This is my homebrew world Arcaia. This particular setting is the free city of Opal, a lush equatorial city set on the edge of an immense jungle rife with undead , ancient civilizations, and dinosaurs.
Ten Foot Twin Eater(Male Half Orc - Half Human- Half Something Else (I know that is 3 halves, but he is a big chap) Cleric Level 4)
Ten Foot will charge into the midst of the zombies, trying to get them all with in 30 foot, I am guessing that is a double move. I am not particularly bothered about avoiding attacks of opportunity as I am going to be making a turning next round and want to get them all with in the radius. AC-16, HP-36.
Knowing his bow is not the best weapon against zombies, San drops it next to a convenient tree. He'll spend a standard action to cast magic missile at the closest undead, then use a move action to draw his greatsword.
Seven Eagle(Male Human Bard-2/Sorcerer-1 (Abberant Blood line))
Seven Eagle feels a fear wash over him as he rcognizes a familiar sight from one of his nightmares, these monsterous undead often cause him to wake up in a cold sweat..."NOT this time"! Seven Eagle yells he then begins to chant an incantation designed to increase the spirits of his companions
+1 save vs charm or fear effects and +1 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls for x+5 rounds
May the five pointed star protect you, may the elders grant the knowledge to beat this unatural enemy, back to your graves, they have died once so shall they die again, this time at OUR HANDS!
Seven Eagle's confidence grows as his chanting inters and cresendos.
Sorry for the long delay guys...
I am using Tobias' initiative to base it on (I'm sure y'all wont mind) Joleesa and Wheezy rip into a lurching zombie, hacking chunks of maggoty flesh of the rotted undead.
Izkrael slices at the nearest foe and deals a cutting slice that takes one of it's ears off and hacks deep into its neck. The thing's head flops as its rotted tendons snap like overstressed wires.
Egan moves and shoots his bow. He aims for the eye but the rotted undead's brow ridge deflects it somewhat. It ends up skewering it's facial flesh, looking like some grisly tribal piercing. As he shoots Egan looks for anything odd about the zombies. They are all Dragoran in origin, and they sport thin shards of obsidian allong their arms and hands. It's hard to tell, but there might have been warpaint markings on them at one point, but their state of decay makes it hard to discern. They are dressed as plantationmen, and some still carry weapons.
Sanvoros and Tobias both shoot bolts of arcane energy at the shambling rotted creatures, striking home.
Ten charges into the middle of two clumps of zombies, preparing to use his divine power to lay the smackdown.
Seven Eagle chants over the group, preparing them for their test of battle.
YOWCH! Bad IC rolls there ... 17 more HP damage taken Ten. :(
Ten Foot Twin Eater(Male Half Orc - Half Human- Half Something Else (I know that is 3 halves, but he is a big chap) Cleric Level 4)
Ten Foot growls in pain as the zombies rip greats chunk of flesh out of him, "You will pay for that deadheads," touching his chest birthmark (which doubles as a holy symbol thanks to the birthmark trait) he intones a prayer to Cayden Cailean and makes a turning attempt.
Some of the bloody wounds on Ten Foot heal over and all the undead within 30' of him are blasted with positive energy, those healed have a distinct taste of beer in their mouths.
Ten touches his birthmark as the zombies crowd around him hungrily. A flash of light arcs out from the large priest, so quickly it almost seemed an illusion. Everyone in the area feels better, and hiccups involuntarily.
Everyone heals 10 HP if needed.
The zombie Izkrael had cut flops bonelessly to the jungle floor. The zombie that Tobias has hit with his magic missiles does as well. Of the remaining ten zombies, six turn about and begin to flee the area, their moaning rising in pitch.
I know I should wait and get some other actions before getting to Ten's channeling, but he took a beating, and that effect was a sweet scene to write up ...
Turned? I don't think so ... San works himself into a low rage. The scent of decay and rot, so common of the undead, triggers something within him, and he charges the zombie directly in front of him, swinging hard with his greatsword.
Turned Zombies in B18 and M24 are actually out of my 30ft turning area, as is/was the one in C17.
When I looked at it, it was kinda a toss up. They are right on the edge of the effect, so I adjucated in your favor. I can always retcon ...
Ten Foot Twin Eater(Male Half Orc - Half Human- Half Something Else (I know that is 3 halves, but he is a big chap) Cleric Level 4)
Dungeon Monkey wrote:
When I looked at it, it was kinda a toss up. They are right on the edge of the effect, so I adjucated in your favor. I can always retcon ...
I'll take any hand outs I can :-) It is the bane of being a full time DM, you end up checking all the rules over and over again, makes me kind of anal. I will resist the urge from now on.
I'll take any hand outs I can :-) It is the bane of being a full time DM, you end up checking all the rules over and over again, makes me kind of anal. I will resist the urge from now on.
