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DnDNerds!

DnDNerds!

By DnDNerds

The Forgotten Realms through the eyes and voices of a crew of nerdy dads! We occasionally burst into song! We laugh at our own jokes! We make obscure pop culture references! Sometimes we even roleplay!
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Hexcrawl 70: Body Switch, Bulette Battle, and Return to Olegs

DnDNerds!Mar 09, 2024

00:00
02:38:42
Hexcrawl 70: Body Switch, Bulette Battle, and Return to Olegs

Hexcrawl 70: Body Switch, Bulette Battle, and Return to Olegs

Rasprax leads Jorgrim, Swift Current, some pikemen and skirmishers, and two new adventurers - feytouched human sorcerer John Doe/Simple Jack and dwarven forge cleric Bors McCraw - out of the Drow Caves and towards the trading post known as Oleg's where the whole campaign began, carting a wagon full of tin ingots to sell. Along the way the discover a bulette lair, stop at a local vineyard to buy a keg of fine Melshimber wine, and happen across a magical fey-well that causes Jorgrim and Simple Jack to switch bodies. They are attacked by an angry bulette that kills half their soldiers, then meet the ettin BorisChorus who relieves them of their new wine and escorts them to the rock outcrop known as the Horned Titan. Camping there, they are beset by giant ants, who agree to take some of their supplies in exchange for peace. At Oleg's, now renamed Zas Gor, they discover a thriving Zhent operation with a stone fort and palisaded trading area. They sell their tin to shady tobacco merchant Brooks Hyland and investigate the defenses of the fortification.

Mar 09, 202402:38:42
Hexcrawl 69 - Snow Scorpions, Deadly Thorns, and Barrow Wights

Hexcrawl 69 - Snow Scorpions, Deadly Thorns, and Barrow Wights

Jhank leads Gemwin, Cassius, and STEVEN III on an exploratory expedition out of Axeholm, where they discover the dangers of Snow Scorpion Crevasse, the cruel Thorny Hills, a grotto cave home to crag cats, a griffon nest, a votive shrine to the water goddess Eldath, some barrow wight mounds, the polluted quarry, and the stirge-infested sinkhole, ending in the town of Llorkh, where the crew join up with the spellcasters of the Manticore's Muse.

Feb 24, 202403:02:15
Hexcrawl 68 - Sigurd's Search for Ivar

Hexcrawl 68 - Sigurd's Search for Ivar

The Llorkh spellcasters Cassius and Kain are joined by War Cleric Sigurd, who is looking for his lost friend Ivar, taken prisoner by the Zhents. With Sigurd leading the way, they cut a deal with Winget Sparrow of the Black Network for some information, then find a drug dealer named Chuka who knows the way to Lost Hope Prison up in the mountains. They encounter kobolds, the stone giant Hazbarg, centaurs, and the cyclops Palidos, who relieves them of a mule. At the prison, they don't manage to get past the security to find and rescue Ivar, so that will have to be a future quest. On the journey back they stop in and visit the Axeholm dwarves.

Feb 10, 202402:47:01
Hexcrawl 67 - Ettin Mine pt 2

Hexcrawl 67 - Ettin Mine pt 2

Arty leads Jorgrim, Bariq, MikMek, and Swift Current back into the giants' lair, where they detour into a forge haunted by undead dwarves, who life drain everyone and drop Jorgrim with mummy rot! They retreat back into the open air, then regroup and come back again the following day to take on the remaining giants. A mine cart is used as a diversion and the group descends by rope and stairway to take on a hill giant and verbeeg. All the former captive miners have been slain by the giants, but luckily there's some treasure at the bottom of the mine, including a magical battleaxe that MikMek reluctantly accepts.

Jan 27, 202402:59:39
Hexcrawl 66 - The Ettin Mine

Hexcrawl 66 - The Ettin Mine

Jorgrim leads MikMek, Bariq, Arty and Swift Current to a mine near Lowerthorn territory rumored to have Ettins keeping humans as slaves. Once there, Swift Current wakes a sleeping ogre by trying to steal his chain and a huge, multi-level, all out battle occurs. Several giants are killed and several PCs go down but the lead giants escape - the party resolves to get reinforcements and conquer the site once and for all!

Jan 13, 202403:54:49
Hexcrawl 65 - Retaking Axeholm

Hexcrawl 65 - Retaking Axeholm

Dwarven paladin Gemwin leads Render, S.T.E.V.E.N. III, Roff, and the survivors of New Ammarindar as they retake the dwarven hold of Axeholm. Roff shows how a very big bugbear fits into a small arrow slit. In the throne room, Gemwin is attacked by a licklash ghoul and other undead start to pour into the room, but the dwarven priests of Dumathoin summon their Spirit Guardians and destroy the unclean ghouls. Upstairs, the party runs into two spectral elf banshees that cause them some problems, but luckily the two warforged artificers are immune to the wailing effect. Gemwin begins to make plans to settle the dwarves here and start New New Ammarindar...

Dec 30, 202303:02:28
Hexcrawl 64 - The Dwarven Rescue

Hexcrawl 64 - The Dwarven Rescue

Jhank leads Render, new warforged artificer S.T.E.V.E.N. Mk III, new bugbear paladin Roff, and new dwarven paladin Gemwin (yes, that's three new PCs) on an expedition into the Greypeak Mountains to save the survivors of the fall of New Ammarindar, who are sheltering at some abandoned goliath caves. Once there, they decide to look for the abandoned dwarfhold of Axeholme as a possible new start to the elusive dream of a dwarven domain in the harsh Greypeaks.

