DavesGaming

Jill and company have gotten off to a pretty good start. I had wanted to have this update done last Saturday, but the Microsoft Generative AI I favor was broken. It wasn’t actually fixed until someday Monday. The good news is, that led to me playing around with something I will share below. The bad news is, this is running four days behind.

*****

Jill

Setting out from Candlekeep turned into something really bad. Gorion ordered me to run, I obeyed. But I heard horrible sounds of fighting behind me. I finally collapsed in tears after running as long as I could.

Christopher stood watch nearby, let the two of us have this time.

[This opening led to an interesting first act. Christopher was on point, the team tank. He had 8 hit points, Scale Mail armor and shield, a war hammer that he has no bonuses with. But Jill and Imoen are quite dangerous with their bows. Well, more dangerous with their bows than in melee]

As we walked through the woods, we were forced to fight a few times. Once I had to use my sword.

After a really scary journey, we made it to the Friendly Arms Inn.

We entered and found Gorion’s friends Khalid and Jaheira.

They had a mission, something about bad metal, so we agreed to travel south with them. This worked out quite well as they were both more serious kinds of fighters. They could block so Imoen and I could use our bows. Christopher stayed back with his sling, so he could heal too.
This seemed to work well.

In the next city, B something. Oh, I know! It was a bear and a ghost. Funny. But anyway, we met a mage girl. Her hair was as cool as mine! But she was being chased by some really nasty mages who wanted to cut her up. We couldn’t have that, so I asked her to stay with us.

She traveled with us down to Neshkill (?). But then she decided to go somewhere else. I think she wasn’t as scared any more.

We had to fight some woman who wanted to kill me. That made Christopher really angry. He even called her a bad name! We were going to head off to the mines next, but we met a confused Ranger who talked to his hamster a lot. But he said his witch was missing. I asked if she’d been turned into a hamster. I think I confused him more.
But no, he thought some nasty Gnolls had taken her, to eat her.

So we all set out to find Dina-somebody. We found a bunch of Gnolls in a ruined old fort. Chistopher knew a name for it and everything, but I’ll just call it old fort. We had to fight a bunch of those Gnoll things. Christopher used up all his healing magic because Khalid and Jaheira kept getting hurt.

But we found Dina! Minsc was really happy, and we got them back to the Inn in Neshkill.

Imoen had been studying a couple books she had and thought she could be a mage. Just like Gorion! That was exciting. But it meant she wouldn’t be as good a scout for us, so we’ll look for a new one.

We went the carnival, that was fun! I ate too much. We explored around the area some, and then got to the mines. It was full of those little Kobold things. Like dogmen with scales. And they smell! Especially underground. Oof, do not go there if you can avoid it.

We fought a lot of them, I used a whole bunch of arrows! And there was a big Orc guy deep into the mine. Christopher thought he was the bad guy’s boss, so we told he had to stop hurting people and ruining the metal. He looked at me like I was coocoo. So I had to shoot him, a couple times. What a jerk.

Later, we were exploring around the area when we found a halfling village. We met the nicest woman! She said she could help us with the scouting stuff. That made Christopher and Jaheira really happy. Imoen said really, she could do both jobs now. But Jaheira was worried she couldn’t “devote the attention it requires”. Oh boy! I asked them all to remember we’re all friends here, and this Alora was a scout AND a really good archer. So we could all be like bow sisters, and just go “Thwack” and kill the monsters! We laughed, and were ready to explore some more.

*****

I’ve done a few things different in this run. Some is just to be different. But I’m also trying to stretch the definition of a balanced team and see how effective we can be. And yeah, I’ve got three archers and slinger going now. A lot of missiles.

I think this will be the final form of the party, its now Jaheira on point with Minsc. I kept Khalid a lot longer than I normally do, I saw some “NPC Project” lines from him I’ve not seen before. But you know, by the 50th time I hear “My heart’s really not in this” he just had to go. So Minsc will hit harder but be less tanky.
Christopher will be a good cleric, and not much else. He does have the Gauntlets of Dexterity, which of course gives both plusses to hit and armor class. Bonus.
Jill is right alongside him. She has Mastery now with her short bow. And “The Dale’s Protector” gauntlets. So she hits often and pretty hard. She currently has over 40% of party kills.
The rear rank is Imoen and Alora. Imoen dualled to mage at 2nd level. Obviously she’s our mage. Who can use a bow. But she won’t be hugely effective with it.
Alora was rebuilt as a Fighter-Thief, short bow specialist. As a multi-class she won’t be as good an archer as Jill. But she will be pretty darn good!

One thing this party build will do is cause some scarcity of certain things. First, three archers using short bow. So short bows and arrows will be in demand. It may be a while before everyone has magic. Of course Imoen is a mage, so when she needs magic she can cast it herself.
All three of these women also use short sword! So another weapon we’ll have a tight supply of. Imoen will be able to use Quarter Staff, so she’ll likely do that.