Hall 372, perhaps to rescue items? Perhaps to loot them. Amari could watch and see, if more bolts don't come his way and if debris does not eventually find him. Or he could race toward the hall himself and beat the figures to whatever location within it he chooses. Or, he could create another glow-rock tube...because doing that seemed to set so many things in motion. Or maybe not, but it would be difficult to prove otherwise.

 

Go ahead and describe your next moves and actions.
I'll need an initiative roll and (just to cover potential actions)
2 Dex rolls / 2 perception rolls / 1 intelligence roll / 1 charisma roll

[Master of Monsters]

”Holy crap! I am awesome; Crap I’m going to kill myself!” were the first two thoughts to cross Amari’s mind as the guild hall before him exploded. ”the world seems to have become a resident of the plane of chaos; because everything was being very chaotic…Heh…heh....good one Amari; your so very witty.” Frozen in place for maybe a second too long, the elven craftsman finally was able to comprehend that crossbow bolts had very nearly hit him. Divided between going to help the injured people on the streets, getting out of sight of the attempted assassin and completing his mission; the obvious answer became well; obvious. Two of the three objects could be achieved by dashing forward into the hall’s inner sanctum. So that is just what the tinkerer member of guild 499 did, drawing his longsword in one hand, he dashed forward down into what he hoped to be the bowels of guild 372’s inner sanctum.

 

Stat Block Amari | Elf Artificer 4 Hit Points: 31/31|AC: 18|Init +3|Speed: 30'|Hit Dice: 4/4d8 Spell Slots: Level 1: 3/3   Str Dex *Con *Int Wis Cha Stats 8 16 14 18 12 8 Modifiers -1 +3 +2 +4 +1 -1 Saves -1 +3 +4 +6 +1 -1 Weapons Range To Hit Damage Damage Type Notes Longsword Melee +7 1d8+5 Slashing +1 attack/damageEnhanced Weapon; Use INT instead of Str/dexBattlesmith; Versatile Hand Axe Melee, 20/60ft +6 1d6+4 slashing Light; Range; Thrown; Use INT instead of Str/dexBattlesmith Feats & Class Features: At 1st level, you've learned how to invest a spark of magic into mundane objects. To use this ability, you must have thieves' tools or artisan's tools in hand. You then touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice: The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet. Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 10 feet away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long. The object continuously emits your choice of an odor or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 10 feet away. A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like. The chosen property lasts indefinitely. As an action, you can touch the object and end the property early. You can bestow magic on multiple objects, touching one object each time you use this feature, though a single object can only bear one property at a time. The maximum number of objects you can affect with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one object). If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.Magical Tinkering, At 2nd level, you've gained the ability to imbue mundane items with certain magical infusions, turning those objects into magic items. Infusions Known When you gain this feature, pick four artificer infusions to learn. You learn additional infusions of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Infusions Known column of the Artificer table. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer infusions you learned with a new one. Infusing an Item Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a nonmagical object and imbue it with one of your artificer infusions, turning it into a magic item. An infusion works on only certain kinds of objects, as specified in the infusion's description. If the item requires attunement, you can attune yourself to it the instant you infuse the item. If you decide to attune to the item later, you must do so using the normal process for attunement (see the attunement rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide). Your infusion remains in an item indefinitely, but when you die, the infusion vanishes after a number of days equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 day). The infusion also vanishes if you replace your knowledge of the infusion. You can infuse more than one nonmagical object at the end of a long rest; the maximum number of objects appears in the Infused Items column of the Artificer table. You must touch each of the objects, and each of your infusions can be in only one object at a time. Moreover, no object can bear more than one of your infusions at a time. If you try to exceed your maximum number of infusions, the oldest infusion ends, and then the new infusion applies. If an infusion ends on an item that contains other things, like a bag of holding, its contents harmlessly appear in and around its space. Enhanced Defense Item: A suit of armor or a shield A creature gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class while wearing (armor) or wielding (shield) the infused item. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Enhanced Weapon Item: A simple or martial weapon This magic weapon grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Enhanced Arcane Focus Item: A rod, staff or wand (requires attunement) While holding this item, a creature gains +1 bonus to spell attack rolls. In addition, the creature ignores half cover when making a spell attack. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Replicate Magic Item -- Cap of Water Breathing Using this infusion, you replicate a particular magic item. You can learn this infusion multiple times; each time you do so, choose a magic item that you can make with it, picking from the Replicable Items tables. A table's title tells you the level you must be in the class to choose an item from the table. Alternatively, you can choose the magic item from among the common magic items in the game, not including potions or scrolls. In the tables, an item's entry tells you whether the item requires attunement. See the item's description in the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information about it, including the type of object required for its making. If you have Xanathar's Guide to Everything, you can choose from among the common magic items in that book when you pick a magic item you can replicate with this infusion. Infuse Item, When you reach 3rd level, your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in two ways: You gain proficiency with martial weapons. When you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.Battle Ready, Steel Defender By 3rd level, your tinkering has borne you a faithful companion, a steel defender. It's friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the Steel Defender stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine the creature's appearance and whether it has two legs or four; your choice has no effect on its game statistics. In combat, the defender shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the defender can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge. If the Mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your smith's tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The steel defender returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored. At the end of a long rest, you can create a new steel defender if you have smith's tools with you. If you already have a defender from this feature, the first one immediately perishes. The defender also perishes if you die.Steel Defender Skills: Arcana +6 | Perception +3 | Sleight of hand +5 | Proficiencies & Traits: Light Armor, Medium, ShieldsArmor | Simple Weapons, Martial, Weapons | Thieves' Tools, Tinker's ToolsTools | Common, Elvish, dwarfLanguages | Thanks to your elf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.Darkvision | You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.Fey Ancestry Current Magic Tinkering Active: Light tube. Current Infuse items Active: Enhanced Armor on Studded Leather, Enhanced Weapon on Longsword

