Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

Kei 

The battle intensifies as Kei watches on. He spies a boy run from the scene. "Run for now boy. You're next" he shouts as the young man.

((No action. Just a bit of fill while waiting for initiative to reset))

Peri sears Ogmund with a direct hit, a necrotic blast of crackling arcane energy. Just as it seems like he must finally go down, the spearman staggers forward, more dead than alive, for what may be his final round of combat in this lifetime. Peri's second blast goes wide.

With Gerrard and Boko gone, the burly spearman staggers toward the only combatant within range (barely): Dwal – and with the only weapon he has: his massive, battered shield.
Shield Bash Attack #1: 23  Hit: 7 bludgeoning damage and Dwal must succeed on a DC 15 STR save or be knocked prone.
Dwal STR Save: 1
In a blind fury, the crazed spearman continues to smash the downed dwarf repeatedly:
Shield Bash Attack #2: 26  Hit: 11 bludgeoning damage
Shield Bash Attack #3: 21  Hit: 9 bludgeoning damage

Ogmund roars with rage and pain.

Boko 23
Kei 21
Swordsman 21
Red Robes 19
Three Crossbowmen 16
Dwal 15
-- Cards Woman 11 unconscious
Stringy-haired acolyte 11
the Boy 11
Old man 11
Gerrard 10
Man in yellow robes 9
Peri 6
Ogmund 5 (STR-hexed, disarmed)

The boy follows Kei's suggestion and continues to run into the fields.
"We serve our own, pirate!" booms the unseen priest to Gerrard.

Boko and Kei are up next!

Kei 

Running after the boy he shouts "You may run, but you can't hide you little bastard!" It is then he hears a familiar sound - that of a now furious dwarf grunting as he takes a blow. That stops Kei dead in his tracks. Not knowing what to do he traces sigils in the air and throws a pointed finger first at Ogmund and then at the boy. Three glowing darts fly towards Ogmund and two towards the fleeing boy.

Ogmund 9

The Boy 5 

((Upcast to 3rd for additional missiles))

Kei calmly takes down both targets with a casual flick of his fingers. They each simultaneously fall forward onto their face, quite dead.

Boko is up next!

Bokowulf growls and almost leaps to attack Ogmund but halts once she realizes he’s down. A swift nod and a turn back to the threats ahead. Another head turn and the flaming sphere hops over Gerrard and the toughs facing him and swirls down the stairs next to the bardish-looking fellow at the base of the stairs, looping back to slam into the back of the left side tough for 6 fire damage.

Then the direwolf waterfall just avalanches down the stairs at the rightside fighter, jaws bared, black lines pulsing along her muzzle and legs, potentially knocking him over and benefitting from Gerrard being there next to her, in her pack.

Attack: 15 Damage: 15

With a faint flickering sound, the flaming sphere levitates, then gracefully swings in an arc over Gerrard, down through the door, and back, slamming into the western crossbowman. He tries to dodge it: DC15 DEX Save: 16

...but just runs straight into it, instead. The wooden door begins to smolder, as does the tip of this man's scraggly beard.

The muscular wolf pounces on the eastern crossbowman, but the old woman manages to keep her at bay with her now-drawn blades.

The swordsman near the flaming sphere shouts something inaudible, then retreats and ducks behind the table. He fires his shortbow at Bokowolf
Shortbow Attack vs. Bokowolf: 24  Hit: 4 piercing damage
while taunting Gerrard about his fine attire. ("Look at the tight little pants on that one!") 
...a magically-laced insult that comes with a potent side-effect. (Gerrard must succeed on a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or have disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws until the start of the swordsman's next turn.)

The man in red circles around and pulls an arcane, shimmering field around his own body. Then he gestures and pulls a pillar of flame down upon Gerrard. (Gerrard must make a DC11 Dexterity save or take 1 radiant damage.)

The two guards drop their crossbows and draw their swords - the stringy-bearded guy a longsword gripped with two hands, and the old woman with a longsword in one hand and a shortsword in the other

Scraggly Beard Longsword Attack #1 vs. Gerrard: 17 Hit: 4 slashing damage
Scraggly Beard Longsword Attack #2 vs. Gerrard: 23 Hit: 13 slashing damage
Trapped between a flaming ball and two enemies, he chooses to stay put. Flaming Sphere Dex Save: 13 or take 5 fire damage.

Old Woman Longsword Attack #1 vs. Bokowolf: 11 Hit: 8 slashing damage
Old Woman Longsword Attack #2 vs. Bokowolf: 24 Hit: 9 slashing damage
Old Woman Shortsword Attack vs. Bokowolf: 13 Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage
Likewise, the old woman refuses to retreat. Flaming Sphere Dex Save: 22 or take 6 fire damage. 
One of the woman's blades tears a particularly long and nasty gash in the wolf's fur: crit damage vs Bokowolf: +1
Both guards dodge the worst of the flames, for now.

Dwal is up!
...and Gerrard has saves to make.

 

(Apologies - I butchered the guard's flaming sphere dex rolls - the old woman had it worse than first appeared. She's beginning to look fairly injured.)
(Speaking of rolls: Gerrard, remember your first save may impact your second roll.)

Gerrard:  

Charisma Save:  18

Disadvantage Dexterity Save:  16

Reaction to parry the sword attack:  12

Dwal will get up off the ground and move to the stairs, by Peri.

