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Corvin

A low growl escapes Corvin's lips as he feels the skeleton's dagger pierce his skin. Instinctively he lashes out with his fist at the danger.

Mordred

Mordred tries to fend off the skeleton on him - "Kasper, back away, or come stand behind me brother - it is too dangerous!" - he warns his friend.

Initiative:
Sebastian/Skeletons: 18
Corvin: 1d20+2 = 16
Mordred: 1d20 = 12
Kasper: 11
Geraint: 3


The skeletons continue to attack with the silent relentlessness of the undead. The two skeletons fighting Kasper thrust forward with their daggers as the cleric stumbles 1d20+1+5 = 25, 8 damage = 1, Kasper is down. He'll be attempting a death save at the end of this round, and every following round at a growing penalty until he fails or is stabilized. Kasper deflects one dagger with his gauntlet, but then the other punches through his chainmail and buries its dagger in his chest. Kasper's eyes widen, and he falls to his knees, then topples forward, torch rolling away.
Geraint lets out a cry, and the skeleton fighting him strikes 1d20+1+7 = 12, but Geraint manages to evade the thrusting dagger.

Sebastian swings his blackjack at one of the skeletons fighting Corvin, even as the skeletons strike at Corvin 1d20+8 = 14 < 20, and his blackjack deflects off the skeleton's shoulder bone. One skeleton attacks Corvin, while the other attacks Sebastian 1d20+8 = 14, 1d20+5 = 8 < 20 but the two fend off the attacks. Finally, the skeleton fighting Mordred presses the attack as Mordred shouts for Kasper to retreat 1d20+3+1-1 = 13 < 20, its dagger deflecting off of Mordred's armor.

At this point, the team counterattacks. Corvin strikes out at the skeleton facing him 1d20+7+2+1 = 18 < 20 but his claws deflect off the skeleton's bones. Mordred knocks the aside the dagger of the skeleton facing him, and swings for the skeleton's head. 21+7 = 28 > 20, damage = 10, skeleton had 7 HP. His blade catches the candelight and gleams as he severs the skeleton's skull in two.

A warm wind flows through the room, briefly banishing the stench of incense and suffocating despair of the undead. Kasper's bloodied symbol pulses with a soft blue light, and then goes dark.

"Foul monster! That man was worth a dozen of me!" Geraint lunges forward desperately and thrusts his short sword at the skeleton facing him 1d20+1+7 = 28, damage = 1d6 = 6. His sword rams through the skeleton's eye socket, and bursts out the back of its skull, dropping it.

The two skeletons who just downed Kasper will turn on Geraint now, who will attempt a fighting retreat to the far side of the pit, shouting at the two skeletons and waving his sword. Sebastian, despairing of actually damaging a skeleton with his blackjack, will dodge past the skeleton attacking him and try to shove the skeleton attacking Corvin prone.

Actions! Kasper death saving throw: 1d20+9 = 10 < 20, Kasper is dead. Two skeletons have been downed (including the one with the most HP, one shot by Mordred). Four remaining.

Corvin

"Kasper!" he half growls and half shouts as the cleric falls.

Desperate to help his fallen comrade, but not wanting to turn his back on the skeletons nearby, he mutters a short prayer to the Seer "Seer help us!" and tries again to strike down the skeleton in front of him.

shaidar wrote: ↑Thu Aug 22, 2024 11:37 am I'm not sure I should be attacking Sebastian's skeleton. If Sebastian succeeds in knocking down Corvin's skellie does he lose his attack or get a bonus?

I'm using the prone condition from Rules Cyclopedia: viewtopic.php?p=714825#p714825. Basically, there are some really hefty penalties to enemy attacks and saving throws, and a hefty bonus to attack against a prone target. Furthermore, the effects of prone last until the end of the round on which the prone target stands. So if Sebastian knocks the skeleton prone, it stands, and then you attack you still get the +4 bonus to attack. I'm also inclined to say that you can't stand up unless you already declared at the start of the round that you will be moving. DDX allows you to abandon things you declared, but not add new. So if Sebastian successfully knocks the skeleton down, it will be suffering the penalties of prone both this round and the next.

