Drapery Cavern... (DM Wayne) Tuesday June 4th, 2024 10:49:50 PM
Bartomus answered Dolgrin in the affirmative and wildshapes into a whirling tornado! He goes slow at first, testing his movement limits in this form, and trying not to accidentally shift into Whirlwind form (akin to Whirlpool for a water elemental) (Air Elemental art on Bestiary 1 p.121. Bartomus, if you picked a different form you need to name it – in all prior versions of D&D, and here in PF1, an air elemental is always a living tornado, of one appearance or another – no wings, sorry, but the moon-light eyes have appeared on air elementals in some past D&D editions so I’m fine with those.)
Stohp plays “back row scout,” moving slowly and keeping her ears open, presently unable to see in the dark.
Zanderallen does likewise.
Hawky makes his own ‘roost’ in Zanderallen’s backpack flap.
Delia stifles a chuckle at Hawky as she returns to the shadows.
Armalad is the first to use Light, audibly spellcasting. The rest of the group shrinks back, not wanting to be in Fireball zone with Armalad, if there is one! There’s no click of an enemy’s crossbow, so apparently this was not a dark chamber with two groups of combatants, each with a Light spell and a loaded crossbow at the ready!
A couple of minutes later, everyone regroups – the Cavern is indeed large, but not as large as it appeared Dolgrin was fearing… width and length, at least. The ceiling is nowhere in sight – neither Darkvision from the cavern floor, nor Armalad’s Low-Light Vision combined with her Light spell, nor even Bartomus’s test flights alternating 60 feet to 100 feet above the cavern floor result in the ceiling being seen. Bartomus knows he can simply fly until he reaches the ceiling, alone, but returns to the cavern floor to confer on the wisdom of solo exploring to however high the ceiling is… or until he finds the Monarch’s Veil.
Delia, now with many weeks of distance estimating experience using Darkvision, reports the chamber appears to be 135 feet wide by 215 feet long.
Armalad’s Light is still on.
No one heard anything other than the footsteps of the members of the group – so far, so good(?).
No one found anything of interest to anyone but a rockhound… or dwarven scribe… though Delia has begun to gain appreciation of the artistic features of caverns in addition to her near-constant focus on their practical nature – how can they be used for battle… or hiding?
Once everyone is gathered, Dolgrin says, “Well, at least this cavern’s floor is free of stalagmites. Maybe it’ll take a thousand years for any stalactites to slowly grow until they connect to the floor?
Anyways… time for our climbing/flying scouting strategy – so, send Bartomus alone in his air elemental form, or try to send almost all of us in a mix of climbing and flying, or something else? You Shields are the combat experts so… what should we do?”
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Wednesday June 5th, 2024 7:00:49 AM
With no flight herself Stohp settles down to wait.
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 Wednesday June 5th, 2024 9:16:14 AM "I am game for going straight upwards and determining how high this might be," Bartomus replied. "That would give us some sense of the total area we are looking at here. Not sure how best to time the flight and all."
Delia (Hannah) HP: 124/124; AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 Wednesday June 5th, 2024 11:13:16 AM
Delia reclaims her bird from Zander's pack, and as he shuffles up her arm onto the pad on her shoulder specifically for him, he shoots Zander a look like "See? This is how it's done."
Delia absently strokes Hawky, "At this point, anything in here would have noticed us. We might as well Light up as best we can and just be ready for something to jump us. Hawky can start circling to illuminate the perimeter above where Stock and I could see, while Bart gets a feel for how high the ceiling is."
She will pull out an arrow and offer it to a magic person to illuminate it.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 13/14 SE 6/6 Wednesday June 5th, 2024 2:32:06 PM
Zanderallen warns everyone to shield their eyes and then incants briefly, touching the offered arrow. The arrow glows with the power of the sun, still only able to partially illuminate the huge cavern. He then fills, trims, and lights his bulls eye lantern, shining it up the walls. ========== Daylight 140 minutes - Bright light to 60 ft, Dim light an additional 60 ft.
Bulls eye lantern - cone bright light to 60 ft, dim light an additional 60 ft.
Stock (JonM) HP: 265/265; AC: 34/31/17; DR 4/-; CMD: 41; Rage: 0/44 used Wednesday June 5th, 2024 8:05:01 PM
Stock steps into the light, happy to stop sneaking.”Good luck Bart and let us know what you see.”
Armalad (Hugh) HP 134/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+20=37 ; Wednesday June 5th, 2024 8:31:58 PM
Armalad has Joker join the flying search party.
She says, "Wouldn't hurt to have the wand of dimension door ready should things get hairy."
He flies around light arrow in one hand and wand in the other.
Joker - Perception 37
Drapery Cavern... (DM Wayne) Wednesday June 5th, 2024 11:21:22 PM
Stohp settles in to ground guard duty, keeping her ears open and her eyes on Armalad, the only source of light in the chamber.
Bartomus expresses eagerness to scout alone, at least to find the ceiling height.
Delia brings Hawky back to her. She suggests that any foes know the group is here, and the group may as well use any Lights they wish. Delia offers Hawky to scout the “near high” walls while carrying her Everburning Torch at the same time Bartomus heads for the ceiling.
Zanderallen casts Daylight on one of Delia’s arrows, providing plenty of light for all nearby, and then likewise pulls out his bullseye lantern and lights it. At the moment, the adjacent Daylight is overwhelming the Lantern, but once they split up… He, and the rest of the group, can see (geometry) about 45 to 50 feet up the two near walls. Yup, those are limestone cave walls, all right!
Stock encourages Bartomus to go vertical now.
On Armalad’s command, Joker takes her Light (20’ radius) arrow and magic wand, and then moves near the Bartomus-tornado, but not too close.
Dolgrin nods and like the others, stands on guard duty, looking up from time to time to see what new parts of the cavern can be seen.
Bartomus concentrates and flies straight up. Though completely unskilled in Fly, his natural dexterity, plus the air elemental’s dexterity boost and perfect flying maneuverability enable him to fly straight up (DC 20. Take 10, +12 total Fly bonus in this form, = 22. In any combat, it’s possible Bartomus might have to roll Fly skill depending on his chosen flight path, as Take 10 is not normally available during combat.)
The cavern proves just large enough that there’s no one spot in the middle where Bartomus can see both of the closer walls, but he chooses an easy enough spiral patrol pattern that enables him to spiral upwards while looking for the ceiling… and any sign of a ‘pretty’ and ‘magnificent’ stalagmite/stalactite formation on one of the walls, somewhere at the 500-foot mark, plus or minus.
Armalad’s Low-Light Vision enables her to see the walls up to a (geometry) 100-foot height within reach of the Daylight spell, but even with Delia walking the Daylight arrow around with Armalad, a quick circuit in the center of the cavern, mimicking Bartomus’s flight path, nothing of note is discovered. Dolgrin journals some notes on the limestone composition of these walls purely to expand Mountainheart’s records on the cavern.
Hawky takes nearly a minute to reach a really tall height, which Delia guesses is around the 500-foot mark based on the last time Hawky did this and took this long – still no ceiling in sight. Above the 450-foot mark or so there starts to be signs of slight water drips, and some beautiful cave formations… but in large quantities – this distance is just too far to carefully pick out one formation as the most ‘beautiful’ for anyone but the fliers. (Perception DC 10 +1 per 10 feet is DC 60 at 500 feet, with a +4 bonus for the formation’s reputed size, around 10 feet by 10 feet, so net DC 56 whenever Hawky’s light passes near it. Yes, a spyglass would help, but the focus would constantly move to follow Hawky’s flight, or Joker’s flight))
Bartomus, twice as fast a flier as Hawky, and going close to straight up, in his spiral, outpaces Hawky and soon fades from view into the Night Below.
Bartomus only Highlight to display spoiler: {Bartomus quickly understands why Dolgrin was journaling on the limestone wall composition – the patterns here were pretty in their own way, though most people wouldn’t notice. Attuned to nature, and having spent over five weeks in the Night Below, he appreciated the scenery, even limited to the black and white of Darkvision.
Bartomus indeed began noticing the stalagmite/stalactite formations on the walls starting around the 450-foot mark, plus or minus, many of them in the form of limestone ‘curtains’ or ‘draperies…’ Must be why Dolgrin and the dwarves call this place ‘Drapery Cavern!’ He became concerned at the sheer number of them, with two walls over 100 feet long and two over 200 feet long… that was over 600 feet of space at each 10-foot elevation higher, and by the 500-foot level have of each 600-foot band of 10-feet-high limestone had beautiful curtains and draperies… How to pick out the Monarch’s Veil, especially if Largon’s Dragon Crown was here but fully obscured by it, when he was untrained in Dungeoneering, spelunking, and caverns?
He looked up and still saw no ceiling some 560 feet above the floor, and then thought about the formations a moment, as long as he was here, and realized that limestone appears above-ground too… and he was well-trained in recognizing natural beauty. Bartomus’ eyes were more than sharp enough to distinguish from one formation to the next, even if some looked a little ‘melted’ together. He selected some candidates for ‘most beautiful’ as he flew around each 10-foot-high band and then gave them serious consideration.
Bartomus DC 20 Knowledge: Nature. (OOC – Corebook says Druids get a +2 to Knowledge: Nature, but your character sheet has “druid +16” on it – in Pathfinder 1e, do not add your druid level to this check, just calculate the skill bonus as normal, and then add +2 for being a Druid.)
On your next post, report Bartomus as ‘studying cavern formations 500 feet up’ in addition to whatever else you might write – just remember, Bartomus is in total darkness for most of his journey, and it’s only as he floats in a slow spiral studying the formations that Hawky arrives and sheds a 20’ radius Everburning Torch illumination upon some of them, however briefly as he flies at speed.}
Joker then reaches near/around the 500’ height and, flying more slowly, provides a second 20’ Light radius which, around the center of the room, shows squint! Joker occasionally pushed by… wind? Bartomus, made of air, must be somewhat close!
Joker only Highlight to display spoiler: {You’re sure hoping The Boss didn’t send you on a suicide mission – this is pretty high up and one false move by that Air-Taur and you might spiral about 500 feet down to your doom! Air-Bartomus is flying more slowly than you expected, as if searching for something. The Light The Boss gave you is nice, but you have Darkvision, so you shadow Air-Bartomus and try to figure out what he’s looking at – sure are a lot of pretty cavern formations up here – hey, weren’t the big brains talking about that being important? You’re not sure you could figure out the prettiest one, but since The Boss has been with the Shields, Bartomus has been a flaky artist-type, even making wood carvings, so maybe he’s putting his art-brain to some use. All you know is that these ‘curtains’ and ‘draperies’ are very pretty, but they kind of all look alike, so how’s a mephit to be expected to tell them apart? The Boss will want to know if Air-Bartomus finds anything interesting, so best to keep following… and keep that wand ‘hot’ – if any monkeys start throwing excrement or worse, best not to be in range!}
Bartomus and Hawky and Joker, all about 500 feet up, what do you do?
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 Thursday June 6th, 2024 9:14:17 AM "I am game for going straight upwards and determining how high this might be," Bartomus replied. "That would give us some sense of the total area we are looking at here. Not sure how best to time the flight and all."
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+6=9 ; d20+16=34 ; Thursday June 6th, 2024 9:28:07 AM
Bartomus had recalled what he said and worked as diligently as he could going straight upwards. He flew higher and higher taking in the various layers and colors of the stone. When he found a layer where the formations became more like rich fabric with folds that gave the stone movement. He took time to look at some of the more beautiful examples in hopes that something would look like a Monarch's Veil.
When he paused, he looked about before ascending further upward scanning the formations for any specific change in the pattern.
Bartomus will ascend another 100' if possible. Rolled Knowledge Geography - as it has a higher number, but with a base roll of a '3' - it doesn't matter that I forgot to add a plus 2 - sigh. Perception 34
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Thursday June 6th, 2024 10:02:51 AM
Stohp randomly gets a song she heard the sailors sing on one of their lake adventures stuck in her head.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 124/124; AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+33=44 ; d20+16=23 ; Thursday June 6th, 2024 11:25:46 AM
Hawky launches from Delia's shoulder at a subtle command and then she tosses him the Daylight arrow. He spirals up the room, 60 ft from the wall to get maximum room illumination with daylight.
She pulls out the everburning torch for those without darkvision in the group and uses her spyglass to track on the wall that Hawky is lighting up. If Hawky sees anything he would perceive as Danger, he will Alert.
Delia perception: 44 Hawky perception: 23
OOC (I wasn't clear in my previous post on who had which light source, sorry!)
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 13/14 SE 6/6 Thursday June 6th, 2024 2:35:44 PM
Zanderallen follows the flight path of the lights until they are mere specs in the heights of the cavern. He stops squinting to follow them and switches to keeping watch.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 134/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Thursday June 6th, 2024 9:06:03 PM
Armalad is starting to fear for Joker's safety given how far away he is and sends fear and emotions of missing the mephit over the shared empathic link.
She realizes she could have protected him from falling by giving him her ring and is wanting to correct that mistake.
Joker feels the pull of the empathic link and carefully makes his way back down. He shares with the others what has happened so far.
Drapery Cavern... (DM Wayne) Thursday June 6th, 2024 11:23:41 PM
Bartomus could be seen by Joker, slowly performing his spiral at the 500-foot level for a bit, and then resumed his upward spiral at normal speed, leaving Joker’s sight for the moment, and most certainly, out of Light radius, everyone else’s sight from over 500 feet away.
Stohp encounters a danger of guard duty – a catchy tune that won’t leave her head.
[retcon] Hawky is an efficient flier, carrying the Daylight arrow, though still not as fast as Bartomus. As his spiral flight takes him around the 500-foot level, Delia aims her spyglass at the fairly-wide (but moving(!) lit area of the walls, though it is still no easy task to recognize details, or even identify the ‘prettiest’ of the gorgeous cave formations ‘decorating’ the walls from 450 feet up to even more than 500 feet up.
Delia, learned in cavern lore, and assisted by having Dolgrin to answer nuanced cave formation questions with proper academic jargon, studies the high walls as carefully as she can, given a moving light source, though one that shines like the sun up and down 50 or 60 feet (depending on geometrical variation). Delia OnlyHighlight to display spoiler: {Who knew the dwarves had so many names for cave formations, and that all of them sounded like gargling rocks in Dwarven? Still, Dolgrin having a word for each of her descriptions of droopy, or straight, or s-shaped draperies, curtains, and the like helped her quickly categorize common types as unimportant.}
Dolgrin described nuanced patterns of cave formations to Delia as she asked nuanced questions, trying to narrow down ‘most beautiful,’ as dwarves would apply it, to just one of the many draperies and curtains she notes as she rapid-fire reports to Dolgrin.
Zanderallen watches the lights go higher and higher until he has to squint to note details beyond ‘limestone wall,’ and then he returns to local guard duty.
Armalad’s concern for Joker grows when it becomes clear that his height is nearing the limit of her ability to see him as more than a speck, even with Hawky’s Daylight arrow illuminating Joker as clearly as one can illuminate not-quite-a-speck. She empathically signals for him to return, which takes (500 feet/80 feet per round diving/falling straight down = 42 seconds) the better part of a minute. Once on the ground he relays what little he knows, that there’s lots of cave formations roughly between 450 to 550 feet up but he sadly had no idea which one would be ‘prettiest.’
Stock continues on ground guard duty.
Bartomus Only sees… Highlight to display spoiler: {that after 550 feet or so, the cavern walls go back to being smooth, and at a height of 600 feet he sees they stay smooth to about 650 feet or so (and approximate distance from the lit-up Shields on the ground is getting harder and harder to accurately assess). And…
About at the 600’ level, there is a tunnel exit, some 15 feet wide and 15 feet tall, and its end is not visible. Bartomus-Air is sensitive to breezes and wind patterns, and… Fresh air! That tunnel, however long and snaky it is, eventually leads outside! Only darkness lies ahead in that tunnel.
The ceiling is still not visible, though Bartomus ‘senses’ it is somewhat closer than the ground at this point, so… maybe Dolgrin’s journal notes of a height close to 1,000 feet were somewhat accurate?
Choices, choices: keep going up to the ceiling, or investigate the tunnel, or a different plan of action?}
Delia only knows Highlight to display spoiler: {that it’s a tough call between three very pretty formations, but she makes it (Automatically: Dungeoneering DC 15, DC much higher without, which is probably why Bartomus-Air kept moving up and out of sight…) Delia is pretty certain, but second-guesses herself two or three times as Hawky’s mobile light changes the shadowplay until… no, that has to be it… does some mental approximation and gut estimating… there, that wall, between 510 and 530 feet up… lit space between the stalactites indicating a cave beyond and ‘gaps in the teeth’ wide enough for a human to fit through… has to be it… Having made her choice, she realizes there’s no way to recall Bartomus over 600’ away short of a blowing a signal whistle loudly or setting off a fireball at the maximum height Armalad can reach and hope Hawky isn’t singed… but she can start organizing the group, gathering Ropes of Climbing, clicking her Slippers on and beginning the slow and arduous task of getting some or all of the group up there… it’d be awful to split the party, she thinks – if Dolgrin’s doom-and-gloom about Karkasan’s forces ambushing us has any truth to it, the group might get picked off one by one if some are on the floor, some in the cave she just spotted, and some flying higher and higher… Hawky is beginning to hit maybe that 550-foot level and going higher… how do I catch his attention and call him back?}
She says, “Hmmm…”
Bartomus (600’) and Hawky (500’), what do you do?
Rest of the ground group. What do you do?
(OOC
DM suggests that, within the Ground Group, Delia should post first.
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Friday June 7th, 2024 7:44:57 AM There once was a ship that put to sea The name of the ship was the Billy O' Tea The winds blew up, her bow dipped down Oh blow, my bully boys, blow (huh)
Soon may the Wellerman come To bring us sugar and tea and rum One day, when the tonguing is done We'll take our leave and go
She'd not been two weeks from shore When down on her a right whale bore The captain called all hands and swore He'd take that whale in tow (huh)
Soon may the Wellerman come To bring us sugar and tea and rum One day, when the tonguing is done We'll take our leave and go
Before the boat had hit the water The whale's tail came up and caught her All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her When she dived down low (huh)
Soon may the Wellerman come To bring us sugar and tea and rum One day, when the tonguing is done We'll take our leave and go
No line was cut, no whale was freed The captain's mind was not of greed And he belonged to the Whaleman's creed She took that ship in tow (huh)
Soon may the Wellerman come To bring us sugar and tea and rum One day, when the tonguing is done We'll take our leave and go
For forty days or even more The line went slack then tight once more All boats were lost, there were only four But still that whale did go (huh)
Soon may the Wellerman come To bring us sugar and tea and rum One day, when the tonguing is done We'll take our leave and go
As far as I've heard, the fight's still on The line's not cut, and the whale's not gone The Wellerman makes his regular call To encourage the captain, crew and all (huh)
Soon may the Wellerman come To bring us sugar and tea and rum One day, when the tonguing is done We'll take our leave and go
Soon may the Wellerman come To bring us sugar and tea and rum One day, when the tonguing is done We'll take our leave and go
Great song really. She barely manages to stop herself from singing it.
Stock (JonM) HP: 265/265; AC: 34/31/17; DR 4/-; CMD: 41; Rage: 0/44 used Friday June 7th, 2024 8:34:54 AM
Stock can’t help but tap his foot at Stohp’s tune. He even absentmindedly says, “When the tonguing is done? That sounds weird. I wonder what it means.”
“Any signs of side tunnels yet?”
Delia (Hannah) HP: 124/124; AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+15=28 ; d20+14=26 ; d20+16=25 ; Friday June 7th, 2024 12:52:52 PM
Delia ponders for a moment the risks of whistling, weighs them against the fact that they have massive amounts of light blasting in this cavern, and the twists and turns behind them that should mute the sound from going far, and let's out a Return whistle to Hawky and holds out her arm to give him a landing zone.
She aims for the sound to be the right volume to echo up to Hawky. If he successfully hears and interprets the signal, he dives down to Delia. If not, he keeps going up with Bart and she shrugs.
