Session 094: Black Dragon Down Report

   

Npcs

Irgish the Illustrious

A formidable adult Black Dragon, the primary antagonist of the encounter. Cunning and aware of his enemies' tactics, he was protected by a magical orb that reduced incoming damage and healed him. He is capable of flight, powerful melee attacks, wing attacks, acidic breath weapons, and lair actions involving swarming insects. He acknowledged the party's efforts to remove his protective orb and declared an end to his alliance with Ursa before diving into acidic water for cover. He was ultimately defeated and fell into the acidic water, releasing a pulse of magic upon his death that interacted with the party's Silver Flame essence.  

Will (Tiefling Rogue)

Initially appearing as a Tiefling rogue working for Ursa, he is revealed to be a being from Earth (Hawkins, Indiana) inhabiting a body in this realm to find his friend Adam, also known as Pradham. He is skilled at lock-picking and attempted to steal the Dragon's protective orb to power a device for his escape, but his teleportation spell failed. He is pragmatic and focused on his personal mission, not caring for the realm's conflicts or treasures. He assisted in combat by striking the Dragon with a dagger and throwing a Healing Potion to Bastion. After the Dragon's defeat, he warned the party about Ursa and departed by casting an Invisibility spell to meet Adam.  

Aarakocra Paladin

An ally working for Ursa, sent to assist in confronting the Dragon. He is a paladin who actively participates in combat, using his greatsword and attempting to compel the Dragon into a duel with Compelled Duel. He heals himself with potions, confronts Will about his loyalty and actions, and helps transport party members across the acidic water. After the Dragon's defeat, he retrieves two Black Dragon eggs and advises their destruction. He later polymorphs into a Giant Eagle to destroy the eggs and departs with the Gnome Wizard.  

Barnaby (Gnome Wizard)

An ally working for Ursa, sent to assist in confronting the Dragon. He is a Wizard who casts spells to Aid in the fight and is present during combat and subsequent revelations. He finds additional coins in the hoard and uses Tenser's Floating Disk to carry treasure. He departs with the Aarakocra Paladin after the Dragon's defeat.  

Archers

Cultists loyal to the Black Dragon, firing arrows from hidden positions in the caverns above. Their accuracy diminished significantly after the Dragon was heavily injured, suggesting their magical advantage in seeing through the mist was broken or their morale was shattered. After the Dragon's death, some considered attacking the party for their treasures, while others fled in Fear.  

Satyr

A Familiar figure from the party's past, previously encountered in the portal room where he jumped off a bridge. He is found Unconscious among a pile of Dead bodies in the Dragon's hoard, revealed to have been a follower of Clavizdan and the last victim tortured by the Dragon.  

Cosmic Cat Guide (Voltar)

A mystical, starry-looking cat who appears when Shadow asks about contacting the cats. He communicates telepathically, uses Telekinesis to retrieve items, and is involved in an arrangement with Paradox. He needed specific dice cubes and items from The Lost Library of Cagliostro (a seed and a scroll) to fulfill his purpose. He advises the party on the Dragon eggs, warning they Lead to nothing good, and transports the party back to their ship through the mist, warning newcomers to stay on the path.  

Adam (Pradham)

Will's friend from Earth who was transported to this realm after an incident at a 'theme park' (portal). He worked with Ursa to understand the local magic and the power of the orbs, then escaped and is now in hiding, planning to meet Will to return home using the device he created.  

Locations

Black Dragon's Cavern

A vast, dangerous cavern characterized by a floor of acidic water, a towering Black Obelisk at its center, and a large, half-sunken ship in the corner. The air is thick with the Dragon's presence, the acrid smell of acid, and green mist that obscures vision. Metal veins run throughout the cavern walls, and the stonework appears to have been built around the ancient obelisk. During combat, the Dragon's lair actions filled the area with clouds of swarming insects.  

Half-Sunken Ship

A large vessel partially submerged in the acidic waters of the Dragon's cavern. It served as the location where a protective orb shielded the Dragon, housed in an apparatus made of strange Metal and crystals. Its mast provides a vantage point and was used by the rogue to slide down dramatically. The ship contains the Dragon's vast treasure hoard and has a hole in the back, with the rogue positioned on the lower deck.  

Thornduin

The party's ship, to which they are transported by the Cosmic Cat Guide after the Dragon's defeat and treasure collection. It serves as a safe haven where the party regroups, their temporary allies depart, and they begin identifying their newly acquired items.    

Spells

Fly

A spell that grants the ability of flight. Calliope previously had it active but lost concentration. She later considered casting it on herself using her pan flute, but realized she had already used the flute for a different spell that day.  

