If the merrow falls to the first strike, Coriana 's action is determined by whether she is within the aboleth's threatened area. If not, she will swim 10 feet east, forgoing her second attack if the first drops the merrow. If she would risk an opportunity attack, she will attack the aboleth, spending a lucky point if she does for advantage. She will then choose to Eldritch smite if she hits. Advantage for potential aboleth attack. 24 Eldritch Smite damage.: 19
If the merrow falls to the second strike, she swims 10 ft. east.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards. DM - The Old Keep
Forgot to roll concentration on the merrow's hit. got an 11, but it was a DC 10. She's still concentrating on hex on the merrow, doesn't switch the hex to the aboleth because she summoned the tentacle.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards. DM - The Old Keep
Syllen wipes out both Merrow 4 and Merrow 2 with his Luminous arrow.
(OOC: I think that you mean with Conjure Animals? The luminous arrow was a separate attack on a (single) Merrow, whichever one still looked alive but most injured the spell's effect.)
Khessa sees that several Merrows have been quickly eliminated—and that one of them [[ OOC: Merrow 4]] was the only one she could reach in melee for now.
Forced to fight from a distance, the blonde arcane warrior chants arcane chants and...
If Merrow 3 is dead: ... an arc of sizzling electricity forms between the tall adventuress and the surviving Merrow, who has recently recovered from the charm! [[ OOC: Merrow 1]]
Did you take into account my necklace of adaption on the poison save?
(OOC: @Aaggie - This is a change in the 2024 Monster Manual. There are a lot of monsters in the new rules that impose the poisoned condition for basically one turn with no saving throw. That's probably intended to streamline combat and make it easier to manage. For example, compare Ettercap (2014) vs. Ettercap (2024). In the 2014 rules, you could resist the condition with a DC 11 CON save. If you failed, you'd have to roll a saving throw each round until you throw off the condition or until 1 minute passes. In the 2024 rules, that has changed. The condition is automatic, but it only lasts for 1 round. Since there's no saving throw, I don't think that the necklace helps in situations like this.
Therefore, you may need to reroll both attacks with disadvantage since Avery is still poisoned this turn. But note that it looks like Syllen already killed the Merrow (#4) that Avery was fighting. Avery probably needs to switch to a ranged weapon or jump in the water to get close enough to use his sword against one of the other ones. Interestingly, Avery probably has enough movement to jump onto the Aboleth's square. I guess he could attempt to climb on top of it and attack it that way. I'm not sure that I would recommend doing that against an Aboleth, but it would be a pretty heroic way to die action!)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Round 2: Xanrym
As soon as Xanrym saw the alien fish aberration with the writhing tentacles, a strange look came across his face. Looking into the creature's glowing, malevolent eyes, Xanrym's face went slack. His eyes slowly widened (in fear? horror?) and he dropped concentration on his spell. While the rest of The Company focuses on battling the merrows, Xanrym's expression changes from horror to something even more disturbing. If they were looking at him, they'd see that he looks enraptured, but it's not a normal emotion. He seems to have been seized by a frenzied mania.
In his fervor, Xanrym looks around at his companions. He wants to share his revelation with them. He whispers words laced with magic, and Syllen's intuition suddenly alerts him to the danger behind him. Xanrym lurches forward form the wall and attempts to grab Syllen, saying, "Syllen, what terrible wonders it can show us! Come! We must go to it!" He follows that with an awful, hysterical laugh that he cannot seem to control.
If Xanrym succeeds in grappling Syllen, he then moves to the north to the edge of the bridge -- excitedly laughing all the way -- and pulls them both into the water!
Bonus Action: Use Unsettling Words against Syllen. Syllen must subtract 2 from the next saving throw he makes (incorporated below). Movement: Xanrym moves 5-ft north (next to Syllen). If he successfully grapples Syllen, then he uses 20-ft of movement to drag the druid 10-ft north, off the bridge and into the water. Action: Attack Syllen with an Unarmed Strike in an attempt to grapple him. Syllen must succeed on a DC 22 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (Syllen's choice) or be grappled by Xanrym. Free Action: Talking.
