Male Human Wizard/1| AC 13 [17] T 13 FF 10 | HP 6/8 |Fort +1 Ref +2 Will +3 | Per +6 | Init +2 |HotA 5/6
Ardain ties his rope around the trunk of the olive tree. He tests the strength of the tree as well as his knot by looping the rope around hips and throwing his weight against it. Then he casts the coils of the rope down the hole, and begins his climb.
Ardain shows the party how rope-climbing is done, and reaches the bottom with scarcely a scuff on his boots.
Corwyn Silvermane wrote:
If there are no threats present (that he can see anyway), will 'Take 10' to climb down, giving him a modified Climb check of 11. Once at the bottom, he draws his rapier and readied his buckler, picking up the sunrod with his buckler hand and taking another look around.
At the risk of a momentary dalliance with shyster DMing, I'm going to forbid taking 10 for this. It's dark, it's unworked, and you honestly can't be sure what's down there.
Yanda takes her turn and goes down the rope after the beefy fighter types. I recommend the high risk folks go first.
climb:1d20 ⇒ 14
If someone falls from 20' or greater, Yanda will fire off a feather fall. At lower heights they can take their chances. She has one use so hopefully there will only be one mishap.
Ha! Crit and then a fumble. Ain't that typical? Since I'm unsure of the DC because of the slippery conditions, I'm going to go ahead and use 1 panache point to roll a d6 and add to that second roll, since there is no auto-failure on a '1' for a skill check.
'Derring Do' DRR:1d6 ⇒ 3
If this still results in a fall, making an Acrobatics check here to avoid damage. If the '5' results in a 'no progress' instead, the following roll will be his second Climb check - but only +1 to the roll (resulting in '15')
Acrobatics Check DRR:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Finally reaching the bottom after an embarrassing slip-up near the end of his climb, the swashbuckler gains his feet (one way or the other) and then snatches up his sunrod, taking a look around as he mutters about the perils of slippery roots.
Kristoff will activate his animal focus taking on form of the monkey(+2 Climb) Kristoff’s feet and hands elongate and grow thumbs.
Climb:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23 Climb 2:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
@Corwyn: Why do you keep putting "DRR" after skill checks?
Talondreal wrote:
Are there olives in the tree :)
There are olives in the tree...but some of them look like this.
The descent is dark, warm, and claustrophobic. Everyone does a exemplary job making it down, although there is a moment of tense comedy as Corwyn must make a heroic effort to avoid falling on his head.
At the bottom of the crevice, the caves are thick with an underground forest, and trees grow out of the walls and ceiling at odd angles.
Knowledge (Nature) DC 18:
The trees are all part of clonal colony of quaking aspen trees, each connected to a single root system. These trees gain their name from the way their leaves shake at the slightest breeze. Quaking aspen trees should not be able to survive underground, and they do not appear anywhere else in the surrounding area. Nonetheless, they match the description that High Priestess Zuri gave you of the miraculous interlopers that protected Mercy. The giant blossoms that reek of rotting flesh are parasitic plants called corpse flowers. They feed off the nutrients of other plants — in this case, the vines surrounding the trees.
The fissure widens and opens into an underground forest. A mass of leafless vines covers all of the cavern’s walls, and a colony of trees with white bark and pale yellow leaves emerges from the walls and ceiling. Thousands of bats hang from the tree branches, and a thick layer of guano carpets the ground of hard-packed dirt.
Perception DC 15:
In the southwest corner of the wall, the vines are particularly sparse. You notice that the cavern continues behind this curtain of vines.
Suddenly, a haunting, audibly unhinged voice rings from the darkness!
Undercommon:
"YOUUUUUUUUUUU! You have come to MURDER Delightful Smiling Shadow of Flight, just as Azathoth warned it - but I shall not go quietly screaming into that good day tonight! Delightful Smiling Shadow of Flight has been waiting patiently to TAKE THE INITIATIVE!"
Yanda downs her mutagen. Her body grows even more thin and spindly, her limbs elongate even further than they already are to an unnatural extent and her fingers grow extra joints. She looks like a good breeze would carry her up into the trees that fill the area.
"Those trees look familiar. didn't the priestess say something about some trees like that protecting Mercy from a mana storm? The nasty flowers, on the other hand, do not inspire confidence."
Thornberry grimaces No you don't have to do this! You're a dancer! A kind soul!
Forgive me, but do you have some means of understanding Undercommon? Far be it from me to underestimate a crazy Gnome, but it doesn't appear to be listed among the languages you know....
Perception Check DRR:1d20 - 1 ⇒ (16) - 1 = 15 vs DC 15 = Success!
"Strange place for trees to grow... this can't be normal. Hey, is that an alcove of some kind back there, behind the vines?" Gesturing with his rapier at the exact wrong moment, Corwyn is slow to react to the sudden danger - and though he hears the dark, twisted words of whatever creature lurks ahead he cannot understand them. Then Jack translates and Yanda throws one of her fire bombs. "Wow, that's a mouthful alright. You might want to pick another cute nickname." The swashbuckler ripostes verbally, ready to attack with either the rapier or the chakram at his side...
That's a habit of mine from my own pbp board, it means 'Dice Roll Result', I'll stop using it if it bugs you. As far as action, will wait until my initiative comes up before either moving in for a melee attack or dropping the sunrod and making a ranged attack with the chakram.