He will launch the Fire Bolt at the old woman....(keeping the rolls of 11 to hit and 16 damage)

If he can see Gerrard, Dwal will cast Healing Word at 3rd level on Gerrard, as a bonus action.

Heals: 11

Dwal pulls himself up and trudges to the top of the stairs to lay a healing word upon Gerrard. The old woman deftly dodges his spitting missile of flame. 

The stringy-haired acolyte and the old man join their comrade behind the table. The acolyte calls down a pillar of black flame upon Bokowolf (Boko must make a DC12 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 radiant damage.) The old man just hides (Stealth: 6 )

Gerrard (still at disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws until the start of the swordsman's next turn) is up next!

Gerrard:

"What has that evil bard done to my clothing?" thinks the young noble as his movement is suddenly constricted by overly tight pants, only made worse by the steam-drying in the wake of the radiant blast from the priest.  Gerrard gamely tries to keep up the pressure on the guards in front of him, starting with whichever seems more injured to him, though he still tries to attack nonlethally, as he is still unsure of the allegiance of their foes given their puzzling responses.

Trying to ignore the uncomfortable tightness of his codpiece, Gerrard calls, "Remember Xolor's assault on Saltmarsh my friends, and defeat his minions!" as he stabs again!

Elegant Rapier at Disadvantage:  Attack: 20 Damage: 8

Elegant Rapier at Disadvantage:  Attack: 12 Damage: 9

Main Gauche at Disadvantage:  Attack: 12 Damage: 7

Gerrard makes a few sloppy swings at the guards – concentrating his offensive on the older woman to the east, who seems more injured of the two. One of his swings connects, giving her another minor wound.

The priest calls out again, as he strides back into view in front of the table. "Surrender now, and spare yourself an eternity of pain!"

He reaches out and makes a pinching gesture. As he does, the flaming sphere is snuffed out like a candle. The priest then glances up and a glowing, levitating, spectral mace swings down upon Gerrard.

Spectral floating mace attack vs Gerrard: 11 .  Hit: 6 force damage.

Peri is up next!

Peri:

It's impossible to tell what's going on in the cellar or how many people they're facing, but the fight definitely doesn't seem to be going their way. With the big wolf and Gerrard in the way, Peri can't even engage effectively, unless he scoots under them and attacks he guards from behind. But that would leave him in the cellar alone, surrounded by enemies. Maybe the nobleman has visions of dying a hero's death, but not me! He pulls out a pair of darts and flings them at the old woman (#1: 24 for 5, #2: 15 for 4). Then he grabs the unconscious card player by her arm and begins dragging her back away from the stairs. "C'mon! There's too many, and they're all stirred up like a wasp's nest down there! We can find the stupid snow globe later!" ((Use his movement to drag the card player as far from the stairs as possible.))

Peri's first dart hits the old woman in her shoulder, but it's not enough to stop her. She continues to engage Bokowolf and Gerrard.

Grabbing the unconscious acolyte, he drags her 35 feet from the top of the stairs, her boots creasing a line in the sleet. (Which direction are you headed?)

Boko and Kei are up next!

Peri flees west with the unconscious acolyte, skirting along the edge of the ruins. (The skull dunes and the skiff are to the south.)

Meanwhile, underneath, Bokowolf stares down the blade-wielding guards, alongside Gerrard.
Kei, his deadly finger still trailing a thin stream of smoke, watches both from a safe distance.

Bokowolf and Kei are up next!

Kei 

Both combatants down, Kei turns his attention to the stairs. As he begins to move towards the top of the stairway he is pushed aside by Peri dragging the card lady by the hair out into the fields. "Been shopping? Finally got a lady who'll go out with you?" The halfling beats a path straight past him without response. Must be going south. He descends the stairs just enough to see into the room without too much interference. 

He reaches for his weathered cards, inspired by the sight of the other card enthusiast, and barks at Gerrard "I guess we're evacuating". A quick incantation as he runs his finger along the spine of the deck and the room below glimmers for a second. The time distortion finishing between Gerrard/Boko and their engaged fighters.

 ((If there's a choice in who it affects, the two engaged fighters and the priest, then other caster looking types))

DC15 Wisdom Saving Throws vs. Slow:

Guard #1 (older woman next to Boko): 13
Guard #2 (Scraggly-bearded guy next to Gerrard):  4
Man in yellow robes:  13
Swordsman behind table:  4
Red Robed Guy:  5
Stringy-haired acolyte:  18

Initiative:
   Boko 23
√ Kei 21 concentrating on slow
   Swordsman 21
   Red Robed Guy 19
   Guard #1 (white-haired woman) 16 slowed
   Guard #2 (scraggly-bearded guy on front line) 16
   Guard #2 (other scraggly-bearded guy hanging back) 16
   Dwal 15
   Cards Woman 11 unconscious
   Stringy-haired acolyte 11
   Old man 11
   Gerrard 10
   Man in yellow robes 9 slowed
   Peri 6 

Bokowolf is up next!

The swordsman crouched behind the table stands for a moment and gives a small bow. "Good travels," he says, and gives a wink to Gerrard.

A sudden, loud ringing noise, painfully intense, erupts from the stairwell. Gerrard, Bokowolf, and Dwal must make a DC12 Constitution saving throw. Take 11 thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Bokowolf is up next!

Dwal Con Save: 20

Boko the direwolf blinks as the spell is dispelled (no concentration checks, right?).

DEX save: 21

The wolf tears into the crossbowwoman in front of her again.

Attack: 20 Damage: 13

CON save: 16