Our group continued Act Two inside the Temple of Ghatanothoa.  We used D&D Beyond for our characters, Discord to talk, and Roll20 for our Virtual Table Top (VTT).  I thought I’d share a little bit about yesterday’s adventures. 

After completing a rest in the entry, the players wised up and used stealth to explore the next area.  They were able to get the jump on the Ghasts in the stacks.  Upon finding the body of a priest (they assumed it was Brother Mateo), they decided to revive him through a lesser restoration spell.  I wasn’t 100% sure this spell would work, but I remembered reading this was possible if mummified from the young rootling???  Anyway, I went with it.  Mateo was revived and shortly there after attempted to retell his story.  One of the PCs in the group, a Paladin, selected the Watcher as her archtype.  I gave her the skill of Yog-Sothery which matched well with her subclass.  Anyway, she was able to corroborate Mateo’s story and add to what he was saying, plus using the evidence from the room.  The dwarf rolled well on her Yog Sothery skill test.  In Roll20 you can easily send private messages to players and it was a real joy letting the PCs explain what they had uncovered.  

Screen shots from the DM pov:   

https://photos.google.com/shar…..RVRGRqaTFB

and one from the player’s pov: 

https://photos.google.com/shar…..RVRGRqaTFB 

In the meantime, the blessed berserker smelled spells being cast and along with the cult fanatics surprised the party.  Once the cultist had been defeated the adventuring PCs sat down for another rest.  Of course, the PCs (new players to RPGs) did not conserve their spells and abilities well and thought they needed another long rest, but as DM, I wanted the PCs to be taught a lesson.  So I left it to chance and the dice allowed the PCs to only get in a short rest before two cult fanatics from the lower level came wandering by.  Once the encounter began, one of the cult fanatics took off running to warn the others.  As a result an elven ranger cast Zephyr Strike on herself and began the chase. One of the effects of Zephyr Strike is an increase in speed.   Of course running quickly she fell for the trap in the hallway, but successfully made her save.  She later broke free from the trap and continued the chase down the stairs to find three cult fanatics waiting for her.  The first spell cast was Command and Flee.  The ranger failed her saving throw and ran like the wind 120′ back they way she came, all the way into the stacks. lol

Later the PCs finished off the remaining cultist (though several of them fell for the trap on the landing again. Here are a couple more screen shots.

DM perspective: 

https://photos.google.com/shar…..RVRGRqaTFB

Player perspective after defeating the cultist.

https://photos.google.com/shar…..RVRGRqaTFB

Dynamic lighting works great, and when the party split it was easy to pull PCs from one level to the next into separate areas.  I really sweet gaming effect.  We are also using discord, so when players move to different areas (levels) we have different rooms in discord to keep players unaware of what the others are doing. 

All in all, I like online gaming for these reasons, but I miss my friends sitting around the table.  Hope you don’t mind that I shared our adventures and including these screen shots.  We are truly enjoying the campaign. I am already planning to start up a new campaign of Ghoul Island with another group of players.  Cheers