Just as Aldric reaches the passage, Rumble senses some movement above him. Looking up, he sees a heavy object falling his way, and leaps to the side just in time to avoid the wooden box full of rocks that clatters to the stone floor, dropped by a pair of zombies standing on a ledge inside the room about 10 feet above the entrance. The zombies fall to the floor beside Rumble with a sickening thud, bodies clearly damaged from the impact.
Round 1 Order: Players <===== Zombies
Placement: All combatants are within movement range of one another. Both zombies are laying prone.
Aldric turns, scowling at the sound of the box hitting the ground. After the zombies also fall, he raises his eyes. The knight carefully scans for any other attacks that might be coming from above their eyeline. He is tired of being surprised.
Rumble let out what sounded like a cross between a curse and gasp as he avoided the trap. Instict then drove him to make a motion of grasping at the air with his free hand then slamming his fist into his chest. In moments, the craggy texture of his skin suddenly smooths out as a pulse of some primordial energy swept across his form, giving his body a distinctly metallic look.
"Frok'a-toah." He whispered the words as snatched up one of his handaxes, and without a moment's hesitation, brought it down hard, aiming to decapitate one of the undead. For having seen the resilience of one, he better than to hold anything back. Though silently he hoped there would be enough left intact to see the dead returned home when all was said and done. "Tyr, give me strength."He muttered.
Action: Attack with Handaxe to prone Zombie. (DM's choice, since both 'appear' to be in the same health condition) (Melee, Lethal)Handaxe - Attack #1 - To Hit: 20For: 9slashing damage. (Note: I forgot forgot to roll my attack at adv. at first, so I did a flat d20 roll for the 2nd roll and got a 15 for a 20 to hit total)
Sylra’s breath caught as the sudden crash of stone-filled wood echoed through the cavern, the impact rattling through her chest. The foul stench of rot carried on the damp air as the zombies dropped heavily to the floor near Rumble, their twisted forms rising with grotesque persistence despite the damage of their fall. Her grip on her shield tightened, and with a steady exhale, she raised her other hand in a swift, practiced gesture.
“Radiance, burn away the rot,” she intoned firmly, her voice ringing in the chamber. A flare of divine light erupted above one of the prone zombies, searing flame-like brilliance cascading down toward it. The chamber filled for a brief moment with the crackling hum of sacred energy, its radiance a stark contrast to the cloying decay of the undead.
DM Notes:
Action: Cast Sacred Flame targeting one of the prone zombies.
Bonus Action: None this round.
Reaction: None held this round.
Movement: Sylra holds her ground near the center of the group, maintaining a safe distance while keeping her shield at the ready.
Sacred Flame: 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.
Arkun's nose wrinkles up as he enters the room, his suspicions confirmed. He is startled when the box drops, but sees the zombies on the ground and everyone start to get their licks in. He's still holding his staff, magically imbued, and he decides to step forward and take part as well.
Shillelagh to a prone zombie : 18 to hit, for 7 points of force damage.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Aldric spots the ledge the zombies dropped from, an inner shelf in the cavern about 10 feet above the ground and rather narrow. He can see the wall of the ledge, and can see no other attackers. The others split up to tangle with the fallen zombies as they shamble up from the ground. Rumble plants his axe through the back of the first zombie before it can stand, and Sylra's radiant flame burns it severely as it flails at Rumble uselessly, an arm separating from its socket with a sickening pop. Rylan and Arkun surround the second, Arkun's staff crunching into bone with great effect while Rylan tears precisely at the tendons of the creature's arm, rendering its next strike at Arkun particularly useless.
Round 2 Order: Players <===== Zombies
Placement: All combatants are within movement range of one another. One zombie is engaged in melee combat with Rumble. The other zombie is engaged in melee combat with Arkun and Rylan.
As much as Rumble wished he had a hand free to draw another axe, the hand that held the lantern was far more reliable than placement on the ground once caught up in the brawl. Thankfully, the oversight never comes to the earth genasi's mind. Few things ever did once his blood began to boil. The only things that -- at least, that usually did, in anycase -- was friend, foes, and how best to bring an axe down for the most devastating effect. It was too late to go for a leg without off balancing himself in the process, so with low growl of frustration, Rumble swung hard for a zombie arm, hoping to sever at least one much like Rylan had done to the other. "To Kelemvor with ya!"
Action: Attack with Handaxe to prone Zombie. (DM's choice, since both 'appear' to be in the same health condition) (Melee, Lethal)Handaxe - Attack #1 - To Hit: 15For: 6slashing damage.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Sylra stands firm, her boots planted on the slick cave floor as the clash of steel and groans of the undead echo around her. Her eyes narrow, storm-gray and unblinking, as she lifts her hand toward a zombie locked in melee with her companions. “Akadi, let your breath scour the rot,” she intones, voice low and resonant.
