And Then a Skeleton Popped Out: subSPUF Carrion Crown

Game Master Rynjin

Steef can't see anyone else.

Is the guy like possessed or something?

That doesn't make it.

Nvm that apparently takes 1 minute. Screw mercy then.

Init: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Cursing in Abyssal, Ezekiel responds to the attack with a mighty overhand swing.

Rage.

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
3d6 + 10 ⇒ (2, 6, 1) + 10 = 19

Seeing that there's nobody nearby, Steef decides to take the puppy home before it can get worse. He gingerly scoops it up and carefully walks home.

Should I roll another heal check or something?

You can't really do anything more for it without more supplies (a healing kit).

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

Gibs takes another slash at Ezekiel, gashing the man's throat, but thankfully missing his artery. As a follow-up, he lashes out with a fearsome uppercut, thankfully missing the heavily injured Barbarian.

1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

1d4 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Gibs is slammed by Ezekiel's massive hammer. You hear his bones crack, and his neck lolls to the side limply.

He begins to fall...but is stopped by some unseen force. Cracking his neck he looks at Ezekiel with blank eyes, an expression of endless fury on his face, and snarls.

Ezekiel, you're up. Another 10 damage.

Steef barges into the house, not caring what time it is, or who might be sleeping. "KENDRA! Do we have a healing kit here? I've got a little guy here who could really use some help!"

He grabs a nearby blanket and deposits the puppy on a table, placing the blanket over him.

Kendra steps from her room, bleary eyed.

"What...? OH!" upon seeing the puppy she bustles into a room and comes out with a first aid kit. Healing kit.

"Can you help the poor guy?"

Shoukichi rolls out of bed and crawls downstairs.

Sleepily, he moans, "What's this about a healing kit? If someone's injured I can heal 'em."

Ignoring the pain, Ezekiel smashes Gibs and follows it up with a vicious bite.

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
3d6 + 10 ⇒ (3, 5, 3) + 10 = 21

Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

"Shoukichi, perfect! Someone stabbed this little guy down in the town square, Ezekiel's going after him now. I managed to stop the bleeding, but he still needs help. Anything you can do to help him?"

Gibs keeps standing, despite half his face being torn off by Ezekiel's bite, and and the fingers of his left hand being mangled beyond repair trying to block the hammer.

He raises hi right, bent and broken, but still unnaturally strong, and swings again.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

1d4 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

10 more damage to Ezekiel. Get 'im.

Ezekiel pulls his teeth out of Gibs - attempting to rip his flesh as he does so - and brings the hammer down with a thunderous wail.

Bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Hammer: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28
3d6 + 10 ⇒ (3, 1, 4) + 10 = 18

Hammer Confirm: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

3d6 + 10 ⇒ (1, 6, 3) + 10 = 20
3d6 + 10 ⇒ (3, 3, 3) + 10 = 19

57 damage from the hammer.

Ezekiel smashes Gibs, crumpling him to the ground. Whatever foul spirit or magic that was animating him can no longer make him move.

"You...think...this will...stop me?" it gasps, before collapsing into gales of laughter.

After a short time, the laughter ceases, and Gibs Hephenus is no more.

Ezekiel smiles as he finishes off Gibs, but as his Rage subsides, he begins coughing blood. Ezekiel's in a bad shape, and needs immediate medical attention.

Ezekiel never smiles when raging.

Grimly, Ezekiel scoops up Gibs' corpse and drags it to the door of the church, where he sinks the razor into the corpse's chest. He then stumps off to Kendra's house, trailing blood all the way.

Ezekiel leaves the bloody mass that used to be Gibs on the temple steps. The priests are sure to be glad for this fine gift.

He makes it to Kendra's house without incident.

What do now?

"Just give me a moment."

Without another thought, Shoukichi casts Cure Light Wounds on the injured puppy.

1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

"Looks fine to me now. Might want to give it some food though."

The dog begins squirming, and gets up a few moments later.

It jumps on Steef and Shoukichi in turn, licking them about the face.

It seems to be no worse for wear, but after a little while it becomes clear that the puppy can no longer bark. Every time it tries, a muted wheeze is all that comes out.

:c

Ezekiel wearily pounds on the door.

"It was Gibs. Some foul force gave him supernatural strength and youth. He is dead."

Maybe we should call him Mouse. Because he's really quiet, not because I'm trying to insinuate that we just rescued a dog that'll grow up to be supernaturally large/freaking badass against the forces of darkness, that'd just be silly. That wouldn't come in handy at all in this campaign.

Steef strokes the puppy's fur gently. "We have any food at all that we can give this little guy? And before anyone asks, yes-I fully intend to keep him. Always had a soft spot for animals."

