Aubrey's Rise of the Runelords campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Aubrey the Malformed

"Oh no..."

Init: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13

"One must always be careful what they wish for."

Init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Illes flashes a tired smile while drawing his rapier, "Eh, we wouldn't want to get bored now would we? Let's dance."

Anyone heard from Vatters lately?

Not since prior to your holiday Aubs.

Hudak Init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Alwyn Init: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

Initiative Alwyn: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Initiative Hudak: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Initiative Demiarchos: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11

Didn't see Mothers' init rolls. Keeping mine, that gives us:

Camlo 30
Sefayll 13
Demiarchos 11
Hudak 10
Alwyn 7
Enga 5
Illes 3

Aassorted undead giants ?

Sorry Vatts, didn't know if you were about.

Map.

Please place yourselves. You are in the corridor leading into the new room. HZs are zombified hill giants. The Headless Lord - well, he has no head, but he's big and got a hatchet in each hand.

HL1 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (14) - 2 = 12
HL2 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (7) - 2 = 5
HL3 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (14) - 2 = 12
HL4 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (1) - 2 = -1
Headless Lord 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Initiative
Camlo 30
Sefayll 13
HZ1 12+
HZ3 12-
Headless Lord 11+
Demiarchos 11-
Hudak 10
Alwyn 7
Enga 5+
HZ2 5-
Illes 3
HZ4 -1

"ALL RIGHT! GATHER THE HELL UP!" Alwyn falls into drill sergeant mode. "Hudak, Enga, up front. Your job is to keep the line. I'll be right by you, fixing you up if you need it. However, the real killing will be done by the blessed Demiarchos. These taxidermied giants will regret that they chose this moment top wake up."

So, Enga and Hudak in N20 and N21. I'll be in M22. Demiarchos goes to K-L 20-21. Illes and Camlo hang out at the back. We let them come to us; the two bruisers hack 'em up and keeps them off Demiarchos while the hellhound fills the corridor in front of them with fire.

"Camlo, Illes - stay away from the walls. That damned forgefiend is bound to make another appearance soon."

Positions are fine with me, Enga might need some healing sooner rather than later though - I suspect a hit from one of these guys will bring her into hit point danger zone fast.

OK. In that case, she's in N21. I'll start my turn by healing her.

K22, I suppose

J22

"But... there's nowhere else to hide!"

Following Alwyn's instruction, Camlo moves back behind the cauldron.

Move to F26, ready my crossbow while I'm at it.

Map updated.

Sef.

Hmm, I appear to have assumed the places above were where the ones on the map when I looked at it. Didn't mean to put him so far away.... Could you make it J23 instead?

Illes shrugs, "You could hide IN the cauldron. They won't be expecting that."

She delays to see how the Gorumite hound's breath affects the frozen undead.

"In it?! But they could have put anything in there!"

Two of the zombies shuffle up.

HZ1 is close enough to charge, but HZ3 isn't. HZ1 attacks Hudak.
Slam 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (4) + 17 = 21 to hit, damage 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

The Headless Lord does something, but you don't know what it is.

Demiarchos, then Hudak, then Alwyn.

Map updated.

"You seem lost, corpselord! Not so easy finding your way around without your head? Just follow the smell of roasting flesh!" Cackling madly, Demiarchos barfs flame all over the two zombies.

No move. The blast of fire hits both zombies and does 10d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 3, 1, 3, 3, 1, 2, 3, 2) = 24 fire damage. Reflex 21 halves the damage.

Rounds until next fire blast: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Hudak lays into the zombie looming over him:
Attack 1: 11+22-3 (Power Attack)=AC 30, damage 1d10+19+9 (Power Attack)=34.
Attack 2: 14+17-3 (Power Attack)=AC 28, damage 1d10+19+9 (Power Attack)=31.
Attack 3: 13+12-3 (Power Attack)=AC 22, damage 1d10+19+9 (Power Attack)=34.

I'm converting Stone shape into Cure serious wounds, which I then cast on Enga. She regains 3d8 + 11 ⇒ (6, 3, 6) + 11 = 26 hit points.

Coincidentally, she's next.

“Arrrghh!” Enga yells, frothing at the mouth, her small muscles bulging. “I kill you, you stay dead this time!”

She rages; assuming the nearest zombie hasn’t fallen to mighty Hudak, she makes a full power attack on it, two handed with her spear.

Attack 1: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (6) + 18 = 24 Damage: 1d4 + 22 ⇒ (4) + 22 = 26
Attack 2: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28 Damage: 1d4 + 22 ⇒ (2) + 22 = 24
Attack 3: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 Damage: 1d4 + 22 ⇒ (4) + 22 = 26

Um, on the whole breathing fire thing, doesn't that mean that Demiarchos breathes fire all over Hudak and Enga too. Or did I miss something?

