Barrowmaze: BRAGging Rites

[redwarrior]

Isvand will search the north wall, looking for hidden doors, while keeping an eye on the alcoves. It's always best to know. I think we want to explore these alcoves before we move on. I don't like the idea of leaving things behind us.


Search [1d8]=3

[Rex]

Orgoth

"Agreed on searching the alcoves, I just prefer to have our back covered first and minimize the surprises."

Trying to play Orgoth as someone who is learning from previous mistakes.

[sastaz]

Gerdal

“Yes Gerdal. Zombies. Mean, Ravenous ones. Locked in a cage. Right around the next corner.” The young mage looks at his friend sideways for a second. “Do you think you can……..control them, somehow?”

"Well...it should not be impossible. I studied how the priests do and it's not that different really. You just need to halt the effect halfway through, so instead of banishing the undead completely, you halt the spell before it reaches full effect. Sort of. Then I also read some notes in the spellb.... she glances sideways at Amos ...well scripture that was also...ehrm...helpful. So to speak. Well, there's only one way to find out I guess! But you'd have to not hit them, that'll make the spell next to impossible to complete."

As they start approaching the secret door she adds:

"Please tell me more abouth Palanthas."

When we've entered the secret corridor.

He speaks loud enough for Gerdal to hear in the last room. "I count 10 alcoves here. I thought one of our past divinations revealed something about the "ten who came before us" or something like that? Anyone remember that? Coincidence maybe?"

"Oh, I'm not sure. Ususally I'm so focused on the reading that I forget what I saw. I can do it again though? Let's check the other alcoves in the meantime."

[Spearmint]

Trying to play as someone who is learning from previous mistakes.

always useful!

Exploring beyond the Long Corridor.

Orgoth checks out the rubble and west corner of the corridor. It is clear that the earth behind the stonework has been undermined by many burrows and tunnels dug out by the creepy crawlers that now swarm over the shelves and floor of the westernmost crypt (A). Yardie wards a few away with a firebrand but he feels he is fighting a losing battle, sticking around may sooner or later mean some inquisitive or flesh hungry centipedes will likely crawl up trouser legs, hopefully outside not underneath. Smokie can nip a couple that get too close.

Stepping away, some investigate (B), shutting the secret door and frisking through the bones on the shelves and floor. These bones are not whole skeletons as they are in (C). They are generally piled together with a grinning toothy skull on top but searching among them does not uncover much beyond rusty metalwork or rotten and mould covered raiments.

Sven waves a firebrand at some of the fungal growths in the corridor. Long stalked ink-cap mushrooms close and shrivel in reaction to the heat, others gathered in little clusters like pale bunches of grapes, burst in a bubble of cloudy milk spores that cause you to sneeze. You might naturally be wary of strange fungi as some sort gave a particularly bad reaction previously (crystal statue coffer). But beyond a sneeze there is no adverse reaction to them.

Isvand checks out the lichen patches upon the north wall (area above D-G) and seeks for any secret or concealed entrances. You can move aside the lichen growths or cut out bits to test the wall soundness but you do not find any portal. The only exit appears that at the east end of the corridor. Amos helps but even his old rogue career skills do not find any secret niches.

Gerdal and Gnimish can pair up to check out (C), the crypt of shelves with whole skeletons. Among the lower ones you can collect a token 230sp and some more 'bazaar trinket' stock but when someone reaches above to investigate one of the top shelves, the helmeted skulls all animate and begin to shout loudly as a clarion call. A ghostly face fills the room, a large, angry, giantish visage and it shouts, "Grave robbers, thieves, sticky fingers, covertous infidels, tomb Raiders!" Those in the room and its immediate vicinity are suddenly affected by the instantaneous nature of the alarm and subject to its effect which is to panic and cause fear in those who hear it. (all those by or in crypts B-D)

actions: all characters, inclusive of Gnimish and Amos need to make a saving throw vs spells.

Failure means you panic, running in fear. Roll a [1d6] on a 1-3 those in fear run back through the secret door, 4-6 you run eastwards.

As if the alarm was not bad enough. At the call, two large, shuffling figures emerge from (F). These humanoids are skeletal grotesques but each has a large Myconid growth that uses the skeleton as an exoskeleton frame to inhabit and grow around, each had a large toadstool like head and sickly pout on a wrinkled, shrivelled face of skin, long twig like feelers as hands and feet splayed open like roots.



actions and rolls please.

