"Funny though." I mutter, pulling oil out of my pack.
Rend packed notoriously light for this excursion and has no such equipment. He removes his studded armor and makes a practice attempt on one of the walls away from the brown stuff.
If the practice attempt is successful, he'll confidently attempt the same in order to get past the goop. He'll trust Harlon to watch over his armor in the meantime.
You step up to the wall to give it a try and, despite its smooth surface, you find finger and toe holds, and start making your way into the next room, getting about five feet up the wall, and moving another five feet along the wall. Confident in your ability to spider your way into the next room, you move another five feet toward the entrance, entering a patch of bitterly cold air, emanating from the brown, moldy substance. That's when the finger and toe holds you're using crumble to powder on you, dropping you to the floor right at the edge of the mold carpet. The icy shock of air that you fall into takes your breath away.
Harlon cringes within the shadows of his hood as Hector heckles Rend's clumsy attempts to scale the wall. "Hector, shhh," whispers the halfling, "it isn't nice to make fun of kind Rend."
Then, speaking louder so as to be heard clearly by all: "Burning oil it is, I guess? Or can we just scrape it away?" He gingerly pokes the tip of his spear at the fungus, pulling it back quickly lest some secretion from the vegetation should damage his weapon.
You step close to the substance to try and scrape it away with your spear, but as you approach within five feet, you can feel the air turn positively icy in front of you. As you consider the wisdom of pushing on, and gather the grit to do so, that's when you notice that Rend is within that band of supercold air, and that he is shivering violently and covered in frost.
Karid, for his part, seems to be wracking his brain, trying to see if he remembers anything on the subject of molds. So far, he hasn't done anything other than mutter to himself and stare past the ceiling.
Karid:
I look up from my preparations when Rend crashes to the floor. Seeing him covered in frost I sigh and shake my head. I loosen the stopper of my flasks of oil and say "You might be wanting to move." to Rend, preparing to toss the flasks into the mold.
Where did Rend land? If he's right smack in the middle of the mold, he'll try to jump his way past it into the unexplored room. If he's just on the front edge of the carpet, he'll jump back.
Karid is unfamiliar with the brown fungus. He watches his comrades actions with interest and a growing sense of dread.
Harlon watches in horror as Rend falls, covered in frost. "Rend! Are you alright?" he calls out in a high pitched voice. Turning towards Karid, Shamus and Dalzig, he adds: "I don't think I want to follow Rend that way, unless we can burn a path through this patch of mold..."
Where did Rend land? If he's right smack in the middle of the mold, he'll try to jump his way past it into the unexplored room. If he's just on the front edge of the carpet, he'll jump back.
You were approaching the doorway when you fell. You fell onto the near edge of the carpet of mold. The 9 is enough for you to safely jump back to your friends.
Rend shrinks back into a car of the room, as far back from the mold as possible. He shivers silently for several moments and struggles to understand what just happened to him. How did it get so cold, so fast?
He takes a backseat to planning for the moment, content to let the others take their turn with the freezing carpet. If asked, though, he digs through his pack and retrieves Harlon's lantern oil.
How many bottles of lamp oil can the group muster?
"Rend, say something... are you alright?" asks Harlon as he approaches the half-orc to check for potential wounds, but recoils at the last moment as he senses the intense cold radiating from the half-orc.
Karid walks over to where Harlon is examining Rend. “How is he Master Happytoes?” he asks warmly. Watching Rend shiver in frost covered misery Karid says to him, “You are the bravest man I have ever seen.” Raising his voice so that all can hear him, Karid speaks, “ My friends, we have had a busy, eventful and rewarding day. Perhaps we should camp for a while. Or at least build a fire to warm Rend."
"And what would we build this fire of your with?" I ask, only mildly sarcastic and unwilling to slow our exploration "The sooner we're done here the better."
"And what would we build this fire of your with?" I ask, only mildly sarcastic and unwilling to slow our exploration "The sooner we're done here the better."
"I'd rather not spend the night in this tomb, either," murmurs Harlon, who shivers at the thought. "As for Rend, he's strong... I think he'll be alright... right, Rend?"