[bananabadger]

To the hall! Brother! Amari hears the cry of the abandoned half-orc as he races past the wounded and toward the ruins. He has only gone 20, perhaps 30, feet when he hears another cry, two of them in fact, and each preceded by the unmistakable click and sppfff of the release and flight of a crossbow bolt. Then there were no more screams. Then there were no more screams But there are footsteps. There are several in the distance, but approaching rapidly from the right. There are some further directly behind. And there is one pair—which by the sound of it is wearing reinforced wooden heels—coming up directly behind Amari. The elf dashes around some rubble, avoids a pockmark of debris in the pathway, and leaps over what appears to be a solid chunk of roofing dislodged on the ground and starting to catch fire from the sparks that lazily drift downward. Thunk! It seems Amari's pursuer is not so lucky, and the brave artificer estimates he has gained at least 20 feet in distance (and the opportunity to hear several curses hurled at him from someone whose footsteps now sound out thump, draggggggg ... thump, draggggggg ... thump, draggggggg instead of the rapid pursuing thump-thump-thump-thump of before. As he approaches the entrance to the guild hall (what had been the entrance at least) Amari can also hear at least two figures moving to him from another alley off to the right. Quickly surveying the structure, he sees most of it in ruins. The entrance to the chamber is about 20 feet before him; there is also a stairway that leads to what is the only intact section of the second floor; and one interior wall stands off to the left, obscuring parts of the guild hall that might or might not be extant. Thump, dragggggg ... the sound brings him back to the dangers behind him. Amari estimates he has anywhere from 10-30 seconds before either of the groups have caught up to him.

 

Amari is at the "T" on the far right of the map.
He knows he has at least one pursuer behind him and some group of unknown number running toward the area from the path on his right. The area mapped before him represents a mix of his understanding and recollections of the Guild 372's layout (but he's not too confident in it (pssst! because of the low intelligence rolls)) and his visual assessment. The areas in white are more or less clear of debris. The areas with hatchmarks are rough terrain littered with debris or smoldering remains. The dotted lines represent the transition between the two terrains. Amari can see two staircases, the formerly hidden one leading down to what Amari believes is the guild's vault, and the one further away from him with stairs leading up to the tower. Amari cannot see into the tower, but the map represents his best guess or recollection of what its interior shape might be (same with the rooms about midway in the map). Each square represents 5 feet. The clear-white areas represent sections where there appears to be debris continuing to fall, either from the roof or interior walls.

[Master of Monsters]

”Well this is not good, is it?” Amari thought to himself, as he continued to try and dodge on remaining debris that was crumbling down upon him. ”I better turn and face this guys eventually. I guess I should bring out pester, it’s a shame too! I just figured out to condense him down!” the artificer decided as he continued to dash forward. Finally after scrambling over many piles of debris and other random obstacles, the Elven champion of guild 499 made it to the mouth of the stairs leading deeper into the ruin guild hall. Bring his shield to bare, the inventor shoved his hand deep into his pocket, bring out a small oblong capsule; and with his thumb he compressed a plunger on the top before tossing the capsule towards the ground. **Poof** The capsule exploded into a small, almost comical like puff of gray smoke, and which dissolved to reveal a small-ish mechanical badgeroid creature. ”Ah yes, did you join your nap, Pester? Amari asked his steel companion before scanning the direction he ran from to see if he could locate the incoming threat.

