Assault on the Great Hall

[Magnus]

ROUND 2

The giants, perhaps driven to desperation in defending their home, seize the initiative.

[Giants 6, Party 1!]

Nosra takes another shot at Ethan, which plants itself into the fighter's gut. The experienced warrior knows that the wound will be painful once the rush of battle has worn off. Nosra then takes a few steps south and hides behind the fog cloud. A glint of panic shines in the Chieftan’s eyes as he disappears into the thick mist.

[E - 8 Damage]

The Cloud Giant wizzes another rock at Vor, which the mage easily ducks. The mage returns fire with a crackling bolt of lightning, which shrieks across the room and connects with the ancient creature. The giant convulses and smokes from the power of the arcane attack. The giant drops to its knees and falls face-first on to the floor, crushing a table into splinters on the way down!

Garl and Gaerys lock themselves in a mortal duel. Garl again strikes downward at the ranger, who sidesteps the blow and quickly returns it with a thrust through the heart of the bestial giant. Giantbane hums with energy as she sends a once-fearsome giant to the Abyss.

The four remaining ogres continue to wail on the party’s fighters. Two swing at Blue simultaneously. The cagey bear ducks as the blows cross over the bear and connect with the other ogre instead! One is knocked cold, while the other is stunned and quickly torn to pieces by the polar bear!

[Two consecutive natural ones!!!]

Ethan and Kjelti are not so lucky. The orge fighting Ethan fakes a one-handed swing overhead with its club, but throws a straight punch to Blacktyde's face with its other hand. Ethan’s nose shatters in a splatter of blood! He returns the favor with a deep slash to the gut of the beast, leaving it reeling on its knees but still alive. The other ogre powers through the shield-maiden’s defenses with a crude smash. She returns the pain, but does not kill the ogre.

[Ethan - 5 damage]
[KJ – 6 damage]

The hill giants follow the ogres with an assault of eight thrown boulders on the party’s front lines. They come at the party in a mix of skipping shots off of the floor, "fastballs" and lobs. One of the boulder throwers scratches his butt instead of throwing the rock. The first goes horribly astray, finishing the ogre on its knees due to Ethan’s blow. The next hits Luna, spoiling his spell.

[Luna - 2 damage]

Kjelti and Blue all manage to elude a boulder, but are struck by another one that quickly follows. Ethan does even worse as he bangs his shin on a skipping boulder, tripping just as a lobbed boulder smacks down on him! Many lesser warriors would have been killed by the punishment absorbed by Ethan this round, but the warrior shows the type of determination that makes a leader as he grimaces and rises to his feet. If they did not know before, the party now knows why he had the confidence to lead a party of such mighty heroes.

[K - 7 damage]
[Blue - 9 damage]
[Ethan 15 damage.]

Fortunately for the party, their rockpile is nearly depleted…

The five hill giants who had left the gang of rockthrowers move in to attack the party. Three take position towards the northern side of the room, standing between the party and their chieftain’s escape. This turns out to be a mistake, as the druid's spell comes into effect in just the space into which they moved. A swarm of biting horseflies surrounds one giant. He screams and swats wildly at the thousands of green flies tearing into his skin.

The other two attack the party’s southern flank with stone mauls, engaging with Kjelti, who easily dodges a blow, and Luna, who takes a vicious smash to the head. The party’s healer is badly hurt!!!

[L - 10 Damage]

From the east, the a crack of splitting wood reverberates like thunder in the room. The Steading’s wooden walls are being ripped apart! The party then hears pounding and wails of a giantess dying. The rain stops suddenly as the howl of direwolves fills the air...

HP as of start of Round 3

G: 42/56
L: 8/34
V: 41/48
E: 19/71
K: 36/56
Blue: 32/48

[Magnus]

Map:

GreatHall Showdown (2).jpg (266.24 KiB) Viewed 1276 times

The grey is the fog cloud.

Ignore the rooms in the southwest. There is a door in the west wall towards the south.

(This map is oddly modified from the original module.)

[Zhym]

Gaerys says to Ethan and Luna: "Withdraw and see to your wounds! You're no good to us dead!". To the giants, he shouts, "Your leader has fled! You will die for a coward!" Perhaps the taunt will damage the remaining giants' morale. Or draw out the chieftain. Then again, if the giants' morale can survive the appearance of moving, fighting trees, a few words aren't likely to make much difference.

