Gertrude (Kelvorda)

End of Dungeons and Drag Queens — contains spoilers. Only what is said in play or shown on stat cards; italic = derived from spoken rolls; — = never stated. Source: Dungeons and Drag Queens wiki (fan project), every value links to its moment on the site.

Gertrude (Kelvorda)

Skills

• Arcana +7
• Deception +5
• Herbalism Kit +7
• Insight +2
• Investigation +4
• Perception +2
• Persuasion +8
• Stealth +3

Saving throws

• Charisma +8

Features

• Witch of the Frostmoon — Describes herself as a sorceress who has been around for a very long time, a bit sardonic and kinda over it all. Her family cast her aside for being far too powerful and she lived alone in the woods. White hair, dark skin and antlers; the card reads Witch of the Frostmoon, Walks in curse first. DDQ E1 00:17:54, DDQ E1 00:18:52
• Johan Trembly and the skull — Flings her door open with Thaumaturgy for the peasant Johan Trembly, who asks for a spell. She says she does not practise magic for money and reads his great-great-grandad's skull inside a circle of light-blue salt. She asks only that his family remember her if she asks for something in return. DDQ E1 00:20:50, DDQ E1 00:21:52
• Warned of an inquisitor — Johan warns her that an inquisitor of the Glaring Sun with a garrison has been asking after witches who have lived for many generations and cannot die, seen eleven or twelve days ago. She decides she is no longer safe and flees with her Satchel of Holding. DDQ E1 00:26:07, DDQ E1 00:27:08
• Her secret at the temple — At the Temple of Wraiths a voice whispers on the wind to her alone. She starts to tell the party she has come but does not intend to leave, then Bob takes it back as her secret. Deception three plus five, 8; she tells Gargrim only that she is there to help her friend find the traitor. Princess senses she is guarded, and Troyánn, on a natural 20, that she is lying and deeply sad. DDQ E1 01:48:43, DDQ E1 01:49:10
• Eyes in the Dark — Her Darkness spell pours black fog from her mouth; she can see 120 feet with Eyes in the Dark and sees through magical darkness, which Brennan says lets her use Counterspell in it. DDQ E2 01:17:04, DDQ E2 01:20:13
• Herbalism tea — Her first Herbalism Kit roll is a three; with Twyla's Help she rolls with advantage a 19, 26 in all, and brews a tea that fills everyone's stomach and speeds healing. Brennan says the party gets the benefit of a full night's sleep. DDQ E2 01:43:31, DDQ E2 01:43:54
• Thanara looks back — Casting Detect Thoughts on Shalila she sees the death knights' memory of Roy and Thanara, and Thanara looks at her. She bolts from the memory and, after hesitating, tells Troyánn that Troyánn's father gave his soul. DDQ E2 02:06:21, DDQ E2 02:09:56
• Confession to the party — Tells the party she was not completely honest about why she is in the Underworld: she hoped to come down, not leave, and have her soul taken, but now wants to live her life. She says there is a curse on her where she can't die, not invincibility but just immortality, and she wants a natural death like everyone else. DDQ E3 00:12:56, DDQ E3 00:13:17
• The curse of immortality — Monét asks if the curse is her curse of immortality and Bob says yes and that she cannot remove it herself; Monét adds that it has to be lifted by someone, and they name Thanara. DDQ E3 00:31:46, DDQ E3 00:31:51
• Open mind before Nyruth — Casts Detect Thoughts on herself so Nyruth hears her thoughts; Persuasion with advantage, first die 13 plus 8, 21, then a natural 20. Nyruth kneels and trades the soul of Oliver Leiber for the corrupted Wraith Clasp, and a flying carpet for carrying a green vial. DDQ E3 00:20:26, DDQ E3 00:21:14
• Scrying for Wallace — Uses the crystal ball to look for servants in the tower and finds Wallace, whom Troyánn nets. DDQ E3 01:35:10, DDQ E3 01:36:32
• Thanara in her mind — At the Pit of Suffering: Investigation 6 plus 4, 10, and a Charisma saving throw 13 plus 8, 21, as Thanara speaks in her mind. She asks for the curse to be lifted; Thanara asks whether she never wondered who gave her the curse, and Gertrude asks if it was her. DDQ E3 01:53:19, DDQ E3 01:53:47
• Roy's key — A beautiful elven man, Roy of Karkyn, rises out of the pit with a key in his hand; she dashes over and grabs the key. He says to take care of his girl, and vanishes having given her the key of the chamber. DDQ E3 01:55:22, DDQ E3 01:56:21
• Tells the party she spoke with Thanara — Realises late that she never told the party she talked with Thanara, and says Thanara wants her curse but will ask a lot. DDQ E3 02:33:21
• Demands her curse released — Runs forward at Thanara and says she is there to have her curse released, and that she knows it was Thanara who put it on her. DDQ E3 02:34:20, DDQ E3 02:37:41
• Sees Thanara's sadness — Insight with advantage, dice 11 and 14, plus two, 16: she sees Thanara's deep sadness. DDQ E4 01:59:35, DDQ E4 01:59:37
• Twyla's wish and the vial — Twyla asks Thanara to restore the Fae dead and to lift Gertrude's curse as well, and Thanara says the wish is granted. Gertrude stops it, holds up her vial and puts it in Thanara's lap, saying it is the same kindness that was offered to her, and then tells her she can do it. DDQ E4 02:08:50, DDQ E4 02:09:54
• Thanara's account of the curse — Thanara says she saw a child with great magic and a pure heart, wished to bless her, and that her blessings are always twisted: she wished the child's life to be kept safe, and that brought the curse of immortality. She says she is sorry and cannot accept the vial, because she is the source of power for the realm. DDQ E4 02:11:50, DDQ E4 02:13:43
• Thanara's curse in the vial — Once Thanara has stepped down from her throne, she blows into the vial the curse that she must ever watch the Underworld, and her golden bracers vanish; she dedicates her adventures to Gertrude. DDQ E4 02:18:11, DDQ E4 02:18:50
• Her curse remains — Nyruth appears with a green bottle and tells her she still has her curse, offering a quest for a curse-breaking talisman in Kelvorda. DDQ E4 02:23:23

