DM Dirk Gently's page

OK then. Just don't anybody forget the decipher script check above

Travelling further into the ziggurat leads you down a dank passagerway. Moldy torches sit in their holders lightless, and mildew stains the walls. The passage opens into a chamber, slightly smaller and wetter than the one you were in before. A single brazier sits in the center, illuminating the writing covering the walls, cieling, and floor. A sense of foreboding fills you to glance at the murals accompanying the runes, they depict a bloody battle between horrific monsters that resemble twisted mockeries of humaniod life and comely but cold beings of almost terrifying beauty. And all around them the curved runes scrawl what must be a description or story to accompany the pictures.

This game's never going to get back on it's feet without players. Davos, you have a scroll. What do you do?

Arik, you find nothing but bones.

Davos, you locate the scroll (spoiler above). The parchment is covered in a curving script that none in the room can read at first glance. DC 25 Decipher Script if you know elven...

No one made the spot check? One sec and I'll find a die so I can roll for Arik or Wulf...

Lucien, your detect evil reveals that there is some evil, possably necromantic force, waning from the gems and the bones. In a few minutes they will be normal.

It takes some effort to get a few gemstones out, and your blade is scratched by the stone, but you have your shiny rocks! Would you like to appraise them now or later?

OK. The undead are scattered about the floor of the tomb in heaps. Finally As you take inventory of yourselves and your surroundings, you notice the gemstones that Dantis had seen earlier encrusting each of the sarcophagi. Any one with a 15+ spot check also notices:

Three's enough to continue. Visiting relatives out of town tommorrow, so that will give me enough time to figure out what new direction to take this. Maybe I'll figure it out by morning... I'll try to post tommorrow morning.

OK. Sorry. I've been hugely busy, and when I haven't I've been kind of intimidated about trying to get this going again. But I'm making an effort now. That is, if you guys still want to play. I think that it will have to be a lot less combat and more RP. Sometimes no combat when I get very busy. Just keep that in mind. I do know that I officially declare the above combat over, dammit. So, just post back.

You hit, dislodge the hunk. Wulf?

Sorry, Lucien you're next, then Wulf. Should have been in my previous post.

Dantis, you succeed in tumbling into the way of the skeletons fighting the mages. Both slash at you, one missing by inches and the other by a mile.

Wulf, the two turned skeletons reach the back of the chamber, and the two that were advancing reach you. The one you were fighting attacks, cutting into you for only three damage.

Arik moves forward slightly to attack one of the skeletons with his rapier and hits, but seems to do little.

OK, Dantis?

I don't know what happened. I'm still in, by the way.

Read.

Davos? Hello?

If he doens't post by the next time I do I shall NPC him.

Hello?

Okay, Wulf, you fall and will need to take a round to get up (succeeding in a Ref check). Davos?

I am sorry, you do not get AoO on the prone skeletons, you get AoO on the skeletons fleeing because of Davos' turn check. If you want to attack the prone ones, you need a Ref check. You still hit a fleeing skeleton, if that is what you wish.

Wulf, the grease is between you and the mages, but does not hinder you attacking nearby skeletons. I will give you the two fleeing skeletons as attacks of opportunity. This one hits.

NPCing Arik

Arik casts [i]grease[i] on the advancing undead.

Both advancing skeletons slip on the slick floor and fall to the ground. Anyone attepmting to attack the now very prone skeletons must make a DC 14 ref check or end up next to them on the ground.

Lucien, you miss.

Ok, Seeing as how I lost my notes, these creatures may or may not be as strong as the ones you started with. I've also taken some random hit points off some because I don't remember who hit which.

Here we go:

An aura of divine power eminates from Davos, and the two skeletons attacking the mages start to flee. The two that were advancing from the other end of the room give Wulf new tagets (they are in range).

Davos acrobatically dives between the ones fighting him and into the area where the mages stand.

The skeletons that Dantis evaded now approach the group of mages. One advances quickly enough to attack, missing Dantis by a hair. The one that was fighting Wulf hits for a meager 3 damage.

Arik and Lucien, then Wulf.

OK, I have to relocate my notes. Game restarts tomorrow.

Hello, I am back from my sucky and unnoficial "vacacion", and the game is started up again, but very slowly. For now I'll be lucky to post on weekdays, so this will be a mostly weekend game.

Arik readys his crossbow at one of the approching skeletons. to hit- 13+5=18, damage 6

Ooh, just miss. Your bolt clatters off the skeleton's rusty armor.

AWED, I say you on the boards. Post your turn por favor.

Wulf, you have destroyed the skeleton you just hit. It crumbles into dust as the magic holding the ancient bones together fades. You are now only fighting one, though the two on the other end of the room are approaching.

I'll factor in your turn when we get there.

Arik, Wulf, go.

Lucien steps forward and flames pour from his fingertips, striking the skeletons in front of the mages and also the ones near Dantis and one near Wulf.

Thank you, internet, for eating my first (two) post(s). I hope it (they) was (were) tasty.

All eight of the skeletons stagger out of their sarcophagi and move toward the nearest one of you. The room is largish, so some must cross the whole room to reach you, but others are close enough to attack now.

Wulf, the one you just hit and another right behind you both attack. You manage to dodge the blow from the one you can see, but you feel a sharp pain in you back as the other slices into you with its rusty blade. 7damage

Dantis, unfortunately bakcing away was not enough to keep two skeletons from reaching you. The one you attacked in its coffin only just reaches you, but another rears up from a nearby sarcophagi and attacks, easily hitting you. 5 damage

Two more impinge upon the grouping of mages, Lucien and Davos being closest to them on the ends, and Arik in the middle, though not necessarily safe from the advancing undead. One hits Davos 6 damage, but the other myraculously misses Lucien and hits its weapon off one of its own protruding bones. natural 1

Wulf your blade, like Dantis', does not seem to have as much effect on the aged bones as it would on a flesh creature, but the electrical damage chars them effectively and you do a goodly amount of damage.

