Barrowmaze V: Expanding Dark Horizons

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven takes Truro aside for a moment.

"Let me assure you that I have no intention of letting any undead go free. EVER! I understand that you don't like the idea of them helping us, but in this instance, we are simply using one undead to destroy another. Once they have served their purpose, they will all be put down so their souls may rest freely. I notice that you and I share an equal distrust of this de Ogilvy fellow. I want to give you the task of watching him carefully when you can while we are in here."

He then does the same with Amos.

"I see that you admire your fellow clergyman, but please don't let that affect your judgment about him. You saw that he tried to charm me before, so I still don't trust the man at all. Watch over him carefully for us when you can, please. For yourself and for the sake of the whole group."

Then he hams it up for the skeleton pirates. "Aye! Great idea Captain de Ogilvy! We cant have any land lubbers walking off with these boys hard earned treasure while they're away. Bring the chest along with ye boys! Maybe we'll find a nice rowdy tavern to drink in along the way!" Sven has the thieves search the room for secrets quickly while the majority of the group leaves for the lever room.

Sorry, I got confused with the switching of sleeping areas. I thought we rested in the room just off the lever room last time. I don't want to split the group either, so I would suggest we move our resting area back to room 71 where we rested last time. That way at least we can keep track of each other once the ghoul monster is confronted by our new friends.

Before the levers are used to open the northern door again, Sven makes a few suggestions. "Orgoth, I know you like to be in the front of the action, but I suggest you leave the fighting to the pirates this time. You are already badly injured and we need you up-and-at-em again once the clerics can heal you."

"Truro and Amos can remain at rest as well. You guys already know what is behind that door, so only come to our aid if you hear us screaming for our lives in here."

"Captain de Ogilvy, lets get your men in place and ready to fight. There is a deformed lacedon behind that door who has an interesting treasure map in its possession. Once I pop it open, give the bastard all ye got!"

I would like everyone but the clerics to be ready, but lets leave the fighting to the skeletons unless things get too far out of hand.

[Rex]

Orgoth

"Understood, makes sense."

Orgoth will stay back by Sven, ready to fight if need be and alert for any danger.

[SocraticLawyer]

Peaches McGee

Sounds good. I'll stay behind this guy, indicating Orgoth. She gets in her Magic Missile stance, just in case things get out of hand.

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Corridors:

Metal Room, West Wing.

02.30am. June 8th 1066.

Sorry, I got confused with the switching of sleeping areas. I thought we rested in the room just off the lever room last time. I don't want to split the group either, so I would suggest we move our resting area back to room 71 where we rested last time. That way at least we can keep track of each other once the ghoul monster is confronted by our new friends.

Sure. The choice of rooms is key as 'random encounters' can be dictated by certain portions of the Barrowmaze.

Keeping together makes sense, as does having two the clerics awake just in case of trouble with the undead. Certainly Truro won't sleep comfortably. They could rest with an extended lie in later.

Deciding to take advantage of the Motley Crew and use them as cannon ghast fodder, the team gather behind the metal doors, manipulating the levers and with much clank and grinding, open the door to the sealed 'west wing'.

Peaches

The 'deformed lacedon' is an understatement. Upon initial explorations previously, a group had encountered three very smelly and hulking ghoulish figures, ghasts. One of whom invited the group to join their feast with a rather pleasant upper class accent. Sadly for them, the ghasts were beset and slain, for the most part disemboweled and hacked apart and their bodies left in a pile of sloughed flesh in the middle of the corridor. Normally that would be the end but Barrowmaze being what it is, the three dead ghasts resurrected as a Barrow Abomination, a conjoined creature of the corpses animated by the necrotic aura that pervades much of the tombs. Wisely the team abruptly finished their room searches and sheltered back behind the locked-again metal door.

nods to de Ogilvy to go along with the request to use the skeleton pirates for the raid and pillaging of the tombs and the priest sets the bone-men in order ready to rush through the breach as the door opens.

bonus xp to anyone who can remember the names I used for the ghasts.

The Abomination, alerted to the door opening emerges from his charnel-house lair and rushes to meet the challenge of the intruders. The pirates charge in a swirl of blades and thick mist.
...

actions I will act as de Ogilvy and the pirate Captain. You three players can roll for two pirates each and of course your own player characters.

Sven
Pirate A: uses sledgehammer (2d4)
Pirate B: uses harpoon. Fires heavy javelin, (d6+2)

Orgoth
Pirate C: uses grapnel (d6+1) and throwing net.
Pirate D: uses boarding pike (d10)

Peaches
Pirate E: uses cutlass (d6) and carries pouch of smoke bomb grenades.
Pirate F: dual-wields cudgels (d4 each)

de Ogilvy:
Pirate Captain: heavy cutlass (d6+1), hand held crossbow (2d4).

[OGRE MAGE]

A, B, C?

Sven waits behind the pirate gang, making sure Orgoth doesn't forget his place and suddenly charge into battle as he so often does.

