Rise of Tiamat - Episode II - The Demise of Arathator

The party quickly found a ship, the Frostskimmer, captained by Larista Half-Face. For days they sailed the icy sea in search of any clue that could guide them. Killian, using an old ritual, took an opportunity to commune with the natural world around him. It was through this that he learned of a populated iceberg nearby.

Upon reaching the iceberg, the group encountered a small village of native. Although not too friendly, Killian questioned the local chief how best to demonstrate their good intentions and earn the respect of the village. The answer was to best their greatest warrior in combat. A challenge gladly accepted by the young Killian.

It was a quick duel. Killian bested his opponent with little effort. Now, having earned the respect of the village, they were given shelter for the night. During the night the local shaman visited the party and informed them that an evil white dragon, Arathator, and his mate were nearby. He led them to a secret tunnel that would take them to their foe and possibly the Tiefling they sought, but warned them of the dangers that lie ahead.

Sure enough, the encountered Arathator in the depths of the icy cavern. Now was the time when the newest members of the party demonstrated their calibur. Killian grappled the great beast with his bare hands - crikey! While the rest of the group took the opportunity to assault the beast, Roscoe, a halfling who had joined the party in the underdark, used a relic to summon a giant flame elemental. After much ado, Arathator was nothing but ash.

Rise of Tiamat - Episode I - The Darkkorn Calls

The return to Waterdeep was bittersweet. Kaelthiros could not be resurrected, and there was no hope of bringing back Murry. Gundren sought out some much needed recouperation, and Mullyn rejoined the party.

Moments later, the city square in which they stood was invaded by a band of cultists led by none other than the long-forgotten Redbrand, Frank. During their skirmish with these opponents, the party encountered a new ally - a young tribesman native to the area North of the Greypeak Mountains named Killian Wolfrunner. After the cultists fled, Killian explained that his people had sought refuge in Waterdeep after being driven from their land. The party accepted his request to join the party.

The introduction was short-lived however, a great disturbance was felt in the very fabric of nature - a breeze, and a strange silence overtook them all. Strange. The party took the now-polymorphed Frank (thanks Mullyn) to the council of Waterdeep to see what could be learned. It was soon discovered that a relic named the Darkkorn had been blown, calling all dragons towards it. An ill change of fate indeed. The council informed our adventurers that the Drachorn was last seen with a Tiefling who was part of the Arcane Brotherhood, McCaff the Crimson. She was last seen in the Sea of Moving Ice. And that is where they would go.

Hoard of the Dragon Queen: Aftermath - Episode XII - The End of an Era

There was one chance to save Gundren from being sacrificed: to complete a task for the Kuo-toa tribe which held them captive. Specifically, they were to kill an evil one-eyed creature and retrieve a magical staff. Should those objectives be achieved the Kuo-toa would create a teleportation circle for the party to exit the Underdark with Gundren.

Through various trials and winding tunnels the party traveled, until they came upon a large golden portal suspended in mid air. On the other side, in an enclosed arena, a Death Tyrant waited for them, guarding a magical staff. It was there that our heroes made their stand. The Death Tyrant finally fell - but not alone. Kaelthiros and Murry both had been reduced to little more than a pile of dust by great beams shot from the Tyrant’s eye stalks.

The ashes of Murry had been sucked back into the now-sealed bottle to which he had been attached - immovable and unbreakable. However, Dain was able to pocket some of the ranger’s ashes. Perhaps he could still be resurrected . . . time would tell.

The remnant traveled back to the Kuo-toa tribal village with proof of their deed, and the magical staff in hand. True to their word, The Kuo-toa allowed the party to exit the Underdark with Gundren.

Hoard of the Dragon Queen: Aftermath - Episode XI - To Gundren

Our heroes battled many foes, pressed on through magical darkness, and suffered mental distortion and influence from some unknown source. Oh, and Murry is attached to a genie's bottle. Now, here they sit. Captives in the Underdark. Prisoners of a mysterious underground amphibious race. With their arms and feet bound, our heroes stare straight ahead, viewing the long lost Gundren atop a stone altar. Will they manage escape and rescue their dwarven ally from being sacrificed? Or, will some terrible tragedy befall them?

Hoard of the Dragon Queen: Aftermath - Episode X - Return to Wave Echo Cave

Having defeated two young dragons in Thundertree, our party returned to Phandolin to speak with Yennon Thorton. Onece they arrived, Yennon tasked them with locating the forge in the now-open Wave Echo Cave. The team was led by a halfling named Snipper (who apparently can walk on ceilings with his boots). While they discovered the forge shattered beyond repair, they discovered traces of Gundren - signs that he may yet live!

Our heroes followed the signs deep into the cavern, fighting a water genie along the way. Will they find Gundren as they travel deeper? Time will tell . . .

DM's Note: Daern's Instant Fortress - A Complete User's Guide

Last gaming session, the characters discovered the rare magical item, Daern's Instant Fortress in a white dragon's hoard. The player's jaws dropped as I read the description:

You can use an action to place this 1-inch metal cube on the ground and speak its command word. The cube rapidly grows into a fortress that remains until you use an action to speak the command word that dismisses it, which works only if the fortress is empty. 

