Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

[Urson]

Jake has gone very pale. He nods.

If you find any records in the castle, there's a collector who'll pay 3000 silver for them.

[mb.]

Mr. Pulp (and maybe mjulius),

Just because I've lost track of what's where:
The singing & marching stuff is taking place in the room beyond the SW door? Or in the Hall of Furniture on the S side of the barricade? Or...?

Here's the map again for reference:

[Stirling]

'Shaggy' Beaker and Mouse, armed with bell and pistol, will leave the smoke billowing behind and head for the exit...there is an exit right, I mean Beaker doesn't see a door anywhere on the map, is it a dead end. Searching for a door, Mouse will hide behind the curtains on the right. He will add his weight to pulling the curtains down and hopefully on top of the babies.

[Pulpatoon]

Given the immense size of Castle Gargantua, it takes a fair amount of time to cross the rooms.

Brick and the retreating Toy Soldiers are still in the Barricaded Hall, crossing the distance between the barricade and the southwest door.

Shaggy and Mouse cannot see the far end of the audience chamber, even before the smoke bomb went off, because this room is dark, and the far side is still pretty far off. The encounter with the horrible babies is taking place by the fourth statue (the black dots). They see the door they came through, behind them.

Stirling: Shaggy and Mouse are trying to drag the curtain down in such a way as to make it fall on the babies? What are they doing to keep it from crushing themselves or their compatriots? Jake and Vanis may make it out of the way, but Horton is still in the midst of the babies. Please provide STR rolls.

[Pulpatoon]

The Nutcracker Suite

Odric, Kurt, Hans, and William do their best to beat the two remaining rats off their fallen comrades.

Rat Target: 1. Odric, 2. Kurt, 3. Hans, 4. William
Rat 1:Rat Target [1d4] = 4; Rat Bite [1d6] = 4

Rat 2: Rat Target [1d4] = 2; Rat Bite [1d6] = 5

Kurt and William both take serious damage at the teeth of the snarling creatures.
Please subtract HP first, then STR, then attempt to roll under the reduced STR to avoid Critical Damage.

It is hard to gauge the progress of the battle, given that the white rats do not bleed.

[coil23]

Horton Portencium

Strength (now 10) roll -[3d6] = 7

[GreyWolfVT]

Kurt STR 5 [3d6] = 8

William STR 3 [3d6] = 15

Don't worry that'd be both long dead they only had 1 HP and low STR to begin with

[Pulpatoon]

Could you make those STR checks on a d20?

[GreyWolfVT]

Kurt STR 5 [1d20] = 19

William STR 3 [1d20] = 7

even worse that way...

[Grognardsw]

Gwar struggles and hacks at the rat attacking him.

Critical Damage check [1d20] = 19, sword attack [1d6] = 5

Do I need to do more rolls for Butchness? Not sure if she's dead or down and bleeding out.

[Pulpatoon]

GWAR!'s attack has been added to the last round. Anyone still on their feet in the Barricaded Hall can make a new action!

[mb.]

Odric, in a rage since the fall of his brother and his valiant mutt, and spurred on by terror as companions fall all around, hacks at the rat with an animalistic roar!

Odric – Sword [1d6] = 3

[coil23]

Horton Portencium

strength (now at 10) check [1d20] = 9

[GreyWolfVT]

Hans tries to save Will and Kurt Hans Sword [1d6] = 5

[Pulpatoon]

The Nutcracker Suite
Dice Rollering:

Hans Sword [1d6] = 5 vs. Rat 1
Odric – Sword [1d6] = 3 vs. Rat 2
Rolling for GWAR in interest of momentum: GWAR! Sword: [1d6] = 3 vs. Rat 2

Rat Targets: 1. Odric; 2. Hans; 3. GWAR!; 4. One of the fallen
Rat 1:Rat Bite [1d6] = 6 vs. Rat Target [1d4] = 1 Odric

Rat Bite [1d6] = 3 vs. Rat Target [1d4] = 1 Alas, Poor Odric.

Rat 1 STR Save: [1d20] = 7
Rat 2 STR Save: [1d20] = 8
Both rats are still up and fighting!

Hans and Odric come quickly to the aid of their fallen comrades, hewing at the giants rats. They each strike solid blows that they feel would have felled a stout man, but the rats remain unbloodied and unabated. Suddenly, GWAR! rises up from under a beast's tearing jaws to strike a blow! The rat stumbles, bumping into its comrade. The two rats gather themselves and leap forward, each biting into Hans' Odric's chest, and they begin to pull in separate directions!

The Nutcracker Retreat
Brick's path brings him closer to the retreating Toy Soldiers. One of them swivels his large wooden head and opens his block-toothed mouth open with a clank. From deep down within its chest echoes up a voice: "Well met, soldier. Have you anything to report?"

[mjulius]

A little stunned and then bemused, Brick peers into the gaping maul of the soldier.
Uh no, cedar man, I got nothin'. Say, you got a pilot in there or do you just clank around noisily?

Langston takes another swing: Axe [1d8] = 7

Brick, hearing his partner bury his ax into the rat, suspects that the tide of battle may yet turn.
He rubs his chin and asks, So, since these vermin aren't likely to turn you to kindling, what can you tell me about that door back there?

[Stirling]

Strength roll Beaker [1d20] = 8 mouse[1d20] = 18


'Shaggy' Beaker and Mouse, pull at a curtain together. They hope to dodge it ripping free and cover the nearest baby. They pull together on that left hand curtain.

[GreyWolfVT]

Hans with nothing left but himself tries to help Odric Hans Sword [1d6] = 6

[mb.]

With 1 HP and a STR of 8, taking 9 damage simply kills poor Odric, amiright? That leaves my meat well and truly ground, and I'm out until a kind survivor (if there are any in the end) ministers to Deet's wounds.

With a sickening sound and horrible splash of blood, Odric is torn in two by the rats. Pieces of him fall to the ground with meaty splats.

Finally I get to use the skull icon! Concerning deaths: it's one rat, one horrible baby, and 3 PCs so far, right?

[Pulpatoon]

Concerning deaths: it's one rat, one horrible baby, and 3 PCs so far, right?

I believe it's 1 rat, 2 horrible babies, and 2 PCs (William and Odric; I have Kurt handing in with STR 1). Hans, Horton, Deet, and Schroff are KO'd.

But all this will change by next round.

GM mistakes: I forgot to count Langston as a possible rat target, last round. Sorry, mjulius! And I misread Grogs' Critical roll, and he should be passed out and bleeding with the rest—but since that was my fault, I'll give it to him.