Noticing the battle had begun, Otinan roused himself from his thoughts and threw a missile of pure energy at the first person he saw. He crumpled to the ground like paper.
Move Action: Move to I9
Standard Action: Magic Missile on C4
He's dead. No roll required.
[ Up Next: Lackies, Round 2 ][ On Deck : Bandits and Dwarves ]
Combat fills the blackened chamber. A blast of ice and a bolt of magical energy are followed by a flurry of axes, swords and daggers. Those enemies still alive after the onslaught see that they've taken heavy casualties, and begin to look around apprehensively.
Sensing that his bandits are losing their nerve, the dwarf bellows out, "Stand Fast Men! These ones are trying to horn in on our territory, and we won't be having that! And kill the Scaly One first! He got ice in my beard!"
Outside the door to the chamber, a voice can be heard in return, "You're crazy, dwarf! I'm getting out of here while I can still breathe!" The statement is followed by the ever-softening sound of fleeing footsteps.
His face turning red with fury, the dwarf dons his shield, hefts his warhammer and rushes towards the dragonborn, roaring like a beast as he does. He swings through with his hammer, striking the paladin in the chest with a solid blow which is turned partly aside by the power bestowed by Quinn.
Seeing a blow driven home by their leader, the bandits strike with renewed enthusiasm, though they lacked the results of their master. The first steps up next to the dwarf, taking a swing at Faergus's head. He overextends and misses his target completely. The other bandit steps back to create some space between himself and the drunken, axe-wielding Elmo and then lobs a dagger at the man which sails wide.
Chuckling softly as his quarry tries to escape him, Elmo sidles over next to the bandit and swings his battleaxe again. The blow connects again, and the bandit crumples to the floor, dead.
Then, out of nowhere a flurry of stones seems to emanate from the now open door. Two fly in the direction of Faergus and Elmo, whistling harmlessly by and hitting the far wall. A third flutters past Valesti into the wall behind her. Looking towards the doorway, it isn't readily apparent where the assault came from.
Otinan:
As the dart of magical energy speeds unerringly to its target, you get the familiar sensation that something odd is happening. Watching the missile more closely, you see it impact the bandit's chest and explode into a shower of sparks which take a very particular form; that of an eye of fire. As quickly as the image forms, it starts to melt away, and creates a different form; that of a spider with a female drow head. The images are there for only a brief second, but they are seared in your memory.
Passive Skills: The first symbol is unrecognizable. The second you recognize as the holy symbol of Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders.
OOC: These symbols appear only for Otinan. Everyone else just sees a magic missile hit and kill the bandit.
Alfonse:
You see through the arrow slit that the bandit is running as fast as he can across a large open room and through what looks to have once been a doorway, then out into the main courtyard of the moathouse. The double doors he passes between are now broken; one flat on the floor, the other broken in half on its hinges.
Here's how it goes: Allies/enemies take turns out of order in a group/block. So if 3 PCs are in a block together before an enemy goes, those 3 can take their turns in any order. Then the enemies go that are in a block, then the next set of PCs go.
Stats:
(L7) Alfonse: HP 22/22 | AP: 1 | HS: 6/6
(D6) Faergus: HP 25/29 | AP: 1 | HS: 14/14
(L11) Otinan: HP 21/21 | AP: 1 | HS: 6/6
(I11) Quinn: HP 28/28 | AP: 1 | HS: 10/10
(F8) Valesti: HP 18/26 | AP: 0 | HS: 10/10
(D5) Dwarven Bandit Leader: HP 57/64 -Divine Sanction (Faergus)
(C5) Human Bandit 1: HP 30/37 -Divine Sanction (Faergus)
(???) Halfling Slinger: HP 22/22 -Hidden (Perception DC: 24)
(E4) Elmo: HP 45/45
[STRIKE]() Human Lackey 1: HP 1/1
() Human Lackey 5: HP 1/1
() Human Lackey 2: HP 1/1
() Human Lackey 4: HP 1/1
() Human Lackey 3: HP 1/1
() Human Bandit 2: HP 3/37 - Bloodied! [/STRIKE]
Monster Details
Dwarven Bandit Leader: HP 64; Bloodied 32; AC 23; Fort 18; Reflex 15; Will 17; Speed 5; Vision: Low-Light
+5 to saving throws versus poison
Traits:
Stand Your Ground:
When an effect forces a dwarf to move, the dwarf moves 1 square less than the effect specifies. When an attack would knock the dwarf prone, the dwarf can roll a saving throw to avoid falling prone.
Halfling Slinger: HP 22; Bloodied 11; AC 15; Fort 12; Reflex 15; Will 13; Speed 6; Vision: Normal
+5 to saving throws versus fear effects
Traits:
Nimble Reaction:
+2 AC versus opportunity attacks
Human Bandit: HP 37; Bloodied 18; AC 16; Fort 12; Reflex 14; Will 12; Speed 6; Vision: Normal
Human Lackey (Minion): HP 1; AC 19; Fort 18; Reflex 19; Will 15; (miss never damages a minion) Speed 6; Vision: Normal
Special:
Strength in Numbers:
+1 damage for each ally adjacent to target
I posted the coordinates of everyone as well, making it easier to plan your attacks (Letter, then number).
Another way to make it easier is to post what monster you hit e.g. Melee Basic attack on Grunt(F5)
Faergus took the Dwarf bandit's blow to the chest, grunting with the impact. His armor aborted most of the strike, but it was sure to leave a nasty bruise. Well, two can play at that game.
The Dragonborn dodged the other's bandits strike and used the momentum to spin round--gathering momentum for a mighty blow of his own. The dwarf reacted faster than expected, pulling back at the last moment and saving his neck from a savage cleave. Unfortunately, he didn't pull back quite enough, and his proud beard, still frozen solid from the earlier ice blast, shattered into a thousand ice splinters. The floor glittered with the remains.
Oh oh, thought Faergus as the Dwarf let out a horrified scream. "My beard!"
Minor action: Divine Challenge vs. Bandit Leader (D5)
The Bandit Leader is marked, and if the Bandit Leader makes an attack that doesn't include Faergus, he takes 8 points of damage. The mark ends only if Faergus does not attack the Bandit Leader nor ends his turn adjacent to him.
Standard action: Enfeebling Strike vs. Bandit Leader (D5)
Ignoring the rocks whizzing past her head and sizing up her targets, Valesti thought of a tricky shot that might just get both of them. The hardest part would be not taking off the dragon's head in the process. She concentrated on the human bandit, focusing her attention on him. Elmo and Faergus seemed to have the Dwarf well in hand, and she winced as she saw his frosted beard shatter. "Stop torturing the poor soul and put him out of his misery already!"
Shifting both axes to her right hand, she tossed them with a sharp side-arm motion, trying to make both curve around the paladin. Thankfully, she didn't hit him, but her caution caused both axes to veer toward the human, missing the Dwarven bandit entirely. His ally didn't seem to enjoy the extra attention, blood splattering on the wall close behind him. Another replacement set were drawn from a bandolier, the Dwarf still studded with the versatile weapons.
Minor Action : Declare Bandit C5 as Quarry.
Standard Action : Split the Tree Attack Roll : 1d20+6=10, 1d20+6=17 = Hit Bandit
Damage Roll : 3d6+6=17 = 2W+dex+Hunter's Quarry Minor Action : Draw two axes.
[ Up Next : Alfonse, Otinan, Quinn ][ On Deck : Round 3, Bad Guys ]
Quinn carefully maneuvered around the dwarf, avoiding any errant blows, and begins to sing a thunderous battle chant. As he moves to strike the foe, his voice reaches a fever pitch, resonating in the mind and body of all in the room.
Move: Move to D4 (avoiding opportunity attacks).
Standard Action: Inspiring Refrain, targeting bandit at C5 (if Otinan targets the bandit and knocks it out before I have the chance, change to the dwarf). Attack Roll: 1d20+8 vs. AC= 27! Damage Roll: 2d8+5 = 20! Minor Action: Nothing
NOTE: Every ally within 5-squares of D4 when the attack is made gains a +1 power bonus to attack rolls until the end of Quinn's next turn.
NOTE: Quinn is flanking the bandit leader, providing combat advantage to Faergus, and depending on what Otinan does, may have hit the dwarf leader (though remember this +1 to hit occurs AFTER Otinan's turn).
NOTE: Quinn has not seen an enemy fall since his last turn, and has consequently not given out his four temporary hit points to any ally, though this may change with Otinan's turn.
Those are all my notes!
With a thunderous crack, the sound reverberates through Quinn's arm as he strikes true and badly damages his foe. His allies feel inspired to strike true, regardless of the target, as the music fills their souls with the joy of battle.
Peeking out from behind the cover of the ruined wall, Otinan gestures towards the dwarf bandit leader and a missile of pure energy sprung from his hand, streaming unerringly to the chest of his enemy.
Standard Action: Magic Missile on Dwarf (D5)
- Automatic Hit, 6 damage.
The dwarf's sanity seemed to disintegrate along with his shattered beard. His eyes fixate on Faergus and foam starts to seep out of his mouth. He starts to shout obscenities in Dwarven and swinging wildly at the Dragonborn. He doesn't even seem concerned about finding himself between two enemies. Instead, he swings his shield in a wide arc at the paladin's head, bashing him solidly and knocking him to the ground. He then spins around and leverages as much of his weight as he can muster into a downward swing of his warhammer, smashing the prone figure again in the chest. He stands over Faergus, oblivious to all others, his eyes fixed on his target with a singular purpose.
