Solo LMoP - 02. The first journey together

 In the city of Neverwinter, a dwarf named Gundren Rockseeker asked you to bring a wagonload of provisions to the rough-and-tumble settlement of Phandalin, a couple of days’ travel southeast of the city. Gundren was clearly excited and more than a little secretive about his reasons for the trip, saying only that he and his brothers had found “something big,” and that he’d pay you ten gold pieces each for escorting his supplies safely to Barthen’s Provisions, a trading post in Phandalin. He then set out ahead of you on horse, along with a warrior escort named Sildar Hallwinter, claiming he needed to arrive early to “take care of business.”

You’ve spent the last few days following the High Road south from Neverwinter, and you’ve just recently veered east along the Triboar Trail. You’ve encountered no trouble so far, but this territory can be dangerous. Bandits and outlaws have been known to lurk along the trail.

This is the flavor text that brings us into our adventure. Last time I have spend some time entering the five premade characters into the game and thinking a bit about how they met. Drusa, Haunui, Egart, Harbek and Quillathe now travel on a wagon towards the town of Phandalin. 

Harbek and Haunui are the ones with proficiency in land vehicles, but the adventures states that this skill in not necessary to steer the oxen cart. The map in the book states that one hex on the grid equals 5 miles, making the distance between Neverwinter and Phandalin while following the road a total of 14 hexes, or 70 miles. Traveling at a slow pace (heavily laden oxen cart is not going fast) that would mean that the entire journey would take 4 days. That is quite some time to get to know each other a bit when there is nothing more to do than steering an easily commandeered vehicle. 

Drusa likes to flatter people, but does not like to get dirty. So it would be important for her to boost her position in the group as at least a temporary leader-figure. 

🎲Persuasion-check Drusa: 6 
🎲Insight-checks: Egart 16 (success); Harbek 21 (success); Haunui 4 (fail); Quillathe 17 (success)

Only Haunui however easily accepts the more experienced adventurers lead, the others smirkinly see through Drusa's attempts. Especially Harbek understands the insecurity that hides behind that facade of flattery. 

Egart, who not only has a criminal past in Phandalin, but also an aunt, would keep quiet most of the time and try to listen to the conversations his compatriots were having to try and figure out their motives. Especially Harbeks intentions are interesting to him. Harbek, who is outspoken about his want to teach the Redbrands a lesson would not pose a hard nut to crack about that, so I won't roll for it.

Egart, Harbek and Drusa are all proficient in the use of playing Cards, and Harbek brought a set of them. Passing the time of the travel we would have 3 nights of camping that would allow for some gambling. First, let's see if Harbek can motivate Haunui and Quillathe to play with them: 

🎲 Persuasion-check Harbek (DC 5): 7

The first night they play. First night is a fair play session, each one betting an amount that I'll roll for on the individual treasure table (Challenge 0-4) from the DMG. Then we'll make ability checks for the five of them, seeing how well they do in the course of the night. 

🎲 Rolling for stakes, 1d100: 85 -> 🎲3d6 gold: 6 gold

Quillathe does not have that amount of money, so she does not play. We'll roll checks for the card game now: 

🎲 Harbek using his Wisdom to see how the other players are doing: 21
🎲 Drusa using her Charisma to bluff: 21
🎲 Egart using his Charisma as well: 16
🎲 Haunui using his Wisdom to try and understand the game and his fellow players (no proficiency): 8

With each one betting 6 gold, the total is 24, which is then split between Drusa and Harbek.

🎲 Rolling for stakes of the second day, 1d100 : 4 -> 🎲5d6 copper: 20 copper

The second day, given the relatively big amount of money that was lost the last day, Quillanthe offers to play, but she wants much lower stakes since she does not have that much money. The game is played again that night, with everyone participating this time. Egart wants to play the long game, hoping to take more money from his traveling companions tomorrow and intentionally plays badly. 

🎲 Harbek (Wisdom+proficiency): 18
🎲 Drusa (Charisma+proficiency): 18
🎲 Egart (Deception to loose intentionally, against the highest passive insight in the party, DC 13): 17 (success)
🎲 Haunui (Wisdom): 13
🎲 Quillathe using Intelligence to comprehend the rules and play smartly: 5

Once again Harbek and Drusa win the nights game. With 5 players, the total winnings were 100 copper, split between the two winners. 

Harbek and Drusa start bonding over their shared talent at playing cards so when the third day comes they are eager to play again.

🎲 Rolling for stakes of the third day, 1d100: 19 -> 5d6 Copper

At this point, Egart would want to motivate his fellow adventurers to raise the stakes. Drusa and Harbek would agree with him but Haunui and Quillathe would not, leaving his odds at even.

🎲 Persuasion check Egart (DC 10): 14 (success)

Agreeing to raise the stakes a bit, the party decides to play for silver instead of copper. 

🎲 Rolling for stakes, 4d6 silver: 11 silver

The game is played again, and since the stakes are still pretty low, Egart does not try to cheat yet. All players therefor utilize their best abilities for the game: 

🎲 Harbek (Wisdom+proficiency): 7
🎲 Drusa (Charisma + proficiency): 10
🎲 Egart (Charisma + proficiency): 11
🎲 Haunui (Wisdom): 13
🎲 Quillathe (Intelligence): 8

This day, after three days of traveling, possibly with less-than-favorable weather there are a lot of distractions and it is Haunui who, using his fellow players annoyance to his advantage wins the 55 silver that have been put in. Cheerfully he goes to bed, leaving especially Egart - who has not won a single game since departing from Neverwinter - eager to win back some coin. 

That leaves us on the subject of food. Most of the adventurers started out with some rations, but not all of them. Quillathe has no food with her, but the good-hearted Harbek gladly shares his rations with her. Drusa brought only enough for two days, but Haunui will feed her for the third day of travel. 

There we go, we have not even moved into the first encounter and already we know a lot more about our band of adventurers. 

Egart has some resentment towards the others for loosing a lot of coin with playing cards and is determined to win it back. 
Quillathe has shown herself to be smart enough not to play a game that she cannot affort but on the other side has proven herself to be very inexperienced as an adventurer, bringing no rations and having to rely on her companions to feed her. 
Haunui is not the best card player in the group, but he has had some luck last night and feels good about that. 

This dynamic will help us make decisions in the next chapters to come. For now we'll leave our adventurers to their well-earned rest.