Arrows and other things that go bump in the night somewhere on the southern slopes of the Sumber Hills - Cole, Black Earth Bandit #4, Tibold, Grin, Black Earth Guard #4, Black Earth Guard #2, Black Earth Bandit #3, Black Earth Bandit #2, Gotrek, Black Earth Guard #1, Black Earth Guard #3, Black Earth Bandit #1, Thromkor & the Prisoners 1) Due to the darkness and the wild and wooly weather which meant it was not possible to light a fire everybody without Night Vision (Gotrek, Grin and Tibold are the only Party members with Night Vision) would normally have disadvantage. However, as Grin shouts out a warning, the campsight is illuminated by a light emanating from Thromkor's staff (see Posts # 1251-1252). 2) As far as Grin could work out there are at least eight individuals out there, four are hanging back about 40 feet away and four dressed in the Stone Armour you've seen before, and wielding Mauls are closing on the party from the four cardinal points of the compass. The four hanging back are equipped with Crossbows and look like they are in support of the four closing on the party. 3) Cole you're up and you do not have disadvantage.
OOC: Any chance Thromkor would have been able to cast light on his staff as soon as Grin started yelling (prior to initiative)? He might still be prone, but I think that's the first thing he would have done. It doesn't hurt to ask!
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Things that go bump in the night - the combat begins - Cole, Black Earth Bandit #4, Tibold, Grin, Black Earth Guard #4, Black Earth Guard #2, Black Earth Bandit #3, Black Earth Bandit #2, Gotrek, Black Earth Guard #1, Black Earth Guard #3, Black Earth Bandit #1, Thromkor & the Prisoners 1) Which Black Earth Guard is closest to Cole (4), the Guard approaching from the South is currently closest to Cole who then engages it with two quick palm strikes. The first attack does no more than bruise Cole's hand but the second is a telling blow that appears to break the Black Earth Guard's nose. 2) The Bandit who was providing covering fire for the fourth Black Earth Guard takes advantage of the light from Thromkor's staff and looses a crossbow bolt at (7) Grin (Attack: 21 Damage: 2) which goes hopelessly wide. 3) Tibold you're up.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Tibold smirks at the further-back cultists.
"Don't feel like joining the party?"he calls.
Pointing at the crossbow-wielding enemies with his left hand, Tibold plays an ascending glissando with his right, crescendoing to the upper range of his keyboard before quickly playing a low, loud chord. A blast sounds near the cultists.
Shatter on as many of the ranged attackers as Tibold can hit: 12 thunder damage. DC 15 Con save (Disadvantage if made of inorganic material--seems unlikely but who knows!) for half damage.
"Now, since these are earth cultists, usually I'd start out with some rock puns," Tibold tells Grin, "but these guys are dumb as bricks. I wouldn't be surprised if the jokes just fluorite over their heads. Want to chip in and help?"
One Bardic Inspiration Die (a d6) granted to Grin.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Don't mind if I do friend" Grin would say with a sharp toothed smile as stares down one of the stone armored attackers. A moment later he leaps over a sleeping prisoner and slashes wildly with his rapier towards the monks crotch. (The one next to Cole). "Let's see how his stones feel after this one!" the shifter will snarl.
Insightful FightingXGtE46
As a bonus action, you can make an Insight check against a creature you can see that isn’t incapacitated, contested by the target’s Deception check. If you succeed, you can use your Sneak Attack against that target even if you don’t have advantage on the attack roll, but not if you have disadvantage on it for 1 minute or until you use this feature against a different target.
