Quote from JcAndD >>

Pascal just slowly turns toward Jorin, “Why...”

OoC - Well, Jorin isn't the swiftest of negotiators...and it didn't occur to guiltysparc that mentioning Shinebright would be a problem...

Quasi/Quillary - whereabouts is the thorny grass, surrounding us?

OOC > Thorny grass is between us and the animorphs, but given the theater of the mind nature of our encounter, I am relying on Quasimodal for exact placement effects. 

OoC - that's what I was thinking and so I was trying to reconcile it's location with Hildigrim's movement 

Hildi's running in the opposite direction, I assumed. Oh, but maybe not. We'll have to wait to find out. I was thinking the animorphs were on the left side, we came up the middle, and, of course, the ramp to the first landing is to the right.

(Well... not entirely theater of the mind. A map was put up in post 2710.

From the bottom edge of the map to Noke (at 4 o'clock on that middle platform), it is 50' in a straight line, and 70' going through the low platform and the connecting bridge. So Hildigrim cannot get near Noke this round.

I figured Quillary would put the spell about 5' west of the outhouse. With a 20' radius, that stops short of the party, doesn't affect the entrance to the low platform, and puts the animals in the middle of it. They are 20' to the north-northwest.

Between Quillary's Spike Growth and Pascal's fireball, those 4 animals are likely down for the count. But I'll work that out later, when I have more time to think about it... I should have modified Noke's spell list beforehand to have Counterspell, but now I would feel bad about preventing Pascal from blasting something.)

Could you even have prevented it? I used subtle spell, so you wouldn’t even see the somatic or hear the verbal components. I was actually anticipating a Counterspell haha

Ah, wait. It seems that if it still has material (I.e. my focus) then it shows. Good to know.

Ok, in that case, Jorin will stand fast with Quillary and ready an attack action for the first Animal that enters his range, if any survive the explosion and thorns.

Battleaxe Attack: 15 Damage: 14

(Well, this was supposed to be a fun, easy mini-adventure. But I didn't think you'd wipe them out that quickly.)

DM rolls:

The bear moves 5', takes 6 damage, and then stops, as it will be sliced to pieces before it can leave the area of effect. That was unwise, as a fireball goes off right in front of it (failed save), striking it down. The other 3 animals made their saves, and survived the 13 fire damage.

The enlarged ape moved 5', hopped on top of the outhouse (grimacing at what he stepped on) then had to run on another 5' of spike growth to reach the party. (13 fire damage + 10 piercing) The ape looks proud that it reached the party, waving the mace in its hands... until Jorin smashes it in the face with the butt of his battle axe (14 more damage), knocking it out.

The lion and tiger both move 10' through the spikes (10 piercing), and then leap the remaining distance. (They avoid the worst of the fireball while flailing in the air, taking 13 damage.) The tiger pounces at Jorin, missing him (7). But the lion gets a critical hit on Drusk (25), doing 9 damage. Drusk manages to stay on his feet (STR save 20).

The lion is really hurting, and the tiger (bigger than the lion) is only somewhat better. The ape is unconscious, and the bear is knocked out and badly wounded in the spike field.

Volo's earlier glance inside the middle platform revealed worktables are covered with stacks of ink-spattered notes and complicated anatomical diagrams of various beasts and monsters. Lots of scrolls with partially started spell inscriptions, but none close to completion.

Seeing the ape & bear taken out right away, and the lion & tiger seriously damaged, Noke steps back inside the central platform and slams the door shut. Hildigrim (at the entrance of the lowest platform) is close enough to hear the clicks of the door locks.

Entire party can post their actions (no need for initiative). Then the tiger, lion, and Noke will go again.

Pascal stretches, “Ooo I missed things stayin’ down! Ain’t no zombies ‘round here!” Pascal claps his hands and finger guns a fire bolt toward the lion, Attack: 10 Damage: 12 Fire damage. It might go wide...

Quillary turns to the tiger and touching the cat skull, makes a throwing gesture, and a cloud of gnats and biteys surround it.

Action: cast Infestation at the tiger. Con Save vs DC 15 or take 8 poison damage and run in a random direction (no AoO though, see spell desc for random direction roll).

Jorin moves to Drusk's side and attacks the lion with the flat of his blades!

