Jelly & Stair

Continued from Bats!

Party’s Round 03

The DM: Lexent is stunned, but Marcule has his chromatic orb cast and can throw it. Pandred, did you get rid of your club? I don’t recall you saying so; as far as I know, you’ve still got it on your person.

The DM: {OOC}: we may have to wait until others join you, Lexent.

Pandred: In. Dropping my handaxe, I'll draw a club and swing. 10+1 hits AC 6 for 3+3 causing 6 damage.

The DM: Hits, doesn’t stun. That’s two rounds of attack for Pandred (always starts from scratch with a new combat). Since we know what Marcule intended to do, Pandred, please roll to hit with his chromatic orb. Given the creature’s size, I’ll give a +1 to hit. Marcule is also +1 to hit from Dexterity; needs to roll an 8 to hit AC10.

The DM: Nix that, Pandred.

Marcule: In. 16 whoo. Aimed at 1128 causes 4 Damage.

The DM: because it’s big, I’ll rule that a splash can hit 1028. However, a roll of 0-1 damage causes 0. oh well. It takes the 4 damage and fails it’s saving throw, so the jelly is stunned.

Party’s Round 04

Positions are essentially unchanged. Everyone can act.

Lexent: I attack the jelly with my godentag To Hit: 15. Damage: causes 2.

The DM: Doesn't stun.

The DM: As you’re fighting the jelly, an ordinary moth, about an inch in diameter, flies up from the stairwell and begins to buzz in a circle around the sudden emergence of light. It is soon followed by two others.

Pandred: Swing again. 3+1 hits nothing.

The DM: Anything up your sleeve, Marcule?

Marcule: Can i light a flask of oil i will have to get it out of my bag? i unsling my backpack im going to dig for the oil.

The DM: Okay, unslinging the pack takes a round.

Jelly Round 04

The DM: The jelly attacks Lexent again. Hits with a 14. The cleric takes 4 damage. The cleric must be in and around zero now.

Lexent: That takes me to 4.

The DM: apparently, I’m doing all I can to get you to 3rd level.

Lexent: Happily lapping it up.

Party’s Round 05

The DM: Again, the positions are unchanged. There are a dozen moths flying around the lighted area now. Pandred gets two attacks this round. Marcule finds a flask of oil in his pack in 3 AP, can spend 2 AP starting to pop the cork on it.

Pandred: 17+1 hits AC-1, second attack whiffs with a 3+1. Damage is 2+3, causing 5 damage.

The DM: Does not stun.

Jelly Round 05

The DM: the jelly attacks Pandred, rolling a 13 and hitting AC 4. That misses by 1. As you chance to see while the creature withdraws the psuedo-pod that it tried to hit you with, batted off with your armoured forearm, a moth lands on the jelly and is instantly sucked inside.

Party’s Round 06

The DM: There is a virtual cloud of moths now; if this continues, the visibility will be compromised and you’ll be -1 to attack next round.

Lexent and Pandred can attack normally. Marcule, the stopper is off; if you want to light it, you’ll need a wick. Any ideas? You have 2 AP left this round to find one.

Lexent: I attack the jelly with my godentag To Hit: 9. I retreat to 0929.

Lexent: Is there still a light source that is drawing the moths?

Pandred: 11+1 hits AC 5, 2+3 causing 5 damage.

The DM: Marcule’s chromatic orb created a light source that will last until round 8. When it ceases, you’ll lose a round of attacking in the shift from normal light to infravision.

The DM: Pandred’s hit stuns. The jelly will rapidly recoil into 1128.

While Marcule tries to find a wick, I’ve noted Lexent’s move and I’ll set up a new image.

Party’s Round 07

The DM: Pandred will have to advance to attack again. The moths are so thick now, there are perhaps a hundred of them, that you’re -1 to hit. Marcule, you’ve had time to find some wick and stuff it into the flask. You can light it with 2 AP next round AND throw it that round as well. Remember to throw it against the wall next to the creature or the floor in front of it; the flask won’t break on the thing’s rubbery hide.

Marcule: i have cotton bandage to light

Lexent: Are there any penalties/hazards in attacking from 1130?

The DM: You'll be hanging over the drop, since the circle isn't a wall, it is a low edge about a foot high. Which means if you're stunned, you'll have to make a dex check.

Pandred: 1028 and swing! 12+1 hits AC 4, 2+3 causing 5 damage. Need a numerologist for all these 5s.

Lexent: I walk S-2 to 1031, Warily move S-1 into 1130, and attack with my godentag To Hit: 19. Damage: 4.

The DM: Well, Pandred hit. So the creature recoiled again all the way to 1229. That's three hexes from 1031 (which wasn't close enough anyway).

The DM: You can save on the false hits if you check with me before swinging. I'm monitoring constantly.

Lexent: OK.

Lexent: In that case I move to 1129.

The DM: It’s a 2-ft. gap between the wall and the well, but it doesn’t take a dex check. You’re in 1129. If you’re hit here, you make a dex check or you fall. The creature is stunned. I’ll make a new map and then let’s start with Marcule’s throw, since he’s set up for that.

Party’s Round 08

The DM: Marcule: still moths between Marcule and the target, so you’re still -1 to hit, +1 for dexterity, have to hit AC 10 to hit the floor or wall next to the jelly.

Then Pandred and Lexent can make up their minds what to do.

Marcule: 15 after adjustments.

The DM: The flask fails it's saving throw and breaks. Roll 2d6. Lexent, make a dexterity check.

Lexent: 4

The DM: The corridor around the jelly bursts into flame. The moths break and scatter, but remain, with about half of them settling on the walls (no more penalty to hit). Lexent takes no splash damage due to successful check.