Dec 20, 202302:52:45
Hexcrawl 63 - Stirges, Cyclopean Ruins, Death by Panther, and Spellcasters Gone Wild

Hexcrawl 63 - Stirges, Cyclopean Ruins, Death by Panther, and Spellcasters Gone Wild

Elior leads Kain and Neville out into the wilderness near Llorkh, where they get attacked by stirges, find the Red Wizard Tharidun Mirza excavating some mysterious Netherese ruins with a zombie crew that includes the body of their dead friend Zimevos, then they run out of food in the hills. Foraging separately, Elior is attacked and killed by a panther. His friends find the body and are then joined by young goliath barbarian Bron, who explores several nearby hexes with the spellcasters (and narrowly survives a leucrotta attack) before getting back to Llorkh. Over in Upperthorn, Swift Current goes as emissary to the Bignose Goblins, and Mike contemplates his next moves to save New Ammarindar and send an expedition north into the ruins of Orlbar.

Dec 03, 202302:31:05
Hexcrawl 62 - The Madness of King Lenny, Frog Wrasslin, and the Lonely Barrow

Hexcrawl 62 - The Madness of King Lenny, Frog Wrasslin, and the Lonely Barrow

Artvirous leads Caradoc, MikMek, and Bariq to destroy the bullywug village but they get taken before King Lenny who declares that Arty is his long-lost son and possible heir. Prince Bodean goads Arty into swimming down into a froghemoth lair, where Arty and Bariq get swallowed whole and MikMek and Caradoc get captured by its tentacles. By the end, Caradoc and Arty are dead but Bariq, barely brought back from the brink by MikMek, revivifies Arty. Stephen II, Caradoc's Steel Defender, runs away with Caradoc's body while Arty and Bodean get into a frog-wrasslin' match. Mikmek agrees to get changed into a bullywug but the ceremony goes sideways and he ends up with a couple of mutations instead, but still gets a bullywug mate. Arty and the remaining crew then explore a nearby tomb, where some treasure is found including a magical sword that is not as full of hate as the last one was.

Nov 04, 202302:49:38
Hexcrawl 61 - The Sword of Nightmares

Hexcrawl 61 - The Sword of Nightmares

Sir Parrik leads Bariq, Caradoc, and Arty to deal with a cursed place centered on a standing stone near his domain of Lowerthorn. They demolish the menhir only to find that the effect persists - digging down they discover that there is a malevolent sword there thirsty for blood and looking for a new wielder. Bariq tries to Identify the sword but falls prey to it and tries to murder his friends! They try to restrain him while Arty tries to get the sword safely away to the Dead Magic Zone about thirty miles away.

Oct 16, 202302:36:16
Hexcrawl 60 - Hunting the Green Daggers

Hexcrawl 60 - Hunting the Green Daggers

Kain leads Neville, Rustle, and new arcane cleric Cassius on a hunt for the assassins who nearly killed Jahan at the Miners Cooperative warehouse a few weeks ago. They talk to a reporter, get denied entrance to a gambling hall, give a poison sample to an herbalist, and hatch a plot to bring the assailants out into the open. This results in a chaotic street battle, and the party leaves town for a few days to get Jahan to safety. The plan changes slightly and the Black Cats take over Jahan's security, while the party heads back to find the gang known as the Green Daggers. In the Green Dagger hideout, Kain gets drained by a stirge, Neville has a memory of a former self, Rustle kills some dogs, Cassius springs a trap, and a hostage situation ends in bloodshed. The party retreats and the gang's leaders escape... for now!

Sep 30, 202303:17:20
Hexcrawl 59 - Deadly Warehouse Collapse and Smuggling the Skull of Larqa

Hexcrawl 59 - Deadly Warehouse Collapse and Smuggling the Skull of Larqa

In Llorkh, Rustle Ironbottom accepts a job from Winget Sparrow of the Black Network to protect his boss Jahan during a meeting with the Miner's Cooperative at a shady warehouse. Rustle, Neville, Zim, and Kain make plans to protect their VIP and try to find a Sleep scroll. On the evening of the meet, things go well until a hit squad shows up and kills the miners, then throws poison and shoots arrows at Jahan. The party is caught between deadly archers and unknown shady figures in the warehouse and gets into a tricky spot, while Neville makes his way outside and around to try to rescue them with the wagon. Suddenly the building itself collapses and the trapped wizards and their protectee Jahan are all crushed in the rubble! In a dramatic set of death saves, all players get to their fifth and final round - Zim perishes while Kain and Rustle pull through. Before the city guard can arrive, Neville loads all the bodies in the wagon and they make their way to Winget, who takes posession of Zim's corpse and one of the hostiles, and Jahan decides its time to take that out of town promotion he's been considering. A few days later, the party accepts a job from Gunther Strojny of the Miners Cooperative to smuggle the goliath skull they previously stole to a waiting goliath warrior, but Rustle has awful dreams where he is haunted by the dead shaman's skull and cannot rest properly, leading to exhaustion and near death.

Sep 16, 202302:50:20
Hexcrawl 58 - The Goliath Skull Heist and Nazariel Exfiltration

Hexcrawl 58 - The Goliath Skull Heist and Nazariel Exfiltration

Elior takes the lead in Llorkh, where he accepts a job from Gunther Strojny of the Miners Cooperative to recover a magical goliath skull from the Zhents. This involves a young Zhent wizard, Skylar Nazariel, who knows where the skull is held and wants to get out of town. With the help of Kain, Zim, and Neville, Elior plans the heist and also colludes with the local goliath street gang to smuggle some gems out of town. Nazariel is rescued (and her death is faked), the skull is stolen from the basement of Vince Mustachio's house, and the crew gets the gems to the fence at Oleg's trading post, returning with a cargo of copper ore (and paying hefty bribes both directions).