Bonus Action: Use Unsettling Words against Syllen. Syllen must subtract 8 from the next saving throw he makes (incorporated below). Syllen must succeed on a DC 18 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (Syllen's choice) or be grappled by Xanrym.
(OOC: Seriously?! The one time that I would have been happy to roll a nat-1! Let's just hope that Syllen is slippery enough to avoid the grapple!)
[[OOC: @BenEvolent and @JehanO why isn't the DC 10? 8 plus Strength (-1) plus proficiency (+3) for a total of 10. There's no "to-hit" roll in grappling from a PC unarmed strike, just an escape roll from the target.]]
(OOC: Yeah, Unsettling Words is a cool feature, especially since bards have a lot of save-or-suck spells. A big debuff on a creature's saving throw can help to avoid "wasting" a spell slot on something like Blindness/Deafness, Suggestion, or Enemies Abound. And it's good for a one-two punch where he can debuff an opponent for someone else's spell. I've never really thought of using it for grappling before now, but I'll have to keep that in mind in the future if Avery or Khessa needs to tackle an Ogre or something!)
Coriana's tentacle and first Longsword miss, but her second attack finishes Merrow 3, while Khessa's Witch Bolt takes out the last Merrow.
As Xanrym pulls Syllen into the Sullen Sea, you see the flickering aberrational creature floating in the air seem to start swimming up, yet it stays floating 10ft above the water. Almost like it is a facsimile of a swimming monster. As it does, Coriana feels her heart beat come faster and faster, as though getting closer. That is all the aberration does this turn, I think it also rolls a DEX Save for Conjure Animals:
18
You all are up, Xanrym and Syllen (and I believe Coriana?) are in the water. The large flickering aberration seems to have just pretended to swim up for the turn, but Coriana feels something getting closer.
Khessa isn't at all convinced by this large, flickering aberration that seems to have just pretended to swim: "Something is wrong! It must be an illusion!"
Xanrym pulls Syllen into the Sullen Sea....Xanrym and Syllen...are in the water.
(OOC: Just to be clear, Syllen and Xanrym are in the water just north of / adjacent to the Oceanbridge, and Syllen's speed is currently 0 feet because he is still grappled by Xanrym with escape DC 10. Xanrym's Unsettling Words should only apply to Syllen's first saving throw against Xanrym's initial grapple, and in any case, that feature would never apply to the DC for escaping a grapple because escaping a grapple just requires an ability check, not a saving throw. Therefore, the regular rule applies: "The DC for...any escape attempts equals 8 plus your Strength modifier and Proficiency Bonus." For Xanrym's grapple, that's 10 = 8 - 1 + 3.)
Coriana, hating the weakness that the abberation is touching in her, finds her steel. "I may be beholden to my patron, but I am not beholden to you!"
She calls forth a tentacle to lash at and distract the aboleth while hopefully finishing off Merrow 3.
BA: Summon Tentacle of the Deeps, behind the aboleth. Attack: 11 Damage: 7 cold damage.
Longsword - Attack: 21 Damage: 8 force, 4 necrotic (Hex).
Longsword - Attack: 20 Damage: 6 force, 3 necrotic (Hex).
If the merrow falls to the first strike, Coriana 's action is determined by whether she is within the aboleth's threatened area. If not, she will swim 10 feet east, forgoing her second attack if the first drops the merrow. If she would risk an opportunity attack, she will attack the aboleth, spending a lucky point if she does for advantage. She will then choose to Eldritch smite if she hits.
Advantage for potential aboleth attack. 24 Eldritch Smite damage.: 19
If the merrow falls to the second strike, she swims 10 ft. east.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Forgot to roll concentration on the merrow's hit. got an 11, but it was a DC 10. She's still concentrating on hex on the merrow, doesn't switch the hex to the aboleth because she summoned the tentacle.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
The forum ate my rolls. Redone on character sheet/game log, which suck as I rolled good when the forum first posted,
Tentacle on Aboleth: AC 15; 6 cold and lose 10ft. of movement.