"I will hit it with an energy dart, but only after we find out how it handles the first wave of boney attackers."

If he can get in a shot without hitting one of their own, he takes it. Crossbow Attack [1d20]=2 Dam [2d4]=7 wow

Pirate A: uses sledgehammer (2d4) Charges up the hall administering a well placed strike. Random D20 [1d20]=19 [2d4]=2 That does minimal damage.

Pirate B: uses harpoon. Fires heavy javelin, (d6+2) The second pirate scores an even better hit with its harpoon. Random D20 [1d20]=20 Causing much more damage to the stinking abnormality. [1d6+2]=5+2=7

Smokie stays in the back as well, looking around for another juicy cave moray to munch on.

[Spearmint]

A,B&C are all one multi-limbed tri-ghast creature

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth readies a javelin and if a clear shot opens up takes it.
Thrown Javelin [1d20]=1 to hit [1d6+3]=6+3=9 damage

Pirate C grapnel [1d20]=11 to hit [d6+1]=err02 damage throwing net [1d20]=5 to hit
Not proof reading very well.
grapnel damage [1d6+1]=1+1=2

Pirate D boarding pike [1d20]=10 to hit [1d10]=9 damage

Horrible rolling as usual.

[SocraticLawyer]

Peaches McGee (& co.)

Peaches waits to see how the pirates do before launching a Magic Missile.

Meanwhile, the pirates attack.

Pirate E cutlass attack [1d20]=5, damage [1d6]=5

Pirate F cudgel attacks [1d20]=17, [1d20]=12, [1d4]=4, [1d4]=2

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Corridors:

Metal Room, West Wing.

02.40am. June 8th 1066.

The metal portal swings open and those with missiles assault the Barrow Abomination with a hail of weaponry. The harpoon triggered javelin flies straight and true, deeply impaling the creature to skewer through two of the conjoined ghasts torsos. It staggers back under the 'softening up' and then gets assaulted by a second wave of charging skeleton pirates, receiving two bludgeoning blows upon one of its heads.

de Ogilvy rushes behind his crew to raise holy symbols and rebuke the creature with a divine utterance but this time his words are parried aside as easily as one swats a buzzing bluebottle.

Then it becomes his turn to attack and with several savage claws and drooling maws, it takes its vengeance. While one pair of grotesque arms pull the skewering javelin from its chest, the other arms and heads attack. The Pirate Captain leading the line is rent with raking claws and several of his bones fracture. "Tis but a flesh wound" he declares. -6hp

Pirate D is not so fortunate. He is grasped around a scrawny neck, pulled towards the creature and torn apart as the ghast bites his neck bone clean through and spits out the bony splinters, dropping the dangling skeleton lifeless once more.

Pirate Captain: xbow [1d20+1]=2+1=3 [2d4]=3 cutlass [1d20]=8 [1d6+1]=6+1=7de Ogilvy tries to Turn Undead [1d20-4]=9-4=5 [1d12]=3

Abomination vs Pirate Capt, A, C, D, E, F, de Og [1d7]=1 [1d20+2]=12+2=14[1d4]=3[1d20+2]=13+2=15[1d4]=3[1d20+2]=3+2=5[2d4]=5
Abomination vs Pirate Capt, A, C, D, E, F, de Og [1d7]=4 [1d20+2]=1+2=3[1d4]=3[1d20+2]=14+2=16[1d4]=3[1d20+2]=9+2=11[2d4]=7

actions for those in melee and spellcasters please.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth stays back for now.

Pirate C grapnel [1d20]=20 to hit [1d6+1]=5+1=6 damage throwing net [1d20]=12 to hit

Natural 20 with the grapnel.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven fires off a Magic Missile into the mass from behind the frontlines.

Magic Missile [2d4+2]=8+2=10

"Now might be a good time to toss one of those smoking bombs at it, too! Ummmmmm, behind it if you would."

1st Level Spell Retention (INT 15) [4d6+1]=16+1=17

Pirate A: uses sledgehammer (2d4) continues smashing away at the monster. Random D20 [1d20]=11 [2d4]=7

Pirate B: uses harpoon. Fires heavy javelin, (d6+2) The second pirate scores an even better hit with its harpoon. Random D20 [1d20]=20 Causing more damage to the stinking abnormality. [1d6+2]=5+2=7 I swear those aren't the same rolls as last round. Go ahead and check them.

[SocraticLawyer]

Peaches McGee (& co.)

Pirate E throws one of the smoke bombs behind the creature, as indicated by Sven.

Pirate F attacks again. Pirate F cudgel attacks [1d20]=4, [1d20]=5, [1d4]=3, [1d4]=3

Peaches is impressed by Sven's magic missiles. Never one to be outdone, she launches one of her own. Kamehameha! she screams, as a magical pink bolt of energy strikes the abomination.

Damage from magic missile [1d4+1]=4+1=5

Retain 1st level spell (15) [4d6+1]=19+1=20

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Corridors:

Metal Room, West Wing.

