Out of the Abyss

Game Master Angie H

Ziyad, thank you but I do have an inspiration point. I declined to use it because failure seemed interesting at this juncture.

No worries, sounds good thanks for clarity.

By the way, friends, can we somehow raise the pace of our game?
It feels like it was much more active in April-June.

UPD I must say, however, that I was overwhelmed with work all September and I was not the most active player myself, so the question is for me too.) But I'm back! ))

Have to admit I've also lamented the pace of this one. It feels more like a weekly rate than daily rate...and that really takes me out of the character/game personally. Great stuff when its going strong though.

Okay, let's step it up! I will commit to 4-5 posts this week, instead of waiting for everybody else to post.

Awesome!

I am in a bit of a weird spot in that I dont want to steal "spotlight" from other people, I do have 100% homeoffice though, so its simply much more easy for me to post then for most people.

On a sidenote, I should really get down to fully statting my GM NPC in another game before pestering differnt GMs though :).

Okie dokie, will try to do better! Often I check in and don't really see much that I could do, and then come back the next day, but I'll try to be more proactive about doing anything in those cases.

^---Same happens to me a lot. If I don't feel like writing and there's no clear prompt its hard to just come up with some random RP. But I will try harder.

So cool! I'm very glad .)

In case of Kalanzar's tragic death, I will request Buppido as a new character in advance .) However, I will try to avoid this ))

I am hoping the combination of pew pew pew and fear spells will make it bugger of!

We dont really have anyone at the bottom part who can tank it, we did 15 damage so far, which aint bad, but its basically just 1 very squishy caster, one ranged DPR and Topsy and Turvy.

How far away from us is it btw?

I am plotting how to not die, and may actually have an idea:
--Shove action is a contested strength check, if it is shoved off the cliff, it falls (hopefully).
--I can hex it via my hex spells, and inflict it with disadvantadge on STR checks, as a bonus action.
--Alas I have disadvantadge myself because of the shakes condition
--I am pretty sure that a Large Giant Scorpion thingy has more STR then Alex (8), but if T&T team up against it (I think they have 12ish?) Them having advantadge from teaming up vs the Scorpion have disadvantadge from warlock hex spell should actually be pretty good odds.

--Alternatively, someone tell me what a Scorpions natural enemy is, I can try to make a silent image illusion of one.

Both good ideas imo. It will eventually make its save against my spell and come at us.

Don't you hate it when you leave your combat notes at work?

Grrr....

Have to take some notes on what happened, but I'll get a post up soon.

Ksenia and Kalanzar - what are you going to do?

I think - to break away from the spiders and try to connect with the rest of the squad (where the scorpion is). Of course, this is provided that Buppido and Maddy can move in the same direction.

If I understand that their escape routes are cut off, then we will fight.

By the way, can Ksenia attack spiders sitting on my back when they approach? Technically, she can even make a sneak attack - we both threaten these creatures at the moment of 'contact'.

I will be glad if you clarify these points a little - 3d fight is really difficult (always...) .))

I am amused an bemused that, so far, scorpion team is doing all rightish.

Of course, that things tail will one hit-kill anyone it hits I think.

Maddy is being dragged by Sir TR and is heading towards team Scorp whether she wants to or not. Buppido is free to move around now, but I'm not telling what he's going to do with his freedom.

As for team K&K ... sure, she can attack while "riding". It's a new "skill", so she should make an acrobatics check, DC10, to attack and stay seated. In fact, she's not even using her movement, so could technically hop down and still do a full movement after.

Yes, that Fear spells is kicking this encounter in the butt. :(

Frightened is pretty underrated as a condition, great vs. melee...but just been lucky its not saved yet.

After the mess of rolls that led to this fiasco, Ksenia will NOT be making an acrobatics roll to attack, and is in favor of Kalanzar running the two of them far away from the monster.

Slide deck updated with a current battle map.

Thanks, perfect.

I am totally not doing some drugs and coming up with "Wrath of the righteous, according to Alex".

Quick count, who wants to hear wrath of the righteous, as told by ALex, who has heard the story from Yzalina, when both of them were high as kites?

It will not really be a spoiler for anything, as the relationship between it and what Alex will tell will be coincidental at best.

I have my darkvision back (probably), and will get de-shakened after the rest.
That and the spear of warning I have would mean I am a not terrible 2nd or 3rd watch person.

I do not seem to have any food or water on my character sheet.

Sorry, I'm in the middle of a move and it's kicking my ass. We should be all the way in this upcoming weekend, so hopefully my brain will have more time for games then.

No worries, thanks for update!

Hey! (you may have read this message in other shared games) I will be on a trip next week with three possible options: I will post as usual, 1 time a day; I will not be able to post until Thursday; I will not be able to post all week and will return to the gameplay in 7-8 days. In any case, feel completely free to bot me if needed. Cheers!

Buppido will tell more details, and if you want to make an insight roll, let me know. I will roll in secret, so you don't know the results.

> And everybody knows how much svirfneblin hate halflings.

Whoa! I didn't know that as a player.

> if you want to make an insight roll, let me know.

Absolutely I want. Thanks!

I'm really sorry for the slowdown - the whole family has been sick, and computer/inernet problems, and visiting relatives. Hoping to get on track tomorrow.

Thank you for keeping us informed .) Health to all your loved ones!

> And everybody knows how much svirfneblin hate halflings.

Whoa! I didn't know that as a player.

It's almost as if I made that up on the spot....

Maddy and Alex think Buppido is lying. Kalanzar is certain of it. He may be speaking some truth, but he is definitely twisting it to suit his story.

