The Tomb of Horrors Part 1 (4e) - Group 1

Game Master Rev Rosey

Immobilize it! Rothel! You're a genius!

Anri blinks, realizing Rothel's idea. She pulls out her Rope of Climbing, and begins running around the Gargoyle trying to bind it in place for when it's stone form wears off.

And if it realizes what we're doing...well, break it when it drops it's stone form. :D

Lisbarr points at the plinths in different part of the room and suggests that they may hide an exit.

"They might hide the way out." He says.

He also readies another Astral Seal which seems like the best contribution he can make at the moment.

Errr, to clarify, she's actually shifting around the gargoyle, which lets her fly 4 squares with every action spent moving. So yeah, no save required.

Apologies Lyan.
There are no unexplored areas that you are aware of.

Lisbarr and Akemi ready themselves, while Anri starts to wrap the gargoyle in rope. Realistically, the chances of this holding a stone gargoyle for very long are not great, but it may help give the group a small edge.

Standard: Heal Norrin, granting him an immediate save.

Thanks, Akemi.

1d20 ⇒ 6

Takes 4 damage after factoring resist 6 ongoing.

Shift to Hh9. Ready an action to shoot the gargoyle when it comes out of stone form.

Save against ongoing damage 1d20 ⇒ 7

Lyan prepares the lodestone once more.

No worries. Readying Lodestone Lure against G

The gargoyle remains impervious.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

To end Lisbarr's next turn, gargoyle takes a -2 penalty to all defences and the next person to hit it regains 2HP.

Rothel
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; stone form (resist 30 all, regen 5, tremorsense 10)
Anri - readied action
Lisbarr - readied Astral Seal
Akemi - readied Bond of Pursuit
Lyan - readied Lodestone Lure
Norrin - 10 ongoing (se); readied to shoot

Rothel, being more reactive than proactive, decides to see what comes of the transition where the others will all strike at once before he acts.

Rothel is not going to ready, he will instead delay until after the gargoyle goes.

The gargoyle's eyes open and it spreads its wings ...

OK. Off you go with your readied actions. I can't do much with the critter until I know what effects you have piled onto it. The main one is probably Lyan's Lodestone Lure.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

To end Lisbarr's next turn, gargoyle takes a -2 penalty to all defences and the next person to hit it regains 2HP.

Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; stone form (resist 30 all, regen 5, tremorsense 10)
Rothel
Anri - readied action
Lisbarr - readied Astral Seal
Akemi - readied Bond of Pursuit
Lyan - readied Lodestone Lure
Norrin - 10 ongoing (se); readied to shoot

Lyan clamps down on the gargoyle.

1d20 + 21 ⇒ (17) + 21 = 38
6 damage. Can only move to adj squares

Bond of Pursuit
1d20 + 21 ⇒ (15) + 21 = 36
1d20 + 21 ⇒ (14) + 21 = 35
for 1d12 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
and I can move after it if it tries to move away, not that Lyan will let it...

Lisbarr fires off his light again in an attempt to weaken the gargoyle once more.

Astral seal vs will
1d20 + 20 ⇒ (11) + 20 = 31
On hit: no damage but gargoyle takes -2 penalty to all defences to the end of Lisbarr's next turn

Is there something I should roll for the "I tie it up really quickly while it's still made of stone" check?

Maybe something against fort that has the effect of immobilize UEONMT?

The gargoyle returns to life and is rewarded with a new burst of powers holding it in place. It does not look happy. Festooned with rope, held by a domineering looking hobgoblin and unable to claw at full power, it is not in a particularly good situation.

Anri - I can't see any need for you to make any kind of skill check to put a rope around a stone statue. You'll have to double move to do it, but that would be all.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

To end Lisbarr's next turn, gargoyle takes a -2 penalty to all defences and the next person to hit it regains 2HP.

Rothel
Anri
Lisbarr
Akemi
Lyan
Norrin - 10 ongoing (se)
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; must stay adjacent to Lyan to end Lyan's next turn; -2 penalty to attacks to end Lisbarr's next turn; wrapped in rope

Rahz-Ahk moves to provide additional aid on the last side left exposed.

Move RA to Ff12
Stalker's Strike, 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (10) + 19 = 29 vs Fort, damage? 1d10 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13. If hit, RA can provide flank.