Naw dude don't resist, I need all the help outs I can! I often miss things, and the last time I ran a non-PbP game was during 2E. I like it when you guys question me, honest! It makes me a better DM. One of the PCs in my other game just took me to task about forgetting AoOs, and I learned a lot about them doublechecking it.
Joleesa feels the envigorating touch of Ten's Blessing flow into her as she renews her attack on the abomination in front of her. Unfortunately, while her swing goes close to the Zombie's neck, it does not connect.
"Wheezy" also feels the power as he returns the hit the Zombie gave him, scoring a small chunk from the Zombie's chest.
Attack Zombie with Masterwork Rapier. (1d20+7+1=10) "Wheezy" Bite Attack. (1d20+1=20) Bite Damage. (1d6+1=2)
Joleesa's swing doesn't connect, but she brings her agitated mount to heel after she was struck. Wheezy takes out her frustration by ripping the zombie's left deltoid muscle off its rotting carcass and swallowing it in one gulp.
Iz advances to the nearest zombie not fleeing and twirls his blade in a tight arac. The zombie falls to the jungle floor sans head.
Running out of non-turned targets, Egan sends an arrow winging over to the zombie that Wheezy just took a bite from. He strikes, and the arrow disappears into the rotted belly of the walking corpse. A gout of greenish liquid spurts out and spatters Wheezy's hide.
San goes for a turned zombie, as the nearest target. His greatsword's blow bisects the unlucky undead, the two halves collapsing in a noisome pile of rotted entrails.
Seven Eagle keeps chanting his courageous words.
Ten Foot Twin Eater(Male Half Orc - Half Human- Half Something Else (I know that is 3 halves, but he is a big chap) Cleric Level 4)
Can Ten have a knowledge religion to point out any weaknesses or vulnerabilities of the zombies? I will roll one just in case the answer is yes.
You know, from discussions at your temple, that zombies are hard to kill unless you use slashing weapons. Piercing and bludgeoning weapons don't do their normal damage since zombies don't have weak spots to pierce or feel blunt force trauma.
DM oversight ... the zombie Egan and Wheezy had been beating on tripped over its HP limit ...soooo
... a gout of liquid spatters Wheezy's hide. The zombie collapses like a punctured balloon, crumpling to the vine-shrouded jungle floor
Ten Foot Twin Eater(Male Half Orc - Half Human- Half Something Else (I know that is 3 halves, but he is a big chap) Cleric Level 4)
Ten Foot yells at those using rapiers or bows, "Yeh can na hurt Zombies with out chopping them into pieces, like a tree!" in his excitement his accent comes out thick.
I will be turning again this/next round, possibly chasing down some of those that are running away, when it gets to my go again.
Sorry for the delay: I haven't been able to use my home computer for a while (where all my D&D stuff is), so it may take another day or so to post an action. I may also post two just so you can plug them in if you need to.
"Darn. No wonder my arrows weren't having much effect" Egan says to himself. He then spends a round to shoulder his bow and draw his battleaxe. He then looks around for a target.
Sorry for the delay: I haven't been able to use my home computer for a while (where all my D&D stuff is), so it may take another day or so to post an action. I may also post two just so you can plug them in if you need to.
No worries Shiny. I'll DMPC you through this action
The slight rogue hits home at the thing's neckbone, snapping the zombie's spine cleanly. The rotten corpse flops down, writhing for a moment, then becoming still.
Tobias lines his next arcane bolts up on the zombie Ten faces. The arcane energy lances out and strikes home.
Four of the zombies shamble farther off into the jungle. Two remain. One takes a swipe at Ten:
Ten Foot Twin Eater(Male Half Orc - Half Human- Half Something Else (I know that is 3 halves, but he is a big chap) Cleric Level 4)
When it gets to Ten Foots go, he will take a single move action to J25 and then unleash a turn from there, that should get all the zombies apart from j17. It does not get any characters unless any of them close in on the zombie in G23. I do draw an attack of opportunity from the zombie in G23 if he/she/it is still standing when it is my turn. Current AC-16, Current HP-17.
Joleesa sees a Zombie preparing to attack Ten and motions "Wheezy" towards him. The saurian needs no further promting and races in to bite menacingly at the foul thing, although in his haste his mouth closes on air. Joleesa sticks with her Rapier, despite Ten's warning, and brings it around to meet the Zombie when she can.
"Wheezy" Bite Attack on Zombie. (1d20=7) Attack Zombie. (1d20+7+1=19) Damage from Rapier. (1d6+1=3)
Joleesa: 28 [swing and a hit/wheezy chomp G23]
Izkrael: 24 [Running to J17 (DMPCed)]
Egan: 23 [Axing J17]
Vilya: 23 [pending (waiting on Shiny comp. access)]
Sanvoros: 22 [Attacking J17]
Seven Eagle: 22 [Inspiring courage]
Ten: 21 [RETRO ME SATANAS!]
