Keildrithe has been unusually silent throughout the party's rest period, and well into the current dark "day." He seems to have run out of inspiring words and odes. It is as though he shares Alton's thoughts concerning the party's ongoing determination to explore every last corner of the crypt, but his expression is far more glum than the halfling's. And perhaps he is more shaken by the darkening features of some of his companions than he cares to say.
The hedilye accepts Nicolai's proffered coin when it is offered, without speaking a word.
When the cave with the animal bones collapses, he tenses, eyes wide, teeth clenched, ready to hurl his newly acquired javelin if need be.
Laithe dives out of the doorway, attempting to pull Nicolai back out of harm at the same time.
Not sure if you can aid another with a reflex save, but if possible Laithe will try and grab one of the others as well as he springs clear?
Reflex Save: 1d20 + 4
As a one off, I’ll let you take up to 4 points of your reflex save and ‘give’ it to Nicolai, to reflect that you’re somewhat putting yourself in danger to help him.
When the dust starts to settle and people begin to pick each other up, Pharris moves forwards ahead to guard everyone, sword raised above her head at the ready.
As a one off, I’ll let you take up to 4 points of your reflex save and ‘give’ it to Nicolai, to reflect that you’re somewhat putting yourself in danger to help him.
That's awful nice, of BOTH of you! ;) I'll take it if it doesn't get Laithe killed! If not I would trust the others to dig me out before I suffocated. Ok, wait, that may be true, but I'd rather NOT be under a ton of mud, waiting to be dug out, while giant centipedes or other bug-nasties crawl overhead distracting my would be rescuers! After all, 'All Dm's ARE evil'! ;P
Nicholai's yelp turns into a cough as mud splatters into his mouth, then he feels a yank on his embroidered collar,...
As a one off, I’ll let you take up to 4 points of your reflex save and ‘give’ it to Nicolai, to reflect that you’re somewhat putting yourself in danger to help him.
Which would put us on the same result...meaning we both get clear or both get caught up in it. It's true what they say; all DMs are evil...
As Laithe dives to the side he reaches out and yanks at the back of Nicolai's cloak, hoping to pull the mage out of the path of the descending mud, stone and earth.
Alton leaps clear of the rock and mud slide, but as Laithe grabs for Nicolai, both men are swept up in the stream, knocked from their feet and pummelled by the churning rocks.
Nicolai and Laithe are both knocked prone, stuck in the mud (two move actions to get free), and suffer 3 points of damage.
As the slide subsides, all is still for a brief moment ... then something seems to move in the mud within the room ...
Alton clears the slide, luckily keeping his feet and whirls back to face the slide, looking for his 2 companions and this new threat.
initiative 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Nicholai coughs and wipes mud from his eyes. Looking to Laithe beside him with a weak grin. He starts to wiggle, trying to get out of the mud, then notices something cause the mud to ripple in the room.
"Oh,... I've got a bad feeling about this!" He murmurs.
I do hope you let yourself have a little Muhahahahahahaha when you wrote that Mothman?
Initiative: +1 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
And Kajetans run of great rolls continues.....
Kajetan still can't comprehend what is going on his mind racing in fascination as he goes through all the spell effect that could cause the ceiling to collapse. His weak eyesight doesn't help him in anyway on noticing that there is an eddy in the mud.
Init table:
Alton: 17
Pharris: 11
Laithe: 9
Shapes in the mud: 6
Nicolai: 4
Kajetan: 3
Keildrithe: 2
Alton and Pharris are up. All they can see at the moment are a couple of rounded blobs that seem to be moving or ‘swimming’ through the mud towards where Laithe and Nicolai are stuck. The blobs are about 15 feet away from the two men. You will need to move through / over the mud slide if you want to reach them, it counts as difficult terrain. Remember that Laithe and Nicolai need two move actions to pull themselves free – someone else can provide one (or both) of those move actions, helping them to dig free, pulling them out or what have you.
Pharris moves up 15ft and interposes herself between the blobs and the fallen. She raises the sword higher and repeats her mantra again and again under her breath.