Even with Lisbarr's help, the gargoyle proves too formidable an opponent for Rothel. Rahz-Ahk's claw flex unavailingly.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

To end Lisbarr's next turn, gargoyle takes a -2 penalty to all defences and the next person to hit it regains 2HP.

Anri
Lisbarr
Akemi
Lyan
Norrin - 10 ongoing (se)
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; must stay adjacent to Lyan to end Lyan's next turn; -2 penalty to attacks to end Lisbarr's next turn; wrapped in rope
Rothel

"Spinning Dragon Impact!" Anri shouts as comes around with a spinning roundhouse kick meant for the Gargoyle's face.

Anyone familiar with dragon techniques will know: if this works, she'll be able to continue the spin with an axe-kick at the end after it falls to the ground.

Dragon's Tail (Attack) (Dex vs. Fort) (Knocks Target Prone): 1d20 + 20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 20 + 2 = 38
for: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

If that hits, Flurry of Blows will activate, and she'll hit it with another 7 damage. She won't slide it anywhere though as there doesn't seem to be a reason or place to do so.

Akemi makes a note to take the feat Headsman's Chop since Anri knocks everything prone ever.

She's more of a "Slide Target" kind of girl...but seeing as Dragon's Tail is one of Anri's At-wills, and she's got a few Knockdown Encounter Attacks, It's not a bad feat to take. XD

Somehow Anri finds the skill to kick several tonnes of stony gargoyle over.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

To end Lisbarr's next turn, gargoyle takes a -2 penalty to all defences and the next person to hit it regains 2HP.

Lisbarr
Akemi
Lyan
Norrin - 10 ongoing (se)
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; must stay adjacent to Lyan to end Lyan's next turn; -2 penalty to attacks to end Lisbarr's next turn; wrapped in rope; prone
Rothel
Anri

Lisbarr goes to take a look at the nearest plinth. Very carefully he moves next to it and takes a look. He also tries the keep the Gargoyle's defences down.

Move to GG16
Deadly doubt va G vs Will
1d20 + 18 ⇒ (14) + 18 = 32
On Hit: 2d8 + 11 ⇒ (2, 5) + 11 = 18 psychic damage and if it is hit again before the end of Lisbarr's next turn, it is dazed until the end of its next turn.
Additionally, the next attack against the gargolye gets a +4 power bonus to the attack roll.
(It no longer has the -2 penalty to all defences)

Defining Cut
1d20 + 21 ⇒ (16) + 21 = 37
1d20 + 21 ⇒ (7) + 21 = 28

for 3d12 + 8 ⇒ (4, 11, 11) + 8 = 34

UEOMNT if the Gargoyle uses anything other than a base attack, it takes 10 damage.

Lisbarr inches towards the nearest plinth and finds a disappointing lack of exits associated with it.

Akemi keeps up the momentum as she continues to batter away at the gargoyle.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

To end Lisbarr's next turn, gargoyle takes a -2 penalty to all defences and the next person to hit it regains 2HP.

Lyan
Norrin - 10 ongoing (se)
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; must stay adjacent to Lyan to end Lyan's next turn; wrapped in rope; prone; 10 damage if it uses a non-basic attack before end Akemi's next turn
Rothel
Anri
Lisbarr
Akemi

Gargoyle no longer has -2 penalty yo defences and is also dazed because Akemi hit it

Amended.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

Lyan
Norrin - 10 ongoing (se)
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; must stay adjacent to Lyan to end Lyan's next turn; wrapped in rope; prone; 10 damage if it uses a non-basic attack before end Akemi's next turn; dazed to end Lisbarr's next turn
Rothel
Anri
Lisbarr
Akemi

1d20 + 21 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 21 + 2 = 30
Lodestone Lure. On hit, 6 damage, etc.

Lyan binds the gargoyle to him once more.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

Norrin - 10 ongoing (se)
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; must stay adjacent to Lyan to end Lyan's next turn; wrapped in rope; prone; 10 damage if it uses a non-basic attack before end Akemi's next turn; dazed to end Lisbarr's next turn
Rothel
Anri
Lisbarr
Akemi
Lyan

I'd better resolve my readied action from before first.

RBA
1d20 + 22 ⇒ (18) + 22 = 40 vs AC.
1d6 + 17 ⇒ (2) + 17 = 19 radiant damage.

Takes 10 - 6 = 4 damage at start of turn.

