Zynazyr |
Zynazyr's eyes get wide at the sight of the creature. "That doesn't look good. Seems she is unhappy we interrupted her sleep. Wallia, any ideas what it is, other than the obvious undead?" he says as he moves over towards the cleric and throws an ustar at the creature.
THAC0: 18 - 1d20 - 1 ⇒ 18 - (9) - 1 = 8 +1 for range
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4
Lost City DM |
Can Brathas draw his sword, attack, and step back, or is that too many things to do in one round?
You can draw instead of moving, or you can draw as part of moving, but once you draw your weapon you have used up your move. So sadly, no. But you could move backwards and draw your bow, then attack with the bow.
Lost City DM |
Ana, Brathas, and Zynazyr all attack, but none of their attacks find their mark. The creature ducks back into the sarcophagus when weapons come too close.
It has AC 5.
Round 1 Initiative!
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous, Zynazyr
Block 2: Undead!
Block 3: Fistep, Wallia
Brathas is up!
Lost City DM |
Brathas misses, but at least he is out of reach of the horrible creature!
"Now you are mine! Bow before your queen!" the creature hisses!
The creature slashes at Ana with it's fingernails! But Ana easily ducks the blow.
17 - 1d20 ⇒ 17 - (1) = 16
Init. Ana: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 4) + 3 = 12
Init. Brathas: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (4, 4) + 1 = 9
Init. Ferrous: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 4) = 5
Init. Fistep: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7
Init. Wallia: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 4) = 6
Init. Zynazyr: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 2) + 3 = 11
Init. Monster: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 1 = 7
Round 1 Initiative!
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous, Zynazyr
Block 2: Undead!
Block 3: Fistep, Wallia (waiting for Fistep)
Round 2 Initiative!
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Zynazyr
Block 2: Undead!
Block 3: Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia
Fistep, Ana, Brathas, and Zynazyr are up! Wallia's action will resolve after Fistep posts.
Brathas |
"Zynazyr, now might be a good time for your conjured warrior!"
If Walia's turning fails, Brathas will fire another arrow.
THAC0 15, Short range: 15 - 1d20 - 1 ⇒ 15 - (12) - 1 = 2
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
Anastoria |
"Blah, blah." Ana swings again, trying to avoid the thing's attacks.
THAC0 15: 15 - 1d20 ⇒ 15 - (9) = 6 Damage: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Lost City DM |
Wow, the RNG is really lovin' you guys. No d20 rolls above 9 so far. I'll have a post shortly.
Zynazyr |
If Wallia is unable to turn the creature, I'll cast Binding. If he does turn it, it will try to move away, correct? Assuming we are trying to destroy it, I'll probably still cast Binding.
Seeing his companions are unable to strike the creature, Zynazyr takes a step back towards the door to distance himself further from it. He decides that Brathas might have a point and begins to summon a warrior spirit to help the group.
Cast Binding - Warrior locating it at the west end of the sarcophagus.
Lost City DM |
Because we are doing block initiative, I'm going to count any actions posted before Fistep's to have happened before his action. So Brathas's shot gets off before Wallia's turning takes effect.
Ana and Fistep both swing but fail to connect; this undead creature seems quite nimble compared to others you have seen. Brathas shoots, and his arrow strikes cleanly in the chest! For a moment, Brathas feels the satisfaction of striking a decent blow. But only a moment, as the arrow glances off the creature's skin!
Wallia raises his holy symbol and thrusts it forward. It shines with a golden light.
"Aaaiiee! How dare you bring such a vicious thing into my chamber!" The creature cries as it flinches away. It holds up what appears to be a royal sceptre in between it and the holy symbol, though this does not appear to have an effect.
As it begins to retreat away from Wallia, Zynazyr moves back to the corner and conjures a spirit from the plane of Aether.
Init. Brathas: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (3, 3) + 1 = 7
Init. Ferrous: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7
Init. Fistep: 7 = 7 Pre-Rolled
Init. Wallia: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 4) = 10
Init. Zynazyr: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (4, 5) + 3 = 12
Init. Monster: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 3) + 1 = 10
Round 2 Initiative!
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Zynazyr
Block 2: Undead!
Block 3: Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia, Zynazyr's Spirit
Round 3 Initiative!
Block 1: Wallia, Zynazyr (& Spirit)
Block 2: Undead!
Block 3: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous, Fistep
Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia, and Zynazyr as well as the Spirit are up! The spirit has not yet acted this round so it may attack or do something this round and in round 3 before the creature acts. Wallia also gets to act twice.
Zynazyr: you may make rolls for the spirit if you wish. It has a Thac0 of 18 and attacks twice for 1d4 damage each. It has 9 HP and has AC 4. As long as you control the spirit you cannot do anything else.