 

Hope you dont mind the liberties I took to explain why my steel defender was not with me, as I totally forgot they existed for a while. So enjoy the Dragonball dinocap reference and the homage to a certain banana loving companion of mine

 

Stat Block Amari | Elf Artificer 4 Hit Points: 31/31|AC: 18|Init +3|Speed: 30'|Hit Dice: 4/4d8 Spell Slots: Level 1: 3/3   Str Dex *Con *Int Wis Cha Stats 8 16 14 18 12 8 Modifiers -1 +3 +2 +4 +1 -1 Saves -1 +3 +4 +6 +1 -1 Weapons Range To Hit Damage Damage Type Notes Longsword Melee +7 1d8+5 Slashing +1 attack/damageEnhanced Weapon; Use INT instead of Str/dexBattlesmith; Versatile Hand Axe Melee, 20/60ft +6 1d6+4 slashing Light; Range; Thrown; Use INT instead of Str/dexBattlesmith Feats & Class Features: At 1st level, you've learned how to invest a spark of magic into mundane objects. To use this ability, you must have thieves' tools or artisan's tools in hand. You then touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice: The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet. Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 10 feet away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long. The object continuously emits your choice of an odor or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 10 feet away. A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like. The chosen property lasts indefinitely. As an action, you can touch the object and end the property early. You can bestow magic on multiple objects, touching one object each time you use this feature, though a single object can only bear one property at a time. The maximum number of objects you can affect with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one object). If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.Magical Tinkering, At 2nd level, you've gained the ability to imbue mundane items with certain magical infusions, turning those objects into magic items. Infusions Known When you gain this feature, pick four artificer infusions to learn. You learn additional infusions of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Infusions Known column of the Artificer table. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer infusions you learned with a new one. Infusing an Item Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a nonmagical object and imbue it with one of your artificer infusions, turning it into a magic item. An infusion works on only certain kinds of objects, as specified in the infusion's description. If the item requires attunement, you can attune yourself to it the instant you infuse the item. If you decide to attune to the item later, you must do so using the normal process for attunement (see the attunement rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide). Your infusion remains in an item indefinitely, but when you die, the infusion vanishes after a number of days equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 day). The infusion also vanishes if you replace your knowledge of the infusion. You can infuse more than one nonmagical object at the end of a long rest; the maximum number of objects appears in the Infused Items column of the Artificer table. You must touch each of the objects, and each of your infusions can be in only one object at a time. Moreover, no object can bear more than one of your infusions at a time. If you try to exceed your maximum number of infusions, the oldest infusion ends, and then the new infusion applies. If an infusion ends on an item that contains other things, like a bag of holding, its contents harmlessly appear in and around its space. Enhanced Defense Item: A suit of armor or a shield A creature gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class while wearing (armor) or wielding (shield) the infused item. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Enhanced Weapon Item: A simple or martial weapon This magic weapon grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Enhanced Arcane Focus Item: A rod, staff or wand (requires attunement) While holding this item, a creature gains +1 bonus to spell attack rolls. In addition, the creature ignores half cover when making a spell attack. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Replicate Magic Item -- Cap of Water Breathing Using this infusion, you replicate a particular magic item. You can learn this infusion multiple times; each time you do so, choose a magic item that you can make with it, picking from the Replicable Items tables. A table's title tells you the level you must be in the class to choose an item from the table. Alternatively, you can choose the magic item from among the common magic items in the game, not including potions or scrolls. In the tables, an item's entry tells you whether the item requires attunement. See the item's description in the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information about it, including the type of object required for its making. If you have Xanathar's Guide to Everything, you can choose from among the common magic items in that book when you pick a magic item you can replicate with this infusion. Infuse Item, When you reach 3rd level, your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in two ways: You gain proficiency with martial weapons. When you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.Battle Ready, Steel Defender By 3rd level, your tinkering has borne you a faithful companion, a steel defender. It's friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the Steel Defender stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine the creature's appearance and whether it has two legs or four; your choice has no effect on its game statistics. In combat, the defender shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the defender can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge. If the Mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your smith's tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The steel defender returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored. At the end of a long rest, you can create a new steel defender if you have smith's tools with you. If you already have a defender from this feature, the first one immediately perishes. The defender also perishes if you die.Steel Defender Skills: Arcana +6 | Perception +3 | Sleight of hand +5 | Proficiencies & Traits: Light Armor, Medium, ShieldsArmor | Simple Weapons, Martial, Weapons | Thieves' Tools, Tinker's ToolsTools | Common, Elvish, dwarfLanguages | Thanks to your elf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.Darkvision | You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.Fey Ancestry Current Magic Tinkering Active: Light tube. Current Infuse items Active: Enhanced Armor on Studded Leather, Enhanced Weapon on Longsword

