Barty's "Tyranny In Phlan" (DDEX1-10)

Just after Hex's appearance changes, Hildigrim hurriedly suggests to her, "If you remain in your disguise, it might be helpful even after this skirmish." He then rushes forward to crouch down beside the door, prepared to speak in the Lord Regent's voice if needed.

OOC: He's on the door's hinges side so he will either be behind the door if it opens into the corridor or on the far side if it opens into the chamber to give Auriel room to rush inward.

The guards inside snap their heads up at the voice coming through the door. The guard that had been leaning against the wall stands upright, kicking out a leg and shaking it to get the blood flowing again. He look through the door's grate, his eyes narrowing as he tries to look past Hex, but sees the view mostly obscured by her disguised form.

"What did they say?" Spernik's voice calls out from the side room.

The guards eyes look down to Hex's chest, to the splash of green caked across the disguised armor. "Said they've got the next group," he grunts back to Spernik, the doorknob twisting a smidge as he places his hand on it from inside.

"I don't need slaves for an hour at least," Spernik calls back. "Send them back."

The guard frowns, looking through the grate again at Hex. "You heard 'im," he says. "I'll take them back though. Your turn to guard nothing. I want to see the Maimed Virulence at work."

He pulls the door open.

OOC: "Pulls" I'm assuming means the door opens into the chamber.

Hildigrim jumps to his full 2' 10" height (.86 meters). He whispers frantically at Hex, "Push him out of the way!" and then scurries into the room (Halfling Nimbleness) and bends over behind the guard who opened the door so that the guard will hopefully trip over him when pushed. (Hildigrim is now 10 feet into the room, using his full movement.)

Bonus action: Help action to Hex against the guard opening the door

While bent over, Hildigrim draws his rapier and waits until Hex gets within melee of the guard opening the door. Just before she attacks, he rams his weapon into the guard's back.

OOC: I don't believe you use the flanking rules, Barty, so I'm not going to roll at advantage. Let me know if I'm remembering that incorrectly.

Attack: 17; damage: 12; sneak attack: 15

Once the skubalon hits the proverbial fan, Carl moves into view of the door and hurls his readied eldritch blasts at the most visible target among the guards.  The one getting table-topped if still alive, or the other one if he is visible.  He strikes a defensive pose and moves out of sight of the door after he finishes, waiting to see what happens and keeping the door open for action.  

Eldritch blast 1 : 19 to hit, for 10 points of force damage.  

Eldritch blast 2 : (Nat 1) - misses.

If Auriel can force his way past the guard at the door, he ignores the second entirely and drives straight for Spernik, bringing the flat of his halberd down with brutal force — hard enough to break bone, not to kill.

Action: Attack # Nat 1 (miss) / Attack # 2 25 / Damage 12 (non-lethal)
Bonus Action:  Polearm master attack: 10 (miss, I guess)

As Hildigrim scurries into the room, Hex does as she's told and attempts to shove the guard 5ft into the room and over Hildgrim's bent form with a swift kick.

Shove with Adv: 10
Second Shove if she fails: 4...

On the offhand chance that she somehow actually manages to succeed at shoving the guard with only one attack: She then unsheathes her scimitar and slashes down onto to the guard, before moving out the way of the door to allow Auriel inside.

Scimitar Attack - 15 to hit   Damage - 9 slashing   Colossus Slayer - 1 

DM Screen:

OOC: I don't believe you use the flanking rules, Barty, so I'm not going to roll at advantage. Let me know if I'm remembering that incorrectly.

OOC: That's correct!

Hex is going to be unable to move the guard out of the doorway, so going to redirect Auriel's attacks to that guard since right now there's no way through him unless you're a lil halfling fella.

 Rolls:

Guard's Athletics (to avoid Shove): 16, 16
Longsword vs. Auriel: 17, for 8 slashing damage
Crossbow vs. Hex: 22, for 2 piercing damage
Spiritual Weapon vs. Hildigrim: 5

Hex may as well be trying to move stone. Despite the confusion evident on the guard's face, he doesn't budge from his place in the doorway, but quickly pays for that when the butt of Auriel's halberd smashes into his face. He growls, drawing his longsword and slashing it across Auriel's arm as Hildigrim's own blade pierces the armor at his back and Carlthuzad's blast doubles him over. His feet slide as he stumbles to a knee, stubbornly standing back up defiantly.