The ranger will guard Ethan and Luna's withdrawal, attacking any giant who tries to engage them . . .

Giantbane (vs. true giant): [1d20+3] = 6+3 = 9 Damage: [1d12x2] = 5x2 = 10+10
(Hits AC 5)

. . . ineffectually.

[NJWilliam]

Antheris, Druid (37/37) and Blue the Polar Bear (34/38)

Antheris quickly hands his Potion of Speed to Gaerys and shape changes into a 640 pound tiger (ooc: hopefully that's big enough for a smilodon), and leaps onto the hill giant that is SW of Luna to cover Luna's retreat. (ooc: using tiger's 40 spring attack!)

Bite, THAC0 16: [1d20] = 12, hits AC 4 (AC 2 if smilodon)
Claw, THAC0 16: [1d20] = 19, hits AC -3
Claw, THAC0 16: [1d20] = 13, hits AC 3

Damage, bite: Bite (smilodon): [1d10] = 3 ([2d6] = 7)
Damage, claw: Claw (smilodon): [1d6] = 6 ([1d8] = 8)
Damage, claw: Claw (smilodon): [1d6] = 3 ([1d8] = 1)

If both claws hit, 2 additional rear claw attacks at +4 to hit:
Rear claw: [1d20+4] = 8+4 = 12, hits AC 4
Rear claw: [1d20+4] = 2+4 = 6, hits AC 10
Rear claw damage (smilodon): [1d6+2] = 4+2 = 6 ([2d4] = 7)

Antheris lets out a very nasty series of tiger growls while attacking, hoping to break the hill giants morale.


Blue attacks the nearest hill giant or ogre that is not covered in horseflies and such.

Blue (polar bear) paw, paw, bite (THAC0 11): [1d20] = 9, [1d20] = 13, [1d20] = 4
Blue (polar bear) damage: [1d10] = 4, [1d10] = 4, [2d6] = 9 | hug: [3d6] = 9

[drpete]

Ethan Blacktyde

Ethan retreats quickly from the room, out of the range of the boulders. As he goes, he pulls the portion of extra healing from his sack, and quaffs it.

Potion of Extra Healing:[3d8+3] = 5+3 = 8

(argh!)

OOC: for some reason, I count Ethan as having 17/71 following all this damage, not that the effect is much different. I'll go through the posts and see if I've miscalculated.

[Zhym]

Gaerys will quaff the potion of speed this round, if he can, unless it it clear by the time he would do so that the giants have been routed.

HP discussion moved to the OOC thread.

[Magnus]

---Resolving Round 3---

[DM Notes: Initiative is absolutely huge in this round. A giants have a potential killshot on Luna lined up!

Ethan is also in the HP red zone, but he, Blue, Gaerys, and the Summoned Insects killed/tied up the foes who would have been within reach of finishing him.

And the party's spellcasters took out the Cloud Giant....

CloudGiant.jpg (20.21 KiB) Viewed 1234 times

More to come...]

[Computer +1]

Vorsyin sees the cloud giant drop and feels a moment of satisfaction which is quickly shattered by the ensuing violence around him. Judging the flying boulders to be the greater threat he summons the will to cast a globe of darkness on the group of giants throwing the rocks. His hands preform familiar gestures as he releases the magic onto the group of giants.

He will try his best to obscure the view for as many giants as he can get into the globe.

[Zhym]

CPU+1: Can I make a suggestion? Have Vorsyin cast the darkness on the eastern part of the group of giants, to make sure the treants coming from the west have some clear targets they can reach.

[Computer +1]

CPU+1: Can I make a suggestion? Have Vorsyin cast the darkness on the eastern part of the group of giants, to make sure the treants coming from the west have some clear targets they can reach.

THat makes sense to me, Magnus may I adjust Vorsyin's aim a bit?

[Magnus]

yes.

[Magnus]

Round 3

The once-small fires caused by the party’s barrage begin to grow, engulfing smashed furniture and other debris in the room. The temperature rises as the party is first to act.