[bananabadger]

Guild 372. Renovations might be in order.

Orvin Rosehill had hunted many game. And all those hunts, all those seasons, all those trophies—all of that experience had given him a sense of when he was moving in for the kill. And as he leaped over the rubble and gained on Amari he knew—he was moving in for the kill.

But here's one thing about hunting. Usually when a deer or a boar or even a giant bear is cornered in the woods ... it doesn't think to pop out some metallic badger with dangerous blades and kitchen gadgets attached to its back. No, Orvin hadn't seen that before. Darn these artificers! He knew when he took the job that there could be some surprises, but nobody had warned him about this.

Spooked by Pester's sudden experience, Orwin leaped behind some rubble and waited. it was clear his prey was aiming to go down into the cellar, so Orwin could simply shoot now or shoot later when the prey emerged, presumably burdened with whatever plunder he had came for. And, best of all, Orwin could hear from the footsteps behind him that soon he would be joined by his two companions who had finished taking care of that dwarf and or (or half-orc, who knows? who cares?) who had been hiding in the alleyway.

But unfortuntely, Orwin realized, there were other footsteps, off to his right. Three other figures emerged running down the pathway and they, too, jumped behind a pile of rubble and waited—two of them aiming bows at Orwin's prey, and one of them at Orwin.

It was a three-way stand-off.

And everyone was waiting for the elf (or maybe that badger) to make the next move.

[Master of Monsters]

Watching everything unfold around him, Amari quickly realized that he was out numbered. There was a chance, slim as it may be, that Amari could hold his own in this three way fight; but that was not a chance he was willing to take. ”Lets go Pester” Amari mumbled before he turned to run down the stairs at his feet. ”If they follow, hopefully I can find a place a little narrower so that I can use their numbers against them!”

 

Sorry for the short really crappy post. Had a family emergency today; Dad’s truck had a flat. Im spending the night at his place and the internet sucks. It takes forever to load a page and I am ready just to go to bed!

 

