OOC II

[Rusty Tincanne]

Of course it was excruciating. Look at this mouth.

Mandibles holds the victim tight, crushing and sawing through the flesh. Then the rest of it chomps the loosened flesh and sops up the blood. Or something like that...

[dmw71]

Of course it was excruciating. Look at this mouth.

Yikes!

That's a pretty horrible way to go.

[dmw71]

Round 3
The beetles continue their quick, ferocious behavior. The near dead beetle snaps its mandibles down on Junius and manage to strike an artery! The dwarf stifles a scream, but the final moments of his life are spent in excruciating pain as he bleeds out.

It turns out, Junius did not actually die! onlyme pointed out that Junius had 10 hit points and would have survived the attack. I realize I must have looked at the wrong line when checking to see how many hit points he had left -- I saw him with 6, but that is total Keebler has left, on the line above Junius.

So, Junius is still alive! Here is how we will play it:

I didn't give Junis his attack last round... but since he missed, we'll just play it as if he was temporarily shocked by the maximum damage he took, but he will snap out of it in time for round three.

The fire beetle on Junius will remain on Junius. The fire beetle on Keebler will remain with Keebler.

[Rusty Tincanne]

If that's the case, AdaRue would have used her sling against the beetles on Junius this coming round. Any chance to retro that attack? Fine if it isn't since I already rolled an attack.

[dmw71]

If that's the case, AdaRue would have used her sling against the beetles on Junius this coming round. Any chance to retro that attack? Fine if it isn't since I already rolled an attack.

Whether she used her mace or her sling, the result of your attack roll wouldn't change. To that, the passage is only 5-feet wide and is not conducive to side-by-side fighting, so AdaRue would still be using her sling, but the "3" rolled for her attack would stick.

For narrative purposes, we can still redirect your sling shot to target the beetle attacking Junius, though.[/quote]

[Rusty Tincanne]

Well... She tried to help.

[dmw71]

...the beetles decide they've had enough abuse and quickly turn and flee down the same side passage from which they emerged.

I so wanted to say that they're "bugging out and going home" here.

Maybe it's because I got sucked into watching the movie Top Gun a few nights ago?

[Zhym]

Man, with a death toll like we've had, you've got to go for the mood-lightening humor.

[dmw71]

I will update later today (it's in progress), but be prepared for a significantly more streamlined return-to-town process.

First, a few notes:

1. You will need to stay in town for two nights to fully recover; assume a total of 3 gold pieces per character for all lodging and food/drink expenses;
2. All spell casters will set off with newly memorized spells; please let me know what spells you're memorizing;
3. Zhym has decided he no longer wants to control Keebler, so the elf is being retired. In his place, Zhym will be introducing a new character -- Horatio Mayfly;
4. I've been working on a spreadsheet to automate experience points -- and detected a significant error in a previous award. Because I'm sure it's my fault, I am giving all existing characters a +500xp bonus which should balance everything out. Actually, because all surviving PCs are original characters, every character will have a base reward of 1,250 experience points (amazingly, this is not a rounded total -- but the actual amount (3,522+1,150+1,050 = 5,722 / # survivors per trip = 1,250xp). All the new totals can be found on the 'Experience Points' post. (AdaRue is close to second level!)
   
   Note: Zhym, two things:
   1) Horatio obviously does not get the previously mentioned 500xp bonus,
   2) Horatio needs 1,251xp, not 1,565xp. Please update that, and his xp bonus (+125xp), accordingly.

I'm guessing I will have more later as I continue the general housekeeping I'm performing on the game, but until then...

[Zhym]

Zhym has decided he no longer wants to control Keebler, so the elf is being retired. In his place, Zhym will be introducing a new character -- Horatio Mayfly

More accurately, I've decided I don't want Keebler to die (or, IC, Keebler has decided that he doesn't want to die), so Keebler is going to go find some way to make a living that doesn't have quite so high a risk of getting eaten. I was going to (and probably still will) make an IC post when we got back to town.

I'm thinking AleBelly has it right—make your PC an asshole so when he bites it, you figure he had it coming.

[dmw71]

I was going to (and probably still will) make an IC post when we got back to town.

Feel free to do this in the most recent action thread; I'm really looking to almost eliminate the in-town stuff (maybe one post and done, without a lot of back-and-forth).

Everyone can feel to wrap the last dive up (e.g. I don't think there was a decision made regarding what to do with Tippin and Hastin, etc...).

[Zhym]

I was going to (and probably still will) make an IC post when we got back to town.

Feel free to do this in the most recent action thread; I'm really looking to almost eliminate the in-town stuff (maybe one post and done, without a lot of back-and-forth).

Done.

So here's what I wonder. Suppose you're an elf. You're three and a half centuries old, or even older if you're a full-on Tolkien elf. You have no immortal soul—when you die, you're gone forever, and you know it.

So why the heck would you put your life at risk as a murder hobo?

That's pretty much why I was thinking Keebler's reaction to seeing people getting killed left and right would be, "Screw this, I want to live."

[dmw71]

I pretty much assume that elven PCs, like all other classes, are the exception to the norm. They've chosen the life of an adventurer voluntarily (or maybe through some sort of obligation), but they understand the risks (and rewards). Otherwise, why would the class even exist?

Speaking of Keebler, he is considered a survivor of the last dive, and does get full experience points (just in case he does want to postpone or come out of retirement at some point.

---

Ugh. I just realized that none of my changes on the Experience Points page kept, so I will need to re-do it. Every PC (including Keebler; but excluding Horatio) has 1,250xp plus or minus any bonus or penalty.

[Rusty Tincanne]

When was it decided we were going back to town? I dont remember discussing that at all. I thought we could hole up and just continue onwards. But AdaRue will go along with the group.

Along the lines of what Zhym said, why would a midwife in training continue on as a murder hobo when 1/3 of her starting friends are now dead from these delves? I like playing her though, so she will just need to risk it.

Also, can the group split Tippin's promisory note evenly?

[dmw71]

When was it decided we were going back to town? I dont remember discussing that at all. I thought we could hole up and just continue onwards.

I did see this:

"Let's get the hell out of here," he says. "Do we dare try to carry the dead out with us, or should we burn them where they lie?"

Since no one said otherwise, I assumed this was what the group was doing.

If not, please feel free to discuss. Zhym followed up with his retirement post for Keebler, which again alludes to returning to town. Everyone else, please chime in with an actionable post of what you want your character to do in the 'VIII. Tree Cave - Third Visit' thread, and discuss as a group.

[Zhym]

I can edit Keebler's retirement post to take place in the caves if everyone else wants to press on, though Keebler would be less likely to bail on his friends before they leave the caves. And he'd still want to burn or bury the dead.

[dmw71]

Ugh. I just realized that none of my changes on the Experience Points page kept, so I will need to re-do it.

Okay, all the experience points should be updated. Please see the 'Experience Points' post and let me know if you notice any issues.

Canun, AdaRue, and even Junius are all pretty close to second level!

[Zhym]

I think you have Horatio's and Zombo's XP bonus percentages swapped (the number of XP is correct for each, though).

[dmw71]

I think you have Horatio's and Zombo's XP bonus percentages swapped (the number of XP is correct for each, though).

Fixed.

[dmw71]

Everyone else, please chime in with an actionable post of what you want your character to do in the 'VIII. Tree Cave - Third Visit' thread, and discuss as a group.[/ooc]

We're not moving again until I have some direction here.