The fortress is a square tower, 20 feet on a side and 30 feet high, with arrows slits on all sides and a battlement atop it. Its interior is divided into two floors, with a ladder running along one wall to connect them. The ladder ends at a trapdoor leading to the roof. When activated, the tower has a small door on the side facing you. The door opens only at your command, which you can speak as a bonus action. It is immune to the knock spell and similar magic, such as that of a chime of opening.

Each creature in the area where the fortress appears must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In either case, the creature is pushed to an unoccupied space outside but next to the fortress. Objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried take this damaged and are pushed automatically.

The tower is made of adamantine, and its magic prevents it from being tipped over. The roof, the door, and the walls each have 100 hit points, immunity to damage from nonmagical weapons excluding siege weapons, and resistance to all other damage. Only a wish spell can repair the fortress (this use of the spell counts as replicating a spell of 8th level or lower). Each casting of wish causes the roof, the door, or one wall or regain 50 hit points.

 Now, that might seem pretty straight forward... but I think it leaves a lot of room for elaboration, particularly since this magical item is incredibly powerful. See my DM rulings below:

• How does placing the cube work and how does it enlarge? The cube must be placed on solid ground in an adjacent square to the possessor. When the command word is spoken, the cube will grow to full height instantly, during the activator's turn. It enlarges in a predictable pattern: The door faces the activator in the space where the shrunken tower was activated. The tower extends 5' to the left of the door, 10' to the right of the door, and the far wall of the tower is 20' away from the door. If unmovable barriers (such as a cave ceiling or walls) would prevent the full growth of the fortress, it does not enlarge at all.  
• Who is the "you" referenced in the description? Attunement isn't necessary to operate this magical item. But clearly the description references a "you" as the sole operator of the fortress. It wouldn't do much good to have an unbreakable door if anyone who overhears the door's command word could open it. The "you" referenced in the description is the character that initially activated the fortress by using an action to speak it's command word. As long as the tower is enlarged, the activator remains the only person able to control the doors and shrink the tower.
• Does the fortress need to be 100% empty for it to shrink? Yes. No living or nonliving objects can be inside of it... but we're not going to go crazy with this idea, either. If a mosquito flies in one of the arrow slits and stays inside the fortress will still shrink. 
• Who can open and close the door and the trap door? The description clearly states that ONLY the activator can open the door by speaking the door's command word using a bonus action. This also applies to the trap door in the roof as well. Speaking the command word is necessary to open either door when entering and exiting. Anyone can close the doors (both of which open out, by the way).
• Arrow slits? How many? Where? The fortress has eight arrow slits - two centrally located on each side and only on the second floor. 
• How does firing from an arrow slot work? Firing through an arrow slot restricts the angles the attacker can see targets to a 90^o cone shape. The attacker cannot fire on targets directly adjacent to the fortress.
• Is there a defensive bonus from arrow slots? Enemies outside the tower can attempt to attack through an arrow slit. Arrow slits provide 3/4 cover, granting +5 to AC and Dexterity saving throws. Spells that rely on line of sight can also be cast through an arrow slit.
• What is the defensive bonus from crenellations? Within each 5' square a character can decide if they are fully behind the merlons (the solid portion) or the crenels (the gap) at any point in their turn. Crenels gives 1/2 cover from attacks outside the tower which gives +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. Merlons grant total cover from attacks outside the tower, preventing the character behind a merlon from being targeted with attacks.
• How does the ladder work? Climbing the ladder requires no roll but every 5' counts as 10' of movement.  
• How can the tower be damaged? The description notes that the tower has immunity to "damage from nonmagical weapons." The tower's resistance to all other damage is applied to magical weapons, siege weapons, spells, breath weapons, spell-like effects or other non-weapon attacks.

DM's Note: Building Daern's Instant Fortress

So, last gaming session, the players found the rare and powerful magical item, Daern's Instant Fortress. DM problem... how to make this thing a reality on the gaming table. I just know this thing is going to be used in combat on the grid. So I decided to make a practical Daern's Instant Fortress.

First step, making the descriptive text a reality. I did some quick sketches based on the description of the item and the picture in the DMG. Placement of doors, arrow slits, the ladder, and trap door had to be worked out.

Daern's Instant Fortress

Next, I gathered supplies. I figured I would want the model to be more practical than pretty. I decided that having all four sides open would allow everyone to see exact positions inside the fortress and access their miniatures to move them around. I purchased shishkabob skewers to make the ladder, square dowel rods for the corners, plain cardboard for the levels and crenelations, wood glue, an off-silver metallic spray paint to cover the whole thing, and some extreme sharpie markers to make sure I could write on the paint.

Daern's Instant Fortress

Then, I became carefully measuring and cutting cardboard, skewers, and dowel rods. I glued it together one piece at a time and then gave the entire structure several layers of spray paint. Lastly, I drew the 1' grid with the sharpie marker and indicated where unique features are located.

The end result, while not the prettiest, should be functional in the game.




Ground level - I indicated the original placement of the fortress's shrunken cube from which the structure enlarges. The door is also on this space. The ladder is on the opposite wall.

Second story - 15' up from the first floor, this level has one section missing to allow character to climb the ladder. The arrow slits are indicated with a single line inside two squares on each side.

Roof - Another 15' up from the second story. The crenellations were designed so that each 5' square had the option of total cover or half cover. The T in the corner indicates the trap door.