Prestidigitation

A minor magical effect cast by Calliope to create a flare in the sky with a sound component, signaling her position and calling for help from her distant location in the cavern.  

Polymorph

A powerful transformation spell considered by Calliope to turn into a T-Rex for combat, but she hesitated due to its high spell slot cost and her current distance from the Dragon. Later used by the Aarakocra Paladin to transform into a Giant Eagle to carry and destroy the Black Dragon eggs from a great height.  

Eldritch Blast

A magical attack spell cast by Sas, firing beams of force energy. It was used to target the submerged Black Dragon through the acidic water and obscured conditions, with multiple beams successfully striking it. The final Eldritch Blast delivered the killing blow to the Dragon.  

Hex

A spell prepared and readied by Bastion to be cast on the Black Dragon as soon as it reappeared from the water. It was successfully activated when the Dragon emerged, cursing it with disadvantage on wisdom saving throws.  

Mirthful Leap

A bardic ability used by Calliope to make a long Jump across the acidic water, using her movement and bardic inspiration to extend the distance, though she still took acid damage upon landing before moving to safety.  

Mage Hand

A spectral hand conjured by Barlo to attempt to retrieve glimmers of treasure from the acidic water, but it was unable to reach the distant items as they were beyond its thirty-foot range.  

Acid Breath

A devastating attack unleashed by the Black Dragon, exhaling a sixty-foot line of corrosive acid that melted parts of the ship's mast and severely damaged party members, dealing fifty-eight to fifty-nine points of damage to those who failed their saving throws.  

Compelled Duel

A spell cast by the Aarakocra Paladin as a bonus action, attempting to force the Black Dragon into a one-on-one combat engagement by making it fail a wisdom saving throw.  

Fire Blasts

Magical attacks attempted by the Tiefling rogue from his hands, which missed their target, indicating either a lack of skill or the challenging combat conditions.  

Haste

A spell effect that Sas still benefits from during combat, granting her increased speed (doubled movement) and an additional action on each turn, which she uses to unleash more Eldritch Blasts.  

Shield of Faith

A protective spell effect that the Aarakocra Paladin had previously cast on Sas, providing a plus two AC bonus. He drops this spell concentration to use other abilities.  

Feather Fall

A reaction spell mentioned as potentially usable to Slow a fall, though it was noted that it only works on creatures, not objects like the Dragon's corpse.  

Aura of Vitality

Cast by Calliope, this spell creates a thirty-foot radius aura of healing energy around her that moves with her. It requires concentration for up to one minute and allows her to use a bonus action to Heal one creature in the aura (including herself) for two d6 hit points. She used it ten times to Heal multiple party members and allies after the battle.  

Tenser's Floating Disk

A spell cast by the Gnome Wizard Barnaby to create an Invisible disc that floats and carries treasure, aiding in the transportation of the hoard.  

Invisibility

A spell cast by Will, the Tiefling rogue, as he departs the ship, making him Invisible and allowing him to leave unnoticed to meet Adam.  

Dragon's Breath

 

Items

Ruled Orb

A magical orb housed in an apparatus made of strange Metal and crystals on the half-sunken ship. It was used by the Black Dragon to protect itself, reducing damage taken and providing healing. The Tiefling rogue picked the lock, removed it, and kept it to power a device to return to his home world, Earth.  

Obsidian Dragon Skull Pins

Pins found on Dead lizardmen that were necessary to access the tunnels leading to the Dragon's lair.  

Teleportation Scroll

A magical scroll used by the Tiefling rogue in an attempt to Teleport away with the stolen orb. The spell failed, turning the scroll to ash and leaving the rogue stranded, demonstrating that teleportation spells do not Work reliably in this realm.  

Healing Potion

Magical concoctions used by Shadow, the Aarakocra Paladin, and thrown by the Tiefling rogue to Bastion to restore vitality during combat. A minor Healing Potion restores two d4 plus two hit points, while a regular Potion restores four d4 plus four hit points.  

Poison Arrow

An arrow imbued with potent poison, used by Shadow to attack the black dragon. It inflicted significant damage, released a swarm that further injured the creature, and caused the Dragon to become bloodied.  

Dragon Horde

A vast collection of treasure found within the Black Dragon's lair on the ship, including nine thousand two hundred Copper pieces, five thousand eight hundred Silver pieces, twenty-seven thousand Gold pieces, and three thousand nine hundred Platinum pieces, along with numerous gems, art objects, and various magical and mundane items. Much of it was submerged in acidic water at unreachable depths.  