The second guard takes a step forward toward Hildigrim and moves to draw his blade before a voice in the side room's doorway draws his attention. "What are you doing!? I am Spernik, and you are to defend me!" Spernik says, moving his arms in an arcane rhythm in the doorway. The guard instead loads a bolt into the heavy crossbow that he pulls from his back, leveling it through the doorway at Hex and launching a bolt through the door that nearly lands in her stomach. As he reaches the side room, standing before Spernik, the cultist concludes his spell, his shout bringing a floating, glowing mace to bear just above Hildigrim. The halfling rolls along the ground once, dodging as the spiritual weapon smashes into the stone where he stood.

Round 2 Order:
Players <=====
Enemies

Placement:
Auriel, Hex, and Hildigrim are engaged in melee combat with the wounded guard.
All other combatants are within movement range, but the guard in the doorway is blocking all but Hildigrim from progressing further.

Health:
The guard in the doorway is badly wounded.

Auriel is lightly wounded.
Hex is lightly wounded.

Surprised and a little impressed that the guard in the door is still standing, Hildigrim jabs him in the back with his rapier once again, this time aiming for the spine.

Attack: Nat 20 for 27; damage: 15; sneak attack: 26

As the fellow falls (sure he falls with 41 more damage!), the halfling moves to stand beside the second guard, but opposite of Spernik, and hides.

Stealth roll: 15

Carl stays where he is and focuses two more beams of energy on the second guard as he sees the first drop at the door.  

Eldritch blast 1: 26 to hit, for 6 points of force damage.  

Eldritch blast 2 : 14 to hit, for 13 points of force damage.  

As Hildigrim's attack nearly obliterates the first guard from the face of Toril, Auriel surges into the room, ignoring the second guard entirely and driving straight for Spernik. He brings his halberd down with measured restraint, striking to incapacitate rather than kill. If he can at least strip the caster of his ability to command that floating mace, it will be worth it.

Action: Attack # 11 (miss?) / Attack # 2 12 (miss as well?)  
Bonus Action:  Polearm master attack: 25 / Damage: 7 (non-lethal)

Hex is somewhat embarrassed at her inability to shove the guard aside but doesn't let that slow her down. She grunts through the pain as the bolt lodges into her stomach and, after Hildigrim swiftly brings the first guard down, moves into the room to engage with the second guard.

Bonus Action: Cast Hunter's Mark on the second guard

Scimitar Attack 1 - 19 to hit  Damage - 6 slashing  Colossus Slayer - 8  Hunter's Mark - 2
Scimitar Attack 2 - 10 to hit

DM Screen:

OOC: Auriel isn't able to get past the remaining guard to reach Spernik - ("All other combatants are within movement range, but the guard in the doorway is blocking all but Hildigrim from progressing further") - so redirecting his attacks to that guard.

Rolls:

Longsword Attacks vs. Auriel: 14, 18 for 9 slashing damage
Hex WIS Save: 20
Spiritual Weapon vs. Hex: 6

The first guard seizes, then collapses to the side, Hildigrim's rapier angled upward through his spine practically to the hilt. The halfling pulls the blade free and quickly surrounds the remaining guard with Hex and Auriel in the doorway, their blades flashing in the air with the longsword that he hurriedly draws free, releasing his crossbow. Carlthuzad's eldritch blasts pepper the guard's armor and the wall, while Hex feels the air surrounding her pulling at her limbs briefly. She shakes free of the effect just in time to duck as the floating mace swings sidelong at her head. Spernik curses from the other room. "I thought you were Phlan's best and brightest!" he shouts at the guard. "How did he fall so quickly?" The guard, for his part, has only enough time to grunt and grimace at the sight of his fallen companion.

Round 3 Order:
Players <=====
Enemies

Placement:
Auriel, Hex, and Hildigrim are engaged in melee combat with the wounded guard.
All combatants are within movement range, but the guard in the doorway is blocking all but Hildigrim from progressing further.

Health:
The guard in the doorway is wounded.

Concentration:
Hex (Hunter's Mark, guard)

Auriel is lightly wounded.
Hex is lightly wounded.

Hildigrim broadens his focus for a second to realize Spernik is not running. That gives the Watcher a bit more confidence that there is no second exit. If they can dispatch this guard, then subduing Spernik will be that much easier.

He focuses in on the remaining guard. Once again lunging with his rapier, he aims for the man's lower body, hoping a leg or groin injury will help distract him.

Attack: 25, damage: 12, sneak attack: 13

He chances a glance toward Auriel, catching the elf's eye for just a second. If he sees the elf going for the guard, he will yell to distract him.