Longsword on Merrow: AC 10; 9 force, 2 necrotic.
Longsword on Merrow (or Aboleth): AC 26; 12 force, 3 necrotic(merrow only).
Advantage on Aboleth: 13. Smite on Aboleth: 27 force.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
(OOC: I think that you mean with Conjure Animals? The luminous arrow was a separate attack on a (single) Merrow, whichever one still looked alive but most injured the spell's effect.)
Khessa sees that several Merrows have been quickly eliminated—and that one of them [[ OOC: Merrow 4]] was the only one she could reach in melee for now.
Forced to fight from a distance, the blonde arcane warrior chants arcane chants and...
If Merrow 3 is still alive despite Coriana's efforts:
... bolts of magical energy shoot from the tall adventuress's fingers and land unerringly on the Merrow in melee with Coriana! [[ OOC: Merrow 3]]
If Merrow 3 is dead:
... an arc of sizzling electricity forms between the tall adventuress and the surviving Merrow, who has recently recovered from the charm! [[ OOC: Merrow 1]]
(OOC: @Aaggie - This is a change in the 2024 Monster Manual. There are a lot of monsters in the new rules that impose the poisoned condition for basically one turn with no saving throw. That's probably intended to streamline combat and make it easier to manage. For example, compare Ettercap (2014) vs. Ettercap (2024). In the 2014 rules, you could resist the condition with a DC 11 CON save. If you failed, you'd have to roll a saving throw each round until you throw off the condition or until 1 minute passes. In the 2024 rules, that has changed. The condition is automatic, but it only lasts for 1 round. Since there's no saving throw, I don't think that the necklace helps in situations like this.
Therefore, you may need to reroll both attacks with disadvantage since Avery is still poisoned this turn. But note that it looks like Syllen already killed the Merrow (#4) that Avery was fighting. Avery probably needs to switch to a ranged weapon or jump in the water to get close enough to use his sword against one of the other ones. Interestingly, Avery probably has enough movement to jump onto the Aboleth's square. I guess he could attempt to climb on top of it and attack it that way. I'm not sure that I would recommend doing that against an Aboleth, but it would be a pretty heroic
way to dieaction!)If Merrow 3 is still alive despite Coriana's efforts:
Magic Missile vs Merrow 3 - Damage: 10 (force)
If Merrow 3 is dead:
Witch Bolt vs Merrow 1- Attack: 17 Damage: 22 (lightning)
Round 2: Xanrym
As soon as Xanrym saw the alien fish aberration with the writhing tentacles, a strange look came across his face. Looking into the creature's glowing, malevolent eyes, Xanrym's face went slack. His eyes slowly widened (in fear? horror?) and he dropped concentration on his spell. While the rest of The Company focuses on battling the merrows, Xanrym's expression changes from horror to something even more disturbing. If they were looking at him, they'd see that he looks enraptured, but it's not a normal emotion. He seems to have been seized by a frenzied mania.
In his fervor, Xanrym looks around at his companions. He wants to share his revelation with them. He whispers words laced with magic, and Syllen's intuition suddenly alerts him to the danger behind him. Xanrym lurches forward form the wall and attempts to grab Syllen, saying, "Syllen, what terrible wonders it can show us! Come! We must go to it!" He follows that with an awful, hysterical laugh that he cannot seem to control.
If Xanrym succeeds in grappling Syllen, he then moves to the north to the edge of the bridge -- excitedly laughing all the way -- and pulls them both into the water!
Bonus Action: Use Unsettling Words against Syllen. Syllen must subtract 2 from the next saving throw he makes (incorporated below).
Movement: Xanrym moves 5-ft north (next to Syllen).
If he successfully grapples Syllen, then he uses 20-ft of movement to drag the druid 10-ft north, off the bridge and into the water.
Action: Attack Syllen with an Unarmed Strike in an attempt to grapple him.
Syllen must succeed on a DC 22 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (Syllen's choice) or be grappled by Xanrym.
