Hildigrim: 12

Volo: 11

d12: 9

• (A) The Eye in the Mist is a 20-foot-wide pool that is bounded by piled stones to form a natural well. A thin harmless mist boils out of the top of that pool.
• (B) Trilithons - these megalithic structures consist of two vertical stones supporting a third horizontal stone. (Something like a poor-man's Stonehenge.) There are eight of them in total.
• (C) The awakened trees around the edge of the grove are not moving from their positions. They are either rigid, bashing the tree next to them, or objects nearby (like the unconscious werewolves, who are being beaten to pulp.) The shadow mastiffs are not attacked on round 1, but they will avoid the trees from now on.
• (D) Paths leading out into the darkness of the forest.
• (E) Tarthwood Forest - difficult terrain, and partially obscured by fog

Other details:

• The 4 regular shadow mastiffs (A1-A4) and the alpha mastiff (MA) are growling and getting ready to charge. They are hard to see in the dim light.
• Drusk's hag-torch emits bright light to a 20' radius, while Jorin's sword has bright light to 15'. Those are the yellow circles around those characters. There is dim light for another 20' and 15' beyond those circles. While the bright light doesn't hurt the shadow mastiffs, they clearly don't like it.
• The partial moon above is getting blocked by a thickening fog. Outside of the torch / magic sword light, the area is in darkness.

For the initiative:  Hildigrim, Jorin, (lair action), (four shadow mastiffs), Quillary, Drusk, Pascal, Volo, (mastiff alpha)

Hildigrim and Jorin can post their actions for the 1st round. (If convenient, include what you want Volo to do.) Any Help provided by Volo won't happen until next round, since the owl goes last.

Giant Jorin will roar a challenge to the Alpha Mastiff and charge it, swinging his giant axes in the process!

• Move: Full movement up to MA
• Bonus Action: RAGE
• Action: Moonblade Attack: 21 Damage: 12 + 3 giant damage + 1 radiant damage

It looks like the only creatures Hildi can see are A4, A2 and MA since the others would be in the dark. But I imagine he can hear them, so ...

Hildigrim moves 25 feet clockwise around the bottom of the well and fires an arrow at A4.

+1 shortbow attack: 16; damage: 6 piercing damage

I'll wait to post Volo's until after the naughty dogs go.

Jorin strikes the Alpha for 16 damage, while Hildigrim's arrow hits A4 for 6 damage.

From above, you can hear Kauth chanting, to Call a Shadowed Fey. A dark smoke gathers above the moonwell, followed by a splash as something erupts from the water. But nothing is seen...

A1 charges in a straight line at Hildigrim, but is unable to reach him since he moved clockwise around the moonwell. The A4 mastiff is able to reach Hildigrim, circling outside of the bright light of the hag-torch. (These beasts move 40'.) It tries to bite him. Attack: 14 Damage: 8

The mastiff bites Hildigrim, and tries to knock him prone. STR save vs. DC 13: 21  With a cry of defiance, Hildigrim stays on his feet.

The A1 and A4 mastiffs fade away into the shadows of the dim light. (As a bonus action, turn invisible.)

The A2 and A3 mastiffs converge on Jorin from either side and try to bite him. A2: 24 D: 9,  A3: 9 D: 9  Jorin prevents either of them from biting him.

Changes from the map:

• Jorin is 5' SE of MA. A2 is 5' west of him, and A3 is 5' east of him.
• Hildigrim is 10' south of Pascal, just outside the circle of bright light from the hag-torch.
• A4 was biting Hildigrim, then turned invisible. A1 was charging towards the pool, then turned invisible.

Quillary, Pascal, and Drusk are up next.

Can I roll to see if Volo can tell if A1 and/or A4 have moved based on tracks?

Quillary-bear charges the alpha dog alongside Jorin, swiping and biting at it.

Bite: 18 to hit, for 5 piercing damage
Claws: 7 to hit, for 4 slashing damage

Edit: son of a...

