(Homebrew) Heroes of Bardstown

Grugga watches with concern as his allies and the bird are dropped in the inky black drink. He rushes over to the railing and peers over. Seeing only splashing and squirming, he leans over, holds his hand down toward the water below, and shouts out: "Leelan, Raqisat, swim to my voice!"

Action: ready the help action to help someone out of the water and back into the boat.

With a whistle, he recalls Zip from its patrol around the boat and calls it toward the action - something he should have done when this all began, if he'd had the presence of mind in all the panic!

Bonus action: call Zip to the deck

[Grugga - DM took the liberty of placing Zip on the deck neck to you and Zap during the prep-round.  It's just really small on the map.]

((Super! Thanks. I won't have it do anything this round then -- I'm worried it might hit Raq or Leelan... so that's the end of my turn))

[I believe the [tooltip not found] from Cosette is Vicious Mockery?  Save:  19 ]

The Vrock in the water shrugs off Cosette's spell... or perhaps it just didn't hear her under the water.

[Botting Rohuzar for another round...]

Back on the top deck, Rohuzar charges to the port side rail and lunges out with his longsword, hacking violently at the Vrock's wings.

Attack: 16 Damage: 9

Attack: 27 Damage: 11

Both of Rohuzar's attack connect.  The Vrock on the top deck is dripping foul ichor and looks wounded, but not near death.  Rohuzar insists on closing on it and hammering it with attacks, but they have little effect.  On the other hand, the warlock's eldritch blasts hurt.  Exposing itself to an AOO from Rohuzar...

Attack: 13 Damage: 10

... the Vrock flies up and over the Orc, then around the bridge to confront Aubrey with another round of attacks.

Beak Attack: 24 Damage: 8

Talons Attack: 8 Damage: 10

Then it flies off, over and under the top deck rail at the front of the ship and landing on the second deck.  Cosette, as you look down toward Leelan, Raqisat and the Vrock in the water, the other flaps down from above, wounded and stinking of poison, and lands 10' from you.

[In the water, Leelan is still grappled by the Vrock [speed is 0] and the Vrock is still grapped by Raqisat [speed is zero].  Raqisat is swimming [speed is halved] and he is grappling the Vrock [speed is halved again].  By my count, neither the Vrock or Leelan can move on their own, but Raqisat could swim/drag everyone around 5' per round.  Unless until PCs/monsters start breaking grapples.  Melee weapon attacks have disadvantage unless they are with daggers, spears or shortswords.]

Churning about in the dark water, the Vrock makes no attempt to break the grapple of Raqisat, nor does it release Leelan from its talons.  Instead, it lashes out violently with its beak.

Beak Attack at Raqisat: 20 Damage: 11

On the lower deck, Mr. Howie emerges from the mess hall, brandishing a meat cleaver.  He leans over the side and hollers at the underwater combat.  "Come back up, beast!  I've got a thing for ya!"

Bruno hangs back near the entrance to the mess, seemingly worried it will get in trouble for failing to herd the human to safety.

Round Four:

1. Rohuzar
2. Vrocks
3. Everyone Else
   • Aubrey
   • Leelan (poisoned still?)
   • Cosette
   • Raqisat
   • Grugga

Aubrey again winces in pain as the vulture-like creature runs it's beak into his chest, the pain excruciating as blood keeps staining his exquisite white shirt. "Look out Miss Cosette, I'm afraid we have uninvited company on the Empress." He politely calls out to the archaeologist below. "Rohuzar, it is over here!" He then calls out to the massive orc mercenary.
Staggering against the railing the young noble then calls upon the powers of his talisman to pull the monster back up for Rohuzar to continue his assualt.

(Bonus action Telekinetic Shove Str save: 15)

The young noble then sends two golden beams of eldritch crackling force towards the stinking bird-like creature, then hurrying back, hopefully reaching inside the bridge building for cover as he realizes he will likely not withstand another flyby by the stinking monster.

Eldritch Blast: 12 Force: 11
Eldritch Blast: 23 Force: 14

STR save 10

The top deck shudders as the Vrock on the second deck is shoved upward violently, stricking the bottom of the top deck and taking 4 bludgeoning damage.

