The Scales of Blackened Souls (Inactive)

Game Master Lord Grey

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
"Wait! Don't attack it! Its not hostile!" Sharla yells before anyone can attack, positioning herself between the others and the creature.

"Hello little creature. Can you speak?" Sharla says to the doglike animal.

The creature's head pops out and Sharla yells for her allies to halt.
Free Action, I'm not worried about init for interrupting others by speaking. Running in front of them, however...

Sharla: This action might result in taking a blow instead of the creature, are you fine with that?

Everyone roll Init. If you act before init 20, then your action occurs before Sharla gets into place, the creature is unprotected. Afterward, then she is guarding the creature from attack (assuming this is what she's going for).

With Sharla's interruption a surprise to the rest of the party, who are all ready to attack anything that pops out of that hole, I'm going to rule it this way as all readied actions are occurring VERY quickly together:
-You may try to hold your attack, diverting the course of your swing or your blast even though you are already mid-action. Give yourself disadvantage as you try to miss at the last moment.
-You may turn your attack into a knock-out (doesn't work for ranged attacks), and if you happen to drop this creature (or Sharla) to 0 HP, you instead simply knock them out instead, no death saves needed in the case of a downed PC.
-You can choose to not care and attack anyway. If you go before Sharla, you have an unhindered target and your attack goes off like normal. If you go AFTER Sharla and if she IS trying to get between an attack and the creature to protect it, then she is providing cover to the creature (it gets +2 AC). If the attack misses BECAUSE of this +2, it will instead his Sharla. If it hits anyway, it hits the creature.

Those are all the situations I can think of here, in this fast-paced surprise plan-change sequence. Other options I haven't thought of may apply, please request an alternate if I haven't listed it.

One Clarification, the creature isn't tiny. It looks to be about medium size, like an average to big dog (wolfish sized), or a scrawny human-medium size.

The reason why this ruling even happened is based on your individual phrasings of your readied action. Sharla specific stated that she was going to attack something hostile, so I gave her an insight check when it popped out to see if she is able to tell in a split-second moment that it is. Everyone else seemed less restrained, eager to attack whatever popped out, so I didn't prompt a check.
This is a tricky sort of ruling, and I hope this seems fair.

Very fair...

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

I will select option 2, and I will turn my attack into a knock out.

Upon hearing the words of Sharla, and seeing here intervene, at the last minute, Anders turns and strikes with the flat of his axe's blade.

Init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

"DAH! WhaAHA?" Varus yells as a yelling bard jumps up in front of him and the mangy dog. His mace is already in arc, but he turns it into a nonlethal blow at the last instant.

Nonlethal Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Nonlethal damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

He holds his shield close to him for a heartbeat, gauging the situation.

Willing to take the damage. I know I said little creature, but I was assuming its about medium size.

Varus misses Sharla, due to him attempting to not hurt her. She is not so lucky in terms of Ander's attack, it striking her on the head, knocking her unconscious in front of the dog.

She then lies on the ground, very slowly shifting her face between the faces of her companions, as they were the last things she saw before being knocked out.

"DAH! WhaAHA?" Varus gasps again as the bard falls to the barbarian's blow.

Since the animal is in no hurry to attack them, Varus kneels at Sharla's side and infuses her body with healing mana.

Cure wounds: 1d8 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 3 = 12

The ironic thing is that if I hadn't case Guidance on Anders he would've missed. ^_^

Sharla immediately jumps strait back up, a crazed look in her eyes.
"Wait! Don't attack it! Its not hostile!" Then, seemingly regaining her senses, she looks around. "Oh. Was I unconscious?"

She then bends down to look at the obviously confused doglike creature. "Hello."

Galenus looks on in horror as the two men he met but a few days ago swing their weapons at his friend. The axe connected.

No! Why would you do that! Galenus shrieks into Anders mind. He begins to turn his magical energy towards Anders just as Varus heals Sharla - and he pulls himself back, recognizing the mistake he was about to make and the accident which he didn't immediately comprehend.

Galenus stands there, emotions rife with fury and confusion and fear - but he does not unleash the magic.

Very sorry, lass. I didn't mean to whack ya. What is it?

"Dunno. Let me ask it." Sharla says, still looking slightly demented.

"... The bard yelled, surprising her companions when she realized that the sickly gnoll wasn't hostile. The two adventurers yelled in surprise when the bard jumped in front of their attacks. The bard's friend yelled in surprise when she was struck unconscious, worried for her safety. The gnoll had not the faintest idea what the f&*! was going on the whole time, yet was surprised all the same. It was an amusing afternoon for these would-be-heroes..." - One of the only somewhat reliable yarns drunken tavern goers tell

Decisions were made... Regrets were, perhaps, formed... Sharla is felled by Anders as she leaps in front of the attack, trying to protect the creature. The barbarian turns his blow at the last second, turning a cutting and fatal slash into a blunt impact on her head. Varus, panicked by what just happened quickly heals the bard who springs back up almost as if nothing happened.

