Aegis' Dungeoncrawler In-Character

[Aegis013]

The goblin is taken completely by surprise as the war axe removed the goblin's left arm and a substantial portion of its torso. It briefly looks up at you in shock as the life fades from its eyes and its body crumples unceremoniously onto the stone floor.

It seems all the goblins are dead.

The giant remains quiet and has taken 12 damage.

What will you do now? (Until you reengage the giant, we're acting out of combat - once the giant is reengaged, a new initiative will be rolled)

[Sparce]

"I think we should look through the tunnels and make sure that all the goblins are dead. A surprise attack from behind when we are engaging the giant and bear probably wouldn't be great."

Geraldo starts checking the goblins for anything that might be useful. He is going to put anything of note into his haversack for the time being.

[QuadraticGish]

"I have a crossbow in my pack with a good supply of bolts and these tunnels appear far too small for our giant friend. Perhaps you two could drag back our allies while I provide a distraction from the safety of the tunnel system?"

[TheFallenOne]

"That sounds good once we're sure the tunnels are clear. Shoot at it from the entrance furthest from their bodies, then we can make a quick dash to pull them out. With any luck they're still alive." Solstafir wiped off his axe on the goblin's tattered clothes; in the short amount of time since entering the tunnels it had already gotten a lot of blood to spill.

"Oh, we killed an alchemist with a couple potions, perhaps you can tell what they do. Also got a tanglefoot bag, that should help once we go back in to fight."

Spoiler

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I can heal another 2 HP by executing the unconscious goblin, just tell me who of you needs it more.

[QuadraticGish]

Orchid nods to Solstafir. "It might take me a little bit or so to identify them, but I'll try my best. Do one of you think you could scout out the best tunnel for me to shoot from in the meantime?"

Spoiler: OOC

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If I've been keeping track correctly, I think I'm at 8 HP. Also, here are the spellcraft rolls for identifying the potions for when they're given to me. Looks like there are six potions, so that's about six minutes of time. Orchid will get to work as soon as she has them.
(1d20+9)[22]
(1d20+9)[26]
(1d20+9)[27]
(1d20+9)[26]
(1d20+9)[22]
(1d20+9)[11]


Pretty weird going to 3.5's ID rules from PF's. Burning a feat for Mages spectacles has really turned out to be worthwhile though.

[Aegis013]

Orchid recognizes three of these as Potions of Cure Light Wounds. Given that they all appear the very similar, the other three may be as well.

The chunks and bits of stuff used as ingredients still suspended in the liquid is not perfectly uniform between any of the potions, which may be a testament to the goblin alchemist's lack of craftsmanship, or it's possible they are actually potions of another kind.

[TheFallenOne]

"Well, if you're not sure about the other three... We still got an unconscious goblin over there, just pour one down his throat and see what happens." Just in case they were indeed all curing potions Solstafir kicked away the goblin's weapon and shield, putting his foot on the small creature's chest to choke out its life again.

Spoiler

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We seem to be in agreement about checking the tunnels first, we can probably progress with that

[QuadraticGish]

"Three cure lights." Orchid comments after some time.

After listening to Solstafir's suggestion, she opens one of the unidentified potions. "If this wasn't the dungeon, I might actually have something against doing this sort of testing." she responds. She brings the potion to the goblin and pours it onto him, observing the effects.

[Sparce]

Geraldo readies his weapon in case the goblin does anything unexpected.

[Aegis013]

The goblin springs back to consciousness. It briefly twists in attempt to free itself, but quickly realizing its situation it begins babbling incoherently in the goblin tongue, it's hard to tell for sure if it's begging for its life or threatening you.

(This disarmed, pinned goblin isn't a threat, so I'm not going to make you do combat rolls, if you want to suffocate it back to unconsciousness with Solstafir's boot, that's what will happen.)

Spoiler: Exploring around the tunnels

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You make a full circle around the main chamber - there are two side chambers, one was the goblin alchemist's laboratory, the other is an empty room with a wall with stones forming a spiral design, but no special passages or otherwise.

There are a number of tunnels connecting the ring back to the main chamber, some offering some cover behind the pillars in the main chamber, while others offer a clear view to the center. Your downed allies are all close to at least one entrance, with Levyk and Aertre being close to one that views the center and Thanquil being close to one with LoS to the center blocked by a pillar, though Thanquil's prone form is not totally hidden behind the pillar.