Tobias: 21 [pending]
Zombies: 4 [attacking/fleeing]
Joleesa and Wheezy gang up on the zombie attacking Ten. The stinking ambulatory corpse is ripped apart by the fury of their blows.
Izkrael runs to the aid of his comrade Egan.
I don't think he can get that far and still attack. San's got the rotter so I'm not too worried about it.
Sanvoros Draben wrote:
... Undead are immune to crits, right?
They are! I did not know that, but a handy datum to have!
San hurries over to help Egan. His Greatsword slices the legs out from under the shambling undead. It falls apart writhing on the jungle floor.
Ten races after the retreating zombies. He touches his birthmark once again and the flash of light arcs from him. A warm glow fills his insides like a good stout lager. The remaining zombies all stagger and fall, their bodies rapidly disintegrating as the evil necromantic force that had held them together is banished.
Ten give me a Perception check
Congratulations guys!
Ten Foot Twin Eater(Male Half Orc - Half Human- Half Something Else (I know that is 3 halves, but he is a big chap) Cleric Level 4)
Ten catches something out of the corner of his eye. He turns his head to try and see it and blunders into a large web strung between two trees. The webs aren't thick, but drape around him in a gauzy shroud.
As San wipes the putrescent gore off of his blade on some nearby plantlife, he says to Ten, "Excellant work, Ten. None got away thanks to you. That's what I like to see."
He walks over to retrieve his bow from where he left it, then heads over to Iz and claps him on the back with a big grin. "I can't let you go anywhere, can I? What happened, exactly?"
DM, does San recognize zombies like this? I.e., are the obsidian shards significant in any way? Feel free to roll me a Knowledge (Religion) check if needed (+10; no IC at work).
San has heard of this style of zombification. Due to the speed in which non-treated bodies rot in the jungle, necromancers will often 'augment' the zombies with obsidian, which runs in plentiful veins in the Blue Mountains. The volcanic glass allows the zombies to still be lethal even if most of their flesh rots away.
Not so sure undead are immune to crit's anymore. I know that they can now take sneak attack damage (In Rogue description) but don't see anything about them taking criticals now. Good question for the boards. Also didn't know if you were aware that during "channel positive energy" the undead now get a will save for 1/2 damage, and don't have to run away if they make it. Just a few changes from normal 3.5
Not so sure undead are immune to crit's anymore. I know that they can now take sneak attack damage (In Rogue description) but don't see anything about them taking criticals now. Good question for the boards. Also didn't know if you were aware that during "channel positive energy" the undead now get a will save for 1/2 damage, and don't have to run away if they make it. Just a few changes from normal 3.5
Hmm. Good thoughts. I had just peeked at the SRD for the crit answer. I did know about the save for the channel, because I had to pull up the Beta PDF to research the action when Ten first pulled it. That's why some stuck around since I adjucated every zombie got hit by that first one. Either way the four retreating Zs didn't have enough HPs to survive even if they had rolled their save on the second blast, so I didn't bother. I must admit that the cleric's channel energy function is definitely a shift from normal 3.5 play. It made what I thought of as an encounter you might have to tactically retreat from into something you all fairly easily handled.
... It made what I thought of as an encounter you might have to tactically retreat from into something you all fairly easily handled.[/ooc]
Hmmm ... San probably would have had to have been pulled kicking and screaming from a fight against "mere" zombies! Of course, had Ten been taken out before he could channel, you'd probably have been right.
Doesn't get more definitive than that, right? So undead can be critted.
Well it makes sense really. Undead should still be able to take catastrophic damage from a well placed strike as they do have a semi-functioning physiology (unlike say an Ooze or Construct). It just means that something like cutting off the thing's head might not actually be the strike you're looking for
Joleesa wheels "Wheezy" around, looking for more foes to fight. Seeing noe, she leans over and pats him affectionately, whispering to him in Greenspeak. Once done, she looks to the sky and whistles. Lumien comes soaring down, but flies by her to perch on a branch close by, not on her outstretched arm.
Ten Foot Twin Eater(Male Half Orc - Half Human- Half Something Else (I know that is 3 halves, but he is a big chap) Cleric Level 4)
Dungeon Monkey wrote:
Ten catches something out of the corner of his eye. He turns his head to try and see it and blunders into a large web strung between two trees. The webs aren't thick, but drape around him in a gauzy shroud.
Ten Foot panics and starts thrashing around while shrieking like a cheerleader, wrapping himself tighter in the webs as he does so.
I am feeling confident that Ten Foot comes screaming back towards the group and hides behind San.
I was under the impression that critical hits still did not work against undead, so I am surprised that Jason would weaken an already weak monster type by allowing them to be hurt easier, sneak attacks I understand as they needed to allow thieves to take part in the battle.