Initiative:1d20+1=10

Hoskuld moves up alongside the skeletal owlbear and stoically awaits the creatures approach. He hefts his scythe, eyeing the monstrosities tentacles and decides he'd best concentrate on severing them before it can wrap them around anyone.

Hoskuld Perception (1d20+5=16)
Hoskuld Init (1d20+2=5)

order

"What no takers? I'm this will make a fine and loyal companion?"
Rheticus digs out a neatly folded square from his gear and throws it over the tenticular beast: ranged touch attack for net (net +0 due to non-proficiency): 1d20=6 yay!
Seeing what appears to be a horrible failure, Rheticus attempts to step back five feet.

"Skeleton, attack this creature."

Arius pulls out his wand and sends a magical bolt at the otyugh.

1d4+1=3

Arius still has a Mage Armor spell up from the earlier encounter with the derro. Also, I'm sorry to say that the Light trick that I proposed is impossible in the new rules (only one active Light per caster).

The skeleton shambles forward to attack.

Initiative: 1d20+6=21
but it won't go till Arius's command.

Claws: 1d20+9=27, 1d6+5=6, 1d20+9=12, 1d6+5=9

Bite: 1d20+4=10, 1d8+2=10

I'm assuming that it will only get a single claw, but rolled for a full attack in case that were incorrect.

Anybody want a bless, protection from evil, or shield other spell?

Branham launches a crossbow bolt at the monstrosity. His are trembling when he fires, affecting his aim.

1d20+2=11
1d8+2=7

The projectiles from the wand hit the creature squarely. at the same time the skeleton slashes the beast with it's claw. Liz throws an acid dart, hitting the creature in its foot, Hoskuld steps forward with his deadly weapon, and just misses one of the waving tentacles.

Anybody want a bless, protection from evil, or shield other spell?

I think not casting (at least for now) is the right call. You may want to consider casting the Shield Other soon on someone likely to get into melee, as it's long-duration and will last for the rest of the complex.

That's probably what I'll do. Thanks.

The creatures attacks Hoskuld Attacking with both tenticles. Fortunatly, it only hits with one 3 damage

Rheticus looks up from his gear-diggery with a smile:
"Aww Hoskuld, it likes you!"

Arius' dumbfoundment at Rheticus' comment does not stop him from sending another bolt at the otyugh.

The wand again.
1d4+1=4

The owlbear skeleton continues its relentless attack.

Claws: 1d20+9=17, 1d6+5=8, 1d20+9=12, 1d6+5=6

Bite: 1d20+4=9, 1d8+2=8

Arius calls to the otyugh, "You can talk, so you can probably realize your position's untenability. Stop this fight while you still can."

I don't expect negotiation to work, but Arius will try.

"Have no fear, we can ensnare him!" Rheticus cries as he tosses another net into the dirt. ranged touch1d20=8 huh, so much for the nets!
Rheticus' face falls when he misses again.
"But...that wasn't supposed to happen! "

"Have no fear, we can ensnare him!" Rheticus cries as he tosses another net into the dirt. ranged touch1d20=8 huh, so much for the nets!

Rheticus' face falls when he misses again.
"But...that wasn't supposed to happen! "

Anju looks over at Rheticus after hsi second attempt at netting the beast. "If you want to hold him down, let's do it the right way!"

Anju casts Entangle on the beast causing roots to come up and grab him.

Hoskuld swings again, this time aiming his blade for the meaty center of the beast. He snorts at Rheticus's comment about the beast favoring him. He'd rather not be felt up by a slimy creature stinking of offal. "Cut this thing down, and maybe you can take a souvenir."

Hoskuld attack (1d20+8=22, 2d4+8=11)

"Perhaps a fearsome helm adorned with floppy tenticular bits!"

+8 damage!

oops, didn't realize it was me!

Still excited about entangling the creature, Rheticus digs back into his pack and pulls out a tanglefoot bag.
"Sure, a spell is nice, but there may be complications. see the delightful post in the ooc thread I prefer an alchemical solution to this problem!"
With that Rheticus lobs the bag who-knows-where 2+4=6 for a ranged touch attack
"I defer to your mastery of entanglement fair creature, I will now throw myself into the beast's clutches to prove my worth."

did the AC of a square change and I missed it? it used to be 5 which would mean you civered the 5 foot square under it (if you're aiming for a square and not the creature itself)

I'm unfamiliar with 'aiming at a square'. Rheticus was 'aiming at the critter'. he has more 'bags though, and will happily throw them at the square when the opportunity arises. Time to tumble into melee and see if this thing rends!

Am I up, or should I wait for others (e.g., the otyugh's second action)?

Acid Dart at Otyugh (Ranged Touch Attack). (1d20+5=7) Oooo so close, yet so far. Thanks again IC. :(

Elizabeth stands to the side and fires another Acid Dart at the creature before her. The Dart however flies past the creature and spatters against the wall harmlessly.

Hoskuld is next, right

Hoskuld swings the scythe up over his head and brings the point down like a pick at the base of the creatures disgusting eyestalk!

Hoskuld Attack (1d20+8=26, 2d4+8=16)

Hoskuld's swing downs the creature. Looking down, you notice that the 'trash' you are wading through are actually body parts or various humaniods

Again, sorry guys.... I ment to update a few times, and work got in the way each time.

"Well struck, Hoskuld. Skeleton, stop attacking it."

