Catching a glimpse of the hook horrors as they zoom by you get the impression they are fleeing from something. In their wake the echoes of grunts and cackles reaches your ears as well as the sound of multiple feet coming your way from the same direction the horrors came from.
You all get a moment to look around once the horrors pass by, noting that the passages they came from and in to are small enough to mean going single file for most creatures. It is curious that the hook horrors would run right by you all like that.
Going to use a simplified combat order for you all, letting your NPC partners take their turns right after you. Let me know if you like this or not.
"Let the Hook Horrors pass and be ready for whatever cackling creatures are pusuing them!" Traydark says quietly and uses his drow magic to create the image of a cave wall covering the way they are approaching, hiding the group from anyone in the tunnel ahead while the group, knowing about the illusion will be able to see right through it. (Cast Silent Image)
Sarith meanwhile moves into position to fire his hand crossbow at anyone taking any enemies coming their way. (Ready action)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Ebzer whispers, "The illusion won't work unless Khessa covers her glowing pebble..."
The duergar uses the ready action to prepare an attack with his greataxe, to be triggered by any hostile creature that comes within melee range.
(If triggered, Attack: 18 Damage: 13 )
Silas will do the same, preparing the cantrip sacred flame to be cast on any hostile that approaches the party directly (DC 13 DEX save , 6radiantdamage on fail )
Katryl will try to find a spot to slip back a bit from the group to conceal herself even more. (Bonus Action - Hide, Stealth: 27) As the others, she readies her short bow to fire a shot at anything that might come into sight. (Action - Ready) (Shortbow Attack: 15 Damage: 6)
Eldeth keeps back a bit as well, drawing her longbow and readying an attack herself. (Longbow Attack: 19 Damage: 5) (Longbow Attack: 23 Damage: 8)
'If a group of enemies is coming from the narrow passages to the right or left,' thinks Khessa 'maybe we had better position ourselves at the entrance to them... The enemies could only arrive one at a time, while we, from the entrance, we could have attacked the single enemy two or three at a time!'
But she doesn't say it out loud, because she (perhaps caught up in other thoughts) has been slow to react... and now the enemies may be close. If she spoke now, she could betray her presence and that of the others. Instead, thus, at least the illusion will provide the possibility of catching the pursuers completely off guard!
So, she also prepares to attack from a distance. As soon as she hears her friends attacking, she draws out from the pocket her lighted pebble (to be able to see) and contributes to the volley of attacks with a Fire Bolt.
Buppido, on the other hand, carefully places the butt of the crossbow against his shoulder and prepares to shoot.
A heartbeat moment passes and in short order, four gnolls appear from the wall on your right! They are too occupied with chasing the hook horrors to examine your illusory wall so your first shots surprise them!
Unfortunately Sarith misses as the gnolls rush by!
But Ebzer and Silas combine to pack a real punch into the first gnoll that gets too close to them!
Katryl's quick bow snipes the first gnoll to the ground! Eldeth's first shot hits the next gnoll as he comes out but he stumbles over the dead body making Eldeth's second shot go wide!
Khessa and Buppido take advantage of the off-kilter gnoll though and combine attacks to send the second one to the ground!
The next two gnolls come in though and push through the illusion and attack Ebzer!
Gnoll C: 20 to hit (dirty), 7 points piercing damage from the spear they're carrying!
Gnoll D: Nat 20! Their spear just manages to catch an open spot in the defense for another 5 points of piercing damage!
As far as you know, the hook horrors are well past you down the other wall opening.
The gnolls babble in their own language, but one word stands out from their insane sounding ramblings: "Yeenoghu".
(just confirming, the critical hit only did 5 hp damage?)
Ebzer cries out in Dwarvish,
Ancestors! Fortify me!
and allows his battle rage to come to the surface. (BA) The remainder of the party is startled to see faint images of spectral warriors appear around the duergar.
Ancestral Protectors feature:
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, spectral warriors appear when you enter your rage. While you’re raging, the first creature you hit with an attack on your turn becomes the target of the warriors, which hinder its attacks. Until the start of your next turn, that target has disadvantage on any attack roll that isn’t against you, and when the target hits a creature other than you with an attack, that creature has resistance to the damage dealt by the attack. The effect on the target ends early if your rage ends.
