Expedition: Bianca to the North Woods - 03 Aug 2021

[Zhym]

Clint waves at a weaseljay with his sword. "Shoo! Shoo!"

Longsword (THAC0 19): [1d20+2] = 7+2 = 9 [1d8+2] = 8+2 = 10

[Rusty Tincanne]

Web Spell:

Okay, so Lab Lord doesn't specify the volume of webs. 1st Edition AD&D said it was eight cubic inches. 2nd Edition AD&D said it was 8,000 cubic feet (eight 10' cubes on a map). Some say it must be anchored, or it collapses. We need something in-between, and to accommodate our abstract (non-tactical map) system here on the forum. I also am trying to balance it with Entangle, Hold Person, and Hold Monster for duration, saves, and breadth.

I propose:

• You can cast it on one creature (it envelops, rather than anchors) for full effect. If they're larger than an ogre, they get a save vs paralyzation, and they can't be larger than 30'. Otherwise, no save.
• Anyone in the web can break out in rounds per the spell description. The Witch ability to have 150% effect applies to the length of time to escape a web (wild-infused webs are extra thick and strong).
• You can use it to fill an area from two to eight 10' cubes. It can be cut/burned through per the spell description. Anyone encountering it unexpectedly or wading into melee against a trapped foe gets a save vs paralyzation to get trapped.
• You can cast it in an anchored position to snare a flying or charging foe (same two to eight cubes). All relevant foes get a save vs paralyzation or get snared.

Does that sound fair?

In this particular circumstance:

• Casting on the two which are eating rations from your packs, which Halla and Berra just uncovered, would ensnare all the gear that was on Daystar and cause Halla and Berra to make a savings throw.
• Casting it into the canopy in an attempt to ensnare the other two weaseljays would not imperil your friends and would force them to make a save or get snared.

I'm not very experienced with creating balanced rules. That sounds fine to me though.

The invisible Winnie pulls out a dead spider, crushing it as she speaks arcane words.
Winnie will cast Web into the tree, below the weaseljays that are dropping down, hoping to prevent any conflict.

[Marullus]

Winnie's eldrich words spin a thick, viscous web which extrudes from her fingers as if they were spinnerets, filling the canopy above her. One of the vicious and hearty creatures snares itself, squawking a horrible noise as it struggles to free itself. The other weaseljay evades, diving past to assault those below - Clint's blow swings wide as the creature comes at him and is barely deflected by his shield. The Grizzly Woman tries to swing her trunk but finds the forest a bit crowded for the weapon. The bird-rodent veers away from Clint and is snared by a massive paw-smack by Huckleberry the bear (-2), who pulls it in and crunches its mid-section in its teeth (-6) as well before it twists away and zooms back aloft.

Meanwhile, the two who were munching on rations launch skyward, dodging Willow's mace blow. One circles back on the Grizzly Woman, biting her with its beak-teeth through her leathers (-4). The other is struck by Berra (-4), then it divebombs Daystar the mule, but Bianca is ready for it. Bianca smacks it with her staff (-3) as it comes at her, sending it careening off course so it also misses the mule.

One weaseljay wiggles and squawks in the webbing, the other three fly chaotically around the party looking to continue their assault.

(Round 2! Actions!)

Date: 04 August 2021, 6:59am
Distance: ~16-17 miles total
Effects: Invisibility (Winnie)
Injuries: Grizzly Woman (minor wound), Halla (minor wound), Huckleberry (minor wound), Willow (minor wound)

Weaseljay Saves (14) [1d20] = 3 [1d20] = 20
One snared, one not snared (hit by Huckleberry)

Halla (17) [1d20] = 2 [1d6+1] = 3+1 = 4 Berra (19) [1d20] = 19 [1d6] = 4

Weaseljay [1d20] = 13 [2d4] = 4 target [1d10] = 5
Hit Grizzly Woman for 4hp
Weaseljay [1d20] = 6 [2d4] = 6 target [1d10] = 8
Misses the mule (trigger's Bianca's attack)
Weaseljay [1d20] = 11 [2d4] = 5 target [1d10] = 4
Clint deflects with his shield.

Bianca staff [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12 [1d6+2] = 1+2 = 3

[Alethan]

Willow once again swats at the unnatural creature with her mace. She seems to connect solidly with it, but... maybe not as solidly as she would prefer.

Mace THAC019 [1d20] = 18 Damage [1d6] = 1

Initiative [1d6] = 4

[Zhym]

Clint tries to fight off any of the flying rodents who get within range of his sword.

Longsword (THAC0 19): [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12 [1d8+2] = 7+2 = 9

[Bluehorse]

Bianca

Brought into combat, she did not hesitate to follow through. She points her finger at the weaseljay she just struck away from Daystar and there is an orb of conflicting darkness and light that forms in her palm and as it buzzes through the air, there is a distinct smell of water and ozone corrupting the smell of flowers, reminding those in the vicinity to momentarily think of a meadow of wildflowers just after a spring storm. The orb crashes into the little monster in a burst of energy.

