Listening to Dwal's concern, Gerrard takes a deep breath and replies, "I'm on it," rushing past the sahuagin warriors while wildly flinging his blades in a defensive spin, then re-engages the baron on the stairs if he can get to him, poking twice with his rapier at the glowing enemy.
Bonus: Second Wind: 9
Reaction: Parry if hit by a sahuagin warrior, trying to move to get to the baron while minimizing AOO's
Action: Two attacks on the Baron, assuming he can catch up to him.
Elegant Rapier Attack with Advantage: Attack: 26 Damage: 10
Elegant Rapier Attack with Advantage: Attack: 19 Damage: 12
Gerrard dodges the first sahuagin, but runs the gauntlet with the next two: #10 Spear Attack vs. Gerrard: 15 Piercing damage: 8 #8 Spear Attack vs. Gerrard: 7 Piercing damage: 4
(I'm not sure Gerrard can Parry that hit, as you already used your Reaction this turn with your Opportunity Attack on the Baron as he fled. Correct?)
Gerrard catches up to the Baron, just as he is about to dive over the rails into the sea, and deals him two serious wounds.
Combat is over, unless you are pursuing them into the sea.
Gerrard is down (unless I'm mistaken) bleeding out on the deck.
There's a bigger mess on deck, too. Five dead sailors, plus two sahuagin bodies. Captain Windrune stands over the latter, in his underwear, with his bloodied longsword. He has suffered a serious wound himself.
OOC: I figured his reaction reset on his turn or after his turn, so let’s say he can’t parry the sahuagin on his way because it is still his turn, but he parried when the Baron attacked, then had no reaction to AOO when he leapt over the rail...
Parry the Baron: 6
29=6 = 23 hp damage, leaving Gerrard with 3 hit points remaining.
Gerrard remains standing on the deck, his good silk pajamas torn to shreds and bleeding heavily...but still standing. He looks around for other threats, woozy but determined.
"Stinks like a fish market in here..."Peri hurries over to Oceanus and forces a healing potion (8) into him. He looks to Dwal. "There's a lot of your kin on the deck out there. I don't know how many can be saved, but we should do what we can."
(Correct - apologies - your reaction "resets" at the beginning of your turn. I had it in my mind it resets at the beginning of the round, not the turn. Gerrard still stands - barely!)
It's a horrible mess. Twelve dead dwarven sailors, two seriously wounded (including the captain), eight sahuagin dead.
Oceanus still has some serious puncture wounds, but the worst of his wounds are magically healed by Peri's potion. Gerrard is torn up, but alive and on his feet.
Dwal tends to the most seriously wounded.
"They tried t' skewer me in my sleep!" says the bloody captain to nobody in particular. A new watch is formed (the entire watch shift on deck had evidently been taken by surprise and slaughtered.) The sahuagin bodies are gathered and unceremoniously dumped overboard. The dwarven bodies are gathered and covered with a tarp until the proper arrangements can be made.
Peri helps with the cleanup, dragging sahuagin carcasses out of the hold and pitching them into the sea. He checks each body for anything that might provide useful intelligence for the upcoming war, but sahuagin aren't known for carrying many possessions on them. He does gather up the Baron's trident. He checks it for magical effects and places it in the cabin housing the other half of his team. If it's magic he'll ask Dwal to check it out. If not, it will at least make an interesting addition to their trophy wall.
The Baron's trident is distinctive, but not magical. It has a series of black pebbles inset in the long iron handle. It's quite big.
The dwarves are mourning deeply and are very angry. Oceanus, too, is simmering with anger at this bold attack.
It is the middle of the night. The lookouts continue to see no signs of the attackers, nor anything else of note.
With nearly half the crew dead (12/30 or so), the captain belatedly takes you up on your offer to help crew the ship. They've lost most of their cooking staff, and need everyone's help keeping watch and keeping the ship, well, shipshape. Hearing of the battle belowdecks, the captain, still wearing little but bloody underwear, politely thanks each of you for your help in staving off a complete disaster and driving the devils back into the sea.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Kei
Bloodied and barely standing, Kei heads to his quarters to retrieve his cittern. Once in hand he too tends to the wounded and dead. He makes a beeline to Gerrard. "Sorry for nearly getting you killed. I thought I could clear those four fish heads myself." He pauses and bows his head. "Still trying to get used to this whole Teamwork thing". Witham few notes on his instrument he casts Cure Wounds on the brave noble.