A sudden column of radiant flame descends from above, searing through the gloom to strike the creature. The air around Sylra shivers, the scent of ozone sharp and clean against the decay. She does not flinch, does not step forward—only watches, calm as the eye of a storm, ready to call down the wind again.
DM Notes:
Sylra casts Sacred Flame (cantrip) on a zombie engaged in melee with her allies.
Target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 13, based on Sylra’s Wisdom modifier).
On a failed save, the target takes 6 radiant damage.
Sylra does not move this round; she remains in her current position.
No bonus action used.
Sacred Flame: 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.
Seeing no other creatures ready to descend and attack, Aldric moves to help the others with the two at hand. He brings his axe down on the nearest abomination.
Attack: dirty 20, damage: 9 slashing, topple: it must make a Con. saving throw of 11 or the creature has the Prone condition.
OOC: Sylra's sacred flame will kill the zombie fighting Rumble, so redirecting Rylan's attack to the zombie he's engaged in melee combat with. A note for future reference, if a character is "engaged in melee combat" in the placement notes, that's my way of saying that you'll take an opportunity attack if you leave their range, so if Rylan had indeed attacked the zombie that was fighting Rumble, he'd have taken an opportunity attack from the zombie he was already engaged with. That may have been intended, but wanted to call that out in case it comes up in the future.
As the first zombie stumbles away from Rumble after his axe cleaves its arm from its body, radiant light from Sylra's arcane call descends upon it, burning and searing its flesh nearly entirely from its bones. Arkun's shillelagh forces the other zombie stumbling back, providing the reach needed for Rylan to separate its head from its shoulders, its body falling to the ground seconds after its head does.
Area Description:
This round, high-ceilinged cave has two narrow exits leading to the left and right, and a flat boulder sits in the center of the cave, about six feet across, eight feet long, and three feet high. The top of the boulder is stained by dark color.
OOC: Each character has earned 20 XP for defeating the zombie ambush.
Aldric halts his march as the zombies fall under the combined efforts of the others. He pauses for a second. His mind races, attempting to identify his resulting emotion. Is it pride? Is it relief? Is it disappointment? Unsure, but not willing to waste anymore time, he turns to once again attempt to look down the right passage and note what he sees.
Rumble let out another sigh of relief as the last of the zombies, though the feeling was a fleeting one. For as his gaze drifted to the bit of gore left on his axe, any sense satisfication that could've been turned to ash on his tongue, eliciting grimace from the genasi. Even so, a curt shake of the head saw to a swift dismissal of errant thoughts, before Rumble looked to the others.
"I don't know much 'bout the undead, but pretty sure those poor shamblers wouldn't have 'ad enough in'em to try ambush'n like that. This whole place stinks of a charlatan at work."He said as much, and after taking in the others on reactions to the state of things, he finally clocks Aldric's movement. Yet, as much as it looked as if he might follow promptly in the orc's steps, Rumble kept it together, and kept near Rylan, if but to continue providing the man light.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Arkun stands up straight, then leans on his staff as he takes in the scene. “Yeah, I wonder who is pulling the strings, the tendons of these poor undead souls… I’ll have a word with them when we finally meet. We need to extinguish this undead blight and pull out the weed by the roots..”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Sylra lowers her hand slowly. Her pale gray eyes scan the remains of the fallen undead, then drift upward toward the high ceiling, as if listening for something beyond the echoes of battle. The air around her still hums faintly, disturbed by divine presence.
“They were hollow,” she says softly, more to the wind than to anyone in particular. “No storm in them. No will. Just borrowed motion.”
She steps closer to the central boulder, gaze lingering on the dark stains atop it. Her expression tightens—not with fear, but with recognition. “This place has been touched. Not by death, but by something that imitates it. A false wind stirring dead leaves.”
Turning to the others, she speaks with quiet conviction. “Rumble’s right. This wasn’t instinct—it was intent. Someone is shaping the air here, and not for balance. We should move carefully. The wind is watching.”
She glances toward the two exits, then to Rylan. “Left or right, the path will speak. We just need to listen.”
Aldric and Rylan peer down the passages to the right and left. Not much can be seen from this cavern, as the narrow passage to the left continues on as far as you can see, while the passage to the right curves after about ten feet. There's a heavy weight in the air of the cavern as you debate direction.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Rylan follows, staying close to Rumble and the lantern, muttering a simple "Ew," under his breath as they pass the stone.
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
DM Screen:
24/28
18/23
Just as Aldric reaches the passage, Rumble senses some movement above him. Looking up, he sees a heavy object falling his way, and leaps to the side just in time to avoid the wooden box full of rocks that clatters to the stone floor, dropped by a pair of zombies standing on a ledge inside the room about 10 feet above the entrance. The zombies fall to the floor beside Rumble with a sickening thud, bodies clearly damaged from the impact.
