Lleidr will use the spider climb effect to get past the more dangerous stretches and keep up with the longer legged humans.
Shadow Tower, the Stairs
The stairs under your feet shake upon the sound of one of the massive tower bells giving an ear pounding ring as it tears free from its supports and smashes through the rotting timbers.
Lleidr is dead under the center, but the halfling manages to scramble up from beneath the bell's looming shadow just in time. Unfortunately, Ned is frozen, unable to react before the bell strikes (26 hp dmg). The stairs under Ned are smashed into splinters and chunks of worm eaten wood, which rain down on the stone floor far below. The bell crashes onto the floor and then is smashed into pieces.
Fortunately, Ned's training has saved his life once more. The bruised ranger hangs by a hand grip, holding onto a banister which has been bent and twisted by the falling bell. Ever so slowly, the banister's few remaining supports pop and twist their nails, threatening to drop Ned into the emptiness below.
Even worse, the party is divided by a 10' stretch of destroyed staircase. Selia and Nich are on one side, at a lower height than Ned and Lleidr.
From above, you hear the guard yell again. "HUZZAH! I warned you to keep away. Now you'll listen, right! I've got 3 more bells!!"
Sense motive, anyone?
"Keep out from under the bells he said, but can he take his own advice? Noooooo!"
Selia casts Guidance on Nich.
Lleidr will hold up to see if Ned needs help climbing back up. If he does,
If he doesn't need help, I guess Lleidr will try to help figure out how Selia and Nich will get across.
Oh, forgot the Sense Motive roll.
"I don't believe he will, but head up carefully."
Bizrip, what do you see up there?
Bizrip can see that the remaining bells are secured with heavy hempen rope and chain. The city guard is gripping a banister on a narrow landing, trying to gauge the damage his bell has caused. He looks a bit confused, as if he can't find all of you.
Sorry ... I didn't know we had a marching order.
How are you and Selia planning on getting across the gap and rejoining Lleidr & Ned (assuming he can climb/be rescued)?
He's lying about the bells but buggered if I know how we are going to cross that gap? Oh for a spell of flying.
Zilt, if Ned doesn't need help climbing up, Lleidr will look where the stairs were smashed for foot and hand holds for Nich and Selia to use to get across the gap. If nothing else, maybe chinks that can be dug out or have pieces of wood wedged in?
Where the stairs are gone, you see a series of 8 iron hooks, each as thick as a man's finger and the size of his hand, projecting from the stone wall which had been used as supports for the stairs. Two of them are smashed from the bell and their shape is now mangled, but nonetheless appear firmly embedded in the masonry. Each hook is little more than a foot apart; 'hook' may be somewhat misleading. They're essentially J shaped braces, meant to cradle a timber in their bow.
Ned manages to bring his other arm up, to better hang onto the broken arm of wood. Inching over with great care, he manages to grab a stable step at Lleidr's feet before the supporting nails give way, and the banister tumbles down into the darkness below.
So, he's still hanging, but hanging to a more stable (hopefully) piece of structure.
"C'mon, Ned, you look like the last shriveled apple hanging off the branch!
Lleidr will continue to do his best Spider-man impression, holding his action in case Ned needs help climbing up or the others need help crossing over the gap.
C'mon Ned - don't fall old man! Besides we need you to string a rope so that we can cross... so climb up!
"Go on up, boys! I'll send some critters up to join you."
Selia begins casting Summon Monster II, which will take a full round, but target to place him furthest point up the stairs in range.
No. In fact, based on what's in reach for the party on either side of the gap, the iron braces are held fast in the stone, rooted like a stout oak in clay soil.
(plus assists?)
"Apple is it? Well, it's all about core strength"
What would be the DC to cross? And if Selia held a rope on one side and Ned the other would that lower the DC, forming a railing so to speak? If Ned and liedr secure the rope as well then if I fall it, the rope would catch me. Soooo - who has rope?
"Hold your horses. Once I get my feet under me I'll toss you a rope."
Using a rope would definitely decrease the difficulty and, if secured to at least 1 hook, would also keep you from falling 100'.
Yeah, some rope would be nice right about now :-)
[dice=climb]d20+12 (plus assists?)
"Apple is it? Well, it's all about core strength"
"Sorry, no rope on me."
Crap! I'm clear of rope - what now?.
"I have rope, not that it's doing me much good right now."
A rogue without rope ???
Ned is able to clamber up on the stair, which is surprisingly solid enough to hold his weight despite the bell's destruction.
I assume Ned will use his rope to help Nich & Selia across? Enough time has passed for Selia's Summoning to complete as well.
"Well that wasn't much fun. I don't suppose anyone could heal me up a bit? I'm feelin' a little woozy."
A rogue with an 8 STR. Rope weighs 10#, and Lleidr's light load maxes at 19.5#. If I had realized that this was a campaign instead of a module, I'd have balanced the ability scores a little more. Of course he has magic storage now, so I'm out of excuses.
Of course!.
Nicolae channels energy twice.
and
Healing everyone.
Then he uses his summon monster II as cure moderate wounds slot to heal Ned for an additional
Hows everyone now?
"Feeling fine and ready to go!" As soon as Ned is healed up, Lleidr will continue moving towards the top of the tower.
"Much better, thanks"
Can Ned see the last guard from here?
I think its just best if we push on as fast we we can. Selia's spell won't last forever
:-)
Selia's spell completes, summoning a giant ant that takes off up the stairs. (Move 50', climb 20')
Omfg! Lleidr is going to ride that ant before this encounter is over.
What's the duration of the summoning, Selia? While the ant can surely outpace the party and manage the stairs more easily, there's quite a bit of staircase left!
Bizrip see the city guardsman panic and run towards the NW corner of the upper tower, where the staircase finally ends. There is an opening to the outside featuring crude scaffolding and stairs which pick back up, on the tower's outer wall, going up towards the pinnacle.
The guard runs through the opening and then disappears around the corner, leaping up the outer stairs.
Lleidr will make his way to the top of the stairs as quickly as he can.
Ned will move a little more cautiously. Hopefully it won't be quite so dangerous without bells dropping on him.
Several rounds pass as you make your way up the steps while trying to avoid pitfalls. You're close to the top of the tower now.
Three immense bronze bells hang from timbers here, affixed by rusting lengths of chain and thick ropes. Above the bells are massive gears and
clockworks, although they seem both rusted and scavenged—many of the smaller components are missing entirely. The rickety wooden stairs wind up and around them but don’t quite reach the ceiling above, coming to an end at an opening in the wall. Here, the stairs continue up the exterior of the tower to a room that must lie just beyond the ceiling directly above the bells.
There's 2 rounds left in the giant ant's summoning before you reach the exit that the guardsman disappeared into.
"Hey, Nich, I found some rope!"
"Sure, if your looking to tie up your schooner."
I think my wording above about timing is confusing. There's 2 rounds left in Selia's summoning, and you're standing before the door leading outside, which opens to external stairs going up at a steep pitch.
"I have a schooner? Cool! What is that, and why do I have to tie it up?"
Lleidr will perk up his ears then poke his head out the door to make sure we not headed into an ambush.