Ebzer utters a cry of battle and strikes back at Gnoll C!
Attack: 18 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll. slashing
--------
Silas will hurl his dagger at Gnoll C as well, but remain out of melee reach.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Letting his illusion fade away, Traydark uses his drow magic, weaving a complex pattern with his slender fingers and uttering arcane words to curse the last gnoll, then unleashing a beam of purple eldritch crackling force against it.
Cast Hex on Gnoll D Eldritch Blast: 7 Force: 9 Necrotic: 4
Sarith fires another bolt from his hand crossbow at the same gnoll. Hand Crossbow: 21 Piercing: 4 + Drow Poison
Buppido aims at the surviving gnoll with his crossbow: "Now you'll see, you worthless abyss reject! We'll show you what happens when you chase poor helpless Hook Horrors! Because Hook Horrors are..." and here the derro becomes a bit uncertain "I mean, because Hook Horrors have..." but also this time he doesn't seem to find the right words to complete the sentence "Yes, well, you know that Hook Horrors..." the derro finally gets impatient "Well , you die in the meantime! Then everything will make more sense".
After shooting, Buppido turns for a moment towards Traydark: "Hey, but why are we helping the Hook Horrors?"
Map OOC for player info only. You are coming in from the right hand side, above the "N".
Traydark perception: 19
Sarith perception: 11
Traydark initiative: 20
Sarith initiative: 9
Traydark Intelligence to know about Hook Horrors: 14
Ebzer Perception 6
Initiative 15
Khessa:
Perception: 2
Initiative: 5
Buppido:
Perception: 9
Initiative: 17
Note: since Khessa can't se in the dark, she always keep a lighted pebble with her - renewing the spell every time it fades.
(Katryl Perception: 18, Initiative: 21)
(Eldeth Perception: 21, Initiative: 22)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Traydark:
Catching a glimpse of the hook horrors as they zoom by you get the impression they are fleeing from something. In their wake the echoes of grunts and cackles reaches your ears as well as the sound of multiple feet coming your way from the same direction the horrors came from.
You all get a moment to look around once the horrors pass by, noting that the passages they came from and in to are small enough to mean going single file for most creatures. It is curious that the hook horrors would run right by you all like that.
Going to use a simplified combat order for you all, letting your NPC partners take their turns right after you. Let me know if you like this or not.
Tray/Sarith
Ebzer/Silas
Katryl/Eldeth
Khessa/Buppido
Hook horrors
Let's try this and see how much we lke it
You can recall that they tend to be pack hunters, using echolocation, and they are expert climbers.
"Let the Hook Horrors pass and be ready for whatever cackling creatures are pusuing them!" Traydark says quietly and uses his drow magic to create the image of a cave wall covering the way they are approaching, hiding the group from anyone in the tunnel ahead while the group, knowing about the illusion will be able to see right through it.
(Cast Silent Image)
Sarith meanwhile moves into position to fire his hand crossbow at anyone taking any enemies coming their way.
(Ready action)
Ebzer whispers, "The illusion won't work unless Khessa covers her glowing pebble..."
The duergar uses the ready action to prepare an attack with his greataxe, to be triggered by any hostile creature that comes within melee range.
(If triggered, Attack: 18 Damage: 13 )
Silas will do the same, preparing the cantrip sacred flame to be cast on any hostile that approaches the party directly (DC 13 DEX save , 6 radiant damage on fail )
"I'll put it in a pocket and get it back as soon as I hear you all attack" agrees Khessa.
Katryl will try to find a spot to slip back a bit from the group to conceal herself even more. (Bonus Action - Hide, Stealth: 27) As the others, she readies her short bow to fire a shot at anything that might come into sight. (Action - Ready)
(Shortbow Attack: 15 Damage: 6)
Eldeth keeps back a bit as well, drawing her longbow and readying an attack herself.