[redwarrior]

Isvand, intent on his studies of the walls and lichen is completely shocked and terrified and takes off down the hallway to the east as fast as his cute halfling feet will go!! This is worse than when he was found with Nanny Tam's Cherry tarts!!! The view of the Fungicides spurs him to even greater perambulatory velocity!

save vs spells target 12 [1d20]=2
which way [1d6]=6

Hopefully this wears off in time to be of use to the party!

[Spearmint]

a visual I forgot to post.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Save vs fear (Spell 16) [1d20+1]=5+1=6

Direction [1d6]=4

Orgoth shrieks and runs east with Isvand.

My luck with saving throws lately has been really bad.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven is alarmed by the sudden burst of action inside the narrow passage. Luckily, he doesn't succumb to the magic currently forcing the others to flee, abandoning their posts.

Save vs. Spells (11) [1d20]=13

Seeing his protection running away from the action, realizing he might soon be left all alone, the young mage starts out this imminent battle with a defensive spell. He steps back into the alcove and starts casting.

Mirror Image: Random Percentile Roll [1d100]=35

2nd Level Spell Retention (INT 15) [4d6+2]=17+2=19

Hoping at least one other member gets to them first, the mage hangs back and readies his next bout of magic to unleash upon the mushroom zombies.

[sastaz]

Gerdal, usually not a softie when it comes to darkness, fear or undead, is taken totally by surprise mid sentence and instinctively withdraws head over heels down the passage from whence she came, screaming.

Save vs. spell (12): [1d20]=8
Direction: [1d6]=3

[Spearmint]

Exploring beyond the Long Corridor.

Consequences of spell effects can have a major impact upon scenes as the group find out to their cost.

Gnimish and Gerdal, both searching through the neighbouring shelves of Crypt C, trigger the conjured alarm which sounds a grave warning and radiates an aura of deathly fear. The pair hightail it out and back through the secret door in Crypt B, running hell for leather through the narrow passage with cocooned bodies, squirming on their bellies to stay under the Checkerboard flagstone room's reset crossbow traps and out into the Long Corridor, finally shining up the dangling rope and resting fearful in the Barrow Tomb above. Panting and exhausted from fleeing danger, it takes a further round or two before you come to your senses and realise that nothing has chased you away. (the Fear caused lasts one turn, so half of that is escaping and half is waiting with bated breath in the chamber above).

Amos 15+ save vs Alarm from Magic Mouth spell [1d20+1]=10+1=11 Gnimish 17+ save [1d20+3]=12+3=15Run direction: 1-3 secret door, 4-6 down corridor Amos [1d6]=5 Gnimish [1d6]=2Amos: in the footsteps of Isvand ... vs -15 [4d6]=20[4d6-1]=17-1=16[4d6]=7

Of more serious consequence is the reaction of the quartet in the corridor. As the giant face appears and screams blue murder, Isvand, Amos and Orgoth take flight, running eastwards down the corridor, bypassing the emerging Fungicide creatures and around the corner. The panic is not 'blind', as you can see but the Fear of impending doom is very real. The halfling is the first around the corner turning into another short passage that again turns right then right again. As described, much of the floor and walls are covered with various fungal growths and in approaching the second corner, Isvand steps upon a carpet of mossy lichen that gives way under his feet. The greenery is thinly spread over the top of a deep pit but the halfling, running at the topmost speed his little legs can stretch can make a dextrous leap over the yawning chasm. Catching his feet on the lip of stone the other side he runs more, terrified of what follows behind, wary of what lurks in front. Within a few yards another mossy carpet is seen, just before an actual open pit and with a leap and hop, the halfling makes a triple jump success. The corridor turns again but a door is just in front which he arrives before and he tries to hammer it down. Then you suddenly look to your left and down the continuing corridor to see a ghastly sight to behold .... I will come back to this.

Amos runs fearful behind the halfling but cannot make the leap across the first of the pit traps, falling victim and falling inside.

Orgoth, the last of the trio since you were by the rubble wall has a harder time. The two monstrous fungal stalks that inhabit the skeleton bodies each try to grab or punch him as he runs by. He carries his shield left handed and in running can try to steamroll the two creatures but is unsuccessful as they emerge from his right hand side and in running by, one lands a blow upon the back of his head, -3hp. It staggers him momentarily but is enough to halt his flight around the corner and save him perhaps from diving feet first in the footsteps of Amos and worse for the cleric, be cushioned by him as you also fall into the pit on top of him. you can continue to run away or fight these creatures but at a -2 to hit penalty due to the Fear effect.