At first, Rend doesn't seem to hear Harlon and Karid as they try to make sure he's alright. He finally emerges from his cold-induced stupor and, though he still appears slightly confused, he nods to his companions. He slowly removes his backpack and digs for the two flasks of oil, handing them to the halfling. It looks as if he's about to speak, but he doesn't seem to have enough energy to actually voice the words. Shivering, he stands quietly in the corner watching intently as the group prepare to ignite the oil...
A single flask of lamp oil is enough to cover a 5 foot by 5 foot area (one square). The brown mold covers about 8 squares or so.
Karid looks hesitantly at his companions and says, “Don’t do any thing yet. I want to check out something.” Karid will approach the growth trying to note how cold it gets when he is 15’ away, 10’ away, and 5’ away. If the cold gets bad enough to “frost” him at any point he will stop his progress at that point and return to where his comrades are waiting.
"I'd rather not spend the night in this tomb, either," murmurs Harlon, who shivers at the thought."And what would we build this fire of your with?" I ask, only mildly sarcastic and unwilling to slow our exploration "The sooner we're done here the better."
"Right, me neither. I like places with warm beds, food, and drink. Places where you don't have to worry about killed in your sleep by some hideous monstrosity."
Karid looks hesitantly at his companions and says, “Don’t do any thing yet. I want to check out something.” Karid will approach the growth trying to note how cold it gets when he is 15’ away, 10’ away, and 5’ away. If the cold gets bad enough to “frost” him at any point he will stop his progress at that point and return to where his comrades are waiting.
The cold is sharp but tolerable, right up to about 5' from the edge of the carpet. When you try to approach closer than that, you frost up.
Nonlethal cold damage: (3d6=13)
Take half (6 points) for a tentative entry into the freezing zone. Make a DC 11 Reflex save to take only 3
At least two, you figure, to cut a simple path through the mold. Four minimum to burn it far enough away from the door to not get frostbite.
Karid leaps back as the biting cold grips him. He moves quite nimbly for a dwarf. : )
"Oh yes, it does get cold quickly. We need to stay at least five feet away from the growth,” says Karid as he blows on his hands in an attempt to warm them.
"Do we have enough oil to do the job? If yes, let's do it... unless someone has other suggestions? And if we don't have enough oil, I guess I won't be able to carry on," says Harlon with a shrug.
Karid leaps back as the biting cold grips him. He moves quite nimbly for a dwarf. : )
"Oh yes, it does get cold quickly. We need to stay at least five feet away from the growth,” says Karid as he blows on his hands in an attempt to warm them.
"Wonderful." I mutter, eyeing the irking patch of mold "I think we'll need about four pints but I don't really know how well this stuff burns."
"Wonderful." I mutter, eyeing the irking patch of mold "I think we'll need about four pints but I don't really know how well this stuff burns."
Seemingly returned to normal, Rend dons his armor and approaches the tentative group. "Only one way to find out," he claims, grabbing a flask of oil from Shamus.
"Well, Karid, how close can I stand without freezing?"
Assuming that Karid shows him where to stand, and that there are no forceful objections from Shamus or the others, Rend takes careful aim and lobs the flask of oil at the mold at the center of the doorway.
Ranged attack (oil): 1d20+2 = 19 excluding range modifiers, if any
The 19 is more than enough to put the oil right in the center of the doorway (primarily on square R12).
Lamp oil doesn't ignite on contact, though.
I will tell you that as the lamp oil spreads out over the mold and slowly begins to evaporate, the mold covered by the oil seems to desiccate and shrink.
Also, long day today. May not be able to post much.
Lamp oil doesn't ignite on contact, though.
I will tell you that as the lamp oil spreads out over the mold and slowly begins to evaporate, the mold covered by the oil seems to desiccate and shrink.
"Quick, someone light it!"
Karid pulls his flint and steel from his backpack. Drawing a torch from his pack he quickly ignites it. He stands holding the burning torch tentatively out in front of himself. He looks around and says, “Would someone else like to throw this?” If no one speaks up Karid shrugs and walks to within 10’ of the mold and throws the torch at the oil.