Surprise round over. Round one.

Davos utters another incantation, this time in a divine language, adding the blessings of the gods to Arik's song. +1 to attack and saves v. fear for the next 2 minutes (20 rounds). You do not seem to have many offensive spells prepared.

Dantis, your blades both sink into the skeletal form. However, there really isn't anything there to hit, and you manage only to nick a few bones slightly.

Hmmm... Mr. Shiny forgot to prep spells. Tsk, tsk. He'll have to do that later and subtract out the ones I use for him.

Lucien thrusts his hand out toward a nearby undead and waves of blistering light strike the creature. Disrupt Undead

Let's wait here for Wulf.

Edit: I found your prepared spells. On page 2. Try to give me a list each time you prepare, as they will all be several pages apart. So far you have prepared spells only twice, once to tell me that they had not changed. So the rule/instructions above still apply.

Arik pulls out his horn, blowing into it. inspire courage, this affects all allies and myself,. the effect lasts as long as the allies can hear Arik for 5 rounds. Affected everyone gets +1 morale on saving throws againist charm and fear and +1 attack adn weapon damage bonus.

Arik, that's for five rounds after you stop. How long do you play? Or just this round?.

And remember, this is the surprise round. Your enemies will not be able to attack as they are spending their actions getting out of their tombs. So Arik, Dantis posts, it is your turn after that, you do not need to wait.

Davos begins his portion of the fight by casting Mage Armor upon himself, seeing the wicked blades of the undead. You all see him shimmer slightly while a breastplate of force congeals around him.

The contents of the sarcophagi appear to be the skeletal remails of once great warriors. The bones still wear rusty chainmail and carry jewel encrusted greatswords. As you look about, you see that only eight of the thirteen dead are awakening.

Initiative:
Davos
Dantis
Our friends here
Arik and Lucien (I rolled for Lucien)
Wulf, still need your roll, but until then you will be after Arik and Lucien.

I will be NPCing Davos and Lucien until Saturday, when both will be able to post.

Can I look into the coffins that have moving lids and see whats causing them to move? Spot 18 (13+5)

Yes. They do appear to be corpses. Further description and initiative order in one moment.

No traps, but read my post... >:>

Just a note that the same thing would have happened had the sarcophagi been touched. I just like having a reason for my important encounters, things in coffins do not just attack when you enter the room.

Ah, OK. The rubies appear innocuous (sp?).

All of the talking echoes oddly around the room. When the last of the reverberations fade, you hear a new, slightly softer noise. Rustling. And grinding. As if something very nearby was waking and trying to move something heavy. The lids of the sarcophagi begin to move...

Davos and Dantis, you may keep your initiative rolls. Eveyone else, roll it. You will all be able to attack during the surprise round.

Dantis, please post your roll, although the result will have to wait, as I am leaving again tomorrow. Then we can pick this up a bit.

Init Roll (1d20=18)

Chances are you stopped him, but lets wait and see...

"Well we might as well check it out," Arik looks at the halfling pointing at him, "You should be in front, a place like this must have alot of traps i guess." Arik pauses think

This is the only room.

Dantis and Davos, both of you roll initiative to see whether Dantis touched a ruby before Davos' warning.

Davos:

So, Dantis, what are you doing with the rubies?

Know(religion) Check (1d20+9=19)

Davos, you recognize these symbols, though you cannot read them, vaguely. They are always associated with the Fiend Lord Tenma, and if you make a DC 15 Know (arcana) check as well:

I cautiously look around the room for threats and then scurry forward to the neares sarcophogous. I begin to carefully examine it, looking for traps and anything of value.

Spot 15 (10+5) Search 23 (17+6, 24 for traps)

You sense no traps, but a rather interesting design on the side is inset with a ruby on each of the sarcophogi.

Lucien, make a memory (Int) check. All with requisite skill make Knowledge (religion) check.

Edit: Sorry, I forgot Lucien is going to be out except on Saturdays. Everyone else, make your checks.

Now having light, I take it you investigate the interior of the building. Order? I know Dantis is in the back.

The colors of the murals and pictograms on the walls inside seem eirie in your torchlight (the ones in the light of the spell are equally creepy). They depict grusome scenes of battle and slaughter.

As you advance along the passageway, you finally come to a chamber. Torches line the walls here, and they light themselves as you walk in. Around you are thirteen sarcophagi, adorned with horns and horrific symbology. There are no door other than the one you came through.

DM Dirk Gently wrote:

The pungent stench of mildew eminates from the wet dungeon walls.

Heh, I realized how much my post sounded like that while writing it.

WHERE'RE THE CHEETOS?

WHERE'S THE MOUNTAIN DEW?

It's in the frige, just go get it!

The pungent stench of mildew eminates from the wet dungeon walls.

Heh, I realized how much my post sounded like that while writing it.

The door slowly opens with a grinding noise as you push it aside. The stale smell of old air eminates from inside the ziggarat. It is very dark inside, but nothing advances from within. (Anyone have a torch?)

DM Dirk Gently wrote:

Lucien, please roll your assist.

Will I be able to take a 20 as well, or do I have to roll normally?

Take a 20 if you so desire.

Dantis, you are able to climb on top of the archway (it protrudes a bit from the rest of the structure).

"Very well, let us see what we can make of this!" Wulf replies, squaring his shoulders for the task at hand. He seizes the door and does his best to pull it open.

What death-trap are these fools leading me into now?! he thinks to himself, but says nothing aloud.

Seeing as we are at the moment relatively danger free, I'm gonna take 20 on my strength check, which'll put me at a total of 24.

Lucien, please roll your assist.