Arkun looks down as the horrible thing on the ground starts to move, startling Rylan and sees out of the corner of his eyes Aldric coming in for the strike with his axe. He looks at his staff that he just started to push the body with, and says in elvish to the tip of the staff, "Knot, grow and strengthen! ", casting shillelagh on his staff. Then he swings down on the zombie, striking it with all of his might.
Shillelagh : 22 to hit, for 9 points of force damage to the zombie.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Though a touch taken aback, it's neither fear or surprise that stayed the earth genasi's hand ultimately at first. But rather, his glancing to the lantern in hand more than bespoke his fleeting concern in the moment. By the time he musters his resolve to act, Aldric, Rylan, and Arkun could've very well put the deadman down once more...
Yet, if that hadn't been the case, then with a defeated huff, Rumble repositioned himself best he could to both continue shining a light on the situation, but also get into position in which a well-aimed stomp to the leg of the zombie might hindered its mobility, if not finish the job the trio had already set out to complete. His face all the while scrunched into a grimace over the grim work now set before them.
Action: Attack with an Kick to the Leg. (Lethal)Unarmed Strike - Attack: 16 For. 4 bludgeoning damage.
Sylra’s breath caught for only a moment as the corpse lurched upright, clutching at Rylan with grasping, lifeless hands. The sudden stench of rot seemed to thicken in the air, and her grip tightened on the rim of her shield. She lifted her free hand, palm upward, as her gray eyes narrowed with calm, unwavering focus.
“The light will take you,” she intoned, her voice steady and firm, cutting through the chaos as if it had been waiting for this moment. A glow sparked in the air above the creature, gathering into a radiant blaze that descended upon it with sudden brilliance. The divine flame licked across the zombie’s form, unimpeded by the shadows of the cave.
Her stance remained firm behind Aldric and Rylan, shield raised, ready to weather any counterstrike that came. But her voice, low and resolute, carried with it the weight of conviction. “Back to the earth, where you belong.”
DM Notes
Action: Cast Sacred Flame at the zombie engaged with Rylan.
Spell Effect: "Flame-like radiance descends on a creature that you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 Radiant damage. The target gains no benefit from Half Cover or Three-Quarters Cover for this save."
Save DC: 13 Dexterity.
Damage: 6 radiant damage on a failed save (no damage on success).
Bonus Action: None used this round.
Reaction: None used this round.
Movement: Remains in current position, just behind the melee line, providing support with shield ready.
Zombie's DEX Save vs. Sacred Flame: 13 Zombie's Slam vs. Rylan: 20 / 2 bludgeoning damage
Rylan's sword carves easily into the zombie's chest, a wound that would fell if not outright kill any common man. With the blade still stuck in its ribcage, it swats at Rylan, its fist grazing the paladin's forehead. Aldric, Arkun, and Rumble rapidly close the distance between them, surrounding the zombie quickly. Aldric's axe crunches into the creature's shoulder from behind while Arkun's magic-infused staff seems to rattle the undead creature as it connects with its head, staggering it. Rumble's foot crunches into bone, staggering the zombie and snapping the tendons in one of its knees, but even that only serves to slow the creature. It moves still, ragged but with an otherworldly surety that Sylra's radiant flame would surely silence, were it not for the zombie's flailing that brings it unintentionally out of harm's way as the flames fall silently to the ground behind it.
Round 2 Order: Players <===== Zombie
Placement: The zombie is engaged in melee combat with Rylan, Aldric, Arkun, and Rumble. All combatants are within movement range.
“Want some more, eh? How much more until you fall down and stop moving!” Arkun swings again with his magically imbued staff, aiming for the head of the thing again.
Shillelagh : 15 to hit, for 6 points of force damage.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
The pain of the zombie's attack only fuels Rylan's adrenaline response. He yanks his sword out from the thing's ribcage and bellows out, "Go down and stay down you rotted blight!"
...but in the messiness of their entanglement, he can't manage to get a good angle on his attack.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
Sylra stood her ground as the press of steel, wood, and stone rained down upon the flailing corpse. The stench of decay mixed with the sharp tang of sweat and iron in the close air, but her focus did not waver. She lifted her hand once more, fingers spread as though to part the shadows themselves. Her voice rang low and firm, carrying above the scuffle of boots on stone.
“Your time has ended. Return to the silence that awaits you.”
Above the staggering form, radiance gathered again, brilliant and unyielding. It descended in a sudden blaze of sacred fire, seeking to scour the undead thing where the blows of steel alone could not. Her shield arm steadied, ready should the creature lash out, but her eyes remained fixed on the light’s descent.
