A bridge of engraved, colored limestone tiles stretches between two ledges and over a vortex of churning, pitch-black energy.
Presto stands on the far side, with Ginga, wearing the 3D-ish glasses and cupping his hands to yell at Eric and Lorne.
No! Only the *evocation* runes! Step on the *evocation* ones!
Both Eric and Lorne are posed, mid-stride, in different places, each flickering their gaze to the different tiles on their path.
Easy for *you* to read!
That was an evocation one! Right?!
Everyone make one AGILITY roll to cover the montage...
AGILITY reaction roll, Difficulty 17
Damage 3d8(5,6,2) + 3 = 16
Presto's AGILITY (+0), rolls a ⬙(7) ⬙(1) + 0 = 8, Failure, with Hope! (GM says: Take 1 Stress -- but STRANGE PATTERNS clears one Stress)
Lorne's AGILITY (+1), rolls a ⬙(12) ⬙(10) + 2 = 24, Success, with Hope!
Eric's AGILITY (+3), rolls a ⬙(9) ⬙(1) + 3 = 13, Failure, with Hope! MINOR threshold, direct damage, but...
Eric! Wait!
(to Ginga)
Ginga! Fetch!?
*Yip!!**
Ginga blinks from the ledge to appear just behind Eric, leaping underfoot and carrying him over a tile.
Eric spends a Hope, adding an ADVANTAGE die,
Eric's AGILITY roll 13 + Advantage d6 (6) = 19, Success!
Whoa-aaa!
Spending a FEAR to interrupt with a GM move. Make an action: Vortex of Black Energy.
The black energy from the vortex below suddenly riles upward, like an angry geyser. It bllows forth onto the ledge as the heroes scramble for the exit.
Similar to the Tier 3 Environment action Choking Ash from Burning Heart of the Woods. All characters must make a Strength or Instinct Reaction Roll. Targets who fail take 4d6+5 direct physical damage. Targes who succeed take half damage.
Difficulty 17
Damage 4d6(6,6,2,3) + 5 = 22
Presto's INSTINCT (+2), spending a Hope to activate Experience: Chosen Champion of the Dungeonmaster (+3), rolls a ⬙(11) ⬙(3) + 2 + 3 = 19, Success, with Hope!
Lorne's INSTINCT (+2), spending a Hope to activate Experience: Wilderness Survival (+3), rolls a ⬙(7) ⬙(5) + 2 + 3 = 17, Success, with Hope!
Eric's STRENGTH (+4), spending a Hope to activate Experience: Chosen Champion of the Dungeonmaster (+2), rolls a ⬙(3) ⬙(7) + 4 + 2 = 16, Failure, with Fear! MINOR threshold, direct damage... uses Lorne's RALLY die he's been given + d8 (1) = 17, Success!
Eric! C'mon! A coward like you should be used to running! Ain't your life worth it?!
Worth.. more.. than... you, runt!
As Eric leaps through and summersaults...
... and Eric swims up to face Lorne and Presto, motioning frantically with cheeks puffed for air. Lorne shrugs with alarm, and Presto presses the 3D-ish glasses more tightly to his face. Nearby, Ginga, doggy-paddles in a panic, as a giant shadow looms rapidly toward them- all-- the form of a hostile giant shark!
First, there is now a 3-point clock before you take STRESS from holding your breath.
Spending a FEAR to take the spotlight first. Roll to see who's closest d3(2) = Eric.
. . .
Attack: BITE (+2), spending a Fear to add Experience: Abusher (+3), rolls a ⬙(8) = 13 vs Eric's Evasion (9), Hit!
Damage 1d8(1) + 3 (+2 for deadly) = 8. LOL, really? Abs minimum damage. Minor Threshold.
Momentum: Successful attack = +1 Fear.
Eric screams, releasing a stream of bubbles, muffled by the water.
The Shark trails a stream of red, then pivots hard to dart to another.
Spending a FEAR to keep the spotlight. Roll to see who's next d2(2) = Lorne.