Shaking his head at the dwarf's antics, Elmo looks to Faergus with a wry smile, "This'un gots some meat to 'im, that's fer sure. Ya think when you're done with your nap, you canna hop up and give us a hand here?" Elmo punctuates his sentence with a loud belch then, seeing an opening for a strike, Elmo leans into his next battleaxe swing, driving the blade down between the plates of armor protecting the dwarf. His blow nearly collides with the plates, but a feeling of inspiration from the bard's actions helps the strike land true. The dwarf grunts in pain at the blow to his back, but doesn't take his eyes off the prostrate warrior.
A feeling of warmth comes over Faergus as he watches the drunk go about his business, and several of his wounds knit up seemingly of their own accord.
As she watches the battle unfold, Valesti turns her head just in time to avoid a stone coming from the vicinity of the open doorway. The stone smashes into the wall behind her.
Map (Round 3):
Enemy Actions
(C3)Dwarven Bandit Leader:
Minor:Shield Bash vs. Faergus {+9 vs. Fort(13) = 17 HIT! ; 13 damage, and Faergus is knocked prone}
Here's how it goes: Allies/enemies take turns out of order in a group/block. So if 3 PCs are in a block together before an enemy goes, those 3 can take their turns in any order. Then the enemies go that are in a block, then the next set of PCs go.
(D5) Dwarven Bandit Leader: HP 41/64 -Divine Challenge (Faergus)
(???) Halfling Slinger: HP 22/22 -Hidden (Perception DC: 24)
(E4) Elmo: HP 45/45
Killed Foes:
[STRIKE]() Human Lackey 1: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 5: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 2: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 4: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 3: HP 0/1
() Human Bandit 2: HP 0/37 - Bloodied! [/STRIKE]
Unconscious Foes:
[STRIKE]() Human Bandit 1: HP 0/37[/STRIKE]
Monster Details
Dwarven Bandit Leader: HP 64; Bloodied 32; AC 23; Fort 18; Reflex 15; Will 17; Speed 5; Vision: Low-Light
+5 to saving throws versus poison
Traits:
Stand Your Ground:
When an effect forces a dwarf to move, the dwarf moves 1 square less than the effect specifies. When an attack would knock the dwarf prone, the dwarf can roll a saving throw to avoid falling prone.
Halfling Slinger: HP 22; Bloodied 11; AC 15; Fort 12; Reflex 15; Will 13; Speed 6; Vision: Normal
+5 to saving throws versus fear effects
Traits:
Nimble Reaction:
+2 AC versus opportunity attacks
Human Bandit: HP 37; Bloodied 18; AC 16; Fort 12; Reflex 14; Will 12; Speed 6; Vision: Normal
Human Lackey (Minion): HP 1; AC 19; Fort 18; Reflex 19; Will 15; (miss never damages a minion) Speed 6; Vision: Normal
Special:
Strength in Numbers:
+1 damage for each ally adjacent to target
I posted the coordinates of everyone as well, making it easier to plan your attacks (Letter, then number).
Another way to make it easier is to post what monster you hit e.g. Melee Basic attack on Grunt(F5)
Entering through the wall, I see the main combat unfold. I know I need to get into the room that I was peering into. Running past Valesti I tell her that I was going into the next room. As I traveled through the room which the fight was ensuing. I thought I'd give my own two cents in the fight, and send a dagger at the dwarf, all the while moving through the room.
Standard:Sly Flourish Vs Dwarven Bandit Leader: {+10(+2CA) Vs. AC 23 = 18MISS!} Move:F3
I guess I was in too much haste to get into the next room. When I sent my shuriken to fly, it flew too high.
Jarred by the triple impacts of shield, warhammer, and floor, Faergus shook his head to clear it. With alarm, he saw that the Dwarf was completely unhinged by the loss of beard and looked ready to pound him into the ground like paste. Faergus surged to his feet, flicking his sword out to buy himself space. The longsword missed, but at least he was now standing.
Note that the Bandit Leader continues to be under Faergus's Divine Challenge. He is marked and takes 8 points of damage if he makes an attack that does not include Faergus.
Then the absurdity of the dwarf, wet beard half-cleaved, hit him. It was a deadly dangerous situation, but he snickered anyway. He couldn't help it, although he managed to cleverly turn the laugh into a sustained cough. "Bit of gristle," he said, but the mad look in the Dwarf's eyes made it clear his excuse wasn't believed. Faergus readied himself for the next blow.
Valesti was getting a bit tired of rocks whizzing past her head. The Dwarf ignored the melee nearby and made her way across the room, following after Alfonse. "Need some company?" Once she reached the doorway, the source of the flying stones was clear. Diving into the room between Alfonse and the Halfling, she came up swinging, easily burying the lobbed axe into the would-be sniper just a few feet away.
Move Action : Move to F4.
Minor Action : Declare Halfing Sniper as Quarry.
Standard Action : Nimble Strike on Halfling Sniper, shift to G3. Attack Roll : 1d20+8=27 HIT
Damage Roll : 1d6+1d6+6=13
Quinn was a little irked that the dwarf was still beating on his friend, but Faergus seemed to be taking it well. He watched as the two stealthy types ran into the other room, and hoped that they would handle whoever was throwing the rocks. He focused his attention on the now beardless dwarf between him and the dragonborn. Noting a small tactical advantage, he thrust his sword towards the dwarf, in the hope that the dwarf would prove distracted, and attempted to damage some of the dwarf's armor.
NOTE: Valesti recieves 4 temporary hit points on her turn when she bloodies the halfling sniper
NOTE: The dwarf bandit leader's Armor Class is now 21, not 23, until the end of my next turn
With his mouth set in a thin line, he managed to worm his sword through some of the dwarf's armor, creating a large visible opening for others to attack. Quickly, he calls out to his allies, "if you've got weapon attacks, this fellow's armor is compromised for a short while." Looking warily at the Faergus' position, he hoped that faergus could survive a few more rounds of the dwarvish onslaught, as Quinn did not relish the thought of the dwarf's attention turning to him.
[Up Next: Otinan][On Deck: Round 4, Dwarf and Elmo]
As the fight whirled around him and the dwarf screamed out at the lost of his beard, Otinan finally woke up. He had been literally awake for the entire fight, of course, but the world seemed to have slowed to a crawl as as stones flew and beards crumbled. His companions could handle themselves without him, at least.
Climbing off of the rock he had been standing on for far too long (or so his feet told him), he aimed yet another unerring missile at the angry dwarf and let fly. Maybe if he was lucky it'd knock off the last of his beard. A dwarf without a beard is a funny thing indeed.
Move Action: move to H3
Standard Action: Magic Missile on the murderous dwarf.
It autohits for6 damage!Isn't magic great?
The blows coming from all sides seemed to do nothing more than incense the dwarf further. His mouth fully frothing, he forces his shield up into Faergus's chin, delivering a solid blow and once again dropping the paladin to the ground. Following through with his warhammer, he overreaches and plants the head of the hammer into the stone floor next to the prone dragonborn.
Stepping over a few paces to get a better angle at his target, Elmo flourishes his axe and then slices it downward in a vicious arc. His intentions were true, but his aim was not, and the blow is turned aside by the corner of the dwarf's shield.
Outside in the main hall a small halfling in leather armor suddenly feels that it has become quite crowded. His fears are even more pronounced when Valesti fires an axe in his direction. He attempts to land a blow with his dagger as she brings the axe to a throwing position, but his jab misses the mark. As the axe leaves Valesti's hand, the halfling darts to the side, changing the angle of the throw. Valesti's reflexes are fast enough, however, and the axe finds its target. As the axe lands true, Valesti is surrounded by an aura of protection.
Stumbling backwards visibly, he fires a sling stone back towards the dwarf. This time his aim is true, and the stone finds the mark. While some of the force is absorbed by the aura, Valesti still feels a portion of the stone's force as it hits her in the midsection. The aura dissipates with the stone's impact, seemingly gone as soon as it appears.
Immediate Interrupt: Second Chance: Valesti must re-roll attack {+8 vs. AC(15) = [URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/ 3038262/"]18[/URL] Still a Hit! }
Here's how it goes: Allies/enemies take turns out of order in a group/block. So if 3 PCs are in a block together before an enemy goes, those 3 can take their turns in any order. Then the enemies go that are in a block, then the next set of PCs go.
(D5) Dwarven Bandit Leader: HP 26/64 -2 AC until end of Quinn's next turn -Divine Challenge (Faergus) - Bloodied!
(H2) Halfling Slinger: HP 9/22
- Bloodied!
(E4) Elmo: HP 45/45
Killed Foes:
[STRIKE]() Human Lackey 1: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 5: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 2: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 4: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 3: HP 0/1
() Human Bandit 2: HP 0/37 - Bloodied! [/STRIKE]
Unconscious Foes:
[STRIKE]() Human Bandit 1: HP 0/37[/STRIKE]
Monster Details
Dwarven Bandit Leader: HP 64; Bloodied 32; AC 23; Fort 18; Reflex 15; Will 17; Speed 5; Vision: Low-Light
+5 to saving throws versus poison
Traits:
Stand Your Ground:
When an effect forces a dwarf to move, the dwarf moves 1 square less than the effect specifies. When an attack would knock the dwarf prone, the dwarf can roll a saving throw to avoid falling prone.
Halfling Slinger: HP 22; Bloodied 11; AC 15; Fort 12; Reflex 15; Will 13; Speed 6; Vision: Normal
+5 to saving throws versus fear effects
Traits:
Nimble Reaction:
+2 AC versus opportunity attacks
Human Bandit: HP 37; Bloodied 18; AC 16; Fort 12; Reflex 14; Will 12; Speed 6; Vision: Normal
Human Lackey (Minion): HP 1; AC 19; Fort 18; Reflex 19; Will 15; (miss never damages a minion) Speed 6; Vision: Normal
Special:
Strength in Numbers:
+1 damage for each ally adjacent to target
I posted the coordinates of everyone as well, making it easier to plan your attacks (Letter, then number).