Spells

• Thaumaturgy — Cantrip: uses it to fling her hut's door open. DDQ E1 00:20:50
• Prestidigitation — Uses it to seem to drink at the tavern while the drink fades away. DDQ E1 00:49:18, DDQ E1 00:49:29
• Friends — Charms the bouncer Dag; Persuasion with advantage, dice 8 and 10, plus 8, 18. As she exhales, a black dust from her nose wraps around his head and he suddenly trusts her. DDQ E1 01:04:09, DDQ E1 01:04:33
• Detect Thoughts — Casts it on Twyla without her consent, and Twyla says so. DDQ E1 01:18:15, DDQ E1 01:18:18
• Message — Casts it to Twyla, then so that all four can talk telepathically. DDQ E1 01:24:32, DDQ E1 01:26:48
• Mage Hand — Uses it to pop Wallace's jerkin strings open and reveal his clasp. DDQ E1 01:30:00, DDQ E1 01:31:02
• Thunder Wave — Casts it with a third-level slot after hiding behind Princess: 4d8 with dice 1, 3, 3 and 8, 15, difficulty 16; six undead roll saves, four are destroyed and two survive. DDQ E2 00:36:43, DDQ E2 00:37:22
• Darkness — Proposes it in Nyruth's shop, then casts it: a pool of black fog rushes from her mouth and keeps coming, she can't stop it, until Nyruth sucks the darkness into his mouth. DDQ E2 01:17:04, DDQ E2 01:20:00
• Counterspell, known — Brennan lets her use Counterspell in Nyruth's darkness because she can see through it; it is offered, not cast. DDQ E2 01:25:46, DDQ E2 01:25:59
• Detect Thoughts on Shalila — Casts it on Shalila and sees the death knights' memory. DDQ E2 02:06:21
• Detect Thoughts on herself — Casts it on herself so Nyruth hears her thoughts, and Brennan grants advantage on her Persuasion because he cannot but know she is honest. DDQ E3 00:20:26, DDQ E3 00:20:50
• Spells she names — Over the combat she and Brennan name Eldritch Blast, Scorching Ray, Detect Thoughts, Hellish Rebuke, Darkness, Lightning Lure and Thunder Wave, with Careful Spell as a metamagic ability for protecting friends. Eldritch Blast, Hellish Rebuke and Lightning Lure are not cast. DDQ E4 00:37:54, DDQ E4 00:39:19
• Scorching Ray — Second-level, three rays. On Morgan: 11 plus 9, 20, and 12 plus 9, 21 hit; six plus 9, 15, misses; the damage dice come to 9. On Keena: 9 plus 9, 18 hits, a 14 on the die hits, 5 plus 9, 14 misses; 13 damage. DDQ E4 00:41:44, DDQ E4 00:41:50
• Fireball — Casts it on Morgan and Keena with eight d6, 3 1 1 5 5 3 2 1, 21 fire damage; Careful Spell goes unused and both fail their saves with 7 and 4. She notes she has only two Fireball slots. DDQ E4 01:14:47, DDQ E4 01:15:39
• Shield stretched — Tries to widen Shield onto Troyánn, with Brennan's rule bend: Arcana 6 plus 7, 13, against 15, and the shield fades. DDQ E4 01:25:17, DDQ E4 01:25:24
• Counterspell, cast — Against Morgan's cone a Charisma check against 15 with her plus five: she rolls a two and fails; Brennan allows a re-roll if Troyánn forfeits her next attack, and she rolls a natural 20. The spell is prevented and Morgan takes 16. DDQ E4 01:49:47, DDQ E4 01:50:16

Items

• Satchel of Holding — Carries a Satchel of Holding when she leaves her hut. DDQ E1 00:27:51
• Wraith Clasp — One of the five opal clasps found; each of the four party members holds one. DDQ E1 01:12:24, DDQ E1 01:14:41
• Inventory — Lists a Torch, Tinderbox, Herbalism Kit, Crystal, Dagger, Quarterstaff and Witch's Garb; the crystal is an arcane focus. DDQ E2 01:01:11, DDQ E2 01:05:13
• Green vial — Nyruth gives her an empty vial of deep green bottle glass, with a sigil and rune on the bottom, to carry always; if her curse is ever lifted it enters the vial and returns to Nyruth. DDQ E3 00:29:11, DDQ E3 00:30:02
• Staff of the War Mage — Takes the Staff of the War Mage from Norelle Blaze's treasures, much more powerful than her little quarterstaff; Brennan says it gives plus one to spells that make an attack roll. DDQ E3 01:08:12, DDQ E3 01:09:04
• Crystal ball — The treasures include a crystal ball on an ornate silver stand that scries over long distances. DDQ E3 01:07:56, DDQ E3 01:10:02
• Wraith Clasp worn — Puts her Wraith Clasp over one horn and then the other; her body convulses, a maggot crawls from her eye, and she looks undead. DDQ E3 01:13:47, DDQ E3 01:14:08
• Staff, spell attacks plus 9 — Now that she has the new staff, Brennan has her add plus nine to her spell attack rolls in all. DDQ E4 00:41:26, DDQ E4 00:41:37
• Vial given to Thanara — lost: holds up her vial and puts it in Thanara's lap. DDQ E4 02:11:14, DDQ E4 02:11:29