She says to the ground crew, "I spotted at least some kind of side tunnel. Just over 500 feet up. By the time we reach it, Bart will probably have reached the ceiling and or have spotted us moving up the wall. How much extra rope did we have again? I only have 50 feet on me." She directs the group to the floor of the cave below the formation she spotted.
================== idk if you need rolls for that but: know (dungeoneering): 28 (or 30 if favored terrain would count for cave knowledge of echoing and experience with how signalling Hawky has gone previously) animal handling: 26 (for whistle volume control) Hawky perception: 25
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+16=32 ; d20+8=17 ; Friday June 7th, 2024 3:57:32 PM
Bartomus paused when he felt the wind.
Outside, it's outside. A way out," he thought to himself and spun a bit tighter in the process.
He looked about and thought that maybe, just maybe he should at least look into the tunnel with the source of the air. To sniff and wonder if there might be any scents he might notice.
He moved into the first five feet or so of the tunnel and made an effort to smell the air, and sense what there might be at that level. He also looked for any unusual feature that he might make dance with the light of the fey.
Move to the tunnel opening and into it by about 5' - Perception - 32; Knowledge Nature 17 for scents
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 13/14 SE 6/6 Friday June 7th, 2024 4:54:28 PM
Zanderallen grunts in response to Delia, and setting down his lantern takes his pack, a bag of holding. Rustling around inside he starts pulling neat coils of dwarven rope. About a minute later of some mild swearing as he digs through the huge space he has ten 50 ft coils of rope laid out. "This enough?"
Drapery Cavern... (DM Wayne) Sunday June 9th, 2024 3:03:42 PM
Stohp barely restrains herself from singing aloud the sea shanty bouncing around in her mind. Some hums leak out within range of Stock.
Stock likes Stohp’s song, yet is puzzled by some of it. He asks whether anyone has seen a side tunnel yet.
Delia considers the options. She expertly lets loose a ‘Return’ whistle meant for Hawky, over 550 feet above. She answers Stock’s question, “I saw one, about 500 feet up, but can’t tell if it’s a chamber or a tunnel from here.
How much extra rope did we bring?”
Bartomus’s attention was caught by a change in air patterns. He flew over to a location of interest and Bartomus only sniffed Highlight to display spoiler: { nothing that stood out beyond the mix of the semi-stale cavern air and the earthy, but cleaner, air that was likely coming from the outside… smells earthy, so probably leads out the side of a mountain like Dolgrin suggested earlier… no sign of anything living… wait… aha, a tiny spider! This must lead outside if enough insects make it in for a spider to have food… No signs of bats, but not many fruit trees in the mountains…}
Zanderallen grunts a bit, and then opens his bag of holding, pulling out plenty of dwarven rope bought at the dwarven market just before they left Mountainhome. “Is this enough?”
Delia quickly does the math, adding her own rope, and a few others she’s seen in the group, and nods. “Just a bit more than enough. I can use my slippers to punch in the pitons every 50 feet or so and save the Ropes of Climbing for the last 100 feet, more or less.”
Armalad stands ready to assist with the group’s plan.
Hawky’s flight swiftly changes and he begins a downward spiral. In much less than a minute he is back with Delia, offering her the Daylight arrow.
With Daylight and Darkvision only reaching 60 feet up, Bartomus-Air is well out of sight, and even hearing of the slight rush of his whirlwindy self.
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Armalad (Hugh) HP 134/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Sunday June 9th, 2024 10:36:51 PM
Armalad says, "I don't have a rope but I have a grappling hook or a block and tackle if we need one."
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+16=35 ; Sunday June 9th, 2024 11:47:13 PM
Bartomus took delight in the knowledge that a spider was in the tunnel and that there was fresh air coming through it. Both had to be positive signs.
So, with that he took his leave of the creature and spiraled upwards tracing the cavern's moded walls as he flew further upwards.
Upwards as far as he can leave. Perception 35
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Monday June 10th, 2024 5:09:12 AM
Stohp has 1000 feet of rope so they should have plenty.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 124/124; AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 Monday June 10th, 2024 5:52:15 PM
Delia grins at the huge amounts of rope offered to her. She loves travelling with prepared people.
She will activate the spider climb slippers to help secure ropes and move the crew on up.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 13/14 SE 6/6 Monday June 10th, 2024 6:07:59 PM
Zanderallen helps carry the large amounts of rope to the climb point. He stands guard while watching Delia walk up the wall. Shaking his head at how unnatural it looks.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 134/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+11=29 ; Monday June 10th, 2024 8:51:05 PM
Armalad attempts to incorporate the block and tackle into either a harness or platform they can pull up with ropes for an easier journey.
(Know: Engineering)
Drapery Cavern... (DM Wayne) Monday June 10th, 2024 11:59:03 PM
Armalad offers a grappling hook, and block and tackle to the cause.
Bartomus, satisfied with what he saw in the tunnel, spiraled further upward in search of the cavern ceiling.
Stohp offers as much or more rope as Zanderallen.
Delia suddenly feels at ease, seeing so much rope pour out of both Zanderallen’s and Stohp’s respective Bags of Holding. She pulls some pitons from her own bag, grabs some rope, and heads up the wall to secure the first 50’ length. Easy climbing straight rope… all of the group has the forearm strength to handle it, or a Fly spell or something, right?
Zanderallen brings the bulk of the ropes to the climb point that Delia began walking up.
Armalad considers how best to use the block and tackle, but as it is a system of pulleys, she realizes that even if Delia walked all the way to the cave formation of interest and set up the top pulley there, the need to tie all the 50-foot rope lengths together would create knots which would foul the pulley system. Armalad considers the grappling hook, if Delia were to hook it good at the formation 500 feet up, but the risk of a stalactite breaking off when several 200-300 pound armored warriors (including gear) were all climbing at once seemed high. Bartomus can fly, I can fly with a spell, Joker can fly, Delia can walk on walls, so that’d be Zanderallen, Stock, Stohp, and Dolgrin, and Stohp weighs about eight times as much as I do so… she shivers involuntarily at the ease with which a rope knot might pull loose under the load, or the hook break off a stalactite and all the climbers fall to their doom! (OOC – or embarrassment, given 20d6 is max falling damage, with an average of 70, which everyone except maybe Joker and Hawky could survive… hope Dolgrin has a trick up his sleeve for that situation!) Armalad thinks a moment, and says, “The rope, tied tight in the right places, should be strong enough to handle Zanderallen, Stock, Dolgrin, and Stohp at one time, and could probably handle all of us at once, but I wouldn’t want to test that. Assuming Delia attaches every 50-foot rope length to its own piton instead of tying them all together, we should be fine, but we shouldn’t use my grappling hook; a limestone stalagmite might not support the climbers’ weight the way a well-hammered piton will.”
(OOC – Climbing a rope with a wall to brace against, as here, is DC 5. Take 10 is fine; the trick here is being strong or skilled enough that full plate armor doesn’t cause Take 10 to result in 4 or less…)
Stock readies himself for the climb without even a grunt.
Dolgrin says, “Zanderallen, I’ve seen you climb relatively short distances these many weeks of mapping, but I haven’t seen you do anything like this yet, especially in full plate armor. Are you going to be able to make it up 500 feet?”
Dolgrin readies himself for the climb, pulling some Gloves from his Haversack. He puts on the Gloves and then cracks his knuckles.
Bartomus only finds Highlight to display spoiler: {that there are no more tunnels higher up… now. There are a few caved-in tunnels at the 990-foot level in this chamber topping out at about 1,010 feet, so it appears this limestone cavern must have had a great deluge of water at some point or another, perhaps mountain glaciers melting in such quantities that their water tunneled in from the outside and then down, down, dissolving the limestone floor beneath them until finally punching out in the entrance tunnel at the bottom. Now, though, the cavern is quite dry but for the slight influx of moisture presumably coming from the surviving tunnel linking to the outside Wold. The last 500 feet had an occasional cave formation here and there, but nothing like the bands between 450 and 550 feet he studied earlier.
Time to return to the group… Bartomus begins his descent, passing by first the empty tunnel at 600 feet, then the bands of cave formations… which one of these is prettiest, anyways? then finally to the lit ground where the Shields seem to be up to something…}
Delia is punching in the second piton, to hold the rope covering 50 feet to 100 feet, when she feels an intense breeze… Bartomus!
Bartomus alights about five feet from the nearest Shield and begins his report (OOC – Bartomus, your cue to report in your post!).
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Delia (Hannah) HP: 124/124; AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+16=31 ; Tuesday June 11th, 2024 12:39:51 AM
Delia snorts in response to Dolgrin, "He's a paladin of Domi. If he can't do any physical feat we can do better - and in full plate - I think he'd have to turn in his holy symbol."
She waves at the air where she feels Bart and tests the piton before moving on.
Hawky will lazily swoop back and forth by the climbers, keeping an eye out and holding the Daylight arrow.
Hawky perception: 31 (35 v undead or aberrations)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Tuesday June 11th, 2024 8:54:32 AM
Stohp has a +3 to climb so should be able to get up with a take 10, assuming that the long distance doesn't wear her out. Before she does so she waits to hear what they are even climbing to.
Stock (JonM) HP: 265/265; AC: 34/31/17; DR 4/-; CMD: 41; Rage: 0/44 used Tuesday June 11th, 2024 9:16:00 AM
Stock nods at Stohp and waits for Bart’s report. “What do we know we are facing?” Once he hears the update, he will be one of the first up the rope.
===== +15 to climb and 26 Constitution even without rage climbing. I can’t imagine Stock had any issues with this short climb!
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 Tuesday June 11th, 2024 5:13:12 PM
It took a bit for Bartomus to descend, gather his thoughts, and then report.
"Upwards about five hundred feet, there are all of these beautiful formations where the rock is like drapery with colors and such. Then another hundred feet above that, there is a tunnel. There is fresh air blowing into this cavern from that tunnel and signs, like a spider and a slight scent, that indicates that there is a way to the outside. After that, it's hundreds of feet to the final roof of this cave. Near the very top, a few collapsed tunnels, but nothing else of note."
The taur turned whirlwind then went quiet. He looked about as the others started their climb.
"I am guessing that the place we want is within that really pretty band of stone. But, not sure where and what exactly we would be looking for." He turned towards Dolgrin and shrugged.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 134/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Tuesday June 11th, 2024 8:37:35 PM
Armalad takes 10 on the climb Joker flies
The pair carefully ascend together and hope to eventually reach the destination.
Round 60 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d20+18=22 ; d20+18=23 ; d20+18=32 ; 2d6+8=17 ; 2d6=5 ; Tuesday June 11th, 2024 11:32:13 PM
Delia almost hurts herself laughing, when she hears Dolgrin’s concern for Zanderallen. Waving at Bartomus, she returns to hammering in a piton using a fairly small hammer crafted for the task. Hawky keeps the climbing area in Daylight most of the time.
Stohp relaxes – climbing up a rope with a wall to brace her feet against seems easy enough.
Stock, like Stohp, waits for Bartomus’s report.
Bartomus’s vortex slows its rotation some as he focuses on making his windy form vibrate such that Common words form – not nearly as hard as in water elemental form! He gives his report, fairly detailed, of the ceiling, and of a wide tunnel a hundred feet above the band Delia is concerned with. He takes a moment to fully see Delia setting up a climbing column one piton per 50-foot interval, and the group starting to climb.
Armalad, once Delia has completed her work, takes her place in ‘climbing order.’ Joker flies slow enough to match Armalad’s climbing speed, in a spiral just large enough to allow that sort of ascension.
Once Delia’s installed nine 50-foot rope segments, the last two go quickly as she directs the group’s two Ropes of Climbing to cover the final 80 feet. She then walks back down the wall, testing each piton again once more, just to be sure. At 50 feet up from the group she waves to beckon them to start climbing.
The group begins its ascent, with Delia and Bartomus ready to aid anyone who slips. Joker and Hawky stay within sight of the climbing group, Hawky’s Daylight arrow lighting the way. Fortunately, all in the group are made of sterner stuff than many civilians and they either avoid looking down or simply don’t care and occasionally turn their head to admire the view… until the view more than 60 feet below becomes The Night Below…
100… 200… 300… 400 feet (!), counting by the pitons holding each rope. Delia spreads out the climbers amongst the rope segments so that no one rope is close to being overwhelmed, as Armalad had suggested. Delia had never seen a Taur climb, but each rope easily held for Stohp, and sometimes Stohp and additional Shields.
After just less than three minutes of climbing, the group was above 450 feet, the Ropes of Climbing making this last part so much easier… Stock and Zanderallen were the first to arrive, Zanderallen patiently waiting for Stock to enter the 5’-wide and 10’-tall opening between stalactites that Delia said led into a cave… or chamber…
Stock noted the highly nuanced, almost artistic, cave formation to the left of the stalactite gap with a non-committal grunt, but as Zanderallen climbed up and in he let out a barely-audible low whistle – this formation (the Monarch’s Veil?) was awe-inspiring… to think that trickles and torrents of water over uncounted years had ‘sculpted’ anything so beautiful out of limestone…
Delia had an inner smile about the formation as she was helping Stock and Zanderallen in, preparing to help the next group when…
Stock and Zanderallen Only Highlight to display spoiler: {Hawky’s Daylight arrow, shining through the tunnel/chamber entrance, and between stalactites, allows light to fall upon the “prisoner” of this “cell” – “a crown with twin metalwrought dragons around the bottom edges” – it can only be Largon’s Dragon Crown! The two of you fist-bump (or similar silent cheer) at the sight of it – your quest is over! This will be easy! Wait… what’s that scrabbling/crawling noise coming from outside???}
(OOC – those still on the rope, as noted on the Map (see link below): Dolgrin at 480’, Armalad at 465’, and Stohp at 450’ just about to lay hold of the first Rope of Climbing.)
All Others Outside the Monarch’s Veil Chamber Only Highlight to display spoiler: {What’s that loud scrabbling/crawling noise coming from the wall much higher than the chamber opening? No, noises! From the edge of the Daylight above come three Large Aberrant Wall-Crawlers of some type, having no problems climbing straight down the limestone walls!
An unwholesome abomination scuttles fluidly forth, its shape combining features of both spider and squid under an armor of rugged rock. While stone protuberances gird its upper portions, below it is a thing of angry red flesh and soft pink tendrils. Two gaping orifices full of tiny barbs split its lower body—a mouthlike slit surrounded by numerous narrow red eyes and, above that, an oozing alien aperture.}
They are spread evenly, the center one coming straight at the entrance to the chamber and the other two flanking it left and right with a 5’ gap on each side, respectively. Their fronts stop just inside the Daylight (570’ up accounting for Hawky’s Daylight hitting that height on the wall at an angle) and then with an awful, hocking, about-to-spit, sound, as one they each spit a stone from the alien aperture each of them possesses, with clear liquid flowing off of (or from?) each one as the stones target each of Dolgrin, Armalad, and Joker!
Round 60
G1 (center)’s wet rock misses Dolgrin, who yelps loudly at the narrow miss such that Armalad and Stohp flatten against the wall to avoid the rock as it heads for the cavern floor over 450 feet below!
G2 (right)’s wet rock misses Armalad as well.
G3 (left)’s wet rock easily hits Joker, causing 17 blunt damage (this damage is prior to DR, and Joker’s DR does apply here) and 5 acid damage.
Round 61 (Shields at top of round)
What do you do?
(OOC
IMPORTANT: Altitude matters – Do Not Move On The Map As Though It Were The Ground. Each being on the map has an Altitude, and some of you are climbing, and if you fall without friend or magic aiding you, you have a long way to fall – about two rounds before hitting cavern floor for 20d6 damage and then having to spend at least 17 rounds climbing back up the rope to be within reach of the fight, or else have a way to fly, or a way to gain a Climb Speed (like Spider Climb Spell) in order to go faster than half-movement – since all of you Take 10 with a result of 10 or higher, and the rope is DC 5 to climb at quarter-speed, and DC 10 to climb at half-speed.
Remember – 17 rounds (based on 30’ movement, double-move, at half-speed) gets you to 510’ up… IF no one is on the rope ahead of you – trying to climb *over* another PC already on the rope above you will require a Climb skill check at a significantly higher DC than free-climbing with the rope, which is the way everyone got up to their current Altitude.
I’ve added a screenshot in the post announcement email of the relevant portion of the battlemat for this battle – on the Google Sheet, just scroll until you can see everything in the screenshot.
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20=1 ; Wednesday June 12th, 2024 7:23:34 AM
Stohp's weight is a concern so she would probably go last, and 50 feet behind the next person so as to not put her weight combined with someone else's on the same stretch of rope. At the start of the attack she doesn't notice anything, focused on her climbing, until a rock suddenly falls past her. Looking up and cursing, she decides it's best to just finish the climb and endure the attacks for now. Unfortunately her distraction costs her, and she doesn't make much progress (4 total on her climb check vs DC 5, which I believe means she just doesn't make progress this round)
(so 50 lower then Armalad puts her at 415)
Stock (JonM) HP: 265/265; AC: 34/31/17; DR 4/-; CMD: 41; Rage: 0/44 used Wednesday June 12th, 2024 12:52:35 PM
Stock shakes out his arms, still tired from the climb and positively glows at Z. “Easy Peezy, Big Z!” Then he hears the sounds from outside and says, “You get the crown, I will see what’s going on out there.”
Stock removes a Potion of Fly from his pack as he moves to the cave opening. He looks around for the origin of the sound and assuming he sees something clinging to the wall or ceiling, he will drink the potion.
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 6d6=24 ; 17d6=61 ; Wednesday June 12th, 2024 3:47:34 PM
Bartomus saw and felt the shift in the currents about him and heard the weird sound above. He moved higher into the cavern and outward from the wall. As he flew he shouted to everyone to close their eyes, he began casting a spell, and when he was about 60' away from the new source of problems. He then let loose the spell at the center creature as he closed his eyes. A bright searing light emitted outwards.
Cast sunburst - using combat casting skill as well - Reflex save against 23 to take half - 24 points damage; However, if harmful to be in the light - then these creatures would take double damage before the Reflex save. Also, see below to determine if these creatures would actually take a greater level of damage - if so, that would 61 points.
Sunburst causes a globe of searing radiance to explode silently from a point you select. All creatures in the globe are blinded and take 6d6 points of damage. A creature to which sunlight is harmful or unnatural takes double damage. A successful Reflex save negates the blindness and reduces the damage by half.
An undead creature caught within the globe takes 1d6 points of damage per caster level (maximum 25d6), or half damage if a Reflex save is successful. In addition, the burst results in the destruction of any undead creature specifically harmed by bright light if it fails its save.
The ultraviolet light generated by the spell deals damage to fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes just as if they were undead creatures.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 134/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Wednesday June 12th, 2024 8:48:42 PM
Armalad retrieves the wand of dimension door and grabs onto Joker while activating the wand and teleporting her and her familiar to the chamber entrance. If possible Armalad will shield Joker with her body.
(Armalad on chamber entrance, Joker inside entrance)
Delia (Hannah) HP: 124/124; AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+28=45 ; d20+28=35 ; d20+23=42 ; d20+27=42 ; d20+18=21 ; d20+13=19 ; d8+23=27 ; d6=6 ; d8+23=27 ; d6=2 ; d8+23=25 ; d6=5 ; 3d8=13 ; 2d10=15 ; d6=1 ; d8+23=28 ; d6=6 ; d8+23=30 ; d6=4 ; d20+10=26 ; Wednesday June 12th, 2024 10:29:11 PM
Delia will check that everyone else sees them, having pulled her bow out as soon as the pitons were all hammered in just in case something like this happened, and then mentally adjust to firing while perpendicular from the wall.
She will target the one who hit Joker, muttering, "Nope." as she unleashes.
