Rico comments, "Well that's why Steel goes first." Rico will repeat on the second wall crystal, being even more careful to stay behind Steel than for the first crystal.
Seeing that the others have a system that seems to be working for gathering the crystals, ArdneK will stay back near the doors, hiding and peering behind the corner, keeping an ear out on the door to the Dead Eyes Watch.
Rico comments, "Well that's why Steel goes first." Rico will repeat on the second wall crystal, being even more careful to stay behind Steel than for the first crystal.
[Just to be clear, this would be the fifth wall crystal: Wall (Rico) > ceiling (Pisgah) > wall (Canti) > ceiling (Pisgah) > wall (Rico now). This would mean Steel and Rico walk past the point where Pisgah had seen the blood. Would you still go forward with this?]
ArdneK keeps your back free, confirming that the door back to the Dead Eyes watchpost is still firmly closed.
Yes, Rico is expecting an attack at this point, which is why she's being very careful to stay behind Steel. She's using Steel as a walking wall to provide cover.
Ricos hunch proves right! As she and Steel move forward to the fifth crystal and thus past the blood on the floor, the ballista begin rattling. Mechanical processes are being kicked into motion, their legs are rapidly unfolding by themselves and they are training their bolts on the steel defender.
Initiative! 1. All PCs < YOUR TURN 2. Ballistae, aiming at Steel
OOC: I believe I'm with 150 feet of them, so I'm not going to move.
Canti pulls her retractable bow and fires two arrows at B2, hoping to pull one of Bwibble's exploding arrows in her haste. The projectiles soar through the air, making almost no noise until they hit.
Attack 1: 18; damage: 10 piercing
Arcane shot: Bursting Arrow: Immediately after the arrow hits a creature, the target and all other creatures within 10 ft. of it take 2d6 force damage each. Extra damage: 10 force
Using Steel as cover, Rico pulls out her infused pistol and fires a couple of shots at the same ballista that Canti is aiming at in an attempt to reduce the number of ballista shooting at them as quickly as possible.
"Sorry, guys, I thought the crystals were a warning system. Nikk, hit the ballistae with a fireball and then guard the door leading to the Dead Eyes, if anything comes through that door catch them with another fireball. We need to end this quick!", shouts Pisgah as he pulls his shield around his arm and walks down the wall to stand on the floor wall opposite of Rico and in front of Canti (I think 40 ft of movement will get me to that square).
As a bonus action, he will enter into a rage with the tail sprouting out behind him.
Nikkitch launches a fireball that lands just in front of and in between the two ballistae. As the 20 ft sphere begins to erupt, the ballistae need to make a DEX saving throw against a DC15 or take 32 points fire damage (or 16 points if successful). He then moves past ArdneK to the corner. Planning to launch another fireball 5 feet past the door when, if, it opens.
OOC: Preyfire, I can't edit the spell slots but Nikk just burned one level 3 slot. 2 remain.
ArdneK will move up 30 feet which should put him within 120 ft, and release two Eldritch Blasts at the same Ballista the others are focusing on, unless it drops.
Cantis bursting arrow clanks into the wood-and-metal structure of ballista B2, exploding afterwards and catching the second one in the blast . This is swiftly followed by Ricos bullets, chipping away at the wood and the support stuctures, and finally a bright red plume of fire caused by Nikkitchs spell [both ballistas failed their save].
With a pang, B2's bowstring snaps and half of the legs are ripped out of their sockets. The whole structure teeters to the side and collapses in a smoking heap.
The second ballista, already badly scorched from the fireball, weathers the two blasts from ArdneK and tries to keep its sights on Steel. It fires. Attack: Nat 1 It seems the fire, smoke and the heavy damage took its toll. The bolt hits the floor harmlessly, causing a spray of stone particles.
In the chaos and noise, it's not clear what the xanathar posts response to this is yet. The door in the back remains closed.
