No worries - just jump in when you can and we'll see you after the holidays!
I'm also just going to go ahead since we've already had a few really, really bad stealth rolls and we're about to introduce some new PCs!
As you all attempt to sneak around the corner, one of the paladins stops short, causing Burik to bump into him. His shield and the paladin's armor clang together, and you immediately hear voices heading toward you. Realizing the jig is up, Sam and the paladins spring forward to find...you guessed it, more cultists. The scene is a bit more interesting than last time, though. Two cultists stand in the ancient courtyard holding a tiefling by her arms. She's not actively fighting them, but it's very apparent she is not there under her own will. A third cultist has his hood down, and his dark, shoulder-length hair and mutton chops are outlined by the blue glow off to his side. There, a fourth cultist stands, arms outstretched over a horizontal blue circle - it's pulsing with some kind of dark, arcane energy. You watch, almost mesmerized as the energy swirls around.
"How nice, more meals for our guests," says the central figure as he slowly starts to walk toward you. The two holding the tiefling draw their scimitars.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Snarling at the leader of her guards Effort realizes the fools still haven't gagged her. Before she can open her mouth to cast a spell, though, the envoy comes to an abrupt halt, facing down the last thing she expected to see here: a group of what look to be paladins -- and a huge, hulking minotaur bodyguard for them all.
"Mother's milk in a cup," she swears under her breath, glancing between her captors and the gaggle of paladins. Deciding on the lesser of the two evils, she readies herself for the inevitable conflict...
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Sam: 22
Paladins: 7
Cultists: 17
Leader: 15
Here's how the portal cultist will work. At the end of each round, I'm going to roll a d20. 1-10, and he's going to summon something. 11-20, he doesn't. If a spellcaster uses their turn to fight his arcane powers with their own (by using any level available spell slot - NOT a cantrip), you can give him disadvantage. If 2+ spellcasters do this, he will auto-fail. You can also attack him normally.
Sam was already drawing an arrow as you turned the corner, and he instinctively fires it at one of the scimitar-wielding cultists. Attack: 11 Damage: 6
The arrow whizzes between one of the cultists and the tiefling, but ricochets harmlessly off of a stone facade behind them. Burik steps up, shield raised high, and directs his hand toward the same cultist. "Whatever evil is at play here, we will not stand for it." He casts Guiding Bolt - Attack: 24 Damage: 16
Bright radiant energy shoots from his hands, entering the chest of the cultist as he gasps and *poof* turns into dust that slowly settles on the floor. His scimitar clanks to the ground as Effort's eyes grow wide in shock. Even Burik seems a bit surprised at his power.
The leader frowns, turning back to the group as he approaches. He raises his hand in kind, pointing it at one of the two paladins. He casts Inflict Wounds - Attack: 21 Damage: 18 The religious soldier is surprisingly nimble, dodging the purple, necrotic energy as it pulses past him. The leader growls in frustration.
Brask swings his heavy maul down at the cultist leader, but he sidesteps the attack with surprisingly speed. "The Prince shall feast, but it will be on the blood and flesh of you and your misguided allies."
Doldrur, you're up. Feel free to give a little appearance introduction if you are coming out of hiding. :)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
From the shadows a grey skinned gnome lurks. He watches the two parties clash in combat. Seeing that the cultists have a captive, he notches an arrows to his bow and aims it at the leader.
"Fly true, my friend." He whispers to himself in gnomish as he fired his arrow.
Seeing as she‘s still in the grasp of one of the cultists, with the leader before her, Effort will wrench herself around in a way that she is facing most of the cultists and bring her hands together to cast burning hands, engulfing both the cultist holding her and the portal cultist. If possible, she will also try to hit the leader but angle to miss Brask (prioritzing missing Brask).
As her bonus action she yells loudly „Eyes on the leader! His dag‘s magic!“
If the cultist holding her goes down, she moves for cover.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
As flames spit from her hands, the cultist holding Effort releases his grip and attempts to spin out of the way. He's a bit singed, but looks ready to strike back. The cultist manning the portal doesn't budge as flames catch on his back. The smell of burnt hair starts to waft through the courtyard, but he doesn't even look away from his work, churning the portal with dark energy.
The paladins finally step up, one engaging the leader and the other charging past and swinging his battleaxe down on the cultist who was holding Effort. Attack: 16 Damage: 11 The axe cuts down across his chest as he spits blood into the air and falls backward, dead. It almost seems like a smile comes over his face as he hits the ground.
The first paladin thrusts his javelin toward the leader, Attack: 8 Damage: 5, but he again confidently steps out of the way, allowing the weapon to pass under his arm as he turns.