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

Can I roll to see if Volo can tell if A1 and/or A4 have moved based on tracks?

In the next post, you will get the locations of A1 and A4, but Volo feels that there is something strange nearby.

You can have Volo roll a straight Perception check as an Action, or have the owl ignore whatever is nearby. (Normally Volo has advantage, but it is cancelled by disadvantage for invisibility.)

Quote from Mingofaust >>

Bite: 13 to hit, for 6 piercing damage
Claws: 9 to hit, for 4 slashing damage

All of the mastiffs are AC 12, so the bite hits.

Drusk will move south (counter-clockwise) to check on the wounded Hildigrim. As the circle of bright light envelops Hildigrim, the A4 mastiff loses its invisibility 5' south of Hildigrim. The A1 mastiff is also visible at the edge of the bright light, near where H started in post 2106.

Drusk is just east of Hildigrim and A4. He will swing his mace at A4, then as a bonus action cast Spiritual Weapon to the west of A4. The weapon looks like a transparent bowling ball, which has a yellow smiley face inside (that always seems to be facing the viewer, no matter where they are). That tries to crush A4 as well.

• Mace Attack: 21 Damage: 8
• Spiritual weapon  19 Damage: 9

Pascal to go.

“Oh ho! Seems these are some crazy le chien, mes ami! Down fido!”

Initiative: 15
Pascal’s neck cycles colors as light builds in his mouth. With a flash, a red, burning Chromatic Orb rockets toward the Shadow Mastiff Alpha!

Attack: 17 Damage: 15 fire damage!

... Inspiration! 20... Aw.

Unfortunately, Pascal misses with the Chromatic Orb.

The alpha mastiff barks out a Terrifying Howl. All beasts and humanoids with 300' (except the shadow mastiffs) will be frightened if they fail a DC 11 WIS save.

• Drusk 14  (fail)
• Hildigrim (w/adv)  16
• Jorin   1
• Pascal   12  (fail)
• Quillary   22  (fail)
• Volo   20

DM rolls

(What will Volo do?)

Volo swoops down and away to distract the alpha so that Hildigrim gets advantage on his attack.

Hildigrim disengages, hides behind Drusk, and shoots an arrow at the alpha.

+1 shortbow attack: 18; damage: 5 piercing damage

Stealth?: 19

Sneak attack due to Quillary: 10

(Not yet for Hildigrim. There is one more participant for round 1.)

As Hildigrim sends Volo to distract the Alpha Mastiff, he feels invisible claws striking at him. Attack: 14 Damage: 10  He is hit for 5 slashing, and 5 necrotic (bonus damage when the Skulk attacks with Advantage).

He realizes too late that the uneasiness that Volo felt around the moonwell was due to the Skulk being summoned by Kauth at the beginning of the round (post 2109)

(You can keep Hildigrim's actions for round 2, if you want. Stealth will not be possible, as he isn't breaking line-of-sight at any point. To get out of melee range of the mastiff and the skulk will require him to move 10' away from Drusk and Pascal.)

At the start of round 2:

The Mastiff Alpha has taken 22 damage. A4 has taken 22 damage. Both are wounded over halfway.

Hildigrim took 19 damage, and is down to 7 hp.

Drusk, Hillary, and Pascal are frightened of the Alpha. (But there is a chance it will die before they go.)

The Skulk is invisible. The "S" on the map was where it struck Hilidigrim, but it might not be there any longer. As long as it attacks with advantage, it does an extra 2d6 necrotic damage. All the mastiffs are currently in bright light, which prevents them from turning invisible.

For Hilidigrim and post 2116, I assume that he still wants to move 10' west, so he can get out of melee range to fire an arrow at the Alpha. The question is, will he stay at the edge of bright light, or does he want to continue moving west another 15' to get to the Trilithon (B), and Stealth there? (Or you can chose something different, since you posted before the Skulk attack.)