Another way to make it easier is to post what monster you hit e.g. Melee Basic attack on Grunt(F5)
Although the flurry of blows, cuts, and magical attacks had seemingly no effect on the dwarf (except for Faergus' breath, of course), Otinan knew he would fall soon. Hearing the satisfying squelch of an axe meeting flesh, the wizard spun around just in time to see Quinn's magical aura partly deflect the halfling's stone. "So you're the bastard throwing rocks at us?" the Eladrin said, "let me show you how it's done!" He flung yet another magic bolt into the fray, watching as it whizzed between Alfonse and Valesti and impacted with a strangely metalic "thump." The halfing was struggling to even stand at this point, but the technique and finess behind their dwarf's axe throw was undoubtedly more spectacular. He was beginning to miss his theatrics from the night before.
Move Action: Move to E4
Standard Action: Magic Missile on H2
Autohit for 6 damage! He's down to3 HP.
Free Action: Wistfully remember my glory days...
[ Up Next: Faergus, Alfonse, Valesti, and Quinn][On Deck: Round 5, Dwarf, Elmo, and Halfling]
"I am Dragonborn, not Turtleborn. Stop trying to roll me on my back." But the Dwarf wasn't listening. He was too busy extricating the war hammer from the stone floor next to Faergus's head. The strike had come awfully close. Much too close. This battle needed to end and soon--before the mad Dwarf knocked Faergus's helmet off with the Dragonborn's head still in it.
Faergus slipped aside and came to standing, his longsword arced with the movement. The Dwarf, slow to react, took the hit to his weapon arm, jolting it badly.
Move Action: Stand up
Minor Action: None
Standard Action: Enfeebling Strike vs. Bandit Leader = HIT!
Bandit Leader is hit for 6 points of damage is -2 to attacks till then end of Faergus's next turn. He continues to be marked and subject to Divine Challenge.
The Dwarf grunted as the flying stone caused that odd barrier to flicker away before she could really even notice it, leaving a large dimple and crack in her armor where it had dug into her midsection. Digging it out and tossing it aside with one hand, the other was busy hefting her axe. Sliding back through the doorway a bit more cautiously than before, she took a moment to study the situation. The melee around the other Dwarf was furious, chaotic.
Valesti paused and studied, doing her best to focus on the bandit. Her concern for the limbs of her allies flailing around near the Dwarf caused her throw to veer just slightly off target, clattering loudly against the wall behind the bandit. She sighed and drew two more, already not looking forward to all the repair work piling up tonight.
Standard Action : Nimble Strike on Dwarf Bandit, Shift to F4. Attack Roll : 1d20+6=20 Miss Minor Action : Draw two hand axes.
Minor Action : Declare Dwarf Bandit as quarry.
[ Up Next: Quinn][On Deck: Round 5, Dwarf, and Elmo]
By the time Quinn had another chance to strike out at the dwarf, all of the other foes had fallen, with Alphonse now on the recieving end of Quinn's virtue of valor. Faergus had taken quite a brutal hit, and could not likely take many more without assistance. Quinn let his battlesong drop to a low hum, briefly, inspiring Faergus to keep fighting.
Turning the remainder of his attention to the dwarf, he struck out at the same area as before, trying to knock the dwarf off balance again and make him easier to hit.
Minor Action: Majestic Word on Faergus, he may spend a healing surge and regain 5 additional hitpoints. Faergus is not slid.
Minor Action: None
Standard Action: Guiding Strike attack on dwarf bandit Attack Roll: 1d20+10 vs. AC = 30, CRITICAL HIT, Damage = 14
NOTE: Alphonse received 4 temporary hit points for downing the halfling.
NOTE: Dwarf Bandit leader has -2 to AC until the end of Quinn's next turn.
With a flourish and a resounding thwack, Quinn pummels the dwarf bandit leader mightily, and spurs his companions towards victory.
The Dwarf staggers under the assault from the party, his energy almost spent. Channeling what little fight he had left in him, he swung his shield up towards the Dragonborn once more. Faergus easily sweeps aside his feeble attempt, but then opens himself up to the enemy's warhammer, which slams into the paladin's chest.
A solemn look comes over Elmo as he raises his axe one last time. "I gotta admire a man with fight, but I think it's time for a nap, eh?" He slams the flat of his axe blade down into the dwarf's head, crumpling the bandit to the floor in an unconscious heap.
XP Gained for this Encounter
675XP / 5.5PCs = 123XP each
Treasure Found:
Coin: 35gp, and the dwarf wears a gold chain worth 50gp Mundane Equipment: Plate mail, warhammer, heavy shield, 2 maces, 5 clubs, 1 dagger, 1 sling, 15 sling bullets
Breathing heavily, you gather your thoughts as silence returns to the room in the aftermath of the battle. Sifting through the dead, you find that the dwarf and one of the leather-wearing human bandits are still breathing. The room itself is floored in black flagstones, with ebon-colored wall hangings that are now burnt and tattered. Bedrolls are pitched in odd corners of the room, and the remains of a fire are still smoldering in a fireplace on the northern wall. Heaps of rubble and broken furniture are piled about the room.
Remembering what Bralack mentioned about a secret door, you move to the eastern wall and quickly locate a loose brick. Giving it a shove, you hear a loud click and a crack appears between two sections of walls. One section easily swings out, revealing a dusty staircase that descends into utter darkness.
Outside of the chamber is a large room that appears to have once been an audience chamber, as shown by the tattered banners and tapestries on the walls, destroyed furniture and heaps of rotting cloth thrown into corners. Once richly appointed, it has been thoroughly searched, sacked and despoiled. Leaves and dirt cover the floor, and cobwebs hang from walls and the ceiling above. Looking up, you see that pieces of beams and chunks of stone poke through, indicating that the upper stories of the place are totally destroyed and likely to be impassable to anything larger than a rat.
Hallways lead off to the west and south. The southern hallway begins with the ruins of a staircase, now unusable with the destruction of the upper floors. The hallway continues past several doors and opens up into a larger room that is shrouded in darkness. The western hall likewise has doors leading off of each side, but it culminates in a pair of closed double doors. At the beginning of the western hallway is a small alcove. Peeking inside, you see another staircase heading down. No light emanates from the bottom of the staircase, and the air smells moldy and unclean.
Between the two hallways is a set of double doors. One is hanging by a single hinge, and the other lays on the ground, utterly ruined. As you look in the direction of the doorway, which Alfonse is heading towards, you hear a loud scream come from outside the moathouse. The scream is shrill and filled with terror, and then abruptly ends in a loud grunt.
Alfonse
As you head out of the double doors you see a set of stairs that lead down into a large courtyard. The courtyard is packed dirt, and shows signs of age and inattention. Weeds grow in large patches, and rubble from the outer walls which have fallen into disrepair is strewn about. At the far end of the courtyard is a ruined tower with a closed wooden door. There is also a large set of gates that have been torn down, and the drawbridge leading out away from the fortress. Across the drawbridge your gaze falls upon a truly gruesome sight. A giant frog, at least the size of a horse, is swallowing the fleeing bandit. Only the man's legs remain outside the creature's mouth, kicking as he screams and attempts to resist. It opens its maw and uses its front legs to push the rest of the poor soul in, clamping its jaws closed with a sickening crunch. It then hops back towards one of the deep, green pools and submerges itself in the murky water.
Being the closest, Valesti turned and poked her head through the door she'd momentarily followed Alfonse through, before fully entering the larger room. "By Silverbeard's silver beard...what was that?" She didn't move much further in, glancing at the side hallways and peering out through the large doorway, hoping she'd find Alfonse in one piece.
Quinn began to hum, as he cleaned his blade and readjusted his armor. He checked all of the unconscious bandits and with a length of rope from his pack, tied them up, saying "this should hold them a little while should they wake up." As Quinn hummed, his companions felt invigorated yet again, and their battle weariness seemed to melt away. "This secret door is very promising, but we should explore this level very thoroughly before we move on, we can reduce the chances of getting attacked from behind." After tying up the bandits, Quinn began to look around the room for anything out of the ordinary.
Note: At the end of the short rest, if anyone spends a healing surge, they regain an additional 5 hit points
Note: Over the course of about five rounds, Quinn makes 5 perception checks, and if he sees nothing of consequence, will be satisfied. This will generally be his modus operandi for all rooms.
Rolls: 5, 20, 19, 12, 12
After taking a moment's respite to catch his breath, Faergus checked over his armor, frowning at the scratches left behind by the Dwarf's warhammer. Oh well, it was better than what the fellow had been planning for his head.
"I agree with Quinn," he said once the other paladin was finished speaking. "I wouldn't want anyone to come up behind us when we go looking below. We should make sure each of these rooms is empty before we proceed further. Also it would behoove us to look for clues for more information about these bandits and who might be employing them."
Standard Action: Faergues spends 1 surge and is back to full health
Here are five perception rolls: Perception: 5#1d20+2181012197
Surveying the room, Quinn notices the edge of a small chest which is buried under some rubble in the northwest corner of the room, near a table and chair where the Dwarven bandit leader was eating his meal.
Carefully removing the rubble around it, you extricate the chest from the rubble. It is plain in design, wooden with iron bands. A keyhole adorns the front, and after rifling through the pockets of the unconscious dwarf you find the key. The lid opens easily after the lock is turned, and opening the chest reveals the glint of gems and gold, along with a pair of vials wrapped in an animal skin.
