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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 16, 2007 22:04:19 GMT -5
What buff spells are there that we can use? Detect Invisible would be good, since the Drow all have these inviso-cloaks, but what else would be useful? Detect Invisible is a first level spell for Pfiffwin. He has one left but is willing to take more when he gets a chance to rest. Each time we open a door Pfiffwin should have his 6 illusionary whatevers run in and take attack positions, drawing whatever fire they can. I am fine with this. Note that they can only enter as far as Pfiffwin can see from the doorway. He could just use noiseless first level phantasms which may be enough to draw the initial fire or second level audible phantasms if you want them to attack and defend realistically. As a side note since the doors are plenty big we should have Otto and Grizzela both try to open any door in a round. Giving the occupants of the room a round or two to prepare in the case of a 6 is definitely a bad idea.
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Post by venger on Oct 17, 2007 18:29:57 GMT -5
Detect Invisible is a first level spell for Pfiffwin. He has one left but is willing to take more when he gets a chance to rest. Antonus could use his Phantom Armor re-upped. That has saved him on more than one occasion this adventure. How many of those mithril ingots does Pfiffwin carry? Are we going to try to rest? What's the determination? If we rest I will load up on PfNM, Shield, Strength, Minor Globe, etc. Enough to cover Team Raven at any rate. I am fine with this. Note that they can only enter as far as Pfiffwin can see from the doorway. He could just use noiseless first level phantasms which may be enough to draw the initial fire or second level audible phantasms if you want them to attack and defend realistically. The 1st level spells are extremely useful- Phantom Armor, Detect Invisibility, etc. I don't know what he has at 2nd level but it would make sense to use the convincing illusions and save the 1st level slots for more practical applications.
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Post by Ginger on Oct 17, 2007 20:02:18 GMT -5
Antonus could use his Phantom Armor re-upped. That has saved him on more than one occasion this adventure. Jasper could use his Phantom Armor re-upped too. Oh, wait.
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 17, 2007 20:09:34 GMT -5
Antonus could use his Phantom Armor re-upped. That has saved him on more than one occasion this adventure. How many of those mithril ingots does Pfiffwin carry? Between Otto and Pfiffwin there are 18 mithril plates. There are 17 more in Winthrop's chest. If we are going to rest then he can switch out his remaining spells for Phantom Armor before he goes to sleep. The 1st level spells are extremely useful- Phantom Armor, Detect Invisibility, etc. I don't know what he has at 2nd level but it would make sense to use the convincing illusions and save the 1st level slots for more practical applications. I don't see the point in memorizing Phantom Armor since it can't really be used in the middle of combat. It should be a buff spell before we get started like Strength. Pfiffwin keeps a couple of 1st level chromatic orbs memorized for offensive occasions. The rest are a mix of phantasmal force, audible glammer and detect invisibility. At second level he has mirror image as any self-preserving mage does, invisibility in case he needs to become scarce, alter self in case he needs a disguise, wings or gills and the remainder in improved phantasmal forces. He only has two slots at third level which he uses on Wraithform (see Invisibility above) and either Fear or Spectral Force which act as his area attack. At this point I think he has 2 1st, 2 2nd and 1 3rd level spell left.
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Post by venger on Oct 19, 2007 8:26:28 GMT -5
Last week was a grueling combat session but we're pretty much victorious, right?
Are we going to try to capture this dark elf for real? Usually when we have an opportunity like this some take it upon themselves to be contrary and attack to kill instead of subduing or grappling.
Are we going to interrogate him? Are we going to rest?
Or are we just going to argue about it on Sunday for a couple hours before getting anything done?
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Post by Dell on Oct 19, 2007 10:33:20 GMT -5
Last week was a grueling combat session but we're pretty much victorious, right? Are we going to try to capture this dark elf for real? Are we going to interrogate him? Are we going to rest? Or are we just going to argue about it on Sunday for a couple hours before getting anything done? 1. We are mostly victorious, however there is a chance that one of the bad guys will escape. 2. That is currently the plan. 3. Yes. 4. Hopefully. 5. Arguing makes the baby cry.
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Post by venger on Oct 21, 2007 19:52:24 GMT -5
Dark elf male captured. Secret door found, inside is a chest containing gold, platinum, gems and several potions.