Doing his part to stabilize any alive dwarves on deck with his healer's kit once he is sure the sahuagin are gone, Gerrard helps with the cleanup and works hard at learning to sail. He is appreciative of the captain's thanks and focuses on tasks where his nimbleness can help (Dex-based checks related to sailing).
Taking Peri aside, he asks, "Do we continue on with our mission, Master Fenwader, or do you think with the reduced crew the Soul of Winter will need to turn back to port?"
Edit: Nodding his thanks to Kei for the healing, Gerrard says, "What you did was brave, if a bit foolhardy. If we had stayed in our rooms we could have defended ourselves more easily--but at the cost of more dwarven crewman deaths. I don't know if our fight was wise, but it sure felt right to drive off those sea devils and save as many of the crew as we could. I'm just upset I couldn't take down that Baron before he fled."
"Do we continue on with our mission, Master Fenwader, or do you think with the reduced crew the Soul of Winter will need to turn back to port?"
Peri looks disheartened. "That'll be the captain's call, but I expect he'll carry on. We have enough to sail the Winter so we should still be able to recover the strongbox from the Emperor. Unfortunately I was countin' on hirin' some crewmen to help us get the Emperor back to port. Don't see that happenin' now."
"What you did was brave, if a bit foolhardy. If we had stayed in our rooms we could have defended ourselves more easily--but at the cost of more dwarven crewman deaths. I don't know if our fight was wise, but it sure felt right to drive off those sea devils and save as many of the crew as we could. I'm just upset I couldn't take down that Baron before he fled."
"Wouldn'ta done us much good holin' up in our cabins while the fishies killed off the whole crew. 'Least this way we can get Aubrek's box and limp back to Saltmarsh. Unless that Wavechaser fellow sets the pirates on us. This crew got cut to pieces by Fishhead raiders; I don't think they'll fare any better against pirates lookin' for a big payday. Maybe Dwal's right and dwarves have no business runnin' a ship." He knows he's being unfair. He's known plenty of good dwarvish sailors, and sahuagin have captured plenty of halfling-crewed ships, but the disappointment of not even having a chance to recover the Emperor has put him in a hateful mood. He stomps off to find the captain and volunteers for whatever work needs to be done on deck at night. "I'm a fair hand in the sails and I'll keep a better lookout at night than most can," he offers. His tone, while not exactly gracious, is at least respectful as he recognizes the crew's losses. He passes the remainder of the night watch saying no more than what is necessary, and when relieved he heads straight to his bunk.
A sad and tense night follows, with no sleep for anyone. The sahuagin do not appear again. Dawn breaks to cold gray skies and a vast, empty horizon.
The captain is determined to continue the mission. He chalks this up to bad luck - sahuagin have been known to attempt this sort of attack. Although Windrune has crossed paths with sahuagin before, he never been subject to an assault on this scale. "Sahuagin worship th' shark god, Sekolah," lectures Windrune. "They can command sharks with their minds. You never want t' hunt a sahuagin in th' water."
They are preparing to bury the dead crew at sea today. The captain asks Dwal to assist with the services, as they have no clerics or religious types left among them - the only crewmember with any religious training was among the victims of the attack.
Allowing himself some time to rest and recover while having breakfast and getting changed into his Mariner's Scale armor for the day, Gerrard seems tired that morning, but much improved from last night (Short rest, spend HD, etc.) He then puts in a full day working as a crewman, doing whatever work is needed without complaining as he tries to absorb as much as he can about the operation of the ship.
He does take two breaks though--one to solemnly observing the funerals of those they had lost, and the other to speak with Oceanus. In a quiet moment, he asks the sea elf, "Oceanus, can you tell if we are near the territorial waters of the sahuagin, or was this a raid specifically targeted at us?" As he is the one who disarmed the baron of his weapon, Gerrard claimed it and now gives it to Oceanus, adding, "Perhaps you should keep this trident with you to defend yourself, and also wear the finely made armor I gave you, even at night. This voyage is turning out to be more dangerous than I had hoped."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
The dwarves are not particularly religious, Dwal senses, but they crave something more than an unceremonial disposal at sea. Many pray to Moradin, and the usual pantheon of Dwarven gods, but none are particular or knowledgable about details. (The world of Saltmarsh exists geographically in Greyhawk, but culturally and spiritually somewhere between Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms.)