Full move to front and then ready attack when the blobs come close enough to her. To save time here are the attack rolls 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13, damage 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 3) + 1 = 6
Seeing the shapes moving towards Nicolai and Laithe Alton steps forward into the mud slide
'Eeny meeny miny moe' the halfling mutters to himself before reaching out to Nicoli and starts hauling the dandy out of the mud.
'Looks like your going to need a new outfit my friend.'
im assuming Alton is close enough to use one move to get to them and another to start helping up Nicolai. If he was close enough for a 5ft step and 2 moves getting him completely out even better!
The shapes in the mud surge towards Pharris, revealing themselves as short, humanoid shaped figures, either formed of or completely covered in mud and pieces of rock.
As Laithe struggles free from the mud, Pharris swipes at the nearest creature, but her sword bounces harmlessly off its rocky hide.
Two of the rock-and-mud monsters swing at Pharris with fist-like appendages, one of them connecting solidly, knocking the wind out of here and nearly dropping her into the mud 9 points of damage.
The other two creatures skirt around her Pharris may take an AoO to attack Laithe and Nicolai. Laithe, now free from the mud is able to dodge aside, but Nicolai is smashed in the side of the head by a stony fist for 8 points of damage.
'Eeny meeny miny moe' the halfling mutters to himself before reaching out to Nicoli and starts hauling the dandy out of the mud.
'Looks like your going to need a new outfit my friend.'
"No problem. I was planning on going shopping anyway. This outfit is SO last season!" Nicholai grins at the halfling as he grabs the dandy's arms. Nicholai grunts a little as ALton tugs, the mud making a sucking sound as it reluctantly releases it's grip on the sorcerer.
"Almost out!" The dandy cries gleefully, flexing his legs. "I think I can get it from,.. what in Arton's name is that?! He cries, just in time to get slammed by the earthen fist of the strange creature.
Current HP:13 THAT'S gonna leave a mark! ;P
DM, will I draw an AoO if try to move completely out of the mud this turn? Or has it spent it's action? Same with spellcasting I guess. Trying to see what I can do withOUT taking another hit this round!
Your initial thought is that these creatures might be mud men, but their rocky hides under the coating of mud gives you pause … and you soon realise that they must be earth elementals, albeit particularly muddy ones.
By their size they are probably amongst the least of the elemental creatures from the Plane of Earth, but they are still more dangerous than the average human, and their stony hides make them difficult to destroy. They can move easily through stone, dirt and almost all types of earth except metal as easily as a fish moves through water. They fight tenaciously, but have been known to become somehow disoriented if their opponents are airborne or waterborne.
Casting on the defensive it is! 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18
Nicholai groans in pain from the rock-creatures blow, and yanks his hands from Alton's grip. He lays still for a moment, but Alton can see the dandy's fingers moving. In a sudden burst of movement, Nicholai raises his hands and shouts arcane syllables, and the familiar burst of multiple blazing white bolts fly from his fingertips to strike the creature.
Cast defensive, MM with boost from gloves. 3 missiles
The magical missile slam into the monster menacing Nicolai, sloughing away lumps of mud and quickly reducing the thing to an inert pile of broken stone and wet dirt.
"Oh bother, here we go again," Groans Kajetan, his mind racing to try and find the best spell fit to the solution as he casts False Life to bolster his defences.
False Life temporary hit point 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
He then uncertainly moves towards the mud, trying to gauge where he could fit a 10 foot burst or a 15 foot cone with out harming his companions.
Kajetan doesn't have much luck does he, bless him, Max HP now 12.
Alright, I think Twiceborn must be absent again ... Now that the messageboards seem to be mostly behaving themselves again I will act for him.
Keildrithe finds his voice and begins reciting an old Karandic tale of heroes prevailing over sinister monsters of the underworld. Inspire courage, +1 to attack, damage etc.
Pharris struggles back through the mud her sword waving all over the place until she reaches the still moving rock monster. Then Pharris briefly steadies herself and throws her weight behind a deep blow.
Alton cringes as Nicolai is hit by the strange creature, wishing he had been faster in helping his friend out of the mud. The halfling draws his longtooth dagger, and moves to the nearest enemy to attack.
attack 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 1 = 28 damage 1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 1 = 6 to confirm critical, if criticals are possible 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13 damage 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Again, Pharris’ aim is off (as her legacy of poor attack rolls continues – time for new dice? and the strike skitters off rock.