We rest for 18 hours, recovering hit points and spells. Levels are gained. Antonus, Florin and Grizela? share the only food amongst the party. Half rations for all! Cedrus creates water.
After answering a few questions and despite opposition from murderous evil party members the prisoner is kept alive, bound, gagged and blindfolded.
Killed some driders, a scorpion. Found another doorway, this one filled with darkness. Raven, Al, Otto, Antonus, Adler and Adrienne enter. Some kind of weird, dark, cold, slooooow, save vs. death magic plane. Otto, Raven and Al save, and manage to escape with Antonus, Adrienne and Adler. The former are slowed, the latter paralyzed.
The party decides to wanders back to the room we rested in but finds the web-door no longer functional- so they turn around again. Adler and Raven succumb to poison. Antidotes are administered. An open doorway reveals a passage beyond, the passage we are on continues forwards. Otto, Raven and Al are still slowed; Antonus, Adrienne and Adler are still paralyzed.
I think that sums it up.
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Post by Ginger on Oct 21, 2007 20:07:57 GMT -5
Did we interrogate the drow about the activation words for the ewer? Get any solid info about the great druid?
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Post by Dead Greyhawk on Oct 21, 2007 20:39:47 GMT -5
Dark elf male captured. Secret door found, inside is a chest containing gold, platinum, gems and several potions. Coins of two different mints. The gold ones, which are left behind, have a hawk headed man on one side and a sun rising or setting over a horizon with a small triangle on it on the other. The platinum ones have the elven headed spider, but nothing on the obverse. Black cloaks and boots, chainmail, swords, rings, and some brooches found on the bodies. The cloaks really only fit elves or half-elves, though Winthrop continues to try to wear his. The armor is left behind, but most of the swords are taken by one or another. Hugh and Raven have an argument about taking the spiked buckler of one of the female dark elves, and Grizela eventually takes it and uses it. We rest for 18 hours, recovering hit points and spells. Levels are gained. Antonus, Florin and Grizela? share the only food amongst the party. Half rations for all! Cedrus creates water. The door is wizard locked by Winthrop. After answering a few questions and despite opposition from murderous evil party members the prisoner is kept alive, bound, gagged and blindfolded. The prisoner, one Leasonar, the male mage, says that the five of them are the best of their clans and families, sent to pass the queen's tests. All must pass three tests before meeting the queen for her judgement. This was their third. He claims to have slain a great cat-beast here and found the chest. He speaks gnomish and dwarvish well enough to communicate. He recites the words you wish to hear. He says this part of the web is where the tests are, but not where he entered. The fallen lead those being tested from test to test. No questions were asked of him about the druid. Clift, Dell, Hugh, Samantha, Winthrop, and Raven all threaten to kill the dark elf at one point or another. Adrienne and Samantha actually attack the dark elf. Florin pulls Adrienne away from bludgeoning the dark elf further. Killed some driders, a scorpion. Two driders awaited the Company when they exited the room. They were both female and died pretty quickly. Found another doorway, this one filled with darkness. Raven, Al, Otto, Antonus, Adler and Adrienne enter. Some kind of weird, dark, cold, slooooow, save vs. death magic plane. Otto, Raven and Al save, and manage to escape with Antonus, Adrienne and Adler. The former are slowed, the latter paralyzed. Otto throws a glowing stone through the portal and the surface of the blackness absorbs it like a droplet entering water. When the Company goes through, they see the stone slowly heading forward through nothingness. The Company quickly bails on this strange place with no boundaries nearby. Antonus, as he's being dragged back through the portal, thinks he sees, far away as if in the bottom of a deep well, the shadowy outlines of the roofs of buildings and furniture, like those found in bedrooms. The Company is coated with rime when they rejoin the others, but, outside of the strange slowness or paralyzation, unharmed. The party decides to wanders back to the room we rested in but finds the web-door no longer functional- so they turn around again. Heading back, one of the overpasses is festooned with large spiders. It makes one wonder what is under the Company's feet. Samantha is the only unfrozen mage that has fireball memorized but she chooses to save it for later. Dell hopes the spiders will stay on the overpass. They don't. Much biting ensues. Adler and Raven succumb to poison. Antidotes are administered. The Company returns to the cold portal. Giant scorpions and strange giant gripping spiders attack on the way back to the portal. They are slain, though Clift is caught up in the grip of two of the gripping spiders and pecked at. Two driders are spotted by Grizela, who now leads the slowed warriors at the front of the Company, on an overpass ahead. She, in her black cloak, avoids being spotted, and the Company halts before the driders see them. The driders scuttle along the overpass, speaking to each other in a language similar to dark elven. An open doorway reveals a passage beyond, the passage we are on continues forwards. No door is in the doorway, and it is reminiscent of the place the gnolls brought you to. Otto, Raven and Al are still slowed; Antonus, Adrienne and Adler are still paralyzed. I think that sums it up.