A loud *BOOM* echoes off the stone walls as the cultist manning the portal lets out a guttural scream. Everyone pauses for a split second to glance over as he raises his hands, slowly pulling up pieces of the portal with them. The energy bends and the portal begins to split: 11 but just as suddenly, it snaps back into place. The leader looks displeased. "KEEP GOING!"
Sam fires an arrow at the portal cultist, hoping to distract him further from his duties. Attack: 25 Damage: 7
The arrow sticks into his side. The cultist winces for a moment, but continues pushing the energy in circles.
Burik charges at the leader, this time swinging his warhammer around... Attack: 5 Damage: 10 ...but the nimble cultist again steps out of the way. His frustration turns to amusement, as he smiles at the dwarf. "This is rather entertaining, but your time is running out."
He grabs Burik's arm as the warhammer misses, casting Inflict Wounds: Attack: 16 Damage: 17 Burik drops to a knee as necrotic energy injects itself into his body. He struggles to regain his balance as the veins in his neck throb - almost as if they are panicked.
This time the leader can't dodge the attack, and Brask's maul connects squarely with his shoulder. Everyone can hear an audible *snap* as the leader winces and grabs his arm, just as the maul comes down again and cracks him across the back. The leader drops to his knees, eyes wide and caught off guard by the pure strength of the minotaur.
3
Brask's Stealth 15.
Brask manages to make slightly less noise than usual as he moves.
No worries - just jump in when you can and we'll see you after the holidays!
I'm also just going to go ahead since we've already had a few really, really bad stealth rolls and we're about to introduce some new PCs!
As you all attempt to sneak around the corner, one of the paladins stops short, causing Burik to bump into him. His shield and the paladin's armor clang together, and you immediately hear voices heading toward you. Realizing the jig is up, Sam and the paladins spring forward to find...you guessed it, more cultists. The scene is a bit more interesting than last time, though. Two cultists stand in the ancient courtyard holding a tiefling by her arms. She's not actively fighting them, but it's very apparent she is not there under her own will. A third cultist has his hood down, and his dark, shoulder-length hair and mutton chops are outlined by the blue glow off to his side. There, a fourth cultist stands, arms outstretched over a horizontal blue circle - it's pulsing with some kind of dark, arcane energy. You watch, almost mesmerized as the energy swirls around.
"How nice, more meals for our guests," says the central figure as he slowly starts to walk toward you. The two holding the tiefling draw their scimitars.
Everyone, roll initiative.
DM - Above & Below
Snarling at the leader of her guards Effort realizes the fools still haven't gagged her. Before she can open her mouth to cast a spell, though, the envoy comes to an abrupt halt, facing down the last thing she expected to see here: a group of what look to be paladins -- and a huge, hulking minotaur bodyguard for them all.
"Mother's milk in a cup," she swears under her breath, glancing between her captors and the gaggle of paladins. Deciding on the lesser of the two evils, she readies herself for the inevitable conflict...
INITIATIVE: 8
Thank the Gods, says Brask. All that sneaking was getting on my nerves. Hey losers! he calls over to the cultists. Time to die! He raises his maul.
Brask's initiative: 7
Sam: 22
Paladins: 7
Cultists: 17
Leader: 15
Here's how the portal cultist will work. At the end of each round, I'm going to roll a d20. 1-10, and he's going to summon something. 11-20, he doesn't. If a spellcaster uses their turn to fight his arcane powers with their own (by using any level available spell slot - NOT a cantrip), you can give him disadvantage. If 2+ spellcasters do this, he will auto-fail. You can also attack him normally.
DM - Above & Below
Initiative: 16
Koda Kalashtar Samurai Eberron - The lost Laboratories
Burik's INT roll: 12
DM - Above & Below
Round 1: Sam > Burik > Leader > Brask > Doldrur > Effort > Paladins > Cultists > Portal
Sam was already drawing an arrow as you turned the corner, and he instinctively fires it at one of the scimitar-wielding cultists. Attack: 11 Damage: 6
The arrow whizzes between one of the cultists and the tiefling, but ricochets harmlessly off of a stone facade behind them. Burik steps up, shield raised high, and directs his hand toward the same cultist. "Whatever evil is at play here, we will not stand for it." He casts Guiding Bolt - Attack: 24 Damage: 16
Bright radiant energy shoots from his hands, entering the chest of the cultist as he gasps and *poof* turns into dust that slowly settles on the floor. His scimitar clanks to the ground as Effort's eyes grow wide in shock. Even Burik seems a bit surprised at his power.
The leader frowns, turning back to the group as he approaches. He raises his hand in kind, pointing it at one of the two paladins. He casts Inflict Wounds - Attack: 21 Damage: 18 The religious soldier is surprisingly nimble, dodging the purple, necrotic energy as it pulses past him. The leader growls in frustration.
