Discussion (out of character thread)

[roobeastie]

So a question for Morwen; can she keep the dawi skeletons going once we leave the dungeon? If so then we do room #1 and then leave. Otherwise send them forward a couple at a time to trigger the trap, and then see what's in room #3.

I answered in the IC thread.

[scarik]

The consensus seems to be to explore Chamber 1.

[Leitz]

I apologize for my back and forth on the skeletons and looking for the ogres. Originally I thought we needed to resolve the skeletal send off quickly, but then found out that they can stay with us for a week. We'll deal with the goblins and not go looking for issues afterwards.

Part of JJh's work is to keep Gurav going. JJh has come to realize that the dwarf doesn't have a lot of hope, and thus takes risks that are not long term good ideas for the overall goal. The original deal was that the group would help take Kraka Grak, Gurav's ancestral home, back from whatever evil had taken it over. The pay scale is simple, Gurav gets the cave complex itself, the group gets all treasure in it. However, from JJh's perspective, having a Dawi alliance with a friendly ruler is much better than just going in and taking the treasure. Thus he wants to keep Gurav alive if at all possible.

While Dramm and Morwen know JJh's overall plan, I'm not sure if Earnan has caught on yet. When JJh was knighted he was given responsibility for everything west of the main road. He took that literally, and plans on making a very large domain of it. Establishing strong alliances with the Dawi, both mountain and hill, is a part of his plan. Helping good people reach their goals is also part of his plan, that's why he supports Gurav, Morwen, and the Margrave.

And for those who don't know, JJh is courting the Margrave's daughter and things are moving at a decent pace.

[Leitz]

I've been ill and my thinking hasn't been the best. Earnan and Hodlar rolled a natural 2 on understanding the trap into room #3, so we're stuck with experimentation on the weights and then the fire sand. Also, when the group first got there, Morwen detected the other 75 Dawi skeletons in room #4, so let's see if we can deal with rooms 3 and 4 in the next go. The skeletons we have will last another week or so, any reason not to use the fire sand also in room #4 to reduce the enemy count? Maybe try one barrel wrapped on cloth and debris from Room #1 to make it more effective? Then Morwen can control some, Hemia can destroy some, and we can fight the rest?

[roobeastie]

Sounds sensible to me.

[tibbius]

Good.

[CarrieVS]

Sounds fine by me too. I don't have any other suggestions to add.

[scarik]

You are free to plan and discuss your options before committing just as any in-person group would be allowed. This is a beast of an encounter if you go by the numbers so I expect you to leverage everything you have to tilt the odds.

[Leitz]

Do we know if/how Holy Water will effect the wights? Is the hornblower, holding the standard, a wight as well? When you said: "sits the Thane on his throne flanked by his elite guards", how many wight guards are there?

[Leitz]

Also, would the spell casters think this seems more unusual that usual? That is, something else is powering the wights?

Each hex is 10 feet across, right? How high is the ceiling, and how far could a normal person throw one of those 20# barrels of fire sand?

[Leitz]

Would a potion of invulnerability totally protect against the skeletal foot and missile? Could the person under the potion influence still attack the skeletons without breaking the protection?

[scarik]

Would a potion of invulnerability totally protect against the skeletal foot and missile? Could the person under the potion influence still attack the skeletons without breaking the protection?

A potion of invulnerability makes you immune to all mundane weapons so yes it would negate all attacks from the skeletal missiles. For the duration there are no restrictions, its not like the Protection from Evil spells, it just gives you the same resistance that the wights have. You would still be vulnerable to attacks by wights as they are both resistant to non-magical weapons and have magical attacks of their own.

Also, would the spell casters think this seems more unusual that usual? That is, something else is powering the wights?

Each hex is 10 feet across, right? How high is the ceiling, and how far could a normal person throw one of those 20# barrels of fire sand?

The wights are powered by the Blighted Area but are otherwise normal wights. Blighted areas grant significant resistance against Turn Undead, but Hemia's Bless reduces the area to Shadowed which still gives Turn resistance but to a lesser extent.

Each square on the map is 10 by 10. The ceilings are arches to a height of 20 feet in the middle and 10 at the edges.

(one moment while I go throw a 25 pound weight...) I'm 200lbs, reasonably fit and I can throw a 25lb iron plate about 30 feet. So with an area weapon you can throw it 40 feet.

Do we know if/how Holy Water will effect the wights? Is the hornblower, holding the standard, a wight as well? When you said: "sits the Thane on his throne flanked by his elite guards", how many wight guards are there?

Holy water harms all undead, physical, incorporeal, etc. There is no defense for the unholy from raw divine magic.

I will edit my post to add the numbers.

[roobeastie]

Jsyk, Macnav has two lightning bolt javelins that he can throw, and if I move Morwen out of Hemia's Bless range, she can cast a pretty powerful Lightning Bolt. I say that because that Runepriest is basically going to make both Hemia and Morwen's powers practically ineffective while he's up.