Insightful Fighting: 1 Bonus Action
Insight roll 17
Rapier attack Attack: 8 Damage: 11 + 2 to the attack from bardic inspiration... plus 6 from sneak attack since I am next to Cole and probably will have advantage on the attack as well but did not roll with advantage :D
(So like.. 13 damage and I have advantage on attacks against him now unless he beats my insight roll)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Things that go bump in the night 1)Tibold can only get to one of the Black Earth Guards with his Shatter spell (4) and aims (in the absence of any information to the contrary) to the one approaching from the East (No. 2) which (Con Save - 15 [19]) which fails spectacularly and not only do pieces of its stone armour start to fall off but it is shaking its head from the ringing noise. 2) Meanwhile Grin closes on the Black Earth Guard (No. 3) fighting Cole and quicky summarises its fighting style including weakness - particularly it slowness to bring its massive hammer back to the Guard position after having swung it - which creates an opportunity for him to land a particularly deadly blow. 3) The Black Earth Guard (No. 4) approaching from the north closes on Gotrek and swings his Maul (Attack: 14 Damage: 7) which he then reverses and brings back in a second swing (Attack: 8 Damage: 10) that Gotrek ducks under. 4)Meanwhile the Black Earth Guard (No. 2) that Tibold had targeted with his Shatter spell reaches him and swings its Maul (Attack: 14 Damage: 5) that almost but not quite glances off doing minimal damage. The Black Earth Guard frustrated with its first attack shapes up for a second swing (Attack: 15 Damage: 14) which does more damage this time. 5) Two of the Black Earth Bandits then fire at the crowd of prisoners and characters aiming for (11 & 17) with the first attack (Attack: 18 Damage: 8) hitting but not killing one of the Prisoners. The second bolt (Attack: 6 Damage: 2) also hits but does not kill another prisoner. 6) The last black Earth Guard (No. 1) weighs into the mass of Prisoners and Characters swinging his Maul randomly (inflicting non-lethal damage) on (9) another prisoner (Attack: 13 Damage: 10) and knocking him to the ground unconscious. He then selects another target (8) Cole this time and swings his Maul at him (Attack: 18 Damage: 11) but Cole easily ducks under the massive blow. 7)The Black Earth Guard (Np.3) on Cole and Grin then swings at (3) Cole with his Maul (Attack: 21 Damage: 12) and again Cole easily ducks under the blow - there is obviously something to be said for being short. The Black Earth Guard then (1) switches targets to Grin and swings at him (Attack: 10 Damage: 8) which connects. 8)The last Black Earth Bandit then fires indiscriminately at the Party (12) (Attack: 12 Damage: 7) but the Prisoner who already has one crossbow bolt hanging from him just manages to sway out of the way. 9) Thromkor - you're up.
Getting pummeled by the maul is just the wake up Gotrek needs. "Right. You have pissed me off now." Gotrek enters a rage and in a fluid motion, he draws his axe up into both hands, swinging at the black earth guard with a recklessly wide arc to put as much force behind the swing as he can muster.
Thromkor stands, looking about, and sees they are surrounded. "It appears we've been followed."Switching into draconic, he chants a short spell. At the end, he does a flourish with his cloak as the orb on his staff flares even brighter than it did affected by the light spell. Three more Thromkors step out of the cloak, and now four Thromkors stand before the crowd. "Ha!" the four Thromkors say in unison. "It worked!"
Things that go bump in the night - Cole, Black Earth Bandit #4, Tibold, Grin, Black Earth Guard #4, Black Earth Guard #2, Black Earth Bandit #3, Black Earth Bandit #2, Gotrek, Black Earth Guard #1, Black Earth Guard #3, Black Earth Bandit #1, Thromkor & the Prisoners 1) Cole has been dark for over 24 hours so his action for this round is to Dodge any attacks. 2)The fourth bandit fires into the milling crowd that is the party and the prisoners (20) [Attack: 11 Damage: 7] hitting and dropping one of the prisoners. 3) Tibold you're up followed by Grin.
