Finback
2017-04-04, 10:18 PM
So, we are playing in CoS, and at level 3. Last night, we finally ran into Strahd himself, and... threw our DM for a loop.
Let me set up the players:
Gerhart (myself), a vengeance vuman paladin. Batman meets Punisher, basically.
Vilberger, the Svertrogue. Cowardly most of the time.
Thia, moon elf cleric of light. The voice of moderation.
Ideal, tiefling monk.
(normally, we have two more players, but one was biding his time to re-enter the story, and the other was sick).
So, our wagon has pulled up at a gibbet, backed against a cliff and surrounded by forest. We've been hearing sounds approaching us from in front, and a flock of ravens stalking us from behind as we escort the stalked Irina and her brother. Gerhart, being an ex-soldier, decides we should stop here as it's a defendable position. Ideal sneaks into the woods, Vilberger stays in the wagon, as Thia and Gerhart get out.
And then he approaches from the mist. Strahd himself, walking towards us. Gerhart (a Barovian native) immediately goes defensive, and puts himself between Strahd and the wagon. Irina begins moving towards him, entranced.. Strahd immediately notices Ideal watching from the trees.
Now, the DM expected us to run for it. This was kind of sort of in our mind, but Gerhart would first and foremost delay Strahd to allow the others to get Irina away. Only they failed. Several attempts to grapple her to get her back in the wagon failed. Luckily, Gerhart readied an action if she moved up to him. Thia was first to act, using her spiritual weapon (in the form of a stake) to attempt to attack Strahd. She went to 2hp in one hit. Oh dear. Vilberger shot a crossbow bolt into Strahd's face from the wagon.. which immediately healed over.
He swung his elbow back to knock her out cold. Which pissed Strahd off. He flung Gerhart several feet away. No real damage, just knocked prone. Strahd then ghosted up to the wagon, grabbing Irina. Vilberger climbed through, in an attempt to get the horses moving, but Strahd made the cart begin to shake violently.
Gerhart eventually got back up, and charged in an attempt to knock Strahd away from Irina, but failed - and ended up taking 27hp of damage for his troubles. Ideal was running around the outer edges, trying to get to Irina without getting in range of Strahd. Strahd attempted to mind control Thia, but elfiness saved her there, giving him disadvantage.
We eventually get Irina onto the wagon, and start moving it, as Gerhart and Strahd face off. A Compelled Duel was successful at keeping Strahd's attention, but being knocked down to -8hp (well, zero, but we do the maths in case of massive damage) from a bite meant it didn't last long. But it DID mean the others had a chance at escape, as they were all either on the wagon, or capable of keeping up with it. Everyone stopped and acknowledged this was quite likely the end of Gerhart, but it was in character, and if it meant they got away, all the better.
And then Vilberger, cowardly Vilberger.. made his stand. He leapt off the wagon and charged Strahd in an attempt to backstab him, seeing his friend injured. Did absolutely nothing, but then Strahd was attacking Vilberger, and put him on zero hp too. Thia leaps off the wagon to stabilise Gerhart, but he's still out cold. She leaps back onto the wagon. Ideal then leaps off, runs to Gerhart and forces a potion down his throat, and back to the wagon.
Strahd is meanwhile basically throttling the life out of Vilberger, and Thia wants to try to help. She distracts him, and he returns by vamping across the battlefiend onto the wagon, lifting Irina into his arms. Gerhart is up, and rushes across the field. He grabs Vilberger, applying some lay on hands, and tosses him to Thia, and charges the wagon in an attempt to stop it. Strahd however, is moving too quickly and is clearly too powerful, so we've pretty much resigned to losing this fight. We slow the wagon, get our group back together and limp away.
Now, this was meant to have been maybe the first 30 minutes of our evening's game, leading to us stumbling across our wacky barbarian friend down the road. Only it took THREE HOURS, because our DM really didn't think anyone would be crazy enough to actually try to fight back. My original intent was merely to slow him while the wagon sped off, but from there, it all went downhill.
************
and this is exactly why I LOVE PLAYING THIS GAME SO MUCH. I've found a great group of players, who bring a lot of laughs, originality and great characterisation to the table. We've got an awesome DM (well, pair - the barbarian player swaps in and out with the current DM, so they both get to have some table time) and every second Tuesday night is really rewarding for me.