Free Action: Talking.
(OOC: The Aboleth made me do it! 😇)
(OOC: Seriously?! The one time that I would have been happy to roll a nat-1! Let's just hope that Syllen is slippery enough to avoid the grapple!)
(OOC: @JehanO - we need a DC 18 DEX save (presumably) for Syllen against Xanrym's grapple.)
Syllen Dex Save:14
[[OOC: @BenEvolent and @JehanO why isn't the DC 10? 8 plus Strength (-1) plus proficiency (+3) for a total of 10. There's no "to-hit" roll in grappling from a PC unarmed strike, just an escape roll from the target.]]Reading comprehension is a learned skill.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
(OOC: Yeah, Unsettling Words is a cool feature, especially since bards have a lot of save-or-suck spells. A big debuff on a creature's saving throw can help to avoid "wasting" a spell slot on something like Blindness/Deafness, Suggestion, or Enemies Abound. And it's good for a one-two punch where he can debuff an opponent for someone else's spell. I've never really thought of using it for grappling before now, but I'll have to keep that in mind in the future if Avery or Khessa needs to tackle an Ogre or something!)
Coriana's tentacle and first Longsword miss, but her second attack finishes Merrow 3, while Khessa's Witch Bolt takes out the last Merrow.
As Xanrym pulls Syllen into the Sullen Sea, you see the flickering aberrational creature floating in the air seem to start swimming up, yet it stays floating 10ft above the water. Almost like it is a facsimile of a swimming monster. As it does, Coriana feels her heart beat come faster and faster, as though getting closer. That is all the aberration does this turn, I think it also rolls a DEX Save for Conjure Animals:
18
You all are up, Xanrym and Syllen (and I believe Coriana?) are in the water. The large flickering aberration seems to have just pretended to swim up for the turn, but Coriana feels something getting closer.
Khessa isn't at all convinced by this large, flickering aberration that seems to have just pretended to swim: "Something is wrong! It must be an illusion!"
The blonde arcane warrior carefully examines the image of the monster and tries to identify clues to support her hypothesis. Obviously, there must also be a real threat somewhere, since Xanrym has been placed under the effects of a spell. But if the monster were an illusion, persisting in focusing on it would do nothing to combat the real threat.
Khessa's Investigation (to understand if the monster is an illusion): 21
(OOC: Just to be clear, Syllen and Xanrym are in the water just north of / adjacent to the Oceanbridge, and Syllen's speed is currently 0 feet because he is still grappled by Xanrym with escape DC 10. Xanrym's Unsettling Words should only apply to Syllen's first saving throw against Xanrym's initial grapple, and in any case, that feature would never apply to the DC for escaping a grapple because escaping a grapple just requires an ability check, not a saving throw. Therefore, the regular rule applies: "The DC for...any escape attempts equals 8 plus your Strength modifier and Proficiency Bonus." For Xanrym's grapple, that's 10 = 8 - 1 + 3.)
Coriana pokes her head out of the water and shouts , “That might be a projection, but something real is coming, I feel it in my bones!”
She realigns her hex with the aberration and fires two eldritch blasts into it.
BA: move hex to aberration.
EB: AC 9, 5 force, 2 nec. EB: AC 12, 5 force, 3 nec.
Coriana - Company of the Grey Chain
Wagner - Dragon Heist: Bards.
DM - The Old Keep
Can Theldrin see Syllen and Xanrym in the water? Are they fully underwater or partly submerged ?
(OOC: I don't think Xanrym would have the movement to get underwater. It would take 3 feet of movement to move 1 foot in water.
Syllen looks at Xanrym with concern.
“Fight the force that is trying to control you, my friend! We will kill that thing to free you if we must.” (In elvish)
With that Syllen disappears and appears out of the water.
BA: Misty Step. ( Elven Lineage)
Move: 5 feet South (Conjure Animals moves 10 feet South from the aberration and up to 20 towards the aberration. DC 15 Dex or 13 damage
Free: take out crossbow.
Action: True Strike Hit: 25 Damage: 11 Radiant