Karid, before you complete your throw, please make a KN: architecture and engineering roll.
If you beat a DC 15:
"I'll throw it." I say, taking the torch from Kharid and lobbing it into the oil soaked patch of mold.
Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering): (1d20 7=11)
For those who want a little foreshadowing of things to come:
Sorry. Fell asleep last night.
I will need positions from everybody before I can fully adjudicate what happens next.
Check the map here, and tell me which squares you're all standing in. Whoever hasn't checked in by later today, I'll pick a square and play this out.
And yeah, you guys just can't catch a break. I tried to give you as many chances to catch one as I could.
Sorry. Fell asleep last night.
I will need positions from everybody before I can fully adjudicate what happens next.
Check the map here, and tell me which squares you're all standing in. Whoever hasn't checked in by later today, I'll pick a square and play this out.
And yeah, you guys just can't catch a break. I tried to give you as many chances to catch one as I could.
I will check it out and give you Karids location shortly.
You caught it in time for me to still be able to edit. I fixed my link, too.
Karid would be in square O10, O11, or O12; DM’s choice.
EDIT: Now, anyone who reads this thread later will think I'm crazy; until they read your next post. :)
Guys, after our whole discussion about things to do to pick up the pace, I am SO SORRY, but work has just eaten me. Working the show load-in that Just Will Not End. I will finally end the horrible suspense and adjudicate the unfortunate contact of fire with brown mold tonight when I get home. PINKY SWEAR! Also, it's pretty clear we've lost Dalzig. I'll take him over and run him until we can find a replacement (player or character).
Watching the mold slowly ignite, Harlon decides to hold his breath, anticipating some vile stink or toxic fumes.
As Shamus throws the torch Karid whispers aloud, “Fortune favors the bold…”
Rend takes cover behind Harlon in the face of impending doom...
Rend takes cover behind Harlon in the face of impending doom...
The hooded halfling turns and raises an eyebrow as he sees his towering protector crouching behind him for cover. Harlon turns his back to the burning carpet of mold, relying on Hector's sight to see observe what is going on... and run, if need be! Still holding his breath, he starts to wonder to himself... Everyone seems to think that something bad is going to happen... I wonder if I shouldn't go back down the passage to wait and see... and attempts to make a last second, quick dash for the corner.
I look at Rend as he tries to hide behind the halfling and shake my head, muttering something indistinct under my breath. I watch the mold burn with a hand held over my mouth and nose to ward of the impending stench.
Rend stands up straight and laughs as his antics spook the halfling. "What are you so worried about? If anything, the fire should warm up the place!"
Rend throws the lamp oil and lands it right at the mouth of the doorway, spreading a slick sheen over a five foot area. As the oil begins to evaporate, and thus cool, the moss underneath it starts to shrink and desiccate.
Karid lights a torch and winds up to throw it when Shamus snatches the torch out of his hand, saying, "That's not going to work, Karid. If you throw it like that, you'll just plunk it at your own feet. Here, like this..." and steps forward to throw.
The torch sails in a perfect arc and lands on the pool of oil, setting it ablaze. To everyone's surprise, instead of being consumed by the fire, the moss seems to feed off of it. The fire quickly shrinks from a blaze to a gutter and just as quickly the moss grows to fill a wider area than before, crawling down the hallway toward you.
Shamus takes 9 points of non-lethal cold damage: (3d6=9)
The room cools further, but the advance of the moss seems to stop at the new edge of Q11 & 12.
I'm pretty sure Shamus falls over now, covered in frost and rime.
Harlon's eyes widen in fear and disbelief as he witnesses the spread of the mold through Hector's eyes, and Shamus succumbing to the frost. "Let's get out of here! Come on Rend!" shrieks the halfling as he completes his dash to the corner of the passage while the raven takes wing. Yet instead of racing on, he hesitates a moment and peers back at his companions, his hooded features inscrutable... After a moment, Harlon utters a few more words in a shaky whisper, as Hector squawks and returns to his shoulder. "Is Shamus going to make it? You guys don't really want to go on, do you? There's no way around this mold, and if we try, it will freeze us all to death... It's not worth it... is it???"