Chest Contents:
Coins: 50gp Gems: Two roughly cut amethysts, each valued at 50gp Magic Items: Two Potions of Healing
Power (Consumable, Healing): Minor Action. Drink this potion and spend a healing surge. Instead of the hit points you would normally regain, you regain 10 hit points.
I tell everyone about the Giant Frog, that had eaten one of the bandits, and where he hopped back into the water. I say to Valesti that I will follow her and her eyes. We will check the southern area first, then will check the doors from the Northern door and working counter-clockwise as Faergus had suggested in the Western Hallway. Hopefully we can find more bandits, before they find us.
"Good eyes, Quinn! I'm sure those will be of use in this expedition." Faergus pondered how the potions would best be used. "You may want to hand them to our less... hmm... durable allies. I have Pelor for protection, you have Cuthbert and Otinan has Elmo, but Alfonse and Valesti... well... perhaps a little insurance on their behalf is in order."
The Paladin picked up a dagger and the sling and stones left behind by the bandits. He felt keenly his inability to hit enemies out of reach of his sword. That done, he settled his armor and gestured south, "Let us make sure we leave no enemies behind us before we head below."
If no one has any objections, Faergus will take the dagger, sling, and 15 sling stones. I don't expect he'll need them, but you never know.
Also, I'm not sure it's necessary, but just in case: !Ready
Elmo gives the unconscious dwarf a light kick while taking a swig from his aleskin. "That's for being a bugger!" he jokes softly before joining the rest of the group in the main hall. He keeps his axe at the ready, just in case
Valesti blends into the shadows and makes her way down the southern hallway. Poking her head inside the open doorway, she's greeted by the sight of decay and wreckage. Ruined furniture is piled up around the room, but initially nothing else of note is visible. Just as she was about to turn away, she sees a glint from behind a ruined bookcase. Approaching cautiously, she finds an ornate longsword wedged between the wall and the bookcase. The pommel is inlaid with gold, and the blade itself shines without a hint of rust or disrepair.
Heading back out into the hallway, she puts her ear to each of the doors that are closed. Behind the first door she hears no sounds of movement. Opening the door without a sound she takes a quick peek and sees nothing of note; merely the destroyed remnants of the former occupants. Moving across the hallway she listens again. At this door she hears the sounds of chittering and movement. Deciding against opening the door, she moves slowly to the end of the hall.
The room at the end of the hall opens up into a larger expanse. The room itself is once again littered with ruined furniture, and some of the walls have crumbled somewhat, creating piles of debri that can be scaled to get outside into the moat. In the center of the room she sees two dead human bodies. They are dressed in simple leather armor that looks like that worn by the bandits. Peeking further in, Valesti starts in alarm as she sees a gigantic snake looking directly back at her. The beast is easily 15 feet long, and is coiled up on a pile of rubble in the far corner of the room. After being frozen in apprehension for a few seconds, Valesti realizes that the beast is either asleep, or hasn't noticed her yet.
Rolls and Items of Note
Magic Item: +1 Longsword (Songblade) - Favored by Quinn
Enhancement: +1 attack rolls and damage rolls Critical: +1d6 damage Property: Bards can use this weapon as an implement for bard powers and bard paragon path powers.
Valesti shudders at the description of what Alfonse had seen. She's rather glad she wasn't quick enough to catch that. After retrieving her axes and cleaning off the blood and gore in a matter-of-fact manner, she begins her quick recon. After a few minutes pass, she returns, backing down the hallway, carefully carrying the sword she'd found in both hands, blade pointed down. She almost stumbled into Alfonse, who'd been close enough to come to her aid if there was any trouble.
The Dwarf manages to control herself, hastily explaining what she'd seen to the others once they'd all met in the main area once more. She gently tilted the ornate sword against the wall near where other loot was piled, respecting the obvious craftsmanship and treating it appropriately. "I'm sure one of you boys will have more use for this pig-sticker than I. Now, I suggest we leave the horrible giant snake alone and never go that way again. Although one of you should keep an eye on that hallway, just in case..." Valesti isn't so interested in the one unopened door that she'd risk alerting the monstrous snake, and hopes the others won't be that foolish either.
Now she headed toward the other unexplored hallway, keeping Alfonse close at hand. Things weren't as dark here, so hopefully the search would be over more quickly. After checking these rooms, they still had two dark staircases for her to peer down. For some reason, she wasn't exactly thrilled by that thought.
The ruined hall is hushed as Faergus and his companions whisper about the threat posed by the giant snake to the south. Valesti's distaste is clear on her face. As is her reluctance to engage it. Faergus would normally agree, but the monstrous creature has already found prey in the moat house once before. Who is it say it won't again? This time named Faergus or Quinn or any of them.
As Valesti and Alfonse scout west, the Paladin recalls the peaceful conversation in Hommlet's druid's grove. He had pledged not to turn away from the dark that overshadowed the forest. Was this snake grown overlarge such a one? What would the druid think of such a monster?
Insight on Druid's Preference: 1d20+928
Faergus is trying to work out how Hommlet's druid would perceive the giant snake and what his preferences regarding it might be.
When Valesti and Alphonse returned from their excursion, Quinn presented both with the potions. Smiling, he says "this should come in handy should you be out of range of St. Cuthbert's blessings." As he handed them away, he saw the ornate sword in Valesti's hand. "A sword of fine quality, it should assist us in the search of justice." He removed his old sword, and wrapped it in a bolt of sheepscloth, and placed it in his backpack. Valesti handed it to him, and testing the balance of the new sword, he made some experimental slashes at the air, each cut producing an audible hum. He attempted to match the hum with his own voice, and the sound created was harmonious, and filled his companions with thoughts of valor and stories of great battles. He sang a short song about the fall of Rary, and the notes themselves seemed to be sharp and almost painful, as if he were channeling sound through the sword. Then, as quickly, he sheathed the sword in his old scabbard and looked at Valesti. "This is a princely weapon, thank you for bringing it to me. As to the snake, I will defer my judgement to the group, but it would be unwise to leave this area unsecured. Further, the snake may make a meal of our bandit captives, which would not be particularly conducive to their seeing the justice of St. Cuthbert. In addition, that tower across the courtyard looks ominous, we should explore it as well."
Note: The songblade increases Quinn's bonus to hit and damage by 1.
iReady
All druids believe in the balance of all things, and in the natural order of the world. You theorize that Jaroo would likely find the killing of the snake distasteful if it was done for the reason of ensuring that the beast did not attack one of the party members. An animal only attacks out of hunger or fear, for the most part. Assuming that the bandits were threatening the snake in some way, it stands to reason that the beast was just acting out of self-preservation. Now, if the snake attacks one of the party members, or if it was determined that the snake was corrupted in some way, then the party would be well within the cycle of nature to slay it.
Passive Nature: Snakes have been known to grow to large sizes, depending on the level of the food supply and the presence of other predators. If there's a lot of food, and not a lot of other predators, then it's possible the snake could grow significantly.
After reconvening with the group, Valesti makes her way down the western hallway, first poking her head into the open stairwell leading off from the main hall. The stairway drops into absolute darkness before Valesti can make anything out at the bottom. One thing she is able to discern, based on her dwarven background, is that the stairway definitely opens up into a larger room wherever it ends. Taking a similar approach with the previously hidden stairway, Valesti again sees nothing but darkness as the stairs descend. Different from the other stairway, Valesti's underground senses tell her that the hallway is narrow and seems to stop 20 to 30 feet down.
Satisfied that initial curiosity is sated, Valesti starts to move down the western hall, stopping at the first door on the southern wall. Listening closely, she hears no movement. Opening the door, she finds another room littered with broken debris. After poking around for a minute or two she discovers nothing of any worth, so she heads back out into the hallway. Moving to the other door on the southern wall she employs the same tactic, with much the same result - Another room already picked over for valuables, and containing nothing but destroyed furniture.
Crossing the hallway she puts her ear to the only door on the wall. She catches a faint sound of clicking coming through the door. The sound seems to start and stop, but she's not able to determine the exact source of the noise without opening the door itself. Only the double doors remain. She listens intently through the door and can make out the sounds of something very large that seems to be snoring, or at least breathing heavily and noisily.
Back in the main room, Elmo takes a peek back into the chamber you came in through and calls to the rest of the party, "Looks like our nearly beardless dwarf friend and his buddy are starting to wake up."
Stealth: [19]
Perception (Room 14): Highest Roll [19]
Perception (Room 15): Highest Roll [28 - Natural 20!]
Perception (Room 16): Highest Roll [24]
Perception (Room 17): Highest Roll [28 - Natural 20!]
Perception (Secret Stairway): Highest Roll [25]
Perception (Open Stairway): Highest Roll [28 - Natural 20!]
Left the doors closed that had something behind them. Updated the map file in the previous post to remove the Fog of War from the rooms that are now open.
"I didn't think Cuthbert was the singing type. Leave it to an elf, I suppose." She shrugged and took the potion before starting off on another round of exploration. At the double doors, their final stop, she looks to Alfonse. Without speaking, she moves aside, gesturing for him to take the lead this time. The Dwarf stood back from the door, where she could get a good look inside if it was too dark. She had a feeling the rogue would have a better chance of opening the door without waking whoever or whatever was inside. Or alerting them, if that horrible noise wasn't snoring.
Heading down the hallway, Alfonse reaches out and turns the handle of the double doors. As he's opening the portal, it creaks slightly, and you hear a snort and some movement inside the room. Looking sheepish, Alfonse peeks around into the room. In the far corner he sees a large reptilian creature. The beast is bright red, and has a large frill surrounding several horns jutting from its head. Despite the noise made by the rogue, the beast is slumbering peacefully. Looking around the rest of the room you see the customary destroyed furniture and general disrepair. There are also several mostly eaten carcasses of giant rats and piles of dung at various points in the room. From the condition of the place, you would say that the creature has been in this room for quite awhile, and is living off rats that come into the room through the walls.