Oceanus responds to Gerrard, "Though they dwell in the deepest trenches of the ocean, the sahuagin view the entire aquatic realm as their kingdom and the creatures in it as blood sport for their hunting parties. They hunt far and wide. They are unlikely to dwell near here - the lizardfolk may have the best information as to one place we are guaranteed to find them. It doesn't matter if they were targeting us or not - they must all die. And, yes, we must be on guard at all times."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Gerrard:
"We came close to losing you last night, Oceanus, and I am concerned. I know so little about you and your people, I wouldn't have even known whom to notify or how to honor your passing if you had left us," says Gerrard pensively. "I would know you and your people better if I could, both for my own education and for the possible aid we above the waves could bring to those below the waves -- and vice versa -- were we to ally our peoples. You have seen how we attempt to live at peace with the lizardfolk and fight off common enemies. Perhaps we could develop an alliance with your people as well should the opportunity arise," he adds.
Gerrard continues to try and engage Oceanus in conversation over the next few days as he continues to teach him Common, hoping with kind words and the multiple gifts he has given the mysterious sea elf will open up more about himself and his people. Perhaps someday he could even become an ambassador of the sea elves to the surface world.
Persuasion, if applicable: 6
...and try again if any of the above grants advantage: 16
The quartet of missiles strike the sahuagin, but it's not quite enough to bring it down. It staggers, but still stands.
Gerrard is up.
Gerrard:
Listening to Dwal's concern, Gerrard takes a deep breath and replies, "I'm on it," rushing past the sahuagin warriors while wildly flinging his blades in a defensive spin, then re-engages the baron on the stairs if he can get to him, poking twice with his rapier at the glowing enemy.
Bonus: Second Wind: 9
Reaction: Parry if hit by a sahuagin warrior, trying to move to get to the baron while minimizing AOO's
Action: Two attacks on the Baron, assuming he can catch up to him.
Elegant Rapier Attack with Advantage: Attack: 26 Damage: 10
Elegant Rapier Attack with Advantage: Attack: 19 Damage: 12
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Gerrard dodges the first sahuagin, but runs the gauntlet with the next two:
#10 Spear Attack vs. Gerrard: 15 Piercing damage: 8
#8 Spear Attack vs. Gerrard: 7 Piercing damage: 4
(I'm not sure Gerrard can Parry that hit, as you already used your Reaction this turn with your Opportunity Attack on the Baron as he fled. Correct?)
Gerrard catches up to the Baron, just as he is about to dive over the rails into the sea, and deals him two serious wounds.
Meanwhile:
Oceanus Death Save: 18
The remaining sahuagin disengage, retreat upstairs, and ignoring the melee between the Baron and Gerrard, leap into the dark sea below.
Only the Baron remains aboard now, at the edge of the rail. "ညစ်ညူးသောမျက်နှာပြင်သားများ! သင်တို့ရှိသမျှသည်သေကြလိမ့်မည်။!" he shouts.
He savages Gerrard one last time:
Bite Attack: 18 Piercing damage: 9
Claws Attack #1: 27 Slashing damage: 11
Claws Attack #2: 14 Slashing damage: 8
...before leaping backward into the black surf below.
Combat is over, unless you are pursuing them into the sea.
Gerrard is down (unless I'm mistaken) bleeding out on the deck.
There's a bigger mess on deck, too. Five dead sailors, plus two sahuagin bodies. Captain Windrune stands over the latter, in his underwear, with his bloodied longsword. He has suffered a serious wound himself.
Gerrard:
OOC: I figured his reaction reset on his turn or after his turn, so let’s say he can’t parry the sahuagin on his way because it is still his turn, but he parried when the Baron attacked, then had no reaction to AOO when he leapt over the rail...
Parry the Baron: 6
29=6 = 23 hp damage, leaving Gerrard with 3 hit points remaining.