RBA
1d20 + 22 ⇒ (6) + 22 = 28 vs AC.
1d6 + 17 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 17 + 3 = 23 radiant damage.

Save against ongoing damage 1d20 ⇒ 20. "I'm cured!!"
___

AC 29; Fort 28, Ref 31, Will 29; Resist 10 necrotic, Resist 6 to ongoing damage
80 of 103 HP, 7 of 9 Surges; Initiative +14

Another chunk of rock flies off the gargoyle as Norrin's arrow finds an opening. His second attack does nothing, but the half-orc triumphantly shakes off the seeping wound that has been troubling him.

The gargoyle may not be the smartest monster on the block, but it knows when it is outnumbered and returns sullenly to stone form.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

Rothel
Anri
Lisbarr
Akemi
Lyan
Norrin
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; must stay adjacent to Lyan to end Lyan's next turn; wrapped in rope; prone; 10 damage if it uses a non-basic attack before end Akemi's next turn; dazed to end Lisbarr's next turn; Stone form (resist 30, tremorsense 10)

Rothel is concerned over the persistance at which the creature continues to return to it's defensive form. "If we can do enough to it in its current phase of matter that it realizes there is no gains in using it, it would stand to reason that it may reverse its decision to enter the aforementioned state." With that being said, he waves Rahz-Ahk over to hover in the space between Anri and Akemi. The spirit reabsorbs some of the power it infused the ladies with earlier, and lashes out at the stone form with it, striking it hard.

Move, RA moves to Ii12
Standard, Reparative Spirit vs Gargoyle 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (20) + 19 = 39 vs Ref, YES! damage 3d6 + 49 ⇒ (4, 5, 5) + 49 = 63. Even after DR it will take it 7 rds to heal that.
Effect: At the end of each of my turns until the EOE, one ally adjacent to your spirit companion gains 11 temp HP.
Anri gets 11 temps.

I know what to do now! Hee hee ^_^

Okay. I'm out of attacks that could crack that shell, and leave me with something left afterwards to take it to task if that doesn't finish it off. Time for Ridiculous-Character-Based-Tactics.

Anri nods slowly.

"Okay. I have an idea. It's tied up and affected by a LOT of...well, everything we've got. One of the men needs to pee into it's gargoyle mouth. It will have to make a choice: defend itself, or wake up with pee in it's mouth, and going down it's throat."

She grimaces.

"Yes. I've hit a new low. THAT is the best plan I can come up with. Gods help me. Although, any harmful substance we have on hand could work, couldn't it? Yeah. Anyone got poison?"

As she waits for a response, she tries to follow up on the Gargoyle with her Five Storms technique, her limbs coming about in a fast barrage of strikes, desperately trying to get something through that skin.

Five Storms (Close Burst 1, Enemies Only, Dex vs. Reflex): 1d20 + 20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 20 + 2 = 37 for: 1d8 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Yeah. That's not going to do anything.

Akemi turns her head subtly to Anri's words.

The gargoyle shakes as Rahz-Ahk claws triumphantly at it, but is blandly indifferent to Anri's passing kick. Looking more than ever like a badly wrapped Christmas present, the thing just sits there.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

To end Enc - at the end of each of Rothel's turns, one ally adjacent to Rahz-Ahk gains 11 temp HP.

Lisbarr
Akemi
Lyan
Norrin
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; must stay adjacent to Lyan to end Lyan's next turn; wrapped in rope; prone; 10 damage if it uses a non-basic attack before end Akemi's next turn; dazed to end Lisbarr's next turn; Stone form (resist 30, tremorsense 10)
Rothel
Anri

Lisbarr tries, unsuccessfully, to not hear what Anri has just said and decides to investigate some more plinths.

Minor action: Gaze in disbelief at Anri while trying not to think too hard about carrying out such a suggestion.
Double move: (carefully) to Ee20

"I think I'll just take a look at this plinth over here..."

The gargoyle is stone. So here's my thought. Petrified means unconscious so....

Coup de Grace via Angelic Alacrity

1d20 + 23 ⇒ (12) + 23 = 35
1d20 + 23 ⇒ (8) + 23 = 31
for 24+8 + 3d8 ⇒ (8, 8, 5) = 21

23 dmg after the resist 30, +2 more if its bloodied.

If its not considered helpless, which I really think it IS, since Anri could throw a rope around it without any struggle, here's my damage roll for the standard attack.