DM Notes
Action: Cast Sacred Flame at the zombie engaged in melee with the party.
Spell Effect: "Flame-like radiance descends on a creature that you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 Radiant damage. The target gains no benefit from Half Cover or Three-Quarters Cover for this save."
Save DC: 13 Dexterity.
Damage: 1 radiant damage on a failed save (no damage on success).
Bonus Action: None used this round.
Reaction: None used this round.
Movement: Remains just behind the melee line, shield ready to support the frontline.
Rumble grimaced seeing the zombie power through everything, and had it continued to do so after the others renewed their assualt, might've even begun to shrink a little in fear. Yet no matter the outcome, ultimately he'd muster his courage, and seize what opening he could punch the zombie in the neck in hopes shattering the spine and maybe make the fight going forward a touch bit more, if nothing else.
Action: Attack with a Punch to the Neck. (Lethal)Unarmed Strike - Attack: 20For. 4bludgeoning damage.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Arkun's shillelagh drops the zombie to a knee, but it stands right back up on its battered legs. Shredded muscle and sinew falls free as Rylan wrenches the sword free from its body, struggling with the angle but driving the blade through the bottom of the creature's jaw and up through its skull. Finally, the zombie's unnatural force weakens, and it falls to the ground, still once more.
OOC: Each character has received 10 XP for defeating the zombie.
Having braced himself to do what needed to be done, Rumble had to catch himself to keep from following through in the end. Even then, as had been the case throughout much of the short struggle, the light from the lantern he held hardly wavered, as whatever primordial forces yet flowed through him must be steadying his hand.
"This, uuhhh, might be an exceptionally foolish question to ask, but... Yaw'll take it that our friend here is truly dead dead, or...?"He trailed off from there giving everyone but Aldric a wary glance. In fact, he pointedly tried to avoid it, least he meet another disapproving glower for his trouble. At least... for a time, anyhow. Rumble doesn't wait long for a response before sparing the brutalized corpse one last apologetic look, then looked thoughtfully off to the darkness leading deeper into Lance Rock. "Don't know if zombification counts as a disfiguring curse. But, I either which way, if some poor soul found his way in here, there's bound to be more that will or... have done so. So, if we find any more bodies, probably gonna wanna give'm a poke from afar wherever possible, or so I'd imagine."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Arkun straightens up, moving away from the foul zombie body, then considers Rumble’s words. “I think it does count as a disfiguring curse. Is the warning to be that if you don’t’ turn back, you’ll turn into one of these? Who knows, we must press on further to find out.” He motions to Aldric, saying “Do you wish to lead again? Now that we know what we are in for…”. He holds his staff and straightens his pack, making ready to move again.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Sylra exhaled slowly as the echo of the fight faded into the damp silence of the cave. The stench of death still clung heavy in the air, but the immediate danger had passed. She lowered her shield and let her gaze move across her companions, watching the subtle signs that told more than words ever could—the stiff set of a shoulder, the way breath caught in a chest, the small tremors that sometimes followed the end of a fight.
“Is anyone hurt?” she asked, her voice steady but carrying the weight of genuine concern. Her gray eyes moved from Rylan, still standing close to the fallen corpse, to Aldric and the others who had thrown themselves into the fray. “Do not shrug off wounds for pride’s sake. Even the smallest cut can fester in a place like this.” She loosened her grip on the mace at her side, free hand brushing across the edge of her chain shirt as she shifted, already readying herself should her healing be needed.
Her gaze lingered on Rylan a moment longer. “That strike looked close,” she said gently. “If the creature’s blow left its mark, I can tend it now before we press on.” She let the offer hang in the air, calm and without pressure, before stepping lightly to the side to keep her view on both the group and the deeper dark ahead. “We’ve only just begun in this place, and we will need every strength intact.”
Aldric exhales a breath through his tight lips and around his yellowing tusks, sounding a little like Brandy. His black eyes slowly take in each of the others as Arkun, Rumble and Sylra speak. He gives them a chance to respond to the cleric's query before saying sternly, but not unkindly, "We all need to be more careful. Just like this body, who knows what traps might be set."
At least they didn't run screaming, he thinks.
His eyes bounce from shield to shield, finally landing on Rumble's lantern and then his handaxe. The half-orc makes a disapproving sound in the back of his throat before turning to continue moving farther in. "Keep watching each other's backs," he says over his shoulder.
Rylan, in shock, says nothing. He continues staring down at the corpse, lost in thought and contemplation.
