LogFAQs > #986343333

You creep back to the others, your movements as fluid as the shadows you hide in. You don't speak. You use a series of sharp, precise hand signals that even Gideon, the least woods-wise of the three, can understand: Danger. Close. Follow me. Absolute silence. Step where I step. He nods, his face pale, and you can see him consciously trying to control his breathing.

You turn and lead the way, your body low to the ground. You have never been more aware of your own movement. Every shift of weight, every placement of your foot is a deliberate, calculated action. You feel Vaela behind you, a perfect shadow mimicking your every move. You can practically hear Gideon's heart hammering in his chest, but to his credit, he is trying, desperately, to be quiet.

You pass the mossy boulder, and the full sound of the waterfall washes over you, a constant, rushing roar that fills your ears. The air grows misty and cool. Through the trees, the cave mouth behind the curtain of water is a pit of absolute blackness. The wet, tearing sound from within continues, a gruesome percussion to the waterfall's melody.

You are directly parallel to the den now, the most dangerous point of your passage. You hold your breath, your eyes fixed on the path ahead, on the safety of the deep woods beyond this terrible clearing.

This is a tense, critical moment. The entire party must move with stealth. I need a group Dexterity (Stealth) check from the party. Since you are leading and have established the pace, I will roll for all three of you. Vaela gets to roll normally, and thanks to your expert guidance, Gideon will not have disadvantage.

(Pint's Stealth Check: 1d20 + 5 = 25)
(Vaela's Stealth Check: 1d20 + 8 = 26)
(Gideon's Stealth Check: 1d20 + 4 = 7)

You and Vaela are phantoms. You glide over roots and stones without making a whisper, your forms lost in the deep shadows of the ancient forest. You are the wind, you are the dusk. You are almost past the point of danger.

And that's when Gideon's foot comes down squarely on a dry, brittle branch concealed beneath a thin layer of moss. The sound is not a snap. It is a CRACK that echoes through the clearing like a thunderclap, sharp and loud enough to momentarily pierce the roar of the waterfall.

A sudden, terrifying silence falls from the cave. The gruesome tearing sound stops.

From the blackness of the den, a deep, guttural HROOOOAAAARRR erupts, a sound of pure, primal rage that shakes the very leaves on the trees. It is the sound of a predator whose meal has been interrupted.

A massive, dark shape blots out the entrance of the cave. It steps through the waterfall, water cascading off its thick, feathery hide and bear-like torso. It is easily ten feet tall, a monstrous hybrid of bird and bear, its head that of a giant, unblinking owl with a wickedly curved, razor-sharp beak. Its eyes, two enormous, luminous yellow orbs, fixate directly on Gideon. It lowers its head and lets out another deafening roar of fury.

You have been spotted. The Owlbear begins to charge.

Roll for Initiative!

The clearing is roughly 60 feet across. You are on the game trail. The Owlbear is 60 feet away, charging from its den. Between you and it is the stream and pool formed by the waterfall. The ground is uneven and littered with rocks and roots.

a) Stand and Fight: This is it. A battle against a legendary monster. Form a battle line and prepare to meet its charge head-on.
b) Fighting Retreat: You can't outrun it, but you can fight a delaying action. Have one person hold its attention while the others fall back, creating space and trying to escape down the trail.
c) Scatter and Hide: A head-on fight is suicide. Yell for everyone to break formation and dive for cover in different directions. The Owlbear can't chase all of you at once. It's a risky gamble that might leave one person isolated.
d) Create a Choke Point: The trail is narrow. Fall back to a place where the trees are thickest, forcing the massive creature to squeeze through, hopefully limiting its ability to charge and bring its full strength to bear.
e) Anything else.