5d: Gladys Owlbears

Mind focused. Adventurer firmly in control, with Logic and Metaphysician assisting.

Party sailing ship, approaching first quest zone. Nav charts indicate Level 3 enemies but of course that estimate could be off and there is a chance of a Level 4 encounter, maybe even 5 if the surveyor had a bad day and the ecosystem developed. Or if random wildspace predator coming through.

Gathered enough data to estimate everyone's level to within a 2-level band, and probabilistically calculate our average Party Level to determine odds of success and proper level of paranoia.

Ra fal can cast level 3 spells and makes melee attacks twice as fast, so is definitely at least Level 5. Don't know rules for Bard Form that well, don't know if anybody does beyond 5 because data gets scarce at high levels, but the rules for spellcasting progression are very well-conserved and she's never told stories of anything that I recognize as a Level 4 spell, so she is either level 5 or 6.

I just got a significant Strength boost before this trip, which almost certainly means I just hit Level 4.

Sof has martial path (she calls herself Arcane Archer but she clearly fits the Eldritch Knight Form) so is at least 3, but no Extra Attack so not yet 5. No noticeable feats, but haven't gathered enough data to tell if her dex is boosted beyond the baseline, so could be either 3 or 4.

Tsinta is hard to guess because warlocks are weird. But I think she is just casting Level 1 spells, so probably she is either Level 1 or 2. Probably 2 because she's been on enough adventures to level. Let's hope she took a combat-relevant Invocation.

Rogues are also hard, but fairly sure Mabellyne does not have her Archetype yet. No evidence of Fast Hands, no magic, does not feel like Assassin. So probably level 1 or 2, won't know until I see her in melee and look for the Cunning Actions.

So our average party level is, probably, 3 or a bit higher. Plus we have a civilian Noble shooting crossbow bolts at things, which is a bonus as long as she stays out of trouble. With good tactics we can probably hack through a dozen Level 3 encounters. By burning spell slots and my potions we could almost certainly survive a Level 5 fight, but afterwards we would need to get out of here and search for a place to camp and Long Rest.

Ra fal burns all her Bardic Inspiration on boosting our intel and lookout checks. Respect. If we have good sitrep, we have good plans and tactics and we won't need them in combat, and if we get surprised or ambushed, they won't help much.

Tsinta spots Owlbear. Dumb melee ripper. Obvious tactics. Use their instincts against them, lure and ambush at time and place of our choosing.

Set loadout to Bait/Tank Mode to maximize Armor: Shield and longsword rather than two-hand greatsword. Damage probably won't matter much anyway because taking Dodge action all the time unless it attacks someone else or lands and gets flanked.

Make Nature check to imitate wounded prey animal, succeed. Lure requires me to doff crash helmet and replace with civvie broomer cap, hope that Fate doesn't notice that or bother to use partial armor rules today.

First encounter: Enemy flies in, hit with ranged attacks, swoops in, crit fails! Take advantage of that to attempt a free Trip attack, which succeeds! Enemy falls prone. Sof shoots it, then Ra fal charges, flanks, drops it.

Keep guard up. Make sure it is dead. Nothing else around, zero cost for taking time to be paranoid.

Time to loot corpse. And teach Mary. Doctor takes over.

Nature check to loot useful body parts. Crit success! Can (probably) turn gallbladder into Keoghtom's Ointment.
Metaphysician: "Ra fal uses another Bardic Inspiration on me? Either I've miscalculated or Fate is breaking the rules for Narrative reasons."
Ego: "Figure that out later."
Succeed in extraction. Complete lesson. Dispose of corpse. Revert to Adventurer.

Head to new territory, repeat lure.

Second encounter: volley hits, it crit-fails initiative, killed at range before even closing in. Fetch corpse with broomstick. Bladder ruined. Take fur and prime steaks as loot.

Third encounter: It attacks, misses, gets killed. Take normal bladder, fur, and meat.

Fourth encounter: Owlbear has better initiative, hits with bite, lands, hits with claws. Could drop if hits with another attack. Quaff Rage potion (mainly to gain damage resistance) and ready an action to attack when it is flanked. Ra fal casts Healing Word, charges in for the flank and attacks, we kill it in melee. Loot normal bladder, fur, and meat.

Retreat to safe island to set up camp for Short Rest. Start potions and ointment with Mary and Sof. Doctor takes over, Socialite assisting.

Mary: "So will this really cure any disease?"

Speak. "Disease has very specific meaning for adventurers. Basically only infectious pathogens."

Mary: "So what can't it cure?"

Speak. "Genetic deformities. Nutrient deficiencies. Repetitive stress injuries. Lifestyle illnesses. Anything related to aging or senescence."

Mary: "I don't know what most of those words mean."

Continue lesson. Discuss how spells and items patch up things that affect adventurers but don't have much effect on normal civilian ailments.

Mary: "But when I got my ankle sprained, a cleric was able to cure that with a spell."

Speak. "That could have been a Lesser Restoration spell, or it could have been a Medicine check and a basic healing spell, or maybe just the healing spell. Depends on the whim of the Fates that day."

Mary: "It is odd that you are unsure."

Speak. "There is no consistency in how magic reacts to basic little things like sprained ankles. It is like the rules of the universe do not cover it, and Fate has to decide on the spot.

Mary: "That seems like a strange oversight. The way you talk, there seem to be fixed rules for all kinds of bizarre things, but a common thing like a sprained ankle is an unknown mystery?"

Speak. "Know that. It sucks."

Lesson over. Time for dinner. Check owlbear steaks for parasites or persistent bioaccumulative toxins. Nothing found. Mab cooks steaks for dinner. Delicious.

Bad rolls on my hit dice recovery, Ra fal needs to burn another spell slot to heal me.

Poet: Once more unto the breach!

Next (Ra fal)