Red Dead Annihilation: Campaign Thread

As Ran nears the steps at the back of the camp, he is able to make out a grisly scene.  A pack of hunting dinosaurs has invaded the camp.  Already, they have killed the three soldiers and one of the axe beaks.  The pen is smashed open and the remaining two axe beaks are fleeing into the darkness of the jungle.  The four bipedal predators raise their heads in unison from their kills and look eagerly toward the party.

They are three adults and one juvenile.  The adults are large creatures, 18' from snout to tail and standing taller than an average humanoid.  They each have a prominent horn on their snout, and smaller horns over each eye.  They move quickly for their size and they are still on the attack.

INITIATIVE:

• Ceratosaurs  8
• Dominick/Thondell  20
• Hew/Inete  4
• Ran  18
• Danica  20
• Mica  6
• Velan  13
• Meili  15

Ran looks over his shoulder back into camp.

"Big hungry lizards coming this way," he shouts. 

Ran then trots back up the stairs to the base of the statue and over to the edge of the pedestal, drawing both swords as he does so. He braces himself, preparing for the dinos to get closer.

Action: Ready a longsword attack if one of the dinos comes within melee range: Attack: 25 Damage: 10  

"Can be both and more," answered Meili Ran's half-rhetorical question. After the encounter with the undead wizard, she did not believe the jungle could surprise her in any way anymore. Still, even if not surprising, the vicious efficiency of these new killers could freeze the blood of the bravest. There was a chance that the monsters will chase the axe beaks into the night. But in case they will not, she moved closer to the front standing just behind Ran and ready to attack.

Mica looks up at the sound and at the sight of his first wild dinosaur, springs into action.  He races forward up the stairs and to the edge of the pedestal near Ran, drawing his longbow.  He tries to identify the dinosaurs, the eye horns reminding him of the Ceratosaurs the hunters at the Brave and Bold camp mentioned days ago.  They took down three soldiers in one attack.  “Hew, what are these things?” Turning to the others, he shouts  "Show them the axe beaks are easier prey and maybe we can push them back into the jungle."

Without waiting for an answer, he sends an arrow streaking toward the southernmost adult creature. Attack: 19 Damage: 8.

.

Velan did not trust the dwarf. Not because the man was a so-called deserter nor because of his tension. If anything, the wizard welcomed the warrior’s distrust. It showed unease, suggested none of the man in the ruins was entirely sure to win in a fight between the groups and proved that they were not disguising their strength to catch the Seekers unaware. It were the covetous looks the axe wielder casted upon the boats, time and again, that worried the hexblood.

“Buddy system’s on, right?” He said as Meili and Danica went deeper into the camp to treat the wounded. “I will watch over the shore.” Meaning to watch over the boats. “If you hear Ninlil screeching…” Then our hosts will be trying to steal them. “…get back here fast.”

Good thing I introduced Ninlil to them, that way he could use her to warn his companions without the campers knowing how exactly. You have free time, he conveyed telepathically to the familiar. Just don’t go further than a hundred feet from me and avoid the reach of our hosts. Stay hidden from them if possible.

His watch was uneventful, and he even managed to delve on the pages of his spellbook, dealing with arcana formulae, trying to construct more magics. Of course, such calm could only endure for so long. First came the screams, then the beasts and finally the voices of his allies. As if moved by instinct he put the right hand on his pocket, retrieving a piece of crystal tied by leather straps. Putting his grimoire aside, the wizard pressed the stone against the center of his chest with both hands. His eyes glammed teal as his whispered the words and focused his mind, reaching for the weave, bending it to his will and into the form of an armor of energy.

“There is an easy way to do that.” Velan said to Mica. Look if there is danger on the water, he commands Ninlil. “EVERYBODY ON THE SHIPS!” He shouted as loudly as he could. Those large dinosaurs came from the jungle, were not aquatic. If they all pulled in the canoes and got enough distance from the shore the axe beaks would not only be the easier, but the single prey they could pursue. That should make they go away fast.