Alton’s attack is more precise, the magical blade finding seams and fissures in the creature’s rocky hide, tearing at them and seeming to wound the thing, though it stands yet. Unfortunately it is immune to critical hits, and you did not confirm anyway.
Finding himself free of the mud but immediately set upon by one of the mud creatures, Laithe immediately wills a transformation into his favoured wolf form and snaps back at the bogman attacking him. Still weakened from their previous encounters in the tomb though, his aim is off and his jaws fail to find purchase on the creature's stony hide.
Finding himself free of the mud but immediately set upon by one of the mud creatures, Laithe immediately wills a transformation into his favoured wolf form and snaps back at the bogman attacking him. Still weakened from their previous encounters in the tomb though, his aim is off and his jaws fail to find purchase on the creature's stony hide.
The rocky creatures return the groups’ attacks, bashing away with stone fists, flinging gobs of mud as they move.
Two of the monsters attack Pharris – she is able to defend herself against the first, but the second strikes her with a glancing but still damaging blow for 5 points of damage.
The creature that is being attacked by Alton and Laithe focuses its attention on the diminutive swashbuckler, hitting Alton solidly in the chest for 9 points of damage.
What is the chance of getting a glitterdust (10 foot radius spread) or a color spray (15 foot cone) off with out hitting allies, even if the cone means moving into the mud.
Kajetan looks on at the moving ebb and flow of the battle, still trying to work out where he can place a spell.
What is the chance of getting a glitterdust (10 foot radius spread) or a color spray (15 foot cone) off with out hitting allies, even if the cone means moving into the mud.
Kajetan looks on at the moving ebb and flow of the battle, still trying to work out where he can place a spell.
Given the tight quarters and arrangement of the combatants, getting a cone in there would be very difficult (without hitting allies); however, you could definitely drop a glitterdust at the back of the melee, catching Pharris’ two opponents in the area of effect without hitting any of your allies.
Thank you
Kajetan decides that he can hit the back two mud elemental with the glitterdust and while pronouncing the words of power he throws into the air a pinch of ground mica. The powder flashes over the heads of the combatants before exploding into a brilliant blast of golden sparkling powder. It coats the area.
Is there enough space for Keildrithe to move in near the front line and engage one of the creatures in melee without entering the mud? He would ideally like to move near Pharris, but will fight alongside any of his other companions if that would make more sense.
Is there enough space for Keildrithe to move in near the front line and engage one of the creatures in melee without entering the mud? He would ideally like to move near Pharris, but will fight alongside any of his other companions if that would make more sense.
The passage is ten foot wide, and currently the floor is covered in mud up to the junction where Kajetan and Keildrithe stand.
Ten feet beyond them (in the mud) is Nicolai, next to him is Altai. In the five feet beyond them is one of the rock monsters and Laithe. Five foot gap, then Pharris, further yet down the passage. In the five foot beyond her the last two rock monsters stand side by side, attacking her.
So – it is impossible to reach any of the enemy in melee without entering the mud (or flying) and currently impossible to engage any of them anyway without reach weapons due to various people blocking the way. If Nicolai steps away (he might risk an AoO), someone could get in there and fight the one that Laithe and Alton are attacking.
Seeing that there is insufficient space for him to join his companions on the front line, Keildrithe snarls in frustration, abruptly ending the war poem he had begun to recite above the din of the battle. Still, the words had their desired effect, and continue to bolster the courage of the Karand's allies... for now...
He utters a few words of power, snaps his fingers, and dozens of glittering butterflies appear from out of nowhere, fluttering around one of the mud creatures...
"Pharris, withdraw," pleads the bard...
Casting prestidigitation, with the hope that it will distract the elemental that is attacking Pharris. Bardic knowledge check to determine whether Keildrithe might have heard other ways of defeating or defusing encounters with such creatures: 9 + 3 = 12.
Kajetan completes his spell and glowing motes appear and swirl around the two monsters attacking Pharris, settling over them. Now that the mud has begun to drip away, you can see that the short stocky rock-monsters have glowing gem-like eyes. One of the creatures has the glowing dust concentrated around its eyes, and flails wildly – the other seems less affected.
