Barrowmoor: Exploration and Ecdysis.

[Marullus]

the Shillelagh affect can only be cast once per day.

Understood. But i haven't used it before now. We endedup savingit for this fight. I only cast it when emergingfromthepool.

The detect magic cast does not initially provide any pings of arcane radiance before you encounter the Naga herself.

Bummer. Worth a shot, though. Hopefully we succeed before it expires.

With no insight on sources of magic power for strategicuse, Raust is single-minded in her hunt, attacking the naga

Raust Shillelagh [1d20+1]=13+1=14 [2d4+1]=2+1=3

[Spearmint]

I will update the scene but yes, my mistake. I thought Raust had used it prior to this encounter.

In retrospect then I will adjust the previous damage to the -8hp you rolled. This round, your normal spear attack misses.

I will edit here with update shortly.

[Spearmint]

The Ritual Cave of the Mistress

The Naga Mistress snarls, attacking with supreme speed and power, projecting her bite attack at the sister witch Gerdal, the ungodly serpent's open maw enough to tear her head off from her scrawny neck but instead the Naga face-plants into the unseen warding shield.

Hands together in prayer for salvation and in somatic gesture, Gerdal sends an arc of blazing fire to sear the Naga's visage -2hp causing her to jerk backwards and exit the fan of flame.

Raust and Isvand try to press attacks but none hit. There are more cursing utterances and if any of those spell casters had not done so already, the last spell they cast is erased from each of their memory's. The room is hazy, not just with the perfumed smoke but the mental stresses of the encounter taking its toll. Just recalling simple past details is a task in itself. A few minutes ago you walked from the rock pool in to the sanctum but mentally retracing your steps through the vine curtain and worshipping thralls is hard to recall.


the Naga is a Spellcaster and I have randomised her spells. Don't check or else any surprise is gone! In this instance she cast a Forget spell which has no effect upon Gerdal who didn't retain her spell anyway and will cause I think Raust to save vs spells to keep the concentration going on any Detect Magic though with the ongoing battle that really is a neglible effect.

Dale enters to add his sword to the fight whilst the others continue to thin the entangled Orphidians out one by one. "They have sounded a horn in the caverns above." he warns. How long before the War-camp Snake-men and humanoid Orphidians enter the fray?

Initiative critters [1d6]=3 group [1d6]=1 Mistress bite attack: [1d20]=6 [1d3]=2Dale Birgensen: melee longsword : [1d20+1]=5+1=6[1d8+1]=3+1=4Orphidian menace vs 1-4 [1d6]=2

Health status:

Naga Mistress: -10hp.
Orphidian Acolytes: six entangled, three deceased.

Raust: 8/8
Gerdal: 5/5
Isvand: 13/13
Dale: 7/11
Traeliorn: 10/10
Venwynn: 12/17
Ricardo: 8/8
Pasquel: 2/6
Marcel: deceased

next actions please.

[Marullus]

Raust's mind resists such confusions. She presses forward with the hunter's grace, her lithe form twisting to both avoid the thrashing tail and drive her Spear of Herne home into the Naga.

Save vs Spells (12) [1d20]=18
Raust Shillelagh [1d20+1]=15+1=16 [2d4+1]=4+1=5

[Spearmint]

Raust, you still retain the Detect Magic spell while the duration lasts, though obviously you cannot concentrate on that and attack in melee at the same time.

The Shillelagh spell duration is only for a single round and for all cleric & druid spells, once cast are erased from memory unlike mage spells which may be retained. So your attack is a normal spear thrust.

I am quite open to lengthening the Shillelagh duration with an increase in line with level advancement.

[redwarrior]

Isvand again sends his boomerang flying to no purpose!!! That's quite the string of bad rolls here! I may have him move into sword range just to change up what he's missing with!


Boomerang attack [1d20+2]=3+2=5 Damage [1d4+1]=3+1=4
Bommerang recovery target 16 [3d6]=13

[sastaz]

Gerdal now even more so out of options, draws her Kali kopesh and attacks. the naga is a monster and hardly a "person" as in charm person, I assume?

The fumes and humming from the mistress make her swing go wild though.

Kali khopesh attack THACO 20: [1d20+1]=5+1=6 dmg: [1d6+1]=2+1=3

[Spearmint]

The Naga Mistress you assume does not fit into the 'charm person' bracket. She may even be above the parameters of a snake Charm spell?

[sastaz]

Thanks. Alas no Snake Charm memorized anyway...

[Spearmint]

The Ritual Cave of the Mistress

In the cave foyer, bloody details are best left aside. Using the spears taken from the chefs lair, the remaining Orphidians entangled are being run through as they fight their bonds. Herne's revenge, the vines restraining the Acolytes, none saved vs the spell effect, thus grasped and unable to invoke somatic spells and parry the blades away.

