Backtracking

Continued from Backtracking

The DM: What does the party wish to do now?

Lexent: Do I need a night's rest before being able to commit my new spells to memory, or merely the time to pray for them?

The DM: Committing new spells to memory IS praying for them. Yes, you will need 15 minutes per spell per level of spell. You will need to sleep six hours before you can relearn spells you’ve used today, but you can pray for the new spells right now.

Lexent: I'm somewhat keen to take the time necessary to gain access to those new spells, but I also don't want any loose ghouls to be able to sneak up on us, so we should probably see what the situation is down that hallway first.

Lexent: The good roll on Medicine was a welcome consolation prize for not making it up to amatuer in Dweomercraft. I was really hoping to improve my turning.

The DM: Effectively, a cleric doesn’t “memorize” ... the cleric meditates, prays, then becomes aware of when the power of the spell has been bestowed onto them from the outside. Lexent will be aware now that his spells are coming from the Plane of Ysgard, or Asgard, an assembly of floating continents including the Den of Olidammara, Jotunheim, Valiant Hall and the Plain of Ida; these float over a huge land called Muspelheim, with an subterranean realm below that's called Nidavellir. I’ll go ahead and steal from the Forgotten Realms and say that the Gnomish gods dwell on a small floating continent called “The Golden Hills,” whereat your gods come from.

Lexent: So is Garl Glittergold among my deities?

The DM: Incidentally, Nebelun is the Gnomish god of healing. Yes regarding Garl. Your pantheon is polytheistic, and you don’t pray to any single god. You give your attention to the god that is in authority over the thing you need right now.

Lexent: I'll admit to a bit of surprise that you seem to be hewing somewhat closely to anything published by 'the company'.

Pandred: I don't want to lose in the shuffle the fact that ghouls are still nearby. Are we continuing the fight or retreating? I'm still fighting fit.

Pandred: I'll be watching the corridor the ghouls came from while we decide.

Lexent: I'm at 12/26, so I could be doing better, but have some fight left in me.

The DM: I believe Lexent intends to get spells together. Do you want to do all of them, Lexent, or some of them?

Lexent: I think that Pandred is correct and we need to at least ascertain what the ghouls down the hall are doing before committing to a half hour or more to pray.

Lexent: "Pandred, If your amenable, would you take a peek around the corner and see what you can of the situation?"

Vafrandir: I am good to fight as well.

Lexent: I proceed to the corner of hallway 'f' and peer around it. What do I see?

Pandred: I'll head to the end of the corridor the ghouls emerged from with Lex and peek as well. I've been itching to get to this thing since we saw it.

Fully revealed now

Room f

The DM: I’ll assume Pandred’s wearing the infrared goggles. You don’t see much without torchlight, but there are two large black figures moving among a dim red background. There seems to be a table with chairs, and a low dais, above which is a large round shield; this is dimmer than other objects in the room, suggesting it’s made of metal. You can only see as much of the room as the short hall (about 15 feet) allows. I’ll give you some map as soon as I sketch it.

Pandred: I'll swap to shield and handaxe and approach the room for a better look.

Lexent: Yes, a shield seems wise at this point. I strap mine on.

The DM: Oops, forgot to add the black blobs. Well, presume they’re above the table.

Lexent: How large is large? Larger than humanoid?

The DM: the ghouls prior have been approximately goblin sized. These are human sized.

The DM: Refresh the page and you should see the images there now.

Lexent: I call for everyone to form up and move to 2723.

The DM: I'll need confirmation.

Lexent: Marit moves to 2725. After retrieving her axe, of course.

Vafrandir: I'll move to 2625. I suggest the sappers stay in the lower hallway until we can better see the interior of the room.

The DM: And now the whole room is visible. Those are high quality white pine chests in the upper right corner, and a rack of weapons nearest to Lexent. Can’t get into the symbols inscribed on the floor at this time, you cannot see them clearly.

Lexent: Do the ghouls seem aware of us?

The DM: They’re eying you, but they’re holding their ground.

The DM: The air in here seems a trifle ... shall we say ... revolting.

Pandred: I'll advance to 2623. Can ghouls talk? Let's find out. "We're here for Grond!"

The DM: They don’t respond.

The DM:Lexent, you’re nominated for initiative. d6.

Lexent: I roll a 1.

Round 1

The DM:Lucky you. I also roll a 1. The left hand ghoul leaps three hexes around the table, into 2623, and slashes at Lexent with both claws; it doesn’t have time to bite. Because initiative is simultaneous, no matter what happens, Lexent will be able to attack, even if I stun him.

