Randall believes this strange creature might be a fabled muck lion - a kind of elemental vermin believed to dwell in deep forgotten places where the border between the world and the elemental planes is thin.
You get one thing. What would Randall like to know?
Firiel's blast of frost badly misses the mark and sails off into the darkness.
Prickles and his mighty wand have bit more luck, pelting the muck lion with a tiny mote of force.
The muck lion lunges at Njord with its brightly shining mandibles!
It grabs a solid hold of the big ulfen and begins violently shaking him. As it does the mud covering its enormous form begins to slide over the hapless warrior, threatening to bury him alive!
Njord needs to make a DC 32 fort save or be buried.
Female Halfling Rog 3 / Sorc 4 / AT 7 [ HP 94/94 (0 NL) | AC 21 Tch 17 FF 16 | Fort +9* Ref +16* Will +14* | CMD 21 | Init +5 | Perc +16 | Effects: none ]
Metapeeging Knowledge (Planes) to Aid Asht'el:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Prickles, seeing Asht'el concentrating, puts the wand in his mouth momentarily, then stands on his hind legs and waves his front arms wildly to get the ifrit's attention. "Squeak!" he exclaims, pantomiming and wriggling his body about, then throwing himself to the ground and flopping around like a fish out of water. "Sque-squeak!"
Female Kobold Skirmisher Ranger 5/Bard 8 — HP 87/87 (74/74) | AC 21 (FF 16/T 15) | CMD 24 | Fort +7, Ref +13, Will +7 | Perc +4| Init +7 (+9 underground) | Sense Motive +20
Actually, I'll just do y'all this solid: Standard action, Loremaster!
Knowledge (planes) (Good Hope):20 + 17 + 2 = 39
As Xiddik sings, she starts slipping details she recalls into her tune. She once met a wayward xorn who would absolutely not shut up about muck lions, and so she turns her song into a humorous sort of tune about the xorn's multiple unlucky dealings with the creatures.
"Rockin',
rockin' and rolling
Down to the rifts I'm strolling
But the muck lions
pour mud on my head
—not fun!—
I said, 'Lions,'
Mm!
'Stop it now!'
Ooooh haaa ha oohoo ha ha ooooh haa ha oohoo ah ha..."
Continuing Bardic Performance.Don't forget Good Hope (+2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls) and performance (+2 competence bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saves against fear or charm).
Regarding Knowledge, I never know what to ask for. Since no known vulnerabilities exist, just give me whatever you think the xorn would complain about most. ;D
Xiddik recalls spending time with a drunk and quite verbose Xorn who went on and on about muck lions.
In addition to the smothering attack that Njord was hit by, Xorn can spit a mudball that deals nonlethal damage and entangles victims. There's not really a lot to say. They're mostly face-beaters.
Female Kobold Skirmisher Ranger 5/Bard 8 — HP 87/87 (74/74) | AC 21 (FF 16/T 15) | CMD 24 | Fort +7, Ref +13, Will +7 | Perc +4| Init +7 (+9 underground) | Sense Motive +20
"Listen, boy...
One day, when you are older
You could get hit by a mudboulder
While you're entangled, screaming,
'Come help me, please!',
the mucklions
—mm!—
break your knees!
Ooooh haaa ha oohoo ha ha ooooh haa ha oohoo ah ha ooooh haa ha oohoo ah ha ha!
Stop it now!"
M Ifrit Sorcerer 14 | HP 92/92 | AC 15 | T 14 | FF 12 (with mage armor 19 / 14 / 16) | CMD 19 | Fort +11 | Ref +10 | Will +12 | Init +9 | Perc +13
Asht'el makes a peculiar gesture, extending his right arm out as far as he can, then wringing his fingers together as if crumbling something to dust!
Cast corrosive consumption, using Reach Spell to cast it at short range rather than touch. Does 14 points of acid damage this round, no save, gets worse in later rounds.
Rogue 14 [ HP 36/87 (0 NL) | AC 26 Tch 19 FF 20 | Fort +9* Ref +18* Will +10* | CMD 27, 29 vs steal | Init +9 | Perc +21, vs traps +32, trap spotter | Effects: Haste]
Randall mutters a prayer to the Song of the Spheres before dashing around behind the creature looking for a weak point and seeking a flanking position.