Attack: BITE (+2), spending a Fear to add Experience: Abusher (+3), rolls a ⬙(6) = 11 vs Lorne's Evasion (11), Miss!
Lorne = -1 clock
Mmmff!! Mmmff!
Lorne = 2-point clock
Eric = 3-point clock
Presto = 3-point clock
(This makes no sense! The door should be right over... here?)
Difficulty 17
Presto's KNOWLEDGE (+3), spending a Stress (School of Knowledge: Adept) to activate Experience x2: Trained by Merlin (+4), rolls a ⬙(9) ⬙(1) + 3 + 4 = 17, Success, with Hope!
What?! Hey, that's it!
Presto brings himself up short. The ocean water all around him, and the shark, disappears. Although he remains floating in the air, Presto sees the wooden doors that serve as exits to the otherwise featurelss room.
And yet...
. . .
. . .
Difficulty 17
Eric's KNOWLEDGE (+0), rolls a ⬙(12) ⬙(12) = Critical success! What the what?!
Okay, never mind the clocks....
What am I doing?! Illusion. Of course.
And yet...
. . .
. . .
Lorne straightens up, turning to face his friends as he leans against massive carved relief upon the imposing double doors. Depicting a river of screaming souls flow1ng through a ravaged landscape, they surround a trio of concentric, rune-carved platinum circles. At the circles' center, where they overlap and display runic etchings side-by-side, is an engraving of a leering skull.
I mean, *clearly,* it is trapped. If we knew the word it should spell in the center, we could turn the plates, and unlock the thing.
Did you try "PASSWORD"? No one would think of that.
Hmm? Oh! Yeah. I should.. try.. that..., or...
Presto pulls a stethoscope out of his hat, clears his throat, and kneels like any good safecracker. Slowly, he rotates the plates on the doors.
Oh, fine. Sure. I can help.
Lorne joins on the far end of the concentric circles, similarly putting his ear close, feeling the weight of the circles as they turn.
Difficulty 17
Presto's KNOWLEDGE (+3), spending a Stress (School of Knowledge: Adept) to activate Experience x2: Trained by Merlin (+4), rolls a ⬙(6) ⬙(12) + 3 + 4 + d6 Help from Lorne (4) = 29, Success, with Fear!
D... I... E...
DIE!
There is a huge THUD and the sound of a rusty chain moving, yet the double doors remain shut. Then, the dozens of carved figures on the door animate and turn to the heroes, growing and grasping as they extend from the carved releif...
Spending a FEAR to interrupt with a GM move. Make an action: Grasping Figures. (Similar to the Grasping Vines feature of the Burning Heart of the Woods)
Yes! DIE!!!
to be continued . . .
GM FOOTNOTES:
GM Fear total = 4
For the Giant Shark, I used the Bear stats ("everything's a bear", after all). But I switched out it's passive feature with the Harrier's "Maintain Distance" feature. This would make the Shark a Teir 1 adversary, however. That means it would NEVER be able to pierce above Eric's minor threshold for damage? Hmm. I wonder if we are supposed to make the damage higher, similar to the PCs having greater proficiency?
Edit: OOPS -- I missed that there is a Shark's stats in the Tier 2 Adversaries' list. 🤦♂️
That being said, it was essentially a trap or a one-off, not a full adversary encounter. If it were...
Battle Points: (3 x 3 PCs) + 2 = 11
-1 : the battle should be short
-2: +2 to damage rolls
+1: Adversary from a lower tier
= 9
Spending: 5 (solo adversary) + 4 (brusier adversary) = 9. Perfect!
Initially, I found the vortex bridge was a weird trap to convert. I guess if we're going one-for-one, then the Wisdom save that the D&D wants you to make should be an Instinct reaction roll in Daggerheart. Yet that doesn't "feel" right somehow... If it's meant to be psychic damage, then could it be a Stress attack? But on second look, that's not really a thing in Daggerheart. Weapons and attacks don't really target Stress solely; usually it's simply magic (as opposed to physical) while being a direct attack.