Stat Block Amari | Elf Artificer 4 Hit Points: 31/31|AC: 18|Init +3|Speed: 30'|Hit Dice: 4/4d8 Spell Slots: Level 1: 3/3   Str Dex *Con *Int Wis Cha Stats 8 16 14 18 12 8 Modifiers -1 +3 +2 +4 +1 -1 Saves -1 +3 +4 +6 +1 -1 Weapons Range To Hit Damage Damage Type Notes Longsword Melee +7 1d8+5 Slashing +1 attack/damageEnhanced Weapon; Use INT instead of Str/dexBattlesmith; Versatile Hand Axe Melee, 20/60ft +6 1d6+4 slashing Light; Range; Thrown; Use INT instead of Str/dexBattlesmith Feats & Class Features: At 1st level, you've learned how to invest a spark of magic into mundane objects. To use this ability, you must have thieves' tools or artisan's tools in hand. You then touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice: The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet. Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 10 feet away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long. The object continuously emits your choice of an odor or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 10 feet away. A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like. The chosen property lasts indefinitely. As an action, you can touch the object and end the property early. You can bestow magic on multiple objects, touching one object each time you use this feature, though a single object can only bear one property at a time. The maximum number of objects you can affect with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one object). If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.Magical Tinkering, At 2nd level, you've gained the ability to imbue mundane items with certain magical infusions, turning those objects into magic items. Infusions Known When you gain this feature, pick four artificer infusions to learn. You learn additional infusions of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Infusions Known column of the Artificer table. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer infusions you learned with a new one. Infusing an Item Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a nonmagical object and imbue it with one of your artificer infusions, turning it into a magic item. An infusion works on only certain kinds of objects, as specified in the infusion's description. If the item requires attunement, you can attune yourself to it the instant you infuse the item. If you decide to attune to the item later, you must do so using the normal process for attunement (see the attunement rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide). Your infusion remains in an item indefinitely, but when you die, the infusion vanishes after a number of days equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 day). The infusion also vanishes if you replace your knowledge of the infusion. You can infuse more than one nonmagical object at the end of a long rest; the maximum number of objects appears in the Infused Items column of the Artificer table. You must touch each of the objects, and each of your infusions can be in only one object at a time. Moreover, no object can bear more than one of your infusions at a time. If you try to exceed your maximum number of infusions, the oldest infusion ends, and then the new infusion applies. If an infusion ends on an item that contains other things, like a bag of holding, its contents harmlessly appear in and around its space. Enhanced Defense Item: A suit of armor or a shield A creature gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class while wearing (armor) or wielding (shield) the infused item. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Enhanced Weapon Item: A simple or martial weapon This magic weapon grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Enhanced Arcane Focus Item: A rod, staff or wand (requires attunement) While holding this item, a creature gains +1 bonus to spell attack rolls. In addition, the creature ignores half cover when making a spell attack. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Replicate Magic Item -- Cap of Water Breathing Using this infusion, you replicate a particular magic item. You can learn this infusion multiple times; each time you do so, choose a magic item that you can make with it, picking from the Replicable Items tables. A table's title tells you the level you must be in the class to choose an item from the table. Alternatively, you can choose the magic item from among the common magic items in the game, not including potions or scrolls. In the tables, an item's entry tells you whether the item requires attunement. See the item's description in the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information about it, including the type of object required for its making. If you have Xanathar's Guide to Everything, you can choose from among the common magic items in that book when you pick a magic item you can replicate with this infusion. Infuse Item, When you reach 3rd level, your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in two ways: You gain proficiency with martial weapons. When you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.Battle Ready, Steel Defender By 3rd level, your tinkering has borne you a faithful companion, a steel defender. It's friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the Steel Defender stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine the creature's appearance and whether it has two legs or four; your choice has no effect on its game statistics. In combat, the defender shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the defender can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge. If the Mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your smith's tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The steel defender returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored. At the end of a long rest, you can create a new steel defender if you have smith's tools with you. If you already have a defender from this feature, the first one immediately perishes. The defender also perishes if you die.Steel Defender Skills: Arcana +6 | Perception +3 | Sleight of hand +5 | Proficiencies & Traits: Light Armor, Medium, ShieldsArmor | Simple Weapons, Martial, Weapons | Thieves' Tools, Tinker's ToolsTools | Common, Elvish, dwarfLanguages | Thanks to your elf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.Darkvision | You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.Fey Ancestry Current Magic Tinkering Active: Light tube. Current Infuse items Active: Enhanced Armor on Studded Leather, Enhanced Weapon on Longsword

[bananabadger]

In the Guild 372 Cellar Who knows the effects of creating a glow-rock stick? Surely, when Amari stopped and made this little invention—a mere distraction, really—did he know how useful it would become? Or did creating the stick make it useful? These are weighty questions, cause, effect, fate and the solipsism of flashlight-narratives...all worthy of being the center of a guild symposium. And artificers, being the type they are, just go all fan-boy and fan-girl about symposiums with abstract questions. Really, Armani should make a note of this as a headline lecture for next year's Fall Harvest Festival. (It certainly beats Pipkno's idea to have mechanical gourd derby battles...or, actually, does it?) Somehow though if you are a betting person, you might feel inclined to bet that Armani won't remember any of this. After all, he's busy running downstairs into pitch darkness, leaving behind his pursuers locked into some crossbow-showdown standstill. Except, of course, it isn't pitch darkness is it? But what would you call this? The glow-rock stick doesn't saturate the entire room with light, rather it illuminates section-by-section. Isolated spotlights appear in full illumination as Amari sweeps the focus of the stick across the room. And here's what he sees as he moves the spotlight around him, clockwise. Spotlight 1 (directly in front of him, noonish on a clock direction): Banners, pennants, scarves, blankets...all sorts of accessories all in Guild 372's colors of scarlet and orange (yeah, not only are they nerds—I mean, artificers, so come on—but these particular nerds have no fashion sense). Spotlight 2: (about 1-3 o'clock on a clock direction): Wine and beer casks (empty or full, who knows, all depends if you think artificers who wear scarlet and orange scarves party hardy or hardly party) Spotlight 3: (about 4-5 o'clock on a clock direction): Mops, brooms, dusters and dust bins (I mean, this is a basement, where else would you keep your cleaning supplies?) Spotlight 4: (about 6-7 o'clock on clock direction): Chains, shackles and holding cells (I mean, this is a basement, where else would you keep your prison supplies?) Spotlight 5: (about 8-9 o'clock on clock direction) Old trophies and plaques (Actually, this is the most surprising thing so far, was there ever a time when Guild 372 actually won the City-wide Guild Bowl?) Spotlight 6: (about 9:30 on the clock direction) Pester Spotlight 7: (about 10-12 on the clock direction) Old cogs, broken levers, mishaped nuts and bolts, broken springs and other salvaged materials that could be reused for new creations (Actually, this is the least surprising thing to find so far, every guild has to have a junk parts pile.) Wait ... wasn't Pester still on the stairway behind Armani? If Armani looks behind him, he will realize he is. So how does that work? What does that mean?

