5. A Surprise Party?

[Cwreando]

Robert says,"Well that didn't take long."

Robert makes sure the fighter are in front of him.

[Stirling]

"well we can attack as soon as they come into the room or...try another tack. Would someone like to play 'guinea pig' and taste Madam Eva's special brew potion? She promised it would control undead for a while. Perhaps we can turn these servants of darkness to our cause?"

Agrippo is happy to face down load of undead, he thinks "there are zombies outside having met a few before, wolves and worgs would be howling outside. The gargoyles would perhaps just attack from the parapets and at a distance since they have more intelligence. So could we direct these zombies or whatever to lead us to Count Strahd?"

Agrippo will take up his shield and Sunsword and remain to hack at anything that fords the barricaded door.

[GreyWolfVT]

Fendt "I've no idea what you speak of but I guess I can try that brew you speak of."

[Stirling]

"

Aha! Here it is!" She turns around holding a vial of cloudy dark liquid. She gives it to Agrippo. "Drink all of this, and one of you will be protected from the life-stealing attacks of the undead for about an hour, give or take."

Agrippo remembers the potions that he, Illuq and Robert the druid have and the words of Madam Eva. They seem to be protection wards not command undead which is what I first thought. Unless Madam Eva was up to her gypsy tricks and they are delusional potions of "obey undead!"

So Agrippo will hack and slash whatever comes through the doors unless we retreat through the other doors.

[Grognardsw]

"We should reserve that potion then for when we face Strahd, or many energy draining undead, and not before we sleep," comments Vorkath, readying his sword.

[MonkeyWrench]

Illuq stands at the ready, Hammers in his hands and his focus searching on all doors.

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 5, 1221
Time: 1:31 AM
Weather: Rain
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Study
**************************************

The thumping against the door continues. Fendt wakes Agrippo, Vorkath, and Illuq. Tibbius and Tumbler awaken on their own thanks to the loud pounding. You ready your weapons and wait.

The couch-as-barricade starts sliding across the carpeted floor, pushed aside by the pressure against the door that cracks open just a few inches. Fetid and rotten limbs reach through, confirming Agrippo's deduction: zombies!

Zombie-arms.jpg (33.04 KiB) Viewed 603 times

You hear the handles of the doors to Gertruda's room rattle. A muffled voice from the other side calls out, "Hey! What's going on?"

I'll assume that you spiked the doors to Gertruda's room instead of barricading it, since the door opens out of the study into the bedroom. If you would prefer the door not be spiked, just tell me.

Status: Agrippo: 33/52, Vorkath: 36/36, Tibbius: 14/22, Randolph: 4/4, Iluq: 21/34, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 16/27; Fendt: 15/15
Effects: None

[Grognardsw]

Vorkath the paladin hopes his flagellations were not in vain. He holds up his holy-symbol-emblazoned shield and chants: "I turn you by the power of the True God!"

Vorkath Turn [1d20] = 13

[Stirling]

"If they turn they should shuffle down the stairwell, we could lace the floor with oil and toss in a few flaming logs from the fire should they try and come back up for midnight feasties upon us. Yes lets bar-b-q them as well. (What a bunch of pyromaniacs we are!), still a cleansing flame may be what's needed." Agrippo advises a course of action and indicates some spare flasks of oil in his pack.

"what do we know of this Hall of Heroes yonder?"

Agrippo remains ready to hack any limbs and heads that press through Vorkaths turning into the room.

[GreyWolfVT]

Fendt shrugs "I know nothing of it but I do think the roasting of zombies to be a good plan."

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 5, 1221
Time: 1:32 AM
Weather: Rain
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Study
**************************************

The zombies press through the door and start to flow into the room.

Vorkath holds up his holy symbol shield and commands the undead to begone. Whether his faith is not yet strong enough or the zombies are unusually resistant, the result is the same as before: the zombies keep coming.

Iluq raises his holy symbol and presents it forcefully to the zombies. He is somewhat more successful. Three of the zombies turn away, but at least half a dozen remain to attack.

Actions?

Initiative: Party [1d6] = 4 Monsters [1d6] = 4
Iluq turn attempt: [1d20] = 14
Number turned: [1d12] = 3

Status: Agrippo: 33/52, Vorkath: 36/36, Tibbius: 14/22, Randolph: 4/4, Iluq: 21/34, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 16/27; Fendt: 15/15
Effects: None

[Stirling]

If it was obvious that the zombies have not turned from Vorkaths divine petition then Agrippo would spring into action, trying to shield bash the zombies back into the confined space of the stairwell and hacking at any limbs and heads as available!

