DM Carbide's The Dragon's Demand (Inactive)

Game Master John Woodford

Machi-e, cursing his lack of choices, spends a round summoning a fire elemental to flank the grioth.

Yeah, your tactical situation is less than optimal at the moment.

Cora grits her teeth and murmurs a spell under her breath, washing over her companions in a wave of reassuring energy. She looks up at Nezos as he fights the huge monster. "Do we need to try a different way?"

Cast Bless. If Gallius wants to trade spots with her on the stairs so he can get into healing range of Nezos, she'll do that.

The grioth cuts twice at Nezos, but the fighter manages to deflect both blows.

Nezos and Gallius can act!

Nezos and Gallius?

A little more convinced he can prevent his imminent demise, and keep everyone else safer as a result, Nezos keeps swinging.

+1 Flaming Bastard Sword: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 9 - 2 = 15
Damage: 1d10 + 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (3) + (1) + 6 = 10

Oops! I'll happily trade places with Cora.

"At last, a little reprieve for you friend."

Cure Serious Wounds: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (7, 6, 7) + 5 = 25

The priest restores some health to the wounded fighter, fortunate in that the curve of the stairs provides some cover against the grioth.

Round 4:

Initiative order
Machi-e/Elemental
Cora
Grioth
Nezos
Gallius

Machi-e and Cora can act!

Machi-e touches Cora, giving her Protection From Evil.

The fire elemental attacks the grioth.

Slam, Flanking: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 2 = 12

for: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Burn?: 1d4 ⇒ 4

DC11 Reflex save or light on fire, grioth

I presume that the grioth only needs to save if the blow actually hit.

Yup. Oops, used the wrong avi

Thought you weren't looking quite yourself, there.

Round 4 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Machi-e/Elemental-acted
Cora
Grioth
Nezos
Gallius

Machi-e grants Cora arcane defenses, while his summoned elemental can't hit the agile grioth.

Cora?

Cora continues focusing on improving her own defenses, casting another spell.

Cast Divine Favor, 1 minute. The previously cast Bless is 5 minute duration so should last for the whole combat.

Round 4 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Machi-e/Elemental-acted
Cora-acted
Grioth-acted
Nezos
Gallius

Cora bolsters her offensive capability. The grioth continues to attack Nezos; only a heroic effort keeps the creature's blade from a vital spot, but the fighter still takes a heavy blow before dodging the backswing. Take 19 HP + 3 HP nonlethal damage, Nezos.

Nezos and Gallius can act!

Grioth: AC 21 T 13 FF 17 HP taken: 40

Stubbornly clinging on thanks to the aid of Nethys through Gallius, the half-elf brings his sword down again.

+1 Flaming Bastard Sword: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 9 - 2 = 12
Damage: 1d10 + 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (9) + (1) + 6 = 16

The pain is definitely getting to him, though, and his swing goes wide.

"Let us hope this foe falls quickly. I cannot keep this up endlessly."

I'll use my last 3rd spell slot for a final Cure Serious Wounds.

Cure Serious Wounds: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (8, 2, 4) + 5 = 19

If only this thing hit less hard and shared the pain around :P

Gallius pours healing energy into the fighter, completely undoing the effects of the last hit.

Round 5:

Initiative order
Machi-e/Elemental
Cora
Grioth
Nezos
Gallius

Machi-e and Cora can act!

Grioth: AC 21 T 13 FF 17 HP taken: 40

Prescience: 1d20 ⇒ 6
Slam, Flanking: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 4 + 2 = 22

for: 1d4 ⇒ 4

now we'll see if the Grioth burns!

Machi-e draws upon his knowledge of probability to try to bend the odds in the elemental's favor.

"I'm not sure luck is with us, Gallius," says the Magambyaan.

Round 5 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Machi-e/Elemental-acted
Cora
Grioth
Nezos
Gallius

For once luck is with the party, as the grioth ignites!

Cora?

Grioth: AC 21 T 13 FF 17 HP taken: 46, burning

Cora moves past her companions up the stairs to study the grioth as Nezos and the elemental fight it.

Move up the steps to where she can see, then Studied Target on the grioth.

Cora, at the moment Nezos is at the top of the stairs, Gallius is directly behind him, and you're directly behind Gallius. There's nowhere to move to, unless I'm misunderstanding what you want to do.

"Gallius, switch with me if you're done healing Nezos. I want to try something."

Can she pop her head above floor level from the steps behind/below Nezos?

No. From behind Nezos, the floor is about 7.5 feet up. That, incidentally, is why Gallius currently has cover from the grioth...a good thing, because if he didn't it would be getting AoOs on him when he cast spells.

Cora, didn't you already use Studied Target on the grioth, before it hit you the first time?

