Escape from / Assault of ... the Slavers Temple

[OGRE MAGE]

Mortar studies as fast as he can, trying to retain 3 of his lost spells while they have the time to do so.

"Okay, now what? We're still caught between a choice of bad or worse."

"If that damn halfling told the orcs about us, they sure took their time coming back here to finish us off. See what I did there? Took? Huh?"

He is apparently dealing with the stress of being trapped in his own strange way.

[corum]

Galadria

Looking around sees the predicament the party are in. "Well, unlike some, we're still alive!" She chuckles. "With rest seem I to have gained a bit of my faith, tunnels or garden?"

I'll take 4 1st level please DM

[Rex]

Brick

Brick positions himself to defend the crypt from any incoming orcs from the garden.

[Straither]

Memorial Garden Cemetery:

Crypt Siege:

4.00pm:
Illumination inside: dimmed lanterns and minor sunlight through stained glass window.
outside: bright sunlight.

The double doors at the top of the gardens are opened and a huddle of shambling figures shuffle forward, uncoordinated in stumbling movements, awkward of gait and mannerisms. Unmistakably these are zombies, some still in torn and bloodied Temple guard uniform. Two are more hulking figures, looking more like half-Formian malformed giants that suffered hellish wounds. One has half a cranium exposed from a crushing head wound and a large abdominal scar that is roughly sewn together though rotting guts still protrude in lumpy bulges. The other Zombie Ogre is Kharnak has wicked slashes deep into his neck, throat cuts that bled him dry. He staggers in undead life in just the same way as his last steps in life, sleepwalking with outstretched arms to embrace now in a nightmarish crush. A last zombie is slighter and fair, Esther, raised again to continue a slavish existence as a minion to undeath.

Shepherding this huddle of zombies are several guards who poke and prod them at the point of halberds, provoking the zombies angst and hostility. A Witchdoctor-priest seems to hold sway over the fragile mental grasps of the zombie horde and utters basic commands for them to assault the Crypt.

You know the attack begins as several crossbow bolts from those on the walls thud into the Crypt door or fly through the rear and side stained glass windows, sending shards of multi coloured glass to shatter around you.

At the same time, small billows of smoke rise up from the descending stairs and leak through the paper thin gaps between the wizard locked coffer and the entrance it covers. You can assume Orcs in the tunnel below are trying to smoke you out as an extra strategy.

Olleg: 21/33hp
Brick: 18/18hp
Mortar: 7/10hp
Vennar: 17/19hp.
Galadria 16/17hp
Durrant: 7/7hp
Edel: 11/11hp (14/14hp with Pallas the Owl:
3/3hp)
Elwita: 12/54hp.
Jacupo: 7/15hp
Rogger: 10/10hp.

Spells available:

Mortar: DM & RM, any 2/4 x 1st, 1/3 x 2nd
Durrant: DM & RM, any 2/4 x 1st, 1/3 x 2nd
Edel: DM & RM, any 0/4 x 1st, 1/3 x 2nd

Galadria: DE cantrip, any 4/4 x 1st, 0/2 x 2nd lvl
Vennar: DE cantrip, any 1/4 x 1st, 0/3 x 2nd lvl

Jacupo: DE cantrip, any 2/4 x 1st lvl, 1/2 x 2nd
Rogger: DE cantrip, any 2/2 x 1st.



Next Actions, the zombies move slowly so you gain initiative and can act first. I will edit a map to give you a basic visual.

[Straither]

[OGRE MAGE]

I understand we get first strike, but also hoping we have a moment or two before they can get all the way up to the crypt door.

Mortar sprinkles himself with his magic disappearing dust as soon as the assault begins.

"Before they get here, throw that door open but stay hidden in here. I will wait 3 seconds for the bolts to fly again before slipping outside and around the corner of the crypt. Once out there, I will try to give these brutes something to focus on besides us."

(Going to try to lure them away with an illusion of us fleeing the crypt, if possible. Hopefully they get confused and chase the illusions around instead of entering.)

[Edeldhur]

Edel

Ill equipped to deal with hordes of Undead, the Magic User is however happy that some of his companions command divine power, and waits for them to push the creatures back thusly.

With his dagger, he proceeds in tearing strips from the clothes worn by the fallen orcs, previously paralyzed and then killed when they first arrived at the crypt, wetting them with water from his waterskin, and using them to cover the fissures and block the smoke as best as he can.

[corum]

how far away do the Clerics have to be to attempt to turn? Step outside and we're pin cushions right?

[Straither]

how far away do the Clerics have to be to attempt to turn? Step outside and we're pin cushions right?

You need to boldly present the Holy Symbol and rebuke them, I would say you can do that from the Crypt doorway to those undead by the fork in the path easy enough.

I give 'cover' effect and thus bonus to AC to anyone standing in the Crypt doorway but one step outside will eliminate any cover it provides.

I think I mentioned that there were a dozen guards on the walls under a Sgt type's directions. Four have crossbows trained on the Crypt door, others spaced out for any breakout. (So at least four but not all twelve will loose bolts at any given time, unless dealt with).

[Straither]

I understand we get first strike, but also hoping we have a moment or two before they can get all the way up to the crypt door.

Going to try to lure them away with an illusion of us fleeing the crypt, if possible. Hopefully they get confused and chase the illusions around instead of entering.

Sure, Mortar disappears under the Dust and exits the Crypt invisible. actions describe your spell.

[Rex]

Brick

Brick moves to the front, prepared to follow Mortar out if he ends up needing help.

"Any that make it in the door I will take. Someone needs to be ready to take my place in case I falter."