Confusion slowly fades with the commotion, and everyone takes stock of what just happened, and is still happening.

Sharla, gain inspiration. That was insane. Glad your first character didn't die so quickly.

The creature in the dugout hole tilts its canine head at the group. It's face is marred with patchy fur, dried skin, red sores, and old and new scars alike. One eye is clearly blind and the other might not be far behind. A tear in one pointed ear signifies that at one point a piercing was torn free, ripping the ear as it left.

With the time to look at it, the party recognizes it as a gnoll. A generally evil race of creature, like orcs, who usually live for chaotic violence. This gnoll, however, appears to be uninterested in defending itself or attacking the group. It seems mostly curious. It sniffs at Sharla when she falls, and at the party as it squints up at them, only it's head visible from the pit in which it exists.

When greeted in common, the gnoll replies in kind, though it's accent is very heavy. It's voice is soft, quiet, and unmistakably feminine. A female gnoll, then. It appears to be maybe a teenager in age.

"Hallo!" she barks slightly, and gives a rotten-toothed, canine grin. "Wash Iuh makin' too mush noiz? I'm surry ifer I wozz!" tongue lolls out, happily. "Wow, that ish brieght! I zink itsh brieght, tit's hurd ta tell!"

She squints up a the glowing mace not far from her face, the weapon two-dimensional with its enchantment, appearing like a perfectly flat, yellow object that gives out a radiance similar to that of the sun itself.

"Yeah, it is bright, isn't it?" Sharla replies, staring at the mace, and then at the gnoll. "What is your name?"

"Meesk." the mangy gnoll barks, and leans in to sniff at Sharla. Meesk is not pleasant smelling. Dirty fur, and rot hangs around in the air by her.

"You nott followurz of Woarumn, arrrrrh ya?" more sniffing at the air.

Galenus thinks to Sharla, Ask it if it wants to be clean; I'll cast a cleaning spell

GM: If it responds in the affirmative, I'll cast prestidigitation to clean it up and remove the horrific smell.

Varus just kinda...stares. He's never seen a gnoll, and certainly never heard of one that wouldn't want to kill him on sight. He brings his mace up, slightly, so everyone can get a better look at it.

"Ummmmm, what...what are you doing here?" is all he can stammer out, still unsure if it's a mistake to let it live.

"And to answer your question, no. We are neither foul orcs nor followers of 'Woarumn'. I, for example, am a human, and an acolyte of Tyr, blessings upon his name."

He guessed since it could ask questions, it was at least polite to answer them. Right?

"My name is Sharla. I'm wondering, you seem a little dirty. Would you like to get clean, without having to go in water?"

This is all very nice, but we really shouldn't be out here in the open chatting up a new friend with an orc guard right behind us.

Good point. Think you can guard the corner and take out any orcs who come around while we talk to the dog?

On it!

Anders moves to the corner of the annex, looking down the alleyway.

"Iuh live herrr" Meesk says as they question her. Anders moves off to check the alleyway where the guarding orc is.

Anders: Are you being stealthy, or going for speed?

Meesk sniffs at herself when she is called dirty. She raises her clawed hands to the edge of the hole, showing them caked with mud and filth. Fresh clods of earth fall off of her fur, demonstrating just how much there there is. "Yesh, Iuh is dirrty. No need ta clean, I jusht get dirrty again." she gives an unconcerned shrug.

"Iuh livv herr." She reaches down and pulls up a rot covered femur, and absently gnaws at it between words. "Thuh Woarumn treat me azz thur dog. It izz ukay."

Gnaww, growl (the same sound that was escaping from the hole before Varus aroused her attention). "Whoo are yuh? Why yuh herr?"

Gnaw, growl. It simply small talk, it seems.

Sneaky...

Stealth: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Anders sneaks to the corner of the alleyway and the crypt, and peaks out to see what he sees.

Surprise Round, Rage 1/10, Savage Attacker

Anders flies into a rage and tells his companions,

We are under attack!

He rushes down the alley and attacks the Orc.

GA Att: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
GA Crit Dam: 2d12 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6, 2) + 3 + 2 = 13
Sav Att Reroll: 2d12 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (7, 1) + 3 + 2 = 13

anders init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
orc init: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Anders acts first, closing the distance between him and the orc. His attack nearly takes the orcs head off, but the orc gets lucky and lives, his shoulder skull diverting the blow from his neck and into his shoulder.

