|
Post by Dell on Feb 21, 2007 13:24:20 GMT -5
If they were trying to run away, they'd have taken the front door. I'd guess they were running into the tower to hide behind their powerful, spellcasting leader. How come we don't have a powerful, spellcasting leader to hide behind?
|
|
|
Post by Ginger on Feb 21, 2007 15:05:21 GMT -5
A few reasons: Our spellcasters aren't immune to most spells and weapons. It's difficult to hide behind someone who's turned invisible and run away.
|
|
|
Post by Dead Greyhawk on Feb 26, 2007 8:12:53 GMT -5
The Company makes a quick run through of the dead for coins. The sheer volume of the items in the castle prohibit a single detect magic spell from being effective; three or four will be needed. If you have enough spell capacity, (Adrienne and Otto maybe?) you can cast them.
450 EP 600 GP 2 chests in the bugbear vault 8 chests in the bugbear subchieftains' room 1 chest in the trolls' room
|
|
|
Post by Ginger on Feb 26, 2007 9:19:05 GMT -5
I presume we also found a folded piece of paper on the ground. I think it's the deed to the castle, so we'll give it to Diego.
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgar on Feb 26, 2007 9:37:05 GMT -5
Otto can swap out a Charm Person for a Detect Magic.
Do we learn anything interesting from the freed slaves? Did they help excavate the dungeon? Can they draw maps of it? Where are they from? Have they seen a druid or any other humans interacting with the leaders of the keep? Are any of them in any shape to carry weapons and armor?
We will lead them to some place safe once we have secured the dungeons. We will need someone to stay behind to look after them while the rest of us explore. Otto and Pfiffwin can volunteer to do this since I won't be there next week.
|
|
|
Post by Ginger on Feb 26, 2007 10:04:00 GMT -5
We should probably put the slaves into one of the barracks that didn't see any fighting, so that it won't be covered in blood.
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Trommer on Feb 26, 2007 12:23:48 GMT -5
Withrop wants to take a very restful two hour nap.
|
|
|
Post by Ginger on Feb 26, 2007 14:05:05 GMT -5
While it's always possible that we could be slaughtered while further exploring the dungeon, I think an after-action analysis is in order. This is definitely one of our most successful assaults. We maintained the element of surprise until we began our full-on attack. The front line bore the brunt of the combat, and the casters were under much less pressure than usual.
Luck was definitely on our side. Finding the temple and disrupting the demon was very important. Finding and eliminating the first Rakshasha was also lucky and important. The layout of the castle was also very favorable for us. We usually end up having at least one combat in a large open area where it's impossible for us to maintain a front line. In the castle we managed to concentrate the fighting in a series of doorways, which allowed Otto and Al to soak up/shrug off all the hits. The only times we were really outmaneuvered involved flying creatures.
The deaths of our two new henchpersons was bad. In the future, 1st level characters need to stay far away from the fighting until we're sure that no reinforcements are coming and no area effect spells are likely.
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Trommer on Feb 26, 2007 14:58:36 GMT -5
Did we ever check to see if Karmak's tower had a back door? It should be a standard feature on all such structures.
|
|
|
Post by Dell on Feb 26, 2007 15:01:15 GMT -5
I have to agree, this assault worked really well. Pfiffwin's illusions were remarkably effective, too. If for no other reason than they kept me from eating a lighting bolt.
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Trommer on Feb 26, 2007 15:25:42 GMT -5
Also plugging the hole at a doorway is a very effective way to set up cluster shots. Of course that works both ways. It also prevents attacks on the weaker party members as long as the defensive line doesn't collapse. Flying fighters are also pretty effective at getting to pesky mages like Winthrop..
|
|
|
Post by Dell on Feb 26, 2007 16:29:57 GMT -5
We should put Protection from Evil on Al before battles, since he's got a sub-par AC for a front line fighter.
Also, I know that Adrienne gets a bonus Detect Magic, but doesn't she get some other freebie divination-type spells now that she's 7th level? I need to check those specialty cleric rules, I guess.
|
|
|
Post by Ginger on Feb 26, 2007 17:31:04 GMT -5
I think she gets a bonus Augury at 3 or 5 and a bonus commune at 9 or something like that.
|
|
|
Post by venger on Feb 27, 2007 10:42:53 GMT -5
Go team!
We should rest.
|
|
|
Post by Dell on Feb 27, 2007 12:58:16 GMT -5
So one group will clear the lower levels, and another group will rest, count money, and interrogate the freed prisoners. Sounds easy enough.
|
|
|
Post by venger on Feb 27, 2007 13:12:21 GMT -5
So one group will clear the lower levels, and another group will rest, count money, and interrogate the freed prisoners. Sounds easy enough. What's the rush? The lower levels aren't going anywhere... If I recall correctly- Jasper, Raven, Al and Diego were all driven to zero hit points and then minorly healed. All of our casters are pretty much out of spells. Other than Otto (who won't be there)and Adrienne, who's healthy enough to lead the charge back into the catacombs? Though we should collect that evil cleric we left bound and gagged inside the altar before he dies or escapes.
|
|
|
Post by Dell on Feb 27, 2007 13:46:28 GMT -5
Not everyone needs rest, so it's inefficient to have everyone rest right away. And for the most part the active threats (monsters) have been dealt with, so all that remains is the passive ones - the traps and such. And we don't need the whole group to handle those. For the cockatrices - Winthrop is going to Sepia Snake Sigil them so we can take them with us. I can think of a few uses for something like that.
|
|
|
Post by venger on Feb 27, 2007 13:54:15 GMT -5
Splitting the party up gives me a headache and makes it take forever to get anything done. Especially when the less decisive members decide to go off on their own.. cough..