Jade-like Rock (Creepy No Thank You Rock)

A peculiar Rock found on a small table next to a large creature's head on a slab, described as having folds and other gemstone-like inclusions, giving it an unsettling appearance. It was connected to the creature's head by Metal pods and crystals.  

Potions of Acid Resistance

Two potions found within the Dragon's horde that grant Resistance to acid damage.  

Pouch of Holding

A magical pouch with a five-inch by five-inch opening that can hold up to thirty cubic feet of material or two hundred pounds.  

Dice Cubes

A collection of four dice cubes found in a pouch: one solid green (residuum, a rare arcane material used for Crafting and replacing material components), one blue with a purplish side, one brown with cat faces on all six sides (taken by Voltar), and one wooden cube (taken by Voltar). The cat-faced and wooden dice were used by Voltar as keys to unlock The Lost Library of Cagliostro.  

Bagpipes of Invisibility

A musical instrument with arcane symbols that turns Invisible when played, allowing the sound to be heard without the instrument being seen, creating a humorous and perplexing situation.  

Steel Box

A protective container found in the horde, holding The Artificer's Primer and an Imprint Sphere.  

The Artificer's Primer

A fragile book found within the Steel box that allows a spellcaster with proficiency in their skill to craft items faster if they attune to it. It contains recipes for various items, including Imprint Spheres.  

Imprint Sphere

A black and red sphere, separated by a thin white wall, found in the Steel box. It functions like a 'Pokeball', allowing an adventurer to imprint and Summon Beast spirits. This particular sphere currently contains the imprint of a riding Horse. The recipe for making more of these spheres is found in The Artificer's Primer. It can be used once per day to summon the imprinted beast, which has a telepathic bond with the user within one hundred feet.  

Hunter's Quiver

A quiver that holds twenty arrows with a side pocket. If five Gold pieces are placed in the pocket, it refills any empty arrow slots, though this is more expensive than purchasing arrows normally.  

Supreme Healing Potions

Two powerful healing potions found in the Dragon's horde.  

Cape of the Mountebank

A mystical-looking cape found in the horde, a traditional magic item.  

Broom of Flying

A special-looking broom found in the horde that is capable of flight, humorously referred to as a Broom of Cleaning.  

Ioun Stone of Protection

A small blue stone that fits in one's hand, found in the horde, providing protection.  

Mantle of Spell Resistance

A small cape-like mantle found in the horde that provides Resistance to spells.  

Winged Boots

A fancy pair of black boots found in the horde that grant the wearer the ability to Fly.  

Grasping Whip

A curious whip found in the horde with special properties, likely related to grappling or restraining targets.  

Ring of Invisibility

A simple golden ring found in the horde that grants Invisibility to the wearer.  

Carpet of Flying

A cool-looking carpet, five feet by seven feet in size, found in the horde, capable of flight.  

Magic Vial

A vial found in the horde that produces one pound of honey per hour, up to a maximum of one pound per day, regardless of whether it is corked.  

Paper Fan

A cool paper fan found in the horde that, when used, produces no breeze but can extinguish any non-magical fire.  

Black Dragon Eggs

Two large, oblong orbs, each about three feet tall and weighing one hundred fifty pounds, discovered by the Aarakocra Paladin. They are identified as Black Dragon eggs, considered illegal and dangerous. The party destroys them by dropping them from a great height, causing them to Shatter and release acidic embryonic remains. A third egg was found already cracked open, with the hatchling's whereabouts unknown.  

The Lost Library of Cagliostro

A special book that Sas carries, which Vecna desires. The Cosmic Cat Guide uses it with specific dice cubes as keys to extract a simple seed and a scroll from hidden compartments within concealed Books inside it. The book is entrusted to the party by Paradox.  

Simple Seed

An item extracted by Voltar from a concealed book within The Lost Library of Cagliostro, which floats towards him and disappears upon contact.  

Scroll (from The Lost Library)

An item extracted by Voltar from The Lost Library of Cagliostro using the wooden dice as a key, which floats towards him and disappears upon contact.  

Saddlebags

Saddlebags that were attached to Artie, which are allowed to go with him when he is baked into his just kicking it over there state.  

Mundane Items

Various mundane items found in the hoard including a scroll with a long epic poem in praise of the Dragon, a hog's head (a large cask) containing sixty-five gallons of clean drinking water, a stuffed Owlbear, a hunting trophy, a Brass censor, an idol of Rexxar, and a bunch of rations.  

Gems and Art Objects

Numerous gems and art objects found in the hoard, including a necklace, an abstract spiral sculpture, a little Bronze crown, an Ivory drinking horn, and a Brass mug.