Sep 02, 202302:21:54
Hexcrawl 57 - Wizards and Wagons

Hexcrawl 57 - Wizards and Wagons

A new party of 1st-level spellcasters heads east towards Llorkh, led by warlock Neville Cavendish. On the way, they fight twig blights, get chased by an ogre, get extorted by some Zhent thugs, and get their horses eaten by a manticore. Upon reaching Llorkh, they go looking for a good place to set up shop and they end up purchasing a rundown inn which they rename the Manticore's Muse.

Aug 22, 202303:14:29
Hexcrawl 56 - Fomorian Hunting

Hexcrawl 56 - Fomorian Hunting

Gnome druid Jorgrim leads Arty, Swift, and Bariq to hunt down a threat from a misshapen fomorian giant near the Shrine of Lurue. On the way there they encounter some bandits, a bear, a crag cat, some giant snakes, and a few curious settlers, and they borrow some skirmishers from the village of Perfection. Once there, they interrogate a bugbear and formulate an ambush, which almost goes as planned, but the giant's evil eyes and the wicked blades of its redcap companions are a vicious threat and not every party member will survive the battle.

Aug 05, 202303:31:21
Hexcrawl 55 - Incyzor Attacks and Return to the Maze of Moradin

Hexcrawl 55 - Incyzor Attacks and Return to the Maze of Moradin

Dwarven death cleric Thronor leads Jhank, Artvirous, Jorgrim, and Swift Current to try and secure the hexes where the Maze of Moradin and Moradin's Forge are located, but they are attacked by the fang dragon Incyzor, who downs Jhank while everyone else scrambles for cover! Some quick thinking saves Jhank's life and the party explores looking for all the ways in to the Maze of Moradin. They explore the cave of giant bats and encounter the rust myconids, then try another way in the hopes of finding where the drow raiding parties are coming from. They conduct reconnaissance on a drow outpost and make plans to counter this threat to their nearby domains.

Jul 22, 202303:02:12
Hexcrawl 54 - Dwarven Justice and the Children of Lolth

Hexcrawl 54 - Dwarven Justice and the Children of Lolth

Jhank leads Floki, Swift Current, Thronor, and Render to the monastery of the Order of the Burning Forge, where grief-stricken widow Yulia Bronzevow detains them for the murder of her husband Gorya (Episode 34!). They face a dwarven tribunal of justice, and their sentence involves going upriver to battle foul spider-children of the demon queen Lolth!

Jul 14, 202302:46:14
Hexcrawl 53 - Saurod's death, Steam Tunnels, Tree Cult, Tatzylwyrm, and the Meenlock Lumber Camp

Hexcrawl 53 - Saurod's death, Steam Tunnels, Tree Cult, Tatzylwyrm, and the Meenlock Lumber Camp

Caradoc leads Thronor, MikMek, Render, and new kobold warlock Saurod set out to handle the remaining problems at the Golem Workshop under the house of the cyclops Harpalos. This goes terribly awry when the wraith who haunts the creepy mist observation room life-drains Saurod in a single hit. Thronor drives away the wraith but then animates Saurod as a zombie, much to his cousin MikMek's dismay. Arty joins the party as Caradoc and MikMek crawl into some steam tunnels and encounter several mephits there but eventually have to back out without defeating them. The party returns to the surface and shares treasure with Harpalos and discusses whether to build him a new home somewhere else or murder him. Leaving the problems in the golem workshop unsolved, they head west, encountering the dryad Leshanna in her grove and discussing a nearby hex with religious pilgrims. Crossing the Thorn River, they run into a storm that causes them to waste a day taking shelter. On the other side, they encounter a tree cult and sacrifice the zombie Saurod to the twisted dryad there. They track a tatzylwyrm and get into a scrap with some competitive hunters, killing their leader and scattering the others. They find and kill the tatzylwyrm and save its head, fulfilling a quest from one of the very first sessions of the campaign! Exploring further, they get into another battle with some dark fey meenlocks who have taken over a former lumber camp.

Jun 17, 202302:58:08
Hexcrawl 52 - The Bubble Under Hightstar Lake

Hexcrawl 52 - The Bubble Under Hightstar Lake

Arty leads Bariq, Jhank, and Render to Highstar Lake, where they search for the underwater bubble they glimpsed many months ago. They find an enormous bubble protected by arcane traps and considered to be the property of Sh'derra D'zeer, the amethyst dragon who claims the lakebed as her own. They go to investigate rumors that the Wererats of the Hark are building canals and stop to attack a depressed hill giant along the way.

Jun 10, 202302:49:15
Hexcrawl 51 - The Golem-Maker's Workshop Under the House of Harpalos

Hexcrawl 51 - The Golem-Maker's Workshop Under the House of Harpalos

Render the warforged artificer leads Jhank, Caradoc, Eaglebane, and Bariq to explore the ruined workshops and laboratories underneath the house of the cyclops Harpalos. On the way there they have a run-in with the stone giant Kuljarn, meet some goliath shepherds, and see evidence of ettins in the area. Harpalos welcomes them into his home and allows them in his basement on condition of bringing him back treasure. The party quickly gets entangled with a guardian wood golem, finds an enchanted oil vat and explores the ruins. A password found in the ruins allows them to avoid combat with the kitchen golems, and they find a strange viewing room haunted by a wraith. Eaglebane causes it to flee and they backtrack to explore another wing, where they once again get into a scrap with one of the guardian constructs. They send Caradoc down a privy to look for gold and find a wall safe that they can't quite crack. Big plans are made to restore the ruins to some of their former glory if they can either convince Harpalos to let them stay or, y'know, murder him...