Otinan would recognize the beast's description as that of a Rage Drake, and know that if the beast was domesticated at birth, it could serve as a mount and guardian. If it was not domesticated, the rage drake is "a brutally efficient and highly territorial hunter".
Rage Drake: HP 77; Bloodied 38; AC 17; Fort 17; Reflex 15; Will 15; Speed 8; Vision: Normal
Valesti spots another horrible monster while peeking over Alfonse's shoulder. She just backs away and waits for the door to close, before gesturing toward the rogue toward the remaining door. If he agrees to open it, they'll repeat this performance, then report back to the rest of the party. It looked like they needed to decide if they should try to clear out these monsters, or check downstairs first. The hidden staircase seemed to stop short, so it would be the fastest to check, she would imagine.
Moving over to the door at Valesti's gesture, Alfonse opens it slightly and takes look inside. Amidst the clutter and dilapidated surroundings he notices a gigantic beetle. The beetle has large, sharp mandibles and a constant stream of spittle dripping from its mouth. The beetle seems content to root around the debris, not noticing the human.
Uncle Herbert caught the then 8-year old Dragonborn amongst his philters, beakers, and other oddments. The boy was exploring the inn's roof and climbed in through the open window, only to be quickly drawn to the brightly colored instruments: Things that bubbled and gassed, a book the size a small pig, a pen which glowed oddly turning the light around itself.
Uncle Herbert had gently taken the pen out of the boy's hands, wrapped it in gold cloth, and locked the treasure away. Thereupon followed a long lesson, but not on the importance of private property as one might expect. Not from Uncle Herbert. No, the lesson was on the importance of collecting prizes of one's own with each piece gathered representing a resource to be used later. For victory. For survival.
It was one lesson in a history of lessons, but Faergus remembers it.
In Uncle Herbert's safekeeping, there is still an old box of treasures from Faergus's adventures as a child: A blue rock, a dead snake's skin, a stick in the shape of man.
The memory fades as Faergus gazes at the bright blade handed from Valesti to Quinn. He notes the shiver along his spine as the ringing tone of Quinn's new blade quiets to silence. The sword is a worthy prize for the other Paladin. It may save his life one day. His or a companion or some stranger who knows nothing of his savior except for the bright singing blade in his hands.
And there may be other such treasures hidden away in the places the bandits feared to look. But to get to them, the beasts that share the bandit's home will have to die. He pledged to Hommlet's Druid that he would fight evil in the Gnarly Wood. He would have done so anyway for that was he was sworn to do. But these creatures? They are vicious perhaps but not evil.
All creatures act according to their will--lit from within by the fire from Pelor that only they can embody. If the creatures pose a threat to him, his companions, or their mission, then he will fight them. But if it is only for gold or glory, then he will pass them by.
But Uncle Herbert did not raise a fool. If there are treasures to be had, Faergus will not turn them away. He knows their usefulness and will put them in the Sun Lord's service.
Now to explain to his comrades and hope for their understanding.
After spying the drake in the one room, and then closing the door. He thinks about the healing potion that Quinn gave him, and kind hoped it was a new change of pants.
Then to open the next door, and to find a gigantic beetle, he thinks in his head "and a new pair of shoes.." because everything that was in his pants, just fell into shoes. I close the door, hopefully before the beetle smells me.
First a giant snake, then a drake, and now a gigantic beetle... and on top of it our captives are starting to wake up. Did the bandits know of these critters here, did they put them in those rooms, or was it they they simply weren't here long enough to check out the rest of the area?
These are some questions I'll bring to the rest of the party's attention, if they hadn't thought of it themselves yet.
The disappearance of Otinan struck Quinn, and he realized that not every person was up to the task of clearing an entire complex of evil. Shaking his head, he turned to the two captors they had, as they were waking up.
"Dwarf" he said, gruffly and with an air of authority,"clearly you and these other fellows are working for some bad folk. That said, it seems you have done us no great ill, and you've lost as much as anyone in our battle. I would have us parlay for a time."
Quinn waits for a response, but even if the dwarf spits at him and ignores him, Quinn will continue to talk.
"The cause of evil is a losing battle, and the payment rendered by the big bad evil guy is rarely equitable to that payment paid to the adventuring types who show up and take your most precious of possessions, life and pride," he says, motioning towards the absence of the beard. "You have at this time, three options. First, you can be helpful to our requests, not be a pain in the ass, and should we leave you here, wait for us to return. Second, you can sit there like lumps, being angry about getting beaten and let it fester within you like a sore, and be uncooperative. Third, you can pretend to be helpful, lead us down the wrong path, and then try to escape."
Quinn coughed, "obviously, we would prefer the first. The second is agreeable, though we may need to knock you out and shove you into a closet, or have that guy" he points to Elmo, "drag you back to Hommlet for justice, without any real explanation as to why. The third, is the least preferable to all of us, for if you were to try to escape or send us down the wrong path, we will catch you, and my companion's blades will likely not be as... gentle as they were this last time. The choice is yours, tell us what you can, about this area and the monsters, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are treated fairly. Again, I emphasize that up till now, I have seen you commit no real crime, other than assault. If we were to hold you to that, though, we would be the biggest hypocrites in the world, wouldn't we" he said, chuckling to himself. "What say you?"
Posts
Standard Action: Magic Missile on C4
He's dead. No roll required.
[ Up Next: Lackies, Round 2 ][ On Deck : Bandits and Dwarves ]
Combat fills the blackened chamber. A blast of ice and a bolt of magical energy are followed by a flurry of axes, swords and daggers. Those enemies still alive after the onslaught see that they've taken heavy casualties, and begin to look around apprehensively.
Sensing that his bandits are losing their nerve, the dwarf bellows out, "Stand Fast Men! These ones are trying to horn in on our territory, and we won't be having that! And kill the Scaly One first! He got ice in my beard!"
Outside the door to the chamber, a voice can be heard in return, "You're crazy, dwarf! I'm getting out of here while I can still breathe!" The statement is followed by the ever-softening sound of fleeing footsteps.
His face turning red with fury, the dwarf dons his shield, hefts his warhammer and rushes towards the dragonborn, roaring like a beast as he does. He swings through with his hammer, striking the paladin in the chest with a solid blow which is turned partly aside by the power bestowed by Quinn.
Seeing a blow driven home by their leader, the bandits strike with renewed enthusiasm, though they lacked the results of their master. The first steps up next to the dwarf, taking a swing at Faergus's head. He overextends and misses his target completely. The other bandit steps back to create some space between himself and the drunken, axe-wielding Elmo and then lobs a dagger at the man which sails wide.
Chuckling softly as his quarry tries to escape him, Elmo sidles over next to the bandit and swings his battleaxe again. The blow connects again, and the bandit crumples to the floor, dead.
Then, out of nowhere a flurry of stones seems to emanate from the now open door. Two fly in the direction of Faergus and Elmo, whistling harmlessly by and hitting the far wall. A third flutters past Valesti into the wall behind her. Looking towards the doorway, it isn't readily apparent where the assault came from.
Otinan:
Passive Skills: The first symbol is unrecognizable. The second you recognize as the holy symbol of Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders.
OOC: These symbols appear only for Otinan. Everyone else just sees a magic missile hit and kill the bandit.
Alfonse:
Map (Round 2):
Enemy Actions
- Minor: Ready Heavy Shield
- Standard: Charge Attack vs. Faergus (Move to D5) {+12 vs. AC(20) = [URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3021680/"]31[/URL] HIT! ; [URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3021680/"]8[/URL] damage}
(+1 added to the text to account for charge, which wasn't in the roll itself)(D3)Human Bandit 1:
(F4)Human Bandit 2:
(G4)Halfling Slinger:
NPC Actions
Initiative:
Human Bandits: 23 average
Elmo: 21
Halfling Slinger: 19
Faergus: 19
Alfonse: 17
Otinan: 11
Valesti: [URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3002808/"]9[/URL]
Quinn: 8
Human Lackies: 6 average
Here's how it goes: Allies/enemies take turns out of order in a group/block. So if 3 PCs are in a block together before an enemy goes, those 3 can take their turns in any order. Then the enemies go that are in a block, then the next set of PCs go.
Stats:
(D6) Faergus: HP 25/29 | AP: 1 | HS: 14/14
(L11) Otinan: HP 21/21 | AP: 1 | HS: 6/6
(I11) Quinn: HP 28/28 | AP: 1 | HS: 10/10
(F8) Valesti: HP 18/26 | AP: 0 | HS: 10/10
(D5) Dwarven Bandit Leader: HP 57/64
-Divine Sanction (Faergus)
(C5) Human Bandit 1: HP 30/37
-Divine Sanction (Faergus)
(???) Halfling Slinger: HP 22/22
-Hidden (Perception DC: 24)
(E4) Elmo: HP 45/45
[STRIKE]() Human Lackey 1: HP 1/1
() Human Lackey 5: HP 1/1
() Human Lackey 2: HP 1/1
() Human Lackey 4: HP 1/1
() Human Lackey 3: HP 1/1
() Human Bandit 2: HP 3/37 - Bloodied! [/STRIKE]
Monster Details
+5 to saving throws versus poison
Traits:
When an effect forces a dwarf to move, the dwarf moves 1 square less than the effect specifies. When an attack would knock the dwarf prone, the dwarf can roll a saving throw to avoid falling prone.
