The hexad surrounding the crystal continue their chant, despite taking a heavy battering from the summoned space debris. The irritated prisoner thumps harder on his confinement, and like the oddly echoing reverberation when an icy pond gets its first crack, so too does the Dark Obelisk make a sinister wail as splits entirely in twain. The horrible god is still confined within, but clearly his constraints are weakening very quickly...
GM Note:
Round 1 WB Action. Round 2 Lair Action not possible
The not-nice-nematodes, now mere squirming shambles, continue their advance across the impossible terrain of eons of dead bodies. They are slow and steady, not caring of time...after all rot favors patience.
Finally the duo trapped within the Bead of Force simply do what they do best: make more worms. The damage from Falko's attack slowly regenerates.
Party up. Theres two maps on the tracker, one showing the Meteor Swarm AoE and one showing the Bead of Force. Use the Bead map, its the current one. I just left the AoE map up if any were interested.
7000 years ago...in a bright marble tower somewhere north of where Calimport now exists...
"What does it mean, dad?" the little boy asked curiously, gazing over his father's polished rocks. The man was an oryctomancer, a diviner who looked at the fissures and patterns of cut slices of minerals to predict the future.
The man was astonished and somewhat in awe "Its most simple interpretation is a clashing of great powers. This line symbolizes 'storm'...this one 'decay'. But 'storm' gets modified by this pattern here, and could just as well mean 'catastrophe'. Meanwhile decay is augmented by this mirror image...'serpent'...no wait, lower...'worm'."
"That doesn't make sense, how can storm battle decay? Aren't they sort of the same thing?" the boy innocently probed.
The father chuckled "It's true, this one is quite vague. Its usually better to spend time with samples whose meaning is more obvious...we can learn more that way. Let's just move on."
Yet the boy was stubborn and defiant, and would later pocket the unusual mineral cuttings and their message across time. He would spend a lifetime trying to interpret the prophecy, but would die never realizing the magnificence of Szasa in her battle with the Spawn of Kyuss, when the shower of arcane wrath would so turn the tide in humanity's struggle against the coming Age of Worms.
That man could have kept this hope...with this missing piece the later sages would see only darkness.
Just to check, Black and White's swarms are appearing inside the spheres or outside? The force field is supposed to prevent all effects from going through.
Falko follows through, remaining behind Daryl and floating, with another ball of force.
Are there swarms still on the floor? If so, and if there are a lot of them, then Falko would try to target a bunch of them. Otherwise, he throws the bead of force between Red and Green: 10 ft rad, DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 5d4 ⇒ (1, 4, 4, 3, 1) = 13. If they save, they are pushed away from the enclosure.
AC 19 | Str +0 Dex +3 Con +8x2 Int +6 Wis +11 Cha +0 | Init +3 | PP 21, Darkvision | Insight +11
Firefin would have more of a visual reaction to the devastation of the Meteor Swarm, if he was not amorphously fire.
Firefin squeezes forward to avoid setting his companions on fire and pauses at the limit of his fear. Then, readies to move forward with the troop centered on Daryl.
Move forward to bottom left limit of Daryl's aura. Then ready his reaction to Dash forward when Daryl advances forward, so he holds the left (to map viewer) flank
Wis save 1:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 281d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21 Wis save 2:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 241d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23
EDIT ** I thought the last save was pass to be frightened, so I'm not sure. If Firefin is not frightened, then he would run over a couple and stop on one and attack. Please confirm. Thanks
Run over:
Fire Form: The elemental can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. A creature that touches the elemental or hits it with a melee Attack while within 5 ft. of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage. In addition, the elemental can enter a Hostile creature's space and stop there. The first time it enters a creature's space on a turn, that creature takes 5 (1d10) fire damage and catches fire; until someone takes an action to douse the fire, the creature takes 5 (1d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns.
Falko, the Black and White swarms were not caught in the Bead of Force, but all swarms are now dead. Black and White walkers were/are trapped.
Red vs Bead:1d20 ⇒ 20 Green vs Bead:1d20 ⇒ 16
The force pellet implodes with an odd cracking sound, sending the pair of walkers hurtling across the sea of corpses as the sphere materializes in their localized dimension...shredding small bits of worms as it grows.
Red and Green pushed back 10ft, taking damage. They are essentially behind a 20 ft wide translucent wall, so things that need line of effect might be hampered. But on the flip side they can't send more Burrowing Worms up your wide-open nostrils.