Traeliorn takes up a position to keep the War-camp at bay, who from various calls and horn blasts have detected your presence in the lower caverns and are now slithering rather than charging down the path towards your location. One brave Orphidian dives into the pool from the rock ledge but is cut down under a hail of arrows.

Quivers half empty now.

Inside the Ritual Cave, the three tarry firebrands suddenly blink out of illumination. Even the bioluminescent lichens and cave 'faerie lights' from glinting crystals reflect no light at all. An impenetrable mantle of darkness, invoked by the Naga Mistress. Dale, reaches into a pouch, taking out a pebble enhanced with Light, cast almost an hour earlier when you first swam the underwater stream. It counters the magical Darkness but only as a minor radiance as of candlelight.

Taking advantage of the dark, the Mistress swiftly strikes, dodging the unseen fumblings of the character trio to attack the armoured Dale, savaging him, -1hp and with a severe look tries to sway him to surrender soul and body to her ungodly appetites.

He answers he beguiling with a slash of his sword that may have opened her from throat to tail had he hit but instead scrapes the wall in a shower of iron sparking splinters.

Initiative critters [1d6]=6 group [1d6]=5 Dale Birgensen saves: 14+ vs Petrification via Naga gaze charm [1d20+2]=14+2=16Mistress bite attack: [1d20]=12 [1d3]=1 Dale Birgensen: melee longsword : [1d20+1]=9+1=10[1d12+1]=10+1=11

The chamber is in Darkness and any range/spell range attacks suffer a to hit penalty. You each have a pebble:

I will use your roll Isvand to repeat a casting of Light spell upon a pile of pebbles, so a few can be laid in the underwater passage and each person can take one as a minimal light.

so in melee, you can attack as normal.


Mistress -10hp
Acolytes: six, all deceased caught in entangling vines.

Raust: 8/8
Gerdal: 5/5
Isvand: 13/13
Dale: 6/11
Traeliorn: 10/10
Venwynn: 12/17
Ricardo: 8/8
Pasquel: 2/6
Marcel: deceased


before I forget, a reminder to use large for weapon damage vs Mistress

next actions please

[sastaz]

Gerdal slices again with her Kali kopesh, guided by the light of the pebble.

Kali khopesh attack THACO 20: [1d20+1]=14+1=15 dmg: [1d6+1]=5+1=6 fingers crossed...

"Take that!"

[redwarrior]

Isvand having missed so many times with his boomerang, Isvand moves in on the Naga, striking with his short sword

Short Sword THAC020 [1d20]=15 Damage [1d6]=2
Oh, Large
SS L Damage [1d8]=6

[Marullus]

Fixated, the druidess thrusts again, trying to skewer the wily snake-woman...

Raust - Spear v Large [1d20]=14 [1d8]=1
Mystery Roll [1d20]=8[1d20]=13

[Spearmint]

The Ritual Cave of the Mistress.

Gerdal, Raust, Isvand, Dale, each attack, cutting or stabbing thrusts but each fail to penetrate the thick, supple scales of the Naga Mistress who with venomous speed targets the druid and sorceress. She lunges forward and latches on to Raust, biting her savagely in the leg, almost dislocating her own jaws to widen her fang toothed maw in order to pierce deeply into the druid's thigh. Raust -2hp Fortunately, though her bite is deep, it is not poisonous, the Naga Mistress relying upon less conventional serpentine skills, magic and enticing gaze. Unharmed this round, the Mistress invokes some of that magic, bulking up her torso and tail and she quickly lashes out in order to surround Gerdal and squeeze the life out of her with a powerful constrictive crush but the sorceress proves a slippery target and dodges away.

Despite her superior strength, size, range of arcane skills, the Naga Mistress struggles as much as the quartet of heroes to land any sort of killing blow and so the death duels continue.

Gerdal: adjust your sheet AC to reflect the +1 from the cloak you wear and you gain the +2 bonus from the Chameleon Skin spell in melee as well as attached from range. AC7.

Initiative critters [1d6]=4 group [1d6]=4 party firstDale Birgensen: melee longsword : [1d20+1]=14+1=15[1d12+1]=2+1=3 missMistress bite attack: [1d20]=8 [1d3]=2 vs Raust, hit.Mistress: Strength spell increase [1d6]=6 to 18 equivalent strengthMistress: Constriction attack: [1d20+1]=3+1=4 [1d4+2]=4+2=6 vs Gerdal, miss.