Arius looks around at the mounds of rotting, dismembered body parts, and he turns pale. He raises his sleeve to his nose to block the stench.

"Gods forbid that the body we need is in here."

He casts a spell Detect Magic and looks around the room, scrutinizing the piles without touching them.

Perception: 1d20+3=18

Don't worry about it, Cap.

Branham casts Detect Magic as well.

Perception 1d20+1=3

"Do you see anything?"

For Branahm:

Hoskuld's swing downs the creature. Looking down, you notice that the 'trash' you are wading through are actually body parts or various humaniods

Again, sorry guys.... I ment to update a few times, and work got in the way each time.

Anju gets rather squimish when she notices the body parts all around "Ew, Ew, EW!! This is a lot worse than I would have imagined, I hope we don't have to stay long in this defiled place!"

Arius and anyone else with over a 15 perception:

Anyone with a perception over 25:

Arius points at a pair of legs with distinctive Shoanti tattoos. "I think we have our body, but only the lower half."

"I can order the skeleton to pick him up and to carry him, but we should have a shroud around the body for when we have to take over the job."

"Wow Hoskuld...wow.
Any chance we can bring this thing back as a zombie?"

Arius looks abstractedly into the air. "No, we would need a mostly intact body, even discounting the ethical arguments against undead creation."

He sighs.

"Skeleton, pick up those legs over there. Gently now!"

In a metagame-y vein, if I were a module writer who wanted to mess with players recovering a corpse, I'd fill it with rot grubs or infest it with a vile disease. It may just be my paranoia, but I'd advise caution.

Arius looks abstractedly into the air. "No, we would need a mostly intact body, even discounting the ethical arguments against undead creation."

He sighs.

"Skeleton, pick up those legs over there. Gently now!"

In a metagame-y vein, if I were a module writer who wanted to mess with players recovering a corpse, I'd fill it with rot grubs or infest it with a vile disease. It may just be my paranoia, but I'd advise caution.

"Huh? Oh, no - not the person goulash, the tenticular creature. In a related note:

yeah, I imagine 'someone' is merrily rolling to see which of our characters has already picked up filth fever, it's a delightful standby

yeah, I imagine 'someone' is merrily rolling to see which of our characters has already picked up filth fever, it's a delightful standby

Not yet... the Otyugh kept eating things too quickly for parasites to spread among the large pieces of body..

"Not quite. The necomancer was 'collecting' body parts, while we are retrieving them to prevent a pointless war with the Shoanti."

Hoskuld leans on his scythe and looks about him. "Only half of vhat you seek? Maybe more of him is here, or eaten by the beast. Or perhaps this necromancer has the other half. Vill your client be satisfied by half of a body?"

anyone with knowledge history, knowledge local or whose character background would have a good working knowledge of shoanti culture can make a roll if they want, I'll post results behind a spoiler when I get home from work @ 11PM EST

Knowledge: History and Knowledge: Local:
1d20+7=26, 1d20+7=25

"From what I have read about Shoanti culture, I think . . . ."

Arius will tell the party anything that he remembers based on his checks. I'm guessing that we'll have to find the whole body, but even if not, I want to get this necromancer.

And as Liz might say, if we stop now, we have a negative ROA (Return On Adventure) because of the scroll costs.

"From what I have read about Shoanti culture, I think . . . ."

that for the burial ritual, the body has to be complete, but not nessisarily intact. as long as we find the other pieces, that should be good enough

scavenger hunt!

"We may need to search this room more carefully to make sure that we get all the pieces."

Arius looks less than enthusiastic about the prospect.

Let's take 20! :-P The max that Arius can get is 23.

Alternatively, the person with the best Perception could roll and as many people as Cap allows could Aid Another. Better yet, we can make the necromancer tell us when we find him.

I vote for two or three Aid Anothers, then a return to necromancer-hunting.

taking a 20 will take a long time and I'm not sure Rheticus is up to such a gruesome task!

'Well, I could help look, maybe some kind of description would help?'

Oh, come on! Taking 20 will be a good warm-up for cutting the otyugh into quarter-inch pieces to check if it swallowed any treasure. Come to think of it, the derro might have swallowed treasure too . . . .

"Good idea." Arius repeats what he can remember of the description for Gaekhen, referring to any notes that he might have taken.

"While we are at it, I want to cast a spell that will allow remote communication with the scouts. We used it before when we took care of the rogue guardsmen."

Arius casts Message on Liz, Keth, and Hoskuld. Anything to procrastinate the search.

Note - we can now use dice on the boards1d20 ⇒ 16 {dice}your 1d20 or whatever{/dice} substitute [ for {

Arius, looks like it's just you and Rheticus. 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15 I added an extra +2 assuming one person successfully aided Rhet.

'Fine, lets get to it'
Showing uncharacteristic initiative, Rheticus launches himself into a thorough search of the frightful lair.

With noticeable distaste, Arius helps in Rheticus's more thorough search.

Here are lots o' Aids for Perception:
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

No joy for the first one, but try one or two more times.

With noticeable distaste, Arius helps in Rheticus's more thorough search.

Here are lots o' Aids for Perception:
1d20+3
1d20+3
1d20+3
1d20+3
1d20+3

No joy for the first one, but try one or two more times.

Anju looks rather faint but says weakely "I suppose I can help with this as well..."

Aid Another
1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12