Gryphon Gold's Rise of the Runelords Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Guy Player Man

Initiative roll: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3.

By the way, I have a Grease spell prepared. If you guys let me go first in the queue, I can make it difficult for those creepies to get to us.

That's a good idea. You should tell Markum to wait before he runs up to them to kill them.

"I have a spell prepared that will give those... beings difficulty with standing and walking," Lym whispers in an urgent tone. "An area of floor will grow extremely slick, so you must avoid stepping on it yourselves. Let me cast it first, then fire at them, it may give us an advantage."

Not knowing for sure if she means she doesn't want him to fire an arrow first, Praxim will err on the side of caution and hold his shot until after her spell. Of course, if it looks like they need some incentive to start climbing the stairs in the first place...

Initiative 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Lona readies her bow and readies an arrow, awaiting a signal from the group before firing. "Want me to try to get closer?"

Back from traveling. Thanks for your patience.

Markum holds back Vuvo. "Easy boy! We'll get our chance."

You have until tomorrow to give your actions.

Markum and Vuvo will do as Lym asks and wait for the creatures to come to us.

Sorry, but I don't see the logic in casting a Grease spell. If the monsters fall prone, that will make it harder to hit them with missile fire. And then we can't go up to them to attack them with melee, or we'll slip on the grease as well.

Varisian Chronicler, you want me to declare my actions? Well... I no longer feel I can. I would have wanted just to use the surprise round to run up to the monsters, so I could attack in melee in the first regular round, but now it looks like it may interfere with everybody else's plans of bows, arrow, force missiles, grease spells, and I no longer remember what else.

So the action I declare is... I do nothing, because I no longer know what's flying. I'll just ready an action to attack the first monster to get within 5 feet of me, although that will undoubtedly go to waste, as the monsters will slip on the grease if they try to reach us. When it's my turn in the first regular (non-surprise) round, then I'll see how the situation is, and hopefully I'll be able to declare a more fruitful action then. Sorry.

I apologize for my outburst last night. It was late, I was tired and cranky, and someone was pressuring me to get off the computer.

If Lym can keep the Grease spell far enough away so that Markum and I can charge the monsters without slipping, then I have no cause to complain.

If I may, I'd like to charge one of the monsters as soon as the spells and missiles are loosed. The rolls below take the +2 charge bonus into account.

Attack = 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Damage = 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Confirm Critical = 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
Damage = 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Not a problem. With a range of 25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels, I can put it down underneath them, which I shall hereby do.

"Solum lubricum," Lym chants, and she flings... what looks suspiciously like a bit of fat, such as might have been cut off the corpse of a dire boar. The little chunk of grease flies true, hits the ground beneath the critter closest to the wall and expands into a large puddle of grease.

"Have at them!" Lym encourages the more martial-minded members of the party, as she backs away to give them room to charge.

Lym casts Grease. The spell should cover a 10-ft. square, but seeing as the map uses 5-ft. squares, I am hoping it will nail both critters at once, instead of just one of them.

Lona positions herself about 30' out and fires a crossbow bolt at one of the creatures!

Attack 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Damage 1d8 ⇒ 3
Sneak Attack Damage 1d6 ⇒ 2

Oops.

You can't charge down the stairs.

Lona fires at on of the creatures and misses. Lym casts a Grease spell under the feet of the creatures, causing one of them to slip and fall. Praxim aims and fires, missing.

Map

Initiative: Markum, Vuvo, Lona, Varg, Lym, Praxim, monsters

Markum holds his action. He stands ready for the creatures to come at them.

You can't charge down the stairs.

Then I'll simply use the surprise round to WALK down the stairs, stand in front of monster #1 (so as to make it easier for someone else to step in front of monster #2,) and attack on the first regular round. Just use my earlier rolls for my attack, and subtract 2 from the attack rolls, since I don't get the charge bonus after all. I'd prefer to attack whichever monster is NOT prone.

Sorry Markum and Lym, I know that you wanted the creatures to come to US, but then they might choose to run away and get reinforcements. Or at least, warn someone ahead of us.

"Let's try that again. Hold still now." Lona reloads and fires another bolt, hoping for better results this time.

Attack 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Damage 1d8 ⇒ 1
Sneak Attack Damage 1d6 ⇒ 4

Lona throws down the crossbow in frustration and curses in a most unladylike manner. "What a piece of junk!" She draws her rapier and inches (5' step) closer to the creatures.