Gerrard remains standing on the deck, his good silk pajamas torn to shreds and bleeding heavily...but still standing. He looks around for other threats, woozy but determined.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Peri:
"Stinks like a fish market in here..." Peri hurries over to Oceanus and forces a healing potion (8) into him. He looks to Dwal. "There's a lot of your kin on the deck out there. I don't know how many can be saved, but we should do what we can."
(Correct - apologies - your reaction "resets" at the beginning of your turn. I had it in my mind it resets at the beginning of the round, not the turn. Gerrard still stands - barely!)
Dwal
Dwal, knowing he has his work cut out for him, will cast Spare the Dying on the elf, if he can do it before Peri.
Dwal will then look to the injured, first in the party then the dwarves, casting Cure Wounds as needed and using the healer kit when he can.
Medicine: 22
It's a horrible mess. Twelve dead dwarven sailors, two seriously wounded (including the captain), eight sahuagin dead.
Oceanus still has some serious puncture wounds, but the worst of his wounds are magically healed by Peri's potion. Gerrard is torn up, but alive and on his feet.
Dwal tends to the most seriously wounded.
"They tried t' skewer me in my sleep!" says the bloody captain to nobody in particular. A new watch is formed (the entire watch shift on deck had evidently been taken by surprise and slaughtered.) The sahuagin bodies are gathered and unceremoniously dumped overboard. The dwarven bodies are gathered and covered with a tarp until the proper arrangements can be made.
Peri:
Peri helps with the cleanup, dragging sahuagin carcasses out of the hold and pitching them into the sea. He checks each body for anything that might provide useful intelligence for the upcoming war, but sahuagin aren't known for carrying many possessions on them. He does gather up the Baron's trident. He checks it for magical effects and places it in the cabin housing the other half of his team. If it's magic he'll ask Dwal to check it out. If not, it will at least make an interesting addition to their trophy wall.
The Baron's trident is distinctive, but not magical. It has a series of black pebbles inset in the long iron handle. It's quite big.
The dwarves are mourning deeply and are very angry. Oceanus, too, is simmering with anger at this bold attack.
It is the middle of the night. The lookouts continue to see no signs of the attackers, nor anything else of note.
With nearly half the crew dead (12/30 or so), the captain belatedly takes you up on your offer to help crew the ship. They've lost most of their cooking staff, and need everyone's help keeping watch and keeping the ship, well, shipshape. Hearing of the battle belowdecks, the captain, still wearing little but bloody underwear, politely thanks each of you for your help in staving off a complete disaster and driving the devils back into the sea.
Kei
Bloodied and barely standing, Kei heads to his quarters to retrieve his cittern. Once in hand he too tends to the wounded and dead. He makes a beeline to Gerrard. "Sorry for nearly getting you killed. I thought I could clear those four fish heads myself." He pauses and bows his head. "Still trying to get used to this whole Teamwork thing". Witham few notes on his instrument he casts Cure Wounds on the brave noble.
Cure Wounds 5
Gerrard:
Doing his part to stabilize any alive dwarves on deck with his healer's kit once he is sure the sahuagin are gone, Gerrard helps with the cleanup and works hard at learning to sail. He is appreciative of the captain's thanks and focuses on tasks where his nimbleness can help (Dex-based checks related to sailing).
Taking Peri aside, he asks, "Do we continue on with our mission, Master Fenwader, or do you think with the reduced crew the Soul of Winter will need to turn back to port?"
Edit: Nodding his thanks to Kei for the healing, Gerrard says, "What you did was brave, if a bit foolhardy. If we had stayed in our rooms we could have defended ourselves more easily--but at the cost of more dwarven crewman deaths. I don't know if our fight was wise, but it sure felt right to drive off those sea devils and save as many of the crew as we could. I'm just upset I couldn't take down that Baron before he fled."
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Peri:
Peri looks disheartened. "That'll be the captain's call, but I expect he'll carry on. We have enough to sail the Winter so we should still be able to recover the strongbox from the Emperor. Unfortunately I was countin' on hirin' some crewmen to help us get the Emperor back to port. Don't see that happenin' now."
