Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 12:49 pm
by Stirling
Kellstrom
when you said gargoyles I was thinking of little dog sized creatures that sit on church walls not huge monstrosity...oh well, you live and learn as they say
..
Kellstrom regrets not taking up his shield as the creature bites through his chainmail, reaching for his flail he dodges through the stones pillars to attack the creature back, buy he just flails.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 2:04 pm
by Rusty Tincanne
Stirling wrote:...oh well, you live and learn as they say...
Learn? Yes. Live? We'll see.
But if Bremen makes it through this, he is definitely coming back to this place when he has me hit points and skills.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 2:38 pm
by Marullus
Holding for actions from Markd and Irving.
Also... you were "stopping by" this site on your way north, so the packed animals were with you. I'll assume that they're tied up outside the circle on the side from which you arrived.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 1:22 am
by Marullus
Stirling wrote:
when you said gargoyles I was thinking of little dog sized creatures that sit on church walls not huge monstrosity...oh well, you live and learn as they say
..
True.. all I said was:
Weather-worn statues of human men and women flank the doorways, while winged demons perch above the doors with hunch shoulders, looking downard.
For clarification, I would say they are Dwarf-size... Smaller than human but bigger than halfling. That big needs huge wings, though.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 2:49 am
by Rusty Tincanne
is the blessing of Baudh still in effect? Or was it lost when we waited for Kellstrom to heal?
Markd and Bandy ought to just leave us. That way it won't be a TPK, at least. If Bremen somehow survives this round, he will be fleeing into the woods. Maybe we could all find one another and head back to Vaul...
If I had read Marullus' post clearer, I would have kept running. For some reason I was thinking it was knocked out - probably confusing it with the Grizzly Woman results in the other thread. But he took a shot hoping to slow it down further. Oh well.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 11:16 am
by onlyme
Rusty Tincanne wrote:Markd and Bandy ought to just leave us. That way it won't be a TPK, at least.
too late for Markd... i figured eveyone else had committed to fighting who had responded, and didnt want to hold up the game. So Markd wouldnt have just run off by himself.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 6:06 pm
by Keehnelf
Irving is totally screwed, guys, unless he can kill this thing first.
Irving, crying out in pain and surprise at the assault, turns instinctively and lashes out again with his shining blade, his years of martial training compensating for his brain, which seems surely to have been turned off by the assault, since a smart man would run.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:24 pm
by Rusty Tincanne
yeah. We are all screwed. By thebook, gargoyles are 4 HD and only hit by magical weapons. Captain Bremen doesn't have a magical weapon.
I was hoping the blessing from the priest would give us the ability to damage these things, but I think it wore of already.
Does anyone other than Irving have a magical weapon?
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:25 pm
by Keehnelf
Just come grab it off my corpse--it'll be free in a minute. Hopefully by the last wielder we'll have finished these things off.
BTW, F- you Brother Kellstrom.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:50 pm
by Zhym
I'm hoping these gargoyles can be hit by non-magical weapons. Do any of us even have true magical weapons yet? They took damage already, so maybe we can hurt them.
Plus, maybe a pick axe gets a bonus to creatures made of stone.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 8:33 pm
by onlyme
Nope... no magic on Markd... he's just a poor leader with terrible charisma, who couldn't even keep a small tactical team in focus.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:02 pm
by Marullus
The group charges in, battle fiercely engaged by the brave warriors of Baudh. Captain Bremen turns to face his foe, a good 80' head start on him, and fires his crossbow. The bolt flies square and true - then ricochets off the stony flesh of the creature's chest without a scratch. The gargoyle rights itself under the henge where it crashed and snarls at him, rising back to its feet and trying to untangle it's wings from the fallen stones.
Kellstrom drops his sling and grabs up his flail, swinging at the creature before him. The creature blocks with its forearm, the flail chains wrapping around it, hopelessly tangled. It rips the flail from his grasp and tosses it aside into the tall grass. Markd and Olaf charge in, their sword and pick both striking what should be killing blow on the creature before their weapons slide off without a mark. The creature ignores them, raking its claws across Kellstrom's abdomen, his intestines bulging out, threatening to spill onto the ground. Kellstrom passes out and the creature slumps his prostrate form over one of its arms.
The third gargoyle lunges at Irving, stumbling as it is off balance without its wing. Irving deflects it with his shield and with an emotional yell, brings down his longsword in a mighty cleave and splits the creature's head open. It falls lifeless before him.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:09 pm
by Keehnelf
If he can reach the one chasing down Bremen, Irving will charge in and attempt to finish it off as well, leaving the monk who got them all into this trouble to his fate.
Crap--a good hit but that's not going to take one of these creatures down for sure.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:11 pm
by Zhym
So the "hit only by magic weapons" thing is still in effect and a pick-axe isn't any help.
Yeah. Sorry, Marullus, but I'm done in this thread. I'm not interested in dragging out the TPK any more than necessary. NPC Olaf's death however you need to, but I'm not taking any more part in it.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:22 pm
by Rusty Tincanne
nice hit by Irving!
where is Bandy? Is his great uncle's sword magical at all?
Where are the animals in relationship to Bremen and the tangled gargoyle? Can he feesibly make it to kellstroms mule-thing before being attacked?