Mordred's eyes widen in horror as he sees Kasper fall, his heart sinking as the last flicker of light from Kasper's symbol fades into darkness. His hand tightens around the hilt of his sword, the pain in his arm momentarily forgotten in the flood of rage and grief that courses through him.

"No!" he roars, his voice echoing off the walls of the accursed temple. "You will pay for this!"

He steps over the crumpled form of the skeleton he just felled, raising his sword high. With a fierce determination burning in his eyes, he looks toward the skeletons that felled Kasper, but goes to the aid of Corvin instead, aiming to cutting down the skeleton attacking his companion before they suffer any more casualties.

“Too late to save Kasper. I carry that burden, but we will not falter...” - he whispered.

Mordred swings his sword in a wide arc, aiming to cleave through the skeleton, his strikes fueled by a mounting fury.

Actions (I seem to have forgotten we were rolling Init every round):

Initiative:
Mordred/Corvin: 20
Sebastian/4x Skeletons: 19
Geraint: 4


Mordred and Corvin strike at the skeleton attacking Corvin 14+7 = 21, 1d20+7+3 = 11, damage = 11, skeleton had 2 HP. The skeleton keeps Corvin at bay, jabbing at his wounded side, but leaves himself open to Mordred's powerful swing. His blade gleams in the dimness, almost seeming to catch the last flickering light from Kasper's holy symbol as it slices the skeleton's spine in two.

Sebastian whirls to face his own skeleton and raises his shield as the skeleton strikes 1d20+1+5 = 12 < 20, the skeleton's blade making a shallow gouge in his shield. The other two strike at Geraint as he tries to scramble to the far side of the pit. 2x 1d20+1+7 = 28, 15, damage = 2, Geraint has 1 HP left. Geraint parries one dagger, but cries out in pain as the other buries itself in his side. He wrenches free, and staggers back to the far side of the pit, putting himself directly across the trap door from the skeletons.

"Come on you monsters, you almost got me! Come finish me!"

The two skeletons fighting Geraint will charge across the trapdoor to attack him, while the one fighting Sebastian will continue to attack him. Geraint is going to wait and attack a skeleton if one comes in range, but otherwise stay where he is. Sebastian is going to try to try to shove the skeleton facing him to the ground with his shield.

Actions!

Corvin

Corvin looks on as Geraint takes a wound, and worries that they might lose another. He is about to run to Geraint's help when he realises the man's plan with the trap door. Not wanting to distract the skeletons from Geraint, he decides to try and finish of the skeleton attacking Sebastian and prays that luck is with their newest companion.

Mordred

As Corvin heads to assist Sebastian, Mordred moves to stand side by side with Geraint, making sure not to step on the trapdoor, and waiting to attack in case any skeletons do not fall in.

(basically doing the same as Geraint if possible)

Initiative:
Corvin: 1d20+2 = 14
Geraint: 1d20 = 9
Sebastian: 1d20+1 = 3
Skeletons: 1d20 = 2
Mordred: 1d20 = 1


Corvin slashes and snaps at the skeleton attacking Sebastian 1d20+7+2+1 = 15 < 20, but his claws deflect off the skeleton's bones, and the skeleton manages to evade his snapping jaws. Geraint braces himself, continuing to call and cajole the two skeletons, while Sebastian rams his shield against the third skeleton, trying to knock it flat 1d20+11 vs 1d20+10 = 31 vs 16, skeleton is prone. Sebastian wrestles with the skeleton, before stepping back half a step. As the skeleton ducks to evade Corvin's snapping jaws, Sebatian charges forward, and slams the creature in the skull with his shield, knocking it to the floor.

The two skeletons fighting Geraint charge straight across the trapdoor at him. The trapdoor opens, and the two plummet out of sight. The trap door snaps back shut, but not before the group hears the sound of breaking bones, gets a waft of rotting flesh, and feels a bone deep chill. Meanwhile, the prone skeleton stabs at Sebastian 1d20+1+5-4 = 6 < 20, but Sebastian has no problem evading the awkwardly thrust dagger.

Mordred, seeing the two skeletons chasing Geraint plummet out of sight, remains where he is and turns his attention back to the skeleton on the ground.Edeldhur, hope you don't mind my assumption that Mordred would abandon his movement when the two skeletons attacking Geraint are no longer a threat.