+5 to saving throws versus fear effects
Traits:
+2 AC versus opportunity attacks
Special:
+1 damage for each ally adjacent to target
I posted the coordinates of everyone as well, making it easier to plan your attacks (Letter, then number).
Another way to make it easier is to post what monster you hit e.g. Melee Basic attack on Grunt(F5)
COLOR="Lime"] Up Next: Faergus, Alfonse, Otinan, Valesti, Quinn[/COLOR[On Deck: Round 3, and Bad Guys]
The Dragonborn dodged the other's bandits strike and used the momentum to spin round--gathering momentum for a mighty blow of his own. The dwarf reacted faster than expected, pulling back at the last moment and saving his neck from a savage cleave. Unfortunately, he didn't pull back quite enough, and his proud beard, still frozen solid from the earlier ice blast, shattered into a thousand ice splinters. The floor glittered with the remains.
Oh oh, thought Faergus as the Dwarf let out a horrified scream. "My beard!"
The Bandit Leader is marked, and if the Bandit Leader makes an attack that doesn't include Faergus, he takes 8 points of damage. The mark ends only if Faergus does not attack the Bandit Leader nor ends his turn adjacent to him.
Standard action: Enfeebling Strike vs. Bandit Leader (D5)
Enfeebling Strike vs AC: 1d20+8 21 MISS!
Uh... shame about that beard... ;-)
[Up Next: Alfonse, Otinan, Valesti, Quinn][On Deck: Round 3, and Bad Guys]
Shifting both axes to her right hand, she tossed them with a sharp side-arm motion, trying to make both curve around the paladin. Thankfully, she didn't hit him, but her caution caused both axes to veer toward the human, missing the Dwarven bandit entirely. His ally didn't seem to enjoy the extra attention, blood splattering on the wall close behind him. Another replacement set were drawn from a bandolier, the Dwarf still studded with the versatile weapons.
Standard Action : Split the Tree
Attack Roll : 1d20+6=10, 1d20+6=17 = Hit Bandit
Damage Roll : 3d6+6=17 = 2W+dex+Hunter's Quarry
Minor Action : Draw two axes.
[ Up Next : Alfonse, Otinan, Quinn ][ On Deck : Round 3, Bad Guys ]
Move: J9
Standard: Move:H7
Standard Action: Inspiring Refrain, targeting bandit at C5 (if Otinan targets the bandit and knocks it out before I have the chance, change to the dwarf).
Attack Roll: 1d20+8 vs. AC= 27!
Damage Roll: 2d8+5 = 20!
Minor Action: Nothing
NOTE: Every ally within 5-squares of D4 when the attack is made gains a +1 power bonus to attack rolls until the end of Quinn's next turn.
NOTE: Quinn is flanking the bandit leader, providing combat advantage to Faergus, and depending on what Otinan does, may have hit the dwarf leader (though remember this +1 to hit occurs AFTER Otinan's turn).
NOTE: Quinn has not seen an enemy fall since his last turn, and has consequently not given out his four temporary hit points to any ally, though this may change with Otinan's turn.
Those are all my notes!
With a thunderous crack, the sound reverberates through Quinn's arm as he strikes true and badly damages his foe. His allies feel inspired to strike true, regardless of the target, as the music fills their souls with the joy of battle.
- Automatic Hit, 6 damage.
The dwarf's sanity seemed to disintegrate along with his shattered beard. His eyes fixate on Faergus and foam starts to seep out of his mouth. He starts to shout obscenities in Dwarven and swinging wildly at the Dragonborn. He doesn't even seem concerned about finding himself between two enemies. Instead, he swings his shield in a wide arc at the paladin's head, bashing him solidly and knocking him to the ground. He then spins around and leverages as much of his weight as he can muster into a downward swing of his warhammer, smashing the prone figure again in the chest. He stands over Faergus, oblivious to all others, his eyes fixed on his target with a singular purpose.
Shaking his head at the dwarf's antics, Elmo looks to Faergus with a wry smile, "This'un gots some meat to 'im, that's fer sure. Ya think when you're done with your nap, you canna hop up and give us a hand here?" Elmo punctuates his sentence with a loud belch then, seeing an opening for a strike, Elmo leans into his next battleaxe swing, driving the blade down between the plates of armor protecting the dwarf. His blow nearly collides with the plates, but a feeling of inspiration from the bard's actions helps the strike land true. The dwarf grunts in pain at the blow to his back, but doesn't take his eyes off the prostrate warrior.
A feeling of warmth comes over Faergus as he watches the drunk go about his business, and several of his wounds knit up seemingly of their own accord.
As she watches the battle unfold, Valesti turns her head just in time to avoid a stone coming from the vicinity of the open doorway. The stone smashes into the wall behind her.
Map (Round 3):
Enemy Actions
(G4)Halfling Slinger:
NPC Actions
Initiative:
Human Bandits: 23 average
Elmo: 21
Halfling Slinger: 19
Faergus: 19
Alfonse: 17
Otinan: 11
Valesti: [URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3002808/"]9[/URL]
Quinn: 8
Human Lackies: 6 average
Here's how it goes: Allies/enemies take turns out of order in a group/block. So if 3 PCs are in a block together before an enemy goes, those 3 can take their turns in any order. Then the enemies go that are in a block, then the next set of PCs go.
Stats:
(D6) Faergus: HP 21/29 | AP: 1 | HS: 13/14
- Prone
(I9) Otinan: HP 21/21 | AP: 1 | HS: 6/6
(D4) Quinn: HP 28/28 | AP: 1 | HS: 10/10
(F8) Valesti: HP 20/26 | AP: 0 | HS: 10/10
(D5) Dwarven Bandit Leader: HP 41/64
-Divine Challenge (Faergus)
(???) Halfling Slinger: HP 22/22
-Hidden (Perception DC: 24)
(E4) Elmo: HP 45/45
Killed Foes:
[STRIKE]() Human Lackey 1: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 5: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 2: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 4: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 3: HP 0/1
() Human Bandit 2: HP 0/37 - Bloodied! [/STRIKE]
Unconscious Foes:
[STRIKE]() Human Bandit 1: HP 0/37[/STRIKE]
Monster Details
+5 to saving throws versus poison
Traits:
When an effect forces a dwarf to move, the dwarf moves 1 square less than the effect specifies. When an attack would knock the dwarf prone, the dwarf can roll a saving throw to avoid falling prone.
+5 to saving throws versus fear effects
Traits:
+2 AC versus opportunity attacks
Special:
+1 damage for each ally adjacent to target
I posted the coordinates of everyone as well, making it easier to plan your attacks (Letter, then number).
Another way to make it easier is to post what monster you hit e.g. Melee Basic attack on Grunt(F5)
COLOR="Lime"] Up Next: Faergus, Alfonse, Otinan, Valesti, Quinn[/COLOR[On Deck: Round 4, Dwarf, and Elmo]
Move:F3
COLOR="Lime"]Up Next: Faergus, Otinan, Valest, Quinn[/COLOR[On Deck: Round 4, Dwarf and Elmo]
Standard Action: Enfeebling Strike vs. Bandit Leader -> MISS!
Enfeebling Strike vs AC 23 (Bandit Leader): 1d20+8 15
Note that the Bandit Leader continues to be under Faergus's Divine Challenge. He is marked and takes 8 points of damage if he makes an attack that does not include Faergus.
Then the absurdity of the dwarf, wet beard half-cleaved, hit him. It was a deadly dangerous situation, but he snickered anyway. He couldn't help it, although he managed to cleverly turn the laugh into a sustained cough. "Bit of gristle," he said, but the mad look in the Dwarf's eyes made it clear his excuse wasn't believed. Faergus readied himself for the next blow.
COLOR="Lime"]Up Next: Otinan, Valest, Quinn[/COLOR[On Deck: Round 4, Dwarf and Elmo]
Minor Action : Declare Halfing Sniper as Quarry.
Standard Action : Nimble Strike on Halfling Sniper, shift to G3.
Attack Roll : 1d20+8=27 HIT
Damage Roll : 1d6+1d6+6=13
COLOR="Lime"]Up Next: Otinan and Quinn[/COLOR[On Deck: Round 4, Dwarf and Elmo]
Move Action: None
Standard Action: Guiding Strike targeting dwarf bandit leader
Attack Roll: 1d20+10 vs. AC = 26 HIT!
Damage Roll: 1d8+5 = 9 Damage
NOTE: Valesti recieves 4 temporary hit points on her turn when she bloodies the halfling sniper
NOTE: The dwarf bandit leader's Armor Class is now 21, not 23, until the end of my next turn
With his mouth set in a thin line, he managed to worm his sword through some of the dwarf's armor, creating a large visible opening for others to attack. Quickly, he calls out to his allies, "if you've got weapon attacks, this fellow's armor is compromised for a short while." Looking warily at the Faergus' position, he hoped that faergus could survive a few more rounds of the dwarvish onslaught, as Quinn did not relish the thought of the dwarf's attention turning to him.
[Up Next: Otinan][On Deck: Round 4, Dwarf and Elmo]
Climbing off of the rock he had been standing on for far too long (or so his feet told him), he aimed yet another unerring missile at the angry dwarf and let fly. Maybe if he was lucky it'd knock off the last of his beard. A dwarf without a beard is a funny thing indeed.
Standard Action: Magic Missile on the murderous dwarf.
It autohits for 6 damage! Isn't magic great?
The blows coming from all sides seemed to do nothing more than incense the dwarf further. His mouth fully frothing, he forces his shield up into Faergus's chin, delivering a solid blow and once again dropping the paladin to the ground. Following through with his warhammer, he overreaches and plants the head of the hammer into the stone floor next to the prone dragonborn.