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 21, 2007 21:30:22 GMT -5
Did the last female dark elf escape or was she killed? Did the male dark elf identify any magic items he or the other may have been carrying?
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Post by Dell on Oct 21, 2007 21:34:47 GMT -5
Did the last female dark elf escape or was she killed? Did the male dark elf identify any magic items he or the other may have been carrying? All the other Drow were killed, and no items were identified. How fortunate that he's still alive to question.
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Post by venger on Oct 22, 2007 10:01:13 GMT -5
Did we interrogate the drow about the activation words for the ewer? Get any solid info about the great druid? The dark elf's name is Lester Leasonar. So far he has been a cooperative prisoner. He has not been questioned too thoroughly. He told us about "Tormtor"- which is apparently some rival Dark Elf clan. From a dark elf city that he told us the name of... which I can't remember.
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Post by Dell on Oct 22, 2007 10:31:54 GMT -5
So the plan right now is to wait in the hallway until our people are unslowed and unfrozen, then go in and brandish our eggy symbols, right?
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 22, 2007 10:57:18 GMT -5
Did the prisoner have a spell book? If not where is he keeping it? Does he know how to get home? Does he know what the shapes from the egg do? Have we negotiated anything from him or are we just holding on to him until we return? If he doesn't know where the great druid is, is there any reason to keep him? How about trying to capture a drider next time? If anyone knows where things are it is going to be a drider.
How long have we been slowed? Is this like the strength/constitution/dexterity sapping from undead? Will a death's door restore us? Does Dell have haste memorized? What was the final ruling on slow vs. haste?
Winthrop should polymorph into a drow if he wants to wear their clothes. Also make sure he is wearing Raven's helm before we enter the passageway assuming there are telepathic demons again.
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Post by venger on Oct 22, 2007 12:09:07 GMT -5
Did the prisoner have a spell book? If not where is he keeping it? Yes. With Ray of Enfeeblement as a new spell to us. Does he know how to get home? Through a portal! Does he know what the shapes from the egg do? Have we negotiated anything from him or are we just holding on to him until we return? If he doesn't know where the great druid is, is there any reason to keep him? We didn't ask... Well, we can't just let him go. And it's wrong to kill him. He's an elf. He should be judged by the content of his character, not other stuff... How about trying to capture a drider next time? If anyone knows where things are it is going to be a drider. Upon completion of a challenge the dark elves would await a drider who leads them to the next task. How long have we been slowed? Is this like the strength/constitution/dexterity sapping from undead? Will a death's door restore us? Does Dell have haste memorized? What was the final ruling on slow vs. haste? 40 minutes or more. No stats were diminished. No spells have been attempted- I'm not sure if we have any 3rd or 4th level cleric spells. The slow and haste simply cancelled one another.
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Post by Dell on Oct 22, 2007 12:23:22 GMT -5
Well, we can't just let him go. And it's wrong to kill him. He's an elf. He should be judged by the content of his character, not other stuff... He has magic resistance, the innate ability to create darkness and levitate, and we found him in the Abyss. He is a demon, who happens to be created in a form that is a twisted mockery of an elf.
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Oct 22, 2007 12:46:31 GMT -5
We did briefly discussed trying a Dispel Magic on the frozen group but didn't. It was probably interupted by Antonus trying to stop Clift from kil...knocking out the evil creature to prevent it from using its' innate abilities against us. We tied the dark elf to the stone horse figuring that he couldn't levitate the horse. We could take him back to Loftwick if it comes to that so they have a live specimen for their zoo.