May 20, 202303:06:60
Hexcrawl 50 - Rescuing MikMek from Razorvine Ruins (and House Rules Discussion)

Hexcrawl 50 - Rescuing MikMek from Razorvine Ruins (and House Rules Discussion)

When word reaches the higher-level characters in the western forest that MikMek was petrified in the Razorvine Ruins, wildfire druid Bariq leads Artvirous the lizardfolk ranger, Jhank the dwarven rune knight, and Jorgrim the gnome druid back eastward to try to rescue him. Along the way they encounter a hostage situation with some bandits, which they resolve with a combination of cunning and violence. At the Giant Skunk Hunting Lodge they exchange Jorgrim for the warforged artificer Render and make their way up to the basilisk-infested ruins. Relying on Jhank and Arty's blindsight capabilities, they try to take on the basilisks without getting anyone else turned to stone. However, the ruins hold a few other surprises including a gelatinous cube and a minotaur skeleton. MikMek is rescued and turned back from a statue into a kobold and the ruins are cleared of hostile creatures so that the Lowerthorn domain can try to expand here. Post-game, we have a discussion about some of our house rule systems and whether it would be worthwhile to try to publish them for other gaming groups to enjoy.

May 10, 202303:07:39
Hexcrawl 49 - Basilisk Battle and Exploring the Southwood

Hexcrawl 49 - Basilisk Battle and Exploring the Southwood

Continuing their exploration of the Razorvine Ruins, kobold rogue Mikmek leads dwarf paladin Riswynn Ruby-Eye, goliath cleric/rogue Eaglebane, warforged artificer Render and dragonborn rogue/monk Swift Current deeper into the ruined fort. Things go terribly awry when Mikmek opens a door onto a basilisk and fails both petrification saves, getting turned to stone. The party tries to drag him back through the hallway but Riswynn gets bitten by the basilisk's poisonous bite and other basilisks are drawn to the commotion. Eaglebane, Render, and Swift flee for the exit and head to the nearby hunting lodge, leaving Mikmek a statue and Riswynn unconscious and left for dead! Riswynn manages to escape some hours later and makes her way alone through the wilderness, but Mikmek's fate is uncertain. Switching gears, dwarven anthropologist warrior Jhank leads OG party members Bariq, Artvirous, Caradoc, and gnome druid Jorgim on a grand exploration into the Southwood. They discover an elvish tomb near the source of the Skunk River, a forest fort controlled by earth elementals, the source of another river flowing east (which Jhank names the Jhank River), some territorial shambling mounds, and the nearly intact ruins of an artificer's workshop. Caradoc, an artificer himself, wants to stay here and study what he can of the library of bizarre contraptions and constructs.

Apr 22, 202302:52:37
Hexcrawl 48 - South to Razorvine Ruins

Hexcrawl 48 - South to Razorvine Ruins

Swift Currrent, a tabaxi rogue/monk reincarnated as a dragonborn, leads kobold rogue Mikmek, goliath rogue/cleric Eaglebane, warforged artificer Render, and new dwarven paladin Riswynn Ruby-Eye in search of some ruins along the Thorn River. Along the way they encounter a leucrotta ambush, some tricky fey boggarts, and a grove of reveling satyrs before arriving in the razorvine-infested ruins. There are some suspiciously lifelike statues there, and as the party begins to explore their fears are realized as they are attacked by several stone-cursed and a basilisk! As several of their party members become petrified, the remaining crew must figure out how to help them and still escape with their lives.

Apr 16, 202302:57:07
Hexcrawl 47 - Rooting out Rockfire

Hexcrawl 47 - Rooting out Rockfire

Jared guest-GM's a DarkWizard Quest Special Episode! Goblin wizard Litesnak leads Balifra, Bariq, Arty, and Render to a cave where the barghest Rockfire the Magnificent has taken refuge. The party absails in and starts to explore but ends up in a dangerous battle with a roper and the barghest! Eventually the baddies are defeated and some treasure is gained from Darkwizard, who is glad his goblin minions can now live without fear of a demonic barghest in their midst.

Apr 13, 202301:22:18
Hexcrawl 46 - Sootscale Corpse Flower and Return to the Altar of Nomog-Geaya

Hexcrawl 46 - Sootscale Corpse Flower and Return to the Altar of Nomog-Geaya

Atrvirous leads Bariq, Balifra, Swift, Jorgrim, and Oneiros against the Corpse Flower that has taken over the former Sootscale Caverns complex. They take it on in its zombie-filled lair and cleanse the caverns of its foul stench forever. They leave the skirmisher teams called Lyas Lions there to begin converting it into a base, and the party travels to the Altar of Nomog-Geaya, where they battle goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears led by a hobgoblin holy man called Fenic. Diplomacy unexpectedly breaks out when Fenic threatens to unleash the hordes of Urshani hobgoblins upon the nascent Lowerthorn domain, and a tenuous accord is reached, which includes Oneiros taking on a bugbear henchman.