[Roger, ticked off 3rd level spell on Nikkitchs sheet]
Initiative 1. All PCs < YOUR TURN 2. Ballista B1, still aiming at Steel ? Xanathar post
Pisgah rushes forward 40ft and throws two javelins at the damaged ballistae (at disadvantage due to range).
Attack 1: Javelin to hit 14, damage 9
Attack 2: Javelin to hit 8, damage 4
Nikkitch begins to prepare another fireball that he will cast if the Dead Eyes open the door. As soon as the door to the Dead Eye post opens he will throw the fireball at a point 5 feet past the door. (Haven't rolled damage yet since I don't know if the door will open)
Picture shows where I was trying to describe Pisgah's starting point in the last post and the 40ft forward movement.
[Pisgahs position: Oh gotcha!] [Regarding Nikkitch readying a fireball: Readying consumes the spell slot. If nothing comes through the door this round, the spell slot would be wasted. Do you still go ahead?]
Pisgahs javelins clonk off the wooden shell of the ballista, but one shot from Rico and one from Canti each hit their mark. Due to having already sustained significant damage, the construct isn't able to continue functioning. A crack, a screech, then it loses the animating spark.
We're out of initiative! Everyone gets 200 XP for dealing with the ballista.
The two constructs are smoking, embers of fire still lingering in the wooden beams. Nothing else makes the appearance of hostility. If the xanathar watchpost has heard what happened, they are not showing themselves.
Pisgah walks to the end of the hall and picks up the javelins from the floor. While he is at that end of the hallway, he takes a listen at the door with the ear horn. PERCEPTION roll of 24.
Rico comments, "Well that's why Steel goes first." Rico will repeat on the second wall crystal, being even more careful to stay behind Steel than for the first crystal.
Seeing that the others have a system that seems to be working for gathering the crystals, ArdneK will stay back near the doors, hiding and peering behind the corner, keeping an ear out on the door to the Dead Eyes Watch.
[Just to be clear, this would be the fifth wall crystal: Wall (Rico) > ceiling (Pisgah) > wall (Canti) > ceiling (Pisgah) > wall (Rico now). This would mean Steel and Rico walk past the point where Pisgah had seen the blood. Would you still go forward with this?]
ArdneK keeps your back free, confirming that the door back to the Dead Eyes watchpost is still firmly closed.
Yes, Rico is expecting an attack at this point, which is why she's being very careful to stay behind Steel. She's using Steel as a walking wall to provide cover.
Ricos hunch proves right!
As she and Steel move forward to the fifth crystal and thus past the blood on the floor, the ballista begin rattling. Mechanical processes are being kicked into motion, their legs are rapidly unfolding by themselves and they are training their bolts on the steel defender.
Initiative!
1. All PCs < YOUR TURN
2. Ballistae, aiming at Steel
OOC: I believe I'm with 150 feet of them, so I'm not going to move.
Canti pulls her retractable bow and fires two arrows at B2, hoping to pull one of Bwibble's exploding arrows in her haste. The projectiles soar through the air, making almost no noise until they hit.
Attack 1: 18; damage: 10 piercing
Arcane shot: Bursting Arrow: Immediately after the arrow hits a creature, the target and all other creatures within 10 ft. of it take 2d6 force damage each. Extra damage: 10 force
Attack 2: 14; damage: 10 piercing
Using Steel as cover, Rico pulls out her infused pistol and fires a couple of shots at the same ballista that Canti is aiming at in an attempt to reduce the number of ballista shooting at them as quickly as possible.
Attack 27 damage 15 piercing
Attack 19 damage 8 piercing
"Sorry, guys, I thought the crystals were a warning system. Nikk, hit the ballistae with a fireball and then guard the door leading to the Dead Eyes, if anything comes through that door catch them with another fireball. We need to end this quick!", shouts Pisgah as he pulls his shield around his arm and walks down the wall to stand on the floor wall opposite of Rico and in front of Canti (I think 40 ft of movement will get me to that square).
