They Who Dwell in Shadow (ooc and questions lll)

[Inferno]

Continued from Unspeakable Oaths (ooc and questions ll).

Here, the players and the DM may continue to converse with each other as their true selves, whatever that may be.

[rredmond]

Is Grey Mouser and the bell tower stair crew on the opposite side of that closed door?
Or can we see Father A?

I'm thinking a rush to combat is the most effective against this evil caster.

[Inferno]

Hi Ron,

Here's the relevant portion of the map I just posted:



Grey Mouser (GM) is on the western side of the second story of the church. He, Urdur Shimmerstone (US), Hoom Feethos (HF) and Mittens the dog (M) are at the top of the northwestern stairwell.

The door 40 feet to the east of Mouser is ajar, the other PCs having just gone through it this round.

Father Abramos (FA) is in the next room (room 11), his back to the shut door that leads to the belltower stairwell, and Bo, Grothnak and Pelias.

Also in the room with Abramos is Telkis Brassfang (TB), Avril Hollysword (AH) and Ingrid Esthof (IE). Those three PCs were already at the top of the stairs at the end of last round so they made it to room 11 first.
Additionally, there are the two skeletons (S3 and S8) and the undead Moogeye Comcra (MC) that Abramos just animated.
Other skeletons and corpses that are present but still unmoving have an "X" over them.

White initials indicate the PCs.
Green are undead or monsters.
Orange are burned skeletons.
Red initials are hooded cultists, priests and priestesses.

I hope that helps.

[Inferno]

Hi,
Socratic, the dead rose last round. Getting oil on one will require a "to hit" roll, please.
"Charging" (as per DMG p. 66) would permit Urdur to move the distance required to close with a target and pour oil on it. I'll call "pouring" a melee attack, as opposed to throwing the oil flask. Charging doesn't permit missile weapons, and gives Urdur a +2 to hit, and his enemies a bonus to hit him.

Ogre, re: "weakling goblins:" Bo has just seen these undead take arrows and still keep coming.
If you still abandon Pelias and Grothnak to their grisly fate ( ), where exactly are you looking to perch? At the church's front gate? Over the church's front door? Beyond the church, meeting the mob where it stands now? Other? Thanks.

[OGRE MAGE]

Please see private thread.

[rredmond]

I hope that helps.

That makes it all crystal clear sir!
So that door is ajar. But it looks like I can't do anything sneaky or backstabby. Into the skeleton room it is then!

[rredmond]

I'm going to assume that all my running won't allow me an attack this round. If I can sling Father A while I'm getting into place, I'm going to do it!

[Inferno]

Thanks, Ron.

I'm going to assume that all my running won't allow me an attack this round.

Yup. As per "Charging" (DMG p. 66), Mouser could move and melee attack this round. Or he could move this round, and missile attack next round.

Looks like you're going with the latter option.

[rredmond]

Hee hee. Yeah, I'm a little a-scared to melee right now. A stone in the noggin' is just what this evil priest needs!

[Inferno]

Re: Hoom Reunion:

Hoom Feethos:

he yells down at the late arrivals. "Hoom, Mouser, glad to see you aren't dead!"

He looks up and waves to Telkis wonder the meaning of his statement. Was he really happy to see the pair alive? Or was he happy to see us alive so he and the other, that lived, can enact revenge for leaving them in that darken undead nest of ghoulish monstrosities. Surely they would would seek reprisal for removing their only means of escape, by setting a blaze their only exit to freedom and leaving them to their suffocating deaths? Either way Hoom was not going to turn his back anytime soon to the group. He waits for Mouser and Urdur to ascend first so he can have a two person buffer.

Hi,
With so much happening, and some new players just onboarded, I thought I would mention this for those PCs who have just been reunited with Hoom:

Ever since Mouser unlocked Hoom from a cage beneath this church scant minutes ago, Hoom has either been trying to be absolutely silent, or actively fighting for his life. There's been no time to exchange information.

Just so you have it, here's a handy summation of PC knowledge for you, about when you last saw Hoom alive, abridged from that super useful PC resource, The Story So Far:

• • • Two nights ago: the adventurers surreptitiously reenter the Golden Grain Inn, open the barred door in the cellar and repel a plague of undead horrors. Then they descend into the dark, fell tunnels beneath the inn, where they face the ghastly revenant of Bertram Beswill, monstrous, gigantic serpents, and other deathless terrors.
      Meanwhile, Hoom and Mouser burn down the inn above them.
  
  
  • • As the adventurers encounter an unspeakable horror within a blasphemous shrine in tunnels beneath the Inn, Hoom and Mouser flee the burning of the Golden Grain Inn and seek refuge in the Inn of the Slumbering Serpent. When the Magistrate and Chief Constable appear in the middle of the night, Hoom seemingly surrenders to them as Mouser flees. Mouser eventually reunites with the others and tells them Hoom surrendered to the lawmen.

The heroes also know the sinister forces that plague Briarsgate can bend the will of men, enslaving them to their dark purpose. Urdur is a complete stranger. Hoom was missing for 48 hours. But elves are known to be resistant to mental domination, and the heroes have yet to find any cultists or their conspirators locked in a subterranean iron cage... so far.

Thanks.

[ChubbyPixie]

The heroes also know the sinister forces that plague Briarsgate can bend the will of men, enslaving them to their dark purpose. Urdur is a complete stranger. Hoom was missing for 48 hours. But elves are known to be resistant to mental domination, and the heroes have yet to find any cultists or their conspirators locked in a subterranean iron cage... so far.

Thanks.

We can't trust Hoom! It's probably best to burn both him and the new gnome with fire, just to be safe...

[Inferno]

Am I correct in assuming that 1) Pelias and Grothnak cannot fight side by side on the stairs and 2) Pelias can fire at the zombies in the back without putting Grothnak in danger?

You are correct on both counts, sir.

[rredmond]

Dangit, I think I miscalculated. If I am targeting Moogeye with a sling - is that shooting into melee?

[Inferno]

Yes it is.

[rredmond]

Phooey!
You run it BtB? So everyone has an equal chance (according to size) of getting shot?

Not gonna take that chance.

[Inferno]

Phooey!
You run it BtB? So everyone has an equal chance (according to size) of getting shot?

Not gonna take that chance.

Yes, BtB on this.

[Inferno]

Hey gang,

I'm out of town and offline until Monday, February 27.

We'll put the game on a temporary pause until I'm back. ToniXX you can still post for Avril, please.

Thanks, everyone. See you soon!

[rredmond]

Phew! Was just going to post apologies here for being offline lately.
RL provided me with a big swift kick to the head.

Looking forward to when the game resumes!
--Ron--

[Inferno]

Ok. I'm back.

[Inferno]

Hi ToniXX,
I'm moving this OOC post to this OOC thread.

Avril Hollysword will cast her command spell upon the evil priest. She will command him to 'sleep'.

Per Inferno this action is retracted. And since I don't want to fire arrows into melee, and a blade against a skeleton is pointless, Avril will hold her action this round.

Yeah, Avril is out of spells.