The DM: Lexent would take the splash if it wasn’t friendly fire, but you knew what he was doing. Good thing Marcule didn’t roll a natural 2!

Marcule: 10 damage.

The DM: The jelly burns well and proper. There’s no need to attack it any further, it will boil and away and become lifeless protoplasm. The light spell goes out and you’re not disoriented, because of the flames; they take another round to go out, whereupon you’ve adjusted to infravision and Pandred has her goggles back in place. You find yourself brushing a dozen moths that attempt to land on each of you.

The DM: Vafrandir gets part of the bonus because he was attacked and missed in the first round. The distribution for X.P. is as follows: Lexent (325); Marcule (165); Pandred (292); Vafrandir (61). 10% already included. I think this is the third battle in a row that Lexent came out on top.

Lexent: OK. I first take a look down the passage to verify that it leads to a wicker door, and then take a look around this room to see how much bat guano is here.

The DM: Showing the complete passage. There is bat guano all over the floor, but they clearly come from below stairs.

Pandred:Out unfortunately. We really ought to use our numbers to search more at once. Let's face it, if there was something serious, we'd have been swarmed from one of these unopened doors already.

Lexent: Huh. One door lower than expected. If I recall, the unopened door is the one that smelled bad.

Lexent: Is there any amount of the jelly that could be collected and offered to an apothecary or is it all burned? If there is, does anyone have any empty flasks?

The DM: No, the jelly is worthless and already smells pretty toxic.

Lexent: If we want to keep exploring, I could use the staff on myself. What does everyone think?

After the Jelly

The DM: you cannot help noticing with your infravision, that the moths are generally moving down the stairwell again.

Lexent: About how long have we spent in the dungeon (this excursion)?

The DM: call it about 45 minutes, what with generally shaking off your nerves recovering from fights, discussion and moving around.

Lexent: Does the stairwell have either a particular stench or a noticeable coldness to it?

The DM: It has virtually no smell at all, except that of stone and cool air.

Lexent: Good. I return to the barracks and inform the sappers that the jelly has been dealt with.

The DM: They’re enormously glad. They’ll come have a look and poke about the hall and the top of the stairwell.

Lexent: Has Bjarni completed the work on the entrance?

The DM: Marit will walk all around the stair and stop, sniffing. “Can you smell that?” she’ll ask Asger.

Lexent: I go over to them. "What's that?"

The DM: Bjarni will be at it another half-hour; unless you want him to quit now. They’re mostly secure; he doesn’t think any of the rungs will give. He’s incorporated the existing rungs into the rope ladder to give extra support and so it doesn’t swing around. He’s used four of your iron spikes to ensure the whole is fixed to the top.

Asger: "smells like wet burlap."

Marit: "Not quite. wool I think. Some kind of cloth."

Marit: {to Lexent} “We could use the Icelander.”

Marcule: "Smells make me more uncomfortable than monsters"

The DM: Helga is listening at the door in 0824.

Asger: {shaking his head at Marcule} “Doesn’t smell alive. Smells like clothing. Only, I’m not familiar with the exact odour.”

Lexent: "Do you hear something, Helga?"

Helga: “I think ... running water.”

Marit: {now from the tunnel, as Lexent’s in the hall outside} “Lexent? Asger and I are going down!”

Lexent: "Give me just a minute to heal myself and I'll accompany you."

Lexent: I return to my pack in the hall, use my staff for 7, and then return to accompany them.

The DM: Marit leads without being asked.

Lexent: I follow.

The DM: I’m guessing that Marcule and Pandred have slipped off without signing out at this point.

Below Stairs

The DM: Excuse me for not making a map. There’s an extensive network of tunnels at the bottom of the stairs, but nothing that looks threatening. As you descend, you do crunch a few moths underfoot. Soon, you see what’s attracting them ... there’s a long line of skeletons at the bottom of the stairs, leading into a wide cavern passage. The skeletons are dressed in hair-wool clothing, presumedly made from the rothe ... and it’s a little musty and damp, which is what the sappers were smelling.

Lexent: What size are the skeletons? (Trying to ascertain species).

Marcule: I also follow.

The DM: The goblin skeletons look like they’ve dressed for a journey. They have full satchels still hanging around their upper bodies, full cloaks, hard shoes ... but some of these clothing pieces are scattered, as are some of the bones. It looks like a beast tore into the pack, ripping them apart in a line as they tried to flee. The skeletons appear torn apart, contained by the clothes, then left to lay wherever they fell. The moths have been feeding on the clothes. Lexent would have spent some time in a graveyard or two ... he’d judge these bodies have been dead about a year. You might presume the bats or the jelly consumed their flesh; there’s guano everywhere and hints of the jelly’s dried plasm on the rocks.

Lexent: How many that we can see so far? Also, from the bottom of the stairs, how many different passages are there?

The DM: About forty or fifty. A quick search with you and Marit will reveal three smaller tunnels leading away; meanwhile, Asger and Helga begin opening some of the satchels. They hold clothes, some dishware, some inedible food ... and both come up with handfuls of hematite and cairngorm gems, and small slips of adamantium. The sappers can identify these without question.

Lexent: Let's start collecting what valuables we can and moving them up.

Lexent: I start collecting satchels and making my way upstairs with them.

The DM: Better to leave the satchels and just take the valuables. You find hundreds of common gems and about 50 lbs. of adamantium.

The DM: Out.

Lexent: Very well, we consolidate the valuables and transport them up the stairs. I also collect up to five empty flasks or bottles if I find any.

Lexent: See you Friday.

Pandred: Sorry, I did say Out, but I should have put it on another line to avoid confusion. Had to get kids from school early. See you Friday!

The DM: No judgement intended. I just lost you, that's all. Until Friday.

Lexent: In.

Continued on The Search Continues.

Vafrandir: In.