Black Tom's Serpent Skull
Game Master Black Tom

Gelik and Hrakar only scratch the spider, but Aerys lands a solid blow. The spider turns its attention to her and makes a clumsy lunge which she easily dodges. Ralf starts to feel slightly better.

You are up again.

I assume I have to make another Fort save.

Fort: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

Hrakar takes another swing at the creature:

1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
1d8 ⇒ 3

Torch also makes another attempt to attack the spider, shifting to flank it with Aerys. Delaying if necessary, I assume that a flank is possible. Under that assumption: attack 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10, damage 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 plus 1d6 ⇒ 3 sneak attack.

Gelik takes another stab.

stab 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
damage 1d6 ⇒ 2

Ralf heals himself again.

1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Longsword power attack 1d20 + 4 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 - 1 = 6
Longsword power damage 1d8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 + 2 = 12

Aerys, watches the spider's bite miss her leg as she sidesteps away, but overbalances and misses with her next powerful swing.

As Aerys almost topples, the spider bites her in the throat for 5 points of damage (and a Fort save). Meanwhile, Ralf has managed to shrug off the poison.

You are all up.

Fortitude 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Aerys pushes the spiders mouth away from her throat as she instinctively uses her shield to protect her. It saves her from the full dose of venom that the spider attempts to inject into her raw flesh.

Gelik continues with the distateful extermination job.

stabbity-stab 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
puncturing damage 1d6 ⇒ 6

Still hoping to catch the spider off-guard to some effect, Torch tries again to slash at a sensitive spot. Trying the flanking thing again (remember you've got the +2 as well, Aerys!): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21, damage 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 plus 1d6 ⇒ 4 sneak.

Ralf tries to fend off any attacks with his stick.

take total defense

Gelik and Torch finish the spider, leaving you free to continue on your merry way.

You also get 80 xp each.

"Bloody..." Torch mutters, looking around. "How bad is everyone? Do we need to find a camp to deal with poison or healing?"

Aerys is about to slash another telling blow at the black arachnid, when it flops dead on the ground and she hears Torch inquiring about everyone's health. "Well Torch, its a bit more than a scratch, but I'll live. A little healing wouldn't go amiss. I'm more concerned about Ralf, he was the spider's favorite for a while. How you doing Ralf?"

Hrakar scoffs:"I'm fine, the old man... not so much. still dead dead set on this suicidal course, are you?"

Channel Energy:1d6 ⇒ 1

Channel Energy:1d6 ⇒ 2

Channel Energy:1d6 ⇒ 2

Ok... sorry people but I don't want to use all of those yet, hopefully 5 hp can help a bit

Ralf doesn't look too bad after his self-healing, just a little feebler (if possible). He smiles at Hrakar and says: "Thank you kindly, sir! I feel fit as a fiddle and ready to lick my weight in savages now."

Hrakar raises both eyebrows at Ralf's speech and waves away:"It was nothing, old man. Don't try to overdo it"

Gelik tries to flick the spider guts from his spear tip, still grimacing. He gives it up after a while, and sighs in defeat.

"Fit as a fiddle, and ready to move out!" Gelik proclaims sharply.

He falls into the marching order as soon as the group begins moving again.

"Much appreciated Hrakar" says a grateful Aerys. She wonders at the size of the spider and looks to her friends, "Onward then?"

Torch ignores Hrakar's gibe and takes the lead once again as the group begins heading down the path once more.

Aerys speaks with Hrakar, "Torch is quite keen on getting to the village, lets hope the path takes us there."

Well, you know... dice... Torch... catfight!

As you proceed down the trail, Torch is suddenly once again yanked off his feet and skewered on a pair of sharpened stakes concealed in the trees for 9 points of damage.

And that's with the +2 circumstance bonus. 80 xp to you. This takes place in Q7.

...

Hrakar looks at Torch, dangling on one feet in the air and shakes his head:"Convinced yet?. When Torch is lowered down Hrakar grudgingly touches him mormuring a prayer to Torag:

cure light wounds:1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

"That we need to get off this island? More than ever," Torch counters. "And... thank you." He touches the still-tender wound. "But the only way we get out of here is by moving forward, and I'm not going to let this place do any more damage to us than it already has." It seems clear he is not talking about the injury in his side.