Ethan beats everyone off of the line and springs backward out of the pile. The gravely wounded warrior spills a bit of the potion in his desperation to consume it, denying himself the full healing effect.

[Ethan +8 HP]

Gaerys snorts up the potion of speed and springs forward to intercept an advancing hill giant. He swings twice. Giantbane is denied blood as his first hit is parried away, but the lightning-fast return pierces a giant’s guts*. Blue piles on and finishes the wounded giant.
The flies continue to paralyze yet another giant closest to this group.

Kjelti probes forward with a vicious swing forward at the ogre in front of her. Her sword strikes true but does not finish the beast. Her bold swing gives Luna some room, and the cleric scrambles backward into safety!

This is just in time, as the orge returns the blow by jamming its club into her ribs. A hill giant joins the fight, pounding into Luna with its fists. A third attacks the valkerie by spear thrust over the shoulder of the giant. Kjelti skillfully blocks away these two attacks.

[Kj – 11 damage!]

Vorsyin holds his hands high and then emphatically drops them low. A sphere of darkness engulfs five of the nine rock-throwing giants.

Antheris’s teeth extend into sabers, his hands and feet become claws, and his spine extends and lengthens. The druid’s transformation is painful,
but the pain is muted by the fear of battle (and pints of ale). The primordial cat growls and launches itself at the giant bearing the spear, ripping him to shreds! Antheris lets out a very nasty series of tiger growls while attacking, hoping to break the hill giants morale.

The growls are suddenly silenced as the western door is flung from its crude hinges into the mob of giant rockthrowers. Through it stride great beings of living wood. Moving with incredible speed, they launch themselves at the giants as projectiles, just as a volley of rocks leaves the giant’s hands. The three that come from the now-blind giants fly into all corners of the room.

Three rocks head towards Blue. One lands on the thrower’s foot, causing it to jump and down in pain.* One misses by a foot, but the third slams into the side of the bear.

[Blue – 9 damage.]
[*Natural 1]

The giants swat the treant's attack harmlessly aside, but the entry of the party’s allies and blindness of the giants changes the dynamic of the battle completely. Only one ogre and one giant remain active on the front line. Only four giants remain outside the darkness, and two of them are engaged with treants.

A hyperactive rustling, like trees flailing in the windstorm, punctuated with the groans of ogres, can be heard from the west.

HP:
G: 42/56
L: 8/34
V: 41/48
E: 27/71
K: 25/56
Blue: 23/48

[Zhym]

Gaerys attacks the lone hill giant on the front line, swinging twice and hitting once.

Giantbane (vs. true giant): [1d20+3] = 15+3 = 18 Damage: [1d12x2] = 7x2 = 14+10
Giantbane (vs. true giant): [1d20+3] = 2+3 = 5 Damage: [1d12x2] = 11x2 = 22+10

Question for the party: Is there anything we can (and should) do to control the spread of the fire? Gaerys wouldn't mind seeing the giants' steading burned to the ground, but not before he's had an opportunity to search it for information and useful items. If the fires start looking like they could spread past the great hall, there are the prisoners/slaves in the other building to think about.

And there's still Nosra about somewhere...

[Oddfellow]

Kjelti HP: 25/56
Blood-soaked and baring her teeth, the warrior-woman battles on, attempting to slay the remaining ogre on the front line, her confidence renewed by the arrival of the living trees and Antheris' fearsome transformation, not to mention Gaerys' mighty display of giant-massacring prowess.

If the ogre is slain before she can act, she will gladly rush forward to join the treants in their melee with the remaining forces. I don't think she's in much of a state to worry herself with petty things like, oh I don't know, the entire steading burning down on top of her, say. She's a little (lot) tunnel-visioned when it comes to warfare...

... PS, that tree-face thing with the bleeding eyes? Took me by surprise a little and KINDA MAYBE FREAKED ME OUT A BIT.

Attacks:

THAC0 9
1st atk: [1d20] = 11 (hits AC -2), dam: [2d8+6] = 12+6 = 18
2nd atk: [1d20] = 20 (auto-hit?), dam: [2d8+6] = 14+6 = 20
Note that the 2nd attack was a crit-- unsure of what to do so I rolled damage normally.