Hawky will successfully hover about 40 feet away from the wall, providing light to the climbers and on the creatures. Hawky Fly: 26 v DC 15 to hover
----------------------------- full attack at G3 45 to hit; 33 & 29 damage (27+6 & 27+2) 35 to hit; 30 damage (25+5) 42 to hit, 42 to confirm: 98 crit damage (82 + 16 cold) 21 to hit; 34 damage (28+6) 19 to hit; 34 damage (30+4)
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 13/14 SE 6/6 Thursday June 13th, 2024 2:22:21 PM
Hearing the sounds of conflict outside the cavern Zander nods at Stock's suggestion. He'd love to give time to check for traps but that was a luxury he was going to have to do without. Giving Stock a moment to clear the cave entrance he walks up to the crown. Taking a deep breath he grabs the crown with both hands, picking it up off it's spot.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 134/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Thursday June 13th, 2024 10:28:37 PM
(OOC: Assuming activating the wand was successful (it should be as the spell is on the Wizard/Sorcerer spell list and Armalad has access to 4th level spell slots) Armalad and Joker can't do anything to next round.
Dimension Door is a long range spell and it teleports you unerringly to the spot designated so Armalad and Joker should be able to be in the entrance as that is within range of the spell from where they were.
Time slows down for Armalad and Joker as the short range teleportation effect moves them to the entrance to the chamber. When the after affects of the spell wear off next round they'll be able to do something.
(OOC: checking in)
Round 61 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d20+15=22 ; d20+15=28 ; d20+15=33 ; d20+17=24 ; d4=2 ; d4=2 ; d20+17=19 ; d20+17=22 ; Thursday June 13th, 2024 10:32:25 PM
Stohp’s nerves are on edge as a wet rock mass narrowly passes by her, and perhaps not ready for combat, her palms sweat and she spends several seconds drying them off on her peasant clothing.
Stock directs Zanderallen to get the crown, and then he pulls out a Potion of Fly (move action) at the alien sound of a… sizable rock being loogied and then passing in front of the chamber entrance. He doesn’t see anything inside the chamber that could have caused the wet rock to fall outside the chamber so he walks over (move action) to the entrance (green square) and looks around and then up, in the direction the rocks fell from, and sees…
An unwholesome abomination scuttles fluidly forth, its shape combining features of both spider and squid under an armor of rugged rock. While stone protuberances gird its upper portions, below it is a thing of angry red flesh and soft pink tendrils. Two gaping orifices full of tiny barbs split its lower body—a mouthlike slit surrounded by numerous narrow red eyes and, above that, an oozing alien aperture.
(There are three of them, spread evenly, the center one coming straight at the entrance to the chamber and the other two flanking it left and right with a 5’ gap on each side, respectively. Their fronts stop just inside the Daylight (570’ up accounting for Hawky’s Daylight hitting that height on the wall at an angle).)
Stock stands there, looking up, a Potion of Fly in his hand. (OOC – when Stock moved the 15’ to the entrance he could have drawn a weapon – feel free to retcon that in next post, if desired.)
(from where Stock stands, looking up, the “left” Aberration is G1, “center” is G2, “right” is G3, per the map legend)
Bartomus warned his friends to close their eyes and then shifted a bit up and away from the wall, blasting the wall-crawling Aberrations with a Sunburst! [i](No concentration check required, Bartomus is not in melee, so Combat Casting does not yet apply.) Having moved up some, his Darkvision reaches some 5’ past the 10’ long creatures so he detonates the Sunburst catty-corner behind the one on the left (G1) so that the 80’ radius just misses Stock’s head poking out of the chamber entrance!
(The DM calculates Bartomus’s Save DC for an 8th level spell at 10 + 8 (spell level) + 5 (WIS) = 23)
G1, at ground zero, is just fully blasted, and thus blinded. G2 and G3 demonstrate remarkable reflexes, closing their eyes and twisting with a full quarter-second to spare!
Armalad calls Joker over and then grabs the top of the wand Joker was holding and the two teleport just inside the chamber, thanks to the gaps between the stalactites enabling Armalad to see some of their destination! The two arrive about 2’ off the floor, given the upward angle of targeting, but nimble Armalad casually lands on her feet. (OOC – Stock was already occupying the chamber entrance)
Delia had looked inside the chamber to see if Stock and Zanderallen knew something was going on, and was rewarded by Stock coming to the entrance and then Armalad and Joker appearing out of thin air, just inside the entrance! She performed split-second mental calculations to adjust to shooting against gravity on every shot, while her feet were stuck to a wall and she was sideways, and tipping too far meant all her arrows falling out of her quivers! Delia targets the one on the left, now sunburnt and blinded, her muscles falling into the arrow-shooting routine like she wasn’t sideways, slightly tilted up to keep her arrows in her quiver! Her first four arrows strike true, with, oddly, none of the frost sticking to the creature whatsoever! The wall-crawler was not so immune to the arrowheads hitting it with the force of a Raging Stock packed into a tiny surface area, and there is a satisfying thunk, thunk, thunk and then, by chance, her final arrow passes between its teeth and apparently into its vitals – it must be dead for it loses its grip on the wall and falls!
G3 was not lined up with the ropeline and so those still on the rope (Dolgrin and Stohp) flinch as the 10’ wide by 10’ long by 5’ high alien Aberration zooms past them, some 10’ to their left, and then is gone. (OOC – the ‘thud’ will come at the end of the next DM post – it’s free-falling for now)
Delia adjusts her aim when she suddenly sees air gap between its legs and the wall, and her next two arrows miss the not-blind G1 in the center.
Zanderallen nods at Stock’s suggestion and walks over to the crown, picking it up.
Zanderallen Only Highlight to display spoiler: {The crown is beautiful, a work of art, though more than a bit dusty. It does not glow, nor speak to you by voice or telepathy, nor do anything you might expect an artifact of legend to do. Your Domi-senses tell you that it is extremely powerful, however you don’t yet know what kind of power, or why. Right now the important thing is that Karkasan doesn’t get a hold of it. Hmm… hold onto it in your hands, or put it in a bag, or a Bag of Holding? How does one safely transport an artifact while not allowing Karkasan to take it away with a well-timed Telekinesis spell or somesuch?}
Bartomus Only DC 25 Perception Highlight to display spoiler: {Bartomus was the only one who knew the exact timing of his spellcasting, and how soon he’d be able to look up again after the Sunburst. Since you made your perception roll you see, some 50’ beyond the wall-crawlers, a humanoid in the air, some 20’ away from the wall, floating like a swimmer seen from below, but not swimming. The humanoid did not appear to be acting blind. Then the Sunburst fully fades and you can no longer see the humanoid, even with your Darkvision – the distance is too great (about 110’ up).}
Dolgrin focuses, and moves into the wall and out of sight!
WITH NO WARNING, a *huge* section of limestone turns to mud, trapping some in the chamber and creating a barrier to anyone trying to climb up to and get in the chamber!
(OOC – over 34 10’ cubes of cavern wall are affected, as marked on the map with the new mud color.
Stock, Armalad (and Joker if standing on ground, not if flying/hovering), from the spell description:
“The depth of the mud created cannot exceed 10 feet. A creature unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free itself from the mud sinks until hip- or chest-deep, reducing its speed to 5 feet and causing a –2 penalty on attack rolls and AC. Brush or similar material thrown atop the mud can support creatures able to climb on top of it. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5 feet.”
Stock, you’re chest-deep, being a Dwarf.
Armalad, you’re belly-button deep, being an Elf.
Delia, Stohp, there is no clear path upward – the top Rope of Climbing falls away from the 10’ of mud at the 510’ to 520’ range. A good chunk of this mud begins falling over the edge, threatening to engulf you and force you off the wall and/or rope!
Delia, your Slippers should keep you attached to the wall, but, “Severely slippery surfaces—icy, oiled, or greased surfaces—make these slippers useless.” Also, “The slippers can be used for 10 minutes per day, split up as the wearer chooses (minimum 1 minute per use).” I rule you’ve burned about 8 minutes today from setting up the ropes (5 minutes) and helping your friends climb quickly (3 minutes), so 2 minutes remaining. You realize the mud oozing, in bulk, over the wall above you may soon make the wall near the chamber too slippery for your slippers to work… though the top Rope of Climbing will probably only lose 20 or 30 feet of attachment. You can continue archering, just need to shift down the wall at least 10’ to be near a surviving piece of the Rope of Climbing in case the mud makes trouble for your Slippers, which it’s about to do after your next post.
Stohp, you’re in the dim light extension of Hawky’s Daylight Arrow, but in the lit section you too can see the massive weight of mud flowing over the edge – you’re likely massive enough to withstand it at this distance, but you’re going to need a Plan B unless you want to walk/swim through the mud (it’s about 10’ tall and you’re 8’ tall, but it’s lost some height at the edge due to the above “mudfall” occurring, so you can probably force yourself into the mud at the new limestone floor at 510’.
G1 and G2 Charge Stock, closing their 5’ gap to be adjacent and towards the side without the Monarch’s Veil (which lost its floor mooring with Rock to Mud), both bodies failing to concuss Stock through his armor!
Foes:
Right G2 – 12 Center G1 – 12 Left G3 – dead, free-falling. # (source of Transmute Rock to Mud, no spellcasting heard)
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Friday June 14th, 2024 7:08:13 AM
Well this isn't good. This is clearly enemy action and there isn't really anything she can do from the rope to help. Trying to climb up will just get her to fall - the pitons probably will either fall with the mud or come loose. She'll make sure she's on a section still attached to solid rock and just hold on for now.
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20=13 ; 5d6=19 ; Friday June 14th, 2024 10:51:15 AM
He didn't like his choices what with whoever cast the stone to mud spell and then the challenges it was placing on the Shields. Didn't like this at all. Someone was up there...way up there and the Taur had little doubt that they were responsible for the precarious change in the cavern wall's makeup. But, they had nasties on the move, stuck Shields, and lots of mud.
He took his time and called forth lightning. It could at least give him something to try with the nasties, but now they were too close to Stock. He was not liking this at all. In frustration, he shoots a bolt into the cavern's top in the area where he had last seen the floating creature.
Call Lightning Storm - 1/15 (number of bolts used) Reflex save for 1/2 against a 23 Rolled a "to hit" just in case as a random straight up roll - 13 and 5d6 damage if it were to hit would be 19
Stock (JonM) HP: 316/316; AC: 30/27/13; DR 4/-; CMD: 42; Rage: 1/44 used d20+23=39 ; d20+23=40 ; d20+18=30 ; d20+13=32 ; d20+8=24 ; d8+23=24 ; d8+23=29 ; d8+23=29 ; d8+23=28 ; d8+23=25 ; Friday June 14th, 2024 11:57:30 AM
Retcon accepted! Stock is holding Klink’s Hammer and a potion of fly. He enters a rage and turns to one of the beasts and slams it with the hammer.
—— Since G1 and G2 aren’t on the map, I’m assuming they are in range for a full attack -2 penalties applied from the mud Attacks vs G1 Pa1 hits ac 39, 24 damage PA2 hits ac40, 29 damage PA3 hits ac30, 29 damage PA4 hits AC32, 28 damage PA5 hits AC24, 25 damage
Delia sees the lightning bolt shoot off into the blackness above them and calls, "Bart? Something you wanna share?"
She'll snap an arrow off at G1 or G2, whichever looks more injured (or is still alive) and then reposition. Unless the cold is bolstering them in some way, she'll just let it the frost harmlessly fizzle out and not suppress it.
She will reposition to be above the ropes so that if she does get knocked off the wall she has a chance to catch herself. She spiderclimb walks to the edge of the mud, then shifts to a climbers hold with as many points of contact as she can get. Her goal is to get through the muck and get feet on solid(ish) ground.
---------------------- attack at G1 or G2 ,+1 to hit and damage if within 30ft 46 to hit; 31 damage ----------------------
Hawky: AC 26/17/20 | HP 90/90 Fly check to hover: 12 v DC 15 fly check to 180 turn: 30 vs DC 20 Hawky wobbles in the air and can't hold position, he will move 20 feet closer, then do a 180 and back to around W26 at 510 ft.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 13/14 SE 6/6 Friday June 14th, 2024 3:41:18 PM
Zanderallen holds the crown firmly, he breathes a sigh of relief as nothing happens. Then is a little disappointed when nothing happens. But he has no time to dwell on that as things suddenly get darker and quieter. He turns around and swears as he sees the entrance covered by mud?? Still muttering under his breath he takes off his bag of holding to securely stow the crown and find a pick. ============= Full Round Action to find a specific item (pickaxe) trying to combine stowing the crown while searching
Armalad (Hugh) HP 134/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Saturday June 15th, 2024 4:58:41 AM
Either Joker was Flying/Hovering or is Flying/Hovering so he isn't impacted by the mud.
(OOC: the way I interpret the map, Armalad is in the mud (red) but right next to her is (stone) white so she can use the stone next to her to pull herself out of the mud)
If the OOC interpretation is correct Armalad will put her hands palm down on the lip of the rock next to her and push down to lift herself from the mud (like one would when exiting from the side of a swimming pool).
Otherwise if Armalad can't extract herself she uses another charge of the wand to teleport out of the mud and next to Zanderallen
Round 62 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d20+17=22 ; d20+17=18 ; d20+17=21 ; d4+1=3 ; d2=2 ; d20+26=40 ; d20+26=43 ; 2d10+12=23 ; 2d10+12=16 ; d20+28=45 ; 2d10+12=29 ; Sunday June 16th, 2024 12:49:21 AM
Stohp barely makes out her rope’s piton (450’) some 35’ up from her current position, and that rock is still solid so she exerts her strength to hold onto the rope tightly and is still, so she’s flat against the wall, hoping the mud will arc past her.
Bartomus cast Call Lightning, and orders a strike some 110’ above him – the 5’-wide and 30’-long lightning only lasts a split second, but briefly lights up about a 20’ radius around the bolt – no humanoid to be seen!
(OOC – Stock drew Klink’s Hammer on the way to the chamber entrance to see what was going on.
Yes, G1 and G2 are adjacent, directly above, Stock – they’re size L, but only Reach 5’, so Stock is free to Full Attack.)
Stock Rages, and, Potion of Fly still in off-hand, begins swinging Klink’s Warhammer madly at G1, crunching vital(?) bits of its alien body on the first four hits, but bouncing harmlessly off some of the rugged “rock bits” armor. It’s still there, though appears to be severely wounded.
Delia calls out to Bart for intelligence. She fires an arrow at the wounded G1, slaying it, though her arrow didn’t penetrate nearly as much as she expected! She spider-walks off to the side in time to avoid being clobbered by the Large creature’s corpse, along with mudfall, on the way down!
Hawky, startled by the sudden mudfall, loses his hover and goes into a madly-flapping glide spiral, gaining speed and altitude until finishing near Bartomus, perhaps hoping to catch a thermal from the Bartomus-mental!
Zanderallen breathes a sigh of relief as holding the Crown does not make his face melt away. He turns and sees the 10’ of floor nearest, and including, the exit has turned to mud! Zanderallen mutters as Stock sinks into the mud chest-deep, yet reaches into the muck with his Raging muscles to pull Klink’s Warhammer free and then goes to town on the portion/face of some alien creature hanging from the cavern wall above him! Then he sees Armalad sink to belly-button height in mud but, somewhat near the surviving limestone edge, manage to twist and turn until she reaches the limestone and begins to haul herself up like a sailor pulling herself out of the ocean and into a rowboat. His friends seemingly in no danger of falling over the edge (but what of those still on the rope?) Zanderallen slings his Bag of Holding around, opening the flap and stowing the Crown. He sticks an arm in halfway, rummaging around, and finds the semi-lengthy pick handle.
(OOC – Next post, should be one move action for Zanderallen to both withdraw the Pick and move up to your normal move amount, as though drawing a weapon, plus one move action to replace & reflap the Bag of Holding, and that is a full round, but Zanderallen’ll end up anywhere in the chamber within his Speed.)
(OOC – Joker was Hovering, so not immediately impacted by the mud; note Delia’s post on Hawky’s Fly Skill Checks; Joker should be doing likewise, given the Combat Situation.)
Joker tries to continue to Hover.
Armalad sinks to belly-button height in mud but, somewhat near the surviving limestone edge, manages to twist and turn until she reaches the limestone and begins to haul herself up like a sailor pulling herself out of the ocean and into a rowboat.
Round 62, Foe Actions
The remaining creature directly above Stock (G2) attempts to slam him with alien appendages as well as bite him with its Aberrant mouth, failing miserably to penetrate Klink’s armor, even though Stock is slowed by mud and Rage!
Somewhat echoing, the sounds of spellcasting come from far above, though the sounds of battle at the chamber entrance (Stock and the wall-crawlers) prevent any more knowledge than that.
Then, from the very ceiling of the chamber, the ceiling comes alive as Elder Earth Elementals begin striking at the Shields therein!!!
(OOC – The Chamber ceiling is 10’ high. The Elder Earth Elementals are within the ceiling. This means that the Shields in the chamber need either Reach 10’ or ranged weaponry or spells, etc. to try and strike back.
As a courtesy, I’m not granting the Elementals extra defenses for being mostly within the ceiling – that makes combats take *way* too long in my experience as a player, having been on the receiving end before.)
E1 punches twice at Stock, slamming him! (23 damage and 16 damage, apply your DR to these.)
E2 moves rapidly (Charging), earthen ‘arm’ outstretched as it punches down at Joker, slamming Joker nearer the floor! (29 damage)
Foes:
Right G2 – 12 Center G1 – dead, falls past Stock and joins the mud stream heading for the cavern floor! Left G3 – dead, audible SPLAT-echo on cavern floor!. # (source of Transmute Rock to Mud, no spellcasting heard, presumably source of Elder Earth Elementals(?)) Ceiling above Stock, just inside chamber (edge at row 33, size 15’ by 15’), melee requires 10’ Reach – E1 Ceiling above Joker (edge at row 36, size 15’ by 15’), melee requires 10’ Reach – E2
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Armalad (Hugh) HP 134/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d4+4=8 ; d10+10=16 ; d10+10=18 ; Sunday June 16th, 2024 8:01:12 PM
Armalad stands up from prone. She then defensively casts mirror image on her familiar causing 8 illusionary jokers to spring into being around the original.
She then heroically casts false life defensively on her familiar granting Joker 16 temporary hp (ignore the second roll)
Joker hp - 40/71 - 56/87 with temp hp
9 Jokers are in the area, 1 real, 8 illusion, if an attack misses by 5 or less 1 of the illusionary copies is destroyed; if an attack would hit roll randomly to determine if the real Joker was hit or one of the copies.
Joker takes a total defense action gaining 4 to dodge
Joker AC: 23/17/16
Armalad yells up at the ceiling, "Hey big guy why don't you pick on someone closer to your size?"
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Monday June 17th, 2024 7:17:44 AM
Stohp spends the next 6 seconds regretting she didn't get any source of spider climb.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 134/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+24=42 ; d20+20=38 ; d20+20=28 ; Monday June 17th, 2024 7:21:56 AM
Joker's Fly Check: 42 Armalad's first concentration check: 38 Armalad's second concentration check: 28
(OOC: Forgot some rolls)
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 13/14 SE 6/6 Monday June 17th, 2024 3:40:31 PM
Feeling the handle of the pickaxe Zanderallen is about to pull it free when the ceiling in front of him starts moving. As a mass of limbs slam down on his friends he switches gear. He lets go of the pickaxe handle, securing his bag back onto his back and draws Klink's mighty bow. "Should have bought a flying potion, should have bought a flying potion." =========== Taking a move to fully secure the bag of holding and then a move to draw the box. Ready to next round.