Lexent: I return the favour. To Hit: 15 Damage: 2+1=3

The DM: Before I roll, however ... Vafrandir has a 16 dexterity; which means, Vafrandir has time to throw something before I attack Lexent. He has a +1 initiative.

Lexent: Wait, Is the ghoul in the same hex as Pandred?

The DM: Because Lexent’s THAC0 is now 19, that hits AC 4 and the damage counts. Doesn’t stun.

Vafrandir: I'll throw my club at 2623. But I only roll a 10 raw, 12 to hit; 1 raw; 2 dmg. I'll begin to draw my sword with the rest of my AP.

The DM: Oops, I read Pandred in 2624... okay, the ghoul is in 2722. Pandred can also attack.

The DM: Vafrandir’s attack, then, was on 2722, and it misses. The room is made of stone, so Vafrandir needs to roll a d6 for the club. 1-2 breaks.

Vafrandir: 5 for the club.

Pandred: HROAGH! Against 2722. Natural 20, followed by a mere 13. Crits for 5+3, 8, doubled to 16!

The DM: That stuns. AND all of it counts. AND the thing isn’t dead.

Pandred: I'll advance with my last AP to 2522.

The DM: This gives the players initiative. BUT ... As you draw in a breath following your initial adrenaline based attacks, Lexent and Pandred find the air so foul that they each have to make a saving throw. That has to happen before Pandred can move to 2522.

Lexent: To Save: 12. Not sure if I add anything.

Pandred: 18.

Lexent: I would also like to retreat to 2724 if I am not stunned.

The DM: It’s a poison save, so you both make it. You both have to expend 1 AP recovering, and from here forward if you’re within 2 hexes of a ghoul, you’re -2 to hit.

The DM: if you have the AP left.

The DM: Lexent, you pry back into your memory, when your teacher taught you the difference between ghouls and ghasts. This is one of the latter. You’re not able to turn these.

Vafrandir: We'll have to get these the old fashioned way.

Pandred: Recovery eats my last AP. No move for me.

Lexent: Takes me down to one, So I cannot move.

The DM: Technically, you would have been able to, Lexent; when Pandred stunned the creature, it was hurled back into 2822, which would mean your hex ceased to be a “melee hex”. But I hit you so it’s moot.

The DM: Now, the creature’s attacks never were made. This was simultaneous, so regardless of the party’s moves, the thing did get two attacks on Lexent. This may also stop Lexent from “falling back” to 2724. Lexent, I believe with the end of the last combat, your protection from malevolence ran out. I roll a 5 and a 15 to hit; the latter hits for 3 damage. That stuns you back into 2724 and I will need a saving throw against paralysation.

Lexent: To Save: 5+3=8

Players Round 2

The DM: Lexent fails his save and is paralysed. If he was right, he should be able to move in an average of 5 rounds.

Pandred, you have full movement starting the second round. Vafrandir, if you don’t move ahead, the four hirelings will bypass you and rush into the chamber.

The party apart from Lexent can go.

Vafrandir: It takes me an additional 1 AP to finish drawing my sword. I'll move to 2522.

The DM: Noted.

Pandred: I'll pursue the stunned ghoul into 2722. Swinging with 10+1 to hit AC 6 for 6+3 9 damage.

Following the party’s move

The DM: Misses, Pandred. Bjarni will run straight forward at stride-4 to 2622.

Lexent, please run Marit, since you’re out of this. She’d like to get into the combat.

Asger heads into 2623; Helga will hold at 2624 and protect Lexent.

Lexent: Marit walks S-3 To 2721 and then attacks. Let me know if that works.

The DM: It doesn’t quite. 1 AP for a stride-3 into Pandred’s melee hex. Once in the melee hex, she has to move at stride-1; so 1 AP for moving into 2721, +1 AP penalty for moving out of a melee hex. That leaves her with 1 AP left. She won’t punch, because a connect would mean a saving throw. I’ll rule that she goes to 2721, however.

Lexent: So the melee hex rule applies to ally hexes as well? Oh wait, the ghast is no longer stunned is it. That makes sense now.

A “melee hex” is any hex with a combatant in it. Melee hexes are considered to be places where combat is taking place. As Marit passes through the melee hex, she has to dodge around Pandred, not running into her, while ALSO avoiding being hit. It doesn’t matter whose melee hex it is; these extra careful movements of not crashing into Pandred as Marit runs through, which wouldn't be easy since Pandred is dodging around trying to hit the ghast, is penalized 1 AP. Always Remember: a “stun” does not mean a creature goes limp and ceases movement. It means the creature falls back and can’t cause damage, but the creature is still conscious, still fighting and still waving its arms at Pandred, defending itself and TRYING to attack, though in game terms it can’t do damage.