Grin will smile and launch another set of attacks with his rapier and dagger. "RrraaGGHhhh something about smashing you to pebbles!" Grin would snarl at the stone armored man. Rapier Attack: 18 Damage: 9 dagger Attack: 23 Damage: 5 plus sneak attack damage assuming one hits 6
Things that go bump in the night 1) As Tibold leans over and whispers in the Black Earth Guard (No. #2) striking at him's ear it [DC 15 required (13)] visibly flinches and turns and moves 30 feet away from Tibold in a south-east direction. (Tibold you can make an AoO if you wish). It reachesd V14 before it stops. 2) Grin having identified the weakness' in the first of the Black Earth Guards (No. #3) fighting him and Cole neatly slips his rapier into a gap in its armour piercing a lung. The Black Earth Guard collapses spitting up blood. Grin then spins and successfully thrusts his dagger into a gap in the other Black Earth Guard (No. #1) armour in the shoulder. 3) The Black Earth Guard (No. #4) fighting Gotrek swings its Maul (Attack: 14 Damage: 11) which Gotrek easily ducks under. The Black Earth Guard's follow-up swing is (Attack: 16 Damage: 6) no more successful although Gotrek has to go even lower to avoid it. 4) The Black Earth Guard comes rushing back into the fray - this time it is aiming for the mass of prisoners and reaches P10. 5) Two of the Bandits (Nos. 2 & 3) fire their crossbows into the mass that is the prisoners and the party the first one aims at (8 plus 1) one of the prisoners and (Attack: 13 Damage: 7) the prisoner collapses when a crossbow bolt pierces its chest. The other bandit aims at (8 plus 3) another prisoner and (Attack: 11 Damage: 6) and it to collapses with a crossbow bolt in its stomach. 6) Gotrek you're up!
Gotrek laughs at the failed attempts to land hits on him. Then seeing them lay waste to the ex-prisoners, a mask of anger covers his face. "Just because you can't hurt us, doesn't mean you should go for the passives ones!" He then swings his Axe at the black earth guard, his new found anger fuelling the attack, but also leading to him exposing himself as he tries to bring down the black earth guard. Having disemboweled the black earth guard, Gotrek sets his sight one of the bandits shooting indiscriminately into the crowd of ex-prisoners. Spotting one to the north east (Q4), he rushes that location to P4, shoulder charging the bandit.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Thromkor winces each time a prisoner goes down, but knows it will do no good to try to save them while the rest are still in danger. He begins waving his free hand in an intricate maneuver while the other lifts his ebony staff. The orb on top glows even brighter and two shards of ice quickly form in front of the dragonborn. With a final flick of his wrist, one shard is propelled toward the archer at F4, and a second shard soars toward the archer at F13.
1 sorcery point for twinned spell
Ice knife attack vs. F4: 14. Damage: 7 piercing damage
F4 needs to roll DEX 14 or sustain 5 cold damage
Ice knife attack vs. F13: 10. Damage: 1 piercing damage
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Saving throws (or not) galore! 1)As a result of Thromkor's spell: a) the Bandit at F4 (DC 14 required - 3 rolled while the b) Bandit at F13 (DC 14 required - 2 rolled, which all c)equaled one up (F13) and one down (F4). 2) However before that happened: a) the Black Earth Guard fighting Grin and Cole swings his Maul at (2) Cole (Attack: 25 Damage: 16) ; however the blow is wild. Undetered the Guard lines up for a second swing at (1) Cole again (Attack: 16 Damage: 11) which Cole unfortunately ducks into taking 15 points of bludgeoning damage. b) the Bandit that Gotrek has just tackled to the ground, loses its Crossbow in the melee but quickly scrambles to its feet and draws its scimitar which (Attack: 7 Damage: 3) despite the darkness the Bandit finds himself fighting in somehow manages to connect doing an actual 2 points of slashing damage. 3)At the end of the round 4 of the prisoners are down, two of the Black Earth Guards are down and one of the Black Earth Bandits is down,
Tibold is up with a start, spreading his arms as a spectral keyboard springs into existence in front of him.
"Finally, some excitement," he drawls.
And that's all I have to say about that.
( I think I have dark vision as well which I am sure helps a little :D)
Arrows and other things that go bump in the night somewhere on the southern slopes of the Sumber Hills - Cole, Black Earth Bandit #4, Tibold, Grin, Black Earth Guard #4, Black Earth Guard #2, Black Earth Bandit #3, Black Earth Bandit #2, Gotrek, Black Earth Guard #1, Black Earth Guard #3, Black Earth Bandit #1, Thromkor & the Prisoners
1) Due to the darkness and the wild and wooly weather which meant it was not possible to light a fire everybody without Night Vision (Gotrek, Grin and Tibold are the only Party members with Night Vision) would normally have disadvantage. However, as Grin shouts out a warning, the campsight is illuminated by a light emanating from Thromkor's staff (see Posts # 1251-1252).