Well, he's the size of a big Clydesdale and Enga's about three feet tall. I was thinking he would just spit fire right over them. If that is mechanically impermissible, he'll just take a step forward to L-M 20-21 and bite the zombie instead.

Attack roll: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (4) + 20 = 24, damage: 2d6 + 12 ⇒ (6, 4) + 12 = 22 plus 2d6 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4 fire.

OK, I think we have clarity now.

Demiarchos tears an arm off the zombie with his jaws and Hudak proceeds to chop it into so much chilled meat. Enga hurls herself at the next zombie, slamming her spear into it as it flails above her head.

HZ1 down. AoO from HZ3.
1d20 + 17 ⇒ (1) + 17 = 18 to hit, damage 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15

Another zombie stumbles up, arm raised to pummel.

HZ2 attacks Enga
1d20 + 17 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 17 - 2 = 22 to hit, damage 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13

Illes.

Map updated.

"Ha! You miss stupid! Oww!! Other stupid hit! I kill you!!"

What the shit!?! I can potentially restore Elisile to fleshy adventuring status. I did not realize Break Enchantment could do that and it was the spell I picked up last level.

Illes bursts into a song about the Shining Crusade carving their way through Tar-Baphon's zombie hordes while drawing a wand and waving it as if conducting his own song.

UMD Wand of Enlarge Person: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (10) + 20 = 30

I think Enlarge Person still takes 1 round to cast even from a wand, so on my next turn Hudak goes big.
Inspire Courage +4/+4

HZ4

What the s&++!?! I can potentially restore Elisile to fleshy adventuring status. I did not realize Break Enchantment could do that and it was the spell I picked up last level.

Good to know! I got as far as confirming that dispel magic and greater dispel magic couldn't, didn't think of break enchantment.

I knew it could, didn't know Illes could cast it.

The last zombie shuffles over to greet the newcomers.

Camlo.

Map updated.

Nevynxxx is away (though probably back soon), but I’m not sure there is much Camlo can do this round unless he wants to throw one of his necklace fireballs. Maybe he should delay for now and we skip to Sefayll.

Sefayll moves to try to see what the Headless Lord is about looking over and through the scrum.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Move plus action to study = full round?

Nevynxxx is away (though probably back soon), but I’m not sure there is much Camlo can do this round unless he wants to throw one of his necklace fireballs. Maybe he should delay for now and we skip to Sefayll.

Yes. :)

Sefayll moves to try to see what the Headless Lord is about looking over and through the scrum.

[dice=Perception]1d20 + 5

Move plus action to study = full round?

It's just standing there, though it seems alert.

She delays and keeps her attention on the headless one.

A giant takes a swipe at Enga.

HZ3 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (9) + 17 = 26 to hit, damage 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

A clot of darkness forms between Enga and Hudak, coalescing into the form of another zombie. It takes a swing at Hudak. The headless zombie continues to stand with its empty helmet facing towards the battle.

HZ5 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25 to hit, damage 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13

Demiarchos, Hudak and Alwyn.

Map updated.

What would an appropriate knowledge be to identify what just happened?

Sequencing this turn depends on whether Demiarchos can use his breath weapon over Enga (from right behind her, obviously).

There is another zombie that has popped into existence between Hudak and Enga, so Demiarchos can't get right behind her at this point (though I assume you are thinking of having Demiarchos delay while Hudak and Alwyn take out the new zombie, then Demiarchos moves forward?)

Demiarchos could select any grid intersection from his 4 squares as the point of origin of his cone breath weapon, which gives him some flexibility in avoiding small and medium sized adjacent characters in 2 dimensions. If we think in three dimensions (which the game rules tend not to), then a large creature would take up a cube 2 squares x 2 squares x 2 squares high. If he can designate any grid intersection of his space in three dimensions, then he could easily avoid an adjacent small (or even medium) character.

Yeah, those are pretty much my points. It's like we've been playing together for a while, man...

Heheh, on and off ...

EDIT, wow, not that far off ten years since this one and Aubrey's Eberron game started.

No, I know - it's been pretty epic. I think there are some other long-lasting games on this board as well but it's nice we've held the group together - more or less - all this time.

I may have only been playing for a short (relatively) while, but I've been reading this on and off before that since the start... It's been absolutely brilliant so far

Sequencing this turn depends on whether Demiarchos can use his breath weapon over Enga (from right behind her, obviously).

Based on the above conversation, if there is no one in the square next to Enga, Demiarchos can have the cone of his breath weapon originate there. It can then spread out in the squares beyond Enga, missing her square. So, basically, yes, under those circumstances.

What would an appropriate knowledge be to identify what just happened?

Arcana, Dungeoneering or Religion.

I may have only been playing for a short (relatively) while, but I've been reading this on and off before that since the start... It's been absolutely brilliant so far

Yeah, you only came in, what, five years ago or something. NOOB!