[TheFallenOne]

"Can one of you see where the giant is? I got too much armor on to sneak a look." Solstafir took in the layout of the entrances and mulled over how best to approach it. "The giant will be on guard once we tried this once, so we should grab both Levyk and Aertre at the same time. Orchid, could you perhaps heal Thanquil with your scroll without being seen? There's decent cover there, if he plays dead until the right moment we can get all three out at the same time while you lure the giant to the opposite side.

Spoiler

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Grappling the goblin into unconsciousness again lets me heal 2 HP on Geraldo, and another 2 for executing it with lethal damage. Less than the potion would have done, but at least now we're sure what they do.

[QuadraticGish]

"I can try, but I'm not sure how well it will go between the sound of the chain I'm wearing underneath and that I would have to reveal my presence just activating the scroll. What if I found an angle I could fire on him at that could leave you two out of sight to get everyone else? With the potions, getting someone back to conscious and telling them to retreat into the tunnels should be pretty quick unless these things are shoddy."

[TheFallenOne]

"I think dragging them out would be quicker, no guarantee one potion is enough," Solstafir reasoned. "Guess I'll grab Levyk and Geraldo here Aertre once you have lured the giant away. That still leaves Thanquil, we'll just have to see how the first part works out and then figure something out. Don't think it will fall for the same trick twice." He bit his lower lip, thinking the matter over a bit more. "He's at least partially obscured, maybe we can just tie a rope around a leg or arm now and then pull him out right after getting the other two without having to run into the arena again."

[Sparce]

"I think the giant would notice a rope going towards a hole in the wall and I don't think we would have enough time to tie a rope onto Thanquil before the giant could get to us. I'm going to head back to the goblin alchemy room to get the rest of the potions there. After that, I'm going to see what the positions of the giant and bear are."

Geraldo squeezes back into the room that had the goblin alchemist and loots everything in that room. He also takes this time to remove his armor to reduce the noise he makes. He then circles away from where that room is for a bit then peaks out one of the wall entrances to see what is going on in the room.

Spoiler: Move Silently

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If needed: (1d20+2)[10]

[QuadraticGish]

"I still have a scroll of power word pain at least. If I get his attention, I could hit him with that and it might finish him after sometime. The pain from that might keep him from distracted."

A second goes by before Orchid recalls something.

"Actually, I hit the bear with a scroll of that too before those goblins took me out. I wonder if it's still standing."

[Aegis013]

Geraldo attempts to sneak a peek.

Spoiler: Bunch o' rolls

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Move Silently was rolled at 10
Hide (1d20+2)[4]

Giant's passive response (including substantial circumstance penalties)
(1d20-1)[1] spot
(1d20-1)[12] listen

Geraldo creeps out towards the main chamber from the small tunnel to behold a gruesome scene. The giant's gore smeared clubs stand on their ends with their makeshift grips towering skyward on one side of the deceased bear while the giant, now covered in disgusting ichor that you quickly recognize as goblin blood, is stooped low to the ground. The abomination appears to be drawing something on the ground around the bear's carcass by squeezing one of the goblin corpses with its bare hands. Gore is spilling out of the neck where presumably the head was torn off.

The giant's heads are both whispering intently. Looking carefully Geraldo sees that the giant is painting some kind of strange and surprisingly somewhat intricate circle given the medium of blood from the goblins that died in the main chamber. Geraldo estimates it will take the giant a bit of time yet to complete its work when the whispers suddenly stop and you see the ears of one of the heads start to twitch as the lumbering brute begins to straighten up and scan the room, its revealed visage painted with a cold and calculated wrath. Something seems to have alerted it, but it hasn't spotted the human crouching several feet back from the tunnel entrance yet.

[Sparce]

Geraldo quickly scurries back and finds Orchid and Solstafir.

"We better hurry whatever we are doing. The bear is down, but it looks like the giant is performing some kind of eldritch blood ritual out there. Here, I've got a bunch of flasks we can try to throw at the giant."

Geraldo looks around for some bandoliers from the goblins and starts distributing flasks to both the other two.

[TheFallenOne]

"Then we better not tarry any longer. Orchid, we move in once you lured the giant away. I'll grab Levyk and Geraldo Aertre, then we heal them up and finish things before he can complete whatever he's doing."

[QuadraticGish]

Orchid nods and splits the potions she has between Geraldo and Solstafir. "On it." she stashes the scroll of lesser vigor and her shield away into her haversack and brings out her crossbow. Grabbing a couple of bandoliers off a goblin, she ties them together to make it an easier fit on her. She then takes some of the flasks from Geraldo and sets it into her bandolier.

"Hope this works." Orchid quickly loads a bolt into it and moves into the tunnels, looking for a one that would grant her of sight of the giant, but kept the giant's off of her fallen allies.