Round 5 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Machi-e/Elemental-acted
Cora-delaying
Grioth-acted
Nezos
Gallius

Cora pauses to let Gallius move. The grioth cuts at Nezos again, hitting him once for 19 HP, plus 4 nonlethal.

Nezos and Gallius can act!

Grioth: AC 21 T 13 FF 17 HP taken: 46, burning

"It can't keep this up...either," Nezos grimaces, sounding more like he's trying to convince himself. The half-elf tries ignoring his repeatedly healed-and-reopened wounds and still-mangled armor to keep swinging.

+1 Flaming Bastard Sword: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 9 - 2 = 9
Damage: 1d10 + 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (8) + (6) + 6 = 20

Tries being the operative word.

Nezos' swing is wide of the mark. Despite multiple wounds and being on fire, the grioth seems distressingly healthy.

Gallius to go!

"This isn't working, we need to find a better plan."

Using a 2nd level spell slot for Cure Moderate Wounds. This isn't going well.

Cure Moderate Wounds: 2d8 + 5 ⇒ (6, 6) + 5 = 17

Gallius is willing to switch out with Cora to let her get hits in if that's a possibility.

Gallius continues to support Nezos with his rapidly-dwindling supply of curative spells.

Round 6:

Initiative order
Machi-e/Elemental
Cora
Grioth
Nezos
Gallius

The grioth continues to smolder.

Machi-e and Cora can act!

Grioth: AC 21 T 13 FF 17 HP taken: 48, burning

"Nezos! Gallius! Fall back!"
Prescience: 1d20 ⇒ 2
Slam, Flank: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 4 + 2 = 20
for: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Machi-e burns another instance of his ability to bend the odds for the elemental.

"This isn't working," says the Magaambyan. "We have to find a place to hide and heal."

Cora grinds her teeth and nods. "Come on, Nezos, we'll find another way."

Nezos crouches lower still behind his shield as he tries to back down the stairs. "Hear no complaint from me, I'll try..."

I assume I'd provoke even if I withdrew, so Total Defense and a move back.

Following the others, Gallius voluntarily backs down the stairs with the rest of the group.

The grioth chops at Nezos as he withdraws and would hit an AC of 26. If that hits, take 16 HP and 2 points nonlethal damage. However, given everyone's positions, Gallius will be able to drag Nezos to safety...as long as the grioth doesn't pursue.

This is what happens when I try to post while distracted...I missed that the grioth was up before Nezos can try to retreat.

Round 6 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Machi-e/Elemental-acted
Cora-delaying
Grioth-acted
Nezos
Gallius

Machi-e's elemental narrowly misses the grioth, which is still on fire. Cora delays to cover Nezos' and Gallius' retreat. The grioth hits Nezos and knocks him unconscious, then barely misses the elemental on the backswing; Nezos falls back practically into Gallius' arms, and the cleric drags him out of the fight. The grioth steps back from the stairs and does not pursue.

Out of combat, unless someone wants to go up after it.

What are you going to do?

"Well, hmm. I don't have any healing potions. Do we need to hole up for the night somewhere? Gallius, can you heal Nezos?"

Machi-e looks around for a place to hide.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 4

ha. Will burn a use of Prescience for that.

Prescience: 1d20 ⇒ 7

never mind... :D

You could go back and ask the druid for advice.

I have a wand of cure light wounds. I can spend a certain number of charges to pull Nezos out of critical range and then we can decide what to do before I use more charges.

*Palpatine voice*: do it.

Just let me know what you're doing.

Gallius, roll some heals! :D

Gallius pulls out his wand of cure light wounds, and spends a charge to grant Nezos a few valuable hit points.

Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

"There you go friend."

Gallius helps Nezos back to their feet.

"Let me know how much more you need. There's plenty more where that came from."

Nezos regains consciousness.

Nezos stirs, suddenly finding himself feeling much heavier in his armor than usual. "Many thanks, fellow devoted," he manages, staggering to an unassisted standing position. "I can tough this out, unless we're about to head back in there. But I'd rule against that without a new plan to go with it. Any ideas?"

"Anything but back up those stairs. And if we plan on pushing forward into this place, I'd rather ensure you're not still hovering at death's door."

The party is able to rest in the courtyard where they met the druid; it's out of sight of the steeple, and the windows into the courtyard are mostly blacked out. The druid is not there, though--as he said, he's gone to ask the dragon for extra time.

"Gallius, it's up to you, then," says Machi-e.

What time is it?

Late afternoon. The reincarnation took a while.

"Alright, let's mend these gashes."

Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Is your hp up to date Nezos? I haven't seen it change between you being knocked out and me healing you.

"Let's explore a little more of the lower floors before meeting that grioth again," suggests Machi-e. "In the chapbooks the monsters are always more dangerous in the towers."