"Wouldn'ta done us much good holin' up in our cabins while the fishies killed off the whole crew. 'Least this way we can get Aubrek's box and limp back to Saltmarsh. Unless that Wavechaser fellow sets the pirates on us. This crew got cut to pieces by Fishhead raiders; I don't think they'll fare any better against pirates lookin' for a big payday. Maybe Dwal's right and dwarves have no business runnin' a ship." He knows he's being unfair. He's known plenty of good dwarvish sailors, and sahuagin have captured plenty of halfling-crewed ships, but the disappointment of not even having a chance to recover the Emperor has put him in a hateful mood. He stomps off to find the captain and volunteers for whatever work needs to be done on deck at night. "I'm a fair hand in the sails and I'll keep a better lookout at night than most can," he offers. His tone, while not exactly gracious, is at least respectful as he recognizes the crew's losses. He passes the remainder of the night watch saying no more than what is necessary, and when relieved he heads straight to his bunk.
A sad and tense night follows, with no sleep for anyone. The sahuagin do not appear again. Dawn breaks to cold gray skies and a vast, empty horizon.
The captain is determined to continue the mission. He chalks this up to bad luck - sahuagin have been known to attempt this sort of attack. Although Windrune has crossed paths with sahuagin before, he never been subject to an assault on this scale. "Sahuagin worship th' shark god, Sekolah," lectures Windrune. "They can command sharks with their minds. You never want t' hunt a sahuagin in th' water."
They are preparing to bury the dead crew at sea today. The captain asks Dwal to assist with the services, as they have no clerics or religious types left among them - the only crewmember with any religious training was among the victims of the attack.
Gerrard:
Allowing himself some time to rest and recover while having breakfast and getting changed into his Mariner's Scale armor for the day, Gerrard seems tired that morning, but much improved from last night (Short rest, spend HD, etc.) He then puts in a full day working as a crewman, doing whatever work is needed without complaining as he tries to absorb as much as he can about the operation of the ship.
He does take two breaks though--one to solemnly observing the funerals of those they had lost, and the other to speak with Oceanus. In a quiet moment, he asks the sea elf, "Oceanus, can you tell if we are near the territorial waters of the sahuagin, or was this a raid specifically targeted at us?" As he is the one who disarmed the baron of his weapon, Gerrard claimed it and now gives it to Oceanus, adding, "Perhaps you should keep this trident with you to defend yourself, and also wear the finely made armor I gave you, even at night. This voyage is turning out to be more dangerous than I had hoped."
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Dwal
"Aye, I'll conduct the service." Dwal says. "Do ye follow the Dwarven Gods or is there another ye and yer crew follow?" Dwal asks.
OCC: Are you using the Greyhawk setting, Forgotten Realms, or something else?
The dwarves are not particularly religious, Dwal senses, but they crave something more than an unceremonial disposal at sea. Many pray to Moradin, and the usual pantheon of Dwarven gods, but none are particular or knowledgable about details. (The world of Saltmarsh exists geographically in Greyhawk, but culturally and spiritually somewhere between Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms.)
Oceanus responds to Gerrard, "Though they dwell in the deepest trenches of the ocean, the sahuagin view the entire aquatic realm as their kingdom and the creatures in it as blood sport for their hunting parties. They hunt far and wide. They are unlikely to dwell near here - the lizardfolk may have the best information as to one place we are guaranteed to find them. It doesn't matter if they were targeting us or not - they must all die. And, yes, we must be on guard at all times."
Gerrard:
"We came close to losing you last night, Oceanus, and I am concerned. I know so little about you and your people, I wouldn't have even known whom to notify or how to honor your passing if you had left us," says Gerrard pensively. "I would know you and your people better if I could, both for my own education and for the possible aid we above the waves could bring to those below the waves -- and vice versa -- were we to ally our peoples. You have seen how we attempt to live at peace with the lizardfolk and fight off common enemies. Perhaps we could develop an alliance with your people as well should the opportunity arise," he adds.
Gerrard continues to try and engage Oceanus in conversation over the next few days as he continues to teach him Common, hoping with kind words and the multiple gifts he has given the mysterious sea elf will open up more about himself and his people. Perhaps someday he could even become an ambassador of the sea elves to the surface world.
Persuasion, if applicable: 6
...and try again if any of the above grants advantage: 16
[Crap]
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"