IC III

[thirdkingdom]

Shmara

Shmara will attack with her spear.

Just noticed I don't have a sheet to attach for rolls, will need a campaign # I think. Can you roll for me until then?

I make all rolls, so you don't need to worry about it.

[Rex]

Thanks.

[thirdkingdom]

Round Two

As fast as the battle hardened adventurers are, the spiders are faster, moving with an almost preternatural swiftness amongst those who have just leapt out of their bedrolls without even a chance to swipe the sleep from their eyes! Wulfka and Ribar are both bitten by the large, hairy arachnids. Ribar is able to jerk away, venom splattering his armor, but Wulfka is not so quick, and she feels an intense heat as the poison begins to course through her veins! Almost instantly, she feels her limbs beginning to jerk spasmodically.

I will give you guys a chance to revise actions for round two, with the exception being that if you were casting a spell you have to cast the spell. However, Tangleblossom's spell-like abilities are not considered spells for this purpose.
Initiative (PCs first):: 2#1d6 3 5
There are five spiders:
: 5#1d20+3 5 4 22 9 17 5#1d13 5 6 8 1 12...

1 attacks Feargus and misses.
2 attacks Toma and misses
3 attacks Wulfka and hits for 6 damage
4 attacks Newton and misses.
5 attacks Ribar and hits, for 8.

Saves for Wulfka and Ribar: : 2#1d20 2 16 Wulfka fails, Ribar succeeds.

[Atlictoatl]

Whifflespice Tangleblossom

Seeing that it will be useless to entangle the spiders, given their penetration of the party's defenses, Tangleblossom draws his sword and works to stab as many of the creatures as he can.

[kalstone]

Svenn

Svenn hacks away at the spiders, trying to take one by surprise.

[Rex]

Shmara

Shmara attacks with her spear.

[shaidar]

Newton

The scout sees Wulfka get bitten and calls out "Ribar, Wulfka needs an antidote!", he then grits his teeth and attacks the spiders

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus does what he can to organize the martial response, leading with the sword as he tried to hit back at the spiders. Goshawk is on his hip, swinging mightily with his halberd.

Mardan Cy looks around for a tree to climb - which he'll do if there is a reasonable candidate and no spiders are trying to eat him.

[VonAlric]

Gardo will enter the fray with sword and shield, trying to attack the spider that hit Wulfka first.

Notai will use her speed to move and strike the spiders and move out of range again.

[thirdkingdom]

Round Two, cont.

Gardo, Feargus, Newton, and Toma lay into the spiders with a vengeance but these are strange, tough arachnids, and do not succumb to any of the blows, although gouts of thick, bluish spider blood spray through the air. Ribar is able to reach Wulfka in time, before the poison takes full effect, and forces her to drink the draught. She can feel the muscular spasms that had begun to wrack her body subside. Mardan Cy decides that discretion is the better part of valor, and looks for a tree to climb, while Drift races for their mounts, drawing a thin, rapier-like blade tucked into his belt. The rest of the adventurers, unfortunately, are unable to pierce the creatures' hairy carapaces.

Actions for Round Two

Tarantella spiders have: 15-13, 12-8, 13, 28-10, and 24-12 hp in that order.

In case new players are wondering, I've got a bunch of rolls for each character to account for potential Cleaves.

Gardo: : 4#1d20+8 22 28 24 16 4#1d8+5 12 7 7 8 4#1d5 5...
Newton: Starts off attacking #4:: 4#1d20+9 25 23 25 10 4#1d8+4 10 5 8 8 4#1d5 5...
Feargus: Starts off attacking #1:: 4#1d20+10 17 15 29 23 4#1d8+6 13 12 14 9 4#1d5 4...
Shmara: : 4#1d20+7 11 11 12 14 4#1d6+4 10 9 8 9 4#1d5 1...
Svenn: : 3#1d20+4 7 7 20 3#1d8+1 4 3 3 3#1d5 1 4 4
Whifflespice: : 4#1d20+6 7 12 7 23 4#1d8+2 5 8 3 5 3#1d5 2...