2d12 + 8 ⇒ (11, 12) + 8 = 31

feel the sting of 1 pt of damage

@Akemi - it's not unconscious or helpless, as it has tremorsense and knows perfectly well where you are. I'm not allowing the coup de grace, but you're welcome to keep hitting it.

Lisbarr eases himself carefully along the walls, heading for another plinth, while Akemi chips optimistically away at the sulking and stony gargoyle.

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

To end Enc - at the end of each of Rothel's turns, one ally adjacent to Rahz-Ahk gains 11 temp HP.

Lyan
Norrin
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; must stay adjacent to Lyan to end Lyan's next turn; wrapped in rope; prone; 10 damage if it uses a non-basic attack before end Akemi's next turn; dazed to end Lisbarr's next turn; Stone form (resist 30, tremorsense 10)
Rothel
Anri
Lisbarr
Akemi

blast! it was worth a shot. oh well ^_^

Paging Lyan.

Whups, sorry. Ready Lodestone Lure for when it pops out, and hope somebody else has an actual plan.

How about impaling the sucker and leaving my sword in it, let's see it heal that! Is that an option, Rev?

Anyone have a good ol' fashioned Mattock of the Titans to do some serious mining damage?

I inherited Akemi with practically no goods, no dice here. In theory, even a mattock like that would still have to get through the resist 30 since he's still a functional being, otherwise a CDG would do it.

If you can get past the DR 30, I am prepared to rule that a weapon left in the gargoyle will do ongoing damage. But that weapon will be in the gargoyle and you won't be able to use it.

Anri is made of group disruption and move-everything-ever and knock-it-prone. Raw DPR ain't her deal. I've got ONE knockout hit that might do the trick with "Strike the Avalanche", but that's just because it would force The Gargoyle to move along the ground more than 2 squares, hitting it with another 4d10 as per this room's craziness. That MIGHT do the trick, IF we don't the bonus damage as separate from the normal damage roll vs. The Gargoyle's resistances. What do you think, Rev?

Leave your fist in her next turn, you've got a spare.

Hmm. Not sure about that. My gut feeling is that the forced move would still get the DR (separately) because the movement damage is not actually part of the attack, but a result of the attack. If that makes sense.

really my only issue with this is just how its dragging out without anything happening really. If we all make it a standard tactic to ready an action to hit the sucker, that's fine. Granted someone might want to heal up a bit if needed, and that's all well and good too, its just that I feel this battle is sort of unnecessarily halting. This isn't to say its not smart for the gargoyle to do this action! I know if I were surrounded, I'd regen to full and wear em down over time!

To help remedy this, here's my proposal, that those of us who intend to ready actions say 'Every time it turns to stone, I ready this move, here's my dice rolls' It is sort of anticlimactic, but it could help speed this along. Just a thought.

It's a pain isn't it? Your tactics were very good for this battle as it happens. You've got the gargoyle locked down and since he's not completely dense, he's not going to just let you chop him to pieces. It makes tactical sense, but it's a poor battle for a pbp. Interesting how differently it's working out this time.

On a practical note, you need to find a way out - which I'm sure you will eventually do. Rather than force you to spend the next six weeks wandering all over the room, I'm going to make a couple of assumptions.
1. You find the correct plinth. Lisbarr's passive is so high that he can't fail.
2. You keep the garygole locked down while you do so.
3. I'm going to ask you to jump forward in time to the finding of that plinth and go from there.
Sound reasonable?

Battle recommences below:

MAP

Room issues:
Each surface has its own gravity.
Moving more than 2 squares by any means other than flying requires a DC20 Acro or Athletics check as part of the move action. Failure sends you to random surface where you take 4d10 damage and land prone.
Moving from one surface to an adjacent square on another surface also requires a DC20 Acro/Ath check.
The map is a treated as a folded out box - arrows indicate adjacent surfaces.

To end Enc - at the end of each of Rothel's turns, one ally adjacent to Rahz-Ahk gains 11 temp HP.

Norrin
Gargoyle - under Akemi's Oath; must stay adjacent to Lyan to end Lyan's next turn; wrapped in rope; prone; 10 damage if it uses a non-basic attack before end Akemi's next turn; dazed to end Lisbarr's next turn; Stone form (resist 30, tremorsense 10)
Rothel
Anri
Lisbarr
Akemi
Lyan