Mar 25, 202302:32:59
Hexcrawl 45 - Feywild: Mother Wormwood Battle

Hexcrawl 45 - Feywild: Mother Wormwood Battle

Oneiros joins the party in the Feywild and leads Swift, Floki, Mikmek, Jorgrim, and Barriq against the evil archfey hag Mother Wormwood! It quickly turns into a battle on three fronts when a shambling mound and some redcaps join the hag's side. Both sides Entangle each other and after taking out the redcaps Oneiros gets polymorphed into a beached whale! Floki gets engulfed by the shambling mound and the other heroes start to fall prey to the hag's wicked claws. Mikmek keeps shooting from cover, Jorgrim unleashes ball lightning from his Ring of Stars, Bariq lights her up with Moonbeam, and Oneiros pops back into tiefling shape and starts putting the hurt on. After downing most of the party Mother Wormwood is finally taken out, and we start rolling bizarre changes and mutations for those who died in the Feywild - Barriq gets meaty hooves and penalties away from solid ground, Floki gets cat claws, MikMek can Speak with Dead once a day, and Swift the Tabaxi is reincarnated as a dwarf much to John's chagrin.  They search through Loomlurch and find some pretty weird hag treasures, then pop back into their own plane, where delayed death saves take the lives of Swift and Mikmek.  Swift is reincarnated for the second time this evening by Shrubritney, this time into white dragonborn form, and Mikmek is taken to Loudwater to be raised. 

Mar 11, 202303:02:10
Hexcrawl 44 - Feywild: Assault on Loomlurch

Hexcrawl 44 - Feywild: Assault on Loomlurch

Jorgrim leads Bariq, MikMek, Swift, and Floki into the Feywild to find Mother Wormwood's lair!  They come across strange tracks, find some mourning blink dogs, and make their way to the fallen-log site of Loomlurch where Mother Wormwood aka Skabatha aka Granny Nightshade is said to dwell.  They meet an interesting goblin and split the party when the hag comes out to investigate. Floki is captured, Bariq explores in lizard form, Swift does what rogues do best, and Mikmek and Jorgrim (as a raccoon) all take different tactics.  Eventually they're mostly united and come up with a plan to distract the hag and save their friend. They start a fire and battle a green dragon wyrmling to rescue Floki and DarkWizard, who's also a captive here.  What will happen when the hag comes back from the fire to find her kitchen is a warzone?

Feb 25, 202303:04:04
Hexcrawl 43 - Battle for the Drow Caves

Hexcrawl 43 - Battle for the Drow Caves

Rasprax leads Floki, MikMek, Fjori, Oneiros, and new warforged PC Render to a complicated cave system where drow have been raiding from. After MikMek tangles with some scouts, Rasprax sends in a small army of bandits and cultists by the main entrance while the party sneaks in a side water entrance. Epic tabletop battle ensues - we had a huge 5-elevation tile setup going and it was a blast.  In the end almost all the bandits and cultists died but so did all the drow, so Rasprax is planning to set up his own criminal enterprise here as a covert arm of the PCs' domains.  

Feb 16, 202303:16:01
Hexcrawl 42 - Stilt Village and Return to Sootscale Caverns

Hexcrawl 42 - Stilt Village and Return to Sootscale Caverns

We discuss our domain management house rules, then Mikmek leads Arty, Rasprax, Jorgrim, and Oneiros to find out what's been happening with the fey plants at Sootscale Caverns.  On the way they investigate the village on stilts, where MikMek gets taken out by a phase spider and has to be rescued.  At the caverns, they discover things have gone very bad indeed. The kobolds have been changed into some kind of plant people! The party fights some vines and then ends up in a sustained combat with regenerating plant kobolds, where leader MikMek is again sidelined (this time by myconid spores).  Eventually they clear the room only to discover that the final chamber of the caverns has a powerful undead-making corpse flower! 

Jan 28, 202303:10:48
Hexcrawl 41 - The Altar of Nomog-Geaya

Hexcrawl 41 - The Altar of Nomog-Geaya

Fjori leads Barriq, Artvirous, Jorgrim, and dwarven Justiciar Balifra Brightblade down from Haela's Halls to the goblin circus / shrine / lair at the Altar of Nomog-Geaya. They're accompanied by dwarven troops and looking to stop raids by the goblins on their fortress. After falling prey to several goblin pranks and traps, they descend into the temple level with its labyrinths and crypts in search of Rockfire the Magnificent, the goblin in charge. After a few skirmishes, they encounter Rockfire and he turns into a barghest! Battle ensues!

Jan 14, 202302:39:37
Hexcrawl 40 - Butchered in the House of Githaleon

Hexcrawl 40 - Butchered in the House of Githaleon

Emerging from the Feywild, Sly Zib Uppercut takes command of Oneiros, Swift Current, Rasprax, and Jorgrim. They first bury Chaz (who died from his Feywild wounds) and then set about trying to discover just where they are. They question the local cat and begin to explore the ruins of an old mansion, but in the basement Sly Zib gets almost killed by some green slime from the ceiling. As another ooze attacks, everyone starts heading for the stairs. Sly, Rasprax, and Jorgrim make it topside but Oneiros and Swift Current can't resist opening the last door and discover a new area guarded by a clay construct like a terra-cotta hoplite.  Things go downhill quickly - Swift is first to fall, Oneiros deals out a huge amount of damage but then likewise collapses. Jorgrim goes into a rage as a dire wolf while Rasprax shoots from afar, while Sly is stuck topside because he's now giant-sized and ready to plug the stairs with a nearby boulder.  Jorgrim falls, but not before reviving Swift, then Rasprax and Sly likewise get taken down.  Left alone and heavily wounded with the machine that has downed the entire party, Swift must choose whether to escape with his life or attempt one last desperate attack. 

