Quote from Hrothbert_Neruca >>

Can't cast a spell at us if they can't see us, so hold attacks for when they come out. But Merkas just heard make them blind and he told Blinky he needs darkness so that became a darkness spell.

As a player was hoping the treasure from the room showing up in this room and a black sphere showing up would cause a panic that the deathlock had come here and cast their Hunger of Hadar spell in the room, but my intimidation roll was terrible so they would see through it.

Regrettably, that bluff wouldn't work without some kind of compulsion magic and at least some thaumaturgy as well. Hunger of Hadar is a very different spell. It isn't just darkness. It's a portal to a plane of darkness, where you are forceably teleported on top of Hadar: a mysterious, ice-cold, eldritch horror with acidic tentacles. Your darkness spell just creates darkness, and wouldn't make the floors and walls writhe with deadly tentacles, there wouldn't be bone-chilling whispers in your ear that slowly drive you mad over time. The bluff would be on par with turning the lights off in the kitchen and saying "Oh no, the power is out because of an earthquake!" while everyone else is just sitting there watching a show in a perfectly stable living room.

I wish there was a way to put a time-release on spells and stockpile them to create one simultaneous burst of spells to create the illusion you're going for. Hold Spell used to be a feature like that, but still had several limitations. Frankly, it's a feature that low-level illusionists definitely need. If you wish to try a compound illusion like that in the future, let me know your plan first, and I might allow it. I'll probably require a skill check or two to make it function as intended, but I idea amused enough by the idea to want to see how it plays out.

I’m well aware it was a terrible idea, but it is keeping with Merkas so I went for it as the character, as the player it’s completely about blocking multiple spells that require a creature to be seen but also not relying on them to fail a dc for colour spray. 

It's not that terrible, actually. If I hadn't rolled with disadvantage on the attack, Sera could've died. Ne-haredowell, might survive the attack, but but losing two casters in round 1 would've been an enormous problem, especially since one of them is the party's healer. The other roll result was a 19. And the sphere is so big in that chamber, that the other cult members really can't do much against your party until they can dispel the Darkness spell. Hence, why Cult Fanatic Blue is shuffling around in the dark.

I know where the sacks are, but I'm rolling Insight checks to see if Cult Fanatic Blue can remember which one might have a scroll to dispel the darkness. Even if he finds the right sack, he still has to find his way out of the darkness and make himself vulnerable to attacks while searching the sack for the correct scroll, then cast it. The Darkness spell lasts 10 minutes, and you've effectively taken every single cult member (except the cult leader) out of commission for attacks.

The cult leader isn't squishy. Y'all are definitely in danger. Nare-copy couldn't identify her. That's an indication of the Hit Dice the cult leader has. Just dealing with her will be a massive undertaking. Dealing with the mooks as well would've been highly problematic. You kinda levelled the playing field with it. Well played! ☺️I also underestimated the strategy, but after doing a couple hours of research, I decided that the only way for me to play as actual cult members would play right now is for the cult to either play defensively, escape, or dispel that pesky Darkness spell.

You know what, Hrothbert_Neruca, I'm gonna give you Heroic Inspiration. Whether you meant for it to be or not, it was a truly inspired attack. Anyone in that spell is basically disarmed, and anyone who leaves the spell range is in grave danger of a beheading.

I was thinking of converting my bottle of oil into a Molotov cocktail, but I think it only covers 5 feet of space.. which is like one square?

I think we are in trouble. If these guys are all spellcasters...and leader seems like 12th level. Her spell hits hard...

Spells like Spirit guardians will be a huge problem if several use it same time. 

Sera have only 2 spell slots left too.

I got the initiatives wrong. Merkas is the one who got a 19 on Init, so it's his turn.

Furthermore the rules on the Darkness (in spite it being a very old spell that should be well hashed out by now) are kind of vague. So I'm going to clarify things.

If you're trying to attack someone who is inside the Darkness spell, you will have to attack with Disadvantage unless you have some way to know for certain where they are. They are making sounds and bumbling in the dark. So I'm going to allow you to roll Perception Checks before your attack to see if you can approximate their location. We'll keep the DC fixed to streamline combat.

DC15 (Medium Difficulty): You do not have to attack with Disadvantage.
DC 25 (Very Hard Difficulty): You attack with Advantage

Anyone inside the Darkness spell are effectively Blinded. Which means their attack rolls are at Disadvantage, and they cannot use any abilities that require sight, which includes any spell that requires line-of-sight. They also can't use skill checks that require sight or succeed in perceiving anything that would require sight to work... like if you try to use illusion spells on them. Spells attacks against them that require DEX saves will automatically succeed, unless the spell requires a vocal component (giving away the nature of the attack), at which point they will roll with Disadvantage.

As a bonus, I'm going to increase your Crit range to 17 while attacking someone in the Darkness sphere. You may not know exactly where to hit, but they don't know where to block, either. So it's more likely that if something does hit, it'll do extra damage.

I'm winging it, so if you think these rules need workshopping, feel free to chime in. I'm going to wait until tomorrow to update changes. I see that if Hastos rolls a Nat 20, he still doesn't get Advantage on the roll. So if you feel 25 is too high, now's your chance to speak up. But I have to imagine that if you're not trained in Blindfighting, this would be incredibly dificult to do.

Makes sense. I’ll wait for Merkas to post and then I’ll do my thing.

Okay, real quick… I’m assuming we can all see Sera is hurt pretty bad. Who wants to retreat and come back another time? If Sera goes down, and these cultists are heavy hitters, (as Larsk just pointed out) we could find ourselves in over our head real quick. 

We could just head back the way we came, maybe grab some more loot from the treasury on the way, and come back another time. Thoughts?

I say that is smart...we not only have to survive this..we have to face Tekel and his Schyte right after.  Like we cannot just waltz out of here almost dead...

I think we even must make a run into the wilderness to hide and recover.

This will be so increadibly bad ( now I like the characters gets trouble . It is fun )

We are really outnumbered and can not stay. We are too dangarous for the cultists to just leave us in town telling what we saw to everyone. They are so many they can also just shrug at us and say " so what?". And ..then...no one is there to arrest anyone. Tekel and his mercinaries control town. WE be arrested most likely.

Yea, I’m thinking Larsks on to something. We’ll see what the others have to say…

Now it is an appealing idea to be forced to go in hiding and working undercover. Give a slight rebel feel and it is a twist from trying to uncover evil cultist WE have to go in hiding. 

I’d be fine with that! Nare would much rather not kill all of them. Ohhh yeah that’d be a fun twist.

I was thinking if we could revive one of the cultists we killed we could possibly uhh maybe convert them out of their religion? Unless they are dead dead then I guess not. Idk I was thinking that we can find out why they got into the cult maybe? And maybe if we spare them they would see our way?

I know there is already the captured cultist but also having someone we spared their life maybe they would be more interested in speaking to us? Though this could totally backfire and they just turn the town on us

A person brought to lif can refuse as it know who try bring him back. That way enemies cannot raise opponents from the dead. 

And Revive must be used within the minute or so...

Orerana explained earlier why people go into the cult. A desire for vengeance. Now the cult makes life so miserable it adds to the hatred.

But again...if any will be captured it will be us. We get Tekel and his mercenaries on us..