Geraint will lean against the wall, and remain where he is, clutching his side. Sebastian will attack the skeleton on the ground. The skeleton on the ground will stand and attack Sebastian.

Actions!

Corvin

Seeing Geraint deal with the two skeletons and frustrated with his inability to land an effective blow, Corvin continues to attack the now prone skeleton.

Mordred

(Of course archolewa, thanks!)

Mordred turns his attention to the fallen skeleton, intent on finishing it off.

Initiative:
Mordred: 20
Corvin/Skeleton: 1d20+2 = 18
Sebastian: 1d20+1 = 10

Mordred strikes at the skeleton on the ground 11+7+4(prone) = 22 > 20, damage = 10, skeleton has 4 HP and cleanly decapitates it.

The final skeleton crumbles, and the suffocating silence returns to that dim basement, the candles making the shadow of the Kinslayer's statue dance on the walls.

The cleric had 3 HD, and could cast spells, so she was worth 75 XP, and we had six skeletons at 10 XP each for 60 XP, so 75+60 = 135/3 = 45 XP each. Sebastian gets half rounded up for 23 XP since he is a henchman.

The priestess lays unconscious on the ground, though you don't know for how much longer. Sebastian hurries to Geraint's side to tend to his injury. 1d20+16+1 = 30 > 20, 1d4 = 2 HP gained. Geraint will be at full health once Sebastian finishes.

"Kill her," says Geraint. He pushes himself off the wall, and takes a staggered step towards the prone priestess, only to get pushed gently but firmly back onto the step by Sebastian. "We have to kill her."

"Let the others worry about that," says Sebastian, though he does throw Corvin and Mordred a conflicted look. "You're badly hurt. Let me see."

Actions? I won't necessarily wait on Edeldhur's response since he is sporadically available, but he shouldn't hesitate to contribute if he has a chance to check before I reply.

Corvin

At the talk of killing the priestess Corvin's hand slips down to the hilt of Wendy's sword. The sword slips out of the scabbard a couple of inches before he hesitates and looks at Kasper's body, then to Mordred and the others.

"She no doubt deserves it, for what she's done, but like this... I don't know, we need to be better than that, don't we? We should bind her, hands and feet, a gag and a blindfold. Remove that symbol around her neck, without touching it. Bring her to justice in the light"

He looks unsure.

"Aye," says Geraint, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just drag her out into the daylight, let all Thorncity know that there was a nest of Kinslayer vipers hiding in this neighborhood. I'm sure everyone will celebrate, secure in their safety. Certainly no panicked mobs. And the Inquisition definitely won't put that cute family you saved on the rack, looking for more nests."

"The Princess-" says Sebastian.

"A damned impressive woman," says Geraint. "Kept those fanatics out of her lands way longer than she had any right to. You think she'll be able to do that after you drag this woman out for a public hanging?"

Corvin

Corvin looks even more unsure "But we'll have to report this place to the church of the Seer, surely? We'll need to return Kasper's body there and they will ask questions. This place needs to be cleansed, to remove the evil, or whatever they do...and the prisoners upstairs, what about them? They need to be handed into the authorities, and they might talk about this place, and then there really will be questions."

All the time he is talking, he watches the priestess, looking for any sign she is waking up.

Geraint shrugs, and winces. "My old friends aren't going to go spouting off about Kinslayer priests in their basement, I'll tell you that much. Maybe the Princess' interrogators would drag something about of them, if they knew to ask. A bit better than a crazed fanatic shouting about how the Kinslayer is gonna eat us all on her way to the hangman's noose, yeah? Don't know much about the church. Can't help you there. Still, killed by bandits is a better story than killed by Kinslayer loons, don't you think?"

The priestess stirs groggily.

Mordred

He had been looking at Kasper as the others discussed what to do with the priestess - he did not know him very well, but he could not shake away the image of the holy symbol going dark, as his life extinguished.

He then looked at his own blade for a split second, turned around without hesitation, and moved to behead the priestess. Without a single word.

He will decapitate her unless someone tackles him or something.

Corvin

Corvin sees Mordred turn, sword raised above the stirring priestess.

For a second he considers stopping him, or turning away, but he does neither, and simply watches.