DM Carbide's Giantslayer

Game Master John Woodford

2h longsword, flanking: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 = 7
dmg: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Svarog's eyes narrowed as the damnable vermin avoided his slashes with sickening insectile speed. "Someone step on this blasted bug!" he growled.

*Surely all that superstition about Lidda's bad luck could have no root in reality,* he thought to himself, dismissing the stray thought. He was not one to shuck blame onto another.

There's a kind of storytelling value in all these misses, if you don't mind unintentional comedy. ;P

Lidda is getting REALLY close to running away crying and letting you guys fight on your own.

At least the party members aren't hitting themselves, or each other.

At least the party members aren't hitting themselves, or each other.

You know it's bad when the DM goes "Wait, I didn't know we were using the critical fumble deck! How did that even happen?"

I hope my PRD (Pathetic Rolling Disorder) isn't contagious.

Fort 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Healed of the damage from the bug bite, Haftor nods his thanks in Miss Tosscobble's direction, then takes another swing at the grotesquely large vermin.

warhammer att 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14 damage 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Come on, Jarrek! You can do it!

Attack: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 3 - 4 = 14
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Hopefully this will do a bit better

Jarrek grit his teeth and swung again. "I'm going to wear this thing as a necklace," he roared.

Falchion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 So... that was a no on the critical fumble deck, right?
Damage: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (4, 3) + 4 = 11

In the confusion, no one can seem to get a hit on the agile and well-armored beast.

Round 6 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Centipede-acted
Svarog
Lidda
Kira
Haftor
Jarrek

The centipede wriggles through the scrum and bites Haftor again for 5 HP, plus another DC 15 Fort save to avoid 3 points DEX damage.

Back to you!

Big centipede: AC 18 T 14 FF 14 -5 HP

2h longsword, flanking: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 3 + 2 = 21
dmg: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Svarog's temper was beginning to fray. Raising his sword high over his head, he brought it down two-handed across the centipede's whole body, foregoing a cut at its head for a wild swing to sever its many segments.

The centipede hangs onto Haftor just a bit too long, and Svarog sees his chance. With a lightning-swift slash, he cuts into and through its body, and it finally falls.

Out of combat!

Svarog wiped off his sword, but didn't sheathe it. "Let's see if we can still catch anyone in here," he growled, giving Haftor's wounds no comment.

Let's see what's beside the stairs, before we go up or down or whatever.

The stairs appear to lead to a loft, and as noted before the area under the loft is filled with fallen beams, jumbled bricks, and other debris. A short corridor leads southeast to a door. As you look around, Lidda's sharp eyes spot a concealed door in the hall, and Haftor notices it a moment later.

Jarrek stomps on the dead centipede's head and grinds it into paste with his boot as he looks around with the others. "The hall seems more likely, but I don't like the idea someone could be hiding up in the loft and sneak away. Let's check up first."

The loft appears to be the only remnant of the building's second floor, the rest destroyed by the fire or the elements; the roof is gone, and it's clear that time has not been kind. Most of the room is filled with fire-damaged and mildewing furnishings, charred roof timbers, and the like, but perched precariously at the edge of the stairs is a brass statue of a woman with a longsword in one hand and a kite shield in the other.

Thanks for the clarification, DM. Svarog will take 10 on the Know:religion check.

"Beware the statue." Svarog pointed the precarious statue out to the others absently, busy looking around for anything of note. He didn't bother to move the statue back from its perch; if her followers couldn't be bothered to rescue her, he certainly wasn't going to.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26 Oh, sure. NOW.

Fort 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Haftor seems a bit pale, and unsteady on his feet.

Haftor, DC 15 Fort save or take another point of DEX damage. At least it's not CON damage, right?

fort 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

EDIT: Huzzah!

Kira pulls back the string on her crossbow and reloads it. Turning slightly to look at Lidda, "Stay close Lidda, this building seems more dangerous than when we were children." Kira nods towards the rest of the men, "Ready to go deeper then?"

Jarrek nods at Kira. "Those centipedes were a good warm-up. Good way to work out the kinks! Let's go crack some heads."

The sense of helplessness, dread, and guilt that was building a knot in Lidda's throat nearly overwhelmed her by the time the creature was killed. Still, tears had begun to well in the corners of her eyes, and while she finds some comfort in Kira's words, she doesn't dare to trust her voice yet.

There appears to be nothing else in the loft. Going through the concealed door or the other one?

If Lidda or Haftor don't mention the hidden door, I guess we'll take the other one.

I assumed that if information is not provided under spoiler tags, it is shared among all the PCs. If that isn't the case, Haftor points out the concealed door. We should probably open the other one first, though.

Sorry, somehow I missed the mention of the hidden door the first time around. I won't bring it up now (still have a dangerous lump in my throat) but make mental note of the location for when we come back downstairs.

The visible door is also at ground level.

If no one else does first, or wants to check for traps or anything:

Svarog listens at the visible door before cracking it open to peer through.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Svarog hears nothing at the door, and on peering through sees a large space only dimly lit in spots from gaps in the ceiling. Nothing seems to be moving.

What are you using for light sources?

Haftor has Darkvision, and didn't think to bring a light source. He stands back a bit from the door. He is injured, and if he gets knocked out, he can't cast his healing spells.

Jarrek has Darkvision so doesn't carry a light source, but his kit includes 10 torches.