THE BAD NEWS is that the creature is now in darkness. You are pretty sure you know where it is. But attacks where you cannot see the creature have a -4 to hit. Ana and Ferrous will be able to see it if they step out of the lighted zone. The spirit could take the beetle glands from Zynazyr and carry them or one of the characters can. This will require a free hand unless you drop something (Brathas could grab it with one hand and still hold his short sword with the other).
TURNING: The creature will remain turned until Wallia stops holding up his symbol or someone attacks it.
Lost City DM |
I know this is not pathfinder, but I was wondering if I can use Lay hands or CLW to do damage to Queen Zenobia's Ghost.
Yes you can. And you're pretty sure this is a solid creature, not just a ghost. There is no corpse left behind in the sarcophagus.
Fistep |
Shakes his head as Brathas' arrow just bounces of the creature... The beast can withstand our normal weapons. He shakes his sword, This thing is useless... even if I could hit this nimble foul thing He steps up but doesn't attack it as Wallia seems to have done something to it.
Brathas |
"Fistep, take my short sword. It is magical, and you are quite agile so should be good with it.
For myself, I have a dozen magical arrows that we found with the huntress. I want to save some for Zargon, but we could use a couple here.
Ferrous, want to take one of our two flasks of Oil of Anointing? It needs to be lit and thrown but should be powerful against this creature.
Ana has her magic sword, Zynazyr and Walia have their magic."
Lost City DM |
Accepts the shortsword from Brathas.
For the record, you are not specialized with shortswords, and it only does half your STR as bonus damage. So your THAC0 with it will be 15 and the damage will be 1d6+2.
So let me make sure I understand the plan:
* Fistep, Ana, and the Spirit will engage in melee
* Brathas will shoot magic arrows
* Zynazyr will control the spirit
* Ferrous will light and throw some oil of anointing
* What will Wallia do?
Zynazyr |
If Ferrous can create some light, I can move the spirit up to try to attack. Otherwise, all it can do is stand there since I can't hit at -4.
Ferrous Grimgond |
The damned unnatural thing is hurt by good steel. I am afraid I can't be of much help here.
Taking advantage of the fact that Wallia had turned the undead creature Ferrous peers inside the uncovered coffin.
Lost City DM |
The party gets into position and prepares to attack while Wallia holds the creature at bay.
Okay, I'm assuming that basically you are waiting until everyone gets a chance to attack all at once, and then someone calls out "one, two, three, attack!"
So we'll call this the "lockdown round" and everyone will get to attack before the creature.
I have moved the icons to where I am guessing you want to be. If you want to change anything, go ahead. There's really no way that Brathas and Wallia can avoid the -1 cover penalty though unless you let the creature out of the corner (which I assume you don't want to do).
Wallia hurls the vial of flaming oil at the creature and it catches fire!
1d8 + 1d4 ⇒ (4) + (2) = 6
'Lockdown' Round Initiative!
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia, Zynazyr (or his spirit)
Block 2: Undead (6 damage so far)
Everyone except Wallia is up!
Brathas |
Brathas lets loose one of the huntress's magic arrows at Her Majesty.
THAC0 15, +1 arrow, short range, cover: 15 - 1d20 - 1 - 1 + 1 ⇒ 15 - (8) - 1 - 1 + 1 = 6
He just misses.
Zynazyr |
Zynazyr concentrates to make the spirit's arms lash out at the creature.
THAC0 18: 18 - 1d20 ⇒ 18 - (15) = 3
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3
THAC0 18: 18 - 1d20 ⇒ 18 - (2) = 16
Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1
Anastoria |
Ana swings for the fences, hoping to connect with the creature, but her swing goes wild! In her fervor, she very nearly knocks Fistep's weapon from his grasp!
THAC0 15: 15 - 1d20 ⇒ 15 - (2) = 13 Damage: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Lost City DM |
Well, Fistep may have missed but he finally rolled well for initiative!
Wallia flings a vial of oil and it splashes on the creature, catching fire. The creature screams!
"AAAIIIIEEE! I'll eat your heart, you coward!
Ana, Fistep, and the spirit all attack, but only the spirit manages to connect.
The creature claws at Fistep, but Fistep dances out of her reach.
"Get back, you churls! Don't you know I am your queen? Throw down your weapons and bow to me!"
1d2 ⇒ 2
claw: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (16) - 3 = 13
Init. Ana: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 5) + 3 = 13
Init. Brathas: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 4) + 1 = 11
Init. Ferrous: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 5) = 9
Init. Fistep: 10 = 10 pre-rolled
Init. Wallia: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 6) = 12
Init. Zynazyr: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 1) + 3 = 10
Init. Monster: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 1) + 1 = 8
Round 4 Initiative!