[Master of Monsters]

”What are you doing there Pester?” Amari asked, fully expecting an answer that would never come. The Elf knew that his invention could not talk, but it could at least react, but this ‘Pester’ didn’t even do that! What gives? ”Why are you ignoring me? Come now, this is not my fault, I was coming just to investigate!” The elf continued as he examined the junk heap for any interesting bits or pieces to salvage. Choosing a few choice pieces, he quickly grabs them up and slips them into the appropriate storage place. With a glance back at ‘Pester’, the tinker frowned, that was until a mechanical paw was set on his shoulder. ”Gahh!” escaped his lips in a all too high pitched screech as Amari jumped and then spun to face Pester. ”Don’t sneak up on me like that Pester, I was talking to Pes….” Then finally the dilemma dawned on Amari. ……..There was two Pesters. ”Shucks! I thought a mechanical badger was going to be super unique! I thought I was original. Hey wait….this is, that’s not another badger; that’s you. Exactly… Amari explained to his mechanical companion. Then the possibilities started to flow through his mind. ”I finished Pester and revealed him, what; two weeks ago? It took me five months to make him, I’m not the best, but no one is good enough to make one in two weeks. That means…someone was in my room!” The artificer fumed at the realization of his infringed privacy. It was one thing to know someone was stealing guild secrets, but another to know someone was stealing his secrets. This was going too far! ”Well, I need to see if there is anymore to explore around here.” Amari thought to himself as he began to shine his rock tube around. "Oh, right. This would go faster if I switched to my dark vision. the young elf thought to himself as he stowed his 'glowtube' away. Amari then set off to searching the room he was in more in-depth. Was there any more exits? Any secret doors? Anything of true value? Taking his time, Amari made sure to open ever container, sift through ever pile and more importantly to give the Pest’a’poster a good once over to see how exact of a copy it was.

 

 

