DM Carbide's Rise of the Runelords

Game Master John Woodford

Nia and Garrick barricade the door.

Round 2:

Nia, Andrezi, and Vidar can act (or just move, as the case may be). Anyone still in the cloud (e.g., if you're next to the door), DC 16 Fort save or nauseated.

Still wretching, Andrezi stumbles out of horrid cloud.

Andrezi, you'll be nauseated for another two rounds. Vidar, once you're out of the cloud you'll have five rounds of nausea.

Fort save, DC 16: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12 Yeah I figured that would happen. At least they got the door barricaded!

Nia puts a hand over her mouth, trying to stop it before she starts retching. She shakes her head desperately. She manages to choke out "Sorry... sorry, Garrick!" before she rushes to get out of the cloud of noxious gas.

Fort: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Garrick winces, "At least it didn't splash on me," and steps back out of the cloud with the others. "Let's hope that passes quickly."

Vida stumbles out of the cloud, refusing to speak or even open his mouth, for fear of what might come out at this stage.

From within the cloud, the party hears slow, methodical thumping on the door.

Round 3:

Vidar, Andrezi, and Nia continue to retch, the foul taste of the cloud staying with them. As Garrick watches the swirling vapors, he hears a disturbing sound of splintering wood from within it.

Garrick, is there anything you want to do at this point?

Garrick says, "Step back," and casts Enlarge Person on himself.

Is that a 1-round casting time for bloodragers?

Sadly, nothing speeds that up.

If the cloud filled the room and we're out of it now does that mean there's another door between us and the now-free zombies that we can close?

I've got the cloud boundaries on the map now.

Nauseated PCs get a full move, right? Can we say we all moved in the same direction- west, toward the door to the porch?

Why wouldn't you?

"Garrick," Nia croaked as she threw up onto the floor 10 feet outside the cloud of noxious gas. "You and me can hold them here."

We can put Garrick and Nia 5 squares to the left of their current positions on the map and put Vidar and Andrezi behind them. Nia can't contribute to the defense right now but she can block the zombies from getting to Vidar.

Garrick nods, "Aye. And I've got the reach."

Garrick enlarges himself. Sounds of movement emanate from the cloud, although the dwarf can't see what's happening inside of it.

Let me know if that positioning is what you want. Unless Garrick wants to enter the cloud or swing blindly into it on Round 4, nothing will apparently happen.

That positioning is what I was imagining, DM. I think we should check to see if we can further retreat, though, if we've got a free round.

Retching, Nia says to Vidar and Andrezi "Try the door, see if we can back out that way."

Garrick calls over his shoulder, "Careful, though, that might be what they're expecting."

"Ugh...right, yes..on it."
Vidar moves to do as asked.

As I read the description of the nauseated condition, you only get one move action per round. So all Vidar can do is open the door; he can't take a 5' step through it.

"This...really did it for us, how humiliating..."

That's perfectly fine.

Right but we can see what's through it now and if we need to retreat we can.

Vidar sees a small entrance hall, with a few oilcloth raincoats hanging from pegs near the outer door.

"Hmmph, I think this would lead outside. The outerwear on the wall indicates it..."

Round 4:

Garrick finishes casting his spell and grows larger, while Vidar opens the door. Andrezi's stomach settles down and he can act normally in the next round.

Round 5:

Initiative order
Nia
Andrezi
Vidar
C
Garrick
Zombies

Nia, Vidar, and Andrezi can act! Nia and Vidar are still nauseated, though.

Leaning against a wall for support, Nia still keeps a wary eye on the noxious cloud for the zombies they know are coming for them. "Garrick, back up a step so only two of them can come at you at once." With a great deal of effort, she staggers across the floor to make room for the huge dwarf to put solid walls on both sides of himself.

Suggesting Garrick back 1 square west so he can't be attacked around that corner to his NE. She'll move to the square south of Andrezi to make room.

Garrick nods and shifts position, ready to swing at whatever comes at him.

With zombies on the way, Andrezi grasps his holy symbol and offers a quick prayer to the Song of the Spheres in hopes of destroying the unholy creatures.

Channel Positive Energy to Harm Undead.