Hildigrim and Jorin are up. (Jorin, please make a WIS save with disadvantage. This won't affect you in round 2.)

Crap.

OK, Hildigrim disengages and runs around five feet north of Pascal. Instead of shooting an arrow, he downs his healing potion.

5 + 2 (forgot the second d4)

Does Hildi still have his mirror? Does anyone still have their mirror? Hildigrim yells, "Skulk!"

Hildigrim is up to 14 hp after drinking the potion. He warns of the Skulk while pulling out his mirror, steel. (You can add that to your inventory.) The skulk is at the "S" on the map. If the skulk attacks either Pascal or Hldigrim, they will be able to use Hildigrim's mirror to see it.

Moving 5' north of Pascal will put Hildigrim in dim lighting. That means the mastiffs have the option of turning invisible in dim light and attacking Hildi with advantage.

Jorin is up. (Jorin, please roll a WIS save with disadvantage. This won't affect you this round.)

Giant Jorin continues raining blows in the Alpha.  If the first attacks kills it, then the second strike will be directed at A2.

• WIS save: 17
• Action: Reckless Moonblade Attack: 16 Damage: 10 + 3 giant dmg
• Bonus Action: Reckless Battleaxe Attack: 19 Damage: 12 + 4 giant dmg
• + 6 radiant damage to the first strike that hits 

Them rolls!  Especially that +0 Wis save with disadvantage lol

Jorin's first sword swing is just enough to finish the alpha off with 19 more points. (Fortunate to get the 6 for the radiant damage.) His axe strikes A2 for 16 damage.

Drusk, Quillary, and Pascal are no longer frightened.

At initiative count 20, Kauth does some more chanting. Jorin feels the lycanthropy disease boiling in his blood. Quillary-Bear has vanished, and another Mastiff Alpha is in her place! Jorin is ready to kill this one too, but then he closes his eyes and concentrates. He manages to quiet the anger of the disease, while somehow maintaining the rage of battle. (WIS save with disadvantage 17 vs. DC 15.) When he opens his eyes, Quillary-Bear is still there. He realizes that he was almost tricked by the Beast's glamour.

A2 and A3 will attack Jorin (with Adv due to Jorin's Reckless). A2: 16 D2: 13,  A3: 18 D3: 13  The damage is reduced by Rage to 8 points.

A4 will attack Drusk and move 5' south.  A2: 6 D2: 6  misses

The A1 mastiff moves counter-clockwise around the moonwell. When in dim lighting, it turns invisible (bonus action), but is visible again when it attacks Hildigrim (with Adv).  A1: 24 D1: 14  A hit. (Would have been at 0 hp if he didn't drink the potion.)

STR saves vs. DC 13: Jorin 18, Jorin 10, Hildigrim 10  Jorin stays on his feet, but Hildigrim is knocked prone. (His mirror no longer helps Pascal in seeing the Skulk.)

With the Mastiff Alpha slain, the fog overhead thins and the moon becomes more visible. You hear Llyneth's chanting more clearly, as she provides aid to the party.

You can opt to let the DM pick from these three. Or you can chose from these 3 options. First one to speak up decides what happens:

1. Faerie Fire - 20' cube within 60' of the moonwell. For instance, with Hildigrim moving next to Pascal, this spell could target A4 and the Skulk.
2. Healing Moon - all allies within 120' of the moonwell get a Healing Word on them. (With only Hildigrim damaged, you may want to use this later.)
3. Ray of Moonlight - try to paralyze 1 creature for 1 round. Must be seen by Llyneth (ie. not the Skulk or invisible mastiffs)

After an option is chosen, Quillary, Drusk, and Pascal are up. (The Skulk is currently 5' next to Pascal, and invisible to him. Any ranged attacks by Pascal will have disadvantage, unless he moves away first.)

I vote Faerie Fire!

OOC > I vote FF too, since I was going to drop out of my bear suit/sack of hit points to cast it myself, and then I would not have to.