Agreed
After about an hour, Lleidr once again is dangling from a rope about 10' above the churning water, and 70' from the surface.
The place is unchanged from your last visit:
A glittering grotto sparkles here, its walls dripping with moisture and alive with sea urchins, anemones, and other tidal life. The cave’s roof
rises to a natural dome ten feet above the water where a five-foot-wide chimney rises through the roof in a shaft. The waters here are less choppy, but they are far from still. A five-foot-wide, fifteen-foot-long ledge sits just above the water level to the south.
Lleidr will try again to use the ceiling for handholds to climb over to the ledge. With the rope to help secure him from falling, this time he'll go more slowly, taking 20 on the roll.
Climb: 20 +1 = 21
You're able to scale the steep wall and get down to the ledge. As you're examining your surroundings, a large, brown-furred face pops up from the surface of the water and spies you. Its mouth opens, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth, and the creature lets loose a horrifying roar.
Will save please (it's a fear-based effect).
BTW, I need saves for everyone up top, too. The sound is THAT loud and that scary!
Selia shakes in her boots.
Lleidr and Hakak are unaffected, but Selia is panicked!
Unfortunately, I don't know about Jubrayl, Ned or Nich.
[Early Afternoon, Thistletop, 12th Day After Goblin Raid, Thistletop Sea Cave]
Initiative Order:
Jubrayl
Selia (panicked)
Monster
Ned
Hakak
Nich
Lleidr
So, I need actions from all of you, and Will Saves from 3 of you.
Ned, you're safe.
Nic
Nicolae starts hauling on the rope (did I get the best of two initative rolls?)
Nich, yes. And, you are also not panicked.
[Early Afternoon, Thistletop, 12th Day After Goblin Raid, Round 1, Thistletop Sea Cave]
Jubrayl makes his save and leaps down the hole into the water (failing a DC 20 Swim check: 15 hp dmg and 4 points of nld). Amidst a spout of water splashing up towards the rock ceiling, he smashes into the water, directly under the shaft.
Panicked, Selia flings away her weapons and runs towards the entrance of Thistletop's tunnels.
The bunyip races towards the southern ledge, its howl a challenge to the halfling. Its massive jaws reach out and snap at Lleidr, but the halfling dodges the beast.
Next up:
Ned
Hakak
Nich
Lleidr
Ned will take a shot at the bunyip,
whats a bunyip/
(percise shot, deadly aim, monster hunter)
Unfortunately, Ned, you don't have a line of sight on the creature. Jubrayl is lined up with the shaft nicely, but the monster is over so far to the south side of the cave, he's out of sight for anyone up top.
Let's save that attack roll for a later action, if you decide to make the plunge.
And, what the heck, Hakak will leap after Jubrayl (15 hp dmg + 4 points of nld).
Ned, pm'd you with your KNO result.
Can Ned move to somewhere with line of sight? Would wild empathy work?
"It's a Bunyip. It will fly into a blood rage if it's wounded"
I may not have described this well. The hole up top leads into a 70' shaft before it opens into the cave that Lleidr, Hakak and Jubrayl are inside. Imagine a funnel turned upside down.
You'd have to jump down the shaft (DO IT!) to get line of sight after you've landed in the cave, or the bunyip would have to swim directly under the hole.
"I'm too old to be jumpin' off cliffs."
(Accelerated climb)
only need an action from Lleidr and we can continue
Looking around for any more of these monsters, Lleider will pull out his Wand of Magic Missiles and cast at the bunyip.
Auto hit
Nicholae remains at the top of the hole - someone needs to haul Lleidr up and hold the rope so that the others can come up later (lest we all be stuck down there with no way up)
Eek, i should have mentioned this earlier, and i'll update tonight's map to show it. But you can see daylight coming through a tunnel in the south-west. This tunnel originates from a different cliff face than the one you saw.
I didn't have daylight set up properly on Maptool, which is the reason for this oversight.
[Early Afternoon, Thistletop, 12th Day After Goblin Raid, Round 1 Part 2, Thistletop Sea Cave]
Ned tries shimmying down the rope, but slips, and crashes into the water far below (15 hp dmg, 4 points nld).
Hakak dives into the water, yelling a roar of his own in response to the beast lurking below (same dmg).
Nich stays up top, holding tight to the rope.
Retrieving his arcane wand, Lleidr commands an arcane bolt to fly out and smack into the bunyip’s face.
[Round 2, Part 1]
Selia keeps running! She’s at the entrance to Thistletop by now.
Jubrayl struggles in the rough water, and goes under!
Wounded, the bunyip howls in pain and its face distorts into an ugly snarl. Again it lunges at the halfling, but Lleidr steps back just in time to avoid its bite.
Next up:
Ned
Hakak
Nich
Lleidr
That tunnel opening to the outside is more to the west rather than the south-west. Let me know if I need to explain further.
