The Dales and Beyond

Game Master littlehewy

Gotcha. The unwounded one is to the west of Beerg - the one directly south of Beerg is nearly dead.

Ignoring the strange light that now illuminates him, Jack takes aim at the hairy beasts attacking Beerg and fires.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Sneak: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 4) = 9

One is heavily wounded, one hasn't been hit yet. Which one would you like to hit, Jack?

I will go for the one that has not been hit yet.

Jack fires between the frantically battling combatants, hitting the undamaged shaggy creature square in the chest with his crossbow bolt. A moment later, Nilelane's spell takes effect, and the creature skitters on the greasy stone for a moment before crashing to the ground. Advantage to hit it with melee attacks, disadvantage with ranged attacks. Beerg to go.

Beerg winces in pain from the blow hes taken to the abdomen. However seeing the party retaliate with Jack well placed bolt, followed by Nilelanes immediate work with the grease, Beerg musters up his will to move his hunters mark to the western shaggy. He then strikes down on the creature as Torm has granted this opening.

WH: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
WH ADV: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Dam: 1d8 + 3 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 3 + (4) = 12

Beerg steps forward, smashing down on the prone shaggy. It tries to roll out of the way, but the paladin still manages to strike a heavy blow on its arm.

The priestess takes a step forward, holding forth a holy symbol of Lloth. From her outstretched arm shoots a mass of sticky webs, which flies across the room to land among the party.

The square on the map is the webbed area. The webs are fixed to the floor and are five feet high. Beerg, Sorin, Jack, and Tirrendale need to make Dex saves (DC 15) or be restrained. If you are restrained, you can then make a Strength check to break free.

From the far corridor rush three drow warriors, blades and hand crossbows drawn. The priestess roars at them to attack, and they run across the room, halving the distance to the melee.

Tirrendale gives a hoarse noise as he leaps free of the webbing. He strikes with his warhammer at the shaggy in front of him, clubbing it across the face, and it falls to the ground as its blood sprays over Beerg and Sorin. He then steps over its body and out of the web.

Sorin, you're up!

so the faerie Fire drops then if she cast web?

Dex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Sorin manages to maneuver out of the way of the sticky spray from the priestess. Seeing the priestess as a major problem, Sorin closes the distance between them.

moving adjacent to the priestess, dodge action

Yes, that sure does mean faerie fire drops... I forgot about that in all the excitement. Oops!

The remaining shaggy heaves itself to its feet with an angry grunt, then swings its claws low at Beerg, hoping to catch his legs by surprise. However, Beerg drops his centre of gravity, easily beating off one attack with his shield, the other with the head of his warhammer. The shaggy slips a little as it attacks but just about manages to keep its feet. No longer prone, but still in the area..

INITIATIVE - Round 8
Kraz (round 7)
Jack
Nilelane
Beerg
Drow
Sorin
Shaggy creature

Everyone but Sorin up! Sorry for the delay folks, managed to break a rib on the weekend, and it's made everything a little hard... And don't worry, I'm all good, a cracked rib sounds a lot worse than it actually is.

Dam that sucks.. Done that one before myself. Not fun at all.. Hope you get to feeling better.

Kraz moves over the boat and engages the drow warriors..

"MORE WIZARD HELPERS FOR THE SLICING! AHAHHAAHAH!!!!"

Attack 1: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Attack 2: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25 On a good roll finally!

Dam 1: 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (6, 6) + 5 = 17
Dam 2: 5d6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 5, 4, 6, 6) + 5 = 29 Yikes..

Got 5' more movement in the tank Kraz? If so, you can move up and take out another one after the first!

he could take a different path and end up where he is now yes.

Dex Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

As the sticky web descends towards the group, Jack stealthily moves out of the way.

Jack switches his aim from the shaggy beasts to the Drow priestess and fires a bolt her way.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Sneak: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 5) = 6

Will use bonus action to hide - 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Kraz, roaring again about wizards and their helpers, charges into the oncoming drow warriors, and meets them with the sickening sounds of metal on flesh. In a flurry of action, difficult to make out in the flickering pale firelight, Kraz puts two of them on the ground, unmoving.

Nice. Jack, Nilelane, Beerg, you're up.

Nilelane follows up Jack's masterstrike on the priestess with another cold bolt of her own...

Ray of Frost: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
Dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 2

...hoping to disrupt her concentration on the webs if Jack's wasn't enough.

dex: 1d20 ⇒ 9
Beerg being completely distracted with the shaggy in front of him is oblivious to the web that has been cast ans finds himslef trapped.
str: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
As the web surrounds him he struggles to break free but with his eye on the shaggy he fails to pull on his strength in his time of need.

