Heavy is the Head - Campaign thread

You have all just seen your friend transform into a spider. Please make a constitution roll for how freaked out you are. The lizardfolk watches the transformation with no more emotion than he has shown previously, except that his tongue does dart out and taste the air, and his eyes fix on Hemlock for a moment longer than he has fixated on anyone before. He almost looks... hungry?

For Hemlock: Being a spider is a very strange experience. Firstly, your vision works completely differently from what you're used to. Suddenly you can see in panoramic view from your upper eyes, but this also creates a distorted vision, where you are basically quite nearsighted in every direction, except for when you focus on a single object. That focus can become crystal clear even at distance, as your octonocular vision and 6 forward-facing eyes excel at depth perception of single objects despite lighting conditions, at the cost of blurring most other information. 

Secondly, you have a shocking degree of awareness of the movement of the air around you and vibrations in the ground next to you, as the sensitive hairs on each of your eight legs and the two short arm/jaws (pedipalps) feed you almost perfect information about every slight shift in their positions.

Your muscles don't even work the way you're used to. There is no simple pull and push, rather your limbs are always ready to curl inwards, spring-loaded. To reach out, a leg has to be opened and filled with blood, hydraulic pressure operating your movements. When you reach out with on of your legs or your pedipalps, there is literally more of you in that limb. It is good that you have gained the spider's instincts and simple nervous system along with the transformation - otherwise all of this new anatomy would take hours to get used to.

But the overwhelming factor this time is nothing like the squirrels rapid heartbeat (in fact, you barely have a heart beat as you're used to, instead just a constant pulsing sensation), rather it is that you can't quite place where you are located within your body. Your brain no longer sits behind your eyes, but is rather distributed along the sides of your thorax, communicating directly to each of your limbs without moving back and forth through a spine. Your nervous system is suddenly not really so central anymore, and that deep degree of integration with your body is momentarily disorienting. You simply are the spider. The mind of Hemlock, somehow magically able to operate in this new body, takes a few moments to resurface as a unifying force, as each limb begins to respond to you.

(All of that is flavor text for RP, does not directly affect gameplay. Another 3 minutes of Detect Magic feels appropriate.)

https://www.owlbear.rodeo/room/5nRs1L_uFdxM/HeavyistheHeadPBP

Come on little Hemlock please don’t bite.  Let’s climb up to the window we can secure a rope if we have enough.

While Sha is comfortable with creatures of the dark, and Saoirse can keep her wits about her and remember that the grotesque transformation happening in front of her is still her friend, Lam tightens his grip around the axe and begins moving forward by instinct to protect Saoirse and Sha from the giant spider, and his intense fight-or-flight (mostly fight) instinct triggers the well of chaotic magic within him, a burst of force emanates from him, pushing him away from Saoirse and from the wall. Lam stumbles, and his back foot steps onto the tile southwest of him. A bolt of electricity shoots up from the tile into Lam's heel, doing 6 lightning damage, and pushing Lam's foot violently north. With his legs twisted behind him, Lam falls onto his butt. The fall doesn't hurt much... physically. The burst of force, undirected as it was, jostles Saoirse forward slightly, but not enough to knock her off balance. Hemlock's transformation is finished and stable by the time Lam's momentary freak-out has ended.

Saoirse looks curiously at Hemlock when he says that "Do you mind if join you?", wondering what he's going to wilshape into to actually do that. Expecting something similar to that cute squirrel he transformed into the day before, she is a bit shocked to find a very big ugly and hairy spider. Luckily, while she's not very fond of arachnids, she's not scared of them either, and that keeps her from doing any sudden movement. But what she does not expect is for Lam to get so spooked to try to attack the spider. She tries to grab her friend's arm to calm him while saying "Wait, Lam, it's ok...!", but she reacts to late and cannot stop what happens afterwards.

When the momentary chaos ends, she asks the bugbear:

- Are you okay? - but she cannot avoid to laugh a little, and adds - I'm sorry, that was really funny haha. I didn't expect that you of all people would be so spooked!

She helps Lam to stand up and then asks the rest:

- Hey, so I'm not sure that Lam and I can climb with you. Shall we wait for you to scout ahead and see if you find any way to disable the grid and the cube in the next floor? I can try to jump at the ledge and shoot at any harpy that tries to disturb your climbing.  

Lam’s blush is obvious even under his fur as he finds himself on the ground. He clenches his fists, unused to feeling this embarrassed and unable to stop his racing heart- but looks up when Saoirse comes over to help. He takes her hand to stand up and lets out a huff somewhat resembling a laugh. “I am okay,” he says, giving Saoirse a grateful look. “…Sorry, Hemlock,” he adds, not entirely looking his spider friend in the eyes.