[The top deck sits over the top of the second deck walkway.  So as you shove it upward, the Vrock is just pushed up into 'your' floor.]

Unfortunately, both of Aubrey's blasts fail to find their mark.  It is a difficult angle, having to lean over the rail and 'shoot' under the deck at the monster.

     Raqisat splashes right and avoids the beak but is otherwise at a loss as to what to do next.  He had hoped the creature would drop his companion as they crashed down into the water but no luck there as far as Raq can tell…  

     Can I drown it? Raqisat asks himself and quickly considers the option… ((I honestly don’t know if there are rules on drowning another creature?  Could Raq use his movement to hold the thing’s head underwater?))

     If drowning it doesn’t seem a reasonable option Raqisat resorts to just stabbing it repeatedly and hope repetition gets past how ineffective attacks have been so far.  Grabbing a dagger, Raqisat does whatever damage he can…

Dagger Attack:  16 to hit for 8 damage

     Raqisat then uses his action surge to get a second attack in.

Surge Dagger Attack:  11 to hit for 8 damage

Sneak attack - if either hit it does an additional 4 damage…

Seeing the struggle in the water but no way to do anything about it for now, Grugga retracts his hand and runs up the stairs to confront the Vrock he just saw crashing down on the second story. Waiting for some eldritch blasts to pass, Grugga takes a defensive stance in front of Cosette and strikes out at the creature, keeping one hand free in case he needs to cast a spell ((probably shield if this thing attacks me).

Attack 1: 27
Damage: 11 magical slashing

Attack 2: 11
Damage: 12

Meanwhile, he whistles for Zap to hop its way up the steps and take position next to its master. It too will attack, discharging pure magic from the crystals that stud its edges. (bonus action)

Attack: 17 Damage: 4 force damage

Zap will hold its reaction for Deflect Attack. If the Vrock is within 5 feet of Zap and it attacks something other than Zap, Zap will give it disadvantage with a short, sharp shock.

(Leelan takes 3 poison damage at the start of his turn)

Leelan's situation getting from bad to worse, he continues to try and dislodge himself from the grip of his avian foe.

Acrobatics (to escape grapple): 7

If successful, Leelan will attempt to distance himself from the Vrock and get closer to the ship in the hope that someone will help him back on. If not, well...

(End of turn Con Save for poison: 14)

(Poison is gone)

With a bolt already loaded in her crossbow, Cosette was readied for a ranged attack when the vrock comes crashing down onto her floor. She goes to hover a hand over her rapier and shift her weight in preparation to dance with the winged devil when her new partner joins the floor. As Grugga takes a ‘shocking’ lead with Zap against the immediate threat, Cos trusts in him as she follows up on her earlier commitment. She fires her bolt towards the feathery mass flopping around beneath Raqisat and the water. 

Attack: 17 Damage: 6 

If Mr. Howie insisted on joining the fray on his own accord, there was nothing the mastiff could do to maintain his duty. Meeting eyes with Bruno, Cosette motions, releasing him from his original command. She’d direct the loyal mastiff to help Mr. Howie instead, as it would be the best way of protecting him at this point. 

While grappling the thrashing, splashing Vrock, Raqisat draws a dagger and stabs it, to questionable effect [just one stab... Action Surge was already used last round for the double-jump that got us into this wet mess...].

Leelan struggles but once again fails to break free of the monster's talons.  [He has now been underwater for two rounds / 12 seconds... still plenty of time, right?]  

Cosette launches a crossbow into the water, but she cannot tell if it found its target or now in the dark water.

Grugga and his mechanical pal amble up the stairs and confront the Vrock on the second deck.  Between them, Grugga is able to land a single, solid blow with his magically imbued flamberge.  The Vrock is looking badly wounded now.

[Continuing to bot Rohuzar until I am told otherwise...]

The Orc refuses to let the Vrock go unmolested, ambling over the front rail to land on the second deck on the opposite side of the Vrock from Grugga. 

Athletics: 18 against DC 14 or he takes 2 by landing awkwardly.

Then he raises his silver longsword and continues his relentless attacks on the demon.  He shouts to Grugga and Aubrey to help finish this one off.