Dagger:1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 17 + 2 = 20I don't imagine any of the dagger's special properties matter much, but it is cold iron and magical. If I have a flank with Firiel, there will be an added +2 on that flank bonus, but I don't think she will want to get that close.
Edit: Never mind. Someone have Jametor disintegrate it, please.
Female Halfling Rog 3 / Sorc 4 / AT 7 [ HP 94/94 (0 NL) | AC 21 Tch 17 FF 16 | Fort +9* Ref +16* Will +14* | CMD 21 | Init +5 | Perc +16 | Effects: none ]
Wha? Who huh?
Shh, I'm busy trying to slack!
(On a more serious note, I'll try very hard to get a post up this evening when I get home from work. Been sick and busy, and didn't realize this was waiting on me.)
Oh, my mistake. I thought accursed glare was mind affecting. No, there's no reason to believe that it would not work. Should I assume that's what Firiel does?
Firiel's fiery projectile misses its mark but Prickles' missile chips away at the antlion's form.
Fort:1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 17 + 2 = 37
Njord manages to spit up the thick mud pouring over him. Before it can strike again, he hacks at the beast in self defense.
The antlion doesn't appear to be slowed down by the damage inflicted on it by the party. It makes an high pitched trilling noise as it violently shakes the ulfen in its grip.
M Ifrit Sorcerer 14 | HP 92/92 | AC 15 | T 14 | FF 12 (with mage armor 19 / 14 / 16) | CMD 19 | Fort +11 | Ref +10 | Will +12 | Init +9 | Perc +13
Asht'el acid continues to burn the muck lion, and he decides to add more of it, casting the spell at another patch on the massive creature's muddy hide!
Cast corrosive consumption with Reach Spell again, does 14 damage this round.
Y'all - I keep thinking about how best to use greater shadow conjuration in our current circumstances, but haven't settled on anything, so input would be appreciated. Summon monster VI? Or battering blast? The latter does damage and a bull rush attempt - if I bull rush the muck lion while it's grappled with Bjorn, does it end the grapple? Any other awesome uses for the spell would be great to hear.
M Ifrit Sorcerer 14 | HP 92/92 | AC 15 | T 14 | FF 12 (with mage armor 19 / 14 / 16) | CMD 19 | Fort +11 | Ref +10 | Will +12 | Init +9 | Perc +13
It occurs to me that I need to make a ranged touch attack for the spell I cast, for both castings of it: RT:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19 RT:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
And I still don't know if the thing has SR, so:SR:1d20 + 18 ⇒ (12) + 18 = 30
I don't think bleed effects stack in the same round, so if more than one hits, the first such should be the only one that matters for bleed effect. Right?
"We all told mucklions
Not to come mess with me (ooOOOhoo!)
We said, 'Spinebeast gonna come!'
And it did
And it did
It'll have you going like—"
Xiddik lapses for a moment into slightly musical screaming, completely oblivious to the fact that nobody understands or is particularly amused by her obscure Darklands memes.
Maintain Performance, and she will cast Saving Finale to give Njord a reroll if needed. Don't forget Good Hope's +2 to saves!
@Asht, if you can push the antlion far enough away it'll break the grapple on Njord. Keep in mind, it's huge and has a pretty beefy CMD.
The antlion's carapace rapidly melts away under the power of Asht's continued application of corrosive magics. Despite the disadvantage of his size Randall jabs at a pair of soft spots in the antlion's form that causes great gouts of steaming ichor to spill out onto the mud.
The antlion's segmented eyes suddenly dart about in a panic as Firiel's strange spell settles on it. Despite the halfling curse and its many wounds, the antlion furiously shakes the bloodied Njord.
Female Kobold Skirmisher Ranger 5/Bard 8 — HP 87/87 (74/74) | AC 21 (FF 16/T 15) | CMD 24 | Fort +7, Ref +13, Will +7 | Perc +4| Init +7 (+9 underground) | Sense Motive +20
Once again, Saving Finale stays open to help Njord.
Her performance echoing around her, Xiddik steps in to flank. Her tail flicks about in elaborate arcs, slashing at the mucklion's right mandible to try and cut Njord free—or at least put the creature in enough pain to reconsider. The party notices that with every slash, a loud, harsh note streaks from the razor like a demented tuning fork.
A little blood trickles from Xiddik's left ear cavity.
So, if a 17 hits it takes a total of 78 damage, if a 25 hits it takes 62 damage, if a 26 hits it takes 47 damage, if a 28 hits it takes 32 damage, and if all else fails, I definitely did at least 17 damage from the nat 20.