Lam nods at Saoirse’s plan. “I can help. Watch for harpies.” He is still blushing about what just happened, but seems eager to move forward with the mission.

Hemlock finishing transforming and new sensations flood his mind, or the spiders mind, it is difficult to know which. As Lam reacts not only does spider-lock see this occur, blurred for a moment and then in full octocular glory as he focusses on him; which strangely involves not the twist of a head but his whole body skittering around at his whim. He also senses the magical explosion that emanates from Lam, causing him to take a few unsteady steps away, marvelling at the feeling of controlling 8 legs as naturally as two.

When it seems everyone is ready, he skitters up the wall and out the window, passed their lizardfolk friend and Sha, and starts to climb. He is amazed at how he can move along the vertical surface as easily as along a floor. It takes a moment for him to remember their circumstances, and the threat of harpies from above, and he slows his movements, and starts to move in more of a spiral fashion, trying to remain unseen from above.

Sha moves up the tower keeping near Spider-lock he anchors his rear claws and looks in his pack for some rope, realizing he has no rope he instead draws out a javelin and prepares to attack any harpy that comes near.

Alright... I have created a battlemap for the outside of the tower. There is both a flattened tower wall (you're climbing the outside of a cylinder) and a cross-section. There is a ledge outside of the evocation floor (where you're standing), a ledge outside of a floor a ways up, and some outcroppings along the way. 

The walls are shear stone, with some metal patches, which means it is not easy to climb directly up. Those with a climbing speed will treat climbing upwards as difficult terrain, can not use two-handed weapons, and use one-handed weapons with disadvantage. If you don't have a climbing speed, it's a significant athletics or acrobatics check to get up to an outcropping or ledge, and you can not use a weapon or end your turn unless you are on an outcropping or ledge. While balancing on an outcropping, you can use a two-handed weapon with disadvantage, or a 1-handed weapon normally. spider climb negates all of that. Fall damage, a gentle reminder, is 1d6 bludgeoning per 10 feet fallen. 

From your vantage point on the ledge or along the side of the wall, it is difficult to see above the next large ledge, but it does look like there are some outcroppings above that. The metal roof sticks out enough to see it easily from where you are. You can see a harpy flying 10 ft or so away from the tower, far above you, and it looks like the tip of a talon is hanging over the edge of an outcropping a ways above the next large ledge, but so far they do not seem to be paying attention to your group. Hemlock's  magical sight shows him that: 

The lizardfolk bounds up to an outcropping 10 feet above you gracefully, leaping first up against the wall, and then up and to the right to land on an outcropping, which he wraps his long tail around for stability. As soon as he's still, he is holding the bow with a notched arrow again, although you're certain he touched the wall with both hands as well as his legs on the way up. "More magic tiles above me. To right and to left. Can climb between them."

https://www.owlbear.rodeo/room/5nRs1L_uFdxM/HeavyistheHeadPBP

Spider-lock spots the magical runes, spends a moment wondering how to communicate about them, before hearing their lzardfolk ally mention them. He then spends a moment wondering how he saw them, before getting back to the task at hand.

He skitters up stealthily and flattens himself against the underside of the ledge above him, making sure to avoid the stones with the symbols.

When he is in position, he lowers a a strand of webbing directly down to the window where Saoirse and Lam are, making sure it is connected to the ledge above him. His mind struggles to process how he knows to do this, and the sensation of it happening. He then tries to wave down to his friends, all four of his legs on his right side moving synchronously together and almost dislodging him.

Now nearly right above the tiles, Spiderlock can se the faint, faded carving of the Evocation symbol in the stones near him. Had he hadn't known to look for it, it's very unlikely he would have seen it.

As the climbers begin to move up, Saoirse enters the window and positions herself on the ledge. From there, she tells Lam:

- There's no room for the both of us there, but what if it is you the one standing here and you help me up so I can reach the next ledge? With your height it should be much easier than climbing by myself. Oh? Wait. - from his point of view, Lam can see that the genasi suddenly looks up, grabs something, smiles and waves, and then turns to watch him again - Look! Our eight-legged friend has had a better idea - and she shows the bugbear what looks to be a webbing that Spider-lock has prepared to help them climb easier - Ok, I will wait for the rest to keep climbing up and free the next outcrop. Then I'll use the webbing, and when I have climbed up a little you can come out and stand on this ledge yourself.