Outside the ritual cave, volleys of arrows and javelins pepper the shale ground as the Orphidians come increasingly closer. they will be in melee range within 3 rounds. I am conducting those as a long, medium & short range trading of missiles before any hand to hand combat happens. The group archers take out another Orphidian in response but face an overwhelming force.


Naga Mistress: -10hp.
Acolytes: six, all deceased caught in entangling vines.

Raust: 6/8
Gerdal: 5/5
Isvand: 13/13
Dale: 6/11
Traeliorn: 10/10
Venwynn: 12/17
Ricardo: 8/8
Pasquel: 2/6
Marcel: deceased

next actions please

[Marullus]

Raust grits her teeth, drawing strength from the pain as she converts it to rage. She steps up on a stalagmite, then leaps, hoping to gain advantage by bringing her spear down powerfully upon the Naga from above...

Raust - Spear v Large [1d20]=14 [1d8]=7
Mystery Roll [1d20]=4[1d20]=19

[sastaz]

Gerdal

Gerdal did cast shield, so bundled with the cloak of protection +1 that would add up to AC 3 instead of AC 6 with Chameleon Skin, right? Sheet updated.

Desperation growing, Gerdal exceeds all expectations and strikes a grievous blow! (Depending on how nat 20 affects the damage.) Kali guided the blade!

Kali khopesh attack THACO 20: [1d20+1]=20+1=21 dmg: [1d6+1]=1+1=2

[Spearmint]

forgot about the Shield. You will have that a few more rounds. It adds +1 to saves from the front which I would interpret as resistant to Gaze attacks also.

The Shield would not stack with the cloak as it is a separate barrier, it is not physically worn or carried by you as a normal shield might be. So a general AC4 vs melee.

And you retained this spell, casting it on a comrade might be a useful aid ...

I also noticed from my revisiting of archives that the Shillelagh spell was invoked vs the Orphidian by the waterfall pool.(#329) But I will overlook that rather than again retrospectively adjust Naga damage. Just remember to tick spells used or erased in spell casters lists.

Critical hits from characters cause a 'plus max damage bonus'.

[redwarrior]

Isvand once again strikes poorly, though with great gusto, at the Naga. Throughly shamed with his poor combat abilities so far this battle, he wracks his brain for something of actual value that he might contribute.



Short Sword THAC020 [1d20]=8 Damage [1d8]=7

[Spearmint]

The Ritual Cave of the Mistress.

Of the quartet in melee, only Gerdal lands a telling blow and what a critical hit the ceremonial Khopesh inflicts, -9hp. The Naga Mistress bleeds profusely as well as cursing profusely, unprintable utterances of rage and malice.

In retaliation she lunges to bite the sorceress -4hp and curls her body around Dale who tries in vain to cut the serpent in half. He is throttled mercilessly as her long tail curls around his neck and torso in ever tightening circles, crushing him breathless -3hp. His next actions to loosen himself from the bonds before he asphyxiates.

Initiative critters [1d6]=5 group [1d6]=6 Dale Birgensen: melee longsword : [1d20+1]=13+1=14[1d12+1]=6+1=7Mistress: Bite attack [1d20+1]=14+1=15 [1d3+2]=2+2=4 Constriction attack: [1d20+1]=15+1=16 [1d4+2]=1+2=3 Dale Birgensen: strength 17+ vs Naga constriction. [4d6]=14

Ricardo [1d20]=20[1d6]=1 [1d20]=18[1d6]=5 Pasquel [1d20]=1[1d6]=3[1d20]=2[1d6]=4Venwynn looses arrows: [1d20]=8 [1d6]=4[1d20]=1[1d6]=3Traeliorn looses arrows: [1d20+2]=17+2=19 [1d6]=2[1d20+2]=4+2=6[1d6]=5

Outside the ritual cave the four archers face off against five times their number, trading arrows for javelins and wound for wound as the Orphidians war-party slither ever nearer. Now at medium range.

Naga Mistress -19hp

Raust: 6/8
Gerdal: 1/5
Isvand: 13/13
Dale: 3/11
Traeliorn: 8/10
Venwynn: 10/17
Ricardo: 6/8
Pasquel: 2/6
Marcel: deceased

Throughly shamed with his poor combat abilities so far this battle, he wracks his brain for something of actual value that he might contribute.

folk might want to check over any inventory items for creative ideas? Some spells are still effective.

next actions please

[Marullus]

Raust wields the spear of Herne, struggling to skewer this horror-fiend who afronts her god. But the beginnings of panic underly the rage that has driven her so far as the Naga wounds two of her companions and her spear still goes without any purchase...

Raust - Spear v Large [1d20]=3 [1d8]=2