Chronicles of the Accursed (Group 2)

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Dex saves vs. Jodie's DC 18 Fire Storm

Cultist 3 Dex save: 17
Cultist 4 Dex save: 4
Cultist 5 Dex save: 6

Elder Kobold Dragonshield 1: 11
Elder Kobold Dragonshield 2: 12

The cultists and the Kobolds are all horrifically scorched... but...

Against all reason, they're still all standing. 

Meanwhile, Zolgu uses his action to dash towards the secondary entrance that the party saw earlier, attempting to create a pincer-scenario, disappearing out of sight entirely.

"You imbiciles! You're still alive, come with me!" he orders the dragonshields. "And spread your ranks! We cannot allow that to happen a second time."

Temphalic: 24

Remnant of Sserah: 22

    Damage -

Ruby: 19

Korba: 18

Firion: 17

    Damage -

Zolgu: 16

    Damage - 21

Hew-Bear: 15 <- We are here

Nickeline: 15 <- We are here

Hildegard: 15 <-We are here

Jodie: 15 <-We are here

Sserah Cultists (x5): 12

    Cultist 1 - 77 damage (Dead)

    Cultist 2 -  (Dead)

    Cultist 3 - 46 damage

    Cultist 4 - 46 damage

    Cultist 5 - 46 damage

Kobold Dragonshields (x4): 12

    Kobold 1 - 46 damage

    Kobold 2 - 46 damage

    Kobold 3

    Kobold 4

Astral Lich: 11

Gorash: 8

Selarial: 6

Smiler: 6

Jodie slings her lute around her back and pulls out her longbow enchanted by Ruby's magic.  She targets the furthest cultist (5) before moving towards the back of the cave away from the other entrance.

True shot: Attack 21 (18 + 3 Bless) 18 radiant

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Zolgu uses his action to dash towards the secondary entrance that the party saw earlier, attempting to create a pincer-scenario, disappearing out of sight entirely.

"You imbiciles! You're still alive, come with me!" he orders the dragonshields. "And spread your ranks! We cannot allow that to happen a second time."

Korba has the best view toward Firion and Zolgu.  His voice calls out from his hiding spot inside a piece of the Hallucinatory Terrain: "Zolgu is headed for the rear entrance!"

Round 1: Hewelathan

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Korba has the best view toward Firion and Zolgu.  His voice calls out from his hiding spot inside a piece of the Hallucinatory Terrain: "Zolgu is headed for the rear entrance!"

Hewelathan is torn. Hiding in the middle of the cave, he cannot easily get to either entrance.  He makes a split-second decision to try to deprive Zolgu and Firion of their minions.  The fight against Firion and Zolgu could be deadly, but the party will have a much better chance if they're not also battling the cultists and kobold warriors.  Hewelathan moves from his hiding spot toward the main entrance.  As he moves through the chamber, he says, "Hildegard, we can defend the entrance.  You must keep Zolgu from getting through the back." 

Hewelathan moves through the mushroom forest, again settling inside of a translucent (to him) giant mushroom near the entrance.  He's closer to the lich than he'd like to be -- the thing makes his skin crawl! -- but he's now relying on it to keep him safe from the cultists and Firion.  Hewelathan looks outside and focuses on their enemies. He casts a spell, and a silvery mist arises right in the middle of the kobolds.  A pack of spectral wolves materializes from the mist.  The spectral wolves lunge at the Kobold Dragonshields, snarling and growling as they bite and scratch, but the pack's numbers ever-changing as individual wolves materialize, attack, and then dissolve back into silvery mist.  

Movement: 30-ft movement toward the main entrance, ending partially inside one of the illusory giant mushrooms, which hopefully keeps him out of sight of Firion and the cultists.
Action: Cast spell (LVL 3 slot) Conjure Animals
  The 4 Kobold Dragonshields must roll succeed on a DC 16 DEX saving throw or take damage: 24 (slashing)
  On a success: no damage.
  Until Hewelathan's next turn, any creature who enters a space within 10-ft of the pack on a turn must also make that DEX saving throw or take damage.  (A creature makes this save only once per turn.)
Free Action: Talking.  Dropping concentration on Moonbeam.