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Post by Ginger on Oct 22, 2007 13:21:23 GMT -5
When we're done with him, we bind him, blindfold him, and toss him into the Abyss. He'll fall for a good while until he can reorient himself and untie his hands. Eventually he'll be able to levitate himself somewhere helpful and he'll be fine. We'll be long gone by then.
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Post by venger on Oct 22, 2007 13:50:16 GMT -5
He has magic resistance, the innate ability to create darkness and levitate, and we found him in the Abyss. He is a demon, who happens to be created in a form that is a twisted mockery of an elf. What about the Faerie Fire? Huh? Huh? There's a gentle woodland creature in there dying to get out. We did briefly discussed trying a Dispel Magic on the frozen group but didn't. It was probably interupted by Antonus trying to stop Clift from kil...knocking out the evil creature to prevent it from using its' innate abilities against us. We tied the dark elf to the stone horse figuring that he couldn't levitate the horse. We could take him back to Loftwick if it comes to that so they have a live specimen for their zoo. That was Florin. And well before the fact. Dispel Magic wasn't tried because our leadership was completely absent this week and Antonus is incapacitated. We should present him to the elves of the Hornwood. When we're done with him, we bind him, blindfold him, and toss him into the Abyss. He'll fall for a good while until he can reorient himself and untie his hands. Eventually he'll be able to levitate himself somewhere helpful and he'll be fine. We'll be long gone by then. He won't be fine! We caused him to fail his Lloth test. They'll turn him into a drider for sure. That's gotta be unpleasant. He's been nothing but cooperative since we beat him into submission. There's plenty we can learn from him about these dark elves. And I'm sure he's smart enough to realize that using his pathetic innate abilities against us is only going to get him killed or worse.
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Post by venger on Oct 22, 2007 14:33:54 GMT -5
I know you guys aren't evil. Some of you may be neutral, or chaotic, but none of are evil. In fact, I know some of you are actually GOOD. The Abyss is a stressful place, I acknowledge that.
But some of the options given- like breaking all his fingers so he can't cast spells on us, or just knifing him in cold blood are unacceptably vile. Pitching him (tied up, blindfolded, etc.) into the swirling maelstrom of disgusting mists that permeate the Abyss isn't exactly nice either.
If you really want him dead, just give him enough rope and if he's the chaotic evil monster you think he is, he'll hang himself with it. Figuratively. Don't actually give him our rope...
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Post by Ginger on Oct 22, 2007 15:16:46 GMT -5
I have an idea. Antonus, use your wand of paralysis on him. Oh, wait, I forgot. You only use that on fellow party members.
I'm worried that pitching him into the mists is too nice. It might only take him a round or two to get his bearings and then just wiggle in the air to very slowly reach a platform.
Anyway, we're not dumping him until we find the great druid, so it doesn't really matter. If we find the druid and plane shift out of here, it doesn't really matter what we do.
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Post by Ginger on Oct 22, 2007 15:34:24 GMT -5
From the wiki:
Did any one have the forethought to check if these names matched the 5 names we got from the bugbears? Remember how they had a parchment with 5 names on it, 3 with checks and two with Xs?
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Post by Ginger on Oct 22, 2007 15:39:32 GMT -5
Clift, Dell, Hugh, Samantha, and Winthrop all threaten to kill the dark elf at one point or another. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. The mechanism of the slowing and paralysis is unclear. Is it that those who saved vs. death magic were slowed and those who failed were paralyzed?
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Post by venger on Oct 22, 2007 15:41:40 GMT -5
I have an idea. Antonus, use your wand of paralysis on him. Oh, wait, I forgot. You only use that on fellow party members. Fellow party members who are acting crazy or being dangerously chaotic in a combat situation, yes. You don't take a man's only lightstone in the stygian pits of Abyss. I thought we weren't going to talk about that anymore...... I'm worried that pitching him into the mists is too nice. It might only take him a round or two to get his bearings and then just wiggle in the air to very slowly reach a platform. With no weapons, armor, spells, or spellbooks with which to memorize spells - or food, or water - he'll be dead in no time. There's giant man-eating bugs all over the place. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. The mechanism of the slowing and paralysis is unclear. Is it that those who saved vs. death magic were slowed and those who failed were paralyzed? That is correct.
