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[Spearmint]

Jerome (78/Q3) random spell scroll 4 [1d24]=15
Mage x 2nd

Jerome (78/Q3) random spell scroll 3 [1d24]=6 [1d24]=23
Mage x 3rd

Jerome (78/Q3) random spell scroll 2 [1d12]=8 [1d12]=4 [1d12]=4
Cleric x 1st

Jerome (78/Q3) random spell scroll 1 [1d30]=16 [1d30]=10 [1d30]=2 [1d30]=28
Mage x 1st

[sastaz]

Gerdal shows her scroll to Amos, shaking

"Amos, this seems to be divine scripture. Can you use it? I think they are healing prayers!"

[OGRE MAGE]

Amos takes the scroll with a sideways look, reading over the prayers before intoning one of the heals upon the dying half-orc.

Random D8 [1d8]=3

[Spearmint]

Orgoth improves slightly. -3hp

[Spearmint]

May 4th 1066.

Barrow Mound of Silas.
01.35am. Fire Beetle glands (Amos, Gerdal),

Conditions: Gerdal -2hp (Harkazz -1hp), Orgoth -13hp, Amos -3hp, Isvand -4hp, Steban deceased.

I asked OM to roll for Amos last round but I don't really want to burden a player with being responsible for another character's death should their action prove insufficient.

So here goes:

Amos reads the second cure spell off the vellum, laying his hands upon the dying Orgoth. -4hp

...

Amos ministers Cure Light Wounds to Orgoth.[1d8]=8

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth chokes and spits some as his bleeding seems to have stopped and he moans in pain. "Ugh..."

Awesome work everyone, thanks!

[sastaz]

Gerdal hugs the half-orc

"He's alive!"

She helps him to sit up, against a wall. Then to the others

"Now we have to seal ourselves in here right away or get moving towards Helix. Also, we need to give our fallen friends an honorable farewell. We cannot leave them here or in the ground, lest they be vandalized by the corpse eaters. I think we should burn them and bring their belongings back to their families. That would be most respectful, given the options."

[OGRE MAGE]

I asked OM to roll for Amos last round but I don't really want to burden a player with being responsible for another character's death should their action prove insufficient.

I feel like I am getting sucked back into the confusion of DM/PC actions. So I want to ask for a little clarification for future situations like this, if I may please.

Was the healing from the first CLW enough to stabilize Orgoth? Or was he still “bleeding out” after being magically healed? Was it necessary for him to be brought back above 0? Or could we have let him rest until morning and used a spell on him instead?

If a simple binding of wounds won’t stop an unconscious PC from dying, it makes the CLW scroll incredibly valuable for the next time a situation like this happens. So my thought was to hold onto it if at all possible, and use our daily magic first.

I apologize if I am missing something about the complexity of this current situation with the ghoul bite.

[Spearmint]

thank you for the question and you raise some good points for clarification, so I will try to address those.

Orgoth was bleeding from a wound which took him to negative hp and he would continue to take -1hp damage from further blood loss each round until dead at -10hp.

When a character goes into negative hp, they fall comatose. I then ask them to do a hard constitution check to stabilise themselves from further blood loss and remain on their amount of negative hp for a limited time while other help may be ministered. Failure indicates the character could not stabilise themselves and blood loss continues.

Whilst on negative hp, patients could be healed by a cure spell or healing potion. I was debating whether to allow any potion or cure spell administered to bring a character back to 1hp, irrespective of whether they had -1hp or -9hp. Just take the magic and be restored but I feel rolling for the potions or spells effectiveness and restoring 1-8hp and not just a blanket save, plays better.

So in Orgoth's case, at -5hp he needed at least 5hp of healing from the first cast to bring him to stability.

I am more than happy to actually play the first case option of ruling a potion or spell just brings you to minimal stability, I can see rp benefits to both. What would you as players prefer, bearing in mind these are all housed ruled as the rulebook just says 0hp equals death.

So in short answer to your question. The points rolled for the CLW were not sufficient enough to bring Orgoth to health (+1hp) or stability (0hp) and he was still bleeding out because he failed his Constitution saving throw.

If he had succeeded in the original Con check, then he would remain at whatever level of negative hp he had and he could be nursed until other healing through spells or potions was available.