Dec 30, 202202:57:22
Hexcrawl 39 - Moongrave's Eclipse

Hexcrawl 39 - Moongrave's Eclipse

Jorgrim leads Rasprax, Chaz, Oneiros, Swift Current, and Sly Zib Uppercut as they infiltrate the hag Moongrave's fortress / theater in the Feywild realm of Yon.  The group poses as a troupe of entertainers and puts on a mostly improvised tragedy, then explores the fortress looking for a lost elf who can help cause a false eclipse that will help bring about the hag's downfall. A plan is hatched and the eclipse causes chaos to erupt, during which Sly Zib is affected by mummy rot and falls to his apparent doom.  Moongrave nearly escapes on a flying ornithopter but Chaz jumps after her from a balcony and she dies in the fall past the false eclipse.  Several captives are freed, and the party gets a bit of treasure and comes through a mirror portal back into their own world, where Chaz dies from his previous wounds in the Feywild. (contains content and spoilers for The Wild Beyond the Witchlight)

Dec 11, 202203:13:49
Hexcrawl 38 - The Feywild is Full of Sidequests!

Hexcrawl 38 - The Feywild is Full of Sidequests!

Teifling barbarian Oneiros takes over as caller in the Feywild, leading Rasprax, Chaz, Jorgrim, Swift Current, and Sly Zib on a series of cascading sidequests! First, they cross the river to find the outlaw Will of the Feywild, who recommends they go seek a Unicorn for advice.  High-voiced oil can Squirt joins the party and provides consistent comic relief. They eventually find the unicorn's pool and get some answers from her, but the plot keeps thickening and soon they are headed over to another part of the Feywild called Yon, where they help a goblin child with a kite problem and get involved in finding a secret tunnel down in a mine.  The Feywild proves to be full of surprises! (includes Wild Beyond the Witchlight content)

Dec 03, 202203:08:02
Hexcrawl 37 - Death in the Feywild

Hexcrawl 37 - Death in the Feywild

Half-drow warlock Rasprax leads Sly Zib, Chaz, Jorgrim, new tabaxi rogue Swift Current and new barbarian Oneiros on an adventure to find out what's happening in the Feywild. They make their way from the Stone Circle to the feywild portal leading into The Night Garden (see episode 02!).  After Sly Zib is charmed by a dryad, he is knocked unconscious by Rasprax to keep him from wandering off.  When he and Rasprax come to blows a second time, a second critical hit with the Staff of the Adder renders Sly Zib dead, but it turns out that strange things happen to dead goblins in the Feywild, and Sly Zib Uppercut splits into his good and bad selves, only one of which will rejoin the party. As the group explores and tries to find out more about the mysterious Mother Wormwood, they come upon a situation with a tree, some pixies, and some polymorphed Redcaps that turns into a battle. Chaz is stomped dead by one of the redcaps, and the party has to get creative to deal with the threat.  Apparently strange things sometimes happen when halflings die in the Feywild too, because Chaz manages to come back as a gnome!  Rather than try to rejoin their native plane, this group decides to stay in the Feywild and continue their quest to discover Mother Wormwood's lair. 

Nov 20, 202202:57:44
Hexcrawl 36 - Conquering Haela's Halls

Hexcrawl 36 - Conquering Haela's Halls

Dwarf warrior Fjori leads Barriq, Jhank, Artvirous, and Benji to retake a dwarven fortress in the hills that is infested with trolls. On the way there, they discover a hidden valley with many ostriches. Barriq scouts in as a fox but runs into troll trouble, barely escaping back to the party. In a nighttime assault on the fortress, they end up in combat with an evil treant and a troll on a battlement, which causes some difficulty as it keeps pushing them back down the wall. Barriq uses his fire-based abilities to keep the trolls from regenerating and Jhank manages to put the treant into a stupor, allowing everyone to get on the roof to deal with it. Afterwards, two more trolls show up and the battle begins anew.  After the trolls are all vanquished the party discovers a group of mercenaries from a rival power there and decides to hire them for now rather than killing them. Treasure and dwarven ghosts guard the lower levels of the fortress, which Fjori plans to oversee as his new abode. 

Nov 05, 202203:00:19
Hexcrawl 35 - Gorya's Funeral, Mountain Journey, and Sootscale Visit

Hexcrawl 35 - Gorya's Funeral, Mountain Journey, and Sootscale Visit

Jhank leads Floki, Thronor, Sir Parrik, Benji and Caradoc as they invite Yulia Bronzevow and Nastasia Tinspike for a peace summit and Gorya's funeral. Thereafter, the party sets out through the mountains towards Sootscale Caverns, discovering a windy agate mine and a stone circle used by Talos druids along the way. They are attacked by owlbears and gnolls, but make their way to the kobold caverns where they discover that strange fey-related plants are being used by the Sootscales and the problem is probably getting worse. 

Oct 22, 202202:50:54
Hexcrawl 34 - The Maze of Moradin and the Ravings of Gorya Bronzevow

Hexcrawl 34 - The Maze of Moradin and the Ravings of Gorya Bronzevow

Gnome trickster Floki Flanfloom leads Jhank, Thronor, Sir Parrik, Caradoc, and Benji to discover what's become of the missing dwarven monk Gorya Bronzevow, who disappeared into a labyrinth within the mountains. Aboveground, his wife Yulia and former mistress Nastasia each lead a faction of the Order of the Burning Forge and conflict simmers between them as each blames the other for Gorya's assumed death. Floki and the adventurers enter the Maze of Moradin looking for the truth, where they encounter bizarre rust myconids and cultish half-mechanical mazefolk, and awaken a raving mad Gorya who is seeking the lost library of Xothol by transforming himself into a metal monstrosity. At a stone bridge over lava, they fight fiery bats and a gargoyle who guards a secret map to the library. Ultimately the party decides Gorya is a danger to their plans and disposes of him in a dramatic manner. They discover a magical forge with the heart of a star and converse with a clingy undead mechanic before making their way back to the surface where they will have to deal with the rest of the dwarves and the consequences of Gorya's death.   