2) As far as Grin could work out there are at least eight individuals out there, four are hanging back about 40 feet away and four dressed in the Stone Armour you've seen before, and wielding Mauls are closing on the party from the four cardinal points of the compass. The four hanging back are equipped with Crossbows and look like they are in support of the four closing on the party.
3) Cole you're up and you do not have disadvantage.
DM - Stopping a god in his tracks
OOC: Any chance Thromkor would have been able to cast light on his staff as soon as Grin started yelling (prior to initiative)? He might still be prone, but I think that's the first thing he would have done. It doesn't hurt to ask!
That is perfectly reasonable! I'll edit Post #1250 accordingly.
DM - Stopping a god in his tracks
Cole will move and engage the closed maul wielding foe with two palm strikes
Attack: 10 Damage: 7
Attack: 25 Damage: 7
Rockcrusher lvl 2 Goliath Barbarian Horde of the Dragon Queen
Taggart lvl 6 Air Genasi Blood Hunter Tomb of Annihilation
Shadow lvl 3 variant feral tiefling rogue Shackled City
Things that go bump in the night - the combat begins - Cole, Black Earth Bandit #4, Tibold, Grin, Black Earth Guard #4, Black Earth Guard #2, Black Earth Bandit #3, Black Earth Bandit #2, Gotrek, Black Earth Guard #1, Black Earth Guard #3, Black Earth Bandit #1, Thromkor & the Prisoners
1) Which Black Earth Guard is closest to Cole (4), the Guard approaching from the South is currently closest to Cole who then engages it with two quick palm strikes. The first attack does no more than bruise Cole's hand but the second is a telling blow that appears to break the Black Earth Guard's nose.
2) The Bandit who was providing covering fire for the fourth Black Earth Guard takes advantage of the light from Thromkor's staff and looses a crossbow bolt at (7) Grin (Attack: 21 Damage: 2) which goes hopelessly wide.
3) Tibold you're up.
DM - Stopping a god in his tracks
Tibold smirks at the further-back cultists.
"Don't feel like joining the party?" he calls.
Pointing at the crossbow-wielding enemies with his left hand, Tibold plays an ascending glissando with his right, crescendoing to the upper range of his keyboard before quickly playing a low, loud chord. A blast sounds near the cultists.
Shatter on as many of the ranged attackers as Tibold can hit: 12 thunder damage. DC 15 Con save (Disadvantage if made of inorganic material--seems unlikely but who knows!) for half damage.
"Now, since these are earth cultists, usually I'd start out with some rock puns," Tibold tells Grin, "but these guys are dumb as bricks. I wouldn't be surprised if the jokes just fluorite over their heads. Want to chip in and help?"
One Bardic Inspiration Die (a d6) granted to Grin.
And that's all I have to say about that.
"Don't mind if I do friend" Grin would say with a sharp toothed smile as stares down one of the stone armored attackers. A moment later he leaps over a sleeping prisoner and slashes wildly with his rapier towards the monks crotch. (The one next to Cole). "Let's see how his stones feel after this one!" the shifter will snarl.
As a bonus action, you can make an Insight check against a creature you can see that isn’t incapacitated, contested by the target’s Deception check. If you succeed, you can use your Sneak Attack against that target even if you don’t have advantage on the attack roll, but not if you have disadvantage on it for 1 minute or until you use this feature against a different target.
Insight roll 17
Rapier attack Attack: 8 Damage: 11 + 2 to the attack from bardic inspiration... plus 6 from sneak attack since I am next to Cole and probably will have advantage on the attack as well but did not roll with advantage :D
(So like.. 13 damage and I have advantage on attacks against him now unless he beats my insight roll)
Things that go bump in the night
1) Tibold can only get to one of the Black Earth Guards with his Shatter spell (4) and aims (in the absence of any information to the contrary) to the one approaching from the East (No. 2) which (Con Save - 15 [19]) which fails spectacularly and not only do pieces of its stone armour start to fall off but it is shaking its head from the ringing noise.