The orc yells something back behind him, and retaliates.

Hit. Take 12 slashing damage, Anders.
Surprise round over/ Everyone Roll Init

Orcs probably go last. Feel free to take your turns in the position you roll them.
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It is 35 feet to the annex/alleyway and have line of sight, and then another 20 to the orc. Those are your distances. No other orcs are yet visible.
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Anders!
Sharla runs to the edge of the alley, and prepares her dagger to toss at the orc as soon as she moves around the corner.

Init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Readied attack for later: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Round 1, Rage 2/10, Savage Attacker

Anders returns the attack against the orc, attempting to finish him off.

GA Att: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
GA Dam: 1d12 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 2 = 13

here is an opportunity for a house rule I've implemented in another 5e campaign, I don't remember if we've spoken in it yet.
It is a fumble house rule. If you roll a natural 1 on attack rolls, you may gain inspiration to allow me to describe the fumble. It will be potentially bad for the failed attacker or even their allies, and would require a saving throw of some sort to help mitigate how bad it is. Interested, anders? Inspiration for a unique negative consequence?

How wide is the alley? I'm assuming 10 feet, yeah?

Varus opens his mouth to say something to the gnoll, when the sounds of battlecries and steel-on-steel bring his attention elsewhere. He sprints in Anders' direction, coming abreast of him, adding himself to the list of the orc's targets.

Double move to melee range.

init: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Galenus does a double move to get to line of sight and prepares to throw some eldritch magic at the orcs. Had to make it 35 feet, didn't ya?

Varus Init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Yes, the alley is 10 feet wide.

Galenus. I'll tell you what, since you aren't a melee focused person like the other two, you probably weren't adjacent to Meesk. I think you can reach line of sight to the alley within 25-30 feet, realistically, depending on how far you were hanging back.

With my current health status, I will forgo the inspiration...thanks, though, I like the option.

Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean for that to be taken as a complaint (at least not a complaint worth addressing). It was supposed to be sardonic. But I'll take it!

Galenus speaks some arcane words and sights in the same Orc that that Anders hit, releasing a beam of energy from his pointed finger.

spell attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
eldritch blast damage: 1d10 ⇒ 4

Anders' swing goes wide, leaving the orc alive.

Galenus' spell blasts into the orc's armor, but apparently doesn't make it through the thick hides he wears.

Sharla gets in position (double move, ya?), at the corner of the crypt.

Varus runs up, mace glowing with sunlight, and gets ready to smite the orc.
------
The orc swings it's axe at Anders again, trying to drop one of his two melee opponents. Hit. Take 10 damage. you are now at 0 HP, Anders, and need to make death saving throws on your turns.

Three more orcs move into view. One, like Varus, charges into melee range near its injured comrade. This is the one Sharla saw earlier, with the painted face.

The other two hang back at the mouth of the alley on their side, 20 feet back.

One of these ranged orcs pulls forth a javalin, but doesn't yet have time to throw it. The fourth readies a signal horn and watches, making sure this is a threat worthy of signaling the compound.
-----

Two orcs are @20 feet from Varus/Anders, 40 feet from the rest. The orcs are blocking their side of the alley, though I believe we agreed on acrobatics vs acrobatics as a way of going through enemy squares (if needed).

Init Order:

*Anders
*Galenus
*Sharla
*Varus
*Orcs

Sharla moves out from behind, flinging her dagger. Immediately afterward, she starts shouting.
"Anders, get back up!" She yells at the downed barbarian. Immediately, Anders feels healing energy flowing through him. At the orc with the javelin, she yells, "That javelin makes you look wimpy!"
Healing word on Anders to heal 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 damage. Vicious mockery on the javelin throwing orc. DC 13 wisdom save or take 1d4 ⇒ 4 psychic damage and have disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes until my next turn.

Did we talk about what happens if you target someone who dies from another attack that same round? I'm not sure if Sharla's viscious mockery will take down that Orc, but I'll target it nonetheless.

Galenus looks down at his hand as if something's wrong. Then he points it at the Orc again, seeing if the second time is the charm.

Eldritch Blast: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
damage: 1d10 ⇒ 5
crit damage: 1d10 ⇒ 5

sharla, I'm not sure I understand what's up with your dagger. You'd need to dash to get to the corner, and wouldn't have an action free to ready an action, much like the orcs on the opposite side. Do you wish to throw your dagger or cast your spell this round. Unless there's something I'm missing?

galenus, you act first so you would drop the injured orc before sharla goes. Then she can redeclare her action.