Oct 16, 202203:30:24
Hexcrawl 33 - Search for the Lost Temple of the Forest

Hexcrawl 33 - Search for the Lost Temple of the Forest

Guided by a vision shown to him by the unicorn goddess Lurue, Sir Parrik leads MikMek, Artvirous, Benji, Caradoc, and Rasprax on an exploration of the northeastern Southwood in search of a lost temple in the forest. Along the way they encounter some giant wasps, several gruesome scenes of dead trappers, and converse with the local fey.  Mikmek gets in some trouble for trapping and killing a baby bear, but feels vindicated the following day when they encounter and fight a much larger bear who guards the temple site. When the bear is slain, he turns out to be a cursed priest and the temple site begins to regain some of its lost glory. 

Sep 24, 202202:52:51
Hexcrawl 32 - Leaving the Ship, Pod Plant Battle, and Across the Moorland

Hexcrawl 32 - Leaving the Ship, Pod Plant Battle, and Across the Moorland

Benji the Bard leads Thronor, Jorgrim, Jhank, and Sly Zib as they try to figure out what the crystal DarkWizard wants so much actually does. They travel toward the hunting lodge and find the mud bowl with mushrooms that the Old Beldame talked about, but unfortunately it's got a bodytaker plant and some pod people, so combat ensues in which Sly Zib almost gets consumed by the plant several times. After harvesting the remaining mushrooms, they continue through the moors and find some rusty crow cages, a dwarven watchtower with evidence of troll habitation, a hellwasp pretending to be a child, and a new fortified farmstead run by the Church of Chauntea. They meet up with Umgurn at the Giant Skunk Hunting Lodge and identify the crystal as a source of planar portal power, which complicates the question of whether to give it to DarkWizard since Jhank says "It belongs in a museum!"

Sep 10, 202202:45:18
Hexcrawl 31 - Lost in the Greypeaks, Bloody Trapper Camp and the Ship on the Cliff

Hexcrawl 31 - Lost in the Greypeaks, Bloody Trapper Camp and the Ship on the Cliff

Thronor the dwarven death-cleric leads gnome druid Jorgrim, dwarven rune knight Jhank, halfling artificer Caradoc, and new human bard Benji south from the Temple of Dumathoin in search of the Adder River and the ship on a cliff seen by the DarkWizard in his vision.  They visit Karg the Manticore in the ruins of the fire giant sorcerer's tower, get lost in the mountains, Thronor gets bitten by a snake, and Jorgrim explores a cave in giant centipede form.  They battle some wolves, discover a trapper camp with a bloody secret cave, find the winter caves of the Uthgardt, and eventually catch sight of the mysterious ship. There they battle some undead lead by a deathlok and discover the crystal that DarkWizard is searching for, along with a pile of treasure. They decide to camp there for a bit so this same crew will pick up next time with Benji as caller. 

Aug 27, 202203:03:24
Hexcrawl 30 - Low-level Forest Exploration Messaround

Hexcrawl 30 - Low-level Forest Exploration Messaround

Eaglebane leads MikMek and new bard Benji into the northeastern portion of the Southwood, where they hunt an elk, find several disturbing sets of trees, and battle some skeletons.  They infiltrate a trapper camp, discover a drow cave, and discover that the Bignose Goblins are occupying the ruins of Eldergrove village. Benji writes several songs about their exploits and performs Elvis songs for the goblins. Benji almost decides to stay with some nixies in their spa but opts for the adventuring life instead. 

Aug 06, 202202:34:35
Hexcrawl 29 - Lost in the Woods and DarkWizard's Tower

Hexcrawl 29 - Lost in the Woods and DarkWizard's Tower

Fjori (dwarf fighter) leads Chaz (halfling monk), Bariq (fire genasi druid), Eaglebane (goliath fighter), and Sir Parrik (fairy paladin) to try to find the mysterious DarkWizard and take away his magical glasses, but along they way they have some trouble. They visit with some dwarf prospectors, get driven off by an angry farmer, and get a bit turned around in the woods. They come across a goblin village with an emaciated woman named 'Iron Liz' strung up between trees who tells their fortunes, and they get lost again in the misty Southwood. Eventually they find DarkWizard's waterfall-adjacent tower and converse for hours about the arcane science of optics and his study of the nearby Fey Anomaly. He tries to send them on a quest to a faraway ship on a cliff for a crystal he needs, which they vaguely promise to get around to eventually.  On the way back, they discover a cave with inscriptions shedding additional light on the mysterious fey known only as the Dewdrop Man. 

Jul 30, 202202:49:50
Hexcrawl 28 - The Dangers of Highstar Lake

Hexcrawl 28 - The Dangers of Highstar Lake

Jhank, Sly Zib Uppercut, and Sir Parrik take their keelboat on an exploration of the eastern portion of Highstar Lake, where they first discover a swamp witch who mainly just wants to be left alone. She warns them of several dangers but offers a quest for some magical mushrooms away up a river to the northeast. They begin to explore the northern coastline and one of their sailors is lost in the night to a vicious bear attack. They eventually spot the river she referred to but are chased away from it by a hydra.  The boat is attacked by a giant gar which swallows another sailor whole and tries to eat the blink dog Glint, but a combination of Sly Zib crashing the boat into it, Jhank charming it and then attacking it while enlarged, and Sir Parrik diving into it lance-first finishes off the beast and they tow its enormous carcass back to the fort to provide copious food and a cool looking skull. On foot, they explore north into the forest and save the wagons of some gnome explorers, who sell them an expensive map to a place called the Cave of Beauty.  