2) Meanwhile Grin closes on the Black Earth Guard (No. 3) fighting Cole and quicky summarises its fighting style including weakness - particularly it slowness to bring its massive hammer back to the Guard position after having swung it - which creates an opportunity for him to land a particularly deadly blow.
3) The Black Earth Guard (No. 4) approaching from the north closes on Gotrek and swings his Maul (Attack: 14 Damage: 7) which he then reverses and brings back in a second swing (Attack: 8 Damage: 10) that Gotrek ducks under.
4) Meanwhile the Black Earth Guard (No. 2) that Tibold had targeted with his Shatter spell reaches him and swings its Maul (Attack: 14 Damage: 5) that almost but not quite glances off doing minimal damage. The Black Earth Guard frustrated with its first attack shapes up for a second swing (Attack: 15 Damage: 14) which does more damage this time.
5) Two of the Black Earth Bandits then fire at the crowd of prisoners and characters aiming for (11 & 17) with the first attack (Attack: 18 Damage: 8) hitting but not killing one of the Prisoners. The second bolt (Attack: 6 Damage: 2) also hits but does not kill another prisoner.
6) The last black Earth Guard (No. 1) weighs into the mass of Prisoners and Characters swinging his Maul randomly (inflicting non-lethal damage) on (9) another prisoner (Attack: 13 Damage: 10) and knocking him to the ground unconscious. He then selects another target (8) Cole this time and swings his Maul at him (Attack: 18 Damage: 11) but Cole easily ducks under the massive blow.
7) The Black Earth Guard (Np.3) on Cole and Grin then swings at (3) Cole with his Maul (Attack: 21 Damage: 12) and again Cole easily ducks under the blow - there is obviously something to be said for being short. The Black Earth Guard then (1) switches targets to Grin and swings at him (Attack: 10 Damage: 8) which connects.
8) The last Black Earth Bandit then fires indiscriminately at the Party (12) (Attack: 12 Damage: 7) but the Prisoner who already has one crossbow bolt hanging from him just manages to sway out of the way.
9) Thromkor - you're up.
(still editing)
DM - Stopping a god in his tracks
***Pre-Post***
Getting pummeled by the maul is just the wake up Gotrek needs. "Right. You have pissed me off now." Gotrek enters a rage and in a fluid motion, he draws his axe up into both hands, swinging at the black earth guard with a recklessly wide arc to put as much force behind the swing as he can muster.
Attack: 20 Damage: 22
Thromkor stands, looking about, and sees they are surrounded. "It appears we've been followed." Switching into draconic, he chants a short spell. At the end, he does a flourish with his cloak as the orb on his staff flares even brighter than it did affected by the light spell. Three more Thromkors step out of the cloak, and now four Thromkors stand before the crowd. "Ha!" the four Thromkors say in unison. "It worked!"
Mirror image
Things that go bump in the night - Cole, Black Earth Bandit #4, Tibold, Grin, Black Earth Guard #4, Black Earth Guard #2, Black Earth Bandit #3, Black Earth Bandit #2, Gotrek, Black Earth Guard #1, Black Earth Guard #3, Black Earth Bandit #1, Thromkor & the Prisoners
1) Cole has been dark for over 24 hours so his action for this round is to Dodge any attacks.
2) The fourth bandit fires into the milling crowd that is the party and the prisoners (20) [Attack: 11 Damage: 7] hitting and dropping one of the prisoners.
3) Tibold you're up followed by Grin.
DM - Stopping a god in his tracks
Tibold grunts as he is hit with not one, but 2 attacks, and leans in to mutter something to the cultist.
"I suppose you're more tuff than you look. I guess you could say you're worth your basalt!"
Dissonant Whispers: DC 15 Wis save or 11 damage (half on success) and effects.
And that's all I have to say about that.
Grin will smile and launch another set of attacks with his rapier and dagger. "RrraaGGHhhh something about smashing you to pebbles!" Grin would snarl at the stone armored man.
Rapier Attack: 18 Damage: 9
dagger Attack: 23 Damage: 5
plus sneak attack damage assuming one hits 6
Things that go bump in the night
1) As Tibold leans over and whispers in the Black Earth Guard (No. #2) striking at him's ear it [DC 15 required (13)] visibly flinches
and turns and moves 30 feet away from Tibold in a south-east direction. (Tibold you can make an AoO if you wish). It reachesd V14 before it stops.