 Notes: Velan casts mage armor upon himself and starts to push/ready one of the boats to the water. Ninlil is commanded to start to look if there is anything dangerous on the water.

Her lips pursed as the elf listened to the defeated knight grow more impassioned in his explanation of how he and his group came to be here. Danica said with consternation,  "He is sending people out to die fighting a symptom rather than the disease itself. If the source of the undead isn't known, how is your Commander to know that he isn't simply adding to them?" Shaking her head with a sigh, the sailor admitted, "We heard one speak just the other night. It didn't really stick around to chat. Could cast magic th-" The rest of her sentence was lost at the shriek that rang out. 

Spinning about and only just able to see an absolutely terrifyingly large dinosaur and hearing more than one just behind it, Danica tried to take a moment to survey their options as her crew was already hurriedly responding. Did Geddarm's book mention these?? She wracked her brain to think and once more she was thankful for Velan's battlefield awareness. "You heard the man, get the wounded and MOVE! Dominick, if those goblin canoes are even half way water worthy, get your people on them!"

Even as she was shouting, Danica would sprint into the tent where she and Meili had just been and pause half a second looking at Inete and the two men before going to the side of the one riddled with rot worms and quickly used her scimitar to slice at his jugular with a stoic expression before turning towards the man she had healed. "Time to make a hasty retreat soldier, on your feet." Doing her best to help him to his feet as she explained poorly to Inete, "Big as shite dinosaurs. More than two. Time to go."  Or if he couldn't on his own, attempt to carry him and make her way as fast as either she or they could together towards the canoes. 

Attack: 13 Damage: 6

Velan:

 Inete gives a heavy sigh as Danica dispatches the doomed man, but does not look away.  She performs the arcane spells to cast mage armor on herself and then helps Danica in getting the other soldier up and on his feet.

Hew draws his rapier and makes to race toward the front, but at Velan's suggestion he hesitates.  Seeing the women pulling the wounded man out of the tent, he stays at the canoes and gestures for them to hurry.  He also gets a look at the dinosaurs.  "Ceratosaurs!  And they brought the whole family!  They're fast, but they spook easy!  If you can't drive 'em off quick, get back to the boats!"

[This particular species is not listed in Volo's book.  However, from the sections on other large predatory dinosaurs, you can infer that they likely have dangerous bites, and may utilize pack tactics.]

It is at this moment that Thondell makes a decision.  He turns his back on the other soldiers and races toward the canoe Velan is putting in the water.  Taking a running leap, he sails past Velan and into the canoe.  He lands inside on his belly without tipping the boat, and his momentum carries the canoe away from shore.  "Bugger this, and bugger you all.  Give my regards to Breakbone!"

Ninlil flaps down to harass the dwarf, remaining out of reach.

"Thondell!" Dominick cries,  "Blasted coward...".  He looks around at the chaos unfolding, draws his long sword, and advances toward the dinosaurs.  "For the Order!"  He readies an attack.

Mica's arrow zips just wide of the Ceratosaurus in the pen.  Its head turns to follow the arrow, then snaps back to lock onto Mica.  The dinosaur takes a stride towards the pedestal and leaps, stunningly agile for a creature its size, and lands on the foot of the statute next to Ran and Mica.  But the carved stone holds no purchase for its clawed feet, and slips, reaching out in vain with its small forearms, before tumbling back down into the pen.

The next ceratosaur advances on Dominick.  Dominick grasps his longsword with both hands and slashes defensively at the creature's snout as it closes on him.  Attack: 23 Damage: 11

It grunts loudly in anger, then attempts to bite him.  The monster's teeth gleam in the firelight, their edges serrated like steak knives.  Attack: 12 Damage: 8

The furthest ceratosaur opens its mouth with a roar, the sound something like a ferocious pig squeal.  It charges ahead toward Dominick, trampling moldy and ruined tents.  It swipes its horned head at the knight, trying to knock him over.  Attack: 18 Damage: 11

The last ceratosaur, the juvenile, approaches more cautiously, picking its way through the ruined tents and sniffing the air.