02.40am. June 8th 1066.

The unholy trinity of reformed ghasts is once more impaled by pinpoint missiles, a cruel whaling shaft and arcane summoned barbs. It staggers back upon its multiple limbs, a boxer on the ropes. Two heads of the gnashing beast sag and limbs go limp. A shoulder is hooked by a chained boarding grapnel and the pirates with de Ogilvy begin to pull upon the chain to haul in the abomination and cause it to go prone.

The creature is huge however and though two of the conjoined ghast bodies look lifeless, necrotic strength still flows through its muscled mass unlike the skeletons who are literally just skin and bones. The ghast pulls on the chain and wins the tug of war. The pirate Captain and the grapnel wielder themselves are knocked prone and de Ogilvy is pulled within reach of rasping claws and a savage ghast bite. Weakly the priest sags in the abominations arms as the venomous drool and chill touch course through his nervous system.

Barrow Abomination vs Pirates: strength check [4d6]=12[4d6]=7Abomination vs Pirate Capt, C or de Og [1d3]=3 [1d20+2]=6+2=8[1d4]=3[1d20+2]=3+2=5[1d4]=1[1d20+2]=6+2=8[2d4]=2de Ogilvy save vs Ghast paralysis [1d20]=5

actions please a couple of good hits may kill it before it savages the priest.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Pirate C grapnel [1d20]=18 to hit [1d6+1]=3+1=4 damage throwing net [1d20]=5 to hit

Orgoth throws a javelin.
Thrown javelin [1d20]=9 to hit [1d6+3]=5+3=8 damage

[OGRE MAGE]

Staying at least an arms reach away from the backs of the skeletons, Sven looks at Peaches, smiles coyly, and shrugs.

Pirate A: uses sledgehammer (2d4) smashes a dead head instead. Random D20 [1d20]=4

Pirate B: uses harpoon. Fires heavy javelin, (d6+2) can’t find an open spot for a final shot to haul in their catch.
Random D20 [1d20]=8

Seeing de Ogilvy go limp, the young mage whispers to his nearby comrades. “Be cautious about these skinny salts suddenly changing their minds about helping us.”

[SocraticLawyer]

Peaches McGee (&co.)

Peaches returns the smile, while the skeleton pirates fight on.

Pirate E cutlass attack [1d20]=10, damage [1d6]=1

Pirate F cudgel attacks [1d20]=17, [1d20]=19, [1d4]=3, [1d4]=2

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Corridors:

Metal Room, West Wing.

02.42am. June 8th 1066.

Sven makes a timely warning, considering the 'what if' happens just as the Abomination claws apart the grasped priest. He tears an arm off, then another and mercilessly butchers de Ogilvy by taking off his head.

The skeletons continue the command and haul over the beast, one pirate pulling for all his boney worth on the grapnel and chain while a second batters heads under some belaying pins and hacking blows. -9hp Deceased.

As the combat ceases so does the spiritual hold upon the undead and without an authority figure to shepherd them, the pirates once more become a separate entity, blanketed in their own swirling sea mist.

Sven, Orgoth and Peaches stand by the metal door. You can exit and shut the door, parlay with the pirates (anyone speak 'undead'?), try more Turning them to servitude through a 'neutrally' aligned priest or slay them where they stand.

Initiative critters [1d6]=5 group [1d6]=4 Pirate Captain: xbow [1d20+1]=4+1=5 [2d4]=4 cutlass [1d20]=3 [1d6+1]=4+1=5Barrow Abomination vs Pirates: strength check [4d6]=11[4d6]=10Abomination vs Pirate Capt, C or de Og [1d3]=1 [1d20+2]=20+2=22[1d4]=3[1d20+2]=16+2=18[1d4]=3[1d20+2]=15+2=17[2d4]=6

no d3 considered as de Ogilvy is held by ghast so he is subject to attacks.

actions please

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven doesn’t speak undead, but he has read a lot of books about pirates. He remembers most of the dialog being shouted. He motions for someone to man the levers while he gives captaining a try. His eyes dart around at the pile of dead bodies, making sure they aren’t morphing back together again.

“All right ye bags a bones, listen up! The captain may have been ripped ta shreds, but that don’t mean the jobs over! Who speaks fer yer crew now? Ye all know Captain, de Ogilvy thought well enough a me ta run this here crew, so I would propose an accord betwixt our two factions. Ye don’t kill us, an we don’t kill errr…..fight you.”

“We’ve scoured these halls and know where the best booty’s yet ta be dug up. Hell’s! We even know of a place where ye can feel the spray of the briny sea on yer old bones again!”

“What say ye lads? Do ye fancy a bit a partnering of crews? Can we make an accord?”

CHR Check (9) [3d6]=11 I should have rolled first.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth stands ready to fight, spear in hand.

[SocraticLawyer]

Peaches McGee

Peaches adopts her Burning Hands stance, which looks suspiciously like her Magic Missile stance. She waits for a response from the skeleton crew.