`Argh!!! This web has hold of me!
Beerg begins frantically thrashing trying to break free.

You'll probably just need to move north one more square to properly hide behind the web there, Jack. That canoe's invisible :)

Edit: Oh, so the web's gone... You could maybe hide behind Beerg...?

As Jack's crossbow bolt strikes the drow priestess in the side, she cries out in pain, and her conjured webs flicker and fade. Nilelane's ray of ice strikes the priestess as well, and she staggers slightly under the barrage.

Sorry Beerg, I was a bit slow posting the results of Jack and Nilelane's attacks on the priestess. The web has failed by the time it's your go, so you can rethink and repost some different actions. I'll wait for you before I post up the drows' actions.

sorry for the delay
Beerg feeling the grip of the web let go grips his warhammer a little tighter and swings at the shaggy hoping to finish him.

Wh: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
DAM: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Beerg slams his weapon into the shaggy's head, and its skull collapses with a sickening squelch. The creature drops, twitching.

Meanwhile, the drow priestess takes a ready stance as Sorin approaches. As the monk closes she dodges and weaves from side to side, but the priestess steps forward, confidently anticipating Sorin's defensive manoeuvres. Her ebon staff swings down, and as it strikes Sorin's shoulder it flashes with an otherworldly purple light. The impact feels... amplified somehow, and only her years of training allow Sorin to keep her feet. A nasty 11 damage to you Sorin.

In desperation, the lone drow warrior facing Kraz aims his hand crossbow at the half-orc and pulls the trigger. Kraz ducks to the side at the last second, and the small bolt whizzes off into the semi-darkness. Shocked by Kraz's preternatural reflexes, the drow turns tail and begins to run back to the corridor he emerged from.

INITIATIVE - Round 9
Sorin (round 8)
Kraz (round 8)
Jack
Nilelane
Beerg
Drow

Everyone up! By the way, the priestess is what you might call bloodied.

"NOT SO FAST HELPER!!"

Move and attack..

Attack 1: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Attack 2: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Dam 1: 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 4) + 5 = 12
Dam 2: 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (6, 5) + 5 = 16

Nilelane continues her focus on the drow priestess, but feels her energies completely drained..."Just a few more snowflakes for a proper snowball..." she convinces herself...

Ray of Frost: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 5 cold+slow

So Kraz, I've just realised I may not have made it explicit, or even mentioned it at all, but we're using the old "every second diagonal costs two squares of movement" rule. I don't think it's ever been a major problem, but in this situation the drow was ten feet away from you and max single moved to his current position. So one move will take you ten feet from him. As you've missed with your attacks it doesn't change anything, but I'm happy for you to take back the attack action and instead move yourself twice. As it is, you've moved 35', so you still have 25 to go. Feel free to reposition yourself if you like, e.g. circle around the drow to block his exit path etc.

Okay, I definitely didn't put it on the campaign page under rule changes, so unless I mentioned it on the recruitment thread I've been running on the assumption that you're all mind readers with this one. Glad it didn't come up in a clutch situation!

Jack sends another bolt flying towards the Drow Priestess.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Sneak: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 5) = 8

Never quite understood the double on the second diagonal. It's the same distance. Glad to know though for the future..

Kraz instead moves to block the drow's escape..

Yeah I get that it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things, but maybe it's years of playing Warhammer 40K with a tape measure instead of a grid... it just breaks my brain. Moving 6 squares diagonally is the equivalent of about 42 feet instead of 30. Also, firecubes instead of fireballs, what?! Anyhow, thanks for understanding :)

As Sorin staggers back from the priestess's heavy blow a crossbow bolt appears sticking out of her torso. She looks at it in confusion for a moment until Nilelane's ray of frost strikes her in the side. Her eyes roll back in her head as she falls to the stone floor bonelessly.

One left! Sorin and Beerg to go!

Sorin winds up to to strike the priestess with her staff when the elf collapses under her allies missiles. Glancing at the two briefly out of the side of her eye she then quickly closes the gap between herself and the remaining drow.

Botting Beerg.

Beerg rushes across towards Kraz and the last remaining drow.

The drow himself, quickly becoming surrounded, drops his weapons and falls to his knees, hands raised in front of him. "Please! Don't kill me! I can be useful! Please, just don't kill me!" He drops his gaze to the floor, hands trembling slightly.

Kraz ends his rage..

"Kraz thinks it a shame.. Kraz was gonna slice yea.."

Assuming questioning/looting would happen at this point before moving on

In her pretend authoritative voice "First question, dog! Just what in the hell is that?!" pointing to a spot on his lapel. When he looks down, Nilelane pulls the 'ol thwapping of the nose trick.