Stock (JonM) HP: 285/316; AC: 30/27/13; DR 4/-; CMD: 42; Rage: 2/44 used d20+25=33 ; d20+25=34 ; d20+20=23 ; d20+13=22 ; d20+8=27 ; d8+23=29 ; d8+23=28 ; d8+23=26 ; Monday June 17th, 2024 4:30:25 PM
Status: Raging, encased in mud Stock does his best to dodge but ends up taking a few of the blows. He shakes off the pain quickly and swings over and over at the rock spitter. He maintains hold on the flying potion in his off hand
PA1 vs G2 hits AC31 -2 added for mud, 29 damage 2 hits AC32 -2 added for mud, 28 damage 3 hits AC21 -2 added for mud 4 hits AC22 5 hits AC27, 26 damage
Delia (Hannah) HP: 124/124; AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+14=22 ; d20+29=42 ; d8+24=25 ; d20+10=24 ; Monday June 17th, 2024 5:33:58 PM (OOC: I'm having a very hard time tracking with the map without enemies on it and because of its 3D nature, so apologies for any mistakes)
Delia would like to get her feet on solid ground through or above the mud, so she will continue forward/upward with that goal in mind. If G1 is still alive and she still has traction on the ground, she will snap off an arrow at it. If not, she will continue moving up as best she can to be above the mud.
================================ Climb if needed at any point: 22 (if having a climb speed is still useful: Climb 30) Attack v aberration within 30ft if needed: 42 to hit; 25 damage ================================ Hawky hover success: 24 v DC 15
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 5d6=15 ; Monday June 17th, 2024 9:02:15 PM "There's someone, or something up in the air that is the source of the creatures being let loose against us," Bartomus rumbled with the voice of a heavy wind towards the others. He looked at the opening and the mud and sailed towards the opening.
He let loose with another bolt but this time taking aim at the elder creature that had swung and sent a bolt at it.
15 pts, reflex save against 23 for only half. Aiming at E2.
Round 63 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d20+4=21 ; d20+17=32 ; d20+17=29 ; d20+17=24 ; d8+8=14 ; d6=1 ; d20+27=38 ; d20+27=41 ; 2d10+12=24 ; d3=3 ; 2d10+12=24 ; d20+27=38 ; d20+27=37 ; 2d10+12=18 ; 2d10+12=24 ; d20+27=35 ; d20+27=34 ; 2d10+12=18 ; 2d10+12=26 ; d4+1=3 ; Monday June 17th, 2024 11:24:48 PM
Armalad stands up and casts Mirror Image on her familiar. There are now nine (9) Jokers! Summoning Heroic Effort she casts another spell on Joker. She then attempts to taunt the Elemental in Terran.
Stohp wishes she had magical climbing ability. (OOC – I didn’t see a Climb skill roll – I’m presuming she’s allowing the bulk of the mud to fall past, which it does by the end of her turn. Some of the wall is now muddy, but if she wants to climb the rope she can certainly start making rolls next post – if she can make it to 510’ then it’s just a matter of forcing herself into the remaining mud atop the new ‘floor,’ then ‘climbing’ or ‘wading through’ the ten feet of ‘mudwall’ that, at that time, would then separate her from the rest of the chamber.)
Zanderallen’s pickaxe retrieval was interrupted by Elder Earth Elementals attacking his friends from the ceiling! Abandoning his pickaxe quest, he reslings his bag and draw’s Klink’s longbow, thankful that he hadn’t yet armed himself with his shield immediately after climbing into the chamber! That quiver of arrows is on me somewhere… Noticing the length of the elemental’s ‘arm,’ Zanderallen steps five feet back (to X39) so he can safely fire at the closest elemental (E2).
Stock shakes off some of the pain of the elemental (E1)’s strikes and vents his fury on the one creature in easy reach, the remaining wall-crawler (G2), hitting it twice, solidly, with the final three strikes bouncing off its rocky ‘carapace.’ It yet lives.
(OOC – Delia, understood on the map, but to recap what was described, the wall-crawlers came down the wall and, prior to your post, only G2 survived, and is above and to the right of Stock as Delia looks straight up. The Elementals appeared within the ceiling of the chamber and have not been seen on the wall, yet. E1 is above Stock (and due to its size, Armalad/Joker), and E2 is adjacent to E1, but deeper in the chamber – the full bulk of each is hidden because so far only a striking earthen arm-like appendage has come from each, with a sufficient portion of each always in view to allow normal attacks, if one can reach their height (melee reach 10’, or any ranged attack.
I’ve added the portion of E1 and E2 on the map, and added to the Legend the fact that they are in the ceiling, 10’ above chamber floor.
Also, G1 was killed last round and its body is presently in free-fall maybe halfway between the chamber and the cavern floor until the Foes’ Turn portion of this DM post. G2 is still a fine target at the time of your post.)
Delia fires an arrow at (G2) which hits and sinks in, but not as far as Delia hoped – she observes that Stock’s hammer is having a much easier time than her arrows versus these wall-crawlers. Delia spider-walks up, changes orientation 90 degrees, and is now standing in some mud (counts as elevation 515’) but she is vertical and her feet are touching solid ground. (Please see Mud Penalties below) Delia is happy she is not asphyxiating as the vertical 10’ of mud has lowered to around 3’ here (in Y32). Stock’s mud is a bit higher, perhaps because a portion of it was adjacent to the Monarch’s Veil (now missing its floor connection). Delia observes this is a good place to be because she is presently out of reach of E1, though that could change…
(Bartomus Spellcasting DC: 10 + INT (+5) + Spell Level 3 = DC 18 Reflex Save.)
Bartomus reports intelligence to those near enough to hear – Delia, Stock, Armalad, Joker, Bartomus. (Listen Perception DC 15 to Zanderallen over the chaos of combat, and Listen Perception DC 20 to Stohp due to distance (Some 105’) He flies closer to the chamber entrance and, seeing Joker (9 of them!) in more danger than Stock, Calls Lightning on E2, expecting to fully scorch the Ponderously-Huge Elemental, but it briefly withdraws into the wall (rolled Reflex 21 vs. DC 18) and is still scorched some by the bolt. Bad fortune this time, but it can’t dodge forever, it’s too Ponderously-Huge!
Round 63, Foe Actions
G2 slaps and bites at Stock, hitting the mud-slowed dwarf once with a slam (14 blunt damage (apply DR), plus 1 point acid damage (apply Acid Resistance, if any)).
(OOC – I forgot the “+1 to attack from higher ground” and have included that now for the elementals.)
E1 slams at Stock twice more, hitting solidly each time. (24, and 24. Apply DR.)
E2, apparently having a respectable intelligence, appears insulted by Armalad’s taunt and indeed attacks her instead, landing two solid hits as well. (18 and 24.)
Another Elder Earth Elemental (E3) ‘steps’ into the ceiling above and near Zanderallen, who is definitely within its 15’ Reach – it swings an earthen ‘arm’ at him twice, scraping his armor and perhaps transmitting some impact.
(OOC – Zanderallen, earlier I presumed being shieldless would be useful for you since you drew Klink’s bow. Here, if your shielded AC is 36, then these two strikes (AC 35 and 34) should hit you and do 18 and 26 damage respectively, and of course you are now within Reach of E3.)
Bartomus, Stock, and Delia think they hear more spellcasting from 110’ up, but it’s hard to tell over the sounds of the battle against the Elder Earth Elementals, which they’re pretty close to. In any case, no immediate effect except…
Bartomus only Highlight to display spoiler: { Your Air-Elemental-Senses tell you the air balance of the Cavern has changed… as if the general air in the big and tall Cavern is moving around ever-so-slightly more…}
G1 splats with a sickening sound on the Cavern Floor, joining G3.
Foes:
Right G2 – 84 Center G1 – dead on the cavern floor! Left G3 – dead on the cavern floor!. # (source of Transmute Rock to Mud, no spellcasting heard, presumably source of Elder Earth Elementals(?)) Ceiling above Stock, just inside chamber, melee requires 10’ Reach – E1 Ceiling above Joker, melee requires 10’ Reach – E2 – 7 Ceiling above Zanderallen, melee requires 10’ Reach – E3
What do you do?
Mud Penalties:
“The depth of the mud created cannot exceed 10 feet. A creature unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free itself from the mud sinks until hip- or chest-deep, reducing its speed to 5 feet and causing a –2 penalty on attack rolls and AC. Brush or similar material thrown atop the mud can support creatures able to climb on top of it. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5 feet.”
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 Monday June 17th, 2024 11:55:12 PM "Something's weird with the air higher up," Bartomus again whispers and then drops down to touch Stock while casting Spider Climb.
Sorry about that - went with my memory of the earlier spell. I will be traveling tomorrow to London. Should be able to make a post when I land which should be after the update.
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20=6 ; Tuesday June 18th, 2024 7:17:07 AM
(I assumed that, with the rope attached to the mud wall now sliding past her, there was nowhere to climb too, IE the rope above her is now falling below her.)
Stohp will look up. If possible she'll start to climb up towards the entrance again, but if it looks like the ropes are going to come lose once she'll continue to hold position (climb 10)
Armalad says the command word to turn off the merciful enchantment on her bow and makes a full attack action with her bow against E3, imbuing the first arrow with lightning bolt that will strike down the line E3, E2, E1 are arranged in
First Shot: 34 vs E3's AC; (1d8+1d6 fire +1d6 ice + 1d6 shock +5) x 2 = 7 + 2 fire + 2 ice + 5 shock and 6 + 6 fire + 3 ice + 4 shock + DC 20 reflex save or take 37 shock damage with only 18 on successful save
Second Shot: 31 vs E3's AC: (1d8 + 1d6 fire + 1d6 ice + 1d6 shock + 5) 11 + 3 fire + 4 ice +2 shock
3rd Shot: 33 vs E3's AC: (1d8 + 1d6 fire + 1d6 ice + 1d6 shock +5) 8 + 6 fire + 4 ice + 3 shock
If the first shot hit E1 and E2 both have to make DC 20 reflex save or take 37 shock damage with only 18 on succesful save
Joker keeps the full defensive action going. --------------------------------------------------------- Joker AC: 23/17/16
Joker hp - 40/71 - 56/87 with temp hp
active effects - Joker mirror image - 8 illusionary jokers Joker false life - +16 temp hp
Stock (JonM) HP: 230/316; AC: 30/27/13; DR 4/-; CMD: 42; Rage: 3/44 used d20+23=39 ; d20+23=32 ; d20+18=27 ; d20+13=19 ; d20+8=25 ; d8+33=35 ; d8+33=40 ; d8+33=34 ; d8+33=37 ; Tuesday June 18th, 2024 11:41:25 AM
Status: Raging, spider climb Stock motions with the potion to Z. “Here’s your flying potion. Come grab it. Bart made my feet sticky like a spider.”
He drops the potion and two hands his hammer again.
Power attack 1 vs G2 hits AC39, 35 damage If that kills G2, Stock will take a move action up the wall and adjacent to E1, AC is +4 on AOO’s from mobility, if not he keeps attacking G2… PA2 hits AC32, 40 damage …hits AC27, 34 damage …hits AC19 …hits AC25, 37 damage
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 192/226 AC: 36 (31 unshielded) DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 13/14 SE 6/6 d20+23=32 ; d20+18=19 ; d20+13=21 ; d20+8=22 ; d8+11=15 ; d8+11=14 ; d8+11=18 ; Tuesday June 18th, 2024 4:52:23 PM
(OOC: Zanderallen would be unshielded from climbing. So both of those would hit. Header updated.)
Zanderallen lifts his arm reflexively to block the incoming fists, only to remember his trusty shield is stowed on his back as the large earthen fists slam into his body. He grunts in pain and looks for a spot to step out of reach if possible. Regardless of safety he drops into an archers stance as he fires arrows into the exposed portion of the earth elemental. ======================== If possible 5ft step out of reach
Full Attack on E3 32 to hit, 15 damage 19 misses 21 to hit, 14 damage 22 to hit, 18 damage
Stock (JonM) HP: 230/316; AC: 30/27/13; DR 4/-; CMD: 42; Rage: 3/44 used d20+23=39 ; d20+23=32 ; d20+18=27 ; d20+13=19 ; d20+8=25 ; d8+33=35 ; d8+33=40 ; d8+33=34 ; d8+33=37 ; Tuesday June 18th, 2024 10:20:33 PM
Status: Raging, spider climb Stock motions with the potion to Z. “Here’s your flying potion. Come grab it. Bart made my feet sticky like a spider.”
He drops the potion and two hands his hammer again.
Power attack 1 vs G2 hits AC39, 35 damage If that kills G2, Stock will take a move action up the wall and adjacent to E1, AC is +4 on AOO’s from mobility, if not he keeps attacking G2… PA2 hits AC32, 40 damage …hits AC27, 34 damage …hits AC19 …hits AC25, 37 damage
Delia (Hannah) HP: 124/124; AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+10=16 ; d20+33=51 ; Tuesday June 18th, 2024 11:06:46 PM
Delia will move up the wall towards where Bart indicated a threat and give Hawky a command.
Hawky will spiral upwards as tightly as he can, Delia is aiming to stop him leaving the cave entrance illuminated. But she's going flying-whatever hunting. fly 16 vs DC 20 to ascend at a greater than 45 degree angle Hawky AC: 26
Delia perception to spot/hear her prey: 51 (55 v undead, aberration, or human)
Round 64 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d20+4=24 ; d20+4=7 ; d20+4=20 ; d20+15=32 ; d20+27=41 ; d20+27=43 ; 2d10+12=25 ; 2d10+12=23 ; d20+27=31 ; 2d10+12=30 ; d20+27=30 ; d20+27=30 ; d20+27=30 ; d20+27=38 ; d20+27=28 ; d20+27=33 ; 2d10+12=23 ; 2d10+12=15 ; 2d10+12=27 ; 2d10+12=22 ; 2d10+12=23 ; Tuesday June 18th, 2024 11:39:52 PM
Bartomus is well within Reach of Stock, having 15’ Reach in his Air form, and casts Spider Climb on Stock. (Corebook p.347; Climb Speed 20 feet to Stock.)
(OOC – each 50’ rope had its own “top piton” except the top ropes were Ropes of Climbing – those act like there are pitons along the entire length. The top Rope of Climbing lost its last 10’ of connection to the wall when it went mud. The 50’ rope covering 450’ down to 400’ with a piton at 450’ was just fine, it was just the ‘wave of mud’ made things dicey for 12 seconds or so, making wall-hugging a life-saving strategy for those 12 seconds.
Stohp’s Sheet says her Climb Bonus is +3, and 6+3=9. Fortunately, having a rope makes things DC 5 for quarter-speed (if Stohp wants to advance at half-speed she needs to declare she’s taking a -5 to her Climb check in her post. Quarter-speed rounds down to 5’ per Move, but half-speed would be 15’ per Move.).)
Stohp advances at quarter-speed, rising 10’ (two 5’ Climb Moves) to 425’.
Armalad takes the boxing gloves off of her arrows, and lets loose! (OOC - She also provokes AoOs from both E1 and E2 (Corebook p.183); I didn’t see a feat on her Sheet that would prevent this – if I missed something please let me know.) Her first arrow hits E3 and then does as she intended, blasting a 5’-wide path from E3 and back through E2 and E1 in the space above the Shields’ heads in the chamber, and narrowly missing Bartomus (just above the top of his whirlwind) and simply missing Hawky as the Bolt extends to its full 120 feet, briefly lighting up the Cavern between 525’ and 530’ in height and past Bartomus to the center of the Cavern! While the arrow was a direct hit on E3, E3 resists some of the electricity, twisting and torquing, E2 is fully blasted, and E1 puts on a masterclass in Slow Dodge (OOC – Natural 20!) but is still zorched some. G2 unfortunately was right in the line of fire as well, but deftly leaned away, lessening the zorch. All three of Armalad’s arrows hit, discharging the Imbued Bolt and their elemental damage, but the physical arrowheads simply fail to penetrate the elementals’ earthen nature, except for her second arrow, which barely sticks in a fraction of an inch.
Nine Jokers continues to fly-dance…
Stock drops the potion on top of the mud around him, with a word to Zanderallen. It does not sink, but it does not break either. He takes Klink’s Warhammer in both hands and sees about killing the recently-zorched G2! Stock needs his first two blows to finish off G2 and then tries to swat it for good measure as it falls past him, but his remaining blows bounce off its rocky ‘carapace.’
Zanderallen was caught off guard by the elemental’s strikes to his front bypassing his trusty shield, presently strapped to his back! He looks around frantically for a space out of Reach of the elementals, but his present location is the best he can do, only exposing himself to E3’s Reach, so he does his best Delia impression, firing arrows as fast as he can at E3 (OOC – and triggering one AoO from E3) , with only his first arrow penetrating its earthen nature, and then only barely. (OOC – the Elementals are AC 23) After he fired his first fusillade he realized that Stock had offered him a Potion of Fly, but it was about 30 feet (and potentially three (3) AoOs) away…
Delia sighs with relief that the last wall-crawler didn’t hit her as it fell! She pushes into the mud (Y32 to Y33) to reach a Chamber Wall, enabling her to walk up 10 feet and then back out to the Cavern Wall (20 feet total, per Slippers) at the 530’ level with a clear ‘walkpath’ up the Cavern Wall towards her prey. Her Darkvision enables her to see up to the 590’ mark but she still cannot spot anything. She notices the ambient breeze is a bit stronger as she climbs higher and wonders who or what is causing it…
Delia listens intently, her vision foiled by darkness, and she Highlight to display spoiler: {focuses her hearing like a lethal weapon, probing for prey – even above the din of battle, now that she is not in direct line with elemental slams, she hears… one.. two… three(!) winds blowing from above… living winds??? what, exactly, is up there, she thinks…}
Round 64, Foe Actions
AoOs from E1 and E2 on Armalad – 25 damage and 23 damage.
AoO from E3 on Zanderallen – just hits the shieldless Zanderallen for 30 damage.
E1 swings twice at Stock, barely hitting both times, for 23 damage and 15 damage (apply DR).
E2 swings twice at Armalad, hitting both times, for 27 damage and 22 damage. (Including AoOs, this is a total of 97 damage this round and by her Header, Armalad is now -5 HP and Unconscious and Deteriorating as per Corebook.)
E3 swings twice at Zanderallen, hitting just once for 23 damage.
Combat with the elementals is still loud, but Bartomus, Delia, and Stock think they hear spellcasting from far above… two spells… two casters?
Bartomus, Delia, and Stock – DC 22 Will Save.
Fail = read to find out Highlight to display spoiler: {You are Slowed, as per the spell on Corebook p.344. “Creatures affected by this spell are staggered and can take only a single move action or standard action each turn, but not both (nor may it take full-round actions). Additionally, it takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves. A slowed creature moves at half its normal speed (round down to the next 5-foot increment), which affects the creature's jumping distance as normal for decreased speed.”
Stock, if you fail, I rule that making your one Warhammer (of Speed) attack while Slowed would grant you the one extra attack from the Speed quality of the weapon for a total of two attacks. You would still be Slowed in all other respects.
Yes, Mud Penalties and Slow do stack – one is a Spell, the other is Environmental!
All, if you fail, please reveal your Slowed nature in your next post – being Slowed wouldn’t necessarily be immediately obvious to onlookers until you began fully acting, so allow the fog of war to add verisimilitude in the posting order…}
Foes:
Right G2 – dead and free-falling! Center G1 – dead on the Cavern Floor. Left G3 – dead on the Cavern Floor. # (source of Transmute Rock to Mud, no spellcasting heard, presumably source of Elder Earth Elementals(?)) Ceiling above Stock, just inside chamber, melee requires 10’ Reach – E1 – 18 Ceiling above Joker, melee requires 10’ Reach – E2 – 44 Ceiling above Zanderallen, melee requires 10’ Reach – E3 – 68
What do you do?
Mud Penalties:
“The depth of the mud created cannot exceed 10 feet. A creature unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free itself from the mud sinks until hip- or chest-deep, reducing its speed to 5 feet and causing a –2 penalty on attack rolls and AC. Brush or similar material thrown atop the mud can support creatures able to climb on top of it. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5 feet.”
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Armalad (Hugh) HP -6/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20-3=-2 ; d20+24=25 ; d20+24=36 ; Wednesday June 19th, 2024 12:05:48 AM
Joker Hover - 25 Joker UMD : 36 vs 20 = success
Armalad falls over having taken massive damage from the elementals. She fails to stabilize (Con check -2)
Joker continues to hover though from his hovering height he reaches down and grabs onto Armalad then activates the wand of dimension door so the well 10 of them(including the 8 illusionary Jokers) appear next to Zanderallen at X38.