Stat Block Amari | Elf Artificer 4 Hit Points: 31/31|AC: 18|Init +3|Speed: 30'|Hit Dice: 4/4d8 Spell Slots: Level 1: 3/3   Str Dex *Con *Int Wis Cha Stats 8 16 14 18 12 8 Modifiers -1 +3 +2 +4 +1 -1 Saves -1 +3 +4 +6 +1 -1 Weapons Range To Hit Damage Damage Type Notes Longsword Melee +7 1d8+5 Slashing +1 attack/damageEnhanced Weapon; Use INT instead of Str/dexBattlesmith; Versatile Hand Axe Melee, 20/60ft +6 1d6+4 slashing Light; Range; Thrown; Use INT instead of Str/dexBattlesmith Feats & Class Features: At 1st level, you've learned how to invest a spark of magic into mundane objects. To use this ability, you must have thieves' tools or artisan's tools in hand. You then touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice: The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet. Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 10 feet away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long. The object continuously emits your choice of an odor or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 10 feet away. A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like. The chosen property lasts indefinitely. As an action, you can touch the object and end the property early. You can bestow magic on multiple objects, touching one object each time you use this feature, though a single object can only bear one property at a time. The maximum number of objects you can affect with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one object). If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.Magical Tinkering, At 2nd level, you've gained the ability to imbue mundane items with certain magical infusions, turning those objects into magic items. Infusions Known When you gain this feature, pick four artificer infusions to learn. You learn additional infusions of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Infusions Known column of the Artificer table. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer infusions you learned with a new one. Infusing an Item Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a nonmagical object and imbue it with one of your artificer infusions, turning it into a magic item. An infusion works on only certain kinds of objects, as specified in the infusion's description. If the item requires attunement, you can attune yourself to it the instant you infuse the item. If you decide to attune to the item later, you must do so using the normal process for attunement (see the attunement rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide). Your infusion remains in an item indefinitely, but when you die, the infusion vanishes after a number of days equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 day). The infusion also vanishes if you replace your knowledge of the infusion. You can infuse more than one nonmagical object at the end of a long rest; the maximum number of objects appears in the Infused Items column of the Artificer table. You must touch each of the objects, and each of your infusions can be in only one object at a time. Moreover, no object can bear more than one of your infusions at a time. If you try to exceed your maximum number of infusions, the oldest infusion ends, and then the new infusion applies. If an infusion ends on an item that contains other things, like a bag of holding, its contents harmlessly appear in and around its space. Enhanced Defense Item: A suit of armor or a shield A creature gains a +1 bonus to Armor Class while wearing (armor) or wielding (shield) the infused item. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Enhanced Weapon Item: A simple or martial weapon This magic weapon grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Enhanced Arcane Focus Item: A rod, staff or wand (requires attunement) While holding this item, a creature gains +1 bonus to spell attack rolls. In addition, the creature ignores half cover when making a spell attack. The bonus increases to +2 when you reach 10th level in this class. Replicate Magic Item -- Cap of Water Breathing Using this infusion, you replicate a particular magic item. You can learn this infusion multiple times; each time you do so, choose a magic item that you can make with it, picking from the Replicable Items tables. A table's title tells you the level you must be in the class to choose an item from the table. Alternatively, you can choose the magic item from among the common magic items in the game, not including potions or scrolls. In the tables, an item's entry tells you whether the item requires attunement. See the item's description in the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information about it, including the type of object required for its making. If you have Xanathar's Guide to Everything, you can choose from among the common magic items in that book when you pick a magic item you can replicate with this infusion. Infuse Item, When you reach 3rd level, your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in two ways: You gain proficiency with martial weapons. When you attack with a magic weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity modifier, for the attack and damage rolls.Battle Ready, Steel Defender By 3rd level, your tinkering has borne you a faithful companion, a steel defender. It's friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the Steel Defender stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You determine the creature's appearance and whether it has two legs or four; your choice has no effect on its game statistics. In combat, the defender shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the defender can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge. If the Mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hit points. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your smith's tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The steel defender returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored. At the end of a long rest, you can create a new steel defender if you have smith's tools with you. If you already have a defender from this feature, the first one immediately perishes. The defender also perishes if you die.Steel Defender Skills: Arcana +6 | Perception +3 | Sleight of hand +5 | Proficiencies & Traits: Light Armor, Medium, ShieldsArmor | Simple Weapons, Martial, Weapons | Thieves' Tools, Tinker's ToolsTools | Common, Elvish, dwarfLanguages | Thanks to your elf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.Darkvision | You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.Fey Ancestry Current Magic Tinkering Active: Light tube. Current Infuse items Active: Enhanced Armor on Studded Leather, Enhanced Weapon on Longsword

[bananabadger]

A Pester here, a Pester there, here a Pester, there a Pester, everywhere a P-P-Pester It wasn't quite the same Pester, Amari now realized. The Pester in the basement still had a few loose sprockets and springs. And it was—in Amari's purely unbiased opinion—just made a bit more shoddily. In short, it was a knock-off. As Amari studied the Pester, he heard the unmistakable sounds of crossbow bolts being exchanged and an even more unmistakable sound of a force cannon erupting. Rubble crashed to the ground. With a battle raging above, Amari realized he could search all day, but eventually the conflict would spill down to him. Or something else could happen? He had to prioritize. Where would he look, and how intensely would he look?

OOC for searching You've decided to search. Bravo! Amari can do a quick search on two sections each turn, or he can do an intense search on one section. (You will have different DCs depending on what you choose and, of course, whether there is something in that section to find—the sections are the "spotlight" illuminations in the previous post.) So...here's what I need from you. 1) Name which section(s) you are searching 2) Give me an investigation roll with your skill modifier (1 for each section searched) This can move fairly quickly, so if I see you make a post, I'll respond once I see it; no need to go every-other day on roll-result post. Good luck!