The ghoul poison did not affect his Con survival check. I already give a benefit of not ruling that failure to save vs poison immediately drops a character, so that characters can continue to stand and act subject to increasing Con checks.

Binding wounds to help stabilise a character needs a first aid kit (spider silk bandages, etc) or some medic knowledge. None of which you have though the skill could be an area that a character invests out of expedition training in.

As to the first point about interrupting the npc action, I felt in this do-or-die scene, if the spell healing amount was not going to be enough to save Orgoth then that burden should fall on me rather than a fellow player though if a character was casting the spell then the player would roll the dice of fate. Apologises if you felt you should have rolled.

Hope that answers any queries. I am fine with character death, though I will try my utmost to help find creative ways for players to survive or remind folk about items or knowledge they may have overlooked which would help in a critical situation.

[Spearmint]

Just as an addendum to this, my Madeline (wife not horse) thinks that if a healing potion or spell doesn't fully heal a person on negative hp, it should at least stabilise them from further blood loss.

Which I think "hey that's a good idea, I hadn't thought of that."

If you agree with Maddy and my horse say "aye" or disagree say "neigh".

[Spearmint]

If we can agree on the above, that potions or spells bring stability then I am absolutely fine with Amos then using the CLW from his morning spells to heal up Orgoth and you still have a CLW on the scroll.

[sastaz]

I think it's a good idea. The person would be in something of a coma at "negative hp but stable". Let's say a spell heals someone bleeding at -9 hp for +1 hp. That person would then be at "-8 but stable". The person would also require 9 days of complete rest (less at a hospice) to get to 1 hp and "getting conscious". So not dead but still out of action a week.

[OGRE MAGE]

I was definitely not offended by you rolling. I am only concerned about the clarity and hopefully continuity of these rulings.

I get the Con check.

I even get the first aid kit rule, though that might have been mentioned somewhere earlier.

But I definitely agree that any magical healing should stop someone from bleeding out. That isn’t something that should need a consensus. Wives are always right!

If you agree and are willing, I will post an action from the point after the first CLW. If you want our actions to make sense with the existing posts, (and toss a small bone to the tattered group) you could use the 8 you rolled instead of the lousy 3 I rolled. Bob’s your uncle, as you say.

[sastaz]

Cool with me too. That means Orgoth will be stable but unconscious (if we keep the roll of 3) and that we'll have to drag him to move. If we decide on that I will edit Gerdal's action as well, just a little to fit the new reality.

[redwarrior]

I'm also gonna go ahead and agree with your wife. And make a note to pick up a first aid kit between sessions.

[sastaz]

As an aside: do you actually own a horse? That's cool.

[OGRE MAGE]

As an aside: do you actually own a horse? That's cool.

I think this might qualify as an OOC question.

[Spearmint]

I am happy going with Amos casts CLW from the scroll. It gives +3hp but Orgoth remains on -3hp but stabilised from further blood loss.

During the morning respite (if you get any .... ) Amos casts a second CLW on Orgoth for +8hp which puts him on +4hp.

You still have the scroll with CLW on it.

Lessons learned: a) win initiative. b) make saves
c)ask questions to clarify situations.

Yes I own a racehorse Zoey Boey and run syndicates as part owner in four more, Dreamsunderyourfeet, Sweet Siouxie, Chefchaouan Blue and an as yet unregistered foal. My usual fayre is low class handicap hurdles racing though not your premium grade one races though in 2010 Primo Lady won the Lily Agnes Listed trophy and was entered in races at Ascot.

[Rex]

I agree with your wife. It makes sense to me, we are talking about Divine power after all.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven is glad to see the spell from the scroll staunch Orgoths horrible wounds, but he appears distraught over the companions they lost. He tells Amos to help his friend in any way he can as he moves to the half eaten Steban and Brother Fabian. “Why did I listen to them? I should have been more stern. This is my fault. Their blood is on my hands. So this is what it feels like eh? Well, it sucks!”

He gets his rope out and securely ties any remaining arms and legs, running it through their mouths like a gag as well, just in case. “They will likely come back as the undead eventually, and will need to be put down permanently before we can give them a proper burial.”

He goes through any belongings on their persons, hoping to find Steban’s locket. “I know it meant a lot to you that this be returned to the rightful owners. I make the promise today to see that task through to the end to honor your last wishes.”

Sven hangs his head in thought for a long while before being able to speak again.