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+13=21 ; 5d6=16 ; Wednesday June 19th, 2024 6:29:36 AM
Bartomus didn't like the sounds he was hearing and swirled to have the rush of wind drown out the incantation like words he was hearing.
Bit, suddenly he was moving slower...he growls and releases a bolt at the elemental that attacked Stock.
even using a hero point b4 the roll, Bart failed. 2nd lightning bolt against E1 for 16 Reflex save against 18 reduces that to half.
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20=1 ; Wednesday June 19th, 2024 7:50:00 AM
Well nothing to do but climb. Except she continues to fail to do so (4 climb)
Stock (JonM) HP: 236/316; AC: 32/30/15; DR 4/-; CMD: 42; Rage: 4/44 used d20+16=36 ; d8=3 ; d8=3 ; d8=1 ; d8=8 ; d8=7 ; Wednesday June 19th, 2024 11:46:43 AM
Status: Spider Climb, Rage
Stock looks with anger at the fallen form of Armalad and then nods as Joker takes the wizard away. He bellows in anger as he starts moving up the wall to attack the elemental.
Will save: 38 Move to U31, 525’ because I think this should be adjacent to E1…and finally out of the mud AC is +4 vs AOO’s Renewed Vigor: 32 pts
Delia (Hannah) HP: 124/124; AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+17=35 ; d20+10=24 ; Wednesday June 19th, 2024 4:00:00 PM
Delia she will keep spider-climbing upwards, shrugging off the spell with ease. She sets aside her worry for her allies as the thunk of giant rock-fists on bodies keep sounding. She continues upward to get eyes on the spellcasting targets.
Climb Speed: 20ft - full move for 40ft up Will 35 vs DC 22 ---------------------------------- Hawky swoops out of his upward spiral to soar upwards. If there is not an alternate light source among the elemental combat, he will stop to leave the edge of Daylight's bright light spilling into the cave. If there IS a light source and he would not leave his friends in darkness, he will move upward until Delia sees the source of the weird winds and signals him to stop.
Fly 24 vs DC 20 to ascend steeper than 45 degrees AC: 26/17/20, HP 90/90, movespeed 80ft
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 181/226 AC: 36 (31 unshielded) DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 11/14 SE 6/6 8d6=32 ; Wednesday June 19th, 2024 5:14:44 PM
Zanderallen growls as the earthen fists easily batter his frame, even through some protection from Domi. "Thanks Stock, I'll grab it in a second. Got to pretend to be Micah for a moment." Saying that he grabs his holy symbol with his arrow hand and holds it aloft, a white flash carrying healing energy to his allies. The light and healing wave break around the earth elementals, excluding them. ============== Channel Positive Energy - 30 ft radius line of effect, I think that's Stock, Armalad, and Joker all heal 32. Selective Channeling to exclude the earth elementals
Round 65 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d20+4=10 ; d20+27=28 ; d20+27=30 ; d20+27=36 ; 2d10+12=17 ; d20+27=43 ; d20+27=33 ; 2d10+12=21 ; 2d10+12=30 ; d20+27=39 ; d20+27=47 ; d20+27=28 ; 2d10+12=18 ; 2d10+12=22 ; 2d8+9=25 ; d20+26=44 ; 2d8+9=21 ; d20+26=39 ; 2d8+9=22 ; d20+16=18 ; Wednesday June 19th, 2024 11:28:08 PM
Battered by several earthen ‘arms,’ the last one hits Armalad on her head so hard Joker thinks he heard a neck bone fracture! Armalad falls to her knees and then collapses forward, her bow out of her hand and bouncing once before becoming as still and seemingly-lifeless as Armalad herself. A trickle of blood ever so slowly flows out of Armalad’s mouth.
Joker holds the wand of dimension door in one hand and, pushing her bow adjacent to her body, touches Armalad with the other, saying a command word and then the two vanish and reappear next to Zanderallen.
(OOC – Bartomus, your character sheet says your Will Save is +17, 10 from level, and since you wear your headband of wisdom all the time that’s +5, and then +5 more is a total of +20 – when you wear an item all the time, please include it in your Saves and anything else it affects. Your d20 roll was an 8, +20 = 28, so you easily succeed.
Bartomus’s Call Lightning is DC 18.)
Bartomus, through the loosely-hanging stalactites of the Monarch’s veil, saw, the elementals batter Armalad until she crumpled to the ground, seemingly lifeless! He shrugged off some magic that attempted to hinder his movements and then set about helping Stock by blasting E1, who was not so lucky this time, taking the full zorch!
Stohp goes to climb some more but has to scrape some mud off of the rope above her before she can continue. That done, she readies to climb again!
(OOC – Stock, Spider Climb spell says “hands must be free to climb” – next round you can ‘hang on’ with your feet and use both hands to swing Klink’s Warhammer, but anytime you want to move to a new square you must free both hands again. Yes, the Slippers are better than the spell.)
Stock nods as Joker and Armalad vanish. He resists hostile magic (natural 20!)[/u] and then pushes his way through 5 feet of mud to the wall, and, allowing Klink’s Warhammer to hang from his right wrist, uses his hands and feet to climb up to be adjacent to E1, who takes a swipe at Stock when Stock starts moving through the mud.
[i](OOC – Without Hawky, I think Zanderallen still has something with Light, but that’s 20’ radius which is not the entire chamber, and given he’s at the back then the front half of the Chamber would be Dim/Dark… Hawky keeps his position, especially since Delia quickly learns the source of the winds as follows...)
Delia shrugs off some hostile magic and continues walking up the wall some 40 feet. Delia Only Highlight to display spoiler: {Moving from 530 feet to 550 feet you see three Huge whirling vortices at the edge of your Darkvision, and then it takes arriving at 570 feet to fully see the Three Elder Air Elementals, apparently commanded by a Half-orc in fine noble’s clothing who is floating just above them.
Snarling at your intrusion, and being a half-orc, having no trouble seeing you in the dark, he points at you, casting a spell that sends a white ray towards you, and afterwards the Three Elder Air Elementals begin flying in your direction… }
(OOC - Delia, at 570 feet, is maybe 5 feet beyond the Daylight, and her silhouette can just barely be seen by those in the 510-530 feet viewing range.)
Zanderallen channels Domi’s power to heal himself, Armalad, and Joker while excluding their foes.
Armalad wakes up with a splitting headache. She is face-down but her bow is within reach. (OOC - move action to grab; Quickdraw ok if you have it; -5 + 32 = 27 HP; reminder, standing up from prone triggers AoOs…)
Round 65, Foe Actions
E1 takes an AoO against Stock, missing widely (natural 1!).
E1 punches twice at the agile Stock (who keeps his DEX bonus while climbing, per the spell), missing and then connecting on the backswing for 17 damage (apply DR).
E2 Reaches over and punches at Stock twice, hitting each time for 21 damage and 30 damage (apply DR).
E3 seems to be focused on Zanderallen and tries a couple of overhead smashes on the shieldless Shield, hitting, threatening a critical (natural 20!), but it’s only a hit (confirmation: natural 1!), and Zanderallen takes 18 damage and 22 damage.
It sounds like a Storm is brewing just above Hawky’s Daylight – those near the Chamber entrance and those in the Cavern proper can hear the echoes of strong winds forcing their way down the Cavern from the Night Above…
Delia only Highlight to display spoiler: { The half-orc casts a spell and, given Darkvision being black and white, “A white ray of freezing air and ice springs from his hand,” and comes straight for you! It is a Ranged Touch Attack, and he hits AC… 18, narrowly missing her! Delia’s pretty certain none of the Shields saw that ray in the dark.}
Suddenly, a Whirlwind, whose full extent cannot be seen by any but Delia at the moment, engulfs Delia, threatening to tear her and her Slippers from the Cavern wall!
Delia only Highlight to display spoiler: { Spider Climb, Slippers or Spell, has nothing about resisting force or someone pulling Delia off of the wall, so it’s simply as follows: (Air Elementals have a Speed of 100 feet; Standard Action to Whirlwind.)
A1 flies down to engulf you, turning into a Whirlwind once it arrives!
First, Reflex DC 27 to avoid taking its Slam damage one time – full damage or no damage – 25 damage at stake (rolled max damage, sorry!).
Second, Reflex DC 27 to avoid being picked up bodily and held suspended in the powerful winds, automatically taking one slam attack each round (damage still rolled as normal).
If caught in the Whirlwind, Delia cannot attempt to escape, unless she has or obtains the ability to Fly. Combat Penalties: -4 DEX and -2 on attack rolls, and even though you can’t move to a different square you can still attack as normal, draw weapons, potions, etc. as normal, but include the penalties listed as applicable.}
As Delia fights the Whirlwind, Two Elder Air Elementals come somewhat into the Daylight, the better to tower over Delia [i](they have the High Ground) and each of them Slam her from about 10 feet away, horizontally, at the 580 feet level, 10 feet above Delia, with their “bottom 5 feet” hanging in the Daylight! (They’re *very* fast fliers! They’re also now visible and targetable by all Shields, at least the bottom ‘row’ of their 15’ by 15’ by 15’ size.)[/i]
A2 forms a “hand tornado” and punches Delia, hitting her for 21 damage.
A3 does likewise, slamming Delia for 22 damage.
Foes:
Right G2 – dead on the Cavern Floor. Center G1 – dead on the Cavern Floor. Left G3 – dead on the Cavern Floor. # (source of Transmute Rock to Mud, no spellcasting heard, presumably source of Elementals) Earth Elementals Ceiling above Stock, just inside chamber, melee requires 10’ Reach – E1 – 36 Ceiling above Joker, melee requires 10’ Reach – E2 – 44 Ceiling above Zanderallen, melee requires 10’ Reach – E3 – 68
Air Elementals Around Delia in the 560-600 feet area: A1, Whirlwind, trying to engulf Delia, bottom 5’ in Daylight just below Delia. – unhurt A2, bottom 5’ in Daylight – unhurt A3, bottom 5’ in Daylight – unhurt
What do you do?
Mud Penalties:
“The depth of the mud created cannot exceed 10 feet. A creature unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free itself from the mud sinks until hip- or chest-deep, reducing its speed to 5 feet and causing a –2 penalty on attack rolls and AC. Brush or similar material thrown atop the mud can support creatures able to climb on top of it. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5 feet.”
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 5d6=9 ; 5d10=29 ; Thursday June 20th, 2024 2:29:56 AM
Bartomus didn't like the situation he saw with Armalad, but also the storm that was brewing. However, that had some advantage potentially.
He threw another lightning bolt at one of the Air Elementals that appeared and descended.
Call the lightning bolt 3/15 at AC3 - Reflex save 18 for half - two damage rolls - 5d6 reg, but if this is a storm then 5d10 /// 5d6 for 9 ; 5d10 for 29. --Saved the Will Save...have done that wrong for well I will simply say years.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 27/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 10d6=36 ; d8=5 ; d4=4 ; d20+24=37 ; d20+20=28 ; Thursday June 20th, 2024 2:53:50 AM
Joker - Hover - 37 Armalad - Concentration 28
Armalad stays down but defensively casts selective fireball targeting the chamber ceiling at the junction of U35 and U36
Considering the fireball is off the ground she doesn't think she has to worry about her friends outside the chamber as the fire ball won't spread beyond U33 and she doesn't think she has to worry about herself or her friends in the chamber as she is targetting the ceiling but just in case she can exclude up to 7 people so she excludes Stock, Joker, Zanderallen, Herself, Hawky and Bartomus and Dolgrim as they are the only ones at the right height.
The 3 ceiling elementals need to make DC 20 reflex saves or take 36 fire damage with only 18 on a successful save.
Joker feeling better after a healing burst decides to fire off a breath weapon 15 foot cone shooting upward at an angle targetting E3 and E2 while not targetting Zanderallen
5 acid damage for E2 and E3 on a failed DC 13 reflex save otherwise only 2 acid damage; breath weapon out of comission for 4 rounds. --------------------------------------------------------- Joker AC: 19/13/16
Joker hp - 71/71 - 87/87 with temp hp
active effects - Joker mirror image - 8 illusionary jokers Joker false life - +16 temp hp
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20=16 ; Thursday June 20th, 2024 9:00:57 AM
Climbing man, Climbing Man, does whatever a... climbing can? Stohp climbs.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 81/124; AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+23=39 ; d20+23=41 ; d20+30=49 ; d20+30=47 ; d20+25=33 ; d20+20=40 ; d20+15=22 ; d8+23=29 ; d8+23=29 ; d8+23=31 ; d8+23=24 ; d6=5 ; d10=5 ; d10=8 ; d6=5 ; d8+23=26 ; d6=3 ; d8+23=27 ; d6=6 ; d8+23=24 ; d8+23=25 ; d8+23=30 ; d10=5 ; d10=10 ; d6=3 ; d8+23=30 ; d6=4 ; d20+10=16 ; Thursday June 20th, 2024 10:49:37 AM
Delia calls out as she ascends, "Eyes on the caster and 3 more air elementals."
She locks eyes with the half-orc, dodging the ice ray with a smooth step, "You will not escape me," she whispers, declaring him her Quarry.
The elemental attempts to engulf her and she is a leaf on the wind, watch how she soars. She flows among the air currents, snapping off arrow after arrow after arrow at the caster. A grim satisfaction glints in her eyes at each devastating hit. She stays on the wall, despite the very air around her becoming her foe, and never takes her eyes off the half-orc.
===== Reflex 39 vs DC 27 Reflex 41 vs DC 27
Hero point for extra standard action: Quarry (+2 to attacks, auto confirm crits, take 10 on survival checks to track) If she can 5 ft step to be out of anyone's threat range, she will. But full-round attack, accepting AoO from making ranged attacks within threat range. +4 attack and damage vs humans, +2 attack from Quarry
49 to Crit, auto confirmed: 107 (89+18) damage + 29 (24+5) damage 47 to hit, 29 damage 33 to hit, 33 damage 40 to crit, auto confirmed: 97 (79+18) damage 22 to hit, 34 damage
========= Hawky almost loses his focus as he sees Delia getting battered. But she told him to hold and so hold he shall. He will, however, let out a worried keening sound in protest of not helping her. Fly 16 vs DC 15 to hover
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 150/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 11/14 SE 6/6 Thursday June 20th, 2024 2:21:10 PM
Zanderallen feels trapped but there weren't many options other than fight off the elementals and keep Armalad alive. And himself he thinks grimly as the battering of earthen fists continues. He decides defense is the better option and switches his gear around. Bow stowed on his back, shield securely strapped to his arm he takes a small step in front of Armalad to keep her covered. ================= Zanderallen has Light cast on a piece of his gear from Dolgrin or Bart, standard
Move Action stow bow Standard Action strap shield to arm (AC back to 36) 5ft step between Armalad and nearest elemental
Stock spits out a chunk of his cheek from that last blow. It falls slowly to the cavern floor below. Knowing healing would be nice but not having the words to express that though, Stock yells instead and attacks.
PA1 vs E1 hits AC39, 41 damage …2 hits ac38, 36 damage …3 hits AC28, 36 damage This roll was a misclick but I also forgot the speed attack from the hammer so I’ll include it here Speed attack hits AC31 (25+6 instead of 15+6), 34 damage …4 hits AC30, crit probably doesn’t confirm vs AC25, 39 damage not including the crit
Stock spits out a chunk of his cheek from that last blow. It falls slowly to the cavern floor below. Knowing healing would be nice but not having the words to express that though, Stock yells instead and attacks.
PA1 vs E1 hits AC39, 41 damage …2 hits ac38, 36 damage …3 hits AC28, 36 damage This roll was a misclick but I also forgot the speed attack from the hammer so I’ll include it here Speed attack hits AC31 (25+6 instead of 15+6), 34 damage …4 hits AC30, crit probably doesn’t confirm vs AC25, 39 damage not including the crit
Round 66 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d20+21=28 ; 3d6=8 ; d20+4=8 ; d20+4=7 ; d20+4=24 ; d20+4=24 ; d20+4=23 ; d20+26=45 ; d20+26=27 ; d20+26=45 ; 2d8+9=18 ; 2d8+9=12 ; d20+27=30 ; 2d10+12=27 ; d20+27=42 ; 2d10+12=21 ; d20+27=33 ; d20+27=31 ; d20+26=43 ; d20+26=30 ; 2d8+9=15 ; 2d8+9=18 ; d20+26=40 ; d20+26=38 ; 2d8+9=17 ; 2d8+9=17 ; d20+26=27 ; d20+26=31 ; 2d8+9=19 ; Thursday June 20th, 2024 11:17:07 PM
Bartomus attempts to draw on the power of a storm, but there’s no storm, just an air elemental in Whirlwind form and two more air elementals in regular form. (OOC – I was playing up what one would notice if three 15’ by 15’ by 15’ air elementals were in proximity) He acts to draw their attention away from Delia by Calling Lightning on A3, who casually contorts to avoid the brunt of the bolt, taking some zorching. (OOC – Call Lightning is 3d6 normally. I have rolled 3d6 for you, a base of 8 damage.)
Armalad carefully casts Selective Fireball, damaging only the elementals! E1 and E2 are well-engulfed, but E3 had just retracted mostly into the ceiling in preparation for its next attack and so is lightly singed.
Joker breathes on E2 and E3, but they had reflexively recoiled after being scorched and so each was only partially splashed.
Stohp successfully climbs, rising to 435 feet.
Delia warns the Shields of the extent of the threat she can see. She selects a quarry only she can see. Delia considers the odds, and realizes that a mere step won’t put her outside their “hand tornado” Reach so she doubles down and her bow-firing muscles trigger over and over, just as she’d practiced for weeks, nay months, nay years! As she fires, she shouts, “You missed! I won’t!” Her first pair of arrows strike so hard she sees chips of granite flake off the half-orc! (Accursed Stoneskin!) Her next arrow strikes him in the solar plexus (did he just go limp?) which causes him to not dodge as the following two arrows strike him in and through the temple, and he expires in her sight, the final arrow missing as he enters free-fall.
Zanderallen stows Klink’s bow and arms his shield, stepping in front of Armalad.
Stock yells in Rage, and with a flick of his wrist (free action) swinging Klink’s Warhammer into his right hand, he grasps it with both hands and sets about teaching E1 a lesson! The elemental is rock-hard, its body resisting a portion of every blow, but finally on Stock’s fourth blow it shatters into a million pieces, yet none of its body falls down upon Stock because it vanishes entirely! (A Summoned elemental!)
Round 66, Foe Actions
A1 AoO on Delia hits for 18 damage. A2 AoO on Delia misses as she dodges it but moves right into A1 and A’s target zones! A3 AoO on Delia hits for 12 damage.
E2, clearly not happy with Armalad, smacks her noggin again, (27 damage), exactly knocking Armalad unconscious! Its revenge satisfied, it takes its second swing at Zanderallen, striking him solidly (21 damage, apply DR).
E3 joins in the party, swinging earthen pseudopods in Zanderallen’s general direction, missing both times!
A1 ceases to maintain whirlwind form and then blasts Delia with hurricane-force winds (15 damage and 18 damage).
A2 likewise blasts Delia with gale-force winds (17 damage and 17 damage).
Delia dies!(OOC – at -16 HP, and CON of 12.)
A3 begins making strange sounds.
Delia, battered by five (5) hurricane blasts, crumples and falls forward, only her Slippers keeping her from falling over 500 feet below!
Bartomus feels the winds and realizes – they’re laughing at her, mocking her!
Dead Half-Orc – falls into the Daylight, past Bartomus, past the Daylight, and probably won’t be long before ‘splat.’
Shields:
Armalad – At 0 HP and Bleeding Out. Two Elder Earth Elementals loom over the area.
Delia – Deceased. She is only attached to the Cavern wall at 570 feet up by her Slippers…
Foes:
Right G2 – dead on the Cavern Floor. Center G1 – dead on the Cavern Floor. Left G3 – dead on the Cavern Floor.