Man, I started off rolling and after the first three I was thinking y'all were going to wipe the floor with them, but . . .

Ribar gets an antidot to Wulfka, giving her another save: : 1d20 14, Success, so the poison is countered.
Mardan Cy looks for a tree to climb, Drift goes to protect the mounts.
Goshawk: : 3#1d20+3 9 9 20 3#1d10+1 8 5 2 3#1d5 4 1 2
Wilter: : 2#1d20 7 11 2#1d6 4 5 2#1d5 2 2
Toma: Attacks #2: 3#1d20+2 20 5 19 2#1d6+2 8 3 2#1d5 2 1
Notai: : 3#1d20+4 8 20 15 2#1d6+4 9 7 2#1d5 4 1

[Rex]

Shmara

Shmara presses her attack again.

[VonAlric]

Gardo

Seeing the spiders being a bit tougher than known versions, Gardo begins to smile. "Fairey sure knows how to make things interesting. Keep going, don't fear them."

[shaidar]

Newton

Seeing the creatures are tougher than he expected, he pushes on with another attach, but calls out "Wilter, Toma, back off and help Drift. If you get an opportunity with your bows use it, but don't do anything stupid"

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

"I always leave the fear to you, Gardo! Ha Ha!" Feargus and Goshawk continue hacking at the things. Mardan Cy will try to fire his bow from the tree if he can manage it.

[Atlictoatl]

Whifflespice Tangleblossom

Tangleblossom continues to fight, his style fluid and unpredictable, though it appears to be more trained than experienced. The fey man has probably fought a number of duels and faced the prospect of a formal death, but has only rarely (if ever) fought desperately for his life against something that wanted to tear off his face and then eat him.

[kalstone]

Svenn

"Why would I fear some giant spider-thing that wants to eat me and I can't kill?" Svenn asks between grunts of exertion. He continues to hack away.

[thirdkingdom]

Round Three

It is touch and go for a moment, but within seconds of the ambush the adventurers shake off their sleep and proceed to curbstomp the spiders. It is over quickly, the only major casualty Wulfka, and the strange spasms that shook her are swiftly subsiding. Spider ichor is everywhere.

"We are on the outskirts of the Lonely Woods," says Drift, bringing the companions' mounts towards them "a place where even the Lords of Faery fear to tread. It is well you are the warriors you claim to be, and reacted with swiftness. I have heard of these spiders; those bitten by them often find themselves jerking and, well, dancing with reckless abandon, unable to stop. Worst of all, those observing them are often compelled via some sorcerous means to join in, even though they themselves were never bitten!"

It is early in the day, and all of those who must rest to recover their spells have had enough rest.

Initiative (PCs first):: 2#1d6 4 4 Looks like tied initiative. Let me check Dex modifiers to see who goes before the spiders.
Tarantella spiders have: 2, 4, 13-10, 18, and 12 hp in that order.

Gardo: : 4#1d20+8 19 16 28 27 4#1d8+5 13 10 10 6 4#1d4 3... Gardo attacks spider # 5 and slays it, just barely, then attacks spider #3, and does 10 hp to it.
Newton misses: : 4#1d20+9 12 26 12 21 4#1d8+4 10 12 12 7 4#1d4 3...
Feargus: : 4#1d20+10 30 26 11 20 4#1d8+6 13 10 7 10 4#1d4 2...

Yeah, I'm not going to roll the rest out.

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

"If I remember correctly, the upstart earl's castle is perhaps five or six hours within the Woods. I think our plan starts with Svenn's invisible recon and then decide if our feint and heist plan has merit."

[Rex]

Shmara

"We best be moving then and stay alert, this is a very dangerous place."

[shaidar]

Newton

Agreed, let us make haste. I can accompany Svenn part of the way on his recon, until he breaks cover and needs his magic"