STR save:  17

Dominick and the first ceratosaur both fail to strike each other, to tentative in their attacks.  Dominick takes the brunt of the other dinosaur's charge but manages to hold his ground.

Ran, two different ceratosaurs came within reach this turn.  Please identify which you hit with your readied critical.

Ran slashes out at the ceratosaur that tried to leap up and land on pedestal with them. Maybe a swat to the nose and a fall will convince it they’re not worth attacking.

Round 2

• Mica
• Velan 
• Meili
• Hew/Inete
• Ran
• Danica
• Thondell/Dominick
• Ceratosaurs

Mica leans over and fires another arrow toward the dinosaur that tumbled off the ledge, hoping to sink the arrow into the creature’s soft underbelly.  

 Attack: 13 Damage: 7  

(On a hit, take an additional 4 damage from Colossus Slayer feature)

As he watches the other dinosaurs approach the front of the pedestal, he moves down the stairs and back towards Inete, another arrow already nocked on his bowstring.  “They are pack hunters.  Don’t let them get between us and the boats!” he calls to the others as he passes by Meili.

Right now it meant no to allow the closest to the beach dino to get even closer. Hopefully, the group will prove to the overgrown lizards, that they chose the wrong prey, going after humans instead of birds.

Everyone was standing (at least for now) and Meili went all out on the (most left one) lizard:

Action: Attack: 6 Damage: 8

BA: Flurry of blows  Attack: 19 Damage: 4

                                   Attack: 6 Damage: 6

(If one hit - anothe Ki point for additional 6 necrotic damage from Hand of Harm)

“Oh, you will not.” He said to the axe wielding dwarf as his eyes flashed teal. Tendrils of shadow started to raise like smoke around the deserter as the wizard moved his arms and whispered arcane words. The crystal on his hand glowing as the power of his blood made the Weave into an entropic force seeping Thondell of strength. “Hew, hold the boat. I’ll help.” He said moving towards watercraft and preparing himself to pull and with more than the strength of his arms. Velan was ready to use Silvery Barbs to stop the coward’s escape.  “Mica, Danica! We may need your ranged help to put this one down if we fail to keep the canoe at place!” Given the situation he believed Dominck wouldn’t mind the aggression and even if he did, losing the vessel was out of question as far as the Seeker was concerned. Not only part of their equipment remained there, but they would need the thing to escape the large lizards. Turns out that the hunting behavior of exotic predatory species aren’t half as fascinating when you are the prey, he thought to himself rather bitterly. “Also, the fast everyone boards, the better!”

This he could not reinforce enough. Those beasts didn’t see the kind anyone there was actually ready to face. Keep close but outside of his range, he commands Ninlil rather satisfied but her reaction to the theft.

Notes: Velan uses his bonus action to cast Hex using his Hex Magic trait, imposing disadvantage on Strenght checks for Thondell.   As an action, Velan takes Help action to assist Hew to hold the boat in place. If Thondell contest Velan and Hew's attempt and succeeds on making the boat move, Velan will use his reaction to cast Silvery Barbs against Thondell and give the advantage to Hew.

Ran looks from where he stands up on the pedestal to the river. He didn't see how he'd make it to the river without one of these giant lizards snapping at his back. But the rest are already heading that way. 

"The tunnel under the statute would provide some protection. If one fell in the pit the zombie goblins could help deal with it."

((Will post his action after Hew/Inete))

Inete continues to assist the ill soldier toward the canoe.

Hew nods to Velan and charges into the water, splashing up to his waist.  Alongside the canoe, he takes the shove action to try to pull Thondell out of the canoe and into the water with him.  Hew: 16  Thondell (w dadv due to Hex): 22

 Thondell flattens himself prone in the bottom of the canoe and Hew is unable to force him out.