"Well that could have gone better!
Ned will head for the east end of the beach
Yes, Ned, Jub and Hakak are in the water. You see no beach, Ned, just a ceiling which slopes down and meets the water's surface. There is a ledge where Lleidr is, on the southern part of the cave, but that's the only dry land.
Lleidr will fight defensively [-4 to hit, +2 AC] and cast another Magic Missile from the wand at the bunyip, trying to keep its attention while his companions make their way to the ledge.
auto-hit
Selia finds a place to hide, panicked and alone.
[Early Afternoon, Thistletop, 12th Day After Goblin Raid, Round 2 Part 2, Thistletop Sea Cave]
The rough waters prove impossible for Ned to make any progress. It’s all the ranger can do to keep afloat!
With a gurgle, Hakak disappears underneath the waves.
[NOTE – I didn’t get an action from Nich, so I’m assuming he’s still manning topside) Nich holds tight of the rope on the surface, hoping to haul his friends to safety soon.
Dodging the great beast’s maw, Lleidr looses another arcane bolt against his foe.
[Round 3 Part 1]
Finally, her heartbeat and breath begin to slow, and Selia is able to master her fear. Taking a moment inside an overhang of dense thistle, the fear subsides completely.
Thrashing madly in the water, Jubrayl begins to sink! Lleidr and Ned now see neither Hakak nor Jubrayl.
With an angry snarl, the bunyip leaps out towards Lleidr again, but the halfling is much too fast for the lumbering creature.
Next up:
Ned
Hakak
Nich
Lleidr
Thistletop
Actually ... go ahead and give me an action, Selia. You'll go first in the next round.
Finally getting a handle on herself, Selia shakes her head. "How embarrassing!"
Before returning, though, she casts a Barkskin spell.
The cleric tries to shake the rope to where the orc and Ned disappeared under the water.
Not wanting to hamper Nich's attempts to save our armored companions (or get dragged off the ledge when the heavier people get hold of the rope), Lleidr will go to full defense (+4 AC, no attack) and detach the rope from himself.
Instead of updating the map and doing the usual recap, here's the outcome:
Selia's got another round of running back before she's back at the hole, but she'll returned with the effects of Barkskin! Nich's still got a firm grip on the party's lifeline. The water's proving a tad calmer, Ned catches a random current and is only 20' away from the bunyip now. The bunyip has a better grip on the ledge and lashes out with deadly force but, totally focused on his enemy, Lleidr flattens himself against the wall and avoids another snap of the bunyip's terrifying maw.
So, not much has changed, although I'm suspicious that Lleidr's player is somewhat psychic. I rolled a very high number for the monster's attack, but it missed only because Lleidr employed full defense.
Ned swims
Ned, are you swimming for the ledge or are you headed towards the bunyip?
He's still heading for the ledge. He doesn't have enough swim skill to be wrestling with an aquatic, in its element, while in full armor!
When Selia returns, her intention is to cast Summon Nature's Ally II to put 1d3 dolphins into the water to help the others.
Lleidr will switch back to fighting defensively, back off a couple of squares away from where Ned will climb up on the ledge and shoot another Magic Missile at the bunyip.
Auto-hit
NOTE - If the lack of organization in this post is confusing, let me know.
Breathing heavily but happy to see a friendly face again, Selia runs and re-joins Nicholae. (NOTE - your casting will begin at the start of the next round, ie later in this post).
With better leverage on the ledge, the bunyip thrusts his bulk forward, snapping his jaws full of needle-sharp teeth and Lleidr finds it impossible to get away in time (8 hp dmg).
Catching another fortunate current, Ned bumps up against the ledge and finds a suitable handhold. (NOTE - I'm assuming a 2nd move action, to climb up and get onto the ledge).
Nich tries fishing for Hakak and Jubrayl, but their bodies are nowhere to be seen.
Dodging another attack from the bunyip (NOTE - it got an AoO), Lleidr treds warily backwards, going behind Ned as the ranger emerges from the water. Another arcane blast slams into the monster, as it continues to bellow in rage. However, Lleidr's wound bleeds profusely, and the halfling looses another 6 hp dmg.
Standing at the edge of the deep well, Selia enters a trance-like state, once again chanting liturgical prayers, beseeching the divine for aid.
The bunyip swims a single square to the east, eager to engage this new trespasser. It nips Ned with a small but deep bite (3 hp dmg). The animal's eye gleam with malevolent violence, and its body is shaking in rage.
Next up:
Ned
Nich
Lleidr
next round - Selia + 1d3 dolphins
Ned will quickdraw his greatsword and attemt to calm the creature
(power attack,monster hunter,Rangers focus)
Does it look any calmer? :-)
LOL .. much calmer!