Starter Kit: Advanced D&D – “Part 2: A Terrible Transformation”

Podcast: Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry
Host/GM: David Nett
Original Air Date: November 10, 2025
Current Season: Ten Candles: Eclipse
Episode Summary:

Episode Overview

This episode continues the tense, urban Dungeons & Dragons adventure with the player characters facing a horrific transformation during a murder investigation. In a city teeming with intrigue, the team deals with a monstrous emergence, showcases inventive teamwork in combat, and follows the resulting horror’s trail into the city sewers. The session masterfully blends mechanics education, character-driven decisions, and story-driven horror, providing a captivating “starter kit” experience for both new and experienced players.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beats

1. Immediate Aftermath: Combat with the Monster

[01:30–11:18]

• The episode picks up mid-chaos, as the party faces a terrifying transformation: a young man, seized by Igneous, is suddenly overtaken by a monstrous presence—his face splitting open, tentacles and mandibles emerging.
• Players debate tactics in real time, discussing implications of urban settings for class abilities (e.g., warlocks, rangers).
• Combat Highlights:
  • Eraviel attempts to use Toll the Dead—“I point at Tentacle Boy, and the sound of a dolorous bell fills the air...” (Eraviel, [04:02]).
  • Narlak launches a bold Firebolt: “He can take it right here” (Narlak, [05:18]), hitting the creature for 9 damage.
  • Igneous tries to disengage, but is lashed by a tentacle, fails his saving throw, and is paralyzed: “Oh, so you rolled a one. This is one of those times when you don’t want to have rolled a one.” (David, [09:00])
  • The creature emerges fully—a centipede-like horror with tentacles and mandibles, eight or nine feet long.
  • Shywin bursts onto the scene, casts Hunter’s Mark, and delivers dual bow shots: “You basically marked this thing; this is your quarry.” (David, [12:02])
  • Leona and Eraviel rush to join melee; Leona lands a decisive sword blow as the monster flees into the night.

2. Pursuit and Investigation: Into the Sewers

[24:08–34:05]

• The creature escapes into the city’s sewer system; Shywin expertly tracks it with her ranger skills and Hunter’s Mark:
  • “You can totally follow it by the broken branches and stuff.” (David, [26:13])
• The party navigates into darkness, forming a new marching order and lighting the way with spells as they track the monster’s slimy path.
• A standout moment: Igneous uses Speak with Animals to question the sewer’s rats, extracting valuable (and hilarious) intelligence:
  • “I give them some…we have a little conversation.” (Igneous, [31:03])
  • Rats describe seeing “big worm…legs and worms on face,” but disagree on which way it went.
  • The party also learns that people “like us, dark, cloaked” have passed this way recently.

3. Return to Crime Scene: Clues and Analysis

[35:21–42:50]

• The characters decide to return to the original murder scene, finding City Watch have uncovered new evidence:
  • Four bodies bearing “harpy” tattoos, three with “rivers” gang symbols; several mangled by the same tentacle burns seen on the creature, others stabbed or torn apart.
  • Loot is discovered (lockpicks, jewelry, gold) consistent with an interrupted robbery.
  • “You actually have a really good memory… that was Madam Flagstaff’s diamond choker.” (David, [40:40])
• The group assesses the possibility of rival gangs interrupted by the monstrous intruder—was it a setup, or coincidence?
• Through survival checks, most of the party recognizes the monster as a carrion crawler—a known scavenger of the city’s depths, but one never before seen to puppet a human:
  • “Are they known to take control of human bodies?” (Leona, [36:29])
  • “Not in the slightest that you’ve ever heard.” (David, [36:32])

4. Theories & Next Steps

[41:38–43:54]

• The episode closes with cementing the mystery: two gangs, a gruesome, seemingly supernatural event, and clues leading only to more questions.
• As dawn breaks, the party’s supervisor Smiles acknowledges their progress and leaves the team to puzzle over the night’s events:
  • “Congratulations on catching a case. I expect you’ll keep working on it.” (Smiles, [43:33])

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Spellcasting Tactics:

  • “We have different prior—” (Eraviel, gently calling out a party member’s disregard for friendly fire, [05:20])

• On Monster Transformation:

  • “The boy’s face is peeling open now…his skin is peeling open. Oh, boy.” (David, [07:01])

• On Ranger Prowess:

  • “Rangers don’t get lost.” (David, [28:39])

• On Animal Empathy:

  • “I talk to animals. They’re lovely little creatures, really.” (Igneous, [34:45])

• On Urban Druid Life:

  • “This is where you’ve lived largely. It’s closer to the bedrock of the city.” (David to Igneous, [27:23])

• On Unanswered Mysteries:

  • “Are they known to take control of human bodies?”—Leona
  • “Not in the slightest that you’ve ever heard.”—David ([36:29–36:32])

• On Crime Scene Humor:

  • “You can’t wear the same necklace to…two…” (Leona, [40:57])

• On Party Dynamics:

  • “You have that very impressive longbow. I think maybe we put Igneous right behind me in this case, though, because he’s got an advantage down here.” (Leona, planning the marching order, [27:14])

Key Segment Timestamps

• 01:30 — Recap of previous events; DM’s comments on urban adventures
• 03:22 — Combat begins; Eraviel and Narlak attempt ranged spells
• 05:40 — First direct Firebolt hit lands on the monster
• 09:00 — Igneous becomes paralyzed by carrion crawler’s poison
• 10:34 — Creature finishes transformation; full horror revealed
• 12:02 — Shywin casts Hunter’s Mark; dual bow attack sequence
• 17:00 — Eraviel summons her magical flail “Glash”
• 23:11 — Leona slices the monster as it flees; chase begins
• 26:03 — Shywin’s high survival check finds the tunnel trail
• 30:10 — Igneous “converses” with rats; split reported on monster direction
• 36:02 — Group deduces it’s a carrion crawler, with formerly unknown behavior
• 39:02 — Return to the scene; City Watch updates on clues, loot, gangs
• 43:33 — Supervisor Smiles gives remarks; team faces a long investigation ahead

Conclusion & Teasers

The episode artfully blends atmospheric tension, mechanical teaching, and player-driven action. Despite setbacks (and a spectacular failure against monster paralysis), the party presses on, blending city guard procedures with urban exploration. The discovery that the familiar sewers harbor unfamiliar terrors sets the stage for both monster hunting and tangled human intrigue going forward.

Next Time on Starter Kit:
[43:59+]

• The party prepares to face the thieves’ quarter, seeking answers from rival gang leaders—and perhaps the head of the harpies in disguise.

Perfect for: Fans of D&D, actual play podcasts, and gritty urban fantasy, as well as new players curious about city-based campaigns and how “nature” classes adapt to concrete jungles.