Lexent: Got it. Thanks.

The DM: In the latest picture on the left, Vafrandir and Bjarni are would-be combatants, but they’re not IN combat right now, so they’re not standing in melee hexes. Pandred and the ghast are in combat, so 2722 and 2822 are the only present melee hexes on the map. If it makes it easier for you, I’ll start shading the melee hexes in yellow.

The DM: going to call this before attacking for the ghasts. Twas a good week, all. Thank you. Out.

Lexent: It's fine. I was only thinking of the rule where passing by a stunned creature doesn't count as going through a melee hex.

The DM: Ah. Hm. This hasn't ever come up before. Usually, passing by a stunned creature takes place in the same round it was stunned; it ceases to be stunned on the creature's next "move". Only it didn't get a move, because the previous round was simultaneous. Hm.

I'll go ahead and say that moving past a stunned creature with no penalty can only take place in the SAME ROUND when it was stunned. This is the next round; so, because it wasn't stunned again, it counts as a melee hex. This is a tentative rule; it may need further thought, and something might come up that makes this ruling impractical.

Lexent: In.

Vafrandir: In.

The DM: In. Getting my bearings.

The DM: I’d like to propose a change on the judgement call regarding stunned characters and melee hexes. I think we can try this: because Pandred re-engaged the ghast, AFTER it had been stunned, that reasserts the combat; IF Marit had crossed through 2722 BEFORE Pandred re-engaged, the hex wouldn’t have been a melee hex and Marit would have had enough AP to attack. It’s a tricky detail, but I think it’s more precise than my previous call.

Lexent: Makes sense to me.

The DM: Okay, I believe that’s everybody’s move. working on the next round ...

Marcule: in

Following the party’s move

Ghast Round 2

The DM: The ghast in 2822 attacks with all three attacks on Pandred. Pandred is VERY lucky ... the bite misses with a 2, the right claw with an 8 and the left claw with an 11. Pandred made a save earlier, but Marit will need to make a save and so will Asger against the ghast’s stench.

The ghast in 2719 rushes forward and attacks Bjarni with left claw and bite, and Vafrandir with his right claw. Bjarni is missed with the left claw, but the bite rolls a 19 and causes 3 damage. That will stun. Bjarni needs to make TWO saving throws, one against stench and one against paralysation.

The claw on Vafrandir is a 16, which causes 1 damage; which doesn’t stun, but Vafrandir rolls a save vs. paralysation. Vafrandir also has to make a save vs. the thing’s stench. So, fun times all around.

Marit: To Save: 19.

Vafrandir: My first save is a 2, so I'm not sure the second save (a 20, of all things) makes much difference.

The DM: The first save was for the stench. Vafrandir’s failing that means he’s so overcome by the stench that he can’t stand it and can’t fight toe to toe with these things. But, the 20 means he’s not paralysed. He can’t function this round and he’ll have to fall back all the way to 2624 or 2723.

Bjarni: stench: 17, paralyzation: 14.

The DM: Bjarni makes the stench save but he's paralyzed. He will fall prone in his hex.

Players Round 3

The DM: After everyone makes their saving throws, those that aren’t paralyzed or vomiting can attack; both Vafrandir and Bjarni will be unable to attack because they will take one round to get over the nausea. Bjarni can stagger under the table and Vafrandir can fall back into 2623. If Asger makes save, he will also be affected nonetheless and will stagger into 2723. Helga, however, can rush forward and attack.

If Marit makes save, she will stagger into 2719.

Pandred can attack. That’s where you are. Marcule hasn’t indicated any action yet, and can move as he wishes.

Marit I attack the ghast in 2822 To Hit: 14-2=12.

The DM: Marit CAN’T attack, as I’ve just explained.

Marit I'm sorry, I misunderstood.

Marcule: 17 for Asger. Marcule moves to 2625.

The DM: The stench of these things is so bad, even if you make save it incapacitates you for one round, then makes you -2 to hit. If you blow save, you can’t approach within 10 feet of these things AT ALL, without returning to vomiting.

The DM: Sorry, out. Back in 30 min.

The DM: In. But we can't go anywhere without Pandred. Vafrandir, please roll for Helga, as Pandred isn't here.

The DM: I'll give him until noon and then I'll roll for him. (working on a short contract anyway).

Helga: 3 to hit.

The DM: Marcule, do you have anything to cast from your position?