[NJWilliam]

Antheris the Saber-Toothed (37/37) and Blue the Polar Bear (23/48)

Antheris looks up from the giant's corpse with a snarl and springs onto the nearest hill giant within 40' not engaged in melee.

Bite, THAC0 16: [1d20] = 7, hits AC 7 (smilodon +2 on bite)
Claw, THAC0 16: [1d20] = 7, hits AC 9
Claw, THAC0 16: [1d20] = 2, hits AC nevermind

Damage, bite: Bite (smilodon): [2d6] = 6
Damage, claw: Claw (smilodon): [1d8] = 6

With a bellowing roar, Blue continues his attack on the nearest giant, preferable attacking the same one as Antheris if within his range:

Blue (polar bear) paw, paw, bite (THAC0 11): [1d20] = 2, [1d20] = 7, [1d20] = 9
Blue (polar bear) damage: [1d10] = 6, [1d10] = 10, [2d6] = 9 | hug: [3d6] = 9

[drpete]

Ethan Blacktyde (27/71)

Ethan stays out of the main hall, but moves to guard the group's rear, in case Nosra or someone else is making their way around. He listens for signs of troops running and sets up under the assumption that they might come up from the south.

[Magnus]

Round 4

The arrival of the treants, their solemn faces weeping blood, punctuates the party's relentless assault, panicking the giants. Those who have a chance to flee, do. As such, the giants not engulfed in darkness or battling treants disappear into the fog cloud still hanging in front of the western door.

Speaking of treants, one takes a very heavy blow from a giant wielding a meat cleaver, while the other treant eludes an overhead smash. The treants' attacks are again easily swatted aside by their foes.

Two giants wander out of the darkness by pure dumb luck, while three stay within. Antheris and Blue converge on one of them. The cat claws are blocked by a desperate giant, but Blue again tastes giant blood. The other giant makes for the southern doors.

The summoned insects continue to engulf their victim.

The giant and ogre still engaged in melee are resigned to their fate and do their best to take Gaerys and Kjelti with them. Kjelti, facing only a single foe for a change, easily blocks her attack. Gaerys cannot, however, fend off an overhead smash that hits him in the shoulder, throwing it out of place for a moment before it painfully snaps back in. In return, the ranger and shield-maiden strike viciously, mercifully slaying their foes.

[Natural 20! G: -16 damage!]

Ethan, for his part, knows that he best serves the party by standing back and surveying the larger battlefield. He neither sees nor hears anything from the south. But his instincts serve him well, as he hears scratching, sniffing, and growling growing louder to the north. He, along with the rest of the party, also hear the carnage of the animated trees against what sounds like ogres in the western part of the Steading.

A tattered tapestry along the SW wall catches fire, which snakes up the cloth and begins to lick at the dry thatch on the underside of the roof. Other fires in the room also grow in strength. There is some time until "inferno" status is reached, but the party knows that this room will not survive the night, especially considering the rain outside has stopped.

****************************************

The battle is just about won! The party is left to determine whether to engage with the few remaining giants or leave the Great Hall...

HP:
G: 26/56
L: 8/34
V: 41/48
E: 27/71
K: 25/56
Blue: 23/48

[Computer +1]

When the mage has the most health its time to get the hell outta dodge!

[Zhym]

Gaerys quickly surveys the carnage and the spreading fire. "Our work here is done for now!" he cries. "The south door is the quickest exit! I'll meet you there!"

With his temporary boost of speed (24" move rate), Gaerys will quickly search the subchief then the cloud giant, pocketing anything of interest or value, then head for the south doors of the great hall. He will only engage giants if they try to block his exit.

Attack rolls, in case they're needed:

Giantbane (vs. true giant): [1d20+3] = 18+3 = 21 Damage: [1d12x2] = 11x2 = 22+10
Giantbane (vs. true giant): [1d20+3] = 2+3 = 5 Damage: [1d12x2] = 10x2 = 20+10

[drpete]

I'm not sure we've gotten the information we need, and I'm worried it will burn down our run away. With the main force broken, this may be our best chance to find out what the cloud giant, the marsh giants and such are up to, though I don't want us to die to get it. Did we miss a door on this side? Think we can find the cloud giants room on our way out?