Half-Orc Spellcaster – dead and in free-fall, starting from 630 feet up.
Earth Elementals
Ceiling above Stock, just inside chamber, melee requires 10’ Reach – E1 – GONE – Summoned creatures vanish when “killed.”
Air Elementals Around Delia in the 560-580 feet area: A1, bottom 5’ in Daylight – unhurt A2, bottom 5’ in Daylight – unhurt A3, bottom 5’ in Daylight – 4
What do you do?
Mud Penalties:
“The depth of the mud created cannot exceed 10 feet. A creature unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free itself from the mud sinks until hip- or chest-deep, reducing its speed to 5 feet and causing a –2 penalty on attack rolls and AC. Brush or similar material thrown atop the mud can support creatures able to climb on top of it. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5 feet.”
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Armalad (Hugh) HP 27/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+4=15 ; Friday June 21st, 2024 12:11:52 AM
(OOC: Isn't Armalad technically disabled not unconscious and dying? Disabled (0 Hit Points) When your current hit point total drops to exactly 0, you are disabled.
You gain the staggered condition and can only take a single move or standard action each turn (but not both, nor can you take full-round actions). You can take move actions without further injuring yourself, but if you perform any standard action (or any other strenuous action) you take 1 point of damage after completing the act. Unless your activity increased your hit points, you are now at –1 hit points and dying.
Healing that raises your hit points above 0 makes you fully functional again, just as if you'd never been reduced to 0 or fewer hit points.
You can also become disabled when recovering from dying. In this case, it's a step toward recovery, and you can have fewer than 0 hit points (see Stable Characters and Recovery).
I'll make an action post when I get clarification on Armalad's condition)
Armalad (Hugh) HP -1/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+20=40 ; d20+24=29 ; d20+20=27 ; d20=7 ; Friday June 21st, 2024 1:13:27 AM
Joker - Hover 29 Armalad defensively cast: 27
Armalad sees the earth elemental pop out of existence when Stock finishes it off and since these things are summoned creatures she has just the spell to put them in their place.
She looks up at Zanderallen and says, "I think I can take out the earth elementals, but you are going to need to heal me when they are gone."
She then defensively casts Greater Dispel Magic choosing the 20 foot radius burst and targets the ceiling at the junction of U35 and U36 again and making a heroic effort in her caster check (OOC: burning a hero point to add 8 to the roll)
She doesn't have a selective version of this spell prepared but she doesn't think it will effect her friends as none of them are on the ceiling.
Caster Level Check 40; (OOC: So unless the person summoning the elementals had a CL of 29 I think they disappear; per the spell she rolls one CL check and applies it to each creature in the area per the spell roll one dispel check and apply that check to each creature in the area, as if targeted by dispel magic.. If you target an object or creature that is the effect of an ongoing spell (such as a monster summoned by summon monster), you make a dispel check to end the spell that conjured the object or creature.(DC = 11 + the spell's caster level); if successful the spell ends )
After the spell is cast Armalad falls unconscious at -1 hp
Joker attempts to stabilize Armalad but he isn't really skilled at healing (First Aid: 7 vs DC 15 = failure)
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 d8=2 ; Friday June 21st, 2024 2:06:51 AM
Bartomus in his slowed state processed everything that was occurring and realized it wasn't good. He held his position and cast a curing spell reaching out to those within sight of his vision. It was the best that he could do.
So the spell that I used is Call Lightning Storm - a more powerful version of Call Lightning - I can continue to use the 3d6 version of that lesser storm if not allowed. Cure cast light wounds mass wounds for 19 and hopefully reaching 65' to those nearby - 2+17 = 19 - however each of the Shields can only be 30' apart. It appears this may not reach Delia?
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20=8 ; Friday June 21st, 2024 7:57:42 AM
Stohp sees a corpse fall past her. Not one of theirs at least. Hopefully things are going well. Climb 12
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 168/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 11/14 SE 6/6 8d6=34 ; Friday June 21st, 2024 9:05:32 AM "That's the plan." Zanderallen replies to Armalad as he reaches out to stabilize her with both a hand and a blast of healing energy. He remains blissfully unaware of what's happening outside. ============ Channel positive energy 30ft radius burst excluding earth elementals heals 34
Delia (Hannah) HP: -16/-12(/124); AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+10=19 ; Friday June 21st, 2024 1:22:36 PM
As the final arrow leaves her hand, Delia feels a grim satisfaction. At least this half-orc wouldn't be able to summon any more magic to harm her friends. As the elementals close in, she gives one last, sharp whistle-signal to Hawky, reinforcing the Hold command, but ordering a transfer of command to Zanderallen.
Hawky's talons nearly snap the daylight arrow in half when Delia goes limp. He releases a horrible, mournful scream, but dutifully follows her last command even as he mourns her. Fly 19 vs DC 15 to hover
Stock (JonM) HP: 180/316; AC: 32/30/15; DR 4/-; CMD: 42; Rage: 6/44 used d20+25=32 ; d8+33=34 ; Friday June 21st, 2024 4:25:10 PM
Status: Raging spider climb Stock twitches slightly to protect himself but then no attack comes. He bellows in triumph, despite the fact that the elemental disappearing is much less satisfying than a dead body. He runs along the cave wall approaching the next earth elemental.
Move to v34 AC is +4 vs AOO’s from mobility Power attack hits AC 32, 34 damage
Round 66 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d2=2 ; d20+26=40 ; d20+26=33 ; 2d8+9=23 ; 2d8+9=22 ; 2d8+9=18 ; Sunday June 23rd, 2024 12:29:59 AM
Armalad, staggered and prone from the elementals’ pounding, tilts her head slightly, still playing dead, to tell Zanderallen her plan for victory. Ceasing her feigning of death, that saved her from actual death had the elemental not been fooled and turned to Zanderallen, she carefully and heroically uses all her magical skill to Greater Dispel Magic between elemental punches on Zanderallen and…
Both Earth Elementals vanish(!) and…
(OOC – from the vertex selected, 15’ diagonal at the ceiling level (between 5’ and 10’ off the ground) and then 5’ diagonal-down reaches Armalad and Joker, but not Zanderallen.
Stock had Spider Climbed to the 5’ to 10’ height to melee E1, and so he is caught within 20’.)
Stock’s Spider Climb is Dispelled, and Stock falls 5’ to the ground, but no damage due to his tough hide (and a 5’ fall is maybe 1d3 damage).
Joker has two second-level spells (False Life and Mirror Image) and by chance (on 1d2, 1 = False Life, 2 = Mirror Image) Mirror Image is Dispelled, and there is now only one Joker.
Armalad had no active spells and is unaffected. (OOC – If I am wrong, remove the highest level spell or in case of a tie, number them alphabetically and roll a die.)
Armalad collapses, unconscious and bleeding. Joker attempts to help her but it’s apparent that he has no idea what will help her.
(OOC – 1) Bartomus is **not** slowed – he saved successfully.) 2) My apologies – I had not heard of Call Lightning Storm before. DC should be 10 + 5 (level) + 5 (wisdom) = 20. Your 5d6 roll on your 6/20 post was 9, and half of that is 4, the same as the 3d6 roll of 8 I’d made. Cool to see a more powerful version of Call Lightning! 3) Delia is deceased – you cannot heal a corpse, sorry. She took damage exceeding her CON score as a negative HP number (she fell below -12 HP). Sorry for any confusion – stating that she hit -16 HP was just to indicate, mathematically, it was a death and not an injury.)
Bartomus casts Mass Cure Light Wounds, healing Armalad, Joker, and Zanderallen for 19 HP. He grimaces that he could not include Stock due to distance, and that he had not been quick enough to save Delia.
Stohp sees a dead half-orc nosedive past her and head for the cavern floor real fast, but it doesn’t slow her climbing in the slightest. She reaches 445’.
Zanderallen sighs with relief that the earth elementals are vanished back to wherever they were summoned from. He walks ten feet and then channels Domi’s healing energy, healing Stock, Armalad, Joker, and himself for 34 HP.
The final arrow had left Delia’s hand and not only pierced the half-orc’s temple but forced his head back so fast his neck snapped. A job well done… As the living tornadoes closed on her, following their deceased master’s last command she too whistled a command to Hawky. The “hand tornadoes” pummel her mercilessly, blowing her right arm back against the wall, breaking her right forearm bones and sending her longbow tumbling down towards the cavern floor, and then, beginning to black out with pain a tornado slams her head against the wall behind her and she feels no more pain… Hawky screams the scream only a companion can scream when their master is slain, his talons almost snapping the daylight arrow in half. Delia’s corpse hangs upside down and limp and against the wall, held to the wall only by her Slippers, and, upside down, all her quivers empty their contents (unless magic otherwise states) and her dozens of arrows likewise follow her longbow towards the cavern floor…
Stock, fallen to the ground without Spider Climb, still shouts in triumph over the vanished E1. He looks around and realizes all of the Earth Elementals vanished after Armalad cast a spell. Stock stands up from prone and peeks through, and a bit upwards, the hanging stalactites that once comprised the Monarch’s Veil and sees portions of tornadoes in the upper edge of the Daylight. (from this angle he cannot see Delia’s limp corpse some 50’ straight up – stalactites are in the way with not quite enough of a gap for anyone to stick their head through and turn to look straight up; he would have heard Delia’s brief death cry though.) Stock moves to the entrance, where he had dropped his Potion of Fly, which is still there on the ground, and from here he can turn and look up and see fully all of the tornado portions and Delia’s corpse. Ever stoic, if Stock feels any pain from seeing Delia deceased, he shows it in no way other than his Raging face becoming angrier and angrier… especially since he no longer has Spider Climb… though, he does have Klink’s Warhammer…
Round 67, Foe Actions
The dead half-orc finishes zooming to the bottom and splats noisily.
A3 appears to study potential targets and then flies down and forms a 5’ wide and 10’ tall Whirlwind on Stock, using the full height of the chamber ceiling.
The Whirlwind instantly picks up the Potion of Fly, **and a whole lot of mud(!)** and is swirling it about! As for Stock…
(OOC - Stock First, Reflex DC 27 to avoid taking its Slam damage one time – full damage or no damage – 23 damage at stake.
Second, Reflex DC 27 to avoid being picked up bodily and held suspended in the powerful winds, automatically taking one slam attack each round (damage still rolled as normal).
If caught in the Whirlwind, Stock cannot attempt to escape, unless he has or obtains the ability to Fly. Combat Penalties: -4 DEX and -2 on attack rolls, and even though you can’t move to a different square you can still attack as normal, draw weapons, potions, etc. as normal, but include the penalties listed as applicable.
Remember – Zanderallen included Stock in his healing earlier.
A1 flies down near the entrance and blasts Stock with a “hand tornado,” battering him for 22 damage (apply DR).
A2 does the same, blasting him for 18 damage (apply DR).
Shields:
Armalad – At 52 HP, prone.
Delia – Deceased. She is only attached to the Cavern wall at 570 feet up by her Slippers…
Foes:
Half-Orc Spellcaster – dead, splat on cavern floor.
Air Elementals: A1 – unhurt A2 – unhurt A3 Whirlwind form 5’ by 10’ centered on Stock – 4
What do you do?
Mud Penalties:
“The depth of the mud created cannot exceed 10 feet. A creature unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free itself from the mud sinks until hip- or chest-deep, reducing its speed to 5 feet and causing a –2 penalty on attack rolls and AC. Brush or similar material thrown atop the mud can support creatures able to climb on top of it. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5 feet.”
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 5d6=14 ; d20+16=34 ; Sunday June 23rd, 2024 4:39:20 PM
Bartomus put aside processing the death of Dahlia. There was a time for weeping and it had to be later, he thought to himself.
He shrugged off the sense of shock that had slowed him and released a bolt, his third, at the air elemental below him and to his right [A3]. With its release, he propelled himself as high as he was able to move and scanned the upper reaches of the cavern. Someone was still watching them, he needed to figure out fast who that might be.
3/15 LghtBlt 3 against A3 - 14 pts, Reflex save against DC 20 to only take half. Perception 34
Armalad (Hugh) HP 52/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Sunday June 23rd, 2024 11:12:40 PM
Armalad casts mage armor on herself and stands from prone.
She can't really do much right now
(OOC: Apparently Armalad had mage armor up and it would have been dispelled by the GDS last round and she'll recast it this round)
Joker AC: 19/13/16
Joker hp - 71/71 - 87/87 with temp hp
Armalad - mage armor Joker false life - +16 temp hp
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20=16 ; Monday June 24th, 2024 6:41:21 AM
It's somewhat annoying not to be able to participate in the fight, but Stohp is confident in her team's abilities. They'll come out on top. For now she needs to focus on not falling and climbing up. 19
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 168/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 11/14 SE 6/6 d20+13=17 ; Monday June 24th, 2024 3:10:11 PM
Zanderallen roars as he hears the death scream from outside the room. Seeing the effectiveness of Armalad's magic he attempts the same. His magical ability is not nearly as impressive and it fizzles. He walks up to the whirlwind, sword appearing in his hand. ================ Dispel Magic CL: 17 (don't think that's gonna cut it)
Move adjacent to whirlwind Free Action to call sword
Delia (Hannah) HP: -16/-12(/124); AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+10=19 ; Monday June 24th, 2024 4:11:18 PM (OOC all arrows are in an efficient quiver, so they'd stay in their cozy little pocket plane.
Hawky cries out again, less piercing, but longer and still raw. His head drops, but his wings beat strongly. Fly DC 19 vs 15 to hover
Delia instinctively reaches out to Hawky at his cry, then realizes she can see the cave floor below through her arm. She blinks. Then blinks again, realizing the sounds of combat are muted around her. She looks around, grimacing at the odd angles of the body next to her. Huh. She thinks to herself, I didn't know slippers of spiderclimb would do that. She begins to worry about the Shields being able to make their way back out of the caverns without her. She had primarily weighed the combat risks and decided the spell caster was a big enough threat to need to... remove. She glanced at the floor where he went splat and grimaced again. But the Shields had the maps they had carefully marked out. They would surely be fine without her.
Stock (JonM) HP: 163/316; AC: 30/30/13; DR 4/-; CMD: 40; Rage: 7/44 used d20+11=26 ; d20+11=25 ; d20+23=36 ; d20+23=25 ; d20+18=28 ; d20+13=26 ; d20+8=27 ; d8+33=37 ; d8+33=40 ; d3=3 ; d8+33=36 ; d8+33=36 ; d8+33=36 ; Monday June 24th, 2024 9:15:23 PM
Status: Definitely still raging, -4 dex (in header), -2 to hit
Stock laughs as he is pulled off the ground by the elemental. "You just brought me closer to you!" He feels the tug of the wind as he swings Klink's hammer but tries not to worry about it...even as he gets closer to the edge.
=========== Reflex Save 1 - 26, missed it by that much Reflex Save 2 - 25, missed it by that much again! Power Attack 1 hits AC36, 37 damage 2 hits AC25, 40 damage (d3 was a mistake) 3 hits AC28, 36 damage 4 hits AC26, 36 damage 5 hits AC27, 36 damage I'm going to write off that potion of fly...
Round 68 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d20+21=25 ; d20+25=33 ; d20+26=29 ; d20+26=35 ; d20+26=38 ; d20+26=32 ; 2d8+9=12 ; 2d8+9=22 ; 2d8+9=23 ; d100=28 ; d100=63 ; d100=99 ; d100=14 ; Monday June 24th, 2024 10:50:53 PM (OOC – A3 is presently in Whirlwind form trying to encompass Stock. Any vertical Bolt would damage Stock as well, especially with the mud swirling around the Whirlwind, obscuring vision. The Round 67 map tab shows the elementals are not below Bartomus, but either the same height or above. Based on Bartomus not wanting to Bolt Stock, the elemental to Bartomus’s “right” is A1, so I am applying the Bolt to A1.
Retcon – no arrows fall from Delia because they are… Efficiently contained.
Whirlwind Rules – covered deeply, far below, but…
A3, from the start of its Whirlwind above the Chamber Floor, and due to the quantities of mud it sucked up, has obscured all vision (total concealment) in a 5-foot radius around the entrance (green square). Stock cannot be seen unless one possesses sight to defeat Concealment, but perhaps if one got adjacent to the center of the Whirlwind…)
Bartomus, fearing for his remaining friends, compartmentalizes and focuses on the threats at hand. He sees he can’t hit the elemental attacking Stock without harming Stock, and can’t even see Stock, so he calls a Bolt on A1, who casually contorts away from the brunt of the bolt (wow, they’re agile!). Then Bartomus moves 50’ up, near the edge of Hawky’s Daylight, and uses Darkvision to see up to 630’… Highlight to display spoiler: { and sees nothing and no one, just Cavern and empty air. There was that one dead half-orc who just fell past… but… if he was the only one, how powerful must he have been to have summoned and controlled six elder elementals? Or did he have a companion or more? Were the spider-squids his too? Bartomus looks back down and sees Stock and the Air Elementals battling it out… where is he most needed, in the battle, or scouting alone in the Night Above? }
Armalad casts a spell and stands up.
Stohp climbs some more, her frustration level rising. A potion of fly… spider climb… gauntlets of climbing so I could climb faster… next time elementals, next time…
Zanderallen screams “Noooooooooooooooooooooo……” He Casts Dispel Magic at A3, but to no avail. Zanderallen walks up to the Whirlwind, sword appearing in his hand as he walks Into The Mud (see Mud Penalties, below). The Whirlwind takes advantage of the Opportunity to Attack.
Delia muses in Gargul’s Realm, adjacent to Drapery Cavern. Looking at the Slippers still holding her body she has an insight: Highlight to display spoiler: {the Slippers put the spell on the Slippers, and the wearer commands the Slippers… but I’m not there to command the Slippers any more, and they work for one minute at a time and it’s been… 12 to 18 seconds. I hope the Shields finish this fight and get my body before it goes splat 500 feet down like that spellcaster!}
Hawky screeches again, mournful yet flying his last command… how long after my mistress’s death until I’m a normal hawk again and I forget her???
Stock is engulfed by the Whirlwind(A3), and battered about! Held by the Whirlwind, it doesn’t escape Stock that the Whirlwind has cleaned about a 5’ by 5’ area of mud, now rotating in the vortex just like Stock! If I can just kill this one, I can stand where I am and not be slowed down by the mud! A3 doesn’t seem to recognize why Stock is smiling, or perhaps even that he is smiling… but it feels the impact as Stock swings Klink’s Warhammer at its “insides” over and over again, hitting with just his first three attacks (AC 28 is the magic number) and wounding it severely, he hopes!
Round 68, Foe Actions
A3 AoO as Zanderallen approaches, but (A3 faces 50% concealment from mud cloud when AoO at 10’ distance against Zanderallen, rolls 14%, misses) Zanderallen easily ducks the “hand tornado” which punched too high! This mud cloud obscures both ways, it seems!
(OOC – Swirling mud cloud around A3 whirlwind prevents sight, even darkvision, beyond 5 feet (where concealment 20% applies), so if you’re 10 feet or more away from the whirlwind, then you have to guess at the square (which is obvious, until/if A3 moves) and suffer a 50% miss chance.
Concealment rolls – use d100, and 01-20 or 01-50 are the miss chances, respectively, so roll high!)
A1 ‘steps’ 5 feet in order to see Stock (20% concealment) and blasts at Stock twice, from ‘higher ground,’ missing (on the d20) and then hitting for 12 damage (28%, beats concealment, apply DR).
A2 ‘steps’ 5 feet in order to see Stock (20% concealment), hitting twice for 22 damage (63%, beats concealment, apply DR) and 23 damage (99% beats concealment, apply DR).
A3, carrying Stock, moves out towards the cavern center, ejects Stock, and resumes its Huge size. Stock falls straight down… FAST…
Zanderallen take one AoO against A3, but NOTE (Whirlwind rules) at this distance (5 feet) the mud/dust grants defenders Concealment (20% miss chance) (OOC – d100 first, 01-20 is a miss, then d20 attack as normal).