Opening the door for Zeke, he goes on. "Glad to hear he's dead, bet you gave him one hell of a poundin-OH MY GODS WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?! Shoukichi, I really hope you have more healing spells prepared!"

He helps Ezekiel get inside, then looks out to make sure he wasn't followed by anyone.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

Ezekiel does not seem to have been followed.

As you minister to Ezekiel, you notice something odd. It appears Jules has gone missing, nobody has seen him since you delivered Cassiel's body to Grimburrow that afternoon.

Steef raids the pantry and finds some food for the puppy. Carrying the dog, he feeds it as he goes over to Jules' room. "Hey Jules, you in there? I found a dog, saved the little guy's life. You seem like the type of guy who likes animals, want to meet him?"

"What did you do? These are some pretty deep cuts. I don't think I can heal all this."

Shoukichi walks over to Ezekiel and places his hand right on his wounds to cast Cure Light Wounds.

1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

"Hmm... You still look pretty injured. Just try to stay out of action for now."

I still can cast again if we really need it. Are we just going to go to sleep now or hunt for Jules? If we are going out, might as well heal Ezek again then. Also, just to clarify, I have 6 1st level spells due to my class and ability bonuses right? Or is the cap still 3?

Personally, I think we should wait until morning. In-character, we don't know Jules isn't coming back. For all we know, he's at the bar or something. Also, if the puppy is a girl (btw, is it a boy or girl?) we should name her Catelyn. Because reasons.

1d2 ⇒ 1

It's a boy.

Shoukichi, as a 2nd level Bard with 16 Cha you should have 3 spells per day (2 from class, one from ability). Not sure where you got 6 from.

Ezekiel waves a hand at Shoukichi. "This must suffice for now. There has to be proof that he had some sort of fell power - no mere old man could have injured me like this with just a razor."

Well technically it was a war razor (basically same stats as a dagger, but with Slashing damage) so it's quite possible a skilled fighter (which Gibs was in his prime) could harm you like that. However, his supernatural resilience (fluff as it may be) and returned youth are dead giveaways regardless.

Shuddup. Also barbarians confirmed for best class because evidently that was a buffed 4th level fighter.

Y'know, someone at the church could patch Zeke up easily.

Also your friend's funeral is going to be there tomorrow morning.

Just sayin'.

Whose funeral?

Mine! >:(

Nah, he was an unbuffed 4th level Fighter. Making him a Fighter (rather than a Warrior) was the buffing part. He didn't have some of the benefits you did (damage focused Feats like Power Attack, Rage, 1.5x HP at 1st level, etc.). Single target fights generally come down to a crapshoot unless the level gap is huge, and you're pretty buff for a 2nd level guy since I let you have that large hammer, which we may need to re-discuss (I just remembered larger weapon s COST more IIRC so not sure if you could actually afford it). If he'd crit (which he does on an 18) or been wearing any sort of armor (his AC was a whopping 12) it would have been a different story. Gear really makes the difference, as does Power Attack (probably should have traded in Improved Unarmed Strike and Two-Weapon Fighting for something like that, but the Razor/Punch combo just sounded fun).

That said, you fared really well against him, not trying to belittle that. Good jerb.

Steef sighs as nobody answers the door. He opens the door to Jules' room to see if he's in there.

Jules is not inside.

Nor is his gear, but there is a note.

Which I will write in a few.

I paid out the wazzoo for that hammer. It cost me double.

@Cassiel: Sorry, got confused when you said your "friend's" funeral. shots fired

"Dammit. Dammit dammit dammit DAMMIT!" Steef rushes back downstairs and shows the other guys the note. "He's bloody insane, he's going to be torn to shreds out there. And you guys are too beaten up to do anything, especially you Zeke. Should I go after him?"

"Don't bother. He has chosen his death."

"We're not anywhere near good enough shape to go even close to that place. Plus, first things first, we need to care for our new friend over here. Kendra, do you have any food we can spare for the little guy?"

"Plenty. I believe we have some jerky still stored up from when dad was researching those spells to dry things out..." she heads off and comes back a few minutes later with some strips of jerky.

"Here you go little one." she says, smiling and feeding him a strip of meat.

The puppy gnaws on the meat happily, wagging its tail and letting out a happy *wheeze*.

Steef lets out a slow sigh, as he mulls things over in his head. Eventually, he nods. "You're right. He chose this, and going in there now would probably mean we all die. Damn us all..."

Looking at the puppy gnawing on the jerky, he smiles. "At least it's not all that bad, we've got this little guy now. Any ideas on what we should call him?"

Obviously Ghulassen Hakim is the best name.

"His name is Moose."

Call him Jack.

I get it, it's funny because no.

So, err, anybody want to do anything or should I move ahead?

Mooooooooove!

Move ahead.

I'm good.

"Moose...yeah, I kinda like that."