2) Grin having identified the weakness' in the first of the Black Earth Guards (No. #3) fighting him and Cole neatly slips his rapier into a gap in its armour piercing a lung. The Black Earth Guard collapses spitting up blood. Grin then spins and successfully thrusts his dagger into a gap in the other Black Earth Guard (No. #1) armour in the shoulder.
3) The Black Earth Guard (No. #4) fighting Gotrek swings its Maul (Attack: 14 Damage: 11) which Gotrek easily ducks under. The Black Earth Guard's follow-up swing is (Attack: 16 Damage: 6) no more successful although Gotrek has to go even lower to avoid it.
4) The Black Earth Guard comes rushing back into the fray - this time it is aiming for the mass of prisoners and reaches P10.
5) Two of the Bandits (Nos. 2 & 3) fire their crossbows into the mass that is the prisoners and the party the first one aims at (8 plus 1) one of the prisoners and (Attack: 13 Damage: 7) the prisoner collapses when a crossbow bolt pierces its chest. The other bandit aims at (8 plus 3) another prisoner and (Attack: 11 Damage: 6) and it to collapses with a crossbow bolt in its stomach.
6) Gotrek you're up!
DM - Stopping a god in his tracks
Gotrek laughs at the failed attempts to land hits on him. Then seeing them lay waste to the ex-prisoners, a mask of anger covers his face. "Just because you can't hurt us, doesn't mean you should go for the passives ones!" He then swings his Axe at the black earth guard, his new found anger fuelling the attack, but also leading to him exposing himself as he tries to bring down the black earth guard. Having disemboweled the black earth guard, Gotrek sets his sight one of the bandits shooting indiscriminately into the crowd of ex-prisoners. Spotting one to the north east (Q4), he rushes that location to P4, shoulder charging the bandit.
Axe: Attack: 25 Damage: 16
Armor: Attack: 19 Damage: 8
Cole moves to attack guard 1 with Grin
Attack: 11 Damage: 7
Attack: 19 Damage: 7
Rockcrusher lvl 2 Goliath Barbarian Horde of the Dragon Queen
Taggart lvl 6 Air Genasi Blood Hunter Tomb of Annihilation
Shadow lvl 3 variant feral tiefling rogue Shackled City
Thromkor winces each time a prisoner goes down, but knows it will do no good to try to save them while the rest are still in danger. He begins waving his free hand in an intricate maneuver while the other lifts his ebony staff. The orb on top glows even brighter and two shards of ice quickly form in front of the dragonborn. With a final flick of his wrist, one shard is propelled toward the archer at F4, and a second shard soars toward the archer at F13.
1 sorcery point for twinned spell
Ice knife attack vs. F4: 14. Damage: 7 piercing damage
F4 needs to roll DEX 14 or sustain 5 cold damage
Ice knife attack vs. F13: 10. Damage: 1 piercing damage
F13 needs to roll DEX 14 or sustain 6 cold damage
Saving throws (or not) galore!
1) As a result of Thromkor's spell:
a) the Bandit at F4 (DC 14 required - 3 rolled while the
b) Bandit at F13 (DC 14 required - 2 rolled, which all
c) equaled one up (F13) and one down (F4).
2) However before that happened:
a) the Black Earth Guard fighting Grin and Cole swings his Maul at (2) Cole (Attack: 25 Damage: 16) ; however the blow is wild. Undetered the Guard lines up for a second swing at (1) Cole again (Attack: 16 Damage: 11) which Cole unfortunately ducks into taking 15 points of bludgeoning damage.
b) the Bandit that Gotrek has just tackled to the ground, loses its Crossbow in the melee but quickly scrambles to its feet and draws its scimitar which (Attack: 7 Damage: 3) despite the darkness the Bandit finds himself fighting in somehow manages to connect doing an actual 2 points of slashing damage.
3) At the end of the round 4 of the prisoners are down, two of the Black Earth Guards are down and one of the Black Earth Bandits is down,
Cole you're up followed by Tibold and then Grin
DM - Stopping a god in his tracks