Ghosts of Saltmarsh (cbaer8) - Campaign Thread

Kei 

Furthering Peri's taunt he says "Skeletons you say? Pretty sure we can guarantee that they're evil."

He peers beyond the heads of those in front of him, "No one venture into this room" he barks as he takes in the scene before him. A plan forms in his head. "You'll know when to move." 

Gerrard:

"Or amoral and beholden to evil masters," agrees Gerrard, holding his ground and letting his creative companions work their magic and/or trickery, "We must eliminate this threat to the people of Saltmarsh."

A brief pause hangs in the air, as if the five undead in front of you are waiting for a cue, or perhaps studying you for a moment.
But then the moment is over. The skeletal minotaurs stride forward with their massive axes raised.

Initiative:
Ghostly apparitions: 15
Distorted corpselike figure: 19
Minotaur Skeletons: 3
Boko: 4
Dwal: 8
Peri: 19
Gerrard: 25
Kei: 16

The room suddenly feels deeply, bone-chillingly cold as the undead turn their full attention upon you.

The corpselike figure merely stares at Gerrard.
Gerrard must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 19 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

But it's much worse. The creature's eyes seem to dig into all your souls. 
Everyone, including Gerrard, but not Kei (who, at the back, can't quite see the creature) must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. If your saving throw fails by 5 or more, you are reduced to 0 hit points. Otherwise, you take 11 psychic damage on a failed save.

Then, everyone may act.

Ordered Initiative:

Distorted corpselike figure: 23
Peri: 20
Kei: 20
Gerrard: 12
Boko: 10
Dwal: 10
Ghostly apparitions: 3
Minotaur Skeletons: 2

Dwal's Save Attempt: 3

Kei 

His companions all wince in apparent agony. Without knowing what has afflicted them he puts his previous plan in motion. Drawing from his deck he produces "The Hermit". Tearing the card he whispers words in an arcane language as a shimmer floods the room in front of him. Time seems to slow for those beyond the doorway.

WIS 15 save

Time seems to slow for those beyond the doorway. WIS 15 save.

WIS 15 saves:
 Distorted corpselike figure: 12
 Ghostly apparition 1: 8
 Ghostly apparition 2: 8 
 Minotaur Skeleton 1: 18
 Minotaur Skeleton 2: 10. 

Everyone but Kei may act (and make saves...)

Kei ends his turn with 5 necrotic damage from the deathly soul-sucking cold.

Peri:

First let's make that CON save to see whether he needs to do anything else: 19

 Halfling luck, don't fail me now: 4

Gerrard:

First Constitution Save:  25

Second Constitution Save:  15

Gerrard:

Staggering from multiple attacks, Gerrard remains standing, if just barely.  Taking a deep breath and steeling his nerves, he maintains his defensive stance as the skeletons approach, preparing to take advantage of any opening in their defenses as they approach.

Bonus Action:  Second Wind:  12

Action:  Dodge

(Reaction if he is attacked and missed):  Riposte:  Attack: 9 Damage: 18

(Reaction if he is attacked and hit): Parry:  11

It quickly becomes evident that just the act of looking at the distorted figure's face can cause fatal damage. While the damage is done for this round (everyone but Kei looked), in future rounds, you can simply avert your eyes. But this means that any attacks on the creature will be at disadvantage (unless, of course, you choose to look...)

Everyone but Kei and Gerrard may act.
Boko still has a save to roll...

Peri:

The creature turns its gaze upon them and Peri feels his blood begin to freeze. But he is just able to get a grip on himself, thanks to his recent meditation. This thing is clearly the boss,  but the minotaurs are more immediately threatening so Peri decides to target one of them. His places a hex upon the one further from the doors, sapping its strength, then fires an eldritch blast into it:
Blast 1: 23 for 5 force + 5 necrotic
Blast 2: 11 for 6 force + 6 necrotic

Boko CON save: 20

Peri fires two beams of crackling purple energy toward the skeletal minotaur. The first misses, but the second slams into its massive ribcage. It clearly takes some damage from the hit, but it will take a lot more to take it down.

Peri ends his turn with 5 necrotic damage from the frigid, soul-freezing aura around these guardians (as does everyone who ends their turn here. Gerrard - you as well, sorry.)

Dwal and Boko may act next.

"We best get out of here" Dwal says.

Dwal takes a step forward and presents his holy symbol and attempt to Turn Undead. Wisdom DC 13

As his bonus action Dwal will cast Healing Word on Gerrard, healing  4 hit points.

Dwal will back up from the door, his movement.

Dwal steps forward and confronts the five entities with a life-affirming prayer and his holy symbol:

DC13 Wisdom saves vs Turning:
  Distorted corpselike figure: 3
  Ghostly apparition #1:  17
  Ghostly apparition #2:  1
  Minotaur Skeleton #1:  2
  Minotaur Skeleton #2:  10

 All but one apparition bolt for the eastern door. The corpselike figure shrieks a horrid, panicked wail. 

Dwal ends his turn with 5 necrotic damage from the frigid, deathly aura.

Boko is up next!

Four of the five undead have been successfully turned by Dwal's ritual, and are heading east toward the other door. Only one apparition remains unaffected. One of the retreating skeletal minotaurs, hexed by Peri, has a minor injury from the halfling's arcane missile; the rest are uninjured. Three of the entities are moving very slowly, as if retreating underwater, thanks to Kei's spell.

But everyone continues to feel their life essences slowly being drained away in the unnatural cold, even as they avert their eyes from looking at the face of the distorted corpselike figure.

Gerrard, gravely hurt by the dead thing, picks up slightly at Dwal's prayer.

Boko may act next.

Boko, before she averts her eyes, casts flaming sphere and rams it into the ghostly apparition #1, trying to land it adjacent to the other three undead lined up along the wall so as many as possible take 4 fire damage on a failed DEX 15 save in addition to the target.

She tries moving back out of the room, even as brightly-lit as it may be with the sphere, to see if she can get away from the creepy gaze and dangerous chill. She won't take Gerrard's place in more cover but she will back up if the others can manage it. 

"Well done, Dwal. How long can we safely take shots at them from up here?"

Boko conjures a ball of flames in the middle of the undead, and uses it to ram the unturned ghostly entity (#1 - the one furthest north.)
DC15 Dex save vs. flaming sphere: 17

Boko carefully retreats into the the velvet curtain room.

The evil spirit twists and turns but cannot escape the magical flames. Its nightmarish face screams in silence.

The corpselike figure opens the east door, and hastily exits, together with both huge, horned skeletons. The two spirits merely vanish into the stonework.

The room is empty, the door left open to the east. The room has become notably warmer – the deathly chill seems to be gone.

Gerrard:

Unsure after the powerful effect from Dwal’s display of faith, Gerrard asks, “Shall we press after them now, or fall back and regroup?”