She looks to the ground floor for a moment, realizing that's a good 50 feet fall if something goes wrong. Closing her eyes and breathing deep to try to keep calm, she mutters to herself:

- ... better not to look down... come on, we can do this ...

Sha climbs not straying too far from Spider-lock keeping his javelin in hand just in case.

Lam nods at Saoirse’s plan, and then again when their spider friend prepares a new plan. He watches Saoirse grab the webbing and, as soon as she has climbed high enough for there to be room for him on the ledge, he steps out and surveys the area, ready to try to act if something goes wrong. He is still blushing, and his heart is still racing, and he can tell that he is not as focused as he could be- his mind is still on what just happened. He attempts, in this moment, to be more alert in a useful way again. He is ready to try to catch Saoirse at this ledge if something goes wrong, but she seems to climb with ease. Once she has made it safely over the ledge and left room at the top, Lam puts his greataxe away and grabs hold of the webbing. Shuddering a bit, he begins to make his way up himself.

As Saoirse rolls over the ledge gracefully, she sees a Harpy standing just inside of the open window, in a large round room, with all sorts of strange devices in it. There are a few harpy nests, and the floor is almost covered in nesting material, feathers, and bones from previous meals. At a glance, it's not obvious what the various devices were for, other than that they look like ARTS wizard stuff, for some sort of research or practice. Saoirse is able to roll up to her feet in a fluid motion - and the harpy is surprised by her sudden appearance. It shrieks, and the other harpies (one above, one in the air, and one on the other side of the tower) take notice. Still - Saoirse does get a surprise round!

Sha follows Spiderlock closely, noticing the evocation tiles just as you pass near them - its a good thing you didn't go straight up yourself.

Lam tries to scramble up the web, mirroring Saoirse's deft, leaping movements, but finds that he can not quite mimic her acrobatic climb, and slides back down to his ledge. He realizes he'll have a better chance if he sticks to his basic athletic prowess, trusting his muscles.

As the harpies stir, the lizardfolk leans far out on his outcropping, balancing with his tail, and aims the bow upwards.

Please roll initiative. Then, surprise round for everyone. (Use the cross-section map to think about lines of sight.)

https://www.owlbear.rodeo/room/5nRs1L_uFdxM/HeavyistheHeadPBP

Saoirse didn't expect to find a whole nest there, but luckily for her, the harpies inside and around are even more surprised than she was. Without further ado, the genasi readies herself for combat.

Initiative: 17

Spider-lock Initiative: 8+3=11

(surprise round) Sha climbs unto the ledge and launches his javelin at the harpy flying above him 20 if it hits 7.  Initiative 1

Lam gets back down to the first ledge and tries to regain his bearings. He hears a harpy shriek, and he instantly knows he has to get past this ledge as fast as possible.

Initiative: 10

Saoirse tries to take the scene in as quickly as possible before attacking. Two flying harpies, and two more inside the fourth floor. And though it is clear that she's in a tight spot, having two of them with her, she's also worried for the rest who are still climbing.

So she draws her rapier, but instead of loading it with blood magic and attacking the harpy just next to her, she turns to look at the one closest who is flying. If her binding curse works as she expect, she may be able to make the harpy fall to the ground. So with her burning-coal eyes fixed on it, she says:

- Bí fós, a chréatúr, agus póg an talamh thíos fút.

As she says this, her whole body seems to burn slightly brighter, which is reflected in her flaming hair, burning eyes and the fiery cracks that cover her otherwise dark skin. 

Saoirse then moves into the tower, to avoid being pushed to her death, and once inside, she tries to slash the harpy closest to her.

Saoirse watches as the harpy in the air, who turns towards her and shrieks, beginning to beat its wings and bearing down on her with its talons. But as Saoirse feels the pain of the fire in her blood, she can also feel it take hold in the harpy, whose skin starts to darken as all of its blood vessels constrict, and muscles cease to be able to contract. Its wings frozen in place, the harpy begins to plummet towards the ground. That's one down. She turns and stabs at the harpy in front of her, and feels her rapier sink into the flesh beneath the feathers.

The lizardfolk watches the harpy fall, and leaps upwards to the ledge, which he gets over considerably less gracefully than his jump to the outcropping. As he rolls onto the ledge, he fires an arrow from his bow a little awkwardly, and it flies past the harpy sitting on the outcropping above. He strings and fires again, and fumbles the shot a second time.

It is Spiderlock's turn. Then, [Surprise round: Sha, Lam]; Harpy right next to Saoirse; Saoirse; Lizard; Harpy on Outcropping; Hemlock; Sha; Lam; Harpy other side of tower.