[OGRE MAGE]

The invisible Illusionist slips out around the right side corner to begin his spell.

He conjures the image of a torch bearing dwarf sized figure dressed in heavy plate armor who runs out of the crypt door heading towards the left side between the oncoming zombies and the shooters on the wall.

Using his full concentration, he adjusts his illusion to react accordingly if hit by any flying bolts or chased by the others on the ground. He intends to use the heavy armor facade to keep this illusion alive and kicking for as long as possible.

Hopefully this forces them to make their next move, allowing us to react to their tactics instead of the other way around. If we can turn some of the zombies, that should help too. Doesn’t seem like going back down is an option anymore at this point, so we might be in for a full blown battle if we hope to escape this place.

[Straither]

Memorial Garden: Crypt Siege.

4.01pm:
Illumination:
inside: dimmed lanterns and minor sunlight through stained glass window.
outside: bright sunlight.

The group decide on some delaying tactics. Mortar turns invisible and exits the Crypt once the doors are going open. Ducking under any bolts triggered his way, he shelters for extra cover in the thick shrubbery to his immediate left and invokes the image of an armoured dwarven berserker, horn helmed and polished mail charging forth in a blaze of glory.

improved phantasmal force.

Mortar mimics the hero saluting his foes, taunting guards, staggering when it apparently receives the impact of impaling bolts.

Orc crossbowmen: [1d20]=19 [1d6+1]=6+1=7 [1d20]=14 [1d6+1]=2+1=3 [1d20]=10 [1d6+1]=5+1=6 [1d20]=19 [1d6+1]=4+1=5

The holographic is very believable, soaking up the damage, and becoming the focus of those Watchmen on the walls who track the steps of the phantasm around the right side of the Crypt.

Inside the Crypt:

"We need clear those archers away. If only we can climb upon the battlements, we could sweep them off the ramparts" laments Elwita. She readies her broadsword, eager to get into the bloodletting.

"Let the clerics deal with the Undead horde. Warriors need charge the Witchdoctor and guards." suggests Jacupo.

The smoke inside the Crypt rises, leaking through gaps under the coffer. Edel and Galadria can try to block the billows with dampened linens. Breathing in the smoke has no effect upon Galadria since she bears the Necklace of Adaption. You have only a few rounds before the smoke becomes unbearable.

Memorial Gardens: random allotment 1-3 vs cemetery intruders [1d6]=6

The Undead Horde shuffle forward, just feet away from the Crypt and indeed within whisper range let alone a loud rebuke of any cleric Turn attempts. Rogger invokes a Bless spell, calling upon Boash to favour the team's morale and martial prowess. Durrant waves and arcane Shield to protect him from the expected barrage of missiles.

Olleg: 21/33hp
Brick: 18/18hp
Mortar: 7/10hp
Vennar: 17/19hp.
Galadria 16/17hp
Durrant: 7/7hp
Edel: 11/11hp (14/14hp with Pallas the Owl:
3/3hp)
Elwita: 12/54hp.
Jacupo: 7/15hp
Rogger: 10/10hp.

Spells available:

Mortar: DM & RM, any 2/4 x 1st, 0/3 x 2nd
Durrant: DM & RM, any 1/4 x 1st, 1/3 x 2nd
Edel: DM & RM, any 4/4 x 1st, 1/3 x 2nd

Galadria: DE cantrip, any 4/4 x 1st, 0/2 x 2nd lvl
Vennar: DE cantrip, any 3/4 x 1st, 1/3 x 2nd lvl

Jacupo: DE cantrip, any 2/4 x 1st lvl, 1/2 x 2nd
Rogger: DE cantrip, any 1/2 x 1st.

Next Actions everyone , definite actions please as 'readying an action' or 'waiting' will give initiative to your opponents.

[Edeldhur]

Edel

"We need clear those archers away. If only we can climb upon the battlements, we could sweep them off the ramparts" laments Elwita. She readies her broadsword, eager to get into the bloodletting.

Olleg does have a Ring of Jumping
and
Durrant could use his Ring of Telekinesis to drop the Potion of Slipperiness on top of the Witch Doctor group?

@Straither: As for Edel, he is planning on casting Sleep on the orcs on the walls - can he cast it through Pallas Vision? Is there a clump of orc crossbowmen he could target?

[Straither]

Is there a clump of orc crossbowmen he could target?

They are spaced out, you could target those from the toolshed with the Witchdoctor.

[Rex]

Brick

For now Brick holds his position just out of sight inside the doorway and waits for the enemy to reach him.

[Edeldhur]

Is there a clump of orc crossbowmen he could target?

They are spaced out, you could target those from the toolshed with the Witchdoctor.

Those can be reached by our melees... Not so much the ones on the walls. But I will at least be able to nab a few, right?

[Straither]

You can step out the crypt and try to cast sleep on any group you can see.

[Edeldhur]

You can step out the crypt and try to cast sleep on any group you can see.

So I cannot cast through 'Pallas Vision'?

[Straither]

the spell dynamics say a 30'ft diameter circle. So that would cover pretty much everyone currently in the garden if you stood in the doorway to cast it into an area you can see.

On one hand, I am not sure you can cast it via Pallas vision to affect those guards stationed on the left wall that as Edel, you cannot see physically yourself.

Although you might argue that you can physically see them (via warging into the Owl's Familiar link, and that the mage could reach the walls with his spell in normal circumstances, as they are within range, 30'ft + 10'ft per level of where you are.

You know what, I have not been asked to consider it before but I think to say yes.