After laughing a bit to much at the joke..

"Kraz wants to know how many more you drow's are around here.."

Jack goes and searches the dead drow

Sorin moves behind the drow and with strands of rope begins tying his hands behind his back. ”I’m afraid you will have to answer for what you and your ilk have done here. You should start by answering my friend’s question though. ”

thanks for the bot. Inpromptu family holiday away

Beerg assist Sorin in tying up the drow.
" how many other are here? where are you keeping the dwarfs! Beerg hastily begins the questions thinking of the capturef dwarves still waiting.

The drow falls for Nilelane's little gag, and Kraz guffaws before posing his question to the captive. As the party rounds on him as a group, the drow squints as he examines you, as if calculating his next move. "Well, there aren't that many more of us, truth be told. There are a few more warriors down the hall there," he nods his head back the way he came, "and then, of course, there's Kurastan. He's a wizard. From the looks of it, you'll mop up the rest of our swords, but if you take on our esteemed leader, my coin's on Kurastan."

"However," he continues, "I get the feeling you're committed to liberating our dwarf captives. Very... noble. I'm sure there's no reward in it for you, you'll be just doing this out of the goodness of your hearts, yes? So. Here's my proposition. Let me talk down the few guards that are left. I'll convince them that we should flee, and leave you all to duke it out with Kurastan and maybe free your dwarf friends. What do you say? For me, I'd rather you killed the smug bastard. He's got it in for me. So, what do you say? Deal?" He looks around the lot of you hopefully.

Checking the bindings for tightness ”What are you doing down here? Why venture so close to the surface? Why are you releasing wild quagoths into the outlying caverns? Your answers may help determine what our next move with you will be. ”

There a check similar to Sense Motive in 5th?

Kraz squints a bit as if to show consideration of what he was told..

Kraz, its called Insight in 5e. You have a +1 mod for it

Go ahead and roll Insight, Kraz.

The drow turns to face Sorin as the monk fires questions at him. "We're here because Kurastan wanted to subjects to experiment on, and the slow-witted dwarves are the easiest prey in the Underdark! It was a cruel twist of fate that I was selected to accompany him to this region; my success has been dependent on how well he, my nemesis, succeeds! So even if you let me go, I can't return to Maerimydra. My life as I knew it is over, and my only option is to become a vagabond renegade. As for the quaggoths, they are vassals of my house. Extra guards, as it were. Muscle, nothing more. Now, what say you all? Will you exchange my life for my aid?"

Insight: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

Kraz, you're reasonably sure the drow is telling the truth, at least for the most part. He seems to be cutting his losses. You're not completely sure he won't try to betray you though. He is a drow, after all.

"Kraz thinks he being truthful.. Not saying Kraz thinks he is trustworthy though.. Kraz thinks if you help like you say you can go free. What does Kraz's friends think?"

"If it saves us from more fighting, then I am for it!"

Jack continues to rummage through the dead elves positions.

insight: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

Beerg is looking at the drow undecided what to think. He wants to trust but knows he's a drow.

kraz, if you feel confident then I support your judgement. I'd like to believe there's a little good in everyone. Plus if it saves some needless combat and subsequent deaths then it's worth a shot?

Beerg is looking to the group for their input.

"Pine needles are green, the sunrise red, River Tesh is salty, and the drow betray." she states with a definite fear in her voice, trembling slightly. She conjures an image of a sort of half spider-half puppeteer with the drow captive on strings of webbing.

”I have to agree with Nilelane. Even if he telling the truth now, he could choose to betray us at any moment. We can’t take that chance.” Sorin moves around and begins taking off the drow soldier’s boots. She intends to tie his ankles together with a short piece of rope keeping him being capable of running very fast if at all. Besides, you never know what someone might be hiding in his boots. She is also careful not to get mule kicked while doing this.

Fine just going with majority to keep things moving

Though Sorin has restrained his feet so that he can do no more than slowly shuffle, the drow recognises that you are willing to accept his aid. He gives a wry grin, then nods towards the hallway to the west. "Come on. Let's go convince my... colleagues to abandon ship." He waits for someone to lead the way.

EDIT: Also, a big ol' 550 XP to each of you for the extended battle. That was almost all your 'daily XP budget' in one fight, and you never looked in danger.

A short rest would be nice before continuing. Still third? Lol

”Do these allies of yours know we are coming?”

Nilelane hefts her canoe back over her head like a crown, continuing along with the party and drow captive...

Any chance the drow priestess had some expensive incense I could use for find familiar?