How tangled is the gargoyle Bremen is facing? Multiple-turns-tangled?
Is there any sign that the gargoyles will let us go now that Kellstrom is dead? He was the offender, after all... do they take bribes?
1 quarrel deducted because Captain Bremen plans to live through this.
If there is a way for the rest of the crew to escape, we should do it. If Bremen can get the mounts, he will - we have treasure. If he cannot, he has 9gp on him. Enough for a room at the inn and new provisions.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:24 pm
by Zhym
FYI, for NPC'ing Olaf: as long as the gargoyles are attacking, he won't run. He'll be damned if he's going to let some uppity rocks scare him away.
No hard feelings, Marullus. I just don't think there's any point in prolonging the inevitable.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 10:16 pm
by Marullus
You realize that you haven't seen Bandy since the rock left Kellstrom's sling... that little fella is sneakier than you thought. You look around at this pause in the battle and you see him already over with the mounts outside the circle, finishing untying them and mounting his pony, the rest of the reins still in his hand.
I thought I was foreshadowing enough, but I'll be more explicit.
The gargoyle rights itself under the henge where it crashed and snarls at him, rising back to its feet and trying to untangle it's wings from the fallen stones. Despite cracking the henge and collapsing it partially on itself, it does not appear injured, a frightening thought. Instead, it is tangled in the rubble and will remain so for another 2-3 minutes.
The creature ignores them, raking its claws across Kellstrom's abdomen, his intestines bulging out, threatening to spill onto the ground. Kellstrom passes out and the creature slumps his prostrate form over one of its arms, looking ready to take off, carrying Kellstrom's body with him.
"Knowing when to run away" is an important skill in OD&D, and we're following LL Basic in that way. This is especially true of a West Marches style exploration game. You still get 50% experience for the encounter if you flee, and you can put it on your map to come back to later.
From the book:
Chases in the Labyrinth
The characters may decide they are outmatched and flee an
encounter, or a monster might flee. One side of an encounter
can always successfully flee if their movement is higher than
the other side, and if combat has not commenced. Characters
may choose whether they chase a fleeing monster, and will
only succeed it if is slower than they are. The Labyrinth Lord
will decide if the monsters chase fleeing characters by rolling
on the Monster Reaction Table. A roll of 7-12 indicates the
monster will pursue. However, a monster does not continue
chasing the characters if they manage to get out of the
monster's range of vision. If the monsters enjoy treasure, they
have a 50% probability that they will stop pursuit of characters
to collect any treasure the characters drop (roll 4-6 on 1d6).
Other hungry or less intelligent monsters may do the same if
the characters drop food.
Combat Movement
Players must announce that their characters will move during
a melee round, and they must make this announcement prior
to the initiative roll. There are two special forms of movement
possible in combat, which are governed by the rules
mentioned in Movement in Encounters. These movements are
available to monsters as well as characters. A character may
move his encounter movement and attack the same round,
but any further distance takes his entire action for the round.
Additional movement types are discussed below.
A fighting retreat allows a character to move backwards at
1/2 normal encounter movement. However, there must be a
clear path for this movement.
A full retreat occurs when a character moves backwards at a
faster rate than 1/2 of encounter movement. The character
making the movement forfeits his attack this round, and his
opponent attacks with a +2 to hit. In addition, if the retreating
character is carrying a shield, it does not apply to the
character's armor class during the retreat.
Any attacks made on characters from behind ignore the
influence of the attacked character's shield, if any.
So, you can flee automatically if it isn't engaged with you and you can beat its movement rate (like, if you cut its wing and it can't fly, or if it is under a collapsed henge). If it can match your movement, then there is a reaction roll to see if it tries. If it tries, you can throw treasure at it for a 50% chance it stops.
If you really WANT to suicide against a superior foe, that's your choice. I've tried to facilitate you running away the as much as I can... I'm impressed as hell that you killed one, truthfully.
So... to be perfectly clear...
You all have the choice to run away successfully at this juncture if you leave Kellstrom's body to the gargoyle and get away while the other one is pinned. (Since I was unclear about the health status of the trapped gargoyle, I'll let Keehnelf rescind his action if he wishes.) You all could've retreated before the sling stone. You also all could have gotten away free (except Kellstrom) at the end of round 1.
That said, you do not have to run away. Continuing against the trapped gargoyle gives two free rounds of attack on it, but after that it is free to chase you. Or, you could go at the one with Kellstrom's body to bravely save him.
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Seeing it's immortal companion cut open like an overripe melon and Irving running towards them, the standing gargoyle drops Kellstrom's body and flaps it's wings, taking off into the sky. It snarls backwards at the group, winging away northwards towards the city on the horizon.
(Bonus: Kellstrom can be hauled away and stabilized, too, if you choose.)
Re: Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 11:28 pm
by Rusty Tincanne
That is quite the turn around...
2 quick questions:
Would that mean the other will fly off as soon as he is untangled (if left alone)?
If we of to attack while it is hung up, can the magic sword be passed between Irving and Captain Bremen to use in the same round? Because two of use hacking at this thing should take it down in 2-3 minutes...
Either way, I wonder if we could tie this thing up with my rope sufficiently to take it back to town. That sage pays pretty well for creatures. Do we risk it? .