Lidda peers past her companions into the dim room, finds a suitable piece of rubble, and closes her eyes. The rock begins to shine brightly, filling the room with light but casting long, strange shadows.

Casts light

Svarog nodded to Lidda, apparently all the thanks she would get.

If he doesn't see anything new:

He pushed the door open wider and entered, nosing about briefly before returning to the party with a shrug.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11 Yup, this is a room.

The door opens into a cavernous hall, extending the width of the building. At the southwest end, you see the main entrance doors, with a dingy but still impressively intact stained glass window above it. The window shows Iomedae holding her sword aloft. To the northeast, the support walls and pillars that once connected the Plague House to the huge boulder behind it have burnt and crumbled away, revealing nearly the entire face of the monolith as well as parts of the sky above. Jagged red runes have been painted onto the rock in long, broad strokes that reach from top to bottom. A cabinet in fair shape still leans against the most intact part of the southeastern wall, and a bookcase matches it on the northeast part of the wall.

Svarog lifted his sword to indicate the red runes to those outside the hall. "Skreed," he said, as though that were self-explanatory.

He went to examine the bookcase, and then cautiously opened the cabinet with the end of his longsword.

If anyone asks about "Skreed," Svarog will tell them it's a name in Orcish.

Kira gives Lidda a pat on the shoulder, glad she's been able to more consistently perform that Cantrip, her eyes turning up to the red runes that Svarog points out as she steps into the room. Lowering her crossbow for a moment, Kira gives a thoughtful look to the runes, "I wonder if this is the same paint that's been put up around town. A different color sure but maybe the same materials used..."

Kira then pulls out a small scraping knife and a leather pouch, reaching up to try and scrap off some of the red paint for study later.

Jarrek shrugs. "Paint's paint, isn't it?" He nods at the cabinet. "Let's see if anything's in here." The big half-orc moves to the cabinet to look inside.

You people are amazingly lucky, you know that?

Jarrek approaches the cabinet to examine it when he (and the rest of the party) is surprised by a mass of sticky silk that sails down from the rafters above him...and hits the floor next to him. Its source is a rather large spider that prior to its attack was extremely well-concealed. The counter for it doesn't show that it's actually around fifteen feet off the floor.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Jarrek
Lidda
Kira
Svarog
Spider
Haftor

Everyone but Haftor can act!

Jarrek flinches away from the spiderweb and looks up at the ceiling. His hand flashes down to his waist and he pulls out and throws a dagger as long as his forearm at the creature. "Big spider makes a big target!"

Swift action arcane strike, move action draw dagger, standard action attack.

Throw: 1d20 ⇒ 2 ...and it goes spinning off into the gloom.

You still rolled better than it did.

-Posted with Wayfinder

"How did all these gigantic insects sneak inside the walls?" Svarog growled in exasperation. Sheathing his sword, he whipped his bow from his back and fired an arrow at the crawly thing.

Move: sheathe sword
Standard (+1 BAB): draw bow and attack

cmp.longbow: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 3

Man, we're slaughtering the gloom. As Jarrek's character in another game exclaimed, "A spectacle of incompetence!"

Somehow unsurprised at the huge arachnid, Lidda stands and peers at it oddly, her head at a slight angle.

Misfortune hex, DC 14

Kira's eyes widen as she hears the squick-noise of the webbing hitting the floor next to Jarrok and she spins around, her hand moving to her bandoleer to pull one of her bombs off. Scanning upwards Kira rears back her arm and throws with her whole body twisting...

Touch Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10 Or 6 damage from the splash, DC 14 to reduce by half.

Round 2 (ongoing; rearranged):

Initiative order
Spider-acted
Haftor
Jarrek-
Lidda-
Kira-
Svarog-

Lidda feels a sense of frustration as her attempt at jinxing the spider fails. Jarrek and Svarog are unable to hit the agile spider, while Kira's thrown bomb misses it but splashes it with burning liquid. It writhes in pain, then drops to the ground and bites at Jarrek for 3 HP, plus DC 15 Fort save or take 1 point STR damage.

Haftor can act, and then the rest of the party can act again!

Giant spider: AC 18 T 15 FF 13 -3 HP

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9 Ugh.

Jarrek shakes his arm furiously, trying to free it from the huge spider's fangs. "I'm gonna make goggles out of those big bulgy eyes!"

"Good, Jarrek! Keep it there!" Svarog called, as though being bitten was a clever ploy by Jarrek to immobilize the spider.

longbow: 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 - 4 = 10
dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 6

In his efforts not to shoot Jarrek in the face, he was unable to hit the spider with an arrow.

Okay, never mind Svarog, soon I'M going to be looking at Lidda funny... ;P

Which suggests that Lidda should pick up the fortune hex at L2 -_^.

I'm not even running Inspire Courage right now because our rolls are so low that +1 would just be a waste. Plus I'm kind of assuming we'll see worse than giant spiders in here. How embarrassing would it be to be the party that gets killed by the monsters on level 1 of the dungeon? *sigh*

Round 2 (ongoing; rearranged):

Initiative order
Spider-acted
Haftor
Jarrek-acted
Lidda-
Kira-
Svarog-acted

Jarrek and Svarog fruitlessly attempt to harm the spider.

Haftor, Lidda, and Kira can act!

Haftor loads his heavy crossbow, mumbling obscenities as he does so.

At least I don't have to roll to load the damn thing.