Stepping over a few paces to get a better angle at his target, Elmo flourishes his axe and then slices it downward in a vicious arc. His intentions were true, but his aim was not, and the blow is turned aside by the corner of the dwarf's shield.
Outside in the main hall a small halfling in leather armor suddenly feels that it has become quite crowded. His fears are even more pronounced when Valesti fires an axe in his direction. He attempts to land a blow with his dagger as she brings the axe to a throwing position, but his jab misses the mark. As the axe leaves Valesti's hand, the halfling darts to the side, changing the angle of the throw. Valesti's reflexes are fast enough, however, and the axe finds its target. As the axe lands true, Valesti is surrounded by an aura of protection.
Stumbling backwards visibly, he fires a sling stone back towards the dwarf. This time his aim is true, and the stone finds the mark. While some of the force is absorbed by the aura, Valesti still feels a portion of the stone's force as it hits her in the midsection. The aura dissipates with the stone's impact, seemingly gone as soon as it appears.
Map (Round 4):
Enemy Actions
(G4)Halfling Slinger:
NPC Actions
Initiative:
Human Bandits: 23 average
Elmo: 21
Halfling Slinger: 19
Faergus: 19
Alfonse: 17
Otinan: 11
Valesti: [URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3002808/"]9[/URL]
Quinn: 8
Human Lackies: 6 average
Here's how it goes: Allies/enemies take turns out of order in a group/block. So if 3 PCs are in a block together before an enemy goes, those 3 can take their turns in any order. Then the enemies go that are in a block, then the next set of PCs go.
Stats:
(D6) Faergus: HP 11/29 | AP: 1 | HS: 13/14
- Prone
- Bloodied
(E3) Otinan: HP 21/21 | AP: 1 | HS: 6/6
(D4) Quinn: HP 28/28 | AP: 1 | HS: 10/10
(G4) Valesti: HP 16/26 | AP: 0 | HS: 10/10
(D5) Dwarven Bandit Leader: HP 26/64
-2 AC until end of Quinn's next turn
-Divine Challenge (Faergus)
- Bloodied!
(H2) Halfling Slinger: HP 9/22
- Bloodied!
(E4) Elmo: HP 45/45
Killed Foes:
[STRIKE]() Human Lackey 1: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 5: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 2: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 4: HP 0/1
() Human Lackey 3: HP 0/1
() Human Bandit 2: HP 0/37 - Bloodied! [/STRIKE]
Unconscious Foes:
[STRIKE]() Human Bandit 1: HP 0/37[/STRIKE]
Monster Details
+5 to saving throws versus poison
Traits:
When an effect forces a dwarf to move, the dwarf moves 1 square less than the effect specifies. When an attack would knock the dwarf prone, the dwarf can roll a saving throw to avoid falling prone.
+5 to saving throws versus fear effects
Traits:
+2 AC versus opportunity attacks
Special:
+1 damage for each ally adjacent to target
I posted the coordinates of everyone as well, making it easier to plan your attacks (Letter, then number).
Another way to make it easier is to post what monster you hit e.g. Melee Basic attack on Grunt(F5)
COLOR="Lime"] Up Next: Faergus, Alfonse, Otinan, Valesti, Quinn[/COLOR[On Deck: Round 5, Dwarf, Elmo, and Halfling]
Standard Action: Magic Missile on H2
Autohit for 6 damage! He's down to 3 HP.
Free Action: Wistfully remember my glory days...
[ Up Next: Faergus, Alfonse, Valesti, and Quinn][On Deck: Round 5, Dwarf, Elmo, and Halfling]
Move:Through Door, off Map
[ Up Next: Faergus, Valesti, and Quinn][On Deck: Round 5, Dwarf, and Elmo]
Faergus slipped aside and came to standing, his longsword arced with the movement. The Dwarf, slow to react, took the hit to his weapon arm, jolting it badly.
Minor Action: None
Standard Action: Enfeebling Strike vs. Bandit Leader = HIT!
Bandit Leader is hit for 6 points of damage is -2 to attacks till then end of Faergus's next turn. He continues to be marked and subject to Divine Challenge.
Enfeebling Strike vs AC 21 (Bandit Leader): 1d20+8 22 1d8+5 6
Thanks Quinn for lowering his armor class!
[ Up Next: Valesti, and Quinn][On Deck: Round 5, Dwarf, and Elmo][/QUOTE]
Valesti paused and studied, doing her best to focus on the bandit. Her concern for the limbs of her allies flailing around near the Dwarf caused her throw to veer just slightly off target, clattering loudly against the wall behind the bandit. She sighed and drew two more, already not looking forward to all the repair work piling up tonight.
Attack Roll : 1d20+6=20 Miss
Minor Action : Draw two hand axes.
Minor Action : Declare Dwarf Bandit as quarry.
[ Up Next: Quinn][On Deck: Round 5, Dwarf, and Elmo]
Turning the remainder of his attention to the dwarf, he struck out at the same area as before, trying to knock the dwarf off balance again and make him easier to hit.
Minor Action: None
Standard Action: Guiding Strike attack on dwarf bandit
Attack Roll: 1d20+10 vs. AC = 30, CRITICAL HIT, Damage = 14
NOTE: Alphonse received 4 temporary hit points for downing the halfling.
NOTE: Dwarf Bandit leader has -2 to AC until the end of Quinn's next turn.
With a flourish and a resounding thwack, Quinn pummels the dwarf bandit leader mightily, and spurs his companions towards victory.
[ Up Next: Round 5, Dwarf, and Elmo]
The Dwarf staggers under the assault from the party, his energy almost spent. Channeling what little fight he had left in him, he swung his shield up towards the Dragonborn once more. Faergus easily sweeps aside his feeble attempt, but then opens himself up to the enemy's warhammer, which slams into the paladin's chest.
A solemn look comes over Elmo as he raises his axe one last time. "I gotta admire a man with fight, but I think it's time for a nap, eh?" He slams the flat of his axe blade down into the dwarf's head, crumpling the bandit to the floor in an unconscious heap.
XP Gained for this Encounter
Treasure Found:
Mundane Equipment: Plate mail, warhammer, heavy shield, 2 maces, 5 clubs, 1 dagger, 1 sling, 15 sling bullets
Actions Wrapup:
NPC Actions
Final Character Stats:
Faergus: HP 18/29 | AP: 1 | HS: 12/14
Otinan: HP 21/21 | AP: 1 | HS: 6/6
Quinn: HP 28/28 | AP: 1 | HS: 10/10
Valesti: HP 16/26 | AP: 0 | HS: 10/10
(E4) Elmo: HP 45/45
Unconscious Foes:
Human Bandit 1
Dwarven Bandit Leader
Breathing heavily, you gather your thoughts as silence returns to the room in the aftermath of the battle. Sifting through the dead, you find that the dwarf and one of the leather-wearing human bandits are still breathing. The room itself is floored in black flagstones, with ebon-colored wall hangings that are now burnt and tattered. Bedrolls are pitched in odd corners of the room, and the remains of a fire are still smoldering in a fireplace on the northern wall. Heaps of rubble and broken furniture are piled about the room.
Remembering what Bralack mentioned about a secret door, you move to the eastern wall and quickly locate a loose brick. Giving it a shove, you hear a loud click and a crack appears between two sections of walls. One section easily swings out, revealing a dusty staircase that descends into utter darkness.
Outside of the chamber is a large room that appears to have once been an audience chamber, as shown by the tattered banners and tapestries on the walls, destroyed furniture and heaps of rotting cloth thrown into corners. Once richly appointed, it has been thoroughly searched, sacked and despoiled. Leaves and dirt cover the floor, and cobwebs hang from walls and the ceiling above. Looking up, you see that pieces of beams and chunks of stone poke through, indicating that the upper stories of the place are totally destroyed and likely to be impassable to anything larger than a rat.
Hallways lead off to the west and south. The southern hallway begins with the ruins of a staircase, now unusable with the destruction of the upper floors. The hallway continues past several doors and opens up into a larger room that is shrouded in darkness. The western hall likewise has doors leading off of each side, but it culminates in a pair of closed double doors. At the beginning of the western hallway is a small alcove. Peeking inside, you see another staircase heading down. No light emanates from the bottom of the staircase, and the air smells moldy and unclean.
Between the two hallways is a set of double doors. One is hanging by a single hinge, and the other lays on the ground, utterly ruined. As you look in the direction of the doorway, which Alfonse is heading towards, you hear a loud scream come from outside the moathouse. The scream is shrill and filled with terror, and then abruptly ends in a loud grunt.
Alfonse
Current Map:
Note: Over the course of about five rounds, Quinn makes 5 perception checks, and if he sees nothing of consequence, will be satisfied. This will generally be his modus operandi for all rooms.
Rolls: 5, 20, 19, 12, 12
"I agree with Quinn," he said once the other paladin was finished speaking. "I wouldn't want anyone to come up behind us when we go looking below. We should make sure each of these rooms is empty before we proceed further. Also it would behoove us to look for clues for more information about these bandits and who might be employing them."
Here are five perception rolls:
Perception: 5#1d20+2 18 10 12 19 7
Carefully removing the rubble around it, you extricate the chest from the rubble. It is plain in design, wooden with iron bands. A keyhole adorns the front, and after rifling through the pockets of the unconscious dwarf you find the key. The lid opens easily after the lock is turned, and opening the chest reveals the glint of gems and gold, along with a pair of vials wrapped in an animal skin.
Chest Contents:
Gems: Two roughly cut amethysts, each valued at 50gp
Magic Items: Two Potions of Healing
The Paladin picked up a dagger and the sling and stones left behind by the bandits. He felt keenly his inability to hit enemies out of reach of his sword. That done, he settled his armor and gestured south, "Let us make sure we leave no enemies behind us before we head below."