Let me set up the players:
Gerhart (myself), a vengeance vuman paladin. Batman meets Punisher, basically.
Vilberger, the Svertrogue. Cowardly most of the time.
Thia, moon elf cleric of light. The voice of moderation.
Ideal, tiefling monk.
(normally, we have two more players, but one was biding his time to re-enter the story, and the other was sick).
So, our wagon has pulled up at a gibbet, backed against a cliff and surrounded by forest. We've been hearing sounds approaching us from in front, and a flock of ravens stalking us from behind as we escort the stalked Irina and her brother. Gerhart, being an ex-soldier, decides we should stop here as it's a defendable position. Ideal sneaks into the woods, Vilberger stays in the wagon, as Thia and Gerhart get out.
And then he approaches from the mist. Strahd himself, walking towards us. Gerhart (a Barovian native) immediately goes defensive, and puts himself between Strahd and the wagon. Irina begins moving towards him, entranced.. Strahd immediately notices Ideal watching from the trees.
Now, the DM expected us to run for it. This was kind of sort of in our mind, but Gerhart would first and foremost delay Strahd to allow the others to get Irina away. Only they failed. Several attempts to grapple her to get her back in the wagon failed. Luckily, Gerhart readied an action if she moved up to him. Thia was first to act, using her spiritual weapon (in the form of a stake) to attempt to attack Strahd. She went to 2hp in one hit. Oh dear. Vilberger shot a crossbow bolt into Strahd's face from the wagon.. which immediately healed over.
He swung his elbow back to knock her out cold. Which pissed Strahd off. He flung Gerhart several feet away. No real damage, just knocked prone. Strahd then ghosted up to the wagon, grabbing Irina. Vilberger climbed through, in an attempt to get the horses moving, but Strahd made the cart begin to shake violently.
Gerhart eventually got back up, and charged in an attempt to knock Strahd away from Irina, but failed - and ended up taking 27hp of damage for his troubles. Ideal was running around the outer edges, trying to get to Irina without getting in range of Strahd. Strahd attempted to mind control Thia, but elfiness saved her there, giving him disadvantage.
We eventually get Irina onto the wagon, and start moving it, as Gerhart and Strahd face off. A Compelled Duel was successful at keeping Strahd's attention, but being knocked down to -8hp (well, zero, but we do the maths in case of massive damage) from a bite meant it didn't last long. But it DID mean the others had a chance at escape, as they were all either on the wagon, or capable of keeping up with it. Everyone stopped and acknowledged this was quite likely the end of Gerhart, but it was in character, and if it meant they got away, all the better.
And then Vilberger, cowardly Vilberger.. made his stand. He leapt off the wagon and charged Strahd in an attempt to backstab him, seeing his friend injured. Did absolutely nothing, but then Strahd was attacking Vilberger, and put him on zero hp too. Thia leaps off the wagon to stabilise Gerhart, but he's still out cold. She leaps back onto the wagon. Ideal then leaps off, runs to Gerhart and forces a potion down his throat, and back to the wagon.
Strahd is meanwhile basically throttling the life out of Vilberger, and Thia wants to try to help. She distracts him, and he returns by vamping across the battlefiend onto the wagon, lifting Irina into his arms. Gerhart is up, and rushes across the field. He grabs Vilberger, applying some lay on hands, and tosses him to Thia, and charges the wagon in an attempt to stop it. Strahd however, is moving too quickly and is clearly too powerful, so we've pretty much resigned to losing this fight. We slow the wagon, get our group back together and limp away.
Now, this was meant to have been maybe the first 30 minutes of our evening's game, leading to us stumbling across our wacky barbarian friend down the road. Only it took THREE HOURS, because our DM really didn't think anyone would be crazy enough to actually try to fight back. My original intent was merely to slow him while the wagon sped off, but from there, it all went downhill.
************
and this is exactly why I LOVE PLAYING THIS GAME SO MUCH. I've found a great group of players, who bring a lot of laughs, originality and great characterisation to the table. We've got an awesome DM (well, pair - the barbarian player swaps in and out with the current DM, so they both get to have some table time) and every second Tuesday night is really rewarding for me.