Gnome's OOTA Story Thread [CLOSED]

"Let's be on our way then...we definitely won't find anything sittin' here!" Horkas says with a grin and a chuckle. He stays in the middle of the group, riding Skitter and with the Shield Guardian two steps behind them.

The noble Drow nods and smiles, moving along with the expedition as they press on, hoping his earth elemental servant would return after luring the purple worm away, his familiar still scouting ahead for threats.

Grax'xt perception: 13

The earth elemental slowly glides back to meet the group as Grax'xt flies ahead to keep scouting. But a few moments later, the rumbling returns, faint at first, but crescendos quickly  as there is a thunderous crash from behind you, as a worm burrows into the tunnel you're in, maybe 100 ft behind your group and begins sliding your way! Grax'xt has reported there are no intersecting tunnels in the immediate vicinity, that is, for at least the next 120 ft ahead of you.

You have two options: Run, and hope you can make it to an intersection before the worm gets to you; or stand and fight in the tunnel you're in. What do you want to do?

"Ranged attacks, then fall back! The Guardian will bring up the rear. Fire at will, then move!" Horkas yells as the purple worm emerges in the tunnel behind them. He lifts his crossbow and fits a rather large bolt into it - it has a thicker shaft and a large, conical head instead of the usual sharpened point. The artificer adjusts a couple of rotating bands on it and fires it at the monster (waiting until it gets to 90'). Attack: 23 Damage: 24

The missile flies true, exploding in a ball of icy shards! (cold damage) The artificer then has Skitter move a full 30' away, with the shield guardian following behind and staying between Horkas and the worm. (Unless part of the group stays - then the trio will interpose themselves between the worm and the rest of the army...)

Following the gnome general's directives, Khessa recommends to the infantry: "You heard Horkas, bad4sses... this time, we attack from range! Let's leave the construct (and maybe even the elemental)" she shoots a furtive glance at Traydrak with her tail of the eye "to absorb the first impact".

The blonde arcane warrior then attacks the colossal monster with the magical fire of which she is so proud of, while the infantrymen make good use of their Heavy Crossbows.

Everyone keeps their distance as recommended. The tall adventuress stands ready to spring forward if the creatures that make up the vanguard fall.

Khessa's Fire Bolt Attack: 22 Damage: 16 (fire)
Thora Nabal's Heavy Crossbow Attack: 17 Damage: 8 (piercing)
Sylrien Havennor's Heavy Crossbow Attack: 18 Damage: 9 (piercing)
Olaf Renghyi's Heavy Crossbow Attack: 15 Damage: 10 (piercing)
Elias Drako's Heavy Crossbow Attack: 23 Damage: 10 (piercing)
Tamryn Tharke's Heavy Crossbow Attack: 7 Damage: 2 (piercing)

Katryl will try to study the worm for a moment to find a way to get advantage against it. (BA - Insightful Fighting, Insight Check: 24 vs Deception) She then fires her bow at the purple worm. "Let's follow their lead and fire at them as we leave," she says to the other scouts. 
(Shortbow Attack: 22, Damage: 12; if Insightful Fighting is successful, add Sneak Attack damage: 20)

(Scout 1 - Crossbow:  Attack: 17 Damage: 9; Attack: 17 Damage: 4)
(Scout 2 - Crossbow: Attack: 10 Damage: 3; Attack: 19 Damage: 9)
(Scout 3 - Crossbow: Attack: 20 Damage: 3; Attack: 23 Damage: 17)

After firing her shot she will retreat away from the monster with the others.  

The earth elemental servant moves through the rock and positions itself at the very front, ready to face the purple worm, ready to hold it's ground and slam the worm with it's mighty fists, still buried half-way into the floor to hopefully not be gobbled up by the massive worm.
(Ready slam attacks)

Meanwhile the noble drow takes aim with his black rod and unleashes two purple beams towards the purple worm.
Eldritch Blast: 20 Force: 8
Eldritch Blast: 9 Force: 7

Behind him the zhentarim mercenaries calmly fire their heavy crossbows.
Heavy Crossbow: 9 Piercing: 9
Heavy Crossbow: 19 Piercing: 8
Heavy Crossbow: 7 Piercing: 1

Traydark and the zhents would then fall back with the others.

Lulu watches as many of the attacks simply bounce off the worm's tough hide. Shocked by the speed of such an immense creature, she worries they'll not be able to outrun it. Not without a head start. 

Directing her mount to the ceiling, Lulu makes room for the others to fall back. As he passes beneath her, she calls out to Traydark, "Lord Duskryn! Hows about we send this worm on a fully inclusive planar holiday?"