Bonus: help action to Auriel if he attacks the remaining guard

Movement: none

(ooc: oops, sorry!)

Finding it impossible to reach Spernik just yet, Auriel turns his focus to the remaining guard. He catches Hildigrim's look — and the way the halfling draws the man's attention away — and wastes no time. The paladin raises his halberd and brings it down in a decisive arc.

"You chose the wrong side," he says, driving the weapon into the man's shoulder with crushing force.

Action: Attack #1 to hit: (20, 17) + 7 = 27 (crit!) Damage: 14 / Attack #2 to hit: nat 1
Bonus Action: Polearm master attack: 17+7 = 24 / Damage: 8

((Feeling that guard has been dispatched))

Carl steps over the body blocking the door and looks into the room where Spernik is sitting, he holds his hands up and makes a crushing type of motion with them, a small drip of blood comes to his right nostril.  Carl focuses all of his mental energies on Spernik, he continues to apply pressure.  

Movement : into the room.  

Action : Casts mind sliver on Spernik.  A spike of psychic energy is driven into his mind.  Unless he makes a DC 15 Int save, he must take 4 points of psychic damage and subtract 1D4 from the next saving throw he makes before the end of next turn.  

If Auriel and Hildigrim manage to kill the remaining guard, Hex drops her scimitar and unsheathes her longbow, moving her Hunter's Mark to Spernik before taking a few shots at him. She then moves to the space next to the doorway, pressing her back against the wall to remain out of his line of sight.

Bonus Action: Moving Hunter's Mark to Spernik

Longbow Attack 1 - 19 to hit  Damage - 6  Hunter's Mark - 1  Collosus Slayer - 6
Longbow Attack 2 - 9 to hit

Movement: Moving out of line of sight of Spernik.

If not, then she tries to finish off the guard.

Scimitar Attack 1 - 20 to hit  Damage - 6  Hunter's Mark - 1  Collosus Slayer - 6
Scimitar Attack 2 - 11 to hit

DM Screen:

OOC: Ironically this turn, the guard is dead before Auriel's attacks can take place, so redirecting Auriel's attacks back on Spernik (non-lethal, of course).

Rolls:

Spernik INT Save: 16
Inflict Wounds vs. Auriel: 11
Spiritual Weapon vs. Hex: 7

Hildigrim's movement is too quick for the guard, who cannot follow the diminutive halfling well enough with the presence of other enemies around him. His head jerks as he suddenly stiffens, the rogue's blade pulled from his vital organs before he realizes he's dead. Auriel charges into the opening, rushing the wide-eyed Spernik as he quickly attempts to finish another spell. The arcane energy is expended, wisps of magic washing from his fingertips as the haft of the halberd blasts him in the face. Outside the room, the spiritual mace falters in its swing against Hex as its caster's focus is temporarily disrupted, allowing her to plant an arrow into the man's leg. Spernik fares better on the mental front, as Carlthuzad feels his magical intrusion rejected.

Not wanting to lose any momentum, Hildigrim opts to retain his grip on his now-quite-bloody rapier. He follows Auriel to stand at Spernik's side. The halfling punches the final target with the weapon's elegant yet sturdy hilt.

Attack (non-lethal): 16, damage: 9, sneak attack: 13

"Subdue only!" the halfling reminds them. He again watches Auriel, prepared to distract when the elf moves to attack.

Bonus: help action to Auriel if he attacks Spernik

Seeing the cleric bloodied, and Hildigrim's hilt slamming into his face right after, Auriel has the feeling there's not much fight left in Spernik.

As such, he lets the halberd fall from his grip and drives his gauntleted fist into Spernik’s face — a brutal, ringing blow, heavy with every ounce of fury and frustration he's carried after everything they've seen in the city. The burning streets, the screaming captives, Aleyd, her knights, their ultimate sacrifice.

The strike is not meant to kill. It is meant to be felt.

"It should have been you lying in the streets, you maggot," the paladin snarls.

Unarmed Strike: 25 to hit / 5 Damage (non-lethal)

(Oop. Completely forgot we just wanted to subdue him. Lucky my ranged attack didn't kill him D: )

Hex goes to fire another arrow at Spernik when Hildigrim's shout reminds her that they only wanted to subdue him. She clicks her tongue in annoyance at herself for forgetting as she puts her bow away and grabs her scimitar from off the ground. She moves into the room, standing at the door in case Spernik decides to run, though, from the looks of it, Hildigrim and Auriel have things well in hand.