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia, Zynazyr (or his spirit)
Block 2: Undead (9 damage so far)
Everyone is up!
Anastoria |
Ana tries again to hit the vile undead!
THAC0 15: 15 - 1d20 ⇒ 15 - (12) = 3 Damage: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Lost City DM |
1:00 PM, Day 7
Wallia's flask bursts against the creature, and she screeches again. Then Ana move in and decapitates what is left. The creature lies still on the floor, and her crown rolls away to one side (to be quickly snatched up by Ferrous). :)
Combat Over.
The monster kept missing, which was a lucky thing. That was a wight. Inflicts a negative level on a hit.
The crown is extraordinarily valuable, with large cut gemstones. Ferrous estimates that it is worth 5000 gp.
The clothing the queen wore was clearly quite fine when she was laid to rest but the ages have caused them to dry out and decay, and they would be worthless even if she had not been burnt and hacked at.
The sceptre is made of electrum and has serpents coiled around it and wings at the top, on either side of a golden orb. Ana detects that this object is magical, though she does not divine its purpose.
3d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 6) = 14
So now what?
* Give Ana and Zynazyr another turn to identify the sceptre? (then what?)
* Return to the main tomb and explore the other secret door?
* Return to another unexplored area of this level?
* Head down to the level below? (which route?)
* Return to camp? (You have a lot of XP coming your way)
* Something else?
Brathas |
Ana and Zynazyr can do that while the rest of us start chiseling away the plaster over the other secret door.
Brathas looks in wonder at the crown and the scepter. He feels that he has just avoided a terrible danger.
Ferrous Grimgond |
Ferrous wipes the crown clean until it is shimmers. He also takes the opportunity to look inside the sarcophagus to see if the queen was buried with any other treasure. The many coins that Ferrous is carrying clink together as he steps towards the burial receptacle.
Zynazyr |
Zynazyr dismisses the spirit, satisfied that he was able to help. He then takes a turn looking at the scepter.
"Yes, Fistep, it would seem in such a confined space, they needed to bury their dead here, but also protect their treasures. If the other chamber holds a similar creature, we may want to come back at another time as I can only throw energy bolts. Although, we may be safe to rest here," he adds.
Anastoria |
"Then we should rest. I still have my spells, but we aren't in any hurry now and I'd really like to find out what this thing is."
Brathas |
"No, Walia, I think Zynazyr is right. We should come back tomorrow with the right spells prepared. If we awaken another creature like that one we have no more Oil of Anointing, and Zynazyr does not have his conjured warrior."
Wallia of Winterbourne Stoke |
Walia says, "It would be better to camp here then. So as not to have to waste spells getting by those ghostly versions of the royal couple. Especially, on the way back tomorrow."
Lost City DM |
1:10 PM, Day 7
2d6 ⇒ (1, 5) = 64d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 6, 6) = 20
May as well give Ana another turn to read the scepter.
Ana and Zynazyr spend the next 10 minutes examining the sceptre. Ana identifies it as a powerful wand of paralysis with 8 charges remaining.
Walia says, "That is true. Ferrous, have you checked the coins to see if they are real?..."
Ferrous first examines the sarcophagus, but finds nothing else within aside some fragments of decayed cloth and what the "queen" carried out with her.
He then examines the coins, grudgingly sparing a few for others to have a look at. Since the rest of you aren't doing anything for the next turn, you might as well look at them too. Nobody finds anything wrong with the coins, aside from the fact that they have a hole driven through them, possibly by a spike or nail of some kind.
If you want though, Ana and Zynazyr ccouls spend a turn seeing if they are enchanted. They did not detect any magic coming from the coins earlier, but could have not rolled well enough.
Walia says, "It would be better to camp here then. So as not to have to waste spells getting by those ghostly versions of the royal couple. Especially, on the way back tomorrow."
For the record, you now know of a second secret exit to this area that would bypass the haunts. There are still spells in the wizard's book that Zynazyr and Ana may want to learn.
So now what?
* Give Ana and Zynazyr another turn to examine the coins? (then what?)
* Return to camp? (You have a lot of XP coming your way)
* Camp in this room?
* Something else?
Anastoria |
I'd rather camp here, for exactly the reason that was given earlier. If we have to pass back through the haunts to get here again, well, we'll run into similar problems as last time."
Lost City DM |
I'd rather camp here, for exactly the reason that was given earlier. If we have to pass back through the haunts to get here again, well, we'll run into similar problems as last time."
As I mentioned, you now know a route that does not go through the haunts. You found a secret door that connects to the other side.
Fistep |
Let's see that these coins are enchanted... otherwise, I say we head back to camp as we can take some with us He shrugs, I say we have earned it; I'm sure their dead didn't ask to become these foul creatures... and if they did, even better we put it to good use