Jul 09, 202202:42:14
Hexcrawl 27 - Ankheg Tragedy and the Dragon Barrow

Hexcrawl 27 - Ankheg Tragedy and the Dragon Barrow

Floki leads Caradoc, Jorgrim, and new halfling monk Chaz to go investigate the disappearance of dwarven monk leader Gorya Bronzevow, but on the way there, they stop to eradicate the growing ankheg problem at the Old Sycamore. Tragedy strikes as the mama ankheg burrows right up to Floki and crits on him, one-shotting him into unconsciousness, and finishing the job with its mandibles. Their leader fallen, the rest of the group scrambles to defeat the ankhegs. They divert to take Floki's body to the Temple of Dumathoin, where Umgurn drains the temple treasury to set out for Secomber to get him raised.  Now joined by Eaglebane, they explore northward, encountering some giant lizards and a friendly centaur named Neigh-than, as well as the Zhentarim adventurers and their goblin allies.  The party discovers an old Uthgardt cairn and a dragon-shaped barrow. Inside the barrow, Caradoc awakens a loyal skeletal horse and gets attacked by a will-o-wisp. The party flees back to the surface where the wisp is defeated, and they take the road back to Oleg's Trading Post where it all began. 

Jun 25, 202203:18:20
Hexcrawl 26 - The Worg Monastery

Hexcrawl 26 - The Worg Monastery

Sir Parrik leads Barriq, Jhank, and Arty northeast from the Dungeon of the Hark to clean out a monastery inhabited by Worgs.  They discover that the worgs are cursed former monks of Auril, cruel goddess of the cold, and the pack's leader Gazrith gives them safe passage into the undercrypt to try to break the curse.  In the crypt they fight ghouls led by a wight and a coldlight walker and battle the magical crystal that keeps the curse intact. A magical cloak and staff are recovered, along with some coins and other treasure.  Having freed the worgs from their curse, the party of course decides to slaughter them anyway. Gazrith the winter wolf and several worgs fall in the ensuing conflict, but some of the pack escapes into the Southwood to harass the party another day. They clear giant wasps from the belltower and turn the monastery over to the Hark in exchange for a copy of his map of the surrounding area. 

Jun 04, 202202:56:17
Hexcrawl 25 - Westward to the Dungeon of the Hark

Hexcrawl 25 - Westward to the Dungeon of the Hark

Barriq leads Jhank, Parrik, and Fjori westward, following new all-star NPC Conrad toward a mysterious settlement of mysterious inhabitants that everyone knows are wererats.  On the way, there is trouble with a mad hermit and his cat, a trail is blazed through a peat bog and a hidden glen of hardwoods, a dragon graveyard is discovered, and many new hexes are sighted and explored. Bariq is attacked on watch several times, and almost dragged into the Underdark by some troglodytes. Arriving at the Dungeon of the Hark, there is some disagreement about quarantine, what's meant by disease or affliction, and the wererats finally reveal themselves. Bariq wants to slaughter them, Jhank wants to befriend them, and Parrik and Fjori mainly just want to avoid getting lycanthropy. The party decides to remain there over the next several weeks to get to know their new neighbors better.

May 15, 202203:04:56
Hexcrawl 24 - Ankhegs and Kegs, Bulletes and Brewmonks

Hexcrawl 24 - Ankhegs and Kegs, Bulletes and Brewmonks

Under Wellby's Command, Jorgrim and Eaglebane depart the farmstead with a troop of laborers and skirmishers to discover the mystery of an abandoned village. They are attacked by a fierce ankheg, which burrows up in the night to attack their camp.  Once the village is cleared, they are again attacked, this time by an even more terrifying burrower, a bulette! Now the abandoned village is even more ruined, but the three companions journey north and discover the tree village of the Bignose goblin tribe, where they ask for help attacking the Black Dog Brewery. After a visit to the nearby stone face for oracular advice, the goblins agree and a haphazard plan is hatched.  During the combat at the brewery, Wellby breathes his last as the necromancer and wig afficionado Losser Mirklav drains the life from him, but Losser and his shadow mastiff are at last defeated and the brewery restored to the proper worship of Urogalan. 

Apr 30, 202203:30:11
Hexcrawl 23: Rooms & Teams Mega Sidegame Session

Hexcrawl 23: Rooms & Teams Mega Sidegame Session

We skip 3 months in-game and the adventurers spend the time improving the four sites they control: the Dead Wizard Ranch (aka Farmstead), the Stone Circle, the Temple of Dumathoin, and Fort Heartwood (aka Stag Lord's Keep).  We put our homebrew downtime / property management system through its toughest test yet and it all works out!  

Apr 23, 202246:34
Hexcrawl 22 - The Temple of Dumathoin

Hexcrawl 22 - The Temple of Dumathoin

Fjori leads Thronor and Artvirious into the wintry mountains to explore the hidden ruins of the Temple of Dumathoin! They encounter cursed Azer and a very mean Otyugh who nearly devours Thronor despite his piety towards the undesecrated tombs of the dwarven priests.  Treasure is recovered and Thronor decides to make the temple the fourth Resources & Teams site managed by the party! With a bit of time left in the session, we switch characters and Caradoc takes new adventurers Eaglebane and Rasprax under his wing to battle a giant badger and rescue a thylacine from a pit. 

Apr 09, 202202:50:16
Hexcrawl 21 - The Stag Lord's Fort

Hexcrawl 21 - The Stag Lord's Fort

The party gathers its small army and heads south to at last confront the Stag Lord! What they discover is not what they expected! They encounter axebeaks, a Korred, wooden people, a childlike brute and a necklace made of human fingers! Will the party gain control of their long-desired stronghold?

Mar 19, 202203:30:31