"Given the altars," Alzaren says.  "I'm inclined to think any blood would have to go on those, not on the doors themselves."  He looks back and forth between the altars, then at the inscription again.  "And going by that inscription, I wonder if it's more than just a little blood from a cut that's required..."

Perzival, the altars are indeed meant for a blood sacrifice. There’s a stench from them, centuries of blood water that was somehow preserved while covered with sea water for so long. As you get closer to the altars, the vibrating becomes...angry. You feel it in your skull; you are not liked.

Boran, as you see this happening with Perzival (the audible angry hums as he gets closer) and move toward the doors, you see that the blood from Odyssues is still there.

Alzaren, good thinking.

Jemrosh seems nervous. When he gets close to the altars, they hum angrily at him just like Perzival.

"It says the machine heals all. Anyone wanna volunteer?"

@ all

Let's take a minute to talk about combat...

I started doing this on my tabletop sessions and it's proved mostly successful and moves the fight along unexpectedly and makes it exciting. Let me know if it's something ya'll would be interested in doing.

No initiative roll. Instead, initiative is factored into your "accuracy" meaning apply it to your "to hit" and to your "dodge" (counter roll to being hit in the middle of the action).

Combat is chaotic and there are no turns. The seconds are "counted" so abilities/spells/etc... that last for turns are good for 6 seconds and up, depending on how they are written.

You attack what/who you want as it comes. 

For the forums, if you post first, you go first. The enemies are more reactive to your actions and will take initiative on things they normally wouldn't  be able to when bound by the rules of a "turn". This also applies to you, the player.

You'll dish out more damage and take more.

It's your choice. Let me know if you want to try this approach or keep traditional DnD rules.

Combat example using this system:

DM: As you round the corridor, a grotesque monstrosity charges at you from the depths.

Estmark: I ready a fireball.

Henrick: I begin to charge toward it in kind with my sword pointed toward the gooey bits.

Vallarice: I'll move to the side wall, the right, and begin casting a protective spell.

Loe: I'm going to follow suit with Henrick and charge, jumping up and using the left wall and my Monk skills to jump from the wall and go for the monster's head with my fists.

DM: Alright, Henrick, you notice a large clawed arm swiping for you. Loe, you need to dodge this too.

Henrick: Okay. (Rolls 1d20 and adds his initiative (dex) mod to it. Loe does the same).

DM: Henrick, Loe, good to go for the dodge. Estmark, your fireball is ready.Vallarice, your protective spell is ready. With the monster's first attack dodged, Henrick and Loe, what do you do?

Henrick: I slash at the arm that reached out.  (Rolls).

Loe: I go for the head. (Rolls).

DM: Loe, Henrick, you connect, roll for damage. (Loe rolls, explains damage).(Henrick rolls, describes damage). As you two finish up your attacks, Estmark's fireball comes rolling in, exploding on the chest of the monster. Vallarice, your protective spell catches all your allies, bolstering their defenses. 

___

Perzival grimaces. "Forgive me, Raven." He summons his familiar (a raven), and kills it, wiping its blood all over the altar. Then he summons it again and comforts it. You can see the look of guilt on his face.

He breaks off and you glimpse a look of pain. "Forgive me, all of you!"

@ squeabs.

sounds good. Me likey

Anybody react or do something while Perzival is doing this?

ooc:I didn't understand a damn about your description but I am sure I will figure that out anyhow, all in all you are the master and you are to decide

Odysseus wonders aloud seeing Perzival summoning a raven but , since the sacrifice of someone is what is needed, he doesn't block him from doing it

(Don’t you have to redo the ritual to result a familiar if it dies?)

Perzival, as you exhaust your familiar’s blood in sacrifice, the hum of the altars grows angry. The inside of your head feels very uncomfortable, as if the altars are telling you that you are wrong. 

(Odysseus, basically I’m asking if y’all want to to combat without rolling the d20 for initiative and do away with turns when you act in order of your rolled initiative. Instead leaving it open to who acts first and make it more chaotic and exciting. And...I thank you for the faith in making the combat decision, but I’m a DM that likes to let the group vote on decisions like this :))

Quote from VanderLegion >>

(Don’t you have to redo the ritual to result a familiar if it dies?)

 I thought that when a familiar dies it’s either permanent or you have to go through some crazy stuff to bring it back, also. Perzival, are we mistaken?

Quote from squeabs >>

Perzival, as you exhaust your familiar’s blood in sacrifice, the hum of the altars grows angry. The inside of your head feels very uncomfortable, as if the altars are telling you that you are wrong. 

 

(Odysseus, basically I’m asking if y’all want to to combat without rolling the d20 for initiative and do away with turns when you act in order of your rolled initiative. Instead leaving it open to who acts first and make it more chaotic and exciting. And...I thank you for the faith in making the combat decision, but I’m a DM that likes to let the group vote on decisions like this :))

 ok @squeabs: my opinion then: leave it as it is. The first things popping in my mind are:

- how can you manage the reactions READY ACTION things?

- what if somebody post more than the others?

- what about the rogue assassin and all the things that someone can get by acting by surprise or first in the round?

In general, usually (from my little experience) when somebody changes the RAW rules, some things may get too heavy and some too easy.

e.g. somebody play with the flanking rule (do we, btw?) : the thief is already strong without it, WITH it the rogue is massive. On the other side the flanking rule spoils some fun for the melee characters who have some features/feats to get advantage and so become useless

Anyway, I will abide if the majority will.

Good thoughts on all that. It can get sloppy if not managed very closely. 

Quote from VanderLegion >>

(Don’t you have to redo the ritual to result a familiar if it dies?)

 I got this from the roll20 website for find familliar

When the familiar drops to 0 Hit Points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again.

It means that you just recast it like I did.

I’ll roll with it (the familiar). 

Still, Perzival, the hum is angry and there’s no change after you sacrifice the raven. 

Anybody want to try anything?

Odysseus tries another time with the same tactique but over the altars:

"We shoul try to sacrifice some blood in both altars, and since we try it, let's do at the same time! but first..."

he says turning to Jemrosh:

"Have you ever arrived this far and try this...trick? I mean, you mentioned to die and be born again: does it mean it really... happened to you already?"

If Jemrosh's asnwer is NO, he takes the scimitar, ready to cut himself over one altar. As soon as another companion agrees and starts to do the same, he will cut himself for some blood to be split over the altar (some HPs).

Odysseus, as you move closer to the altars, the hum becomes pleasant and welcoming, 

Jemrosh answers; "Wretched one, I have indeed died many times and I have been reborn over again. Never, in my current memory, have I encountered such as this." He thinks for a moment. "Perhaps it has something to do with the Cowled Seekers. They are a cult that seeks to leave this place. They oppose the Machine directly. Manipulated by the god Zarus, who favored humans above all, the Machine was his creation many thousands of years ago, if I recall correctly. The Dark Mother's musings mentioned this many times."

Odysseus replies

I see, I have no memory of this god you mentioned but, just to be on the safe side, Boran, since you are a human maybe it counts for something: perform this sacrifice with me on the othre altar

And so he suggests to Boran to cut himself on the other altar

Perzival agrees: "If it's okay with Boran, there's a good chance of it working"