Stock, unless Zanderallen kills A3 with that AoO, you quickly fall out of the 60’ Daylight, and Stock only Highlight to display spoiler: { you can still see, of course, which helps you estimate that, at the time of your next post, you’re around 320’ up and will most definitely SPLAT in the next three seconds if nothing else happens. } If A3 did die, then it vanishes (summoned) and Stock is still where he was. (Map presumes A3 survives to drop Stock to his doom!)
(OOC – Presuming A3 does not die… Six seconds (one round) is enough time for a person to fall 570’ which would splat (20d6) Stock. Wold Initiative and rounds being what they are, since I have the foes at the top of Round 68, the Shields’ posts would be at the middle. Though no one can see that far into the dark right now, Shields [i]suspect Stock is not quite halfway to bottom, and will definitely splat if no one figures out a way to stop it in the very next post. No SPLAT is heard… yet.)[/i]
Shields:
Stock – falling, in darkness, out of any Shield’s sight but his own…
Delia – Deceased. She is only attached to the Cavern wall at 570 feet up by her Slippers…
Foes:
Air Elementals: A1 – 7 A2 – unhurt A3 – Whirlwind form 5’ by 10’ centered on Stock – 117
What do you do?
Mud Penalties:
“The depth of the mud created cannot exceed 10 feet. A creature unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free itself from the mud sinks until hip- or chest-deep, reducing its speed to 5 feet and causing a –2 penalty on attack rolls and AC. Brush or similar material thrown atop the mud can support creatures able to climb on top of it. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5 feet.”
If Armalad can see any air elementals she'll fire her bow at the nearest one otherwise she'll cast light on her bow. She imbues the first arrow with antimagic field
34 vs AC; 7 + 1 fire + 3 ice + 3 shock and 9 + 5 fire + 5 ice + 4 shock (1d8+1d6 fire +1d6 ice + 1d6 shock +4) x 2 on first of full attack plus antimagic field centered at point of impact on elemental causing elemental to wink out of existence; I think since antimagic field is centered on the elemental it just can't come back as the field would last longer than the summon spell 20 vs AC; miss 33 vs AC; (1d8+1d6 fire +1d6 ice + 1d6 shock +4) = 10 + 3 fire + 2 ice + 5 shock
Joker AC: 19/13/16
Joker hp - 71/71 - 87/87 with temp hp
Armalad - mage armor Joker false life - +16 temp hp
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20=15 ; Tuesday June 25th, 2024 7:38:20 AM
That sea shanty from before once again invades her mind as she climbs.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 192/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 8/14 SE 6/6 d100=10 ; 8d6=24 ; d20+13=32 ; d20+27=34 ; Tuesday June 25th, 2024 3:55:42 PM
Blinded by the swirling mud, Zanderallens swing connects with nothing but air (normal air) as the whirlwind carries Stock away. Quickly healing himself he steps boldly through the mud to the cleared spot, daring the elementals to attack him. Having no means to attack the elementals directly, and having already opened himself up to attack wading through the mud, he attempts to dispel one of the elementals again. He then stands ready to receive the whirlwind, hoping his Freedom of Movement will provide some protection. ============ Move action through mud to entrance through reach of elementals AC will be 34 in the mud
Swift Action self Lay on Hands heals 24
Standard Action Dispel Magic on A2 Dispel Check 32 should remove up to a summoner CL of 22
If Zanderallen gets hit during casting he will heroically concentrate on his spell for +8 Concentration check: 34 would allow him to continue casting through a damage 26 attack (34-10-3(spell level) = 21 then DR 5/evil for 26
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 5d6=22 ; Tuesday June 25th, 2024 4:37:10 PM
Bartomus just had a feeling that the threat is really above, hiding somewhere in the darkness. But, the Shields were getting battered hard. He dropped down and sent out a bolt at the the other elemental not holding Stock.
Lightning storm bolt for 22; reflex save against 20 to only take half.
Delia (Hannah) HP: -16/-12(/124); AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+10=21 ; Tuesday June 25th, 2024 8:28:55 PM
Delia will cry out at seeing Stock get shunted out of the elemental, her worry about what will happen to her body when her spiderclimb runs out being ejected equally as forcibly as Stock.
If allowed with a 4 int, Hawky would like to plummet after Stock, grabbing a piece of the rope and attempting a handoff to stop his fall before the full 500+ feet of splat. This would drop the daylight arrow.
If not, he will successfully hover and skree at the nearby Shields in concern. Fly 21
Stock (JonM) HP: 118/316; AC: 30/30/13; DR 4/-; CMD: 40; Rage: 8/44 used Wednesday June 26th, 2024 11:30:53 AM
Status: Can’t dispel rage!, now flying Stock whirls and spins and then is falling. He grunts and spins and pulls out another potion. He rage drinks it, expecting it to kick in immediately.
Move action: draw a potion of fly Standard: Drink!
Stock (JonM) HP: 118/316; AC: 30/30/13; DR 4/-; CMD: 40; Rage: 8/44 used Wednesday June 26th, 2024 11:33:25 AM
OOC for those playing along at home…that was Stock’s last fly potion…
Round 69 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d20+21=40 ; d20+26=27 ; d20+26=44 ; 2d8+8=17 ; Wednesday June 26th, 2024 12:49:08 PM
A3’s obscuring and muddy whirlwind proved effective in protecting it from Zanderallen’s Opportunistic Attack… it continued its movement out to about the center of the Cavern, dropped Stock, who immediately began to fall like a stone, and resumed its normal form and size.
Once A3 moved out to the center, the mud ceased swirling and drizzled towards the bottom of the Cavern.
At this time, the entrance to the Chamber is no longer obscured by mud.
Stock soon falls out of Daylight. No splat yet.
Armalad, her vision through the entrance no longer obscured, sees A1 and, Imbuing an arrow, fires it at A1! Armalad only Highlight to display spoiler: {This is a DM call, but I think your logic is sound; Armalad realizes there is a possibility that the AMF might just hang in the air, where the center mass of the air elemental was, so anyone going through the 20’ diameter circle relying on Fly magic might suddenly fall until they were out of the AMF and then resume Flying, and so forth.} A1 is struck, fire, ice, and shock encircling it, and then vanishes!
(OOC – onlookers without Spellcraft might well presume Armalad simply Hit the summoned creature in a Critical Location, for posting purposes. The 20’-wide Anti-Magic Field is not at all visible to your eyes without magical aid/Detect Magic/Arcane Sight…)
Armalad steps 5 feet after that shot, gaining an angle on A2, and shooting towards its top to avoid Zanderallen she fires two arrows at it, missing with the first and hitting A2 with the second. She observes that her arrows are not even penetrating the elementals thus far, and that the fire, ice, and shock are her only effects actually damaging the elementals. (DR: 10/???)
Stohp ascends to 465 feet, sea shanties occupying her mind…
Zanderallen practices his “Nooooo…” again as the swirling mud confounds his ability to slay A3 before it escaped with Stock! With A3’s departure, the mud fell to the ground and Zanderallen could quickly see again, just in time to see A3 resume normal size and drop Stock in the center of the cavern, immediately plummeting to certain(?) doom, or at least out of Daylight… Zanderallen idly wonders why his ring makes him immune to slowing/paralyzing magic, enables him to “run” in water, yet this mud still slows him. Well, the ring doesn’t allow me to walk through walls like I were a ghost, so I guess it must have some limits – can’t push earth, even wet earth, out of the way. He pushes forth to the entrance, the slowing mud granting A2 enough Opportunity to make an Attack! Withstanding it, he swiftly lays hands on himself , healing, and then, A2 already having taken its Opportunity, he safely casts Dispel Magic on it, and it’s suddenly GONE! POOF!
Bartomus’s attention turns to the battle below, and Stock having vanished quickly into the Night Below the Daylight! He Calls Lightning on A3, the only air elemental left, who deftly avoids the brunt of the Bolt, but already heavily wounded, is now more so, its winds slower than before, and its winds frequently falling out of regular patterns! He moves down about 30 feet to the 540-foot level, more than high enough above the Chamber to not block line of sight.
Delia’s spirit cries out in silence as Stock swiftly plummets beyond the reach of Daylight.
Hawky wishes he knew how to help his mistress’s friend, but the friend is too big to carry in his beak, and all he can think of is following mistress’s last command so he keeps hovering with the Daylight arrow, skree-ing loudly, hoping mistress’s friends can save the falling one.
Stock is thrown into the abyss… thankfully his Darkvision enables him to quickly locate, open, and drink a Potion of Fly! The process takes a few seconds and he stops his fall just 20 feet above the Cavern floor! Grrr… alive, but it’ll take me at least half a minute to get back to the battle! Better get moving!
Round 69, Foe Actions
A2 takes the Opportunity to Attack Zanderallen before POOF-ing, missing, and then is itself missing (from view)!
A3 finds Bartomus in its way of attacking “Tiny” Zanderallen, so it moves nearer Bartomus, and strikes at him, tornado battering Bart-tornado for 17 damage.
Shields:
Stock – falling, in darkness, out of any Shield’s sight but his own…
Delia – Deceased. She is only attached to the Cavern wall at 570 feet up by her Slippers…
Foes:
Air Elementals: A1 – Anti-Magic Field from Armalad has “killed” it for battle purposes (7 damage, if it returns) A2 – Dispelled by Zanderallen! A3 – 127
What do you do?
Mud Penalties:
“The depth of the mud created cannot exceed 10 feet. A creature unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free itself from the mud sinks until hip- or chest-deep, reducing its speed to 5 feet and causing a –2 penalty on attack rolls and AC. Brush or similar material thrown atop the mud can support creatures able to climb on top of it. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5 feet.”
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 192/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 8/14 SE 6/6 Wednesday June 26th, 2024 2:42:14 PM
Blink, blink, Zanderallen blinks along as the air elementals that were flanking the entrance wink out of existence. At least on this plane, but that's all he cared about. He can still see one swirling mass of air from Hawky's arrow. Grumbling about flying creatures he wills he sword back into his glove, stows his shield, and once again draws Klink's bow.
Delia (Hannah) HP: -16/-12(/124); AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+10=24 ; Wednesday June 26th, 2024 2:52:10 PM
Delia's cry cuts off in relief as there is no loud thud, clang, splat, or any such noise from Stock's fall. He must have averted it somehow. She tries to mentally count down the seconds remaining on her slippers, but time awareness is slippery now that she's dead. She shoots off a prayer of gratitude to the gods, especially Gargul, for allowing her spirit to linger and see how this fight would end.
Hawky holds to Delia's last command staunchly, his next scree much quieter as he mourns the one fallen to darkness as well as his human. Fly 24
Stock (JonM) HP: 118/316; AC: 30/30/13; DR 4/-; CMD: 40; Rage: 9/44 used Wednesday June 26th, 2024 9:00:00 PM Status: Rage Flying
Stock barely notices the ground as he slows to a stop. "Next time I need to be faster at pulling the potion"
Never one to leave his friends to the fight, he begins the slow process of spiraling upward. He bellows out a message to the party, warning them he is coming. "I'm alive!!!"
Fly Speed is 40 unless you subscribe to the belief that the Slow and Steady trait impacts flight...in which it is 60 and can ascend at half speed...so that means 40' per round
Armalad (Hugh) HP 52/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+24=32 ; 12d6=46 ; d8=2 ; d6=3 ; d6=2 ; d6=2 ; d8=8 ; d6=5 ; d6=5 ; d6=6 ; d20+19=27 ; d8=7 ; d6=1 ; d6=4 ; d20=6 ; d20+14=33 ; d8=8 ; d6=2 ; d6=6 ; d6=2 ; Wednesday June 26th, 2024 9:24:01 PM
Armalad fires her bow at the last remaining air elemental using 4 arrows (2 from the first attack, 1 from the second and 1 from the third). She imbues one of her first arrows with a selective cone of cold.
32 vs AC; 6 + 3 fire + 2 ice + 2 shock and 12 + 5 fire + 5 ice + 6 shock (1d8+1d6 fire +1d6 ice + 1d6 shock +4) x 2 on first of full attack plus 60 foot cone burst of cold for 46 damage DC 22 to take only 23 cold damage shooting upward and diagonally towards AZ which should prevent teammates from being caught up in it but just in case the 7 people she designates to not be impacted are Hawky, Bartomus, Dolgrin, Zanderallen, Stohp,herself and Joker as Delia is dead and Stock is so far below and she can only exclude 7 folks.
27 vs AC: 11 + 1 fire + 4 ice + 6 shock (1d8+1d6 fire +1d6 ice + 1d6 shock +4)
33 vs AC; 12 + 2 fire + 6 ice + 2 shock (1d8+1d6 fire +1d6 ice + 1d6 shock +4)
Joker AC: 19/13/16
Joker hp - 71/71 - 87/87 with temp hp
Armalad - mage armor Joker false life - +16 temp hp
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20=16 ; Thursday June 27th, 2024 7:21:50 AM
Distracted by the climb Stohp notices nothing as she slowly inches up. 19 climb.
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 5d6=17 ; Thursday June 27th, 2024 3:47:52 PM
Bartomus moved back and let loose another bolt at the last air elemental that was trying to cause them additional problems. It flashed and he shrugged as he moved another fifty feet higher.
Call Lightning Storm for 17 points Reflex save against 20 to take only half.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 192/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 8/14 SE 6/6 Thursday June 27th, 2024 4:02:51 PM
Zanderallen stands ready, trying to keep his mind focused on finishing off their last opponent. Trying to stop from thinking about how wrong things had gone and what would have to happen next.
Round 70 - Wall-Crawlers Attack From 570 Feet Up!!! (DM Wayne) d20+21=23 ; Thursday June 27th, 2024 7:32:04 PM
Zanderallen, relieved that the Shields are down to one foe… one foe dozens of feet away from him in open air… stows his shield, vanishes his sword, and draws Klink’s Bow and readies to put down this rabid air elemental!
Delia’s silent “Noooo…” at Stock falling into the Night Below ends abruptly when she hears no echoing splat after seven seconds. Whew… She prays to Gargul.
Hawky screes more softly as another Shield apparently falls (literally! to their foes…
Stock focuses with the rage of a thousand dwarves (or, at least one…) and begins rising back towards the fight, screaming at the top of his lungs that he’s alive! His scream and words echo in an upward spiral, perhaps even reaching the battle! (Stock was at 20’, double-moves up to 80’ (able to Take 10 because he’s so far from the clamor and adrenaline of the fight; flying straight up is somewhat of a tough task with the Fly skill: DC 20 (Corebook p.96). Dwarf’s speed is “never modified by armor or encumbrance” so it’s Fly 60’, but at half-speed for going straight up due to gravity, so 30’ per Move when going straight up.), and flexes his leg muscles as though it might make him go faster!
Armalad steps (to V36) five feet for the best angle at shooting A3 and then unleashes a spell-fueled volley at A3, her fletched ‘spears’ firing above Zanderallen’s head at the Huge Elemental! Her first pair of arrows strike it high, in the ‘head’ were elementals to have such things, yet it still hovers there… but for the Cone of Cold that comes into being! The elemental trivially contorts to avoid the brunt of it but still vanishes with a loud “pop”! Armalad smiles, the third arrow still in her hand, and she returns it to her quiver. Mission accomplished!
Stohp ascends to 475’. She muses that with all this practice, and a long rest, perhaps soon she might be skilled enough to easily climb twice this speed, with a rope.
Bartomus, seeing Armalad destroy their final (visible) foe, rose up 50 feet to Delia’s height, debating whether to rescue her corpse before her Slippers’ magic failed, or to go further up scouting for any more assailants.
Zanderallen breathes a sigh of relief after Armalad destroys the last elemental. Delia… He looks straight up and sees Bartomus has risen to Delia’s height. Good, Bartomus will recover her… body… so we can see about restoring her to life by appealing to Gargul… I think Bartomus still has a powerful enough healing spell to do it now, but are we certain there are no more foes? And what about the half-orc who went splat? Did he have any items that can help us?
One fast minute later…
Bartomus reports there are no more foes in the upper reaches of the Cavern, and like before, what portion of the tunnel at 600’ he can see is clear of anything more than a normal insect. He recovers Delia’s body from the wall, the Slippers not being proof against force yanking them away from the wall.
Stock is upset he missed the rest of the fight, but reports the half-orc had some shiny gear.
Zanderallen reports he has Largon’s Dragon Crown.
Bartomus makes a quick trip to recover the half-orc’s gear and brings it back up to the Chamber. One Shield puts all of it in their Bag of Holding.
Dolgrin finally emerges from the wall somewhere in this, and climbs up to the Chamber and checks in. “I missed quite the battle! I’m so sorry about Delia.
You Shields are very powerful… rather than wait some two weeks to get back to Mountainhome via that higher tunnel that leads to the surface, which would still be faster than traversing the Underwold without Delia to take the lead… perhaps we should all gather in this Chamber, away from wandering monsters, and your most powerful spellcaster with healing ability can cast their highest level of spell to petition Gargul to restore her to life now?
Yes, yes, we have a powerful enough cleric back at Mountainhome, but in case they’re on an expedition or something, probably best to bring Delia back to the land of the living, should Gargul permit it.
I pray Domi’s blessings on your petition to Gargul.
Who can cast the most powerful, highest level, healing spell here?
Elapsed Time: Total of thirty-six (36) sleeps since The Fork and the Mossy Path, and thirty-seven (37) sleeps since entering Wind Tunnels.)
Delia (Hannah) HP: -16/-12(/124); AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 Friday June 28th, 2024 12:11:34 AM
As the Shields arrange themselves, Hawky plants himself next to Delia's head, glaring at anyone who tries to move him.
At the mention of petitioning Gargul, Delia's spirit blinks. Strange to think that she and her companions could petition the god of death. She shudders. Gargul had not been the most pleased with them when they petitioned him on behalf of the Lads. Facing him again could be unpleasant.
Stock (JonM) HP: 67/265; AC: 34/31/17; DR 4/-; CMD: 41; Rage: 9/44 used Friday June 28th, 2024 10:36:17 AM
Stock feels the pit in his stomach when he sees Delia's limp form for the first time. "Bart - this feels like your time to shine. Do you have any healing that can help here? If not you, then Z maybe? Surely one of you has a slice of power that can help."
In the meantime, enough time has passed that some of the bruises covering Stock's body are now visible. He has taken quite a beating. He unconsciously wipes away some of the mud from his lower body, preparing himself should he end up in the presence of a deity.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 6/14 SE 6/6 8d6=37 ; Friday June 28th, 2024 2:38:34 PM
Zanderallen takes Delia's body from Bart as they gather in the crown chamber. With the battle over the weight of his grief nearly overtakes him as he takes her broken body in his arms. Laying her out on the cleanest, flattest part of the chamber he arranges her to look like she is merely sleeping, bow in hand. As if wishing her back a wave of healing energy emanates from Zanderallen as he channels positive energy. "She is beyond my power, but perhaps I can prime the area."
He then rises, a grim look on his face as he places Delia's bow back in her hand, she would need it again soon. He takes a step back motioning to Bart to take over. ============= Everyone heals 37 from channel positive energy
Armalad (Hugh) HP 89/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Friday June 28th, 2024 3:28:36 PM
Armalad says, "My power is more utilitarian and destructive but I think Bartomus has totally got this. My one regret from the battle was how long it took me to realize that all the elementals we were battling were summoned creatures perhaps had I realized it sooner we could have taken care of the earth elementals quicker and not left Delia alone with all those air elementals."
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Friday June 28th, 2024 6:09:31 PM
Well crap. Having caught up with the party and on events it seems things didn't go as well as hoped. They've lost one of their own. Should have gotten more flight options instead of just relying on endless ropes. Hindsight and all that. She's not confident in an appeal to Gargul, such things are rare after all and the party has been blessed by the return of their own before. To hope it happens again seems arrogant, but she won't object.
Absence of Heartbeat [DM Jerry] Friday June 28th, 2024 11:43:49 PM
After the chaos of battle and the shock of Delia Hayward, ranger and friend, the silence is most deafening. Every sound in the cavern seems to echo, where as before it was hardly noticed.