[Leitz]

Jsyk, Macnav has two lightning bolt javelins that he can throw, and if I move Morwen out of Hemia's Bless range, she can cast a pretty powerful Lightning Bolt. I say that because that Runepriest is basically going to make both Hemia and Morwen's powers practically ineffective while he's up.

The dwarves seem set to defend, which means that they are all together and the southern entrance may be open or less defended. Otherwise anything that gets Morwen out of the Bless area puts her at great risk.

So far my thinking is that JJh drinks a potion of invulnerability, and maybe Dramm does as well. They can then be shields while Si-woo and Macnav use missiles on the runepriest. If those two can discomfit the rune priest enough then as Hemia moves forward Morwen can move back, getting out of the Bless effect. Can Morwen do a full power lightening bolt to the other side of the bless? The two fighting dwarves need softening up.

JJh's system of honor doesn't require solo combat, it's more that honor is proven by winning. Thus there's no need for solo combat against the higher level wights; target selection and concentration of fire.

We have multiple potions of flame breath that can be used as well. Maybe get the unlit barrels rolled to the enemy and they flame breath ignite it?

Are wights still the "person" they were?

How far can a vial of holy water be thrown, and is there a decent chance to hit the wights?

Can Gurav benefit from JJh's Leadership modifier? Gurav did grant JJh command authority in battle, might as well remind him of it.

[scarik]

Can Morwen do a full power lightening bolt to the other side of the bless? The two fighting dwarves need softening up.

We have multiple potions of flame breath that can be used as well. Maybe get the unlit barrels rolled to the enemy and they flame breath ignite it?

Are wights still the "person" they were?

How far can a vial of holy water be thrown, and is there a decent chance to hit the wights?

Can Gurav benefit from JJh's Leadership modifier? Gurav did grant JJh command authority in battle, might as well remind him of it.

Lightning Bolt starts near the caster and can be cast over allies with the same restrictions as using a polearm: so easily from the second rank, with the right formation from the third.

Fire Breath is certainly hot enough to ignite firesand.

There is no conclusive, in-setting answer to who wights are. Your clerics and necromancer have three different theologies on that for instance, but they all agree that life-draining undead are cursed and cannot be redeemed save through destruction.

You can throw a vial of holy water with a long range of 40', the same as a thrown axe or dagger. It attacks like a grenade since it just needs to splash the undead to injure them.

Gurav gets to Save every round to see if he rallies. You can make a Captain roll to give him a bonus.

[Leitz]

Okay, here's my rough draft of a plan, please make it better:

Assumptions
- not very far into Room #4
- Bless in effect
- Inspire allies active (effect rolled?)
- Earnan's Light in effect


Priorities
- Per Roobeastie's note, magical missiles on the runepriest
- Disrupt their missiles
- Once the enemy rune priest is down
- - clerics and mages turn/destroy/command as many of them as possible.
- - missiles on the wight thane and wight champion


Actions (my characters and recommendations for Gurav's folk)

JJh - drink invulnerability while moving forward in front of Gurav. Give speech to encourage Gurav and draw the attention of the undead dawi
- Thunderers will be at long range if the AD&D indoor conversion is used.
- If he can be assumed to have drunk invulnerability then shoot the rune priest before speech.
- - I like his speeches.

Si-woo - move near JJh (for shield) shoot rune priest with sharpness'd arrow (leaving 19 of 20)

Hemia - move behind Gurav so that she is sheilded and he has Bless

Gurav - Roll recovery after JJh rolls Captain

Korev - Throw a fire sand barrel at rear of Dawi skeletons (as far as he can, anyway, with +2 Str)

Hodlar - Move forward to JJh, stay small
- Assume he has an oil of sharpness (from Borav) bolts, shoot the rune priest (leaving 19 of 20)
- after the thunderers fire he will move forward and Flame breath the barrel korev threw, but he needs to get closer.

Borav - Move near Gurav and prepare to turn once the rune priest goes down.

[CarrieVS]

We already have Protection from Evil up and my 2 offensive spells don't work on undead, so I will probably just shoot things according to the list of priority targets (with an option on stabbing things if it falls out such that more of us have to get into melee) But if anyone has any other suggestions or requests for Earnan, happy to oblige.

[Leitz]

We already have Protection from Evil up and my 2 offensive spells don't work on undead, so I will probably just shoot things according to the list of priority targets (with an option on stabbing things if it falls out such that more of us have to get into melee) But if anyone has any other suggestions or requests for Earnan, happy to oblige.

I'm not sure if you've worked with the combat system for this game, but I'd recommend Earnan not get in a fight with any of the undead dawi. They are hard to hit and there's a lot of them, without the potion I doubt my character could make it and he's a pure fighter.

[CarrieVS]

Noted. I was not intending to do so unless forced by circumstance. But if things turn bad and we run out of actual fighters and it’s me or someone even squishier, I’ll do what I have to do.

[roobeastie]

Morwen figures Macnav can use his lightning bolt javelins, and then is absolutely intending to use her scroll of Lightning Bolt on the Runepriest. After that, Magic Missle all the way.