DM VoV's Black Monastery - Old School Dungeon Fun (Inactive)

Game Master Mark Sweetman

"Check if you would Brother Leng, this room of false light in the middle of such a deceptive place gives me pause."

Sasha prepares to rush to the rescue if Leng discovers anything.

Leng moves in and searches the area around the pedestal before going on to look at the pedestal itself.
perception: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24

The room itself is relatively non-descript aside from the walls being lined with lanterns. The pedestal is similarly simple, serving as a stone base for the scintillating diamond that sits atop it. Leng cannot detect any specific traps or triggers... but does get a sense of unease.

"It looks safe, however something does not...feel right. I'm not sure what it is, but something feels off. Be careful!"

"Beware friends, the inscription upon the door". "Do any of you have the ability to see magically cloaked foes". "Trusting our swords not our eyes worries me".

Hess enters the chamber warily his sword out, and using it as a mirror as he peer about the room.

"I can see the traces of magic used to cloak them, but that is rarely good enough to see an animate target."

Sasha moves into the room and scans it before looking at the diamond.

"Do we take it? It could be a trap, but I tire of running from every shadow in this place, I crave a foe to test my blade against."

Sasha can sense a taint of evil in the room, both the malevolent spirit of the building itself as well as a more tangible sense of a mark left by a creature of evil.

Mordecai can detect magic of the pedestal and lamps, but curiously the diamond itself appears mundane.

"Something magical in these pedestals and lamps..."

"A trap no doubt. Shall we spring it or move on?"

Sasha waits the consensus.

If we spring it I'll push the diamond off the stand with my sword. Otherwise move on.

Spring it!

"might as well spring it. no use in tiptoeing past all the dangers of this place..."

As the diamond is touched by the tip of Sasha's sword, the lamps instantly extinguish as well as all other sources of light - leaving you in the depth of black. The door also slams shut and by the sound of a click... is also locked. The sole remaining source of light is the diamond that begins to glow deep red, filling the room with menacing shadows and shapes. A very deep and slow voice will begin to speak:
Ye the seekers of plundered gold
Have broke the rest of slumber old
For ye a stone is but the bait...

Immediate reaction?

"Someone cast some light so I can take a look at this lock."
Leng moves over to the locked door, standing in the doorway waiting for someone to cast light.

"Oh Holy Iomeade, bring forth your light and allow this humble servant to drive back the darkness".

Cast Daylight

And brandishing his sword, puts his back to the wall awaiting what is to come.

Sasha prepares to strike if anything is revealed.

Attempting to open the door lock

Disable Device: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23

If that daylight spell didn't work, Mordecai will cast darkvision on himself.

As the group reacts and Hess' spell bathes the area in light and before Leng can turn his attention to the door, the intonation completes...
And death shall be your purchased fate!

The pedestal then explodes into powder and a vulture like demon is left in it's place... a vrock. It raises it's head and emits a shrieking cry as you scramble to react.

Action Tracker (Round 1): Vrock, Hess, Leng, Mordecai, Sasha

The demon reacts quickest and releases a cloud of pestilent spores to fill the room before screeching an unholy sound that penetrates into your ears and threatens to swamp your mind...

Sasha takes 1d8 ⇒ 8 damage from the spores.
Everyone has a DC 21 Fort save to make, or stunned for 1 round.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Round 1

Fort DC 21: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

Enduring the spores and blast of noise Sasha wastes no time attempting to end the threat.

+1 Cold Iron Greatsword Power Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 252d6 + 13 ⇒ (6, 3) + 13 = 22
+1 Cold Iron Greatsword Power Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 122d6 + 13 ⇒ (6, 2) + 13 = 21

Round 1

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 Fort Save

The sheer evil of the beast, and the odor, the awful smell, for a moment Hess can do nothing but stare in horror.

Shutting out all outside stimulus, Leng is able to shrug off the creature's ear-splitting screech and attack.

Flurry of Blows:
Attack#1: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Attack#2: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Leng's uarmed attacks are considered magical attacks

fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Sasha's first cut bites into the demon, though less deeply than he would have hoped. Leng's blows are both accurate... but do not mark the demon's skin at all, being absorbed by the denseness of it's form.