Everyone but Falko up. Although Falko, since you saved you are now free to advance towards the Dark Obelisk outside of Daryls aura if you wish...Frightened is over.
edit: Fin ninja'd -- Fin don't forget your end of turn save to get rid of fright. I think you have two actually, one still from last round that I didnt notice. Saving means you are not confined to the aura.
Between the pulsing malevolence of the emerging god, numerous worm creatures and the thundering, fiery devastation caused by his own allies magic, Tarn decides to stay right where he is and advance in the wake of the paladin.
Shatter on Red/Green, DC15 con for half thunder damage:3d8 ⇒ (4, 5, 7) = 16
The world rained fire, and Lindaer added to the apocalyptic maelstrom with the thunderous roar of nature. Two of the figures were caught in the epicenter of the sound, subjected to ear splitting noise powerful enough to cause the bark of a tree to shatter.
EDIT ** I thought the last save was pass to be frightened, so I'm not sure. If Firefin is not frightened, then he would run over a couple and stop on one and attack. Please confirm. Thanks
On sight of the battery when Tarn opened the door on his turn, you saved against paralyzation and gained the frightened condition instead. Then, you were allowed to save at the end of each of your turns to get rid of Frightened for same DC. So with those rolls, yes you stopped the Frightened at the end of round 1 and can act here without that aura limitation. Will resolve those attacks indeed.
The walking inferno known to chipmunks, starlings, and other sweet creatures of the woodlands as Hierophant Finlogan simply floats into the walking worm, and the party can no longer tell where he ends and the worms begin...they are wholly immolated.
Entering Purple's Space:1d10 ⇒ 8
Its hard to tell for sure but at times the tendrils of flame seems almost like elvish scimitars elegantly hacking away with some ancient maneuver...but the plump little maggots and their godforsaken husks seems to like the warmth. fire resistance...4+6+4=14 dmg
Tarn meanwhile hesitates still uncertain to run forward onto the corpse floor... You can of course ranged attack if youd like, the Frightened only prevents moving towards the big crystal.
Lindaer and Szasa, arcane representatives of human and elf, coordinate their magics on the eastern flank for the good of all the Realms...
Red vs Lin:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9-16 Green vs Lin:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17halved for -8 Red vs Szasa:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14-15 Green vs Szasa:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25halved for -7
...and along with damaging the worms themselves, you witness one of the most disgusting explosions you've ever seen as a massive area of the corpses and larval pupae making up the floor burst like bloated ticks, spraying the Bead of Force dark red...it looks like a giant red sphere now as it flies throughout the chamber... 1 lb object hit by shatter probably gets knocked the f&&% around Id say...compass direction=1d8 ⇒ 1...getting blasted straight north and bouncing around like a crazy bloody egg before finally decapitating an already dead ogre, losing some momentum.
Daryl, sorry I think there's a 30 ft range on that, are you moving forward into the chamber? Also forgive me, not experienced with this paladin oath at all really, where are you getting Destroy Undead from? I think only clerics get that ability. Otherwise, your Turn the Unholy is the same (wording is identical to cleric's Turn Undead other than the addition of affecting fiends too...causes them to flee on a wis fail, regardless of HD).
Turn the Unholy:
As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer censuring fiends and undead, using your Channel Divinity. Each fiend or undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it takes damage.
A turned creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can, and it can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.
Male; HP 191/191; AC24; Init +1; STR+7, DEX+2, CON+9, INT +4, WIS +10, CHA+13; Fatigue Level - 0 Dragonborn Paladin / 17; LOH 85/60 Modest lifestyle (1-gp)
My bad. I was looking at the clerics turn undead ability when i searched in D&D Beyond. Then I didn't realize the "Destroy Undead" was a separate ability. Just saw the chart when I scrolled down. Daryl will change his action to casting bless. He has pretty much used everything he can do from a distance, so will concentrate on keeping the others up. Plus don't want to get in the way of any AoE spells cast by the others.
Daryl, with Bless remember you get to pick 3 lucky PCs to get the d4 to attacks and saves. Fin is just a smidge out of range but any other 3 PCs works.
Tarn, quite right, wasn't sure what other tricks you had up your sleeve.
The goblin's mundane projectile, an instant death for most inhabitants of the world, instead affected little change in the walking worm's physiology...it was certainly of a place wholly removed from the typical evolution of archery technology.
*crrrrk* Meanwhile at the far end of the chamber, the ring of chanters continued their drone...their throaty calls resounding like a crisp avalanche. Something reverberates within the Dark Obelisk, and more of the confining chrysalis disintegrates and falls leaving only one final thin layer between you and the imprisoned aspect of Kyuss...