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 22, 2007 21:49:11 GMT -5
Did we try remove paralysis on those that failed? Or are we carrying three paralyzed people, two corpses and one bound dark elf? So much for our encumbrance.
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Post by Dell on Oct 22, 2007 22:31:53 GMT -5
Did we try remove paralysis on those that failed? Nope. Third level clerical spells are too valuable to use when we can wait out the duration instead.
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Post by Ginger on Oct 23, 2007 19:17:38 GMT -5
Fellow party members who are acting crazy or being dangerously chaotic in a combat situation, yes. I think you'll end up using it on Winthrop or Dell at least once per battle if those are your criteria.
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Post by Wolfgar on Oct 29, 2007 8:04:16 GMT -5
Were we able to subdue a drider? Any information about the Great Druid? Did the stone horse feather fall?
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Post by Mr. Trommer on Oct 29, 2007 8:37:55 GMT -5
No both were killed. Winthrop cast two Dispel Magics to remove 60' of the Wall of Fire. Then Cedrus cast endure heat on Adler and himself to run through the last 20'. Dell polymorphed into a nightmare and had Otto get on and rode up and killed one. Anonus polymorphed into a drider and followed the one that went underneath the path to get away. Then killed it with a lightning bolt.
The stone horse did feather fall but not in the way you might expect. Pfiffwin was given the suggestion by the slowed Antonus to use his wand to cast passwall under the horse so it would just drop down. The spell worked but created a hole into the maelstrom. The quick action of Adrienne and Grizela to pull on the rope with a feather fall cast by Winthrop prevented the horse from dropping in the hole. The horse was then pulled over the side onto the pathway below falling on its back. The dark elf was lucky that he only went unconcious. The fall did crush some jewelry and the magic wand. As a side note, Hugh died when he failed his system shock roll from the Haste spell.
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Post by Ginger on Oct 29, 2007 9:20:39 GMT -5
No both were killed. Winthrop cast two Dispel Magics to remove 60' of the Wall of Fire. Then Cedrus cast endure heat on Adler and himself to run through the last 20'. Dell polymorphed into a nightmare and had Otto get on and rode up and killed one. Anonus polymorphed into a drider and followed the one that went underneath the path to get away. Then killed it with a lightning bolt. The stone horse did feather fall but not in the way you might expect. Pfiffwin was given the suggestion by the slowed Antonus to use his wand to cast passwall under the horse so it would just drop down. The spell worked but created a hole into the maelstrom. The quick action of Adrienne and Grizela to pull on the rope with a feather fall cast by Winthrop prevented the horse from dropping in the hole. The horse was then pulled over the side onto the pathway below falling on its back. The dark elf was lucky that he only went unconcious. The fall did crush some jewelry and the magic wand. As a side note, Hugh died when he failed his system shock roll from the Haste spell. To elaborate, it was pretty deadly towards the end. I don't remember when you left, but the drider cast wall of fire on us, which brought Clift to zero. We all got dragged out of the fire immediately, and then got fireballed, which brought Clift to -35 and Hugh and Raven to zero. The next round Cedrus cast Endure Heat on Florin and he ran through the fire to fight with Otto. While this was going on the drider was fighting with Dell, who was hastily destroying its images. The other drider popped up and held Otto and Florin. Cedrus ran through and cast Remove Paralysis on them, but they both stayed held. The drider popped back up again and held Cedrus. At this point things looked really bad, since Dell was the only thing keeping the two driders from killing everyone. He realized that polymorphing into a nightmare would allow him to use its "means of locomotion" which includes flying at a rate of 48." He then ran to Otto, who became unfrozen when coming into contact with Dell's Minor Globe, and Dell "tried to get Otto to mount him." When James said that we laughed so hard it woke the baby. Otto and Dell ran down the drider mage. Antonus polymorphed into a drider and scuttled underneath the platform to lightning bolt the fleeing cleric. Grizela and Dell made their SS rolls, but Hugh rolled a 96. This leaves us with 4 dead party members and an unconscious drow. It also makes Plane Shifting more difficult, as Adler is less likely to read the scroll successfully if we need to flee in three groups. Of course, the drider had little of informational value.
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