I've put a new slide up with the current map - not entirely to scale. The curvy line is the deep part. The purple background is to remind you that the entire place is covered with faerzress (that purple glowey stuff) and is therefore dimly lit.

@Ziyad - can you put your fog cloud on the map? Not sure if you wanted the bulk between you and the bad guys, or on the other side of the deep part.

There's not a ton of cover here, but we'll assume there are a few rocks and stalagmites to hide behind.

Kalanzar knowledge drow: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
He figures the rest of the group could be anywhere from half a minute to 5 minutes behind the scouts.

Should be all set. Its diameter is 40 ft, so roughly 1/3 the distance between us.

@Angie: Now that we have fewer NPCs, are you writing their actions or are we supposed to write for the one we originally chose? Just wondering if I need to post for Jimjar or if that's something you'll be doing.

!!!
I'm probably confused. Did we finish a long rest during the Buppido incident?
This greatly affects my resources for this fight.

The Buppido incidient happened after a long rest.
You are probably down one guiding bolt.

Thanks!

The Buppido incidient happened after a long rest.

You are probably down one guiding bolt.

Correct! It was the end of the last watch, so close enough to 8 hours that you're all rested.

@Angie: Now that we have fewer NPCs, are you writing their actions or are we supposed to write for the one we originally chose? Just wondering if I need to post for Jimjar or if that's something you'll be doing.

I'll take care of JimJar, as he's currently the only NPC who will really do anything.

We're in trouble.

For the second time here I feel a pleasant excitement and the release of adrenaline from the PbP game. Thank you.)

Just so we're all on the same page -

* you're pulling off backpacks, taking weapons, but not stripping armour. * then plopping the bodies in the deep part
* then running in the direction you'd been heading before (straight ahead through this giant cavern, as led by Shuushar)

Anything else before I get this chase scene started?

Remember this entire cavern is suffused with faerzress, so it is all dimly lit. The water is still ankle-to-shin deep, and you can't see into the water because of the faerzress. Running through it will have risks.

That's my understanding as well.

Ksenia would definitely be running - tripping would be bad, but imminent overwhelming drow attack would outweigh the risk in her head.

If I see that it is more convenient to crawl on the walls than on the ground, then I will turn into a lizard again. Is that true?

Okay, going to give this chase a try. I don't want to drag it on too long, and I'm not sure how it will play doing it pbp vs irl.

During a chase, you have a move and an action, no reaction or bonus action. There are no opportunity attacks.

You can dash for 3 turns plus your con bonus. After that, its a CON save DC 10 each round or gain a level of exhaustion.

After each turn, you roll a d20 to see if there's a complication. Normally that complication is for the next person running, but that will be too cumbersome for pbp. So you'll be rolling for your own complications.

The complication table is unique for this situation, and therefore different from the one in the dmg. It's in the slide deck.

If none of the pursuers are in sight, you can attempt to hide by stopping and rolling stealth. The pursuers don't get to roll perception, but rely on passive perception to notice the quarry, unless they stop running to look for you.

Right now, you're in an enormous, vaulted cavern, nowhere near the walls. The area is mostly dimly lit with faerzress, with water on the ground. There are some rocks and stalagmites around.

The water is frigid. I forgot about that when Ksenia spent a round underwater - I should have made her roll exhaustion. Next time somebody goes under, I won't forget. Probably.

There's a new slide in the deck with some of your stats for my viewing pleasure. Can you check your stats and make sure I didn't mess it up?

We'll start by Dex, then roll for init for order after that. So Ksenia in the lead for now, and then...

Alex init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Jimjar init: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
Kalanzar init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
Maddy init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Shuushar init: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Ziyad init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Movement order is:
Ksenia
Maddy
Alex
Shuushar
Jimjar
Ziyad (assuming with Stool still perched on top)
Kalanzar

The pursuers will have their actions after, as they're all behind you.

Any questions?? I'll start things off in Gameplay, then you can all give me your actions and complications rolls.

I hope we can have fun with this, and enjoy describing our complications. Don't worry, the drow pursuers will be rolling those as well.

I'm hoping we can post daily during the chase, but let me know if it's getting to be too much. I'll bot folks as necessary.

EDIT: At the end of you post, please tell me how much ground you covered.

Tentacle talk:
--Going for a tentacle because:
----It is not associated with Alexandra, I did consider using Yzalina in a swimsuit, waving a shield labeled "Succubus Spring this way" but I dont think they would buy that bluff
----Having tentacles at their edge of vision could perhaps limit their enthusiasm, I hope to keep them far enough off that they dont actually interface with them, which would reveal them as illusion
----I try to make it so that some of them see them sometimes, if the tentacle is in full view of all, one can probably just use an action to investigate it.
----The drow most likely to investigate it is probably Ilvara, who is likely in the back of the formation, or at its center, trying to keep the tentacles away from her.
----I am fully aware that maintaining this is probably costly and demanding, I dont really know what the appropriate roll for screwing this up or not is. I would state that, as eclectic as Alexandras background is, I dont think she has particular expert knowledge in pretending to be a tentacular monstrosity while running away from drow in the underdark.
----She would definitly try though, why not use the option as long as she has it?

Edit: Ups, Default Alias struck.

"You can use your action to cause the image to move to any spot within range."

So you can either move your illusion, OR dash. Let me know which one you choose.

Remember that Alexandra doesn't know how far away the drow are, or if they can see the tentacles.

In that case Alexandra lets the illusion move beneath the waves, (abandoning it essentially, but without neccessarily showing it was an illusion all along if hats possible?) and just runs.