Round 1 Order:
Players <=====
Zombies
Placement:
All combatants are within movement range of one another.
Both zombies are laying prone.
Health:
Both zombies are lightly wounded.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Aldric turns, scowling at the sound of the box hitting the ground. After the zombies also fall, he raises his eyes. The knight carefully scans for any other attacks that might be coming from above their eyeline. He is tired of being surprised.
Rumble let out what sounded like a cross between a curse and gasp as he avoided the trap. Instict then drove him to make a motion of grasping at the air with his free hand then slamming his fist into his chest. In moments, the craggy texture of his skin suddenly smooths out as a pulse of some primordial energy swept across his form, giving his body a distinctly metallic look.
"Frok'a-toah." He whispered the words as snatched up one of his handaxes, and without a moment's hesitation, brought it down hard, aiming to decapitate one of the undead. For having seen the resilience of one, he better than to hold anything back. Though silently he hoped there would be enough left intact to see the dead returned home when all was said and done. "Tyr, give me strength." He muttered.
Bonus Action: Activate Merge With Stone - Blade Ward trait (1 of 2 uses remaining).
Action: Attack with Handaxe to prone Zombie. (DM's choice, since both 'appear' to be in the same health condition)
(Melee, Lethal)Handaxe - Attack #1 - To Hit: 20 For: 9 slashing damage.
(Note: I forgot forgot to roll my attack at adv. at first, so I did a flat d20 roll for the 2nd roll and got a 15 for a 20 to hit total)
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
A mix of rage and pity overtakes Rylan as he slashes his longsword at the other zombie.
Action - Attack: 15 to hit with longsword (5 Slashing Damage) + Weapon Mastery (Sapped - Target has disadvantage on next attack)
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
In-Character:
Sylra’s breath caught as the sudden crash of stone-filled wood echoed through the cavern, the impact rattling through her chest. The foul stench of rot carried on the damp air as the zombies dropped heavily to the floor near Rumble, their twisted forms rising with grotesque persistence despite the damage of their fall. Her grip on her shield tightened, and with a steady exhale, she raised her other hand in a swift, practiced gesture.
“Radiance, burn away the rot,” she intoned firmly, her voice ringing in the chamber. A flare of divine light erupted above one of the prone zombies, searing flame-like brilliance cascading down toward it. The chamber filled for a brief moment with the crackling hum of sacred energy, its radiance a stark contrast to the cloying decay of the undead.
DM Notes:
Sacred Flame: 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.
Spell DC: 13
Damage: 6 radiant damage (on a failed save)
Arkun's nose wrinkles up as he enters the room, his suspicions confirmed. He is startled when the box drops, but sees the zombies on the ground and everyone start to get their licks in. He's still holding his staff, magically imbued, and he decides to step forward and take part as well.
Shillelagh to a prone zombie : 18 to hit, for 7 points of force damage.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
DM Screen:
9/28
6/23
Aldric spots the ledge the zombies dropped from, an inner shelf in the cavern about 10 feet above the ground and rather narrow. He can see the wall of the ledge, and can see no other attackers. The others split up to tangle with the fallen zombies as they shamble up from the ground. Rumble plants his axe through the back of the first zombie before it can stand, and Sylra's radiant flame burns it severely as it flails at Rumble uselessly, an arm separating from its socket with a sickening pop. Rylan and Arkun surround the second, Arkun's staff crunching into bone with great effect while Rylan tears precisely at the tendons of the creature's arm, rendering its next strike at Arkun particularly useless.
Round 2 Order:
Players <=====
Zombies
Placement:
All combatants are within movement range of one another.
One zombie is engaged in melee combat with Rumble.
The other zombie is engaged in melee combat with Arkun and Rylan.
Health:
Both zombies are badly wounded.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
As much as Rumble wished he had a hand free to draw another axe, the hand that held the lantern was far more reliable than placement on the ground once caught up in the brawl. Thankfully, the oversight never comes to the earth genasi's mind. Few things ever did once his blood began to boil. The only things that -- at least, that usually did, in anycase -- was friend, foes, and how best to bring an axe down for the most devastating effect. It was too late to go for a leg without off balancing himself in the process, so with low growl of frustration, Rumble swung hard for a zombie arm, hoping to sever at least one much like Rylan had done to the other. "To Kelemvor with ya!"
Action: Attack with Handaxe to prone Zombie. (DM's choice, since both 'appear' to be in the same health condition)
(Melee, Lethal)Handaxe - Attack #1 - To Hit: 15 For: 6 slashing damage.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Arkun keeps striking, bringing down his magically imbued staff on the zombie once more. “Stay down” he says between gritted teeth.
