CF - Volo's Adventurers' Guild - PbP Campaign

 "Ok, watch your step, let´s check this way." Serena says and searches the door for traps. Investigation: 11 rolled with advantage if help is given.

Approaching the door to inspect it for traps, Serena can smell the stench of rotten meat coming from the other side.

The wooden door does not appear trapped.

Banjo once again offers to inspect the room, absent torch light in case surprise is necessary.

Tresvar says “go ahead- check it out.  I’ll be right behind you!”  

"Ok everyone... hold tight and I will be right back."  Banjo will tiptoe to the door, crack it open as quietly as he can, and peek inside.  If there are no obvious threats he will enter the room and look around.

Stealth 15

Perception 18

Investigation (if he makes it inside the room) 23

Banjo opens the door very quietly, peering in cautiously using his darkvision. As the door opens, the party is overwhelmed with the smell of rotting corpses. Banjo can see that: 

"Yep, something definitely died in there." Serena says, trying not to breath through her nose, standing behind Tresvar, crossbow ready. "Let's hope it's not any of Lady Kerowyns children."

(closes door carefully)

(holds a finger over his lips in the international 'shhhh!' sign and then whispers)

"Two more rats... plus one very very large rat.  So three altogether.  There are bodies inside which could be from the group we are tracking but I cannot identify them from here or get closer.  This appears to be the nest or the den of these rat monsters.  'Ella wrote about a similar situation, though as I recall it involved it wolves and a cave rather than rats in a dungeon.  Dangerous beasts will often try to rush an adventurer and you risk being surrounded.  When possible, one should consider the terrain and environment and use it..." Banjo remembers where he is and what's at stake and drops the lecture.  "The point I was going for is I think we should draw them out to the doorway and face them one at a time as they try to come through... does that make sense?"

“Yes.  I’m ready.  We need to kill them so we can check these bodies”. .   Tresvar stands on one side of the door and readies an action to attack with her longsword the first one through:  (rolling now as I have a moment:)

22 to hit

11 damage if hit  with longsword.

"Sounds like a plan Banjo." Serena whispers back smiling, motioning to Livia to be ready with her crossbow too.

In that case, Banjo will throw open the door, allowing Tresvar's lantern light to flood the room.  He will take up position alonside Tresvar.  His first action will be shocking grasp Attack: 8 Damage: 7 on whichever rat is in range when its his turn to act.

The adventurers prepare themselves, Serena, Livia, and Meepo taking positions further away from the door, Tresvar and Banjo at each side.

Banjo flings open the door and now it can be seen that there are actually three giant rats and the monstrous bloated one.

((As you have all readied actions based upon the rats coming out, I shall roll initiative, including individually for each rat))

Bloated Rat: 9 

Giant Rat 1: 7 

Giant Rat 2: 10 

Giant Rat 3: 22 

Banjo: 11

Tresvar: 13

Serena: 16

Livia: 5

Meepo: 13

((I shall post next actions in about an hour))

The large rat utters a ferocious cry and lunges forward into the doorway.

As it enters range, this triggers all of the adventurers readied attacks.

Meepo attacks with his sling: Attack: 7 Damage: 6

((Will continue the action after validating Meepo's rolls))

The stone goes wide and skitters into the horrid nest.

Tresvar's longsword, however, strikes true and gashes the stinking monster readily.

((Livia's action is next, followed by Serena and then Banjo - then top of order again, then will flow through rest of rats - odd ordering because you essentially surprised the rats, but then held action until the first one got close enough))

Serena fires a bolt at the bloated rat.
Light crossbow:12 Damage:6

(When you realise the best course of action is not what the character would do...)

Livia loads a bolt into her crossbow, aims at the oversized rat and releases the bolt. For someone who had never seen a rat until this morning, the fact that they keep growing in size makes perfect sense, just the same as Humans do.

Attack: 9 Damage: 7.

LIvia's shot hits the beast's hide, but glances off. 

Serena takes note from Livia's shot and aims for part of the creature which it presents more perpendicular to her line. Her bolt strikes true. The creature rears in shock at this sudden insolent attack. What food is this which threatens her after her long dominance in the ruins.

She turns frantically, and as she does so, Banjo unleashing his spell. It takes her down, a stinking steaming pile of diseased rat flesh, now making it difficult to enter or exit the room it came from.

Meepo, seeing the giant rats behind her vying to get their meal (and perhaps take the position of leader, now that she had fallen), aims at the one on the north with his sling:

Attack: 13 Damage:4

((Tresvar is next))

Tresvar growls and steps up on the body of the dead rat, swinging her sword down on the closest one of it’s companions.  
26 to hit

7 damage

crit!  Another 4 damage!

Tresvar's blade dispatches Giant Rat 1 and continues into the corpse of the bloated rat, doubly ensuring their demise.

((Livia, Serena, Banjo and then the rats, if any of them still live))

((Per the image below, Tresvar is ON the dead bloated rat. She has just killed the rat to the north-west of her. Due to the narrowness of the door, Livia, Serena and Meepo may trouble on their attacks as Tresvar is blocking their lines of shot (currently granting 3/4 cover to the smaller rats.))

Image of party fighting remaining rats at nest