• Action Battleaxe (Non-lethal) Attack: 11 Damage: 8
• Bonus Action Moonblade (Non-lethal) Attack: 13 Damage: 14

Quote from JcAndD >>

Attack: 10 Damage: 12 Fire damage. It might go wide...

What was left of the charred, smashed outhouse now explodes from Pascal's fire bolt. (If Finethir gets his home back, his only bathroom will need some repair work.)

Quote from Mingofaust >>

Quillary turns to the tiger and touching the cat skull, makes a throwing gesture, and a cloud of gnats and biteys surround it.

Action: cast Infestation at the tiger. Con Save vs DC 15 or take 8 poison damage and run in a random direction (no AoO though, see spell desc for random direction roll).

Tiger CON: 18  (fails)

Random move: 3  The tiger moves west, back onto the razor thorns. Damage: 5

Still on its feet, but some nasty damage by Quillary.

Quote from Guiltysparc >>

Jorin moves to Drusk's side and attacks the lion with the flat of his blades!

• Action Battleaxe (Non-lethal) Attack: 11 Damage: 8
• Bonus Action Moonblade (Non-lethal) Attack: 13 Damage: 14

(13 is a hit) "The lion sleeps tonight..."

(I am going to hand-wave Drusk's action.) Drusk uses a Healing Word on the bear, enough to stabilize it from dying, but it will stay unconscious. "We don't want to be yelled at by the courts and the Waterdeep Animal Friendship Tribe."

Hildigrim is still up. Noke is somewhere inside the middle platform, as is the hidden Volo. The tiger is the only animal on its feet.

Hildigrim finishes his climb to the door, kneels down to make himself small, places his hands on the door, and then enters Volo's head once again. He wants to know where Noke is and what he's doing.

Volo stealth (if he needs to fly): 9

Volo perception: 21

If at any point Hildigrim sees or hears something that looks like Volo's in trouble, Hildigrim will immediately blink him out of this plane.

Noke hears fluttering above him, but assumes it is mice or some bird that flew into the open window.

After locking the door (leading to the lower platform), Noke looks around nervously. Then his hand strokes the wand in his grasp. You can almost see the light bulb going on over his head (or the torch lighting over his head, I guess). Noke runs to the higher platform. Before that door is closed, Volo sees that it is a bedroom, containing little beyond a wardrobe, a large wooden bed and a cluttered dressing table.

The tiger is not happy with Quillary. It moves backout of the hazardous terrain, and swipes with its paw.

• Attack: 12 Damage: 4  The fleas and other bugs from the cantrip are still distracting the tiger, which misses.

Entire party is back up.

Jorin's voice booms at the Tiger, "Enough! You are defeated, let us deal with your master." If the Tiger relents, Jorin will move towards the locked door, if not, Jorin will move towards the Tiger and clobber him.

• Non-lethal battleaxe Attack: 26 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.
• Non-lethal moonblade Attack: 18 Damage: 14

The tiger was thinking about surrendering, but it hesitates a moment too long. It fails to notice Jorin moving forward, who whacks it twice in the head. Jorin heads to the lower platform entrance, and reaches it when the tiger falls to the ground like a tree trunk.

(No more active animals.)

Drusk will also head to the lower platform, moving towards the locked door in the middle platform.

Hildigrim sends Volo to see if there is a way he can get into the uppermost platform (open window, space under the eave, hole in the floor or roof/ceiling, etc.). While still watching and listening through the fey owl, Hildgrim points a finger in the direction of the party and whispers to Drusk, "He's retreated to the uppermost platform. It's his bedroom. He might have something else up his sleeve."

Hildigrim stays where he is, trying to get into the bedroom using Volo to gain more intel.

(What does the group, as a whole, want to do?

Drusk votes that everyone gets onto the lower platform, which has branches around the exterior to provide some cover. It is like a raised bed garden, except it is 10' above the ground, 35' in diameter, and it was used to cage the sheep. While everyone else is keeping an eye on the surroundings, Jorin and his brawny belt can batter down the door to the middle platform.)

Volo is unable to gain access to the upper platform. No windows, and the door is shut. He can hear noises inside, so Noke is up to something.

Can I use Reduce in the door?