"Sagitta magica, vole," Lym chants, and hurls a dart of force at the creature still standing. "Perhaps I should teach you a bit of magic, my friend," she jokes, nudging Lona.

Force Dart for 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 against the standing critter. Automatic hit.

What's the hold up

Round 1

Varg cuts through one of the sides of the standing creature, causing blood to spray on the floor, while one of Lym's missiles hits the creature in the face. It doesn't seemed the least bit fazed, however, and it retaliates, raking both its claws across Varg's body (7 dmg) and nearly biting off the warriors face. Meanwhile, the creature on the floor succeeds at tasting flesh, biting into Varg's calf and ripping meat of his calf (6 dmg, make a Will save).

Map

Can we move down the stairs and jump over the railing to end up standing next to Varg?
Markum Acrobatics 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (9) - 4 = 5
Vuvo Acrobatics 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22
Or on my face?

Lym curses, then repeats her chant. Another dart of force flies at the standing monstrosity and strikes its flesh.

Another Force Dart for 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 damage.

Praxim will get some more archery going, moving if needed for a clearer shot.

Attack: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 8 - 4 = 18
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Varg's body begins convulsing as he groans, and almost immediately afterward, he starts foaming at the mouth. Any who can see his face see fury in his eyes. (Varg is sickened until further notice.) Markum and Vuvo both move to stand by side of Varg.

Lona fires her crossbow, hitting the standing creature in its eye socket, almost instantly dropping it, while the combined effort of Varg, Lym, and Praxim kill the creature lying on the floor.

End of combat.

"Varg is sick. Infected? Should we continue or turn back?"

"Depends," Lym says in a grim tone of voice. "Did anyone think to bring a potion that inhibits disease? I must confess I lacked such foresight. Filthy creatures, these... Does anyone know what they are?"

None of her companions have a positive answer to Lym's questions.

"Varg, are you good enough to go on?"

"OF COURSE I CAN GO ON!" Varg screams at Markum. He spits on the ground and sneers angrily at you.

"GOOD! THEN LET'S KEEP GOING!" I yell back at him.

"Well then, since you're so chipper, you can take point," Lym suggests in a rather milder tone of voice. "Do your injuries need any treatment before we go on?"

What means of healing does the group have, anyway? Praxim will offer lay on hands, but it's not much.

I have a pair of cure lights available.

"I'M FINE!" Varg hollers.

"Oh whatever! Markum turns and begins to continue to explore the complex.

Praxim looks back and forth between the two, clearly upset by the tension he's feeling. He breathes a sigh of relief as Markum starts moving on.

Lym falls in beside Praxim, one hand nervously stroking the crossbow swinging from her belt. "I hope there are no more of those... things," she says. "Goblins are preferable opponents."

Map

Which way do you go?

Praxim heads towards that right hand passage out of this cell block (not sure if that's accessed from the catwalk, or the lower level). He scans the passage with his detect evil, arrow knocked and ready.

That passage is the way Markum would have gone down as well.

You walk east by way of the catwalk.

Map

This room contains several ancient relics of what appear to be torture implements, although their function and style seem strange and archaic. In one corner sits a spherical cage with spikes protruding inward from its iron bars. In another stands what appears to be a star-shaped wooden frame, its surface studded with hooks. And in the center of the room is a long table covered with leather straps and a number of cranks that seem designed to rotate and swivel.

I'll try the door to the south.

Map

The crumbling remnants of several chairs and a long table clutter the floor of this room. To the south stand three stone doors, each bearing a strange symbol that resembles a seven-pointed star.

I'll try the western-most door.

"Hold it, hold it, hold it!" Lym says, and she rushes forward. "Safety first, remember?" The Mage mutters a few simple words and makes an arcane gesture.

Detect Magic is up; Lym will make a sweep of the room to check for magic auras.

The door is locked, but Lona is able to unlock it. On the other side is 5-by-5 foot prison cell, with a humanoid skeleton on the floor. A quick look of the skeleton reveals that it has a third arm.

The other two doors open to prison cells like the first, one containing a skeleton with an enormous misshapen skull; and the other having a skeleton whose ribcage extends all the way down to a strangely flat pelvis, from which stunted legs hang.

"What the blazes is this?" Lym asks, her upper lip curling with distaste for what the collection of bones implies. "An experimental breeding colony, or a Transmutationist's hobby corner? Ugh." Just to be sure, she casts another spell of detection, sweeping the cells.

Another Detect Magic, just to be on the safe side.

You're unable to decipher the scroll.