Hrakar laughs at Torch's retort:"Being stubborn, are we? Very well.. lead the way, intrepid leader"

If you're going to press on, I'm going to want more Perception checks.

It takes every ounce of willpower Gelik possesses to keep from bursting out in laughter when Torch is once again skewered.

"What's the opposite of ironic?" Gelik muses as Torch is healed. He doesn't come up with anything appropriate and eventually gives up.

He continues to keep his place toward the middle of the group as they start forward once again, wondering exactly what they plan to do when and if they run into a large group of hungry cannibals.

perception 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Perception 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19

Aerys shakes her head, surely he'll start to see these traps, I thought that's what he was good at. She walks up to the nearly healing Torch, "You all right again, please be more careful to search out such traps, it just a good job they aren't buzzing with the natives." As she says this she looks around.

surely he'll start to see these traps, I thought that's what he was good at.

...twist the knife, why don't ya... ;)

Torch nods thoughtfully, though he winces a bit with the movement. "We should be getting rather close to the village," he replies, "and despite what Hrakar thinks, I'm not planning to stroll right in. We should move off the path, I think, so we've got cover from any sentries they might have out..."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25, -4 if sound is involved.

Aerys means it all in a nice sisterly way Torch ... :)

At this point let's see how this ends... I would have preferred we were lvl 3 at least before confronting a whole village of cannibals...

Me too, but we've kind of gone down this path, rather than just wandering the island as we go. I'd have rather gone down the paths, so we could of cleared them of traps and made a quicker escape route, rather than blindly heading off into more dense jungle. But Aerys is confident in herself, that she can handle things.
If someone is sneaky enough and can act as a scout, perhaps we can try and divide and conquer, before we enter the village and meet the main party of cannibals. If we can study what we are up against first, it would help.

You're not that close to the camp. You're still in Q7 and the camp is in S4.

We still don't have that good a grasp on the map's scale, I'm afraid...

Then let's go on, we need more exploration... I suggest we explore Q6 and then Q5. Anyone against that?

Sounds good to me. If I'm reading the map correctly, the path Tees SW and NE in Q6. The SW branch should lead to the camp, right?

"Won't it just take forever to cut across the jungle now? I vote we stay on the trail until we get closer, then cut straight south off the trail to sneak up on the camp."

"Far be it from me to ignore your wisdom, Master Aberwinge," Torch says with a wink. But he does seem to agree.

"Right, then let's go and hope your luck changes, eh Torch." with a wink. She takes her shortbow, knocks an arrow and starts on the journey, looking ahead to see the tell-tale signs of these traps and movements which might indicate danger.

Perception 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (10) - 1 = 9

Actually Ralf is the first to spot the next trap, well before you step in it.

That nets you another 80 xp and brings you to the intersection of the paths, which is about 3 miles from the camp.

"See, young feller? You'll live longer if you just keep your eyes and ears open," Ralf tells Torch with a lively wink.

"Right. Cross-country, then?"

Gelik is ready to try his luck moving off the trail toward the camp now, but of course needs someone to lead the way. You don't want to follow the gnome into the jungle.

"If by 'cross country' you mean we stay in the foliage by the side of the path and follow it into camp, then I'm all for it, but if you mean to just tramp the next 3 miles through the densest jungle, then maybe not. We should be OK until we get to about a mile from the camp, if we stay camouflaged going though the side jungle it may be safest." As she looks down the path, wondering what lies ahead.

"Sounds right to me," Torch nods. "Slower but safer. We might even want to look for a camp before we hit that mile or so out, so we can be rested and ready as possible before we get close enough to serioudly risk discovery."

You make your way through the jungle, careful not to stray too far from the path. Do you want to make camp before you approach the village? Or do you want to scout it out under the cover of night?

If it's night, Ralf casts a boosted Empowered cure on Torch.

1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10*1.5

"We're close enough now, let's stay here and someone can scout the camp tonight. Does anyone have anything that helps them see in the dark. I really don't see well when the night comes."

Hrakar scoffs:"I believe none of us has the necessary skill to scout the whole camp. Do we really want to try this? Seems like a suicide, really"