Our heroes can even hear their own breathing echo off of the walls of the chamber. Very strange.
-----
Delia, your spirit floats around able to look, see, and think. But no one hears you, sees you, or can detect you at the moment. You do feel a very strange new set of sensations.
There is no need to breathe. You try to feel the absence of your heartbeat, but you can't touch or feel anything. You can feel emotions, however.
And you begin to feel a "tugging." A pull, that it is hard to resist, but you feel you must. It is not time to leave yet.
(I will post again tomorrow night.)
Armalad (Hugh) HP 89/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Saturday June 29th, 2024 7:12:05 PM
Armalad waits for something to happen
Delia (Hannah) HP: -16/-12(/124); AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 Saturday June 29th, 2024 8:43:18 PM
The strangest sensation passes over Delia as her body is arranged. She swears she can almost feel the gentle winds of Bart's elemental form catching her as she peels off the wall or Zanderallen carrying and arranging her, but there is nothing. Not even the familiar grip of her bow can evoke any sensation. She crouches next to her body, stroking Hawky's back with ghostly fingers, though it brings neither one any comfort.
The absence of any input from the outside world. The absence of heat. The grief of her friends. The tug grows strong. Maybe... she should go. Though it would be a short life, she lived it well. She contemplates one of her calloused hands. Life had not always been easy. She watches her hand grow fainter. Then she clenches her fist. Not yet.
There is still work to be done.
[DM Jerry] Saturday June 29th, 2024 10:13:02 PM
[OOC: We're on hold until Bart posts. I understand Bart's player is on vacation. :) If we don't get a post by Monday night, I'll push on anyway. Rooting for Bart's player to check his phone or laptop and post. Feel free to post conversation to get your posts in.]
Armalad (Hugh) HP 89/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Sunday June 30th, 2024 8:44:37 PM
Armalad continues to wait patiently
Bartomus (Jerry) Sunday June 30th, 2024 11:29:43 PM
Bartomus says, "I've been taught that a divine caster can cast a healing spell of the highest caliber spell that they can cast and Gargul will hear the adventurer's request. It's not a Resurrection of Raise Dead spell. It's a....checks his memory again...Mass Cure Critical Wounds spell.
"Is everyone ready? Hope so..."
Bartomus casts Mass Cure Critical Wounds.
(Jerry, I decided to post for Bartomus as the best way to kickstart this. Rod, please forgive my posting for you.)
"HEROES! COME! NOW!" DM Jerry Sunday June 30th, 2024 11:46:36 PM
At first nothing happens. Then the wind picks up, which shouldn't happen in a giant cave. Then some distant rolling thunder. With a crack, a stalagtite cracks and falls about 20' from the ceiling impaling Delia's spirit! At least it would have if she was corporal.
A gate opens. Wind goes rushing through picking up growing amounts of loose rocks and dirt. For Delia, the pull is almost too much! Something is pulling, tugging at her go through the gate. She resists for the moment, but knows she will not be able to withstand this for more than a moment.
Our heroes then hear a distant booming voice with unbelievable power say, "HEROES! COME! NOW!"
Beyond the gate is a violet colored landscape with strange rock formations, bunches of almost black trees. A rushing wind.
The cave begins to shake with the force of the summons. The gateway shakes and a crack forms in the floor in front of it. It may not remain open for long...
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Monday July 1st, 2024 7:13:32 AM
Stohp heads through solemnly, though somewhat quickly so as to not get locked out.
Stock (JonM) HP: 67/265; AC: 34/31/17; DR 4/-; CMD: 41; Rage: 9/44 used Monday July 1st, 2024 9:18:32 AM
Stock follows along. ”You guys think this has to do with Delia, right? If not, I’m not sure we are in much of a position to fight off whatever is through this gate…”
Stock (JonM) HP: 104/265; AC: 34/31/17; DR 4/-; CMD: 41; Rage: 9/44 used Monday July 1st, 2024 9:19:18 AM
Header updated from Z’s channel
Armalad (Hugh) HP 89/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Monday July 1st, 2024 10:25:25 AM
Armalad says to Stock, "Joker and I could have those scrolls of greater teleport Stohp bought ready to get us out of here but I don't have the buffs cast that let us more easily use them but we could try to run anyway if things turn sideways."
Delia (Hannah) HP: -16/-12(/124); AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 Monday July 1st, 2024 1:15:47 PM
Delia, discomforted by the slowness of her reflexes in spirit form and the stalagtite now sitting in the middle of her chest, slowly unclenches her hand and allows the tug to whisk her through the gate.
Hawky stays mourning over her body.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 6/14 SE 6/6 Monday July 1st, 2024 3:28:01 PM "This is definitely the work of Gargul. Let us not keep him waiting, and be respectful." Zanderallen rises from where he was attending to Delia's body and hustles through the portal. He takes several deep breathes to prepare for the coming petition. He casts his mind back to when the Shields were petitioning for his return. His chest aches as his old wound flairs up at the memory, some thing stick with you no matter how much healing you're given.
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 4d8+17=39 ; Monday July 1st, 2024 4:55:53 PM So, an option is a mass cure critical wounds on mass scale and try channeling all of that at her. " Bartomus said with a questioning glance. "But, I think I could try a heal spell and give it absolutely all I have got and see what happens with that."
Bartomus took a moment and then when he caught confirmation as to what the others thought, he began casting the spell.
CSW Mass = 39 v. Heal - 170 points available to channel into that.
"YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION SON" (DM Jerry) Tuesday July 2nd, 2024 1:23:08 AM
As all but Bartomus heads through the gate, they enter the violet shaded desolate landscape beyond.
Stohp, first through the gate, notices several things right away. First is that there is no sun, moons, or stars here. A few violet colored clouds hang above you, lower than you've ever seen before. Great cracks in the ground tend to cross the plain running running ahead and to your right where he notices a redness of sky in the distance. He can make out something moving in the distance, perhaps if he focuses on it?
Stock takes a look around for any opponents in this forsaken land. He sees quite a number of spirits floating forwards and towards the right where the sky seems to turn red towards the horizon. Focusing in that direction, he notices that the redness seems to become clearer as if just by concentrating seeing for a distance is not difficult. Perhaps if he focuses more?
Stock spots what looks to be Delia, floating away in that direction.
Armalad offers a solution involving greater teleport in case things go bad and they have to "get out of here."
Joker thinks, "Look!" to Armalad and points at Delia floating away to the right among other spirits heading in that direction, floating above them.
Armalad also sees two other gates far away to the left. When you focus on them they become more detailed in your vision, as if distance is not a factor here. One can just concentrate and see across the vast wasteland. One of these gates is covered in fire and what looks like an Efreet enters that gate and is gone. (Jerry note, go read the recent posts in the CMTC game if you'd like.) The gate instantly closes again.
Even farther to the left, Armalad sees a 2nd gate, seemingly made of giant bones? Someone has written initials on it, but they are hard to make out...
Delia continues to feel the pull as she floats along about 20' above the Shadowlands. A brownish red glowing river is further along and to her right. Obviously this is what is making the sky in that direction have a reddish appearance. All the spirits ahead of her seems to be floating in that direction. Looking at the river causes you to speed up! She loses sight of the other heroes after some time and focuses on the approaching river her spirit as that is the direction of whatever is pulling and tugging her along.
Zanderallen reminds everyone that bringing them here is the work of Gargul and that the group should not keep him waiting. He reminds everyone to be respectful as he enters the Shadowlands and continues to move forward and instinctively to the right towards the red horizon.
The voice of Gargul, God of Life and Death booms at Bartomus. "YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION SON, GRAB THE BODY AND COME THROUGH, QUICKLY. THINGS ARE AFOOT! EBERYON IS HERE WITH ME. WE AWAIT YOU!
As time passes, more and more souls pass overhead floating towards the red horizon to the far right. Some seem content. Others seem to be fighting whatever tugs them along. Those seem to be accelerating. Evidently resisting makes whatever "it" is pull harder?
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Tuesday July 2nd, 2024 5:58:42 AM
Stohp has been here before, but it's been a long while. She waits for the audience to begin looking about a bit nervously.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 6/14 SE 6/6 Tuesday July 2nd, 2024 10:28:17 AM "Come Bart." Zanderallen leads the way toward the red horizon, trying his best to ignore the souls around him. They had their own business and he had his. He does try to keep eyes on Delia's soul to stay with it.
Stock (JonM) HP: 104/265; AC: 34/31/17; DR 4/-; CMD: 41; Rage: 9/44 used Tuesday July 2nd, 2024 11:57:55 AM
Stock looks around at the other Shields. When he sees that nobody brought Delia’s body, he dashes back through the portal to the cave, carefully picks her up, and dashes back through to catchup to the other Shields. ”Does anybody still have eyes on Delia’s soul?”
Delia (Hannah) HP: -16/-12(/124); AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 Tuesday July 2nd, 2024 4:21:54 PM
Hawky squawks at Stock and then rockets himself onto the dwarf's shoulder, sinking down into himself but staying with his human as best he can.
Delia tries resist the strength of the pull, not looking at the river. If she notices that resisting has the opposite effect, she will try to regain calm. But breaths do not steady her as they normally do. She fights down a rising sense of panic as she can feel nothing and loses sight of her friends. She does not want to face a god alone.
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 Tuesday July 2nd, 2024 6:56:32 PM
Bartomus followed after the others carrying the body of Delua and had a touch of worry about this sudden appearance of Gargul. He scrambles down into the opening even faster when he hears that Eberyon is there as well.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 89/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+22=23 ; d20+20=32 ; d20+15=34 ; Tuesday July 2nd, 2024 9:18:50 PM
Armalad tries to make out the writing on the giant gate and if she's having trouble quietly asks Joker if he can make it out.
But How Will You Cross? (DM Jerry) Tuesday July 2nd, 2024 10:33:33 PM
Delia begins to learn the ins and outs of being a spirit in the Shadowlands. As she nears the Woldsblood river, her speed increases plunging her into it. She learns that she can stay on the surface, plunge beneath, speed up, and move left and right by will of mind. The only thing she can't do is stop or reverse course.
Time seems to rush forward or to stop, she's not sure, but soon she is pushed out into a small bay of Woldsblood surrounding the lands of the afterlife. She takes to the air again flying over this bay into the Lands of Rest. Definitely the most beautiful place ever created. It just seems....real. Like everything else is just a shadow version of this place. She instantly sees the huge half-dome covering Gargul's Place of Judgment. He sits on a black throne. To the left of the throne is a long line of dead waiting to be judged. Directly in front is a Surface Drow bowing low as his judgement commences.
She softly lands at the end of the long line of dead. She watches as the Surface Drow bows low, thanks Gargul and walks off into the Lands of Rest. Gargul's last words are, "When you feel ready, you are granted another life. Until then, rest. There are no worries here.
Gargul's gaze flicks in Delia's direction, just for a second, then he motions a group of 3 forward.
-----
Hours if not days pass as our heroes traverse the Shadowlands. They follow Zanderallen's lead travelling toward the red horizon. With time it is revealed that the reason the horizon is red is that the infamous glowing Woldsblood River or "River of Death" reflects its dark reddish glow upon the sky forming a light source of sorts.
Stohp seems anxious to get there, while Zanderallen tries to ignore the souls floating overhead and then plunging into the river where their rate of travel increases.
Stock and Bartomus, carrying Delia's body catches up, but neither one can now see Delia's spirit.
After what seems a lifetime, they reach the place where the River of Woldsblood enters the bay surrounding the Lands of the Afterlife. To the left are craggy mountains and if you concentrate some screams and forlorn shouts: The Estates of Unrest.
Directly ahead is Maab's Castle and the Valleys she rules and protects behind it. Beautiful.
But both are shamed by the Lands of Rest to the right. Waterfalls, forests, rolling hills covered with flowers and fruit trees. Unbelievable. But how will you cross?
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+23=43 ; Wednesday July 3rd, 2024 7:10:13 AM
Huh. Last time this happened, years ago, they were summoned directly to Gargul. Stohp looks about with interest as they travel, not having expected the chance to view the land of the dead. Once they reach a seeming dead end she'll also look about for the best way forward (43 perception)
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 6/14 SE 6/6 d20+15=17 ; Wednesday July 3rd, 2024 10:11:45 AM
Zander keeps his focus on the following the river. He can't help but gaze at the Lands of Rest, wondering what it would have been like to have not been raised and be there. But that was not a healthy line of thought. As they reach the bay he looks around, "How did you guys get to Gargul's palace last time?" He looks around thinking back to his studies on the Lands of Rest. ============= Know(Rel): 17
Delia (Hannah) HP: -16/-12(/124); AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 d20+31=42 ; Wednesday July 3rd, 2024 10:36:24 AM
Delia waivers between losing herself in the freedom of being a spirit and feeling lost by being a spirit. Concern bubbles up in her chest at this land feeling more real than the land of the living. She flinches at Gargul's glance, then hastily nods in respect.
She keeps looking back, trying to see her friends. Her anxiety grows as the line in front of her shrinks.
Perception 42
Hawky stubbornly digs in to Stock's shoulder guard. He does not want to be here, but he will not leave his Delia.
Stock (JonM) HP: 104/265; AC: 34/31/17; DR 4/-; CMD: 41; Rage: 9/44 used Wednesday July 3rd, 2024 12:13:36 PM ”Be calm Hawky. This will be resolved soon, one way or the other…
…Is anybody else hungry? I’m hungry. Or at least I feel like I should be…” His overall unease at being here is getting to Stock, making him chatty of all things. ”Like Stohp said, last time we just…arrived there. Must have been a short line for Gargul that day.”
He stops momentarily and closes his eyes, focusing on what he remembers of Gargul’s court. He visualizes in as much detail as possible. Maybe that will be enough to get him and the rest of the Shields where they need to go. He opens his eyes again…
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+5=24 ; Wednesday July 3rd, 2024 2:41:23 PM
Stock's shared recollect is what Bartomus also recalled. He shifted his weight and Delia's body as he looked about.
"My Lord Eberyon, we are hurrying," the Taur said aloud in part as prayer and in part as a self assurance to himself and the others.
He looked about and tried to recall what he might have heard in the past.
Knowledge Planes for 24
Armalad (Hugh) HP 89/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Wednesday July 3rd, 2024 4:05:20 PM
Armalad wouldn't consider herself particularly religious her mastery over matters of the arcane was due to her own intelligence and hard work. Still though when one finds oneself in the presence of The Lord of Life and Death and other Immortal Powers especially of the mercurial fey persuasion one does one's best to be polite. If Armalad finds that her and Joker are in anyway delaying things she does her best to respectfully hurry along. Otherwise she waits in respectful silence until addressed
This is a Serious Place, Child (DM Jerry) Wednesday July 3rd, 2024 9:56:21 PM
[I don't remember how you did it before. Whether you came through the Shadowlands or sent straight to Gargul. I don't even know if I DMed Gargul last time. So I'm taking a liberty as to what your skill checks determine. If I get it wrong, please forgive. :)]
=====
Stohp remembers instantly how he did it before: he floated across. You just thought that you wanted to do it and it happened. He does remembering being afraid of losing his concentration, but that didn't happen.
Knowledge/Religion doesn't help Zanderallen other than to know that almost all the time in the last few centuries when Resurrection is cast, those who cast it and are close to the deceased also appear before Gargul's throne to petition for the return of their dead comrade. He knows from his studies long ago that some said they just appeared before Gargul's Throne, but some accounts talk about travelling in various ways across the Shadowlands where one's "mind" or "concentration" affects travel and seeing on the plane.
Stock remembers approaching the throne from a distance. But the whole thing seems a bit dreamy. The thought occurs that the living don't always remember the Lands of Rest in detail because they are still alive. It's just...too real for the living. It felt like the Lands of Rest was real and the Wold proper, just a shadow of it? Seemed that way anyway...
Bartomus thinks of all the knowledge he's learned about the Planes and remembers that in the Elemental Planes, one can speed up and slow down by concentrating on one's speed since there is no ground so to speak in most of those places. In many planes there is no "ground/land" so one has to get around differently by means of focus and thought. Just think float, move rise, descent, and you do so. He also remembers something about seeing and distance also being affected by concentration. If something is 'far off', you can focus on it and it appears closer while you concentrate.
-----
Delia standing in line is not at the end of the line for long. Others arrive. A woman and girl stand in line behind you. The girl looks at you and says, "You have freckles like me. See?"
The mom says, "Leave her alone, Zell. This is a serious place, child. That's a god up there." The girl looks at the woman, "You're not my mom! You just ran the orphanage. You can't boss me around now. At least I don't think you can."
Armalad (Hugh) HP 89/134 AC 25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+13=16 ; d20+4=9 ; Wednesday July 3rd, 2024 10:02:00 PM
Armalad watches her companions and turns to her familiar and quietly says to Joker, "Do you know any thing about planar travel?"
He says, "Lemme think about about that boss."
Know (Planes) - Armalad 16 Know Planes - Joker 9
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 147/147AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Wednesday July 3rd, 2024 10:22:43 PM
Stohp concentrates on remembering. Herself, Stock, and Bart were here once before, when Zanderallen died fighting a great underwater evil known as a Deep One. They walked on air to the throne of Gargul and got a teamwork lecture from Domi.
It was honestly kind of freaky having the literal gods show up and talk about the group like favored students who needed to study more. "We should be able to just walk through the air. I think it's this way?" Stohp says/asks. She tries stepping into the air carefully, before advancing with greater confidence and moving to lead the others.
Bartomus(Rod) HP:144/144 AC 21; (150/150) 1/5 Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 12/7/2;Perc+16;Heal+11 Thursday July 4th, 2024 1:28:42 AM "Right!" Bartomus said in response to Stohp. "We float!'
Bartomus smiled as Stohp took a step upward and continued. He nodded at her success and then followed along.
"Float - like a leaf on the wind." He said aloud and continued onward.
Delia (Hannah) HP: -16/-12(/124); AC 29/21/23; CMD 44 Thursday July 4th, 2024 11:05:51 AM
Delia kneels down to the girl's level, her panic softening, "Hi Zell, my name is Delia." She offers her hand to shake and then looks up at the woman, "I heard Lord Gargul say this was a place of no worries. If you have been a kind caretaker of those who had no one else, I can't believe he would grant you anything but rest."
She looks back to Zell, "I do have freckles. A lot of them. Have you ever tried to count yours?" She folds her sleeve back to reveal an also freckled arm. (at least, if clothes work the same as a spirit)
Hawky huffs, puffing out his shoulder feathers but stilling just a little.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 226/226 AC: 36 DR:5/Evil T: 15 FF: 35 CMD: 35 LoH 6/14 SE 6/6 Thursday July 4th, 2024 12:14:32 PM "Just float. Well I guess this is the Lands of Rest, why wouldn't that work." Zanderallen takes a deep breath and focuses back on their previous visit, remembering the calm power of Domi. Centering on that memory he wills himself forward towards Gargul's throne.
Almost as One (DM Jerry) Thursday July 4th, 2024 9:58:35 PM
Almost as one, like a team trained to fight together, Stohp, Bartomus, and Zanderallen rise into the air, beginning to leave Armalad behind. They pick up speed and confidence as they move about. They see the spirits leaving the River of Woldsblood and heading a bit to the right across the bay. They seem dive and emerge like leaping fish as they move towards the Lands of Rest on the right.
Our heroes float or "fly" above them. They learn they can concentrate and see ahead of them as far as they want and that they can adjust their speed, as well as turn etc. Looking ahead for where they should go, they quickly spot Gargul's outdoor place of judgment. Only the area above the throne and is covered with a partial roof.
There are three groups of people here. There is a line to the left of the throne where the dead wait to be judged. There is an audience there to welcome friends and witness the proceedings. And there is a n old woman standing before the throne being judged. She collapses in a heap and two skeletal birds dip down out of the sky, pick her up, and carry her off to the left, presumably towards the Estates of Unrest.
LOG ON