Murder Hobo Squad: A Lost Mine of Phandelver/Dragon of Icespire Peak & Beyond D&D 5E record (Beware Spoilers!)

The party made short work of the rest of The Black Spiders minions with the exception of the Drow crossbowman on the ceiling.  As his allies were killed off and Ramond was shouting out for a light source, he ran across the ceiling, down the wall and out through the southern doorway.  Continuing along the ceiling he ran down the corridors heading south along the western edge of the mine.  The party gave chase as best they could.  The Drow was double moving and they were trying to run and shoot so he was mostly outpacing them.  The melee characters decided it was their job to carry a lantern and double move so the archers could still see him from a distance.  The rogues seemed to be able to double move and still take a shot, but quite often Bilba ran forwards in to darkness and readied a shot until someone else brought some light up.  They’d chip away at him and then he’d run a little further and the gap would grow.  As he was about to move out of the lake room and potentially turn a corner breaking line of sight forever, Bilba was able to get the final shot in to him.

His corpse clung to the ceiling for a round or two as people continued to shoot at him and then he dropped.  They grabbed the body and went back to the Black Spiders room and searched everything while Talindra ritually cast Detect magic.  By the time they were done they’d found a magic spear, magic slippers, a magic staff with a spider sculpted on its tip, and what they’re assuming is a healing potion (DM: See below for stats).  They also found some money and a hand drawn map of the cavern showing only what they’d already explored, but with two written notes.

One note was on the fungal cavern, saying, “Dangerous spores?  Avoid?”.  The other was on the other side of the barricade and said, “Dangerous undead.  Flying skull.”  As the room was being looted Devere’s attention was drawn to the giant statue of a dwarf with emeralds for eyes at the back of the room.  Having seen a similar trap before he got super cautions and checked the statue thoroughly for traps.  It appeared there was an in built structural weakness and that the emeralds supported a small but important amount of weight and if they were removed it could trigger a chain reaction.  While he was up there he realised the emeralds looked off.  He called over Araloth who confirmed his suspicions.  They were just coloured glass and not worth the trouble.

Karson investigated the side room and found a battered dwarf tied up and unconscious.  He lit a brazier and untied him and let him come to on his own.  The dwarf looked scared and started to scooch away from Karson, who offered him some Goodberries and tried to be reassuring.  He eventually took some and relaxed and they had a chat.  The dwarf was Nundro Rockseeker, Gundrens other brother.  They updated each other on what they knew and Karson offered to escort him to safety.  Nundro asked for a spare weapon just in case and took a morningstar and shield from a dead bugbear, but couldn’t face putting on armour over his beaten and sore body.

Talindra had a quick look in Nundros room and down at the dig site for anything that might show up to his Detect Magic and didn’t immediately spot anything. The group discussed digging up whatever the bugbears had been looking for.  Nundro said he’s heard Nezznar (The black Spider) say he’d divined that some magic was buried there but didn’t know any more.  Devere, Araloth and Talindra were tempted to dig further, but Ramond pointed out this was unwise right now and anything buried would likely still be there after a nights rest.

The group carefully left the mine and headed back to camp.  As they got a few minutes away from the campsite Devere heard Gundrens voice in his head, “Hello?  We need a little help here!  Ah!  Go away!  Get off me!  There’s some…leave me alone!  My ankle! They’re in the camp.  We’re under…”  He informed the party and they picked up the pace.  As they drew near they ran in to one of Gundrens hired miners, Turval Heruca, running the other way.  He said Owlbears were attacking the camp and he’d run for his life.  The others were in danger.  They drew weapons and advanced and quickly saw the camp.  One Owlbear was on its hind legs swiping up a tree.  In the tree was another miner (Selwart Peters) throwing sticks and pinecones at the Owlbear while shouting at it to go away.  The other Owlbear was walking through the camp, clipping tents with its rear and sniffing at a cooking fire.

With no one in immediate danger the party held back, behind some tent sand the wagons.  Devere made the ground shake a little while Talindra replicated the sound of the dragons roar overhead.  They stopped what they were doing and looked up and around.  The tree Owlbear gave up on his quarry and headed to the other campfire, ignoring further thrown sticks.  Devere created the sound of thunder as the other Owlbear started trying to pull dinner of the campfire without burning itself.  The party started firing warning shot at the Owlbears or running in trying to look big and menacing and eventually chased them off, only losing one of the two campfires worth of food.

Gundren and Nundro were reunited and had a catch up and everyone rebuilt and repaired the tents.  Talindra identified their magic items and they discussed plans for the next day.  They check if Gundren and Nundro had any further information about what was in the mine and discovered that Nezznar hadn’t found the Spellforge yet as some undead were in his way.  Nundro didn’t know more than that.

The next morning they got up and went to back the mine and had a long chat about who would carry what light source and ensured backups were to hand and went back in to the darkness.

DM: We called it there.  It was getting late and any encounter would have us ending very late

Loot:

Serpent Spear

+1 spear, Uncommon

Simple Melee

1d6 + 1 piercing, Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8+1)

This simple bronze spear will turn in to a snake at its bearers request and wind itself around their arm.  Upon command it will slither in to their grip and turn in to a spear.  Once per short rest this spear can be commanded to turn back to a snake and attempt to grapple a large or smaller creature when it hits it.  The bearer must let go of the spear when this happens.  Once the grapple ends or fails, the spear will try to slither back to its master and up their leg to return to their arm.

Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. STR 15 (+2, DEX 14 (+2)

Constrict.

Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. The target is grappled (escape dc 15) Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and the snake can’t constrict another target.

Black Spider Staff

Staff, +1

The top of this black, adamantine staff is shaped like a spider. The staff weighs 6 pounds. You must be attuned to the staff to gain its benefits and cast its spells.

The staff can be wielded as a quarterstaff. It deals 1d6 extra poison damage on a hit when used to make a weapon attack.

The staff has 10 charges, which are used to fuel the spells within it. With the staff in hand, you can use your action to cast one of the following spells from the staff if you have levels as an arcane caster: spider climb (1 charge) or web (2 charges, spell save DC 15). No components are required.

Additionally, one spell cast from this staff can be concentrated on and not prevent the caster from concentrating on another spell cast by other means.

The staff regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges each day at dusk. If you expend the staff’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff crumbles to dust and is destroyed.

Slippers of Spider Climbing

While you wear these light shoes, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. However, the slippers don’t allow you to move this way on a slippery surface, such as one covered by ice or oil.