Shillelagh : 14 to hit, for 4 points of force damage.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Sylra stands firm, her boots planted on the slick cave floor as the clash of steel and groans of the undead echo around her. Her eyes narrow, storm-gray and unblinking, as she lifts her hand toward a zombie locked in melee with her companions. “Akadi, let your breath scour the rot,” she intones, voice low and resonant.
A sudden column of radiant flame descends from above, searing through the gloom to strike the creature. The air around Sylra shivers, the scent of ozone sharp and clean against the decay. She does not flinch, does not step forward—only watches, calm as the eye of a storm, ready to call down the wind again.
DM Notes:
Sacred Flame: 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.
Rylan brings his sword down upon the same zombie that Rumble targeted...
Action: Attack - Longsword (One-Handed) - 15 To Hit, 9 Slashing damage
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
Seeing no other creatures ready to descend and attack, Aldric moves to help the others with the two at hand. He brings his axe down on the nearest abomination.
Attack: dirty 20, damage: 9 slashing, topple: it must make a Con. saving throw of 11 or the creature has the Prone condition.
OOC: Sylra's sacred flame will kill the zombie fighting Rumble, so redirecting Rylan's attack to the zombie he's engaged in melee combat with. A note for future reference, if a character is "engaged in melee combat" in the placement notes, that's my way of saying that you'll take an opportunity attack if you leave their range, so if Rylan had indeed attacked the zombie that was fighting Rumble, he'd have taken an opportunity attack from the zombie he was already engaged with. That may have been intended, but wanted to call that out in case it comes up in the future.
As the first zombie stumbles away from Rumble after his axe cleaves its arm from its body, radiant light from Sylra's arcane call descends upon it, burning and searing its flesh nearly entirely from its bones. Arkun's shillelagh forces the other zombie stumbling back, providing the reach needed for Rylan to separate its head from its shoulders, its body falling to the ground seconds after its head does.
Area Description:
OOC: Each character has earned 20 XP for defeating the zombie ambush.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!
Aldric halts his march as the zombies fall under the combined efforts of the others. He pauses for a second. His mind races, attempting to identify his resulting emotion. Is it pride? Is it relief? Is it disappointment? Unsure, but not willing to waste anymore time, he turns to once again attempt to look down the right passage and note what he sees.
Rumble let out another sigh of relief as the last of the zombies, though the feeling was a fleeting one. For as his gaze drifted to the bit of gore left on his axe, any sense satisfication that could've been turned to ash on his tongue, eliciting grimace from the genasi. Even so, a curt shake of the head saw to a swift dismissal of errant thoughts, before Rumble looked to the others.
"I don't know much 'bout the undead, but pretty sure those poor shamblers wouldn't have 'ad enough in'em to try ambush'n like that. This whole place stinks of a charlatan at work." He said as much, and after taking in the others on reactions to the state of things, he finally clocks Aldric's movement. Yet, as much as it looked as if he might follow promptly in the orc's steps, Rumble kept it together, and kept near Rylan, if but to continue providing the man light.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
Arkun stands up straight, then leans on his staff as he takes in the scene. “Yeah, I wonder who is pulling the strings, the tendons of these poor undead souls… I’ll have a word with them when we finally meet. We need to extinguish this undead blight and pull out the weed by the roots..”
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Rylan glances left and right, squinting his eyes trying to see in the poor light.
"Which way should we go? Can't see much, even with the lantern light."
DM - Classic Adventures Reborn
Rylan - L1 Human Paladin - Barty's "Princes of the Apocalypse"
Sylra lowers her hand slowly. Her pale gray eyes scan the remains of the fallen undead, then drift upward toward the high ceiling, as if listening for something beyond the echoes of battle. The air around her still hums faintly, disturbed by divine presence.
“They were hollow,” she says softly, more to the wind than to anyone in particular. “No storm in them. No will. Just borrowed motion.”
She steps closer to the central boulder, gaze lingering on the dark stains atop it. Her expression tightens—not with fear, but with recognition. “This place has been touched. Not by death, but by something that imitates it. A false wind stirring dead leaves.”
Turning to the others, she speaks with quiet conviction. “Rumble’s right. This wasn’t instinct—it was intent. Someone is shaping the air here, and not for balance. We should move carefully. The wind is watching.”
She glances toward the two exits, then to Rylan. “Left or right, the path will speak. We just need to listen.”
Aldric and Rylan peer down the passages to the right and left. Not much can be seen from this cavern, as the narrow passage to the left continues on as far as you can see, while the passage to the right curves after about ten feet. There's a heavy weight in the air of the cavern as you debate direction.
See my profile for all my PbP threads!