The Mine

Continued from Restarting on the 19th of July

Starting Down

The DM: The stairs at c. lead into a cold pool of air that for whatever reason baffles your infravision. You will all need manual illumination of some kind in order to see.

Marcule: Sorry everyone i will be absent today, I had my shot yesterday and it has put me on my ass. I will see you on Friday.

Lexent: I obtain and light a torch. About how far down do the stairs go before reaching the water?

The DM: sorry, miswrote. That should be "air" not water. I've changed it above.

The DM: As a reminder, the stairs are steep and drop about 25 feet overall. Lexent]]: That simplifies things. Might we presume Marcule will hold the torch for us while we continue?

The DM: No, afraid not. You'll have to do on your own. Marcule is assisting the sappers in their search. I always try to have absent characters participating in the safest activity at the moment of their departure.

Lexent: OK. I proceed with the torch carefully to the bottom of the stairs.

The DM: The temperature drops practically to freezing as you light on the bottom of the stairs. You can see your breath and there’s very little heat coming from the torch. I’m working on a map.

The DM: sorry, got caught up working on the effect.

Lexent: "Well, with this torch, we're targets for anything down here."

Lexent: I start proceeding along the lefthand wall.

The DM: You move only five feet when you realize you're not alone in here. A shadow flashes on the periphery of your right eye and your head snaps around to see there's nothing there. Just like a horror flick.

Lexent: Are there any other distinguishing features within our sight?

Vafrandir: In. I'll go join Lexent. (I intentionally did not check the bed; thought that would be too on the nose!)

Lexent: After that post I couldn't risk not checking. Believe me. I tried.

Pandred: I'll set myself up just beside Lex on his left. Grit my teeth, rolling with the Battleaxe.

The DM: If I had thought of something to put there, you would have found something in the bed. Without updating the map, I’m counting Lexent in 2528 and Vafrandir in 2529. Vafrandir, you notice that you can’t see anything that your body casts a shadow against. The torch isn’t throwing any ambient light off the ceiling or walls that would give light. Something in here is messing with simple physics.

The DM: Until someone gives ground, counting Pandred on the stairs, where “2429” would be.

Lexent: While watching into the darkness, I edge another 5 feet along the wall.

Pandred: I'll follow behind. Arduin well in the rear.

Taking off Vafrandir's move for now; look carefully at the image.

Vafrandir: Nice, very creepy!

Lexent: Would setting the torch down in 2728 still provide us light with which we could fight if necessary?

The DM: I think we’ll have Vafrandir roll initiative.

Vafrandir: raw 4; adj 5.

Something

The DM: Absolutely not, Lexent. You’ve already noticed that the torch only gives off half the light you would normally expect; there’s NO reflection off the roof, and logically the floor. Putting the torch down would black out everything outside a five foot circle.

Lexent: Understood.

The DM: Sorry, Vafrandir. I rolled a six.

Vafrandir: You win some, you lose some.

The DM: A literal black shadow rushes out of the blackness and attacks Vafrandir. It rolls a 5 and misses.

Party’s Round 1

If you attack, please say what you’re attacking with. Pandred, if you move into 2629, you’ll block Lexent’s torch and you won’t be able to see a thing in front of you.

Lexent: Can a torch be used as a weapon, and if so, does that entail risking the light of the torch?

Vafrandir: I'm close, so I'll attack with my longsword. 12 raw, 15 to hit; 1 raw, 3 dmg.

Pandred: I'll call out to Arduin to toss me the +1 Spear while I drop the Battleaxe. Let me know if I have AP remaining when I get it in hand. "Arduin, SPEAR, now!"

The DM: There’s a rule for all such questions, Lexent. See the rules under Found Objects used as Weapons. Check the torch’s weight. Yes, every time you hit with it, you could extinguish the flame.

The DM: Hm. Arduin reacts and tosses it; Throw aimed object is two AP; that includes your catch. Pandred needs 2 AP to throw it or otherwise attack with it. I think I’ll ask for a wisdom check from Arduin to see if he hesitates.

Lexent: I move to 2728 and attempt to turn the Something (undead seems likely) To Turn: 14