He lifts a hand to Sylra, graciously declining her help. He lays his other hand on his own neck, channeling his Lady's grace for healing (2 HP from Lay on Hands).
Finally he speaks. "That thing should not be." He looks to the others. "If we can find whatever desecrated this unfortunate man and purge its ill magic from this world, then we must do so."
He looks to Aldric. "Lead on. I will act with more care from this point onward."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
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Arkun looks down as the horrible thing on the ground starts to move, startling Rylan and sees out of the corner of his eyes Aldric coming in for the strike with his axe. He looks at his staff that he just started to push the body with, and says in elvish to the tip of the staff, "Knot, grow and strengthen! ", casting shillelagh on his staff. Then he swings down on the zombie, striking it with all of his might.
Shillelagh : 22 to hit, for 9 points of force damage to the zombie.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Though a touch taken aback, it's neither fear or surprise that stayed the earth genasi's hand ultimately at first. But rather, his glancing to the lantern in hand more than bespoke his fleeting concern in the moment. By the time he musters his resolve to act, Aldric, Rylan, and Arkun could've very well put the deadman down once more...
Yet, if that hadn't been the case, then with a defeated huff, Rumble repositioned himself best he could to both continue shining a light on the situation, but also get into position in which a well-aimed stomp to the leg of the zombie might hindered its mobility, if not finish the job the trio had already set out to complete. His face all the while scrunched into a grimace over the grim work now set before them.
Action: Attack with an Kick to the Leg.
(Lethal)Unarmed Strike - Attack: 16 For. 4 bludgeoning damage.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Sylra’s breath caught for only a moment as the corpse lurched upright, clutching at Rylan with grasping, lifeless hands. The sudden stench of rot seemed to thicken in the air, and her grip tightened on the rim of her shield. She lifted her free hand, palm upward, as her gray eyes narrowed with calm, unwavering focus.
“The light will take you,” she intoned, her voice steady and firm, cutting through the chaos as if it had been waiting for this moment. A glow sparked in the air above the creature, gathering into a radiant blaze that descended upon it with sudden brilliance. The divine flame licked across the zombie’s form, unimpeded by the shadows of the cave.
Her stance remained firm behind Aldric and Rylan, shield raised, ready to weather any counterstrike that came. But her voice, low and resolute, carried with it the weight of conviction. “Back to the earth, where you belong.”
DM Notes
DM Screen:
1/27
Rolls:
Rylan's sword carves easily into the zombie's chest, a wound that would fell if not outright kill any common man. With the blade still stuck in its ribcage, it swats at Rylan, its fist grazing the paladin's forehead. Aldric, Arkun, and Rumble rapidly close the distance between them, surrounding the zombie quickly. Aldric's axe crunches into the creature's shoulder from behind while Arkun's magic-infused staff seems to rattle the undead creature as it connects with its head, staggering it. Rumble's foot crunches into bone, staggering the zombie and snapping the tendons in one of its knees, but even that only serves to slow the creature. It moves still, ragged but with an otherworldly surety that Sylra's radiant flame would surely silence, were it not for the zombie's flailing that brings it unintentionally out of harm's way as the flames fall silently to the ground behind it.
Round 2 Order:
Players <=====
Zombie
Placement:
The zombie is engaged in melee combat with Rylan, Aldric, Arkun, and Rumble.
All combatants are within movement range.
Health:
The zombie is grievously wounded.
Rylan is lightly wounded.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
“Want some more, eh? How much more until you fall down and stop moving!” Arkun swings again with his magically imbued staff, aiming for the head of the thing again.
Shillelagh : 15 to hit, for 6 points of force damage.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
The pain of the zombie's attack only fuels Rylan's adrenaline response. He yanks his sword out from the thing's ribcage and bellows out, "Go down and stay down you rotted blight!"
...but in the messiness of their entanglement, he can't manage to get a good angle on his attack.
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
Spurred on by the others and the creature's unnatural constitution, Aldric swings his axe again at the undead menace.
Attack: 17; damage:
25 (savage attacker feat)Topple weapon mastery: if I hit, the zombie must roll a CON save of 11 or it's knocked prone
Sylra stood her ground as the press of steel, wood, and stone rained down upon the flailing corpse. The stench of decay mixed with the sharp tang of sweat and iron in the close air, but her focus did not waver. She lifted her hand once more, fingers spread as though to part the shadows themselves. Her voice rang low and firm, carrying above the scuffle of boots on stone.
“Your time has ended. Return to the silence that awaits you.”
Above the staggering form, radiance gathered again, brilliant and unyielding. It descended in a sudden blaze of sacred fire, seeking to scour the undead thing where the blows of steel alone could not. Her shield arm steadied, ready should the creature lash out, but her eyes remained fixed on the light’s descent.