I believe it went like this: Round 1: Sharla moved her full movement (not quite to the corner) and readied an action to throw the dagger as soon as she was around the corner. Round 2: Sharla moved around the corner triggering the readied action, and she used her Reaction to throw the dagger. Then she used her Action to cast the cantrip Viscious Mockery. Then she used her Bonus Action to cast Heaing Word.

I thought it had been 2 rounds since combat started. On the first round, she moves 30 feet, and then readies an action to throw her dagger. On the second round, she moves out into line of sight, throws her readied dagger, casts vicious mockery, and then bonus action healing word. Sorry if I got anything wrong or was unclear.

I'll attack one of the orcs in melee with vicious mockery instead then.

If you ready and action, I belive that is the action you take once it is triggered. You do not get to use it as a reaction.

If you ready and action, I belive that is the action you take once it is triggered. You do not get to use it as a reaction.

It's specifically called out as a reaction on page 193- but you have to use your action the previous round in order to ready it.

To the orc that still toes the melee-line, Varus barks, "I'm not just a medic with a pretty face, ya know. Be PURGED heretic!" and swings his glowing mace at him with violent intent.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Don't have my book in front of me. Do I need to confirm that?: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Crit confirmation was removed in 5e. :)

A waste of a perfectly good 17. :p

You just rollthe dice twice, not modifiers. So, 13 total damage.

Combat
Ready (p. 193). You have until the start
of your next turn to use a readied action.
Found that in an errata. You can't ready an action for use ON your next turn. It must be used before you go again.

Combat

Ready (p. 193). You have until the start
of your next turn to use a readied action.
Found that in an errata. You can't ready an action for use ON your next turn. It must be used before you go again.

I was actually expecting to see that in the rules, and was a bit surprised that it wasn't there. Good to see it in the errata.

ROUND 2
Ander's death save: 1d20 ⇒ 6
Anders, dropped by the orc the previous turn, lays on the ground bleeding.
Death Saves: 1 Failure

Galenus' second attack is indeed the charm, his blast of eldritch energies catching the orc full on the face, and annihilating his head. The headless orc's corpse slumps to the ground.

Sharla rouses Anders to consciousness with one spell, and then assaults the symbol-face-painted orc with another. He isn't able to withstand the psychic assault.
Anders, you are are conscious, and your death saves are reset.

Varus brings his glowing mace down directly onto the symbol painted on the remaining melee-orc's face. With the orc already suffering from Sharla's mental spell, Varus crushes his skull, killing him instantly.
---------------
The remaining two orcs look at the party throwing out mad-crits, and easily cleaning up their melee line. Anders, the one intruder the orcs had actually managed to down starts to regain his strength and ability to fight.

Their minds are quickly made up. The one with the javelin hurls it at Varus.
Hit. Take 8 Peircing Damage, Varus.

The one with the signal horn pulls it to his lip and blows. A trumpeting WeeeoOOoooO WeeoOOOoooOOoo!! emits, and the sound must be audible to the entire temple compound.

After his signal is sounded, the orc drops his horn, draws his axe, and closes is on Varus and Anders as the orcs new melee line.

The party had earlier heard the sounds of many voices distantly around the compound. They must all have heard the horn.
-------------

ROUND 3
Init Order:

*Anders
*Galenus
*Sharla
*Varus
*Orcs

I think I am still up. I only take half damage while raging due to resistance. So, I took 6 on the first hit and 5 on the second for a total of 11. That puts me at 3/14. Being the case, I would like to attack the Orc with the horn before he blows it, please.

Round 3, Rage 3/10, Savage Attacker

After his attacker falls, Anders rushes the orc with the signal horn.

GA Att: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
GA Dam: 1d12 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 = 11
Sav Att Dam: 1d12 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 2 = 15

Anders, don't forget the 6 that Sharla healed you

Galenus helps take out the same Orc Anders just charged. If that Orc is down, then He targets the last Orc.

eldritch blast: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
damage: 1d10 ⇒ 8

If the horns have been blown,

If the horns have not been blown, Galenus stands his ground and prepares to keep zapping.

Varus swings his mace mightily at any orc that may yet be standing...or any orc that is laying down if none are left standing, just to be sure.

attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

If the horn is not blown, Varus will take pause to search the bodies.

If the horn is blown or just after Varus is down searching, he will say, "Surely all this noise has attracted some attention. We must needs be away. Still, I would not leave yon helpless gnoll to her life of imprisonment. Let us offer her employment with us. Perhaps we can not simply eliminate that which is evil, but also liberate that which is good as well."