Concentration: Conjure Animals round 1 of 600 

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Round 1: Hewelathan
Action: Cast spell (LVL 3 slot) Conjure Animals
  The 4 Kobold Dragonshields must roll succeed on a DC 16 DEX saving throw or take damage: 24 (slashing)
  On a success: no damage.
  Until Hewelathan's next turn, any creature who enters a space within 10-ft of the pack on a turn must also make that DEX saving throw or take damage.  (A creature makes this save only once per turn.) 

(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - Some of the Conjure Animals mechanics aren't clear to me.  I wasn't sure whether Hewelathan could move the spectral pack on the round that he casts the spell or only during subsequent rounds.  If he can move the pack on the first round, then he would instead cast the spell a little sooner, creating the pack almost directly west of the entrance, near cultist 3.  Then, as he finishes his move, he would direct the spectral pack west and then northeast.  That way, it would sweep past the 3 cultists, moving within 10-ft of them, before settling into the same final position among the kobolds.  The only change would be that the 3 cultists would also have to make a DEX saving throw against the spell on Hewelathan's turn, in additional to the 4 kobolds.

I'm fine with either ruling.  I've only seen this spell used in one other game, so I'm not sure whether there's a consensus on the RAW or RAI details for this spell.) 

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Round 1: Hewelathan
Action: Cast spell (LVL 3 slot) Conjure Animals
  The 4 Kobold Dragonshields must roll succeed on a DC 16 DEX saving throw or take damage: 24 (slashing)
  On a success: no damage.
  Until Hewelathan's next turn, any creature who enters a space within 10-ft of the pack on a turn must also make that DEX saving throw or take damage.  (A creature makes this save only once per turn.) 

(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - Some of the Conjure Animals mechanics aren't clear to me.  I wasn't sure whether Hewelathan could move the spectral pack on the round that he casts the spell or only during subsequent rounds.  If he can move the pack on the first round, then he would instead cast the spell a little sooner, creating the pack almost directly west of the entrance, near cultist 3.  Then, as he finishes his move, he would direct the spectral pack west and then northeast.  That way, it would sweep past the 3 cultists, moving within 10-ft of them, before settling into the same final position among the kobolds.  The only change would be that the 3 cultists would also have to make a DEX saving throw against the spell on Hewelathan's turn, in additional to the 4 kobolds.

I'm fine with either ruling.  I've only seen this spell used in one other game, so I'm not sure whether there's a consensus on the RAW or RAI details for this spell.) 

I think the spell can only be moved on subsequent rounds after it is cast.

After Hew, Zolgu takes a legendary action: Cunning.

The kobold moves half his speed to get closer to the back entrance (position already adjusted on the map).

Anyway, Dex saves from the kobolds.

KDS 1: 6
KDS 2: 7
KDS 3: 15
KDS 4: 21

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

After Hew, Zolgu takes a legendary action: Cunning.

The kobold moves half his speed to get closer to the back entrance (position already adjusted on the map).

Anyway, Dex saves from the kobolds.

KDS 1: 6
KDS 2: 7
KDS 3: 15
KDS 4: 21

Kobold 1 and 2 are shredded by the beasts. Kobold 3 is slashed up, but still standing with 24 damage. Kobold 4 manages to dodge the whirlwind of claws, cursing in Draconic but uninjured.

Round 1: Hildegard

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Round 1: Hewelathan
Hewelathan....says, "Hildegard, we can defend the entrance.  You must keep Zolgu from getting through the back." 

 

Hildegard makes a salute to Hewelathan with her swords and responds, "I shall do everything in my power to stop him!"  As she turns Perdita, she calls to Smiler: "Zenxeral, I trust that you will protect my friends and prevent the dark cult of Sserah from entering the cave!"  She then rides Perdita to the rear entrance at a trot, emerging partially onto the surface of the dead god's body so that she can see Zolgu approaching.  

While Hildegard and Perdita take up a defensive stance, blocking the rear exit (and dodging), Hildegard speaks to the spirit of the knight bound to her armor.  "Sir Stephen, I call on you now.  Fulfill your oaths and help me finish the work of the Seven Heroes.  Hinder that kobold sorcerer: he must not reach the entrance."  Sir Stephen materializes 30-ft to her west and 

Movement: Riding Perdicta 60-ft to exit the cave and block the rear exit.
Action: Dodge
Bonus Action: Summon Sir Stephen from her Plate of Knight's Fellowship
  Sir Stephen manifests in an unoccupied space 30-ft west of her.  In combat, he shares Hildegard's initiative count but takes his turn immediately after her.
Free Action: Talking

Concentration: Bless round 3 of 10

Perdita: Dodge 

Sir Stephen, AC 18, HP 52

Sir Stephen salutes Hildegard with his Greatsword and then rushes to Zolgu.  Instead of striking the kobold, he releases his sword with one hand and tries to grab Zolgu, thinking that he can prevent him from approaching Hildegard and keep him stranded here, far from his Dragonshield guards.