As a bonus action, he will enter into a rage with the tail sprouting out behind him.
Nikkitch launches a fireball that lands just in front of and in between the two ballistae. As the 20 ft sphere begins to erupt, the ballistae need to make a DEX saving throw against a DC15 or take 32 points fire damage (or 16 points if successful). He then moves past ArdneK to the corner. Planning to launch another fireball 5 feet past the door when, if, it opens.
OOC: Preyfire, I can't edit the spell slots but Nikk just burned one level 3 slot. 2 remain.
ArdneK will move up 30 feet which should put him within 120 ft, and release two Eldritch Blasts at the same Ballista the others are focusing on, unless it drops.
blast 1: 11dmg: 4
blast 2: 24 dmg: 1
Bonus Action to Dash back around the corner towards the south door.
Cantis bursting arrow clanks into the wood-and-metal structure of ballista B2, exploding afterwards and catching the second one in the blast . This is swiftly followed by Ricos bullets, chipping away at the wood and the support stuctures, and finally a bright red plume of fire caused by Nikkitchs spell [both ballistas failed their save].
With a pang, B2's bowstring snaps and half of the legs are ripped out of their sockets. The whole structure teeters to the side and collapses in a smoking heap.
The second ballista, already badly scorched from the fireball, weathers the two blasts from ArdneK and tries to keep its sights on Steel. It fires.
Attack: Nat 1
It seems the fire, smoke and the heavy damage took its toll. The bolt hits the floor harmlessly, causing a spray of stone particles.
In the chaos and noise, it's not clear what the xanathar posts response to this is yet. The door in the back remains closed.
[Roger, ticked off 3rd level spell on Nikkitchs sheet]
Initiative
1. All PCs < YOUR TURN
2. Ballista B1, still aiming at Steel
? Xanathar post
Pisgah rushes forward 40ft and throws two javelins at the damaged ballistae (at disadvantage due to range).
Attack 1: Javelin to hit 14, damage 9
Attack 2: Javelin to hit 8, damage 4
Nikkitch begins to prepare another fireball that he will cast if the Dead Eyes open the door. As soon as the door to the Dead Eye post opens he will throw the fireball at a point 5 feet past the door. (Haven't rolled damage yet since I don't know if the door will open)
Picture shows where I was trying to describe Pisgah's starting point in the last post and the 40ft forward movement.
[Pisgahs position: Oh gotcha!]
[Regarding Nikkitch readying a fireball: Readying consumes the spell slot. If nothing comes through the door this round, the spell slot would be wasted. Do you still go ahead?]
Ah, right. No, change that to a firebolt. That's just a cantrip and won't burn a slot.
Staying behind Steel as cover, Rico fires another two shots into the remaining ballista.
Attack 13 damage 7
Attack 19 damage 15
Canti fires two more arrows at the remaining ballista.
Attack 1: nat 1
Attack 2: dirty 20; damage: 6 piercing — rerolling using piercer feat: 7 piercing
Pisgahs javelins clonk off the wooden shell of the ballista, but one shot from Rico and one from Canti each hit their mark. Due to having already sustained significant damage, the construct isn't able to continue functioning. A crack, a screech, then it loses the animating spark.
We're out of initiative!
Everyone gets 200 XP for dealing with the ballista.
The two constructs are smoking, embers of fire still lingering in the wooden beams. Nothing else makes the appearance of hostility. If the xanathar watchpost has heard what happened, they are not showing themselves.
Pisgah walks to the end of the hall and picks up the javelins from the floor. While he is at that end of the hallway, he takes a listen at the door with the ear horn. PERCEPTION roll of 24.
As a bonus action, ArdneK will hide: 38 (nat 20).
He will ready his shortbow, if someone comes through the door, he will fire.
Shortbow: 11/17 (roll adv cause of hiding) dmg: 7
If hide is successful, add sneak dmg: 11
Whoops scrap this, posted after needed!
OOC: Yeah, and I burned a rage unnecessarily... :(