Orgoth shield bash as he runs [1d20]=10Fungi vs Orgoth [1d20+2]=1+2=3 [1d8]=1 [1d20+2]=11+2=13 [1d8]=3

Smokie blinks invisible, Sven makes himself more visible, a trio of mages in fact. He takes refuge in Crypt B.

Yardie, to be fair I had pictured him in Crypt A, keeping away the numerous centipedes with a flaming firebrand, so just out of the AoE of the triggered alarm. The mercenerary looks up to see folk dashing away, up the corridor or back through the secret door. The alarm call is slightly deafening and the warnings are repeated several times over but the initial Fear effect (at least my understanding of the trigger) is that it only afflicts those who hear it on the 'surprise manifestation', not on the subsequent rounds that it is sounding.

Obviously he hears the noise, sees the two creatures emerge and sees the screaming face in Crypt C. It almost fills the chamber, a ghostly summoned image. The mercenary decides of the threats that the image is the greater and strikes it or rather through it with his broadsword.

"STFU!" he might say in his patois goblinese. The image neither quietens or dissipates, instead it just repeats the dire warnings of, "Grave robbers, thieves, sticky fingers, covetous infidels. Tomb Raiders!"

.

back to Isvand: you triggered but leapt over the first pit trap, jumped over the second which is still concealed by the mossy covering and hopped over the open pit. As you passed the open pit, you saw three figures at the bottom, one a skeleton and the others like small painted, caricature wood carvings.

The door you rush to hammer upon is solidly closed. A little further away a second door set in another arched stone frame. Floating in the air by that door is a large leathery looking ball. As huge as a beach ball but with several appendages on top, almost like stalks or antenna, each with a bulbous lump at the end. As you hammer the door, the leathery ball slowly turns around and you gaze eyeball to eyeball into one really big, giant eyeball. It looks as surprised to see you as you it, but the floating eye has a mean, feral glint that also adds to your fears.



actions everyone please.

[redwarrior]

Isvand, for some strange reason inadequately scared of THIS threat, compared to the other one, sends two arrows towards it. Come on central eye!!!


Short Bow THAC018 [1d20+1]=10+1=11 Damage [1d6]=3
Short Bow THAC018 [1d20+1]=19+1=20 Damage [1d6]=2

Feverishly thinking up deals to make with a devil!!

[Spearmint]

A map visual.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth manages to to sort of stand his ground and attack the fungi skeletons.

Silver Spear +1 [1d20]=8 to hit [1d6+4]=4+4=8 damage
Superior Shield Bash [1d20]=6
Not that it matters but the Fear penalty is factored into those rolls.

[OGRE MAGE]

Isvand, for some strange reason inadequately scared of THIS threat, compared to the other one, sends two arrows towards it.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Svens step back out into the hallway, pouring a pinch of sulphuric powder into the palm of his hand. He wonders where everyone has run off to. "Hold back a second Yardman! I want to try something new before you rush in."

He hurries towards the mushroom monsters, blowing the powder into the air, aiming at the one furthest from Orgoth, hoping the fighters heavy armor will protect him from any splash damage.

The powder quickly mixes with the moisture of his breath, and after a magical phrase is uttered, it becomes a cloud of acidic vapor that encompasses the creature. Sven's Acrid Breath [2d4+4]=5+4=9

Orgoth will need to Save vs. Breath at +2 in order to avoid the one point of splash damage. The other shroom should get a point of damage as well, unless it is protected somehow. Hopefully Yardie can attack last, after the spell goes off?

New Spell:

Sven’s Acrid Breath (Evocation) Reversible

Level: 2
Range: 15’ Cone
Duration: 1 round
AoE: One Target + Splash
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 5 segments
Saving Throw: Special

This spell requires a pinch of sulphuric powder to be blown into the air by the magic user. Once aimed in the direction of a single target while magical phrases are uttered, the dust combines with the moisture in the breath to form vapors of highly corrosive acid that assail the target unerringly.

The acidic breath does 2d4+level in damage upon initial contact before the vapors quickly dissipate. Anyone or anything immediately adjacent to the target takes 1 point of residual “splash” damage, friend or foe. A figure wearing medium armour is allowed a saving throw vs Breath for half damage. Heavily armored, or creatures with naturally thick hides and the like, receive a +2 saving throw bonus.