1st attack, to hit : 17, damage 12,

2nd attack, to hit 5 (missed?)

[MonkeyWrench]

With Iluqs turning not turning all of them he too will spring to action alongside Agrippo, swinging his maces will intent.

Iluq, dual +1 hammer attack, THAC0 16: to hit, [1d20] = 12+1, [1d20] = 19+1; damage [1d4] = 2+2 (+1 v. L), [1d4] = 4+2 (+1 v. L)

[OGRE MAGE]

Tibbius

Sick of just standing there doing nothing, Tib positions himself behind the fighters to where he has a good view of the opened door. He pulls out his Wondrous Wand and shoots it's magic through the open door at some of the Zombies in the back of the group still trying to get in the room.

Tib is just bored with never getting to make an action. I hope this doesn't backfire on us.

[Grognardsw]

Vorkath turns to steel solutions, hewing at the nearest zombie with Excommunicator.

Excommunicator Attack [1d20+1] = 15+1 = 16, S/M Damage [2d4+1] = 7+1 = 8, L Damage [2d8+1] = 10+1 = 11

[GreyWolfVT]

Fendt tries to give everyone else room but does swing his mace at any zombie that gets near him or threatens Tumbler or Tibbius.

Footman's Mace[1d20+1] = 9+1 = 10 Dmg[1d6+2] = 5+2 = 7

[Grognardsw]

Tibbius
]Tib is just bored with never getting to make an action. I hope this doesn't backfire on us.

Fireball is rolled, TPK, end of adventure

[OGRE MAGE]

Tibbius
Tib is just bored with never getting to make an action. I hope this doesn't backfire on us.

Fireball is rolled, TPK, end of adventure

Possibly, but somehow I don't think the Zhymiester would let that happen. I'm thinking he has far worse things in mind for us in this nightmare.

Besides, he already told me that this isn't necessarily the wand from the book and that anything could happen so......we will see. I hope it's either something cool......or totally stupid.

[Cwreando]

"Use our positions to our advantage around the door so all can attack freely and give line of sight to the casters but shield them if need be", says Robert.

Robert maneuvers so that he can attack a zombie while staying clear of the fighters by flanking a zombie.
Scimitar +1 to hit[1d20 +1] = 9+1 = 10 Damage[1d8+1] = 7+1 = 8

I didn't factor in any flanking bonus to hit.

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 5, 1221
Time: 1:33 AM - Combat Round 1
Weather: Rain
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Study
**************************************

The zombies win initiative. The three turned zombies get tangled up with three other zombies still in the stairs, but four zombies enter the room. Agrippo, Vorkath, Iluq, and Robert form the front line of battle about 10' to 15' from the door.

Two zombies rush at Agrippo. Although you've fought Strahd's zombies before, it's still unsettling to see zombies rush. The warrior's shield blocks their attacks. A third attacks Vorkath, but its bare hands are no match for his gleaming metal armor. The fourth swings at Iluq but misses wildly.

Agrippo realizes that trying to keep the zombies out of the room is a lost cause. He slices a zombie's leg off. The leg starts kicking across the floor toward Agrippo as the zombie hops to stay uprigtht on one leg. Robert, who can't quite manage to flank the zombies, still manages to slice off the other leg. It, too, starts kicking. The legless zombie torso scuttles around by walking on its arms.

For some reason, you find yourselves having to resist the urge to start saying things like "It's just a flesh wound!" and "Right, I'll do you for that!" in silly accents.

Vorkath brings Excommunicator in a wide arc through another zombie's neck. The dead zombie's head and body fall with a squishy one-two "ker-splop."

Iluq's hammer knocks a gangrenous arm off the zombie attacking him. The arm starts clawing across the floor.

Fendt and Tumbler hang back, ready to deal with any zombies who make it past the front line of combat.

Tibbius brings out the dreaded wand of wonder. Finding a gap in the front line, he points it to the three zombies in the hallway, which the turned zombies had just climbed past. A flick of the wand, and the zombies in the hall slow down until they're moving more like normal zombies.

Actions for Round 2!

Status: Agrippo: 33/52, Vorkath: 36/36, Tibbius: 14/22, Randolph: 4/4, Iluq: 21/34, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 16/27; Fendt: 15/15
Effects: None