[Aegis013]

It doesn't take long before Orchid finds a reasonable position. Geraldo and Solstafir are also in their position

Spoiler: Bunch o' rolls

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Geraldo's Hide (1d20+2)[6] & Move Silently (1d20+2)[5]
Solstafir's Hide (1d20-2)[-1] & Move Silently (1d20-2)[4] - add 5 to both if you choose to retroactively remove and stash your armor and shield
Orchid's Hide (1d20)[7] and Move Silently (1d20)[16] - add 2 to both if you choose to retroactively remove and stash your armor

Spoiler: Giant's perceptions

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(1d20-1)[13] spot
(1d20-1)[3] listen

[Aegis013]

The giant, now on high alert, notices the team just as you each get into position, Geraldo and Solstafir are spotted crouching in the goblin tunnel nearest their fallen companions Aertre and Levyk (6 o'clock of the circular room) by one of the giant's heads.

Orchid is spotted directly across (12 o'clock of the circular room) by the other of the giant's heads.

Thanquil has collapsed off to the side where he was successfully kiting the harpooned bear until a club interfered (9 o'clock of the circular room).

You've interrupted the giants work on the mysterious circle it was drawing in goblin blood around the fallen bear near the center of the room.

Initiative:
Giant (1d20+3)[17]

Orchid (1d20+2)[20]
Geraldo (1d20+2)[11]
Solstafir (1d20+3)[14]

If they are revived during the fight, the initiative order for the unconscious companions are:
Levyk (1d20)[14]
Aertre (1d20+3)[22]
Thanquil (1d20+3)[14]

Orchid has initiative.

[QuadraticGish]

"Over here!" Orchid shouts out at the giant as she lets off her loaded crossbow bolt at the giant.

She then sticks her tongue out at it and takes a hand off her crossbow to give it the bird, hoping to attract its ire with her rude gestures. She then grabs a bolt from her bag and loads it into the crossbow.

Spoiler: OOC

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Standard Action: Attack Roll: (1d20+2)[19] Damage: (1d8)[6]
Move Action: Reload the crossbow.

[Aegis013]

Orchid's arrow doesn't penetrate the iron bands that compose the creature's armor, but you sure did get its attention. The angrier head roars with a powerful rage.

The giant rights itself, grabs its two clubs and comes rushing towards Orchid's hiding space. Between standing from its crouch and collecting its things, it uses all of its actions getting over to the tunnel.

Players may act.

Spoiler: Status and Conditions

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The giant has taken 12 damage.

[TheFallenOne]

Wasting no time to make use of their opening Solstafir moved into the round chamber, lifting up Levyk with a grunt of effort and putting the fellow dwarf over his shoulder. "Come on buddy, you're in luck I didn't go for armor spikes yet."

[QuadraticGish]

Orchid seeing that the giant is on her moves back into the tunnel as far as she can without leaving the giant's line of sight. She then drops her crossbow and takes out the scroll she has been holding under her arm a frown growing on her face.

"Sorry about this, but it's either you or us."

Orchid unfurls the scroll, and begins the chant. "Power Word, Pain."

Spoiler: OOC

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Move Action: Squeeze into the tunnel as far as I can without breaking LOS with the giant.
Free action: Drop the crossbow
Standard Action: Activate the scroll of Power Word Pain against the giant.

[Sparce]

Geraldo dashes out and grabs Aertre and starts attempting to haul her back to tunnel. He doesn't speak in hopes that Orchid can distract the giant long enough for him to rescue the elf.

[Aegis013]

Solstafir and Geraldo grab up their companions as Orchid casts her spell.

The giant beats its clubs on the wall to the tunnel in which Orchid is hiding. It seems to mean to bring the whole tunnel down on you.

Damage against the wall (1d10+6)[12] and (1d10+6)[10]. The stone cracks under the force of the blows. It'll probably take the giant more attacks to actually collapse the passage.

Spoiler: Status and Conditions

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Pain duration (2d4)[4] rounds
(1d6)[1] damage from pain.

The giant has taken 13 damage.

Players may act.

[Sparce]

Geraldo moves Aertre into the tunnel and attempts to feed her a cure light wounds potion.

[Aegis013]

Spoiler: Rolls

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Potion heals for (1d8)[2] Aertre was at -6 after taking 15 damage from a critical bear claw.

She is now at -4 hp.

The potion seems to be mending Aertre's wounds, but not enough to return her to fighting shape. She remains unconscious, but stable.

[infomatic]

mumble mumble