Movement: Move 30-ft to engage Zolgu in at melee range.
Action: Sir Stephen initially simply tries to make an Unarmed Strike to grapple Zolgu.
  I don't know whether he gets 1 or 2 attempts to make the grapple since the rules around Multiattack are a little odd.
  Assuming 2024 grappling rules, Zolgu must make succeed on a DC 13 STR or DEX saving throw for each grapple attempt or have the Grappled.

Zolgu Dex save: 15

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Zolgu Dex save: 6

Zolgu is currently grappled

(OOC: Unless Zolgu wants to burn a Legendary Resistance to avoid the grapple.  I added the grappled marker to Zolgu on the map.)

At the end of Sir Stephen's turn, Zolgu uses his second Legendary Action: Stab. Zolgu attempts to slide a dagger between the plates of Sir Stephen's spectral armor.

Dagger vs. Sir Stephen
Attack: 24 Damage: 5 (piercing) + 5 (cold) = 10

Keeping things moving (as it's been 2 days since we last saw Nickeline), I'm just going to have Nickeline take the Dodge action this round. Now the cultists and the dragonshields are up!

Cultist 5 casts Dispel Magic on Hew's Conjure Animals, then moves 30-ft away from the epicenter of explosions and out of LoS of the "cavern's" main entrance, to the north/top of the map.

Cultist 4 bolts, taking the dash to follow Zolgu towards the secondary entrance.

Cultist 3 moves towards the cavern and, seeing the bizarre landscape within that appears to be something completely different from the outside of the corpse, attempts to dispel what he suspects might be an illusion. Wis check, DC 14: 13

All cultists have been moved.

The two surviving kobolds move to follow Zolgu. Each of them then proceed to chuck spears at Sir Stephen. They are at long range, but they have advantage on their two attacks each thanks to Pack Tactics, for straight rolls.

KDS 3 vs. Sir Stephen
Attack: 7 Damage: 2
Attack: 23 Damage: 6

KDS 4 vs. Sir Stephen
Attack: 6 Damage: 7
Attack: 11 Damage: 3

Kobolds have already been moved on the map. Our heroes are up again!

The cultists do not rush the cave as the lich anticipated, but one ventures close enough to be in range of his Starfire chill.  It wracks the cultist 3 twice while the foes change position:

Starfire Chill DC 18 Con (2 of 4 actions used before start of turn)

6 fire 7 cold
9 fire 10 cold 

The lich glides over and moves pass the first cultist and emits a pulse of energy between the two

Stellar Pulse DC 17 Dex
27 radiant and blinded (save for half;no blindness)

Gorash triggered readied Freezing ray: (advantage from unseen attacker?  ut doesnt matter first roll as highest) 18 to hit for 12 damage on Cultist 3

Gorash on his own turn engages cultist 5 using a bonus action aggresive to get enough movement. He then strikes with his quarterstaff:

to hit 17 for 4 bludge and 4 Thunder damage.

Selariel moves out using radiant touch on cultist 3 to hit 22 for 31 radiant damage

and Charm (dominate person) on Cultist 4; The succubus casts Dominate Person (level 8 version), requiring no spell components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 15).

Starfire Chill Con saves:

12

21

Stellar Pulse Dex saves:

Cultist 3 - 22

Cultist 5 - 7

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Starfire Chill Con saves:

9

9

Stellar Pulse Dex saves:

Cultist 3 - 18

Cultist 5 - 17

Cultist 3 is lets out one final gasp as he is consumed by pure radiant energy via first the Astral Lich's starlight, then a beam of power from Gorash. The cultist falls before Selarial can reach out to touch him. She instead turns her attention to Cultist 5.

Cultist 5, even though she survived the Stellar Pulse from the Astral Lich, was immediately attacked by both an angry orc and a holy devil. She died before she had a chance to scream as Selarial's touch consumed her with holy flames.