CPE Will DC 14 for half: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 4) = 12

Good one, Andrezi! Garrick, you can move at your action. Not that it'll matter in this case.

Round 5 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Nia-acted
Andrezi-acted
Vidar
C
Garrick
Zombies

Thuds from the cloud mark the fall of more than one zombie as hieratic power burns through the undead.

Vidar?

Zombies: AC 12 T 10 FF 12 HP taken - Green: 6 Yellow: 6
Caizarlu: AC ? T ? FF ? HP taken: 0

Botting Vidar for the moment:

Round 5 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Nia-acted
Andrezi-acted
Vidar-acted
C
Garrick
Zombies

The wizard staggers towards the exit, breathing shallowly to keep from vomiting again. From his vantage point, Garrick sees an old man in robes emerge from the cloud, a bubble of clear air around his head. He's surrounded by multiple duplicates of himself.

Garrick can act!

Botting Garrick in his absence:

The dwarf steps back, ready to cut at anything coming out of the cloud.

Two zombies stagger out, unable to press their attack after emerging, and Garrick drops one with a solid hit.

Garrick attack: 1d20 ⇒ 15

Round 6:

Initiative order
Nia
Andrezi
Vidar
C
Garrick
Zombie

Nia, Andrezi, and Vidar can act!

The nausea effect is over?

Nia has another two rounds of nausea, and Vidar has one.

Unable to update the map from work, but Andrezi will step 5 ft south

Unable to get by the rather large dwarf, even if he wanted to, Andrezi offers another prayer to Desna, producing a glowing, spectral starknife next to the bubble-headed old man, but the resultant strike misses badly.

Spiritual Weapon: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Vidar takes a moment to collect himself, he can feel the effects beginning to wear off.

Doing nothing

The old man ducks away from the floating starknife, steps back, and casts a spell. Garrick, DC 16 Fort save or blinded.

Garrick can act! Since he's currently using a reach weapon he can't bring it to bear on the adjacent zombie, though.

Would one of you please bot Garrick's attack and roll his save?

Rolling for Garrick

Fort Save: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

With a zombie so close, Garrick has little choice but to drop the lucerne hammer and draw his axe, taking a heavy, two-handed swing at the undead meanace.

Dwarven Waraxe: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18
Damage: 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Nia continues to throw up onto the floor.

Garrick resists the spell and switches weapons, cutting the last zombie down before it can attack.

Round 7:

Initiative order
Nia
Andrezi
Vidar
C
Garrick

With the restriction that Nia is still nauseated, she, Vidar, and Andrezi can act!

Able to breathe again, Vidar moves forward and casts a spell to increase Garrick's strength further.

Bull's strength

Round 7 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Nia-nauseated
Andrezi-
Vidar-acted
C
Garrick

Nia continues her incapacitation, while Vidar strengthens the dward.

Andrezi?

Ok, back.

Andrezi mentally moves the spectral starknife closer to the necromancer and swings.

Spiritual Weapon: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Well that was worthless...

Round 7 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Nia-nauseated
Andrezi-acted
Vidar-acted
C-acted
Garrick

The necromancer proves difficult to hit, but he's clearly not happy. He downs the potion he had in hand and steps out of sight around the corner.

Garrick can act! Hope you had a good time away! (Note, btw, that if Garrick crosses the cloud he'll have to hold his breath or make a save vs. nausea.)

Caizarlu: AC 14 T 10 FF 14 HP taken: 0

Trusting in his dwarven constitution and resistance to magic and poison, Garrick rushes into the cloud, trying to close with the wizard.

Fort: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 7 + 2 = 26

Not sure what happens after a single move - but if that's not enough, then double move to close and hope for the AoO

Vidar finds the urge rising in him to shout "Zic 'em Garrick!", but manfully manages to keep it down.
It seemed very disrespectful, and also a little too...familiar.

Garrick easily resists the toxic effects of the cloud, rounding the corner to see an empty room. The necromancer is conspicuous by his absence, and the only open door is the one that leads back to the reception area and the building entrance.

Nia manages to shake off the lingering nausea.

Round 8:

Initiative order
Nia
Andrezi
Vidar
C
Garrick

Nia, Andrezi, and Vidar can act!

Can a Medium size PC move around that corner diagonally without going through the cloud?