Also, I'm not sure it's necessary, but just in case: !Ready
Valesti blends into the shadows and makes her way down the southern hallway. Poking her head inside the open doorway, she's greeted by the sight of decay and wreckage. Ruined furniture is piled up around the room, but initially nothing else of note is visible. Just as she was about to turn away, she sees a glint from behind a ruined bookcase. Approaching cautiously, she finds an ornate longsword wedged between the wall and the bookcase. The pommel is inlaid with gold, and the blade itself shines without a hint of rust or disrepair.
Heading back out into the hallway, she puts her ear to each of the doors that are closed. Behind the first door she hears no sounds of movement. Opening the door without a sound she takes a quick peek and sees nothing of note; merely the destroyed remnants of the former occupants. Moving across the hallway she listens again. At this door she hears the sounds of chittering and movement. Deciding against opening the door, she moves slowly to the end of the hall.
The room at the end of the hall opens up into a larger expanse. The room itself is once again littered with ruined furniture, and some of the walls have crumbled somewhat, creating piles of debri that can be scaled to get outside into the moat. In the center of the room she sees two dead human bodies. They are dressed in simple leather armor that looks like that worn by the bandits. Peeking further in, Valesti starts in alarm as she sees a gigantic snake looking directly back at her. The beast is easily 15 feet long, and is coiled up on a pile of rubble in the far corner of the room. After being frozen in apprehension for a few seconds, Valesti realizes that the beast is either asleep, or hasn't noticed her yet.
Rolls and Items of Note
Critical: +1d6 damage
Property: Bards can use this weapon as an implement for bard powers and bard paragon path powers.
Valesti:
Stealth URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3045441/"]28 - Natural 20[/URL
Perception (Room 9) [URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3045442/"][12] [28 - Natural 20] [24] [21] [13][/URL]
Perception (Room 10) [URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3045442/"][27] [23] [22] [12] [24] [/URL]
Perception (Room 11) [URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3045442/"][10] [9] [13] [21] [10] [/URL]
Perception (Room 12) [URL=" http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3045442/"][20] [13] [23] [27] [16] [/URL]
Updated Map
The Dwarf manages to control herself, hastily explaining what she'd seen to the others once they'd all met in the main area once more. She gently tilted the ornate sword against the wall near where other loot was piled, respecting the obvious craftsmanship and treating it appropriately. "I'm sure one of you boys will have more use for this pig-sticker than I. Now, I suggest we leave the horrible giant snake alone and never go that way again. Although one of you should keep an eye on that hallway, just in case..." Valesti isn't so interested in the one unopened door that she'd risk alerting the monstrous snake, and hopes the others won't be that foolish either.
Now she headed toward the other unexplored hallway, keeping Alfonse close at hand. Things weren't as dark here, so hopefully the search would be over more quickly. After checking these rooms, they still had two dark staircases for her to peer down. For some reason, she wasn't exactly thrilled by that thought.
As Valesti and Alfonse scout west, the Paladin recalls the peaceful conversation in Hommlet's druid's grove. He had pledged not to turn away from the dark that overshadowed the forest. Was this snake grown overlarge such a one? What would the druid think of such a monster?
Faergus is trying to work out how Hommlet's druid would perceive the giant snake and what his preferences regarding it might be.
iReady
Passive Nature: Snakes have been known to grow to large sizes, depending on the level of the food supply and the presence of other predators. If there's a lot of food, and not a lot of other predators, then it's possible the snake could grow significantly.
After reconvening with the group, Valesti makes her way down the western hallway, first poking her head into the open stairwell leading off from the main hall. The stairway drops into absolute darkness before Valesti can make anything out at the bottom. One thing she is able to discern, based on her dwarven background, is that the stairway definitely opens up into a larger room wherever it ends. Taking a similar approach with the previously hidden stairway, Valesti again sees nothing but darkness as the stairs descend. Different from the other stairway, Valesti's underground senses tell her that the hallway is narrow and seems to stop 20 to 30 feet down.
Satisfied that initial curiosity is sated, Valesti starts to move down the western hall, stopping at the first door on the southern wall. Listening closely, she hears no movement. Opening the door, she finds another room littered with broken debris. After poking around for a minute or two she discovers nothing of any worth, so she heads back out into the hallway. Moving to the other door on the southern wall she employs the same tactic, with much the same result - Another room already picked over for valuables, and containing nothing but destroyed furniture.
Crossing the hallway she puts her ear to the only door on the wall. She catches a faint sound of clicking coming through the door. The sound seems to start and stop, but she's not able to determine the exact source of the noise without opening the door itself. Only the double doors remain. She listens intently through the door and can make out the sounds of something very large that seems to be snoring, or at least breathing heavily and noisily.
Back in the main room, Elmo takes a peek back into the chamber you came in through and calls to the rest of the party, "Looks like our nearly beardless dwarf friend and his buddy are starting to wake up."
Perception (Room 14): Highest Roll [19]
Perception (Room 15): Highest Roll [28 - Natural 20!]
Perception (Room 16): Highest Roll [24]
Perception (Room 17): Highest Roll [28 - Natural 20!]
Perception (Secret Stairway): Highest Roll [25]
Perception (Open Stairway): Highest Roll [28 - Natural 20!]
Left the doors closed that had something behind them. Updated the map file in the previous post to remove the Fog of War from the rooms that are now open.
Rolls and Notes
Alfonse Perception: [14]
Otinan would recognize the beast's description as that of a Rage Drake, and know that if the beast was domesticated at birth, it could serve as a mount and guardian. If it was not domesticated, the rage drake is "a brutally efficient and highly territorial hunter".
Updated Map
Updated Map
Uncle Herbert caught the then 8-year old Dragonborn amongst his philters, beakers, and other oddments. The boy was exploring the inn's roof and climbed in through the open window, only to be quickly drawn to the brightly colored instruments: Things that bubbled and gassed, a book the size a small pig, a pen which glowed oddly turning the light around itself.
Uncle Herbert had gently taken the pen out of the boy's hands, wrapped it in gold cloth, and locked the treasure away. Thereupon followed a long lesson, but not on the importance of private property as one might expect. Not from Uncle Herbert. No, the lesson was on the importance of collecting prizes of one's own with each piece gathered representing a resource to be used later. For victory. For survival.
It was one lesson in a history of lessons, but Faergus remembers it.
In Uncle Herbert's safekeeping, there is still an old box of treasures from Faergus's adventures as a child: A blue rock, a dead snake's skin, a stick in the shape of man.
The memory fades as Faergus gazes at the bright blade handed from Valesti to Quinn. He notes the shiver along his spine as the ringing tone of Quinn's new blade quiets to silence. The sword is a worthy prize for the other Paladin. It may save his life one day. His or a companion or some stranger who knows nothing of his savior except for the bright singing blade in his hands.
And there may be other such treasures hidden away in the places the bandits feared to look. But to get to them, the beasts that share the bandit's home will have to die. He pledged to Hommlet's Druid that he would fight evil in the Gnarly Wood. He would have done so anyway for that was he was sworn to do. But these creatures? They are vicious perhaps but not evil.
All creatures act according to their will--lit from within by the fire from Pelor that only they can embody. If the creatures pose a threat to him, his companions, or their mission, then he will fight them. But if it is only for gold or glory, then he will pass them by.
But Uncle Herbert did not raise a fool. If there are treasures to be had, Faergus will not turn them away. He knows their usefulness and will put them in the Sun Lord's service.
Now to explain to his comrades and hope for their understanding.
Then to open the next door, and to find a gigantic beetle, he thinks in his head "and a new pair of shoes.." because everything that was in his pants, just fell into shoes. I close the door, hopefully before the beetle smells me.
First a giant snake, then a drake, and now a gigantic beetle... and on top of it our captives are starting to wake up. Did the bandits know of these critters here, did they put them in those rooms, or was it they they simply weren't here long enough to check out the rest of the area?
These are some questions I'll bring to the rest of the party's attention, if they hadn't thought of it themselves yet.
"Dwarf" he said, gruffly and with an air of authority,"clearly you and these other fellows are working for some bad folk. That said, it seems you have done us no great ill, and you've lost as much as anyone in our battle. I would have us parlay for a time."
"The cause of evil is a losing battle, and the payment rendered by the big bad evil guy is rarely equitable to that payment paid to the adventuring types who show up and take your most precious of possessions, life and pride," he says, motioning towards the absence of the beard. "You have at this time, three options. First, you can be helpful to our requests, not be a pain in the ass, and should we leave you here, wait for us to return. Second, you can sit there like lumps, being angry about getting beaten and let it fester within you like a sore, and be uncooperative. Third, you can pretend to be helpful, lead us down the wrong path, and then try to escape."
Quinn coughed, "obviously, we would prefer the first. The second is agreeable, though we may need to knock you out and shove you into a closet, or have that guy" he points to Elmo, "drag you back to Hommlet for justice, without any real explanation as to why. The third, is the least preferable to all of us, for if you were to try to escape or send us down the wrong path, we will catch you, and my companion's blades will likely not be as... gentle as they were this last time. The choice is yours, tell us what you can, about this area and the monsters, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are treated fairly. Again, I emphasize that up till now, I have seen you commit no real crime, other than assault. If we were to hold you to that, though, we would be the biggest hypocrites in the world, wouldn't we" he said, chuckling to himself. "What say you?"
Diplomacy check: 1d20+17 = 24.
I will also slink around with Valesti, hoping not to find anymore unwanted guests, and also hope that they don't want us for lunch if we do find them.