It has DR 10/good; current damage is 12

The spores of the beast dig further into Sasha's skin as the beast focuses it's attention on him - tearing with a fusillade of tooth, talon and claw...
Claw: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26 for 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 4) + 5 = 12
Claw: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14 for 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (4, 6) + 5 = 15
Bite: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18 for 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Talon: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14 for 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Talon: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16 for 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
...though the man's armour is stout, and he is only marked by a single raking claw.

Action Tracker (Round 2): Vrock, Hess, Leng, Mordecai, Sasha

Staring in horror as the beast begins it's attacks, Hess firms his resolve, and calling upon the might of Iomeade to assist him calls down a Holy Smite upon the creature.

"Oh mighty Iomeade". "Fill me with your divine energy, so that I might strike down this creature of evil".

Holy Smite, Will DC19

Level Check to overcome SR if necessary 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Damage 7d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 3, 3, 3, 6, 1) = 21 + Blinded

Round 2

"We've got a biter!"

Activating Shield of Swings to halve damage and add +4 to AC and CMD, bringing my AC to 29.

+1 Cold Iron Greatsword Power Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 172d6 + 13 ⇒ (3, 5) + 13 = 21
+1 Cold Iron Greatsword Power Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 152d6 + 13 ⇒ (2, 4) + 13 = 19

So 11 and 10 if those hit.

Leng will make sure he is flanking the Vrock with Sasha before attacking

Unarmed Strike (Flurry of Blows): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
Damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Sneak Attack: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 1) = 6

Unarmed Strike (Flurry of Blows): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
Damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Sneak Attack: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6

Arrgh..the dice are against me again!!

Mordecai will move in for a hideous blow, flanking if possible.

1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24
1d4 + 1 + 4d8 ⇒ (4) + 1 + (7, 7, 7, 1) = 27

Knock, Knock, Hello...tap...tap...tap.

DM VoV is still on vacation for a few more days.

Indeed... though he hast returneth now :)

Hess' conjured beam of holy light strikes the vrock... but then flows across it's form as though a duck sloughing water and leaves the flesh unmarked. It easily weaves out of the way of Sasha's sword before Leng's fists both meet flesh... though without enough force to injure the beast overly.

Mordecai's strike has more success, the energy crackling around the warlock's weapon sinking into the demon and leaving it marked. The vrock reacts and swivels to focus instead upon he who hurt it so...
Claw at Mordecai: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27 for 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (2, 2) + 5 = 9
Claw at Mordecai: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23 for 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (2, 2) + 5 = 9
Bite at Mordecai: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22 for 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Talon at Mordecai: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33 for 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25 for 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 extra
Talon at Mordecai: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31 for 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
...rending, tearing, clawing... bloody gibbets of Mordecai's flesh fly from the man's form as he is reduced to a bloody ruin. The vrock cries a screech in triumph...
50 damage total - reducing Mordecai to -8/42?

The thorns lodged in Sasha's flesh continue to swell and grow feeding off his blood. 1d4 ⇒ 2 damage

35 damage total.
Note - I'm open to up to two more people joining the game - so if you know anyone interested let me know.

Mordecai has DR 4/cold iron, so lemme know if the vrock's natural attacks count as that (i dont think it is likely, but i have seen kookier abilities). If the DR applies, that is 20 less damage he suffers (5 attacks at 4 less damage each)

Okay - so 20 points less... be thankful it didn't power attack :P

yeah even with the DR 4 that onslaught was BRUTAL!

Round 3

Seeing Mordecai injured Sasha ceases husbanding his resources and strikes at the creature.

Smite, +4 to AC and bypass DR. 5' to flank if I'm not already. I won't include the +2 for it below as I'm not sure I can get it.

+1 Cold Iron Greatsword Power Attack Smite: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 222d6 + 20 ⇒ (3, 2) + 20 = 25

+1 Cold Iron Greatsword Power Attack Smite: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 122d6 + 20 ⇒ (1, 1) + 20 = 22

"Ho"! "Nasty bit of work this one is". "Iomadae lend me your healing touch, to bolster my comrades".