DM Notes
Rumble grimaced seeing the zombie power through everything, and had it continued to do so after the others renewed their assualt, might've even begun to shrink a little in fear. Yet no matter the outcome, ultimately he'd muster his courage, and seize what opening he could punch the zombie in the neck in hopes shattering the spine and maybe make the fight going forward a touch bit more, if nothing else.
Action: Attack with a Punch to the Neck.
(Lethal)Unarmed Strike - Attack: 20 For. 4 bludgeoning damage.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
OOC: Rylan's attack actually hits :D
Arkun's shillelagh drops the zombie to a knee, but it stands right back up on its battered legs. Shredded muscle and sinew falls free as Rylan wrenches the sword free from its body, struggling with the angle but driving the blade through the bottom of the creature's jaw and up through its skull. Finally, the zombie's unnatural force weakens, and it falls to the ground, still once more.
OOC: Each character has received 10 XP for defeating the zombie.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Having braced himself to do what needed to be done, Rumble had to catch himself to keep from following through in the end. Even then, as had been the case throughout much of the short struggle, the light from the lantern he held hardly wavered, as whatever primordial forces yet flowed through him must be steadying his hand.
"This, uuhhh, might be an exceptionally foolish question to ask, but... Yaw'll take it that our friend here is truly dead dead, or...?" He trailed off from there giving everyone but Aldric a wary glance. In fact, he pointedly tried to avoid it, least he meet another disapproving glower for his trouble. At least... for a time, anyhow. Rumble doesn't wait long for a response before sparing the brutalized corpse one last apologetic look, then looked thoughtfully off to the darkness leading deeper into Lance Rock. "Don't know if zombification counts as a disfiguring curse. But, I either which way, if some poor soul found his way in here, there's bound to be more that will or... have done so. So, if we find any more bodies, probably gonna wanna give'm a poke from afar wherever possible, or so I'd imagine."
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Arkun straightens up, moving away from the foul zombie body, then considers Rumble’s words. “I think it does count as a disfiguring curse. Is the warning to be that if you don’t’ turn back, you’ll turn into one of these? Who knows, we must press on further to find out.” He motions to Aldric, saying “Do you wish to lead again? Now that we know what we are in for…”. He holds his staff and straightens his pack, making ready to move again.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Sylra exhaled slowly as the echo of the fight faded into the damp silence of the cave. The stench of death still clung heavy in the air, but the immediate danger had passed. She lowered her shield and let her gaze move across her companions, watching the subtle signs that told more than words ever could—the stiff set of a shoulder, the way breath caught in a chest, the small tremors that sometimes followed the end of a fight.
“Is anyone hurt?” she asked, her voice steady but carrying the weight of genuine concern. Her gray eyes moved from Rylan, still standing close to the fallen corpse, to Aldric and the others who had thrown themselves into the fray. “Do not shrug off wounds for pride’s sake. Even the smallest cut can fester in a place like this.” She loosened her grip on the mace at her side, free hand brushing across the edge of her chain shirt as she shifted, already readying herself should her healing be needed.
Her gaze lingered on Rylan a moment longer. “That strike looked close,” she said gently. “If the creature’s blow left its mark, I can tend it now before we press on.” She let the offer hang in the air, calm and without pressure, before stepping lightly to the side to keep her view on both the group and the deeper dark ahead. “We’ve only just begun in this place, and we will need every strength intact.”
Aldric exhales a breath through his tight lips and around his yellowing tusks, sounding a little like Brandy. His black eyes slowly take in each of the others as Arkun, Rumble and Sylra speak. He gives them a chance to respond to the cleric's query before saying sternly, but not unkindly, "We all need to be more careful. Just like this body, who knows what traps might be set."
At least they didn't run screaming, he thinks.
His eyes bounce from shield to shield, finally landing on Rumble's lantern and then his handaxe. The half-orc makes a disapproving sound in the back of his throat before turning to continue moving farther in. "Keep watching each other's backs," he says over his shoulder.
Rylan, in shock, says nothing. He continues staring down at the corpse, lost in thought and contemplation.
He lifts a hand to Sylra, graciously declining her help. He lays his other hand on his own neck, channeling his Lady's grace for healing (2 HP from Lay on Hands).
Finally he speaks. "That thing should not be." He looks to the others. "If we can find whatever desecrated this unfortunate man and purge its ill magic from this world, then we must do so."
He looks to Aldric. "Lead on. I will act with more care from this point onward."
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"