Brask, you're up.
DM - Above & Below
If Brask can get to the Leader without taking an Opportunity Attack, he will:
Attack: 8 Damage: 7
Hey loser, Yeenoghu wants your blood or some shit like that. Whatever. Die, scumbag!
Brask swings his heavy maul down at the cultist leader, but he sidesteps the attack with surprisingly speed. "The Prince shall feast, but it will be on the blood and flesh of you and your misguided allies."
Doldrur, you're up. Feel free to give a little appearance introduction if you are coming out of hiding. :)
DM - Above & Below
From the shadows a grey skinned gnome lurks. He watches the two parties clash in combat. Seeing that the cultists have a captive, he notches an arrows to his bow and aims it at the leader.
"Fly true, my friend." He whispers to himself in gnomish as he fired his arrow.
(Sorry, it's difficult doing rolls on mobile.
Attack: you23
Damage: 6
Koda Kalashtar Samurai Eberron - The lost Laboratories
The arrow sinks deeply into the leader's thigh as he grimaces and spins around, spotting the previously unseen gnome across the courtyard.
Effort, you're up!
DM - Above & Below
Seeing as she‘s still in the grasp of one of the cultists, with the leader before her, Effort will wrench herself around in a way that she is facing most of the cultists and bring her hands together to cast burning hands, engulfing both the cultist holding her and the portal cultist. If possible, she will also try to hit the leader but angle to miss Brask (prioritzing missing Brask).
As her bonus action she yells loudly „Eyes on the leader! His dag‘s magic!“
If the cultist holding her goes down, she moves for cover.
Dex save 13 for half damage 9
The portal cultist and the leader would be in different directions for you at this point, so I'll say you go after the first two you mentioned.
Cultist DEX save: 15
Portal cultist DEX save: 18
DM - Above & Below
As flames spit from her hands, the cultist holding Effort releases his grip and attempts to spin out of the way. He's a bit singed, but looks ready to strike back. The cultist manning the portal doesn't budge as flames catch on his back. The smell of burnt hair starts to waft through the courtyard, but he doesn't even look away from his work, churning the portal with dark energy.
The paladins finally step up, one engaging the leader and the other charging past and swinging his battleaxe down on the cultist who was holding Effort. Attack: 16 Damage: 11 The axe cuts down across his chest as he spits blood into the air and falls backward, dead. It almost seems like a smile comes over his face as he hits the ground.
The first paladin thrusts his javelin toward the leader, Attack: 8 Damage: 5, but he again confidently steps out of the way, allowing the weapon to pass under his arm as he turns.
A loud *BOOM* echoes off the stone walls as the cultist manning the portal lets out a guttural scream. Everyone pauses for a split second to glance over as he raises his hands, slowly pulling up pieces of the portal with them. The energy bends and the portal begins to split: 11 but just as suddenly, it snaps back into place. The leader looks displeased. "KEEP GOING!"
DM - Above & Below
Round 2: Sam > Burik > Leader > Brask > Doldrur > Effort > Paladins > Portal
Sam fires an arrow at the portal cultist, hoping to distract him further from his duties. Attack: 25 Damage: 7
The arrow sticks into his side. The cultist winces for a moment, but continues pushing the energy in circles.
Burik charges at the leader, this time swinging his warhammer around... Attack: 5 Damage: 10 ...but the nimble cultist again steps out of the way. His frustration turns to amusement, as he smiles at the dwarf. "This is rather entertaining, but your time is running out."
He grabs Burik's arm as the warhammer misses, casting Inflict Wounds: Attack: 16 Damage: 17 Burik drops to a knee as necrotic energy injects itself into his body. He struggles to regain his balance as the veins in his neck throb - almost as if they are panicked.
Brask, you're up.
DM - Above & Below
Hey, look at all the new friends we're making because we're NOT LOSER CULTISTS! Brask swings his maul at the leader:
Attack: 26 Damage: 14
Hah! Action surge:
Attack: 24 Damage: 10
This time the leader can't dodge the attack, and Brask's maul connects squarely with his shoulder. Everyone can hear an audible *snap* as the leader winces and grabs his arm, just as the maul comes down again and cracks him across the back. The leader drops to his knees, eyes wide and caught off guard by the pure strength of the minotaur.
Doldrur, you're up!
DM - Above & Below
Seeing the impressive display of strength by the Minotaur, Doldrur will take aim at the leader again and try to end their existence.
"Finish the job, my friend."
He whispers to his arrow as he releases and watches it soar towards the leader.
Attack: 27 Damage: 5
Koda Kalashtar Samurai Eberron - The lost Laboratories