Selective Channel 4d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 4, 3) = 12

For some reason this was a 16 hp heal, when I previewed it, but changed to a 12 when posted. Feel free to use either one.

Again Leng strikes the beast. He makes sure he can deliver the most effective blows by positioning himself to flank the beast.

Attack-Melee (FoB): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24
Damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Sneak Attack Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5

Attack-Melee (FoB): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
Damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Sneak Attack Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 5) = 11

Attack-Melee (FoB): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23
Damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Sneak Attack Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 5) = 9

Attack-Melee (FoB): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Damage: 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Sneak Attack Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 5) = 11

Ok..I think I am reading this right...with my monk robe, my effective monk level is 9, which means I get an additional flurry of blows (2 attacks) giving me a total of 4 attacks per round as a full action. On top of that, each attack has sneak attack damage added if I flank or surprise the foe (is this right?? I hope so for our sake)

Technically Mordecai still to act in Round 3.

Sasha's great sword cuts a swath though the demon fuelled by the righteousness of his cause. Shrieking in pain it reels back to avoid the second swipe... only to be caught by the pummelling fists of Leng. While the monk's fists are not as potent as the paladin's blade - they still cause bones to crack and flesh to part under their embrace.

Take the 16pt heal.
88 HP remaining - unlikely for Mordecai to drop so will put up .

The vrock circles on Sasha, ignoring all others to focus upon the paladin incandescent... rending, tearing, screeching...
Claw at Sasha: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24 for 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (5, 6) + 5 = 16
Claw at Sasha: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23 for 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 6) + 5 = 14
Bite at Sasha: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (15) + 13 = 28 for 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Talon at Sasha: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23 for 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Talon at Sasha: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23 for 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
...but the well seasoned armor of the warrior shields him from all but the lunging teeth of the beast... and the continued digging of the thorns. 1d4 ⇒ 3 from spores

So Mordecai has two rounds worth of actions, and the rest have one.

ah woops. here we go:

Continuing to hold position, channeling Iomeade's might, Hess continues to bring forth healing energy.

Selective Channel 4d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 3, 2) = 12 Positive Energy

Round 4

Sasha continues his assault, moving to flank the creature if he can.

With Smite I'm +4 to AC, which is a...deflection bonus, so AC is 27 versus the beastie.

+1 Cold Iron Greatsword Power Attack Smite: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (9) + 16 = 252d6 + 20 ⇒ (3, 6) + 20 = 29
+1 Cold Iron Greatsword Power Attack Smite: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 202d6 + 20 ⇒ (1, 2) + 20 = 23

Mordecai - your BAB is only +5... so you shouldn't be making an iterative attack.

As the struggle continues, Sasha unleashes a mighty cross bladed strike that opens the vrock's belly spilling entrails and blood onto the floor. It keens with pain and anguish as the ties that bind it to the mortal realm fade. The corpse blackens and burns away over the course of seconds - leaving a scorch mark upon the ground that bears the gem at it's centre.

Combat finished

ah my bad I hadn't played the character in awhile and I saw he was at +10 to hit and I assumed wrongly

"That was more work than I thought, but it feels good to finally face something. Anybody know how to make these spores stop?"

I'm assuming K. Planes to find that out?

K. Planes Untrained: 1d20 ⇒ 8

Sasha can feel the vines already beginning to slow their creep, and with grimaced jaw and firm yanking is able to clear his flesh of them.

Leng will retrieve the gem and bring it back to Mordecai.
"Is there still any magic on it? Should we take it with us?"

No magic, but it is a sizeable diamond

Quickly healing himself, Sasha nods as the gem is secured then looks to the next room.

"Let us hope the next is as straightforward. Is this room secure, should we need to rest and be unable to make it out of the monastery?"

LoH: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 2) = 11

HP 62/74

"My that is an impressive diamond". "Gather around friends and I shall plead with Iomeade to grant us a bit of healing energy". "If anyone suffers still after that let me know and I'll ask her for some personal attention.".

4d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 2, 6) = 17 Channell