"Fair 'nuff Kardak. I jes don't wanna have to remember to look fer a chalk line if'n we're runnin' back this way with tails tucked."
He looks at the edge of the chalk line for a moment and says,"'Course, if everyone stands back from the edge, I kin take my polearm here and give a smart tap to the inside area. May be that it springs the trap without harm!"
Barrin eyes the unsafe center of the floor speculatively, then shrugs at Toren's words. "Be about it you'd like. I want to move on—those goblins might have a way of sneaking ahead of us, and they might be warning more of their fellows of our presence while we tarry."
Carefully avoiding the pit trap the party passes through the chamber and reaches corner where the passageway significantly widens and turns to the north. Peeking around:
A pool of luminous blue water lies in the center of this grand chamber. A spectacular fountain pours into the pool from the image of a winged beast, perhaps a sphinx, low on the north wall. From there, a pair of steep stone stairs ascend in switchbacks to the north, flanked by ornamental pillars and terminating at a stone doorway.
These stairs are steep enough to be difficult terrain. Please make Perception Checks
Having spotted nothing immediately threatening, the party advances into the room. As soon as Barrin and Toren step across the threshold four bony fleshless humanoids stand up, two on the middle landing and two on the highest landing. They are armed with short bows and the unholy light of undeath radiates from their empty eye sockets.
Lower Skeletons Upper Skeletons
Kardak the Feared
Jarlgur Flamnord
Toren "Stand" Still
Barrin Ironhite
Arryn Wildblood
Aleister Marlowe
Possessing the unholy speed of death, the skeletons draw arrows from quivers attached to their thigh bones and fire at the Dwarves before anyone is able to respond.
Combat Dice:
S1:1d20 ⇒ 1 vs Barrin
S2:1d20 ⇒ 12 vs Torren
S3:1d20 ⇒ 1 vs Barrin
S4:1d20 ⇒ 9 vs Torren
THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!
Both dwarves' shields reverberate as a pair of arrows slam into each of them, none of them connecting with flesh.
Initiative Order:
Kardak the Feared
Jarlgur Flamnord
Toren "Stand" Still
Barrin Ironhite
Arryn Wildblood
Aleister Marlowe
Lower Skeletons Upper Skeletons
HP:26/27, AC 20(22) Touch 11, FF 19, Init +1, Perc:-1, F+8, R+5, W+5, CMB +8, CMD 18 LoH 1/[4] Male Aasimar (Angelblooded) Paladin 3 (Favoured)/Oath of Vengence
Skeletons? They are without thought... form a shield wall and move forward slowly? They'll run out arrows - and unless we move outside of our formation, they'll keep shooting at their original targets
Traits: An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).
No Constitution score. Undead use their Charisma score in place of their Constitution score when calculating hit points, Fortitude saves, and any special ability that relies on Constitution(such as when calculating a breath weapon’s DC).
Darkvision 60 feet.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).
Immunity to bleed, death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.
Not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength), as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects.
Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature's Intelligence score.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
Not at risk of death from massive damage, but is immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points.
Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
Proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Undead not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Undead are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
You happen to recall that bludgeoning weapons work best and that they are indeed mindless and also immune to cold.
"Well lets pull back a bit and see if they pursue...if not we have some shields to stand behind while we advance. I don't intend to get all that close to them...so if someone wants to borrow my mace to bash in a head or two by all means feel free!"
Barrin raises his flail. "This will do well enough against them, I think." He eyes the long distance across the chamber to the steps speculatively, then turns to his fellow dwarf. "You handle that shield as well as I've ever seen it done. What say you and I advance behind it at a steady clip and see if we can make it up to those horrors?"
HP 22/29, Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2, AC 19, T 12, FF 17, Percpt +5, Sense Motive +5
Toren "Stand" Still wrote:
Anyone feel free to...stop us from being too silly here :)
"You cannot bash with a tower shield...."
Kardak's willing to swap weapons with Toren. He's got a warhammer if you want it.
"Those archers will have time for three to five volleys before we'll reach them. The only other options we've got at the moment are to brave the goblins and either open that sealed door near the entrance or climb up to the goblin's level."
HP:26/27, AC 20(22) Touch 11, FF 19, Init +1, Perc:-1, F+8, R+5, W+5, CMB +8, CMD 18 LoH 1/[4] Male Aasimar (Angelblooded) Paladin 3 (Favoured)/Oath of Vengence
Hmmm... I still say we take action with the pair taking cover behind their shields and advancing just enough for the skeletons to exhaust their arrows before charging in - using the hallway right we'd stand a better chance of not being hit too
Crit Confirms: (I think they can crit on another 20, not 100% sure, but they didn't roll them so it doesn't matter)
1d20 - 8 ⇒ (3) - 8 = -5 1d20 - 8 ⇒ (10) - 8 = 2 1d20 - 8 ⇒ (16) - 8 = 8
Damage
Barrin: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 2) = 8
Arryn: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Despite the party's precautions Barrin is hit by two arrows for a total of 8 damage, while one arrow connects with Arryn for 1 damage.
As you close you can see the skeletons also have broken scimitars hanging from rotted arming belts hanging from their hip bones.
Two twenties! Okay, ouch. Can you put directional arrows or something in the grey squares for the steps? I'm still not "reading" them exactly and so don't know how to play my movement.
As for stairs dark is below light. I added a height number in feet for things along the left side, the right side is symmetrical. Hopefully this helps.
Jarlgur's description sounds right. The stairs go out to landings on the side, and then back into a big landing in the middle. This is repeated a second time, rising higher each time.
The stairs are not steep enough to be difficult terrain. Also I eliminated a section of line at the bottom of the stairs to help make it clearer where movement is possible.
Jarlgur steps up to stand behind Toren. Chanting arcane syllables, he points his finger at the nearest skeleton. A ray of dark arcane energy sprouts from his finger and arcs toward the undead.
I will assume that you took my Bec de Corbin. Remember, it's reach so you can't attack within 5 ft.
As the others start to stream past the protection he can offer, Toren runs as fast as his stubby legs can carry him up the right side stairs. "Let's catch up with the rest of 'em!" he says back at the remaining two.
FYI...I put a link to the map at the end of the stat line next to my name to save people from having to tab over to the Campaign Info tab.
GM:
My proper Perception & Initiative bonus are in my stat line to account for my familiar being with me...to spare further confusion I'll make the updates on my stat block as well.
Aleister will follow Toren's lead...making sure to stay behind his living shield wall.
Thanks for the map link in your stat block, should be useful. Sorry for not adding your familiar benefits in, I had just been reading off your char sheet.
Aleister and Toren move up the stairs as well.
The skeletons continue to fire at what seem to be random targets.