This spell can also prove effective for corroding metal locks, iron shackles, cell bars, etc., but such applications can be imprecise and messy. The spell will not function underwater or affect creatures with no corporeal body like ghosts, ethereal creatures, or acidic based such as oozes, gelatinous, and slimes.

(The reversed version would function as Sven's Acidic Dilution with the same dynamics, diluting 2d4+lvl worth of damage being inflicted.)

2nd Level Spell Retention (INT 15) [4d6+2]=18+2=20 oh oh

[Spearmint]

Nice, I like new creations being put in to play.

I will update as this action in the corridors takes place as Gerdal and Gnimish are still concurrently running through the rooms.

Exploring beyond the Long Corridor.

Yardie strikes out again at the alarm that continues to shout out your trespasses. Inside Crypt C, nothing stirs though. The noise 'alarming' but after the initial Fear effect, Yardie stands fearless inside the room. Smokie still hunkers in Crypt B. Sven calls out "Shroom showtime" and launches his own spell creation with bated and acidic breath. The vapour blown cone becomes a 'vile of acid', enveloping the nearest figure with a misty burning that sizzles and bores pitted holes into the bones and leathery stalk of the Fungicide. -9hp. The second takes a minor wound -1hp I will ignore Orgoth needing a save. The effect upon the most injured seems to be quite serious for much of its exterior form withers or shrinks in response to the contact with the acidic vapour. It leaks too. Not blood but little puffy clouds of necrotic spores that puff out from the wounds. Turning in response, the creature belches out its own cone of debilitating gases, the Fungicide releasing a cloud of poisonous spores that each carry the chance to inflict a catalytic transformation in a victim. It moves quickly to grapple the mage, catching a Mirror Image and throttling it in an attempt to stop him from breathing further. Save vs poison Due to it partially leaking spores, you make your save at +1. Its breath is vomit inducing and nauseous, the physical effects are to rot you from the inside out and cause you to morph eventually into another Fungicide host.

This scene is replicated with the second figure turning to grapple with Orgoth. Despite his attempts to keep it at bay, the creature reaches over his bared shield and begins to overbear him, -5hp and also breathe a cloud of debilitating spores in order to infect him and add to his current afflictions. Save vs poison too please.

Fungi vs Sven [1d20+2]=10+2=12 [1d8]=5 Fungi vs Orgoth [1d20+2]=11+2=13 [1d8]=5

Amos has his own troubles. Falling into a deep pit he tumbles to land spread-eagled upon the floor, fracturing a number of bones and loosening a few teeth. As if that wasn't enough for his trouble, the cleric has landed in or rather upon a whole heap of trouble. Large purple and indigo streaked fungus growths sprout from each corner of the pit, some immediately vibrate and quiver, producing an awful "Shriek!" sound, screeching in high pitched terror. Two others produce long inky pseudopods that contain a sticky mucus and these reach out to wriggle over the exposed skin of the cleric. Their touch is necrotic and diseased and almost immediately, the cleric feels nauseous, septic and ghastly. Wearing the Gauntlet of Palanthus, he invokes its remedial health benefit to succour his withering life.

Around the corner, Isvand takes aim, hoping to hit a bullseye on the large floating tentacled lens that is eyeballing him. As the Beholder moves towards him to gain a better view, it takes a shaft through the eye that pierces it right through and surprisingly to the terrified halfling, the creature suddenly explodes in a cloud of fiery gases, sulphurous and poisonous air. Unluckily for Isvand, though the deadly explosion is contained within a small radius and the creature floats slowly and awkwardly towards him, his first arrow miss proves very costly as the second shaft causes it to erupt close by.

Isvand 'balls up' [6d6]=20

Isvand make a success saving throw vs Rods, Staves, Wands to avoid the full explosive damage as it sucks up all the oxygen in your burning lungs and brands the walls with hellish soot. succeed and take -10hp half damage. Fail and take -20hp.

survival actions and rolls please.

[Spearmint]

[Rex]

Orgoth

Save vs poison at +1 (13) [1d20+1]=13+1=14

Orgoth continues his attack.

Silver Spear +1 [1d20]=15 to hit [1d6+4]=1+4=5 damage
Superior Shield Bash [1d20]=2

Includes -2 penalty for fear.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven pukes out.

Save vs. Poison (13) [1d20]=1

Was there any benefit from the Mirror Images?

Can he still take an action?

[Spearmint]

Was there any benefit from the Mirror Images?

You know I totally missed those. Just a moment....