M Gnome Druid (leshy warden/wild whisperer) HP: 15/15 | AC: 19 CMD: 10 | F: 5 R: 2 W: 3 | lowlight vision, Per + 9 SM +2 init +2
Thornberry does not know Undercommon. He does however know the language of MUSIC! He probably did cry out in Sylvan or Common hoping to appeal to this clearly capricious soul.
On Kristoff's turn he'll move within 30ft of the cloaker and ready an action to take a shot at him, if he does anything considered to be threatening. Also switching his animal focus to form of the tiger. Suddenly Kristoff's body changes again this time turning into what looks like a griffon, with his lower half becoming catlike and growing a tail.
Suddenly you hear a small, eerie voice from behind you: Nira (who we'll say rode down on somebody's shoulder). She points an audibly rattling finger at the cloaker. As a matter of fact, her whole body is rattling. If you didn't know any better, you'd say she was having some kind of fit.
"Red rum. Red rum! RED RUM! REEEEEEEED RUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM!!!"
With that, she runs at the cloaker, her little body erupting as you watch with wicked splinters, thorns, and spikes, an inexplicably massive wave of which then bursts from her body...(if you ever played a "Spines" Scrapper or Stalker in City of Heroes, you sort of know what you're looking at)!
Splinterspray:3d6 ⇒ (3, 2, 5) = 10
Reflex save:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
...and right into the cloaker's face!
Ardain conjures a small mass of some corrosive emulsion, only to fling it blindly off somewhere onto the cave walls as he watches Nira's transformation in shock.
Jack, Yanda
__________________
Nira
__________________
Ardain, Thornberry, Talondreal
__________________
Delightful Smiling Shadow of Flight the Cloaker (-10)
__________________
Kristoff, Corwyn
M Gnome Druid (leshy warden/wild whisperer) HP: 15/15 | AC: 19 CMD: 10 | F: 5 R: 2 W: 3 | lowlight vision, Per + 9 SM +2 init +2
Thornberry is horrified to see his best friend and someone he really thought was kind of cool.
Drat.
He would need to ask Nira what that was all about some day though. Red Rum. What is Red Rum. Rum is usually brown right?
He took aim at the Delightful Smiling Shadow of Flight the Cloaker with a dart and spoke the magic words of mother earth. Specifically the smelly parts of it. month old eggs, rotten socks, conjure a scent so ranic next, his stomach will empty its rocks
He really hoped he remembered that right and tossed the dart towards his target.
Nauseating Dart, 1d2 damage + DC 15 or be nauseated for 1 round:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 181d2 ⇒ 1
Slightly adjusting Talondreal's position; again, sorry for slightly warped map.
you don't want me to roll low:1d100 ⇒ 100
Talondreal's had it up to HERE being mocked and tormented at every turn by furniture and vegetables, and at long last, he takes his righteous ire out on the cloaker, and he can indeed feel the taint upon the creature's soul suffer beneath his sword!
Despite this, the delightfully-named Delightful Smiling Shadow of Flight seems far more concerned with the creepy little doll, and lunges at her with its entire body!
Corwyn grits his teeth, not liking the idea of harming both this cloaker and the doll that it is wrapped around - but the swashbuckler doesn't see that he has a choice. Stepping forward, he thrusts his rapier into the creature.
rolling low would be a tad inconvenient:1d100 ⇒ 47
Corwyn stabs at the leathery mass and feels a slight jarring as his sword penetrates the cloaker's body and knocks its tip against Nira's wooden form.
Splinterspray:3d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 4) = 6
Reflex save:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Moments later, its flesh is perforated from underneath by another blast of splinters. Seems a bit weak, though....
Splintered Joints:1d6 ⇒ 3
You also hear faint tearing noises as the creature grapples Nira. Pitch-dark ichor and wicked splinters litter the ground before you as the wrestling match seems to be rapidly losing vigor...on both sides.
Delightful Smiling Shadow of Flight emits a moan that is anything but delightful - in fact, it unnerves you all to the core (everyone takes a -2 penalty to attack and damage rolls). It lets go of Nira (who is now in very bad shape) and rears up, revealing a face that, while quite shadowy, is not smiling, and flies for the cave mouth!
I'm giving everyone EXCEPT Yanda and Thornberry one last attack of opportunity as it tries to make its escape - hit me with your best shot (adjusted, of course, for the above penalties and a 20% miss chance)!
Doing his best to ignore the thrill of fear that courses through his body, Corwyn shouts. "Oh no you don't!", as the thing drops Nira and flies toward the cave mouth.
Rapier Attack DRR:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22 vs AC
Rapier Damage DRR:1d6 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1 Piercing
Miss Chance DRR:1d100 ⇒ 3 (01-20 = Miss!)
Includes -2 penalty to attack/damage
Jack runs after the shadow til he's in range and spits the adhesive spittle from the extract he drank last round at the creature, trying to disable it's ability to fly and to move. save dc is reflex 15 for partial duration is 2d4 ⇒ (1, 2) = 3 rounds
Aoo:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 61d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9 Miss Chance:1d100 ⇒ 64 Low
Kristoff will continue to move after the Cloaker and shoot his bow until it’s too far for him to see.