(Longbow Attack: 19 Damage: 5)
(Longbow Attack: 23 Damage: 8)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
'If a group of enemies is coming from the narrow passages to the right or left,' thinks Khessa 'maybe we had better position ourselves at the entrance to them... The enemies could only arrive one at a time, while we, from the entrance, we could have attacked the single enemy two or three at a time!'
But she doesn't say it out loud, because she (perhaps caught up in other thoughts) has been slow to react... and now the enemies may be close. If she spoke now, she could betray her presence and that of the others. Instead, thus, at least the illusion will provide the possibility of catching the pursuers completely off guard!
So, she also prepares to attack from a distance. As soon as she hears her friends attacking, she draws out from the pocket her lighted pebble (to be able to see) and contributes to the volley of attacks with a Fire Bolt.
Buppido, on the other hand, carefully places the butt of the crossbow against his shoulder and prepares to shoot.
Khessa's Fire Bolt: 24 Damage: 6
Buppido's Corssbolt: Attack: 18 Damage: 8
Sarith's readied attack
Hand Crossbow: 12 Another roll if considered hidden: 16 Piercing: 4 + Drow poison
A heartbeat moment passes and in short order, four gnolls appear from the wall on your right! They are too occupied with chasing the hook horrors to examine your illusory wall so your first shots surprise them!
Unfortunately Sarith misses as the gnolls rush by!
But Ebzer and Silas combine to pack a real punch into the first gnoll that gets too close to them!
Katryl's quick bow snipes the first gnoll to the ground! Eldeth's first shot hits the next gnoll as he comes out but he stumbles over the dead body making Eldeth's second shot go wide!
Khessa and Buppido take advantage of the off-kilter gnoll though and combine attacks to send the second one to the ground!
The next two gnolls come in though and push through the illusion and attack Ebzer!
Gnoll C: 20 to hit (dirty), 7 points piercing damage from the spear they're carrying!
Gnoll D: Nat 20! Their spear just manages to catch an open spot in the defense for another 5 points of piercing damage!
As far as you know, the hook horrors are well past you down the other wall opening.
The gnolls babble in their own language, but one word stands out from their insane sounding ramblings: "Yeenoghu".
(just confirming, the critical hit only did 5 hp damage?)
Ebzer cries out in Dwarvish,
Ancestors! Fortify me!
and allows his battle rage to come to the surface. (BA) The remainder of the party is startled to see faint images of spectral warriors appear around the duergar.
Ancestral Protectors feature:
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, spectral warriors appear when you enter your rage. While you’re raging, the first creature you hit with an attack on your turn becomes the target of the warriors, which hinder its attacks. Until the start of your next turn, that target has disadvantage on any attack roll that isn’t against you, and when the target hits a creature other than you with an attack, that creature has resistance to the damage dealt by the attack. The effect on the target ends early if your rage ends.
Ebzer utters a cry of battle and strikes back at Gnoll C!
Attack: 18 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll. slashing
--------
Silas will hurl his dagger at Gnoll C as well, but remain out of melee reach.
Attack: 18 Damage: 6 piercing.
Letting his illusion fade away, Traydark uses his drow magic, weaving a complex pattern with his slender fingers and uttering arcane words to curse the last gnoll, then unleashing a beam of purple eldritch crackling force against it.
Cast Hex on Gnoll D
Eldritch Blast: 7 Force: 9 Necrotic: 4
Sarith fires another bolt from his hand crossbow at the same gnoll.
Hand Crossbow: 21 Piercing: 4 + Drow Poison
Buppido aims at the surviving gnoll with his crossbow: "Now you'll see, you worthless abyss reject! We'll show you what happens when you chase poor helpless Hook Horrors! Because Hook Horrors are..." and here the derro becomes a bit uncertain "I mean, because Hook Horrors have..." but also this time he doesn't seem to find the right words to complete the sentence "Yes, well, you know that Hook Horrors..." the derro finally gets impatient "Well , you die in the meantime! Then everything will make more sense".
After shooting, Buppido turns for a moment towards Traydark: "Hey, but why are we helping the Hook Horrors?"
Buppido's 'make more sense' shot: Attack: 6 Damage: 17