So if that's the plan, I'm bringing a book.
|
|
|
Post by Ginger on Feb 27, 2007 14:07:41 GMT -5
I think that exploring the lower levels is a fairly urgent matter. We should at least open the 2nd door that had a lot of foot traffic in the large octagonal room and see what's inside. Hopefully that will lead to the living quarters of the clerics. They'll likely have papers and such things which can give us more information about what else is going on down here. Remember, there are probably more slaves downstairs. If we don't go down there, their slavedrivers might kill them. We cannot allow that to happen, and I'm sure Hugh agrees.
Some additional considerations: Sleep is for the weak. Who was waiting for the demon? Hanuman? If someone else, then they won't wait around forever. We still have a barbarian around for a bit longer. It would be a shame for him to disappear and not die in a fight.
|
|
|
Post by Dell on Feb 27, 2007 14:20:35 GMT -5
There's a living evil cleric down there to question, as well.
Also, an undead knight may or may not be walking slowly towards me. I'd rather not dawdle.
|
|
|
Post by Ginger on Feb 27, 2007 14:55:11 GMT -5
He's not walking, he's flying, with little winged booties. Let's spend a few minutes to see if the slaves have any actionable intelligence and then head downstairs to ensure our prisoner is still bound and unconscious. Then let's enter the other door that had a lot of foot traffic and see if it leads to the cleric's rooms.
|
|
|
Post by Ginger on Feb 27, 2007 22:42:01 GMT -5
We should put Protection from Evil on Al before battles, since he's got a sub-par AC for a front line fighter. Let's take this opportunity for some general tactical ideas. I fully concur with this idea. Protection from Evil is almost always a better investment than a CLW. For Hugh, the tradeoff is 8 HP vs. 24 rounds of +2 to AC and +2 to saves. If a fighter gets attacked 20 times in an average 24 rounds of combat, the protection will prevent 2 attacks from hitting. As long as damage is at least 4 HP per hit, it's better. Protection 10' Radius is even better. You sacrifice CSW which gives about 15 HP and get instead 70 or 80 rounds of protection for you and people near you. Another spell we should use more is Fly. Dragons and demons have magic resistance and attack from the air, which makes them hard to kill.
|
|
|
Post by Dead Greyhawk on Feb 27, 2007 22:56:53 GMT -5
Another spell we should use more is Fly. Dragons and demons have magic resistance and attack from the air, which makes them hard to kill. Not hard enough!
|
|
|
Post by Dead Greyhawk on Feb 27, 2007 23:00:14 GMT -5
Pfiffwin pipes up that he found an 515 GP (Geoff) on the corpses.
|
|
|
Post by venger on Mar 1, 2007 10:00:26 GMT -5
So the plan is:
Talk to the freed captives, open the chests(?), secure the castle proper.
Check on the evil cleric, then further explore the octagonal room, the two other "teleport doors"(?) etc.
So yeah, I've got AC 6, no spells and only 9 hit points.
I saw what happened to Rhiannon and Grizella....
|
|
|
Post by Dell on Mar 1, 2007 10:50:23 GMT -5
The plan does not include opening the chests. Opening chests can be dangerous, so we will do that after we've rested and re-spelled.
|
|
|
Post by Ginger on Mar 1, 2007 11:40:56 GMT -5
No, it's more limited than that. We'll quickly see what info we can glean from the prisoners about what's downstairs. For example, if they know there's a dragon downstairs guarding a mithril mine, we'll stay up here and rest. I assume they'll have little knowledge that will affect our tactical decisions, unfortunately. In that case, we'll go downstairs and grab the prisoner. If he's not there, we'll have Fido track him. If he is there, we'll move him upstairs. I don't think we should interrogate him just yet, since clerics of the Big T can be difficult to deal with in those situations.
Once that's dealt with, we'll check the door that has a lot of traffic in and out of it in the octagonal room. We won't go through the teleportation doors or any other doors. If the oft used passageway isn't exciting, we'll assume the others aren't either and explore them after we rest.
Is that straightforward enough for you?
|
|
|
Post by venger on Mar 1, 2007 13:58:47 GMT -5
No, it's more limited than that. We'll quickly see what info we can glean from the prisoners about what's downstairs. For example, if they know there's a dragon downstairs guarding a mithril mine, we'll stay up here and rest. I assume they'll have little knowledge that will affect our tactical decisions, unfortunately. In that case, we'll go downstairs and grab the prisoner. If he's not there, we'll have Fido track him. If he is there, we'll move him upstairs. I don't think we should interrogate him just yet, since clerics of the Big T can be difficult to deal with in those situations. Once that's dealt with, we'll check the door that has a lot of traffic in and out of it in the octagonal room. We won't go through the teleportation doors or any other doors. If the oft used passageway isn't exciting, we'll assume the others aren't either and explore them after we rest. Is that straightforward enough for you? sounds good to me how/when should we alert arden prindive to our stunning success?
|
|
|
Post by Ginger on Mar 1, 2007 14:14:21 GMT -5
Once we've fully explored and secured the area we'll alert the elves. No point in having them come in while we're still looting. He'll probably say "Hey, that was my chest of gold I left here 2 years ago!". No one wants that.
|
|
|
Post by venger on Mar 1, 2007 14:29:46 GMT -5
Once we've fully explored and secured the area we'll alert the elves. No point in having them come in while we're still looting. He'll probably say "Hey, that was my chest of gold I left here 2 years ago!". No one wants that. Good point- Hopefully the elves can relieve us of these freed captives; otherwise we're going to have to hike them back through the forest to the big tree. Speaking of captives: how do we establish which ones are actually evil rakshashas? i mean, even a 0-level human can withstand a hit from a (blessed) light crossbow bolt........ Not that I'm advocating shooting the prisoners.
|
|