On init count 1 the confinement crystal further degrades, looking almost completely gone now...
Round 3
Suddenly the walking worms turned to the heavens and a flock of eagles appeared!
No...that would have been a nice change but sure enough it was worms again. Worms worms worms.
Rising from the sea of corpses like saturated soil after a rainfall, the swarms coalesce into great masses. You've seen it again and again but it never fails to revolt...these disgusting things that dance and thrive on the end of humanity.
There is something more spiritual to it even, almost like one of the fire elementals Finlogan has become...that perfect expression of a planar concept of fire. A living mote of flame...but here we see a quite different metaphysical manifestation. A transcendent anima of decay given form.
Six new worm spawns generate as the round's lair action on init count 20.
Walkers:
Yellow 88/166 (regen)
Purple 78/166 (regen halted, On Fire)
Black full (regen, bead confined)
White full (regen, bead confined)
Green 47/166 (regen)
Red 31/166 (regen)
Right-
Top 72/166 (regen)
Mid 72/166 (regen)
Bottom 72/166 (regen)
Most of the walking spawns of Kyuss endure despite obvious damage, that same strange unholy endurance glossing over some of their minor structural fractures. Their slog across the impossible terrain continues at a snails pace...mistepping in an empty corpse stomach here, slipping on a rotten liver there.
The exception is Purple however, who continues to be engulfed by Firefin...
Meh, not really sure if it takes two separate d10s from Fire Form and the successful Touch you made, but we'll say yeah.
Start of turn in square dmg:2d10 ⇒ (2, 4) = 6Resistance for 3
...it fights the druid mindlessly as its companion reaches his flank.
...being an enormous towering inferno, as it turns out, makes one difficult to slice.
2 hits, meaning also 2 concentration checks, one at DC 14 and the other at DC 18. edit: Just kidding, you have resistance on slashing from being a fire elemental...so er...DC 10 and DC 14! 21+29=50 total dmg
"Focus on the casters in the back. I will hit the right ones!" Szasa shouts as she does just that, unleashing an explosion of Psychic energy on the 3 casters on the right-hand side of the crystal.
Casting Synaptic Static as a bonus action with metamagic, which specifically targets creatures in the area and deals psychic damage. It also gives them the effect on a failed save that causes them to subtract 1d6 from attack rolls and ability checks and con saves to maintain concentration for a minute. They get an int save at the end of each round to remove the effects. Saving is half damage.
Synaptic Static: DC 20 Int Save:8d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 5, 4) = 29
Szasa then quickly gestures towards Purple and Purple and a ball of acid envelops both of them.
"Got it!" says Falko and he flies to hover right behind Finn's right, and just below the dark clouds above.
Once there, he takes another bead and throws it at the nearest two chanters.
Bead of force between the two Blues on the right and nearest Falko: 10 ft rad, DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 5d4 ⇒ (1, 1, 4, 4, 2) = 12. If they save, they are pushed away from the enclosure.
Shatter on blue not hit by others, DC15 con for half thunder damage:3d8 ⇒ (8, 3, 7) = 18
On his carpet of leaves Lindaer took to the air, and let loose enough ear shattering boom centered on the figures that were trying to bring forth the elder evil.
Tarn closes his eyes and calms his mind. This would never do, he couldn't hide behind Daryl forever at not do anything to stop the emerging god of worms. A god who might not take a liking to the fact that Tarn spent a lot of time fishing and using worms for bait. Lots of worms in fact, because he really wasn't that great of a fishergoblin, and the blasted fish kept stealing the worms off his hook. So he needed to do something to keep this god from emerging. He concentrates. Focuses his will to push the fear aside and lock it away in a part of his mind where it could be dealt with later.
With a growing calm, he grabs his carpet and flips it out. With rapier in hand, the goblin then follows Finlogan into the fray. Pushing the carpet as fast as he can, the goblin skims over the slurry on the floor directly for the creature trying to flank the fire druid. With a swift flurry and flourish he lashes out with his magical blade trying to disrupt whatever foul source holds the worms together into a single entity. Feeling the blade do something nasty, the goblin then slides his carpet around and past the rushing wormanoid and heads toward those summoning the god in the rear.
Move 60' on carpet. Attack Yellow. Bonus Dash to loop past front line and avoid any AOO from swarms. Should end up two squares north and seven west of the first blue enemy on the left. Fancy Footwork negates any AOO from yellow.