Longsword Attack: 10 Damage: 13

Longsword Attack: 25 Damage: 10

Inside the bridge, Captain Neck squints ahead into the darkness.   The light on the bow still shines, but without Mr. F to aim it, it is of little use for identifying hazards.  "That collapsed lower bridge is somewhere just ahead," she yells at Aubrey.  "I can't see!  I'm reversing us now, before it's too late and we run aground."  She throws a lever and pulls back on a handle, and the Golden Empress churns back to life, its forward momentum downriver slowing and the paddles begin to turn in reverse.

Carried along by the current, those in the water begin to slowly pull away from the ship....

In the water, the Vrock continues to mercilessly squeeze Leelan underwater as it cranes its neck back to snap at Raqisat with its beak.

Beak Attack: 24 Damage: 14

On the second deck, the Vrock is barely holding itself together.  It looks back and forth between Rohuzar and Grugga with a hateful intelligence.  Pained by Grugga's hurtful sword, it glares at him and he feels a voice blasting in his mind [Cosette, to a lesser extent, also picks up a little of this mental broadcast.]

 It turns its fury on Grugga [disadvantage on first attack due to Zap].

Beak Attack: 17 Damage: 15

Talon Attack: 23 Damage: 17

Then it leaps into the sky and attempts to fly away, straight up with its full 60' movement.  [Grugga and Rohuzar both get AOO.]

Rohuzar AOO:  Attack: 25 Damage: 10

Mr. Howie drops his cleaver, grabs a tie rope, and dives into the water.  He swims to Leelan's side and tries to pull him free, providing the help action if Leelan tries to escape this next round.  Quickly, the rope draws taught.  Mr. Howie will be pulled back with the ship next round [ie. first and last chance for help from Mr. Howie.]

[I'm not posting a new map this round.  If the Vrock escapes the opportunity attacks, it is 50' above the top deck and flying away.  Leelan, Raqisat, Mr Howie and the other Vrock are now 30' out in front of the Golden Empress in the water.]

[LOL Nevermind.]

With a wrathful swing, Rohuzar cleaves a wing right off of the demon as it turns to fly away.  Even without a magic blade, his strike it too true, too powerful, and the demon succumbs to the blow.  It spills over the second deck railing... but even before it hits the lower deck, it evaporates into a cloud of purplish black darkness and then is gone.  Completely.

"Do what you have to to keep us floating captain." Aubrey quickly responds as he checks on Captain Neck. The young noble then turns to rush down towards lower deck to get those fallen into the Breitwasser safe aboard the Empress again, whether they were grabbed off or simply chose to jump overboard. ;-)

Hearing the shouts of the Captain, Cosette brings her fingers to her lips to blow a whistle. Perhaps she should have taken notice sooner as it may be much too react late now, but all the same, she tries what she can. Unsure how swiftly she could get there/access the light herself, Cos summoned her spectral hand. It scurries up to the light on the bow to direct it for the Captain while Cosette checks to make sure Mr. Howie’s rope is reinforced on the deck. Bruno wants to help too, biting onto it like tug o war, ready to help pull Mr. Howie in when given the signal. Planting her feet Cos would prepare a second rope to throw out for the men overboard. 

Mage Hand

The creature swipes at Grugga, but a defensive blast from Zap alters the swing, causing it to miss the young Orc. The creature's beak, however, plunges straight for Grugga's heart. The force of the monster punctures the artificer's breastplate, but fortunately the tempered steel blunts the attack enough to leave just a minor wound instead of a killing blow. "Gel-Nagev is with us, beast! You are not welcome in this world!"

Still, despite the surety of his words, Grugga sighs his relief as Rohuzar hews the wing off the massive bird creature. He will have to consider the sudden disappearance of the creature's corpse later, because Leelan, Raqisat, and now Mr. Howie are in danger. Having few ways to help from the boat, Grugga mans the light on the bow and shines it at the splashing, struggling mass of bodies in the river, now being carried away by the current.

Action: shine a light.

Grugga opts not to have his homunculus fire at the remaining Vrock for fear of hitting his allies. "Take the shot if you can!" He yells to his allies.