Magic Missile [1d6+1] = 5+1 = 6

[Rusty Tincanne]

Seeing her web only half effective, and her companions beset by the weaseljays, Winnie rubs her thumb across the arrowhead that, just a week ago, had impaled her skull. With a few words, an arrow of pure energy leaps from her other hand, striking the weaseljay by Willow.

Magic Missile [1d6+1] = 3+1 = 4

[Marullus]

Holding for Grizzly Woman.

[Starbeard]

The Grizzly Woman yelps and swings at the creature that just bit her. "Get yourself over here and get this thing off me you furry lug," she shouts to the bear.

The Grizzly's Trunk +1 (provides -1AC vs natural weapons) [1d20+3] = 8+3 = 11, damage [1d10+3] = 6+3 = 9

Huck's routine 1 (ThAC0 17): Claw [1d20] = 18 Dam [1d3] = 3, Claw [1d20] = 15 Dam [1d3] = 1

Huck's routine 2 (ThAC0 17): Bite [1d20] = 5 Dam [1d6] = 2

[Rusty Tincanne]

Mrs. Dash is currently defending the invisible Winnie. I'll let Marullus roll as needed.

[Marullus]

The creature which attacked Bianca gets blasted by the eldrich missiles of both Bianca and Winnie, leaving it reeling, where it is then felled by a final blow from Winnie's mace. (-6, -4, -1)

Halla's spear impales the second as it flits through the air, (-7) allowing the bear to snatch it with both paws and then crush it in a hug which snaps its spine easily. (-3, -1, -5)

The third weaseljay gets another small hunk of Grizzly Woman through her leathers (-2) before Clint swats it free with a heavy thwack (-9) and the Grizzly Woman enacts her vengeance with the tree trunk (-9). Heavily wounded, the weasel-bird tries to flee into the forest, leaving the fourth and last weaseljay still snared in the web.

Date: 04 August 2021, 6:59am
Distance: ~16-17 miles total
Effects: Invisibility (Winnie)
Injuries: Grizzly Woman (minor wound), Halla (minor wound), Huckleberry (minor wound), Willow (minor wound)

initiative: Them [1d6] = 4
bear hug [2d8] = 5
Halla (17) [1d20] = 11 [1d6+1] = 6+1 = 7 Berra (19) [1d20] = 8 [1d6] = 3

weaseljay [1d20] = 16 [2d4] = 2
weaseljay [1d20] = 16 [2d4] = 2
weaseljaay [1d20] = 10 [2d4] = 6
Morale [2d6] = 7

[Rusty Tincanne]

As the weaseljay flees into the woods, Winnie considers whether these creature are natural or not, pondering what that means regarding her coven's prohibitions. What shall we do with that one in the webbing?

[Bluehorse]

Bianca

Looking up at the trapped creature, the elf considers options. "How long will it be trapped there? Can we get enough distance between us and it before it is free for it to lose interest?"

Bianca also checks on the well being of the other companions including checking to see what kind of mischief the creatures reached on their rations and gear.

[Alethan]

Willow replies, "These appear to be the work of the so called morlocks several have spoken of and written about in Gaul. That makes them unnatural."She makes no moves to stop anyone who attempts to kill the entangled weaseljay.

[Marullus]

Watching the wounded weaseljay flap into the tree canopy and disappear, the party wonders what to do with the one still struggling in the web. Willow raises no objections to its death.

Bianca checks the supplies and finds that the large and hungry weasels chewed through part of their rations, but not all of them. (-3 days rations from what was on Daystar, please subtract.) The rest of the load is able to be saved and repacked onto the beast of burden.

(Any actions? Or are you packing up and heading on? You went 16 miles north; now I am tracking your request to turn northeast for eight miles.)

Date: 04 August 2021, 7:10am
Distance: None today
Effects: Invisibility (Winnie)
Injuries: Grizzly Woman (minor wound), Halla (minor wound), Huckleberry (minor wound), Willow (minor wound)

[Zhym]

Clint adjusts his chain tunic, runs his fingers through his perfect hair, and waits for the nice ladies to decide where to go next.

[Bluehorse]

Bianca

With a heavy sigh, she reports the food loss to the others. "I think we are still good to continue on, if there are no objections. We will certainly keep an eye on supplies in the coming days. Everyone ready to press on?"

I will subtract 1 ration and pound from each of our packs. Maybe the next thing we run into will be something yummy and easily taken down. Not sure what foraging woild work as we walk or if our default of searching and exploring counts already. I don't think we are in a high risk yet, though.

About how many hexes can we expect to cover in a day? I'm actually thinking we may add a couple more but i want everyone else's thoughts on this. Add some more for a longer expedition or keep ot simple and stick to the plan for now?

[Alethan]

OOC: New Hex Exploration = More XP so I'm all for it.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Winnie voices her preference to continue on. I am curious to know what else lies so close to our home. And the walk is lovely, isn't it? This forest is ancient!

She scratches Mrs. Dash behind the ears playfully. You're so brave! Yes you are, you good dog!

[Zhym]

"Thank you!" replies Clint cheerfully, before realizing that Winnie was talking to her dog, not him.