With a flick of the cleric's wrist, her lunar eye flashes white and the shadows cast by the eldritch beams and fire bolt, refracted by the shards of ice, coalesce into a mote of darkness. Once the others have retreated, she drops down from Hestr with instructions to follow the others. She waits 20 feet from the Guardian/Elemental with the roiling ball of shadows, ready to inflict dire misfortune on the monstrosity.


((Lulu will hold her action to cast Bane when the worm is within 30ft. DC 15 CHA save or disadv on all attack rolls and saving throws. Hoping this will help the worm fail the save for Banishment if it works!))

You all quickly rearrange yourselves, putting the elemental and guardian behind you to try to slow the worm down, sending off crossbow bolts, arrows, fire, anything you can to make a dent in the charging creature. Some of your attacks are successful, some are not, but none deter the rampaging worm as it blasts down the tunnel toward you all with frightening speed!

Due to its reckless charge, the walls of the tunnel quake, causing rock and earth to rain down as you make your escape. Everyone make a DC 12 Dex save. Take 10 points of bludgeoning damage on a failed save, half on a success. In addition, the next quarter mile will be considered difficult terrain.

Assuming the elemental and shield guardian stood where you all were when the worm appeared, the creature is now only 50 feet away from them and will close the distance within seconds as it blisters through the tunnel toward you.

DEX save: 3+2 5

Lulu holds her ground just 20 feet behind their guardians as the others fall back, but is clipped hard by falling debris. 

(Edit:) Staggering slighty, with a flick of the cleric's wrist, her lunar eye flashes white and the shadows cast by the eldritch beams and fire bolt, refracted by the shards of ice, coalesce into a mote of darkness. With the others retreated, she drops down from Hestr with instructions to follow them. She waits 20 feet from the Guardian/Elemental with the roiling ball of shadows, ready to inflict dire misfortune on the monstrosity.


((Lulu will hold her action to cast Bane when the worm is within 30ft. DC 15 CHA save or disadv on all attack rolls and saving throws. Hoping this will help the worm fail the save for Banishment if it works!))
((Still holding Bane for when it's within 30ft. Concentration check for the bludgeoning dmg: 20+2 22))

Quote from MissAbyss >>

DEX save: 3+2 5

Lulu holds her ground just 20 feet behind their guardians as the others fall back, but is clipped hard by falling debris. 


((Still holding Bane for when it's within 30ft. Concentration check for the bludgeoning dmg: 20+2 22))

 (If you held the spell from the start, this will cost you a spell slot since it's basically a new round. If you just hold it this round though that's fine.)

(Sorry sorry, didn't realize it would be two rounds before it reached us! Yeah, will just say she's casting and holding this round then, thank you! Will use a free action to cry over that Nat 20 I wasted LOL)

(Katryl DEX Save: 17, no damage taken due to Evasion feature.) 

Khessa's DC 12 Dex save: 5

Thora Nabal's DC 12 Dex save: 14
Sylrien Havennor's DC 12 Dex save: 17
Olaf Renghyi's DC 12 Dex save: 13
Elias Drako's DC 12 Dex save: 5
Tamryn Tharke's DC 12 Dex save: 14

Khessa, shocked by the size of the monster and the devastation that it seems to cause in the tunnel, fears for a moment that she will be buried alive... which almost turns out to be true, when several stones hit her, battering her hard on the fortunately sturdy armor and causing her to collapse on her knees.

'I'm Khessa' the blonde arcane warrior thinks, in a fit of rebellion, getting up and shaking off the rubble 'and I'm as free as the blowing wind! I will not be entombed by a dumb worm, no matter how big it is!'

"Come on!" the tall adventuress tries to encourage everyone, happy that the destructive giant has not yet arrived in close combat with anyone and that even the infantrymen, more or less bruised, are all still standing and able to continue fighting "It should have already collapsed everything that could collapse! Now let's finish stopping that enormity - at least, with its size it's harder to miss than hit!"

Horkas DC 12 Dex save: 13
Skitter: 12
Guardian: 17

The gnome dodges the rocks as he follows his own orders - shoot and scoot!! He sends another bolt of chromatic energy towards the rampaging worm (Attack: 14 Cold damage: 21)

Dex Saves
Traydark: 5
Grax'xt: 13
Earth Elemental: 12
Riding Lizard: 13
Z1: 19
Z2: 19
Z3: 15

Grax´xt (7 -2)
Earth Elemental (126 -2)
Riding Lizard (19 -5)
Z1-Z3 (32 -5)

Traydark Concentration: 17