Potential Damage To Self:4d6 ⇒ (3, 4, 1, 5) = 13
These rolls, though!
Ending Inspire Courage, but the bonuses persist for this round and the next. Don't forget it and Good Hope! They both apply to damage!
Rogue 14 [ HP 36/87 (0 NL) | AC 26 Tch 19 FF 20 | Fort +9* Ref +18* Will +10* | CMD 27, 29 vs steal | Init +9 | Perc +21, vs traps +32, trap spotter | Effects: Haste]
Randall desperately digs in more, trying to aid his grappled friend. Another gout of steaming ichor flows from the creature's existing wounds. 7 points of bleed damage
Because the potential looks fun and it might save our DM some time::
If a 23 hits, 44 (primary attack, crit) + 38 (secondary attack, crit) + 38 (haste attack, crit) = 120 points of damage before DR;
If its AC is above 23 but a 26 hits, 44 (primary attack, crit) + 30 (secondary attack, no crit) + 38 (haste attack, crit) = 112 points of damage before DR;
If its AC is above 26 but a 34 hits, 44 (primary attack, crit) + 30 (secondary attack, no crit) + 31 (haste attack, no crit) = 105 points of damage before DR;
If its AC is above 34 but a 38 hits, 37 (primary attack, no crit) + 30 (secondary attack, no crit) + 31 (haste attack, no crit) = 98 points of damage before DR;
If its AC is above 38 but a 43 hits, 37 (primary attack, no crit) + 0 (secondary attack, misses) + 31 (haste attack, no crit) = 68 points of damage before DR;
If its AC is above 43 and only the natural 20 hits, 0 (primary attack, misses) + 0 (secondary attack, misses) + 31 (haste attack, no crit) = 31 points of damage before DR and I'm one disappointed halfling.
I don't know if bleed on subsequent rounds stacks, but I don't think so. Does bleed increase if it's dealt on a crit? I don't think so, but it's worth asking.
M Ifrit Sorcerer 14 | HP 92/92 | AC 15 | T 14 | FF 12 (with mage armor 19 / 14 / 16) | CMD 19 | Fort +11 | Ref +10 | Will +12 | Init +9 | Perc +13
I'm waiting on Feral, to hear how badly hurt the beastie is before I decide what sort of spell to toss at it next. But I'll try to acidify it further if I haven't heard in a bit.
Female Halfling Rog 3 / Sorc 4 / AT 7 [ HP 94/94 (0 NL) | AC 21 Tch 17 FF 16 | Fort +9* Ref +16* Will +14* | CMD 21 | Init +5 | Perc +16 | Effects: none ]
Whew... I actually thought I'd gone, but I need to post as well.
Fíriel smiles as her magic grips the beast. While Prickles continues to pew with his magical wand, the halfling notes the effectiveness of Asht'el's acid and decides to add some of her own to the mix.
Female Halfling Rog 3 / Sorc 4 / AT 7 [ HP 94/94 (0 NL) | AC 21 Tch 17 FF 16 | Fort +9* Ref +16* Will +14* | CMD 21 | Init +5 | Perc +16 | Effects: none ]
Way to go, Randall!
Seeing the monster fall, Prickles hops down from Fíriel's shoulder and trundles across the top of the mud to Njord. "Squeak?" he asks, clearly concerned for his big friend.
Rogue 14 [ HP 36/87 (0 NL) | AC 26 Tch 19 FF 20 | Fort +9* Ref +18* Will +10* | CMD 27, 29 vs steal | Init +9 | Perc +21, vs traps +32, trap spotter | Effects: Haste]
Randall stares at the creature as it weaves and crashes into the mud. Incredulous, he looks at the tiny dagger in his hand. Slowly, a grin comes onto his face and he dances a sloppy little jig ending with a symbolic kick of the huge corpse.
With the antlion dead Njord wrests himself free from the huge beast's silvery jaws. The big man sputters and hacks as he coughs up the thick mud that the creature poured over him during the fierce battle. Eventually, with a groan, he climbs to his feet and stands up straight. Blood freely seeps from his wounds, mixing with the mud dropping from his brawny form but none of his injuries appear life-threatening.
He pats Prickles gingerly on the head and gestures toward the sunken towers. "Let's not waste anymore time getting inside. I don't want to tangle with another one of those things."
